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[CALL TO ORDER]
YOUR CLOSED SESSIONS THIS MORNING ARE MEET AND CONFER AGENCY NEGOTIATOR MARCI BARRERA EXISTING LITIGATION.COUNTY OF MERCED ET.AL VERSUS AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION, ET AL.
CASE NUMBER 118- OP-45643-DAP-117-MD-2804 AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND CONTRACT TITLE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
OKAY, AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. I SEE NO ONE HERE OR PRESENT TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, SO WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE WILL ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE JULY 9TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE MERCED BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION.
IT WENT A LITTLE BIT LONG, BUT WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT AND WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY STACY COOLEY AND THEN SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IF WE CAN PLEASE STAND.
PLEASE. IS IT ON? PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS AND HEARTS WITH ME TODAY.
DEAR GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOODNESS, YOUR GRACE, AND YOUR MERCY.
TODAY I'M REMINDED OF DANIEL 3 WITH SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO WERE SOME HEBREW KIDS, REFUSED TO BOW DOWN TO THE IMAGE OF A KING, AND WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN A FIERY FURNACE. THEY REFUSED TO WORSHIP ANYONE OTHER THAN THEIR GOD.
IN THAT INSTANCE, YOU WERE THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE.
THEY WEREN'T ALONE IN THERE, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY WEREN'T HARMED.
FATHER, THERE ARE NEEDS HERE TODAY BEING PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
SOME ARE EASY, OTHERS ARE A LITTLE TRICKY.
BUT EITHER WAY, WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM IN HOW THEY SHOULD RESPOND.
I PRAY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE ON THE HEARTS OF THIS BOARD, OUR CEO, OUR COUNTY COUNCIL AND GIVE DAILY PROVISION AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST CHALLENGING OF OUR NEEDS AS A COUNTY. WE NEED SOME ROOFERS, LORD, LIKE IN THE STORY WHERE A PARALYZED MAN WENT TO SEE JESUS FOR HEALING AT A HOUSE, BUT THE HOUSE WAS SO CROWDED THAT HE COULDN'T GET ACCESS TO THE MAN WITH THE ANSWERS, JESUS, WHO HAD THE SOLUTION TO HIS PROBLEM, HIS HEALING WITH EVERYONE IN LINE, EVERYONE AROUND HIM NEEDING ACCESS TO JESUS.
THIS MAN KNEW IT WOULD TAKE SOME CREATIVITY TO GET HIS NEEDS MET.
SO HE CALLED UPON SOME OF HIS BUDDIES TO HELP HIM OUT.
HE GOT HIS HEALING THAT DAY BECAUSE OF A LITTLE FAITH AND A WHOLE LOT OF CREATIVITY.
FATHER, I ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE THOSE PROVERBIAL BUDDIES TO OUR BOARD.
SEND THEM SOME ROOFERS THAT ARE GOING TO GET THEM ACCESS TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE OUR SOLUTIONS, OUR STATE AND NATIONAL LEADERS, THOSE WITH GRANT FUNDS OR PROGRAM FUNDING THAT CAN ASSIST OUR COUNTY WITH ITS NEEDS.
MAY THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE IN THEIR FIGHT AND THAT YOU ARE IN THEIR CORNER.
PLEASE DO THE SAME FOR OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND OUR STAFF WHO ARE DOING THEIR VERY BEST AS WELL.
I ASK FOR BLESSINGS OVER THEIR FAMILIES AND OVER THEIR HEALTH.
LORD, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU, WITHOUT YOUR FAVOR AND YOUR GUIDANCE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE AND ALL THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
AS WE STRIVE TO HONOR YOU IN EVERYTHING WE PUT OUR HANDS TO.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
WE DEDICATE THIS MEETING TO YOU AND ASK ALL THESE THINGS IN JESUS PRECIOUS NAME.
AMEN. READY? SALUTE! ALLEGIANCE].
APPRECIATE THAT. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT WE HAVE INTERPRETERS IN SPANISH AND HMONG INTERPRETERS.
NOW WE'LL HAVE A NON AGENDA ITEM PUBLIC COMMENT.
[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]
IT'S NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION.EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA.
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TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL.AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN.
THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. SO ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC CAN COME IN AND SPEAK FOR 3 MINUTES AND PLEASE COME FORWARD.
GO AHEAD. SIR. PART OF THE CENTINELA MOBILE HOME FIRE.
FIRST OF ALL, FIREFIGHTERS SHOWED UP.
THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY LACKED TRAINING, SETTING UP, TRYING TO GET THE FIRE OUT.
SECOND RED CROSS WAS OUT THERE.
THEY DIDN'T REALLY DO NOTHING.
I DIDN'T GET NOTHING. I HAVE NO POWER, NO GAS.
I DIDN'T GET NO FOOD, NO NOTHING.
THEY JUST WALKED AROUND AND MINGLED WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THIRD IF THEY DO HELP US, HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP OUR STUFF COLD? THERE'S NO POWER, THERE'S NO GAS.
WE CAN'T COOK. SO WE NEED HELP.
WE DON'T HAVE AC, NO POWER AND WHATEVER ELSE WE COULD GET HELP WITH THE ELECTRICITY TRYING TO GET IT ON BECAUSE WE KEEP HEARING DIFFERENT STORIES A WEEK, A MONTH, THREE MONTHS, NINE MONTHS AND THESE ARE ALL FROM PG AND E EMPLOYEES.
ALL THE OTHER FAMILIES ARE HERE.
I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'LL HEAR THEM SPEAK, TOO.
MY NAME IS DOLORES PEREZ AND I LIVE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD AS SIX MOBILE HOMES.
HE HAS MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY DISEASE.
NO ONE DID KNOCK ON MY DOOR TO HELP US OR TO TELL US OF FIRE GOING ON.
I RAN OUT TO MAKE SURE HOW CLOSE THE FIRE WAS.
YOU COULD SMELL ALL THAT BLACK, ALL THAT SMOKE.
MY HUSBAND ENDED UP HAVING A STROKE THAT SAME DAY.
AS I WAS OUT TALKING TO A FIRE ENGINE, I GO, ARE WE SAFE? DO I NEED HELP TO GET MY HUSBAND OUT NOW? HE IGNORED ME, TURNED AROUND, STILL DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO COME AND HELP ME WITH MY HUSBAND AT ALL TO TRY TO GET HIM OUT IN CASE WE NEEDED TO EVACUATE.
NOT ABLE TO COOK AT ALL FOR ALL THESE DAYS AND LIKE HE SAID, RED CROSS CAME.
NO ONE DIDN'T BOTHER TO HELP US AT ALL AND THAT IS SO UNFAIR.
WE WORK HARD, WE PAY TAXES JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT AT ALL.
IT IS NOT FAIR AND IT IS NOT OKAY.
[SPANISH]. I'M ONE OF THE PERSONS AFFECTED AND ONE OF THE TRAILERS.
ONE OF THE FIRST TRAILERS THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE.
[SPANISH]. IT BURNED MY TRAILER DOWN.
IT COMPLETELY BECAME CHARCOAL.
AND IT ALSO FINISHED WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER TRAILERS SURROUNDING IT.
[SPANISH]. EVEN OUR PETS WERE AFFECTED.
[SPANISH] NOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.
[SPANISH]. WE'D LIKE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP.
IF WE COULD PLEASE HELP US SEE IF SOME OF THESE THINGS CAN BE RESOLVED.
[SPANISH]. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, OR DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE THAT I COULD SAY.
[SPANISH] I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 27 YEARS, TAKING CARE OF A FAMILY OF
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WITH SIX CHILDREN.MY HOME HAD JUST BEEN PAID FOR THE WEEK PRIOR.
ON FRIDAY I PUT THE TRAILER HERE IN MERCED IN MY NAME.
[SPANISH]. ON MONDAY I WAS GOING TO OBTAIN INSURANCE [SPANISH] AND I WASN'T ABLE TO DO THAT.
[SPANISH]. ON MAY 15TH, I HAD JUST FINISHED BURYING MY SON WHO HAD CANCER.
[SPANISH]. THE STATE NEVER HELPED ME IN BEING ABLE TO BURY MY SON.
[SPANISH]. AND ALL DAY YESTERDAY, I TOOK THE ENTIRE DAY TO LOOK INTO INVESTIGATING HOW I'M ABLE TO RECEIVE HELP ON MY TRAILER THAT COMPLETELY BURNED DOWN ALTOGETHER.
[SPANISH]. THE FIRE WAS PROVOKED BY A TRAILER THAT HAD BEEN ABANDONED AND HAD BEEN HAD FOLKS LIVING IN IT NUMEROUS AND NUMEROUS TIMES.
THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS MADE TO THE POLICE ABOUT THAT, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE.
[SPANISH] WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THEY WERE ALL TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER.
WE WERE ALL THERE BECAUSE WE WERE ALL WITNESSES TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
[SPANISH]. WHEN THE TRAILER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BURNED DOWN, THAT WAS THE PROPERTY OF THE LADY WHO JUST STOOD UP AND SPOKE HERE.
[SPANISH]. THEY NEVER TURNED OFF THE FIRE BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE WAS A TRANSFORMER.
THE FIRE THAT ENTERED MY HOME ENTERED THROUGH THE WINDOWS.
[SPANISH]. THIS CLOTHES THAT I'M NOW WEARING TODAY.
THIS IS CLOTHES THAT I HAD DONATED FROM PEOPLE.
[SPANISH] . AND IT'S JUST NOT FAIR FOR THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING THERE TO BE ABLE TO AFFECT FOLKS IN SUCH A WAY, AND THAT EVEN A LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN LOST. [SPANISH]. I WASN'T ABLE TO RECOVER ANYTHING OUT OF MY TRAILER BECAUSE I WAS BUSY DURING THE NIGHT HELPING THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SLEEPING AND HELPING THEM GET OUT OF THEIR HOME BEFORE THEY BURNED TO DEATH.
[SPANISH]. AND I NEED SOMETHING TO BE DONE WITH MY PROPERTY BECAUSE I DON'T, I HAVE MY FAMILY LIVING WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAN PEOPLE THAT REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.
[SPANISH]. I NEED FOR THAT INVESTIGATION TO BE OPENED.
BECAUSE WE NEED PROOF THAT SOMETHING IS BEING DONE.
[SPANISH]. AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER IS BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR HELP.
[SPANISH]. ALL OF THE UNDERGROUND GAS LINES ARE DAMAGED AND WE'VE KNOWN THAT FOR A LONG TIME AND THOSE COULD ALSO CAUSE MORE LOSSES IN THE FUTURE.
LOTS OF MORE LOSSES IN THE FUTURE AND WE'VE KNOWN THAT FOR A LONG TIME THOSE LINES ARE DAMAGED.
[SPANISH]. THE THING OF IT IS WITH THAT SIGNATURE, WHAT PG AND E IS REALLY WANTING TO DO IS FOR US TO SIGN SO THAT WE CAN WIND UP PAYING FOR THOSE FEES IN THE LONG RUN.
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AND I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS FOR US TO HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH PG AND E, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CONDITION THAT WE'RE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW.WE'RE ALL LIVING IN THE STREETS.
GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ROSARIO HERNANDEZ.
[SPANISH] AND I WAS ONE OF THE PERSONS WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THE FIRE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT YOU TO. [SPANISH] AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT TEMPERATURES? THE TEMPERATURES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE THIS WEEK.
[SPANISH].[INAUDIBLE]. CHILDREN [SPANISH].
AND I HAVE MY PARENTS, WHO ARE ALSO OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE.
[SPANISH]. MY DAD IS INCAPACITATED.
SUCEDERA OCHO HORAS PARA CARGAR HIS CHAIR.
HIS WHEELCHAIR TAKES EIGHT HOURS FOR IT TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE.
I ALSO HAVE A CHILD WHO IS INCAPACITATED, WHO NEEDS.
I JUST NEED FOR YOU TO PLEASE HELP US.
OR LET US KNOW WHAT DOORS WE NEED TO GO KNOCK ON SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS TYPE OF SUPPORT OR HELP.
[SPANISH]. AND THE HEAT IN A TRAILER.
YOU KNOW, [SPANISH] AND HELP US OUT SO WE CAN AT LEAST OPEN UP AN ACCOUNT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE SOME HELP BECAUSE OF THE CHARGES THAT WERE BEING CHARGED WITH [SPANISH].
THANK YOU AND HOPE THAT GOD TOUCHES YOUR HEART AND YOU'RE ABLE TO HELP US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
[SPANISH] MY NAME IS EMILIANO MENDOZA.
I'M SORRY THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY SPEECH, BUT I HAD A STROKE.
THE ONLY THING I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT I SAW A LOT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY.
[SPANISH]. BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN THE ABANDONED TRAILER.
[SPANISH]. THEY HAD A BIG PILE OF TRASH ABOUT THIS HIGH.
I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 25 YEARS.
[SPANISH]. AND THE ELECTRICAL PANEL.
WE'RE BEHIND A FENCE THAT'S REALLY OLD.
THAT'S LITERALLY FALLING DOWN.
APART AND THEY WERE NEVER PLACED IN AN AREA WHERE THEY WOULD BE PROTECTED.
ANOTHER THING THAT I SAW WAS [SPANISH].
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T ACT QUICKLY.
WHILE THE TRAILERS WERE BURNING DOWN, IT SEEMED AS THEY WERE ALL ON BREAK.
[SPANISH]. WE NEED FOR SOMEONE TO HELP US BECAUSE WE'RE LIVING IN THE STREETS.
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[SPANISH]. GOOD MORNING.MY NAME IS RAMON ORTIZ [SPANISH]. I BELIEVE I WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.[SPANISH] . BECAUSE I HEARD NOISES AT 230 IN THE MORNING.
[SPANISH]. I LOOKED OUTSIDE, SAW FIRE AND I HEARD PEOPLE SPEAKING.
