Welcome to February 2021!

I would like to begin this month’s message by introducing the new District 3 Planning Commissioner, Anthony DeMattei. Anthony lives in Rocklin and has been a Placer County resident for 25 years. He is the father of 15-year-old twins, son Nico and daughter Bella, who proudly attend Del Oro High School.

Anthony received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and he is proud to carry on his family’s legacy of farming in Northern California.  After graduating from college Anthony was a farmer in Sutter and Yuba counties as an owner and operator of D&D Farms LP in Yuba City. He currently serves on their Board of Directors.

In 2018 Anthony purchased Highland Orchard in Penryn from the Aguilar family, who were long time mandarin growers, and he has since expanded the operation by adding a new refrigeration unit and a new barn for equipment storage.

Anthony is a member of the Placer County Farm Bureau and he serves on the Agricultural Advisory Committees of both Placer High School and Sierra College.

I am pleased to have Anthony represent District 3 on the Placer County Planning Commission. I believe his business background and commitment to local agriculture will benefit Placer County’s efforts to ensure balanced use of our land and resources.

Please join me in welcoming Anthony DeMattei.

In other Planning Commission news, former District 3 appointee Richard “Rich” Johnson now serves as the Board of Supervisors appointment to the Planning Commission as the At Large, West of the Sierra Crest Commissioner. Rich is a seasoned Planning Commission member and does a great job representing Placer County. I am pleased he will continue to serve on the Planning Commission in this capacity.

One of the several boards and committees I serve on is the Auburn Area Salvation Army Advisory Board. The Advisory Board was concerned that our major holiday fundraiser, the Red Kettle Program, would suffer as a result of fewer volunteer bell ringers and kettle locations due to COVID-19.   I am happy to report that thanks to volunteers who committed to ringing the bell on multiple occasions and local service clubs, particularly Auburn Rotary clubs and several churches, whose members volunteered for an entire week, the 2020 Red Kettle Season donations totaled nearly $75,000, a 38% increase over 2019! This allowed the Salvation Army to provide Christmas gifts to more than 500 children and 400 food boxes to families and seniors.

Thank you to all the businesses that sponsored kettles and to our generous community that made the 2020 Kettle Season the best ever!

Warm Regards,

Supervisor Jim Holmes

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District is pleased to announce the opportunity for Placer County residents to receive an incentive to replace their pre-1988, high-polluting woodstove with a cleaner-burning, more efficient stove or insert.   Learn more...

February marks the first anniversary of the Roebbelen Center @The Grounds in Roseville, and although the first year of operation looked much different than what had been anticipated, Placer County and the Placer Valley Tourism are celebrating this milestone. Rather than hosting large-scale sporting events and    Watch video...