Feb 01, 2022 Board Meeting

GOOD MORNING.

[00:00:14]

WE HAVE RETURNED FROM A CLOSED SESSION AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION.

AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY ELLA LUNA FROM THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HERE IN MERCED. AND THEN IF WE COULD HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

GIVE ME JUST A SECOND.

OK. ON THIS DAY, ON THIS DAY, WE COME TOGETHER LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE, DIRECTION, PEACE, HOPE AND, YES, FUTURE.

AND SO WE LIFT UP THESE PETITIONS TO YOU, LIFTING UP OUR LEADERS, LIFTING UP OUR COMMUNITY AND ASKING THAT YOU HELP US TO LIVE INTO THAT WHICH WE'RE INTENDED TO BE IN FULLNESS OF LIFE AND FULLNESS OF LOVE AND IN FULLNESS OF COMPASSION.

MAY WE BE DIRECTED MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT AND ALL THAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD THIS DAY.

AMEN. AMEN.

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

THANK YOU FOR THOSE GOOD WORDS.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, 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 WILL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.

OK, THANK YOU. IT'S TIME FOR IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT.

GOOD MORNING. HELLO.

THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW ME.

I AM DENNIS JORDAN, A DESCENDANT OF GRANDPARENTS WHO CAME TO MERCED COUNTY IN 1886.

I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE MY BIRTH WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

I TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE FOR 39 YEARS IN MERCED.

I HAVE SERVED ON THE MERCED CITY SCHOOL BOARD FOR 12 YEARS AND THE MERCED COLLEGE BOARD FOR 8.

SO I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SERVE ON A BOARD.

AND MY HAT'S OFF TO EACH OF YOU BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.

TODAY, I'M HERE TO EXPRESS REAL GRAVE CONCERN OVER AN ISSUE THAT PLAGUES ALL OF US.

THAT IS THE ISSUE OF THE HOMELESS, WHO CONTINUE IN MANY WAYS TO DISREGARD THE DIRECTIVES GIVEN TO THEM BY BOTH, MERCED POLICE AND MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S INDIVIDUALS.

IN SPITE OF POSTED SIGNS STATED NO OVERNIGHT STAYS IN SPITE OF AN ATTEMPT TO HALT ACCESS BY A LOCKED BARRICADE.

AND IN SPITE OF REPEATED DEMANDS BY THE MERCED SHERIFF COUNTY DEPUTIES TO MOVE ELSEWHERE. THE HOMELESS STILL CONTINUE TO LIVE UNDER THE MCKEE STREET BRIDGE.

AND THAT'S AN INTERESTING ITEM BECAUSE MY SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS COUNTY.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS CITY.

THE PRESENCE OF THE HOMELESS THERE BRING A CONTINUAL THREAT TO THE MANY CITIZENS WHO PARK IN THE PROVIDED SPACE ALONG THE RIVERBANK IN ORDER TO TAKE WALKS AND TO RIDE THEIR BICYCLES ON THE BIKE PATH.

[00:05:05]

THEY STREW TRASH ALL OVER AND PARK THEIR STOLEN GROCERY CARTS ALONG THE RIVERBANK AS THOUGH THEY WERE AUTOMOBILES.

THEY HAD BEEN SEEN DEFECATING ON OUR LAWNS IN FRONT OF OUR HOMES THAT ALL OF US HAVE EITHER BUILT OR PURCHASED, AND THEY HAVE ALSO STOLEN FROM MANY MAILBOXES, INCLUDING MY OWN.

WE HOME OWNERS IN THAT AREA, KNOWN, OF COURSE, AS ONE OF THE NICE AREAS ACRE LOTS IN MERCED COUNTY.

PARDON ME, YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP.

WOULD YOU JUST MAKE ONE FINAL POINT? DID I ALREADY MAKE MY THREE MINUTES. YES, SIR.

OR TOO SLOW? EITHER WAY, MY FINAL STATEMENT IS IT IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE OR CAN BRING ON SOME VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME. THAT WAS THE FASTEST THREE MINUTES I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED.

[LAUGHTER] ANY OTHERS.

OH, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE GOOD, OK? MY NAME IS SUSAN MORALES.

I'M A NEIGHBOR OF DENNIS JORDAN.

WE PURCHASED OUR HOUSE TWO YEARS AGO.

WE HAVE A CRISIS UNDER THAT BRIDGE AND I DON'T KNOW THE SOLUTION.

I HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT YOU GUYS WON'T LIKE IT.

I FEEL THEY HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN WE DO AND WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL HOMES.

AND MAYBE THEY SHOULD START PAYING PROPERTY TAX IF THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE UNDER THAT BRIDGE. THEY PICK UP TWIGS.

SOON AS THE SHERIFF CLEANED THEM OUT LAST WEEK THEY'RE PICKING UP TWIGS.

THEY START FIRES TO KEEP WARM.

THEY HAVE MULTITUDE OF BROKEN DOWN BIKES THAT IF A FLOOD CAME WHERE'D THOSE BIKES END UP.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT LIVE THERE AND WHAT THEY DO.

AS SOON AS THE SHERIFF COMES, THEY GET OUT AND THEY'LL GO ON THEIR BIKES ACROSS THE STREET AND WATCH, WATCH A SHERIFF DO IT.

IT'S NOT THE SHERIFF'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CLEAN OUT THESE HOMELESS, AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE SHERIFFS.

IN FACT, THEY'RE ON SPEED DIAL WITH ME, AND I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.

WE'VE GOT TO BARRICADE WHERE THEY CANNOT GET DOWN THERE.

MAYBE BOULDER'S FENCE SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S TERRIBLE.

WE HAVE PEOPLE PARKING THERE OVERNIGHT.

MY HUSBAND ONE WEEKEND HAULED 10 SHOPPING CARTS TO TARGET.

NOW, THAT'S NOT MY HUSBAND'S JOB TO DO THAT.

HE ALSO PICKS UP THE TRASH.

THESE PEOPLE THROW TRASH EVERYWHERE, AND IT'S AWFUL.

IT'S JUST AWFUL.

AND WE NEED TO COME TO A SOLUTION.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO HAVE ARMY ENGINEERS.

WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING.

I DON'T CARE IF IT TAKES FOUR YEARS.

I'VE ALREADY LIVED THERE TWO YEARS AND I PUT UP WITH IT FOR TWO YEARS.

SO JUST KEEP THIS IN MIND.

AND WE'RE STILL WATCHING.

WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THEM.

AND WE EVEN WALKED DOWN THE DAY THE SHERIFF, CAME AND I'LL BE DANG, THEY ALL MOVED RIGHT BACK IN WITHIN AN HOUR.

SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME AND MY CONCERNS, AND I HOPE TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE COUNTY. SO THANK YOU.

AND I DID IT UNDER THREE MINUTES.

YOU GOT 14 SECONDS LEFT.

YOU WANT TO YIELD YOUR TIME TO MR. JORDAN. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU.

I CAN'T SAY MUCH IN 14 SECONDS.

[LAUGHTER]. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.

OK. DO WE HAVE ANY ON ZOOM? MR. CHAIR, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ZOOM. OK, THANK YOU.

THEN I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.

SO WE NOW HAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND THEIR ANNUAL REPORT.

[PRESENTATION: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD ANNUAL REPORT]

[00:10:07]

CEO DESIGNEE MENDEZ AS WELL AS CEO BROWN.

I AM LESLIE [INAUDIBLE] CUMMINGS AND I AM THE BOARD CHAIR FOR THE WORKFORCE BOARD, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY.

I DO HAVE SOME BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY THAT SIT ON THE WORKFORCE BOARD WITH ME, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A FEW IN THE AUDIENCE HERE TODAY.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE OUR STAFF.

THERE ARE SOME HERE TODAY, BUT WE HAVE A 10 MEMBER STAFF TEAM AND MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.

AND ALL OF THEIR WORK TOGETHER IN THIS LAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN REALLY VERY CHALLENGING, BUT ALSO VERY REWARDING DURING REALLY TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES.

AT THIS TIME, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ERICK SERRATO TO SHARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 AND THOUGHTS AHEAD FOR THIS YEAR.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US.

YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME. GOOD MORNING.

HELLO. THANK YOU FOR MAKING TIME TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HIGHLIGHT FROM THE LAST 12 MONTHS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT AND THE MERCED COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD. WE ASCRIBE TO THE ADAGE THAT WE'RE HERE TO GET STUFF DONE AND WE'RE HERE TO GET STUFF RIGHT.

AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD TO WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF OUR MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS ONE OF FORTY FIVE FEDERALLY DESIGNATED WORKFORCE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE.

OUR MISSION IS TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF THE LOCAL WORKFORCE ENVIRONMENT.

DWI IS, OF COURSE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT.

BEHIND THAT, WE ARE FULLY [INAUDIBLE].

ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM AN ACTUAL FEDERAL ALLOCATION, AND THE BALANCE OF THOSE FUNDS COME FROM STATE OR PRIVATE GRANTS.

