July 23, 2019 — The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Mendocino County District 3 Supervisor John Haschak, in which he updates his constituents on the past month of activity. We hope that he continues this practice and encourage the other supervisors to submit letters — we will happily publish them. You can see Haschak’s previous letters to his constituents here.
PG&E presented information about its planned power shutdowns at the July 9 BOS meeting. There is much concern about these extended power shutdowns. The Board asked lots of serious questions and got few concrete answers. Of course, no one wants devastating fires caused by downed power lines but we also don’t want self-inflicted catastrophes. We need to do right by our people and be very careful of unintended consequences.
The BOS has requested that PG&E return to the Board with specific information about their upcoming plans for Mendocino County. I welcome constituents’ thoughts on this matter; please call me at: 707-972-4214, or send an email to: [email protected].
As a public utility, PG&E is accountable not just to their share holders, but also to the public, and holding them accountable is the job of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). If you have a complaint over how PG&E handled your power shutdown, send your complaint to the CPUC at: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/formalcomplaintinfo/.
Sheriff Allman informed the BOS of “Operation Clean Sweep”. This is a concerted law enforcement effort to get rid of unpermitted illegal cannabis grows that are causing egregious environmental harm. The focus is mostly in our 3rd District. I have been receiving comments about the impact of this operation, both pro and con, on our communities. Please contact me to share your thoughts or experiences at my Town Hall meeting in Laytonville, on Friday, July 26, 6:30 pm, at the Book Room in the old high school, or call or email.
Climate change is affecting communities in all parts of this country. At the National Association of Counties annual conference, many serious discussions took place regarding sea level rise, algal blooms, fire preparedness, and a myriad of other environmental issues. Here in Mendocino County, we have greater, more intense fires and rising oceans affecting water treatment facilities on the coast. Applications are now being accepted for the Mendocino County Climate Action Advisory Council thru the County’s website at: https://www.mendocinocounty.org/government/board-of-supervisors/boards-and-commissions .
A new substation for the Sheriff’s Department will be in Redwood Valley on East Rd. This will be alongside the training facility for mental health trainings, workshops, etc. Measure B and asset forfeiture funds (a 70/30 split) are being used to buy this property. I toured the facilities and I think we’re getting a good deal.
The BOS approved the formation of the Round Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council. This will give the unincorporated area of Round Valley a unified, stronger voice to resolve issues and create a closer connection with our County government.
The County Museum’s exhibit on Dusty Whitney’s “Frontier Days: A Collector’s Journey” is very well done and certainly worth checking out. It will be open until October.
Hope you are all are having a great summer.