Darting to Folsom
One man show
Area runners set to compete in cross country section championships.
Placerville’s Espicopal Church of Our Savior presents a special performance.
Sports, A8
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170
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C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 170 • Issue 133 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, November 12, 2021
Homelessness solutions put on hold Eric Jaramishian Staff writer A plan for managed camping presented months ago to help El Dorado County’s homeless population came back for extensive discussion at the Nov. 9 Board of Supervisors’ meeting to address funding issues. The HOSTESS program, which proposes a homeless encampment on a lot west of the El Dorado County Jail in Placerville, was the brainchild of county resident Liz Drummond. Tents would be
provided for a maximum of 100 homeless with amenities such as showers, restrooms and laundry facilities. On Aug. 10 supervisors agreed to move forward with the program and directed staff to identify funding sources for the proposed homeless encampment with an update by Aug. 31. The idea was to quickly implement the encampment before the peak of California’s fire season, which came knocking on the county’s door Aug. 14 when the Caldor Fire hit, halting plans for the
“... we cannot jeopardize the millions of dollars awarded to the CoC and to the county and must follow the direction of our funders.” — Marissa Muscat, El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care co-chair encampment, according to Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton. With fire season over Ashton on Tuesday recommended the board have a managed camp set up by June 2022, just before the next peak fire season. Homelessness prevention organization El Dorado Opportunity Knocks
Continuum of Care Co-Chair Marissa Muscat told Health and Human Services Director Don Semon in writing Oct. 8 that after reaching out for funding it was confirmed the project is not compliant with California’s Housing First Policy, a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing
homelessness, meaning that CoC funds from the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant cannot be used toward the managed camp. Muscat addressed the funding problem as early as Aug. 18 in an email to Semon. “We understand that this proposal is well intended,” n
See homeless, page A10
Educators ask Newsom for local consideration n Letter requests vaccine
exemptions remain, benchmark for ending universal masking Mountain Democrat staff
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
A juvenile detention facility is planned at the former site of the El Dorado County sheriff’s headquarters at 300 Fair Lane in Placerville.
$18 million juvenile hall approved for Placerville Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Despite recommendations to renovate a South Lake Tahoe juvenile detention center, the El Dorado PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
County Board of Treatment Center has good for youth. Supervisors on Nov. 2 lingered since 2014 in “It’s nothing like what approved construction favor of the project in they want us to have of a new facility in Placerville, according for rehabilitating youth, Placerville. to Chief Probation so it would have to be The project includes Officer Brian Richart, completely redone,” construction of who added that 75% of Novasel said. an approximately juveniles in detention The South Lake Tahoe 14,000-square-foot come from the West facility was built in building to house a Slope. 2004 with $4 million maximum of in grant funds 20 juveniles, from the Board “The $18 million price tag for a both male of State and facility that is currently housing Community and female, on countyfour local juveniles is excessive.” Corrections and owned land approximately — Joe Harn, El Dorado County Auditor-controller $4.6 million in at 300 Fair Lane, the site county funds. of the nowOne of the grant conditions was the demolished old sheriff ’s District 5 Supervisor county must continue headquarters. Sue Novasel, who operating the facility Construction costs represents El Dorado as a detention center are expected to come County’s share of the through 2034 or pay in around $18 million, Tahoe region, said she with 40% covered by is in support of building back the funds. In July 2021 the the county’s General a permanent facility county received Fund. in Placerville. She tentative approval The plan to shut compared the Tahoe down the South facility to a jail, which n See Juvenile Hall, she said she finds not Lake Tahoe Juvenile page A7
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ed Manansala, along with superintendents of the county’s 15 school districts, have penned a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom to request criteria for ending universal masking in K-12 classrooms and that medical, religious and personal exemptions remain regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The letter “… we anticipate the follows the FDA’s Oct. 29 approval implementation of a of COVID-19 vaccination mandate vaccines for without an exemption children ages 5 through 11, as for personal beliefs well as mask and will deeply impact vaccine protests in local communities schools … ” and schools. — El Dorado County The COVIDsuperintendents in a letter to 19 vaccination Gov. Gavin Newsom mandate for students could go into effect as soon as July 2022. Pointing out that El Dorado County schools were among the first to return students to full-time, in-person instruction with “minimal in-school transition,” educators say they hope COVID-17 safety guidelines can be tailored to local conditions. “Many in our community have significant concerns regarding the continuance of mask mandates. The introduction of the vaccination mandate has created additional concerns,” states the letter. “In listening to our community we anticipate the implementation of a vaccination mandate without an exemption for personal beliefs will deeply impact schools as families leave for independent study programs or other alternatives to classroom-based instruction.” The letter also spells out the challenges educators say enforcement of COVID-19 mandates brings to campuses. “State regulations have been mandated, placing much of the burden for communication, implementation and enforcement entirely on principals, teachers, staff, administrators and school boards,” continues the letter. “With the responsibility to implement these mandates, school boards and administrators n
See educators, page A2
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