[1. Call to order]
[00:00:03]
DIRECTOR PAREIRA DIRECTOR SILVEIRA CHAIR SERRATTO.
OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK IF THERE IS ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
SEEING NONE, I'M GOING TO HAVE JOHN COME UP AND INTRODUCE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
[3. Housing/Homelessness workshop]
THANK YOU. JOHN CHECKLEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MERCED COUNTY'S HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICE BRANCH.WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION.
WE WANTED TO FOCUS I KNOW IN THE LAST ONE WE TALKED ABOUT THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION.
YOU'RE FINDING CAPITAL FROM MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU PIECE THAT TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY OPEN AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX, WHICH IS SOMETHING I THINK, AGAIN, WE ALL CAN AGREE IS NEEDED HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AS A WHOLE. SO I'M EXCITED TO HAVE SOME FRIENDS FOR FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH CITY OF MERCED, BUT NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT EXPAND A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT'S EVIDENCED BY CHRISTIE MCCAMMOND BEING HERE WITH STACIE SOUZA FROM THE CITY OF LOS BANOS, WHO'S CREATED A COUPLE POSITIONS TO WORK ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, AND WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP.
WE'RE REALLY INEFFECTIVE WITHOUT BROAD PARTNERSHIPS AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE WORKED ON FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS FOR THIS CHALLENGE.
SO THE CITY OF MERCED IS GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AFTER THE SUPERNOVA ANNOUNCEMENT.
THEY WERE RECIPIENTS OF SOME OF THAT FUNDING, AND THEN JUST MORE BROADLY, THEY'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE, AND I'M HOPING THAT THEY CAN SOMEWHAT HELP PAINT A PICTURE OF HOW OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHO ALSO NEED HOUSING CAN GET INVOLVED.
A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO MENTION WHEN IT COMES TO PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL AS WHEN WE STARTED THIS IN 2018, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REAL DEDICATED HOMELESS HOUSING UNITS, AND TODAY, AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN THIS PRESENTATION, THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY FOR 425 HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE EITHER BEING PROPOSED IN OPERATION OR ACTUALLY IN PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S 115 UNITS THAT ARE IN PRODUCTION THROUGH CITY OF MERCED AWARDS FOR HOMEKEY ROUND TWO, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES 20 UNITS FOR VETERANS AND THEN 95 UNITS FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, AND RECENTLY WE'VE SEEN AN EVEN BIGGER INCREASE IN INTEREST, AND WE HAVE THREE PROPOSALS BEFORE VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS HERE, INCLUDING LOS BANOS FOR 60 UNITS FOR AN ACQUISITION, REHABILITATION OF A MOTEL FOR EFFICIENCY APARTMENT UNITS.
THREE PROPOSALS, INCLUDING AN ACQUISITION FOR 80 UNITS OF A MOTEL AND REHABILITATION EFFICIENCY APARTMENTS, 55 UNITS FOR PRODUCTION THROUGH MODULAR CONSTRUCTIONS, CONVERSION OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR FAMILIES, PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES EXCUSE ME, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO AREN'T RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THEN THE 60 UNITS IN LOS BANOS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO I JUST WANT TO SET THAT LANDSCAPE. WE'RE REALLY IN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME.
DURING THE LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE HAD 390 FOLKS IDENTIFIED.
SO THESE 425 UNITS ARE SOMEWHAT UNPRECEDENTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO TAKE THAT MANY UNITS FOR THAT MANY PEOPLE AS A PERCENTAGE. LASTLY, I DO WANT TO DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS ALLOCATED 509 VOUCHERS TOWARDS THIS CHALLENGE, 509 150 FOR COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, 68 EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, 50 FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE ON CALWORKS AND HAVE LOW INCOME INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM FOR FORMER FOSTER YOUTH.
[00:05:03]
A VERY BIG PLAYER IN RESOURCE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO REALLY PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT THAT FOLKS NEED THROUGH HOUSING SO THAT THEY CAN ADDRESS A LOT OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT ARE IMPACTING THEIR LIVES. SO I DO WANTED TO MENTION THEM HERE AS WELL.I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SCOTT MCBRIDE.
THANK YOU. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CLAP.
GOOD TO BE HERE. BEFORE YOU AS BOARD DIRECTORS.
JOHN TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, AND I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH.
THE CITIES AND THE COUNTY OFTEN.
WELL, LET ME BACK UP. THE CITY REALLY FOCUSES ON CAPITAL TO GET THESE THINGS STARTED.
WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE COUNTY, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SERVICES TO MAKE THESE THINGS WORK, AND SO THE COUNTY PICKS UP WHERE WE LEAVE OFF AND VICE VERSA, AND SO I JUST WANT TO STRESS THAT IT HAS TO BE A PARTNERSHIP WHERE EVERYBODY IS TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS WORK.
ONE ALONE CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN.
OKAY, SO WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORK? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD PARTNER.
YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY AND YOU NEED CONVICTION AND SUPPORT TO MAKE IT WORK.
SO WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE PROJECTS TODAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING AND THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP VERY SOON THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT WE'RE TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT FAMILY OR SUPPORTIVE UNITS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALLY OWNED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE SEPARATE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY OF MERCED THAT WE'RE DOING TO KIND OF SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL AN INCLUSIONARY TYPE PROGRAM, WHICH REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY ON PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
AS JOHN MENTIONED, WE DID PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE SUPER NOFA SOME TIME AGO.
WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE TWO AWARDS AND SO WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED AT THE BOTTOM BELLA VISTA ON PARSONS AVENUE AND DEVONWOOD APARTMENTS, WHICH IS NEAR WALMART BEHIND LOWE'S, AND SO OUR ROLE IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD IN THIS.
WE WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE DEVELOPER OR THE APPLICANT TO DO THESE PROJECTS.
SO WE PLAYED THAT ROLE AND SO WE REALLY WERE TRYING TO FACILITATE THEIR ABILITY TO GET THE FINANCING FROM THE STATE, AND THERE'S TYPICALLY CITY INVOLVEMENT INVOLVED WITH THESE, WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
JUST KIND OF TWO OTHER POINTS ON THIS.
WE DID HAVE AN OPEN PARTNERS RFP THAT WE KEEP OPEN AND SO IF SOMEONE HAS INTEREST, WE SAY, HEY, FILL THIS OUT FOR US.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE? AND WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO GET EXTREMELY GOOD PARTNERS.
OKAY, BELLA VISTA, THIS IS A PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY VISIONARY HOMEBUILDERS.
THEY'RE OUT OF STOCKTON IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE.
THEY DO WONDERFUL COMMUNITIES IN THAT AREA.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY CENTERS, DAYCARE CENTERS.
THESE THINGS ARE GREAT FOR THE RESIDENTS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE NEAR RANCHO SAN MIGUEL ON PARSONS AVENUE, AND YOU KIND OF SEE THERE FROM THE OUTLINE, THERE IS SOME CITY FUNDING IN IT THROUGH THE ARPA PROGRAM, BUT THE BULK OF IT IS REALLY THE STATE PROGRAM WHICH IS COMPETITIVE, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE IN SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHICH IS ALSO STATE.
SO WE HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT INTO IT.
THIS IS ONE THAT WAS PROPOSED TO BE JUST A MARKET RATE TRADITIONAL APARTMENT PROJECT.
THE GROUP THAT GOT THE SITE ENTITLED FOR IT COULDN'T REALLY FIND A BUYER FOR IT, AND THEY WERE CONNECTED WITH THE RICHMOND GROUP, WHICH IS ALSO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL VALLEY COALITION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THE OTHER ONE WAS MORE HEAVILY ON SUBSIDIZED.
THIS ONE'S MORE HEAVILY ON BOND AND TAX CREDITS.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE CALL FAMILY PROJECTS.
THESE ARE FAMILY SUITED THEIR APARTMENTS FOR FOR GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
THESE ARE THE HOMEKEY PROJECTS.
THESE CAN BE FOR INDIVIDUALS OR SMALL FAMILIES, AND THESE ARE THE FUNDINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THROUGH THE STATE PROCESS, WHICH, AGAIN, WAS COMPETITIVE UNDER HOMEKEY 2.0. JOHN ALREADY MENTIONED THIS.
[00:10:01]
THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.WE HAVE A MOTEL CONVERSION ON THE LEFT SIDE HERE.
1213 B STREET GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH IS AWARDED AND WHAT THE PLAN IS AND THEN THE 73 SOUTH STREET IS ONE THAT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE CONTAINER BASED.
THEY'RE GOING TO USE CONTAINERS THAT ARE ASSEMBLED OFFSITE, BRING BROUGHT IN, STACKED AND COMBINED.
THAT CONTAINER YOU SEE THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
SO VERY EXCITED TO HAVE KIND OF THESE AWARDS UNDER THE FIRST ROUND OR SECOND ROUND, YOU MIGHT SAY, OF THIS PROGRAM, AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IF YOU DRIVE DOWN HIGHWAY 140, YOU SEE THE V STREET PROJECT TAKING SHAPE EVERY DAY, AND WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO HAVING UNITS GETTING BROUGHT TO THE SITE ON 73 SOUTH R STREET. I WOULD JUST ALSO ADD ON THE R STREET PROJECT, THAT WAS ONE WHERE WE PREVIOUSLY HAD THE LAND THROUGH A FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
OKAY, THESE ARE TWO NEW PROJECTS.
NOW YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A PREVIEW HERE.
THESE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON NEXT TUESDAY.
SO THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THIS.
THAT'S THE SAME GROUP THAT'S DOING THE 73 SOUTH STREET PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A GROUP THAT JOHN INTRODUCED US AND THEY BRING A TREMENDOUS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITH LOS BANOS STACIE, WHEN'S THAT GOING FORWARD OR HAS IT ALREADY HAPPENED? WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
OKAY SO THEY'RE ALREADY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS THERE.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM ON THIS PROPOSED PROJECT.
THEY'VE GOT A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY.
THIS IS KIND OF NEAR MCDONALD'S.
THIS IS A SITE THAT HAD STUFF THERE.
IT WAS TORE DOWN. IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY'RE STEPPING IT BACK IN TO MAKE THAT INTO THIS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT AND SO, AGAIN, THEY'VE GOT ONE PIECE OF THE FUNDING SETTLED, BUT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR OTHER THINGS RIGHT NOW.
WE ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE COMING UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL LATER THIS SUMMER.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST PERHAPS OTHER PROJECTS WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
OKAY WE DID THIS MAP HERE FOR THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT WE HELD BACK THIS SPRING.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON. WE WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON, WORKING TOWARDS, AND SO I THINK THE MAP KIND OF ILLUSTRATES THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE LOCATIONS WHICH IS PRETTY SPREAD OUT THROUGH CENTRAL AND EVEN SOUTH MERCED AND THEN ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE, YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY UNITS WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE WITH ONE PROJECT, AS JOHN MENTIONED, WHAT WE KIND OF HAVE IN THE HOPPER.
THIS TAKES A BIG COMMITMENT FROM US.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE CITY OF MERCED TO BE A HUD DESIGNATED COMMUNITY WHERE WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE FUNDING EVERY YEAR THROUGH THE BLOCK GRANT AND HOME PROGRAM, BUT YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF THAT FUNDING MIXED INTO THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF THE STATE HCD AND TAX CREDITS, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER SOURCE THAT WE HAVE.
SO I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE LEAH BROWN, WHO'S HERE TODAY WITH ME AS A MANAGEMENT ANALYST, AND WE HAVE A FEW MORE PEOPLE IN OUR HOUSING DIVISION WHICH ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR US. SO WITHOUT THAT CORE GROUP WE COULDN'T DO THIS.
I ALSO WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER GROUPS INTERNALLY THAT MAKE IT WORK, A LOT OF WORK THROUGH OUR PLANNING DIVISION FOR ENTITLEMENTS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND FINANCE. TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, ON ONE OF THE HOMEKEY PROJECTS, THEY HAD TO CLOSE VERY QUICKLY, AND I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 14 OR $15 MILLION THAT HAD TO BE LIKE IN PROCESS QUICKLY.
[00:15:02]
THROWING WE GET ON THE BACK END.A LOT OF FINANCE DIRECTORS MIGHT NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, BUT WE WERE GOOD.
THAT'S SOME OF THE TYPE OF COMMITMENT YOU HAVE TO MAKE INTERNALLY.
WE WILL MAKE THIS WORK. IT WILL WORK FOR ALL OF US.
YOU HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO THE PROCESS.
ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. VICE CHAIR. YEAH.
WHAT IS THAT? THAT IS OUR [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH. SO THAT IS OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES FINANCING PROGRAM.
YOU MIGHT HEAR OF IT AS AB 1600 OR DEVELOPER IMPACT FEES.
THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. WE HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE WE REDUCE THEM FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE ALSO DO IT FOR INFILL AREAS.
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE AN AREA THAT IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT AND INFILL AND GET EVEN FURTHER REDUCTION, AND WHAT TYPE OF PERCENTAGE OF REDUCTION ARE YOU LOOKING AT THERE? SUBSTANTIAL. THE INFILL AREA ALONE IS 50%, AND I THINK WHEN WE START TO APPLY SOME OF THE CREDITS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT COULD BE LIKE 80%, 90%.
IT'S VERY SUBSTANTIAL, AND SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE THOSE COLLECTED? IS THAT JUST FOR LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER, SEWER? YEAH, IT COULD BE FOR TRANSPORTATION PARKS.
THERE'S ABOUT 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ON THE LIST.
OKAY. SO I'M JUST MY PAST EXPERIENCE AND I APPRECIATE THE ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH BUT ONE OF THE STRUGGLES THAT I HAD BACK IN MY FORMER LIFE AS A CITY COUNCILMAN IS, IS WE WERE THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, TO SWEETEN THE DEAL WHEN THESE THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING SUBSIDIZED IN A GREAT WAY, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH HOMEKEY PROGRAM OR THROUGH, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS, IS WHEN WE SUBSIDIZE AND WE REDUCE THOSE IMPACT FEES FOR POLICE AND FIRE THOSE PLACES, YOU'RE CONCENTRATING PEOPLE INTO A SMALL PLACE.
