Jan 28, 2025 Board Meeting

[00:00:01]

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 28TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

WE DID NOT HAVE CLOSED SESSION THIS MORNING, BUT WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY STACY COOLEY AND THEN I WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

GOOD MORNING. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS AND YOUR HEARTS WITH ME. FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING AND WE ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN OUR HEARTS THAT MAY BE KEEPING US FROM YOU WE ASK THAT YOU REVEAL IT AND REMOVE IT SO THAT WE MAY BECOME SO THAT WE MAY COME BEFORE YOU UNBURDENED.

GIVE US CLEAN HANDS AND A PURE HEART, AS YOUR WORD SAYS IN PSALM 24.

LORD, HELP US PUT YOUR WAYS AND YOUR WILL FIRST.

FOR YOUR WORD SAYS IN MATTHEW SIX THAT IF WE SEEK YOU FIRST, ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO US, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, AS IT SAYS IN JAMES, THAT EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM ABOVE.

SO WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE DAILY BLESSINGS YOU PROVIDE.

THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING US FROM HARM KNOWN AND UNKNOWN TO US, FOR HONORING US AS WE WALK WITH YOU, AND FOR GRANTING US PEACE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS, WHICH SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU OFFER ALL THESE THINGS TO EACH OF US WITHOUT FAVORITISM, BUT SIMPLY WITH LOVE FOR ALL THOSE WHO CALL ON YOU.

WE INVITE YOU INTO THIS MEETING AND ASK THAT YOU BLESS EACH OF OUR SUPERVISORS, CEO, AND COUNTY COUNCIL WITH WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU HAVE SET OUT FOR THEM IN THIS MEETING. WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM SOUND LOGIC AND REASONING, COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING AND PERSPECTIVE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR MERCED COUNTY.

IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES I PRAY THAT INTEGRITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS WOULD BE THEIR AIM ALWAYS, AND THAT THEY WOULD PURSUE YOUR WAYS AND YOUR WILL. HONOR THEM FOR THE COMMITMENT THEY HAVE MADE TO OUR COUNTY AND TO YOU, LORD. MAY THEY ALWAYS HEAR FROM YOU AND SEEK TO OPERATE IN WAYS THAT BRING GLORY TO YOU.

LORD I WAS RECENTLY REMINDED OF THE STORY OF FATHER KAVANAUGH, WHO WENT TO WORK WITH MOTHER TERESA IN CALCUTTA, AND UPON MEETING HER, SHE ASKED WHAT SHE COULD DO FOR HIM.

AT THE TIME, HE WAS WRESTLING WITH DIRECTIONS FOR HIS LIFE AND ASKED IF SHE WOULDN'T MIND PRAYING FOR HIM FOR CLARITY.

TO HIS SURPRISE, SHE REFUSED. SHE SAID, I WILL NOT DO THAT.

SHE LAUGHED AND SAID, I HAVE NEVER HAD CLARITY, BUT WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD IS TRUST.

SO I WILL PRAY THAT YOU WILL TRUST GOD. SO OFTEN CLARITY IS WHAT WE WANT, BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS FAITH.

GIVE US THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THE MOUNTAINS IN OUR LIVES.

HELP US, AS MOTHER TERESA PRAYED, TO TRUST YOU FOR ALL THINGS GREAT AND SMALL.

FATHER, WE DEDICATE THIS MEETING TO YOU AND ASK THAT YOU GUIDE THIS DAY.

MAY WE LOOK FOR YOU IN EVERY MOMENT AND FIND YOU WHEN WE SEEK YOU WITH OUR WHOLE HEART.

PLEASE BLESS EVERYONE WHO HAS INVESTED TIME IN THIS MEETING.

I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD ANOINT THE HANDS OF THOSE OPERATING IT, AND GIVE THEM THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR TASK.

BLESS EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND COUNTY EMPLOYEE AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.

PLEASE PROVIDE FOR EVERY NEED. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO IN OUR IN OUR LIVES. GOD, THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD, GOOD FATHER.

IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN.

AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU. IT IS NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN.

THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. OKAY. OKAY.

IT'S HOT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JENNIFER FLACHMAN, I AM THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF MERCED. I'M HERE ON ANOTHER ITEM, BUT I'M ALSO HERE TO INVITE YOU TO THE CITY'S 2025 COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE TONIGHT AT CITY HALL FROM 6 TO 8, AND THURSDAY AT MERCED HIGH SCHOOL FROM 6 TO 8.

AND THEN NEXT THURSDAY AT STOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND THIS IS OPEN TO EVERYONE. AND IT GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR OPINIONS, CONCERNS AND HELP US SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF MERCED. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD, I'M JAMES HUNT.

[00:05:09]

THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 13.

OKAY, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 13 IS NOW CLOSED.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY JIM PACHECO.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD ACTION, BEGINNING WITH PUBLIC WORKS.

[BOARD ACTION]

AND SO WHILE WE'RE NOT READY TO ACTUALLY BID THE PROJECT OUT YET, IT'S GEARING OUR CONSULTANTS, UP TO BE ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO START THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE LIMIT OF MITIGATION CREDITS.

PREVIOUSLY, THE BOARD APPROVED THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE.

OOPS. YEP. OKAY, THERE WE GO. PREVIOUSLY, THE BOARD APPROVED FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO PURCHASE AVAILABLE MITIGATION CREDITS UP IN THE AMOUNT OF $2.6 MILLION. THESE MITIGATION CREDITS ARE A REQUIRED COMPONENT OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO THE PROJECT AREAS. WE, THE COUNTY, HAS SECURED SOME OF THE CREDITS.

HOWEVER, DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF THE OUTSTANDING REMAINING CREDITS THEY ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE MORE COSTLY.

WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PURCHASE THEM AT A LOWER RATE AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IT TAKES.

BUT THEY ARE A REQUIRED COMPONENT. AND THEN LASTLY, I HAVE MY PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT, ROB TULL WITH JACOBS ENGINEERING HERE.

HE'S GOING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE UPDATE, KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORY OF THE PROJECT, AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE, AND KIND OF WHERE OUR NEXT SCHEDULE IS FOR THE PROJECT, SO, ROB.

GOOD MORNING BOARD CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

MY NAME IS ROB TULL I'M WITH JACOBS ENGINEERING AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE BLACK RASCAL PROJECT FOR OVER 12 YEARS.

SO QUITE A BIT OF HISTORY AND WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS HERE.

AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND A STATUS REPORT ON THE PROJECT.

FIRST SLIDE PLEASE. A LITTLE HISTORY HERE TO BEGIN WITH IN TERMS OF THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FLOODING 1997 2006 BLACK RASCAL CREEK. SO THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FLOOD PROTECTION FOR THE CITY OF MERCED, FRANKLIN, BEACHWOOD AREA, ET-CETERA, MINIMIZE FLOODING AND MANAGE FLOWS IN THE CREEK FOR A 200 YEAR DESIGN EVENT.

THE 200 YEAR DESIGN EVENT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED BY STATE SB 5 FOR 200 YEAR PROTECTION FOR THE CITY OF MERCED.

[00:10:08]

NEXT SLIDE. THE PROJECT IS LOCATED NORTHEAST OF THE CITY OF MERCED, IN THE RED RECTANGLE THERE AND ON EAST YOSEMITE AND NORTH ARBOLEDA AVENUE, AND I THINK I'VE GOT A CLOSE UP ON THE NEXT SLIDE THERE.

NOPE. OKAY.

LET'S SEE. IT'S ABOUT A ABOUT A 300 ACRE SITE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO DETAIN UP TO ABOUT 2,500 ACRE FEET OF WATER FOR THAT 200 YEAR EVENT, WHICH IS REQUIRED. WE WILL BE CONSTRUCTING EMBANKMENTS ALONG THE FAIRFIELD CANAL EAST AND EAST YOSEMITE AVENUE.

IT WILL HAVE A PRINCIPAL UNGATED SPILLWAY AT GRADE AND THEN ALSO AN AUXILIARY SPILLWAY.

AND IT WILL CONTROL FLOWS INTO THE EXISTING BLACK RASCAL DIVERSION CHANNEL TO LESS THAN 03,000 CFS, WHICH IS THE CURRENT DESIGN CAPACITY. THE PROJECT HAS ALSO BEEN DESIGNED WITH AN AUXILIARY SPILLWAY THAT WILL HANDLE THE EXTREME MAXIMUM PROBABLE FLOOD EVENT FOR THAT SITE ALSO.

NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE GOING TO REALIGN A LITTLE OVER 1,800FT OF THE EXISTING CREEK FOR HYDRAULIC PURPOSES.

WE ARE DEALING WITH STATE PLAN OF FLOOD CONTROL LEVEES HERE.

SO THEY ARE FEDERALLY AUTHORIZED LEVEES. SO THAT BRINGS IN THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND ADDITIONAL PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES.

BUT WE WILL BE DOING SOME GRADING ON THE DOWNSTREAM AND THEN PROVIDING AGAIN SOME AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN HABITAT IN THE BASIN TO MAKE IT MORE OF A MULTI BENEFIT PROJECT. A LITTLE CLOSE UP HERE. YOU CAN SEE HERE THE REALIGNMENT IN THE LET'S SEE DOES THIS WORK.

CAN I DO THAT. NOPE. THE REALIGNMENT IS THE SHADED AREA IN THE BLACK RASCAL CREEK THERE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REALIGN THINGS A LITTLE BIT JUST IN TERMS OF MAKING IT MORE HYDRAULICALLY EFFICIENT. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE OUTLET STRUCTURE IS LOCATED.

WE ALSO CALL THAT THE PRIMARY SPILLWAY. AND THEN THERE'S THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY WHICH IS LOCATED TO THE RIGHT THERE.

NEXT. HERE'S A FURTHER CLOSE UP. THIS IS FLOWS DURING THE 200 YEAR DESIGN EVENT.

THE DARK PURPLE AREAS ARE PART OF THE RESTORATION AREAS IN TERMS OF RIPARIAN HABITAT AND THEN THE AREA BOUNDED BY THE BLACK LINE THERE WILL AVENUE. THOSE ARE TRIBUTARY FLOWS COMING IN FROM THE EAST AND ARE NOT PART OF THE PROJECT.

SO THE PROJECT WILL COMPLETELY CONTAIN THAT 200 YEAR EVENT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE NO FLOWS MOVING TO THE WEST IN THE OLD ORIGINAL BLACK RASCAL CREEK CHANNEL.

SO IT'S CONTAINING THE ENTIRE 200 YEAR EVENT.

IN TERMS OF STATUS, WE'VE OBTAINED MOST OF THE REQUIRED PERMITS FOR THE PROJECT AT THIS POINT.

WHAT IS PENDING AT THIS POINT IS THE CORPS 404 AND 408 PERMITS.

AGAIN, THIS IS A STATE PLAN OF FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT AND THEREFORE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED A 408 PROCESS AND A FORMAL RISK EVALUATION AND OTHER EVALUATIONS AND RISK MANAGEMENT ANALYZES WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

SO THAT IS IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW. AND THEN THE NRCS IS A FUNDER FOR THE PROJECT, AND THEY HAVE SIGNED OFF ON THE FONSI AND THE WATERSHED AGREEMENT, WHICH IS THE AGREEMENT FOR FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT FROM NRCS.

AND THEN, AS NATHAN MENTIONED, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING THE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED AS PART OF THE PROJECT AND THAT IS IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

THE MAJOR NEWS HERE IS THAT THE NRCS OFFICE OF THE CHIEF DID AUTHORIZE THE PROJECT BACK IN NOVEMBER.

THAT MAKES THE PROJECT ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, AND LETTERS OF APPROVAL WERE SENT TO THE PUBLIC WORKS HERE, AND THEN ALSO TO LOCAL CONGRESSMAN, IN TERMS OF NOTIFYING THEM OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PROJECT.

AND THIS NOW MAKES THE PROJECT ELIGIBLE FOR A LITTLE OVER $7 MILLION IN NRCS FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION.

WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON GRANT FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER SOURCES.

A GRANT WAS AWARDED HERE RECENTLY FOR ALMOST $6 MILLION, WHICH HAS A LOCAL COST SHARE OF $15 MILLION.

AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON REALLOCATING SOME OF THE EXISTING GRANT FROM THE SMALL COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, FROM LAND ALLOCATION OVER INTO HELPING PAY FOR CONSTRUCTION, TO HELP PAY FOR THE PROJECT.

IN TERMS OF SCHEDULE, WE ARE TRYING TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN MOVING FORWARD.

THE PROJECT'S BEEN ONGOING SINCE 2008, WHEN THE ORIGINAL FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE COUNTY.

[00:15:07]

THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S HOLDING US UP AT THIS POINT, AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE BID DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE IN JULY AND GET A LETTER OF PERMISSION FROM THE CORPS HERE IN NOVEMBER, GET OUR ENCROACHMENT PERMIT FROM THE FLOOD BOARD, WHICH WOULD BE DECEMBER, AND THEN START CONSTRUCTION IN DECEMBER OF 2025.

IT'S ABOUT A 27 MONTH CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, AND WE WOULD BE COMPLETING IN NOVEMBER OF 2027.

SO WE'RE VERY, VERY CLOSE. RIGHT. THE 90% DESIGN HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

WE'RE WAITING FOR FINAL COMMENTS ON THAT, AND THEN WE'LL BE READY TO PREPARE THE BID READY DESIGN.

AND I KNOW THAT'S A VERY QUICK BRIEF OVERVIEW, BUT ANY QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THIS.

THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR TEN YEARS. AS SOON AS I WALKED IN THE OFFICE, I HANDLED SURFACE WATER FOR A CONGRESSMAN.

AND I REMEMBER THE COUNTY COMING IN AND ASKING ME WHAT WOULD OUR APPROACH WOULD BE ON THIS BECAUSE THEY WERE STUCK AT THAT POINT.

WORKING WITH US, IT'S STILL FRUSTRATING THAT WE'RE THIS FAR OUT BECAUSE I KNOW THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER PUT SOME EXTRA REGULATIONS ON US IN DETERMINING THAT IT WAS A DAM, WHERE USUALLY WE HAVE A HARDER TIME WITH CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS.

BUT YET THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, PER THEIR DETERMINATION THAT THEY PUT IT ON US EVEN FURTHER.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE NRCS, WHICH I WAS IN WASHINGTON, DC AND LOBBIED VERY HARD FOR THAT MONEY MEETING WITH THE ARMY CORPS AND NRCS, MULTIPLE TIMES. I KNOW THERE IS A DEADLINE.

ARE WE STILL DOES THE LETTER FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO BE ABLE TO START THE BID PROCESS DOES THAT GET US INTO THE DEADLINE FOR THAT MONEY? BECAUSE I WOULD HATE. I KNOW WE'VE ASKED FOR EXTENSIONS ON THAT MOVING FORWARD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I MEAN, I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE 20 MONTHS, 25 MONTHS TILL THE COMPLETION ONCE WE START MOVING DIRT, WHEN WE WERE READY TO MOVE DIRT TWO YEARS AGO.

AND I MEAN, I JUST I'M JUST PUTTING MY FRUSTRATION OUT THERE BECAUSE I HAVE A COMMUNITY.

WE'RE IN A RAINY SEASON AGAIN. WE'VE HAD THREE RAINY SEASONS.

WE'VE HAD FLOODS, THE BEACHWOOD /FRANKLIN AREA.

AND I HAVE A FARMER RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW WHO LIVES RIGHT THERE WITH THE CONFLUENCE OF THE BLACK RASCAL AND BEAR CREEK COME TOGETHER.

IT'S JUST THERE'S A FRUSTRATION HERE , ARE YOU, AND I KNOW YOU CAN'T COMMIT ON THIS CALENDAR, BUT THIS IS GOING TO PUT US THROUGH TWO MORE RAINY SEASONS.

THIS IS FIVE RAINY SEASONS THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH TO WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING.

SO ARE WE LOOKING GOOD NOW? I MEAN, IS THIS FORWARD? WE GOT THIS ON THE CALENDAR AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE OUR FUNDING FROM NRCS.

WE'RE LOOKING REALLY GOOD WITH NRCS. THE APPROVAL FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF WAS SIGNIFICANT.

AND THAT MAKES THE COUNTY ELIGIBLE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

WE'VE ALREADY DRAFTED A LETTER THAT WE WILL BE SENDING TO NRCS TO REQUEST THAT FUNDING AS SOON AS SOON AS WE HAVE PERMITS IN HAND.

THE CATCH IS THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. IN TERMS OF IN 2022, THEY ISSUED A NEW CIRCULAR REQUIRING RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR LEVEE AND DAM PROJECTS, EVEN IF THEY WERE ONGOING.

WE WERE AT 60% DESIGN AT THAT POINT. AND THIS ISN'T A DAM ACCORDING TO CALIFORNIA SO THERE'S NO GATES. WE THOUGHT WE ESSENTIALLY WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ABOUT A YEAR INTO OUR COORDINATION WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

THEY CAME BACK AND DECIDED IT WAS A DAM. SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE WERE SUBJECT TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CORPS AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN DESIGNATED AS A DAM THAT THEN ALSO IN COMBINATION WITH 22-7, REQUIRED WHAT WE CALL A SEMI-QUANTITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT AND A WHOLE OTHER PROCESS.

I DIDN'T GET INTO THE DETAILS THERE, BUT A WHOLE INDEPENDENT PANEL REVIEW OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WE'VE COMPLETED.

SO WE'VE JUMPED THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS AND AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR IS THE CORPS NATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO BLESS THE PROJECT OR PROVIDE THEIR COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, WE PUT THE 90% DESIGN OUT IN OCTOBER OF 2023, AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR COMMENTS SO WE CAN FINISH UP AND GO TO BID.

RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, WORKING WITH THE FLOOD BOARD, WORKING WITH THE CORPS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

THE FRUSTRATION IS WHEN THE CORPS FIRST PUT THESE GUIDELINES, THEY KIND OF BRUSH IT OFF 6 TO 8 MONTHS TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

[00:20:06]

AND SHE SAID OUR APPROACH IS WE DON'T LIKE TO PRESS OUR ENGINEERS BECAUSE IF WE DO, THEY QUIT.

LITERALLY, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID TO US IN THAT MEETING.

AND IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING AT THAT POINT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON THEM.

OUR FOLKS, WE INVITED THEM OUT. WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT AND SEE THE FLOOD VICTIMS? WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT AND SEE THE AREAS WHERE THE DECISIONS YOU'RE HOLDING UP ARE CAUSING THE HARM? SO, NO, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. I THIS ISN'T YOU.

YOU'RE THE MESSENGER. BUT THIS IS MY FRUSTRATION RIGHT NOW JUST DEALING WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

WE'LL BE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE END OF NEXT MONTH, AND WE WILL BE VISITING WITH THE CORPS AGAIN.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THESE SNOWFLAKES QUIT, WE GOT TO GET SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO GET THE WORK DONE.

I WILL SAY TO THAT EFFECT, WE ARE LOCALLY APPLYING PRESSURE AS WELL TO THE CORP.

