Oct 17, 2023 Board Meeting

[Call to Order]

[00:00:02]

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE OCTOBER 17TH, 2023 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AS WE DO HAVE A PACKED HOUSE TODAY, I JUST WANT TO REMIND A COUPLE LITTLE QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE NEW SHERIFF'S ADMINISTRATION OPERATION COMPLEX AS PHASE TO, BE, THAT ITEM WILL BE COMING UP ON ITEM 39, THAT ITEM, AND SO YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM THEN.

AND ALSO, IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON OUR PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING.

THE VST. THE VST, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND THE NUMBER THAT WILL BE COMING UP FOLLOWING ALL OF OUR REGULAR BUSINESS.

WE'LL HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS THEN.

SO WITH THAT, THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AS BOTH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ACTING AS THE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PUBLIC AUTHORITY GOVERNING BOARD STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION ON ALL CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. SO WE'LL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR ELLA LUNA-GARZA FROM THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN MERCED.

AND THEN SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

GOOD MORNING. HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

GOOD MORNING, SUPERVISORS AND MERCED CONSTITUENTS, COUNTY MERCED CONSTITUENTS.

I'M GOING TO TAKE 30 SECONDS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, JUST REMINDING US THAT HERE IN THIS PLACE WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE MY PAST WORK IN THE LAST DAY AND A HALF, INCLUDED DEALING WITH A WRECK AND POLICE AND EMS BEING CALLED BECAUSE OF A FIRE GOING TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, WORKING WITH PARENTS AND TEACHERS, DEALING WITH THE HOMELESS AND SERVING HOMELESS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CIVIC GROUPS, HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, FEEDING THE HOMELESS, WORKING WITH THE AGENCY ON AGING, CPS, UMC MERCED AND MERCED COLLEGE ALL WITHIN THE LAST 24 HOURS.

THAT BEING SAID, I'M VERY WELL AWARE OF HOW MUCH THE WORK THAT HAPPENS HERE MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR ALL OF US TO SUSTAIN, TO MAKE AND TO CARE FOR COMMUNITY.

AND SO AS WE KEEP THAT IN MIND, I INVITE US ALL TO GO IN PRAYER.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING AND ABLE, HOLY AND AWESOME GOD FOR THIS DAY, FOR THE SACRED CHARGE OF CARING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, MAKING COMMUNITY, AND BEING COMMUNITY WE COME THIS DAY ASKING THAT YOU MIGHT BE OUR DISCERNMENT, MIGHT BE OUR WISDOM, AND MIGHT BE OUR SPIRIT OF CARING AND COMPASSION, MERCY AND JUSTICE, GRACE AND HOPE FOR THIS DAY AND IN THE DAYS AHEAD, FOR MERCED COUNTY AND FOR ALL WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE DECISIONS MADE THIS DAY.

WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF THE GOD WHO LOVES US, PROTECTS US, KEEPS US, AND GUIDES US.

AMEN. AMEN.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, PASTOR AND SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

IT'S 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 IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS JESSICA LEE.

I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE MULTIPLE CAR COLLISIONS ON 99.

THAT ALL HAPPENED WITHIN A WEEK IN SEPTEMBER.

THE FIRST WAS ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, INVOLVING FIVE CARS AND A FIRE.

THE NEXT TWO DAYS LATER ON THE 26TH INVOLVING A CAR UNDER A BIG RIG.

ANOTHER FOUR DAYS LATER, ON THE 30TH INVOLVING NINE CARS.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LANES WE HAVE NOW ARE TEMPORARY AND THEY'RE NECESSARY FOR CONSTRUCTION.

HOWEVER, WITH THE RAINY SEASON COMING UP SO MY UNDERSTANDING CONSTRUCTION MAY NOT BE RESUMED UNTIL IT GETS WARMER, OR AT LEAST THE RAIN STOPS.

CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN 2021 AND SHOWS NO SIGN OF BEING DONE ANYTIME SOON.

I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE URGE CALTRANS TO HURRY THE CONSTRUCTION, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, CONSIDER MOVING THE CEMENT [INAUDIBLE] WHEN THE RAINY SEASON STARTS, GIVING US OUR TWO LANE FREEWAY BACK.

SEPTEMBER 30TH WAS OUR FIRST RAIN THIS FALL AND WE HAD A NINE CAR PILE UP.

THAT CANNOT HAPPEN WHEN THE RAINY SEASON STARTS.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER FLOOD AND PEOPLE NEED TO EVACUATE? BUT THERE'S A NINE CAR PILE UP ON OUR ONLY FREEWAY.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR CITIZENS WHO ARE PAYING FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

[APPLAUSE] NO WE'RE NOT DOING CLAPPING, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN SILVEIRA AND THE BOARD, CHRIS SANTOS HERE REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE.

FIRST OFF, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR NEW 2024 MISS MERCED COUNTY, BIANCA TRINIDAD AND MISS MERCED COUNTY TEEN HALLIE BILLINGS.

[00:05:07]

AND THIS PAST SUNDAY, OUR OFFICE WAS ABLE TO JOIN SUPERVISORS ESPINOSA AND PEDROZO, THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON AND THE LIVINGSTON SIKH COMMUNITY FOR THEIR NAGAR KIRTAN CELEBRATION.

WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE SIKH CONGREGATIONS FOR THEIR WARM HOSPITALITY.

OUR BELOVED DISTRICT DIRECTOR, MR. SAM SANDERS OF PUNJABI DESCENT, OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, MR. RAJ NATHANIEL'S FROM THE FIJI INDIAN COMMUNITY AND COUNTLESS INDIAN AMERICANS SERVE OUR NATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUSINESS, MEDICINE AND OTHER INDUSTRIES AND WE THANK THEM.

CONGRESSMAN DUARTE WAS PROUD TO VOTE FOR A BIPARTISAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION TO PREVENT A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

REGARDLESS OF THE EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE HOUSE SINCE THAT VOTE, HE WILL CONTINUE HIS EFFORTS TO GET THE HOUSE BACK TO WORK, TO DO THE JOB THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED THEM TO DO, FROM PASSING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS TO STANDING BY OUR FRIENDS WHEN THEY NEED US MOST.

IN THIS TIME OF PERIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST, CONGRESSMAN DUARTE WOULD LIKE TO UNEQUIVOCALLY AFFIRM HIS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, ONE OF OUR CLOSEST ALLIES.

CONGRESSMAN DUARTE STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE CAMPAIGN OF TERROR BEING WAGED BY HAMAS AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

THE CONGRESSMAN IS PROUD TO STAND WITH THE ISRAELI PEOPLE AS THEY DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM THESE COWARDLY, HATEFUL, HORRIFIC ACTS OF PURE EVIL.

AT LAST COUNT, AT LEAST 30 AMERICANS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 1400 ISRAELIS MURDERED.

HUNDREDS OF ISRAELI CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE BY HAMAS, ALONG WITH AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF AMERICAN HOSTAGES.

THIS IS NOT A CLASH.

THIS IS NOT A MERE ATTACK.

THIS IS A WAR.

AS WE SPEAK THIS MORNING, THE USS GERALD R FORD AND USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER, CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS ARE TAKING UP DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN.

I HOPE I CAN SPEAK FOR EVERYONE IN THIS CHAMBER WHEN I SAY THAT WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR TROOPS.

WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE SAFETY OF CIVILIANS, AND WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF EVERY SINGLE HOSTAGE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS [INAUDIBLE].

GOOD MORNING BOARD. MY NAME IS GERALD PHELPS AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF AFSCME LOCAL 2703.

I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE CRIPPLING COST OF THE ANNOUNCED HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM INCREASE.

MERCED COUNTY WORKERS ARE STRUGGLING.

FOR TOO LONG, THE BOARD HAS IGNORED THE FINANCIAL COSTS OF INFLATION, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION.

MINIMAL PAY INCREASES TO EMPLOYEES PAY THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS.

I'M SORRY. THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS ARE WIPED AWAY WITHIN MONTHS DUE TO THE EVER RISING COST OF HEALTH CARE, THE COUNTY EXPECTS THE EMPLOYEES TO ABSORB 100%.

AT 12.1% INCREASE IN EMPLOYEES PREMIUMS WHEN THE COUNTY HASN'T INCREASED EMPLOYEES WAGES BY EVEN 10% IN THE LAST DECADE IS A DERELICTION OF DUTY BY THE BOARD.

WE NO LONGER WAIT FOR THE BOARD TO REALIZE THAT MERCED COUNTY IS SINKING.

WE MUST MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT IS UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWORKED, THAT WE HAVE A RETENTION AND HIRING SHORTAGE THAT WILL ONLY BECOME GREATER BY THE ADDED COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE ON MERCED COUNTY WORKERS.

COUNTIES AROUND US HAVE SOLVED THEIR HIRING ISSUES WITH FIXES TO THE EMPLOYEES INSURANCE AND INCREASES TO WAGES.

THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD RATHER WE ALL QUIT THAN HELP ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN OF THESE INCREASING COSTS.

WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE FUNDS NEEDED TO COVER THE COSTS CAN BE ABSORBED IN MERCED COUNTY, JUST FROM THE RAINY DAY FUND.

WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE THE REAL FEARS OF MERCED COUNTY WORKERS THE FEAR OF BANKRUPTCY, MEDICAL DEBT, FORECLOSURE AND NOT KEEPING FOOD ON THE FAMILY'S TABLES.

THE DEPARTMENT IN MERCED, THE DEPARTMENTS IN MERCED COUNTY, ARE VITAL AND NEED TO BE FUNDED IN A WAY TO PROMOTE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS APPEALING TO HIRING AND RETENTION, AND THAT IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS THEIR EMPLOYEES TO CONTINUOUSLY BE HIT BY INCREASING HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS AND WAGES THAT DON'T KEEP UP WITH INFLATION OUR AFSCME MEMBERS HAVE SHOWN UP DURING FLOODS, PANDEMICS AND FIRES.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL AND ARE NEEDED AT ALL TIMES AND SITUATIONS THAT OFTENTIMES THAT THEY WILL GO UNNOTICED, BUT IT SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY OUR BOARD. LISTENING BACK TO THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF LAST MEETING, SEEMS THAT YOU ARE ALL AWARE THAT THESE INCREASES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

BUT I ALSO HEARD THAT SOMEHOW OUR POLITICAL PREFERENCES ON OUR UNION'S WEBSITES FOR REPRESENTATION IN SACRAMENTO AND IN WASHINGTON SHOULD BE BLAMED.

AS A REMINDER, UNIONS MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CANDIDATES BY THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REMEMBER AND REPRESENT OUR MEMBERS.

AT LEAST ONE OF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO REMIND US THAT YOU COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO RESPOND TO DOZENS OF EMAILS SENT TO YOU PERSONALLY.

THOSE EMAILS REPRESENT EMPLOYEES.

EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY REPRESENT VOTERS.

VOTERS YOU ALL NEED TO REMAIN IN A POSITION THAT PAYS MORE THAN 129% OVER THE AVERAGE MERCED COUNTY WORKER, AND 33% OVER THE AVERAGE BOARD MEMBER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

IT IS TIME FOR MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO DO ITS PART AND SHOW ITS WORKERS THAT THEY HAVE OUR BACKS.

MERCED ASKED ME VOTERS? MERCED AFSCME MEMBERS OUR VOTERS, THAT I'M SORRY.

MERCED AFSCME MEMBERS VOTE AND THIS BOARD REMAINS SEATED BECAUSE OF THOSE VOTERS.

FOR TWO WEEKS, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED IN FRONT OF THIS VERY BUILDING, THE SUPPORT FOR MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS IS OVERWHELMING.

WE AWAIT A RESPONSE FROM THIS BOARD EXPLAINING HOW THIS CRISIS IS.

I'M SORRY. WE AWAIT A RESPONSE FROM THIS BOARD EXPLAINING HOW THIS CRISIS ON ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES WILL BE RECTIFIED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

I ALSO HAVE SIGNATURES AND LETTERS FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.

[00:10:01]

THANK YOU. MERCED NEW BOARD MEMBERS.

HOLD ON HOLD ON.

LET ME GET YOU. RESET YOUR TIMER.

GO AHEAD SIR. SURE.

ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS LARRY WATSON.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS LARRY WATSON. I'M CHIEF UNION STEWARD OF AFSCME.

I'M ALSO HERE.

LAST WEEK YOU SAW ME COME UP HERE AND MAKE THE SAME PLIGHT.

I WANT TO REMIND YOU, THERE IS A BOOK THAT I HAD TO READ WHEN I WAS IN MY COLLEGE YEARS CALLED NICKEL AND DIMED.

IT'S A STORY ABOUT A LADY WHO WENT ON A YEAR LONG JOURNEY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT RETAIL WORKERS WENT THROUGH, AS WELL AS FOOD SERVICE WORKERS WENT THROUGH.

NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT HAVE HOUSING, A LOT OF THEM, A LOT OF THEM WERE LIVING FROM THEIR CARS.

IT'S A PLIGHT THAT MERCED COUNTY WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY GOING TO FACE.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, GOVERNOR NEWSOM JUST SIGNED INTO A BILL, $20 MINIMUM WAGE FOR FAST FOOD EMPLOYEES, AND NOW OUR FSR1'S FAMILY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ONES MAKE $20.58 AN HOUR TO START.

THAT'S $0.58 MORE THAN WHAT A FAST FOOD WORKER IS.

PEOPLE THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF SERVING THIS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AS SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SAID, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO START A FIGHT WITH ANYBODY.

WE WANT TO HAVE A CIVIL DISCOURSE.

WE WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OPTIONS.

YOU GUYS CAN DO A REOPENER AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO NEGOTIATE THIS AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING NECESSARILY FOR A RAISE.

MAYBE WE ARE LOOKING FOR A RAISE.

WHO KNOWS, MAYBE WE CAN INCREASE THE CAP.

JUST THROWING SOME IDEAS OUT THERE.

WE'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THOSE IDEAS.

BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT NUMBERS.

SO YOU HAVE 2210 EMPLOYEES APPROXIMATELY IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT $66 PER PAYCHECK INCREASE, THAT'S $150,000 EVERY TWO WEEKS, OR 300,000 EVERY MONTH THAT OUR EMPLOYEES CAN'T INVEST INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE.

THAT'S $3.6 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

THAT'S GOING TO PUT A LOT OF PLACES BACK AND POSSIBLY OUT OF BUSINESS.

A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE, WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE LITTERED WITH EMPTY BUILDINGS.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE IT'S GOING TO BECOME EVEN WORSE, EXORBITANT RENT COSTS.

LOOK AT UC MERCED.

WE CREATED A UNIVERSITY WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PLAN FOR ANY KIND OF HOUSING.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT 7.7% FOR OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.

OUR HIGH WAS IN 2010, 18.4%.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS COMMUNITY GO BACK TO THAT.

BUT AT THIS TIME WE HAVE OUR JUVENILE, OUR JUVENILE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.

THEY'RE SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED.

SOCIAL SERVICES IS ALMOST ILLEGALLY UNDERSTAFFED.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS COMING DOWN ON OUR FSR SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU GUYS ARE OUT OF ADHERENCE.

YOU GUYS CAN'T PROCESS APPLICATIONS FAST ENOUGH.

THERE USED TO BE A BILLBOARD OUT ON 59 THAT SAID MERCED COUNTY, 51% OF MERCED COUNTY IS ON MEDI-CAL.

THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE WORKERS TO SUPPORT IT, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE WORKERS TO SUPPORT IT.

IN ADDITION, OUR WORKERS ARE BEING ASKED TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES, WHICH IS FINE.

WE DON'T MIND TAKING ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

WE WANT TO DO THAT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S NO BACKUP.

THERE'S NO PLAN IN PLACE TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE WORKERS AS WELL AS SUPPORT THEM WITH THESE INCREASED INSURANCE COSTS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE SECONDS TO FINISH UP YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS, SIR.

GO AHEAD. AND THEY'RE GOING TO START LOOKING FOR SECOND JOBS.

OTHER JOBS? WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR TALENTED EMPLOYEES.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT WITH THE B TEAM.

WE WANT THE A TEAM TO REMAIN IN MERCED COUNTY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME SIGNATURES AS WELL, AS WELL AS AN EMAIL FROM A SUPERVISOR REQUESTING THAT WORKERS TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN ADDITION TO THEIR ALREADY EXISTING THINGS. I'LL LEAVE THAT IN HERE FOR YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

GOOD MORNING. MARTA ECHEVARRIA, A LONGTIME COUNTY WORKER.

I'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE, IF YOU COUNT MY WORK EXPERIENCE TIME THAT I PUT IN.

I'M HERE. I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE TO HAVE TO SAY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, BUT THINGS HAVE TO BE SAID.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, IT WAS AMAZING.

OUR SALARY WAS ENOUGH TO HELP A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE CHILDREN BE ABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND LIVE.

NOW I AM GOING TO BE HAVING TO FIND A SECOND JOB TO PAY FOR MY INSURANCE BECAUSE I LITERALLY AM LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK FOR JUST MYSELF. AND I'M NOT ALONE.

I HAVE SO MANY OF MY COWORKERS THAT I'VE LOST THAT HAVE GONE TO OTHER COUNTIES.

YOU'RE LOSING MERCED COUNTY PEOPLE TO OTHER COUNTIES BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH TO LIVE OFF OF THIS.

WE'RE NOT. SOMEBODY MADE A COMMENT, ONE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE A COMMENT.

LAST BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING THAT WE'RE GROSSING ABOUT $72,000 A YEAR.

THAT IS WAY INCORRECT.

SO YOU LUMPED US ALL TOGETHER INTO ONE CATEGORY.

[00:15:02]

SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

WE ARE STRUGGLING.

WE ARE SO UNDERSTAFFED.

I HAVE ONE OF MY COWORKERS WHO IS GOING TO BE CHOOSING TO TAKE A PENALTY FOR NOT HAVING INSURANCE BECAUSE SHE'S GOING TO TAKE HER HUSBAND OFF OF THERE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE. AND THAT IS YOU GUYS WE ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES.

WE WORK VERY HARD FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

HELP US DO SOMETHING TO HELP US, BECAUSE I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE FINDING A SECOND JOB TO PAY FOR MY INSURANCE THAT I DESPERATELY NEED.

I'M NOT GETTING YOUNGER, SO I'M JUST ONE OF THE MANY VOICES THAT ARE HERE TO PLEAD WITH YOU TO PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND HELP US.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JEANIE AND I'M ALSO A COUNTY WORKER, AND I REALLY HATE THAT I HAD TO WRITE THIS DOWN BECAUSE I LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU INSTEAD OF READING TO YOU.

BUT I WENT BACK AND LISTENED TO THE LAST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING AGAIN, ALTHOUGH I WAS HERE AND SOMEONE HAD SAID THAT THEY HAD RUN SOME NUMBERS AND THEY WENT BACK AND SAID NO.

VANESSA HELPED ME RUN THE NUMBERS.

AND WHEN I HEARD THOSE NUMBERS, I THOUGHT, WELL, I WORK FOR THE COUNTY AND THAT'S NOT ME.

SO THE TOTAL SALARIES OF ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THE NUMBER AND DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WORK OUT TO $72,000 AS SHE SPOKE OF, I TO WORK A LOT OF OVERTIME TO TRY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

I DON'T MAKE THAT MUCH.

AND IT SAYS IN THAT AVERAGE OUR ENTRY LEVEL CEOS AND COUNTY DOCTORS, AND I DON'T FEEL THAT IT'S FAIR TO COMPARE MY POSITION, EVEN THOUGH I'M A LEAD WORKER TO A COUNTY DOCTOR OR A CEO, WHEN THEY PROBABLY DOUBLE THAT INCOME.

THE INSURANCE COST INCREASE WAS SAID TO BE $60 A MONTH, WHEN ACTUALLY MINE ALONE IS $67 PER PAYCHECK, AND IT WAS SAID TO BE 2% OF MY SALARY.

IT WAS TO EQUAL $1,700 A YEAR, WHICH IS ACTUALLY $141.66 A MONTH, NOT $60 A MONTH.

INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE THE ONES THAT RAISE THE PRICES, AND YOU HAVE TO PASS THAT ALONG TO SOMEONE.

SO WHILE WE DO REALIZE THAT, AND I DO, BUT COSTS ARE GOING UP EVERYWHERE, WE ASK THAT THE COUNTY HELP ABSORB THAT INCREASE BY REMOVING THE CAP, AS YOU SAID WOULD BE LOOKED AT, OR FIND ANOTHER WAY TO HELP ALL COUNTY WORKERS, NOT JUST OUR OUR PEOPLE.

AND ACTUALLY MY DOCTOR WITH THIS INSURANCE, IT WAS SAID TO BE A BENEFIT.

AND WHEN I FIRST CAME IT WAS AND MY DOCTOR NOW HAS SHE WON'T EVEN TAKE THE INSURANCE BECAUSE THEY WON'T PAY HER ENOUGH.

AND THEN I HAD A SPECIALIST IN SURGERY LAST YEAR IN AUGUST, AND NOW THE SURGEON WON'T SEE ME ANY LONGER EITHER.

HE DROPPED OUR INSURANCE.

I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND WAS ADMITTED FOR A FEW DAYS.

I GOT A BILL FOR $34,000 IN THE MAIL BECAUSE EVERYONE AT THE HOSPITAL IS OUT OF NETWORK ON OUR INSURANCE, AND SO THIS COMES AT A REALLY BAD TIME FOR ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE THE INSURANCE HAS WENT UP EXTREMELY.

AND I TOO AM SINGLE AND NOBODY WILL TAKE IT.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT.

AND IT WAS TALKED ABOUT.

