Response to Grand Jury Report Form Title: Report Warming Centers

Failure by the County, including the Board of Supervisors to plan and prepare in advance for warming centers during extreme weather emergencies, results in inefficient last- minute responses, leaving unhoused individuals exposed to severe cold. Sonoma County Public lnfrastructure partially disagrees with this finding. On June 12, 2023, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Extreme Temperature Response Annex to the Emergency Operations Plan. The Plan outlines the policies, procedures, and area partners' roles in response to an extreme temperature incident and provides criterion for implementing this annex to unincorporated Sonoma County. lt also positions the County as the Operational Area to prioritize the support of pre-established facilities and the expansion of their warming or cooling services and if necessary, establish additional facilities.

A lack of identification of, and agreements with, warming facilities in advance of cold weather emergencies leads to a deflcit of easily accessible spaces when those emergencies occur. Sonoma County Public lnfrastructure partially disagrees with this finding. On June 12, 2023lhe Board of Supervisors adopted the Extreme Temperature Response Annex to the Emergency Operations Plan. The Plan positions the County as the Operational Area to prioritize the support of pre-established facilities and the expansion of their warming or cooling services and if necessary, establish additional facilities. Locations will be established through pre-authorized memorandums of understanding and used as contingency locations when there are gaps in service across the Operational Area. Furthermore, since 2010 the winter shelter in west-county has been operating from the Guerneville Veterans Memorial Building. The winter shelter program provides emergency food and shelter during the wettest and coldest months, and is open seven days a week from 5:00 pm to 7:00 am and provides services including: meals, bedding, shower facilities, and limited supplies for daily needs. The County contracts with West County Community Services to provide winter shelter operation services.