The City of Santa Rosa continues to operate under limited conditions due to the current coronavirus public health crisis, but has expanded services and operations in some areas following the release of two modified Health Orders from the Sonoma County Department of Health Services last week. The modified Health Orders loosen some restrictions on the use of parks, as well as employment activities in Sonoma County, which includes services provided by the City of Santa Rosa.
The City has re-opened neighborhood parks for basic outdoor exercise, is expanding some field maintenance work, will resume construction on some public works projects beginning this week, and is now offering some additional online services and support. While added services are coming online to address critical needs in Santa Rosa, all public-facing counters remain closed, and community centers, events, and in-person programs will remain suspended until further notice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. All services provided by the City will continue to follow strict guidelines for physical distancing and hygiene.
As feasible, employees supporting essential services will continue to work from home. For the health of employees and the community, all City facilities will remain closed to the public until it is safe to re-open. The City of Santa Rosa has added the following services to its current operations, in accordance with the recently modified Sonoma County Health Orders:
- City Parks closest to your home are open and accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists for basic exercise. LEARN MORE
- Virtual Permit Counter is now accepting and processing all application types for construction and development projects. LEARN MORE
- Public Works will resume City construction projects starting Wednesday, May 6 and will include projects like slurry seal of roads, Coffey Neighborhood Park reconstruction, and MORE.
- Bennett Valley Golf Course re-opened today, May 4, with strict social distancing and hygiene protocols in place. LEARN MORE
Santa Rosa City Council meetings will also continue to be held virtually and public participation is encouraged. For details on accessing public meetings, view the meeting agenda for instructions. FIND MEETING INFO
To continue to protect the health of the community and to support the collective progress that has been made to flatten the curve of the coronavirus in our community, the City of Santa Rosa has effectively suspended the following services until further notice, per the modified Sonoma County Health Order to Shelter in Place:
- All Community Events & Gatherings are cancelled until further notice. No park, picnic, or event permits will be issued through at least June.
- All Community Centers and Facilities will remain closed, and all room rentals are suspended through at least June.
- Senior Programs, including the Senior Expo, are suspended until further notice.
- Finley Aquatic Center and Ridgway Swim Center will remain closed until further notice.
- All Day Camps are cancelled through at least July. Camps Wa-Tam, Kennedy, Yu-Chi, Doyle Adventure, and Recreation Sensation are cancelled through the summer season.
- Howarth Park amenities will remain closed until further notice, including the train, carousel, boat house, snack bar, and animal barn.
- Work Experience Program is cancelled through the summer.
- To Learn More about the suspension of recreation programs and services, please visit srcity.org/COVID19RecUpdate.
Throughout the coronavirus public health emergency, the City of Santa Rosa’s police officers, firefighters, water system operators, maintenance workers, bus drivers, and more have kept the City operating by providing essential services for the community. Many City staff are also working behind the scenes, from the safety of their homes, to support the City’s emergency response to the public health emergency or to support staff that must be in the field, laboratory, or office to provide the City’s essential services. To keep our City moving towards recovery, Santa Rosa has taken proactive steps to review essential services and determine community needs. This means developing a model for safely increasing service levels by implementing new virtual tools, increasing staff availability for remote customer service, and implementing strict health and safety protocols for essential employees in the field and on campus.
To learn more about available services from the City of Santa Rosa, visit srcity.org/servicefinder.