THERE ARE THREE SORT OF MAIN CATEGORIES OF OUR WORK.

MOST OF YOU KNOW, OUR WORK NET JOB CENTERS.

THOSE ARE OPERATED THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH EQUUS WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

THERE ARE TWO JOB CENTERS, ONE IN MERCED AND ONE IN LOS BANOS, AND WE HAVE SITE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROBATION CALLED BREAKING BARRIERS.

THE SECOND IS THE EMPOWER PROGRAM, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON TRANSITION AGED YOUTH THAT IS OPERATED BY THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND THEY HAVE A CENTER IN MERCED.

AND THE THIRD KIND OF CATEGORY OF OUR WORK IS SPECIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ISSUES.

I'LL WALK US THROUGH SORT OF THE THREE MAJOR AREAS OF OUR WORK.

WORKERS, YOUTH AND BUSINESSES, AND THEN SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE LABOR MARKET THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND SOME IDEAS FOR 2022.

OUR MISSION IS BROAD, BROADER THAN MANY WORKFORCE BOARDS IN THE STATE.

IN ADDITION TO THE BREAD AND BUTTER WORK THAT MOST WORKFORCE BOARDS ADOPT, WE'VE ALSO SORT OF WALKED INTO OTHER ADJACENT ISSUES LIKE WORKFORCE HOUSING AND CHILD CARE AND TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND THAT WORK IS DONE IN SUPPORT OF OUR FELLOW DEPARTMENTS LIKE CED AND HSA AND BHRS, AS WELL AS THE WORK OF SOME OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THIS IS A QUICK PHOTO FROM OUR TRUCK FEST, WHICH WAS OUR SIGNATURE EVENT OF 2021.

YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS PROGRAM BEFORE IT GARNERED NATIONAL ATTENTION THAT CULMINATED IN A CALL WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE ON LOGISTICS ON HOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN REPLICATE THIS WORK, AND INDEED THEY HAVE THIS MONTH WORKFORCE BOARD TO OUR NORTH IS ACTUALLY TAKING OUR VERY SAME CONCEPT AND DEVELOPING IT IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

YOU'VE ALSO HEARD FROM ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS WHO'S NOW BECOME A DEAR FRIEND OF THE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

HIS NAME IS AUSTIN, AND HE'S JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY FROM FINISHING HIS TRAINING, AND HE'LL BE ON THE ROAD IN MARCH.

THIS IS THE CORE OF OUR WORK, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ENROLLED, OUR TWO JOB CENTERS.

WE HAD SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CALENDAR YEAR.

ABOUT SIXTY SIX PERCENT OF THEM ARE UNEMPLOYED OR FACING SOME BARRIERS.

THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE EITHER TRYING TO UPSKILL TO A BETTER JOB OR HAVE HAD CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES, AND WE'RE THERE TO CONNECT THEM TO THAT OPPORTUNITY.

ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OFF DURING THE PANDEMIC.

AND JUST KEEP IN MIND THE STAT BECAUSE IT GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF AN IDEA OF THE SPLIT BETWEEN FOLKS THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN HURT BY THE PANDEMIC AND THOSE THAT ARE JUST FACING SORT OF ON ONGOING ISSUES.

ONE THING TO NOTE ABOUT THIS IS THAT WHILE MOST WORKFORCE BOARDS HAVE HAD TROUBLE ENROLLING THEIR RESIDENTS, THIS BOARD HAS NOT.

SO WE SAW A HUGE JUMP IN ENROLLMENT THROUGH MY PREDECESSOR'S TIME, AND THAT HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE DESPITE RECENT CUTS IN FUNDING.

[00:15:04]

SO WE PROVIDED ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY INDIVIDUAL GRANTS TO FOLKS BETWEEN FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS TO HELP THEM COVER THE COST OF HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT WORKING. THAT TOTALED ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

WE ALSO ACTIVELY REFERRED TO OTHER SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HSA AND COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY.

AND THIS YEAR, AS A FIRST, WE ACTUALLY HOSTED OR CO-HOSTED THREE VACCINE CLINICS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIVINGSTON COMMUNITY HEALTH AND THE NORTH VALLEY LABOR FEDERATION AND UNITED WAY AND SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

WE HELD THOSE IN LE GRAND AND LOS BANOS AND DOS PALOS AS A WAY TO REALLY PROTECT WORKERS.

KEY TO OUR PROGRAMS ARE OUR EFFORTS TO HELP THOSE WORKERS THAT ARE HAVING THE MOST BARRIERS. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THROUGH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE'VE REALLY LEANED IN TO SERVING FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IN THE CALENDAR YEAR, WE HAD SIXTY TWO PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE BREAKING BARRIERS AND OUR PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, IN ADDITION TO THE SIXTY TWO THAT WE SERVED. WE ALSO SERVE BUSINESSES THROUGH $70000 OF BONDING THAT ALLOWED THEM TO TAKE ON THESE INDIVIDUALS AND FEEL SAFE ABOUT THAT.

WE'VE LEANED IN, LEANED INTO OUR WORK IN HOMELESS SERVICES.

AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN STATIONED AT NEW DIRECTIONS AND THE NAVIGATION CENTER. WE'VE DONE WORKSHOPS THERE.

WE'VE ALSO BEEN ONE OF THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE HOMELESS COURT.

AND IN 2022, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH HSA TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN AROUND HIRING HOMELESS CREDIT THAT'S AVAILABLE BY THE STATE SO THAT WE WILL GET MORE EMPLOYERS TO BUY INTO THIS.

WE'VE ALSO OPERATED A NUMBER OF SPECIAL GRANTS, SUCH AS THE OPIATE [INAUDIBLE] GRANT, COVID 19 GRANT AND AB 1111, WHICH FOCUSED ON FOLKS GETTING THEIR GED AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. TRAINING IS A HUGE PART OF OUR WORK.

SO WE GAVE OUT THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS.

MOST OF THOSE ARE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BUT WE ALSO FUNDED A NUMBER OF COHORTS.

WE HAD A LIUNA TRAINING EARLIER IN WELL IN THE SUMMER THAT WAS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRADE ORGANIZATIONS IN WINTON.

WE HAD TWO WELDING COHORTS, ONE ON THE WEST SIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCED COLLEGE AND ANOTHER ONE IN WINTON, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER AND A HOST OF TRUCK DRIVING COHORTS.

THAT'S A PICTURE FROM THAT EVENT, THANK YOU TO THE SUPERVISORS THAT JOINED US THAT DAY.

YOUTH, THE WORKFORCE BOARD ACTUALLY GETS A SPECIFIC ALLOCATION FOR TRANSITION AGE YOUTH.

THESE ARE FOLKS TYPICALLY 16 OR 18 TO 24 YEARS OLD THAT ARE HAVING SERIOUS BARRIERS TO FINDING A JOB OR CONNECTING BACK TO SCHOOL.

THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE METRICS THAT WE USE TO SORT OF EVALUATE THAT PROGRAM.

SEVENTY FIVE POINT THREE PERCENT EARNED A CREDENTIAL.

THAT'S ACTUALLY ABOVE THE STATE GOAL, AND SEVENTY ONE POINT NINE PERCENT WERE EMPLOYED AND STILL EMPLOYED AFTER SIX MONTHS, AGAIN ABOVE THE STATE GOAL, WHICH IS A TESTAMENT TO MCOE'S WORK. 2021 BROUGHT A NEW FOCUS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MCOE TO INTRODUCE NEW TENANTS OF THE PROGRAM, WORK EXPERIENCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.

THERE THEY ARE, DEVELOPING JOB SITES WITHIN OUR SMALLER TOWNS AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS SO THAT YOUNG PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET A JOB IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE'RE SPREADING THOSE ENROLLMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY.

THE AGENCY IS ACTUALLY INCENTIVIZED TO HIRE IN TO ENROLL AND PLACE IN THOSE CENSUS TRACTS WITH THE LOWEST POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY.

AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN SETTING SORT OF THE DELTA BETWEEN THE WAGE THAT THEY CAME IN WITH AND THE WAGE THAT THEY'RE EARNING IN THEIR IN THEIR FINAL PLACEMENT.

SEVENTY FIVE OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE COMPLETED VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMS AND ARE ON THEIR WAY TO A GOOD CAREER.

THIS IS ONE OF MANY NOTES AND EMAILS THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN FROM BUSINESSES AS WE HAVE HELPED THEM NAVIGATE THE PANDEMIC.

WE HELP BUSINESSES IN A PLETHORA OF WAYS WE HELP THEM RECRUIT FOR EMPLOYERS.

WHEN DOWNSIZING IS NECESSARY, WE WALK THEM THROUGH THAT.

WE CONNECT THEM TO A MYRIAD OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES.

THIS IN 2021, WE SAW THE FIRST ANNUAL HR MANAGERS BREAKFAST WHERE WE GATHERED THE HR MANAGERS OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE COUNTY AND SAID, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF

[00:20:02]

THAT EVENT INCLUDED A REALLY GREAT WELCOME ADDRESS BY ASSISTANT CEO BARRERA, AND THOSE BUSINESSES HAD NEVER BEEN ORGANIZED IN THAT WAY AND WALKED AWAY KNOWING MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES AND HOW MUCH THE COUNTY REALLY APPRECIATES THEIR WORK.

