David West, Nevada County Veterans Services Officer: New PACT Act Increases Veteran Benefits

The Nevada County Veterans Services Office’s mission is to connect every veteran within our community to the federal, state, and local benefits they are entitled to. Most often, our office is the first point of contact for veterans or their surviving spouses when they begin to inquire about their benefits. Our office is meant to be a welcoming place for all veterans as they begin the complicated process of accessing their VA benefits.

On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022--better known as the PACT Act--into public law. The PACT Act is the most extensive piece of legislation to impact the lives of our nation's veterans in generations. 

If you are a veteran or surviving spouse, the PACT Act may give you access to VA benefits that were previously unavailable, and our Veterans Services Office can assist you in getting the benefits you are entitled to. It has entitled veterans to their benefits from our country's most recent conflicts to the Vietnam era, including those who served at Camp Lejeune and were exposed to atomic testing during their service.

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The Vote Count Continues: November 8^th General Election

Voting for the November 8th General Election closed at 8:00 pm on Election Day. Depending on the volume of vote-by-mail or provisional ballots, it can take up to 30 days for county elections officials to verify voter records and determine if ballots have been cast by eligible voters.
 
On Election Night, the Nevada County Elections Office had processed a total of 28,824 ballots, with over 18,000 vote-by-mail and drop-box ballots remaining to be counted. Another update of Nevada County’s cumulative results, results by consolidated precinct, and detailed vote totals will be posted to the Nevada County Elections website next week and will be routinely updated. The Elections Office plans to submit official results to the California Secretary of State by December 8th to be certified by December 15th. All results remain unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State.

November 8^th General Election Results

Eyes on the Horizon: Deer Creek “Fire Flume” Has Potential to Threaten More than 7,400 Residents

By Laura Petersen

When a plane flies overhead, Vicky Reeder looks apprehensively at the October sky. In August, a small wildfire burned two miles away from the home she shares with her husband Brian McFarren, three miles from downtown Nevada City at the west end of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail.

“We were all worried about it because we could see the smoke from our house,” said Reeder.

Luckily firefighters quickly controlled the blaze. The scare wasn’t the first time. In 2020, the couple was among 4,000 people evacuated during the lightning-sparked Jones Fire that burned 705 acres and destroyed 21 structures.

Reeder never would have imagined the hyper-vigilance required to protect her life and property when she first moved from the Bay Area to her quiet forest home.

In the seven years since moving to Nevada City, she can count seven close calls with human-caused fires, four of them started by nearby illegal camps. It’s a concern echoed by many living in Nevada County.

“I think every year everyone has to hold their breath and cross their fingers that we’re not going to have a major fire,” Reeder said. Despite years of work on defensible space, the recent blaze was another reminder of the dangers posed by living in the Deer Creek watershed.

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Office of Emergency Services Tours Truckee Fire's Fuel Reduction Projects

Last week, Nevada County's Office of Emergency Services joined Truckee Fire Protection District on a tour of recently completed and mid-implementation fuels reduction projects. Even with a light blanket of snow on the ground, it was easy to see the wildfire mitigation benefit and aesthetic value of these projects with ample space between trees, no ladder fuel, and an overall “park-like” setting right up to private property.

“It was exciting to see what has been accomplished first-hand in the field and then reconvene at the fire station to talk about the multitude of ways that we can increase East-West Nevada County collaboration on the wildfire front,” said Senior Analyst Alex Keeble-Toll. 

Future opportunities to work together include pending updates to Community Wildfire Protection Plans, development of best practices for dead tree initiatives, community defensible space and home hardening assistance programs, Firewise Community coordination, evacuation route vegetation management, and more.

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Penn Valley Library Extends Weekend Open+ Hours

Beginning Saturday, November 12th, the Penn Valley Library is extending Open+ hours from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. During set hours, patrons have self-service access to the building, including the catalog computer, public use computers, self-checkout, and holds pickup.

“We are so happy to be offering increased Saturday and Sunday Open+ hours for our community,” says Stephany Lineback, Branch Manager of the Penn Valley Library. “We know people enjoy using the library on weekends, so we are glad to be able to provide this option while the building is not staffed.”

Open+ is a system powered by the library integration technology company Bibliotheca. It allows patrons to access the facility with their library card outside of regular operational hours. In order to use Open+, patrons must have a library account in good standing, sign an agreement form, and take a short orientation with staff at the Penn Valley Library.
With these extended Open+ hours, the library will be able to offer patrons more opportunities to pick up holds, browse books and movies, use public computers, and use the space to work or study. Open+ will now be available Monday mornings from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, plus Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. 

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Take the Smoke-Free Nevada County Survey

Did you know that smoke and vape (aerosols exhaled when vaping) can find their way through shared walls, pipes, and vents?
 
