News and Press Releases
Residents encouraged to “Shop Placer” this holiday season
Support Rocklin and local businesses by spending locally
Rocklin, Placer County and local city leaders have united to roll-out a Shop Placer campaign this holiday season. The “Shop Placer, Show Love for Local” campaign, encourages Placer County residents to shop local whenever possible.
Shop Placer is a regional effort to support local businesses, especially those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shopping local also provides a variety of benefits to residents.
State Issues Limited Stay at Home Order to Slow Spread of COVID-19
Non-essential businesses and personal gatherings are prohibited between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning Saturday, November 21, at 10 p.m.
SACRAMENTO – In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier. The order will take effect at 10 PM Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 AM December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.
Read the state’s full release at https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/11/19/state-issues-limited-stay-at-home-order-to-slow-spread-of-covid-19/.
Governor Newsom Announces New Immediate Actions to Curb COVID-19 Transmission
Placer County Downgraded to State's Most Restrictive Purple Tier
New actions include pulling an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and strengthening face covering mandate
Vast majority of counties are in the most restrictive tier starting tomorrow
SACRAMENTO – As COVID-19 cases sharply increase across the country and California, Governor Gavin Newsom and state public health officials announced immediate actions today to slow the spread of the virus.
Placer County invests in community through Placer Shares Impact Grants
Placer County has designated an additional $5 million of its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to aid small businesses and nonprofits in the county through a new, targeted grant program called Placer Shares Impact Grants. Funding will be prioritized for small businesses to focus on community business anchors and job preservation and for nonprofits to focus on rental assistance, food/housing insecurity and counseling/mental health needs.
Nov. 10 City Council Recap
Permanent Supportive Housing, Pioneer Community Energy Expansion Discussed
Gathering Inn Provides Overview of Permanent Supportive Housing Program
Keith Diederich, CEO of The Gathering Inn, presented an overview of Placer County’s permanent supportive housing (PSH) program, which is administered by his organization. The program includes three six-bedroom PSH homes in the County that house six tenants each. One home is located in Rocklin.
Placer County Downgraded to State’s Red Tier
Rising COVID-19 Metrics Lead to More Restrictions Effective Friday, Nov. 13
Placer County was downgraded to the more restrictive Red Tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Tuesday, denoting “substantial” COVID-19 risk. The change is designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and requires places of worship and most businesses to reduce capacity, while requiring some non-essential businesses, including bars and breweries not serving meals, to close.
Red Tier requirements include:
Find Election Results
Placer County Offers Election Tracker to Keep Voters Informed
Placer County will post election night results at the link below beginning on Nov 3, and then again Friday, and every Tuesday and Friday moving forward, until the results are officially certified 30 days after the election.
Terry Richardson Added to the Wall of Recognition
Terry Richardson became the fifth honoree to have his name etched on Rocklin’s Wall of Recognition on Oct. 30, permanently commemorating him for his significant contributions that have shaped the character of Rocklin.
Richardson’s wife and family, as well as many current and former city councilmembers and staff, were present at the outdoor, socially distanced ceremony.
City Awards Nearly $150,000 in Restaurant Assistance Grants
The final numbers are in and the City of Rocklin and the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce are excited to announce that $149,952.46 in total was provided in grants to nearly 50 local businesses through the City’s restaurant assistance program.
The program was funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and was approved by City Council late this summer to provide support to local businesses during these unprecedented times.
Mural Project Beginning Soon at City Hall
The faces of Rocklin’s quarrying past will come to life this fall when a 30-ft mural is painted on the walls of city hall. The spray-painted mural will combine bright colors and modern art elements depicting a true-to-life image of real quarry workers form Rocklin’s past. The combined effect is designed to incorporate Rocklin’s rich history and the city’s current vibrancy.
Oct. 27 City Council Meeting Recap
Pioneer Community Energy Considering Expansion
Pioneer Community Energy is seeking
approval of an expansion plan that would allow El Dorado County
and the City of Placerville to join the community choice
aggregator (CCA).
