09/03/2026
Round Valley Community Update — September RVAMAC Meeting
Wednesday evening, I joined the Round Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council meeting. The discussion focused on issues directly affecting daily life in Round Valley: infrastructure, public safety, reliable communication, environmental protection, fire preparedness, and services for seniors.
Here are several important updates:
• Green Bridge: The County has advertised the replacement project for construction bids, which are due September 29. A separate bidding process for removing the collapsed bridge closed September 1.
• Public safety and cannabis enforcement: Sheriff Matt Kendall reported 632 Round Valley-area calls during the previous 30 days. He also discussed the department’s focus on the largest and most dangerous illicit commercial cannabis operations. The Board of Supervisors recently accepted a $4.5 million state Proposition 64 grant for this work.
• Environmental concerns: Participants raised questions about potentially hazardous chemicals found at illegal cultivation sites, how contamination reports are tracked, and whether a centralized state or federal database is available. Additional follow-up with environmental agencies was requested.
• T-Mobile and 911 access: Residents continue to report dropped calls, service outages, and instances when they could not connect with 911. That is a serious public-safety concern. Anyone experiencing a failure should document the date, time, exact location, phone type, provider, and what occurred so a clear record can be presented to T-Mobile and state representatives.
• Fire preparedness: The Board of Supervisors moved forward with $219,000 in Title III funding and directed staff to work with the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District and Fire Safe Council to prioritize proposed projects. These include emergency water supplies, firefighting equipment, prescribed-burn support, and defensible-space assistance in Round Valley and Potter Valley.
• Legislative update: Assemblymember Chris Rogers’ office reported that 11 bills were awaiting action by the Governor. His staff is also following up with T-Mobile and seeking an update from Caltrans about Highway 162.
I also shared an update from my recent visit with Senior Center Director Mark Britton. Mark shared that the center is currently providing approximately 1,300 home-delivered meals each month to Tribal and non-Tribal seniors and traveling about 600 miles monthly to make those deliveries. We discussed rising food and supply costs, the needs of the aging building, bringing IHSS caregiver training to Round Valley, and pursuing grants and community fundraisers.
Showing up means more than attending a meeting—it means listening carefully, tracking the details, and following through. I will continue sharing what is happening and what comes next for Round Valley.
The next Round Valley Emergency Preparedness meeting is September 16th at 4:00 p.m. at the Library Commons. The next RVAMAC meeting is October 7 at 6:00 p.m.
