Over the past month or so, life as we know it has changed. The coronavirus pandemic has been a shock to our systems. The personal and economic impacts of COVID-19 in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, and the world will continue to resonate in the months to come.
I feel fortunate to live in this resilient community. We’ve survived fires and floods, and we will weather this latest crisis. The city of Healdsburg has been researching and implementing ways to soften the economic blow. We began by waiving late and other fees for utility customers for the months of March and April and ceasing disconnection of services when customers can’t pay their utility bills. These measures will be extended as needed.
On April 6, the city council unanimously approved another way to help our community: a 100% discount for low-income electrical utility customers. Â
Healdsburg has had a low-income utility discount program for almost 20 years. It provides a 25 percent discount for qualified electric customers – those who have applied to the program and whose verified annual income is at or below 50 percent of the area-median income (AMI).Â
On April 6, the city council passed a resolution to increase that discount from 25% to 100% (on the monthly service charge and energy tiers 1 and 2) for the billing months of April, May and June. This effectively makes electricity free for the approximately 415 low-income utility customers in this program.Â
The discounts are funded out of the city’s Electric Public Benefit Fund. If your circumstances have changed recently and you believe that you qualify for the low-income utility program, I encourage you to apply. In addition, if you have challenges paying your City electric and/or water bills, please contact our Utility Billing Department to work out a payment plan or other solution.Â
For more information, go to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/173/Utility-Programsor call the City’s Utility Billing Department at 707-431-3307.
City Staff continue to seek ways to help the Healdsburg community in this extraordinary and difficult time. Please stay tuned.Â
Do Your Part to Flatten the Curve
More than 22% of our community members are age 65 and over. This demographic group, along with people of any age who are immunocompromised, is more vulnerable to the coronavirus than others. So, it is very important that you follow the shelter-in-place order by the Sonoma County public health officer.Â
That means staying at home. Please do not meet with other people — even family members who do not live in your house. I know this is hard, but it is also temporary. The more we limit our person-to-person interaction, the sooner our lives will get back to normal.
If you must go out for an essential activity, such as buying groceries or taking a walk in your neighborhood, the county health officer recommends that you wear a face mask. These do not have to be N95 masks. In fact, those should be saved for our healthcare workers, first responders and others on the front lines.Â
You can easily make your own face mask from scarves, t-shirts, sweatshirts, or even tea towels. These face coverings should cover the nose and mouth and be secured to your head with ties or simply wrapped around the lower face. Remember to thoroughly wash your hands any time before or after touching the face mask. Wash the face mask in hot water after use.
If you can sew, here’s a DIY face mask tutorial from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html. And here’s a no-sew option from the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams: https://youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4
We can do this, Healdsburg! Stay healthy, stay strong, and follow the protocols. We’ll get through this together even though we are apart.
For more information on the coronavirus in Sonoma County, go to:Â www.socoemergency.org.