Mar 23, 2021 Board Meeting

[00:00:01]

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 23RD, 2021.

[Call to Order]

IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 VIRUS, THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, WITH SEATING FOR THE PUBLIC LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED SOME OVERFLOW SPACE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DO NOT WISH TO ATTEND IN PERSON.

WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT VIA EMAIL AND VOICEMAIL FOR NON AGENDA AND AGENDA ITEMS. AT THIS TIME, WE'D LIKE TO START WITH AN INVOCATION LED BY EMILY RIVERS, AND I WILL LOOK AT MY TO MY COLLEAGUES.

SCOTT SILVEIRA TO DO THE PROPER INTRODUCTION.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF OF HISTORY HERE.

MISS EMILY RIVERS IS THE WIFE OF PASTOR BRUCE RIVERS, WHO, UM, ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO WE LOST. AND ACTUALLY PASTOR BRUCE, IT WAS A GOOD FRIEND TO ME, A GOOD FRIEND OF THE WEST SIDE, JUST A FRIENDLY GUY THAT HE'D NEVER MET.

A STRANGER JUST HAD A BIGGER THAN LIFE PERSONALITY.

AND SO HE WAS HERE WHEN WE FINALLY OPENED BACK UP TO THE PUBLIC.

HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GIVE OPENING PRAYER BACK AT THE MEETING AFTER THE PANDEMIC STARTED. AND ACTUALLY, PASTOR BRUCE WAS ON MY SCHEDULE, HAD COMMITTED TO BEING HERE FOR OUR FIRST MEETING THIS MONTH.

AND SADLY, WE LOST PASTOR BRUCE, UH, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.

AND I ASKED MISS EMILY, PASTOR BRUCE WIFE, IF SHE WOULD COME AND DO THE OPENING PRAYER TODAY AND KIND OF IN MEMORY IN HONOR OF PASTOR BRUCE.

THANK YOU, MISS EMILY, FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EMILY.

AND IF WE COULD ALL STAND FOR THE PRAYER AND IF, SCOTT, YOU COULD LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AFTERWARDS AND ALMIGHTY GOD OF HEAVEN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER. WE WELCOME YOU INTO THIS MEETING.

AS WE BEGIN, WE ASK THAT YOU TO GUIDE OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS SO THAT WE MAY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE MEETING.

TODAY, WE ASK FOR YOUR INSPIRATION, INSIGHTS, DIRECTION, GUIDANCE AND HARMONY, HELP US ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS WHILE DISPLAYING YOUR CHARACTER.

WE PRAY THIS IN YOUR NAME.

AMEN. AND THAT PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE SALUTE OF OUR FLAG.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MRS. RIVERS, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. OK, WE HAD CLOSED SESSION THIS MORNING AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION, I LIKE IT THAT OUR SUPERVISOR PAREIRA LIKES TO MAKE A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE LATE. YES.

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

HELLO, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I REPRESENT [INAUDIBLE].

TODAY I COME TO YOU IN HOPES THAT YOU WILL TAKE ACTION NOT JUST FOR THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE PROTECTED AND SAFE.

WITHIN THE LAST YEAR SINCE THE PANDEMIC HIT, AND [INAUDIBLE] VIOLENCE HAS RISEN 150 PERCENT AND MORE THAN 415 OTHER CITIES.

WITH THE RISE OF HATE CRIMES, WITH ASIANS, WE ASK THAT YOU ADDRESS AND TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY. ASIAN PASSAGE AND [INAUDIBLE] OVER 12 PERCENT.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT OUR LOVED ONES FROM FUTURE EVENTS AS THOSE IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA THIS PAST WEEK,? WHEN A WHITE GUNMAN KILLED EIGHT INNOCENT LIVES AND AMONG THOSE WERE SIX ASIAN WOMEN.

HELPING ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR PEERS WHEN THEY STEP OUT IN PUBLIC KNOW THEY WILL NOT BE ATTACKED FOR THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.

WOULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR FAMILY? NO. NO ONE DESERVES THIS TREATMENT.

I URGE THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD TO STAND AGAINST RACIAL BASED VIOLENCE AND LET OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT HATE IS NOT TOLERATED HERE, WHAT WE ALL CALL HOME.

WE NEED ACTION AND A RESOLUTION.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL FAMILIES ARE SAFE AND FROM THE VIOLENCE.

[INAUDIBLE] CENTER AND THE LEADERSHIP WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU TO CREATE THAT RESOLUTION. THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 26TH, WE WILL BE HOSTING A COUNTY WIDE AAPI SEWING CIRCLE

[00:05:07]

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR [INAUDIBLE] OR PROVIDE A SHORT VIDEO TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

[INAUDIBLE] CENTER IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN, [INAUDIBLE].

THIS WEEKEND FOR HUNDREDS [INAUDIBLE] AND OTHERS.

WE WANT THANK MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES.

MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, [INAUDIBLE] CULTURAL CAMP [INAUDIBLE] ASSOCIATION AND MANY OTHERS FOR THIS GREAT GIFT TO OUR [INAUDIBLE] AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S FOUR HUNDRED ELDERS AND ADULTS [INAUDIBLE] ARE NOW MORE PROTECTED AGAINST HARM.

FOUR HUNDRED FAMILIES ARE LESS LIKELY TO LOSE A LOVED ONE.

400 FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN NOW KNOW THEIR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WILL BE HEALTHY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. WE CELEBRATE THIS, BUT KNOW THERE'S MORE WORK AHEAD OF US.

AS ASIANS ONLY RECEIVED [INAUDIBLE] IN MERCED COUNTY VERSUS THE 33 PERCENT OF AND 26.2 PERCENT OF WHITES.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO CLOSE THIS GAP.

ADDITIONALLY, IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, [INAUDIBLE] INFORMATION WITHIN OUR SOUTHEAST ASIAN COMMUNITIES [INAUDIBLE].

I URGE YOU, OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO TAKE INITIATIVE AND ASSURE THEM THAT [INAUDIBLE] INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ARE GIVEN IN A CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE MANNER. [INAUDIBLE] LEADERS WORKING WITH LOCAL CITY [INAUDIBLE] ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE DEFENSE [INAUDIBLE] DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, CREATED WITH [INAUDIBLE] DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, WAS REALLY APPRECIATED BUT WAS POORLY DONE AND THAT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WE ENCOURAGE ALL [INAUDIBLE] AND HEAR [INAUDIBLE] CONVERSATIONS TAKING PLACE BIWEEKLY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US AT (209)769-3231.

THIS CONCLUDES THE VOICE MAILS RECEIVED.

NEXT ITEM.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE A COVID-19 UPDATE.

[COVID-19 UPDATE]

KEMP IS ACTUALLY UNAVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT.

SHE'S ON A STATE CALL, SO I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR HER.

MY NAME IS KRISTEN SULLIVAN.

I'M THE CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST FOR MERCED COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

HOPEFULLY SHE'S RECEIVING A CALL TO MOVE US INTO THE RED.

WE WILL DISCUSS THAT IN THE PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. SO JUST OUR STANDARD UPDATE HERE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE LOOKING SURVEILLANCE WISE FOR COVID-19.

SO WE LAST PRESENTED ON MARCH 1ST.

AT THAT TIME, WE HAD TWENTY NINE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN TOTAL LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES.

AS OF YESTERDAY. WE HAVE THIRTY THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN.

THAT IS A FOUR PERCENT CHANGE.

SO A REAL DECREASE IN OUR RATE OF GROWTH, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.

ON MARCH 1ST, WE HAD ONE THOUSAND SIXTY TWO PROBABLE ACTIVE CASES.

IN THAT TIME WE'VE DIPPED BELOW FOUR DIGITS INTO THE HUNDREDS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEFORE OUR HOLIDAY SURGE.

SO REALLY POSITIVE PROGRESS THERE.

WE HAVE SEVEN HUNDRED ACTIVE CASES AS OF YESTERDAY AND THAT'S A DECREASE OF THIRTY FOUR PERCENT. ON MARCH 1ST.

WE HAD FOUR HUNDRED AND ONE FATALITIES AS OF YESTERDAY.

WE HAVE FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE, SO AN INCREASE OF SEVEN PERCENT THERE.

BUT AGAIN, THAT IS SLOWED COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. LOOKING AT THE DEATHS A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY, THEY'RE PRETTY WELL DISTRIBUTED, ACTUALLY ACROSS MALES AND FEMALES.

WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT MALES ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE BOTH SEVERE COVID AND DEATH DUE TO COVID ARE SIXTY FIVE PLUS AGE GROUP DOES CONTINUE TO BEAR THE HIGHEST BURDEN OF FATALITY AND DISEASE FATALITY, NOT DISEASE.

IN MERCED COUNTY, THERE'S BEEN A SEVEN PERCENT INCREASE SINCE MARCH 1ST.

TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT DEATHS ON MARCH 1ST.

THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT AS OF YESTERDAY, THERE'S BEEN A CORRESPONDING SEVEN PERCENT INCREASE IN OUR SIXTY FOUR AND UNDER.

SO ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN DEATHS ON MARCH 1ST AND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE AS OF

[00:10:02]

YEAH, IT'S PRETTY COMPARABLE.

IT'S PRETTY COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF MALE TO FEMALE.

IT'S VERY COMPARABLE OR A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

AND THE YOUNGER, WE THINK DUE TO THE HIGH LEVEL OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTY, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS SIXTY FOUR AND UNDER AGE GROUP IS IT'S THAT FIFTY TO SIXTY FOUR AGE GROUP WHO ARE WORKING IN HIGH RISK CONDITIONS.

SO, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THERE, BUT GENERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD, SIMILAR PATTERNS.

VERY GOOD. YOU HAVE TWO BOARD MEMBERS THAT FALL IN THAT CATEGORY, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SO GREAT THAT YOU GUYS ARE SOCIALLY DISTANCING AND MASS MASKING AND FOLLOWING ALL THE PRECAUTIONS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IS SAFE.

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE RODRIGO OUT OF IT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE OF US.

OH, ALL RIGHT.

[INAUDIBLE] YOU ASKED ABOUT THE TIER AND WHY WE ARE STILL IN PURPLE TIER.

SO THIS IS JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.

SO WE DO STILL REMAIN IN THE PURPLE TIER THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED TODAY.

OFFICIALLY, WE WILL STILL BE IN THE PURPLE TIER.

THE MAIN REASON THERE IS OUR CASE RATE.

OUR CASE RATE RIGHT NOW OF NEW CASES PER DAY IS THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE STATE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF REASONS WE THINK THAT MAY BE.

THE FIRST WE THINK IS RELATED TO VACCINATION AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWER VACCINATION RATES IN THE STATE, LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT FOR A VERY LONG TIME WE'VE HAD NO VACCINE. SO SO THAT'S PART OF IT.

WE ALSO DO THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A DECREASE IN COMPLIANCE IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE SOCIAL DISTANCING METRIC BLUEPRINT METRICS.

QUITE A FEW BUSINESSES AND THINGS ARE OPEN.

QUITE A FEW PEOPLE ARE RELAXING SOME OF THEIR MASKING PRACTICES, SOCIAL DISTANCING PRACTICES. SO WE DO THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO THINGS, BUT CERTAINLY IS RELATED TO OUR VACCINATION RATES AS WELL.

SO OUR TEST POSITIVITY IS STILL WELL WITHIN THE RED TIER.

IT NEEDS TO BE FIVE PERCENT.

I'M SORRY. IF IT WERE TO BE FOUR POINT NINE PERCENT, WE'D ACTUALLY BE IN THE ORANGE TIER FOR TEST POSITIVITY.

SO OUR TEST POSITIVITY CONTINUES TO LOOK VERY GOOD.

IT REALLY IS THAT PURPLE TIER CASE RATE THAT'S HOLDING US BACK RIGHT NOW? IT IS DECREASING.

IT HAD STARTED TO DECREASE AND IT STARTED TO PLATEAU FOR A LITTLE BIT.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S KEPT US IN THIS PURPLE.

