[00:00:01]
TO GO.ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO THE MAY 21ST, 2024 MEETING OF THE SECONDARY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.[CLOSED SESSION]
SESSIONS THIS MORNING ARE INITIATION OF LITIGATION ONE CASE MEET AND CONFER.AGENCY NEGOTIATOR, MARCY RERA AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEE CONTRACT, UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEE, COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AND AGENCY NEGOTIATOR WILL BE DETERMINED DURING THIS CLOSED SESSION, THE PUBLIC WILL BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED IN CLOSED SESSION PRIOR TO THE BOARD ADJOURNING INTO THE CLOSED SESSION.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. I SEE NO ONE COMING FORWARD, SO A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS IS NOW CLOSED.
WE'RE NOW ADJOURN TO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
UH, BACK TO THE 2021 MAY 21ST, 2024 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UM, WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION THIS MORNING.
DIRECTION TO INITIATE LITIGATION FOR ONE CASE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO, UH, COUNTY COUNSEL AND THE ASSISTANT CEO BY FOUR OH VOTES.
UM, THE DEFENDANTS AND OTHER IN PARTICULAR SHALL BE DISCLOSED ONCE THE ACTION IS FORMALLY COMMENCED.
IN ADDITION, STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION ON OTHER OTHER TWO CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. WHEN NOW MOVED TO, UM, START THE INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR JOHN MOTTS FROM THE NEW LIVE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN ATWATER.
AND THEN SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
FATHER, AS WE GATHER TODAY, HERE TOGETHER IN THIS ROOM, UH, UNITED BY OUR DESIRE FOR A COMMUNITY, UM, HERE IN THIS COUNTY THAT IS HEALTHY, THAT IS WHOLE, THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE.
FATHER, I LIFT UP THE FAMILIES OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, ALL ACROSS FROM FROM BORDER TO BORDER, UH, LORD, FOR THE VARIOUS, UH, NEEDS THAT EACH WOULD HAVE.
BUT WE WOULD PRAY AND JUST LIFT UP THOSE FAMILIES AS THEY CONTINUE TO DESIRE THE VERY BEST FOR ONE ANOTHER.
GOD, FOR MOMS, AND ESPECIALLY TODAY, WE, WE REFERENCE, UH, THE NEED TO PRAY FOR OUR, THE DADS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
GOD, WE LIFT THEM TO YOU AND ASK THAT YOU WOULD BE A STRENGTH THAT YOU WOULD SHINE THROUGH, THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO REVEAL YOURSELF.
FATHER, OVER THIS MEETING TODAY, AND ESPECIALLY WITH OUR LEADERS HERE PRESENT, GOD, WE PRAY FOR THEM.
UH, EACH OF OUR SUPERVISORS TODAY WOULD PRAY FOR SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA, PEDROSO, MCDANIEL, PEREIRA, AND SRA.
GOD, WE LIFT THEM EACH TO YOU AND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM, BUT ESPECIALLY AS THEY COME HERE TO GUIDE AND TO LEAD AND TO LEAN INTO YOUR WISDOM FOR US, GOD, WE, WE LIVE IN TURBULENT TIMES.
SO AS WE ASSESS THE CHALLENGES THAT SURROUND US, AS WE DEAL WITH THOSE OF DIFFERING OPINIONS AND DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES, ENABLE EACH OF US TO, TO WORK AND TO DEAL WITH PATIENCE AND RESPECT AND HUMILITY.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE, THAT WE CAN LOOK TO YOU TO HELP US GUIDE A MORE COMPLETE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY AROUND US.
SO, FATHER, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE, FOR THOSE WHO WORK THROUGHOUT THIS BUILDING AND THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY, UH, FOR THE BETTER, FOR THE BETTER OF ALL.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE NOW TODAY IN JESUS' NAME, AMENE, TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NON AGENDA ITEM, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]
IT'S NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA.TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY.
[00:05:10]
GOOD MORNING.IN THEIR 2014 PROPOSAL TO MERCED COUNTY, SIERRA MEDICAL SERVICES SERVICE SERVICES ALLIANCE TOUTS IN THEIR REASONS TO CONTRACT WITH THEM THAT IN QUOTATIONS, WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED OUR ABILITY TO MEET AND EXCEED PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.
END QUOTE, THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY AWARDED THE CONTRACT.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS, I HAVE HEARD THE WORDS INADEQUATE RESPONSE TIMES AS WELL AS FAILURE TO OUR COMMUNITY REGARDING OUR AMBULANCE SERVICES.
IN DOING SOME QUICK RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT OVER THE LAST SIX QUARTERS, SIMSA HAS BEEN FINED $2,940,500 DUE TO NON-COMPLIANT RESPONSE TIMES.
OF THAT $2,662,000 WAS FORGIVEN.
AFTER THE COMPLIANCE REPORT CARD WAS COMPLETED, SSA WAS ONLY REQUIRED TO PAY $278,000 TO THE COUNTY OF MERCED.
IF I AVERAGE THAT NUMBER, IT COULD POTENTIALLY REPRESENT JUST UNDER $10 MILLION IN THE SERVICE ENHANCEMENT FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
IMAGINE IF THE COUNTY HAD THAT MONEY IN THEIR ACCOUNT RIGHT NOW.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CURRENTLY CHANGES BEING MADE TO THE METRICS OF THE CLINICAL REPORT CARD TO FOCUS ON THE CLINICAL ASPECTS OF CARE WHILE ON EMERGENCY CALLS, MY QUESTION TO THE BOARD IS WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE EITHER WITH THE METRICS OR THE AMBULANCE SERVICE THEMSELVES? IF THE PRIVATE COMPANY TOUTED THEMSELVES FOR CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATING THEIR ABILITY TO NOT ONLY MEET BUT EXCEED THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, THEN WHY HAVE THEY CONSISTENTLY BEEN ALLOWED TO NOT MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR CONTRACT? WHY HAS THE METRIC SYSTEM BEEN SET UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEIR FINES ARE CONSISTENTLY FORGIVEN? HOW IS THE COUNTY WORKING TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE WITH OUR AMBULANCE SERVICE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE AT RISK OF HAVING FEWER FIRE DEPARTMENTS CLOSER TO POTENTIAL EMERGENT SITUATIONS? THIS IS ADDING TO A GROWING LIST OF CONCERN REGARDING OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN MERCED COUNTY.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND LONG-TERM PLAN TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY, SHERIFF DEPARTMENT STAFFING, FIRE STATION CLOSURES, CLOSURES, AND CONSOLIDATIONS, AND AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIMES SHOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR AGENDA, AS I BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY WITHIN A COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS WHO NEED ASSURANCES THAT THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN IS SAFE AND PROTECTED.
UH, GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE BOARD ASSISTANT, CEO AND COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, NORMALLY I'M ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROOM, SO I'M A BIT NERVOUS TO BE OVER HERE THIS TIME, BUT I'M HERE TO LET THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT MY ORGANIZATION TREEHOUSE TUTORING IS OFFERING.
FIRST, I'M VERY EXCITED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT OUR MONTHLY SEMINAR SERIES, WHERE EACH MONTH WE INVITE A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY OUT TO SPEAK ON A MATTER OF THEIR EXPERTISE.
THIS MONTH, WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THE PREVIOUS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS FOR UC, MERCED, ALEJANDRO DELGADILLO.
HE'LL BE COMING OUT TO SPEAK ON COLLEGE APPLICATION OPTIMIZATION TIPS FOR STUDENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS.
THIS IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WE HAVE SO MANY FIRST GENERATION AND UNDERSERVED FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.
HE, IN PARTICULAR, IS REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT ASSISTING THOSE FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN COLLEGE AND LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THEY HAVE.
THAT SEMINAR WILL BE NEXT FRIDAY, UH, SIX 30 TO 7:30 PM AT OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS AT SEVEN 80 WEST 21ST.
UM, AND THEN IT WILL ALSO BE LIVE STREAMED ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK ON BOTH OF OUR CHANNELS.
AND THEN I DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION HERE THAT I'LL DROP OFF AS WELL.
AND THEN NEXT, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU AND THE COMMUNITY OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY CORNER CELEBRATION ON JUNE 8TH.
AS A MERCED NATIVE BORN AND RAISED, ONE OF THE MOST PERVASIVE SENTIMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS LACK OF RESOURCES, LACK OF OPTIONS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SURE WE'VE ALL HEARD IT.
HOWEVER, IN MY TIME AT TREEHOUSE TUTORING, AS I'VE INTERACTED WITH MORE ORGANIZATIONS, I'VE REALIZED JUST HOW MUCH THERE IS AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION OF WHAT PEOPLE QUALIFY FOR AND THE VARIOUS RESOURCES THEY COULD BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT THEY DON'T KNOW EXIST.
AND SO AS THAT, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO CREATE A COMMUNITY CORNER, WHICH IS REALLY A ONE STOP SHOP FOR VARIOUS INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
EACH MONTH, WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RELEASING A NEWSLETTER OF THE VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY OF THINGS THAT GO ON.
[00:10:01]
TAKING THAT ONE STEP FURTHER AS A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN OUR CENTER FOR ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.ON JUNE 8TH THAT DAY, WE WILL HAVE TRAINED STAFF READY FOR ANY FAMILY OR ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO COMES OUT, ASK 'EM A FEW QUESTIONS TO SEE WHAT THEY QUALIFY FOR, AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES THAT THEY COULD BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IN ADDITION TO JUST SOME OF THE GENERAL PROGRAMS THAT FAMILIES MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, SUCH AS SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES, DANCE OPPORTUNITIES, COLLEGE FOR KIDS, ALL THESE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON THAT PLENTY OF PEOPLE SEE AFTER THEY WENT ON AND WE'RE LIKE, I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE THAT.
SO THAT'S REALLY OUR GOAL IS TO JUST BE THAT ONE STOP SHOP FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN MERCED AND MERCED COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AT NO COST.
OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO THAT, ON JUNE 8TH, WE'LL HAVE SOME SMALL CARNIVAL GAMES AND TABLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
SO IT SHOULD BE FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'LL DROP THESE FLYERS IN THE BIN, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN OZ AND THE BOARD.
CHRIS DONS SANCHEZ HERE REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN DETE AND CONGRESSMAN STERN HAD A WONDERFUL TIME RECENTLY AT THE PLANADA COMMUNITY TODAY AS WELL.
AS WE ALL KNOW, LAST WEEK WAS NATIONAL POLICE WEEK, AND MAY 15TH WAS NATIONAL PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY AND LAST WEEK, CONGRESSMAN DETE IS PROUD TO HAVE VOTED FOR THE BIPARTISAN IMPROVING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS THROUGH DATA ACT.
THERE'S BEEN A SHARP RISE IN ANTI-POLICE RHETORIC AND A CORRESPONDING RISE IN VIOLENT ACTS AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
IN TWENTY TWENTY THREE, THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT PEACE OFFICERS WERE SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY, AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THERE WERE ALSO 115 AMBUSH STYLE ATTACKS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IT IS VITAL THAT WE HAVE ACCURATE DATA REGARDING VIOLENT ATTACKS, INCLUDING A AMATEURS ON POLICE OFFICERS.
ADDITIONALLY, POLICE OFTEN SUFFER ASSAULTS AND OTHER VIOLENT OFFENSES THAT GO UNRECORDED.
THE BIPARTISAN IMPROVING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS THROUGH DATA ACT WOULD REQUIRE THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DEVELOP REPORTS RELATING TO VIOLENT ATTACKS AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND PRESENT THESE REPORTS TO THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEES IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
THESE REPORTS WOULD INCLUDE CRITICAL DATA ON THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS WHO TARGET LAW ENFORCEMENT DUE TO ANTI-POLICE SENTIMENT, AND INCORPORATE AN ANALYSIS OF HOW FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLICE AGENCIES RESPOND TO THESE ATTACKS AND HOW WELL THEY CAN PREPARE THEIR OFFICERS TO PREVENT ATTACKS AND RESPOND TO AMBUSHES.
OTHER ESSENTIAL DATA POINTS WOULD INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FEDERAL BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP, AND THE ACT WOULD ALSO BETTER IDENTIFY HOW FREQUENT AND SEVERE ATTACKS IMPACT OFFICERS' MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDY THE TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL NEW SERVICES FOR OFFICERS.
CONGRESSMAN DUARTE ALSO RECENTLY SIGNED TO A LETTER TO JOSEPH GOFFMAN, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATIVE OF THE U-S-E-P-A REGARDING CALIFORNIA'S REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION UNDER SECTION 2 0 9 E OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT FOR ITS IN USE LOCOMOTIVE REGULATION STARTING IN 2030 IF PASSED.
LOCOMOTIVES OPERATING IN CALIFORNIA MUST BE LESS THAN 23 YEARS YEARS OLD BASED ON THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER DATE.
IN ADDITION, STARTING IN 2030 FOR LOCOMOTIVES OPERATING WITHIN RAIL YARDS AND 2035 FOR LINE HAUL LOCOMOTIVES.
ANY NEW LOCOMOTIVE OPERATING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA MUST OPERATE IN A ZERO EMISSIONS CONFIGURATION.
PRESENTLY, THERE ARE NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVES THAT COULD COMPLY WITH THE ZERO EMISSION REQUIREMENTS OF THIS REGULATION.
THIS CAUSING A QUESTION THAT TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY, ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS, ONE WOULD NEED A BATTERY CAPACITY OF 80 TO 100 MEGAWATT HOURS TO FULLY REPLACE A DIESEL ENGINE IN A LOCOMOTIVE.
HOWEVER, THE LARGEST BATTERY BEING BUILT IN FOR USE IN NORTH AMERICA TODAY HOLDS LESS THAN 10 MEGAWATT HOURS OF ENERGY COMBINED WITH SUPPLY CHAIN DIFFICULTIES IN ACQUIRING THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE DELAYS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTAINING THE REQUISITE ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT RAILROADS WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REGULATION.
AND THE TIMELINES ENVISIONED THIS PROPOSED REGULATION POSES A DIRECT THREAT TO THOUSANDS OF CENTRAL VALLEY JOBS, AND THE CONGRESSMAN STRONGLY URGES THE EPA TO RECONSIDER ISSUING THIS WAIVER TO THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD.
MY NAME IS CARLOS ALALA, AND I'M A BUSINESS AGENT WITH UNITED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.
TODAY, I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE DEDICATED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES THAT WORK TIRELESSLY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY THRIVING.
IN SOME OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS, ONE OF OUR SUPERVISORS OFTEN REMINDS US THAT THE PIE IS ONLY SO BIG TODAY.
I'M HERE TO SAY, LET'S JUST NOT TALK ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE PIE.
INSTEAD, LET'S ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS A FAIR SLICE PAYING FIVE TO $800 EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR THE COUNTY'S FAMILY HEALTHCARE PLAN.
FOR SOMEBODY THAT MAKES ONLY $16 AN HOUR IS NOT A FAIR SLICE OF THE PIE.
[00:15:01]
THE UNJUST EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATES.THE RISING COST OF HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS HAS PLACED A TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL BURDEN ON OUR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES TRANSFORMING MANY IN TODAY, WHAT IS CALLED THE WORKING POOR ALLOW ME TO SHARE ONE OF THE EMAILS FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS THAT SHOWS THE STRUGGLE, WHICH MANY FACE I HAVE FIVE HERNIATED DISCS, SPINAL FUSION, SCOLIOSIS, ARTHRITIS.
I CAN'T PLAY WITH MY 10-YEAR-OLD SON ANYMORE.
I HAD TO MOVE TO THE LOWER PLAN AND CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE MY MEDICAL PROCEDURES DONE.
BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD THE OUT-OF-POCKET.
WE SEE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN DIFFERENT COUNTIES WITH MORE REASONABLE PRICING.
WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG? WHAT ARE YOU NOT DOING FOR US? DO SIT ALVEZ LEGAL SECRETARY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THIS ISN'T JUST ONE PERSON BEING AFFECTED.
