GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS [Call to Order] [00:00:04] MEETING, WE ARE JUST RETURNING FROM CLOSED SESSION AND THERE WAS NO REPORTABLE ACTION, BUT STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND STAND FOR THE INVOCATION BY PASTOR JOHN MOTTS NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH. I'M PROUD TO SAY THIS IS MY PASTOR AND MY CHURCH AND THIS HAS BEEN CUSTOMARILY AS CHAIRMAN AND ASKING HIM TO COME TO DO THE FIRST ONE. AND WHEN WE'RE FINISHED, IF I COULD HAVE RODRIGO LEADERS IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND THERE WE GO AND HOW GOOD IT IS TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU THIS MORNING AS WE GATHER FOR THE MEETING. AND SO LET US LET US BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. FATHER, GOD, WE COME TO YOU TODAY LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP, RECOGNIZING OUR NEED, RECOGNIZING THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE ARE FAR BIGGER THAN WE ARE, EVEN WITH ALL OF OUR ABILITIES PLACED TOGETHER. SO, GOD, WE LOOK TO YOU TO BE THE ONE WHO WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR STEPS. I PRAY FOR OUR SUPERVISORS TODAY. FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS WHO ARE HERE GUIDING AND LEADING FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE LIVINGSTON AND HILMAR FOR LOS BANOS OR ATWATER, FOR ALL THE COMMUNITIES IN BETWEEN FROM MERCED AND TO ALL PARTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, FARTHER FOR THE NEEDS, AS VARIED AS THEY ARE, FAR BIGGER AGAIN THAN OUR EVEN ABILITY TO MAINTAIN TRACK OF THEM ALL. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE THE STEPS TO CONTINUE TO LET EACH SUPERVISOR GUIDE WITH DILIGENCE AS WELL AS INTENTIONALITY TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT IS THAT WE WOULD MEET THOSE NEEDS. FATHER, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR COUNTY IN THE MIDST OF THE SHUTDOWN, FOR THE STRUGGLES WITH REOPENING, WITH THE HOPES OF THOSE WHOSE LIVELIHOODS OR EVEN WHOSE LIVES MAY BE ON THE LINE. FATHER, I PRAY FOR ALL THOSE WHO'VE BEEN STRICKEN BY THIS VIRUS, FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE TENDING TO THEM. I THANK YOU FOR THE ROLE OF THE COUNTY IN HELPING BRING OUT THE VACCINES FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED. AND GOD, I PRAY YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THEM AND GUIDE THEM AND OPEN THEIR EYES TO THE BEST WAYS OF GETTING THEM OUT. GOD, I PRAY AGAINST THE DISCOURAGEMENT THAT COMES WHEN EXPECTATIONS AREN'T MET AND ANGER FLARES AND WE TAKE IT OUT ON ONE ANOTHER. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO JUST BUOY UP EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE SITTING HERE BEFORE US WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON THIS NEW ROLE OF LEADERSHIP. I PRAY THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE IN A WAY THAT IS WORTHY OF THE CALLING OF THE LEADERS THAT THEY ARE HERE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MERCED COUNTY. SO, LORD, WE LOOK TO YOU, WE PRAY FOR YOUR HELP. I PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING. I PRAY FOR, THIS MORNING, I WILL PRAY FOR JERRY O'BANNION IN PARTICULAR, BUT FOR ALL OF THOSE UNNAMED HERE BY US TODAY. BUT BEARING ON OUR HEARTS WITH THIS VIRUS, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO BRING HEALING AND HOPE FOR YOUR PEOPLE. SO, GOD, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF GATHERING TOGETHER AND PRAYING FOR ONE ANOTHER. I PRAY FOR THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. BEFORE YOU DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, CAN I JUST CAN I JUST SAY AGAIN, I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU ON THE BOARD AND THE SUPERVISORS, THE COUNTY IS HERE TO WORK TOGETHER. AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO, THE FOLKS OUT IN ATWATER OR AT NEW LIFE CHURCH IN PARTICULAR, I'LL LET DARREN TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DO ENOUGH. BUT WE ARE REALLY GLAD AND VERY, VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE. AND IT'S NOT JUST ON DAYS LIKE TODAY. WE PRAY FOR YOU. WE DO WANT TO CONTINUE PRAYING FOR ALL OF YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD. OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. SO LET ME GET THINGS STRAIGHT HERE. SO LET ME DO THE SCRIPT. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE JANUARY TWENTY SIX TWENTY TWENTY ONE MERCED COUNTY BOARD MEETING. IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 VIRUS, THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WITH SEATING FOR THE PUBLIC LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE. WE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED SOME OVERFLOW SPACE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS. [00:05:01] FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DO NOT WISH TO ATTEND IN-PERSON. WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA EMAIL AND VOICEMAIL FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS AND AGENDA ITEMS. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT. [PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK] IT'S TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. THANK YOU. DO I SEE ANYBODY? NO, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO VOICEMAILS, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE VOICEMAILS. OH, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES, WELL, GO AHEAD. DR. ASADI, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. [LAUGHTER] I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT. IT ALWAYS IS. SO I'M GOING TO JUST DIVERGE FOR A MOMENT. AND TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM EXTRAORDINARILY LUCKY TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN HELP IN THE WAY THAT I HAVE SO MONTHS AGO. WELL, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FROM THE START, BUT MONTHS AGO I APPLIED AND WAS APPROVED WITHIN 48 HOURS TO BE A VACCINE PROVIDER. THAT'S MY DAY JOB. SO IT REALLY WASN'T SURPRISING TO ME THAT I GOT APPROVAL WITHIN 48 HOURS. AND I AM HAPPY TO REPORT TO YOU ALL THAT MINUS SOME GLITCHES IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WHERE WE WERE ENTERING ALL OF THIS. MY OFFICE IS CLOSE TO OVER 800 NOW THAT WE HAVE VACCINATED. JUST OUT OF MY LITTLE OLD OFFICE. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE STARTED WITH TIER ONE, AND MY GOAL THAT WEEK WAS TO VACCINATE THE VACCINATORS. SO DENTISTS OFFICES, DOCTORS OFFICES, VETERINARIANS, CHIROPRACTORS, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR ME, SCHOOL NURSES AND HEALTH AIDES. SO THAT THEY THE GOAL HERE IS, IS THAT I AM VACCINATING THE VACCINATORS. SO THEY ARE TO NOW GO OUT AND GET THOSE POPULATIONS TAKEN CARE OF, IN ESSENCE, PAYING IT FORWARD. AS YOU KNOW VERY WELL, FROM DAY ONE, MY AGENDA HAS BEEN TO GET KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOL AND I WILL DO NOTHING. I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING I WON'T DO TO THAT END. SO I HAVE HAD COMMUNITY MEMBERS WRITE LETTERS BECAUSE THE MOST CRITICAL THING RIGHT NOW, THERE'S TWO THINGS SUPPLY AND THAT WE MAINTAIN THE TIER STATUS BECAUSE TIER ONE B INCLUDES AG, WHICH IS MY HUSBAND, TEACHERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. I HAVE LISTS OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE SMALL DISTRICTS THAT ARE TOO SMALL TO HAVE SCHOOL NURSES WHO ARE ALL COUNTING ON ME TO GET TO THEM. PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO LET THEM DOWN. SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANT TO SAY TO YOU ALL. I WANTED TO TRY TO BE VERY POSITIVE TODAY AND I AM. JUST LAST NIGHT IT WAS ONE HUNDRED AND ONE THAT WE GOT DONE. WOW, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT YOUR SUPERHERO THEME ATTIRE IS APPROPRIATE. [LAUGHTER] OK, WAIT, THESE ARE THE AVENGERS, RIGHT? SO NO HERO CAN ACT ALONE. I HAVE A GREAT TEAM, CLAIRE ALVAREZ, DAN SMITH, KAREN [INAUDIBLE], JOE MCCLOUD, ALETHA ROGERS, LISA VAN HAGEN. ALL OF THESE ARE OVERQUALIFIED NURSES AND NURSE EDUCATORS TO BE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR ME AND FOR THE COMMUNITY. MY STAFF, KAREN MYERS, MONICA PEREZ, ALMA GONZALES, MARTA CHAVEZ AND DIAMOND JOHNSON, WHO HAVE TOLERATED FOR DAYS NOW THE PHONE RINGING OFF THE HOOK. MY HIGH SCHOOLERS, DOMINIC TONGON BETHANNE AND TRICIA WEBSTER, [INAUDIBLE] AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY SON [INAUDIBLE], WHO HAS NOT ONLY VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME, BUT HAS BASICALLY VOLUNTEERED HIS MOTHER. MONTHS AGO, HE TOLD ME THAT, MOM, IF I GIVE YOU UP AND YOU GET ME ONE MORE DAY ON CAMPUS, IN PERSON, IN SCHOOL--HE'S A SOPHOMORE AT MERCED HIGH--THAT'S OK. I'LL GIVE YOU UP FOR NOW. AND I'M AGAIN, I'M JUST LUCKY TO BE WHO I AM, TO BE IN THE POSITION THAT I AM AND TO HAVE THE ABILITY I HAVE TO DELIVER THIS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S IT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, DOCTOR ASADI. DEFINITELY THE BOARD HAS RECOGNIZED EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK, GUYS. MR. CHAIR, I KNOW WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE COMMENTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT. DR. ASADI, YOU EXEMPLIFY THE A TEAM MEMBER OF GSD GETTING STUFF DONE. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT LOST ON ME. YOU ARE A NO NONSENSE, TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS TYPE OF PERSON THAT IS ACTUALLY [00:10:03] GETTING STUFF DONE AGAINST ALL ODDS. EVERYTHING THAT GETS THROWN AT YOU, ALL YOU SEEM TO DO IS JUST FIGURE IT OUT AND GET IT DONE. AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR IT. I'M SORRY. I'M SURE I'VE WELL GONE OVER MY THREE MINUTES, BUT IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. I LEFT ONE VERY CRITICAL PERSON TO THANK, AND THAT'S MY HUSBAND WHO HAS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED ME TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN DO THIS IN A WAY THAT MAJOR INSTITUTIONS CANNOT. SO WHEN SOMEBODY COMES TO ME FOR A VACCINE, IT'S A PIECE OF PAPER, IT'S NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, ETHNICITY, GENDER AND CELL PHONE NUMBER. DONE, DONE. I'M NOT REGISTERING, THERE'S NO COMPUTERS. SO BASICALLY, I'M OLD SCHOOL. THIS IS A CRISIS. AND IN A CRISIS, WHEN SOMEBODY HANDS ME A BLUE LIMP BABY, WHICH IS MY DAY JOB, I'M NOT LOGGING INTO A COMPUTER. I'M NOT SITTING THERE SPENDING HALF AN HOUR HAVING A MEETING OR DISCUSSING OR A COMMITTEE TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO THIS. YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. BUT I'M FORTUNATE THAT WAY. AND MY HUSBAND HAS ALLOWED ME FINANCIALLY TO DO THIS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET INTO THAT SIDE OF IT, IT JUST SLOWS YOU DOWN. SO YOU'RE WELCOME. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE VOICEMAILS. SUPERVISORS, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] WITH PROJECT GROW AT 936 WEST 18TH STREET, MERCED, CALIFORNIA AND WE BELIEVE AT PROJECT GROW THAT ACCESS TO FOOD AND GREAT EDUCATION ARE BASIC RIGHTS. WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY AND OUR CHILDREN NEED ACCESS TO GREAT EDUCATION. WE NEED YOUR VOICE TO CREATE CHANGE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES NEEDS. TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE RULES FOR US WORK. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC FOR A MEETING FOR OUR SECOND FOOD COALITION ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, AT 6PM THROUGH ZOOM. ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE PROJECT GROW AND THIS IS A COMMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. NOT FOR AN AGENDA ITEM. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY. LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, I AM MAKING A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION LINE, ABOUT THE NOTIFICATION THAT WAS SENT OUT ON SUNDAY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE VACCINE. THE NUMBER THREE EIGHT ONE ONE ONE EIGHT ZERO IS AN INFORMATION LINE ONLY, ALTHOUGH THE EMAIL SAYS THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT BY CALLING THIS NUMBER. I'VE TRIED AND RESIDENTS HAVE TRIED CALLING EVEN AS EARLY AS SUNDAY. ALTHOUGH, IT DID SAY THAT IT STARTED AT 10 A.M. YESTERDAY, ON MONDAY. THE LINE WAS EITHER BUSY OR IF YOU GOT THROUGH, IT WAS INFORMATION-ONLY. RESIDENTS COULDN'T NOT REACH ANYONE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR EVEN LEAVE A VOICEMAIL. A LOT OF RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE EMAIL OR ACCESS TO A COMPUTER OR INTERNET AND RELY ON TALKING TO SOMEBODY TO SCHEDULE THIS APPOINTMENT. WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT THERE IS NOBODY TO TALK TO MAKE THIS APPOINTMENT. AND THE LINE IS INFORMATION-ONLY. RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE CITY AND WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THE VACCINE AS WELL AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OR EVEN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT NOT TO GET THE VACCINE RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE DOSES ARE LIMITED. HOWEVER, WITH THIS LINE BEING THE ONLY CONTACT WITH PUBLIC HEALTH, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING SET UP TO RECEIVE A VOICE MAIL OR AT LEAST HAVE SOMEBODY PICK UP AND TALK TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE CALLED WHEN THERE ARE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU, STACEY. SO AT THIS TIME. SHALL WE DO IT OUT FRONT? [00:15:01] DO WE HAVE A MICROPHONE OUT THERE? IF I COULD ASK OUR FORMER CHAIR TO JOIN ME UP HERE. [Additional Item] BEING THAT YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL OF GETTING THROUGH COVID, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, THE BOARD AND THE COUNTY HAS PUT THIS PLAQUE TOGETHER FOR YOU. TWENTY TWENTY WAS A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR, AS WE WELL KNOW, AS YOU WELL KNOW, EVEN PERSONALLY IN STEPPING THROUGH IT. BUT ME PERSONALLY AND I THINK I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, ADMIRED YOUR LEADERSHIP. WE KNOW YOU HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES. IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME AND YOU GOT THROUGH IT AND YOU LED US THROUGH IT AND YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB AT THAT. SO ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS AND A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION. AND WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE BOX. AND IT'S A CRYSTAL DISPENSER IN REMEMBRANCE OF COVID IN 2020. NOT THAT YOU WOULD EVER FORGET ANYWAY. NO, NO, I WON'T FORGET. BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, RODRIGO. YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB. THE CHALLENGES WITH FOSTER FARMS IN YOUR DISTRICT, OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER, PRIVATE EMPLOYER IN THE COUNTY AND STILL BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME WORDS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT HERE, OR DO YOU WANT TO DO IT BACK AT YOUR SEAT? I'LL SAY A FEW WORDS RIGHT HERE. APPRECIATE IT. YOU GOT IT, MAN. THANK YOU. WELL, YOU KNOW, IN APPRECIATION FIRST, YOU KNOW, ONE PERSON CAN'T DO IT ALONE AND WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, HOME OR YOU AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN VOTE ON IT. BUT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR STAFF, JIM BROWN AND ALL OUR STAFF, WE CANNOT DO ALONE ALL OUR COUNTY DIRECTORS APPRECIATE ALL ADMINISTRATION. IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH YEAR, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF US. PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED EVERY DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS NONSENSE, BUT IT'S NOT NONSENSE. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T GET COVID FOR A LONG TIME. I ACTUALLY GOT SWORN IN ON THE 30TH. AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, NEVER KNOW, I MIGHT GET THE VIRUS BEFORE I GET SWORN IN AS JANUARY 1ST, AND I DID GET IT. AND I WON'T SAY HOW I GOT IT, YOU KNOW, BUT SOMEBODY CAME OVER AND VISIT ME. BUT THAT'S ALL IT TAKES. YOU NEVER KNOW. I PROTECTED MYSELF. EVERYWHERE I GO, I GO TO COSTCO, GROCERY STORES, SHOPPING FOR MY FAMILY. I ALWAYS BECAUSE MY WIFE WAS ALWAYS ON MY CASE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOMETIMES MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BRING IT HOME AND ALL THAT. BUT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT. AND IT'S UNPRECEDENTED WHEN YOU GET IT, THE WAY YOUR LIFE CHANGES, YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL. BUT I DID. I SPENT SEVEN DAYS THE FIRST DAY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING GO CRAZY, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T FEEL THAT BAD. YOU KNOW, YOUR OXYGEN LEVELS GO DOWN AND YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE THE MEDICINE THEY GAVE YOU. AND THANK GOD THAT I RECOVERED, YOU KNOW, AND GOD GAVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE TO LIVE. AND I'M HERE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG, BUT I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE CALLS THAT I GOT, APPRECIATE ALL THE DOCTORS AND NURSES THAT DID THEIR JOB. YOU KNOW, THE HEROES LIKE THE PERSON THAT JUST LEFT. THEY PUT IN THEIR TIME, THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR JOB AND THEY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY AT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN MODESTO AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY. MY COLLEAGUES WILL APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, [INAUDIBLE] PERSONAL. BUT THE APPRECIATION FOR LIFE, FOR LOVE FOR MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I GOT A FEW MORE WORDS I'M GOING TO SAY RIGHT NOW, FOR THE PAST YEAR THAT THAT WE DID. SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND IF WE COULD INCONVENIENCE YOU JUST FOR ANOTHER MINUTE, PLEASE. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA, WE DO HAVE ONE MORE FOR YOU ON BEHALF OF MR. BROWN AND EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR YOUR PAST YEAR AS CHAIRMAN OF THIS BOARD. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, OUR NEW CHAIR JUST MENTIONED, SERVING AS CHAIR IS NOT AN EASY TASK IN THE MOST NORMAL OF YEARS AND CERTAINLY THIS PAST YEAR POSED CHALLENGES THAT ARGUABLY NO CHAIRMAN HAS EVER FACED PRIOR. YET YOU RAN EFFICIENT, THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERATE MEETINGS THAT WILL ENGAGED EACH OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, YOUR STAFF AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE PUBLIC. SO IN EACH CASE, SIR, YOU DID EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. [00:20:03] ON BEHALF OF MR. BROWN, AND AGAIN, EACH OF YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PLAQUE, THANKING YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING JOB AS CHAIRMAN AND WISHING YOU IN THIS BOARD A VERY SUCCESSFUL TWENTY TWENTY ONE. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. HERE'S MY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO RECAP A HANDFUL OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR LARGELY DOMINATED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SEVERAL MAJOR PROJECTS CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD THANKS TO ORGANIZATIONS COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY. COVID-19, WHILE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS COVER A BROAD AREA OF VITAL SERVICES, OUR FOREMOST CONCERN AS AN ORGANIZATION IS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE MERCED COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RECOGNIZED THE POTENTIAL RISK OVER THE LAST YEAR TO THE COMMUNITY FROM COVID-19 AND ACTIVATED THIS DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER ON JANUARY 27TH A YEAR AGO IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO THE DISEASE. THE MERCED COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, MASS CARE AND SHELTER, DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS CENTER WERE ALSO ACTIVATED. THROUGH OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ALL SIX CITIES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. WE COLLECTIVELY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC HEAD ON AND ASSIST OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WHEN POSSIBLE. THIS INCLUDES LOCAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS AND ONE MILLION DOLLARS SET ASIDE FOR THE MERCED COUNTY RENT MORTGAGE UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, WE'VE TRAGICALLY LOST MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED THIRTY OF OUR RESIDENTS TO THE DISEASE WHEN HUNDREDS OF OTHERS BEING HOSPITALIZED DUE TO COMPLICATIONS. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SENDS ITS CONDOLENCES TO ALL THOSE WHO LOST A FRIEND OR A LOVED ONE. THANKFULLY, THERE'S HOPE ON THE HORIZON. IN DECEMBER MERCED COUNTY GOT ITS FIRST SHIPMENT OF VACCINES, WHICH WAS ADMINISTERED TO THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND FRONTLINE WORKERS. SOME ADDITIONAL VACCINES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO OTHERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH'S VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLAN, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON COUNTYOFMERCED.COM/CORONAVIR US. ON ROAD WORK, IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR COUNTY AND ORIGINAL ROAD SYSTEMS GAINED PROGRESS IN 2020 AND WILL CONTINUE INTO 2021 THANKS TO THE MEASURE B HALF CENT SALES TAX APPROVED BY VOTERS IN 2016 AND SB ONE TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE LAST YEAR. IN TWENTY SEVENTEEN, THE MERCED COUNTY IS SEEN IN AN ANNUAL INFLUX OF APPROXIMATELY TEN MILLION DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL ROAD FUNDING EACH YEAR. IN TWENTY TWENTY, MORE THAN THIRTY MILES OF ROADS WERE PAVED OR OVERLAID, AND ESPECIALLY IN MY DISTRICT, WHICH [INAUDIBLE] AVENUE FROM MERCED TO [INAUDIBLE]. I KNOW THE COMMUNITY IS THANKFUL TO OUR COUNTY. ALSO IN 2020, MERCED COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS COMPLETED THE PLACEMENT OF THE OF THE 70 YEAR OLD BRIDGE ALONG THE LE GRANGE ROAD OVER DRY CREEK, ABOUT FOUR MILES NORTH OF [INAUDIBLE]. THE OLD BRIDGE SUFFERED FROM STRUCTURAL ISSUES AND HAD TO BE CLOSED MULTIPLE TIMES DURING STORM EVENTS. THE NEW BRIDGE, WHICH IS SAFER AND PROVIDES INCREASED SIDE DISTANCE FOR DRIVERS, WAS MAINLY FEDERALLY FUNDED WITH A SMALL LOCAL MATCH. SOME REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ALSO IN THE PLANNING STAGES OR IN DEVELOPMENT. THE MOST VISIBLE BEING CAMPUS PARKWAY, WHICH WILL CONNECT HIGHWAY NINETY NINE WITH A UC MERCED COMMUNITY VIA A FOUR LANE EXPRESSWAY. IN TWENTY TWENTY AT SEGMENT TWO, WHICH CONNECTS THE EXPRESSWAY WITH HIGHWAY 140, WAS COMPLETED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SEGMENT THREE IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND WILL EXTEND THE EXPRESSWAY TO YOSEMITE AVENUE ONCE COMPLETE. IN ADDITION TO CAMPUS PARKWAY, THE STAFF IS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING PRELIMINARY WORK AND SEARCH FOR FUNDING FOR PHASE 1B OF ATWATER MERCED EXPRESSWAY PROJECT, WHICH WILL EXTEND THE EXPRESSWAY FROM ITS CURRENT INTERCHANGE ALONG HIGHWAY 99 AND OVER THE MID CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRICT AT CASTLE, OPENING THE DOOR FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE SITE. ON HOMELESSNESS, MAJOR STEPS WERE TAKEN IN TWENTY TWENTY TO COLLABORATIVELY WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. PRIMARILY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT NAVIGATION CENTER. SITE WORK ON THE NAVIGATION CENTER BEGAN IN MARCH 2020 AND CONSTRUCTION IS NEARLY [00:25:05] COMPLETE. THE COUNTY HAS CONTRACTED WITH THE MERCED RESCUE MISSION TO MANAGE THE NEW 15 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, WHICH WILL OPERATE 24/7. THE NAVIGATION CENTER WILL SERVE AS A LOW BARRIER EMERGENCY SHELTER, AN OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC SPACES AND OTHER PLACES NOT SUITABLE FOR HUMAN HABITATION. THIS INITIAL STEP TRANSITION INDIVIDUALS OUT OF THE HOMELESS INCLUDES PROVIDING A SAFE AND SERVICE RICH TEMPORARY SHELTER WITH CONNECTIONS TO ONSITE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. CLIENTS WILL BE ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER. THE GOAL IS TO LINK NAVIGATION CENTER CLIENTS TO PERMANENT, SUPPORTIVE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING IN AREAS TO SUSTAINABILITY SUCH AS LACK OF INCOME AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. THE COMPLETION OF NAVIGATION CENTER IS ONE OF MANY STEPS THE COUNTY, CITIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE IMPLEMENTING TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS. WHILE SEVERAL OTHER STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN, WE'RE NOW ON AN IMPROVED PATH. ON BUDGET, THE BOARD ADOPTED A BALANCED BUDGET FINAL BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER, MAINTAINING RESERVES OF THIRTY ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS DESPITE ECONOMIC CONCERNS REGARDING THE PANDEMIC. THIS YEAR'S FINAL BUDGET OF SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY SIX POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS REFLECTS AN INCREASE OF NEARLY EIGHT PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR, MAINLY DUE TO THE HOMELESS NAVIGATION CENTER, ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMING AND AN INCREASED FUNDING FOR COUNTY FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND ROAD PROJECTS. [INAUDIBLE] CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON MAINTAINING A SUSTAINABLE BUDGET THAT PROVIDES LONG TERM FISCAL STABILITY DURING PERIODS OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY. EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMY. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SURGE HAS SPURRED MAJOR EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS FLUCTUATION DUE TO STATE MANDATED SHUTDOWNS, AS DID HOMEOWNERS. WHILE THIS WHILE THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR DISRUPTION TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY. PLANS ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD ON MANY LONG RANGE GOALS FOR MERCED COUNTY. ONE EXAMPLE IS THE CALIFORNIA AUTO TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, OR CAT DC. CATDC, WHICH WILL ALLOW MAJOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO TEST DRIVER TO TEST DRIVERLESS CAR TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER ADVANCED FEATURES AT THE FORMER CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF THE SITE IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND IN COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INDUSTRY LEADERS. MEANWHILE, [INAUDIBLE] GOOGLE'S DRIVERLESS CAR COMPANY CONTINUES TO OPERATE ONE HUNDRED PLUS ACRE PARCEL SEPARATELY FROM THE CATDC, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO BE THE LARGEST PROPRIETARY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TESTING ENVIRONMENT IN NORTH AMERICA. FURTHERMORE, ONCE PHASE ONE B OF THE ATWATER MERCED EXPRESSWAY PROJECT CONNECTS TO HIGHWAY 99 WITH CASTLE, THERE ARE PLANS TO PLACE AND DEVELOP THE FORMER AIRFORCE BASE INTO A FUTURE HUB FOR GOODS, IMPROVEMENTS AND MANUFACTURING. IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE, INCLUDING STAFF AND FELLOW ELECTEDS FOR SHOWING DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE AND WHAT HAS FOR MANY REASONS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING YEAR. WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE OUR SUCCESS INTO 2021 AND BEYOND. WITH THAT, WE'LL TAKE A SHORT 5 MINUTE BREAK. IT JUST SEATS, WELL, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. THAT WAS THE LAST BIT THAT [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU VERY MUCH [INAUDIBLE]. THAT WAS FOR THE OFFICIAL HANDOVER OF THE GAVEL. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALSO, THOUGH, THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SPEECH, BUT YOU FORGOT TO MENTION ONE ITEM THAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED THAT I'VE PROBABLY SAW YOU WORK HARDER THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THE STOP SIGN AT 140. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO SAY AND I FORGOT ABOUT IT. YEAH. THANK YOU. IF I MAY SAY A LITTLE BIT. SURE. NOW, I WANT TO THANK LAST [INAUDIBLE] MEETING LAST WEEK, I THANKED THE TOM DUMAS FROM CALTRANS SUPPORTED ME A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO [INAUDIBLE] I ASKED AS THEY CHANGED CALTRANS DIRECTORS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN PUSHING THAT FOR TWO, THREE YEARS. AND FINALLY WE GOT THE 4 WAY STOP SIGN THAT THE COMMUNITY OF [INAUDIBLE] NEEDED NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY, BUT WITH ALL THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT FLY THROUGH THERE. TRUCKS AND TRAFFIC COMING DOWN FROM MARIPOSA AND GOING THAT WAY AND TO ALL THE TOURISM, SAFETY IS OUR, MERCED COUNTY'S NUMBER ONE CONCERN. AND THANK YOU, CALTRANS AND MERCED COUNTY FOR INSTALLING THOSE STOPS SIGNS THERE. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT LITERALLY TOOK YOU FOUR YEARS AND YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS WORKING ON IT AS WELL. SO SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN NEVER GET ANYTHING DONE AT CALTRANS. WELL, WE PROVED NOW THAT THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING DONE. AND IF I MAY SAY A LITTLE BIT, I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ANOTHER WALKWAY ON [INAUDIBLE] AND 140, WHERE THERE'S STILL SOME ISSUES THERE, TOO. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT TOO. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVING RIGHT ALONG. ARE WE'RE GOING TO DO A PRESENTATION AT THIS TIME? DO WE HAVE A COVID-19 UPDATE? [COVID-19 UPDATE ] [00:30:09] AND YOU SHOULD GUYS SHOULD BE WEARING THE SUPERHERO THEME AS WELL AS DR. [INAUDIBLE]. HEY, GOOD MORNING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS REBECCA NANYONJO-KEMP. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR MERCED COUNTY HERE TO PROVIDE A COVID-19 UPDATE FOR JANUARY TWENTY SIXTH, TWENTY TWENTY ONE. THE LAST TIME WE MET AND ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE COMMUNITY USING THIS AS A FORUM WAS LAST YEAR. AND IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY AND I'LL TRY AND KEEP THIS SHORT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE STARTED TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND THE INFORMATION THE BOARD HAS. SO THIS IS MORE FOR UPDATING WHAT IS CURRENT AND ALSO PROVIDING OUR CONSTITUENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS IT PERTAINS TO COVID-19. THE CURRENT MERCED COUNTY CASE COUNT LAST TIME WE MET WAS NOVEMBER 2ND, OUR CASE COUNT, AND THAT IS ABOUT THREE, A LITTLE BIT OVER TWO AND A HALF MONTHS AGO, TWO MONTHS AND THREE WEEKS AGO HAD NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY NINE CASES. AS OF JANUARY 26, WE HAVE TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE REPRESENTING A ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO PERCENT INCREASE. AND SO WHEN OUR FIRST CASE WAS REPORTED TO. I'M SORRY BUT YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. NO, JUST PLEASE, [LAUGHTER] PLEASE PROCEED. OH, THAT'S FINE WITH ME. OK. REPRESENTING A ONE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO PERCENT INCREASE IN LESS THAN THREE MONTH PERIOD. AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY, HEIGHTENED ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. OUR CASES HAVE NEARLY TRIPLED OVER A TWO AND A HALF MONTH INTERVAL. OUR NUMBER OF PROBABLE ACTIVE CASES HAVE SLIGHTLY DECREASED RECENTLY, BUT YOU'LL SEE OUR NUMBERS REMAIN VERY HIGH. AS OF NOVEMBER 2ND, WE WERE MANAGING FOUR HUNDRED AND FOUR CASES. AS OF JANUARY 25TH, THERE ARE THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY ACTIVE CASES REPRESENTING AN ALMOST 700 PERCENT INCREASE AGAIN OVER THAT SAME TWO AND A HALF MONTH INTERVAL. AND OUR NUMBER OF DEATHS HAS RISEN JUST AS WELL. THIS IS WHERE OUR LARGER CONCERN IS BECAUSE WE TEND TO BE ABLE TO YOUNGER COMMUNITY. AND SO ANYTIME WE HAVE A HIGHER NUMBER OF DEATHS AND WE KNOW THAT THE DEMOGRAPHY OR THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT'S IMPACTED REALLY IMPACTS OVERALL QUALITY ALSO FOR THE COUNTY. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT CASES AS OF NOVEMBER 2ND AND THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE AS OF JANUARY 25TH, REPRESENTING A ONE HUNDRED AND NINE PERCENT INCREASE. GOING DELVING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE DEATH RATE. MERCED COUNTY, JUST SO THE COMMUNITY IS ALSO AWARE RIGHT NOW, DO ALMOST WHOLLY IN PART TO COVID HAS THE NINTH HIGHEST DEATH RATE PER CAPITA. AND SO NOVEMBER 2ND, OUR TOTAL CASE RATE. AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY'RE STRATIFIED OR SEPARATED OUT BY WE HAD ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT CASES JANUARY 25TH. THREE HUNDRED THIRTY ONE CASES. BUT THE LARGEST CONCERN IS WHERE YOU SEE OUR AGE 64 AND UNDER. WE STILL HAVE ALMOST COMPARABLE RATES BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES. BUT WHEN YOU SEE WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM WHAT THE NARRATIVE WAS WHEN THIS PANDEMIC BEGAN AND WHAT PEOPLE STILL EXPECT TO SEE HAVING IMPACT IN OUR 65 AND OLDER COMMUNITY, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT OUR NUMBERS IN OUR SIXTY FOUR AND UNDER ARE ALSO STARTING TO CATCH UP. AND IF YOU RECALL, LAST TIME WE MET, THERE WAS MUCH FEWER RATES AMONG OUR SIXTY FOUR AND UNDER COMMUNITY. THIS IS OUR NUMBER OF COVID DEATHS TO DATE COMPARED AGAINST OTHER LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH. SO THIS REPRESENTS KIND OF THE THREE YEAR INTERVAL AND WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW WITH COVID-19. AND YOU WOULD NORMALLY SEE THIS CURVE BE PRETTY NORMALIZED, AS YOU SEE RIGHT NOW. BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH, COVID-19 IS SECOND ONLY BEHIND ALL CANCERS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN ESTIMATE, THEIR GUESSTIMATES, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING. BUT THAT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE JANUARY HAS BEEN A HIGHER DEATH RATE FOR MERCED COUNTY THAN EVEN DECEMBER WAS. AND SO ALL OF THESE GATHERINGS THAT WE SPEAK ABOUT, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE MASKS, PEOPLE ARE FATIGUED. MESSAGE FATIGUE IS NOT UNUSUAL IN ANY HEALTH TYPE OF MESSAGING. BUT YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE, ESPECIALLY THIS IS COVID-19 THAT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC TO JUST RECENTLY. [00:35:03] BUT AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MULTIPLE VARIANTS THAT HAVE HIGHER INFECTIVITY AND ALSO HIGHER MORTALITY. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A LARGE CONCERN BECAUSE THEY'RE STARTING TO IDENTIFY THEM IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT FAR FROM OURS. IN 2020, WE HAD A TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS OF SIXTEEN HUNDRED NINETY NINE. IN TWENTY NINETEEN, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FATALITIES WAS THIRTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVEN. SO YOU SEE THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, 392 MORE DEATHS IN THE 2020 YEAR CALENDAR YEAR PERIOD THAN WE HAD THE YEAR PREVIOUS. SO AS OF OUR VACCINES AND WHERE WE ARE, MERCED COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RECEIVED THE FIRST ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE ON 12/17/2020 SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AND THIS WAS WHEN WE WERE LOADING OUR FIRST SHIPMENT AND IT WAS BEING DROPPED OFF TO MEMORIAL LOS BANOS. HERE, THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED TO DATE AND THE TOTAL THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T RELY SOLELY ON WHAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABLE TO DO, BUT WHO WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, NOT JUST IN ONE CITY CENTER OR ONE LOCALITY, BUT BECAUSE THE COUNTY OF MERCED IS AS GEOGRAPHICALLY SPREAD OUT AS IT IS. PARTNERING IS WHERE WE SEE KIND OF OUR HIGHEST NET RETURN. AND WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUCCESS, SORRY, SUCCESS WITH OUR HEALTH PROVIDER PARTNERS. TOTAL TO DATE, WHICH IS WHERE OUR CONCERN IS, IS THAT SINCE DECEMBER 17TH TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE'VE HAD A LITTLE UNDER ELEVEN THOUSAND VACCINES. AND AGAIN, THIS INCLUDE WELL THIS INCLUDES THE ALLOCATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US. THERE IS A SYSTEM OF WHO RECEIVES THE VACCINE FROM THE STATE. YOU'LL HEAR MCES OF MERCED, OUR MULTI COUNTY ENTITIES ARE DIGNITY HOSPITAL OR MERCY MEDICAL CENTER MERCED AS WELL AS LOS BANOS SUTTER MEMORIAL, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT LARGER SYSTEMS. WE ALSO HAVE UC MERCED THAT'S PART OF THE UC SYSTEM. SO THOSE ARE OUR MULTI COUNTY ENTITIES. BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ICU NUMBERS AND OUR RATES OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, REALLY, I THINK WHERE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT IS IDENTIFYING THAT THE THERE IS NOT BANDWIDTH AT THE HOSPITAL LEVEL TO HAVE PATIENT CARE, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS BEING IN CRISIS AT CRISIS LEVEL OF CARE AND ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION. SO HAVING THIS SYSTEM WIDE APPROACH IS WHAT ALLOWS FOR US TO GET INTO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND RAISE THAT PERCENTAGE NUMBER, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS WITHIN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, BEING ABLE TO GET AS MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY TOWARDS THAT HERD IMMUNITY NUMBER OF 80 PERCENT AS POSSIBLE. WITH A NUMBER SUCH AS TEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE. IT'S VERY LOW AND WE ARE A POPULATION OF ALMOST TWO HUNDRED NINETY THOUSAND. IT REPRESENTS VERY LITTLE AND WE HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN INTO OUR SECOND DOSE WAVE. SO THERE IS CONCERN FOR THAT, BECAUSE WHEN I SEE THAT NUMBER AND I SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS VACCINATED, I ONLY CONSIDER IN MY MIND VACCINATED GETTING THE FULL DOSAGE, GETTING THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION. SO IT'S A CATCH UP GAME AND IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT LIAISING TO THE STATE, WHICH I'LL GET TO SHORTLY. BUT I'D LIKE TO GO OUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THAT TEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE NUMBER. WITHIN OUR SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION, THIS IS HOW MUCH VACCINE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED BY CATEGORY. SO OUR HOSPITALS AND OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM HAS DISTRIBUTED FIFTEEN HUNDRED AND TEN OF THOSE VACCINES. OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS REPRESENT THE LION'S SHARE AND THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, AS WELL AS OUR SMALLER CLINICS AND EVEN SINGLE PROVIDERS OF ALMOST SIX THOUSAND DOSES. OUR COUNTY CLINICS HAVE DISPENSED TWENTY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE AND WE HAVE OUR SECOND DOSES AT NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP AS A POINT OF MISUNDERSTANDING OR MISINFORMATION AS OF LATE HAS BEEN, WELL, IF YOU HAVE VACCINES, JUST GIVE THEM OUT. WE ARE PLAYING KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A FOR A, B FOR B SCENARIO. WE GET VACCINE, WE TRY AND PUSH AS MUCH OF IT OUT. BUT TO ME THAT VACCINATION IS NOT RENDERED USEFUL UNLESS THE PERSON'S FULLY VACCINATED, HAVING A MODERNA IS YOUR FIRST SHOT AND ONLY HAVING PFIZER AS YOUR PRODUCT FOR THE SECOND SHOT IS NOT OPTIMAL. AND SO WE ALWAYS TRY AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF RESERVE IN THIS CASE BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A LOW ALLOCATION. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT MUCH OF A RESERVE AT ALL AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY THE STATE AS OF THIS MORNING. THEY'RE MOVING FROM DIRECT STATE ALLOCATION TO THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR. AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN. WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW YET. SO TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR INVENTORY AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY FOR THOSE WHO PAY ATTENTION TO AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEWS, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CONFUSION AROUND AM I IN THE [00:40:02] TIER THAT'S ALLOWED TO BE VACCINATED? AM I NOT? IS IT MY TURN? IS IT NOT MY TURN? INITIALLY WHEN THIS STARTED OUT, THOSE PHASES WERE BASED ON HEALTH CARE WORKERS BEING THE HIGHEST RISK CATEGORY. SO TRYING TO GET AS MANY OF THOSE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE, PROBABLY TWICE TO THREE TIMES A DAY FOR OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO WEEK INTERVAL. THERE WERE JUST RANDOM THINGS BEING ADDED TO THAT LIST, YOU KNOW, OH, WE'RE GOING TO ADD VETERINARIANS NOW, OK, BUT OUR ALLOCATION WASN'T CHANGING. SO IF YOU'RE ADDING MORE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THESE WERE SOME WERE BIG POPULATIONS, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE ALONE, OUR IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES NUMBER IN THIS COUNTY IS THIRTY SEVEN HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS. YOU'VE SEEN THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED DOSES AND THEN THEY ADDED TO THAT THAT SEVENTY FIVE AND OLDER AND THEN THEY REDUCED IT TO THE SIXTY FIVE AND OLDER. I THINK THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF THOUGHT OR FORECASTING. SO TO CLARIFY WHAT MERCED COUNTY IS VACCINATING AND IT'S BEEN PUBLISHED MANY TIMES, IS EVERYONE IN PHASE ONE A AND THE SIXTY FIVE AND OLDER COMMUNITY AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, BUT TO AUGMENT SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID STAND UP VARIOUS POINT OF DISPENSING SITES, THE TWO LOCATIONS THAT CURRENTLY PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO REGISTER AND RECEIVE A VACCINATION AT OUR MEMORIAL FAIRGROUNDS OR THE MERCED COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. AND I'M HAPPY, WELL FOR PHASE ONE A. I'M HAPPY THESE WERE STOOD UP. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO TARGET LICENSED HEALTH CARE WORKERS. EVEN LONG TERM CARE FACILITY STAFF, OUR RESIDENTS, VETERINARIANS, DENTISTS, SOME PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD STAFF. BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER THAT'S SUFFICIENT BECAUSE JUST READING THROUGHOUT ALL THE DISCIPLINES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT, THERE'S MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED. WITHIN THIS COUNTY, INSTEAD OF LICENSE PERSONNEL, WE STRONGLY RELY ON THESE OTHER SEGMENTS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS, SUCH AS OUR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, SOMETIMES SUBSTITUTING FOR CLERICAL STAFF, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ALSO WORK AS IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES WORKERS AS WELL. SO THE END OF LAST WEEK, THIS IS A PICTURE OF ONE OF OUR CLINICS. YOU SEE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THOSE SUITS THAT ARE LEADING THE LINES THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, NO FACES REVEALED, BUT IT WAS VERY, VERY SMOOTH. I HAVE HEARD VERY GOOD FEEDBACK AS A RESULT OF THOSE CLINICS. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT JUST IN THAT FIRST WEEK ALONE. FOURTEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHT INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED THEIR FIRST VACCINE. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS HELPFUL, WE THE PUBLIC HEALTH. THE SETUP FOR THESE POINT OF DISPENSING SITES ALLOWED FOR PEOPLE NOT TO WAIT IN LINE ALL DAY LONG. THERE WERE SOME AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, PEOPLE WERE WAITING UP TO 11, 12 HOURS TO NOT RECEIVE A VACCINE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK IS KUDOS TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR HAVING DONE. THIS WEEK'S DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINE IS GOING TO BE TALLIED AT 19 HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE. IF I COULD JUST INTERRUPT YOU, I THINK. OH, I APOLOGIZE. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA HAS A QUESTION. THANK YOU. I JUST BEFORE YOU GET FURTHER AND YOU TALK ABOUT IN YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENT, YOU SAID MEMORIAL FAIRGROUNDS. AND I KNOW THAT WAS JUST. OH, I'M SORRY. IT'S AT THE. LOS BANOS FAIRGROUNDS. MERCED FAIRGROUNDS. AND LOS BANOS FAIRGROUNDS. THANK YOU.I GUESS THIS WOULD BE A NATURAL PAUSE SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE ONE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BEFORE I CONTINUE? YOU KNOW I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION. SO IN THE IN THE BREAKDOWN OF THE SIXTY FIVE, YOU SAID OUR HIGHEST NUMBER, THE SIXTY FIVE AND UNDER YOU DON'T HAVE A POPULATED AS SO 64 AND UNDER. SO YOU'RE APPROACHING A LOT OF US HERE ON THE BOARD. SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN UNDER THAT? SO IS IT THE 55 AND OVER OR? A MAJORITY OF OUR CASES I WOULD SAY PROBABLY ARE WITHIN THEIR 50S LIKE WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT? THE 50 TO 64 [INAUDIBLE]. WELL UNDERSTAND. THEY ARE. I WANT TO BE CAREFUL TO NOT SAY THAT IT IS NOT YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO US WHERE PEOPLE JUST DROP DEAD. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE RELATIVELY YOUNG PEOPLE. THERE'S NO SAYING PHYSIOLOGICALLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE IF YOU'RE EXPOSED TO IT, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU OR NOT. SO THE FAMILY THAT'S HAD THE THIRTY NINE OR FORTY YEAR OLD JUST RANDOMLY PASSED AWAY BECAUSE OF COVID. THOSE ARE NOT UNUSUAL CASES. WE JUST DON'T HAVE AS MANY CASES THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AS WE HEAR THROUGHOUT THE NEWS IN OTHER AREAS. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, BECKY. SO I THINK, OH, YEAH, I WAS ON THIS SLIDE. SO THIS WEEK'S DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINE IS GOING TO BE CLOSER TO 2000 THROUGH OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. WE PLAN ON DISTRIBUTING ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE. OUR COUNTY CLINICS WILL COVER SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY AND IN OUR FREEZER FOR THE SECOND DOSE ALLOCATION, THAT WOULD BE AT ONE HUNDRED. SO WE SPEAK ABOUT THE VACCINES AND WHAT WE'VE DONE. BUT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT VACCINES AND WHAT WE FEEL OR I DEFINITELY FEEL [00:45:04] SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. SHOULD WE HAVE SHOULD WE HAVE RECEIVED THE AMOUNT OF VACCINE THAT WE NEEDED TO IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR PHASE 1A. SO MERCED COUNTY HAS RECEIVED THE THIRD LOWEST AMOUNT OF VACCINE PER RESIDENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE. ON THE TOP OF THAT CHART OR THAT TABLE, YOU'LL SEE FIFTY SIX. FIFTY SEVEN. FIFTY EIGHT. WE DO IT BY COUNTY COMPARISON. AND SO KINGS ACTUALLY HAVE FARES WORSE. YUBA FARES A LITTLE WORSE THAN WE DO AND MERCED YOU SEE THERE TWENTY SIX POINT FOUR FOUR VACCINES ALLOCATED PER RESIDENT PER 1000 RESIDENTS. APOLOGIES. OUR STATE AVERAGE IS SEVENTY POINT FOUR TWO AND THE STATE LIKES TO COMPARE HOW PEOPLE ARE PERFORMING AGAINST WHAT THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE IS. I THINK BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF VACCINE THAT WE PROVIDED WITH, THEY'VE ASSIGNED AN F, NOT THAT THE COUNTY HAS EARNED AN F. SO IN COMPARISON, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT SIERRA, BUTTE AND ALPINE, VERY SMALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, AND YOU SEE THEIR ALLOCATION PER 1000 RESIDENTS IS LITERALLY FIVE TO SIX TIMES, SEVEN TIMES TO EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN OURS. AND THAT IS ABYSMAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE US AGAINST ALPINE. BUT EVEN MORE INTERESTINGLY, IS AN EXAMPLE FROM JANUARY 12TH, PASADENA, WHICH IS A CITY THAT CONTAINS ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT RESIDENTS. IT ALSO IS A CITY THAT LARGELY RELIES ON THEIR LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION OF L.A. COUNTY, AS DOES THE CITY OF PASADENA. YET YOU SEE THEIR ALLOCATION IS TWENTY TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED MERCED COUNTY'S POPULATION, WHICH STANDS AT TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT THE CITY OF PASADENA IS, RECEIVED A THIRD OF THE ALLOCATION. SO IF YOU FORECAST THAT OUT IN TERMS OF HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AGAIN TO ACHIEVE THAT 80 PERCENT MARKER THAT WE STRIVE FOR, WE ARE ON TRACK FOR FIVE YEARS TO REACH HERD IMMUNITY WHILE THE CITY OF PASADENA STANDS AT 10 MONTHS. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE HARD TO CONTROL WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WE'RE RECIPIENTS. BUT WE DON'T DICTATE WHAT THAT SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND GET PEOPLE WHO NEED TO RECEIVE THEIR VACCINATIONS VACCINE. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THESE IN THESE THINGS IN TERMS OF LACK OF VACCINE IN MERCED COUNTY HAS BEEN LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE STATES. ABSOLUTELY. AND WHAT I FEEL IS A DELIBERATE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. THERE'S NO REASON UNDER THE SUN THAT COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA SHOULD STILL BE QUESTIONING. WHAT METRICS ARE YOU USING OR RELYING ON? WHAT EQUATION IS IT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE SYSTEMS YOU'RE RELYING ON TO DETERMINE ALLOCATION ARE AS TIGHT AS THEY NEED TO BE? YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN THIS TEN, ELEVEN MONTHS WITH THE STATE. I THINK THAT'S INEXCUSABLE, THE STATE AS WE KNOW. SO THE FORMULA IS NOT PUBLISHED. BUT AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THE ALLOCATIONS ARE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTY. WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM? BECAUSE IF WE GO BACK TO ALL THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCLUDED IN PHASE 1A, THEY WENT WELL BEYOND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND HOW WERE THEY DEFINING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS? DID IT INCLUDE DENTISTS? DID IT INCLUDE VETERINARIANS? THOSE SUBPOPULATIONS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE GROUP. AND SO BASING A FORMULA ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOW CONSIDERED INVALID OR EXPIRED, YOU NEED TO REALLY REDO YOUR FORMULA TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ALLOCATION SHOULD BE AND A FAULTY DATA SYSTEM THAT NONE OF US HAVE ACCESS TO. THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY THROUGH THE BACK DOOR TO SEE, OH, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'VE BEEN ASSIGNED? IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DIALOG TO CLARIFY THAT WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING IS WHAT WE ANTICIPATED RECEIVING? OUR DATA DOESN'T FEED INTO IT ALSO WITH OUR VACCINE REGISTRY AND SOME OF THE DECEPTION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IS BEING NOTIFIED THAT THIS DATA SYSTEM THAT FOR 30 YEARS HAS BEEN ANTIQUATED AND OBSOLETE ALL OF A SUDDEN REQUIRED BEING UPDATED THIS PAST WEEKEND. YET NOBODY IN MERCED COUNTY WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE STATE WAS DEPLOYING RESOURCES TO SAN JOAQUIN. WHO IS THE ADMINISTRATOR OVER THIS VACCINE REGISTRY. YOU KNOW, THE CONSTANT SPINS THE YOU KNOW, THEIR SPIN DOCTORS IN TERMS OF IT'S SO DIFFICULT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTIONS IN COMPARISON TO THE STATE AND HAVING TO FIGHT THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, YOU KNOW, NOT ALLOWING ADEQUATE TIME, BEING ASKED TO KEEP THINGS CONFIDENTIAL OR EMBARGOED. YEAH, IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEAT YOU TO THE PUNCH. THAT IS NOT REALLY THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. ALL IT IS, IS GOING TO PUT US IN FURTHER TROUBLE WHEN WE SHOULD. ALL OF US AT THE LOCAL LEVEL SHOULD BE LOOKING THROUGH THAT TUNNEL AND SEEING LIGHT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF US ARE. TIERS THAT CONTINUE TO EXPAND. I'LL LEAVE THAT ALONE BECAUSE I BROUGHT IT UP ABOUT EIGHT TIMES. BUT KNOWING THAT WE'RE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHORTAGE AREA. AND SAYING, WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU GET A LOW ALLOCATION, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT EQUITY, KNOWING THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE NINTH HIGHEST DEATH RATE. I MEAN, TELL ME SOMEBODY EXPLAIN IT TO ME. SO AND THEN CONSISTENCY IN THE DEPLOYING OF RESOURCES AND THE VACCINE USAGE EXPECTATIONS AS AN EXAMPLE. AND I THINK YOU'LL LOVE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. L.A. COUNTY, WE WERE ADVISED, IS SITTING ON ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNUSED DOSES. AND AS A REWARD, THE STATE IS DEPLOYING A LARGE TEAM INTO L.A. [00:50:05] COUNTY TO ASSIST IN GETTING INDIVIDUALS VACCINATED. THERE ARE FIVE TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED ARE BEING DEPLOYED TO COUNTIES THEY'VE DETERMINED NEED THE HELP, NONE OF WHICH ARE IN SAN JOAQUIN. IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE RATES WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING, WE'RE ALWAYS FARING SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT OUT OF THE 10 WORST ARE ALWAYS ALMOST 100 PERCENT CONDUCTING THE WORST IN ANY RACE. BUT TO HAVE THIS IS JUST IT'S IMMOBILIZING AND IT'S IT IS WHAT IT IS AS YOU SEE IT. THANK YOU. WITH THAT PAUSE, YOU'VE INSPIRED SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, BUT HEARING IN YOUR VOICE, YOUR VOICE IS REPRESENTING A LOT OF THE SUPERVISORS VOICES THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR FIGHT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND BECKY, I MEAN, YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH WITH THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE STATE. AND THEN AND ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO SEND US THE [EXPIATIVE] DOSES, LIKE WE DON'T EVEN NEED HELP DISPENSING THEM. JUST SEND US THE DOSES. I STATED IT ON A CALL THAT YOU WERE ON THE OTHER DAY WITH THE HELP OF OUR PROVIDERS, WITH THE WITH THE PODS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SET UP. AND I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY I WOULD MUCH RATHER OVERESTIMATE A LITTLE BIT OR UNDERESTIMATE, I SHOULD SAY, UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER. BUT I'M CONFIDENT IN SAYING YOU LET US RAMP UP OUR DELIVERY SYSTEM. WE COULD DO FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOSES A WEEK, NOT JUST BY OURSELVES, BUT WITH WITH THE FOLKS LIKE DR. [INAUDIBLE], OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERS, EVERYBODY THAT'S ON BOARD THAT JUST WANTS TO BE PART OF TEAM GSD AND GET STUFF DONE. JUST GIVE US THE DOSES. AND THAT'S THE DISCONNECT. I YOUR FRUSTRATION IS SHARED BY ME. IT'S SHARED BY MY CONSTITUENTS. IT'S AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I DON'T I KNOW WE'VE SENT LETTERS. I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR SENT LETTERS. I KNOW THAT WE'RE ON A CALL EVERY WEEK WITH OUR ELECTEDS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. I KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ADVOCATE, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WE HAVE TO CALL EVERY WEEK SOMEBODY TRY TO FIND AN IN SOMEWHERE TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE DOSES. IT'S UNRELIABLE. I MEAN, WE'RE ON A CALL AND WE GET NOTIFIED. WE'RE GOING TO GET TWO HUNDRED DOSES. AND THEN BECAUSE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE, IT TURNS INTO SEVENTEEN HUNDRED DOSES. I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT GETTING MORE, BUT I'M CALLING. I WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THE STATE AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE HANDLING THIS, THEY'RE HYPOCRITES, THEY'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. THEY WANT TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT EQUITY, EQUITY, EQUITY, EQUITY. IT'S THEIR TALKING POINTS. THEY ALL TALK ABOUT EQUITY. BUT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO DELIVER, WE JUST GET CRAPPED ON AGAIN IN MERCED COUNTY. THOSE NUMBERS ARE DESPICABLE. IF YOU COULD GO BACK ONE SLIDE, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC. THINK ABOUT THAT. AND I GET IT, ALPINE COUNTY'S GOT LIKE ELEVEN HUNDRED RESIDENTS IN THE WHOLE COUNTY. SO WHEN THEY GOT TO, WHEN THEY GOT AN ALLOCATION OF FIVE HUNDRED, I MEAN YOU SEE WHY THEY GET SO MANY. OK, I GET THAT, THAT'S THE OUTLIER. BUT WHEN YOU SHOW ME WHAT PASADENA IS GETTING, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE WE COULD SCREAM FROM THE ROOFTOPS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE. I MEAN, WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND OUR STATE SENATOR EVEN TO TRY TO FIND MORE BECKY. SO YOU TELL ME WHERE AND HOW I COULD ADVOCATE OTHER THAN JUST LIKE DO WE GOT TO DO WE GOT TO TAKE THE SHERIFF AND GO TO THE VACCINATION PLACE AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT OUR FAIR SHARE. THAT'S ALL WE WANT. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR. I GET IT. IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THE METRIC IN THE BEGINNING WAS BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, WELL, THAT WAS TO GET THROUGH ONE A AND WHAT THOSE WERE. BUT WHEN IT GETS PAST THAT, LISTEN, FOLKS, IT'S REALLY SIMPLE. L.A. COUNTY IS GOING TO GET MORE VACCINE THAN US. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN L.A. COUNTY. BUT WHEN WE'RE SITTING AT TWENTY SIX POINT FOUR FOUR AND WHEN I SAW THIS LAST TIME, WE WERE AT LIKE TWELVE AND POOR KINGS IS STILL FALLEN WAY BEHIND. THEY WERE AT TEN. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE TO DO. AND IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I'M GETTING CALLS EVERY DAY. I'M GETTING CALLS EVERY DAY FROM PEOPLE WHO AND LISTEN, YOU HAVE A WILLING POPULATION. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLING ME AREN'T LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HEY, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T WANT TO GET THE VACCINE. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO LINE UP, WHO AR WILLING TO WAIT IN LINE, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THE VACCINE. AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION. I SHARE I KNOW YOUR GUYS'S FRUSTRATION. I'M DOING EVERYTHING THAT I POSSIBLY CAN TO TRY TO I MEAN, I WISH I WISH I HAD THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE DANG VACCINE MYSELF. I WOULD. I WOULD TAKE CARE, WE'D GET IT DONE HERE, BUT WE DON'T WE HAVE TO WAIT ON THEM. I DON'T KNOW. I JUST I MAY. PLEASE PLEASE. INTERRUPT YOU. BUT YOU BRING UP A VALID POINT. THEY SAY THINGS ABOUT EQUITY, EQUITY, EQUITY, EQUITY. OK, SO MAYBE THE HEALTH CARE WORKER AS AN ESTIMATION, ISN'T WORKING IN TERMS OF THE ALLOCATION, BUT WHY NOT LOOK AT THINGS AS RATE OF ILLNESS, RATE OF DEATH, HOTSPOTS, DISCONNECTION FROM. I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE AND THERE'S TO ME NO [00:55:05] EXCUSE 10 TO 11 MONTHS KNOWING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR IT TO BE EXECUTED AS POORLY AS IT HAD BEEN. AND IN ALL THE WISDOM OF THE STATE, THE REASON THAT WE WERE DELAYED IN COMING INTO THIS MEETING IS BECAUSE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE AS A COURTESY LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS VALIDATED THIS MORNING WITH THE STATE KNOWING THAT MOST COUNTIES HAVE BOARD MEETINGS. AND SO ALWAYS HAVING A NARRATIVE BEFORE THEY ANNOUNCE IT, ALWAYS BEING TOLD, HEY, THIS IS JUST BETWEEN US, RIGHT? WINK, WINK. AND THEN IT'S LIKE, OH, BY THE WAY, IT'S BEEN PUBLISHED EVERYWHERE. I MEAN, EVEN INTERNATIONAL. AND IT'S LIKE WEREN'T WE TOLD NOT TO SAY ANYTHING, THAT CHASM IS WIDENING AND IT'S NOT A MERCED COUNTY AND THE STATE. IT IS THE STATE, EACH COUNTY INDIVIDUALLY NOT ALIGNED WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW. AND SO THAT IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT NOBODY REMEMBERS HOW YOU STARTED OUT. EVERYBODY REMEMBERS HOW YOU FINISH. AND THIS IS NOT A GOOD FINISHING ON SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. BUT I FEEL THAT THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROGRESS WITH WHAT WE'VE MANAGED THUS FAR. AND HAVING THIS RATE LIMITING STEP ALMOST DELIBERATELY IS INEXCUSABLE. SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND WITH THAT. MY FRUSTRATION IS FOR THE SAKE OF THIS MEETING, I'M GOING TO KEEP IT CLEAN. BUT IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY FRUSTRATING AND IT'S VERY DEMORALIZING. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE ARE AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE DONE, BUT I THINK I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I SAW BECAUSE I READ ARTICLES. I'M ALWAYS ON DISTRIBUTION LISTS, ANYTHING. SO THIS IS WHAT THE STATE ALWAYS SAYS. IT'S A GUIDING PRINCIPLE. BUT YET OUR SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HERE HAS BORNE THE BRUNT OF THE BURDEN OF DISEASE AND DEATH DUE TO COVID, BUT RECEIVED SCARCITY IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF VACCINE. SO I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE STATE VS. YOU KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY WHO'S SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT SCIENCE, BUT ARE WE MOVING AWAY FROM THAT? BUT I LOVED WHAT WAS STATED. THE IDEA THAT JUST BECAUSE ONE WORKS FOR A STATE AGENCY MAKES ONE MORE QUALIFIED OR MORE INTELLIGENT TO UNDERSTAND OR DATA OR SCIENTIFIC RESOURCE RESEARCH, IT'S JUST DELUSIONAL. AND HE SAID, WHAT'S NOT ON HERE? THAT IS THE PEAK OF HUBRIS. AND SO FOR US TO BE ALIGNED IN TERMS OF WHAT THE STATE IS SAYING INCLUDE US. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE BEGGING. WE SHOULD BE AT THE TABLE. WE HAVE BEEN THE ONES BEARING THIS RESPONSIBILITY, HAVING TO TAKE THE FRUSTRATION FROM WHETHER IT'S OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, OR OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS OR A PARTNER. AND TO HAVE THIS OVER A YEAR LATER AND SAY, YOU KNOW, STAY, STAY, STAY CHEERY, YOU KNOW, JUST HANG IN THERE. IT'S A LOT. AND I CONSIDER MYSELF PRETTY TOUGH, BUT I'M DONE. AND SO THIS IS A SAD DAY. THIS HAS BEEN A SAD BEGINNING OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE FOR THE STATE AS A WHOLE, ESPECIALLY BY WAY OF COVID VACCINE. BUT I HOPE I GET TO EAT MY WORDS LATER IN HUMBLE PIE BECAUSE I REALLY DO WANT THINGS TO IMPROVE. I DON'T WANT THEM TO STAY BACK. WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE AT THIS POINT TOO BECKY BEING ON THAT CALL THAT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WAS REFERRING TO, IS IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE FINGER POINTING AND BLAMING STARTS TO HAPPEN AND UNPRODUCTIVE. IT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE AT ALL. AND THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF LOST MY COOL IN THE CALL. I GOT A LITTLE FRUSTRATED DURING THAT TIME BECAUSE THIS ISN'T ABOUT FINGER POINTING OR WHATEVER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'VE BEEN CONTINUING TO SHARE THE INFORMATION AT ALL TIMES AND WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. JUST GET US THE DAMN VACCINES. SO CATEGORICALLY, ANY I MEAN, WE'RE ANYBODY WE LOSE IS A LOSS FOR THE COUNTY, RIGHT? THIS IS A VILLAGE AND IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BRING THE VILLAGE UP. AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S DELIBERATENESS IN CREATING THESE FACTIONS AND THESE FRAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING PEOPLE BROKEN APART. WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE DETERMINED NOT TO BE. AND I JUST I GUESS MY PLEA WITH THE COUNTY IS AS MUCH AS IT IS BAD NEWS WE'RE WITH ALONGSIDE YOU. WE'RE NOT IN FRONT OF YOU. WE'RE ALONGSIDE YOU CONTENDING AND ADVOCATING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE ULTIMATELY WHO WE SERVE AND WHERE WE'RE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE YOU. BUT BEAR WITH US, BEAR WITH US AS WE TRY AND GET THROUGH THIS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT SEASON OF YET BEING ABLE TO EXERCISE ALL OF THE STRATEGIES WE'VE PUT IN PLACE. AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE DISAPPOINTING THINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING. WE SERVE THE PUBLIC. YOU DON'T SERVE US. NO, NO. I WAS TALKING TO THE PUBLIC. OK, GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. I LIKE THAT CONFIDENCE. ALL RIGHT. SO AND ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY. WE'RE ESSENTIAL ENOUGH TO FEED THE STATE AND THE WORLD, BUT WE'RE NOT ESSENTIAL ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM DYING AT THE RATE WE'VE BEEN DYING. AND SO THAT IS IF THE STATE WOULD LIKE TO COME DOWN AND EXPLAIN FOR THEMSELVES. MAKE SURE THAT GETS OUT. YES. THAT'S GOOD. IT'S ON THE RECORD. SO, YES, WE CAN PLAY IT BACK. I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING OUR BOARD MEMBERS. THERE'S BEEN DOGGED PERSISTENCE, DOGGED ADVOCACY IN GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE, JUST AS YOU JUST BROUGHT UP BEFORE, AND OTHER RESOURCES. IT GOES BEYOND VACCINES. BUT CONGRESSMAN JIM COSTA, ASSEMBLY MEMBER ADAM GRAY, WHO'S ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR THIS REGION, CENTERED AROUND A CAVEAT OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE, OUR BOARD OF [01:00:03] SUPERVISORS, OUR MERCED COUNTY MAYOR AND OUR CITY MANAGERS, THE COUNTY STAFF AND OTHER PARTNERS WHO HAVE WRITTEN ADVOCATING ON OUR BEHALF AND ALSO TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM. AND I WANT TO END BY SAYING THAT WHERE THERE WAS A GAP BECAUSE NOBODY WAS AWARE OF THIS WHEN IT STARTED TO BECOME A REAL PROBLEM AND PEOPLE THINKING WE WEREN'T GETTING ANYTHING OUT TO DISTRIBUTE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY DOING OUR BEST. BUT I REALLY WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT PUBLIC HEALTH AND LITERALLY TURNING THINGS AROUND OVER AND RECOGNIZING KIND OF THE CADENCE OF THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT WHERE WE NEEDED FOR IT TO BE. AND BEING ABLE TO STAND UP SUCH EFFECTIVE AND WELL RECEIVED PODS, AGAIN, DEVELOPED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENT. AND I HAVE SOME OF THE TEAM HERE, BUT JUST REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE PERSON BEHIND IT, WHICH IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR YADIRA VASQUEZ, WHO HAS TAKEN LEAD AND JUST MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT DELAY, WITHOUT CEASING, WITHOUT STOP. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALL OFTEN CELEBRATE OUR TEAMS, BUT I FEEL AND I'LL SAY SORRY, OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ONE OF THE BEST. AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ALL OF THEM. HIGHLIGHT, BUT ESPECIALLY TAKE THE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT [INAUDIBLE] AND HER LEADERSHIP IN STANDING UP THOSE. [APPLAUSE] CAN YOU WAVE YOU THERE? YES, I KNOW SHE HATES THAT, BUT OK THEN LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT A GOOD FIGHT DESPITE NOT HAVING WHAT IT TAKES, BECAUSE LET'S LOOK AT THIS AS DAVID AND GOLIATH AND JUST PRAY THAT WE'RE DAVID HERE. RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING AND CONTINUING, AS WE HAVE BEEN. FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND LOOKING TO SEE IF THEY'RE AT THEIR PHASE OR THEIR TIER AND WOULD LIKE TO GET VACCINATED OR LOOK TO SEE WHAT APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. WE HAVE THE VACCINATION, SAID COUNTY DOT COM WEBSITE. WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE THROUGH FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. THERE'S A DATA DASHBOARD. I'M SURE SEVERAL OF YOU OUT THERE LISTENING IN OFTEN REFER TO IT DAILY I HEAR WHEN PEOPLE DON'T GET THE NUMBERS UPDATED. AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COVID INFORMATION LINE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE MAKING APPOINTMENTS AS WELL AT THREE EIGHT ONE TWELVE HUNDRED. AND WITH THAT PHONE NUMBER, WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT SAYING THAT IT WAS GOING TO AN INFORMATION. IT WAS INFORMATION. COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? YES, MR. CHAIR, IF YOU MIND, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT. YES, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE PHONE NUMBER AND IT IS SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AND IT IS ACTUALLY BEING FIXED. THERE WILL BE THE ABILITY FOR VOICE MESSAGES AND THERE WILL BE A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE INDIVIDUAL CALLING IN. SO, YES, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY EXCUSES, BUT WE RECOGNIZE IT AND IT'S BEING FIXED. VERY GOOD. ON A CALL THIS MORNING WITH A SUPERVISOR FROM FRESNO COUNTY WHO DOES HAVE TRIPLED THE ALLOCATION PER THOUSAND, BUT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE WITH INCONSISTENCY, NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH IS COMING IN. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY STRUGGLES WITHIN THEIR COUNTY OF ENTITIES WANTING TO TAKE LEADS. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE. AT THIS TIME--. WE ARE NOT ALONE, BUT WE WILL GET IT RIGHT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM. AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, DR. [INAUDIBLE] WAS HERE EARLIER AND I WANTED TO THANK HER FOR HER EFFORTS, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR MEDICAL PROVIDERS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO DISTRIBUTE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE. TO ECHO WHAT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID TWO WEEKS AGO ON OUR LAST MEETING. YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING IN THE SUPER BOWL AND YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING IN THE SUPER BOWL FOR 11 MONTHS. AND SO EVERY DAY FOR 11 MONTHS. AND NOBODY EXPECTS THAT. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND IT WAS REALLY COOL. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT TO THE FAIRGROUNDS TO WATCH THE FIRST DISTRIBUTION AND SEE HOW WELL IT WAS RUN. AND PEOPLE WERE CALLING ME AND TELLING ME, HEY, THIS IS RUN VERY EFFICIENTLY. IT WAS DONE VERY WELL. AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AS A STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING WHAT THEY CAN AND WHEN THEY CAN. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE. AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WHEN YOU GO AND YOU WATCH THIS AND YOU LOOK AT THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING IN AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, IT'S A REMINDER OF WHY, YOU KNOW, I GOT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE UP HERE GOT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GET BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE AND FEEL HEALTHY. [01:05:01] AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH SO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. BECKY. I DO. I WANT TO CELEBRATE WHAT I'M CALLING IS A MASSIVE VICTORY IN ALL THE TURMOIL AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, ON THE JOB THAT WAS DONE ON IN A MATTER OF HOURS. AND I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] AND THE REST OF YOUR TEAM WERE A PART OF THIS IS SETTING UP THESE CLINICS, THESE PODS. YOU HAVE WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL IS THESE TYPE A PERSONALITIES THAT ARE PERFECTIONISTS IN THAT WANTED THIS THING ON DAY ONE TO GO OFF WITHOUT A HITCH. AND I SHARED I KNOW I SHARED THIS WITH--. US? YES. YOU GUYS AND I SHARED WITH YOU, DEAR. IT'S LIKE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY THAT WENT THROUGH THAT THING. I MEAN, JUST TO PUT IT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, SOMEBODY WHO WENT THROUGH AND GOT THEIR VACCINE AT THAT CLINIC, I GOT A PLATE OF COOKIES DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE. AND IT WAS BECAUSE SHE LITERALLY HAS NOT HUGGED HER MOM IN TEN MONTHS AND BECAUSE SHE WAS ON HER WAY GETTING THAT VACCINE, IT'S LIKE SO IT'S LIFE CHANGING. AND SO WE DO NEED TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE WHAT WE DID WAS THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS I COULD USE, BUT I'M GOING TO KEEP IT CLEAN BECAUSE IT'S A FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOW. BUT IT IS THE INITIALS ARE B.A. AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE EFFORT THAT YOU GUYS DID. AND IT IS NOT LOST ON ME. AND JOSH, JUST TO ADD TO MY COMMENT ABOUT THEM BEING IN A SUPER BOWL FOR ELEVEN MONTHS, THEN NOW YOU ADD VACCINE DISTRIBUTION ON THIS AND THIS CAME FROM [INAUDIBLE]. NOW IT'S LIKE HAVING TO YOU'RE TRYING TO BE IN TWO SUPER BOWLS AT ONE TIME. SO IT'S JUST I'M GLAD-- WE DON'T DO IT ENOUGH AND CELEBRATE OUR VICTORIES. WHAT WE DID AND I LISTENED IF PUBLIC HEALTH IT WAS EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN IT, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE BUT ACTUALLY DOWN TO STAFF WHEN WE DID GET THEM SET UP, BRINGING IN OTHER STAFF MEMBERS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS. THANK YOU. BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM THEIR-- I'M GOING TO CALL WHATEVER THEIR DAILY DUTY WAS JUST TO GO OUT AND OBSERVE, BECAUSE IN OUR MIND, WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IF WE HAVE TO SET UP MORE OF THESE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE PEOPLE TO KIND OF HELP WITH THAT, BECAUSE IT'S I MEAN, IT'S THIRTY PEOPLE, TWENTY FIVE TO THIRTY PEOPLE TO SET UP ONE OF THESE CLINICS IF YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT. WELL, PEOPLE WALKING IN THE DOOR AND JUST TO WATCH IT FROM I STOPPED OFF AT THE ONE IN M ERCED AND IT WAS THAT WAS THE SECOND DAY AND JUST HEARING THE LITTLE TWEAKS HERE AND THERE WHERE THE BOTTLENECKS WERE TO MAKE IT BETTER TO WHEN I WENT TO THE ONE IN LOS BANOS ON THE THIRD DAY, THERE'S A LITTLE HICCUP IN THE MORNING. BUT IT'S JUST EVERYBODY'S PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, GETTING IT WORKED OUT, AND SO IT WAS-- AND I KNOW AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART IN THIS VICTORY IS, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES TO GIVE MORE OF THEM AND WE CAN. AND SO I JUST ASK THE PUBLIC TO BEAR WITH US AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT. AND ANOTHER STORY OF THE LADIES, LIKE HOW REAL THIS IS FOR THEM. SHE STRESSED ABOUT THIS VACCINE ALL NIGHT LONG. SHE DID NOT SLEEP AND SHE GOT A VACCINE IN LOS BANOS. AND THE NERVES AND THE ANXIETY, IT WASN'T THE VACCINE. SHE JUST LITERALLY THREW UP AFTERWARDS JUST BECAUSE OF LIKE I DON'T EVEN CALL IT THE RELIEF OR WHATEVER. JUST THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS AT A HUMAN LEVEL. AND I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT IT MORE OF JUST HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THIS DEAL WORK? SO, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP GOING ON BUT I CAN'T THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH. I THINK YOU GUYS ARE ROCK STARS IN THIS DEAL. YOU REALLY, TRULY ARE. AND AGAIN, A MESSAGE TO WHOEVER. THEY DON'T LISTEN TO US. THAT'S WHY THEY DO THEIR BRIEFINGS ON TUESDAYS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE'RE IN BOARD MEETINGS. IT'S I THINK I YOU KNOW, IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK, IT'S A DUCK. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING UP THERE. THEY DO IT ON PURPOSE. SO ANYHOW, BUT IF SOMEBODY IS LISTENING AND THEY HAVE AN IN SOMEWHERE, SEND US THE VACCINES AND JUST LET US WE ARE THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. WE JUST GET STUFF DONE. YOU SEND US THE VACCINES, WE'LL GET THEM IN PEOPLE'S ARMS. BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT CONTROL YET. SO ANYWAYS, I CAN'T THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH. I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. I REALLY IT'S YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS. BUT MAN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE AND LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT GOT THAT VACCINE, THEY'RE PRETTY STOKED ABOUT IT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT I THINK WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US WITH THE VACCINE THAT WE HAVEN'T SAID THANK YOU YET TODAY. ONE OF THEM IS OUR DEPUTY CEO, DAVID MIRRIONE, AND THE OTHER ONE IS OUR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR, DAVID SCHEURICH. AND I WENT OUT TO THE MERCED FAIRGROUNDS ON THE SECOND DAY. I FIGURED I'D LET THE FIRST DAY GO BY AND THINGS SETTLE IN AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN I WAS THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED AND PUBLIC HEALTH'S TEAM WITH, YOU KNOW, LED OUT THERE BY YADIRA AND THEN THE REST OF THE STAFF. [01:10:05] YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AND CEO BROWN, COUNTLESS HOURS WORKING. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU HAVE ALL THIS SET UP AHEAD OF TIME? WHICH AND WE WERE WORKING ON IT AND IT WAS IN PROGRESS. BUT HOW BIG DO YOU SET UP FOR? ARE WE GOING TO GET A THOUSAND DOSES? ARE WE GOING TO GET FIFTEEN THOUSAND. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES. WE HAD IT ALL TEED UP AND THEN ONCE WE REALIZED WE'RE GETTING VACCINES, THEN IT WAS GO TIME. AND THE STAFF, I THINK, DID VERY WELL WITH THAT SYSTEM. AND SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND BECKY, YOU'RE THE LEADER OF THE TEAM. AND SO KUDOS GOES TO YOU FOR HAVING SUCH A STRONG TEAM PUT TOGETHER. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I'VE GOTTEN, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE OR SIX MESSAGES. WELL, THE FIRST ONE I GOT WAS AT THREE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. I FORGOT TO SILENCE MY PHONE AND GOT A DING, BUT THAT WOKE ME UP. BUT PEOPLE ARE SAYING, ARE THINKING THAT THE COUNTY IS KEEPING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM BEING IN CLASS, THAT OF SOME SORT, THAT DISTRICT LEARNING IS DICTATED BY THE COUNTY. SO COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT FOR THE FOLKS THAT THAT ARE ASKING? SURE CAN. SO NOW THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY OUT OF THE REGIONAL STAY AT HOME ORDER, EFFECTIVE AS OF YESTERDAY, BUT WE STILL REMAIN IN THE PURPLE TIER, WHICH IS THE WORST TIER. THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE MEET WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL SECTOR OR OUR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS SECTOR ONCE A WEEK TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY FEEL, THAT THEIR LEVEL OF PREPARATION IS TO OPEN SCHOOLS. A LOT OF THIS IS NOT A DECISION MADE ON THEIR BEHALF. IT'S A DECISION THAT THEY'VE MADE. WE WERE GRANTED CLEARANCE TO OPEN UP SCHOOLS. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR NUMBERS OVER A TWO AND A HALF MONTH PERIOD MORE THAN TRIPLED. AND SO I THINK THAT THERE IS A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF RETICENCE. AND I KNOW THAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION FEDERALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SCHOOLS AS ONE OF THE FOCUS AREAS UNLESS WE ARE ABLE TO VACCINATE IN SHORT ORDER THE EDUCATORS WHO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, IT'S NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO JUST REOPEN FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOL, THOUGH, WE KNOW THAT THE OUTCOMES ON THE TAIL END OF IT MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHERWISE ARE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH ALL THESE OTHER VARIABLES. I THINK IT'S VERY APPROPRIATE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE GONE THE DIRECTION THAT THEY HAVE GONE AND IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED AND IN COORDINATION WITH THE STATE. IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED TO OPEN AND I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE, IF NOT ALL, REMAINS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THAT. YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I MEAN, I YOU KNOW, I GET IT. IT'S AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION THAT SCHOOLS AREN'T THAT ARE STILL USED IN [INAUDIBLE] LEARNING. BUT IT'S NOT A DIRECTIVE RIGHT FROM THE STATE OR THE COUNTY ITSELF. IT'S A DECISION THAT A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS HAS COME TO AT EACH DISTRICT LEVEL. WELL, THE SUPERINTENDENT CORRECT. OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LETTER SENT OUT YESTERDAY BY ONE OF THE DISTRICTS AND IT JUST KIND OF SENT A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND COMMENT I'LL MAKE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE GOVERNOR HAS COME UNDER QUITE A BIT OF CRITICISM BY A LOT OF FOLKS. AND, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF HIS ACTIONS AT A RESTAURANT HAVE CAUSED HIS POLLING NUMBERS TO GO DOWN AND SIGNATURES FOR THE RECALL PETITION TO GO UP. AND, YOU KNOW, SO IF IN YOUR CALL WITH THE STATE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, YOU COULD SHARE THAT IF THE GOVERNOR WERE TO COME TO MERCED COUNTY AND CATCH US UP ON OUR SUPPLY OF VACCINES, THAT THAT WOULD SURE GO A LONG WAYS IN HELPING HIM WITH THIS PUBLIC OPINION, AT LEAST IN THIS AREA. SO I'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE. WE'LL SEE IF HE TAKES. [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT. I'LL UPDATE YOU NEXT PRESENTATION. YEAH, THANK YOU. AND THEN MY LAST COMMENT, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE GRAPH THAT SHOWS THE CAUSES OF DEATH. SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT IF A PERSON DIES AND HAS COVID OR A SYMPTOM OF COVID, THAT IT'S CALLED THE COVID DEATH, EVEN THOUGH THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF DEATH MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS PREEXISTING. AND SO CAN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION? IF A PERSON HAS A HEART ATTACK AND HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID OR HAS COVERED SYMPTOM, THEN DO THEY LEAVE THE CORONARY HEART DISEASE LINE AND MOVE TO COVID? AND SO IS THAT POTENTIALLY LOWERING THE NUMBER OF CORONARY DEATHS OR NOT? IT DEPENDS ON WHAT'S PLACED ON THE DEATH CERTIFICATE. AND WHAT YOU'VE STATED IS IT HAPPENS WITH ALL DEATH CERTIFICATES. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED AND FOLLOWED UP ON AND WE'LL WORK WITH THE CORONER WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE. [01:15:01] BUT WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED, WHEN HIV AIDS WAS CIRCULATING, THEN SOMEBODY WOULD DIE OF SOME TYPE OF CANCER. BUT THE CANCER WAS BROUGHT ON AS A RESULT OF THE PERSON HAVING A DIAGNOSIS OF AIDS, WHICH WAS WEAKENED IMMUNITY. SO IT MADE THEM OPEN TO WHATEVER INFECTION OR VIRAL, CANCEROUS OR OTHERWISE. AND SO THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH, WHAT LED TO THAT? EVEN IF SOMEBODY DOES HAVE A HEART ATTACK, IF THE PHYSICIAN ON RECORD DETERMINES THAT THAT HEART ATTACK WAS AS A RESULT OF COVID-19 OR A LUNG COLLAPSE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THE CAUSE OF DEATH, IT WOULD THEN BE LISTED AS COVID-19. AND SO THERE IS NOMENCLATURE WITH THE IC [INAUDIBLE] 10 CODES AND CAUSE OF DEATH CODES. AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR PHYSICIANS WHO ARE IN THOSE POSITIONS, WHO STATE WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH ARE. I GUESS WE WOULD HAVE TO QUESTION EVERY DEATH IF THAT WERE THE CASE. AND I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. THERE'S FIRST. SECOND, THERE'S UNDERLYING YOU KNOW, SO HOW IT'S COUNTED IS HOW IT'S COUNTED. IF WE BASE IT ON EVERYTHING ELSE, I WOULD SAY THAT NUMBER IS PROBABLY LESS BECAUSE PEOPLE PROBABLY WANT IT TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN IT IS MORE. BUT, YOU KNOW, BETTER TO PLAY IT ON THAT SIDE THAN TO OVERESTIMATE ALSO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW I SAW THAT WE WERE CRITICIZED FOR THE LOW DOSES OF OUR COUNTY AND WE'RE DOING WHATEVER WE CAN, YOU'RE DOING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WITHIN THE STATE. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE STATE GIVING US THE LOW DOSES YOU KNOW WE'RE HAVING THE LOWEST DOSE IN CALIFORNIA. SO IT JUST UNFAIRNESS. AND WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT EQUITY. SO I JUST LIKE I SAID WE'RE FIGHTING AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND OUR STATE SENATOR. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPOKEN TO THEM PERSONALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING FOR US. AND THEY ARE. BUT IT'S JUST [INAUDIBLE] I'VE DRIVEN AROUND SACRAMENTO AND UP PLACER COUNTY. THEY GET MORE TAX DOLLARS THAN US AS WELL. YOU GO AROUND AND OF COURSE, BECAUSE THE CAPITAL, THEY GET BETTER FREEWAYS, BETTER OFF RAMPS AND, YOU KNOW, MORE THE FACILITIES ARE ALWAYS A LOT BETTER. SO IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOWN IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY WHERE WE'VE GOT MORE POOR COUNTIES. AND WITH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HAVING LESS POPULATION, YOU SEE HOW THEY'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE DOSES AS WELL. SO WE'RE THAT'S WHY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COUNTY TO KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR MORE MEDICAL FACILITIES AND ALSO [INAUDIBLE]. SO WE JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE'RE FIGHTING EVERY DAY. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OUR COLLEAGUES ARE ALL, WE'RE ALL TOGETHER FIGHTING WITH ALONG WITH OUR CITIES AND OUR ELECTED AND THEN THE STATE. SO WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT TO THE END UNTIL WE GET [INAUDIBLE] AND MORE FEDERAL FACILITIES AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. WOW. YOU GUYS DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY EXCEPT THAT I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WAS ABLE TO BE OUT THERE BOTH DAYS AND EXPERIENCED THE TWEEK YADIRA YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THAT. MY BUSINESS IS ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE, AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED AT HOW WELL THAT WAS SET UP. IN FACT, I TOOK A LOT OF NOTES MAYBE FOR MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND CONTINUING. BUT NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS IS A FIGHT. THIS IS CONSTANT. WE'RE HAVING CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH FOLKS AT THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL, AND WE NEED THE VACCINES. WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, AS I CLEARLY STATED A FEW TIMES, AS YOU DID, TOO. AND I APPRECIATED, WE COULD SEE YOUR SHOULDERS TENSE UP A LITTLE BIT AND APPRECIATED YOUR PRESENTATION. VERY CALM. IT'S BEEN A VERY TOUGH, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY TOUGH. I'VE SAID IT. I'M REFERRING TO THE CALL. WELL THE CALL. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CALLS, UNFORTUNATELY. YEAH. AND IT'S ALWAYS WORSE NEWS. IT'S YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MADE A COMMENT DURING I THINK IT WAS LAST NIGHT OR THE NIGHT BEFORE IS I'M JUST SO SICK OF HEARING THESE MESSAGES, FROM LOOKING UNDER THE BUS BECAUSE WE'RE CONSTANTLY AS LOCALS HAVING THE BUS TOSSED ON US AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, HANG IN THERE, HOLD ON. YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE FINE AND MAYBE WE'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, AND SO HAVING THAT PARTNERSHIP AND ALSO THAT RESPECT FOR THE FACT THAT WE ARE PEERS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONVINCE ME OF HOW I'M TAKING THIS. AND I HAVE REASON AND I CAN THINK AND SO WE CAN DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS. [01:20:03] AND SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR APPRECIATION. AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE PODIUM WITHOUT A SINCERE LEVEL OF THANKS TO MY DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, THERE IS ALWAYS LEADERSHIP, BUT CULTIVATING LEADERS AMONG THOSE WHO ALSO LEAD IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CAPACITIES. I REALLY WANT TO TILT MY HAT AND EXTEND SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STAFF WHO ARE ON SITE NOTIFIED LAST MINUTE OF A NEED FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT AT THESE PUT TOGETHER PODS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, PUBLIC HEALTH, YOU ALL REPRESENT A LOT. AND PUBLIC HEALTH AS A DISCIPLINE IS OFTEN AN UNSUNG HERO, BUT COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF THE TEAM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BECKY. LIKE I SAID, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, MERCED COUNTY IS ALWAYS THE FIRST AFFECTED AND THE LAST TO RECOVER. AND I THINK WE TOOK THOSE WORDS AND WE WERE PREPARED AT EVERY STAGE. IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE A LITTLE BIT. WE ALWAYS WERE PREPARING AND TRYING TO MOTIVATE AND TRYING TO BE THERE. AND WITH THE VACCINE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF US BEING THERE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE LAST TO RECOVER. WE WANT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF IT. AND WE WERE OUT IN FRONT OF IT. NOW JUST GET US THE VACCINE SO WE CAN GET THIS THING ROLLING. WE'VE ALREADY PLANNED FOR. EXACTLY. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MANY EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES. VOICEMAILS, MESSAGES OF THANKING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN THAT VACCINE PROCESS, EVEN I WAS STANDING OUT THERE AND I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF AND DAVID MIRRIONE AS WELL, WE WALKED THROUGH THE LINES AND CHATTED WITH PEOPLE, NOT A ONE. THEY WERE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAD COUNTY FOLKS AT EACH POINT, EVEN IN THE LINES OUTSIDE, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR JUST HAVE A CASUAL CONVERSATION WITH THESE FOLKS, MEETING FOLKS AS THEY WERE LEAVING, ASKING THEM. AND THIS IS WHENEVER WE HAD THE HICCUP WITH THE SYSTEM, WITH THE STATE WHERE IT TOOK THEM ALMOST AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT BECAUSE WE WERE THERE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH PERSON, THEY WERE FINE WITH IT AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY VERY IMPRESSED AT HOW IT WAS SET UP. AND THEN THE SECOND DAY NOBODY HAD IT WAS THEY WERE SO HAPPY. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE LONGEST ONE WAS A HALF HOUR TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR BECKY? THANK YOU, BECKY. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. [CONSENT CALENDAR] NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 18, PLEASE NOTE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEMS TWO, THREE, SEVEN, EIGHT AND 16. I HAVE A MOTION BY QUICK FINGER SILVEIRA [LAUGHTER] WITH A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SCOTT HE'S VERY QUICK ON THAT. SO I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. IT'S THINKING. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS BOARD ACTION, PUBLIC WORKS ITEM 19. [BOARD ACTION ] AND AGAIN, THE WINNER IS, I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE NEXT IS HEALTH ITEMS 20 THROUGH 26. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO WITH THE SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. YOU CAN SEE SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, YOU'VE GOT TO GET QUICK HUH. [LAUGHTER]. YOU LOST OUT ON YOUR PRACTICE UP HERE AT THE CHAIR. [01:25:01] OK. I RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU CHAIR. JUST WANT TO BRING UP ITEMS TWENTY THROUGH TWENTY FIVE. AND SO THESE AS YOU GUYS HAVE ALL READ, THESE ARE MOU'S BETWEEN EACH CITY, WHICH THREE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED THEIR MOU'S AND THREE HAVE NOT PASSED THEM YET. SO I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON HERE. AND SO I'VE BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT IS THE LAMP, WHICH IS THE LOCAL AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN. IS THAT RIGHT. YES. VICKI, PLEASE. HUH? OK, VERY GOOD. GOOD MORNING. VICKI JONES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION DIRECTOR WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. CHAIRMAN MCDANIEL AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I RUN PROGRAMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND SO OUR ONSITE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS ONE OF THOSE THAT I DO RUN WITH OUR DEPARTMENT AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDER STATE REQUIREMENTS A NEED TO OPERATE ARE, THE SHORT TERM IS OWTS ONSITE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT TREATMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH IS SEPTIC SYSTEMS FOR THE COUNTY. UP UNTIL TODAY, THE CITIES HAD NOT BEEN UNDER OUR REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND THE CITIES AND I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS AND THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ENTERING INTO AN MOU WITH US SO THAT OUR OFFICE COULD MANAGE THE PROGRAM FOR SEPTIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THEIR CITY JURISDICTIONS TO HELP THEM, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM DOES TAKE A LOT OF EXPERTISE AND TIME AND EFFORT FOR THEIR PART. FOR US, WE ALREADY HAVE AN EXPERTISE AND PROGRAM IN PLACE. VERY GOOD. SO IT'S THE LAMP, THE THE ACRONYM LAMP STANDS FOR. IT'S THE LOCAL AGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. OK, THERE YOU GO. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING FOR. THANK YOU. AND SO BASICALLY MY COMMENTS ON THIS IS AS I UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE CITIES THEY DO HAVE VERY FEW OF THESE AS MOST CITIES ARE ON MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS SEWER SYSTEMS. CORRECT. AM I SAFE IN SAYING THAT. MOST ARE LARGELY ON PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEMS AND THERE ARE SOME PREEXISTING SYSTEMS MOST CITIES ARE NOT LOOKING TO. THE STATE DOES NOT WISH FOR PEOPLE TO WITHIN CITY LIMITS OR IN THEIR AREAS SURROUNDING TO NECESSARILY ADD BRAND NEW SEPTIC SYSTEMS, BUT ARE LOOKING TO HAVE THEM HOOKED TO CITY SEWER. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THAT JUST MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE, DEPENDING ON LOCATION COST, YOU KNOW, THE EXTENT OF THE LINES AT THE TIME. AND SO THERE COULD BE OCCASIONS WE MAY NEED TO ASSIST WITH PERMITTING AN INSPECTION OF A REPAIR OR DESTRUCTION OF AN EXISTING SYSTEM. IT WOULD BE A RARE OCCURRENCE AND RESEARCH I'VE CONDUCTED WITH THE CITIES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND WITH STANISLAUS COUNTY, WHO CURRENTLY OPERATES A VERY SIMILAR PROGRAM. AND SO BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES IS, IS THEY DON'T WANT TO STAND UP THEIR OWN STAND ALONE PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING. AND IF THEY DON'T DO THAT, THEN THEY FALL UNDER THE STATE'S REGULATIONS. AND SO WE'VE NEGOTIATED WHAT SOME WOULD THINK IS A GOOD DEAL WITH THE STATE, WITH OUR LAMP. I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL. I DON'T LIKE I THINK THAT SOME OF THE THINGS IN THERE MAY BE GOOD, BUT THERE'S THINGS IN THERE THAT I'M FRUSTRATED WITH. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITIES WANT TO ENTER INTO THIS MOU WITH US. IT'S FOR AS LITTLE AS THEY'LL USE IT. THEY WILL JUST HAVE US DO IT. HERE'S THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BAD GUYS. SO WHENEVER THERE'S AN ISSUE IN THE CITY, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE CITY THAT'S GOING TO BE ISSUING THE CITATIONS. IT'S GOING TO BE US ISSUING CITATIONS. I JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. AND SO HERE'S THE THING. AND IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE IN THE INTEREST OF BEING GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE CITIES, I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT IT. BUT JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN THESE MOU'S, IF IT BECOMES WERE IT'S AN ISSUE AND WE'RE BEING THE BAD GUYS ALL THE TIME, WE CAN GET OUT OF THESE MOU'S WITH I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT AND IT'S, MAYBE LIKE A 60 DAY OR 30 DAY AGREEMENT OR A WRITTEN LETTER. SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE ON THE RECORD THAT ANY TIME I THINK THAT AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT I'M IN ANY WAY FRUSTRATED WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I DON'T LIKE THE STATE'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I DON'T LIKE THEIR SYSTEM OF UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS MAKING REGULATIONS, PUTTING THEM ON AT THE END OF OUR AGENDA THAT WE FILE THAT SAYS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, PERIOD, IS GOING TO END IN ONE MONTH OR [01:30:04] WHATEVER, AND THEN THEY DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO ANYWAYS. I'VE NEVER SEEN A SITUATION WHERE THEY LISTEN TO ANYBODY THAT EITHER COMMENTS OR GOES AND SPEAKS AT THEIR THINGS. OR THAT IT'S DURING A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. EXACTLY. SO ANYHOW, I HAVE SOME FRUSTRATIONS WITH IT ANYWAY, SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. I DIDN'T WANT TO LET IT GO. I KNOW I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME. I MEAN, MY ORIGINAL WHEN I READ THIS, MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS, NO, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS. BUT IN CONSULTATION WITH COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE CEO'S OFFICE ON KIND OF WHAT THE BACK STORY IS AND HOW MUCH THEY WANT THIS, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME. BUT I JUST WANT US TO ALL BE AWARE THAT IF IT STARTS TO BECOME WERE NOW, THE COUNTY'S GOING AND THE CITIES BEING THE BAD GUY FOR THE CITY, I'M WILLING THEY CAN HANDLE THEIR OWN STUFF. THAT'S JUST ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. THANK YOU. AND I THINK MOST CITIES DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, THINGS IN THEIR CITY LIMITS. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS MAYOR IN LIVINGSTON, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES TRY TO GET EVERYONE INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GRANDFATHERED IN THROUGH THE PAST. AND WHATEVER MEANS WHEN THE CITY IS INCORPORATED OR ADDED MORE PROPERTY TO THE CITY LIMITS. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO GET OFF GOING TO HOOK UP TO THE CITY SEWER. AND OR DON'T WANT TO PAY WHATEVER THE CITY CHARGES. SO IT'S JUST I WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST ADAMANT AND THEY DON'T WANT NOTHING FROM THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S WATER OR SEWER, BECAUSE THE CITIES ARE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR RAISING THEIR FEES FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE IT IS. BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE ON [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN SEE PEOPLE ON THE SEWER SYSTEM, WHICH IS A LOT SAFER AND ENVIRONMENTALLY BETTER. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE MY INPUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA FOR DELVING SO DEEP AND EDUCATING THE RESIDENTS ON THOSE MOU'S. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ITEM TWENTY SIX IS A GRANT FROM THE TRIPPLE A OR AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION AT IT'S FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BUY CAR SEATS FOR NEWBORNS OR KIDS ANYWAY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK AAA FOR PROVIDING THAT FUNDING. IT'S A GOOD DEAL. AND I AM SURE IN THE PAST IT SAVED LIVES, SO AND IT WILL IN THE FUTURE. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SO ONE THING WE DO HAVE WRITTEN INTO THE MOU'S THAT IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF COMPLAINT OR ISSUE WITH A SEPTIC SYSTEM, THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD CONDUCT THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF IT. BUT IF THERE IS ENFORCEMENT TO FOLLOW UP ON AFTER OUR INITIAL DIRECTION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, THEN THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TAKE OVER FROM THERE AND COMPLETE THAT ENFORCEMENT. SO THERE WOULD BE MUTUAL EFFORT ON THAT PART WRITTEN IN THE MOU. AND THEN IT DOES HAVE THE ABILITY, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE FOR EITHER PARTY TO WITH WRITTEN DESIRE TO LEAVE THE MOU CONTRACT TO TERMINATE IT THEN WITHIN 90 DAYS THAT THAT WOULD BE IN EFFECT. CHAIR RECOGNIZES CEO BROWN. MR. CHAIR, MS. JONES KIND OF WENT DOWN THE PATH A LITTLE BIT. BUT JUST TO SHARE, WE RECOGNIZE THE. CONCERN VERY CANDIDLY. MS. JONES MENTIONED, THIS HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF YEAR PROCESS, YOUR SENTIMENTS WERE EXACTLY MINE RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE WHERE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TYPICALLY FROM A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN A COUNTY WE DO NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OVER BUILDING AND POLICY ISSUES SUCH AS THIS WITHIN CITY LIMITS AND FELT LIKE IT WAS BEST FOR US TO STAY OUT OF IT. AT THAT TIME, CITY MANAGERS WERE BASICALLY SAYING, WE NEED YOU, WE NEED YOU. WE DON'T WANT TO DEFER TO THE STATE BECAUSE IT WILL ACTUALLY BE PROBABLY MORE CHALLENGING THAN SETTING UP THEIR OWN [INAUDIBLE]. SO THERE WAS KIND OF MUTUAL DISCUSSIONS AND BASICALLY MY COMMENTS TO THEM ARE WE NEED A PARTNER THROUGH THIS BECAUSE THESE ARE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE THE POLICY JURISDICTION OVER. AND IF THAT PARTNERSHIP DOES NOT WORK TO WHERE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE TO MANY, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO REEVALUATE THAT. SO YOUR COMMENTS ARE RIGHT ON. BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS DID TAKE PLACE SOME TIME AGO WITH CITY MANAGERS, AND IT WAS BASICALLY AT THEIR REQUEST THAT WE DO THIS. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, THANK YOU AGAIN AND DIRECTOR JONES, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. I GUESS WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, IT'S THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF [01:35:05] THEY HAVE TO DESTROY ONE I KNOW THAT THERE'S A PERMIT THAT COMES ALONG WITH DESTROYING THAT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO APPLY THROUGH FOR THE COUNTY. AM I CORRECT. THAT'S THE WAY I READ IT. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE I TALK ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BAD GUY NOW. WE'RE SOMEBODY WHEN MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT ONE BROUGHT UP ABOUT. YEAH, I GET IN THE CITY, YOU WANT THEM TO GO ON THE MUNICIPAL SYSTEM. THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT THEY DO. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT COSTS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF IS NOW THAT THEY HAVE TO DESTROY IT AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO OUR MEETINGS OVER A PLACE THAT WE DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION. THAT'S, I GUESS, WHERE KIND OF MY BIGGER HANGUP ON IT IS. JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET'S RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THOSE ARE GREAT REMARKS, THOUGH, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, AND WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK. OK, I HAVE 11:45 ON MY CLOCK, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OH, IT JUST TURNED 11:45 UP THERE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. NEXT, IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS TWENTY SEVEN THROUGH TWENTY NINE. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE LOOK FOR A MOTION? SEEING NONE I ALREADY HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. LET'S COUNT THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS THIRTY AND THIRTY ONE. ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OK, I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S COUNT THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ITEM 32. PLEASE NOTE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE IS REQUIRED. I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. MR. PEDROZO. LET'S GO AND COUNT THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS FIRE ITEMS, THIRTY THREE AND THIRTY FOUR. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S COUNT THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE DID HAVE THE CHIEF IN THE ROOM, IF THERE IS ANY QUESTIONS. ITEMS THIRTY FIVE AND THIRTY SIX ARE FROM THE SHERIFF. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OK, I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S COUNT THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, HIS AUDITOR ITEM THIRTY SEVEN. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. SEEING NONE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, I JUST YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T READ EVERY WORD OF THE CAFR HERE, BUT I DID GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF IT. AGAIN, THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER STAFF, IT'S A LOT THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON HERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND A LOT OF REPORTS THAT THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE AUDITORS. AND EVERYTHING THAT I READ BASICALLY SAYS THAT WE'RE GOOD, WE'VE GOT TO CLEAN UNMODIFIED OPINION. SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT. ONE THING OF NOTE TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND OR SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS PAID OFF IS THE LAST OF THE DAIRY LOANS. SEEMS LIKE WHEN I RESEARCHED THAT, THAT GOT PAID OFF IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE. I'M JUST CURIOUS AND MAYBE THIS IS I SHOULD HAVE CALLED YOU DIRECTOR HENDRICKSON, BUT, I'M ON THAT COMMITTEE, I THINK. AND, MAYBE AT SOME POINT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, WE HAVEN'T HAD A [01:40:03] MEETING OR HAVEN'T HAD TO MEET AND MAYBE A LITTLE MEETING WOULDN'T HURT JUST SO I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S LEFT. AND IS THERE ANY MORE TO GIVE OUT OR HOW THAT WORKS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA THROUGH THE CHAIR, WE ABSOLUTELY CAN DO THAT. I'M NOT PREPARED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING RIGHT HERE AT THE PODIUM, BUT WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY IN THE DAYS AHEAD TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AN A COUPLE OF FOLKS TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM. KIND OF WHAT IT'S HISTORICALLY DONE AND WHAT WE COULD BE DOING POTENTIALLY PROSPECTIVELY. PERFECT. AND I'M SORRY THAT I DIDN'T CALL YOU. THAT JUST KIND OF CAME TO ME. SO THANK YOU. OK, I DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S COUNT THE VOTE . MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS ELECTIONS, ITEM 38. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. SEEING NONE I DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM THIRTY NINE IS FROM THE RECORDER. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THAT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR MAY. AS I WAS READING THROUGH THIS ITEM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD FOR HIM IS IT TALKS ABOUT IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT THERE'S A 15 PERCENT INCREASE IN YEAR OVER YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE RECORDED IN THE RECORDER'S OFFICE AND BEING AND I LIKE TO CALL US FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I CAN JUSTIFY IN MY MIND THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE THAT IS GOING TO BE INCURRED BY ADDING CHANGING SOME POSITIONS AROUND THAT BETTER GIVES THE DIRECTOR THE ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S RUNNING HIS DEPARTMENT AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. AND SO AND HE FOLLOWED UP WITH AN EMAIL FOR ME. AND JUST SO I'M GOING TO SHARE THOSE WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD. SO THE NUMBER OF RECORDED DOCUMENTS IN TWENTY NINETEEN WAS FORTY FOUR THOUSAND ONE SIXTY FOUR AND, IN 2020 IT WAS FIFTY THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE. RECORDING FEES WERE 722 THOUSAND IN THE EIGHTEEN NINETEEN EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY IN NINETEEN TWENTY AND RECORDING FEES FOR TWENTY TWENTY ONE ARE ON PACE TO EXCEED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO JUST KIND OF SOME JUSTIFICATION. I'M HAPPY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME TWEAKS AND MANEUVERS TO BE ABLE TO BETTER RUN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND THAT THERE'S REVENUES COMING IN THAT ARE GOING TO HELP TO PAY FOR THOSE AND JUSTIFY THOSE COSTS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEMS FORTY AND FORTY ONE, PLEASE NOTE ON ITEM FORTY, THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE BOARD ASSIGNMENTS ON THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, PER BYLAWS OF THE POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, PEB INVESTMENT TRUST BOARD, THE CHAIRMAN OR VICE CHAIRMAN ARE DESIGNATED AS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THAT'S CHANGED TO THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE BOARD ASSIGNMENTS LIST WAS INADVERTENTLY MISSED. THE FINAL ASSIGNMENT LIST SHOULD READ SUPERVISOR DARREN MCDANIEL'S PRIMARY AND SUPERVISOR LLOYD PAREIRA AS ALTERNATE FOR POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS PEB. CAN WE TAKE THESE ITEMS SEPARATELY? CAN WE GO TO ITEM FORTY? BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO GO ON UP HERE ON SOME RECOMMENDED CHANGES. DO FORTY FIRST. LET'S DO FORTY FIRST. YEAH. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. IN THE BOARD ASSIGNMENTS, I HAVE SPOKEN TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND ON THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD. HE HAS GRACIOUSLY OFFERED TO ALLOW ME TO BE THE PRIMARY AND HE WOULD BE THE ALTERNATE. SO AND THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE I HAVE. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE DOES. ANY OTHER REQUEST TO SPEAK. YES, I DO HAVE. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER UP TO MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT TWO THE PRIMARY POSITION ON [01:45:05] THE COUNTY OVERSIGHT BOARD. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD AS A NEW SUPERVISOR TO JUST KIND OF GO IN HEADFIRST AND REALLY GET TO UNDERSTAND THESE PROGRAMS. AND I WOULD OFFER TO BE THE ALTERNATE AND BE OF ANY KIND OF SUPPORT THAT YOU NEEDED. ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAD, I'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO ANSWER THOSE. SO LONG AS YOU WERE WILLING TO TAKE THE PRIMARY POSITION. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I THINK HE WAS PROBABLY A COUNCILMAN WHEN A LOT OF THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE. SO YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTING IN THAT COMMITTEE. AND THAT WOULD BE ON THE WELL, WHAT IS IT CALLED THE BOARD APPOINTMENTS AND NOT THE ASSIGNMENTS. SO YOU'LL BE SWITCHED. JUST SWITCHED. YEAH. OKAY. AND SOMETIMES THOSE MEETINGS, IT'S CONVENIENT THAT YOU'RE HERE LOCALLY AND FOR HIM TO HAVE TO HAVE TO THEY FOLLOW THE DLA BEFORE THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR MEETINGS UNTIL THREE THIRTY IN THE AFTERNOON. AND SO IT SOMETIMES GETS A LITTLE ROUGH. BUT THANK YOU. AND THAT'S WITH ALL THOSE CHANGES. WITH THE CHANGES AND CLERK HAS DULY NOTED, THE CHANGES. YES. OK, WE HAVE A FIRST AN A SECOND. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. OH, I'M SORRY. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I FEEL LIKE THE NEW GUY ON THE BLOCK IS GETTING ALL THE DIFFERENT STUFF. SO BUT. BUT I'M GOOD. SO THANK YOU. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. [LAUGHTER] OK, LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM FORTY ONE. NEXT IS FORTY ONE. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON FORTY ONE? THAT ONE IS NOT QUITE AS EXCITING. WELL, IT'S EXCITING, BUT I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS 42 THROUGH 45. ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ON THIS. SEEING NONE. I DO HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND ON THE MOTION. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS. [BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION] FORTY SIX THROUGH FORTY EIGHT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? OH, YES. NOT JUST SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, I DON'T WANT TO CALL ANYBODY OUT. SO IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE SUPERVISORS ON THIS? [LAUGHTER] SECOND. ALRIGHT I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES WITH FOUR YES OR FOUR AYES WITH ONE ABSTENTION, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. HE'S WANTED TO DO THAT FOR A LONG TIME. AND THE CHAIR DOES RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND AS MY LONG STANDING TRADITION, WHEN I VOTE OUT OF THE MAJORITY, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I NEED TO GIVE MY REASON. AND SO, COUNCIL IS STILL WORKING TO GET ME A LITTLE BIT MORE HISTORY AS TO WHEN AND WHY THIS HAPPENS. AND SO, UNTIL I'M SATISFIED, I'M GOING TO REMAIN AND I'LL ABSTAIN TO VOTE ON THESE ITEMS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTOOD WHERE I WAS COMING FROM. YOU HAD NO QUESTIONS FOR THE AG COMMISSIONER. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR SCHEDULED ITEMS, THE FIRST IS FROM COMMUNITY AND [01:50:03] ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. FIRST, READING PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING MERCED COUNTY CODE, CHAPTER NINE POINT ZERO EIGHT ILLEGAL DUMPING ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PREMISES IN CHAPTER NINE POINT SEVEN ZERO PUBLIC NUISANCE ABATEMENT. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. HENDRICKSON. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON, MARK HENDRICKSON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO PREFACE MY BRIEF REMARKS BY FIRST SAYING THANK YOU TO THIS BOARD FOR ITS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM. ON NOVEMBER 17TH. YOU MAY RECALL OF LAST YEAR, STAFF DID RECEIVE SOME GUIDANCE FROM THIS BOARD ON HOW BEST TO PROCEED MOVING FORWARD ON POTENTIAL OPTIONS RELATED TO ADDRESS NUISANCE ABATEMENT AND ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE BLIGHTS ON OUR COMMUNITY. THIS ITEM, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY, WOULD MODIFY CODE ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES, AS WAS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WITH YOU AGAIN, TO ENHANCE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TOOLKIT IN ORDER TO MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE WITH COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS. JUST VERY BRIEFLY, WITH REGARD TO NUISANCE ABATEMENT, STAFF HAS PRESENTED A SUGGESTED STRUCTURE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE ITEM ITSELF, BY WHICH ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES COULD BE ASSIGNED TO PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ALLOW A NUISANCE TO EXIST ON THEIR PROPERTY. THE PENALTY AMOUNT WOULD CORRESPOND TO THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE NUISANCE, THE SEVERITY OF THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND FREQUENCY OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES. THIS BOARD PREVIOUSLY GUIDED STAFF TO ENSURE THAT THE RANGE OF ANY PENALTY AMOUNTS WOULD BE COMMENSURATE WITH THE LEVEL OF IMPACT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE. AND AS PROPOSED IN THE ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU, PENALTIES COULD RANGE BETWEEN FIFTY DOLLARS PER DAY TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY, DEPENDING ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS, MOST NOTABLY THE SEVERITY OF THE NUISANCE AND THE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. RELATED TO ILLEGAL DUMPING. AGAIN, THE STAFF PRESENTED BACK IN THIS PAST NOVEMBER. WHILE COUNTY CODE CURRENTLY CONTAINS LANGUAGE ADDRESSING ILLEGAL DUMPING, THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY A MEANS TO PENALIZE ANYONE WHO ILLEGALLY DUMPS MATERIAL ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY UNLESS THAT INDIVIDUAL IS LITERALLY CAUGHT IN THE ACT. THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD ESTABLISH AN ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY IN THIS REGARD TO BE IMPOSED ON AN INDIVIDUAL WHEN TWO OR MORE PIECES OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ARE FOUND WITHIN OR AMONG DUMPED MATERIAL. IN CLOSING I'D OFFER YOU SEVERAL GENERAL COMMENTS. FIRST, WE SHOULD EXPECT, AS I MENTIONED THIS BACK IN NOVEMBER, THAT ENFORCEMENT OF ORDINANCES AND USE OF ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES MAY VERY WELL RESULT IN COMPLAINTS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS BEING PENALIZED. THAT'S AN EXPECTATION WE SHOULD HAVE. THIS BOARD ALSO, AS A PART OF THE GUIDANCE WE RECEIVED BACK IN NOVEMBER, EXPRESSED INTEREST AND GUIDANCE THAT ANY PENALTIES MUST HAVE A CLEAR PROCESS FOR APPEAL OF THE ENFORCEMENT AND THE PENALTY AMOUNT AS APPLICABLE. AND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE DOES EXACTLY JUST THAT. LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE PENALTIES ESTABLISHED IN THE ORDINANCE AGAIN WHICH BEFORE YOU TODAY WOULD BE IN SITUATIONS WHERE FLEXIBILITY, UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION BREAK DOWN. I THINK BY NOW, HOPEFULLY EACH OF YOU WELL RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR STAFF ALWAYS AIMS TO BE REASONABLE AND FLEXIBLE AND WORKING ALONGSIDE PROPERTY OWNERS TO ACHIEVE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH COUNTY CODES. PRIOR TO EITHER TAKING ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR YOU'RE TAKING POTENTIAL ACTION TODAY. THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT I THINK I'D BE REMISS IF I DID NOT RECOGNIZE, AS EACH OF THEM HELPED WITH THIS PROCESS, MOST NOTABLY THE CEO MR. HANSEN, MR. GRANT, FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING WORK ON THIS, MR. HERTFELDER AND HIS ORGANIZATION, MR. MAXEY AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM. VERY, VERY PROUD OF EACH OF THEM. AND AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM BROADLY IS A TEAM EFFORT. SO I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR PARTNERS IN PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, FIRE. AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS ABSOLUTELY A TEAM EFFORT. THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR YOU TODAY OR FOR YOU TO INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT THE FIRST READING OF THIS ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ILLEGAL DUMPING ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PREMISES AND AMENDING THE IMPOSITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE, ESTABLISHING VIOLATION CATEGORIES AND INCREASING POTENTIAL PENALTY AMOUNTS TWO FOR YOU TO WAIVE FURTHER READING OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. AND THEN LASTLY, TO SET ANOTHER READING, A SECOND READING AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR FEBRUARY 9TH 2021 AT 10:00 A.M. . MR. MAXEY AND I ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I BELIEVE COUNCIL IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED AS WELL. SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF A LEGAL NATURE? MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. WELL, THANK YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE A SLIDE OR ANYTHING TO. WE DO HAVE SLIDES SHOULD THEY BE NECESSARY. WE HAVE A SHORT SLIDE DECK THAT WAS VERY REMINISCENT OF WHAT WE DID LAST TIME. [01:55:04] WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING THOSE BACK UP ON THE SCREEN, NOTABLY, IF NOTHING ELSE, FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT TO ACTUALLY SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS. YOU MIGHT RECALL SOME OF THE PICTURES. SO MR. MAXEY YOU WANT TO MAYBE DO THAT. WELL I'LL LOOK TO THE REST OF THE BOARD ARE YOU GUYS. I'M GOOD. YOU'RE GOOD. [INAUDIBLE] WE ARE HAPPY TO DO IT EITHER WAY. WE'VE GOT. AND I DO HAVE COPIES MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. MAYBE JUST VERY BRIEFLY, BECAUSE IF STEVE IF YOU CAN, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED IN MY COMMENTS, THE NUISANCE ISSUE AND JUST THE BLIGHT THAT THIS CAUSES ON COMMUNITIES IS EXTRAORDINARY. SO AS MR. MAXEY GETS THIS LOADED UP HERE, JUST VERY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF PICTURES AND THESE ARE JUST A SMALL SNAPSHOT OF WHAT EACH OF YOU SEE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS. IT PUTS A GREAT DEAL OF STRAIN AND PRESSURE ON ALL OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS. SO, AGAIN, WHETHER YOU ARE PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, FIRE OR THE SHERIFF OR MY TEAM, THIS IS IT'S PATHETIC. IT'S INEXCUSABLE. AND THIS IS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO RIGHT TRACK THAT EFFORT AGAIN BY DOING OUR PART TO AGAIN HELP PEOPLE GET INTO COMPLIANCE AND HELP THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING TO ENDURE, IN MANY RESPECTS, PEOPLE DUMPING THINGS ILLEGALLY ON THEIR PROPERTY. SO, AGAIN, I WILL MAKE COPIES AVAILABLE OF THE SLIDES, WHICH AGAIN, JUST VERY, VERY BRIEF BOTH FOR THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC. SHOULD THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN ACTUALLY SEEING THE SLIDES? AND AGAIN, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. HENDRICKSON. SO THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. THANK YOU, SIR. WELL, THANK YOU, MR. HENDRICKSON. IT'S MUCH NEEDED. I THINK WE ALL KNOW I'VE BEEN MYSELF A FARMER. IT JUST IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN AND WHAT REGION OF THE COUNTY. IT'S JUST UNBEARABLE. AND RIGHT NOW, WITH OUR LAWS CHANGING AND ADDITIONAL STUFF, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE DUMPED AND TAKEN TO THE LANDFILL, IT MOST LIKELY WILL BE END UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SOMEWHERE OR ON SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY. SO IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AND PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN BE FINED IF THEY GET CAUGHT WITH DUMPING ILLEGALLY ON ANY PROPERTY. I THINK WE ALL HAVE SMALL COMMUNITIES IN OUR DISTRICTS THAT WHETHER IT'S ALLIES OR JUST ANYWHERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD CLOSE TO TOWN WITH HOMELESS LEAVING STUFF, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO CLEAN UP BECAUSE WE GET THE CALLS FROM THE NEIGHBORS. SO, YEAH, CERTAINLY IF THIS IS MORE AGGRESSIVE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED IT. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S NONE OF US THAT DON'T GET THE CALLS, YOU KNOW, IF NOT WEEKLY, VERY OFTEN. SO I AGREE WITH THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ESPINOZA. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND DIRECTOR HENDRICKSON AND EVERYBODY, THAT WAS A PART OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS. I'M VERY THANKFUL. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT MY OTHER [INAUDIBLE] WE'VE BROUGHT UP, AND I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. NOW THE ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES ARE THOSE NEW FOR THIS ORDINANCE OR HAVE THOSE ALREADY BEEN ON THE BOOKS. LET MR. MAXEY KIND OF ADDRESSED SOME OF THE MECHANICS. SO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES IN BOTH OF THESE INSTANCES FOR THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES, AS WELL AS THE ILLEGAL DUMPING PENALTIES ARE BOTH NEW. OK. AND SO THIS IS WHERE I'M AT WITH IT IS IT'S I'VE SEEN IT IN OUR AG SECTOR GETS HIT REALLY HARD IN THE RURAL AREAS WITH THE KIND OF I WANT TO SAY REALLY GOT ME GOING ON THIS IS I'VE GOT A PICTURE FARMER ON THE WEST SIDE, ON THE WAY WEST SIDE OF MY DISTRICT. LITERALLY, THESE PEOPLE WENT IN THERE AND THEY HAD TO MAKE FOUR OR FIVE PICKUP LOADS. THEY HAD TO DRIVE OVER STUFF THAT THEY DROPPED TO GO AND DROP MORE. AND AND I GET IT FROM THE SHERIFF'S PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THEY ACTUALLY CATCH THEM DOING IT, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING THEY CAN DO. BUT WHAT THE ACTION HERE, IS IT GOING TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. NO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME EXAMPLE OUT OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU CAN'T USE THE EXCUSE WELL I. AND THE WAY THAT I READ THIS, WE FIND TWO PIECES OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND THAT COULD BE A LETTER, A PIECE OF MAIL, A PILL BOTTLE OR SOMETHING THAT HAS THE NAME AND THE ADDRESS. YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND I GET IT. AND I THINK THAT STAFF IS GIVEN THE ABILITY TO REALLY SEE IS IT THE ONE OFF? IS IT SOMEBODY THAT LITERALLY JUST GOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF OUR SENIORS, THEY HAD SOMEBODY HAUL IT AWAY. DID THEY GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OR IS IT SOMEBODY WHO KNEW VERY WELL WHERE IT WAS GOING AND IT WASN'T GOING TO THE LANDFILL? AND I THINK THAT IT'S TIME THAT IN THIS COUNTY THAT WE KIND OF CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. [02:00:01] AND I DO KNOW WHAT KIND OF EXACERBATED THIS PROBLEM I'M GOING TO SAY A LITTLE BIT IS WITH ALL OF THE CANCELATION OF THE SPRING CLEANUPS BECAUSE OF COVID, WE'VE SEEN IT A LOT MORE. BUT IT'S BECOMING A GROWING I MEAN, EVEN IN THE CITIES, TYPICALLY IT WAS ALWAYS IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS IS WHERE IT WOULD END UP. IF YOU DRIVE AROUND, LIKE EVEN IN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS AND IT'S RANDOM PLACES, PEOPLE ARE JUST DUMPING STUFF. AND FOR THOSE ONES THAT ARE KIND OF THE DUMB DUMBS THAT LEAVE THEIR MAIL IN THEIR TRASH AND ALL THAT, I SAY THAT IT'S TIME THAT WE SHOW THEM THAT WE'RE WE'RE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY. AND I CAN LOOK ANY ONE OF MY SUPPORTERS CONSTITUENTS IN THE FACE AND TELL THEM IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND THEN I KNOW THAT MAYBE HISTORICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE DEALS WHERE WELL WE WANT TO SEE IT ENFORCED. BUT, BOY, IF IT'S SOMEBODY THAT WE KNOW OR MAYBE YOU GET TO PUSH BACK OR WHATEVER, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM TELLING THOSE FOLKS, HEY, YOU NEED TO DO YOUR PART. IT'S NOT FAIR TO YOUR NEIGHBORS FOR YOUR STUFF TO BE ENDING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER. FROM WHAT I'VE READ THROUGH IT, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING NEEDS TO BE ADDED. I THINK THAT WE GET THROUGH TODAY'S PROCESS AND THEN WE'RE ON THE WAY OF HAVING OUR SECOND READING AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ORDINANCE. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE'LL. ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS. I GUESS I'LL ASK JUST THOSE ARE ISSUED AND THEN WHAT'S THE ENFORCEMENT BEHIND IT TO ACTUALLY COLLECT? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SO AFTER THE ENFORCING OFFICER, AGAIN, WHETHER THAT'S DIRECTOR HENDRICKSON, HIS ROLE ENFORCING OFFICER OR VICKIE JONES CAN ENFORCE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN ENFORCE ANY ENFORCING OFFICERS AS DEFINED IN THE CODE CAN CHOOSE TO ENFORCE. IF IT CLEARS THE APPEALS PROCESS, THE PROPERTY OWNER OR WHOEVER THE PENALTY IS BEING LEVIED AGAINST CHOOSES NOT TO APPEAL. THE COUNTY WOULD COLLECT. IF WE'RE UNABLE TO COLLECT, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WHERE WE PROCEED THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS. IF WE'RE UNABLE TO COLLECT AND TRY TO WORK THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS TO COLLECT FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER, WHOEVER WE ASSESSED THE PENALTY AGAINST. AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, THERE'S ALSO I BELIEVE THERE'S THE ABILITY TO CONVERT THE NOT THE PENALTIES, BUT THE ABATEMENT COSTS INTO A LEAN AGAINST THE PROPERTY IF THERE'S PROPERTY INVOLVED. WHICH, OF COURSE, WE'VE DONE WITH THIS BOARD PREVIOUSLY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. YEAH, SIR. WHICH THAT'S A WHOLE ANOTHER THING FOR ANOTHER DAY THAT I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO THE CEO ABOUT THAT, BUT NO, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT, QUITE HONESTLY. IT JUST I THINK OUR HANDS HAVE BEEN KIND OF TIED WITH THIS. I MEAN, LITERALLY, IF YOU DIDN'T CATCH HIM IN THE ACT, AND I'M SURE, AS YOU GUYS HAVE ALL HEARD, I'VE HEARD COUNTLESS STORIES WHERE THEY FOUND PICTURES RIGHT LIKE FAMILY PICTURES ARE IN THE GARBAGE OR AND YET YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING. AND SO I THINK THIS GIVES CODE ENFORCEMENT THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY MAKE SOME MEANINGFUL PROGRESS. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE WORK ON IT. THANK YOU, SIR. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S GETTING OUT OF HAND. AND LIKE MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE HAVE SAID, IT REALLY TURNS INTO A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. AND WHEN PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COME INTO THE CITY OF MERCED OR INTO MERCED COUNTY BECAUSE THEY SEE DUMPING TAKING PLACE REGULARLY, IT'S NOT OK. I HAD A CALL FROM A FARMER OUT ON VASSAR AVENUE WHO WAS CHASING DOWN PEOPLE THAT WERE DUMPING ILLEGALLY DUMPING STUFF. AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT FARMERS IN THAT POSITION THAT THEY HAVE TO CHASE IT DOWN. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP WITH MCAG AT OUR LAST MEETING LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD BRING BACK SOME OF THESE CLEANUP EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND THEN ALSO WORKING WITH I'VE BEEN ALSO IN DISCUSSION WITH THE THE MAYOR OF MERCED AND THE CITY MANAGER, OF MERCED, TO MAYBE UTILIZE OR SOMEHOW UTILIZE THEIR BULKY ITEM DROP OFF SITE ON FIFTY NINE, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE DRIVING INTO MERCED COUNTY, I DON'T CARE WHAT CITY IT IS. IF YOU'RE DRIVING IN WHEREVER YOU'RE AT AND YOU SEE SOME OF THIS STUFF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO STAY. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO FIX. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE MOVE FORWARD. [02:05:03] AND I'M GLAD AND I THANK YOU GUYS OFFER FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR THANK YOU, SIR. CHAIR RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAVE FOR ONE I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT WE'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO DO THIS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW. IT JUST IT MAKES ME SAD TO WATCH OUR SOCIETY, DEGRADATE AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE PEOPLE TO COMPLY, BUT YOU CAN FINE THEM INTO COMPLYING. AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S SOME STIFF PENALTIES. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND MAYBE I'M JUST READING IT WRONG, BUT IN SECTION ONE NINE POINT ZERO EIGHT POINT ZERO ONE ZERO DEPOSITS ON PUBLIC PRIVATE PREMISES, A, IT SAYS NO PERSON SHALL THROW, DROP, LEAVE BURY PLACE OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF ANY REFUSE OR ALLOW ANY OTHER PERSON TO DISPOSE OF REFUSE UPON HIS PREMISES EXCEPT IN AUTHORIZED SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES. CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? I'M THINKING MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE AUTHORIZED SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES ON PREMISE. BUT ARE THERE INSTANCES WHERE THAT IS PERMITTED? SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SO THAT IS EXISTING LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT'S NOT BEING PROPOSED TO BE CHANGED, BUT THE INTENT THERE OR I GUESS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, YES, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF I GUESS YOU COULD CALL THEM SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SITES THAT ARE MORE ORIENTED TOWARD COMPOST. SO THAT'S STILL CONSIDERED SOLID WASTE TRIMMING THINGS LIKE THAT GET DROPPED OFF. AND IN THOSE INSTANCES, THOSE ARE PERMITTED. THOSE ARE AUTHORIZED. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT WOULD BE SPEAKING TO IN THIS SECTION OF CODE. OK, BECAUSE I YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING, WELL, MAYBE ROLL OFF BINS AND DUMPSTERS IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. OK, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE, THERE'S ONE OTHER AREA OF WELL, DUMPING. I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED ILLEGAL NOW, AND IT'S KIND OF ALWAYS BOTHERED ME. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T THINK OF THIS BEFORE. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I JUST THOUGHT OF IT YESTERDAY BECAUSE. WELL, ON SATURDAY, BECAUSE I WAS OUT DOING A COMMUNITY CLEAN UP AND SMELLING AND THERE WAS A CAR ACCIDENT SITE AND THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED OVER A MONTH AGO. THE TELEPHONE COMPANY LEFT THE DEBRIS FROM THEIR PILLAR. THAT WAS HIT IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THERE. THE GUIDEWIRE PROTECTION METAL FROM [INAUDIBLE] WAS LAYING THERE. AND THEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CAR PARTS, YOU KNOW, AND NOT JUST LITTLE PIECES, BUT I MEAN, LIKE THE WHOLE FRONT PLASTIC BUMPER. SEVERAL PIECES THAT WERE SIX OR EIGHT FEET LONG FROM UNDER THE CAR. MAYBE ONE OF THE WHEELS WAS RIPPED OFF OF THE CAR AND SHEERING OFF THE ELECTRIC POLE. BUT THERE WAS SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. I MEAN, SOME PRETTY BIG PIECES. I MEAN, ENOUGH TO ALMOST FILL UP THE BED OF A PICKUP WE'RE AT THIS SCENE. AND SO IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO ADDRESS THAT TYPE OF LITTER AS WELL? OR AND I DON'T WANT AN ANSWER NOW. I'M NOT EXPECTING AN ANSWER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT TO YOU TO THINK ABOUT FOR THIS. SO SUPERVISOR PAREIRA THROUGH THE CHAIR. IF YOU COULD MAYBE GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY, MAYBE PERHAPS WORK WITH MR. HERTFELDER OR PERHAPS OR PUBLIC HEALTH FOLKS, ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS, AS WELL AS TO HELP MAYBE ADDRESS THAT. DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THE FLY. BUT I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DAN AND HIS TEAM IN PARTICULAR AS TO HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THOSE TYPES OF ONE OFF ISSUES THAT DO TAKE PLACE EPISODICALLY. OR CAN WE I MEAN, AND IF THE ANSWER'S NO, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. I JUST DIDN'T WANT US TO REDO THIS ORDINANCE WITHOUT AT LEAST ME BRINGING IT UP. THANK YOU. OR IS THAT A SEPARATE ORDINANCE? BECAUSE WHAT SUPERVISOR BRINGS UP IS VERY I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF BUMPERS STILL OUT JUST AFTER AN ACCIDENT OR GLASS, YOU KNOW, IN THE ROADWAY. QUICK ANSWER. MY SNEAKY SUSPICIONS WOULD BE HANDLED INDEPENDENTLY FROM THIS ORDINANCE. BUT MR. MAXEY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AT ALL. I THINK THAT'S CORRECT. I THINK WE COULD ABSOLUTELY HANDLE THAT AS A SEPARATE ORDINANCE. OKAY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD MODIFY IT. IT'S A SEPARATE SECTION OF CODE. OK. OH, DANA. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DANA HERTFELDER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. IN THE CASE OF CAR OR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS, IF THERE'S DEBRIS LEFT, THAT'S USUALLY THE ROAD CREWS THAT GO CLEAN THEM UP. AND THEN WE GET A COPY OF THE VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORT AND WE USUALLY THEN WORK WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET OUR COST REIMBURSED. [02:10:04] THE ONLY DOWNSIDE TO THAT IS USUALLY WE'RE THE LOWEST PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO INSURANCE PAYOUTS. SO IF THEY HAVE LIKE A TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR POLICY AND ALL THAT MONEY IS USED UP FOR OTHER COST, WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED. THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. SO WOULD A. NO LET'S MOVE ON. SORRY. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YOU DID HAVE YOUR REQUEST UP THERE GO AHEAD AND HIT IT AGAIN. YOU'RE NOT UP HERE. JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT THAT I WANT TO BRING UP IS, YOU KNOW, I'M BIG ABOUT WHAT OUR PENALTIES ARE, I'M OF THE BELIEF THAT PENALTIES NEED TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO CORRECT BAD BEHAVIOR, BUT NOT SO INVASIVE THAT IT CAUSES PEOPLE LIKE LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY TO THE POINT OF IF I GOT A FINE FOR MAKING A DUMB MISTAKE AND LETTING SOME KID TAKE MY TRASH AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE IT TO THE DUMP, KNOW, I DON'T WANT THIS PERSON TO LOSE THEIR HOUSE OVER IT. RIGHT. SO THAT'S SO I WANT TO STRESS THAT THAT'S WHAT I THINK THIS ACCOMPLISHES. IT GIVES ENOUGH LEEWAY IN THERE THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING CITATIONS. THEY COULD BE 50 DOLLARS ALL THE WAY UP TO I THINK THE BIGGEST IS AT FIVE THOUSAND. IT'S UP TO FIVE THOUSAND PER DAY. NOW, OBVIOUSLY, IF SOMEBODY LAUNCHES A BAG OF TRASH AND THEY FIND TWO PIECES OF IDENTIFYING MAIL, WE'RE NOT FINING THEM FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY TILL THEY GO PICK IT. I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO CORRECT THEIR BEHAVIOR, BUT NOT IN SUCH A BAD WAY. AND I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF WANTING YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT, TOO, BUT I THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE ACCOMPLISHES THAT. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT TO. MAKE IT WHERE IT'S ATTRACTIVE TO PAY THE FEE, TO TAKE IT TO THE DUMP, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T TAKE TO THE DUMP, YOU WANT IT TO STING A LITTLE BIT. EXACTLY. THAT'S THE HOPE, MR. PAREIRA. THROUGH THE CHAIR. I HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH MR. HERTFELDER. IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DO HAVE A PROCESS, ACTUALLY, TO ADDRESS THAT. [LAUGHTER] ON THE FLY. YES. OH, IT'S IN DISCUSSION MODE AND I CAN'T OPERATE, THIS VERY GOOD. SO RAISE YOUR HAND. NO WORRIES. THE ONE, I GUESS, A POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S WATCHING IS THAT IF THIS ORDINANCE IS APPROVED, WHEN TRASH LEAVES YOUR PLACE, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL IT GETS TO A SITE OF DISPOSAL. RIGHT. SO YOU KNOW I HAVE CATTLE. SO MY RANCH IS FENCED, UNLIKE MOST OF THE ORCHARDS WHERE PEOPLE COME BACK IN AND DUMP TRASH. SO THE TRASH THAT I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH HAS BEEN ON ALONG THE HIGHWAY OF THE ROADS NEAR MY PLACE. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY. YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS I'VE SPOKE TO PEOPLE WHOSE TRASH I HAVE FOUND AND FOUND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN IT. GIVE THEM A CALL. WELL, THEY YOU KNOW, IN ONE CASE, THIS OLDER GENTLEMAN PAID HIS GRANDSON AND HIS BUDDY TO HAUL THE TRASH TO THE DUMP AND GAVE HIM THE FEES FOR THE DUMP. WELL, THEY GOT ABOUT HALFWAY TOWARDS THE DUMP AND FIGURED, HEY, WE CAN JUST THROW IT OUT HERE AND KEEP ALL THE MONEY. AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEN HE SAYS, I CALL THEM AND HE SAYS, OH, MAN, I'M SORRY, I'LL COME DOWN, CLEAN IT UP. AND I SAID, WELL, YOU OUGHT TO BRING YOUR GRANDSON TO CLEAN IT UP. AND WE KIND OF LAUGHED ABOUT THAT. AND WE DID A COUPLE HOURS LATER. AND I THINK HIS GRANDSON LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON THAT HOPEFULLY CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. BUT ANYWAYS. BUT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE. SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEBODY AND YOU'RE PAYING THEM TO TAKE AWAY YOUR TRASH, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE STILL ON THE HOOK FOR IT. RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT HEY, IT LEFT MY PROPERTY ON TUESDAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE I MEAN, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THAT'S THE CASE. AND I'M RIGHT. OK, THANK YOU. OK, SEEING NO FURTHER OH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, I'D GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT THE FIRST READING OR WAIVE THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ILLEGAL DUMPING ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PREMISES AND AMENDING THE IMPOSITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES IN CONNECTION WITH MAINTENANCE OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE, ESTABLISHING VIOLATION CATEGORIES AND INCREASING POTENTIAL PENALTY AMOUNTS. IT AMENDS CHAPTER 9.08 AND 9.70 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE. I'LL SECOND THAT. OK, I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. [02:15:13] OH, SO I'LL BE CALLING FOR THE VOTE. YEAH. OK, I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSITION SEEING NONE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AND THEN I THINK, CHAIR, WE NEED TO I DIDN'T MAKE IT AS PART OF THAT BUT SPEAKERS]. SECOND READING AND THE POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR THE FEBRUARY 9, 2021 AT 10:00 A.M.. OK, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. I'LL SECOND THAT. I HAVE A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION. THIS IS THE SECOND READING. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSITION MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR NEXT ITEM IS FROM FIRE FIRST READING PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO CONSIDER A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 9.24.055, OF CHAPTER 9.24 TITLE NINE AN SECTION 16.30.020 CHAPTER 16.30 TITLE 16 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE. MR. RON, DID YOU WRITE THAT ALL YOURSELF. NEGATIVE. [LAUGHTER] CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. RON. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN, BOARD SUPERVISOR, OUR CEO AND COUNTY COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF YOUR FIRE CHIEF, MIKE VAN LOBEN SELS AND YOUR FIRE MARSHAL'S STAFF, I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO BRING A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING ORDINANCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REQUESTING THE BOARD INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE WATER STORAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES UNDER TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED SQUARE FEET AND ACCESSORY BUILDINGS UNDER FIVE THOUSAND FEET, AS WELL AS ELIMINATING AND IN LIEU FEE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR THOSE WATER TANK REQUIREMENTS. THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE BEFORE YOU TO INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT THE FIRST READING, AWAIT FURTHER READINGS AND THEN SET A READING AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION FOR PROPOSAL ON FEBRUARY 9TH. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, AS ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL THAT IS CONSTRUCTED IS REQUIRED TO HAVE FIRE SPRINKLERS WITH INSIDE THAT STRUCTURE. THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF AMOUNT OF YEARS, AS WELL AS BASICALLY FOR A RESIDENTIAL AREA IF THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING OR SHOP, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THEIR PROPERTY, THERE WERE REQUIRED TO ADD A TANK OR IF THEY DID NOT WANT TO ADD A WATER TANK, THEY COULD PAY A THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR IN LIEU OF FEE. WITH A RECENT FIRE SPRINKLER ENHANCEMENTS OVER THE YEAR FOR LIFE SAFETY, WE FELT THAT WE'D LIKE TO BRING THIS MODIFICATION TO THIS ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATIONS TO DO AWAY WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND WITH THAT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S IN DISCUSSION MODE. SO, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. CHIEF, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND CHIEF VAN LOBEN SELS. AND THIS IS LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMON SENSE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT AND JUST LIKE THIS REQUIREMENT FOR THESE TANKS. AND CHIEF, YOU KNOW, I WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN FOR TWENTY YEARS AND I NEVER WENT TO A FIRE WHERE WE USED ONE NOT ONE TANK OR NEVER HAD WE EVER USED THEM. AND I THINK THAT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS IS THAT IT ACTUALLY I THINK IT CREATES MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE RISK, IF YOU WILL, HAVING THESE TANKS THERE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO MECHANISM TO INSPECT THEM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OPERATIONAL. THEY'RE NOT FULL OF SILT ON THE BOTTOM. THEN YOU GO HOOK THIS HALF A MILLION PLUS DOLLAR FIRE TRUCK UP TO IT AND LET THE WATER RIP AND THEN BURN UP YOUR PUMP. AND NOW YOU GOT JUST THIS HALF A MILLION PLUS DOLLAR LAWN ORNAMENT SITTING THERE. RIGHT. IT'S SO I JUST I CAN'T. I THINK THAT IT'S APPLYING COMMON SENSE TO THE CODE TO GET RID OF THESE TANKS. WHEN THEY'RE NOT BEING USED PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PAYING INTO THE FIRE FUND. RIGHT. THERE'S JUST A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS. SO, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT. AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT IN GOVERNMENT WE TRY TO APPLY COMMON SENSE TO STUFF AND ACTUALLY ADMIT THAT SOMETHING THAT WE MAY HAVE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD IDEA IN THE PAST IS ACTUALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA. AND WE'RE GOING TO ADMIT THAT IT'S WRONG AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OFF THE BOOKS. SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, ARE THERE FURTHER COMMENTS. OK, WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, AND I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE TWO AND THREE TOGETHER AND I'M LOOKING OVER SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YES, I WILL GO AHEAD. AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE A MOTION TO WAIVE FURTHER READING OF THE PROPOSED [02:20:02] ORDINANCE AND SET A SECOND READING AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR FEBRUARY 9TH 2021 AT 10:00 A.M.. OK, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR WITH A SECOND. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO WAS THE SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE AYE, ANY OPPOSITION . SEEING NONE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, IS BOARD REPORTS. THANK YOU AND I'LL LOOK OVER TO MY RIGHT. WE'LL, THAT SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, SINCE HE'S NOT IN THE CHAIR ANYMORE, HE CAN GO FIRST ON BOARD REPORTS. THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY HOPEFULLY A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO EX SUPERVISOR JERRY O'BANION AND HOPEFULLY HE RECOVERS. AND I HEARD HE MAY BE GETTING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL SOON. SO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I WISH THE BEST FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY. WE HAD I THINK, ANOTHER FATALITY. I THINK DANA FROM PUBLIC WORKS LEFT, BUT WE HAD ANOTHER FATALITY IN PLANADA AT THE END OF GOING NORTH ON SANTA FE AT CHILDS THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL FATALITIES. AND I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING MORE STOP SIGNS. NOT A STOP SIGN, BUT I MEAN, SQUARE OR REFLECTIVE FAN WAS AT THE END OF SANTA FE AND CHILDS, SINCE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED IN THE PAST BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT COME IN, I GUESS, IN THE EVENING AND OR WHETHER THE FOG OR NOT, THEY GO THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND THEN THEY END UP ALL THE WAY TO THE SILOS THE [INAUDIBLE] SILOS AND THE FATALITIES HAPPENED. SO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE SECURITY THERE FOR THE PUBLIC. THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL FATALITIES I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT CERTAINLY IT WAS ONE LAST WEEK AS WELL. SO I GOT A LOT OF CALLS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SAFETY THERE AS WELL. THERE'S ALSO TWO THERE'S A BRIDGE ON GOING FROM THERE ON, CHILDS RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO TRYING TO REMEMBER THE ROAD. BUT THERE'S A CANAL AND THERE'S A SAFETY BECAUSE THERE'S TWO. YOU KNOW, DURING THE SUMMER, THERE'S NO REFLECTIVE OR BARRIERS THAT ARE THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE CANALS. AND PEOPLE HAVE GONE TO CANAL AND HAVE GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, KILLED THERE ON VEHICLES. SO WE NEED SAFETY PRECAUTIONS THERE AS WELL. SO I'LL LET DANA KNOW AS WELL. AND I WANT TO THINK THE MCAG DIRECTORS LAST MEETING ON [INAUDIBLE] TO ME AGAIN TO THE SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES HERE. APPRECIATE IT. AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO ON BEING [INAUDIBLE] ALTERNATE AND ALSO TOO I WANT TO THANK THE DIRECTORS OF SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY AND ESPECIALLY CHAIRMAN VITO CHIESA WHO NOMINATED ME AS WELL FOR A SECOND VICE CHAIR OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO PAT HUME OUT OF I THINK FROM THE BAY AREA AND BRENT FRASER BEING FIRST VICE PRESIDENT. AND I'LL BE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT TO SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY. SO. I THINK I SAID THE OTHER COMMENTS ALREADY. OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR ALL THE BEST WISHES AND CONCERNS IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, GETTING OVER AT THE HOSPITAL AND BEST WISHES FOR MY FAMILY AS WELL. SO I THINK EVERYBODY IS CLEAR NOW IN MY FAMILY. SO APPRECIATE ALL THE CALLS. THANK YOU. BETTER KNOCK ON WOOD. YEAH. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WELCOME BACK SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND GLAD YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE DOING WELL. THANK YOU SIR. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AN EVENT THAT I WENT TO THIS PAST WEEK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT DOING IN DISTRICT TWO AND IN THE CITY OF M ERCED IS MORE YOUTH CENTERS AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO GET TOGETHER. AND THIS ONE THAT THEY JUST OPENED AT THREE SIXTY FOUR WEST TWENTY SEVENTH STREET IS CALLED THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE LEAGUE, AND IT'S ALSO THE SMILEY RILEY [02:25:03] CENTER. AND SO RESTORATIVE JUSTICE COMING FROM THE EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IS IT'S REALLY ABOUT TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO DEAL WITH THE CONFLICTS THAT THEY HAVE AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND AND HOW THEY CAN GROW. AND THEN RILEY HANSON WAS SOMEBODY THAT SHE WAS 16 YEARS OLD, KILLED IN A CAR CRASH IN 2018. AND SO SHE REALLY STICK UP FOR PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDED A VOICE AND STUFF. AND SO THEY PARTNERED TOGETHER AND WERE ABLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. THE COOL THING IS THAT I GOT TO TAKE A TOUR OF IT. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THEY TEACH, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL DIVERSITY. THEY TEACH KIDS HOW TO GET OUT OF SITUATIONS, HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE, HOW TO PUT ASIDE YOUR DIFFERENCES AND REALLY WORK TOGETHER. AND SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK THAT UP. IT WAS A REALLY COOL THING. AND THEN IT'S COOL WHEN YOU WALK IN. ONE OF THE THINGS AND I TOLD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HIS NAME IS ANDRE GRIGGS, WAS THAT EVERYWHERE ON THERE, ON THE WALLS OR WHEREVER YOU LOOK, IT SAYS BE A HERO, BE HERO TODAY, BE A HERO. AND I WAS LIKE, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF INSPIRING. SO THE STUDENTS OR THE YOUTH GO IN THERE AND RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THEY THEY CAN DO SOMETHING. AND SO FOR THAT, I WAS LIKE, OH, THIS IS GOOD AND IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE. AND I HOPE IT REALLY MOVES FORWARD. WE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE NEW FIRE CHIEF OF THE CITY OF MERCED, HIS NAME IS DERRICK PARKER, WHICH I THINK HE'LL DO A GREAT JOB HERE FOR THE CITY. AND THEN, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHEN IT'S TIME AND I'M NOT SURE OK, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING IN HONOR OF PAULINE BANKS. SHE WORKED IN THE RECORDER'S OFFICE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW LONG. AND THEN ALSO PETE CHAPMAN, WHO WORKED FOR THE MERCED COUNTY ROADS DEPARTMENT FOR THIRTY FIVE YEARS AND WAS ALSO A VETERAN. SO I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN IN THEIR HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU CHAIR. I WOULD I GUESS I'D LIKE TO SUNSHINE SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY. AND SO FOR SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AND IF YOU AGREE, SHOW SOME SUPPORT. ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS IS NAMED ANITA RICHARDS, AND SHE HAS A SON THAT WAS KILLED IN ACTION. HIS NAME IS STAFF SERGEANT FRANK GASPER. THE GASPER FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THE SNELLING AREA ALL MY LIFE. AND IN FACT, THE FARM THAT I LIVE ON HAS A PIECE OF CONCRETE. AND ON THAT PIECE OF CONCRETE IS ONE OF THE GASPERS, WHICH I BELIEVE AS FRANK GASPER'S GRANDFATHER. AND SO ANYWAYS, THIS GOES BACK 50, 60, 80 YEARS. ANYWAY, WAS KILLED IN ACTION. AND SO HIS MOM NOMINATED HIS NAME TO BE USED ON A CITY PARK. AND SO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE ON MONDAY NIGHT, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED HIS NAME BEING PUT ON THE PARK ON CIRCLE DRIVE. I THINK IT'S AT TWENTY THIRD STREET, IF I REMEMBER. BUT ANYWAYS, JUST A GREAT HONOR FOR SOMEBODY WHO DIED SERVING OUR COUNTRY. AND YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER HIM AS A KID AND JUST VERY KIND, EASYGOING, STEADY YOUNG MAN. AND THAT ALWAYS HAD A SMILE. AND ANYWAY, SO I JUST, WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH YOURSELF, THAT IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR HIM AND LIKE I SAID, HIS MOM, ANITA, WORKS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND AT THE CLINIC. SHE WAS OUT THERE JUST WORKING HER TAIL OFF, AND SHE IS A SERVANT AS WELL, AND SHE HAD DONE A RUN FOR THE FALLEN HERE IN THE CITY OF MERCED FOR MANY YEARS IN HIS HONOR. AND SO, ANYWAYS, THAT'S JUST A REQUEST FOR ME TO YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO TAKE THE VACCINE. AND IT JUST SADDENS ME THAT THE STATE IS NOT GIVING US MORE DOSES, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON'T WANT THE VACCINE, WHICH IS FINE. RIGHT. BUT FOR THOSE THAT DO YOU KNOW, LIKE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE. [02:30:01] RIGHT. I HAVE RECEIVED TREMENDOUS THANK YOU AND APPRECIATION FOR THE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THEM TO GET THE VACCINE. AND I MEAN, PEOPLE GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW AWESOME IT WAS. AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE SYSTEM, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING THE DOSES THAT WE SHOULD. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE POINT IS, IS THAT WE'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE STATE AND WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF SOMEBODY. YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO ASK AND BEG AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS ARE MAD AND THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TELL HIM AND YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE GET MORE VACCINES, RIGHT? YOU ATTRACT MORE BEES WITH HONEY THAN YOU DO. I MEAN SUGAR. [LAUGHTER] ANYWAYS, I'LL LET THAT ONE GO. BUT ANYWAY, SO SO ANYHOW, YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME PRIVATE CITIZENS WHO'VE WRITTEN LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR, I'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. AND THE MORE OFTEN THAT WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES, THE BETTER CHANCE WE HAVE AND THE BROADER THE REACH IS RIGHT. NOT JUST FROM ELECTED, BUT FROM EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'LL GET TO THE GOVERNOR'S EAR AND AND WE'LL GET A CHANGE IN THE PROCESS. I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO GET A CALL ONE DAY AND SAY, HEY, HERE IS 30 OR 50 THOUSAND DOSES TO GET YOU CAUGHT UP TO WHERE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AND, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. AND THEN I GUESS FINALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS COVID HAS WEIGHED HEAVY ON EVERYBODY. AND YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE TURNED THE CORNER AND WE MIGHT BE HEADING IN TO BETTER TIMES. AND AS THE STAY AT HOME ORDER HAS BEEN LIFTED BY THE STATE, WHICH I THINK IS AWESOME, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN STUDIES OUT THAT SAID ZINC HELPS, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU FILL AT RISK, MAKE SURE YOU'RE TAKING SOME ZINC OR WHATEVER YOU'RE ABLE TO LEARN, TO HELP YOURSELF BE HEALTHIER AND IN A BETTER POSITION TO FIGHT THE DISEASE IF YOU GET IT. YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, ALL ALONG, YOU KNOW, I'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT COVID IS REAL, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, HERE RECENTLY, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DYING WITH COVID. AND, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE A YEAR AWAY. AND WE THOUGHT WHEN WE HIT SUMMER, WE WERE GOING TO BE BETTER OFF. AND SO I HOPE THIS AS THE WEATHER GETS BETTER, YOU KNOW, THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, GETS INTERRUPTED, WE GET FOLKS VACCINATED. WE GOT HERD IMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I JUST I'M PRAYING FOR ALL OF THAT TO HAPPEN HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. MOSTLY EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID. I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SUPERVISOR O'BANION ON AND OFF FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. LAST I TALKED TO HIM I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY HE'S DOING BETTER SO CONTINUE TO OFFER PRAYERS TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY. JUST AGAIN. I'M GOING TO TALK MOSTLY ABOUT THE VACCINE STUFF. I JUST WANT TO SEND IT A BIG THANK YOU OVER TO DR. YU IN LOS BANOS OUT OF IT'S SUTTER BUT IT'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, IN LOS BANOS THERE. AND JUST THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING AND LEVERAGING, BEING PART OF ONE OF THOSE MULTI COUNTY JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY CALL IT, WHERE THEY'RE GETTING, FROM SUTTER, THE BIGGER PARENT COMPANY. THEY'RE GETTING THEIR VACCINES, BUT JUST REALLY WORKING WITH US. AND BOTTOM LINE, I MEAN, EVEN WHEN WE'RE ON A CALL AND THE AMOUNT OF HIS FRONT LINE WORKERS THAT THEY ALREADY HAD VACCINATED WAS A LOT HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN MAYBE SOME OTHER PLACES. I JUST THINK IT'S HIS GSD ATTITUDE. SO I JUST I CAN'T THANK HIM ENOUGH. JUST A GREAT PARTNER. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HIM BEFORE ALL OF THIS, HAVING KNOWN HIM FROM THE HOSPITAL BOARD SIDE. MY WIFE'S ON THE HOSPITAL BOARD OVER THERE TO NOW JUST EVEN MORE IMPRESSED WITH HIM AND HIS STAFF AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE AND JUST CONTINUE TO ASK FOLKS TO BE PATIENT WITH US. YOU COULD REST ASSURED THAT THIS BOARD, OUR STAFF, OUR CEO, ALL HERE AT THE THIRD FLOOR HAVE BEEN TIRELESSLY WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE NEXT TWO DAYS LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THE NEXT WEEK LOOK LIKE? WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S KIND OF HARD WHEN YOU'RE GETTING YOUR DOSAGE ALLOCATION A WEEK BEFORE YOU GET THEM. THESE THINGS DON'T JUST STAND UP OVERNIGHT. YOU HAVE TO KIND OF BE PREPARED. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, IS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING AT LEAST GIVING US TWO WEEKS, KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TWO [02:35:01] WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF IT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE WITH THE LOGISTICS IN THE SUPPLY OR WHATEVER, BUT IF WE KNEW, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WAS MONDAY, IF WE KNEW WHAT WE'RE GETTING TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE DISTRIBUTED OUT. I KNOW SUPERVISOR PAREIRA BROUGHT UP, THE FOLKS OVER AT OES. AND JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE GUYS DO LOGISTICS. THAT'S KIND OF IN THEIR WHEELHOUSE WITH IT, WITH THE ICS SYSTEM. SO IT GOT TO A POINT HERE WHERE I THINK AND I WANT TO THANK JIM BROWN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP THAT, THERE'S ABOUT TEN DAYS AGO WHERE IT JUST KIND OF WAS THE DECISION WAS TO TAKE THE HANDCUFFS OFF YOUR ACES. AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE GOT GOOD PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR US, TALENTED PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR US. TAKE THE HANDCUFFS OFF. LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE STATE'S GOING TO DO. LET'S DO WHAT WE KNOW IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND MERCED COUNTY. AND WHEN GIVEN THAT TASK, OUR PEOPLE DID WHAT I KNEW THEY WOULD DO, WHICH IS STEP UP AND DELIVER. AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN AND I CAN'T MENTION THEM ALL BY NAME, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS ALEXANDER PIERCE, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST HER ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND HER FOLLOW THROUGH. AND WHEN I GET COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC BACK TO ME, I ALWAYS WANT TO PASS THEM ALONG. WE ALWAYS GET A LOT OF WHENEVER SOMEBODY DID SOMETHING WRONG UP HERE. AND SO WHEN WE DO GET THE GOOD COMMENTS, I ALSO WANT TO PASS THOSE ALONG. AND JUST AND I THINK LLOYD I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS STILLS, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER IT GOES, IT STARTS HITTING A LITTLE BIT MORE AND MORE CLOSER TO HOME. I'VE THROUGHOUT THIS DEAL, I'VE NEVER BEEN A COVID DENIER. IT'S REAL. AND WHAT IS SO CRAZY ABOUT THIS DISEASE IS HOW IT INFECTS PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY. THERE'S YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE THE LIST OF, LIKE, YOU KNOW, PREEXISTING CONDITION, CERTAIN AGE GROUP,[INAUDIBLE] CONCERN FOR THAT. BUT I'VE SEEN SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE GET INFECTED BY IT AND HAVE NOTICED, LIKE NOTHING, NO SYMPTOMS, NOTHING. MAYBE THEY LOST THEIR SENSE OF TASTE AND SMELL. THEN YOU'VE SEEN OTHER PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE GYM ALL THE TIME AND DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS AND EAT HEALTHY. AND THEY GET IT AND IT IT KNOCKS THE YOU KNOW WHAT OUT OF THEM. AND SO IT'S CRAZY. AND I DO. I JUST WANT, AGAIN, PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF WHO'S BEEN BEATEN UP PRETTY GOOD THROUGH ALL OF THIS. I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T WE TALKED ABOUT SUPER BOWLS OR WHATEVER, BUT WHEN WE ASKED THEM TO STEP UP AND I FEEL LIKE THEY DID. [INAUDIBLE] WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LEARNING CURVES. THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS. BUT, MAN, I'M SUPER PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WE'VE ASSEMBLED. I WILL CONTINUE TO TELL ANYBODY THAT CALLS ME AND THAT ARE FRUSTRATED WITH THE SYSTEM AND THE DELIVERY. AND I WILL TELL THEM, LISTEN. IF IT WAS US, I'LL BE THE FIRST PERSON TO SIT UP HERE AND ADMIT THAT. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. WE JUST GOT TO GET THE STATE TO FIX THEIR SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH SUPPOSEDLY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY IN STORAGE. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY. THEY GO DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTIES. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DISCONNECT IS, BUT IT'S NOT A TIME TO FIGHT OR ARGUE. IT'S A TIME TO JUST GET STUFF DONE. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. AND SO, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THERE, BUT JUST BEAR WITH US. I'M CONFIDENT IN SAYING THIS TO ANYBODY, OUR STAFF WE'RE NOT SITTING HERE JACKING AROUND AND SITTING ON DOSES. WE GET AN ALLOCATION THE NEXT THING WE'RE DOING IS PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE TO GET THOSE INJECTIONS IN PEOPLE'S ARMS. AND I DO AGREE WITH BECKY, IT'S THAT KEY PIECE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER TWO WEEKS FROM NOW WHEN ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING SHOT, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE SECOND DOSE FOR THEM. SO THAT'S GOING TO EVEN MAKE IT EVEN MORE TRICKY. SO JUST BEAR WITH US. THE CALL CENTER, I GET IT. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT THE ANSWERS AFTER THE FACT AND I APPRECIATE THEM LETTING US KNOW IT'S WE'RE WORKING ON IT. IT'LL GET BETTER. GIVE US I SAID GIVE US TWO WEEKS OF DOING THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WELL OILED MACHINE. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE VERY LITTLE PROBLEMS. BUT AGAIN, LIKE A LOT OF STUFF WITH THIS PANDEMIC, IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. THERE'S NO BLUEPRINT. RIGHT. AND ALL YOU GUYS, GET TO WATCH FRESNO NEWS AND SACRAMENTO NEWS THEY GOT THESE BIGGER, COUNTIES. THEY GOT BIGGER ALLOCATIONS, MORE RESOURCES AND ALL THAT. THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S LOOK A LITTLE BIT PRETTIER. BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, IF YOU'RE IN THE WEEDS, THERE'S ISN'T AS PRETTY AS IT LOOKS ON TV. WHAT YOU SEE WITH US IS WHAT YOU GET WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE DOING. OVER THERE THEY'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT DOING IT. BUT IF THEY'RE REAL WITH YOU, THE LITTLE THIRTY SECONDS YOU SEE ON THE NEWS ISN'T REALITY. AND SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE NEWS FROM US, TAKE IT TO THE BANK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. COUNTY COUNSEL. NOTHING. [02:40:01] NOTHING, CEO BROWN. NOTHING. WELL, THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT FOR ME TO SAY WITH ALL THAT, BUT I DO AGREE AND I STILL STAND ON MERCED COUNTY IS THE FIRST TO BE AFFECTED, BUT THE LAST TO RECOVER. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO GIVE OUR KUDOS BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND MUCH APPRECIATED. AND I GIVE A LOT OF THAT TO CEO BROWN FOR RECOGNIZING IT AND HAVING THAT DISCUSSION IN YOUR OFFICE WHEN IF WE DON'T HAVE THE VACCINES, WE KNOW WHERE TO POINT THE FINGER BECAUSE LET'S GET IT ALL SET UP AND THEN MAKE THAT OUR ONLY PROBLEM IS GETTING THE VACCINES. AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S MUCH APPRECIATED. I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE A FORMER INTERN OF MINE WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE DARREN DUPONT HAS RETURNED TO MERCED COUNTY. HE SERVED FOR ME WHEN HE WAS AT MERCED COLLEGE AND GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY AS MY INTERN FOR TWO DIFFERENT YEARS AS I WAS CHAIRMAN AT RCRC. HE WAS ACTUALLY INTERN AT RCRC AND NOW HE'S INTERNING HERE WITH COUNTY COUNCIL. SO, DARREN, WELCOME. THANK YOU. WE DON'T LIKE THE BRAIN TRUST TO LEAVE THE COUNTY. WE'D LIKE IT TO COME BACK AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING BACK. MOST OF MY TIME HAS BEEN SPENT ON VACCINES AND GETTING MORE VACCINES, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN THE WHOLE CONVERSATION AND DOMINATED MOST OF OUR TIME THIS TIME. IT SEEMS LIKE COMING INTO THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR WAS PRACTICE FOR ZOOM MEETINGS. THIS YEAR, ZOOM MEETINGS IS ON STEROIDS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE FIGURED OUT THERE IS NO COMMUTE TIME BETWEEN MEETINGS AND I AT ONE TIME IN MY OFFICE THIS PAST WEEK, I HAD TWO LAPTOPS AND MY DESKTOP GOING AND I WAS ATTENDING THREE MEETINGS AT THE SAME TIME, NEVER CLOSED SESSION, THOUGH LET'S STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD. AND NOW THAT THE STATE HAS LIFTED THE HARSHER REGULATIONS, WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND GIVING US MORE FREEDOM, I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT WITH THE FREEDOM THAT WE'RE GIVEN, WITH FREEDOM COMES RESPONSIBILITY. AND LET'S PLEASE USE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND NOT JUST THINK OF OURSELVES, BUT THINK OF THE FOLKS AROUND US. I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING IN MEMORY OF MR. MARK MIMMS SENIOR MR. MIMMS WASN'T A RESIDENT OF MERCED COUNTY, BUT HE IS THE PROUD FATHER OF ONE OF OUR STAFF HERE. AND I'D LIKE TO WISH KAREN MARK JR AND JOHN MY MOST SINCERE CONDOLENCES. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN IN HONOR OF FRED WARSHAW. HE PASSED LAST NIGHT. WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING AS MUCH AS WE CAN. A LOT OF FOLKS MAYBE DON'T RECOGNIZE FRED WARSHAW WHEN I SAY IT LIKE THIS. BUT IF YOU READ THE OPINIONS IN THE MERCED SUNSTAR, HE WAS VERY ACTIVE. HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN GOVERNMENT AND IN POLITICS IN THE CITY. AND HE IS A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR OF CAMPAIGN SIGNS. I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT. SO HIS FRIENDS WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY THAT. AND HE WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS, SUPERVISOR RIVERO AND FRED AND I WOULD HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH CHALLENGES DURING THE TIMES THE SUPERVISOR RIVERO SAT IN THIS VERY SEAT AND IT WAS VERY, GOOD AND VERY HELPFUL. SO, FRED, TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, MUCH LOVE. AND I'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.