May 27, 2025 Board Meeting

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:03]

MAY 27TH 2025 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

[CLOSED SESSION]

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE CLOSED SESSION ITEMS IS NOW CLOSED AND WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION .

ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE MAY 27TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AND STAFF WAS PROVIDED DIRECTION.

WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY DARRYL DAVIS OF VALLEY HARVEST CHURCH.

AND THEN SUPERVISOR PACHECO WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. CITIZENS OF COUNTY MERCED.

OH, FATHER GOD, WE COME INTO YOUR HOLY PRESENCE, FATHER GOD, TO BLESS THIS COUNTY WITH THE LEADERSHIP, FATHER, GOD BLESS EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD THAT IS HERE PRESENT FATHER GOD.

LEAD US IN, FATHER GOD, THAT WE MAY DO YOUR WILL FOR YOUR GLORY.

OH, FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU, FATHER GOD, AS WE GO OUT.

AND FOR THE CITIZENS FATHER GOD, LET IT BE DONE IN A GOOD AND PROPER ORDER OF FATHER GOD, AND WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT TAKES PLACE HERE, FATHER GOD, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP, FATHER GOD, THAT WE MAY DO YOUR WILL FOR YOUR GLORY.

WE THANK YOU FOR EACH PERSON THAT IS HERE, FATHER GOD.

LET US GO OUT WITH A JOYFUL HEART AND A JOYFUL SPIRIT FOR THIS MEETING.

FATHER GOD, LET THE MERCY AND GRACE FALL UPON MERCED COUNTY.

IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. READY? SALUTE.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

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

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT.

AGAIN, THIS IS FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS ITEMS ONLY.

GOOD MORNING CHAIR, SUPERVISORS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

MY NAME IS AGGIE FREEMAN AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF MERCED SUNRISE.

THIS YEAR, WE PROUDLY CELEBRATE OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SERVICE TO THE MERCED COMMUNITY AND TO THE WORLD.

A MILESTONE THAT REFLECTS FOUR DECADES OF DEDICATION, COLLABORATION AND HEART.

AS PART OF THIS CELEBRATION, I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THAT DURING THE 24-25 ROTARY YEAR, OUR CLUB HAS AWARDED OVER $65,000 IN LOCAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT VETERANS, YOUTH AND COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS RIGHT HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND INTERNATIONAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT HPV SCREENING, VACCINATION AND TREATMENT, AND ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS TO DARAJA ACADEMY IN KENYA.

THAT AMOUNT REPRESENTS FAR MORE THAN DOLLARS.

IT'S SUPPORT FOR OUR YOUNG LEADERS ATTENDING A ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP CAMP.

IT'S A WARM MEAL FOR THE D STREET SHELTER. IT'S BOOKS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

IT'S WARM UPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETES, AND UNIFORMS FOR THE COLOR GUARD OF THE MARCHING 100 BEARS.

SIMPLE THINGS THAT ADD UP TO A STRONGER, MORE VIBRANT MERCED COUNTY.

ROTARIANS ARE PEOPLE OF ACTION. WE ARE FUELED BY THE IDEA THAT COMMITTED INDIVIDUALS MAKE A BIG IMPACT, AND WE DO THAT WITH OUR ANNUAL MERCED FIELD OF HONOR.

NOW IN ITS 14TH YEAR AT MERCED COLLEGE. AND WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN SERVICE ABOVE SELF.

OUR CLUB IS MADE UP OF PROFESSORS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND PUBLIC SERVANTS.

WE MEET EARLY FOR BREAKFAST. WE WORK LATE. WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES BECAUSE WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME, MERCED COUNTY. AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 40TH YEAR, WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING BACK, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD.

WE BELIEVE THAT SERVICE DONE WITH HEART AND PURPOSE AND ALWAYS CAN ALWAYS BE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION.

[00:05:07]

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF SERVICE AND THE MAGIC OF ROTARY.

THANK YOU AGGIE.

OKAY. GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS, INTERIM CEO AND COUNTY STAFF.

MY NAME IS MARCUS ARELLANO, AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE MERCED HMONG 50 PLANNING COMMITTEE TO SPECIFICALLY SHARE A BRIEF REFLECTION ON THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT AND TO THANK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. THIS EVENT COMMEMORATED 50 YEARS OF THE HMONG COMMUNITY'S PRESENCE, GROWTH, AND CONTRIBUTION TO MERCED COUNTY. IT WAS TRULY A HISTORIC AND UNIFYING DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY, WITH HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES JOINING US FROM ACROSS THE REGION, INCLUDING FAMILIES, STUDENTS, VETERANS, EDUCATORS, CIVIC LEADERS, AND SOME OF OUR OWN BOARD SUPERVISORS .

WE HAD CULTURAL PERFORMANCES, TRADITIONAL GAMES, COMMUNITY BOOTHS, AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES, MANY OF WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE TO SHARE THE RICHNESS OF HMONG HERITAGE IN A HANDS ON WAY.

WE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT HMONG STORIES, WHICH WERE SHORT INTERVIEWS THAT CAPTURED INDIVIDUAL VOICES AND EXPERIENCES, AND THEY'LL BECOME PART OF A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY ARCHIVE.

ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE, I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR WORKING WITH US TO SECURE THE USE OF THE CASTLE MEMORIAL PARADE GROUND AS OUR EVENT SITE. THE LOCATION WAS PERFECT AND YOUR STAFF WERE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL AND RESPONSIVE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN COME UP TO THE THIRD FLOOR AND SEE A HMONG STORY CLOTH HANGING THAT DISPLAYS THE RICHNESS OF MERCED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.

I'M NOT AS GOOD AS THESE GUYS. MY NAME IS DIEGO SALCEDO, AND JESUS HARO LEADS A BOXING CLUB HERE. SO HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE.

SO I TOLD HIM I'M GOING TO BUILD A SHED FOR YOU, WHICH I DID.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF HE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OR GETTING THE PERMITS AND EVERYTHING, BUT HE COMES TO THE CITY AND SAY, OH, NO, THAT'S AN RB SHED. I SAID, NO, IT'S A SHED FOR THE KIDS.

SO THEY RAISED MY YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I PAY FOR TAXES.

LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE TWO, 2 TO 300 BECAUSE THEY DESIGNATED, I SAID TO BE AN RB.

THERE'S NO RB IN MY PROPERTY, AND THEY DON'T LISTEN.

SO WHAT DO I DO? CAN ANYBODY HELP ME OR I'M IN THE WRONG PLACE. YOU MAY BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, SIR.

WHAT WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL ACTUALLY MAYBE ONE OF OUR MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS WILL GET SOME TIME WITH YOU IN THE BACK, AND WE'LL MAYBE TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WE'LL GET YOU HOOKED UP WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE, OKAY? YES.

AND MATTER OF FACT, SHE'S HEADING RIGHT BACK TO RIGHT BACK TO THE CORNER RIGHT NOW. THAT'S DALIA ACOSTA. THANK YOU SIR.

GOOD MORNING. INTERIM CEO, SUPERVISORS AND STAFF OF MERCED COUNTY.

I'M A NEW TRANSPLANT TO MERCED. I'VE JUST BEEN HERE ABOUT THREE YEARS.

SO I HOPE I'M DOING THE PROTOCOL RIGHT. I WANTED TO JUST SHARE SOME NEWS WITH YOU ON BEHALF OF THE FRIENDS OF THE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY, OF WHICH I'M A VOLUNTEER AND AVID FAN. ONE REALLY EXCITING THING HAPPENED, AND I HAVE A LITTLE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WHICH I'LL LEAVE FOR YOU.

THE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY WAS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF A COMMUNITY PARTNER IMPACT AWARD, WHICH WAS CONFERRED BY THE UC MERCED STUDENT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE AS A SHORT ARTICLE.

AND IT JUST TALKS ABOUT HOW OUR GREAT LIBRARY STAFF HAVE REALLY MADE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS SO MUCH EASIER FOR NOT ONLY STUDENTS, BUT THE PEOPLE OF MERCED COUNTY. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO JUST MENTION FOR A MINUTE, AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS. THE RIBBON CUTTING AT THE WONDERFUL NEW LIBRARY, THE JERRY O'BANION LIBRARY OUT IN DOS PALOS.

BUT I WANTED TO SHARE THE FACT WITH YOU THAT OUR FRIENDS AT MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY WERE ABLE TO DONATE $15,000 TO THIS WONDERFUL NEW LIBRARY FROM OUR LAST YEAR REALLY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER. AND NOTHING WARMS THE HEART OF A RETIRED TEACHER LIKE MYSELF THAN TO SEE SOME OF THOSE BOOKS BEING OPENED RIGHT AWAY

[00:10:01]

IT WAS JUST A FABULOUS DAY. A FABULOUS SHOW OF COMMUNITY BETWEEN THE COUNTY, THE CITY, THE STATE, AND THE FRIENDS OF MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY. SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN A SHORT LITTLE VIDEO PREPARED TO ABOUT THAT EVENT, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE WHOLE MERCED COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM.