RIGHT, AND SO I WOULD JUST THIS IS YOUR GUYS'S PROJECT IN MERCED.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PROMISED AND WAS GIVEN AND PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT ON THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL GOING TO REQUIRE THE SERVICES AND THEN NOW YOU'RE STILL GOING TO BE LOOKING AT YOUR BOTTOM LINE, FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUND THOSE ADDITIONAL FIRE SPOTS AND POLICE SPOTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THOSE FOLKS.
SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN IT'S ALREADY BEING SO HEAVILY INVESTED IN THROUGH TAX CREDITS OR THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS TO, YOU KNOW, WE STILL I DON'T THINK IT'S I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NEED FOR HOUSING, BUT WHEN YOU ARE BASICALLY PUTTING IT BACK ON, ALL THE OTHER RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL THAT GAP SOMEHOW.
SO JUST AGAIN, JUST A WORD OF CAUTION FOR YOU.
YEAH, THANK YOU. VERY GOOD COMMENTS.
YOU CAN TAKE A ONE STEP FURTHER.
MOST OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE SEEKING THE WELFARE EXEMPTION FROM TAXES, TOO.
SO THE PROPERTY IS GOING TO COME OFF THE TAX ROLL.
YOU'RE RIGHT. THEY'RE HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THESE TEND TO WORK.
WELL, AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TODAY.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO US.
YOU HAVE A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE HERE TODAY WITH YOU.
I CAN'T AGAIN COMPLIMENT JOHN AND HIS GROUP ENOUGH LOS BANOS.
I KNOW THEY WORK EXTREMELY HARD.
I WOULD JUST PUT A LITTLE PLUG IN.
WE'RE SEEING THAT HOUSING MORE AND MORE BECOMING ABOUT COLLABORATION, AND THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THESE THINGS WORK.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MCBRIDE.
CLOSING COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AGAIN FOR BRINGING THAT EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, SOME OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE OPEN RFP SO THAT WHEN THESE OPPORTUNITIES DO COME ALONG, YOU'RE ABLE TO QUICKLY GET SOMEONE TO APPLY SO THAT THESE THESE SERVICES ARE PROCURED FAIRLY AND OPENLY AND I ALSO LIKE THE STRATEGY THAT THE CITY DID WHEN THEY IDENTIFIED THESE SURPLUS LOTS THAT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER GETS A CALL TO COME MOW AND THEN ACTUALLY UTILIZING THOSE TO LEVERAGE PRODUCTION, AND THEN APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT AS WELL.
THESE ARE COMPLEX AND WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE, BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN TIPPING POINT WHERE THAT INCENTIVIZING, YOU KNOW, IT COMES AT SOME OPPORTUNITY COST THAT'S GOING TO BE LOST. SO APPRECIATE ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS.
I HEARD MR. MCBRIDE TALK ABOUT A MILLION, $1.3 MILLION AND UNDERSTANDING.
[00:20:04]
SO THANK YOU FOR NUANCING THAT OUT, AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S WHERE THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION CAN FILL THAT SPOT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONLY MONEY THAT SOME OF THE NON-ENTITLEMENT JURISDICTIONS FOR HOUSING ARE RECEIVING.SO JUST AS A STRATEGIC THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT GENERAL FUND HERE, BUT ACTUALLY A POT OF FUNDING THAT'S BEING RECEIVED ANNUALLY THROUGH STATE FEES ON REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.
IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, I KNOW STACIE KNOWS HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME, BUT HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
I SPOKE TO CHRISTOPHER LOPEZ TODAY ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON.
ALL RIGHT. YOUR QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS FOR MR. CHECKLEY? ALL RIGHT, [INAUDIBLE] TO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING WITH 8% DROP LAST YEAR, YOU'RE LOOKING AT OTHER JURISDICTIONS TOO LOCALLY, EVEN OTHER VALLEY COCS THAT HAVE REPORTED THEIR NUMBERS ALREADY ARE UP AT LEAST 10%.
BAKERSFIELD, I BELIEVE, IS UP, I FORGET THE NUMBER WE SAW YESTERDAY OVER 20.
SAN DIEGO JUST REPORTED A 22% JUMP.
OKAY. APPRECIATE AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE ALL ALL THE JURISDICTIONS TOO PITCHING IN.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US AND I THINK CITY OF MERCED, MR. MCBRIDE, MISS BROWN, EVERYBODY STEPPED UP A LOT, BUT WE NEED EVERYBODY TO STEP UP AS WELL.
SEEING NONE, WE HAVE EIGHT MINUTES.
[4. Call to order]
ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME.WELCOME TO OUR JUNE 15TH MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS GOVERNING BOARD.
WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH ROLL CALL.
CALL] ALL RIGHT, ANYONE HERE WOULD LIKE TO LEAD THE INVOCATION AND OR THE PLEDGE? ANYBODY FOR THE INVOCATION? WANT TO DO IT [INAUDIBLE].
MR. DELGADILLO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AFTER THIS? OKAY. AFTER LLOYD'S FIRST AND THEN YOU.
PLEASE JOIN ME. HEAVENLY FATHER.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST WELCOME YOU TO THIS ROOM.
KEEP US PURE AT HEART, PURE AT MIND, AND BLESS EVERYBODY THAT GIVES THEIR TIME FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND BLESS THEIR FAMILIES FOR THE TIME THAT GETS SPENT AWAY FROM FROM THEM AND FOR ALL THOSE THAT CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MERCED COUNTY, WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS THEM TOO.
[5. Approval of agenda]
ALL RIGHT, TAKES US TO ITEM FIVE THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM OR A MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND. OKAY.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THAT MOTION? OKAY. HEARING NONE, IT TAKES US TO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[6. Public comment]
ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISH TO BE HEARD ON ANY NON AGENDIZED ITEMS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT, MARGARET, WELCOME.CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, YEAH. OKAY.
OH, YEAH, LOUD AND CLEAR. I'M MARGARET ARECHIGA.
[00:25:01]
SINCE PANDEMIC SEEMED TO BE OVER AND ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS SEEMED TO HAVE SUBSIDED A LITTLE BIT.I JUST WANT TO INVITE YOU TO CONTACT ME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARGARET.
[7. Citizens Advisory Committee report]
ALL RIGHT. ITEM SEVEN ARE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT.MR. DELGADILLO, IS THAT YOU? WELCOME, SIR. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON. FORGET OUR VAST TELEVISION AUDIENCE AS WELL.
I AM HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU A BRIEF REPORT FROM OUR MCAG/CAC MEETING JUNE 2ND.
ITEMS THAT GENERATED DISCUSSION INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING TRANSIT JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY OF MERCED COUNTY IS RECOMMENDING THE FAREBOX RECOVERY RATIO OF FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 BE REDUCED FROM 16.3% TO 13.2% DUE TO LOW RIDERSHIP, RISING OPERATION COSTS AND IMPACTS OF COVID-19. MCAG IS RECOMMENDING THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH FEHR AND PEERS FOR MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PLAN.
THE PLAN WILL PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR IDENTIFYING, ANALYZING AND PRIORITIZING ROADWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON LOCAL ROADS WITHIN THE REGION.
NAV BAGRI REQUESTED THAT THE ELECTION OF THE MCAG/CAC CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND 2024 BE MOVED TO JULY CAC MEETING DUE TO NO QUORUM BEING PRESENT AND TJPA IS SEEKING TO APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH MERCED COLLEGE TO SPONSOR FARES FOR UNLIMITED FIXED ROUTE SERVICES FOR MERCED COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLLED FOR THE 2023 THROUGH 2026 ACADEMIC YEARS.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT.
I AM CURRENTLY THE MCAG/CAC DIRECTORS REPRESENTATIVE.
[CHUCKLING] SOON YOU AND I WILL BE ELECTRIFIED.
THE FIRST MEETING I ATTENDED WAS LAST MONTH, MAY.
I WAS GREETED WITH TWO BOOKLETS, A CALENDAR AND THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE 2023 HEALTHY LIVING KIDS CALENDAR.
HAVE ANY OF YOU SEEN THIS? NONE. OKAY.
THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO TEACH OUR YOUTH WHAT CLIMATE IS.
THIS CALENDAR SPREADS THE MESSAGE ON CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT THROUGHOUT DRAWINGS AND QUOTATIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, THE DRAWING BY IRVINE VALLEY OAKS CHARTER SCHOOL SIXTH GRADER RIDESHARE FOR BETTER AIR.
WE CAN DO THIS IN MERCED COUNTY.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS CALENDAR? NOW, YOU ALREADY TOLD ME YOU SAW IT.
GOOD. EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE CALENDAR IN THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE.
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.
2021-2022. SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT.
IT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY THE PLANS ON HOW TO DISTRIBUTE INCENTIVES TO THE COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO START CHANGING THEIR GAS POWERED EQUIPMENT TO ELECTRIC.
[00:30:06]
ALL OF YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF THESE ON YOUR DESK.HAVE YOU SEEN ANY? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS? HEY! TWO. [CHUCKLING] THREE.
OKAY. THIS BOOKLETS, IF YOU SEE, THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND THE PERSON THAT YOU CAN CONTACT, I SEE HIS PICTURE HERE.
HE'S A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND OUR SUPERVISOR, LLOYD PAREIRA.
CHAIR RENE GUTIERREZ RECOGNIZED MARY BROWN FOR HER SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
HELP US FILL OUT THOSE POSITIONS.
AS I SAID BEFORE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE BE GLAD TO GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR THEM.
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.
YES, SIR, A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU, AS ALWAYS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DELGADILLO? NO, NOT FOR ME, FOR HER.
[CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT, JUST CHECKING.
THANK YOU, JOSE. ITEM EIGHT, OUR CALTRANS REPORT.
[8. Caltrans report]
DID WE FINALLY SCARE OFF--NO, WE HAVE MARLON.IT'S WORKING. YOU JUST CAN'T SEE IT.
MARLON, CAN YOU HEAR US? MARLON, ARE YOU MUTED? YES, I CAN, MR. CHAIR.
I THINK DENNIS, OUR DIRECTOR, MAY ALSO BE ON THE LINE AS WELL, IF HE CAN BE PROMOTED.
SO I WILL LET DENNIS GIVE HIS REMARKS BEFORE I CHIME IN.
THANK YOU, MARLON. THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
JUST VIDEO CHECK AND CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. LOUD AND CLEAR.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR SERRATTO.
OF COURSE, VICE CHAIR PEDROZO DIRECTORS OF YOUR BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GUZMAN.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN YOU ALL VIRTUALLY.
APOLOGIZE WE COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON.
AS MARLON MENTIONED, I'LL JUST COVER A FEW ITEMS. FIRST, JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION AND OUR FOOTHILL AREAS AND SONORA, WE FINALLY OPENED UP THE SONORA PASS ON 108 JUST LAST FRIDAY.
THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS EFFORT FROM OUR MAINTENANCE CREWS WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
EVER SINCE THE STORMS. THIS COMES TO A GREAT RELIEF TO OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM AND OF COURSE, TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WHO NOW CAN TRAVEL THROUGH 108 TO THE SONORA PASS.
WE ALSO OPENED UP EBBETTS PASS ON STATE ROUTE FOUR UP IN THAT AREA.
THE TIOGA PASS ON 120, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS STILL CLOSED ON THAT END WITH OUR DISTRICT NINE PARTNERS, AND THEY'RE CONTINUING TO WORK HARD TO GET UP TO THEIR GATE AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TO OPEN UP THAT SIDE OF THE OF THE PARK.
SO WITH ALL THIS HAPPENING, WE KNOW THAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN REDIRECTED A LOT TO DEAL WITH THE SNOW AND THE STORMS. AGAIN, IT'S A GOOD RELIEF NOW, BUT WE'RE JUST JUMPING RIGHT ON OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET READY FOR, WHICH IS THE WILDFIRES.
HOPEFULLY THROUGH OUR MITIGATION AND PREVENTION VEGETATION EFFORTS, WE WON'T SUFFER ANY MAJOR CATASTROPHES OF WILDFIRES, BUT WE'RE PREPPING FOR THAT.
ALSO, WE'RE ATTENDING TO OTHER ITEMS IN OUR DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY IN MERCED COUNTY.
[00:35:06]
THERE ON SOUTHBOUND WINSTON PARKWAY.I KNOW THERE'S SOME BURN TREES THAT WE NEED TO GET REMOVED AND WE'RE NOW GETTING THAT ALL SCHEDULED AND HOPEFULLY OUR TEAM WILL GET OUT THERE AND CLEAN THAT UP ALONG WITH ALL THIS AND AGAIN, PREPARING FOR HOPEFULLY A UNEVENTFUL SUMMER WITH WITH THE WILDFIRES, WE ARE CONTINUING TO ALSO FOCUS ON OUR VISION ZERO SAFETY GOAL OF ZERO FATALITIES AND ZERO SERIOUS INJURIES BY 2050, AS PROBABLY MARLON'S MENTIONED IN THE PAST, AND MYSELF, WE CONTINUE TO FINALIZE OUR DISTRICT TEN ROAD SAFETY ACTION PLAN, AND THIS IS A FOLLOW UP FROM OUR CALTRANS STATEWIDE ROAD SAFETY ACTION PLAN THAT WAS JUST RELEASED BACK IN APRIL.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING IT WAS ASKED TO HAVE OUR SAFE SYSTEMS LEAD.
RON [INAUDIBLE] ATTEND THE BOARD MEETING.
HE WILL BE YOUR POINT PERSON IN REGARDS TO ANY EFFORTS IN, IN REGARDS TO MEETING OUR VISION ZERO IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, ESPECIALLY ADJACENT ROADWAYS THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER.
