[CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:02] GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 6TH MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THIS MORNING WE HAD CLOSED SESSION AND DIRECTED OUR DIRECTION TO INITIATE LITIGATION FOR ONE CASE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE CEO AND THE VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS 5 TO 0. THE DEFENDANTS AND OTHER PARTICULARS SHALL BE DISCLOSED ONCE THE ACTION IS FORMALLY COMMENCED. IN ADDITION, STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION REGARDING THE OTHER CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. WE WILL NOW START THE WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY YVONNIA BROWNE AND THEN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. LET US STAND, PLEASE. AND LET US BOW OUR HEADS. GIVE AN HONOR TO GOD. THE FATHER. I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TO PRAY ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO RAUL MENDEZ, AND ALL THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S HERE TODAY. I ASK THAT YOU GIVE THEM WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING TO DO THINGS ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL THAT IS PLEASING TO YOU. I ASK GOD THAT YOU BLESS EVERY LEADER AND EVERYONE UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, EVEN THE ONES WHO ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO MOVE THIS COUNTY FORWARD, FROM THE LAY WORKER TO THE HOUSEKEEPER, TO THE LANDSCAPERS, TO THE LINE STAFF. GOD, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF US, AND WITHOUT THE STAFF GUY, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO FOR YOUR KINGDOM HERE IN THE COUNTY. WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS EVERYONE AND KEEP THEM IN YOUR PERFECT PEACE. WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY LEADER, LOCAL, FEDERAL AND STATE GOD THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM THE LOVE, THE JUSTICE AND THE RIGHTEOUSNESS TO DO DECISIONS THAT ARE PLEASING TO YOU. THESE AND MANY BLESSINGS WE ASK IN YOUR SON JESUS NAME AMEN. THANK YOU, YVONNIA AND SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. IT'S NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA. [PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK] TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES PER PERSON AND 20 MINUTES TOTAL. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN. THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. AGAIN, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE]. I'M THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER HERE FOR MERCED COUNTY. AND I JUST WANT TO COME UP THIS MORNING AND I GIVE YOU A BRIEF REPORT ON OUR VETERANS DAY PARADE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES FROM THE MERCED POLICE DEPARTMENT THERE, UP TO 35 TO 4000 SPECTATORS AT THAT DAY. AGAIN, THAT IS TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT ON THE PART OF OUR TEAM, INDIVIDUALS FROM MR. COX, MR. SILVA, MR. RIVERA, CESAR ROMERO, ALSO OUR LEADERS, MRS. YVONNIA BROWN AND MRS. VANG. AGAIN, THIS IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT BY EVERYBODY. IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, ACTUALLY ABOUT FIVE MONTHS, THAT WE PUT THIS TOGETHER. AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND AS SIR, APPRECIATE SEEING YOU THERE AS WELL. EXCUSE ME. I'M JUST STARTING TO GET SOMETHING IN MY THROAT. BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, HOW MUCH THE PUBLIC APPRECIATED YOUR SUPPORT OF VETERANS DAY. AND WE LOOK AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE NEXT YEAR, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT A STAND DOWN SOMETIME, HOPEFULLY LATE MAY, IF WE CAN GET OUR LOGISTICS TOGETHER. SO WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK TOWARDS THAT AGAIN THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'M SORRY. ONE LAST THING. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. MY TEAM. HOW COULD I FORGET THEM? BUT I DID MY MY APOLOGIZE TO YOU AND TO THEM. TO MY RIGHT IS MY SUPERVISOR, MR. NEVES, MR. VASQUEZ, MR. WONG, MS.. BROWN, AND MS.. VASS. SO, AGAIN, WITHOUT THEM, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT. THANK YOU AGAIN. WE KNEW THAT. GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS. RICK WENDLING, MERCED. MY MAIN INTERESTS IN MERCED COUNTY ARE HEALTH AND SCHOOLS. AND I'M NOT REALLY THRILLED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT THE SUPERVISORS HAVE MADE IN EITHER OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE THIS MORNING, WHY HAVE YOU SUPERVISORS NOT MADE THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER AVAILABLE FOR DISCUSSION WITH [00:05:09] ME? HE HAS BLOCKED ME, AS YOU WELL KNOW, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE IN MY EMAILS, AND THERE'S NO DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE COVID SITUATION THAT STILL CONTINUES IN THIS STATE. RATHER THAN ASKING YOU TO PULL CONSENT ITEMS EIGHT, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 15 AND 16. LET ME JUST ASK YOU THIS, AND I'D LIKE SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE SUPERVISORS. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF THE MILLIONS THAT THE COUNTY IS SPENDING OF GRANT MONEY, STATE MONEY, FEDERAL MONEY ON HEALTH ISSUES ARE ACTUALLY SUCCEEDING IN IMPROVING THE HEALTH BECAUSE IN THE SCHOOLS, HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ITEMS SUCH AS WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY HERE AS BULLYING AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CAUSED BY THE SCHOOL SHUTDOWNS OR THE STATE LOCKDOWNS HAVING THE EFFECT ON THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL? AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT FEEDBACK DO YOU HAVE ON THE REPORTS? AND THIRDLY, ON WORK FIRST AND INVESTMENT, I NOTICED THAT THESE ITEMS IN ITEMS, GRANT PROGRAMS 15 AND 16, THERE ARE NO DOLLAR AMOUNTS ASSIGNED TO THESE WORKFORCE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THE HEALTH ITEMS. SO IT'S CURIOUS TO ME THAT THESE ARE GRANT MONIES AND THERE'S NO DOLLAR AMOUNTS. SO AGAIN, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL? BECAUSE HERE'S THE POINT. THE GOVERNOR LOCKED DOWN THE STATE, CAUSING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS AND CREATED THE ECONOMIC DISLOCATION THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THIS STATE. AND NOW WE HAVE PROGRAMS TO COUNTERACT THIS DISLOCATION THAT HE VERY MUCH CAUSED. AND IT'S THE SAME AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL. AND I THANK YOU. I, I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME FEEDBACK FROM ESPECIALLY FROM YOU JOSH, MR. PEDROZA, DISTRICT TWO SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WILL MAKE ONE ONE COMMENT THAT AND A WORKFORCE. IF YOU GO ONTO THE AGENDA AND YOU CLICK IN, YOU CAN GO SEE THE CONTRACT THAT HAS THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS. IT'S IT'S LISTED THERE. THANK YOU. NEXT. SUPERVISORS, MR. MENDEZ. MY NAME IS DONALD BARCLAY. I'M A RETIRED UC MERCED LIBRARIAN AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY. AND I'VE GOT SOME. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE LIBRARY AND SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEEN CENTER IN THE MAIN LIBRARY BUILDING HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE ALSO THE VISION. TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET A NEW POSITION FOR THE LIBRARY OF TEEN LIBRARIAN, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY CRUCIAL FOR NOT ONLY THE TEEN CENTER BUT FOR ADOLESCENT. IT'S THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO LEARNING EDUCATION, SUCCESS IN THE COUNTY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO FIND MONEY AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE AND THE WHOLE FRIENDS GROUP APPRECIATES WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE LIBRARY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO REPORT SOME GOOD NEWS. THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY COMMITTED TO RAISE $50,000 FOR FURNITURES, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE TEEN CENTER. THROUGH OUR OWN FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF A NUMBER OF SERVICE GROUPS IN THE COUNTY, I'M NOT GOING TO NAME NAMES BECAUSE I'LL FORGET SOMEONE. AND THAT WOULD BE BAD. BUT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, THE USUAL SUSPECTS WHO GIVE MONEY. WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT $50,000 AMOUNT AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION, IT'S FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT. AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU. BUT ALSO, I THINK IT REFLECTS THAT THIS COMMUNITY REALLY, REALLY CARES ABOUT ITS LIBRARY AND WANTS THE LIBRARY TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION AND BETTER FUNDED IN FINANCE AND STRUCTURED TO SUPPORT THE COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GENTLEMEN. YOU'RE WELCOME. MORNING. MY NAME'S ANDREW. I'M A SHERIFF'S DISPATCHER. I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR ATTENDING THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY FOR TWO NEWLY HIRED DISPATCHERS WE HAD YESTERDAY. I HAVE ANOTHER PERTINENT ISSUE I BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, WHICH IS PROVIDING MORE FUNDING TO ENSURE SAFETY OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. [00:10:04] EVERYONE HERE IS AWARE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROVIDES SECURITY FOR THIS BUILDING. ONE WOULD ASSUME TO TRAIN POST CERTIFIED DISPATCHERS ON THE OTHER END OF THEIR RADIO. IN REALITY, COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THIS BUILDING AND THE COURTHOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FILTER THROUGH THE COURT DISPATCH POSITION. THAT POSITION SHOULD BE A 40 HOUR UNIONIZED SHERIFF DISPATCHER POSITION. BUT MERCED COUNTY IS CHOOSING TO UTILIZE MULTIPLE PART TIME UNCERTIFIED MINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYEES AS A COST SAVING MEASURE. WHEN, GOD FORBID, CRITICAL INCIDENTS SUCH AS ACTIVE SHOOTERS OCCUR, EACH SECOND THAT PASSES CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. OUR SHERIFF'S DISPATCHERS TAKE THAT FACT SERIOUSLY ON OUR WALL IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, IT READS, DISPATCH RECEIVE SECONDS AND SECONDS SAVE LIVES. THE SECURITY ATTENDANT WHO SCANS YOUR BAGS THROUGH THE X RAY MACHINE AT THE COURTHOUSE IS THE SAME CLASSIFICATION TASKED WITH BEING ON THE OTHER END OF THAT RADIO DURING A CRITICAL INCIDENT IN THESE BUILDINGS. ALL INITIAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO INJURIES, SUSPECT DESCRIPTIONS AND LOCATIONS WOULD BE DIRECTLY ROUTED THROUGH THE COURT DISPATCHER. MERCED COUNTY CHOOSES A PLACE THE WEIGHT OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY ON PART TIME UNCERTIFIED MINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYEES. OUR SHERIFF COMMUNICATION CENTER DOES NOT HAVE READILY AVAILABLE ACCESS TO THE COURT DISPATCH RADIO CHANNEL. OUR SHERIFF DISPATCHER WOULD HAVE TO RUN INTO AN OFFICE AND GRAB A PORTABLE RADIO. THE ONES THAT THEY CARRY DOWN HERE IN SECURITY TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM ON THEIR CHANNEL. SOME MAY ASSUME THE COURT EMPLOYEES WOULD SWITCH OVER TO THE MAIN SHERIFF CHANNEL. THE ISSUE IS THE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED AND WE WOULD BE PLAYING CATCH UP, GETTING DETAILS TO THE INCIDENT AS SHERIFF DISPATCHERS. ALSO, IT'S HARD TO TELL AN EMPLOYEE TO IN A STRESSFUL SITUATION LIKE THAT, TO SWITCH OVER TO A DIFFERENT RADIO CHANNEL WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT KIND OF PANIC SITUATION. PATROL DEPUTY RESPONSE TIMES TO A CRITICAL INCIDENT IN THESE BUILDINGS WOULD BE DETERMINED BY HOW QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY THE COURT DISPATCH POSITION CONTACTS THE SHERIFF COMMUNICATION CENTER, ESSENTIALLY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND EMPLOYEES OF MERCED RELIES UPON SECURITY, RELAYING CRITICAL INFORMATION TO A PART TIME MINIMUM WAGE. UNCERTIFIED CORPS DISPATCHER I'M THE ONLY SHERIFF DISPATCHER WHO HAS WORKED THE COURT POSITION, AND I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THERE WOULD BE A NOTICEABLE LAG IN RESPONSE TIME IF A CRITICAL INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THESE BUILDINGS, AS EVIDENCED WHEN I WORKED AS A SHERIFF'S SECURITY ATTENDANT. THERE WERE TWO SENTIMENTS I HEARD OFTEN ECHOED. NOTHING EVER HAPPENS HERE IN PART TIME PAY, PART TIME EFFORT, I BELIEVE, ALL MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEES DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE AT WORK. YOU, THE BOARD, SITTING IN FRONT OF ME, MAY TELL YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND EMPLOYEES THAT YOU ARE UNAWARE OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE SECURITY THEY RELY UPON. BUT NOW YOU ARE AWARE. THE SCENARIO I JUST DESCRIBED WOULD OCCUR IN THIS BUILDING, THE MAIN COURTHOUSE, THE OLD COURTHOUSE, THE TRAFFIC DIVISION COURTHOUSE PARK, THE LOS BANOS COURTHOUSE, AND OUR JUVENILE HALL COURT FACILITY. I WOULD PRIORITIZE FILLING THE COURT DISPATCH POSITION WITH A FULL TIME POST CERTIFIED SHERIFF DISPATCHER. I KNOW NONE OF US WANT TO SEE ANY EMPLOYEE OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC INJURED IN A COUNTY FACILITY, AND I HOPE THIS EDUCATION WAS HELPFUL TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF CRITICAL. HELLO. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS MERCED COUNTY'S CURRENT AND ONLY MEDICAID MCO, WHICH IS SHORT FOR MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION. KNOWN BY THE NAME CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH. SUPERVISORS ALLIANCE IS INCAPABLE DUE TO ITS SMALL SIZE, PRIMARILY OF HANDLING MERCED COUNTY'S GROWTH AND SPECIAL CULTURE. THEY CAN'T SEEM TO CONTRACT ENOUGH SPECIALISTS FOR OUR COUNTY'S NEEDS. THIS BECOMES A HARDSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH UNIQUELY SERIOUS OR COMPLEX CONDITIONS. THE LACK OF ADEQUATE PARTICIPATING DOCTORS FORCES MEMBERS TO TRAVEL 262 PLUS MILES ROUNDTRIP TO PALO ALTO OR 261 PLUS MILES TO SAN FRANCISCO. THIS THIS APPOINTMENT. THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE ARDUOUS AND CAUSE ADDITIONAL STRESS DUE TO DISTANCE TRAFFIC, PARKING AND SOMETIMES A NECESSITY TO LOCATE A DRIVER IF THE MEMBER WILL BE COMING OUT OF ANESTHESIA OR HAS HAD OTHER PROCEDURES THAT RESTRICT DRIVING. WE HAVE CAPABLE SPECIALISTS IN OUR OWN VALLEY'S BACKYARD AND DON'T NEED TO BE LIMITED TO ALLIANCE'S RESTRICTED AND FAR OFF BACKYARD. RIGHT NOW, ALLIANCE IS THE ONLY MCO AVAILABLE IN MERCED COUNTY. THEY HAVE NO COMPETITION HERE. THIS HAS CREATED AN OGRE THAT BEHAVES ARROGANTLY AND INFALLIBLY. IT'S THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL DUMPSTER IN OUR COUNTY. LARGER, MORE EXPERIENCED, BETTER MANAGED MCOS SHOULD BE SERVING MERCED COUNTY. SURROUNDING COUNTIES, NAMELY SAN JOAQUIN, STANISLAUS AND FRESNO, ALL FOR MORE THAN ONE MCO TO ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS. ALLIANCE IS HEADQUARTERED IN THE BAY AREA. I'M FROM THERE TOO, AND HAS BAY AREA SECOND RATE ETHICS AND SECOND CLASS MORALS. ALLIANCE HAD A MAJOR MEMBER DATA SECURITY BREACH IN 2020. [00:15:02] THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED THEN. MERCED COUNTY ENCOMPASSES ONE HALF OF THEIR 300,000 MEMBERSHIP. THEY'RE ALSO CAREFUL TO CONCEAL CRITICISM, CHOOSING TO ONLY PUBLISH GLOWING EMPLOYEE REVIEWS. IT'S QUITE LAUGHABLE, THEREFORE, THAT THEIR CEO, STEPHANIE SONENSHINE, HAS AN ABSURD 100% APPROVAL RATING. ADDITIONALLY, THEY BEHAVE AS BOTH JUDGE AND JURY AND GRIEVANCES INVOLVING THEIR STAFF. THEY'RE QUICK TO DEFEND EMPLOYEE MISDEEDS AND PROMPT IN SHIFTING BLAME ONTO MEMBERS. AGAIN, FALSELY CREATING THE ILLUSION OF A HIGHLY REPUTABLE MCO. GOOD HEALTH AND LONGEVITY CAN'T BE ACHIEVED BY KEEPING THE ALLIANCE SUPERVISORS. PLEASE FIRE THEM AND HIRE NEW MCOS. MERCED COUNTY DESERVES BETTER AND IS DEPENDING ON YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. [PRESENTATIONS] I WOULD LIKE TO NOW CALL UP COLLEEN MONTAGUE FROM JESSICA'S HOUSE. COLLEEN WILL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE SUPPORT AND SERVICES PROVIDED AT JESSICA'S HOUSE. HELLO. HELLO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY. I WANT TO START BY EXPRESSING OUR GRATITUDE TO YOU, MR. PAREIRA. THANK YOU FOR ALREADY ADVOCATING FOR JESSICA'S HOUSE AND FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY. WELCOME. I'M NATALIE HENDERSON. I OVERSEE MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT AT JESSICA'S HOUSE, AND I WANTED TO JUST SHARE A FEW STATISTICS WITH YOU BEFORE WE JUMP INTO OUR SERVICE VIDEO. ACCORDING TO THE CHILDHOOD ESTIMATION BEREAVEMENT MODEL, ONE IN 13 CHILDREN WILL LOSE A PARENT OR SIBLING BY THE AGE OF 18. TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 STUDENTS IN MERCED COUNTY. THIS EQUATES TO 4130 STUDENTS WHO WILL BE BEREAVED BY THE TIME THEY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. CURRENTLY, JESSICA'S HOUSE IS SUPPORTING 800 INDIVIDUALS IN OUR PROGRAM, AND ABOUT 17% ARE FROM MERCED COUNTY. SO WE HAVE FOUR BEREAVEMENT CENTERS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, WHICH IS JESSICA'S HOUSE. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW IS RAISE THE AWARENESS OF OUR SERVICES TO THE MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE AND WE'RE READY TO SUPPORT THEM. WE'RE GOING TO START BY SHOWING YOU OUR SERVICE VIDEO, WHICH GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU COME TO JESSICA'S HOUSE. SHOULD THERE BE SOUND RIGHT NOW? I'M GOING TO SWITCH SPEAKERS SINCE OUR POLY IS NOT WORKING. WELCOME TO JESSICA'S HOUSE, WHERE WE HAVE ONE MISSION TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES GRIEVING A DEATH. WE BELIEVE NO CHILD SHOULD EVER GRIEVE ALONE. AT JESSICA'S HOUSE, WE PROVIDE GRIEF SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS AND THEIR ADULT CAREGIVERS IN NINE UNIQUE SUPPORT GROUPS. PARENT LOSS. SIBLING LOSS, GRANDPARENT LOSS, COVID 19 LOSS, HEARTSTRINGS, WHICH IS STILLBIRTH, PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS. HOPE AFTER ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE, HOPE AFTER SUICIDE. HOPE AFTER HOMICIDE AND SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUPS. EACH PERSON IS PLACED IN GROUPS BY AGE, TYPE OF LOSS AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE PERSON WHO DIED. GROUPS MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF IN THE EVENINGS. WHEN I FIRST CAME TO JESSICA'S HOUSE, IT FELT LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND LIKE A WEIGHT CAME OFF MY SHOULDERS. BEING IN A ROOM OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GO THROUGH INFANT [00:20:06] LOSS AND JUST HAVE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPEN UNEXPECTEDLY, IT JUST GAVE ME A SAFE PLACE TO FEEL UNDERSTOOD. DURING A TIME OF UNTHINKABLE LOSS, JESSICA'S HOUSE PROVIDES FAMILIES WITH MOMENTS OF CONNECTION AND EXPRESSION THROUGH ART, MUSIC AND PLAY TALKING AND COPING SKILLS. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN BEING ABLE TO TALK THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN'T EXPRESS EVERYTHING IN JUST ONE SETTING. YOU DISCOVER THE NEXT TIME, OH, THERE'S ANOTHER ASPECT. THERE'S ANOTHER FACET TO WHAT I'M FEELING, AND IT'S HEALING. IT REALLY ACTUALLY DOES ENABLE YOU TO GET A HOLD OF THE FACT THAT, YES, THIS LOSS IS DEEP, IT HURTS, IT'S GIANT, IT'S PERMANENT, BUT THERE'S HOPE FOR TOMORROW. UNSUPPORTED GRIEF CARRIES MANY RISK FACTORS, WHICH IS WHY PEER SUPPORT AND PRACTICING COPING SKILLS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST VERY WELCOMING AND A LOT OF THEM KNOW WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH. AND IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO ANYONE, THEY CAN TALK TO YOU AND YOU CAN JUST VENT TO THEM ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS AND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH. WHAT HELPS ME THE MOST AT JESSICA'S HOUSE IS TO NOT FEEL ALONE. IT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE HERE. I GOT TO SEE OTHER CHILDREN WHO WERE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR EMOTIONS, AND WE GOT TO BOND OVER THAT AND DO ART TOGETHER AND GO PLAY BASKETBALL TOGETHER. AND JUST THE COMMUNITY THAT I FOUND AT JESSICA'S HOUSE WITH BOTH THE OTHER CHILDREN THAT WERE GOING THERE WITH ME AND THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE HELPING ME HEAL WAS A BLESSING TO DO THIS MEANINGFUL WORK. IT TAKES A LOVING AND GENEROUS COMMUNITY THANKS TO OUR DONORS. PEER SUPPORT GROUPS ARE ALWAYS PROVIDED AT NO COST TO FAMILIES. IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT FAMILIES AND GRIEF CAN ALWAYS FIND THE HELP THEY NEED. MY SON REALLY LOOKS FORWARD TO COMING TO JESSICA'S HOUSE, HAVING A CHANCE FOR HIM TO BE AROUND. KIDS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR IS BEEN A HUGE BENEFIT FOR HIM. OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF JESSICA'S HOUSE, AND WE DEPEND ON OUR REMARKABLE VOLUNTEERS TO DO THIS HEALING WORK. YEARS AGO, I WAS JUST KIND OF LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO DO, SOME WAY TO BE AROUND AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND KIDS SPECIFICALLY. I'VE LOVED COACHING SPORTS IN THE PAST. I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING OR WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO, BUT I JUST SAID, IT'S JUST YOUR TIME HERE. YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW UP AND BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER AND JUST BE WILLING TO MEET AND SIT ALONGSIDE OF THESE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THERE IS NO SPECIAL SKILLS YOU NEED. YOU JUST NEED TO BE GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC, WHETHER YOU PROVIDE THE GIFT OF TIME OR A MONETARY DONATION, YOUR SUPPORT ENSURES THAT NO CHILD WILL EVER GRIEVE ALONE. YOU KNOW, A CHILD WILL NEVER STOP LOVING THE PERSON THAT DIED. AND SO THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO GRIEVE THEIR LOSS. AND SO THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CLOSURE WITH GRIEF. BUT WHAT KIDS AND FAMILIES CAN LEARN TO DO IS TO INTEGRATE THAT LOSS INTO THEIR LIFE. AND POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH IS A POSITIVE CHANGE AFTER A MAJOR LOSS OR TRAUMA. THIS LOOKS LIKE PERSONAL STRENGTH, IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS, A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR LIFE AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH. AND PLACES LIKE JESSICA'S HOUSE ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THIS TO BE ABLE TO HAPPEN FOR THEM. SO AGAIN, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO MEET WITH YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. AT SOME POINT, INVITE YOU TO OUR NEW FACILITY IN TURLOCK AND HAVE ANY IDEAS OR HELP THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR AWARENESS IN MERCED COUNTY TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES HERE. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AFTER TODAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO END WITH A STORY. WE HAD A LITTLE BOY WHO STARTED COMING TO OUR PROGRAM. HE WAS THREE, AND A THREE YEAR OLD DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT DEATH IS. THEY LOGICALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT, BUT THEY KNOW SOMETHING'S UP BECAUSE THEIR CAREGIVERS ARE DISREGULATED, AND SO THEY ARE AS WELL. AND SO HIS MOM HAD DIED AND HE CAME TO JESSICA'S HOUSE AFTER HE HAD STOPPED TALKING. AND EVERY WEEK HE WOULD COME AND IN OUR PLAY KITCHEN, MAKE SPAGHETTI AND ICE CREAM EVERY WEEK. SPAGHETTI AND ICE CREAM. SPAGHETTI AND ICE CREAM. AND FOUR MONTHS AFTER COMING IN FOR SERVICES, HE BEGAN TO SPEAK AGAIN. AND HE SHARED WITH OUR FACILITATOR THAT HIS MOMMY USED TO MAKE HIM SPAGHETTI. AND IF HE ATE IT ALL, HE GOT ICE CREAM. AND SO WHAT LOOKED LIKE PLAY WAS ACTUALLY HIM DOING HIS WORK OF GRIEF. [00:25:04] AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR KIDS THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT AND THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. WELL, BEFORE YOU GO, I WANT TO GIVE YOU I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPAND ON ONE THING. YES. SO MY WIFE AND I, BABETTE, WENT AND DID A TOUR AND WHICH WAS AMAZING. AND AFTER WE WENT AND POSTED ON FACEBOOK, HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM MERCED COUNTY HAD SHARED THAT THEY HAD GONE THERE FOR SERVICES RIGHT. BUT SO IN THE VIDEO, THERE'S A HOSPITAL ROOM. OKAY. JUST TOUCH ON WHAT THAT IS AND WHY? BECAUSE MOST OF THE VIDEO IS KIDS GETTING TOGETHER AND HAVING FUN. BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY. YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE DO HAVE A HOSPITAL ROOM AND IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE AN ICU ROOM. IF KIDS WERE AVAILABLE AND THEY'RE AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THEIR PERSON DIED, THAT WAS TRAUMATIC AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WORK AFTERWARDS. THEN WE EXPERIENCE COVID 19 WHERE THEY COULDN'T BE AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THEIR PERSON DIED. AND THERE'S A LOT OF WONDERING AND QUESTIONING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. AND SO OUR HOSPITAL ROOM IS A PLACE FOR THEM TO COME IN AND KIND OF PLAY WITH IT A LITTLE BIT, DO SOME REDO'S, WHAT WAS SOMETHING THEY WISHED THEY COULD HAVE SAID TO THAT PERSON IF THEY WERE HAD HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO. SO THEY HAD WRITE LETTERS TO THEIR PERSON. WE ALSO WANT TO HELP CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE THAT HOSPITALS AREN'T JUST A SCARY PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GO TO DIE. THERE'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A HOSPITAL AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE TO RECEIVE TREATMENT. AND SO WE LIKE TO DO THAT, WORK WITH THEM THERE TO REDUCE ANY OF THAT TRAUMA RESPONSE THAT THEY MAY HAVE TOWARDS A HOSPITAL NOW. AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS WE CAN DO THAT IS WE REMIND THEM THAT SOMETHING GREAT HAPPENED AT A HOSPITAL, THAT THEY WERE BORN THERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT CAPTURES THE ESSENCE, REALLY, OF THE WORK OR THE TRANSITIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GO THROUGH AT JESSICA. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO NOW CALL UP OUR AD COMMISSIONER, WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN THE HOUSE TODAY. TODAY. IN FACT, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD LET DARREN CHAIR THE MEETING FOR 5 MINUTES SO HE COULD HARASS YOU LIKE HE HAS DONE WHEN HE'S BEEN CHAIR IN THE PAST. AFTER OVER 19 YEARS, DAVE WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AND WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND TIME TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND DEDICATION TO THE COUNTY. AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? I SURE WOULD. YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY JUST COMING UP ON 20 YEARS NOW, AND I STARTED ACTUALLY IN 1988 IN MADERA COUNTY AND WORKED FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS THERE. SO I'M COMING UP ON 34 YEARS DOING THIS PROFESSION. YOU KNOW, MERCED TOOK ME IN AS AN ASSISTANT AD COMMISSIONER AT 20 YEARS AGO, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PREVIOUS BOARDS FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE GIVEN ME PERSONALLY AND TO THE AGG DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR A LOT FROM OTHER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THE SUPPORT THEY GET. AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO BRAG THAT WE'VE HAD A VERY SUPPORTIVE BOARD OF THE AGG DEPARTMENT AND OF THE AGG COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS HERE AT THE COUNTY. I'M DOING MY JIM BROWN HERE. I MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS HERE AT THE COUNTY, AND I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PEOPLE. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THE STAFF THAT YOU'VE HAD WORKING FOR THE COUNTY ALL THESE YEARS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING ON. I DO WANT TO THANK MY STAFF AT THE AGG DEPARTMENT FOR BEING SO HELPFUL OVER THE YEARS AND MY MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR HELPING ME SURVIVE ALL OF THESE YEARS, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM WE DON'T SUCCEED. I DON'T SUCCEED. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT PHASE IN LIFE. MY WIFE LAURIE IS HERE WITH ME TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HER. ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME. IT'S, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM AN AG BACKGROUND AND HAVING A FARM AND HAVING TO TAKE THOSE DARN TESTS SO I COULD DO WHAT I DO. YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE AG DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POSITIVE ONE. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOUR DESIRE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BUT HELP PEOPLE GET THERE, YOU KNOW, HAS REALLY SERVED RESCUE FOR BRINGING THAT HERE AND AND INSTILLING IT IN IN YOUR STAFF. AND YOU KNOW, WE MET WITH WITH SHAWN EARLIER AND, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST CAME RIGHT TO THE SURFACE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR MENTORING HIM AND AND PREPARING. YOU KNOW, THE LEGACY PART OF THE JOB IS TO US IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, RIGHT? [00:30:01] BECAUSE WHENEVER THERE'S A CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CHANGE. AND SO WE'RE JUST THANKFUL FOR THE WAY YOU HANDLED YOURSELF IN THAT IN THAT TIME THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE. SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS LLOYD. ANYONE ELSE? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. DON'T CRY. I KNOW IT'S HARD. I KNOW YOU HAVE NOT HAVE HAD THIS GREAT SNARKINESS. I HATE TO SEE YOU GO. WHEN I CHAIR THE MEETINGS, I'D LOOK INTO THE BACK ROW AND I WOULDN'T SEE DAVE AND THE AUDIENCE ANYWHERE. SO OF COURSE I'D HAVE TO SAY, WELL, WHERE'S OUR AG COMMISSIONER? AND HE'D BE HIDING BEHIND THE DOOR AND HAD TO COME FORWARD TO LET ME KNOW THAT THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY HERE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE YOU KNOW, WE GET COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ON EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ONE COMPLAINT I'VE HAD FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT. I RECALL THE TIMES THAT ANY TIME ANYBODY WOULD COME TO ME AND WANT TO TALK ABOUT CANNABIS OR HEMP, I'D ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE DAVE ROBINSON WAS IN THE ROOM. I SAID, WELL, THAT'S AN AG ITEM. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE AG COMMISSIONER HERE, AND I APPRECIATED YOU ACTUALLY. YOU WERE INVOLVED IN ALL OF IT, YOU AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND WALKING US THROUGH AND DOING EVERYTHING. BUT I'VE ENJOYED OUR RELATIONSHIP. I ACTUALLY POPPED IN AND SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY AND RIGHT AFTER YOUR COVID RETREAT. I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK HERE. ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS I BROUGHT BACK FROM SACRAMENTO. YEAH, BUT WE LIKE YOU SO MUCH AND YOU LIKE US SO MUCH. I'M REALLY SURPRISED THAT YOU WANT TO LEAVE, ACTUALLY. BUT NO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN THE AREA THAT I HAVE IN PAST LIVES THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH AND HOW MUCH RESPECT THEY HAD FOR YOU AND WENT BACK. AND IT WAS ALWAYS FUN TO POKE AT EACH OTHER DURING THESE TIMES. AND I DID SHAWN DID GIVE ME HIS WORD. WE'RE GOING TO GET THE REPORT OUT BEFORE STANISLAUS COUNTY, THOUGH. SO ANYWAY.. WE GENERALLY TRY TO BE AFTER THEM SO THAT WE CAN RAISE OUR NUMBER UP. OH, NO. REALLY APPRECIATE IT ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR MERCED COUNTY AND ENJOY YOUR PICKLEBALL AND YOUR GOLFING AS YOU GO FORWARD. THANKS, DAVE. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. DAVE, YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH YOUR WIFE IS SHE LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME WITH YOU? IF SHE CAN KICK YOU OUT ANYTIME SOON. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE FIFTH AMENDMENT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CAME INTO MY OFFICE THAT MORNING AND HANDED ME YOUR RETIREMENT LETTER, I ASKED YOU IF I HAD TO ACCEPT IT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN SOMEBODY THAT YOU KNOW. AND YOU'RE CORRECT, WE'VE HAD WE HAVE GREAT STAFF HERE. BUT I THINK YOU'RE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE ONE OF THE BEST. YOU'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OF ME, MEET WITH ME REGARDLESS OF HOW DUMB YOU THOUGHT, SITTING ACROSS FROM ME THINKING, WHAT TYPE OF QUESTION IS THAT? YOU ARE ALWAYS PATIENT. AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD AND I AND I CONSIDER YOU A FRIEND BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOU'RE VERY PASSIONATE AND VERY DEDICATED TO MERCED COUNTY, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR WIFE SOME TIME WITH YOUR WIFE. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANKS, JOSH. I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS ASK GOOD QUESTIONS. YOU'RE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN THE BOARD ITEMS THAT WE TAKE FORWARD. AND I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT BECAUSE YOUR INTEREST MEANS THAT YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE AND IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT STUFF TO YOU AND YOU GRASPED IT PRETTY QUICKLY, SO I NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT YOU VERY MUCH. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DAVE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT WHAT SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SAID, NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT THAT SOMEBODY CALLING ME FOR SOMETHING RELATED TO THE AD COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE TO THE POINT WHERE DAVE WOULD ACTUALLY CALL ME AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHERE YOU POTENTIALLY MIGHT GET A COMPLAINT. LIKE HE FOREWARNED ME. AND THEY NEVER CAME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'RE FAIR, FIRM AND CONSISTENT AND YOU ARE A REGULATORY AGENCY AND AND PART OF YOUR JOB IS TO DO THE REGULATIONS. BUT I ALWAYS FELT LIKE EVERYBODY HAD A FAIR SHOT AT GETTING IT RIGHT BEFORE IT EVER GOT TO THAT POINT. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE OTHER THING IS YOU GET TO GO OFF AND ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT THAT I WANT TO REALLY EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR. IS IS IS IS THE LEADERSHIP IN PROVIDING US THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO REPLACE YOU. [00:35:08] AND I KNOW THAT'S THAT'S IT'S WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR RETIREMENT NOW BUT BUT THAT SUCCESSION PLANNING IS REALLY IN MY MIND. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VOTE THAT'S COMING UP LATER. SO I DON'T WANT TO PREDISPOSE MY VOTE, BUT I'M JUST REALLY THIS WAS KIND OF AN EASY ONE WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU DID THE HARD WORK AND BROUGHT SOMEBODY ALONG THE WAY THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALWAYS STRUGGLING WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE LOCATED, HAVING TO GO OUT AND LOOK FOR FOR FOLKS TO RUN OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE. AND I ALWAYS THINK THAT THERE'S SUCH VALUE IN THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. SOMEBODY ALREADY KNOWS WHERE THE ROADS ARE, SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS, KNOWS THE FARMERS IN THE AREA HAS THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET A PRETTY GOOD ONE. DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL. BUT BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, IS WE REALLY HAVE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT GROWING OUR OWN LEADERSHIP HERE IN THIS COUNTY, FINDING PEOPLE THAT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST HERE THAT WANT TO STAY HERE AND CULTIVATING THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF LEADERSHIP. AND I DON'T I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE IN THE COUNTY WHERE THAT'S HAPPENED BETTER THAN THAN THIS HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AS JOSH SAID, I CONSIDER YOU A FRIEND. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT I KNEW I KNEW OF YOU. I USED TO READ YOUR NAME ALL OVER THE PLACE WHENEVER I WENT TO THE GAS STATION. BUT I CAME HERE AFTER MY PREDECESSOR, WHO HAD BEEN HERE 28 YEARS. AND I FELT LIKE THE FIRST DAY THAT I MET YOU ON THE JOB, I FELT LIKE WE WERE OLD FRIENDS AND HOPEFULLY GET TO CONTINUE THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. IT IS KIND OF A SAD DAY FOR MERCED COUNTY LOSING SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN HERE THIS LONG. BUT BUT ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DID IN PROVIDING THIS THE NEXT ROUND OF LEADERSHIP. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. SCOTTY. THANK YOU FOR THOSE WORDS. YOU KNOW, JIM BROWN SPOKE TO ALL OF US DEPARTMENT HEADS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ABOUT SUCCESSION PLANNING, SUCCESSION PLANNING, SUCCESSION PLANNING. AND CANDIDLY, OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, I'VE PROBABLY HAD FIVE DIFFERENT SUCCESSION PLANS THAT FELL APART BECAUSE PEOPLE RETIRED, PEOPLE LEFT. AND SO IT WAS REALLY HARD TO DO. HONESTLY. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO APPOINT A MAN HERE VERY SOON THAT IS A LOCAL CITIZEN THAT'S WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT FOR 20 YEARS THAT CANDIDLY HAS PROBABLY BEEN RUNNING THIS DEPARTMENT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH ME TAKING THE BLAME IN CASE IT WENT SOUTH AND IT DIDN'T GO SOUTH. EVERYTHING'S RUN REALLY WELL. SO I'M I'M YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO LEAVE A PLACE, YOU LEAVE YOUR CAREER IN GOOD HANDS. AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, I CAME IN FROM THE OUTSIDE, I CAME FROM MADEIRA, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE GROWERS AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE ROADS AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW ANIMAL CONTROL, WHICH I HAD FOR 12 YEARS. SPEAKING OF COMPLAINTS, OH, NONE OF YOU WERE ON THAT BOARD. SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS GOOD TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE INSIDE THAT KNOWS EVERYBODY, THAT KNOWS THE SITUATION. WILL IT BE CHALLENGING? YES, THIS JOB IS CHALLENGING AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE. BUT HE'S GOT A GOOD START. I KNOW THAT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORDS, SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THE SAME THINGS. YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME. YOU PROBABLY DON'T SEE ME TOO MUCH OUT THERE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, AND I'M VERY CRITICAL OF EVERY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE EXPECT THE BEST FROM A DIRECTOR FOR ALL OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAY, YOU KNOW, IT CONTINUES AND JUST YOU KNOW, WE STRIVE EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR YOUR YOUR TIME HERE AND BEST OF LUCK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE YOU A LOT, BUT WHEN YOU DID CALL WITH A QUESTION, YOU CALLED WITH A GOOD QUESTION. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO WORK ON A FEW THINGS FOR YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR DISTRICT IS A BIG AG DISTRICT. SO, YES. APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT THERE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. CEO MENDEZ. YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS AM IN AWE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ABLE TO DEDICATE THEIR CAREERS TO PUBLIC SERVICE. I THINK THAT'S WHY WE GET INVOLVED. FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE STILL KIND OF IN THE MIDST OF OUR CAREERS, WE JUST SERVE THE PUBLIC. AND I THINK DAVE THROUGH EXAMPLE, HAS DONE THAT VERY EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER. I KNOW COMING OVER HERE AND I CAME FROM THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE EGG COMMISSIONER COMMUNITY IS PRETTY CLOSE KNIT. I'VE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF DAVE'S COUNTERPARTS OR RECENTLY RETIRED AG COMMISSIONERS AND ALL BUT GOOD THINGS THEY SAY ABOUT MR. ROBINSON HERE. AND JUST APPRECIATE THAT. I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU ALLOTTED TO ME AS KIND OF THE NEW PERSON HERE IN THE CEO POSITION. [00:40:02] DEFINITELY WORDS OF WISDOM. EVERY TIME WE HAD A CONVERSATION, I KIND OF LOOK TO YOU TO KIND OF PROVIDE SOME OF THAT JUST FRANK, HONEST ADVICE. AND I'VE ALWAYS GOT I ALWAYS GOT THAT FROM YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH SHAWN, BECAUSE I KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY PENDING THE BOARD'S ACTION ON THAT ITEM, I KNOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP. I'VE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF IN BEING ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AG. IT WAS IN MY UPBRINGING AS AS A YOUNGSTER, BUT IT WASN'T AN AREA THAT I KIND OF DOVE INTO. I USED THAT AS A PLATFORM TO GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE. HOW WE SAW MY FATHER, WHO WAS A FOREMAN AT A RANCH ON THE WEST SIDE OF STANISLAUS COUNTY, JUST TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE. AND I THINK I CREDIT HIM AND WE CREDIT I'M THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE BROTHERS ARE ON PUBLIC SERVICE. AND IT'S INTERESTING TO KIND OF LOOK AT OUR ROOTS. AND IT GOES ALWAYS GOES BACK TO AG, ALWAYS GOES BACK TO RIDING IN THAT PICKUP TRUCK WITH MY FATHER AND SEEING HOW HE HELPED OTHERS. AND I THINK THAT INSPIRED ALL OF US TO GET AN EDUCATION AND KIND OF FOLLOW IN THAT SAME PATH, BUT JUST DOING IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. BACK TO DAVE. JUST APPRECIATE YOU, SIR. I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN YOUR RETIREMENT. VERY NICE TO MEET YOU THERE, MRS. ROBINSON. THERE IN THE BACK. I NEVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE, BUT CERTAINLY I KNOW IT'S A TEAM EFFORT. OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO BE. SO, AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU AND WE WISH YOU WELL. THANK YOU, RAUL. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MY PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH OUR AG COMMUNITY. THEY ARE VERY GOOD PEOPLE. THEY TRY VERY HARD. OUR FARM BUREAU IS A GOOD FARM BUREAU TO WORK WITH. SO THEY'VE MADE MY LIFE EASY, HONESTLY. THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN A TEAM EFFORT WITH THE FARM BUREAU AND WITH THE GROWER COMMUNITY. I MEAN, THEY GENUINELY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND THEY NEED HELP DOING IT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY LAWS AND SO MANY REGULATIONS. IT'S EASY TO GET CONFUSED, IT'S EASY TO GET LOST. AND WE'VE TRIED TO HELP THEM AS BEST WE COULD, AND SOMETIMES WE HAD TO FIND THEM WHEN THINGS WENT THE WRONG DIRECTION. BUT THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB. AND BUT, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY TO WORK WITH HERE IN THIS COUNTY, SO. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILOR HANSON. I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID. I THINK YOU WERE I THINK MY FIRST DEPARTMENT TO ADVISE AT THE COUNTY NINE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A DEPUTY. AND. AND I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY THE ONLY DEPARTMENT HEAD I REALLY REMEMBER FROM THAT TIME, JUST BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALKED INTO MY OFFICE, YOU PROBABLY CRACKED A JOKE AND MADE ME FEEL AT EASE WITH MY NEW JOB. SO I APPRECIATED THAT. I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED HOW DEPENDABLE YOU AND YOUR STAFF ARE. YOU MAKE MY JOB EASY WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT. AND ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO WISH YOU LUCK IN RETIREMENT, YOU KNOW? THANK YOU FOR US. I DO REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE JUST A DEPUTY NEW BECAUSE DAVE ALWAYS GOT ASSIGNED THE NEW DEPUTIES FROM COUNTY COUNCIL. I DON'T KNOW WHY EXACTLY. COULDN'T GET THE GOOD ONES, BUT. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE VERY FRIENDLY AND VERY HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOME OF THE DEPUTIES WERE ALWAYS VERY SERIOUS WHEN YOU CAME IN. AND I HAD TO BREAK THAT. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO TRY TO BREAK THAT DOWN. BUT YOU SMILED THE FIRST TIME I WALKED IN. AND WE ALWAYS WORKED WELL TOGETHER. AND I'M SO PLEASED THAT YOU'RE IN THE CHIEF COUNTY COUNCIL JOB NOW. I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB COMBINED YOUR WELL, WE HAVE A PLAQUE FOR YOU. AND SO IF YOU WOULD COME UP INTO THE MIDDLE AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR YOUR WIFE TO COME UP I IF SHE WOULD LIKE, THERE'S NO PRESSURE AND MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US. AND YOU WANT TO SHARE FIRST. EVERYBODY WANTS IN ON THIS ONE. THERE'S SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED TO ME IS A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE RETIRE AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU WORK SEPARATE AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE HOUSE TOGETHER. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S AN EASY ADJUSTMENT AND SOMETIMES NOT SO MUCH. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF SUCCESSION PLANNING THAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE LIMITED. WELL, DAVE, ON BEHALF OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PLAQUE. [00:45:02] AND IT'S REALLY JUST A SMALL TOKEN, AS OUR COMMENTS WERE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND AND ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US. SO THANK YOU. AND I HOPE YOU GET TO HANG THAT SOMEWHERE FUN AND LOOK AT IT ONCE IN A WHILE AND LOOK BACK AND SMILE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THAT YOUR BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS OVER THE YEARS HAVE APPRECIATED YOU AND YOU'VE APPRECIATED THEM. SO THANK YOU. THIS IS GOING TO LOOK REALLY GOOD IN HAWAII, PROBABLY. OH, THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE'D LIKE TO GET A FEW PICTURES WITH YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT CALENDAR AGENDA. [CONSENT CALENDAR] NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 25. PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEMS FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NINE, 18 AND 19. DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THE ITEMS? SURE. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YEAH. ITEM NUMBER ONE. I HAVE A COMMENT ON. IT'S I KNOW IT'S IT'S AN EMERGENCY REPAIR, BUT IT JUST SEEMS A LOT OF MONEY, $55,000 TO PUT IN A GAS LINE. BUT I KNOW WE'RE THE GOVERNMENT AND WE DO EVERYTHING MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. WHAT IS THE HOPE? IT'S NOT COMING UP. THERE GOES. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND HOPE TO HAVE A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. BECAUSE THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OH. YOU KNOW, I FORGOT TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THOSE ITEMS, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT I'M GOING TO OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 25. OKAY, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. NEXT IS BOARD ACTION PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 26 THROUGH 29. [BOARD ACTION] PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEMS 28 AND 29. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ITEMS 27 AND 28. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS HAVE TO DO WITH THE LIBRARY. A NEW LIBRARY. MERCED COUNTY IS GOING SOON TO BE NEWEST LIBRARY IN DOS PALOS AND ALSO THE REMODEL OF THE DALE HILL HALL. THIS IS BASICALLY AUTHORIZING US TO ACCEPT THE STATE LIBRARY GRANT AND THAT'S 28. AND 27 IS IS AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO ACTUALLY PUT OUT TO BID THESE PROJECTS. SO JUST A QUICK LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON IT. YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK ABOUT THEM BEFORE THIS STARTED AS AS AN IDEA OF A PROP 68 GRANT BACK SOME YEARS AGO, IT'S BEEN MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY PROJECT. WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IN THAT. FAST FORWARD TO THE LAST FEW MONTHS HERE AND I CAN'T THANK OUR STATE SENATOR AMANDA CABALLERO ENOUGH. OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER ADAM GRAY, BOTH WHO SUPPORTED A $3 MILLION DIRECT BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR A NEW LIBRARY IN DAS PALACE. AND ALONG WITH THAT, BECAUSE IN TYPICALLY THESE SITUATIONS WE SUBMIT GRANTS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. IN SOME CASES WE DON'T GET ANY. THIS WAS A SCENARIO WHERE WE GOT THE $3 MILLION BUDGET ALLOCATION FROM THE SENATOR AND THE STATE BUDGET, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE FOLKS AT THE STATE LIBRARY, CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, AND THEY WERE WANTING REFINED INFORMATION ON OUR STATE LIBRARY GRANT. [00:50:01] AND SO THAT GAVE US AN INDICATION THAT WE WERE AT LEAST IN THE RUNNING ON THAT. SO NOW WE HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO BUILD PROBABLY TWO LIBRARIES, BUT WE WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO AND IT WASN'T ONLY ME, I WANT TO THANK PATTI DOSSETTI AND ALL OF THE TEAM THAT IT'S NOT JUST ME THAT WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS. AND THROUGH SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SENATOR AND HER STAFF, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SENATOR TO DO A BUDGET TRAYLOR BILL AMENDMENT, AND LITERALLY IT WAS A COMMA AND DEL HILL COMMUNITY HALL. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED IN THERE THAT WOULD GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY OF THAT $3 MILLION TO NOT ONLY USE IT AS PART OF THE LIBRARY, BUT ALSO TO REMODEL THE DALE HILL HALL IN DOS PALOS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHAT THE LIBRARY IS GOING TO BE CONNECTED TO. SO NO EASY TASK. AND THE SENATOR WAS OUT LAST WEEK PRESENTING US WITH THE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR CHECK. AND SO AND SHE EXPLAINED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET AND THEN YOU TRY TO DO A BUDGET, A BUDGET TRAILER BILL, THERE'S NO GUARANTEES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET WHAT YOU STARTED WITH. AND SO IT WAS NOT AN EASY, EASY LIFT. BUT DO WANT TO THANK OUR STATE LOBBYIST, PAUL YODER, BECAUSE HE WAS A BIG PART OF THIS, BUT IT WAS NO SMALL FEAT. AND REALLY WHO WINS IN THIS IS IS THE CITIZENS IN AND AROUND THE DOS PALOS AREA. THEY'RE GOING TO END UP WITH A NEW LIBRARY. AND THE DALE HILL HALL, WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE SIXTIES, IS GOING TO GET A ONCE IN A GENERATION, ONCE IN A LIFETIME REMODEL ON IT. AND I'M PRETTY PROUD OF IT. AND I'M REALLY JUST CAN'T THANK STAFF ENOUGH FOR ALL THE WORK. I THINK THAT THEY ALL ACCEPTED MY PASSION FOR THIS PROJECT AND WORKED AS DILIGENTLY ON IT AS I HAVE. AND AND REALLY AS WE SIT UP HERE AND WE MAKE DECISIONS AND WE PASS BUDGETS AND WE KIND OF ALL HAVE THINGS THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR. AND IT REALLY SHOWS YOU IF YOU'RE PERSISTENT AND YOU KEEP GOING AFTER IT AND REALLY TURNING NO STONE UNTURNED, CONTINUING GOOD, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE SOMETIMES. AND SO I'M PRETTY PROUD ABOUT THIS. AND SO THIS WILL NOW ALLOW ME TO FOCUS ON MY SECOND PRIORITY PROJECT BECAUSE I KNOW THIS ONE'S ON THE WAY. SO JUST I'M EXCITED. IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR DOS PALOS. IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR MERCED COUNTY. IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, GETTING THE NEWEST LIBRARY IN THE COUNTY. AND SO AND THEN AS PART OF THAT AND I KNOW THIS MAY BE AHEAD OF THE GAME, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO THROW THIS OUT THERE. MY PREDECESSOR, IF YOU EVER TALK TO HIM, JERRY O'BANNON, SAID THE TOUGHEST VOTE THAT HE EVER TOOK WAS THE VOTE THAT HE HAD TO CLOSE LIBRARIES AND HE REGRETTED IT AND SAID THAT IF HE HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, HE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT AND HE WOULD NEVER TAKE THAT VOTE AGAIN. AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A NEW LIBRARY IN DOS PALOS. I LIKE FOR YOU GUYS ALL TO CONSIDER THAT WE NAME THAT THE JERRY O'BANION LIBRARY. SO THAT ACTION, THAT'S NOT PART OF TODAY'S ACTION. THAT'S JUST ME PUTTING THAT OUT THERE. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO HONOR HIM. AND I KNOW THAT HE'S LOOKING DOWN, SMILING THAT THAT WE'RE GETTING A NEW LIBRARY IN DOS PALOS. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAKE THE TIME, MR. CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS 26 THROUGH 29. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 30 THROUGH 32. PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED REQUIRED ON ITEM 32. THANK YOU. I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS 30 THRU 32. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS 30 THROUGH 36. PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM 33 IS TO INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE ADOPTION OF AN EXPEDITED PERMITTING PROCESS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, AND A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEM 36. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DOES OUR DIRECTOR HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO. OKAY. THEN I WILL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. [00:55:01] PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 37 IS FROM WORKFORCE INVESTMENT. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM 37. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. OH. OKAY. FIRE, ITEM 38. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 39 IS FROM THE SHERIFF. OKAY, I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. BRING IT BACK TO THE DYESS. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS PROBATION ITEMS 40 AND 41. PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED ON BOTH. THANK YOU. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TWO IS FROM RETIRE, ITEM 42 IS FROM RETIREMENT. ALL RIGHT, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. OKAY. UM. THIS IS THE RETIREMENT BOARD BYLAWS CHANGES, RIGHT? SO ONE THING I DON'T AGREE WITH IS AND I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION. IT SAYS BOARD MEETINGS WILL NO LONGER BE RECORDED. CAN I HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT FROM ANYBODY? OKAY. COME ON UP, PLEASE. OH, GO AHEAD. YOU WANT TO ANNOUNCE HER? YEAH, WE DO HAVE, UH, CHRISSY SANTOS HERE THAT CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. GOOD AFTERNOON MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. WE PREVIOUSLY HAD RECORDED OUR BOARD MEETINGS TO DATE. WE ARE NOT HAVING MEETINGS IN OUR CURRENT BUILDING BECAUSE OF SPACE, SO WE ARE UTILIZING THE COUNTY'S BASEMENT CONFERENCE ROOMS WHEN AVAILABLE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE LOCATIONS. AND THEREFORE, DUE TO TECHNOLOGY AND EASE, WE ARE NO LONGER RECORDING. WE ARE REQUESTING TO NO LONGER RECORD THE MEETINGS. WE DO POST OUR MINUTES ON THE BOARD WEBSITE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SEE HOW THE BOARD VOTED. AND OUR MEMBERS AND OUR MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PAST SUPPORT AS WELL TO YOU KNOW, I JUST YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT AND OF COURSE, INCLUDING OUR RETIREMENT, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE IT MORE TRANSPARENT, IT SEEMS, WHEN YOU RECORD THE MEETINGS AND SO FORTH, ANY ISSUES THAT WITH ANY EMPLOYEE THAT THAT OR ANYBODY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD PROBABLY BE TAKEN OFF. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IF IT'S WE DO GET A PERMANENT LOCATION THAT WE RECORDED MEETINGS, BE CONTINUED. SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD JUST ASK FROM THE BOARD. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS TO BE TAKEN OFF AND THEN SAY, JUST CONTINUE THE RECORD. AND I THINK IT'S ALWAYS A BEST PROCESS. SO THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE THE BOARD IS MOVING FORWARD WITH POSSIBLY BUILDING A NEW HEADQUARTER BUILDING DOWNTOWN, AND WE ARE PLANNING TO BROADCAST OUR MEETINGS LIVE TO STREAM THEM SIMILAR TO YOURS. AND WE WE DO PLAN ON MOVING BACK TO RECORDING AND HAVING RECORDINGS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE IN THE FUTURE. [01:00:06] SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE MOVING TO IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. BUT YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T WANT TO DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT I JUST IT'S BETTER IF IT'S NOT IN THE BYLAWS AND IT ISN'T SAY SO. IT IS. YOU KNOW, WHENEVER IT HAPPENS, IT JUST IT CONTINUES RECORDING. BUT IF YOU TAKE IT OFF, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE OF A HINDRANCE OF PROBABLY PUTTING IT BACK ON THE AGENDA AND SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE MEETINGS. SO BUT THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT IS POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE MOTION AND ADD THAT IT BE RECORDED IF AVAILABLE OR WHEN AVAILABLE. AND THEN AND THEN WHEN THEY DO GET THEIR NEW FACILITY, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. WE THEN HAVE TO ADOPT THAT CHANGE. WELL, OKAY. SO. WELL, GIVE ME JUST A SECOND. WE'LL COME FOR THE AMENDMENT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THINK MR. SHARON AND I. I DON'T THINK THAT THIS WAS DONE TO NOT BE TRANSPARENT. WHAT IT IS, IS IN THE CURRENT THE PREVIOUS BYLAWS, IT SAID THE MEETINGS WILL BE RECORDED. THIS WAS MORE OF THE STOPGAP MEASURE TO WHERE WE'RE NOT RECORDING THEM. SO THEN WE'RE NOT IN, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, VIOLATION OF OUR BYLAWS. OUR BYLAWS BEFORE SAID THE MEETINGS WILL BE RECORDED. WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE SAID RECORDED IF POSSIBLE. I THINK THERE WASN'T NOTHING NEFARIOUS THERE. IT WAS JUST WHILE WE'RE KIND OF IN THIS SPACE OF WE'RE MEETING HERE BECAUSE OUR BOARDROOM OVER THERE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH UNTIL POTENTIALLY WE GET OUR NEW BOARDROOM UP AND RUNNING. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE NEW BOARD ROOM, I JUST LOOKED AT SOME SOME SPECS ON THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE. IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECORDED IN. WE REVISIT THESE BYLAWS. IF YOU LOOK ON THERE PRETTY REGULARLY, AT LEAST, MY COMMITMENT IS, IS THAT THAT WILL BE REVISITED WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE WE'RE IN A MORE PERMANENT LOCATION. SO I DON'T AND I THINK IF WE AMENDED SOMETHING HERE, THEN IT HAS TO GO BACK THERE. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE MY WORD. THAT IS, IT'S GOING TO COME BACK. IT'S JUST AT THIS POINT, WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN VIOLATION OF OUR BYLAWS. THANK YOU. I'M FINE WITH IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. CAN YOU MOVE YOUR REQUEST? THERE YOU GO. OH, ONE MORE TIME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY, SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SEEING NONE ON CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS TREASURE ITEMS 43 AND 44. ALL RIGHT. OH, BOY. UH SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA C ,,,,,,,,,,,OULD YOU SHUT YOUR MIC? THERE WE GO. OK SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. AND I WANTED TO ASK MRS. ADAMS IF SHE COULD COME FORWARD. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON NUMBER 44. SORRY. WE WERE UNABLE TO CONNECT, AND I WASN'T ABLE TO ASK EARLIER, BUT ON 44, IS THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL TAX DEFAULTED PROPERTIES. AND IT SAYS ON THERE, THE MINIMUM BID PRICES WILL WILL RECOVER COSTS OF THE SALE, FEES, INTEREST AND DELINQUENT TAXES OWNED ON EACH PROPERTY WHERE PROPERTY HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY OFFERED FOR SALE AND NO ACCEPTABLE BIDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. THE CALIFORNIA RENT CODE ALLOWS THE TAX COLLECTOR TO OFFER THE SAME PROPERTY WITH BOARD APPROVAL. DOES THAT INCLUDE LIKE DELINQUENT FEES AND THE OTHER STUFF THAT THAT'S ON THERE? OKAY. VERY GOOD QUESTION. KAREN ADAMS, MERCED COUNTY TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I TOO REGRET THAT WE DIDN'T PASS THIS MORNING AND COMMUNICATE ON THIS, BUT IT'S GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WE DO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR COST AND AT THE REAR FOR WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO DO IS NUMBER ONE, LOOK AT THE MARKET. LOOK AT WHY THE PROPERTY ISN'T OBTAINING ANY ADEQUATE BIDS. AND THEN WHAT WE WILL STRIP OFF IS ALL OF THE INTEREST AND THE PENALTIES. IF IT'S NOT A FEE THAT GOES FOR THE RECOVERY TO MY OFFICE. AND SO THE PROP 13 WAS A GREAT GIFT FOR THE CITIZENS OF CALIFORNIA. HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE LATE WITH YOUR TAXES, THERE'S A 10% DELINQUENT COST AND THEN 18% INTEREST PER YEAR, AND THAT'S [01:05:05] EMBEDDED IN THE INITIAL PROP 13 LANGUAGE. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE A COUPLE OF DIRT BONDS ON THAT LIST. AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE THINK WE MAY HAVE TO RE OFFER. IS THAT THE INTEREST ON INTEREST AND ALL THOSE TAXES IS INSURMOUNTABLE. AND SO WE WERE ABLE AT THE LAST AUCTION AND SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA IS VERY AWARE WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE SAN LUIS WATER DISTRICT ON A PROPERTY THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ANY QUALIFIED BIDS FOR. AND SO OUR ROLE IS TO, OF COURSE, COLLECT YOUR TAXES TO RETAIN YOUR INTEREST, WHICH WE ARE A TEETER COUNTY THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY. BUT IN THE EVENT WE CAN'T DO SO, WE ARE WILLING TO STRIP OFF THAT INTEREST SO WE CAN GET THE PROPERTY IN THE HANDS OF TAXPAYERS THAT WILL PAY THEIR TAXES GOING FORWARD. SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT WE REALLY TRY TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUR INITIAL TAXES BECAUSE OUR AUDITOR COMPTROLLER APPORTIONS THROUGH THE TEETER PROCESS THE TAXES REGARDLESS IF I COLLECT THEM. AND SO I AGAIN, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. NO, IT DOES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THAT'S IT. HEY, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. KAREN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I DID REVIEW THE TREASURY INVESTMENT REPORT, BUT I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD HAVE AN ACRONYM GLOSSARY. MAYBE AT THE BACK OF IT, WE, YOU WILL SEE THAT ON THE NEXT BOARD. ACTUALLY, I THINK THE FIRST BOARD MEETING IN JANUARY, WE HAVE INVESTMENT TERMINOLOGY AND AN ADDENDUM TO OUR INVESTMENT POLICY THAT YOU APPROVE EVERY YEAR. BUT YES, WE COULD GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THAT FOR YOUR REFERENCE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL DURING THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. YOU'RE RIGHT. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR READING THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. ABSOLUTELY. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. YEAH, JUST A COMMENT. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES THAT SHOWN HERE ON ON ON THE LINK WITH PAGE TWO, WITH ALL THE PROPERTY ADDRESSES AND PARCEL NUMBERS, I KNOW JUST ADVICE I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, AND ASK KAREN IF I'M, IF I'M CORRECT, ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN COME TO YOUR DEPARTMENT AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN TRY TO WORK OUT A DEAL WITH YOU TO PAY BACK THAT WHATEVER IS DELINQUENT. RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. THEY HAVE A RIGHT FOR UP UNTIL 5 P.M. THE DAY PRIOR TO THE SALE, WHICH WE HAVE INTERNET SALES. SO IT'S A FOUR DAY PROCESS. THEY HAVE THEIR RIGHT OF REDEMPTION UP TO 5 P.M., BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO ESTABLISH A PAYMENT PLAN BECAUSE THAT WAS A DEADLINE THAT THEY HAD TO MEET THE YEAR PRIOR. OKAY, SO WE REACH OUT, WE TRY TO CONTACT, WE SEND SPECIAL NOTICES THAT ARE NOT MANDATED BY LAW TO ENSURE THAT THE TAXPAYER UNDERSTANDS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO ESTABLISH A PAYMENT PLAN. LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS TO AUCTION PROPERTIES. IT'S MANDATED, OF COURSE, THAT WE DO SO AND WE DO TAKE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO ENSURE ANYONE WHO'S ON OUR OUR PAYMENT PLANS, WE ACTUALLY CALL THEM AND REMIND THEM THAT IT WOULD BE BREACH OF CONTRACT IF THEY DON'T PAY THEIR CURRENT SECURED PROPERTY TAXES BY THE DUE DATE AND THEIR ANNUAL PAYMENT PLAN AGREEMENT. SO WE ENTER AGREEMENT, THEY ENTER AGREEMENT WE WANT TO ENSURE WE GET WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING. THANKS. I CAN'T EVEN GO TO COSTCO AND HAVE A TAXPAYER THANK ME FOR HAVING STAFF CALL THEM TO REMIND THEM TO MAKE THEIR PAY PAY PLAN. SO WE DO REACH OUT. AGAIN, WE WANT TO HOPEFULLY ASSIST EVERY TAXPAYER TO AVOID AUCTION. BUT IN MANY CASES, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. GOODNESS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. KAREN, JUST REMIND EVERYBODY HOW FAR DELINQUENT THESE ARE. THESE IS NOT LIKE THEY DIDN'T PAY THEIR TAXES LAST YEAR AND WE'RE PUTTING THEM UP FOR AUCTION. YEAH. SO AFTER ON THE FIFTH YEAR, THEY BECOME A DEFAULTED PROPERTY AND THEN IT GOES, WE HAVE ANOTHER YEAR. WE ESTABLISH AN AUCTION DATE. THE WHOLE TIME THEY'RE GETTING NOTIFICATIONS. WE'RE REACHING OUT, IF POSSIBLE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO BE DILIGENT SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THEY'VE FAILED TO ACHIEVE THEIR PAYMENT PLAN DUE DATE AND THEY HAVE A FINAL RIGHT OF REDEMPTION THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, CEASE TO EXIST AT 5 P.M. PRIOR TO THE AUCTION. SO SIX YEARS, SIX AND A HALF IN MANY CASES, SOMETIMES ALMOST SEVEN YEARS. AND THAT'S BECAUSE ONCE WE ESTABLISH AN AUCTION DATE AND AS YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR PREVENTED US FROM AUCTIONING PROPERTIES DURING COVID. [01:10:02] SO THEN THAT IT REALLY IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TAXPAYER WHO'S DELINQUENT BECAUSE MORE INTEREST GETS ADDED ON AND THE HARDSHIP BECOMES EVEN GREATER FOR THEM TO REDEEM THEIR PROPERTY. AND BASICALLY YOU'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE SIX, SEVEN YEARS. AUCTION PROCESS IS A 270 DAY PROCESS OF NOTIFICATION PARTIES OF INTEREST, IRS, FTB, ACCEPTANCE. SO OF COURSE, YOU KNOW YOUR STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A REAL LENGTHY PROCESS. AND I WANT TO COMMEND MY CHIEF DEPUTY TAX COLLECTOR, TARA HERNANDEZ. SHE'S ON IT. AND IF ANYBODY IN THE OFFICE IS WILLING TO TAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT, IT'S HER AND HER STAFF. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THEY DO FOR THE TAXPAYER. AND THEN THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND JUST A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS ON IT. ONE IS, IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THERE'S PROPERTIES ON HERE THAT RANGE FROM A $2 MILLION STARTING BID PRICE DOWN TO I THINK I SAW ONE FOR LIKE MAYBE LIKE 1500 OR 1900. UNDERSTANDING THOSE ARE JUST THAT'S THE MINIMUM BID IN A LOT OF CASES. THESE PROPERTIES, THEY GET SOLD THEY ACTUALLY GO FOR MORE THAN THAT. BUT THEN ALSO, KAREN, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU IS SHE MENTIONED ABOUT SOME PROPERTIES THAT WERE OUT THERE IN THE FOX HILLS AREA WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE SOMETHING WITH THE WATER DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO PICK THOSE UP WHERE WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THE INTEREST AND THE PENALTIES BECOME SO HIGH THAT THE PROPERTY WILL NEVER BE WORTH THAT. AND SO WE'RE JUST SITTING THERE AND IT'S COLLECTING INTEREST AND PENALTIES. WE CAN PUT IT OUT THERE AND PUT THEM UP FOR SALE. NOBODY'S INTERESTED IN BUYING THEM. AND AT SOME POINT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET IT BACK. BUT THEN AT SOME POINT WE SAY, WELL, IT'S BETTER FOR US TO MAYBE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A LOSS HERE AND GET IT INTO THE HANDS OF A TAXPAYER AND ACTUALLY START GENERATING SOME TAXES AGAIN. SO THANK YOU. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THERE'S $4.3 MILLION OF MINIMUM BIDS THAT ARE GOING UP FOR AUCTION. I DO BELIEVE THEY'LL GO FOR A LOT MORE OF THAT. ALMOST HALF OF THAT'S JUST IN ONE OF THEM. SO I THINK WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB. AND THAT IS SHOWED BY THE EXTRA EFFORT THAT YOUR STAFF IS TAKING IN, REACHING OUT AND HOPEFULLY MAKING FOLKS AWARE TO NOT GET TO THIS SITUATION WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING IT UP FOR SALE. ABSOLUTELY. AND AND ANY EXCESS PROCEEDS ABOVE THE MINIMUM BID IS RETURNED TO THE TAXPAYER OR THE PARTIES OF INTEREST. SO THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER LENGTHY PROCESS THAT IT TAKES OVER A YEAR TO COMPLETE. SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE BADGES EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WHERE WE GET PERMISSION FROM YOU TO RETURN EXCESS PROCEEDS. AND THEN ANYTHING THAT IS NOT RETURNABLE GOES INTO THE, YOU KNOW, THE TEETER TRUST BACK TO THE COUNTY. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. OH, I DON'T HAVE. SHE TRIED TO TAKE HIMSELF OUT. OH, OKAY. WE'RE GOOD THEN. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BORE YOU TO DEATH WITH A LOT OF DETAIL. HAVE A GREAT ONE. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS? SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT TO HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. LIBRARY ITEM 45. OKAY, I'LL OPEN IT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD IN MIND. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM 46 IS FROM COUNTY COUNCIL. I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND I WILL SAY JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES, WE'VE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH GETTING MORE MEMBERS ON THE WINTON MAC AND IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER, ESPECIALLY FOR THE QUORUM STANDPOINT. SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. YEAH, IF I MAY, I'M JUST SHOCKED THAT YOU HAD 15 ON THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM, WE HAD SEVEN AND I REDUCED IT DOWN TO FIVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS HAVING WITH THE SAME ISSUE. QUORUM. SO YEAH. THANK YOU. YOU BET. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THANK YOU. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT IS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 47 AND 48. [01:15:04] PLEASE NOTE THAT 48 IS TO APPOINT SHAWN S. RUNYON AS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER, SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AT THE ANNUAL SALARY OF $153,732.80 AND APPROVE A-LEVEL BENEFITS WHEN WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 2ND, 2023. OK CO MÉNDEZ YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AS I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE ARE BRINGING THIS RECOMMENDATION BEFORE YOU. MR. RUNYON WAS THE TOP CANDIDATE IN A RECENT RECRUITMENT THAT WAS DONE FOR THE POSITION FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MR. ROBINSON OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM COUNTY SERVICE. REALLY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF OUR RECRUITMENT. I THINK, AS I SHARED EARLIER, SUCCESSION PLANNING AT ITS BEST, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK OUT. ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T MENTION, AT LEAST IN OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, IS, YOU KNOW, JUST A GREAT REPUTATION THAT THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURE JUST THE ENTIRE OFFICE HAS HAD HERE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. I HAVE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE OBVIOUSLY SUCCESSFULLY BEEN APPOINTED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. MANY OF THEM HAVE ROOTS TO MERCED COUNTY. AND I THINK THAT'S JUST A AS A RESULT OF THE GREAT LEADERSHIP THAT'S EXISTED HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. SO WE DO HAVE THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. MR. RUNYON IS HERE, OBVIOUSLY MET WITH YOU DURING CLOSED SESSION AND IS PREPARED TO COME IN AND SAY A FEW REMARKS, BUT CERTAINLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO ALSO MAKE SOME COMMENTS HERE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, FIRST, WELL, I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THEM. ANY ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? MR. RUNYON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY HELLO? INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO I KNOW MOST OF THE AG COMMUNITY KNOWS YOU, BUT NOT EVERYBODY'S IN AG. AND THEN AFTER YOU, IF YOU SAY HELLO, THEN DON'T GO TOO FAR BECAUSE YOU MAY BE COMING RIGHT BACK UP. OKAY. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MR. LOMELI MENDEZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MERCED COUNTY. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. HOPEFULLY, IF THE VOTE GOES GOOD. YOU KNOW, MERCED COUNTY'S ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT PLACE TO WORK, AND I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED MY TIME WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET TO THIS POINT WITHOUT A LOT OF SUPPORT. AND OUR ONE THING I WANT TO DO IS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR HR DEPARTMENT FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTAL TRAINING. THEY'VE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TRAININGS IN THE PAST, AT LEAST PAST SIX YEARS. I KNOW. AND THANKS TO MARCI BREWER AND SUMMER MONIZ AND EVERYBODY THERE AT THE H.R. DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT REALLY SPURRED MY DEVELOPMENT ALONG TO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH A LOT OF GOOD STAFF OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE LAST 22 YEARS, AND INCLUDING THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE NOW. THEY'VE ALL BEEN INCREDIBLE. THEY'VE TAUGHT ME A LOT OF THINGS OF I GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE FROM THEM. AND AND AS YOU SAID, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED ON TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN OTHER COUNTIES. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. OF COURSE, I COULDN'T GO ANY MORE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT MR. ROBINSON. SO HE'S JUST BEEN. MIGHT INTERRUPT YOU FOR JUST A SECOND. I'M DAVE LIKES TO BE TALKED ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO KIND OF INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN SUPERVISOR HAS A QUESTION AFTER THE VOTE, THEN YOU MIGHT FINISH WHERE YOU'RE AT. IS. IS THAT FAIR ENOUGH? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. WELL, THANK YOU. THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR ITEM NUMBER 47 THAT I WANTED TO MAKE COMMENT ON. OH, WELL, I MESSED THAT UP. SO DO YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND I JUST GO AHEAD AND HAVE A SEAT. WE'LL DO THE VOTE AND THEN I'LL BRING YOU BACK UP AND. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YEAH, THAT WAS MY FAULT. I KIND OF GOT OUT OF ORDER HERE, BUT GO AHEAD, SUPERVISOR. NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW OUR CRC, RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE, CALIFORNIA AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES REPRESENT THIS COUNTY. WE TALK ABOUT THE COST OF OUR MEMBERSHIP, BUT HOW THEY WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE US TREASURY WITH THE US TREASURY FOR PARTICIPATION AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE AND TRIBAL CONSISTENCY FUND. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THROUGH COVID FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS AND THE TREASURY WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO OUT AND TRY TO REDISTRIBUTE THIS THROUGH EVERY COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND WE WERE VERY FOCUSED ON FEDERAL LAND COUNTIES. AND BECAUSE OF OUR WETLANDS, THIS IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO REPRESENT AND HAVE THIS FUND. [01:20:01] BUT I WANT TO SHOW YOU, I MEAN, THIS ALMOST PAYS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS OF OUR EXISTENCE IN NACO AND RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA. BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO SAY HOW WE ARE ACTIVE IN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE CAN SEE IN MONETARY VALUE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, MR. RUNYON. AND NOW WE CAN SPEAK AS YOU ARE THE NEW GUY VERSUS AS IF. THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. NO, NO, THAT WAS MY FAULT. TOTALLY. SO. YEAH. GETTING BACK TO MR. ROBINSON. OF COURSE. I COULDN'T HAVE GOT TO THIS POINT WITHOUT HIM. HE'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE MENTOR, AND HE'S PROVIDED SO MUCH TEACHING TO ME. AND, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCE THAT I GOT FROM HIM, JUST WATCHING HIM MAKE THE SMALL DECISIONS AND BEING THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, WE'VE WORKED OBVIOUSLY VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS AND TO SEE IN A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT THAT I REALLY GOT TO WATCH HIM WORK AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE BENEFIT TO MY DEVELOPMENT. SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK HIM FOR THAT. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING AND ON BEHALF OF OUR DEPARTMENT TO HE'S PROVIDED SUCH LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. HE'S TAKEN US THROUGH THE GREAT RECESSION AND THE PANDEMIC, AND HE'S JUST DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB. SO THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS THANK MY FAMILY TO MY WIFE'S IN THE AUDIENCE, JODY, AND OF COURSE, MY SON DONOVAN AND MY MY DAUGHTER ALANA. SO THEY'VE HAD TO SUFFER OVER A LITTLE WHILE, YOU KNOW, ME GOING DOING WEEKEND DUTY AND AND THE CALLS ON THE WEEKEND AND THE THE TRAININGS AND THE OTHER THINGS. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT. AND SO, OF COURSE, LASTLY IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN AGRICULTURE. IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT, VITAL PART OF OUR ECONOMY, AND I REALLY ENJOY WORKING WITH THEM ALL. AND I HOPE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IT'S REALLY BECOME EVIDENT TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT A SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, SAFE FOOD SUPPLY IS TO TO THE WORLD. AND WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON NOWADAYS WITH UKRAINE AND JUST PANDEMICS AND THINGS. SO HOPEFULLY PEOPLE, WHEN THEY LOOK ON THEIR THEIR GROCERIES IN THE GROCERY STORES, THEY REALIZE THE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THAT IT TAKES TO BRING THAT FOOD TO YOUR TABLE. SO AND WITH THAT I JUST SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND WORK UNDER YOUR DIRECTION. AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO WELL. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME. THANK YOU. NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS. ITEMS 49 THROUGH 51 WILL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE THREE ITEMS. SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. BOTH INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 52 AND 53. [BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION] I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. I'VE SEEN NO MOTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ARE WE ON TO OUR SCHEDULED ITEMS? [SCHEDULED ITEMS] NEXT IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FROM COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT OF THE MERCER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE. AS PER THE CALIFORNIA LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965. WILLIAMS ENACT. WELL, HELLO, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. GOOD MORNING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE AND UPON YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM TWO APPLICANT REQUESTED PROPERTY LINE [01:25:01] ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE EFFECTUATED. SECTION FIVE ONE, TWO, THREE, THREE. THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE DOES REQUIRE THE BOARD TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND THE ACT PRESERVE AGAIN UPON YOUR ACTION SHOULD YOU TAKE CHOOSE TO TAKE IT. A TOTAL OF 59 ACRES WILL BE REMOVED, SO NONE OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES ARE ACTUALLY UNDER WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACT. AT THIS POINT, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ONE FOR YOU TO BOTH OPEN AND CLOSE YOUR PUBLIC HEARING. AND THEN THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ACTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING, FIRST OF WHICH IS TO MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THE REMOVAL OF LAND FROM THE ACT RESERVE LISTED IN THE BOARD AGENDA ITEM EXEMPT FROM SEQUEL UNDER SECTIONS 15061B3. THE COMMON SENSE EXEMPTION AND SECTION 15183 PROJECTS CONSISTENT WITH A COMMUNITY PLAN OR ZONING BASED UPON THE FINDINGS AS LISTED IN YOUR STAFF REPORT. AND THEN SECONDLY, TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AS INCLUDED IN YOUR BOARD ITEM AMENDING THE ACT PRESERVE AGAIN AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965. WITH THAT SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN, STAFF WOULD BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. MY SEE NO QUESTIONS. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT? SEEING. THEN WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WE'VE OPENED AND CLOSED, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THAT THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE BOUNDARY REFLECTING THE REMOVAL OF LAND IN RELATION TO THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY LINES AS LISTED IN THE STAFF REPORT AND FIND THAT THERE IS CEQA EXEMPTION. I THINK THAT COVERS IT. DO ANYTHING ELSE. COUNCIL. YOU COULD TAKE THE ITEMS TOGETHER AND ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT. HEY, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SEE A NOTE FOR THE COMMENT. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED. NAY. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING FROM PUBLIC WORKS FROM NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022, ON ENGINEER'S REPORT FORMATION OF CYPRESS ESTATES. NUMBER THREE, STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ZONE OF BENEFIT NUMBER 280 AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE AND LEVY OF ASSESSMENTS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MR. HERTFELDER. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. DANA HERTFELDER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL FOR MAJOR SUBDIVISION CYPRESS ESTATES NUMBER THREE WAS TO CREATE A STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE [INAUDIBLE] BENEFIT LOCATED WITHIN COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE, THE CREATION OF THE CYPRESS ESTATES. NUMBER THREE, STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE ZONE BENEFIT WILL PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE SUBDIVISION, STREETLIGHTS AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AND WILL ENSURE THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS PAY THEIR SHARE OF THE ASSOCIATED COST. THANK YOU. I SEE NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO AT THIS TIME I'LL CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT. SEEING NONE. I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CLERK TO TABULATE THE ASSESSMENT BALLOT. CHAIRMAN PAREIRA AND BOARD MEMBERS. I DO HAVE THE SEALED BALLOT HERE. THERE IS ONE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE VOTE IS A YES. THANK YOU. THAT WASN'T THAT EASY TO GET THAT VOTE. SO LET'S NOT MINIMIZE THAT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, DID YOU HAVE COMMENT? OH, THAT MOTION WOULD BE FINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ABSENT NO MAJORITY PROTESTS, I WOULD MAKE A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE ENGINEER'S REPORT FORMING CYPRESS ESTATE NUMBER THREE, STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ZONE OF BENEFIT NUMBER 280. IS THERE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AT A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. ALL THOSE I SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED SAY NAY. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY FIVE ZERO. MUST IS BOARD REPORTS. ALL RIGHT. I'LL START TO MY RIGHT WITH SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. [REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION] [01:30:03] OKAY. SOMEWHERE HERE. WHICH IS I LIKE TO SAY THAT I ATTENDED THE MERCED CHRISTMAS PARADE ON, UH, SATURDAY. UH, IT WAS, UH, A VERY NICE PARADE. AND I SAW ALL OUR STAFF MADE A NICE, UH, FLOAT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY DECORATED. I KNOW THEY TOOK A LONG TIME TO DECORATE IT. THEY TURNED OUT VERY NICE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OUR STAFF FOR BEING OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, ENJOYING OUR COMMUNITY AND YOURSELF, TOO, AS WELL WITH FAMILY. UH, I JUST WANT TO REPORT THAT I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE LAST FEW WEEKS AGO, AND IT WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL AS WELL AS I GOT TO SEE, UH, SUPERVISOR UH, SILVEIRA GET REAPPOINTED AS AN ALTERNATE TO I CAN REMEMBER WHAT COMMITTEE WAS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. HE HAD. SO GOOD LUCK ON THAT. I KNOW HE'S TRYING TO MOVE UP AND, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH ALL THE OTHER SUPERVISORS FROM AROUND THE STATE AND ALSO TALK TO THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY AS WELL TO WORK ON ON OTHER REGIONAL PROJECTS. SO IT'S ALWAYS VERY EDUCATIONAL. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A UH, UH, AN AMBULANCE, UH, UPDATE ON THE AMBULANCE SERVICE IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN A FEW COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THE SERVICES FROM THE AMBULANCE SERVICE. AND SO I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF SERVICE CONTINUED LACK OF SERVICE THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST AND TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, UH, PENALTIES THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THEY'VE, THEY'VE ACCRUED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY, THEY MEAN SUPPORTED BY ALL, THEY USUALLY BE SUPPORTED BY OTHER AGENCIES OR THE COMPANIES AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH AND AND ALL OF US. UM, SO WE ANYTIME ALL OF US, ANY OF US CAN BE IN TROUBLE AND WE NEED THAT SERVICE. SO I ALSO HAD THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW ABOUT TEN UH, UH, POTENTIAL WELL, UH, INTERNS THAT THEY, UH, I WAS APPROACHED BY THE MADDIE INSTITUTE, WHICH PAYS AND SUPPORTS INTERNS TO INTERN WITH US. I, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WERE REACHED OUT AS WELL, SO I WOULD HAVE TO, UH, PICK THREE. AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY WOULD CHOOSE WHO WOULD BE INTERNING FOR ME, PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER. AND MOST OF THEM WERE FROM UC MERCED COLLEGE. I THINK WE JUST SAID UC MERCED AND STANISLAW STATE. SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THAT. UH, ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO ATTEND THE HMONG THANKSGIVING UH, LUNCHEON HELD ON NOVEMBER 22ND. SO THEY'RE ALWAYS, UH, THEY ALWAYS HAD, THEY ALWAYS HAVE A NICE THANKSGIVING LUNCH. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM, THE, THE HMONG COMMUNITY AND ALSO ATTENDED THE MERCED CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY THAT THE NEWLY ELECTED AND THE PAST COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR ALL THEIR SERVICES. TONIGHT WE HAVE A LIVINGSTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE THE MAYOR AND TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE ALSO INSTALLED AND, AND THANK TO THE PAST COUNCIL AS WELL, AND ALSO TO ALL THE PAST ELECTED IN OUR COUNTY, INCLUDING BOARD OF SCHOOL BOARDS, UM, WATER SERVICES DISTRICTS AND PAST COUNCILS AND ALL THE CITIES AND COUNTY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, SO WE ALL TAKE A LOT OF CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS AND SO HOPEFULLY TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE THAT WE CAN FOR FOR EVERYONE. SO THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I TOO ATTENDED THE CSAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE. IT'S ALWAYS REALLY INTERESTING TO JUST TALK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND GET DIFFERENT IDEAS ON HOW THEY'RE APPROACHING SOME OF THE ISSUES. BECAUSE REALLY, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DIFFERENT AREAS, WE STILL DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES. I ALSO ATTENDED THE CHRISTMAS PARADE. LUCKILY IT DIDN'T RAIN ON US. I COULD JUST MIST US, WHICH WAS GOOD. ON SUNDAY, I ALSO ATTENDED THE COURTHOUSE MUSEUM'S CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. MY CHILDREN WERE SINGING IN THE OLD CHRISTMAS CHOIR. THEY WERE, I THINK THAT I DON'T THINK THEY WERE SO EXCITED TO BE IN IT, BUT THEY GOT FREE DRESS OUT OF IT. SO I THINK THAT AFTER THEIR UNIFORMS TODAY, SO I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY DID IT. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOKED AT MY DAUGHTER, SHE WAS NOT HAPPY. ANYWAY, I ALSO ATTENDED OR WE HAD A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH THE NACO AGG AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON [01:35:02] ONE OF THE I'M THE VICE CHAIR FOR ONE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES. AND ONE OF THE MAJOR TOPICS OF THAT COMMITTEE WAS TRANSPORTATION. AND IT WAS REALLY COOL. ELAINE TREVINO I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE UP HERE KNOW ELAINE. ELAINE TREVINO IS THE SENIOR SUPPLY CHAIN ADVISER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. SHE'S FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AND SO BEING ABLE TO TALK WITH HER AND GET HER PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES AS IT CORRESPONDS TO TRANSPORTATION. I DO WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE ALLIANCE. I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HIM ABOUT THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED TODAY, AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK. SO I WILL GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO TO THE WOMAN BEFORE. SO I WILL CONTINUE TO ASK. AND WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW AND LUCKY ME SUNDAY. SO I'M EXCITED, BUT I WILL GET THAT INFORMATION. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE REALLY GOOD THINGS. I WAS AT THE GROCERY STORE THE OTHER DAY AND I SAW SOMEBODY WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN AND I SAID, OH, THESE ARE YOUR GRANDKIDS. YEAH, TODAY WAS LIBRARY DAY. I SAID, WELL, HOW HOW'S THE LIBRARY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SHE GOES, YEAH, I PICKED UP THE KIDS ONCE A WEEK FROM SCHOOL AND WE GO TO THE LIBRARY AND I SAID, WELL, HOW'S YOUR EXPERIENCE? AND SHE SAID, IT'S AMAZING. SHE SAID, THE KIDS LOVE IT. THE KIDS GET A BOOK. THE YOUTH LIBRARIAN IS AMAZING. AND SO I MADE SURE TO TELL AMY THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE SOME OF THAT TYPE OF STUFF THAT'S GOING ON, BECAUSE I KNOW IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED. AND IF PEOPLE ARE COMING UP TO ME TO TELL ME ABOUT IT, THEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS THAT REALLY CARE ABOUT STUFF. SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE GROWING THAT AND THE TEEN CENTER AND WITH THE YOUTH LIBRARIAN, IT'S INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, LIBRARIANS, YOU THINK THAT THEY JUST LIKE, WEAR GLASSES AND TELL PEOPLE TO ALL THE TIME. RIGHT. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. I MEAN, MY WIFE IS A TEACHER LIBRARIAN, AND SHE'S ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE I KNOW. SHE'S AT A CONFERENCE NOW, ACTUALLY. SO BUT YEAH, SO I JUST WANTED TO PASS THAT ON. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I GOT I'VE GOT A FEW THINGS. I, TOO, ATTENDED THE CSAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE DOWN IN ANAHEIM. ALWAYS. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT, GREAT SESSIONS. I WAS ACTUALLY A PANELIST ON ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS, JUST TALKING LOCAL ISSUES WITH DIFFERENT COUNTY SUPERVISORS ALL UP AND DOWN THE STATE. ONE THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS THERE WAS A KEYNOTE SPEAKER THERE. ACTUALLY GOT TO MEET HER BEFORE. HER NAME IS MARLENA VALENTINE AND HER STORY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK HER UP AND READ HER STORY, ACTUALLY GOT HER BOOK. AND AS I TOOK A LITTLE PERSONAL TIME AFTER THAT, I GAVE THE BOOK TO MY WIFE AND SHE READ THE BOOK AND I WOULD LOOK OVER AND SHE WOULD JUST BE BAWLING IN TEARS. I MEAN, IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT ROUGH, I WOULD I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK UP MARLAINA VALENTINE AND LOOK AT WHAT SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH AND OVERCOME. AND IF YOU AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY. BUT BUT I GOT TO MEET HER AND I WALKED UP TO HER AND AS I WOULD NORMALLY DO AND WENT TO SHAKE HER HAND AND SILLY ME, SHE SHE HAS PROSTHETIC HANDS. AND THAT'S JUST THE START OF THE STORY. TRULY AMAZING STORY. I DON'T. I THINK THAT THERE WAS A DRY EYE IN THE PLACE AND THEN JUST A SHOUT OUT TO HER, HER HUSBAND, WHO TRULY IS THE DEFINITION OF A LIFE PARTNER. AND SO JUST REALLY COOL, REALLY, REALLY TOUCHING. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF GETTING TO GO TO THESE CONFERENCES, THESE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS THAT THEY BRING IN FOR THESE CONFERENCES SPEAK ALL OVER THE WORLD. I WANT TO SAY AT ONE POINT SHE GOT AN AWARD FOR ONE OF THE BEST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR THAT YEAR IN THE WHOLE WORLD. SO REALLY, REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE. WEDNESDAY, LAST WEDNESDAY, I WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR COMING OUT TO TO THE WEST SIDE, GET TO ENJOY TO TWO EVENTS IN DOS PALOS, ONE, THEY HAD A LITTLE RIBBON CUTTING ON A ON A MEASURE V PROJECT ON A STREET THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FINISH THERE AND SAY, OH, THEY GOT A STREET. WELL, BUT FOR DOS PALOS, IT'S A BIG DEAL. THEIR BUDGET BEFORE MEASURE V TO REPAIR ROADS WAS LITTLE TO NONE. AND IT IS A BIG DEAL FOR THEM. AND REALLY IT'S A WAY OF US TELLING THE STORY AS WE WENT TO THE VOTERS AND ASKED THEM TO PASS A HALF CENT SALES TAX THAT WE ALL PAY AND REALLY SHOWING THEM THE GOOD WORK THAT GETS [01:40:01] DONE WITH IT. AND IT'S A STREET HERE AND A STREET THERE, BUT REALLY WANTING TO HIGHLIGHT TO OUR BOSSES THE CONSTITUENTS WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING. AND THEN A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN MY COMMENTS THAT SENATOR CABALLERO CAME DOWN AND DID THE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG CHECK PRESENTATION FOR THAT THREE, THREE, 3.5 MILLION. IT'S KIND OF UP IN THE AIR THAT SHE GAVE TO US, GAVE TO NOT ONLY MY BOSSES, BUT HER BOSSES AS WELL TO HELP LOS BANOS EXCUSE ME, TO GET A NEW LIBRARY. AND THEN THE REMODEL OF THE DALE HILL HALL DOS PALOS CHRISTMAS PARADE WAS WELL ATTENDED THIS YEAR. I DIDN'T MAKE THE LOS BANOS PARADE AS THERE'S A LOT OF WORK. I WANT TO THANK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH VETERANS PARADES AND WITH CHRISTMAS PARADES. THEY'VE BEEN BUSY, BUSY FOLKS GETTING THOSE FIRE ENGINES READY FOR US TO TO TO RIDE ON. AND I CAN'T THANK THEM ENOUGH. AND AS IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT, LAS VEGAS PARADE WAS SUPPOSED TO START AT 6:00. THE FORECAST WAS 77, 84% CHANCE OF RAIN. AND AND THE WORK THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES IS WE'RE GOING TO RIDE ON THE RESCUE. AND SO THEY ARE GOING TO SPEND PROBABLY A COUPLE OF HOURS GETTING THAT THING ALL POLISHED UP FOR THE SUPERVISORS TO RIDE ON. AND THEN WHEN I GOT DONE WITH THE PARADE, I WAS GOING TO GO HOME AND THEN THEY WERE GOING TO GO SPEND BY ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS OF CLEANING IT UP AND WIPING IT DOWN FROM BEING OUT IN THE RAIN. AND THEN, OH, BY THE WAY, THEY BROUGHT AN ENGINE OVER FROM DOS PALOS Y TO COVER BEHIND THEM. SO THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAN UP THEIR ENGINE. AND SO I MADE THE CALL REALLY TO SAY, HEY, LISTEN, IT'S GOING TO BE RAINING. THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR. THE PARADE DID GO ON IN LOS BANOS. IT WAS PROBABLY NOT AS HEAVILY ATTENDED AS AS IN OTHER YEARS, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE NEXT YEAR. SO THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND ALL THE FOLKS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ALWAYS SO GRACIOUS AND WILLING TO TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE FOR US. AGAIN, AS WE'VE NOW WE VOTED FOR. OUR ELECTION HAS BEEN FINALIZED HERE. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE A COUPLE OF THE LOCAL ELECTEDS IN MY DISTRICT. PAUL AYANNA IS THE NEW MAYOR OF LOS BANOS. HE'LL BE SWORN IN TOMORROW. THEY HAVE A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER OVER THERE, DOUG BEGONIA, JR. AND THEN CONGRATULATE ALSO BRETT JONES WHO RAN UNOPPOSED AND WAS REELECTED AND THEN ALSO IN DOS PALOS, THOMAS PIG AND DEBBIE ORLANDO WERE REELECTED OVER THERE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE FOLKS. AND THEN OUR STATE ELECTED. WE HAVE A NEW CONGRESSMAN NOW WANT TO SEND A CONGRATULATIONS TO HIM AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM IN THE FUTURE. WE HAVE A NEW ASSEMBLYWOMAN. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE HER. AND THEN ALSO SENATOR CABALLERO WON REELECTION. AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH HER FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS AGAIN, ONE MORE TIME. DAVE, CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR RETIREMENT. AND SHAWN, WELCOME ABOARD. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK. MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING THERE. AND LAST THING IS, IS I JUST WANT TO KIND OF PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR MY COLLEAGUES. IT'S NOT A DISCUSSION ITEM OR IT'S NOT A NO ONE'S TAKING ACTION ON THIS ITEM. I WAS COUNCIL WE KIND OF CHATTED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AND SO JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT IS AS WE WHEN WE PICK OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, WE TYPICALLY KIND OF GO IN NUMERICAL ORDER. AND I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO SITTING INTO ONE OF THESE SEATS AND WE GET TO MAKE A LOT OF IMPORTANT DECISIONS UP HERE. BUT AS SOMEBODY WHO'S HAD TO RUN FOR ELECTION, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE UP HERE, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT. THERE'S A LOT OF WILLINGLY PERSONAL SACRIFICE TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT OUR 58,000 BOSSES. AND SO AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT YEAR AND WE WE PICK OUR CHAIR AND OUR VICE CHAIR, I'D LIKE US TO CONSIDER MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT LOOK AT IT. I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A POLICY OR PROCEDURE, BUT LOOKING INSTEAD OF GOING JUST IN ON A NUMERICAL BASIS BY DISTRICT, MAYBE LOOKING AT IT TO WHERE IT'S KIND OF IT'S GOING TO. SOUND A LITTLE CONVOLUTED, BUT THE LONGEST SITTING SUPERVISOR WHO WAS WHO IS YET TO BE CHAIR OR WAS LAST TO BE CHAIR. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS AND KIND OF THE QUICK HISTORY THAT I DID, UNLESS THERE WAS A SCENARIO WHERE ALL FIVE OF US WERE REPLACED, YOU KNOW, LOST OUR REELECTIONS IN TWO YEARS, AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, IT WOULD GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO BE CHAIR WHILE THEY GOT WHILE THEY HAD THEIR TERM ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. IT'S AN IMPORTANT POSITION. YOU ARE THE FACE OF THE COUNTY. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND BUT REALLY THE MOST GLORIOUS THING YOU DO IS YOU GET TO BE THE PERSON THAT RUNS THE MEETINGS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT TASK. SO AGAIN, JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER AS WE HAVE ONE MORE MEETING IN DECEMBER AND THEN IN JANUARY, WE'LL BE PICKING OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I, TOO, HAVE ATTENDED THE CSAC CONFERENCE DOWN IN ANAHEIM. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING ABLE TO FACILITATE ONE OF THE MEETINGS AS YOUR VICE CHAIR FOR AG, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT. WE HAD A VERY ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT WATER, BUT I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY IS REPRESENTED WITHIN THE THE [01:45:06] DOCUMENT THAT CSAC HAS PUT FORWARD REGARDING THE DROUGHT AND THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE IN THE VALLEY. I HAVE ATTENDED THE SWEARING IN OF TWO NEW DISPATCHERS ON MONDAY AND TWO SERGEANTS AGAIN THIS MORNING. AND NEXT MONDAY I'LL BE ATTENDING. WE HAVE ANOTHER DISPATCHER IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BEING SWORN IN. DAVE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU ARE MUCH APPRECIATED. JOHN, YOU BIG SHOES TO FOLLOW. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CARRYING THE WATER FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS ANYWAY, SO WELCOME ABOARD. I DID GET TO ATTEND WITH MY COLLEAGUE, MR. SILVEIRA, THE DOS PALOS MEASURE V CELEBRATION. IT SOUNDED VERY MINOR, BUT IT WAS A BIG DEAL. I MEAN, FOLKS WERE JUST WALKING UP JUST TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND IT WAS A IT WAS A NICE CELEBRATION AS WELL AS THE DELL HILL HALL WITH CABALLERO PRESENTING THE CHECK. THAT'S ALWAYS NICE. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO ATTEND THE CASTLE FIRE ACADEMY GRADUATION. WE HAD 72 GRADUATES AND THEY LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF YOUNG, WILD EYED GUYS WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO. BUT THEY WERE VERY MOTIVATED. AND YET WE HAD ONE GENTLEMAN THERE THAT WAS OVER 50 YEARS OLD WHO GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY, AND HE WAS PROBABLY THE MOST EMOTIONAL OUT OF ALL OF THEM. AND CHIEF PIMENTAL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THAT INVITE. ALSO, THE ATWATER CHRISTMAS PARADE THIS YEAR. IT WAS PRETTY INTENSE. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARADES I'VE SEEN IN THE CITY OF ATWATER. IT WOULD IT WOULD DEFINITELY RIVAL THE 4TH OF JULY. I THINK WE HAD 72 ENTRANTS FLOAT IN THAT PARADE. AND AGAIN, CAL FIRE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS IN THE PARADES AND APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO DO A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE NELSON, WHO THE NEW MAYOR OF ATWATER WAS ELECTED. I THINK YOU'LL GET SWORN IN NEXT MONDAY OR MAYBE THE FALL. YEAH, I THINK IT IS MONDAY. AND THEN BRIAN RAYMOND REELECTED AS UNOPPOSED. SO AND THEN CONGRATULATIONS TO DANNY AMBRIZ, WHO WAS REELECTED AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME, COUNCILOR HANSON. ALL RIGHT. SEE YOU, MENDEZ. YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE ITEMS. UM, KIND OF ECHOING SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY THE BOARD. JUST THE HOLIDAY SEASON, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MERCED COUNTY TO KIND OF CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH AND TALENTS, AS EVIDENCED BY THE PARADES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT MERCED COUNTY. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO JUST MAKING ARRANGEMENTS AND KIND OF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS SOME EXPERIENCE IN PUTTING ON SMALLER PARADES, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, WHETHER IT'S OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF THAT'S OUT THERE PROVIDING TRUCKS, GETTING THEM READY FOR FOR DISPLAY, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL, MAKING SURE THAT OBVIOUSLY THE PARADE ROUTES ARE CLEARLY MARKED AND EVERYBODY IS BEING SAFE. AND THEN FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, WHETHER IT WAS VETERANS DAY OR HERE RECENTLY WITH SOME OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADES, I KNOW OUR TEAM, I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME, MAYBE MAYBE IN OUR HISTORY, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE NOT, BUT IN A LONG TIME PUT TOGETHER AN ENTRY AND JUST TO SEE KIND OF THE COLLABORATION, THE TEAMWORK THAT WENT INTO KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT WE REPRESENTED THIS ORGANIZATION WELL WAS INSPIRING. AND IT WAS FUN. IT WAS FUN TO BE THERE. AND I SEE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WERE THERE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND. THAT'S WHAT WE DO RIGHT AS PUBLIC SERVANTS. YEAH, THERE'S THE DAY TO DAY WORK, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE GET INVOLVED IN. AS WE ARE APPROACHING, OBVIOUSLY, THE CHRISTMAS DAY HOLIDAY. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE TO PROVIDE FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE THE MEANS BY SOME OF OUR TEAMS. AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOES. AND IT'S IT'S IT'S INSPIRING TO ME AS WE KIND OF CONTINUE IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON. SO THANK YOU. ALSO, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, AND OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD CONSIDERED OR TOOK AN INFORMATION ITEM IN REGARDS TO THE CERTIFICATION OF THE ELECTION RESULTS. WE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH OUR REGISTERED VOTER STAFF HERE IN THE LAST WEEK JUST APPRECIATING THEM FOR THEIR EFFORT. I KNOW IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING, IT'S BEEN HARD, BUT THEY'VE STAYED THE COURSE. AND I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT DARLENE AND HER TEAM FOR GETTING US THERE, GETTING AS THERE TO TODAY AND GETTING US TO THE VARIOUS MILESTONES. SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN LONG HOURS THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EFFORT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AUGUSTINE, WELCOME. THEIR NEW CITY MANAGER, A CITY OF JUSTIN AND NICHOLAS, I BELIEVE, BEGAN HER TENURE THIS WEEK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. [01:50:08] LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ANNA AS SHE ACCLIMATES TO HER ROLE THERE. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERFACE A LITTLE BIT WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS WITH BURBANK AND THEN HOUSTON, AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO WOKING WELCOMING HER INTO THIS COMMUNITY, PLAN TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HER HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. AND THEN JUST A REMINDER, OUR NEXT YOUR NEXT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE MUSEUM. WE WILL CERTAINLY DO OUR PART TO GET THE WORD OUT JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE TO WHERE TO MEET, BUT CERTAINLY WANTED TO KIND OF END MAYBE JUST WITH THAT REMINDER. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I, TOO, ATTENDED THE C SAC CONFERENCE DOWN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND VERY, VERY INFORMATIONAL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE CSAC DOESN'T REALLY LINE UP WITH MERCED COUNTY VERY WELL, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS DIFFERENT. AND AND PART OF THAT WAS SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SERVING AS A VICE CHAIR OF THE EGG AND NATURAL RESOURCES. THE OXYGEN HAS BEEN TAKEN UP BY FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND RIGHTLY SO. HOWEVER, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF THE WATER ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA, AND WE HAD A NICE FULL SESSION WITH THAT ROBUST DISCUSSION. AND SO THANK YOU, DARREN, FOR ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US AND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ECONOMY IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF GUSTIN AND THEIR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR HOSTING A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS PARADE. AND THANK YOU TO CAL FIRE FOR PROVIDING AN ENGINE FOR ME TO TO RIDE IN BECAUSE IT WAS A COLD EVENING. TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT NIGHT. JOSH ORCUTT WAS MY DRIVER. HE'S AN ENGINEER THAT WORKS FOR CAL FIRE AND ANYWAYS, JUST VERY ENGAGING YOUNG MAN AND AND JUST REALLY ENJOYED MY TIME WITH HIM AND AND HOW I GOT A SENSE OF HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES AND JUST VERY VERY NICE AND THEN AND THEN HILMAR WAS THIS PAST SATURDAY NIGHT AND AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO RAIN IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, 107% CHANCE OF RAIN. IT WAS PRETTY HIGH. BUT WE ACTUALLY WORKED WORKED OUT WELL. THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DRIZZLE DURING THE PARADE, BUT REALLY, NO, NO RAIN, SO TO SPEAK. AND I TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS IN HILMAR CAME OUT IN FULL FORCE. IT WAS I MEAN, IT'S DRIZZLING ON PEOPLE AND THERE WAS JUST AS MANY PEOPLE OUT WATCHING THE PARADE AS NORMAL. AND AND THERE WAS MORE ENTRIES THAN NORMAL. AND A LOT OF THEM ARE WALKING AND UNCOVERED AND THEY ENDURED THE WEATHER AS WELL. SO JUST A LOT OF SPIRIT AND BOTH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY MAKES ME PROUD TO REPRESENT THEM. I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE NEWLY ELECTED AND OUR COUNTY TO NAMES THAT HAVEN'T DON'T GET MENTIONED MUCH OR WILL BE OUR NEW ASSEMBLYMAN JUAN ALANIZ AND OUR NEW STATE SENATOR MARIA ALVARADO GIL, AND THE REASON WHY THEY DON'T GET MUCH PLAY HERE IN MERCED COUNTY IS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NORTH OF THE MERCED RIVER, A VERY SMALL PORTION, BUT THEY WILL BE MY STATE REPRESENTATIVES. AND SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR HARD WORK THAT I KNOW THEY'LL DO ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS GOING FORWARD. I'D LIKE TO CLOSE THE MEETING IN MEMORY OF TWO FOLKS. THE FIRST ONE IS A FELLOW NAMED FRANK MACHADO, AND FRANK WAS THE PROPRIETOR OF THE ELEGANT BULL RESTAURANT IN DELPHI. HE ACTUALLY RETIRED. HE PASSED AWAY. HE WAS 92 YEARS OLD. AND A MONTH AGO HE WAS ACTUALLY LITERALLY COOKING IN HIS RESTAURANT, THIS GUY IS AMAZING. HE RETIRED IN 1988 FROM HIS RESTAURANT IN SANTA CLARA AND GOT OVER MOVED TO STEVENSON. HE GREW UP IN HILMAR AND AND HE JUST COULDN'T HANDLE RETIREMENT. SO IN 1989, HE OPENED UP A RESTAURANT AND THEN RAN IT UNTIL UNTIL JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. AND SO HE WAS THE QUARTERBACK OF THE OF THE HILMAR FOOTBALL TEAM BACK IN I DON'T KNOW, BEFORE THEY HAVE DATES, I THINK, YOU KNOW. BUT, YOU KNOW, HE'S A GREAT SUPPORTER OF HILMAR AND DELPHI BOTH. HE WAS A GREAT PATRIOT. HE WAS A GREAT SUPPORTER OF HIS COMMUNITY AND JUST WAS A KIND OF A CANTANKEROUS OLD GENTLEMAN. BUT HE DID IT WITH LOVE AND WAS REALLY A GOOD GUY. AND AND I'VE KNOWN HIM ALL MY LIFE, BUT REALLY GOT TO KNOW HIM AS A SUPERVISOR. AND HE WAS A GOOD MENTOR TO ME. AND HE ALSO SERVED IN OUR MILITARY. AND IT WAS KIND OF FITTING HE PASSED AWAY ON VETERANS DAY AND HE WAS A VERY PROUD MEMBER OF OUR MILITARY. THE OTHER PERSON IS A LADY NAMED SHIRLEY BAUER. ALSO IN HER NINETIES, SHIRLEY WAS BORN IN IOWA AND MOVED TO SNELLING, I THINK AROUND THE LATE FORTIES, AND HER [01:55:08] AND HER HUSBAND CHARLIE WERE FRIENDS OF MY PARENTS AND THEY HAVE A SON THAT'S MY AGE. WE WENT TO KINDERGARTEN TOGETHER AND A LOT OF MY MEMORIES OF THEM IS THAT SERVICE, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE, THEY HAD A TURKEY FARM AND I CAN REMEMBER AS A LITTLE KID WE HAD PANCAKE BREAKFASTS AT THE GRANGE HALL IN HOPETON AND ALSO AT THE ODDFELLOWS HALL IN IN SNELLING AND THEY WOULD BRING TURKEY EGGS AND AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT, BUT MOST OF THEM HAD DOUBLE YOLKS IN THEM. IT WAS JUST AMAZING. AND, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE YOLKS, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY REALLY MAKE THE PANCAKES TASTE BETTER. AND ANYWAY, SO SHE WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON AND THEY RAISED A WONDERFUL FAMILY IN THE SNELLING AREA WHERE SUPPORTERS OF FOUR H AND EVERYTHING COMMUNITY SERVICE SO LIKE TO CLOSE THE MEETING IN HER HONOR. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ANNA NICHOLS TO THE CITY AUGUSTINE YOU KNOW, THEY'VE THEY'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A SWITCH IN CITY MANAGERS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND SHE'S KIND OF A LOCAL GAL AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL MAKE THIS HER HOME FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHOUT OUT THE REMINDER THAT NEXT MEETING WILL BE AT THE COURTHOUSE MUSEUM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT VENUE. ONE OF MY FIRST LAST MEETINGS WAS IN THAT COURTHOUSE, AND IT'S JUST A SPECIAL PLACE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWING IT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND AND GIVING IT A LITTLE BIT OF A NEW LIFE FOR A DAY. WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE THE MEETING AND WE WILL SEE YOU ON DECEMBER 13TH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.