Community Safety and Care

The safety of our community is a top priority, and that is why Napa County continues to make investments in public safety. In 2022, we awarded a construction contract for the new Napa County Replacement Detention Facility. This project will address a much-needed replacement for the existing downtown Napa jail, offering not only more beds, but more mental health and rehabilitation programs. This project is expected to be completed in March 2025.

Significant arrests were made in 2022, including that of a 26-year-old suspect for a series of burglaries in Napa County. With assistance from the Napa Special Investigations Bureau and Calistoga Police, detectives from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office arrested the individual. The suspect was booked into the County Jail for five counts of residential burglary, violation of probation, felony in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of stolen property.

Sheriff’s deputies also saved lives. On June 17, deputies Brian Ringo and Joe Schiavoni saved a pregnant woman and her unborn child who had been struck by a boat propeller at Lake Berryessa. Sheriff Oscar Ortiz presented both deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Life Saving Medal.

Furthering our commitment to public safety, the Napa County Probation Department completed a comprehensive strategic plan to drive the department into the future with modern, evidence-based rehabilitation and community safety efforts.

That commitment extended to those most vulnerable in our community, including children and animals. After an extensive application and site review process, the District Attorney’s Office spearheaded the reaccreditation of the Courage Center of Napa, a nationally-accredited child advocacy center that provides a safe and friendly location for interviews and examinations for child victims of sexual and physical abuse. The DA’s Office also prosecuted a case involving animal abuse, People v. Zachary Roberts, in which the defendant was convicted of two felony crimes of cruelty. Avery, one of the two dogs in the case, made a full recovery.

Child Support Services collected and distributed over $10 million in child support for Napa families. In addition, it reduced the debt of low-income parents paying support by $500,000 through the Debt Reduction Program.

In 2022, the Public Defender:

• Continued work in record clearance to enhance employment opportunities for those no longer in the criminal justice system
• Partnered with courts and the County Mental Health department to implement Laura’s Law, a state law that allows for court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment

Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness

Creating effective defensible space has proven to help with fire prevention and that is why the Napa County Fire Department continued its fuel reduction efforts countywide. With the help of Napa Communities Firewise Foundation and other partnering organizations, the department accomplished the following:

• Conducted 42 strategic fuel reduction projects
• Treated 204 acres to reduce or remove fuel load
• Removed 65 miles of roadside vegetation
• Completed eight dozer line projects
• Chipped 55,446 cubic yards of trees

One project, the Soda Canyon Roadside Clearing Project, was instrumental during the Old Fire in May by providing egress for community members and ingress for first responders, while also serving as a space for fire containment.

In addition to rapid response by fire crews during vegetation fires in the county, the department also prioritized public education and community outreach through school visits, an Ag Pass community meeting, fire resilient messaging videos, and fuel reduction trainings.

Looking toward the future, Emergency Services secured funding for shelter support for displaced residents, surveillance trailers for big events, and new technologies like P25 compliant radios, which support critical tactical and emergency agency communication. In addition, Emergency Services will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for a COVID after-action-review to be better prepared in the event of another pandemic.

Maintaining and Building Our Infrastructure

Planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining Napa County’s infrastructure are critical to the accessibility of our community. In 2022, the potential of the 80-year-old County Airport was realized and a new vision was brought to fruition. After a six-year effort, the county approved long-term agreements with two fixed-based operators, Atlantic Aviation and Skyservice US. The monumental project will bring an estimated $130 million in long-term benefits to the county with the two operators each building a new terminal, a fuel farm, and other facilities in addition to improving hangars. The project is expected to be completed in 2026.

Flight activity at the airport continued to be robust with 57,000 operations. The airport welcomed JaM Cellars, 1AA, AutoFlight, Skyservice, and Napa Jet Center with new lease agreements. The Federal Aviation Administration’s grant-funded Taxiway H Project wrapped up and a new project planning stormwater infrastructure began.

Construction continued on the new Carneros satellite fire station replacing the old station on Old Sonoma Highway. The station will double in size to accommodate two trucks. The new facility will total 1,850 square feet on a plot of land acquired through a development agreement with Carneros Resort.

