[Supervisor McDaniel Town Hall Meeting ]
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AND WELCOME TO THE MERCY COUNTY VIRTUAL TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICT THREE.
MY NAME IS JEREMY DANIEL, AND I AM YOUR DISTRICT THREE SUPERVISOR, WHICH COVERS THE CITY OF ATWATER, NORTHWEST MERSEYSIDE, MCSWAIN, BEACHWOOD, FRANKLIN CASTLE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
IT'S THE HEART OF MERCY COUNTY.
YOU CAN FEEL THE PULSE OF ECONOMIC ENGINE BEATING THE WHOLE TIME.
I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US TONIGHT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY HAS ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S TO COME.
I'M JOINED BY SEVERAL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN QUESTIONS DURING OUR Q AND A PORTION OF THE TOWN HALL.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION TO SUBMIT, PLEASE DO SO BY TYPING INTO THE CHAT BOX ON ZOOM AND HITTING ENTER.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING ON FACEBOOK OR THE GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL, YOU'LL NEED TO LOG IN THROUGH ZOOM TO ASK QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN DO THIS BY VISITING WWW DOT COUNTY OF
I LIKE TO KICK THINGS OFF TONIGHT BY RUNNING A SHORT VIDEO THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WORKED ON HIGHLIGHTING A FEW OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN MERCER COUNTY.
FOLLOWING THAT VIDEO, I'LL COVER A FEW QUESTIONS, ADDITIONAL TOPICS OF INTEREST.
THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE Q AND A PORTION OF THE MEETING.
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE MERSEYSIDE COUNTY.
LOOKING FORWARD 2022, A VIRTUAL WALKTHROUGH OF SOME OF WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY THE COUNTY OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S TO COME I'M BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CHAIRMAN, LLOYD PERRERA.
AND FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES, MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL PROVIDE BRIEF UPDATES ON SEVERAL KEY AREAS, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, AND MORE.
SO PLEASE SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE MERCER COUNTY LOOKING FORWARD 2022.
AND NOW I'LL KICK IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, DARREN MCDANIEL.
I'M DARREN MCDANIEL, MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REPRESENTING THE THIRD DISTRICT.
2021 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR MERCER COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO EXPANDING OUR ECONOMIC HORIZONS.
AND SO FAR IN 2022, WE'RE SEEING THAT PROGRESS ACCELERATING AT A RAPID PACE WHILE GROWTH AND SUCCESS CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT MERSEYSIDE COUNTY AND ITS CITIES.
WE'VE SEEN A PARTICULAR RESURGENCE OF CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER AS A DESTINATION POINT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
THIS SITE IS ALREADY HOME TO BLAKER BREWERY, THE TARMAC WAYMO GOOGLE'S DRIVERLESS CAR COMPANY, AND NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS, MEDICAL CENTERS, OFFICES, AND TRAINING CENTERS IN 2021 MERCER COUNTY COMPLETED A $2.1 MILLION EXPANSION PROJECT OF THE AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH AND TESTING COMPLEX LOCATED AT CASTLE.
THE SITE INCLUDES A 2.2 MILE OVAL TEST TRACK A ONE MILE CITY COURSE AND TWO LARGE VEHICLE DYNAMIC AREAS.
AND THE 225 ACRE SITE IS ALREADY ATTRACTING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BUSINESS INTEREST FROM MAJOR CAR COMPANIES.
WE EXPECT EXPANSION TO CONTINUE IN THE COMING YEARS AS TESTING DEMAND AT THE SITE INCREASES.
IN ADDITION TO VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY, CASEL HAS ALSO BECOME A FOCAL POINT FOR GOODS MOVEMENT.
IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE APPROVED AND AGREEMENT WITH PATRIOT RAIL TO ESTABLISH A RAIL DISTRICT AT CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER.
THE RAIL DISTRICT WILL ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, MANUFACTURERS AND OTHER ENTERPRISES THROUGHOUT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TO QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY SHIP AND RECEIVE PRODUCTS VIA THE BNSF RAILROAD, WHICH RUNS ADJACENT TO THE SITE.
A RAIL SPUR FROM BNSF LINES CURRENTLY CONNECTS TO CASTLE AND PATRIOT RAIL WILL SOON DEVELOP ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO FACILITATE ENHANCED RAIL FREIGHT SERVICES FROM THE LOCATION.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE, WE'RE EXPECTING MORE GROWTH AT CASTLE IN THE FUTURE IN ORDER TO MAKE MORE ROOM AT THE SITE AND IMPROVE CASTLE'S VERSATILITY AND SAFETY.
MERCY COUNTY IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEMOLISHING OLD BUILDINGS THAT ARE UNINHABITABLE AND UNUSABLE PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
I'M SCOTT SILVEIRA, THE MERCER COUNTY SUPERVISOR FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
OUR COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BE A PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE BOARD.
AND WE SEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AFTER YEARS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
THERE IS HOWEVER, A LOT OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE IN 2021.
THE MERCY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS UTILIZE MEASURE V AND SB ONE FUNDING TO RESURFACE NEARLY 19 MILES OF COUNTY ROADS WILL THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST OF 5.8 MILLION.
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IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT IT CAN COST MORE THAN $300,000 A MILE TO REPAY ONE MILE ROADWAY.SOME REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ARE ALSO IN THE PLANNING STAGES OR IN DEVELOPMENT, THE MOST VISIBLE BEING CAMPUS PARKWAY, WHICH WILL CONNECT HIGHWAY 99 WITH THE UC MERCY COMMUNITY VIA A FOUR LANE EXPRESSWAY SEGMENTS.
ONE AND TWO ARE COMPLETE SEGMENT THREE, WHICH WILL EXTEND THE EXPRESSWAY FROM HIGHWAY 1 42 CEMETERY AVENUE IS NOW MORE THAN 80% COMPLETE.
IN ADDITION TO CAMPUS PARKWAY STAFF IS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING PRELIMINARY WORK AND SEARCHING FOR FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE B OF THE ATWATER MARCET EXPRESSWAY PROJECT, WHICH WILL EXTEND THE EXPRESSWAY FROM ITS CURRENT INTERCHANGE ALONG HIGHWAY 99 AND OVER TO CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER, OPENING THE DOOR FOR CONTINUED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THAT SITE.
WELL, I'M SPINOSA MERCER COUNTY SUPERVISOR DISTRICT ONE PARKS AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRIORITY FOR RESIDENTS AND THEY ARE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS WELL.
IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, PRESET SET COUNTY WAS JOINED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND PARTNERING AGENCIES TO BREAK GROUND ON A RENOVATION PROJECT, HOULIHAN PARK IN PLANADA.
THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY $2.4 MILLION CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION GRANT SECURED BY MERSEYSIDE COUNTY.
AND THE RENOVATION WORK INCORPORATES NUMEROUS FEATURES, INCLUDING A SPLASH PAD AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTS AND STAGE PICNIC SHELTERS, AND A LOT OF BASKETBALL COURT, JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND JUST RECENTLY MERSEYSIDE COUNTY LEARNED THAT HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING A $3.7 MILLION GRANT TO RENOVATE WINTER COMMUNITY PARK WORK WILL INCLUDE RENOVATED BALL FIELDS AND HE PLAYGROUND NEW BENCHES AND GRAFFITI RESISTANT PICNIC TABLES, AND MUCH MORE.
THESE ARE MAJOR SUCCESSES FOR MERCER COUNTY, BUT WE'RE NOT STOPPING HERE.
THAT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING SEVERAL OTHER FEATURE PART REMODELS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY I'M DISTRICT TWO SUPERVISOR JOSH PEDROZA.
ANOTHER HIGH PRIORITY AREA FOR THIS BOARD IS ONE THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE A CHALLENGE ACROSS THE STATE.
THAT IS THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.
LAST YEAR, WE ANNOUNCED THE COMPLETION OF THE MERSEYSIDE COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER, A 24 7 LOW BARRIER EMERGENCY HOMELESS SHELTER.
THIS NEW FACILITY WILL HELP TRANSITION PEOPLE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS BY PROVIDING A SAFE AND SERVICE RICH TEMPORARY SHELTER WITH CONNECTIONS TO ONSITE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
WE'RE PROUD TO REPORT THAT THE NAVIGATION CENTER IS ALREADY MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN THE LATTER HALF OF 2021, NEARLY 200 CLIENTS WENT THROUGH THE FACILITY AND JUST UNDER 30 WERE HOUSED, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT IN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME.
IN EARLY 2021, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RENEWED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MERSEYSIDE COUNTY RESCUE MISSION TO PROVIDE OTHER COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF MERSEYSIDE WITH ACCESS TO SIMILAR SERVICES ON AN APPROPRIATE SCALE BY RENTING HOMES ACROSS MERSEYSIDE COUNTY, THAT WILL ALSO BE USED AS LOW BARRIER NAVIGATION CENTERS.
IT IS EVIDENT THAT A LOT OF WORK REMAINS.
WE'RE PROUD TO REPORT THAT WORK IS HAPPENING.
THE NAVIGATION CENTER IS ONE ELEMENT OF THE PROPOSED REGIONAL PLAN TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN MERSEYSIDE COUNTY, IT'S SIX CITIES AND THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
OTHER ELEMENTS INCLUDE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, AND LONG-TERM SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WHILE THIS ISSUE WILL NOT RESOLVE ITSELF OVERNIGHT.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE RAPID PROGRESS THAT IS HAPPENING IN 2015 MERCEDE COUNTY SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR $40 MILLION IN STATE GRANT FUNDING TO RENOVATE THE JOHN LOTTER ROCKET CORRECTIONAL CENTER ALONG SANDY MUSH ROAD.
AND MERCE SAID UPON COMPLETION, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP ADDRESS SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS AT THE JLC DC WHILE IMPROVING THE CAPACITY TO HOUSE PROGRAMS THAT REDUCE RECIDIVISM.
THE PLAN ALSO INCLUDES MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTH TREATMENT FACILITIES IN AN EFFORT TO BETTER ADDRESS INMATE NEEDS AND HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RE OFFENSES UPON RELEASE.
THE RESULT IS A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, AS WELL AS OUR INMATES WHILE THE INITIAL PROJECT BUDGET TOTAL 45 MILLION, THAT PRICE TAG HAS BALLOONED TO APPROXIMATELY $71 MILLION DUE TO DELAYS AT THE STATE LEVEL MERCEDE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY EXPLORING ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPTIONS FOR FUTURE PHASES OF THE PROJECT.
THE BOARD ADOPTED A BALANCED FINAL BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER INCREASING RESERVES TO $39.1 MILLION.
THIS YEAR'S FINAL BUDGET OF $844.8 MILLION REFLECTS AN INCREASE OF JUST OVER 16% FROM LAST YEAR, MAINLY DUE TO INCREASED HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS AND INCREASES IN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE BOARD CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON MAINTAINING A SUSTAINABLE BUDGET THAT PROVIDES A LONGTERM FISCAL STABILITY DURING PERIODS OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.
IN ADDITION TO REGULAR BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS, THE BOARD IS ALSO PUTTING TO USE APPROXIMATELY
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$54 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING.WE'RE SET TO RECEIVE THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
THE COUNTY RECENTLY CONDUCTED AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS TO COLLECT INPUT FROM RESIDENTS ON HOW THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THE FUNDING ALLOCATED FOLLOWING MULTIPLE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, PUBLIC HEARING, A LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR, HOUSEHOLD MAILERS, AND OTHER FORMS OF OUTREACH.
WE RECEIVED MORE THAN 9,600 RESPONSES TO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH SURVEY.
THE OUTCOME OF THE SURVEY RESPONSES SHOWED THAT RESIDENTS LARGELY WANTED TO SEE FUNDING ALLOCATED PRIMARILY TOWARD ROADS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.
