December 2024

GROWTH • STRATEGIC PLANNING

Marin nonprofit fights for housing rights in the North Bay FAIR GAME

Inside: Napa Insider • Tech Talk Davies Vineyards • Vine Wise Resenteeism • Auro • Econ 101

Growth and Strategic Planning Issue 2024

$4.95

CONTENTS

49 YEARS OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

December 2024 • Volume 49 • Number 14

LEAD STORY 22 North Bay Nomadland

FEATURE STORIES 30 Hot Property Jessica Zimmer

Local women trade in high-cost housing for live-in vehicles Janet Perry

North Bay businesses search for affordable fire insurance

50 Fair Housing in the North Bay Jean Saylor Doppenberg Local nonprofit fights for housing-equality

WORK/LIFE 18 Trends 19 Economy 20 Cybersecurity

December 2024

NorthBaybiz 5

62 60

65 72

COLUMNS 11

DEPARTMENTS 12

Editor's Note Jason Walsh Wanted: Housing, safety, security Only In Marin Bill Meagher What’s up with the DBID in Novato and the mall in Terra Linda?

The 707 Jason Walsh The latest news from Sonoma and Napa counties The 415 Jason Walsh The latest news from Marin County The Month In Numbers Jason Walsh A look at the key figures shaping life in the North Bay

Tech Talk Michael E. Duffy On the magic of technology

Dine Wise Jason Walsh Auro at the Four Seasons in Calistoga

Napa Insider Christina Julian A rally for the awareness of the deadly dangers of fentanyl

Great Tastes Alexandra Russell The cozy confines of Davies Vineyards in St. Helena

Econ 101 Robert Eyler Our 2025 economic forecast Vine Wise Adam Lee Wine Country wineries—unite!

What’s Happening Upcoming North Bay events

71 72

On the Move

In the Kitchen John Ash ‘Tis the season for chocolate pots de creme SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 40

Biz Scene Santa Rosa and Windsor holiday celebrations Beyond the Boardroom Rosie Padilla Aaron Jobson, CEO of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

A salute to long-established companies

NorthBay biz (ISSN No. 1542-3549: USPS 097-770) is owned and published monthly (plus three bonus issues annually) by North Bay Media Group, LLC. Editorial offices are at 3392 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403 USA: (707) 528-4434. Sub- scription price is $35 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Santa Rosa, CA 95402 and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2022, NorthBay biz. Reproduction of this issue in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without written permission by the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NorthBay biz, 3392 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403 USA.

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6 NorthBaybiz

December 2024

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Associate Editor

Rosie Padilla

Contributing Editor

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Administrative Assistant

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Writers Janet Perry Jason Walsh Jean Saylor Doppenberg Jessica Zimmer

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8 NorthBaybiz

December 2024

Books Are

Portable Magic

Remember being read to as a child? M and what it felt like leaning into her, while she read aloud to me. The pages of those books she read transported us to faraway places—real and imaginary—and taught me about life and oPened my mind to all the possibilities. So when I became a mother, I began reading to my kids. And now I’m reading to my grandchildren every chance I get. As for my mom, now a great-grandmother, she still takes great joy in reading to the kids whenever she visits. Remember to take time every chance you get—eat, play, read. Reading helps build language and thinking skills, develops a child’s imagination and empathy for others, achieve better in school, and it’s a great way to spend time together. And best of all, reading aloud to your child makes memories that will stay with you for a lifetime. That’s what my mother was doing years ago when she took the time to read aloud to me. y mother read aloud to me, and one of my favorite books was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. But what I remember most was the sound of her voice, the rhythm of the words

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Editor's Note

Wanted: Housing, safety, security

By Jason Walsh

F ull disclosure: I’m playing THAT card. After all, this is an end-of-the- year column in a local magazine. Which means one of two things: It will either be a list of New Years-y predictions/resolutions/a tally of various happenings from the past year. Or, it will reference Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and submit a call to our god-bless- us-everyone goodwill during these invariably trying times. To spare us the former and its predictable promises of more exercise, agreeing to disagree with family members (who are oh-so wrong) and to shop local instead of Amazon (all worthy resolutions, but still pretty standard column fodder), I’m going with Scrooge, Cratchit, Marley and the gang. Partly because Dickens’ 1843 novella bears more than a passing shadow over the content in this month’s issue, which is dedicated to housing, growth and insurance.

priced out of the North Bay housing market. Meanwhile, “Hot Property,” by Jessica Zimmer, homes in on the need for commercial property insurance and the growing inability for local businesses to acquire it as agencies drop coverage in high-risk California wildfire

areas. Finally, Jean Saylor Doppenberg’s story, “The Other Kind of Home Equity,” highlights the work of a local fair-housing nonprofit in its fight against housing discrimination, still pervasive in the North Bay some 55 years after the Fair Housing Act was passed to ban such unseemly practices. The vehicle-bound, the under-insured and the BIPOC renters and buyers of the North Bay just want a fair chance at