A 6% RAISE FOR ME WAS $140, AND THE INSURANCE INCREASE WAS 132 OF THAT.

SO IT'S MORE THAN 2%, AND MY INSURANCE COST WILL BE 189 A PAYCHECK 4,900 A YEAR, DIVIDED BY 12 MONTHS IS $409 A MONTH.

MY INSURANCE FIVE YEARS AGO, JUST FIVE YEARS AGO, WAS ONLY $6.77, AND NOW IT'S 189 A PAYCHECK.

AND THAT'S IN FIVE YEARS.

AND SO THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF MY EMPLOYMENT, IT WAS ZERO AND ONLY WENT TO $6.44.

SO THAT'S SO EXTREME.

I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE SECONDS TO FINISH UP YOUR FINAL THOUGHT.

I DON'T HAVE DEBT AND I DON'T HAVE ENTERTAINMENT FUNDS.

I DO NOT BLOW MY MONEY.

I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE EXTRA 144 A MONTH IS GOING TO COME FROM, OTHER THAN FOOD THAT I BUY, AND IT'S LIKE I DON'T MAKE $72,000 A YEAR, AND I KNOW EACH OF YOU MAKE MORE THAN THAT.

SO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.

MY NAME IS PATIENCE BURTON.

I HAVE WORKED FOR HSA FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

IN ALL THAT TIME, WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MUCH OF A CHALLENGE RECRUITING AND RETAINING WORKERS.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WAY, WAY BACK IN 2002, IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO WORK FOR THE COUNTY THAT YOU LIVE IN.

[00:20:03]

AND NOW WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME RETAINING AND RECRUITING.

WE HAVE GONE THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT RECRUITS AND CAN'T EVEN RETAIN ENOUGH FOR ONE CLASS.

SO THIS SHOULD SPEAK VOLUMES TO THE IDEA THAT IF WE DON'T LIKE WHAT WE'RE GIVEN AND WE DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE AGREED TO ALLOW US TO HAVE, THEN WE SHOULD MOVE ON AND SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO THE JOB.

SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT OUR CASE.

WE ARE THE ONES WHO CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE FEED THEM, WE HOUSE THEM.

WE PROTECT THEM.

YET WE ARE THE ONES WHO WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.

I IMPLORE YOU TO POSSIBLY HAVE VANESSA RUN THE NUMBERS AGAIN FOR THE, QUOTE, AVERAGE COUNTY WORKER AND ONLY INCLUDE THE AVERAGE COUNTY WORKER, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE CEO, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND THE DOCTORS ARE NOT AVERAGE.

HOPEFULLY THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING WHY THIS RATE HIKE.

LACK OF AFFORDABLE INSURANCE.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL TOLD.

AFFORDABLE INSURANCE AND COMBINED WITH OUR INCOMPARABLE WAGES TO OTHER COUNTIES SURROUNDING US, IS SUCH A HARDSHIP AND WHY WE GET UP HERE EVERY WEEK.

AND WE HAVE THESE COMMENTS AND WE HOPE THEY DON'T FALL ON DEAF EARS BECAUSE I LOVE MY JOB.

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT FOR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN ORDER TO LIVE HERE.

GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS SHIRLEY OLSON.

I HAVE BEEN AN SDC AID FOR 19 YEARS IN THE ATWATER DISTRICT.

I RETIRED TWO YEARS AGO DURING THE COVID TIME.

I AM ALSO A CARE PROVIDER.

I CARE FOR THE TEACHERS MOTHER THAT I WORKED WITH FOR 15 YEARS.

I HAVE A DISABLED DAUGHTER THAT I ACQUIRED FROM A FRIEND WHO PASSED AWAY WITH CANCER.

I HAVE TWO OTHER CLIENTS THAT ARE MARRIED, BOTH CRIPPLED, WHO WERE BOTH LAYING IN BED WAITING FOR ME TO GET THERE TO GET THEM OUT OF BED.

I AM A UPSTANDING CITIZEN.

I GO TO CHURCH. I DO ALL THE THINGS I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.

I TAKE CARE OF MANY PEOPLE.

I HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER I'M RAISING.

I'M A CANCER SURVIVOR.

NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE.

[INAUDIBLE] I HAVE TO GO ON MEDICARE.

I JUST SIGNED UP FOR MEDICARE.

THEY TOLD ME ON MEDICARE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $150 A MONTH.

WELL, A SECOND INSURANCE TO COVER A PROSTHETIC BECAUSE IT'S DENTAL, NOT MEDICAL.

I CAN'T EAT, DRINK OR SWALLOW WITHOUT IT.

MY ELECTRICITY BILL HAS GONE UP TO $650.

MY RENT HAS INCREASED BY 200 BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

GAS IS OUTRAGEOUS.

THE PEOPLE I CARE FOR CANNOT DRIVE.

THEREFORE, THE GAS THAT I USE TO SURVIVE AND TO GET THEM TO SURVIVE, TO THEIR DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS, THEIR FOOD, WHATEVER THEIR NEEDS MAY BE, COMES OUT OF MY POCKET.

WE NEED A RAISE.

WE NEED A RAISE.

IF MCDONALD'S CAN HAVE A RAISE, FLIP A BURGER OR WIPE A BUTT.

WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS FLORENCE CROWSON AND I AM AN IHSS PROVIDER HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTRACT, SORRY, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FOR ALMOST A YEAR RIGHT NOW WITH NO OFFER FROM YOU, NO PAY INCREASES, NO BENEFITS.

IT'S AN INSULT TO THE LIFE SAVING AND ESSENTIAL WORK THAT WE DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COUNTY ONLY PAYS ONLY 16.5% OF THE COST OF ANY INCREASES WE WOULD GET.

THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU GIVE US A DOLLAR WAGE INCREASE, YOU WOULD ONLY PAY 16.5% OF THAT COST, OR ABOUT

[00:25:03]

THAT WOULD BRING $3.7 MILLION FOR OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

NOT ONLY IS THIS HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN YOUR COUNTY, BUT THIS IS A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT POINT.

DON'T YOU THINK THAT OUR ECONOMY NEEDS THIS MONEY? SO WE URGE THAT YOU DO THE RIGHT THING AND INVEST IN YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR COMMUNITIES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

OKAY. GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND OUR FRIENDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MY NAME IS PAKAMON SOPAJAREE.

I AM AN IHSS HOME CARE PROVIDER IN MERCED COUNTY.

I'M TAKING TAKING CARE OF MY MOM [INAUDIBLE].

TODAY I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ALL OF YOU.

YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER THEM RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANT YOU TO HEAR THE ANSWER FROM THE PERSON WHO I CARE FOR.

I'M ASKING HER IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HAVING A PROVIDER FOR HOME CARE AT HOME OR STAY AT THE NURSING HOME.

WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER? SHE PREFER TO STAY AT HOME WITH THE HOME CARE PROVIDER.

DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE HAVING A HOME CARE PROVIDER TAKING CARE OF YOU? SHE SAID YES.

ASKING HER WHEN SHE GO TO DOCTOR CLINIC AND DOESN'T HAVE THAI TRANSLATION SERVICE WHO HELPS HER TO TRANSLATION. SHE SAID ME HOME CARE PROVIDER.

OF TAKING CARE BY HOME CARE PROVIDER DO HER HEALTH IS IMPROVE THE SAME OR DECREASE? SHE SAY INCREASE.

BY ASKING HER, ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE SALARY.COM.

DID YOU KNOW THE COST OF LIVING IN MERCED, CALIFORNIA IS 7.4% HIGHER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE? SHE SAY SHE DON'T KNOW.

AND I ASKING HER.

DO YOU KNOW HOME CARE PROVIDER IN MERCED COUNTY? WE DO NOT RECEIVE THE WAIT LIST.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH CARE OR BENEFITS.

SHE SAID SHE DON'T KNOW.

AND THE LAST ONE? CAN I SPEAK? THANK YOU.

IF IF YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO INCREASE WAGE AND BENEFIT FOR HOME CARE PROVIDERS WILL YOU APPROVE IT? SHE SAID YES.

THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

AND THEN LAST ONE.

I BELIEVE THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU WERE ELDERLY WHO LACK ENGLISH SKILL, LIVE IN A COMFORT ZONE AND HAD HEALTH PROBLEM AND A MEMORY DECRY, YOUR ANSWER WOULD BE THE SAME AS MY CLIENT,

[00:30:02]

I BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO GET HOME CARE PROVIDER FOR HIGHER WAGE AND BENEFIT WITHOUT ANY EXCUSE AT ALL, BECAUSE YOU CALL ON OUR CARE AND YOU WANT IHSS PROVIDER TO HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE, TO TAKING CARE OF OUR LOVED ONES, CARE OF OUR CHILDREN, ELDERLY, DISABILITY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER WHEN THEY ARE IN THE SIMILAR CONDITION AS THE RECIPIENT WE CARE FOR.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR PUTTING YOUR FEET IN OUR SHOES IN ORDER TO SORRY AND FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND SUPPORT IN OUR HOME CARE PROVIDER BY INCREASING WAGE AND PROVIDING HEALTH BENEFIT.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL TOGETHER FOR OUR WELL-BEING COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

AND THEN I WILL LEAVE MY QUESTION HERE, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH .

HOLD ON A SECOND. LET'S JUST WAIT ONE SECOND.

LET ME GET A TRANSLATOR UP.

I'M GOING TO TRANSLATE FOR HER.

NO, WE'LL HAVE OUR TRANSLATOR TRANSLATE.

SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY.

THANK YOU.

OKAY, OKAY.

GO AHEAD AND START.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS OLIVIA GARCIA.

I AM A PROVIDER OF IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES HERE IN THE MERCED COUNTY.

I TAKE CARE OF MY MOTHER, ANGELA GARCIA.

WE EXPECT THE LEADERS TO TAKE CARE OF US AS WE TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION OR BENEFITS AS WORKERS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE EXPECT THE COUNTY TO INVEST $0.23 AN HOUR FOR A PPO VISION AND DENTAL PLAN, AS WELL AS A LIFE INSURANCE PLAN, WHICH WOULD ONLY COST THE COUNTY ABOUT $168,000.

THIS WOULD HELP US WORK ON CLOSING THIS BENEFIT GAP AND HOPEFULLY ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE INTO THIS FAST GROWING INDUSTRY.

WE URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO ARE CARING FOR YOUR MOST VULNERABLE CONSTITUENTS.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS ELAINE QUEEN AND I AM AN IHSS PROVIDER, WHICH MANY OF YOU KNOW.

I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY OF YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN.

[00:35:04]

BUT I LOVE THIS WORK.

SO I DO HAVE ANOTHER CLIENT THAT I'M STARTING TODAY.

I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMMENSE VALUE WE BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY.

OUR WORK NOT ONLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES.

UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF MY MOM'S ILLNESS, SHE DIED IN THE HOSPITAL.

WE WERE JUST SIGNING HER COMFORT TO BRING HER HOME TO DIE, AND SHE DIED IN A COLD PLACE.

WE WANTED HER HOME.

THIS OFTEN IS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE OPTION.

YET OUR WAGES HAVE STAGNATED FAR TOO LONG.

THE LACK OF WAGE INCREASES HAS LED TO A HIGH TURNOVER RATE IN OUR INDUSTRY.

AND I HEARD YOU GUYS ALL SAY THAT YOU RECEIVED COUNSEL FROM YOUR YOUR COUNSEL IN CLOSED.

SO YOU ALREADY COME HERE KNOWING YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY TOLD YOU TO DO INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.

BY INVESTING IN FAIR WAGES FOR IHSS PROVIDERS, YOU CAN STABILIZE OUR WORKFORCE, ENSURING CONSISTENT AND HIGH QUALITY CARE FOR THOSE WHO DEPEND ON US.

IT'S NOT JUST AN INVESTMENT IN OUR WELL-BEING, IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE WELLBEING OF OUR CLIENTS.

SO WE URGE YOU AND ASK YOU TO PLEASE READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY, BECAUSE YOU'LL FIND IT'S A BENEFIT TO OUR WHOLE COUNTY.

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY TO ALL OF OUR HOME CARE PROVIDERS, WE BRING AN IMPACT IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT.

JUST DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TOWARD US, PLEASE.

BUT I WANT TO SAY TO MY HOME CARE PROVIDERS AND TO YOU, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IF WE WERE TO STOP DOING WHAT WE WERE DOING TO FIND BETTER WAGES, IT WOULD LEAVE A GREAT IMPACT.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK ALL MY HOME CARE PROVIDERS TO PLEASE EXIT THE ROOM TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

SEE.

OKAY. OKAY.

YEAH. WE STILL HAVE MORE TIME.

YEAH, YEAH.

I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ABOUT TWO MORE SPEAKERS.

KEEP IN MIND THAT'S 1% BECAUSE THE REST OF US ARE STILL WORKING.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS ANASTACIO ROSALES.

I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN PLANADA FOR 58 YEARS, AND THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ON BEHALF OF ALL RESIDENTS.

AND WE FIRST OF ALL, WANT TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THEM TO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GUYS AND EFFORT YOU GUYS DID FOR APPROVING ALL THOSE 20 MILLION FOR PLANADA.

WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

AND THANK YOU. BUT THEN AGAIN, ACCORDING TO THE MEETINGS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING ON, WE APPRECIATE IT IF YOU PEOPLE SUPERVISORS WILL HELP US AND DO THIS IN PLANADA FOR THE REASON THAT ARE SOME OF US, NOT MYSELF, BECAUSE THANK GOD I'M RETIRED.

BUT THEN AGAIN, I STILL WORK EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HIRE ME THIS TIME FOR NOT TOO MUCH WORK.

BUT THE REASON WHY WE NEED YOU PEOPLE TO HELP US AND DO THESE MEETINGS IN PLANADA TOO MANY OF THEM.

MOST OF THEM THEY ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR THEM TO LOSE ONE DAY.

WHY? BECAUSE I'M JUST HEARING SOME PEOPLE THAT THEY MAKE $72,000 A YEAR.

COME ON. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE MAKE MYSELF THAT? I'M RETIRED. I ONLY GET $19,000 A YEAR.

IT'S NOT EVEN WHAT, SAY, ONE THIRD OR ONE PART OF THREE.

NOW, MY PEOPLE FROM PLANADA, RESIDENTS THAT ARE ALSO WORKING IN THE FIELDS, THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE NOT EVEN HALF OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S SEASONAL.

OKAY. SO THE REASON WHY, AGAIN, I WISH THAT YOU PEOPLE WILL LISTEN TO US AND

[00:40:09]

AND ABOUT THE BUDGET, THAT IT'S ALREADY DONE.

I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE MEETINGS SO WE CAN ALL BE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU GUYS DECIDE.

AND ALSO FOR US TO DECIDE THE PLAN THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.

SO I REALLY THANK YOU AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE FOR YOUR EFFORT THAT YOU GUYS DID ON GETTING THOSE 20 MILLION FOR US BECAUSE WE NEED IT.

BELIEVE ME, IT'S ALREADY TEN MONTHS.

WE AIN'T GOT NOTHING.

I HAVEN'T FIXED UP MY HOUSE YET, I HAVEN'T FINISHED.

WHY? BECAUSE IT'S MYSELF.

I HAVE BEEN GETTING LOANS.

STILL IN THERE? WHY? BECAUSE I GOT THE HELP I NEED.

WE ALL NEED IT.

AND ACCORDING TO ALL THE PLACES THEY GOT FLOODED.

WELL, I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN REALLY HELP US AND DO THESE MEETINGS IN PLANADA.

IF IT'S POSSIBLE AFTER 5:00, WHEN THEY HAVE COME HOME FROM WORK AND THEY HAVE THE TIME TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS, PLEASE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

HELLO, BOARD. MY NAME IS ANDREW.

I'M THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE UNIT 14 OF THE DSA.

USUALLY I COME HERE.

OBVIOUSLY, MANY OTHER AFSCME MEMBERS HAVE COME HERE TODAY ABOUT THE INSURANCE INCREASES AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE ALSO.

SPECIFICALLY, I USUALLY COME HERE WITH A MESSAGE THAT'S PRETTY WELL THOUGHT OUT, COMES OUT WITH THREE MINUTES SO I CAN SPEAK.

I GUESS I'M JUST FRUSTRATED.

I'M FRUSTRATED SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RESPONSE FROM SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA LAST WEEK TO CLOSE THE COMMENTS WITH YOUR HR MATH OF $72,000 FOR THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THROUGH THE NUMBERS THAT THAT'S NOT THE MEDIAN EMPLOYEE AND YOU USE THE AVERAGE FOR A REASON BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LOOK AS BAD. THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE OF $72,000 INCLUDES THE CEOS, THE SHERIFF, THE UNDERSHERIFF.

IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE AVERAGE DISPATCHER, THE AVERAGE CORONER THEY MAKE, WELL, LESS THAN 72.

I THINK I CAME CLOSE TO 72, BUT I WORKED LIKE 200 HOURS OF OVERTIME LAST YEAR.

SO THAT TELLS YOU WHAT THE MEDIAN WOULD BE IF YOU DID IT THAT WAY.

THE AVERAGE INSURANCE COST IS $105 AMONGST ALL PLANS, A PAYCHECK PER PAY PERIOD.

SO IF YOU AVERAGE THAT OUT EVEN WITH YOUR 72% OR $72,000, THAT'S 3.81% MORE THAN HALF OF THE RAISE THAT YOU GAVE US LAST TIME. AND IF YOU GO WITH THE MEDIAN, WHICH I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU LOOK INTO AND HAVE THEM RUN THE NUMBERS OF THE MEDIAN COUNTY EMPLOYEE AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT'S PROBABLY UP CLOSE TO ALMOST THE WHOLE INCREASE THAT YOU GAVE THIS LAST ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS.

IF I STAY ON MY OWN PLAN THAT I'M ON TODAY, I'LL COME OUT NEGATIVE NEXT YEAR.

I'LL BE -$80 PER PAYCHECK.

SO WITH THE 6% INCREASE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO PASS ALONG THE COSTS YOU DON'T MAKE THE INSURANCE POLICIES.

AS MANY OF YOU HAVE SAID, YOU DON'T MAKE THE RATES, BUT YOU DID CAP THE RATES.

AND IF YOU BUT YOU AS A BOARD CAP THE RATES AND TOOK SOMETHING THAT WAS GUARANTEED AND TURNED IT INTO NEGOTIATED ITEM TO HELP ONLY THE COUNTY AND NOT THE EMPLOYEE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT WHEN THE UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS COME, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ASKED ABOUT THE CAP AND NEGOTIATIONS THAT IS OFF THE TABLE.

WE ARE TOLD THIS IS SALARY ONLY.

SO IF YOU THINK IT'S A NEGOTIABLE ITEM, IT'S SADLY NOT.

AND YOU'RE NOT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT INFORMATION YOU'RE GETTING, BUT IT'S A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE ALL THESE EMPLOYEES ARE HURTING AND THEY'RE COMING HERE EVERY WEEK AND YOU HAVE NO ACTION BEING SEEN.

SO I HOPE THAT YOU FINALLY TAKE ACTION AND PUT THIS ISSUE TO REST.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR ME? I GOT TIME FOR ONE MORE.

GOOD MORNING. MORNING TO YOU ALL AND MORNING TO ALL IN ATTENDANCE.

THANK YOU. TODAY, BEFORE I START, I'M GOING TO REQUEST FOR AN EXTRA 180 SECONDS.

I CAN'T GIVE YOU 180 SECONDS.

WELL, I'M GIVEN 180 SECONDS TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT? WELL, I'M GOING TO TRY AND FIT IT IN THERE.

I HAVE THREE ISSUES TO TALK ABOUT.

THE FIRST ONE IS THAT 16 ACRES BEHIND OUR PROPERTY, WHICH IS GETTING TO BE A PROBLEM AGAIN, IT'S INFESTED WITH RODENTS AND IT'S AFFECTING OUR GARDEN, OKAY.

IT'S TAKING OUR LIVELIHOOD AWAY.

SECOND IS FENTANYL.

WHAT ARE WE ALL DOING ABOUT FENTANYL? WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING ABOUT FENTANYL IN THIS TOWN?

[00:45:04]

OH, REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DUARTE IS PUTTING A PACKAGE FOR ISRAEL.

GAZA. CAN YOU GO BACK THERE AND ASK HIM TO PUT A PACKAGE FOR MERCED COUNTY TO CONTROL FENTANYL? SO KEEP YOUR COMMENTS DIRECTED TOWARD US.

YES. OKAY.

AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS ABOUT THE PARK THAT'S LOCATED ON LOBO AND DRAKE GETTING TIRED OF IT.

GRAFFITI? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE FUTURE? LET THEM KIDS GO OUT THERE AND TAG ON TOP OF THE TAGS.

IS IT OKAY? IS THIS WHAT WE'RE TELLING THE KIDS OF OUR COMMUNITY? IT'S OKAY TO DO THAT.

WE'VE HAD TWO EVENTS IN THAT PARK.

NO PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.

THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE IS ALL BROKEN.

FOUR MONTHS AGO, WE HAD A TALK, DIDN'T WE? WHAT WAS WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS NEW EQUIPMENT ORDERED.

OKAY, NOW THE EQUIPMENT WAS ORDERED.

IT'S ALREADY FOUR MONTHS NOW.

IS IT COMING FROM CHINA? DO WE NEED TO SEND A SHIP UP THERE TO BRING THAT EQUIPMENT? AND THEN WHEN I ASK, WHO DOES THAT PARK BELONG TO? WE ALWAYS TOLD IT DOESN'T BELONG TO THE COUNTY.