BUT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IT GO DOWN AGAIN.

SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE WE'RE STILL BE IN PURPLE WHEN IT'S ANNOUNCED LATER TODAY. SO THAT MEANS AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO WEEKS IN PURPLE.

BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT BY NEXT WEEK WE'LL HAVE STARTED WE'LL HAVE MET THOSE THAT FIRST WEEK OF RED TIER CRITERIA.

YEAH, WE HAVE A QUESTION, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

DR. SULLIVAN, THAT TWELVE POINT NINE PERCENT CASE RATE, THAT'S A STATE DRIVEN NUMBER OR IS THAT A LOCAL COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH NUMBER, THAT TWELVE POINT NINE PERCENT WE'RE SEEING THERE? DO YOU MEAN IS IT CALCULATED BY THE STATE? YEAH, IT'S CALCULATED BY THE STATE.

SO IT'S A COMPLICATED METRIC BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST RAW NUMBERS.

SO IT INCLUDES ONLY PCR TESTS.

SO ONLY THE MORE INVASIVE NON BASICALLY NON RAPID TESTS, THE ONES THAT ARE SHIPPED OFF AND YOU RECEIVE BACK IN 24 TO 48 HOURS, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY ANTIGEN TESTS OR RAPID TESTS. OUR CASE NUMBERS ACTUALLY INCLUDE THAT.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST PIECE.

THE SECOND PIECE IS THAT THEY ALSO ADJUST THIS IS THE ADJUSTED CASE RATE.

SO THEY ADJUST BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TESTING WE'RE DOING.

WE'RE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY GETTING A CREDIT FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DO CONTINUE TO TEST HIGHER.

THEN THE STATE MEDIAN AND SO ARE OUR UNADJUSTED RATE IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THIS. SO THAT IS BENEFITING US.

OK. AND SO THIS IS A STATE.

SO IF I JUST ASKED YOU WITH OUR DATA, WITH THE COUNTY'S DATA, UM, WHAT IS OUR TEST RATE OR CASE RATE PER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE? WOULD IT EQUAL TWELVE POINT NINE OR WAS OURS HIGHER OR LOWER? OURS WOULD BE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. OK, THANK YOU.

MM HMM. SO AGAIN, THE.

THE DRIVING FORCE OF WHY WE REMAIN IN PURPLE IS THAT CASE RATE, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW IN THE SUMMER AS WELL.

WE HAD A TEST POSITIVITY RATE IN THE RED TIER AND EVEN THE ORANGE TIER FOR MONTHS BEFORE

[00:15:04]

OK, SO VACCINE ALLOCATION, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY TUMULTUOUS EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH VACCINE WE RECEIVED TO THE COUNTY.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE STARTED TO SEE AN INCREASE DUE TO A CHANGE IN THE ALLOCATION FORMULA THAT TWO THINGS REALLY HELPED MERCED COUNTY.

FIRST IS THAT HEALTH CARE WORKERS WERE REMOVED FROM THE ALLOCATION FORMULA AND FOOD AND AG EDUCATORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ADDED BACK IN.

THAT REALLY HELPED BECAUSE WE HAVE A REAL WE JUST HAVE VERY, VERY FEW HEALTH CARE WORKERS. SO WE WERE GETTING PENALIZED FOR THAT.

WE HAVE QUITE A FEW FOOD AND AG IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO EDUCATORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.

AND SO THAT REALLY HELPED US.

BUT THAT WAS STILL A 70-30 SPLIT.

SO 70 PERCENT OF THE VACCINE ALLOCATION WAS ALLOCATED TOWARDS SIXTY FIVE PLUS AND ONLY 30 PERCENT WAS ALLOCATED TOWARDS THOSE SECTORS.

SO IT DIDN'T HELP US AS MUCH AS IT WOULD HAVE IF IT HAD BEEN JUST KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD, BECAUSE WE DO STILL HAVE A VERY YOUNG COUNTY.

SO OUR MEDIAN AGE IS QUITE A BIT LOWER THAN EVEN SURROUNDING COUNTIES.

AND SO WE DON'T HAVE AS BIG OF A PROPORTION OF THE SIXTY FIVE PLUS.

SO IT'S, IT HELPED, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP AS DRAMATICALLY AS WE WERE HOPING WHEN THEY MOVED TO THAT. WHAT DID REALLY HELP EVEN MORE DRAMATICALLY IS THEN THE STATE ADDED IN WHAT THEY'RE CALLING AN EQUITY WEIGHT.

SO A SUBSECTION OF THE VACCINE IS ALLOCATED BASED ON WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED, THE SIXTY FIVE PLUS IN SECTORS, THE REMAINING OF THE VACCINE IS ACTUALLY ALLOCATED OUT TO ZIP CODES THAT FALL WITHIN THE LOWEST QUARTILE OF THE HEALTHY PLACES INDEX.

SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE HEALTHY PLACES INDEX BEFORE.

IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE BLUEPRINT.

IT'S USED TO DETERMINE THE EQUITY QUARTILE FOR TEST POSITIVITY RATE.

SO THEY'RE USING THAT SAME METRIC, BUT NOW TO ASSIGN AND ALLOCATE VACCINE.

SO THAT HAS REALLY BENEFITED US BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY EVERY ZIP CODE IN MERCED COUNTY IS PART OF THAT LOWEST QUARTILE.

THE OTHER BIG CHANGE IN USING THAT IS THAT FOR THE TEST POSITIVITY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ONLY MERCED COUNTY.

SO THEY'VE RANKED ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES FROM KIND OF MOST ADVANTAGED TO LEAST ADVANTAGE.

AND THEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT WITHIN MERCED COUNTY FOR VACCINE ALLOCATION AT STATEWIDE.

AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO.

SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT OF THE WHOLE STATE WHERE ARE THE MOST DISADVANTAGED ZIP CODES.

AND UNFORTUNATELY BUT FORTUNATELY FOR VACCINE ALLOCATION, A LARGE PORTION OF THOSE ARE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AND AGAIN, ALMOST ALL OF OUR ZIP CODES ARE WITHIN THAT LOWEST QUARTILE. AND SO WE'RE REALLY SEEING AN INCREASE IN OUR VACCINATION ALLOCATION DUE TO THAT CHANGE. AND AGAIN, THESE NUMBERS DON'T INCLUDE DIRECT ALLOCATIONS TO OUR PHARMACIES OR OUR MULTI COUNTY ENTITIES, SO THIS IS JUST WHAT'S COME THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO WHERE HAVE THESE VACCINES GONE AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY OUR VACCINE, ONLY THE ONES THAT COME THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH.

SO SEVENTEEN HUNDRED HAVE GONE TO HOSPITALS AND SOME SAID THAT REMAINS RELATIVELY LOW BECAUSE BOTH OF OUR HOSPITALS ARE MULTI COUNTY ENTITIES.

AND SO THEY HAVE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH THEY RECEIVE VACCINE DIRECTLY.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR VACCINE HAS GONE HAS BEEN REDISTRIBUTED TO OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER NETWORK. SO OUR CLINICS ARE SO OUR CASTLE, GOLDEN VALLEY, LIVINGSTON, THOSE MFA, APEX, THOSE BIG CLINICS, BUT ALSO SOME OF OUR SMALLER PRIVATE PRACTICE PROVIDERS.

SO, DR. ASADI, DR.

TIWA, SOME OF THOSE PROVIDERS AS WELL, ALL OF THOSE THAT FORTY FIVE THOUSAND, ALMOST FORTY SIX THOUSAND HAVE GONE TO OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER NETWORK.

TWELVE THOUSAND AND FORTY HAVE GONE TO OUR COUNTY CLINICS.

SO THOSE WERE ORIGINALLY DONE THROUGH COUNTY STAFF AND NOW HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO HR SUPPORT. SO ALL OF THOSE CLINICS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S TWELVE THOUSAND AND FORTY.

AND THEN WE HAVE ONE HUNDRED RESERVED FOR THERE'S QUITE A FEW AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE ARE NOW THREE VACCINES.

WE'LL GET CALLS OF PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, WE GOT THIS MANY FIRST DOSES, BUT NOW WE'RE SHORT ON SECOND DOSES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE DO TRY TO KEEP A VERY SMALL RESERVE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THOSE KIND OF URGENT AND OUR EMERGENT NEEDS. OK, SO VACCINE PLAN TO YOUR EXPANSION, SO PREVIOUSLY WE WERE IN PHASE 1A, PHASE 1B, TIER TWO AND SIXTY FIVE PLUS.

[00:20:05]

SO THIS SCREENSHOT IS FROM THE STATE WEBSITE.

WE ARE IN PHASE 1A AND PHASE 1B.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THIS SO CONFUSING IS THAT THESE PHASES KEEP CHANGING.

SO THE TIERS HAVE GONE AWAY AND THINGS KEEP GETTING ADDED TO THE PHASES.

AND THEN THEY'RE NOT UPDATED ON ONE WEBSITE, BUT THEY'LL BE UPDATED ON ANOTHER WEBSITE.

SO IT'S ALL BEEN VERY, VERY FLUID.

BUT BASICALLY RIGHT NOW, ANYBODY WHO'S SIXTY FIVE AND SIXTY FIVE PLUS ALL FOOD AND AG, ALL EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE, ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES HAVE ALL BEEN ADDED.

THAT'S IN THE PHASE 1B THAT WE WERE AT PREVIOUSLY.

WE'VE SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED INDIVIDUALS SIXTEEN TO SIXTY FOUR WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR COVID-19 DUE TO AN UNDERLYING CONDITION, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A HIGH RISK PERSON AT HOME, BUT YOU'RE HAVING TO LEAVE THE HOUSE BECAUSE YOU'RE A ESSENTIAL WORKER, THAT WOULD ALSO QUALIFY FOR VACCINATION. IN ADDITION, LAST WEEK, IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE STATE SIDE, BUT IT WAS ANNOUNCED VERBALLY AND SO WE ADOPTED IT HERE LOCALLY.

WE'RE ALSO HAVE EXPANDED THIS TO BE THE OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKER TIER.

SO TRANSPORTATION WORKERS AS WELL AND OTHER OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT ARE LISTED ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE IN PHASE 1B, TIER TWO.

BUT AGAIN, SOME OF THAT HAS REALLY BEEN TAKEN AWAY.

AND SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A MORE INCLUSIVE APPROACH.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY POLICING EXACTLY HOW PEOPLE LIKE PARTICULARLY WITH AN UNDERLYING CONDITION WHERE WE'RE ALLOWING SELF CERTIFICATION FOR THAT TO SAY THIS IS THE UNDERLYING CONDITION I HAVE, BECAUSE PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF THESE LARGE CLINICS, IT'S JUST IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN VERIFICATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO AT THIS POINT, WE REALLY ARE LOOKING INCLUSIVELY AT WHO CAN BE VACCINATED RATHER THAN EXCLUSIVELY TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING A [INAUDIBLE], MAYBE PHASE 1B AS [INAUDIBLE] MENTIONED, MAYBE JUST LIKE NEW YORK, WHERE 50 AND UP.

I THINK THEY DESIGNATED 50 AND UP A TIER ON THERE SINCE I LANDED IN THE HOSPITAL.

I THINK THAT FROM PEOPLE WITH PROBABLY WITH MY AGE IS ALREADY HAVE DIABETES, HAVE A LOT OF SIMILAR MEDICAL PROBLEMS. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE MY RECOMMENDATION IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY LOOKING AT ME OVER FORTY, FORTY FIVE, THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK AT LIVINGSTON AND HE WAS ONLY ABOUT FORTY FIVE AROUND THERE.

SO SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE WERE, SOMETIMES IF YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT HEAVY WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU HAVE DIABETES OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU'RE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DISEASE. SO THAT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION IN THE FUTURE.

SO, YEAH, I'M NOT A DOCTOR.

SO.

NO, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THERE'S TWO POINTS THERE.

THE 50 AND OVER BROADLY WOULD BE A STATE DECISION AS TO WHEN TO DROP THAT DOWN.

