Board members to focus COVID-19 crisis, homelessness and climate action in the new term
On Jan. 4, all Yolo County officials elected in the 2020 election cycle were sworn in during a virtual ceremony held via Zoom.
Among those sworn in were Yolo County Supervisors Oscar Villegas, Jim Provenza and Angel Barajas from Districts 1, 4 and 5 respectively. This marks Barajas’ first term on Yolo County’s Board of Supervisors after having served as a member of Woodland’s City Council. Barajas is the only new board member elected in 2020.
Angel Barajas talked about his recent appointment to the Board at the Jan. 12 Board of Supervisors meeting.
“I want to thank everyone that was able to participate in me getting this position back in March, and I want to thank everybody in the transition staff who filled me in so I can hit the ground running,” Barajas said. “I know that there are a lot of issues we need to continue to tackle, and I look forward to working in a collaborative manner with everybody to get things done.”
Beginning his third term, Yolo County Supervisor Oscar Villegas expressed gratitude for his reelection to the Board of Supervisors.
“[I am] honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve the residents of West Sacramento and Clarksburg,” Villegas said via email. “Their trust in electing me to continue to serve as their representative on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors is something I really take to heart.”
Going into the new term, Villegas explained that adressising the COVID-19 pandemic will take precedence.
“This public health issue has adversely impacted segments of society and although we are on the road to recovery, this matter will remain prominent before every state and local jurisdiction,” Villegas said via email. “I will continue to focus on [reinforcing] and/or rebuilding our health care delivery system to respond to this crisis and to manage our budget accordingly.”
At the Jan. 12 meeting, Supervisor Jim Provenza also talked about the COVID-19 crisis and described an upcoming summit where community members will be able to discuss the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[The summit is] different from what we do normally,” Provenza said. “We will have a number of panels and hear from others in the community like health providers, businesses, union representatives, community organizations and others who we don’t usually hear directly from. I think it will be very informative and allow us to be informed on different viewpoints.”
Villegas explained that despite the extraordinary circumstances under which the new term has begun, new and returning board members must continue to address other pressing issues as well.
“There remain many other serious matters that require our attention,” Villegas said via email. “[This includes] housing and homelesness issues, preservation of wildlife and agricultural land, transportation and road infrastructure, climate action plans, juvenile justice restructuring and a comprehensive water solution for the state.”
Villegas explained that citizen participation in policy matters that will be brought to their elected officials is crucial.
“If recent events have taught us anything, it should be that the government is designed to work in the interest of the people,” Villegas said via email. “Local government is participatory and works at its highest level with community engagement. I encourage everyone to minimally provide public comments in areas of interest or to volunteer to serve on a city/county committee or commission.”
The Board of Supervisors typically meet on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Residents are encouraged to participate either by attending a meeting or submitting a statement. Information can be found on Yolo County’s website along with a list of upcoming meetings and recordings of previous meetings.Written by: Yan Yan Hustis Hayes — city@theaggie.org