THEN WHO DOES IT BELONG TO? WHERE IS THE REVENUE COMING TO PAY? WHO'S COMING IN THERE AND DOING A HALF A JOB? IS THAT WHAT THAT COMMUNITY IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE? WHERE IS THE REVENUE COMING FROM? IS THE STATE PAYING FOR THAT PARK OR IS IT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THERE? WHERE IS THAT REVENUE COMING FROM? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT FROM MY DISTRICT SUPERVISOR.

AND HOW MUCH WHAT KIND OF REVENUE IS COMING IN? WHY ISN'T THAT PARK MAINTAINED? IS THIS THE FUTURE FOR THE KIDS IN BEACHWOOD? AND IF IT IS, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE THE PEOPLE CAN TAKE ACTIONS AND DO IT OURSELVES.

I'M NOT HERE TO PLAY AROUND.

I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS MATTER BECAUSE BEACHWOOD HAS BEEN CLEANED BUT NO MAINTENANCE WORK DONE.

WHEN YOU BUY A NEW VEHICLE.

WHAT DOES THE DEALER TELL YOU? I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO FINISH YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

THANK YOU. WHAT DOES THE DEALER TELL YOU? BRING THIS CAR BACK IN TO GET IT SERVICED.

WELL, BEACHWOOD IS CLEANED, BUT THERE IS NO SERVICE WORK DONE.

HOW CAN YOU DO SERVICE WORK WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHERIFFS IN TOWN? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT? I HAVEN'T SEEN NO SHERIFF IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN TWO WEEKS.

I'VE SEEN THE HIGHWAY PATROL. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU.

WE'RE OUT OF TIME KAREN.

YOU GOT AN ITEM COMING UP HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE.

WANT TO TALK ON IT THEN? I'M GOING TO. ON A FEE ORDINANCE WHERE NO ONE'S GOING TO BE HERE.

WELL, YOU SHOULD ASK THEM TO COME.

OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

WE HAVE 30 MINUTES THE 30 MINUTES IS EXPIRED.

WELL I WAS PATIENTLY LETTING THE OTHERS SPEAK FIRST.

I'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES. GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

THANK YOU. I'M KAREN ADAMS, MERCED, COUNTY TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK SUPERVISORS PEDROZO AND ESPINOSA FOR READING MY EMAIL I SENT LAST WEEK.

I THANK YOU BOTH.

THEY REACHED OUT AND SAID, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU WITH YOUR EMAIL REQUEST? FIRST OF ALL, SECOND OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE KIND TAXPAYERS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE FRUSTRATED TAXPAYERS.

MY OFFICE IS SPLIT BETWEEN TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR FUNCTIONS.

THE TREASURER, STAFF AND MANAGEMENT CANNOT ACCEPT OR PROCESS YOUR TAX PAYMENT TO ENSURE INTEGRITY AND SEGREGATION OF DUTIES TO ENSURE SAFE KEEPING, THE TREASURY INSTEAD MANAGES AND OVERSEES A $2 BILLION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO, WHICH INCLUDES YOUR TAX DOLLARS.

THE TAX COLLECTOR STAFF ONLY CONSISTS OF FOUR STAFF AND A CHIEF DEPUTY THAT ACCEPTS YOUR TAX PAYMENTS, ANSWERS PHONES AND PROVIDES SPECIALIZED SERVICES REQUIRED BY THE TAXPAYER.

OUR TAX STAFF MAIL 90,000 BILLS, PROCESS 153,000 PAYMENTS IN EXCESS OF 370 MILLION.

TAX STAFF DO TAKE LUNCH.

IF YOU COME IN DURING THE LUNCH HOUR, THERE IS MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO BE A LONG LINE.

WE CANNOT PREDICT THE NUMBER OF CALLS OR FOOT TRAFFIC IN ANY DAY.

THE TAXPAYER LINES EBB AND FLOW AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND ON DIFFERENT DAYS.

I REMIND TAXPAYERS THERE ARE OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS THAN TO STAND IN LINE, FRUSTRATED WITH MY STAFF AND BECOME DISRESPECTFUL.

[00:50:02]

PLEASE KNOW THE LOCKBOX REPLACED THE NEED FOR STAFF TO GATHER, STORE, TOUCH, SCAN TAX PAYMENTS CONTINUOUSLY DURING TAX PAYMENT.

BEFORE THE LOCKBOX THIS STAFF SAT IN A SECURE TAX ROOM FOR TWO MONTHS, OPENING MAIL, AND NOW THEY CAN PROVIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO OUR TAXPAYERS DURING OUR BUSY SEASON.

NO STAFF HAVE OR WILL BE LAID OFF.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE STILL IN MERCED COUNTY.

AT LEAST 12 OF THE 58 CALIFORNIA COUNTIES EMPLOY A LOCKBOX PROCESS.

IT IS MY HOPE TAXPAYERS WILL APPRECIATE OUR FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

IN CONCLUSION, TIS THE SEASON FOR YOUR FIRST SECURED PROPERTY TAX INSTALLMENT, AND TIS THE SEASON TO BE REMINDED ABOUT BROTHERLY AND SISTERLY LOVE.

PLEASE EXTEND KINDNESS TO MY AMAZING STAFF AND IF NECESSARY, REACH OUT TO ME FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR COMPLAINTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS MADAM TAX COLLECTOR.

IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, NEXT TIME, REQUEST TO BE ON THE AGENDA SO I CAN GIVE YOU A TIME.

I TRY TO KEEP TIGHT.

NO THAT'S FINE. THREE MINUTES IS ENOUGH AND WE WILL BE POSTING ADDITIONAL KINDNESS REQUEST SIGNAGE IN OUR OFFICE LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR.

AND IT'S JUST MY HOPE THE TAXPAYERS UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A PRIVILEGED SERVICE THAT MUST BE COMPLETED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. I NOW MOVE ON TO OUR CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEMS THREE, FIVE, AND SIX REQUIRE A 4/5 VOTE.

ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 23.

NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

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.

I'LL MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR CALENDAR BOARD.

[BOARD ACTION]

ITEMS 24 THROUGH 28.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM 28 REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE.

WE HAVE A QUESTION BY SUPERVISOR.

NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE SUPERVISOR PEDROZO HAS A COMMENT.

THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT NUMBER 28, AND I KNOW IT TAKES A FOUR FIFTH VOTE, AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL SUPPORT THIS.

THIS IS A $2 MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE WORK TO GET THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THROUGH FORMER CONGRESSMAN COSTA'S OFFICE, TO RENOVATE THE OUTSIDE OF THE COURTHOUSE MUSEUM. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IT'S A SYMBOL OF MERCED COUNTY.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY RECOGNIZABLE IN MERCED COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IN NEED OF A LOT OF TLC.

AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE ON THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THIS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALL WORKED REALLY HARD FOR.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS.

THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST ON ITEM NUMBER 24, WE HAVE PEACH AVENUE IN LIVINGSTON.

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ABOUT THREE, FOUR YEARS TO CONSTANT CALLS FROM COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN LIVINGSTON.

THEY USE THAT ROAD TO GO STRAIGHT TO SULTANA AND HIGHWAY 99 NORTH AND SOUTH, GOING TO WORK AND GOING TO MERCED.

SO HOPEFULLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT GETS THEM PRETTY SOON.

I KNOW THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO START IN JULY AND YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL IN LIVINGSTON KEEPS ASKING ME WHEN IT'S COMING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DELAY AND DELAY AND DELAY.

HOPEFULLY THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE DELAYS AND IT'LL BE GET DONE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

[00:55:01]

ITEMS 29 THROUGH 31.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 29 THROUGH 31.

NOT 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.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.

ITEMS 32 THROUGH 34.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 32 THROUGH 34.

I'LL NOT SEE ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING IT BACK UP TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

ITEM 35.

PLEASE NOTE A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE IS REQUIRED.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 35.

NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES 4 TO 1.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE FIRE.

ITEM 36.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 46.

36. I'M SORRY.

36. NOT SEEING ONE.

WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DIAS WHERE SUPERVISOR PEDROZO HAS A COMMENT.

I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION.

CHIEF, CAN YOU COME UP, PLEASE? ALL RIGHT. IT'S A COMMENT, BUT ALSO A QUESTION.

SO CAN YOU BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S IN THE REPORT, BUT CAN YOU JUST SAY WHAT YOU'RE USING THIS MONEY FOR? YES. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR.

MARK PIMENTEL, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR MERCED COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS.

THIS GRANT WAS APPLIED FOR RECENTLY THROUGH OUR PROCESS IN ORDER TO GET SCBAS FOR OUR STAFF OUT THERE IN THE FIELD.

THE BOTTLES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ARE GETTING TO AN EXPECTANCY LIFE OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS LEFT, ACTUALLY JUST A LITTLE BIT UNDER THAT.

SO WE WORKED THROUGH WITH THE CITIES AND OUR COUNTY TO DO A REGIONAL GRANT.

ATWATER CITY AND MERCED CITY ALSO DID THE SAME AND DID A REGIONAL GRANT AS WELL AND WAS SUCCESSFUL.

THE IDEA IS THAT WE WILL ALL HAVE IN MERCED COUNTY THE SAME TYPE OF BREATHING APPARATUS, SO THAT WHEN WE COME IN AND WORK TOGETHER ON INCIDENTS OR LARGER SCALE INCIDENTS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE EQUIPMENT AND BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS EQUIPMENT TO MITIGATE THE INCIDENT AND OBVIOUSLY HAVE OUR FOLKS TRAINED ON THE SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO I DON'T HAVE, AGAIN, LIKE I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.

I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT LIKE THAT, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SAFE.

SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. 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 UP WILL BE PROBATION ITEM 37.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 37.

NOT SEEING ANYONE. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

OR THE CHAIR WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

NEXT UP WE HAVE SHERIFF.

ITEM 38. PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED.

ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 38.

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 PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

[01:00:03]

NEXT UP WE HAVE EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

WE WILL BE TAKING THESE ITEMS SEPARATELY.

AND FOR ITEM 39 WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY ASSISTANT CEO MARCI BARRERA.

GOOD MORNING BOARD CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, CEO HANSEN.

I'M SORRY. EXCUSE ME. CEO MENDEZ AND COUNTY COUNSEL HANSEN.

ITEM 39, BEFORE YOU TODAY IS FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SHERIFF ADMIN SITE BUILDING.

AND IF SO, PICK THE SITE LOCATION.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY MULTIPLE PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY, SO TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY A NEW SHERIFF'S ADMINISTRATION OFFICE NEEDS TO BE BUILT WILL TAKE A MOMENT TO WALK THROUGH THE PROJECTS.

THE FIRST ONE IS PHASE ONE, WHICH IS AN EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF THE JOHN LATORRACA CORRECTIONAL CENTER.

THE CURRENT LOCATION IS AT SANDY MUSH ROAD AND THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE TO THIS LOCATION.

THE CURRENT TOTAL PROJECT COST IS MORE THAN $84 MILLION, OF WHICH THE COUNTY HAS COMMITTED $44 MILLION IN DIRECT FUNDING.

PHASE TWO A IS A NEW 256 BED MAXIMUM SECURITY FACILITY TO REPLACE THE MAIN JAIL.

THE CURRENT LOCATION OF THE MAIN JAIL IS ON 22ND STREET IN DOWNTOWN MERCED, AND THIS SITE WILL BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED AND DEMOLISHED UPON COMPLETION OF THE PHASE 2 A CONSTRUCTION AT THE JOHN LATORRACA CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON SANDY MUSH ROAD.

THE CURRENT TOTAL PROJECT COST IS NEARLY $65 MILLION, WHICH IS FUNDED ENTIRELY BY THE COUNTY, $32 MILLION OF WHICH WAS FINANCED THROUGH BOND PROCEEDS, EQUATING TO AN APPROXIMATE $2 MILLION DOLLARS OF ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT FOR THE COUNTY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS.

PHASE 2B IS THE NEW SHERIFF ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS COMPLEX, WHICH IS WHAT THE ITEM IS BEFORE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY.

THE CURRENT LOCATIONS ARE AT THE MAIN JAIL ON 22ND STREET, WHICH IS IN POOR CONDITION, AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AT VARIOUS LEASED OFFICE SPACES.

CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW LOCATION REQUIRES BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVAL.

AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WHEN DISCUSSING THE PHASE 2A PROJECT, THE MAIN JAIL IS SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION DUE TO ITS POOR CONDITION, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF UPGRADES AND MAINTENANCE THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO KEEP THAT FACILITY GOING.

AS SUCH, RELOCATION OF THE SHERIFF'S ADMINISTRATION STAFF CURRENTLY HOUSED AT THIS LOCATION IS NECESSARY.

TO DATE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS COMMITTED OVER 2.2 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THE PLANNING PHASE OF THE 2B SHERIFF, ADMIN AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLEX. ON MAY 9TH, 2023, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AWARDED A CONTRACT TO SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

THIS WAS AFTER RECEIVING AND REVIEWING RFP RFQ DESIGNS FOR A DESIGN BUILD ENTITY TO COME IN AND CONSTRUCT A NEW SHERIFF'S ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS COMPLEX, AGAIN REFERRED TO AS PHASE 2 B AT THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY PROJECTS LIST.

DETAILS OF THE DESIGN BUILD INCLUDED A NEW FACILITY THAT WOULD BE UP TO 36,000FT² IN SIZE ON A COUNTY OWNED PIECE OF REAL PROPERTY, AND WITH A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE OR GMP OF UP TO $24 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION.

INITIAL COSTS FOR THE CONTRACT DESIGN WORK IS THE $2.2 MILLION THAT THE BOARD COMMITTED, AS MENTIONED EARLIER ON SLIDE TWO, AS FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS. THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY $28 MILLION, OF WHICH IT INCLUDES THE DESIGN WORK, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION, PERMITTING, AND ANY CONTINGENCIES.

A SITE ASSESSMENT REPORT WAS PREPARED BY SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, WHICH EVALUATED FACTORS FOR THE TWO LOCATIONS.

THE TWO LOCATIONS THAT WERE EVALUATED ARE THE PARADE GROUNDS AND WALLACE ROAD, BOTH OF WHICH ARE LOCATED AT THE ATWATER CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER.

BOTH SITES WERE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE A PREFERRED SITE FOR THE SHERIFF'S ADMINISTRATION COMPLEX, AND FACTORS FOR SITE EVALUATION INCLUDED SITE SIZE EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES, COUNTY FACILITY PROXIMITY.

MINIMAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS, UTILITIES.

IT WAS, WE REVIEWED MINIMAL SETBACKS, RIGHT OF WAYS, MINIMAL ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED AND TRAFFIC IMPACT AND SITE ACCESS.

THIS SLIDE IS JUST A RENDERING THAT WAS PREPARED BY SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AS PART OF THE REPORT THAT WAS ADMINISTERED.

AND AGAIN, IT SHOWS BOTH SITES AND WHAT THEY WOULD LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THEY COULD LOOK LIKE AT THE FULL BUILD OUT OF BOTH LOCATIONS ON THE PARADE GROUNDS AND THE WALLACE ROAD SITE.

[01:05:01]

AND PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TOOK PRIOR ACTION ON JULY 12TH OF 2022, AUTHORIZING STAFF TO WORK WITH THE FINANCE TEAM IN THE INITIAL PREPARATION OF PRELIMINARY DOCUMENTS FOR FINANCING OF THE PROJECT.

ACTION ITEM 2A THROUGH C FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONSIDERATION INCLUDES THE SELECTION OF A PREFERRED SITE TO INCLUDE THE PLANNING PROCESS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT EITHER SITE, EVALUATED BY SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COULD BE UTILIZED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE SHERIFF'S ADMIN BUILDING.

HOWEVER, BOTH SITES HAD ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OUTLINED IN THE REPORT.

IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF THE PARADE GROUNDS IS THE SITE THAT'S SELECTED, IT WILL REQUIRE REZONING AND ADDITIONAL CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, OR CEQA WORK. THIS WILL RESULT IN A MINIMUM OF A ONE UP TO A ONE YEAR DELAY IN THE PROJECT START TIME.

HOWEVER, DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, THE PARADE GROUNDS AT THE CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER WAS THE RECOMMENDED SITE BY SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND IS ALSO THE PREFERRED SITE OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.

IF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DIRECTION TODAY IS TO CONTINUE WITH THE PROJECT, STAFF WOULD REASSEMBLE THE FINANCING TEAM AND RETURN TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE FUTURE, DEPENDING UPON THE SITE THAT IS SELECTED TO OUTLINE THE NEXT STEPS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE CONTRACTING WITH A BOND FINANCING EXPERT AND CONSULTING WITH SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

I HAVE MR. MENDEZ IS IN THE QUEUE.

YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

AS INDICATED BY MISS BARRERA IN HER PRESENTATION, THIS ITEM DOES PUT BEFORE YOU TWO CONVERGING BOARD PRIORITIES PUBLIC SAFETY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I BELIEVE WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE SHERIFF ADMIN OFFICE IS POOR AT BEST, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN SHORT ORDER.

YOUR PRIOR BOARD DIRECTION PUT US ON A PATH TO ADDRESS THIS LONG STANDING FACILITY ISSUE, AND KEPT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.

IN ADDITION TO REAFFIRMING POLICY DIRECTION AS INDICATED BY THE PRESENTATION, WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU SOME OPTIONS FOR SITING OF THE NEW FACILITY.

WE PRESENTED THIS INFORMATION BEFORE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF THE CHAIRMAN AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, A FEW WEEKS AGO.

THE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMITTEE WAS TO BRING THIS FORWARD FOR FORMAL CONSIDERATION BY THE ENTIRE BOARD.

REGARDLESS OF YOUR DIRECTION GOING FORWARD, YOUR STAFF IS PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD ACCORDINGLY.

THAT SAID, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT DIRECTION IN THE AFFIRMATIVE WILL HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT.

KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU'RE MAKING OR HAVING DISCUSSION THIS MORNING, OBVIOUSLY MAY IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS OTHER CURRENT AND FUTURE ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS. AS INDICATED BY MISS BARRERA, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED CONTEMPLATED IS POTENTIALLY DOING SOME DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS GOING FORWARD.

JUST SOMETHING TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND.

OUR ENTIRE COUNTY TEAM IS HERE, INCLUDING SHERIFF WARNKE AND HIS STAFF, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND OUR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE TO HELP YOU MAKE THIS DECISION.

BACK TO YOU, MR. CHAIR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT NOW? YEAH. OKAY.

MARCI, I KNOW YOU SAID I THINK THE PRICE WOULD BE ABOUT $28 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT, BUT I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A DELAY OF ONE YEAR FOR THE PROJECT DUE TO THAT IT HAS TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL, RIGHT? I MEAN, A REZONING OF THE PROJECT AREA.

YOU THINK THAT WOULD ADD A COST TO THE PROJECT BEING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DELAYED FOR A YEAR? SO I IMAGINE EVERY YEAR AFTER A YEAR, EVERYTHING GOES UP.

SO WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD HAVE COST.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT'S UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

IT ALSO DEPEND BASED UPON WHAT FINANCE RATES ARE AT THE TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY ASSEMBLE THE FINANCE TEAM AND GO BACK OUT FOR FINANCING.

AS YOU KNOW, THE RATES ARE VERY HIGH TODAY.

THEY COULD GO DOWN IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO SAY.

AS FAR AS COSTS RELATED TO THE REZONING.

I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO DISCUSS THAT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT COSTS MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADDITIONAL CEQA AND PLANNING WORK THAT WILL WILL BE ALIGNED.

YEAH, BUT THE WAY IT'S GOING WITH INTEREST IS IT KEEPS GOING UP.

SO AM I JUST GOING TO ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE IN DEPTH SERVICE PER YEAR WOULD THIS PROJECT TO THE COUNTY THAT SERVES AS IT IS.

SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FINANCING THE 28 MILLION AS OF TODAY'S DATE IF WE WERE TO GO OUT FOR FINANCING TODAY.

AND WE ESTIMATE THAT BASED UPON THE CURRENT INTEREST RATES, IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY A MINIMUM OF A $2 MILLION DOLLARS DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

[01:10:01]

RIGHT ALREADY? CORRECT. AND ALSO, BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE TOTAL COST OF DEBT SERVICE TO THE COUNTY? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN AC, NEW AC THAT'S GOING TO COST $3 MILLION HERE IN THIS BUILDING.

AND ALSO THE COMMUNICATIONS, ALL THE TOWERS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN, THAT'S ANOTHER DEBT SERVICE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.

RIGHT. AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE PROVISION.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PROVISION DEBT SERVICE WITH PROBATION DEPARTMENT.

RIGHT. SO HOW MUCH IS THAT.

I WOULD NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE FINAL BUDGET NOTES.

THERE ARE ALL OF OUR DEBT SERVICE IS OUTLINED IN THE BUDGET BOOK, AND IT'S OUTLINED BY PROJECT.

AND HOW MANY YEARS ARE LEFT ON EACH DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT AND WHAT THAT ANNUAL PAYMENT IS.

SO I DON'T KNOW THE PROBATION ONE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I DO KNOW THAT WE DID RECENTLY FINANCE THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM, AND THAT WAS ROUGHLY APPROXIMATELY A $30 MILLION PROJECT.

AND SO AGAIN, I WOULD NEED TO TO PULL THE INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS TO GIVE YOU SPECIFICS ON EACH OF THE PROJECTS.

SO I IMAGINE THAT'S CLOSE TO THIS PROJECT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO ADD A 2 MILLION PLUS 2 MILLION, ANOTHER 2 MILLION FOR JOHN LATORRACA.

THAT'S 6,000,000 [INAUDIBLE] THERE.

AND YOU KNOW, THE REST OF 7 TO $8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO PAY EVERY YEAR.

