【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 26, 2022】Per County of San Diego Communications Office, the County of San Diego garnered 61 Achievement Awards this year including a Best in Category nod from the National Association of Counties, which recognizes innovative county government programs. (Photo credit: County of San Diego Communications Office.)

“As a County, we are always striving to identify and offer needed programs and services for our region, so it is validating to receive recognition from the National Association of Counties for 61 programs addressing varying issues such as the environment, community engagement, community assistance, building up our youth, and certainly public health,” Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher said. “Our workforce is rising up to the challenge and continues to innovate to meet emerging issues.”

A San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector program set in a video game-style virtual environment to engage employees enrolled in the County’s deferred compensation plan into choosing an asset allocation strategy won a Best in Category Award for NACo’s Employment and Training category. The Investing Learn to Earn Virtual Event was created and implemented when many employees were working remotely due to the pandemic and was a way to provide information that can seem too complex to some and hinder financial wellness.

The County received the awards in 15 categories. More than a dozen are programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support the region’s workforce, employers, renters, and public health providers, systems and scientists. Other programs streamlined County processes to benefit users, supported youth and families, protected the environment including agriculture, addressed housing insecurity and emergency preparedness.

Below is the full list of programs honored:

Best in Category (Employment and Training):

• Investing Learn to Earn Virtual Event – Treasurer Tax Collector

Children and Youth Category:

• Achievement CentersPromote Positive Youth Development – Probation
• Child Support Strives to Empower Youth with Dreams– Child Support Services
• Fostering Academic Success in Education – Child Welfare Services

Civic and Public Information Category:

• “Academia del Alguacil”Sheriff’s Academy – Sheriff’s Department
• Project Clean Water Stormwater Behavior Change Campaign – Public Works

Community and Economic Development Category: 

• Child Support Services Expands Customer Service Delivery Model– Child Support Services
• Meter Lab COVID-19 Safe Operation Plan – Agriculture, Weights & Measures
• Revitalization and Assistance Program Grant – Planning and Development Services
• Simplifying the Building Permit Process for Code Violations -Planning and Development Services
• Zoning Flexibility During COVID-19 Impact – Planning and Development Services

County Administration and Management Category: 

• Agricultural Lab Improvement Plan – Agriculture, Weights & Measures
• Collaborating to Protect Citrus – Agriculture, Weights and Measures
• County of San Diego COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance and Utility Program(ERAP) – Housing and Community Development
• County of San Diego COVID-19 Security Deposit Assistance Program(SDAP) – Housing and Community Development
• Innovative Housing Trust Fund(IHTF) – Housing and Community Services
• Issue Resolution Process – Planning and Development Services

County Resiliency Category:

• Electric Vehicle Consumer Guide– Planning and Development Services
• Accelerate to Zero Emissions Regional Collaboration – Planning and Development Services
• Free Unwanted Pesticide Disposal Event – Agriculture, Weights and Measures
• Landscaping Ordinance Update – Land Use &Environment
• Monitor-Based Commissioning Program – General Services
• Waterscape Rebate Program Pilot – Public Works

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Category:

• The Community Care Coordination for Veterans (C3V) Program – Health and Human Services

Health Category:

• Academic Detailing by ZIP Code: A Novel Approach to Reduce COVID-19 Health Disparities – Health and Human Services
• Collaboration Between Pharmacy and County to improve COVID-19 Vaccination Access – Health and Human Services
• Community Health Worker Model/Project SAVE– Office of Strategy and Innovation
• COVID-19 Cross-Border Vaccination Efforts – Health and Human Services
• Eye Gnat Trap Improvements – Environmental Health
• Health Care Provider Status Team – Health and Human Services
• Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Programs – Public Health Services
• Mobile Monoclonal Antibody Team – Health and Human Services
• Monoclonal Antibody Regional Centers: Collaborating for Equitable COVID-19 Therapy – Health and Human Services
• Operationalizing the Live Well San Diego Framework in Response to a Pandemic – Health and Human Services
• Pharmacy Leadership Network – Health and Human Services
• San Diego Health CARES Initiative – Public Health Services
• The County of San Diego COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy – Health and Human Services

Human Services Category:

• Housing Our Youth(HOY) – Health and Human Services
• Regional Homeless Services– Health and Human Services
• Storefront Service Delivery Model – Regional Operations
• Tenant Peer Support Services (TPSS) – Behavioral Health Services

Information Technology Category:

