Jan 20, 2022 LAFCO Meeting

[00:00:01]

GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS LAFCO MEETING TO ORDER FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 20TH.

2022, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

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.

MAY WE HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? YES. COMMISSIONER SERRATTO.

HERE. COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL.

PRESENT, COMMISSIONER BERTAO.

HERE. AND CHAIR NAGY.

HERE. OK, SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND ALL MEMBERS PRESENT ARE VOTING MEMBERS.

SO THAT'S IT.

ALL RIGHT. CONSENT CALENDAR.

[IV. CONSENT CALENDAR]

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? HEARING NONE. I'LL BRING IT BACK.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

OK, I HAVE A MOTION.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAYING AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

I CAN VOTE BUT I CAN'T MOTION. [INAUDIBLE] WHAT I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE LAST MEETING I CAN'T. OH.

BECAUSE THE MINUTES.

YEAH, YEAH, THE MINUTES.

OH, FOR THE MINUTES.

OK. YOU CAN VOTE THAT YOU WEREN'T THERE FUNCTIONALLY, RIGHT? RIGHT. WELL, I CAN'T A MOTION OR SECOND A MOTION, BUT I CAN VOTE.

OK. GLAD WE GOT THAT CLEARED UP.

I JUST WANT TO CLEAR IT UP WITH OUR ATTORNEY.

I DO THINK SINCE I'M HERE, LET'S HEAR ME.

I DO THINK A MOTION OR SECOND, IF YOU HAD SO CHOSE.

BUT IT'S.

IT'S YEAH, IT'S YOUR PREFERENCE BECAUSE YOU ARE A VOTING MEMBER TODAY.

YES. ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON NUMBER FIVE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION ON ITEMS OF INTEREST OVER WHICH LAFCO HAS JURISDICTION.

DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN'S COMMUNICATION THIS MORNING? SEEING NONE. WE WILL MOVE ON.

WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS, SO WE'LL MOVE TO GENERAL BUSINESS.

[VII.A. Amendment No. 1 to Contract with Economic and Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS) for preparation of an update to the “Agricultural Irrigation Service Providers Municipal Service Review” increasing the amount of the contract from $35,000 to $50,000, and extending the contract expiration date from April 31, 2022, to June3 30, 2022]

FOR PREPARATION OF AN UPDATE TO THE AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION SERVICE PROVIDERS MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT FROM THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND TO FIFTY THOUSAND AND EXTENDING THE CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE FROM APRIL 31ST, 2022 TO JUNE 3RD 30TH 2022.

DO WE HAVE A STAFF REPORT? YEAH, THANK YOU. AND SORRY FOR THAT TYPE ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT DOES SAY JUNE 3RD AND 30TH. SO YES, AND IT WOULD BE TO JUNE 30TH.

2022. YEAH.

SO AS I MENTIONED AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEVOTE TO THE MSR EFFORT, WHICH WAS PART OF THE REASON THE CONTRACT WAS WRITTEN FOR THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND, WE WERE GOING TO SPEND MORE TIME SUPPORTING EPS IN PREPARING IT.

AND IN THE BEGINNING WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME.

BUT OVER TIME, OUR STAFF PLANNER TIFFANY [INAUDIBLE] OVER HERE HAS BEEN PULLED INTO MORE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DUTIES.

AND AND I'VE BEEN PULLED INTO A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS AND PERSONAL LIFE SITUATIONS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DEVOTE AS MUCH TIME.

SO EPS WAS WILLING TO SPEND MORE TIME ON IT.

RICHARD [INAUDIBLE] IS THE THE MAIN PERSON WORKING ON IT, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY USING A DIFFERENT FORMAT, MORE TABLE FORMAT FOR IT SO THAT HE CAME UP WITH.

SO IT'S IT'S A LOGICAL THING FOR HIM TO STEP UP.

SO THE INCREASE OF FIFTEEN THOUSAND WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM THAT WE EXPECT IN OUR CITY WOULD SPEND. AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, WE WOULD STILL HELP COMPLETE THAT.

AND SO I JUST REFERENCING WE ARE NEAR OR WE'RE IN THE COMPLETION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT THAT WE WOULD SHARE WITH THE DISTRICTS.

IT'S BEEN A HARD. IT'S ALWAYS A LONG, HARD PROCESS TO GET THE FEEDBACK FROM THE DISTRICTS ON ALL THEIR DATA AND ALL THEIR INFORMATION.

AND WE DO A LOT OF REACH GOING THROUGH THE INTERNET AND GOING THROUGH THE STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE TO GATHER DATA THAT WE CAN WE CAN FIND.

BUT SOME STUFF YOU JUST NEED FROM THE DISTRICTS.

SO IT'S THAT'S HOW A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING.

BUT WE'RE OUT OF ALL THE DISTRICTS, THERE'S 15 OR SO, THERE'S TWO THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR SOME DATA FROM.

SO WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

SO WITH THAT OVERVIEW, WE HAVE THE CONTRACT.

[00:05:01]

SO IF THE COMMISSION IS SO WILLING, WE RECOMMEND YOU SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT.

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL HERE.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD IS ON THE EXPIRATION DATE.

IS THAT ENOUGH TIME? YES, WE'RE MOVING IT BACK TWO MONTHS AND WE THINK IT IS.

WE HAVE SO MUCH OF THE DATA ALREADY.

AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF WHEN WE GIVE IT BACK TO THE DISTRICTS, WE'LL GIVE THEM A HARD AND FAST DATE TO COMMENT ON IT.

IF THEY DON'T COMMENT, THEN WE CAN GO FORWARD AND BRING IT TO HEARING.

AND IF THEY DON'T LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S IN THERE OR DON'T AGREE WITH IT, THEY WOULD COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SO THE EXTRA TWO MONTHS.

WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A DRAFT DONE BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T, BUT WE'RE CLOSE. SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE BASICALLY SIX MONTHS AND WE WOULD EXPECT TO HAVE IT DONE BY BY JUNE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SURE. YEAH, I GOT. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE ON RELATED TO THIS, AND IT'S NOT TIFFANY'S TIME WITH A COUNTY IN THE FUTURE. IS IT GOING TO BE LIMITED FOR OUR SAKE? I MEAN, FOR LAFCO WORK, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO, MAYBE ONCE WE GO FURTHER WITH OUR TASKS THAT WE HAVE FORWARD WITH [INAUDIBLE] TWO OR THREE MONTHS.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO HELP US TOO THAT'S OUT OF THE COUNTY OR THE COUNTY GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMEONE ELSE? THAT'S PROBABLY THE QUESTION. YEAH.

WELL, AND TIFFANY CAN SPEAK FROM HER EXPERIENCE.

BUT THE DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE] DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS GONE THROUGH A HUGE TRANSFORMATION OF CONSOLIDATING OTHER FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT NOW [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC WORKS ANYMORE.

THE FIRE MARSHAL ROLE HAS COME UNDER THEM.

NOW ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IS UNDER THEM AND THERE'S A LOT OF VACANCIES AND PEOPLE COMING AND GOING. SO THERE'S A IT'LL BE A WHILE BEFORE.

THEY'RE NOT STABLE AS FAR AS EMPLOYMENT GOES.

YEAH, IT'S RIGHT. THERE'S A LOT OF RECRUITMENTS UNDERWAY.

IN FACT, A NEW PLANNER JUST STARTED THIS WEEK.

THEY GOT A NEW PLANNER, BUT THERE'S OTHER ONES.

THERE'S OTHER VACANT SEATS, SO.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DUTIES AND A LOT OF FUNCTIONS, AND THE TIME TIFF IS VERY DEDICATED.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

BUT SHE'S COMPETING WITH MANY OTHER FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING ANSWERING PHONES AND COVERING THE FRONT COUNTER. SO A LOT MORE WORK AND LESS PEOPLE, THEN.

YEAH, THAT'S IT. YEAH.

SO I THINK WE'LL BE LEANING ON THE REPLACEMENT EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR A LOT MORE, MORE HOURS. YEAH. AND I NEED TIFFANY FOR MY MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL OUT IN BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN AREA. AND SHE'S VERY HELPFUL.

OK. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE AMENDMENT ONE.