SO WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

AND I KNOW RIGHT NOW WITH THE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST THE THE DEPUTIES, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE TODAY IHSS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WITH THE COST OF INSURANCE GOING UP.

SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION.

WE HAVE TO SAY DO THIS BUILDING OR, YOU KNOW, HELP THE EMPLOYEES TO, YOU KNOW, AS WE FEEL WE SHOULD.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH.

MIKE, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, YOU SAID THIS IS GOING TO BE BUILT ON THE PARADE GROUNDS AND I DON'T THINK IT IS.

SO I DON'T WANT OUR CONSTITUENTS TO THINK THAT WE'RE PUTTING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON THE PARADE GROUNDS.

IT'S GOING TO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S GOING TO BE BEHIND THE PARADE GROUNDS, IS THAT IT IS STANDING.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE SITES THAT WAS REVIEWED.

I THINK IT WAS REFERENCED IN THE SLETTEN REPORT AS THE PARADE GROUNDS, BUT IT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ACTUAL PARADE GROUNDS WILL REMAIN AS A GRASS LOCATION AS IT EXISTS TODAY. IT WOULD BE DIRECTLY BEHIND THAT.

WE JUST WE USE THAT AS THE REFERENCE POINT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW IT WAS REFERENCED.

NO, I GET THAT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT OF CLARIFICATION.

THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU KNOW, HOW OUR COMMUNITY, OUR VETERANS AND I WOULDN'T WANT THAT TO GET OUT THERE THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON IT AND DISHONORING THEM.

SO I WOULD SAVE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FROM HAVING TO ASK THAT BECAUSE I KNOW HE WOULD BE THERE AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

AND I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE I'M GOING TO NOW THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 39.

GOOD MORNING BOARD.

THE DAY IS COMING.

SO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS.

BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF IN PARTICULAR, IS LOOKING AT THE AREA BEHIND THE PARADE GROUNDS.

SO I JUST WANT IT ON RECORD THAT THAT'S WHERE WE STAND.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST LOCATION FOR SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.

THE OTHER THING I WANT TO KEEP IN MIND FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED HERE IS THIS NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT OF AS A 50 YEAR PROJECT 50 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE.

THIS IS A GREAT START.

I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUILDING SINCE 1974, AND TO WATCH IT DETERIORATE THE WAY IT'S GOING AND YOU JUST CAN'T FIX IT, IT'S BEYOND THAT, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE WAY THAT IT WAS BUILT.

SO WANTING THIS BOARD TO KNOW THAT MY PERSONAL AND MY STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WILL BE TO PUT THE AREA BEHIND THE PARADE GROUNDS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SHERIFF.

GOOD MORNING. BOARD, THIS IS PASTOR ELLA LUNA-GARZA, AND I WAS LISTENING TO THIS AND LOOKING AT WHAT THE REPORT CAME THROUGH.

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT SAYS THAT IT'S $28 MILLION PROJECT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT 2 MILLION OVER 25 YEARS, WHICH ENDS UP BEING 50 MILLION PAID OUT FOR 28 MILLION.

IF WE LOOK AT THE CONSOLIDATED OR COLLECTED DEBT SERVICE THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE AND THIS ON TOP, I WOULD REALLY CONSIDER, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE CONSIDER OUR CONSTITUENTS AND LOOK AT THIS DEBT THAT WE'RE TAKING ON AND THE DEBT AND THOSE FISCAL IMPLICATIONS.

INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT.

ABSOLUTELY. 50 YEAR PROJECT SHERIFF IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER WHAT WE WANT TO LOOK LIKE IN 50 YEARS.

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ECONOMICALLY AS WELL.

[01:15:01]

IN 50 YEARS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SO INSOLVENT, THAT WE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.

SO JUST BRINGING THAT UP, ENCOURAGING YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE STEWARDSHIP OF ALL THAT GOES INTO THE DEBT, ALL THAT GOES INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT WHICH WE INDEED INTEND TO HAVE IN 50 YEARS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.

RIGHT. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEM 39? NOT SEEING ANY. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

SO THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN ON THIS ITEM.

CLICK ON THAT. MAKE SURE I FOLLOW ALONG.

OKAY. SO AS THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS IS TO PROVIDE STAFF GUIDANCE REGARDING THE SHERIFF'S ADMIN AND OPERATION COMPLEX AS PHASE 2B OF THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY PROJECT.

ONE WOULD BE TO CONFIRM THAT THE PLANNING EFFORTS FOR PHASE 2 B FOR THE SHERIFF'S ADMIN AND OPERATIONS COMPLEX SHOULD CONTINUE, AND THEN TWO WOULD BE SELECT A PREFERRED SITE TO INCLUDE PLANNING PROCESS.

AND THAT INCLUDES ITEMS THERE'S A, B OR C IN THERE.

THERE'S THE SITE KNOWN AS THE PARADE GROUNDS, NOT THE ACTUAL PARADE GROUNDS OR B WALLACE ROAD, BOTH LOCATED AT CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER.

OR THERE'S C AN ALTERNATE SITE THAT'S NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONSIDERED.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I THINK OUR SHERIFF IS I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS BOARD FOR A LONG TIME, AND EVER SINCE THE FIRST DAY HE WALKED IN THE OFFICE I WALKED INTO OFFICE AT THE SAME TIME, AND ONE OF THE FIRST TOURS I WENT ON WITH THE SHERIFF WAS HIS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND THROUGH THE JAILS.

AND WE KNOW BY ALL MEANS IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN IN THESE POSITIONS, THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT, AND WE'VE COMPLETELY WE KEPT PUNTING. WE KEPT MOVING ON, OF COURSE, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO AT THE JAIL, WHICH WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE STATE AND GETTING THAT DONE, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH ALL THAT HOPEFULLY. BUT MOVING FORWARD, WE NEED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES THROUGH OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

OUR SHERIFF IS THE ELECTED PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERT IN HIS POSITION.

AND I TOTALLY GO WITH HIS RECOMMENDATION.

I AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

I THINK, AS I ALWAYS SAY, CASTLE IS THE HEART OF MERCED COUNTY.

YOU CAN FEEL THE ECONOMIC PULSE AND WITH PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENT AT CASTLE, WHICH WE HAVE A REALLY BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT WILL DO NOTHING BUT INSPIRE THE GROWTH THERE. SO IF I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE DIRECTION OR MAKE A MOTION, I WOULD A MOTION STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, ALONG WITH THE SHERIFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND THE POSITION WHERE HE WANTS TO DO IT, WHICH IS NOT ON THE PARADE GROUNDS.

THAT IS SACRED LAND IN CASTLE.

WE WILL NOT TOUCH THE SACRED LAND AND IT WILL BE THEREFORE BEHIND THE PARADE GROUNDS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND THE SHERIFF, I KNOW THAT THE BUILDING THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING USED IS PRETTY OLD, AND BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SAY RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST LIKE YOU HAVE A BIG HOUSE PAYMENT.

BIG CAR PAYMENT, RIGHT? NOW'S THE TIME WITH ALL THIS INFLATION, I FEEL FOR WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY ARE GOING THROUGH AND EVERYBODY IN THE PUBLIC WITH HIGH COST OF INFLATION.

SO I JUST RIGHT NOW I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT.

WE TALK ABOUT BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT I FEEL RIGHT NOW, THAT RIGHT NOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, A RECESSION OR WORSE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST WAIT A FEW YEARS TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING.

AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST WANT TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LAY OFF, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE EMPLOYEES.

SO RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BEST ADVISE IS JUST TO WAIT.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

ALL RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, THE COST IS ONLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO UP.

AND BECAUSE WE HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO DO ANYTHING TO PREPARE FOR THIS, IT HAS TO BE DONE.

AND I MEAN, THAT BUILDING THAT THE SHERIFF HAS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN IS NOT SAFE.

IT'S NOT IN A GOOD SPOT IN MERCED IN MERCED COUNTY.

I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AT OUT AT CASTLE.

AND YOU KNOW, WE GET TOLD ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AND THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE THE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD.

[01:20:01]

FOR FAR TOO LONG, THIS COUNTY HAS PUSHED OFF DOING PROJECTS, PUSHED OFF DOING PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON DEBT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY TO PUT THE AC ON THIS THING IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN KICKED THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

IT'S JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE COST MOVING FORWARD.

I'M IN FAVOR OF DOING THE BUILDING, CONTINUING IT.

I'M IN FAVOR OF IT PUTTING IT BY THE PARADE GROUNDS, NOT ON IT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A TIME WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OTHER AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT UPGRADING.

I MEAN, THESE BUILDINGS ARE OLD.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S UNTENABLE.

SO I'M IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING IT AT THE PARADE GROUNDS ON OR AROUND THE PARADE GROUNDS AND GO FROM THERE.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WANT TO SHARE WHERE I'M AT, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S FAIR. I THINK OUR PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, THE ESTIMATE, COST ON FIXING THE ADMIN BUILDING HERE IN DOWNTOWN WAS AROUND 7 MILLION.

AND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THERE AND THE START OF COVID, IT BALLOONED TO ABOUT 13.7 MILLION AS COST ESTIMATES.

AND SO NOW, WITH THE INCREASES WE'VE HAD, I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF THAT WAS PUSHED IN $20 MILLION TO DO THAT PROJECT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO GO FORWARD.

YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

YOU KNOW, IF THE SHERIFF THINKS THAT SITE WORKS FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

YOU KNOW, TODAY WE'RE APPROVING THE FORWARDING OF THE PLANNING.

WE'RE NOT COMMITTING 28 MILLION.

I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS THAT OUR ECONOMY IS GOING TO TAKE A DOWNTURN.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TIME TO FINANCE WHAT WE NEED TO FINANCE OR NOT FINANCE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO FINANCE.

BUT IF WE DON'T START THIS PLANNING PROCESS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.

EXAMPLE, THE PARK IN WINTON, RIGHT.

WE SPENT THE TIME TO, TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO APPLY FOR A GRANT.

OF COURSE, WE DIDN'T MAKE OUR FIRST GRANT, BUT BECAUSE WE HAD ALL OUR WORK DONE.

THE NEXT GRANT CAME AND IT CAME FAIRLY EASY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST KNOWING HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS, I THINK WE NEED TO TO START THIS PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF EIRS THAT ALSO NEED TO BE DONE AT COUNCIL BEFORE THIS ONE, YOU KNOW.

SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A YEAR TO, YOU KNOW, TO WORK ON THE ZONING.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE US A YEAR TO GET THERE TO WHERE WE CAN START THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANYWAYS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I TOO WENT THROUGH A TOUR OF THE DOWNTOWN OFFICES AND JAIL AND, YOU KNOW, ANYWAYS, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. [LAUGHTER] I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT FACILITY IS LIKE.

AND SO ANYWAYS, I JUST LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, IN MY DISTRICT, PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE.

AND AND I THINK YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO DEFINITELY HEAD DOWN THIS PATH AND GET THERE, YOU KNOW, SOONER THAN LATER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO PREFACE THIS ALSO OR JUST SAY ALSO THAT I HAVE TALKED TO THE SHERIFF ABOUT THIS, AND I TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A TIME ISSUE WITH THIS. AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HE SAID, THAT'S FINE AS LONG AS WE'RE JUST CONTINUING THE PROCESS.

AND I THINK THAT THAT SHOWS A GOOD PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH THAT.

SO THANK YOU. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COMMENTS.

SO LISTEN, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID MOST EVERYTHING.

I KNOW EARLY ON IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ADVOCATED FOR TO OUR DPW STAFF WHEN THERE WAS ORIGINAL TALKS, WHEN PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO WERE HAPPENING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REFURBISHING AND REMODELING THE DOWNTOWN ADMIN BUILDING.

AND I SAID IT THEN AND I'LL SAY IT NOW, AT SOME POINT, YOU JUST GOT TO QUIT THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD.

IT'S JUST IT'S LIVED OUTLIVED ITS USEFUL LIFE.

IT'S NOT EVEN A QUESTION TO ME AS TO WHETHER WE NEED A NEW FACILITY.

I'M GOING TO SAY IT, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT THREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE VOTERS ELECT THE SHERIFF, AND THE SHERIFF TELLS US WHAT HE NEEDS, AND IT'S OUR JOB, WITHIN REASON, TO TRY TO PROVIDE HIM ALL THE TOOLS THAT HE NEEDS TO DO HIS JOB.

IF IT WAS UP TO ME PERSONALLY, I LIKE THE WALLACE ROAD SITE ONLY BECAUSE I LOOK AT HOW BIG IT IS.

AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD AND I MEAN, LISTEN, THE WHOLE IDEA ON THIS PROJECT IS WE'RE NOT ONLY MOVING THE SHERIFF'S ADMIN BUILDING, THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF IT.

BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOU HAVE OUR CORONER'S OFFICE, YOU HAVE THE NEED TO STORE EQUIPMENT.

[01:25:05]

I JUST THINK THAT IT PROBABLY LONGER TERM.

BUT THAT SITE DOESN'T COME WITHOUT CHALLENGES.

AND SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THE SHERIFF'S ADVICE HERE AND SAY THAT THE PARADE GROUNDS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.

AND I DO AGREE THAT THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO TAKE TIME.

ANYTIME YOU EVEN MENTION THE WORD CEQA, I COULD JUST THROW EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW UNTIL WE KNOW.

AND BACK TO THE POINT IS, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, AND APPARENTLY LATELY EVERYTHING I SAY GETS SCRUTINIZED AND CUT UP AND PUT UP IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

I WAS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW MY BRAIN WORKS, I WASN'T.

ANYWAYS, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT IS, IS THAT IT'S ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES.

I LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THIS AS THIS IS WHAT MY MOM TOLD ME WHEN SHE SAID, IF I EVER WOULD HAVE WAITED TO AFFORD TO HAVE KIDS, SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THEM. BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T COMFORTABLY THINK THAT SHE COULD AFFORD TO HAVE KIDS UNTIL SHE WAS 60 YEARS OLD.

AND THE LAWS OF NATURE SAY THAT.

I GUESS IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT HIGHLY, UNLIKELY THAT SHE WOULD HAVE HAD KIDS.

AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT PROJECTS LIKE THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY NOW, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT LATER, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A BOATLOAD OF MONEY AND I AGREE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND FINANCE STUFF, HECK, IF I WOULD HAVE HAD MY CRYSTAL BALL, I WOULD HAVE WENT AND GOT THE FINANCING 2 TO 3 YEARS AGO WHEN INTEREST RATES WERE A LOT LOWER. BUT WE'RE HERE TODAY, BUT WE CAN'T LET THAT PRECLUDE US FROM FROM MOVING FORWARD.

BECAUSE WHAT I DO KNOW TO BE TRUE, AND I DON'T THINK YOU CAN FIND ANY INSTANCE WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH ME.

YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME ON THIS, IS THAT IT GOES UP, THE COST OF IT GOES UP.

YOU KNOW, YOUR AIR CONDITIONING IN THIS BUILDING ORIGINALLY WAS $7 MILLION TO REPLACE AN AC IN THE COUNTY BUILDING.

IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A SMALL BUILDING.

THIS ISN'T AN AIR CONDITIONER ON TOP OF YOUR HOUSE.

WELL, WHEN YOU START DIGGING INTO IT, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT CLOSER TO, I'M GOING TO SAY BETWEEN 10 AND 12 MILLION.

NOW IS WHAT THE COSTS ARE.

AND EVERY TIME WE WAIT, IT JUST GOES UP.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THOSE SACRIFICES.

BUT AS A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE FACILITIES.

WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE MORE IT'S GOING TO COST.

SO I KNOW THAT'S A LONG WAY OF GETTING THERE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

WE STILL HAVE SOME OFF ROADS ON THIS DEAL.

I'M COMMITTED TO SEEING THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD AND SEEING IT FINISHED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LEARN SOME MORE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE THOSE CHOICES WHEN WE GET THERE.

BUT AS OF TODAY, I'M IN SUPPORT OF MOVING FORWARD WITH CONTINUING THE PLANNING EFFORTS.

AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THAT.

NOW, THE QUESTION FOR COUNCIL WOULD BE IS DO WE IS THAT WE NEED THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION, OR IS IT GOING TO BE THAT WE'RE GIVING STAFF DIRECTION.

GO AHEAD. SO THERE'S A MOTION.

SO THERE'S TWO ACTIONS.

I BELIEVE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL HAS MADE A MOTION ON THE FIRST ACTION.

AND THEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A.

SEPARATE MOTION OR I DIDN'T INCLUDE BOTH OF THEM IN THERE? I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST ON THE TO CONFIRM THAT PLANNING EFFORTS CONTINUE WAS WHAT I HEARD.

AND I'VE SAID OKAY, LET ME PUT YOU ON.

HOLD ON EVERYBODY I'M GOING TO GO TO DISCUSSION MODE.

I DIDN'T HIT DISCUSSION.

BUT YES, MY MOTION INCLUDED BOTH OF THOSE.

SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, CAN WE HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

YEAH, I MOTION BY THE SHERIFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING STAGES ON THIS, AS WELL AS THE FOCUS BEING THE POSITION OF THE PARADE GROUNDS.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

WE HAVE A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED.

OPPOSED. ALL RIGHT. SO THE MOTION CARRIES 4 TO 1 WITH SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA BEING IN THE DISSENT.

WE NEED A SECOND TOO.

WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. OKAY.

MY COMPUTER SCREEN IS.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'M HITTING SOMETHING UNDERNEATH HERE, BUT MY MONITOR KEEPS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT, SO BEAR WITH ME FOR FOR A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM 40.

THIS IS I'M JUST GOING TO READ IT.

APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF MERCED, MERCED COUNTY, MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION RELATED TO CP-42.

AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO MISS BARRERA AGAIN.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

[01:30:04]

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE ON THIS ITEM.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO GIVE THE BOARD AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THIS ITEM IS BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY.

IT IS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF MERCED, THE MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND THE COUNTY OF MERCED.

AND WHAT IT IS, IS IT'S PART OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL SPORTS COMPLEX IN SOUTH MERCED.

SO THE SPORTS COMPLEX WILL BE DESIGNED IN MULTIPLE PHASES, BEGINNING WITH PHASE ONE, UTILIZING PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF MERCED, LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF MISSION AVENUE AND TYLER ROAD, CALLED COMMUNITY PARK 42, OR REFERENCED MOVING FORWARD AS CP-42.

THERE'S ALSO A PARCEL ADJACENT TO THE CP-42 PROPERTY, WHICH IS OWNED BY THE MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF GERARD AVENUE AND TYLER ROAD, THIS PARCEL IS INTENDED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT AS PART OF FUTURE PHASES OF THE DEVELOPMENT, ALLOWING FOR A COMBINED 76 ACRES TOTAL AT THE FULL BUILD OUT.

THE CITY OF MERCED IS PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, OR ARPA PROCESS.

IN DECEMBER OF 2021, THEY ALLOCATED $5 MILLION TO FUND THE DESIGN PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THIS REGIONAL PARK.

ON JUNE 7TH OF 2022 AS A SIGN OF SUPPORT FOR THIS REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP, THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALSO SET ASIDE AND ALLOCATED 1.5 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS TO BE USED FOR ACTUAL EXPENSES INCURRED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, DESIGN, ENTITLEMENTS, ANNEXATION AND RELATED COSTS OF THE PROJECT.

AGAIN, FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN AL PARTIES, WHICH OUTLINES THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE INTENT TO FORM A JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY OR A JPA PRIOR TO THE OPERATION OF PHASE ONE FOR THE SPORTS COMPLEX.

ONCE FORMED, THE JPA WILL OPERATE THE SPORTS COMPLEX AND MANAGE ALL FISCAL ACTIVITIES AND FUTURE PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE CP-42 PROJECT TO COMPLETION. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? NOT SEEING ANY I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 40.

GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, SUPERVISORS.

I DIDN'T INTEND TO GET UP FOR THIS ITEM, BUT MARCI DID A FANTASTIC JOB.

I CAN'T REALLY ADD MUCH TO IT.

I WOULD JUST SAY THIS IS REALLY AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, MERCED COUNTY, AND WE'VE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY ON SO FAR, AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING. SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR CONSIDERATION OF THIS ITEM TODAY.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER IN TERMS OF PROVIDING SERVICES AND AMENITIES TO THE WHOLE COUNTY, AS I MENTIONED, AND WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS GO FORWARD.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

WHAT WAS YOUR NAME, SIR? [LAUGHTER] WHAT'S YOUR TITLE AND WHAT'S YOUR TITLE? OH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

SCOTT MCBRIDE, ACTING CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF MERCED.

THANK YOU. I KNEW WHO YOU WERE.

I JUST WANTED I WANTED THE PUBLIC TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNEW YOU WERE HERE, SIR.

GOOD REMINDER. AND CONGRATULATIONS.

ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR, IS THERE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NOT SEE ANY. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS WHERE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA HAS A COMMENT.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO YOU KNOW ONE.

I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THIS RELATIONSHIP.

YOU KNOW, AT FIRST I YOU KNOW, BACK, YOU KNOW, DURING ARPA TIMES, YOU KNOW, I NEED A PARK IN MY COMMUNITY, RIGHT.

AND SEVERAL OF MY COMMUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF STRUCK ME AS WRONG IN THE BEGINNING.

HOWEVER, I'M A KIND OF A GUY THAT CAN LEARN AND LISTEN.

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT NOW, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING IT.

THAT THE COUNTY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, JOINING THE HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY AND MERCED OFFICE OF ED TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THINKING ON THE ECONOMIC SIDE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS WILL GET THEIR MONEY THAT THEY PUT IN BACK JUST IN SALES TAX REVENUE.