IT'S EVERYBODY THAT IS PENNY PINCHING EVERY TWO WEEKS JUST TO STAY ABOVE WATER.
THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL PROBLEMS, NOT JUST PIECES OF PAPER OR WORDS ON YOUR COMPUTER FOR YOU TO DISCARD.
THE REALITY IS, IS THAT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR HEALTHCARE.
THE FINANCIAL STRAIN IS NOT ONLY UNJUST, IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE.
THE CURRENT CONTRIBUTION RATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATE, LEAVING MANY UNABLE TO SAVE FOR THEIR FUTURES OR INVEST IN THEIR FAMILY'S WELLBEING.
WE URGE THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO REEVALUATE THE PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION RATES FOR HEALTHCARE.
FAIRNESS AND EQUITY SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF OUR POLICY.
OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE HEALTHCARE WITHOUT IT COMPROMISING THEIR ABILITY TO LIVE COMFORTABLY AND SECURELY.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES SHOULD NEVER BE FORCED INTO THE DECISION OF HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HOUSING OR HEALTHCARE.
IN CLOSING, I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THE HEAVY BURDEN PLACED ON OUR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT IS FAIR AND JUST IN ITS CONTRIBUTIONS.
BY DOING SO, WE NOT ONLY UPLIFT OUR WORKFORCE, BUT WE ALSO STRENGTHEN THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU ALL MUST REMEMBER THAT HEALTHCARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.
THIS WILL BE MY 20TH YEAR WITH THE COUNTY.
ALL UH, THAT I'M ASKING IS THAT IF YOU CAN PLEASE SHOW US WHAT EFFORTS YOU'VE BEEN DOING FOR OUR HEALTHCARE.
IF WE ARE NO LONGER IN A CONTRACT, WHY ARE WE STILL WITH THE HEALTHCARE THAT WE ARE GETTING? WE ARE LOSING, UM, PEOPLE TO OTHER NEIGHBORING COUNTIES DUE TO THE BETTER PAY, BETTER HEALTHCARE.
WHY CAN'T WE BE THAT COUNTY THAT PEOPLE WANNA COME AND WORK FOR AND GROW THE COUNTY MORE? UM, I JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE BE TRANSPARENT AND LET US SEE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SHOPPING AROUND.
WHAT EXACTLY HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO GET BETTER HEALTHCARE FOR US? THAT'S NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE PAYING SOON.
I'VE SPOKEN HERE BEFORE TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE SHERIFF BEFORE THE SHERIFF THAT'S HERE NOW, A GOOD MAN.
WE NEVER DID SPEAK ABOUT DISPATCH TELLING ME, GET OFF THE PHONE.
WE NEVER DID SPEAK ABOUT DEPUTIES THAT THREATENED ME.
AFTER YOUR COURT MEETING, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE AND WE'RE GONNA TUNE YOU UP.
WE NEVER DID SPEAK ABOUT ANY OF THAT STUFF BECAUSE IT NEVER DID HAPPEN.
WHAT DID HAPPEN BACK THEN WAS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
I HAD WANTED TO MOVE FIVE GAS METERS FROM UNDER AN OVERHANG TO AN OPEN SPACE.
GOT THE PERMIT, GOT THE PIPE, DID THE PRESSURE TEST, CALLED FOR INSPECTION, GOT THE GREEN TAG.
SO AFTER THE GREEN TAG, I CALL PG AND E.
WELL, THE COUNTY HASN'T CALLED US YET.
OKAY, WE'LL WAIT A COUPLE OF DAYS.
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, CALL PG AND E.
NO, WE, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE CALL FROM THE COUNTY.
WELL, LET ME GO DOWN THERE AND SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
SO I GO DOWN TO THE COUNTY AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
WELL, WE CALLED THE COUNTY AND THEY REFUSE TO VERIFY THAT YOU HAVE THE GREEN TAG
[00:20:01]
THAT WE HAVE SEEN THAT YOU HAVE.AND THEN THEY SAID, WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE'LL GET YOU A PROPANE CANISTER AND WE'LL FEEL IT WITH NATURAL GAS AND YOU CAN HAVE NATURAL GAS THAT WAY.
AND I SAID, NO, NO, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO.
I CALL MY ATTORNEYS, MY ATTORNEYS COME UP TO MERCED.
NOW SEE, YOU ARE THINKING MAYBE THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS I MISSED.
NO, WHEN I CALL MY ATTORNEYS, I'VE DONE 200% OF WHAT I CAN DO, OF WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO DO, OF WHAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO.
WHEN MY ATTORNEYS COME HERE AND THEY HAVE HAD TO COME QUITE A BIT, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO DO.
ONLY THE COUNTY THAT IS FUNDED TO DO THE THINGS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND THEY DON'T DO IT.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? GOOD MORNING.
UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, SEE ACCOUNT COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE ASSISTANT CEO RERA.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH.
UM, I'M HERE THIS MORNING, UH, TO RECOGNIZE AN AWARD THAT WAS BESTOWED UPON MERCED COUNTY M S'S, UM, AUTHOR OR AGENCY BY WAY OF TIM WILLIAMS. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, CALIFORNIA EMS AUTHORITY HELD THEIR STATEWIDE ANNUAL MEETING.
AND DURING THAT MEETING, TIM WAS, UH, PROVIDED WITH THE DISTINCT HONOR OF BEING NAMED, UH, THE RECIPIENT OF THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FROM THE CALIFORNIA EMS AUTHORITY.
AND IF OKAY, BY YOU, I'D LIKE TO JUST READ WHAT WAS STATED WHEN HE RECEIVED HIS MEDAL.
THIS DISTINCTION IS CONFERRED UPON AN INDIVIDUAL IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE OR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF EMS. THE AWARD ALSO HONORS AN EMT WHO HAS DISPLAYED EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION AND GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY DURING A SPECIFIC EMS EMERGENCY OR EVENT.
MR. WILLIAMS HAS DEMONSTRATED A STRONG COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING EMS SERVICES IN MERCED, RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR CHANGE.
HE EMPOWERED COMMITTEES, ORGANIZED EMS POLICIES AND ESTABLISHED A MANAGEMENT POLICY SYSTEM.
WILLIAMS WHO LISTENS TO ISSUES AND IS UNAFRAID TO ADDRESS THEM, HAS BEEN A CRITICAL FIGURE AT THE CROSSROADS WITHIN THE CALIFORNIA EMS COMMUNITY.
HE HAS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANIES, ADDRESSING STAFFING CRISES AND SOLVING PARAMEDIC SHORTAGES.
WILLIAMS LEADERSHIP IMBALANCE, PARTICULARLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS LIKE THE 2023 FEDERAL DISASTER AND THE PANDEMIC, HAVE CREATED FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR THE PATIENTS.
AND SO I, TODAY I HAVE WITH ME OUR MERCED COUNTY EMS ADMINISTRATOR, MR. TIM WILLIAMS, AND JUST WANTED TO COME BEFORE THIS BOARD, UM, BECAUSE WE REALLY DO FEEL IT'S A DISTINCT HONOR.
SUPERVISORS SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE, OUR EMCC COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT I'VE BROUGHT MR. WILLIAMS HERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO STATE.
UM, IF I, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL TIME LEFT, BUT, UH, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE EARLIER REGARDING OUR EMS SYSTEM.
AND SO AT ANY TIME WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD AND GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S BEEN DONE SO THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
TIM, DID YOU WANNA SAY A COUPLE WORDS? WELL, THANK YOU.
UM, CHAIRMAN AND THE BOARD, UM, AND, AND BECKY FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
UH, I AM, UH, VERY HUMBLED BY THIS, UH, AWARD.
UH, I'VE ONLY BEEN IN MERCED COUNTY FOR A FEW SHORT YEARS, SO, YOU KNOW, TO BE RECOGNIZED, UH, I THOUGHT WAS, IT WAS, IS HUGE, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT ME OR I, IT'S ABOUT WE AND US.
WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD EMS TEAM.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD SUPPORT, UH, THAT I CAN GO TO, UH, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH, UH, ISSUES AND TRY TO MAKE THE EMS SYSTEM BETTER.
UH, SO I THINK MY TEAM AND I THINK THE, UH, THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT WE, WE REALLY RELY ON.
I'VE BEEN A COUNTY EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE FOR 29 YEARS.
MY COMMENT IS ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS AND RATES.
WHEN MY AUTO INSURANCE OR MY HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE RATES GO UP, I IMMEDIATELY START SHOPPING AROUND FOR BETTER RATES.
[00:25:01]
DOWN AND I COMPARE MY NOTES.SO I THOUGHT, WHY DOESN'T THE COUNTY DO THAT? SO I CALLED RISK MANAGEMENT AND ASKED, WHY DON'T THEY SHOP AROUND FOR BETTER RATES? THE STAFF ANALYST THAT I SPOKE WITH WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND EXPLAINED THAT THE COUNTY HAS COMPARED RATES WITH OTHER COUNTIES, I'M SORRY, WITH OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES SUCH AS BLUE SHIELD AND UNITEDHEALTHCARE.
AND THEY ALSO COMPARED OUR PLANS WITH SURROUNDING COUNTIES THAT THE COUNTY HAS DONE ITS RESEARCH AND THAT, THAT THEIR DID THEIR BEST TO FIND THE BEST LEVEL COVERAGE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT'S WONDERFUL THAT THEIR DUE DILIGENCE HAS BEEN DONE BY THE COUNTY.
SO I'M HERE TO ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY.
PLEASE SHOW THE COUNT, SHOW THE EMPLOYEES ALL THE COST COMPARISONS THAT WERE DONE SO THAT WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR EFFORTS.
PLEASE PUT ALL THAT DATA AND RESEARCH INTO A POWERPOINT OR A PRESENTATION, OR A FREQUENT LAST QUESTIONS PAGE ON THE COUNTY INTERNET.
SOMETHING TO TELL US WHY WE ARE PAYING THESE RATES TO ANTHEM BLUE CROSS AND WHY THEY ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY.
ALSO GIVE DETAILS TO EXPLAIN THE ZERO COST OPTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO OUR, UM, OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE A SPOUSE THAT HAS HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH THEIR OWN EMPLOYER.
HAVING THIS INFORMATION ON THE EMPLOYEE INTRANET WOULD HELP OUR EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND THE CHOICES THAT ARE BEING MADE FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS.
ANY FURTHER? PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. UM, PRESENTATION.
[PRESENTATION]
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM ERIC SERRATO, DIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT.GOOD MORNING, CHAIR ESPINOZA, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ASSISTANT CEO.
UH, MY NAME IS LESLIE ABTA CUMMINGS, AND I AM, UH, THE CEO FOR LIVINGSTON COMMUNITY HEALTH.
BUT I ALSO HAVE THE PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE, UH, BOARD CHAIRPERSON FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UH, TODAY, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, UM, UM, ALSO ASSISTANT CEO, MARK HENDRICKSON IS HERE.
I KNOW WE'RE ALSO JOINED TODAY BY DAVID NESS FROM MERKO CREDIT UNION.
UM, AND, UH, DALE JOHNS FROM, UH, MERCY MEDICAL, THE HOSPITAL HERE.
ANOTHER, UM, NEW BOARD MEMBER OF OURS.
AND, UH, AND FINALLY, UH, STEVE HOBBS, THE, UH, TEACHER AT, UM, A TEACHER OVER AT, UM, THE ADULT SCHOOL HERE AT EAST CAMPUS.
IS THERE ANOTHER ONE? OH, JACK MOBLEY
JACK MOBLEY IS ALSO A BOARD MEMBER AS WELL.
UH, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
AS YOU KNOW, WE COME HERE EVERY YEAR ANNUALLY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT I THINK I'D LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR BOARD, OUR BOARD IS MADE UP OF BOTH BUSINESS, BUT ALSO LABOR, BUT ALSO, UM, PROGRAMMATIC KIND OF, UM, FOLKS THAT REALLY ALL COME TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, FOR THIS COUNTY, UM, IS DELIVERING THE RESULTS AND THE OUTCOMES THAT, THAT THIS BOARD, UM, WOULD BE, UM, EXPECTING.
SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LOVE TO JUST, UM, INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR, OUR, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, ERIC SERATO TO DO OUR PRESENTATION FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, CHAIRMAN ESP ESPINOZA, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ASSISTANT CEO.
MARCY, UM, BARRERA, IT'S A, A HUGE, UH, PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE ACTIVITY OF THE MERCED COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, AS MY CHAIR MENTIONED, THIS IS PART OF AN ANNUAL OBLIGATION THAT THE WORKFORCE BOARD HAS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ONCE A YEAR TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ACTIVITY.
BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO SPEND, UH, THE BULK OF MY TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR, UH, LABOR MARKET, UM, AND TRYING TO LEAVE, UM, TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, AT THE END, THIS, UM, OF COURSE, IS OUR BOARD ROSTER.
AS, UM, OUR CHAIR DESCRIBED, WE REALLY ARE A WHO'S WHO OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF PRIDE, UM, AT THE LIST THAT YOU SEE UP THERE ON THE SCREEN.
UH, NO OTHER WORKFORCE BOARD THAT I'M AWARE OF HAS BOTH THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOSPITAL AND, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND THE PRESIDENT OF A COMMUNITY BANK, UM, AND THE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH VALLEY LABOR FEDERATION, UM, AND A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
IT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, A A TOP TIER COMMISSION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH, UM, OF OUR ECONOMY.
AND I, I SERVE THEM AND I SERVE YOU WITH, WITH A LOT OF PRIDE AND, AND, UM, RESPECT FOR WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY DO.
UM, WE OFTEN SAY IN THE WORKFORCE WORLD THAT WORKFORCE BOARDS ARE ABOUT EVERYBODY MAKING MORE MONEY.
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INTERESTED IN WORKERS EARNING MORE AND BUSINESSES EARNING MORE FOR THEIR PRODUCT.UH, AND THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE COMES TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.
ALL OF OUR MEETINGS ARE, UM, AT WORKFORCE SITES, FACTORIES, PLACES OF BUSINESS TO REALLY CEMENT OUR RELATIONSHIP.
UM, TO THAT WORK, I AM, UM, JUST GOING TO GO OVER A FEW OUTPUTS.
WE ARE A VERY SMALL DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE BODY OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
WE ARE ONE OF YOUR SMALLER, UH, DEPARTMENTS.
UH, BUT I OFTEN SAY I'VE NEVER MET A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO'S BETTER AT PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT.
WE HAVE ENROLLMENTS AND OUTPUTS THAT, UM, OUTPACE, UH, COUNTIES OF A MUCH LARGER SIZE.
OVER 664, UH, FOLKS ARE ENROLLED IN OUR WIOA PROGRAMS. UM, WE'VE GOT 138 TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS THAT WE GAVE OUT IN THE LAST YEAR, TOTALING OVER $600,000 TO HELP PEOPLE GET TO THAT BETTER JOB.
IN ADDITION TO THAT WORK, UH, ALMOST 300 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENROLLED AND SERVED THROUGH OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, BOTH MERCED YOUTH JOBS, UM, AND OUR WORKNET COMMUNITY INTERN PROGRAM.
AND OVER 600, UH, INDIVIDUALS HAVE ATTENDED OUR, UH, OPEN ACCESS EVENTS, UH, JOB FAIRS AND DIFFERENT RECRUITMENT EVENTS AT DIFFERENT BUSINESSES.
OUR FOOTPRINT, WE HAVE TWO CENTERS, ONE IN MERCED, ONE IN LOS BANOS, AND A THIRD IS OPENING THE SUMMER.
UH, AT CA AT CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER.
UH, WE ARE SMALL, WHICH MEANS THAT WE NEED TO RELY ON, UM, A WEALTH OF PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO I AM HUMBLED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT.
WE HAVE REALLY GREAT, UH, PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR FELLOW DEPARTMENTS.
UH, HUMAN SERVICE AGENCIES, PROBATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, FIRE, CHILD SUPPORT, UH, AND CED ARE JUST THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK MOST CLOSELY WITH.
