Butte County, California

***** FEMA Disaster Assistance Registration Deadline is this Friday December 11. *********

Cal OES Press Release- Disaster Assistance Deadline Days Away: Register Before It’s Too Late http://www.oesnews.com/disaster-assistance-deadline-days-a/ #NorthComplexFire

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 4, 2020 BUTTE COUNTY OPENS NORTH COMPLEX RECOVERY RIGHT-OF-ENTRY CENTER AND INFORMATION LINE... Oroville, Calif.Property Owners whose homes or other structures burned in the North Complex Fire must sign up for Phase II Debris Removal. Property Owners can sign up for the Government Program by submitting a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form by December 15, 2020. Property Owners who choose to hire a private contractor and consultant(s) must sign up for the Alternative Fire Debris Removal Program (Alternative Program) by completing an application and submitting a work plan to Butte County Environmental Health. A North Complex Fire Recovery ROE Center is now open at 78 Table Mountain Blvd. in Oroville for property owners to submit ROE forms and ask questions about the North Complex Debris Removal program. The ROE Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Property Owners may also call the ROE Center directly at (530) 552.3210. Butte County is working with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and other federal and state partners to facilitate the safe removal and handling of household hazardous waste (Phase I) and other fire-related debris (Phase II). Phase I requires no registration, but Phase II requires that survivors sign up for one of the two programs. Property owners must complete an ROE form to participate in the Government Program which allows access to private property for debris removal. The ROE form is available online at https://buttecountyrecovers.org/ncf-debris-removal-phase-ii/ or in person at the ROE Center or Butte County Library Oroville Branch at 1820 Mitchell Ave., Oroville CA 95965. Information about the Alternative Program can be found on the recovery website. ### See more

Beginning today, Butte County Library will allow limited use of public computers. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, social distancing and masks will be required, in addition to a time limit on computer use.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2020 BUTTE COUNTY ANNOUNCES NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY FOR NORTH COMPLEX FIRE SURVIVORS... Butte County, CaButte County, in collaboration with 2-1-1, North Valley Catholic Social Service and North Valley Community Foundation, has established a needs assessment survey for North Complex Fire survivors. The needs assessment survey is a tool to help recovery organizations assist and identify the needs in our community, in relation to the North Complex Fire. The information obtained through the survey is confidential and does not necessarily guarantee access to disaster case management or recovery resources. By submitting the survey, fire survivors may receive communications from local disaster recovery agencies. The North Complex Fire Needs Assessment Survey is available online. North Complex Fire survivors are encouraged to participate. Survey Link:

Butte County Election Statistics November 3, 2020 @ Noon.

Phase II Debris Removal has started in Feather Falls and Berry Creek! The deadline to enroll in the Government Debris Removal Program is December 15, 2020. More information is available at ButteCountyRecovers.org/NorthComplex #NorthComplexFire

A day in the life of a ballot..... Butte County Clerk-Recorder's Office offers some insight into what happens to ballots before, during and after the election.

If you are a North Complex Fire Survivor, you are required to enroll in a Debris Removal Program. The Government Program includes Tree Removal and requires a Right-of-Entry form to enroll. ROEs must be submitted by 12/15/2020. #NorthComplexFire

Have you voted yet? Voter Assistance Centers are open through tomorrow Nov. 3, 2020.

