June 15th officially marks the reopening of California’s economy, with most businesses returning to pre-pandemic operations. I say “reopening,” but here at the County of Nevada we never closed. While we modified many services to protect staff and residents, County government and services have remained open and, in many cases, have been strengthened by the changes COVID-19 required of us.

As we look toward June 15^th, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the impacts on County services and how we plan to move forward.

How We Adapted
Serving the community is our top priority. To slow the spread of COVID, we encouraged staff who could work remotely to do so without compromising our commitment to providing outstanding customer service.

During COVID, our County buildings and many of our counter services remained open. Our organization learned to adapt to new models of service delivery with expanded services available online and in-person. We increased automated services, enhanced our online presence, and implemented lobby management systems to reduce wait times and crowds.

Some departments, such as the Sheriff’s Office and Public Works, never went remote.

Positive Changes
While COVID created many challenges, it also gave us the opportunity to adapt as an organization.

Here are just a few of the creative solutions I am proud to say were spearheaded by County staff:

Together with community partners we launched the Nevada County Relief Fund, which leveraged County dollars with private contributions to award over $1 million in micro-grants to small businesses to help them keep their doors open. We now have this community resource for relief during a large-scale emergency like a wildfire.
We quickly activated our Disaster Service Workers to connect residents to basic needs like groceries, shelter, and PPE and extended activation of our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate response efforts. We are now better prepared to scale County operations in a disaster.
We found creative solutions to support community institutions and organizations, like the partnership to create a Youth Hub to support our local students, the Nevada County Fairgrounds, and Bright Futures for Youth.
We began weekly Public Information Officer (PIO) Team meetings with local jurisdictions, agencies, and community partners to share information and ensure that we provided accurate, up-to-date information with our residents.
We forged and strengthened relationships and coordination between partners in Eastern and Western Nevada County, breaking down the divide between our communities and addressing shared challenges as a team.

All of this was made possible by the creativity, commitment, and collaboration of our community partners. I feel incredibly fortunate to live and work in a community that comes together in times of crisis.

What’s Next
Beginning June 15^th, we will reopen full counter services countywide and resume holding public meetings in the Board Chambers, following the most recent guidance from the California Department of Public Health. During COVID, we expanded opportunities for the public to address the Board using e-comment and call-ins, which will both continue. The health and safety of our community and staff remain a top priority for Supervisors and staff.

The pandemic illuminated the many benefits of remote work for our organization, including increased productivity and improved County services. Staff became proficient in new telework technologies, which we will continue to use going forward. We are committed to a high-performance work culture to deliver excellent public service that our residents expect and deserve. We continually seek to improve the way we conduct business most efficiently.

While there is no denying the past year's challenges, it has also increased our resiliency and ability to adapt. We're ready to handle whatever comes our way and welcome new challenges or opportunities. We are better prepared to scale operations during emergency events with the deployment of disaster service workers. We have stronger coordination than ever with our local jurisdictions - from East to West. I could not be prouder of how our team stepped up, adapted, and provided critical resources, leadership, and services during this unprecedented and ongoing event.

- Alison Lehman

Free Residential Green Waste Disposal Starting June 11^th

Nevada County is working to make evacuation routes safer. So far this year, we've cleared 45 miles of roadway through our Egress/Ingress Project!

Every year homeowners are encouraged to create and maintain defensible space. Building a buffer between a structure and the grasses, trees, and shrubs that surround it, is essential to slowing or stopping a wildfire. Defensible space helps protect homes while providing greater safety for firefighters who may need to take a stand to defend property. You can build defensible space around your road or home, too. Visit the FREE Residential Green Waste Program this weekend, June 11th through 14th from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 12625 Brunswick Rd, Grass Valley, CA.

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Summer Meals Available at Nevada County Community Libraries

Your public libraries are continuing to feed children’s and teens’ minds and bodies this summer by offering a free, healthy lunch to all children ages 18 and under, courtesy of the Food Bank of Nevada County.

The program, which began at the Grass Valley Library in 2018, has expanded to include Truckee, Nevada City, and Penn Valley. Also new this year, the Grass Valley branch has partnered with the Grass Valley School District Child Nutrition Services to offer breakfast Monday through Friday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. There is no income requirement to participate, and all are welcome.

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Color Your World with the Library’s Summer Learning Program

Did you know that children and teens who participate in summer learning and read at least six books score higher in both reading and math when they return to school? The librarians at the Nevada County Community Library are focused on making sure that everyone enjoys their summer and gets plenty of opportunities to read.

This year’s Summer Learning Program theme is “Reading Colors Your World” and includes a diverse array of activities and events focused on countries from Chilé to Egypt and everything in between. "I think it's really great that we could focus on so many cultures from around the world. There are some great programs that celebrate the creativity of different countries and peoples," said Mellisa Hannum, Youth Services Librarian.

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Phebe Bell: Acknowledging Grief and Finding Connection in Our Journey Back to “Normal”

When my children were little, moments of transition or change sometimes caused them to feel anxious or unsure. I remember my daughter’s kindergarten teacher telling me that every day when it was time to go to recess and join the throngs of older children on the playground, a little hand would slip into hers for the walk down the long, noisy hallway. My daughter needed just a small show of reassurance and connection to make the transition from the safe classroom to the bigger world.