LASTLY, JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN IN RESPECT TO CHAIR SERRATTO'S REQUEST ON THE 13TH AND 14TH STREET, AND I KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR CITY ENGINEER, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND OUR EXPERTS AND WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE IF THERE'S OTHER SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP IMPROVE THAT AREA OF INTERSECTION AND INTERCHANGE CHALLENGES.
THAT WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF ON THE STATE SIDE, AND THAT'S THE PROTECT PROGRAM.
THERE'S A FEDERAL AND STATE COMPONENT, BUT RIGHT NOW THE FEDERAL COMPONENT IS GOING OUT FOR A CALL FOR APPLICATIONS, AND SO, WE ARE REQUESTING IF THERE'S ANY LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT ANY LOCAL PARTNERS WOULD LIKE AS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THIS FEDERAL PROTECT PROGRAM. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY LETTERS OF REQUEST LETTERS FOR SORRY REQUESTS FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 30TH. THE PROGRAM ITSELF AND THE INFORMATION IS ON GRANTS.GOV, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROTECT PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM, THE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE AUGUST 18TH, SO ROUGHLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS FROM NOW AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU'D LIKE REGARDING THE FEDERAL PROTECT PROGRAM, PLEASE DO REACH OUT TO MYSELF AND WE WILL HAVE OUR STATE COMPONENT AS WELL, COMING UP AND ALSO OUR RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
WE HAVE MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE HAVING CALLS FOR PROPOSALS FOR.
WE ALSO MENTIONED AT LAST BOARD MEETING, THE CLEAN CALIFORNIA PROGRAM CYCLE TWO LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE ANY INFORMATION ON THESE PROGRAMS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITH YOU GUYS.
OTHER INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD.
WE DO HAVE OUR CALTRANS EQUITY INDEX THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC OUR DRAFT EQUITY INDEX 1.0.
THIS IS ON OUR CALTRANS WEBSITE RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE HAVE BEEN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND NOW I BELIEVE IT'S CLOSING ON JUNE 25TH.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THE LINK AS WELL IF YOU HAVE INTEREST IN THAT.
JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT AS WELL.
I THINK I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, BUT I'LL MENTION AGAIN, THE FEDERAL SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL PROGRAM.
THAT ALSO HAS AN UPCOMING DEADLINE OF JULY 10TH FOR APPLICATIONS.
[00:40:02]
SO AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.DENNIS MENTIONED A FEW ACTIONS FROM THE BOARD LAST MONTH, AND I DO WANT TO ALSO FOLLOW UP ON SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS, SPECIFICALLY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
YOU MENTIONED ROUTE 59 SOUTH MERCED.
WE DO HAVE A PROJECT FOR PAVEMENT REHABILITATION THAT'S GOING TO BE IN JULY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT.
THAT WILL BE IN THE AREA OF THE FAIRGROUNDS.
SO AND WE DID HAVE TO MOVE THAT OUT FOR EQUIPMENT AVAILABILITY BUT THAT THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN JULY.
DENNIS MENTIONED 13 AND 14 STREETS.
WE ARE INVESTIGATING, I THINK SUPERVISOR PAREIRA YOU MENTIONED V STREET.
WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S VERY MUCH TOP OF MIND FOR US, AND I KNOW WE ARE--TO SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA--WE ARE INVESTIGATING AS WELL, IN PLANADA, BASED ON YOUR REQUEST FROM LAST MEETING AND THINK WE ARE GOING TO HOLD ANOTHER PUBLIC WORKSHOP IF YOU'D LIKE.
I THINK OUR PROJECT TEAM IS VERY MUCH ABLE TO DO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SIR.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARLON AND DENNIS? ALL RIGHT. STARTING ON MY RIGHT.
IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY, SO I'LL JUST GO DOWN THE LINE STARTING ON MY FAR RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU, DENNIS AND MARLON FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT I DID HAVES SOMETHING WRITTEN DOWN FOR HIGHWAY 59 UPDATE ALONG WITH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AS WE BOTH BROUGHT UP THE, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF THE FAIRGROUNDS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ALSO, WE HAD A QUESTION ON THE GIRARD STREET CROSSING AT 59 AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN GIVE ME HOPEFULLY GET SOME UPDATES FOR NEXT MONTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS A SIGNALIZATION OR A ROUNDABOUT THERE, AND ALSO REGARDING THE ROUNDABOUT, I WAS AT A MAC MEETING IN PLANADA YESTERDAY AND I GUESS THEY'RE GETTING SIGNATURES TO OPPOSE THE ROUNDABOUT AND I KNOW THE ROUNDABOUT IS PROBABLY MOVING FORWARD, SO, I KNOW THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND WEDNESDAY IN JULY, BUT I WON'T BE THERE, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT SET UP SOMETHING BEFORE IN THE BEGINNING OF JULY SO THAT WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A PUBLIC MEETING THERE.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT TOO AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.
ALL RIGHT, JOSE, ANYTHING, JOSH? YEAH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES AND IT'S COME UP AT OUR TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
99, I MEAN, HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE HAVE ON THAT? VICE CHAIR, I THINK THAT'S PEDROZO IN REGARDS TO 99, THAT EFFORT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH AND WITH STACIE IN REGARDS TO THE NEXT PHASES OF A COMPREHENSIVE, MULTI-MODAL, PLANNING STUDY FOR THE CORRIDOR.
I KNOW MARLON HAS MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
WE'VE ALREADY AWARDED THAT CONTRACT AND THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MAJOR STEPS THAT WE NEED TO GET THROUGH AS WE DEVELOP, PLANS AND FINANCIAL PLANS AND ALSO A DELIVERY PLAN FOR CLOSING THESE GAPS ALL 99 SO MARLON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND ON THE CORRIDOR, PLAN FURTHER, BUT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON AND OF COURSE WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN HEADQUARTERS, INCLUDING OUR DIRECTOR AND OUR CHIEF DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR DISTRICT HERE IN DISTRICT TEN WITH MERCED COUNTY.
MARLON, DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND ANYTHING ON OUR 99 EFFORTS? YEAH. YEAH. THANKS, DENNIS.
TO THAT POINT, WE ARE, YES, WE ARE KICKING OFF OUR COMPREHENSIVE MULTIMODAL CORRIDOR PLAN IN JULY, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, AND WE WILL BE DEFINITELY INCLUDING OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING MCAG AND KICKOFF IN ALL ASSOCIATED MEETINGS AFTER THAT, BUT I'M SUSPECTING THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING FEEDBACK ON CONSTRUCTION.
YOU READ MY MIND, BUT I'D LIKE BOTH, BUT YES, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH AT A DEAD STOP YESTERDAY.
I MEAN, CARS WEREN'T MOVING, AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE AN END IN SIGHT ON THE CONSTRUCTION PART OF IT? OH, FOR THE CURRENT
[00:45:02]
PROJECT? YES.OKAY. MY APOLOGIES IF I MISUNDERSTOOD YOU ON YOUR QUESTION.
YES, THAT PROJECT WE JUST DID OUR TRAFFIC SHIFT, AS YOU GUYS SAW OUT THERE.
OUR PLAN IS TO GET THAT DONE BY THIS DECEMBER.
I THINK WE ARE ALL AT THAT POINT WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROJECT GET COMPLETED.
SO THAT'S THE END GAME, IS TRYING TO GET THIS OPEN BEFORE THIS COMING WINTER.
OKAY. HOPEFULLY, THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
THANK YOU. SO LOS BANOS IS GOING TO BE HOSTING A TOWN HALL HERE SHORTLY IN JULY, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IS THERE A WAY TO GET JUST TO SUMMARIZE EITHER AN EMAIL OR A LETTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OF THE COMPLETED PROJECTS AND THEN THE CURRENT PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY FOR THE WEST SIDE FOR 150 TO 165 LOS BANOS DOS PALOS AREA. YEAH, THAT'S SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? NO, I'M SORRY.
MARLON AND I, MARLON'S STAFF CAN WORK WITH OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THANK YOU. YEAH, WILL DO, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A PAVEMENT PROJECT ON 152 AND LOS BANOS THAT WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO JUST, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY SEND YOU SOME DETAILED UPDATES ON THAT.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR LLANEZ.
TO MY LEFT, APRIL, ANYTHING? SCOTTY'S READY TO GO. HE'S BEEN CHOMPING AT THE BIT.
FIRST OFF, MARLON, DENNIS, THANK YOU.
152 IS, I GUESS THE TIMING COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAD ORIGINALLY GONE IN AND MOWED THE INTERSECTIONS THEN AND PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT'S ALL THEY WERE GOING TO DO AND EVENTUALLY THEY CAME IN AND FINISHED MOWING ALL THE MEDIANS.
SO THAT LOOKS REALLY NICE OUT THERE MARLON, HIGHWAY 165, NORTH OF INTERSTATE FIVE.
I KNOW IT HAD REACHED OUT TO YOU A WHILE BACK.
THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH JUST WHEN WE GOT ALL THAT TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AND RUNNING DOWN ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN IT ACTUALLY WASHED OVER THE ROAD AND THEN WENT INTO AN ALMOND ORCHARD OVER THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SILT AND STUFF THAT ENDED UP IN THAT ORCHARD TEIXEIRA AND SONS IS THE FARMING OPERATION OUT THERE, AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MORE FOLLOW UP.
DID WE COME UP WITH ANY KIND OF CONCLUSION ON WHAT COULD BE DONE OUT THERE? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATE IN MY NOTES, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM ON THAT.
SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU DIRECTLY ON THAT.
SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T FALL OFF OF THE RADAR.
OKAY. I ALSO WANT TO JUST REMIND YOU, I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T PICK THE WINNERS OF THE CLEAN PARKS GRANT, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS IN CALTRANS THAT DO IN CASE YOU TALK TO THEM, WE WANT YOU TO REMIND THEM THAT WE SUBMITTED OURS IN TIME ON THE ORIGINAL DEADLINE AND NOT THE SECOND DEADLINE AND I STILL THINK THAT SHOULD BE WORTH SOME EXTRA POINTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS KIND OF A NEW ONE, BUT AT HIGHWAY 152 AND VOLTA ROAD, AT SOME POINT, I THINK THAT CALTRANS REALLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT SIGNALIZING, THAT INTERSECTION.
I KNOW IT'S OUT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA.
IT'S OUT IN THE COUNTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SINGLE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF TOMATO PROCESSING PLANTS IN THE WORLD THAT ALL USE THAT INTERSECTION, AND I KNOW WE'RE GETTING READY FOR TOMATO SEASON TO START HERE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, BEGINNING OF JULY, AND EVERY YEAR I KNOW THAT THERE'S ACCIDENTS OUT THERE.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE AND I KNOW AS LONG AS IT TAKES US TO GET A STOPLIGHT IN AND THEN A STOPLIGHT IN ON A STATE HIGHWAY, I REALLY WANT TO BRING THAT TO YOUR GUYS'S ATTENTION THAT THAT I REALLY THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD USE OF RESOURCES THERE AND MAYBE A ROUNDABOUT IS THE DEAL. I DON'T THINK THEY'D BE OPPOSED TO A ROUNDABOUT OUT THERE, BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE BEFORE WE LOSE ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MARLON AND DENNIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE CALL AS WELL.
[00:50:02]
I HAVE NOTHING TODAY.ANYTHING FROM YOU GUYS? YEAH, I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] PAREIRA.
ONE. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE HIGHWAY 140 V STREET INTERSECTION ON YOUR RADAR.
SECONDLY, DENNIS, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR VENDOR OR YOURSELF TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE HILMAR PROJECTS ARE? YOU KNOW, DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO COME TO THIS MEETING, BUT IF IT COULD GO TO THE STAKEHOLDERS GROUP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE FOR DENNIS AND MARLON? OKAY. THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK ON THE 140 AND V STREET AND ALSO FOR THE WORK ON HIGHWAY 59 IN FRONT OF THE FAIRGROUNDS AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SEE YOU IN A MONTH.
ALL RIGHT. NINE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
[9. Information items]
ANY ITEMS LISTED UNDER ITEM NINE THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION.OKAY. SEEING NONE. NO ACTION NEEDED.
TAKES US TO TEN, WHICH IS OUR CONSENT CALENDAR.
[10. Consent calendar]
ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE PULLED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? OKAY. SEEING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION WITH RESPECT TO THE BALANCE? MOVE TO APPROVE.SECOND. OKAY, IT'S PEDROZO AND LLANEZ.
ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION? I GOT A QUESTION. I'M SORRY.
WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PULL? WOULD YOU LIKE TO PULL ONE OF THE ITEMS? I'D LIKE TO PULL TEN.
LET ME GET IT RIGHT HERE. 10C(III).
IT'S LIKE READING A LEGAL STATUTE, [CHUCKLING] AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR LITTER COLLECTION SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF 255,557 FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS. OKAY, THAT'S 10C(III).
SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, YOU MADE THE MOTION, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO MODIFY IT TO EXCLUDE THAT ITEM? YES. OKAY. I SECOND IT.
ALL RIGHT. MOTION WITH RESPECT TO THE [INAUDIBLE] AND ANY OPPOSITION.
OKAY. HEARING NONE, EVERYTHING PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AND WE'LL HEAR 10C(III) SEPARATELY.
IT JUST I MEAN, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT WE THAT WE NEED THE SERVICE RELATIVELY FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, THAT WILL BE A 20% INCREASE.
I DID REACH OUT TO STACIE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND THE MORE AND MORE I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I JUST I CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIENCE VOTE YES ON THAT ITEM WHEN THEY HAVE 5% INCREASES BUILT IN.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT, STACIE OR ANYONE ELSE, IS THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION? ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I'M GOING TO INVITE JAMES TO THE PODIUM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR SERRATTO, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WE'VE HAD LITTER COLLECTION FOR THE HIGHWAY 59 AREA FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY NOT HAD ANY LITTER COLLECTION OUT IN THE BILLY WRIGHT AREA.
IF YOU'VE READ THROUGH THE STAFF REPORT, IT'S THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY INCORPORATED.