*** Update December 5, 6:45 PM *** Forecasted High Winds and Dry Conditions Mean PG&E Might Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety in Targeted Portions of 16 Cou...nties Communities Beginning Early Monday Morning (12/7) event PG&E has notified customers in targeted portions of 16 counties and two tribal communities about a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) starting early Monday morning (Dec. 7). Dry conditions combined with expected high wind gusts pose an increased risk for damage to the electric system that has the potential to ignite fires in areas with dry vegetation. High fire-risk conditions are expected to arrive late Sunday evening with high winds forecast to continue early Monday morning, peaking in strength during the day Monday, and possibly lingering in some regions through early Tuesday. Once the strong winds subside, PG&E crews will patrol the de-energized lines to ensure they were not damaged during the severe weather. PG&E will safely restore power as quickly as possible, with the goal of restoring most customers within 12 daylight hours, pending weather conditions. Although there is still uncertainty regarding the strength and timing of this wind event, the shutoff is forecasted to affect approximately 92,000 customers in targeted portions of 16 counties, including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba, as well as two tribal communities. The number of customers expected to be impacted by this upcoming PSPS event has decreased to 92,000 from the earlier 130,000 originally in scope. The decrease is due to changing weather conditions resulting in the removal of Monterey and Sierra counties. However, Butte, Kern and Plumas counties have now been added to the PSPS scope area; there are less than 100 customers expected to be impacted in these counties combined. The highest probability areas for this PSPS are the Central Sierra and the North Bay. This is not expected to be a widespread event in the Bay Area at this time. When extreme weather conditions are forecasted, PG&E considers proactively turning off power for safety, as such weather conditions increase the potential for damage and hazards to PG&E’s electric infrastructure, which could cause sparks if lines are energized. These conditions also increase the potential for rapid fire spread. Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff: What Customers Should Know The potential PSPS event is still more than 24 hours away. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists as well as staff in its Wildfire Safety Operation Center and Emergency Operation Center continue to monitor conditions closely, and additional customer notifications will be issued as we move closer to the potential event. Customer notificationsvia text, email and automated phone callbegan late yesterday afternoon, approximately two days prior to the potential shutoff. Additional customer notifications will be issued as we move closer to the potential event. Customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program (https://www.pge.com//medic/medical-baseline-allowance.page) who do not verify that they have received these important safety communications will be individually visited by a PG&E employee with a knock on their door when possible. A primary focus will be given to customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment. The new stay-at-home order, issued yesterday, exempts essential workers in critical infrastructure sectors, including energy; PG&E employees are allowed to continue providing services. While PSPS is an important wildfire safety tool, we know that losing power is disruptive, especially for those with medical needs, customers working from home and students engaging in distance learning in response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). PSPS events are a last resort when the weather forecast is so severe that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of significant wildfires. Potentially Affected Customers Here is a list of customers by county who could potentially be affected by this PSPS event. Alpine County: 574 customers, 7 Medical Baseline customers Amador County: 4,244 customers, 318 Medical Baseline customers Butte County: 8,713 customers, 801 Medical Baseline customers Calaveras County: 10,867 customers, 450 Medical Baseline customers El Dorado County: 28,358 customers, 1,926 Medical Baseline customers Fresno County: 466 customers, 16 Medical Baseline customers Kern County: 5 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers Lake County: 24 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers Napa County: 2,378 customers, 104 Medical Baseline customers Nevada County: 22,931 customers, 1,313 Medical Baseline customers Placer County: 6,401 customers, 420 Medical Baseline customers Plumas County: 344 customers, 20 Medical Baseline customers Sonoma County: 66 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customers Tulare County: 233 customers, 3 Medical Baseline customers Tuolumne County: 5,173 customers, 232 Medical Baseline customers Yuba County: 1,507 customers, 125 Medical Baseline customers Total: 92,286 customers, 5,736 Medical Baseline customers *The following Tribal Community counts are included within the County level detail above. Enterprise Rancheria Tribal community: 1 customer, 0 Medical Baseline customers Mooretown Rancheria Tribal community: 5 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customer Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff, and find the full list of affected counties, cities and communities, at www.pge.com/pspsupdates. Outage and Backup Power Safety Although backup power can be helpful during an outage, it also can pose safety hazards when not used correctly. Improper use can risk damage to your property, or endanger the lives of you, your family, or PG&E crews who may be working to restore power. If you have a stand-by generator, make sure that it’s installed safely and inform PG&E to avoid risking damage to your property and endangering PG&E workers. Information on the safe installation of generators can be found on our website at www.pge.com/generator. Community Resource Centers Reflect COVID-19 Safety Protocols During PSPS events, PG&E opens temporary Community Resource Centers (CRCs) to support our customers. These CRCs are open to customers when power is out at their homes and provide ADA-accessible restrooms and hand-washing stations, medical-equipment charging, Wi-Fi, bottled water and non-perishable snacks. PG&E expects to begin opening CRCs on Monday morning if a PSPS is called. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all CRCs follow important health and safety protocols including: -Facial coverings and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from those who are not part of the same household are required at all CRCs. -Temperature checks are administered before entering CRCs that are located indoors. -CRC staff are trained in COVID-19 precautions and regularly sanitize surfaces and use Plexiglass barriers at check-in. -All CRCs follow county and state requirements regarding COVID-19, including limits on the number of customers permitted indoors at any time. In addition to using existing indoor facilities, PG&E’s CRCs include outdoor, open-air sites in some locations and large commercial vans in other locations. CRC format will depend on several factors, including input from local and tribal leaders. Supplies are handed out in grab-and-go bags at outdoor CRCs so most customers can be on their way quickly. Here’s Where to Go to Learn More -PG&E’s emergency website (www.pge.com/pspsupdates) is now available in 15 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic, Hmong, Khmer, Punjabi, Japanese, Hindi, Portuguese and Thai. Customers can choose their language preference for viewing the information when visiting the website. -Customers are strongly encouraged to update their contact information and indicate their preferred language for notifications by visiting www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-800-743-5000, where in-language support is available. -Tenants and non-account holders can sign up to receive PSPS Alerts for any address where they do not have a PG&E account by visiting www.pge.com/pspsalerts. PG&E has launched a tool at its online Safety Action Center (www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com) to help customers prepare for emergencies. By using the"Make Your Own Emergency Plan" tool and answering a few short questions, customers can compile and organize the important information needed for a personalized family emergency plan. For more on PSPS watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-AzONbujk&t=797s

