Frequently Asked Questions

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• Move - move away from bookcases, cabinets, glass doors and windows. Avoid hanging objects.
• Drop - immediately drop to the ground where you are at.
• Cover - take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table.
• Hold on - hold on to something sturdy and stay where you are until the movement stops.

• Move to an open area away from power lines, buildings and trees.
• Try to take cover under a picnic table or bench.
• If you are near tall buildings, take cover inside a doorway to avoid falling glass and debris.
• If you are driving, move to the side of the road and stop. Avoid stopping beneath overhead hazards.
• Move carefully, there may be aftershocks.

• Check yourself and the others around you for injuries.
• Check for dangerous conditions such as structural damage, gas leak or fires. Turn off the gas only if you believe there is a leak. (Note: If could take several days after the incident for PG&E to turn gas back on).

If you need to have water service turned on or off at your home, or if have an inquiry about your water or sewer utility bill, please call 707-944-8851.

Reporting Water Main or Water Leaks - To report a water main or water service leak, or a leak at an unoccupied residence or business, please call the Public Works Department at the Corporation Yard, 707-944-2655, or Town Administrative staff 707-944-8851.

You can visit the Town's Water page.

The Town Council took action in response to a citizen lead petition with over 200 signatures and a formal request by residents for the Town to ban gas leaf blowers. After several months of a robust community discussion focusing on the environmental reasons, noise, and quality of life concerns associated with operation of gas leaf blowers, on October 20, 2020 the Town Council adopted Ordinance 20-498 which bans gas powered leaf blowers effective July 1, 2021.

No. Only gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in the Ordinance. Electric or battery powered leaf blowers are allowed between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm.

Provisions have been made to the ordinance to assure more responsible use of blower equipment, including limited hours of operation, and required control of dust. The municipal code allows operation of a leaf blower between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm The ordinance requires that operation of a leaf blower shall not result in leaves, dirt, debris, or other materials being blown or deposited on any other parcel, land, lot, or public right-of-way on which the leaf blower is being used or operated.

Restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Yountville will yield multiple environmental benefits. The primary benefit will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that result from the combustion of fossil fuels, in this case, gasoline. In addition, by only allowing electric or battery powered leaf blowers, it is anticipated that there will be a decrease in noise levels and a reduction in suspended dust and particulates. Electric and battery-powered blowers generally operate at a lower decibel levels and generate more moderate air speeds.

July 1, 2021.

The Town will enforce this ordinance on a complaint-driven basis. Potential violators would be subject to the standard administrative fines and penalties for violation of the municipal code which start with up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation, and $500 for third and subsequent violations (Yountville Municipal Code Section 8.05.120). The violations will be enforced on the operator of the device.

To report a violation please call Town Hall during business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm) or the Yountville Sheriff’s Office at 707-944-9228 after hours and weekends.

The intent of the Ordinance is to enforce the ban on the person operating the device. As a homeowner you will want to make your landscape contractor aware of the ban.

Electric and battery powered leaf blowers are available to purchase through a variety of local retailers throughout Napa Valley. The Town is offering an incentive to help offset the cost for Yountville residents and commercial operators with a current Town business license, until funds are expended. For more information, please email Erica Teagarden or call 707-944-8851.

Any resident who provides proof of residency and proof of purchase of an electric or battery powered leaf blower may be eligible for a grant of up to $150 dollars. Commercial operator and business with a current Town of Yountville business license and meets the application submittal requirements (i.e.: verified local accounts, on-site staff, etc.) may be eligible for a grant of up to $350 to help offset the cost of new equipment. For more information, please email Erica Teagarden or call 707-944-8851.

Yountville Municipal Code Title 13 requires that a property which has an active water account must have solid waste collection service for all properties located within the town.  It is generally understood that properties/households with an active water account generate household trash, recyclables, and compost that need to be disposed of in a safe, healthy, and environmentally sound manner.

The Municipal Code specifically requires “Documentation demonstrating the application of this exception shall include receipts from a landfill no less than weekly during the preceding quarter, or a certification that the owner or occupant intends to self-haul weekly and will provide receipts to the Town Manager proving weekly self-hauling within two weeks of issuance of the exemption.”  Specifically, submission of solid waste services at your primary residence does not meet the “self-haul” requirement.

We realize some households may not need all three (3) carts (landfill/garbage, recycling and compost).  However, due to the new law, SB 1383, participation in the recycling and composting programs is required.  You may request an exemption from having the blue recycling cart and/or green organics cart by documenting shared service with a neighbor or living in an HOA /Multi-Family (apartment) complex that have centralized containers.  Exemption requests can be made using the Solid Waste Exemption Request Form or completing the online application via OpenGov.

We realize some households may have not produce green waste or have a yard service that handles all yard waste.  Due to the new State law, SB 1383, all residents are required to participate in the composting program. More information of what is accepted in the composting program can be found at Upper Valley's Residential Compost program information, linked.

Requests for an exemption from mandatory solid waste collection service due to occasional use or generation of limited or low volume of waste and recyclables does not meet the requirement for a waiver from service unless one of the following conditions are met.  Exemption requests can be made using the Solid Waste Exemption Request Form or completing the online application via OpenGov.