The ghost reveals to Scrooge the children Ignorance and Want, in an original illustration for the novel by John Leech.

something that, in a better world, we should all take for granted—housing, safety and security. But, in too many corners, Ignorance and Want still lie in wait. “Beware of them,” warned the ghost. “They spell the downfall of… all who deny their existence.” Those lines were written 182 years ago. Few deny their existence today, But effective solutions remain elusive as… well, a ghost. Unlike A Christmas Carol, not every story comes to a happy, tidy conclusion. Maybe next year I’ll stick with a column on New Year’s resolutions. God bless us, everyone. g

For those who’ve read the book—or, more likely seen any of the dozens of screen versions—recall the moment when Ghost of Christmas Present reveals to Scrooge the two impoverished children beneath his robe. “Their names are Ignorance and Want,” says GCP. “They are the children of all who walk the earth unseen.” For our purposes today, we’ll focus on Want, represented by a little girl in the novel—and the ongoing want, expressed in the feature stories before you, of fair and affordable housing and insurance in the North Bay. Writer Janet Perry’s piece, “NorthBay Nomadland” tells the story of three local women who have at various times resorted to living in their vehicles—parked at campsites or along precarious roadways—after being

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NorthBaybiz 11

The 707

Napa County to purchase Skyline Wilderness Park More than 800 acres of pristine open space is coming under the fold of Napa County, as the Board of Supervisors last month approved an intent to purchase Skyline Wilderness Park from the state of California. The 874-acre park along Imola Avenue in southeast Napa County includes more than 25 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use, as well as a lake, picnic and barbecue areas, an RV park and tent camping. Napa County has leased the property from the state for 40 years. Plans to eventually purchase the park have been in the works since 2019, when state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) passed legislation that would allow its sale to the county to ensure it always remains open space and parkland. According to an announcement from Dodd’s office, under the agreement the county must maintain the open space in perpetuity. Related legislation passed by Sen. Dodd this year will allow the county to add the 80-acre Camp Coombs property in 2025. Dodd said he was happy to see the “vision for this incredible piece of land come to fruition,” describing it as “the best use of this land, improving recreational selection and environmental preservation.” Napa County Supervisor Ryan Gregory called Skyline “the crown jewel of Napa.” “This is an investment in our natural assets and the well-being of our community, allowing us to enhance and protect this treasured space for all who value it,” said Gregory in the announcement. “This purchase lets us secure its future as a county park.” The deal is expected to be finalized by the Board of Supervisors in December.— JW

Sonoma County fraud hotline results in 5 confirmed cases of ‘inappropriate actions’ Weeding out fraud and waste in county government remains an ongoing process in Sonoma County, but the recently instituted fraud hotline has shown some concrete results. Of the 99 anonymous reports of suspected fraud, waste or abuse since the hotline’s launch in 2021, five investigations have revealed evidence of inappropriate actions, according to the county Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector office, which oversees the hotline. The whistleblower hotline is set up to address a variety of tips, including allegations of missing cash, embezzlement, falsified documents, theft of equipment and supplies, vendor kickbacks, conflicts of interest, personal use of county assets and bribery, according to the auditor’s office. In addition to the five investigations that led to substantiated findings of abuse, of the remaining cases, 72 were closed because the complaints were outside the scope of the program and 12 were closed because not enough information was provided or available to investigate. Investigators were unable to substantiate the allegations in nine cases. One case remains open.

Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Erick Roeser released the hotline data this month in recognition of International Fraud Awareness Week, a global campaign in November to educate the public about the cost of fraud and ways to prevent it. Roeser said the county is committed to accountability, transparency and fairness in its use of public funds. “I encourage any county employee or private citizen with evidence of fraud, waste or abuse in county government to contact our hotline and help us put an end to it,” said Roeser in a statement. Suspected fraud, waste or abuse in Sonoma County government can be reported online at integritycounts.ca/org/countyofsonoma or submitted via email to countyofsonoma@integritycounts.ca. To submit a report over the phone, county employees should call 800-921-6840, while members of the public and vendors should call 800-916-8745.— NBb

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December 2024

Sonoma County buys six EV charging stations

The purchase of six electric-vehicle charging stations for public use was authorized last month by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Once installed, they will be made available to the public free of charge at Andy’s Unity Park in Santa Rosa, a number of veterans memorial buildings, and other locations to be determined, according to an announcement from county officials. The stations will also be used as backup power for the county in times of emergency.

The acquisition of the portable solar-powered EV stations was funded by $791,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of Sonoma County’s Equitable Energy Resilience and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project. The funding will be matched with $595,403 from the county’s Climate Resilience Fund for a project total of $1,386,603. The Climate Resilience Fund, which totals $10 million, was set aside by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 using PG&E settlement funds from the 2017 wildfires. The purchase is part of a county effort “to bolster its off-grid, transportable infrastructure for continuity of operations during emergencies,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt.

