State of Stanislaus County: Chairman Chiesa praises staff’s resiliency amid crises
Stanislaus County’s top elected official said county departments stepped up to the challenge in 2020 in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and other emergencies.
“As we see the numbers of (coronavirus) deaths continuing to rise in our county, it underscores the reality that we are not out of this crisis, we must remain vigilant,” Vito Chiesa, board of supervisors chairman, said in a “State of the County” speech Tuesday.
The COVID-19 emergency, which has claimed 950 lives in this county, was not the only crisis in a disastrous 2020.
The Santa Clara Unit Lightning Complex fire in the Diablo Range in August through September burned 396,000 acres in western Stanislaus and four other counties, making it the largest wildfire in county history.
County agencies and staff did not miss a beat in responding to the calamity, which destroyed 222 structures and caused many to evacuate.
Chiesa singled out the Sheriff’s Department and Office of Emergency Services, along with public health staff and the CEO’s office for working countless hours during emergencies.
He praised the leadership of Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county health officer, and the work done by public health nurse Lynda Perino to calm the anxieties of COVID-positive residents and community health worker Claudia Cruz, who traced hundreds of coronavirus cases.
While responding to the pandemic, a county staff led by Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes continued to maintain essential services for the public, Chiesa said with gratitude for the county workforce.
“Extraordinary things can come from ordinary people in the most challenging times,” the chairman said. “This is the story of each of us. And this is the story of our community.”
Chiesa talked about the emotional trauma of the pandemic in the community and economic toll on businesses, as well as the impact on county finances.
The county’s discretionary revenue fed by traditional revenue sources, like sales and property tax, is about the same this year as the previous year, Chiesa said. But county departments lost a year of revenue growth that would have happened if not for the invisible virus.
Chiesa noted that Stanislaus County received federal and state emergency relief funds, totaling $108 million, part of which was shared with cities, paid for grants for ailing businesses and covered county costs.
The chairman said additional relief funds may come available and “we are dedicated to programming them to assist those most harmed during this crisis.”
Chiesa also talked about bridge and transportation projects, park and library improvements and a home-delivered meals program that brought 9,807 meals to homebound seniors in December.
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
