Photo of the week

This #PlacerLife photo of a vintage truck traveling on I-80 under the Auburn Ravine Bridge was taken by @mac.in.motion on Instagram. 

Featured story

Vole patrol is on the hunt at Placer County parks

Raptor perches located at some of our parks are gaining some attention! The perches give raptors, such as hawks and owls, a vantage point to hunt for pesky field mice that wreak costly havoc on our plants, fields and irrigation systems.

🎙️ Listen: Our Parks, Trails and Open Space Supervisor Matt Williams joins Capital Public Radio’s Insight with Vicki Gonzalez to discuss how the program works. Listen here

👀 Watch: Get a closer look at our raptor perches and learn more about the types of raptors that hunt at some of our parks and trails. Watch here

General plan

Share your vision: Placer 2050 visioning workshop schedule released

Placer County's Community Development Resource Agency is launching a series of in-person and online Placer 2050 General Plan Update visioning workshops beginning Feb. 26. The schedule will include online engagement activities. Read more

Flood insurance

Don’t wait - protect your property with flood insurance

The winter rainy season is here. Don’t wait for the big storm to secure your peace of mind with flood insurance. New policies generally take 30 days to go into effect. Learn how to protect your property. It’s not too late! Read more

North Lake Tahoe

Over $9 million of TOT funding approved for community projects

Our board approved more than $9 million of transient occupancy tax funding for seven projects in North Lake Tahoe last week. The approved projects use tourism funds and fall into three categories: facilities, trails and transportation. Read more

Tax season

Placer's offering free tax help for eligible individuals and families

Get help filing your taxes in 2025! Human Services offers free tax prep through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. This year, taxpayers earning $67,000 or less can get help online or in person across the county. Learn more

In other news

Our Board of Supervisors meets Tuesday to discuss affordable housing, the Tahoe Basin Area Plan, school-based mental health and more

The latest edition of our economic development newsletter details Placer’s unemployment rate, wildfire relief funding and more

View upcoming tax deadlines for property owners

Did you know?

Placer County has the second lowest rate of homelessness among all California counties.

This week, county staff - from Health & Human Services to law enforcement - joined partners from other cities and nonprofit organizations to support the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras' annual Point-In-Time count.

The local annual count is part of a nationwide effort, required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to assess homelessness by collecting data on individuals and families experiencing unsheltered or sheltered homelessness. The information gathered helps identify community needs, allocate resources and develop strategies to address homelessness effectively.

Dozens of volunteers helped with the count, the results of which are expected to be published in late spring. Since 2020, homelessness in Placer has slightly declined, as rates statewide have increased. Last year (2024), there were 702 homeless individuals counted in Placer County – the second lowest rate per capita (17.0 per 10,000) statewide. Of the unsheltered population, 56% were in south Placer, 40% in mid Placer and 3% in eastern Placer.

This week in Placer County history

On Jan. 27, 1943, Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Riley of Auburn received a letter from their son, Lt. Bob Riley, who was serving in the Army Air Corps as a P-38 combat pilot in North Africa during World War II. In the letter, Riley explained that he had narrowly escaped death in his latest mission. He had taken fire and lost an engine, but was able to keep his damaged craft aloft the two hours it took to return to base. After he landed, the ground crew discovered four high explosive cannon shell holes along with nine 30-caliber holes. His P-38 was determined to be unrepairable and was promptly disassembled for parts to repair other aircraft. 

From an excerpt of his letter published in the Jan. 28, 1943, Auburn Journal: “You sure can learn a lot from a scrap like that though, and let me tell you, it will be a long cold day in July before they catch me like that again. So don’t worry about that. I’ve lived through the worst stages, so I’ve (got) a darn good chance for the rest.”

Bob Riley was a graduate of both Placer High School and Placer Junior College (now Sierra College). He flew 53 combat missions over North Africa and Europe during World War II. He remained in the Air Force after it was officially established in 1947 from the former Army Air Corps and began flying fighter jets. He retired from the Air Force in the 1960s as a lieutenant colonel.

In 2007, at the age of 86, he became a walking tour docent for the Placer County Museums. Before his death in 2017, he donated some of his uniforms and medals to the Placer County Museums. Riley is buried in the Old Auburn Cemetery.

From our collection: Lt. Col. Bob Riley’s U.S. Air Force blue flight cap, c. 1959

Advisory committees and commissions

Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply

Current recruitments include:

• Area 4 Agency on Aging Advisory Council 
• Auburn Cemetery District 
• Building Board of Appeals
• Colfax Cemetery District 
• County Parks Commission 
• Economic Development Board
• First 5 Placer Children & Families Commission 
• Fish & Game Commission
• Flood Control & Water Conservation District Board 
• Gold Run Cemetery Committee 
• Greater Lincoln Area Fire Safe Council 
• Historical Advisory Board 
• Housing Development Advisory Taskforce 
• In Home Support Services Advisory Committee
• Juvenile Justice / Delinquency Prevention 
• Library Advisory Board
• Donner Summit Municipal Advisory Council 
• Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council 
• Horseshoe Bar-Penryn Municipal Advisory Council 
• Newcastle Ophir Municipal Advisory Council 
• Sheridan Municipal Advisory Council 
• Placer County Behavioral Health Advisory Board
• Placer County Charter Review Committee 
• Placer County Child Care Advisory Council 
• Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission 
• Placer Resource Conservation District 
• Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council 
• Planning Commission 
• Solid Waste Local Task Force 
• Tahoe Cemetery District 
• Wastewater Advisory Committee

Fun things to do this week

Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...

Rocklin: Storytime @ the Fire Station Rocklin Fire Department
Auburn: Peaceful Winter Morning Hike at Big Hill Preserves, Take a Hike and Fly a Kite – an Open Preserve Day, Broom Battle!, Farmers’ Market

North Lake Tahoe: Sierra Community House Food Distribution Kings Beach

...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.

Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!

Placer County Visitors' Bureau
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Tahoe City Downtown Association
The Arts Council of Placer County
Placer Valley Tourism
PlacerGROWN
Placer Wine Trail

Upcoming public meetings and events

Foresthill Forum, Feb. 3, 7 p.m. Information
Board of Supervisors, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. Information
Virtual office hours - Firewise USA Program questions, Feb. 6, 9 a.m. Information

To learn about other Placer County committees and commissions and current opportunities to serve your community click here.

List of active projects throughout Placer County

Projects are listed alphabetically and by Board of Supervisors districts. A hard copy of the list is available at the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, 3091 County Center Drive in Auburn. 

Active Projects

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