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June 4, 2021

Celebrating Pride Month

Councilmembers holding the Progress Pride flag

Thank you to everyone who attended Tuesday's Progress Pride flag-raising ceremony at City Hall with the Healdsburg City Council and the subsequent LGBTQIA+ celebration on the plaza. Starting this year and each year thereafter, the Progress Pride Flag will fly at City facilities through June, which is Pride Month.

Pictured from left to right in the first photo above are Councilmember Ariel Kelley, Vice Mayor Osvaldo Jimenez, Mayor Evelyn Mitchell, and Councilmembers Skylaer Palacios and David Hagele. If you missed the event, you can watch the Facebook Live video by clicking the image of the flags or by going to: http://bit.ly/PPFlagCer.

June 5: Fitch Mountain Evacuation Drill

Postcard of the Fitch Mountain Evacuation Drill

Tomorrow, Fitch Mountain residents will take part in a voluntary evacuation drill coordinated by Sonoma County's Department of Emergency Management, the Sonoma County Sheriff, the City of Healdsburg, community groups and fire agencies. The exercise is part of a community-wide effort to prepare for wildfires and other potential disasters.

The purpose: to familiarize community members with local, designated evacuation routes; safely practice an evacuation on those routes; and for public-safety agencies and the County to practice using hi-lo sirens and the SoCoAlert system.

The City is also issuing Nixle alerts to notify the entire Healdsburg community that the vehicular procession to the Community Center -- which will serve as a temporary evacuation point -- is just an exercise, not the real thing.

Event schedule:

8-8:30 AM: Exercise begins. Registered participants will get a SoCo Alert notification on their phones, prompting them to evacuate to the Healdsburg Community Center. Hi-Lo sirens also will be activated by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s officers to alert participants that the exercise has begun.
The public is welcome to attend an emergency-preparedness resource fair at the Community Center following the exercise.
9:30 AM: The command team and leadership will provide closing remarks at the Community Center.

More information on the exercise can be found at: www.socoemergency.org/2021drill.

June 5: Affordable Housing Meeting

Affordable Housing Meeting at Barbieri Park

Healdsburg community members are invited to a meeting on Saturday, June 5, to learn more about the proposed affordable housing units on the Saggio Hills site, adjacent to the Montage Healdsburg resort.

Hosted by Oakland-based Freebird Development Company, the meeting will take place at 10 AM at Barbieri Brothers Park, 324 Bridle Path, located in the Parkland Farms neighborhood. If you have questions, please email info @ freebirddev.com or City Housing Administrator Stephen Sotomayor, ssotomayor @ ci.healdsburg.ca.us.

June 5: Park Planning Open House

Community members are invited to the fourth community-engagement session tomorrow, June 5, from 9 AM – 1 PM, to review and comment on park-planning efforts. Our Community Services team will present preliminary plans for the new 36-acre park in the Montage Healdsburg development, redevelopment plans for Badger Park, and enhanced access to the Russian River.

The in-person open house will be held in two locations – Barbieri Brothers Park, 342 Bridle Path; and Badger Park, 750 Heron Drive – and will feature displays of the preliminary plans, guided site walks, and input opportunities. Spanish translation will be available and all activities will follow COVID-19 protocols, including masking and social-distancing.

Wildfire Mitigation Work Continues

Video grab of May 30 Fitch Mountain Villas HOA prescribed burn

Healdsburg Fire partnered with other local fire agencies on a 9-acre controlled burn on the Fitch Mountain Villas Open Space on Sunday, May 30, from about 11 AM to 5 PM. The prescribed burn removed a large amount of fire fuels.

The video (https://fb.watch/5VfTxeJt0V/) shows firefighters burning downhill in strips to better control the fire. Many thanks to Fitch Mountain Villas HOA, Oak Knoll residents, Northern Sonoma County Fire, CalFire, and Fire Forward for such a successful burn.

City Council to Discuss
Water Conservation Measures

At the June 7 City Council meeting, the City Council will receive a City Staff update on the current water supply and conservation levels, and consider implementing Stage 3 water-conservation measures and declaring a drought emergency.