• Account Auto-Provisioning – County Technology Office
• JELS Child Welfare eDocument Transfer – County Technology Office
• Plan Check Digital Review Portal – Environmental Health
• Submeter Applications – Agriculture, Weights & Measures
• Virtual Assistant using Artificial Intelligence – Eligibility Operations Administration

Libraries Category:

• Little Free Libraries– Library
• Story Trails – Library

Parks and Recreation Category:

• Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground– Parks and Recreation
• Tour Our Trails Challenge – Parks and Recreation

Personnel Management, Employment and Training Category

• Mastering the Art of Remote Work – Health and Human Services
• Virtual Hiring Halls – Eligibility Operations Administration
• Virtual Universal Initial Training – Eligibility Operations Administration

Planning Category:

• Proposed Ordinance Changes to Provide Final Engineering Flexibility -Planning & Development Services
• Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) Program– Planning & Development Services
• Sixth Cycle Housing Element – Planning and Development Services

Risk and Emergency Management Category

• Establishment of a Response Team for COVID Cases at Places of Employment – Public Health Services
• Migrant Protection Program/Entry Without Inspection COVID-19 Response Team – Public Health Services
• Public Safety Power Shutoff Regional Resiliency Project and Report – Office of Emergency Services
• ShakeReadySD Early Earthquake Warning for SD EmergencyMobile Application – Office of Emergency Services

Transportaion Category:

• Building Better Roads Program– Public Works

(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)

(Source: World News Network)

(Source: USAREC Public Affairs)

(Source: Harvard Medical School)

This website has a free subscription function, please enter your email address and name (any nickname) in the upper right corner of the page. After subscribing, you can receive timely updates of the website. I hope that new and old readers will actively subscribe, so that we have the opportunity to provide you with better services

Please click: Home (wechineseus.com) for more news and content on this website

Follow The Chinese Media's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/wechineseinus

Follow The Chinese Media's Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/wechineseinamerica/

【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 24, 2022】Per County of San Diego Communications Office, county Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher, Vice Chair Nora Vargas, students from Mt. Miguel High School, its Adult Transitional School, park officials and eager visitors celebrated the opening of Ildica County Park Friday in Spring Valley.(Photo from County of San Diego Communications Office)

The newest, roughly half-acre County park was created to give Spring Valley families and residents a new space to play, grow things in its community garden area, exercise, meet others and enjoy nature. Spring Valley residents helped design the new park by prioritizing what features they wanted it to have through County meetings and surveys.

Some of Ildica’s features include 22 newly planted native trees, oaks and sycamores; drought-tolerant native landscaping nourished by a water-conserving irrigation system; a walking path; lighting; and a community garden with 20 gardening plots. It also includes an exercise station; a covered picnic area and covered play area with an Earth-friendly permeable play surface that will let rain percolate through it naturally, rather than running off or pooling.

Fletcher, Vargas and parks officials held an official ribbon-cutting to open the park, followed by a gardening presentation by adult transitional school students and a walking tour of the park.

“One thing we’ve seen over the last few years is the importance of our local and regional parks,” Fletcher said. “We want to create more opportunities for San Diegans to spend time outside; to stand in the sun and breathe in fresh air. There is an immediate physical reaction, but nature also helps us to focus and find peace.”

Vargas added, “Places like this unite residents of all ages, interests and backgrounds,” Vargas said. “They strengthen community and foster relationships. More important, they eliminate barriers for underserved populations by providing free access to quality recreation.”

Ildica County Park is located at the corner Ildica Street and Sweetwater Road and will be open to the public seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. The park has four parking spaces, including one for people with disabilities.

For more information about County parks, go to their website at sdparks.org.

(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)

This website has a free subscription function, please enter your email address and name (any nickname) in the upper right corner of the page. After subscribing, you can receive timely updates of the website. I hope that new and old readers will actively subscribe, so that we have the opportunity to provide you with better services

Please click: Home (wechineseus.com) for more news and content on this website

Follow The Chinese Media's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/wechineseinus

Follow The Chinese Media's Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/wechineseinamerica/

【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 25, 2022】Per County of San Diego Communications Office, San Diego County became the first coastal county in the nation this week to start using a rapid, DNA-based ocean-water testing technology that will produce faster results and earlier warnings to protect beachgoers when bacteria levels reach unhealthy levels in ocean water.( Ocean water is tested using San Diego County’s new system. Image from County of San Diego Communications Office,)

County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Nora Vargas, County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, officials from the County’s public health lab, its Department of Environmental Health and Quality, and others gathered Wednesday morning near the Imperial Beach Pier for the announcement.