UM, IN SOME OF THOSE INSTANCES, WE ARE A CUSTOMER OF THEIR SYSTEM.
IN OTHER INSTANCES, WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE VALUE THROUGH INTERNS OR THROUGH RESEARCH TO HELP THEM DO THEIR WORK.
UM, AND, UM, THAT PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN REALLY INCREDIBLE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT OTHER PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, WE'VE RECEIVED OVER $2 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF MERCED, UH, TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE MERCED YOUTH JOBS, WHICH HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED, UM, ACROSS THE STATE AS A MODEL PROGRAM.
WE CO-ENROLL WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
MANY OF THE CBOS THAT YOU KNOW AND LOVE, UM, WE WORK WITH THEM SO THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR THE SAME CLIENT IS ADDITIVE AND NOT DUPLICATIVE.
UH, AND WE'RE BUILDING OUR PROGRAMMATIC RELATIONSHIP WITH UC, MERCED, UM, MERCED COLLEGE IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS PARTNER THAT WE, UM, OFTENTIMES FORGET TO PUT THAT ON THE BOARD, BUT WE DO THINGS EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND WORKFORCE BOARDS HAVE A VERY, UH, SORT OF SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO DEVELOP AND DEEPEN THAT PARTNERSHIP.
I'M GONNA TRANSITION INTO SOME STATS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE A POPULATION OF ABOUT 290,000 RESIDENTS THAT ACTUALLY TRANSLATES OUT TO 127,000 WORKERS.
WE ARE YOUNGER THAN THE REST OF THE STATE, UM, AND MOST OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE LAST MONTH IN APRIL WAS 10.5%.
UM, THAT IS, UM, UH, SLIDE DOWNWARD FROM THE MONTH BEFORE WHERE WE WERE AT 11 POINT, UH, 4%.
UM, THAT IS NOT OUTSTART OF, OUTSIDE OF OUR HISTORICAL NORM.
UH, MERCED COUNTY, UM, HAS AMONG THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN THE STATE.
IT'S OFTEN TIED WITH TULARE COUNTY IN TERMS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY'S, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.
AND 10.5%, UH, TRANSLATES, UM, TO ABOUT 13,000 WORKERS THAT CURRENTLY FIND THEMSELVES, UM, UNEMPLOYED.
UH, THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW IS AROUND BUSINESS STARTS.
SO THERE WAS SOME RESEARCH THAT WE CONDUCTED OVER THE LAST YEAR THAT FOUND THAT MERCED COUNTY DEVELOPS NEW BUSINESSES AT HALF THE RATE OF THE REST OF THE STATE.
UM, SO BECAUSE A MAJORITY OF OUR WORKERS WORK FOR MID AND SMALL BUSINESSES, THAT MEANS THAT OUR JOB GROWTH IS ACTUALLY STYMIED BY SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL, UM, ECOSYSTEM.
UH, JUST FOR SOME REFERENCE POINT, UH, THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE EVER WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 1996, WHICH WAS 26.4%.
THE BEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE EVER, UM, HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN RECENT YEARS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 AND SEPTEMBER OF 2021 AT 6%.
WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE JOBS AND, UH, ARE IN MEAU COUNTY AND WHERE WORKERS WORK.
SO WE ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE AN AG, AG-BASED ECONOMY.
UM, AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING IS WHAT FUELS JOB GROWTH ACROSS OUR COUNTY.
THEY, YOU'D BE, YOU KNOW, HARD PRESSED TO FIND A JOB THAT SOMEHOW ISN'T, UH, INFLUENCED AND INFORMED
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BY FOOD PROCESSING AND AGRICULTURE.HOWEVER, WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THEIR JOBS IS PRETTY SURPRISING, UH, TO FOLKS.
SO 14% OF OUR JOBS ARE DIRECTLY IN FARM-BASED, 11% IS IN MANUFACTURING, 16% IS IN GOODS MOVEMENT, WHICH IS ALL KINDS OF TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS.
8% IN HOSPITALITY, 14% IN HEALTHCARE.
23% OF OUR JOBS ARE IN GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION.
AND SO WE ARE, BY MANY MEASURES, A PUBLIC SECTOR COUNTY, A PUBLIC SECTOR WORK.
SHE, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH EVERY SECTOR HAS ITS OWN DIFFERENT VULNERABILITIES TO THE ECONOMY, GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION IS PARTICULARLY INVULNERABLE TO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS CHANGES IN STATE BUDGETS, WHICH WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
AND THE SECOND IS AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
UH, AND SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE BESIDE THOSE ARE ACTUALLY THE FLUCTUATIONS, UH, IN THE PAST YEAR.
SO WHILE YOU SEE IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR, WE ADDED 1100 JOBS, AND IN MANUFACTURING WE ADDED 800 JOBS.
WE ACTUALLY LOST 200 JOBS IN GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION.
AND THAT IS A LEADING INDICATOR, UM, OF WHAT MIGHT COME TO BE OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS IN TERMS OF OUR JOB MARKET.
JUST SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO, TO TRACK.
IT ALSO IS, UM, A HUGE SIGNAL FOR THE WORKFORCE BOARD IN TERMS OF THE KINDS OF TRAININGS, UH, THAT WE PUT OUT, UH, INTO THE MARKETPLACE, AND THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CAREER PATHWAYS THAT WE IDENTIFY FOR PEOPLE.
SO OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU SEE HEALTHCARE IS INCREASING, UM, AT THE FASTEST RATE, IT'S WHERE WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUT TO PUT OUR, OUR ENERGY.
SHE, UH, OUR ECONOMY IS IN CHURN, SO IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FASCINATING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO THE COUNTY AT THE FAST RATE.
WE'RE OFTEN LISTED AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA, CERTAINLY ON THE WEST COAST.
UH, BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOVING INTO OUR COUNTY TEND TO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT HIGHER EARNING POTENTIAL, AND THERE'S LOTS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM UC, MERCED, WHAT THAT WILL BEGIN TO DO IS IT'LL PUT MORE PRESSURE, MORE COMPETITIVENESS IN THE JOB MARKET, BECAUSE YOU ARE GONNA GET PEOPLE THAT HAVE HIGHER CERTIFICATIONS AND HIGHER DEGREES OF EDUCATION, OFTEN COMPETING WITH REGULAR, UH, SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, LONGTIME RESIDENTS WHO HAVEN'T HAD ACCESS TO THAT, TO THAT BENEFIT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF CHANGES IN OUR ECONOMY THAT ARE THEN CHANGING OUR WORKFORCE.
UM, THERE'S GREATER DEMAND ON, UM, INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL LAND.
THERE'S, UM, WATER POLICY THAT IS FOLLOWING LAND, AND THAT WATER POLICY IS MOVING, UM, MUCH OF OUR SEGMENT OF FARMERS FROM BEING FAMILY OWNED, UH, TO LARGE CORPORATIONS.
AND WE KNOW WHEN THAT TRANSITION HAPPENS, UH, WORKERS LOSE OUT.
WE KNOW THAT, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES TEND TO TAKE, UH, BETTER CARE OF THEIR WORKERS.
UM, AND THERE'S JUST A NATURAL INEFFICIENCY OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE THAN LARGER CORPORATIONS.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO APPLY PRESSURE, UM, INTO OUR ECONOMY.
AT THE SAME TIME, THIS INFLUX OF, OF NEW PEOPLE IS GONNA CREATE NEW JOBS IN THE FINANCE SECTOR, IN HEALTHCARE, EMPLOYMENT, AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, MORE HOSPITALITY THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO AS A WORKFORCE BOARD IS TO EQUIP LONGTIME RESIDENTS WITH THE KINDS OF CERTIFICATIONS AND PATHWAYS SO THAT THEY CAN COMPETE WITH FOLKS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO DEAL WITH, UM, HIGHER RATES, UM, IN HOUSING, UM, THAT WE ALL HAVE, HAVE BEGUN TO, TO EXPERIENCE.
IN RESPONSE TO THAT, UH, I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, A FEW SPECIAL PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT.
UM, THESE ARE FUNDED, UH, THROUGH DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT IS FULLY SUBVENTED.
UH, MOST OF OUR, UH, FUNDING HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN THROUGH WE, WE CALL OUR FEDERAL ALLOCATION.
OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MOVING AWAY FROM THAT DEPENDENCY, UH, WHERE THAT USED TO REPRESENT ABOUT 70% OF OUR BUDGET.
NOW IT REPRESENTS ABOUT 40% OF OUR BUDGET, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DOUBLE OUR OVERALL BUDGET IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT HAS GIVEN US THE FUEL TO TAKE ON THESE SPECIAL PROJECTS.
AND I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THEM, UH, AS BRIEFLY AS I CAN.
THE FIRST IS IN CHILDCARE AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SUPPORT.
A FEW THINGS WE'RE DOING THERE.
WE'RE FUNDING A COHORT OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS SO THAT WHEN YOU GO INTO A JOB CENTER, IN ADDITION TO ASKING YOU IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN TO BE A TRUCK DRIVER, IT'LL ASK YOU, DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A CHILDCARE PROVIDER IN YOUR OWN HOME? SO WE ARE ONE OF THE FIRST WORKFORCE BOARDS IN THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO STAND THAT UP.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, MERCED ADULT SCHOOL AND UC, MERCED, UH, WHERE WE WILL BE SUBSIDIZING EMPLOYMENT FOR RECENT GRADUATES THAT COMPLETE THEIR EARLY EDUCATION,
[00:40:01]
UH, COURSEWORK, UH, PLACING THEM AT MONTESSORI SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, HEAD STARTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT CAN MAKE USE OF THEIR TALENT.UH, WE ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN REGIONAL FIXES AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL AND NATIONALLY TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO, UH, PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF THE CHILD, CHILD, UH, CHILDCARE PROVIDER SECTOR.
UM, AND LASTLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME BIG PLAYS WITH SOME OF OUR LARGEST, UM, EMPLOYERS IN MCOE AND THEIR PORTFOLIO OF WORK TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, CHILDCARE EITHER ONSITE OR IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, DIRECTLY SURROUNDING THOSE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.
UM, WE HAVE WORK THAT IS CHAIRED, UH, BY DALE JOHNS, UM, AND BY OUR CHAIR, UH, LESLIE ABOA CUMMINGS, THAT IS REALLY LOOKING AT NOVEL WAYS TO ATTRACT MORE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS INTO OUR AREA.
THREE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, ONE IS WE'RE LOOKING AT RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES THAT WILL ALSO, UM, LOOK AT, UH, ATTRACTIONS AND AMENITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE QUALITY OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO ATTRACT MORE PHYSICIANS AND SPECIALTY DOCTORS, UM, INTO OUR AREA.
WE'RE STUDYING THE MARKETPLACE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT COULD WE ACTUALLY ABSORB? WHAT COULD WE OFFER SOMEONE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT INTO THIS AREA.
UM, THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM PAY, BUT ALSO WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE UNDERDEVELOPED AND MEDICAL OFFICES, IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT UC, MERC'S, UH, BURGEONING MEDICAL SCHOOL AND OTHER KIND OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE AREAS.
AND THE LASTLY IS LINKING EXISTING PATHWAYS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AT THE ADULT SCHOOL, TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PLAY TRAFFIC COP TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS PLAYING TO THEIR CORE COMPETENCY AND THAT THERE ISN'T TRAFFIC IN THAT ENVIRONMENT SO THAT PEOPLE FIND SORT OF CLINICAL SPACE TO BUILD UP THEIR WORK-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN ARE ABLE TO CONNECT TO A QUALITY JOB IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN LEANING INTO IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY SCALING UP OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH UC, MERCED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, KEEP SOME OF THAT GRADUATING TALENT LOCAL.
UH, THE WORKFORCE BOARD IS EXPLORING A PROGRAM IN WHICH WE WILL SUBSIDIZE, UH, THE FIRST YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT FOR RECENT GRADUATES IF WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM WITH A SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS, UM, SO THAT THAT LOCAL BUSINESS CAN DEVELOP NEW MARKETS AND CONNECT TO NEW TECHNOLOGY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS WE ARE LEANING INTO SOME RESEARCH.
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH OPPORTUNITY NETWORK TO UNDERSTAND DISCONNECTED YOUTH, UM, IN OUR COUNTY, AND, UH, EXPLORE NOVEL RESPONSES TO GET, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE OFF OF COUCHES, UM, AND INTO JOBS.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH SUPERINTENDENT, UH, PETERSON'S, UH, TEAM, UH, TO SUPPORT AND SCALE UP, UM, THEIR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
WE'RE LOOKING TO REMOVE PAIN POINTS TO MOVE THEM INTO COUNTY JOBS, UM, AS WELL AS INTO JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE WERE RECENTLY AWARDED A $650,000 GRANT WHERE WE'LL BE TRAINING, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MC THREE, WHICH IS A RESPECTED CONSTRUCTION CURRICULA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCED COLLEGE.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, GOING OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTY TO IDENTIFY INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES, CONSTRUCTION SITES THAT ARE HAPPENING OVER THE HILL AND IN THE BAY AREA, AND CREATING DIRECT PIPELINES SO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY SELLING OUR WORKER BASE, UH, TO THOSE PROJECTS AND PERHAPS EVEN INVESTING IN TRANSPORTATION OR THINGS TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE, UH, THEIR CONNECTION.
UH, THE LAST ONE IS WHAT I'LL END WITH, WHICH IS OUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, IN THE CALIFORNIA JOBS FIRST INITIATIVE, YOU'VE HEARD OF THIS, UM, IT IS, UH, A $600 MILLION INITIATIVE THAT WAS LAUNCHED BY THE STATE.
UM, THERE ARE 13 REGIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
OURS IS A NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WHICH INCLUDES MERCED, STANISLAUS, AND SAN JOAQUIN.
UH, THE MERCED COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
AND BY MEASURE, MERCED COUNTY IS THE CONVENING AGENCY OF OUR REGION, WHICH MEANS WE ARE ABSOLUTELY IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.
WE HAVE AN INITIAL INVESTMENT OF $14 MILLION, WHICH, UH, HAS COME DOWN IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, UH, AND ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UM, BOTH FEDERALLY AND AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, THE CHALLENGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO BRING THESE THREE COUNTIES TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A SHARED ECONOMIC AGENDA.
AND, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU ARE SOME OF, UM, SORT OF THE EARLY, UM, INSIGHTS THAT WE'VE GAINED, UM, AND WHAT WE ARE PREPARING TO PRESENT TO THE STATE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
SO FIRST IS, UM, A PLAY IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
UH, THE RESEARCH SHOWS, UM, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING, UH, UNIQUELY COMPETITIVE IN OUR THREE COUNTIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE INDUSTRY CLUSTER OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION.
THERE ARE A LOT OF JOBS THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.
IT'S ALSO ADVANCED MANUFACTURING WITH AGRICULTURE.
SO IF YOU THINK OF THE LAIRD OF THE WORLD, UH, WE THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THOSE MARKETS, UM, TO BUILD OUR BUSINESSES, UH, AND GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THOSE JOBS.
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UM, IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO OUR THREE COUNTY REGION, UH, BECAUSE OUR POPULATIONS ARE AGING.UM, THERE'S A LOT OF VULNERABILITY IN THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE A 100% HEALTHCARE SHORTAGE AREA.
AND SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON HEALTHCARE.
LASTLY, THOUGH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BIOINDUSTRIAL SECTOR, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, TAKING AG WASTE OR BYPRODUCT AND MAKING NEW KINDS OF PLASTICS AND NEW KINDS OF PRODUCTS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THE REGION AS WELL AS, UM, DIRECTOR MAXI, UH, AND HIS TEAM TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BIOINDUSTRIAL SPACE.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF GROWTH IN CARBON MANAGEMENT AND IN CLEAN ENERGY, BUT BELOW THOSE THREE SECTOR PLAYS ARE WHAT WE'RE CALLING CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NINE, BUT THERE'S A HANDFUL THAT ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO MERCED COUNTY.