Pioneer Community Energy currently generates electricity for residents in Rocklin, Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis and unincorporated Placer County. PG&E delivers the electricity generated by Pioneer through PG&E transmission infrastructure.
Dump Coupon Offered in Place of Cleanup Day
Valid from Nov. 2 - Nov. 30
Recology Auburn Placer and the City of Rocklin have collaborated to provide the enclosed two-yard dump coupon to Rocklin customers at no-charge. The coupon is valid from Monday, November 2, through Monday, Nov 30, 2020 at the Western Placer Materials Recovery Facility and the Auburn Transfer Station. The addresses are listed below.
2020 Ruhkala Award Winners to be Honored
Oct. 27, 6 p.m. - Rocklin Events Center
The 2020 Ruhkala Community Service Award winners will be honored by City Council and the Community Recognition Commission on Oct. 27 at the Council meeting starting at 6 p.m. at the Rocklin Event Center.
The Ruhkala Award winners are traditionally honored in April but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their recognition was postponed. The City of Rocklin thanks each person and organization for their longstanding commitment to serving the Rocklin community.
Read more about the honorees:
Oct. 13 Council Meeting Recap
Quarry Park Outdoor Public Market Concept
An idea to transform a portion of the overflow parking lot at Quarry Park Adventures into an outdoor public market featuring food, adult beverages, and more, saw its first public presentation Tuesday.
Rocklin Appoints Aly Zimmermann as City Manager
Rocklin, CA – The Rocklin City Council unanimously appointed Aly Zimmermann as Rocklin’s permanent city manager at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday night.
Zimmermann has served as the assistant city manager for the City of Vista since 2012, where she managed multiple contracts and departments for the city with a population of over 100,000. Zimmerman’s responsibilities include oversight of Vista’s $150 million operating budget, administration of Vista’s law enforcement contract with the San Diego County Sheriff, and acting as the organization’s chief labor negotiator.
Pandemic restrictions ease as Placer County moves into orange tier
The State of California today moved Placer County into the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy “orange” tier - further easing restrictions in the county. Sectors that can open indoors with modifications include wineries, cardrooms and family entertainment centers – while other sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and places of worship can increase their indoor capacity. The full list of sectors is available online at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.
Election Ballot Drop Box Available at Rocklin City Hall
Located in the City Clerk's Office at 3970 Rocklin Road
The City of Rocklin is accepting election ballots from Placer County registered voters at the official Placer County Election Office Drop Box located in the City Clerk’s office at 3970 Rocklin Rd, Rocklin, CA 95677.
Ballots can be dropped off during office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please check in with the front desk and you’ll be directed to the Clerk’s office and the drop box in the waiting area near the granite counter.
The City is pleased to make this service available to the community.
“We’re Open” William Jessup University Feature
William Jessup Maintains Safety and Community with In-Person and Virtual Learning
William Jessup University is heading into its seventh week of instruction and has been able to maintain a strong sense of community while prioritizing student health and safety. Following state and federal COVID-19 requirements, Jessup offers on-campus living and in-person classes, in addition to online and other virtual learning components.
Text to 9-1-1 Now Available in Rocklin and Placer County
Call if you Can, Text if You Can't
Text to 9-1-1 is live in Rocklin and across Placer County. Mobile phone users living in or traveling through Placer County now have the ability to send text messages to 9-1-1.
This new function gives hearing and speech impaired residents, or people in situations where it is too dangerous to talk, a potentially lifesaving option. Texts will be routed to a nearby 9-1-1 dispatch center the same way a 9-1-1 call is routed.
Even where text-to-9-1-1 is available, if you can make a voice call to 9-1-1, please call instead of texting.
$161,000 in Federal CARES Funding to Support Rocklin Residents in Need
The City of Rocklin annually approves use of federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to support agencies serving the less fortunate in the community. More than $51,000 in total has already been distributed to Habitat for Humanity, Senior’s First, Stand Up Placer, and the Salvation Army as part of the annual CDBG action plan.
The City recently received an additional $164,189 in CDBG funds from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Council approved plans for distribution of the funds to the agencies listed below as soon as possible.