IT'S NOT THE STATE PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEERS.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL BUSINESS THAT DOES WORK VERY SIMILAR TO RESTORE MERCED, WHERE THEY'RE GOING OUT AND COLLECTING THE TRASH, BAGGING IT UP, AND THEN WE PICK IT UP AND DISPOSE OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE ON THE 5%, REALLY, WHEN WE LOOKED AT COST OF SALARIES AND COST OF FUEL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE JUST FELT THAT THAT 5% WAS PROBABLY NOT UNREASONABLE.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN CLOSER TO 3%.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN INFLATION.
YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING THEY DECIDED NOT TO RAISE THE INTEREST RATE AGAIN.
[00:55:02]
SO HOPEFULLY MAYBE THINGS ARE STARTING TO SETTLE OUT, BUT COST OF FUEL IS STILL EXTREMELY HIGH.EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE IS STILL EXTREMELY HIGH.
SO THAT WAS OUR FEELING THAT THAT WAS NOT AN UNREASONABLE REQUEST, AND AS YOU SAID, IT IS A VERY SMALL DOLLAR ITEM ANNUALLY FOR EACH OF THESE CONTRACTS, AND AGAIN, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH NEEDING THE SERVICE, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IT OUT AT THE BILLY WRIGHT SITE AS WELL, BUT I STILL JUST CAN'T DO THE 5%.
I THINK IT'S PRECEDENT SETTING AND THAT CONCERNS ME, AND ONE OF MY CHIEF DUTIES AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS TO BE A STEWARD OF THE TAXPAYERS' MONEY AND GIVING 5% INCREASES.
LIKE I SAID, I KNOW IT'S NOT A BIG DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT THAT'S 20% MORE IN THE FIFTH YEAR THAN IT IS IN THE FIRST YEAR, BUT I APPRECIATE THE WORK ON IT. THANK YOU, SIR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MAYOR LLANEZ, AND I'M SURE YOU CAN EDUCATE ME ON THIS, BUT AS FAR AS THE COST PROCUREMENT VERSUS SOMETHING LIKE A WORK IN-LIEU PROGRAM, I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S A THING ANYMORE, TO BE HONEST.
I'M JUST GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY I'VE DONE THOSE PROGRAMS IN OTHER JOBS.
THE ISSUE AGAIN, COMES DOWN TO COST, AND THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT IF WE DO SOME SORT OF WORK IN-LIEU PROBATION DEPARTMENT OR WHATEVER ELSE, WE HAVE TO PAY THEIR COSTS TO SUPERVISE THE PROGRAM, WHICH JUST MAKES THE COST PROHIBITIVE.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE TALKING ROUGHLY 51,000 A YEAR FOR BOTH SITES.
ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? COMMENTS? IS THERE A MOTION? ANY MOTIONS.
ALL RIGHT. ROLL CALL VOTE IT SEEMS LIKE.
THAT WAS PAREIRA AND LLANEZ? YES, PAREIRA, LLANEZ.
YEAH. GIVEN SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA'S EXPRESS OPPOSITION, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
ALL RIGHT, THAT TAKES US TO ITEM 11, OUR MERCED COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS ACTION ITEMS.
[11. Action items]
FIRST ITEM IS 11A NATALIA OUR AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR A MULTI JURISDICTIONAL LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PLAN.ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
SINCE THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING ITS OWN LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PLAN, THIS MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLAN WILL FOCUS AND HAVE THE SPECIFIC SECTIONS FOR EACH OF THE SIX CITIES. WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT REGIONAL SAFETY ISSUES THAT TRANSCEND THE INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS AND IN THE END WE'LL BE INCORPORATING ALL THE WORK THAT THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY DOING ON THEIR PLAN.
NOW, THIS PLAN IS VERY DATA DRIVEN.
IT'S GOING TO USE DATA TO IDENTIFY FOR EACH CITY THE CORRIDORS AND INTERSECTIONS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FATALITIES, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SEVERE INJURY COLLISIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS AND MOTORISTS.
FROM THERE, WE'LL BE BUILDING AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S APPLICABLE FOR OUR REGION AND THAT WILL INCLUDE ENGINEERING AND NON ENGINEERING STRATEGIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL SAFE SYSTEM BEST PRACTICES, AND I'M SURE YOU HEARD DENNIS AND MARLON TALK ABOUT THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH.
SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY A STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP THAT WILL INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, THE HIGHWAY PATROL, SCHOOL OFFICIALS, BICYCLE AND PED,
[01:00:02]
EVERYONE THAT WOULD HELP THIS EFFORT.THIS WORKING GROUP WILL GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT.
ANOTHER BENEFIT OF THIS PLAN IS THAT ONCE IT'S COMPLETED, IT WILL SATISFY CALTRANS REQUIREMENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S REQUIREMENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS.
AGAIN, THAT FUNDING PROGRAM WAS SOMETHING THAT MARLON MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY.
OVERALL, THIS PROJECT WILL ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION ACROSS THE REGION WITH LOCAL SAFETY PARTNERS.
IT WILL PUT OUR JURISDICTIONS IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS PLAN WILL HELP US REACH OUR GOAL TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR ALL USERS OF OUR ROAD SYSTEM AND ALSO TO PUT SAFETY FIRST IN OUR INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
ONE WAS AN INTERNAL MCAG STAFF MEMBER.
THE OTHER TWO WERE STAFF FROM THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, LOCAL CITIES.
THERE WERE NO PROTESTS DURING THE PROTEST PERIOD AND THE SCORING AND PRICE OF EACH PROPOSAL IS LISTED IN YOUR AGENDA UNDER PROPOSAL DETAILS AND SCORING ON PAGE 181. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
FEHR AND PEERS SIMPLY THEY RECEIVED THE MOST POINTS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEKING TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $224,910.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? MINE IS MORE OF A COMMENT.
I JUST REALLY STRIKES ME WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROPOSED PRICES BY ALL THE VENDORS, THIS IS ONE OF THE CLOSEST TO HAVE FIVE PEOPLE BID AND FOR THERE TO BE LESS THAN 25,000 BETWEEN ALL FIVE AND REALLY LESS THAN $1,000 DIFFERENCE IN PRICE BETWEEN THE TOP FOUR.
YOU DON'T YOU RARELY SEE THAT.
SO TELLS US THAT WE'RE WE'RE GETTING GOOD QUALITY COMPETITIVE BIDS OUT THERE.
WE DID, AND IT WAS VERY CLOSE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCORING.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. CHAIR, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, I'D MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ARE WE ON 11 NOW ? 11A. THANK YOU, SIR.
IS THERE A SECOND TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO'S MOTION? SILVEIRA. SECOND.
SILVEIRA - PEDROZO. ANY OPPOSITION? OKAY. HEARING NONE, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
GOOD LUCK MAKING OUR ROADS SAFER.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON, DIRECTORS.
BEFORE YOU TODAY IS ADOPTION OF MCAG OTHER PROGRAM BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 22-23.
THE BUDGET INCREASED BY $826,000.
THIS INCLUDES TJPA, RWA AND YARTS STAFFING, WHICH CONSTITUTE 99% OF THE BUDGET.
THE STAFFING FOR TJPA AND RWA AND WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE RESPECTIVE BUDGET AND THEIR ADOPTION IS SCHEDULED LATER IN THE AGENDA.
JOSH PEDROZO. MR. PEDROZO FINISHED THE 99 THROUGH MERCED COUNTY, TULARE AND MADERA AND THEN OUR FEDERAL STATE ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
THE COST INCREASE OF FEDERAL AND STATE ADVOCACY PROGRAM, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN THE MEMBERSHIP DUE INCREASE, AND THEN THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND ANNA MARIE FUENTES PROGRAM, THE STAFFING TIME, AND ALSO THE AVA PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE ABANDONED VEHICLE ABATEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH ADMINISTERS FUNDS TO THE JURISDICTION WHO ABATE VEHICLES IN MERCED COUNTY. THAT CONCLUDES THIS REPORT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
OKAY. HEARING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION? SAVE MONEY. MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.
IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION.
[01:05:02]
THANK YOU. SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION? OKAY. HEARING NONE. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WHICH BRINGS US TO 11C, THE SB 244 ISSUES AND TO MEG.
AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HOUSING ELEMENT EFFORT IS UNDERWAY, AND WHILE EACH JURISDICTION PROVIDED A RESOLUTION AT THE END OF LAST YEAR COMMITTING TO THEIR SHARE OF THE COST OF THE CONSULTANT CONTRACT, WE WERE ON A REALLY TIGHT TIMELINE TO GET A CONSULTANT UNDER CONTRACT, SO MCAG DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO DEVELOP AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS OUTLINING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SUCH AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE AND AS SUCH WE HAVE DRAFTED A ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT COVERING THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HOUSING ELEMENT AND SB 244 ANALYSIS.
THE AGREEMENT WAS PRESENTED TO TRB YESTERDAY AND NO ISSUES WERE RAISED.
SO THIS IS A TWO PART AGENDA ITEM.
SO THE SECOND PART IS REGARDING THE SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE WORKGROUP AND THE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD HAS DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL FOR A REGIONAL SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS TEARING OFF OF THE EXISTING CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH RINCON CONSULTANTS FOR THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HOUSING ELEMENT.
SB 244 IS A BILL FROM 2011 AND IT REQUIRES CITIES AND COUNTIES ON OR BEFORE THE ADOPTION OF THEIR NEXT HOUSING ELEMENT TO IDENTIFY DISADVANTAGED, UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THEIR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIENCIES AND NEEDS.
SO WHILE IT'S NOT PART OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT, IT'S TIED TO THE TIMELINE OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT.
SO MCAG'S BEING ASKED BY PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS TO AMEND THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH RINCON CONSULTANTS TO INCLUDE THE SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
SO WE WANTED TO BRING THIS ITEM TO THE GOVERNING BOARD TO SEEK DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD AND RINCON CONSULTANTS PREPARED A PROPOSAL FOR THE SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO COST ABOUT $40,000 AND RINCON HAS AMPLE EXPERIENCE PREPARING THESE TYPES OF ANALYZES, AND THE REPORT GROUP HAS REVIEWED THE AMENDED OR PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK FOR THIS TASK AND A DRAFT COST SHARING AGREEMENT FOR THE $40,000 CONTRACT AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED WITH THE REAP WORKGROUP AND WAS ALSO PASSED OUT PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, AND IF AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD, JURISDICTIONS WOULD HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE MCAG A RESOLUTION JUST COMMITTING TO THEIR SHARE OF THAT ADDITIONAL COST, AND THEN MCAG IS SEEKING AUTHORIZATION FROM THE GOVERNING BOARD TO EXECUTE THE AMENDMENT TO THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HOUSING ELEMENT CONTRACT TO INCLUDE THE SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT RESOLUTION FROM EACH PARTICIPATING JURISDICTION.
SO THERE ARE TWO REQUESTED ACTIONS WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM MCAG AND THE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD RECOMMEND THE GOVERNING BOARD A AUTHORIZE MG TO ISSUE THE DRAFT MCAG ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENT TO JURISDICTIONS FOR REVIEW AND EXECUTION, AND THEN THE SECOND ACTION IS TO AUTHORIZE THE MCAG TO EXECUTE THE MCAG CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH RINCON CONSULTANTS TO INCLUDE THE SB 244 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS FOR A COST NOT TO EXCEED $40,000 CONTINGENT UPON AND ONLY AFTER EXECUTED COST SHARING RESOLUTIONS AND THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT ARE RECEIVED FROM EACH OF THE PARTICIPATING MEMBER JURISDICTIONS. SORRY, THAT WAS A MOUTHFUL.
[CHUCKLING] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
GO AHEAD, SCOTT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO, MEG, I KNOW OUR FRIENDS IN LIVINGSTON, THEY DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN IT, AND WOULD THERE BE AN AVENUE THAT IF THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND LATER AND WANTED TO COME IN, OR IS IT EITHER YOU'RE IN NOW OR YOU'RE OUT? SO THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY DISADVANTAGE UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES IN.
SO THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PREPARE AN SB 244 ANALYSIS.
[01:10:02]
OKAY, AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION IS, IS ON THE COST BREAKDOWN, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE? I KNOW THERE'S A NOTE ON THE BOTTOM OF IT, BUT BUT HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT AT THOSE NUMBERS? YEAH, THIS WASN'T REALLY LIKE A STRICT METHODOLOGY.IT WAS JUST DURING DISCUSSION OF THE REAP WORKGROUP, BASED ON THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT EACH JURISDICTION IS ANTICIPATING AND THEIR COMFORT LEVEL WITH HOW MUCH THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE.
ALL RIGHT. ANY THOUGHTS? IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD STRATEGY TO COMBINE FORCES, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS INVOLVED IN THAT.
ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION OR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? FURTHER DISCUSSION OR A MOTION? I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. CHAIR. GO AHEAD.
HOW LONG? SO WE'RE RELEASING THE DRAFT TO ALL THE JURISDICTIONS.
WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE ON ON EXPECTING THAT BACK? I THINK SEPTEMBER 1ST FOR BOTH THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT AND THE RESOLUTION FOR THE COST SHARING AGREEMENT AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE UNTIL WHEN TO PAY THE BILL.
WE HAVEN'T WORKED OUT THAT YET.
YES, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO START WORK ON THE SB 244 ANALYSIS SOONER THAN LATER, AND SO WE WOULDN'T START ANY OF THAT WORK UNTIL EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THIS EXECUTES THAT RESOLUTION. CORRECT.
OKAY, PERFECT. IN TERMS OF THE SCHEDULE, I'LL JUST ADD THAT THIS ELEMENT IS NEITHER OF THESE ARE ACTUAL ACTIVITIES OR PRODUCTS THAT MCAG IS ON THE CLOCK FOR.
THEY'RE BOTH BEING DRIVEN BY THE JURISDICTION.
SO I THINK THE JURISDICTIONS ARE VERY KEEN TO WANTING TO GET STARTED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER BECAUSE IT'S THE CLOCK THAT THEY'RE NEEDING TO MEET THEIR DEADLINE. THEY NEED TO MEET THROUGH THE WORK THROUGH US.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIR, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'D MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE REQUESTED ACTIONS A AND B OF ITEM 11C.
