“Working to Make a Difference Every Day” is what motivates and informs everything our First District Team does on a daily basis. We enjoy hearing from constituents, and serving their needs is an important part of our job.
I meet with many constituents either in my Santa Rosa office or at 810 Grove Street in Sonoma. I am in Sonoma Valley at least once a week, but I often devote two-three days a week for constituent meetings and events. In the First District office, we get hundreds of emails and phone calls every week from constituents. I rely on my team, Pat and Jennifer, to help constituents navigate issues daily.
The calls vary; some people need to be heard; some people need information; and still others alert us to important issues that may be positively or negatively affecting the quality of life in the district. We often help people navigate a county department, such as Permits and Resources Department (PRMD) or Transportation and Public Works (TPW). In short, we are the front lines for our constituency and no question is too small or too large. If you have a question, comment or concern, pick up the phone!
Why do people call a Supervisor? Here are two recent examples.
“Party All the Time”
A constituent who lives in a modest neighborhood primarily populated by working families in the heart of The Springs called one morning very upset. She had spent yet another sleepless night listening to sounds of a large group partying at the vacation rental next door to her home of 17 years. She was at the end of her patience and didn’t know what to do, so she picked up the phone and called her supervisor’s office seeking advice.
She did not want to be a “bad neighbor” and was very worried about possible retribution. But every single weekend for the better part of a year, the house was occupied by an average of eight people and upwards of 35-40 when special events took place. To be clear, the home was a two-bedroom ranch with a decent sized backyard, but not enough space or parking for the mini- event center it had become.
Approximately one year earlier, the home had been sold to a resident of San Francisco who visited with her neighbors and explained this would be her family’s weekend home. Our constituent was happy to see the new owner spend significant resources remodeling the property. Despite assurances, the woman never moved in; instead, she placed the home on a vacation rental site, advertised it as appropriate for large groups, and changed nearly approximately $400 per night.
Still, the constituent had tried to be a good neighbor to the revolving door of vacationers that moved in and out every week. She took out the garbage for the owner. She called when the parties got completely out of control. Disappointingly, the owners were unsympathetic to her concerns and refused to make changes.
The first thing my office did was help the constituent understand her rights as a neighbor and then we contacted PRMD’s Code Enforcement staffer. The vacation rental was not permitted. Anyone can check for a permit by visiting http://prmd.sonoma-county.org/.
PRMD sent a notice to the owner and she immediately registered with the County; however, the parties did not cease. It took only a couple of weeks before PRMD cited the owner for a code violation. It takes three violations to revoke the permit. Fortunately, this was the end of the party house, and the owner now only rents to small groups and prohibits parties.
This story is not remarkable or unique. Indeed, I hear from constituents several times a week about the change in their neighborhoods due to vacation rentals. I hear from employers who cannot find employees because the workforce housing stock is depleted or priced far out the reach of your average middle class family. This is especially true in El Verano/Boyes and Fetter Hot Springs/Agua Caliente area where many homes lost to foreclosure in the past several years were purchased by investors who have turned them into vacation rentals. But I also hear from people in rural neighborhoods who are tired of 80-person pool parties next door and all that entails.
To be clear, I don’t want a ban on vacation rentals; I want a balance that preserves neighborhood character, provides a clear reporting process if there are issues, and encourages local management of existing vacation rentals so problems will be dealt with immediately.
Over the past several months, I have met with dozens of stakeholders to discuss this issue. I have talked with neighbors, vacation rental owners, vacation rental managers, and county departments (PRMD, County Counsel, Assessor’s office). I have had informative and productive conversations with every sector and we have identified areas that need to be improved in the current ordinance. I advocated for one immediate change, and as a result, PRMD has funded and filled a fulltime position to work solely on vacation rentals in order to bring all properties into compliance and enforce the process by which neighbors can help control the impact to their quality of life. We are also working on a pamphlet that will help everyone, renters and neighbors, understand the rules and requirements moving forward.
“Red Curb”
Another issue we worked on was in response to a constituent who lives next door to the McDonalds on Verano Avenue. He contacted my office because he was deeply worried that cars were parking in the “No Parking” zone on Main Street. Daily, he watched as cars pulling onto Verano struggled to find proper sight line clearance to enter the roadway safely. At the same time, children were often crossing the street to move between the McDonald’s and Maxwell Park, home of the Boys and Girls Club. The constituent picked up the phone and called my office requesting the length of the No Parking Zone be painted red to prevent a tragedy.
He was kind, but adamant that this was a public safety issue. Our office contacted Jason Nutt, Deputy Director of TPW, who personally went out to the site and documented the issue. We requested the curb be painted this year, even though it was not part of the regularly scheduled project list. We stayed focused on the issue with the constituent until the curb was painted bright red by Rob Silva’s County roads crew last summer.
These are just two examples of why people contact my office. Whatever the concern, it is imperative the people of the First District know that I am accessible, accountable, and willing to listen and learn.
Shout Outs:
I am so pleased to announce the appointments of Gay Johann and Pat Stevens to the Sonoma Valley Citizen’s Advisory Commission, Luis Ganzler to the Commission on Human Rights, and Mali Kigasari to the Community Development Commission. We thank Stephen Cox for his years of valuable service on the Community Development Commission. Congratulations and thank you for serving!
First District Team
- Supervisor Susan Gorin: Susan.Gorin@sonoma-county.org
- District Director, Pat Gilardi: Pat.Gilardi@sonoma-county.org
- District Aide, Jennifer Gray: Jennifer.Gray@sonoma-county.org
- Office: 707-565-2241
About the First District
Miles of Road: 266
Location: The 1st Supervisorial District is bounded on the north by Franz Valley School Road, the Napa county line to the east, to the west by Petaluma Hill, Farmers Lane, Summerfield, Brush Creek, Wallace & Riebli Roads, & San Pablo Bay to the south. The population is concentrated in the City of Santa Rosa (Bennett Valley, Rincon Valley & the community of Oakmont), the City of Sonoma and the adjacent unincorporated communities of Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Agua Caliente, Fetter Hot Springs, Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano, Schellville & Vineburg.
Total Population (2010 Census)
- Santa Rosa: 45,187 (48.8%)
- Sonoma: 10,648 (11.2%)
- Unincorporated: 37,497 (40%)
Total: 93,962
Website: http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Board-of-Supervisors/Supervisor-
Susan-Gorin-First-District/
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