JUST TO NAME A FEW IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THE BOARD VOTED TO BUDGET A PORTION OF THE FUNDING CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC INPUT.
NOW BACK TO DARREN, THANKS, JOSH.
FOLLOWING AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED A REVISED DISTRICT MAP ON DECEMBER SEVEN.
REDISTRICTING IS PERFORMED EVERY 10 YEARS.
IT USES THE NEW CENSUS DATA TO REDRAW DISTRICT LINES TO REFLECT HOW LOCAL POPULATIONS HAVE CHANGED.
THEIR PROCESS ENSURES FAIR AND EQUITABLE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION.
HERE'S AN IMAGE OF OUR UPDATED MAP, WHICH IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE COUNTY WEBSITE AT THE END OF 2021.
THE BOARD ANNOUNCED A REPLACEMENT FOR RETIRING CEO, JIM BROWN
MR. MENDEZ WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE TOP CANDIDATE FOLLOWING AN EXTENSIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.
THE BOARD WELCOMES MICHELLE MENDEZ AND WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND HIS HEARTFELT THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO WHERE MR. BROWN, WHO SERVED ROSETTE COUNTY FOR NEARLY 32 YEARS AND MADE A LASTING THROUGH THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE AND CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU, OUR CONSTITUENTS AS A PUBLIC FACING ORGANIZATION, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU AND WE'LL NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE, BUT WE'VE CONTINUED TO ADVANCE MANY KEY PROJECTS, A FEW OF WHICH YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TODAY.
WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THIS PROGRESS WILL CONTINUE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US TODAY.
WELL, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY HERE AND IT'S, UM, IT'S WITH A LOT OF PRIDE THAT I WATCHED THAT VIDEO AND SEE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, TOPICS OF INTEREST ON OUR TOPICS OF INTEREST.
UH, THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ON HERE IS ROADS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO COVER THAT LATER, BUT PARKS, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, ARC OFFENDING, CASTLE, AND DROUGHT, AND WE'RE GOING TO COVER ALL THESE LITTLE MORE EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, BUT PARKS.
I JUST WANTED TO REALLY, UH, MY DISTRICT, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD ME ON THE DIOCESE A LOT, ALWAYS EXPLAINING THAT, UM, DISTRICT THREE IS THE ONLY THREE, THE ONLY DISTRICT WITHOUT A COUNTY PARK.
WE PURCHASED 18 ACRES OUT IN THE BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN AREA AND, UH, IT'S JUST DIRT NOW, BUT WE CONTINUE TO THRIVE FOR OTHER KINDS OF FUNDING EFFORTS THAT WE CAN TO BUILD OUT THAT PARK AND TO MAKE IT A WALKABLE.
UM, AND JUST A DESTINATION FOR THOSE FOLKS LIVING IN THAT AREA.
WE, UH, LAST WEEK WE MADE A BIG MOVE, UH, HELPING OUR SHERIFF OUT, UH, BY HIRING, UH, 20 OR CREATING 20 NEW POSITIONS FOR OUR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS.
AND, UH, CONTINUE TO WORKING THIS BOARD IS VERY PRO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, THE ARCO FANS ARE ARPA, NOT FANS, I GUESS WE ARE ALL ARPA-E FANS, BUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, UH, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE APPROACH THAT THE BOARD MADE.
THESE ARE ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT YOU GET.
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE US GETTING THIS KIND OF MONEY WITHIN ONE GENERATION.
SO THE INVESTMENT WE WANTED TO MAKE WITH THESE ARPAC FUNDS ARE GENERATIONAL.
WE WANT THIS TO BE SPREAD OUT TO LAST FOR MANY GENERATIONS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU DON'T GET THEM ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE A LOT ON THE BOARD, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE AND WE'LL GO TO, UM, CASTLE.
THE MAJORITY OF MERCER COUNTY IS CURRENTLY IN EXTREME DROUGHT WITH A SMALL SLIVER AND SEVERE DROUGHT, ACCORDING TO THE US DROUGHT MONITOR.
SO YEARS OF BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL HAS RESULTED IN A GREATER DRAW ON OUR GROUNDWATER RESOURCES, WHICH ARE NOT GETTING RECHARGED AT THE SAME RATE THAT WE'RE PULLING WATER OUT DESPITE HEAVY RAINFALL IN DECEMBER.
WE'RE JUST OVER HALF OF WHAT WE USUALLY RECEIVE IN RAIN IN THE SEASON.
THE ONE UNDERLYING PLUS THAT WE HAVE THE MOUNTAINS HAVE REMAINED BELOW FREEZING THROUGH THIS ENTIRE TIME.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD THAT WATERSHED PRETTY WELL, BUT WE'RE STILL SHORT
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BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS HAS EXACERBATED THE ISSUE I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONSERVE WATER WHENEVER POSSIBLE.THAT INCLUDES INDOOR USE AS WELL AS LANDSCAPE WATERY.
WE'RE AN AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL BASE ECONOMY.
SO DROUGHT YEARS HIT US PARTICULARLY HARD.
WATER CONSERVATION IS A SMALL WAY FOR US ALL TO HELP OUT.
AND REMEMBER THIS DROUGHT AFFECTS EVERYBODY, NOT JUST FARMERS FOR DROP RELATED INFORMATION AND TIPS ON HOW TO CONSERVE WATER.
YOU CAN VISIT WWW COUNTY AGNER, SED.COM/DROUGHT.
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT WWW MY WELL WENT DRY.ORG.
NOW WE'D LIKE TO DELVE INTO A FEW KEY AREAS THAT WE NOW THAT WE KNOW PARTICIPANTS WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT LEADING OFF WITH SOME OF THE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS AT CASTLE CENTER TO GIVE US A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MARK SITTING HERE, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HIM AT THIS TIME.
AND TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, I SIMPLY SAY GOOD EVENING.
AND FOR THE SLIDE ON YOUR SCREEN, MY GOAL TONIGHT IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH BASICALLY THREE QUICK HIGHLIGHTS AS TO, UH, SOME PRIORITIES SORT OF RELATED TO OUR BOARD.
NUMBER ONE, BEING THE WORK BEING DONE TO DEVELOP AN INLAND PORT A AT CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER AND RAIL DISTRICT TO THE MERCER COUNTIES, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP, DEVELOPING A WORLD-CLASS DRIVERLESS CAR FACILITY ON OUR SITE, AND THEN THREE, THE COUNTY'S EFFORTS TO REMOVE BLIGHT AT CASTLE.
NOW, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL DID A VERY NICE JOB TOUCHING EACH OF THESE TOPICS ON THE VIDEO YOU JUST WATCHED.
SO I'LL JUST DO MY BEST TO PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT.
IN THIS REGARD, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS UNDERTAKEN SOME, UH, SOME NUMEROUS STEPS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER.
ALL OF WHICH DEMONSTRATE THAT MERCY COUNTY IS THE GO-TO PLACE TO DO BUSINESS FOR BOTH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND LOGISTICS IN CALIFORNIA.
NOW OUR BOARD CONTINUES TO BE FOCUSED ON BRINGING HIGH CALIBER JOBS AND MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR BOTH OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO OUR REGION.
NOW TWO CORNERSTONE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED YEARS AGO AND INLAND PORTS AND A DRIVER'S CAR TESTING ENVIRONMENT.
THIS WAS BASED ON MARKET ANALYSIS, INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS, AND CONSIDERABLE INDUSTRY OUTREACH.
AND NOW WE ARE EXECUTING AND POSITIONING THE COUNTY AGAIN AS THE GO-TO PLACE TO DO BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA.
NOW, FIRST REGARDING THE RAIL DISTRICT, WE WERE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE EXISTING 6,500 FEET OF RAIL ONSITE AND CONNECTING THE DOTS BETWEEN OUR AIRPORT, WHICH HAS ROUGHLY A 12,000 FOOT LONG RUNWAY, AS WELL AS THE FUTURE AT ONE MORE SET EXPRESSWAY.
AND AS MENTIONED DURING THE VIDEO, OUR BOARD IN FEBRUARY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH PATRIOT RAIL, A LEADING RAIL COMPANY WHO OPERATES IN 16 STATES, INCLUDING A FORMER AIR FORCE INSTALLATION IN SACRAMENTO.
PATRIOT IS NOW CURRENTLY UNDERWAY WITH A $1.2 MILLION TRACK OPTIMIZATION PROJECT, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE SHIPPING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALLEY GROWERS AND PROCESSORS AND MANUFACTURERS.
AND WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH THEM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 70 ACRE PIECE OF PROPERTY DEDICATED SOLELY TO LOGISTICS ACTIVITY.
NOW SHIFTING GEARS TO DRIVERLESS VEHICLES FOR YEARS, MERCER COUNTY HAS BEEN HOME TO WAYMO'S 115 ACRE DRIVERLESS CAR TESTING BROWN ON CASTLE WAYMO, OF COURSE, BEING A PART OF THE GOOGLE FAMILY.
THAT PROJECT DROVE CONSIDERABLE INTEREST FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
AND OUR COUNTY WAS CAST INTO A VERY FAVORABLE LIGHT, THANKS TO OUR PROXIMITY, TO THE SILICON VALLEY, WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS BEING DEVELOPED AND WIDESPREAD INTEREST FROM CAR COMPANIES AROUND THE GLOBE.
WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH A CYMBAL MEMBER, ADAM GRAY, WHO HELPED US SECURE A $6.5 MILLION STATE GRANT TO DEVELOP A 225 ACRE MULTI-USER TESTING GROUNDS, WHICH NOW INCLUDES A BRAND NEW TWO AND A QUARTER MILE HIGH-SPEED OVAL TRACK.
NOW LAST YEAR, OUR BOARD WORKED TO IDENTIFY AN OPERATOR AND WE HAD INTEREST FROM EUROPE, ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA, ULTIMATELY A 50 YEAR PROVING GROUND OPERATOR.
THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER WAS SELECTED AND THEY HAPPENED TO OVERSEE THE LARGEST PROVING GROUND IN NORTH AMERICA TODAY AND HAVE OVER A THOUSAND EXISTING CLIENTS.
MANY OF WHICH ARE NOW TESTING A CASTLE.
NOW, LASTLY, TONIGHT OUR BOARD DID MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR MOST RECENT BUDGET, WITH A $1.1 MILLION INVESTMENT TO REMOVE LIGHT AT CASTLE LEFT BEHIND PRIMARILY BY THE AIR FORCE AS PART OF THEIR BUDGET.
AGAIN, THIS PAST YEAR IN THE COMING DAYS, WE'LL BE UNDERTAKING A PROJECT THAT WILL DEMOLISH SEVERAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE RELATIVELY UNSAFE AND ACTUALLY PAVED THE WAY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES CONSISTENT WITH THOSE TWO CORNERS STONE PROJECTS.
I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT BEING SAID, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AGAIN.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT.
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NO, THANKS MARK.IF YOU JUST STAY ON THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT, I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, BEING THE CASTLE IS IN MY DISTRICT AND IT'S BEEN A FOCUS OF MINE, BUT I HAVE BEEN REALLY PROUD OF HOW WELL YOU AND MARK, MARK AND MARK, YOU GOT TO LOVE THAT, THAT WE HAVE THE Q2 HAVE TAKEN THIS PROJECT TO THIS LEVEL.
I KNOW SINCE I'VE SWORN IN, UH, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND A LOT OF THIS, I WAS, UM, I ACTUALLY HAD LUNCH WITH MY PASTOR TODAY, PASTOR MONTHS.
AND HE MENTIONED TO ME HOW THIS WAS A PIE IN THE SKY DREAM.
AND HE ACTUALLY MENTIONED THAT YOU AND I HAD, AND WE WERE WORKING INTENSELY ON IT.