ONE IS INNOVATION AROUND ROUTER, PARTICULARLY RESPONSES TO SIGMA AND OTHER POLICY CHANGES, THE GROWTH OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM SO THAT WE HAVE MORE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR AREA, LEVERAGING THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSITIES, WHICH FOR US IS LARGELY ABOUT UC, MERCED, AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT CAN HELP OUR ECONOMY GROW.
UM, PATHWAYS FOR THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED, WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN JUST AS INVOLVED, UM, PER CAPITA THAN, UH, MOST OF THE STATE.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTA DESIGN PATHWAYS THAT WORK.
UH, PLACEMAKING AND AMENITY DEVELOPMENT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO CREATE COOL THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO DO AND REASONS FOR THEM TO STAY WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT JOB QUALITY AND GOODS MOVEMENT, PARTICULARLY, UM, BECAUSE OF CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE GOOD JOBS ARE IN THE LOGISTICS AND GOOD MOVEMENT, UM, AREA.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE WITH, UH, AN IMAGE FROM OUR LAST, UH, BOARD MEETING.
UH, YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THE BLACK HAT THERE.
UH, THIS WAS OUT AT, UH, LAIRD MANUFACTURING.
AS I MENTIONED, WE TRY TO HAVE EVERY ONE OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS, UH, SEATED WITH AN INDUSTRY, AND IT WAS A, A LIVELY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD HAD THAT DAY.
UM, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OH, OKAY, ZA, THANK YOU.
UM, AND THIS IS GREAT INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE STATS YOU PUT IN THIS JUST OUTTA MY CURIOSITY, 10 AND A HALF PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT IT EQUALS LIKE 13,400 UNEMPLOYED.
DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE LIKE, NOT LOOKING, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE JOBS AVAILABLE, OR WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, SO, UM, I'LL TRY NOT TO NERD OUT ON THIS, BUT, UH, THE WAY THAT FIGURE COMES OUT IS THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS DOES RANDOM COLD CALLING.
AND THEY ESSENTIALLY SAY, UM, ARE YOU WORKING? WERE YOU WORKING? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WORK? SO THAT'S ROUGHLY 13,400 PEOPLE THAT, UM, WERE EMPLOYED AND ARE UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING FOR WORK.
THERE'S A DIFFERENT RATE, WHICH IS CALLED THE LABOR PARTICIPATION RATE.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT AT A COUNTY LEVEL, BUT THAT'S A BETTER INDICATOR OF THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE STILL ACTIVELY IN THE MARKET.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT INCLUDES SORT OF A REFERENCE POINTS OF FOLKS THAT HAVE COMPLETELY DROPPED OFF OF THE MARKET.
THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT HAVE STOPPED LOOKING.
AND SO A LOT OF ECONOMISTS, UM, LOOK AT THAT RATE.
BUT YEAH, THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT PEOPLE WERE POLLED.
AND, UH, WE CAN INFER THAT ABOUT THAT MANY ARE DISPLACED.
OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS ALWAYS HIGHEST IN FEBRUARY AND ALWAYS LOWEST IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE JUST THE WAY OUR ECONOMY AND OUR AG-BASED ECONOMY WORKS.
SO NOW THAT WE'RE, THOSE ARE APRIL STATS, IT MEANS IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
WE ALWAYS SEE THAT BUMP AS PEOPLE BEGIN TO BE EMPLOYED.
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE BOARDS IN GOVERNMENT THAT I SERVE ON.
I SERVE ON PROBABLY ABOUT 16 DIFFERENT ONES.
AND I SAY THIS ONE IS DEFINITELY THE MOST EFFECTIVE ONE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF EVERYBODY ON THIS, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A MEETING, THERE'S NO MORE THAN MAYBE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE ABSENT FROM THESE MEETINGS.
AND THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE A DEEP DIVE AND WE CAN REALLY NERD OUT ON A LOT OF, A LOT OF DATA.
UH, BUT WE ALWAYS SEEM TO COME UP, COME UP TOGETHER IF YOU, IT'S A BIG BOARD, BUT WE ALL, ALL, SOME SEEM TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UH, ON MOVING FORWARD.
I APPRECIATE, UM, OUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY THE SURF.
AND, UH, I, I LIKE TO MENTION EVERYBODY KICKED ME OUTTA THAT.
I WAS TRYING TO BE OUT IN FRONT AND LEADING THE EFFORTS IN THAT, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TURN IT OVER.
ERIC, YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
US BEING THE LEADER IN THAT POSITION ACTUALLY PUTS MERCED COUNTY IN A VERY GOOD POSITION MOVING FORWARD.
UH, BUT YEAH, I JUST, THIS, THIS GROUP, ESPECIALLY OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WE, WE HAVE TO LIMIT OURSELF
[00:50:01]
TO THE TIME BECAUSE WE GO OVER EVERY TIME AND WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE.WE GET SO IN DEPTH IN OUR CONVERSATIONS AND, BUT JUST APPRECIATE YOU, APPRECIATE YOU BEING IN THIS POSITION.
UM, IT'S MOVED TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS, WITH THE SURF PROGRAM IN THERE WITH US.
BUT, UH, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, THANK THE BOARD.
I MEAN, FOR, THESE ARE ALL FOLKS WHO ARE LEADING COMPANIES THAT ARE SITTING HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US TODAY THAT ARE PART OF THIS BOARD.
AND THEY TOOK THEIR TIME OUT TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT THIS AND EVEN, EVEN JACK OUT THERE.
I SEE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SO AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THE PRESENTATION.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NONE.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON.CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 18.
PLEASE NOTE A FOR FIFTH VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEM ONE.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT, UH, CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 18.
SO CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS. ITEM ONE THROUGH 18 IS NOT CLOSED.
ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? IT'S JUST ONE MOMENT.
OKAY, I SEE A MOTION, RA SECOND BY S PEDROSO.
CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.
AT THIS TIME WE WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP, UH, THE PODIUM.
ALL DAS MATTER SUPERVISOR MR. HENDERSON WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH INFORMATION REGARDING ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE PROCLAMATION CLEARING THE MONTH OF JUNE, 2024, AS ALL DAS MATTER MONTH IN MERCED COUNTY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE BOARD, THE CEO'S OFFICE, OUR COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST TO OUR LEADERSHIP AT THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, STARTING WITH DR.
YVONNE BROWN AND THEN OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING BRANCH, MS. HEIDI HALL AND OUR PROGRAM MANAGER RE ESPINOZA, WHO ARE ALL HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE ALL DADS MATTER TEAM WHO ARE HERE TODAY, INCLUDING, UH, MR. SAM RANGO, WHO I MUST RECOGNIZE AS BEING ONE OF TWO MALE LACK LACTATION COUNSELORS IN OUR ENTIRE STATE.
ALSO, MR. ADRIAN ESPINOZA, WHO'S OUR LEAD AND DOES AMAZING WORK IN THE CCGS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH CHILD WELFARE.
AND THEN, UM, ADO SGO WHO HANDLES ALL OUR STUFF IN THE, IN THE SPANISH SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND DOES A FANTASTIC WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING THOSE THAT NEED THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT SPEAKS SPANISH.
SO ALL DADS MATTER IS MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY'S FATHERHOOD PROGRAM.
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE ENTERING INTO OUR 20TH YEAR OF SERVICE FOR MERCED COUNTY.
UM, AND THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT OF OUR BOARD SUPERVISORS, OUR LEADERSHIP, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I'M HONORED TO REPRESENT ALL DADS MATTER IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, PROVIDING THE MALE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION BOOTCAMP FOR NEW DAD WORKSHOPS, OUR ALL DADS MATTER RESOURCE CENTER AND MALE SUPPORT GROUPS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND NOT JUST MERCED, BUT ALSO IN LOS BANOS AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO OFFER THAT IN SPANISH.
WE ALSO NOW OFFER A MEN'S SUPPORT GROUP AT THE JOHN LAUDER ROCKER CORRECTIONAL FACILITY EVERY FRIDAY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION AND, AND AND SUPPORT THAT EXISTS IN THAT ENVIRONMENT IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
IF WE HAD RECORDED IT, YOU'D HAVE SWORE WE SCRIPTED IT.
THAT'S JUST HOW POWERFUL THE MOMENTS ARE.
BUT, UM, REALLY JUST WANT TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, OUR, THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE TRUST EQUITY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP OVER THE YEARS IN OUR NEARLY 20 YEARS OF SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SERVE WELL OVER 15,000 FAMILIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT FOR ME THAT NUMBER REPRESENTS A FATHER AND A FAMILY AND CHILDREN.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
I'M SO PROUD TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES WITH PROGRAMS LIKE ALL MOMS MATTER AND ALL DADS MATTER THAT INVEST IN OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE, WHICH IS OUR CHILDREN BY SUPPORTING MOTHERS AND FATHERS.
SO, UM, I'M GREATLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT.
UM, I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO INVITE THE BOARD AND OUR COMMUNITY TO OUR CELEBRATION OF FATHERHOOD.
I BELIEVE THIS IS OUR 19TH EVENT ON
[00:55:01]
JUNE 8TH FROM 5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AT THE, UH, APPLEGATE PARK RIGHT THERE AT KITTY LAND AND THEN AT THE ZOO AS WELL.IT'S A WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH GREATER MERCED KIWANIS TO, UH, TO, UH, USE KITTY LAND.
AND THEN WE HAVE MCOE, UM, THAT'LL BE THERE.
AND THEY'LL BE PRESENTING THE FATHER OF THE YEAR ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS ON THAT DAY.
SO I INVITE YOU, ALL OF YOU, UH, BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE AVAILABLE, COME ON OUT, BRING YOUR FAMILIES.
TAKE SOME FAMILY PHOTOS AND ENJOY THE MOMENT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE THAT THIS TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ON JUNE 17TH, UM, ALL DADS MATTER FATHERHOOD PROGRAM WILL BE RECOGNIZED, UM, FROM ASSEMBLYWOMAN, UH, ESMERALDA SORIA AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON THE STATE ASSEMBLY FLOOR.
SO THERE'LL BE A PROCLAMATION ON JUNE 17TH, RECOGNIZING ALL DADS MATTER AND THE WORK THAT WE DO WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I'M GREATLY APPRECIATED, UM, AND BY THE SUPPORT OF OUR BOARD AND OUR LEADERSHIP AND OUR STAFF, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
UH, THIS PROGRAM IS, IT'S PHENOMENAL AND IT GOES MORE THAN JUST ALL DADS MATTER.
UM, THE FACT THAT I CAN REACH OUT TO YOU ON THE WEEKEND WHEN I HAVE A CONSTITUENT STRUGGLING IN HIS FATHER POSITION, LAMAR WILL PERSONALLY COUNSEL THEM.
AND YOU EMPOWER FATHERS TO STEP UP AND LEAD THE WAY THAT THEY NEED TO BE IN THEIR FAMILIES.
MERCED COUNTY IS BETTER BECAUSE OF IT.
MERCED COUNTY CAN BE BETTER BECAUSE OF IT.
YOU NEED TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO LEAD YOUR FAMILY AND TO BE OUT THERE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
AND LAMAR EXEMPLIFIES THAT AND HE COUNSELS THAT WITH FOLKS.
I'LL APOLOGIZE NOW FOR TEXTING YOU ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT I'LL TEXT HIM A CONSTITUENT THAT I'M DEALING WITH.
LAMAR WILL REACH OUT TO HIM, AND IT'S NOTHING BUT PRAISE COMING BACK TO ME SAYING THANK YOU, WHETHER IT'S THE MOTHER AND FATHER WHO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THEIR SON WHO WAS STRUGGLING OR ANYTHING.
ANY OTHER SUPERVISOR? C**S? NONE.
BUT BEFORE THE VIDEO, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND WELCOME ONE OF OUR NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE FATHERHOOD FRATERNITY, MR. MIKE NORTH.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S IN THE ROOM TODAY, BUT I KNOW HE HAS A NEW BABY, AND, UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HOLD HIM UP.
AND, UH, AS A, AS A VETERAN FATHER OF 34 YEARS, IF I HAVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR MIKE, I TELL YOU, MIKE, IN THIS LIFE, THERE'LL BE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ON TOP OF THE WORLD.
AND THERE'LL BE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE THE WORLD IS ON TOP OF YOU, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING EXTREMELY THERAPEUTIC AND EVEN ALMOST MAGICAL WHEN YOU COME HOME AND THERE'S AN EIGHT MONTH OR 18 MONTH OLD IN THE WINDOW HITTING THE WINDOW, HOLLERING, DADDY, DADDY.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ABOUT THAT, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LEAN INTO THAT.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO OPEN YOURSELF TO THE INTIMACY AND THE AMAZING HEALING THAT COMES WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR OWN BABY AND YOUR OWN CHILD.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN EMBRACE AND GROW INTO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
SO WE WELCOME YOU TO THAT RELATIONSHIP.
NOW WE HAVE A VIDEO PRODUCED BY OUR VCS TEAM AT HSA, UM, PREMIERING THE EVENT THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
TO ME, BEING A FATHER IS BASICALLY BEING THE BEST TRAINER, THE BEST MENTOR, THE BEST DAD, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT'S GONNA LEAD THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.
AND, AND THE ONE THAT JUST ACTUALLY MAKES SURE THAT THEY EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO THE FULLEST IN LIFE ABOUT THEMSELVES, THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES.
JUST THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE ABOUT IT MEANS GROWING UP WITH THEM, TEACHING THEM SKILLS, TEACHING THEM, UM, JUST THAT I CAN HAVE GOOD MOMENTS WITH THEM.
UH, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND, UM, A LOT OF, LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
I MAKE GOOD MEMORIES AND JUST BEING PRESENT IN THEIR LIVES.
SOME WORDS OF WISDOM THAT I WOULD OFFER
[01:00:01]
FATHERS ARE PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.SOMETIMES OUR KIDS JUST GET REALLY WOUND UP AND THEIR EMOTIONS GET TO THEM, AND WE NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME.
LET LET THEM FIGURE OUT THAT FOR THEMSELVES, OR EVEN HELP THEM TO COPE WITH OR UNDERSTAND THEIR EMOTIONS, UM, BEFORE THEY GET OUT OF CONTROL.
SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING THEM, TAKING SOME TIME, UH, GIVING THEM SOME PATIENCE AND SOME UNDERSTANDING IS REALLY CRUCIAL TO BEING A GREAT FATHER.
UM, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION IF, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN THE FRONT OF THE HAND, MR. LO.
WELL, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE ALL WEARING BOTH TIES AND, UH, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST AN ANNUAL THING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE SUPPORT LAMAR AND ALL OUR TEAM AND, AND OUR COUNTY, AND SO SUPPORTING OUR, OUR PARENTS.
IT'S, UM, IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL, BUT IT'S, UH, UM, IT'S VERY, UH, I'M JUST VERY, VERY HUMBLED TO, UH, TO WORK FOR A, AN AGENCY THAT PUTS FAMILIES FIRST, THAT REALLY IS, IS FOCUSED ON THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.
SO IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE A, A PART AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN AGENT, AN ENTIRE AGENCY COMMITTED TO THAT WORK.
AND I WANNA THANK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR LENDING ME HIS BOW TIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SO
NO MATTER, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.
IN ANY EVENT AROUND MERCED COUNTY, YOU WILL SEE LAMAR AND HIS TEAM, UH, STAFF COMING UP, UH, DOING A GREAT JOB.
YOU KNOW, THEY WERE OUT THERE, I THINK IN, UH, PLANA LAST WEEKEND.
NOT THIS WEEKEND, BUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY DAY.
SO I KNOW THERE'S A FEW ESP ESPINOZA HERE.
BUT HEY, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, WE'RE ALL PRIMOS, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, SIR, UM, LEMME JUST, WHEREAS, UM, ALL THAT MATTER MONTH, WHEREAS A FATHER PLAYS A UNIQUE AND VITAL ROLE IN THE LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN, AS A MENTOR, PROTECTOR, PROVIDER, AND A NURTURING CAREGIVER, HE CAN FUNDAMENTALLY INFLUENCE THE SHAPE AND DIRECTION OF HIS CHILDREN CHARACTER BY GIVING LOVE WITHOUT CONDITIONS, DISCIPLINE, WITHOUT ANGER AND GUIDANCE BY EXAMPLE.