North Complex Fire Survivors: The Deadline to apply for financial assistance through the American Red Cross is Friday, November 6, 2020. To apply call 1-800-RED-CROSS. #NorthComplexFire

Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30, 2020 BUTTE COUNTY LIBRARY TO ALLOW LIMITED USE OF PUBLIC COMPUTERS Butte County, Calif.-- Beginning November 3, 2020, the Butte County Library will allow limited use of public computers. All Covid-19 safety precautions will remain in place. ... Computers will be spaced at least 6 feet apart, with a limited use of one hour a day per patron. For access, users will be issued a guest pass. Supplies will be on hand for patrons to wipe down their computer station. Staff will also clean stations throughout the day. Library patrons are encouraged to browse and check-out items; however, chairs will only be available at the computer stations. Staff assistance will be limited. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, physical distancing and masks will be required. For more information, please call Butte County Library at 530-552-5652, option 2. ### See more

Join PG&E for a PSPS Briefing tonight at 6pm:

*** Update October 27, 2 PM *** PG&E PSPS Update: More Than 228,000 Customers Have Been Restored by Tuesday Morning PG&E Issued Weather All Clear for All Are...as at 1:45 PM Today Aerial, Vehicle and On-The-Ground Patrols Confirm at Least 36 Instances of Damage or Hazards to Electric Equipment So Far 106 Community Resource Centers Provide Water, Restrooms, Device Charging and More PG&E Partners with Community-Based Organizations to Assist Customers with Medical, Financial, Language and Aging Needs Before, During and After PSPS events PG&E restored power Tuesday morning to more than 228,000 of the approximately 345,000 customers impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that started Sunday morning on Oct. 25. PG&E crews began restoring power to customers where no damage or hazards to electrical equipment were found during inspections that began as early as Monday morning in locations where the weather all clear was received. In areas where equipment was damaged by the severe wind event, crews worked safely and as quickly as possible to make the repairs and restore those customers. Due to continuing high winds and dynamic weather conditions, the weather all clear notification for the remaining impacted areas was issued at 1:45 PM today. Following this all clear, PG&E crews are now beginning power restoration efforts in areas that are still out of power. These remaining customers are expected to have power back on by late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. PG&E crews will have patrolled over 17,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines for damage or hazards before all customers have been restored. The patrol and inspection efforts include nearly 1,800 ground patrol units, 65 helicopters and one airplane. Preliminary data shows at least 36 identified instances of weather-related damage and hazards in the PSPS-affected areas. Examples include downed lines and vegetation on power lines. If PG&E had not de-energized power lines, these types of damage could have caused wildfire ignitions. PSPS Restoration PG&E has restored 228,000 customers as of this morning and expects all remaining customers to have power back on late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. Restoration may be delayed for some customers if there is significant damage to individual lines, which could be caused by wind-blown branches and other debris. The restoration process PG&E follows includes: Patrol PG&E crews work to look for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles and towers. This is done by foot, vehicle and air. Repair Where equipment damage is found, PG&E crews isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be energized. Restore Once the system is safe to energize, PG&E's Control Center can complete the process and restore power to affected areas. Notify Customers Customers are notified that power has been restored. For more information on the PSPS event, visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates. Extreme Winds Recorded Across Service Area Winds in de-energized areas due to PSPS were observed as follows: County, Max recorded sustained winds (mph), Max recorded wind gusts (mph) Sonoma, 76, 89 Napa, 54, 82 Contra Costa, 55, 74 Lake, 57, 71 Placer, 42, 71 Alameda, 52, 66 More Information on PG&E PSPS Events PG&E’s goal is to have essentially all customers affected by the PSPS who can receive power to be restored within 12 daylight hours of the weather All Clear for each affected area. PG&E uses a PSPS only as the last resort to protect community and customer safety against wildfires, given dry and windy