Monte Rio Musings by Chuck Ramsey — July 2019

Summer has arrived. We’ve made it through flooding, Monte Rio Fire continuing internal drama, and Bohemian Grove security debates.

Monte Rio always has the best fireworks and this year we will have the only fireworks in the River! Friday July 5th. Big Rocky Games for kids 12-4, Boat Parade, Water Curtain, and Fireworks at dusk. Firehouse BBQ Saturday July 6 12-5pm.

On Thursday July 25th is the 108th Annual Monte Rio Variety Show. This is always an awesome fun event. All proceeds fund local charities. For tickets and more information: MonteRioShow.org

There have been some isolated instances of hate graffiti recently in Monte Rio and Guerneville. Our Hate Free Community sign should be re-installed on the new Monte Rio Community Center sign shortly.

In another continuing saga, the State Water Board and Sonoma County are moving forward with revised Onsite Wastewater Treatment System regulations. In the latest iteration a questionnaire will be going out to residents next summer. Depending on how you answer will result in how quickly you need to upgrade. Cesspools and Redwood Boxes will be the first to be upgraded. Existing septic tanks (Class 3 non-conforming, which do not meet full new construction codes such as having adequate leach lines) will be inspected every five years and most likely will need to be upgraded within 15 years possibly by adding a pre-treatment component. If there are “community treatment systems” in the works, the time-line is extended to 20 years. Apparently, Monte Rio is part of a pilot project to look at community treatment solutions that would include neighbors sharing a system. There may also be some grants or low interest rate loans available, but none have been identified at this point. Without an approved permitted septic system, you will not be able to obtain a permit for anything to be done on your house. Having just gone through the process with Permit Sonoma I can tell you it is a challenge. It took five months to get a permit to upgrade my redwood box to a septic tank. Other neighbors are having to pay for engineering and soils tests which most likely will now be required for all new permits. The county is also hiring another Ombudsman to assist residents. This will be the second ombudsman as the first resigned a while ago.

We are still working on moving a Noise Ordinancethrough the county. This too takes more work than you think it would need to. What other municipality doesn’t have noise ordinances and which other municipality only has noise ordinances just for vacation rentals?

Some of the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) meetings are live-streamed. The meeting in June had Sheriff Mark Essick and Dan Fein from the Lower Russian River Wastewater Citizens Advisory Group speaking. If you can’t attend the meetings in person, try to watch them live-stream.

In other events, on July 27 at the Monte Rio Community Center will be Words Between Worlds.This is the 5th annual Come to Know the Poets gathering, an afternoon of reading by poets Rebecca del Rio, Kristy Hellum, Pat Nolan, Larry Robinson and Vilma Olsvary Ginzberg, hosted by Sashana Proctor of Cazadero. 3pm $17 707-632-5761 for reservations.

Sonoma County Family YMCA will have Monte Rio Swimming Lessonsfor ages 5-13 July 15-26 Tuesdays and Thursdays at Monte Rio Beach. Fees are $10 a session. Local sponsors are MRRPD and Friends of Monte Rio. SCFYMCA.org to register.

Out of 17 nearby neighborhoods, Nextdoor Downtown Monte Rio has the most neighbors registered! Let’s stay #1. Invite your neighbors to join Nextdoor Downtown Monte Rio via an email invite in the app. It’s the fastest and easiest way to invite and to verify neighbors. Remember real names and addresses are required for registration and comments need to be civil and respectful. Nextdoor is a great asset to our community and we are always continuing to improve it.

Vacation Wonderland, we just keep getting better.