Napa to Host Global Wine Conference as Supervisors Flag Phone, Outage Gaps
Board of Supervisors • Napa CountyNovember 3, 2026
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Napa County will host the Great Wine Capitals network next year, Board Vice Chair Liz Alessio told colleagues Tuesday, in a reports segment that also surfaced rural power-outage surveys and concerns about backup phone service. On Election Day, supervisors also approved their full consent calendar on unanimous voice votes, including several supermajority IT and equipment purchases, after a resident questioned no-bid technology contracts and decades-old land deals.
- Napa to host the Great Wine Capitals conference next year, expected to draw 300+ attendees
- Outage survey launched for Angwin, Pope Valley and Lake Berryessa as supervisors track wildfire resilience
- AT&T backup phone gaps remain before copper landline service can be retired, Supervisor Belia Ramos says
- Consent items 5.A–5.W pass unanimously, twice, after a resident questions sole-source IT awards
- Hagafen Cellars appeal continued to Dec. 15 so parties can finalize a private settlement
Wine, Wildfire and Wires: Supervisors Report Out
The longest stretch of the meeting, about 23 minutes, belonged to supervisors' reports. No votes were taken, but the segment previewed a major tourism event and exposed infrastructure worries in Napa's rural corners.
Why it matters: The reports touched the county's economic engine, wine tourism, alongside basic safety services: power reliability, emergency coordination and working phone lines during disasters.
Where things stand: Board Vice Chair Liz Alessio (District 2) reported on the Great Wine Capitals conference in New Zealand, where Beaulieu Vineyards earned a global award. She said the network will hold its conference in Napa County next year, with more than 300 attendees planned. Summing up the conference's message, she said "authenticity starts with people."
Alessio also reported on actions by MCE, the regional clean-power provider, including rate-credit and governance decisions and a $494,000 consultant contract amendment.
Supervisor Joelle Gallagher (District 1) reported a regional climate milestone: "we adopted the Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan." She also cited a new crisis stabilization unit.
Emergency coordination: Supervisor Anne Cottrell (District 3) met the new director of Cal OES, the state Office of Emergency Services, and praised state staff working inside the county's Emergency Operations Center. "Having an OES person embedded in our EOC improves communication a lot," said Cottrell. She also flagged wildfire resilience work and an outage survey for residents of Angwin, Pope Valley and Lake Berryessa.
The phone problem: Supervisor Belia Ramos (District 5) described an AT&T tour and lingering gaps in backup phone service in parts of the county. "We continue to have to work on 3 options of reliable backup before the carrier, that POT system, the carrier of last resort, can be taken away," said Ramos. POTS, or "plain old telephone service," refers to traditional copper landlines that many rural households rely on when cell and internet service fail.
Ramos also noted a Nov. 9 workshop on Runway 19R, a meeting on the Queen of the Valley sale and leadership changes at CSAC, the California State Association of Counties.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Rural residents in outage-prone communities stand to benefit most if survey findings and backup phone requirements translate into action. Hospitality and wine businesses gain an international showcase. Ramos and Cottrell requested proclamation referrals honoring outgoing council members Mark Joseph and Don Williams.
What's next: Residents of Angwin, Pope Valley and Lake Berryessa can watch for the outage survey. The Runway 19R workshop is set for Nov. 9.
Consent Calendar Clears Twice Amid No-Bid Questions
The board approved consent items 5.A through 5.W as amended, including a correction memo for item 5.K, without pulling any item for discussion.
The basics: Consent calendars bundle routine items into a single vote. Several items on this one required 4/5 approval, a supermajority, including unbudgeted IT purchases, sole-source awards and a contract increase for the Dry Creek Road Bridge.
Why it matters: Unbudgeted spending and contracts awarded without competitive bidding cleared with no board discussion, the kind of action that draws watchdog scrutiny.
Where things stand: Board Chair Amber Manfree (District 4) noted the 5.K correction and thanked IT Services for security work. Cottrell moved and Gallagher seconded; Manfree declared passage unanimous.
The other side: A resident, Daniel Eaton, then asked to comment. He cited a 2018 grand jury finding on Williamson Act oversight. The Williamson Act is the state law that lowers property taxes on farmland in exchange for keeping it in agriculture. Eaton also pressed for records on the county's $7.2M Skyline Park purchase and raised concerns about private gain by people tied to public decisions.
"Can the county produce original agreements, recorded votes, and property transactions and laws authorizing those decisions?" asked Eaton, a public commenter. Turning to the calendar itself, he asked, "Why was there no bid on the technological contracts?"
The board did not respond on substance. Manfree directed him to the Clerk of the Board, the IT director and the CEO's office, noting that "some of them may be answered through public records requests."
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Ramos asked whether the IT items had been pulled. Manfree said they had not and called the vote again, which passed unanimously on a voice vote; no individual tally was recorded. IT vendors and the bridge contractor move forward. Eaton's records questions now rest with staff.
What's next: Residents seeking the Skyline Park or Williamson Act documents can file public records requests with the Clerk of the Board.
Proclamations Spotlight Foster Care and County Mappers
Supervisors approved two proclamations on one motion, moved by Cottrell and seconded by Alessio, by unanimous voice vote.
Adoption Awareness Month: Reading the proclamation, Gallagher noted "there are 58 children currently in foster care waiting for a safe, nurturing forever home environment." The proclamation cites 237 adoptions finalized since July 2012.
Lauren Harris, adoption supervisor, Napa County HHSA Child Welfare Services, credited preventive practices with shrinking caseloads. "The number of children in foster care in Napa County continues to stay stable, and it's about half of what it was just 5 years ago," said Harris. She reported five adoptions finalized in 2026, two with relatives. She also described tools such as First Step meetings and family finding that keep children connected to birth families and siblings.
GIS Day: The board proclaimed Nov. 18, 2026, as Napa County GIS Day. A county GIS representative described how mapping data supports Public Works, Planning, Building and Environmental Services, elections, invasive-pest tracking by the Agricultural Commissioner and emergency damage assessment. Manfree said "the people who work with geographic information systems are doing foundational work for the county, for the country, and for the world."
Why it matters: Lower foster numbers point to prevention paying off. GIS data underpins the land use, hazard and disaster decisions the board makes routinely.
Minor Items
- Hagafen Cellars appeal continued: The hearing on the Planning Commission's approval of a winery permit modification (P19-00121-MOD) moves to Dec. 15, 2026, at 9 a.m. Appellant, applicant Norman Weir and staff sought time "to finalize a private settlement agreement that will not change conditions of approval," said county staffer Michael Parker. The board will not be a party to the settlement. Gallagher moved, Alessio seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
- Arts appointment: Christina T. Howell was appointed to the County-At-Large seat on the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, which runs through Jan. 1, 2028. Five applicants sought the seat; the board followed the committee's Oct. 26 recommendation. Alessio moved, Ramos seconded; the vote was unanimous.
- Adjourned in honor of Dolores Huerta: Ramos asked colleagues to honor the labor and civil rights leader, citing her organizing ties to Napa after the Delano Grape Strike.
- Pet of the Week: Shelter kitten Missy was featured.
Looking Ahead
The board next meets Nov. 17, 2026, at 9 a.m. The Hagafen Cellars appeal returns Dec. 15.