ALSO MOVE. SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

[VII.B. Announcement of the Executive Officer’s intention to retire, and discussion of possible steps for seeking a replacement]

ALSO MOVE. SO I'LL LET YOU MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT, SIR.

OK. YES.

SO I JUST START OFF BY SAYING AS WE COME UP ON APRIL THIS YEAR, ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING IN SOME CAPACITY WITH LAFCO SINCE FOR 38 YEARS SINCE 1982.

SO 38 YEARS IS A LONG TIME.

SO AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT BEING A QUITTER, I THINK I AM, BUT I'M A VERY SLOW.

I'M VERY SLOW. GOOD GOVERNMENT WORKER TO TAKE MY TIME TO GET SOMETHING DONE.

SO, BUT I REALLY NEED, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND JUST WHERE MY LIFE IS AND WHERE I WANT TO HEAD THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING WITH LAFCO AND IT WAS ALWAYS REALLY THE MOST FUN PART OF MY JOB. THIS IS FUN, BUT IN THE PLANNING WORLD, THIS IS INTERESTING AND DIFFERENT AND IT'S YOU'RE WORKING WITH CITIES AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS.

AND SO IT'S A FUN ROLE AND THEN JUST COORDINATION WITH THE CITIES AND WE DEAL WITH SPECIAL DISTRICTS AS WELL IN THE COUNTY.

IT'S NOT JUST THE COUNTY FOCUS, SO IT'S BEEN A REWARDING PROFESSION FOR ME.

SO BUT IT'S TIME TO CALL IT A DAY FOR ME, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGING TO FILL. AND SO I WANT TO GIVE FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TIME TO HELP DO RECRUITMENT.

AND SO I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT AND ONE OF THE WHAT THE WAY I WROTE UP THE AGENDA ITEM WAS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT METHOD YOU MIGHT WANT TO PURSUE FOR RECRUITMENT.

BUT AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT MORE AND I HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION WITH [INAUDIBLE] OUR ATTORNEY TODAY BECAUSE OF THE DUTIES AND THE FUNCTIONS, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD TO REPLACE WHAT I DO UNDER THE SAME PAY AND SCOPE I'VE BEEN USING.

[00:10:06]

SO WITHOUT HIRING SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE COUNTY, WHICH THERE ISN'T ANYBODY RIGHT NOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE TIME.

AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE THAT IT'S A FULL TIME POSITION THAT'S NEEDED.

AND PART OF THE COST FOR THAT WOULD BE SAVING NOT HAVING TO HIRE A FIRM LIKE EPS TO DO THE MSRS OR ONLY ON REALLY SPECIAL PROJECTS.

BUT MANY LAFCO THEY HIRE THEIR PERSON OR THEIR STAFF, LIKE [INAUDIBLE] FRESNO.

THEY BOTH HAVE THREE FULL TIME PEOPLE THAT CAN DO ACTIVITIES CONSTANTLY.

THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS LAFCO RELATED ACTIVITIES, AND IF THERE'S NO APPLICATIONS, THEN THEY'RE WORKING ON MSRS.

SO.

YEAH, IT'S BEEN A REAL GOOD DEAL FOR FOR LAFCO.

SO TO HELP WITH THE DISCUSSION, I'VE GOT A SPREADSHEET HERE THAT FRESNO LAFCO PREPARED LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON GETTING LOOKING AT PAY FOR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND WHETHER TO GIVE A PAY TO GET A PAY INCREASE, WHICH OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER WANTED TO DO. BUT ONE THING I WOULD MENTION WE HAVE IT UP ON THE OVERHEAD SO THAT PEOPLE VIEWING IN THE AUDIENCE AND AT HOME, OH, YOU CAN'T SEE.

YEAH, MAYBE WE CAN. YEAH, THERE WE GO.

SO THIS THIS SHOWS THE BASICALLY WHAT'S CALLED THE CENTRAL SECTION OF CAL LAFCO, WHICH IS FROM NAPA, EXCUSE ME, FROM [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY IN THE NORTH, COMING DOWN ALL THE WAY THE VALLEY DOWN TO KERN.

AND IT HAS THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR EACH LAFCO.

AND YOU'LL SEE MERCED ON THERE IS ON SOMEWHAT ON THE LOWER END, BUT NOT COMPLETELY THE LOWEST. BUT THEN IT GOES ON TO EXECUTIVE OFFICER SALARY IN ABOUT THE SEVENTH COLUMN OVER AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER IS VERY LOW PAY BASED ON THE HOURS AND THE HOURS WERE TYPICALLY BUDGETED FOR FOUR HUNDRED HOURS A YEAR.

AND THEN IF YOU GET NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR AND I NEEDED MORE TIME OR I HAD SPENT MORE TIME THAN THE COMMISSION WOULD ALWAYS DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND ADD MORE HOURS ON IT.

BUT YOU'LL SEE MANY LAFCO IS ACTUALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY'S FULL TIME.

THE EXCEPTIONS WERE KINGS COUNTY, WHICH ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNDER NOTES.

IT'S BASICALLY A THIRD OF A FULL TIME EQUIVALENT.

FTE IS FULL TIME EQUIVALENT, SO ABOUT A THIRD OF THEIR TIME IN A TILLERY, IT'S HALF TIME AND THAT PERSON SHARES THEIR DUTIES WITH THEIR COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WHICH IN THE STATE. THAT'S THE ONLY LAFCO THAT HAS A COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ROLE.

AND THEN IN THE NEIGHBORING MADERA LAFCO, IT'S ALSO A PART TIME FORMER COUNTY EMPLOYEE THAT RETIRED AND I LOOK AT THE SALARY AND GO, THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD PAY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW BUSY THEY ARE.

BUT YOU DON'T SHOW SAN BENITO ON HERE. YEAH, BECAUSE THIS IS THE CENTRAL, THIS IS CENTRAL SECTION. YEAH, AND THAT'S IT.

SO THEN YOU GET INTO THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT ARE PROVIDED DEFERRED COMP, VACATION [INAUDIBLE] MANAGEMENT LEAVE LIFE INSURANCE.

AND YOU START LOOKING AT ALL THOSE FEATURES AND IT BECOMES PRETTY CLEAR IF, LIKE UNDER LAFCO [INAUDIBLE] MERCED, IT'S NO, THERE'S NO COST TO LAFCO FOR ANY OF THAT FOR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

WHEN YOU WITH [INAUDIBLE] WITH THE COUNTY, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH TIFFANY'S TIME OR THE CLERKS TIME, THE PAY IS A LOADED RATE THAT THE COUNTY FIGURES OUT FOR ALL THOSE BENEFITS.

SO THEY GET THE PAY AND THE BENEFITS THAT THE COST AND THE LAFCO PAYS THE COUNTY FOR THAT TIME. BUT WITH THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER, IT WAS YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY OF THOSE OTHER DUTIES.

SO. SO THE MAIN CONSIDERATION IS WHETHER LAFCO WOULD HIRE SOMEBODY DIRECTLY LIKE MANY OF THESE LAFCO. DO THEY HIRE SOMEBODY DIRECTLY AND THEN IF YOU DO, IF YOU DON'T PROVIDE THE BENEFITS AS PART OF THE PACKAGE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY A WHOLE LOT PER HOUR FOR SOMEBODY BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COVER ALL THAT THEMSELVES. AND SO I WILL.

YEAH. SAN BENITO LAFCO AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY I GET ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLARS AN HOUR WITH NO BENEFITS, BUT ONE HUNDRED FORTY.

THE PERSON I REPLACED AND I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME WAS GETTING TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR. SO I'M GIVING THEM A BARGAIN OVER THERE AS WELL.

AND IN [INAUDIBLE] I'M GETTING ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO DOLLARS AN HOUR.

SO [INAUDIBLE] A LOT MORE PER HOUR ALREADY.

I'M THINKING IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRY TO HIRE SOMEBODY AND [INAUDIBLE] BENEFITS, IT'S GOT

[00:15:02]

IT'S GOT TO BE OVER TWO HUNDRED, PROBABLY TO MAKE IT MAKE IT WORTHWHILE.