BUT THE BUT WHAT YOU DID HIGHLIGHT, THERE ARE DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, OBESITY, ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT PUT PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ELIGIBLE NOW TO BE VACCINATED. OK, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

IS THAT CONCLUDED? CHAIR RECOGNIZE THE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU. YOU KIND OF HIT ON MY QUESTION A LITTLE BIT WITH YOUR RESPONSE TO SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, BUT IT WAS ON WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND A LIST OF THOSE THAT THEY WANT TO SEE IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE OR NOT? SURE. SO THEY ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY PH WEBSITE IN TERMS OF THE ONES THAT THEY LOOKED AT MOST CLOSELY.

AND THAT WAS THINGS LIKE THINGS THAT WOULD LEAD TO SEVERE COMPLICATIONS.

SO ACTIVE CANCER, ACTIVE KIDNEY DISEASE, SEVERE OBESITY, OTHER THINGS THAT RESULT IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED. BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE LOCALLY IS MAKE THAT A BIT MORE INCLUSIVE AND GO TO THE, THE CDC LIST OF OF CONDITIONS THAT PUT YOU AT HIGHER RISK FOR SEVERE COVID.

AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE, COPD, DIABETES, HYPER UNCONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

SO THOSE ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON THE CDC WEBSITE.

AND IT'S THE CDC LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT MAKE YOU MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO COVID-19.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S A SELF CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CHRONIC DISEASE THAT IS PERHAPS NOT INCREDIBLY WELL MANAGED, THEY

[00:25:07]

OK, AND THEN SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE ARE SENDING VACCINE TO PROVIDERS, TO DOCTORS.

AND I HEARD YOU MENTIONED THE SAME COUPLE OF DOCTORS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

AND SO I'M WONDERING, ARE WE STILL SENDING A LARGE AMOUNT OF DOSES TO THOSE FOLKS OR ARE WE SENDING IT TO OTHER MEDICAL OFFICES THAT WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, HAVE DIFFERENT CLIENTS? RIGHT? IT SEEMS LIKE AT SOME POINT A DOCTOR WOULD HAVE VACCINATED ALL THEIR CLIENT LINES THAT WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO OTHER DOCTORS.

SO MOST PROVIDERS ARE NOT ONLY VACCINATING THEIR OWN PATIENTS MOST.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, DR. ASADI IS A PEDIATRICIAN.

SHE'S VACCINATING VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY HER PATIENTS BECAUSE UNTIL RECENTLY, SHE'S NOW ABLE TO VACCINATE HER PATIENTS TO SIXTY AND SIXTY FOUR WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS. BEFORE THAT, NONE OF HER PATIENTS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE.

AND SHE'S STILL SHE'S MOVED, I THINK, ABOUT TEN THOUSAND DOSES.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THE PROVIDERS ARE ONLY VACCINATING THEIR PATIENTS, BUT WE HAVE WE GET VACCINE TO ABOUT TWENTY FIVE DIFFERENT PROVIDERS AT THIS POINT. AND IT'S UP TO THE PROVIDER.

THEY HAVE SIGNED UP.

WE CAN'T ALLOCATE TO ANYBODY WHO'S NOT IN THE STATE SYSTEM.

SO THEY HAD TO SIGN UP WITH WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY COVID READY.

AND THEN CALVAX AND THEN NOW [INAUDIBLE] VACCINATED THIS THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.

BUT IF THEY'RE SIGNED UP AND THEN THEY REQUEST VACCINE, WE GIVE IT TO THEM.

AND SO THAT HAS EXPANDED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS? BECAUSE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD A MEDICAL OFFICE CALL ME AND COMPLAINED THAT THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING VACCINE.

SO IS THAT A CHANGE? SO TYPICALLY WHEN MEDICAL PROVIDERS ARE YOU KNOW, WE GET PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR VACCINE, IF THEY'RE IN THE SYSTEM, WE GIVE IT TO THEM IMMEDIATELY.

AS SOON AS WE HAVE ALLOCATION.

TYPICALLY PEOPLE WE'VE HAD SOME PROVIDERS WHO WANT TO GET VACCINE WITHOUT BEING IN THE SYSTEM, AND WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT.

WE REALLY CAN'T DO THAT.

SO THAT TENDS TO BE THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THAT.

AND THEN WE'VE. NOW, REFER THEM TO THE TPA BLUE SHIELD TO REGISTER WITH THAT SYSTEM, BUT WE CANNOT GIVE VACCINE TO ANYBODY WHO'S NOT IN THE STATE SYSTEM.

THAT'S FOR SURE. NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

OK, SO THIS ACTUALLY WAS A GREAT TRANSITION INTO THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR TRANSITION.

SO AGAIN, WE CAN'T GIVE VACCINE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE STATE SYSTEM.

THE STATE SYSTEM HAS CHANGED MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT CURRENTLY IT IS WHAT IS CALLED MY TURN.

MY TURN IS A SCHEDULING AND DATA ENTRY PLATFORM THAT IS BEING THAT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE USE OF WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT TO CONTRACT WITH BLUE SHIELD, THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR, AND IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO BE CONTRACTED WITH BLUE SHIELD IN ORDER TO RECEIVE VACCINE. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE TRANSITION PERIOD AND WE ARE STILL ABLE TO ALLOCATE VACCINE, AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WHOLE TIME TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THE SYSTEM.

BUT IN APRIL, WE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE TO THOSE PROVIDERS AND THEY WILL HAVE TO DIRECTLY CONTRACT WITH BLUE SHIELD.

SO BLUE SHIELD IS ACTIVELY ONBOARDING PROVIDERS RIGHT NOW.

THEY THERE IS A WE HAVE A LOT OF PROVIDERS AND WE'RE A MEDIUM SIZED COUNTY, SO OTHER COUNTIES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE.

SO THIS PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT SLOWER THAN WE WOULD HAVE HOPED.

AND SO WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR PROVIDERS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONTACTED OR ACTIVELY ON BOARD AS PART OF THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.

MY TERM TRAINING IS BEING PROVIDED TO THOSE PROVIDERS.

IT'S NOT A BELOVED PLATFORM.

I WILL SAY PEOPLE DO NOT LOVE IT.

THE CLINICAL COMPONENT OF IT IN PARTICULAR IS VERY CUMBERSOME AND DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF THE FLEXIBILITY OF SOME OF THE OTHER PLATFORMS WE'VE USED.

SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS BEING THAT ONCE MY INTERN IS ACTIVATED STATEWIDE, ANYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO ANY CLINIC ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.

SO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, RESTRICT TO MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS FOR OUR PROVIDERS THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

SO AND THEN THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ALSO LITTLE QUIRKS ABOUT IT THAT ARE NOT PROVIDER FRIENDLY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS DOUBLE DATA ENTRY REQUIRED BECAUSE IT DOESN'T INTERFACE WITH MOST OF OUR PROVIDERS OR EHRS, OR THEIR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS.

SO FOR THEM TO MANAGE THEIR CLINICS, THEY HAVE TO USE THEIR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD.

IF IT DOESN'T INTERFACE WITH MY TURN AND THEY HAVE TO USE MY TURN FOR VACCINATION,

[00:30:03]

SO THERE DEFINITELY ARE SOME BARRIERS TO THE USE OF THIS PLATFORM, BUT IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT IT WILL BE REQUIRED IN EXCEPT FOR A HANDFUL OF PROVIDERS WHO HAVE A SPECIFIC ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE STATE.

SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT TA TO OUR PROVIDERS, TO HAVE OUR STAFF, HAVE SAID STAFF BECOME EXPERTS ON MY TURN SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP INTERFACE WITH THAT AS WELL. BUT IT IS IT HAS BEEN A COMPLICATED PART OF THE TRANSITION OVER TO THE TPA.

SO TO VACCINATE MERCED COUNTY, DOES THAT COORDINATED WITH THE MY TURN? NO, UNFORTUNATELY.

AND DAVID IS GOING TO COME UP AND HE COULD SPEAK TO THIS A BIT MORE.

BUT BUT NO.

OK, THANKS. I LIKE THOSE KIND OF ANSWERS.

YES OR NO. GOOD MORNING, DAVID MARIONI, ASSISTANT CEO.

AND JUST TO TOUCH ON THAT REAL QUICK, WE ARE STILL TAKING ACTIVE SIGN UPS ON THE VACCINATE MERCED COUNTY SITE.

THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS MY TURN WILL ACCEPT REGISTRATIONS, BUT UNTIL A COUNTY IS ACTIVATED, YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

SO WE'RE STILL ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP ON THE VACCINATE MERCED COUNTY SITE.

WHEN THE TRANSITION TAKES PLACE, THEN WE WILL NOTIFY ALL OF THE ALL OF THE REGISTRANTS ON THAT SYSTEM TO GET THEMSELVES ONTO MY TURN AND WILL SUNSET THAT ACCORDINGLY.

AND WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.

SO CURRENTLY, IF FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING, PLEASE REGISTER ON VACCINATE MERCED COUNTY DOT COM IS WE ARE SENDING ACTIVE ALERTS WHENEVER CLINICS ARE AVAILABLE, INCLUDING ONE THIS MORNING THAT I'LL TOUCH ON LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.

IS THERE, I KNOW THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE AHEAD OF OURSELVES, BUT IS THERE SOME WAY WHENEVER WE COMPLETELY GO OVER TO MY TURN, THAT WE CAN JUST POINT THAT LINK TOWARDS MY TURN? ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S THE PLAN.

WE'LL REDIRECT IT. WE'LL STILL HAVE THE VACCINATES SITE, BUT WE'LL MAKE IT WHERE THERE'S A TRANSITION. AND IT WORKS WELL BECAUSE WE DO HOUSE OTHER VACCINE INFORMATION ON THAT SITE, INCLUDING THE LIST OF HIGH RISK CONDITIONS.

SO WE DO TRY TO MAKE THAT THE THE VACCINE HUB FOR THE COUNTY.

SO SO WE WILL WORK ON THAT.

I DO. THE CHAIR DOES RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

DAVID DEE. SO HOW MANY PEOPLE HOW MANY HOW MANY DATA POINTS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE VACCINATE STATE COUNTY? LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THAT CURRENTLY? JUST SHY OF FORTY THOUSAND.

YOU DO HAVE MULTIPLE REGISTRANTS, FOLKS THAT WENT ON AND REGISTERED MULTIPLE DAYS IN A ROW. AND SO WHEN I PARSE THAT DOWN, IT IS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND FOLKS THAT HAVE A DUPLICATE RECORD IN THERE.

BUT WHAT WE DO IS, IS AS WE SEND THEM OUT, WE ARE ABLE TO CONFIRM IF FOLKS HAVE RECEIVED THE VACCINE THROUGH OUR CLINICS ON SOME OF THOSE.

AND SO THAT LIST IS COMING DOWN.

BUT WE DO HAVE ACTIVE REGISTRATIONS EVERY DAY.

SO IT'S STILL BEING USED WIDELY.

VERY GOOD. SO IT'S GOING TO BE, I GUESS, THE INTERESTING PART.

AND IT'S JUST LIKE EVERYTHING WE'LL WAIT TO SEE IS WHEN WE TRANSITION OVER TO THE MY TURN PIECE. AND WHAT ABOUT IF I MEAN, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING AHEAD, FULL STEAM AHEAD.

WE'RE GOING ON WE'RE PUTTING ON CLINICS.

WE'RE SENDING STUFF OUT.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE A CLINIC THAT'S ALREADY SET UP AND THEN NOW WE SWITCH OVER TO THE MY TURN THAT'S ALREADY AND PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THAT.

DO WE FINISH THOSE OUT ON OUR SYSTEM OR HOW DO THEY GET KICKED OVER TO THE TO THE MY TURN SYSTEM? AM I MAKING, DO FOLLOW MY QUESTION.

YES, SIR. AND THROUGH THE CHAIR, THAT DOES MAKE COMPLETE SENSE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIRST AND SECOND DOSES AS WELL.

SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSITION THOSE.