AND THE FACT THAT IN SEVEN YEARS, WE ARE AT THIS LOCATION AT THIS SPOT OF THIS PROJECT, THE WAY GOVERNMENT MOVES IS PRETTY.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY MARK, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU PUT IN AND MARK MEMES COMING ON, THE TEAM, YOU GUYS ARE MOVING IN SHAKEN, AND IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PHONE CALLS A DAY WE GET A CASTLE NOW BECAUSE EVERYBODY SEES WHAT'S GOING ON FROM OUR AGRICULTURE TO MANUFACTURING EVERYBODY.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY DAY WE'RE RECEIVING CALLS OF PEOPLE WANTING TO HAVE A LITTLE PART OF THE ACTION.
WELL, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL'S CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT OFFER KIND OF MAYBE THREE QUICK THOUGHTS.
ONE OF WHICH OBVIOUSLY THE WORK THAT WE DO IS A REFLECTION OF THE BOARD'S LEADERSHIP AND SPECIFICALLY YOURS OVER THESE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO HATS OFF TO YOU AND YOUR VISION AND THE BOARD'S COLLECTIVE VISION.
UH, ONE, TWO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF MY TEAM.
I, I, I'M BLESSED EVERY SINGLE DAY, WORKED WITH SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED PEOPLE, UM, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ANYWHERE, UH, IN ALL HONESTY AND, AND THREE, AND I THINK THIS GOES RIGHT TO YOUR POINT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T DREAM BIG, BIG THINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU AND I HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS OVER THE YEARS, AND I'M JUST VERY BLESSED TO, UH, TO, TO BE A SMALL PART OF YOUR, UH, YOUR ORGANIZATION.
WELL, I REMEMBER MY FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, I WAS, EVERY TIME I AGREED TO WALL STREET, I WAS TEXTING YOU DIFFERENT ARTICLES.
WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THE BUSINESS WORLD.
AND I APPRECIATED THAT YOU NEVER GOT MAD AT ME, OR YOU NEVER GOT FRUSTRATED.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I WANT TO COVER A TOPIC THAT ALWAYS COMES UP AT TOWN HALLS.
THIS WAS USUALLY THE NUMBER ONE, UH, IN 2021, THE MERCY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS UTILIZE MEASURE V AND SB ONE FUNDING, THE RESURFACE OF NINE, NEARLY 19 MILES OF COUNTY ROADS WITH A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST OF $5.8 MILLION.
IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT IT CAN COST MORE THAN $300,000 TO REPAVE A ONE MILE ROADWAY.
IT DOES TAKE TIME TO CATCH UP WHEN YOU HAVE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON OUR ROADS, BUT THE PROGRESS IS HAPPENING AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN PARTICULAR, IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, PLEASE CALL MERCY COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS ROAST DIVISION AT 2 0 9 3 5 7 6 0 1.
WE DO HAVE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DANA
DANA, IF YOU DON'T MIND, COULD YOU PROVIDE THE GENERAL UPDATE OR ROAD WORK? THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIELS AND GOOD EVENING MEASURE V IS A HALF CENT SALES TAX THAT WAS PASSED BY MERSEYSIDE COUNTY VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF 2016, 50% OF THE MEASURE B FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO THE CITIES AND COUNTIES AND CAN ONLY BE USED FOR TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS, SB ONE OR THE ROAD REPAIR AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT WAS PASSED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE IN APRIL OF 2017, AND IS PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH A FUEL EXCISE TAX SB.
ONE FUNDS ARE PROTECTED BY LAW AND MUST BE USED TO REPAIR, MAINTAIN THE COUNTY'S EXISTING ROAD SYSTEM.
WE CAN'T USE THEM TO DO FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.
WE CAN'T EVEN USE THEM TO BUILD NEW ROADS FROM 2018 TO 2021, THE COUNTY RECONSTRUCTED, 105 MILES OF COUNTY MAINTAINED ROADS AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY 31 MILLION IN DISTRICT THREE, WE HAVE SO FAR CONSTRUCTED, FIVE MILES OF COUNTY MAINTAINED ROADS AT A COST OF JUST UNDER 3.3 MILLION.
SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE SCHEDULED THIS YEAR IN DISTRICT THREE INCLUDE THE RECONSTRUCTION OF GIRL ROAD AT STATE ROUTE ONE 40, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF DAN WARD ROAD FROM FRANKLIN ROAD TO BEACHWOOD ROAD, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SPE AVENUE FROM SHAFFER ROAD TO BW HACK AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF ORD DROVE ROAD FROM GERBER ROAD TO THORTON ROAD.
WE ALSO WILL BE SIGNALIZING THE INTERSECTION OF ASCE ASHBY AND 16TH STREET.
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AND WE WILL BE INSTALLING SIDEWALKS ALONG BEACHWOOD AVENUE BETWEEN DAN WARD AND CAVETT AVENUE.THESE PROJECTS ARE FUNDED USING APPROXIMATELY 3.2 MILLION AND MEASURE VSP ONE FUNDS.
AND THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECTS ARE APPROXIMATELY 7.3 MILLION.
IN ADDITION TO THE SB, WANT TO MEASURE B FUNDS.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SET ASIDE $10 MILLION IN ARPA OR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LOCAL ROADS.
PUBLIC WORKS WILL BE RETURNED INTO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF THESE FUNDS DURING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET HEARINGS, AS PART OF OUR ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE COUNTY OF MERSEYSIDE, ALONG WITH THE MERCEDES COUNTY ASSOCIATED ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS AND THE INCORPORATED CITIES PARTNERED TOGETHER TO HAVE A COUNTYWIDE PAYMENT CONDITION SURVEY.
THE PURPOSE, THE PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY WAS TO PROVIDE AN UNBIASED ASSESSMENT OF THE ROAD SYSTEM WITHIN THE COUNTY.
THIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH TRAFFIC VOLUMES, ROAD, CLASSIFICATIONS, SAFETY CONCERNS, MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AND OTHER FACTORS IT'S USED TO HELP US SELECT WHICH ROADS WILL BE NOMINATED FOR REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION.
FOR CLOSING NOTE, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING OVER 1700 MILES OF ROADWAY.
WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF STAFF AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO COVER EVERY MILE OF THE COUNTY MAINTAINED ROAD SYSTEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE RELY ON INPUT FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES TO HELP US MONITOR OUR ROAD SYSTEMS TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SPECIFIC ROAD OR SUBMIT A ROAD SERVICE REQUESTS, INCLUDING ANY ILLEGAL DUMPING COMPLAINTS.
PLEASE, PLEASE CALL FOR SAID, COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT 2 0 9 3 8 5 7 6 0 1.
AND, UH, I'M ESPECIALLY HAPPY WITH, UH, THE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE ONCE THE IRRIGATION WATER STOPPED FLOWING AT THE INTERCHANGE OF ONE 40 AND GEAR AND GER ROAD.
I KNOW THAT WAS BEEN REALLY PARTICULAR.
I KNOW, UM, MY FORMER MAC CHAIRMAN DARREN AGAIN, HAS CHAMPIONED THAT EFFORT.
HE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SIGNALS THERE, BUT WE KNOW THAT WORKING WITH CALTRANS WHERE WE DON'T QUITE MEET THAT DEMAND, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TOUCH MAYBE ON MORE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THERE, THEIR ROAD AND, UH, ONE 40.
WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IS EXTEND THERE.
THERE'S A CANAL THAT RUNS UNDER THE CURRENT INTERSECTION.
THE PLAN IS TO EXTEND THAT AND WIDENED THE ROAD, A GIRL ROAD, RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF ONE 40 TO ALLOW FOR TWO LARGE VEHICLES OR TWO LARGE TRUCKS, TO BE ABLE TO ONE TRUCK, TO BE ABLE TO EXIT ERODE INTO THE INTERSECTION AT ONE 40 AND ANOTHER ONE TO BE ABLE TO TURN ONTO GIRL ROAD FROM ONE 40, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A NARROW RESTRICTION ON GIRL ROAD, JUST AT THAT INTERSECTION THAT CREATES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR US AND WITH THE FIRE STATION RIGHT THERE.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR TWO LARGE VEHICLES TO GET IN AND OUT OF THAT INTERSECTION SAFELY.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THAT.
AND IF YOU, IF WE LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT THAT PLAN IN PLACE WITH THE, AND WE HAVE TO REACH OUT AND THANK, UH, MERCEDES IRRIGATION DISTRICT AS WELL FOR ACTUALLY THROWING IN A SMALL LITTLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, NOT SMALL, BUT IT HELPED OUT TREMENDOUSLY FOR US TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
AND JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU FOR THIS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, USUALLY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DOESN'T GET A WHOLE LOT OF COMPLIMENTS.
I WANTED TO COMPLIMENT YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT IS A COMPLAINT DRIVEN DEPARTMENT.
WE KNOW THAT AND, UH, WE FEEL A LOT OF THOSE CALLS BECAUSE OF THE ROADS.
DANA, ANOTHER COMMON TOPIC OF INTEREST DURING, UH, DURING OUR TOWN HALLS IS HOMELESSNESS IN ORDER TO HOPEFULLY ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS AT THE FOREFRONT.
I'VE ASKED HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOHN CHECKLEY TO PROVIDE A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR EFFORTS TO HELP ALLEVIATE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I LIKE TO ALSO MENTION THAT SINCE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE TOPICS OF RHODES AND HOMELESSNESS, NOW WE'LL TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS TOWARDS THE TAIL END OF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION IN ORDER TO COVER AS MANY TOPICS AS POSSIBLE WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOHN.
DID HE MEAN SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND WELCOME TO BALL, UH, PARTICIPANTS.
IT'S MY HONOR HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND TO LEAD SOME OF THE TEAMS THAT ARE WORKING TO,
[00:30:01]
UH, CRAFT SOLUTIONS IN BROAD REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP.WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESSNESS, AS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO AND 2018, WE STARTED A REGIONAL PLANNING GROUP THAT INCLUDED THE STATE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBER BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS, ELECTED MAYORS FROM THE SIX JURISDICTIONS WITHIN MURCIA COUNTY.
I THINK MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, WHICH IS THE HUD DESIGNATED BODY OF RELEVANT INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RESOURCES TO PLAN AND PROVIDE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE MADE GREAT PROGRESS AND DEVELOP AN EMERGENCY SHELTER.
UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SYSTEM SUPPORTS TO KEEP TRACK OF THESE, UH, ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
THOSE FOUR PRIMARY ACTIVITIES ARE WHAT WE FOCUSED ON AS A REGIONAL PLANNING GROUP AND A CONTINUUM OF CARE.
AND WE HAD TWO PRIMARY OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WHERE WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY.
AND TO DO THAT, WE THOUGHT OF PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, AS WELL AS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RESTRICTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, WHERE TWO MEANS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IN 2018, WE STARTED WITH AN OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT CENTER.
UM, THIS WAS IN ORDER TO HAVE COUNTYWIDE OUTREACH TO ALL THE JURISDICTIONS IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES, IDENTIFY THE RESOURCES THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN ORDER TO SERVE THAT POPULATION.
THAT THAT PROGRAM IS GOING VERY WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIVENESS, A LOT OF FOLKS WILL SAY THAT INDIVIDUALS DON'T WANT SERVICES.
UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT SERVICE, WHO ARE, WHO ARE ENGAGED BY OUR OUTREACH TEAMS ARE QUICKLY CONNECTS TO THOSE SERVICES.
AND ONE OF THOSE SERVICES IS EMERGENCY SHELTER.
AS MENTIONED, WE'VE OPENED A NAVIGATION CENTER IN MARCH OF 2021 THAT PROVIDES 75 BEDS OF EMERGENCY SHELTER.
THAT, THAT IS IN BROAD PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDEN VALLEY WORKNET, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, THE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY AND THE ENTITY THAT RUNS THAT IS THE MERSEYSIDE RESCUE MISSION.