weather, dry vegetation and an elevated fire risk across portions of its service area. PG&E will submit a report detailing damages from the severe weather conditions to the California Public Utilities Commission within 10 days of the completion of the PSPS. For more information on the PSPS event, visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates. Community Resource Centers To support our customers during this PSPS event, PG&E opened 106 Community Resource Centers (CRCs) that operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the event. These temporary CRCs will be open to customers when power is out at their homes and will provide ADA-accessible restrooms, hand-washing stations, medical-equipment charging, Wi-Fi, bottled water, grab-and-go bags, and non-perishable snacks. As of this morning, about 21,000 customers have visited a CRC. PG&E updates its CRC locations regularly. Visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates for the latest. Support for Customers with Medical Needs PG&E is also partnering with 55 community-based organizations (CBOs) to assist customers with medical, financial, language, and aging needs before, during, and after PSPS events. These activities include: Collaborating with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) through a grant program to support the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) community. This support for customers with medical and independent living needs includes: -Enabling qualifying customers who use electrical medical devices to access backup portable batteries - Emergency preparedness outreach and education - Promotion of Medical Baseline Program - Accessible transportation resources - Hotel stays - Food stipends - Working with 20 food banks and 17 local Meals on Wheels chapters. - Expanding availability of materials in American Sign Language (ASL). - Providing emergency information in 13 languages. - Establishing an advisory group to help create solutions for emergency preparedness for customers with medical needs. Details about these resources are at our website at www.pge.com/disabilityandaging Also, as of Oct. 27, PG&E provided approximately 1,700 portable batteries to customers to support backup power, including: -Approximately 700 portable batteries provided to customers through CFILC’s Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program. -Approximately 1,000 portable batteries provided to customers through PG&E’s Portable Battery Program. Prevention, Preparedness and Support It is important that PG&E has your current contact information so you can be notified and be better prepared if a wildfire or PSPS event may impact your home or business. To set up your alerts, visit www.pge.com/alerts. With the increased wildfire threat our state faces, PG&E is enhancing and expanding our efforts to reduce wildfire risks and keep our customers and communities safe. Our Community Wildfire Safety Program includes short, medium and long-term plans to make our system safer. For tips on how to prepare for emergencies and outages, visit our Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com.

Butte County is starting a re-visioning of the North Chico Specific Plan (NCSP) with a focus on the North Chico Village area. This process will explore land use options that are formed by community collaboration and input. Lots of ways to participate!!

Butte County is currently revising the North Chico Specific Plan (NCSP) with a focus on re-visioning the North Chico Village area. This process will explore conceptual land use options that are formed by community and stakeholder collaboration and input. The revised NCSP will be used to guide the preparation of development plans for the North Chico Village. Butte County will host a series of three virtual workshops where residents and stakeholders will have a chance to provide valuable input into the visualization and planning of the North Chico Village. Additional information and links to the workshops are available at www.NorthChicoVillage.com. The first of the three virtual workshops will be held on October 28 from 6-8pm.

Protecting Those Who Serve "Fit for Duty" goes beyond physical fitness. It's equally important to take care of our mental fitness. The incidents and stressors that First Responders deal with every day, the ones they "shrug off" as "part of the job", can mount up over time and take a toll. Join the conversation about how to prevent suicide among our colleagues, peers and friends at Each Mind Matters, on October 28, 2020, 11:00-11:30 a.m

Supervisor Bill Connelly Town Hall meeting on the North Complex Fire Recovery

Welcome to Supervisor Connelly’s Town Hall Meeting for Butte County residents impacted by the North Complex Fire. We will be starting the meeting shortly