IT WILL BE PROBABLY A SIGNIFICANT LIFT OF STAFF TIME OF EXPORTING DATA AND BRINGING IT OVER. I WON'T SAY IT'S GOING TO BE EASY, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.

AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT. AND THIS IS GOING TO PROBABLY SOUND REALLY CRAZY BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF SOMETHING, APPLY SOME COMMON SENSE.

BUT IT WOULD JUST SEEM TO ME THAT THROUGH THAT TRANSITION PERIOD, IT WOULD BE ON A GO FORWARD BASIS, MEANING ANYTHING NEW SCHEDULED WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE MY TURN, BUT AT LEAST ALLOW YOU TO FINISH OUT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN PROGRESS.

THAT BEING THAT MEANING WE HAVE A MODERNA CLINIC THAT WAS DONE TWO WEEKS BEFORE AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO GET THEIR SECOND DOSE TWO WEEKS LATER THAN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FINISH THAT OUT ON OUR SYSTEM YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? VERSUS HAVING TO NOW GO THROUGH AND TRANSITION SOMEBODY AND TRY TO GET THEM OVER TO A DIFFERENT SYSTEM. AND THEN I DON'T KNOW.

[00:35:02]

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TIGHTEN IT AND WORK IT THROUGH CORRECTLY.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO.

I'M JUST GOING TO I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO DO BY.

WELL THE. BY THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE MY TURN PIECE AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO FORCE US TO DO. WELL, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.

THANK YOU. SO THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR, AS DR.

SULLIVAN SAID, THE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE CONTRACTING DIRECTLY WITH BLUE SHIELD FOR THE COUNTIES.

WE'RE GOING ABOUT IT VIA AN MOU THROUGH CAL GOV OPS.

AND SO WHAT THIS DOES AND YOU DO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM IN TODAY'S MEETING REGARDING THE MOU, AND IT REQUIRES THAT WE MUST USE MY TURN OR ANOTHER PLATFORM AS DIRECTED BY THE STATE. AT THIS POINT, IT'S MY TURN.

BUT THERE IS THAT WIGGLE ROOM IN CASE THEY GO WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

THEY'RE NOT MAKING A COMMITMENT FOR A MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM OR A BRAND OF THE VACCINE.

IN THE MOU IT DOES STATE THAT IT PROHIBITS COUNTIES FROM REALLOCATING THE VACCINE TO OTHER PROVIDERS. AND I'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN A MOMENT.

AND IT ALSO REQUIRES US TO FOLLOW THE ELIGIBILITY AND PRIORITIZATION AND TARGETING APPOINTMENTS AT THE DIRECTION OF THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.

NOW, SINCE THAT MOU YOU CAME BACK, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION AMONGST COUNTIES AND COUNTY COUNCILS WITH THE STATE ON THIS.

AND WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO LETTERS SINCE THE MOU.

THEY HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT UPDATING THE MOU BECAUSE SOME COUNTIES HAD ALREADY SIGNED IT. WE DO HAVE LATER IN THE AGENDA A COPY OF THE FIRST LETTER.

WE RECEIVED ANOTHER ONE LATE LAST NIGHT, WHICH HAS BEEN PROVIDED.

IT HAS BEEN PLACED OUT IN THE FOYER.

AND SO THAT RELAXES SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MOU DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD.

AND SO THE COUNTIES MUST SIGN THE MOU, THE DIRECTION WE WERE GIVEN BY MARCH 31ST TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THE VACCINE.

AND SO THE RELAXING OF THE MOU, THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THE MARCH 16TH LETTER CLARIFYING THAT THE TPA WILL COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE THEIR VACCINE PLANS WITH THE COUNTIES AND LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTIONS AND DIRECTLY PROPOSE OR PROPOSE TO CAL GOV OPS TO DISTRIBUTIONS FOR THE VACCINE PROVIDERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION.

ALSO, THE TPA WILL CONSULT WITH COUNTIES BEFORE MAKING THE ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS, EXCUSE ME, AND STATE DECISIONS WILL BE CONCURRENTLY COMMUNICATED WITH THE COUNTY AND TPA.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE ON DISTRIBUTING PORTIONS OF THE VACCINE ALLOCATED TO THE COUNTY.

THERE WAS CONCERN WITH THE HOW RIGID THE MOU WAS, WHERE WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP AND ARM IN ARM WITH OUR SUPPORT TO DEPLOY CLINICS QUICKLY WE GET OUR ALLOCATION AND OFTENTIMES WITHIN FIVE, SIX DAYS WE'RE OUT IN THE FIELD DISTRIBUTING THAT VACCINE.

SO WE, LIKE OTHER COUNTIES, HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AND LIMITING THAT ABILITY.

THE LETTER WE RECEIVED LAST EVENING FURTHER CLARIFIED THAT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD TO THE TPA THAT ALL PRIVATE APPROVED VACCINE PROVIDERS CURRENTLY RECEIVING ALLOCATIONS FROM THE COUNTY THAT ARE MEETING THE COUNTY'S PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ALLOCATE WITH THEM AND THEN PERMIT SUCH VACCINE PROVIDERS TO TRANSITION THEIR SITES TO MY TURN AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME, CONSISTENT WITH ADDING REQUESTED FUNCTIONALITY TO MY TURN, PROVIDING REQUESTED SUPPORT FOR ONBOARDING AND ADDRESSING IDENTIFIED CONCERNS.

AND WE'D STILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR VACCINE STRUCTURE, POD STRUCTURE.

AND SO WE WERE THAT'S ENCOURAGING.

AND KIND OF GETS TO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE WE DON'T JUST HAVE THE CUTOFF POINT. WE WOULD WE WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE THAT IT PLAYS OUT IN A WAY THAT WE COULD JUST TRANSITION RIGHT OUT OUR CURRENT ONES AND THEN COME ON TO MY TURN AS APPROPRIATE.

IN REGARDS TO THE NOTIFICATIONS ON THE WEBSITE, THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE LOCAL PRIVATE PROVIDERS THAT ARE ON MY TURN AND WE MAY NOT YET BE.

SO WE WILL PROMOTE THOSE VIA THE WEBSITE AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF OPTIONS FOR THE RESIDENTS.

FINALLY, WE'LL END IT WITH OUR INFORMATION SLIDE VACCINATEMERCEDCOUNTY.COM.

AS I SAID, PLEASE CONTINUE TO REGISTER THERE.

WE WILL STAY IN CONTACT AND GIVE UPDATES AS TO WHEN WE ACTIVATE MY TURN.

[00:40:04]

WE HAVE A CLINIC APPOINTMENT ONLY, BUT YOU CAN REGISTER DIRECTLY ON THE SITE.

WE HAVE A BUTTON, A NICE RED BUTTON RIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE SITE WHERE YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY IN AND REGISTER TODAY.

YOU DO HAVE TO ANSWER THE PRE SCREENING QUESTIONS TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE.

AND WE HAVE A CLINIC TOMORROW, MARCH 24TH AT LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL FROM TEN TO FOUR P.M., AS WELL AS A CLINIC ON THURSDAY, THE 25TH AT MERCED COLLEGE FROM NINE A.M.

TO FOUR P.M.. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE APPOINTMENT ONLY.

BUT I CAN SAY THAT THERE ARE APPOINTMENTS RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE A NICE, IT'S RIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE WEBSITE. YOU CAN'T MISS IT.

THANK YOU, DAVID. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU. UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IS THE FACT THAT THE INTERNET FOR A LOT OF PLACES, THEY DON'T GET IT.

SO CAN THEY CALL THIS NUMBER AND MAKE RESERVATIONS IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE BROADBAND CAPABILITY OR CAPACITY OR IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET ACCESS, CAN THEY CALL THIS NUMBER AND STILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR APPOINTMENT? THROUGH THE CHAIR? THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

YES, YOU CAN CALL THE NUMBER AND THE ATTENDANTS ON THE CALL CENTER ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THESE CLINICS AND ARE ABLE TO SCHEDULE FOLKS.

THEY WILL ASK THE PRE SCREENING QUESTIONS ON THERE AND YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO ON SITE TO TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE.

BUT WE DO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FOLKS CALLING THROUGH THE CALL CENTER AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? WHEN WE HAVE IN THE CLINIC LIKE, SAY, TOMORROW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF THERE'S VACCINES LEFT OVER, IF THERE'S STAND BY PEOPLE THERE, CAN THEY GET VACCINATED? THROUGH THE CHAIR. YES, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT WITH FOLKS.

WE HAVE SEEN NO SHOWS AT TIMES.

MOST OF TIME THE CLINICS ARE FILLED, BUT THEN WE'D HAVE HAD NO SHOWS.

AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET FOLKS IN THAT WAY AND NOT LET THE VACCINE GO TO WASTE.

AS YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE VACCINES, THERE'S A THAWING OUT PERIOD AND WE NEED TO GET THOSE INTO ARMS. SO, YES, WE DO ENCOURAGE FOR A CONTINUITY OF THE OPERATIONS OF PREREGISTRATION, BUT WE HAVE HAD THAT HAPPEN AND WE HAVE ACCOMMODATED AS MANY FOLKS AS WE CAN.

AND THEN SO TOMORROW'S CLINIC GOES UNTIL WHAT TIME TOMORROW? TOMORROW'S CLINIC IS TILL 4:00 P.M.

SAY IF SOMEBODY MISSES A 10 O'CLOCK APPOINTMENT, ARE YOU HOLDING THAT VACCINE UNTIL FOUR BEFORE YOU ALLOCATE IT TO SOMEBODY? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? NOT TYPICALLY. TYPICALLY, YOU WOULD HAVE A SIGN UP LIST AND AND THEY WORK IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SO WE DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE STOOD THERE FOR A FEW HOURS WAITING TO RECEIVE IT. IF THEY DID SHOW UP, WE TRY OUR BEST TO GET THEM BACK IN AND TO GET THEIR VACCINE. SO IT'S WORKED WELL.

OH, YEAH, NO, NOTHING BUT COMPLIMENTS FROM OUR VACCINATION CLINICS.

SO THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO COMMENT REGARDING THE VOLUNTEERS, THERE'S MANY VOLUNTEERS IN THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT VOLUNTEER.

SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY OUT THERE IN THE COUNTY.

YOU KNOW, I CANNOT MENTION ALL OF THEM, BUT ANYWHERE I'VE BEEN TO, THERE'S ALWAYS VOLUNTEERS AND NOT JUST FROM GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST LIKE TO SUPPORT AND AND HELP OUT IN WHATEVER WAY.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THOSE.

PLUS, OTHER HEALTH WORKERS ARE WORKING, SO AND STAFF AND YOU AS WELL.

SO, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DAVID, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND, UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT OF THE GOOD WORK, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE ALL THIS STUFF OUT AS AS WE ARE VERY WELL AWARE NOW THAT THE KIND OF THE RULES ARE ALWAYS KIND OF CHANGING AND WE'RE JUST ADAPTING ON THE FLY AND TRYING TO JUST GET STUFF DONE.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, AND JUST AND ALL THE STAFF, HAVE I BEEN OUT TO MOST OF THE CLINICS OUT ON THE WEST SIDE OF POPPED IN HERE AND THERE? UH, MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT ONE BROUGHT UP THE VOLUNTEERS AND AT LAST COUNT THERE, THERE'S OVER FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

AND, UM, JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THESE CLINICS THAT WE'RE KIND OF STANDING UP WITH, WITH HR SUPPORT, THE COUNTY SPONSORED CLINICS, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWENTY FIVE OR THIRTY PEOPLE IF YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY DO THE CLINIC.

RIGHT. AND IT'S JUST THE SIMPLE THINGS OF WHEN YOU'RE TRANSITIONING FROM WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR TO WHERE YOU GO SIT, SOMEBODY KIND OF STANDING THERE WAVING AT YOU AND SAYING, OK, YOU'RE GOING TO YOU SIT HERE, WHATEVER.

AND JUST WITHOUT THOSE FOLKS, UM, THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS.

THEY'RE NOT BEING PAID TO BE THERE.