PENDING THE MOTION TO RECEIVE ANY POTENTIAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
OKAY. SEEING NONE MOTION THAT WAS A SECOND FROM.
PAREIRA. ANY OPPOSITION? SEEING NONE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY TAKES US TO 11 D, WHICH IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS TO GET RID OF ME FOR NEXT YEAR ELECTING A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR FOR 23-24.
DO WE NEED TO DO A STAFF REPORT ON IT? I CAN. I WAS PLANNING TO, BUT I DON'T NEED TO.
YEAH. YES, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, SEE IF YOU WANT IF THERE'S A STAFF REPORT.
UNLESS, SCOTT, IF YOU WANT TO SHORT CIRCUIT, IT SEEMS LIKE.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A FOREGONE CONCLUSION TO AN EXTENT.
VICE CHAIR JOSH PEDROZO TO SERVE AS THE BOARD CHAIRPERSON FOR ONE YEAR TERM COMMENCING JULY 1ST, ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024, AND NOMINATE AND ELECT DIRECTOR LLANEZ FROM THE CITY OF LAS BANOS TO SERVE AS A VICE CHAIR FOR A ONE YEAR TERM COMMENCING JULY 1ST OF 23 AND ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2024.
GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ON THIS AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY? I THINK HE'S READY.
ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION RIGHT NOW? TAKE OFF RIGHT NOW. SO I GUESS WE'RE GOOD.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING TO CHECK IF WE WERE GOING TO OBJECT OR NOT.
OKAY. HEARING NO OPPOSITION MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
OUR NEXT MEETING IN JULY, IT'LL BE CHAIR PEDROZO AND VICE CHAIR YANEZ 11E.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE IT? GO AHEAD. HOPE HE MAKES HIS BED.
OH, MY GOSH. THAT JUST [INAUDIBLE].
THAT WAS. THAT'S IN REFERENCE TO A MEETING THAT SUPERVISOR PEDROZO HAD TO VIRTUALLY COME TO.
[CHUCKLING] HE'S GOING TO BE HOSTING THE NEXT MEETING FROM HIS HOTEL ROOM.
MAKE YOUR BED. I'LL GET HOUSEKEEPING.
[CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT. 11E, THIS IS LIVINGSTON'S REQUEST TO WAIVE THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE REGARDING CERTAIN QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE JPA RENEWAL, STACIE OR EMILY. SO APPROXIMATELY A MONTH AGO, AND I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALL SEEN THIS EMAIL AND IT'S PART OF THE AGENDA PACKET
[01:15:06]
DIRECTOR MORAN SENT SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE APPROVAL OF THE NEW JPA AGREEMENT.THE OLD ONE EXPIRES ON THE 18TH.
THE NEW ONE TAKES EFFECT ON THE 19TH.
I DID WRITE A RESPONSE TO DIRECTOR MORAN WITH MY OPINIONS AND ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS.
NEITHER STACIE NOR I CAN WAIVE IT, AND I CANNOT WAIVE IT AT A SINGLE DIRECTOR'S REQUEST.
SO IT IS UP TO THIS BOARD WHETHER THE MY EMAIL RESPONSE CAN BE SHARED WITH LIVINGSTON.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE TYPICALLY RECOMMEND THAT LAWYERS TYPICALLY RECOMMEND DOING.
IN THIS CASE, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH MY ANSWERS BEING REVEALED PUBLICLY OR TO THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING CONTROVERSIAL IN THAT.
I JUST WANT TO CAUTION THE BOARD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF THIS MOVING FORWARD.
IF JURISDICTIONS DO REQUEST THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION FROM ME, IT SETS A PRECEDENT.
IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO GET LIVINGSTON THE INFORMATION THEY NEED WITHOUT HAVING TO GO DOWN THIS ROUTE OF WAIVING THE PRIVILEGE? WE COULD DISCUSS IT NOW.
WE COULD DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD HAVE SOME OF THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD, JOSH? YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO BECAUSE EMILY KIND OF SAID WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
I JUST THINK IT'S A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE BECAUSE ONCE WE START OPENING THIS STUFF UP, THEN ANY DIRECTOR CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING AND SO IF WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN, WHO'S TO SAY THE NEXT TIME IT'S NOT GOING TO? AND SO IT'S VERY MUCH PRECEDENT SETTING.
SO, I MEAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IT, I THINK WE DISCUSS IT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT WE'VE TALKED THIS THING TO DEATH AND EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD WITH IT. ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS? DIRECTOR MORAN.
HI, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN KIND OF LIKE A ROLLER COASTER FOR US, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, AND FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT THAT AND I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS A SINGLE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL IN LIVINGSTON THAT ULTIMATELY I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS JPA IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IT'S CRUCIAL AND IT'S FOR EVERYONE, FOR ALL THE AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATE.
I DO SEE THE IMPORTANCE, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO, TO ALSO KNOW THAT THAT OUR PROCESS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY WISH THAT OUR COUNCIL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION LONG TIME AGO.
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO BACK IN HISTORY AND WASTE ENERGY ON THE WHY.
THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS THAT IN THIS PROCESS, I PERSONALLY HAVE LEARNED A LOT.
I MET WITH STACIE, YOU KNOW, OUR CONVERSATION WITH IN REGARDS TO THIS JPA HELPED ME UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE NOT KNOWN TO US AND THEN IF I DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, MANY OR EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR ALMOST NEW COUNCIL DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
LATER, WITH WITH THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED AS A DIRECTOR GAVE ME A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, SO I DO SEE THE BENEFIT OF OF THIS BOARD CONSIDERING TO FOR ME TO ALLOW TO SHARE THAT SAME INFORMATION WITH THE REST
[01:20:06]
OF MY COUNCIL SO THAT WHEN OUR COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO MAKE A DECISION, THEY MAKE THE MOST AND BEST EDUCATED DECISION AND NOT REGRET IT AND NOT AND NOT LOOK BACK LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD AND SAY, WELL, DIRECTOR MORAN DID NOT COME BACK WITH INFORMATION THAT COULD HAVE HELPED US MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION, WHATEVER DECISION THAT MIGHT BE.SO AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT LEGAL HAS SHARED ABOUT THE CLIENT PRIVILEGE ASPECT OF IT. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THIS ITEM AND WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK FOR THE NEXT WHATEVER NUMBER OF YEARS, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, AND SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHATEVER THAT WAY MIGHT BE TO FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BACK TO MY COUNCIL AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE THEIR INDIVIDUAL DECISION AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING, AND BECAUSE IT REALLY DID HELP ME UNDERSTAND ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS BEFORE WHERE YOU HAVE SOMETHING BEFORE YOU AND YOU'RE REALLY NOT SURE ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT IT, AND IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, AND IT'S KIND OF TRICKY TO BE ABLE TO FOR ANY ONE OF US TO BE TO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION, AND WITHOUT REALLY FULLY UNDERSTANDING.
YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR MORAN, WHAT I WILL SAY IS, IS THAT ALL THIS INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO YOUR CITY, TO YOUR COUNCIL, YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, YOUR CITY MANAGER, BUT, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NEW, AND WE DID ALL THIS PROCESS BEFORE THAT HAPPENED, AND SO I RESPECT YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR REQUEST TO HAVE INFORMATION. I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT I YOU KNOW, YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF, YOU KNOW, THAT NOBODY KNEW, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO OUR STAFF OR OUR BOARD, RIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW, AND SO EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD WOULD KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, AND OTHER THAN MAYBE YOU, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SOME CHANGEOVER IN LIVINGSTON, OF COURSE.
SO, ANYWAYS, SO I MEAN, I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION.
IF YOU JOIN, I WANT YOU TO JOIN WILLINGLY, AND SO I'M OKAY WITH IT, BUT JUST WANTED TO.
LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ALL HASH THIS OUT MANY, MANY TIMES.
IT WASN'T ALL DONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
THANKS. ALL RIGHT, WHO'S NEXT? I MEAN, YOU JUST SAID THAT.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE ASKING TO WAIVE THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTOOD A LOT MORE, BUT THE ATTORNEY IS UNCOMFORTABLE DOING SO AS AM I, BUT THEN YOU SAID YOU TALKED TO STACIE AND SHE WAS ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS , AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT THAT'S VIOLATING ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE WITH THE INFORMATION WHEN YOU TALK TO HER.
I THINK WHAT THE ATTORNEY IS SAYING IS THAT WHEN SHE PROVIDES YOU ANSWERS TO A DOCUMENT LIKE THIS, EVERYTHING WAS DONE IN OPEN, AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK TO STACIE, YOU SAID YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, AND SO YOU CAN TAKE THAT CONVERSATION BACK TO YOUR BOARD WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM STACIE WITHOUT VIOLATING OR WAIVING THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
WELL, LET ME JUST GO BACK A LITTLE BIT.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT YOU GUYS WENT THROUGH ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR THAT STARTED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, BUT I PRIOR TO BEING MAYOR AND DIRECTOR, I WAS IN THE COUNCIL FOR TWO YEARS.
I CAN ATTEST THAT THAT INFORMATION NEVER CAME TO ME BUT, YOU KNOW, SO BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
MY FIRST CONVERSATION OR THE PROCESS WAS THE FIRST MEETING WAS WITH STACIE, AND THIS THE QUESTIONS CAME TO LEGAL CAME MUCH LATER.
SO, YOU KNOW AND THE QUESTIONS TO LEGAL ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY
[01:25:01]
CLARIFY. A LOT OF THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD I HAD THOSE QUESTIONS REALLY CLARIFY AND MAKE THIS MORE CLEAR, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT THE QUESTIONS ARE THE ONES THAT WILL REALLY BE HELPFUL, BUT LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WILL RESPECT WHATEVER THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOARD DECIDES, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING I HAVE HEARD AND I DO STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATION IS A MUST, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TRYING TO BETTER THE ENTIRE COUNTY, NOT JUST ONE PART OF IT, AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT LEFT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S JUST MOVING FORWARD.DIRECTOR MCDANIEL? YES, THROUGH THE CHAIR.
DIRECTOR MORAN, IS YOUR ATTORNEY NOT ABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? IS THAT WHY YOU HAD TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY AT MCAG? BECAUSE YOUR ATTORNEY WAS PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR ATTORNEY WAS PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR SOME TIME, PROBABLY AFTER JULY OF LAST YEAR.
I CANNOT SAY WHETHER OR NOT THE ATTORNEY WAS PART OF IT PRIOR TO JULY OF LAST YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AND ONCE AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SHARE WHAT I KNOW AND WHAT I WAS WHAT INFORMATION CAME TO ME, EVEN EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN THERE FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE NOVEMBER.
SO AND BELIEVE ME, I DO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, I CAN PUT MYSELF IN YOUR SHOES.
IF YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS FOR TWO YEARS, I WOULD BE REALLY UPSET, AND IT'S LIKE, WHOA, YOU KNOW, WHY WERE YOU NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT THEN AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND PUT THE BLAME GAME ON ANYONE AND JUST I JUST WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND THAT'S IT.
IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, BY ALL MEANS.
BUT THROUGH THE CHAIR, DID YOU ASK YOUR ATTORNEY? YES, AND THAT'S WHY MY NEXT STEP WAS THIS.
IS THERE ANY REASONABLE SUBSTITUTE OR DO YOU THINK PROVIDING THE INFORMATION FROM EMILY'S EMAIL IS THE BEST COURSE? ASKING, DO YOU THINK IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE TO THIS OR DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST COURSE TO THERE'S I MEAN, IF WE CAN I MEAN, I HEARD TALKING ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS HERE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO AND MAKE IT OR KEEP IT UNDER THE CLIENT PRIVILEGE. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF I'M OPEN TO THAT AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO THROUGH AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND NOT HAVING THE RISK OF SETTING A PRECEDENT, YOU KNOW, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE CAN DO THAT, I WOULD APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. IN GENERAL, AN ATTORNEY CLIENT CONVERSATIONS, THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MORE FACTUAL EXPLANATIONS OF THE LAW ON ONE HAND THEN STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER MORE STRATEGIC IMPRESSIONS ON THE OTHER.
JUST TURNING TO EMILY, DO YOU THINK THIS TENDS MORE TOWARDS YOUR EXPLANATION OF FACTS OR MORE TOWARDS SOME ADVICE AND STRATEGY, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD COME WITH A MUCH HIGHER DEGREE OF SENSITIVITY AND POTENTIALLY THERE COULD BE A CHILLING EFFECT ON YOU IF THAT COULD BE DISCLOSED, BUT JUST KNOW THIS RELIES MORE ON FACTS.
I WROTE THE EMAIL RESPONSE WITH THAT IN MIND.
AS LONG AS WE STAYED ON THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ASKED.
OKAY, WHAT'S THE WILL OF THE BOARD? QUESTION NUMBER ONE SAID, WHAT IS THE NEXT EXPECTED MCAG BOARD MEETINGS WHERE A JPA UPDATE WILL BE COMING TO THE BOARD? THERE WASN'T AN AGENDIZED MEETING AT THE TIME, BUT WE'RE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION NOW.
OKAY, NEXT QUESTION. IT IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MEASURE V FUNDS ARE NOT ATTACHED OR OBLIGATED TO BE ATTACHED TO ANY OTHER DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT SINCE MEASURE V WAS SEPARATE MEASURE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AND NOT A DOCUMENT OR AGREEMENT APPROVED BY MCAG.
[01:30:03]
THE ASSUMPTION IS CORRECT IN PART AND INCORRECT IN PART.THE REGIONAL THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS THAT COME TO THE BOARD FIRST GO THROUGH THE REGIONAL PROJECTS COMMITTEES FOR THE REGIONAL PROJECTS FUNDS WITH MEASURE V, THE LOCAL FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO THE JURISDICTIONS.
THE BOARD TAKES NO ACTION WITH REGARD TO THOSE FUNDS.