RIGHT. AND IT'LL HELP THE CITY OF MERCED IN THE SAME WAY.

AND SO NOT ONLY IS IT A GOOD THING FOR SPACE FOR KIDS TO GO AND ADULTS TO PLAY AND DO AND BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE WITH THE SOCCER FIELDS AND THAT'LL BRING PEOPLE IN FROM OUT OF TOWN AND, AND SPUR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTY.

AND SO TO ME ANYWAYS, THIS IS A WIN WIN WIN.

[01:35:02]

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

I WAS WONDERING IF SCOTT WAS LOST OR SOMETHING, BUT NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR AND LOOKING FOR AND LOOKING TO.

AND I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER TO REALLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HAVING THIS REGIONAL SPORTS PARK AND COMPLEX, IT'S GOING TO REALLY BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO OPEN IT UP FOR DIFFERENT TOURNAMENTS AND STUFF TO BRING PEOPLE INTO MERCED.

AND I THINK THAT'S FROM ALL OVER.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

SO I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT THIS MOVING FORWARD.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, I'M ALSO COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED.

IT'S GOING TO BE IN MY DISTRICT. RIGHT.

SO YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO MOVE DOWN TO MY DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, LIVE AROUND THERE.

HOPEFULLY AND AESTHETICALLY IT WILL BE A LOT NICE AND PLEASED WITH THE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.

BUT I ALSO WOULD BE PLEASED THAT MISSION BOULEVARD WILL EVENTUALLY BE FIXED.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE DURING THE LAST FLOODS RIGHT IN FRONT.

YOU KNOW, I KEPT GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT DONE WITH BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.

SO I JUST LIKE RESIDENTS ARE ALL ABOUT IT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT PARK.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AS A FATHER OF TWO, BOYS HAVE TRAVELED OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES TO ALL THESE SPORTS COMPLEXES.

I'VE DONATED A LOT OF REVENUE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE REVENUES WILL BE COMING BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I DO APPRECIATE HOW THIS BOARD USED OUR ARPA DOLLARS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED QUICK FIXES THAT WAS HELP SOMETHING IN SIX MONTHS HELP SOMETHING IN 12 MONTHS.

BUT OUR FOCUS UP HERE AS A GROUP WAS GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT.

THIS WAS A LOT OF MONEY.

ONE TIME MONEY'S COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND EVERY INVESTMENT WE MADE WAS FOR GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT.

WE DIDN'T WANT JUST US TO HAVE IT AT THIS TIME.

IT'S FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE ARPA DOLLARS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU SO JUST MY COMMENTS.

YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF ALONG THE LINES OF SUPERVISOR PAREIRA IN THE BEGINNING WASN'T SURE ABOUT THIS.

AND BUT AS YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND REALLY THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THERE, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL SAY IS, AS I WAS READING THE MOU, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT A FUTSAL COURT WAS AND SO I HAD TO GO ASK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, HAVE YOU EVEN HEARD? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ONE OF THOSE, BUT I'VE NOW BEEN EDUCATED ON WHAT A FUTSAL COURT IS, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE ONE ACTUALLY IN PERSON.

SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS AND CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

I THINK YOU CAN. THERE WE GO.

SUPERVISOR WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS.

ITEMS 41 THROUGH 44.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 41 THROUGH 44.

NOT SEEING ANYONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS, WHERE WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

NEXT UP WILL BE BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEM 45.

NOT SEEING 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 PEDROZO.

LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE NOW.

THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

OKAY. THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK WITH OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS.

I APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS THAT ARE WAITING ALONG FOR THOSE, BUT I THINK MY COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE NEED TO GO.

PERSONAL SERVICE. PERSONAL SERVICE BREAK.

THAT WHAT THAT'S CALLED NOW.

FIVE MINUTES. WE'LL BE BACK AT 11:47.

YEAH. THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WAY BACK IN HERE SHORTLY.

ALL RIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR SCHEDULED ITEMS.

[SCHEDULED ITEMS]

[01:40:02]

TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NUMBER JPA 21-002 AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE NUMBER PD 21-01 AND AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NUMBER ZC 21-003 AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT NUMBER DA 21-001. THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENT AND VIRGINIA SMITH TRUSTS SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT.

WE WILL TURN IT OVER NOW TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR STEVE MAXEY.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

STEVE MAXEY, DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THIS PROJECT IN FRONT OF YOU IS A LONG TIME COMING.

YOU KNOW, IN MY EIGHT YEARS HERE, IT'S BEEN KICKED AROUND IN SOME REGARD, BUT IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AN EFFORT GOING BACK 20 PLUS YEARS, ALMOST 30 YEARS. FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE WE START, I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY THANKS TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, FIRST AND FOREMOST ON MY STAFF.

TIFFANY HO, YOUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING, HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE COME TO THE FINISH LINE HERE IN THIS HEARING TODAY.

PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS, A LOT OF AFTER HOURS WORK, TRYING TO WRANGLE EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AT THE 11TH HOUR ON THESE SORTS OF PROJECTS.

SO HUGE THANKS TO HER, OBVIOUSLY TO MY PREDECESSOR IN THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND MARK HENDRICKSON, HIS LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ON THIS, AS WE SAW THIS PROJECT THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DANA HERTFELDER AND HIS DEPUTY OR ASSISTANT, NATHAN BRAY.

THEY'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AGAIN AT THE 11TH HOUR TO KIND OF DO THE FINAL REVIEW.

AND ONCE OVER ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY FOR YEARS, DECADES TO COME.

FINALLY, COUNTY COUNCIL HANSEN AND MICHAEL PROFANT AND HIS OFFICE ALSO HAVE DONE A TON OF WORK.

AFTER HOURS, JUST PUTTING IN A LOT OF DETAILED REVIEW.

SO HUGE THANKS.

THIS IS A VERY, VERY BIG TEAM EFFORT ON THE COUNTY SIDE OF THINGS.

BUT IT GOES BEYOND THAT AS I'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A MINUTE.

SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN REALLY IN THE WORKS SINCE THE, I'LL SAY, THE LATE 90S.

REALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS COME TO FRUITION THROUGH A COORDINATED EFFORT AND PLANNING BETWEEN THE COUNTY, THE UC, VST, AND THE CITY.

AND I TOLD YOU, TAMARA, HEY, IT DID WORK.

GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THE AREA.

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN AREA, JUST IN THIS GENERAL REGION.

REALLY, THAT AREA OUTLINED IN THE DARK BLUE AS WELL AS THE I'LL SAY THE OFF TO THE RIGHT THERE, THE SQUARE BLOCK AREA THAT WAS INCLUDED OR WAS FACTORED INTO SOME LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING THAT THE UC DID SOME YEARS AGO.

THIS IS GENERALLY THE AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

SPECIFICALLY, THAT AREA THAT'S OUTLINED IN RED IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT.

SO AGAIN, JUST FOR CONTEXT, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, THE UC IS THERE NEAR THE TOP OF THE SCREEN.

YOSEMITE AVENUE WOULD BE THE FURTHEST SOUTH BOUNDARY OF THAT COMMUNITY PLAN AREA.

LAKE ROAD WOULD BE THE WEST BOUNDARY OF THAT COMMUNITY PLAN AREA RUNNING NORTH TO SOUTH.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN AREA THAT COMPRISES MORE OR LESS THE MIDDLE OF THIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN AREA.

THIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE REALLY THE INCEPTION OF THE UC OR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UC THE IDEA GOING BACK WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO SOME GOOD FORWARD PLANNING AT THAT STAGE, KNOWING THAT THIS UC WAS GOING TO BE HERE LONG TERM, AND THAT WE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THERE WAS GOING TO BE DEVELOPMENT TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THAT UC, THEIR POPULATION AND THE RESULTING REGIONAL NEED FOR HOUSING AND JOBS THAT WOULD COME WITH THAT.

THIS AREA IN PARTICULAR HAS REALLY BEEN A FOCUS FOR ANNEXATION BY THE CITY.

JUST LAST NIGHT, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CITY COUNCIL MADE A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANNEXATION OF THE UC CAMPUS AREA.

AND AS A RESULT, THERE'S AN ASSEMBLY BILL 3312 PASSED IN 2020 THAT ALLOWS FOR ANNEXATION OF ADJACENT AREAS.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT TODAY WAS KIND OF THE THE PRE-PLANNING, I WILL SAY, WITH THE IDEA THAT THIS AREA WOULD EVENTUALLY BE ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF MERCED.

CHANGE. PROJECT OVERVIEW.

I'LL QUICKLY COVER SOME OF THE APPLICANTS STATED COMMUNITY BENEFITS.

THE APPLICANT TEAM AND THEIR PROJECT TEAM IS HERE TODAY THAT I'M SURE THEY'LL SPEND MUCH MORE TIME ON IT AND SPEAK MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I CAN.

BUT THERE'S AN OBVIOUS FOCUS ON HOW THIS PROJECT CAN BENEFIT STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.

[01:45:07]

I WON'T GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS AGAIN.

I DON'T WANT TO STEAL DR.

TIETJEN'S THUNDER. BUT THERE'S A PROVISION OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO MERCED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TODAY AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

WITH DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT THAT WOULD ENABLE THE TRUST TO EXPAND THEIR ENDOWMENT SIGNIFICANTLY AND MOVE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT THEY'RE SERVING FROM 300 STUDENTS TODAY UP TO 1500 STUDENTS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

SO THERE'S JUST A THERE'S A HUGE FOCUS ON WHAT, AGAIN, THIS MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FROM A BUILT ENVIRONMENT STANDPOINT, BUT FROM A ALSO THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF BEING ABLE TO INCREASE THAT ENDOWMENT.

THE PROJECT ITSELF HAS PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT.

THE APPLICANT TEAM HAS PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO PROVIDING A GOOD MIX OF HOUSING TYPES, A GOOD MIX OF AFFORDABILITY, BOTH DEED RESTRICTED AND NON DEED RESTRICTED UNITS, AND THAT IS ALL FACTORED INTO THE THE SPECIFIC PLAN THAT'S BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY.

ALONG WITH THAT OUR OTHER AMENITIES OR NECESSITIES THAT GET FACTORED INTO SPECIFIC PLANS OF THIS TYPE.

THESE ARE PARKS SCHOOL SPACE.

THERE'S A K THROUGH 8 SCHOOL FACTORED IN AS PART OF THIS SPECIFIC PLAN, FOR INSTANCE.

AND THEN OTHER PUBLIC FACILITY SPACE, YOU KNOW, ROOM FOR BOTH, I'LL SAY GOVERNMENT OR QUASI GOVERNMENT SPACE, BUT THAT'S MORE LIMITED.

AND THEN JUST MORE GENERAL RECREATION SPACE OR OPEN SPACE PLAZAS AND DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN, THAT SORT OF THING.

AS FAR AS PLANNING GOALS AND POLICIES, THIS PROJECT, AGAIN, REALLY WAS BORN AND BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COUNTY AS TRYING TO IDENTIFY A WAY WHERE WE HAVE THIS EXISTING UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN.

THERE WAS SOME APPARENT DRIVE TOWARD MOVE TOWARD ANNEXATION, OR AT LEAST A LOOK AT ANNEXATION IN THIS AREA BY THE CITY, BUT WANTED TO WE WANTED TO KEEP THIS PROJECT MOVING AND HELP THE TRUST GET THIS PROJECT ENTITLED.

AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A CREATIVE IDEA OF GETTING THIS PROJECT ENTITLED EXECUTING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY FOR HOW WE WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO ENTITLE THIS PROJECT WHILE IT WAS IN THE COUNTY, BUT DO IT IN A WAY WHERE THERE WAS A SMOOTH HANDOFF OR A PASSING OF THE BATON IF OR WHEN IT WAS EVENTUALLY ANNEXED BY THE CITY.

SO WE'VE BEEN IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE CITY ALONG THE WAY.

THE APPLICANT'S BEEN VERY PATIENT AND FLEXIBLE IN HELPING US NEGOTIATE OR NAVIGATE WHENEVER WE NEEDED TO.

AND SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S REALLY BEEN A TEAM EFFORT IN THAT REGARD.

SO THAT INCLUDES REALLY THE IMPLEMENTATION OR I GUESS, AMENDING THIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN AS IT SITS IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY, BECAUSE THAT DOCUMENT, AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY ADOPTED IN 2005, HAD INPUT OR WAS CONSIDERED BY BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONTINUED TODAY.

WE'VE DONE THAT IN A WAY THAT WHERE WE'RE ALL THE AGENCIES INVOLVED ARE, HAVE HAD A HAND IN CRAFTING WHAT IS PROPOSED AS AN AMENDMENT, REALLY A BIG WIN FOR THE COUNTY HERE IS A FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION OR CIRCULATION, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO CAMPUS PARKWAY.

AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THE NEXT PHASE OF CAMPUS PARKWAY UP TO MEET THE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN A BIG FOCUS.

THIS BOARD HAS TAKEN ACTION ON THAT AND AGREEING TO CERTAIN ALIGNMENTS AND FUNDING PROVISIONS WITH THE UC IN RECENT YEARS.

AND AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE'LL ACTUALLY SEE THAT REALIZED AGAIN.

THE APPLICANT TEAM HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN WORKING WITH US AND COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IN DEALING WITH THESE, THE FINER POINTS OF THE ALIGNMENT OF CAMPUS PARKWAY, THE TIMING OF CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN THE PROJECT'S OWN COMMITMENTS TO CONSTRUCTING ITS OWN PORTION OF CAMPUS PARKWAY EARLY ON IN THE DEVELOPMENT PHASES.

AGAIN, WE PLAN FOR ANNEXATION ALL ALONG.

THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS, IF I'M TO BOIL IT DOWN TO SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLE, THE IDEA WITH THIS PROJECT IS THAT IT WE'RE ENTITLING IT NOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BROADER PLANNING OR THE, I'LL SAY, THE SPECIFIC PLANNING IDEALS OF THIS PROJECT AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE IDEA THAT IT WILL BE ANNEXED BY THE CITY. AND THAT'S THE CITY'S ROLE IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS AS WELL, IS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE COMFORTABLE OR IS THE CITY COMFORTABLE TAKING ON THE SPECIFIC PLAN AS IT'S WRITTEN, AS IT GETS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO ANNEXATION.

JUST A REAL QUICK OVERVIEW.

I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF COLORS AND WE PLANNERS LOVE COLORS.

AGAIN, THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST AREA IS THIS SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT IS OUTLINED IN THE WHITE DASHED AREA THERE.

[01:50:08]

THERE AT THE SOUTH LAKE ROAD IS THE FURTHEST WEST BOUNDARY.

THEY'RE KIND OF SEPARATED BY THOSE YELLOW AND BRIGHT GREEN BLOCKS ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE IMAGE.

SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THERE'S DIFFERENT COLORS ARE DIFFERENT MIXES OF USES, DIFFERENT DENSITIES OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMERCIALS GENERALLY SHOWN IN RED.

BUT ONE THING I REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT NEAR THE TOP CENTER OF THAT PHOTO, OR OF THIS, OF THIS MAP, IS WHAT WILL BE A MORE, URBAN INTERFACE WITH THE UC.

AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, OR THAT'S WHAT THE STUDENT POPULATION HAS ASKED FOR.

THAT'S WHAT WAS PLANNED LONG AGO WITH THE UC.

THAT'S WHAT THE UC IS PLANNED FOR OR RECOGNIZED IN DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT PLANS.

AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WILL BE KIND OF THE CORRIDOR OR THE URBAN INTERFACE WITH THE UC.

QUICKLY COVERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE THIS CAME UP IN A COUPLE OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND WAS COVERED IN SOME COMMUNITY COMMENTS AS WELL, QUICKLY HIGHLIGHTING THAT THE TOTAL RESIDENTIAL UNIT BUILDOUT PROPOSED IN THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST PROJECT IS JUST ABOUT 3900 UNITS, AND THE TOTAL COMMERCIAL BUILD OUT IS RIGHT THERE AT ABOUT 860,000FT².

I REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITMENT THAT THE PROJECT HAS MADE VOLUNTARILY AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, THEY'VE OUTLINED HOUSING PROGRAM WHERE 500.

THIS IS ALL IN THE SPECIFIC PLAN, BY THE WAY.

SO THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTED, ADOPTED TODAY, 500 UNITS ARE 13% OF THE TOTAL BUILD OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS WOULD BE DEED RESTRICTED, MEANING THEY'RE ONLY AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE THAT QUALIFY, INDIVIDUALS THAT QUALIFY, FAMILIES THAT QUALIFY FOR CERTAIN LEVELS OF INCOME AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

325 OF THOSE UNITS ARE MULTIFAMILY UNITS, 25 WOULD BE SELF-HELP, SINGLE FAMILY BUILDS LIKE WE'VE SEEN ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTY, AND THEN 150 OF THOSE WOULD BE WORKFORCE HOUSING. I WANT TO JUST DRAW A PARALLEL TO WHAT THAT MEANS.

AGAIN, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY, THE CITY PREVIOUSLY HAD A POLICY THAT THEY JUST AMENDED BACK IN OCTOBER, WHERE 12.5% OF ANY NEW SINGLE FAMILY BUILD RESIDENTIAL NEEDS TO BE DEED RESTRICTED AT 12.5%.

THEY'RE CURRENTLY AT 5% AS OF OCTOBER 2ND, SO THIS PROJECT IS IN EXCESS OF EVEN WHAT THE CITY REQUIRED, LET ALONE VOLUNTARILY ELECTING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DEED RESTRICTING SOME OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF THE PROJECT PROPOSAL.

SO THEY'RE DOING THEIR SHARE.

THEY RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND IN MY OPINION ONLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS OF EXTREME VALUE IN THE PROJECT.

SOME QUICK BACKGROUND PROCESS AND LOOKING FORWARD INTO NEXT STEPS.

BACK IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, THE PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT OF THE AMENDED UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN THAT INCLUDED ALL THESE POLICIES INCLUDED LAND USE AMENDMENTS WAS CIRCULATED FOR PUBLIC REVIEW.

WE HELD A STUDY SESSION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, KIND OF A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD BACK IN JULY.

WE MADE A FEW REVISIONS BASED OFF PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED AT THAT MEETING, AND SOME OTHER COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED, WRITTEN AND PHONE CALL COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WE BROUGHT THAT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER.

AT THAT SEPTEMBER, WE HAD TWO MEETINGS WHERE THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERED THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE, AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE PROJECT AN ITS EIR.

I WANT TO QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT, THERE WAS A SUBSEQUENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW OR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT WAS PUBLICLY REVIEWED.

IT WAS COMMENTED ON.

AND THAT'S ALSO BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY, AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION OF THAT EIR AND THE PROJECT TOGETHER.

SO WE'RE HERE TODAY BEFORE YOU FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEARING, OBVIOUSLY IN OCTOBER.

AND THEN MOVING FORWARD AGAIN, THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD MOVE TOWARD ANNEXATION OR CONSIDERING THE CITY WOULD MOVE TOWARD CONSIDERING ANNEXATION OF THE PROJECT SITE.

WE WOULD BE PARTNERS IN THAT AND HELPING FACILITATE THAT TO THE DEGREE THAT WE HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT, OR WE CAN HELP WITH THAT PROCESS.

AND THEN THE PROJECT WOULD CARRY OUT THE REST OF ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.

ONE QUICK EDIT TO YOUR PACKET THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT IN FRONT OF YOU IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ITSELF.

THIS SECTION THAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED HERE, SECTION 7.10.2, SUBSECTION I, WE'RE REMOVING THE REFERENCE TO VERTICAL ALIGNMENT.

SO I'VE CORRECTED THIS IN YOUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS HERE.

TOO FAR.

AND YOUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS HERE IN NUMBER FIVE, JUST TO INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE THAT WOULD REFERENCE MY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT

[01:55:08]

BUT WITH THAT, SHOW FIVE ACTIONS THERE FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION, ALL TIED TO, AGAIN, CERTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

WE HAVE CONSULTANTS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS THE APPLICANT AND THEIR PROJECT TEAM AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAXEY.

I DON'T SEE ANY REQUESTS IN THE QUEUE.

SO AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

YOU DON'T. YOU'RE PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD THE THREE MINUTES.

BUT THAT'S FINE. I THINK WE CAN.

GOOD MORNING CHAIR SILVEIRA AND SUPERVISORS, MY NAME IS STEPHEN PECK, ON BEHALF OF THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST.

FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THOSE INVOLVED.

I PROBABLY COULD STAND UP HERE FOR 2 OR 3 HOURS AND TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE COOL STUFF IN THE PLAN, BUT IT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE COLLABORATED WITH THE COUNTY AND THE STAFF AND THE CITY STAFF, AND YOU SEE THAT THOSE THINGS CAME ABOUT, AND IT ISN'T LOST ON ME THAT WE DID THIS OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS DURING COVID, DURING STAFF CHANGES, STEVE WAS AT THE COUNTY, THEN LEFT, THEN CAME BACK.

THERE WERE SOME CHANGES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

MARK WAS HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT, THEN MOVED UP.

DESPITE THE FACT WE GOT THAT FACT WE GOT THIS LARGE IMPORTANT PROJECT DONE AND IS BEFORE YOU TODAY.

SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PLANNERS AND THE ENGINEERS THAT HELPED US WITH THE PROJECT.

THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE CITY OF MERCED.

THEY WERE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER ON THIS PROJECT.

I WAS VERY PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY WHO WORKED VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER, SO THAT WHILE THE COUNTY WAS READING THE DRAFT PLAN, SO WAS THE CITY. CHANGES WERE MADE.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE.

AND SO WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WILL LOVE AND THE COUNTY WILL HATE, OR VICE VERSA.