The federal funding includes support for training and certification for local electricians who may have limited access to resources or face challenges with computer literacy. The program is part of a larger county initiative to invest in resilient critical infrastructure that can support essential public services and first responder operations during power outages, and to build a local workforce in the transition to a green economy. For more information about the Sonoma County Equitable Energy Resilience and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project, email SPI@sonoma-county.org .— NBb

7 electric buses coming to Sonoma County Transit The County of Sonoma is “driving the bus” when it comes to zero-emission public transportation—as the Board of Supervisors this fall approved the purchase of seven battery electric transit buses. Those new vehicles will replace natural gas-powered buses in the current fleet that have exceeded their 12-year-minimum service life required by the Federal Transit Administration. The new buses are expected to arrive in November 2026 and will be deployed on Sonoma County Transit’s main intercity routes between Monte Rio, Santa Rosa and Sonoma (Routes 20 and 30) and between Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Cloverdale (Routes 44/48 and 60), according to a county announcement. The California Air Resources Board requires all new public transit buses purchased after 2029 be zero-emission vehicles, with a goal that all fossil-fueled buses in California be retired by 2040. The seven new buses will bring Sonoma County Transit’s electric vehicle tally to nearly 49% of its 49-bus fleet. The net cost per bus is $1.25 million.— JW

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$380k grant to go toward training in green trades A group of prominent North Bay agencies are teaming up to ensure young people have a chance to build toward a climate-ready Bay Area. The Marin Community Foundation announced last month it was awarding Marin Clean Energy a $380,000 Climate Justice Grant to partner with local trades groups in offering paid training in green construction, electrification and energy efficiency. Thanks to the grant, the Lime Foundation, Service Employees International Union and the Association for Energy Affordability will expand the Next Generation Trades Academy, a program offered through the Lime Foundation, for 80 jobseekers in Marin City, San Rafael’s Canal District and West Marin. The 415

Letitia Hanke, CEO of the Lime Foundation, says youth entering the construction trades can begin earning from $25 to $35 an hour. “By avoiding student debt and gaining in-demand skills, they achieve financial independence faster, making construction a valuable alternative to college,” said Hanke in an announcement of the grant. Among the 329 graduates of the NextGen Trades Academy, 89% have come from low- to moderate-income backgrounds, with 82% identifying as Latinx, Black/ African-American, Indigenous or BIPOC, and 15% identifying as female. The agencies said their goal is to create pathways for underrepresented communities in the skilled trades. Eligible graduates typically secure employment within 30-90 days of completing the program, with starting wages between $21 to $30 per hour depending on the industry, according to the release. Trades Academy participants receive paid in-person and virtual hands-on training; 18 months of mentorship and job placement support; certifications, networking, career counseling and life skills training. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 24 and live in Marin County. Prior experience is not required. Deadline to apply is Jan. 10. To apply, visit nextgenmarin.com .— JW

Marin receives $18m to address homeless encampments

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December 2024

Marin County Fair reveals 2025 ‘bug’ theme

The Marin County Fair will be crawling in new directions next summer, as fair officials have announced the theme for the July 2025 event: bugs. “Bugtastic,” as the event is being referred, will highlight insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes and more—using competitive exhibits, hands-on art projects, entertainment, education and fairground décor—in an effort to provide an opportunity for families to have a good time and develop a love of nature, according to a press release from the county. The 2025 fair will also include such fair staples as the juried fine arts and

photography exhibit, headline concerts, carnival rides, sheepdog trials, a petting zoo, pig races and more. The competitive exhibits contests will be expanded with special categories including bug-themed arts and crafts, decorated cakes and cookies, beer and wine making, jams, jellies, honey, hobby arts and more. In other Marin County Fair news, Jennifer Olvera has been promoted to manager of the Marin

County Fair. Since 2023, Olvera has served as the event rental manager for the Department of Cultural Services, which produces the annual fair. For the past two years, Olvera oversaw fair operations, logistics, safety, food vendors and zero waste efforts, county officials said in the announcement. This year, Olvera will lead in the planning and preparation for the annual event, including organizing and executing the competitive exhibits program, and overseeing the staging of the agricultural barnyard, the Global Marketplace and food services. “I am extremely excited to take on the role of fair manager of this beloved County event and to continue the great spirit of the fair for generations to come,” Olvera said.— NBb staff

Marin offers new court-ordered care plans for those with ‘serious mental illness’ Marin County has launched an initiative aimed at delivering critical mental health, housing and supportive services to residents suffering from schizophrenia and other severe psychotic disorders. The new CARE Court—named for the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, approved last year by the state legislature—provides structured, court-ordered care plans for individuals with untreated serious mental illness. Under the purview of the county’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the court connects those experiencing untreated mental illness and, in many cases, homelessness and co-occurring substance use disorders, to behavioral health treatment through a court-ordered care plan. The plan can be in place for up to two years. Each participant has access to a public defender and volunteer supporter to aid in making decisions about treatment. The CARE Court program can be initiated by a family member, a behavioral health professional, first responder or the individual seeking assistance. “The proactive approach ensures those in need can access the

necessary services and support as early as possible,” county officials said in an announcement of the program. “CARE Court represents a new way of thinking about mental health intervention in Marin County,” said Michelle Funez, BHRS Division Director and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, in the announcement. “By focusing on a community-based framework, we are giving our residents the opportunity to stabilize and heal in an environment that supports their long-term recovery.” For more information, contact 888-818-1115.— JW

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The Month In Numbers

A look at the key figures shaping life in the North Bay

Sonoma County It’s a sand trap, Charlie Brown!

