July 10, 2015:

The following excerpt is from the announcement posted on the Sonoma Valley Sun website, also available for viewing here.

The state’s Department of Developmental Services will hold a public meeting on the transformation of Sonoma Developmental Center on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sonoma Valley High School. The hearing is one of the steps required by Senate Bill 82, signed by the governor in June. It requires the DDS to come up with a plan to close the Eldridge campus by the end of 2018. As part of that process, the DDS is seeking public comment. Hence the upcoming meeting, where anybody who wants to speak has a five-minute opportunity, for the record… Don’t expect much from DDS officials, who are only there to hear testimony; they will not answer questions or make additional statements. Can’t make it? Participate by phone, live at 800.230.1059. You can also get your comments on the record (five minutes of words?) via e-mail to: Sonoma.closure@dds.ca.gov.

It won’t affect the closure timeline, but some good news for the SDC: money to help with the transition. The feds have come through with Medicaid funds that had been blocked by a decertification action. The center can now count on about $53 million (about one-third of its budget) as it makes plans to transfer patients and shut down. “The agreement aids in the efforts for a safe transition of residents from Sonoma to the community,” stated Santi Rogers of the DDS.

Provided courtesy of the Sonoma Valley Sun website, by Val Robichaud.