Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

 

NRCS California Allocates $2 Million to Assist Farmers Recover from Floods

Beginning April 26, 2023, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is setting aside $2 million in federal financial assistance to help California’s agricultural producers recover from recent flooding. This funding is in addition to recent USDA funding allocated through the USDA Emergency Watershed Protection Program (administered by NRCS) and the USDA Emergency Conservation Program (administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency).  The deadline to apply is June 16, 2023.For more information, see here.

 

Energy Safety to Host Stakeholder Meeting on Community Vulnerability in Wildfire Mitigation Planning

The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) is hosting scoping meeting on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 from 10am to 12:30pm for stakeholders—including state agencies and California’s electrical corporations—to share ideas and discuss the inclusion of community vulnerability in wildfire mitigation planning, such as how to measure these factors to inform risk modeling and decision making. The meeting notice and agenda can be viewed here. Register here. 
 

CPUC Public Forums on Telecommunications Service Quality Standards

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is requesting public and customer feedback on telephone, mobile voice, and Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers. Specifically, the CPUC, through a proceeding RCRC is formally participating in, is considering expanding service quality rules currently in place for landline telephone service only to other telecommunications services, such as VoIP/internet phone, wireless phones, and internet/broadband services. The goal of the proceeding and these public comment forums is to assess whether existing rules meet the current needs of Californians and will consider expanding reliability standards for customers to access emergency services, public health, education, and other resources.

WHEN:                  Thursday, May 3, 2023 at 2pm and/or 6pm

WHERE:                1-800-857-1917, passcode 1767567#; (for Spanish, please use passcode 3799627#). To view a video broadcast only, visit www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc.

Written public comments are accepted on an ongoing basis through the proceeding’s docket, see here.

 

Career Opportunities

Butte County

  • BUTTE COUNTY IS SEEKING a professional who is a proven project manager, communicator and presenter. The desired candidate will possess knowledge and experience functioning as a liaison between various departments within an organization and the Chief Administrative Officer. In addition, the ideal candidate will have knowledge and successful experience is the areas of budget preparation, analysis, review and forecasting (preferably County experience). The Deputy Administrative Officer is a management level classification that functions independently and is expected to possess a comprehensive knowledge of Butte County political environment, policies and procedures, and organizational development strategies; serves as a resource to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Board of Supervisors. To learn more about this exciting career opportunity please view the recruitment brochure HERE and click HERE to apply. Closes May 14, 2023 11:59 PM.

Shasta County

  • Deputy County Counsel II/III/Senior Deputy County Counsel ($102,300.00 - $174,144.00 Annually). Click here for the job bulletin or see here for more information and to apply.
  • Health Officer ($201,588.00 - $257,304.00 Annually). Click here for the job bulletin or see here for more information and to apply.

Sierra County

  • The County of Sierra is seeking a Director of Health and Social Services, responsible for the management and administration of Department of Health and Social Services.  A full description and qualifications are available here. For more information, visit the county website here or call (530) 289-2879.
  • The Sierra County Department of Transportation is recruiting for a Transportation Planner II or III, depending on qualifications. This position is open until filled. For more information, see the county website here or call 530-289-2879

Tuolumne County

  • Chief Deputy Assistant County Clerk & Auditor-Controller ($125,468-$152,507 Annually).
    The County of Tuolumne is seeking qualified candidates for a Chief Deputy Assistant department head who will have primary supervision and administrative oversight of the department and may assume full responsibility of the office in the absence of the County Clerk & Auditor Controller.  Requires bachelor’s degree in accounting or related and to meet one (1) of four (4) additional qualifications as outlined in the full job announcement. For additional information, or to apply, see here. Closes May 3, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
     

Yolo County

  • The County of Yolo is recruiting to fill an at-will full-time position in the class of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Manager at the County Administrator's Office. The recruitment is scheduled to close at 11:00 PM on Friday, April 14, 2023. As a key member of the leadership team, the DEI Manager performs complex strategic planning and analytical work to develop, manage, coordinate, implement, and refine the County's DEI programs and activities. The incumbent functions as a project manager with the authority to develop and make independent decisions within broad policies and procedures as determined by County executive management, the Board of Supervisors, and federal, state and county laws, ordinances, and regulations. To view the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and full DEI Manager job description, click here.

  • The County of Yolo is recruiting to fill one (1) regular, full-time position in the class of Public Information Officer (PIO) at the County Administrator's Office. The role of the Public Information Officer is to manage the County’s communications with the public through press releases, social media, videos, live media and the County website. The PIO informs and engages the community and other stakeholders regarding County activities, services, and strategies.  The PIO also functions as the County Spokesperson which requires knowledge of County programs and policies. As a member of the County Emergency Operations Center personnel, the PIO also acts in a lead capacity in disseminating information during an emergency. The full job announcement can be found here. This position is open until filled.

PPIC

  • The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is accepting applications for the Director of PPIC's Water Policy Center. With a strong track record of conducting compelling research, the Center Director will lead this dynamic policy area and serve as a resource for key decision makers and stakeholders. They will be responsible for managing a talented in-house team and the operating budget for the Center’s activities, and will be a member of PPIC’s executive team, reporting to the President’s Office. Applications and materials are due by Friday, May 19, 2023. Find additional information and apply here.

UC ANR

  • Alameda/Contra Costa Area County Director – Job ID 51253 (https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=2486) The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is seeking a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Area County Director to provide leadership in support of applied research, extension and outreach programs across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Our mission is to bring the programs and resources of UC directly to all Californians through research and education programs that support:
    • Sustainable, safe, and nutritious food production and delivery
    • Economic success in a global economy
    • A sustainable, healthy, and productive environment
    • Science literacy and youth development

The Area County Director is responsible for the coordination and overall operation of UCCE programs, in cooperation with county government, in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The Area County Director oversees management of the physical plant and human resources. They will increase the visibility of UCCE through community engagement, including but not limited to, needs assessments, representing UC ANR in local and/or regional initiatives, participation in relevant policy development, and communicating the positive impacts and benefits realized by the citizens and workforce of the local counties, region and state from the activities and contributions of local UCCE programs. The Area County Director will endeavor to make sure that the programs and resources of the University of California are available to residents of both counties.

 

USDA Grants Available to Help Rural California Repair Their Homes Damaged By Floods and Fires in 2022

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announces the availability of grants to help people repair their homes that were damaged by severe weather or natural disasters in 2022, including the California Mosquito, Oak, Coastal, Fairview, and Mill fires as well as severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

People living in identified counties in California may be eligible for the funding. The homes must be located in presidentially declared disaster areas.

The grants will be available through supplemental disaster funding under the Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant Program. Through this program, people may apply to receive grants of up to $40,675 directly from USDA to repair their homes.

Funds will be available until expended. They may be used to:

  • Pay for home repair expenses that were a result of a presidentially declared disaster in calendar year 2022.
  • Prepare a site for a manufactured home.
  • Relocate a manufactured home.

To be eligible:

  • Applicants must have household incomes that do not exceed the low-limits based on their household size and county.
  • Homes must be located in an eligible rural area.
  • Homes must be located in a presidentially declared disaster areas 2022.

Residents in the following counties may be eligible for the funding: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yolo

For more information on how to apply, visit the USDA website here.

 

Access the State Grants Portal for a Multitude of Funding Opportunities

Billions of dollars are up for grabs to public agencies and other entities, including tribes and businesses. Grant seekers can access a centralized portal of grant and loan opportunities here, or sign up to receive new grant opportunities delivered straight to your inbox