Nevada County Data Meets Red Tier for First Week

Continue to be COVID Safe: Nevada County COVID-19 Data Meets the Red “Substantial” Tier for the First Week

For the first time since the State’s tiered framework was first announced, Nevada County COVID-19 data qualifies us for the more restrictive Red “Substantial” Tier with the State’s tier announcement today. If Nevada County’s COVID-19 data meets the more restrictive Red or Purple Tier next week, Nevada County will move into the Red Tier beginning Tuesday, November 17th.

"Our data meeting the statistics of the Red Tier is not a surprise due to the significant uptick in COVID-19 cases and increased community transmission we’ve seen here recently and is not unique to Nevada County. At the rate our local cases are increasing, there is a possibility that Nevada County could trend towards the Purple Tier in future weeks due to the seven-day lag in real-time data with the State’s tier system,” said Interim Public Health Officer Dr. Richard Johnson. “If we do go backwards into the Red Tier next Tuesday, it’ll directly impact our businesses. We continue to urge everyone to stay diligent about refraining from gatherings with friends and family as well as going into the office if you are feeling sick. It’s the best way to keep our community healthy, keep impacts to our local hospital systems low and support our businesses safely through the holidays.”

California, Oregon & Washington Issue Travel Advisories

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued travel advisories today urging visitors entering their states or returning home from travel outside these states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisories urge against non-essential out-of-state travel, ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country and encourage residents to stay local. Nevada County has had a significant increase of COVID-19, many of which are associated with travel in and out of the county.

“California just surpassed a sobering threshold – one million COVID-19 cases – with no signs of the virus slowing down,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers and vulnerable Californians. Travel increases the risk of spreading COVID-19, and we must all collectively increase our efforts at this time to keep the virus at bay and save lives.”

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Nevada County Community Library Sets Monday Reopening Date

The Nevada County Community Library is set to reopen its Truckee, Madelyn Helling, and Grass Valley locations on November 16th. Once open, patrons will be able to browse and select materials for checkout within a 30-minute time period. This “Grab and Go” model of library services will allow the greatest amount of safety for visitors and staff. If Nevada County moves into the State’s Red Tier next week, the “Grab and Go” model at the Library may adjusted in order to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines.

“We have really missed our patrons and are so excited to be opening our doors,” notes County Librarian, Nick Wilczek “But, we also want to be sure we are doing it in the safest way possible. We hope that our community understands and appreciates our commitment to their safety.”

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Nevada County Receives Three CSAC Awards

Nevada County has received three California State Association of Counties (CSAC) awards for innovative county programs: the Ready Nevada County wildfire preparedness campaign won CSAC’s Challenge Award for rural counties under the “Disaster & Emergency Response/Management” category, and the Homeless Outreach and Medical Engagement (HOME) Team and Behavioral Health’s Walk-In Clinic both won a CSAC Merit Award for rural counties in the “Health & Human Services” category. This year, CSAC is honoring 49 programs from 25 counties: 20 Challenge Awards and 29 Merit Awards with 363 entries.

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November 17^th Board Meeting Preview

Pursuant to Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order pertaining to the convening of public meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of Nevada hereby provides notice that it will hold its regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors by remote. The Board will attend the meeting and participate to the same extent as if they were present. Tuesday's November 17th meeting starts at 9:00 a.m.

Public Comment may be submitted by 1) Emailing BOS.PublicComment@co.nevada.ca.us; 2) Leaving an eComment at www.mynevadacounty.com/boardmeetings; 3) Calling (530) 270-3474 to comment live over the phone; 4) Attending the meeting in person inside the Board of Supervisors Chambers; 5) Attending by remote at a kiosk located outside of the Eric Rood Administrative Center in Western County; 6) Attending by remote at a kiosk located at the District V Board of Supervisors office in Eastern County. Masks or face shields are mandatory inside all County facilities.

Following public comment, Chief Information Officer Stephen Monaghan will provide an informational presentation on wildfire preparedness.

Lastly, the Board will consider an ordinance to extend the prohibition of outdoor burning during fire season in the Yuba River Corridor as a pilot program until the end of declared fire season in 2021.

November 17th Agenda

Kevin Edwards: Local Airport a Vital Asset

When the Jones Fire broke out in the early morning hours of August 17th, CalFire was able to respond with small tankers in just a few minutes, thanks to the placement of the Grass Valley Air Attack Base established at the Nevada County Airport, making it possible for firefighters to get a relatively quick handle on the fast moving, difficult to reach event. This is just one recent instance of countless instances that make our local airport a vital asset and one that we should not take for granted.

CalFire Battalion Chief David Krussow said the air attack base was one of the first in the state, opening in 1958 as part of a network. The overall plan of CalFire is to have an air tanker within 20 minutes of any area of responsibility. The air attack base at the Nevada County Airport is ideally situated because it is in the foothills in an area of high fire danger that breeches many of our canyons. The concept is using smaller more maneuverable air tankers out of smaller air bases with support from large tankers out of big air bases in the valley. The value of having the base here has been proven many times.

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Know the Signs Suicide Prevention Training

Nevada County Public Health will be hosting a Know the Signs suicide prevention training on Wednesday, November 25th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The training is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Attendees will learn about the warning signs of suicide, how to engage with someone they’re concerned about, and resources available to help.

Register Here

Vegetation Management Beginning Monday on Red Dog Cross Road and Red Dog Road

The Nevada County Roads Division is conducting vegetation management operations within the designated right-of-way (ROW) on County maintained roads. The ROW averages approximately ten feet from the edges of the pavement, but does vary depending on the road. Operations include trimming tree branches and bushes, high-limbing branches up to 15 feet above the road surface, mowing, and weed spraying (although property with official Nevada County “No Spray” signs will not be sprayed).

Beginning November 16th, the Nevada County Roads Division will be conducting operations on Red Dog Cross Road from Red Dog Road to Banner Lava Cap Road and Red Dog Road from Boulder Street to Banner Lava Cap Road.

Public Works Website

Caltrans Releases State Route 49 Safety Assessment Report

This week Caltrans released the HWY 49 Safety Assessment Report highlighting safety findings and proposed improvements between Interstate 80 in Auburn and McKnight Way in Grass Valley. Caltrans invites members of the public to view the SR-49 Safety Assessment Report at Hwy49Safety.com. Public input is essential for project development and enables the Department to account for various perspectives and impacts for equity. The deadline to submit comments and questions to Caltrans District 3 has been extended to Friday, December 11th.

“The existing corridor safety features and proposed improvements outlined in the Safety Assessment Report present the current vision for the Highway 49 corridor,” said Dan Landon, Executive Director of the Nevada County Transportation Commission. “Through coordination with citizens and local agencies, we can continue to broaden our vision for the corridor while preserving the historic character of our communities and improving highway safety.”

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Job Openings at Nevada County: Board Clerk I or II

Nevada County employs approximately 800 employees covering a full range of services and positions, from accountants to wastewater treatment system operators. In Nevada County, quality of life comes first. It is the only rural California county with two designated Cultural Arts Districts and is known for its abundance of outdoor recreational activities.

Join a team that makes a difference and help make meaningful contributions to your community! Nevada County is looking for a Board Clerk I or II in the Board of Supervisors office. Are you organized, detail oriented, flexible and ready for new challenges? The Nevada County Clerk of the Board team is constantly on the move and our goal is to establish effective relationships while working with the County Supervisors, members of the community, and co-workers from all County departments.

Find out more information about this position online. Have a question? Contact Human Resources by calling (530) 265-7010 and selecting option 2.

New jobs this week:

View Current Job Openings