Day: March 26, 2020

Supervisor Adams’s Update

March 26, 2020

MONTEREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
MARY L. ADAMS, SUPERVISOR – FIFTH DISTRICT
Dear Kate,
I hope this message finds you well and safe and that you are making adjustments to a new routine at home. Learning how to live and conduct business as we Shelter-in-Place (or SIP) is quite a process for all of us. I can’t thank you enough for the effort you and your family are making to help Monterey County slow the spread of COVID-19 through our community.
If we’re at all alike, you have been watching and reading the news constantly to be up to the minute and fully informed. The amount and speed of information coming out is both dizzying and frustrating at the same time. Not wanting to inundate you with too much information, but also feeling the need to connect, we have decided to email you a bi-weekly newsletter for the duration of the SIP Order. This newsletter will be a sort of compendium of information and resources and will include responses to the questions most frequently posed to us over the previous days. It will also include pertinent updates from the County related to the pandemic. I hope you will find it useful. For those who would like a day-to-day update on the status of COVID-19 and our local response, please refer to the Monterey County Daily Situation Report. Or, you can opt to receive real-time updates by texting “MCCOVID19” to 888777. 
Please know that while the way we conduct work at your Fifth District Supervisor’s Office has shifted, the work has not stopped. I have quickly become an interactive meeting pro, virtually attending both the Board of Supervisors and Transportation Agency for Monterey County Board of Directors meeting this week, as an example. My team and I remain committed to ensuring the needs and issues of District residents are heard and addressed as quickly as possible. While working remotely, you can reach us at district5@co.monterey.ca.us for assistance.
Take care and be well. Again, I repeat my birth state of Kentucky’s motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”. Together, we will survive this extraordinary challenge.
Best, Mary. SIP Digest for the Week of March 18 – 25
Shelter in Place Order: The County reissued its Shelter-in-Place Order to align with the State’s Stay-at-Home order. The most significant change is the County replaced a planned end date of April 8th to an indefinite time. The Monterey County Public Health Officer Order is consistent with the statewide order and orders issued by other Bay Area local Public Health Officers.The order can be found here.
Monterey County Government Center schedule: The Government Center at 168 W. Alisal has modified the Public Access hours to promote safety among the public and essential government employees and to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For the time being the Monday – Friday schedule is as follows:PUBLIC ACCESS – OPEN: 7am – 1pmLIMITED PUBLIC ACCESS (doors locked) – 1pm – 5pm
If you need to access the Clerk’s office or County Council between 1pm – 5pm to ensure filing timely claims, service of complaints etc., please knock or signal the security guard for entry.
COVID-19 Hotlines, Websites & Email Address:  The Monterey County Health Department COVID-19 webpage is continuously updated with news, information and data.For health related questions, call the Monterey County Health Department information hotline at 831-769-8700 or 831-755-4521, Monday – Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.  Or, email your questions to COVID-19@co.monterey.ca.us The COVID-19 Economic Assistance Hotline is available Monday-Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. 831-796-1909.Montage Health Virtual Care Option. Free to all community members experiencing mild respiratory symptoms including coronavirus/COVID-19. 831-622-8001. Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Coronavirus Hotline.831-755-0793. The hotline is staffed with registered nurses and is available from 7:00am to 11:00pm, 7 days a week. 
Essential Businesses: The County has published a list of business types that may remain open and those which should close during the SIP Order.  Essential businesses include a variety of services for home repair and maintenance, including landscaping. Golf courses are closed as directed by the State’s Stay-at-Home (SAH) Order.House cleaning services, for the purposes of disinfecting, continue to be allowable so long as appropriate social distancing practices are followed.  
Property Taxes: The Treasurer Tax Collector has issued a statement with important information regarding Property Taxes. Unfortunately, the authority to delay tax payments does not reside at the County level. 
Parks: County-owned park facilities, except for Laguna Seca, are open at this time.  This includes Jacks Peak, Royal Oaks, Manzanita, Toro, San Lorenzo, San Antonio (both shores) and Nacimiento.  There may be certain amenities within each park that may be closed, including play structures.
Libraries: While our physical libraries are closed to the public, the County is providing all online services.  Anyone who doesn’t have a library card can apply online and a card will be mailed to use for all online services.  We expect “Library By Mail” to continue operating as long as the library items are safely processed and returned. 
Businesses and Restaurants Open for Delivery or Take-Away: A variety of groups and individuals are publishing lists of businesses and restaurants offering drive-up or delivery services including:Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau – Travel UpdatesMonterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce – Who’s Open Daily UpdatePacific Grove Chamber of Commerce Open RestaurantsCommunity member developed resource – Aid Monterey
We have received a number of requests for the County to require stores to provide “Senior Hours” or limit the number products any one person can purchase at a time. Unfortunately, these are not actions we can take under the existing SIP Order.  That being said, I am happy to share that a number of businesses have stepped up and implemented these strategies on their own accord. Click here for resources provided by State Senator Anna Caballero’s office. 
Utilities: The CPUC has directed that utilities can NOT shut off services due to non-payment during the current COVID-19 crisis. From PG&E: If a customer is experiencing financial hardships and has trouble paying their bill due to the economic impact of COVID-19, please call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. For additional ways PG&E is supporting customers during the COVID-19 public health crisis, go to www.pge.com/covid19. From California American Water: To protect employees and customers, California American Water customer payment centers will be closed from Monday, March 16, until at least Monday, May 3. Customers may visit the website www.californiaamwater.com to view bills and pay online or may also pay by mail, by phone at 888-237-1333 or visit local third-party payment centers.
Educational Resources: The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) offers FREE online college and career readiness resources for educators and students through its Monterey Bay Career Connect.
Pebble Beach Access: On March 25th, Pebble Beach Company closed tourist related access  into the Del Monte Forest to support social distancing directives. 1200 Aguajito Road, Suite 1, Monterey, CA 93940 | (831) 647-7755 | district5@co.monterey.ca.us
Supervisor Mary Adams | 1200 Aguajito Rd., Ste. 1, Monterey , CA 93940Unsubscribe kwnovoa@mac.comUpdate Profile | About Constant ContactSent by district5@co.monterey.ca.us in collaboration withTry email marketing for free today!