WE LEANED INTO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES HOTLINE, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY FREE.

ANY BUSINESS CAN CALL AT ANY TIME AND GET ADVICE ON HOW TO LET SOMEONE GO, HOW TO EVALUATE AN EMPLOYEE OR ON COVID 19 PRECAUTIONS.

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR FOR BUSINESSES WAS WE LEVERAGED STATE RESOURCES.

THE CALIFORNIA RELIEF GRANT WAS AVAILABLE TO ALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE STATE.

WE WORKED SPECIFICALLY WITH 18 BUSINESSES AND BROUGHT HOME ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND $5000 GRANTS TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES AND THEIR BOTTOM LINES.

WE KNOW THAT OUTREACH IS IMPORTANT.

WE WERE OUT AT FORTY ONE DIFFERENT EVENTS, EVERYTHING FROM A JOB FAIR TO TRASH PICKUP.

WE HAD FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE THOUSAND SOCIAL MEDIA VIEWS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SHARES, WHICH GIVES US AN INDICATION THAT OUR INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT AND THAT FOLKS ARE SHARING IT.

I'D LIKE TO JUST SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON ON WHAT'S NEXT FOR 2022, AND I'LL START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCUSSION ON OUR ECONOMY.

SO FUN FACT THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED RESIDENTS IN OUR LABOR FORCE. THOSE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING OR ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WORK.

THAT'S BEEN PRETTY SOLID OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN AS OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN.

SO THERE'S AN INTERESTING PHENOMENON HAPPENING THERE.

IT'S BEEN A REALLY CHALLENGING TIME FOR ANYONE THAT STUDIES SORT OF THE LABOR MARKET IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT SURVEYS AND INDICATORS THAT ARE TELLING US DIFFERENT THINGS.

MOST OF THE DATA THAT YOU SEE ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS BASED ON TWO SURVEYS.

ONE IS TO BUSINESSES AND IT ASKS THEM, ARE YOU HIRING OR HAVE YOU FILLED A JOB? THE OTHER CALLS HOUSEHOLDS AND SAYS, ARE YOU LOOKING OR ARE YOU WORKING? AND WHAT'S HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME IS THAT THOSE THINGS ARE TELLING US DIFFERENT THINGS. SOMETIMES IT TELLS US THE ECONOMY IS STRONG, AND SOMETIMES IT TELLS US THAT EMPLOYERS AREN'T HIRING BACK AS QUICKLY AS WE'D LIKE.

BUT THERE ARE A CONFLUENCE OF FORCES THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR COUNTY IN PARTICULAR WAYS.

CERTAINLY, YOU HAVE THE PANDEMIC AND THE LATEST VARIANT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A VERY TIGHT HOUSING MARKET HERE IN MERCED COUNTY THAT IS PUTTING MORE PRESSURE ON WAGES THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. YOU HAVE THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE COUNTY THAT IS INTRODUCING NEW WORKERS, AND THEY'RE WORKING AT DIFFERENT JOBS AND INTRODUCING DIFFERENT COMMUTE PATTERNS THAN WE'VE SEEN BEFORE, AND THAT'S PUTTING DIFFERENT KIND OF PRESSURE ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY. AND YOU CAN EVEN POINT TO CHANGES IN LAND USE AND THE DIVERSIFICATION OF DIFFERENT SECTORS THAT ARE INTRODUCING NEW AND HIGHER PAYING JOBS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR ECONOMY THAT IS GIVING WORKERS MORE CHOICES AND WE'RE SEEING MORE CHURN, THAT IS MORE INDIVIDUALS JUMPING FROM ONE JOB TO ANOTHER, THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS HAS ITS IMPACT.

BUT I THINK THESE STATISTICS ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTING.

SO IF WE LOOK AT DECEMBER 2019, BEFORE COVID HIT US, WE WERE AT 8.5 AND NOW WE'RE AT 8.2.

AND IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT, YOU WOULD SAY, WELL, THEN WE'RE WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL PRETTY GOOD, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT THOSE NUMBERS.

SO WE LOOKED BACK AT PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST LABOR MARKET ECONOMIES WE HAD AND THAT WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 AND WE HAD A SIX PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.

SEPTEMBER 2021 WAS ALSO AT 8.2.

SO THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS BETWEEN SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT OF WORK AND NINETY FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT OF WORK IN DECEMBER.

THAT ACTUALLY GIVES ME A LOT OF OPTIMISM BECAUSE THAT IS OUR OPPORTUNITY SPACE.

WE ARE TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE AWAY FROM BEING BACK AT THE BEST ECONOMY THAT WE'VE HAD IN A GENERATION.

AND IT'S YOUR WORKFORCE BOARD THAT IS CHARGED WITH WITH MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

IN TERMS OF WHAT'S NEXT FOR US IN 2022, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK IN DEVELOPING LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO THE CHILD CARE CRISIS.

WE GOT A $150000 GRANT FROM THE IRVINE FOUNDATION TO WORK WITH MCOE AND OTHER PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY NEW WAYS OF SOLVING THIS IN A SORT OF LOCAL WITH A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE.

ONE INSIGHT THAT WE HAVE IS THERE ARE LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED HOME BASED CHILD CARES IN THE COUNTY, AND OUR RESEARCH TELLS US THAT WE NEED TWENTY ONE HUNDRED.

SO, SO WHERE ARE THOSE NINETEEN HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS GOING TO COME FROM? WELL, THAT'S WHERE THE WORKFORCE BOARD STEPS IN.

WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW AUTOMATION IS IMPACTING THE DISLOCATION OF LARGELY WOMEN IN PACKING SHEDS AND OTHER PARTS OF OUR OUR AG ECONOMY AND THINKING ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED

[00:25:03]

SOME FOLKS MIGHT CALL THIS THE WORKING POOR.

IMAGINE SOMEONE WHO'S WORKING THIRTY TWO HOURS AT A CORPORATE RETAIL JOB AND JUST NOT ABLE TO MAKE THEIR RENT OR OR BUY THEIR HOME.

WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND [INAUDIBLE] LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS WHERE WE CAN DO WAGE REPLACEMENT THROUGH SOME LOW COST LOANS AND FUNDING SOURCES TO LET THEM DEDICATE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT WEEKS OF THEIR LIFE TO BECOME A MEDICAL ASSISTANT AND THEN JUMP ON THAT ON ROAD DO A GOOD JOB.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT YOUTH EMPLOYMENT.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT THE CITY OF MERCED ACTUALLY AWARDED US A MILLION DOLLARS TO OPERATE TWO YEARS OF A YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF MERCED.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH HSA TO LOOK AT WAYS OF LOOKING AT CAL WORKS AND [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAMS IN A NEW WAY THAT MIGHT INCORPORATE, MIGHT INCORPORATE YOUTH.

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THAT YOU'LL SEE PHYSICALLY IS OUR COMMITMENT TO ENHANCED ACCESS. SO YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE OFFICE AT CASTLE, WE'RE REPURPOSING HALF OF THAT TO BECOME A NEW SATELLITE JOB CENTER THAT WILL FOCUS ON EMPLOYERS IN THE ATWATER AREA AND AT CASTLE, SO THAT WE ARE MEETING ALL OF THEIR RECRUITMENT NEEDS.

WE ARE REMODELING THE LOS BANOS SITE INTO SOMETHING THAT WILL BECOME A FLAGSHIP CENTER ACROSS THE STATE THAT WILL INTRODUCE SORT OF THE WAY THAT WE DO THINGS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES WITH THE STATE OF THE ART CENTER.

AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT AT WHAT YOU SEE UP THERE, WHICH IS PODS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT DEPLOYING THESE EITHER AT LIBRARIES OR COMMUNITY CENTERS OR OTHER CIVIC SPACES, SO THAT NO ONE IS MORE THAN A 15 MINUTE DRIVE FROM A CAREER COUNSELOR WHERE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CONNECT VIRTUALLY.

THEY CAN INTERVIEW FOR A JOB VIRTUALLY AND GET OTHER RESOURCES IN THE COUNTY.

AND THIS IS PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANT.

SO OFTENTIMES ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS ARE MEASURED BY WAGES AND EARNINGS AND BOTTOM LINE, AND WE'VE ADOPTED A NEW METRIC, WHICH IS TIME.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN STUDYING AND RESPONDING TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME SOMEONE SPENDS ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND IS USING PUBLIC SERVICES, THE AMOUNT OF TIME A VACANCY GOES UNFILLED AND A BUSINESS DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT WORKER.

THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT SOMEONE COMES INTO OUR CENTER AND STAYS WITHIN OUR SYSTEM BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THAT FIRST MEANINGFUL PAYCHECK.