WE HAD A WE GAVE A BOARD PRESENTATION TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION BOARD ON FRIDAY.

THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROJECT. IT SEEMS THAT OUR STATE COUNTERPARTS ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROJECT, AND EVERYONE IS TRYING TO APPLY PRESSURE ON THE CORPS.

SO YOUR COMMENTS DO NOT GO UNNOTICED BY ANY MEANS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAVE A TECHNICAL QUESTION.

SO IF I CAN GET YOU TO COME BACK UP. YEAH. I GOT ASKED THIS QUESTION YESTERDAY.

IF THE DAM IS FULL RIGHT AT 2,500 ACRE FEET AND INFLOW STOP, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR THE WATER TO GO THROUGH THE DAM? ABOUT 2 TO 3 DAYS FOR THE 200 YEAR EVENT.

2 TO 3 DAYS. OKAY. SO QUICK. BUT. STAY OFF FLOODING, SO.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. J UST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON A COUPLE SLIDES FROM THE END YOU HAD SAID THAT THE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES GRANT, THAT YOU SAID THAT THERE'S A $15 MILLION COST SHARE, AND I BELIEVE IT'S A 15% COST SHARE.

OH, YES. THE SLIDE SAID I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD THAT IT WAS A 15%, NOT $ 15 MILLION.

BUT IF MY COLLEAGUE EXPRESSED THE FRUSTRATIONS AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU ONE MORE TO THINK ABOUT.

THEY STARTED ON THIS IN 2008. IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE COST IN 2008.

FAST FORWARD BY THE TIME WE GET DONE WITH THIS DEAL, AND IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY SMOOTH, WE'RE GOING TO BE DONE NEAR 2028, SO. SO 20 YEARS LATER, THE COST HAS GONE UP JUST EXPONENTIALLY.

AND IT'S A PROBLEM DARON SHARED WITH YOU THAT LITERALLY, THAT IS WHAT THE HEAD PERSON FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, IT WASN'T THE GENERAL OR WHATEVER THEIR TITLE IS, BUT IT'S LIKE ONE OF THE HEAD STAFF PEOPLE IN THERE.

AND THEIR MINDSET IS, IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO PUSH THEM TOO HARD BECAUSE THEY'LL QUIT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. AND YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WITH THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION AND THE WAY THAT WE DO STUFF MAYBE THEY'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE RECEPTIVE TO OUR IDEAS. AND THEN THE ASK IS, IS, IS DIRECTOR BRAY, WE ARE GOING TO BE BACK IN DC HERE IN ABOUT A LITTLE AROUND A MONTH FROM NOW, IS I FIND THAT IT'S HELPFUL WHEN YOU GO TALK TO THESE BUREAUCRATS THAT LIVE IN THEIR LITTLE BUBBLES IN DC, TO ACTUALLY GO IN THERE WITH A PAPER AND MAKE AN ASK, MAKE A DIRECT ASK OF THEM.

SO WHAT I WOULD ASK FROM YOU GUYS IS, IS WHERE ARE WE AT IN THE PROCESS AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK IN YOUR CRYSTAL BALL A LITTLE BIT FOR ABOUT A MONTH DOWN THE ROAD. AND THEN WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS THE ASK THAT YOU WANT US TO ASK THEM SO THAT WE CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO IT? RIGHT? THANK YOU.

OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DPW ITEMS 14 THROUGH 17.

OKAY THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DPW ITEMS 14 THROUGH 17 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE VOTE. CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.

ITEMS 18 AND 19. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HSA ITEMS 18 AND 19.

[00:25:10]

CALL FOR A MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ITEM 20. AT THIS TIME, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARK MIMMS WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS MARK MIMMS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THE EXPORT PROHIBITION.

IT IS AN ITEM THAT IS ALSO THAT WAS CONTINUED FROM YOUR MEETING IN JANUARY OF 2024.

THE ORIGINAL GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED IN 2015, IN ORDER TO PROTECT MERCED COUNTY'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND ACT AS A BRIDGE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT.

THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED ONCE IN 2022 TO ALLOW GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES OR GSA'S TO DETERMINE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PROPOSED NEW WELLS. THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY PROPOSES A NEW EXEMPTION TO THE EXPORT PROHIBITION THAT WOULD THAT WOULD GIVE GSA'S A TOOL TO DETERMINE WHETHER PROPOSED EXPORT ACTIVITIES ARE SUSTAINABLE AND CONSISTENT WITH THEIR GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.

THESE CHANGES ENSURE THAT GSA'S ARE MAKING SUSTAINABILITY DETERMINATIONS AND ADDRESS THE CRITICISM THAT THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE WAS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL ORDINANCE IN A COUNTY WITH MANY DIFFERENT AND DIVERSE GROUNDWATER BASINS AND VARIOUS GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT STREAMLINES THE ORDINANCE BY REMOVING THE COUNTY'S ROLE IN DETERMINING SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS THE ROLE OF A GSA, A REGULATORY A REGULATING PUBLIC AGENCY, AND ALIGNS THE PROCESS WITH OUR EXISTING WELL ORDINANCE.

IN DEVELOPING THIS AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE, STAFF HELD IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH OVER 40 WATER DISTRICTS, GSAS, AND STAKEHOLDER REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE COUNTIES, FOUR SUBBASINS AS PART OF THE OUTREACH.

AT THE DIRECTION OF THIS BOARD, IN DECEMBER OF 2023, STAFF CONDUCTED ADDITIONAL OUTREACH TO CLARIFY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE AND ADDRESS MISINFORMATION. IN JANUARY OF 2024, STAFF BROUGHT THE ORDINANCE BACK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT RELATED TO THE EXPORT PROHIBITION.

AT THE JANUARY 2024 MEETING, THE BOARD DISCUSSED THE ITEM AND AGREED TO BRING THE ITEM BACK IN ONE YEAR, ALLOWING FOR THE GSA'S TIME TO DEVELOP POLICIES THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE AND MAKE THESE SUSTAINABILITY DETERMINATIONS.

SINCE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING IN JANUARY OF 2024, GSA'S THROUGHOUT THE FOUR GROUNDWATER SUBBASINS HAVE HAD THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP POLICIES RELATED TO GROUNDWATER EXPORT OUTSIDE THE ORIGINATING BASIN.

IN THE MERCED SUBBASIN, WHERE THERE WAS THE MOST CONCERN AND PROTEST REGARDING THIS AMENDMENT IN JANUARY OF 2024, THE THREE GSA'S HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME YOU PROVIDED, AND EACH APPROVED THEIR OWN POLICY PROHIBITING EXPORT OF GROUNDWATER OUTSIDE OF THE MERCED SUBBASIN IN ADVANCE OF TODAY. STAFF AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CED ITEM NUMBER 20.

CHAIRMAN, REST OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS JOE SCOTTO.

I'M A MEMBER OF THE MIUGSA STAKEHOLDER GUIDANCE COMMITTEE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR LETTING US HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS PART OF THE GSA TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER, LIKE THE CHAIR SPOKE THERE, THAT WE PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER, THOUGHT A BUNCH OF PLANS.

BUT WE AGREE THAT THE MOTION TO ADOPT WITH, WITH ONE LITTLE MINOR ADDED LANGUAGE THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT THE EXPORTING GSA MUST BE IN A BASIN THAT IS NOT ON PROBATION WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

[00:30:04]

LET'S FACE IT, WE'RE COMING INTO CHALLENGING TIMES.

I'M INVOLVED 100% IN AGRICULTURE AND, HEY, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK HARD AT IT. BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR BASIN IN SUSTAINABILITY TO MEET THAT MINIMUM THRESHOLD.

AND WE COULD SEE THROUGHOUT THE STATE WHAT'S HAPPENING, THERE ARE BASINS ALREADY ON PROBATION.

SO IF YOU TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

GOOD MORNING BOARD. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS MATT BEEMAN AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE MERCED IRRIGATION URBAN GSA.

THE MERCED IRRIGATION URBAN GSA IS A IT'S MADE UP OF A SEVEN MEMBER AGENCY BOARD.

IT INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ATWATER, LIVINGSTON, MERCED, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICTS OF PLANADA AND LE GRAND, WINTON WATER AND SANITARY DISTRICT, AS WELL AS MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

SO TODAY, THESE COMMENTS ARE BASED ON BEHALF OF THAT GSA AND ALL OF THOSE MEMBER AGENCIES COLLECTIVELY.

SO, AS DISCUSSED, THE GSA'S TOOK INDEPENDENT ACTIONS TO PROHIBIT GROUNDWATER EXPORT AND INCLUDED VARIANCES.

HOWEVER, SOME OF THOSE VARIANCES ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE VARIANCES WILL BE WORKED OUT TOWARD APRIL.

SO ONE REQUEST IS THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONSIDER POSTPONING ADOPTION UNTIL APRIL MAY TIMELINE OF THIS YEAR.

FURTHERMORE MIUGSAS ACTION TO ADOPT THE THE GROUNDWATER EXPORT PROHIBITION INCLUDED LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY STATING THAT IF GSA REVERSE THOSE ACTIONS, THAT IN THE FUTURE MIUGSA WILL PROHIBIT EXPORT BETWEEN GSA BOUNDARIES.

THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ITEM FOR OUR GSA. MIUGSA DOES ASK THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE THE AMENDED POLICY THAT THAT ALIGNS BETTER WITH, SAY, THE, WELL, PERMITTING LANGUAGE THAT'S INCLUDED, SUCH AS INCLUDING THAT A NY BASIN IS NOT ON PROBATION.

IT HAS AN ADOPTED AND APPROVED GSP WITH THE STATE.

THAT THE ORIGINAL ORIGINATING LOCATION FOR THE PROPOSED EXPORT IS WITHIN, OR IS IS DOES NOT EXCEED THE EXISTING SUSTAINABLE YIELD, NATIVE SUSTAINABLE YIELD OF A BASIN, SO THAT ENSURES SUSTAINABILITY, IT IS EVEN FOR EVERYONE.

AND WE'RE MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH AT THE MERCED GROUNDWATER BASIN LEVEL, WE HAVE AN EXISTING CONSISTENT POLICY. THE MERCED COUNTY GROUNDWATER EXPORT IS ULTIMATELY THE BACKSTOP OVER THE LANDS IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT EXPORT THAT MAY OCCUR BETWEEN DIFFERENT BASINS OUTSIDE OF THE MERCED GROUNDWATER SUBBASIN MAY IMPACT US.

THE BASINS ARE GENERALLY MADE UP OF HYDROLOGIC BOUNDARIES, BUT REALLY THEY'RE GEOPOLITICAL.

AND SO THEY DON'T ALIGN WITH HYDROLOGIC FEATURES EXACTLY.

AND SO THERE MAY BE IMPACTS THAT DO OCCUR. AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.

WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY AGAINST THE AMENDMENT OF THE GROUNDWATER EXPORT POLICY IN THE HOPES THAT SOME OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE ARE CONSIDERED.

THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC? PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CED ITEM 20 IS NOW CLOSED.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LACEY, CAN I GET YOU TO COME UP? SO IN MY BRIEFING YESTERDAY YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU HAD REACHED OUT TO THE OTHER GSA'S IN OUR BASIN AND AND HAD NO OTHER COMMENTS. SO, WE JUST HEARD MIUGSA'S COMMENTS, DO DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY ON THE FLY TO

[00:35:02]

LACEY. LACEY MCBRIDE, WATER RESOURCES MANAGER.

I DID REACH OUT TO THE THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES IN THE MERCED BASIN TOWARD THE END OF 2024, AS THE GSA'S AND THE MERCED BASIN HAD THE MOST CONCERN WITH THIS ITEM IN JANUARY OF 2024.

AS OF JANUARY 2025 ALL THREE OF THE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES IN THE MERCED BASIN HAVE ADOPTED VERY SIMILAR POLICIES THAT PROHIBITED EXPORT FROM THE MERCED BASIN OF GROUNDWATER.

THERE WERE SOME VARIANCES. SOME OF THAT VARIANCE LANGUAGE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

SOME IS A LITTLE TIGHTER IN ONE GSA THAN ANOTHER GSA AND THE THIRD GSA DID NOT INCLUDE VARIANCE LANGUAGE.

SHOULD YOU I WOULD SAY AS OF YESTERDAY, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE COMMENTS SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONSIDER ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE SUGGESTED TODAY. BUT SHOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT I THINK IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE, WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING THE ITEM BACK TO THE BOARD AT A FUTURE MEETING.

START OVER AGAIN. YEAH, I AND I'LL JUST SAY, I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE 11TH HOUR INFORMATION.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT I JUST WANTED YOUR OPINION FOR FOR US TO TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AGAIN 11TH HOUR I DON'T LIKE IT.

I DO APPRECIATE A GROWER IN MY AREA. MR. SCOTTO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR, AND HE WAS VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY HAS ADOPTED THE LANGUAGE THAT NEEDED TO BE.

BUT I DO LIKE HIS INPUT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN PUT THAT IN THERE, BUT IF SOMEBODY IS ON PROBATION, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN WORK THAT INTO OUR LANGUAGE, AS HE HE HAD SUGGESTED? YEAH. MR. HANSON? YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

IF THERE ARE SUBSEQUENT CHANGES MADE TO THE ORDINANCE AT THIS POINT, I WOULD RECOMMEND REINTRODUCTION.

SO GOING BACK AND STARTING OVER. SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU'RE SAYING STARTING OVER, YOU GUYS ARE MAKING IT SOUND LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SCRAP EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HAD AND THEN START ON PEN AND PAPER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ON A BLANK PAGE AND I DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY.

RIGHT. NO. WE WOULD JUST ADD THAT LANGUAGE, REINTRODUCE THE ORDINANCE AND THEN SET FOR ADOPTION AGAIN. WELL AT THAT POINT, THEN I'D MAKE A MOTION TO DO THAT? CHAIR. I JUST AT THIS POINT, I JUST THINK WE STAY WITH WHAT WE HAVE, WE DON'T AMEND IT.

WE JUST JUST BE DONE WITH IT. BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE BRING THIS TO US, WE GET THE 11TH HOUR FROM YAKUZA THAT THAT WANTS TO CHANGE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED A WHOLE YEAR ON. THIS WAS THE WHOLE REASON WHY WE POSTPONED IT A YEAR FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.

AND SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE JUST KEEP KICKING THIS DEAL DOWN THE ROAD AT THIS POINT. I WOULD JUST SUGGEST WE LEAVE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE.

WE JUST LEAVE THE PROHIBITION AND JUST BE DONE WITH IT AND QUIT HAVING STAFF EXPEND TIME AND ENERGY TRYING TO COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS THAT, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS, COUNTLESS MEETINGS WITH GSA'S, WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE'RE STILL NO CLOSER TO ANYTHING TODAY THAN WE WERE WITH WHAT WE STARTED WITH.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION IS WE JUST JUST KILL IT.

JUST BE DONE WITH IT. LET'S JUST LEAVE THE PROHIBITION IN EXISTENCE.

WE DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. GSA CAN KIND OF DO WHAT THEY WANT.

THEY DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO ASSUME AS A GSA.

THEY WANT THE COUNTY TO BE THE BACKSTOP. WE JUST LEAVE AS A PROHIBITION AND WE'RE DONE WITH IT INSTEAD OF PROLONGING IT, BRINGING IT BACK, REINTRODUCING AN ORDINANCE THAT WE'VE DONE NOW THREE TIMES, SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF EXTENDING IT AT THIS POINT.

I'M IN FAVOR OF EITHER PASSING WHAT WE HAVE OR JUST TABLING THE IDEA OF TABLING IT INDEFINITELY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I TEND TO AGREE, YOU KNOW, THE 11TH HOUR STUFF IS IS HARD TO IT'S HARD TO

[00:40:10]

AND I DON'T THINK WE CONTINUE TO KICK THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT DOES, IT'S I THINK IT'S WE'VE GAVE A YEAR AND WHICH IS A LONG TIME, AND I THINK THAT WE HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT AND LAST MINUTE JUST DOESN'T, DOESN'T HELP ANYTHING. SO WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? NO SECOND. IS THERE A MOTION? SUPERVISOR. I JUST SAID MY MOTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE WHAT STAFF PROPOSED.

THE GSA'S HAVE, IN MY OPINION, HAVE ADDRESSED THOSE ISSUES LOCALLY, THEY'VE ADDRESSED THEIR ISSUES WITH THEIR OWN RULES THAT THEY'VE PASSED. THIS PUTS THEM IT GIVES THE PEOPLE THAT MANAGE WATER THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THEIR WATER.

IT TAKES THE COUNTY OUT OF IT. AND IT JUST IT BASICALLY GIVES THEM THE AUTHORITY THAT WHAT I IN MY OPINION, WHAT SIGMA WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE THEM. IS GSAS THE ABILITY TO DO IT.

I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION.

IF THAT DIES, THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE. I'LL SECOND.

LLOYD DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH. QUESTION FOR COUNCIL.

SO IF WE WERE, IF WE WERE TO ADD THE LANGUAGE, UNLESS THE GSA IS ON THE EXPORTING GSA IS ON PROBATION, THAT WOULD IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK, WE CAN'T AMEND IT HERE.

THAT WOULD PROBABLY CONSTITUTE A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE AT THIS TIME, OR COULD.

SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO RE NOTICE. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY CHAIR PEDROZA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. OH GO AHEAD. YEAH. COULD WE ASK STAFF TO READ BACK THE MOTION? SO THE THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS EXEMPT FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15061 OF THE CEQA GUIDELINES, AND TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE INTRODUCED ON NOVEMBER 28TH, 2023, ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO GROUNDWATER MINING AND EXPORT.

OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. OKAY. CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THE MOTION PASSES WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL VOTING NO.

AND, MR. CHAIR, IF I WOULD, IT'S BECAUSE THAT LANGUAGE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE ADDED TO IT, AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE A NO VOTE.

THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE. THANK YOU. ITEMS 21 THROUGH 23.

AT THIS TIME, ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARK HENDRICKSON WILL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 23.

MARK HENDRICKSON, ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING IS THE 2025 THROUGH 2028 MERCED COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN.

NOW, PRIOR TO GIVING YOU THIS PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, TO THANK THIS BOARD FOR ITS INPUT AND FOR ITS LEADERSHIP IN HELPING CRAFT THIS PLAN. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR THOUGHTFUL IDEAS, AND FOR SUBMITTING ACTIONABLE TACTICS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THE BOARD'S GOALS.

ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER AGAIN, THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED.

THE PLAN FOR THE FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION TODAY IS THE RESULT OF A GREAT DEAL OF WORK. AS A STRATEGIC PLAN TAKES SIGNIFICANT TIME, INVOLVING INFORMATION GATHERING AND INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE UP AND DOWN ALIGNMENT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION.

I'LL BE COVERING THE FOLLOWING IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY.

ONE, WHAT A STRATEGIC PLAN IS. TWO, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT IS STRATEGIC AND WHAT IS TACTICAL.