Weather Alert from MoCo OES

Advisory: Special Weather Statement for Monterey County, CA

Dear Nixle User,Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley-Mountains Of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County Including Pinnacles National Park-Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast-Santa Clara Valley Including San Jose-Santa Cruz Mountains-Northern Monterey Bay- 250 PM PDT Thu Mar 26 2020 …AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN SANTA CRUZ…NORTHWESTERN SAN BENITO…SOUTH CENTRAL SANTA CLARA AND NORTHWESTERN MONTEREY COUNTIES… At 249 PM PDT, strong thunderstorms were clustered near Interlaken, or near Watsonville, moving east at 5 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph and pea size hail are possible with this storm. Accumulation of hail stones will be possible along with brief heavy downpours. Locations impacted include… Salinas, Watsonville, Gilroy, Hollister, Corralitos, Ridgemark, Brown Valley Road, Amesti, Prunedale, Interlaken, Freedom, San Juan Bautista, Aromas, Pajaro, Elkhorn and Las Lomas. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. https://inws.ncep.noaa.gov/a/a.php?i=43821516

USFS closes all developed recreation sites in CA

Forest Service closes developed recreation sites throughout California until April 30

GOLETA, Calif. – USDA Forest Service appreciates the public’s interest in outdoor recreation, particularly in light of current events. The Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service, in response to the recent statewide shelter-in-place order issued by the Governor of California, is joining the cause to aggressively mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by closing developed recreation facilities on our National Forests statewide.

“Developed recreation sites” refers to designated recreational use areas designed to facilitate public use. Information on individual recreation sites and opportunities are available from local National Forests.

Closures of developed recreation facilities are being put in place until at least April 30th in an attempt to avoid groups of people and promote social distancing of staying more than six feet apart.

While designated recreation sites will be closed, the general Forest area including the extensive trail system will remain open and available to the public. Hiking and walking outdoors are widely considered beneficial to maintaining one’s health. It is the intent of USDA Forest Service to maintain trail access to the extent practicable.

Please keep health, safety and the environment in mind when visiting National Forests. Your personal responsibility is critical to ensuring public safety and preventing further restrictions. We ask that you consider whether your personal participation in outdoor recreation at this time would pose an unnecessary risk to others as we all work together to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19.

We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our National Forests safe and healthy for everyone’s use.