SO AS WE WERE REGIONALLY PLANNING, WE'VE RECOGNIZED THAT NO SINGLE ENTITY ORGANIZATION OR LEVEL OF GOVERNANCE WAS, WAS GOING TO COMPLETELY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO HELP LIFT PEOPLE FROM UNSHELTERED LOCATIONS TO HOMES WITHOUT REALLY, REALLY CLOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATION OF RESOURCES.
UM, AS MENTIONED, WE HAD DISTRIBUTED HOUSING TO ADDRESS THIS COUNTYWIDE.
THERE WAS A REAL FOCUS BY THAT GROUP ON, HEY, LET'S PROVIDE RESOURCES COUNTY-WIDE AND MAKE SURE ALL JURISDICTIONS ARE SERVED.
UM, SINCE 2018 AND 2018, WE HAD 90 EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS IN OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE ANTICIPATING, WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO HAVE CLOSE TO 250 EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS.
SO FROM A PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE PERSPECTIVE, UM, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROVIDE PEOPLE SAFE, STABLE PLACE IN WHICH TO ACCESS SERVICES, RECEIVE ASSESSMENTS, GATHER EMPLOYMENT, AND THEN ULTIMATELY, AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, PERMANENT HOUSING.
UM, SO BY SEEING THE INCREASE FROM 90 TO TWO 50, WE BELIEVE THAT STRATEGIES WORKED IN, IN FURTHER PROOF OF THAT.
AS A POINT IN TIME, COUNT ANNUALLY, HUD REQUIRES A CONTINUUM OF CARE TO CONDUCT A POINT IN TIME COUNT, UH, AT THIS YEAR'S POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE ARE, UH, PRELIMINARILY SEEN A 19% REDUCTION IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
THIS, THIS IS A, A, UH, A VALIDATING MOMENT FOR THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE AS A COMMUNITY IN EMERGENCY SHELTER.
ALTHOUGH WE SAW A 2% INCREASE OF 20 PERSONS OVERALL TO 855, COUNTY-WIDE SEEING THAT 19% DECREASE, UH, ASSURES US THAT PEOPLE ARE ACCESSING OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER.
AND IN THAT EMERGENCY SHELTER BEING CONNECTED TO CASE MANAGERS, ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN ULTIMATELY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS THE SECOND REAL BROAD SECTOR THAT WE WANTED TO TRY TO IMPACT.
AND IN ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO, OR SO WE'RE MEETING WITH THE MAYOR OF MERCEDES, THE CITY MANAGER OF MERCEDES.
WE SAID, WHAT WHAT'S KIND OF AN AUDACIOUS GOAL.
AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT WHY, WHY CAN'T WE GET 200 UNITS IN PRODUCTION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS? AT THE TIME WE HAD 40 UNITS OF RESTRICTED HOMELESS HOUSING AND PRODUCTION.
AND RECENTLY THE CITY OF MERCEDES HAS BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR AN ADDITIONAL 110 UNITS OF RESTRICTED HOUSING TO SERVE FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THIS INCLUDES 20 VETERANS, UH, AS WELL AS 45 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
SO BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME, REALLY NEAT CONNECTION TO SERVICES AND WITHOUT SOME SAFE STABLE HOUSING, UH, THE OUTCOMES CAN BE REALLY, UM, NEGATIVE, NOT ONLY ON OUR OTHER SECTORS, SUCH AS HOSPITAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT TO THE INDIVIDUALS AND THE FAMILIES THEMSELVES.
SO REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT EXPANSION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THAT THAT'S REALLY THE SOLUTION.
WE CAN DEVELOP EMERGENCY SHELTER, BUT UNTIL SOMEONE IS PERMANENTLY HOUSED, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL ARE CONSIDERED HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESS BY HUD STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS.
SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF GREAT PROGRESS AND
[00:35:02]
KNOW I'VE MENTIONED THE CITY OF MERCY SAID AGAIN, VERY EARLY ON, WE RECOGNIZED THERE WAS NO SINGLE ENTITY OF GOVERNMENT.OTHER OTHER PROVIDERS WHO ARE, ARE PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR THIS EFFORT INCLUDE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE MANY OF THESE PROJECTS WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT.
THE MERSEYSIDE RESCUE MISSION HAS, IS DEVELOPING A FIVE ACRE CAMPUS.
NOT ONLY DOES IT INCLUDE THE 10 UNITS OF PERMANENT HOUSING FOR VETERANS, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES 10 UNITS OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR FAMILIES WHERE THEY HAVE CASE MANAGERS ASSIGNED TO THEM.
AND THEN 32 BEDS OF RESPITE CARE.
SO AGAIN, BROAD PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTINUUM OF CARE, ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS, ELECTED POLICY MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT CARRY OUT A LOT OF THESE ACTIVITIES.
LASTLY, WE FOCUS ON THE SYSTEM SUPPORTS THAT, MAKE THIS ALL POSSIBLE, THAT WE CAN TRACK.
WE WANT MEANINGFUL, MEASURABLE OUTCOMES.
AND WHEN I, WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT THE 19% REDUCTION IN HOMELESSNESS WILL BE IN UNSHELTERED, HOMELESSNESS, EXCUSE ME, WE'LL BE ASSESSING, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT WHAT'S WORKING.
SO AS A NAVIGATION CENTER, PROVIDING THAT SAFE AND STABLE, YOU KNOW, LAUNCHING POINT WHERE WE CAN GET FOLKS READY TO, UM, GET, GET HEALTHCARE, UM, VITAL DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO ACCESS HOUSING, ET CETERA.
WE BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CRUCIAL POINT.
SO A LOT OF PLACES WE'VE INVESTED, I THINK I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THAT'S BEEN IN BROAD PARTNERSHIP AGAIN WITH ALL OF OUR JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERS LED BY ELECTED POLICY MAKERS, INCLUDING YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, WITHOUT THAT DIRECTION, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR, TO MAKE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE.
SO IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, AS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, THIS IS ONE THAT CONSTANTLY BOWLS STARTS TO TOP, UH, NOT ONLY HERE IN MERCER COUNTY, BUT ACROSS, ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, JUST WANT TO ASSURE THE PARTICIPANTS ON THIS TOWN HALL, THAT YOUR COUNTY WORKERS ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THESE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND INTEND TO CONTINUE TO DO SO, UH, MAKE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES AND MEANINGFUL GOALS, AND THEN TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
AND I JUST LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, W WHEN YOU ARE A VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER, YOU MAKE QUITE AN EFFORT TO GET VETERANS OFF THE STREETS FOR SANT COUNTY.
AND I THINK IT GOT TO THE POINT TO WHERE WHATEVER VETERANS WERE HOMELESS CHOSE TO BE HOMELESS, BECAUSE YOU WENT TO ALL LINKS TO GET, MAKE SURE VETERANS HAD THE PROPER PLACE TO STAY AS THEY SHOULD, THAT THEY'VE EARNED.
I THINK THAT EFFORT OPENED IT UP.
WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE'RE GETTING MANY CALLS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, TAKE THAT TO THE POINT TO WHERE WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY TO CALL.
AND WE DEVELOPED A POSITION, AND OF COURSE YOU ARE PERFECT FOR THAT POSITION.
AND, UH, IT WAS NICE HAVING HIM IN THE, AT THE THIRD, YOU KNOW, HERE AT THE COUNTY BUILDING AT THE THIRD FLOOR, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CALL YOU ALL THE TIME.
EVERY TIME YOU WALKED DOWN THE HALL, YOU'D HAVE SUPERVISORS YELLING OUT THERE, OUT THEIR DOOR.
AND TO SEE WHERE YOU'VE COME FROM US, CREATING THAT POSITION TO NOW LEADING THE HOMELESS EFFORT HERE IN MERCEDE COUNTY, I WOULD GO AS FAR AS SAYING, YOU'RE THE HOMELESS IS OUR OF MERCER COUNTY, BUT IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WHERE YOU STARTED AND WHERE YOU ARE NOW LEADING THIS DIRECTION.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I THINK I HEAR FOLKS ON THE STREETS AND THEY THEY'RE STARTING TO GET IT.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS OUT THERE WE'RE ADDRESSING EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK YOU WERE SEEING IT SHRINKING BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND YOU OUT THERE MAKING THE ASSESSMENTS, GETTING THE FOLKS AND TRYING TO GET THEM SERVICES.
AND FOR YOU, I COULD SEE WHERE YOU'D BE FRUSTRATED WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE REFUSING THOSE SERVICES, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
NOW WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE BORDER BORDERS.
NEXT DARLENE INGERSOLL, THE MERCY COUNTY REGISTERED VOTERS WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON A COUPLE IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT IMPACT OUR ELECTIONS.
THE VOTERS CHOICE, CHOICE ACT AS WELL AS REDISTRICTING DARLENE.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
SELF-SERVING AS YOUR FOR SAID, COUNTY REGISTERED VOTERS.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO SPEAK AT THIS TOWN MEETING AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE SAID, COUNTY IS NOW A VOTER'S CHOICE ACT COUNTY, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ACRONYM BCA THIS NEW ELECTION MODEL ALLOWS VOTERS TO CHOOSE HOW, WHEN AND WHERE TO CAST THEIR BALLOT.
ALL ACTIVE REGISTERED VOTERS ARE MAILED A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT BY 29 DAYS PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY AND VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTERS REPLACED TRADITIONAL POLLING PLACES.
VOTERS CHOOSE TO CAST THEIR VOTED BALLOT BY MAIL, WHICH
[00:40:01]
COULD BE RETURNED POSTAGE FREE BY SECURE, OFFICIAL DROP OFF BOXES AT OUR ELECTIONS OFFICE OR AT ANY VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTER.OF COURSE YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON AT ANY BUILDING ASSISTANCE CENTER IN ROSETTE COUNTY CENTERS PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THE UPCOMING JUNE 7TH, 2022 STATEWIDE DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION, WHERE SAID COUNTY WILL HAVE 13 VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTERS, THREE BEING 11 DAY CENTERS OPEN BEGINNING SATURDAY, MAY 28TH THROUGH ELECTION DAY AND 10 MORE FOUR DAYS CENTERS OPEN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH THROUGH ELECTION DAY.
OUR THREE 11 DAY VOTING CENTERS.
THIS YEAR ARE AT WATER COMMUNITY CENTER, LOS BANJOS COMMUNITY CENTER AND ROSETTE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX IN DISTRICT THREE AGAIN, 11 DAY CENTER AT WATER COMMUNITY CENTER AND A FOUR DAY CENTER DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES.
THERE WILL BE TIN SECURE, OFFICIAL DROP DROP OFF BOXES.
IN ADDITION TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ALL SIX CITY HALL OFFICES WILL BE PROVIDING DROP OFF BOXES.
WE ARE PARTNERING THIS YEAR WITH RANCHO SAN MIGUEL IN MERSIN LIBERTY MARKET IN DEL HI, AND RALEY'S IN MERCET ALL VOTERS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE REDISTRICTING IMPACTS AND THEY MAY SEE A CHANGE IN THEIR DISTRICTS ON THEIR JUNE 7TH BALLOT, INCLUDING CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH IS NOW DISTRICT 13 BOARD OF EQUALIZATION, WHICH IS NOW DISTRICT ONE STATE SENATE, WHICH IS NOW DISTRICT FOUR AND 14 STATE ASSEMBLY.
NOW DISTRICT 22 AND 27 AND YOUR COUNTY SUPERVISOR DISTRICT MAY HAVE CHANGED.
PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SLIDE.
IT HAS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR A LIST OF OUR LOCATIONS FOR VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTERS, DATES, AND TIMES WE CAN BE CONTACTED AT 2 0 9 3 8 5 7 5 4 1.
OUR WEBSITE IS FOR SAID, ELECTIONS.ORG.
