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: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 05 August 2022

Water supplies are running low across Sonoma County, while long range forecasts and a recent federal decision are likely to intensify local shortages.

"We're in a significant drought. Conserve water. Every drop counts," County Supervisor James Gore told a drought town hall Thursday.

Long range forecasts suggest La Nina type conditions continuing into the rainy season. The atmospheric condition typically shifts the jet stream northward, according to Christopher Godley with the Sonoma County Office of Emergency Services.

"Next year we could have more significant impacts than those we are currently facing. Saving water now while it's easy is going to be easier than trying to save water when it's harder."

This week federal energy regulators approved utility PG&E's request to abandon it's Potter Valley Project...sharply cutting the amount of Eel River water funneled into the Russian River.

"Because of this, there's going to be significantly less water coming from up north, from Lake Pillsbury, through the Potter Valley Project into the east fork of the lake and down into lake Mendocino. As a result there's going to be less to pump out of the Russian River and we're all going to be impacted, Gore said."

Additional containment orders could come Friday. Gore said individual responsibility and collective action can ease pressure on water supplies.

"Just like fire preparedness, everything you do each and every day makes a difference. Conservation has to be a way of life for us in Sonoma County."

The first half of 2022 was the driest on record since 1894, Gore added.

Godley said the drought is severe enough that it's unlikely a single wet winter will end it.

"In the last three years we've actually missed an entire winter's worth of rain. We're just that much short on what has fallen into our watersheds, what's in the ground, where our vegetation, our trees are taking up. It's important to note that even if we do get some rain this winter, we're not going to recover yet for a number of years."

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 04 August 2022

This week Petaluma’s city council meeting stretched late into the night over a contentious tenant protection ordinance.

Aiming to have tenant protections in place before county-wide eviction bans expire, Petaluma took up discussion of a new ordinance on short notice, prompting a flood of public comments.

The proposed regulations addressed a number of aspects of tenant rights outlined in state law - going beyond what is already mandated by the 1985 Ellis Act and 2019’s Tenant Protection Act.

Keith Becker reflected the feelings of many landlords and property managers objecting to what they said is an overreach of city policy.

"If you pass an ordinance like this, you will not have small investors." Becker said. "You will only have large corporations and hedge funds who will be willing to invest in Petaluma for single family residences, because they are the only ones who are prepared to commit."

The local law offers things like moving assistance equal to 100% of a months rent if a tenant is evicted by the withdrawal of a property from the rental market - even more if the displaced tenant is low-income, elderly, or disabled.

Diana Kingsbury, a tenant organizer, implored the council to adopt the additional protections.

"I've heard from a lot of tenants about a lot of issues that they're afraid to even bring up to their landlord because there's that ever present threat of eviction." Kingsbury said. "Tenants are the ones that are paying the landlord's mortgages with their own hard earned wages."

Council member Mike Healy expressed concerns the local tenant laws are what he called “well intentioned, but…misguided”

"We just saw a draft housing element that is highly reliant in part on encouraging folks to build ADU's and junior ADU's on their properties." Healy said. "And I think we just blew up that provision of our housing element if this moves forward."

By a 4-2 vote, Petaluma adopted the new rules on an emergency basis until March of 2023, with the aim of work shopping the regulations with the public before permanent adoption.

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 03 August 2022

Environmental reviews and zoning regulations are so often the sworn enemies of housing development. “Workforce housing” - is new the term used by local governments and advocates looking to fill a housing gap for the many struggling to find affordable accommodations close to their jobs.

Despite the normal hurdles, one new housing project has gotten the go ahead from the Sebastopol city council though, and while small, it may offer an example for more infill housing in the future.

City officials agreed to allow a zoning exception for four new townhouses along Main Street. It's in an area normally reserved for commercial use - and in what can be a rare feat with housing projects, the move was met with approval from neighbors, who spoke at this week's council meeting.