AND WHEREAS IT IS THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT, COMMIT, COMMITTED, AND CAPABLE FATHERING IN ALL OF US FORMS, BIOLOGICAL, FOSTER, ADOPTIVE, STEPFATHER, OR GRANDFATHER.
AND WHEREAS RAISING A CHILD REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT TIME, EFFORT, AND SACRIFICE, AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE BEING A FATHER AS ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL AND FULFILLING ROLES A MAN CAN KNOW.
I KNOW SOME, UH, PARENTS, SOME, UH, FATHERS DON'T KNOW, SO, RIGHT? BUT, UM, WHEREAS RE RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD IS ESSENTIAL TO A HEALTHY AND CIVIL SOCIETY.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THE MANY FATHERS WHO ARE HEROES AND ROLE MODELS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND ENCOURAGE MORE MEN TO FULFILL THIS RESPONSIBILITY BY SPENDING AS MUCH TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AS THEY CAN, SHARING THEIR INTERESTS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCES, TRADITIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN, TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S AND DEVELOPMENT, GETTING INVOLVED WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND ROLE MODEL VALUES OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY, AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS.
NOW, THERE THEREFORE BE A RESOLVE.
WE, THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 24TH, 2024 TO BE THE ALL DAS MATTER MONTH IN MERCED COUNTY, AND CALL UPON CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT THE CRUCIAL ROLE THAT FATHERS PLAY IN THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILDREN.
OUR EFFORTS AND IMPROVE CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF MANY FAMILIES AND HELP PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
LAMAR, THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL THE BOARD, BOARD SUPERVISORS, MY COLLEAGUES, PRESENT, UH, THIS PROCLAMATION TO, UH, ODES MATTER.
AND YOU, SIR, APPRECIATE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO, UH, THIS PURPOSE-DRIVEN WORK, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND FATHERS.
NOW WE'RE GONNA, LET'S GET UP HERE.
[01:05:11]
1, 2, 3.WE WANNA MOVE ON TO, UM, BOARD
[BOARD ACTION]
ACTION, BEGINNING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 19 AND 20.AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DPW ITEMS 19 AND 20.
FOR DPDW ITEMS, 1920 IS NOT CLOSED.
I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR S SECOND SUPERVISOR PEDROSO.
CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.
NEXT WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH ITEMS 21 AND 22.
PLEASE NOTE, A FORE VOTE IS REQUIRED ON ITEM 21.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR A HEALTH ITEMS 21 AND 22.
THE PUBLIC ITEMS NO, BUT COMING FORWARD, SO PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED FOR ITEM 21 AND 22, WE'LL CALL FOR A MOTION, OR I SEE A MOTION, PEDROSO.
SECOND VICE PERRA CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.
NEXT WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES, ITEMS 23 AND 24.
OKAY, AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP A COMMENT FOR A-B-H-R-S.
SO CALL FOR COMMENTS OR MOTIONS.
SEE A COMMENT BY MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEREZ.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR S CALL FOR THE VOTE.
NEXT WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 25 AND 26.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HSA ADAMS 25 AND 26.
ANY COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD FOR HSA ADAMS 25 AND 26 IS NOT CLOSED.
CALL FOR, UH, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS.
MR. PEDROSO, PLEASE, UH, CALL FOR THE VOTE.
NEXT WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CD.
ANY COMMENTS? THE PUBLIC COMMENT APPEAR FOR SEAT ADAMS 27 IS NOT CLOSED.
I SEE A MOTION BY PROFESSOR MCDANIEL, SUPERVISOR PEDROSO.
NEXT WE HAVE FIRE ITEMS 28 THROUGH 31.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR FIRE ITEMS 28 THROUGH 31.
ANY COMMENT? THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR FIRE ITEM 28 THROUGH 31 IS NOW CLOSED.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR VERA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROSO.
THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR OUR COUN COUNCIL.
SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR OUR COUNCIL, ITEM 32 IS NOT CLOSED.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? IS THAT THE SAME ONES? OKAY.
SECOND PEDROSO, CALL FOR THE VOTE.
[01:10:01]
TREASURER.THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN A BOOK, PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TREASURE ITEM 33.
AND KAREN, GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE ADVISORS.
KAREN ADAMS, YOUR TREASURE TAX COLLECTOR.
REAL QUICK TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR AGENDA, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT PAGE ONE OF THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024.
UM, THE BOOK ASSETS, UM, IN THE PORTFOLIO, UM, 2 BILLION, 99 MILLION, UM, A SIGNIFICANT, UM, ASSET UNDER MANAGEMENT GROWTH.
AND BECAUSE OF THE ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I STARTED, UM, 27 YEARS AGO, WE HAD A PORTFOLIO OF 98 MILLION, NOW OVER 2 BILLION.
WE PROVIDE BANKING SERVICES IN ADDITION TO WHAT A LOCAL INSTITUTION, UM, WOULD PROVIDE.
SO OUR SERVICES, UM, ARE OUTSTANDING.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR EARNINGS, UM, THIS YEAR FOR THE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, WHICH WE HAVE ONE MORE QUARTER IN EXCESS OF ALMOST $47 MILLION, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN THE PORTFOLIO EARNINGS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR CHECKING THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING YOUR INTEREST, YOU'RE GONNA GET LIKE 10 BASIS POINTS.
THERE'S A HUNDRED BASIS POINTS IN EACH PERCENTAGE, SO YOU'RE GOING, YOU'RE GONNA EARN MAYBE A 10TH OF A PERCENT.
SO WE PROVIDE THESE SERVICES WITH OUTSTANDING EARNINGS.
AND WHAT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, OUR COST TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES HAS DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY TOO.
AS AN EXAMPLE, A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, WE LOOKED AT OUR COST FOR THE POOL PARTICIPANTS, AND IT WAS ABOUT 17 BASIS POINTS.
SO A TRADITIONAL INVESTMENT, A PORTFOLIO MANAGER WOULD CHARGE FROM 20 TO 25 BASIS POINTS, BUT NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT WE DO FOR THE POOL PARTICIPANTS.
SO NOW WE'RE AT FOUR BASIS POINTS, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT COSTS.
UM, THE COSTS ARE TREMENDOUS FOR OUR POOL PARTICIPANTS.
AND IN THAT ASPECT, IT ALSO ILLUSTRATES HOW WE'RE ABLE TO RECOVER ALL THOSE COSTS THROUGH THE INTEREST EARNINGS.
AND SO IT FULLY SHOULD ILLUSTRATE THAT WE ARE TRULY CEMENTED, FULL CEMENTED DEPARTMENT, AND THOSE COSTS CAN, UM, BE IMPROVED, UM, WITH ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT COULD ADD ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND, UM, PROCESSES.
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT AI, AI AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S REALITY.
SEC IS DOING A LOT OF REVIEW OF THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'LL BE A LOT OF HIGH WATERMARKS BEFORE ANY AI IS REALLY INCORPORATED INTO INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT.
BUT WHAT IS A REAL, UM, POSSIBILITY FOR US TO ADD IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS IS WHAT WE CALL RO, ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION.
AND IT'S AN ARM UNDER THE AI SO IT DOESN'T HAVE THE BRAIN, BUT IT'S ABLE TO BE PROGRAMMED TO GATHER THE SIGNIFICANT MARKET DATA THAT WE USE IN OUR CASHFLOW MANAGEMENT AND ANALYZING WHERE WE WANT THE SPREAD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR, OUR DURATION INVESTING.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, WORKING WITH BUDGET, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDING THE POSSIBILITY OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT WOULD BE COST NEUTRAL TO THE COUNTY SO THAT WE COULD EMPLOY SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL PROCESSES IN OUR TREASURY OPERATIONS.
AND IN ADDITION, THAT WOULD ALSO JUST IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO TAKE SOME OF THAT STAFFING.
THERE'S NO REDUCTION IN STAFFING, BUT ALSO TO FOCUS ON UNMET NEEDS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE SOME PREDICTIVE MODELING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE, UH, VACANCIES IN THE TREASURY, WE'VE BEEN UNABLE TO EMPLOY THAT PROCESS TOTALLY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, PROVIDING, UM, MORE INFORMATION.
AND I TOO, LIKE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT WOULD, UH, WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A PRESENTATION ABOUT OUR PORTFOLIO, WHO ARE OUR POOL PARTICIPANTS, WHAT DO WE REALLY DO, IN ADDITION TO JUST COLLECTING YOUR TAXES, WHICH IS A SMALL, SMALL, SMALL PORTION OF THE DAILY TASKS THAT WE DO FOR THE COUNTY AND THE POOL PARTICIPANTS.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED.
UM, ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS ALSO PRESENT PER ANSWER? WELL, UM, I'D JUST LIKE, UH, KAREN, HELLO.
WELL ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO THANK HER FOR, FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB.
AND, AND YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB AND, AND PRESENT ATTENTION TO KEEPING OUR DOLLARS SAFE.
SO TWO BILLIONS, A LOT OF MONEY AND, AND, UH, I NEVER THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE
[01:15:01]
HANDLING IT, SO THANK YOU.WELL, AND AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, UM, REASONS I HIGHLIGHTED, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
YOU KNOW, THE EMBEZZLEMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MAY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE SEGREGATIONS OF DUTIES AND THE INTERNAL CONTROL.
UM, I KNOW LISA'S TEAM AUDITS US AS MONTHLY.
WE DO SPOT AUDITS ON OUR STAFF, UM, ON WHATEVER DAY OF THE MONTH AND WHEREVER THE MOON IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A, THE ACCOUNTANT DO A SPOT ON IT, BUT IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE MAINTAIN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OVER THE ASSETS THAT WE MANAGE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY AND ALL THE POOL PARTICIPANTS.
I SEE ANOTHER COMMENTS, SO WE'LL HAVE A MOTION FOR RESPECT.
DANIEL, SECOND SUPERVISOR RA CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.
NEXT WE HAVE A RETIREMENT ITEM 34.
THIS TIME CHRISTY SANTOS, PLAN ADMINISTRATOR FOR PROSEC COUNTY EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION WILL PROVIDE US INFORMATION.
GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ASSISTANT CEO BARRE, IT'S A PLEASURE, PLEASURE TO SEE YOU UP ON THE DAY THIS MORNING AND COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, HANSEN.
I AM THE PLAN ADMINISTRATOR OF THE MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UM, INTRODUCE, I BROUGHT MERCED SARAH'S FIRST ASSISTANT PLANT ADMINISTRATOR, UH, THAT WE'VE EVER HAD HERE, MARTHA SANCHEZ BARA, AND I BROUGHT ONE OF, UM, MY FISCAL MANAGERS OVER BENEFITS AND ADMINISTRATION.
WE ARE FOCUSING ON SUCCESSION PLANNING AT MERCED, SARAH.
SO TODAY, UM, I WILL BE BRIEF, BUT WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SHARE AND PRESENT THE, UH, EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATES FOR MERCED COUNTY.
UM, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST TOUCH VERY HIGH LEVEL ON CURRENT PENSION RISKS, UH, THE STATE OF PUBLIC PENSION PLANS.
AND THEN I THREW IN THE LAST SLIDE, UH, PEPPER TIER FOUR.
UM, IT'S THE LARGEST TIER FOUR PLAN THAT WE HAVE AND PROBABLY THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE.
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYBODY AS WELL.
SO TODAY, MERCED, SARAH, WE HAVE $1.3 BILLION IN ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE ABOUT 72.1% FUNDED, WHICH IS A LITTLE LOW COMPARED TO OUR PEERS.
BUT, UM, I DID INCLUDE A HISTORICAL TABLE FOR ALL OF YOU ALONG WITH OUR FUNDED STATUS, OUR RETURNS FOR THAT YEAR, AND OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY IN MILLIONS.
JUST TO SHOW THAT THIS COUNTY, THIS PARTICULARLY THIS BOARD WITH ALL OF YOU, UM, AND THE RETIREMENT BOARD HAS REALLY DONE VERY GOOD WORK IN STAYING THE COURSE, PAYING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, TI TIGHTENING THE BELT, SO TO SPEAK, TO KEEP THE PLAN VIABLE AND MOVING FORWARD FOR, UM, THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INCLUDED.
OUR CURRENT RETURN ASSUMPTION IS 6.75%, SO WE TRY TO REACH FOR THAT AT A MINIMUM.
UM, SO IT IS, UH, A LITTLE RISKY.
UM, THE, THE RETIREMENT BOARD IS CURRENTLY A, ADOPTED A NEW ASSET ALLOCATION TO HELP DE-RISK A LITTLE BIT SINCE, UH, TREASURIES AND BONDS, UM, ARE RETURNING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER RATE OF RETURN.
THE RATES, UH, FROM LAST YEAR SLIGHTLY INCREASED, BUT THAT WAS EXPECTED.
UM, I PUT ON, JUST SO YOU COULD SEE THE SLIGHT INCREASE.
THIS IS AN AVERAGE RATE, UH, FOR THE COUNTY.
SO IT WENT FROM 45.66% TO 46.03%.
UM, BUT GOOD NEWS, THE PLANS UNFUNDED LIABILITY DECREASED BY $25.4 MILLION.
SO IT WENT FROM 464.9 MILLION TO 439.5 MILLION.
SO, AND THAT WAS DUE TO INVESTMENT GAINS, UM, AND THE LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO THE PLAN.
SO A QUICK NOTE, ALL GAINS AND LOSSES ARE WHAT WE CALL SMOOTHED OR PHASED IN TO KEEP THE RATES FROM BEING VERY VOLATILE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
SO, CURRENT PENSION RISKS THAT WE ALL FACE, I'M SURE YOU GUYS SITTING UP ON THE DAIS UNDERSTAND STUBBORN INFLATION.
UH, IT'S COME DOWN, BUT IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE DEAL WITH.
WE ARE, UM, INSTITUTIONAL GLOBAL INVESTORS.
SO WE ARE INVESTING IN, UH, THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AS A WHOLE.
SO THESE, UH, SOME OF MY COMMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, TO MERCED COUNTY, ALTHOUGH I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL FEELING IT, BUT WE, LIKE I SAID, WE DO INVEST ON A GLOBAL BASIS.
[01:20:01]
RETURNS FOR GROWTH.UM, REAL RETURNS ARE BASICALLY OUR INVESTMENT, UH, RETURN MINUS OUR, UM, INFLATION ASSUMPTION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A REAL RETURN.
WE ALSO RELY ON SALARY INCREASES, RIGHT? WE WANT THE ECONOMY TO KEEP UP WITH, UH, THE PACE OF THAT INFLATION.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME RECESSIONARY PRESSURES, ALTHOUGH BY ALL INDICATIONS, WE ARE NOT IN A RECESSION, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME LOWER EQUITY RETURNS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE AN INCREASED RISK TO MAKE THE 6.75% THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE EACH YEAR, IF NOT MORE.
UH, WE HAVE SOME LARGE PORTFOLIO DRAWDOWNS.
SO WE HAVE A VERY GROWING AND FLEDGLING ALTERNATIVE, UH, PORTFOLIO, WHICH MEANS PRIVATE, UH, EQUITY AND PRIVATE CREDIT INVESTMENTS.
THOSE INVESTMENTS CALL A LOT OF CAPITAL AT VARIOUS TIME.
UH, THIS SLEEVE OF OUR PORTFOLIO HAS BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD TO MERCED, SARAH.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW HEADQUARTER BUILDING, WHICH IS, UH, DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN DECEMBER OF 2024.
UH, WE ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF SPACE, SO THIS IS GOING TO BE, UH, ESSENTIALLY A WORKING ASSET FOR US, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN MERCED.
UM, AND WE ALSO ARE SUBJECT AND FEEL THE, THE PAIN OF A GLOBAL ECONOMY AND HEIGHTENED GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS, WHICH CONTINUE TO INCREASE PRESSURES IN THE MARKET, WHICH I, LIKE I SAID, I KNOW ALL OF YOU FEEL AS WELL.
