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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
12 NorthBaybiz
December 2024
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