Oliver’s army is here to stay

100 % Employee ownership in Oliver’s Market, under a new employee stock ownership plan.

4 Number of holes on the mini golf course Schulz built around the property. $3.25 million Listing price for 2162 Coffee Lane, Sebastopol, the first home Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz owned after moving to Sonoma County in 1958. Source: San Francisco Chronicle

930 Number of employee owners of Oliver’s Market, as of Oct. 31. Source: Oliver’s Market $1,200 Price per person for New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 reservation at the French Laundry.

Napa County

Check please!

$30.50 Average price of an entrée at Thomas Keller’s La Calenda, which closed after six years in Yountville due to lack of local traffic.

1 st The day of the month one can book a reservation at the French Laundry, but only for the following month. (i.e., June reservations become available May 1)

$390 Price per person to dine at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, celebrating its 47th year in Yountville in 2025.

Marin County

Fire sale in Marin

$26 million Amount-above-expected year-end

revenue for County of Marin, after strong Treasury investment returns.

$10 million Portion of the Marin County revenue windfall officials may allocate toward building a new headquarters for the Marin County Fire Department in San Geronimo Valley. Source: County of Marin

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December 2024

WORK LIFE

Trends Economy Cybersecurity

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NorthBaybiz 17

Work/Life TRENDS

By Jason Walsh ‘Resenteeism’ on the rise

T he concept of resentment is often associated with describe some employees’ attitudes toward their jobs—especially as return-to-office (RTO) mandates have increased following the pandemic. According to BetterUp.com , the number of primarily remote jobs has been cut in half since their post-pandemic peak. After years of proving they can effectively juggle working from home with a bit of laundry and the occasional plumbing appointment, losing one of the biggest perks of the job is resulting in bad feelings, studies reveal. Data shows employees actually dedicate more time to their jobs working from home than at the office—making it all the more frustrating for dedicated workers who view RTO as a demonstrating a lack of trust. Having to jump back into a daily commute hasn’t helped much either. Resenteeism—a combination of the words “resent” and personal relationships—a failing marriage or poor familial relations. But how about returning to the office cubicle? “Resenteeism” is the new term in work cultures to “absenteeism”—is causing disengagement among employees, resulting in the feeling of being on “autopilot” throughout the day. Studies show workers often value their “emotional salary”— non-monetary benefits of a position such as work-life balance— more than monetary compensation, as long as the income meets basic needs, according to the Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI). But as companies cut back on certain work-life-balance perks— while wages remain stagnant and the cost of living increases— workers are finding fewer reasons to go the extra mile at the office. What’s more, resenteeism is boiling over into open frustration at the workplace. According to findings in a MyPerfectResume study about worker burnout, about 87% of workers surveyed said they’d had an outburst at work in the last six months—more than half having such outbursts more than once. Such outbursts include leaving meetings early, threatening to quit, yelling at colleagues and managers in anger or simply crying. To help mitigate resenteeism and burnout, AWI recommends HR departments make efforts to upskill managers in how to create positive, safe and welcoming environments that help employees feel supported emotionally and comfortable voicing concerns. Or, they could retain work-from-home flexibility to provide the work-life balance employees value most.

10 tips for preventing ‘resenteeism’ • Create a positive workplace culture • Schedule regular check-in meetings with employees • Conduct exit interviews and stay interviews • Provide various ways employees can express their concerns • Clearly define expectations • When warranted, discipline employees promptly • Develop programs to reward and

recognize employees • Express appreciation • Provide career coaching • Address stress and burnout

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December 2024

Work Life Economy

“ It’s the economy, stupid!“ This phrase, famously coined by political strategist James Carville during Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign in 1992, still holds a lot of truth more than 30 years later. In fact, it sums up pretty well what may have cost Kamala Harris the election. According to exit polls, frustration with the state of the economy, even more so than immigration, was the main driver behind Donald Trump’s sweeping return to power. According to NEP exit polls published by NBC News, 32% of the interviewed voters across 10 key states picked the economy as the one issue that mattered most to them in deciding who to vote for. Of these people, 80% voted for Donald Trump, giving him an even higher lead on the issue than Harris achieved among voters focused on abortion, of which 74% voted for the Democratic candidate. During her brief campaign, Harris apparently failed to distance herself from the economic record of the Biden administration, which had left many people feeling worse off than they did four years ago. And while one could argue that Biden steered the economy through the inflation crisis with as little damage as possible given that it was driven in part by factors outside of his control, e.g. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or global supply chain disruptions, that’s not how many people felt and the Harris campaign failed to address those largely negative feelings. 46% of voters said their family was