AND YOU CAN EMAIL US@ELECTIONSATCOUNTYUPPERSAID.COM.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I WANT TO APPRECIATE SINCE BARBARA HAS RETIRED, YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, WELL VERSED IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FROM A RECALL TO COVID AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.
YOUR TEAM HAS REALLY STEPPED UP WITH YOU AND YOU'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
FIRST I HAVE ONE MORE THING I'D LIKE TO DO HELLO EVERYBODY, BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU, OUR NEW CEO, UH, HE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB.
HE COMES TO US FROM STANISLAUS COUNTY AND I'LL JUST LET YOU INTRODUCE YOUR GREAT THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.
UH, THEY SEE ME TO KIND OF ADDRESS YOU AND INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS AS MENTIONED, I AM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER ACTUALLY BEEN WITH THE ORGANIZATION SINCE JANUARY 10TH.
I STARTED, UH, FIRST IN A DESIGNEE ROLE, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITHIN CEO, JIM BROWN, AS PART OF THE TRANSITION PLAN THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, PUT TOGETHER.
UH, SO FIRST OFF I WANTED TO THANK THE, THE BOARD, UH, FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN ALLOWING US TO HAVE THAT TIME TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT, UH, THE TOP EXECUTIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH OUR PREDECESSOR AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU, IT HAS BEEN, UH, VERY VALUABLE TO ME AND HELPING WITH MY AFFIRMATION PROCESS TO SOMERSET COUNTY, THAT COMMUNITY AS MENTIONED, UH, I AM, UM, TRANSITIONING FROM STANISLAUS COUNTY.
I WAS ACTUALLY BORN AND RAISED IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, UH, HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN FROM, FROM DAY ONE, UH, IT HAS BEEN A REAL PRIVILEGE TO JUST, UH, GROW UP HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS PROVIDED SO MUCH FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, UH, AS MENTIONED, UH, BORN AND RAISED IN, IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, UH, SPEND SOME TIME SANTOS.
TELL ME, UH, ALSO, UH, BUT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OVER THE YEARS TO JUST REALLY, UH, EMBRACE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.
UH, BACK IN, UM, 2001, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR STANISLAUS COUNTY, UH, IN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
UM, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, 13 YEARS LATER, UH, ASSUMED THAT POSITION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT WAS THERE THAT I BELIEVE I MET SUPERVISOR AGAIN, IT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, UH, IN MY ROLE WITH, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A CITY MANAGER
[00:45:01]
IN MID 2020, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN BACK TO STANISLAUS COUNTY SERVICE AS AN ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, FOUND MYSELF IN A POSITION OF BEING SELECTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY AS YOUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER.UH, SO I AM A PRODUCT OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, OUR STRONG ROOTS IN AGRICULTURE, OUR HARD WORK, UH, HARDWORKING ETHIC.
I THINK IT'S INDICATIVE OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND REALLY HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE TRANSITION PLAN TO REALLY START TO GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY OF
AND I HAVE APPRECIATED, UM, GOING OUT WITH THE SUPERVISORS, TOURING THEIR SUPERVISORAL DISTRICTS, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, BUSINESS PARTNERS, CITY PARTNERS, TO REALLY JUST EXPAND MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN JOINING THIS ORGANIZATION, IT HAS BEEN AS EVIDENCE, UH, THIS EVENING.
UH, IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL JOURNEY FOR ME TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A GROUP OF VERY TALENTED PROFESSIONALS.
UH, YOU HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF THEM THIS EVENING ALREADY IN, UH, MARK AND, UH, DANA, JOHN, AND OBVIOUSLY DARLENE YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE REST OF OUR STAFF OR SOME OF OUR STAFF, UH, DURING THE Q AND A, UH, BUT REALLY, UH, AS, AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UH, JUST WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, UH, WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, UH, AND BY ITS TRUE DEFINITION, UH, WE SERVE THE PUBLIC.
UH, YOU'LL SEE, ON THERE, MY LEADERSHIP THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE GREATLY EMPHASIZED.
ALSO MY STYLE BASED ON KIND OF MY EXPERIENCE IN, IN GOVERNMENT AND SPECIFICALLY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CITY AND COUNTY, UM, UH, PHILOSOPHY OF JUST BEING ACCESSIBLE.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS VERY ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE ENGAGED, THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THIS FINE COUNTY.
UH, YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR STAFF WILL ALSO BE ENGAGED.
UH, WON'T BE, SO DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE ME OUT IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
CAUSE I THINK, UH, AS A COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I THINK THAT'S THE, UH, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO IS HOW DO WE BEST UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY IT'S BY BEING OUT THERE AND BEING ACCESSIBLE AND BEING AVAILABLE TO LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS.
AND SO REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THIS TOWN HALL MEETING VIRTUALLY, UH, THIS IS, UH, I THINK WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DO, I REALLY VALUED THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO ASSESS AS YOUR COUNTY ORGANIZATION, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE, UH, BEST ADDRESSING YOUR NEEDS.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING.
SO UNDER MY LEADERSHIP, WORKING WITH THIS GROUP OF TALENTED INDIVIDUALS, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY TAKE A LOT OF THE INPUT, UH, INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE'RE TRYING TO BRING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO, UM, JUST WANT TO MAYBE STOP THERE AGAIN, A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AT MERCER COUNTY, UH, PROVOST TO BE SERVING, UH, THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND LEADING AND JOINING A VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, TALENTED GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE SERVING, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF OUR SETS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL BACK TO YOU.
AND ONE THING I THINK PART OF THIS IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A TROJAN RUN OR A TOUGH MUDDER BECAUSE YOU LIKE TO DO THAT.
AND THE CHALLENGE WAS OUT THERE AND I'M GOING TO CONSIDER IT ONLY A BDO KEY AS A SUPERVISOR.
THIS LAST COUNTY DECIDES TO DO IT.
IF HE DOES IT, THEN I'LL DO IT AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, BUT NO THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, I THINK ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO DO IS, UH, WE NEED TO PUT A TRACKER ON YOU LIKE A GPS TRACKER BECAUSE HE IS DOING SO MANY MEETINGS AND HE IS SO BUSY RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO CHASE HIM DOWN WHERE HIS ROLE
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING TO BRAVO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AT THIS TIME.
I THINK WE'LL GO INTO THE Q AND A SESSION AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE TYPE, TYPE IT INTO THE CHAT.
OH, RO YOU DON'T, YOU GOTTA BE HERE FOR THIS TOO, IN THE QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
UH, MIKE, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR, LIKE A SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS COMING IN AND JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, WE ARE MONITORING QUESTIONS ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK.
AND THE FIRST QUESTION, UH, IS A SHORT AND SIMPLE ONE.
IT IS WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT HIGH GAS PRICES? YEAH, I THINK YOU MIGHT.
THAT'S ONE THING THE BOARD TOOK ACTION ON THAT RIGHT AWAY AND SUPPORT OF, UM, WE WROTE A LETTER OF SUPPORT WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF FRESNO COUNTY, UH, ENCOURAGING OUR GOVERNOR
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TO STEP UP AND ALLOW NEW PERMITS AND, UH, TO OPEN UP THE DRILLING HERE IN MURCIA OR HERE IN, UH, CALIFORNIA, UH, OUR FRIENDS DOWN TO THE SOUTH OF US KERN COUNTY, UM, THAT'S THEIR NUMBER ONE PRODUCTION.THAT'S THEIR NUMBER ONE BUSINESS.
AND, UH, I JUST REALLY FEEL LIKE IF WE DO THAT, UM, WE CAN OPEN IT UP AND OUR GAS PRICES, IT'S GOOD TO BE.
SELF-SUFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA, WE BRAG ABOUT OUR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY IN ITSELF WOULD BE THE SIXTH LARGEST PRODUCTION AG AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION COUNTRY IF WE WERE A COUNTRY OURSELVES.
SO JUST THINK IF WE WOULD OPEN UP AND ALLOW DRILLING AND ALLOW US TO DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OIL HERE, UNDERGROUND HERE, HERE IN, UH, NOT JUST MERCY COUNTY, BUT HERE IN THE WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO TOUCH THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, MAYBE A GOOD TIME FOR WEIGHT TO MEASURE SEAN, RYAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE.
MAYBE YOU CAN TOUCH ON, I'LL FEEL CONFIDENT IN, UM, WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING GAS IN THAT THEY'RE GETTING EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.
UH, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE, TO TALK ABOUT OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DIVISION.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DIVISION IS UNDER THE AG COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO STRAIGHT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE AND CONTACT US WITH COMPLAINTS.
BUT THE ONE THING WE DO OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, UM, DIVISION DOES IS WE GO OUT AND WE ENFORCE, AND WE CERTIFY THE ACCURACY OF GAS PUMPS.
AND IN MERCER COUNTY, THERE'S ABOUT 2,700 MOTOR FUEL DISPENSERS.
AND WE GET TO ABOUT OVER 95% OF THOSE PER YEAR.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE GO OUT AND WE INSPECT THEM AND WE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THAT THERE, THE ADVERTISING IS CORRECT.
AND IT'S, THERE'S CERTAIN REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN THE ADVERTISING ON THEM.
AND THEN WE GET INTO THE PUMPS AND WE HAVE, WHAT'S CALLED THE PROVER AND WE PUT A GAS INTO A PER ROOM AND MAKE SURE YOU GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAID FOR.
SO, UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE DOING THAT ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ONCE WE CERTIFY THAT THEY'LL PUT PLACE A LITTLE STICKER ON IT AND SIGN IT.
AND SO THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE AT THE PUMP, YOU CAN GO LOOK AT THOSE AND YOU'LL SEE OUR COMMISSIONER'S NAME ON THERE, DAVID ROBINSON.
AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE DATE THAT IT WAS INSPECTED.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK FOR THAT.
SO, SO, SO SEAN, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GOT CLARITY ON THAT.
THAT'S NOT THE STICKER THAT SAYS I DID THAT.
SO DAVID ROBINSON HAS IT AFFECTED THE PRICES.
WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE AMOUNT THAT YOU PAID FOR IT.
SO, AND WE DO THAT WITH ALL, UH, ALL MEASURING DEVICES ALSO TOO.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, YOU'LL SEE THOSE STICKERS ON THE SCALES AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THEM ON THE DELI COUNTERS.
LIKE IF YOU GO TO LANDSCAPER AND YOU BUY STUFF BY THE POUND, WE, WE CERTIFY THOSE SCALES.
AND WE ALSO GO OUT TO SOME OF THE AG PROCESSORS AND DO THOSE SKILLS AS WELL.
SO, SO, AND YOU GUYS DO THAT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AS WELL, AND WE DO IT ALL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTY.
THAT'S JUST TO SHOW THAT OUR REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS ARE BEING PUT TO GOOD USE.
OUR NEXT QUESTION MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE FOR WORK NET.
HOW CAN WE FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING EMPLOYMENT? OH, THAT'S MY ONE OF MY FAVORITE ONES.
THIS IS WHERE OUR GOVERNMENT GETS IT.
I'M ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, BUT LET'S UH, IS ERIC SERRATO READY? MAYBE WE'LL GET ERIC SERRATO TO MAYBE GET A LITTLE MORE INTO DEPTH ON THIS.
WELL SUPERVISORS, MCDANIEL, AND COMMUNITY.
UH, COULD YOU ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN? I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THAT.
HOW CAN WE FIND OUT ABOUT THAT COMING EMPLOYMENTS OPPORTUNITIES? ABSOLUTELY.
SO YOU CAN, UH, VISIT US AT, UH, ONE OF OUR TWO JOB CENTERS.
WE HAVE ONE IN THOSE BIOS AS WELL, AS WELL AS ONE IN NUMBER SAID, UH, YOU CAN ALSO VISIT US ONLINE AT, UH, WORK MEMBER SAID.COM.