SO THE CURRENT STATE OF ALL PENSION PLANS, A A LOT OF PLANS INCLUDING MERCED, SARAH, UH, ARE STILL PAYING OFF LEGACY BENEFIT, UM, LEVELS, WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO RATE, UH, VOLATILE RATE CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THAT MEANS A HIGHER LEVEL OF BENEFITS ARE NEEDED TO FUND THIS LEGACY DEBT.
UH, AND MORE, MORE ASSETS NEEDED MEANS EITHER HIGHER CONTRIBUTION RATES FROM OUR EMPLOYERS, WHICH MERCED COUNTY IS ONE OF THEM, OR IT MEANS WE TAKE, UH, MORE RISK IN THE INVESTMENT MARKETS TO PAY THAT OFF.
AND I WILL SAY, I KNOW KAREN MENTIONED, UH, TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES IN THE TREASURE'S DEPARTMENT WHILE AI IS COMING TO PENSION PLANS AS WELL.
AND A LOT OF OUR SISTER AND COUSIN SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING AND USING AI.
AND, UH, WE EVEN HAVE SOME STAFF THAT USE AI A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO IT'S COMING, UH, I DON'T USE IT.
IT'S HARD TO TEACH THIS OLD DOG NEW TRICKS, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S COMING.
SO THE PEPPER TIER FOUR FOR MERCED.
SARAH, I GET ASKED THIS A LOT, SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THIS SLIDE IN FOR FUN.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT 66% OF THE COUNTY WORKFORCE IS UNDER OUR PEPPER TIER.
AND PEPA, UM, STANDS FOR THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PENSION REFORM ACT OF 2013.
AND SO THAT CREATED TIER FOUR, WHICH IS, UH, PROBABLY OUR MOST STABLE TIER THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I DO WANNA CALL OUT THAT THE DEFERRED MEMBER A, WE CALL A DEFERRED MEMBER IS SOMEONE WHO LEFT THEIR SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS ON DEPOSIT, AND THEY HAVE MOVED ON TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SYSTEM.
SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THEY WILL BE COMING BACK TO, UH, RETIRE OUT AND EARN A BENEFIT.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE.
IT WAS A PLEASURE SEEING ALL OF YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD SUPERVISOR? C THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UM, CHRISTY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVE THE FORTUNATE PLEASURE TO SIT ON THE M SERRA RETIREMENT BOARD.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES ENTRUST THAT WITH ME, AND DEFINITELY I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A, WE'RE A 37 ACT COUNTY AND, AND NOT PART OF CALPERS.
UM, NOTHING AGAINST THEM, BUT I JUST THINK WE AS A BOARD, AS AN SERA BOARD, HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE WHAT WE THINK ARE THE BEST INVESTMENTS FOR SO THAT WE CAN, NUMBER ONE IS, IS PAY ALL OUR RETIRED EMPLOYEES AND CONTINUE TO PAY FUTURE RETIRE EMPLOYEES.
I FEEL LIKE AT THE STATE LEVEL, YOU HAVE A RE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CALPERS HAS A RETIREMENT BOARD, BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAVE TO TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE STATE, AND SOMETIMES THE STATE'S A LITTLE CRAZY.
SO, CHRISTY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING SOME OF THIS INSIGHT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND CONTINUE TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD INTO MOVING INTO OUR NEW BUILDING HERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
[01:25:01]
YEAH, YEAH, I GOT YOU ONE.UM, AND, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE ANSWER, SO I'M GONNA ASK IT AGAIN.
UH, 21, 22, THE RETURNS, YOU KNOW, A, A BIG SPIKE AND THEN A, AND THEN A, A, A DECREASE, A SIGNIFICANT YES.
YEAH, JUST KIND OF SHARE WHAT, UH, WHAT TRIGGERED THAT.
YEAH, SO THAT WAS DURING THE COVID YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, IT, THIS IS, UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW, BUT, UM, COUNTY RETIREMENT PLANS AND OTHER INVESTMENTS MADE A LOT OF MONEY DURING COVID.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MADE A LOT OF MONEY.
THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST A LOT DURING THAT TIME AS WELL.
UM, IT WAS, UH, SEEN AS WHAT WE CALL A BLACK SWAN EVENT.
IT WAS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE ANOMALIES.
UM, I THINK WE WERE CLOSE TO 30% RETURNS, 27%.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY PUMPING THROUGH THE ECONOMY.
UM, WHETHER IT WAS EARNED OR GIVEN OUT IN TERMS OF LOANS OR WHATNOT, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T COMMENT SPECIFICALLY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BEST RETURNS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD THE HUGE INFLATION SPIKE, UH, SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
THE MARKET SEEMED TO BE QUIETING DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THEY SEEM TO BE, WE HAVE A, A LOWER GROWTH RATE, BUT LIKE I SAID, BY ALL INDICATIONS, WE ARE NOT IN A RECESSION, BUT WE, WE HAVE A SLOWER PACE OF GROWTH.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S PUTTING A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE ON THE PORTFOLIO.
THE PORTFOLIO IS, HOWEVER, UM, WE DO HAVE AN OUTLOOK EVEN WITH OUR, UH, OUR BOARD DE-RISKING A CERTAIN EXTENT WITH THIS NEW ASSET ALLOCATION.
THEY'RE PUTTING MORE INTO FIXED INCOME BECAUSE OF THE RATE OF RETURN.
WE DO PLAN ON HAVING A, A 7% OR ABOVE EXPECTED RETURN, UM, IN THE MARKETS.
UM, BUT NONETHELESS, IT IS A STRONG OUTLOOK, UM, FOR THE GLOBE, ESSENTIALLY.
THAT'S ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR FUNDS.
IF YOU FIGURE A THIRD OF OUR FUNDS COMES FROM INVESTMENTS.
A THIRD COMES FROM EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS, SUCH AS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND THEN ABOUT ANOTHER THIRD COMES FROM EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS INTO THE FUND.
AND ALL OF THAT HELPS PAY FOR THE BENEFITS GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, RIGHT, THE DEFICIT SPENDING HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW PRETTY HEAVILY THE LAST, UH, SIX, SEVEN YEARS.
I MEAN, YOU'RE STARTING TO HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, IN THE MARKETS TALK ABOUT, WE NEED TO REIGN THAT IN, RIGHT? IT'S NOW, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU OR I, OR, OR MOST OF US WOULD, WOULD, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THAT FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT NOW YOU'RE STARTING TO HEAR MAINSTREAM TALK ABOUT IT.
DO, DO YOU, WILL THAT PUT DOWNWARD PRESSURE GOING FORWARD ON RETURNS? IT WILL.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, THE BULK OF OUR INVESTMENTS IN, UH, US, UH, EQUITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THERE ARE FOREIGN INVESTORS WHO ARE BUYING UP THE US DEBT FOR BETTER OR WORSE.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO.
OUR BOARD HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR INVESTMENTS ARE IN FACT, GLOBAL.
SO WE ARE, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG EMERGING MARKET, UH, ASSET ALLOCATION.
UM, INDIA IS AN UP AND COMING, UH, INVESTMENT, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, UM, CHINA IS SLOWING DOWN, BUT THESE ARE, UH, INVESTMENTS THAT, UH, THROUGH THE EMERGING MARKET MANAGERS, OUR BOARD HAS ENTRUSTED TO INVEST OUR DOLLARS.
AND THAT, I THINK WILL BODE WELL FOR US IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT WHAT IS A BIGGER WORRY IS KEEPING THE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
IT CAN SLOW DOWN A LITTLE, BUT WE DON'T WANT IT TO COME TO A SCREECHING HALT.
AND AS I SAID, BY ALL INDICATORS, WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT IN A RECESSION TODAY, WHICH I THINK IS GOOD NEWS.
I SEE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
SO, UM, THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR RETIREMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR RETIREMENT, ITEM 34 IS NOT CLOSED.
SO ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS BY THE BOARD? I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEREZ, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROSO.
UH, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE RECORD.
[01:30:01]
HAVE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ITEM 35.THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC, OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD OF SPECIALS.
ANY COMMENTS? THE COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED.
SO, ADAM, 35, I SEE A MOTION BY RA SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND FOR DISTRICT FIVE, AND THIS IS, UM, THE FOLKS OVER THERE AT THE LOSAN ROADS MAINTENANCE YARD.
UM, HERE IN THE PAST, I'M GONNA SAY YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, CAR ACCIDENT THAT KIND OF WIPED OUT PART OF THE BUILDING AND, AND DAMAGED THE LANDSCAPING OUT THERE.
AND AS THEIR, YOU KNOW, I WANT, I BASICALLY WENT TO SOME OF THOSE FOLKS OVER THERE AND SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO TO KIND OF CLEAN, IT'S A VERY VISIBLE CORNER OVER THERE ON THE CORNER OF ORITA AND PIONEER ROAD.
AND SO AFTER TALKING WITH SOME OF THEIR LOCAL FOLKS, UM, TO WANNA THANK THEIR, THANK THEM NATHAN AND THEIR STAFF, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING ALL THE WORK ON THIS AS FAR AS AS, SO THIS, THEY'RE PUTTING IN SOME DRY SCAPE, AND IT'S GONNA ALLOW FOR THEM TO PLANT SOME TREES AND PUT SOME ROCK IN THERE SO THAT IT KIND OF CLEANS UP THAT CORNER.
SO I'D ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT ME ON THIS ITEM.
OKAY, SO WE CALL FOR THE VOTE RECORD.
THE VOTE MOTION PASSES FIVE OH.
NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP A COMMENT, CO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD ITEMS NUMBER 36.
THE COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT CLOSED.
SECOND, RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
PLEASE NOTE A FORE VOTE IS REQUIRED.
I GONNA SAVE MY COMMENT FOR AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS TIME I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SPRING FAIR.
ITEM 37, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 37.
I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ACTUALLY A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE TO HAVE TO ASK FOR.
SO AS YOU GUYS ARE ALL VERY WELL AWARE THAT THE COUNTY LOANS, UH, SPRING FAIR MONEY FOR THIS KIND OF THE PASS THROUGH MONEY.
SO UNTIL WE COLLECT THE MONEY FROM OUR JUNIOR LIVESTOCK AUCTION, UM, FROM THE WEEK OF THE FAIR, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT AMOUNT, BUT I KNOW WE TRANSFERRED ROUGHLY 800 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THIS YEAR OUR SALE BROKE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN HISTORY.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS JUST KIND OF THAT, THAT TEMPORARY LOAN, UNTIL ALL THOSE REVENUES COME BACK IN, BECAUSE OF OUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM, WE HAD TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE KIDS THIS YEAR AT THE SPRING FAIR DID REALLY WELL.
A LOT OF, AND I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM, BUT MOST OF THEM WERE ABLE TO RAISE AND, AND EXHIBIT THEIR PROJECTS AND BE ABLE TO SELL THEIR PROJECTS AT THE END FOR, FOR, FOR A PROFIT.
SO, PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T SEE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
ANY MOTIONS SUPERVISOR C FIRST PEDROSO SECOND.
MOTION CO RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
FIVE OH, NOW WE'RE NOW MOVED TO OUR
[SCHEDULED ITEMS]
SCHEDULE ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC HEARING AS SUBMITTED BY PUBLIC WORKS.PUBLIC HEARING FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO CONSIDER ENGINEER'S REPORT FOR THE FORMATION OF B BRACA RANCH STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ZONE OF BENEFIT NUMBER 2 78, AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER ONE.
GOOD MORNING CHAIR AND SUPERVISORS, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING IS IN REGARDS TO ESTABLISHING A NEW ZONE OF BENEFIT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION IN THE MCSWAIN AREA KNOWN AS BARAGA RANCH.
THIS ACTION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL REQUIRING THE PROJECT TO FORM OR ANNEX INTO A ZONE OF BENEFIT TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS TO THE EXISTING COUNTY SERVICES.
AT THE APRIL 23RD, 2024 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING, THE BOARD ADOPTED A RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO FORM THE ZONE AND RECEIVED NO OBJECTIONS.
AN ENGINEERS REPORT DEPICTING THE SERVICES AND COSTS THEREOF HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND ARE ON FILE WITH THE BOARD CLERK.
THE BOARD CLERK HAS MAILED THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENT AND OFFICIAL BALLOTS TO THE OWNERS OF RECORD, PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE GOVERNMENT CODES.
AND STAFF RECOMMENDS OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING TO HEAR
[01:35:01]
AND CONSIDER ANY PROTESTS IN THE FORMATION OF THE ZONE OF BENEFIT.AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, THE BOARD CLERK WILL TABULATE THE BALLOTS IN FAVOR OF AND AGAINST TO THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENT.
ABSENT MAJORITY PROTEST STAFF RECOMMENDS ACCEPTING THE ENGINEER'S REPORT, FORMING THE BARAGA RANCH STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ZONE OF BENEFIT NUMBER 2 78, AND LEVYING AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT TO FUND ONGOING MAINTENANCE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS CONSTRUCTED IN THE BARAGA RANCH SUBDIVISION, LOCATED IN THE MCSWAIN AREA.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING AND A SET PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
ANY COMMENT? I SEE NO COMMENT.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOT CLOSED.
I'LL ASK OUR CLERK TO CALCULATE ASSESSMENT BALLOTS.
UH, THE B BRACA RANCH IS A 14 RESIDENTIAL LOT SUBDIVISION.
FOUR LOTS ARE OWNED BY J DEAN CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED, AND THE REMAINING 10 LOTS ARE OWNED BY J DEAN HOMES.
SORRY, AS STATED BY DIRECTOR BRAY, EACH OWNER OF RECORD WAS MAILED AN OFFICIAL ASSESSMENT BALLOT IN WHICH A YES OR NO VOTE WAS REQUESTED FOR THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT PER PARCEL, UM, BEGINNING AT FIVE FIFTY FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY $1 AND 1 CENTS.
EACH CORPORATION HAS RETURNED THEIR BALLOTS, WHICH I HAVE.
I SEAL ENVELOPES LOTS IDENTIFIED AS C PARCEL NUMBERS 2 0 7 DASH 1 3 0 4 5 2 7 DASH 3 4 4 9 2 7 DASH THREE FIVE AND TWO SEVEN DASH 30 DASH FIVE SEVEN ARE OWNED BY J DEAN CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED.
AND THOSE ARE THE FIRST BALLOTS THAT I WILL BE OPENING FOR ALL FOUR OF THOSE PARCELS.
THE VOTE IS YES, AND THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CORPORATION, UM, AND HAS BEEN NOTARIZED LOTS IDENTIFIED AS CIL PARCEL NUMBER 2 0 7 DASH THREE DASH 4 4 2 0 7 DASH THREE ZERO DASH FOUR SIX THROUGH 2 0 7 DASH 3 4 8.
AND THEN 2 0 7 DASH 3 0 5 THROUGH 2 0 7 DASH 3 5 4 AND 2 0 7 DASH 3 0 5 6 ARE OWNED BY J DEAN HOLMES.
I WILL NOW BE OPENING THOSE BALLOTS.
YES, FOR THOSE 10 PARCELS, THE ANSWER OR THE VOTE IS YES.
AGAIN, THIS ONE, UM, HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT AND IT HAS BEEN NOTARIZED.
SO APPROVAL OF THE IMPOSITION OF AN ASSESSMENT TO PROVIDE STREET LIGHTING AND STORM DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE SERVICES ON ALL EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PARCELS AND SUBSEQUENT PARCELS WITHIN ZONE OF BENEFIT NUMBER 2 7 8 HAS PASSED.
SO WE HAVE C HOW COME BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I THINK THERE'S ONE MORE QUESTION, SUPERVISOR PERRA.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR BRAY AND HIS STAFF FOR PUTTING THE ESCALATOR IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE OLD ONES DIDN'T HAVE IT AND IT'S CAUSED THIS ISSUE NOW, SO THANK YOU.
OKAY, SO I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR, UH, MCDANIEL.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY SUPERVISOR, UH, PEDROSO.