I think of this as a metaphor for the moment we are in right now, the transition away from this unusual chapter of isolation and disconnection. I imagine that some of us are eager and excited to join the noisy throngs, ready to face big social gatherings and the dynamics and energy that accompany being amongst people again. And probably others of us are a bit like my daughter at age five – needing a bit of reassurance and connection to counter the anxiety the transition may be surfacing. And still others may truly not be ready or able to step back into their pre-COVID lives. The impacts of the past year have been intense, and for some it may take time and significant support to make this transition.

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Nevada County COVID-19 Remembrance Memorial Moves to Truckee

On May 2nd, the Remembrance Memorial, an art installation designed to honor the victims of COVID-19 in Nevada County, was unveiled in a private ceremony at Robinson Plaza in Nevada City. The memorial will be moving to Truckee this month and will be open to the public in its new location beginning June 18th, 2021. It is expected to remain downtown at Victory Plaza until August 12th, 2021.

The memorial is a six-foot-high column woven of natural elements from Nevada County with a dedication inscribed on local granite. Manzanita rings, engraved to honor each of the 75 lost community members, hang from willow branches. A team of local artists and community members envisioned and donated their time to construct the memorial, including Peggy Wright, Lyssa Skeahan and Kevin Cowan of Other World Customs, Charles Kritzon, Sarah Regan, and Alicia Funk. Sweet Roots Farm contributed the Willow branches, Liam Ellerby from the Curious Forge completed the metalwork, Grass Valley Sign provided the plaques and Robinsons donated the local granite.

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Nevada County Elections “I Voted” Sticker Contest

Nevada County Elections is inviting submissions for original artwork to use as the county “I Voted” sticker in the 2022 Election Cycle. We offer this opportunity to allow our citizens to express the importance of voting and civic engagement in Nevada County. Nevada County is home to a culturally diverse community of residents with love for the arts and the outdoors. It is also home to an engaged electorate. Nevada County consistently boasts some of the highest voter turnouts in California. The artwork submitted should reflect the culture and values of Nevada County. Artists are encouraged to create a visual representation of what voting means to Nevada County citizens in the form of a design that will be displayed as a sticker that voters wear indicating their participation in an election.

Nevada County Elections will invite all artists to submit designs from July 1st to July 31st. Staff will select the top five submissions to become finalists. The public will then have the opportunity to vote on their favorite designs at the annual Nevada County Fair in August 2021. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

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Participate in the Penn Valley MAC

Are you interested in land-use decisions in Penn Valley? If so, please check out the Penn Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council (PVMAC) at our monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm. The agenda for each meeting is posted online. At the June 17th meeting, the MAC will be discussing high-speed internet expansion opportunities and challenges in Penn Valley. The Penn Valley MAC is a formal council comprised of Penn Valley residents, established for the sole purpose of advising the District IV Supervisor, the Planning Department, and the Board of Supervisors on development and land use issues in Penn Valley.

If you are interested in serving on the MAC, there are currently two vacancies and seven positions becoming available on July 1st. To apply, complete the application by Friday, June 25th. District IV Supervisor Susan Hoek selects members, and the Board of Supervisors will acknowledge their appointments. Applicants must be a permanent resident located within the MAC boundaries. Please note that members will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Statement and comply with any and all applicable laws. In addition, all newly appointed and reappointed members will be required to sign an Oath of Office before serving.

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Supervisor Heidi Hall: Save Nevada County From the Digital Divide

As a Nevada County Supervisor, protecting the health and economic wellbeing of my community is a top priority. The pandemic showed us how critical modern broadband access (defined as 100 mbps, high-speed internet service that is "always on" and available) is for education, health, economic opportunities and equity. Broadband is now just as essential to modern life as electricity and running water. Yet, as I write this today, 68 percent of our neighbors are stuck in broadband monopolies and another 31 percent have absolutely no access to high speed broadband.

In fact, those community members most adversely impacted by the pandemic – low income, Black, Latino, Indigenous and disabled Californians – are the most likely to be caught in the digital divide. Governor Newsom took bold, historic steps to address this inequity by including a detailed $7 Billion broadband package in the May Revision Budget.

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Supervisor Miller Presents Challenge Coin to Tenell Woods, Beale Air Force Base’s SkillBridge Coordinator

On June 8^th, Nevada County Board of Supervisors Chair Dan Miller presented Mrs. Tenell Woods from Beale Air Force Base with a Board of Supervisors Challenge Coin.

Challenge Coins are relatively new to Nevada County, with their debut in 2019. Challenge coins are given to recognize significant achievements or contributions to the County. Mrs. Woods was the Base’s SkillBridge coordinator for several years prior to her recent promotion. In her previous capacity, she was instrumental in bringing the SkillBridge program to Nevada County. Mrs. Woods, a veteran herself and retired Master Sergeant from Beale, has an unwavering desire to help fellow veterans make a successful transition back into a civilian career.

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Job Openings at Nevada County: Health & Human Services Nurses

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.

Nevada County Health & Human Services is recruiting for Registered Nurses, Behavioral Health Nurses, and Public Health Nurses in a variety of capacities. County nurses are assigned to different areas of specialty consistent with their academic and clinical training to address the variety of our community needs. Nurses provide clinical or field services using professional skills under varying supervision levels commensurate with each classification level. Each individual may work in direct services with clients, collaboration with partners, and community interventions to improve the health of all residents. For example, nurses may provide clinical services such as collecting swab specimens and administering medications and vaccines or may be called upon to train and lead other staff members to contain and mitigate the spread of disease or address other emergencies. In addition, they may collaborate with local and state partners to coordinate services with primary care and community agencies.

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

New jobs this week:

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Free Residential Green Waste Disposal Starting June 11th