Nevada County Public Health is interested in learning more about how smoking affects you and your family. The Nevada County Tobacco Prevention Program is asking residents of Grass Valley and Nevada City to take a survey that will help us learn more about your feelings on the idea of smoke-free multi-unit housing (this includes apartments, townhouses, duplexes, and condominiums). So far, we’ve done outreach for the survey at community organizations and events, online and through social media, and now we want to hear from you!  

The survey will only take a few minutes to complete, and you can find it linked below. No personally identifiable information is collected during the survey, and you do not have to live in multi-unit housing to take it. We value your input to help make the best decisions for our community. 

If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Glaz, Tobacco Prevention Program Coordinator.
 
Take the Survey

Sierra Business Council Economic Development Survey

Nevada County is participating in a process to update the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a roadmap designed to build resilience and diversify our regional economy. 

The CEDS brings together public, private, and philanthropic sectors, and the document is required to qualify for future funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and other agencies.

Input from residents is an important part of the process. Sierra Business Council is conducting a short survey asking residents to identify the community's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats. 

If you have questions or comments about the survey, contact Nevada County's Economic Development Program Manager, Kimberly Parker, by email or by phone at 530-470-2795.

Take the Survey

Intern Spotlight: Jeffrey Menasco, Airport Manager

The Nevada County Human Resources Internship program has created a new talent pipeline. It provides on-the-job experience and hosts over 94 interns who have contributed over 40,000 hours serving Nevada County and its residents. 

Nevada County Human Resources is highlighting interns with outstanding performance who display the core values of Nevada County. This week we’re putting intern Jeffrey Menasco in the spotlight.
 
Jeffrey’s SkillBridge internship is focused on two areas: airport executive management and working with the Nevada County Board of Supervisors Office on various projects to learn about local government. Jeff has been assisting the Truckee Tahoe Airport District on their 2023 budget, looking at longer-range strategic plans and analysis of airspace and runway usage. He’s worked with the Board's office to execute its inaugural Nevada County Sustainability Summit: Regional Partnership to Ensure a Better Future event on October 13th in partnership with Martis Camp. By leveraging Jeff’s leadership experience and skillset in strategic thinking and problem solving, he is assisting staff with strategic planning for the event in future years. Jeff has also met with Nevada County Program Manager, Kevin Edwards, on strategic thinking and business planning for the Nevada County Airport. 

Jeffrey is a Colonel in the United States Air Force and will retire after 28 years of honorable service. 

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CA Adventure Pass: Free Entrance to 19 State Parks, Including Empire Mine SHP, for CA 4th Graders

Now through 2024, all California fourth graders and their families can sign up for the California State Park Adventure Pass and visit 19 amazing state parks throughout the state for free for a full year – including the summer. Among the 19 parks is Empire Mine State Historic Park, the site of one of the oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California.

“We are so honored for Empire Mine State Historic Park to be included in this inaugural program,” said Jesse Locks, president of Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, the local cooperative association for Western Nevada County’s three state parks, including Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park and South Yuba River State Park. “Empire Mine has so much to offer – from gold mining and local history to gorgeous gardens and scenic trails –all within a few minutes from downtown Grass Valley.”

Applying for the free pass online is simple. All that is needed from a parent or guardian is a name, address, phone number, and email address. For individuals who do not have access to a smartphone, computer, or printer and/or do not have an email address to use when applying online, they can still apply for a pass by visiting a State Parks Pass Sales Office— find a list of locations here—or by calling 800-444-7275. Passes can also be obtained at the Empire Mine Visitors Center.

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Job Openings at Nevada County: Library Assistant II/III Truckee

Nevada County employs approximately 800 employees covering a full range of services and positions, from accountants to wastewater treatment system operators. In Nevada County, quality of life comes first. It is the only rural California county with two designated Cultural Arts Districts and is known for its abundance of outdoor recreational activities.

Interested in strengthening your career in the public service library? Consider working as a Library Assistant II Bilingual or Library Assistant III for the Nevada County Truckee Library. Truckee is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 40 miles west of Reno. Truckee is known as a place rich in history with a quaint downtown filled with authentic historic buildings.

A library assistant is an integral part of advancing your career in the field of the library, whose mission is to focus community attention on the value of the public library system! This position will have an additional 10% Truckee differential pay and could be eligible for the rural health subsidies. To learn more about Nevada County Library happenings, visit their homepage here.

Find out more information about this position online. Have a question? Contact Human Resources by calling (530) 265-7010 and selecting option 2.

New jobs this week:

• Deputy Probation Officer I
• Deputy Probation Officer II
• Senior Network Systems Analyst
• Senior Information Systems (IS) Analyst
• Attorney I - Criminal
• Administrative Analyst I
• Administrative Analyst II

View Current Job Openings