[00:45:01]

FOUR, THE BOARD'S CLEAR PRIORITIES. FIVE, THE MORE THAN 50 DIFFERENT DELIVERABLES OUR DEPARTMENTS WILL ACHIEVE TO EFFECTUATE THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC GOALS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. SIX, HOW THIS PLAN INCORPORATES ALIGNMENT OF EFFORT.

SEVEN, NEXT STEPS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD.

AS A STARTING POINT. AS A STARTING POINT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT A STRATEGIC PLAN IS.

IN THE MOST BASIC OF TERMS, A STRATEGIC PLAN HELPS AN HELPS AN ORGANIZATION ACHIEVE ITS GOALS BY PROVIDING A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS.

IT HELPS ENSURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME VISION.

NOW, IN OUR CASE, WE ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE PROPOSED STRATEGIC PLAN ALSO ALIGNS WITH YOUR PRIOR ADOPTED MISSION, VISION AND VALUES. A WELL EXECUTED STRATEGIC PLAN CAN UNQUESTIONABLY LEAD TO INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND AGAIN, BEST ENSURES THAT AN ORGANIZATION'S GOALS, ACTIVITIES, AND RESOURCES ARE ALIGNED.

NOW, EACH OF YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A BIT OF A MILITARY BACKGROUND WAY BACK WHEN, AND I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT IS STRATEGIC AND WHAT IS TACTICAL. STRATEGIC FOCUSES ON LONG TERM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

ESSENTIALLY, THE BIG PICTURE THAT IN OUR CASE, THE BOARD WANTS ITS TEAM TO FOCUS ON.

TACTICAL PLANNING, FOCUSES ON WHAT ACTIONABLE DELIVERABLES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ACHIEVE THE STRATEGY.

I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THAT AGO THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING TAKES TIME, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S DONE WELL AND THOUGHTFULLY. SO I THOUGHT I WOULD QUICKLY RECAP THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.

BACK ON FEBRUARY 16TH OF 2024, THE BOARD ACTUALLY HELD A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, THE PRIORITIES, AND GOVERNANCE FOR THE COUNTY.

IT WAS IN THIS PART OF THE PROCESS WHERE THE STAGE WAS SET, AND THE BOARD PROVIDED MEANINGFUL GUIDANCE TO STAFF AS TO ITS PRIORITIES AND ITS OBJECTIVES. FROM THERE, BASED UPON BOARD INPUT, DEPARTMENTS BEGAN THE PROCESS OF FORMULATING IDEAS TO ACHIEVE THE BOARD'S GOALS, AND THEY SUBMITTED THEM TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE. CONSENSUS BUILDING IS ALWAYS A PART OF THE PROCESS, WHICH BRINGS US TO THE ITEM TODAY. MOVING FORWARD, IF ADOPTED, THERE WILL BE UP AND DOWN ALIGNMENT FROM THE BOARD THROUGH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE TO THE DEPARTMENTS. AND IN POST IMPLEMENTATION WE WILL MEASURE OUR SUCCESS BECAUSE UNLESS YOU MEASURE IT, IT WON'T GET DONE. NOW DURING ITS FEBRUARY SPECIAL MEETING, THE BOARD HAD CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION ON MANY OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE COUNTY. AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, IT WAS OUR ROLE TO SYNTHESIZE ALL THE BOARD'S INPUT INTO WELL DEFINED STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS.

NOW, THE BOARD COLLECTIVELY FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING, JUST AS A BRIEF RECAP AND REMINDER, AND FOR FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. CUSTOMER SERVICE; SPECIFICALLY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO DRIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE.

TWO, FISCAL DISCIPLINE ACCOUNTABILITY AND BUDGET SUSTAINABILITY.

LARGELY IN THESE LEAN, UNCERTAIN TIMES, WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT THE TAXPAYER AND TO BE FISCALLY DISCIPLINED IN THE PROCESS.

THREE, REVENUE ENHANCEMENT. WHAT STEPS CAN WE UNDERTAKE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO PROVIDE VITAL RESOURCES, VITAL SERVICES, EXCUSE ME TO OUR COMMUNITY. FOUR, QUALITY OF LIFE.

FROM PUBLIC SAFETY TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO PARKS.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH, COMFORT, SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN FIVE, ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE. WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE BUILDINGS, COMMUNITY FACILITIES, ROADS, AS WELL AS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CAPACITY BUILDING.

ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS FAIR TO SAY. THIS IS A BOARD THAT IS FOCUSED ON MAKING MERCED COUNTY THE HIGHEST PERFORMING COUNTY ANYWHERE.

UPON THE BOARD'S VISION CRYSTALLIZING, DEPARTMENTS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL THOUGHTFUL YET CHALLENGING ACTIONS, ALL OF WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC BIG PICTURE.

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE IS JUST A SCREENSHOT OF ONE PART OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ACTIONS THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.

ALL OF THE TEAM AS A PART OF THIS AS A PART OF THIS SLIDE, THE TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR ACHIEVING EACH ACTION IS IDENTIFIED AS WELL.

NOW, THE INTENTION THERE IS TO TRANSPARENTLY SHOW WHO IS GOING TO BE DOING WHAT.

NOW, THAT SAID, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE EXPRESSLY IDENTIFIED WITH A SPECIFIC ACTION BECAUSE THE IDEAS WERE BORN FROM THEM.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAD THE FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BEST PRACTICES AND GOOD IDEAS.

IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT EACH OF THE 53 DIFFERENT TACTICS OR ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN WILL BE ACHIEVED BY 2028, WITH SOME ACCOMPLISHED SOONER AND OTHERS LATER.

NOW, I'VE USED THE WORD ALIGNMENT A FEW TIMES ALREADY, SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.

NOW, AS THIS SLIDE SHOWS, THE BOARD ESTABLISHES THE BIG PICTURE, WHICH GIVES THE DEPARTMENTS THEIR MARCHING ORDERS AND IT'S REFLECTED IN THEIR ACTIONS.

[00:50:04]

THERE SHOULD BE A NEXUS IN OUR BOARD AGENDA ITEMS, AGAIN CONSISTENT WITH THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC VISION.

STAFF WILL BE TASKED WITH ACHIEVING THE TACTICS AND THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR EVALUATIVE PROCESSES.

AGAIN UP AND DOWN ALIGNMENT IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE DRAFT PLAN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

AS I BEGIN TO WRAP UP THE PRESENTATION, THERE ARE A SERIES OF NEXT STEPS TO BE TAKEN.

NOW, IF THE BOARD SO CHOOSES TO ADOPT THE 2025 THROUGH 2028 STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT WILL BE OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST STEP TODAY.

TWO, THE CEO AND HIS TEAM WILL IMPLEMENT ITS EXECUTION.

THREE, WE'LL PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES AND PROGRESS REPORTS TO THE BOARD AT LEAST TWICE ANNUALLY, WITH THE FIRST TO BEGIN PERHAPS AT FINAL BUDGET THIS COMING SEPTEMBER.

FOUR, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE WILL INCORPORATE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE ACTIONS INTO OUR STAFF EVALUATIONS. AND YES, FIVE WE WILL MEASURE SUCCESS IN THE PROCESS. SO IN CLOSING, STAFF DOES RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE 2025 TO 2028 MERCED COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND I WOULD BE PLEASED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE THAT THE CEO WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A HANDFUL OF COMMENTS HIMSELF.

SO AT THIS POINT, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AGAIN, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, ASSISTANT CEO MARK HENDRICKSON FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

JUST REALLY WANTED TO ECHO AND MAYBE EMPHASIZE SOME OF THE REMARKS MADE BY MARK.

THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR INPUT ALONG THE WAY, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR.

THANK YOU TO COUNTY DEPARTMENTS FOR BEING ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.

I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT THAT'S BEFORE YOU IN DRAFT FORM, IS TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT AND KIND OF BUILDING OFF OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE BOARD DID BACK IN 2019 WHEN YOU INSTITUTED YOUR MISSION VISION VALUES.

THIS IS THE NEXT STEP IN ENSURING THAT ALIGNMENT.

AND SO JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE THE BOARD FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS STAFF WORKED TO BRING THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU.

ALSO WANTED TO THANK MARK HENDRICKSON FOR TAKING THE LEAD IN THIS WORK.

AND WITH YOU KNOW, HE WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR FOLKS IN OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE TO PRESENT A DOCUMENT THAT IS PROFESSIONAL IN NATURE THAT WOULD THAT WAS ALL DONE IN-HOUSE.

SO AS THIS BOARD EXPECTS THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEFORE YOU, IT'S IN A PROFESSIONAL FORMAT, BUT DEFINITELY UP TO YOU TO KIND OF PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND MAKE MODIFICATIONS AS YOU DEEM FIT.

AND THIS WILL BE WITH YOUR APPROVAL, THE DOCUMENT THAT WILL GUIDE OUR EFFORTS AS AN ORGANIZATION GOING FORWARD.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENTS.

AND THANK YOU, BOARD. BACK TO YOU, MR. CHAIR.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I HIT IT. DO IT AGAIN.

HIT THE REQUEST TO SPEAK AGAIN. YEAH. THERE WE GO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION MARK.

I KNOW THIS WAS A LONG TIME. I THINK WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT THIS PROCESS, IT DID SEEM LIKE IT TOOK A LONG TIME.

I MEAN, FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, IT'S ALMOST BEEN A YEAR PROCESS.

BUT WHAT WAS GOOD ABOUT IT, WHEN WE SAW ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PUT BEFORE US, IT WAS STUFF THAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE COULD ALREADY IMPLEMENT MOVING FORWARD.

A LOT OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS HAD A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT INTO MOTION RIGHT AWAY TO RECOGNIZE THIS.

I REALLY LIKE THIS. WE WANT IT TO BE MEASURABLE.

FOR ME, THOUGH, IN THE RECOMMENDATION OF ONLY TWICE A YEAR AND I THINK MARK AND I HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE THIS BROUGHT BACK AT LEAST QUARTERLY.

BECAUSE IF IT'S TWICE A YEAR, YOU GOT A WHOLE NOTHER SIX MONTHS TO TRY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.

AND YET AND ISN'T THIS ISN'T FOR ANYBODY TO IT'S JUST TO HOLD ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL OF US.

SO WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND. I DO KNOW WITH RURAL COUNTIES REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA, WHERE I AM A MEMBER THERE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

WE ACTUALLY REVISIT OURS EVERY MONTH. SO THE BOARD ACTUALLY IN WHOLE MEETS EVERY OTHER MONTH WITH THE EXECUTIVE TEAM EXECUTIVE TEAM IN BETWEEN. BUT WE ADDRESS OUR GOALS EVERY MONTH TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.

SOME MOVE FASTER THAN OTHERS, BUT OTHERS DON'T.

BUT THERE'S AN ACCOUNTABILITY THERE MOVING FORWARD.

AND I THINK JUST FOR OUR CONSTITUENCY, BECAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THIS FOR.

SO, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH. HI. I GUESS I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY WAIT UNTIL AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.

SO THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR.

[00:55:06]

AND IF AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE SEE IF WE CAN'T BECAUSE I'M IN AGREEMENT, AND IF THE BOARD IF THAT'S PART OF THE MOTION, I THINK THAT WE CAN EASILY REQUEST IT SCHEDULED LIKE, SO THAT TAMARA CAN HAVE IT ON THERE.

AND SO WE KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE COMING UP.

AND SO I'LL SAVE MY OTHER COMMENTS FOR LATER.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD ITEM NUMBER 24.

OKAY, I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.

FIRST THANK STAFF FOR HEARING US, AND I BELIEVE DOING A GREAT JOB AT PUTTING OUR IDEAS DOWN ON PAPER IN ACTIONABLE ITEMS. I'M A LITTLE FRUSTRATED THAT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ITEM, WHICH IN A LOT OF CASES DOESN'T COST ANY MONEY, COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT ONE FOR ANOTHER DAY.

SO BACK TO TO THE PLAN, UNDER UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, AND I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP TO YOU ALL AHEAD OF TIME AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT WE HAVE MONEY THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR A PARK IN DELHI.

AND SO I'M GOING TO ONCE THERE'S A MOTION OR I CAN MAKE THE MOTION BUT ANYWAYS, TO ADD AN ITEM, AN ACTION ITEM FOR THE PARK IN DELHI AND ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS OR AM I.

OKAY, THEN I'LL WAIT ON MY MOTION. THANKS.

SO I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS. I WANT TO I TOO WANT TO THANK STAFF.

I THINK THAT STAFF DID A REALLY GOOD JOB IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. AND YES, IT WAS FRUSTRATING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT THAT IT TOOK TO GET TO THIS POINT.

BUT I THINK THAT A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T THIS FRAMEWORK PUT IN PLACE, THAT WE WOULD BE THROWING A LOT OF STUFF AT STAFF AS OPPOSED TO SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.

AND SO NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONCRETE SET OF A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR STAFF ACCOUNTABLE AND TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND IT'S IN PLACE AND IT'S NOT THIS IS JUST A FRAMEWORK, RIGHT? THIS ISN'T DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE ADDED TO OR STUFF CAN'T BE TAKEN OFF.

IT OBVIOUSLY IT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, TIMING AND WHAT HAPPENS AND THINGS OUT OF OUR CONTROL.

BUT I THINK THIS REALLY PROVIDES US A FRAMEWORK MOVING FORWARD.

AND SO WITH WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO WITH THE MOTION WITH THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, BE OKAY WITH ADDING THE QUARTERLY AND AND MAKING SURE THAT AND WE CAN TAMARA YOU CAN PUT THAT ALL TOGETHER.

OKAY. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH. THEN I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO AMEND THE MOTION THAT WE ADD THE DELHI PARK ONTO THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UNLESS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION WOULD ACCEPT IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

I WOULD ACCEPT IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. THANK YOU SIR.

SECOND. OKAY, SO THE MAKER SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID YES.

MCDANIEL SAID YES. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

ITEM 24. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HANSEN. OKAY.

CHAIR. I MAY HAVE A REMOTE INTEREST UNDER 1090 IN THIS ITEM, SO I'LL BE RECUSING MYSELF OR STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS AND LETTING TOM EBERSOLE SIT IN.

THANK YOU.

MIC] ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD ITEM NUMBER 24. YOU'RE ON. OH. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS COLTON DENNIS, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MERCED COUNTY ARTS CENTER, THE MAC. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TO BRING THIS UP.

YOU KNOW, MAC SERVES AS A VITAL HUB FOR ARTS AND CULTURE IN MERCED COUNTY, HOSTING A DIVERSE ARRAY OF EVENTS,

[01:00:04]

THESE INITIATIVES REFLECT OUR COMMITMENT OF BRINGING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.

THE MAC ALSO CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

THOUSANDS OF VISITORS COME THROUGH THE MAC EVERY YEAR.

UPGRADING OUR LIGHTING SYSTEM WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCES, ATTRACTING HIGH CALIBER EVENTS AND INCREASING TOURISM AND LOCAL SPENDING IN MERCED.

FURTHERMORE, THE MAC SUPPORTS LOCAL SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE MERCED COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ARTS AWARDS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THROUGHOUT MERCED COUNTY THAT COME TO VISIT NOT ONLY OUR GALLERIES AND OUR EDUCATIONAL SPACES ON THE THIRD FLOOR, BUT COME TO USE THE BLACK BOX THEATER SPACE FOR THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL.

THIS INVESTMENT WILL FURTHER ENRICH LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ARTISTS.

THIS PROPOSAL OF $14,428 IS A STRATEGIC, LONG TERM ENHANCEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITIES CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WITH BENEFITS THAT EXTEND WELL BEYOND THE INITIAL COST.

AND IN CONCLUSION, THIS FUNDING REPRESENTS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF MERCED COUNTY.

I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.

YOU KNOW, USUALLY WHEN THE ARTS COUNCIL IS UP FOR THE AGENDA ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IT'S A PROCLAMATION TO DESIGNATE US AS THE STATE AND LOCAL PARTNER WITH MERCED COUNTY AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO REPRESENT ARTS.

AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COLLABORATING IN FUTURE PROJECTS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU COLTON.

JENNIFER FLACHMAN SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER I'M FROM THE CITY.

I ALSO AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SPONSORED ART PROJECT.

SO I AM PARTNERING WITH COLTON ON THIS PROJECT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

I WILL SEE THE PROCESS THROUGH IF THIS IS APPROVED TO SINCE THE CITY OWNS THE BUILDING.

THANK YOU. HI, I'M JOE HYPES. IF YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN DOING I'VE DONE THEATER IN MERCED FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. I'VE DONE REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY THEATER PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY BEFORE I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA.

AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU KNOW THAT THEATER SUCCESS IS WITHIN THE SPACE AND THE BUILDING THAT YOU'RE PERFORMING AT.

AND IF IT GETS OLD AND IF SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT GETS OLD, IF THE SPACE GETS OLD, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO THAT KIND OF THEATER.

AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE MAC, IF YOU'VE SEEN A PRESENTATION SPEAKERS, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT MADISON MITCHELL WITH HER CHILDREN'S PROGRAM.

JENNI SAMUELSON, WHO'S BEEN DOING A LOT MORE PRESENTATIONS IN THEATER THERE, SPEAKERS THAT COME BY, THAT KIND OF THING. THE REASON WHY THIS IS ESSENTIAL IS BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE GOTTEN MUCH OLDER, ALONG WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING PERFORMANCES IN THEATER.

AND IT'S MORE THAN JUST SEEING ACTORS ON THE SET, IT'S MORE THAN JUST SEEING PERFORMERS DANCING AND SINGING AND SPEAKERS.

THERE'S AN ENTIRE TECHNICAL ELEMENT THAT GOES INTO PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS AS SIMPLE AS GETTING ON TOP OF A LADDER AND REHANGING LIGHTS, REFOCUSING LIGHTS. AND LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN YOU GET IN YOUR 40S, CLIMBING THAT LADDER IS NOT ONLY A LITTLE BIT MORE DANGEROUS, YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO DO IT. AND SO WHEN YOU UPGRADE THE BUILDING, WHEN YOU UPGRADE THE TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT, IT MAKES IT EASIER, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS WHEN YOU CAN DO A LOT OF THAT FOCUSING, YOU CAN DO A LOT OF THAT CHANGING THE LIGHTS MOVING, WITH AN IPAD. WHEN YOU UPGRADE THE SYSTEM, YOU'RE ABLE TO JUST TYPE ON THE IPAD, YOU'RE ABLE TO MOVE THE WORK AND THE LIGHTS MOVE.

SO AS WE GET OLDER, AS THE SPACE GETS OLDER, AS THE PEOPLE THAT BRING IN SHOWS GET OLDER, IT GETS A LOT EASIER FOR THEM. UNLESS YOU'RE ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE YOUNG THESE DAYS WHO WILL CLIMB THAT LADDER IN THAT SPACE.

