Welcome to April, and the sunshine and blossoms it has brought along with it! After the year we have all endured these signs of Spring are a welcome sight!

As I’ve said before, one of the greatest parts of serving as your county supervisor is getting to meet and talk to so many people when I am out and about.  Lately, many people I talk to ask about the progress on the 79-unit Mercy Housing project in North Auburn at the Placer County Government Center.

Placer County’s contribution to this project is nearly $8 million. This includes a $1.00 a year, 99-year lease of the land, which was appraised at $1.98 million, as well as more than $708,000 from the Placer County Housing Trust Fund to help cover the cost of development and processing fees. An additional $4.5 million comes from the State of California in the form of grants and housing vouchers.

The County broke ground on the project in August 2020 and the contractor is on schedule to have it completed by November of this year.

Mercy North Auburn will include three three-story apartment buildings and seven two-story attached townhomes that will be available to people who fall within the 30-60% range of the area median income. The project will also include a multipurpose community building, parking and common green spaces with outdoor play equipment.

The Placer County Housing Authority has contributed 20 housing vouchers provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that assist non-elderly persons with disabilities through the Mainstream Vouchers program. Additionally, the Placer County Department of Health and Human Services has committed up to $2.7 million in No Place Like Home Funds to support families with special needs. The County will coordinate with the Adult System of Care and the Placer County Housing Authority to make sure that those eligible for No Place Like Home funds are also eligible for Mainstream vouchers.

While Mercy Housing is not accepting applications at this time, Mercy has provided a telephone number for the property: (530) 210-2067. Those interested in learning more about the project can call this number to get current status updates as the project moves to completion.

I have two more items of good news to announce: Like so many businesses and organizations over the past year the 20^th District Agricultural Association, better known as the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, has faced a budget shortfall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately in 2018 their board wisely set aside $250,000 in reserve funding on the off chance they would ever need to cancel the fair, which they had to do last year. The funds they set aside helped to sustain them through 2020 and they are now focused on moving ahead with a fair in 2021.

At our March 30^th meeting the Board of Supervisors approved a request from Don Ales, Executive Director of the Gold Country Fairgrounds, for $149,027 from Placer County to help support the operation of the Gold Country Fairgrounds for the next three months. Mr. Ales reminded the Board of Supervisors of Governor Ronald Reagan’s visit to the Gold Country Fairgrounds in 1970, where he proclaimed that it was “the little fairgrounds that wouldn’t die.” Thankfully, the Placer County Executive Office, under the Direction of the Board of Supervisors, has been able to provide the requested funding to keep our beloved fairgrounds alive through the summer months until events can be held again.

The second piece of good news comes from a half-acre plot of land at the Placer County Government Center in North Auburn. For years the land was leased to the UC Regents for their Master Gardener and Senior Gardeners Programs, but in April 2020 the UC Regents terminated their lease and dissolved the Senior Gardener Program. I am happy to announce that on March 30^th the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement that allows the newly-formed Auburn Golden Gardeners, Inc. to continue to use the land for their community garden. The approved site agreement grants the group access to the site and covers the cost of a portable toilet and access to water. A special thank you to the dynamic duo of Ferrin Call and Eric Findlay in our Facilities Services Division for making sure the senior garden will continue to flourish. 

My best wishes to all as we enjoy the nice spring weather.

Warm Regards,

Supervisor Jim Holmes

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