Election came down to jitters about economy By Felix Richter

worse off now compared to four years ago, which is an even higher share than in 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis. 81% of these people voted for Trump, suggesting that Harris was perceived as the “more of the same” candidate while Trump promised change. Despite the economy doing reasonably well on paper—steady GDP

growth, unemployment low, stock prices high—Americans are very downbeat after three years of high inflation. More than two-thirds of voters described the state of the economy as not so good or poor, while only 31% said it was good or excellent.

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Work/Life CYBERSECURITY

The ‘secret’ to a bad password

By Jason Walsh

If there’s one thing North Bay residents don’t need, it’s to have to keep track of another password. Office systems, memberships, applications, purchases, accounts, websites—pretty much any digital activity these days requires a password, with varying degrees of capital letters, numbers and symbols. Understandably, most Americans do their best to simplify their password overload. Some create easy-to-remember codes, such as family names and birthdates; others favor

top 10 favorites: 111111. While most bad passwords know no borders (variations on 123456 are pretty universal), some do differ by country. The No. 1 password in the U.S., for instance, is “secret.” Canadians, meanwhile, frequently choose “hockey,” which placed 18th on its list. Mexico’s top 15 includes “pokemon,” “america” and “hola.” One might think the cyber-security- aware corporate

Overall Top 20 (44 countries) 1. 123456 2. 123456789

world would be up on the latest hack- proof password trends. Well, not quite. According to NordPass, the top financial- industry passwords— these are from the people

3. 12345678 4. password 5. qwerty123 6. qwerty1

a hard-to- hack word, but then use it repeatedly. Still others, according to a new survey, have truly waved the white flag on coming up with a decent password. NordPass, a

7. 111111 8. 12345 9. secret 10. 123123

guarding our money—are none other than “password”

and “123456.” Proving that conjuring secure passwords isn’t rocket science, the top aerospace industry passwords are “password,” along with “opensesame” and “baseball.” Across the 20 industries analyzed, they were all ripe with passwords along the lines of “company name1*” and the like. Clearly, the cyber-hacking industry must be booming. Sorry North Bay, but NordPass says the best ways to ensure a password’s safety is to make it at least 20 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special symbols. There truly is no safe way to escape password overload.

password-manager company, annually analyzes the personal and corporate passwords stolen by malware and exposed in data leaks—and creates lists of the most commonly used passwords. Based on this year’s list, many password users would be wise to save a lot of time and heartache and just email the malware miscreants your personal information directly—though, they probably already have it, if NordPass’s list of easy-to-hack passwords is any indication. Topping the list as the most common password across the 44 countries analyzed is none other than: 123456. Finishing a close second: 123456789. These types of passwords can be cracked by thieves in less than a second, according to NordPass. The classic “password” is fourth, followed by “qwerty123.” Also among the

11. 1234567890 12. 1234567890 13. 1234567 14. 000000 15. qwerty 16. abc123 17. password1 18. iloveyou

19. 11111111 20. dragon

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December 2024

Only In Marin

Nonprofits, budget bungles and Northgate’s future By Bill Meagher

T he Downtown Business Improvement District in Novato is going toward the light. The district is running in the red these days, and the district blames it on light thieves who yank festive lights out of the trees downtown, stripping out transformer boxes for the copper value. The district is 25 years old and charged with attracting people to the downtown area, which has about 450 businesses. The district is managed by the Downtown Novato Business Association.

service reductions or enhanced revenue.” On the one hand the city could simply drop the $75k match for the district, cutting expenses. But that amount of cash isn’t really worth the bum publicity it would generate with the public, and the resentment it would push up in the downtown area. And the $75,000 is less than 4% of the projected deficit. A million here and a million there and pretty soon its real money.

Your Marin Moment The San Rafael Planning Commission voted last month to approve the redevelopment of the Northgate Mall, a move that set the table for the City Council's unanimous vote to vote to allow the aging mall to be transformed from retail to mixed use, allowing more than 1,400 housing units to be built. The commission also signed off on the environmental impact report tied to the project, 1,480 pages of intricate detail on everything from the amount of noise the new neighborhood will generate to its climate footprint. The project is easily the largest planned in Marin County and it has generated much debate—as the developer, San Francisco-based Merlone Geier Partners, and the City of San Rafael squared off the past three years over what will become of the shopping center. Though the project seeks to balance the competing needs of residents, the city and Merlone, it is by no means an exercise in simply balancing scales. The project will remove a mall that is long-in-the-tooth, replacing it with a wealth of housing creating a new neighborhood, forever changing the Mission City. So, no pressure or anything. But, of course, there’s pressure as the state gives San Rafael marching orders to create opportunity for new housing to be built. Residents have also applied pressure to the city to be sure that what is built serves residents without injuring the Terra Linda neighborhood. This is to say nothing of the financial pressure Merlone Geier has to find a way to profit from Northgate. The mall won’t cut it anymore and Merlone is in the business of redevelopment. g