I DO KNOW IN SOME CASES, SINCE THEY ARE HELPING US OUT WITH THE CLINICS THAT SOME OF THEM

[00:45:03]

THESE ARE JUST FOLKS THAT JUST WANT TO HELP.

THEY WANT TO KIND OF HELP US GET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.

AND SO WITHOUT THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE MORE, BECAUSE AT EVERY CLINIC I'VE BEEN AT, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE'S SOMEBODY FROM PUBLIC HEALTH OR HSA A COUNTY OR A COUPLE OF COUNTY FOLKS THAT ARE THERE JUST TO KIND OF TO HELP OUT.

BUT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE VOLUNTEERS, THAT WOULD BE OTHER PEOPLE.

AND FOR THE MOST PART, THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT ARE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE, THAT'S NOT THEY'RE NORMAL JOB. THEIR NORMAL JOB WOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.

AND SO THEY'RE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THAT.

AND A LOT OF CASES THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING TO BE A PART OF IT.

SO WE JUST CAN'T THANK THE VOLUNTEERS ENOUGH.

THEY HELP THESE, UM, THEY HELP THESE CLINICS GO SMOOTHLY, AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE.

THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY.

UM, BUT JUST.

YEAH, WE CAN'T SAY ENOUGH.

AND IT'S AS WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THAT SLIDE EARLIER AND IT TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY MILLION PEOPLE ARE IN CATEGORIES.

UM, YOU GO FROM TIER 1A AND NOW TIER 1B AND EVERYBODY THAT THEY'VE ADDED INTO, THERE'S LIKE 17 MILLION PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA IN THOSE CATEGORIES.

IT'S GOING TO OPEN US UP ANOTHER WAVE OF PEOPLE.

SO I'M JUST, AGAIN, DON'T WANT TO GET TOO EXCITED.

I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET TOO COMFORTABLE, BUT AT LEAST COMFORTABLE ENOUGH.

THE POINT TO SAY THAT LIKE THAT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

AND THEN NOW WE'RE HEARING THE STORIES OF WE'VE BEEN VACCINATING LONG ENOUGH WHERE, YOU KNOW, GRANDMA, GRANDPA, THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR FIRST SHOT.

THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR SECOND SHOT, HECK THEY'RE TWO OR THREE WEEKS INTO IT.

AND THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH LIKE BEING ABLE TO GO SEE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IN A YEAR'S TIME.

AND SO THAT KIND OF THAT I GUESS WITH ALL THE KIND OF THE DOOM AND GLOOM AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE SWITCH OVER TO THE TPA, UM, KNOW IT.

I GUESS THE BRIGHT SIDE OF IT IS, IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING PEOPLE VACCINATED.

AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SO, AGAIN, I JUST CAN'T THANK OUR STAFF ENOUGH FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.

AND HOPEFULLY THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR REMEMBERS THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FROM THE BEGINNING, WE'RE THE ONES TASKED WITH THIS PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE COUNTY.

WE'RE THE ONES TASKED WITH REACHING ALL THE PLACES THAT AREN'T REACHED BY THE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN THAT DOESN'T GO TO A PHARMACY.

THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THERE THAT WE'RE TASKED WITH REACHING AND SO DON'T LIKE.

WE'VE BEEN FORCED BECAUSE AND I DON'T WANT TO WE'VE BEEN FORCED TO FIGURE THIS STUFF OUT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE.

AND THEN WE'VE AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LATE TO THE PARTY IN FIGURING THIS STUFF OUT. AND SO WE HAVE, UH, DON'T HANDCUFF US NOW.

SO LET US KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY GETTING SHOTS AND ARMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR DAVID. YEAH.

AND I'D LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT THAT FOR THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER IS A GREAT POINT THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.

YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER TO BE A VOLUNTEER RIGHT ON THE WEBSITE.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER BUTTON RIGHT THERE.

IT'S VACCINATEMERCEDCOUNTY.COM/ VOLUNTEER.

TAKE ALL YOUR INFORMATION WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE, WHAT SKILL SETS YOU HAVE, WHAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE DOING. AND WE HAVE A FANTASTIC VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR THAT WORKS THROUGH ALL THAT. TRIES TO WORK WITHIN THE SCHEDULES AND VOLUNTEER AVAILABILITY AND WORK FOLKS TO THEIR STRENGTHS AND WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.

SO IF ANYBODY WATCHING WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO VACCINATE MERCEDCOUNTY.COM. YEAH, THANK YOU, DAVID.

THAT'S SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO SAY WHENEVER HE HAD MENTIONED THAT ALL THE VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAVE AND I THINK THERE'S EVEN MORE THAT WOULD LIKE TO HELP, BUT IT WAS WHEN THE PANDEMIC REALLY FIRST STARTED AND WE WERE GETTING OUR WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING, WE WERE GETTING MORE CALLS ON HOW PEOPLE COULD HELP.

AND THAT'S WHAT WORKING WITH YOU, BEING ABLE TO GET THAT BUTTON ON THE ON THE WEBSITE, BECAUSE FOLKS, I MEAN THAT'S MERCED COUNTY.

FOLKS STEPPED UP AND LIKE WE ALWAYS SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, WE'RE ONE OF THE FIRST TO SUFFER AND ONE OF THE LAST TO RECOVER.

BUT WE APPROACH THIS ONE IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY.

AND MERCED COUNTY, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, ALL THE FRONTLINE WORKERS, I MEAN, MERCED COUNTY FEEDS THE WORLD.

AND WE STEPPED UP AND FOLKS KEPT WORKING AND KEPT GOING AT IT.

SO NOW LET'S GET THOSE VACCINES IN OUR ARMS AND LET'S GIVE PEOPLE THAT CONFIDENCE.

AND WITH THAT, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION.

SO, KRISTEN, THANK YOU.

DAVID, THANK YOU, BECKY.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? YOU CAME IN, SO THE STATE CALL.

OK, THANK YOU. LET'S DON'T SHARE THAT AT THIS POINT.

SO RELATED TO THE COVID-19 VACCINE, THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATION MOU WITH THE STATE.

I WAS A FULL. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ITEM FORTY SEVEN FORWARD FOR OUR CONSIDERATION AT THIS

[BOARD ACTION (Part 1 of 2)]

MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR INDULGING US AND CONSIDERING TO MOVE THIS

[00:50:05]

I DO WANT TO SHARE THAT.

IF YOU NOTICE THROUGH THE DISCUSSION FROM BOTH DR.

SULLIVAN AND MR. MARIONI, AND ESPECIALLY THAT THE CONSTANT CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE RELATED TO THE MOU. YOU NOTICE THAT BLUE SHIELD IS WORKING WITH THE PROVIDERS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN MOU WITH THE COUNTIES.

THAT IS THAT'S A CHANGE WHERE ORIGINALLY THE STATE WANTED US TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS WITH BLUE SHIELD. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS.

WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO GET WORK TO GET TO WHERE IT'S AN MOU WITH THE STATE. BUT AS YOU NOTICED, EVEN AFTER THEY THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, DISCUSSION AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE THE STATE WITH COUNTIES.

AND FINALLY, THE STATE LANDED ON WHAT THEY SAID WAS A FINAL MOU.

MR. MARIONI, TALKED ABOUT TWO LETTERS OF CLARIFICATION, ONE AS OF LAST NIGHT.

I WILL TELL YOU, I KNOW A FEW OF US HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE.

I WAS THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKENDS ON THIS MOU.

TRYING TO MAKE MORE CHANGES? I JUST MET DR.

NARANJO WAS JUST FORWARDED TO ME WHILE WE'RE UP HERE, A LETTER FROM THE BAY AREA HEALTH OFFICERS THAT ARE STILL FORWARDING MORE SUGGESTED CHANGES, WHICH ACTUALLY, AFTER QUICKLY READING REAL QUICK, WE AGREE WITH THEM ALL.

AND SO I WOULD ASK, AS YOU CONSIDER THIS, WE DO SUGGEST AND RECOMMEND THAT YOU PROVIDE US THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN.

I DO WANT TO SAY THIS, AND I KNOW COUNCILS ACROSS THE STATE ARE SAYING IT'S FINALLY WE THINK IT'S DONE. THERE MAY BE CHANGES.

AND SO WE'RE ASKING THAT WE WILL PROBABLY DELAY.

IF YOU DO AUTHORIZE US TO SIGN THIS, WE WILL PROBABLY DELAY IF YOU A LITTLE BIT TO SEE IF THERE'S MORE CHANGES THAT ARE IN OUR FAVOR, PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY TO MEET THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND SO IF YOU DO CONSIDER THIS ITEM AND IF THERE IS A MAKER OF A MOTION, WE WOULD ASK IF YOU COULD PROVIDE ME SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THAT FINAL MOU.

UNDER IF IT MEETS THE CONCEPTS OF WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

AND SO I'M JUST SEEKING, IF YOU COULD, THAT ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY.

THANK YOU. CEO BROWN.

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY LETTER WE RECEIVE, IT BECOMES A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE.

SO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE THAT IN WITH YOUR MOTION? CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DO WANT TO I WILL ADD THAT.

AND JIM, ARE WE SAFE IN SAYING BY MARCH 31ST OR DO WE WANT THAT? NOT THAT SPECIFIC, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAD A DEADLINE BY MARCH 31ST, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY AND SO NOT THE DATE.

THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN VERY FIRM THAT BY MARCH 31ST AND THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT IT TO YOU AT THIS MEETING, IS IF YOU DID NOT HAVE AN AGREEMENT OR AN MOU IN PLACE, WE WOULD NOT GET VACCINE ON APRIL 1ST.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT BETWEEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND US.

WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO PUT THE COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST CLARIFICATION, THE CLARIFICATION THAT CAME LAST NIGHT, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSITIONS.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT AT TIMES APPROPRIATE, SO THERE DOES LOOK LIKE THERE'S SOME LOOSENING UP THERE AND PROVIDING THAT MAY GO PAST MARCH 31ST.

SO I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN THAT, BECAUSE IF WE THINK THAT AGREEMENT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO CHANGE TO OUR BENEFIT, I'D RATHER WAIT SIGNING IT UNTIL THE LAST DAY POSSIBLE. SO THEN I GUESS PART OF MY MOTION WOULD BE IS TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IN ITS SUBSTANTIALLY THE FORM SUBMITTED WITH THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AGENCY TO CONTINUE MERCED COUNTY'S ELIGIBILITY FOR ALLOCATION OF COVID-19 VACCINE.

WHEN WE SEE FIT.

THAT WORKS FOR YOU? AND THEN AND SO AND THEN THE OTHER PART I WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENT ON, I KNOW THAT I GUESS I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS IS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE WHAT IS WHAT IS THE REASON THAT BLUE SHIELD IS WANTING TO BE SO RIGID IN SOME OF THEIR REQUESTS? I WAS ON I'M ON THE CALIFORNIA PARTNERSHIP FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

ONE OF THE HEAD HONCHOS FROM BLUE SHIELD WAS ON OUR QUARTERLY MEETING.

AND REALLY WHEN THEY LISTENED TO HIM, BOY, THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A DEAL WHERE THEY JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE, GET VACCINES IN PEOPLE'S ARMS. AND ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE AND I'M GOING TO THESE ARE MY WORDS, NOT NECESSARILY HIS, BUT THEY ARE LIKE THEY'RE REALLY FLEXIBLE WITH IT.

BUT THEN WHAT I READ AS PART OF THIS MOU, IT SEEMS TO BE NOT THAT IT SEEMS TO BE VERY RIGID. AND I JUST WONDER IS IS IT BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST WORRIED THAT IF SOMETHING FLOPS OR SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE HAMSTRUNG BY SOMEBODY ELSE, THAT THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE BLAME FOR IT? I DON'T KNOW. AND IT'S REALLY SAD TO ME THAT YOU LITERALLY GET A THREAT OF YOU HAVE TO

[00:55:05]

THAT'S JUST MAN THAT KILLS ME.