"So it's gonna be good to have more housing, even though we're gonna be impacted." One neighbor said.

"I live right behind here." Said another. "Thank you for keeping me in mind with everything that you guys are doing. It's been totally professional."

One commenter did express concern over increased water use because of new units, but council members were unanimously in favor of the new development, with one even commenting on design elements. Council member Una Glass:

"If I can get on my soapbox here, I think front porches ought to be for people to sit in where they can actually be interacting with their community and neighbors, rather than it being like a little narrow thing that you're gonna fall off of." Glass said.

Glass otherwise commended the project, which includes a rooftop community garden, for helping to fill a desperate housing gap.

"This is that missing middle, moderate, not super low income housing that this provides that we really, really need." Glass said.

The project now moves to final design approval before Habitat for Humanity and the future occupants can break ground on the vacant site.

: Written by: Marc Albert and Noah Abrams; Published: 03 August 2022

Santa Rosa Police and the Marin County Coroner's office are investigating the shooting death of 36 year old David Chavez of Lower Lake by a Sonoma County deputy Friday.

An autopsy was underway Tuesday. Santa Rosa Police spokesman Sergeant Christopher Mahurin said results of a toxicology report would likely take several weeks.

The shooting occurred in a creekbed Friday morning, where deputies had caught up with Chavez after he reportedly bushwacked a mile barefoot through thick brush.

"Was there any narcotics or drug use that also caused some of his behavior to escalate the way that it did, and like, again, you talked about run with no shoes over a forty five minute period over a mile through areas which normal people would not be doing without proper footwear," Mahurin said.

According to the sheriff's official account, over the course of two hours Friday, Chavez allegedly shattered a window at two homes in a rural area near Healdsburg, stole and crashed two vehicles, fled on foot through rugged terrain and threatened deputies with hand tools and a large rock when confronted.

According to Mahurin, Deputy Michael Dietrick fired three rounds. It's unclear how many struck Chavez.

At one of the residences, the homeowner fired two warning shots. Police claim Chavez urged the homeowner to shoot him before leaving.

While paramedics were staged in the area, a helicopter was needed to reach the scene, delaying treatment for about half an hour.

While the county operates mobile support teams--mental health professionals assisting with certain emergency calls, the teams don't operate in that part of the county.

Mahurin said even with a crisis team handy results may not have been different.

"The officers would still respond to that and ideally what we'd have happen is InResponse would be staged, so as soon as we say, 'hey, so and so, put down their weapons, they would then take over the case."

Sonoma County sheriff's spokesman Juan Valencia told KRCB he did not have access to information regarding Dietrick and use of force incidents or discipline records.

Sheriff Mark Essick and Deputy Sheriff Eddie Engram refused to provide comment. Engram was elected sheriff in June and will soon be taking over the top law enforcement job in the county.

A man claiming to be Chavez's nephew launched an online fundraiser through the website go-fund-me Monday.

Some 30 people had donated a total of $1,895 as of Tuesday afternoon. An interview request was not responded to by press time.

On Tuesday, in the wake of the police shooting, residents in the rugged and secluded area off Chalk Hill Road said they remain confounded by the events leading up to the fatal encounter.

The rural residences where Chavez allegedly first broke a window, and where he was eventually killed, are both located off private gated lanes. Residents who did speak with KRCB News asked not to have their identities disclosed.

One resident, who said they suspected drugs to be responsible for Chavez's erratic behavior, said they originally believed Chavez to be part of a gardening crew who regularly works on the property.

According to the sheriff's office, as events unfolded Friday, Chavez allegedly stole a gardener's truck. The homeowner says the gardener--whose truck was allegedly stolen and crashed by Chavez--was shaken by the incident, having been dragged by the vehicle a short distance attempting to stop Chavez, and was distraught at the damage caused.

Residents told KRCB News they hope to put the incident behind them and for any attention on their neighborhood to quickly disappear.