SO NEXT YEAR, YOU'LL GET MORE METRICS ON THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE IN OUR SYSTEM, THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT BUSINESSES HAVE TO GO WITHOUT RECEIVING A SERVICE, ALL TO JUST BRING MORE EFFICIENCY INTO OUR SYSTEM.

THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS A SHARE A PICTURE OF OUR STAFF.

THIS IS THREE OF OUR STAFF EXHAUSTED AFTER THAT TRUCK FEST.

THEY'D BEEN THERE FOR 11 HOURS, YOU KNOW, LIFTING CHAIRS AND ALSO GETTING PEOPLE INTO GOOD CAREERS. AND THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OF PEOPLE.

IT IS YOUR HARDEST WORKING 10 MEMBER BUNCH.

AND ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT 2021 IS IT MARKED 20 YEARS OF SERVICE FOR [INAUDIBLE] ESPINOSA, WHO IS REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE SEEN TODAY. SO I THANK HER, I THANK THE STAFF, I THANK OUR BOARD AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

SURE, WELL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.

YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU DO IS IN MY COMMUNITIES IS GETTING NOTICED.

AND SO JUST ON OUR RESIDENTS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

I HAPPEN TO TAKE OUR [INAUDIBLE] LAST WEEK.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENTS CAME THAT THEY WERE GETTING OUT IN THE RURAL AREAS. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND SO MY COLLEAGUES SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, LESLIE.

THANK YOU, ERIC. IT'S NO RIDDLE TO THIS BOARDROOM THAT THIS IS THE COMMITTEE THAT I SIT ON THAT I ALWAYS BRAG ABOUT AND SAY, THIS IS GOVERNMENT GETTING IT RIGHT AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

ONE THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, THOUGH, IS WHENEVER WE GO BACK TO THE LABOR FORCE SLIDE, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THAT ONE.

AND ACTUALLY, TO THIS BOARD, YOU'D ENJOY THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE BECAUSE WE DO DEEP DIVES ON EVERY ITEM AND ERIC IS RIGHT THERE READY TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS FOR US.

BUT THE TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED DIFFERENCE FROM THE SIX PERCENT TO THE EIGHT POINT TWO PERCENT. I CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM OUR EMPLOYERS HERE IN THE COUNTY, IN MY DISTRICT AND COUNTY WIDE THAT THEY CANNOT FIND PEOPLE TO WORK.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED SHOULD BE EASY TO ACHIEVE.

BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FALLOFF IS BECAUSE THESE FOLKS WERE WORKING BEFORE TWO YEARS

[00:30:01]

SUPERVISOR YOU'RE GIVING ME A QUESTION THAT I'D LOVE TO SPEND HALF AN HOUR ON.

I KNOW. LIKE WE DO IN OUR BOARD MEETINGS.

THERE'S A THERE'S A COUPLE INTERESTING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND NOT HAPPENING.

SO YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE GREAT RESIGNATION THAT IS NOT HAPPENING HERE.

SO THE GREAT RESIGNATION IS LARGELY FOCUSED ON ON MIDDLE MANAGERS AND WHITE COLLAR JOBS AND FOLKS THAT WORK IN HOSPITALITY, THAT IS NOT THAT DOES NOT MAKE UP A MAJORITY OF OUR WORKERS. THAT IS NOT HAPPENING HERE.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IS A PHENOMENON AROUND YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUNG WORKERS.

SO YOU COULD TALK TO PRESIDENT [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT THE DROP OFF IN ENROLLMENT.

YOU COULD TALK TO LOTS OF LABOR ECONOMISTS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST IDLE, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.

AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THE PIPELINE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO SUPPLY NEW WORKERS SUDDENLY SORT OF DISINTEGRATE YOU, YOU FACE SORT OF A LABOR CRISIS.

THERE'S REALLY INTERESTING RESEARCH COMING OUT OF THE UC BERKELEY LABOR LAW CENTER THAT TALKS ABOUT THE MENTAL IMPACT THAT EVERY GENERATION RECEIVES FROM ITS OWN ECONOMIC CRISIS, DATING BACK TO THE 20S AND THE FALL OF THE STOCK MARKET OR THE GREAT RECESSION, OR EVEN THE INFLATION THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN THE 70S.

AND IT IS A SORT OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL MARKER THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE DATA, AND IT IS VERY WORRYING TO THOSE IN THE WORKFORCE SORT OF FIELD ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE ECONOMY AND SAFETY NETS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM HOW YOU OR I GOT A JOB.

PART OF THAT IS NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.

I TALK OFTEN ABOUT WHEN I WAS A HIGH SCHOOLER, I WOULD MOW LAWNS FOR EXTRA CASH.

NOW YOU WALK ON SOMEONE'S LAWN AND PEOPLE ARE LOCKING THE DOORS.

I USED TO BABYSIT OR OTHER PEOPLE USED TO BABYSIT AND EARN SOME EXTRA DOLLARS.

NOW PEOPLE WANT YOU TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN CHILD CARE TO EVEN LEAVE YOUR KID WITH THEM FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.

OR YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO WALK INTO A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AND GET A JOB EASY.

AND NOW THERE'S ACTUALLY ADULTS OR OLDER ADULTS SORT OF WORKING IN THOSE SPACES.

SO YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR HAVE FACED THESE ECONOMIC CONSTRICTIONS AT DIFFERENT ENDS.

SO THAT'S THAT'S DEFINITELY PART OF IT.

JOBS HERE ARE IT'S EASY TO DRIVE 20 MINUTES UP THE ROAD AND EARN MAYBE A DOLLAR.

A DOLLAR, 15 MORE THAN AN EMPLOYER IS ABLE TO PAY HERE.

AND SO WE'RE COMPETING WITH THAT.

STANISLAUS COUNTY IS ACTUALLY OUR LARGEST COMMUTER PARTNER, AS WELL AS WESTSIDE TRAVEL INTO THE BAY AREA.

IT IS NO MORE ACUTE ACTUALLY THAN IN THE CRISIS FACING SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, WHERE YOU CAN WORK FOR GUSTINE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, OR YOU CAN DRIVE OVER THE HILL AND MAKE, YOU KNOW, 50 PERCENT MORE THAN YOU TYPICALLY WOULD.

SO WE'RE UNDER, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL PRESSURES HERE, WHY FOLKS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING JOBS HAS TO DO WITH THAT FLUCTUATION OF WAGE AND THE OVERALL MOVEMENTS IN THE ECONOMY. TRY TO KEEP IT THERE.

NO AND SO DO YOU. WHEN YOU TOUCHED ON THE YOUNGER EMPLOYMENT, DO YOU SEE THE GIG ECONOMY KIND OF PLAYING A ROLE IN THAT? BECAUSE I COULD SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY KIDS, THEY START THEIR OWN COMPANIES AND THEY CONTRACT WITH OTHER COMPANIES THROUGH THEIR COMPANY TO DO WORK WHEN THE HOURS THAT THEY WANT TO WORK. AND IT SEEMS TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR THEM TO DO THAT.

AND I, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THEIR FRIENDS ARE ALSO DOING THE SAME THING.

WE'RE AT THAT LEGISLATION.

THEY TRY TO ALMOST PUT A STOP TO IT.

BUT YET THESE KIDS HAVE FIGURED OUT, WELL, I'LL START MY OWN BUSINESS.

MY BUSINESS WILL CONTRACT TO DO THE WORK.

YEAH, THE GIG ECONOMY.

WE COULD DO MORE RESEARCH AROUND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS IN THE COUNTY.

WE COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT AND COME BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY.

BUT THE PRESSURE IS FELT SORT OF AT ALL LEVELS.

I MEAN, IF YOU DROVE DOWN OLIVE YOU SAW THAT BURGER KING WAS OFFERING $500 AS A SIGN ON BONUS, SOMETHING WE'D NEVER, NEVER SEE.

SO BUSINESSES AT ALL SORT OF RUNGS OF THAT WAGE LADDER ARE SEEING THAT.

THANK YOU, ERIC. THANKS, LESLIE.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, ERIC, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT JOB YOU'RE DOING AND YOU AND YOUR

[00:35:03]

AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE AS A BOARD WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE, ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS THAT NEED A GOOD PAYING JOB.

SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE LIKE TRANSLATION SERVICES OR DO APPLICANTS HAVE ACCESS TO ESPECIALLY EDUCATION IN REGARD TO THE TRAINING FOR TRUCK JOBS OR THE CLASSES AND ALL [INAUDIBLE] SEEKS, MAHJONG AND SPANISH PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE ENGLISH.

SO DO THEY HAVE THE OPTION? YEAH, WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR TRAINERS THAT DELIVER IT IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

I KNOW THAT CBOC DOES THAT AND THEY HAVE A TRUCK DRIVING PROGRAM.

WE ALSO WORK WITH THE MERCED ADULT SCHOOL.

SO WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WE DO ESL IN COLLABORATION WITH WHATEVER VOCATIONAL TRAINING THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.

BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES.

YEAH, BUT IT'S GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, CBOE OR, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROGRAM IS VERY ACCESSIBLE. SO I USUALLY SEND THEM TO CBOC.