THAT JUST TO REALLY JUST TO BLATANTLY PUT THAT OUT THERE, IT'S WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF STUCK WITH THIS DEAL WHERE WE'RE TASKED WITH PROVIDING FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.

AND IF THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO SIGN THIS LETTER.

UM, THAT'S WHY I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO DO IT.

BUT NOT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE NOT BE HEARD THAT IT'S NOT WITHOUT FRUSTRATION.

AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE THAT I'LL ADD IS, IS ON A CALL WITH OUR STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS.

AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON OUR SIDE ON THIS.

UM, ASSEMBLY MEMBER GRAY.

AND BY THAT POINT, I THINK HE HAD JUMPED OFF THE CALL THAT SENATOR CABELLERO WAS ON THERE. AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE STATE IS LISTENING TO THE COUNTIES AND ACTUALLY GETTING SOME OF THESE SIDE LETTERS WITH THESE, UH, WITH WITH KIND OF LIKE SOME WIGGLE ROOM, IF YOU WILL, OUT THERE, BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, WELL, WINK, WINK, NOD, NOD, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING OR NOTHING POTENTIALLY IS GOING TO BE DONE IF YOU WERE TO DO THIS.

AND WHAT I ASKED THEN, IS JUST SPECIFICALLY DON'T PUT US IN A POSITION TO HAVE TO PLAY THAT GAME. HOW ABOUT YOU JUST FIX IT? HOW ABOUT THAT'S WHAT YOU DO? YOU JUST I MEAN BY THE BY THE ORIGINAL LETTERS OF THE MOU, IF WE WANTED TO ALLOCATE, I MEAN, I'M TAKING IF YOU'RE GOING TO THE LETTER OF THE OF THEIR MOU. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU HAD A VIAL LEFT OVER OF VACCINE AND WE WANTED TO GO AND TAKE IT FROM ONE PLACE AND GO GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY WHO HAD A FEW MORE, WE WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THAT MOU. THAT'S WHAT'S FRUSTRATING.

IT JUST, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY'RE SO LATE TO THE GAME, WE WERE FORCED TO BECAUSE OF NO LEADERSHIP FROM THE STATE.

I'M GOING TO SAY THAT NO LEADERSHIP, WE WERE FORCED TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN ON HOW TO GET SHOTS IN PEOPLE'S ARMS. AND GUESS WHAT? THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

AND THEN HERE THEY COME TWO, THREE MONTHS LATER.

NOW IT IS WITH THEIR GRAND PLAN.

AND, OH, BY THE WAY, YOU GOT UNTIL MARCH 31ST TO SIGN UP ON IT.

AND WHEN WE KNOW THAT, I'D LIKE DR.

SULLIVAN'S WORDS KIND OF ON THE MY TURN APP, OUR GUY DAVID MARIONI BUILT VACCINATE MERCED COUNTY DOTCOM BUILT THAT WEBSITE 40 SOMETHING THOUSAND PEOPLE.

SEEMS TO BE WORKING OUT JUST FINE.

I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY ISSUES WHERE.

IT CAN BE DONE. AND SO I GUESS IT'S REALLY ANOTHER FORM OF JUST RANTING.

AND IT'S SO FRUSTRATING AT THIS POINT.

AND I KNOW I'M LIKE A BROKEN RECORD FOR THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I STILL GOT TO BE CALLED OUT ON THEIR NONSENSE.

THEY DO. AND WE JUST KEEP TAKING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT OUR CITIZENS.

WE CARE ABOUT THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE WHATEVER CRAP IS DEALT DOWN TO US.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, YOU MAKE LEMONADE.

THAT'S WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO SO THAT WE CAN HAVE VACCINES TO VACCINATE THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY. BUT I'M JUST TIRED OF IT AND I'M JUST TIRED OF IT, AND WE JUST GOT TO LET THEM KNOW. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I HOPE THE GOVERNOR'S LISTENING, ACTUALLY AND HIS STAFF AND HIS ADMINISTRATION ARE LISTENING THAT TO SAY, MAN YOU HAVE WE HAVE A PROVEN PRODUCT HERE.

WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING IT WORK INSTEAD OF REINVENTING THE WHEEL.

WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME AND TALK TO US AND WE'LL TELL YOU HOW WE DID IT AND YOU COULD REPRODUCE THAT. AND HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE? RANT OVER, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND THAT WAS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION.

AND I THINK, UH, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, WHO ACTUALLY SECONDED THE MOTION DOES IN AGREEMENT WITH HIS SECOND, UH, WITH THAT ADDITION, I'M AFRAID TO SAY THIS, BUT IS THERE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ACTUALLY.

SEEING NONE, UH, WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. TALLY THE VOTES.

MOTION PASSES BEGRUDGINGLY, UNANIMOUSLY.

NOW, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH TWENTY TWO.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

THANK YOU. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES A SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

YES, THANK YOU.

I JUST WAS LOOKING AT NUMBER ONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT, PLEASE.

[01:00:05]

AND THE ORIGINAL COST, I BELIEVE, WAS LIKE EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS OR SOMETHING.

AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE AND THEN WHEN YOU GO THROUGH AND YOU READ THE REPORT, IT LOOKS AS IF WE'RE BEING CHARGED EXTRA MONEY FOR THE LABOR AND FOR THE DIFFERENT JOB COSTS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF. I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH MR. HERTFELDER, BUT I WANTED HIM TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHY.

SO THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S SUCH A HUGE JUMP JUST TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION TO THE PUBLIC ON KIND OF WHY THAT IS.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DANA HERTFELDER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT AMENDMENT WOULD THEN BE FIVE IS MOSTLY TO UPDATE THEIR CURRENT RATE SHEET UNDER THE BASED ON SOME OF OUR LATEST AUDITS, WE'RE FINDING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE CURRENT RATE SHEET FOR THAT YEAR IN THE CONTRACT TO AVOID HAVING TO NOT AVOID HAVING TO PAY THE STATE BACK MONEY.

WE WANT TO BILL EVERY DIME WE SPEND TO THE STATE.

THE ISSUES WE RUN INTO IS ONE.

THAT RATE HAS TO REFLECT CURRENT PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE AND PREVAILING WAGE COST, AND ALSO THAT THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT.

SO STAFF WHO ARE WORKING ON IT, THEY GET RAISES, THEIR BENEFITS CHANGE, SO THEIR RATES GO UP SLIGHTLY. THAT HAPPENS ON ALL OUR CONTRACTS AND THAT'S ALLOWED FOR IT'S JUST IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC RATES THAT WE'RE PAYING THEM AT THAT TIME IN THE CONTRACT, WE CAN WE GET IN. WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE STATE AUDITORS.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS.

IT'S NOT TO RAISE THE PRICE OF THE CONTRACT OR CHANGE IT.

IT'S JUST TO REFLECT CURRENT RATES OF THE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE PROJECT.

THE OTHER THING WE'RE INCLUDING IN HERE IS AN UPDATE ON THE LANGUAGE RELATING TO COVID-19, WHICH BASICALLY REQUIRES OUR CONTRACTOR TO COMPLY WITH COVID-19 AT THEIR EXPENSE. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NO, AND THEN AND THAT'S GREAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BECAUSE AT FIRST GLANCE, WHEN I'M READING THROUGH THIS, IT'S LIKE I WAS READING IT AND I SAID, OK, WELL, WHY ARE HIS LABOR COSTS MY CONCERN OR THE CONTRACTORS MY CONCERN? SO I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB EXPLAINING IT.

AND SO IF PEOPLE KNOW OR IF PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT IS.

SO I ONLY I NEVER LIKE CONTRACTS THAT SAY NOT TO ACCEDE TO THIS POINT BECAUSE IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THEY ALWAYS GO TO THAT POINT.

BUT THE WAY THAT YOU'VE EXPLAINED IT IS HELPFUL FOR ME.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO I'M FINE WITH IT.

AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

IF THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS? OK, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND WE HAVE A SECOND.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? I'M NOT LOOKING TO MY LEFT.

I'LL ONLY CONTINUE TO LOOK TO MY RIGHT.

WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT, AS PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS TWENTY THREE AND TWENTY FOUR.

[BOARD ACTION (Part 2 of 2)]

AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA WOULD JUST LIKE TO MENTION FOR PUBLIC RECORD OR JUST PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT TWENTY FIRST TO ADOPT THE PLAN SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE HOOLIHAN PARK IN RENOVATION [INAUDIBLE].

I GUESS THAT'S FROM THE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR OR SO.

AND WITHOUT MAKING MUCH OF IT, THERE'S NONE OF THE COMMENTS FOR BOTH.

WE'LL RESET THE MOTIONS.

YOU GET TO MAKE THE MOTION MOTION.

MOTION.

WELL, NO GO AHEAD, PUSH THE BUTTON THERE.

THERE YOU GO. OK, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

[01:05:03]

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. LET'S TALLY THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS. TWENTY FIVE AND TWENTY SIX.

ITEM TWENTY FIVE HAS BEEN PULLED.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? I SEE NOBODY IN THE QUEUE I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

SUPERVISOR PARIERA? ARE YOU HOLDING OUT? SORRY.

LET'S TALLY THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEM TWENTY SEVEN.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE. I DO HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, LET'S SEE.

AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES A SUPERVISOR PARIERA I'D LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT THREE YEARS AGO WHEN THE HSA DEPARTMENT TOOK OVER THE COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT FOR THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

IT WAS KIND OF AT MY REQUEST AND I KIND OF MADE A COMMITMENT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AT THAT TIME THAT IT WOULD BE A THREE YEAR AND AND THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSITION TO A NONPROFIT AND THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.

BUT FORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT DOING THE COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT PORTION OF THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

AND SO I THINK THE PLAN IS STILL AT SOME POINT TO HAVE AN ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN TAKE OVER THE COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT.

BUT ANYWAY, SO I GUESS I FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO STATE THAT THAT IT WAS A THREE YEAR COMMITMENT THAT I APPRECIATED.

AND AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO EXTEND THAT COMMITMENT.

SO, YOU KNOW, TO MY COLLEAGUES.

THANK YOU. IF THIS DOES PASS, I SURE APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I THINK THAT YOU WILL SEE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NAVIGATION CENTER AND OUTREACH CENTER THAT'S OPENING AND JUST THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE HOMELESS ARENA THAT REALLY THAT HSA AND THEIR TEAM HAS REALLY BEEN, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST FACTORS OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO COMMENT AND THANK I SEE MICHELLE ROE IS HERE AND ANYWAYS, JUST PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE HARD WORK THEY DO.

AND I THINK OVERALL, THE EFFECTIVENESS THAT THE CONTINUUM OF CARE HAS HAD MERCED COUNTY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

THANK YOU. SO I DO HAVE A FIRST AND THE SECOND ARE THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? THEN LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM TWENTY EIGHT THROUGH THIRTY FOUR, PLEASE NOTE ITEMS THIRTY AND THIRTY THREE REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTH VOTE.

WELL, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS, THIS IS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF OURS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.

WE HAVE SOME DEVELOPMENT GOING ON.

ARE THERE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS, ON THESE ITEMS? SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA? UM, I KNOW ITEM TWENTY NINE, THIRTY, THIRTY TWO, AND THIRTY THREE ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING ON TO DO, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS ON THESE ITEMS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOKING THROUGH EVERYTHING AND HOPEFULLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THE THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ESPECIALLY THE WATER NITRATE ISSUE.

SO HOPEFULLY AND I KNOW THAT I'VE ATTENDED A MEETING IN AT THE CHOWCHILLA WATER COMMITTEE DOWN THERE. AND, UH, AND THEY HAD A NUMBERS FROM, UH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE ORGANIZATION, BUT I KNOW THEY HAVE THE NITRATE NUMBERS AND ALSO FORMER MERCED COUNTY.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOK AT THAT AND DO THE PLANNING AND THEN WE'LL BRING UP HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS ARE NOT HIGH AND THEY TRADE FOR CONTAMINATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY BUSINESS GETS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND IF THEY CAN. BUT HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T DAMAGE THE

[01:10:03]

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND, UH, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT, ITEM NUMBER THIRTY FIVE.