IT IS AN OLDER SPACE, WHICH MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE A GRID, AND A GRID IS WHERE YOU CAN SORT OF, LIKE, WALK ON TOP OF AND JUST CHANGE LIGHTS. NO, YOU HAVE TO DRAG A VERY HEAVY LADDER ACROSS THE SPACE AND CHANGE OUT WHAT IS ANYWHERE FROM LIKE SOMETIMES 30, 40 LIGHTS AT A TIME. SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ARTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THE ARTS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS IT.

IT THRIVES ON PEOPLE IN THE ARTS. THE KIDS THRIVE IN THE ARTS.

MY DAUGHTER HAS NOW BEEN DOING IT NOW FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS, AND SHE LOVES IT.

AND IT MAKES SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE, BECAUSE ACTING IN THEATER TEACHES YOU MORE THAN JUST BEING GOOFY ON STAGE.

[01:05:04]

AND SO IF ANYTHING CAN HELP THE ARTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, I'M ALL FOR IT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING GENTLEMEN.

I'M ROB BAPTIE, MOST OF YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE ME I SUPPORT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES OF WHICH SOME OF YOUR CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN.

I'VE SUPPORTED A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, A LOT OF PROGRAMS. SO I RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH IN THIS COMMUNITY A LOT.

SO OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I'VE COMMITTED JUST OVER $2.5 MILLION TO PROJECTS SIMILAR TO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

SO IN SAYING THAT REALLY, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GO IS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT VOTE FOR YOU, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT, USE THAT SPACE RIGHT, THEIR, KIDS USE THAT SPACE.

IT'S IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC TO SEE YOU GUYS SUPPORT THAT SPACE.

TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, KIDS A CHANCE TO THRIVE. AND IF YOU DO IT, I'LL MATCH IT.

SO THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ROB HYPES. FOR THE RECORD, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE MY BROTHER PRETENDED HE'S EVER BEEN ON A LADDER BEFORE.

BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS I'M WITH THE UNITED WAY.

WE RECENTLY COMPLETED A GRANT PROJECT WITH THE MAC.

THEY ADMINISTERED THE PROCESS OF BRINGING IN ABOUT $1 MILLION TO ARTISTS ALL OVER MERCED COUNTY, FUNDING PROJECTS SUCH AS MURALS, F ILMS, POETRY BOOKS.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAD WITH THEM.

IT WAS GREAT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM THAT ACTIVITY TO ARTISTS ALL OVER OUR COUNTY.

AND IT'S BEEN AMAZING TO SEE THE ARTWORK THAT WAS CREATED.

AS WE KIND OF MOVE TOWARDS THE FUTURE, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INCREASED NEED FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE REVENUE MODELS THAT PERHAPS AREN'T NECESSARILY GRANT BASED OR EVEN DONATION BASED. BY UPGRADING THE MAC WE'VE GIVEN THEM A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THEIR SUSTAINABLE REVENUE BY BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL ACTS, ARTISTS, PERFORMERS INTO THE SPACE.

AND BY INCREASING THEIR SUSTAINABLE REVENUE THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT INTO THE ENTIRE COUNTY, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO INCREASE THE INFLUENCE AND SCOPE OF ART ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY.

AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT TODAY IN UPGRADING EQUIPMENT THAT, IN ALL HONESTY, PROBABLY HASN'T BEEN UPGRADED SINCE THE EARLY TO MID 90S.

I DO WANT TO STRESS THAT SOME OF THEIR EQUIPMENT STILL OPERATES OFF OF A FLOPPY DISK.

AND SO AN INVESTMENT TODAY IS AN INVESTMENT FOR TOMORROW, NOT JUST FOR THE BUILDING, THE MAC, BUT THE ARTS ALL OVER MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ARE THERE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD ITEM NUMBER 24 IS NOW CLOSED.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU COLTON, JOE, ROB, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH THE ARTS.

I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS COMMUNITY.

WHAT I KEPT HEARING FROM EACH OF YOU WAS CALLED COLLABORATION.

AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE VERY, VERY GOOD AT COLLABORATION.

WE DO HAVE LINDSEY SITTING IN OUR FRONT ROW. IS THERE A COLLABORATION WITH MERCED COUNTY PARKS AND REC MAYBE TO DO ONGOING PROGRAMS THAT THE COUNTY CAN BE INVOLVED IN? WOULD YOU JUST YEAH JUST. NOW, LET'S RECOGNIZE I'VE BEEN BURNED BEFORE WHENEVER I'VE MADE THESE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE DAIS.

YEAH, BUT I KNOW COLTON VERY WELL, SO I KNOW HE WON'T HE WON'T RENEGE ON THIS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE TALKED TO IN THE PAST, EUGENE DRUMMOND, WHO WAS PART OF THE PARKS AND REC AT ONE TIME.

HE'S WITH THE CITY. OKAY, WITH THE CITY OF ATWATER, I THINK.

BUT ANYWAY THAT IS ONE ASPECT, RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR ARCHERY PROGRAM, WHICH IS ARTISAN TEACHING ARTISAN SCHOOLS, WHICH CAN GO TO PARKS AND REC, WHICH ALSO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MERCED COUNTY MASTER PLAN AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE, ART SHOULD BE A MAJOR PART OF THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, HAPPINESS, WHEN WE'RE PUTTING ANY KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN PARKS, OR WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

IN GENERAL, THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF ART COMPONENT BECAUSE IT MAKES US BETTER PEOPLE.

IT MAKES US HAPPIER. IT MAKES US PROUD OF OUR OF WHERE WE'RE LIVING.

[01:10:03]

AND SO, YES, THERE ARE COMPONENTS. AND AS A COUNTY ORGANIZATION THAT WE ARE AS A REPRESENTATION THROUGH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WE'RE ONE OF 58 SLPS THAT REPRESENTS ARTS, MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTIES.

AND SO THAT IS I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO THE PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.

I'D LOVE TO TALK TO MARK ABOUT THE MORE ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN TOO, AND HOW WE CAN HAVE SOME PART OF THE ARTS INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

COLTON, I APPRECIATE THAT I'M PUTTING LINDSEY ON THE SPOT.

LINDSEY'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU, SHE'S OUR PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.

SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, RIGHT NOW, THE WAY, THE WAY IT IS, I DON'T FEEL IT FITS IN THE POLICY.

BUT IF THERE IS A COLLABORATION AND I GOT I HAVE YOUR WORD.

I HAVE LINDSEY'S WORD THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.

THAT WOULD MOVE IN A WAY THAT I COULD SUPPORT THIS, BECAUSE CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW IT'S A CITY BUILDING AND IT'S A NONPROFIT.

AND IT'S THE WAY I READ THE INTENT OF OUR POLICY.

BUT IF I I'VE BEEN BURNED ON THIS BEFORE, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.

I CAN SUPPORT IT WITH THAT COLLABORATION EFFORT.

THANK YOU. AND AND JUST TO YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE INTENT OF THE POLICY, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLICY 3.3, ULTIMATELY THE RESULT OF AN APPROVED PROJECT WILL PROMOTE THE LOCAL ECONOMY, THIS DOES THAT, EDUCATION, THIS DOES THAT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND OR QUALITY OF LIFE IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND SO I THINK THAT THE POLICY WHEREAS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE POLICY, THIS DOES JUST THAT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANT TO. I'M QUESTIONING YOUR NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT HERE.

THEY DON'T ADD UP TO ME, SO I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO CLARIFY THOSE FOR ME.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE PICKING TICKET, THEY CALL IT FROM [INAUDIBLE].

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL THERE OF $12,738.01, RIGHT, THAT INCLUDES SALES TAX AND AN ESTIMATED $150 IN TRANSPORTATION MAYBE YOU'VE WORKED SOMETHING OUT THERE. BUT THEN IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ASK THAT $11,628.65 IS THE SUBTOTAL NOT COUNTING TAX OR DELIVERY. AND THEN IF YOU ADD IF YOU ADD THAT TOTAL OF $12,738.01 TO WITH THE ITEM NUMBER THREE OF $2,799, THAT COMES OUT TO $15,537.01.

NOW I DIDN'T I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT IT LOOKS LIKE THE RECEIPTS, IF YOU WILL, ARE YOU GOT TO TYPE, HIT A LINK OR SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE ON ON TIER THREE ADVANCED LIGHTING PACKAGES.

YOU FOLLOWING IT? BASICALLY, THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP TO ME.

THE REQUEST OF $14,427.65 DOESN'T ADD UP WHEN YOU ADD UP THE INVOICE THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT, PLUS THE ADDITIONAL $2,799.

SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR LESS THAN WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY YOU'RE SHOWING INVOICES FOR JUST I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GUESS THAT YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT.

ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME LAST MINUTE CHANGES BECAUSE IT WAS UP TO $20,000 AND WE HAD GOTTEN SOME EXTRA FUNDING.

SO WE'RE WE CUT BACK ON SOME OF THAT. SO THE MATH MIGHT BE A LITTLE WRONG, BUT JOE, HE DID MOST OF THE DETAILS ON THAT.

BASICALLY I HAVE THERE'S THERE'S TWO ATTACHMENTS TO YOU HAVE THE ORIGINAL REQUEST FORM.

SO WITH THE ATTACHMENTS, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH MERCED COLLEGE USING BASICALLY SOME OF THEIR INSIGHT INTO THEATER PRODUCTION, BUT THEN ALSO TO USE IT WITHIN THE SPACE. HOWEVER, THE SORT OF LIKE GUESSTIMATING WHAT WAS ONLINE, THOSE NUMBERS WERE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AS OPPOSED TO WE WEREN'T UNAWARE IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH USING MERCED COLLEGE'S CONTACTS, IF THAT WAS SORT OF LIKE A IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE BASICALLY TO GUARANTEE THAT PRICE.

I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE WERE BASED OFF OF INTERNET PRICING FROM WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE.

BUT IT WAS ALSO ALWAYS BASED ON IF MERCED COLLEGE WAS ABLE TO DELIVER UPON THE RECEIPTS THAT THEY SENT.

OKAY, I GUESS THIS FOR ME, LIKE THE WHOLE SPECIAL PROJECTS FUNDS I BELIEVE WHEN WE USE IT FOR STICKS AND BRICKS.

THAT'S HOW I USE IT IN MY DISTRICT. I LET EACH SUPERVISOR FIGURE OUT THEIR WAY THAT THEY WANT TO DO IT, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY SUPPORT IN THEIR DISTRICT, I TEND TO SUPPORT THEIR THINGS, BUT I JUST THE NUMBERS.

WE LIVE IN EXACT WORLDS OVER HERE, WHEN YOU MAKE A REQUEST FOR A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE HAVE TO HAVE THERE'S THERE'S FOLLOW UP WORK THAT HAS TO HAPPEN THAT INVOICES HAVE TO BE

[01:15:04]

AS THE WAY IT SITS RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBERS DON'T EXACTLY ADD UP TO ME, AND THIS IT ACTUALLY IS PROBABLY.

IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT TO THE COUNTY'S FAVOR, YOU'RE ASKING FOR LESS MONEY THAN THAN WHAT YOUR INVOICES ARE SHOWING.

SO I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT WHEN I DO THE SIMPLE MATH ON THE NUMBERS, IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. SO JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOUR INVOICE IS TRUE ON HERE, AND THEN YOU ADD THE $2,799 FOR TIER THREE, THAT ADDS UP TO MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING.

BUT I HEARD A NICE GENTLEMAN SAY THAT IF WE PUT IN SOME MONEY, HE WAS GOING TO MATCH IT.

SO YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU.

SO I'M GOING TO JUST SHARE MY PROCESS THE WAY I THINK ABOUT THINGS AND, AND ALL THE, THE FOLKS THAT COME UP AND SPOKE IN PUBLIC COMMENT MADE INCREDIBLE POINTS, I BELIEVE. THE ONE I STRUGGLE WITH IS THIS IS A CITY BUILDING.

SO WHY ISN'T THE CITY PUTTING UP THE MONEY? FIRST OF ALL.

AND THEN AND THEN SECONDLY, AS WE WE HAVE ALL THESE I'M ASSUMING THAT THE MAC HAS A FOUNDATION.

AND SO WHY ISN'T THE FOUNDATION DOING THIS? THE HOSPITAL HAS A FOUNDATION IF THEY NEED SOMETHING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUDGET, THE FOUNDATION, FUNDRAISES AND GETS IT FOR THEM.

AND SO ANYWAYS AND THEN WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, RON BAPTIST HAS OFFERED, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A MAKE A DONATION.

YOU KNOW, WHY DIDN'T WHY DIDN'T HE MAKE THAT DONATION FOR THIS? OR WE HAVE OTHER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GROUPS THAT THAT DONATE MONEY TO TO THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK ARTS ARE IMPORTANT, RIGHT? I'VE BEEN TO PLAYS AT THE MAC.

SO IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S JUST THE PROCESS OF WHO WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE EXPENSES. AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER OF YOU, YOU KNOW, WANT TO ADDRESS THAT OR BOTH OF YOU, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE SOME. I CAN I CAN ANSWER THAT WITH WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. WE ARE A NONPROFIT 501C3. WE DO HAVE A BOARD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FOUNDATION.

WE'RE NOT THE WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE A FOUNDATION, THE FUNDING, WE DON'T HAVE TO CREATE THAT YET.

SO ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO PART OF BEING A FISCAL THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF A BOARD IS TO FIND DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAMS, DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES. AND SO WHEN THIS THIS CAME UP THIS IS SOMETHING WE, WE TRIED TO PURSUE SO THAT THAT IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE DID THAT.

THANK YOU. I HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF THE MAINTENANCE OR BUDGET PROCESS TALKS FOR THE MAC.

I CAN TAKE THIS INFORMATION BACK TO OUR TO MY CITY MANAGER AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.

BUT I WAS ASKED TO PRESENT TO CREATE A SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT IF YOU SO AWARDED THIS THIS FUNDING TO THE CITY.

OKAY. I'M PROBABLY THE WORST PERSON TO HAVE UP HERE, SO PARDON ME IF I'M OFF THE CUFF, BUT YOUR ASK WAS, WELL, WHY DIDN'T ROB FUND THAT? MY GENERAL UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE LOOK AT KIND OF THE NEEDS OF THE MAC AND THE THINGS THAT ARE THERE.

THEIR NEED IS GREATER THAN THE $15,000. THEIR NEED IS MORE LIKE THE $40,000 RANGE, BECAUSE IN USING THAT EQUIPMENT, THEY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT COME FORWARD. SO THE THINGS THAT I WOULD HELP TO FUND WOULD BE LIKE THE YOUTH SUMMER PROGRAM.

THEY'RE GOING TO DO LIGHTING, RIGHT? THEY ALSO NEED PROJECTIONS.

SO I'M GOING TO FUND THAT PIECE OF IT. RIGHT.

SO THERE'S THE ASK IS VERY SPECIFIC TO A LARGER PIECE, YOU KNOW TO A WHOLE PIE.

RIGHT. THEY'RE ASKING YOU FOR A SLICE OF THE PIE.

I'M HELPING FUND ANOTHER SLICE. THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE THERE.

THEIR PIECE IS VERY SPECIFIC. I'M WILLING TO FUND THE OTHER HALF THAT WILL BRING KIDS INTO THAT SPACE AND HELP AND HELP KIND OF ROUND OUT THE PROGRAM, SO TO SPEAK. SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

YEAH. THANK YOU. AND THEN AND THEN MY LAST COMMENT WOULD BE [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH. WELL IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE JUST CLOSED FIRE STATIONS AND SO I'VE HAD TWO OF MY COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, ASK, WHY ARE WE FUNDING THE ARTS WHEN WE'RE NOT FUNDING THE FIRE STATION THAT COVERS THEM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, IN BOTH CASES I BELIEVE THAT ONE AND DEAL WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, HELPS ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AND I YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE CITY FOR THAT AND WORKING TOGETHER.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH OF US AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, YOU KNOW, IS WE'RE TWO FIRE STATIONS WERE REALLY CLOSE AND SO THEY STILL HAVE FIRE

[01:20:01]

SO I'M JUST A LITTLE A LITTLE SKEPTICAL IN THE BEGINNING, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PACHECO. THANK YOU CHAIR.

EVENTS. AND ALSO, MY DAUGHTER HAS PERFORMED THERE, AND SHE'S BEEN IN PERFORMING ARTS, HER IN HER YOUTH.

AND IT'S REALLY HELPED HER SELF-ESTEEM AND HER PUBLIC SPEAKING, SO.

AND SHE LIVES IN THE COUNTY SHE LIVES IN THE COUNTY HER WHOLE LIFE, BUT SHE'S BENEFITED FROM PERFORMING AT THE MAC.

AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S HELPED WITH HER SELF-ESTEEM, PUBLIC SPEAKING. SO I'M HOPING THAT WE MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN OUR YOUTH THAT NOT ONLY FROM THE CITY OF MERCED, BUT ALSO OUR YOUTH FROM THE COUNTY CAN GO AND ENJOY THIS SPACE.

THANK YOU, MR. MENDEZ. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

IT'S THE SAME MISTAKE AS SUPERVISOR PACHECO'S JUST.

YEAH. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I THINK BASED ON THE CONVERSATION TODAY, THE DISCUSSION YOU ALL KNOW THAT A POLICY YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A STATIC DOCUMENT AND SO I KNOW, SINCE BRINGING BACK THE DISTRICT PROJECT FUNDS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, 2023, THERE'S BEEN ABOUT 18 DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT THIS BOARD HAS CONSIDERED AND APPROVED.

I THINK IT'S TIME AND MAYBE ASKING FOR DIRECTION TO IDENTIFY SOME BOARD MEMBERS TO WORK WITH STAFF ON REEVALUATING THE POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS YOUR EXPECTATIONS. I THINK WE WILL HAVE, OBVIOUSLY, EXAMPLES OF HOW IT'S BEEN UTILIZED AND MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE IT FURTHER. AS YOU ALL KNOW, POLICY HAS PARAMETERS, BUT IT ALSO HAS FLEXIBILITY AND TRYING TO FIND THAT STRIKE, THAT BALANCE. I THINK MAYBE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO DO A REEVALUATION OF THE POLICY AND THE PROGRAM.

SO JUST THAT COMMENT AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING THIS ITEM TODAY.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. YEAH, I JUST I DO WANT TO ADD THE PARAGRAPH THAT YOU READ.

THE FIRST LINE OF THAT PARAGRAPH WAS THE GOAL OF DISTRICT FUND SHOULD BE TO IMPROVE COUNTY FACILITIES WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR OTHERWISE PROJECTED RELATED ACTIVITIES.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE THAT PROVIDE A PUBLIC BENEFIT.

YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU STARTED AT PUBLIC BENEFIT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE SAID THE WHOLE THE WHOLE CONTEXT.

AND LET'S UNDERSTAND, I'VE BEEN A NO VOTE WHENEVER I FIRST RAN FOR OFFICE THESE WERE CONSIDERED A SLUSH FUND.