SO MANY OF THESE LAFCO YOU'LL SEE THE FIRST COLUMN SAYS, ARE THEY INDEPENDENT OR NOT? AND MANY OF THEM SAY THAT THEY'RE SEMI INDEPENDENT AND THOSE ARE THE COUNTIES OR THE LAFCO WHO HAVE A LINK WITH THE COUNTY WHERE THEY USE ALL THE COUNTIES SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THEIR RETIREMENT AND THEIR MEDICAL.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE EMPLOYEES WORK ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FOR LAFCO, THERE'S A COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY THAT THEY, AS MERCED SAID, LAFCO DOES ALL OUR BUDGETING, ALL OUR ACCOUNTING, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, EVERYTHING IS RUN THROUGH THE COUNTY, THE [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY.

SO IT'S A VERY GOOD SUPPORT FOR LAFCO WITHOUT HAVING TO BUILD IT ALL YOURSELF.

LIKE MANY, LAFCO ARE TOTALLY INDEPENDENT.

HAVE LIKE, IN FRESNO, THEY THEY HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THEMSELVES.

SO THERE'S A BENEFIT FROM HAVING A LINK WITH THE COUNTY, AND IT COULD BE THAT YOU COULD WORK WITH THE COUNTY TO HAVE IF YOU HIRED, FOR EXAMPLE, A FULL TIME PERSON THAT THE BENEFIT PACKAGE WOULD BE IDENTICAL TO WHAT IT WOULD BE IF THEY WERE A COUNTY EMPLOYEE AND THEN REDUCE THE BURDEN OF LAFCO HAVING TO MANAGE YOU GUYS, HAVING TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THAT OR MANAGE IT OR DO CONTRACTS WITH WITH RETIREMENT OR WHATEVER IT WOULD BE.

OR AGAIN, YOU COULD HAVE IT AS A PERSON.

YOU JUST PAY THEM AND THEY THEY DO A DEFERRED COMP PROGRAM OR SOMETHING.

BUT ANYWAY, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE WAY TO GO WITH THE SALARY OF SOMEONE LIKE ME AND THEN HIRING A FIRM LIKE EPS, WHICH NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A CONTRACT FOR FIFTY THOUSAND. BUT IT IS A COUPLE OF YEARS, IT'S NOT FIFTY THOUSAND A YEAR, SO IT WOULD STILL BE HIGHER PROBABLY THAN WHAT WE DO RIGHT NOW.

BUT THEN YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE DOING THE MSR WORK ALL THE TIME.

SO THAT'S THE OTHER THINGS WE PICK, WHICH MSR IS TO WORK ON, AND WE'RE NOT DOING THEM ALL EVERY FIVE YEARS. WE'RE GETTING THEM DONE SEVEN YEARS, TEN YEARS.

AND THEN IF A CITY NEEDS ONE FOR THEIR GENERAL PLAN, WE USUALLY GET THEM TO PAY FOR IT DIRECTLY AND STILL HIRE A CONSULTANT.

BUT RIGHT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET FOR IT.

SO YEAH, SO THAT'S THAT MAY BE A MORE LOGICAL, REASONABLE APPROACH TO BE LOOKING TO GET SOMEBODY THAT DOES THIS FULL TIME.

AND IF IT COULD COOPERATE WITH THE COUNTY AGAIN, I HAVE AN OFFICE AT THE COUNTY, SO THAT MAKES IT EASY TO MEET PEOPLE AND THE FILES ARE HERE.

THE COMPUTER FILES ARE ALL WITH THE COUNTY, SO YOU NEED TO HAVE ACCESS, UNLESS YOU MOVE ALL THAT STUFF, YOU NEED TO HAVE ACCESS THROUGH THE COUNTY.

YEAH. LOOKING AT THE SEMI INDEPENDENT, IS THAT A DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE BE WILLING TO MAYBE DISCUSS WITH THE COUNTY? OUR NEW CEO ROB MENDEZ IS FROM STANISLAUS COUNTY AND I SEE THAT THEY HAVE A SEMI.

I WONDER IF MAYBE THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION MAYBE WE ENTER INTO? YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.

YEAH, THAT OK. IF THE BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING THOSE PEOPLE GET ALL THEIR ALL THE HUMAN RESOURCE FUNCTIONS ARE PROVIDED THROUGH THE COUNTY AND THE BENEFITS AND ALL THAT AND THEIR PAYCHECK COMES FROM THE COUNTY, SO LAFCO DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ITS OWN BANK ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING. SO THAT WOULD BE, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THE MODEL, LIKE IT WOULD BE LIKE STANISLAUS. SO IT'S NICE THAT [INAUDIBLE] IS THE NEW CEO.

YEAH. YEAH, HE'S AWARE OF IT.

AND YEAH, OK.

SO, YEAH, SO SO THEN.

OK, YOU GOT A QUESTION TOO.

HOW MANY OF THE EO'S THAT YOU KNOW THROUGHOUT THE STATE? HOW MANY EOS HANDLE MORE THAN ONE LAFCO? WELL, THERE IS. THERE ARE SEVERAL.

GO TO THE CONFERENCE.

SAME PERSON WAS EO OF, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ONE SOMETIMES.

THERE ARE SEVERAL.

THE MAJORITY, LIKE JOHN [INAUDIBLE], UP IN THE NORTHERN PART OF CALIFORNIA.

WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALLER COUNTIES, LOW POPULATIONS.

HE PROBABLY DOES FOUR OR FIVE COUNTIES AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AND MANY OF THEM THEN HAVE A CLERK OR CLERK PLANNER THAT IS THERE CLOSE TO THE OFFICE, FULL TIME OR OR SHARED, MAYBE.

AND THEN HE'S THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER WITH THE MANAGEMENT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND HE'LL GO FROM LAFCO TO LAFCO, SO HE MIGHT HAVE FOUR OR FIVE.

THERE'S PROBABLY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING AS AN ALTERNATIVE, LOOKING AT SOMEONE THAT DOES, DOES THAT ISSUE OR DOES THAT ROLE AND THE ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP MORE RECENTLY FOR ALL GOVERNMENTS AND MAYBE I'LL TURN OVER TO [INAUDIBLE] TO TALK ABOUT IS THE THE ROLE OF BEING AN EMPLOYEE OR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AND THAT GOT CHANGED IN STATE LAW OVER, YOU KNOW, THE LYFT DRIVERS AND THOSE THOSE KIND OF ROLES.

SO MAYBE [INAUDIBLE] CAN GIVE US AN OVERVIEW.

YEAH, I THINK IT MAY BE A CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD TO HIRE SOMEONE IN THAT CAPACITY WHO'S REPRESENTING MULTIPLE LAFCO WHO ISN'T AN EMPLOYEE BECAUSE THE LAWS HAVE DEFINITELY

[00:20:05]

SO I THINK WE MAY BE LOOKING TOWARDS EITHER A SHARED EMPLOYEE ROLE, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S AN OPTION WITH THE COUNTY LIKE IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST OR OR A PART TIME OR A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE ROLE WOULD BE PROBABLY IDEAL.

YEAH, SO IT'S COMMISSION MCDANIEL SAYING THAT THE ROLE OR THE MODEL IN STANISLAUS, WHICH AGAIN IS REPEATED IN SEVERAL COUNTIES, THE COUNTY DOES ALL THESE BACKGROUND FUNCTIONS, BUT THE EMPLOYEES ARE LAFCO EMPLOYEES AND YOU TAKE THE BENEFIT OF THE HR AND THE THE GIS, YOU KNOW, MAPPING SUPPORT, THE DATA, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR COMPUTER OR THINGS ARE LOCKED UP AND THE COUNTY'S INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT CAN COME UP AND HELP YOU. YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH SOMEONE THAT'S GOT THEIR OWN OFFICE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THEMSELVES.

SO IT SHOULD SAVE.

IT SAVES A LOT IN A LOT OF WAYS AND HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT IS A RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND ARE WE FUNDING IT ADEQUATELY OR WHATEVER THAT WOULD BE THE COUNTY BOARD DECISION.

AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE POSITIONS THAT ARE COVERED UNDER THAT WOULD BE WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THOSE DECISIONS.

SO IT'S A TRUST. AND OF COURSE, THE COUNTY IS PART OF LAFCO ANYWAY.

SO IT'S NOT SOME THIRD PARTY THAT'S NOT INVOLVED.

