8:30. SO LOOKS CLOSE RIGHT? [00:00:02] SO GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE JUNE 25TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. [CALL TO ORDER] WE WILL BE MEETING IN CLOSED SESSION AS BOTH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ACTING AS THE IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES, PUBLIC AGENCY, PUBLIC AUTHORITY GOVERNING BOARD. [CLOSED SESSION] YOUR CLOSED SESSION FOR THIS MORNING IS THE FOLLOWING FOR IHSS. IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD TO MEET IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION F OF SECTION 54957.6 CONCERNING CONFERENCE WITH COUNTY OF MERCED STAFF NEGOTIATORS AND UNITED DOMESTIC WORKERS WITH AGENCY NEGOTIATOR MARCI BARRERA AND FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD TO MEET IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.6 CONCERNING A MEET AND [INAUDIBLE] OR MEET AND CONFER WITH AGENCY NEGOTIATOR MARCI BARRERA. 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. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS FOR BOTH AGENDAS. I SEE NO ONE FROM THE PUBLIC WANTING TO SPEAK, SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEM FOR BOTH AGENCIES IS NOW CLOSED AND WE WILL ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE JUNE 25TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AS BOTH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ACTING AS AS THE IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES PUBLIC AUTHORITY GOVERNING BOARD STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION REGARDING ALL CLOSED SESSION ITEMS AND WE'LL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR MARK MAYO, WORSHIP PASTOR OF BEAR CREEK COMMUNITY CHURCH IN MERCED, AND THEN SUPERVISOR PAREIRA WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE STAND. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU, AND LET'S BOW OUR HEADS TOGETHER IN HONOR OF GOD. DEAR LORD, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH HUMBLE HEARTS. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S REPRESENTED HERE TODAY. WE ASK YOU, OH GOD, FOR YOUR BLESSING ON EVERY DECISION BEING MADE. CLEAR OUR MINDS, LORD, FROM ALL THE DISTRACTIONS. IN A WORLD THAT'S FILLED WITH DARKNESS. HELP US TO BE A PEOPLE THAT BRING LIGHT. WHERE THERE IS HATRED, HELP US TO WASH IT AWAY WITH A DEEPER KIND OF LOVE. WHERE THERE IS DOUBT. MAY WE BE THE ONES WHO STEP UP WITH UNWAVERING FAITH. WHERE THERE IS SADNESS AND DESPAIR. WE ASK YOU, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD HELP US TO BRING HOPE, FOR WE CANNOT DO THIS ON OUR OWN. WE NEED YOUR HELP. GRANT US, OH GOD, YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR WISDOM, YOUR PEACE. GIVE US CLEARER DISCERNMENT AND DIRECTION OVER ALL THE BUSINESS OF THIS MEETING. WE ASK IT ALL IN THE POWERFUL, WONDERFUL, MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS. AMEN. AMEN. BEGIN. OKAY. NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT. [PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK] IT IS NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA. TESTIMONY LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL. ANYBODY WANTING TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD. THREE MINUTES. HELLO. MY NAME IS GERALD PHELPS, PRESIDENT OF AFSCME LOCAL 2703, WHICH REPRESENTS OVER 1000 MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEES. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE ARE CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING WITH THE COUNTY. I WILL REFRAIN FROM SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE TABLE. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ONLY CONCERN OF MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS IS PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS ONLY CARE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND SERGEANTS WOULD BE SINGLED OUT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR WORK. THE BOARD WILL CONGRATULATE THEMSELVES ON PRESENTING A BUDGET THAT INCLUDES A 10% WAGE INCREASE TO ONLY THOSE TWO BARGAINING UNITS. YOU MIGHT YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF, HOW COULD THAT BE? [00:05:02] AND THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. MERCED COUNTY OPENED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEPUTIES AND THE SERGEANTS BEFORE LETTING ANY OTHER BARGAINING GROUPS NEAR THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THAT 10% WAGE INCREASE CAME AT THE COST OF THOUSANDS OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES. THAT WILL STRUGGLE FOR ANOTHER YEAR TO MAKE ENDS MEET. LET'S TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS THAT ARE PAID BELOW THE SEVEN COUNTIES SURROUNDING US. BUILDING MAINTENANCE WORKERS ARE PAID 12.67% BELOW THE AVERAGE, PROGRAM ANALYST, 17.33% BELOW, LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSES, 11.65% BELOW, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, 16.334% BELOW, PUBLIC HEALTH MICROBIOLOGIST, 10.9% BELOW DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER, 7.4% BELOW, SOCIAL WORKERS, 11.5% PERCENT BELOW, JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS OFFICERS 17.18% BELOW AND I CAN KEEP GOING ON. AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE DATA JUST GIVEN, WITHOUT WAGES INCREASES, ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, MERCED COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE FURTHER BEHIND OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND OUR WELL-TRAINED WORKFORCE WILL HAVE CONTINUE TO LEAVE MERCED COUNTY AND STRENGTHEN THOSE COUNTIES SURROUNDING US. MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS WERE TOLD AT TOWN HALLS BY THIS BOARD, THAT NO DEPARTMENT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER. SAID FRANKLY, THAT WAS A LIE. IF PUBLIC SAFETY IS TRULY THE CONCERN OF MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS, THEN WHY ARE WE CHOOSING TO IGNORE THE WORKERS THAT SHOW UP EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE THAT WORK? WHEN A FAMILY NEEDS FINANCIAL SERVICES, HSA WORKERS ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, WHEN TREES FALL IN, THE ROADS BECOME AND ROADS BECOME UNSAFE, WORKERS AND PUBLIC WORKS ARE BECOME PUBLIC SAFETY. WHEN A PERSON IS HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND IS DESPERATE FOR TREATMENT, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS PUBLIC SAFETY. WHEN A JUVENILE AND ADULT FALLS DOWN THE WRONG PATH, IT'S THE WORKERS AT THE JUVENILE HALL AND PROBATION STAFF THAT HELP GUIDE THEM TO THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO BECOME LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, THAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY. ANIMAL CONTROL, JANITORIAL, ROAD MAINTENANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS ARE ALL PUBLIC SAFETY. I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE LAST PERCENTAGE: 127%. THAT IS THE PERCENTAGE ABOVE THE AVERAGE MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAKE ABOVE US. AFSCME ME LOCAL 2703 REPRESENTS PUBLIC SAFETY. WE WILL NO LONGER BE IGNORED AND WE WILL NO LONGER SETTLE FOR 0% FROM THE 1%. THANK YOU. NEXT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ANASTASIO ROSALES, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN COMING TO THIS LAST PREVIOUS MEETING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HAVING, BUT I JUST HOPE THIS WILL BE MY LAST ONE. OKAY, AND PLEASE, GENTLEMEN, FROM THE STAFF, SUPERVISORS, DIRECTORS, I MEAN, I HOPE YOU YOU GUYS WON'T TAKE ME WRONG, BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU THIS. I GOT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WHEN WE NEED YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS ARE NOT THERE. MR. ESPINOSA, I'M SORRY TO PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, BUT I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF AND NOT RETURN ANY CALLS, SO I'M WONDERING WHY I CAN UNDERSTAND. YOU GUYS ARE BUSY ALWAYS, AND BELIEVE ME, WE ARE ALL BUSY HERE TOO. ALL RIGHT? WE HAVE OUR JOBS, WE HAVE OUR HOME TO TAKE CARE OF AND ALL THE PROBLEMS TOO BUT I'VE BEEN WONDERING, WHY IS IT THAT YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN TAKE ONE MINUTE TO EVEN RETURN A MESSAGE OR A CALL? SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M BUSY. I'LL CALL YOU MAYBE NEXT WEEK, AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT ACCORDING TO WHAT I HAVE HEARD AND FROM THE PEOPLE, RESIDENTS FROM PLANADA IN REGARDS ABOUT THE FLOODING, SOMEBODY CAME OVER HERE IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, SAID THAT ALL RESIDENTS ARE HAPPY. THAT'S A LIE. OKAY, AND YOU GUYS KNOW THAT. YOU GUYS KNOW THAT IS A LIE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT. WHY IS IT A LIE? BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY REJECTED THESE APPLICATIONS THAT WE WERE FILLING UP, AND YOU GUYS WERE ALSO THE REASON WHY WE CANCELED IT. OKAY. SO PLEASE DON'T JUST ASK US TO VOTE FOR YOU GUYS, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T VOTE, PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND WHY WE DON'T VOTE. OKAY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT. MY NAME IS MATT HIROTA. I OWNED PROPERTY IN MERCED COUNTY FROM 2008 TO 2022. WHILE I WAS LIVING IN MERCED COUNTY, I WORKED AT UC MERCED. I ALSO VOLUNTEERED IN MERCED COUNTY. I WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MERCED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GREEN TEAM, CO-CHAIR OF THE MERCED COUNTY TEN YEAR PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS, AND CO-CHAIR OF OR I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE MERCED CITY COUNSEL'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN ADVISORY AD HOC COMMITTEE. I DO NOT LIVE HERE ANYMORE, BUT I WAS TRYING TO REGISTER MY BOAT AND I WAS UNABLE TO DUE TO UNPAID TAXES IN MERCED COUNTY. I CONTACTED THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. THEY INFORMED ME TO SEND THEM DOCUMENTATION OF THE LOCATION OF THE BOAT. [00:10:05] I COMPLIED WITH THEIR REQUEST. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF AND I MAILED THEM DOCUMENTATION. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, I NEVER GOT ANY RESPONSE. I CALLED AND FOUND OUT THAT MY LETTER WAS ON EUGENE MOOSHABAD'S DESK. I CALLED HIM, LEFT VOICE MESSAGES, FINALLY GOT AHOLD OF HIM, HE SAID THE LETTER WAS NOT ON HIS DESK. I HAD TO ACTUALLY TELL HIM TO CLEAN UP HIS DESK AND LOOK THROUGH HIS DESK TO FIND MY LETTER, WHICH HE FINALLY DID AND THEN INFORMED ME THERE'S NOTHING HE COULD DO REGARDING MY MATTER. I ALSO REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM VICTOR CORCHADO. HE DID NOT RESPOND TO MY REQUEST VIA EMAIL UNTIL I CC'D HIS SUPERVISOR ON THE EMAILS. I REQUESTED A MEETING WITH MATT MAY AND KAREN ADAMS. I'VE WAITED OVER A MONTH FOR KAREN ADAMS TO RESPOND TO ME. SHE HAS COMPLETELY IGNORED MY REQUEST. TARA HERNANDEZ HAS REFUSED TO SHARE KAREN ADAMS EMAIL WITH ME. SHE'S ALSO GIVEN ME A GENERIC PHONE NUMBER FOR KAREN ADAMS AS WELL, SO IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AHOLD OF HER. INCLUDING MY INFORMATION THAT I SENT THEM WAS BOAT REGISTRATION FOR ALASKA. IT ALSO SHOWED WHERE THE BOAT WAS, WHICH INCLUDED IN CANADA. I HAD TO GO UP THERE FOR MY MOTHER'S DEATH, AND MY FATHER'S DEATH. SO THE BOAT WAS ACTUALLY IN CANADA AT THAT TIME, BUT I WAS STILL BEING TAXED IN MERCED COUNTY, AND I STILL PAID ALL THOSE TAXES FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT THE BOAT WAS NOT EVEN IN THIS COUNTY. DURING COVID, MY ADDRESS CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES AND MAIL WAS FORWARDED TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, AND I NEVER GOT MAIL FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, BUT THE TAXES WERE PAID ON THE BOAT BECAUSE I SOLD PROPERTY IN MERCED COUNTY. THE FRUSTRATION IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. IT'S LESS THAN IT'S LIKE $400. IT'S THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY YOUR GUYS'S EMPLOYEES. I THINK THAT IGNORING SOMEONE FOR A MONTH. I THINK THAT GIVING PEOPLE THE RUNAROUND, ONE DEPARTMENT BLAMES THE OTHER. THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE SAYS, NO, NO, THAT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM. THAT'S THE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE. THE INFORMATION I ASKED FOR IS STILL NOT BEEN PROVIDED. THE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE HAS MY EMAIL SINCE 2016. THEY REFUSED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME VIA EMAIL REGARDING MY TAXES BECAUSE, WELL, THAT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY, AND THEY GO BACK TO THE TAX CODE SAYING, WELL, WE ONLY DO IT VIA MAIL. IN THE ASSESSOR'S HANDBOOK, IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WHEN PEOPLE OWN A BOAT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BOAT IS AND HOW TO GET THE PROPER TAX DEBATE. I FULLY INTEND TO PAY ALL THE TAXES. I JUST WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE ACTIONS OF YOUR GUYS'S EMPLOYEES IS UNACCEPTABLE. I LIVED IN THIS COUNTY. I DID MY TIME. I WAS THE BEST CITIZEN I COULD BE, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE TREATING ME WITH THE RESPECT I DESERVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD MORNING, MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS CARLOS ALCALA AND I AM A BUSINESS AGENT WITH UNITED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HARD WORKING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF MERCED COUNTY WHO ARE UNDERAPPRECIATED AND UNDERPAID. THE POVERTY RATE FOR MERCED COUNTY IS 18.8%, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM CENSUS.GOV, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN BOTH THE STATE AVERAGE OF 13.2% AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 11.5%, ACCORDING TO PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA AND CENSUS.GOV. THE POVERTY LINE FOR MERCED COUNTY IS APPROXIMATELY $31,200, FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR FOR THE YEAR 2024, ACCORDING TO MERCED COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY. THIS MEANS MANY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF MERCED COUNTY ARE ON THE CUSP OF POVERTY. MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WORK TIRELESSLY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY RUNNING SMOOTHLY DESPITE THEIR ESSENTIAL ROLES. MANY ARE JUST ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE, STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WHILE COUNTY POVERTY RATES STAND AT 18.8%, WITH THE COST OF LIVING RISING BY 3.3% THIS YEAR AND YOUR REFUSAL TO APPROVE A SALARY INCREASE, IT WILL ONLY FURTHER HARM AND PUSH THEM DEEPER INTO POVERTY. IT IS BAFFLING THAT WITH A BUDGET OF $1.17 BILLION, WHICH PRACTICALLY DOUBLES THAT OF OTHER COUNTIES WITH SIMILAR POPULATIONS, YOU ARE STILL REFUSING TO GIVE A REASONABLE INCREASE IN SALARY TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF MERCED COUNTY. DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW INFLATION WORKS? THE UNCERTAINTY AROUND HOW MUCH ANTHEM MAY RAISE PREMIUMS IN THE FUTURE CAN NEGATE ANY POTENTIAL HEALTHCARE CAP RAISED BENEFITS. THEREFORE, SALARY INCREASES ARE ALSO ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES CAN AFFORD UPCOMING RISE IN THE COST OF LIVING. ALL OF YOU MEMBERS ON THE BOARD SITTING HERE BEFORE ME, YOU HAVE ALL HAD HARD WORKING JOBS BEFORE YOU JOINED THE BOARD. ESPINOSA WITH A FAMILY, FARMING AND A TOWING BUSINESS. PEDROSO AS A HISTORY TEACHER. MCDANIEL RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS PAREIRA HELPING RUN THE FAMILY FARM AND OWNING A DAIRY, AND SILVEIRA AS A DAIRYMAN AND AUCTIONEER. [00:15:03] THE PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ALSO WORK HARD TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND LIFT THEMSELVES UP BY THEIR BOOTSTRAPS, BUT YOU ARE CUTTING THEIR BOOTSTRAPS OFF BY REFUSING TO GRANT THEM A REASONABLE SALARY INCREASE. WE MUST MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER WITH COMPASSION AND A SHARED COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. LET US NOT WAIT ANY LONGER, BECAUSE EVERY MOMENT YOU WAIT IS A MOMENT TOO LONG FOR THOSE IN NEED. YOU MUST REALIZE THAT ACTION IS THE FOUNDATIONAL KEY TO ALL SUCCESS, AND THAT DELAY IS THE DEADLIEST FORM OF DENIAL. REMEMBER, JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED. DO NOT DELAY JUSTICE FOR THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD MORNING. I THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. MY NAME IS MAYRA IBARRA AND THIS IS MY 20TH YEAR WITH THE COUNTY AND ALL 20 YEARS WORKING AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. THROUGHOUT MY YEARS HERE, I MUST SAY THAT IT'S VERY INSULTING AND DISAPPOINTING THAT THIS COUNTY BOARD VALUES SOME EMPLOYEES WHILE DEVALUING OTHERS. MYSELF AND OTHERS HAVE COME ON THIS PODIUM PLEADING FOR LIVABLE WAGES AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR UNREASONABLE NUMBERS, BUT COMING BACK WITH 0% IS VERY INSULTING AND DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW. WE KEEP HEARING THAT THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT IS SAFETY AND THEY ARE ENTITLED TO RAISE INCREASE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK HAND IN HAND WITH NOT ONLY JUST DESERVE, BUT ALSO WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT? I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE THOSE ARE IN THE LINE OF DUTY AND I RESPECT THEIR POSITIONS. I WORKED NEXT TO THEM THROUGHOUT MY WHOLE CAREER AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR WHAT THEY DO, BUT THE CRIME DOESN'T STOP WITH AN ARREST. CASES TAKE MONTHS, SOME EVEN YEARS, TO GO THROUGH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. DURING THE TIME SUPPORT STAFF ARE THERE PREPARING THE DOCUMENTS, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE VICTIMS OF CRIMES AND THEIR FAMILIES, REQUESTING EVIDENCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. BREAKING DOWN THE EVIDENCE WHEN IT COMES IN, FILING DOCUMENTS IN COURT, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE AND DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE DEFENDANTS HAVE A FAIR TRIAL, AND THAT THE HARD WORK FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DOESN'T GO IN VAIN. WE ARE ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES. NO OTHER DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE TREATED BETTER THAN OTHERS. THESE WORKERS ALSO GIVE COUNTLESS HOURS IN EACH INDIVIDUAL. INDIVIDUAL CASES. DOES NOT THAT? DOES THAT NOT SUFFICE ENOUGH TO BE VALUED? THE MISSION THAT THE COUNTY HAS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES THAT ENHANCE AND PROTECT OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THE VISION OF THE COUNTY, A THRIVING AND INCLUSIVE MERCED COUNTY, AND THE VALUES INTEGRITY PROVIDE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSISTENCY BETWEEN OUR WORDS AND OUR ACTIONS. INNOVATION TO FOSTER A CREATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT ATTRACTS THE RETAINS. EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES THROUGHOUT COUNTY WIDE COLLABORATION, INCLUSION, RESPECT AND VALUE DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS BY ENCOURAGING PERSONNEL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH WHILE RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. THESE ARE THE GOALS THAT MERCED COUNTY AS A WHOLE STRIVES TO MEET ON A DAILY BASIS. AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN ON THIS PODIUM MANY TIMES PLEADING FOR REASONABLE WAGES AND HEALTHCARE, COMING BACK WITH 0%. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN MY 20 YEARS HERE FROM ANY BOARD, EVEN IF IT'S WE'RE NOT EVEN ASKING FOR 10% THAT THE SHERIFF GOT. I UNDERSTAND, AND I VALUE THEIR WORK, BUT WE ALSO ARE THERE HAND IN HAND WITH THEM TRYING TO GET JUSTICE FOR THE CRIMES THAT ARE COMMITTED IN THIS COUNTY. AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I WORK IN THE FISCAL DEPARTMENT WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A VOICE FOR COUNTLESS HARD-WORKING, DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WHO FACE A DAILY STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET DUE TO THE INADEQUATE WAGES AND OUTRAGEOUS HEALTH COST OF HEALTH CARE. THIS ISSUE IS JUST NOT A PERSONAL CRISIS FOR MANY FAMILIES, BUT A COMMUNITY WIDE CHALLENGE THAT DEMANDS URGENT ACTION. THE COUNTY OF MERCED IS VIBRANT AND THRIVING. A TESTAMENT OF THE INDUSTRIOUS SPIRIT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE AND WORK HERE. WE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE UP THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR COMMUNITY. YET, DESPITE OUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK, MANY OF US ARE COMPENSATED WITH WAGES THAT FAIL TO MEET THE BASIC COST OF LIVING. THIS SITUATION IS NEITHER SUSTAINABLE NOR ACCEPTABLE FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON IMPROVING THE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIP. THE IMBALANCE FORCES FAMILIES TO MAKE HEARTBREAKING DECISIONS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RENT AND GROCERIES AND HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION. [00:20:05] THIS IS NOT AN ECONOMIC ISSUE. THIS IS A MORAL ISSUE. NO ONE WHO WORKS FULL TIME SHOULD BE FORCED TO LIVE IN POVERTY. THE SYSTEM IS DEFINITELY BROKEN WHEN MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE FIGURED IT IS MORE AFFORDABLE TO QUIT THEIR JOBS AND WORK PART TIME TO RECEIVE THE SAME BENEFITS THAT THEY WERE ACCUSTOMED TO ISSUING OUT. I WOULD WORK IN THE FISCAL DEPARTMENT AND THE MATH IS JUST NOT MATH THING. I SIT AT MY DESK AND WONDER WHY $4 MILLION WAS BUDGETED FOR A NEW HVAC SYSTEM, AND AS I'M PAYING THE INSTALLMENT, I'M GETTING AN EMAIL THAT OUR HVAC SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. NOT ONLY DO LOW WAGES CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASED STRESS, HEALTH PROBLEMS, LOWER PRODUCTIVITY, AND HIGHER TURNOVER RATES, CAUSING THOSE OF US WHO REMAIN IN OUR POSITIONS TO WORK TWO AND THREE DESKS WITH MINIMAL PAY. THE BOARD'S PRIOR DECISIONS HAVE CREATED A PERPETUAL CYCLE OF POVERTY THAT AFFECTS NOT ONLY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK FOR THE AGENCY, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE ARE ALL DIMINISHED WHEN ONE OF US IS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING. WE SHOULDN'T BE FACED WITH THE DECISION TO DO SOMETHING STRANGE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE, OR TO TAKE PENITENTIARY CHANCES AFTER WORK TO MAKE ENDS MEET. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO--I HAD A COLLEAGUE ONCE SPEAKING IN BREAK AND THE MENTAL SUFFERING THAT IT TAKES WHEN YOU ISSUE OUT $2,000 OF EBT BENEFITS WHEN YOU HAVE NO FOOD IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR YOURSELF. WE SHOULDN'T BE-- KING SOLOMON WAS ONE OF THE WISEST MEN THAT EVER LIVED. HE SAID IN ECCLESIASTES SEVEN AND SEVEN THAT OPPRESSION MAKES A WISE PERSON ANGRY. OPPRESSION IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE GROW THEIR OWN SENSE OF POWER, COMFORT, AND SECURITY AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS. I CAUTION THE BOARD WHEN CONGREGATING ON DECISIONS THAT COULD OPPRESS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. PLEASE CONSIDER THE OUTCOME WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR SOME AND HARDER FOR OTHERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN ESPINOSA AND THE BOARD. CHRISTAN SANTOS HERE REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE, AND AS WE CLOSE OUT JUNE, THE CONGRESSMAN WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NATIONAL DAIRY MONTH AND A HAPPY NATIONAL PORTUGUESE HERITAGE MONTH AS WELL. THE CONGRESSMAN ENJOYED BEING A PART OF THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON SISTER CITIES PROGRAM ON SATURDAY, WELCOMING THREE DELEGATIONS FROM ZAPOTLANEJO, TERENZIO AND [INAUDIBLE] IN MEXICO TO MERCED COUNTY. SHAPING UP TO BE A VERY BUSY WEEK IN D.C. TOMORROW, CONGRESSMAN DUARTE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN A MARKUP OF THE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2024, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS WRDA, AND THE CONGRESSMAN'S AMENDMENTS TO THIS YEAR'S WRDA WOULD ADD WATER SUPPLY AS A PRIMARY GOAL OF THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. IT WOULD MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE ARMY CORPS' SAN JOAQUIN RIVER BASIN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL DREDGING TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES LIKE PLANADA HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, AND AUTHORIZE $51.5 MILLION IN NEW ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ACROSS THE 13TH DISTRICT. THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR APPROPRIATIONS BILLS MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE HOUSE FLOOR THIS WEEK. THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT PROVIDES $183.7 BILLION FOR ACTIVE, RESERVE AND NATIONAL GUARD MILITARY PERSONNEL, WHICH IS $1.8 BILLION ABOVE THE WHITE HOUSE'S BUDGET REQUEST AND $7.5 BILLION ABOVE FISCAL YEAR 24. IT INCLUDES AN INCREASE OF 4.5% IN BASIC PAY FOR ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2025, AND INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL 15% INCREASE IN PAY FOR JUNIOR ENLISTED SERVICE MEMBERS. IT ENHANCES THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S ROLE IN COUNTERING THE FLOW OF ILLICIT FENTANYL AND SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS INTO CENTRAL VALLEY COMMUNITIES AND OUR NATION AS A WHOLE, BY ALLOCATING $1.14 BILLION FOR DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES, ALLOCATING $140 MILLION FOR DEMAND REDUCTION ACTIVITIES, AND ALLOCATING $12 MILLION FOR TRAIN AND EQUIP PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO TO COUNTER TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY THE SINALOA AND JALISCO DRUG CARTELS THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED A FOOTHOLD HERE IN THE VALLEY. THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT INCLUDES A PLETHORA OF EFFORTS TO SECURE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER. IT PROVIDES $28.4 BILLION FOR FEMA, WHICH IS $2.8 BILLION ABOVE LAST YEAR, AND IT PROVIDES $22.7 BILLION FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND TO SUPPORT RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS FOLLOWING MAJOR DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES, SUCH AS THE MERCED COUNTY FLOODS OF 2023. IT ALSO PROVIDES $3.8 BILLION FOR GRANTS AND EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXERCISES, INCLUDING $720 MILLION FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF FIREFIGHTERS GRANT. THAT'S AFG, AND THE STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANTS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAFER GRANT. WE KNOW THAT THESE GRANTS ARE ESPECIALLY RELEVANT TO MERCED COUNTY FOR THEIR IMPORTANCE IN PROVIDING RESOURCES TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND EQUIP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE CONGRESSMAN IS PROUD TO SIGN THE LETTER OF SUPPORT RECENTLY FOR MERCED COUNTY'S RECENT SAFER GRANT APPLICATION. [00:25:04] HE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR BRINGING MORE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS TAX DOLLARS BACK TO THE 13TH DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND SAFE 4TH OF JULY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS. PLEASE COME FORWARD. YEAH. MY NAME IS ISAAC CHAVEZ, AND I WORK AS AN AFTERNOON CUSTODIAN FOR ONE OF THE SCHOOLS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, AND I'M JUST HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ANIMAL PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH OUR CATS AND DOGS IN OUR SHELTER. I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU GUYS A QUESTION. HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN TO THE SHELTER LATELY? ARE YOU GUYS ALLOWED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU GUYS BEEN TO THE SHELTER? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. NEVER. HAVE YOU GUYS EVER BEEN TO THE MERCED COUNTY SHELTER? ABOUT A YEAR AGO FOR ME. ABOUT A YEAR AGO. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? YOU EVER BEEN. MY CHALLENGE IS JUST FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE ANIMALS, AND I'M JUST TIRED OF PICKING UP CATS AND DOGS AND THROWING THEM IN THE TRASH CAN. I'VE TAKEN A FEW HOME MYSELF, BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE. LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST MY CHALLENGE. EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A LEADER, SHOULD GO AND CHECK OUT THE COUNTY AND CHECK OUT THE COUNTY SHELTER AND WALK THROUGH AND SEE ALL THE CATS AND DOGS IN CAGES, AND MOST OF THEM WILL PROBABLY BE EUTHANIZED LATER. RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE PRETTY PACKED UP BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST TIRED OF THE CATS AND DOGS BEING JUST CASTED ASIDE, AND WHEN I TRY TO FEED THEM, GIVE THEM WATER. I'M MET WITH A LOT OF HATE, AND IT'S PRETTY BAD. I SEE OUR BUDGET IS MOSTLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE, AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE DON'T SPREAD ENOUGH LOVE AROUND HERE. WE DON'T EVEN LOVE OUR OWN CATS AND OUR OWN DOGS. I WORK AT PLANADA, AND ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS PLANADA PRIDE, BUT I DON'T SEE THE PLANADA PRIDE UNLESS IT COMES WITH A PAYCHECK OR A PROMOTION. YOU KNOW, I'M OUT THERE DOING STUFF OUT OF MY OWN POCKET AND I JUST WANT HELP. I'M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY. I GO TO THE SHELTER, I EMAIL THE SHELTER. NOBODY REACHES BACK OUT TO ME. I'M MET WITH ROADBLOCK AFTER ROADBLOCK. LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY. I'M JUST ASKING FOR LESS ROADBLOCKS. I'M ASKING FOR MORE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE SHELTER AND WHAT WE'VE DONE BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT ON YOU GUYS. THIS IS ON EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM. THIS IS ON EVERYBODY THAT LIVES IN MERCED COUNTY. THIS IS ALL OF OUR FAULTS, AND I'M JUST HERE TO SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SPOTS WHERE THESE CATS AND THESE DOGS ARE FORGOTTEN, AND THEY'RE THEY'RE DYING OUT THERE. THERE'S NO WATER, THERE'S NO FOOD. I SEE THEM EAT THE TRASH OUT OF THE TRASH CANS, AND THEY GET SICK, AND THEY THROW UP AND THEY DIE AND THERE IS NO WATER BECAUSE IT'S 105 DEGREES. SO I THINK A BIG PROBLEM IS OUR SCHOOLS ARE BUSINESSES ARE HARBORING THEM, AND NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT. SO I GUESS MY LIKE I SAID, MY CHALLENGE IS JUST FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY TO GO TO THE SHELTER AND WALK AROUND AND SEE ALL THE ANIMALS THAT ARE IN CAGES, AND WE NEED TO REEVALUATE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND DO SOMETHING LIKE MORE HUMANE TO FEED THE CATS AND DOGS AND STOP ALL THIS OVERPOPULATION. SO, LIKE I SAID, MY CHALLENGE IS JUST FOR THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. PARDON ME. GOOD MORNING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS REBECCA NANYONJO. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH HERE AT MERCED COUNTY, AND I'M COMING BEFORE THE BOARD AND ALL OF YOU AND THE REPRESENTATIVES, AS WELL AS PUBLIC TO INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST ASSISTANT COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER. MERCED COUNTY HAS ONLY HAD ONE POSITION AS A PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER. COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, THE SAME THING, BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH COVID AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED AS A DEPARTMENT AND A COMMUNITY WE STARTED THIS RECRUITMENT PROCESS WELL OVER A YEAR AGO, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL OF DOCTOR IGNACIO SANTANA. WE ALSO HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, OUR COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER DOCTOR SALVADOR SANDOVAL HERE AND I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HIM TO ALL OF YOU, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOTH OF THEM, AND THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. I'M PROUD TO INTRODUCE DOCTOR IGNACIO SANTANA, WHO'S A DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER. [00:30:01] HE JUST STARTED LAST WEEK FOR MERCED COUNTY. HE'S FROM THE VALLEY, AND KNOWS THE VALLEY, AND I THINK BRINGS A LOT OF VALUABLE RESOURCES THAT CAN ASSIST FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN MERCED COUNTY. SO HERE'S "NACHO" SANTANA. GOOD MORNING. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU ALL. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS DOCTOR IGNACIO SANTANA. I'M THE NEWLY MINTED DEPUTY HEALTH OFFICER FOR MERCED COUNTY. A LITTLE BIT OF MY BACKGROUND. I GREW UP IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA. NOT QUITE IN MERCED. IT'S DOWN IN. I GREW UP IN TULARE COUNTY AND A VERY SMALL TOWN CALLED OROSI, BUT NOT UNLIKE MERCED. I ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL THERE. WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I HEADED OFF TO THE EAST COAST FOR UNDERGRADUATE, FOR MY UNDERGRADUATE AND MEDICAL STUDIES, AND I WAS OUT IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS AT BROWN UNIVERSITY. AFTER BROWN, I CAME BACK TO THE VALLEY, OR SORRY, NOT DIRECTLY TO THE VALLEY. CAME BACK TO CALIFORNIA TO COMPLETE MY MEDICAL RESIDENCY IN OCCUPATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE MEDICINE AT UCSF, AND AFTER COMPLETING RESIDENCY, I CAME BACK TO THE VALLEY IN PART TO HELP RAISE MY FAMILY. I HAVE TWO VERY YOUNG BOYS AND A WIFE, AND WE HAVE OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM HERE, BUT ALSO IN PART BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS I GOT INTO MEDICINE IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS TO COME BACK AND SERVE MY COMMUNITY. SO I'M HERE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY TO SERVE YOU AND TO SERVE THE PUBLIC IN WHICHEVER WAYS THAT I CAN. I'M HERE. I'M A VERY DEDICATED PHYSICIAN, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING BOTH WITH YOU AND WITH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO SEE HOW I CAN OFFER MY SERVICES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST A COMMENT, DOCTOR SANTANA. SO IGNACIO OR I HEARD DOCTOR SANDOVAL CALL YOU NACHO. WHAT DO YOU PREFER? OKAY, SO MY GIVEN NAME IS IGNACIO. ANY IGNACIO. YOU'LL EVER MEET IN YOUR LIFE. PROBABLY GOES BY NACHO. NOT 100%, BUT AND SO I GO BY MANY NAMES. NACHO IS MY VERY EASY NICKNAME. IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER BECAUSE IT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE THE CHEESE, AND IF SOMEBODY HAPPENS TO FORGET, YOU CAN CALL ME NACHO. I ALSO GO BY DOCTOR NACHO. I GO BY DOCTOR IGNACIO. DOCTOR SANTANA, WHATEVER YOU NEED ME TO. YEAH. OR DOCTOR. THERE YOU GO. PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR THAT AND JUST I, YOU KNOW, YOU CAME BACK FROM THE EAST COAST, SO YOU'VE BEEN BACK FOR A LITTLE WHILE. WELCOME BACK TO THIS BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA WEATHER. A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUT THERE. YEAH, THE HEAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOCK. NO, I GREW UP IN THE VALLEY, SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE HEAT IS LIKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PERFECT. WELCOME ABOARD, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER COMMENTS. ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE WANT TO CONSENT CALENDAR. [CONSENT CALENDAR] CONSENT AGENDA. CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 31. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, NATHAN BRAY, TO THE PODIUM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING DPW ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR. NATHAN. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. YEAH. THERE WE GO. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. THERE ARE FOUR ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, THAT I WANT TO PROVIDE A BIT OF CONTEXT FOR. ITEMS ONE AND TWO ARE CONTRACT AMENDMENTS TO BOTH TETRA TECH AND SERIES ENVIRONMENTAL. THIS IS FOR THE DEBRIS REMOVAL AND MONITORING ASSOCIATED WITH THE JANUARY AND MARCH STORMS OF LAST YEAR. THIS AMENDMENT WAS NEEDED TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE WORK THAT WAS HELD UP TO A DISPUTE WITH FEMA, BUT THAT HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED. SO THIS AMENDMENT EXTENDS THE CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE TO AVOID HAVING TO GO BACK THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCESS AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, I WILL BE BRINGING BACK ANOTHER AMENDMENT AT A FUTURE DATE TO IDENTIFY A SCOPE AND COST IMPACTS OF THIS ADDITIONAL WORK. I HAD HOPED TO HAVE EVERYTHING ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE AMENDMENT, BUT THE TIMING DID NOT WORK OUT. ITEMS THREE AND FOUR ARE ALSO CONTRACT AMENDMENTS. HOWEVER, BOTH OF THESE ARE RELATED TO CGL, WHICH IS THE COUNTY'S HIRED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER FOR PHASE ONE A AND PHASE ONE B OF THE JLCC PROJECT. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THIS PROJECT HAS EXPERIENCED A MULTITUDE OF DELAYS, INCLUDING FUNDING DELAYS FROM THE STATE, BSCC, COVID RESTRICTIONS, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND MOST RECENTLY, THE LONG LEAD TIMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIER FOUR GENERATOR ADDITIONALLY, THE COUNTY HAS ADDED SCOPE TO THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE MENTAL HEALTH WING [00:35:04] AND THE MODULAR BUILDING, AND WE'VE ASKED CGL TO PERFORM ADDITIONAL COORDINATION WITH THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL WHILE THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL HAS BEEN OUT. THE COMBINED VALUE OF THE AMENDMENTS TO CGL IS JUST OVER $1.5 MILLION, AND IT IS BASED ON THE PROJECTED CONTRACT COMPLETION DATE FROM THEIR EXPIRATION OF THEIR CURRENT AGREEMENTS, WHICH EXPIRES JUNE 30TH OF 2024. PHASE ONE B IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FALL OF 2025, AND PHASE ONE A IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED EARLY 2027. SO WITH THAT, THAT PROVIDES THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDARS ITEMS ONE THROUGH 31. NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 31, AND I SEE THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. THANK YOU. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MARIO PEÑA AND STAFF FROM THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION TO THE FRONT FOR A PROCLAMATION. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR RELATIVE TO ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH AND THE LONGEST DAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP HERE AS WELL? YEAH. MAKE SURE YOU GUYS GET ALL THE CREDIT, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I GO TO A LOT OF EVENTS AND. YEAH, GREAT, AND I SEE OVER HERE, SIR. YOU'RE ALWAYS WORKING HARD AS WELL TO SAY. YEAH. WHEREAS THE MONTH OF JUNE 2024 HAS BEEN DECLARED ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH TO HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THIS DEBILITATING DISEASE AND THE NEED TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO COMBAT ITS HUMAN AND ECONOMIC COSTS, AND WHEREAS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, JUNE 2024 HAS BEEN DECLARED THE LONGEST DAY, WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD COMING TOGETHER TO HONOR THE STRENGTH, PASSION AND ENDURANCE OF PEOPLE FACING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WITH A DAY OF ACTIVITY AND ADVOCACY. I'M GOING TO ASK THE BOARD IF YOU WANT TO WANT TO COME DOWN HERE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THIS LONGEST DAY. [INAUDIBLE] I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. YEAH, AND WHEREAS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS A PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDER TRAGICALLY ROBS INDIVIDUALS OF THEIR MEMORIES AND LEADS TO COGNITIVE DECLINE, RESULTING IN FUNCTIONAL, EMOTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT, AND WHEREAS MERCED COUNTY HAD 3666 RESIDENTS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN 2019, AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY 121% BY 2040, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS ALWAYS FATAL, AND DEMENTIA IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CALIFORNIA TODAY. WE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, RECOGNIZES JUNE 2024 AS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH AND TUESDAY, JUNE2024, AS THE LONGEST DAY AND URGES ALL CALIFORNIANS TO COMMEMORATE THE MONTH OF JUNE 2024 AS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH, AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY SUGAR IS THE MAIN POISON. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'VE DEDICATED MYSELF TO YOU KNOW, LOSE THE WEIGHT AND BE HEALTH FREE, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO LIKE I SAID, TAKE THAT STEP AND WE CAN ALL OF US, BE HEALTHY AND REDUCE THIS NUMBER THAT LEADS TO DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S. SO SUGAR, SWEETS, YOU KNOW, LET'S PUSH IT ON OUR KIDS AS WELL AND BE A HEALTHIER COUNTY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WITH THAT I'LL PRESENT PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES AND [00:40:02] MYSELF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WE AT THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, WE STRIVE VERY HARD TO PROVIDE AWARENESS, EDUCATION AND HELP MANY CONSTITUENTS ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE TERMINAL DISEASE THAT'S GOING ON WITH ALZHEIMER'S AND ALL OTHER DEMENTIA AND A LOT OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE PROVIDE IS AVAILABLE AT NO COST. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL AS WELL, TO PROVIDE YOU FOLKS WITH ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION AND ALSO EXTEND AN INVITE TO ALL OF YOU ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, AND THAT'S HERE IN MERCED, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR SIGNIFICANT LET'S WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S AND WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE, BUT BEFORE I WRAP IT UP, I'D LOVE TO TURN IT OVER TO DENISE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE WRAP IT UP. THE STATISTICS, LIKE YOU HEARD, OVER 3000, 3600 JUST IN OUR COUNTY HAVE ALZHEIMER'S, BUT THAT NUMBER IS JUST A NUMBER TO MOST PEOPLE. SO I WANTED TO PUT A FACE TO ONE, AND THERE'S TWO MORE FACES HERE. HER FATHER AND HER MOTHER. THIS IS MY HUSBAND, ROGER. HE PASSED AWAY IN 2018. SORRY. HE WAS DIAGNOSED AT AGE 55. IT'S NOT AN OLD PEOPLE'S DISEASE, SO BEWARE. SORRY. MY NOTES GOT MIXED UP. MY FIRST REACTION WAS LIKE CRYING AND LIKE, WHAT? WHAT DO I DO NOW? BUT I DID GO TO THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. I WENT TO THEIR WEBSITE. I LOOKED UP WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S? I FOUND THE STAGES OF THE DISEASE, AND THAT HELPED ME A GREAT DEAL, KNOWING WHAT I WAS GOING TO BE FACING IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THERE IS NO CURE. THE DOCTORS SAY AT THIS POINT THERE IS HOPE BECAUSE THE RESEARCH IS PRODUCING LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION AND STUFF THAT'S COMING OUT. NOW THAT MY HUSBAND DIDN'T HAVE IN 2009 TO 2018. IT WAS A LONG JOURNEY. THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION HELPED ME GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M ESPECIALLY INVOLVED IN THE WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S. SO PLEASE COME OUT ON OCTOBER 5TH. I ALSO WENT TO CAREGIVING WORKSHOPS. THAT HELPED ME A LOT BECAUSE I WAS THE CAREGIVER FOR A LOT OF YEARS, AND FINALLY, AT THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I HAD TO PUT MY HUSBAND INTO A FACILITY WHERE HE COULD GET 24 HOUR CARE THAT I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO GIVE HIM, AND HE ENDED UP DYING IN IN JULY OF 2018, JUST SIX YEARS AGO, AND YOU LOSE YOUR LOVED ONE TWICE. YOU LOSE THEM WHEN THEY NO LONGER RECOGNIZE WHO YOU ARE, AND THEN YOU LOSE THEM WHEN THEY DIE. SO IT'S A DOUBLE DEATH IN A WAY. WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN ANYMORE. WE DON'T WANT THOSE 7 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE ALZHEIMER'S. WE DON'T WANT THE 3600 IN MERCED COUNTY TO HAVE THIS DISEASE ANYMORE. SO THE WALK IS THE FUNDRAISING ARM OF THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION THAT PROVIDES THE MONIES FOR RESEARCH AND TO PROVIDE THE 24/7 HELPLINE FOR PEOPLE AND FOR THE WORKSHOPS. HORTENCIA IS GOING TO BE TEACHING CLASSES THROUGH THE HOSPITAL ON ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS FOR PEOPLE IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AND WE COULD CONTINUE TO USE YOUR SUPPORT. IT'S A MERCED COUNTY WALK. SO IT'S NOT JUST MERCED. WE HAVE TEAMS FROM LOS BANOS, AND WE'VE EVEN HAD THEM FROM MARIPOSA BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A WALK THERE. SO JUST PUT IT IN THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND. ALMOST EVERYBODY NOW HAS SOME CONNECTION TO THIS DISEASE AND IT MIGHT NOT BE ALZHEIMER'S, IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER FORM OF DEMENTIA. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? I WANTED TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING. I REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND WHENEVER I OPEN MY MEETINGS WITH A CONGRESSMAN OR ASSEMBLY MEMBER OR A SENATOR, I ALWAYS ASK THEM, HAVE YOU BEEN TOUCHED BY ALZHEIMER'S? 99.9% OF THE TIME THAT I ASK THAT QUESTION, EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN TOUCHED. IN FACT, SOME OF MY VISITS DON'T EVEN GET TO WHERE I'M ASKING THEM WHAT I NEED THEIR SUPPORT ON BECAUSE WE'RE ALL CRYING. ESPECIALLY DURING COVID, IT WAS A MOST HORRIBLE WAY TO GO AND NOT BE ABLE TO VISIT [INAUDIBLE]. SO I WAS A CAREGIVER FOR MY FATHER HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 92, AND HE WAS BEING TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT. IT WAS JUST PART OF GETTING OLDER, AND IT'S PART OF HAPPENING AND IT'S GROWING IN OUR IN MY CULTURE, THE ALZHEIMER'S, IT'S GETTING HIGHER AND HIGHER AS TO WHAT I DON'T KNOW AND I HAVE TO BRING AWARENESS HERE TO MERCED COUNTY, BECAUSE MERCED COUNTY IS VERY PARTIAL TO ME AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A [00:45:04] DIFFERENCE. I PROBABLY WILL GET IT TOO, BECAUSE MY MOM HAS DEMENTIA. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY FROM ALZHEIMER'S. SO WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF HAVING DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S? IT JUST INCREASED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND YOU KNOW, OUR HEARTS ARE WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'M TRYING NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL. SO I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THE ANSWER. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MY MIND. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO BOARD ACTION. [BOARD ACTION] ITEMS BEGINNING WITH PUBLIC WORKS. ITEMS 32 THROUGH 35. PLEASE NOTE ITEM 35 REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DPW ITEMS 32-35. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I SEE NO ONE COMING FORWARD, SO I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC ITEMS 32 TO 35. DPW ITEMS 32-35, AND WE'LL MOVE TO MOTIONS. I SEE NO COMMENTS. SO MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NEXT WE HAVE OUR COMMISSIONER. ITEM 36. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 36. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR 36 IS NOW CLOSED. I'LL CALL FOR COMMENTS BY THE BOARD OR MOTIONS. MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH ITEMS 37 AND 38. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HEALTH ITEMS 37 AND 38. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS APPEAR IN HEALTH ITEMS 37-38 IS NOW CLOSED. I SEE NO COMMENTS BY THE BOARD, SO WE'LL CALL FOR MOTIONS BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SECOND SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORDED THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO, AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. ITEMS 39 AND 40. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BHRS ITEMS 39 AND 40. NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 39 AND 40 IS NOW CLOSED. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. AGAIN, MOTION PASSES 5-0. NOW WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 41 THROUGH 48. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HSA ITEMS 41 THROUGH 48. I SEE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HSA ITEMS 41 TO 48 IS NOW CLOSED, AND THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? [00:50:04] MOTION SUPERVISOR PEDROZO SECOND SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTES. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NOW WE HAVE FIRE. ITEMS 49 THROUGH 53. AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE ASSISTANT CHIEF MARK PIMENTEL TO THE PODIUM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING ITEM 52. CHAIR, BOARD, COUNTY COUNSEL, CEO. MARK PIMENTEL, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR MERCED COUNTY FIRE CALFIRE. AS YOU GOT TODAY, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT ITEM NUMBER 52, THAT IS OUR CALFIRE AGREEMENT. WE'VE BEEN IN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY SINCE 1988, AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR US IN THE COUNTY. YOU AS A BOARD SUPPORTED LAST YEAR OF THE 12 ADDITIONAL BODIES TO GET US CLOSER TO THE THREE POINT OR, EXCUSE ME, 2.0 STAFFING 3.0 FACTOR. THIS WILL COMPLETE THAT PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH. WE WILL BE ADDING THE 15 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THAT AGREEMENT. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE SAFER GRANT TO COME THROUGH. IF THE SAFER GRANT COMES THROUGH, THAT WOULD BE FUNDING THOSE ADDITIONAL THREE POSITIONS AND BEING ABLE TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE STAFFING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AGAIN, AS WE'VE DONE BUSINESS IN THE PAST, IS WE DO ANNUAL AGREEMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO FOURTH IS WHAT WE TAKE CARE OF AS YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, BUT THIS WILL FINALLY PUT US IN AS A COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH TWO BODIES AT EVERY STATION THAT'S CURRENTLY OPERATED UNDER CAL FIRE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTY. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING YOU GUYS MOVE FORWARD AS WE COMPLETE THIS AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. MARK. ANY PUBLIC I MEAN, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? I SEE NO COMMENTS. MARK THANK YOU, AND AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 49 THROUGH 53. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. GOOD MORNING. JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION. IF THE COUNTY'S COST FOR THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 24-25 INCREASED A LITTLE BIT OVER 700,000, WHY WAS THE COUNTY ASKING THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON FOR 750,000? WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS. JUST TAKING COMMENTS. YEAH. OKAY. NEXT TIME I'LL REPHRASE. THANK YOU. IT'S AGENDIZED. OH. YOU GUYS WANT TO ANSWER? YEAH. OKAY. I THINK THEY WANT TO ANSWER MARIA. WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THE CHIEF COULD PROBABLY ANSWER IT BETTER THAN ANYBODY. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AS WE TALK ABOUT IT AND WE LOOK AT IT, IT'S ADDITIONAL 750. WE WERE JUST LAST WEEK THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED STATEWIDE AND ACTUALLY HAS A RELIEF OF THE BENEFIT RATES, AND SO THE DECREASE IN BENEFIT RATES LEFT US KIND OF FLAT WITH THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU JUST SEE THE 750 INCREASE. SO WE HAVE THAT MOVING FORWARD, AND THEN THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO BE ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITIES OF LIVINGSTON, DOS PALOS AND GUSTINE FOR THAT SAFER GRANT. IF THAT COMES THROUGH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO STAFF THOSE FACILITIES AND THEN OBVIOUSLY HAVE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS. I KNOW THE CEO'S BEEN WORKING DILIGENT WITH THOSE CITIES IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH A PLAN IF THE SAFER GRANT WASN'T SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. MR. CHAIR, AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT'S WE MADE THAT DECISION LAST YEAR AND ALREADY PUT IN 2.5 MILLION TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING. SO THAT 715 THE WAY THAT I READ IT IS IN ADDITION TO, IN ADDITION TO THE 2.5 THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN, AGAIN, SO THE INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR TO FISCAL YEAR AND THEN WHILE I HAVE THE MIC, I DO WANT TO COMMENT ON ITEM 53. I WANT TO THANK STAFF. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FROM MADERA COUNTY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS A FEW YEARS AGO, AND AT ONE OF OUR, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT WE GO TO SOME OF THESE CONFERENCES. WE ARE AT OUR WHAT I, IT HAS GOT A BIG, LONG ACRONYM, BUT WE CALL THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUP'S CONFERENCE, WHERE COLLEAGUES FROM THE EIGHT VALLEY COUNTIES GET TOGETHER, AND WE STARTED TALKING TO OUR COUNTERPARTS IN MADERA COUNTY AND REALIZING THAT WE HAVE A NEED IN THE EL NIDO AREA WITH A STATION THAT'S OLD AND ANTIQUATED, AND THE COUNTY OF MADERA HAS A HOLE IN THEIR RESPONSE AREA IN THAT RED TOP AREA, I'M GOING TO CALL IT, AND SO AFTER KIND OF MEETING OF THE MINDS, I APPRECIATE OUR COLLEAGUES FROM MADERA COUNTY APPROVED IT. WE'RE GOING TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM FOR AT LEAST A YEAR OF WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SPLIT THE STAFFING COSTS WITH US. SO THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HALF THE BODIES IN THE STATION. [00:55:03] WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HALF THE BODIES IN THE STATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE RESPONDING OUT OF THAT STATION FIRST INTO PARTS OF MADERA AND MERCED COUNTY, AND THEN WE'LL GET SOME GOOD, CLEAN DATA ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THEN HELP TO GUIDE US IN THE FUTURE. ORIGINALLY MY THOUGHT WAS, IS THAT WE WOULD PARTNER ON BUILDING A STATION, AND THEN THEY WOULD RUN A FIRE COMPANY OUT OF THE MADERA SIDE, AND WE'D RIDE A FIRE COMPANY OUT OF THE MERCED SIDE, OUT OF THAT ONE STATION, INSTEAD OF THEM BUILDING A STATION AND US BUILDING A NEW STATION, AND THEN AFTER TALKING WITH OUR FIRE CHIEF AND FIRE PERSONNEL, IT PROBABLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE TWO FIRE COMPANIES RUNNING OUT OF ONE STATION. THE CALL VOLUME DOESN'T REALLY WARRANT THAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD SPLIT THE COST OF A STATION, POTENTIALLY, AND SPLIT THE COST OF STAFFING, AND THEN BOTH OF OUR AREAS ARE BEING BETTER SERVED. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR ALL THEIR WORK ON THAT AND THIS NOW FINALLY COMING TO FRUITION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET ME SEE IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE I GO TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THESE ITEMS? NO, THEN I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND GO TO SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID, AND THANK MADERA COUNTY AND THANK OUR STAFF FOR REALLY KIND OF THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION AND WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, SERVICES THAT WE ALL ARE RESPONSIBLE TO PROVIDE, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS JUST KIND OF A RANDOM IDEA AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT JUST CAME TO FRUITION BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK OF BOTH STAFFS AND THEN THEIR BOARD TO WORK WITH US. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, AND ECHO WHAT SCOTT SAID, THANK YOU. I SEE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL I CAN JUST SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT, BUT ALSO TO PART OF THAT IS THE AGREEMENT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITIES AND THE STRESSES IT'S HAD ON THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, IN EACH INDIVIDUAL CITY. SO I KNOW THAT CURRENTLY I LIVE IN LIVINGSTON AND THE COMMUNITY IS PRETTY STRESSED ON THAT. YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT CONTRACTS AREN'T EXPIRED, IT HASN'T EXPIRED, BUT I THINK NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, CAL FIRE AND THE CITY WILL YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY WILL HAVE AN AGREEMENT AND WE WON'T HAVE TO LOSE OUR STATION IN LIVINGSTON. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND THE COUNTY. SO THANK YOU. WITH THAT I SEE THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NEXT WE HAVE PROBATION. ITEM 54. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR PROBATION. ITEM 54. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PROBATION. ITEM 54 IS NOW CLOSED. SO ANY COMMENTS OR JUST SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. THEN WE HAVE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT. ITEM 55. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DWI. ITEM 55. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DWI ITEM 55 IS NOW CLOSED. I'LL TAKE COMMENTS AND/OR MOTIONS BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. SECOND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 56 AND 57. THIS TIME I WILL TURN THE MIC OVER TO COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER RAUL LOMELI MENDEZ TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING ITEM 56. GO AHEAD. YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT OR MAYBE TEE UP ITEM 56 BACK IN APRIL, ON THE SECOND, THE BOARD DID RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT. IT PERTAINED TO THE INFORMAL COLLABORATION OF THE MERCED STREAMS GROUP, AND THEN A RECENT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH BOTH MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF MERCED IN REGARDS TO A SHARED COLLABORATION IN CREEK MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY. SO YOUR STAFF HAS TAKEN SOME LIBERTIES AND PREPARED OR DRAFTED A LETTER TO BE SIGNED BY BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD IN RESPONSE, AND THEN ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO FORM AN AD HOC COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF ALL THREE ENTITIES TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM EACH AND STAFF TO ESSENTIALLY BRING THE CONVERSATION TO A HIGHER LEVEL. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, I THINK OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, AND THIS PROVIDES MAYBE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT THAT SUGGESTION. [01:00:08] I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGE ON THE MERCED IRRIGATION BOARD RECENTLY, SO MAYBE IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A KIND OF A RESET. SAME WITH CITY COUNCIL, AND SO IN ADDITION TO SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL TO HAVE THE CHAIR SIGN THE DRAFT LETTER AND SEND IT BACK, ALSO ASKING FOR YOUR BOARD TO IDENTIFY OR DESIGNATE TWO MEMBERS TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY ON THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE. SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, BUT JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SHARE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. OKAY, AND NOW AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CO ITEMS 56 AND 57. ALL RIGHT. I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS ITEMS 56 AND 57. WE'LL GO FOR COMMENTS FOR SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AS PART OF THIS ACTION, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND SUPERVISOR PEDROZO BE ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AS PART OF THE MOTION. OKAY. LET ME FINISH THE COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL GO BACK. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. YEAH. NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE, SO YES, I WILL. OKAY. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL ACTUALLY SAME THING. I WAS GOING TO ASK TO SERVE ON THIS AS WELL. I'M CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF THE [INAUDIBLE], WHICH IS CURRENTLY KIND OF SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY AT THIS TIME IN A SMALL WAY, BUT IT INCLUDES THE CITIES OF LIVINGSTON AND SOME AND ATWATER AS WELL AND CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE FLOOD CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE BEACHWOOD-FRANKLIN AREA AND WORKING ON THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE. I'D APPRECIATE THE NOMINATION FOR THIS AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK. WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GOT A $10 MILLION, AND FOR THE RASCAL CREEK. SO THROUGH THAT, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY THERE GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., SO I APPRECIATE THAT. SO SUPERVISOR BROWN. YEAH, I'LL JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, WELL, ONE SHOW SUPPORT FOR WORKING TOGETHER, AND THEN SECONDLY, JUST TO THROW OUT AN IDEA THAT YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH SIGMA AND GROUNDWATER AND RECHARGE BEING KIND OF A VITAL PART OF WHAT WE DO GOING FORWARD IS THAT IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU SEE, THAT MAYBE A MAYBE A BYPASS AROUND MERCED COULD BE DEVELOPED AT SOME POINT OR A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR OTHER WAYS OTHER THAN LANDOWNERS OR THE GSA BOARDS APPLYING FOR GRANTS TO DO RECHARGE, WHICH ALLOWS FLOOD WATERS TO BE TAKEN OFF CHANNEL, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE AWARE OF THAT AND KEEP THAT IN THE FRESH IN YOUR MIND. SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION, COLLABORATION TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT DONE, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE REAL VALUABLE. I THINK GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE CHANNELS CLEAN IS GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT. I THINK BECAUSE OF THE RECENT FLOODS, WE'VE GOTTEN THE STATE AND EVEN THE FEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON BOARD WITH US. HOWEVER, IN FIVE YEARS, WHEN PEOPLE'S MEMORIES ARE SHORT, THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE, AND SO MAYBE THAT'S A WAY TO KIND OF START THE CONVERSATION NOW AND HELP US IN THE FUTURE. YES WITH ALL THE DURING THE PLANADA FLOODS AND BEFORE THEN TWO, THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS ON THE MID WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS A FARMER, I, WE WERE STRESSING THE STATE FOR THAT PERMIT. YOU KNOW, THEY EVENTUALLY CAME LATE AFTER THE FLOODS. SO IT WAS PRETTY STRESSFUL AND EVERYONE TO GO THROUGH THAT, AND BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO CLEAN THE, YOU KNOW, THE STREAM. SO IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THEY AS, AS A BOARD COMMITTEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THOSE STREAMS CLEAN. SO THAT'LL BE GREAT, AND I THINK THERE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND PEDROZO WILL DO A GREAT JOB. SO WITH THAT, I SEE THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, BUT I SEE THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SO I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE, AND RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES AND CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVING ON THAT. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS 58 THROUGH 62. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD ITEMS 58 THROUGH TO 62. NO COMMENTS. THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD ITEMS ITEMS 58 TO 62 IS NOW CLOSED. I SEE THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. CALL FOR THE VOTES. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION. [BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION] [01:05:03] ITEM 63. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM INFO ITEM 63. ANY COMMENTS? I WILL CLOSE THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR INFO ITEM 63 AND WE'LL TAKE COMMENTS OR MOTIONS. I SEE THERE'S MOTION SUPERVISOR PEDROZO SECOND. IS THERE A SECOND? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR SCHEDULED ITEM. [SCHEDULED ITEMS] WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. GO AHEAD. GOOD MORNING, MISTER CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD STEVE MAXEY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COUNTY. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS ZONE CHANGE NUMBER ZC24-001. THIS WAS INITIATED BY MERCED COUNTY AFTER THE COUNTY OBTAINED A GRANT THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, OR HCD, THROUGH THEIR LOCAL EARLY ACTION PLANNING OR LEAP PROGRAM. THAT PROGRAM AND THIS PROJECT ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION AND HOUSING CHOICE WITHIN THE COUNTY, AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO THANK THE STATE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM, AND IN PARTICULAR, THANK THEIR STAFF FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND FLEXIBILITY IN EXECUTING THE PROJECT. I CAN SAY THAT IT'S ACTUALLY SOME OF THE BEST TEAMMATES THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE STATE WORKING THROUGH HCD ON THIS PROGRAM. I ALSO WANT TO THANK DEPUTY DIRECTOR TIFFANY HO AND HER STAFF AND OUR CONSULTANT RECON FOR THEIR WORK, AND THIS PROJECT AND THE RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY ACCOMPLISHES THOSE THOSE GOALS OF PROVIDING GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION AND HOUSING CHOICE. BY ASSIGNING THE MIXED USE ZONING DESIGNATION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD IN LATE 2019, TWO PARCELS THAT ARE ALREADY DESIGNATED MIXED USE WITHIN THE COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN. SO THIS LAND USE DESIGNATION ALREADY EXISTS IN THE COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN. WE'RE JUST ASSIGNING THE NEW 2019 ZONING CODE DESIGNATION OF MIXED USE TO THOSE PARCELS FOR OWNERS OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY DESIGNATED MIXED USE. THIS ACTION WOULD REMOVE AN EXTRA STEP WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER MUST ALIGN THEIR PARCELS ZONING WITH THE GENERAL PLAN PRIOR TO DEVELOPMENT OF OF HOUSING OR ANY OTHER PROJECT. SO REALLY REMOVING THIS STEP MAKES DEVELOPMENT MORE FEASIBLE FOR THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS, REDUCES COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INDIVIDUAL REZONE PROJECTS IF THEY WERE TO TAKE ON THOSE PROJECTS ON THEIR OWN AND STREAMLINES MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS ACTION WOULD NOT MODIFY OTHER, MORE SPECIFIC POLICIES OF ANY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY PLANS, AND ALL OF OUR UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIFIC SET OF GOALS AND POLICIES THAT ARE TIED TO WHAT THAT COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND HOW TO ALIGN THOSE GOALS WITH OUR GENERAL PLAN AS A WHOLE. THOSE WON'T BE CHANGED AS PART OF TODAY'S PROPOSED ACTION. THE COUNTY'S PLANNING COMMISSION DID CONSIDER THIS ITEM AT ITS REGULAR MEETING ON JUNE 12TH OF THIS YEAR, WHERE THE COMMISSION DID VOTE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE PROJECT AND ITS ASSOCIATED SEQUA DOCUMENT PROJECT HAS BEEN PUBLICLY NOTICED AS REQUIRED FOR ZONING AMENDMENTS, AND NO COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, AND THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT WE HELD FOUR PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE, OR THE ZONE CHANGES THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT AND, AND COMMENTS THAT WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT, AND SO WITH THAT, STAFF HAS THREE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION. THAT'S TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. ADOPT THE ADDENDUM TO THE 2030 GENERAL PLAN EIR FOR THIS PROJECT, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ZONE CHANGE THAT I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AS IS. SO ALL RIGHT. I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES AND SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ALL RIGHT. SEE NO ONE COMING FORWARD. SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MR. MAXEY, QUESTION FOR YOU. PARDON MY IGNORANCE, BUT I LOOKED AT THIS A BUNCH OF TIMES, AND I GUESS IT JUST KIND OF DAWNED ON ME, WHAT ARE THE UNKNOWNS? THERE'S A COUPLE IN THE DELHI ONE. THERE'S ONE IN THE HILMAR ONE. LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A BUNCH MORE IN THE WHERE'S THIS ONE? THE PLANADA ONE. SO WHAT IS THE UNKNOWN DESIGNATION? IT'S JUST WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. THIS MIGHT BE, I BELIEVE, URBAN RESERVE. SO THOSE ARE PARCELS OR DESIGNATIONS WITHIN THOSE UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S STILL A PART OF THE UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY AND STUDIED IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN, BUT THEY'RE NOT DESIGNATED WITH ANY PARTICULAR LAND USE OR SLOTTED FOR ANY TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT. [01:10:04] SO THEY COULD STILL BE DEVELOPED, STILL BE SERVED BY SERVICES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES STILL SUBJECT TO THE COUNTY'S LAND USE GOALS AND POLICIES, BUT THEY'D HAVE TO UNDERGO THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL STUDY AS PART OF LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT FOR THOSE PARCELS IN PARTICULAR. SO THEY'RE SMALLER CHUNKS OF THE OVERALL COMMUNITY PLAN AREAS. PERFECT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE ADDENDUM TO THE 2030 MERCED COUNTY GENERAL PLAN FINAL PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PURSUANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15164 OF THE CEQA GUIDELINES AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOMMEND THAT'S RECOMMENDING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. APPROVING ZONE CHANGE ZC24-001 TO REZONE THE PROJECT SITE TO MIXED USE. OKAY. SECOND THANK YOU. I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE A TEN MINUTE BREAK, AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE READY TO GET BACK. [FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 PROPOSED BUDGET] WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 PROPOSED BUDGET. ITEM 64 THROUGH 66. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TURN THE MIC OVER TO OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RAUL LOMELI MENDEZ, TO BEGIN THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION. GO AHEAD. YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNSEL HANSEN COUNTY STAFF IN ATTENDANCE AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. GOOD MORNING. BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT WE DO HAVE COPIES OF THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AT THE FOYER, AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBERS, AND THERE'S ALSO A BUDGET SUMMARY DOCUMENT TITLED BUDGET PROPOSED BUDGET AT A GLANCE. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK THOSE DOCUMENTS UP, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO NOW OR AFTER OUR MEETING. AS WE BEGIN THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, THE THEME FOR TODAY IS THE FISCAL RECALIBRATION OF OUR ORGANIZATION. IN RECENT MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL TEAMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET PACKAGE. THIS YEAR, THE TONE HAS BEEN VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PRIOR TWO FISCAL YEARS, IN THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE MUCH MORE LIMITED, AND AS A RESULT IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN THE PRIOR YEARS TO DEVELOP A BALANCED, A BALANCED SPENDING PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING OPERATING YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 24-25. OUR ORGANIZATION WILL NEED A PRACTICE SPENDING DISCIPLINE, AND WE WILL LOOK TO THE BOARD TO COLLECTIVELY PRIORITIZE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO CHALLENGING TIMES. YOU HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THIS PROCESS IN SEVERAL KEY AREAS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT WE'LL NEED TO EXTEND THIS OUT TO OTHER FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE ORGANIZATION. A LOT WILL UNFOLD OVER THE UPCOMING MONTHS TO BETTER INFORM YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS. STRIKING THE CORRECT BALANCE OR THE RIGHT BALANCE WILL BE DIFFICULT, BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL MEET THE CHALLENGE HEAD ON BY BEING STRATEGIC, THOUGHTFUL AND MEASURED. THE BUDGET BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING CONTAINS A FUNDING SHORTFALL THAT WILL REQUIRE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO IMPLEMENT BUDGET REDUCTIONS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR FINAL BUDGET, SCHEDULED TO COME BEFORE YOU IN SEPTEMBER. THESE WILL BE DONE BY BUILDING ON THE WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN INITIATED INTERNALLY AND GOING A BIT DEEPER. THIS STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, COUPLED WITH THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY ON THE HORIZON AND ANTICIPATED DEFICITS BOTH AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, WILL DRIVE OUR RECALIBRATION EFFORT. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, IT APPEARS THAT WE WILL END THE YEAR WITH REVENUE SOURCES SLIGHTLY ABOVE EXPENDITURES, ALTHOUGH SALES TAX REVENUE IS CONTINUING TO SLOW DOWN, PROPERTY TAX AND INTEREST REVENUE ARE REMAINING STABLE. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR EXCEEDS $1 BILLION AT 1.13 BILLION, BUT RELIES ON ESTIMATED FUND BALANCE OF 69.5 MILLION. THE TOTAL SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS 32.1 MILLION, LOWER THAN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WHILE REVENUE ESTIMATES ARE JUST $5.6 MILLION HIGHER. YET THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS A FUNDING SHORTFALL OF $6.6 MILLION, THAT OUR OFFICE WILL WORK WITH COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO CLOSE THE APPROACH TO THIS [01:15:07] YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET PLAN IS METHODICAL, ESSENTIALLY TO PAUSE ANY REQUESTS FOR NEW POSITIONS OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, TO ALLOW US TIME TO CONTINUE OUR INTERNAL WORK AND ALSO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT LIES AHEAD. WITH THE STATE BUDGET STILL BEING FINALIZED AND SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS NEEDING TO BE ADDRESSED AT BOTH THAT STATE, BOTH AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK ONGOING COSTS AND LOCAL REVENUE. WE WILL ALSO BE LOOKING PAST THE IMMEDIATE NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO ENSURE WE ARE CONSIDERING OTHER IMPACTS TO THE ORGANIZATION DOWN THE ROAD REGARDING THE STATE BUDGET ON JUNE 22ND, GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR NEWSOM, SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEM MCGUIRE AND SPEAKER RIVAS ANNOUNCED THEIR AGREEMENT ON A PROPOSED 24-25 CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET PLAN. MORE DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE COMING DAYS, AS BUDGET COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND LEGISLATIVE VOTES ON 19 BUDGET RELATED BILLS ARE EXPECTED ON OR BEFORE THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH, 2024. OUR STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THESE BILLS. WE DO ANTICIPATE DECREASED FUNDING FOR CRITICAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS, AND IMPACTED COUNTY DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN DEVELOPING CONTINGENCY CONTINGENCY PLANS IN ANTICIPATION. AS IN THE PAST, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS PRELIMINARY, AND THIS YEAR. PROBABLY MORE SO THAN THE PRIOR. A TRUE WORK IN PROGRESS. FOR THE REASONS MENTIONED, WE WILL CLOSE THE BUDGET SHORTFALL WORKING WITH COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AND WILL RECOMMEND REQUIRED ADJUSTMENTS AT FINAL BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO ENSURE A BALANCED BUDGET INTO FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025. ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET TODAY ENSURES THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO OPERATE JULY 1ST, THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OR DISRUPTION IN CRITICAL SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY. I WILL NOW ASK MISS ANDERSON AND MR. CULOT TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN MORE DETAIL, AND ONCE THEY'RE DONE, I WILL END WITH SOME BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS AND SOME CLOSING REMARKS. MISS ANDERSON. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AS RAUL MENTIONED DEFINITELY MORE WORK AHEAD OF US, BUT JUMPING RIGHT INTO THE DETAILS. THIS SLIDE HERE SHOWS REALLY A MULTI YEAR VIEW OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE RESULTS OF OUR PRIOR YEAR BUDGETS ARE. THESE ARE THE ACTUALS FROM FISCAL YEAR 1314 UP TO OUR ESTIMATION OF 23-24. IT INDICATES KIND OF THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR BUDGET. WHAT HAS COME IN FOR REVENUES AND WHERE OUR EXPENDITURES HAVE LANDED? THE INCREASES THAT YOU SEE WHERE WE'RE COMING UP FOR 23-24 AND IN THE MOST RECENT PRIOR YEARS. THAT'S REALLY DRIVEN BY OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EVEN MORE RECENTLY, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE FUNCTIONAL AREAS. AS MENTIONED OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AREA, WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOSELY WHAT THE STATE IS COMING UP WITH AND WHAT THAT MAY DO TO OUR LOCAL SERVICES. FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND 21-22. THERE'S A GAP THERE BETWEEN OUR YELLOW LINE FOR THE REVENUES AND THE BLUE LINE FOR THE EXPENDITURES, REALLY INDICATING A SURPLUS IN THOSE FISCAL YEARS, AND THAT REALLY WAS DRIVEN BY SOME ANTICIPATED, UNANTICIPATED ONE TIME REVENUES, SUCH AS THE CARES ACT OR THE ARPA FUNDING THAT HAVE HAD COME IN. THERE WERE OTHER UNANTICIPATED ONE TIME REVENUES. WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 23-24 CLOSEOUT IS A $3.9 MILLION SURPLUS. WE'LL SEE THAT IN SOME FUTURE SLIDES WHERE THAT SHAKES OUT AND WHERE WE'VE LANDED IN THE PROGRAMING OF THAT, BUT REALLY, THE CLOSEOUT OF EACH FISCAL YEAR DRIVES TO OUR FUND BALANCE, WHETHER IT INCREASES OUR FUND BALANCE OR REDUCES THE FUND BALANCE. ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT OF THE TOTAL REVENUE INCREASES, 76% OF THAT COMES FROM OUR STATE AND FEDERAL SOURCES. SO IT'S VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAM MONEY THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE DISCRETION OVER. MOVING INTO THAT FUND BALANCE COMPONENT THAT I JUST SPOKE OF. THIS IS USED TO BALANCE OUT THE BUDGET PACKAGE THAT WE HAVE. IT IS USED AS RESOURCES TO COVER EXPENDITURES OR SPENDING REQUIREMENTS THAT DEPARTMENTS MAY HAVE, WHERE OTHERWISE THERE ISN'T ANY MONEY. RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THERE'S STATE AND FEDERAL OR OTHER LOCAL FUNDING THAT COMES IN. WE HAVE ROADS, WE HAVE THE SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THOSE ALL HAVE THEIR OWN DEDICATED SOURCES OF REVENUE. THIS THIS IS A COMPONENT HERE THAT WE USE TO ALSO BALANCE OUT THAT BUDGET AND PROVIDE RESOURCES. [01:20:02] THE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE IS $132.7 MILLION. EARLIER ON IN THE PROCESS, WE HAD ANTICIPATED THAT PERHAPS THAT FUND BALANCE WOULD BE AROUND $139 MILLION, BUT IN OUR MORE RECENT REVIEW OF THOSE ESTIMATES, WE LOOKED AT AND HAVE DETERMINED WHERE OUR ACTUALS ARE COMING IN AT, AND IT REALLY IS BEING PROGRAMED AT $132.7 MILLION. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF THE $3.9 MILLION THAT I JUST MENTIONED ON OUR PREVIOUS SLIDE. AGAIN, THAT RAPID GROWTH THAT YOU SAW IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND 21-22 WERE INDICATIVE OF THOSE ONE TIME REVENUES COMING IN THAT WE HADN'T ANTICIPATED OR ON THE FLIP SIDE, THERE COULD BE EXPENDITURES THAT HADN'T BEEN SPENT. THEY WERE WE PROGRAMED THEM AS COSTS IN OUR BUDGET, BUT THEY WEREN'T SPENT, SO RETURNED BACK AND THEN REPROGRAMED FOR SPENDING IN THAT BUDGET PACKAGE FOR THE SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR. ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT OUR FUND BALANCE REALLY SHOULD BE UTILIZED FOR ONE TIME PURPOSES. IT REALLY IS A CUMULATION OF FUNDING THAT HADN'T BEEN SPENT OR MONEY THAT HAD COME IN THAT WE HADN'T ANTICIPATED, AND WE CAN'T WE CAN'T RELY ON FUND BALANCE AS AN ONGOING SOURCE OF MONEY. IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, SIMILAR TO SAVINGS ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE, AND SO YOU HAVE TO USE THAT VERY CAUTIOUSLY AND REALLY ATTACH IT TO ONE TIME USES. IF I CAN QUOTE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, HE MENTIONS SOMETIMES THAT IF WE IF EVERYONE SPENT EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SPEND, THIS REALLY IS THE COMPONENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OF FUND BALANCE. THAT IS THE PART THAT WOULD LEAVE THE GAP IN OUR BUDGET, AND WE WOULD NEED TO OTHERWISE COME UP WITH THE FUNDING TO COVER THAT. BREAKING DOWN THAT FUND BALANCE A LITTLE BIT IN MORE DETAIL. $132.7 MILLION DOES SEEM LIKE A LOT. IT IS A LOT OF MONEY. HOWEVER, NOT ALL OF THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR PROGRAMMING. YOU CAN SEE THAT BLUE SECTION OF THE BAR AT THE VERY BOTTOM. THAT'S WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT WE CAN PROGRAM FOR, DEPARTMENTAL USES, FOR PROGRAM SPENDING, ETC.. THE YELLOW SECTION WITHIN THAT INCLUDES ENCUMBRANCES, OBLIGATIONS THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE, PURCHASE ORDERS, CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE. IF YOU LOOK AT FISCAL YEAR 22-23 COMPARED TO 23-24, THAT'S INCREASING BY $3.3 MILLION. YOU HEARD ME MENTION A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO THAT WE'RE INCREASING OUR FUND BALANCE BY ABOUT 3.9. THAT REALLY IS DRIVING TO THIS YELLOW SECTION. WE HAVE A LOT MORE LARGER PROJECTS HAPPENING, RIGHT? WE HAVE CONTRACTS OUT IN DEPARTMENT LAND THAT ARE INCREASING AND REQUIRING MORE RESOURCES. WHEN I LOOKED FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, WHEN I LOOKED PRIOR YEAR AND LOOKED AT THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PERIOD, WE HAD $15.2 MILLION MORE IN ENCUMBRANCES. SO THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE NEEDS, AND WHAT WE ARE OBLIGATING THE COUNTY FOR SERVICES AND SUPPLIES, ETC.. GREEN SECTION AT THE TOP REPRESENTS THE COMMITTED FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS ALSO OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVES. THAT'S THE RAINY DAY FUND. THAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT'S UTILIZED IN VERY SPECIFIC INSTANCES. AGAIN, IT'S NOT IN THAT BLUE SECTION, SO IT'S NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AND UNLESS THERE ARE CERTAIN TRIGGERS THAT HAPPEN. SPECIFICALLY THERE IS AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY OR A DISASTER. IF THERE'S CERTAIN LIABILITIES THAT ARE IN EXCESS OF WHAT THE COUNTY CAN PROVIDE FOR LIABILITIES. SO THAT AMOUNT HAD INCREASED FROM OUR 23-24 BUDGET PACKAGE INTO OUR 23-24, THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN. THAT WAS A BOARD ACTION TO INCREASE THAT RAINY DAY FUND BY $3 MILLION. THERE ARE CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT ALLOW US TO DO THAT. IT IS DRIVEN BY BOARD POLICY. THERE'S A FLOOR AND A CEILING THAT ANOTHER SLIDE IN OUR FUTURE PRESENTATION HERE WE'LL GET INTO, BUT THERE IT'S DRIVEN BY BOARD POLICY, AND IF RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, THERE'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC CONTRIBUTION MADE TO THAT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ONLY DO IF THOSE TWO FACTORS ARE MAKE IT POSSIBLE. ONE THING I WANT TO UNPACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, MAYBE TO SHOW THAT $45.1 MILLION, THE SPENDING POWER THAT MIGHT HAVE THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BASED ON A ROLLING AVERAGE OF WHAT THE COUNTY'S REVENUES ARE, IT ONLY EQUATES TO ABOUT 5% OF THE GENERAL FUND TOTAL SPENDING AUTHORITY. SO EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OTHER SOURCES THAT COME IN TO SUPPORT COSTS WITH THROUGHOUT OUR BUDGET, IT ONLY AMOUNTS IF IF THE BOTTOM WERE TO FALL OUT. LET'S IMAGINE IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO 5% OF OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND SPENDING AUTHORITY IS ABOUT ONE MONTH OF OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS. [01:25:05] THERE'S CERTAIN OTHER TRANSACTIONS THAT MAY COME THROUGH, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR MOST RECENT SALARIES AND BENEFITS, SERVICES AND SUPPLIES AND OTHER CHARGES THAT REALLY WOULD ONLY COVER ABOUT ONE MONTH WORTH OF COSTS, AGAIN, ASSUMING NO OTHER FUNDING COME HAD COME THROUGH, IF WE ONLY WANTED TO SUSTAIN SALARIES AND BENEFITS AGAIN, ASSUMING NO OTHER FUNDING SOURCE WAS AVAILABLE, THAT WOULD ONLY COVER ABOUT TWO AND A QUARTERS MONTH OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS. SO WORST CASE SCENARIO THERE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO PAINT THE LIMITED AMOUNT THAT WOULD COVER FOR THE IN THE EVENT THAT THE BOARD HAD TO TAP INTO THAT, MOVING INTO OUR BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUES. THIS IS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF BALANCING OUT THE SPENDING PACKAGE THAT WE HAVE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD HAS THE MOST DISCRETION OVER. THESE ARE THE LOCAL REVENUES. THESE ARE THE GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES. THESE ARE UTILIZED WHEN THERE IS NO OTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING, SUCH AS FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL SOURCES OF REVENUE. IT'S A BOARD PRIORITY TO PROGRAM THESE FUNDS AND OR A MANDATE THAT WE HAVE FOR SOME PARTICIPATION IN A PROGRAM. IT'S GROWN ABOUT $65.4 MILLION SINCE FISCAL YEAR 13-14, BUT ONE THING I KIND OF WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS OR THE SPENDING NEEDS OF OUR BUDGET PACKAGE HAS GROWN BY $461.3 MILLION. OF WHICH 119 MILLION REQUIRES THE USE OF THIS MONEY. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT THE FUNDING HAS NOT KEPT PACE WITH THE USE OF THE SPENDING. HENCE KIND OF THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN NOW AND NEEDING TO EVALUATE WITH THE OPENING STATEMENT OF REDUCING THE SPENDING. PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THOSE BUDGETED LOCAL RESOURCES CONSIST OF. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE FOR YOU TO SHOW FOR POINT OF REFERENCE, HOW THEY'VE MOVED THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEARS. PROPERTY TAXES IS BY FAR THE LARGEST SOURCE THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE ABOUT $5.1 MILLION INCREASE PROGRAMED FOR OUR 24-25 PROPOSED BUDGET. INTEREST IS ANOTHER PRIMARY SOURCE. I'M SORRY, SALES TAX IS ANOTHER PRIMARY SOURCE OF OUR DISCRETIONARY REVENUES. THAT MONEY HAS BEEN HELD FLAT. WE'RE SEEING WHEN WE COMPARE THIS THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN TO THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, 22-23. WE'RE REALLY KIND OF STACKING UP EQUALLY, AND SO THERE WAS A PERIOD WHERE WE HAD SOME ROBUST GROWTH IN THE COVID YEARS. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY PUMPED INTO THE ECONOMY. PEOPLE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE MAYBE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACTIVITIES THEY COULD PUT THAT INTO. SO I WOULD SAY SALES TAX REALLY GREW DURING THAT TIME, BUT WE ARE SEEING IT KIND OF FLATTEN OUT AND MAINTAIN. SO FOR THAT REASON WE ARE KEEPING THAT EQUAL INTEREST. WE DID SEE SOME GOOD GROWTH IN THAT, AND SO WE ARE KEEPING THAT ONE FLAT AS WELL. MOVING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR OUR 24-25 PROPOSED BUDGET. THE LOCAL REVENUES TOTAL $132.4 MILLION, AND THEN LOOKING AT THAT NEXT LINE, WE HAVE OUR FUND BALANCE AT 69.5 MILLION, AGAIN, LOOKING TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS FOR ONE TIME PURPOSES, AND AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT IF IN FACT, THOSE WERE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED IN A FISCAL YEAR, THAT WOULD BE A GAP THAT WOULD NEED TO BE COVERED OTHERWISE. TOTAL RESOURCE REQUIREMENT IS $208.5 MILLION, LEAVING THAT $6.6 MILLION FUNDING SHORTFALL THAT WE WILL BE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS BETWEEN TODAY AND OUR FINAL BUDGET PACKAGE TO CLOSE THAT GAP. ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT $6.6 MILLION FUNDING SHORTFALL IS NOT THE RESULT OF LOST REVENUE OR DECLINED RESOURCES, IT'S THE RESULT OF OVER PROGRAMING OR OVERSPENDING WITHIN OUR BUDGET. SO AGAIN, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO DEPARTMENTS TO RIGHTSIZE THOSE BUDGETS, MAKE REDUCTIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE MOST EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF SERVICES, BUT ALSO LIVING WITHIN OUR MEANS OF OUR BUDGET. ONE THING, AGAIN, MAYBE JUST TO POINT OUT BETWEEN 23-24 AND OUR NOW 24-25 PACKAGE WE HAD A 12% GROWTH IN THOSE REVENUES 7% OF THAT. BEING BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 22-23 AND 23-24, BUT WHAT WE SEE BETWEEN 23-24 AND 24-25 IS ONLY ABOUT A 4% GROWTH. SO AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT THE GROWTH IN THE REVENUE MAYBE ISN'T AS ROBUST AS IT PREVIOUSLY WAS. OUR BUDGETED LOCAL RESOURCES. THIS IS THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO SOURCES THAT WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT, LOCAL REVENUE BEING IN THAT BLUE SECTION AND YELLOW IS THE FUND BALANCE. AGAIN, THE ONE TIME UTILIZATION, THE LOCAL REVENUES ARE ONGOING. THEY CONTINUE TO REPLENISH AS LONG AS ALL OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS REMAIN STABLE. [01:30:04] WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE LOCAL REVENUES COME IN. THAT YELLOW SECTION SHOULD BE UTILIZED ONLY FOR ONE TIME PURPOSES. IT'S AGAIN THAT SAVINGS, THAT ACCUMULATION OF EITHER MONEY THAT HAS COME IN THAT WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY ANTICIPATE OR HIGHER THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED OR UNDERSPENDING FOR ONE YEAR, BUT BEING REPROGRAMED IN ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR. THE SUM OF THESE. SORRY, AND THEN FOR OUR 24-25 BAR, YOU SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT THAT GRAY SECTION AT THE TOP, THE $6.6 MILLION, THAT IS THE FUNDING SHORTFALL. SO AGAIN, NEEDING TO WORK TO GET THAT REMOVED AND MAKE THE BUDGET PACKAGE WITHIN OUR MEANS, THE SPENDING NEEDS THAT. WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT WITHIN WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. THE SUM OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE HERE ONLY REPRESENTS ABOUT 18% OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET PACKAGE. SO CEO MENDEZ HAD MENTIONED A $1.13 BILLION SPENDING PACKAGE THAT WE WILL BE GETTING INTO MORE DETAILS OF, BUT THESE LOCAL RESOURCES ONLY MAKE UP 18%, AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE BOARD'S DISCRETIONARY SPENDING. THIS IS WHAT WE DRIVE AT WITH PRIORITIES OR OTHER MANDATES, AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET. MOVING IN TO SHOW WHERE THE REVENUE STACK UP TO OUR SPENDING AUTHORITY, GRAY BARS IN THE BACKGROUND SHOW AGAIN THAT SPENDING AUTHORITY WHERE YOU SEE OUR 24-25 ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE AT $1.13 BILLION, AND THE YELLOW LINE REPRESENTS THE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. YOU CAN SEE BY FAR THAT COVERS THE RESOURCES NEEDED, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE OR OTHER LOCAL, RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR ROADS FUND THAT THEY'RE SELF-SUSTAINING. WE HAVE FEDERAL AND STATE SOURCES WITHIN OUR SUBVENTED DEPARTMENTS, PRIMARILY WITHIN OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, BUT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT DO BRING GRANT REVENUE, ETC. THAT ALSO REPRESENTS FUNDING GRANT, GRANT FUNDING THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF WITH OUR JAIL PROJECT, $40 MILLION. THE BLUE LINE AT THE VERY BOTTOM ARE OUR COUNTYWIDE REVENUES. I KNOW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IT LOOKED LIKE MAYBE IT HAD A PRETTY GOOD GROWTH PATTERN, BUT YOU CAN SEE IN COMPARISON TO ALL OF THE SPENDING NEEDS AND THEN THOSE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES THAT OTHERWISE COME IN, IT STAYS PRETTY FLAT. THERE'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GROWTH AND DEFINITELY DOESN'T NECESSARILY KEEP PACE WITH THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION TO PROGRAM SPENDING. THOSE LOCAL REVENUES. I KIND OF WANTED TO SHOW HERE WHAT FUNCTIONAL AREA. EACH DEPARTMENT IS DIVIDED UP INTO A FUNCTIONAL AREA TO SHOW KIND OF THE TYPE OF SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED, AND THAT TOP LINE THAT YOU SEE REPRESENTS, AGAIN, THOSE GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES. THAT'S THE ONGOING SOURCE. IT'S THE PROPERTY TAXES AND THE SALES TAX. EACH FISCAL YEAR HAS A GROUP OF FOUR BARS THERE. THE GRAY BAR ON THE LEFT SIDE BEING OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. THE UTILIZATION OF OUR LOCAL RESOURCES THERE REPRESENT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE FOR THE PARTICIPATION WITHIN THOSE PROGRAMS. THE YELLOW SECTION REPRESENTS OUR MUNICIPAL OR THE COUNTYWIDE DEPARTMENTS. SOME OF THOSE THAT FALL WITHIN THAT CATEGORY ARE PUBLIC WORKS, AG COMMISSIONER, LIBRARY, CORONER, AND ANIMAL CONTROL. ABOUT 68% OF THE COST OF FOR DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THOSE THAT YELLOW SECTION REQUIRE THE USE OF NET COUNTY COSTS. SO THERE IS SOME SUBVENTION. THERE ARE SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT COME IN THERE, BUT THEY STILL, BY AND LARGE REQUIRE THE USE OF GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES. THE BRIGHTER BLUE SECTION REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE, BY FAR THE LARGEST COMPONENT OF UTILIZING OUR LOCAL REVENUES, $107.4 MILLION OF THE 132.4 THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND THEN THE DARKER BLUE SECTION ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THAT GROUPING INDICATES OUR SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENTS. INCLUDED WITHIN THIS SECTION INCLUDE ASSESSOR, TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR, REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, ALSO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS AND OUR GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCIES. THERE WAS SOME PRETTY GOOD GROWTH THERE IN 21-22 AND 22-23. ALSO FOR 23-24, AS WE HAD ARPA MONEY THAT THE BOARD HAD PROGRAMED FOR ONE TIME USES AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS, A LOT OF MOVING THAT MONEY INTO PROGRAMING FOR CIPS. SUMMARIZING WHERE WE ARE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24-25 PROPOSED BUDGET, THE UTILIZATION OF AGAIN, THOSE GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES, YOU CAN SEE 80% GOES [01:35:02] TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE, 3% IS OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. THAT AGAIN DRIVES TO THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR OTHER SPENDING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE LOCALLY, AND THEN THE DARKER BLUE SECTION ARE SUPPORT SERVICES, AND THEN ON THE FAR RIGHT WE HAVE OUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE. SO REALLY JUST KIND OF SHOWING WHERE THE MONEY GOES THAT THE BOARD HAS DISCRETION TO PROGRAM, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO GREG NOW FOR THE NEXT SECTION OF THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, CEO MENDEZ, COUNTY COUNSEL HANSEN. GREG CULOT, BUDGET MANAGER, TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PRESENTATION. TOTAL BUDGET, CEO MENDEZ MENTIONED EARLIER THE $1.13 BILLION. THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YOUR APPROVAL AND SPENDING AUTHORITY. $315.3 MILLION OF THIS RESIDES IN THE OTHER FUNDS THE JAIL, FIRE, ROADS, CHILD SUPPORT THAT BRING THEIR DEDICATED FUNDING AND OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND, LEAVING $818.1 MILLION, OR 72%, TO THE GENERAL FUND. 75% OF THIS GENERAL FUND REALLY COMES FROM FUNDING THAT IS USED TO SUPPORT DEPARTMENTAL OR FROM DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. EXCUSE ME. USED TO SUPPORT THE SPENDING FROM SUBVENTED DEPARTMENTS. THE REMAINDER, THE BALANCE OF THAT GENERAL FUND ARE COSTS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY THOSE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES, AND MAKES UP THE AMOUNT THAT THE BOARD HAS THE MOST DISCRETION OVER, AND THAT'S THAT $208.5 MILLION NET COUNTY COST, THE LOCAL REVENUES OF 132.4 MILLION, MADE UP OF THE $132.4 MILLION, AND THEN THE FUND BALANCE THAT IS PROGRAMED IN, LEAVING THAT $6.6 MILLION FUNDING SHORTFALL THAT WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS ON RIGHTSIZING AS WE WORK TOWARDS BRINGING FORWARD A BALANCED FINAL BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER. THE FOLLOWING SLIDE BRINGS THOSE SAME NUMBERS IN A MORE GRAPHICAL VIEW. ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE OUR TOTAL BUDGET THAT WE START WITH THE $1.13 BILLION. AGAIN THAT DARKER GRAYISH BLUE SHARE OF 28% OR THE OTHER FUNDS, LEAVING THE $818.1 MILLION, 72% TO BE PICKED UP BY THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT GENERAL FUND, 54%, THE BRIGHT BLUE ONE BEING FOR THE FEDERAL, STATE AND GRANT FUNDING THAT IS BEING BROUGHT IN THE DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE. THE $132.4 MILLION, 12% IN YELLOW BEING THE GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. THE GRAYISH BLUE BOTTOM LEFT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, WE SEE THE $69.5 MILLION. THAT IS THE AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE THAT'S BEING PROGRAMED IN, AND THEN THE RED SHARE, WHICH IS THE $6.6 MILLION OF FUNDING SHORTFALL. THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO SPENDING CATEGORIES, WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE REFLECTING UNDER SALARIES AND BENEFITS, THE SECOND ONE BEING SERVICES AND SUPPLIES. OTHER CHARGES REFLECT THE OTHER OPERATIONAL COSTS. THOSE ARE THE CLIENT SPECIFIC PAYMENTS ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY BY THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, THE CALWORKS PAYMENTS, FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS, ETC.. THE NEXT CATEGORY ARE THE TRANSFERS, AND THOSE INCLUDE THE SHIFTING OF RESOURCES BETWEEN FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO AN OUTSIDE FUND, OR VICE VERSA. CAPITAL ASSETS IS THE NEXT CATEGORY, AND WE'LL KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THE LARGEST DRIVERS FOR THOSE REDUCTIONS IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT KIND OF WHAT THE DEFINITION OR THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF THOSE CATEGORIES ARE. SO THE CAPITAL ASSETS ARE ITEMS THAT COST OVER $5,000 OR ALL THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE BUDGETED OR THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, THE CONTINGENCIES, THOSE ARE THE SAFETY NET THAT THE COUNTY CAN USE IN CASE THERE ARE UNANTICIPATED COSTS OR EMERGENCIES AND THOSE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE BY A FOURTH, FIFTH VOTE OF THE BOARD. THE LARGEST DRIVERS. SO WE SEE SALARIES AND BENEFITS. THERE IS AN INCREASE OF $14.4 MILLION, THE TOP LINE. THE LARGEST DRIVERS FOR THOSE ARE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET PACKAGE. [01:40:02] THERE ARE SEVEN POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED IN 23-24, AND THEN 11 POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED WITH THIS PACKAGE, AND THE 11 POSITIONS ARE WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES AND THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, AND THEY'RE REALLY DIRECTLY TIED TO A REDUCTION STRATEGY PLAN THAT DEPARTMENT IS IMPLEMENTING TO ADDRESS ANTICIPATED CUTS FROM THE STATE, AND ON THE HSE SIDE, THERE ARE SOME MANDATES THAT REQUIRE NEW POSITIONS. I THINK CALAIM, CARE COURT AND THE EXPANSION OF CONSERVATORSHIP ELIGIBILITY. ADDITIONALLY, IN THESE SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE ALSO THE WAGE INCREASES THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE BOARD FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY BARGAINING UNITS IN FISCAL YEAR 23-24, AS WELL AS THE 10% INCREASE IN THE HEALTH CARE CAP, AND THEN ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THOSE INCREASES IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS THE UTILIZATION OF OVERTIME AND EXTRA HELP SERVICES AND SUPPLIES. THAT'S LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE INCREASED COST OF PURCHASES AND CONTRACTS FOR DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DO BUSINESS. THE OTHER CHARGES, AGAIN, THOSE ARE INCREASING TO AND THOSE ARE THE ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY PAYMENTS MAINLY THAT ARE DRIVING THAT UNDER THE HSA UMBRELLA. THE TRANSFERS. THIS IS WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THOSE TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS, AND SO THOSE ARE DECREASING, AND THAT'S MAINLY DUE TO THE COMPLETION OF A NUMBER OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AS WELL AS THE PAUSE IN PROGRAMING OF NEW PROJECTS, CAPITAL ASSETS, THOSE ARE DECREASING, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE ON A NUMBER OF CIP AS WELL, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WHERE THOSE DON'T HAVE TO BE RE-BUDGETED BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THOSE COSTS HAVE BEEN INCURRED, HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED, AND THEN THE LAST CATEGORY ARE THE CONTINGENCIES, AND THOSE ARE BEING KEPT FLAT AT $6.5 MILLION, AND WE HAVE A FUTURE OR WE HAVE A SLIDE COMING UP THAT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS OR GOES INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT AS WELL. SO TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS IN THE OR TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS ARE GOING UP BY $9.9 MILLION OVERALL IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS FOR THIS SLIDE SHOWS THOSE SAME FUNDING CATEGORIES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IN THE DARKER BLUE ONE, WE HAVE OUR PROPOSED BUDGETS 24-25. LARGEST SPENDING COMPONENT IS SALARIES AND BENEFITS, AND THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE CURRENTLY HOLD THE 2467 ALLOCATED POSITIONS. THE GROWTH IN THIS CATEGORY IS REALLY ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED POSITIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND THEN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS THAT MORE RECENTLY APPROVED THE 10% INCREASE, AGAIN, ON PUBLIC SAFETY BARGAINING GROUPS, AND THEN THE NET INCREASE OF 18 POSITIONS SINCE WE LAST BROUGHT FINAL BUDGET TO THE BOARD, THE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES CATEGORY, SECOND CATEGORY FROM THE LEFT KIND OF SHOWS PROBABLY THE IMPACT OF INFLATION, THE INCREASE IN COST OF DOING BUSINESS FOR DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THAT AS THE GROWTH IN NUMBER OF CONTRACTS AND SIZE OF CONTRACTS THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS HOLD, WHERE WE'RE PAYING FOR SERVICES FROM OUTSIDE VENDORS. THE OTHER CHARGES STEADY INCREASE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, PROJECTED TO CONTINUE THAT INCREASE, AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY, AIDE PAYMENTS ON THE HUMAN SERVICES SIDE AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RESOURCES SIDE, AND THEN THE LAST CATEGORY ON THE RIGHT ARE OUR CAPITAL ASSETS. SO IT HAS BEEN GROWING OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, BUT WE SEE THAT DECREASE IN FISCAL YEAR 24-25 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND IT'S REALLY DUE TO THAT PAUSE IN PROGRAMMING NEW PROJECTS AS WELL AS THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE WHERE WE'VE OUTLAID THE FUNDING FOR ONGOING PROJECTS. TAKING A DIFFERENT LOOK AT THE APPROPRIATIONS BY FUNCTIONAL AREA, WE HAVE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THE TOTAL BUDGET ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET WE SEE IN YELLOW THE LARGEST SLICE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNCTION THAT ACCOUNTS FOR 46% OF TOTAL BUDGET, ACCOUNTS FOR 59% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, AND THE GRAY. WE HAVE OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT MAKES UP 17% OF TOTAL BUDGET, 23% OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET, AND THEN WE HAVE IN THE LIGHTER BLUE THE MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES, 19% OF TOTAL BUDGET AND 8% OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND THEN THE DEEPER, DARKER BLUE WE HAVE THE SUPPORT SERVICES IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, 18% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET AND 10% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. TAKING A CLOSER LOOK, MULTI-YEAR VIEW AGAIN TO SHOW THE [01:45:09] APPROPRIATIONS GROWTH ACCORDING TO THOSE FUNCTIONAL AREAS ACROSS ALL FUNDS, NOT JUST THE GENERAL FUND. WE SEE THE RED SECTION OF EACH BAR REPRESENTING THE USE OF NET COUNTY COST. AGAIN, THAT'S GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES, WHICH MEANS THAT THE NON RED ARE THE SECTIONS THAT REPRESENT THE PROGRAM SPECIFIC SPENDING OR FUNDS THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE AS MUCH DISCRETION OVER THAT IS REALLY DRIVEN BY THAT DEPARTMENTAL REVENUE. WE SEE THAT THE LARGEST AREA OF ACTUAL SPENDING, THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS PRIMARILY SUBVENTED AND UTILIZES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF NET COUNTY COST, WHILE THE HIGHEST UTILIZER OF NET COUNTY COST IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE FUNCTIONAL AREA IN THE MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES. WE ALSO HAVE THE ARPA FUNDING, AND SO THAT'S BEING PROGRAMED DOWN FOR 24-25, AND THAT'S REALLY BECAUSE, AGAIN, THOSE PROGRESS, THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, ARPA FUNDING, AS OF THE MOST RECENT QUARTERLY EXPENDITURE REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE US TREASURY, WE SPENT $30.2 MILLION OF THE $53.9 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS THAT WERE RECEIVED BY MERCED COUNTY, AND THEN ON THE SUPPORT SERVICES SIDE, THE CATEGORY OF THE FAR LEFT THAT'S REALLY TO ACCOUNT FOR ONE TIME CONTRIBUTIONS AND A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AS WELL. IT INCLUDES TRANSFERS OUT, AND SO IN THIS CASE, WE SEE THAT'S BEING THAT'S DECREASING FOR 24-25 AS WELL, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE ON PROJECTS SUCH AS THE PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO OF THE JLCC PROJECT IN LONG TERM FACILITIES. SO THE SPEND DOWN FOR JAIL PROJECTS, AND THAT HAS BEEN $27.9 MILLION FROM 23-24 TO 24-25. COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS FOR CONSIDERATION WITH THIS 24-25 PROPOSED BUDGET ARE 11 NEW POSITIONS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND. ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S A NET CHANGE OF SEVEN ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FROM FINAL BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER THAT THE BOARD HAD APPROVED THROUGHOUT 23-24, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE ALLOCATION COUNTS THAT WE SEE HERE. SO WE HAVE A TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIONS OF 2467 COUNTYWIDE, 2239 OF THOSE BEING CARRIED BY THE GENERAL FUND. THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES OR THE RAINY DAY. THESE ARE BEING BUDGETED AT THE SAME LEVEL IN 24-25 AS THEY WERE IN 23-24, AT $45.1 MILLION. THAT KEEPS US WITHIN THE BOARD ADOPTED POLICY FLOOR OF 7%, CEILING 12%. ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TYPICALLY INCLUDED WHEN FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC ANNUAL AMOUNT, AND SO IN THIS CASE IT'S PROJECTED TO BE KEPT FLAT AT THAT $45.1 MILLION. THE USE OF THIS RAINY DAY FUNDS REQUIRES A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE RESOLUTION TO UTILIZE THE FUNDING, AND THERE ARE THOSE ADDITIONAL TRIGGERS THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES BEING DECLARED OR LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF WHAT THE COUNTY HAS BUDGETED. SO VERY STRICT POLICY ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN BE UTILIZED FOR, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE ALSO HAVE TO COME UP IF WE DO END UP UTILIZING THOSE TO DETERMINE A PLAN TO RESTORE THOSE RESERVE FUNDS AND SET A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME BY WHICH WE PLAN ON RESTORING IT. AFTER THE RAINY DAY FUND, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY, WHICH IS THE SAFETY NET THAT THE COUNTY HAS OR THAT THE COUNTY HAS AVAILABLE. IT IS BEING BUDGETED AT THE SAME LEVEL AGAIN, TOO, AS IN 23-24, $6.5 MILLION. THIS IS THE FUNDING, THE SAFETY NET THAT WAS UTILIZED IN OUR RESPONSES TO THE PLANADA FLOOD EVENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE FLOOD EVENTS IN GENERAL. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE $13 MILLION IN DIRECT ASSISTANCE THAT THE COUNTY RECEIVED, WE WOULD HAVE UTILIZED QUITE A BIT MORE. WE SEE THAT INCREASED IN 2020 OR FROM 2019 2020 TO 2020, 2021, AND THAT WAS DIRECTLY IN RESPONSE TO COVID AND THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES, BUT THEN FROM 22-23 TO 23-24, WE DEPROGRAMMED $3 MILLION, AND THAT WAS SO THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THE BOARD APPROVED AND HAS MADE A PRIORITY. [01:50:05] SO WE ARE BUDGETING FOR 24-25 THAT SAFETY NET AT $6.5 MILLION, SAME LEVEL AS 23-24, AND FOR THE CLOSING COMMENTS, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CEO MENDEZ. YEAH THANK YOU VANESSA. THANK YOU, GREG, FOR THAT DETAILED PRESENTATION. THIS THIS LAST SLIDE IS A SLIDE YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE. THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES ITS BEST TO DOES ITS BEST TO BALANCE THESE PRIORITY AREAS. A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO DO DURING LEAN TIMES, BUT YOUR STAFF HAS DONE ITS BEST TO TRY AND PRESENT A GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT OUR FISCAL CONDITION IS CURRENTLY. AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE RESIDENTS IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PRESENTING A BALANCED PLAN. WE DO HAVE INTENTIONS TO DO THAT IN ADVANCE OF FINAL BUDGET OR IN THE FINAL BUDGET, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING, AS I MENTIONED, WITH DEPARTMENTS TO DO THAT. I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO THANK OUR BUDGET TEAM OTHERS IN OUR OFFICE OUR OTHER CONTROLLER, WHO IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT I KNOW IS HERE IN SPIRIT, AND THEY'RE INTEGRAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSED SPENDING PLAN, AND THEN COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL STAFF HAS BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED. THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKS. AGAIN, AS WE KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW WE'RE ENDING THE YEAR, ABOUT AS WE KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND THEN AS WE'RE CONTINUING OUR WORK ON THE BUDGET REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN YOU KNOW, DISCUSSING INTERNALLY. WE WILL BE PRESENTING A BALANCED BUDGET FOR FINAL BUDGET, BUT THE MESSAGE TODAY IS, YOU KNOW, THE PICTURE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, AND I'M CONFIDENT IN OUR ABILITIES TO CLOSE THE GAP. I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN HELPING WITH THAT, AND THEN WE'RE THE BOARD, OBVIOUSLY. WHERE YOU ALL COME IN IS PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, POLICY DIRECTION FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE BEING INVESTED IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE THAT ARE DEEMED MOST CRITICAL BY, BY THIS BOARD, AND SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, OUR STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR PROPOSED BUDGET ITEMS 64, 65 AND 66. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I SEE NO ONE COMING FORWARD. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PROPOSED BUDGET ITEMS 64-66 IS NOW CLOSED. SO NUMBER ONE TO BOARD COMMENTS SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU VANESSA, GREG, KIM, TERRY AND AMBER. YOU GUYS DID A FANTASTIC JOB. I HAVE TO SAY BEING INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS IN THE YEARS PAST HAS BEEN, I DON'T KNOW, GIVING DIRECTION AND KIND OF VIEWING IT FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT I GOT TO SAY THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WAS COMING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPENING. DEFINITELY. THE WHOLE BOARD HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS BUDGET PROCESS MORE THAN ANY OTHER, AND VANESSA, I KNOW THAT YOU GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM ME PERSONALLY CREATING DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRAPHS AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF STRATEGIES, BECAUSE WHEN THE SHERIFF DEPUTIES CAME TO US, WE REALLY NEEDED TO DIG DEEP AND FIND OUT WHERE WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THIS IS USUALLY STAFF DRIVEN. I SEE THIS NEW BUDGET BEING MORE BOARD DRIVEN. WE'VE BEEN TIGHTENING LIKE A SHARPENING EVERY PENCIL, TIGHTENING EVERY SCREW, EVERY BOLT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE COULD DO FOR OUR DEPUTIES TO CLOSE OUT THIS PAST YEAR, BUT COMING INTO THE NEXT YEAR, SINCE WE WERE ALREADY THERE, WE CONTINUED TO PROCESS TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE COULD DO FOR THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES HERE, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THE INFLATION AND EVERYTHING HITTING EVERYBODY AS EMPLOYEES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT IT ACTUALLY HITS THE COUNTY EVEN HARDER. SEEMS LIKE CONTRACTORS LIKE TO CHARGE US A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY CHARGE EVERYBODY ELSE, AND IN THAT PROCESS, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, AND I [01:55:02] ALWAYS LIKE TO USE MARIN COUNTY. IN FACT, I SAW MY BUDDY DAMON CONNOLLY. HE'S AN ASSEMBLY MEMBER NOW, AND IN FACT, I SHARED WITH HIM HOW I USE HIS COUNTY AS AN EXAMPLE. IT'S THE MOST WEALTHY COUNTY IN THE NATION. OUR BUDGET IS BASICALLY THE SAME TOTAL AS THEIR BUDGET. THE ONLY THING IS YOU HAVE TO TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN. 72 OR 70, WELL 80% OF THEIR BUDGET IS WHAT THEY HAVE DISCRETION OVER, WHERE WE ONLY HAVE 20% DISCRETION ON OUR END, AND SO AND THAT JUST HAS TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENTS TO HELP THE CITIZENS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THIS COUNTY AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WE KEEP HEARING AT THE DAIS ALL THE TIME THEY STATE WHAT OUR BUDGET IS AND SAY HOW BIG IT IS, YET WE DON'T HAVE THAT CONTROL OVER THAT. THAT'S THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO MANDATES US TO SPEND THAT MONEY THE WAY IT IS, BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE PROCESSED IN WHICH WAY WE RECEIVED, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN EXHAUSTING BUDGET THIS YEAR. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE TEAM HAS GONE THROUGH, BECAUSE EVERY TIME VANESSA WALKS DOWN THE HALLWAY, WE YELL AT HER, HEY, GET IN HERE! GET IN HERE! SHOW ME THIS, SHOW ME THAT! AND WE HAVE TWISTED AND TURNED THIS BUDGET IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT PIES. HOW DO WE CUT IT UP? BUT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, THE COUNTY DOESN'T PRINT THE MONEY. WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM IN MERCED COUNTY. WE TRULY DO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO TIGHTEN THE SCREWS AND TRYING TO PUT AN END TO IT, BUT WITH THE CEO, YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OVER THE TOP OF THIS. I FEEL YOUR HAND ON IT BIG TIME. VANESSA, GREG, TEAM, I SEE YOU GUYS DOING IT, AND I THINK THIS NEXT PROCESS GOING UP ALL THE WAY UP TILL SEPTEMBER, THE FINAL BUDGET, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO BE HEARING FROM US BECAUSE WE'RE VERY INVOLVED BUT I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE HERE AND MOVING FORWARD. I HOPE MAYBE WE NEED TO GROUP BUY THE LOTTERY TICKET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GIVE US A BIG BUMP, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK HERE. I THINK WE'RE EXHAUSTED AS WELL. LOOKING AT IT, I KNOW MORE ABOUT THE COUNTY BUDGET NOW THAN ALL THE YEARS PAST THAT I HAVE SERVED, AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE I'VE HAD A THUMB ON IT, BUT NOW I GOT A FULL HAND ON IT. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION AND I'LL SAVE MY COMMENTS FOR LATER, BUT IN REGARDS TO CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WITH THE, THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES THAT HAS THE 12 AND 7%. OKAY. SO THIS IS THE POLICY I GOT IT. IT'S 19 AT THE END. IT'S LIKE TWO OR THREE. RIGHT THERE. SO THIS IS THE POLICY THAT THE BOARD SET. I WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT WE WOULD MAKE IT BETWEEN THE SEVEN AND 12%, AND THEN I THINK IT WAS GREG THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS FALLS THAT, THAT 65.4 TO 38.2, IF WE WERE TO GO BELOW THAT 38.2, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD HAVE TO THAT'S THE FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO MEET THOSE FOUR CLASSIFICATIONS, CORRECT, TO UTILIZE IT. YES AND YES. OKAY, BUT SO IF YOU GET DOWN TO THE 7%, WHICH IS WITHIN THE BOARD POLICY, WE COULD TECHNICALLY USE THAT 6.9 TO OFFSET SOME OF THIS. CORRECT? IT'S POSSIBLE, AND ONE THING I WANT TO CAUTION AT THIS POINT, THAT BOX IS BASED ON ESTIMATED AMOUNTS. SO WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL FINAL BUDGET WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. FOR NOW, YES, BUT AGAIN, THOSE THAT FLOOR AND THAT CEILING IS STILL BASED ON ESTIMATED AMOUNTS THAT WE ARE STILL COMING UP WITH AS WE CLOSE OUT THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN IF I'M CORRECT ON THIS, WE IN ORDER TO BORROW OUTSIDE OF THAT ESTIMATE. RIGHT. OKAY. THERE ALSO HAS TO BE A PLAN IN PLACE TO REFILL THAT RESTORE TO WITHIN THE BOARD POLICY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. VANESSA, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO COME BACK UP REALLY QUICKLY. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED IT WHILE YOU'RE IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE WHOLE FUND BALANCE BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN THE RESERVE, THE I'M LOOKING FOR [INAUDIBLE] FUND BALANCE. YEAH, BUT THIS ONE. NO MORE. ONE MORE, ONE MORE. THAT ONE. CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY ON WHAT'S NON-SPENDABLE? THAT LITTLE BLUE LINE THAT GOES THERE EVERY YEAR OVER THAT. SO THAT HAS TO DO. IT'S A VERY SMALL COMPONENT. IT'S USUALLY ABOUT $800,000. HAS TO DO WITH MAYBE LOANS TO OTHER FUNDS. I KNOW SPRING FAIR WILL UTILIZE FOR CASH FLOW PURPOSES AS THEY HAVE THE FAIR THEY HAVE THE SALES [02:00:05] AND SO IT'S NON SPENDABLE RIGHT. IT'S MONEY THAT IS OWED BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND AS A LOAN OR SOMETHING. MAYBE SUPPLIES SOME PETTY CASH FUNDS. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. THAT'S REALLY MY ONLY QUESTION. AGAIN I'LL ECHO MY OTHER COLLEAGUES. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE BUDGET TEAM ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT SIT THERE AND CRUNCH ALL THESE NUMBERS, AND I KNOW IT GETS REALLY BUSY NOW THAT THE END OF THE YEAR IS COMING AND WE MAKE THESE BUDGETS BASED UPON OUR BEST ESTIMATIONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE FINAL NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE UNTIL WE CLOSE STUFF OUT, AND THAT'S USUALLY, I WANT TO SAY SOMETIME IN AUGUST IS WHEN WE GET A REALLY GOOD, A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE, AND SO I, TOO, LOOK AT THIS BUDGET, I LOOK AT PAST BUDGETS, I PUT LITTLE SPREADSHEETS TOGETHER TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND, SO THAT I'M MAKING SURE THAT I'M SPEAKING ACCURATELY ON WHEN I QUOTE NUMBERS, AND EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE A WORKING SPREADSHEET THAT I'VE BUILT ON MY DESKTOP, THAT I EVEN WANT TO BE ABLE TO CITE THE PAGES IN PREVIOUS BUDGET BOOKS, SO THAT MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT I'M PUTTING OUT THERE IS, IS NOT STUFF THAT I JUST MAKE UP. IT'S NOT STUFF THAT I'M JUST ASKING SOMEBODY ELSE TO GIVE ME. IT'S ACTUALLY NUMBERS THAT I'VE LOOKED UP IN THE BUDGET AND CAN CITE A PAGE NUMBER SO PEOPLE CAN GO BACK AND I'VE HAD A FEW COFFEES LOCALLY AND I BRING MY LITTLE SPREADSHEETS WITH ME, AND I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE THEY'RE VISUAL LEARNERS, AND SO IT HELPS THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS, AND SO I JUST IF YOU GO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO MOVE TO SLIDE NINE REALLY QUICKLY. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING ON THERE. THANK YOU. IS THAT NUMBER THAT SHOULD SCARE EVERYBODY THE MOST. IS THAT WHEN WE GO FROM THAT $9.17 MILLION TO THAT $8.76 MILLION, THOSE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE TYPICALLY FUNDS THAT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE DISCRETION OVER. THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT COME TO US. YOU KNOW, WE GET A WE GET FEW FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THE WAY THAT THEY WORK IS MOST OF THEIR GETS PASSED TO THE STATE, AND THEN THE STATE PASSES SOME OF THAT THROUGH TO US, AND THE MAJORITY OF IT'S THE STATE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO IMPLORE ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS. JUST AS A QUICK SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE HERE AS JUST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? I SEE A FEW OF THEM. HOW MANY OF THEM ARE STAFF THAT ARE HERE? YEAH, AND SO YOU COULD SEE IN THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM. SO WE HAVE THE I HAVE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE TO HEAR THIS IS THE $6.6 MILLION IS A BIG NUMBER. HOWEVER, IF I'M BEING REAL WITH YOU, THAT NUMBER DOESN'T SCARE ME YET, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOING FROM A PROPOSED BUDGET HERE IN JUNE TO A FINAL BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT WE BUDGET EVERY ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED, WE HAVE FUNDED IT IN THAT BUDGET. RIGHT? SO NOT ALL THOSE POSITIONS ARE GOING TO BE FILLED BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER. WE'LL GET THERE. WE'LL CLOSE THE GAP BY AND I IMPLORE ALL DEPARTMENTS TO IT'S GOING TO SOUND HARSH, BUT THIS IS THE REALITY IS, IS I WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT YOUR OWN BUDGETS AND FIND WAYS TO BE ABLE TO TRIM BACK, AND I WOULD MUCH RATHER YOU BE A PART OF IT AND TELL US THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT VERSUS THE BIG, BAD BUDGET OFFICE HAVING TO COME ALONG AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO SLASH UNTIL WE GET TO A NUMBER, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO IS, IS BE A PART OF THAT SOLUTION, BUT WHAT CONCERNS ME MORE IS WHAT NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. I DON'T I CAN'T EVEN WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE STATE BUDGET. I HEAR THE NUMBERS. IF YOU IF YOU LISTEN TO THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, THEIR NUMBERS ARE VERY FAR APART. HOW THEY PLAY BUDGET GAMES. I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA BY SIMPLY DELAYING YOUR JUNE PAYCHECK FROM JUNE 30TH TO JULY 1ST, IT'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THEY NOW CAN PUT INTO A NEW BUDGET YEAR VERSUS AN OLD BUDGET YEAR. THEY'RE WORKING ON THIS LIKE TWO YEAR CYCLE. THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR. I STILL DON'T HAVE MY HEAD WRAPPED AROUND WHAT THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO MEAN TO US. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT 917 THAT WENT TO 876 MILLION, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR? THAT'S WHEN THE REAL PAIN, I THINK IS GOING TO BEGIN FOR US. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OUR RESERVE AND HAVING TO HAVE A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO RESTOCK THAT RESERVE, IF WE HAVE TO DIP INTO THOSE, LIKE HOPE ISN'T AN OPTION. IT'S NOT A GOOD STRATEGY. YOU KNOW, IF I EVER FIND THAT MAGIC MONEY TREE THAT MY COLLEAGUE WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE ME, MAYBE WE COULD GO FIND SOME THERE. WE'RE NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRINT MONEY. WE'RE STUCK LIVING WITHIN OUR MEANS, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU, THERE WAS A SPEAKER EARLIER FROM I THINK IT WAS YOU UP THAT SPOKE, AND I THINK SHE, SHE PUT IT VERY ELOQUENTLY WHEN SHE TALKED ABOUT SHE USED OUR OWN MISSION, VISION AND VALUES TO ILLUSTRATE HER POINT, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF [02:05:04] THAT. IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM DO WE NOT CARE ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, THE COST OF BUSINESS IS GOING UP AT A QUICKER RATE THAN WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY, AND SO BACK TO MY CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING HERE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE PROBABLY AND STAFF ARE TIRED OF HEARING THIS, BUT WE SPEND 10% DUE TO WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY. I'M CONVINCED OF IT. I CHALLENGE ANYBODY TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO SHOW ME THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. SO JUST WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THOSE NUMBERS, FOLKS, IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE BUDGET AT $1.13 BILLION, THAT'S 110 MILLION THAT'S SPENT DUE TO WASTED INEFFICIENCY, 110 MILLION. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GIVING OUR EMPLOYEES COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, HEALTH CARE COSTS, WE COULD DO A LOT OF DAMAGE WITH 110 MILLION, AND I'LL TELL YOU, BECAUSE SO MUCH OF OUR BUDGET IS DICTATED TO US ON HOW IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT AND THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT BY THE BY STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS. LET'S JUST GO DOWN TO OUR NUMBER. OUR LOCAL SHARE OF REVENUES IS 132 MILLION. YOU ADD OUR, YOU ADD OUR FUND BALANCE IN THERE OF ANOTHER 70 MILLION. I'M NOT COUNTING THE 45 THAT'S IN RESERVE. THAT'S ROUGHLY 200 MILLION AT 10%. THAT'S 20 MILLION. THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE CAN DO AT 20 MILLION, AND SO THIS IS WHAT I ASK OF ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS, WHETHER YOU'RE ELECTED, YOU'RE APPOINTED, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IS LOOK AT YOUR BUDGETS AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. PEOPLE THAT WE DO BUSINESS WITH, MAKING THAT EXTRA PHONE CALL WHEN WE GO OUT TO BID ON SOMETHING AND TRYING TO FIND WAYS ON HOW CAN I HOW CAN WE LOOK AT THAT AND FIND SOME OF THAT WASTE IN INEFFICIENCY? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE UP AGAINST. LIKE, IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO, IN MY OPINION, AND I HOPE I'M WRONG. YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SEE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA HAS TALKED ABOUT DIDN'T THINK WE'D MAKE 1,000,000,002 YEARS IN A ROW. WELL, HERE WE ARE IN THE THIRD YEAR OF BEING AT A BILLION, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT DECREASE IS COMING. PROPERTY TAX IS, YOU KNOW, IT LAGS BEHIND. WE DON'T GET TO SEE NUMBERS OF WHAT PROPERTY TAXES DO UNTIL A YEAR LATER. RIGHT. SOMETIMES 18 MONTHS LATER, BUT THESE NUMBERS ARE COMING DOWN AND IT'S GOING TO GET TIGHTER AND TIGHTER FOR US. SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, LOOK AT YOUR BUDGETS, GO THROUGH, FIND WAYS THAT YOU CAN GO THROUGH AND BE A PART OF THE TEAM AND PART OF THE SOLUTION, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I KNOW THE FIVE OF US ARE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE'RE THE POLICY MAKERS, BUT IF IT'S NOT OBVIOUS TO YOU, I MEAN, LISTEN, I TELL PEOPLE MY JOB IS TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF, AND AS I'M HERE MORE YEARS, I START TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF. YOU GUYS ARE ALL, THIS IS YOUR CHOSEN PROFESSIONS. YOU GUYS ARE THE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. WE NEED YOU. WE NEED YOU TO BE A PART OF THIS SOLUTION. WE NEED YOU TO FIND WAYS ON HOW WE CAN BECOME MORE EFFICIENT. HOW CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THAT 10%, WE SHRINK THAT NUMBER DOWN AGAIN TO SIMPLE MATH OF 200 MILLION AND TEN PERCENT IS 20 MILLION? IF WE CAN CUT THAT IN HALF, THAT'S STILL $10 MILLION. $10 MILLION. HOW WE SPEND THAT, THAT CAN GO RIGHT BACK INTO OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT WE AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO IS IS EVERYONE, WHETHER YOU'RE A SUBVENTED DEPARTMENT OR NOT, IF YOU'RE EVER IN A POSITION TO SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY, WHICH EVERYBODY THAT'S MOSTLY EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THIS ROOM, YOU ARE, ASK YOURSELF, WOULD YOU PERSONALLY WRITE THAT CHECK? AND IF YOU WOULDN'T WRITE IT FOR YOURSELF, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WRITE IT FOR THE TAXPAYERS? BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? ALL OF YOUR TAXPAYERS, IT'S YOUR MONEY, AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO START TREATING IT LIKE IT'S THEIR MONEY AND I VENTURE TO SAY THAT WE'LL BE BETTER OFF FOR IT. IT'S THE INEFFICIENCIES, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, AND THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM TO, TO FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND POINT THEM OUT, BUT I SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. I SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. JUST WAYS THAT AS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM A CITY WHERE IT'S A SMALLER BUDGET. WHEN I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL IN LOS BANOS, YOU COULD WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND IT MORE. YOU KNOW, WE HAD LIKE A $15 MILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET, 40 MILLION ACROSS ENTERPRISE FUNDS. NOW, EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BIGGER BUDGETS, BILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS, IT'S HARD TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND IT. SO WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. THAT'S WHAT MY MESSAGE GOING FORWARD IS. I ALWAYS SAY THAT WE'RE HEALTHY, WE'RE NOT WEALTHY, WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT WEALTHY, AND OUR HEALTH IS NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD RIGHT NOW, AND THAT SCARES ME MOVING FORWARD. IT REALLY, TRULY DOES BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE. YOU KNOW, I'M JUST AS GUILTY AS THE NEXT PERSON WHERE WE HAD ARPA MONEY THAT CAME IN AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO, AND, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WE CHOSE THIS BOARD, CHOSE TO LOOK AT THAT MONEY ONE TIME, MONEY ONE TIME PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO INVEST BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. [02:10:07] RIGHT, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT, BUT THAT MONEY IS RUNNING OUT. IT'S GOING AWAY, AND WE GOT TO GET BACK TO REALITY HERE, AND, AND IT TAKES THE WHOLE TEAM TO DO IT, AND SO AGAIN, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAKE SO MUCH TIME, BUT IT IS THAT'S THE MESSAGE TO SEND OUT TO DEPARTMENT HEAD IS I NEED ALL OF YOU VERY, VERY TALENTED PEOPLE. I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, BUT I NEED ALL OF YOU FOLKS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN CUT BACK, AND THEN I THINK WE'LL ALL BE BETTER OFF FOR IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. WELL, ALSO, I'LL JUST START OFF BY SAYING DITTO. A LOT OF, A LOT OF POINTS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT AND IT'S TOUGH GOING AFTER SILVEIRA BUT I WANT TO ONE, YOU KNOW ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT HE'S WHAT HE SAID. YOU KNOW, I MADE THAT COMMENT WHEN WE HIT THE BILLION DOLLARS THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME BECAUSE THE ECONOMY HAD ALREADY STARTED SLOWING UP. RIGHT, AND IT WAS JUST THE INFLUX OF PRINTED, BORROWED MONEY THAT KEPT IT CHURNING, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE BILLION IS STILL IN FRONT OF IN FRONT OF OUR BUDGET, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE NINE 917.6 MILLION TO THE 876.6 MILLION AND ONE THING THAT I KNOW ABOUT STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS IS THAT THEY RUN IN POLITICS A LOT MORE THAN WE DO HERE. I'M PROUD OF MY COLLEAGUES. WE TRY TO BE REAL WITH WHERE WE ARE. WE TRY TO BE HONEST WITH OUR TAXPAYERS, OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND I THINK OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES AS WELL, AND ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE THINGS ARE GOING AND HEADED AHEAD OF TIME. YOU KNOW, THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED, REALLY, THAT THE ECONOMY HAS TURNED AND THAT THEIR BUDGETS ARE GOING TO ARE GOING TO BE IN TOUGHER AND TOUGHER CONDITIONS GOING FORWARD, AND SO YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO APPLAUD MY COLLEAGUES, APPLAUD OUR CEO AND OUR STAFF AND DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR TRYING TO BE REAL AND TRYING TO PAINT A PICTURE BEFORE ALL OF YOU. THAT IS WHERE WE'RE HEADED, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, THAT I MEAN, I'LL THROW OUT A FEW EXAMPLES. ONE OF THEM IS TALKING TO CAPTAIN SULLIVAN ON THE JAIL PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, AND WHERE HE'LL COME AND SHARE WITH ME WHERE HE'S BEEN ABLE TO YOU KNOW, CUT MONEY IN SOME OF THE BUDGETS AND TO HELP, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL CALL OUT NATHAN BRAY AND HIS TEAM. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT THEY RECEIVED A BID FOR A PROJECT HERE RECENTLY AND WAS ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS OVER WHAT THEY THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE AND SO RATHER THAN JUST ACCEPTING THE BID, THEY REJECTED IT AND GO BACK OUT. WHEN MONEY IS FREE FLOWING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PEOPLE WE DO BUSINESS WITH KNOW THAT THEY CAN PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE MARGIN IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC WORKS, BECAUSE THAT'S A LIMITED PHYSICAL, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY, I GUESS, SO TO SPEAK. SO ALL THE MAJOR PLAYERS KNOW THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF MONEY, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE TO BID THE PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL BUSY, AND THEN AS WE GO INTO THESE DOWNTURNS, THEY START SHARPENING THEIR PENCILS, AND YOU KNOW, AND I THINK AS THE STATE HASN'T ACKNOWLEDGED, I THINK FULLY THE EXTENT OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT. YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONTRACTORS ARE STILL FEELING THAT THERE'S MONEY TO BE HAD AND THEY'RE BIDDING A LITTLE HIGHER THAN MAYBE THEY, THEY NORMALLY WOULD, AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE I JUST WANT TO COMMEND DPW FOR, YOU KNOW, PUSHING BACK, RIGHT, AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS GETTING TIGHTER AND WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT, AND LET'S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND I SAY THOSE AS EXAMPLES, I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT DOES THE SAME THING, AND SO ANYWAYS, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT OF THAT AND JUST TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE THINKING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AND THEN I WILL YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID AND ASK ON ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT STAFFS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF FISCAL AGENTS IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, AND SO I KIND OF WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AS WELL. YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET TEAM IS SITTING IN THE ROOM AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE SITTING IN THE ROOM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE BACK IN THE OFFICE THAT HAVE WORKED WITH OUR TEAM, AND THAT WORK IS GOING TO GET HARDER AND HEAVIER BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER, AND SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY STEADY, WORK DILIGENTLY AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY BUDGET WILL BE BACK TO BALANCED COME FINAL BUDGET, AND WITH THAT, I'LL THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. YES, AND THANK YOU. I ASKED MY QUESTION, BUT NOW I WANT TO GIVE MY COMMENTS. [02:15:03] I TOO WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY STAFF AND CEO MENDEZ, VANESSA AND HER TEAM FOR AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. REALLY FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TOUGH BUDGET, AND WE ARE IN THESE POSITIONS THAT WE ARE IN TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABLE AND EFFICIENT DIRECTION IN ORDER TO BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF OUR TAX REVENUES. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT ALL OF US UP HERE LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT VERY CLOSELY. IT'S THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR JOB, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY. WE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PAY THE TAXES THAT YOU PAY AND WE AREN'T ONLY SPENDING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. TO MY COLLEAGUE, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA'S CREDIT, WE ARE SPENDING OURS AS WELL. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SPENDING ON CERTAIN PROGRAMS, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING TOO, IS WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE INCREASING COSTS THAT COME WITH DOING BUSINESS. YOU KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, ITEM NUMBER THREE TODAY ON THE AGENDA WAS A CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR AN INCREASE FROM A CONTRACTOR, AND WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION WHY THAT WAS THE CASE, IT'S AN INCREASE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE WORK COSTS ARE NOW VERSUS WHEN IT WAS BID, AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STILL PROVIDING THE HONORING OUR CONTRACT. WE ASKED ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THEIR BUDGETS AND PROVIDE US OPTIONS, AND ALL BUT ONE OF THEM DID, WHICH IS VERY UPSETTING. WE HAVE LISTENED TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND VOTED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE TUNE OF 80% OF OUR DISCRETIONARY FUND. AS A COUNTY AND AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE AS LEADERS NEED TO BRING TOGETHER, BRING A TEAM TOGETHER TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE COMMON GOOD. WHEN YOU HAVE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WHO WANT TO DICTATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF AN ATTEMPT AT DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND, THEN YOU ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERING THE TEAM OR ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE. DECISIONS SOMETIMES NOT POPULAR IN THE SHORT TERM, NEED TO BE MADE TO DO WHAT'S BEST, TO PROVIDE THE MOST BENEFIT SO THAT WE AREN'T REACTIONARY, BUT TAKE A PROACTIVE MINDSET AND APPROACH SO THAT WE DON'T FACE THE SAME PROBLEMS 5 TO 10 YEARS FROM NOW. SOME OF THESE DECISIONS MAY UPSET PEOPLE IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT IN THE LONG TERM, AS A LEADER, I HAVE TO TRUST THE INFORMATION I RECEIVE FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, OUR STAFF, MY OWN RESEARCH AND KNOW. THAT I HAVE AND OUR CONSTITUENTS AND LISTENING TO CONSTITUENTS, AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE DONE THE BEST WORK THAT I CAN DO FOR MERCED COUNTY. IT IS INCREDIBLY IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE IN TOUGH TIMES. I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE GOVERNMENTAL BUDGET PROCESS SINCE 2009, AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND NOW AS A SUPERVISOR. SOME OF THE HARDEST DECISIONS THAT I HAVE MADE WERE TO CUT FUNDING AND PROGRAMS THAT WERE NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, WERE BENEFICIAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE ORGANIZATION. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT DECISIONS MADE DURING THIS PROCESS ARE NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY, AND THEY AREN'T ALWAYS EASY. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN ORDER TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER MONEY. YOU KNOW, OUR MONEY. SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF AND REALLY, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS GAP, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO GET TIGHTER, AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE SOME REALLY HARD LOOKS AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I SEE NO MORE FOR THE COMMENTS. WELL, MY COMMENTS IS IF WE CAN PUT IT ON PAGE 19. ON THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA MYSELF, WE CAME IN 2017. YOU KNOW, WE HAD A FUND BALANCE, FUND RESERVE OF $30,000, $30 MILLION. SORRY. 30.1, AND SINCE THEN, I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE BACK THEN WITH THAT BOARD AND WITH THIS BOARD, AND I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT I'VE BEEN STRESSING TO STAFF AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF, YOU KNOW, ALL THROUGH THE YEARS OF WORKING HARD AND HELP US INCREASE AND CHANGE THE POLICY TO MOVE UP THE FUND RESERVES, AND SINCE I CAME I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN LIVINGSTON. I SAW THE DOWNTURN IN 2006 AFTER 2006, AND WE SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, MONEY JUST FLIES ESPECIALLY AND IT'S STRESSFUL, THE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, WHEN COMPANY GOES DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WE HAD TO DO THE HARD YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, LET GO OF EMPLOYEES AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO INCREASE OUR, YOU KNOW FUND RESERVES, AND SINCE THEN, YOU SEE THE NUMBERS IN $30 MILLION, 31 ALMOST EVERY YEAR. IT WENT UP, YOU KNOW, EXCEPT FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT IT STARTED GOING UP, AND AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, WITH ARPA FUNDS AND ALL THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE MORE MONEY AND, AND ALL THE WAY TO $45 MILLION. SO WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE TIMES WERE GOOD, WE INCREASED IT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WITH INFLATION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLARS DON'T DON'T GO AS FAR LIKE YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ALL THE TALK ABOUT THE PROJECTS COSTING A LOT MORE. [02:20:02] SO THOSE FUNDS CAN GO FAST AND, AND INCREASES TO YOU KNOW, THE SALARIES WHILE THE EMPLOYEES AND IT'S NEVER ENDING. I KNOW I UNDERSTAND INFLATION GOES UP AND THE SALARIES HAVE TO GO UP, AND IT'S JUST THE COST OF LIVING AND EVERYTHING IS SO HIGH. SO WHAT CAN WE DO BUT INCREASE WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO INCREASE THOSE FUND RESERVES, BUT THEY CAN GO IN ONE YEAR AND TWO YEARS, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS THAT WE CAN WITH THE RESERVES AND, AND SUPPORTING OUR COUNTY AND EMPLOYEES, BUT I AGREE THAT LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST IT'S SO HARD TO MAKE THOSE HARD DECISIONS AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH ALL THE, THE UNIONS TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES, AND I WANT TO THANK I SAID, RAUL MENDEZ AND ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR STAFF AS WELL FOR DOING A GREAT JOB AS WELL. SO YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I CAN ONLY SAY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS I'M HERE I'M TRYING TO SUPPORT MY, MY BOARD AND ALL OUR STAFF AND YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, AND I SEE NO MORE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, AND SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR FOR ITEM NUMBER 64 TO 66. GIVE US A SECOND WHILE WE TALK ABOUT IT. YEAH. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. I'LL SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA ON ITEMS 64 THROUGH 66, AND WE HAVE A VOTE, PLEASE, AND RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2024-2025. THANK YOU. SO THAT'S APPROVED AND NOW WE'LL GO ON TO BOARD REPORTS AND WE'LL START WITH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA [REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION] DISCUSSION. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DID SAY A LOT ALREADY, SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT THIS TIME. JUST WANT TO WISH WE WON'T BE WITH YOU GUYS BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY. SO I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT I SAID, AND I THINK THAT IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S MORE CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD. SO I WANT TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, AND WITH THAT, I HAVE NOTHING ELSE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. WELL, I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY. PLEASE REMEMBER, AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOUNG FOLKS, IS IS THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY CELEBRATING THE 4TH OF JULY. WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR INDEPENDENCE FROM TYRANNY IN ENGLAND, AND AS I GO AROUND THE 4TH OF JULY EVENTS, I TAKE THE OLD HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE 150 YEAR COUNTY COINS? I'LL TAKE A COUPLE OF THOSE WITH ME AT EACH EVENT AND THEN ASK YOUNGER KIDS, YOU KNOW, THAT QUESTION AND TRY TO GET THEM TO THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY, AND SO ANYWAYS I ALSO WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IF THERE'S, IS THERE ANYBODY STILL WATCHING ONLINE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS OR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS FOR A REASON, ONE, THEY TEND TO START A LOT OF FIRES AND TAX OUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, AND SO IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, AND THEN SECONDLY IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS WITH PTSD AND THOSE EXPLOSIONS ON THE 4TH OF JULY, I THINK THEY KIND OF EXPECT IT, AND SO MAYBE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE PREPARED, BUT IF THEY'RE IN BED ON A THURSDAY NIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND A BOMB GOES OFF, I WOULD IMAGINE, AND THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD THAT'S TRIGGERING, AND SO LET'S BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR VETERANS AND THEN ALSO BE RESPECTFUL OF OUR PETS. YOU KNOW, ON THAT NIGHT, WE USED TO HAVE A DOG THAT DIDN'T LIKE FIREWORKS AND SO WE'D ALWAYS PUT THE TV ON LOUD AND KEEP THEM INSIDE, AND IT SEEMED TO MINIMIZE THE YOU KNOW, THE EFFECT, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THAT FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING I WAS OUT FRIDAY NIGHT AND SAW FIREWORKS UP IN THE AIR AND, AND HEAR THEM, AND IT'S JUST KIND OF DISAPPOINTING THAT PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH DISRESPECT FOR EVERYBODY AROUND THEM, AND SO ANYWAYS, I ASK YOU TO, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, RIGHT, SAY SOMETHING. IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY LIGHTING OFF FIREWORKS, DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL IT IN. YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF IS LIMITED, AND SO THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THERE, BUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS IF FIREWORKS LEAVE YOUR PROPERTY, THAT THE WHOEVER'S THE IF IT'S A RENTER, WHOEVER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HOUSE, OR IF IT'S NOT THE PERSON LIVING IN THAT HOUSE THAT OWNS IT, CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINES, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE THE EXACT INDIVIDUAL LIGHT THE FIREWORK OFF, AND SO IT MAKES A LOT EASIER FOR FOR OUR [02:25:06] TEAM TO GIVE A CHECK AND BALANCE TO PEOPLE DOING ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, AND WITH THAT OH, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TOO [INAUDIBLE] A COMMUNITY AND MERCED THAT HAS ABOUT 30 PEOPLE IN IT. OUR PORTUGUESE CELEBRATION WAS SUNDAY AND YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT WE SERVED ABOUT 1100 PEOPLE DINNER AND SO THE COMMUNITY CERTAINLY SWELLS ON THAT DAY, AND WE SERVED ANOTHER PROBABLY 5 OR 600 PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T EAT THE [INAUDIBLE] THAT MAYBE AREN'T [INAUDIBLE] AS FRIENDLY. WE HAVE A [INAUDIBLE] BURGER, AND ANYWAYS, IT WAS A FUN EVENT, AND SO JUST A SHOUT OUT TO THAT LITTLE COMMUNITY FOR DOING DOING SO MUCH FOR SO MANY AND IT'S ALL FREE. SO ANYWAYS, WITH THAT I'LL RELINQUISH MY TIME. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. YES. I LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUNTEER LUNCH, AND THEN ALSO THE NAMING OF THE ARCHIVE ROOM AT THE MERCED COUNTY COURTHOUSE MUSEUM, WHICH WAS REALLY COOL. IT WAS TO HONOR YOU KNOW, TRUE PIONEERS OF MERCED COUNTY, THE MCCRORY AND CUNNINGHAM FAMILIES, AND THEN ALSO LAST WEEK WAS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE RISE TO HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE TRUCK OR TRAILER. SO I WANTED TO SHOUT THEM OUT, AND THEN YESTERDAY, MYSELF SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, ALONG WITH CESAR AND ACEO HENDRICKSON WENT TO SACRAMENTO SEE OUR ALL DADS MATTER TEAM GET RECOGNIZED BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER SORIA, WHICH WAS REALLY COOL, AND THEN ALSO, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, PLEASE BE SAFE, AND A LOT OF WHAT SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SAID, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH MORE. YOU KNOW, I HAVE I HAVE YOUNG KIDS AND WELL, ONE'S NOT SO YOUNG ANYMORE, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO BED OR, YOU KNOW, AT A CERTAIN TIME AND TO HEAR THOSE EXPLOSIONS AND STUFF ALL THE TIME, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T LIKE TO HEAR BUT THEN ALSO IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WITH THE PTSD, IT'S ALSO THE PETS. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF ANIMALS THAT GET OUT AROUND THAT TIME, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD FIREWORKS LIT OFF IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD NOW FOR THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY UNSETTLING, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE SOME OF THESE REALLY BIG ILLEGAL ONES, WHAT THEY DO IS, I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE THE EXPLOSION AND THEN THE WINDOWS KIND OF COME IN A LITTLE BIT AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT IT'S KIND OF UNSETTLING. SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, BE SAFE AND BE COGNIZANT AND RESPECTFUL OF THE NEIGHBORS, AND I KNOW IN THE CITY OF MERCED, THERE'S A NUMBER TO CALL. IF YOU SUSPECTED IT'S A NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER AND THEY GET SWAMPED ALL THE TIME. SO ON 4TH OF JULY, BUT IT'S THE TWO WEEKS PRIOR. IS IS SOMETHING AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING FOR MR. ROBERT POOLE. MR. POOLE WAS A MAN THAT I KNEW. I COACHED A BASEBALL WITH HIM. HE WAS A MEMBER OF MY CHURCH. CANCER TOOK HIM WAY TOO SOON, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ADJOURN IN HIS HONOR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO LAMAR HENDERSON. BEING ON THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR, IT WAS HE WAS HE WAS VERY OVERWHELMED, I THINK, WITH WITH THE GREETING, AND WHEN WE WALKED OFF THE FLOOR, I ACTUALLY TOOK THE ELEVATOR WITH HIM. BECAUSE THE LITTLE SECRET IS YOU TAKE THE ELEVATOR YOU STILL STAY WITH THE MEMBERS. THEY'RE JUST OFF THE FLOOR. WHEN OTHER FOLKS WERE TAKING THE STAIRS, AND WHEN WE GOT OFF THAT ELEVATOR ASSEMBLYMEMBER SORIA WAS THERE, BUT WE GOT BOMBARDED BY A LOT OF OTHER ASSEMBLY MEMBERS SAYING, HOW DO I GET INVOLVED AND HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN WITHIN OUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER DISTRICTS? AND BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL IN AGREEANCE TO WE PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON OTHER THINGS, BUT WE DON'T WE DON'T EMPHASIZE THE FATHER STRUCTURE WITHIN THESE HOUSEHOLDS, AND I KNOW EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE LAMAR HERE AND HE DOES HIS PRESENTATION, I LIKE TO FOLLOW UP SAYING THIS COULD SOLVE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN A LOT OF WAYS, IF THOSE FATHERS WERE EMPOWERED TO BE AT THE HOUSE AND TO BE AT HOME AND TO HELP RAISE THOSE CHILDREN WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE DIVORCE RATES AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS FAMILY SEPARATIONS WITHIN THIS COUNTRY, AND BY EMPOWERING DADS AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY MATTER. IT SOLVES A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TODAY, BUT JUST SEEING HIM BEING OVERWHELMED BY THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ASKING HOW THEY COULD GET IT DONE, I ALWAYS HAVE TO REMIND THEM, YOU WORK FOR MERCED COUNTY, BUT WE CAN HELP OUT THOSE OTHER DISTRICTS IF WE NEED TO BUT I THINK I SAID MOST OF MY COMMENTS DURING PRAISING THE TEAM FOR THIS BUDGET AND WORKING FORWARD. [02:30:09] THE CONSTRAINTS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARE OVERWHELMING, AND LET'S LET'S BE CLEAR THAT WE SAW THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE GOT A SMALLER SHORTFALL FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR. THEY JUST MOVED IT A COUPLE DAYS SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO FALL ON THIS BUDGET YEAR. IT'S COMING NEXT YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAN PLAY GAMES WITH THAT. I CAN'T PLAY GAMES WITH THAT IN MY HOUSEHOLD. YOU GUYS CAN'T PLAY GAMES LIKE THAT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD. WHENEVER THE POWER COMPANY CALLS FOR THE CHECK, YOU GOT TO, YOU CAN'T MOVE IT TO THE NEXT DAY TO MAKE IT INTO THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. SO STAY STRONG OUT THERE. IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH. WE GOT OUR SEATBELTS ON FOR THIS RIDE AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO I FORGOT TO MENTION CEO WAS THERE WITH US YESTERDAY TOO, SO THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNSEL. NOTHING. RAUL MENDEZ. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST VERY BRIEFLY APPRECIATE THE BOARD'S LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT, OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'RE ENTERING DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT YOU HAVE A VERY TALENTED GROUP OF EMPLOYEES. YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE YOU KNOW, APPROACH THIS CHALLENGE LIKE EVERY OTHER ONE THAT WE'VE APPROACHED THUS FAR, AND I'M SURE WE WILL BE SUCCESSFULLY WORKING THROUGH IT. SO I APPRECIATE THE BOARD'S SUPPORT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THAT SAID, I DIDN'T RETURN HIS CALL. SO HE NEVER LEFT ME A MESSAGE. I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR TWO WEEKS AND HE DIDN'T LEAVE ME A MESSAGE OR TEXT. I DIDN'T KNOW HIS, YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE CALL ME. I DIDN'T KNOW THE NUMBERS DIDN'T POP UP, SO, BUT I WOULD HAVE CALLED THEM BACK, AND I DO HAVE HIS NUMBER, SO I'LL CALL HIM BACK. ALSO, I'VE BEEN GETTING CALLS REGARDING THE $20 MILLION DISBURSEMENTS AND THE COMMUNITY OF PLANADA REGARDING THE FLOODS, AND SO IF I GET SOME MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THAT. SO THAT WAY I CAN, YOU KNOW, GET BACK TO THEM AS WELL. YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO A GENTLEMAN REGARDING TALKING ABOUT ANIMAL CONTROL. I KNOW THERE'S EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERY CITY, AND THE COUNTY HAS ISSUES WITH PETS. SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR YOUR PETS OUT THERE BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE RUNNING ALL AROUND THE COUNTY AND THE CITIES, AND LIKE I SAID, BUT EVERY EVERY COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES ARE SEPARATE, SO THEY GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN. SOMETIMES THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH WITH THE COUNTY, BUT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. THERE'S A LACK OF VETERINARIANS TO ATTEND TO ALL THE SPAY AND NEUTERING, AND SO I JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE ADOPT A PET IF YOU CAN, AND THEN MAKE SURE YOU SPAY OR NEUTER. I ALSO WANT TO THANK CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE AND FOR ATTENDING THE SISTER CITIES EVENT IN LIVINGSTON OVER THE WEEKEND, AND ALSO ASSEMBLYMEMBER ESMERALDA SORIA AND OTHER STATE REPRESENTATIVES FOR ATTENDING THAT UNVEILING THERE IN IN LIVINGSTON. I WAS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MY FLIGHT WAS DELAYED BECAUSE OF A THUNDERSTORM. SO I DIDN'T GET COME TO SEE CANELO, THE WORLD FAMOUS BOXER ON LAST FRIDAY. SO I MISSED THAT IN FRESNO AND ALSO HIS BROTHER, WHICH IS A A MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ZAPOTLANEJO IN JALISCO, MEXICO WAS WAS HERE, AND SO LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT WE BECOME FRIENDS WITH A WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND I'VE BEEN THERE SEVERAL TIMES. THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON HAS HAD IN 2004, A SISTER CITY IN WAKAYAMA, JAPAN. I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK. THEN IN 2019, I WENT TO CHINA, AND THEY WANTED TO BECOME A SISTER CITY, BUT THAT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH SO, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT, WE YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS ASKED TO, WHEN I WAS MAYOR OF LIVINGSTON TO BE SISTER CITIES, WE SUPPORT THAT. SO THAT WAS THE FIRST CITY. SO WE STARTED, BUT IT WASN'T CONCLUDED UNTIL NOVEMBER, AND NOW TWO OTHER CITIES HAVE JOINED, SO, BUT IT'S A GREAT AMBIANCE WITH YOU KNOW, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIP AND ALSO BUSINESS FOR FOR PEOPLE TO INVEST IN MEXICO, INVEST OVER HERE AS WELL. SO I THINK IT'S BENEFIT FOR FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. THAT'S WHY SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL EXISTS. SO WITH THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AND ADJOURN THE MEETING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.