AND I'VE WORKED VERY HARD ON COMING UP WITH TWO DIFFERENT POLICIES TO PUT IN PLACE AND LIKE I SAID, ON THE FLY, WE CAN WORK TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND I KNOW WITH LINDSEY'S COMMITMENT AND COLTON'S COMMITMENT THAT THIS WILL AND I GOT TO SAY, MY NEW COLLEAGUE HERE ON THE DAIS JUST, YOU KNOW, DEMONSTRATED THAT HIS DAUGHTER COMES FROM THE COUNTY AND WAS IN THERE.

SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM HERE BECAUSE, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE SAID, WE FUNDED A WHOLE LOT OF ARTS PROJECTS THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

YEAH. AND IT TOOK US 6 TO 8 MONTHS TO GO THROUGH THE PAPERWORK TO FINALLY REALIZE.

SO THAT'S A GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS THAT DISAPPEARED.

AND SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE VERY MUCH ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE THE COLLABORATION WORK.

BUT I THINK DEFINITELY THE COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY, JUST LIKE MY COLLEAGUE SAID, WITH THE FIRE STATIONS, WITH OUR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WE PROBABLY WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND SO THAT COLLABORATION WHERE WE CAN WORK WITH SOMETHING AND HAVE HAVE COUNTY INPUT AND COUNTY WORKING WITH YOU, I THINK THIS IS THIS DEFINITELY GROWS TO ANOTHER LEVEL AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT ON THIS.

SO YEAH. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO BEING THAT THIS IS IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, I STRUGGLE WITH SOME OF THESE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, AND TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OWNED JUST IN NOVEMBER, WE PAID FOR A LIVINGSTON CITY HALL FIRE STATION, PARKING LOT LIGHTING. SO IT'S THE CITY'S PROPERTY, RIGHT? SO SAME THING WE WOULD BE DOING HERE WOULD JUST BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE. AND I WANT TO READ,

[01:25:03]

THE ARTS ARE VITAL IN ALL COMMUNITIES, BUT ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS LIKE MERCED COUNTY, WHERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CULTURAL ENRICHMENT CAN BE SCARCE.

STUDIES SHOW THAT EXPOSURE TO THE ARTS IMPROVES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, FOSTERS EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND ENHANCES CREATIVITY SKILLS PARTICULARLY VALUABLE TO YOUTH IN UNDERSERVED, UNDERSERVED AREAS. I HAVE SEEN MANY SHOWS AT THESE AT BOTH PLAYOFFS MERCED AT THE AT THE MAC AND I HAVE SEEN THE KIDS WHO ARE IN IT. MY SON IS ONE OF THEM.

WHO HAS GROWN AS A PERSON AND HAS REALLY MET DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND REALLY BEEN ABLE TO STEP OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE AND I THINK THAT BY PROVIDING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT'S NOT JUST AND I'M GLAD SUPERVISOR PACHECO BROUGHT THIS UP, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AND I TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, WHEN I LOOK AT BEING A SUPERVISOR FOR MERCED COUNTY, I RECOGNIZE THAT I WAS ELECTED AND MY CONSTITUENTS ARE IN DISTRICT TWO, WHICH IS MAINLY THE CITY OF MERCED, AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE SOME OF THIS FUNDING BECAUSE I REALLY HAVE TWO AREAS, RIGHT? I HAVE THE COURTHOUSE AND THE LEGION BUILDING, AND I'VE USED THOSE FUNDS FOR THAT, AND I'VE USED GRAFFITI ABATEMENT, AND I THINK THAT BY COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY, WHICH WE'VE SEEN HAS WORKED, JUST WORKED NOT TOO LONG AGO WITH THE CITY OF MERCED AND THE FIRE ISSUE.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S A WILLINGNESS THERE THAT I DON'T THINK THERE HAS BEEN BEFORE AND I THINK THAT BY SHOWING THAT WE CAN DO THIS, WHATEVER HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WITH DIFFERENT ART PROGRAMS, I UNDERSTAND.

BUT THE IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE VOTES ON ALL OF THOSE, IT WAS ALWAYS FIVE ZERO AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THIS NOW I'M SAYING WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT BURNED I DON'T KNOW.

01, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 TIMES IN THE PAST.

I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU'D BE A LITTLE WEARY, BUT IT'S LIKE HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT TAKE TO UNDERSTAND AND SO I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK THE BANK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO QUESTION THIS ONE WHEN WE'VE ALL SEEN, YOU KNOW, WE GOT EMAILS ABOUT THIS.

WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COME UP AND SPEAK. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY OF MERCED, WITH THE MAC, AND PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS.

THIS WAS NEVER ANYTHING THAT WAS EVER ON MY RADAR UNTIL, MY FAMILY GOT INVOLVED IN THE ARTS PROCESS.

AND THEN JUST SEEING WHAT, THROUGH NATO, WHAT THEIR ARTS, WHAT OTHER COUNTIES DO FOR THEIR ARTS PROGRAMS. I THINK THAT WE CAN REALLY STEP UP OUR GAME AND IT GOES TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

ALSO, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WAS IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WAS WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENHANCE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF MERCED OR TO GO OUTSIDE OF MERCED COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE AND TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED HERE LOCALLY AND SO I THINK THAT IF WE CAN BENEFIT, IF WE CAN ADD BENEFIT TO MERCED COUNTY BY HELPING THIS MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO OUR CONSTITUENCIES.

SO WITH THAT I'LL CALL FOR A MOTION OR I WILL MAKE THE MOTION.

ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE] . WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE].

ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS NUMBER 25 AND 26.

OH, SORRY, I DID YOUR JOB. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD APPOINTMENTS.

ITEMS 25 AND 26. OH, OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD APPOINTMENT ITEMS 25 AND 26 IS CLOSED. I'LL CALL FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.

CALL FOR A MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. CALL FOR THE VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS. NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

[01:30:04]

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR INFORMATION ITEMS 27 THROUGH 30.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR INFO ITEMS 27 THROUGH 30 IS NOW CLOSED.

CALL FOR THE. CAN'T WE HAVE A SECOND? THROUGH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

OH YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP THE PUBLIC WORKS THAT'S DOING SPACEPORT ENTRY AND STRATOSPHERE DRIVE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AT CASTLE, WHICH WAS MUCH NEEDED AND I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE HOW AND THAT THIS IS GRANT FUNDING.

SO THIS IS AN OUT OF OUR BUDGET. BUT IT WAS A MUCH NEEDED CONSTRUCTION NEEDED TO BE DONE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THE TIME FRAME. THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE THAT WE SAID WE NEEDED TO DO IT.

WE GET IT ON THE BOOKS AND IT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY MID-APRIL.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. SO IT WON'T INTERFERE WITH THE LUKE BRYAN CONCERT ON MAY 15TH, TEAMS, SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THERE TO DO THAT. IF I COULD, THOUGH, AND I KNOW NATHAN'S GOING TO KNOW WHAT I SAID, AND I KNOW MARK AND MARK AND EVERYBODY ELSE WILL KNOW.

THE OTHER ENTRANCE TO CASTLE REALLY, REALLY NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF POTHOLES THERE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SAY THAT. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO, A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

ALL RIGHT. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK OR JUST KEEP GOING? YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD.

NEXT WE HAVE THREE SCHEDULED ITEMS AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK.

THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER. LIKE I SAID, NEXT WE HAVE THREE SCHEDULED ITEMS AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO TAMARA TO

[SCHEDULED ITEMS]

AND THERE ARE PROTEST FORMS HERE IN THE FRONT IF YOU NEED TO FILL ONE OUT.

AND THAT IS IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY COMPLETED A WRITTEN PROTEST TO US AND PROTESTS DO, YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

BUT YOU DO HAVE TO SUBMIT YOUR PROTEST IN WRITING.

OKAY. AND I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY AND IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.

CORRECT, YES. IF YOU'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED A PROTEST, WE CAN ONLY ACCEPT ONE PER PARCEL.

SO YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO SUBMIT ANOTHER ONE TODAY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS LINDSEY JOHNSON WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM.

PUBLIC WORKS. OH. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. SORRY, A MOTION.

HELLO. I DON'T THINK I WANT THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

I'LL LEAVE THAT TO NATHAN. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN PEDROSO.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, CEO MENDEZ COUNTY COUNCIL HANSEN.

THE ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU WAS INTRODUCED AT THE JANUARY 14TH BOARD MEETING, AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ITEM WAS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY.

THE ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5.9 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE TO INCREASE REFUSE SERVICE FEES AND CHARGES IN FRANCHISE AREAS NUMBER SIX AND NUMBER SEVEN OF MERCED COUNTY. THE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH GILTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES IN THESE TWO AREAS.

THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT ALLOWS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MAKE ANNUAL RATE ADJUSTMENTS, AS ARE REASONABLY JUSTIFIED BY FLUCTUATIONS IN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

IF REQUESTED BY THE HAULER, GILTON HAS REQUESTED A RATE ADJUSTMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 21.4% DUE TO THEIR INCREASED OPERATING COSTS.

THIS IS THE FIRST RATE ADJUSTMENT THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED SINCE 2013, AND IS LESS THAN THE ALLOWABLE ADJUSTMENT PER THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS. IF ADOPTED TODAY, THE NEW RATES WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE 30 DAYS AFTER ADOPTION.

AND WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM HILTON HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU A PRESENTATION ON THEIR REQUEST.

SO TURN IT OVER TO THEM. GOOD MORNING. ALMOST AFTERNOON.

[01:35:01]

OVER THE PODIUM. I COULD STAND UP LIKE LINDSEY.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS SAVANNAH GILTON FROM CHILTON.

SOLID WASTE. AND TODAY I HAVE WITH ME RICHARD CHILTON AND BOB PRITCHARD.

THE CUSTOMERS THAT CHILTON SERVICES HAVE NOT REALIZED A RATE SINCE 2013.

THIS WAS DUE TO A COUPLE OF FACTORS. AT FIRST, RATES WERE ADEQUATELY COVERED THROUGH GILTON'S COST TO OPERATE IN THE COUNTY.

AND BY 2019, GILTON NOTICED COSTS STARTED TO RAMP UP DUE TO COVID.

GILTON DECIDED TO HOLD OFF. BUT ALONG WITH COVID CAME HIGHER FUEL COSTS, INCREASED INSURANCE COSTS, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, LABOR ISSUES AND THEN GILTON HELD OFF A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD DO TO WHEN THEY CHOSE TO IMPLEMENT SB 1383. THE CUMULATIVE ALLOWABLE CPI INCREASE FROM 2013 TO 2024 IS 42.75%. I'M SORRY. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

I JUST WANTED JUST YOU HAD MADE A COMMENT THERE, AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DID IT INADVERTENTLY, BUT I JUST WANT TO CORRECT IT. FOR THE RECORD, THE COUNTY DIDN'T CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT 1383.

IT WAS FORCED UPON US BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

YES. YOU'RE CORRECT. THANK YOU. IS THIS BACK ON? OKAY. AS AN INTERIM RATE ADJUSTMENT, WE WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY PROPOSE A 21.44% INCREASE TO THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL RATES. AND THIS IS NOT THROUGH THE SB 1383.

THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2025 FOR THE RESIDENTIAL RATE.

FOR ONE 60 GALLON CART, RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT RATE IS 11.97, AND THE NEW RATE WOULD BE 14.54.

AND FOR 190 GALLON CART, IT'S 17.10 CURRENTLY, AND THE NEW RATE WOULD BE $20.77.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IF THEY HAVE TWO CARTS FOR EACH OF THOSE SIZES.

AND THEN SORRY, THIS IS REALLY SMALL BUT THIS IS THE COMMERCIAL RATES.

SO IF YOU HAVE ONE YARD GOING ONE TIME PER WEEK RIGHT NOW IT IS 54.87.

AND THAT WILL INCREASE TO 66.64 ALL THE WAY UP IN TO SIX YARDS GOING SIX TIMES PER WEEK, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS 839.98 AND IT WILL INCREASE TO $1,020.11. AND THANK YOU.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE BOARD. HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THE REQUEST FROM GILTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR RATE ADJUSTMENT DUE TO INCREASED OPERATING COSTS.

AND TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.

AND THEN YOU'RE ASKING OKAY. DO WE HAVE A IS THERE A MOTION? I HAVE A QUESTION. SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

AND I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED IT WHEN YOU'RE UP HERE, MRS. GILTON. SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT YOU HAVE NOT ASKED FOR A RATE INCREASE SINCE 2013.

THE CURRENT. YEAH. I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO COME UP.

AND SO THE REQUESTED RATE THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS 21.44.

I JUST WANT IT FOR MY OWN CLARIFICATION. THIS DOESN'T THIS DOESN'T ENTITLE YOU TO GO BACK TO THOSE TO ANY OF THAT INCREASE THIS DOES THIS LIKE KIND OF SET IT AS HERE'S THE NEW RATE. AND THEN IT'S ENTITLED TO GO UP BY CPI FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

IS THAT ARE YOU TRACKING MY QUESTION SIR. OKAY.

I'M ROBERT PRITCHARD I'M THE CONTROLLER WITH GILTON. THERE WE GO.

AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD, THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, IN THE AGREEMENT THERE ARE SOME NEW RATE STRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO EFFECT.

THAT WOULD THIS WOULD BE PART OF THAT AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD.

IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION THAT YOU HAD. SO BASICALLY WE'RE STARTING NEW FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

[01:40:04]

I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS. AND THEN IT STARTS FROM THERE.

SO YOU WOULD BE IF LET'S SAY IN A SUBSEQUENT YEAR YOU WOULD BE ENTITLED TO A CPI INCREASE.

THAT WOULDN'T TAKE BACK INTO CONSIDERATION ANY OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 21.44 AND THE 42.75.

IT'D BE FROM THIS YOUR RATE TODAY AND THEN ENTITLED TO A CPI INCREASE MOVING FORWARD.

THAT'S CORRECT. YES, SIR. PERFECT. THANK YOU.

CORRECT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION.

DID WHAT WAS THE CPI THAT YOU'RE ASKING THAT YOU CALCULATED IN FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS COMING YEAR? WELL, WE WENT BACK TO BACK TO ACTUALLY WE STARTED FROM 2018 BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF THE 630 2018 IS WHERE WE WORKED FORWARD FROM WITH THE CPI FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING TO BE BECAUSE WE FELT WE WERE COMFORTABLE FROM 13 TO PROBABLY 2018, AND THEN WE STARTED TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF THESE INCREASES ON US WITH AND THEN COVID LANDED ON US AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE POINTED OUT IN THE EARLIER PRESENTATION. SO WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS, 21.44. THAT WOULD GET US TO THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL WE NEED TO BE BEFORE ANY FURTHER SERVICES OR IMPLEMENTATION OF 13.83 WOULD COME TO PLAY. RIGHT. BUT BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WAS THE CPI FOR THE LAST YEAR OF YOUR RANGE? CUMULATIVE OR JUST A SINGLE YEAR? SINGLE YEAR.

JUST THE LAST YEAR? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME, YOU KNOW, IF YOU IF, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, LEGALLY IF WE CAN ASK YOUR BOOKS OR NOT, BUT IF YOU WERE MAKING MONEY UP UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE, LAST YEAR AND NOW YOU REALIZE YOU'RE YOU WANT A CONSUMER PRICE INDEX INCREASE, THAT'S FINE.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT I JUST KIND OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU OVERCHARGE IN 18 AND 2018 AND SO YOU COULD EAT ALL THE, INCREASES IN EXPENSES. AND, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU WANT TO CATCH UP BY, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO JUMPING WAY AHEAD AGAIN? SO JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT GETS OUR, RATEPAYERS RIGHT TO HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY FOR THEIR REFUSE PICKUP.

I GUESS IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT A ONE YEAR, I THINK I'VE GOT THE RIGHT TABLE HERE.

MR. SUPERVISOR. LET'S SEE, IS THIS. YEAH. OKAY.

IF WE THE ONE YEAR CPI WAS LIKE 3.2% FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.

BUT I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT PRIOR YEARS, YOU GO BACK 2022 WITH 6.8, 3.2, YOU KNOW, YEAR TO YEAR.

THEY KIND OF I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. I MEAN THAT, YOU DID A RANGE.

YOU KNOW I JUST WANTED TO KNOW RIGHT. I MEAN MY THOUGHT IS IF OUR RATEPAYERS, OUR COUNTY TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING YOU TO PICK UP THEIR GARBAGE AND YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN, WHICH IS FINE AND NOW YOU WANT AN INCREASE.

BUT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO IT TWO YEARS AGO. RIGHT.

SO AND SO IF YOU COULD DO IT TWO YEARS AGO WITH THAT RATE AND THEN WE GAVE YOU A CONSUMER PRICE INDEX INCREASE FOR THIS LAST YEAR BECAUSE YOU HAVE INCREASED COSTS. I MEAN, IF I'M PAYING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE MY HAULER, YOU KNOW, I'D BE THINKING, WELL, SHOOT. WHY IF HE COULD DO IT, WHY SHOULD HE GO BACK AND GET INCREASES THAT HE DIDN'T NEED IN THE PAST? BECAUSE CPI DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOUR COST WENT UP AND IT YOU KNOW.

SO ANYWAYS, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT.

SOME OF THE, SOME CPI, SOME OF OUR EXPENSES WAY EXCEEDED WHAT CPI WAS.

SURE AND THOSE TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE ACTUALLY LOSING MONEY DOWN HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.

WE DO SOME OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BEEN ABLE TO KEEP US WHOLE AND KEEP US MOVING FORWARD.

BUT IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEEDED TO COME BACK NOW AND TRY TO MAKE IT MORE REASONABLE AND TO CARRY THE LOSSES ANY FURTHER.

WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT WE COULD DO THAT ANYMORE. SO THAT'S REALLY WHY WE'RE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

IT'S NOT PLEASANT TO COME HERE. I MEAN, IT'S NO MORE PLEASANT FOR US TO COME HERE AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. AS BEFORE 2018, WE WERE MAKING MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, AS WHEN COVID HIT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTED TO COME HERE IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. NOBODY HAD WORK, AND THERE WERE LOTS OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON, TOO. SO WE DECIDED TO HOLD OFF THIS 1383 PROCESS. WE WERE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN ONE TIME, AND THE PROCESS HAS TAKEN JUST LONGER THAN WE COULD.

WE COULD FEEL THAT WE FELT WE COULD HOLD ON ANY MORE COMFORTABLY.

SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IS THE EXPLANATION THAT I WOULD WANT IF I WAS YOUR CUSTOMER.

[01:45:01]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DO, I WANT TO I JUST WANT TO SAY, AND I GET IT.

WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION. WE'VE BEEN BRIEFED ON THIS ITEM BEFORE AND AND LOOK AT I LOOK AT THINGS.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE, I THINK, THAT NOBODY WANTS TO PAY ANY MORE THAN WHAT IT COSTS.

YOU GUYS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REALLY CHARGE MORE THAN AND AS A COUNTY ENTITY, WE'RE TRYING TO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE, AND WE CAN ONLY CHARGE WHAT IT COSTS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. RIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, THOSE GARBAGE TRUCKS THAT YOU SEE RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD. THEY'RE NOT CHEAP. THEY'RE NOT CHEAP TO RUN UP AND DOWN THE ROAD. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT. AND SO AS PART OF THIS, NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A RATE INCREASE.

BUT I WOULD SUGGEST IT WAS OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF YOUR HEART THAT YOU SAID.

AND MAYBE YOU HAD SOME OTHER PARTS OF YOUR OPERATION THAT WERE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE THIS PART OF THE OPERATION AND KIND OF KEEP IT WHOLE FOR A WHILE. BUT I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO NOT GET IN THIS SITUATION AGAIN, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO YEARS AND YEARS WITHOUT DOING IT, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S PERCEPTION, RIGHT? IT'S ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GO FROM NOT DOING ANYTHING TO NOW, HERE COMES THIS BIG 21% INCREASE.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE THE ISSUE WITH, RIGHT.

I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THE CPI INCREASES AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S COSTING YOU TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, YOU RAISE IT INCREMENTALLY. IT'S AN EASIER PILL TO SWALLOW. IF MY BILL GOES UP BY A DOLLAR OR $2 A MONTH, THAN IT IS GOING UP 15 OR $20 A MONTH. THAT'S IT'S JUST SIMPLE MATH.

THAT ALL BEING SAID, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE IN MY DISTRICT, RIGHT? MY DAD USES YOUR SERVICE. I USE YOUR SERVICE.

WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAVE GILTON IN DUMPSTERS AT OUR RANCH FOR, A LOT OF YEARS.

I PROBABLY YOU'RE THE ONLY DUMPSTER WE'VE EVER HAD THERE, BECAUSE BEFORE WE HAD GUILT AND DUMPSTERS, WE USED TO BURN OUR GARBAGE. OKAY. THAT'S HOW LONG AGO IT'S BEEN.

THAT'S HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN A CUSTOMER WITH YOU. AND I WILL TELL YOU, AS THE DISTRICT FIVE SUPERVISOR, I CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND ONE TIME THAT I'VE ACTUALLY HAD A CONSTITUENT COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SERVICE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S EASY TO KIND OF BEAT UP ON YOU FOR HAVING TO RAISE THE RATES, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SHARE THAT, IT WAS ONE TIME ON A, AT A DUCK CLUB WHERE THE ROAD WAS REALLY MESSED UP, AND THEY WERE UPSET BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND GET, YOUR DUMPSTER, YOUR GARBAGE TRUCK STUCK GOING AND PULLING OUT THEIR GARBAGE.

OTHER THAN THAT, YOU GUYS PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT SERVICE, SO I WANT TO PASS THAT ALONG TO YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, SUPERVISOR. THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IT IS WITH A SAD FACE EMOJI THAT I SAY THIS, BUT I WILL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE EXEMPT UNDER SEQUEL GUIDELINES SECTION 1527381, AS IT INVOLVES THE APPROVAL OF RATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEETING OPERATIONAL EXPENSES, AND TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE INTRODUCED ON JANUARY THE 14TH, 2025, ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 5.90.2, EXCUSE ME 020 AND 5.90.070 OF CHAPTER 5.90 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE REGARDING REFUSE SERVICE FEES AND CHARGES FOR COUNTY SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE AREAS.

AND WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, I ASSUME WITH THE SAME FROWNY FACE EMOJI.

OKAY. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. AT THIS TIME, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS LINDSEY JOHNSON WILL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING AGAIN, BOARD CEO, MENDEZ COUNTY COUNCIL HANSEN.

THE ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU IS RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SB 1383 AND AMENDS CHAPTER 9.6 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE.

THE ITEM WAS INTRODUCED AT THE JANUARY 14TH BOARD MEETING, AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ITEM IS SET FOR TODAY.

SENATE BILL 1383 MANDATES A STATEWIDE REDUCTION IN ORGANIC WASTE DISPOSAL, AND REQUIRES JURISDICTIONS TO ADOPT AND ENFORCE AN ORDINANCE TO IMPLEMENT PROVISIONS OF THE MANDATE. THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED THE ORGANIC WASTE DISPOSAL REDUCTION ORDINANCE IN 2022, AND LATER ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE IN 2023, SUSPENDING AND POSTPONING IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE OF THE CODE.

WHILE TERMS AND NEW RATES FOR FRANCHISE HAULERS WERE BEING NEGOTIATED, WE HAVE COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR THREE FRANCHISE HAULERS AND ARE PREPARED TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW SERVICE BEGINNING JULY 1ST.

AND TODAY WE HAVE PHILIP MAINOLFI FROM HFA, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON SB 1383 IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, ALONG WITH DOLLY ACOSTA FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

THEY'RE HERE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION AND I WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL.

[01:50:07]

I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SB 1383, AND MY INTENT TODAY REALLY IS TO HELP EDUCATE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ABOUT THESE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE.

IT'S A LOT OF RETREADING FOR MOST OF YOU, SINCE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE BETTER THE BETTER PART OF SIX YEARS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THE COUNTY'S APPROACH TO THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE THAT'S MANDATED. INFORM THEM OF THE SERVICE CHANGES THAT WILL BE COMING ON JULY 1ST, AND THEN CLARIFY ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. SO GOING BACK DOWN MEMORY LANE THE REGULATIONS FOR RECYCLING REALLY STARTED HEAVILY BACK WITH AB 341 IN 2011, AND THAT MANDATED RECYCLING FOR COMMERCIAL GENERATORS THAT GENERATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WASTE.

AT THAT TIME IT WAS EIGHT CUBIC YARDS PER WEEK.

AND THEN WE HAD AB 1826, WHICH MANDATED THOSE COMMERCIAL GENERATORS IMPLEMENT MANDATORY COMMERCIAL ORGANICS RECYCLING.

AND THEN FINALLY WE HAD THE BIGGEST LEGISLATION THAT IMPACTS EVERYONE, WHICH WAS 1383, WHICH WAS PASSED IN 2017, WHICH IS MANDATORY ORGANICS RECYCLING FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST FOR THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, SUBJECT TO SOME LIMITED WAIVERS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE. THE KEY DIFFERENTIATOR BETWEEN THOSE FIRST TWO BILLS ON THE TOP AND THE THIRD ONE IS THAT AB 341 AND 1826 REQUIRED THAT YOU OFFER SERVICES WHERE 1383 REQUIRES THAT YOU PROVIDE THEM TO ALL GENERATORS, AND THE COUNTY CAN GET FINED UP TO $10,000 PER DAY FOR EACH MAJOR VIOLATION FOR NOT PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES, WHICH IS WHY THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPACTING RESIDENTS RATES AND A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE PRIOR ONES REALLY HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PROGRAMS THAT THE STATE'S MANDATING. SO UNDER 1383, THE TIMELINE IT WAS PASSED IN 2017 WITH THE GOAL OF A 50% REDUCTION IN LANDFILL ORGANIC WASTE BY 2020.

THE REGULATIONS WEREN'T ACTUALLY FINISHED UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 21 AND EFFECTIVE JANUARY OF 2022.

AND THEN THERE'S GOALS OF 75% STATEWIDE REDUCTION BY 2025 AND A 20% INCREASE IN RECOVERY OF EDIBLE FOOD, OR, I GUESS, A DECREASE IN 20% OF EDIBLE FOOD SENT TO LANDFILL.

SO WITH BY 2022, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.

BUT WE PUSH THAT CAN DOWN THE ROAD TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS TO RATEPAYERS.

SO STARTING IN 2019, WE DID A COUNTY WIDE PLAN FOR 1383 TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THIS WITH THE LEAST IMPACT TO RATEPAYERS, BOTH IN TERMS OF SERVICES AND IN TERMS OF COST? AND THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS LOOK AT WAIVERS. WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THIS? SO ANYONE WHO LIVES IN A CENSUS TRACT WITH LESS THAN 75 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE, THEY'RE EXEMPT FROM THIS SERVICE.

SO FOR THEM, THEIR SERVICES WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS USUAL.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE LARGE INCREASES DUE TO THE ORGANIC WASTE RECYCLING.

AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO TWO OTHER EXTENSIONS.

YOU COULD DO A TWO YEAR EXTENSION FOR A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN.

IF YOU HAD PROBLEMS THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL GETTING INTO COMPLIANCE AND YOU CAN HAVE UP TO THREE YEARS IF THERE WAS NO ORGANIC WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE.

SO WE DID A STUDY. WE LOOKED 150 MILES AROUND HERE AND WE FOUND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY.

THERE WAS NO ONE WHO COULD TAKE ALL OF THE ORGANICS.

YOU HAD A GREEN WASTE COMPOSTING FACILITY AT HIGHWAY 59, BUT THAT COULDN'T TAKE FOOD WASTE AND SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANICS.

SO WE MADE THE DECISION, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR AND OTHER CITY INCORPORATED CITIES TO DEVELOP A COMPOSTING FACILITY.

THIS WOULD GIVE YOU A LONG TERM HOME FOR YOUR ORGANIC MATERIALS, AND IT WOULD ALSO GIVE YOU SOME RATE STABILIZATION OVER TIME.

KNOWING THAT THERE WOULD BE A JUMP IN THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE PROCESSING FULL SPECTRUM ORGANICS IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GREEN WASTE, BUT IT GIVES YOU MUCH MORE RATE STABILITY OVER TIME AND EVEN DURING THAT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE OFFERED PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE CAPACITY, WE WON'T BUILD THIS THING.

TELL US HOW MUCH IT COSTS. AND THE COST PER TON AT YOUR FACILITY WAS LESS THAN HALF OF ANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT OFFERED US THEIR CAPACITY.

SO WHILE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LARGE INCREASE, IT'S A VERY LOW RATE COMPARED TO MANY OTHERS IN THE STATE.

IT'S ABOUT HALF OF WHAT WE SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

AND THEN IN 2022, WE IMPLEMENTED AN ORDINANCE TO COMPLY WITH 1383.

AT THAT TIME, WE KNEW WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE IT AS WE WENT THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH HAULERS, CAME UP WITH RATES AND FINE TUNE THE PROGRAM.

BUT THAT 2022 ORDINANCE GAVE US ACCESS TO GRANT MONEY FROM THE STATE, WHICH WAS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WHICH HELPED DEVELOP THESE PROGRAMS, NEGOTIATE THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS AND MANY OTHER THINGS SUBJECT TO 1383 REQUIREMENTS.

SO WE'VE BEEN UNDER THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN WITH THE STATE. RIGHT NOW IT'S IN LIMBO.

WE HAD DURING COVID, THEY INTRODUCED ANOTHER BILL THAT ALLOWED US TO EXTEND IT EVEN FURTHER.

SO WE SUBMITTED AN EXTENSION REQUEST THAT'S BEEN WITH THE STATE FOR, I BELIEVE, ABOUT FIVE MONTHS NOW.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO APPROVE IT. AND THAT ALLOWS US TO START SERVICES ON JULY 1ST AND FILL UP SOME OF THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THREE YEARS BEHIND, POTENTIALLY ALMOST FOUR YEARS BEHIND WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE EFFECT.

[01:55:02]

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE NEW SERVICES IN JULY. SO WHAT DO THOSE ENTAIL? I GUESS IT PROBABLY IS HELPFUL TO START BY LAYING A LANDSCAPE OF WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON.

SO YOU HAVE EIGHT FRANCHISE ZONES WITH THREE DIFFERENT SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND THEY ALL OFFER A DIFFERENT RANGE OF SERVICE.

MID VALLEY IS OFFERING SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CURRENTLY IN THEIR ZONE DOWN BY DOS PALOS.

THEN WASTE MANAGEMENT HAS SOLID WASTE RECYCLING AND GREEN WASTE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEN IS ONLY PROVIDING SOLID WASTE SERVICE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS CURRENTLY.

SO UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, MID VALLEY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ARE GOING T GET ENHANCEMENTS. THE MID VALLEY CUSTOMERS ARE GOING TO BE GETTING NEW ORGANICS CONTAINER THAT'S GOING TO BE COLLECTED AND PROCESSED AND THEN THE WASTE MANAGEMENT CUSTOMERS RATHER THAN JUST GREEN WASTE PROCESSING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING FULL SPECTRUM ORGANIC WASTE PROCESSING AT MERCED HIGHWAY 59 FACILITY AND TO GIVE YOU A POINT OF REFERENCE, THE RATES FOR GREEN WASTE PROCESSING IS ABOUT 1250 A TON PRIOR TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR FULL SPECTRUM ORGANIC WASTE.

NOW, I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT $5,560 A TON, WHICH IS STILL PROBABLY THE LOWEST RATE I'VE SEEN IN THE ENTIRE STATE.

IT'S WELL BELOW WE SEE 150 $160 A TON AT CERTAIN FACILITIES.

SO IN TERMS OF YOUR PROCESSING RATES, IT'S AS ECONOMICAL AS YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO FIND ANYWHERE.

AND THEN FOR GILTON. THEY'RE GOING TO BE ADDING AN ORGANICS CONTAINER.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING A TWO CONTAINER COLLECTION SYSTEM. BUT THERE'S VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR THE PROCESSING OF ORGANIC WASTE OUT OF THOSE TWO STREAMS. SO THAT TAKES A VERY LARGE INVESTMENT IN THEIR FACILITY IN ORDER TO DIVERT 75% OF THE ORGANIC MATERIAL THAT'S PLACED IN THAT BLACK CONTAINER.

THAT'S A VERY LOFTY GOAL. VERY FEW FACILITIES IN THE WORLD CAN DO THAT.

SO AGAIN, IT JUST MANDATES CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO GET THERE AND OBVIOUSLY ADDING ANOTHER CONTAINER FOR THESE CUSTOMERS MORE TRUCKS IS SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA POINTED OUT THEY'RE NOT CHEAP. THEY'RE ABOUT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS NOW. SO THEY'RE PRETTY EXPENSIVE TO BUY ONE OF THOSE AND YOU HAVE TO OPERATE THEM AS WELL.

SO YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF COST INCREASES. THERE'S LABOR SHORTAGES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING SHORTAGES ON GETTING SUPPLY OF CARTS AND TRUCKS.

ALL THE CARTS IS GETTING A LOT BETTER. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PRICING PRESSURES THAT HAVE REALLY IMPACTED AND KIND OF COMPOUNDED WITH THE 1383 ROLLOUT THAT WE'RE SEEING.

SO IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES, RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO GET UP TO TWO BULKY ITEM COLLECTIONS PER YEAR OF UP TO FIVE ITEMS. SO ESSENTIALLY YOU HAVE A COUCH, LARGE ITEMS THAT WON'T FIT IN YOUR CONTAINER. YOU CAN CALL THEM UP AND THEY'LL PICK THOSE UP FOR YOU ON YOUR NEXT COLLECTION DAY.

JUST THROW THEM BY THE CURB, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WILL HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ILLEGAL DUMPING WE'RE SEEING OUT THROUGH THE COUNTY AS WELL. THERE'S COMMUNITY DROP-OFF EVENTS, WHICH AGAIN, ARE FOR LARGE ITEMS. OR IF YOU HAVE EXCESS WASTE THAT'S NOT FITTING IN YOUR CONTAINERS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR EXTRA PICKUPS. YOU CAN BRING THEM TO THESE COMMUNITY DROP OFF EVENTS. OBVIOUSLY WITH NEW PROGRAMS AND NEW SOURCE SEPARATION, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE PUTTING THINGS IN THE WRONG CONTAINERS BECAUSE THEN THE PROCESSING COSTS GO UP. SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, AND THERE'S BEEN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES TO GET THEM RIGHT SIZED. SO YOU'RE NOT JUST GETTING A BUNCH OF ADDITIONAL CONTAINERS YOU DON'T NEED AND COLLECTING AIR, BUT YOU'LL ACTUALLY BE GETTING WHAT YOU NEED IN TERMS OF SERVICE VOLUME.

AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO ASSIST WITH LARGE VENUES AND EVENT COLLECTION BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER REQUIREMENT UNDER 1383.

SO WITHIN THEIR DISTRICTS THEY'RE GOING TO HELP THE COUNTY PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. SO I KIND OF WENT OVER AT A HIGH LEVEL.

WE COULD TALK ALL DAY ABOUT THE DETAILS WITHIN THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT AND THE PAGES OF SERVICES AND FEES.

SO THERE IS A PROGRAM WEBSITE THAT TALKS A LOT MORE ABOUT THE STATE REQUIREMENTS, WHAT'S REQUIRED OF GENERATORS AND WHAT THE COUNTY'S PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE, ESPECIALLY HAVING DIFFERENT ZONES AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FROM DIFFERENT HAULERS. YOU CAN GO ON TO THE WEBSITE AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE.

THERE'S YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH ZONE YOU'RE IN, WHAT THE RATES ARE AND THE SERVICE IS, WHO'S YOUR HAULER, ALL THAT FUN STUFF. SO HERE'S THE RATES. THESE WERE SENT OUT IN A PROP 218 NOTICE ON THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM WEBSITE.

THEY HAVE MUCH MORE ROBUST RATE TABLES. AS YOU SAW IN THE GILTON PRESENTATION.

THERE'S COMMERCIAL RATES, THERE'S LOCK FEE RATES, THERE'S RETURN.

THERE'S VERY EXTENSIVE RATE SHEETS FOR THESE SERVICES BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT SERVICES. THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON RATES THAT A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER WOULD HAVE. AND YOU CAN TELL YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SERVICES BEING ADDED AND THE INCREASE IN RATES.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IS JUST GOING FROM GREEN WASTE TO ORGANICS PROCESSING IN MOST OF THEIR RATEPAYERS.

SO THAT'S A SMALLER INCREASE THAN SOMEONE LIKE GILTON, WHO HAS TO ADD A WHOLE NEW CONTAINER AND A FACILITY.

AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE BASE RATES STARTED MUCH LOWER FOR JILL AND THEIR CURRENT RATES ARE 1197.

BASED ON YOUR LAST ITEM BEING APPROVED, THEY'RE JUST INCREASED ABOUT 14 OR 15 FOR THE 60 GALLON BASE CAN SERVICE.

SO YOU'RE STILL GOING TO SEE A LARGE INCREASE IN RATES, AS I'VE KIND OF ALLUDED TO WITH ALL THESE PRICING PRESSURES. SO THIS IS ALSO ON THE PROGRAM WEBSITE. YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND SEE IF YOU'RE EXEMPT FROM THE INCREASES IN RATES OR THE NEW SERVICES.

YOU TYPE IN YOUR ADDRESS, AND IT'LL TELL YOU IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A WAIVER.

AND IN THAT INSTANCE YOU WOULD JUST BE BUSINESS AS USUAL. SAME RATES. BUT IF YOU ARE SUBJECT, IT'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE NEW RATES ARE GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST.

SO YOUR HAULERS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THE ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS, DISALLOWED MATERIALS, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS AND NOW I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO DALIA ACOSTA,

[02:00:05]

MY WORK GROUP IS VERY TALL. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN PEDROZO.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO MENDEZ AND COUNTY COUNSEL HANSEN.

MY NAME IS ALIA COSTA, MANAGEMENT ANALYST FOR THE MERCED COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON MERCED COUNTY'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS REGARDING SB 1383.

AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN INFORMED AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPORTANT CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY SB 1383, MERCED COUNTY IMPLEMENTED AN OUTREACH PLAN AIMED AT PROVIDING CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION.

THESE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO ENGAGE A WIDE AUDIENCE AND TO HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THE KEY COMPONENTS OF SB 1383, AS WELL AS ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR WASTE DISPOSAL SERVICES IN THE IN THE COUNTY.

TO BEGIN WITH, WE LAUNCHED A DEDICATED WEBSITE, MERCED COUNTY.

SB 1383, WHICH SERVES AS A RESOURCE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.

THE WEBSITE INCLUDES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS COMMON CONCERNS.

INFORMATION ON HOW TO FIND MORE RESOURCES FROM EACH SOLID WASTE SERVICE PROVIDER AND INTERACTIVE MAP.

AS PHIL STATED, WHERE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES CAN EASILY IDENTIFY THEIR SOLID WASTE SERVICE PROVIDER.

IN ADDITION TO FULL RATE SHEETS, BY CENTRALIZING THIS INFORMATION ON AN EASY TO NAVIGATE WEBSITE, WE PROVIDE A ONE STOP DESTINATION FOR ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND.

SB 1383. OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDED SENDING NOTICES TO ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASES. THE NOTICES DETAILED THE STEPS INVOLVED IN PROTESTING THE RATE INCREASE AND TO MAKE THE PROCESS EVEN EASIER.

WE INCLUDED A QR CODE ON THESE NOTICES, ALLOWING RECIPIENTS TO ACCESS OUR WEBSITE DIRECTLY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

WE HELD A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING ON DECEMBER 5TH, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UPCOMING CHANGES TO SOLID WASTE SERVICES. A LINK TO THAT RECORDING OF THE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING IS AVAILABLE ON THE MERCED COUNTY SB 1383 WEBSITE.

ADDITIONAL OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDED USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND LOCAL MEDIA.

ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR LINDSEY JOHNSON PARTICIPATED IN AN INTERVIEW ON THE LOCAL RADIO STATION SHOW COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, TO SHARE INFORMATION REGARDING SB 1383. ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA BY MAKING POSTS THAT WERE DESIGNED TO INCREASE VISIBILITY. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED FLIERS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO OUR MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COUNCILS, WHO ARE THE ADVISORY BODIES THAT REPRESENT THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF MERCED COUNTY.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE THAT, WE DO HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S ALSO POSTED IN THE LOBBY HERE AT THE COUNTY ADMIN BUILDING.

IN CONCLUSION, MERCED COUNTY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN REACHING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS INFORMED AND PREPARED FOR THE CHANGES UNDER SB 1383.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO PHILIP MAINOLFI FROM HFA CONSULTING FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA PHILIP. THANK YOU. DAHLIA. THANK YOU. QUESTION.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE VIRTUAL MEETING? SORRY, PHILIP. THANK YOU. WE HAD. THERE WERE PEOPLE HOPPING ON AND OFF.

I WOULD SAY THERE WERE PROBABLY AROUND 30, MAYBE 35 AT THE MOST.

THAT'S BETWEEN FACEBOOK AND THE OTHER ZOOM LINK THAT WE HAD AS WELL.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THIS ISN'T REALLY A QUESTION, BUT I KNOW WE KEEP BEATING THE SAME DRUM.

THIS IS A MANDATE BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT CONTINUES TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES.

THIS ISN'T THE COUNTY IMPLEMENTING THIS. THIS IS THE STATE WITH ANOTHER UNFUNDED MANDATE.

THAT'S A PASS THROUGH THROUGH THE COUNTY. AND IT'S JUST VERY FRUSTRATING. ONE THING THAT I DO LIKE THAT IT'S AN ITEM THAT I DON'T THINK A LOT OF OUR FOLKS DO KNOW, AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. THE BULKY ITEM COLLECTION OF TWO ON CALL COLLECTIONS PER YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNTY CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF MAYBE PUTTING THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE JUST HAULING SOME STUFF FOR ME TWO

[02:05:01]

AND I'M BETWEEN US AND LUNCH, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. BUT THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

YEAH. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, FOR TEEING UP AN ITEM THAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT LATER.

BUT MY SUGGESTION, AND I GUESS THIS ISN'T FOR YOU, PHILIP, BUT IT WOULD BE FOR FOR LINDSEY AND THE HAULERS IS THAT WE CREATE TWO COUPONS THAT, YOU KNOW, A TICKET IN HAND THAT ALLOWS THAT WOULD GO OUT TO EACH RATEPAYER THAT WOULD TELL THEM THIS COUPON IS GOOD FOR THE PICKUP OF FIVE BULKY ITEMS BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DUMP MATTRESSES BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN TAKE THEM FOR FREE.

SO AND IF PEOPLE HAVE A SOMETHING IN THEIR HAND, YOU KNOW, IT, ONE REMINDS THEM.

BUT TWO KIND OF EMPOWERS THEM TO CALL. RIGHT.

SO THAT WOULD JUST WAS A SUGGESTION THAT I THINK DOVETAILS INTO HIS COMMENTS.

BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, DISTRICT FOUR GETS TONS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING AND THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS MOST OF THE MATERIALS ARE ITEMS THAT COULD BE TAKEN FOR FREE SOMEWHERE AND THEN AND THEN A FOLLOW UP TO THE RECYCLER.

IS IT ANS THAT TAKES LIKE APPLIANCES FOR FREE IS MAYBE THAT WITH THAT GOES OUT ALSO A LETTER THAT SAYS THAT THIS PLACE WILL PICK UP THOSE ITEMS FOR FREE, AND WE COULD CHECK WITH OTHER RECYCLERS IN THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOT OTHERS BEFORE WE SEND THAT OUT.

THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR HAULERS HERE TODAY, SO THEY'RE HEARING THE MESSAGE AS WELL.

AND I THINK THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW SERVICE FOR MOST OF THE HAULERS, SO I BELIEVE THEY PLAN ON DOING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS OR THEIR CUSTOMERS, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT AS WELL.

I THINK THAT, I MEAN, IT'S DIFFERENT HERE IN THE CITY OF MERCED BECAUSE WE HAVE A BULKY ITEM DROP OFF SITE THAT IS THROUGH THE CITY OF MERCED BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR WHO PROVIDES THEIR REFUSE COLLECTION AND IT REALLY DOES WORK.

I DON'T I HAVE A LOT OF IT IN DISTRICT TWO, BUT NOT AS MUCH, I'M SURE, IN DISTRICT FOUR.

DISTRICT ONE. AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT'S ONE OF THE CALLS THAT WE GET.

NOT I MEAN, IT'S EITHER THAT ROADS HOME THAT'S THOSE ARE THE THREE MAIN CALLS THAT I BET ALL MY COLLEAGUES COULD, COULD ATTEST TO. SO OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND AT THIS TIME, I WILL ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW ORGANIC SERVICES BEGINNING JULY 1ST, 2025, AND TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

[INAUDIBLE]. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN PEDROZO, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND PUBLIC MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS CECILIA CERVANTES AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY OF DELHI.

I WILL TOUCH BRIEFLY ON THE INCREASE OF TRASH RATES.

OUR RESIDENTS ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN GARBAGE RATES.

LAST WEEK, I SPOKE WITH MANY WHO WERE WORRIED ABOUT HOW THIS INCREASE WILL IMPACT THEIR ECONOMIC CONDITION.

ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ABLE TO COLLECT OVER 150 SIGNATURES, WHICH I WILL PROVIDE TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE TODAY.

FROM RESIDENTS WHO OPPOSED THE INCREASE FOR SOLID WASTE.

MA'AM, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. THE PRICE.

WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS FOR THE NEXT ONE. YES.

SO IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN. IT'S FOR THE NEXT HEARING.

SO THEY SAID AFTER ITEM THREE, THIS WAS ITEM TWO.

OH I APOLOGIZE. YEAH. NO PROBLEM. YEAH. OKAY.

SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.

I THINK THAT THE SENTIMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID MULTIPLE TIMES THAT WE'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE ON THIS. IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE UNFUNDED MANDATES AND IT'S REALLY IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME THAT CALIFORNIA IS IT'S USUALLY USES THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH FOR ISSUES, AS OPPOSED TO REALLY KIND OF LOOKING AT IT IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT

[02:10:01]

BUT AGAIN, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. SO WITH THAT I'LL CALL FOR A MOTION.

[INAUDIBLE]. YES. SLOW. ROLL IT. THAT'S RIGHT.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YES. [INAUDIBLE]. OKAY, I'LL BE THE BAD GUY. I'M GOING TO. OKAY. FIND THE PROPOSAL. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO FIND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AS EXEMPT UNDER SEQUEL GUIDELINES, SECTION 15061B3.

BECAUSE IT CAN BE SEEN WITH CERTAINTY THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE ORDINANCE MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND PROPOSED ORDINANCE INTRODUCED ON JANUARY 14TH, 2025, ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 9.06.040, 9.06.050, 9.06.100, 9.06.130, 9.06.140 AND SECTION 9.06.150 OF CHAPTER 9.06.

ORGANIC WASTE DISPOSAL. DISPOSAL REDUCTION OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE.

IS THERE A SECOND? SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY CHAIRMAN PEDROZA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY. NAY. MOTION PASSES 4 TO 1.

OKAY. NEXT, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR THIRD AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE DAY AS SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.

THE THIRD PUBLIC HEARING IS TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING REFUSE COLLECTION RATES FOR SOLID WASTE AREAS ONE THROUGH EIGHT IN UNINCORPORATED MERCED COUNTY.

AT THIS TIME, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS LINDSEY JOHNSON WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM.

GOOD MORNING AGAIN. THE FINAL ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS ALSO RELATED TO SB 1383.

AND AMENDS CHAPTER 5.9 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE TO INCREASE REFUSE SERVICE FEES.

THE ITEM WAS INTRODUCED AT THE JANUARY 14TH BOARD MEETING, AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ITEM WAS SET FOR TODAY.

THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY CONTRACTED WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT AND SOLID WASTE AND MID VALLEY DISPOSAL TO PROVIDE REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF MERCED COUNTY. WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SB 1383, HAULERS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE NEW ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES.

THESE NEW MANDATORY SERVICES COME AT A COST TO THE HAULERS.

THEREFORE, THE RATES IN ALL EIGHT FRANCHISE AREAS OF THE COUNTY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED TO OFFSET THE INCREASED COSTS.

AS MENTIONED IN THE LAST ITEM, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING CONTRACT TERMS WITH OUR FRANCHISE HAULERS TO INCLUDE THE NEW MANDATORY SERVICES AND HAS ARRIVED AT FINAL CONTRACT TERMS AND PROPOSED RATES. IF APPROVED TODAY, THE RATES WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL JULY 1ST, AND WE INTENDED TO BRING THE NEW THE UPDATED FRANCHISE HAULER AGREEMENTS TO YOU TODAY AS A SEPARATE ITEM, BUT THEY WEREN'T QUITE READY, SO YOU WILL SEE THOSE COME BEFORE YOU AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.

AND WITH THAT, I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

WE ALSO HAVE HFA REPRESENTATIVE HERE AS WELL AS OUR HAULERS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR OKAY.

ANY QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I DON'T KNOW IF COUNTY COUNCIL WILL LIKE THAT I'M DOING THIS, BUT SINCE I VOTED OUT OF THE MAJORITY ON THE LAST ONE I WANTED TO STATE MY REASON AS TO WHY I HAD A NO VOTE ON THAT ONE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A BUNCH OF BS AND TWO, I FIND IT HARD THAT WE CAN FIND THIS DEAL EXEMPT FROM CEQA.

AND IT SAYS RIGHT THERE IN THE THING BECAUSE IT CAN BE SEEN WITH CERTAINTY THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE ORDINANCE MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S TRUE. AND WE SHOULD TURN CEQA AGAINST THEM LIKE THEY USE IT AGAINST US.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ITEM? OKAY. I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WILL NOW ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ITEM.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AS STATED IN THE MAILED NOTICES WILL BE ACCEPTING PROTESTS UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AGAIN, THE PROTESTS ARE UP THERE. PROTESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING.

IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY SUBMITTED A PROTEST AND WOULD LIKE TO DO SO, NOW WE HAVE THE CARDS HERE AT THE FRONT FOR YOU TO COMPLETE.

[02:15:04]

OKAY, NOW YOU'RE UP.

WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN. GOOD MORNING. AS I WAS READING, OUR DELIGHTED RESIDENTS ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN GARBAGE RATES.

LAST WEEK, I SPOKE WITH MANY RESIDENTS WHO WORRIED ABOUT HOW THIS INCREASE WILL IMPACT THEIR ECONOMIC CONDITION.

ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ABLE TO COLLECT OVER 150 SIGNATURES IN A COUPLE OF DAYS FROM RESIDENTS WHO TRULY OPPOSE THIS INCREASE OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTION.

AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF DELHI CITIZENS AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES LIVE IN A FIXED INCOME, AND MANY RELY ON SOCIAL SECURITY AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF SUPPORT.

EXTRA INCREASES IN SERVICES LIKE GARBAGE COLLECTION CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE HARDSHIP FOR MANY RESIDENTS.

THIS ADDITIONAL COST WOULD MEAN MONEY LESS IN THEIR POCKETS FOR ESSENTIAL NECESSITIES.

MOREOVER, MANY RESIDENTS IN DELHI ARE CURRENTLY PAYING FOR THE BLUE RECYCLING BIN, WHICH IS BEING UNDERUTILIZED.

INSTEAD, MANY PREFER TO TAKE THE RECYCLABLES DIRECTLY TO THE RECYCLING CENTERS.

WE FEEL THAT ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION IS NOT NECESSARY.

THEREFORE, PAYING EXTRA FOR A SERVICE THAT WILL NOT BE FULLY UTILIZED IS UNREASONABLE.

WE BELIEVE THAT A BETTER APPROACH WOULD BE FOR THE STATE TO INVEST IN A WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM, ONE THAT WOULD EDUCATE RESIDENTS TO REUSE ORGANIC WASTE AND AND MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

THE RESIDENTS OF DELHI HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.

HOWEVER, THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN GARBAGE RATES WOULD MAKE LIFE HARDER FOR MANY, PARTICULARLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.

WE URGE THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER THE RATE INCREASE AND EXPLORE OTHER SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS THAT CAN BETTER REFLECT THE ECONOMIC REALITY FACED BY MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHETHER IT IS THROUGH TARGETED ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS OR OTHER MEASURES SUCH AS INVESTING IN A WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM, WE TRUST THAT YOU WILL TAKE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE APPROACH TO THIS MATTER AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE CONCERNS OF DELHI AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

GOOD MORNING. I'M JOHN 06855 MYRTLE AVENUE IN WINTON AND I DID SUBMIT SEVEN LETTERS FROM SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS AND MY RELATIVES.

AND YOU YOU GUYS WEREN'T PRESENTED PROPER INFORMATION ON THIS WHEN YOU SENT IT OUT.

SO TO ME, YOU CAN'T MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION.

AND IT'S ON THE WASTE WASTE MANAGEMENT CUSTOMER SIDE BECAUSE THEY I GOT MY BILL RIGHT HERE, MY BRAND NEW BILL. AND THEY ARE SAYING NOW THE FIRST THE FIRST CAN OF 64 GALLON TRASH CAN THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE IN ORDER.

IT'S ONLY LIKE $0.70 INCREASE. OKAY. BUT THE MAJOR PROBLEM EXTENDS WITH THE NEXT TWO THE 96 GALLON TRASH CARTS. WHICH ONE WILL BE THE ORGANIC AND ONE WILL BE THE RECYCLE.

SO WE GOT A 96 GALLON GREEN WASTE AND WE GOT A 96 GALLON RECYCLE.

OKAY. THE GREEN WASTE, THEY'RE TELLING YOU THAT ON THE 96 GALLON, WE'RE PAYING BETWEEN 4968 TO 5132. THAT'S INACCURATE. TOTALLY. WE'RE I'M ONLY PAYING 1788 FOR MY GREEN WASTE CAN.

AND I'M ONLY PAYING 1460 FOR MY RECYCLE CAN. SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT A 208.333% INCREASE IN ONE CAN AND A 277.603 INCREASE IN THE OTHER CAN. SO HOW CAN YOU SEND THIS OUT TO US? US CUSTOMERS AND YOU AS A BOARD. MAKE MAKE A RULING ON INACCURATE INFORMATION.

HERE'S MY BILL. IF YOU WANT TO READ IT. IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT.

AND I OPPOSED THIS ON THE GROUNDS OF THIS HUGE INCREASE.

[02:20:02]

OUR WATER DOUBLED LAST YEAR. I HAVE AN ARTICLE FROM SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE IN 2019, THERE WAS A 202% SNOWPACK IN IN THE HILLS THAT COULD HAVE SUPPLIED THE WATER FOR 6 OR 7 YEARS DOWN HERE.

WHERE DID ALL THAT WATER GO? I MEAN, THAT'S OFF THE SUBJECT, BUT WE GOT NAILED WITH WATER LAST JULY, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET NAILED WITH A HIGH INCREASE IN OUR GARBAGE.

THIS JULY. AND, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY IS A SMALL COMMUNITY.

AND AND THE PEOPLE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, OUR INCOMES AREN'T REAL HIGH.

AND THIS IS GOING TO REALLY STRAP US. AND I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS INACCURACY.

THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. THANK YOU.

YES, SIR. WELL.

YOU CAN LOWER THAT IF YOU NEED TO. THE PODIUM.

GOOD AFTERNOON. A BLESSING FOR THAT BOARD MEMBER AND SUPERVISOR.

MERCED. HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BLANCA LUCRECIA LOZANO DAVILA.

I AM FROM DELHI AND BOARD MEMBER MUNICIPAL ADVISOR.

IN MY NEW GROUP CALLED UNITED ACTION, I REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY TO BE THE VOICE TODAY TO LET YOU BOARD MEMBERS AND THE WASTE MANAGERS. NOW WE HAVE ISSUES ABOUT THE HIGH COST TO THE WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY.

WANT TO PUT THE HIGHER COST FOR THE GARBAGE CANS HERE? I BROUGHT THE PAPER SIGNS FOR THE COMMUNITY PROTEST TO DO ONE TO THESE HIGHER BILLS, AND WE DON'T APPROVE.

IN THIS LIST I HAVE MANY HANDS. THEY WROTE THEMSELVES THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND THE REASON WHY THE WHOLE COMMUNITY REFUSED HIGHER PRICE. SOME EXAMPLES ARE SENIORS, LOW INCOME, SOCIAL SECURITY, HOME OWNERS AND RENTERS RIGHTS. RENT AND MORTGAGE TAXES ARE GOING TO RAISE BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL.

CARS OR GAS STILL ARE HIGH. EVERYTHING IS HIGH STILL.

PLEASE TAKE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTAND. COMMUNITY OF LIGHT ARE NOT HAPPY AND WE ARE STRETCHING OUT.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE TO KNOW. THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT WANT TO PAY THE GARBAGE AND THEY TRY TO BURN THE GARBAGE AND THEIR HOMES. I TOOK THE DANGERS TO DO THAT KIND IDEA.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE TRASH, GARBAGE ON THE FIELD.

MR. LLOYD PAREIRA OR [INAUDIBLE]. WE TRUST YOU.

HELP US AND MEMBERS TO BE FAVORED. NOT TO VOTE TO THE BILLS TO PASS.

THANK YOU FOR THE WASTE, MANAGER. TAKE OUT A COMPASSION SOON.

TAKE COMPASSION FOR THE PEOPLE THEY DELHI TOGETHER.

WE ARE ACTION. THEY DELHI TOGETHER. WE ARE UNITED.

THEY ARE SUPPORT DELHI. WE ARE STRONG. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE]TIME FOR ME. MY NAME IS BLANCA LOZANO.

BEING THE PUBLIC HEARING. I WILL GET THE BALANCE.

TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK. FIVE MINUTE BREAK. GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBER. MY NAME IS HEIDI SANCHEZ. I ALSO LIVE IN DELHI AND I'M ALSO A SUPPORTER THAT I DON'T APPROVE.

REGARDING ABOUT THE WAY MANAGEMENT RAISING, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES JUST LIKE MYSELF.

I'M A LOW INCOME AND I ALREADY HAVE BILLS, AND WE HAVE DONE OUTREACH TO A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY ALSO ARE AWARE OF THAT.

THEY WANT YOU GUYS TO SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT CAN HELP US OUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[02:25:12]

BUT BEFORE I DO. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE IF YOU HAVE A PROTEST AND YOU HAVEN'T TURNED IT IN TO PUT IT IN THE BASKET AT THIS TIME.

OKAY, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND NOW WE HAVE TO COUNT THE BALLOTS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK TO COUNT THE BALLOTS. OH.

OH, SORRY. I'M SORRY. HOLD ON. I CAN DO IT WHEN WE COME BACK. OKAY. OKAY.

WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. I BELIEVE ALL THE VOTES HAVE BEEN TALLIED, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TAMARA LLOYD OR.

I'M SORRY. LLOYD WANTED TO SPEAK SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

YEAH. THANK YOU. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH THE BOARD FOR YEARS, RIGHT? AB 1383, WHICH IS THE ORDINANCE OR THE STATE LAW THAT WE'RE COMPLYING WITH, WAS PASSED BACK IN 2017 AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IT CAME OUT OF SACRAMENTO AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT. IF YOU IF SOMETHING'S COMING ALONG THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, IS THAT YOUR EFFORT NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED ON YOUR STATE ASSEMBLY PERSON OR STATE SENATOR. AND JUST AS A FUNNY, IN THE ASSEMBLY THERE WAS THE VOTE. THE FINAL VOTE WAS THE YESES WERE 43 DEMOCRATS AND ONE REPUBLICAN, AND THE NO VOTES WERE FOUR DEMOCRATS AND 19 REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE. THE YES VOTES 25 DEMOCRATS, ZERO REPUBLICANS.

THE NO VOTES WERE ZERO DEMOCRATS AND 12 REPUBLICANS.

SO THAT'S JUST INFORMATION FOR YOU TO UTILIZE IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU. OKAY. PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY, EITHER THROUGH MAIL OR HAND DELIVERY, WE RECEIVED 42 PROTESTS. OF THOSE 42, 33 WERE VALID SUBMISSIONS, FOUR WERE DUPLICATIONS AND FIVE WERE INVALID, WHICH MEANS THAT EITHER THE PROPERTY WAS IN A WAIVER ZONE OR IT WAS NOT IN THE AFFECTED AREA.

DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING, WE RECEIVED 192 PROTESTS, OF WHICH 133 WERE VALID SUBMISSIONS, 30 WERE DUPLICATIONS AND 29 WERE INVALID. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL PROTESTS RECEIVED TO 234, AND THE TOTAL VALID PROTEST IS 166. THIS NUMBER IS LESS THAN THE 10,910 REQUIRED TO CONSTITUTE A MAJORITY PROTEST.

THEREFORE, THE BOARD MAY PROCEED TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.

OKAY. [INAUDIBLE] . SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, AND I AND I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING, AGAIN, TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE UNFUNDED MANDATES. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT IT IS WE REALLY DON'T HAVE AN OPTION AND SO OH, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH. SORRY. THANK YOU. WELL, IF WE DON'T PASS THIS YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A $10,000 A DAY FINE, WHICH IS $3.6 MILLION.

SO IN PROTEST, I WILL MOVE THAT. WE FIND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE EXEMPT FROM CEQA AND THAT AS IT INVOLVES THE APPROVAL OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTION RATES FOR THE PURPOSES OF MEETING OPERATIONAL EXPENSES AND THEN I WILL MOVE TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. AM I THE WRONG ONE? NO. OH, WE'RE DOING THAT TWICE. OKAY. AND THEN I WILL MOVE TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE INTRODUCED ON JANUARY 14TH, ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING REFUSE SERVICE FEES AND CHANGES FOR COUNTY SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE AREAS.

AND THIS AMENDS CHAPTER 5.9 OF THE MERCED COUNTY CODE.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SUPERVISOR PACHECO WILL SECOND IN PROTEST.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAY NO. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, SO NOW WE HAVE BOARD

[02:30:10]

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT I WAS WITH FOLKS HERE ON THE 14TH I DID ATTEND THE CSAC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING IN SACRAMENTO.

ON THE 16TH AND THE 17TH. EXCUSE ME, THE 15TH AND THE 16TH.

THE MEETING WAS ON THE 16TH. JUST HIGHLIGHTING A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL.

WE TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IS THE CHALLENGES THAT IT CAUSES, MERCED COUNTY AND SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 58 COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA.

AND I CAN TELL YOU AT A STATE LEVEL, THERE'S TALK OUT THERE.

THERE'S TALK OUT THERE ON PUSHBACK ON THE STATE ON THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES.

AND REALLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY SECRET TO THEM AND I'M NOT SHARING ANY SECRETS, BUT IT'S REALLY COUNTIES ARE LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO STRIKE, WHAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO PUSH BACK ON THE STATE IS, AS YOU KNOW IN SACRAMENTO THEY CONTINUE TO CREATE THESE LAWS.

THESE ONE SIZE FITS THAT THEY THINK FITS ALL LAWS AND THIS AND I'VE SAID THIS UP HERE BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN WHEN YOU BECOME A NEW SUPERVISOR, AS MY COLLEAGUE HAS HEARD THIS, I'M SURE. AND YOU WALK INTO WHAT THEY CALL THE NEW SUPERVISORS INSTITUTE.

IT'S A KIND OF A TRAINING FOR NEW SUPERVISORS AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT THEY TELL YOU THAT THERE'S 58 COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA, AND IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ONE COUNTY, YOU'VE BEEN TO ONE COUNTY AND IT'S IT IS I DON'T KNOW IF I SHARED THIS HERE, BUT I'VE SHARED IT WITH SOME OF YOU. I WAS SITTING AT AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR CSAC, AND NOT ALL THE COUNTIES WERE REPRESENTED.

THE TWO LARGER COUNTIES, THEIR REP WASN'T THERE THAT DAY.

BUT IN THAT MEETING, YOU HAD BUDGETS THAT TOTALED ABOUT $75 BILLION WITH THE COUNTIES THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE IN THAT MEETING AND JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE LARGEST COUNTY IN THAT MEETING THAT DAY, THEIR BUDGET WAS $12.5 BILLION.

AS SANTA CLARA COUNTY AND YOU ALSO HAD THE COUNTY SUPERVISOR FROM MODOC COUNTY, THAT THEIR WHOLE DISCRETIONARY BUDGET FOR MODOC COUNTY IS $15 MILLION. RIGHT. SO WHAT THIS TELLS YOU THE COMPLEXITY OF COUNTIES.

WE SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF ATTACKING THEM.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START TO GET TO THE EVEN THE SMALLER RURAL COUNTIES, THEY CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT HOW DO I PARTNER WITH 2 OR 3 OTHER COUNTIES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE? SO THAT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD THAT YOU'RE SEEING AND IT'S IT WOULD BE I WAS SURPRISED AS TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO SAY THAT A COUNTY KIND OF LEANS TO THE LEFT OR LEANS TO THE RIGHT, A PROGRESSIVE OR CONSERVATIVE, IT'S KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE COUNTIES THAT ARE STARTING TO WAKE UP AND SAY THAT WE CANNOT CONTINUOUSLY LIVE UNDER THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES OF THE STATE.

SOMETHING ELSE THAT LAST FRIDAY WE ARE A PART OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUPERVISORS.

I CALL IT SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. THERE'S A WHOLE ACRONYM FOR IT, BUT BASICALLY IT'S THE EIGHT VALLEY COUNTIES, AND WE GET TOGETHER A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR AND SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO STEP UP OUR GAME A LITTLE BIT IN THE EIGHT VALLEY COUNTIES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IS A STORY THAT OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER AT THE TIME, ADAM GRAY, TOLD ME THAT IT STILL NEVER FORGET IS WHEN THEY HAVE A NEW ASSEMBLY, THEY DO ROLL CALL BY COUNTY.

AND OF COURSE THEY GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER AND THEN THEY SAY LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND A THIRD OF THE ASSEMBLY STANDS UP.

A THIRD OF THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS REPRESENT PARTS OF LA COUNTY, AND THEN THEY GET TO MERCED COUNTY AT THE TIME.

NOW WITH REDISTRICTING, IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT. BUT THEN YOU JUST HAD ADAM GRAY AS THE ONLY ONE THAT STOOD UP, THAT, REPRESENTED THE WHOLE COUNTY OF MERCED.

AND SO I FEEL LIKE THAT AS A VALLEY DELEGATION, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE MAY DIFFER ON, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT IF YOU'RE FROM THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WHETHER IT'S SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY DOWN TO KERN COUNTY, THAT WE CAN AGREE ON.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY STEPPING UP OUR EFFORTS THERE WITH OUR STATE LOBBYIST, PAUL YODER, BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO REPRESENT ALL EIGHT OF THE VALLEY COUNTIES TO REALLY KIND OF GET OUT OF A POSITION WHERE WE SEND A POSITION LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE ADMINISTRATOR AND THE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER AND THE SENATE PRO TEM EVERY YEAR JUST KIND OF SAYING, HEY, DON'T FORGET ABOUT US. AND HERE'S WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.

BUT I FEEL LIKE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME PLAYING DEFENSE.

AND I THINK I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN TURN THE PAGE ON THAT AND START TO PLAY OFFENSE AND GET OUR VALLEY DELEGATION TOGETHER ON SOME ISSUES.

AND WHEN THE VALLEY STICKS TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE SOME INROADS INTO THAT.

THE LARGER URBAN COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, GUARANTEED 30 VOTES ON EVERYTHING.

SO THAT'S I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO NOT DUPLICATE SERVICES HERE.

[02:35:04]

WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY POLICY COUNCIL, WHO'S MORE ON THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE OF STUFF, BUT SO THAT WE'RE ALL SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE. SO I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING UP THERE.

ALSO MYSELF, ALONG WITH, WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, ATTENDED MOCO'S ANNUAL MEETING WHERE DOCTOR TJIAN GAVE US A KIND OF A LITTLE SPEECH AND A LITTLE WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR COUNTY SCHOOLS.

ALWAYS EXCITED TO ATTEND THAT EVENT AND THEN I WANTED TO SAY THIS SATURDAY, THIS PAST SATURDAY, I WAS ACTUALLY WAS HONORED TO BE A JUDGE AT THE NATIONAL FFA SPEECH CONTEST.

IT'S HOSTED AT MERCED COLLEGE, AND I WAS A JUDGE ON THE EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING PORTION OF IT.

AND SO WHAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS, THEY HAVE A LIST OF LIKE MAYBE 30 TOPICS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TOPIC IS GOING TO BE AND THEY GET THERE AND THEY DRAW A TOPIC AND THEN THEY GO. THEY GOT LIKE 15 MINUTES TO DO COMPUTER RESEARCH, AND THEN ABOUT ANOTHER 15 MINUTES TO PUT A 4 TO 6 MINUTE SPEECH TOGETHER.

AND I WILL TELL YOU SOME OF THEM MAYBE YOU COULD TELL WAS THEIR FIRST TIME AND THEY'RE PROBABLY ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER.

BUT MAN, SOME OF THEM IN THERE WERE SOME PRETTY SHARP INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT QUICKLY AND SPEAK ON IT.

VERY EDUCATED WITH THEIR ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS AND SO I WAS EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THAT OPPORTUNITY AND I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OF THOSE THAT MOVE FORWARD TO THE STATE COMPETITION AND I LIKE OUR CHANCES AND WITH THAT.

OH, I DON'T WANT TO STEAL SUPERVISOR PACHECO'S THUNDER, BUT I AM A LITTLE BIT AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. SUPERVISOR PACHECO'S PARENTS ARE HERE IN THE MEETING, AND THEY'VE BEEN HERE FROM WHEN THE MEETING STARTED, AND THEY'RE STILL HERE WITH US AND SO WELCOME ABOARD.

AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE AT THE END, WHERE YOU GET TO LISTEN TO US BLABBER ON FOR A LITTLE BIT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I HAVE NO REPORT. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I TOO ATTENDED THE THE LUNCHEON PROVIDED BY WITH AN UPDATE FOR MOCO SCHOOLS.

IT WAS VERY GOOD. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SAT WITH ME, BUT WE SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF ACTION GOING ON WITH FOLKS WANTING TO DO STUFF AT MERCED COUNTY.

I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH FOLKS NOW LOOKING WHETHER IT'S HYDROGEN SOLAR DATA CENTERS, BUT THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN MERCED COUNTY.

WE'VE ALWAYS SEEN IT, BUT I FIGURED I'D VOICE IT.

IT SEEMS LIKE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, IT'S REALLY SEEMS TO BE GETTING HOT.

I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT I HAVE MY MOBILE DISTRICT OFFICE HOURS.

IN THE CITY OF ATWATER. IT'S THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 1:30 TO 3:30.

IT'S A TWO HOUR WINDOW. WE'LL HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE STATE SENATE AND THE STATE ASSEMBLY.

ALL OF US WILL BE THERE TOGETHER. I'VE BEEN OFFERING THESE CONTINUOUSLY.

AND IT'S GOOD WHEN I HAVE THEM ALL THERE, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, I'M LUCKY THAT I'VE WORKED FOR THE STATE AND WORKED FOR THE FEDS, AND I CAN USUALLY DIRECT THEM, BUT WE GET ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS THERE IN ATWATER.

SO THAT WAS GOOD AND I DID HAVE A MEETING ON THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY POLICY COUNCIL.

I'M THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN THERE, AND I CAN REPORT OUT THAT WE ARE REALLY MAKING AN ACTIVE EFFORT TO REPLACE THE GAS TAX.

WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GO THROUGH A FINE TOOTH COMB TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL VIABLE.

WE HAVE AN AG PIECE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A LITTLE HARDER, BUT THIS WILL MAKE ALL YOU EV DRIVERS PAY YOUR SHARE FOR THOSE ROADS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR HANSON.

OH, I'M SORRY, SUPERVISOR PACHECO. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES. AS MY COLLEAGUE POINTED OUT, MY PARENTS ARE HERE.

JIM AND MADELEINE PACHECO AND KIND OF A SAD EVENT.

MY UNCLE FRANK, MY DAD'S BROTHER, PASSED AWAY EARLIER IN THE MONTH.

SO I WANTED TO ASK TO SEE IF WE COULD ADJOURN OUR MEETING IN HIS HONOR.

MY UNCLE FRANK WAS A LONGTIME COUNTY EMPLOYEE. HE WORKED FOR THE COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT FROM AUGUST OF 1958 TO MARCH OF 1990.

31 YEARS. HIS ONLY BREAK IN SERVICE WHEN HE WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY WITH MY DAD.

FROM 1961 TO 63, HE WAS IN THE ARMY. AFTER HE RETIRED, HE SERVED ON THE SHERIFF'S MOUNTED SEARCH AND RESCUE PATROL.

AND ALSO OPERATED HOMES FOR DISABLED ADULTS IN MERCED.

HIS REAL PASSION WAS BREEDING AND TRAINING QUARTER HORSES, WHICH HE DID UNTIL HIS PASSING AT THE AGE OF 86.

[02:40:01]

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR HANSON.

OH, YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

YOU KNOW, AS WE COME TO THE END OF OUR BOARD MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.

NOW, I JUST WANT TO A LOT OF BIG ITEMS, RIGHT.

POLICY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD HAD TO CONSIDER. A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO EVERYTHING FROM LABOR CONTRACTS, WATER POLICY, OBVIOUSLY GARBAGE WASTE AND REFUSE WASTE, AND THEN STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE BOARD TO HELP US KIND OF ALIGN OUR ORGANIZATION FORWARD. SO APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF STAFF TO GET THESE ITEMS BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPRECIATE THE CAREFUL THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION AMONGST THIS BOARD AS YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS FOR OBVIOUSLY, THE ORGANIZATION AND THE COMMUNITY AND JUST WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THAT TOOK PLACE TODAY.

SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. BACK TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

I KNOW ON THE AGENDA, IT SAID THAT OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL WAS GOING TO BE PROVIDING THE INVOCATION TODAY, BUT IT IS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK, AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEM WITH A PROCLAMATION YESTERDAY, AND IT'S THEIR BUDDY DAY AND THEN THERE'S EIGHTH GRADERS WERE AT THE DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS GETTING AN ORIENTATION AT THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT. I TOO ATTENDED THE MCO LUNCH THE MLK MARCH, WHICH WAS LAST MONDAY. AND THEN ALSO I WASN'T ABLE TO GO, BUT DAHLIA FROM THE CEO'S OFFICE WAS ABLE TO REPRESENT MERCED COUNTY AT THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF POST 83 WOMEN'S AUXILIARY THIS PAST WEEKEND.

I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA FOR STEPPING UP ON SATURDAY AT FOR OUR SCHOOLS AUCTION. WE DIDN'T HAVE AN AUCTIONEER AND SO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA CAME AND PROVIDED HIS SERVICES.

DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE RAISED, BUT EVERYBODY REALLY APPRECIATED HIS EFFORTS.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN WE DISCUSSED ITEM NUMBER 24 ABOUT HAVING A SUBCOMMITTEE TO REASSESS THE SPECIAL DISTRICT PROJECT FUNDS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT NOW OR HOW DOES THAT WHAT DO WE.

OKAY, SO IF WE CAN PUT THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.

SO THE NEXT ONE, IT SHOULDN'T BE ALL IT IS, IS JUST PUTTING US ON THERE AND SO THAT WE CAN.

YEAH. OKAY. AND WITH THAT I WILL. THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.