I DO HAVE A LIST OF EMPLOYERS THAT ARE HIRING RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'RE UH, CURRENTLY WORKING WITH GALLO FARMS WITH TRC, WITH TEASDALE, UH, WITH DOLE, WITH, UH, CASTLE FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS, GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS, TRACTOR SUPPLY, AND QUAD GRAPHICS.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING WITH US THAT ARE DESPERATE, UH, TO FILL POSITIONS, UH, AT ALL LEVELS.
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT US AT ONE OF OUR MANY JOB FAIRS.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, JOB FAIR AND HIRING EVENT WILL BE ON APRIL 29TH AT THE MERCER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.
THAT IS A CTE CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION EVENT THAT WE'RE DOING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF WORKFORCE PARTNERS HERE IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEY'LL ALSO BE A, UH, STAFFING AND HIRING EVENT AT THE WORKNET ROSETTE OFFICE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 19TH, FROM
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8:00 AM TO 12 NOON.AND HEY, UM, OUR LAST WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MEETING WAS VERY ACTIVE AND VERY APPRECIATED WITH IT.
CAN YOU GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE PODS AND THE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED ON THE PODS THAT WHERE YOU ARE TRYING TO CREATE A FACILITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET ASSISTANCE IN EITHER GETTING A BETTER JOB, A BETTER CAREER OR HELP WITH THE RESUME? ABSOLUTELY.
SO ENSURING ACCESS TO ALL RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THIS YEAR.
SO THERE, THERE ARE TWO EXCITING THINGS I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, THE FIRST IS ACTUALLY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SATELLITE JOB CENTER, UH, AT CASTLE.
AND SO THROUGH THE SUMMER, WE'LL BE OPENING THAT NEW JOB CENTER THAT WILL BE FOCUSED ON, UH, THE CASTLE AREA AND HELPING, UH, EVERYDAY RESIDENTS CONNECT SOME OF THESE NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED THERE ON THE OLD AIR FORCE BASE, AS WELL AS SERVING THE LARGER ATWATER COMMUNITY SO THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETIME THIS YEAR.
UH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING A SERIES OF PODS AND THESE ARE THESE SMALL, UH, KIND OF MOBILE ROOMS, UH, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PLACING AT LIBRARIES AND OTHER COUNTY FACILITIES.
SO THAT ACCESS TO A VIRTUAL CAREER, UH, CAREER COUNSELOR IS NO MORE THAN MINUTES AWAY FROM YOUR HOME.
UH, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM AND TALK VIRTUALLY AND GET ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU WOULD.
YEAH, NO, I THOUGHT THAT WAS EXCELLENT.
WHEN YOU SHOWED THE MAP AND THE STRATEGY OF PLACING ALL THOSE, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, REASONS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB.
AND I KNOW I ALWAYS SAY IT ON THE DIOCESE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE MORE JOBS THAN WE HAVE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE AND IT'S HOW DO WE GET MOTIVATED TO GET TO WORK? AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS YOU'RE DOING, ERIC.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME IN REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
ONE RELATES TO GRAFFITI AND ONE RELATES TO GANG ACTIVITY.
UM, I THINK WE'LL TAKE GRAFFITI FIRST.
UM, THAT IS, IS THERE A SERVICE WE CAN CALL TO GET RID OF GRAFFITI IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS? THE COUNTY? NOW I CAN SEE THAT SOMETHING I'VE SEEN, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN, I HAVEN'T BEEN RECEIVED PHONE CALLS REGARDING THROUGH GRAFFITI.
SO WOULD THAT BE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS? IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING PROBATION MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER.
THERE SHE IS MY NEIGHBOR THAT SHE'S A DISTRICT THREE RESIDENT THROUGH THE DISTRICT.
THE I'M SORRY, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE A GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE COUNTY WEB PAGE AND YOU CLICK ON THE PROBATION LINK, UM, THERE IS A GRAFFITI ABATEMENT LINK THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON.
YOU'LL DOWNLOAD THE WAIVER AND SEND US A REQUEST FOR US TO REMOVE THE GRAFFITI ON YOUR PROPERTY.
AND PROBATION DOES THAT AS PART OF A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM AT THE JUVENILE HALL.
SO WE BRING OUR YOUTH FROM THE FACILITY TO THE GRAFFITI ON THE PROPERTY.
KHALISA BECAUSE I ACTUALLY, WHEN WE HAD OUR, UH, OUR DISTRICT FUNDS FOR EACH DISTRICT, UM, I ACTUALLY HAD A POT OF MONEY THERE THAT I HAD, UH, FOR FOLKS WHO COULD TAP INTO THAT, UH, FOR SOME GRAFFITI ABATEMENT, BUT THAT'S VERY, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PROGRAM.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.
IS THERE A NUMBER THAT THEY CAN CALL OR IS IT BETTER TO DO IT OVER THE WEBSITE? IT'S BETTER TO DO IT OVER THE WEBSITE.
WE DO HAVE A SUPERVISOR WHO MONITORS THAT.
UM, AND SO AS SOON AS A FIRSTHAND, UM, PROVIDES THE, UH, ADDRESS AND THE WAIVER, UM, OUR SUPERVISOR CONTACTS THEM DIRECTLY AND WE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO GO COVER THE GRAFFITI AND THIS WAS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AS WELL.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL TRANSITION TO THE GANG, UH, QUESTION HERE.
UH, WHAT'S BEING DONE TO PREVENT CHILDREN GETTING INVOLVED WITH GANGS.
IS THAT, DID WE GO TO CALISSA FOR THAT ONE AS WELL? I THINK WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC SAFETY REPS HERE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO PARENTS, UM, IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF GANGS, WE HAVE THE REDIRECT PROGRAM THAT'S RAN THROUGH THE FAMILY RESOURCE COUNCIL, UM, AND A PERSON A PARENT CAN GO ONTO MCOE WEBSITE AND THERE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, INQUIRE ABOUT THE REDIRECT PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT HAS TO EARLY INTERVENTION, DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICERS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE SCHOOLS
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AND IN THE COMMUNITY.THEY ALSO HAVE MEETINGS, FAMILY MEETINGS, CHILD, AND FAMILY TEAM MEETINGS, UM, TO DISCUSS ANY ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AND THEY PROVIDE, UM, PARENTAL SUPPORT GROUPS, LIKE INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS FOR PARENTS.
UM, JUST TO LOOK FOR THE WARNING SIGNS OF GANG MEMBERSHIP.
UM, I ALSO KNOW THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RUNS AN EXPLORER PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS GREAT TO KEEP KIDS OUT OF GANGS.
AND, UM, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ALSO RUNS A TRUANCY PROGRAM, UM, THROUGH THEIR OFFICE.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF SERVICES AVAILABLE TO PARENTS, UH, IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF GAMES.
I DON'T WANT TO KEEP, UH, PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I KNOW THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS WON A LOT OF AWARDS FOR RACISM.
AND, UM, IS THERE, DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS OF SUCCESS RATE WITH MAYBE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS? I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IF YOU COULD MAYBE JUST TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE RUNNING, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR JUVENILE POPULATION.
UM, AND OUR CAMP PROGRAMS OFFER A LOT OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TYPE, UH, PROGRAMS FOR OUR YOUTH.
WE HAVE YOUTH THAT ARE ATTENDING A CULINARY PROGRAM, UM, FROM THE JUVENILE HALL, WE HAVE A COPY CARD THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING TO MERSEYSIDE COUNTY.
SO THE YOUTH WHO ARE IN THE CAMP PROGRAM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE COFFEE CART, UM, IN ORDER TO GET THEM BACK INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A REALLY POSITIVE THING.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER UP AND COMING PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE OF THEM.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK YOU'RE DOING OUT THERE.
IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED AND HAPPY WHEN YOUR ANNIVERSARY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AS OUR CHIEF.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS ON THE TOPIC OF COVID.
UM, ARE THERE, EXCUSE ME, ARE NEW COVID VARIANTS BECOMING LESS SEVERE? WILL THEY BECOME LESS SEVERE IN THE FUTURE AS COVID-19 SHIFTS FROM PANDEMIC TO ENDEMIC? INTERESTING.
DO WE HAVE BECKY AVAILABLE FOR THOSE QUESTIONS? YOU WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD ALL BE EXPERTS ON THIS SUBJECT BY NOW, BUT, UH, BECKY IS IN-HOUSE EXPERT AND SHE BRINGS WITH A WHOLE LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION FROM YOUR RESIDENT OR FROM, UM, ONE OF THE RESIDENTS IS COVID-19 BECOMING MORE OR LESS SEVERE.
UM, FIRST IN LOOKING AT THE RATES OF VACCINATION THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, THEY STILL REMAIN AROUND 50%.
AND SO UNLESS WE GET THOSE NUMBERS UP IN TERMS OF WHO'S VACCINATED COVID WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE DEALING WITH, NOT SEASONALLY, BUT PERENNIALLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE A FLU COLD TYPE OF ILLNESS.
IT'S WE SEE IT WHEN THEY'RE SURGES, THEY REALLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY IMPACT OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. AND SO UNLESS WE START TO SEE THAT NUMBER INCREASE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE A BASELINE EXPECTED NUMBER OF COVID CASES THROUGHOUT ROSETTE COUNTY, IN TERMS OF THE NEW VARIANT, THE BA TWO, WE ARE NOT SEEING CASES.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT FROM HAVING PCR TESTING DONE, TO DOING AT-HOME TESTING THOSE ANTIGEN BASED TESTS.
AND SO IF THERE'S A NEGATIVE AND PEOPLE DON'T FOLLOW UP TO CONFIRM THAT IT'S POSITIVE, THERE MAY BE A CASE THAT MIGHT BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND NOT EVEN BE AWARE THAT IT'S THE CASE.
BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND FROM THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF COVID.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE A HOME TEST AND THEN HAVE TO GET UP AND GO TO A TESTING SITE AND GET A VERIFIED THROUGH PCR.
BUT THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO VERIFY, UM, IF THEY DO OR DO NOT HAVE COVID-19 JUST THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
WE'RE NOT SEEING THESE HUGE SPIKES AS ONE WOULD EXPECT TO BE TO SEE, BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DELAYED BY SEVERAL WEEKS AND WE'RE GOING TO START TO SEE IT, MAKE IT, SEE THAT VARIANT MAKE ITS WAY TO CALIFORNIA.
WELL, THANKS, BECKY, LET ME PUT A LITTLE HUMAN SIDE ON THIS.
IF I CAN, HOW ARE YOU DOING? YOU'VE HAD OVER TWO YEARS OF COVID.
YOU'RE NOT A POLITICIAN BY ANY MEANS.
AND WE PUT YOU IN A ROLE WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING THAT IT WAS POLITICAL.
COULD YOU JUST TELL THE PUBLIC, HOW ARE YOU DOING? YOU GOT SOME TIME DOWN NOW YOU'RE READY TO REGROUP.
AND I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO PUT A HUMAN FACE TO IT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE GET OUR KEYBOARD WARRIORS WHO DO A LOT OF THE RESEARCH.
AND, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THIS AND HOW ARE YOU DOING WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FIRST OF ALL, SUPERVISOR ME FOR ASKING IT HAS BEEN MARKED, YOU KNOW, IT COMMITTED.
ISN'T JUST SOMETHING I DO, BUT IT'S IMPACTED ME PERSONALLY.
I LOST MY YOUNGER BROTHER RECENTLY VERY RECENTLY, AND JUST STAYING ABOVE THE FRAY AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE, WE ARE ALL, UM, A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, FROM THE ACADEMIC AND THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF THINGS.
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IT'S LIKE, WHY? BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE GONE, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO.THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN SAY TO BRING THEM BACK.
YOU KNOW? AND SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIKE, WELL, COVID IS NO BIG DEAL.
IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL TO ME PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, AND I'M DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN, BUT GOD IS MY ANCHOR AND I JUST MOVED NORTH AND I JUST KEEP SWIMMING AND THAT'S ALL I CAN DO BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FEEL PERSONAL.
I'VE JUST BEEN SURROUNDED FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS BY PEOPLE WHO'VE EXPERIENCED NOTHING BUT LOSS.
AND AT LEAST WE HAVE EACH OTHER, AT LEAST WE HAVE OUR FAMILIES, I HAVE MY FAMILY, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN EASY.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO SHARE THAT SAME MESSAGE, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES ADD NOT BEING A POLITICIAN, BUT HAVING THIS BECOME, HAVING BECOME SO POLITICAL.
IT'S HARD TO SEPARATE THE MESSAGE FROM THE MESSENGER, FROM, UH, THE BIGGER KIND OF OVERALL, UH, OFFICE OF HOW COVID HAS BEEN VIEWED.
SO WE'RE DOING AS BEST WE CAN.
WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS BEST WE CAN.
BUT, UH, IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP AND IT'S BEEN HARD FOR A LONG TIME.
WELL, AND YOU USE THE TERM SWIMMING.
I THINK WE, UH, WE'RE IN A POOL RIGHT NOW WHERE THE WE'RE NOT SWIMMING UPSTREAM ANYMORE.
SO IT'S NICE TO JUST BE TREADING WATER INSTEAD OF
I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE DONE.
AND I KNOW IT WASN'T FAIR TO PUT YOU GUYS IN THAT POSITION.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE THE ONES WHO GET ELECTED.
WE GET THE BEATING UP AND I JUST WISH THEY WOULD CONTINUE BEATING UP ON US AND LET YOU GUYS DO THE WORK THAT YOU DO SINCERELY APPRECIATE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SUPERVISOR THEN WANT TO ADD IN ONE MORE PLUG IF THAT'S OKAY IN TERMS OF ABSOLUTELY.
AND GETTING THEIR VACCINE, THERE'S A HOST OF DIFFERENT MEDIUMS. YOU CAN LOOK AT, YOU CAN GO TO YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY, MAKE SURE YOU VISIT MY TURN.
UM, THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE LIST.
IF YOU'RE ABOVE THE AGE OF 50 OR YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED YOUR FIRST TWO DOSES, AND YOU'RE A SINGLE BOOSTER, PLEASE PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A SECOND BOOSTER.
THE EFFECTIVENESS AFTER ONE RECEIVES THE BOOSTERS ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
AND I WOULD SAY FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED THE FIRST DAY, THEY PROBABLY LAPSED INTO THE SECOND STEP.
WHEN IN DOUBT, SPEAK TO YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR THE STATE WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR.
IF YOU'RE AT, WITHIN THAT GROUP WHO QUALIFIES TOGETHER TO RECEIVE THE DOSAGES YOU NEED OR THE DOSING UNIT.
SO, UM, WE'RE, I'VE ALWAYS SAID, I'VE SAID THIS SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE MAY BE DONE WITH COVID.
I'M DONE WITH COVID, BUT COVID NOT DONE.
YOU HAVE NO FEELING TO HAVE NO EMOTIONS THAT THE VIRUS IS GOING TO DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS COME IN REGARDING HOMELESSNESS.
ONE'S KIND OF INTERESTING HOW THE QUESTION IS.
I'VE HEARD THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM OTHER CITIES AND STATES ARE GIVEN BUS TICKETS AND SENT TO THE VALLEY.
IS THIS TRUE? AND CAN WE STOP THIS? THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
AND YEAH, I HEAR THAT A LOT AS WELL.
AND ON THE, ON THE REVERSE SIDE, I HAVE HEARD OUR EXPLANATION, BUT, UH, THE ONES WHO DO THE, THE ACCOUNTANT TIME, UH, JOHN CHECK, LEE'S VERY MUCH INVOLVED THAT HOPEFULLY JOHN DIDN'T LEAVE ALREADY.
HE GOT THE MEMO AND WORE THE RIGHT SPORT COAT.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE HE'S, HE'S QUEUED UP FOR THIS LINE.
OH, AND HE'S GOT THE SHERIFF WITH HIM TOO.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
AND THAT QUESTION COMES UP QUITE OFTEN.
IS, ARE FOLKS GIVEN BUS TICKETS, UH, PURPOSELY, UH, DIRECTED TOWARDS THE VALLEY? UH, I DID TALK EARLIER ABOUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON OUR SYSTEM SUPPORTS, WHICH INCLUDES OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
AND BECAUSE THIS QUESTION COMES UP SO MUCH, THAT'S ONE OF THE DATA POINTS THAT WE LOOK TO, UM, HAVE PROVIDED TO US.
AND I WOULD JUST STATE THAT IT, IT, IT APPEARS TO BE A FALLACY THAT'S KIND OF AN URBAN LEGEND, AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO MERSEYSIDE COUNTY, MERCER COUNTY, UH, ISN'T THE TYPE OF PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT FOLKS ARE REALLY FLOCKING TO.
I THINK YOU SEE A LOT OF THAT AND MAYBE SAN FRANCISCO WHERE THEIR GENERAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS ARE, ARE MUCH HIGHER WHERE THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, REALLY DOESN'T, UM, FOCUS ON THAT AS A QUALITY OF LIFE CRIME SO MUCH.
SO IN RUSS SAID COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR, WHEN WE DID HAVE THAT DATA POINT, IT WAS UPWARDS OF 85% OR SO THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH MOVEMENT AT ALL.
UM, AND THAT DATA POINT IS WHAT WAS YOUR LAST PERMANENT HOUSING, ZIP CODE? SO WE'LL LOOK AT THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE, HAVE BECOME HOMELESS.
AND IT'S OVERWHELMINGLY WITHIN MERSEYSIDE COUNTY THE YEAR PRIOR.
SO, UH, WE HAVE SEEN IT TICK UP.
UM, BUT THIS IS A VERY TRANSIENT POPULATION.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA POINT.
IT'S NOT A HUD REQUIRED DATA POINT ANYMORE.
UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I DID REQUEST THAT, THAT DATA POINT BE PUT BACK IN JUST FOR SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
SO, UH, AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, I WOULD SAY, NO, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE REALITY, UM, OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE.
TYPICALLY THEY'RE HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK.
SO IF YOU GO OUT TO SANTA NELLA, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
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HOMELESSNESS, THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE NOT THERE FOR THE SERVICES ARE TYPICALLY THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF FAMILIAL SUPPORT, UM, OR, OR WERE RESIDING THERE PREVIOUSLY.SO THAT'S WHY WE TRY TO CONNECT PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT HAVE THE COUNTY WIDE OUTREACH AND ARE FOCUSING ON GETTING FOLKS PERMANENTLY HOUSED.
I HEARD A STORY JUST THE OTHER DAY THAT ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SHARED WITH ME WHO WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE, THE HOMELESS AKRON.
I DON'T WANT TO STEAL TOO MUCH THUNDER BECAUSE I'M SURE HE'S GOING TO SHARE IT DURING HIS, BUT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING HEARING THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE HERE THAT WAS HOMELESS IN MERCER COUNTY WHO RAN OUT OF MONEY ON VACATION.
THEY WERE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY WHO WENT TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND JUST LITERALLY CAR TROUBLES OR SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I MEAN, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, I USUALLY DO A LITTLE JOB BUDGETING, I THINK IF I TAKE A TRIP.
SO, UH, BUT YEAH, SO YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO GET IN THAT, IN THOSE SITUATIONS AT ALL TIMES.
AND IF I CANNOT SUPERVISE THEM AGAIN, WE DO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A HOMEWORK BOUND PROGRAM.
SO WHEN WE DO COME ACROSS SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, UM, WE'RE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT IDENTIFYING WHERE THESE INDIVIDUALS WANT TO GO, WHERE THEY'RE FROM MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO, IN THAT RECEIVING JURISDICTION.
UH, WE DON'T DO THE INVERSE OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
WE DID NOT PROVIDE BUS TICKETS.
WE'RE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT EXPLORING THAT.
AND WE'VE USED THAT TO GREAT EFFECT AS FAR AWAY AS NEW YORK CITY AND AS RECENTLY AS A WEEK OR TWO AGO TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I WOULD JUST SAY PRIMARILY, THAT'S NOT THE CASE THAT PEOPLE ARE SHIPPED HERE FROM OTHER COUNTIES.
HEY, I WAS COMING UP BY FIVE AND MY WINNEBAGO AND IT BROKE DOWN AND I'M IN SANTA BELLA.
NOW I WOULD LITERALLY, I'M CONSIDERED HOMELESS.
SO WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO PROVIDE THOSE, THOSE RESOURCES.
VERY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? NOT TO THAT LET'S LOOK INTO ACUTE AND IT IS A GOOD THING.
WE HAVE THE SHERIFF IN THERE FOR THE SECOND PART OF THIS QUESTION.
THAT QUESTION IS WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT DAMAGE COMING FROM HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, SUCH AS FIRES, HUMAN WASTE, UH, TRESPASSING, LITTERING, ET CETERA.
WOULD YOU SEEK THAT ON THERE? UM, WE HAVE, UH, OF COURSE YOU WERE VERY AWARE OF THE SET TEAM THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS.
WE'VE WORKED VERY STRONGLY WITH, UH, UH, OTHER AGENCIES WITHIN THE COUNTY, AND I'M ALSO THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT GUY.
AND WE'VE GOT OUR TEAM GOING OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING WHAT'S BEING DONE IS EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN LEGALLY.
AND, UH, RECENTLY WE HAD A PROBLEM AREA OF HOMELESSNESS THAT THEY WERE UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE WITH ROADS, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THEM, DEALING WITH THEM, DEAL WITH, WE MOVE THEM OUT WITHIN 24 HOURS OR ON BACK YET.
SO I DIRECTED MY CREW TO WRITE TICKETS FOR SOLID WASTE, UH, FOR LITTERING, FOR FIRES, TRESPASSING.
AND THEY, THEY LEFT THE AREA AND MY CREW THEN CLEANED UP THE AREA.
THE TICKETS, I GOT A DECLARATION LETTER FROM OUR DA SAYING THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FILE ANY CHARGES BASED UPON THE FACT THAT THEY HAD MOVED ON AND THE AREA WAS CLEANED UP.
WELL, THEY MOVED ON BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE MOVED THEM ON AND THE AREA WAS CLEANED UP BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE CLEANED IT UP.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS.
NOW I'M GOING TO STEP IT UP A NOTCH.
AND I'VE INSTRUCTED EVEN THE LOCAL CITY JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY HAVE THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUING ARREST HIM FOR THE TRESPASS AND BRING THEM TO JAIL.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING THIS UNTIL SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS LAW AND ORDER THING.
WELL, WE'VE GOT THE LAW HERE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE ORDER PART FIXED SO THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING UP ON US.
WE GOT TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN AND IT'S FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS ONCE IT GETS TO THE DA'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, IT'S LIKE PUSHING A ROPE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE OUT THERE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT UNTIL WE GET SOME FURTHER COOPERATION FROM OUR VA, IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP WELL, VERN.
AND YOU MENTIONED OUR SET TEAM AND THAT'S, THAT'S ENCOMPASSING OF A WHOLE LOT OF INDIVIDUALS AS WELL, AND WE'RE NOT JUST TRYING TO MOVE THEM AND MAKE THEM WE'RE SHOWING UP WHETHER THEY CAN GET A JOB WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
IF THEY NEED SOME KIND OF TRAINING, IF THEY NEED A HOUSING VOUCHER, IF THEY NEED, WE HAVE HSA, UM, OPTIONS FOR THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT'S PART OF JOHN'S FRUSTRATION AS WELL IS WE DO HAVE IT AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO MOTIVATE THESE FOLKS.