This year the DBID had to purchase new lights to the tune of $80k or about 26% of the district’s 2024 expenses. The expense wasn’t in the budget and revenues have been down for the district. This has placed it in a situation where it’s in the red by about $21,000. The district is leaning on reserves to balance the books. The good news is the new lights come with a security measure making it tougher to rip them off. But the DBID is anticipating another year in the red, even as expenses are expected to drop. The deficit issue has become public because the district answers to the Novato City Council, which in turn matches some of the district’s revenue on a one-for-one basis. In the coming year, Novato will kick $75k into the district pot. But the council has questioned how the district got behind the eight-ball cash wise and whether the leadership of the organization is solid. Two members of the association’s board have taken their leave. In a public hearing in October, Stephanie Kohler, exec director of the board, said that the general direction of the district has been in debate and, with that debate, some change has occurred on the board. The issue in part is how independent the district should be, in particular with its relationship to the city. The district isn’t charged with raising money, though members pay between $100 and $500 a year. And, while the district has a fiduciary responsibility, it’s also supposed to spend money to make the downtown area more attractive to visitors. The district has a limited number of avenues to raise funds, much like the City of Novato. So having the city council lecture the district on how budgets work holds a degree of irony. And, of course, the board hardly wants to bite the council’s hand that feeds it $75,000. So, that’s a tricky little dance, even more so in a public hearing. It becomes more complicated when you consider the cash position of the City of Novato. This is from the city website: “For several years, the City has experienced a growing budget deficit. The ongoing projected budget deficit, exceeding $2 million this year, will continue to grow without

Bill Meagher is a contributing editor at NorthBay biz. He is also a senior reporter at The Deal, a Manhattan-based digital financial news outlet. He wishes all our readers a joyous holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous 2025.

December 2024

NorthBaybiz 21

A woman—who is not one of the unnamed sources for this story—works from the step of her home-on-wheels.

22 NorthBaybiz

December 2024

North Bay

nomadland From the price of rent to the

need to stay near family, why three local women are willing to trade in their houses for vehicles

By Janet Perry

December 2024

NorthBaybiz 23

A s city and state officials scratch their heads while trying to find solutions to California’s homelessness problem, viable answers are slow to surface. In the midst of the debates around the situation is the fallible understanding of the makeup of the homeless population itself. Many assume it must be addiction or mental-health problems that land people in the unfortunate situation. Those assumptions often miss the mark as mentally healthy, employed people are finding themselves unable or unwilling to continue to pay exorbitant housing costs. Among their ranks are also those who have held a long career, retired and find they can no longer afford housing costs in the area. Some leave the state in search of cheaper housing, while others are simply moving into their vehicle so they can stay near family, friends or work. One reason for the continued misconception about those who are no longer in a home is that many “car dwellers” are not counted among the homeless. A growing number of those who have chosen to leave their “sticks and bricks” home do not want to risk sharing that choice with others—out of fear of losing their job or being ostracized by their community. Among that demographic is a large and growing number of solo women who are living in their vehicles. In recent months, NBb spoke with three North Bay women about this “houseless” lifestyle. The women agreed to share their stories with an understanding they would not be identified—their names have been changed for the purposes of the article.

family moved to Marin County. She enjoyed living in the area and going to school there. She remembers that the hillside across from her high school was filled with lupine and other wildflowers and the football team would run through them up and down the hill during practices. “When I got my driver’s license, I would get up early on the weekends, drive to Point Reyes and pick up fresh-made donuts on the way home,” Kim says. “I guess I got the driving and travelers bug early, always with one foot out the door.” She attended the College of Marin before going away to San Jose State University. She had a long career at UCSF where she did administrative work. She describes how sweet it was to ride her bicycle through Golden Gate Park in the morning on her way to work. She became involved in the local bike coalition, a women’s art gallery and a local film association where she volunteered ushering at film festivals. She kept her home and raised her children and saw to her career. Then it was time for her to do something for herself. She retired in 2019 from UCSF, bought a school bus and built it out for living in and traveling. “I always knew that was something I wanted to do,” Kim says. “I went to a retirement meeting. It was kind of like a therapy session with a group of other people. And they said, draw your retirement dream. Mine was running from UCSF into my school bus, and that was like three years before I actually retired.” Her rent was $1,500, not including utilities. She knew that her pension and social security would not cover that and allow her to have any other kind of life. “I would have to go back to work someplace else and I really didn't want to do that,” she says. “I had worked for 45 years, and I just thought: I'll be damned if I'm going to continue working.”