THE REGIONAL PROJECT FUNDS GO TO THE REGIONAL PROJECTS COMMITTEES FOR THE EAST AND WEST SIDE.
BASED ON MCAG JPA JANUARY 2020 MCAG BYLAWS JULY 2013.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ANY MEMBER OF AGENCIES ONE OR MORE, DON'T APPROVE OR REJECT THE MOST CURRENT PROPOSED JPA BEFORE IT EXPIRES? CURRENTLY, SIX OUT OF THE SEVEN JURISDICTIONS HAVE APPROVED THE RESTATED JPA AGREEMENT, SO IT WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON JULY 19TH.
IT WILL NOT HAVE A SEAT AT THE BOARD AS FAR AS MCAG OR A VOTE.
MCAG WILL, BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGNATIONS THROUGH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE SAME FUNDING THAT IT DOES NOW AND CONTINUE TO PROGRAM AND PERFORM WORK AS IT DOES TODAY.
THE EFFECT IS SIMPLY THAT LIVINGSTON WON'T HAVE A VOTE.
SO IT'S IN MY UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH THE CURRENT GPA AND THE BYLAWS.
WOULD IT BE WISE TO CONSIDER ADOPTING SUCH A LANGUAGE TO BE INCLUDED AND UPDATED.
IT'S AN ISSUE OF CONTRACT LAW.
THE JPA AGREEMENT IS A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE MEMBER JURISDICTIONS.
CONTRACTS DON'T TYPICALLY EXPRESS WHAT HAPPENS IF A THIRD PARTY OR IN THIS CASE, A SEVENTH MEMBER FAILS TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT.
YOU SET FORTH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARTIES NOT AS RELATED TO NON PARTIES.
SO NO, IN MY LEGAL OPINION, IT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY THAT THAT LANGUAGE BE INCLUDED OR APPROPRIATE.
PLEASE GUIDE ME TO THE SECTION AND LANGUAGE IN EITHER THE JPA OR THE BYLAWS WHERE IT DESCRIBES OR EXPLAINS THE NUMBER OF AGENCIES AND OR VOTES NEEDED TO APPROVE A JPA RENEWAL.
THAT IS NOT ADDRESSED IN EITHER THE JPA AGREEMENT OR THE BYLAWS.
THE POWERS OF MCAG ARE EXPRESSLY LISTED IN THE AGREEMENT.
BOTH THE CURRENT AND FUTURE AGREEMENTS.
SO THE RENEWAL IS SIMPLY BY THOSE PARTIES THAT WISH TO CONTINUE AN AGREEMENT AS LONG AS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, AS LONG AS THERE ARE TWO OR MORE, AND A COUPLE OF AS LONG AS THERE ARE TWO OR MORE MCAG.
A JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY CAN CONTINUE.
PERFECT. ALSO, I DO NOT SEE ANY LANGUAGE AS TO HOW AND WHEN AND ANY AGENCY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE ASSOCIATION OTHER THAN IT NOT BEING ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY VOTING, AND THEN IT CITES A FEW CITES ARTICLE EIGHT FINANCE SECTION SIX.
ANY MEMBER WHO DUES HAVE NOT BEEN PAID WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF A NEW ASSOCIATION FISCAL YEAR SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO VOTE OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY MEETING UNTIL SAID DUES ARE PAID.
THE OTHER MEMBERS CANNOT REMOVE THEM.
THEY CAN WITHDRAW OR THE AGREEMENT CAN BE TERMINATED.
OKAY. I'LL WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
CAN I JUST ADD SOMETHING? THANK YOU, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST CAN SUMMARIZE THIS IS BASICALLY IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW A JPA WORKS IS THAT NO ONE IS OBLIGATED TO PARTAKE IN THE JPA, BUT THAT IS ALSO WHY
[01:35:04]
NO ONE IS FORCED CONTINUE PARTICIPATING ON IT.SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE PROCESS, THERE'S A LOT OF THERE WAS THERE STILL IS A LOT OF LEGAL WORDING THAT A LOT OF TIMES GETS R READ OR UNDERSTOOD DIFFERENTLY BY A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT PARTIES, AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE PROCESS, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES ROUGH, BEING ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE, DOES HELP, AND I HOPE THAT THIS CONTINUES IN IN THE FUTURE.
APPRECIATE YOUR. DO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED, DIRECTOR MORAN ON THIS? OKAY, THANKS.
JUST ANOTHER COMMENT, AND DIRECTOR MORAN, I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT ULTIMATELY IN WHAT MCAG IS TASKED WITH, WITH BEING THE MPO, LIVINGSTON WOULD STILL BENEFIT FROM PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING IN AND OUT.
IT'S JUST I KNOW FOR ME I WANT IT'S THE REASON WHY WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT MAKEUP OF THIS BOARD THAT I SAID THAT I WOULD NEVER GIVE UP MY SEAT ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I REPRESENT UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE.
RIGHT, TO BE ABLE TO AFFECT CHANGE, AND SO I THINK THE UPSIDE OUTWEIGHS THE DOWNSIDE OF IT, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT GETTING YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AND GO BACK AND ULTIMATELY YOU'RE TASKED WITH REPRESENTING YOUR COUNCIL ON THIS BOARD, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GOT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO THEM, AND SO I THINK THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION IS HERE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR SO LONG AND IT'S BEEN A FIGHT AND A FIGHT, AND THEN AS SOON AS WE THINK WE MAKE PROGRESS, THEN IT'S ANOTHER FIGHT, AND THEN WE GOT ANOTHER FIGHT ON TOP OF A FIGHT, AND I JUST THINK THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE NEWER TO THE GAME THAN SOME OF US THAT HAVE BEEN UP HERE, BUT LISTEN, THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, MY FIFTH YEAR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE SOME TIMES WHERE WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS, BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
OKAY. THANK YOU, SCOTT. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. MOTION WITHDRAWN.
DO WE NEED ANY? EMILY, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US NOW? JUST TO ASSURE THE LIVINGSTON CITY COUNCIL WE DID.
THIS WAS HEAVILY NEGOTIATED WITH ATTORNEYS FROM EACH AGENCY.
WE WENT OVER EVERYTHING WITH A VERY FINE TOOTH COMB.
NO ONE WALKED AWAY 100% HAPPY, WHICH IS THE HALLMARK OF A GOOD AGREEMENT.
IF NO ONE IS 100% HAPPY, THEN YOU'VE DONE YOUR JOB.
SO I JUST I WANT TO ASSURE YOU ALL THAT THIS WAS AN EFFECTIVE PROCESS.
WE WERE ABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT, AND I THINK WITH AS MANY OPINIONS AND VOICES AS WE HAD AT THE TABLE, YOU SHOULD FEEL RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD.
WHAT ELSE? SATISFIED? EVERYTHING OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BUS.
ITEM 13, AND NOW I THINK JOSE JUST STEPPED OUT.
I THINK AS SOON AS THIS ONE WAS COMING UP, HE DUCKED OUT.
YOU GOT THIS ONE? IF WE BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE. ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC WISH TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY. SEEING NONE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, EMILY, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
[13. Action items]
NAV AND JOSE 13 A THIS IS OUR MOU WITH MERCED COLLEGE FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.MR. PEREZ. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, STAFF IS SEEKING APPROVAL.
THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES BETWEEN THE TRANSIT JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY AND MERCED COUNTY, MERCED COUNTY AND MERCED COLLEGE. THIS MOU IS FOR THREE YEARS WITH TWO ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE PROCESS.
[01:40:06]
9.95 FOR FULL TIME STUDENTS AND 6.95 FOR PART TIME STUDENTS, WHICH THE MERCED COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED.THE FEE IS ASSESSED UPON REGISTRATION.
ALL PREVIOUS MOUS 2019 THROUGH 2022 WERE BASED OFF ONE YEAR AGREEMENTS AND WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERED PILOTS TO GATHER UTILIZATION DATA.
THE ATTACHED MOU, I BELIEVE, IS PAGE 221 HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY MERCED COLLEGE FOR APPROVAL ALSO TO THEIR BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION THE FISCAL IMPACT.
THE PAYMENT STRUCTURE IS BASED OFF REAL TIME ENROLLMENT FIGURES FOR FULL TIME AND PART TIME STUDENTS, SO THE EXACT AMOUNT OF REVENUE IS JUST DEPENDENT ON THE FINAL REGISTRATION OF STUDENTS FOR EACH TERM.
ONE LAST THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE BOARD.
THIS PAST SPRING SEMESTER, WE HAD BLOWOUT RIDERSHIP FOR MERCED COLLEGE STUDENTS.
WE HAD 24,359 RIDES THAT BLEW OUT OUR PREVIOUS FALL OF 2022.
16,480 STUDENTS RODE THE BUS SO IT BLEW OUT BY 50% INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP.
SO WE'RE SEEING BIG TIME USAGE FROM THE MERCED COLLEGE STUDENTS.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID ON THE ITEM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOSE? GOOD. YEAH.
THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR TO JOSE, HOW DO WE TRACK THE STUDENTS? I MEAN, DO THEY HAVE A SPECIAL CARD? IS THERE A SPECIAL.
OKAY. WHAT THEY DO IS THEY JUST WALK ON.
THEY SHOW THAT ID TO THE DRIVER.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU'RE WELCOME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS. OKAY.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? OKAY. SEEING NONE, BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BOARD, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR A MOTION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE. MOTION FROM MCDANIEL AND MORAN.
HEARING NONE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
13B. THIS IS OUR [INAUDIBLE] OPERATING BUDGET FOR 2023-2024.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THERE'S ONE ERROR ON THE STAFF REPORT ON THE VARIANCE.
SO THIS BUDGET IS AN INCREASE OF $915,000 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, WHICH IS THE ANNUAL INCREASE, FUEL COSTS INCREASE STAFF COSTS AND ALSO MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT COSTS.
THAT'S AN INCREASE TO THE BUDGET WAS RESULTED IN $915,000 PLUS A ONE THIRD FULL TIME OR PART TIME POSITION, WHICH IS SPREAD ACROSS ALL AGENCIES AS IT/TECH.
I GAVE A PRESENTATION LAST MONTH ABOUT THIS OPERATION BUDGET.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? AND AGAIN, YOU GAVE A THOROUGH PRESENTATION LAST MONTH.
DIRECTOR SILVEIRA. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS FROM MY BUDDY NAV.
WE'D LIKE TO TURN TO PAGE 230 AND I HIGHLIGHTED THESE FOR NAV EARLIER, BUT JUST, JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION.
WHEN I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS THAT ON NATIONAL EXPRESS PAYING FOR [INAUDIBLE] THAT THERE'S A LITTLE DISCREPANCY THERE FROM THE VARIANCE FROM [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S NUMBER WAS INCORRECT INCORRECT.
SO THAT'LL BE CORRECTED, AND THEN JUST BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING REALLY HARD ON PAGE 231, MY MOTION WILL ALSO INCLUDE THAT WE CAPITALIZE THE V IN VEHICLE AND THE A IN AUDIT JUST SO IT ALL LOOKS VERY UNIFORM.
ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIR, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I KNOW YOU NEED TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I WOULD MAKE A MOTION WITH NAV'S CORRECTION AND MY TWO MINOR CORRECTIONS. OKAY.
SILVEIRA. MCDANIEL. ANY OTHER TYPO CORRECTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE?
[01:45:01]
EVERYBODY'S GOOD. YEAH.ALL RIGHT. ANY OPPOSITION? OKAY. HEARING NONE.
MOTION PASSES AGAIN UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU. NOW LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER GOOD YEAR OF.
WE DO HAVE AN AVID RIDER ON THE BOARD RIGHT HERE.
MR. SERRATTO RIDING THE [INAUDIBLE].
WE TOLD HIM WE HAD A VIP CUSTOMER, SO THEY GET HIM ON TIME TO DESTINATION.
IT WAS ON TIME TO THE SECOND THIS MORNING.
NOT EVEN JOKING. IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
ALL RIGHT. NOW THIS TAKES US TO 14A, THIS IS THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE BUS.
[14. Discussion items]
CORRECT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO WHAT WE DID, WE BROKE OUT THE OPERATION, THE CAPITAL BUDGET, BECAUSE WE DID MAKE A CHANGE IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET JUST TO GO OVER WHAT WE WENT OVER LAST MONTH.ALSO, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT CONTINUING IMPROVING BUS STOPS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND ALSO LOOKING AT FUNDING OUR ZERO EMISSION FACILITY, ZERO EMISSION FACILITY TO UPGRADE OUR FACILITY.
A COUPLE OF NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE FOR THIS YEAR.
THEY NO LONGER HAVE PARTS, THEY NO LONGER CARRY THAT PRODUCT.
SO FOR US TO UPGRADE TO THOSE 20, FOR THE 22 BUSSES, THE FARE BOXES, IT'S A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM.
SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MODIFY OUR FACILITY.
SO WHAT WE DECIDED IS WE JUST REPLACE ALL THE FARE BOXES.
AT ONE TIME WE WERE GOING TO REPLACE THEM IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT IT WAS GOING TO BE A REDUNDANT WORK AND FOR OUR STAFF, FOR OUR CONTRACTOR AND YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO OUR FACILITY TO CUT OUT A PIECE OF A WALL FOR BASICALLY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE REPLACED ANYWAY NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO REPLACE ALL THE FARE BOXES, INCREASES ABOUT $1.68 MILLION FOR THESE 74 BUSSES, PLUS THREE SPARE FARE BOXES.
AS JOSE MENTIONED, THESE FARE BOXES ARE TAP CARD.
SO BASICALLY ANYBODY WITH A CELL PHONE CAN USE IT TO TAP THEIR FARES.
FOR UC MERCED STUDENTS, MERCED COLLEGE STUDENTS.
YOU KNOW HOW THEY HAVE THOSE TAP CARDS? IT CAN REGISTER ALL THE RIDERS WITH THE TAP CARDS.
SO THEY'RE OVERDUE FOR REPLACEMENTS.
