July 2018: Veterans Memorial Buildings Newsletter
Published: August 06, 2018
Veterans Memorial Buildings Newsletter
On behalf of the County of Sonoma, we would like to thank the Veterans representatives who have dedicated their time to ensure that local veterans associations and organizations have an enjoyable place to support, celebrate, and honor our community's heroes.
We've learned a lot from you in the last year, and we're making some changes based on your feedback. Going forward, we'll provide quarterly updates about the Veterans Memorial Buildings using this new newsletter format and be making more significant changes that you can read about below to meet the needs expressed by your organizations.
We Want to Hear from You
Join the Veterans Memorial Buildings newsletter list to participate in our upcoming satisfaction survey so you can let us know how we're doing and tell us what you would like to see on our improved website. Click the link below to add your name and email address to the newsletter list or email your information to Jeremy Scannell at Jeremy.Scannell@sonoma-county.org.
Building Updates
We are following-through on improvements to the Veterans Memorial Buildings based on the priorities set by the advisory committee and as the Board of Supervisors approves funds for capital improvement projects. This year, the Board approved $400,000 in one-time funding towards a new roof for the Santa Rosa building, modern kitchens for Petaluma and Sonoma, and new HVAC and hazmat clean-up for Guerneville.
Kitchen Updates in Petaluma and Sonoma Buildings
We are renovating the kitchens in Petaluma and Sonoma to improve the experience for guests, ensure compliance with current buildings codes, and make it easier to clean and maintain the equipment. The Petaluma project is already underway, and the Sonoma kitchen will be under construction from early September 2018 to December 2018. Since the kitchens will be unavailable during construction, our team is working with everyone holding events during this time to provide solutions for their catering needs.
Working Together to Update the Building Use Policy
Veterans’ representatives have been working with our team for over a year on revisions to the current building use policy. Now in its eighth revision, the proposed policy ensures that there are no rental fees charged for fundraising activities supporting veterans and their families. The proposal also includes a new 50% discount on rental fees to veterans using the buildings for personal events like weddings and birthdays. Organizations will continue to be able to request fee waivers from the Board of Supervisors using the process outlined on this webpage.
The Advisory Committee will vote on whether or not to recommend the proposed policy revisions to the Board of Supervisors during their next meeting on Tuesday, August 14 at 2 PM in the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building. We encourage you to review the existing policy, proposed policy, and the comparison chart using the links below. You can share your support for the proposed policy or any concerns you may have at the upcoming meeting or by emailing us your thoughts.
Our team is standing by to help you book your next event and ready to provide additional information about the management and care of the Sonoma County Veterans Memorial Buildings.
Respectfully,
The Veterans Memorial Buildings Support Team
For more information call (707) 565-2550 or email halls@sonoma-county.org