SO THANK YOU. ANOTHER QUESTION IS, IS YOUR PROGRAM OFFER LAPTOPS OR IPADS AND INCLUDING WI-FI, WHERE AND HOW MANY STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, AND STUDENTS THEY COME OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND SOMETIMES DON'T HAVE THE JOB.

AND LIKE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT HARD FOR THEM TO GET INTO A JOB, BUT YOU KNOW, MAKING AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE WHERE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO BUY A LAPTOP OR AN IPAD, INCLUDING WI-FI, WHERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET A WORK FROM HOME PAYING JOB SO THAT WHERE THEY CAN START, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THEM TO MOVE FORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, APPLY SO, YOU KNOW, TO GET A JOB ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW, ACROSS AMERICA.

THANK YOU. WE DOING IT LARGELY DEPENDS ON THE PROGRAM.

SO ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE DID LAST WAS THE COVID 19 CONTACT TRACER PROGRAM, WHERE WE GAVE RESIDENTS TRANSITIONAL JOBS, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO DO CONTACT TRACING, BUT WE KNEW THAT THAT JOB WAS GOING TO END.

AND SO WE WORK WITH THE MERCED ADULT SCHOOL TO PROVIDE THEM SORT OF AUXILIARY SORT OF MEDICAL BACK OFFICE TRAINING.

AND IN THAT PROGRAM, WE ALSO GAVE THEM A LAPTOP TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THAT PROGRAM.

SO WHEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC NEED AND A RESOURCE, WE DO THAT.

WE ALSO OFFER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES SO THEY CAN GET REIMBURSED FOR, YOU KNOW, THEIR MY FIRE, THEIR CELL PHONE WHILE THEY'RE IN OUR PROGRAM.

ANYTHING YOU KNOW THAT THAT WE THINK THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AHEAD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

DIRECTOR SERRATO THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO IT ENOUGH IN THIS COUNTY KIND OF CELEBRATING OUR SUCCESSES. AND I THINK, I THINK WORKFORCE THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS ONE OF OUR HUGE SUCCESSES. I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.

IT'S IT'S WHERE WE'RE KIND OF GETTING IT RIGHT.

AND I THINK THE MESSAGE THAT YOU COULD TAKE AWAY FROM THIS, THIS IS THAT IF YOU'RE UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED, WE HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I KNOW THIS BOARD IS COMMITTED TO IT.

I'M SUPER APPRECIATIVE OF THE COMMITMENT TO THE WEST SIDE.

THE COMMITMENT TO AND WE HAVE A LEAD AN ITEM COMING UP LATER UP ON THE AGENDA TO EXTEND THE LEASE AND WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO TO MAKE THAT WORK THAT JOB CENTER, NEW AND INNOVATIVE, AND JUST IT'S REALLY GREAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS OUT THERE, BUT THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY COMES IN THAT YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO WANT TO HELP YOURSELF.

YOU AND I GET IT, THERE'S CHALLENGES.

BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU LISTENED TO YOUR COMMENTS A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IS THESE LITTLE PODS AND PUTTING THEM UP. SO NOBODY'S MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AWAY FROM ACCESS TO CAREER COUNSELORS. AND IT'S IT IS FRUSTRATING FOR ME.

IT'S LIKE WHEN LITERALLY YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION.

I DON'T CARE WHERE IT'S AT AND YOU'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT ARE EMPLOYERS AND THEY DON'T JUST EMPLOY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.

AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR A JOB AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHO? WHERE? HOW DO I GET A HOLD OF THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY THIS IS IN THE AG SECTOR OUT THERE.

BUT THESE ARE THEY'RE GOOD PAYING JOBS, THEY'RE NOT MINIMUM WAGE JOBS.

AND THEN I WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT ON THE PART ABOUT IT'S THE UNDEREMPLOYED, YOU KNOW, THE THE MINIMUM WAGE FOLKS, THEY CAN FIND FOLKS TO COME IN THAT.

BUT WHERE THEY WHERE THEY RUN INTO TROUBLE IS, IS THIS THE SKILLED LABOR? AND SO THE STORY I'LL SHARE WITH YOU IS, IS THEY NEEDED FORKLIFT OPERATORS AND REALLY THEY BROUGHT IN LIKE FIVE OR SIX JUST OFF THE STREET FOLKS TO COME IN AND THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THEIR BEST FORKLIFT DRIVER IN CHARGE AND PAY THESE FOLKS FOR A WEEK, 10 DAYS TO TRAIN THEM TO.

AND ALL THEY DID ALL DAY IS LIFT BOXES AND LOWER BOXES, RIGHT? BUT AND THEIR GOAL WAS TO GET ONE.

THEY WERE HOPING TO GET ONE OUT OF IT.

SO AGAIN, THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

BUT AGAIN, THE MESSAGE TODAY THAT I HEARD ABOVE ALL ELSE IS YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU

[00:40:06]

CALL ERICK SERRATO AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

AND HE'S GOT A PROGRAM.

HE'S GOT A PLAN.

HE'S GOT HE CAN SEND YOU SOMEWHERE TO HELP YOU TO BETTER YOURSELF.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ME.

BUT I'M SUPER THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK THAT IN MERCED COUNTY, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE'RE WHEN YOU LOOK AT A NUMBER AND YOU CALL IT TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED, OR IF YOU THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, THAT'S NOT OUT OF THE REALM.

THAT'S THAT'S WE'RE NOT TALKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, 20000 PEOPLE, WE'RE TALKING TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED. THAT IS THAT IS THERE'S SOMETHING YOU CAN MEASURE THERE THAT WE CAN HELP.

AND SO AGAIN, ALL THE COLLABORATION WITH THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S WITHIN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT'S WITHIN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

OK. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

SHARING MY APPRECIATION FOR WHAT YOU DO.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT YOU SAID IS, YOU KNOW, THAT TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE.

AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK.

AND SO I KNOW YOU GUYS WORK REALLY HARD TO TO TO HIT THAT HIT THAT GOAL OF THAT SIX PERCENT AND THAT TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, THERE IS STUFF OUT THERE. AND I THINK THAT I THINK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID IT BEST THAT IT'S NOT JUST FOCUSED ON ONE AREA, IT'S COUNTY WIDE AND YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO REALLY REACH OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN.

AND THEN THE COLLABORATIONS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LABORERS INTERNATIONAL, THE, YOU KNOW, THE MERCED ADULT SCHOOL AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF, GETTING THOSE TYPES OF AND EVEN MERCED COLLEGE GETTING MAKING SURE THAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE DEVELOPED AND ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER, I THINK IS INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL FOR MERCED COUNTY.

SO THANK YOU TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR BOARD FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO.

WELL, I THINK THAT'S ALL OF US HAVE SPOKE.

SO ANYWAYS, I'D LIKE TO TO THANK LESLIE AND YOUR BOARD FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO ON OUR COUNTY.

I MISS YOU AT THE COC BUT I SEE YOU'RE STILL SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I KNOW THAT YOUR JOB IS VERY TAXING.

SO FOR YOU TO TO DO THIS, WE APPRECIATE.

THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR OR CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

PLEASE NOTE ITEMS ONE THROUGH SIX, EIGHT, 11 AND 12 REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTH VOTE.

OK, I SEE NO COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY.

ONE THING THAT I LEARNED LAST WEEK IS THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO TO PULL AN ITEM OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA TO MAKE COMMENT ON IT.

SO ANYWAYS, I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY, BUT I SEE NO COMMENT.

WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? I SEE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

NO OTHER DISCUSSION.

I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION CARRY UNANIMOUSLY, THANK YOU.

NEXT IS BOARD ACTION PUBLIC WORKS ITEM 13.

[BOARD ACTION]

IS THE MOTION GOING TO DIE FOR A LACK OF A SECOND? OH, AND WE HAVE A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, I APPRECIATE IT.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE OR I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

ALL RIGHT, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS 14 AND 15.

OK. I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL ON SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ON ITEM 15, AS I WAS REVIEWING THE CONTRACT,

[00:45:06]

[INAUDIBLE], I THINK IS HOW YOU SAY IT.

SO IN THE CONTRACTORS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT KIND OF JUST JUMPED OUT AT ME WAS IS THERE IS A IS A THERE'S THIS $40000 TUITION PAYMENT THAT COMES IN YEAR TWO OF THE CONTRACT.

AND SO I CALLED DIRECTOR VALENTINE TO JUST INQUIRE ABOUT THAT.

SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COME UP AND EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE KIND OF WHY THAT'S THERE AND HOW WE GOT THERE, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

GOOD MORNING. THROUGH THE CHAIR TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

SO IT'S DR. [INAUDIBLE], WE HAVE DECIDED TO GET A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH OUR RECRUITMENT OF PSYCHIATRISTS. SO WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT THROUGH SUTTER, WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LOAN REIMBURSEMENT TO THEIR STUDENT LOANS IF THEY ARE WILLING TO PROVIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HOURS OF SERVICE TO US.