THE COUNTY IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH LAFCO, AND IT WAS IN 2000 WHEN IT GOT PULLED AWAY.

BY LAW, YOU HAD TO BE INDEPENDENT, AND THAT'S WHEN WE WENT TO THE MOU AT FIRST.

SO, YEAH, SO THAT THAT SOUNDS AS COUNCIL WAS SAYING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PROBABLY THE BEST APPROACH. SO THEN THE YOU GO BACK TO THE OUTREACH, SO IT COULD BE THAT IT'S A FULL TIME POSITION. BUT IF THE COUNTY IS COOPERATIVE TO SAY, WE'LL HAVE THAT BE UNDER THE COUNTY UMBRELLA, BUT THE LAFCO HAS TOTAL CONTROL OVER THEIR WORK AND OVER HIRING AND FIRING.

AND THEN THE ISSUE IS RECRUITMENT OF HOW HOW YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THE CANDIDATES. SO RECENTLY, FRESNO COUNTY HAS GONE THROUGH THIS, AND THEY USED A CONSULTING FIRM LIKE A HEADHUNTING FIRM TO GO OUT AND DO THE OUTREACH.

EXACTLY. AND SO I LOOKED INTO THAT SEVERAL EL DORADO COUNTY JUST WENT THROUGH THIS.

THEY'RE GOING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW. THEIR EXECUTIVE OFFICER LEFT AND WENT TO SACRAMENTO BECAUSE THAT PERSON RETIRED, BUT THEY USED TO FIRM TO RECRUIT.

AND SO THERE'S THERE'S FIRMS THAT DO RECRUITMENT FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS, AND THEY SEVERAL OF THEM DO LAFCO.

[INAUDIBLE] FIRMS CHARGE MORE OR LESS.

WELL, YEAH, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY YESTERDAY THAT IT COULD BE APPROXIMATELY LIKE TWENTY FIVE. IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT THEM TO DO, BUT FOR TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND APPROXIMATELY IN THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY PRETTY COMMON AMONG THE FIRMS. THEY WOULD DO ALL THE OUTREACH.

AND SOME OF THEM HAVE LINKS TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PROFESSION, LIKE THEY WOULD TARGET LAFCO AND THEY GET [INAUDIBLE] EMAILS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR JOBS AT OTHER TIMES THEY WOULD HIT THE LAFCO TOO, IN GENERAL, THE EXISTING ONES, BUT THEY WOULD DO THE OUTREACH THEY WOULD SCREEN.

THEY WOULD MAIL OUT THE APPLICATIONS, THEY WOULD SCREEN THOSE APPLICATIONS, THEY DO BACKGROUND CHECKS.

THEY COULD EVEN DO A FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWING, INTERVIEW TO GET THE TOP CANDIDATES.

ASSUMING THERE'S A BUNCH OF CANDIDATES.

IF THERE'S NOT, THEN YOU WOULD WANT TO SKIP THAT.

BUT IF YOU DO A MORE LIMITED LIKE THEY DO THE OUTREACH AND THE APPLICATION FORMS AND THE ORIGINAL SCREENING, THEN IT MIGHT IT MIGHT BE LIKE TWENTY THOUSAND OR SOMETHING.

SO IT WOULD BE IN THAT RANGE FROM TWENTY TO TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND.

YOU KNOW, ALL THE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN WITH US GAVE US A LOT OF STABILITY.

YOU KNOW, WE USED TO YOU, YOU'RE USED TO US, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

ARE A LOT OF THESE EOS? ARE THEY TYPE OF PEOPLE LIKE A THEY'RE NOT BEING OVERLY CRITICAL, LIKE A SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, THAT THEY COME TO A PLACE FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS AND THEN THEY MOVE ON TO A GREENER PASTURE? I MEAN, DOES THIS HAPPEN WITH THE LAFCO EOS? IT'S A VERY INDIVIDUAL THING.

THE THE BEST EXAMPLE WAS SAN LUIS OBISPO, WHERE DAVE CHURCH, WHO'S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND HE REPLACED THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOR FOR MANY YEARS.

AND WHEN HE RETIRED, THEY HIRED SOMEBODY AND HE QUIT VERY QUICKLY.

SO HE CAME BACK AND TOOK IT OVER, AND THEN THEY PROMOTED FROM WITHIN.

AND ONCE THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE OFFICER TOOK OVER, THEN HE LEFT WITHIN TWO MONTHS TO GO TO SANTA BARBARA FOR BIGGER PAY.

AND SO THIS GUY HAD TO COME BACK AGAIN TEMPORARILY UNTIL THEY GOT SOMEBODY ELSE.

SO THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIKE, HEY, I'M GOING TO TAKE THE BEST JOB I CAN GET, AND I HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE.

THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE ALLEGIANT.

[00:25:01]

JUST LIKE EVERY CITY COUNCIL, EVERY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS DIFFERENT POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PHILOSOPHIES.

AND SO YOU CAN GET EXECUTIVE OFFICERS WHO HAVE HAVE CLASS THAT HAVE A CERTAIN BENT.

AND SO THE PROFESSIONALS WILL WORK WITH LIKE FOR ME, I'LL WORK WITH WHOEVER, WHATEVER THE DIRECTION IS. YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY OWN LEANINGS, MY OWN PERSONAL STUFF.

BUT. OF COURSE. I'LL GO WITH THE LEANINGS OF THE COMMISSION AND OTHER PEOPLE COULD BE HEADSTRONG, WANT TO GO A CERTAIN WAY.

BUT THE BASIC THING IS TO HAVE A PROFESSIONALLY COMPETENT, RESPONSIBLE, AND HONORABLE FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE.

THAT'S THE WORST, THE WORST THING.

PEOPLE DON'T QUITE HAVE THE SKILLS.

I'VE SEEN THAT THEY DON'T QUITE HAVE THE SKILLS, BUT THEY TALK A GOOD GAME.

AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE SCREENING.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ALSO WILLING TO BE A SCREENER.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN LAFCO SO I CAN GIVE OPINION WARNING BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT INVESTED IN THIS MYSELF, AND I'D HATE TO SEE IT FALL APART AFTER I'M LEAVING. SO I HAVE SOME GOOD INSIDE OR NOT.

I WOULDN'T SAY INSIDE, BUT JUST PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE LAFCO PEOPLE. SO IF THIS SEARCH, IF THIS SEARCH TAKES LONGER THAN YOU ANTICIPATE AND IT NEEDS TO GO SIX MONTHS OR EIGHT MONTHS, YOU'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO HELP US DURING THAT TIME? WELL, YEAH. SO I PUT FOUR TO SIX MONTHS IN THE MEMO, AND THAT'S SO I'D LIKE TO TRY TO WRAP IT UP BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE JULY 1ST.

SO IF IT TOOK LONGER, I DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW I'D LIKE TO SAY NOT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT I GOT TO CUT. YEAH, I GOT TO CUT IT.

SO I THINK THIS IS GIVING YOU SHOULD GIVE ADEQUATE TIME, I THINK.

AND A FIRM COULD SPEED THE PROCESS UP, THAT'S FOR SURE.

YEAH. YEAH, I WAS GOING THROUGH BECAUSE AT OUR [INAUDIBLE], WHEN I WAS CHAIRMAN, WE HAD TO HIRE A NEW PRESIDENT OF OUR [INAUDIBLE].

THAT WAS INCREDIBLE, LONG AND DRY FOR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

CHAIRMAN OF MERCED COUNTY, WE JUST HAD TO HIRE A NEW CEO.

IT'S A LONG PROCESS.

WE WENT WITH THE NATIONAL FIRM AT OUR [INAUDIBLE], BUT HERE AT THE COUNTY.

BECAUSE OF OUR CONTACTS, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO GET APPLICANTS, AND SO WE KEPT IT IN-HOUSE. I WONDER IF IT'S SOMETHING MAYBE WITH THE CONTACTS THAT YOU KNOW? IS IT SOMETHING WE RUN THROUGH, MAYBE MERCED COUNTY HR? YEAH, THAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE, WHICH, YOU KNOW.

BUT I KNOW A FIRM, YOU CAN GIVE THEM GUIDELINES AND BUT SOMETIMES THEY BRING IN A WHOLE HOST OF FOLKS THAT YOU'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THESE APPS WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO CONSIDER BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING PAID TO BRING.

