Yolo County’s District 1 encompasses the communities of the eastern portion of the county, including West Sacramento and Clarksburg. For the past decade or so, Oscar Villegas has served as the district’s representative on the Board of Supervisors.

The Daily Democrat asked Supervisor Villegas to recap the last year of his district’s events, discuss the county’s work in West Sacramento, and explain what to expect in the coming weeks.

Broderick Boat Ramp Cleanup

On Sept. 21, 2024, my office partnered with local organizations such as Downtown Streets Team, River City Interact Club, West Sacramento Rotary, Brown Issues Campaign, Yolo Youth Commission, Yolo County Probation, West Sacramento Police Department, the City of West Sacramento, Supervisor Mary Vixie-Sandy’s office, and countless others from the community to participate in our annual International Coastal Cleanup Day at the Broderick Boat Ramp.

Crisis Now

Yolo County Health and Human Services is partnering with the city of West Sacramento to launch a new countywide behavioral health emergency system, Crisis Now. This will help address the growing mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness crises in West Sacramento. Crisis Now includes three key components:

A number to call: A high-tech call center, operational since March 2024, integrates with 988, local law enforcement, Yolo County’s behavioral health access line, and the public. It offers phone-based crisis intervention and dispatches mobile crisis teams 24/7. In its first four months, the center responded to 587 service requests for mental health, substance use, and crisis services.

A person to come: Mobile behavioral health crisis teams respond to crises in the community. HHSA, in partnership with American Medical Response (AMR), launched 24/7 Mobile Crisis Services as a Medi-Cal benefit in January 2024. From January to July 2024, these teams responded to 316 calls. Additionally, crisis co-responder clinicians are embedded within local law enforcement to provide immediate care.

A place to go: Yolo County is establishing a 24/7 Crisis Receiving Center, where individuals in crisis can receive mental health and sobering services for up to 23 hours. For those needing further stabilization, a short-term Crisis Residential Program is available. The Crisis Residential program is currently operational and the Behavioral Health Crisis Receiving Center is expected to open in early fall 2025.

The purpose of Crisis Now is to offer immediate care while diverting individuals away from jails and emergency rooms. The end goal is to connect them to long-term behavioral health support.

Hiring a new County Administrator in 2025

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors will hire a new County Administrator in the early months of 2025. This will be the most important decision we make this year, as it will chart the county’s path for the future.

West Capitol Corridor & Health Education Council SACOG Grant

The West Capitol Corridor (WCC) has been identified as a HOPE Zone (Healthy, Opportunities, People, and Resources Education) due to it being the most underprivileged area in the entire county. The WCC faces some of the highest health and socio-economic disparities in Yolo County.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) has given a large grant to the Health Education Council to get the HOPE program off the ground to help improve health outcomes, enhance economic stability, and foster a healthier community. This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to level the playing field for all our residents in West Sacramento.

Significant Road Overlays in West Sacramento and Clarksburg

Over the past year, the county has made significant strides in our road infrastructure. For example, South River Road, which runs from West Sacramento to Clarksburg, has seen significant repaving, allowing for safer travel. This highlights our commitment to revitalizing transportation in Yolo County.

Animal Services Vaccine and Microchip Clinic

On Jan. 12, Yolo County Animal Services hosted the first-ever Free Animal Vaccine and Microchip Clinic in West Sacramento. There were over a dozen volunteers, including from local animal shelters and my office.

This event highlights our commitment to bring more county services to West Sacramento, so expect more to come soon. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions or would like to volunteer for Animal Services at future events, please let us know.Empower Yolo Human Trafficking Awareness Month Workshop

On Jan. 29, in collaboration with my office, the West Sacramento Police Department and Empower Yolo, a local nonprofit — will be holding a workshop event at the West Sacramento Community Center to help spread awareness in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

The program will include a presentation by a detective, a story by a survivor of human trafficking, and a panel discussion, with a Q&A at the end.

UnWired Presentation at Clarksburg CAC

On Feb. 6, UnWired Broadband will be giving a presentation on their plans to build a new cell tower in the Clarksburg area to bring more wireless service to rural parts of Yolo County. This reflects our efforts to bring the unincorporated areas up to the same standards that the cities enjoy in Yolo.

Sycamore Trail Tree Planting

On Nov. 2, my office partnered with the West Sacramento Rotary Club and several other local organizations to plant 100 fruit trees along the Sycamore Trail in West Sacramento. These trees will serve as both public access food sources for the entire community, as well as a means to beautify our neighborhoods in West Sacramento.