[SPANISH] AND WHILE I WAS TALKING TO 911, I GRABBED THE FIRE HOSE AND STARTED SPRAYING THE FIRE DOWN BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FIRE. [SPANISH].
AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK ABOUT 25 TO 35 MINUTES TO GET THERE.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY TOOK SO LONG, BECAUSE THEY'RE LITERALLY RIGHT THERE AROUND THE CORNER.
SORRY, [SPANISH] AND THE OTHER THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY IS IT THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE YELLING AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO TURN OFF THE FIRE, WHY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T TURN OFF THE FIRE OR SPRAY THE TRANSFORMER DOWN AT THAT TIME? [SPANISH].
I ASKED HIM WHY DIDN'T THEY TURN OFF THE FIRE FROM THE INSIDE? WHY DIDN'T THEY WATER FROM THE INSIDE? OR WERE THEY WAITING FOR IT TO COMPLETELY BURN DOWN? [SPANISH] AND THEY WAITED UNTIL PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE HOME HAD BURNED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS INSIDE, BUT WHAT WAS ON THE OUTSIDE.
BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY LET MY HOME BURN DOWN.
[SPANISH]. IT NOT ONLY HELP FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS, OF THIS ISSUE.
DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE HELP QUICKLY? [SPANISH].
[SPANISH] AND DURING THE LOSS OF MY SON I ALSO HAD A STROKE. I HAVE SOME OF THE ARTERIES THAT ARE CLOGGED UP.
[SPANISH] AT THIS TIME I'M OKAY.
BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY MEDICINE.
[SPANISH]. AND MY NEIGHBORS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND ME, THEY'RE ALSO UP IN AGE AND THEY'VE GOT ISSUES HEALTH ISSUES.
AND WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE POWER FOR ABOUT [SPANISH] 1 TO ABOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE WE RECEIVE ABLE TO HAVE POWER OUT THERE. BUT THE ELDERLY FOLKS WHO LIVE AROUND ME, THEY NEED HELP AS WELL AND THEY'RE ILL AS WELL.
[SPANISH]. SO WE JUST WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP US.
OR CAN YOU DIRECT US TO WHO IS ABLE TO HELP US THEN?
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[SPANISH].. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.AND THANK YOU, SUPERVISORS, FOR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS MORNING.
ON JUNE 24TH, THE CDFA LEGAL REMOVED THE FAIR MANAGER OF THE TRI COUNTY FAIR.
THEIR BOARD AND THEIR STAFF BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS AUDIT THAT HAD 26 FINDINGS OF MISMANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT, $660,000 WAS MISMANAGED, INCLUDING, FRAUD.
HOW THIS CONCERNS MERCED COUNTY IS THAT THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRI COUNTY FAIRS FINANCES AND WAS REMOVED BECAUSE OF IT WAS IS A CURRENT MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEE THAT WAS HIRED RECENTLY TO RUN THE MAY DAY FAIR.
HER RESUME INCLUDES 4 FAIR CEO'S BEING REMOVED ABOVE HER BY CDFA AUDITS OF ALL FOR FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT, WITH HER BEING COMPTROLLER AT BOTH THE TRI COUNTY AND THE FRESNO FAIRS.
BOTH TIMES SHE WAS REMOVED, VENTURAS STAR WROTE A REALLY GOOD ARTICLE ON THIS CURRENT EVENT.
BECAUSE THE CEO WAS ALSO AN EMPLOYEE OF THE VENTURA FAIRGROUNDS, SHE WAS REMOVED FROM THERE AS WELL, CONSIDERING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND OUR EMPLOYEES CONNECTION WITH IT.
I RECOMMEND THAT WE ALSO DO THE SAME.
I'VE SEEN THEM WORK HARD FOR WHAT THEY HAVE AND WE HAVE NO PGE.
WE HAVE NOTHING. A LOT OF US ARE SICK.
I FELL DOWN JUST THE OTHER DAY AND I HURT MY WHOLE LEG, AND IT JUST.
NOTHING CAN BE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
SOMEBODY LET US BORROW A LITTLE GENERATOR.
BUT IT'S NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE REFRIGERATOR AND IT'S JUST LIKE EVERYBODY SAYS.
THE NEIGHBORS. WE HAVE ALL CALLED.
WE'VE TRIED ASKING FOR HELP FROM THE REALTOR THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HOME.
THE PERSON THAT WAS STAYING THERE.
YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF DRUG USERS.
SOMEBODY MY NEIGHBOR HAS SPOKE TO THEM AND TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY SAID CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THE NEXT DAY.
I MEAN, THEY'RE TAKING APART THE ROOF.
IT'S JUST IT'S RIDICULOUS AND THEN IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE KIDS THAT RUN AROUND AND PLAY.
YOU COULD SEE THEM DOING NOTHING, JUST STANDING THERE FOR A WHILE, FOR A LONG TIME AND THIS IS BEFORE THE FIRE ACTUALLY GOT BIG ENOUGH TO GET TO THE HOUSES BEHIND ON [INAUDIBLE], WHERE MOST OF THEM LIVE, SO IT WAS LIKE THEY COULD HAVE GOT IT.
MY MAN CAME OUT AND HE GOES, THEY TOLD HIM, DON'T GO BACK.
OUR NEIGHBORS ARE THE ONES THAT WOKE US UP.
WE HAVE A LOCK ON OUR GATE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME AND THEY TRY TO ROB.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.
WELL, LITTLE WE HAVE IS WHAT WE HAVE AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE STOLEN.
IT'S JUST IT'S SAD TO SEE THIS AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IT, BUT YOU NEVER LIVED IT TILL.
MY NEIGHBOR SYLVIA, SHE WAS YELLING AT THEM BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO HER HOUSE.
THEY GOT SOME OF HER LITTLE STORAGE TRAILER SHE HAS IN THE BACK.
SHE'S LIKE, HEY, ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO SOMETHING? ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO SOMETHING? THEY DID NOTHING.
THEY JUST STOOD THERE. HE GRABBED THE WATER HOSE.
SHE'S TRYING TO GRAB WATER HOSE.
EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO WATER THEIR STUFF DOWN.
BUT IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING A FIRE DEPARTMENT THERE IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO NOTHING? AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE IT GO TO THE BACK TOWARDS THE SUN, AND THERE'S MORE KIDS THAT LIVE ON THAT STREET AND IT'S SAD.
HELLO. MY NAME IS JOSE MENDEZ AND I'M ALSO HERE FOR THE SANTANELLA FIRE.
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ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY IS AFFECTING US IS ALL ABOUT THE ELECTRICITY.LIKE FROM MY GRANDPA AND WE HAVE FAMILY ELDERS AND LITTLE SIBLINGS.
AS MY MOM SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ELECTRICITY TO CHARGE A WHEELCHAIR.
THAT TAKES EIGHT HOURS TO FULLY CHARGE AND IF IT'S NOT FULLY CHARGED, IT WON'T RUN RIGHT.
THE AMBULANCE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
HE PASSED AWAY ON ARRIVAL, EVEN THOUGH THEY WHEN THEY PICKED HIM UP, THEY STOPPED RIGHT THERE, LIKE GOING OUT TO LEAVE TO THE HOSPITAL. THEY PARKED ON THE ROAD OFF THE ROAD.
THEY IT'S REALLY NOT THE SAME AS BACK THEN.
BACK THEN THEY USED TO BE THE AMBULANCE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAITED AROUND FOR 30 TO 40 MINUTES, AND JUST LOOKING AT THE FIRE, THEY DID NOT WANT TO START WITH. FIRST.
IT STARTED GOING TO THEIR HOUSE FIRST.
IT STARTED OFF IN THE WHERE THE GARAGE IS AT, WHERE THEY PARKED THEIR CARS AT THE AMBULANCE OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE STOPPED THAT FROM PREVENTING THE HOUSE BURNING DOWN, BUT INSTEAD THEY JUST STOOD AROUND FOR 30 TO 40 MINUTES LOOKING AT HOW ON.
THEY LET THE FIRE GET TO THE HOUSE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PREVENT IT FROM BURNING MULTIPLE OTHER HOUSES, THEY LEFT THE FIRES UNATTENDED FOR 30 MINUTES AND ALSO WITH THE ELECTRICITY.
THERE IS MANY PEOPLE HERE AND HERE IN SANTA NELLA THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY, AND THIEVES ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND ALSO ARE STEALING FROM PEOPLE HOUSES WHO DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY.
SO THERE'S NO CAMERAS, THERE'S NOTHING TO HELP US OUT WITH THAT ALSO, AND ANOTHER THING WE'RE WONDERING IF, IS THERE ANY POSSIBLE WAY YOU GUYS COULD GET GENERATORS LIKE THEY USE FOR ROAD WORKS? THE BIG GENERATORS THEY HAVE, SINCE THEY DO GIVE POWER TO, THEY COULD GIVE POWER TO MULTIPLE HOUSES.
IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITIES WE COULD GET THOSE GENERATORS INSIDE SANTA NELLA? AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TO HELP OUT WITH THE ELECTRICITY PROBLEM.
YEAH, YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP, BUT THANK YOU.
WE'LL TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION.
OKAY. I SYLVIA SANCHEZ, MY TRAILER WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT DOOR. WHEN I WALKED OUT MY DRIVEWAY, I SEEN THE FIRE.
I WAS SPRAYING WATER FROM MY FENCE TO IT BECAUSE IT CAUGHT FIRE.
THE ABANDONED TRAILER, IT WAS RIGHT AT THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR.
IT WASN'T VERY BIG, BUT, I MEAN, I KNEW IT WAS A PROBLEM.
BY THE TIME I RAN OUT TO MY DRIVEWAY, MY ROOMMATE WAS SCREAMING AT ME TO LEAVE.
I REALLY DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS FIRE WAS GOING TO DO THE DAMAGE THAT IT DID.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOSE MY HOME AND I DIDN'T.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I DIDN'T AND IT JUST WENT BACK AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT TO THE BACK OF ME. I WALKED OUT AND I WAS I KNEW FOR SURE WHEN I WALKED OUT, THE FIRE WAS GOING TO DO THAT.
IT WAS GOING TO DO MINE AND I WAS HOPING IT WOULDN'T DO MY NEIGHBORS.
I THOUGHT, WELL, BY THAT TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO HAVE IT UNDER CONTROL.
I DON'T THINK ALL THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE OUT OF A HOME RIGHT NOW.
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AND, I MEAN, HOW DO WE.WHAT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO GO OUT? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE PG&E? I MEAN, I'M BLESSED.
I STILL HAVE MY PARENTS THAT ARE THERE.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY TO GO GET ROOMS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
BUT WE NEED TO GET SOME PG AND E BACK UP.
WE NEED TO GET SOME KIND OF HELP.
WE NEED TO DO A LOT OF HELP FOR THESE FAMILIES THAT LOST EVERYTHING.
THAT'S ALL. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
I KNOW I DID. I CALLED THE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
I DIDN'T CALL THEM. THERE WAS THE SHERIFF NEXT DOOR.
I SAID, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO I CAN CALL? THIS PLACE IS NOT.
WHOEVER WAS THERE, HE WAS TAKING IT APART AND THE INSTALLATION WAS ALL OVER, BLOWING ALL OVER MY FENCE AND SO I ASKED HER, SHE SAID, OH, YEAH, CALL THEM.
SHE CAME BACK UP MY DRIVEWAY 10 MINUTES LATER AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
THEY NEVER SHOWED UP, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN DOING THIER JOBS.
EACH SEMINAR IS PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS MONTH, WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THE STUDENT RESILIENCY CENTER OUT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT AND THE THINGS THAT THEY GIVE OUT TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.
THEY ALSO WORK WITH THE TRAUMA AND GRIEF CENTER TO HELP STUDENTS PROCESS DIFFICULT EVENTS.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, ALL SERVICES ARE FREE TO LOCAL FAMILIES.
SO THESE SERVICES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
THIS SEMINAR WILL ALSO BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS, IN CASE YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN PERSON, AND WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP IN PROMOTING THIS EVENT AS IT'S FREE TO THE COMMUNITY AND MANY OF OUR LOCAL FAMILIES COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS INFORMATION.
I'LL LEAVE SOME OF THESE FLIERS IN THE BIN WITH YOU GUYS AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.
THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] THE DATE? YES. OH, YES, THAT WILL BE FRIDAY, JULY 19TH, 2024 AT 6:30 P.M.
THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? THANK YOU. HI.
GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DULCE GARCIA AND I LIVE ON 244 SOUTH MERCURY.
SO I'M RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE HOUSE THAT BURNED DOWN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING THERE LEFT, AND THEY LEFT A NEPHEW BEHIND.
THEY LEFT HIM BEHIND AND WE HAD NOTHING BUT CHAOS.
I LIVE WITH MY MOM AND MY BROTHER AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE FIGHTING OUT THERE, THEY'RE SHOOTING UP DRUGS, THEY'VE BROKEN INTO MY HOME, THEY'VE STOLEN A LOT OF STUFF FROM OUR HOME AND WE HAD CAMERAS, AND WE'LL CALL THE POLICE.
THEY'LL COME OUT AND THEY'LL TAKE A LOOK.
WE CALL THE POLICE MULTIPLE TIMES.
NOTHING WAS DONE AND THE NIGHT THAT THE FIRE HAPPENED, I WAS OUT ON A CONFERENCE FOR MY JOB.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, WHERE, YOU KNOW, SHE TELLS ME NEXT DOOR AND I'M ASKING HER, ARE YOU AND MY BROTHER OKAY, WHAT'S GOING ON? AND I CAN HEAR HER SCREAMING AT THE FIREFIGHTERS TELLING THEM, GET MY HOUSE.
WHERE DO YOU GUYS DOING? SO I CAN SUPPORT THAT.
THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE OUT THERE WERE ON A LUNCH BREAK.