Stage 3 means a mandatory 40 percent reduction in water use systemwide for Healdsburg residents, businesses, schools, and City facilities. Currently, we are in Stage 2, which requires a 20 percent cut in water use.

The City Council meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. You can find all the details on how to join the meeting as well as read the staff report in the meeting agenda packet: http://healdsburgca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2075&Inline=True

June 10: Drought and Water Conservation Update

Image of a river going through mountains

Please join us on June 10 at 6 PM to discuss current drought conditions and response. In this meeting, you’ll hear from Utility Director Terry Crowley and Utility Conservation Analyst Felicia Smith on current water supply and mandatory water-conservation efforts for the remainder of the dry season.

Please register to attend this public meeting, which will be held online via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XUJGx6o_TCSEIqLbW6SRwg. If you missed our informative May 18 meeting on the City's 2020 urban water management plan, you can watch the video replay: https://youtu.be/cHHHg53NwlU

New Water Conservation Video

Our latest video in our water-conservation series features longtime Healdsburg resident Sharon Barbee, who shares tips on how she has reduced water use indoors and outdoors. Click the image above or go here to watch the video: https://youtu.be/02NuiLQxrTc

Our earlier videos feature former Healdsburg Fire Chief Randy Collins on circulation systems and Utility Conservation Analyst Felicia Smith on measuring water use and irrigation controls. Click here and here to watch the videos.

If you’re a Healdsburg utility customer, you received our notice in the mail a few weeks ago about cutting water use by at least 20 percent. We continue our outreach efforts on water conservation: In addition to the notice, information has been published on the City website, on social media posts and several banners around town. And coming soon to your home -- “door hangers” with tips and information on water conservation.

June 12: Get Your Free Drought Toolkit

We are collaborating with the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership on a “Drought Drop By” event on Saturday, June 12, from 9 AM – 1 PM, at the Healdsburg Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Ave. The aim: to help you cut water use.

Here’s what’s in the toolkit:

Bucket to catch water for reuse
5-minute shower timer
WaterSense-labeled, low-flow showerhead
WaterSense-labeled, low-flow faucet aerator
Toilet dye-test tablets
Self-closing garden hose nozzle

These free toolkits will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last. Limit one toolkit per household.

50 or Over? Take our Age-Friendly Survey

The City of Healdsburg in 2018 became the first city in Sonoma County to receive Age-Friendly designation -- a commitment to make Healdsburg a great place to grow up and grow old. We're now now in the "action planning" phase of the Age-Friendly designation process and we'd love your feedback.

If you're 50 years old or better and live in Healdsburg, please take our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AgeFriendlyHBG, which asks how to make Healdsburg a better place to live as you age. The deadline to complete the survey is June 18. If you prefer to submit a paper survey, printed copies are available for pick-up/drop-off at the Community Center or at senior basket food-distribution events.

Temporary Closure: Section of Foss Creek Pathway

Foss Creek Pathway will be closed between Grant Street and Grove Street from Monday, June 21, to Wednesday, June 23, from 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM so a temporary pathway can be built to keep the pathway open during construction of the Foss Creek Pathway Segments 7 and 8 Project.

Northbound pedestrians will be detoured via Grant Street to Healdsburg Avenue to Dry Creek Road to Grove Street. Southbound pedestrians will be detoured to Grove Street to Dry Creek Road to Healdsburg Avenue to Grant Street. Cyclists may alternatively use Grant Street and Grove Street.

This project will extend the Foss Creek Pathway along the North Coast Railroad Authority Railroad right-of-way from the flood-control detention basin by the Carson Warner Memorial Skate Park north to the intersection of Grove Street and Healdsburg Avenue. Once this project is complete, there will be a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist path from northern Healdsburg near the community center to the southern end of Healdsburg.

Please observe and adhere to construction area signage and traffic control. We appreciate your patience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Senior Engineer Clay Thistle at (707) 431-3391 or cthistle @ cityofhealdsburg.org.