I THINK EVERYBODY IS VERY PROUD OF WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY.

AND FINALLY TO THE UNIVERSITY.

THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED ALL THE WAY FROM THE CHANCELLOR, ALL THE WAY ON DOWN TO THE ENGINEER, THE BIOLOGIST.

IT WAS TRULY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.

AND FINALLY, THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK WE'VE MADE NO LESS THAN 24 PRESENTATIONS COMMUNITY WIDE.

HEARD THAT INPUT, MADE MODIFICATIONS TO THE PLAN SO THAT WE I THINK WHAT'S BEFORE YOU REPRESENTS AN INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION AND A COMPLETELY VETTED PLAN.

WE MADE DOZENS OF, AS I MENTIONED, DOZENS OF PRESENTATIONS.

AND WE THINK THAT WHAT'S BEFORE YOU KIND OF REPRESENTS THE SAME KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT OCCURRED UNDER THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY PLAN, WHERE THERE WERE 3 OR 4 PUBLIC AGENCIES AND I THINK 20 STAKEHOLDERS.

SO WE WANTED TO REPLICATE THAT.

SO WE DIDN'T END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS GOOD FOR ONE, BUT NOT FOR OTHERS.

I PROVIDED CORRESPONDENCE ON THE FEATURES AND THE DETAILS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT.

THOSE INCLUDE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE PROVIDING HOUSING THAT EVERYBODY THINKS IS NEEDED, PROVIDING HOUSING THAT THE UNIVERSITY NEEDS BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THIS IS KIND OF THE HAND INSIDE THE GLOVE OF THE UNIVERSITY THAT OUR PROPERTY IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE THE COMMERCIAL SERVICES, THE HOUSING TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY.

SO WE LOOKED VERY CLOSELY AT THE UNIVERSITY'S PAYROLL AND HOW MANY HIGHER INCOME AND LOWER INCOME SALARIES THERE WERE.

AND WITHIN OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT, WE LOOKED AT THAT 862,000FT² OF RETAIL AND FIGURED OUT, WELL, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE MODERATE INCOME AND LOWER INCOME, AND WHAT DO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE ON SITE TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THOSE NEEDS? SO WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY ISN'T SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY A BUNCH OF COLOR SPLASHED ON A PAGE.

WE GAVE A LOT OF THOUGHT AS TO HOW MANY 5000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS, 7000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS, 20,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS? HOW MANY CONDOS AND APARTMENTS? AND SO WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY IS PRETTY HEAVILY PROGRAMED TO THE UNIVERSITY'S NEEDS AND THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECT SITE ITSELF.

AND I GUESS TO SUM UP, WE'RE COMING INTO A LITTLE LATE IN THE GAME.

THE UNIVERSITY GOT STARTED ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.

THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS THAT WE WOULD BUILD OUT TOGETHER, SO WE'VE GOT SOME CATCHING UP TO DO, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR APPROVAL TODAY AND THEN ACTUALLY STARTING CONSTRUCTING THIS AND CATCHING UP WITH THE UNIVERSITY'S NEEDS AND KEEPING UP WITH THEM AS THEY GROW AND ARE CONTINUED ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNTY.

WITH THAT, I'LL RESERVE SOME TIME AT THE END IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU SIR. GOOD

[02:00:09]

I'VE ACTUALLY GOT A SPECIFIC DATE WHEN THIS PROJECT STARTED.

IT'S OCTOBER 1988.

35 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH.

AND THAT'S WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA INDICATED THEY WERE GOING TO IDENTIFY A PLACE TO BUILD THEIR 10TH CAMPUS.

THE SMITH TRUST AT THAT TIME IMMEDIATELY BECAME VERY ACTIVE, AGREED TO THE 2000 ACRES THAT THE UC WANTED, AND FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE UNIVERSITY.

THAT DECISION WAS MADE IN 1995, AND THEN THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS AFTER THAT FIRST SEVEN YEARS WAS SPENT IN DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, FUNDING.

AND AGAIN, THE SMITH TRUST ENDED UP CONTRIBUTING A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THEIR 7000 ACRES TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. CAMPUS STARTED.

GROUND WAS BROKEN IN 2002, OPENED IN 2005.

AND SO IT'S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME TO THIS POINT.

AND I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE THIS PROJECT TO GO FORWARD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS CORI LUCERO I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO CHANCELLOR JUAN SANCHEZ MUNOZ AT UC MERCED.

I'M HERE TO EXPRESS THE CAMPUS'S SUPPORT OF THE PLAN, AMENDMENT AND IT'S EIR FOR THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

THE PROPOSED VST DEVELOPMENT PLAN CARRIES FORWARD PLANNING CONCEPTS CREATED EARLY IN UC MERCED'S DEVELOPMENT, AS MR. CARPENTER JUST REFERENCED, AND IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG TERM VISION OF EARLY PLANNING EFFORTS OF THE UC LC TO CREATE A COMMUNITY JUST SOUTH OF CAMPUS.

THE PROPOSED VST PLAN IS INTEGRATED AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT UC MERCED'S 2020 LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, INCLUDING LAND USE, OPEN SPACE, AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.

IT HAS BEEN PLANNED TO PROVIDE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION TO THE UC MERCED CAMPUS.

FURTHERMORE, THE PROPOSED PLAN WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING UNITS, WHICH WOULD HELP RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON THE OVERALL MARKET IN THE GREATER MERCED COUNTY REGION.

ADJACENT HOUSING, AND THE PLAN FOR IMPROVED WALK AND BIKE ABILITY WILL HELP TO TAKE MORE VEHICLES OFF THE ROADS, AND THE ADDITION OF SOME COMMERCIAL SERVICES NEAR THE CAMPUS WILL SUPPORT OUR CONTINUED GROWTH.

FOR THESE REASONS, AND THE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY THE SCHOLARSHIPS GENERATED BY THIS PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE TO THE STUDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE BOARD'S FAVORABLE VOTE.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M VINTON THENGVALL, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE MERCED COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND OUR CHAIR, LESLIE [INAUDIBLE] CUMMINGS.

THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS THE COUNTY'S FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED WORKFORCE AGENCY.

WHILE WE DO NOT TYPICALLY LEAN IN ON SPECIFIC, PROJECTS, EXCUSE ME, WE ADVOCATE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST PROJECT.

THE PROJECT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION IN SEVERAL WAYS.

FIRST, THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT SUPPORT ADVANCE OUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE GROW INTO THE CAREERS OF THEIR CHOICE.

WE ARE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE INFUSION OF GOOD JOBS.

THE PROJECT WILL BRING BOTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOME BUILDING AS WELL AS THE SERVICE SECTOR JOBS.

WE STAND READY TO HELP CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND FUTURE BUSINESSES RECRUIT AND TRAIN THE NECESSARY WORKERS ON A PROJECT SUCH OF THIS SIZE.

LASTLY, WE SUPPORT HOUSING AS A WORKING COMMUNITY ALL HOUSING IS WORKFORCE HOUSING AND MORE HOMES IN ANY PART OF TOWN EASES PRESSURE ON OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.

THIS ENSURES SPACE FOR OUR WORKERS, AND THE PROJECT'S COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOES EVEN FURTHER, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.

FOR THESE REASONS, AS A BOARD, WE ADVOCATE FOR THIS PROJECT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

GOOD MORNING. BOARD CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS SCOTT MCBRIDE, ACTING CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF MERCED.

I GOT IT RIGHT THAT TIME.

I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY DIRECTOR MAXEY AND STEPHEN PECK.

THIS WAS A VERY UNIQUE PROJECT, HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE.

I ALSO WANTED TO THANK ADAM GRAY'S OFFICE FOR AB 3312.

[02:05:02]

THEY CREATED A VERY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE THAN WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TO SEE TO GET DEVELOPMENT INTO THIS AREA.

IT'S TAKEN THAT TO GET TO WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME AGO, WHICH IS PROVIDING FOR JOBS, HOUSING AND OTHER SERVICES NEXT TO THE UNIVERSITY.

SO YOU HEARD THE COMMENTS FROM MR. CARPENTER BEFORE.

THIS PROJECT IS REALLY DELAYED.

AND NOW WE'RE BASICALLY FULFILLING THE PROMISES THAT WE MADE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.

I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS.

CLEARLY, AS YOU HAD THIS MUCH INVESTMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION IN THE UTILITIES, THE COMMUNITY AMENITIES, THE STRUCTURES, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR MATERIALS, LABOR.

IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY STRONG ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

AS WE HAVE NEW RESIDENTS MOVING TO THE AREA, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED SERVICES.

THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THINGS FOR THEIR HOMES, WHICH CREATES SECONDARY IMPACTS, SECONDARY EFFECTS FOR THE ECONOMY.

IT'S TRULY GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE UNIVERSITY.

THEY'RE GOING TO FINALLY HAVE THE SERVICES CLOSE BY.

IT'S GOING TO REDUCE VMTS FOR TRAVELING TO OTHER AREAS.

THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A GOOD THING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE PLANNING AHEAD IN A WAY THAT'S VERY SUSTAINABLE.

SO WITH ALL THOSE REASONS, WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER YOUR ACTIONS TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN SILVEIRA AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER MENDEZ.

MY NAME IS STEVE TIETJEN I'M MERCED COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE ADVISER TO THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST.

I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO TO GO DOWN THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT I NEED TO THANK, INCLUDING THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST BOARD, THE UC LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING CHANCELLOR MUNOZ AND HIS PREDECESSORS, CORI LUCERO, WHO STEPPED INTO A NEW POSITION WHO'S ALSO HELPED YOUR COUNTY STAFF HAS BEEN AMAZING AS WE'VE WORKED FORWARD ON THIS PROJECT AND PULLED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN OUR COUNTY TO SUPPORT A CITY STAFF, SCOTT MCBRIDE CONSISTENTLY, AND STEPHANIE DIETZ CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTING THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST EFFORT TO CREATE A REALITY FROM A DREAM THAT WAS ENVISIONED 35 YEARS AGO.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION, OF COURSE, ADAM GRAY AB 3312, AND THE WORK HE DID TO ALLOW US TO PULL THIS TOGETHER NOT JUST FOR THE TRUST, BUT FOR EVERY ADJACENT NEIGHBOR TO THE UNIVERSITY.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL AND SUPERINTENDENTS, MY COLLEAGUES FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THEM AS WELL.

OUR MERCED BOOSTERS, OUR ROTARY CLUB AND ALL THOSE SERVICE AGENCIES OUT THERE THAT WE'VE SPENT TIME TALKING TO AND ALLOWED US TO PROSELYTIZE THEM IN FAVOR OF THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST.

YOU KNOW, I COME TO YOUR MEETING, AND IT'S AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SO MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT CONFRONT OUR COUNTY.

AND I'M JUST HAPPY THAT TODAY, THE VOICE SORRY, A LITTLE NEED A LITTLE WATER SO THAT THE VST IS ABLE TO BRING TO YOU AT THE END OF YOUR MEETING REALLY A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTY AND CREATE A VISION FOR IT THAT WE.

WATER UP HERE. [INAUDIBLE] IF I HAD A WATER.

THAT WE ONLY VAGUELY SEE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO IMPACT CHILDREN FOR GENERATIONS.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT WE'RE PARTNERS WITH YOU IN DOING IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR.

OFFICIALLY GOOD AFTERNOON.

[LAUGHTER] AND MY NAME IS SID LAKIREDDY.

I REPRESENT A PROPERTY VERY CLOSE TO THE VST ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BELLEVUE AND LAKE.

IT IS A PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES BY THE NAME OF UC VILLAGES.

USUALLY I CAN GET PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR EYEBROWS WHEN I SAY I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR 20 YEARS, BUT IT NEVER WORKS WHEN I'M IN A ROOM WITH BOB, WHO CAN SAY HE'S BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR 34 YEARS.

SO. BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IS VERY EXCITING, AND I'M HERE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT, BUT I DO WANT TO BE ON RECORD ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE I DO EMPHATICALLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AND THE APPROVAL OF THIS.

THE TWO THINGS I DO WANT TO RAISE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THESE REPORTS.

A LOT OF ENGINEERS SPENT A LOT OF COUNTLESS TIMES, BUT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT THE PICTURES IN THESE REPORTS.

[02:10:02]

NOT BEYOND THAT.

THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT COVER THAT.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE PICTURES, EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWS IT GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO LAKE ROAD AND PAST CAMPUS, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT HOW THAT CAMPUS PARKWAY LOOKS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR MY PROJECT, IS GOING TO COME BEFORE YOU AGAIN IN A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT AND ON THE RECORD.

NUMBER TWO IS I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY.

YOU'VE BEEN HELPFUL. SOME OF YOU, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO COUNTY STAFF ABOUT THIS.

YOU KNOW, THE WIDTH AND THE CHARACTER OF CAMPUS PARKWAY PAST THE VST PROPERTY HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.

IT STILL NEEDS TO BE STUDIED.

I'VE BEEN GIVEN ASSURANCES, VERBAL ONLY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL COME AND GO.

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 30 YEARS.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE ON THE RECORD TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR CAMPUS PARKWAY IS NOT GOING TO EXPAND WEST INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT ONLY EAST, IF AT ALL, INTO QUASI GOVERNMENT PROPERTY, SINCE IT'S OWNED BY THE UC.

AND IT'S WITH THOSE CAVEATS, I WANT TO SAY THIS IS REALLY AWESOME TO SEE THIS FINALLY HAPPENING.

THE COUNTY AND CITY WORKING TOGETHER.

HOLY CANNOLI.

I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE BASHING HEADS UNTIL THAT REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT HAPPENED MANY MOONS AGO.

BUT IT'S COOL AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS HAPPEN.

AND WE'RE DEFINITELY INCHING CLOSER.

SO I URGE YOU TO ADOPT THIS TODAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? ACTUALLY, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IF NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 12:20.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

AND WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF MY COLLEAGUES? SO THERE YOU GO, SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

DO WE? FORREST, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU.

DO WE NEED TO TAKE EACH OF THESE INDEPENDENTLY? WE ALREADY DID ONE. SO.

OKAY. OH, SORRY.

FORREST GO AHEAD. SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO CERTIFY THE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.

AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO.

OH, AND ADOPT THE REVISED MITIGATION, MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM.

READ FROM THERE. SO WE CAN DO ALL THREE.

ALL OF THEM. OKAY. OKAY.

AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NUMBER GPA 21-002 AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE NUMBER PD21- 001. AND ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NUMBER ZC21-003 AND ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT NUMBER DA21-001, INCLUDING THE RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS DESCRIBED IN STAFF'S PRESENTATION. SECOND.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

BUT SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA HAS A COMMENT.

THANK YOU CHAIR. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ABOUT THE PROJECT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROJECT.

IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, BUT MOST IMPACTFUL IS THAT IT'S GOT I THINK TOTAL PARK SPACE, ALMOST 100 ACRES AND OPEN SPACE 15 ACRES.

SO IT'S GOT 113 ACRES OF PARKS AND RECREATION.

SO THAT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN, LIKE WHEN I WAS IN THE CITY AND NOW IN THE COUNTY, I'VE ALWAYS EXPRESSED MY SUPPORT AND FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE PARKS AND RECREATION FOR ACTIVITIES OPEN FOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF HOMES.

SO THAT WAY THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE FOR FOR THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE IN SURROUNDING AND ALSO THE CAMPUS PARKWAY WHEN IT GOES THROUGH THERE.

I THINK THAT LIKE I SAID, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALIGNED WELL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET THIS DONE, HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAID, THIS WILL PUSH IT THROUGH AND CAMPUS PARKWAY DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHICH ALL THE UC STUDENTS ONE AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY WANTS IT.

AND SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE A FIRE STATION, A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL I CAN'T REMEMBER.

SO ENOUGH AREA AND ENOUGH SAID UNITS TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS THAT'S MUCH NEEDED.

RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS BEFORE I VOTE.

[02:15:01]

I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

THE ONE THING I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC OUTREACH MEETINGS, AND IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GETS TO THAT POINT.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S GETTING SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT OUT OF THIS.

AND I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WITH CAMPUS PARKWAY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN OUT THERE, THE OPEN SPACE, I JUST I REALLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE DR.

TIETJEN AND HIS TEAM AND THE CITY TEAM.

AND I THINK THAT THE OTHER THING IS OUR STAFF HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB WORKING WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, EVEN WITH STEVE DITCHING US AND THEN COMING BACK.

IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD PROJECT.

BUT SO I'M GOING TO THE ONE THAT I HAVE TO CLARIFY IS NUMBER TWO, CERTIFY.

I MAKE THE MOTION TO CERTIFY THE SUBSEQUENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND ADOPT THE FINDINGS OF FACT STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS AND THE MITIGATION, MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE PROJECT.

OKAY, SO WE HAVE THE CLARIFICATION ON THE MOTION.

WE HAVE A FIRST BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA BEFORE WE CALL FOR THE VOTE, I JUST DO I WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS.

NUMBER ONE, DR.

TIETJEN, MR. PECK AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S WORKED ON IT, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALL SAID A BUNCH.

I'VE HEARD SEEN DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THIS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES.

AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO HOW WELL VETTED THIS MOVING THIS IS THE NEXT STEP, RIGHT, IN MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD.

WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.

AND SO THAT'S A KUDOS TO YOU GUYS IN YOU KNOW, I SIT ON LAFCO.

YOU'VE DONE A PRESENTATION AT LAFCO, YOU'VE DONE A PRESENTATIONS AT THE CITY.

YOU'VE REALLY IT WAS VERY TRANSPARENT IN WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.

AND TO THAT END IS AND I HOPE THAT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE TAKEN ALL THE STEPS, BUT LET ME JUST REITERATE SOME OF THE BIG PARTS OF THIS.

YOU KNOW, IT EXPANDS THE ENDOWMENT FROM A MILLION AND A HALF TO $125 MILLION.

WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? THEY CURRENTLY HELP OUT 300 STUDENTS THAT COME FROM THE MERCED HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WITH THIS, THE INTENTION IS, IS TO MAKE THIS COUNTYWIDE SO IT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS AT THAT POINT, NONE OF MY DISTRICT TOUCHES MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHATEVER THE EXACT NAME OF IT IS.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE LOS BANOS I HAVE DOS PALOS [INAUDIBLE] UNIFIED GUSTINE THAT ARE IN MY DISTRICT.

WHEN THIS DEAL GETS DONE, YOU'RE TALKING.

WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING PENNIES HERE.

WE'RE TALKING REAL DOLLARS THAT CAN GO TO HELP PEOPLE THAT WANT TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION.

AND SO BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER REASONS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR ME, IS THAT PART THAT WHAT THE VIRGINIA SMITH TRUST WANTS TO DO IN HELPING, YOU KNOW, OUR YOUTH, IF THEY SO CHOOSE TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP? AND I KNOW THERE'S THINGS THAT IT'S NOT JUST LIMITED TO COLLEGE, IT'S TRADE SCHOOLS.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.

AND REALLY THIS IS THE NEXT STEP.

AND THEN CAN'T WAIT TILL THE PART WHERE IT GETS ANNEXED AND THEN THE PART WHERE WE ACTUALLY YOU GOT BULLDOZERS OUT THERE MOVING STUFF AND ACTUALLY BUILDING STUFF.

SO THANK YOU FOR FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.

SO WITH THAT I'LL CALL FOR THE QUESTION.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR.

OH I DON'T SEE YOU IN MY QUEUE.

OH SORRY.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. NO OKAY.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, IN MY 20S STILL A KID THEN, BUT I WAS AND STILL AM REALLY GOOD FRIENDS WITH WITH BOB CARPENTER'S KIDS.

AND SO I WATCHED THIS ALL KIND OF PLAY OUT RIGHT IN THE MANEUVERING TO GET THE CAMPUS HERE.

AND, ONE OF THE DRIVING FACTORS FOR ME, RIGHT.

BECAUSE THE UC COMING HERE WOULD CHANGE MY WAY OF LIFE.

RIGHT. AND SO IN MY MIND, THE TRADE OFF WAS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR KIDS.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S PART OF THIS PROGRAM.

AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT WE'RE ALL STILL HERE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DAY.

AND, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE BOB FOR ALL OF HIS HARD WORK.

AND I KNOW THAT HE HAD A TEAM.

AND HE'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY EVERYBODY ELSE HELPED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, HE JUST AS AN UPSTANDING MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, SAW THE VISION AND WORKED VERY, VERY HARD AND DILIGENTLY AT HELPING IT C

[02:20:02]

AND AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU KNOW, BUT HE'S THE ONLY PERSON I KNOW THAT HAD A PARK NAMED AFTER HIM WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE.

THE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZING HIS EFFORTS.

AND SO ANYWAYS, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY.

I DO ACCEPT THE CHANGE IN THE MOTION, JUST FOR THE RECORD, AND LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING YES.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL NO THANK YOU.

YEAH, I KIND OF PUSHED IT AND TOOK IT OFF.

BUT SINCE EVERYBODY ELSE IS SAYING THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE THAT I CAN REALLY ADD, BUT I JUST LIKE TO SAY TO DR.

TIETJAN, YOU THANKED A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS AS A BOARD MEMBER UP HERE TO MAKE THIS DECISION YOU MADE IT VERY SIMPLE FOR ME.

EVERY TIME THERE IS ANY KIND OF CHANGE, YOU WOULD INVITE ME TO YOUR OFFICE AND WE WOULD WALK THROUGH IT.

AND I APPRECIATED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD ON THIS.

THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. PERFECT.

NOT SEEING ANY FURTHER REQUESTS IN THE QUEUE.

ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

[INAUDIBLE] CONGRATULATIONS.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NOT DONE.

THAT FINISHES THAT ONE.

OKAY. WE NOW HAVE OUR SECOND ITEM FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NUMBER GPA 23-002 AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE NUMBER PD18-001.

IN AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONE, CHANGE NUMBER ZC.

THE BRADBURY RANCH MASTER PLAN PROJECT.

ALL RIGHT. WE WILL GO TO MR. MAXEY AGAIN. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

ITEM BEFORE YOU IS THE BRADBURY RANCH MASTER PLAN.

THIS IS GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NUMBER GPA 23-002 AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT PD18-001 AND ZONE CHANGE 23-002.

I'LL GO A LITTLE QUICKER HERE ON THIS ONE.

GIVING YOU CONTEXT HERE.

THIS IS IN THE COMMUNITY OF DELHI SPECIFICALLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF BRADBURY AND VINCENT, JUST ON THE EAST SIDE OF 99.

THIS AREA WAS CONSIDERED AS A MASTER PLAN AREA IN THE DELHI COMMUNITY PLAN WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED.

AND AS IT'S STILL IN EFFECT TODAY.

PROJECT ITSELF IS A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT TO MODIFY THE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS IN THAT MASTER PLAN AREA, AS IT'S DESIGNATED IN THE DELHI COMMUNITY PLAN.

THOSE CHANGES ARE REALLY SPECIFICALLY TO ELIMINATE THE BUSINESS PARK USE.

SIMILAR TO OUR LAST PROJECT.

THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF USE.

A SPECIFIC BUSINESS PARK USE.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO RIGHT SIZE THESE TYPES OF USES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY PLAN DOCUMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY.

ALSO TO REDUCE THE TOTAL ACREAGE THAT WAS DESIGNATED AS MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND INCREASE THE TOTAL ACREAGE DESIGNATED AS LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO BETTER FIT THE AREAS THAT WERE DESIGNATED BUSINESS PARK AND TO ALIGN WITH DEMAND IN THE DELHI AREA.

THE PROJECT ITSELF DOESN'T PROPOSE TO EXCUSE ME.

IT DOESN'T PROPOSE ANY AMENDMENTS TO COMMUNITY PLAN POLICIES, EXISTING COMMUNITY PLAN POLICIES, ANY GUIDELINES OR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

THIS IS JUST TO REALLY CEMENT THE MASTER PLAN AS IT'S PROPOSED INTO THE COMMUNITY PLAN ITSELF.

FUTURE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS WITHIN THIS MASTER PLAN BOUNDARY.

AGAIN, SHOWING YOU THE BOUNDARY HERE, I'LL SHOW YOU AGAIN IN A SECOND WOULD BE DEVELOPED CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING COMMUNITY PLAN.

THOSE POLICIES, THOSE GUIDELINES, AS WELL AS ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO THE MASTER PLAN ITSELF.

THIS IS JUST A SHOT DIRECTLY FROM THE DELHI COMMUNITY PLAN.

THIS SHOWS THE IT'S FOUR MASTER PLAN AREAS AND TWO SPECIFIC PLAN AREAS.

AREA WE'RE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY IS THE AREA IN ORANGE AREA NUMBER THREE AGAIN, THE BRADBURY MASTER PLAN AREA.

SO THIS IS REALLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY PLAN ITSELF, THE WAY THAT WE TALK ABOUT MASTER PLANS AND NOT JUST IN DELHI.

THIS IS IN A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES.

THESE MASTER PLANS ALLOW US TO SET A PLAN FOR ORDERLY GROWTH, BOTH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ITSELF AND THEN WITHIN EACH INDIVIDUAL MASTER PLAN AREA.

WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHEN THINGS ARE GOING TO SHOW UP, WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS GOING TO SHOW UP, WHEN WE CAN EXPECT DEMAND, WHEN A NEW SCHOOL IS NEEDED, THAT SORT OF THING.

SO ALL OF THESE THINGS GET ROLLED INTO A MASTER PLAN.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

LOOKING AT I'M SORRY, THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO READ.

LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED LAND USES WITHIN THE MASTER PLAN AREA ITSELF, THE BLUE AREA IS A PROPOSED SCHOOL SITE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN BOTH LOCATING AND SIZING TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

THE AREA IN RED WOULD BE A POTENTIAL FUTURE FIRE STATION FOR BUILD OUT.

THAT WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE SORTED OUT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOWN THE ROAD AS DEVELOPMENT OCCURS.

THE AREA IN YELLOW OR BEIGE THERE IS DESIGNATED AS SINGLE FAMILY OR LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AREA IN

[02:25:04]

BEST ALIGNS WITH THE LAND USES THAT ARE PROPOSED IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU HERE.

THIS IS WHAT JUST SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S IN THE ADOPTED COMMUNITY PLAN TODAY VERSUS WHAT'S PROPOSED IN FRONT OF YOU.

AGAIN, JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE ELIMINATION OF BUSINESS PARK AS A LAND USE, 50 ACRES OF BUSINESS PARK THAT REALLOCATION TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, ALONG WITH A MODIFICATION TO THE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TOTAL ACREAGE AND THEN AGAIN RIGHTSIZING ALSO THE FIRE STATION AND SCHOOL PROPERTIES IN CONSULTATION WITH THOSE AGENCIES.

SO WITH THAT OH SORRY.

TALKING ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT REAL QUICK AGAIN, WE'LL LOOK AT SPECIFICS OF PROJECTS AS WE LOOK AT DESIGN, ANY CONFLICT WITH DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, ROAD BUILDOUT, THAT SORT OF THING WILL ALL GET FACTORED INTO DEVELOPMENT OR CONSIDERED WITH DEVELOPMENT AT THE PARCEL MAP, TENTATIVE MAP STAGE THAT WILL BE ANALYZED FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN AND THE MASTER PLAN, INCLUDING WHERE WE'VE SHOWN ALL THE ROADS AND WHERE THE APPLICANT HAS INDICATED THEY'D LIKE TO DEVELOP ROADS AND STILL COMPLY WITH THE STANDARDS IN OUR MASTER PLAN.

WELL, THOSE THINGS WILL ALL GET CHECKED AT THE TENTATIVE MAP STAGE.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS STILL SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES.

OF BEING SEWER AND WATER, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CONSULTATION WITH THE SEWER AND WATER DISTRICT IN DELHI.

THE PROJECT ITSELF HAS INDICATED THERE ARE A COUPLE OF POTENTIAL WELL SITES ON THE PROPERTY.

THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT TO SITE A WELL, PERHAPS AT ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS, AND HAS ALSO IDENTIFIED THE NEED, POTENTIAL NEED FOR EXTENSION OF WATER MAINS ASSOCIATED WITH BUILD OUT OF THE PROJECT.

AS WELL AS LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD COMMUNITY PLAN DOCUMENTS DON'T LIVE FOREVER.

WE UPDATE THEM AT SOMEWHAT REGULAR INTERVALS.

SO EVEN IF TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IF THIS PROJECT ISN'T BUILT OUT FOR ANY REASON, WE WOULD STILL CONSIDER THIS MASTER PLAN AND THE GOALS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD HERE TODAY AN ANY FUTURE UPDATE TO THE DELHI COMMUNITY PLAN AS WELL.

PROJECT IS SUBJECT TO CEQA.

WE DID PREPARE THE COUNTY PREPARED A SUPPLEMENT TO THE EXISTING COMMUNITY PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT WAS ADOPTED WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN ITSELF.

THAT DRAFT SEIR WAS CIRCULATED BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

WE DID RECEIVE COMMENTS.

WE ADDRESSED THOSE IN THE FINAL SEIR THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

THE PROJECT AND THE SEIR, INCLUDING THOSE COMMENTS AND THE FINAL SEIR, WERE CONSIDERED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, WHERE THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED A UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.

SO WE HAVE SIMILAR SET OF ACTIONS IN FRONT OF YOU HERE TODAY, BOTH RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ITSELF AND THE PROJECT.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

APPLICANT TEAM IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

ALL RIGHT. NOT SEEING ANYBODY IN THE QUEUE.

I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 12:36.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.

PERFECT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS CHRIS HAWK ON BEHALF OF RBK DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE EXTREMELY PLEASED TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS REPRESENTS A CULMINATION OF ALMOST 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING.

I WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF A CONSORTIUM OF BUILDERS BACK IN 2003, WHEN WE STARTED THIS EFFORT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN, AND WE'VE MOVED FORWARD FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WORKING ON THIS WITH THE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

I STARTED WITH THE SUPERVISOR KELSEY WORKED THREE YEARS WITH HER TO GET THE COMMUNITY PLAN ADOPTED, AND WE'RE AT THIS STAGE RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH THE MASTER PLAN AND WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK AND WORKING WITH US.

THEY'VE BEEN EXCELLENT TO WORK WITH.

SO STEVE MAXEY, TIFFANY HO AND I'LL EVEN GO BACK TO MARK HENDRICKSON.

WE WORKED WITH HIM FROM THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING, AND HIS STAFF AT THAT TIME.

SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU.

I WANT TO THANK STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT OVER ALL THESE YEARS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FAVORABLE OPINION OR APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.

ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT OR EXCUSE ME DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING? COME ON UP, SIR. A SECOND.

[02:30:32]

GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN. SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS JESUS SALGADO.

I LIVE IN A CORNER OF VINCENT AND NORTH AVENUE.

THERE'S A LITTLE DOT, AND IF YOU GO TO THE MAP, I'M RIGHT IN THE CORNER RIGHT THERE.

THIS IS THE FIRST I HEAR OF THIS MASTER PLAN.

I RECEIVED A LETTER, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS HERE.

JUST TO LISTEN AND HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON.

I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MASTER PLAN.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ASK HIM A QUESTION DIRECTLY OR HOW DOES IT GO? I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A MEETING.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

IT'S JUST IT IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.

OKAY. WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO GO ON RECORD IS IF THIS GETS APPROVED OR WHATEVER, MY LITTLE RANCH HEAD IS 1.75 ACRES.

IT'S NOT BIG.

IT'S 540FT.

IT'S A SQUARE. IT'S A PERFECT SQUARE.

SO IF THIS GETS APPROVED, I WOULD LIKE A TEN FOOT WALL AROUND MY PLACE THAT WAY THEY CAN BUILD ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT.

SO. PERFECT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

RIGHT. WOULD ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE COMMENT DURING OUR PUBLIC HEARING? IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 12:40.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

I TOO HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT FOR A LONG TIME.

NOT MUCH EFFORT, RIGHT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND EVEN BEFORE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AT DELHI HAD A MAC MEETING AND MANY TIMES WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AND, AND BASICALLY I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OPPOSITION AT ANY OF THE MEETINGS.

THEY'RE KIND OF ACTUALLY EXCITED.

YOU KNOW, THEY WANT MORE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, MORE STORES, MORE RESTAURANTS TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN DELHI AND DO THEIR SHOPPING.

AND ANYWAYS, I THINK ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD QUITE A FEW HOMES.

AND WITH THAT WILL COME THE OTHER BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

AND SO I'D LIKE TO JUST ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

AND HOPEFULLY AFTER THE MEETING WE CAN LET YOU KNOW, JESUS, SOMEBODY CAN VISIT WITH HIM AND KIND OF JUST EXPLAIN TO HIM THE PROCESS.

AND THAT WAY HE'LL FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING FORWARD.

AND IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE? YES. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, I GREW UP IN DELHI.

I LIVE IN LIVINGSTON NOW, BUT LIKE I SAID, ALL MY FAMILY, MOSTLY SIBLINGS AND PARENTS, STILL LIVE IN DELHI.

AND SO DELHI IS A GREAT COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER GOING TO A TO A MEETING 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS PLAN.

YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO ANY SINCE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN BUSY.

AND I KNOW THAT SUPERVISOR PAREIRA HAS BEEN ATTENDING THIS.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ISSUES REGARDING THE TRAFFIC ON BRADBURY AND VINCENT, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IF THE PLANS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN MORE ACCEPTED. AND BUT, YOU KNOW, TO ANSWER THE GENTLEMAN'S QUESTION REGARDING ANY OF THE PROPERTIES, IF YOUR PROPERTY IS INSIDE THIS DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAS TO SELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SELL. BUT IF YOU KNOW, IF THEY COME WITH A CHECK AND YOU KNOW YOU'LL TAKE IT, THEN YOU CAN DECIDE TO SELL THEN, RIGHT? SO IT'S UP TO YOU AND OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, THERE MOST LIKELY WHENEVER THEY BUILD SOMETHING, JUST COME TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ASK FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT TO BUILD.

LIKE I SAID, IF YOU REQUEST A WALL, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN TALK TO THE DEVELOPER AND THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU AND THEM CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT.

SO, JUST IN CASE FOR ANYBODY ELSE THAT LIVES INSIDE THAT DEVELOPMENT.

SO I JUST WANT TO LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD PLAN.

AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

AND SO HOPEFULLY MY AGAIN, THERE'S PARK SPACE INSIDE THE DEVELOPMENT, THE SCHOOL AND A FIRE STATION ON THE NORTH SIDE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD PLAN.

SO I KNOW THAT HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAID, THE TRAFFIC WILL BE MINIMIZED, NOT MINIMIZED, BUT WILL BE HANDLED.

[02:35:08]

SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR MR. MAXEY. I KNOW ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN WAS THE SCHOOL SITE.

AND, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, THE CONVERSATION WAS THAT GENERALLY A SCHOOL WOULDN'T USE 24 ACRES.

RIGHT. AND THAT MUCH PROPERTY.

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT LAND IF, SAY, THE SCHOOL COMES DOWN THE ROAD AND SAYS, HEY, WE WANT 15 ACRES TO BUILD A SCHOOL, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE OTHER NINE? MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S THE DISTRICT JUST RETAINS THAT FOR PERPETUITY.

IT SEEMS LIKE.

IN REALITY THE DISTRICT COULD ELECT TO SELL THAT OFF TO WHOEVER WOULD WANT TO PURCHASE IT AT THAT TIME.

BUT IF I MEAN ASSUMING CHRIS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE AGREEMENTS FOR THE SCHOOL TO COME IN AND BUY THAT FULL 23 SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE AND SELL OFF THE REMAINDER. OKAY.

SO THE SCHOOL WOULD BUY IT ALL AND THEN THEY COULD DO WHAT THEY WANTED WITH IT.

CORRECT? OKAY. COULD THE SCHOOL COME IN AND BUY 15 ACRES AND LEAVE THE BALANCE? THAT'S REALLY MY QUESTION.

I'D HAVE TO DEFER TO MR. HAWK HERE. HE HAD THE NEGOTIATION WITH THE SCHOOL, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE PRIVY TO.

SURE. ALL RIGHT, MR. HAWK, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN SHARING THAT WITH US? YES. SO WE JUST RECENTLY RE-MET WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BOARD HAS MET, AND THEY'VE AGREED TO THE LOCATION AND THE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED AND THE PLAN FOR THEMSELVES.

IF THEY DECIDE TO CHANGE THAT AT ANY POINT IN TIME, THEN WE WOULD ENTER INTO CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM PRIOR TO THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY, AND THEN WE'D BE BACK PROBABLY TO IF THERE WAS IN YOUR CASE, IN THE EXAMPLE YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, IF THEY WANTED LESS, THEN WE COME BACK TO PLANNING AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW WE WOULD PLAN FOR THE REMAINDER PARCEL.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

OKAY, I SEE NO NOBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE.

OKAY. WELL THEN I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

I MOVE THAT WE CERTIFY THE SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND ADOPT THE REVISED MITIGATION, MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE PROJECT AND ALSO MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION OR A RESOLUTION APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NUMBER GPA 23- 002 AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE NUMBER PD 18-001 AND FINALLY MOVE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NUMBER ZC 23-002.

SECOND. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

THANK YOU. EVERYBODY ALL RIGHT.

WE ARE NOT DONE YET.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR THIRD AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING FOR TODAY FOR THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5.56 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE ENTITLED TREASURE TAX COLLECTOR FEE SCHEDULE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

AFTER THIS LONG AGENDA.

THANK YOU. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KAREN ADAMS, MERCED COUNTY TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

IN 2002, AFTER MY ELECTION, I ESTABLISHED THE FIRST FEE ORDINANCE FOR THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

SOME OF IT STATUTORY FEES, SOMETIMES FEES FOR SPECIALIZED SERVICES.

I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS HELMS, TO ACTUALLY INTRODUCE THE ORDINANCE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CHAIR, SILVEIRA.

BOARD MEMBERS. COUNTY COUNSEL HANSEN AND CEO MENDEZ.

I'M KAREN HELMS, ASSISTANT TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR.

TODAY WE PRESENT TO YOU AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5.56 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE ENTITLED TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR FEE SCHEDULE.

AS STATED IN THE BAI THE PROPOSED FEE ORDINANCE REFLECTS CURRENT ACTUAL COST OF PROVIDING SERVICES.

MOST OF THE CHANGES IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ARE DUE TO AN INCREASE IN COST OF PERFORMING THE VARIOUS TREASURY AND TAX COLLECTOR FUNCTIONS.

A FEW OF THE FEES REFLECT PROCESSES THAT WERE NOT CAPTURED IN THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE, SUCH AS EXCESS PROCEEDS, JOINT CLAIM, CERTIFICATE OF LIEN FEE AND NSF FEES FOR REPEAT CHECK RETURNS.

AND SOME OF THE CHANGES SIMPLY CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE FEE.

I'M PLEASED TO MENTION THAT SECTION 5.10 DEBT ISSUANCE FEE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED AND IS NO LONGER NECESSARY, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY

[02:40:07]

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 12:48.

THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON OUR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR PUBLIC HEARING ITEM.

DON'T ALL RUN UP HERE AT ONCE.

NO. OKAY.

NOT SEEING ANYONE? WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 12:48 AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THAT ORDINANCE.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

IS THERE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY 5 TO 0.

THANK YOU. NOW LAST IS BOARD REPORTS.

BOARD REPORTS. AND TODAY WE WILL START WITH SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA.

ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I ATTENDED THE MERCED STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY.

IT WAS A GOOD ATTENDED EVENT WHERE THE CHANCELLOR STATED, YOU KNOW HOW GREAT IT'S BEEN FOR THE UNIVERSITY THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND THEN BEING THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GRANTS AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL HAVE THE MEDICAL SCHOOL STARTING SOON, I THINK I KNOW THEY'RE STARTING WITH 15 STUDENTS IN THAT MEDICAL PROGRAM, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE ADDING TO SOME MORE.

SO IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.

I ALSO ATTENDED THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INSTALLATION DINNER AND NAMING MY BUDDY ARTURO BARAJAS MAN OF THE YEAR AS WELL DR.

SANDOVAL AND DR.

VIKRAM TO NAME A FEW FOR THEIR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO BOTH OF THEM AND MANY OTHERS.

SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT SAME PLACE AT THE UC MERCED ON A DIFFERENT DAY.

AND OF COURSE, SO IT WAS JUST A GREAT NIGHT.

I ALSO ATTENDED, LAST SATURDAY AT MERCED CITY MERCED TREE PLANTING EVENT ALONG WITH CNC, NONPROFIT, WHERE THEY PLANTED MANY, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY TREES THEY PLANTED, BUT ABOUT 20 TREES AT THE [INAUDIBLE] PARK.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND OUT? IT USED TO BE AN OLD DUMP, AND NOW IT'S A NICE PARK.

I KNOW THEY NEED A NEW RESTROOM, SO HOPEFULLY, I CAN TALK TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE THAT THEY'LL HAVE A NEW BATHROOM OVER THERE.

AND ALSO ATTENDED THE SIKH PARADE ON LAST SUNDAY.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY HAVE A REGULAR.

THEY HAVE ONE IN, MARCH AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE IT.

AND THEY HAD THIS ONE. SO IT WAS, UH, BEAUTIFULLY ATTENDED.

I KNOW THAT, CHRISTIAN FROM [INAUDIBLE] WAS THERE AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.

AND ALSO, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO THE EMPLOYEES AGAIN, I FEEL, YOU KNOW, I'VE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION IS VERY JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN OUT OF HAND.

AND, SO I FEEL WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, ALLEVIATE THE, YOU KNOW, THE COST, THE CARE PROVIDERS, YOU KNOW, GAS, RENT, MEDICAL HAS, YOU KNOW, HAS JUST BEEN INCREASING, INCREASING ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO IT'S JUST LIKE IT'S AFFECTING EVERYBODY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AS, AN EMPLOYEE OF, UH, OF THE COUNTY OF MERCED, I JUST, I KNOW THAT IT'S JUST SO DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR ECONOMIC LIVES.

SO, SO THAT'S WHY I'M PUSHING.

SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN, THIS BOARD WILL COME OUT AND HELP THEM AND, YOU KNOW, SLIGHT INCREASE FOR THEIR MEDICAL AND ALSO FOR THE REST OF THEIR EXPENSES.

I JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY HALLOWEEN, AND HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR KIDS AND MAKE SURE TO CHECK THEIR ALL THEIR CANDY BEFORE THEY GIVE IT TO THEM.

SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, SINCE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE MET, I GOT QUITE A LONG LIST.

BUT I KNOW THAT WE ALL WENT TO THE OR SOME OF US ATTENDED THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA COUNTIES CONFERENCE IN BASS LAKE.

THAT I ACTUALLY RAN INTO A BEAR WALKING BACK TO MY ROOM.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.

IF ONLY MIKE NORTH WERE THERE TO, YOU KNOW, DO HIS HUNTING STUFF THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY.

[02:45:01]

AND THEY SAID, HAVE YOU EVER DIALED A ROTARY PHONE? AND I SAID, WELL, YEAH.