THEY WERE OUT THERE, SHE SAID THEY WERE JUST SITTING AROUND.
SHE WAS FRANTIC AND I WAS OUT OF TOWN.
I, YOU KNOW, LIKE, NOT THAT I COULD HAVE DONE MUCH, BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO SUPPORT HER.
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BUT SO NOW, YOU KNOW, THANKFULLY OUR HOUSE DIDN'T BURN DOWN.NOBODY AND THE POLICE WERE CALLED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THOSE PEOPLE SQUATTING THERE.
THE REALTOR, LIKE THEY MENTIONED, THE HOUSE HAS BEEN PENDING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
WE EVEN CONSIDERED PITCHING MONEY IN TO JUST BREAK IT DOWN FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SQUATTING THERE, AND IT WAS MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT WERE STEALING FROM OUR HOMES, THESE HARD WORKING PEOPLE. IT'S REALLY SAD AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, BUT I'VE LIVED IN SANTA NELLA, 30 YEARS OF MY LIFE AND AS OF THE FIVE YEARS AGO, IT'S BEEN HORRIBLE. THE POLICE GO OUT THERE, THEY KNOW WHO THEY TALK TO.
THE SHERIFFS WANT INFORMATION.
WELL, WHAT ABOUT WHY I CALLED YOU? WE NEED HELP OUT THERE.
IT'S TERRIBLE OUT THERE AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS TRAGEDY HAD TO HAPPEN AND MY MOM IS HEALTH COMPROMISED AND, YOU KNOW, I WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT HER AND MY BROTHER AND MY QUESTION IS, WHEN IS THE ELECTRICITY GOING TO GET BACK ON? WHAT IS OUR PROCESS AND THAT WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO HELP THAT? WHAT RESOURCES CAN WE LOOK INTO TO HELP SUPPORT OUR FAMILY IN THE MEANTIME? THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS? I KNOW IT ALREADY HAPPENED, BUT I'M HERE FOR SOLUTIONS AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU MEN OUT HERE ARE SMART, AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL HELP US FIND THE RESOURCES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
HELLO. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JACQUELINE BEJAR.
I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON THE INCIDENTS THAT HAD HAPPENED THAT DAY.
THAT DAY I HAD WOKEN UP AND THERE WAS A FIRE.
IT WAS JUST VERY STRESSFUL FOR ME AND MY MOTHER.
WE COULDN'T WE BARELY GOT THINGS OUT.
AND FOR THESE INCIDENTS TO HAPPEN, I JUST.
I NEED SOMETHING TO BE DONE, I NEED HELP.
HE CAN'T BE IN 113 DEGREE HEAT.
I CAN'T. I WENT TO WORK RIGHT AFTER THE FIRE WAS STILL BEING TURNED OFF.
YOU KNOW THERE WERE FIREMEN OUT THERE AND I HAD TO GO TO WORK.
IT WAS AT EIGHT IN THE MORNING WHEN I HAD TO GO.
I CAME BACK HOME AND I HAD TO BE WITH HIM IN 113 DEGREE HEAT.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT A KID SHOULD BE IN.
HE SHOULDN'T BE IN 113 DEGREE HEAT AND ME HAVING THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE WITH HIM, WATCHING THE GENERATOR THAT SOMEONE ELSE LENT US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE RESOURCES LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE TO TURN IT OFF AT NIGHT AND WE'RE WITH NO AIR.
WE HAVE NO LIKE, WE NEED POWER.
WE HAVE TO TURN IT OFF RIGHT NOW.
I CAME, HERE AND ALL THE FOOD IT WENT BAD BECAUSE WE HAD TO TURN IT OFF.
EVEN BIGGER GENERATORS AT LEAST.
BUT JUST SOMETHING IN THE MEANTIME TO GET US THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE NEED.
AND I COME HERE TO YOU GUYS AND SPEAK TO YOU GUYS THAT SEEING THAT FOR THIS INCIDENT TO HAPPEN, WE NEED SOMETHING AND I HOPE IT OPENS YOUR EYES THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.
WHEN I WAS THERE WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY WERE.
THEY STOPPED EVERYTHING AND JUST WERE STANDING THERE AND THEY SAID THAT THERE'S NO WATER PRESSURE.
MY DAD HAD TO HAVE TWO HOSES ON THE WHOLE TIME AND THE ONLY THING THAT THE SHERIFF SAID WAS TO GET OUT WHILE WE STILL HAD THE TWO HOSES ON AND TRYING TO TRYING TO STOP THE FIRE, AT LEAST FOR IT TO NOT GET TO THE NEIGHBOR'S SIDE AND THEN TO OURS, BECAUSE I'M ONE HOUSE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE THAT DIDN'T BURN.
SO IN FACT, BEING BEING SCARED THAT COULD COULD HAVE BEEN US, IT COULD HAVE BEEN US AND I AM SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DID LOSE THEIR HOMES, AND THEY'RE IN A MUCH WORSE SITUATION THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
BUT I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME TWO ELDER PEOPLE AND I, GO CHECK ON UP ON THEM EVERY SINGLE MORNING AND SEE IF THEY'RE OKAY AND IN THIS HEAT, THEY CAN'T GO INSIDE. THEY FEEL MORE HOT INSIDE AND THEY TELL ME, I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO DIE AND IT'S TERRIBLE.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT IN MY COMMUNITY.
THEY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND THERE'S A LOT OF ROBBERIES GOING ON.
WE JUST HEARD ABOUT ONE LAST NIGHT THAT SOMEONE GOT ROBBED BECAUSE THERE'S NO LIGHTS.
THERE'S NOTHING. I CAN'T LEAVE MY HOME TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND KEEP MY KID COOL.
[00:45:04]
I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE I HAVE THAT FEAR THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO JUMP IN MY HOUSE AND TAKE THE STUFF THAT WE WORKED REALLY HARD ON, AND I JUST NEED SOMETHING TO BE DONE.YEAH. I NEVER SPEAK OFF OF THE CUFF.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO HAVE PAPER IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SPEAKING THIS MORNING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE INTERACTION. BUT NO COMMENT, NOTHING FOR THEM.
SEND ME $1,000 RIGHT NOW TO GO BUY GENERATORS FOR THESE PEOPLE.
IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE'S.
WHERE IS THE PROACTIVENESS WITH OUR WITH OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS? THIS HAPPENED ON SATURDAY AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE HERE TODAY BEGGING YOU FOR POWER.
IMAGINE SITTING IN A TIN CAN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING.
AGAIN, I DON'T LIKE TO SPEAK FROM EMOTION, BUT I CANNOT HELP MYSELF RIGHT NOW.
OUR COUNTY NEEDS YOU AND YOU NEED TO BE PROACTIVE.
THIS IS, I CANNOT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY EXCEPT THAT MY VENMO IS BECKY TUCKER 26.
AND I WILL BUY GENERATORS AND I WILL TAKE THEM OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE AND I WILL TAKE THEM WATER.
THE PUBLIC HAS TO STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY IF NOT, I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR COUNTY CEO IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE INFORMATION.
YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY WAIT TILL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE COMPLETE BEFORE WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION.
I WAS PREPARED TO JUST PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR THE RESIDENTS FROM SANTA NELLA THAT CAME OUT.
SO COUNTY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH PG AND E AND OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO KIND OF ASSESS WHAT OCCURRED WERE WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, LATE IN THE DAY AS WE WERE STILL GETTING INTEL FROM ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES.
SO WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING TODAY TO TRY AND ACCELERATE WHAT CAN BE DONE.
OUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY STAFF WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY TRYING TO CONNECT WITH RESIDENTS.
I THINK THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN CONNECTING WITH A LOT OF THE IMPACTED RESIDENTS.
[INAUDIBLE] MERCED COUNTY SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT WE HAVE TO START SMALL, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO START FOCUSED AND SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO TRY AND ASSESS THE IMPACT OF WHAT OCCURRED OVER THE WEEKEND.
BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS THERE AT PG&E, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES TRYING TO GET ASSISTANCE AND SOME OF THIS WORK DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE WILL SHARE WITH RESIDENTS WHEN WE CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR FOOTPRINT, WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THOSE UNITS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WITHOUT POWER BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY PG AND E, BUT IF WE NEED TO EXPAND OUR FOOTPRINT, WE WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION.
APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GET THE INFORMATION.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY PROPERTY OWNER OR RESIDENT HAS HAS A DECISION TO MAKE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO LEAVE THEIR PREMISES AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED TODAY, AND WE HEARD THAT YESTERDAY AS WELL.
[00:50:04]
THERE. I'M GOING TO ASK MARK HENDRICKSON TO KIND OF PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION.HE HAS SOME UNIQUE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE HE FORMERLY WORKED FOR PG AND E, BUT HE CURRENTLY WORKS WITH US IN OUR OFFICE AND ANYTHING THAT I MISS MARK? PLEASE. MR. CHAIRMAN.
GO AHEAD. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AGAIN. GOOD MORNING.
WE ACTUALLY, AS WE SPEAK, HAVE A TEAM OF SOCIAL WORKERS DOWNSTAIRS THAT ANYBODY THAT'S HERE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY RIGHT NOW ON THE SPOT, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND TO LEAD THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX ISSUE, AND IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE FOR MANY, MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.
OBVIOUSLY, FROM A PG&E PERSPECTIVE, THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GET POWER TO THE FRONT DOOR, IF YOU WILL, OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN ONCE IT GETS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE METER, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE GOT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
THIS SAME SITUATION UNFOLDED IN ROUGHLY 2013, 2014.
THAT LEFT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE OUT OF POWER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT THE ONE THING I WOULD REALLY STRESS FOR THE BOARD AND CERTAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC TODAY, IS THAT THIS COUNTY IS GOING TO UNDERTAKE EVERY STEP NECESSARY TO BE FACILITATIVE IN NATURE, TO COORDINATE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHO ALSO HAS A ROLE HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, AS THE CEO MENTIONED, TO COORDINATE EFFECTIVELY WITH PG AND E, TRY TO IDENTIFY, AS THE CEO MENTIONED, SHORT TERM STOPGAPS WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE SHORT TERM TO HELP THESE FOLKS GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED? AND I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF THE AFFECTED FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WHEN WE ARE EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, TO STAY IN LOCAL HOTELS, PLEASE TAKE US UP ON THAT OFFER.
IT IS HOT. WE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.
THIS HAS BEEN A SINCE THE EVENT TOOK PLACE, THE TRAGIC EVENT TOOK PLACE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR THE COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST COMPLIMENT EACH OF THOSE FOLKS TODAY WHO PROVIDED COMMENT WHO CAME UP AND IT'S HARD TO DO WHEN YOU'RE FACING A VERY TRAGIC SITUATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN A PAST LIFE ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, THIS IS A SITUATION THAT I HAD SEEN PROBABLY MORE THAN MORE THAN PROBABLY A HALF A DOZEN OCCASIONS AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS AND IN SANTA NELLA WITH WITH VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME PATIENCE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE WERE ON A CALL YESTERDAY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE.
THERE WERE SOME REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS TODAY THAT WE ARE ALSO EVALUATING WITH REGARD TO WHAT CAN WE DO AS BEING A PUBLIC ENTITY TO PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT. KEEPING IN MIND THAT THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC SITE.
THIS IS A PRIVATELY OWNED SITE AND SO WHAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO IS TRYING TO ENGAGE PROPERTY OWNERS FOR MANY OF THESE FOLKS WHO MAY BE RENTERS, BECAUSE THESE RENTERS DO HAVE RIGHTS. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION I THINK WE ALL ENCOUNTERED IN PLANADA AS WELL.
RENTERS DO HAVE RIGHTS, AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OES, VERY CLOSELY WITH THE RED CROSS, VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY GOING OUT INTO THE SANTA NELLA COMMUNITY.
TODAY, OUR HSA ORGANIZATION IS DOWNSTAIRS.
SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN REALLY MAYBE ADD ADD TO IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'D JUST HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERY AFFECTED RESIDENT TO PLEASE, IF NOTHING ELSE, ENGAGE WITH OUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS ON SITE TODAY TO AT LEAST GET IN THE PIPELINE AND TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO WE WOULD IF WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM, MAYBE BECAUSE THIS IS A 24/7 ISSUE, THE HEAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY EXHAUSTING 24/7 AND IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, COOLING CENTERS ARE SOMETIMES OPEN TILL 5:00 AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES EVEN THE NIGHT PEOPLE CAN'T SLEEP.
SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN HELP, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
OKAY. SO CERTAINLY WE WILL CERTAINLY WE CAN DO THAT AND AS IT RELATES TO THE FOOD LOSS ISSUE, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT OUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY IS ALSO FOCUSED ON TRYING TO ENSURE THAT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE AS WELL.
[00:55:02]
SO I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD POINTS, AND WE WILL CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO KEEP THIS BOARD.YEAH. PERSONALLY, I LET MY OUR CEO KNOW THAT, LIKE I SAID, CEO, MY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN CASE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT WITH ANYBODY THAT THE MERCED COUNTY CONTRACTS TO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE CAN FIX THAT. THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO WHATEVER FUNDS WE CAN HAVE AND TO FIX IT ASAP.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AVAILABLE, SO THANK YOU.
ANY MORE COMMENTS? YEAH. RICHARD. I'M SORRY. WE CAN.
BECAUSE THE COMMENTS ARE CLOSED ALREADY.
RICHARD. YEAH, BUT PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE ALREADY DONE, I APOLOGIZE.
OKAY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR HSA AND MARK FOR ANY COMMENTS.
JUST GIVE IT TO HIM, PLEASE. OKAY.
[PRESENTATION]
SUCH A SHIT SHOW.GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SCOTT NGUYEN.
I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE GREENSBORO GROUP.
WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE THEN AND IN ABOUT 20, ABOUT TWO DECADES AGO, WE STARTED ENGAGING IN PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY SURVEY.
MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY SURVEY THAT WE TOOK IN LATE MAY EARLY JUNE.
SO. MAKE SURE I GOT THIS RIGHT.
OH, PERFECT. A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY.
OKAY. SO THE METHODOLOGY FOR THE SURVEY THAT WE TOOK WAS WE SENT THE ONLINE SURVEY INVITATION LINKS BY EMAIL AND P2P TEXT MESSAGE TO A RANDOM SUBSET OF RESIDENTS WITHIN MERCED COUNTY.
WE SENT TWO ROUNDS OF INVITATIONS OVER 3 DAYS FROM TUESDAY, MAY 28TH THROUGH THURSDAY, MAY 30TH.
A TOTAL OF 582 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATED, WITH 531 COMPLETING QUESTION SIX.
THE SURVEY HAS A MARGIN OF ERROR OF PLUS OR -4%.
QUESTION NUMBER ONE HOW SAFE DO YOU FEEL IN YOUR COMMUNITY? 45% INDICATED THEY FELT SOMEWHAT SAFE.
25% INDICATED THEY FELT SOMEWHAT SAFE, 17.9% FELT EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND 11.4% SAID, I FEEL EXTREMELY SAFE.
AND AND I'M SORRY. I THINK I MIGHT HAVE INDICATED THAT WRONG.
25.25% SAID I FEEL SOMEWHAT UNSAFE.
17.9 FELT EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND 11.4 FELT EXTREMELY SAFE.
I'LL TRY TO GROUP THESE TWO TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
OKAY. DO YOU BELIEVE CRIME IN YOUR AREA HAS INCREASED, DECREASED, OR REMAINED THE SAME OVER THE PAST YEAR? 57.7% SAID CRIME HAD INCREASED.
30.1% SAID REMAINED THE SAME 5.9% SAID DECREASED AND 6.5% WERE UNSURE.
[01:00:06]
OKAY. IF YOU WERE A VICTIM OF A CRIME, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO ADDRESS YOUR REPORTED CRIME? 36.3% SAID HAVE HAD MODERATE CONFIDENCE, 33.5% HAD LOW CONFIDENCE TO 21.3% HAD NO CONFIDENCE, AND 9% SAID HAD HIGH CONFIDENCE.WOULD YOU SUPPORT AN INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY? WOULD YOU SUPPORT INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING? 40.9% SAID STRONGLY SUPPORT, 33.5% SAID SUPPORT, 16.1% SAID UNSURE, 5.1 SAID PERCENT OPPOSED AND 4.4.3 STRONGLY OPPOSED.
THE MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS FACING SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH UNDERSTAFFING.
THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNIT OPERATES WITH LESS THAN HALF OF THE REQUIRED TEAM MEMBERS.
IF THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO FUND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WOULD YOU SUPPORT A HALF CENT LOCAL SALES TAX INCREASE TO HELP ADDRESS THESE STAFFING ISSUES AND AN IMPROVED COMMUNITY SAFETY.
55.3% SAID YES, I WOULD SUPPORT A HALF CENT INCREASE IN THE LOCAL SALES TAX.
23.1% SAID NO, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A HALF CENT INCREASE IN THE SALES TAX.
AND 21.5% OF 21.5% WERE UNDECIDED MERCED COUNTY RECENTLY CLOSED TWO FIRE STATIONS DUE TO INADEQUATE STAFFING. IF THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO KEEP FIRE STATIONS OPEN OR REOPEN CLOSED FIRE STATIONS, WOULD YOU SUPPORT A HALF CENT LOCAL SALES TAX INCREASE TO HELP ADDRESS FIREFIGHTER AND SHERIFF DEPUTY SHORTAGES? 62.5% SAID YES, I WOULD SUPPORT A HALF CENT INCREASE IN LOCAL SALES TAX.
SO TO THOSE THAT WERE, WE ACTUALLY ASKED THE QUESTION THAT INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT, OR THEY WERE OR WERE UNDECIDED ON WHETHER THEY WOULD SUPPORT THE HALF CENT, WE ASKED A SUBSEQUENT QUESTION, WHICH WOULD YOU SUPPORT A QUARTER CENT LOCAL SALES TAX TO HELP ADDRESS FIREFIGHTER AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGES? OF THAT POOL OF RESPONDENTS 47.6 SAID NO, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A QUARTER CENT INCREASE IN THE LOCAL SALES TAX, 40.4% WERE UNDECIDED AND 12.6% YES, SAID I WOULD SUPPORT A QUARTER CENT INCREASE IN THE LOCAL SALES TAX.
SO WHICH RESPONSE BELOW BEST DESCRIBES YOUR APPREHENSION TO A QUARTER CENT LOCAL SALES TAX INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY? 29.9% ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RESORTING TO SALES TAX INCREASE.
24.7 SAID I OPPOSE ALL TAX INCREASES.
20.8% SAID I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY AND HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED.
15.2% SAID ANOTHER REASON AND 9.7 FELT WE ALREADY HAVE.
WE ALREADY SPENDING ENOUGH MONEY ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
I DO WANT TO NOTE A CORRECTION ON THIS AND I'LL BRING THIS.
WHEN WE ORIGINALLY CREATED THE PRESENTATION, THEY MADE A MISTAKE ON THAT.
I WILL INDICATE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT, APPROPRIATE NUMBER IN MY OBSERVATIONS NEXT.
SO GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 42.9% OF RESPONDENTS FEEL EXTREMELY OR SOMEWHAT UNSAFE, WHILE 46% FEEL SOMEWHAT SAFE AND 11% FEEL EXTREMELY SAFE. 57.5% OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT CRIME HAS INCREASED IN THE LAST YEAR.
30.1% BELIEVE IT HAS STAYED THE SAME, AND 5.9% BELIEVE IT HAS DECREASED.
54.7% OF RESPONDENTS HAVE NO OR LOW CONFIDENCE THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE REPORTED CRIME, WHILE 36.3% HAVE MODERATE CONFIDENCE AND 9% HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE.
74.4% OF RESPONDENTS SUPPORT INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING, WITH 40.9% INDICATING STRONG SUPPORT, 16.1% WERE UNSURE AND 10% OPPOSED.
[01:05:01]
62.5% OF RESPONDENTS WOULD SUPPORT A HALF CENT LOCAL SALES TAX TO HELP ADDRESS FIREFIGHTER AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGES, WHILE 19.6% WOULD OPPOSE IT, OPPOSE IT AND 70.8% WERE UNDECIDED.THOSE OPPOSED TO OR UNDECIDED ABOUT A LOCAL SALES TAX INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, 29.6% BELIEVE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RESORTING TO A SALES TAX.
BELIEVE BEFORE IT SHOULD BE 20.8% ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED. QUESTIONS? OKAY. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.
YES. SO YOU GAVE US SOME WITH 75% AND THEN SOME WITH THE 20 OR THE 55%.
WHICH NUMBER? THE BETTER? IT SEEMS TO BETTER FAVOR YOUR ARGUMENT.
THIS ACTUALLY THE NUMBERS THAT I GAVE YOU HERE WERE BASED ON THE 75 MODEL.
OKAY. WELL, BECAUSE THERE WAS ONE OF THEM THAT WAS BASED ON THE 55 MODEL, THERE WAS, THERE WAS I WE BELIEVE AS I MENTIONED IN EARLIER IN IT, WE WERE LOOKING FOR CIVICALLY ENGAGED VOTERS OR, I'M SORRY, CIVICALLY ENGAGED RESIDENTS.
NOT NECESSARILY 55 WOULD BE EXTREMELY CIVICALLY ENGAGED RESIDENTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THERE.
SO I GUESS I'M SO WHICH NUMBER IS THE MORE ACCURATE NUMBER I WOULD SAY THAT THE 75 MODEL IS A BETTER INDICATOR OF WHAT THE REPRESENTATION OF THE RESIDENTS IS.
OKAY. AND THEN JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WHERE IT SAYS OR THE RESPONSES.
WHAT OTHER FUNDING SOURCES WAS THAT? A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED? NO, IT WAS NOT.
NO, IT WAS JUST WE WERE TRYING TO GET AN INDICATOR OF OF, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO A PUBLIC SAFETY TAX, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR FEELINGS WERE AND SO WE DID NOT SPECIFY OKAY AND THEN 20.8% ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED. AND I'M A LITTLE THAT'S KIND OF I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WITH TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED ARE TRANSPARENT.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT HOW THAT QUESTION WAS DEVELOPED OR RESPONSE.
WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK TO I MEAN, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS OBVIOUSLY 20.8% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SURVEYED, THE ANSWERED TO THAT QUESTION FEEL THAT THERE WAS MORE TRANSPARENCY WOULD BE NEEDED OR THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT BASED ON THAT, 20.8% OF THE RESPONDENTS DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH TRANSPARENCY, BUT 80% HAVE, I WOULD SAY THAT'S THE CASE AND ACTUALLY, NO, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE WE ASKED THEM ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION TO PICK SOMETHING.
OKAY. THEY HAD A FEW DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
SO WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT? WHAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE? LET ME SEE IF I CAN GO BACK TO IT ACTUALLY.
THAT'S THE ONE. OH, GOD, I GET IT.
OKAY, IT'S KIND OF A DELAY HERE.
SO I COULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY IF ANY OF THE REST OF THESE PEOPLE IF THAT WAS, IF THEY BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY OR APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TRANSPARENCY. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE 20.8% THAT INDICATED, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED.
THAT PARTICULAR GROUP, THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. HOW DO YOU FACTOR IN, LIKE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL RESPONSES? AND THEN YOU, AFTER EACH QUESTION IS ASKED, THE TOTAL RESPONSE IS DECLINES IN EVERY ONE.
[01:10:04]
AFTER THAT, YOU START OUT AT 582 RESPONDENTS.BY THE TIME YOU GET TO QUESTION SIX, YOU'RE DOWN TO 531 RESPONSES.
YES. SO HOW DO YOU FACTOR THAT IN WITH YOUR.
SO EACH QUESTION IS HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY OKAY.
SO THE POOL OF RESPONSES, THE RESPONSES THAT YOU GET OR THE THE PERCENTAGES THAT YOU GET IS BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION. THAT'S WHY WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY, WE TALK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE STARTED THE SURVEY AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ENDED THE SURVEY.
WE TRY TO GET WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT WE HIT.
ACTUALLY, WE TRY TO HIT BETWEEN 3 AND 400 RESPONSES.
THE AGE SEEMS TO BE PRETTY REPRESENTED.
I KNOW THAT ONE OF YOUR MOST RELIABLE GROUP THAT VOTES THEY VOTE EARLY, RIGHT? THEY VOTE. THEY VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION IS YOUR 60 AND OLDER.
THIS WAS DONE BY EMAIL AND BY TEXT.
DO YOU WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON? DID IT LEAVE ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT VOTING BLOCS OUT OF THE SURVEY? I KNOW THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTED HERE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS.
I MEAN, I'M GONNA TAKE MY DAD, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO'S 76 YEARS OLD, WHO I KNOW HE READS TEXTS BECAUSE I SENT THEM TO HIM, BUT I CAN LITERALLY TELL YOU THAT MY DAD HAS NEVER SENT ME A TEXT. HE DOESN'T DO TEXT MESSAGING.
SO AS A PERSON THAT VOTES IN EVERY ELECTION, LIKE THEY WERE KIND OF LEFT OUT OF THE SURVEY, WHAT JUST KIND OF GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU SEE THE NUMBERS THERE.
SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE WHAT WE TRY TO ACCOMPLISH AND BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THAT IN THE UNIVERSE, OKAY, OLDER VOTERS IN THAT PARTICULAR UNIT, LIKE I SAID, CIVICALLY ENGAGED VOTERS, OLDER VOTERS ARE MORE CIVICALLY ENGAGED THAN, SAY, YOUNGER VOTERS ARE. OKAY AND SO WHAT WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN IS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT HOW THE RESPONSES ARE.
SO I PART OF THE METHODOLOGY IS THAT WE GO OUT AND WE DO AN INITIAL SURVEY AND IF WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE SHALLOWING IN A PARTICULAR AREA, WHETHER IT BE GEOGRAPHIC, DEMOGRAPHIC, AGE OR WHATEVER, WE GO OUT AND WE SEND IT MORE TO THOSE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE FILLING OUR QUOTAS BASED ON THOSE PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, AGE GROUP, DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP OR GEOGRAPHIC GROUP.
THOSE THE SUMMARIES UP FRONT, WHETHER IT'S THE WEIGHTED 75, WEIGHTED 55 OR THE, YOU KNOW, WEIGHTED PERCENTAGE, THOSE IF FOR SOME REASON, SAY OLDER VOTERS WERE NOT REPRESENTED, WE WOULD THEN, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM A HIGHER WEIGHTING CRITERIA TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNIVERSE AS A WHOLE. OKAY. THANK YOU AND THEN I THINK THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, SCOTT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
WHETHER I'VE CHALLENGED IT OR NOT.
YEAH, WE HAD HIGH PARTICIPATION, HIGH PARTICIPATION RATE, BETTER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
RIGHT AND COULD YOU DEFINE THE CIVICALLY ENGAGED AS THIS HIGH PROPENSITY VOTERS OR WHAT'S YOUR WHAT'S THE ENGAGEMENT THRESHOLD? SO THE THING IS THIS WAS A PUBLIC PUBLIC OPINION, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY OPINION SURVEY.
I'M TRYING NOT TO DELVE INTO THE VOTER ASPECT OF THINGS.
RIGHT. BUT WE DID USE THE VOTER FILE AND I WOULD SAY THAT WHEN WE DISCUSS CIVICALLY ENGAGED RESIDENTS, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE HIGH PROPENSITY VOTERS OR ACTUALLY, NO, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE MID TO HIGH PROPENSITY VOTERS.
I JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND IS IT PEOPLE WHO ATTEND OUR TOWN HALLS.
IS IT I'M ENSURING THAT I'M USING THE APPROPRIATE TERMINOLOGY.
UNDERSTAND AND MUCH APPRECIATED.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON THE SLIDES.
BUT IF THERE'S ANOTHER FILE THAT MAYBE WAS KEPT IS WHAT WAS IT? I ENJOY THE SAMPLING.
SO ACTUALLY I GOT THAT QUESTION BEFORE AND I DID PREPARE THAT.
SO THE PERCENTAGE IS BASED ON EACH COMMUNITY PERCENTAGE IN EACH SURVEY.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH EACH CITY, INCORPORATE A CITY AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE UNINCORPORATED.
[01:15:03]
SO AND REMEMBER THIS WAS RAW DATA, RIGHT.BUT IT WAS PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE, PRETTY CLOSE.
2.4% WAS DOS PALOS, 1.5% WAS GUSTINE, 2.5% WAS LIVINGSTON, 11.8% WAS LOS BANOS, 37.1% WAS MERCED, AND 32.6% WAS UNINCORPORATED.
COULD YOU REPEAT? REPEAT THAT FOR MY COLLEAGUE OVER HERE? YES I CAN. 11.8% WAS ATWATER.
2.4% WAS DOS PALOS 1.5% WAS GUSTIN, 2.5% WAS LIVINGSTON, 11.8% WAS LOS BANOS, 11 WAS 37.1% WAS MERCED, AND 32.6% WAS UNINCORPORATED.
THANK YOU. WITH THAT, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT THE DISTRICT THREE CITY OF ATWATER IS CIVICALLY ENGAGED IN THESE ALSO. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO DO IT AND GIVE YOUR BEST TO MY DAD FOR ME.
THANKS. I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PRESENTATION? ALL RIGHT. NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. SO THANK YOU.
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO CONSENT CALENDAR.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE.PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM ONE REQUIRES A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE.
OKAY, AT THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? YEAH. I THOUGHT WE CAN HAVE SHERIFF DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
DID YOU WANT TO ASK ANY OF THE SHERIFF HAD A COMMENT? OKAY. YOUR COMMENTS WERE ASKING.
COULD YOU HOLD ON A SECOND, PLEASE? I WAS GOING TO ASK THE D.A. OR THE SHERIFF THE HUNDRED COMMENTS BEFORE ON THE LAST PRESENTATION.
FIRE OR THE FIRE? MARK, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE LAST PRESENTATION? SHERIFF, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. OKAY.
SORRY ABOUT THAT. FIRST OFF, SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY FOR THIS COUNTY OR ANY OTHER COUNTY AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN, I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT, NEEDS TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO INCREASE THINGS.
AT THE SAME TIME, SHE HAD TO BE BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH TO DUE TO LACK OF STAFFING.
OKAY, I TOOK THREE MINUTES TO TESTIFY, BUT IT TOOK THREE HOURS TO GET ON THE STAND.
WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL THESE THINGS AS WE CAN.
BUT THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS WE DON'T HAVE A GANG UNIT.
OKAY. WHEN I FIRST TOOK OFFICE SUPERVISOR KELSEY GAVE ME EIGHT MORE DEPUTIES TO START A GANG UNIT.
WELL, THAT PUT ME 28 DEPUTIES DOWN.
WE NEED TO START BEING PROACTIVE.
OKAY. WE'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT AND WE WORK FOR.
THIS COUNTY SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND THE PEOPLE IN IT SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
IT IS IN JEOPARDY AND IT SHOULDN'T BE.
SO LET'S DO SOMETHING TO FIX IT.
LET'S QUIT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
D.A. [INAUDIBLE] HANDLING CALLS.
I KNOW HE'S PROBABLY STILL PULLING FIRE HOSES EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT WE WANT THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY BACK UP TO SNUFF.
WE WANT THE FIRE STATIONS THAT WERE PROPOSING TO CLOSE TO NOT CLOSE.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S NO CHOICE IN THE EYES OF THIS BOARD ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
THIS, TO ME, IS A WAY TO DEAL WITH IT.
WE'VE GOT TO PUT THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, JOSH, YOU MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE WELL, DID THEY MENTION ANY ALTERNATIVES RESOURCES. I'VE WORKED WITH ENOUGH OF YOU TO KNOW THAT AND WE LOOK, I'VE GOT ONE OF THE BEST FINANCIAL GUYS IN THE WORLD WITH CAPTAIN GREG SULLIVAN, AND HE'S LOOKING ALL THE TIME
[01:20:08]
FOR OTHER RESOURCES.SO I DO BELIEVE THAT RESOURCES ARE BEING LOOKED INTO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
YOU GO INTO THESE CONFERENCES, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING.
I'M TIRED OF HAVING PEOPLE CALL ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET A RESPONSE.
DEPUTY. OKAY, I'M LISTENING TO THE FOLKS AT SANTA NELLA.
YOU KNOW, DEPUTY GETS OUT, WANTS WALKS AROUND AT [INAUDIBLE].
HE'S ALSO RESPONSIBLETO THE OUTSKIRTS OF GUSTINE.
WE GOT TWO DEPUTIES ON THE STREET ON THE WEST SIDE, WHICH IS INSANE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TWO AND THREE AND FOUR STAFFING FOR FIRE.
SO WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO LET'S COLLECTIVELY DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THE COMMENT THAT I HAVE TODAY IS, IS YEAH, DO I WANT MORE TAXES? HECK NO, I DON'T WANT ANY MORE.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IF I WANT TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR, I'VE GOT TO PAY IT.
IF I WANT TO DRIVE THAT CAR DOWN THE ROAD, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BUY FUEL.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, FOLKS? WE GOT TO DO THIS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT.
FIRE. I WAS TALKING WITH THE UNDERSHERIFF AND LISTENING TO COMMENTS.
TOOK 30 MINUTES FOR A FIRE TRUCK TO GET THERE.
THE FOLKS IN SANTANELLA, I CAN TELL YOU, IT DIDN'T TAKE 30 MINUTES.
MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE AND IT FELT LIKE IT TOOK THREE DAYS.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S STILL RESPONSIBLE.
WHEN THEY DIAL 911, IT'S US GOING AND WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO REALLY DO THIS.
I THINK THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
I THINK THE FOLKS WANT A SAFER MERCED COUNTY AND I KEPT TELLING NICOLE, I'VE GOT A DISEASE.
I JUST I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER WAY.
YOU GET THEM ALL THE TIME BECAUSE OF CRAP HAPPENING IN THE COUNTY.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS PUTTING THEM FIRST.
SO, MARK, YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? CHAIR. BOARD CEO MENDEZ.
MARK PIMENTEL, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR MERCED COUNTY FIRE.
CAL FIRE. JUST ECHOING WHAT THE SHERIFF SAYS, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
YOU GUYS, AS A BOARD HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH US AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUT US IN A PLACE THAT HONESTLY, AS I GREW UP THROUGH THE COUNTY, IN THE COUNTY, BEING A PCF, BEING A KID THAT WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL HERE, WATCHING WHERE WE WERE AT THEN AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IS BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU GUYS HAVE PUT US IN A GOOD SPACE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK OUT TO THE FUTURE AND I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EFFORT IN WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THIS AND BE SUCCESSFUL MOVING FORWARD AND NOT JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
SO AS, AS THE SHERIFF SAYS, IS WE GET THE 911 CALLS, WE HAVE TO GO TO RESPOND.
WE HAVE TO BE THERE FOR THESE PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THE SERVICE THAT THEY'VE BEEN USED TO AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
I THINK WE JUST SUPERVISOR PEDROZO HAD A COMMENT.
NO AND I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THIS AND I TOTALLY AND I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH YOU, SHERIFF.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US UP HERE AREN'T FOR ANY TYPE OF SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I THINK THAT THIS IS CREATIVE, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
[01:25:04]
MY ONLY REQUEST, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST, IS THAT AS WE GO THROUGH AND LOOK TOWARDS THE LANGUAGE, I KNOW THAT'S NOT BEING PRESENTED TODAY, BUT THAT OUR TEAM OR THE CEO STAFF HAS SOME SAY IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ACTUAL MEASURE AND I THINK THAT'S JUST TO PROTECT ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US.
ANY MORE? I DON'T SEE NO MORE COMMENTS.
GO AHEAD. SO JUST LIKE SORRY, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, AS A PUBLIC PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE LAST YEAR MY FAMILY HAS HAD QUITE A FEW NEGATIVE THINGS HAPPEN TO THEM.
HE RUNS OUT AND HE TRIES TO STOP, PREVENT IT.
THE PERSON PUT IT IN FORWARD, RAN HIM OVER.
HE GOT BACK UP. HE PUT IT IN FORWARD AGAIN, RAN OVER TWICE.
SO TWO ASSAULTS WITH A DEADLY WEAPON TRIAL IS THIS FRIDAY AND HE'S LOOKING AT 60 DAYS IN JAIL.
THAT'S IT. IN APRIL, WE HAD A HOUSE FIRE.
IT WAS A 15 MINUTES RESPONSE TIME TO GET TO A HOUSE WHERE FIVE MINUTES FROM THE THE DOS PALOS FIRE STATION AND THEN IT TAKES, LIKE, ANOTHER TEN MINUTES FOR THEM TO SET UP.
SO I DO FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CAME TODAY, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HOW LONG THAT TAKES.
SO WE GOT VERY LUCKY THERE AND THEN JUST A MONTH AGO, I HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL BECAUSE THAT A BODY SITTING IN THE ALMOND FIELD, IT TOOK 45 MINUTES FOR A RESPONSE, AND IT WAS MADERA SHERIFF THAT SHOWED UP.
IT TOOK TWO HOURS FOR MERCED A SHERIFF TO SHOW UP TO HER HOUSE.
THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN, BUT THIS IS NOT A COUNTY CONCERN.
I BRING MY SON TO DIFFERENT MEETINGS SO HE CAN EXPERIENCE AND BE EDUCATED BY THIS AND WE GO UP TO SACRAMENTO, WE GO TO THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WE WATCH THE FUNDING WITH THE HIGHWAY PATROL AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
SO I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO OUR SHERIFF DEPARTMENT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE YOU DO AND BIG THANK YOU FOR [INAUDIBLE].
THANK YOU. SORRY I WAS RUNNING UPSTAIRS. I JUST WANT TO SAY, WHEN SHE SPOKE ABOUT CRIMINALS, MY DAUGHTER.
I GOT THE WORST PHONE CALL A PARENT COULD GET.
LAST THURSDAY, MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT.
THE PERSON WHO HIT HER IS UNLICENSED, UNINSURED, AND SHE AS WE RESEARCHED IT, SHE HAS A EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND FOR STOLEN VEHICLE, UNLICENSED DRIVER WHILE DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE UNINSURED.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.
SHE HAS A CASE PENDING FOR 2023 FOR THAT EXACT THING DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
I WAS TELLING BECKY BACK THERE, GET YOUR WALKING SHOES ON, BECAUSE WE WILL HELP WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET THE VOTERS TO HEAR THIS, TO APPROVE THESE TAXES, TO MAKE IT SAFER WHERE WE ARE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S FIRE SEASON, AND THESE GUYS ARE BUSY.
THEIR RESOURCES ARE GOING TO BE VERY STRAINED, AND WE GOTTA DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SAFER IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WANT THEM TO COME HERE, WANT BUSINESSES TO COME HERE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL. NOW WE'LL MOVE BACK TO CONSENT CALENDAR.
I KNOW WE HAVE A. CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER, CHRIS AND.
[01:30:04]
GOOD MORNING. CHAIR ESPINOSA.SUPERVISORS. COUNTY COUNSEL, HANSEN, CEO.
MENDEZ. I'M CHRIS HAND, YOUR CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER.
I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT PROBATION SERVICES WEEK WILL BE JULY 21ST THROUGH JULY 27TH.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR PROBATION STAFF.
PROBATION PROFESSIONALS PLAY A UNIQUE AND ESSENTIAL ROLE IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND OUR STATE, KEEPING US ALL SAFER BY PROVIDING JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS WITH SUPPORT, SERVICES AND TOOLS NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY REENTER OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE SORRY THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE, EVIDENCE BASED AND COURT ORDERED REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMING.
PROBATION HOLDS PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHILE ALSO HELPING JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS TRANSITION OUT OF THE SYSTEM PERMANENTLY AND INTO A HEALTHIER, SAFER LIFE PATH. PLAN.
PATH. PROBATION DEPARTMENTS ARE THE KEY CONNECTOR IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND OUR COMMUNITIES, WORKING TO MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN THE COURTS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SOCIAL SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, SCHOOLS, CRIME SURVIVOR ORGANIZATIONS, AND NONPROFITS.
THEIR WORK BALANCES THE NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS TO ENGAGE IN REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT AND SERVICES, PROVIDING SUPPORT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
THIS TRAINING ENSURES PROBATION PROFESSIONALS ARE PREPARED TO MANAGE TRAUMA AND OTHER NEEDS OF SYSTEM INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, AND SAFELY CONNECT THEM TO THE SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO SAFELY AND SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE ROLE OF PROBATION SPANS PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND PROBATION HAS A PROVEN ABILITY TO HELP REHABILITATE OFFENDERS USING EVIDENCE BASED STRENGTHS THAT CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR.
PROBATION HELPS SUCCESSFULLY CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
PROBATION DEPARTMENTS HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES BY WORKING TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF CRIME, BY PROVIDING EVIDENCE BASED SUPERVISION AND INDIVIDUALIZED REHABILITATIVE SUPPORT AND SERVICES WHICH REDUCE RECIDIVISM.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
I KNOW I HAD OPENED THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND SO WE'LL ENTERTAIN MOTIONS OR COMMENTS BY THE BOARD.