ONCE THEY HAVE COMPLETED THOSE HOURS OF SERVICE THROUGH THAT GRANT, WE CAN THEN PAY PART OF THEIR STUDENT LOAN.

SO WITH DR.

[INAUDIBLE]'S CONTRACT, THAT WAS PART OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH HER.

PERFECT THANK YOU. AND SO I WANT TO I JUST THINK THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

IT'S SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONSIDERED A HEALTH CARE DESERT HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, AND WE JUST WE LACK THE SERVICES.

AND THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I THINK THAT THROUGH WHETHER IT'S GRANTS PRIVATE GRANTS THROUGH OR WHETHER IT'S THROUGH GRANTS FROM THE STATE, THAT HELPS US TO REALLY BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THESE FOLKS. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS IS, LOOK, YOU COME AND DO YOUR TIME AND SOME OF THE RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN HEALTH CARE DESERTS AND YOU MAKE THAT TIME COMMITMENT, THEY'LL ACTUALLY HELP YOU PAY YOUR STUDENT LOAN DEBT.

SO AGAIN, THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR FOLKS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW I REALLY THINK THAT I KNOW MYSELF.

AND NOW THAT I'M ON THE CSAC EXEC BOARD AND PUSHING FOR IS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD.

WE HAVE IT IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, WE HAVE IT IN THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES FIELD AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD.

WE DON'T HAVE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND I THINK THAT THE STATE REALLY NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT IN THAT IF, IF ANYTHING COMING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC SHOWED US THAT THERE'S THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD AND WE NEED TO AGAIN IN THESE SOME OF OUR SMALLER RURAL COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS BE ABLE TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE FOLKS, GIVE THEM A REASON TO COME BACK HERE AND ESTABLISH SOME ROOTS HERE.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY STICK AROUND.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YVONNIA PROBABLY REMEMBERS WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THIS BOARD, THE FIRST TIME A PSYCHIATRIST CAME ACROSS AND HOW MUCH IT COST TO EMPLOY ONE OF THEM. I WAS QUITE OUTRAGED.

I MEAN, OUR PSYCHIATRIST SEEMED TO BE THE MOST PAID IN THE EMPLOYEES HERE.

AND I REMEMBER EVERY TIME THEY'D COME UP AND I JUST HAVE HER EXPLAIN IT TO EVERYBODY BECAUSE THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS AS WELL.

AND THEY KIND OF HOLD US HANDCUFFED HERE IN MERCED COUNTY BECAUSE WE ARE A DESERT.

MAY I? YES, YOU MAY.

DR. [INAUDIBLE], WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VERY BLESSED WITH HER EXPERIENCES DIRECTLY FROM UC SAN FRANCISCO IN INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

SO SHE WILL BE ACTUALLY OUR LEAD PSYCHIATRIST FOR OUR MARIE GREEN, OUR CSU AND ANY AND ALL CRISIS SERVICES, BECAUSE FOR THE LAST DECADE OR SO, SHE HAS SPENT ALL OF HER TIME ON INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH.

SO WE ARE VERY LUCKY AND VERY BLESSED THAT SHE'S WILLING TO COME OUR WAY.

IS THIS IN PERSON OR TELLA? SHE WILL BE 100 PERCENT IN PERSON AND HAS MOVED TO MERCED COUNTY.

REALLY? YES.

WELL, GOOD ON YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.

GREAT JOB. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

ALL RIGHT. WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG MEETING TODAY.

DO I LOOK A LITTLE? WHAT'S WHAT WORD SHOULD I USE? NOT PERTURBED BECAUSE I'M NOT PERTURBED, BUT PERPLEXED.

YES, I WELL, NO, BECAUSE I KNOW THE REASON WHY.

AND SO I'M NOT PERPLEXED.

I JUST WISH SOMEBODY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN EITHER MOVING THIS FORWARD OR WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEMS OF LIFE DIE FOR A LACK OF EMOTION.

AND SECOND.

AND SO MAYBE THEY'RE SHARING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOARD.

SO ANYWAYS, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

OH, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, WHICH I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY, THANK YOU.

NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEM 16 AND 17.

[00:50:02]

YOU KNOW, FOLKS, I'LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE A GOOD BOARD HERE AND YOU KNOW, THESE MEETINGS CAN BE LONG AND TENUOUS, AND I JUST APPRECIATE WORKING WITH THESE FINE PEOPLE. THANK YOU.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. WOULD THE MAKER OF MOTION BE.

THANK YOU, SIR. YOU ARE READING, I KNOW I CAN, I COULD WATCH YOU.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS.

ITEM NUMBER 18.

ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

AND JUST JUST SO RUSSELL PRICE IS BEING NOMINATED FOR THE OR APPROVED FOR THE SNELLING MAC AND RUSSELL AND I PLAYED BASEBALL WHEN WE WERE.

WE STARTED PLAYING TOGETHER WHEN WE WERE SEVEN YEARS OLD, AND SO I'M GLAD TO HAVE HIM JOIN US OUT IN SNELLING.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SHERRY RICHARDS, WHO'S ALSO FAMILY'S BEEN IN THE SNELLING AREA FOR WELL OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS.

SO GLAD TO HAVE THAT EXPERTISE ON OUR ON OUR BOARD WITH THAT I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS APPROVAL BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

WELL, I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.

ONE OF THE ITEMS IS A CONSTRUCTION OF A BRIDGE IN MY DISTRICT OVER [INAUDIBLE] ROAD AND AND ALTHOUGH IT'S OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS, IT'S CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY OF SNELLING.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT TO DANA HERTFELDER.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND SECOND BY MYSELF.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, THE ITEM 20 IS A ITEM IN MY PROJECT IN MY DISTRICT AND THE TOWN OF PLANADA, WHICH IS A SAFETY PROJECT, WHICH THERE'S BEEN MANY FATALITIES IN THAT AREA. SO THIS WILL IMPROVE THE WALKWAYS ACROSS THE THE TRACKS AND CREATE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY ISSUES AND ACCIDENTS THERE.

SO THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE.

AND WITH THAT WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

OK, NOW WE HAVE OUR SCHEDULED ITEMS FIRST IS CED, AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2030 MERCED COUNTY

[COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - PUBLIC HEARING 1]

DIRECTOR HENDRICKSON.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED AND ADOPTED THE MERCED COUNTY LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN BACK IN AUGUST OF 2014, AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY FEMA SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

IN ORDER FOR THE COUNTY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CERTAIN REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE STATE, STATE LAW NOW REQUIRES THIS PLAN BE INCORPORATED INTO YOUR SAFETY ELEMENT OF YOUR GENERAL PLAN, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ADOPTED ONE YEAR PRIOR IN THE YEAR 2013.

SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM, OF COURSE, IS TO BRING YOUR SAFETY ELEMENT INTO FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ALL CURRENT REQUIREMENTS.

HENCE, AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THE ITEM.

TO THIS END AN AMENDMENT TO THIS ELEMENT IS A IS PROPOSED TO INCORPORATE THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN VIA REFERENCE INTO YOUR SAFETY ELEMENT OF YOUR GENERAL PLAN.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID CONSIDER THIS ITEM BACK ON DECEMBER 1ST AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.

STAFF AT THIS POINT RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ONE FOR YOU TO HOLD YOUR PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY, TWO FOR YOU TO CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING.

THREE TO CONSIDER THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION AND THEN FOUR IT'S ACTUALLY A TWO PARTER. ONE FIND THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT TO BE EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER SECTIONS 15061B3, 15307, 15308 OF THE CEQA GUIDELINES AND THEN ADOPT THE CORRESPONDING RESOLUTION APPROVING THE GENERAL PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT GPTA 21-001.

[00:55:04]

SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS WE DO HAVE GREG PADILLA FROM FIRE, WHO IS PRESENT WITH US TODAY, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, RECOGNIZE HE, HIS TEAM AND ALSO MR. MAXEY FOR THE WORK THAT WENT IN TO PREPARE THIS ITEM.

THAT BEING SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OK. I SEE NO QUESTIONS FROM THE DAIS.

SO THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT.

NOW, IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE PODIUM.

IF YOU'RE 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 WILL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.

THANK YOU. ANY IN-HOUSE PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY ON ZOOM? CHAIR THERE ARE NO INDIVIDUALS WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR MOTIONS FROM THE DAIS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THAT THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER THE SECTIONS PREVIOUSLY STATED BY DIRECTOR HENDRICKSON, AND ALSO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE GENERAL PLAN.

TEXT AMENDMENT GPTA 21-001.

SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENT.

I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. NEXT, PUBLIC HEARING IS FROM COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO CONSIDER

[COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - PUBLIC HEARING 2]

MR. [INAUDIBLE]. AND GOOD MORNING.

AGAIN THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE AND UPON APPROVAL OF YOUR ITEM TWO APPLICANT REQUESTED PROPERTY LINE ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE EFFECTUATED.