AND SO THEY HAVE ONE THERE AND YOU CAN GO DIAL IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE MY KIDS BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

AND IF I TOLD THEM ANYTHING, THEY WOULDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE.

WE HAD THE EAST SIDE REGIONAL PROJECT MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, AND THEN I ALSO ATTENDED THE SIKH FESTIVAL PARADE IN LIVINGSTON. AND I LIKE GOING TO THOSE.

IT JUST KIND OF REINFORCES THE FACT THAT MERCED COUNTY IS VERY CULTURALLY DIVERSE.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND ATTEND SOME OF THAT STUFF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S FUNNY, YOU KNOW, I MADE THIS COMMENT WHEN WE DID THIS FOR GUSTINE ONLY IN MERCED COUNTY, I THINK, WOULD WE CLOSE LIBRARIES FOR A CULTURAL FESTIVAL LIKE THE VAISAKHI, BUT I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, REALLY COOL.

ALL RIGHT. BEAR WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING IN HONOR OF TYLER MINOR.

I WASN'T I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW TYLER, BUT MY KIDS DID.

HE WAS A TEACHER AT MY KIDS SCHOOL.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS TRAGICALLY KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT LAST WEEK.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER EXPECT TO HAVE TO TELL YOUR 12 YEAR OLD AND SEVEN YEAR OLD THAT SOMEBODY THAT THEY TRUST, AND THEY CARE ABOUT A LOT, IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE ON THEIR CAMPUS WITH THEM.

AND SO BECAUSE WHENEVER WE ADJOURN A MEETING FOR SOMEBODY, WE TALK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE A PERSONAL CONNECTION OR SOMETHING.

WELL, I DIDN'T I MAYBE MET HIM ONCE OR TWICE, BUT MY KIDS DID.

AND WHEN WE TOLD MY KIDS OR WHEN I TOLD MY TWO CHILDREN, THEY GOT PRETTY EMOTIONAL AND I SAID, OKAY, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO SAY OR WHAT I SHOULD SAY IN HONOR OF MR. MINOR. AND WHEN I ADJOURNED THE MEETING FOR HIM AND I'M GOING TO READ WHAT MY SON OWEN WROTE.

OWEN. HE'S 12.

MR. MINOR WAS A GREAT GUY.

HE LOVED BEING AROUND KIDS AND HIS JOB.

HE ALWAYS MADE KIDS LAUGH, INCLUDING ME, BUT SOMETIMES WAS A LOUSY SOCCER REF.

HE WAS AWESOME AND I HOPE HE ENJOYS HEAVEN.

MY DAUGHTER LUCY, WHO'S SEVEN, MR. MINOR, HE IS A GREAT TEACHER THAT TAKES CARE OF KIDS AT EXTENDED CARE.

HE IS GREAT AT AS A FOOTBALL REF AND KICKBALL REF.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO PLAY KICKBALL AND WHEN HE TAUGHT ME, I FELT GOOD AND GRATEFUL.

I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO DIE SO EARLY IN HIS LIFE.

I HOPE HE HAS A GOOD LIFE IN HEAVEN.

SO THAT'S JUST TWO OF THE MULTIPLE KIDS THAT HE IMPACTED.

AND I WILL SAY THIS EVERY TIME I WOULD GO TO SCHOOL TO PICK UP MY CHILDREN AT EXTENDED CARE, TYLER WAS ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING WITH THE KIDS.

WHETHER IT WAS FOOTBALL, KICKBALL, HE WAS ALWAYS WITH THE KIDS AND I MEAN HELPING THEM, JOKING WITH THEM.

IT WAS A REALLY COOL THING TO SEE.

SO. AND HIS FAMILY IS VERY BIG IN MERCED.

I MEAN, HIS FAMILY RUNS VERY DEEP.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN FOR MR. MINOR. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR PEDROZO SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

SO I GUESS I'LL START WITH PROBABLY WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME.

I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A LIST HERE, BUT THAT IS THIS.

YESTERDAY, ACTUALLY, AND IN THE PAST AS WELL BUT I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE DANA HERTFELDER AND NATHAN BRAY FOR ME, CONSTITUENT SERVICES IS, YOU KNOW, IS A TOP PRIORITY AS IT IS FOR ALL OF YOU.

AND AND I JUST APPRECIATE THEM BEING WILLING TO GO OUT INTO THE FIELD AND, AND LISTEN TO FOLKS AND, AND TRY TO ACCOMMODATE WHATEVER THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, AS WE AFFECT THEM.

ANYWAYS. SO I JUST YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WE WERE OUT IN GUSTINE AND ACTUALLY, I GUESS I NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND ESPINOSA.

IT WASN'T MY DISTRICT, BUT IT'S MY DOCTOR AND ANYWAYS LIVES IN MY DISTRICT.

AND SO I DIDN'T REALIZE OR THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T UNTIL WE GOT OUT THERE.

BUT ANYWAYS, THE COUNTY IS DOING A PROJECT ON A ROAD AND, AND THEY HAD SOME CONCERNS AND ANYWAY, SO I JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY IT WAS NATHAN.

BUT YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN DANA TO COME OUT AND LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.

AND IF YOU CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THAT YOU KNOW THAT FIT FOR US AND THEM, THEN THAT'S THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

[02:50:04]

THEY GO OUT, THEY DRIVE BY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE A FARMER, YOU KNOW, FIELDS AND WATER FLOW AND THINGS ARE SEEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I TOO ATTENDED THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF SUPERVISORS CONFERENCE, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, THAT CONFERENCE WAS PRETTY MARGINAL, I THOUGHT.

AND SO AN EX SUPERVISOR FROM TULARE COUNTY, KYLER CROCKER AND I, ONE EVENING AFTER ONE OF THE MEETINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND MCDANIEL AS BEING OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO THAT BOARD, HAVE REALLY WORKED HARD WITH THE OTHER SUPERVISORS TO INCREASE ITS VALUE TO US.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS THE STATE FORCES US TO BE MORE REGIONAL IN OUR ACTIONS AND DECISION MAKING YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, WILL BENEFIT US DOWN THE ROAD.

I ATTENDED THE UC STATE OF THE COLLEGE ADDRESS AND CHANCELLOR MUNOZ.

YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A UNIQUE CAT.

AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, TODAY WITH VST, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PREVIOUS CHANCELLORS AND, AND THEY WEREN'T AS EXCITED ABOUT VST AS I WAS.

AND I SHARED EARLIER DURING THE MEETING THAT THE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE KIDS.

RIGHT. WAS THE TRADE OFF.

AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

AND ANYWAY SO HE HAS SEEMS TO ME ANYWAYS, TO BE MORE WORKABLE AND AMENABLE TO PLANNING AND WORKING TOGETHER.

SO I APPRECIATE I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT.

AND THEN THE VISION THAT HE SHARED FOR THE CAMPUS IS, IS REALLY KIND OF A NEAT VISION, AND I THINK HE'S WORKING VERY HARD TO CREATE A COLLEGE THAT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL WANT TO GO TO.

AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT.

PEOPLE WENT THERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR FIRST CHOICE.

AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE AND TO DR.

SANDOVAL OR MUNOZ, I DID MEET WITH DR.

SANDOVAL TO TALK ABOUT AIR QUALITY AND FIRES AND WE HAD ACTUALLY A NICE, PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.

AND I THINK WE BOTH WALKED AWAY KIND OF LEARNING SOME THINGS.

AND SO I THINK THAT WAS GOOD.

AND THEN THE LAST ITEM WAS JUST ATTENDING THE MEASURE V WEST SIDE MEETING.

AND, ANYWAYS, WE KIND OF HAD WHAT I FELT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENTIOUS SITUATION WHERE, ONE AGENCY WAS GIVING UP A PROJECT AND ANOTHER ONE WAS TAKING IT ON.

BUT I THANK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA'S LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNICATING WITH EVERYBODY WELL HELPED THAT.

IT DID TAKE US 45 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH IT, BUT IT WAS PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND AND THEN I WANT TO SHARE TWO THINGS.

RIGHT. DEATH IS NEVER, NEVER GOOD RIGHT.

NEVER FUN NEVER LOOK FORWARD TO UNTIL YOU GET TO THE DAY BEFORE, YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE AND YOU'RE GOING TO HEAVEN, YOU KNOW, THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT IN BETWEEN.

BUT THE LOSS OF YOUNG MR. MINOR, I'M FRIENDS WITH HIS PARENTS AND FAMILY, AND THEIR FAMILY DOES GO DEEP IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND IT JUST IT'S JUST A TRAGEDY THAT I'M VERY, VERY SORRY FOR.

AND THEN THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT IN GUSTINE FRIDAY NIGHT AS WELL.

AND THE FOOTBALL TEAM WAS RETURNING HOME FROM A GAME.

FAMILY WAS FOLLOWING THEM COME AROUND TO TURN A VEHICLE GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SWERVED INTO THEM AND KILLED THREE PEOPLE.

AND THAT IS A TRAGEDY IN ITSELF.

BUT KIND OF WHAT EXPANDS THAT TRAGEDY IS THAT IT WAS FAMILY OF THE STAR FOOTBALL PLAYER ON THE GUSTINE'S TEAM, AND IT WAS HIS GRANDPARENTS, BOTH OF THEM, AND THEN HIS THREE MONTH OLD DAUGHTER.

AND SO ANYWAYS, IF YOU COULD KEEP THE LOVE OF FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS, I'M SURE THAT THAT YOUNG MAN YOU KNOW IS IN NEED OF THEM.

SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU CHAIRMAN.

I TOO ATTENDED THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES CONFERENCE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, VERY GOOD.

IT'S IT'S GOOD FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY TO COME TOGETHER.

AND LIKE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SAID, IT WAS MANY CONVERSATIONS OF NOT JUST A HIGHLIGHT OF THE COUNTY WHO HOST IT, BUT ACTUALLY BECOMING AN ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE THE WHOLE VALLEY AS A WHOLE.

AND A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU HEARD SPEAKING IN FRONT OF US TODAY, EARLIER IN THE OPEN COMMENTS, IS GOING ON IN EVERY COUNTY IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, AS WE HAD FULL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT AT THIS CONFERENCE AS WELL.

SO MERCED COUNTY IS NOT REALLY UNIQUE TO THIS SITUATION.

WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT EVERYBODY'S BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND MOVING FORWARD.

[02:55:06]

I ATTENDED THE FRANKLIN, BEACHWOOD CHECK PRESENTATION CEREMONY, $3.5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER SORIA.

IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.

THAT IS A PARK THAT IS WELL NEEDED IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A REGIONAL PARK IN DISTRICT THREE, THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THIS COUNTY, THE HEART OF THE COUNTY WHO DOESN'T HAVE A REGIONAL PARK.

BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, IT'S MOVING FORWARD.

THAT'S TRUE. AND.

ALSO, I WANT TO DO A BIG SHOUT OUT.

MY SON CORBETT MCDANIEL TOOK OVER THE PATRIOT CHALLENGE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

THAT'S A COUNTY WIDE PROJECT.

IT WAS QUITE A FEAT ON FRIDAY THE SIXTH.

HE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP AND IT WAS VERY FULFILLING.

BUT PLEASE GO OUT TO THE MERCED MALL.

THERE'S A DISPLAY OF ALL THE POSTERS THROUGH THE K, THROUGH SIX KIDS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND THEIR PATRIOTISM IS DEFINITELY VERY WELL REPRESENTED.

BUT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF MY SON FOR TAKING ON THIS PROJECT.

IN HIS DISCUSSIONS HE HAD, WHENEVER THEY PRESENTED TO HIM ALL THE ACTIONS THAT THEY DID MOVING FORWARD I KEPT ASKING HIM, WELL, HOW MANY PEOPLE? HE GOES, OH, IT WAS THEIR WHOLE COMMITTEE.

WELL, IT WAS BETWEEN CORBETT, HIS BROTHER AND MYSELF AND ONE OF HIS FRIENDS AND HIS MOTHER, AND IT TOOK US PROBABLY 4 TO 6 HOURS TO GET ALL THE POSTERS UP, BUT WE GOT EVERY ONE OF THEM UP.

IT WAS EXCITING.

AND WITH THAT, I'M FINISHED, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

YEAH, IT HAS BEEN JUST THE CRAZIEST, BUSIEST SINCE WE'VE HAD OUR LAST MEETING.

I DID TOO ATTEND THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUPS.

IT'S TECHNICALLY CALLED THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, BUT EVERYBODY, I THINK, HAS A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION.

I CALL IT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUPS.

AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT IT IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PART OF CSAC, WHICH IS THE WHOLE STATE, AND WE'RE A PART OF RCRC, WHICH IS THE RURAL COUNTIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET TO A SMALLER GROUP, ONE THING, YOU KNOW, EVERY COUNTY HAS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.

BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WE ALL DO HAVE SOME DIFFERENT CHALLENGES, BUT WE SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME CHALLENGES.

AND SO AGAIN, THESE MEETINGS THAT WE GO TO, THESE SESSIONS THAT WE SIT IN, IT'S REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE, THAT SOMEBODY ELSE HAS GONE THROUGH THIS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THIS AND REALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, PICK UP ON AND NOT HAVING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL ON STUFF.

SO ALWAYS THERE'S ALWAYS A REAL VALUE IN THAT.

DID GET TO SEE OUR GOOD FRIEND TOM WHEELER FROM MADERA COUNTY, WHO'S RETIRED AND CAME TO THE CONFERENCE AND IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AND INTERESTING CAT RIGHT THERE. DEFINITELY HAVE A LOT OF FUN WHEN WE'RE AROUND HIM.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK I ATTENDED THE CSAC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN TEMECULA, AND SO I'M ON, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BESTOWED THE HONOR OF BEING ON THE CSAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

AND AS PART OF THAT, I'M ON THEIR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

AND REALLY, THIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WE DO, IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR PLANNING CONFERENCE.

IT KIND OF SETS US MOVING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

I MEAN, IT COMES RIGHT AFTER WE JUST FINISHED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN SACRAMENTO.

AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT ARE WE GOING TO PRIORITIZE? AND IT'S REPRESENTED BY THE RURALS, THE SUBURBANS AND THE URBAN COUNTIES.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF TRAVELING.

BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE THAT MOST OF THE TIME IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT TO A LOT OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT SIT ON THERE. AND I THINK THAT AFTER YOU BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AND THEY REALLY TRUST AND VALUE WHERE YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE BRINGING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO HOW WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AS A WHOLE STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION.

SO ATTENDED THAT I DID TO ATTEND.

I WAS VERY PROUD FOR MY COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT THREE.

I WAS PROUD TO ATTEND WITH HIM THE $3.5 MILLION CHECK PRESENTATION FROM OUR ASSEMBLYWOMAN, ESMERALDA SORIA.

AND IT'S THE NEXT STEP IN REALLY COMING TOGETHER WITH THE PARK IN FRANKLIN-BEACHWOOD AREA.

I DID HAVE THAT BUSY DAY OF THE WEST SIDE REGIONAL PROJECTS COMMITTEE, AND WE DID, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS IS THERE'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS, BUT IT'S A REGIONAL BIKE PATH FROM THE CITY TO MERCED COLLEGE.

AND THE CITY EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO NO LONGER BE THE LEAD AGENCY ON THAT.

AND I'M THANKFUL THAT OUR STAFF, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, ACCEPTED THAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT.

IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT PROBABLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS CONCEPTUALIZED, BUT STILL COMMITTED TO SEEING THAT THROUGH.

[03:00:05]

I'M THANKFUL THAT IT WAS THE COUNTY'S TURN TO HOST, AND WE ACTUALLY HOSTED IT IN MY DISTRICT AT ESPANA'S RESTAURANT.

WE HAD A REALLY GREAT TURNOUT.

WE GOT TO HEAR FROM FIRE CHIEF PIMENTEL, WHO SPENT A MONTH IN MAUI.

WHAT'D YOU THINK? OH, WHO WANT TO SPEND A MONTH IN MAUI? EXCEPT FOR HE SPENT A MONTH IN MAUI HELPING THEM KIND OF JUST FIGURE OUT LOGISTICS AND RESOURCES ON HELPING TO DEAL WITH THEIR BIG FIRE THAT THEY HAD THERE.

AND I KNOW IN CHATTING WITH HIM, HE WAS THANKFUL TO GET HOME BECAUSE HE JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SAW THE SAME MOUNTAIN WHEN YOU DROVE AND THEN YOU HUNG A RIGHT AND THEN YOU WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY. AND IT WASN'T LIKE HE WAS ON VACATION IN MAUI.

HE WAS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK OVER THERE.

SO I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS PRESENTATION.

BUT OVERALL, REALLY GOOD TURNOUT AND THANKFUL THAT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I GET TO EXPERIENCE MOST OF THE MEETINGS THAT ARE OVER IN HERE IN MERCED WHEN WE GET DONE I STILL GOT MY 45 MINUTE COMMUTE HOME.

AND SO BEING RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME THAT NIGHT, WE KEPT THE PROGRAM ROLLING BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY HAD A 45 MINUTE DRIVE TO GET BACK HOME.

SO. AND THEN.

INTERESTING LAST SATURDAY I DID THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB FUNDRAISER IN LOS BANOS.

THEY HAD A LITTLE AUCTION THERE AND THEY STARTED IT.

THEY DID IT ONCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND THEN THEY BROUGHT IT BACK AFTER THE PANDEMIC, AND THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO GROW THEIR PRESENCE OUT ON THE WEST SIDE.

AND SO THEY'VE OFFERED PROGRAMS. AND OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND KIDS THAT WERE IN THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR.

BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY MORE OF A NEED THAN THEY HAD POSITIONS, SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR FOR STUDENTS OR KIDS TO COME IN THEIR SUMMER PROGRAMS. BUT THERE'S THERE'S A LONG TERM COMMITMENT.

THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO BUILD A BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, YOU KNOW, A BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDING OUT ON THE WEST SIDE.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THEM KIND OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF MERCED COUNTY.

SO IT'S COUNTYWIDE AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT COUNTY WIDE.

SO EXCITED FOR THAT.

AND THEN YESTERDAY I WAS IN YOSEMITE FOR THE ARTS MEETING, YOSEMITE AREA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT THREE.

WE ARE THE TWO REPS ON THAT BOARD, FIVE COUNTY JPA, HOPEFULLY TO BE SIX IF WE CAN GET FRESNO COUNTY TO COME ON BOARD.

BUT REALLY AN INTERESTING IS WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING AND AND ALL MY YEARS BEING ON THERE, I'VE BEEN ON THERE SINCE I GOT ELECTED.

MY COLLEAGUES PUT ME ON THAT BOARD IS WE WERE IN A POSITION TO WHERE ALL REALLY OUR DISCUSSIONS WERE IS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO SURVIVE, TO LIVE, TO FIGHT ANOTHER YEAR.

AND THROUGH SOME ADVOCACY AND WORKING WITH OUR FORMER CONGRESSMAN COSTA AND GETTING AN EARMARK TO BUY SOME BUSSES, WE ACTUALLY WENT FROM A FROM A POSITION OF HAVING OUR MEETING ABOUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO SURVIVE TO GET TO THE NEXT YEAR, TO THIS YEAR.

IT TURNED INTO A DISCUSSION ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO GROW OUR RIDERSHIP, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING TO PARTNER WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME HOTELS AT DIFFERENT CHAMBERS, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT IDEAS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO GROW OUR RIDERSHIP.

AND SO DEFINITELY A CHANGE IN HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT STUFF AND REALLY, YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, IS THIS IS LOCALS COMING UP WITH BASICALLY THERE'S A FEDERAL PROBLEM.

THERE'S YOSEMITE, AS VAST AS IT IS, HAS VERY SMALL ROADWAYS.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO GO SEE IT.

AND IT'S REALLY IT'S A FEDERAL PARK.

BUT IT WAS LOCAL SOLUTION ON HOW DO WE HELP THEM NOT TO TAKE CARS OUT OF THE PARK, BUT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT GO IN THE PARK.

AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CICELY MULDOON WHO'S THE SHE'S THE WHAT'S HER TITLE? SHE'S THE HEAD OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.

I FORGET WHAT HER EXACT TITLE IS, BUT REALLY WE WANT THEM TO USE WHAT WE DID WITH OUR JPA AND REALLY USE THAT AS A MODEL TO USE AT OTHER NATIONAL PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND IT'S REALLY IT'S COOL BECAUSE WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF FOREIGN PEOPLE, FOREIGNERS THAT COME IN TO [LAUGHTER] PROBABLY COULD HAVE USED A BETTER WORD, BUT PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THAT COME IN.

TOURISTS THERE YOU GO TO TO VISIT YOSEMITE, BUT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT LIVE RIGHT HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND I MEAN THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THERE.

BUT WITH THE ARTS, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO GO UP AND SEE, LIKE ONE OF GOD'S GREATEST CREATIONS.

I'VE BEEN THERE COUNTLESS TIMES, AND EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE THROUGH THERE JUST IT'S AMAZING.

IT'S JUST AMAZING. AND THEN ESPECIALLY ON A YEAR LIKE THIS WHERE WE CAME OFF OF A REALLY HEAVY WINTER, THERE'S WATERFALLS THAT YOU NEVER SAW BEFORE, LIKE YOU'RE JUST DRIVING AND THERE'S LIKE THIS, THIS WATERFALL COMING, YOU KNOW, AND SO REALLY, REALLY COOL.

EXCITED TO KEEP WORKING ON THAT BOARD.

AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET FRESNO COUNTY TO COME ON BOARD.

AND WITH THAT, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER THE 24TH, 2023.

[POSSIBLE DIRECTION FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]