SO THE REASON WHY WE PUT THIS ON THE DISCUSSION IS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ITEM.
SO ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S ABOUT TIME.
I DON'T KNOW. NOW, IF YOU MENTIONED I APOLOGIZE IF YOU DID THAT THE BOXES WE HAVE ARE OBSOLETE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT QUITE HONESTLY HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR BECAUSE IT IS A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE KNEW THAT BY NEXT YEAR WE WERE KIND OF AT THE END OF THE ROAD WHERE WE WERE GOING TO NEED TO DO IT, BUT AS NAV MENTIONED, ONCE WE REALIZED THAT FOR THAT ONE YEAR PERIOD OF TRYING TO JUGGLE THE NEW FARE BOXES, IF WE JUST GOT THEM WITH OUR NEW BUSSES, WITH THE OLD ONES THAT WE HAVE NOW, IT WAS GOING TO BE DOUBLE STAFF WORK, DOUBLE THE EQUIPMENT, AND IT WAS JUST MADE A LOT MORE SENSE.
SO WE DECIDED TO ADD AN EXTRA MONTH TO THE DRAFT BUDGET FOR THE REVIEW PURPOSE TO ADD THIS ITEM, AND IT WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, HAVE BETTER TECHNOLOGY, GATHER BETTER DATA, AND THEN ALSO STREAMLINE THE STAFF TIME BOTH ON OUR SIDE AND OUR OPERATOR SIDE IN TERMS OF UTILIZING THE TECHNOLOGIES. THANK YOU, STACIE.
ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OKAY, SEEING NONE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR A MOTION? IT'S DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION ONLY, SO NO NEED FOR ANY ACTION HERE.
WE'RE JUST DISCUSSING IT. YEP.
ALL RIGHT. JUST REMEMBER THAT NEXT MONTH.
[15. Action items]
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN.[01:50:01]
THIS IS PRIMARILY THE DRAFT BUDGET WE PRESENTED LAST MONTH.WE DO HAVE A FEW SMALL CHANGES THAT I'M GOING TO HIT.
YOU HAVE THE FULL PACKAGE IN YOUR AGENDA.
OUR REVENUE IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT ONE POINT PERCENT NEXT YEAR.
THAT INCLUDES A PASS THROUGH OF $1.4 MILLION FOR THE GREEN WASTE PROCESSING AT HIGHWAY 59.
THAT'S BASICALLY JUST A STRICT PASS THROUGH.
WE COLLECT THE FEE AS IT COMES IN AND THEN WE PASS IT ON TO THE CONTRACTOR.
OUR OPERATING EXPENSES ARE GOING UP BY ABOUT TWO AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU APPROVED EARLIER UNDER CONSENT WAS AN ITEM FOR THE BILLY WRIGHT LANDFILL.
CURRENTLY, MID VALLEY HANDLES THE COLLECTIONS OUT IN THE WEST SIDE.
THEY ALREADY HAVE A GREEN WASTE TRANSFER PAD ON SITE.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT AGREEMENT ALLOWS THEM TO PICK UP THE GREEN WASTE WE RECEIVE FROM SELF HAULERS AND TAKE IT DOWN TO THEIR FACILITY IN FRESNO COUNTY AND PROCESS IT.
SO THAT WILL ALLOW US TO STANDARDIZE OR, YOU KNOW, EQUALIZE THE GREEN WASTE FEES AT BOTH SITES.
WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW AS A POTENTIAL ISSUE WAS IF THE TIP FEE AT BILLY WRIGHT WAS DRASTICALLY LOWER FOR GREEN WASTE THAN THE TIP FEE AT HIGHWAY 59, WE WOULD SEE THE SELF HAUL TAKING THAT CHOICE.
WE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO WITH THE RATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO, IT'LL BE THE SAME RATE FOR GREEN WASTE AT EITHER SITE.
ALONG WITH THAT INCREASE, WE ARE ADDING TWO AND A THIRD POSITIONS AN EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, A MAINTENANCE WORKER AND THEN RWA WILL BE SHARING THE COST FOR THAT IT TECHNICIAN.
WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS AFTER WE PRESENTED THE AGENDA LAST MONTH AND WE REACHED OUT TO OUR PROCUREMENT LINES. BUYING GASOLINE POWERED TRUCKS RIGHT NOW IS VERY SLOW AND COSTLY.
SO WE'LL HAVE A SLIGHTLY SMALLER BALANCE IN THERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE TRUCKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE, ONE OF THEM IS A 2004.
A COUPLE ARE 2008, A COUPLE OF 2012.
SO WE FELT IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THOSE VEHICLES AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AND WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH LOOKING AT THE GUIDELINES FOR GOING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHERE SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND OUR MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, THE STATE HAS COME DOWN WITH GOALS AND MANDATES FOR SWITCHING THAT OUT.
FOR LIGHT DUTY, SO FAR, THERE'S NOT A MANDATE ON THE BUYERS.
AS WE LOOK AT THAT, THE ISSUE IS WE DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE VEHICLES ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR US TO PURCHASE AT THAT TIME, LET ALONE WHETHER THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO BE PRACTICAL IN A LANDFILL APPLICATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PICKUPS THAT THEY'RE COMING OUT WITH RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE VERY LARGE, HEAVY BATTERY SYSTEMS BUILT INTO THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE NEWS ITEMS ALREADY ABOUT THESE ELECTRICAL VEHICLES ON THE ROAD.
IF THEY'RE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THAT BATTERY GETS DAMAGED AND SPARKS A FIRE.
SO WE'RE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE THE TECHNOLOGY CATCH UP WITH THE APPLICATION.
THE OTHER ITEMS ARE PRETTY MUCH WHAT WAS IN YOUR PACKAGE.
WE DO HAVE SOME PROPOSED NEW PROJECTS.
[01:55:01]
MOST OF THEM ARE PRETTY MINOR.I WILL MAKE ONE OTHER COMMENT ON THE FLEET REPLACEMENT BUDGET.
WE HAD MONEY IN THERE FOR A NEW LOADER FOR OUT AT THE BILLY WRIGHT LANDFILL.
WE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS FROM THE VENDOR.
OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR JAMES? DIRECTOR LLANEZ.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR EACH LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, IN THE RESEARCH THAT YOU DID.
MY QUESTION IS WHO FOUND THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT SAVES 29% ON THAT LINE ITEM BUDGET? BECAUSE I THINK THAT MAYBE SHOULD BE SHARED WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
THE COST SAVINGS ALONE, I MEAN, IT REALLY ASSUMES YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICE.
SO NORMALLY SOFTWARE UPGRADES COST MONEY, DON'T SAVE MONEY.
LET'S SEE, WHICH ONE WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOUR INFORMATION SERVICES.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET WENT FROM 85 TO 60.
YEAH, WE DID AN UPGRADE LAST YEAR, SO THAT COST.
GOTCHA. OKAY. YEAH. IT WASN'T REALLY SAVINGS.
JUST THE COST IS NO LONGER THERE.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. SEEING NONE.
IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
MCDANIEL AND LLANEZ? IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? OKAY. HEARING NONE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, AND RIGHT BACK TO YOU, JAMES, FOR 15 B, WHICH IS TO AUTHORIZE THE IMPORTATION OF SOLID WASTE TO BOTH DISPOSAL SITES FOR ADDITIONAL 48 MONTHS.
YES. THIS IS A COMPANION PIECE TO THE FEE INCREASE THAT YOU PASSED LAST MONTH.
HISTORICALLY, YOU HAVE APPROVED ON CERTAIN TWO YEAR OR THREE YEAR PATTERNS THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE IMPORTATION OF WASTE. PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A SEPARATE ITEM FOR EACH LANDFILL.
IN 2020, YOU DID DO ONE ITEM THAT AUTHORIZED AN EXTENSION FOR BOTH LANDFILLS THROUGH AUGUST OF 2023.
WHAT WE'RE BACK HERE FOR TODAY IS TO GO AHEAD AND REAUTHORIZE THAT IMPORTATION FOR AN ADDITIONAL 48 MONTHS, WHICH TAKES US BEYOND THE FINAL BOND PAYMENT IN 2027.
SO RATHER THAN COMING BACK IN TWO YEARS TO DO ANOTHER TWO YEAR OR THREE YEARS IN A YEAR, OUR REQUEST IS LET'S GO AHEAD AND AUTHORIZE IT UNTIL THAT BOND IS PAID OFF. THAT YEAR WE WILL COME BACK AND LOOK AT IMPORTATION AGAIN.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO WITH IT? THE OTHER ITEM I'LL MENTION ON THAT IS THAT WE ARE PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING THE FEES THAT WE'RE CHARGING FOR THE IMPORT.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE SEVERAL HAULERS THAT WE HAVE A FOUR TIER COST.
THE MORE THEY BRING, THE LESS THEY PAY FOR EACH TON.
WE'RE GOING TO CUT ALL OF THOSE DOWN TO A TWO TIER.
SO RATHER THAN GOING FROM 0 TO 1000 TONS AND 1000 TO 2000, WE'LL GO FROM 0 TO 1500, AND ANYTHING BEYOND 1500, AND THE NET EFFECT OF THAT WILL BE A GENERAL INCREASE IN THE REVENUE WE GET.
ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS? QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I GOT JUST A QUESTION.
JAMES, ON PAGE 253, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU KIND OF ON THE FISCAL IMPACT, AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW THE NUMBERS THERE, AND IT SAYS THE HIGHWAY 59 BILLY WRIGHT DISPOSAL SITE IS ESTIMATED TO BE THE REVENUE IS 15,900,000.
OF THAT TOTAL, APPROXIMATELY 30% 4.7 MILLION IS FROM IMPORTATION.
THE TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS, INCLUDING DEBT AND CAPITAL EXPENSES, IS PROJECTED AT 16,066,170.
YEAH, IT'S GENERALLY MAYBE THE NUMBER IS 4.768 OR SOMETHING.
YEAH, I DIDN'T CATCH THE OVER PART EARLIER.
DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO CONFUSE THE NUMBERS THERE TOO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY.
HEARING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. WHO WAS FIRST? I HEARD ONE OF MY RIGHT, ONE OF MY LEFT WHO WAS I THINK THAT WAS DARON, AND THEN ON MY RIGHT IT WAS.
WAS IT JOSH, WAS THAT YOU OR WAS THAT OKAY?
[02:00:01]
MCDANIEL PEDROZO.OKAY. HEARING NONE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU, SIR. 15C IS OUR CONTRACT WITH BSE GENERAL ENGINEERING.
YES. THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
SO THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LANDFILL GAS SYSTEM AT THE HIGHWAY 59 LANDFILL THAT ARE NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH STATE MINIMUM STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS.
THE CONSTRUCTION WILL CONSIST OF TWO PARTS.
THE FIRST PART WILL ADDRESS OFFSITE LANDFILL GAS MIGRATION BY ADDING SIX DUAL COMPLETION GAS EXTRACTION WELLS AND THE EASTERN PART OF THE HIGHWAY 59 PROPERTY, AND THE SECOND PART WILL MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING GAS COLLECTION SYSTEM IN PHASES FIVE AND SIX BY ADDING 20 VERTICAL EXTRACTION WELLS. ON MAY 9TH, RWA RELEASED AN RFP FOR THE PROJECT AND RECEIVED THREE BIDS.
NO PROTESTS WERE RECEIVED DURING THE PROTEST PERIOD.
THE LOWEST BID WAS FROM BSE GENERAL ENGINEERING FOR $583,705.
THANK YOU, SIR. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? OKAY.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND FROM DIRECTOR ESPINOZA.
ALL RIGHT. ANY OPPOSITION? OKAY. HEARING NONE.
[17. Executive Director’s report]
I'M STARTING TO FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE ALL MY ITEMS GOT ACTED ON BEFORE I HAD TO PRESENT THEM, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO SHARE. ONE, JUST AS A REMINDER THAT WE DO HAVE OUR MEASURE V REGIONAL PROJECTS CALL FOR PROJECTS OUT THAT WAS ISSUED AT THE END OF MAY.IT WAS SENT TO ALL OF YOUR CITY MANAGERS.
I BELIEVE IT ALSO WHEN I SENT THAT OUT, YOU ALL WERE COPIED.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR JURISDICTION STAFF TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THAT AUGUST 1ST DEADLINE IS MET, AND HERE, QUICKLY, I'LL START COORDINATING WITH THE EAST AND WEST SIDES FOR SETTING SOME DATES UP FOR OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN THE EARLY FALL.
WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING OF OUR POSTS ABOUT THE FAIR SHUTTLES, SO WE HAD THE FIRST YEAR THERE IN LOS BANOS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LOS BANOS FAIR, AND THEN WE JUST CONCLUDED THE FREE FAIR SHUTTLE TO THE FAIR HERE IN MERCED WITH SITES FROM THE TRANSPO AND THEN THE NORTH TRANSIT HUB OVER ON M IN THE BELLEVUE RANCH AREA.
WE APPRECIATED EVERYONE'S EFFORTS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING THOSE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE SPEAKING OF SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE HAVE VACANCIES IN NEARLY EVERY DEPARTMENT OF THE AGENCY.
I KNOW THAT ISN'T UNCOMMON. THERE'S A LOT OF HIRING, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN COGS IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE ALL TRYING TO HIRE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT DON'T SEEM TO BE OUT THERE, BUT EVERYONE'S HIRING IN THE VALLEY, BUT IN AT MCAG, I KNOW WE'VE GOT POSITIONS AT RWA WITH TRANSIT, WITH THE PLANNING TEAM AT MCAG, PLUS OUR ADMIN STAFF FINANCE, I MEAN ACROSS THE BOARD WE'RE RECRUITING.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POSTS THAT ARE OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WOULD ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD BECAUSE WE'RE A PRETTY GREAT PLACE TO WORK, AND THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT COIN IS I DO NEED TO JUST SAY THANKS AND RECOGNIZE OUR STAFF.