Exemptions may be granted for the following reasons:

• Unit is a granny or second unit on the same/adjacent parcel. One unit provides services for both.
• Unit or home on the same parcel are owned by the same individual or company. One unit provides services for both.
• Two or more units with a shared driveway share solid waste collection service. Proof of account and written permission /documentation to share services if not same owner.
• Landscaping/Irrigation only – no residential water service on the parcel.
•  Multi-family or HOA resident sharing solid waste collection service with neighbor (written permission) or complex.
• Self-Haul of waste and recycling. Identification of where garbage/waste is taken to and receipts from the landfill providing documentation of self-haul must be submitted at time of request for an exemption and quarterly thereafter in order to maintain exemption. Self-Haul must be to a licensed landfill or other facility which tracks waste stream disposal consistent with the requirements of AB939. 

You may sign up for refuse service by calling the customer service team at Upper Valley Waste Disposal and Recycling at 707-963-7988 or visit UVDS.com.

Yes, the property will require solid waste collection service as long as there is an active water account.

Hours of operation are Monday - Friday   8:00 AM to 5:00 PM except for holidays. 

The Public Works Department is located in Town Hall at 6550 Yount Street Yountville, CA 94558.

The street sweeping will occur the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month.  During the fall season, the street sweeper will be in town every Friday unless that Friday is a holiday.  If that Friday is a holiday the street sweeping will occur earlier in the week.  

Street Sweeping Schedule Map

For more information regarding our current water resections please visit the water conservation page. 

Water Conservation Plan

SolarAPP+, short for Solar Automated Permit Processing, is an online web portal that automates the plan review and process for issuing permits to qualified businesses or individuals to install code-compliant residential photovoltaic (PV) systems with or without energy storage (ST). Based on model building, electrical, and fire codes, SolarAPP automatically performs a compliance check on inputs supplied by the contractor to ensure the proposed system is safe and code compliant. Installation practices, workmanship, and adherence to the approved design are then verified by the AHJ through the inspection process.

You can find out more here: https://help.solar-app.org/article/37-what-is-solarapp

After issuance, projects can be revised as many times as the contractor wishes prior to installation. After revisions are complete and the project is submitted, SolarAPP+ will then run another compliance check. If your updated system design is code compliant, the system will reissue your updated permit and alert the AHJ with a revised Approval Document and Inspection Checklist. The first three revisions are free of charge, while each subsequent revision would charge the installer the $25 project fee. If a revision requires payment of an additional fee, the revised permit is not issued until the fee is paid.

https://help.solar-app.org/article/77-how-do-i-make-changes-to-approved-project

 Before you can submit a project through SolarAPP+, you must first register and take the How to Use SolarAPP+ For Rooftop Solar Projects training, developed by IREC, which will show you how to submit a project through SolarAPP+. Once completing this training module, you will receive a certificate documenting your successful completion of the training, which you can then send to NREL, and your account will be enabled to submit projects in any jurisdictions where you are licensed. The training should take about an hour, and only needs to be completed once.

 If the project you want to submit also included energy storage systems (such as batteries), you must register and take the How to Use SolarAPP+ For Solar and Storage Projects. This will walk you though the process of submitting solar + storage projects in SolarApp+, as well as help you identify which systems and projects can be approved through the platform.

https://help.solar-app.org/article/15-permit-application

 Scheduling an inspection with a SolarAPP+-issued permit is no different than scheduling inspections for traditionally approved permits. For all inspection scheduling questions, please refer to the jurisdiction that issued the permit.

 For more information about inspections, please review this SolarAPP+ inspector's training developed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

https://help.solar-app.org/article/90-how-do-i-schedule-an-inspection

 The purpose of the SolarAPP+ inspection checklist is to provide detailed information to the jurisdiction and the inspector on what attributes constitute a code compliant PV system. Because SolarAPP+ is prescriptive, the checklist will provide the inspector with the minimum requirements that must be present and avoid the necessity of the inspector doing their own calculations. 

 The inspection checklist comprises several sections: 

1. Customer and site information 
2. Electrical and installation requirements  
   1. Interconnection method
   2.     MSP equipment
   3.     Inverter 
   4.     Installation details
3.   Roof requirements
4.   Fire safety code requirements
5.   Signs, placards, directories, and markings
6.   Inputs that were used by the contractor

 Within each section of the checklist there are boxes for an inspector to mark “Pass” on each item. Using this functionality will bring increased awareness to the inspection process where both inspectors and contractors can ensure that all items are being inspected for compliance and quality.

Please view this example SolarAPP Approval Document to take a closer look at the Inspection Checklist.

For more information, please review this SolarAPP+ inspector's training developed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

https://help.solar-app.org/article/89-whats-on-the-solarapp-inspection-checklist

 SolarAPP+ is designed to provide a code-compliance check for the majority of residential, roof-mounted, retrofit photovoltaic systems in the United States. 

 To see which systems are eligible, please refer to the Eligibility Checklists;

• PV
• PV+Storage
• BIPV
• BIPV+Storage

 Some of the types of systems that SolarAPP+ is currently not able to be used for include: ground mounted, new construction and non-residential (i.e. multi-family, commercial, community, and utility-scale projects).

 As the software continues to develop more system types will be incorporated. Until such updates are made, contractors must work with local AHJs to submit and review these systems outside of the SolarAPP+ portal.

https://help.solar-app.org/article/43-what-types-of-systems-are-not-eligible-for-solarapp-review

SolarAPP+ is for rooftop residential solar systems. While SolarAPP+ does not specify a limit for the system’s total rated wattage capacity, there are technical limits on the power rating of service panel equipment, and these are enforced by SolarAPP+. Projects may be permitted to install up to 400A main service, 225A service disconnect switches and 225A busbars. If any project components exceed the above specification thresholds, the project will be designated as ineligible by the SolarAPP+ platform. See the Eligibility Checklist for more information.

https://help.solar-app.org/article/47-is-there-a-limit-on-system-size