North Bay business news from Petaluma Health Center, Cuvaison, Sonoma Clean Power and more

Petaluma Health Center, Inc. (PHC) – which operates seven health clinic sites in Sonoma County, including the Rohnert Park Health Center – will merge with Coastal Health Alliance, Inc. (CHA), which operates three clinic sites in Point Reyes and Bolinas in West Marin.

Merger conversations began over a year ago to ensure due diligence, with each health center’s respective Board of Directors voting in favor of the merger in December 2019. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the expanded Petaluma Health Centers’ Board of Directors will be comprised of Directors from both organizations. The health center organizations have worked closely together to ensure a smooth process and transition for employees and patients alike.

Petaluma Health Center will, as of July 1st, provide high-quality preventive care to almost 50,000 unduplicated patients through an estimated 243,000 health care visits in Sonoma and Marin County across its 10 health care delivery sites, including a mobile health clinic, with an annual operating budget of $63 million and a staff of 500-plus employees.

Alten Construction, a full-service San Francisco Bay Area commercial construction company, recently began working on an $8.05 million renovation to St. Anselm Hall on the campus of Marin Catholic High School.

Alten Construction began demolition of the 17,733-square-foot, two-story building and started working on the new construction phase. The classroom portion of the project is expected to be completed in time for the start of school with the remainder of the building slated for completion in September 2020. St. Anselm Hall is divided into two sections: a main building and the east (drama) wing. The space also serves as an access route to the chapel building, which is connected via a covered walkway.

Cuvaison Estate Wines, which includes Cuvaison winery in Los Carneros, and Brandlin Vineyard on Mount Veeder, announced that it will be expanding its support of the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation with a new charitable initiative.

The new initiative builds on the success of the company’s recent philanthropic program, which allocated a portion of the proceeds from every May wine club shipment to fund the foundation, culminating in a June 16 donation of more than $13,000. To continue supporting the foundation, Cuvaison and Brandlin have created three new Restaurant Wine Tasting Kits, and will be donating 5% of the proceeds from each kit to the foundation.

The organization is one of the leading nonprofits dedicated to supporting restaurant workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Businesses, government agencies and apartment buildings in Sonoma and Marin counties can apply for rebates that will cover all or most of the cost of installing electric vehicle charging stations.

“We want to make them more prevalent,” said Nelson Lomeli, program manager at Sonoma Clean Power, which is partnering with a California Energy Commission program on the rebates.

Nearly $7 million in state and local funding is available for a rebate program that aims to establish 550 new chargers in the two counties in the next three years -- aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Starting July 8, businesses, public agencies, nonprofits and multi-family housing complexes may apply for rebates to cover eligible equipment and installation costs.

Rebates will cover up to $7,500, or 100% of the cost, whichever is less, for level 2 chargers, which provide about 25 electric miles of driving per hour of charging.

For direct current fast chargers, which can completely charge a car in as little as 30 minutes, rebates will cover up to $80,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less.

Charges must be available to the public around the clock every day of the year.

Businesses can potentially attract more customers by providing charging stations and may also use them for employee parking.

Anaba Wines recently partnered with the Novato- and Sonoma-based clean energy company, SolarCraft, to complete the installation of the 167.4-kilowatt solar electric system on their Carneros property in Sonoma. The newly installed solar photovoltaic system will increase the sustainability of the winery’s operations and cut power cost significantly.

Solar Craft stated that during the life of the system, nearly 172 metric tons of carbon dioxide generated by Anaba operations will be eliminated. This impact is equivalent to removing air pollution produced by over 428,014 miles of driving annually or the pollutants removed by 225 acres of trees in one year.

Napa County Farm Bureau board of directors voted on June 17 to oppose the upcoming split roll tax initiative which will be placed on California’s November ballot and to lead a professional opposition effort in Napa County to defeat it.

The split roll tax initiative (Schools and Communities First Funding Act) would mean massive tax hikes on farms, vineyards, orchards, wineries and food processing plants. Split roll would eliminate significant Proposition 13 protections for farmers, small businesses and commercial and industrial properties, it stated.

“The Napa County Farm Bureau will direct a professional opposition effort in Napa County to defeat the split roll tax initiative and further educate voters about the devastating effect this measure would have in Napa Valley,” it added.

Kaiser Permanente announced a series of actions – including $60 million in joint investments and $40 million in grant funding – “to address systemic racism and lack of economic opportunities.”

To support businesses led by Black and other underrepresented individuals, Kaiser Permanente and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation’s largest community development organization, have launched a $60 million investment partnership to strengthen businesses in the wake of COVID-19. The partnership will provide business loans of $100,000 to $4 million.

Kaiser Permanente stated it is also designating $15 million in grant dollars to increase access to formal training, business networks, and recovery and growth capital to help businesses led by Black-and other underrepresented groups overcome systemic economic disadvantage. Pacific Community Ventures and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) – two organizations with expertise in the needs of these small-businesses owners – will be initial partners in this work.

The health care provider is designating an additional $25 million in grants to build upon its work to address adverse childhood events and trauma.

The Napa Green Tasting Passport is $99 per person, or $84 with the purchase of two or more passports, and can be purchased on CellarPass. Plan a summer getaway and come back for the holidays – passports can be redeemed between July 1 and December 31, 2020. Napa Green has also developed a set of 14 Wine Tasting Itineraries that give a peek into the stories of these and other Napa Green wineries, further helping you refine your trip.

The Napa Green Tasting Passport is $99 per person, or $84 with the purchase of two or more passports, and can be purchased on CellarPass. Plan a summer getaway and come back for the holidays – passports can be redeemed between July 1 and December 31, 2020. Napa Green has also developed a set of 14 Wine Tasting Itineraries that give a peek into the stories of these and other Napa Green wineries, further helping you refine your trip. Get your Napa Green Passport and support conscientious Napa Green wineries as they work to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. .

Farmworker Foundation board of directors has established a dedicated COVID-19 Task Force to continue this work. The task force will focus on:

• Connecting farm-working families with the information they need to stay safe at work and at home

• Communicating the seriousness of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of safety measures

• Reducing the risks associated with statewide reopening and socializing during summer months

• Providing clear, bilingual information on testing and quarantine protocols

• Promoting safety across county lines with counties connected to Napa agriculture

• Working with other community organizations and Spanish media outlets to bridge the information gap

For more information on Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation COVID-19 resources in Spanish and English, please refer to www.napagrowers.org

Friedman’s Home Improvement has been honored as California’s “STIHL Hardware Superstar” of the decade by Hardware + Building Supply Dealer (HBSDealer).

Each year since 2010, HBSDealer has recognized one outstanding local independent hardware and building-supply retailer in each state as its All-Star honoree. In 2020, the program’s 10th year, with input from top industry professionals, judges selected Friedman’s as HBSDealer’s “STIHL Hardware Superstar” for California — chosen from among each state’s lineup of All-Star honorees over the past decade. The judges credited Friedman’s for its long-standing legacy as a trusted, family-owned home improvement retailer, its care for and dedication to the community, and its inventive approach to hardware retailing.

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