I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
THANK YOU. SIR. I'M JUST GOING TO.
I THINK YOU PRETTY MUCH SAID EVERYTHING, SO I'M GOING TO READ THE BOTTOM NOW, THEREFORE BE RESOLVED.
WE ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR CRUCIAL ROLES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARD SAFER COMMUNITIES. SO I PRESENT YOU TO THE MERCED COUNTY PROBATION, SIR.
ACTION. HEALTH ITEMS TEN AND 11.
[BOARD ACTION]
OKAY. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HEALTH ITEMS. 1011. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO COMMENTS. SO WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEM 1011.[01:35:03]
SO WE'LL MOVE. CALL FOR THE VOTE.OH. I'M SORRY. I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
NEXT, WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS 12 AND 13.
THIS DECEMBER OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ABH.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR VRS ITEMS 12 AND 13 IS NOW CLOSED.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
THAT'S RIGHT. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE.
NEXT, WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY ITEMS 14 AND 15.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 14 AND 15.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I SEE NO COMMENTS.
WE'LL CLOSE AGENCY ITEMS 14 AND 15.
I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
NOW WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 16.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ITEM NUMBER 16.
I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS.
I WILL OPEN UP A COMMENT FOR DWI, ITEM NUMBER 17.
PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DWI.
WE'LL SEE A MOTIONS MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
OKAY. RECORD THE VOTE, PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR FIRE.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I SEE NO COMMENTS. SO THE FINAL ITEM, 18, IS NOW CLOSED IN MOTION AND I SEEM SOME MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
SECOND SUPERVISOR PEDROZO CALL FOR THE VOTE.
THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SHERIFF ITEM NUMBER 19.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND SHARE ITEM NUMBER 19.
I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, AND WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
NOW WE HAVE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR ITEM NUMBER 20.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 20.
AND WE'LL SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS.
THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS FOR APPOINTMENTS.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
I SEE NO COMMENTS, SO WE'LL CALL FOR A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
NOW WE HAVE BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE POSSIBLY ACTION ITEM 22.
[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]
THIS TIME OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR INFO.[01:40:01]
I SEE NO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL CALL FOR MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.IS THERE A SECOND? SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SECOND.
WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
[SCHEDULED ITEMS]
THE FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC HEARING SUBMITTED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW AND RENEW ORDINANCE 2017, ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY AND REVIEW AND APPROVE THE SHERIFF'S ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE REPORT FOR 2023.
GOOD MORNING BOARD. EXCUSE ME A SECOND.
BOARD CEO MENDEZ AND COUNCIL HANSON, COREY GIBSON, UNDERSHERIFF MERCED COUNTY IN 2021, GOVERNOR NEWSOM APPROVED ASSEMBLY BILL 481, REQUIRING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO SUBMIT LOCAL TO THE LOCAL GOVERNING BODY AN ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT REPORT FOR EACH TYPE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY WITHIN ONE YEAR OF APPROVAL, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER AS LONG AS THE EQUIPMENT WAS STILL IN SERVICE.
SOME OF THE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT COVERED BY THIS LEGISLATION INCLUDE.
PRIOR MILITARY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING AIRCRAFT.
ARMORED VEHICLES, MOBILE INCIDENT COMMAND POSTS, LESS LETHAL PLATFORMS AND AMMUNITION, DIVERSIONARY DEVICES, RIFLES, AMMUNITION, ALONG WITH CHEMICAL AGENTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 481.
THE MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE POSTED OUR ANNUAL MILITARY USE REPORT FOR 2023 TO OUR WEBSITE ON MAY 9TH, AND PUBLISHED A NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IN THE MERCED COUNTY TIMES ON JUNE 20TH.
THE NOTICE WAS ALSO POSTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WEB PAGE.
AS A PART OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS ASKING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO RENEW ORDINANCE NUMBER 2017 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING MILITARY USE POLICY, AS WELL AS APPROVE THE ANNUAL MILITARY USE REPORT FOR 2023 FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
OKAY, I SEE A COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
YEAH. THANK YOU COREY, THANKS FOR THAT.
THIS IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME THAT'S BEEN YOU TALK ABOUT WASTE AND OF RESOURCES.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THIS EQUIPMENT.
I SUPPORT YOU GUYS HAVING THIS EQUIPMENT.
I JUST, I HAD I MEAN, I'M SITTING HERE GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
MY COLLEAGUE TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH.
IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT, IN MY OPINION, SOMETHING THAT LIKE, IF YOU REALLY WANT, WE CAN POST IT ON A WEBSITE AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO IF SOMEBODY'S THAT INTERESTED, THEY GO LOOK AT IT.
RIGHT AND IF YOU GO BY MY NUMBER, IF IT COSTS $1,000 PER ITEM IN STAFF TIME, BUT BY ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND UPDATE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, IT'S A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME.
YOU'RE JUST FOLLOWING THE RULES THAT THIS GREAT STATE OF OURS HAS SET FORTH THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
SO THANK YOU FOR JUMPING THROUGH THESE.
WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE UNNECESSARY HOOPS BUT ONES THAT WE JUMP THROUGH.
SO I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I SEE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS BY THE SUPERVISORS? CHAIR I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RENEW THE ORDINANCE [INAUDIBLE] DISCUSSION ALSO.
OKAY, I SEE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
NOW WE HAVE PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION.
APPEAL. PUBLIC HEARING AS SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
[01:45:03]
COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE MAJOR MODIFICATION NUMBER MM 22-013 TO ADMINISTRATIVE APPLICATION NUMBER AA 98-030. MORNING STAR PACKING PLANT FACILITY UPGRADES PROJECT.WE HAVE CITY DIRECTOR STEVE MAXEY.
WELCOME. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, STEVE MAXEY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
FOR A PROJECT THAT IS AN UPGRADE TO EQUIPMENT AT THE MORNINGSTAR PACKING PLANT IN THE VOLTA AREA.
AS MISS HO WILL DETAIL HERE IN A MOMENT, THE APPELLANT IN THIS ACTION HAS MADE THE APPEAL BASED ON FRANKLY, SOME INACCURATE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OPERATIONS AND SOME EQUIPMENT THAT'S PROPOSED WITH THOSE OPERATIONS, NOTABLY, THOSE ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY THE APPELLANT WERE MADE WITHOUT ANY CONVERSATION OR ANY REASONABLE QUESTION OF STAFF.
MORE OF THOSE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE APPELLANT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION DURING THEIR HEARING.
IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY A REVIEW OF THE STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS.
THAT'S PART OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION PACKET AND INCLUDED IN YOUR BOARD PACKET TODAY.
STAFF HAS SEVERAL RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
ONE IS TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION OR A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE APPELLANT, RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, AND THEN HEAR ANY REBUTTAL TO THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM COUNTY STAFF OR THE APPELLANTS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IS HERE AND THEN CONSIDER THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION ON THE PROJECT SECRET DOCUMENT AND APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL LET MISS HO TAKE IT AWAY ON THE PRESENTATION.
AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SHOULD WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THE TAIL END OF THE PRESENTATION? THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CEO MENDEZ COUNCIL HANSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND I AM PRESENTING THE COUNTY'S SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF THE APPEAL THAT'S PROVIDED TODAY AND THAT APPEAL NUMBER IS PROVIDED AS APEA 24-002 TO MAJOR MODIFICATION NUMBER MM 22-013 FOR THE MORNING STAR PACKING COMPANY.
SO JUST AN OVERVIEW FOR THE BOARD.
MINOR MAJOR MODIFICATION MM22-013 IS A REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND INSTALL A CAFETERIA AND BREAK ROOM BUILDING HARVESTER REPAIR SHOP MULTI-EFFECT EVAPORATOR, AS WELL AS A FIVE MEGAWATT GAS TURBINE GENERATOR AND TO RELOCATE AN EXISTING EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT ELSEWHERE ON THE SITE.
THE PROJECT SITE IS LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF SOUTH VOLTAIRE ROAD AND SOUTH INGOMAR ROAD IN THE VOLTA AREA, AND IS DESIGNATED AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL LAND USE IN THE GENERAL PLAN AND ZONED A1, M1 AND M2, WHICH IS AGRICULTURAL AND MANUFACTURING ZONING.
THIS PROJECT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON MAY 8TH.
PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL, WE DID ADOPT THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
WITHIN THE TEN DAY APPEAL PERIOD.
THE APPELLANT FILED THEIR APPEAL ON MAY 14TH.
THANK YOU. SO THIS SUMMARIZES THE APPELLANT'S JUSTIFICATION FOR THE APPEAL ITS FOUR PRONG.
FIRST, THE APPELLANT BELIEVES THAT THE GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACTS WERE UNDERESTIMATED.
SECOND, THEY BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT'S DOCUMENT AND THE PROJECT ITSELF IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PLANS, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS THAT WERE EVALUATED IN THE DOCUMENT. SPECIFICALLY, IT MISCHARACTERIZES BEST PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR AS MITIGATION MEASURES, AND DOES NOT SPECIFY OR QUANTIFY HOW THOSE BUSSES WILL REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 29% AND THEN, REGARDING OUR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE PROJECT PROPONENTS TO CREATE A PLAN THAT ENCOURAGES EMPLOYEES TO USE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND THEN THIRDLY, THE APPELLANT BELIEVES THAT THE SECRET DOCUMENT DID NOT ANALYZE OTHER, MORE NEBULOUS PLANS AND REGULATIONS SUCH AS EXECUTIVE ORDER B-55-18 AND THE 2017 AND 2022 SCOPING PLANS AND IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH THE STATEWIDE TARGETS FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
[01:50:04]
SO FOR ALL OF THE REASONS ABOVE THE APPELLANT BELIEVES THAT AN EIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED INSTEAD OF AN INITIAL STUDY AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT THEY SHOULD NOT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE ADOPTED THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND SHOULD NOT APPROVE THE PROJECT BEFORE FIRST PREPARING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.REGARDING THE GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACT, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT I'LL KIND OF SUMMARIZE.
AS MENTIONED, THE APPELLANT BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE THE GENERATOR WOULD GENERATE ABOUT 60,000 CUBIC FEET OF NATURAL GAS PER HOUR, ACCOUNTING FOR A 40 DAY WORK WEEK AND 365 YEAR OPERATION.
THE PROJECT SHOULD BE GENERATING OVER 6000 METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT.
BUT THOSE ESTIMATES ARE REALLY KIND OF BASED ON VERY RUDIMENTARY CALCULATIONS IN THEIR CITATIONS.
OUR DOCUMENT DOES INCLUDE SOME ESTIMATES AND CALCULATIONS FROM CALEEMOD WHICH IS THE UNIVERSALLY UTILIZED MODEL FOR ESTIMATING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND THAT MODEL IS VERY ROBUST AND COMPLEX.
IT WAS CREATED BY THE CALIFORNIA AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND IS USED.
ROUTINELY USED IN MANY SQL DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE APPROVED IN THE PAST.
IT USES PARAMETERS SUCH AS THE OPERATIONAL PERIOD.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S NOT 365 DAYS PER YEAR, BUT BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND NOVEMBER.
IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE USING NATURAL GAS FROM PGE, WHICH HAS COMMITTED TO YOU KNOW, USING ALTERNATIVE NATURAL GAS MEASURES SUCH AS BIOMETHANE FROM DAIRY DIGESTERS AS WELL AS THE GENERATOR SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY THE PROJECT APPLICANT.
SO ALL THAT SAID IS OUR MODEL WAS WENT THROUGH A RIGOROUS PROCESS TO COME UP WITH THOSE ESTIMATES THAT WE DID INCLUDE IN OUR REPORT AND THEN EVEN IF WE WERE TO USE THE APPELLANT'S CALCULATIONS, IT'S STILL WELL BELOW WHAT THE ADOPTED GREENHOUSE GAS THRESHOLDS IS.
THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE AIR DISTRICT, WHICH IS 10,000 METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE PER YEAR.
CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE? OKAY. NEXT SLIDE AND THEN FOR CONSISTENCY WITH PLANS.
SO BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS ARE NOT MITIGATION MEASURES, BUT THEY ARE CHARACTERIZED AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACHIEVED IN PRACTICE MEANS OF REDUCING OR LIMITING, WHICH IS ANOTHER WORD FOR MITIGATING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS SOURCE.
THEY ARE EVALUATED PERIODICALLY BY AIR DISTRICT STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE USABLE AS A THRESHOLD OF SIGNIFICANCE, AND THE GUIDANCE THAT PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICTS DOES STATE THAT IF A PROJECT IS USING THESE STANDARDS, THEN THEY DO NOT HAVE TO QUANTIFY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION STANDARDS OR THE IMPACTS AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO QUANTIFY THE RESULTS AND HOW THEY WOULD REDUCE TO THE GREENHOUSE IMPACT BY 29% AND REALLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE STANDARDS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THOSE ARE DETERMINED WHEN THE PROJECT PROPONENT APPLIES FOR THE PERMIT WITH THE AIR DISTRICT, AND THEN THE AIR DISTRICT WOULD BE THE ONES THAT REALLY PROVIDE THE JURISDICTION SCOPE FOR WHAT THOSE BIASES ARE.
NEXT SLIDE AND REGARDING REQUIRING EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE A TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY.
WHEN A PROJECT IS LOCATED IN A UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY AND THE EMPLOYMENT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR AT LEAST 50% OF ALL EMPLOYEES WORKING AT LEAST 2440 HOURS PER YEAR.
IT'S NOT AN INCORPORATED CITY.
THEREFORE, THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT APPLICABLE.
NEXT SLIDE. AS FOR THE LACK OF ANALYSIS WITH OTHER PLANS ON THIS SLIDE HERE, I'VE KIND OF LISTED OUT SOME OF THOSE STATEWIDE GOALS AND IN THE SCOPING PLAN OF STATE SCOPING PLAN AND EXECUTIVE ORDER.