OK, I ALREADY HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ERIC, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ITEMS THIRTY SIX AND THIRTY SEVEN.

DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM.

I SEE NOBODY IN THE QUEUE.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

RETIREMENT ITEM NUMBER THIRTY EIGHT.

DO WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, A SECOND BASE SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

TALLY.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS SHERIFF ITEMS THIRTY NINE THROUGH FORTY ONE.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, BUT I HAVE A MOTION BY A SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. OOH AND IT DISAPPEARED.

THERE'S STILL A VERY. OK, THERE WE GO.

THERE WE GO. OK, WE'RE BACK ONLINE.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

YOU HOLDING OUT? THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY ITEM NUMBER 42.

IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

FURTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

LET'S TALLY THEM.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

FORTY THREE COUNTY COUNCIL 8.

I HAVE A MOTION BY A SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND THE SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

TALLIED. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS FORTY FOUR THROUGH FORTY SIX.

FORTY FOUR THROUGH FORTY SIX, BECAUSE FORTY SEVEN HAS ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON, SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION OR ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

TALLY THE VOTES.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ITEM FORTY EIGHT.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.

[01:15:03]

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

I SEE NO OTHER COMMENTS, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

LET'S TALLY THE VOTES.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS 49 THROUGH 50 TO.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

ARE THERE FURTHER COMMENTS OR ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? WELL, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE WANTS THAT TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE, YOU CAN HAVE IT, BUT I'LL ACCEPT IT. IS THAT WITH CONFIDENCE? THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

ARE WE DOING ITEMS FORTY NINE THROUGH FIFTY TWO OR JUST FORTY NINE? FORTY NINE TO FIFTY TWO.

OK, WELL. OK.

WAIT FOR IT. OK.

FORTY NINE, THROUGH FIFTY TWO.

YES. MOTIONS ARE OPEN.

OH, THERE WE GO. MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, WHO HAS GOT THE QUICKEST FINGER FROM THE WEST SIDE, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

ARE THERE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS? SEEING NONE. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.

TALLY THEM.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 53 THROUGH 60,

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

ONE MOMENT.

MOTIONS ARE OPEN. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO . I KNOW WHO I'M NOT GETTING A SECOND FROM.

HOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU? I NEED A SECOND. I HAVE A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

I CALL FOR THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

FIRST, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FROM COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE AS PER THE CALIFORNIA LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965 WILLIAMSON ACT IN MERCED COUNTY. YES, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, ABSTAIN FROM THIS ITEM SINCE I'M IN CONFLICT, SINCE I HAVE A LEASE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET.

SO IT SHOULD BE WITHIN 500 FEET.

SO I'LL STEP OUT FOR THIS SINCE ONE [INAUDIBLE].

YOU GOT IT. YEAH, SO FOR THE RECORD, IT'S A RECUSAL.

YEAH, OK.

OK, MR. HENDRICKSON? MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, GOOD MORNING, MARK HENDRICKSON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING THIS MORNING IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE AND UPON YOUR PROPOSAL, PROPOSED APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM TWO APPLICANT REQUESTED PROPERTY LINE ADJUSTMENTS AND TWO APPLICANT REQUESTED MINOR SUBDIVISIONS WOULD BE EFFECTUATED.

SECTION 51233 OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE REQUIRES THE BOARD TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE.

IN TOTAL, 7.12 ACRES WOULD BE REMOVED AND NINE ACRES WILL BE ADDED UPON YOUR ACTION.

OF NOTE, NONE OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES ARE ACTUALLY UNDER THE WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACT.

AT THIS POINT, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ONE FOR YOU TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, TWO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

[01:20:01]

AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO POTENTIALLY TAKE THEM AS A PART OF TWO INDEPENDENT MOTIONS.

THE FIRST TO MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THE REMOVAL OF LAND FROM THE AG PRESERVE LISTED IN THE BOARD AGENDA ITEM EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER SECTION 15183 PROJECTS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN OR ZONING BASED ON THE FINDINGS AS LISTED IN YOUR STAFF REPORT.

AND THEN SECONDLY, TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AMENDING THE AG PRESERVE AGAIN AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965.

AT THIS POINT, STAFF WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS ITEM.

THANK YOU, MARK. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I SEE NOBODY IN THE QUEUE.

AT THIS TIME WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING.

WE'LL BE ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS LIVE IN PERSON AND VIA VOICEMAIL.

THE VOICE MAIL MESSAGE LINE HAS BEEN OPEN TO ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE THE POSTING OF THE AGENDA. WE WILL BE ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENT BY EMAIL FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE HEARING. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PAUSE TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO LEAVE A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE. PLEASE CALL (209) 726-2755 AND REFERENCE THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. VOICE MAILS WILL BE PLAYED IN CONCLUSION OF THIS BREAK.

SO AT THIS TIME WE'LL RETURN AT 11:30.

WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME FOR THAT.

[INAUDIBLE].

RIGHT? OK, SO DO WE HAVE ANY VOICEMAILS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK HERE TO THE DIAS.

SO I THINK I, OH, THERE WE GO.

UM, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO FIND THAT THE REMOVAL AND ADDITION OF LAND FROM THE AGRICULTURE PRESERVE PERTAINING TO THE PARCEL NUMBERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE STAFF REPORT ARE EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER SECTION 15183 PROJECTS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN OR ZONING BASED ON THE FINDINGS LISTED IN THE BAI.

OK, I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

IS THERE A FURTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE.

IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

MR. CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE AGRICULTURE PRESERVE AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965, ALSO KNOWN AS THE WILLIAMSON ACT, SECTION 51200 OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

SECOND THAT.

I HAVE A SECOND MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSITION MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

I DON'T. NOT IF WE'RE OPEN.

WE'RE OPEN. OH, YEAH, THAT'S IT, WE'RE CLOSED.

NEXT, WE HAVE A FIRST READING OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR PUBLIC WORKS, FIRST READING FOR A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5.90 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE BY INCREASING THE REFUSE OF COLLECTION RATES THROUGH THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS WITHIN COUNTY SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE AREAS ONE THROUGH FIVE.

YES, CHAIR, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU. IF I CAN GO BACK JUST REAL QUICK TO THE LAST ITEM, I WANT TO BE SPECIFIC ON THE ONE ITEM, I RECUSE MYSELF WAS THE CAMPGROUND ROAD IN DELHI AND [INAUDIBLE]. IT'S ACROSS THE STREET JUST TO BE SPECIFIC, I KNOW THERE'S MORE THAN ONE ITEM TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR.

[01:25:02]

WHITTEN DISPOSAL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT FIRM PROVIDES CURBSIDE SERVICE TO COUNTY FRANCHISE AREAS. ONE THROUGH FIVE IS ASKING FOR 1.59 PERCENT RATE INCREASE BASED ON THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR LAST YEAR.

THEIR REQUEST IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, WHICH ALLOWS FOR AN ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT TO RATES FOR CURBSIDE SERVICE BASED ON ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE ALL ITEMS CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, IF APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

THE BOARD APPROVED A 2.72 CPI INCREASE IN 2020.

STAFF HAS REVIEWED WHITTEN DISPOSAL SERVICE REQUESTS AND BELIEVES THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT.

THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE REFLECTS THE1.59PERCENT INCREASE.

MS. VANESSA BARBERIS, PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR WHITTEN DISPOSAL, IS HERE TODAY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING THE REQUESTED RATE INCREASE.

THANK YOU, DANA. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DANA? SO WE ARE IN DISCUSSION MODE, IF THERE'S ANY REQUEST, IF NOT USUALLY THIS IS A HIGHLY DISCUSSED ITEM IN THE PAST, BUT WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US THIS YEAR MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.

AND IF I COULD JUST MAKE THE REQUEST WHEN THE LETTER GOES OUT TO THE RATEPAYERS NOT TO PUT IT ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS PREVIOUSLY DONE.

MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

OK, I AM LOOKING TO THE BOARD.

WHERE ARE THE INTRODUCTION IS MADE ITEM NUMBER TWO.

CAN I GET A MOTION TO WAIT FOR THE READING? I HAVE A FIRST AND THE SECOND TO WAIT FOR THE READING, DO YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THE SECOND READING AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ON APRIL 6TH, 2021 AT 10 A.M..

YEAH, YEAH.

OK, SO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IN A SECOND MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

LAST IS BOARD REPORTS.

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

THANK YOU. WELL, YESTERDAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A WALKTHROUGH AND TOUR OF MERCED CITY AMTRAK STATION WITH RENE GUTIERREZ, WHO IS A MERCED CITY RESIDENT AND WORKED FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY THERE THAT OVERSEES THE RAIL, UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY.

SO THEY HAVE DONE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE STATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, YOU KNOW, WALKED AROUND AND LOOKED AT IT ON THE ROAD THERE AT THE CROSSING.

THEY IMPROVED THE CROSSING, THEY IMPROVED THE ROAD.

AND THEY'RE PLANNING ON PAINTING THE BUILDING AND CLEANING IT UP.

SO IN THE PAST, I'VE COMMENTED THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DROUGHT AND AFTER IT WASN'T BEING MAINTAINED BY THE CITY, BECAUSE THE CITY OF MERCED CURRENTLY MAINTAINS IT.

SO FOR AESTHETIC WISE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HAVE A PRESENTABLE STATION.

SO WHEN PEOPLE TRAVEL. SO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN GOOD AND AESTHETICALLY, THE PLEASING. SO AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO A ALSO A MORE EXPANDED PARKING ACROSS THE STREET AND RIGHT UP THERE.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE POST OFFICE, WHO OWNS THE LOT, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO A TRADE THERE.

AND SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A LOT NICER PARKING AND ACROSS ALSO FROM THE STATION, THEY'VE DONE IMPROVEMENTS AND METAL RAILS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS KEPT SAFE.

SO, I WAS JUST GLAD THAT IF YOU HAVE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE A CHANCE TO GO WITH ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THAT YOU'LL LIKE THE IMPROVEMENTS.

ALSO, I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT THROUGH CENTRAL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER, THIS BOARD APPROVED A ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS LAST MONTH FROM THE AND GIVE THE CONTRACT TO CVLC TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER IS IN NEED OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR UTILITIES

[01:30:07]

SO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYBODY IS IN NEED AND BEHIND ON AND RENT OR UTILITIES, PLEASE APPLY PER CVLC AT WINTON AND I KNOW THERE'S THIS WEEK, WILL BE VACCINATIONS TOMORROW AT THE LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM.

SO ANYBODY THAT MEETS THEIR REQUIREMENTS, THEY CAN GO IN AND GET A VACCINATION THERE.

AND I KNOW THAT THROUGH TO THE MERCED FAIRGROUNDS AND ALSO THE VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS AND [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL.

AND I'M PRETTY SURE, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER DISTRICTS AND EVERYBODY'S GETTING VACCINATED.

SO PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO VACCINATE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY AND GET YOUR SHOT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR.

SUPERVISOR PEDROZO? THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE ON THE VACCINATIONS AND JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY TO SIGN UP AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.

AND IF YOU HAVE ISSUES SIGNING UP, PLEASE CALL THAT NUMBER THAT WAS PUT OUT EARLIER IN THE MEETING. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THAT LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY BEING THAT IT'S NATIONAL READING MONTH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ TO A PRESCHOOL CLASS, WHICH MY DAUGHTER WAS IN, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY COOL.

AND GETTING ANY QUESTIONS FROM THEM WAS IT WAS AWESOME THEY WERE ASKING ME, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE STORY AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.

AND IT WAS IT WAS REALLY COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT.

WE ALSO DID HAVE OUR MONTHLY MEETING WITH THE MAYOR, MATT SERRATO AND CITY MANAGER DIETZ, MYSELF AND CEO BROWN, TO JUST KIND OF DISCUSS PROJECTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND TO DISCUSS WHAT WHERE WERE THE COUNTIES THAT AND WHERE THE CITIES AT AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER TOGETHER. AND THEN ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN TODAY'S MEETING IN HONOR OF DR.