The county and the City of Calistoga reached an agreement in 2022 to transfer ownership of the Calistoga Fairgrounds to the city if voters finance its purchase.

The Board of Supervisors approved community investment of ARPA funds to improve Lake Berryessa water infrastructure, fund a City of American Canyon reclaimed water project, plan broadband projects, and provide community grants for child care infrastructure.

In the spring, the board adopted a new Micro-Winery Ordinance that allows Napa Valley winegrape growers to produce and sell wine at their family farms. The adoption eases the process for applicants through zoning approval, thus eliminating the need for public hearings.

Supporting the Health and Well-being of the Community

From public and mental health to child welfare services, Napa County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) continues to support the health and well-being of the community through collaboration with community partners. In February, the county launched the Mental Health Mobile Response Team (MRT) to provide community-based interventions for those experiencing a mental health crisis. The team is made up of licensed/registered mental health counselors and mental health workers ready to provide crisis intervention, de-escalation, and stabilization. Since the launch, MRT has responded to 324 calls.

In May, the county kicked off the Bringing Families Home (BFH) program, providing housing support to families receiving child welfare services who are also experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Here’s what BFH has accomplished so far:

• Submitted 31 housing referrals
• Served 38 adults and 76 children

Veterans Services filed 1,343 claims on behalf of veterans – a record for the county. This translated into over $6.1 million in benefits for veterans and family members.

HHSA also continued to create meaningful partnerships. Among them was teaming up with the County Library to enhance outreach, engagement, and access to mental health and other health and social services in the community. Two mental health clinicians are now co-located at the Napa and American Canyon libraries and HHSA to support residents in need of mental health services, address food insecurity, and connect those experiencing homelessness with helpful resources.  

In 2022, visitation to the county libraries doubled with a total of 230,000 visits. A new Memory Lab was created to allow patrons to digitize family memories, including documents, photos, and videos. The library continued in-person and remote programming, while regularly adding new books, games, and more for the community to enjoy.

Housing Affordability

Housing affordability continues to present a growing challenge throughout the county, one we continually search for new ways to address. With the passage of the Affordable Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Forgivable Loan Program, the Board of Supervisors has taken a major step forward in developing additional affordable housing in the county. Launching in 2023, the program will offer forgivable construction loans for ADUs to homeowners on terms of renting those properties to households earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income.

Protecting and Promoting Our Agriculture

Agriculture is a significant part of Napa County’s economy, and we remain committed to its protection and promotion. The county continues to work with partners like the Napa County Winegrape Pest & Disease Control District to remain proactive in addressing pests that are detrimental to wine grapes. In 2022, efforts were successful to reauthorize the Pest District for an additional five-year term.

Checks and Balances

Keeping the finances of Napa County in check is critical to the financial health of the community. For the 17th straight year, the county received the highest financial reporting award issued by the Government Finance Officer Association – the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 2020-2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. This award represents a clean audit of the county’s finances after an extensive checklist ensuring our bookkeeping is in compliance with specific accounting standards. In other accolades, the Assessor Division completed a record-setting assessment roll of almost $49 billion for the fourth-highest assessed value per capita of the state’s 58 counties.

A Look Ahead to 2023

As we plan for the future, things are taking shape for a robust year. Napa County rang in the new year welcoming two new members to the Board of Supervisors, Joelle Gallagher and Anne Cottrell, a new county counsel, two new deputy county executive officers and a new public health officer. With the addition of these team members, the county is well positioned to continue to reach our goals, including creating a new Regional Climate Action Plan, acquiring Skyline Wilderness Park, updating the Fire Services Master Plan, adopting the Housing Element, kicking off the update of the General Plan, and recruiting a permanent county executive officer. With the collaboration of the Board of Supervisors, county staff, partners and residents, and a renewed sense of commitment to our goals, we are in a strong position to achieve so much in the year ahead.

Contact Us

Public Information Officer 
 (707) 253-4111
[email protected]