SECTION 51233 THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT QUOTE REQUIRES THE BOARD TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND THE AG PRESERVE AND WITH YOUR ACTION.

TODAY, IF APPROVED, A TOTAL OF TEN POINT THREE NINE ACRES WILL BE REMOVED UPON AGAIN YOUR ACTION. NONE OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES ARE UNDER WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACT.

AT THIS POINT, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT YOU OPEN AND CLOSE YOUR PUBLIC HEARING, AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO SEPARATE ACTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

ONE MAKING AN ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION IN THE MOTION TO FIND THE REMOVAL OF LAND FROM THE AG PRESERVE LISTED IN THE BOARD AGENDA ITEM AS EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER SECTION 15183 PROJECTS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN OR ZONING AGAIN, BASED ON THE FINDINGS LISTED IN YOUR STAFF REPORT.

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

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. YES, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

JUST WANT TO FOR THE RECORD, ASKS COUNTY COUNCIL IF IF I, SINCE I HAVE LAND IN THE WILLIAMSON ACT, DO YOU HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF? OH, SORRY. COUNSEL? TO THE CHAIR, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, NO, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF FOR HAVING LAND IN THE WILLIAMSON ACT FOR THIS ITEM.

[INAUDIBLE] OK.

LATER, LATER IN THE YEAR.

OK, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT.

IT'S NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

IF YOU ARE 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 WERE CALLED UPON EITHER BY NAME OR THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF YOUR PHONE NUMBER.

YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY COMMENT HERE IN THE ROOM? SEEING NONE. DO WE HAVE ANY ON ZOOM? THERE ARE NO INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND ON ZOOM.

OK, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE? OH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA?

[01:00:02]

SECOND.

OK, IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENT.

WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSE.

YOUR ABSTAINING? OK WITH ONE ABSTENTION THAT SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

ANY OPPOSED. SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES FOUR TO ZERO.

NEXT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FROM ELECTIONS TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN

[ELECTIONS - PUBLIC HEARING]

WELL, WELCOME. DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT FOR US? I DO. GOOD MORNING.

I'M DARLENE INGERSOLL, THE MERCED COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS.

GOOD MORNING, CHAIR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CEO, CEO DESIGNEE, COUNTY COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS RECOMMENDS ESTABLISHING FEES FOR THE REQUESTED SERVICES PERVERTED PROVIDED BY OUR DEPARTMENT.

FEES ARE BASED ON GOVERNMENT CODE OR ELECTIONS CODE AND ARE THE RECOVERY OF ACTUAL COSTS OF PROVIDING SPECIFIC SERVICES.

THESE FEES HAVE BEEN CHARGED BY THE REGISTRAR VOTER REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICES FOR MANY YEARS AND ARE BEING MEMORIALIZED IN THIS FEE ORDINANCE.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE ONE, OPEN PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT.

TWO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING AND THREE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 5.49 MERCED COUNTY REGISTRAR VOTERS FEES TO TITLE FIVE OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE.

THANK YOU. I SEE NO COMMENT FROM THE DAIS, SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IT IS NOW TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

IF YOU ARE 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 WERE CALLED UPON EITHER BY NAME OR THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF YOUR PHONE NUMBER, YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.

I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING IS STILL OPEN.

IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? OK, SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY ON ZOOM? THERE ARE NO INDIVIDUALS ON ZOOM THAT HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 5.49 MERCED COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS FEES TO THE TITLE FIVE OF MERCED COUNTY CODE.

SECOND.

ALRIGHT IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE BOARD.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED SAME SIGN.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY FIVE ZERO.

THANK YOU. AND NOW WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AND WE WILL OPEN THE AGENDA UP FOR IHSS.

[In Home Supportive Services]

IT IS NOW TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF THE PUBLIC'S 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.

IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE PODIUM.

IF YOU'RE JOINING US REMOTELY VIA ZOOM, PLEASE USE A ZOOM FEATURE TO RAISE YOUR HAND FOR INDIVIDUALS CALLING IN THROUGH ZOOM, YOU COULD RAISE YOUR HAND BY PRESSING STAR NINE.

WHEN YOU WERE CALLED UPON EITHER BY NAME OR THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF YOUR PHONE NUMBER.

YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC OVER THE PHONE.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.

BOARD ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENT IN HOUSE.

SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY ONLINE OR ZOOM?

[01:05:01]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL NOW CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? OH, WE'RE DOING IT ORALLY, SO THE SYSTEM IS IS NOT UP.

I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT.

OK. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

I SEE COMMENT FROM SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

YEAH CHAIR. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT IT'S ONE OF THESE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS CONTRACT AS THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AND NOW WE ARE VOTING ON THIS CONTRACT AS THE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PUBLIC AUTHORITY GOVERNING BOARD.

SO YOU GET TO SIGN THIS ONE TWICE.

YOU ARE SO GENEROUS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND AND I'LL JUST TO LET YOU KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE THE SAME WAY IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO.

ALL RIGHT, SO SEE NO FURTHER COMMENT.

I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED SAME SIGN.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WILL NOW ADJOURN THE REGULAR MEETING OF IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES . REPORT OUT. WELL, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, AND SO NOW WE WILL GO BACK AND DO BOARD REPORTS.

WE WILL START WITH SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA.

OH, SORRY, I PUT JOHN.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME.

OK, LIKE TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL FOR HOPEFULLY A SOON TO BE GRAND OPENING OF THE COMING OF THE PLANADA COMMUNITY HOULIHAN PARK WITH ALL THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED AND FOR ENHANCEMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY PARK, WHICH IS VERY MOSTLY EVERYTHING. THE ONLY PARK THAT WE HAVE IN PLANADA AND YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION HOPEFULLY WILL BE DONE IF NOT THIS MONTH IN MARCH.

AND I'VE TALKED TO DANA HERTFELDER, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, SAYING THEY WERE TWO ABOUT TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE. AND SO THAT'S POSITIVE.

AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE [INAUDIBLE] COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A PLANADA COMMUNITY THAT'S BEING HELD EVERY MAY, YOU KNOW FOR THAT IN THE PAST.

BUT LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF COVID, IT WAS CANCELED AS WELL AS ANOTHER LE GRAND COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO IT GOES HAPPENS TWO WEEKS AFTER, AFTER THAT ONE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST A CONCERN THAT I WAS APPROACHED BY BY THE COMMUNITY.

THEY VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, THEY HANDLE THAT AND THEY HEARD THAT IT WAS THE UPGRADES WERE BEHIND TWO MONTHS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND CLEAR THAT OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT I WAS TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE OPENING ON TIME AND THAT WAY THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANADA COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY LA GRAND COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS WHICH IS, LIKE I SAID. THERE'S MORE COMMUNITIES IN MY DISTRICT AND NOT TOO MANY EVENTS HAPPENING THERE.

AND YOU KNOW, ALSO THE HOULIHAN COMMUNITY CENTER IS VERY USED IN THAT COMMUNITY.

SO THIS IS EVERYTHING FOR FOR THAT COMMUNITY.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING MOVES FORWARD AND COMMUNITY HERE HAPPENS AGAIN SOON. ALSO, THE 9TH AND 10TH OF FEBRUARY WE'LL BE HAVING A TOUR OF MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT ONE NUMBER ONE.

ON THE WEST SIDE AND ON THE EAST SIDE.

SO WE'LL BE DOING THE THE WEST SIDE BY THE WEST SIDE, RIGHT? AND ON THE 9TH AND THEN HOPEFULLY I GOT THAT WRONG.

I'M SORRY, WE'RE DOING THE 10TH ACTUALLY ON THE WEST SIDE, ALONG WITH OUR JIM BROWN OUR CO AND RAUL MENDEZ, OUR NEW CO DESIGNEE ON THE 10TH AND THE NINTH WILL BE ON THE EAST SIDE, HOPEFULLY GOING THROUGH PLANADA, LE GRAND AND SOUTH MERCED.

AND SO WE'LL BE DRIVING AROUND AND TOURING SOME BUSINESSES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE'RE ALL FULL. AND THEN THAT WAY [INAUDIBLE] CAN, YOU KNOW, MEET MANY BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'LL SEE YOU SOON. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

NO LOOK RIGHT THERE. THAT WAS GOOD.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.

THE CEO DESIGNEE WILL BE OUT IN DISTRICT FIVE ON THE 15TH AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO RESCHEDULE FOR THE 14TH BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE SCHEDULING CONFLICTS THERE, BUT FOLKS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU OUT THERE, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY

[01:10:02]

WE'RE DOING SOME AGRICULTURAL TOURS AND MEETING SOME FOLKS AND THEN WE'LL RESCHEDULE ON THE 14TH IS KIND OF, I CALL IT THE GOVERNMENT DAY WHERE WE'LL GO AND MEET WITH THE FOLKS IN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS AND THE CITY OF DOS PALOS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU OUT THERE.

I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF OUR BOARD CLERK STAFF.

