The following is the May 6 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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Stay in-the-know on all things Yolo! Weekly email with stories and insights from Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy.
Hey, it’s Daniel! Let’s dive in.
When Election Day gets close, noise can reach a fever pitch and confusion can swirl. With ballots and mailers hitting mailboxes and ad after ad filling the airwaves, it’s easy to feel inundated with (not always useful) information.
That’s why my goal for this election season in Yolo County is pretty straightforward — provide clear information that will be useful as you make your decisions.
As June and November elections approach, we’ll be writing stories that outline the choices you’ll be asked to make (like today’s story on Measure V in Davis), as well as answering questions that you might have about the various local races.
Just tell me what’s on your mind, and I’ll do my best to help you find the answers.
Also in this week’s newsletter, we have an update from the Yolo County Board of Supervisors as leaders consider tax hikes — and other revenue-generating ideas — in their plans to fix the budget deficit.
Plus, Yolo County’s longtime district attorney announced his retirement last night. The unexpected move comes years before his term is set to expire.
Also last night, the Davis City Council voted to send the proposed Willowgrove housing development to the November ballot.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Yolo County to explore tax increases and other revenue-generating ideas to fix budget
The options for raising revenue would not have an effect on this coming year’s budget.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: To solve an ongoing structural budget deficit, Yolo County will have to cut costs and raise revenue. On Tuesday, leaders explored short and long-term options, including an increased transient occupancy tax, a fix to the county’s disproportionate share for the state Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund and a review of restricted fund balances.
A bit more: The supervisors also directed staff to start thinking about what it would take to bring a potential sales tax increase to voters.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Davis is voting on Village Farms housing development. Here are the basics
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig to step down
Another housing development is moving along in Davis. It will go to voters
DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer, rancher or other industry player for the latest ag updates. What are the people who help produce our food thinking about?
This week, Rachael Long from Zamora is keeping us in the loop.
- The corn on Rachael’s farm is already a foot high and they’re just getting started. By the July 4, it should be “heading out,” or forming ears.
- Farmers in the county are starting to plant rice. Different farmers have different techniques, depending on weeds, insect pressure and comfort. Some flood the fields and fly the rice on, while others drill and then flood the fields.
- More barley than expected has been planted around Yolo County. Most of it will be for food consumption, including in Japan, where pearl barley is sometimes favored over rice for its high fiber content (up to 25 times more than white rice).
- Alfalfa hay fields are being cut now. Once they’re dry, the forage will be baled and moved out for animal feed. Most of the alfalfa on Rachael’s farm goes to dairy farms, where it is used as high-quality feed for cows. They usually get seven alfalfa cuttings per year.
- Summer hybrid seed crops, like sunflower, squash and melons, are going in the ground. Rachael says “I like seeing all the cool season hybrid seed crops growing in our area … lot of work goes into developing these varieties with ensuring that seeds are strong and high yielding.”
- Yolo County doesn’t produce many dry beans because the boron content of the soil is too high, but growers in surrounding counties are starting to plant limas, blackeyes, kidneys, garbanzos and the like.
HEARING FROM YOU
The best way to learn about a place is to listen to the people who know and love it. Each week, we’ll feature a quote or tip from a community member that captures a slice of life in our county. Write to me with something interesting or ask a question about Yolo County!
Last week, we got a question from Davis resident Sierra Zuber about how the Village Farms development could impact sensitive wildlife, like fairy shrimp, in the area’s vernal pools.
From Sierra:
| “I strongly feel that vernal pools should be protected regardless of what species are present–I grew up in a neighborhood in Southern California where vernal pools had been deliberately ruined by landowners so that they could get the land reclassified and develop it. I feel even more strongly that endangered species, including the small, non-glamorous ones that don’t capture the imagination of the public, should be protected.”
My answer:
When I asked the city of Davis about this, they pointed me to the approved environmental impact report, which says that fairy shrimp were tested for, but not found on the site. Endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp were found. The wetland habitat is now being protected.
I’m still reporting this out, so stay tuned!
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and community events, so we’ll continuously feature a few below. Have something you think we should highlight? Email me.
- The Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center offers free appointments for business advising to small businesses on the second Tuesday of every month at the Woodland Chamber of Commerce. Appointments are thirty minutes. More information can be found here.
- The Arthur F. Turner Community Library in West Sacramento will offer free tech help to members of the community on May 7. Visitors can book a 30-minute appointment with library staff for help with any technology questions. More information can be found here.
- The Davis Double Century bike ride is on May 16. The ride takes 200 plus participants through on a 200-mile route across Yolo, Napa and Lake counties. More information can be found here.
- BerryFest is back in Woodland for Mother’s Day weekend. From May 9 to 10 (Saturday and Sunday), you can find fresh strawberries and family activities at the Yolo County Fairgrounds. More information can be found here.
Want to discover more events across the Sacramento region, in Yolo County and beyond? Check out Abridged by PBS KVIE’s new searchable events calendar with things to do across the four-county area.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
See you next week!
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.