WELL, SOMETIMES THEY WEED THOSE OUT FOR YOU.

THEY BOIL IT DOWN TO THE TOP FIVE OR TOP THREE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT SO.

BUT USUALLY IT'S A SUB FOR OURS, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE TO GO THROUGH THOSE APPS AS WELL TO HELP THEM LITTLE BECAUSE THEY HAD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WHAT WE WANTED, YEAH, BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE NOTICED ANY TIME YOU PUT IT OUT, WHEN IT'S IN CALIFORNIA, THEY WANT TRAVEL. WE HAD TO DO THE SAME THING AT MCAG AND WE GOT A LOT OF APPLICANTS WHO WOULD COME IN JUST AND I'LL TELL YOU, THEY CAME IN FROM OUT OF STATE.

THEY WANTED TO TAKE THEIR TRIP TO YOSEMITE, AND THEY HAD NO INTEREST.

YOU HAD TO PAY THEM TO COME FOR THE INTERVIEW? YES. OH YEAH, I WOULDN'T.

YEAH, I WOULDN'T. YEAH, YOU'RE ALREADY.

BUT THIS IS MORE SPECIFIC, HOPEFULLY CALIFORNIA.

RIGHT. WE'RE VERY UNIQUE.

YEAH ONLY CALIFORNIA HAS LAFCO SO.

RIGHT.

BUT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THE ALTERNATIVE.

THE LOGIC WOULD BE THE COUNTY HR DOING IT AND LAFCO GIVING.

I MEAN, WE EVEN IF IT'S A DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE JOB FIRE AND GIVING THEM ADVICE WHERE TO SEND IT. AND OF COURSE, YOU COULD ALWAYS ONCE THE FIRE IS DONE.

I COULD ALWAYS SEND IT OUT TO PEOPLE THAT I KNOW.

I JUST DON'T HAVE THE LINK LIKE THAT.

THAT FIRM THAT DOES THIS ALL THE TIME WOULD HAVE A LIST OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, BUT I COULD HIT THE AND WE COULD TAP INTO THE FIRMS MAYBE WHO HAVE DONE THE DONE THIS FOR OTHER COUNTIES. YEAH.

YEAH. YEAH. FURTHER, BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE A DATABASE OF, YEAH, THEY HAVE THAT'S THE ONE BENEFIT. I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE A DATABASE OF WHO THEY REACH OUT TO AND WITH THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER LATELY.

ACTUALLY, THERE'S A KIND OF A WAVE OF THE OLDER, OLDER EOS LIKE ME THERE THAT ARE LEAVING. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF RECRUITMENTS GOING ON AND A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE MOVING UP AS WELL.

YEAH, WHICH IS GOOD, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SAME LAFCO, EVEN WITHIN THEIR OWN LAFCO.

AND FOR YOUR SAKE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT IN THE TIMELINE.

SO I THINK I'M LEANING TOWARDS A FIRM THAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND DOING OTHER LAFCOS, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DISCUSSION.

YEAH. DO YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY IN HOUSE THAT WOULD BE A FIT?

[00:30:03]

THAT WAS ALWAYS THE GOAL AND THE THE LIKELY CANDIDATE WITH BRIAN GUERRERO, WHO HAD WORKED WITH LAFCO FOR MANY YEARS.

AND HE'S A GOOD, GOOD GUY AND HE'S MANAGEMENT [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT? HOWEVER, HE'S TAKEN ON MAJOR DUTIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NOW WHERE HE'S OVERSEEING THE BUILDING AND PLANNING COUNTER AND OTHER FUNCTIONS, AND HE'S SWIMMING WITH BARELY THE HEAD ABOVE WATER WITHOUT TOUCHING LAFCO.

SO THAT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME WAS LIKE WHEN I, WHEN I WAS GOING TO RETIRE, WAS GOING TO BE VERY EASY AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MODEL.

BUT THERE'S NO CAPACITY THERE.

AND THEN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TIFFANY'S GOT VERY LIMITED TIME.

THERE'S NOBODY ELSE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS DONE LAFCO.

AND I DID TALK TO THE DIRECTOR, MARK HENDRICKSON, ABOUT IT, AND IT WAS LIKE WE TO GIVE US MORE DUTIES, LIKE LET'S HAVE SOMEBODY ASSIGNED TO DO LAFCO.

WHEN WE GOT, WE GOT TO GET OUR OWN STUFF DONE JUST LIKE I, HE'S TRYING TO KEEP HIS HEAD ABOVE WATER, TOO. IT'S LIKE, WELL, THAT DOESN'T HELP US IN ANY WAY.

SO YEAH, SO IT'S REALLY WELL, I KNOW IT TAKES IT TAKES A BIT TO GET A FIRM.

SO THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE START ON RIGHT AWAY.

BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF DEPENDENT ON THE COUNTY APPROVING WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO BE ALLOWED A FULL TIME PERSON OR YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS TO KIND OF SET THAT IN THE BUDGET AND GIVE US THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.

MM HMM. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BECAUSE WOULDN'T DO ANY GOOD FOR US TO GO OFFER SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR AND THEN THE COUNTY SAY, OH, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS MUCH OR WHATEVER SO.

YEAH. YEAH, MAYBE IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO GIVE DIRECTION FOR ME AS AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER, KNOWING LAFCO TO MEET WITH ONE OF OUR LAFCO COMMISSIONERS FROM THE COUNTY LIKE DARREN AND MEET WITH THE NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO TALK ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS TO GIVE THE LAFCO SUPPORT. YEAH.

YEAH. ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE THE LAFCO SUPPORT, THE PERSON BEING INDEPENDENT, BUT TIED WITH THE COUNTY BENEFITS AND ALL THAT? AND I THINK IF YOU ASSIGN SCOTT SILVEIRA TO THAT, HE WOULD MORE THAN WILLING TO [INAUDIBLE].

I THINK HE WOULD, TOO. HE'S GOT A SPECIAL AFFINITY FOR LAFCO.

HE REALLY DOES. AND YEAH, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GET GOING ON THAT FIRM TOO, BECAUSE THAT COULD TAKE TWO MONTHS JUST TO FIND A SEARCH FOR HIM, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. SO WOULD YOU? YEAH. SO QUESTION MAYBE.

DO YOU WANT TO DO IT LIKE AN RFP? SO WE GET PROPOSALS FROM FIRMS OR DO YOU WANT TO PICK A FIRM THAT'S DONE THIS BEFORE AND JUST GET WORK ON WORK ON A CONTRACT OR? DO WE HAVING JUST DONE THIS IN EL DORADO LAFCO THERE, LIKE I ALSO SERVE AS GENERAL COUNSEL TO ELDORADO LAFCO. SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AHEAD OF YOU.

DO WE HAVE ANY POLICIES THAT REQUIRE US TO GO TO RFP, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING, IS THAT WE WE HAD TO IN ORDER TO HIRE THE CONSULTANT, I THINK WE CAN USE THEIR PARAMETERS RIGHT.

SO IF THEY'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH AN RFP.

THEY DID GO THROUGH AN RFP.

AND SO WE CAN GO DOWN TO LIKE TWO PEOPLE.

AND I MEAN, WE CAN WE CAN ALSO GO OUT TO THEM.

I JUST DIDN'T. THEY HAD INTERNAL RULES THAT REQUIRED THEM TO DO IT.

AND IF WE DON'T HAVE INTERNAL RULES, THEN WE CAN DO SOMETHING MORE.

USE THEIRS AS A YEAH.

WE CAN EXACTLY. WE CAN JUST SOLICIT.

WE CAN GO A LITTLE FASTER AND SOLICIT FROM SPECIFIC COMPANIES THAT WE KNOW DO THIS.

YEAH, YEAH. WE DON'T HAVE WHEN WE DID OUR POLICIES, PROCEDURES, THIS DYSFUNCTION ABOUT HIRING CONSULTANTS WASN'T EVEN OK.

SO YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY.

YEAH, LIKE WE'VE BEEN USING EPS ON OUR MSRS FROM THE BEGINNING AND WE HAVEN'T GONE OUT AGAIN PERIODICALLY TO DO AN RFP.

WE JUST WE JUST KEEP USING THEM OUT OF CONVENIENCE.

YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE OF WORKING WITH THEM.

BUT YEAH, SO WE COULD WE COULD DO IT COULD BE VOLUNTEER.

DO YOU WANT TO DO AN RFP OR DO YOU WANT TO KEEP IT MORE FLEXIBLE.

SOLICIT, YOU KNOW, BRING THAT BACK. BRING IT BACK.

YEAH, JUST SAY GIVE US A COST SCOPE AND A COST FOR DOING THIS.

YEAH, OK.

YEAH. PERFECT. OK.

TIMING. YEAH, YEAH.

GREAT. GREAT. NOW DOES THAT JUST NEED A CONSENSUS OR DO WE NEED A VOTE ON THAT? OR I THINK YOU CAN DO IT BY CONSENSUS.

I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION, BILL, IT SEEMS LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE BECAUSE IF YOU HEAD IN THIS DIRECTION, THE NEXT STEP THEY'LL ASK YOU, OF COURSE, IS FOR THE BROCHURE.

WHAT'S THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE? WHAT'S THE BENEFIT PACKAGE? AND THAT'S THE STEP THAT YOU HAD JUST DISCUSSED ABOUT MEETING WITH THE COUNTY AND SEEING IF WE CAN TIE IT.

SO MAYBE THAT'S THE SECOND COMPONENT IS SO BEFORE. YEAH, OR WE COULD DO THESE PARALLEL, BUT GET THE FIRMS BECAUSE THEY WON'T.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT PARALLEL.

I WOULD SUGGEST PARALLEL SUCH THAT YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO GET THE FIRMS TO SUBMIT. BUT THEN YOU'LL ALSO NEED TO BE FIGURING OUT THIS PACKAGE.

[00:35:04]

SO I'M TRYING TO SPEED THE.

SPEED THE PROCESS. PERFECT. SO THE MORE YOU CAN DO IN PARALLEL, THINK, THE FASTER YOU CAN GET THERE. YEAH, GREAT.

GREAT. YEAH, AND YOUR EXPERIENCE IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL HERE.

DEFINITELY. WELL, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE ADVERTISING THAT THEY PUT OUT DOESN'T STATE SALARY IT JUST DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE.

KIND OF. YEAH.

MONTHS WE DON'T. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM TO HAVE FOR US TO HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THAT UNTIL THIS IS OVER WITH.

YEAH. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST.

YEAH. WELL, THIS FIRST STEP, IT COULD BE THAT WE WOULD IF I USE THE LISTS LIKE FROM ELDORADO OF THE FIRMS AND MORE OR LESS SCOPE, WE COULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY RESULTS BY THE FEBRUARY MEETING.

SO BY MARCH, WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED SOME DIRECTION.

BUT I DON'T THINK IN 30 DAYS WE WON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO OR DO YOU THINK IS ARE SOME PROCEDURAL MATTER? WE NEED TO HAVE THE COMMISSION WEIGH IN ON? NO, I WAS JUST TRYING TO.

I'M CONCERNED. THEN YOU'RE TWO MONTHS IN.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING, RIGHT? IF WE IF YOU'RE WAITING AN EXTRA, I DON'T KNOW, WE COULD DECIDE.

MAYBE.

WE CAN SEE IF WE HAVE AN UPDATE YEAH, EXACTLY.

YEAH. OKAY.

WELL, IT MAY NEED MAY BE THAT WE NEED A SPECIAL MEETING, A SPECIAL MEETING SOMETIME IN THERE ALSO. OK, YEAH.

DO YOU DO ZOOM? HAVE WE EVER? ARE WE CAPABLE OF ZOOM IF WE CAN'T MEET IN PERSON OR ARE WE NOT DON'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY ? OH, WE NEED A 30-DAY.

YEAH, WELL, THE ONLY.

YOU DO? ZOOM THAT WE NEED TO ADOPT FINDINGS.

THE LAW ALLOWS IT, BUT WE NEED TO ADOPT FINDINGS BECAUSE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY THAT WE NEED TO DO ZOOM. AND SO WE FIND THINGS FOR THE REASONING TO HAVE THE ZOOM, YOU MEAN? YEAH, EXACTLY. THEY HAVE AN ALL ZOOM MEETING.

ALL RIGHT. AND WE USE THAT AS A CONVENIENCE NOW.

YEAH, I KNOW. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S EVERY 30 DAYS WE HAVE TO READ.

EXACTLY, YEAH. OTHERWISE, YEAH, OTHERWISE YOU CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF MEETING, BUT THEN THE PUBLIC, YOU HAVE TO PUT AN AGENDA AT YOUR HOUSE AND YOU MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SHOW UP AT YOUR HOUSE DURING THE MEETING.

SO BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO IN ELDORADO DID THIS TOO, IS THEY CREATED AN AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE SO MAYBE AT THE NEXT MEETING.

AND SO THAT ALLOWED THEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE NIMBLE.

SO IF YOU PICK A COUPLE COMMISSIONERS TO KIND OF WORK WITH BILL, MAYBE.

AND I KNOW NOT EVERYONE'S HERE, BUT MAYBE THAT'S YOU COULD DO THE AD HOC TO KIND OF WORK WITH BILL TO FLUSH SOME OF THIS STUFF OUT.

SO WHEN YOU DO MEET AGAIN.

WE MADE MORE PROGRESS. MADE MORE PROGRESS.

EXACTLY. I'LL BE WILLING TO WORK WITH SCOTT.

OK. HOW MANY? I KNOW ON A FIVE MAN BOARD, YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN TWO.

EXACTLY. SO ON THIS, HOW MANY CAN WE HAVE? WELL, WE ARE.

WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL FIVE.

YEAH, WE'RE FIVE VOTING. FIVE VOTING.

YEAH, FIVE VOTING SO WE'RE STILL TWO.

I THINK THE [INAUDIBLE] SHOULD BE INVOLVED BECAUSE OF [INAUDIBLE] NOT COMMITTED TO TO A COUNTY OR CITY.

YOU JUST GOT TO [INAUDIBLE] GREAT AT IT NOW.

I MEAN, YEAH, YEAH, YOU AND I OR WHOMEVER OR WHATEVER [INAUDIBLE] YEAH.

I LIKE YOU AND SCOTT.

THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE A VOTE.

IF WE DO WANT TO CREATE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO ASSIST WITH THE WHOLE RECRUITMENT OF A NEW EO, ALSO MOVE BY DIRECTION OF COUNCIL AND NAMING SCOTT SILVEIRA AND BOB [INAUDIBLE] AS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

ALL RIGHT. OK, GREAT.

MOVING ON TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S UPDATE ON UPCOMING APPLICATIONS AND OTHER BUSINESS.

[VIII. EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND COMMISSIONERS’ COMMENTS]

SUBMITTED. I'M WORKING ON GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH [INAUDIBLE] ON THEIR CONSOLIDATION WITH THE VOLTA COMMUNITY SERVICE DISTRICT, AND IT'S GOING TO INVOLVE A CONSOLIDATION OF [INAUDIBLE] DISTRICTS INTO [INAUDIBLE] AND ALSO A SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATE.

AND I'VE BEEN REVIEWING DRAFT APPLICATION FORMS ON IT, BUT THEY HAVEN'T FORMALLY SUBMITTED ANYTHING YET, SO THAT'LL BE COMING UP.

BUT I DID WANT TO.

I'VE MENTIONED PERIODICALLY THE CITIES OF MERCEDS PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ANNEXATIONS. PRIMARILY, THEY CREATED THAT DUE TO THE INTEREST IN ANNEXATIONS NEAR UC MERCED AND AFFECTING THAT.

SO THEY'RE THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF INPUT ON THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO I THOUGHT WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY REAL GEOGRAPHIC LINK.

[00:40:01]

AND THE CITY HAS BEEN AGAIN VERY GOOD ABOUT KEEPING LAFCO INVOLVED BECAUSE ANNEXATIONS.

SO THEY SEE THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN BEEN IN ON REVIEWS, AT LEAST AT STAFF LEVEL. SO WE HAVE THE IN THE BLUE IS THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST PROPERTY, THE DARK BLUE, WHICH IS JUST EAST OF LAKE ROAD AND BELOW THE UC RIVERSIDE CAMPUS.

