My Recent Activities
I was in DC for the National Association of Counties (NACo)
Legislative Conference from February 10th – February 14th, so I decided to make this post cover multiple weeks. I spent all day on the 11th at the NACo Telecommunications and Technology (T&T) policy committee meeting. The committee focuses on expanding the accessibility and availability of broadband and shapes NACo advocacy to the federal government in that policy area. I successfully presented a policy resolution to encourage the federal government to allow the use of federal funding for creating open access networks in areas where they don’t exist, even in areas considered “served” on federal broadband maps. I attended multiple educational sessions covering various topics, including broadband and EV infrastructure, and rural and California caucus meetings. There was an opportunity to chat with staff from various federal agencies, so I took the time to express my concerns to FEMA over the impact of Risk Rating 2.0 on flood insurance purchases in our community.
Tuesday the 7th was a Yuba Water Agency Board meeting. A few highlights from the agenda include cash flow loans for local agencies for water supply and flood protection projects, a grant to the sheriff’s posse for a new well, and an update on the Agency’s Flood Risk Reduction division. On Tuesday afternoon, I had a TRLIA board meeting where we approved several actions to advance the Yuba River North Training Wall Project and a few other items. That week, other board and committee meetings included a SACOG Strategic Planning Committee, where we looked at opportunities and challenges for the year ahead in addition to other agenda items. On Tuesday evening, from 5 pm-7 pm, the South Yuba Transportation Improvement Authority (SYTIA) held a community meeting at the Wheatland Community Center (101 C Street) to talk about the East Wheatland Expressway Project and receive community feedback. The meeting was well attended, with lots of questions and feedback.
Additional items on my calendar that week included an Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Leadership Listening session, a Dry Year Task Force meeting with the Northern California Water Association (NCWA), an auto tour of underserved areas with Community Resource Project, and a Blue Zones Workshop at Yuba Water Agency titled “do you know your purpose?”.
After returning from DC earlier this week, I participated in an NCWA Executive Committee meeting, a Yuba Water Agency agenda review, a Yuba-Sutter Transit NextGen Study workshop, and a monthly Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) monthly board meeting, One of the main items on the
SACOG agenda was a board workshop overview of the “what” and “why” of scenario planning as it relates to the long-range regional land use and transportation planning SACOG is undertaking with our Pathways effort to inform the 2025 Blueprint. I had an introductory lunch with Lt. Col Stapler, of the 9th Engineering Squadron at Beale AFB and attended the Yuba Sutter Chamber of Commerce Gala at Hard Rock.
Looking ahead to this week
Tuesday is a Yuba Water Agency Board meeting. The
agenda is fairly light with two discussion items, including an item to approve loan agreements with the County of Yuba to fund five settlement agreements with developers due reimbursements from Levee Impact Fees and a review of board policies. Additional meetings this week include an agenda review for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Land Use and Natural Resources Committee, a Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) legislative review call, a meeting with Enterprise Rancheria and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC), a meeting with Caltrans to discuss safety improvements/concerns at Oakley & Hwy 65, and several other meetings to sync up with constituents and community leaders.
I’ll participate in a Beale AFB Honorary Commander and Civic Leader Tour on Friday afternoon, followed by a reception. The weekend will be full of
Bok Kai festivities, including a walk/run and a parade.
There are two important transportation-related community meetings on Thursday night from 5pm-7pm. The first is a meeting about the East Wheatland Expressway project, a planned local roadway from Sheridan to east Wheatland. The purpose is to remove some traffic from Hwy 65 through Wheatland, including : traffic between Beale and Placer County; traffic between CFW and Placer County; and traffic between East Wheatland and Placer County, including the thousands of homes planned for the area in coming decades. It’s also designed to become the southern portion of a future Wheatland Bypass. The meeting will be held at 6005 Camp Far West Rd and you can learn more about the project at
yuba.org/ewx. The other community meeting on Thursday is for the
North Valley Rail project, which would to connect Yuba-Sutter, with Chico, Sacramento, and beyond, via commuter rail. Stations are planned for Plumas Lake and Marysville. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom and you can register at
bit.ly/NorthValleyRailMeeting.
*Picture is a collage of various things from my week: Presenting a policy resolution at the NACo T&T Committee, SACOG board meeting, View of Washington DC from the Rural Action Caucus reception at NACo, posing with supervisors from Monterey, Napa, and Tuolumne counties at NACo, East Wheatland Expressway Community Meeting in Wheatland, Yuba Sutter Chamber Gala, Blue Zones Purpose Workshop at Yuba Water, Yuba Sutter Transit Next Generation Transit Plan Public Open House, and California Delegation at the NACo Rural/Urban Caucus reception.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you!