IT'S REALLY QUITE WONDERFUL FOR ALL THE RURAL PEOPLE WHERE I GREW UP IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD IN KANSAS, ACTUALLY, THE RURAL LIBRARIES ARE JUST THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

A NAME THAT HOLDS DEEP. IT IS AN INCREDIBLE HONOR TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE JERRY O'BANION LIBRARY.

A NAME THAT HOLDS DEEP MEANING AND PRIDE FOR THE DOS PALOS COMMUNITY.

JERRY O'BANION WAS MORE THAN A PUBLIC SERVANT.

HE WAS A PILLAR OF MERCED COUNTY, A CHAMPION FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY.

NAMING THIS LIBRARY AFTER HIM ENSURES THAT HIS LEGACY WILL LIVE ON, INSPIRING GENERATIONS TO COME.

THIS LIBRARY IS NOT JUST A BUILDING FILLED WITH BOOKS.

IT'S A SYMBOL OF WHAT JERRY STOOD FOR. ACCESS, EQUITY, AND THE BELIEF THAT EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE TO LEARN, GROW, AND THRIVE. IT WILL BE A PLACE WHERE YOUNG MINDS ARE SPARKED, WHERE FAMILIES COME TOGETHER, AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY IS ALIVE AND WELL.

THE O'BANION FAMILY, THE LEADERS, STAFF AND SUPPORTERS WHO MADE TODAY POSSIBLE, THANK YOU.

YOUR DEDICATION HONORS JERRY'S MEMORY AND THE MOST FITTING WAY.

GOOD MORNING. BOARD. MR. HENDRICKSON, CHAIR. MY NAME IS MARK PIMENTEL I'M THE ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR CAL FIRE MERCED COUNTY FIRE.

I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO INTRODUCE CHIEF TRINDADE.

HE IS OUR NEW APPOINTED UNIT CHIEF, AS YOU ALL KNOW.

CHIEF VAN LOBEN SELS JUST AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, WAS PROMOTED TO REGION CHIEF AND WILL BE ASSUMING THOSE DUTIES AND ACTUALLY HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE NOT ONLY A GREAT FRIEND OF MINE, BUT A GREAT COLLEAGUE BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MOVING FORWARD.

AND CHIEF TRINDADE WILL BE STEPPING INTO THE ROLES AS ACTUALLY HAS BEEN STEPPED INTO ROLES FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

JUST A FEW KEY POINTS IS MR. TRINDADE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WAS RAISED IN THIS COMMUNITY.

HE HAS GROWN UP IN MERCED COUNTY. AND HE'S ALSO BEEN WORKING FOR MERCED COUNTY AND THIS UNIT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

SO IT'S AN HONOR TO ACTUALLY HAVE HIM BE IN THIS POSITION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE THE THINGS THAT HE'LL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AS THE NEW UNIT CHIEF.

AND THIS IS CHRIS TRINDADE. THANKS CHIEF PIMENTEL.

CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, INTERIM CEO, COUNTY COUNCIL.

CHRIS TRINDADE AGAIN, NEWLY APPOINTED UNIT CHIEF / FIRE CHIEF HERE IN MADERA, MARIPOSA AND MERCED.

AND LIKE CHIEF PIMENTEL SAID, MADE ME SOUND A LITTLE YOUNG THERE, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M STILL GROWING UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT 45 YEARS OLD ISH IN AUGUST. BUT, YEAH, I LIVED IN MERCED, SPECIFICALLY IN THE COUNTY FOR 43 YEARS.

RECENTLY MOVED TO CHOWCHILLA, STILL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, BUT I'VE WORKED 20 YEARS HERE IN THIS UNIT.

TEN OF THOSE HAPPENED TO BE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MERCED COUNTY, I WAS PART OF DEVELOPING THE MERCED COUNTY'S TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM, BROUGHT IT UP TO REGIONAL STATUS WHEN I WORKED IN LOS BANOS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE, I DO PLAN ON HOLDING THE CULTURE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOREVER WITH THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WHAT THE PREDECESSORS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, WORKING UNDER THE LEADERS INTENT OF THE BOARD AND THE COUNTY, MAKING SURE THAT WE FULFILL EVERY OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE UNDER CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT.

AND I DO LOOK FORWARD. I HAVE TEN PLUS YEARS TO WORK STILL, SO I INTEND TO BE AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU AND WELCOME, CHIEF.

OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME OR THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

PLEASE NOTE ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR AND 11 REQUIRE A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE.

OKAY, AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 28.

[00:15:02]

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION FOR ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH. I'M GOING TO READ THIS ONE FROM HERE, AND THEN I'LL ASK YOU TO COME UP AND GET IT.

WHEREAS JUNE 15TH WAS PROCLAIMED AS WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY BY THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE PREVENTION OF ELDER ABUSE AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO INTENTIONALLY AND, I'M SORRY, TO INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ELDER ABUSE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE.

THIS MARKS THE 20TH ANNUAL RECOGNITION OF THIS DAY, MEANT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AND PROMOTE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES BEHIND THE GROWING INCIDENCE OF ELDER INDEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AROUND THE GLOBE.

MERCED COUNTY RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF RAISING AWARENESS OF THE SIGNS AND ABUSES BEING THE FIRST STEP TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE, ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AND NEGLECT IS A MATTER OF GLOBAL CONCERN AND CAN COME IN MANY FORMS WITH INDICATORS THAT CAN BE SUBTLE AND TOO READILY EXPLAINED AWAY.

WHERE NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF MERCED DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 2025, TO BE ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH AND ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE OLDER, INDEPENDENT ADULTS AND THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SUCCESS AND VITALITY OF OUR COUNTRY.

DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING TO ACCEPT IT? OKAY.

THANK YOU.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? YES, I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] .

GOOD MORNING. I'M ROSA VALENCIA, PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR OF OUR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES HERE TODAY TO HIGHLIGHT BOARD AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TEN. GOOD MORNING CHAIR.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS PAULA ARMENDAREZ.

I'M THE MERCED COUNTY LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM COORDINATOR.

MERCED COUNTY'S ADULT AND AGING SERVICES HAS BEEN HONORING SENIORS FOR THE OLDER AMERICAN RECOGNITION THIS MONTH OF MAY.

IN ADDITION, WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY, OR WEADD IS RECOGNIZED ON JUNE 15TH.

WE ASK THE COMMUNITY TO WEAR PURPLE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WEADD MOVEMENT.

THIS YEAR'S THEME IS BEYOND AGE. JOIN US TO CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONAL NARRATIVE ABOUT AGING AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT DIVERSE EXPERIENCES OF OLDER PEOPLE. WE AIM TO ENCOURAGE A SHIFT IN HOW SOCIETY VIEWS AGING, PROMOTING POSITIVE ATTITUDES TO END AGEISM. THE BEYOND AGE CAMPAIGN EMPHASIZES THAT AGING IS A NATURAL AND CONTINUOUS PROCESS, URGING INDIVIDUALS TO EMBRACE THE JOURNEY AND CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.

TO HIGHLIGHT OUR COUNTY'S EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULTS, IN 2024 APS RECEIVED 1901 ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

FOR OUR LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM, WE RECEIVED OVER 84 CASES OR ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE.

APS AND THE OMBUDSMAN WORK DAILY TO HONOR THE DIGNITY OF THE PERSON AND ALLOW FOR SELF-DETERMINATION, WHILE ADDRESSING RISK AND SAFETY CONCERNS. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REPORT ELDER OR DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE OR NEGLECT, CALL OUR 24 HOUR HOTLINE AT ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

(209) 385-3105 OR TO REACH THE OMBUDSMAN, CALL (209) 385-7402. TO RAISE AWARENESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU WILL SEE OUR WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY BANNER ON

[00:20:10]

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR STAFF AND SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR TIME AND ONGOING SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YES.

ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS PROCLAMATION OF ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH AND THE LONGEST DAY.

WHEREAS THE MONTH OF JUNE 2025 HAS BEEN DECLARED ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH TO HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THIS DEBILITATING DISEASE AND THE NEED TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO COMBAT ITS HUMAN AND ECONOMIC COSTS, THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, JUNE 20TH, 2025 HAS BEEN DECLARED THE LONGEST DAY, WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD COMING TOGETHER TO HONOR THE STRENGTH, PASSION AND ENDURANCE OF PEOPLE FACING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WITH A DAY OF ACTIVITY AND ADVOCACY . AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, A PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATIVE DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDER TRAGICALLY ROBS INDIVIDUALS OF THEIR MEMORIES AND LEADS TO COGNITIVE DECLINE, RESULTING IN FUNCTIONAL, EMOTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, WE, THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 2025 AS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH AND TUESDAY, JUNE 20TH, 2025 AS THE LONGEST DAY IN MERCED COUNTY AND URGES ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY TO COMMEMORATE THE MONTH AS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH. COME ON UP.

YEAH. COME ON UP.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.