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December 2024

'Kim' from Marin County says parking one’s live-in vehicle at campgrounds is the safest and most affordable way to exist houseless

Kim says it was important to have this time for herself. She planned to take a long trip around the country visiting friends and family she hadn’t seen for years. Then she planned to return to California and live in her decked-out bus. She isn’t alone in this dream of freedom and respite from the costs of modern life via a home on wheels. Many single women have begun to go onto social media pages to describe their newfound freedom, sans the “sticks and bricks” of a regular home. They are setting up their cars, vans and campers to live and travel in. They call themselves van lifers, car dwellers or nomads. Whether they’re in it for the fun and freedom, to save money while traveling or both, they represent a growing trend of solo women who are moving around in and sleeping in their vehicles. Having a vehicle they can live in means avoiding not only the high costs of housing, but also the price of hotel rooms. In social media posts they are often the first to admit they are still fortunate. Although they might prefer things were more affordable and they could maintain their “sticks and bricks” homes as well as a life of travel, they aren’t going hungry. There are still challenges that might not occur to a person before trying this lifestyle. Kim says that when her bus has broken down it was always at least $1,000 to get it repaired. Since it was her home, that also meant she had to stay elsewhere until it was fixed. While experiencing moments of hardship that come with living in a vehicle, Kim says it reminds her that there are people doing this who have no other options beyond living in their vehicles and are trying to hold down a full-time job. “I don't think that there's any statistics on this,” Kim says. “There's nobody following this as a research project. These are not women who are going into shelters and so they aren’t being counted. I would never go to a shelter, because I don't feel homeless. I'm houseless or landless.” Kim says she wouldn't want to take those kinds of resources

Kim transformed a school bus into a home when her pension and Social Security earnings still weren’t enough to cover the cost of housing

away from other people. “I have some income,” she says. “I have my pension and I have my Social Security, or I have credit cards. But there are people who have pretty much zero.” Even so, eyebrows still go up when close family and friends are told. “My kids thought I was a bit crazy, but they came around to being supportive of their avant-garde nomad mother,” Kim says. She has since sold the bus and is living in a much smaller vehicle and says there are many ways that this is easier, like trying to find parking. She spent the past year finishing the trek she had started after retiring. Kim has enjoyed traveling, visiting friends and family as well as the many beautiful spots along her route and she’s met new and interesting people. But she says she’s tired now and although she’d like to be in “sticks and bricks” again, money is a consideration. She’s looking into options that might be affordable enough for her to manage, like a small community of like-minded people living in tiny houses. But for now, she’s one of the many uncounted members of a population that is hiding in plain sight because housing costs are simply too high. Charlene from Sonoma County. Charlene moved to Sonoma County in the early 1990s. She grew up in Florida but her family has deep roots in the Petaluma area—her grandparents owned a ranch where they raised chickens. She had visited them a lot as a child and had grown fond of the area. Charlene chuckles gently as she describes the fun she had as a child in the “Egg Capital of the World.” “My grandmother snuck me away and got my ears pierced in downtown Petaluma at Linch jewelry store, which used to be next

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to Pedroni's delicatessen,” she says. She works in healthcare and has worked in Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. She’s owned a couple of homes in the area but 10 years ago moved in with her mother who is disabled. She helps with the bills, does the chores around the house, buys groceries and pays her mom some rent to help out. Living with her mom also means she’s able to have a bit more to spend on other things, like her grown children. She likes being able to help them out, spending time with them camping, taking trips and going out to dinner. She believes it would take a miracle for her to afford her own place in Sonoma County. “The bottom line is that it's just impossible to be able to afford housing as a single woman,” she says. “For me, anyway, to be able to afford anything that's safe.” Charlene will eventually inherit the house. She likes to live simply

and says it’s far more room than she needs and so she’d probably sell it. “I’d maybe find some land somewhere and build a little tiny home on it,” she says. “For me, it's just about simplicity, being conscientious, being environmentally thoughtful and just being, you know, aware.” A challenge for Charlene is that her mother struggles with issues that lead her to become highly confrontational. “It's sometimes not a healthy environment for me so I've created boundaries,” she says. “What I find works best for both of us, is for me to remove myself from the situation.” While she doesn’t believe she’s in danger, she has a plan for if the situation escalated to the point where she had to leave. “I would just move into my car and possibly buy a little travel trailer, like a van,” she says. “Van life—I would do it in a heartbeat.” Even though Charlene lives simply and has “car camped” a lot herself, she knows that it would still be an adjustment. “The biggest challenge would be the parking,” she says. “Where do you park?” One of the Facebook groups for nomadic