THIS IS KIND OF CRAZY WHERE WE'VE WE GOT BACK TO BACK TO BACK MEETINGS.

AND SO I KNOW THAT THEY ARE SUPER BUSY GETTING STUFF ON AGENDAS.

I WANT TO THANK DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR TRYING TO GET YOUR STUFF IN ON TIME AND SO THAT WE CAN WE CAN GET THESE AGENDAS OUT IN GOOD ORDER.

THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY NOT TOO BAD.

IT WASN'T A REAL LONG ONE. SO.

AND JIM, I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU AND STAFF FOR REALLY KEEPING US APPRISED UPDATING US ON STUFF SO THAT WHEN WE'RE SEEING IT ON THE AGENDA, IT'S FOR A LOT OF TIMES.

IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT BUT KUDOS TO YOU GUYS.

I KNOW IT'S A BUSY WEEK.

WE GOT ONE MORE TO GET THROUGH, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. AND THEN JUST QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TOUCH ON WHAT KIND OF SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SAID. CHAIR PAREIRA SAID, IS WE DO FOR ME, PART OF DOING THIS JOB IS WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FUN DOING IT.

I KNOW I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT WE DID.

I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN TOLD THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GO THROUGH A MEETING WITHOUT MAKING A MOTION.

BUT SO I ACTUALLY I ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE REGULAR MEETING.

IT'S JUST A PUBLIC HEARING PART.

I JUST COULDN'T LET MYSELF NOT DO SO.

BUT WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FUN UP HERE AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T TAKE THIS STUFF SERIOUSLY, BUT IT IS REALLY NICE AND I DO ENJOY WORKING WITH EVERYONE OF YOU GUYS. SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

AND WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE IS THAT HE'S GOT A MASK ON, AND HE WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO SAY THAT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE, SO THAT WAS COOL.

SO YES, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE RAOUL, OUR CEO DESIGNEE AROUND DISTRICT TWO YESTERDAY. IT WAS A PACKED DAY.

I WENT TO MERCED COLLEGE, DIGNITY HEALTH, UC MERCED, AND THEN ENDED THE DAY WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER OF MERCED.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATED, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NEEDLING ME THE WHOLE TIME ABOUT HOW THE RAMS BEAT THE FORTY NINERS.

BUT THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S OK.

I TOLD THEM THE MORE HE TALKS, HIS EVALUATION FRAME IS COMING UP QUICKER AND QUICKER.

[LAUGHTER] SO I'M JUST KIDDING.

YEAH, I'M JUST KIDDING.

BUT NO, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE TIME.

AND JUST HAVING HAVING HIM COME OUT AND REALLY SHOW AND EXPLAIN TO THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WE MET WITH ABOUT HOW MUCH HE HE WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT SHOWS HIS PASSION FOR WHAT HE WANTS TO DO AND AND GETTING AS FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY AS HE CAN. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THEN FINALLY, I KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SAY THIS UNTIL WE START TO SEE SOME OF THIS PLATEAU.

BUT PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR MASKS, GET VACCINATED IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD, BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE GETTING WE.

WHAT WE HEARD YESTERDAY FROM SOME HOSPITAL PEOPLE WAS THAT THEY THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO PLATEAU HERE, LIKE IN MARCH, IS WHAT WE WERE TOLD.

HOPEFULLY THEY'RE RIGHT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.

SO PLEASE REMEMBER TO STAY SAFE WHERE YOUR MASK AND GET VACCINATED IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO DO SO. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT CEO DESIGNEE DID WHERE HIS L.A.

RAMS LAPEL PIN PROUDLY YESTERDAY AS WELL.

NO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY LAST WEEK WAS MY MOBILE DISTRICT OFFICE.

I DO A MOBILE DISTRICT OFFICE HOURS THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT THE ATWATER CIVIC CENTER, AND IT GOES FROM 1:30 TO 3:30.

I DID HAVE CONGRESSMAN COSTA, STAFF MEMBER NICK GOMEZ AND I APPRECIATED HE WAS THERE TO HELP OUT OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL.

AT FULL BLAST, WE HAVE USUALLY SOMEBODY FROM EVERY OFFICE IN THOSE OFFICE HOURS.

THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL AS OUR DESIGNEE KNOWS THAT CEO KNOWS THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW HE AND I GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL WHEN I DID MY MDOS FOR CONGRESSMAN DENHAM AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.

ALSO, I WANT TO SAY WE HAD A FRUITFUL DISCUSSION.

I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE CEO DESIGNEE TO MIKE NELSON, ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS WHO WAS A FORMER SUPERVISOR HERE AT MERCED COUNTY, WHO IS NOW THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ATWATER PLANNING COMMISSION. AND AND ALSO WITH JOHN CALE, MAYOR PRO TEM AND WITH DANA HERTFELDER, WHICH WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE INTERSECTION AT THE END OF SCHAEFER TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY FOR THE RETAIL SHOPPING ON THE OTHER SIDE ON COMMERCE CENTER, WHICH IS A

[01:15:04]

BUT THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE DISCUSSION WE SAT DOWN, THEY WANTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.

MR. MENDEZ WAS ABLE TO SAY, I'VE BEEN THERE.

I DROVE THROUGH IT BECAUSE I TOOK HIM THROUGH THERE TO SHOW HIM.

THIS IS A GOOD POINT OF CONTENTION WITH THE CITY OF ATWATER.

A LOT OF FINGER POINTING GOING THERE.

BUT I APPRECIATE DANA FOR STEPPING UP AND BASICALLY TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT POINTING ANY FINGERS. HE'S TAKING IT UPON HIMSELF WITH HIS ENGINEERS, AND SO WE'RE WORKING, WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT MY COLLEAGUE AND I, MR. PEDROZO HAVE.

WE'RE IN OUR FOURTH WEEK OF THE NACO LEADERSHIP TRAINING.

IT'S PUT TOGETHER BY GENERAL COLIN POWELL.

IT'S ONE THING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO HAVE TIME TO DO IT.

AND I, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH MARCI BARRERA AND SHE KIND OF PUT IT OUT THERE LIKE SOMETHING SHE THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD PROBABLY DO, AND I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT I'M DOING IT NOW. THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT GOES ON THAT YOU CAN'T.

BUT ONCE YOU CLEAR THROUGH AND GET DOWN TO THE POINTS WHERE YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHERE YOU NEED TO GROW, YOU CAN REALLY DIVE INTO IT AND IT'S REALLY HELPFUL.

SO WE HAVE 12 MORE WEEKS OF IT.

BUT AND I THINK I AM SO FAR BEHIND.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M NOT JUST GOING THROUGH IT, I AM DOING A DEEP DIVE AND TAKING MY TIME THROUGH IT. WE HAVE. WE'RE OFF NEXT WEEK SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GET CAUGHT UP.

AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE AND I HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AND WHAT BEFORE.

THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF WE DON'T LIKE THAT YOU SEE THAT KIND OF RHETORIC, I GUESS.

BUT YET WE'RE NOW FINDING THE POINTS THAT WE REALLY DO LIKE AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH THIS LEADERSHIP WITH ME.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST A THOUGHT OCCURRED TO ME.

WOULDN'T IT BE EASIER FOR THE CITY OF ATWATER TO FIX THAT INTERSECTION IF THEY WERE TO ANNEX IT? YOU GONNA LEAVE THAT ONE ALONE, ARE YOU? OK, SO ANYWAYS, I SPENT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS PAST WEEK WITH WITH CEO DESIGNEE MENDEZ AND AND SO WE STARTED IN SNELLING AND WENT THROUGH WINTON AND DELHI, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING DAY WENT TO HILMER AND STEVENSON AND GUSTINE.

AND I REALLY ENJOYED MY TIME WITH YOU, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE CONSTITUENTS OF DISTRICT FOUR THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR THEIR CHALLENGES ARE AND AND THEN ALSO WHAT THEIR SUCCESSES ARE. WE WE SPENT SOME TIME WITH THE SPICER BROTHERS AND AND THEY KIND OF GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY DO.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE KNOWN KURT FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND DIDN'T REALIZE THE KIND OF THE GRAVITY OF THEIR BUSINESS.

IT JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU DRIVE BY AND IT'S A VERY NICE FACILITY.

BUT UNTIL YOU GO IN AND SIT DOWN AND AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, GET A HANDS ON KIND OF OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

AND SO AND THEN OF COURSE, KURT SPICER ALSO SERVES ON OUR PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND SO THAT WAS GOOD.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT TIME.

AND AND I KNOW THE CONSTITUENTS APPRECIATED IT.

AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LET MY COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT NEXT WEEK'S BOARD MEETING IS GOING TO BE A DOOZY, I GUESS, IS THE WAY TO PUT IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, STAFF KIND OF STARTED GOING AND REALLY GAINED SPEED.

SO ANYWAYS, DON'T MAKE ANY AFTERNOON PLANS.

AND WITH THAT, WE'LL ADJOURN.

OR MR. HANSEN.

MR. BROWN. OK, MR. MENDEZ. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, THEN WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING, THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.