Vargas said the County plans to expand its use Thursday of the DNA-based droplet-digital polymerase chain reaction testing technology — ddPCR — to more than 70 miles of shoreline the County regularly samples and tests to protect the public.

The new system will let the County sample beach water in the morning, get results and warn the public by the afternoon instead of the next day.

Officials said the DNA-based system is also more sensitive to bacteria levels than the older method, which required growing bacterial cultures from water samples in petri dishes.

“I’m happy to announce with today’s sampling, San Diego becomes the first coastal county in the nation to implement the ddPCR method for beach water sampling,” Vargas said Wednesday to applause.

“Faster results,” she said, “are going to allow the County to issue or lift beach advisories on the same day samples were collected. And it reduces the time the public could unknowingly be at risk and … when the water is contaminated.”

The County’s Public Health laboratory and the state conducted a side-by-side study of how the DNA testing compared to the petri-dish system in 2019.

The California Department of Public Health gave the new system its final laboratory approval in February, clearing the way for the County to expand its use of the process.

For more information about the County’s beach water quality testing program and check local conditions, visit the County’s “Check In Before You Get In” website at sdbeachinfo.com. 

(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)

This website has a free subscription function, please enter your email address and name (any nickname) in the upper right corner of the page. After subscribing, you can receive timely updates of the website. I hope that new and old readers will actively subscribe, so that we have the opportunity to provide you with better services

Please click: Home (wechineseus.com) for more news and content on this website

Follow The Chinese Media's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/wechineseinus

Follow The Chinese Media's Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/wechineseinamerica/

【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, May 22, 2022】 Per County of San Diego Communications Office ,the County of San Diego released a $7.15 billion recommended budget today that builds on its commitments to address mental health, homelessness, equity, racial justice and climate change. It would add significant investments and just over 1,000 staff across priority areas. The budget also maintains essential public safety, land use, health and social services.(Image from County of San Diego Communications Office).

The total recommended budget is 1.1% smaller than the budget the County Board of Supervisors approved last year, mainly because many one-time costs for COVID-19 response are no longer needed.

The County Board of Supervisors must approve a new budget by June 30 and County leaders are urging the public to take part in the approval process. The board will get an overview of the budget during presentations by County departments at public meetings May 19 and 20. The public can comment in person or by phone at two budget hearings in June: a daytime hearing June 13, and an evening session June 16. People can also comment online through e-comment until budget hearings close. See more information on how to comment at Board of Supervisors meetings.

In addition, the public can attend virtual community budget meetings for each Board of Supervisors district (find your district):

• May 23: District 3
• May 31: District 4
• June 2: District 1
• June 6: District 5
• June 8: District 2

The recommended budget makes investments in these key areas:

Mental Health and Substance Use Support

The new budget recommends adding $71.8 million and 115 new positions to help continue County efforts to transform its behavioral health system, from one of crisis response to prevention, continuous care and everyday health care to keep people connected and healthy.

The budget will continue to improve services to help people with mental health challenges and substance use disorders, focusing on those who have historically suffered silently, including people experiencing homelessness and youth.

Funds will support Mobile Crisis Response Teams, made up of mental health experts rather than law enforcement, to respond to someone in crisis.

The budget also includes a wide variety of resources to match the right type of care with the person in need – things such as recuperative care, school-based services, services for foster youth, people in long-term care services and the LGBTQ community.

Homelessness and Housing

Mental health and substance use support are combined with investments in innovative housing solutions to make significant progress in ending homelessness.

Increased investments in the new recommended budget include $11.9 million from one-time stimulus funds to develop affordable housing to reduce homelessness.

Another $10 million increase would be spent to help people experiencing homelessness regionwide by working with cities to buy shelters and places for people to stay. One recent partnership with the Lucky Duck Foundation and the City of San Diego will result in a 150-bed emergency shelter opening this summer.

Additional efforts to create more affordable housing for residents include $3 million to waive permit fees to encourage building accessory dwelling units. Another $810,000 will create an inclusionary zoning ordinance, which will require new development to include housing that people at or below median income levels can afford.

Justice Reform

The County’s justice system continues to move toward prevention, rehabilitation and training to help people avoid justice involvement and successfully come back to our communities following time in custody. This includes the Alternatives to Incarceration initiative. The initiative supports alternatives to jail and provides services and care, including mental health and sobering services, for people who don’t pose a public safety threat.

More than $130 million is invested in health care services in the County’s jails to help offenders.

Roughly $6.2 million will be spent on a Youth Development Academy to help young people who have committed serious offenses by giving them more intensive, longer-term behavioral health, rehabilitative and skill-building services to help them come back to our communities.

