September 2022 Newsletter

Fall is here! Even for those of you who prefer summer, the heatwave we felt at the beginning of September sure makes the cooler, rainy weather feel more welcome than ever. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who checked on friends, neighbors, family, and pets during the extreme heat. I’d also like to thank everyone who conserved energy during flex alerts, as well as those who helped the county achieve a 16% reduction in water use during the month of July. Please be aware that the Valley Water Board recently approved enforcing the California State ban against watering decorative lawns on commercial and industrial properties, including homeowners’ associations.  

This month, my office kicked off the Alternatives to Incarceration work groups with a social meet-and-greet on the patio of the County building. The work group participants are going to engage in a lot of tough conversations over the next six months and I thought it would be nice for people to meet one another first outside the context of their roles in the work groups. We enjoyed sandwiches & played a bingo game that allowed participants to meet one another and learn things like their favorite movies or hobbies! This week, the work began in earnest as 2 of the 3 workgroups have already held their first meetings. Our September Food 4 Thought (Campbell) moved indoors to avoid the wind and rain (special thanks to Orchard Valley Coffee for allowing us to set up shop inside). Also this month, I was honored to join in Celebrating Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships at West Valley College with the College of Adaptive Arts, and had the privilege to be a part of unveiling an incredible new mural at the Billy DeFrank Community Center. You may have also seen coverage of the Governor’s Governor’s announcement regarding CARE Court, and you can find some of my reactions and thoughts in this month’s Medium Post.