WE'VE BEEN OPERATING SHORT STAFFED FOR SOME TIME IN ALL DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT MEANS THERE ARE FEWER OF THE TEAM DOING MORE AND MORE WORK AS WE GET ADDED NEW TASKS, ESPECIALLY AS WE SAW TODAY WITH SOME OF THE NEW ROLES THAT WE'RE TAKING ON WITH HOUSING AND SOME OF THE NEW REGULATIONS THAT ARE COMING DOWN IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING MORE WITH FEWER PEOPLE.
SO JUST WANT TO THEY'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AND I'M REALLY HOPING WE CAN BRING SOME SOME RECRUITS IN SOON I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CALTRANS DISTRICT TEN, DENNIS IN PARTICULAR, AND WITH SUPPORT FROM THE POLITICAL GROUP WHO OUR STATE ADVOCACY PARTNER TO GET AN INVITATION OUT TO THE CALTRANS DIRECTOR, TONY TAVARES.
[02:05:04]
WE ARE WORKING HE IS HAS REPLIED FAVORABLY AND WE'RE WORKING ON SECURING A DATE, HOPEFULLY IN LATE AUGUST WHERE HE'LL COME OUT AND REALLY WANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TOUR TO SEE THE MULTIMODAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND REALLY, IF YOU THINK OF THE PASSENGER RAIL STATION IN DOWNTOWN WITH THE CONNECTIVITY TO THE BUS AND YARTS OUR 99 PROJECTS THAT THE WIDENING PROJECTS THAT WE NEED THE CONNECTION TO AME OUT TO THE INLAND PORT OUT TO THE UC CAMPUS PARKWAY, THE LOOP, JUST TO REALLY SHOW HOW ALL OF THOSE INVESTMENTS WORK TOGETHER.SO THE TOUR WILL BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN SPACE BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE I'M GOING TO PROBABLY ASK TO BORROW THE TAHOE FROM RWA, BUT I'M HOPING THAT IF WE CAN DO A LUNCH, THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT BE A BROADER AUDIENCE.
I'LL SHARE INFORMATION AS THAT STARTS TO SHAPE UP, AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW NEXT MONTH WILL BE THE OFFICIAL START OF OUR NEW CHAIR, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST THANK CHAIR SERRATTO FOR IT'S BEEN A GREAT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A YEAR I DIDN'T EVEN CALL AND HARASS HIM TODAY ABOUT ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR LAST BOARD MEETING? I THINK HE'S JUST READY FOR IT TO BE OVER, BUT THANK YOU.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE A CHAIRMAN GET REALLY INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THE THINGS WE DO, WHETHER IT'S ATTENDING A CONFERENCE AND WINNING A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT OR ATTENDING ON ONE VOICE AND BEING THE CHAIR AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH JOSH.
I KNOW HE'S ALREADY VICE CHAIR PEDROZO, HE'S ALREADY BEEN VERY INVOLVED, AND DIRECTOR LLANEZ, JUST HOLD ON BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR TURN IS COMING.
ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS FOR STACIE.
ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR'S REPORTS STARTING ON MY FAR LEFT.
[18. Directors’ reports]
MAYOR NAGY. NOTHING TO REPORT, SIR.I WAS AT A HOUSING MEETING OF ALL OF ALL ITEMS AND RAN INTO A RENEWABLES COMPANY.
SO I GAVE THEM THE ONES THAT WE HAD WHEN I GUESS ERIC HAD PUT TOGETHER, AND SO ANYWAYS, HE SENT ME A NOTE SAYING, HEY, THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT WORK, I'LL BE IN TOUCH.
SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT SIERRA RENEWABLES.
I JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO JAMES MOORE.
DIRECTED ME EXACTLY WHERE TO GO.
THEY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ME, SO IT WAS TRULY VERY WELL.
I COULD SAY THOUGH, THE SIGNS WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO THE LANDFILL FOR ME, I SEEM TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE THEM OUT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO COULDN'T FIGURE THEM OUT, AND ONCE THEY GET UP THERE, THEN THEY TRY TO CUT IN LINE AND EVERYTHING, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME TEMPERS STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GETTING BUT JUST UNDERSTANDING THEY DIDN'T READ THE SIGNS CORRECTLY.
IT WAS FINE WITH ME, BUT NO, JUST WANT TO SAY JUST A SHOUT OUT THAT IT WAS VERY SMOOTH, VERY QUICK.
DID THEY DIRECT YOU TO THE RIGHT PLACE TO DUMP ALL YOUR EMPTY BOTTLES OF HAIRSPRAY THAT YOU HAD? [CHUCKLING] YEAH, NO, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WAS THE BAG YOU GAVE ME.
YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF CHANGES GOING ON OUT AT THE LANDFILL.
AS SOON AS THEY MAKE THAT FIRST TURN, IT'S GUN IT FOR THE SCALES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO JUST MAKE THEM A LITTLE MORE AWARE BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JAMES. MAYOR NELSON, NOTHING.
DIRECTOR SILVEIRA. A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, JUST WANT TO THANK JAMES AND THE STAFF WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE NEW SCALE HOUSE AT BILLY WRIGHT AND HAPPENED TO BE TALKING WITH SOMEBODY RIGHT AFTER WE GOT DONE THERE, AND JUST IT'S WORKING THE WAY IT INTENDED.
[02:10:02]
IT'S REALLY REDUCING THE TIMES THAT FOLKS ARE TAKING TO BE ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF THERE.STACIE, WHEN THE DIRECTOR COMES INTO TOWN, TELL HIM I'D BE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT CALIFORNIA CLEAN PARKS GRANTS IF HE WOULD LIKE TO, [CHUCKLING] AND THEN SOMETHING THAT WE PASSED. WE PASSED SOMETHING EARLIER ON CONSENT, AND IT WAS A CONTRACT WITH A SINGLE BIDDER, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS AND I DON'T--STACIE, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO COME ON AN AGENDA, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE.
YOU KNOW, I SAW THAT WE HAD ONE BIDDER ON THE CONTRACT AND THEIR SCORE WAS 80 A LITTLE BIT OVER 80, AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO SETTLE FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S GIVEN US A B MINUS? RIGHT, AND SO AND I KNOW THAT THESE ARE RATE BASED CONTRACTS, AND SO WE'RE ONLY GOING TO USE THEM AS NEEDED, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THE CONTRACT WAS FOR 300,000, BUT I GUESS I QUESTION THAT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IS JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE BIDDER, IT DOESN'T [INAUDIBLE] CONTRACT SURVEYING.
UNFORTUNATELY, [INAUDIBLE] WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT RESPONDED.
MY IMPRESSION RIGHT NOW IS MOST OF THOSE FIRMS ARE JUST SO BUSY, THEY'RE TURNING AWAY WORK.
THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO WE HAVE USED [INAUDIBLE] IN THE PAST, HISTORICALLY, THEY'VE DONE GOOD WORK FOR US.
THEY WORK FOR A LOT OF OUR CONSULTANTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO GET SOMEBODY UNDER CONTRACT.
HISTORICALLY, WE DID A LOT OF THAT WORK IN-HOUSE.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER JARED TRAMP, WHO LEFT LAST YEAR.
HE HAD A LOT OF SURVEYING, HANDS ON EXPERIENCE.
ONE OF THE RECRUITMENTS, STACIE, TALKED ABOUT BEING OPEN RIGHT NOW IS AN ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT MAYBE HAS SOME SURVEYING EXPERIENCE AND SOME CAD COMPUTER WORK SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO DRAW SOME OF THAT BACK IN-HOUSE. AS YOU SAW, IT'S A FAIRLY SMALL CONTRACT.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LOWER OUR STANDARDS BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY BIDDER, AND YOU GUYS CREATED THE CRITERIA THAT HAS THE SCORING ON IT AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M USED TO SEEING WITH OUR SCORING CRITERIA, WHEN WE'RE AWARDING PEOPLE, IT'S PEOPLE.
I MEAN, WE WERE AWARDED ONE TODAY THAT WAS A 98 POINT SOMETHING, AND SO WHEN WE WERE AWARDING ONE, THAT'S AT 80 POINT SOMETHING, JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE WORK THAT THEY DO. I'M GUESSING THEY PROBABLY DO OKAY, WORK, THAT'S FINE, BUT IT'S JUST I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND REALLY KIND OF COME UP WITH A THRESHOLD.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, PASSING IS C, BUT IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN IS GIVEN, YOU KNOW, HIRING SOMEBODY JUST BECAUSE THEY PASSED OR DO WE REALLY WANT GOOD QUALITY WORK? AND SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, APRIL, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT DOS PALOS WAS FEATURED ON A NATIONAL TV STATION.
IT WAS CALLED AMERICAN DREAM TV, AND IT WAS IT AIRED SUNDAY OR SATURDAY AT 4:30 ON ABC, AND WE WERE I WAS INTERVIEWED.
SO IT WAS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY TOUTED.
SO ANYWAY, IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK IT UP, IT'S AMERICAN DREAM TV AND IT'S WITH SUZANNE COLE, THE REALTOR FROM DOS PALOS. SO ANYWAY, IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING, I WOULD JUST SAY, AND I'M NATIONAL TV ON NOW.
[CHUCKLING] YEAH, HE WAS SLOW THAT DAY.
HE WAS A LITTLE--JOSH WAS A LITTLE TIRED BUT NO [INAUDIBLE] APRIL'S COFFEE SHOP.
I GOT AN INTERESTING PHONE CALL YESTERDAY AT LIKE 9:00 IN THE MORNING.
ONE OF MY PEERS IN MY IN MY PRIVATE WORK WAS TRAVELING THROUGH NORTH MERCED AND CALLED ME TO GET OVER THERE IN AN EMERGENCY, AND I DROVE DOWN THE STREET AND HE WAS OUT WITH A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY, AND I CALLED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND YOUR DEPUTIES WERE THERE IN LIKE 30 SECONDS AND IT WAS AMAZING.
THEY CAME AND RESCUED THIS KID, AND SO I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE.
[02:15:01]
GOOD JOB. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU, MATT, FOR YOUR POSITION OR YOUR TERM AS CHAIR.ALSO, I WANTED TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF.
LAST WEEK I WENT OUT TO THE LANDFILL AND HAD A MEETING.
I HAD AN EMAIL FROM A CONCERNED CONSTITUENT AND I WENT OUT AND TALKED TO THEM AND THEY WERE REALLY ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE INFORMATION THAT I WANTED OR THAT I WANTED TO HEAR, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY INFORMATIONAL AND KIND OF DID A LITTLE DRIVE AROUND THE DUMP AND THE ONLY OR THE LANDFILL, BUT THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I HAD WITH IT WAS AND I TOLD STACIE EARLIER ON THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH IT IS IT KIND OF SMELLS LIKE GARBAGE OUT THERE.
SO THEY PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT, AND THEN ALSO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT TO THE MCAG YARD YESTERDAY, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND ANYBODY TO GO OUT THERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING YOU GET A WHOLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU SEE THE SPACE AND WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AND THE JUST EVERYTHING THAT'S OUT THERE WAS REALLY COOL.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR GUYS' DAYS TO SHOW ME AROUND.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOSH.
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, ACTUALLY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I SHARED WITH STACIE ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO.
WELL, I WAS KIND OF FORCED TO RIDE THE BUS IN MERCED BECAUSE I LEFT MY CAR IN THE SHOP, AND, BUT AND THEN IT WAS THE ONE DAY WHEN IT WAS STARTED RAINING. IT WAS LIKE EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME, AND I WAS LIKE, WHERE DO I GO? BUT ANYWAYS, IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME THAT I RODE A BUS SYSTEM WAS LIKE 25 YEARS AGO IT WAS QUICK.
IT WAS ON TIME. IT WAS LIKE, I MEAN, ALMOST TO THE MINUTE, BUT I THINK I WANT TO GIVE MYSELF ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE IT AGAIN, SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT, JUST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND THEN KIND OF PROVIDE SOME MORE FEEDBACK AND SO WITH THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN THE MONTH OF JULY, UP TO THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, IT WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DIRECTORS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A TRIP TO YOSEMITE IN THE YARTS SYSTEM.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JUST I DON'T KNOW, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE YEAH, AND SO AND THEN ALSO IN THE PAST, I KNOW THAT THIS LAST TIME I PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMITTEE TO SELECT THE, THE STUDENT WHOM TO GIVE THE ANNA FUENTES SCHOLARSHIP AND DURING ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMITTEE, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT MAYBE POTENTIALLY LOOKING INTO HAVING A FUNDRAISER OPPORTUNITIES, MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN START LOOKING AT OR PLANNING ABOUT HOW TO FUNDRAISE FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT SCHOLARSHIP.
I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING GREAT.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER THREE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AND FIND OUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING IS RUNNING LOW AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, SIGN ME UP TO THE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOTHING.
ALL RIGHT, WE GOT TO FINISH BEFORE FIVE, AND IN SPITE OF ALL THESE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA [INAUDIBLE] ADJOURNED, [CHUCKLING] I GOT TWO MINUTES TO KILL.
NO I JUST WANT TO--I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE THE BUS A FEW TIMES LATELY, TOO, AND JUST AGAIN, REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICE, THE CLEANLINESS, THE TIMELINESS, EVERYTHING. I THINK IT'S A HIGH CLASS SERVICE, SO JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT OPERATION, AND AGAIN, TO YOU HEAR SO MUCH AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE REGIONAL LEVEL ABOUT THE FISCAL CLIFF THAT SO MANY TRANSIT AGENCIES ARE FACING RIGHT NOW, REAL DIRE, ESSENTIALLY BEGGING THE STATE FOR A BAILOUT, BUT AS YOU SAW TODAY, WE'RE STILL IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. SO OBVIOUSLY, TRANSIT SYSTEMS HAVE FACED ENORMOUS CHALLENGES WITH BIG DECLINES IN RIDERSHIP AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT I THINK WE'RE CLAWING OUR WAY BACK AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD FISCAL SITUATION.
[INAUDIBLE] EXPRESS LINE. WE'RE TRYING TO GET AN EXPRESS--AT 4:59, WE'RE NOW ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.