women has a map where members offer safe locations for other women to park or camp. Charlene has offered up her carport for safe parking, and has hosted several women in her driveway. As Charlene has gotten to know women through the group she has found that a driving motivation has been the cost of housing. “If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say maybe 75% is due to housing shortage and affordability,” she says. She has found another common thread is a love of simplicity and self-reliance. “It's really being able to be with yourself and not needing to surround yourself with external things,” she says. “It's more of like, necessary intentional living—as opposed to consumerism and constant excess.” Charlene says it still takes planning and you need to be present and aware of your surroundings. “It's not like you can just check out,” she says. “Of course, you know you can, but there's just a higher awareness of your humanness and what your needs are. It's pretty humbling, you know, it really is. Some people could never survive.” She says it “circles back to that rat race” of constant work one must join in order to afford housing in the North Bay. “And then you're just on this ridiculous treadmill that, for me personally, doesn't work. It just doesn't work.” Charlene thinks the choice of a vehicle- dwelling lifestyle is judged too harshly, especially when it comes to the need to find safe parking. Women in the Facebook groups often talk about being awakened by the dreaded “knock” while they’re trying to sleep. It means they’re being told they must move. She, too, would be dealing with this if she returned to living in her vehicle. “I'm not on drugs, I'm not doing anything weird, I just need to park so I can sleep,” Charlene says. “I feel like it's misinformation and people are not educated about it. It’s just

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stereotypes and biases and prejudices and all the stuff that goes with it.” Charlene says all the nomadic women who have stayed in her driveway or that she’s communicated with online are gainfully employed. “They're not collecting money on the street,” she says. “We're all gainfully employed and continue to do so regardless of the living situation.” She believes the most important issue for all of them is safe, discreet parking. She says she’d love to see a fairground or church allow overnight parking, just for a safe, well-lighted place to park and sleep. “Even if it was $5 a night or something just so that there was a bathroom that could be used or something like that,” she says. “But safety, obviously, is the biggest issue—and then just not being harassed, bothered or judged.” Carol from Napa County Carol was a homeowner in Napa County for almost 25 years. She never envisioned being unable to afford her own home, but a divorce meant she wouldn’t be able to maintain her house. She has now joined the growing number of women choosing to walk away from the daunting expense of housing to one that provides other challenges. Carol had a successful career in real estate and previously owned four homes. But she fell ill with Crohn's disease and has been on permanent disability for 20 years. Her disability didn’t provide enough income to cover the increasing costs of upkeep on her aging house. She decided the smart thing would be to sell before she got in over her head and lost everything. Selling her home provided enough money to invest in a quality RV and a membership through Thousand Trails campground website. The annual membership allows her to camp in locations for up to three weeks at a time without any additional fees. Carol says the campgrounds are attractive, have amenities and, most importantly, they are safe. She says this was important to her because she’s a woman traveling alone. “I've been in a house or an apartment since I was a child, and I thought I was going to be jumping out [in the RV] and just be all happy, like, ‘OK, this is the rest of my life,’” Carol says. “I was happy for the first three months and then the, ‘Oh sh-t, this is the rest of my life’ stuff set in. And, uh, yeah, it got real scary.” In January Carol loaded up her RV and drove a couple of hours away for her first camping reservation with Thousand Trails. It would prove to be a lesson in being prepared for the unexpected. “On my second week there, the park closed down because the entire electrical system went out,” she says.

Houseless: A look under the hood

While following several online sites for solo women car dwellers during research for this story, it became apparent that every day more women are leaving their homes and moving into their vehicles. Some share that they are leaving their “sticks and bricks” because paying for it means they can afford little else. They’re stepping away from homes and investing in vehicles that allow for comfort while living in them. Some are traveling and enjoying the lifestyle of moving from one lovely campsite to another, enjoying the freedom and more time in nature. Many have solar setups and Starlink mobile broadband so that they can work as they travel or keep in touch with their friends and family. Others are not so fortunate but have chosen to cut their massive housing expenses by simply setting up their vehicles for camping. Many need to stick close to where they work and so they hide in plain sight— parking where they will hopefully not be discovered. Memberships to Planet Fitness are popular because they can get in a workout as well as a shower. They’ve found options for how to maintain good hygiene and setups for going to the bathroom. There is a lot of talk of not impacting the places at which they’re staying and a popular phrase is “leave no trace.” When someone mentions doing something counter to that philosophy the groups are quick to respond, asserting that bad behavior makes it harder for everyone. These women don’t want to be compared to those who impact their area with belongings and trash scattered about. For the most part, these women don’t refer to themselves as homeless, because they have a home on wheels. They’re quick to say they’re simply “houseless.” Another common post among the groups is from women who are new to the lifestyle and are afraid. Others post when something has happened to make them fearful, like a stranger trying to peer through their windows or trying their door handles. Women in the groups quickly jump to share comforting words and advice about trusting one’s gut and leaving an area when it is telling them to go. The most common thread that continues to appear among the conversations is the need for safe, discreet parking. If there were ways of providing safe spaces for solo women to park it would be one step closer for the houseless women of the North Bay area to exist without fear.— Janet Perry

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