AND I THINK BY THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE DOING AND MAKING THEM MOVE AND BE UNCOMFORTABLE, THIS'LL MAKE THEM NOTE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO GET MOVED ANYMORE.
IF I GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, AND GET SOME OF THOSE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY OUT THERE, UH, COMING IN FOR OUR HOMELESS, FOR ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS, WE JUST NEED TO ENCOURAGE THESE FOLKS, UM, TO PARTICIPATE.
WE GOT TO ENCOURAGE HIM GO TO DARREN, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT THIS COUNTY IS VERY WELL SET UP TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
IF ONE PERSON CAME UP TO ME AND SAID,
[01:15:01]
SHERIFF, I DON'T WANT THE HOMELESS ANYMORE.WITHIN 24 HOURS, WE WILL HAVE AN ADDRESS FOR THEM, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA WANT IT.
UH, THIS LAST GROUP, I WAS ACTUALLY DOWN THERE PHYSICALLY WITH OUR SET TEAM CODE ENFORCEMENT, ROSETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT, STARTING THEIR PUBLIC WORKS WERE HELPING US.
AND THEY JUST, NOPE, DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU GUYS.
AND THEY'RE JUST MOVING ON, THEY'RE MOVING THEIR STUFF.
AND, UH, FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO THROW A LOT OF IT AWAY, BUT IT'S THAT KIND OF ATMOSPHERE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND FOLKS, IF THEY'RE ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU CALL US, WE CAN TAKE THEM FOR TRESPASSING.
NOW THEY'VE GOT THIS BOISE, THEY A LAW GOING OUT THERE ABOUT BEING ON PUBLIC LANDS.
WELL, THE LAW IS VERY SPECIFIC.
WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM.
WE'RE KIND OF STUCK, BUT WE DO.
SO AT THAT PARTICULAR WOMAN TIME, WE CAN ENFORCE IT.
SO, BUT WE'VE GOT TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ACTIVELY DO THIS.
NOW, THE ONE THING THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT OUR HOMELESS, REVEREND, THEY CAN LIGHT A FIRE AND CALL IT A WARMING FIRE.
BUT IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY LIGHT A FIRE IN THEIR FIREPLACE AT HOME TO GET A TICKET, SO THEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S SOME FRUSTRATION LEVEL THERE THAT I FOUND HOW, UH, EQUALLY THIS IS GOING OUT OR A FAIRLY.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT ONCE WE GET DONE WITH IT, IT'S UP TO ANOTHER AGENCY TO TAKE CARE OF AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND VERNON, I APPRECIATE THEIR APPROACH.
THE APPROACH IS HOW CAN WE HELP? IT'S NOT TRYING TO SLAP CUFFS ON THEM.
AND IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A HELPFUL APPROACH.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION FROM THAT, BUT YOUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC AND MUCH APPRECIATED.
OUR NEXT QUESTION, IS THERE ONE UP THERE SINCE WE STILL HAVE BURNED AND THAT'S ALL FOR, UH, ALMOST OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OF CITIES, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE OF A REGIONAL ISSUE.
THE QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE REDUCE WORSENING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN CITIES LIKE ATWATER PERCENT? YEAH, NO, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO GET DANA ON HERE AS WELL.
MAYBE YOU CAN TOUCH ON IT FOR MORE OF THE REGIONALS PERSPECTIVE, BUT AS, AS YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR BOARD OF DO SET ON MCG SAID, UH, MERSEYSIDE COUNTY, UM, ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS.
AND, UH, WE, WE REALLY LOOKED AT THE REGIONAL AND OUR LOOP SYSTEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE HERE.
MERSEYSIDE COUNTY IS GOING TO OFFSET THAT.
AND RIGHT NOW MY FOCUS HAS BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING IS ATWATER MARCET EXPRESSWAY.
AND AS WE GROW WITH THE ATWATER MOSETTA EXPRESSWAY, IT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC THAT WE HAVE COMING IN THROUGH A LOT OF OUR RURAL ROADS.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S A GOOD MOVEMENT ISSUE AS WELL.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, CAMPUS, UH, PARKWAY, AS WELL AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE ALL GONNA LOOP AND GET TRAFFIC MOVING IN A MORE STEADY POSITION TO GET INTO NORTH MARCET OR OUT OF NORTH NARSAD.
AND THAT WILL ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE TRUCK, TRAFFIC AND CARS TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE AREA.
I KNOW DANA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THAT AS WELL? YEAH.
WELL, ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF THE LOOSE OOP SYSTEM IS TO GET THE TRUCKS OFF THE LOCAL ROADS AND GET THEM TO BE ABLE TO MOVE GOODS MORE EFFICIENTLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST WRAPPING UP SEGMENT THREE OF THE CAMPUS PARKWAY, WHICH EXTENDS FROM ONE 40 TO 70 AVENUE.
WE'RE STARTING WORK ON THE NEXT SEGMENT, WHICH WILL EXTEND THE CAMPUS PARKWAY FROM YOSEMITE AVENUE TO BELLEVUE, AS YOU YOU'RE CERTAINLY AWARE WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE AME PHASE, ONE B THAT EXTENDS FROM GREEN SANDS TO OVER SANTA FE AND PROVIDES A MUCH MORE DIRECT ACCESS TO CASTLE, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR THE CASTLE DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO TRY TO GET IT, TO CONNECT TO BELLEVUE ROAD.
AT WHICH POINT WE HAVE AT LEAST THE NORTHERN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE LOOP COMPLETED, AND PARTICULARLY THE AME, IF WE CAN GET IT TO BELLEVUE, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF THE TRUCK TRAFFIC THAT CURRENTLY GOES DOWN 59 AND GOES THROUGH THE, GOES THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR.
AND IT'S TERRIBLY CONGESTED FOR THOSE NARROW BRIDGES, SO THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD ON AND LOOKING REAL FORWARD TO GETTING THIS, THIS NEXT SEGMENT OF AME DONE, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING THAT, THAT WE SAY THAT, BUT I KNOW THE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE OUT BY EL CAPITAN HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS ACTUALLY IN MY COLLEAGUE, UH, SUPERVISOR PRES, UH, DISTRICT.
BUT, UH, I KNOW THE FOLKS WORKING OUT THERE BUILDING THOSE HOUSES AND THE ONES WHO ARE SELLING THE HOUSES, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE COMING IN FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM THE BAY AREA.
SO THEY'RE ALREADY TRAVELING THROUGH THE AREA WHERE THE AME IS GOING TO BE.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE IMPACTING ALL OF OUR COUNTRY ROADS THROUGH THERE.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE REAL IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL THAT AND PUT IT TOGETHER
[01:20:01]
AND WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON THE CORRIDOR TO HELP FOLKS GET IN AND OUT, AS WE KNOW THAT PART OF MERSEYSIDE IS MORE OF A COMMUTER AREA.AND SO IT'S GOING TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE FREEWAY.
I THINK WHAT ARE THE LAST YEAR, THERE WAS 18,000 CARS FROM MERCER COUNTY THAT GO NORTH EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE, WE JUST NEED TO PROVIDE THAT THEY'RE DOING IT ALREADY.
THEY'RE GOING THROUGH ALL OUR COUNTRY ROADS AND WE'RE IMPACTING THEM HARD, BUT THE AME IS DEFINITELY THE WHOLE LOOP SYSTEM WILL HELP ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THAT.
ONE MORE QUESTION AT THIS POINT, UH, AND IT'S FROM AMY ON FACEBOOK.
DO YOU HAVE ANY GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? WE DO.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING UP ERIC SERRATO AGAIN.
ERIC, DO YOU WANT TO WANT TO TEE THAT ONE OFF AS WELL? NOT EARLY AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT I THINK WE'RE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
WELL, WE GOT MARK ON THERE WITH YOU TOO.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT US BARCODE, UH, YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR RESOURCES.
UH, WE ARE ABOUT TO LAUNCH A MICRO BUSINESS RAMP PROGRAM, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY, THAT WILL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO $2,500 GRANTS FOR VERY SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HAD ABOUT $50,000 OR LESS IN ANNUAL REVENUE, FIVE OR LESS EMPLOYEES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
UH, AND WE ARE CREATING A VERY SIMPLE APPLICATION PROCESS TO GET ABOUT 120 OF THOSE GRANTS OUT TO A SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY.
UH, WE OFTEN HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS. OUR JOB IS TO, UH, SEARCH SORT OF THE STATE RESOURCES AND FEDERAL RESOURCES AND BRING THAT MONEY HOME AND DISTRIBUTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS WE CAN TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO SUPERVISOR DANIEL, ONLY THING I WOULD ADD ON TOP OF THE, KIND OF THE LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT ERIC AND HIS TEAM ARE IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE YOU, MY ORGANIZATION OVERSEES THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR THE COUNTY PER SE.
AND SO IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A GRANT WHERE THEY LOAN, BUT IT'S ALSO, IT'S A IT'S IT'S DESIGNED TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP OBVIOUSLY THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
MERSEYSIDE SAID WITH LOANS THAT CAN RANGE FROM AS LOW AS $5,000, UH, UP TO UPWARDS OF $375,000, AGAIN, ALL DESIGNED TO EITHER HELP RETAIN, ATTRACT, UH, OR EXPAND, UM, THE, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
SO THERE'S A TIE TO THE AMOUNT LOAN TO, AGAIN, JOBS BEING RETAINED OR EXPANDED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO CALL MY, UH, CALL MY DEPARTMENT AT AREA CODE 2 0 9 3 8 5 7 6 8 6.
I DO SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT OVERSEES THOSE LOANS.
AND THAT'S ONE THAT WE FORGET ABOUT.
WE NEED TO ADVERTISE A LITTLE MORE, BUT NOW THAT WE'VE INFORMED ERIC, I'M SURE GOING TO ADVERTISE IT.
SO ERIC, ON YOUR PROGRAM FOR THOSE GRANTS IS THAT, UM, GROSS RECEIPTS OR, OR WHAT'S THE LIMITATIONS FOR THAT? YEAH, IT'D BE GROSS REVENUE OF $50,000 OR LESS.
SO IF WE MADE $50,000 LESS THAN THE LAST YEAR OR HAD FIVE OR LESS EMPLOYEES, THEN YOU'D BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS BRAND AND MY TEAM WILL HELP YOU ACCESS THAT MONEY RIGHT ON.
THAT WAS THE LAST QUESTION YOU SAID, THAT'S ALL I SHOW AT THIS TIME.
UM, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, I KNOW IF SOME OF YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY ZOOMED OUT AS MOST OF US ARE, WE DO A LOT OF ZOOM MEETINGS.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE IT STAFF HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
I ALWAYS SAY IF I WORKED FOR THE COUNTY, I WOULD BE WITH THE IT GUYS BECAUSE THEY, THEY SEEM TO HAVE THE MOST FUN.
AND I WANT TO SAY, THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL SCREEN.
I JUST, THIS IS A, THIS MAKES IT EXCITING BECAUSE USUALLY WE PUT UP, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FAKE SCREENS BEHIND US, BUT NO, THIS IS REAL.
AND THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB, UM, IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONTACT ME AND I HAVE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA IN DIFFERENT WAYS, TEXTING AND EVERYBODY'S COMING AT ME IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND I KNOW I SEE THIS ON THE DIOCESE A LOT, BUT IF YOU WOULD EMAIL ME, IT'S THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO COMMUNICATE.
IT'S DARREN D A R O N DAY, RON DOT MCDANIEL, M C D A N I E L@COUNTYOFHERSAID.COM.
AND IF I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW US AT MERCY COUNTY ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND YOUTUBE, TO STAY UP TO DATE ON PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES.
AND SEE, WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON MERSEYSIDE COUNTY.
WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THIS BOARD IS WORKING TOGETHER VERY WELL.
AND, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME WITH US TONIGHT.