SO THEY'RE WORKING ON A A COMMUNITY PLAN AND A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT WOULD INVOLVE THE ANNEXATION OF THAT. THAT AREA, WHICH IS PRETTY BIG, I THINK [INAUDIBLE] SQUARE MILE.

CATTY CORNER TO THAT ACROSS LAKE ROAD TO THE NORTH.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS MAP HAS A COLORED BASE, SO IT LOOKS ALL GREEN TO THE WEST.

BUT NORTH OF [INAUDIBLE] ROAD, GOING ALL THE WAY OVER TO GOLF ROAD IS A AREA CALLED CAMPUS. ACTUALLY, NO I'M SORRY.

IN THAT MAP, IT'S IT'S YELLOW.

THE AREA IS CALLED CAMPUS VISTA AND UNIVERSITY VISTA, AND THAT'S A DEVELOPMENT INTEREST IN A MASTER PLAN OF A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE U.C.

AND AGAIN, IT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY OVER TO [INAUDIBLE] STREET.

WEST OF THAT, IT HASN'T BEEN FORMALLY SUBMITTED TO THE CITY YET, BUT THEY HAD A PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING WITH THE STAFF IS IN TAN IS THE DOMINION PROJECT WHERE IT'S MAINLY RESIDENTIAL.

IT'S NOT SO MUCH LINKED TO THE U.C.

AS IT IS NORTH, MERCED GROWTH LIKE LIKE THE [INAUDIBLE] RANCH AREA.

SO IT'S MORE TRADITIONAL, BUT IT'S ON [INAUDIBLE] ROAD THAT IS THE MAIN ACCESS INTO THE UNIVERSITY AS LAKE ROAD.

SO IT WOULD HAVE SOME LINK TO IT.

TO THE NORTH ON THE WEST SIDE OF G STREET.

THAT'S THE GRAY AS THE CITY LIMITS.

BUT THE EAST SIDE OF THAT GRAY IS G STREET.

AND ON THE NORTH OF THAT, THERE'S A KIND OF A PINKISH SQUARE, WHICH IS THE REGINA PROPERTY, WHICH ACTUALLY HAD AN APPLICATION TO THE CITY BEFORE THIS PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS STARTED, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.

BUT THEY WANT TO ANNEX THEIR 160 ACRES MORE FOR TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL.

AND THEN EAST OF THAT IS THE GALLO PROJECT, WHICH WRAPS AROUND THE MERCED COUNTRY CLUB.

BUT IT SHOWS THEIR OWNERSHIP, BUT A LOT OF THE LAND THAT'S ADJACENT TO LAKE YOSEMITE ON THE EAST, A LOT OF THAT'S IN A WETLANDS PRESERVE ALREADY.

SO IT WOULDN'T BE IT WOULDN'T BE URBANIZED.

IT'S THAT MAIN CANAL THAT FEEDS INTO THE LAKE.

EVERYTHING THAT'S THE MAIN SQUIGGLY WATER FEATURE COMING IN.

EVERYTHING EAST TO THAT WOULD WOULD PRETTY MUCH BE OPEN SPACE.

SO THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE WEST OF THAT CANAL GOING OVER TO G STREET.

YES. HOW ABOUT ON THE CORNER? ON THE CORNER THERE OF [INAUDIBLE] AND GOLF ROAD? I SEE A LITTLE SQUARE THERE WITH KIND OF GRAYISH PLAID.

YEAH, THAT'S AN OLD SUBDIVISION.

THERE ARE HOUSES THERE. THERE'S A FEW HOUSES OUT THERE.

THAT'S AN OLD SUBDIVISION THAT NEVER REALLY GOT MUCH.

IT'S ONE ACRE LOT SO I KNOW.

I MEAN THAT YEAH, SO THERE'S THAT.

IS THAT ANTICIPATED ANNEXATION AREA, TOO OR NOT? WELL, ONLY WHEN WE START ANNEXING ENOUGH LAND THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE ISLANDS.

SO THAT'S THE OTHER ISSUE IS YOU CAN SEE THE CITY HAS DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND THE GALLO AREA, YOU KNOW, THE PURPLE AREA IN THE NORTH.

AND THEN THAT TAN AREA FURTHER SOUTH IS BETWEEN BELLEVUE ROAD AND FARMLAND.

AND IN BETWEEN THAT IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE HILLCREST AREA.

AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE LIVID AND ADAMANT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO GO IN THE CITY AND THEY'LL FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL NOT TO BE IN THE CITY.

SO LAFCO WILL BE CHALLENGED UNDER THE LAWS ABOUT NOT CREATING ISLANDS.

WILL BE CHALLENGED AS YOU SEE, YOU START WRAPPING AROUND THE LAKE AND GOING NORTH, SOUTH AND WEST.

AND THE ONLY PROPERTY THAT'S NOT INVOLVED WITH ANY PROPOSAL AT THIS POINT IS NORTH OF THAT YELLOW AREA, WHICH IS A [INAUDIBLE] PROPERTY.

AND [INAUDIBLE] BEEN INTO THE DEVELOPMENT WORLD FOR A LONG TIME, SO THERE MAY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE SUBMITS SOMETHING.

BUT WE'RE AT A POINT.

WE'LL GET TO A POINT WHERE IT IS SURROUNDED AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INHABITED ANNEXATION WITH PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO COME IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE NO.

AND BY REGISTERED VOTERS, THEY HAVE A LOT OF VOTERS AND MOST OF THE OTHER AREAS DON'T HARDLY HAVE ANY.

SO THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE IN THE LONG TERM OF THESE ANNEXATIONS.

THE GALLO PROPERTY IS A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE ONLY CONNECTION WITH THE CITY FOR

[00:45:06]

THAT'S THE THE NORTHERN SIDE OF BELLEVUE RANCH WITHOUT ANY DEVELOPMENT IN IT RIGHT NOW.

BUT IT TOUCHES IT THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, AND YOU CAN'T ANNEX FOR THAT.

YOU HAVE TO BE CONTIGUOUS.

SO THE REGINA PROPERTY IS THAT THAT BLOCK NORTH OF BELLEVUE RANCH WOULD NEED TO BE ANNEXED AND THEN THEN YOU COULD TOUCH THE GALLO PROPERTY.

SO THEN YOU SEE YOU'VE GOT THIS STRING WRAPPING AROUND LIKE IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BANNER OF A FLAG POST IN THAT AREA WOULD BECOME CITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE BELOW IT WOULD BE COUNTY AND YOU START SURROUNDING THAT AREA.

SO THERE ARE SOME, SOME SERIOUS ISSUES WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

AS WE GET INTO IT, SOME OF THEM ARE EASIER THAN OTHERS.

AND THE OTHER SIDE OF IT IS ACCUMULATIVE THAT THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT THERE'S INTEREST FOR ANNEXATION COULD END UP BEING 40 YEARS WORTH OF GROWTH FOR THE CITY.

BECAUSE THIS ISN'T, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF VACANT LAND IN THE BELLEVUE RANCH AREA.

THERE'S VACANT LAND FURTHER SOUTH.

THERE'S OTHER AREAS GROWING AND JUST, ON THE VERY BOTTOM THAT'S A BLOW UP OF THAT PROPERTY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST MONTH IN DECEMBER WAS THE THE PARRISH CHANDLER PROPERTY, AND IT'S VERY SMALL AND IT'S COMMERCIAL, AND THEY'RE ORIENTING IT TOWARDS 140 AND THE CAMPUS PARKWAY.

BUT THAT'S THAT FITS IN THE PRE-APPLICATION MODEL.

BUT IT'S NOT A VERY BIG DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT JUST IT SYMBOLIZES THAT THERE'S OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE PROJECTS THAT WILL GROW FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS FROM WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED. SO ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR LAFCO WILL BE IF THIS IF THE CITY WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO STARTS SUBMITTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF ANNEXATIONS, HOW MANY ACRES SHOULD THE CITY HAVE? HOW MUCH SHOULD THEY ANNEX? AND IF IT'S AGAIN, 30 OR 40 YEARS WORTH OF GROWTH, YOU NEED TO ANNEX IT ALL NOW OR SOME OF THIS LONGER TERM? SO YEAH, THERE'S FEAR AMENDMENT INVOLVED IN SOME OF THIS TOO, ESPECIALLY ON THE [INAUDIBLE] SIDE. SO, YEAH, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT SNAPSHOT PHYSICALLY OF.