FIVE OH, SECOND ITEM IS PUBLIC HEARING SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING CODE, TEXT AMENDMENT NUMBER Z CTA 24 DASH ZERO ONE TO AMEND PORTIONS OF TITLE 18 ZONING OF THE MERCER COUNTY CODE.
MORNING, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, STEVE MAXEY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
UH, AS MENTIONED, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE COUNTY ZONING CODE.
UH, IT'S UNDER THE NUMBER, UH, CCTA 24 0 0 1 WITH OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS GONNA AMEND PORTIONS OF THE, UH, COUNTY CODE TITLE 18, WHICH IS OUR ZONING CODE.
IT'S KNOWN AS OUR ZONING CODE.
THIS IS AN UPDATE AND PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S PROMISE GOING BACK TO 2019, WHERE WE WERE GONNA KEEP THIS AS KIND OF A LIVING DOCUMENT AND CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT AS ISSUES AROSE OR THERE WERE NEEDS FOR CLARIFICATION.
WE DIDN'T WANNA LET THIS THING SIT FOR 30 YEARS LIKE WE DID PRIOR TO 2019.
SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THOSE CONTINUED EFFORTS TO, TO KEEP THIS, UH, UP TO DATE, UH, BASED
[01:40:01]
ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY.UH, THAT SECOND BLOCK THERE, JUST A QUICK SET OF HIGHLIGHTS ON WHAT THE, UH, AMENDMENTS DO INCLUDE.
THERE ARE UPDATES TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, REALLY PREDOMINANTLY IN OUR AG ZONE, UH, UPDATE TO SUBDIVISION PROCESSES, AGAIN, WITHIN OUR AGRICULTURAL ZONES, UH, PROCESSES FOR, UH, FLOOD ZONE ADMINISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION, UH, OF, UH, FLOOD ELEVATION IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN JUST SOME MINOR CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS AND FORMATTING CORRECTIONS.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT JUST FOR PURPOSES OF, UM, PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE AND FOR, UH, CQA THAT NO NEW USES ARE PROPOSED AS PART OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
UH, PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT UPDATE THAT'S INCLUDED HERE.
UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH HOME SITE SUBDIVISIONS IN OUR AGRICULTURAL ZONES.
LOOKING AT THE, I'LL SAY THE LEFT SKETCH THERE, UH, BEFORE BEING ON THE TOP AND AFTER BEING, UH, A PRO PROJECT THAT WOULD BE GOING THROUGH OUR HOME SITE SUBDIVISION PROCESS.
WE CALL THIS OUR CONVEYING COMBINED PROCESS.
SO, UH, BASICALLY IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO KEEP A HOME THAT THEY LIVED IN FOR, UH, MORE THAN 10 YEARS, UH, MAYBE THEY WANT TO, UH, CARVE OFF A HOME SITE FROM THAT PARCEL, LIVE IN THAT, AND THEN SELL THE RANCH TO THEIR KIDS OR TO A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY OR SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY CAN DO SO, SO LONG AS THE REMAINDER OF THAT PROPERTY IS COMBINED WITH AN ADJACENT PROPERTY.
SO WHAT I'VE SHOWN THERE, UH, YOU HAVE A, IN THE BLUE, A 20 ACRE PARCEL, WHICH IS OUR, OUR MINIMUM PARCEL SIZE IN, UH, OUR A ONE ZONE.
UH, AND IN THE, UH, ORANGE WOULD BE ANOTHER 20 ACRE PARCEL.
IN THIS CASE, THE HOME SITE GETS, UH, SUBDIVIDED OFF OF THE, THE BLUE 20 ACRE PARCEL.
AND THE REMAINING 19 ACRES ARE COMBINED WITH THE ADJACENT 20 ACRE PARCEL.
UH, AND SO YOU'RE LEFT WITH A 39 ACRE AND A ONE ACRE.
UH, THE ISSUE THAT WE RUN INTO TODAY, UH, IN SOME OF THESE, UH, SITUATIONS IS, UM, THERE ARE, UH, WITH THE REQUIREMENT THAT THOSE PARCELS ARE COMBINED AFTER THE HOME SITE SUBDIVISION, THERE AREN'T ALWAYS PROPERTY OWNERS ADJACENT TO THOSE, UM, THOSE LARGER PARCELS OR THE LARGER REMAINDER PARCEL THAT ARE WILLING, OR IN SOME CASES, ABLE TO, UH, PURCHASE THAT, THAT REMAINDER PARCEL AND COMBINE IT WITH THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, SO WE'RE LEFT IN SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES.
MAYBE IT'S, UH, LAND THAT THEY'VE FARMED FOR, FOR A LONG TIME, OR THEIR FAMILIES HAVE FARMED FOR A LONG TIME, THEY WANNA KEEP THEIR HOME, THAT THEY RAISE THEIR FAMILY IN, SELL OFF THEIR REMAINDER TO THEIR, THEIR CHILDREN, OR, UM, TO SOMEBODY ELSE BUT DON'T WANNA LOSE THE HOME ALONG WITH IT.
AND SO, UM, WHILE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OR, OR STAY AWARE OF THE NEED TO LIMIT SMALL PARCEL DEVELOPMENT IN OUR AGRICULTURAL ZONES, THAT'S A, UM, A GUIDING, UH, GOAL AND POLICY IN OUR GENERAL PLAN THAT'S ADOPTED, UH, BY THE BOARD AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
UH, WE ALSO WANT TO BE AWARE OF SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, MAYBE WE CAN FIND WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO, TO KEEP THEIR HOMES IN THOSE SITUATIONS, LIKE I JUST, UH, DESCRIBED.
SO WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH AND WHAT'S PROPOSED BEFORE THE BOARD TODAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, UH, WOULD BE AS LONG AS THE, UM, EXISTING, UH, PARCEL IS LARGER THAN 20 ACRES, REALLY LARGER THAN 21 ACRES, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL CAN SUBDIVIDE OFF A HOME SITE BETWEEN ONE TO FIVE ACRES, SO LONG AS THE REMAINDER PARCEL IS AT LEAST 20 ACRES IN SIZE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SHOWING ON THE AFTER, ON THE RIGHT HAND, LOWER RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE.
UM, SO AS LONG AS THAT, AGAIN, THAT REMAINDER PARCEL MEETS OUR, OUR DEVELOPMENT STANDARD MINIMUM PARCEL SIZE OF 20 ACRES IN THE A ONE ZONE, UM, THEN THIS WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR, UH, COMBINING THAT PARCEL WITH ANY OF THEIR, UH, ADJACENT PARCELS THAT, UM, 10 YEAR RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR YOU HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WOULD'VE HAD TO HAVE LIVED IN THAT EXISTING HOME FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS, UH, WOULD REMAIN IN THIS CASE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN ANY NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT ON THAT REMAINDER PARCEL WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THAT'S AN EXISTING POLICY, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ZONING CODE TODAY.
THAT STEMS OUT OF, AGAIN, OUR, OUR GENERAL PLAN GOALS AND POLICIES.
UM, AS PART OF THAT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, CONSIDERATION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THOSE USE PERMITS WOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, A SUGGESTED, UM, CONDITION WOULD BE THAT NO FURTHER SUBDIVISION IN THIS MANNER COULD, COULD HAPPEN, UM, SO LONG AS THAT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT'S IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'D BE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO, TO CONSIDER.
UM, AND THAT WOULD STAY WITH THE PROPERTY FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT, THAT SPEAKS TO LIMITING THE SMALL LOT, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR WHAT WE COULD CALL THE RANCHETTE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR AG ZONES.
SO THAT'S HOME SITE SUBDIVISIONS.
ONE OTHER, UH, SIGNIFICANT PIECE THAT I WANNA SPEAK TO WITHIN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS HAS TO DO WITH HOW WE HANDLE FLOOD, UH, UH, SORRY, HOW WE HANDLE ADMINISTRATION OF OUR, UM, FLOOD PROGRAM FOR THE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE, UM, FLOOD INSURANCE MAPPING PROGRAM THAT, UH, WE ADMINISTER, UH,
[01:45:01]
HERE COUNTYWIDE.SO THIS AFFECTS CITIES AS WELL AS COUNTIES.
UM, RIGHT NOW WHEN, UH, A BUILDING, AND I'VE, I'VE MENTIONED HOMES HERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE PRIMARY CONCERN, BUT THIS SPEAKS TO ANY BUILDING THAT IS OCCUPIED, UM, WHEN ANY BUILDING IS, IS DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTY, UM, IF IT'S WITHIN OUR FLOODPLAIN AND WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE, UH, THE AREA IN BLUE AND THE AREA IN YELLOW, OR WITHIN TWO FLOODPLAIN ZONES THAT REQUIRE FLOOD CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY OF THOSE BUILDINGS, UH, FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES.
SO PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY OF THOSE BUILDINGS, THERE'S A FLOOD CERTIFICATION THAT'S PREPARED BY AN ENGINEER AND PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY THAT SAYS THAT THE, THE, UH, FOUR ELEVATION OR THE THE BASE ELEVATION OF THAT BUILDING COMPLIES WITH OUR, UH, FLOOD, UH, OUR FLOOD ELEVATION STANDARDS FOR THE COUNTY, WHICH IS ONE FOOT OVER BASE FLOOD ELEVATION.
SO WHAT WE SEE IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE FLOOD CERTIFICATIONS ARE PREPARED PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY, AND 99 TIMES OUT OF A HUNDRED, THERE'S NO ISSUE.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE RUN INTO, UH, CERTAIN CASES WHERE, UM, MAYBE THERE WAS AN ERROR BY A CONTRACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF, IN THIS CASE IT'S BEEN HOMES, UM, WHERE THOSE HOMES ARE, UH, PREPARED AND, AND THEY'RE ASSUMED TO BE BUILT AT THAT BASE FLOOD ELEVATION.
BUT WHEN A, AN ENGINEER GOES OUT AT THE, FOR THE END OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND SURVEYS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE BUILDING MEETS BASE FLOOD ELEVATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, IT'S FOUND THAT IT DOESN'T, AND THAT LEAVES THOSE, UH, THOSE DEVELOPERS OR HOMEOWNERS, UM, OR, OR BUSINESS OWNERS IN A SITUATION WHERE NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR HOW DO THEY EITHER ELEVATE THEIR BUILDING OR DO OTHER FLOOD PROOFING THAT IS OFTEN TIME AND COST, UH, TIME AND FINANCIAL COST CONSUMING, UM, AT, AT THE TAIL END OF A PROJECT WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO OCCUPY THAT BUILDING.
SO WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS THAT AT THE FOUNDATION STAGE, WHEN, WHEN WE ARE GOING OUT AS OUR BUILDING INSPECTORS, UH, TO CHECK FOUNDATION, UM, FORMS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING AROUND THAT SAME TIME THAT, UM, EITHER CONTRACTORS OR OR APPLICANTS, UH, HAVE A PAD CERTIFICATION PREPARED.
SO THAT SAME ENGINEER THAT WAS GONNA GO OUT AND SURVEY THE BUILDING AT THE, THE COMPLETION STAGE WILL GO OUT A LITTLE EARLIER IN THE PROCESS, PREPARE A PAD CERTIFICATION, TURN THAT INTO US AS, UH, AT, AT THE COUNTY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY, UH, BUILDING HEIGHT ISSUES OR FLOOR HEIGHT ISSUES ARE CAUGHT EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.
I'VE SPOKEN TO A COUPLE ENGINEERS, UH, JUST, UM, AS OUR REVIEW OF THIS PROCESS AND WHETHER IT WOULD REALLY, UH, GENERATE ANY NEW COST BURDEN FOR, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS OR, OR RESIDENTS.
UM, THAT SAME SURVEY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE USED AT THE PAD CERTIFICATION STAGE IS THE SAME, UH, SURVEY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE USED AT THE FLOOD CERTIFICATION STAGE AT THE END.
SO THERE'S REALLY NO, UM, NO INCREASED COST TO, UH, TO APPLICANTS AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
BUT, UM, THE GOAL AGAIN HERE IS TO LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, THINGS NOT BEING CAUGHT IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
WE WANNA TRY TO CATCH THOSE EARLIER AND, AND HELP OUR, UM, OUR APPLICANTS, UH, CATCH THOSE HEIRS EARLY ON.
UH, GOING VERY QUICKLY THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS HERE, UH, WE DID CLARIFY, UH, OUR EXISTING EXCEPTION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 200 FOOT AGRICULTURAL BUFFER IN OUR A ONE ZONE.
UH, JUST HOW THOSE EXCEPTIONS ARE PROCESSED, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT LANGUAGE IS CLEAR, UM, WHERE PROPERTY LINES ARE DRAWN, IF, UH, UH, PARCELS CAN'T MEET THOSE SETBACKS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW THAT EXCEPTION PROCESS THEN WORKS.
UH, WE DID REDUCE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
UM, THESE ARE SHEDS OR PATIO COVERS, PERGOLAS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, FROM THOSE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND SETBACKS, UH, IN THE REAR OF, UH, RESIDENTIAL ZONES FROM, UH, IN MOST CASES FROM 15 FEET TO FIVE FEET, UH, WE ALIGNED OUR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT DEFINITIONS, OUR A DU DEFINITIONS AND OUR HEART REQUIREMENT, OUR HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS WITH STATE LAWS.
UM, THAT'S REALLY TO MAKE IT ALIGN BETTER WHENEVER WE MOVE FORWARD WITH HAVING PRE-APPROVED A DU PLANS.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO COMPLY WITH STATE STANDARDS FOR A D USE.
UH, FINALLY WE AMENDED SOME DEFINITIONS, UH, THAT HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE AND RV, UH, SEMI-TRUCK, TRUCK PARKING SORT OF USES, UM, JUST TO BETTER CLARIFY FOR THE COMMUNITY WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF THOSE USES.
AND THEN WE JUST MADE, UH, SOME FORMATTING ORGANIZATION AND, UH, CLARIFICATION AMENDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CODE WHERE WE HAD NOTICED, UH, ERRORS.
SO WITH THAT, THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR THE BOARD TODAY ARE TO, UH, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, UH, DETERMINE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW UNDER SQA AND THEN ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING CODE.
UH, I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HO FOR, UH, HER EFFORT.
[01:50:01]
OF, AGAIN, KEEPING TRACK OF THESE THINGS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN BRING THEM BACK.UH, WE, WE HAVE A RUNNING LIST OF WHEN WE FIND AN ITEM, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BRING THEM BACK TO THE BOARD AND AGAIN, KEEP THIS AS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
SO, UM, BIG THANKS TO HER FOR PREPARING THIS AND KEEPING TRACK OF THAT AS WE GO ABOUT OUR DAY TO DAY.
I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOT CLOSED.
UM, I SEE A COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR PERERA.
UM, IN, IN THE, ONE OF THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE, WELL THE LEGEND AND THEN, UM, IT'S S UNDER SERVICE, AGRICULTURAL AUCTION FACILITIES, THE, UM, I DUNNO, I GUESS THE ZONE, IT, IT OR THE, THE USE, UM, IS A SEA C IS, IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE CUP OR IS IT, IT'S, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH PAGE IT'S ON.
IS THAT ON THE ADDENDUM? THE ADDENDUM? PAGE SIX? THAT'D BE PAGE SIX OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
YEAH, THE EXHIBIT A, I GUESS OF YOUR, UH, YES.
SO C YES, THAT WOULD BE FOR A CONDITIONING USE PERMIT.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS ON THE FLOOD, UH, THE FLOOD, UH, EARLY PAD CERTIFICATION.
SO THE, UH, ARE, ARE YOU, I MEAN, IT SAYS HERE, ALL HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION MUST PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE.
WELL, UH, DOES THAT INCLUDE HOMES THAT AREN'T IN A FLOODPLAIN? NO, THAT'D BE ONLY FOR, UM, HOMES OR BUILDINGS.