SO FOR THE ALZHEIMER'S BRAIN AND AWARENESS MONTH, IT'S AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE FOR US, WHICH ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE OUR MONTH'S EFFORT TO EDUCATE, RAISE AWARENESS AND HELP THOSE AFFECTED ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES.

AS MOST KNOW, OVER 1.4 MILLION CAREGIVERS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WITH NEARLY 700,000 OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED AND DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

SO THE TIME IS NOW, WHICH ALLOWS US THIS PRIVILEGE TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES, CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE EFFORTS AND HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE.

AND I DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE THAT EFFORT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

I HOPE I CAN DO THIS. HE JUST MENTIONED THERE'S OVER 7 MILLION IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE ALZHEIMER'S OR ALZHEIMER'S IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF DEMENTIA, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS.

BUT 7 MILLION IS LIKE WAY OUT THERE NUMBER. I CAN RELATE BECAUSE I HAVE ONE THAT HAD ALZHEIMER'S AND I JUST.

SURE. SURE. IS MY HUSBAND AND HE DIED AT AGE 64.

SO THERE IS NOT, IS NOT AN OLD PERSON'S DISEASE.

THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE IN THEIR 30S THAT HAVE IT 40S.

AND IT'S NOT NORMAL WHEN YOU GET INTO YOUR 80S AND 90S AND THINK GRANDMA AND GRANDPA ARE SLIPPING A LITTLE.

THAT'S NOT NORMAL. THAT'S NOT NORMAL AGING. SO THE MORE WE ARE OUT THERE AND THIS IS BRAIN HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, WE NEED TO BRING THAT AWARENESS TO EVERYBODY, THAT OUR BRAIN HEALTH SHOULD BE JUST AS GOOD AT 90 AS IT IS AT 20.

MAYBE WE PUT OUR KEYS DOWN AND FORGET WHERE THEY ARE, BUT WE DON'T PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER KIND OF THING.

BUT IT'S A HARD JOURNEY. IT TOOK NINE YEARS FROM THE TIME MY HUSBAND WAS DIAGNOSED UNTIL HE PASSED.

AND YOU LOSE THEM TWICE, YOU LOSE THEM WHEN THEY FORGET WHO YOU ARE, AND THEN YOU LOSE THEM WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DIE.

SO I VOLUNTEER BECAUSE I WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO GET SERVICES AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, TO GET DIAGNOSED EARLY AS POSSIBLE,

[00:25:07]

HI, MY NAME IS HORTENSIA SILVA, AMBASSADOR.

I ALSO EVERYWHERE I GO. I CARRY EVERYTHING ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S SO THAT WE CAN EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THIS COMMUNITY MORE AND BE NUMBER ONE OUT THERE WITH A CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THIS DISTRICT.

THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOSE REYES AND I'M A COMMUNITY EDUCATOR, VIRTUAL AND ALSO AN ADVOCATE WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO WALK, WHICH IS THE 4TH OF OCTOBER AT APPLEGATE PARK, AND ALSO TO ASSIST OR ASK FOR SOME OF THE CLASSES THAT WE CAN GIVE AT ANY ORGANIZATION THAT DESIRES TO HAVE US INFORM YOU ABOUT DIFFERENT ASPECTS IN THE LIFE OF PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN US AT THE WALK.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO BE IN DC NEXT WEEK ADVOCATING FOR DISTRICT 13 REGARDING OUR MEDI-CAL THAT'S BEING AFFECTED RIGHT NOW.

SO I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT US ON THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD ACTION, BEGINNING WITH

[BOARD ACTION]

OKAY. SEEING NONE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 29 AND 32 IS NOW CLOSED.

I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS 33 THROUGH 36.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 33 THROUGH 36.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 33 THROUGH 36 IS NOW CLOSED.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NORMALLY SHARE IN BOARD REPORTS.

HOWEVER, BOARD REPORTS ARE USUALLY SPOKEN JUST TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE STILL HERE.

AND SO I JUST AT THE MERCED COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD AT OUR LAST MEETING IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

DIRECTOR VANG SHARED THAT THE VACANCY RATE FOR THE EMPLOYEES IS DOWN TO 11%, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 18 OR 19% WHEN SHE BECAME OUR DIRECTOR. AND SO THROUGH A LOT OF THE ONGOING EFFORTS AND SUPPORT, AND I THINK SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE PASSED FOR THE, THE BOARD, FOR THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALLOWED HER TO HAVE THE TOOLS SHE NEEDS, AND I JUST WANT TO REPORT THAT OUT WITH IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND YOUR TEAM'S DOING. OKAY.

WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 37 THROUGH 41.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 37 THROUGH 41.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 37 THROUGH 41 IS NOW CLOSED.

[00:30:01]

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH.

ITEM 43. 42. 42 I APOLOGIZE. YEAH. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HEALTH ITEM 42. SEEING NONE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM 42 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES.

NEXT, WE HAVE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. ITEM 43. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DA ITEM 43.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DA ITEM 43 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE FIRE.

ITEM 44. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 44.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR FIRE ITEM 44 IS NOW CLOSED.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I ASK THE CHIEF TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS ON EXACTLY WHAT THAT ITEM THAT WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO VOTE ON, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS FOR MERCED COUNTY.

THANK YOU SUPERVISOR. AGAIN, MARK PIMENTEL, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR CAL FIRE, MERCED COUNTY FIRE.

THIS IS AN AGREEMENT WITH PG&E, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS LAST YEAR.

WE ONLY GOT A LITTLE BIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY. PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF, TWO MONTHS TO ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT RESPOND OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.

I THINK WE HAD ONE ACTUAL DISPATCH IN THE COUNTY TO HELP WITH ONE OF OUR VEGETATION FIRES.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO.

IT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH PG AND E THAT WILL BE PLACING ONE OF THEIR TYPE ONE HELICOPTERS AT CASTLE.

THIS WILL HAVE SOME FLIGHT TIME. WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT IT WILL GIVE US SOME RESOURCE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES DURING THESE HOT SUMMER MONTHS TO HELP WITH THE LOCAL AREA, TO PUT OUT FIRES THAT ARE LARGER IN THAT WE, LIKE I SAID, WE GET FREE 40 HOURS TO USE THAT RESOURCE AS WE DEEM NECESSARY.

AND THEN AGAIN, IT'S A COUNTY RESOURCE AFTER THIS AGREEMENT AND WILL BE UTILIZED FOR STATE RESPONSES AS WELL AND AT THAT POINT THEY WILL BE GOING OUT AND HELPING THOSE OUTSIDE AREAS AROUND. WORKING WITH CHIEF TRINDADE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF ESTABLISH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY AND THE STATE, AND WE'LL BE UTILIZING THAT RESOURCE ON THE STATE SIDE.

THEY WILL GENERATE SOME REVENUE FOR THE USE OF THE COPTER, AND AS IT BEING ONE OF OUR RESOURCES GIVEN OUT TO THE STATE, WE'LL BE GENERATING THAT REVENUE FOR US TO HELP OUT WITH FIRE AND BEING ABLE TO HELP OUT THE ENTERPRISE AS WELL BY HAVING THAT HELICOPTER STATIONED AT CASTLE.

BUT LOOK REALLY FORWARD TO IT. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE SAW LAST YEAR FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, WE'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE IT THIS WHOLE YEAR AND HOPEFULLY AT THE END OF IT ALL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REPORT WHAT KIND OF SIGNIFICANT HELP THAT WAS ABLE TO DO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS FOR THE STATE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION, CHIEF. AND THEN JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW PG & E GETS BEAT UP A LOT.

I MEAN, NOBODY LOVES TO PAY THEIR POWER BILL.

AND I'M JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. I HATE WHEN THAT BILL COMES IN, BUT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY KIND OF TAKING RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE AND MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO THE STATE.

AND WHERE WE BENEFIT IS, IS BEING ABLE TO HOUSE IT LOCALLY, THERE'S SOME FLIGHT HOURS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO US.

AND SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOL BAG THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU START TO GET OUT TO, YOU KNOW, OUR DUCK CLUB AREAS, SOME OF THOSE AREAS THAT ARE HARDER TO GET TO, TO HAVE AN AIR RESOURCE THAT'S JUST ACROSS THE COUNTY.

AND FOR US DRIVING THAT SEEMS LIKE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT THE WAY THE CROW FLIES, THAT RESOURCE CAN BE THERE RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

AND SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH PG & E ON THIS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR. OKAY. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIES. NEXT WE HAVE PROBATION ITEMS 45 AND 46.

[00:35:10]

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PROBATION ITEMS 45 AND 46 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIES. NEXT, WE HAVE PUBLIC DEFENDER ITEM 47.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER ITEM 47.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER ITEM 47 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

THE MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE SHERIFF.

ITEM 48. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 48.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR SHERIFF ITEM 48 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES.

NEXT, WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

ITEM 49. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CED ITEM 49.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CED ITEM 49 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE AG COMMISSIONER.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR AG ITEM 50.