WHERE THESE PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED, BESIDES JUST MENTIONING THAT THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST, BUT THAT'S.

MAYBE YOU COULD HIRE SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY TO DO LAFCO BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING LAFCO BUSY.

COMMISSIONER SERRATTO MIGHT FAVOR THAT.

[INAUDIBLE] MOST OF THE SALARY.

YEAH, YEAH.

I'LL BE [INAUDIBLE] OUT OF THIS OFFICE.

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS.

SO, YEAH. [INAUDIBLE] OK.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. MOVING ON TO NUMBER B, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS.

COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL.

I JUST WANT TO BRING IT UP.

I'VE HEARD OUT IN IN THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT LAFCO, THERE'S A FEW LIKE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT ARE CONTIGUOUS TO THE CITY LIMITS WHO ARE WANTING TO BE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY. AND THEY'RE SAYING, AND I'M NOT SAYING JUST THE CITY OF MERCED, BUT A LOT OF CITIES, AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT LAFCO ONLY APPROVES LARGE ANNEXATIONS AND NOT SMALLER ONES. AND I'M TELLING THEM THAT'S NOT TRUE, AND A LOT OF IT IS AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING MORE HOUSING JUST OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS.

LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST BASICALLY ACROSS THE STREET.

IS THERE NEEDING CITY SERVICES BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOESN'T PROVIDE THOSE KIND OF SERVICES? AND I WAS TRYING TO MAYBE DIRECT THEM AND SAYING WITH W.R.

AND THEIR STANCE NOW IS NOT WANTING TO PUT STRAWS IN THE GROUND TO CREATE MORE WELLS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY ABOUT THE CITY SERVICES BECAUSE THEY'RE WITHIN 50 FEET FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.

AND SO I JUST HAD I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH A FEW DIFFERENT FOLKS WHO HAVE LAND CONTIGUOUS TO CITIES, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE NARRATIVE THEY'RE HEARING FROM THE CITIES. AND SO I'VE TRIED TO CHANGE THAT.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATION WE HAVE GOING FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THEM, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE JUST TO CONFIRM THAT ISN'T SO AND I COULD GET FROM BOB WHEN HE WAS SHAKING HIS HEAD.

YEAH, YEAH.

AND WHAT I WOULD SAY.

I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH THE GENTLEMAN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT WAS CITY MERCED PROPERTY.

BUT THE ISSUE IS WHEN YOU HAVE A COUNTY AREA THAT'S TRADITIONALLY BEEN COUNTY AND YOU WANT TO ANNEX IT, IT MAY BE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND IT ALSO MAY BE VERY COMPLICATED AS NORTH MERCED HAS, IS THEY'D LIKE TO DO.

THE CITY LIKES TO DO MASTERPLANS AND FIGURE OUT THAT, OK, YOU'RE THE FAR END OF OUR SEWER LINE AND OUR WATER LINE AND MAYBE OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

SO WE'RE GOING TO ADD YOUR 10 ACRES OR YOUR 15 ACRES.

BUT IN OUR GENERAL PLAN, WE HAVE ANOTHER SIX HUNDRED ACRES OVER HERE.

[00:50:05]

AND SO HOW HOW DO THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO SERVE THAT PROPERTY? THE LINE THAT'S BEING EXTENDED SHOULD BE MAYBE EIGHT INCH LINE, NOT A FOUR INCH LINE.

YOU ONLY NEED A FOUR INCH, BUT THEY NEED TO DECIDE, WELL, WHAT? WHAT IS THAT? SO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INTO THE CITIES AND LOCALITIES THE SAME WAY THEY LIKE TO DO MASTER PLANS OR OR AREA PLANS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT AREA BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY IT WOULD BE ANNEXING ONE PARCEL AT A TIME.

AND YOU'RE NOT LOOKING LONG TERM AND YOU END UP WITH INADEQUATE LINES AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK THROUGH DEVELOPMENT AND TEAR UP ROADS AND TEAR UP CONNECTIONS RIGHT TO PEOPLE.

SO. BUT IT'S JUST INTERESTING THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IT ON LAFCO, THOUGH.

YEAH, LAFCO SAY YES, SO.

THEY'RE NOT EXPLAINING THAT. SO WHAT I TELL WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, I ALWAYS TELL THEM, WELL, WE'LL REVIEW WHAT THE CITY SUBMITS.

WE DON'T DETERMINE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I SAID. YES, SO.

SO THE CITIES ARE TRADITIONALLY VERY GOOD AT POINTING OUT WHAT THEY NEED.

AND IF THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON OUR APPLICATIONS FOR THEM TO HELP ANSWER THAT.

AND I'VE SEEN THEM WHERE THEY'VE REQUIRED THE LARGER HOOKUP IN A SMALLER AREA.

RIGHT, RIGHT. AND THEY QUESTION IT.

BUT THEN THEY GET IT WHEN THEY SEE THAT THERE IS A BIGGER PLAN.

YEAH. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ON 10 ACRES, YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR STORM DRAINAGE BASIN, BUT THEY NEED ONE OUT THERE.

AND SO WHERE DO YOU PUT IT? WELL, LET'S PUT ON THE NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY.

WELL, THEY'RE FARMING. YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO THE CITY HAS NO INTEREST IN ATTACKING THEM, SO IT'S HARD YOU CAN DO THOSE, BUT THEY'RE HARD AND IT'S BETTER WHEN YOU HAVE A MASTER PLAN FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN YOU ANNEX WITHIN IT AND THE CITY ALREADY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY SOME PERCENT OF THE OVERALL FEES FOR THE LONG TERM PARK ACQUISITION, THE DRAINAGE BASIN ACQUISITION, YOU'RE GOING TO SIZE THE LINE, THE PIPELINES ACCORDINGLY.

AND IF YOU HAVE A FEE, THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEW FIRE STATION IN THIS AREA.

YOU KNOW, FOR LARGE GROWTH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING YOUR SHARE OF THAT.

SO THE CITY HAS FIGURED IT OUT.

THEY'RE NOT DOING BLIND, PIECEMEAL.

YEAH. AND THEN A LOT OF THOSE ARE THE ADJACENT LAND HAS SOME COUNTY HOMES ON IT.

THEY PROBABLY SHOULD BE BROUGHT IN AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, THEY DON'T WANT TO COME.

AND SO LET'S LEAVE THEM OUT, AND NOW YOU'RE GETTING BACK TO THOSE BOUNDARIES THAT WE HAVE IN PARTS OF TOWN, MERCED AND [INAUDIBLE], WHERE THEY'VE MOVED AROUND SOME EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND OVER TIME YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE ISLANDS AND YOU'VE GOT TO GRAB THOSE.

SO IT GETS HARDER TO DO THOSE YOU CAN DO.

YOU CAN STILL DO THEM IN THE CITY CAN DO THEM, BUT IT GETS HARDER TO DO BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE THE BIGGER PICTURE OUT.

YEAH. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE, SO IT MAY COST MORE.

IT'S NOT LAFCO. YEAH, IT'S NOT LAFCO.

EXACTLY. YEAH, YEP, DEFINITELY.

COMMISSIONER BERTAO.

I REALLY HAVE NO COMMENT OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SEE OUR EOS RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT. I MEAN, THAT'S A FACT OF LIFE, SO WE GOT TO MOVE ON FROM THERE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SERRATTO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

WELL, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING EITHER OTHER THAN TO TRULY WISH YOU THE BEST.

I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS, SO I WON'T GET ALL GUSHY TODAY.

BUT YOU KNOW YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO BE A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.

YOU'VE VERY PROFESSIONAL PERSON.

YOU'VE YOU'VE TAUGHT ME A TON OF, I DIDN'T KNOW LAFCO FROM A HOLE IN THE WALL WHEN I GOT HERE. AND AND I THANK YOU.

SO THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW.

YES, EXACTLY.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND FOR THE NEXT SIX OR 12 OR 18 MONTHS THAT YOU'LL BE HERE.

IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 10:54.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.