County Probation will use $1 million toward de-escalation training for their staff, supporting the young people they supervise.

The Juvenile Diversion Initiative and Transitional Age Youth Diversion program in the District Attorney’s office will be bolstered with $2.4 million, to give juveniles the opportunity to accept services and counseling instead of prosecution.

The Public Defender’s Office will add $21.8 million and 90 staff to defend clients, represent immigrants and the indigent in our neighborhoods, and improve transitions back into communities.

The District Attorney will use $3.5 million and add 18 positions to expand services to victims of crime, including the South Bay Center for Community Resiliency and Trauma Recovery, and a resentencing program.

Equity and Access

The new budget also continues efforts to weave equity into all County programs and services.

The County Office of Equity and Racial Justice has implemented its new Budget Equity Assessment Tool that helps County departments prioritize services and allocations with equity in mind. The tool uses a series of questions to better understand how allocations affect historically marginalized vulnerable communities, those who are low-income or those who have historically and currently suffer from inequality.

The tool also incorporates community engagement, an important cornerstone of the County’s operations that will be expanded in this budget to provide opportunities for all community members to play meaningful roles in discussions and decision-making.

Increased translation and interpretation services will provide greater access to services and information.

A new Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice will be funded with $3.5 million and work to make sure all communities have the same protection from health hazards.

And the San Diego County Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement will serve as the central location for education and resources for employers and their workers; it will undertake research and data analysis regarding worker issues, and pursue enforcement measures to protect workers.

Sustainability and Fighting Climate Change

Climate change is already affecting San Diego County communities and the County is working hard to address the issue through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing sustainability.

More than $25 million will be invested to cut greenhouse gas emissions in our unincorporated communities, including $1 million to support electric vehicle charging stations.

Nearly $60 million will be spent on other environmental improvements, including $40 million to address stormwater issues, $16.3 million on the Multiple Species Conservation Program and $3.4 million to improve the Tijuana River Valley.

Green building and solar energy will be promoted by waiving an estimated $2.1 million in permit fees. More than 3,500 trees intended to trap more than 178,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year will be planted around the county.

Greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced — while equitable access to health care is boosted — by allocating $2 million to buy two additional Live Well on Wheels vehicles and a new mobile public health lab that can bring services to residents rather than requiring them to travel individually to health offices.

Supporting Families

This budget also includes additional funding and positions to focus on the day-to-day needs of residents at home and at work, especially the most vulnerable.

In-Home Supportive Services for older adults and people who are blind or disabled will be boosted by 60 positions. Another 100 new positions will bolster essential services including CalFresh and Medi-Cal, to help people get the food and health care they need. Child Welfare Services will also add 100 new positions to increase emergency response support, and quality placement for children in care, to strengthen prevention services and continue improving connecting families to community-based services.

More than $30 million received through the America Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will continue to support the Board of Supervisors’ framework for using the funds, including mental health services for young people and support for renters and nutrition programs.

The County’s new Office of Economic Development & Government Affairs will foster inclusive economic growth, provide opportunities in arts and culture, and administer grant programs that focus on nonprofits and community-based organizations.

And the County’s new Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics will use data and analytics to better inform decisions that impact our communities and improve service delivery.

Enhancing Communities and Keeping Them Safe

The budget also invests in safety and quality of life.

This includes $2.9 million for land for a future public safety facility located at Interstate 15 and State Route 76, and $250,000 to start plans and design for a new Jacumba fire station.

In addition, the San Diego County Fire Protection District is adding $2.2 million to protect communities and reduce community wildfire risk in unincorporated areas through roadside vegetation management and creating fire breaks.

Public Health Services will add 71 new positions to continue to strengthen its overall ability to protect our residents’ health.

The budget would spend $550,000 for new and expanded County parks, including Calavo, Star Ranch, Lindo Lake, Park Circle and the Waterfront Park. And a Food Access Initiative to help create community gardens will be funded with $1 million.

Get Involved in the Budget Process

To find out more about the recommended budget and upcoming meetings and hearings, visit budget.sandiegocounty.gov. You can also visit the Clerk of the Board’s website or call 619-531-5434 to get details about hearings and request translation services.

(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)

This website has a free subscription function, please enter your email address and name (any nickname) in the upper right corner of the page. After subscribing, you can receive timely updates of the website. I hope that new and old readers will actively subscribe, so that we have the opportunity to provide you with better services

Please click: Home (wechineseus.com) for more news and content on this website

Follow The Chinese Media's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/wechineseinus

Follow The Chinese Media's Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/wechineseinamerica/