JEFFREY LEE.

DR. LEE HAS BEEN A DOCTOR AND WAS A DOCTOR IN MERCED SINCE 1974 AND PRACTICED FOR A LONG TIME. HE WAS AN OPTOMETRIST WHO, IF ANYBODY KNEW HIM OR HAD HIM AS A DOCTOR, KNEW THAT HE HAD SOME OF THE BEST, CONVERSATION SKILLS OR BEDSIDE MANNER.

HOWEVER, YOU WANT TO SAY IT IN ONE OF THE MOST INFECTIOUS LAUGHS THAT YOU'LL EVER COME ACROSS FROM A PERSON.

SO, DR.

LEE WAS WAS A REALLY GOOD MAN.

HE PROVIDED A LOT OF STUFF BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH, ROTARY OR LIONS CLUBS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

BUT, HE DEFINITELY WILL BE MISSED.

LUCKILY, HIS SON MATT IS STILL, WITH THE PRACTICE AND WILL CARRY ON HIS LEGACY, WHICH IS REALLY GRATEFUL. BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DO. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WOULD, I GUESS, LIKE TO SUNSHINE THAT TOMORROW AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK, WE ARE GOING TO DO A GRAND OPENING OF THE, UH, THE NEW MERCED'S.

WELL, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE IS NAVIGATION AND OUTREACH CENTER THAT WOULD BE OPERATED BY THE MERCED COUNTY RESCUE MISSION.

AND SO THAT, AS MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, PROVIDES SEVENTY FIVE NEW BEDS IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP GET UNSHELTERED HOMELESS OFF THE STREETS.

AND SO BIG SHOUT OUT, REALLY TO OUR ASSEMBLYMEN WHO HELPED US SECURE THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING, THE ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH, FOR ALSO PROVIDING SOME FUNDING.

IT WILL HAVE A MEDICAL CLINIC KIND OF EMBEDDED IN THE IN THE SHELTER.

I TOOK A TOUR YESTERDAY, AN OFFICIAL TOUR.

AND WHAT WAS MOST INTERESTING WAS NOT THE WALLS, BUT IT WAS THE PEOPLE THAT FROM HSA AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THAT WILL BE WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS IN THE FACILITY AND THEIR MINDSET. RIGHT.

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WORK ON THIS PROJECT, I FELT LIKE PEOPLE.

HOW DO YOU SAY IT? YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOCUSED ON DOING A JOB.

AND THEN YESTERDAY AND LISTENING TO THESE EMPLOYEES TALK, THEY TALKED ABOUT BEING EFFECTIVE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

AND IT JUST REALLY KIND OF MADE ME FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT THE RIGHT SPOT AT THE RIGHT TIME TO OPEN UP THE FACILITY TO REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE HOMELESS WORLD.

[01:35:03]

I DON'T KNOW WHO'S LISTENING, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS OFTENTIMES, IN FACT, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME HAVE A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE THAT KEEPS THEM FROM BEING HOUSED.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES THAT'S FROM MEDICATING WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.

BUT REALLY, IT STEMS FROM A TIME EARLIER IN THEIR LIVES WHERE PEOPLE THEY TRUSTED ABUSED THEM. AND THEN THE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL COME AFTER THAT.

RIGHT. AND SO YOU HAVE A POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T TRUST PEOPLE BY JUST KIND OF THE VIRTUE OF THE NATURE OF WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR LIVES.

AND SO HAVING THIS CENTER, WHERE COUNTY STAFF AND NONPROFIT PROVIDERS CAN INTERACT WITH THESE FOLKS ON A DAILY BASIS, FEED THEM.

PEOVIDE THE MEALS THAT YOU KNOW, AND BREAKING BREAD, SO TO SPEAK, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT A SPOT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR SIGNIFICANCE AND ARE IN HELPING THE HOMELESS. AND SO, ANYWAYS, I'M JUST REAL THANKFUL FOR THAT.

THERE WILL BE A VIDEO OUT THAT KIND OF A VIRTUAL RIBBON CUTTING OF SORTS THAT PEOPLE COULD WATCH. AND SO I WANT TO THANK DANA HERTFELDER FROM DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.

THIS PROJECT WENT TOGETHER FAST, FAST AND FURIOUS.

AND AND I THINK DANA'S TEAM, ALONG WITH THE CONTRACTORS, ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T THINK WAS POSSIBLE.

IT WAS IT WAS JUST BASICALLY A YEAR AGO THAT WE SAID YES TO THIS PROJECT HERE AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AND HERE WE ARE WITHIN A YEAR, READY TO PUT PEOPLE IN IT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE, OF COURSE, PROBABLY CEO BROWN, MOST SIGNIFICANT, BECAUSE HE HAS THE TEAM THAT WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.

BUT DIRECTOR VALENTINE FROM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, DIRECTOR BROWN FROM HSA, JOHN CHECKLEY, WHO WAS ONCE IN THE CEO'S OFFICE AND NOW WAS AT HSA, ALEXANDRA PIERCE FROM CEO'S OFFICE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE BUILDER IS FROM DISTRICT FOUR.

AND SO THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.

AND I ACTUALLY WENT TO GRAMMAR SCHOOL WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER, TODD LIMAS.

AND SO IT JUST KIND OF NEAT TO SEE A LOCAL PROJECT BEING DONE BY LOCAL PEOPLE WITH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY REALLY GOOD LOCAL OUTCOMES.

SO I WANT TO SHARE THAT.

AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR VALENTINE.

WE HAVE A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE AND ONE OF MY COMMUNITIES, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S BASICALLY OUT OF CONTROL, BUT YET DOESN'T QUITE MEET THE SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL THRESHOLD.

AND SO DIRECTOR VALENTINE SENT ONE OF HER STAFF MEMBERS, MICHELLE GARIBALDI, OUT TO TO A COMMUNITY MEETING AND KIND OF EXPLAINED THE PROCESS, DID NOT DISCUSS THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT JUST THE PROCESS OF HOW IT WORKS SO THAT THE THE NEIGHBORS NOW HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY CAN EMPOWER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO HELP THEM.

AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WELL RECEIVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND HASN'T SOLVED THE ISSUE.

HOWEVER, AT LEAST IT'S GOT US ON A PATHWAY THAT MAY DO THAT.

AND THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR. AND I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY FROM DISTRICT TWO VITO CHIESA IN STANISLAUS COUNTY, JUST FOR A NOTE.

UH, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR, FOR THAT.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.

YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF THAT.

AND SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE OFFICE, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF YOUR TORCHES YOU CARRIED AND YOU'VE DONE IT VERY, VERY WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THAT.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. NOT A BUNCH TO REPORT TODAY.

JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE COUNTY IS NOW KICKING OFF OUR VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS.

UM, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH MINE, ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7TH AT SIX PM, THERE'S ZOOM REGISTRATION. YOU CAN FIND THIS INFORMATION, I BELIEVE, ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.

IF NOT, WE'RE I'M PUSHING IT OUT ALL ACROSS ALL OF MY SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES.

THERE WILL BE THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.

WILL HAVE SPANISH AND HMONG LISTENING OPTIONS THROUGH ZOOM.

SO I'M EXCITED TO KIND OF, GET BACK OUT AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC YET. WE'RE STILL DOING THEM THROUGH ZOOM BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THAT THIS LAST YEAR, THEY KIND OF ALL THAT PUT ON HOLD WITH COVID.

BUT IT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH NOT ONLY OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

SO THAT'S JUST, MINE IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST IN THE SERIES.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS.

MINE STARTS ON THE 7TH.

I WILL, LET'S SEE HERE, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA'S WILL BE ON THE 14TH OF APRIL.

[01:40:06]

SUPERVISOR PEDROZO IS GOING TO BE ON THE 28TH OF APRIL.

AND THEN, UH, CHAIR MCDANIEL IS GOING TO BE ON MAY THE 5TH.

THESE ARE ALL WEDNESDAY EVENINGS AT SIX P.M..

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

I THINK WE WANT TO GET BACK OUT AND LISTEN TO WHAT FOLKS ARE.

AND I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU AS I DO ALWAYS IS NOT ONLY BRING UP ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS, BUT TRY TO BRING SOME SOLUTIONS BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MAYBE A WAY OF DOING SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE WEREN'T QUITE THINKING OF.

SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I DO WANT TO ADJOURN TODAY'S MEETING IN HONOR OF PASTOR BRUCE RIVERS.

PASTOR BRUCE PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 2021.

HE WAS BORN APRIL 6, 1955, AND HE WAS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF MOUNT MORIAH BAPTIST CHURCH IN DOS PALOS. AND PASTOR BRUCE'S WIFE, EMILY, WAS HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND GAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER.

JUST TO TOUCH ON, I MET PASTOR BRUCE THROUGH MY TIME AS BEING ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

I REALLY DID MEAN IT. HE'S ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE HE'S NEVER MET A STRANGER WHO HAD THIS BIG, BIG BOOMING VOICE.

AND YOU COULD HEAR HIM WAY BEFORE YOU EVER SAW HIM.

HE JUST IT WAS JUST THE KIND OF GUY THAT HE WAS JUST A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT.

THERE WAS NEVER A CAUSE THAT HE WASN'T WILLING TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF.

AND I KNOW HE'S TAKEN HIS, I'D LIKE TO CALL IT, SHOW ON THE ROAD.

HE GOES BACK TO WASHINGTON.

HE DID GO BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C.

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN HIS CHURCH.

HE GOT PUT IN A FACEBOOK JAIL NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE HE'S VERY STRONG IN HIS CONVICTIONS AND HIS BELIEFS. AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATED ABOUT IT.

BUT WHAT I DID TRULY LOVE IS, IS THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT I WAS DOING IN THE DISTRICT.

HE WAS KIND OF SIMILAR IN HIS CHURCHES, IN DOS PALOS, BUT HE LIVED IN LOS BANOS.

SO HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN BOTH COMMUNITIES.

AND THOSE ARE TWO OF THE BIGGEST PARTS OF MY DISTRICT OF LOS BANOS AND DOS PALOS.

AND SO ANY TIME THERE WAS ANYTHING GOING ON I COULD COUNT ON PASTOR BRUCE'S SUPPORT, EVEN TO THE POINT WITH WHEN COUNTY STAFF HAD THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED, LIKE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WERE DOING THESE MEETINGS, FOR THIS PARK GRANT.

HEY PASTOR BRUCE, WE WANT TO SET THE, WE WANT TO DO THIS HERE, MAN, YOU CALL HIM UP.

AND HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO DELIVER. SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO ADJOURN TODAY'S MEETING IN MEMORY OF PASTOR BRUCE RIVER.

HE DID PASS AWAY ON THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY.

AND I JUST KIND OF TIMING WISE, IT JUST WORKED OUT TO HAVE HIS WIFE HERE TO DO THE OPENING CEREMONY. AND SO HE ALREADY HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MISSED.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR.

COUNTY COUNCIL/ CEO BROWN? PASTOR RIVERS, BIG PERSONALITY FOR SURE.

I NEVER, EVER SAW HIM IN A BAD MOOD.

HE WAS ALWAYS VERY HAPPY.

AND FOR MY REPORT OUT.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT CONSTITUENT SERVICES ARE ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY HERE AS A BOARD. AND I AM WELCOMING THE COMPLAINTS ON ROADS, THE COMPLAINTS ON EYESORES, THE COMPLAINTS ON NEEDING SPEED BUMPS, THE COMPLAINTS ON ALL THIS.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THOSE ARE WELCOMING CALLS BECAUSE IT SHOWS FOLKS ARE FOCUSING ON TASK AT HAND INSTEAD OF ON COVID.

AND I THINK PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO PRACTICE THEIR SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.

AND I SEE THE FOLKS IN MERCER COUNTY MOVING FORWARD AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.