OH, I'M SORRY I TOOK YOUR. ITEM 50. YEAH. AT THIS TIME I OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR AG ITEM 50.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR AG ITEM 50 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIES. NEXT WE HAVE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

ITEM 51. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

ITEM 51. OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR ITEM 51 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES.

YEAH. SO NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 52 THROUGH 54.

PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH ITEM WILL BE TAKEN SEPARATELY, STARTING WITH ITEM 52.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN. OR ARE YOU DOING A PRESENTATION? OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CEO ITEM 52.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CEO ITEM 52 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

NO, I'M WAITING FOR 53. OKAY. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE REPORT, SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SUNSHINE THAT THERE IS ABOUT A NEED FOR ABOUT 20,000 CHILD CARE SPACES IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND SO ANYWAYS, THERE'S JUST, I MEAN, I GUESS EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT CHILD CARE IS, IS SHORT.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE PLANNING COUNCIL FOR KIND OF SHARING THAT WITH ME IN STATISTICAL NUMBERS ACCURATE NUMBERS

[00:40:01]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IF I COULD EXPAND ON A LITTLE MORE, I HAVE ERICK SERRATO HERE WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HAS REALLY ENGAGED IN AND HELPING FOLKS WHO WANT TO BECOME CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.

WE CAN HELP OUT WITH THE TRAINING. SO THERE'S ACTUALLY AN EXTRA STEP IN THERE OR MAYBE EXTRA STEP OF GUIDANCE AND HELP FOR THAT.

AND I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP. THAT'S ONE THING AT OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THAT IS DEFINITELY A NEED. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WANTING TO DO THAT AND MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PUT THAT ON RECORD.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. AND JUST SOMETHING THAT I, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT IS GOING TO EXACERBATE THIS PROBLEM IS YOU THINK THAT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF TK, SO SOON ALL FOUR YEAR OLD'S WILL BE IN SCHOOL, RIGHT? IT'S A PART OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S NEW MANDATE AND WHERE THAT IT'S GREAT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN SCHOOL EARLIER AND IT'S MANDATED THEY BE THERE.

BUT IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT ON CHILDCARE PROVIDERS BECAUSE THEY'RE LOSING A WHOLE AGE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT POTENTIALLY WOULD BE IN CHILD CARE, SO THEN IT MAKES THEIR MODELS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN A BUSINESS.

SO I JUST WANT TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT I JUST DIDN'T REALLY THINK OF IT AT FIRST, BUT RECENTLY MET WITH A GROUP THAT KIND OF BROUGHT THAT TO MY ATTENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FIXED ONE PROBLEM, BUT WE KIND OF CREATED AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM FOR FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY PROVIDING CHILD CARE, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET CHALLENGING, AND SO OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN DO THROUGH WORKFORCE INVESTMENT AND OTHER AREAS TO HELP WITH THAT IS GOING TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS. IT'S JUST SAD WHEN YOU TALK TO PARENTS OF YOUNG ONES AND ONE PARENT IS GOING TO WORK JUST TO PAY FOR CHILD CARE.

SO ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. SO I THINK THAT LEADS TO YOUR POINT THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO STAY HOME WITH THEIR KIDS, NOT ONLY YOURS, AND MAYBE YOU PICK UP A FEW OTHER ONES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU.

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE. I CAN SPEAK TO THIS, I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE CHILDREN, BUT IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT FINDING CHILDCARE FOR MY SON. AND, I MEAN, THE WAITING LISTS ARE JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

AND IT IS EXPENSIVE. I MEAN, IT'S NO JOKE. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

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

NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM CEO. ITEM 53. AND AT THIS TIME, ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARCI BARRERA WILL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM. GOOD MORNING. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, INTERIM CEO HENDRICKSON AND COUNTY COUNSEL HANSEN . MARCI BARRERA, ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION REGARDING FIRE SERVICE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED THIS PAST YEAR.

ON MAY 7TH, 2024, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED A PLAN TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF FIRE STATION S FROM 19 TO 15 TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS, REDUCE COSTS, AND MEET THE NEW CAL FIRE STAFFING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MANDATED STAFFING LEVELS AT 2.0 WITH A 3.0 FACTOR.

THEN, ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024, THE BOARD APPROVED MODIFICATIONS TO THAT ITEM, MOVING THE CONSOLIDATION DATES FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO DECEMBER 31ST FOR THREE OF THE FOUR STATIONS, WHICH WERE DOS PALOS, LIVINGSTON AND MCKEE.

AT THAT TIME, THE FOURTH STATION, STATION 64 IN CRESSEY, WAS REPURPOSED AS A VOLUNTEER ONLY STATION.

EXTENDING THE DATES WAS INTENDED TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE COUNTY TO RECEIVE THE FINAL DETERMINATION ON THE SAFER GRANT, LEARN THE OUTCOME OF THE MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY STABILIZATION ACT SPECIAL TAX MEASURE, WHICH WAS MEASURE R, AND TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH VARIOUS CITY JURISDICTIONS ON POSSIBLE COST SHARING PROPOSALS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE SAFER GRANT AND THE SPECIAL TAX MEASURE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.

HOWEVER, THE COUNTY CONTINUED TO WORK WITH VARIOUS CITIES ON ALTERNATE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES, WHICH WERE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE DECEMBER 10TH, 2024 MEETING.

[00:45:03]

THE FIRST WAS A TWO YEAR STOPGAP AGREEMENT STARTING JANUARY 1ST, 2025, WITH THE CITY OF MERCED TO CONSOLIDATE FIRE SERVICES.

THE AGREEMENT ALLOCATED FUNDING BY THE COUNTY TO THE CITY FOR THE CITY OF MERCED TO PROVIDE THE PRIMARY RESPONSES FOR EVENTS OF FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCIES IN THE SERVICE AREA PREVIOUSLY RESPONDED TO BY COUNTY FIRE STATION 85 AND MCKEE ROAD.

SINCE THIS IS A TEMPORARY TWO YEAR STOPGAP AGREEMENT, STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF MERCED ON A LONGER TERM, MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION AND WILL RETURN TO THE BOARD AT A LATER DATE FOR DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM.

THE SECOND WAS A STOP GAP AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON, WHERE THE CITY ALLOCATES FUNDING TO THE COUNTY TO CONTINUE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES.

THE CITY HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PROVIDING THEIR OWN FIRE SERVICES, AND AFTER A SUCCESSFUL BALLOT MEASURE, MEASURE L, IN NOVEMBER, THE COUNTY SIGNED AN 18 MONTH STOPGAP AGREEMENT FOR CAL FIRE TO REMAIN AT STATION 96 IN THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2026. THIS WILL ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME FOR THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES.

STATION 76 DOS PALOS WAS SET TO CONSOLIDATE WITH STATION 75 DOS PALOS Y EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. BASED UPON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DIRECTION AT THE PRIOR SEPTEMBER MEETING, HOWEVER, JUST PRIOR TO THE BOARD MEETING ON DECEMBER 10TH, THE CITY OF DOS PALOS NOTIFIED THE COUNTY OF THEIR INTENT TO HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION TO PURSUE A CITY OF DOS PALOS FIRE DEPARTMENT TAX MEASURE, MEASURE S, IN MARCH OF 2025.

AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DURING THE DECEMBER 10TH MEETING, STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO AMEND THE CONSOLIDATION EFFECTIVE DATE, CHANGING IT FROM DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 TO JUNE 30TH, 2025, PENDING THE ELECTION RESULTS AND THE OUTCOME OF THE TAX MEASURE.

AFTER THE MARCH 2025 ELECTION WAS CERTIFIED, THE COUNTY WAS NOTIFIED THAT DOS PALOS FIRE DEPARTMENT TAX MEASURE, MEASURE S, PASSED WITH OVER 77% VOTING YES. THIS WILL INCREASE THE SALES TAX FROM 7.75% TO 8.25%, AND IT'S ESTIMATED TO GENERATE BETWEEN $200 TO $250,000 ANNUALLY.

THE 200 TO $250,000 IN REVENUE GENERATED ANNUALLY COULD BE USED TO OFFSET THE COST FOR FIRE SERVICES.

HOWEVER, THE TOTAL ADDITIONAL COST PER STATION TO GET TO THE 2.0 STAFFING WITH THE 3.0 FACTOR IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION, WHICH LEAVES THE ADDITIONAL 1.3 MILLION AS THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY, UNTIL WHICH TIME THE CITY FINDS ADDITIONAL REVENUES AND CAN CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THE SHARE OF THE COSTS. THE ITEM BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY IS TO DISCUSS AND PROVIDE STAFF DIRECTION ON THE PRIOR BOARD ACTION TAKEN TO CONSOLIDATE 76 STATION DOS PALOS WITH STATION 75 DOS PALOS Y EFFECTIVE JUNE 30TH, 2025.

AT THIS TIME, CHIEF PIMENTEL AND I ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND INTERIM CEO FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. OKAY WITH YOU, MR. CHAIR, I'LL WAIT UNTIL PUBLIC COMMENT IS FINISHED.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CEO ITEM 53.

GOOD MORNING. I AM MAYOR KATIE REED FOR THE CITY OF DOS PALOS.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, DURING THE MAY 7TH COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING, CAL FIRE SET FORTH SEVERAL STRATEGIC OPTIONS THAT WOULD INSURE AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE FIRE PROTECTION IN ORDER TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND OVERCOME A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CHALLENGE, CAL FIRE WAS FORCED TO CONSOLIDATE STATION 75 AND 76.

STATION 75 IS LOCATED AT THE DOS PALOS Y , AND STATION 76 IS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN DOS PALOS.

THE CITY OF DOS PALOS ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT CAL FIRE AND MERCED COUNTY CANNOT SUPPORT BOTH STATIONS, AND CONSOLIDATION IS REQUIRED. HOWEVER, AS A WHOLE, THE CITY OF DOS PALOS WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO HEAR THE NEWS THAT OUR FIRE SERVICES WOULD BE RELOCATED TO THE DOS PALOS Y . THIS MOVE LEAVES DOS PALOS MIDWAY AND SOUTH DOS PALOS EXPOSED, AND THAT IS TERRIFYING. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE STRONG EMOTIONS AND PERSONAL OPINIONS ABOUT THE RELOCATION, WE UNDERSTAND A DECISION TO MERGE WAS SOLELY BASED ON BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AND STAFFING REQUIREMENTS THAT PUT THE ORGANIZATION INTO A SIGNIFICANT FISCAL CHALLENGE AND UNSUSTAINABLE PATH. WHAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS HOW CAN MERCED COUNTY JUSTIFY THE RELOCATION TO THE DOS PALOS? Y. FINANCIALLY, IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. AND THE MERGER IS SUPPOSED TO BE BASED ON FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.

DATA AND NUMBERS SHOULD BE DRIVING THIS DECISION.

THE LATEST DATA REPORT, STATION 76 RESPONDED TO OVER 1500 CALLS ANNUALLY, WHERE STATION 75 RESPONDED TO ABOUT 500 CALLS,

[00:50:08]

HOW CAN MERCED COUNTY ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE ADEQUATE AND APPROPRIATE COVERAGE FOR DOS PALOS, MIDWAY AND SOUTH DOS PALOS? HOW MUCH WILL THE COUNTY HAVE TO SPEND TO ENSURE THAT STATION 75 CAN ABSORB THE NEEDS THAT STATION 76 MET IN DOS PALOS, MIDWAY, AND SOUTH DOS PALOS. SOME COMMENTS MADE INCLUDE THE IDEA THAT DOS PALOS WILL STILL HAVE A STATION, A STATION OF VOLUNTEERS. IT APPEARS THAT THOSE WHO ASCRIBE TO THAT BELIEF DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT A VOLUNTEER STATION STILL REQUIRES FUNDING MINIMALLY FOR EQUIPMENT, TRAINING AND MINIMAL STAFFING REQUIREMENTS. DOS PALOS IS PREPARED TO INSIST THAT MERCED COUNTY ALLOCATE FIRE PROTECTION FUNDS TO THE CITY OF DOS PALOS THAT WERE COLLECTED AS PART OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY TAX, CURRENTLY ABOUT 300,000 A YEAR, NOT TO MENTION THE ADDITIONAL COSTS OF ATTORNEYS ON BOTH SIDES.

I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ALL HAVE CONSIDERED THAT THE CITY OF DOS PALOS OWNS MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT CURRENTLY IN STATION 76, AND WILL RETAIN OWNERSHIP IF THE RELOCATION TO THE DOS PALOS IS APPROVED.

WITH THOSE FACTS ON THE TABLE, HOW MUCH CAN THE CONSTRAINED FIRE BUDGET ALLOT FOR PURCHASING ENGINES, ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR INCREASED SERVICE CALLS AND ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT? THIS WILL ALL COME AT THE EXPENSE OF MERCED COUNTY, NEGATING THE PREMISE THAT MERGING AT THE DOS PALOS Y IS DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS.

THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP. SORRY.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, STAFF AND ATTENDEES.

MY NAME IS CLAUDIA BAUTISTA AND I AM HERE FIRST AND FOREMOST AS A CITY OF DOS PALOS RESIDENT.

I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT DECISION YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. TO BE CLEAR, KEEPING FIRE STATION 76 AS A VOLUNTEER STATION IS NOT THE SAME AS HAVING IT FULLY OPEN AND OPERATIONAL FOR THE RESIDENTS. CAL FIRE HAS CONSISTENTLY RECOMMENDED CONSOLIDATING FIRE STATION 76 TO 75 FROM THE BEGINNING.

WE HAVE HEARD PRESENTATIONS FROM COUNTY STAFF AND CAL FIRE, AND WE HAVE ALSO HEARD COMMENTS FROM ALL OF YOU ON THE DAIS.

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT DOS PALOS HAS BEEN A GOOD PARTNER AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.

QUOTED FROM OUR DISTRICT SUPERVISOR, SCOTT SILVERIA, I SAY I HOPE WE HAVE YOUR VOTE TODAY TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND KEEP OUR STATION OPEN.

QUOTED FROM SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, IT IS A LOT OF MONEY AND THERE IS NO SOLUTION DOWN THE ROAD.

IF THE SALES TAX MEASURE DOESN'T PASS IN THE SPRING, THEN WE'VE GOT TO CLOSE THE STATION.

WELL, WE PASSED OUR TAX MEASURE, SO I HOPE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND HELP US KEEP OUR FIRE STATION OPEN.

MONEY SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS. ALSO CONSIDER IT SHOULD BE THE DEVELOPER IMPACT FEES WITH FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS THAT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIRE FUND. I DON'T THINK THE SAME GOES FOR DOS PALOS Y .

MY QUESTION TO YOU TODAY IS WHY SHOULD DOS PALOS Y STATION BE THE STATION TO STAY OPEN? OUR FIRE STATION RECEIVES APPROXIMATELY 1500 CALLS VERSUS APPROXIMATELY 500 AT THE Y.

I KNOW ONE OF THE JUSTIFICATIONS TO KEEP THE FIRE STATION OPEN IS TO SUPPORT 152.

AS A COMMUTER, I SAY THAT'S VERY NICE OF EVERYONE TO THINK OF 152 BUT WHAT ABOUT THE APPROXIMATELY 6000 RESIDENTS OF DOS PALOS? WE HAVE SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR CITY, OLDER HOMES AND MANY RESIDENTS SOUTH OF DOS PALOS Y , INCLUDING SOUTH DOS PALOS AND MIDWAY.

THE DISTANCE FROM THE FIRE STATION AT THE Y TO THE CITY OF DOS PALOS IS FOUR MILES.

DID ANYONE CONSIDER THE FACT THAT RESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE IN HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE AND RENTERS INSURANCE? THE RATES ARE ALREADY GOING UP, AS WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR 50% OF THE FIRE DAMAGE CAUSED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

ANOTHER BURDEN IN SIGHT FOR THE DOS PALOS RESIDENTS.

IS THE PLAN TO KEEP FIRE STATION 75 AT THE Y, OPEN TO SUPPORT ONE LOS BANOS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT DURING EVENTS? ARE THERE ANY OTHER REASONS THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING ABOUT? I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE WRONG DECISION HERE WOULD BE TO CLOSE THE FIRE STATION IN DOS PALOS, OR AND CONSOLIDATING IT TO FIRE STATION 75. I STRONGLY URGE YOU, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND RECOMMEND THE CONSOLIDATION OF FIRE STATIONS TO FIRE STATION 76, OUR FIRE STATION KEEPING OUR FIRE STATION WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS OPEN.

PLEASE SERVE THE GREATER GOOD AND KEEP FIRE STATION 76 OPEN.

AND I'LL ADD AS I HAVE TIME. I WAS OUTSIDE AND I READ THE MISSION STATEMENT AND IT CLEARLY READS PROVIDE QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICE THAT ENHANCES AND PROTECTS OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.

I THINK DOS PALOS HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY LEFT OUT A LOT, AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.

THANK YOU.

DEWAYNE

[00:55:04]

I SAT WITH THE INTERIM CEO FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS LAST WEEK TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO TRY TO MAKE THIS WORK.

I THINK MAYBE HE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN HIS REPORT.

BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE TEAMWORK THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE COUNTY, NOT JUST WITH FIRE, BUT EVERYTHING RANGING FROM PARKS TO PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS TO EVERYTHING, AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP DOWN THE ROAD.

THANK YOU.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CEO ITEM 53 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE HAVE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YEAH, I HAD ASKED FOR A MAP. DO WE HAVE THAT MAP AVAILABLE? PERFECT. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT THERE.

MOVE IT TO THEIR SCREENS TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT. SO LOOK IT.

I GET THE FRUSTRATION. I GET THE FRUSTRATION OF MY CITIZENS FROM DOS PALOS.

WHERE I'M HERE IS, THOSE ARE ALL MY RESIDENTS.

THOSE ARE ALL MY BOSSES, WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS OR THEY LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF MIDWAY OR SOUTH DOS PALOS.

AND SO WHAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS, IS THAT FIRST OFF, THERE IS MONEY IN THE BUDGET.

IT HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR FOR STATION 76 TO BE OPEN.

I'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THAT. WE CAN ASK VANESSA OR THE INTERIM CEO TO SHOW YOU THAT.

SO WHAT I WANT TO SHOW EVERYBODY IS, WHETHER IT'S 76 OR 75, I THINK THAT THE ANSWER IS, IS NOT TO CLOSE EITHER STATION.

AND I GET THAT MONEY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, BUT I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IS COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. AND SO A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLOSING, WHEN WE CLOSE THE CRESSEY STATION.

AND THIS IS IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE HAVE ALL THE MONEY TO KEEP ALL THE STATIONS OPEN, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A FAIR COMPARISON.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT CRESSEY ON THE MAP. CRESSEY, I CAN TELL YOU, AS SOMEBODY WHO STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN IN 1996, THERE WAS ALREADY TALK ABOUT CLOSING THE CRESSEY STATION THEN, AND NOBODY WANTS TO CLOSE THE STATION.

BUT THE REALITY IS, IS IF YOU LOOK TO THE EAST OR TO THE WEST, OR TO THE NORTH OF.

EXCUSE ME, THE SOUTH OF THERE'S LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY.

THERE'S FOUR STATIONS THAT WERE ARE WITHIN TEN MINUTES.

WITH TRAFFIC, THE DELHI S TATION COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY OF ROUGHLY 500 AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT I'M GOING TO GO WITH ABOUT A NUMBER OF 500 THAT SERVICES THAT COMMUNITY OF CRESSEY.

OKAY. AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THEY HAVE FOUR STATIONS THAT SURROUND THEM.

THEY GET A CALL FOR SERVICE. IS IT POSSIBLE? ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

BUT THE CHANCES THAT ALL FOUR OF THOSE STATIONS ARE GONE, IT'S IT'S PROBABLY MORE UNLIKELY THAN LIKELY.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MCKEE STATION THAT WE REALLOCATED THOSE STAFFING TO OTHER STATIONS BUT GOT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF MERCED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FIRST IN SERVICE TO THAT AREA AT A COST THAT AT A RELATIVELY NOT TOO TERRIBLE COST TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.

BUT IT'S ALSO LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, WHERE IT SAYS STATION 81 THERE, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS WHERE STATION 85 USED TO BE.

THAT STATION IS SURROUNDED BY CITY. IT'S A COUNTY ISLAND, BASICALLY.

AND SO YOU HAVE NOT ONLY STATION 81 THAT'S ACROSS TOWN WITH TRAFFIC THAT BECOMES A LITTLE CHALLENGING, BUT YOU HAVE CITY FIRE STATIONS THAT IN AN EMERGENCY COULD BE THERE IN RELATIVELY SHORT ORDER.

STATION 96, I GET IT. LOOK, I'M NOT ONE TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT IT'S NOT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY AND INCORPORATED CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE FOR THE RESIDENTS. WHAT WE HAVE WITH 76 OVER THERE IS, IS YOU CLOSE 76 AND NOW YOU HAVE 75 AS THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSE IN ENGINE.

IF 75 IS OUT ON ANY OTHER CALL AND I GET IT, THE ONE COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON 152.

WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF BUSINESSES OUT THERE, LARGE FARMING OPERATIONS, WE'VE GOT THE CO-OP GIN OUT THERE THAT ALSO NEED THAT FIRE PROTECTION SERVICE AS WELL.

IF THAT ENGINE IS GONE, YOU'RE NOW WAITING FOR 20 MINUTES PLUS FOR EITHER EL NIDO OR STATION 71 TO BE THERE.

AND JUST TO KIND OF PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, IT ROUGHLY SPLITS OUR COUNTY IN HALF.

OKAY. AND SO THE SQUARE MILES OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, THE EAST OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER FOR THE COUNTY IS 1041MI². IF YOU TAKE OUT THE CITIES, YOU'RE LEFT WITH 1005MI².

THAT MEANS YOU HAVE 12 STATIONS, 12 COUNTY FIRE STATIONS, THAT'S NOT INCLUDING CITY STATIONS THAT RESIDE ON THE EAST SIDE.

[01:00:04]

IT'S A SIMPLE MATH. DIVIDE THE SQUARE MILES BY THE NUMBER OF STATIONS.

NOW, THE WEST SIDE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER TOTAL IS 936 SQUARE MILES.

IF YOU TAKE OUT THE CITIES, IT'S 13.87MI² OF THE CITY.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 921.87MI². THAT MEANS THAT EVERY STATION OVER THERE WOULD, IF YOU CLOSE 76, EVERY STATION OVER THERE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COVER 230.46 SQUARE MILES.

NOW I WILL SAY LET'S ADD IN THE CITY STATIONS.

THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SERVICE THERE. PLUS YOU HAVE STATION 73, WHICH IS THE CAL FIRE STATION UP THERE BY THE DAM.

WITH THAT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 133MI² THAT ALL STATIONS ON THE WEST SIDE OF MERCED COUNTY COVER VERSUS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, ALL STATIONS CITIES INCLUDED COVERS 54.83MI².

IT REALLY IS. LOOK, IF WE ARE TRULY, I GET IT.

I HAD TO MAKE THE VOTES TO CLOSE FIRE STATIONS IN OTHER DISTRICTS.

AND I GET IT THAT IT'S NEVER EASY TO DO . IN THIS SITUATION WHEN I TALK ABOUT MY RESIDENCE OUT IN SOUTH DOS PALOS AND MIDWAY, IT IS NOT JUST BECAUSE I SAY IT. YOU CAN LOOK UP THIS FACTUALLY.

ONE OF THE MOST UNDERSERVED, UNINCORPORATED, DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES NOT ONLY IN OUR COUNTY, BUT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS SOUTH DOS PALOS.

IT'S OLDER CONSTRUCTION AND GOD FORBID, IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN AND WE'RE WAITING ON AN ENGINE TO COME FROM LOS BANOS OR EL NIDO, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A MAP AND THE WAY THE CROW FLIES, IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO GET TO SOUTH DOS PALOS.

BUT THE REALITY IS, IS YOU'RE NOT TAKING THAT 800,000 PLUS DOLLAR PIECE OF EQUIPMENT DOWN SANTA FE GRADE IN THE GOOD TIMES, LET ALONE IN THE WINTER MONTHS, IT BECOMES EVEN MORE CHALLENGING.

SO THIS IS MY WHAT I ASK MY COLLEAGUES IS, IT'S AN INVESTMENT.

IT'S TO WORK WITH DOS PALOS. DOS PALOS HAS A PLAN, THEY'VE COMMITTED.

I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER, THEIR TAX MEASURE JUST TO TELL YOU HOW SMALL THEY ARE.

YOU KNOW, A HALF CENT SALES TAX MEASURE GENERATES ROUGHLY $250,000 A YEAR.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR MEASURE B, T AX MEASURE FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY, IT'S BRINGING IN $20 MILLION A YEAR, RIGHT? BUT THEY HAVE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.

I S ANYTHING GUARANTEED? NO IT'S NOT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY HAVE A WASTE, EXCUSE ME, A WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT IS IN THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS WILL BE COMING ONLINE.

DOS PALOS HAS NEVER HAD A WATER VOLUME ISSUE.

THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD A JUST COULDN'T RELIABLY TREAT WATER FAST ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN ANY KIND OF GROWTH.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HOUSING SHORTAGES THAT THERE ARE OUT THERE, THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO GET THERE.

AND THEY'VE BEEN WILLING PARTNERS OF OURS ALL THROUGHOUT THIS, EVEN AS WE WERE DISCUSSING CLOSING OTHER FIRE STATIONS, THEY WERE NEVER IN HERE THROWING MUD AT US OR WHATEVER, ALL THEY SAID IS, HEY, WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU.

SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S MONEY IN THE BUDGET THAT CAN SUSTAIN IT FOR THIS YEAR.

THEY'VE COMMITTED TO STEP UP NOT ONLY WITH THEIR TAX MEASURE BRINGS IN, BUT ADDITIONAL REVENUES.

THEY HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR THOSE AND DO A STEP UP APPROACH OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO GET TO THAT 750,000 A YEAR THAT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE STAFFING.

I THINK IT'S WORTH MAKING THE INVESTMENT WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, AND ALSO FOR ALL THOSE FOLKS THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE INCORPORATED AREA, THAT LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS IN AND AROUND DOS PALOS.

SO I ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I THINK IF WE TAKE THE POLITICS OUT OF IT, WE TAKE THE EMOTIONS OUT OF IT.

AND YOU JUST LOOK AT THE SQUARE MILES THAT THOSE STATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO COVER, IF WE ARE TRULY TASKED WITH THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CANNOT VOTE YES ON EXTENDING THIS OUT.