IT SAYS THAT THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STATEWIDE GOALS ARE NOT TO BE APPLIED TO INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, AND IT'S GUIDANCE THAT IS VOLUNTARY AND SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A DIRECTIVE OR MANDATE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
SO THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE SHOULD BE APPLYING NET ZERO EMISSION THRESHOLDS ON A PROJECT.
[01:55:02]
ON THIS LEVEL.SO IT CAN BE REASONABLY SOON THAT THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT WITH NOT ONLY REGIONAL, BUT STATE AND NATIONAL POLICY REGARDING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
NEXT SLIDE. FINALLY, SO THE APPELLANT BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE THE GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACT WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT, AN EIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED.
BUT ALL THE EVIDENCE AS WE'VE SHOWN TODAY IS THAT WE USE THE APPROPRIATE THRESHOLDS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE AIR DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY USING IN OUR COUNTY PROJECTS. THE PROJECT'S ESTIMATES ARE LESS THAN THAT ADOPTED THRESHOLD, AND THEREFORE IT DOES NOT REQUIRE AN EIR TO BE PREPARED.
SHOULD THE PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPT THAT MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION? NEXT SLIDE. SO GIVEN ALL THE INFORMATION, THE FINDINGS AND THE STAFF REPORT.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALSO FIND THAT THE FOUR THINGS HERE THAT THE COUNTY FUNDS THE INITIAL STUDY AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION IDENTIFIED THE APPROPRIATE, SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLDS TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT AND CONCLUDES THAT THE USE OF THE AIR DISTRICT'S GHG SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLDS, ITS CONSISTENCY WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE RTP AND SCS WAS A CONSISTENT THRESHOLD TO USE PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15064, SUBSECTION 7 D, AND THAT THE MND DID ACCURATELY ESTIMATE THE GHG EMISSIONS BASED OFF OF THE OPERATIONS AND THE ESTIMATED GHG EMISSIONS DID NOT MEET THAT SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLD AND THEN THE SAN JOAQUINS AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICTS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE APPLICATION OF BEST BUSINESS PRACTICE STANDARDS WOULD REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS TO LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND SO FOR THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WAS NOT NECESSARY. THERE'S NO SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE, IN LIGHT OF THE WHOLE RECORD BEFORE IT, THAT THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND CONSISTENT WITH CEQA GUIDELINES, SECTION 15081 AND 15164 AND EIR DOES NOT NEED TO BE PREPARED.
NEXT SLIDE. SO FOR THE RECORD, WE DID ALSO NOTIFY PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 300FT OF THIS PROJECT SITE AND THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS MAILED TO THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE MERCED COUNTY TIMES.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AFFIRM THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO ADOPT THAT MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION, AS WELL AS TO CONSIDER AND AFFIRM THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.
THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE A COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
TIFFANY, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER DILIGENT AND COMPLETE EVALUATION OF THIS PROJECT.
YOU DO A GOOD JOB ON EVERY PROJECT, AND IT'S.
YOU'RE COMPLETE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
THANKS. THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS.
SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE LAWYER SAYING OVER THERE? YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TALK YET? [INAUDIBLE].
I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THANK YOU. OKAY. I NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE APPELLANT, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM ADVOCATES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT REGRETS THAT THEY HAVE A CONFLICT AND ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE HEARING TODAY.
THE TESTIMONY, IF THEY WERE HERE, WOULD BE BASED ON THE APPEAL JUSTIFICATION LETTER DATED MAY 13TH, 2024, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE BOARD AGENDA ITEM THE APPELLANT REFERS THE BOARD TO THE LETTER WHICH CAN STAND IN FOR THE APPELLANT'S TESTIMONY.
THANK YOU. I WILL NOW OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
[02:00:03]
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON, SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING AND WOULD THE DEPARTMENT LIKE TO PROVIDE A REBUTTAL? NO, OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. SO ENTERTAIN MOTIONS OR COMMENTS BY THE BOARD.
SO GO AHEAD AND SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA BEFORE I MAKE MY MOTION I WANT TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK THIS PROJECT APPLICANT, MORNINGSTAR COMPANY, WHO'S BEEN A LONG TIME EMPLOYER ECONOMIC DRIVER IN OUR COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY IN MY DISTRICT NOW AND MY COLLEAGUE'S DISTRICT WITH REDISTRICTING AND SO TOP NOTCH ORGANIZATION THAT PROCESSES MILLIONS OF TONS OF TOMATOES EVERY YEAR THAT NOT ONLY FEEDS US HERE LOCALLY, BUT FEEDS THE WHOLE WORLD.
SO THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PLAN FORWARD.
AND I ALSO WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT IT'S THESE FOLKS THAT FILE, THESE APPEALS, BUT APPARENTLY IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL FOR THEM THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN BOTHER TO GRACE US WITH THEIR PRESENCE.
EVEN SLOWER AND IT IS FRUSTRATING, BUT I KNOW I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AT LEAST THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE PROJECTS THAT COME FORWARD, WHETHER IT'S A TOMATO PROCESSING PLANT EXPANSION OR A DAIRY EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, AGRICULTURE IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTY BY FAR AND CONTINUES TO BE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND AS A BOARD, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THAT AND SHOW OUR FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE EMPLOYING PEOPLE, STIMULATING THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE HERE AND THAT WE SUPPORT YOU AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW THE AMOUNT OF WORK, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SPENT IN TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
WE'RE NOT TALKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HERE.
WE'RE TALKING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, NOT EVEN TO MENTION, ONCE THEY GET IT THROUGH ALL OF THIS PROCESS, THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SPENT TO ACTUALLY BUILD THESE PROJECTS OUT.
WE NEED MORE EMPLOYMENT, WE NEED BETTER PAYING JOBS AND THESE ARE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE GET THERE.
SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OTHER COMMENTS, AND I WOULD ASK THAT MY COLLEAGUES ALLOW ME TO MAKE THE MOTION AND DISCUSSION OF THOSE COMMENTS.
SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS I HAVE.
THEY'VE HAD A SCHEDULING CONFLICT AND SO IT REALLY DOESN'T IT'S KIND OF IT'S FRUSTRATING.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND FOR STICKING WITH IT.
RIGHT. AND IT JUST IT JUST BOGGLES MY MIND THAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS YOU KNOW, JUST COME TIME AFTER TIME AND ADD TO THE COST OF PRODUCING FOOD, WHICH HURTS THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT HAS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY AND IT JUST YOU KNOW, ANYWAYS, I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP AND I KNOW THE NEWS CAMERA'S NOT HERE AND THERE'S NO NEWSPAPER HERE, BUT IT JUST I WISH THAT STORY GOT TOLD MORE AND MORE OFTEN AND IT JUST IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT THEY WASTE TIME AND IT HURTS THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY THAT NEED FOOD THE MOST.
OKAY. GO AHEAD. JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT IS THERE TOMATO PROCESSING PLANT.
SO IF YOU'RE VEGAN, LIKE YOU SHOULD REALLY WANT THIS, RIGHT.
BECAUSE SO SORRY, I COULDN'T RESIST.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, THAT THIS IS THE LITTLE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT THE UNDERSERVED, THE UNSERVED THAT THE FOLKS THAT HAVE THE LEAST AMONGST US.
BUT YET THESE GROUPS CONTINUE TO PUT MORE AND MORE BURDEN AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IN ORDER FOR PLACES TO STAY IN BUSINESS, THOSE COSTS GOT TO GET PASSED ALONG TO SOMEBODY, AND THAT ENDS UP IN THE FORM OF HIGHER FOOD PRICES.
SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I MAKE A MOTION TO CONSIDER THE NEGATIVE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND THE REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE PROJECT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15074 AND ALSO MOTION TO CONSIDER AND AFFIRM THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE THE MAJOR MODIFICATION NUMBER MM22-013 TO ADMINISTRATIVE APPLICANT NUMBER AA 98 030.
[02:05:08]
BASED ON THE FINDINGS SET FORTH IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT DATED MAY 8TH, 2024 AND FINDINGS CONTAINED IN THE BOARD AGENDA ITEM.ALRIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SEVERANCE.
IS THERE A SECOND? BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
SECOND. SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO BOARD REPORTS.
[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]
STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.THANK YOU. I WENT TO THE SHERIFF'S SWEARING IN LAST WEEK, ALSO BEFORE THAT.
THEY WENT TO THE GRAND OPENING OF THE STUDENT RESILIENCY CENTER, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THOSE COOL PARTNERSHIPS WITH MCO AND I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT WE DO THAT, I THINK THE BETTER IT IS FOR THE COUNTY.
THEY UNVEILED SOME NEW MURALS TO HONOR THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY, WHICH THEY WERE ALL HAND DONE AND IT WAS A REALLY COOL GOOD MURAL TO SEE AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING THEM UP, I BELIEVE, ALL YEAR ROUND OR FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR AS LONG AS THEY HOLD UP.
WE'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO STUFF LIKE THAT AND IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST IT'S JUST NOT WHAT IT'S WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND IT'S REALLY I THINK IT'S KIND OF DISINGENUOUS TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT BEING PROACTIVE WHEN, FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS A DISASTER THAT HAPPENED AND IT'S DONE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GO ON TO PRIVATE PROPERTY TO BE ABLE TO, HANDLE SOME OF THIS STUFF.
THE ISSUE, I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE CAN GET SOME MORE UPDATES ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH IT SO THAT WE ARE AWARE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE AND I FEEL FOR THOSE PEOPLE, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE, BUT I THINK THAT IT'D BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE AN UPDATE.
THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
LET ME LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE.
OKAY. I DID ATTEND THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE AS WELL.
IT WAS WELL ATTENDED FOR THE HEAT THAT WAS THERE.
I APPRECIATE RAUL MENDEZ AND MARK HENDRICKSON JUMPING ON THE FIRE TRUCK WITH ME.
I APPRECIATE CAL FIRE FOR PROVIDING THAT HAS BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT TO WHERE? WHEN I WALK THE PARADE ROUTE BACKWARDS, ACTUALLY, PARENTS ARE YELLING AT ME, WHERE'S THE WATER? I SAID, IT'LL BE BACK. I GO, OKAY, I GOT MY KIDS SET UP.
SO IT'S BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO LET ME SEE THAT I.
OH, I DID HAVE MY TOWN, NOT TOWN HALL, BUT MY MOBILE DISTRICT OFFICE HOURS, WHICH AND I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY I DID HAVE SOME FOLKS THERE, BUT REITERATE THAT IT'S THE 4TH THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH AT THE ATWATER CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS FROM 130 TO 330.
THEY WANT A FACE TO FACE MEETING.
I WILL TAKE APPOINTMENTS AND SET UP ANY TIME FOLKS WANT TO CHAT.
COM AND REMEMBER HOW TO SPELL MY FIRST NAME D A R O N MCDANIEL AND YEAH. WITH THAT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF WHAT IS MERCED COLLEGE PARAMEDIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THIS IS YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS, AND I THINK IT'S AROUND THE CORNER JUMPING THROUGH SOME STATE BUREAUCRATIC HOOPS TO GET THEM IDENTIFIED AS TO GET THEIR ACCREDITATION FOR A PARAMEDIC PARAMEDIC PROGRAM AT MERCED COLLEGE.
COHORT ONE IS DONE WITH THE SCHOOLING PIECE OF IT, AND THEN THEY KIND OF ARE ON DIFFERENT PATHS UNTIL THEY GET FULLY THEIR LICENSURE TO BE A PRACTICING PARAMEDIC BASED UPON, THEY HAVE TO DO SOME WORK IN THE FIELD AND SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO GET THAT YOU'RE KIND OF LUCK
[02:10:07]
OF THE DRAW WHEN YOU'RE ASKED TO GET THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF SITUATION THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO ASSESS AND PROVIDE OUTCOMES FOR, OR YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR ONE OF THOSE TO HAPPEN.SO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S THIS IS A KIND OF A ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY WHEN WE SAW THERE WAS A NEED AND LISTEN, STEVE MILLANDER, WHO IS KIND OF I CALL HIM THE CHAMPION OF THIS CAUSE AT MERCED COLLEGE, WE SAW IT AND THEY NEED THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS TO BE SET UP AND I FILL THE ROLE OF WHAT THEY CALL AN IMPORTANT ELECTED OFFICIAL, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I CAN LEAVE THE IMPORTANT PART OUT, BUT I'M LOCAL.
THAT'S PART OF THIS AND THEY GRADUATED.
THE FEW THAT HAVE STARTED THAT MAYBE DROPPED OUT, IT WASN'T BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T PASSING THE CLASSES, IS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY EMPLOYED, AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT SCHEDULES DIDN'T ALLOW FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IN THE PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S A DEFINITELY A NEED IN THAT FIELD AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARTS ABOUT IT THAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT THE COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE YOU TAKING THIS PARAMEDIC PROGRAM THROUGH MERCED COLLEGE, BUT YOU'RE GETTING COLLEGE CREDITS FOR IT AND SO WITH WITH A FEW ADDITIONAL CLASSES, I BELIEVE YOU TAKE THIS PROGRAM, YOU GRADUATE MERCED COLLEGE WITH YOUR A.A.
DEGREE AND YOUR PARAMEDIC LICENSE.
SO JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IN OUR EMS SYSTEM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT JUST LIKE FOLKS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE PANDEMIC REALLY PUT A LOT OF STRAIN, AND A LOT OF FOLKS LEFT THE INDUSTRY AND THE TESTING STOPPED AND SO WE'RE SLOWLY CATCHING UP ON THAT.
COHORT THREE WILL START HERE IN THE FALL SEMESTER.