AGAIN, IT'D BE FOR, FOR ANY BUILDING THAT'S GONNA BE OCCUPIED WITHIN, UM, FLOODPLAINS DESIGNATED IN THE ZONE A ON THE MAP OR ZONE D, AND THOSE COINCIDE WITH, UH, HIGH FLOOD RISK IS ZONE A AND THEN UNDETERMINED FLOOD RISK IS IN ZONE D.
UM, SO THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO AREAS.
IF YOU'RE NOT IN A FLOOD PLAIN, YOU DON'T OTHERWISE NEED TO, TO COMPLY WITH ANY KIND OF OKAY.
I, I, I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT AS, AS WE, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE YOU TRY TO PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING WHEN WE COME UP WITH THESE GENERAL PLANS AND THESE ZONING CODES, RIGHT? AND THEN, THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE REAL WORLD.
I CAN'T TALK TODAY REAL WORLD AND, AND THE EXPERIENCES.
AND SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE KEEPING TRACK OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE SEE OVER THE, OVER THE YEAR OR YEARS AND THEN AT A, AT THE PROPER TIME, BRINGING IT BACK AND MAKING, DOING SOME CLEANUP LANGUAGE ON THESE THINGS.
SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW THAT SPECIFICALLY ON THE, UM, COMBINED AND CONVEY, CONVEYING COMBINED ISSUE, I KNOW SOME SPECIFIC ONES, LIKE IN MY DISTRICT WHERE THEY, THE CARVE OUT IS, I THINK THEY WANTED TO CARVE OUT LIKE FOUR ACRES OR THREE ACRES OR WHATEVER FOR THEIR HOME SITE.
AND THEY HAD OVER 20 ACRES LEFT AND, AND IT HAD, IF THEY GO, IF WITH THIS AMENDMENT IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE VERSUS THE OLD ONE, NOW YOU GOTTA COMBINE IT AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY AND IT JUST GETS, I THINK IT, UM, THIS IS MORE IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE CLEANUP LANGUAGE ON THIS.
STEVE, I JUST WANT TO GET CLARIFICATION.
THIS DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN STATE LAW IN ANY, ANY PARTICULAR WAY ON WHICH, WHICH ASPECT IN PARTICULAR, ANY OF IT.
I JUST WANNA, SO NO CLARIFY, WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANY MORE HINDRANCE ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE STATE ALREADY PUTS ON US WELL'S.
UM, THE, OUR ZONING CODE IS BORN OF OUR GENERAL PLAN.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE OUR LOCAL REQUIREMENTS ON THE FLOOD PIECE OF IT.
UM, NO, THAT THIS IS NOT ANY MORE, UH, RESTRICTIVE THAN STATE LAW.
REQUIRING PAD CERTIFICATIONS IS A PRETTY COMMON PRACTICE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS WELL.
UM, MY COMMENTS IS, UH, I THINK I AGREE WITH, UM, THE CHANGE IN THE SETBACKS FROM 15 FEET TO FIVE FEET IN THE REAR.
I THINK, UH, MANY, UM, MANY, UM, MANY PROPERTIES, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA BUILD AN ACCESSORY DOWN UNIT OR, UH, IF THEY HAVE A SMALL PARCEL OR, UM, ANY GARAGES, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT, IT HELPS WITH THAT.
AND ALSO, UM, ON THE, THE ACREAGE, IF YOU HAVE 20 ACRES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN LESS THAN 19 ACRES, I GUESS, OR YOU CAN PURCHASE A COUPLE ACRES FROM A NEIGHBOR IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH SPACE, HAVE ENOUGH, UH, HAVE ENOUGH ACREAGE.
SO THAT WAY, UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S, I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM, UH, UH, SMALL FARMERS THAT THEY WANNA PARTITION A OR CUT OUT AN ACRE OR, OR A FEW ACRES
[01:55:01]
FOR THEIR KIDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE LIMITED IN ACREAGE.BUT THEY, THIS ALLOWS THEM TO PURCHASE, I GUESS, FROM, UH, ONE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS IF THEY WANNA, UH, IF, IF THEY CAN BUY IT AND THEN HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, CUT OUT, UH, A AT ONE ACRES OR MORE.
SO, UH, AND I THINK I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION BEFORE, SO I THINK IT, IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THE PUBLIC AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THIS.
UM, SO I, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
IT JUST SAID, MINE SAYS INQUIRY, BUT THERE WE GO.
HEY, ONE OTHER QUESTION I FORGOT TO ASK IN A MINUTE AGO.
UM, THE, THE, IS THE CONVEY AND COMBINE STILL AVAILABLE? YES.
SO WE HAVE A MR. CHAIR, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, UM, I'D MAKE A MOTION TO DETERMINE THAT THIS, UM, PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS EXEMPT FROM CQA AND I'D LIKE TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT NUMBER ZCTA 24 DASH ZERO ONE AND AMENDING PORTIONS OF TITLE EIGHT ZONING OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE.
RIGHT, WE HAVE MOTION, MR. EZ.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]
HAVE BOARD REPORTS, UH, SUPERVISOR RA, YOU, MR. CHAIR.UM, NOT A WHOLE LOT TO REPORT OUT SINCE OUR LAST MEETING OTHER THAN LAST WEEK.
UM, I WAS IN WASHINGTON DC ON OUR ONE VOICE TRIP ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT TWO, AS WELL AS THE ASSISTANT CEO, MARCY PEREIRA.
UM, REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PART OF THE ARTS JPA, UM, AND WE MET WITH THE, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS HOUSE AG, OR EXCUSE ME, UM, TNI COMMITTEE SHOWED SOME REALLY DEFINITE INTEREST IN THERE.
UM, PROBABLY IF YOU'RE ASKING ME, ONE OF MY MOST DISAPPOINTING MEETINGS, IT WAS PROBABLY, UM, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY, BUT I'M GOING TO, IS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MET WITH THE CONGRESSMAN THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THAT WAS A GOOD MEETING, BUT THEN MEETING WITH HIS STAFF, UM, THAT REALLY DIDN'T GET A WHOLE LOT OUT OF THAT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S STILL VALUE IN, UM, GOING WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A, UM, FIRM IN WASHINGTON DC THAT LOBBIES ON OUR BEHALF ON COUNTY ISSUES.
AND I KNOW THAT OUR SMALLER JURISDICTIONS AND THE CITIES DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FULL-TIME FIRM.
AND SO THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK THERE.
AND IT'S KIND OF COOL IN THAT YOU GET SOME NEW ONES EVERY YEAR.
I'VE BEEN GOING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS NOW.
AND SO, UM, AS WE START OUT OUR FIRST DAY IN DC OUR MEETINGS ARE AS A GROUP.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MET WITH AND REALLY GREAT THIS YEAR AS WE ACTUALLY GOT TO MEET WITH, UH, SENATOR PADILLA AND SENATOR BUTLER IN PERSON, WHICH USUALLY YOU GET THE, THEY WALK IN AND THEY SAY HELLO, AND THEN THEY GOTTA KEEP MOVING ON.
BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD A REALLY GREAT MEETING WITH, WITH SENATOR PADILLA.
UM, I PROBABLY SPENT LIKE 30 MINUTES WITH US, AND THEN SENATOR BUTLER PROBABLY SPENT LIKE 15 MINUTES WITH US.
SO ANYHOW, WE MEET AS A GROUP AND YOU COULD SEE THE FIRST TIMERS ARE A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS AND, UH, KIND OF DON'T, DON'T NOT KNOW, DON'T QUITE KNOW WHEN THEY SHOULD JUMP IN.
AND THEN TO ACTUALLY SIT THERE AND WATCH THE GROWTH.
AND THEN BY THE NEXT DAY AS WE BREAK UP INTO STRIKE TEAMS AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COVER MORE GROUND, UM, KIND OF GET THEIR SEA LEGS UNDER 'EM.
AND SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, IT ISN'T WHAT FOLKS THINK THAT YOU JUST, YOU GO BACK AND YOU COME HOME WITH THE BIG CHECK.
IT DOESN'T REALLY QUITE WORK THAT WAY.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU'RE MEETING WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THEIR FIELD OF EXPERTISE AND YOU GAIN SOME REALLY VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO KIND OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UM, AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT THEY CAN OFFER.
AND, AND I THINK FOR WHEN YOU'RE IN SMALLER RURAL COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A, A WHOLE TEAM OF FOLKS THAT SIT THERE AND WRITE GRANTS FOR US.
UM, SO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT THEY OFFER.
UM, AND ALSO THEY OFFER FUNDING FOR THAT.
THEY OFFER GRANTS JUST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TO DO STUDYING.
AND SO, UM, JUST A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO REPRESENT MERCED COUNTY.
UM, WELL REPRESENT US BACK IN DC ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND REPORT THAT OUT.
UM, UH, FRIDAY I ATTENDED, UH, A RETIREMENT PARTY FOR ANITA RICHARDS, WHO WORKS AT PUBLIC HEALTH AND HAS BEEN THERE.
SHE
[02:00:01]
BEFORE THAT REALLY WAS MILKING COWS AND SNELLING.SO I'VE KNOWN, UH, I'VE KNOWN ANITA FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, JUST HEARING THE EMPLOYEES TALK ABOUT HER AND HOW SHE, UM, CARRIED HERSELF AS A, AS A COUNTY EMPLOYEE WAS REALLY KIND OF SPECIAL.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN JUST HER ATTITUDE ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, SHE FELT MADE HER SUCCESSFUL AS AN EMPLOYEE AND, AND IN HER JOB.
AND ANYWAYS, IT WAS JUST, JUST NICE THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS, UM, UM, LOOKED AT HER JOB AS HER KIND OF, AS HER CALLING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE SHE EVER WORKED.
SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS JUST DOING GOOD AND ENJOYED THAT.
AND SO IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, HATE TO SEE HER GO, BUT, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO HER.
AND, AND, UH, THEN I ALSO ATTENDED THE, UM, THE SGU VETERANS, UH, CEREMONY, UH, UH, LAST WEEK.
UH, THE SGU IS A SECRET GORILLA UNIT, WHICH, UH, ARE THE HMONG LEE OCEANS THAT FOUGHT, UH, IN VIETNAM ON BEHALF OF THE CIA AND AND THE COUNTRY.
AND SO WE PROVIDED CERTIFICATES FOR THEM.
AND, UH, ANYWAYS, UH, THE, THE, THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS, UH, Q UH, VAN, WHO IS THE, UH, YOUNGEST SON OF, UH, GENERAL VAN POWELL.
UM, AND ANYWAYS, JUST KIND OF NEAT TO HEAR THE STORY AND HE KIND OF SHARED A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THAT ALL CAME TOGETHER.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, SO THANKS FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO, TO, UH, REPRESENT YOU THERE.
UM, IT WAS INTERESTING AND, UH, THAT IS ALL I HAVE.
YES, I, I TOO WENT ON THE ONE VOICE, UH, TRIP LAST WEEK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I THINK THAT ALL OF THE MEETINGS WERE ARE BENEFICIAL, WERE, ARE BENEFICIAL BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE SAID TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT, LIKE YOU SAID, GETTING A CHECK.
IT'S REALLY PUTTING A FACE TO THE PEOPLE THAT THEN ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING.
UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS A LOT PEOPLE IN THESE GROUPS GO OUT THERE AND THEY ASK FOR MONEY AS OPPOSED TO JUST KIND OF SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN MERCED COUNTY AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WOULD HELP US MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THE FEMA TO DISCUSS THE SAFER GRANT WITH THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE SAFER PEOPLE WEREN'T THERE, BUT WE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO THEM SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE FACING IN REGARDS TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BUT, UM, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO, UH, EXPRESS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS IN OUR OTHER MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITH OUR, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UM, THAT WEEK, UM, BEFORE THAT I WAS ALSO AT THE NACO WIR, UM, CONFERENCE, WHICH IS A, IN, UH, WAS IN MARIPOSA, YOSEMITE.
AND THAT WAS, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON A PANEL, UH, ON THAT FRIDAY.
AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD, IT WAS ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO BE A PART OF.
AND NACO, AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY.
SO YOU HAD ALL OF THE COUNTY, UM, A LOT OF THE NATIONAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES, THE COMMISSIONERS, JUDGES, SUPERVISORS, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT TITLES, UM, UP IN THE, THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE, THE WEEK, WHICH WAS, UM, YEAH, PLAY THE MUSIC.
ARE WE, ARE WE GOOD? THAT'S FINE.
UM, SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO KIND OF NETWORK WITH OTHER COUNTIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, THE COUNTRY ALSO.
UM, I WANT TO SAY THAT NOW UNTIL JUNE 2ND.
UM, AT PLAYHOUSE MERCED, YOU CAN GO WATCH OUR COLLEAGUES, SCOTT SILVERA AND, UH, THE MUSIC MAN.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD PLAY.
MY SON IS IN IT AND IT WAS INTERESTING, I WAS LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM AND THE, OR THE PLAY BILL AND IT SAYS, UH, SCOTT SILVER, AND I'M LOOKING AND I'M LIKE, WHAT THE HECK? SO, BUT ALRIGHT.
UH, YEAH, THE WEEK BEFORE LAST NASHVILLE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, UH, WESTERN INTERSTATE REGIONAL, WE HAD THE PLEASURE.
I WANT TO THANK MARK HENDRICKSON.
HE AND I GOT TO PRESENT OUR CASTLE PROJECT ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH, UH, TRC AND UM, UH, PATRIOT RAIL.
UH, WE GOT VERY, VERY GOOD FEEDBACK.
ON THAT WITH A LOT OF NEW IDEAS AND A LOT OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO ARE VENDORS, UH, ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE AS WELL.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS INTERESTING HAVING A LINE OF PEOPLE AFTER WE SPOKE HAD NOT JUST MORE QUESTIONS, BUT HOW CAN THEY BE INVOLVED? SO THAT WAS VERY GOOD.
ALSO WITH RURAL COUNTIES REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA.
I WAS IN THE SALINAS VALLEY FOR A MEETING THERE, UH, LAST WEEK.
AND, UM, THE BUDGET CHALLENGES ARE BEFORE US AND, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH RURAL COUNTIES ARE GONNA
[02:05:01]
BE HIT THE MOST WITH THIS AND CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS.I JUST WISH THERE WAS BETTER NEWS TO REPORT OUT.
RIGHT? WE GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL, NOTHING.
SO WE HAVE A, UH, RAUL MENDEZ IS NOT HERE, SO, BUT WE HAVE OUR GREAT, UH, DEPUTY C UH, CEO, MARCY BARRE.
ANY COMMENTS? WHO'S WEARING A BOW TIE? WELL, THE FEMALE VERSION OF A BOW TIE.
UM, FOR ME, UM, WELL, I ATTENDED THE PLAN COMMUNITY DAY, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT.
I THINK THAT WAS THE BEST, UH, TURNOUT EVER.
THEY HAD PLENTY OF VENDORS, PLENTY OF FOOD, DIFFERENT DIVERSITY IN, UH, AND THEIR FOOD USUALLY DON'T ALLOW IT THIS YEAR.
THEY, THEY, UH, THEY ALLOW IN DIFFERENT DRINKS.
AND SO IT WAS JUST, UH, IF EVERY, ANYBODY ATTEND ANY OF THERE WAS, IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT OR I KNOW DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ALWAYS ATTEND.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR BEING OUT THERE.
UM, AND THIS WEEKEND WILL BE LE GRANDE COMMUNITY TODAY ON MAY 25TH.
SO EVERYBODY'S IN INVITED AS WELL.
I KNOW THEY'RE, UM, THEY'LL BE PLANNING SOMETHING GREAT.
AND SO I WANT TO JOIN THIS MEETING.
I'M ON IN MEMORY OF, UH, ROCK DEEP SINGH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PASSED AWAY, DROWNED IN THE RIVER.
AND I WANNA THANK THE, YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER, UH, SC SCUBA DIVERS FOR HELPING OUT.
SO I'M GLAD THAT HIS FAMILY WILL, YOU KNOW, WILL REST AND, UH, NOW THAT THEY HAVE HIS BODY.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL CLOSE THE, UM, THIS MEETING AND, UH, UM, WE'LL BE MEETING, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE, UH, TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH AT 10:00 AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH.