GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. [00:00:03] A CLOSED SESSION WAS IS STILL ACTUALLY GOING TO CONTINUE. WE WILL BE RETURNING TO CLOSE SESSION AT THE AT THE END OF THIS MEETING. SO GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK TO THE JANUARY 25TH MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY [Call to Order ] BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK GENEVIEVE VALENTINE, OUR DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, TO COME UP, AND SHE IS GOING TO PROVIDE US WITH AN INVOCATION AND THEN IF SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WOULD LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE AFTERWARDS. GOOD MORNING. IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS, DEAR GOD, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT SERVE THIS COUNTY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS THAT OUR CEO, OUR INCOMING CEO, OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS GIVE TO ALL OF US AS WE LEAD IN THE ROLES THAT WE PLAY. PLEASE PROVIDE OUR LEADERS WITH THE REMINDER EACH DAY ON WHY WE'VE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE. PLEASE REMIND US TO BE COMMITTED AND TO BE ENCOURAGED BY THOSE THAT WE SERVE. I ASK YOU TO PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR CEOS, OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR WISDOM, COURAGE, STRENGTH AND MERCY. I ASK YOU TO PROTECT THIS GREAT COUNTY, THIS GREAT STATE AND THE UNITED STATES, PROTECT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, PROTECT AND GUIDE OUR LE GRAND COMMUNITY, PROTECT OUR STAFF AND ALL WHO WE SERVE IN YOUR NAME. I PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT INVOCATION AND LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE AT THIS TIME, WE'LL [ PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK] MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. IT IS NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. PLEASE NOTE THAT EMAIL PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL NOT BE READ DURING THE MEETING. ALL EMAILS RECEIVED BY THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING WILL BE PLACED INTO THE MEETING RECORD. WE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT IT IS NOW TIME TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON BOTH AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ALL ITEMS. WE WILL NOW TAKE COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IF YOU WERE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE PODIUM IF YOU ARE JOINING US REMOTELY VIA ZOOM. PLEASE USE THE ZOOM FEATURE TO RAISE YOUR HAND FOR INDIVIDUALS CALLING IN THROUGH ZOOM, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND BY PRESSING STAR NINE WHEN YOU ARE CALLED UPON EITHER BY NAME OR THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF YOUR PHONE NUMBER. YOU'LL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE. THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR. SIX. OK, I SEE WE HAVE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN PEOPLE IN HOUSE, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'LL START WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY AND WE'LL DO ALL OF YOU. SO COME ON UP ONE AT A TIME AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME SIT UP FRONT AS WELL, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE. GOOD MORNING. [00:05:01] THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. I'M JANE LAWRENCE. I'VE BEEN MERCED RESIDENT FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW. I CAME AT THE BEHEST OF CHANCELLOR CAROL TOMLINSON KEDZIE AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST VICE CHANCELLORS OUT AT UC MERCED. SINCE I RETIRED, WE STAYED IN MERCED AND I'VE GOTTEN INVOLVED IN LOTS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CURRENTLY I AM PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN AAUW. WE'VE HAD A CHAPTER HERE IN MERCED COUNTY FOR OVER 60 YEARS, AND DURING THAT TIME WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS. WE'VE RUN A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SCIENCE CAMP FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE GIRLS, AND WE GIVE LOTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO MERCED COLLEGE STUDENTS TO GO ON AND COMPLETE THEIR FOUR-YEAR DEGREES. IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAD OUR VERY FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED, AND THE FOCUS OF THAT EVENT WAS THE MARY HUFFMAN TEEN CENTER. MANY OF OUR AAUW MEMBERS ARE FORMER EDUCATORS LIKE MYSELF, AND WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE TEENAGE YEARS IN MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE PROGRAMS AND THE SUPPORT AND THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES THAT WILL HELP KEEP THEM FOCUSED ON DOING WELL IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN GETTING ON WHETHER IT'S TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. AND WE AS A CHAPTER BELIEVE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE MARY HUFFMAN TEEN CENTER. IN FACT, THAT EVENING WE RAISED OVER SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS IN SUPPORT OF THE MARY HOFFMAN CENTER. SO I, ON BEHALF OF AAUW, WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE ARPA FUNDS TO HELP US COMPLETE THE PROJECT AND CREATE THE CENTER BECAUSE OUR TEENS NEED OTHER PLACES TO GO WHERE THEY CAN GET THE SUPPORT AND STUDY AND EXCEL AND FIND THEIR PASSIONS. SO THANK YOU. OK, THANK YOU. YES. I'M CAROLYN BERRA. I GREW UP HERE IN, MOORE SAID, AND I'M A RETIRED TEACHER, SPENT THIRTY SEVEN YEARS TEACHING IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES. I KNOW THAT READING IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS, AND HAVING A SAFE PLACE FOR THE STUDENTS TO GO IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING. ARPA FUNDS ARE REALLY CRITICAL IN DEVELOPING THE MARY HUFFMAN TEEN CENTER. I AM INVOLVED IN MANY ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN TOWN AND EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THEM ARE MEETING BY ZOOM, WE HAVE HAD IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GET TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE IN PERSON. ONE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES WAS THE CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION LUNCHEON IN DECEMBER, WHERE I HAD PROBABLY AT LEAST 50 SETS OF POSTCARDS SIGNED BY TEACHERS THAT WERE VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. I'VE ALSO HAD THIS CARD SIGNED AND AT CHURCH EVENTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT I'VE GONE TO AAUW MEETINGS. I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE MUSEUM AND A LOT OF OTHER PLACES THAT I'VE GONE. I HAVE NEVER FOUND ANYBODY THAT DID NOT SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. IT WOULD BE DEVELOPING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR TEAMS TO GO WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH EACH OTHER, NETWORK, HELP EACH OTHER IN A VERY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. SO WE REALLY URGE YOU TO USE ARPA FUNDS TO DEVELOP THIS VERY CRITICAL PROJECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE MORE POSTCARDS AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING MORE THE REST OF THIS WEEK. THANK YOU. THERE'S A DOWN TRIANGLE. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS SUSAN [INAUDIBLE] I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY. TODAY, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS HANDOUT WITH YOU, WHICH LISTS THE COMMUNITY DONORS, NOT JUST PARTNERS, BUT DONORS FOR THE MARY HUFFMAN TEEN CENTER. IT GIVES YOU THE AMOUNT WE HAVE RAISED TO DATE FOR FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT, AND IT DOCUMENTS OUR CONTINUING PLANS TO RAISE MONEY THROUGH GRANTS AND FUNDRAISING. THE FRIENDS OF THE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY HAS NEVER WORKED ALONE ON THE TEEN CENTER. THE IDEA WAS BORN SEVEN MONTHS AGO AND WE IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE COUNTY LIBRARIAN WHAT SHE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. SHE SAID THE LIBRARY WOULD LIKE TO DO A LOT MORE WITH TEENS AND SHE WENT TO WORK. THE LIBRARY DESIGNED A PRELIMINARY TEEN CENTER AND DEVELOPED A TEEN SURVEY, WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA TEACHERS. FROM THE SURVEY THEY HAVE RECEIVED OVER TWO HUNDRED RESPONSES FROM STUDENTS AND 25 STUDENTS ASKED TO JOIN THE DESIGN TEAM FOR THE CENTER. WHILE THE LIBRARY STAFF ENGAGED TEENS, THE FRIENDS LOOKED FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK JANE LAWRENCE IN THE AAUW. OUR OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS SO FAR ARE THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND THE FRIENDS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIVINGSTON BRANCH LIBRARY. IN FEBRUARY, WE GIVE A PRESENTATION TO THE MIRROR, SAID SUNRISE ROTARY. AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET THEM ON BOARD AS WELL. THE FRIENDS STARTED THE BALL ROLLING, BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS JOINED US. HOW ELSE COULD A SMALL ORGANIZATION? ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEMBERS RAISED THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SEVEN MONTHS FOR A PROJECT. EVEN OUR POSTCARD CAMPAIGN HAS RAISED AWARENESS AND SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY AMONG [00:10:02] TEENS. SO IT'S THE COMMUNITY AND TEENS WHO ARE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT. LASTLY, THE TEEN CENTER WILL BE LOCATED IN MERCED LIBRARY, BUT ITS BENEFITS WILL BE COUNTY WIDE. PROGRAMS AND SERVICES DEVELOPED IN THE TEEN CENTER WILL GO OUT TO OTHER BRANCHES TO SERVE OTHER TEENS. LATER TODAY, COUNTY LIBRARIAN AIMEE TAYLOR MAY SPEAK ABOUT A POP UP MAKE SPACE FOR TEENS, WHICH GIVES YOU SOME IDEA ABOUT THAT PORTABLE PROGRAMS SO THAT ALL BRANCHES BENEFIT. SO THE MARY HUFFMAN TEEN CENTER IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT THAT INCREASINGLY INVOLVES TEENS AND THAT WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. PLEASE SUPPORT IT WITH ARPA FUNDING. THANK YOU. OK, DARLENE. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO AND CEO DESIGNEE AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, I'M DARLENE INGERSOLL SERVING AS YOUR MERCED COUNTY REGISTER OF VOTERS. TODAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2022, IS NATIONAL POLL WORKER RECRUITMENT DAY. NATIONAL POLL WORKER RECRUITMENT DAY WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION IN 2020 AND IS A NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO HELP BY SIGNING UP TO BE A POLL WORKER BY ENCOURAGING MORE TO BECOME POLL WORKERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. NATIONAL POLL WORKER RECRUITMENT DAY IS ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF POLL WORKERS, STRENGTHENING OUR DEMOCRACY, INSPIRING GREATER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEERISM AND HELPING AMERICA VOTE. PLEASE APPLY TO BE A POLL WORKER SLASH ELECTION WORKER FOR MERCED COUNTY ELECTIONS. WE WILL HAVE AT LEAST 13 VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTERS IN THE UPCOMING JUNE SEVEN, 2022 STATEWIDE DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION AND THE NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022 STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION. WE ARE IN NEED OF WORKERS. I HAVE BROUGHT HARD COPIES OF THE POLL WORKER APPLICATION AND STUDENT POLL WORKER APPLICATION. YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE. ALSO, OUR WEBSITE IS MERCED ELECTIONS DOT ORG. THAT'S PLURAL, EMMER SAID. ELECTIONS DAWG CAN EMAIL US AT ELECTIONS AT COUNTY OF MERCED COUNTY AGAIN, ELECTIONS AT COUNTY OF MERCED COUNTY. YOU CAN CALL US AT 3857541, THAT'S AREA CODE 209, 3857541. WE DO HAVE A TOLL FREE NUMBER 1-800-561-0619 AGAIN 1-800-5610619. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK. GOOD MORNING. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, MY NAME IS PENG SHAW. MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE THEY? AND I AM WITH THE PARTY OF SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION. TODAY, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A FEW AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE JOHN LATORRACA CORRECTIONAL CENTER. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE DRINKING WATER, WHICH IS THE CONTRACT IS ABOUT ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS ABOUT THE HVAC UNITS IN THE KITCHEN. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWENTY SIX IS A SOLAR PANEL FOR THE CORRECTIONAL CENTER FOR $40000 AND AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWENTY SEVEN IS THE FIRE HYDRANT AND ISOLATION VALVE FOR THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWENTY NINE IS THE UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY BATTERY BACKUP SYSTEM FOR THIRTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE JOHN LATORRACA CORRECTIONAL CENTER. I AM URGING THAT YOU VOTE NO ON THESE AGENDA ITEMS. IT IS VERY COSTLY AND EXPENSIVE, ASKING YOU TO GRANT CLEMENCY FOR THE INMATES AND TO CLOSE THE PRISON. I AM URGING YOU TO END MASS INCARCERATION AS IT IS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. I AM ASKING THAT YOU INSTEAD FUND THIS MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, ENDING POVERTY AND BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. INVESTING IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 13 IS A CONTRACT THAT'S INCREASING FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ON GPS MONITORING AND AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 20 IS A CONTRACT OF SIXTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CORRECTIONAL CENTER OF JOHN LATORRACA. AND I'M ASKING THAT YOU VOTE NO FOR THESE AGENDA ITEMS, AS THESE ARE COMPANIES WHO ARE MAKING A PROFIT OFF OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND POOR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE INCARCERATED OR IN THE PRISONS OR IN PROBATION. AND I AM ASKING THAT FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THIRTY SIX, THE AMERICAN RESCUE [00:15:04] PLAN ACT, OR ALSO KNOWN AS ARPA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FUNDING IS TO HELP PEOPLE RECOVER FROM COVID 19. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE A SURVEY ONLINE THAT'S NOT DONE UNTIL JANUARY 31, SO WHY ARE YOU ALLOCATING AN ADDITIONAL SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ARPA FUNDS TO THE. RESTRICTION, YOUR GENERAL BUDGET IS OUR TAX DOLLARS AND MORE THAN FIVE, 50 PERCENT OF IT. YOU'RE USING IT FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PRISON AND PROBATION, AND VERY LITTLE OF YOUR GENERAL MONEY IS GOING TO MENTAL HEALTH AND THAT YOU'RE ALLOCATING AND PULLING MONEY FROM THE ARPA FUNDS TO PAY FOR THIS. WE NEED TO REPRIORITIZE YOUR BUDGET AS YOUR BUDGET REFLECTS YOUR VALUES. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU VALUE POLICING AND INCARCERATING BLACK AND BROWN AND POOR COMMUNITIES. ON NOVEMBER 16, I SAW THAT ONLINE. YOUR VIDEO IS NOT POSTED AND YOU DIDN'T PROVIDE A VIDEO FOR THE BOARD MEETING, SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU PROVIDE THAT FOR TRANSPARENCY. ON NOVEMBER 16, YOU STOPPED COLLECTING VOICEMAILS SO THAT PEOPLE COULD VOICE THEIR INPUT FOR YOUR MEETINGS. AND I'M ASKING THAT YOU BRING IT BACK AS YOUR MEETING IS AT 10 A.M. AND PEOPLE OFTEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE APPRECIATE IT. SIR. YOU'RE PROBABLY SURPRISED TO SEE ME HERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK I'M DEAD. I THOUGHT, YOU WERE IN MEXICO, DON DERBY, PUBLISHER OF THE MERCED COUNTY TIMES HERE, TO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN TO OUR NEWSPAPER. AND I WANT TO SAY IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR OUR PAPER. FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, WE ONLY MADE EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS. THAT'S A BUSINESS THAT TAKES FORTY TO FIFTY THOUSAND A MONTH TO OPERATE. BUT TO SAY WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND SEEING EVERYTHING TURN AROUND AND WE FINISHED THE YEAR IN THE PROFIT. SO THANKS TO ALL THE SPONSORS AND THE COUNTY FOR THEIR SUPPORT. WITH YOUR LEGAL NOTICES AND ALSO I WANT TO THANK MY STAFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL JOB. RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS OF THE STAFF ON COVID LEAVE. OUR EDITOR IS ON COVID LEAVE, SO THAT'S WHY I HAD TO FILL IN. I HAD TO COME ALL THE WAY FROM MEXICO. NOT TRUE. I DO SPEND MY WINTERS PART OF THE TIME IN MEXICO BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO LEARN SPANISH AND WE HAVE SO MANY SPANISH PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT THAT'S NECESSARY. AND I FEEL THAT THE NEWSPAPER HAS TO CATER TO THEM TOO. SO AND WE WE WILL KEEP OUR MISSION OF POWER OF POSITIVE PRESS, TRY AND GET IT CORRECT AND NOT DEAL WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THE NATIONAL MEDIA ARE DEALING WITH. SO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, AND I HOPE TO SEE BE HERE MORE OFTEN THAN I AM, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME. I DO READ YOU ON MY EMAIL AND ONCE AGAIN, GOOD LUCK IN 2022. LET'S KICK THE HELL OUT OF COVID. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YES. WATCH THAT. GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO BROWN AND CEO DESIGNEE AND COUNTY COUNCIL, HANSEN KALEKA, ROCHESTER, YOUR CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER. I DO WANT TO PROVIDE SOME CLARITY IN REGARD TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 13, WHERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING OUR GPS CONTRACT. WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING IS WE ARE IN RESPONSE TO THE HUMPHREY DECISION AND SB 129 IN CREATION OF A PRETRIAL SERVICES PROGRAM. THE COURT HAS DECLARED ITS INTENT TO CONTRACT WITH PROBATION FOR PRETRIAL SERVICES. SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS WE ARE GOING TO EXPAND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO USE LEAST RESTRICTIVE INTERVENTIONS AS APPROPRIATE. SO WE WILL BE PROVIDING THESE SMART LINK APPLICATION AS A DOWNLOAD FOR CELLULAR TELEPHONES FOR CLIENTS WHO ARE BEING RELEASED FROM THE JAIL. THIS ISN'T AN EFFORT TO GET MORE INDIVIDUALS OUT PRETRIAL TO ALLOW FOR THE JUDICIAL BRANCH TO HAVE MORE, I GUESS BETTER DECISION MAKING IN THEIR RELEASE DECISIONS FOR [00:20:02] THOSE WHO ARE GOING OUT. SO THE SMART LINK APPLICATION WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE COURT REMINDERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRETRIAL. THEY'LL ALSO ALLOW FOR THEM TO DO CHECK INS VIA MONITORING, VIDEO MONITORING OR PHONE CALL OR TEXT MESSAGING. THIS IS NOT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. WE WILL RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE COURT REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE COURT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THIS CONTRACT, SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT IS THE PURPOSE, AND WE'LL ALSO BE PURCHASING CELL PHONES FOR CLIENTS WHO ARE INDIGENT, WHO ARE INCARCERATED, WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE CELL PHONE TO DOWNLOAD THE SMART LINK APPLICATION. SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CLARITY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SIR. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN BARRERA. HELLO. RIGHT, IT'S ME. MY NAME IS HICHA MELTAL HICHAMELTAL I'M THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE IRRIGATION URBAN GSA. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE GROUNDWATER ORDINANCE. SO I DON'T HAVE I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS IF MERCED COUNTY WOULD LOOK AT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING, SUCH AS STANISLAUS, WHERE THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE LEAD AGENCY AND THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLE AGENCY WHERE WE WOULD STILL RESPOND WHETHER A CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION OF A PROPOSED WELL IS IN LINE WITH THE PLAN. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE PRESENTATION THAT THE STAFF WILL BE MAKING AND UNFORTUNATELY I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY IT LOOKS LIKE THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE. SO I'M HOPING THAT THE BOARD WOULD LOOK AT THAT SERIOUSLY AND SEE WHAT OTHER EXAMPLES ARE OUT THERE. AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE BOARD TO SEE HOW WE COULD WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE THIS PROCESS AS AS TRANSPARENT AND AS WE COULD BE ABLE TO ABSORB IT. AS A NEW BUDDING AGENCIES, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE STAFFING YET. WE'RE STILL WORKING. AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A PLAN OUT. THE PLANT IS THE SGMA, THE SUSTAINABLE. THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT REQUIRES THAT ONCE AN AGENCY ADOPTS THE PLAN, THEY START IMPLEMENTING IT, EVEN THOUGH THE PLAN MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE STATE. SO. AND THE REASON THEY DO THAT IS BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, PUBLIC RELATION INFORMATION WHERE WE HAVE TO GO AND WORK WITH WITH THE PUBLIC AS WE ARE SETTING POLICIES. SO WE ADOPTED THE PLAN AROUND THE END OF 2019. WE WERE AND WE RECEIVED A LETTER JUST NOT TOO LONG AGO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES SAYING THAT THE PLAN IS DEFICIENT. SO WHATEVER WE HAVE, SO EVEN IF WE ARE GOING TO ACCEPT START MAKING DECISIONS ON WELLS, WE MAY BE MAKING DECISIONS ON A FAULTY PLAN AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH EWR TO GET HOPEFULLY A SUCCESSFUL PLAN BY JUNE. WE ONLY HAVE 180 DAYS TO FIX THAT. SO EVEN IF THE IF THE CHANGE IS MADE, I THINK IT WOULD BE A RISKY BUSINESS FOR A FOR AN AGENCY TO SAY THAT THIS WELL WOULD BE FINE WHEN THE PLAN MAY CHANGE AT THE END OF THE LINE. THE OTHER THING IS THAT GSA IS OUR RESOURCE AGENCY. WE'RE LIKE TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. WE DON'T WE'RE NOT WATER SUPPLIERS. WE COULD GIVE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT A WELL COULD TAKE, BUT WE'RE NOT. WE DON'T WORK BY WELL, BY WELL, AS YOU KNOW, THE MERCED SUB BASIN FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR MERCED SUB BASIN GSA, WHICH IS THE LARGEST GSA IN VERSANT BASIN, THEY DON'T WANT TO GO CONTROL BY WELLS. THEY WANT TO GO LOOK, MONITOR BY SATELLITE IMAGERY. SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO WORK WELL ON WELL. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS THING IS GOING TO WORK WHERE WE ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION AND WE FOLLOW THROUGH THIS. WELL, YEAH, I'M GOING TO BOARD PREROGATIVE, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU OUR CHAIR PREROGATIVE, YEAH, GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR COMMENT, PLEASE. YEAH, I'M ALMOST SO, SO. SO THE COUNTY DESIGNATED AREAS AS AG AREAS, AND SO THEREFORE THE OWNERS OF THOSE PROPERTIES, THEY EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD BE THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT RELATED TO AG IN THOSE AREAS. AND SO THE DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE IN WORKING WITH THE AS FAR AS THE USE OF THOSE PARCELS. SO WORKING WITH THE WITH THE DEPARTMENT WATER RESOURCES STAFF TALKING ABOUT OUR DEFICIENCIES, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE STATE WOULD LIKE THE GSA'S TO WORK WITH THE COUNTIES AND OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES ON THEIR GENERAL PLANS ON THE BIG PICTURE. AND THIS WAY, THIS WAY, PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE ON THEIR PROPERTIES AND SO ON. SO TO ME, IT'S ALMOST HAVING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE IN THE CASE OF [00:25:04] EXISTING PROPERTIES THAT ALREADY HAVE ALREADY DESIGNATED FOR AGRICULTURE. AND IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE COUNTY AT LEAST TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THOSE PROPERTIES. AND MAYBE WHEN THE GENERAL PLAN IS DEVELOPED, A RENEWED MAYBE THE GSA COULD TAKE A MORE RESPONSIBLE POSITION. SO. CAN YOU WRAP IT UP, I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY MORE TIME. OH, OK, SO I GOT IT. SO I WAS GOING TO SAY SO. WE IMPLORED THE BOARD TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING, SUCH AS STANISLAUS AND AND CONSIDER BEING THE PUBLIC AGENCY, AND WE WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OH, YEAH, THANKS. YES, THE LADY IN THE BACK. YOU COULD LEAVE THAT IF YOU WANT. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY COUNCIL AND OUR CEOS. GENEVIEVE VALENTINE, DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SOME CLARITY ON ITEM THIRTY SIX, WHICH IS THE ARPA FUNDS THAT BHRS OF SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT ARE AWARDED TO US. THOSE ARE NOT COUNTY ARPA DOLLARS. THOSE ARE GRANT FUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BHRS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES THROUGH SAMHSA. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD THAT DOLLARS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO ARPA DISTRIBUTIONS FOR THE COUNTY THAT IS FEDERAL ARPA DOLLARS. SO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? OK, SEEING NONE DO WE HAVE SOME ON ZOOM? YOU HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND ON ZOOM. OK, I'M GOING TO ASK NORMA CARDONA TO SPEAK FIRST. HI, GOOD MORNING. CEO, CEO DESIGNEE AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE AND FOR TAKING COMMENT OVER ZOOM. I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF BITWISE INDUSTRIES AND ON BEHALF OF BITWISE INDUSTRIES, I SPEAK TO YOU WITH EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU TO LEVERAGE OUR NEW LOCATION IN MERCED AT 1635 M STREET TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTY'S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE UPSKILLING POPULATIONS LEFT OUT OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY. FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS, ALSO KNOWN AS ARPA PRESENT, A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR MERCED COUNTY TO PUT PEOPLE AND WORKERS DISPLACED BY THE PANDEMIC ON THE PATH TO PERMANENT, SUSTAINABLE, HIGH WAGE EMPLOYMENT. WE BELIEVE BITWISE INDUSTRIES MODEL CAN SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR THOSE EFFORTS. SINCE 2013, BITWISE INDUSTRIES, A FEMALE AND MINORITY LED TECH COMPANY HEADQUARTERED IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, HAS BEEN TRAINING UNEXPECTED PEOPLE FROM UNDERESTIMATED PLACES FOR JOBS IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY. OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE TRAINED OVER 5000 STUDENT WORKERS, WITH 80 PERCENT OF JOB SEEKERS EMPLOYED IN TECH JOBS, RESULTING IN TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE MILLION OF AGGREGATE WAGES, MOSTLY FOR WOMEN AND MINORITIES. MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE GONE FROM MAKING UNDER $21000 PER YEAR TO WELL OVER $61000 PER YEAR. FURTHERMORE, THE TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING SIDE OF BUSINESS HAS HIRED MANY OF THESE STUDENTS TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES BUILD AND STRENGTHEN THEIR DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. PROVING IT IS POSSIBLE TO BUILD STELLAR TECHNOLOGY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES WITH DIVERSE NONTRADITIONAL TALENT LIKE MERCED COUNTY. SINCE LAUNCHING IN FRESNO, WE HAVE BUILT SIMILAR ECOSYSTEMS IN CALIFORNIA CITIES OF BAKERSFIELD AND OAKLAND AND RECENTLY ANNOUNCED OUR EXPANSION INTO TOLEDO, OHIO. OUR EXPERIENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT UPSKILLING DISENFRANCHISED HUMANS AND REVITALIZING HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR CITIES. IN TURN, THEIR ENDEAVORS IGNITE AND TRANSFORM REGIONAL ECONOMIES AROUND THEM FOR THE LONG TERM. TO ACHIEVE THE KIND OF INVESTMENT IN THE WELL-BEING OF MERCED'S MOST UNDERREPRESENTED CITIZENS, THE COUNTY CAN LEVERAGE ARPA FUNDS AND OTHER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE AND EFFORTS LIKE ONES OUTLINED HERE. ONES THAT I'M GOING TO OUTLINE, INCLUDING PREPARING MORE SESSIONS FOR AND PLACE THEM IN QUALITY CAREERS AND IN THE TECH INDUSTRY, ALIGNING DIGITAL EDUCATION TO IT, SAVVY BUSINESS FUTURES AND LEVERAGING LOCAL TALENT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY AND PROVIDE DIGITAL EDUCATION TO THE MOST UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. YOUR INVESTMENT IN THESE FORMS OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE CAN TRANSFORM MERCED COUNTY. OR WILL REALLY CAN FURTHER TRANSFORM MERCED COUNTY. PROJECTS DEBT SERVICE CORPS MEMBERS MIGHT TAKE ON TO INCREASE RESIDENTS ACCESS TO AND FROM SATISFACTION WITH OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLANS, AND TO CREATE A WEBSITE WITH THE STREAMLINED APPLICATION. BY THE CONCLUSION EXCUSE ME, AFTER ONE YEAR OF ACCELERATED LAUNCH EFFORTS, BITWISE INDUSTRIES COULD HIRE AS MANY AS 115 APPRENTICES IN TWO POSITIONS FEATURING GOOD [00:30:03] WAGES AND FULL BENEFITS. DRAWING ON THE EARLIEST COHORTS OF YOUNG MERCEDIANS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT AND ENROLLING OUR PRE APPRENTICESHIP COURSES GIVES ME NORMA. YOUR TIME IS UP. DO YOU HAVE A FINAL THOUGHT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, AS A COMMITTED STAKEHOLDER, MERCED COUNTY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BITWISE INDUSTRY STANDS READY TO SUPPORT YOU AND LEVERAGING THE ARPA FUNDS TO MAKE THE MOST OF MERCEDES NATURAL TALENTS AND THE RESOURCES THAT FLOW FROM THE COUNTY'S LOCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORY. THANK YOU. NEXT IN THE QUEUE, WE HAVE JESSICA JOHNSON. JESSICA, ARE YOU ARE YOU THERE? OH, YOU'RE MUTED. JESSICA JOHNSON. YOU WERE APPEAR TO BE MUTED ON OUR END. JESSICA JOHNSON, CAN YOU HEAR US? YOU'RE YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEAK. BUT UPON HER BOX ON THE SCREEN, IS THAT A MUTE? THAT'S FROM HER. THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, THE LAST SPEAKER. SHE'S ON. OH, THERE YOU ARE. SORRY. JESSICA? JESSICA, IT MIGHT BE THAT IF YOU COULD DISCONNECT AND RECONNECT IT, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TO BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU. IT DOES SAY THAT DOESN'T. PLEASE BEAR WITH US. SHE IS RECONNECTING TO AUDIO. YEAH. OK. WHEN YOU LIVE OUT IN RURAL AREAS LIKE I DO, YOU FIND YOURSELF RECONNECTING TO AUDIO PERIODICALLY. BUT BROADBAND MAY FIX THAT. JESSICA JOHNSON, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU AND GO AHEAD, PLEASE. I AM VERY SORRY FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. AS YOU KNOW, NOW, MY NAME IS JESSICA JOHNSON. MY FIRM [INAUDIBLE] REPRESENTS THE EAST TURLOCK SUB, BASED IN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY. ONE OF THE TWO, GSA'S IN THE TURLOCK SUB BASIN DIRECTOR L TOLD DID A GREAT JOB OF OUTLINING SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE WITH AGENDA ITEM 63, THE PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE TO MERCED COUNTY GROUNDWATER EXPLOITATION ORDINANCE. BUT I JUST WANTED TO AMPLIFY SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT UTS GSA HAS REGARDING THE PROPOSED CHANGES. SPECIFICALLY, THE GSA HAS CONCERNS ABOUT WHO WILL BE THE LEAD AGENCY UNDER A SEQUEL. THE GSA IS OR THE COUNTIES AND IS STILL CONSIDERING HOW IT WILL IMPLEMENT AND PAY FOR ANY NEW AGENCY REQUIREMENTS. IN SHORT, WE JUST HOPE THAT THE COUNTY WILL CONSIDER A MORE EQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF THE WELL PERMITTING ISSUES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONSIDERING THE ALREADY OVERBURDENED, OVERBURDENED GSA RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER STIGMA. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, EPF GSA JUST ADOPTED THEIR GSP AND ARE RARING TO GO TO IMPLEMENT SGMA IN ITS PORTION OF THE SHERLOCKS HENDRICKSON, SO EPF GSA WILL LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO DEVELOP ANOTHER EQUITABLE ALLOCATION. THANKS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ONLINE? THERE ARE NO OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND IN THE ZOOM QUEUE. THANK YOU. AND I'LL COME BACK, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? OK, SEEING NONE. [00:35:01] I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL MOVE TO OUR CONSENT CALENDAR. [CONSENT CALENDAR] 30 DAYS. IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR. ITEMS ONE THROUGH 19. PLEASE NOTE ITEMS THREE, FOUR, 10, 11, 12 AND 15 REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE. THANK YOU. WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO BOARD ACTION, I BELIEVE WE HAVE OH, I AM SORRY, YEAH. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS TO RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE CELEBRATING THEIR 50 YEARS. AND BOARD MEMBERS WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THEM? HAVE LET. WE CALL THIS THE BOX. CHECK, CHECK, OK. HELLO. GOOD TO SEE YOU . OK, SO WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION HERE, WE JUST APPROVED. AND IT SAYS WHEREAS GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS BEGIN SERVING THE CENTRAL VALLEY IN THE END, THE CITY OF MERCED IN 1972, AND WHEREAS GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER'S TEAM OF DOCTORS, DENTISTS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COUNSELORS AND OTHER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR TEAMS ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES REGARDLESS OF LANGUAGE, FINANCIAL OR CULTURAL BARRIERS. AND WHEREAS GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS IS A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER THAT PROVIDES MEDICAL, DENTAL, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPECIALTIES TO OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND PATIENTS IN MERCED, STANISLAUS AND SAN JOAQUIN COUNTIES GOT THEIR FORTY FIVE LOCATIONS. AND WHEREAS GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS HAS BEEN CERTIFIED AS A AN ADVOCACY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH CENTERS, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER THAT CREATES A CULTURE OF ADVOCACY TO ENSURE THAT POLICYMAKERS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT COMMIT TO INVESTING IN AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE AND INNOVATIVE CARE THAT HEALTH CENTERS PROVIDE. AND WHEREAS GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS IS CELEBRATING THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO, AND NOW THEY'RE BE IT RESOLVED, WE, THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, DO HEREBY PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION IN CELEBRATION OF GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN IN THIS WORTHY OBSERVANCE. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO IN OUR COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL. SO I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS AND THEN I'LL GIVE EACH OF YOU A MOMENT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT. SO CONGRATULATIONS. YOU CAME THIS WAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR CELEBRATING WITH US THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY. THERE HAS BEEN MANY, MANY EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE 50TH YEAR. SO IN, YOU KNOW, IN HONOR OF EVERYONE WHO HAS ALLOWED US TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO HONOR THEM AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT. AND I ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE AMY CARROLL, WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS. AND I'LL LET HER SAY A FEW WORDS. THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE], I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT [INAUDIBLE] JUST SAID THAT WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION. AND IT ISN'T LOST ON US THAT OUR WORK AT GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER STARTED RIGHT HERE IN, MERCED SAID. [00:40:01] SO WE LEAVE A LITTLE PIECE OF OUR HEART HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GROWN AND EXPANDED ACROSS THE THREE COUNTY AREA, INCLUDING STANISLAUS AND SAN JOAQUIN. AND CHEERS TO 50 MORE YEARS. THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WHEN YOU CHOSE A NEW LOCATION FOR YOUR HEADQUARTERS THAT YOU PICKED MERCED COUNTY, THAT THAT SHOWS YOUR YOUR COMMITMENT TO US AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE NOT SURE IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO DISTRICT FOUR. I AM. I'M VERY CONFIDENT OF. BUT YEAH, IT'S IN DISTRICT THREE, SO THANK YOU AGAIN. NOW, AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE BOARD ACTIONS. [BOARD ACTION] NEXT IS BOARD ACTION PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 20 THROUGH 30. PLEASE NOTE ITEMS TWENTY FIVE THROUGH TWENTY NINE REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE AND WE WILL BE TAKING ITEM 30 SEPARATELY, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, YEAH. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DANA HERTFELDER, TO COME UP AND MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ON ITEM 20. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, DANA HERTFELDER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ITEM 20 IS OUR NEXT STEP IN MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT WE CALL PHASE ONE OF THE JOHN LATORRACA FACILITY PROJECT. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED PARTIALLY THROUGH A STATE GRANT AND THE AMOUNT OF 30 MILLION. AND THE REMAINDER IS COVERED BY THE COUNTY. RIGHT NOW, TODAY'S ACTION IS TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION CONDITIONALLY AWARDING A DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT TO SLATON CONSTRUCTION SLATON CONSTRUCTION WAS THE FIRM WE SELECTED FOR LOW BID, AND THIS CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED CONTINGENT UPON THE STATE BSCC APPROVING THE PROJECT IN FEBRUARY AND ALLOWING US TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS IS THE NEXT STEP MOVING FORWARD IN THIS PROJECT. WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE THINK WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE REALLY GOING TO ACTUALLY START DESIGN WORK AND THEN HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, GET TO GROUND BREAKING AND START CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT, AS YOU HEARD EARLIER. WE HAVE SEVERAL EMERGENCIES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE OUT THERE DUE TO INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, WHICH WE NEED TO FIX AND REPAIR. FORTUNATELY, THIS PROJECT'S BEEN A BIT LONGER THAN IN THE COMING THAN WE'D LIKE. A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE IS ON THE 8TH WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO SLATON FOR PHASE TWO OF THE PROJECT FOR THE INITIAL DESIGN BUILD. SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED TO GET THIS PROJECT FINALLY UNDERWAY. ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? A. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SO MY SPECIFIC QUESTION ISN'T ON THIS ITEM, BUT SO I WOULD LET EVERYBODY ELSE IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS ONE. I HAVE. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT ON ITEM 25. CHAIR THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO IF I CAN CHAIR, I JUST ITEM 25, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR MY FRIENDS IN SANTA NELLA. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE PACE THAT I WANTED IT TO TAKE, JUST THE PACE THAT IT NATURALLY TOOK. BUT THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT TO APPROVE AN AGREEMENT TO BUY REAL PROPERTY AT LEWIS AVENUE AND VERACRUZ DRIVE IN SANTA NELLA, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE THE HOME. THE PLANS ARE FOR SANTA NELLA'S, ACTUALLY VERY FIRST PARK THAT THEY'VE HAD, THAT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE A CURRENT PARK IN SANTA NELLA. I WISHED IT COULD HAVE COME SOONER, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH KAY HOVNANIAN WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE A NATIONWIDE COMPANY. THEY DON'T HAVE AN OFFICE IN LOS BANOS OR IN MERCED, AND SO I WANT TO THANK OUR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF FOR CONTINUING TO KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT IN HAVING NEGOTIATIONS. AND SO I'M PROUD AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL SUPPORT ITEM TWENTY FIVE AND PAYING [00:45:01] ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PLUS OR MINUS THREE ACRES IN THE SANTA NELLA AREA SO THAT THEY WILL GET THAT PARK THAT THEY DESERVE AND QUITE HONESTLY, SHOULD HAVE HAD A LONG TIME AGO. BUT I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT. THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT YOU'RE WELCOME AND THEN SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA GO AHEAD. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA FOR THIS AS WELL. NOW IT'S IN, IT'S IN MY DISTRICT NOW. SO I'M GLAD, I GUESS I'LL BE REPRESENTED, BUT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY THEY'VE BEEN. WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS. THEY'VE BEEN HERE REGARDING NEEDING A PARK IN THAT AREA. OF COURSE, I WOULD LIKE TO A BIGGER PARK ACROSS THE STREET IN THE BIGGER DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS APPROVED A WHILE BACK AND IT STILL GOING BE IN THREE PHASES. BUT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER ANOTHER BIGGER PARK IN THAT REGION FOR THAT COMMUNITY, WHICH PROVIDES A LOT OF SALES TAX ON ALL THE TRUCK STOPS OVER THERE. SO I NEED I KNOW THAT THEY NEED MORE SERVICES. SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AND THROUGH YOU, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE SUPPORTING THIS WHILE IT WAS IN SCOTT'S DISTRICT, BUT NOW THAT IT'S IN RODRIGO DISTRICT, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT. NO, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 22 AUTHORIZING PUBLIC WORKS EXECUTE GROUND LEASE AGREEMENT, ALLOWING MERCED COUNTY TO OPERATE A TRUCK DRIVING TRAINING PROGRAM. AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF TRUCK DRIVERS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS IS COMING TO FRUITION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT I GOT A PHONE CALL YESTERDAY FROM ALAN LEBOSSA. IF YOU REMEMBER, HE APPEARED HERE BEFORE THIS BOARD AND THANKED US FOR THE TRUCK DRIVING. HE HAS GRADUATED, GRADUATED WITH HIGH HONORS AND IS A AT THE POINT NOW WHERE HE'S NEGOTIATING FOR A GOOD SALARY AND HE IS ACTUALLY, HE SAID HE'S IN THE SEAT NO PUN INTENDED TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW WELL HE WANTS TO DO SO HE IS VERY EXCITED WHEN TO THANK US AGAIN FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. GREAT STORY. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, YOU'RE UP AGAIN ON REQUEST, DID YOU? OH, OK, SO WE'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO OH YES, MR. HERTFELDER. THIS TECHNOLOGY, THIS AGE, I RECEIVED SEVERAL TEXT CORRECTING ME. THE ACTUAL GRANT AMOUNT IS $40 MILLION, AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT MISTAKE. AND ANYWAY, I GUESS THANK GOD FOR TEXT AND CELL PHONES. WHEN I NOTICED THE CHANGE IN THE NUMBER, I THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE THAT WAS INFLATION OR SOMETHING, BUT ANYWAYS. ALL RIGHT, SO WOULD YOU PLEASE? I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. HERE WE GO. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THESE MOTIONS THIS MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OK, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 30. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DANA HERTFELDER DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. SENATE BILL THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. REDUCING SHORT LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS IN CALIFORNIA WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016. THIS STATE MANDATE REQUIRES JURISDICTIONS TO PROVIDE MANDATORY ORGANIC COLLECTION SERVICES TO ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY, DEVELOP INSPECTION COMPLIANCE REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS, AND ESTABLISH A FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM. IT ALSO REQUIRES US TO MEET CERTAIN PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS ORGANIC WASTE LIKE COMPOST, RENEWABLE GAS AND ELECTRICITY, AND TO PURCHASE RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS. TODAY'S REQUESTED ACTION IS THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING AN ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IS PROPOSING TO ESTABLISH A TWO PART RESIDENTIAL REFUGE COLLECTION SYSTEM AND SERVICE AREA SIX AND SEVEN. THIS IS BASED AREA SIX AND SEVEN ARE BASICALLY THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY, AND THIS WORK IS SERVICED BY JILT AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. WE'RE ALSO ASKING TO ESTABLISH A THREE PART RESIDENTIAL REFUGE COLLECTION SYSTEM AND AREAS ONE THROUGH FIVE SERVICE BY WIT, DISPOSAL AND A SECTION OF SOUTH DOS PALOS SERVICE BY MID VALLEY DISPOSAL. TODAY WE HAVE MR. PHILLIP MANFULLY WITH HHS AND THEY CONSULTANTS WHO HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO COME HERE AND PROVIDE US A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE MANDATES, IMPACTS AND POTENTIAL PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [00:50:07] THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR ALLOWING ME HERE TO SPEAK TODAY. AND AS MR. HERTFELDER SAID, I'M GOING TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. IT'S ABOUT TWO HUNDRED PAGES OF REGULATIONS. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW AND HOPEFULLY NOT BORE YOU WITH TOO MUCH DETAIL AND YOU READ JUST ABOUT A HUNDRED OF THEM AND THEN STOP. I READ ALL 200 OF THEM, PROBABLY 500 TIMES AT THIS POINT. SO SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE LARGEST SOLID WASTE LEGISLATION TO HIT PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE EVER, ESPECIALLY IN CALIFORNIA. IT'S BIGGER THAN A B NINE THIRTY NINE THAT WAS PASSED IN NINETEEN EIGHTY NINE AND IT'S BEEN TITLED AS A REDUCTION SHORT LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS AND MOST PEOPLE THINK OF IT AS AN ORGANIC WASTE LEGISLATION BILL, BUT IT'S MUCH WIDER THAN THAT, AND IT TOUCHES ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS. SO REALLY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE IS TO REDUCE METHANE. AND YOU MAY WONDER WHY DO PEOPLE REALLY CARE ABOUT METHANE? AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A SUPER POLLUTANT THAT'S 70 TO 80 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN CO2 OVER A 20 YEAR LIFESPAN. SO IT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR CLIMATE AND THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED, LIKE WILDFIRES, DROUGHTS, COASTAL EROSION, SEA LEVEL RISE. AND IN CALIFORNIA, THE BIGGEST METHANE PRODUCER IS US PUTTING OUR FOOD WASTE AND OUR ORGANIC WASTE IN A LANDFILL WHEN IT DIGESTS ANAEROBIC. ON TOP OF THAT, WHEN WE THROW OUT FOOD, WE'RE NOT HELPING WITH THE FOOD INSECURITY PROBLEM HERE IN CALIFORNIA. PRE-PANDEMIC, ONE IN EIGHT CALIFORNIANS WAS FOOD INSECURE. ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN WERE FOOD INSECURE. SINCE THE PANDEMIC, THAT'S GOTTEN WORSE. SO CLEARLY THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN ALL THIS FOOD AND ORGANICS WE'RE THROWING AWAY AND THE FOOD INSECURE POPULATIONS THAT NEED IT. SO THE STATEWIDE GOAL WAS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ORGANICS THAT ARE ULTIMATELY PLACED IN LANDFILL BY SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT AND REDUCE THE EDIBLE FOOD THAT'S DISPOSED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION BY 20 PERCENT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DATES UP HERE. WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE RED BOX STARTING JANUARY ONE TWENTY TWENTY. WE WON'T WORRY ABOUT THE REGULATORY HISTORY. SO THE REGULATIONS TOOK EFFECT ON JANUARY ONE. TWENTY TWENTY TWO AND PROGRAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN PLACE. STATEWIDE, THERE'S BEEN AN INFRASTRUCTURE SHORTAGE AND THESE DEALS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO HAPPEN, SO A LOT OF THE STATE IS NOT CURRENTLY IN COMPLIANCE. THE STATE PASSED SENATE BILL SIX ONE NINE, WHICH HAS GIVEN A REPRIEVE TO COMMUNITIES FOR UP TO A YEAR OF WAIVED PENALTIES BECAUSE OF THE IMPACTS OF COVID 19. SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF REPRIEVE ON THE TIMELINES HERE, BUT THERE'S A FEW ACTIONS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY THAT NEED TO OCCUR IN ORDER FOR YOU TO QUALIFY FOR THESE DELAYED COMPLIANCE PATHWAYS. BEGINNING JANUARY1, 2024, YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THE REQUIREMENTS OF SB 13 AND EIGHTY THREE ON GENERATORS. THINK OF YOURSELVES AS THE TRASH POLICE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE OUT THERE GIVING NOTICE AS THE VIOLATIONS AND POTENTIALLY ADMINISTRATIVE CIVIL PENALTIES TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM 2022 TO 2024 THAT YOU'RE EDUCATING BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO BE IN A POSITION OF ISSUING ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS FOR IMPROPER RECYCLING. AND THEN THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS 2025. AS I MENTIONED, TO REDUCE ORGANICS GOING TO LANDFILL BY SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT AND TO REDUCE IT TO RECOVER 20 PERCENT OF THE EDIBLE FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. THE IMPORTANT NOTE HERE IS THAT THOSE ARE STATEWIDE GOALS. HISTORICALLY, WE HAD EIGHTY NINE THIRTY NINE, WHICH SAID THE COUNTY OF MERCED SAID NEEDS TO DIVERT 50 PERCENT OF WASTE AND THAT WAS A COUNTY GOAL. SO YOU HAD SOME LEEWAY TO MEET THAT GOAL AS YOU SOUGHT FIT. YOU KNOW, EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT UNDER THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE STATUTE WAS WRITTEN. THEY COULDN'T IMPOSE THESE PERCENTAGES ON JURISDICTIONS, SO IT'S CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE. NOW WE'RE LEFT WITH PRESCRIPTIVE, REGULAR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ON THE PROGRAMS YOU NEED TO IMPLEMENT. AS I MENTIONED, IT'S ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TO TWO HUNDRED PAGES. THERE'S SOME OPTIONALITY THERE, BUT IT IS LIMITED AND THERE'S PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS, WHICH I'LL TOUCH ON TODAY. SO QUICKLY ON THE KEY DATES, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE MINUTES OF INFORMATION ON EACH OF THESE. BEGINNING IN 2022 AND 2023 RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL BE PROVIDED ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SOURCE SEPARATE THINGS LIKE THEIR FOOD WASTE, THEIR GRAIN WASTE AND THAT KIND OF MATERIAL FROM THE RECYCLABLES AND SOLID WASTE. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO LANDFILLS AND IT HAS TO GO TO AN APPROPRIATE DIVERSION FACILITY. YET THE COUNTY WILL HAVE TO ESTABLISH EXPANDED EDIBLE FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM, IDENTIFYING LARGE FOOD GENERATORS, CONNECTING THEM WITH FOOD RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICES. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL BE PROVIDED EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. THERE'S ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PROVIDING CERTAIN PIECES OF INFORMATION, THE BENEFITS OF METHANE REDUCTION, THAT EDIBLE FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAMS. WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THINGS LIKE THAT. I'LL TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A MINUTE. ULTIMATELY, WHEN ALL THESE ORGANICS ARE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF RECOVERED ORGANIC WASTE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET. THINGS LIKE MULCH, COMPOST, RNG AND THE STATE'S DECIDED THAT YOU WILL BE THE PROCURERS OF ALL OF THESE NEW COMMODITIES, SO YOU'LL BE REQUIRED TO EITHER PROCURE THEM OR UTILIZE A DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER WHO CAN PROCURE THEM ON YOUR ON YOUR BEHALF. SO THOSE PILES OF MULCH YOU SEE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING RIGHT HERE, THOSE WILL HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, FROM ORGANIC WASTE GENERATED IN CALIFORNIA, MAYBE NOT FROM A COMMERCIAL SUPPLIER OF IT IN A DIFFERENT STATE. AND THEN FINALLY, YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIC MATERIAL CAPACITY PLANNING, [00:55:01] ENSURING THAT WITHIN THE COUNTY, THERE'S ENOUGH OUTLETS. FOR THIS, THE ORGANIC WASTE THAT'S DISPOSED AND ALSO FOR THE EDIBLE FOOD THAT'S BEING COLLECTED FROM THESE LARGE GENERATORS. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, BEGINNING IN 2024, YOU'RE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING ACTION AGAINST NON-COMPLIANT GENERATORS. SO THE MANDATE SPECIFIES WHAT BUSINESSES HAVE TO DO AND WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE TO DO IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO. THEN YOU'LL ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THEM A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND FOLLOWING UP UNTIL THEY COMPLY AND AN ONGOING YOU'RE GOING TO BE MAINTAINING RECORDS AND REPORTING THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT AND A VOLUMINOUS EXPONENTIAL INCREASE TO THE REPORTING THAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN REPORTING ON ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT AND WILL GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON IN THE COMING SLIDES. SO FIRST OFF IS THE ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION, AND THERE'S THREE PRIMARY OPTIONS FOR THIS. THERE'S THREE CONTAINER STORES SEPARATED, WHICH WOULD BE YOU HAVE A GREAT CONTAINER FOR YOUR TRASH, BLUE FOR RECYCLABLES AND GREEN FOR ORGANICS AND YES THEY SPECIFY THE COLORS AND THE LABELS THAT WILL BE ON THOSE. AND AS MR. HERTFELDER HAD MENTIONED, THIS IS WHAT WE WILL SEE FROM WINTON DISPOSAL IN MID VALLEY, IF DIRECTED TO DO SO TODAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY. THERE'S ALSO AN OPTION FOR A TWO CONTAINER COLLECTION SYSTEM WHERE THE ORGANIC WASTE WOULD ALL GO IN THE GREEN CONTAINER AND THEN FOR THE BLACK CONTAINER THAT WOULD OR GRAY CONTAINER THAT WOULD CONTAIN REFUSE AND RECYCLABLES WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A DIVERSION FACILITY, A PROCESSING FIELD THAT'S IN ORDER TO COVER SPECIFIC AMOUNTS OF ORGANIC MATERIAL OUT OF THAT STREAM. AND THE REASON FOR DIFFERENT APPROACHES IS DIFFERENT PROVIDERS OF SERVICE HAVE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PROCESSING PLANTS. THE MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE, SO IT'S REALLY JUST A MATTER OF WHAT THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATING ABILITY. THERE'S ALSO A ONE CONTAINER COLLECTION SERVICE WHICH IS NOT BEING CURRENTLY ENTERTAINED. AND RIGHT NOW, THERE REALLY AREN'T ANY FACILITIES THAT COULD HIT THE DIVERSION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ONE CONTAINER SYSTEM, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE. SO IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A GREAT IDEA TO GO DOWN THAT PATH WITH THE RISK ANYWAY RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR RESIDENTS IS OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE HAVING MORE CONTAINERS, MORE TRUCKS ON THE ROAD, MORE DRIVERS AND PROCESSING OF MATERIALS IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN LANDFILLING IT. SO ULTIMATELY THERE WILL BE RATE INCREASES FOR THIS, NOT JUST HERE BUT STATEWIDE. OBVIOUSLY, STAFF'S GOAL THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS IS TO GET YOU COMPLIANT AND MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF THESE RATES. BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO DO, WHICH OBVIOUSLY RESULTS IN MORE RESOURCES, MORE STAFFING, MORE BUDGET. SO ANOTHER REQUIREMENT ON THE COUNTY, AS I MENTIONED, IS ESTABLISHING AN EDIBLE FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM. AND WHAT YOU'LL BE TASKED WITH IS IDENTIFYING WHAT THEY CALL TIER ONE EDIBLE COMMERCIAL EDIBLE FOOD GENERATORS AND TIER TWO COMMERCIAL EDIBLE FOOD GENERATORS. THINK OF THESE IS LIKE YOUR LARGE SUPERMARKETS IN TIER ONE, YOU KNOW, A MASSIVE COSTCO, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN AS YOU MOVE INTO TIER TWO, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LARGE CATERERS, RESTAURANTS WITH TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SQUARE 250 CUSTOMERS AND OVER 10000 SQUARE FEET. AND THE GOAL OF THAT IS TO GET THAT EDIBLE FOOD OUT OF THE LANDFILL INTO THE FOOD AND SECURE COMMUNITY. AND BUSINESSES WILL BE REQUIRED TO CONTRACT WITH FOOD RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS AND FOOD RECOVERY SERVICES. AND AS THE COUNTY, YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUALLY MAKING SURE THAT THEY ENTER INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS AND THEY MAINTAIN THEM OVER THE COMING YEARS. THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S BEGINNING TWENTY ONE TWENTY TWENTY FOUR. IF THEY WEREN'T DOING IT, YOU'D BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THEM A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND ULTIMATELY FOLLOWING UP WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES IF THEY DON'T COMPLY. ANOTHER REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU CONDUCT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THIS COULD HAPPEN THROUGH PRINT MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, A WHOLE DIFFERENT SLEW OF AVENUES. TYPICALLY, THE GOAL IS TO LEVERAGE YOUR EXISTING EDUCATION THAT'S HAPPENING, RIGHT? YOU'RE ALREADY SENDING INFORMATION ON COLLECTION PROGRAMS, INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE, SO IT'S REALLY A TAILORING OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S GOING OUT. OBVIOUSLY, ADDITIONAL EDUCATION OUTREACH, THOUGH, AS IT LAYERED ON YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING NEW SERVICES, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO REACH OUT TO THESE CUSTOMERS SO THEY KNOW HOW TO PARTICIPATE PROPERLY AND THEY DON'T GET ANY OF THESE CONTAMINATION FEES OR FINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO AGAIN, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. I TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER. YOU'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO PROCURE RECYCLED AND RECOVERED ORGANIC PRODUCTS. SO YOU'RE GOING TO COMPILE SORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY MULCH, COMPOST OR RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS OR ELECTRICITY. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS THAT'S PRODUCED FROM CALIFORNIA ORGANICS AVAILABLE. IT'S VERY HARD TO GET ON THE ON THE OPEN MARKET, SO IT REALLY WOULD PROBABLY BE LEFT WITH COMPOST AND MULCH. AND THERE ARE AVENUES FOR YOU TO HAVE A DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT ON YOUR BEHALF SO YOU'RE NOT DROWNING IN SEVEN SIX HUNDRED YARDS OF COMPOST OUT FRONT OF THE BUILDING HERE. ALSO, YOU'LL HAVE TO PROCURE PAPER PRODUCTS AND PRINTING AND WRITING PAPER CONSISTENT WITH A PUBLIC CONTRACTS CODE. ESSENTIALLY, YOU'LL NEED TO BUY RECOVERED CONTENT, PAPER OR WRITING SUPPLIES IF IT'S THE SAME COST AS VIRGIN MATERIAL RIGHT NOW. OBVIOUSLY, RECYCLED CONTENT THINGS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN VIRGIN MATERIAL. YOU CAN GO TO COSTCO AND GET PAPER FOR CHEAPER WITHOUT GETTING THE RECYCLED. SO RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING RECORDS ON THAT AND KEEPING AN EYE ON THE MARKETS BECAUSE ONCE THOSE PRICES CROSS, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO START PROCURING THE [01:00:03] OTHER RECYCLED CONTENT PAPER AND YOU'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT, AS I JOKED ABOUT BEING THE TRASH POLICE EARLIER. SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AND THAT'S ON THE UPCOMING DOCKET. WE'LL COVER THAT IN THE NEXT STEPS. AND FROM NOW UNTIL TWENTY TWENTY FOUR, YOU HAVE TO MONITOR AND EDUCATE PEOPLE FOR COMPLIANCE. SO YOU'RE GOING TO GO OUT, MONITOR THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROGRAMS. AND IF THEY'RE NOT COMPLYING OR TO PROVIDE EDUCATION, THERE'S A TWO YEAR ON RAMP FOR THAT. AND THEN BEGINNING IN 2024, YOU'RE EXPECTED TO ADMINISTER THOSE NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES. THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEING YOU HAVE A TWO YEAR LEEWAY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE. BUT IF YOU USE NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY AND DELAYED COMPLIANCE PATHWAY, YOU SHORTEN THAT EDUCATION PERIOD, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS IN TWENTY TWENTY THREE NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE YEAR OF EDUCATION BEFORE THE FINES AND COULD POTENTIALLY KICK IN. AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS ENFORCEMENT CAN BE DELEGATED, NOT THE ISSUANCE OF FINES THAT COULD ONLY BE DELEGATED TO ANOTHER PUBLIC AGENCY, BUT THINGS LIKE THE INSPECTIONS AND ROUTE REVIEWS. YOU COULD HAVE YOUR WASTE HAULERS CONDUCT THAT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT DOING IT, AND I TOUCHED ON RECORD KEEPING. I'M GOING TO SAVE YOU THE DETAILS OF EVERY ITEM. THERE'S A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DIFFERENT DATA POINTS YOU'LL HAVE TO COLLECT, BUT EVERYTHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAINTAIN THOSE RECORDS IN A CENTRAL IMPLEMENTATION RECORD THAT'S EITHER PHYSICAL OR ELECTRONIC THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE STATE WITHIN 10 DAYS OF 10 BUSINESS DAYS OF THEIR REQUEST. SO IF YOU ISSUE A CONTAMINATION NOTICE OR A CITATION, IF YOU OBTAIN A CONTRACT WITH THE FOOD RECOVERY ORGANIZATION, THAT ALL HAS TO GO IN A CENTRAL RECORD KEEPING. YOU NEED TO KEEP RECORDS OF THE FACILITIES WHERE YOUR SOLID WASTE IN ORGANICS ARE GOING, YOUR OVERSIGHT OF YOUR HAULERS. ALL OF THAT, EVERY PROGRAMMATIC THING IN DETAIL THAT YOU PERFORM WILL BE KEPT IN THIS RECORD, WHICH IS EXTREMELY VOLUMINOUS AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT AND ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT HAULERS WHO ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION, POTENTIALLY PUBLIC WORKS. AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT EDIBLE FOOD, WHEREVER THAT LANDS, PURCHASING. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE TO AGGREGATE THE DATA INTO A CENTRAL LOCATION. AND THEN FINALLY, THE STATE WILL BE ENFORCING UPON YOU. AND THAT ACTUALLY TOOK EFFECT JAN. ONE. TWENTY TWENTY TWO. THEY COULD POTENTIALLY COME OUT AND FIND JURISDICTIONS. THEY DID IMPLEMENT SB SIX OR NINE. SO IF YOU IF YOU GIVE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY AND ISSUE A RESOLUTION STATING YOUR VIOLATIONS WHERE YOUR GAPS ARE IN COMPLIANCE AND YOUR MILESTONES AND STEPS TO COMPLETION, THEN YOU CAN GET SOME REPRIEVE. THEY'LL WAIVE THE FINES FOR 2022 IF YOU HOLD THE IF YOU HOLD WITH THE PLAN AND POTENTIALLY INTO TWENTY TWENTY THREE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE LIMITATIONS ARE AND WHAT THEY APPROVE. AND THEN CONGRESS WILL IMPOSE PENALTIES AND THEY COULD RANGE FROM FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY, AND A $10000 PER DAY WOULD BE A MAJOR VIOLATION. IF YOU REFUSE TO PROVIDE ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES, YOU COULD RECEIVE $10000 PER DAY. AND THE IMPORTANT NOTE IS HERE IT'S PER VIOLATION. SO IF YOU AREN'T PROVIDING ORGANIC WASTE SERVICES, YOU COULD BE FINED FOR THAT. IF YOU WEREN'T PROVIDING EDIBLE FOOD GENERATORS WITH EDUCATION OR ENFORCING, YOU COULD BE FINED FOR THAT. SO IT COULD COMPOUND TO BE MORE THAN $10000 PER DAY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. COVER CYCLE MAY ISSUE A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, AND THE KEY PARTS OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN ARE THAT ONE. YOU'RE EXPERIENCING EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. WE HAVE THE PANDEMIC, SO THAT IMPACT THAT THAT COULD THAT COULD CHECK THE BOX. BUT THE SECOND ONE IS THAT YOU DEMONSTRATED A SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT TO COMPLY. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKY. SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT MEANS YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING WITHIN YOUR POWER TO GET TO COMPLY BY JANUARY 1 2022. SO THEY'VE SPECIFICALLY SAID THINGS LIKE NOT INCREASING RATES OR NOT IMPLEMENTING AN ORDINANCE OR A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT DOESN'T REALLY COUNT AS SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT BECAUSE AN ORDINANCE COULD THEORETICALLY BE PASSED. SO NOW I SEE UNDER SB SIX ONE NINE SIX ONE NINE OR THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY WAIVES THAT REQUIREMENT FOR SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT. THE STATE SAYING IT'S OK IF YOU DIDN'T DO IT, JUST CONFESS WHAT YOU'RE NOT COMPLYING WITH AND WE'LL DEVELOP A PLAN FOR COMPLYING AND WE'LL WORK WITH YOU TO BECOME COMPLIANT, WHICH IS WHY YOU'LL BE SEEING THAT COMING FORWARD IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. SO THE FIRST STEP IS THERE'S GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE AND THERE'S ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ESTIMATED FOR THE COUNTY OF MERCED. BASED ON POPULATION, THERE'S TWO ROUNDS OF GRANT FUNDING, SO THAT AMOUNT MAY ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE MORE OR A LITTLE LESS DEPENDING ON ON HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLY. AND THEN IN MARCH, YOU PRESENTED WITH THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY RESOLUTION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THAT DOCUMENT I TALKED ABOUT THAT IDENTIFIES THE GAPS IN COMPLIANCE AND YOUR TIMELINE AND MILESTONES FOR COMING INTO COMPLIANCE. THAT HAS TO BE FINISHED BY MARCH 1ST, SO IT CAN BE SUBMITTED IF IT'S NOT SUBMITTED TO CAL-RECYCLE BY MARCH 1ST. YOU LOSE ELIGIBILITY FOR THAT DELAYED COMPLIANCE PATHWAY IN APRIL. THE ORDINANCE WILL BE COME BEFORE YOU AND BRING THE ORDINANCE BY APRIL 1ST IS CRITICAL FOR THE GRANT FUNDING AND FOR THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY OR REALLY DON'T WANT [01:05:02] THE ORDINANCE. IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A GRANT FUNDING. YOU WON'T GET IT IF YOU DON'T PASS THE ORDINANCE, SO ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS COULD GO A LONG WAY TO OFFSET SOME OF YOUR COSTS. AND IN THE FALL, ASSUMING YOU APPROVE THE ITEMS TODAY, THE RATE INCREASES AND THE CONTRACTS WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR YOUR REVIEW AND VOTING. AND THEN FINALLY, IN JANUARY, PENDING APPROVAL OF THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS IN THE NEW RATES, THEN THE NEW SERVICES WOULD COMMENCE. AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU AND OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. HELLO. DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, CHAIR. PHILLIP IN YOUR READING OF THE TWO HUNDRED PLUS PAGES MULTIPLE TIMES. ONE THING I DIDN'T HEAR IN THERE OTHER THAN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS IN POTENTIAL GRANT MONEY, ANY MONEY THAT COMES ALONG FROM THE STATE TO HELP TO ANY OF THIS? THERE ARE SOME OTHER GRANTS AVAILABLE, NOT JUST THIS ONE TIME GRANT THAT THEY'RE ISSUING, BUT WITHIN THE REGULATIONS. IT ALLOWS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT'S CALLED AN SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE FEE, WHICH IS WOULD BE ADDED TO THE RATES FOR COLLECTION SERVICES. IT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BASICALLY SAY, HERE'S ALL OF OUR COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM AT THE COUNTY AND WE'RE GOING TO RECOUP THOSE THROUGH THE SERVICE RATES. YEAH, WHICH AGAIN PUNISHES THE POORER RURAL COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA. AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT YOU'RE JUST THE MESSENGER HERE, BUT THIS THE THE I'M GOING TO CALL THE IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THAT PUT THIS PIE IN THE SKY PLAN TOGETHER. I MEAN, I THINK ULTIMATELY WE'RE ALL TRYING TO ACHIEVE BETTER, YOU KNOW, NOT PUTTING STUFF IN THE IN THE LANDFILL THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY THOSE LANDFILLS RUN OUT OF SPACE. BUT THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA BURDEN THAT THIS IS GOING TO PUT ON OUR CONSTITUENTS, ON OUR RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THEIR SILLY RULES OF YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUYING WHATEVER YOU SAID, METRIC TONS OF MULCH OR IT JUST EVERYTHING. IT'S EVERYTHING THAT THIS THING DOES CAUSE COST THE CONSTITUENTS MONEY. AND THEN, OH, BY THE WAY, WE THEN NOW ADD MORE ADDITIONAL TRUCKS TO THAT ARE TEARING UP THE ROADS, RIGHT? ALL THOSE THINGS. AND SO WHAT YOU ACHIEVE IN EFFICIENCY IN CO2 REDUCTION BY NOT PUTTING ORGANICS IN THE LANDFILL, I REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT DO WE LOSE RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE WHEN WE RUN ADDITIONAL TRUCKS UP AND DOWN THE ROAD TO TO PICK UP THESE ORGANICS, RIGHT? HAS ANYBODY DONE A STUDY ON THAT? THE STATE DID ISSUE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PRIOR TO THE PUBLISHING AND THE LEGISLATION. AND MY GUESS IS THEY GET TO WRITE THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS. AND IT SAID, WHAT IS IT UNAVOIDABLE, UNATTAINABLE CONSEQUENCES TO THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT'S THE STATE AND IT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. I KNOW THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, IT'S JUST IT'S SUPER FRUSTRATING. I KNOW ALL THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS OR HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. YOU KNOW, THESE THE BIG METROPOLITAN CITIES THAT GOT PILES OF MONEY THAT ALREADY HAVE THESE TRANSPORT CENTERS WHERE ALL THEIR TRASH GOES AND IT GETS ALL SEPARATED OUT AND SORT IT OUT, IT'S ALREADY THERE COST, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. BUT YET FOR US, IT'S SO BURDENSOME TO BUILD THAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALL OF THESE RATES, ALL OF THESE COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT I CAN'T WON'T SUPPORT BECAUSE IT'S BY LAW, BECAUSE IF IT WAS JUST $10000 A DAY, IF IT WAS JUST $10000 A DAY, ONE TIME FEE, I WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WE WOULD BE CHEAPER JUST PAYING THE $10000 A DAY AND TELL HIM, GO POUND SAND. YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WOULD. BUT OR THEY GET IS IT'S $10000 PER DAY PER VIOLATION, THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SPENDING ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY AND THAT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, YOU COULD PROBABLY BUILD ONE OF THOSE TRANSPORT CENTERS. ANYHOW, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING THAT AGAIN, RURAL AMERICA, JUST WE GET WE GET SCREWED OVER IN THESE DEALS. PIE IN THE SKY, DREAMS OF ALL THEIR GREENNESS THAT THEY WANT TO BE AT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND OUR POOR TAXPAYERS. OUR RESIDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BASICALLY ABSORB ALL OF THE COST OF THIS. IT'S JUST VERY, VERY FRUSTRATING. THANK YOU, CHAIR. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, ONE IS, ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES PREDETERMINED? YES, THERE'S A FINE STRUCTURE THEY ESCALATE BASED ON WHETHER IT'S A MINOR VIOLATION OR A MAJOR VIOLATION. OK. AND THEN SECONDLY, ARE THERE ANY EXEMPTIONS WRITTEN INTO THE LAW? THERE ARE. THERE'S EXEMPTIONS FOR RURAL CENSUS TRACTS IN THE COUNTIES CASE. SO IF THERE'S LESS THAN SEVENTY FIVE PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE, THEN THOSE CENSUS TRACTS WOULD QUALIFY. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER IS THAT MAY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM SO THAT MAY LOWER ROUTE DENSITY, ALLOCATE THAT TRUCK COST ACROSS A SMALLER BASE. SO AS YOU'RE NEGOTIATING WITH YOUR HAULER, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO CONSIDER WHAT DOES THIS DO TO THE RATE IMPACTS AND THE COSTS OF SERVICE? YEAH, AND THERE'S NO OTHER EXEMPTIONS. [01:10:03] THERE ARE OTHER EXEMPTIONS. THERE'S HIGH ELEVATION IF YOU'RE OVER FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET, WHICH WON'T QUALIFY HERE. WELL, YEAH, THERE'S ALSO COMMERCIAL EXEMPTIONS AS WELL IF YOU GENERATE LESS THAN 10 GALLONS, IF YOU HAVE TWO CUBIC YARDS OF SERVICE AND GENERATE LESS THAN 10 GALLONS OF ORGANIC, SO YOU COULD ESSENTIALLY BE WAIVED FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S GOING TO PUT STAFFING AND RESOURCE BURDENS ON YOU TO PROVE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO CONSIDER IT ONE THING TO CONSIDER. THOSE ORGANICS IS A REALLY WIDE DEFINITION. SO IF YOU THINK OF THE AUTO SHOP DOWN THE STREET, YOU'RE THINKING THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FOOD, JUST SOMEONE THROWING OUT THEIR LUNCH, RIGHT? BUT THEY HAVE CARDBOARD AND THAT COUNTS AS AN ORGANIC. SO EVEN THOUGH THAT WOULD GO IN THE RECYCLING CONTAINER, THAT COUNTS AS YOUR 10 GALLONS OF ORGANICS. OK. I I MEAN, YEAH, TO ME, THIS IS A TERRIBLE LAW, AT LEAST FOR MERCED COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO PUT AN UNDUE BURDEN ON FOLKS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR RENT AND UTILITIES ALREADY. BUT BUT THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE THAT DON'T GENERATE RIGHT OR, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THREE PIGS AND I HAVE ABOUT 100 HEAD OF CATTLE. AND SO WHEN WE MOW OUR LAWNS, THE CATTLE EAT THE CLIPPINGS, WHEN WHEN WE'VE GOT BANANA PEELS OR WE'VE GOT EXCESS ABOUT OUR PIGS, EAT IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT THAT KIND OF FALL INTO THOSE CATEGORIES. AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GENERATE ANY, YOU KNOW, ORGANICS AND YET THEY'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO PAY THIS FEE. AND I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS PRETTY UNFAIR. BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS OUT OF SACRAMENTO ARE PRETTY UNFAIR AND WE'VE GOT TO ABIDE BY THEM. SO YOU COULD IN FACT, I'VE GOT THE EXTRA CAPACITY FOR FOUR PIGS EATING SCRAPS. YES. ANYWAYS, SO SO THERE. SO IF A PERSON GENERATES LESS THAN 10 GALLONS THAN THEY QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION, YES, IF THEY'RE GENERATING LESS THAN TWO CUBIC YARDS OF ALL TUBING, IT'S MORE THAN TWO CUBIC YARDS OF ALL YOUR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING ORGANICS TOGETHER. THEN IT'S LESS THAN 20 GALLONS OF ORGANICS. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT A THREE YARD BIN AT A RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW THAT'S PRETTY LARGE BIN. SO 20 GALLONS IS A VERY SMALL, DENSE AREA, RIGHT? YEAH, I MEAN, I CONCENTRATED AREAS. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS. BUT, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU GET OUT IN THE COUNTRY. SOMETIMES IT'S A MILE OR TWO OR THREE BETWEEN STOPS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE EXHAUST AND THE POLLUTION THAT THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE FAR OUTWEIGHS WHAT THAT PERSON WOULD GENERATE IN METHANE GAS. AND I WOULD RATHER HAVE METHANE GAS THAN I WOULD HAVE DIESEL PARTICULATES COMING INTO MY LUNGS. BUT ANYWAYS, OK. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? I DON'T SEE ANY REQUEST. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? OK, THE ITEM FAILS FOR LACK OF A MOTION, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM THIRTY ONE. OH, IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND? OK, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, IT'S A QUESTION FOR FOUR DIRECTOR HERTFELDER. DANA, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE IF, YOU KNOW, IF THIS THING DIES FOR A LACK OF A MOTION OR IT GETS VOTED DOWN? WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH SB 13 83, SO IN THAT CASE, AT SOME POINT WE WOULD HAVE TO REEVALUATE HOW WE WOULD COMPLY WITH THE PROGRAM AND RETURN TO BOARD WITH ANOTHER SUGGESTION. ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE IN WHY WE CAME THIS ROUTE IS OUR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, AND HALLER'S ALL HAVE THEIR OWN TECHNIQUES AND WAYS OF PICKING UP THE TRASH AND COMPLYING WITH SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. IN THIS CASE, BOTH MID VALLEY AND WENT AND WASTE DISPOSAL PROPOSED A THREE CANS SYSTEM WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR BASIC TRASH, YOUR RECYCLABLES AND THEN ALL YOUR ORGANIC WASTE. IN THE CASE OF GILTON, THEY HAVE A FACILITY WHERE THEY CAN COMBINE BOTH YOUR RECYCLABLES AND ALL YOUR ORGANIC WASTE INTO ONE BIN AND GO THROUGH IT. BUT WE ARE REQUIRED. THE COUNTY IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. WE THINK AFTER EVALUATING IT THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO IMPLEMENT A [01:15:05] COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR ORGANIC WASTE. SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE IS A STATE MANDATE THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH, AND AS YOU HEARD, THERE ARE SOME SUBSTANTIAL PENALTIES. THE NEXT STEP COME BACK. I THINK WE HAVE IT SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 8TH. WELL, WE WILL ASK THE BOARD TO ADOPT A NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMPLY WITH SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH INTENT TO COMPLY. WE JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COMPLYING. YEAH. COULD I JUST A QUESTION? DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THE THE FEES ARE GOING TO BE TO THE CONSTITUENTS? NOT AT THIS POINT. WE THE FIRST STEP AND TO ALLOW US TO START NEGOTIATING WITH THESE FRANCHISE FIRMS IS TO DETERMINE WHAT PROCESS WE'RE GOING TO USE TO TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SB THIRTEEN, EIGHTY THREE AND THE FEES. THE STRUCTURE WILL BE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT IF YOU USE A THREE CANS SYSTEM VERSUS A TWO CANS SYSTEM VERSUS A ONE CANS SYSTEM. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO WITH THIS. IF THE BOARD APPROVES THIS TODAY, THAT SIMPLY ALLOWS US TO GO START NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR HAULERS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WHEN WE COME BACK LATER WITH WITH THE PROPOSAL FOR THE ADJUSTED FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS AND RATE INCREASES, THE BOARD WILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND MAKE A DECISION ALSO. OK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. MR. MR., CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD MR. HERTFELDER, STARTED TO KIND OF ELABORATE OF WHERE MY THOUGHTS WERE IS. APOLOGIZE FOR THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN HERE. IT DOES SAY APPROVE AND REALLY THIS. THIS IS INITIATING STAFF, ENGAGING IN THE DISCUSSION WITH THE HAULERS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE SOME MONTHS FORWARD, AS YOU SAW IN THE LAST SLIDE THAT WE WILL COME BACK. SO I'M I LOOKED AT MR. HERTFELDER, BUT IF AT THIS POINT, IF THE BOARD WAS MORE COMFORTABLE IN DIRECTING STAFF TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HAULERS AT THIS POINT, UNDERSTANDING THIS WOULD NOT BE FINAL APPROVAL TO COME BACK WHEN SUBSEQUENTLY THE STRUCTURE IS PUT IN PLACE IN THE RATES AND HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE RATE STRUCTURE THAT IS NOT GOING TO READ. THAT'S NOT GOING TO ALTER AT THE END OF THE DAY THE REQUIREMENT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE. BUT IF AT THIS POINT, IF THE BOARD IS LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION AND UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN, MR. HERTFELDER IS THAT ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TODAY? YES. BASICALLY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD TO WHAT PROCESS THEY WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE WITH OUR HAULERS TO COME UP WITH POTENTIAL NEW AGREEMENTS FOR COMPLYING WITH SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE. I THINK APPROVAL IS PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT WORD. WE WOULD JUST LIKE DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH EXPLORING A TWO CAN SYSTEM FOR THOSE AREAS SERVICED BY GILTON AND A THREE CAN SYSTEM FOR THOSE AREAS SERVICED BY WINTON DISPOSAL AND MID VALLEY DISPOSAL. OK, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THANK YOU. MR. YOU SHUT IT OFF. I'M STILL ON. GO AHEAD. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I WASN'T FINISHED YET, SO THANK YOU, CHAIR. DANA, I GUESS. LISTEN FOR ME. I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND I GET IT. I KNOW THESE THINGS. YOU'RE TALKING, ADDING ADDITIONAL CARTS THAT TAKES TIME. YOU JUST DON'T GO BY THE AT THE HOME DEPOT. THEY HAVE TO ORDER IT. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT. AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT A RATE, BUT I'M GOING TO JUST SAY THAT A YES VOTE TODAY IS FOLLOWING THE PROCESS. BUT IF THE COSTS COME BACK IN, THEY'RE TOO BURDENSOME. I WON'T SUPPORT IT. AND AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A HARD DISCUSSION WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO A LAWSUIT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR FOUR UNFAIRLY TAXING OUR RESIDENTS AND HOW FAR DO WE WANT TO TAKE IT? I'M WILLING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT GOD AT LEAST GET AT LEAST THREE OF US UP HERE TO BE ABLE TO WILL AND BE WILLING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ON BEHALF OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING UP AGAINST THE BIG GIANT ANIMAL IN SACRAMENTO THAT'S GOT ALL OF OUR MONEY, YOU KNOW, ENDLESS SUPPLIES OF IT, BY THE WAY, THAT THEY DO STUFF OVER THERE. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL SUPPORT THIS TODAY BECAUSE I SUPPORT THE PROCESS, AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY DO NEED TO GIVE OUR HAULERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO US WITH WHAT IS THE REASONABLE COST THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PASSING ON TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND TO ME, THAT COST IS TOO OVER BURDENSOME, THEN I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT MOVING FORWARD. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, CHAIR. [01:20:01] THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU. NOW THAT I KNOW HOW TO USE THIS MR. CHAIR IN THE APPROACH ON THIS, I WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER A THREE HAND ANYMORE BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE COMMUNITIES WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THE RECYCLABLES BECAUSE THEY'RE AT A DEFICIT. AND I KNOW WHAT OUR LANDFILL WERE AT A DEFICIT WITH RECYCLABLES BECAUSE THERE'S NO MARKET FOR IT. AND WE'RE JUST SHIPPING THEM OUT WITH WITH NO RETURN, AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN GETTING RECYCLED BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT MARKET. SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE COMMUNITY I LIVE IN, THE CITY OF ATWATER ONLY HAS A TWO CANS SYSTEM THE WAY IT IS. SO THEY HAVE THE GREEN THAT WE WE DO THAT IN. SO I'M SURE OUR WASTE WILL GO INTO THERE. SO MAYBE THIS IS TIME FOR US TO HAVE THAT HARD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RECYCLABLES. I MEAN, THERE'S NO MARKET FOR IT. THEY'RE NOT USING IT AND IT'S COSTING US. AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER CITIES WHO I THINK THERE'S ONLY TWO CITIES IN THE COUNTIES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A RECYCLABLE CAN, INCLUDING THE COUNTY, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY DISCUSSING WHAT FURTHER ACTION THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ON IT. SO I THINK I WOULD STAY TO THE TOUCAN METHOD AND THEN I'LL JUST SEND MY BANANA PEELS OVER TO LLOYD FOR FOR HIM TO HELP ME RECYCLE THOSE. THANKS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, I HAVE A TWO TWO COUNT SYSTEM IN LIVINGSTON. THEY SERVE ONLY ONE AND THEN DECIDED NOT TO GO WITH THE THIRD. JILTING IS A SERVICE OVER THERE AND THEY PROCESS THE STUFF AND THEY KEEP THE RECYCLES. THEY MAKE MONEY ON THE RECYCLABLES AND THEY TAKE CARE OF THE REST AND THEY BRING IT TO A LANDFILL FOR WHATEVER. BUT NOW WITH THIS LAW, IT LOOKS SAID MOST A LARGE PART OF THE COUNTY IS IS, YOU KNOW, RURAL AND WE, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US THAT HAVE RANCH, WE PROCESS THE STUFF AT THE RANCH AND AND USE IT ON THE TREES OR WHEREVER. BUT WHEN THE SOIL. BUT LIKE I SAID, I THINK GOING MORE THAN TWO CANS IS IT'S COST PROHIBITIVE FOR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY CAN BARELY AFFORD IT. AND, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE BIGGER [INAUDIBLE] INCREASES JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A THEN YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO CANS. THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER TRUCK AND THE TWO CAN SYSTEM. THEY ALREADY HAVE 50/50 ON THE TRUCK. THEY CAN PICK UP BOTH CANS AND SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS. SO WITH GOING TO THREE IS GOING TO BE MORE COMPLICATED AND MORE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR THE FOR THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. YES, DANA, IF I MAY, THE SB THIRTEEN EIGHTY THREE REQUIRES US TO REACH BY TWENTY TWENTY FIVE OR 75 PERCENT REDUCTION IN ORGANICS DISPOSAL. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CAN METHOD AND THE THREE CAN METHOD IS WITH THE TWO CAN METHOD, ALL THE RECYCLABLES, INCLUDING ORGANICS, ARE THROWN INTO ONE CAN. THEY'RE THEN TAKEN TO A FACILITY THAT SPECIFICALLY HAS THE CAPACITY TO REMOVE THE ORGANICS FROM THAT STREAM FIRST AND THEN ADDRESS THE RECYCLABLES. RIGHT NOW THAT I KNOW OF, THERE REALLY ISN'T GUILT AND IS PLANNING ON MODIFYING THEIR CURRENT FACILITY IN MODESTO TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT. MOST FACILITIES ARE DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE ORGANICS WASTE STREAM AS A SEPARATE STREAM AND NOT MIXED IN WITH RECYCLABLES. THAT'S WHY THE MID VALLEY AND WIND DISPOSAL ARE PROPOSING A THREE CANS SYSTEM. THEY DON'T HAVE THE FACILITY OR THE ABILITY TO SEPARATE THE ORGANICS FROM. THE OTHER RECYCLABLES, AND THAT IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE AN ANNUAL REVIEW AND STUDY TO ENSURE THAT THAT LEVEL OF ORGANICS REMOVAL IS OCCURRING. OK, SO THE REASON WHY I ASKED ABOUT IF WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THIS IS GOING TO COST THE RESIDENTS IS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT IF IT'S COST PROHIBITIVE THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BEHOOVE US TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH REGIONAL WASTE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A SEPARATION SYSTEM, RIGHT? IT MIGHT END UP BEING CHEAPER OR IT MAY BE CHEAPER FOR US TO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY TO SEPARATE THEM. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT BUT I'M INTERESTED IN OTHER SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN JUST IT'S GOING TO COST YOU AN EXTRA WHATEVER, 20, 30, 40 BUCKS A MONTH, FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH TO TO HAVE THESE EXTRA CANS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE A SECOND TO THIS MOTION BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE TO AND THIS IS REALLY TO JUST START THAT PROCESS. I THINK ONE THING THAT WOULD HELP IS IF WE CAN WORK WITH GILTON AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IN MID VALLEY AND SEE WHAT THE COST DIFFERENCE IS RIGHT BETWEEN A TWO CAN SYSTEM AND A THREE CAN YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK LOGICALLY THAT A THREE CAN SYSTEM WOULD BE THE MORE [01:25:03] EXPENSIVE PROCESS? BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN THE DIFFICULTY OF SEPARATING ORGANIC, INCLUDING FOOD WASTE FROM THE RECYCLABLE STREAM, THAT PUTS A CERTAIN BURDEN ON THE BACK END OF IT IN TERMS OF LABOR AND COST TO DO THAT WORK. SO FROM MY OPINION IS IF WE CAN AT LEAST GET THE PRICING AND THEN WE CAN REALLY START LOOKING AT THIS AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IT IS GOING TO COST US. OK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, ARE YOU AGAIN? DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES. OK. YES, CHAIR. WELL, IT'S CONVENIENT THAT WE HAVE MR. YODER IN THE HOUSE DURING THIS TIME, OUR LOBBYISTS IN SACRAMENTO. YOU'D THINK WITH THE THE OVER, WHAT, 30 BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS. MAYBE LEGISLATORS WANT US IN IMPOSE THIS. THEY COULD PAY FOR IT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY GOOD. THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT, YOU KNOW, DICTATING WHAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR. MAYBE WITH THIS SURPLUS AND THEN OVER TAXING US, I'M GLAD LYNN IS PROBABLY SITTING HERE GOING, MAN, I'M GLAD I'M IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AT THIS TIME. SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. PLEASE. OH, MR. BROWN, MR. CHAIR, SORRY AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE BOARD, SO THE ACTION YOU HAD HAD THOSE WORDS IN IT. BUT CLEARLY THIS IS AN INDICATION TO FURTHER EXPLORE AND STAFF WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH MORE INFORMATION RELATED SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN THE TWO AND THREE CAN SYSTEM WITH THE COST IMPACTS PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF ANYTHING. YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT MY MOTION--. OK. WAS ON HIS COMMENTS, NOT SO MUCH WHAT WAS WRITTEN. OK. ALL RIGHT. NO OTHER COMMENT? NO? I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE. OK, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. OK, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. [LAUGHTER] YOU'RE AHEAD OF ME. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS HEALTH ITEMS 31 AND 32. PLEASE NOTE, ITEM 32 REQUIRES A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE. THANK YOU. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, AND I WILL JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM 31. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH THIS MONEY BY AAA FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO FOLKS-- LAMAR WAS DOING A ALL DADS MATTER PRESENTATION AND TALKED ABOUT A FAMILY THAT GOT ONE OF THESE CAR SEATS WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND FULLY BELIEVE THAT IT SAVED THEIR CHILD'S LIFE. SO, THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, IS A GOOD DEAL. BUT SECONDLY, IT RAISES AWARENESS THAT, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL HAS BEEN SPEAKING AT OUR MAC MEETINGS AND THEY SAY THAT THE INCREASE IN DEATHS BY PEOPLE NOT WEARING SEATBELTS, WHICH INCLUDES CHILDREN NOT IN CAR SEATS, IS RAPIDLY INCREASING. AND SO THIS IS A GREAT REMINDER TO MAKE SURE YOU PUT YOUR KIDS IN CAR SEATS. THANK YOU. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MY SPEECH WAS GOOD, PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. NEXT IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS 33-46. PLEASE NOTE ITEMS 37-46 REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE. OK. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THIS IS ITEM 33-46. SEEING NO DISCUSSION, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 47-49. PLEASE NOTE, THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION REGARDING ITEMS 47 AND 48. WELL, HELLO. [INAUDIBLE] BOARD. I'M SORRY IT WAS MY FAULT. MICROPHONE WAS ON AND I TURNED IT OFF. GO AHEAD. WELCOME, GLEN. [01:30:07] ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I'M GLEN GALMAN, YOUR COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER. THE COUNTY SERVICES OFFICE-- VETERANS SERVICE OFFICES CONSISTS OF FOUR FULL TIME POSITIONS. THE VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER, CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE AND SUPERVISOR AND OFFICE ASSISTANT. I'M PRIVILEGED TO REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE OFFICE AND THE INCREDIBLE OUTCOMES FROM THE STAFF'S EFFORTS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021. I'M TREMENDOUSLY PROUD OF THE STAFF AND GRATEFUL TO THE MANY PARTNERS THAT SUPPORT AND ASSIST OUR VETERANS AND COMMUNITY. THIS REPORT IS PROVIDED IN SUPPORT OF THE ANNUAL CERTIFICATION COMPLIANCE LETTERS BEFORE THE BOARD TODAY. THE COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE IS ACCREDITED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS THROUGH SPONSORSHIP OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, OR CAL VET, TO ASSIST VETERANS AND THE FAMILIES IN ACCESSING THEIR FEDERAL AND STATE VETERANS BENEFITS. FEDERAL STATUTE DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATION OF VA FUNDED BENEFITS TO VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES AND TO LIMIT EXTENT, ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBERS MOSTLY ACCESS TO VA HEALTH CARE. AND THANKS TO THE RECENT FEDERAL LEGISLATION BACKED BY CONGRESSMAN JIM COSTA, SOME VETERANS BENEFITS ARE ALSO EXTENDED TO FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HMONG AND LAOTIAN SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS THAT SERVED THERE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. ALTHOUGH THE FEDERAL DEFINITION OF A VETERAN IS SOMEWHAT PRESCRIPTIVE, WHERE POSSIBLE, THE COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE LOOKS FOR A WHOLE OF COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS TO ASSIST ALL THOSE THAT HAVE SERVED OR ARE CURRENTLY SERVING. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THE FOLLOWING COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE DIRECT AND REFERRAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE OFFICE'S TWO CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVES AND OFFICE ASSISTANT MET WITH OVER 1600 VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE OFFICE STAFF MADE OR RECEIVED NEARLY FIVE THOUSAND PHONE CALLS TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE VA REGIONAL OFFICES THE COMMITTEE PARTNERS TO RESOLVE CLAIMS ISSUES AND PROVIDE INFORMATION. THE TWO CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVES PRESENTED OVER 600 VETERANS COMPENSATION OR PENSION CLAIMS TO THE VA. AS A RESULT OF THEIR EFFORTS, AND ESTIMATED $102,000 DOLLARS IN MONTHLY CASH BENEFITS WERE PAID TO VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. ANNUALIZED, THIS AMOUNTS TO $1.2 MILLION DOLLARS. WHEN COMBINED WITH $438,000 DOLLARS IN NEW ONE TIME CASH BENEFITS. AN ESTIMATED $1.6 MILLION DOLLARS WAS BROUGHT BACK TO MERCED COUNTY ECONOMY. THE OFFICE PROCESSED APPROXIMATELY 90 COLLEGE FEE WAIVERS, WHERE DEPENDENTS OF VETERANS WITH SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITIES SAVED AN ESTIMATED $540,000 DOLLARS IN TUITION AND FEES. THE OFFICE PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 190 MEDI-CAL VERIFICATIONS, WHERE STATE AND COUNTY SAVED APPROXIMATELY $143,000 DOLLARS IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS COSTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE OFFICE PERFORMED A VARIETY OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. WE ATTENDED MONTHLY VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION MEETINGS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND SUPPORT THEIR SERVICE OFFICERS. WE PLANNED, COORDINATED, AND HOSTED THE ANNUAL COUNTY VETERANS DAY PARADE. WE ATTENDED WEEKLY MEETINGS AND OUTREACH EVENTS IN SUPPORT OF MERCED COUNTY'S COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM AND ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS TEAMS. BASED ON INPUT, COMMENTS, AND FEEDBACK FROM THE VETERANS COMMUNITY, OFFICE STAFF PARTNER'S FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING OFFICE BUSINESS OPERATIONS THROUGH IMPROVING OFFICE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, INVESTING IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCHING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH INCREASING VETERAN ACCESS TO FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND INCREASING TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO OFFICE STAFF. AND LASTLY, WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON IMPROVING OUTREACH TO VETERANS THROUGH BUILDING A MULTIMEDIA INFORMATION SHARING CAMPAIGN. EXAMINING HISTORICAL VETERAN GROUPS, COMMITTEES AND EVENTS TO ADDRESS CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS. THIS CONCLUDES MY ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE MERCED COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021. DESPITE THE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED THROUGH THE YEAR, THE OFFICE STAFF AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS REMAINED RESOLUTE AND COMMITTED TO ASSISTING THE VETERANS AND COMMUNITY OF MERCED COUNTY. I WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE JASON YOUNG, AURORA ROCHA, KIM FAST, SANDINO VAZQUEZ AND OUR STUDENT VETERAN WORK STUDIES FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THOSE THAT SERVED. THANK YOU FOR RECEIVING MY REPORT. [01:35:02] I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. GLEN, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING HERE. I KNOW THE PREVIOUS FOLKS HAVE BEEN SERVING HERE AND I APPRECIATE ALL THEIR EFFORTS AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR VETERANS HERE. IT'S A VERY VETERANS RICH COMMUNITY WITH THE FORMER CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. YEAH, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT AS WELL. YOU'RE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. OK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. CAN WE BRING THIS SCREEN BACK UP? I KNOW. I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON IT BECAUSE I COULD WATCH YOU, BUT I WANT THE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE TO THINK I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT IT? THERE YOU GO. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. YEAH, IT WAS GROUNDWATER IN THE GROUNDWATER. NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS 50-53. PLEASE NOTE, WE WILL BE TAKING ITEM 53 SEPARATELY, AT WHICH TIME THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION. SO, I'M GOING TO DO CHAIR'S PREROGATIVE HERE. WE'RE COMING UP ON THE NOON HOUR, WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY TAKE A BREAK. AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT-- THAT WE CHANGE ORDER AND THAT WE MOVE TO THE LEG ITEMS 58 IS THAT OK WITH MY COLLEAGUES? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SORRY FOR THAT, STACEY, BUT I APPRECIATE IT. OK. MR. BROWN. MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND THANK YOU BOARD FOR YOUR INDULGENCES FOR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MOVING THIS UP A LITTLE BIT. AS THE CHAIR SAID, IT LOOKS LIKE FROM A PLANNING [INAUDIBLE], WE COULD POSSIBLY TRY TO BREAK AROUND 12:30 OR SO WITH THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND SO WE DO HAVE PEOPLE HERE FROM OUT OF TOWN WHO HAVE PLANES TO CATCH RIGHT AFTER LUNCH PERIOD OF TIME, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM OUT. THIS IS YOUR ANNUAL LEG PLATFORM. AS FAR AS 58, WE DO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE HERE OF HAVING A LYNN JACQUEZ FROM CJ LAKE FROM WASHINGTON HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND THEN PAUL YODER FROM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS FORGET ALL THE ACRONYMS NOW [INAUDIBLE] OUT OF SACRAMENTO HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE STATE LEVEL. SO THAT WILL TURN IT OVER TO MS. JACQUEZ TO START WITH A FEDERAL AND THEN MR. YODER FOR THE STATE AS AN UPDATE. WELCOME. HOPEFULLY, OUR SUNSHINE IS BETTER THAN THE WEATHER YOU WERE HAVING BACK HOME. ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN THE WEATHER BACK HOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK FOR ME ALLOWING ME TO GET OUT OF DC AND WISH I COULD STAY LONGER. BUT ANYWAY, APPRECIATE THE ACCOMMODATION OF THE SCHEDULE AS WELL. SO, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A LOOK BACK ON THE LAST SESSION AS WE THEN START TO DISCUSS THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SESSION OF THE 117 CONGRESS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEFORE YOU. SO, AND AS I HAVE SAID AT MANY PRESENTATIONS IN THE LAST MONTH, OR SO ON, ON LAST YEAR IS THAT MY CALCULATOR HAS RUN OUT OF ZEROS AS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ADD UP THE VARIOUS TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN FORTHCOMING OUT OF WASHINGTON DC AND HOPEFULLY THEY ARE DOING SOME AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ON THE GROUND. EARLIER LAST WEEK, WE GAVELED IN THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 117TH CONGRESS, LEAVING A LITTLE BIT OF ACTIVITY REMAINING TO BE COMPLETED. EARLIER LAST YEAR, YOU WILL RECALL IN MARCH THAT THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT SIGNED INTO LAW THE $1.2 TRILLION, ONE POINT NINE TRILLION ARPA RELIEF ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY PERUSING AND ENSURING THAT FUNDS ARE GOING OUT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR SERVICES AS REQUIRED. WE HAD THE PASSAGE OF THE INCREASE OF THE DEBT CEILING BY $2.5 TRILLION, WHICH [01:40:02] LEAVES THAT OFF THE POLITICAL TABLE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR TO YEAR AND A HALF, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD THING. WE HAD IN NOVEMBER, THE PASSAGE OF THE $1.2 TRILLION DOLLAR INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, WHICH REAUTHORIZED SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS AND ALSO PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SERVICES SUCH AS BROADBAND, COMMUNITY, SAFE STREETS AND OTHER KINDS OF ACTIVITIES. THE MAJOR THING THAT WAS LEFT UNDONE IN LAST SESSION IS THE FUNDING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT A SURPRISE. WE HAD SOME AUTOMATIC APPROPRIATIONS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL. BUT THE BULK OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OPERATING ON A CONTINUING RESOLUTION THROUGH FEBRUARY 18TH. AND YOU MAY RECALL FROM ALL OF YOUR HISTORY IN THIS ACTIVITY THAT WE GENERALLY ANTICIPATE AN FY 23 BUDGET SUBMISSION AROUND THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE FY 22 BUDGET. WE DO NOT HAVE A STATE OF THE UNION COMING UNTIL MARCH 1ST, AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DO NOT EXPECT AN FY 23 BUDGET SUBMISSION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION UNTIL AFTER THAT STATE OF THE UNION AND POSSIBLY INTO MID-MARCH. ASSUMING THAT WE REACH A COMPROMISE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS FUNDING, WHICH THEN CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO AN FY 23 BUDGET. YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I WHAT IT TAKES, RIGHT, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET. WE BASICALLY HAVE THREE OPTIONS OCCURRING FOR THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS. ONE, IS THAT OUR FOUR CORNERS, WHICH ARE THE RANKING IN CHAIR AND LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE, RANKING IN CHAIR AND LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE REACH AGREEMENT ON FUNDING THE 12-- ON PASSING THE 12 COMMITTEE BILLS AND FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT. AND THAT OCCURS BY FEBRUARY 18TH AND WE ARE ALL GOOD TO GO. THE SECOND OPTION IS THAT THEY DON'T REACH THAT AGREEMENT BY FEBRUARY 18TH, AND WE OPERATE UNDER ANOTHER SHORT TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION UNTIL THEY DO. AND THE THIRD OPTION IS THAT WE DON'T REACH AGREEMENT OR THEY DON'T REACH AGREEMENT AT ALL, AND WE OPERATE THE COMING YEAR UNDER A CONTINUING RESOLUTION. THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, PARTICULARLY FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, SO THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE BUILDING IN ORDER TO REACH THAT AGREEMENT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE COMING UP AGAIN IN THIS SECOND SESSION IS RECONSIDERATION OF A PARED DOWN BUILD BACK BETTER PROPOSAL THAT MAY BE BROKEN UP BETWEEN THE SOCIAL FUNDING THAT WAS CONTAINED IN THAT PACKAGE THAT FAILED TO PASS THE SENATE AND SOME OF THE TAX INCENTIVES AND OTHER ENERGY PRODUCTION KINDS OF INCENTIVES. AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING. THERE ALSO MAY BE AN OUTLOOK FOR ADDITIONAL COVID RELIEF MEASURES THAT PRIMARILY WOULD IMPACT, I THINK, THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, IF YOU WILL, BUT ALSO CONCEIVABLY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SUPPORT OF IMPACTED BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES AND OTHERS THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINES AND EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES. WE ARE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF A REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AS YOU ARE PROBABLY, WELL, FAMILIAR AND IT'S CAUSING SOME INTERESTING ACTIVITIES AND MOVEMENTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR MIDTERMS, AS YOU ARE, WELL, FAMILIAR IN NOVEMBER. WE EXPECT THE PRIMARY SEASON, OPEN SEASON AS WE CALL IT, TO BEGIN IN MARCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY FIFTY SIX PERCENT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL FEDERAL DISTRICTS DECIDED AT THIS TIME, SO THERE'S STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE, OBVIOUSLY AT THE STATE LEVELS. WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF IMPACT IN CALIFORNIA FROM THAT REDISTRICTING, AND THAT ALSO KIND OF IMPACTS SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR AGENDA MOVING FORWARD. SO, WE EXPECT A GREAT DEAL OF ONGOING ACTIVITY. THE BIGGEST ISSUE, ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED PROJECTS AND THEIR INCLUSION IN THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL. THAT WAS A PROCESS LAST YEAR THAT WAS RE-INITIATED BY THE HOUSE, SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DEAR TO OUR HEARTS FROM THE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AS WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING FUNDING BACK TO THE COUNTY THROUGH THE SO-CALLED EARMARKS. THEY RECEIVED AN UNFORTUNATE NOMENCLATURE, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, PORK AND OTHER KIND. AND I'M A HOG FARMER. SO, YOU KNOW, I LAMENT THAT PHRASE. BUT IN ANY EVENT, PORK IS BACK, AND HALLELUJAH, TO SOME EXTENT, HOWEVER, THE PROJECTS HAVE YET TO BE INCLUDED OR DESIGNATED BECAUSE THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL INCLUDE THOSE PROJECTS IN THE BILLS, BUT IF THEY DON'T, THE PROCESS MAY BEGIN AGAIN FOR FY 23 AND THE SENATE REALLY KIND OF NEEDS [01:45:03] TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO SUPPORT THAT PROCESS OR NOT. SO, HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS. MORE TO COME. HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE A RETURN TO SOMEWHAT BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH WALKING THE HALLS AND FLY INS AND ABILITY TO ADVOCATE BEYOND ZOOM, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT IN A HYBRID MOTION AT THIS POINT. BUT WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. AND ANY PROGNOSIS THAT THERE MIGHT BE, I WILL PROBABLY JUST SHIFT TO DRAFT KINGS AND, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW THAT WORKS. NATS FAN THAT I AM [LAUGHTER]. [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, THE MEMBER DESIGNATED PROJECTS AND SPECIFICALLY OUR CONGRESSMAN IS NOT GOING TO BE REPRESENTING US ANYMORE. HE'S-- HIS DISTRICT, COMPLETELY WENT SOUTH OF US. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR CHANCES ARE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL ON THERE? ARE THEY GOING TO STILL ADVOCATE FOR THOSE OR HOW DOES THAT TYPICALLY WORK? BECAUSE OUR EXISTING PROJECTS ARE IN THERE ALREADY AND EVERY MEMBER LIKES TO HAVE A LEGACY, RIGHT? AND THERE COULD BE A NAMING, YOU KNOW, OF SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE AND EVERY MEMBER LIKES THAT. SO, OUR MEMBERS ARE COMMITTED AND I BELIEVE THEY WILL VERY MUCH CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE, AND IT BEHOOVES US TO CULTIVATE ANY NEW MEMBERS THAT MAY BE COMING INTO THAT AREA AS WELL. AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, I WANT TO-- FROM THE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE ALREADY WE'VE GOT ABOUT 25 DIFFERENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS ARE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE FIRST QUARTER WHERE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN PARTICULAR ARE ELIGIBLE IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. AND WE WANT TO GET OUR FAIR SHARE OF THOSE AS WELL. AND I KNOW THAT OUR MEMBERS WRIT LARGE BECAUSE WE TEND TO GO ON A REGIONAL BASIS, WE'LL SUPPORT THOSE STRONGLY. PERFECT AND THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I'LL WILL HAVE WITH THE CONGRESSMAN NEXT TIME I SEE HIM, BUT THANK YOU. OK, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. LYNN, GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU, THOUGH. SEE YOU HERE IN PERSON EVEN. SO, DO YOU THINK THE RANKING MEMBERS ARE EVEN REALLY BEING CONSIDERED AT ANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AT THIS TIME? YES, I DO, BECAUSE THE MAJORITIES ARE SO SLIM. SO, IN THE HOUSE, WE NOW AT LEAST WITH THE SPECIAL ELECTION, WHAT TWO WEEKS AGO? NOW IN FLORIDA FOR ALCEE HASTINGS, WE ARE 222 TO 212 WITH ONE VACANCY, WHICH IS CONGRESSMAN NUNEZ. AND THE SENATE YOU ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE 50/50 SPLIT IS THERE. SO, THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, A FILIBUSTER PROOF VOTE TO GO FORWARD. SO YES, I BELIEVE THAT SENATOR SHELBY IN PARTICULAR WILL BE EXTREMELY INVOLVED, AS WILL MS. GRANGER. WELL, THAT IS THE BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD FROM WASHINGTON DC. SECOND, ON THE BUILD BACK BETTER BEING SPLIT UP, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MISSED-- OR DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIONS GOING ON AMONGST EVERYBODY. SOME ARE HAPPY ABOUT IT. SOME WERE VERY SURPRISED THAT IT WAS BEING BROKE UP. DO YOU SEE IT MOVING FORWARD AS BREAKING UP AND BE IN DIFFERENT CHUNKS BROUGHT BEFORE FOR A VOTE? SO, UNDERSTAND THE HOUSE HAS PASSED IT AS A PACKAGE. RIGHT. SO, IT REALLY BECOMES AN ISSUE OF WHAT CAN PASS THE SENATE AND THE SENATE HAS INDICATED THAT WHAT CAN PASS THE SENATE HAS TO BE IN BITE SIZED CHUNKS AND BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONTROVERSIES OVER THE PAY FORCE, AS ALWAYS. SO, ACTUALLY SENATE FINANCE CHAIR, AND REMEMBER THAT A LARGE PORTION [INAUDIBLE] THE SOCIAL FUNDING. BUT THEN THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF THE BUSINESS FRIENDLY TAX CREDIT INCENTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED IN THAT BILL THAT, OF COURSE, WERE NOT PASSED. SO, SENATE FINANCE CHAIR THIS MORNING ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL CONTINUE PRODUCING A BITE SIZED DIFFERENT PACKAGES, PARTICULARLY ON THOSE TAX PROVISIONS IN THE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND VEHICLE INCENTIVE PURCHASE KINDS OF THINGS. WHICH EVEN FROM OUR RECYCLING DEBATE, WHICH I AM 100 PERCENT SYMPATHETIC ON, COULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR BOTH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND BUSINESSES THAT HAVE TO COMPLY. RIGHT. IN SOME OF THOSE INCENTIVES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEALMAKER IN THE HOUSE WAS A LOT OF THE GREEN AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF IT, AND THE GREEN IS PART AND PARCEL OF THOSE ENERGY-- PART AND PARCEL OF THOSE TAX PROVISIONS. SO, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT POLLYANNA. I GAVE IT, YOU KNOW, A 15 PERCENT CHANCE LAST YEAR OF GOING IN ITS FORM. BUT I THINK THAT JUST KNOWING HOW THE SENATE OPERATES, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMMIGRATION PROPOSALS, IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S INCLUDED IN IT, PROBABLY BREAKING IT UP AND THEN IDENTIFYING THE PAY FOR'S AND GETTING THE CONSENSUS [01:50:05] AROUND THESE PROVISIONS IS A MORE LIKELY PATH FORWARD FOR THE SENATE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LYNN. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME, MR. SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU, LYNN. APPRECIATE YOUR UPDATE. THANK YOU, MR. YODER. ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY IT THAT WAY. WELCOME. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. SUPERVISORS, CAO, STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. SHAW YODER ANTWIH SCHMELZER & LANGE, S.Y. ASL. I CALL IT SIZZLE. SO FEEL FREE IN THE FUTURE. [LAUGHTER] SO, JUST VERY BRIEFLY. AND THEN IF OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU WANT TO ASK ME QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE. SO, WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED $46 BILLION SURPLUS IN CALIFORNIA, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN THE BUDGET WAS RELEASED. THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY OBVIOUSLY BEING PROPOSED BY THE GOVERNOR FOR NEW PROGRAMS, NEW SPENDING AND NEW PROGRAMS. BUT YOU GET TO THE $46 BILLION AND JUST RIGHT OFF THE TOP K 14 THROUGH PROPOSITION 98 IN CALIFORNIA, [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA GET $16 BILLION OF THE FORTY SIX. AND THEN YOU TAKE THE GOVERNOR'S ONE TIME PROPOSALS TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN TO REFILL ALL THE SURPLUS FUNDS THAT-- WE HAVE ALL THE RAINY DAY FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN CALIFORNIA. THAT'S ANOTHER NINE BILLION. SO, THE SIMPLE MATH IS 16 AND 9 IS 25, I'D ROUND UP TO 26, YOU TAKE 26 OUT OF THE 46 AND YOU'RE LEFT WITH $20 BILLION. THAT'S REALLY THE MONEY THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD TO PROPOSE FOR OTHER PROGRAMS. IMPORTANT-- [SNEEZE] GOD BLESS YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. IMPORTANT POINT ON THE REMAINING 20 BILLION IS EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT OF THAT MONEY IS PROPOSED FOR ONE TIME PROGRAMS ONE TIME SPENDING. THIRD POINT I WANT TO MAKE ON THE BUDGET IS A LOT OF FOLKS, THEY'LL SEE A PROPOSAL AND THEY'LL SAY, WAIT, HOW IS THAT ONE TIME? BECAUSE THE MONEY CAN GO OUT OVER THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. THAT IS STILL, BY DEFINITION WHAT, IN SACRAMENTO, CAN BE TERMED ONE TIME SPENDING. IT'S A ONE TIME APPROPRIATION THAT CAN BE SPENT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. OK. AND SO JUST TO-- SORT OF SOME BIG CHUNKS IN THE BUDGET, I THINK. AGAIN, AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC ISN'T WONDERING, HEY, WHERE'S THE $46 BILLION? SO, IN THE MAIN ONLY GOOD THINGS FOR COUNTIES IN THAT PROPOSAL. COUNTIES ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO TRACK THE GOVERNOR'S INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL PROPOSAL THAT COULD HAVE HUGE IMPLICATIONS FOR EVERY COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA. SESAC'S ALL OVER IT. WE'RE ALL OVER IT. I WANT TO SAY THE PROPOSAL THIS YEAR FROM THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR MADE IT LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR'S PROPOSAL, I THINK, IS A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY. IT'S A LITTLE MORE THOUGHTFUL. IT'S A LITTLE MORE-- IT'S GOING TO BE A MORE INTERACTIVE PROCESS BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE COUNTY. SO, I THINK THAT'S GOOD NEWS, BUT OTHERWISE PRETTY MUCH GOOD STUFF IN THE BUDGET FOR COUNTIES. SPECIFIC TO MERCED, IT'S AN ISSUE WE WORKED ON A LONG TIME AGO WITH A HEALTH CARE REALIGNMENT WHERE WE FRANKLY, WE STOPPED THE STATE BUDGET MERCED COUNTY IN CONJUNCTION WITH FRESNO COUNTY AND YOUR LEGISLATORS AT THE TIME. I THINK MORE ACCURATELY, WE SHOULD SAY YOUR LEGISLATORS AT THE TIME ACTUALLY PUT THE BRAKES ON THE BUDGET AND A BUDGET DEAL THAT FRANKLY WASN'T GOING TO BE GREAT FOR THIS COUNTY. STILL GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THAT. IN THIS NEW PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $600,000 DOLLARS SUPPOSED TO BE FORTHCOMING TO THE COUNTY FOR HEALTH CARE HERE, AND THAT TIES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THAT DEAL THAT WE PUT THE BRAKES ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE. AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT AND YOUR OUTGOING CAO HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THAT. WITH ONE FRANTIC PHONE CALL THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. AND SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT STILL WORKING OUT FOR YOU ALL. WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO NOT JUST YOUR CAO, BUT YOUR STAFF. SOME INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE THINKING COMING OUT OF THEM. PUBLIC HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND I DON'T MEAN TO LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, BUT YOU REALLY HAVE SOME GREAT DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE DOING SOME VERY, VERY CREATIVE, VERY, VERY THOUGHTFUL, FORWARD THINKING THAT I THINK ACTUALLY SEVERAL THINGS CAN BEAR FRUIT IN THE STATE'S 22-23 BUDGET AND VERY EXCITING POSSIBILITIES FOR THE COUNTY AND SOME OF THOSE AREAS. SO THAT'S ALL THE GOOD STUFF OR A LOT OF THE GOOD STUFF. IT'S STILL CHAOTIC IN SACRAMENTO. YOU KNOW, I WON'T FORGET THE ORGANICS ISSUE--. SO, I'M GOING TO [LAUGHTER] TRY TO TAKE A LITTLE POWDER OUT OF YOUR MUSKETS HERE FOR A SECOND, IF I MAY. SOME GOOD NEWS THERE TOO OR POTENTIALLY GOOD NEWS. SENATOR PORTANTINO WHO REPRESENTS THINK OF IT AS THE LA CAñADA FLINTRIDGE, PASADENA, BURBANK. YOU KNOW THAT PART OF L.A., IMPORTANTLY, AN URBAN PART OF CALIFORNIA SENATOR [01:55:05] PORTANTINO AMENDED HIS SENATE BILL 45 AND IT'S KIND OF A SKELETON, IF YOU WILL. THERE'S DETAILS TO COME. BUT HE'S ALREADY MOVED IT OUT OF THE SENATE. IT WAS A TWO YEAR BILL LEFT AROUND FROM LAST YEAR. SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT NUMBER THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE SENATE'S PROPOSED RESOURCES BOND, WATER BOND, [INAUDIBLE] WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A WATER BOND AND RESOURCES BOND AND LEGISLATURE. SAME BILL NOW PROPOSES THAT THE LEGISLATURE IN THE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDE RELIEF, MAYBE SOME STATUTORY RELIEF AND OR SOME FINANCIAL RELIEF TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON THIS ORGANICS ISSUE. I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THE SENATOR IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A TALK WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF NEGOTIATION THERE. BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON YOUR CONVERSATION FROM EARLIER THAT WE HAVE A VEHICLE THAT COUNTIES CAN SUPPORT AND GET BEHIND AND TRY TO BOLSTER THE SENATOR'S EFFORTS IN THAT REGARD, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES FROM IT. SO, IT IS STILL CHAOTIC. LYNN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, STILL BEING IN A COVID ENVIRONMENT, WE ARE NOT ONLY STILL IN THE COVID ENVIRONMENT, THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT IN SACRAMENTO BY AND LARGE, BUT I THINK THE SUPERVISORS KNOW, STAFF KNOWS THE LEGISLATURE IS MOVED. THEY'VE LITERALLY MOVED ACROSS THE STREET INTO A NEW OFFICE BUILDING, AND IT'S NOT THE SAME. IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME. IT'S ONLY THE MEMBERS AND CHIEFS OF STAFF HAVE DOORS. ALL THE OTHER CONVERSATIONS IN EVERY LEGISLATIVE OFFICE ARE BASICALLY IN OPEN AIR. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE COME TO SACRAMENTO, COME TO D.C., YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO HAVE A PRIVATE CONVERSATION. AND SO I THINK THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE A LOT OF, EXCUSE ME, VIRTUAL MEETINGS, A LOT OF ZOOMING AND WHATNOT, EVEN AFTER THE LEGISLATURE OPENS BACK UP. AT ONE POINT IN JANUARY, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT 300 LEGISLATORS AND STAFF HAD COVID. IT WAS GETTING SO BAD THAT THEY ALMOST TOOK A TWO WEEK RECESS TO BASICALLY JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST PAUSE FOR A WHILE AND LET EVERYBODY GET HEALTHY. THEY DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT. THEY'VE SORT OF HUNG IN THERE, IF YOU WILL, AND WE DO THINK THEY'LL PROBABLY STICK TO WHAT IS NOW THEIR RETURN DATE OF FEBRUARY 14TH. IF THAT CHANGES WE'LL OBVIOUSLY LET THE CAO'S OFFICE KNOW, BUT AGAIN, WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY'VE MOVED ACROSS THE STREET AND IT'S AWKWARD. IT'S JUST AN AWKWARD SPACE AND LEGISLATORS ARE STRUGGLING WITH IT. ADVOCATES ARE STRUGGLING WITH IT, AND IT'S GOING TO ADD TO A LITTLE BIT OF THE CHAOS. AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF CHAOS IN SACRAMENTO. SO, LAST THING AND THEN HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. A LITTLE BIT OF LATE BREAKING NEWS. THERE IS A DEAL BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR ON MORE PAID SICK LEAVE FOR FOLKS WHO COME DOWN WITH COVID. BUSINESS INTERESTS, INCLUDING THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET SOME, I GOING TO SAY LONG SOUGHT PROVISIONS IN THERE FOR THE NET OPERATING LOSS. SOME ADDITIONAL STATE TAX RELIEF FOR SOME SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY RESTAURANTS. AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME STATE CONFORMITY WITH FEDERAL LAW ON THIS. SO, THE CHAMBER WAS ABLE TO GET SOME THINGS INTO THIS PACKAGE AS PART OF THE NEGOTIATION. BUT AGAIN, FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, ESPECIALLY, IT'S ESSENTIALLY 40 HOURS OFF PAID. IF YOU WORK FOR A COMPANY WITH 26 OR MORE EMPLOYEES. SO, STILL FROM THE LAST DEAL, YOU MAY RECALL SMALL EMPLOYERS WERE EXEMPTED. THEY WILL STILL BE EXEMPTED IN THIS DEAL. ONE WEEK PAID FOR SURE THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER WEEK, A SECOND WEEK PAID, BUT YOU HAVE TO TEST POSITIVE AND YOU HAVE TO PRODUCE THE RESULTS OF THAT TEST FOR YOUR EMPLOYER AND THEN YOU CAN GET AN ADDITIONAL 40 HOURS OF PAID SICK LEAVE. AND SO WE DO THINK THAT'S GOING TO MOVE. AND WE THINK ALSO IN THAT PACKAGE, YOU WILL SEE THE $1.4 BILLION FOR ADDITIONAL COVID RELATED MEASURES THAT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSED IN HIS JANUARY 10 BUDGET. SO, YOU CAN EXPECT THAT PACKAGE TO HIT THE GOVERNOR'S DESK, I'D SAY, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. OK, SO THINGS ARE ALREADY ROCKING AND ROLLING IN SACRAMENTO. I'LL STOP THERE. HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO FIRST QUESTION, AB 1400. YEP. YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT. I DIDN'T. YOU DID? NO, I DID NOT. OH, SO WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE? I MEAN, THAT'S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW FOR ME. OK. AB 1400 IS THE SO-CALLED SINGLE PAYER PROPOSAL SPONSORED BY THE CALIFORNIA NURSES ASSOCIATION, HAS A LOT OF OTHER BACKERS. IT IS OPPOSED BY THE CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THERE IS NOW A COMPANION MEASURE TO THAT, WHICH IS ACA 11. THAT'S A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD INCREASE, I THINK IT'S THREE, MAYBE FOUR, EXISTING TAXES IN CALIFORNIA TO PAY FOR THE SINGLE PAYER BILL AB 1400. [02:00:02] THAT BILL WAS A TWO YEAR BILL. IT MOVED OUT OF POLICY COMMITTEE EARLIER THIS MONTH, GOT OUT OF APPROPRIATIONS ON A PARTY LINE VOTE. IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE FLOOR PROBABLY ANY DAY NOW. I THINK THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD GET OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY BE SENT OVER TO THE SENATE. THE GOVERNOR, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN, I THINK. WELL, HOW ABOUT THIS? THE SPONSORS OF AB 1400 WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THE GOVERNOR, WHEN HE RELEASED THE BUDGET, SAID SOME THINGS THAT MADE IT SOUND LIKE HE'S NOT READY TO SIGN A SINGLE PAYER BILL, AT LEAST NOT THIS YEAR. WHAT THE GOVERNOR DID PUT IN HIS BUDGET THAT I DIDN'T MENTION WAS, HE'S PROPOSING TO EXPAND MEDI-CAL ONE MORE TIME IN CALIFORNIA FOR REALLY THE BIGGEST REMAINING GROUP OF RESIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA WHO DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE. AND THAT IS CERTAIN FOLKS THAT ARE AGED 26 TO 49. AND THAT COSTS THE STATE ABOUT $2.2 BILLION. SO, THE GOVERNOR SAID, LET'S DO THAT. IT'S ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW THAT BETWEEN PUBLIC INSURANCE, PRIVATE INSURANCE, THE HEALTH EXCHANGE, ET CETERA. NINETY FOUR PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA HAS COVERAGE. LET'S TRY TO GET AT THAT REMAINING SIX PERCENT WE'LL HAVE NEAR UNIVERSAL COVERAGE. AND I THINK THAT'S THE VERBIAGE HE USED NEAR UNIVERSAL RATHER THAN SINGLE PAYER OR UNIVERSAL. AND SO THERE'S A WORD THERE'S-- IN ADDITION TO THE WAR WAR, THERE'S A WORD WAR GOING ON IN THIS ISSUE. BUT IT APPEARS TO US IT APPEARS TO FOLKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE THAT THE BILL CAN CONTINUE-- AB 1400 CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE. I THINK ACA 11 IS GOING TO HAVE SOME TROUBLE. THAT TAKES A TWO THIRDS VOTE IN BOTH HOUSES TO PUT IT ON A STATEWIDE BALLOT. AND GIVEN ALL THE TAX INCREASES THAT ARE IN IT, THAT PROBABLY HAS VERY SERIOUS CHALLENGES. BUT IT APPEARS TO A LOT OF US AT AB 1400 MIGHT STILL MOVE, BUT THE GOVERNOR PROBABLY DOESN'T CHANGE HIS MIND IN 2022. WITH THE SUPERMAJORITIES, WOULD THEY OVERRIDE HIM? WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THEY CAN I KNOW, I WOULD SAY, IN ANY OTHER YEAR, EXCEPT THIS ELECTION YEAR WHERE YOU HAVE ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, THE REDISTRICTING AND JUST SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY AND CHANGE THERE. I DON'T THINK AN OVERRIDE HAPPENS OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AND THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. OK, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR THE EASY QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN. [LAUGHTER] I LOOK-- TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, PAUL. LIBRARIES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT LIBRARIES. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF WHAT I CALL THE STATE LIBRARY AND IT'S NEW WAY OF MEASURING POVERTY THAT IS JUST COMPLETELY LIKE FOREIGN TO EVERYBODY. HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO ASCERTAIN IF THAT'S STILL THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DOING IT? DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ON THAT? WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN. WE HAVEN'T-- I DON'T HAVE A TANGIBLE THING TO GIVE YOU TODAY, BUT WE ARE STILL HOPEFUL THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO SEE THAT DEFINITION DIFFERENTLY. OK. AND WE GOT FIVE MONTHS UNTIL THEY REALLY COOK THE BUDGET, AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO WORK AS HARD AS WE CAN ON IT. PERFECT. SO, JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE'S RECOLLECTION, JUST, THEY'VE CHANGED THE LEVEL OF POVERTY THAT THE MOST IMPOVERISHED LIBRARY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESIDES. I BELIEVE IT'S AT UC SAN JOSE, RIGHT? SAN JOSE STATE, IT'S A EIGHT STORY LIBRARY AND LIBRARIES IN RURAL CALIFORNIA IN CENTRAL VALLEY ARE NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 50 PERCENTILE. AS FAR AS MOST IMPOVERISHED. SO ANYWAYS, THANK YOU FOR THAT, PAUL. I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUED WORK UP THERE. I KNOW IT'S JUST GOT TO BE CRAZY WITH THE WHOLE COVID ENVIRONMENT AND SO KEEP IT UP, BUDDY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I SEE NO OTHER REQUEST FROM MY COLLEAGUES. SO, YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. BROWN. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO LINE UP MS. JACQUEZ FROM WASHINGTON, WAS TRYING TO ARRANGE TO BE ABLE TO VISIT A FEW. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH HER SCHEDULE TO KIND OF GET HER TODAY, AND THEN MR. YODER. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WAS VALUABLE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU, AT LEAST AT THE EARLY STAGES OF THIS YEAR'S CYCLE. WITH THAT, YOU DO HAVE ITEMS 58, 59 FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. ITEM 58 AS YOUR ANNUAL LEG PLATFORM, 59, IS, AS YOU KNOW, AS MEMBERS OF MCAG, WHO PUTS TOGETHER THE ONE VOICE PROGRAM. THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR PROCESS THIS YEAR A LITTLE BIT AND IS ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THESE IN ADVANCE. SO, WE DO HAVE THOSE ITEMS FOR YOU SO WE CAN SUBMIT THEM TO MCAG. AND AS FAR AS THE DELEGATES FOR ONE VOICE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THOSE [02:05:05] UNDER YOUR BOARD ASSIGNMENTS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. LEONARD, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, IT'S NOT NATURAL FOR ME, BUT FOR YOU, I APPRECIATE THE THEME. [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT. SO, GO AHEAD AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO TAKING A BREAK. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF, I THINK, QUICK ITEMS AND WE'RE TRYING TO SHOOT FOR A 12:30 BREAK, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH ITEM 60. NEXT IS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEM 60 APPROVED-- SORRY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, DID YOU HEAR? GOOD. OK. ANY REQUESTS TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN THE REPRESENTATION ON THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FROM MYSELF BEING PRIMARY TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO BEING PRIMARY AND ME TO ALTERNATE AND I JUST WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES. THAT'S BEEN A FIVE YEAR PATH THAT WE'VE BEEN ON, AND I THINK IF YOU IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS AND I KNOW SUPERVISOR PEDROZO PASSION IS THERE AS WELL. AND SO ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. WELL, WE STILL GOT A LITTLE TIME, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS 61 THROUGH 64. OK. OH. NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS ITEM 61-64. PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE TAKING ITEM 63 AND 64 SEPARATELY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 63. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT I AM DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE AS A PRIMARY MEMBER OF LAFCO . SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. ARE WE LOOKING FOR A MOTION ON THIS? SO, I WOULD MOTION THAT SCOTT SILVEIRA BE OUR MEMBER AS THE ALTERNATE MEMBER THERE. I'VE BEEN PROUD TO SERVE WITH HIM, ALONG WITH MR. ESPINOZA AS WELL. SO, YOU'RE NOMINATING ESPINOZA AND SILVEIRA AS PRIMARIES AND YOURSELF AS ALTERNATE? YES. WELL, I THINK. NO, WE'RE ALREADY--. ESPINOZA'S-- TERM'S NOT UP. OK. GOTCHA. ALL RIGHT. SO, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. OK. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS 64. ALL RIGHT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. CHAIR, I NOTICED THAT YOU'RE THE PRIMARY ON THIS NOW AND WAS INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANTED TO STAY ON THAT OR NOT. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I WOULD--. NO, I WAS-- JUST DIDN'T WANT TO NOMINATE YOU WITHOUT ASKING YOU FIRST. [LAUGHTER] YEAH, THAT'S FINE. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA ARE YOU GOOD WITH THE ALTERNATE? [02:10:06] CHAIR, THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION THAT WE CONTINUE WITH YOURSELF AS THE PRIMARY AND SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AS THE ALTERNATE. OK, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SILVERA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. OK. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. WELL, WE STILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES, SO CAN WE DO ITEMS 52 THROUGH-- OR 50 THROUGH 52? NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS, 50 THROUGH 52. ALL RIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SEEING NO DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT, WELL, ITEM 53 IS GOING TO TAKE FAR LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND RECESS NOW. IS 30 MINUTES ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE? 54. OH, OK. GET THEM OUT OF HERE. YEAH, OK. WE'LL DO ITEM 54. I KNOW I AM SORRY ABOUT THAT. NEXT IS LIBRARY ITEM 54, WHICH REQUIRES A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE. OK, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. SEEING NO REQUEST TO SPEAK, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OK, WE'LL TAKE ITEM 55-56. NEXT IS SHERIFF ITEM 55 AND 56. IT'S [INAUDIBLE] TO BE A LONG DISCUSSION YES. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SEEING NO DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. [INAUDIBLE] ITEM 57. NEXT IS SPRING FAIR ITEM 57. BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SEEING NO DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. OK, AT THIS TIME WE'LL TAKE A 30 MINUTE BREAK. NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM 53. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD GOOD AFTERNOON. MARK HENDRICKSON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ADOPTED ITS GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT ORDINANCE ON MARCH 17, 2015, AS A BRIDGE OR INTERIM SOLUTION, UNTIL WHICH TIME THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES WERE ESTABLISHED AND GSPS WERE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS REQUIRED BY SGMA IN 2014. WITH THIS IN MIND, STAFF PRESENTED TO THE BOARD THIS PAST NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 2021, ON THIS VERY ISSUE, CONTENDING THAT THE SENSE, THOUGH GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PROCESSES ARE WELL UNDERWAY. THE TIMING WAS APPROPRIATE TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION OF DETERMINING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF GROUNDWATER WELLS FROM THE COUNTY TO THE GSAS AGAIN, AS WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED. TODAY, MR. MAXEY IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH A PRESENTATION AND STAFF DOES RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD INTRODUCED THE ORDINANCE, WAVE FURTHER READING, AND SET THE POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE ON YOUR FEBRUARY 8TH AGENDA WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MAY 1, 2022. AT THIS POINT, I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK SEVERAL FOLKS WHO'VE ACTUALLY HELPED GET THIS TO THE BOARD TODAY, MOST NOTABLY MR. BROWN, CERTAINLY MR. MAXEY, MS. MACBRIDE, MR. GRANT AND OR OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE PROVIDED SOME GOOD WORK ON THIS ORDINANCE TODAY. SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL TURN OVER TO MR. [02:15:01] MAXEY. THANK YOU. AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. STEVE MAXEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING FOR THE COUNTY. SO AS MR. HENDRICKSON MENTIONED, THIS IS US RETURNING TO THE BOARD AFTER WE RECEIVED DIRECTION ON NOVEMBER 16TH TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING. I'LL QUICKLY GO OVER THOSE AGAIN REAL QUICK FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT. JUST A QUICK GLOSSARY OF SOME OF THE ACRONYMS THAT WE'LL THROW AROUND. TOTAL ALPHABET SOUP WHEN IT COMES TO WATER, GSA GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY, GSP, GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, AND SO ON. SOME QUICK BACKGROUND HERE AGAIN, THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING ON NOVEMBER 16TH. THE ORDINANCE WAS INTENDED AS IT EXISTS TODAY, WAS INTENDED AS A BRIDGE TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT, OR SGMA. THOSE GSP ARE ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED. THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED, INCLUDING TURLOCK, WHICH WAS OR IS NOW IN PLACE AS OF THIS MONTH. WE TALKED ABOUT THE COUNTY'S ROLE IN CONSTRUCTION PERMITTING OR PERMITTING OF WELLS, THE ACTUAL DRILLING CASING, LOCATION, THINGS LIKE THAT VERSUS THE SUSTAINABILITY POLICY AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EXTRACTION THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WELL. WHICH IS REALLY THE ROLE OF THE GSAS UNDER SGMA. THAT SNIPPET THERE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR COUNTY CODE, WHICH KIND OF LED TO-- OR REALLY CAPTURES THE IDEA THAT THIS WAS THOUGHT OF AS A BRIDGE TO IMPLEMENTATION OF SGMA. TO RECAP SOME OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, LOOKING AT PERMITTING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND THEN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS AGENCIES, WE LOOKED AT THE WELL PROHIBITION UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, WHICH IS HOW WE ACHIEVE LIMITING ANY POTENTIAL HARM TO THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM IN THE COUNTY AND THEN EXEMPTIONS TO THAT WELL PROHIBITION, MAINLY THROUGH THE MEANS OF A DOMESTIC DE MINIMIS EXEMPTION. IF YOU'RE PUMPING FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES OR EXTRACTING FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES TWO ACRE FEET PER YEAR OR LESS. THAN YOU'RE EXEMPT AND THAT TRACKS INTO SGMA LAW AS WELL, AND THEN THE OTHER PRIMARY WELL EXEMPTION TYPE WOULD BE A REPLACEMENT WELL. IF YOU HAVE A WELL THAT FAILS OR YOU NEED TO RELOCATE FOR SOME OTHER REASON, THOSE WELLS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE WELL PROHIBITION UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE AS WELL. WE TALKED ABOUT CONSTRUCTION PERMITTING AND SUSTAINABILITY. AGAIN, CONSTRUCTION PERMITTING AS A COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS A GSA RESPONSIBILITY. AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME WAS OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE PUTS THIS IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES THAT ARE ADOPTED IN THE GSPS VIS A VIS OUR PERMITTING STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE UNDER OUR ORDINANCE. THAT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY DIVERSE GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY. WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE, THOUGH THAT'S ONE SIZE FITS ALL. SO, I'M TRYING TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE GSAS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AREAS WITH DIFFERENT GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS THAT HAVE GSPS WITH DIFFERENT GOALS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR ONE SIZE FITS ALL ORDINANCE IS NOT THE BEST APPROACH FOR MAKING SURE THAT THESE GSAS CAN MANAGE THEIR GSPS AND IMPLEMENT THEIR GSPS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. AND THEN FINALLY, SGMA ITSELF ASSIGNS THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY TO THE GSA'S THEMSELVES. WE DISCUSS THREE OPTIONS IN NOVEMBER. ONE WAS TO LEAVE THE ORDINANCE AS IS, KIND OF THE STATUS QUO APPROACH. WE DISCUSSED THAT THERE WOULD BE [INAUDIBLE] EXCUSE ME, PRIMARILY SOME CONFLICTS WITH COORDINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION. HOW GSAS WOULD BE INFORMED, HOW SUSTAINABILITY GETS MANAGED UNDER OUR ORDINANCE. AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT GSP WERE THE LAW OF THE LAND WITH REGARD TO GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY. WE DISCUSSED REPEALING THE ORDINANCE ALTOGETHER, WHICH WE THINK COULD RESULT IN A POTENTIAL FOR INCREASE IN OVERDRAFT. YOU'D SEE A RUN ON NEW WELLS PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET NEW WELLS IN UNDER A MUCH EASIER PERMITTING SCHEME THAT WOULD REALLY KIND OF FORCE THE GSAS HANDS AND MAYBE CAUSE THEM TO RUSH TO ADOPT SOME SORT OF POLICY THAT WOULD PUT THE GSAS IN A TIGHT SPOT. AND AS A GOOD PARTNER HERE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT STAFF RECOMMENDED AT THAT TIME. AND THE THIRD OPTION WAS TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS WHAT THE BOARD GAVE US DIRECTION TO DO BACK ON NOVEMBER 16TH. SO, WE'VE DRAFTED ORDINANCE AS IT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. QUICKLY JUST HOW IT WOULD WORK. WE WOULD NOT SEE A WELL APPLICATION FILED WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOR WELL CONSTRUCTION UNLESS ONE OF THOSE THREE FACTORS ON THE LEFT ARE MET. SO, EITHER YOU'RE A DE MINIMIS WELL, AGAIN PUMPING TWO ACRE FEET OR LESS FOR A DOMESTIC PURPOSE. I WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT THE DOMESTIC DE MINIMIS WELL, THE SECOND OPTION WOULD BE IF GSA HAS DETERMINED THAT YOU'RE WELL AND YOUR EXTRACTION IS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES, WHATEVER THOSE MIGHT BE, THAT'S UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL GSA . OR THE THIRD WOULD BE A WELL THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE GSA, WE, AS THE COUNTY, WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONDUCTING WHATEVER ANALYSIS WE NEEDED TO DO FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THAT WELL. ONLY IF ONE OF THOSE THREE FACTORS ARE MET WOULD WE TAKEN THAT APPLICATION AND [02:20:04] BEGIN PROCESSING IT FOR CONSTRUCTION. LET'S BREAK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE HAVE DOMESTIC DE MINIMIS WELLS ON THE LEFT THERE. JUST FOR SAKE OF TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK THAT DOWN ANYMORE. WELLS OUTSIDE OF THE GSA, I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK THAT DOWN ANYMORE, EITHER. BUT THE KIND OF MEAT OF WHAT WE'RE CHANGING IN OUR ORDINANCE IS THERE IN THAT RIGHT HAND COLUMN. SO, IT MUST HAPPEN IN THIS ORDER WHERE AN APPLICANT WOULD GO TO A GSA OR APPROACH A GSA AND SAY, I WOULD LIKE TO DRILL A NEW WELL, THAT GSA WOULD REVIEW PROVIDE A CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION IF THEY BELIEVE IT MEETS THEIR CRITERIA FOR BEING CONSISTENT WITH THEIR GSP, AND THEN THAT APPLICANT WOULD FILE A WELL PERMIT WITH THE COUNTY. THE REASON THAT IT MUST HAPPEN IN THIS ORDER IS, FIRST OF ALL, SO THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WON'T SPEND TIME OR MONEY PREPARING A WELL, LET ALONE DRILLING A WELL AND THEN HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE GSA AND HAVE THE GSA TELL THEM, OH, YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T PUMP ANYTHING FROM THAT WELL. YOU CAN'T OR IN FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY LIMITED ON YOUR ABILITY TO EXTRACT FROM THAT WELL. WE DON'T WANT TO PUT OUR PROPERTY OWNERS IN THAT POSITION HERE IN THE COUNTY. THE SECOND IS THAT THIS PROCESS RESULTS IN THE COUNTY, CONDUCTING A MINISTERIAL REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION, WHICH REALLY GETS TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, AS WELL AS THE WRITTEN COMMENT THAT YOU RECEIVED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF YOUR PACKET THIS MORNING. SO, JUST TO ADDRESS THOSE. THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE DOES NOT DIRECT GSA TO TAKE UP ANY [INAUDIBLE] OF THEIR OWN OR TO ACT AS A LEAD AGENCY FOR THE COUNTIES, WELL PERMITS. I WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN, IT DOES NOT DIRECT THE GSA TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN CEQA ANALYSIS OR TO TAKE UP LEAD AGENCY STATUS FOR THE COUNTIES WELL, PERMITS. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH REALLY IS ONE OF THE COMMENTERS CALLED THE EQUITY AND PERMITTING RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S 100 PERCENT ON THE COUNTY. UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR ALL OF THE REVIEW. WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR THE DEFENSE IF A WELL IS CHALLENGED, 100 PERCENT. GSA IS DON'T HAVE A ROLE IN THAT AT ALL. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY KIND OF THIS KIND OF ORDINANCE IN PLACE. WE COULD REPEAL IT ALTOGETHER, AND THAT WOULD PUT 100 PERCENT OF THE BURDEN FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND REVIEW ON THE GSAS. BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WE DON'T WANT TO FORCE THE GSAS INTO THAT POSITION. WE WANT TO BE GOOD PARTNERS THERE. ANOTHER ONE OF THE COMMENTERS MENTIONED THE STATE'S INTEREST IN SEEING GSA AND THE COUNTY'S WORK TOGETHER TO SET EXPECTATIONS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS FOR LAND USE AND GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION. AND REALLY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ACHIEVE. WE'D HAVE OUR APPLICANTS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE GSAS TO UNDERSTAND HOW OR WHY THEIR EXTRACTION MIGHT BE LIMITED LONG TERM, AND THAT LETS OUR PROPERTY OWNERS MAKE A BETTER DECISION, A BETTER BUSINESS DECISION FOR THEMSELVES. AND REALLY, IN THE CASE OF THE COMMENTERS FROM THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING ALSO THE LARGEST IRRIGATION DISTRICTS IN THIS COUNTY. THEY HAVE A ROLE IN THE GSA, WHICH THEY ELECTED TO TAKE ON. THEY ELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN. AND IT SEEMS TO THESE COMMENTS, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF TELLING THEIR USERS THAT GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION MIGHT BE LIMITED IN THE FUTURE. THEY'D RATHER THE COUNTY TAKE ON THAT ROLE, AND THEY'D RATHER THE COUNTY BE ON THE HOOK FOR DEFENDING THAT DECISION BY THE GSAS INTO THE FUTURE. AND THAT'S NOT A POSITION THAT THE COUNTY SHOULD BE IN OR COULD BE IN UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SET OUT IN SGMA. WITH ALL THAT SAID, THE COUNTY WOULD BE THE PERMITTING AGENCY AND UNDER SGMA THEREFORE, WE WOULD BE THE LEAD AGENCY FOR WALL CONSTRUCTION. THAT'S VERY CLEAR. THAT'S SET OUT IN SGMA CRYSTAL CLEAR, BUT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE REALLY SETS UP A PROCESS BY WHICH AN APPLICANT FOR A NEW WELL WOULD COME TO US AFTER THE GSA HAS MADE THAT DETERMINATION. WE WOULD THEN USE THAT DETERMINATION, THAT APPLICATION TO MOVE THROUGH A MINISTERIAL PROCESS. MINISTERIAL PROJECTS ARE EXEMPT FROM CEQA. AND SO THERE'S REALLY NO BACK AND FORTH OR CONSIDERATION OF RESPONSIBLE OR LEAD AGENCY FOR MINISTERIAL PROJECTS. I GUESS AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COMMENTERS THIS MORNING REFERENCED THAT GSAS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RESOURCE AGENCY OR ARE CONSIDERED A RESOURCE AGENCY. AND IN THAT CASE, HE'S RIGHT. THE REVIEW FOR CONSISTENCY OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO HOW WILDLIFE AGENCIES OR LIKE THE AIR DISTRICT WOULD LOOK AT MINISTERIAL PROJECTS FOR REVIEW BEFORE THEY COME TO THE COUNTY. IF IT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES, IT MEETS ALL THE MINIMUM STANDARDS, AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY ISSUE WITH ANY OF THEIR ADOPTED POLICIES. WE JUST PROCESS IT AS A MINISTERIAL PROJECT. AND THEN FINALLY, BOTH OF THE COMMENTERS THIS MORNING, ACTUALLY AND IN THE WRITTEN COMMENTS AS WELL, POINTED TO STANISLAUS COUNTY IS ONE EXAMPLE. STANISLAUS IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT IN HOW THEY'VE STRUCTURED THEIR ORDINANCE IN THEIR REVIEW OF, WELL APPLICATIONS FROM HOW IT'S PROPOSED BEFORE THE BOARD TODAY. STANISLAUS HAS DEVELOPED A DISCRETIONARY REVIEW PROCESS. THE COUNTY IN THAT CASE HAS ELECTED TO TAKE ON THE RISK AND THE CONTROL THAT COMES [02:25:02] WITH THE DISCRETIONARY REVIEW PROCESS. AND THAT'S BOLSTERED BY THE COUNTY IN THAT CASE, MOVING THROUGH THE BURDEN AND COST OF PREPARING A PROGRAMMATIC EIR TO THEN HELP WITH THAT DISCRETIONARY REVIEW, WHICH DISCRETIONARY PROJECTS, UNLIKE MINISTERIAL PROJECTS, ARE SUBJECT TO CEQA. SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE KEY FOR WHY THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN IN THIS ORDER. THAT'S WHY THE ORDINANCE IS DRAFTED AS SUCH, AND THAT THINGS MUST MOVE THROUGH THIS ORDER IN ORDER TO BE EXEMPT FROM OUR WELL PROHIBITION. A COUPLE OTHER NUTS AND BOLTS. WHAT IF THE GSA DOES NOT FIND THAT WELL, IS A-- EXCUSE ME, THAT A WELL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE GSP? AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT WELL PROHIBITION IN PLACE. THAT COUNTY WOULD SAY NO, WE DENY THAT WELL APPLICATION. DENIALS ARE ALSO EXEMPT FROM CEQA. THERE'S NO NEED FOR A LEADER RESPONSIBLE AGENCY IN THAT CASE. AND SO REALLY, THAT BECOMES A QUESTION OF THE GSA HAS ALREADY SAID THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT. IT WOULD BE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO FIGURE OUT WHY OR HOW TO MAKE THAT PROJECT CONSISTENT OR CHALLENGE THE GSA DETERMINATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO PARTIES. THERE'S NO REASON FOR THE COUNTY TO STEP IN AS A THIRD PARTY IN THAT CASE. THE GSA WILL HAVE TO USE THEIR IMPLEMENTATION AND AUTHORITY AND ACTIONS GRANTED TO THEM THROUGH SGMA. THE COUNTY WON'T ENFORCE ANY CONDITIONS. APPLYING CONDITIONS TO A MINISTERIAL PROJECT MAKES IT NOT A MINISTERIAL PROJECT, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GSAS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE AND THEIR TOOLBOX. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE COUNTY WOULD REMAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF OUR WELL CONSTRUCTION PERMITTING OR INSPECTION OR ENFORCEMENT, LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY, THOSE THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. TO QUICKLY GO OVER OUTREACH AND NEXT STEPS. I'M SORRY THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY VISIBLE ON THE SCREEN FOR ME. AT THIS POINT, WHAT'S PROPOSED IN THE ORDINANCE WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MAY 1ST THAT WOULD, FROM THE TIME WE FIRST STARTED TALKING TO GSA ABOUT THIS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, THAT WOULD GIVE THEM 13 MONTHS TO HAVE COME UP WITH A POLICY. WE TALKED BACK IN NOVEMBER OF MAYBE A MARCH 1ST DATE. WE HEARD FROM GSAS AND SOME SUBSEQUENT OUTREACH TO THAT MEETING, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD AT THAT MEETING, AT THAT BOARD HEARING ON THE 16TH, THAT MORE TIME WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL TO OUR FRIENDS AT THE GSA. SO HEARING THAT WE'VE DRAFTED AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MAY 1ST, BUT WE'VE CONDUCTED OUTREACH EXTENSIVELY FOR THOSE LAST 13 MONTHS. AGAIN, ONE ON ONE WITH INDIVIDUAL GSAS. WE'VE HELD TWO OR THREE WORKSHOPS NOW WITH GSAS TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE PERMITTING PROCESS WOULD WORK, HOW WE COULD HELP WITH ME CHANGING SOME OF OUR FORMS TO HELP WITH REVIEW. AND THEN ON THIS SLIDE HERE. OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR VICKI JONES, HAS OFFERED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE HER STAFF HELP GSA STAFF OR CONSULTANTS AND WELL DRILLERS KIND OF ADAPT TO WHATEVER THIS NEW PROCESS MIGHT LOOK LIKE. WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR IN THIS PROCESS ALTOGETHER. SO, WITH THAT, THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AS MR. HENDRICKSON DETAILED, WOULD BE TO INTRODUCE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TODAY AND WAIVE FURTHER READING AND THEN SET A POSSIBLE ADOPTION HEARING FOR FEBRUARY 8TH. AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MAY 1ST AS IT'S DRAFTED IN FRONT OF YOU. SO WITH THAT, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY? OH, YEAH. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. MR. MAXEY I KNOW THAT FOLLOWING OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, I DID REACH OUT AND TALK TO SOME FOLKS OVER AND EXCHANGE CONTRACTORS AND GRASSLANDS. QUESTIONS. THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE] REGARDING KIND OF LIKE, I WANT TO SAY, IS MORE OF THE PROCEDURAL. WHAT LIKE-- WHAT MIGHT THE ACTUAL APPLICATION WOULD LOOK FOR? WE DISCUSSED A COUPLE OF THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S MORE OF LIKE HOUSEKEEPING STUFF? CORRECT. THAT WOULD BE HOW WE AS STAFF WOULD JUST TAKE IN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BUILDING CODE, BUT HOW WE IMPLEMENT THAT, THEY'RE TAKING IN WHAT OUR PERMIT FORM LOOKS LIKE, THAT SORT OF THING. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE DID ON NOVEMBER 16TH FOLLOWING THE BOARD HEARING IS HAD THAT WORKSHOP ON WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION CAN WE HELP ASK FOR AT THE COUNTY, SO THAT THESE PROPERTY OWNERS OR APPLICANTS ONLY HAVE ONE FORM THAT THEY HAVE TO DO, AND THEY CAN TAKE THAT TO THE GSA AND THEN BRING THAT TO US TO THE COUNTY. WE WANT TO MINIMIZE THAT WORK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. PERFECT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT POINT WAS ADDRESSED. I GOT TO TELL YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON IT. THANK YOU FOR THE OUTREACH THAT'S BEEN DONE. I STILL AM TODAY WHERE I WAS, PROBABLY IN NOVEMBER AS FAR AS-- YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, I THINK I WAS OK WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD HAPPENING A LITTLE BIT SOONER, BUT THAT WASN'T A DEAL BREAKER FOR ME. IF SOME OF THE GSAS NEEDED A LITTLE ADDITIONAL TIME TO KIND OF GET GEARED UP ON IT, I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT. I JUST AGAIN, WE'RE ALL FORCED WITH SGMA. I MEAN, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT. THE LEGISLATURE VOTED FOR SGMA. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. [02:30:01] THE COUNTY PUT IN AN ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WHICH AGAIN, I STILL THINK WAS A BAD ORDINANCE. I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT HAD I BEEN HERE, BUT IN REACTION TO A SITUATION, BUT IT WAS ULTIMATELY DONE WITH WHAT I WILL AGREE WITH IS THAT TIMELINE IS THAT PERIOD TO GET TO SGMA. SO, I JUST-- THERE'S SO MANY GRAY AREAS OUT THERE THAT I THINK IS REALLY THE GSAS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO MONITOR IT. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO MONITOR IT. THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO ENFORCE IT. SO, THEY SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN IT AND NOT BASICALLY PUT WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND WHAT USED TO BE, PRIOR TO THIS ORDINANCE GOING INTO EFFECT IN 2014, WAS WHAT THE COUNTY WAS. WE ARE A PLACE THAT YOU WENT AND YOU PULLED THE PERMIT AND WE MADE SURE THAT YOU PUT IT IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND IT WASN'T TOO CLOSE HERE AND THE CASING IS DONE RIGHT. THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF REALLY BEING A GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE GSAS. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THEM MAY NOT REALLY, REALLY LOVE THE IDEA THAT THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THIS RESPONSIBILITY NOW. BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT LEAST KIND OF MEETING THEM IN THE MIDDLE AND NOT JUST SAYING, HEY, GO FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN. WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS. SO AGAIN, YOU AND ALL THE STAFF, LACEY, EVERYBODY THAT'S WORKED ON THIS. THANK YOU, GUYS, BECAUSE I THINK WE DID COME UP WITH-- YOU GUYS DID COME UP WITH, I THINK YOU LISTENED TO WHAT THE BOARD HAD TO SAY, WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS HAD TO SAY AND YOU CAME UP WITH, IN MY OPINION, IS PROBABLY THE FAIREST WAY. NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE HAPPY, BUT IT'S THE FAIREST WAY MOVING FORWARD. SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. OK, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE BROADER QUESTION. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE GSAS? THEY WERE FOR THE FORMATION OF THE GPS. ONCE THE GSPS ARE FORMED, ARE THESE GSAS GOING TO BE ONGOING AND DO WE SEE A FUTURE THAT THEY'RE APPOINTED NOW? DO WE SEE A FUTURE OF MAYBE AN ELECTION PROCESS? BECAUSE IT'S JUST INTERESTING. THIS IS AN UNELECTED BODY. I THINK I BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS REALLY TODAY, BUT I THINK MAYBE THIS BOARD SHOULD TAKE THAT CONSIDERATION. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF GSAS? GOOD AFTERNOON. LACEY MCBRIDE, WATER RESOURCES MANAGER. SO THE GSAS WERE CREATED BY LOCAL AGENCIES. THEY ARE-- AS BOARDS THAT ARE EITHER APPOINTED OR ELECTED. IT DEPENDS ON HOW THEY WERE CREATED. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CREATED WITH A JPA. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH AN MOU. THEIR FIRST TASK WAS TO PUT A GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN INTO PLACE. AND [INAUDUBILE] CONTINUING TASK IS TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN OVER A 20 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON. AND SO FOR THE PLANS THAT WERE IN PLACE IN 2020 BY 2040, THOSE BASINS HAVE TO REACH SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PLAN FOR THE 2022 BASINS-- 2042. HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY EXPECTATION THAT GSAS GO AWAY IN 2020. THE BASINS HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE SUSTAINABLE AFTER THE 2040-- THE IMPLEMENT THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION HORIZON ENDS AND YOU REACH YOUR 2040 GOAL. I SEE GSA IS STILL IN PLACE CONTINUING TO MANAGE THE BASIN SUSTAINABLY SO THOSE BASINS STAY SUSTAINABLE. THERE'S NO SUNSET FOR GSAS OR FOR SGMA. OK, BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT IN THE DISCUSSION. BUT YET I'VE NEVER HEARD THE ONGOING CONVERSATION EITHER, OR IF IT'S AN ELECTED BODY, BECAUSE WE ALREADY SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE APPOINTED BOARDS AND SOME OF THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE, WHICH I PUMP MY BRAKES A LITTLE BIT AND I'M CAUTIOUS ABOUT ENTERING INTO THAT REALM. BUT BY 2040, I THINK ONLY LLOYD PAREIRA WILL STILL BE HERE AT THE DAIS. SO. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, LACEY. THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. LACEY, I IMAGINE THAT-- IT'S A QUESTION PROBABLY FOR LACEY, AND FOR INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC. I GUESS IS IF FOR SOME REASON, THERE'S NO SUSTAINABILITY BY ANY OF THE GSAS THAT WILL FALL ON DWR, RIGHT? SO, SOMEBODY IS GIVING OUT TOO MANY WELL PERMITS. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THE COUNTY DOES A PERMIT, BUT IF THEY GIVE THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THAT FARMER OR AGENCY TO COME IN AND GET A WELL PERMIT FROM US, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THEM. BUT IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GSA TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT GSA IS SUSTAINABLE AND THAT THEY MEET THE REGULATIONS AND THE RULES FOR THE STATE. AND SO-- ALSO, IF THAT GSA OBVIOUSLY IS NOT SUSTAINABLE, IT'S NOT [INAUDIBLE] OR ON TOUCH OF WHAT'S GOING ON, SO I GUESS IT WOULD BE TAKEN OVER BY ANOTHER GSA OR THE STATE. SO, ACCORDING TO THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT, THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES MAKES A DETERMINATION WHETHER OR NOT THE GSAS ARE ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS OF [02:35:01] IMPLEMENTING THEIR GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLANS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY BY THAT 20 YEAR TIMELINE. THERE ARE FIVE YEAR CHECK INS, OR FIVE YEAR UPDATES FOR THE PLAN, SO EVERY FIVE YEARS THE GSA CAN HAVE THE OPTION TO UPDATE THEIR PLAN WITH DWR. AND THEN THERE'S ANNUAL REPORTS. IF DWR DETERMINES THAT THE GSA'S ARE NOT ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE THEIR SUSTAINABILITY GOAL, THEY'RE NOT MEETING THEIR THRESHOLDS OR BENCHMARKS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD, THEN THEY WILL NOTIFY THE GSA THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THEY'RE ON PROBATION, IN WHICH CASE THE STATE WATER BOARD, WHO IS MORE OF THE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THE STATE WATER BOARD WOULD COME INTO THAT BASIN AND, A BASIN THAT IS PLACED ON PROBATION, THE STATE WATER BOARD COULD COME IN AND IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN INTERIM PLAN TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH WOULD GIVE THE GSA TIME TO KIND OF FIX WHAT THEY HAD DONE WRONG. SO THAT PLAN FOR THE STATE WATER BOARD IS ALWAYS REFERRED TO AS AN INTERIM PLAN. SO, IT'S NOT A PERMANENT STATE WATER BOARD TAKEOVER, BUT IT WOULD BE A STATE COMING INTO THE BASIN AND ENFORCING WHAT THEY THINK THE GSA IS DOING WRONG. SO, THERE IS A THREAT OF STATE INTERVENTION IF THE GSAS ARE NOT ACHIEVING THEIR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS THROUGHOUT THE 20 YEARS THAT THEY HAVE TO IMPLEMENT. OK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MR. CHAIR, IF I COULD ADD ON TO THAT TOO, WE'VE CONSIDERED THAT AS PART OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU. SO, THE EXEMPTION FOR NEW WELLS WITHIN THE COUNTY UNDER THIS GSA EXEMPTION WOULD ONLY BE FOR GSAS THAT ARE NOT IN THAT PROBATIONARY STATUS IF THEY ARE IN THAT PROBATIONARY STATUS. WE COULD THEN CONSIDER THAT THROUGH OUR NEW WELL PROCESS. REASON BEING, WE DON'T WANT THE STATE TO NECESSARILY COME IN AND START MAKING DECISIONS. SAY NO TO EVERY SINGLE WELL, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO STILL BE FLEXIBLE IF WE NEED TO BE IN THAT CASE. [INAUDIBLE] I'VE GOT A QUESTION. [INAUDIBLE] AN ASK CAN YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CEQA HOW THIS WOULD CHANGE THE CEQA AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT? SO CURRENTLY UNDER EXISTING ORDINANCE, ANY NEW WELL, SO LET'S JUST TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY WANTS TO PLANT A NEW ORCHARD. UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, THEY COULD NOT COME AND DRILL A NEW WELL AND INCREASE THE EXTRACTION ON THAT PARCEL FROM ZERO TO WHATEVER THEY WERE WANTING TO EXTRACT WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A CEQA ANALYSIS. IN SEVEN YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS IN PLACE, NEARLY SEVEN YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS IN PLACE, NOBODY'S GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THE TIME AND FINANCIAL BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH GOING THROUGH THAT IS TOO HIGH. AND ONE OF THE MESSAGES THAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING OR COMMUNICATING IS STUFF FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AT LEAST HAS BEEN SGMA'S ON THE HORIZON. THE GSP ARE IN PLACE. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE DECISION MAKING POINTS. AT SOME POINT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BASELINE DATA BY WHICH ALL THESE DECISIONS ARE GOING TO BE MADE FOR HOW MUCH OR WHERE OR WHEN TO EXTRACT. SO, THAT'S UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE. YOU'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH YOUR OWN-- PREPARING YOUR OWN CEQA DOCUMENT. WE AS THE COUNTY PREPARE THAT AS THE LEAD AGENCY, WE'D BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFENDING IT IF IT WERE CHALLENGED. UNDER OUR PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY, THAT WOULD SHIFT ENTIRELY TO A MINISTERIAL PROCESS. SO, AS LONG AS A PROPERTY OWNER HAS GONE TO GSA AND SAME PROPERTY OWNER, I HAVE A BRAND NEW, WELL, BRAND NEW ORCHARD. HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. IF THE GSA SAYS, YEP, LOOKS GOOD, WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT. WE BELIEVE YOU'RE CONSISTENT WITH OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE COULD THEN PERMIT THAT WELL THROUGH A MINISTERIAL PROCESS. WE JUST SAY, LOOK, IT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES FOR SETBACKS THE WAY IT'S CONSTRUCTED. GSA HAS SAID THAT IT CONFORMS WITH THEIR GOALS, AND WE ISSUED THAT PERMIT THE SAME DAY OR WITHIN A DAY OR TWO. THAT WHOLE PROCESS, THAT MINISTERIAL PROCESS IS EXEMPT FROM CEQA. WE HAVE NO NEED TO GO INTO EXTRA STEPS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. SO, THAT'S THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO. WHAT ABOUT THE APPROVAL PROCESS AT THE GSA? THAT WOULD BE UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL GSA, WHATEVER POLICY THEY WANTED TO COME UP WITH, AND AGAIN, WE KNOW THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL DOESN'T WORK. EACH GSA IS GOING TO TREAT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. SOME GSAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE MAJOR SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD MAY JUST SAY YES TO EVERY SINGLE WELL. THEY'LL JUST HAVE A BLANKET APPROVAL FOR EVERY WELL THAT COMES BEFORE THEM. THEY COULD ISSUE THAT TO US AT THE COUNTY THAT ANYTHING WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION WE'RE FINE WITH AND THEN THEY CAN DEAL WITH DOING THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING AND [02:40:01] REGULATION OF THOSE WELLS DOWN THE ROAD, OR JUST AS COULD DECIDE TO GO THROUGH THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, FOR WHATEVER REASON. POINTING TO WHATEVER SPECIFIC PART OF THEIR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. THAT'S ENTIRELY UP TO THE GSA ON HOW THEY WANT TO DECIDE WHETHER A PROJECT IS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR GSP. SO NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM GSAS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF. SO, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE GSA COULD CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY TO FACILITATE CEQA? THE ORDINANCE. WHAT WE'VE SHARED WITH THE GSAS IS WE'RE WILLING TO HELP ASK FOR WHATEVER INFORMATION THEY MIGHT NEED TO MAKE THEIR DETERMINATION EASIER. SO, YOU KNOW, FROM A STRICT CONTRACTING STANDPOINT, I'D SAY NO, BUT SOMETHING THAT IF IT'S INFORMATION THAT WE CAN REQUEST OR INFORMATION THAT WE CAN HELP SUPPLY, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE A GOOD PARTNERS THERE. OK. ANY OTHER REQUEST? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YEAH, THIS IS-- LACEY, JUST CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON, WITH IMPLEMENTATION, WHEN THEY PICKED WHAT BASINS WERE OVER DRAFTED AND WHEN THEY HAD TO HAVE THEIR PLANS SUBMITTED BY THE THREAT THEN WAS, IS IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING, THEN THE STATE COULD COME IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT. IS THAT AM I RIGHT IN REMEMBERING THAT? THAT'S RIGHT. IF--. IF YOU DIDN'T FORM A GSA, THEY--. GSA AND THE COUNTIES ENDED UP BEING A BACKSTOP FOR ALL THOSE AREAS THAT DIDN'T HAVE WATER DISTRICTS. IF THE COUNTIES BACKED AWAY, THEN THE STATE WOULD COME IN AND ESSENTIALLY DO IT FOR YOU. NOBODY IN CALIFORNIA ELECTED TO GO THAT ROUTE OR GSA'S THROUGHOUT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY [INAUDIBLE] BASINS. PERFECT. THANK YOU. NO OTHER REQUEST TO SPEAK. OH, NOW THERE IS. MAYOR, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IF NONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT AND WAIVE FURTHER READING. OK. IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MOVED AND SECONDED. WAS MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. DID YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION? YEAH, I COULD. OH, [INAUDIBLE] IT RIGHT THERE? YEAH, THAT WAY, FOR THE RECORD. AND I GUESS THEN LET ME-- SINCE WE DID THAT, I DON'T KNOW, COUNCIL CAN I ALSO ADD SET A POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF SAID ORDINANCE ON FEBRUARY THE 8TH MAKE IT ALL AS FAR AS ONE MOTION PERFECT. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. OK. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS BOARD REPORTS. WE'LL START TO MY RIGHT SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA LET ME--. [REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION] OK, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, LAST FRIDAY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO WITH RENE GUTIERREZ FROM THE SAN JOAQUIN EMPIRE'S AUTHORITY AND TOOK A RIDE ON AMTRAK FROM MERCED TO TURLOCK. AND SO HE WANTED TO SHOW ME FIRSTHAND, YOU KNOW WHAT? STANISLAUS HAS IMPLEMENTED A DOLLAR RIDE, THE SHUTTLE SERVICE RIGHT OFF THE TRAIN. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY THERE WAITING FOR YOU. AND SO FOR TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, THEY TOOK US TO ANYWHERE IN TURLOCK. SO, WE WENT DOWNTOWN AND WE HAD THE CHANCE TO GO HAVE LUNCH AT MEMO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT ON, YOU KNOW, ON WEST MAIN IN TURLOCK. AND AFTER THAT, WE WALKED OVER TO THE CARNEGIE ART CENTER NEXT TO THE POLICE STATION IN TURLOCK. SO, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO TURLOCK ALL THE TIME AND NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO STOP BY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS CENTER IS A VERY NICE PLACE AND THEY ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS AND THROUGHOUT MERCED [INAUDIBLE] COUNTIES AND ALL AROUND TO ALL GROUPS OF ANY KIND TO ATTEND OUR CENTER IN WHICH THEY ALSO HAVE A PLACE FOR WEDDINGS AND RENTALS. SO, IT'S A VERY NICE PLACE TO-- THE PUBLIC, CAN GO IN AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT. SO, WITH THAT, WE CALLED [INAUDIBLE] BACK ABOUT AN HOUR IN ADVANCE. YOU GOT TO CALL THEM. SO, THEY PICKED US UP AND THEY TOOK US BACK TO THE TRAIN AND THEN WE CAME BACK TO-- AND THEN I WAS RIGHT BACK TO MERCED. [02:45:01] ON THE WAY BACK, WE STOPPED IN MERCED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TRACKS. SO, THERE'S TWO TRACKS THERE. SO AND THEN WHILE THE NEW TRAIN THAT AMTRAK WAS GOING NORTH, THEY STOPPED THE SAME TIME. SO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A [INAUDIBLE] THAT THEY GOT THERE AT THE SAME TIME ONCE IN A WHILE. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE SOME COMPLEXITIES OF-- WITH ME BEING IN-- ON THE JPA. SAW SOME COMPLEXITIES OF SAFETY THERE SO THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS ONCE WE GET BACK TO OUR NORMAL MEETINGS. SO THAT WAY WE CAN HELP-- ALSO TO LIKE TO STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AMTRAK STATION WAS PAINTED AND NEW CHAIRS AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES WERE IMPLEMENTED. AND SO, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUES THERE. SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO JUST MENTION ON MONDAY, LAST MONDAY, THE 17TH MYSELF. I KNOW SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL WAS THERE ALSO FOR THE MLK MARCH THAT STARTED AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. IT WAS NICE TO HAVE IT AGAIN. PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS KIND OF A WEEKEND OF SERVICE. THERE WAS A COMMUNITY CLEANUP THAT ON BEAR CREEK THAT THEY CLEANED UP QUITE A BIT OF TRASH OVER THERE AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. I TOOK MY SON OUT THERE TO GET INVOLVED IN IT. HE WASN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE CREEK CLEANUP PART OF IT, BUT SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE FOUND WAS VERY INTERESTING. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER KICK OFF ON LAST THURSDAY. THEY STARTED-- WHAT [INAUDIBLE] SAID WAS THEY'RE GOING TO DO A-- IT'S LIKE A YEAR BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO, DIFFERENT EVENTS. AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE NEW FACILITY UP ON SANDPIPER BY THE HOSPITAL. AND IT'S REALLY NICE, AND THEY'RE REALLY WORKING ON BRINGING IN DIFFERENT SPECIALISTS IN THERE TO PROVIDE THAT EXTRA CARE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING, CONTINUE TO MASK UP, STAY VIGILANT. STAY SAFE. I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT PLEASE, IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, GET YOURSELF VACCINATED AND YOUR FAMILY VACCINATED. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU INTERACT WITH. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU CHAIR. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I THANK OUR VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER, GLEN, JUST HE'S BEEN IN HERE AND HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, HE'S INTERACTED WITH THE FOLKS OUT ON THE WEST SIDE. THEY HAVE THAT NEW TELEHEALTH FACILITY OUT THERE. THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED HAVING HIM ON BOARD AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE BRINGING A LOT MORE SERVICES, NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE FROM THE WEST SIDE, BUT IT'S A VA SPONSORED FACILITY. AND I WISH I COULD REMEMBER THE EXACT NAME OF IT RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S VERY FEW OF THEM IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEY DON'T REALLY HELP THE VETERANS THERE IN LOS BANOS, BUT ANYWHERE OUT ON THE WEST SIDE ARE WELCOME TO COME OVER THERE. SO GLEN'S DOING A GREAT JOB THERE. TONIGHT I WILL BE DOING A STATE OF DISTRICT FIVE EVENT. YOU COULD SIGN UP FOR IT ONLINE, JUST KIND OF GOING OVER WITH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE DID IN DISTRICT FIVE IN THIS PAST YEAR. WE'RE ALREADY THROUGH JANUARY. WE HAVE-- WE'LL BE SEEING EACH OTHER THREE WEEKS IN A ROW. WE HAVE BACK TO BACK TO BACK MEETINGS AND RAUL I HOPE YOU'RE SETTLING IN GOOD. THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, YOU WERE ONE DAY ON THE JOB AND HERE WE ARE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. YEAH, YEAH. THERE YOU GO. SO, BUT NO. AGAIN, WELCOME ABOARD AGAIN. I KNOW WE GOT-- THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STUFF GOING ON RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, JUST BY THE LOOKS OF OUR AGENDA TODAY, A LOT OF STUFF, A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS, A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT'S GOING ON AND REALLY SOME OF IT CULMINATING IN MONTHS WORTH OF WORK. SO, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, CHAIR. THANK YOU. OH, AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLKS IN [INAUDIBLE]. WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD THAT PARK. OK, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. TO OUR CAO DESIGNEE, I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR TOURING DISTRICT THREE. HE GOT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME IN THE HEART OF MERCED COUNTY. HE COULD FEEL THE PULSE WHY HE WAS THERE. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT AT CASTLE LETTING HIM SEE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE. ALSO, AT THAT TIME, WE ATTENDED THE SWEARING IN WITH TWO NEW SHERIFF DEPUTIES AND A COUPLE OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AS WELL. THANK YOU, SHERIFF, FOR HOSTING THAT. [02:50:02] AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALAN [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE GRADUATING THAT TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL. HE SHARED A STORY WITH US HERE AT THE DAIS BEFORE HE ENTERED INTO IT AND TOLD US HIS STORY. AND IT WAS-- HIS STORY WAS MUCH MORE COMPELLING IN THE PHONE CALL YESTERDAY MORNING. AND I THINK MAYBE IF HE EVER CONSIDERED BEING A PASTOR, HE COULD BE VERY GOOD AT THAT AS WELL, BUT RIGHT NOW IS FOCUSED ON GETTING A REALLY GOOD JOB DRIVING TRUCKS. HE'D ALREADY HAD A FEW OFFERS AND HE'S GOING TO LOOK TO TAKE THE BEST ONE BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT'S A CAREER. IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT HIM AND HIS FAMILY. SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MR. HANSEN. MR. BROWN. OK. WELL, I AM DOING A DISTRICT FOUR TOURS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH RAUL MENDEZ, AND I'M EXCITED TO TAKE HIM OUT AND SHOW HIM WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT TIME. THE-- SO CLOSED SESSION IS-- WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION AFTER THIS MEETING, AND IT WAS-- AND SO PART OF MY BOARD REPORT IS JUST THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING WITH PATRIOT RAIL LLC TO COME IN AND LEASE THE TRACKS OUT AT CASTLE. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, I'M SO EXCITED AND A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF FOR WORKING SO HARD. I MEAN, I CAN'T-- I DON'T THINK I COULD TOTAL UP THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT'S GONE INTO THIS FROM MR. BROWN, MR. HANSEN AND THEIR TEAMS, MR. HENDRICKSON, MR. MIMMS AND OTHERS. ANYWAYS, I JUST-- I'M VERY THANKFUL WE'RE REAL CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS THIS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST GOT DONE WITH A HALF HOUR OF SGMA AND WATER AND WELL ORDINANCES AND AS WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, THE AG INDUSTRY IN OUR COUNTY IS GOING TO BE HAMPERED TO SOME DEGREE BY THAT. AND SO WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW, DIFFERENT JOBS TO COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I JUST I BELIEVE THAT 20 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL LOOK BACK ON THIS PERIOD AND CALL IT PIVOTAL IN THE SUCCESS OF MERCED COUNTY. SO, I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF AGAIN. WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN BACK TO CLOSE SESSION. OK, I'D LIKE TO PUT US BACK INTO OPEN SESSION. [EXECUTIVE SESSION ] DURING CLOSED SESSION, STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION. AND WITH THAT, WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING [INAUDIBLE]. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.