[00:00:01] ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2023, MEETING OF THE MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. [Call to Order] WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR REGULAR MEETING AGENDA. AFTER THAT, WE WILL TAKE A SHORT BREAK AND THEN TRANSITION INTO OUR FINAL BUDGET HEARING AGENDA TODAY. WE WILL START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY DIRECTOR YVONNE BROWN. AND THEN I WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. LET US BOW OUR HEADS. FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS MOMENT THAT YOU ALLOW US TO BE HERE. I ASK YOU BLESS THIS MEETING TODAY AND BLESS THE LEADERS THAT YOU HAVE APPOINTED FOR THIS PARTICULAR DAY AND THE SEASON THAT YOU HAVE US IN. ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, SUPERVISOR MENDEZ AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY. GOD, WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LEAD AND GUIDE US IN YOUR DIRECT PATH. WE THANK YOU THAT EVERY DECISION THAT IS MADE TODAY, GOD AND MOVING FORWARD WILL BE LINING UP WITH YOUR WILL. WE THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF WHY WE SERVE. GOD AS THE PEOPLE OF MERCED AND LET US KEEP THEM FIRST AND FOREMOST IN EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE. WE THANK YOU THAT WE KEEP THEM AT THE FOREFRONT KNOWING THAT BECAUSE OF THEM, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THEM. YOU BROUGHT US HERE AND WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR WHAT WILL BE DONE IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. READY. SALUTE. IT IS NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA, TESTIMONY LIMITED TO THREE [PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK] MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN. THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. IN ADDITION, IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS REGARDING THE FINAL BUDGET, PLEASE HOLD THOSE COMMENTS UNTIL WE TRANSITION TO THAT AGENDA. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SUSAN WALSH AND I'M HERE FOR THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MERCED COUNTY. AND MY FIRST STATEMENT IS I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNTY COUNCIL FORREST HANSON FOR RESPONDING TO OUR INQUIRY. WE APPRECIATE THE TIMELY RESPONSE AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED. I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION A REASON TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY, NOT PARTICULARLY IN THIS BUDGET, BUT ONGOING AND EVERY DAY. INK MAGAZINE JUST PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE TITLED WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE SMARTER. MAKE SURE THEY DO THIS READ FOR PLEASURE. THE SAD FACT AFTER A TON OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH IS THAT CHILDREN FROM WEALTHIER HOMES TEND TO DO BETTER ON A WIDE RANGE OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS. THIS IS BECAUSE RICH KIDS ARE BORN, AREN'T BORN WITH INCREDIBLE TALENTS. IT'S BECAUSE WEALTHIER PARENTS HAVE TIME AND RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPORT AND STIMULATION. FIXING THIS TERRIBLE DISPARITY IS, OF COURSE, A PRESSING PROBLEM FOR POLICYMAKERS LIKE YOU GENTLEMEN. BUT IT'S ALSO A RIDDLE FOR LESS WELL-OFF ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESSMEN. IF YOU'VE YET TO HIT IT BIG, HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR KID HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF REACHING THEIR FULL COGNITIVE POTENTIAL? RECENT RESEARCH FROM A TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE OFFERS A SIMPLE, ACCESSIBLE AND EVEN FUN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. ALL YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THIS RESEARCH BASED ADVICE FOR IMPROVING THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF YOUR CHILD IS TO GET THEM A LIBRARY CARD. I'LL LEAVE COPIES OF THE ARTICLE FOR YOU. NOT SUPPORTING A ROBUST PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM IS BAD FOR RESIDENTS, BAD FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES, AND BAD FOR THE ECONOMY. WHEN WE SUPPORT A PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, WE SUPPORT NOT ONLY THE INTELLECTUAL PURSUITS OF THE COUNTY, WE SUPPORT THE FUTURE. WE SUPPORT THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN. WE PARTNER WITH FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS. I WANT TO REPEAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE HEARD PROBABLY TOO, WHERE YOU CAN START RECITING IT YOURSELF. BUT I WILL CLOSE WITH THIS. THE ADOPTED POSITION OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MERCED COUNTY IS THIS. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SUPPORTS AN ADEQUATELY STAFFED AND FUNDED MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION IN ALL LIBRARY SERVICE AREAS. [00:05:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN SILVEIRA AND THE BOARD, CHRISTIAN SANTOS HERE REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE. FIRST OFF, OUR OFFICE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO DEPUTY CEO MARK HENDRICKSON FOR BECOMING A GRANDPA. OUR OFFICE WAS ALSO HONORED TO BE A PART OF THE DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR THE CAPTAIN, PAUL VINCENT ROTONDARO MEMORIAL HIGHWAY AND HIGHWAY 140, WHERE WE HAD A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON HIS SERVICE AND SACRIFICE FOR MERCED COUNTY WITH HIS FAMILY. I'D LIKE TO THANK SUSAN WALSH AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MERCED COUNTY FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK TO THEIR GROUP TO INTRODUCE OUR DISTRICT OFFICE AND THE SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE CONSTITUENTS FROM PASSPORTS TO ASSISTANCE WITH THE VA AND SOCIAL SECURITY. WHILE CONGRESSMAN DUARTE IS CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PRIORITIES OF MERCED COUNTY WORKING FAMILIES IN WASHINGTON AMID ONGOING APPROPRIATIONS DISCUSSION, THERE IS ALSO OTHER BUSINESS IN DC TO ATTEND TO. ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH AT 10 A.M. EASTERN, HE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN A SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT HEARING THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ON CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING. THE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH WATER RESOURCE STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THE CONGRESSMAN LOOKS FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR FEDERAL WATER POLICY AND FUNDING THAT PROMOTES WATER ABUNDANCE FOR VALLEY FARMERS AND VALLEY FAMILIES. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS FROM H.R. 3981, THE VETERANS EDUCATION OVERSIGHT EXPANSION ACT TO H.R. 1530. THE VETERANS VETERAN BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT, WHICH WOULD MODIFY PROCEDURES INCREASING TRANSPARENCY FOR THE DISABILITY PROCESS, CREATE AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR LAW STUDENTS FOR THE VA BOARD OF APPEALS, AND ALSO REQUIRE A REPORT ON THE VA'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR DISABILITY EXAM RELATED TRAVEL AND VARIOUS WAYS TO IMPROVE THE FUNCTION OF COUNTY VSOS. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE SUPPORTING ESSER 112, WHICH WOULD AMEND THE UNITED STATES CODE TO STRENGTHEN BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN OF KOREAN WAR AND VIETNAM WAR VETERANS BORN WITH CERTAIN BIRTH DEFECTS. OUR OFFICE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. CONGRESSMAN DUARTE IS PROUD TO REPRESENT A DISTRICT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY DRAWN TO ENHANCE THE VOICES OF HISPANIC AMERICANS IN GOVERNMENT. THE CONGRESSMAN AND OUR OFFICE PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY AND NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS FROM MODESTO TO MERCED AND LOS BANOS. CONGRESSMAN DUARTE PERSONALLY HONORED UC MERCED PROFESSOR RICHARD GOMEZ FOR PAINTING A BEAUTIFUL MURAL IN DOWNTOWN TURLOCK, HIGHLIGHTING COLORFUL CHICANO CULTURE. OUR OFFICE HONORED LOCAL LATINAS FOR THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AT THE MERCED COUNTY HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LATINA WOMEN'S LUNCHEON, AND OUR OFFICE WAS ALSO HONORED TO HONOR LOS BANOS DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION 2023 FARMER OF THE YEAR, JOE DEL BOSQUE, A LONGTIME ADVOCATE FOR WATER ABUNDANCE AND LATINO AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY AT THIS YEAR'S LOS BANOS FARM TO TABLE DINNER. WE'RE ALWAYS HONORED TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC AMERICANS TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND THE NATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. HI. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. MY NAME IS MARIA VIERA. AGAIN, I'M HERE SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY. DON'T BE CLOSE, PLEASE. BECAUSE WE NEED MANY, MANY. WE NEED THAT STUDENT, THAT STUDENT LEARNING THAT LITERACY PROGRAM FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. I'LL BE THERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND MY ENGLISH IS BETTER THAN BEFORE. IT'S NOT WELL, BUT AT LEAST I TRY. SO I'LL BE HERE WITH A COUPLE OF LISTS OF SIGNING. MY PARTNER OR STUDENT ARE THERE TODAY SUPPORTING ME AND AND SHOW YOU GUYS THAT WE NEED THE PROGRAM OPEN. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR RECEIVING US. AND HERE IS THE THE SIGNINGS HERE. OKAY. YES, PUT IT IN THE BASKET. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE COLLEGE CLASS AND MY MY STUDENT ARE THERE. THANK YOU. AND EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. MY NAME IS GLORIA SANDOVAL. I'M IN DISTRICT TWO, AND LAST WEEK I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF A GROUP THAT DISCUSSED THE FARM BILL. AND NEVER IN MY LIFE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1933, SINCE THE DUST BOWL, WE'RE STILL HAVING IT REAUTHORIZED EVERY FIVE YEARS, ALTHOUGH IT CHANGES SUPPOSEDLY SEPTEMBER 30TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR THAT BILL TO BE APPROVED. AND I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD A WHOLE LOT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FROM THIS BOARD WHERE WE'RE AN AG, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED COUNTY. I WANT TO READ THIS ONE PAGER BY SOMEBODY NAMED PARNELL EBY FROM THE AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE. CONGRESS IS WORKING ON THE 2023 FARM BILL. THE FARM BILL IS AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS EVERY FIVE YEARS AND INCLUDES NEARLY $1 TRILLION IN SPENDING. THIS BILL DETERMINES WHAT FOOD IS GROWN, HOW IT'S GROWN, AND HOW AFFORDABLE IT IS. IT FUNDS SNAP AND OTHER VITAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS THAT HELP TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EVERY DAY. [00:10:08] IT IS ALSO CRUCIAL IN RESPONDING TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THE FARM BILL CONTAINS 12 CHAPTERS OR TITLES. JUST FOUR OF THEM ACCOUNT FOR 99% OF ITS FUNDING, INCLUDING ONE NUTRITION. THE FARM BILL HELPS LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN THE US AFFORD FOOD THROUGH VARIOUS NUTRITION PROGRAMS. THAT INCLUDES A SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, SNAP OR FOOD STAMPS. ABOUT 80% OF FARM BILL FUNDING IS SPENT ON NUTRITION ASSISTANCE CROP INSURANCE. THIS TITLE PROVIDES PREMIUM SUBSIDIES TO FARMERS AND PRIVATE CROP INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT COVER FARMERS TO PROTECT AGAINST LOSS IN YIELD CROP AND OTHER FARM REVENUE. THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST 10% OF THE ALLOCATED FUNDING COMMODITY PROGRAMS. THE FARM BILL PROVIDES AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS PRICE AND INCOME SUPPORT FOR FARMERS WHO GROW WIDELY PRODUCED AND TRADED NON PERISHABLE CROPS. CONSERVATION. THIS TITLE SUPPORTS FARMERS IN IMPLEMENTING NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON THEIR LAND. THIS IS A KEY AVENUE TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE. OTHER TITLES COVER A WIDE RANGE THAT INCLUDES FOOD EXPORT SUBSIDIES AND INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID, LOAN PROGRAMS FOR FARMERS, INVESTMENT IN RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, CONSERVATION FOR FOREST STEWARDSHIP, DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ENERGY AND FUNDING FOR FARMERS MARKETS, ORGANIC FARMING AND LOCAL FOOD PROGRAMS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE SOMEONE DO A PRESENTATION TO THIS BOARD SO THAT THE PUBLIC ALSO GETS SOME INFORMATION ON THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS PARAMJIT SINGH AND MY HOME IS ON THE BUCHANAN HOLLOW ROAD LE GRAND. THE ADDRESS IS 20552 BUCHANAN HOLLOW ROAD. IT'S. THIS AREA IS LYING ON THE TAIL END OF THE BUCHANAN HOLLOW ROAD. I CAME HERE BEFORE ALSO ON JANUARY 10TH, WHEN THERE WERE HEAVY RAINS. AND IF YOU ALL KNOW, I GAVE PICTURES, EVERYTHING OF THE HOW BAD CONDITION OF THE ROAD IS THERE THAT I CAN'T EVEN REACH MY HOME. IT WAS I MEAN, I HAVE TO I HAD A TENANT ALSO. I HAD TO PAY FOR HIM TO PUT IN A HOTEL THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THE RAIN AND THE ROAD, BOTH CARS CANNOT GO, VEHICLE CANNOT GO. SO ALL THOSE BAD CONDITION I BROUGHT TO THE NOTICE OF THE BOARD, I EVEN SPOKE PERSONALLY TO THE BOARD MEMBERS REGARDING THE BAD CONDITION AND I WAS GIVEN BIG HOPES ALSO. BUT I'M COMING NOW. AFTER TEN MONTHS, NOT EVEN ONE PENNY HAS BEEN SPENT AND NOW OCTOBER IS COMING. I WILL GET A BIG HEFTY BILL FOR THE TAX PAYMENT. I'M AT LEAST IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, I'M PAYING TAXES. I PAID MORE THAN $100,000 IN TAXES. NOT EVEN ONE PENNY COUNTY HAS SPENT ON THAT ROAD. SO I DON'T KNOW. RAINY SEASON IS GOING TO COME AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY MY PROPERTY AGAIN. IF THE SAME RAINY SEASON CAME, THEN I CANNOT EVEN REACH MY PROPERTY. SO THIS IS A CONDITION I HAVE. MY HUMBLE REQUEST IS SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ON THAT ROAD BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ENJOY MY PROPERTY. DESPITE PAYING TAXES, I'M PAYING NEARLY 10,000 EVERY YEAR IN TAXES AND ANOTHER 10,000 EVERY YEAR ON INSURANCE. AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT IN THE RAINY SEASONS, MY GET SCARED THAT WHETHER I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH MY PROPERTY OR NOT. SO I GAVE THIS PETITION IN JANUARY. I DID NOT GET EVEN ONE LINE OF REPLY. ALSO IT COMES IN THE DISTRICT ONE, SO I'M GIVING IT AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT MY HUMBLE REQUEST IS THAT ROAD. IN THE LAST TEN YEARS I'VE NOT SEEN EVEN ONE PENNY SPENT ON THAT ROAD, DESPITE EVEN MY MYSELF ALONE HAS PAID MORE THAN $100,000 IN TAXES. I WISH I HAD NOT PAID THAT ACCIDENT, SPENT THAT MONEY ON MY ROAD. SO MY HUMBLE REQUEST IS KINDLY DO SOMETHING BECAUSE RAINY SEASON IS GOING TO COME AGAIN. AND IF I CANNOT ENJOY MY PROPERTY, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY LEGAL COURSE IS AVAILABLE TO ME OR NOT. BUT I'M GOING TO COME TO YOU AGAIN WITH THE REQUEST THAT KINDLY DO SOMETHING FOR THAT ROAD. APPRECIATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR. GOOD MORNING BOARD. AS YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS ASHLEY PENA. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE BOARD MEMBERS AN UPDATE FROM A CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS POINT OF VIEW OF HOW THINGS ARE BEEN GOING WITHIN THE CORRECTIONS BUREAU SINCE I STARTED SPEAKING AT THESE MEETINGS. SINCE JUNE, WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF FIVE OFFICERS RESIGN. [00:15:03] THERE WERE MORE EXPECTED TO RESIGN. ONE OF THE FIVE WENT TO ANOTHER COUNTY, ANOTHER AGENCY IN A DIFFERENT COUNTY, STANISLAUS COUNTY. THE TRENDS OF OFFICERS LEAVING IS NOT GOING TO STOP. EVERY DAY WHEN I GO TO WORK, I HEAR MY FELLOW COWORKERS TALK ABOUT LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. SOME HAVE ALREADY APPLIED ELSEWHERE. I HAVE EVEN APPLIED FOR EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. SOME ARE EVEN PEOPLE WHO JUST STARTED AS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. I'M SURE THE BOARD IS WONDERING WHY THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS ARE SEVERELY OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID. EVERY WEEK A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER IN MERCED COUNTY IS BEING MANDATED THREE 16 HOUR SHIFTS IN A ROW WITH SUPERVISORS ASKING IF THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK A FOURTH 16 HOUR SHIFT TRYING TO COVER STAFFING. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, HERE WE GO AGAIN. SHE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT PAY. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT? THE SHERIFF CAME TO THIS BOARD AND TOLD THEM TO GIVE AN EMERGENCY 15% RAISE TO THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. OUTSIDE NEGOTIATIONS. YES, I KNOW A RAISE ISN'T GOING TO FIX EVERYTHING, BUT WHAT IT WILL START TO FIX IS THE STAFFING ISSUES. CURRENT CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WILL STAY AND MORE PEOPLE WANT TO APPLY TO MERCED COUNTY BECAUSE WE WILL BE CLOSE TO WHAT SURROUNDING AGENCIES ARE MAKING. RECENTLY, I SAW SOME NUMBERS THAT WERE DISTURBING AND HONESTLY DISGUSTING. IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS, OPERATIONS, WHICH COVERS PATROL, TOTAL A LITTLE OVER 560 HOURS OF OVERTIME. THOSE ARE THE FIRST RESPONDERS YOU SEE. YOU MIGHT BE THINKING THAT'S A LOT. HOWEVER, WITHIN CORRECTIONS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE UNSEEN FIRST RESPONDERS THE PAST THREE MONTHS, THERE WAS A TOTAL OF OVER 15,000 HOURS OF OVERTIME, 15,000 HOURS FOR ABOUT 65 EMPLOYEES. LET THAT NUMBER SINK IN. AND MIND YOU, WE ONLY RECEIVE TIME AND A HALF FOR OVERTIME PAY. WE DON'T RECEIVE DOUBLE TIME AFTER WORKING 12 HOURS. IT'S JUST TIME AND A HALF. MOST OF THE TIME, ESPECIALLY ON WEEKENDS, WE GO UNDERSTAFFED BY TWO POSITIONS. JUST THIS PAST SATURDAY, EL-SISI HAD A TOTAL OF FOUR OFFICERS AND A SERGEANT WORKING A FACILITY THAT HOLDS OVER 300 INMATES. THE MAIN JAIL, WHICH ACCEPTS ALL THE NEW ARRESTEES FROM THE AGENCIES, HAD A TOTAL OF FOUR OFFICERS AND A SERGEANT. THAT JAIL HAS APPROXIMATELY 200 INMATES. WHEN IS A BOARD IN THE COUNTY GOING TO START TAKING ACTION? IS IT WHEN A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER GETS INTO A CAR ACCIDENT AND SERIOUSLY INJURED ON THE WAY HOME DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP AND BURNOUT? IS IT WHEN A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER GETS ATTACKED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE THEIR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP? A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER IN MERCED COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE. MOST CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS HAVE A FAMILY AND KIDS, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY BARELY HAVE TIME TO SPEND WITH THEM. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE MY JOB. THE PART I DON'T LOVE IS THE BURNOUT AND HAVING TO DO NOT JUST MY ASSIGNED TASKS OF CLASSIFICATION, WHICH HOLDS A HIGHER LIABILITY AT NO HIGHER PAY, BUT THE JOB OF A LINE STAFF OFFICER ON TOP OF IT. I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING TO ADJUST MY SLEEP SCHEDULE DUE TO THE FEMALE SHORTAGE. ONE DAY I WILL WORK FROM 7 A.M. TO 11 P.M. THE VERY NEXT DAY I'M WORKING FROM 3 P.M. TO 7 A.M. I'M ONLY 27 YEARS OLD AND I AM TIRED OF BEING TIRED. I AM TIRED OF TRYING TO KEEP MY COWORKERS TO STAY, SAYING IT WILL GET BETTER, BUT IT'S NOT. YES, IT'S NICE THAT THE JAIL CONSTRUCTION STARTED, BUT WHAT WON'T BE NICE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO FULLY OPERATE DUE TO LOW STAFFING. THE JAIL OPERATES 24 OVER SEVEN 365. GIVE ME A FEW MORE SECONDS TO FINISH UP YOUR COMMENT. GOOD. YES, IT'S NICE WITH THE GEL CONSTRUCTION STARTED, BUT WHAT WON'T BE NICE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO FULLY OPERATE DUE TO LOW STAFFING. THE GEL OPERATES 24 OVER SEVEN 365 DAYS A YEAR. CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS DON'T GET HOLIDAYS OFF OR WORK. A SIMPLE 9 TO 5 BE THE BOARD THAT MAKES A POSITIVE CHANGE FOR CORRECTIONS. BE THE BOARD THAT SUPPORTS YOUR UNSEEN FIRST RESPONDERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. MORNING. MORNING. MORNING TO YOU ALL. I HAVE A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT I GOT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. ONE IS FENTANYL. OH, I HOPE YOU ALL SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN MERCED IS A LOT OF FENTANYL ISSUES IN BEACHWOOD AND FRANKLIN. WE HAVE ZOMBIES WALKING DAY AND NIGHT. IT'S GETTING TO THE KIDS NOW. I SEE BABIES PUSHING BABIES. WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING? WHAT IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN WASHINGTON DOING FOR FENTANYL? FOR MERCED? ARE WE PROVIDING THE LAW WITH HELP? ARE WE GIVING THE DEA MORE AUTHORITY TO LOOK OVER THIS? I DON'T WANT THIS TOWN TO BE WHAT? OREGON WAS. SEATTLE. SAN FRANCISCO. DON'T TELL ME THAT. I DON'T KNOW. FENTINOL. BEEN THERE, SEEN IT ALL. AND I KNOW WHAT IT DOES. AND THE SECOND ISSUE IS THAT PROPERTY THAT'S BEHIND ELM AVENUE, THE 16.6 ACRES. WELL, JUST LAST WEEK, WE FOUND OUT IT'S ABOUT TO GET DEVELOPED. THERE'LL BE 64 HOMES RANGING FROM 1400 TO 1800 SQUARE FEET. WE'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW IS IT GOING TO AFFECT US, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING UP THERE. ARE WE GOING TO STILL LIVE OFF OUR LAND OR THOSE RIGHTS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY? WILL WE BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, RAISING OUR OWN MEAT, RAISING OUR OWN GARDEN? [00:20:09] OR WILL THEY BE LAWS OVER THAT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR. GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING TO HEAR HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. MY NAME IS LARRY WATSON. I AM A UNION STEWARD AS WELL AS I'M AN EMPLOYEE OF HSA. I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU, TO ADDRESS YOU ALL, AS WELL AS CEO MENDEZ AND MR. HANSEN REGARDING THE INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BE FEELING THE BURDEN OF, THEY WILL BE HAVING THAT BURDEN COMING DOWN TO THEM. YOU GUYS VOTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT LAST BOARD MEETING ON ITEM NUMBER 53. I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THE HEALTH CARE INCREASE, HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOUR EMPLOYEES. THEY DO THE VERY WORK THAT MERCED COUNTY IS KNOWN FOR. THE THE COUNTY MOTTO IS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE. RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT ALL YOUR WORKERS ARE TRYING TO DO. BUT WE WERE GIVEN INFORMATION THAT'S A 12.1% INCREASE. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT LIKE NUMBERS. I'VE HEARD THAT ON OTHER BOARD MEETINGS, THE EMPLOYEES ARE ABSORBING 100% OF THAT COST. SO IT'S NOT A 12.1% INCREASE. IT RANGES ANYWHERE FROM 15% TO 1108.9% INCREASE TO THEIR INSURANCE, ANYWHERE FROM $28.15 PER PAYCHECK TO 139, $130.39, THE AVERAGE BEING 66, 39, 66, 43. WE'RE ALREADY EXPERIENCING EXTRAORDINARY INFLATION WITHIN THE COUNTY, WITHIN THE ENTIRE WORLD. RIGHT NOW, GAS GAS PRICES ARE OVER $5 A GALLON. YOU CAN'T GET A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE UNDER $1,000 ANYMORE. AND THE COUNTY CAN'T KEEP ITS EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THE COUNTY, UNFORTUNATELY DOESN'T PAY AS MUCH AS MCDONALD'S DOES FOR SOME POSITIONS. OR IT MAY BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THEM TO RESIGN FROM THEIR POSITIONS AND ACCEPT WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS, CALWORKS, CALFRESH, MEDI-CAL IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ARE MAKING LESS THAN $10 AN HOUR TAKE HOME, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RECONSTRUCTING OUR ROADS, THAT ARE BUILDING THE ROADS THAT THAT GENTLEMAN ASKED FOR EARLIER. WE KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING 100% THAT YOU CAN DO AND CAN PROPOSE YOURSELF, AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO TO OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS GOT TOGETHER WITHOUT UNION INVOLVEMENT AND SAID, LET'S GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES A 7% COST OF LIVING INCREASE. SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. YOU DO KNOW THAT THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH CONTRACT BARGAINING AND ALL THIS MEETING IS WILLINGNESS ON YOUR PART TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. CURRENTLY, RIVERSIDE COUNTY CAN'T COMPETE WITH OTHER COUNTIES IN STANISLAUS. THEY'RE PAYING A $10,000 BONUS OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS. HSA IS LOSING WORKERS, SPECIFICALLY SOCIAL WORKERS THAT PROTECTED CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTY. THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR POPULATION OR THE OR THE AGED ADULTS. THEY'RE LOSING SOCIAL WORKERS LEFT AND RIGHT. WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THEY'VE LOST SEVEN. I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE SECONDS TO FINISH UP YOUR THOUGHTS OR CERTAINLY SO AS WE DO ALL OF OUR COUNTIES, THEY ASK US TO WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THEM. WE'RE ASKING WHAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS WILLING TO DO TO BETTER SERVE THE FAMILIES OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. MARY MCWATTERS. I'M A UNION REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFSCME. I'M HERE TODAY BASICALLY ABOUT THE SAME SUBJECT THAT LARRY WAS HERE ON MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR OUR MEMBERS. EVERY YEAR THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE FIND OUT WHAT THE INCREASE ON THE MEDICAL INSURANCE IS GOING TO BE. THIS YEAR, IT'S A HUGE RAISE. IT CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR MEMBERS PAYING FOR GROCERIES OR COVERAGE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. EVERY YEAR WE GO TO BARGAINING AND WE ASK TO THE COUNTY TO REMOVE THE CAP ON THE INSURANCE AND THEY REFUSE. THIS IS A SUBJECT THAT COMES UP ALL THE TIME. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. IT'S GETTING RIDICULOUS RIGHT NOW. THE COUNTY THAT THE INSURANCE IS INCREASE IS FALLING 100% ON THE EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE NUMEROUS EMPLOYEES HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THIS CONCERN AND THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR INSURANCE, THE COST OF THEIR INSURANCE, THEIR THEIR [00:25:06] SALARIES AREN'T GOING UP ENOUGH TO COVER IT. THE INSURANCE HAS TAKEN ALL OF THEIR INCREASES. THE COST OF LIVING IS RISING. THEY'RE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO GET BY. AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY THINK, WELL, THE COUNTY PAYS GOOD ENOUGH. THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT SOME OF THEM AREN'T. I MEAN, THERE ARE POSITIONS HERE THAT BARELY MAKE MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS. YOU SHOULD NOT BE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY AND BARELY MAKE MINIMUM WAGE. WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK THE COUNTY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE COST OF THE MEDICAL INSURANCE. I REPRESENT A LOT OF OTHER AREAS. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD PLACES COME TO ME AND SAY WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. WE'RE ASKING TODAY THAT THE BOARD DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP THE EMPLOYEES COVER THE COST OF INSURANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. MORNING BOARD. I'M ANDREW, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE UNIT 14, THE DSA. AND I TOO I'M HERE ABOUT INSURANCE ISSUES WITH THE PREMIUM INCREASE. I SPOKE LAST WEEK ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE DSA IS AWARE THAT THIS INCREASE IS HAPPENING IN 2024. INSURANCE COMPANIES NEVER COME OUT HOLDING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK. HOWEVER, COUNTY EMPLOYEES SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO TAKE THE SHORT END OF THAT STICK. THE BOARD THIS BOARD SUPPORTS THE PRACTICE OF BURDENING COUNTY EMPLOYEES WITH 100% OF HEALTH CARE INCREASES SINCE 2018 AND INTO FOREVER. THE MAJORITY OF YOU HAVE BEEN SUPERVISORS DURING THAT TIME, AND ALL OF YOU APPROVED THE ANNUAL PREMIUM INCREASES WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED REGARDING HOW THIS IMPACTS EMPLOYEES. MERCED COUNTY CLAIMS TO COVER 100% OF EMPLOYEES MEDICAL PREMIUMS AND 50% OF DEPENDENTS WITH THE CAVEAT OF A CONTRIBUTION CAP. THAT CAP HAS CAUSED EMPLOYEES TO FALL EVEN FURTHER BEHIND IN TOTAL COMPENSATION ALL UNDER YOUR WATCH. PRIOR TO THE CAP, AN EMPLOYEE WITH DEPENDENTS WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 25% OF THEIR TOTAL PREMIUM COSTS. IN 2014, THE AVERAGE WITH DEPENDENTS WILL PAY 44% OF TOTAL PREMIUM COSTS, AND THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE PAYS 23 TO BE COVERED 100%. I'LL USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE. IN 2024, IF I STAY ON MY CURRENT HEALTH CARE PLAN, 24% OF MY SALARY WILL BE GONE TO HEALTH CARE PREMIUM INCREASES. THE LOWLY 6% INCREASE WE RECEIVED LAST ROUND NEGOTIATIONS IS WIPED AWAY AND I'LL BE IN THE NEGATIVE AFTER THE RAISE. GONE BEFORE I EVEN SEE IT. BEFORE TAXES, WITHHOLDINGS, INFLATIONARY COSTS OF LIVING, DEMANDING THAT COUNTY EMPLOYEE LIVE ON 70% OR LESS OF THEIR ALREADY DEFLATED SALARY. IT'S A DISGUSTING PRACTICE THAT YOU SITTING BEFORE ME PERPETUATE. WE CAN'T RECRUIT DISPATCHERS IF WE IF WE HIRE A DISPATCHER STARTING OUT WHOSE APPARENT AFTER DEDUCTIONS YOU'RE ULTIMATELY ASKING THAT PERSON TO WORK HOLIDAYS, WEEKENDS, GRAVEYARDS, ETCETERA. THE STRESS OF THE JOB FOR ABOUT 18 TO $19 AN HOUR PRE TAX, THAT'S AN ISSUE NEARLY ALL ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS FACE ACROSS ALL COUNTY CLASSIFICATIONS DUE TO THE PREMIUMS. IT WAS THE COUNTY'S INTENT WHEN THE CONTRIBUTION CAP WAS CREATED TO TURN FAIR AND EQUITABLE HEALTH CARE CONTRIBUTIONS INTO A NEGOTIABLE ITEM THAT COULD BE USED AS LEVERAGE AGAINST COUNTY EMPLOYEES DURING NEGOTIATIONS. YOU ALL HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COUNTY INBOXES MANY TIMES, AND I'M WILLING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO PROVIDE THE AVERAGE COUNTY WORKERS POINT OF VIEW ON THE MATTER. THIS PRACTICE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND ULTIMATELY YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED FOR BLINDLY PUTTING YOUR SIGNATURE ON LABOR CONTRACTS THAT ARE DROWNING YOUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD MORNING BOARD. ADAM REID. I AM WITH OLD TOWN ATWATER AND I JUST WANTED TO LET THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ICE RINK THIS YEAR AND THE TENT IS UP. SO I'D LIKE TO SEND OUT AN INVITATION TO THE BOARD AND THE ENTIRE COUNTY AND BEYOND THAT, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME AND EXPERIENCE THIS, IT'S DOWNTOWN ATWATER ON FOURTH AND CEDAR. WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND WE RAISE MONEY TO HELP WITH PROJECTS IN ATWATER. AND THEN ALSO WE PROVIDE FREE SKATING TO KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY. OKAY, I'M GONNA SWITCH HATS. ADAM REED, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE WINTON CEMETERY DISTRICT. I ALSO WANT TO COME OUT THIS MORNING AND LET THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD KNOW ABOUT SOME CHANGES AT THE CEMETERY IN REGARDS TO OUR DECORATION AND FLOWER POLICY. WE'VE HAD A POLICY IN PLACE FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR, AND IT'S GOT LIMITATIONS IN THERE. ON WHAT KINDS OF THINGS CAN BE DISPLAYED AT GRAVESITES. [00:30:03] AND OUR POLICY HAS GOTTEN OR OUR ENFORCEMENT OF THE POLICY HAS KIND OF GOTTEN LAX OVER THE YEARS. AND WE'RE STARTING TO ENFORCE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH ITEMS BEING PLACED OUT THERE THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE OR DANGEROUS FOR STAFF AND THE PUBLIC. SO WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC IN OUR RECENT MONTHS ABOUT OUR CLEARING, AND WE HAD A PRETTY STRINGENT POLICY AS FAR AS WHAT YOU COULD PUT OUT THERE. BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPANDING. AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, WE TOOK STEPS TO ALLOW FOR MORE THINGS THAN JUST FLOWERS. SO WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF EXPAND THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND HOPEFULLY IT'S A GOOD, YOU KNOW, MEETING IN THE MIDDLE POINT WITH THE PUBLIC. SO WE DO WANT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THAT THERE IS THAT POLICY AND THAT WE ARE GOING TO START START ENFORCING IT BECAUSE OF WE CAN'T HAVE THINGS THAT GET IN LIKE THE MOWING PASS AND STUFF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THINGS BREAK AND THEY GET IN THE WAY OF THE MOWERS AND IT THROWS STUFF AND IT'S DANGEROUS FOR THE STAFF AND THE PUBLIC. SO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR. I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE ELSE. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR CONSENT CALENDAR. [CONSENT CALENDAR] NEXT IS CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN. PLEASE NOTE ITEM ONE REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DICE. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP, WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. NEXT IS BOARD ACTION ITEMS, EIGHT AND NINE. [BOARD ACTION] ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, BRINGING BACK TO THE DAYS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT WILL BE OUR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS. ITEM TEN. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM TEN. I'M NOT SEEING ONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC. OH, SORRY. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA, YOU HAD A COMMENT? HOLD ON ONE SECOND. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. THIS IS A, UH, AN ITEM TO SELL A PROPERTY. A CASTLE BUILT IN 1325. YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO PROBLEM SELLING PROPERTY, BUT FOR HIS RIGHT PRICE, IT IS A ALMOST HALF AN ACRE. AND WITH THE BUILDING ON IT, AND I KNOW MOST OF THE BUILDINGS THAT CASTLE NEED ATTENTION OR TO BE UPDATED. BUT STILL, I THINK THAT FROM WHAT I READ, IT'S LESS THAN $100,000, SO I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. SO I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ON ON BEHALF OF THIS PROJECT. THE THE GENTLEMAN OR THE COMPANY THAT'S PURCHASING PURCHASING IT IS ACTUALLY LOCATED IN MY DISTRICT NOW. AND AND UNFORTUNATELY BUT FORTUNATELY, WE'LL BE MOVING TO SUPERVISOR MCDANIELS DISTRICT AND YOU KNOW THIS PROPERTY IS REALLY HAS A BUILDING ON IT THAT'S DILAPIDATED AND NEEDS A TON OF WORK. AND SO YOU KNOW, THE THE PRICE IS IS I THINK FAIR BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE THAT THE PURCHASER IS GOING TO HAVE TO PUT INTO THE PROPERTY TO REALLY JUST GET IT BACK TO TO A USABLE CONDITION. AND SO ANYWAYS, I'D JUST LIKE TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS SALE. AND YOU KNOW, WE'D KIND OF SET A GOAL OF WHERE WHERE WE REALLY WANTED THE LAND PRICES TO BE AT CASTLE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS EXCEEDS THAT AND SO OR AT LEAST MEETS IT. AND SO ANYWAYS I FEEL FEEL GREAT YOU KNOW THIS THE GENTLEMAN WITH A BIGGER SPACE WILL BE ABLE TO HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES AND YOU KNOW THE BEST BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS IS IS GET OUT OF THE WAY AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO TO EMPOWER THEIR OWN LIVES. AND HAVING A JOB IS IS PART OF THAT. SO ANYWAYS, THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR, FOR THE TIME. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT THIS BUILDING AND THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER THE MASK MANDATE WAS LIFTED AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ASBESTOS, THERE'S LEAD PAINT AND [00:35:10] ALL THAT. AND I SAID, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE MASKS ON FOR AN EXTRA DAY OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT WAS BAD. AND SO I THINK THE PRICE IS REFLECTIVE OF THE STATE OF THE BUILDING. HE'S DOING ALL THE WORK ON THE BUILDING OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET. I THINK EXPANDING HIS BUSINESS IS SOMETHING THAT HE WANTS TO DO. HE HAS A REALLY GOOD PLAN. HE ALSO WANTS TO INCLUDE SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THERE TO TEACH THEM THE BUSINESS AND TO GIVE THEM THE SKILLS NEEDED. I JUST THINK IT'S A IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTNER WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER WHO'S GOING TO TAKE A CHANCE AND AND REALLY DO SOMETHING OUT AT CASTLE THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE COUNTY. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH, I GUESS THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE THAT I CAN, BUT THIS IS APPRAISED VALUE THAT WE'RE SELLING IT FOR. SO THE PRICE IS WHERE IT IS. I MEAN, COUNTY CAN'T GO AND TRY TO MAKE A PROFIT OFF OF IT OR RAISE THE PRICE. I MEAN, THIS IS APPRAISED VALUE. HE PAID FOR THE APPRAISAL. HE'S GOING TO MORE THAN QUADRUPLE THE SIZE OF HIS BUSINESS, A LOT OF JOBS. AND THESE ARE GOOD PAYING, VERY GOOD SKILLED JOBS WHERE HE IS WORKING WITH ROPE AND EVERYBODY ELSE. SO I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS. THIS IS A VERY GOOD MOVE FOR FOR CASTLE AND FOR MERCER COUNTY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL NOT JUST THE ONLY COMMENT I'LL ADD TO IT IS, IS ANYTIME WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A NET LOSER, IT'S A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THE COUNTY OWNS THAT'S DILAPIDATED AND AS BEING A COUNTY OWNED PIECE OF PROPERTY, WE DON'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON IT AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT INTO THE HANDS OF SOMEONE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHO NOW NOT ONLY IS BUYING THE PROPERTY, BUT ALSO IS GOING TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES AND AND IN TALKING WITH AND KNOWING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUSINESS THAT'S GOING IN, THEY'RE BRINGING IN VERY HIGH DOLLAR MACHINES TO DO SOME VERY SPECIFIC SKILLED WORK. YOU KNOW, ONLY INCREASES THE VALUE AND REALLY TURNS A NET LOSER INTO A NET WINNER FOR MERCER COUNTY. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION TO THE JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ADDED, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP TO BRING REALLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR YOUNGER FOLKS FROM, YOU KNOW, INTO THE WORKFORCE AND GETTING THEM EXCITED ABOUT THE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. SO WITH THAT, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER NOW DID I OPEN I OPENED UP THE PUBLIC HEARING PART. NOBODY WANTED TO SPEAK. SO WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION PASSES 4 TO 1. NEXT UP, WE HAVE FIRE. ITEM 11. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON A FIRE. ITEM NUMBER 11. SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP WILL BE PROBATION. ITEM 12. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 12. I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP, WE HAVE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ITEM 13. THIS TIME, DIRECTOR ERIC SERRATO WILL BE PROVIDING COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM. DIRECTOR SERRATO. THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SIR. YEAH GOOD MORNING. HONORABLE CHAIRMAN SAID ON. HOLD ON A SECOND I'M TRY IT AGAIN. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. HONORABLE CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND CEO MENDEZ. MY NAME IS ERIC SERRATO AND I AM THE DIRECTOR FOR WORKFORCE INVESTMENT. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS TO ACCEPT $500,000, WHICH PAYS FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S ADMINISTRATION OF THE SURF PROJECT. JUST A FEW COMMENTS. I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR HIS THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP IN SETTING UP THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY. HE WAS THERE IN THE VERY EARLIEST OF CONVERSATIONS AND ALIGNED OUR PURPOSE AND OUR MISSION WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE SURF PROGRAM, WHICH IS A $600 MILLION [00:40:01] INITIATIVE BY THE STATE TO ORGANIZE ITS REGIONAL ECONOMIES. MERCED COUNTY, THROUGH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, SERVES AS THE LEADER OF THIS PROCESS, A PROCESS THAT WE'VE NOW RENAMED NORTH VALLEY THRIVE. AGAIN, IT'S PART OF A $600 MILLION PROJECT TO HELP THE STATE ORGANIZE ITS ECONOMY, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? IT MEANS THAT WE GET TO HELP GUIDE THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND REGIONAL ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS IN TOWNS LIKE SANTANELLA AND LIVINGSTON AND PLACES LIKE PLANADA AND MERCED SO THAT WE ARE AT THE TABLE AND OUR VOICE IS ABSOLUTELY HEARD. HOW MUCH MONEY IS THIS? WELL, INITIALLY WE'RE TO RECEIVE $14 MILLION BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO DRAW DOWN MORE THAN $30 MILLION IN 2024 TO FUND PROJECTS THAT WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE THREE COUNTY REGION. WE'VE BEEN BUSY THIS SUMMER. WE'VE HELD 45 DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER SESSIONS INTERVIEWING MORE THAN 700 RESIDENTS. WE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE FIRST RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE AMONG UC MERCED, CAL STATE STANISLAUS AND UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC THAT WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY. I'M REMINDED OF THE CHAIR'S ADAGE THAT WE ARE NOT A WEALTHY COUNTY BUT A HEALTHY COUNTY. AND SO THAT'S THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE WALK INTO THIS WORK WITH CLARITY OF PURPOSE, HUMILITY AND A DRIVE TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND FAIR ECONOMY FOR ALL THREE COUNTIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR SERRATO. QUESTIONS. COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 13. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DICE. WE'RE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL HAS A COMMENT. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR THIS. I WAS THERE AT THE BEGINNING AND THEN THEY KICKED ME OUT OF IT. BUT NO, NO. ERIC'S LEADERSHIP IN THIS HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. ERIC TOOK THIS AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY LOVES ERIC ANYWAY, WHEN IT COMES FROM SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, STANISLAUS COUNTY, OUR PARTNERS IN THIS, AND THEY HAVE ALL BEEN LOOKING UP TO ERIC, BUT HE AND I HAD THE IDEA THAT THIS IS ALREADY WHAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DOES, AND WE FELT LIKE THIS IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE IN MERCED COUNTY. AND I THINK WE CONVINCED THE OTHER COUNTIES AS WELL THAT THAT'S THAT'S DEFINITELY THE FOCUS AND THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. SO, ERIC, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. VERY GOOD. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA YOU IN OR OUT? OKAY, VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA CALL FOR THE VOTE. IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE TO CLOSE THE DOORS IN THE BACK, I'D APPRECIATE IT. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP, WE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ITEM 14. AND AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JOHN NISHIYAMA, WHO WILL BE PROVIDING PROVIDING COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNTY COUNCIL AND CEO MENDEZ. JOHN NISHIYAMA, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION SERVICES. TODAY, WITH YOUR APPROVAL, WE ARE TAKING A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN BRIDGING THE GAP FOR APPROXIMATELY 2700 UNDERSERVED HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN THE COUNTY OF MERCED, WHERE BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, THE PASSING OF THE AGENDA ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU WILL ADOPT A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE COUNTY'S SUPPORT OF THE INTERNET SERVICES. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO EARLIER THIS YEAR RESPONDED TO AND MET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR RFC NUMBER SEVEN 5 TO 7 BROADBAND LAST MILE INFRASTRUCTURE. BOTH AT&T AND COMCAST WILL BE SUBMITTING THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR AVAILABLE FEDERAL FUNDING ACCOUNT GRANT FUNDING ADMINISTERED BY CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION. THE GRANT FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE BUILDOUT OF BROADBAND LAST MILE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT LACK BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICES IN THEIR AREA. AT&T PROPOSED PROJECTS WILL INCLUDE THE AREAS OF HIGH ATWATER AND PORTIONS OF THE CITY OF MERCED. AND ADDITIONALLY, COMCAST HAS PROPOSED PROJECTS IN THE AREAS OF THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, SOUTH SOUTH DOS PALOS, DOS PALOS, Y, LE GRAND AND CENTINELA. FINALLY, ON BEHALF OF MARK COWART, THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE COUNTY STAFF MEMBERS, THE CONSULTANTS AND PARTNERING AGENCIES WHO HAVE WORKED COLLABORATIVELY TO DEVELOP THIS INITIAL PLAN TO CLOSE THE GAP TO ACCESS BROADBAND [00:45:02] INTERNET IN THESE IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES. IN CLOSING, AGAIN, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE BOARD'S SUPPORT AND CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO THANK TEDDY FOR BEING HERE WITH AT&T DURING COVID AND AT&T ACTUALLY SAW THIS AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. WE WERE SITTING DOWN IN OUTDOOR CAFES AND DISCUSSING BRINGING IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EVERYBODY ELSE TRYING. WE KNEW THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS KNEW WHERE THE SHORTFALLS WERE. AND IN DOING SO, I JUST LIKE TO THANK CONSULTANTS. TEDDY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL AS COMCAST FOR STEPPING UP. I KNOW THIS ISN'T PART OF IT, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO PLANADA. AND SO THESE DISCUSSIONS STARTED VERY, VERY EARLY. AND MOST OF US, BECAUSE OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS REACHING OUT, SAYING THAT JUST GETTING THESE KIDS ONLINE DURING THIS DURING THE SHUTDOWN AND THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED TO COLLABORATE, PULL IT ALL TOGETHER. JULIE TONE IS VERY INVOLVED IN THAT. SHE'S OUR CONSULTANT WORKING THROUGH THIS AS WELL. AND BUT SHE WAS WITH AT&T AT THE TIME. AND WE WE FIGURED, WHY DO WE WANT TO RECREATE THE WHEEL? LET'S HELP THE PRIVATE SECTOR DO WHAT THEY DO AND LET'S GET THESE FOLKS ONLINE. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT THIS IS KIND OF LIKE ONE OF THOSE LET'S TAKE A DEEP BREATH. BUT WE KNOW THE WORK IS BEFORE US AT THIS POINT. BUT LET'S HOPEFULLY WE DO WE WON'T GET ALL OF IT, BUT HOPEFULLY WE DO GET A LOT OF IT. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS. AND JOHN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THIS AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I WANT TO ECHO SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS. JUST A QUICK LITTLE STORY AND WHY I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IN SOUTH DOS PALOS IN THE MIDWAY AREA BETWEEN DOS PALOS AND SOUTH DOS PALOS, YOU HAVE SOME NEWER SUBDIVISIONS THAT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS. BUT LITERALLY IF YOU LIVE ACROSS THE STREET, YOU HAVE NONE. AND SO NOW YOU'RE FORCED TO GO INTO THE MARKET WHERE YOU'RE GETTING SATELLITE INTERNET, WHERE THE COSTS ARE A LOT HIGHER. AND AND AND I HAD TO JUST IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING OUT THERE. AND I HEARD THAT OVERWHELMINGLY IS IS JUST ACCESS TO INTERNET. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COVID TAUGHT US, YOU KNOW, OUR WORLD HAS GONE TO A DIGITAL ERA WHERE EVERYTHING IS DONE ONLINE. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT IT IS. AND IT HIGHLIGHTED HOW, HOW OR HOW MANY DEFICIENCIES THERE WERE OUT THERE. YOU GUYS HAVE ALL HEARD THE STORIES WHERE KIDS WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A MCDONALD'S OR A STARBUCKS JUST TO GET THE INTERNET TO BE ABLE TO GET TO DO THEIR CLASSWORK. AND I'M THANKFUL THAT WE'RE NOT IN THAT POSITION NOW, BUT IT JUST HIGHLIGHTED THE DEFICIENCIES. AND SO, AGAIN, I KNOW OUR I.T. STAFF HAVE WORKED HARD ON THIS. I APPRECIATE OUR APPROACH. I WANT TO SAY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND THAT TAKING AN APPROACH OF. YES. AND YOU KNOW, COMCAST AND AT&T IN SOME RESPECTS ARE COMPETITORS. BUT REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WITH THESE DOLLARS THAT ARE FLOWING IN SPECIFICALLY FOR BROADBAND, ARE ALLOWING US TO DO IS HELP THE UNDERSERVED AND UNSERVED POPULATIONS. AND THEY'VE KIND OF PUT THAT BEHIND THEM AND SAID, HEY, WE CAN BETTER SERVICE THIS AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, COMCAST SAYS, WELL, WE CAN BETTER SERVICE THIS AREA. AND SO SO TAKING AWAY, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION IS A GOOD THING. RIGHT. AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR THE. CONSUMER BUT SAYING NO. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM ACCESS TO BROADBAND. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW THAT THERE'S PLACES THAT ARE A LOT SMALLER THAN US, COUNTIES THAT HAVE A REALLY UPHILL BATTLE IN GETTING INTERNET SERVICE TO THEIR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS JUST STRICTLY BECAUSE OF THEIR TERRAIN BEING KIND OF HERE IN THE VALLEY. AND YEAH, WE HAVE SOME HILLS, BUT BUT MOST OF OUR STUFF IS KIND OF IN THE FLATTER AREAS. WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WHAT I LIKE TO SAY IS BE THE SUCCESS STORY, BE THE MODEL OF HOW YOU DO IT. THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT WANT TO MAKE IT A GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER. THOSE ARE MY WORDS OF OF INTERNET SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT, I DON'T THINK GOVERNMENT GETS A LOT OF STUFF RIGHT. AND I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE FOLKS THAT THIS IS WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING. LET'S LET'S GET GET IT. WE'LL UTILIZE SOME GOVERNMENT RESOURCES TO HELP THEM GET THERE, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, LET'S BE REAL. FOR THEM TO HAVE TO GO PUT IN SPECIFIC LINES ALL THE WAY OUT INTO A COMMUNITY LIKE LE GRAND OR PLANADA. IT MAYBE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HELP. AND THEN NOW YOU HAVE WE GIVE THEM THE HELP TO GET THERE. AND THEN NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE AND QUALITY SERVICE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF THAT THAT HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS AND HAVE BRIEFED US ON WHERE IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING AND WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH AT THE END AND KIND OF JUST ALMOST TAKING AT THE END, LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT PROPOSALS AND SAYING, WELL, IF WE DO ONE PROPOSAL ON OUR OWN, WE GET A VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT. I MEAN, I CAN'T REMEMBER I DID THE MATH, BUT IT'S THIS SOMETHING LIKE $80,000 PER HOUSEHOLD TO GET THEM INTERNET ACCESS. BUT WHEN WE LOOKED AT PARTNERING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND HELPING FUND IT, WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE FOR FOLKS. [00:50:03] SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. SO I WILL NOW OPEN UP. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. ITEM NUMBER 14. I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE WILL HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE, ITEM 15. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15. SEE ANYONE WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. CALL FOR THE VOTE. STILL CALLING. STILL CALLING. THERE IT IS. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST. ITEM NUMBER 16 IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS. SORRY, STACY, I STOLE YOUR THUNDER THERE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE BOARD'S OPPORTUNITY, THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 16. NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DIAS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0 AT THIS TIME. WE'LL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK TO ALLOW STAFF TIME TO TRANSITION TO OUR FINAL BUDGET HEARING AGENDA. ALL RIGHT. THIS TIME I WILL OPEN THE FINAL BUDGET HEARING AND WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE MERCED COUNTY FISCAL YEAR 2023, 2024, FINAL BUDGET BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE. I'LL NOW TURN THE MIC OVER TO OUR CEO, MR. MENDEZ. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. BEFORE I ASK, OUR BUDGET TEAM, LED BY MS.. ANDERSON AND MR. CUELLO, COME UP AND PROVIDE THE FORMAL PRESENTATION ON THE FINAL BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING. I DID WANT TO MAKE SOME OPENING REMARKS. FIRST OFF, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND THE BUDGET AT A GLANCE DOCUMENT, IT IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU HERE IN THE CHAMBERS OR IN THE BACK. PLEASE HELP YOURSELF TO THOSE COPIES. WANTED TO START MY REMARKS BY JUST THANKING THE COLLECTIVE COUNTY TEAM THAT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THE BUDGET FINAL BUDGET PACKAGE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING. TOGETHER OBVIOUSLY EXTENDS TO INDIVIDUALS FROM OUR OFFICE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE, OUR AUDITOR, COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND EVERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT, ELECTED AND APPOINTED DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE RESPECTIVE BUDGET TEAMS. APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE HERE IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AS WE PREPARE FOR TODAY. AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, BACK IN ON JUNE 27TH, THE BOARD DID ADOPT A $1.14 BILLION PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324, 2023 2024. THIS HAS SERVED AS THE INTERIM SPENDING PLAN FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION COMMENCING ON JULY 1ST. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. PRIOR ACTION. PROPOSED BUDGET AT THAT TIME WAS A CONSERVATIVE AND BALANCED APPROACH THAT USED PROGRAMMATIC FUNDING, A DISCRETIONARY AND DISCRETIONARY LOCAL REVENUE AND AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE. I'M PLEASED TO REPORT AFTER CLOSING THE BOOKS SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE PRIOR YEAR, THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS FINISHED STRONG IN OR FINISHED STRONG IN 2223 IN A SOLID FISCAL POSITION, WHICH ALLOWS YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS IN ADDITIONAL ALLOCATE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS. THAT SAID, RESOURCES AVAILABLE UNLIKE IN RECENT YEARS, ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIMITED, DUE IN LARGE PART TO YOUR INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPORTS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS AND PRIORITIES. THIS WILL BE THE STANDARD FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION GOING FORWARD. SO IT IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND PRACTICE FISCAL DISCIPLINE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE AND CERTAINLY UNTIL OUR FINANCIAL [00:55:02] OUTLOOK STRENGTHENS. THE RECOMMENDED FINAL BUDGET THIS MORNING IS A BALANCED BUDGET LIKE IN PRIOR YEARS AND A FISCALLY SUSTAINABLE PLAN THAT REMAINS FOCUSED ON LONG TERM STABILITY. AS SUCH, THE RECOMMENDED GENERAL FUND ADJUSTMENTS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS MORNING ARE ALSO BALANCED AND SUPPORT REQUESTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALSO KEY AREAS SUCH AS PLANNING, PUBLIC WORKS, ADMINISTRATION AND LIBRARY. ALSO INCLUDED IN THE FINAL BUDGET ARE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR SUBVENTED DEPARTMENTS TO POSITION THE ORGANIZATION TO BEST BE ABLE TO MEET OUR PROGRAM DELIVERY OBLIGATIONS WITH FEDERAL AND STATE RESOURCES. IN TOTAL, THE FISCAL 2023 2024 RECOMMENDED FINAL BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING HAS MODERATELY GROWN TO $1.17 BILLION FROM YOUR ADOPTED PROPOSED BUDGET. WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR FISCAL POSITION FROM THE PRIOR YEAR AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EMPLOY GOOD BUDGETING PRACTICES AS EXPECTED BY THIS BOARD AND THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY. IN CLOSING, OUR ORGANIZATION REMAINS POISED AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE STEPS FORWARD RATHER THAN BACK. THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR STEADY LEADERSHIP AND WILLINGNESS TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES TO HELP US TACKLE TOUGH ISSUES THAT OUR ORGANIZATION ENCOUNTERS AS A SURFACE. IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS A COLLECTIVE TEAM AND UNIT INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR. AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO OUR DEPUTY CEO, VANESSA ANDERSON. YOUR THREE MINUTES STARTS NOW. I'M JUST KIDDING. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK. I PROMISE. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UM, I THINK CEO MENDEZ COVERED THESE POINTS HERE IN HIS INTRODUCTION, SO I WON'T SPEND ANY TIME OTHER THAN TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE MANY CONSIDERATIONS AS WE PREPARED THE BUDGET. JUMPING RIGHT IN TO REVIEW SOME INFORMATION THAT IS UTILIZED TO BUILD OUR BUDGET. YOU SEE OUR FUND BALANCE AS OF JUNE 30TH MULTI YEAR VIEW HERE. WE ENDED OUR FISCAL YEAR 2223 WITH $128.8 MILLION. IT'S RELATIVELY FLAT COMPARED TO OUR FISCAL YEAR 21, 22 YEAR. WE DID CLOSE OUT OUR FISCAL YEAR. THAT WAS ONE SLIDE THAT WE SKIPPED. SORRY. I JUST NOTICED THAT I JUMPED RIGHT IN. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING MISSING. SO LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK. OUR REVENUES COMPARED TO OUR EXPENDITURES FOR THE GENERAL FUND. AGAIN, YOU SEE A MULTI YEAR VIEW HERE. WE CLOSED OUR FISCAL YEAR 2223 FAIRLY EVEN, EVEN WITH $556 MILLION IN REVENUES REPRESENTED BY THE YELLOW LINE AND $556 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES REPRESENTED BY THE BLUE LINE, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A $271,000 SURPLUS, WHICH, AS YOU CAN SEE, DOESN'T NECESSARILY AMOUNT TO A LOT FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMING. YOU CAN SEE THE TRENDS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WHERE THE YELLOW LINE EXPANDS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER FROM THE BLUE LINE, REPRESENTING MORE OF A SURPLUS WHERE FUND BALANCE HAD GROWN, WE HAD RECEIVED MORE REVENUES COMPARED TO EXPENDITURES. AND ONE THING THAT AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE LINES GROW CLOSER. WE'RE JUST SEEING SIGNS OF SOME ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NECESSARILY WE NEED TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS ON, BUT WE ARE TAKING PAUSE AND NOTICING THAT THERE IS LESS AGGRESSIVE REVENUE GROWTH SO PROCEEDING FORWARD IN A MORE CONSERVATIVE WAY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE. OH, THANK YOU. SO MOVING ON TO THE SLIDE WHERE I THOUGHT WE WERE STARTING. FUND BALANCE. YOU CAN SEE THAT TRACKS VERY SIMILARLY TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WHERE THERE WERE YEARS OF GROWTH AND THEN THERE'S A PLATEAU THERE FROM 21, 22 AND THEN TO 2223 REPRESENTING THAT $200,000 INCREASE IN OUR FUND BALANCE. THE YEARS OF GROWTH THAT YOU SEE FOR STARTING IN FROM 1920 UP TO ABOUT 2122 REALLY REPRESENT SOME INFLOWS OF OF UNEXPECTED OR ONE TIME FUNDING SUCH AS THE CARES AND THE ARPA MONEY THAT REALLY BOLSTERED OUR GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS CERTAIN EXPENSES THAT PERHAPS DIDN'T MATERIALIZE, WHETHER IT WAS VACANCIES, CERTAIN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, ETCETERA. [01:00:05] WE DO SEE IN 21, 22 TO 22, 23 LESS OF GROWTH THERE AS WE DID SEE CERTAIN EXPENDITURES MATERIALIZE AS WE'LL GET INTO IN FUTURE SLIDES. AND THEN WE ALSO DID NOT HAVE AS AGGRESSIVE REVENUE GROWTH OR THOSE ONE TIME CONTRIBUTIONS MENTIONED. UNPACKING THE FUND BALANCE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, JUST TO SHOW WHAT THAT $128.8 MILLION DOES CONSIST OF. THE BOTTOM SECTION THAT YOU'LL SEE IS $71.8 MILLION IN AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE. AND THEN THE YELLOW SECTION REPRESENTS ENCUMBRANCES OR COMMITMENTS THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE. AND THEN THE TOP SECTION REPRESENTS COMMITTED FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE, THE RAINY DAY FUND, AND CURRENTLY THAT'S AT $42.1 MILLION. THERE IS ANOTHER SECTION AT THE VERY TOP WHICH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR NON NON SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE. THOSE ARE INVENTORIES OR CERTAIN LOANS TO OTHER FUNDS AND LESS THAN $1 MILLION TYPICALLY YOU CAN SEE FOR 22, 23 FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, $128.8 MILLION MAKES UP THAT THAT THE TOTAL OF THAT BAR. ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION IS THE $71.8 MILLION YOU SEE CURRENTLY AS AVAILABLE WILL BE GOING FORWARD IN THE PRESENTATION LISTED AS 68.8. THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE $3 MILLION OF AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE AND PROGRAM THAT INTO THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE OR THE RAINY DAY FUND. SO THAT TOP SECTION WILL WILL, IF APPROVED BY THE BOARD SHOW, 45.1. AND AGAIN, GOING FORWARD PROGRAMING, WE WILL SEE $68.8 MILLION IN AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE. OUR BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUE MAKES UP WHAT THE BOARD HAS THE MOST DISCRETION OVER, AND THIS IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS OUR NET COUNTY COST. YOU CAN SEE OVER TEN YEARS WORTH OF INFORMATION HERE, STARTING AT $64.4 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 1213, GROWING UP TO FISCAL YEAR 2324. WHAT WE HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR RECOMMENDED FINAL BUDGET PACKAGE AT $126.8 MILLION CERTAIN YEARS IN THE MOST RECENT PRIOR YEARS, YOU'LL SEE SOME GROWTH REPRESENTED FROM SALES TAX OR DIFFERENT PROPERTY TAX SOURCES. AND WE DO HAVE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO SHOW IN THE NEXT SLIDE THAT WILL BREAK DOWN THE $126.8 MILLION. AND ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION, THESE BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUES ARE REALLY WHAT THE BOARD HAS DISCRETION OVER PROGRAMING. A LOT OF PROGRAMS WITHIN THE COUNTY DO BRING THEIR OWN SOURCE OF FUNDING, PRIMARILY AREAS LIKE OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, WHICH DO PROVIDE FEDERAL, STATE AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. THIS IS REALLY WHAT THE BOARD HAS TO USE FOR EITHER THEIR PRIORITIES OR PROGRAMS AND ITEMS THAT OTHERWISE DON'T HAVE FUNDING THAT THAT ARE USED TO COVER FOR THE PROGRAM, PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DETAILED BREAKDOWN FOR THOSE BUDGETED LOCAL RESOURCES. YOU'LL SEE THE 126.8 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS TABLE AND THE BREAKDOWN. YOU SEE, THE PROPERTY TAXES AT THE VERY TOP IS THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE IN OUR LOCAL RESOURCES, SALES TAX BEING THE NEXT HIGHEST. AND WE HAVE $11 MILLION THAT WE ARE BUDGETING IN OUR SALES TAX REVENUE THAT IS BEING HELD FLAT. AGAIN, I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION SEEING SOME SIGNS OF SLOW DOWN AND THAT IS ONE SOURCE THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MUCH GROWTH IN. AND SO TAKING A LOOK AT THAT AND AND PROCEEDING CAUTIOUSLY, ONE THING IN OUR PROPERTY TAX CATEGORY IS THERE'S $1 MILLION THAT WE HAVE DETERMINED TO INCREASE IN OUR FINAL BUDGET FROM PROPOSED THAT IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AS ONGOING. THERE IS AN ADJUSTMENT TO OUR PROPERTY TAX SOURCE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING AT A HIGHER AMOUNT GOING FORWARD. OUR INTEREST REVENUE, WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF ONE AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN WORKING WITH OUR AUDITOR COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE. WE'VE DETERMINED THAT THAT SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE TIME BEING APPEARS TO BE COMING IN HIGHER. SO WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT AS A ONE TIME INCREASE IN OUR LOCAL RESOURCE RESOURCES AND WILL BE EVALUATED NEXT YEAR IN OUR PROGRAMING. SO WE HAVE 126.8. ALL OF THOSE SOURCES MAKE UP AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE $68.8 MILLION IN THE FUND BALANCE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 195, $195.6 MILLION, GIVING A LARGER, I GUESS, SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THOSE BUDGETED LOCAL [01:05:08] RESOURCES LOOK LIKE. YOU SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE, OUR FISCAL YEAR 2324, THE GRAND TOTAL OF $195.6 MILLION IN LOCAL RESOURCES. THE BLUE SECTION REPRESENTS THE LOCAL REVENUES, WHAT WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT, $126.8 MILLION. THE YELLOW AND THE GRAY SECTIONS REPRESENT THE USE OF FUND BALANCE, THE TOTAL OF 68.8. THE YELLOW SECTION REALLY INDICATES WHAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE REGULAR SOURCES OF OF THAT FUND BALANCE. THE GRAY SECTION ARE OUR ITEMS THAT WE HAD CLOSED OUT THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE IN A FUTURE YEAR. SO THERE WERE SOME ONE TIME INCREASES. SPECIFICALLY OUR INTEREST REVENUE CAME IN HIGHER IN AT THE CLOSE OF FISCAL YEAR 2223. AND THEN WE DID HAVE A TRUE UP OF CERTAIN PROPERTY TAX ALLOCATION THAT WE CONSIDER AS ONE TIME. UNPACKING THE USE OF OUR NET COUNTY COST OR THE LOCAL RESOURCES. AND A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE $195.6 MILLION ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE DARKER BLUE AT THE BOTTOM REPRESENTS OUR COUNTYWIDE REVENUES AND THEN THE BRIGHT BLUE AT THE TOP IS OUR FUND BALANCE AT 68.8. THAT MIDDLE SECTION OF THE SLIDE SHOWS THE ONGOING USE OF OUR NET COUNTY COST. THE BOTTOM SECTION, AGAIN REPRESENTING THE COUNTYWIDE REVENUES OF $126.8 MILLION. WE INTEND TO USE ONGOING SOURCES OF REVENUES FOR ONGOING USES AND SO THAT IS FULLY SUBSCRIBED TO THE ONGOING CATEGORY. AND THEN YOU SEE $33.2 MILLION IN OUR FUND BALANCE. FUND BALANCE IS TYPICALLY USED FOR ONE TIME USES. IT'S NOT ANTICIPATED TO BE CARRIED THROUGH INTO PERPETUITY. SO YOU SEE A TOTAL OF $160 MILLION USE OF ONGOING NET COUNTY COST. THE RIGHT SECTION. YOU SEE OUR ONE TIME NET COUNTY COST ALL FUND BALANCE THREE $35.6 MILLION LARGELY REPRESENTS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND OTHER ONE TIME COSTS THAT AFTER THE COST COMES IN, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE TO SEE THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS. UNPACKING THE REVENUE SOURCES A LITTLE BIT IN COMPARISON TO OUR SPENDING AUTHORITY. YOU'LL SEE THAT BLUE LINE. WE'VE SPOKEN A LOT OF DETAIL HERE FOR OUR COUNTY WIDE REVENUES. THE BLUE LINE AT THE BOTTOM REPRESENTS WHAT THE BOARD HAS THE MOST DISCRETION OVER PROGRAMING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324. YOU HAVE $126.8 MILLION. AND THEN THE YELLOW LINE ON TOP REPRESENTS THE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. THOSE ARE THE FEDERAL, STATE OR OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUES THAT COME IN TO SUPPORT PROGRAM COSTS. AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324, WE HAVE 900 AND $917.6 MILLION. PROGRAMED IN THE GRAY BAR IN THE BACKGROUND REPRESENTS THE SPENDING AUTHORITY OR THE TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324, THERE IS THAT $1.17 BILLION BUDGET THAT CEO MENDEZ MENTIONED. AND CLEARLY THE THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THAT IS THAT YELLOW SECTION OF REVENUES, WHICH ARE THE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. THE USE OF LOCAL REVENUE IS PROGRAMED BY DEPARTMENT FOR UNMET NEEDS. AND THEN WE SEE THOSE DEPARTMENTS ROLLED UP INTO DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL AREAS. SO I'M SEEING HERE MULTIYEAR INFORMATION. THE BRIGHTEST BLUE BAR IN ANY GIVEN FISCAL YEAR REPRESENTS OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324. THEY UTILIZE $6.7 MILLION OF THAT, WHICH IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTED TO EITHER MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR LOCAL REQUIREMENTS. THE YELLOW SECTION IS OUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SECTION, AND THAT INCLUDES DEPARTMENTS LIKE PUBLIC WORKS, OUR AG COMMISSIONER, LIBRARY CORONER AND ANIMAL CONTROL. ONE OTHER AREA THAT THIS INCLUDES OUR OPERATING TRANSFERS, WHICH ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE MONEY OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER PRIORITIES THAT THE BOARD HAS MADE. SPECIFICALLY, YOU'LL SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 2324, THE BOARD HAS VOTED TO INCREASE OUR CAL FIRE CONTRACT. THERE ARE CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OUR ONGOING JAIL PROJECTS AND THEN THERE IS A NEED IN OUR LONG TERM FACILITIES FUND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FACILITY NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE GROWTH THAT YOU SAW FROM FISCAL YEAR 2122 IN THAT YELLOW SECTION TO FISCAL YEAR 2223 INCLUDES A $17 MILLION CONTRIBUTION [01:10:04] THAT THE BOARD MADE FOR THE JAIL PROJECT. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT YELLOW SECTION TRULY HAS GROWN AND CONTINUES TO HOLD THROUGH IN FISCAL YEAR 2324, THE KIND OF GRAY SECTION THE THE THIRD FROM THE LEFT INCLUDES OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE SECTION, WHICH HAS BEEN THE HIGHEST UTILIZER THROUGH THE LIFE OF THIS CHART. AND YOU CAN SEE THEN THE DARKER BLUE SECTION ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH INCLUDES OUR SUPPORT SERVICES AND THIS IS OUR CENTRAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND SUCH AS LIKE OUR ASSESSOR TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR, REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS. YOU CAN SEE SOME PRETTY CONSISTENT GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, LARGELY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE THE COST AND THE ACTUAL VOLUME OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. ONE MORE THING ON THAT TOP LINE AT THE VERY TOP REPRESENTS THE GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE UNMET NEEDS FOR EACH OF THESE BARS EXCEEDS WHAT THAT LINE IS AND WHAT THE BOARD HAS DISCRETION OVER PROGRAMING. SO ENTER THEN THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN DETAIL IN PRIOR SLIDES TO PROVIDE A BALANCED BUDGET FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION. ZOOMING IN JUST A LITTLE CLOSER, JUST TO SHOW OUR FISCAL YEAR 2324 GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES BY FUNCTIONAL AREA, YOU SEE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE AT 73% FOR $92.8 MILLION. YOU SEE THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT THE GRAY SLICE THERE FOR 3% AND OUR MUNICIPAL COUNTYWIDE AT 12.5 MILLION. AND THEN YOU SEE THE SUPPORT SERVICES AT $18.1 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF $126.8 MILLION IN DISCRETIONARY REVENUES. AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. COLONA FOR THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION. MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD COMMEND THIS COUNTY COUNCIL. HANSEN GREG KILO, BUDGET MANAGER, TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES DISSECTING MORE OF THE APPROPRIATIONS AND SPENDING AUTHORITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS FINAL YEAR OR FISCAL YEAR 2324 FINAL BUDGET PACKAGE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. STARTING OFF AT THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER, WE, AS MR. MENDEZ EARLIER MENTIONED, ARE LOOKING AT A TOTAL BUDGET, TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS OF $1.17 MILLION AND $357.3 MILLION OF THOSE COME OR RESIDE WITHIN OTHER FUNDS. THOSE ARE DEPARTMENTS THAT RESIDE OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND, SUCH AS FIRE, ROADS, CASTLE, CHILD SUPPORT, ETCETERA, LEAVING DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND TO CARRY $808 MILLION OR $808.2 MILLION WORTH OF APPROPRIATIONS. A LARGE SHARE OF THAT $808.2 MILLION IS FUNDED THROUGH DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE DEPARTMENTS THAT BRING TO THE TABLE THEIR OWN REVENUE, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE OR OTHER SOURCES. THAT ACCOUNTS FOR $612.6 MILLION, LEAVING A NET COUNTY COST TO BE SUPPORTED OF $195.6 MILLION, FAIRLY FLAT FROM PROPOSED BUDGET. THAT $195.6 MILLION, AS MS.. ANDERSON POINTED OUT EARLIER, IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE USE OF LOCAL REVENUES. THE REVENUES THAT THE