IF YOU WENT OUT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND JUST WENT AND DID YOUR PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS THAT THOSE FOLKS HAVE TO STAY HERE LOCALLY, BUT THEY ARE AND THEN THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS, ALL THE PARTNER HOSPITALS UP AND DOWN, REALLY, THE VALLEY, THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE ALLOWING THESE FOLKS TO COME IN AND FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, COME IN INTERNS SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR FIELD TIME THAT THEY NEED TO GET THEIR LICENSES. SO THAT'S ONE THING.
REALLY JUST WANT TO THANK THE FOLKS AT THE I DON'T WANT TO GET THE NAME.
IT'S THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.
THEY CAME AND MET WITH MYSELF AND SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, A GROUP OF YOUNGSTERS.
I'M GOING TO PUT THEM ALL IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS, AND IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE FOR THEM TO COME AND STAND UP IN FRONT OF US AND REALLY GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION AND KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND I FEEL LIKE WE GAVE THEM SOME GOOD LIFE ADVICE AND ALSO GAVE THEM SOME ADVICE TO BE WORKING WITH OUR FRIENDS OVER AT HRS, BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
ANYTIME THAT WE GET TO PASS SOME OF OUR EXPERT TUTELAGE ONTO SOME YOUNGSTERS IS MUCH WELCOMED.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SANTA NELLA.
IT'S AND I REALLY DO AT SOME POINT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME STATE INVOLVEMENT.
I KNOW THAT ON THE GAS SIDE OF IT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR YEARS TO TRY TO GET IT AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION AND PGE TRYING TO TAKE THAT FACILITY OVER, THIS REALLY GOES BACK TO AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THE SUPERVISORS WERE AT THE TIME AND WHO THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS WERE OR WHATEVER, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THE SANTA NELLA MOBILE HOME PARK WAS BUILT, IT WAS ONE PERSON THAT OWNED THE WHOLE MOBILE HOME PARK AND IT WAS BUILT.
WHEN THEY BUILT THE DAM, THEY LIVED THERE AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IS AS THE ONCE THE DAM WAS BUILT, NOW, THEY TOOK THIS MOBILE HOME PARK THAT WAS OWNED BY ONE PERSON, AND THEY SUBDIVIDED IT INTO WHERE EACH MOBILE HOME IS ITS OWN LOT AND SO NOW WHAT YOU HAVE IS YOU HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS THAT'S OLD AND ANTIQUATED.
THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE WITH HAVING ONE OWNER.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, PGE BRINGS THE POWER TO THIS MAIN TRANSMISSION BOX.
JUST LIKE AT MY HOME, THEY BRING THE POWER TO THE TOP OF THE BOX.
ANYTHING PAST THAT, IT BECOMES THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
WELL, THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE THEY BRING THE POWER TO THE TOP OF THE BOX PER SE, AND THEN IT GETS STRUNG OUT TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT MOBILE HOMES AND SO NOW YOU'RE STUCK WITH THIS SITUATION OF, WELL, WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT? WELL, IT'S THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
PGE IS RESPONSIBLE TO GET THE POWER TO THE BOX.
IT'S THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS THAT.
[02:15:09]
WORKERS, TO COME IN AND REALLY DONATE THEIR TIME TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS DEAL BACK TOGETHER AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PGE IS READY TO TURN ON THE POWER.WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT ACROSS MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COUNTY.
THE BACKLOG ON GETTING THIS SWITCHGEAR.
BUT I KNOW WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM ON IT AND AND I GET THEIR FRUSTRATION AND IT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY CRAZY TO ME THAT THINKING THAT THESE FOLKS ARE SITTING OUTSIDE IN 113 DEGREE HEAT. BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH GIFTING OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE TAKE SERIOUSLY AND HOW WE ACCOMPLISH THOSE.
BUT AT LEAST MY COMMITMENT TO IT IS HAVING I KNOW WE'RE ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS, BUT HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER SORIA, A CONVERSATION WITH SENATOR CABALLERO ON HOW CAN WE FIND A STATE FIX TO THIS? THERE HAS TO BE A FIX TO THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT.
WELL, REALLY KIND OF. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT, RIGHT? THEY'VE WENT THROUGH THIS IN 2013.
11 YEARS LATER, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
BUT THE LONG TERM FIX IS TRYING TO ONCE AND FOR ALL, FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
IT'S REALLY TIME TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND THE STORE AND I APPRECIATE IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS THAT DROVE HERE FROM SAN ANGELO WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING, WHO'VE LOST THEIR HOMES.
WELL, I HEARD THEM AND AGAIN, MY COMMITMENT TO WORK ALONGSIDE SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA SUPERVISOR ESPINOSA, WHO IS HIS DISTRICT, IS TO REACH OUT TO OUR STATE ELECTEDS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY IF THEY ARE ABLE TO GET $20 MILLION FOR PLANADA, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND SOME KIND OF STATE FUNDING, SOME KIND OF STATE HELP TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. SO THAT'S MY COMMITMENT MOVING FORWARD.
STACY, WHO DID OUR OPENING PRAYER, I WANT TO THANK HER.
SO,STACY, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THEN LASTLY YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND THE 4TH OF JULY, YOU KNOW, AS SUPERVISORS, WE BECOME FRIENDS WITH OTHER SUPERVISORS AND OTHER COUNTIES AND SO GET A TEXT MESSAGE AND MARIPOSA IS ON FIRE AND WHEN YOU'VE SEEN THE PICTURES THAT COME OUT OF IT, I MEAN, YOU SEE THIS PICTURE AND IT'S BASICALLY SURROUNDING MARIPOSA AND IT'S ALL ORANGE AND GLOWING ON FIRE AND SO MY HEART AND MY THOUGHTS, MY PRAYERS, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FOLKS IN MARIPOSA.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE SAME TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE.
I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE UP TO 5 OR 6.
DON'T QUOTE ME ON THE NUMBER, BUT KEPT THAT DOWN TO WHERE NOW THEY'RE ON A FOUR DAY PLAN THAT IT'S THEY'RE KIND OF WINDING IT DOWN THE OUTSIDE RESOURCES ARE GOING AWAY, AND THEY'RE WRAPPING UP THE FIRE.
I KNOW AT ONE POINT THEY WERE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE WHERE IF IT JUMPED A CREEK, THIS THING GETS MASSIVE, AND THEN WE'RE PROBABLY HAVE AN EMERGENCY OR A AN INCIDENT COMMAND POST DOWN HERE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS AND WHATNOT.
SO GOOD ON THOSE FOLKS FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING UP THERE AND TO MY COLLEAGUE, SUPERVISOR MENETREY AND SUPERVISOR SMALLCOMB UP THERE, I KNOW THAT THIS STUFF WEARS ON THEM, AND IT'S JUST AND REALLY, THERE'S NOT A LOT YOU CAN DO EXCEPT FOR TRUST THE PROFESSIONALS TO DO THEIR JOBS.
SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
WELL I WENT TO GUSTINE ON THE 4TH OF JULY AND HAD THE HONOR OF JUDGING THEIR PARADE AND JUST THE PATRIOTISM WAS OVERFLOWING. YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE.
YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BRING BACK THE FOCUS TO THE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE, AND IT'S NEAT.
I'VE ALWAYS TAKEN THE TIME TO ASK SOME YOUTH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING TODAY? AND, A FEW OF THEM WILL SAY 4TH OF JULY AND I'LL SAY, WELL, YEAH, BU TWHAT'S THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, AND AND USUALLY THEY GET TO INDEPENDENCE DAY.
THE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND I PARTICIPATE ON THE CASTLE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK, AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR STAFF, TO CEO MENDEZ.
ASSISTANT CEO HENDRICKSON AND THEN DIRECTOR MAXEY AND THEN ALSO MARK MIMS, WHO IS REALLY CHARGED
[02:20:10]
WITH THE DAY TO DAY GOINGS ON AT CASTLE AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A SPOT WHERE WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT BEING OUT OF ROOM AND SO THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH OUR COLLEAGUES.I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN AN ALLOCATION WORKSHOP FOR THE MERCED SUBBASIN GSA.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FARM BUREAU FOR HOSTING THAT.
IT'S HOW MUCH WATER CAN YOU PUMP OUT OF YOUR WELL PER ACRE TO USE ON YOUR FARM AND YOU KNOW, THE STATES SIGMA IS GOING TO REQUIRE MERCED COUNTY TO CUT BACK ON THAT AND SO JUST WISHED MORE FARMERS WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS INSTEAD OF AFTER IT'S DONE, THEN SHOW UP TO COMPLAIN.
BUT ANYWAYS, THERE WAS SOME VERY GOOD DISCUSSION THAT DAY AND I THINK WE MOVED FORWARD.
I TOO MET WITH THE WILEY YOUTH AND YOU KNOW, I GUESS I DIDN'T REALIZE IT, BUT I KIND OF HAVE THE SAME PHILOSOPHY WHEN I GET IN FRONT OF KIDS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN BY YOU KNOW AN ORGANIZATION I LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE YOUTH AND SO KIND OF MADE THAT CLEAR.
AND ASSISTANT CEO HENDRICKSON MET WITH ME AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BOTH IMPARTED, WE THOUGHT SOME WISDOM BACK TO THE YOUTH, AND IT WAS NEAT TO SEE THESE KIDS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF A MENTAL HEALTH DIALOG YOU KNOW, IT'S STRUGGLES, BUT ALL OF THEM, WE ASKED THEM WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ARE ACTUALLY A CEO OR ASSISTANT CEO.
HENDRICKSON ASKED HIM, WHERE DO THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN FIVE YEARS AND THEY ALL HAD LOFTY GOALS.
IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING. ONE WANTED TO BE A SHERIFF DEPUTY, ANOTHER WANTED TO BE A BIOLOGIST AND ONE KID SAID, WELL, I DON'T KNOW YET, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST FAIR, HONEST ANSWER AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF A REWARDING EXPERIENCE.
SO WE SHARED THE $6.6 MILLION SHORTFALL AND KIND OF BROUGHT THEM BACK DOWN AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL END UP ANYWHERE, BUT AT LEAST IT'S A GOOD IDEA AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SOME INCREDIBLE YOUTH ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO BRING UP THE FIRE IN MARIPOSA COUNTY FOR A MINUTE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO CAL FIRE AND AND YOU KNOW, AND I'M FAITHFUL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO GOD TO I MEAN, THAT FIRE BURNED RIGHT DOWN TO TOWN.
I MEAN, IT LITERALLY BUILT AN OUTBUILDING ON THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD, AND I JUST KEPT WATCHING IT AND EXPECTED THE RED ON THE MAP TO COME INTO THE RESIDENTIAL AREA, AND IT STAYED.
I MEAN, IT DID NOT ENTER AND SO ANYWAYS, IT WAS, I THINK, A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AS IT WAS, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE AND SO, YOU KNOW, CAL FIRE, IT'S A YOU KNOW, WITH THESE APPS, YOU CAN WATCH WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN TO FIGHT THESE FIRES AND I MEAN, THEY'RE GETTING ON THEM QUICK AND I THINK THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
WE HAVE A COUNTY COUNCIL COMMENTS.
SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. YEAH, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH REGULAR UPDATES ON OUR WORK IN SANTANELLA.
I KNOW THERE'S CALLS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW.
BUT WE WILL PROVIDE YOU REGULAR UPDATES AS REQUESTED.
THEY DIDN'T DO THE FIREWORKS ON THE FOURTH.
THEY DID IT ON THE FIFTH. SO IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE FIREWORKS FROM THE CITY AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE FIREWORKS THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS A LOT OF LEGAL FIREWORKS AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND ONE OF THOSE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS CAUSED A GRASS FIRE CLOSE TO MY HOUSE AND SO NOT REALLY CLOSE MIND, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALMOST AFFECTING OTHERS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, BURNED DOWN SOME HOMES THANKS TO SOME RESIDENTS THAT PULLED OUT SOME HOSES AND PREVENTED THAT FIRE FROM GETTING CLOSE. BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT REALLY HIT HOME THAT ILLEGAL FIRES CAN CREATE, YOU KNOW OR CAN BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, SO, AS WE CAN SEE.
SO I ALSO ATTENDED THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE.
I WASN'T GOING TO ATTEND IT, BUT THEY ASKED ME IN THE LAST SECOND AND I I JUMPED ON A TRAILER WITH MY FRIEND ARTURO AND IN THE END, SO I ATTENDED THE ATWATER 4TH OF JULY PARADE AND ALSO, LIKE I SAID YESTERDAY, I WAS OUT THERE IN SANTA NELLA REGARDIN, THE FOUR MOBILE HOMES THAT CAUGHT FIRE.
[02:25:04]
YOU KNOW, I SAW FIRST HAND THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW IT DAMAGED IN THE FAMILIES THAT WERE AFFECTED.I SAW THE PANEL THAT WAS BURNED DOWN.
I SAW SOME PICTURES OF THE PANEL BOXES THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED TO OUR STAFF.
AND SO HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S WHY I DECIDED AND I LET OUR CEO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THAT COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY, LIKE I SAID I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY TO GET SOME MORE STATE FUNDING.
THAT IS ALL PRIVATE PRIVATELY LAND LIKE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA STATED THOSE ARE ALL PRIVATE AND I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO NOTHING OR WE ALL WANT TO HELP, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF IT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND YOU KNOW, THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE FIRES STARTED THERE WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF GARBAGE, BUT NOW THERE'S FOUR MORE HOMES ARE TOTALLY BURNED.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET CODE ENFORCEMENT, MAKE SURE THEY CLEAN IT UP BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO.
IT LOOKS PRETTY AWFUL OUT THERE AND SO WE CAN CLEAN THAT AREA UP.
BUT I KNOW IT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO 110 OR HIGHER DURING THE WEEK.
SO LIKE I SAID, IT AFFECTS THOSE PEOPLE.
EVERYBODY THERE 24/7 WITHOUT POWER.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE MY COMMENTS AND WE'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.