BOARD HAS THE MOST DISCRETION OVER, THAT MAKES UP THE $126.8 MILLION, LEAVING THE REMAINING $68.8 MILLION TO BE UTILIZED OR FOR FUND BALANCE TO BE UTILIZED TO BRING FORWARD A BALANCED BUDGET. STARTING ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE WITH THE TOTAL BUDGET, $1.17 MILLION. AGAIN, THE 30% IN THE DARKER BLUE BLUISH GRAY ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS THE FUNDING THAT COMES FROM OUTSIDE THE GENERAL FUND. THE OTHER FUNDS, THE REMAINING 70% IN THE DARK BLUE BEING THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS DISSECTED EVEN MORE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, 75% OF THAT HIGHLIGHTED IN THAT LIGHTER BLUE COMES FROM FEDERAL, STATE AND GRANT FUNDING WHERE THE REMAINING 16% IN YELLOW IS BORNE THROUGH LOCAL REVENUE. AND THE 9% IN THE GRAYISH BLUE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BEING THE FUND BALANCE THAT'S BEING UTILIZED FOR THIS TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ACTUAL SPENDING CATEGORIES THAT MAKE UP AND THIS IS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND. [01:15:06] SO TAKING US TO THE $808.2 MILLION PAYMENTS TO CLIENTS, HSA ASSISTANCE, FOSTER CARE, ET CETERA. THOSE MAKE UP $165.4 MILLION OF THESE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE TRANSFERS AS TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY TRANSFERS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER FUNDS FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER. THOSE MAKE UP $18.3 MILLION CAPITAL ASSETS THAT REMAIN FAIRLY FLAT FROM PROPOSED BUDGET PROPOSALS AT $92.2 MILLION, AND THEN CONTINGENCIES THAT ARE BEING KEPT AT 6.5%, SAME LEVEL AS THAT PROPOSED BUDGET. THAT INCLUDES COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 2223 A DEPROGRAMMING OF $3 MILLION, AND THAT IS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE BOARD PRIORITIES AND THE UPGRADE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM IN TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND OF $808.2 MILLION. LOOKING AT A MORE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THESE GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS. IN THESE THESE CATEGORIES, WE SEE SALARIES AND BENEFITS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. THOSE STEADY INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAINLY RELATED TO THE ADDITION OF NEW POSITIONS AS WELL AS INCREASES IN SALARIES OR INCREASES IN WAGES THAT ARE THE RESULT OF COLLECTIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. THE SECOND CATEGORY PRESENTED IS THE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES, WHERE WE SEE THAT SAME STEADY GROWTH AGAIN DIRECTLY RELATED TO DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS AND THE INCREASED COST TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES. THE OTHER CHARGES, PAYMENTS TO CLIENTS, HSA ASSISTANCE WHERE WE SEE A FAIRLY STEADY GROWTH AS WELL. AND THEN THE LAST CATEGORY PRESENTED ON THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS OUR CAPITAL ASSETS. AND THAT'S REALLY A FAIRLY LARGE INCREASE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IF WE LOOK AT IT MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE GROWING COST AND THE LARGE VOLUME, THE LARGE NUMBER OF ASSETS THAT ARE BEING INCLUDED. AS THE YEARS HAVE PROGRESSED. DISSECTING THE SPENDING AUTHORITY BY FUNCTIONAL AREA A BIT MORE WE SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE PRESENTED THE TOTAL BUDGET ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. THE LARGEST SHARE IN BOTH CATEGORIES IS THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNCTIONAL AREA, MAKING UP 42% OF THE COUNTYWIDE TOTAL BUDGET AND 470 OR 58%, I SHOULD SAY, OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. IN THE LIGHTER GRAY, WE HAVE OUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES MAKING UP 22% OF TOTAL BUDGET, 9% OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET. THE FULL GRAY IS THE LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY JUSTICE SYSTEM, $177 MILLION, MAKING UP 15% OF TOTAL BUDGET. THAT SAME $177 MILLION REPRESENTS 22% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND THEN IN A DARKER BLUE, WE HAVE THE SUPPORT SERVICES AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS MAKING UP 21% OF TOTAL BUDGET, 11% OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AGAIN, A MORE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THESE FUNCTIONAL AREAS. AT THE VERY TOP, WE HAVE OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PRIMARILY SUBVENTED USING OR BRINGING DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES USING ONLY A LIMITED SHARE OF THE LOCAL RESOURCES. BUT WE DO SEE THAT LARGE GROWTH IN THAT LARGE CATEGORY UP AT THE VERY TOP MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES. THE STEADY GROWTH THAT WAS ILLUSTRATED IN THE LAST SLIDE, WE SEE THAT REFLECTED HERE AS WELL, PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE SYSTEM ALSO. AND THEN THE LAST CATEGORY AGAIN, THE SUPPORT SERVICES WHERE WE SEE THAT FAIRLY STEADY GROWTH WITH A LARGER JUMP REALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO ONE TIME FUNDING SUCH AS CARES ARPA, THAT HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR ONE TIME PROJECTS. THIS SLIDE PRESENTS TO YOU A HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE TEN PLUS. I THINK IT'S 11 YEARS OF POSITIONS ALLOCATED WITHIN THE COUNTY. COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE FOR ACTION ON LATER ITEM ON THIS AGENDA INCLUDES NEW POSITIONS AS WELL AS POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED AT THE TIME OF PROPOSED BUDGET AND A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT MID-YEAR. SO AGAIN, THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A SEPARATE ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY. TAKING A LOOK AT THE ADJUSTMENTS TO NET COUNTY COST, THERE WERE, AS MS.. [01:20:04] ANDERSON POINTED OUT EARLIER, SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THE REVENUE SIDE WHERE COUNTYWIDE REVENUE CAME IN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER DUE TO SOME OF THOSE PROPERTY TAXES AND THE INTEREST THAT WE IDENTIFIED FUND BALANCE BEING PROGRAMED A LITTLE BIT LOWER. AND THAT'S REALLY BECAUSE THE SURPLUS THAT WE ANTICIPATED DIDN'T MATERIALIZE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE SEE THAT REFLECTED ON THE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL, WITH $1.3 MILLION THAT IS BEING EARMARKED AND INCLUDED AS OR DIRECTLY RELATED TO THOSE POSITIONS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU LATER. AN INCREASE ON THE PUBLIC DEFENDER SIDE, A REDUCTION OF PLACEHOLDERS FOR GENERAL FUND RESERVES OF $3 MILLION, A REMOVAL OF PLACEHOLDERS, A NEW PROGRAMING OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, $875,000 TRANSFERS OUT TO THE LONG TERM FACILITIES FOR FUTURE NEEDS, $1.3 MILLION. THE ADDITIONAL COST THAT'S BEING INCLUDED FOR THE MAIN ADMIN HVAC $2 MILLION, SOME ADDITIONAL INCREASES TO REVENUE ON THE COMMISSIONER SIDE AND THE ANIMAL SERVICES SIDE. AND THEN AN ADJUSTMENT TO OR AN INCLUSION OF 120,000 TO UPGRADE THE ASSESSOR SOFTWARE AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 359,099, BRINGING FORWARD AN ADJUSTMENT BOTH TO THE REVENUE SIDE AND THE APPROPRIATIONS OF $1.2 MILLION WITHIN THIS NET COUNTY COST. INCLUDED IN THE RECOMMENDATION AS WELL FOR BOARD POLICY CONSIDERATION IS OR FOLLOWING BOARD POLICY IS THE INCLUSION OF 3 MILLION OR THE INCREASE OF $3 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES. THAT'S THE RAINY DAY FUND THAT THE COUNTY HAS. IT REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE RESOLUTION TO UTILIZE ANY OF THIS FUNDING AND A PLAN TO RESTORE THOSE RESERVES WITHIN A SET TIME FRAME AS WELL. SO INCLUDED IN THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS FINAL BUDGET IS THE INCREASE OF $3 MILLION TO BRING THAT UP TO 9%, WHICH IS MID RANGE THE BOARD POLICY THAT THIS BOARD ADOPTED. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY, THE COUNTY'S SAFETY NET. AND THIS IS WHERE WE SEE THAT DEPROGRAMMING OF THE $3 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR. THE $3 MILLION THAT'S DIRECTLY PROGRAMED IN FOR BOARD ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN AROUND THE REPLACEMENT AND THE UPGRADE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM. AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THIS GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY IS WHAT IN THIS LAST YEAR WAS UTILIZED IN RESPONSE TO THE FLOOD THAT HAPPENED EARLY 2223 OH. BEFORE I SKIP AHEAD AND CLOSE THIS OUT, HERE'S A LIST OF ON THE SLIDE OF SOME ADDITIONAL POLICY ITEMS THAT ARE ALSO INCLUDED ON THIS AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND THIS IS ALSO WHAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATION STAFF ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. RIGHT. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO QUESTION. YEAH, JUST FOR. EXCUSE ME. JUST FOR SAKE OF CLARIFICATION. AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, WHEN YOU SAY THE ONE TIME COSTS UTILIZING THE CARES OR THE ARPA FUNDS, WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE? THE BOARD INCLUDED SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. WE HAVE A ARPA FRAMEWORK WHICH INCLUDES MANY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS, VETERANS HALLS AND HVAC PROVIDED FOR THOSE COMMUNITY FACILITIES. WE HAVE ROADS $10 MILLION. I KNOW. PROGRAMED FOR ROADS. I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT LIST RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. BUT THERE ARE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT EVEN NECESSARILY ARPA FUNDING THAT THE BOARD HAS DEDICATED TO VARIOUS COMMUNITY PROJECTS. DOES THAT ANSWER? OKAY. YOU SET IT OFF? THEY'RE QUEUING. AND THEN IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WEREN'T ABLE TO START AND THERE IS STILL SOME MONEY LEFT OVER, BUT THEY HAD TO BE PROGRAMED, RIGHT? CORRECT. SO IF IT WASN'T COMPLETED IN ONE YEAR, IT DIDN'T CLOSE OUT THE BOOKS. AND SO WE'RE ROLLING IT FORWARD. AND TO SEE THE PROJECT THROUGH COMPLETION AT THE AMOUNT THAT THE BOARD HAD APPROVED. [01:25:02] THANK YOU. RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE I OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON OUR FINAL BUDGET PRESENTATION. PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS INCLUDED ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR WILL BE HEARD AFTER EACH ITEM IS ANNOUNCED AND IF APPLICABLE, PRESENTATION OF THE ITEM TESTIMONY LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. ALL RIGHT. NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. AND LET ME SWITCH MY PAGE HERE. SO NOW WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER. I GUESS I JUST READ YOUR PART, STACY, AGAIN. UP NEXT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO CONSIDER SETTING THE APPROPRIATION LIMITATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 2024, ESTABLISHED UNDER ARTICLE 13 B OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT RELATED TO SETTING THE APPROPRIATION LIMITATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 2023. ALL RIGHT. NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT. AND THAT SETS THE APPROPRIATION LIMIT. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. ALL RIGHT. CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL MOVE. SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. SECOND. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP, WE HAVE BUDGET CALENDAR. ITEM ONE FINAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS. ALL RIGHT. THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. SEE ANYONE OR CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. ARE ALL THESE VOICES? YEAH. NO, NO. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT UP WILL BE LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS. ITEM NUMBER TWO. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO. NOT SEEING ONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE WILL HAVE OUT OF STATE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAINING. ITEM THREE. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM THREE. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. EXCUSE ME? THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO POLICY ACTION ITEMS, BEGINNING WITH THE ROAD DIVISION WORK PROGRAM, ITEM FOUR. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR. NOT SEE ANYONE. CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE HAVE A POLICY ACTION ITEM FOR PARKS IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. ITEM FIVE. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE WILL CLOSE THE. DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? I CAN CUE YOU RIGHT IN. YOU'RE VERY HAPPY. I'M VERY HAPPY. AS LONG AS THEY GET THAT SKATE PARK BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE GOOD, RIGHT? THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ONCE AGAIN ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE. NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. [01:30:01] WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE HAVE A POLICY ACTION ITEM FOR CAPITAL ASSETS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, ITEM SIX. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER SIX. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. AND THE SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. CALLING FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE HAVE POLICY ACTION ITEM FOR AB 109. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SALARY LISTED ON THE AMENDING RESOLUTION IS THE ACCURATE BIWEEKLY RANGE FOR THE LEGAL PROCESS. CLERK ONE TWO. HOWEVER, STAFF WILL BE MODIFYING THE AMOUNT TO SHOW THE MONTHLY RANGE FOR THE LEGAL PROCESS. CLERK ONE AND LEGAL PROCESS. CLERK TWO SEPARATELY, THE AMOUNT CURRENTLY SHOWN IS A BIWEEKLY RANGE OF $1554 TO $2082. THIS AMOUNT WILL CHANGE TO A MONTHLY RANGE OF $3366 TO $4092 FOR A LEVEL ONE AND $3711 TO $4512 FOR LEVEL TWO. RIGHT. WITH THOSE CHANGES, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. NEXT, WE HAVE POLICY ACTION ITEM FOR THE WILLIAMSON ACT PROGRAM. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT FOR SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. THIS IS THE WILLIAMSON ACT. I OWN PROPERTY IN THE WILLIAMSON ACT AND SO I WILL BE ABSTAINING AND REMOVING REMOVING MYSELF FROM THIS ITEM. OKAY, I'LL STEP OUT. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA MR. CHAIR, I ALSO HAVE PROPERTY IN THE WILLIAMSON ACT AND WOULD LIKE TO RECUSE MYSELF. THANK YOU. THOSE TWO GENTLEMEN LEAVE. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. WELL, YOU GOT TO PUSH YOUR BUTTONS. THANK YOU, SIR. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. ALL RIGHT, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. OH, HOLD ON NOW. NOW RECORD IT. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO IN. PERFECT. JOSH, CAN YOU HIT. ABSTAIN. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES 3 TO 0 WITH TWO ABSTENTIONS. RECUSALS ARE TO RECUSED. WE HAVE THE ABSTAIN BUTTON. WE DON'T HAVE THE RECUSE BUTTON. SO LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THEY RECUSED THEMSELVES AND THEY DIDN'T ABSTAIN. WELCOME BACK, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU. WE'RE DONE. YEAH. NEXT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO PERSONNEL ACTION ITEM NINE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER NINE. NOT SEEING ONE WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE SUPERVISOR PEDROZO WITH A COMMENT OR QUESTION. YEAH, I JUST SO IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND I KNOW I TALKED TO MS.. BARRERA YESTERDAY ABOUT THIS, BUT THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THERE'S THE CHILD SUPPORT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POSITION. I KNOW THAT IT CHANGED FROM ANY COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD LIKELY PROVIDE THE REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES LISTED. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET SOME MORE CLARIFICATION ON THAT, OR AT LEAST FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION, WHY THIS WOULD BE CHANGED. RIGHT. WE HAVE ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER BURROW IS GOING TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS. [01:35:07] THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, CEO MENDEZ AND COUNTY COUNCIL HANSON. MARCI BARRERA ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER. SO THE LAST 5 TO 7 YEARS, HUMAN RESOURCES HAS HAD REALLY A FOCUSED INITIATIVE TO ALIGN THE JOBS CLASS SPECIFICATIONS OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO THOSE THAT ARE THE DIRECTORS OF THE DEPARTMENT, HEADS OF THE 25 COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. THE PURPOSE OF THAT ALIGNMENT IS REALLY TO ALLOW FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING. SO WE HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME HISTORICALLY WITH RECRUITMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY AND SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS REQUIRE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CALL OUT SPECIFICALLY CHILD SUPPORT. SO THE CHILD SUPPORT DIRECTOR REQUIRES A DEGREE, BUT THE CURRENT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DOES NOT. NOW, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE INCUMBENTS THAT WERE IN THOSE POSITIONS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEM WHEN THE INCUMBENT IS IN THERE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO RISK THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOW DISQUALIFY THEM FROM THEIR POSITION. HOWEVER, ANY TIME A POSITION BECOMES VACANT, WE DO REEVALUATE THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS. AND THE REASON THAT WE ARE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TODAY TO CHANGE THAT IS TO ALIGN THE ASSISTANT DEPARTMENT HEAD WITH THE SAME EDUCATION THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IN THE FUTURE, IF WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT HEAD VACANCY, WE WANT TO ALLOW INTERNAL CANDIDATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCESSFULLY POTENTIALLY COMPETE FOR THAT POSITION. OTHERWISE LEAVING THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH NO NO DEGREE AND REQUIRING THE DIRECTOR HAVE A DEGREE WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT INDIVIDUAL, THE INCUMBENT, WHO'S DOING THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AS THE NUMBER TWO WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE. AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO WOULD REQUIRE THE COUNTY GO OUTSIDE FOR THE RECRUITMENT. NOW, WHILE WE DO OPEN ALL OF OUR RECRUITMENTS FOR COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO EVERYBODY, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, IT'S REALLY LIKE I MENTIONED, A FOCUSED INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE HAD TO ALLOW FOR INTERNAL SUCCESSION PLANNING SO THAT AT A VERY MINIMUM, WE GIVE OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATES WHO ARE FAMILIAR AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETITIVELY COMPETE FOR THAT POSITION. OKAY. IT'S ALL DONE. OKAY. I GET, I UNDERSTAND THE SUCCESSION PLANNING AND STUFF, BUT WE HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME FULFILLING SOME OF THESE POSITIONS. CORRECT. I MEAN, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE US TO GET DIRECTOR WOOTEN HERE? QUITE SOME TIME, CORRECT. AND HE'S NOT FROM MERCED COUNTY. SO WE HAD SOMEBODY WHO WAS FROM MERCED COUNTY IN THAT POSITION WHO LEFT. NOW WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO COULD POTENTIALLY APPLY FOR THAT POSITION, BUT NOT ALLOWING FOR THAT PERSON TO APPLY BECAUSE WE ALLOW WE WERE SAYING YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS DEGREE IN ORDER TO IF BY CHANCE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WHERE THAT POSITION CAME OPEN, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FILL IT. SO THERE'S NO MORE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE. AND AND SO WHEN YOU SAY LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, WELL, HOW MANY DIRECTORS DO WE HAVE THAT CAME FROM OUTSIDE AREAS? JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DEGREE PUTS THEM ONE STEP AHEAD. SO CURRENTLY ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS REQUIRE A DEGREE. CORRECT. THE COUNTY AND WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BOTH INTERNAL. WE HAVE A MIX OF INTERNAL PEOPLE AS WELL AS EXTERNAL PEOPLE. WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN IN DOING RECRUITMENTS. IN FACT, IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW RECRUITING FOR TWO, WHICH ARE EIGHT AND NINE. SO THAT MEANS WE'LL HAVE NINE NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE AN INTERNAL CANDIDATE THAT'S SUCCESSFUL AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE SOMEONE LIKE MR. WOOTEN THAT HAD 30 YEARS IN CHILD SUPPORT, WHO'S ALSO AN ATTORNEY WHO ROSE TO THE TOP AND WAS SELECTED BY BY THE SELECTION PANEL. IN THIS SITUATION, WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION VERSUS AN ASSISTANT. SO IF FOLLOWING YOUR YOUR LINE OF THINKING, IF WE LEAVE THE POSITION, AS IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND DON'T REQUIRE AN EDUCATION, THEN THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BE THE DIRECTOR. SO WHAT LET'S SAY JEFF WOOTEN GETS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY OR DECIDES TO LEAVE TOMORROW, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE NO INTERNAL CANDIDATE WITHIN THE CHILD SUPPORT DEPARTMENT AS THE AS THE SECOND IN LINE ESSENTIALLY FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING. AND IT WOULD FORCE THE BOARD TO GO OUTSIDE. WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO GET MR. WOOTEN, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR RECRUITMENTS RESULT IN IN SUCCESSFUL EXTERNAL CANDIDATES. AND SOMETIMES IT IS. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON TRYING TO ENSURE THAT AT A VERY MINIMUM, WE HAVE INTERNAL PEOPLE THAT CAN ALSO COMPETE. BUT TO YOUR TO COUNTER YOUR ARGUMENT, LET'S SAY THAT MR. WOOTEN DOES DECIDE TO LEAVE, GETS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY. HE LEAVES TOMORROW. WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANYBODY NOW WE'RE DOWN TO. RIGHT. RIGHT. BUT THE SECOND PERSON WILL THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PERSON THAT'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, THAT'S THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN THE DEPARTMENT TO TO MOVE ON TO THAT POSITION OR EVEN COMPETE FOR IT. [01:40:01] RIGHT. BUT IN YOUR SCENARIO, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY WE WOULD BE ABSENT TWO PEOPLE. WE WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. CORRECT. WE HAVE SOMEONE THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEK, BUT THEN IT WILL BECOME VACANT. CORRECT. AND SO LET'S SAY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, TO YOUR ARGUMENT, MR. WOOTEN GETS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY AND GOES SOMEPLACE ELSE, THEN WE'RE ABSENT TWO PEOPLE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY IN THERE NOW FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE DEGREE. IF THERE HAPPENED TO BE TWO VACANCIES, THEN YES, THERE WOULD BE TWO VACANCIES THAT THAT VERY RARELY HAPPENS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WE WOULD HAVE THE DIRECTOR AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR VACANT AT THE SAME TIME. I'VE BEEN HERE 18 YEARS AND I, I CAN'T RECALL A TIME WHERE WE'VE HAD BOTH VACANT AT ANY ONE TIME AT THE EXACT SAME TIME. BUT, BUT IT COULD HAPPEN. YEAH. JUST FOR THE RECORD, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, MR. WOOTEN IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. I YES, YES. AGREED. NO, I'M JUST. JUST. YOU'RE USING YOUR ARGUMENT, AND I'M NOT SAYING I WANT HIM TO GO ANYWHERE. AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET HIM. AND SO WHEN WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM, I'M JUST THINKING THAT IT REALLY KIND OF PUTS US BACKWARDS. I THINK WHEN WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT PAPER. I RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE DEGREE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT AS A TEACHER, I KNOW CHILD SUPPORT. I MEAN, I KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH CHILDREN. NOW IT'S AND I HAVE A BUSINESS DEGREE, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THIS POSITION AND FINANCE. AND I HAVE A PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MASTER, BUT MY PAPER DOES NOT ALLOW ME FOR THIS POSITION OR IT WOULD, BUT I WOULDN'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT IT. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD. SO THAT'S JUST MY I THINK THAT I JUST THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY LIMITING OURSELVES FOR THIS. BUT THAT'S JUST MY POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR PAREIRA YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR WOOTEN, SO YEAH. THANK YOU FOR COMING UP. YOU'RE NOT LEAVING, ARE YOU? NO, I AM NOT LEAVING. IT'S QUITE THE SENDOFF, THOUGH. BUT NO, I AM NOT INTENDING TO LEAVE AND I'M THANKFUL TO BE HERE. SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT THIS TIME WITH LOOKING AT YOUR STAFF AND WHERE WE ARE, DO YOU THINK THAT. WELL, AND I GUESS REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE AND IT WAS FINANCIAL STUDY AND IT SAID PEOPLE THAT HAD A COLLEGE DEGREE AND PEOPLE THAT STARTED WORKING, YOU KNOW, THE DAY THAT THE COLLEGE PERSON WENT TO WENT TO COLLEGE AT SIX YEARS WERE AT THE SAME SPOT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, I THINK JOB EXPERIENCE REALLY IS IMPORTANT. AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, LIKE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW YOUR STAFF BETTER THAN I DO. DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS CHANGE IS NECESSARY AT THIS TIME? I DO SUPPORT THE CHANGE. AND JUST JUST SO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AS MS.. BARRERA INDICATED, THAT I HAVE 20 SOMETHING YEARS IN CHILD SUPPORT AND I HAVE IN TERMS OF SEEING DIRECTOR POSITIONS IN DIFFERENT AREAS I'VE WORKED IN NOW, AND THIS IS MY THIRD STATE IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY OR LEGAL CAPACITY. AND IN TERMS OF HISTORICALLY WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT POSITIONS IN AT THIS LEVEL HAVE MEANING. THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OR THE DIRECTOR LEVEL HAVE ALWAYS REQUIRED, IN MY EXPERIENCE, A COLLEGE DEGREE. I DON'T DISAGREE THAT NECESSARILY. YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PEOPLE COULD POSSESS, YOU KNOW, ATTRIBUTES. BUT THE COLLEGE DEGREE HAS HAS BEEN IMPORTANT IN AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE IN IN THIS LEVEL OF A OF A POSITION. THERE'S NO AND IN TERMS OF INTERNAL CANDIDATES IN IN MY DEPARTMENT, I DON'T KNOW REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS RELATED TO A DEGREE OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE BE SOMEONE FROM WITHIN THAT WOULD BE HIRED OR WHETHER THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING IN TERMS OF HIRING OR POTENTIALLY HIRING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE INTERVIEW THE BEST CANDIDATES FROM, FRANKLY, AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING. AND NO, I'M NOT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT PLANNING ON GOING ANYWHERE. YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HIRE ME IN APRIL, AND I'M PLANNING ON BEING HERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I, I HAVE AND DO SUPPORT THIS. I KNOW THAT THAT COULD LEAVE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES OUT OF THE RUNNING, WHICH IS CERTAINLY UNFORTUNATE AND NOT MY INTENTION, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE STAFF THAT I INHERITED HERE THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME ARE ALL HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND DEDICATED AND PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT WHAT WE DO. [01:45:05] AND SO I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT I ALSO LIKE TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE POSITION. THANKS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK THAT QUESTION, RIGHT, IS SOMEBODY WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE AND SIX MONTHS OF EXPERIENCE COULD QUALIFY FOR THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE SOMEBODY WHO'S WORKED IN THE DEPARTMENT FOR TEN YEARS OR 15 YEARS OR WHATEVER DOESN'T. AND SO I'M JUST A LITTLE YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO FEATHER THIS OUT BECAUSE WORK EXPERIENCE, IN MY OPINION, IS MORE VALUABLE WHEN YOU GET THERE THAN A COLLEGE DEGREE. WORK EXPERIENCE IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE, ALTHOUGH SIX MONTHS WOULDN'T CUT IT. I THINK THIS REQUIRES YEARS OF SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE PLUS YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE PLUS THE DEGREE. AND SO. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AND THAT'S. YEAH, BUT SOMEBODY COULD HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AND NOT HAVE IT IN CHILD PROTECTIVE OR SUPPORT SERVICES, RIGHT? I THINK THIS REQUIRES AT LEAST THREE YEARS IN CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AT A MINIMUM. AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE FOLKS IN MY DEPARTMENT WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE QUALIFY FOR THIS, THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. AND, YOU KNOW, AND IN TERMS OF THE CHILD SUPPORT AND RUNNING AND WORKING WITHIN THE PROGRAM AND HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROGRAM, AND I DON'T DISCOUNT THAT. IT'S IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE. IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, UP TO THE BOARD WHAT IT WANTS TO DO WITH THIS IN TERMS OF THIS POSITION AND HOW THAT ALIGNMENT ALIGNS WITH THE DIRECTOR POSITION ULTIMATELY. BUT NO, I DON'T PLAN ON GOING ANYWHERE TO CREATE SOME SORT OF DOUBLE OPENING. BUT SO IT'S UP TO THE BOARD. OKAY. BUT THAT'S THAT'S IN ESSENCE MY DISCUSSIONS WITH MISS BARRERA AND HOW THIS ALL KIND OF CAME TO BE. PERFECT. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THIS IS NOT JUST FOR ONE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS KIND OF AN OVER OVERSIGHT. I KNOW A LOT OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WHO GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY. THEY HIT THAT CORPORATE CEILING BECAUSE OF A DEGREE GETTING IN THE WAY. SO IN THAT, ARE WE ENCOURAGING FOLKS LIKE BECAUSE WE CAN SEE THE UP AND COMERS AND IF WE KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR DEGREE, ARE WE ENCOURAGING ENCOURAGING THEM LIKE WHERE TO FOCUS? BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT WHEN THEY GET IN A LINE OF WORK AND THEY CAN SEE HOW THEY CAN GROW IN THAT WORK, THEY WILL CONTINUE THEIR COLLEGE AND AND REACH THAT DEGREE SO THEY CAN. SO THERE'S NO PLATEAU. DO WE DO WE HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THAT? AND I'M NOT I'M TALKING ABOUT COUNTY WIDE. YES, COUNTY WIDE. WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WILL SUPPORT PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR EDUCATION. REIMBURSEMENT IS SUBJECT TO EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AND WHAT THEY CAN APPROVE. THERE ARE CERTAIN CLASSIFICATIONS OR CERTAIN CLASSES THAT THEY TAKE THAT ARE REIMBURSED IF IT'S WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR NORMAL DUTIES VERSUS OTHERS. IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT CLASSIFICATION YOU'RE IN. WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PROGRAM FOR MANAGEMENT THAN WE DO REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES, BUT THERE IS SOME EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT SUPPORT OUT THERE AND EMPLOYEES WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY ENCOURAGED TO TO SEEK THAT OUT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. QUICK QUESTION. OUT OF ALL OF OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, HOW MANY OF THEM HOW MANY POSITIONS DON'T REQUIRE A FOUR YEAR DEGREE? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT A COUPLE WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF ASSISTANT DIRECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THEIR POSITIONS FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, TEN OR MORE YEARS LONGER THAN BEFORE WE STARTED THIS INITIATIVE AND ALIGNING THEM WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. SO THERE MAY BE A HANDFUL OUT THERE. AGAIN, WE WOULD NEVER CHANGE THE JOB SPEC BECAUSE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OR THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND AS SOON AS WE CHANGE THEM, IF THE PERSON NO LONGER MEETS, THEY CAN NO LONGER DO THAT JOB. SO WE WOULD NEVER CHANGE THEM. WHILE A CURRENT INCUMBENT IS IN THE POSITION EVERY SINGLE VACANCY WE WOULD LOOK AT. SO THERE ARE THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. SO CAN I TELL YOU WITH 100% CERTAINTY THAT THERE MAY BE A HANDFUL OF THEM OUT THERE? IT'S LIKELY. BUT AGAIN, WE JUST CHANGED ONE LAST YEAR AT FINAL BUDGET, IF YOU RECALL, FOR THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICE. AS THESE POSITIONS BECOME VACANT, WE DO ASSESS EVERY SINGLE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND WE ASSESS IT AS IT RELATES TO THE DIRECTOR FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING PURPOSES. THAT'S THAT HAS BEEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS WITHIN THE COUNTY, 5 TO 7 YEARS. I'M SORRY, I JUST THOUGHT OF THAT QUESTION. I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO. YEAH, I CAN I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU AND GET YOU THE INFORMATION AFTER WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF ASSISTANT DIRECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THEIR POSITIONS FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS. AND SO I, I, I IMAGINE THAT THERE'S POTENTIALLY A FEW OUT THERE THAT ARE OLD. THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED AND BROUGHT CURRENT. CORRECT. AND AS AS AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, I CAN SEE THE VALUE IN BOTH SIDES. RIGHT. I CAN TELL YOU AS A PERSON WHO WENT THROUGH TWO YEARS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND DROPPED OUT TWO MONTHS BEFORE I COULD GET MY DEGREE, BECAUSE AT A POINT IN MY LIFE I WAS [01:50:08] LIKE, I'M NOT LEARNING ANY MORE IN SCHOOL THAN I WAS GOING TO LEARN. ACTUALLY, BEING ON THE DAIRY AND DOING MY WORK AGAIN, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID EARLIER, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THAT ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHO WHO NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE AND AND I HATE TO PUT OURSELF IN A POSITION TO WHERE WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND MAYBE WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR CAREER, YOU KNOW, COLLEGE WASN'T AN OPTION BUT CAME TO WORK FROM THE COUNTY AS A BRAND NEW EMPLOYEE, WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR AND SPENT 20 TO 30 YEARS WITH US AND HAVE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN REALLY PUT A PRICE ON THAT, NOT HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY. BUT THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT SUCCESSION PLANNING, FULLY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS SOMETIMES HARD FOR US TO ATTRACT TALENT IN MERCED COUNTY. WE'RE TRYING TO GROW WITHIN OUR OWN RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO TO GET SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY LIVES HERE AND HAS ROOTS HERE TO STAY HERE THAN IT IS TO SOMETIMES BRING AN OUTSIDER IN. SO I DO I DO STRUGGLE WITH IT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE THIS ISN'T SOMETHING BRAND NEW THAT WE'RE DOING. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AS ASSISTANCE. LEAVE THOSE POSITIONS. AND I WOULD HOPE AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO WANT TO SUCCESSFULLY HAVE SUCCESSION PLANNING THAT IF A PERSON ISN'T QUITE THERE WITH THEIR DEGREE, THAT THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE ALLOW FOR FOR THEM TO GET THEIR DEGREE IF THEY TRULY WANT TO NOT KIND OF TOP OUT IN A POSITION. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA QUICK QUESTION. OH, OH, THERE WE GO. QUICK QUESTION. SO IF WE PASS THIS RIGHT NOW, DOES THE CURRENT DEPUTY OR DEPUTY LOSE THEIR JOB? DEPUTY, THERE'S AN I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE DEPUTIES THERE TILL FRIDAY. OH, SHE IS THERE UNTIL FRIDAY. NO, SHE HAS A DEGREE. OH, IT DOESN'T IT WILL NOT AFFECT THE CURRENT INCUMBENT WHO'S THERE UNTIL FRIDAY. THERE YOU GO. YEAH. IF I COULD JUST MAKE ONE QUICK FINAL COMMENT. I, I JUST THE REASON THIS IS I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S VALUE IN WORK EXPERIENCE AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO EQUATE TO A DEGREE. HOWEVER, HAVING BEEN IN HUMAN RESOURCES FOR 18 YEARS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT HANDS DOWN, THE HARDEST POSITIONS FOR THIS COUNTY TO RECRUIT FOR ARE DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND THE REASON THAT THE BOARD DIRECTED US TO REALLY FOCUS ON SUCCESSION PLANNING IN THE LAST TEN YEARS IS FOR THAT REASON WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY AND WE HAVE ATTRACTED SOME GOOD TALENT FROM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY AND THAT'S BEEN VERY FORTUNATE. HOWEVER, IF WE DO NOTHING TO TRY TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR POTENTIAL SUCCESS FROM WITHIN, IT'S JUST ONLY GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT. AND SO REALLY THAT'S THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THIS ITEM IS BROUGHT FORWARD TODAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING BACK TO THE DAIS. THERE'S NO MORE COMMENTS IN THE QUEUE. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND THE SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. ALL OF IT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP, WE HAVE AUDITOR SCHEDULES, ITEM TEN. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TEN. NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL ITEM ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR, WHICH IS ADOPTION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, 2024, FINAL BUDGET FOR A TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF $1.165 BILLION. I SORRY, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 11. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND NOT SEE ANYONE AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA HAS A COMMENT. MY MIC DIDN'T GO ON. YOU'RE ON. OH. OH, HEY, THERE I AM. HE LIKES TO PLAY. HE LIKES TO PLAY GAMES WITH US. LIKE MY COLOR WASN'T RIGHT. SORRY. WELL, ANYWAYS, I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF. YOU KNOW, RAUL, YOUR TEAM, VANESSA AND TEAM. YOU KNOW, THIS HASN'T BEEN EASY. IT'S BEEN GOING ON. I DON'T KNOW SINCE. WELL, SINCE LAST YEAR, THE DAY AFTER WE PROBABLY ADOPTED IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY, SINCE, I DON'T KNOW, EARLY MARCH OR MAYBE EVEN FEBRUARY WHERE IT WAS SERIOUS AND AND, YOU KNOW, ANYWAYS, I JUST I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK [01:55:05] AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR I MADE A COMMENT AT AT THIS TIME THAT WE WOULD NEVER SEE OR I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD SEE $1 BILLION BUDGET AGAIN. YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY, I WAS WRONG BY, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT 120 MILLION, I GUESS. IS THAT RIGHT? BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WE WATCH THE SALES TAX NUMBERS AND THOSE ARE TRENDING DOWN. AND SO MY GUESS IS, I DON'T KNOW, NEXT YEAR MIGHT BE OVER A BILLION, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE BIGGER THAN TODAY'S BUDGET. AND SO ANYWAYS, JUST WE MOVE FORWARD CAUTIOUSLY. YOU KNOW, ONE THING I APPRECIATE ABOUT MY COLLEAGUES AND OUR STAFF TOO, BUT ESPECIALLY MY COLLEAGUES, IS THAT WE ARE ALL VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND WE WANT THIS COUNTY TO BE HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE DON'T RECKLESSLY SPEND MONEY. AND I APPRECIATE THAT FROM ALL OF YOU. SO THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. VANESSA, YOU AND YOUR STAFF. FANTASTIC. MR. MENDEZ, YOU AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS A VERY REFLECTIVE I DON'T THINK I'VE HAD THIS MANY CONVERSATIONS EVER ON A BUDGET. ANYTIME I WANT TO SEE A NEW GRAPH AND A NEW COMPARISON. VANESSA, YOU'VE BEEN RIGHT THERE AND ASK ME IF THAT'S WHAT I LIKE AND IF I NEED TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE MORE. IT'S GETTING TWEAKED A LITTLE MORE AT ALL TIMES. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND A LOT OF THINGS. A LOT OF FOLKS WHO SPOKE UP HERE TODAY, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE WANT TO DO. BUT I JUST WANT A BIG THANK YOU DEPARTMENT HEADS. YOU GUYS WERE ALL DOING IT. THE DA. EVERYBODY LOVES THE DA. SHE HAS A GREAT SHE JUST WALKED THROUGH HER HER FIRST BUDGET. SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, THIS IS GOING FORWARD. THIS WAS VERY REFLECTIVE OF THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH STAFF AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE BUDGET AND I'M AFRAID WHAT'S COMING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, ELECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT. MAKE SURE WHEN YOU'RE VOTING FOR YOUR STATE AND YOUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES THAT IT'S REFLECTIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE FEELING IT RIGHT NOW IN YOUR POCKETS. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO THANK YOU. NICE COMMENTS. BECAUSE. I TRY. THANK YOU. I KNOW THIS IS THIS IS KIND OF BUDGET, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, JUST HIT ON ONE THING REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE WE GET BEFORE I GET TO MY BUDGET COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO MENTION REALLY QUICKLY THAT I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I ALL HAVE BEEN RECEIVING EMAILS AND ARE AWARE OF THE CONCERNS FOR THE RATES, AND I'VE ASKED STAFF TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND THE COMMENTS TO PAINT A BETTER PICTURE MOVING FORWARD. AND YOU KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S BEEN DONE A CERTAIN WAY ALL THE TIME DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S THE WAY IT HAS TO BE DONE. AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO REALLY KIND OF START THINKING HOW WE CAN EASE THIS BURDEN A LITTLE BIT. BUT IN REGARDS TO MY COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, I THINK VANESSA SAID IT EARLIER IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUSLY CONSERVATIVE. AND I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT MERCED COUNTY AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MERCED COUNTY. AND THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE EXPENSES ARE GETTING TO THE CLOSE TO MATCHING REVENUES. AND SO SALES TAX IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON MOVING FORWARD AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR SALES TAX. I WANT TO THANK ALSO MY COLLEAGUES FOR, YOU KNOW, I THINK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SAID IT. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TAKES THIS JOB VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE JOKE AROUND AND STUFF. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SOMETIMES REALLY DIFFICULT FOR STAFF BECAUSE WE ALL LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND THEY'RE THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH A SMILE ON THEIR FACE, THINKING SOME OTHER THINGS IN THE BACK OF THEIR HEAD. BUT THEY BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US THE BEST INFORMATION AND THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS BEST FOR THE COUNTY BASED ON OUR PRIORITIES. SO, AGAIN, A BIG THUMBS UP TO VANESSA AND HER STAFF AND TO ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EVERYBODY THAT WORKED ON THIS TO RAUL AND TO MY COLLEAGUES. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS MOVING FORWARD. I, TOO, SAID THAT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE $1 BILLION. IT WAS I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE AGAIN THIS YEAR. BUT I AM A LITTLE I'M JUST, I GUESS, PARANOID BY NATURE. BUT I THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [02:00:02] I ALSO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE STAFF. GREAT JOB ON THE BUDGET I'VE AND WELL, KEEP US INFORMED AND GIVE US UPDATES AND YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING. SO I ALSO WANT TO STRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY. I KNOW IT'S HARD. THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS VERY HARD. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL THE EMAILS THAT I'VE RECEIVED AND I, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ADDRESSING THE BUDGET. BUT HOPEFULLY I KNOW TIMES ARE GETTING TOUGH FOR EVERYBODY AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE REVENUES ARE NOT GOING TO BE THERE. HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO BE TOUGH. IT SEEMS THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH. SO JUST LIKE MY BOARD, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS HOPEFULLY THE HEALTH AND, YOU KNOW, SALARIES NEXT YEAR A LITTLE BIT BETTER SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME WORK DONE. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. IN HIS SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA YEAH I TO VANESSA, GREG, TERRY, AMBER AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A FEW FOLKS THAT WERE IN THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT AREN'T THERE NOW, JUST ALL OF THEM. I MEAN, THEY START ON THIS THING PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE GET DONE WITH THIS ONE. JUST A GREAT JOB. I KNOW IN GOING THROUGH THE MULTIPLE BUDGET BRIEFINGS, WE HAVE QUESTIONS. WE WANT TO SEE INFORMATION IN A DIFFERENT WAY. I APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. IT'S A LOT OF WORK DEPARTMENT HEADS. WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR INPUT, WE CAN'T GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT HERE. AND ALL THE STAFF WITHIN THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK ON BUDGET. IF I COULD OFFER ONE PIECE OF CRITICISM AND IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY CRITICISM, IT'S JUST THE THING THAT ALWAYS CONCERNS ME IS, IS THAT HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO GET TO THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR FUND BALANCE END UP BEING RIGHT? SO WE GET DONE WITH THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO CLOSE OUT THE NEXT MONTH AND THAT TAKES QUITE SOME TIME. AND I THINK WE COULD ALL DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER MAKING SURE WE GET OUR STUFF SUBMITTED ON TIME SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER SOONER. BECAUSE WHEN THEY GET THAT NUMBER SOONER TO US AS THE POLICYMAKERS, IT HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO WRAP OUR HEAD AROUND AND WHERE DO WE PUT THOSE RESOURCES? BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THERE ARE WAY MORE ASKS THAN THERE IS MONEY TO FUND IT. THAT'S JUST THE BOTTOM LINE. IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROBABLY ALWAYS BE THAT WAY. AND SO AS A POLICY MAKER, WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO REALLY I HATE TO SAY IT THIS WAY, BUT IT IS BUT YOU'RE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO EVERYTHING. AND YOU HAVE TO SIT THERE AND YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE. I THINK THE SOONER THAT WE CAN GET THAT WELL, SOONER THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION SO THEY CAN PRESENT IT TO US. WE CAN GIVE THEM KIND OF A GOOD DIRECTION AS A BOARD WHERE WE WANT TO GO TO SPEND THIS $1.165 BILLION. RIGHT. AND IT'S I TO AGREE. I THINK THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO SLOW DOWN. BUT BUT JUST JUST BACK ON, I MENTIONED THIS EVERY YEAR, THE FIRST BUDGET THAT I WAS A PART OF BACK IN 2019, OUR TOTAL BUDGET WAS $674 MILLION OF THAT OUR LOCAL SHARE, THE PART THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE DISCRETION AS A BOARD ON HOW WE WANT TO SPEND WAS 100 MILLION. FAST FORWARD TO HERE WE ARE THE 2023, 2024 BUDGET, 1,000,000,165.5 MILLION IS WHAT OUR TOP LINE NUMBER IS. AND OF THAT 126.8 MILLION OF THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT THIS BOARD HAS DISCRETION OVER HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT. SO AS THAT NUMBER KEEPS GETTING BIGGER, THIS IS WHY I SAY WE'RE HEALTHY. WE'RE NOT WEALTHY. RIGHT. IT'S BECAUSE THAT TOP LINE NUMBER, PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT. BUT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THAT THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. THAT IS THAT IS STATE AND FEDERALLY MANDATED PROGRAMS ON HOW THAT MONEY COMES IN AND HOW IT'S SPENT. YEAH, WE GET A CHOICE IN IN PICKING THE PEOPLE THAT HELP US TO GET THERE. RIGHT. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR STAFF AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, BUT AS FAR AS THOSE DOLLARS, IT IS, IS ALREADY PROGRAMED ON HOW IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT AND WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO. SO AGAIN, I THINK, THOUGH, OVERALL, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS VOTE, HOPEFULLY THIS IS WHEN IT BECOMES OUR BUDGET. RIGHT. AND THE IN WHAT MY PREDECESSOR USED TO SAY THE COUNTY PRESENTS TO US THAT PROPOSED BUDGET, THAT'S THEIR BUDGET. RIGHT. AND THEN AT THE END, WHEN WE WHEN WE PASS THIS FINAL BUDGET, THAT'S WHEN IT BECOMES OUR BUDGET, OUR NAMES GO ON IT AND AND THEN THE RESOURCES ARE ALLOCATED. SO BUT OVERALL, WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. AND I DO I DO HAVE CONCERNS. I DO THINK THAT AS THINGS SLOW DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO FEEL THE PINCH AND I'M GOING TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I, TOO, HAVE BEEN IN RECEIPT OF A LOT OF EMAILS FROM EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY THAT THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH THE HEALTH CARE COSTS. I THINK IT'S PRETTY EVIDENT BY THE COMMENTS BY MY COLLEAGUES AND MYSELF THAT IT'S NOT LOST ON US, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT STUFF WE'VE GOT TO GET THROUGH THIS WHOLE FINAL BUDGET PROCESS HERE AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. YOU KNOW, AND IT IS A 12% INCREASE. YOU KNOW, AND I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ON RECORD THAT THAT'S NOT 12% OF THEIR TOTAL SALARY. IT'S 12% OF WHAT THE INCREASE IS. BUT I RAN SOME NUMBERS ACTUALLY, VANESSA HELPED ME RUN SOME NUMBERS TODAY. AND IT'S JUST KIND OF A WAY FOR MY MIND TO WORK, TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF GET, YOU KNOW, AS YOU TAKE THE TOTAL SALARIES OF ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY AND DIVIDE IT BY THE NUMBER OF [02:05:09] EMPLOYEES AND IT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT $72,000 IS WHAT THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE MAKES. RIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, ENTRY LEVEL FOLKS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CEO AND SOME OF THE PSYCHIATRISTS AND DOCTORS THAT WORK FOR THE COUNTY. THERE'S A BIG DISPARITY. THERE IS WHAT THE NUMBER IS. BUT JUST TO TRY TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND IT, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INCREASES, I MEAN, IT'S IT'S $60 A MONTH. THAT'S 7000 HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR ON JUST AN EMPLOYEE ON WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO GO UP. THAT'S THOSE ARE REAL NUMBERS, RIGHT. AND SO, AGAIN, THAT'S ON THE AVERAGE THAT'S NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE DEPENDENTS AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T. BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT NUMBER, WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT $72,000 AVERAGE SALARY, THE INCREASE IS 2% OF THEIR SALARY. IT'S 2% OF THEIR SALARY. RIGHT. JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT WE DID IS, IS WE GAVE A. THREE AND THREE, BUT FRONTLOADED IT TO A 6% INCREASE. WELL, THAT ONE YEAR, YOU KNOW, 2% OF THAT 3% WENT TO HEALTH CARE COSTS. RIGHT. AND JUST UNDERSTAND, LIKE THE COUNTY IS NOT THE ONE THAT RAISES THE RATES. OKAY? THE INSURANCE COMPANY RAISES THE RATES AND WE GOT TO PASS THAT ALONG TO SOMEWHERE. YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE A CAP, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME WORK THAT WE CAN DO THERE TO TRY TO HELP SOFTEN, TAKE THAT, I GUESS, TAKE THAT THAT THAT THAT HAIRCUT TOGETHER. AND SO I THINK THAT AT LEAST FOR ME, I'M GOING TO COMMIT TO YOU THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS. THERE'S I KNOW THAT THERE'S LABOR GROUPS AND BARGAINING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. BUT I'M WILLING AND WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TO REALLY NOT ONLY SAY HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE AND VALUE OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT ACTUALLY PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND LET OUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN OUR WORDS. AND SO THAT'S MY COMMITMENT. BUT OVERALL, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. TODAY IS A GOOD BUDGET. IT'S A BALANCED BUDGET. DID I GET EVERYTHING I WANTED IN THERE? NO. BUT AM I ABLE TO GO BACK TO DISTRICT FIVE TO MY 58,000 BOSSES AND TELL THEM THAT I ADVOCATED FOR YOU AND WE'RE GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS? YEAH, I'M COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT. SO, MR. MENDEZ, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, DON'T WANT TO FORGET ABOUT OUR TWO ASSISTANT CEOS WHO EVERYTHING KIND OF GOES THROUGH THEM THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT DOES. THE BUDGET STAFF, EVERYBODY. GREAT JOB. AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. DRAMATIC PAUSE. THERE WE GO. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0. CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. LAST IS BOARD REPORTS. BOARD REPORTS. AND WE ARE GOING TO START TODAY WITH SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET ME GO TO DISCUSSION MODE, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, WOW, WHAT A WHAT A MEETING. WHAT A BUDGET. I MEAN, I. BUT I DO. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MARCI BARRERA AND MARK HENDRICKSON. I DIDN'T EARLIER, AND I WHEN SCOTTY MENTIONED IT, I WENT, OOPS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE, LIKE HE KNOWS AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN ALL OF WHAT WE DO. I GOT A FEW THINGS HERE. FIRST, EMPLOYEE INSURANCE. YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, 20, 25 EMAILS. AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I RECEIVED THEM. AND SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE EMAILED ME, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT I TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE INSURANCE COSTS AND, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT COMES OUT OF THE THE NET CHECK. AND SO IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE GROSS CHECK. AND SO OFTENTIMES IT'S A IT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. BUT ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT, IN MY OPINION, RIGHT, IS THAT THE ESCALATING COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE IS FAR BIGGER AND BEYOND US. I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MOOD IN DC THAT ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TO DO WHAT THEY DO AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS SOMETIMES I HAVE A SON THAT THAT USES, YOU KNOW, HE'S A DIABETIC AND SO HE USES INSULIN. AND, AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES LATELY THAT HAVE MAYBE ARE GOING TO HELP BUT THE REAL COST AND WHY HEALTH INSURANCE IS SO EXPENSIVE. AND THE REASON I THINK WHY WE HAVE A HEALTH DROUGHT IN MERCED COUNTY IS BECAUSE OF THE POLICIES THAT COME OUT OF DC AND SACRAMENTO. AND SO THE ONLY PART THAT IS A SMIDGEN FRUSTRATING AND I DON'T WANT TO START A FIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO. I LIKE GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME FOLKS DO PUBLIC COMMENT HERE AND YOU KNOW, THE THE I WENT TO THEIR WEBSITE DURING OUR BREAK AND LOOKED AT THE CANDIDATES THEY ENDORSED. [02:10:02] AND THEN AND SOME OF THEM I KNOW AND I KNOW THEIR VOTING RECORD. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE REASON WHY OUR HEALTH CARE, IN MY OPINION ANYWAYS, THE HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE ESCALATING IS BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS MADE IN SACRAMENTO. AND AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. IT CAN'T JUST BE THE COST INCREASE. SO I GET A RAISE BECAUSE HEALTH INSURANCE IS A BENEFIT, RIGHT? AND SO ANYWAYS, I JUST I'M KIND OF GOING ON A LITTLE FARTHER THAN I PLANNED TO, BUT BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THAT I'M COMMITTED, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALSO SAID, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO TO MAKING A CHANGE AND TRYING TO EASE THE BURDEN ON OUR EMPLOYEES. I WOULD LIKE TO YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S ANYWAYS, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ROB MENDEZ SPECIFICALLY MY COMMUNITY MY DISTRICT HAS FOR MAC MEETINGS AND AND SINCE HE HAS BECOME OUR CEO, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR STAFF PUTS INTO FINDING OUT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND HOW WE CAN SERVE THEM BETTER HAS BEEN WAS ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES AND IT'S REALLY COME TO FRUITION. YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE NOW A YEAR AND A HALF INTO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST YOU KNOW, IN FACT, I WAS OUT AT A CONFERENCE, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, BUT I MISSED TWO OF MY MAC MEETINGS RIGHT THERE THE SAME WEEK, A COUPLE OF DAYS APART. AND OUR STAFF WAS THERE. AND AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY MISSED ME. SO ANYWAYS, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I KNOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S MID-YEAR. IT'S NOT YOUR REVIEW. BUT YOU KNOW, AS I WAS SITTING HERE THROUGH BUDGET, RIGHT, AND LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE ALLOCATE MONEY FOR, IT JUST KIND OF CAME UP HERE. SO THANK YOU. UM, SECOND OR THIRDLY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THE SCREEN UP OVER HERE TO MY RIGHT? YOU KNOW, LONG MEETING LIKE THIS WITH BUDGET. MY NECK IS STARTING TO HURT. BUT ANYWAY, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO THAT SOON. UM, I WANT TO ALSO SUNSHINE SOMETHING I HAD, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR, OUR MERCED COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM. AND SO I HAD ASKED STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IT WOULD BE IS IF OUR IF OUR FIRE RETURNED BACK TO THE COUNTY. AND SO THE NUMBERS CAME BACK AND WE'RE REALLY NOT GOING TO SAVE ANY MONEY. AND THANK GOD WE HAVE CAL FIRE BECAUSE YOU PROVIDE WHAT I THINK IS AN INCREDIBLE SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. AND AND I YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF REALLY BOTHERING ME THAT THAT YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF BUDGET. BUT ANYWAY SO I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR GOING THROUGH THAT BECAUSE I NEED TO TELL PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO. DO OVER THE NEXT YEAR. AND THAT HELPED SETTLE MY MIND AND ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO MY CONSTITUENTS WITH CONFIDENCE. RIGHT. AND SO BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ROSY GOING FORWARD. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT. I WENT TO OUR CRC CONFERENCE THIS LAST WEEK WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND OUR TWO ASSISTANT CEOS, THOUGHT IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE. YOU KNOW, THE SPEAKERS AND THE AND THE MEETINGS WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE AND I THINK INFORMATIVE. IT'S KIND OF FUNNY WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, BUT OUR CRC IS OUR PEOPLE AND AND SO IT FEELS GOOD TO BE THERE AND LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING. I CAME AWAY WITH A FEW IDEAS AND, AND, AND THERE WAS A COUNTY THAT NEEDS SOME HELP IN THE AREA OF HOMELESSNESS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE OFFERED TO HELP. AND I TALKED TO JOHN CHECKLEY AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN GIVING SOME ADVICE. AND IT JUST FEELS GOOD, RIGHT, FOR FOR HELPING EACH OTHER. AND AND WITH THAT, I WILL IN MY BOARD REPORT. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DO WANT TO ANNOUNCE OUT MY ABSENCE OF THE LAST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. I WAS ACTUALLY REPRESENTING YOU IN WASHINGTON DC WITH THE VALLEY VOICE. I'M THE CURRENT VICE CHAIR OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY POLICY COUNCIL, AND WE WE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS AND OUR FOCUS WASN'T SO MUCH DC'S FOCUS. I'LL TELL YOU THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT GOING ON THERE. AND IT WAS VERY SWAMPY, AS WE LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE WE CAN TELL THEM OUR ISSUES. AND THE DISCUSSION WE'D HAVE WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES WAS THEIR FOCUS IS DEFINITELY SOMEWHERE ELSE. THEY DON'T WANT TO SHUT DOWN AND WE DON'T WANT TO SHUT DOWN. BUT THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS, THAT THAT WAS THE MAIN TOPIC OF OUR CONVERSATION IN WASHINGTON, DC. AND THEN SO WITH THAT, LET ME MOVE ON HERE. I'VE GOT SOME UPDATES TO DO. I TOO ALSO ATTENDED OUR CRC GOLDEN STATE FINANCE AUTHORITY. THANK YOU, FOLKS FOR BEING THERE. IT WAS OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY. THAT WAS A FUN CELEBRATION. I AM THE CURRENT CHAIR OF GOLDEN STATE FINANCE AUTHORITY, PROVIDING A WHOLE LOT OF FIRST TIME BUYERS OPPORTUNITIES TO OWN HOMES. [02:15:04] AND I'D LIKE TO RESTATE THIS TOO, AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING IT. 0% INTEREST DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP FOR OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. AND MAYBE WE NEED TO SCHEDULE A ZOOM OR SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN EDUCATE ALL THE FOLKS ON THAT. BUT THIS GIVES NOT ONLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RECRUITING TO BRING FOLKS TO WORK IN THIS COUNTY, BUT ALSO FOR OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE HOME OWNERSHIP. I DID WANT TO ADJOURN TODAY AND I WANTED TO ADJOURN IT LAST WEEK, BUT AS I WASN'T HERE, DON SCHERFF, A COMMUNITY MEMBER, PASSED AWAY, LIVED HERE FOR MANY YEARS, RETIRED LIEUTENANT COLONEL, AND THEN STARTED HIS OWN INSURANCE BUSINESS AND WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. THERE IS ONE LITTLE REPORT OUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY MAYBE NOW THAT MR. SCHERFF HAS PASSED THE OH, THAT WAS SOLD OUT OF THE SIGN IT COUNT DOWN WAS NOT BY THE SON THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE FAMILY. WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I ADJOURN IN HIS HONOR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I ALSO WANT TO REPORT OUT THAT I ATTENDED OUR CRC CONFERENCE ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, MANY SPEAKERS AND ONE OF THE SESSIONS WAS ON FIGHTING FENTANYL. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THE COUNTY'S ROLE IS ON, YOU KNOW, ARE ON THE FRONT LINES. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE OUR DA IS DOING A GREAT JOB ON DOING OUTREACH, EDUCATION, TRAINING AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE, WHICH PREVENTS, YOU KNOW, THE LIKE I SAID, THE FIGHT TO FIGHT THE FENTANYL ABUSE AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, YOU KNOW, TO PREVENT AND DOING EARLY INTERVENTION. SO I KNOW THAT D IS WORKING WITH A LOT OF STATEWIDE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO WORK TOGETHER AS ONE. LIKE I SAID, ONE PILL CAN KILL AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD CAMPAIGN THEY'RE RUNNING. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL. SO AND LIKE THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE EARLY IS VERY IMPORTANT. LIKE I SAID, HIS FAMILY MEMBER IS GOING THROUGH IT, SO IT'S HARD. SO I ALSO HAD TO COME BACK ON EARLY ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON SINCE I HAD COME BACK. AND THEN FOR FRIDAY I HAD TO ATTEND THE SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY IN IN PERSON IN STOCKTON. SO THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. SO THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO THANK YOU. I TOO ATTENDED THE CRC CONFERENCE AND I REALLY APPRECIATED AND GOT SOME GOOD IDEAS IN REGARDS TO SOME RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN. AND MERCED COUNTY. I THINK WE ALSO WENT TO THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE JOHN ROCHA FACILITY AT YESTERDAY. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WE HAD THE OUR NACO AG COMMITTEE AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION WAS BASED OFF OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IN WASHINGTON DC WITH THE FARM BILL. AND THEY'RE NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING DONE ANY TIME SOON IS WHAT THEY TOLD US. BUT IT WAS REALLY COOL BECAUSE OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE MERCED COUNTY FARM BUREAU, I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD SPEAK TO THE GROUP. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE FROM, YOU KNOW, ELECTED PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN AGRICULTURE AND WHO COME FROM COUNTIES VERY SIMILAR TO OURS. AND SO IT WAS REALLY COOL. SHE GOT TO TALK ABOUT AG MITIGATION AND WHAT WE DO IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, IN MERCED COUNTY VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN OTHER PLACES. THEN I ALSO JOINED THE JPA MEETING, BUT THROUGH ZOOM, AND THEN TOMORROW WE'RE HEADING I'M HEADING TO THE SGV R A C C CONFERENCE AT SO I CAN NEVER REMEMBER THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN TONIGHT, HERE IN THE CHAMBERS FROM 6 TO 8 IS THE HOUSING ELEMENT WORKSHOP. SO HOPEFULLY THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART IN THAT WILL COME ON OUT TO IT. THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL CEO MENDEZ. YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. FIRST OFF, OBVIOUSLY APPRECIATE ALL THE THE EXCELLENT WORK, EXEMPLARY WORK BY OUR STAFF IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY'S FINAL BUDGET DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY REALLY RICH AND GOOD TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK AND SOME OF THE THOUGHTS. I THINK OUR BUDGET PROCESS IS SOLID BECAUSE IT DOES PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT DIALOG HERE AT THE AT THE DAIS AND WE AS STAFF APPRECIATE THAT. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I DID WANT TO JUST REACH OUT AND I GUESS KUDOS TO OUR CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER, KALISA ROCHESTER COPY WAS PROVIDED TODAY BY [02:20:08] RICE TO OUR HIGHER GROUNDS OR OBVIOUSLY POSITIONING THAT PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE THE COUNTY, REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. AND THEN LASTLY, LASTLY, GOOD TO SEE CHIEF PIMENTEL BACK WITH US. HE AND BATTALION CHIEF FELIX WERE DEPLOYED TO MAUI TO ASSIST WITH THE RECOVERY EFFORTS THERE. AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS FAMILY APPRECIATE, IT MEANS A LOT TO HAVE FOLKS FROM OUR COUNTY GOING OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING THAT COMMUNITY THAT'S TRYING TO REBUILD AND RECOVER. SO I APPRECIATE IT, CHIEF. GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND THE BATTALION CHIEF BACK SAFELY AND SOUND WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND JUST APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, I WANTED TO JUST COMMEND CAPTAIN SULLIVAN. HE WAS KIND OF THE STAR OF THE SHOW FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING. AND I AND I KNOW HOW MUCH CAPTAIN SULLIVAN HAS TAKEN THIS PROJECT ON PHASE ONE. PHASE TWO OF THE REMODEL OF OF SANDY MUSH FACILITY, AND THEN ALSO THE NEW FACILITY THAT'S GOING TO REPLACE THE DOWNTOWN JAIL. BUT IN TALKING WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS ALONG THE WAY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE BUILDING, THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED WITH THE FINANCING AND AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THEY ALL SEE HIS PASSION FOR THAT PROJECT. SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY THAT WE'RE VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE YOU ON OUR TEAM. THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY, AS THE SHERIFF NORMALLY DOES, STUFF WAS SHORT, SWEET AND TO THE POINT, A LITTLE WARM OUT THERE. SO IT WORKED OUT PERFECTLY. I KNOW ALL OF US. WE WE ATTENDED IT BEFORE WE HEADED OFF TO GO TO THE CRC CONFERENCE TO ATTENDED WITH MY COLLEAGUES. JUST WHEN MY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED IT'S OUR PEOPLE, IT'S RURAL COUNTIES REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT MORE IN COMMON WITH THEM THAN THAN SOME OF OUR SUBURBAN AND URBAN COLLEAGUES. WE SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME, SAME CHALLENGES. AND SO WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS, IT'S IT'S ENLIGHTENING. YOU KNOW, THESE THESE CONFERENCES COME AT A COST. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. BUT I THINK THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF MERCED COUNTY, IT'S IT'S REALLY JUST NOT EVEN MEASURABLE TO BE ABLE TO GO AND TALK TO FOLKS THAT THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. AND SOMETIMES JUST BEING ABLE YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALREADY THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS INSTEAD OF US HAVING TO GO AND START FROM SCRATCH. YOU TALK TO ONE OF THEM. WE PUT THEM IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF OUR FOLKS HERE IN THE COUNTY, AND IT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN ACTUALLY A LOT QUICKER. SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I21 MORE TIME. JUST WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF ON THIS BUDGET. YOU KNOW, CEO MENDEZ, AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE, WE HAD A DISCUSSION UP HERE AND I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED DISCUSSION ON ITEMS. BUT THE REASON WHY YOU SEE A LOT OF THESE ITEMS GO THROUGH AND SOME PEOPLE THINK, WELL, MAYBE THEY DON'T CARE. IT'S REALLY BECAUSE STAFF DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF BRIEFING US AHEAD OF TIME. WE ARE CONSTANTLY GOING TO BRIEFINGS, SO A LOT OF THIS STUFF, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN CUED UP ON IT. WE ALREADY KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND REALLY, AS WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS JUST TO KIND OF SIT DOWN. AND THOSE ARE ONE ON ONES WITH ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND THE SUPERVISORS JUST TO KIND OF GET WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IN OUR BUDGET? AND THEN YOU SEE THIS IS KIND OF THAT THE CULMINATION OF ALL THAT THAT'S ALL BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS $1,000,000,165 MILLION BUDGET. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS THEY GO THROUGH. BUT WE IT'S THERE. I ALWAYS SAY THEIR JOB IS AS STAFF IS, IS TO KIND OF ORCHESTRATE THIS KIND OF CHAOTIC CIRCUS THAT IS, I WILL SAY, AT LEAST FOR ME, I'M ONE OF THEM. AND I'D SAY MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE PART OF IT, TOO. BUT THEIR JOB IS TO TRY TO PUT POLICY FORWARD THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE ON. AND YOU CAN SEE SOMETIMES WE DON'T AGREE AND THAT'S OKAY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T WORK TOGETHER ON THE NEXT 100 ITEMS, BUT IT'S NO EASY TASK. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THEIR CHOSEN PROFESSION IS. THIS IS WHAT THEY DO. I'M I WAS A FORMER DAIRYMAN THAT GOT ELECTED TO BE A COUNTY SUPERVISOR. I HAVE A LITTLE BIT CRAZY WAY OF THINKING ABOUT STUFF, BUT THEY MANAGE THAT CHAOS AND WE ALL COME TOGETHER AND PASS. WHAT I THINK AGAIN IS IS A SOLID BUDGET THAT PUTS US IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED FOR NEXT YEAR. SO AGAIN, ONE MORE TIME, THANK YOU TO STAFF. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY. AND WITH THAT, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING. OH, HEY, NO CLAPPING, PLEASE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.