AND IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE MAKE A DECISION AND IT'S GOOD MOVING FORWARD, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT.

WE NEED TO DO CHECK INS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLANS THAT THE CITY OF DOS PALOS HAVE IN THE WORKS ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO FRUITION AND TRYING TO GET TO SUSTAINABILITY. WE COULD LOOK TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE WEST SIDE OF MERCED COUNTY AND GUSTINE, WHO QUITE HONESTLY IS VERY LUCKY THAT JUST GEOGRAPHICALLY THE COUNTY CANNOT LEAVE THAT STATION. BUT AS OF TODAY, I DON'T KNOW THAT AUGUSTINE'S CONTRIBUTING ANYTHING TO FIRE SERVICE, AND SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS TO GIVE THAT CONSIDERATION, TO GIVE FIRE SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF DOS PALOS WITH A WILLING PARTNER WHO IS WILLING TO NOT ONLY PUT IN, PASS THE SALES TAX MEASURE, BUT WILLING TO COMMIT OTHER GENERAL FUND RESOURCES UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THEIR COMMUNITY FACILITY DISTRICTS WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT COME INTO PLAY AND THEY'RE ABLE TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR.

AND DISTRICT FIVE, YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF PRESENTING THAT.

I THINK FOR THIS BOARD, THOUGH, IS WE HAVE TO STAY CONSISTENT.

[01:05:04]

WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON. IT WAS THE SAME THING.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SAID, YOU'RE AN INCORPORATED CITY.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING THE FIRE SERVICE.

IT DOESN'T LEAN ON THE COUNTY TO HAVE TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD, AND HERE WE ARE AT THE 11TH HOUR, MAKING THESE DECISIONS.

AND WITH NEW INFORMATION COMING ACROSS, ARE THESE PLANS IN WRITING? THESE GENERAL FUND OBLIGATIONS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE WE'RE AT A $1.3 MILLION SHORTFALL IF WE KEEP BOTH STATIONS OPEN.

AND SO WITH THE 250,000 PLUS THE TAX THAT THEY'RE GETTING, WE'RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THERE.

I JUST OPEN THIS UP FOR CONVERSATION BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEEN A PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE AS WELL.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE COUNTY SUPPLEMENTING ON THE BACK END OF AN INCORPORATED CITY.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. VANESSA ANDERSON, I HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP.

AND MY QUESTION IS TO TO WHERE THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM.

IF WE WERE TO LEAVE THE STATION OPEN AND NOT WELL, IT'S ALREADY SCHEDULED TO BE CLOSED, BUT IF WE CHANGE THAT DIRECTION AS I SEE IT, KIND OF AS AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE ACCORDING TO OUR PLAN.

NOW, WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? YES. SO TO BE CLEAR, WHEN WE'RE I BELIEVE WHAT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WAS MENTIONING IS THAT WHEN IT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE BUDGET UPCOMING THAT THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER FOR THE TEMPORARY SPENDING PLAN FOR JULY 1ST.

WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE, DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY BY THE DEPARTMENT, WAS AN AMOUNT FOR THE STAFFING FOR THE DOS PALOS STATION.

WHERE THAT FUNDING WOULD COME FROM IS THE FIRE FUND.

THEY'RE HELD OUTSIDE THE GENERAL GUND, WE THE BOARD HAS ALREADY TAKEN PREVIOUS ACTION TO COMMIT CERTAIN AMOUNTS FOR THE STATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO REMAIN OPEN AT THE ENHANCED STAFFING LEVEL IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. FOR THE CITIES THAT WERE SLATED TO BE CLOSED, WHERE THIS AMOUNT WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM IS THE FIRE FUND.

IT IS FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, SELF-CONTAINED IN ITS OWN KIND OF ACCOUNT.

IT DOES RECEIVE PROPERTY TAXES TO SUPPORT THE SERVICES.

THE MESSAGING HAS BEEN FROM THE START OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.

THAT'S WHY THE GENERAL FUND HAD COMMITTED A CERTAIN PORTION.

AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, THE FIRE FUND HOLDS ABOUT $12 MILLION IN A RESERVE, BROKEN UP IN DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS.

THERE IS ABOUT A $3 MILLION RAINY DAY FUND TYPICALLY, FOR PERSPECTIVE, THE FIRE FUND IN THE MOST RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN RUNNING ABOUT A $2 MILLION DEFICIT, CLOSING OUT A $2 MILLION DEFICIT.

THERE IS A PORTION SET ASIDE FOR EQUIPMENT NEEDS.

AND THEN THERE IS A PORTION FOR FUTURE FACILITY NEEDS.

AND THERE ARE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS FOR DIFFERENT FACILITIES.

SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO WOULD TAKE BASICALLY THAT 12 MILLION, BRING IT DOWN TO ABOUT $5.5 MILLION, IF IN FACT IT WAS USED AS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE THAT IS UPCOMING FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION.

ANY FUTURE YEARS, IT WOULD THEN LIKELY DRAIN IT TO $2.5 MILLION.

SO THAT TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE, THE UTILIZATION OF THAT FUND BALANCE IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

IT'S ONE TIME MONEY, AND UTILIZING IT FOR ONGOING COSTS WOULD QUICKLY DRAIN FOR A RAINY DAY FUND OR FOR ANY EQUIPMENT PURCHASES OR ANY OTHER FACILITY NEEDS THAT WE MAY NEED IN OUR FIRE STATION FIRE SYSTEM.

DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? WELL, YEAH, BUT IT LEAVES THEN I GUESS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

SO IF THE FIRE FUND IS EXPENDING ALL OF ITS, MONEY NOW HOW COULD THE 1.3 MILLION COME FROM THE FIRE FUND? ONGOING? RIGHT. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT THE FIRE FUND.

BUT YOU SAID IT WOULD COME FROM THE FIRE FUND. SO IN THIS SITUATION, FOR THIS ONE YEAR.

YES, IT WOULD COME FROM THE FIRE FUND. WHAT IT WOULD QUICKLY DO IS EXHAUST THAT ONE TIME MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SET ASIDE.

ESSENTIALLY, A SAVINGS ACCOUNT FUND BALANCE IS SIMILAR TO A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.

SO YOU'RE UTILIZING THE SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO PAY FOR ONGOING BILLS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, A MORTGAGE BILL, A UTILITY BILL. RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ONGOING.

THAT WOULD QUICKLY EXHAUST BECAUSE THE FUND BALANCE IS ONE TIME MONEY.

SO THEN WE'VE DISCUSSED WORKING WITH THE COUNTY OF MADERA AND BUILDING A NEW STATION OUT AT THE ONE NEAR 152.

AND AND WE NEED TO BUY FIRE EQUIPMENT, RIGHT, TO REPLACE THE AGING EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE.

SO I'M REALLY FINDING IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW HOW THE FIRE FUND COULD PAY FOR ALL OF THAT,

[01:10:08]

CORRECT. SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE POLICY DECISION.

IF THE BOARD IN FACT SAID GENERAL FUND, IF THE BOARD WAS INCLINED TO CONSIDER GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS, IT WOULD HAVE TO COME AT THE EXPENSE OF SOMETHING ELSE IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE HAVE OTHERWISE COVERED FOR WHETHER IT'S LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, WHETHER IT'S FACILITY NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S ANY OPERATIONAL COSTS.

THE FIRE FUND, AGAIN, IS ITS OWN, SO IT RECEIVES ITS OWN INFLOW OF PROPERTY TAXES.

SO IN STRONGER YEARS, MAYBE THEY HADN'T CLOSED OUT IN A DEFICIT.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN RECENT YEARS IS THAT IT DOES, IT HAS BEEN SHOWING A DEFICIT IN CLOSING OUT AND UTILIZING TO SOME DEGREE THAT FUND BALANCE. SO I THINK I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, BUT IT CANNOT SUSTAIN IT.

YES. IN THE FIRE FUND IN ITS BUCKET ITSELF. THANK YOU.

SO THEN THAT WOULD MAKE THIS. LEAVING A STATION OPEN THEN WOULD REALLY BE A BUDGETARY CONSTRAINT ON OUR GENERAL FUND, NOT NECESSARILY THE FIRE FUND. SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO TO SUPERVISOR PACHECO AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO YOU, SUPERVISOR PACHECO. YEAH, JUST I HATE TO HAVE MYSELF IN THIS POSITION CALLING CLOSING FIRE STATION S.

I MEAN, I'M A PUBLIC SAFETY GUY, AND THAT'S THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO.

WE WERE JUST IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WITH OUR DOS PALOS PARTNERS MEETING WITH OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATORS ABOUT TRYING TO GET GRANTS TO KEEP OUR FIRE STATION S OPEN.

AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO TELL THEM THAT WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE ALREADY HAD TO CLOSE SOME. SO IT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION. BUT I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR ONE OF OUR FIRE CHIEFS. IF THIS STATION CLOSED, IF WE EVER WANTED TO REOPEN IT, WOULD WE STAY AT THAT SAME 2.0 WOULD YOU HAVE TO IF WE OPEN IT, WOULD IT BE NEW STAFFING LEVELS? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR MERCED COUNTY FIRE.

THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE WILL WORK WITH CHIEF TRINDADE AND THE STATE SIDE TO DETERMINE THAT AT A LATER DATE WHEN THAT COMES ABOUT AGAIN.

BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY TRY TO SUPPORT THE COUNTY AS BEST WE CAN.

BUT AGAIN, THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE'LL HAVE AT THE STATE LEVEL.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YEAH. AND I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE YOU, COLLEAGUE, FOR ASKING THAT. BUT IT'S THAT'S THE CHALLENGE WITH IT IS THAT IT IS NOT A NO, IT ISN'T A HEY.

NO, YOU KNOW WHAT? BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAD IT OPEN. WE CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT YOU CAN BRING IT BACK WITH A 2.0 STAFFING.

CAL FIRE'S CURRENT LIMITATIONS ARE, ANY NEW STATION THAT OPENS WILL BE STAFFED 3.0, THAT IS THAT IS WHAT THEIR RULE IS.

NOW, I DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT WHAT CHIEF TRINDADE, CHIEF PIMENTEL, CHIEF VAN LOBEN SELS, THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ADVOCATING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BRING IT BACK AT A 2.0 STAFFING LEVEL, BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE ON IT. AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS, I GET LIVINGSTON AND WE CAN'T SAY THAT WE'RE NOT SUBSIDIZING CITY FIRES BECAUSE WE ARE THE CITY OF GUSTINE'S, FULLY WE'RE SUBSIDIZING THEIRS.

THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON, IT'S LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES.

THEY'RE A COMMUNITY OF 15,000. WHAT DOS PALOS IS TRYING TO DO IS BE ABLE TO GROW TO A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN SUSTAIN THEIR OWN CITY FIRE SERVICE. THEY'RE NOT THERE YET. WE'RE ASKING TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT, AND WE HAVE DONE IT.

WE'VE DONE IT FOREVER. UNTIL JUST RECENTLY, WE'VE SUBSIDIZED THE CITY OF AUGUSTINE'S, THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, AND THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON. NOW, AS THE RESOURCES ARE GETTING CONSTRAINED.

WE ARE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION 20 YEARS AGO, IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN BUILD INTO YOUR PLAN.

WELL, WE'RE KIND OF AT THIS POINT NOW BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING REQUIREMENTS.

WE'RE FORCED INTO THIS SITUATION, AND I THINK IT'S WORTH THE INVESTMENT INTO THE CITY OF DOS PALOS TO HELP US GET THERE.

AND IT IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH IS HAVING TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

AND AND THERE ARE, WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH IS PICKING LOSERS.

THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY TO DO ALL THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO, AND WE GOT TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT, AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT AT WHAT COST TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT COMES OUT OF OUR, YOU KNOW, $200 MILLION ISH OF DISCRETIONARY MONEY THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE DISCRETION OVER HOW WE WANT TO SPEND IT.

I THINK IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE TASKED WITH IS TO PROVIDE THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I'M COMMITTED TO DOING AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO DOING.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. OH, GO AHEAD CHIEF. OH, SORRY.

I JUST WANT TO ADD A COUPLE OF DETAILS AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL PIECE OF IT.

AS YOU LOOK AND AS WE AS WE ALWAYS BUDGET FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND WHAT WE DID WITH MY FINANCE DIRECTOR MR. QUICK, IS WE LOOKED AT WAYS OF KEEPING THE STATION OPEN.

I'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE TIME OF CLOSING TWO STATIONS.

I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A THIRD, BUT OBVIOUSLY I UNDERSTAND THE DECISION THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE TODAY.

WE LOOK AT THINGS AS LIKE WE HAD 20 STATIONS.

MYSELF AND CHIEF VAN LOBEN SELS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO COME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT PLAN FOR ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT FOR A 20 YEAR PLAN.

[01:15:06]

SO THAT ALLOWS ME TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THAT 20 YEAR PLAN.

WHEN WE DON'T BUY A FIRE ENGINE, THAT'S SAVING US $1 MILLION.

WE START LOOKING AT STUFF THAT WE DID AS WELL IN OUR TRAINING WORLD.

AND ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO, WE WERE GENERATING APPROXIMATELY ABOUT $40,000 IN REVENUE FOR OUR TRAINING THAT WE'RE DOING.

WE'RE UPWARDS TO ABOUT $300,000 NOW, AND WE HAVE NEW AGREEMENTS THAT YOU GUYS SUPPORTED WITH FRESNO CITY COLLEGE AND LOOKING TO GENERATE EVEN MORE REVENUE.

THE HELICOPTER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, THAT'S GOING TO ALSO GENERATE SOME REVENUE.

SO WE ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO GENERATE REVENUE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE SERVICE TO THE AREAS THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH.

AND WE LOOK TO WORK WITH YOU AS THE BOARD AND OUR FINANCE PIECE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KIND OF STAYING WITHIN OUR BUDGET.

I GET IT, IT'S ONE YEAR. IT'S WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY FOR SURE, BUT MOVING FORWARD, WE ARE TRYING TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY TO SUPPORT THESE STATIONS AS THEY CURRENTLY SIT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU.

JUST A QUICK POINT TO THAT, AND I RECOGNIZE THE FACT AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING TO GENERATE REVENUE.

BUT THE FOCUS IS TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, NOT JUST THIS AREA.

AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, WE SAVE THIS MUCH MONEY, WE SAVE THIS MUCH MONEY. WELL, SO ARE WE JUST GOING TO PUT IT ALL IN ONE BUCKET OR IS IT JUST GOING TO GO ALL TO THE COUNTY.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GENERATE THIS REVENUE AND WE CAN GO OVER THERE AND PUT IT OVER THERE SO THAT THAT WAY THEY CAN STAY OPEN AS OPPOSED TO THE COUNTY FIRE SYSTEM. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL . THANK YOU. AND A POINT WELL MADE.

WHEN I WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL IN COLLEGE, I DIDN'T GO OUT AND BUY A LAMBORGHINI BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO MAKE THE NBA. BUT JUST SAYING, I DID A FULL ANALYSIS ON THIS ON THESE TWO STATIONS.

ARGUMENTS FOR KEEPING STATION 75 AT THE DOS PALOS Y STRATEGIC LOCATION HIGHWAY 152 HIGHWAY 33.

REGIONAL COVERAGE R APID DEPLOYMENT. RURAL OUTLYING AREAS.

ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION ROUTES CENTRALLY LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE FOR REGIONAL RESPONSE, MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE.

AVOIDS DUPLICATION WITH CITY SERVICES. FOR THE STATION 76 IN DOWNTOWN DOS PALOS LARGER POPULATION SERVED, MORE DENSITY, URBAN RESPONSE ADVANTAGE, QUICKER RESPONDS TO STRUCTURE FIRES, MEDICAL CALLS AND EMERGENCIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS, CIVIC INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC STRENGTHENING, PUBLIC SAFETY, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION. PUBLIC VISIBILITY AND SUPPORT, 77% APPROVAL ON MEASURE S, EQUITY OF TAX FUNDING, CITY VOTERS FUNDED LOCAL FIRE PROTECTION VIA THE MEASURE S, OPERATIONAL AND FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS.

MEASURE G, I'M GIVING YOU $300,000 ANNUALLY, KNOWING THAT FOLKS ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SPEND IN THEIR AREA.

CONSOLIDATION OF MANDATED BY COUNTY. COUNTY HAS VOTED FOR ONE STATION TO MEET THE STATE STAFFING MANDATES AND STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.

POTENTIAL FOR VOLUNTEER AND SATELLITE UNIT. BUT MY RECOMMENDATION AFTER LOOKING AT ALL THIS AND I HATE DOING IT AT THE 11TH HOUR.

I FEEL THAT STATION 76 IN DOWNTOWN DOS PALOS IS FAVORED DUE TO HIGHER POPULATION DENSITY, FASTER EXIT ACCESS TO URBAN AGENCIES, AND A STRONG COMMUNITY BUY IN AND FUNDING IN MEASURE S.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD BOTH OF THEM, IF WE HAVE TO PICK ONE, I THINK THE DOWNTOWN IS A WAY TO DO IT, BUT STATION 75V COULD REMAIN AN IMPORTANT SECONDARY SITE OR SUBSTATION IF LOGISTICS, MUTUAL AID NEEDS OR HIGHWAY RELATED EMERGENCIES REMAIN A CONCERN.

THAT'S WHAT I'M PUTTING OUT THERE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU KNOW ASSISTANT CHIEF PIMENTEL, I APPRECIATE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THAT I FEEL LIKE YOU AND, YOU KNOW, CHIEF VAN LOBEN SELS AND CHIEF TRINDADE HAVE MADE TO HELP MERCED COUNTY GAIN INCOME FROM CAL FIRE AND FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. YOU KNOW, FOR SEVEN YEARS SINCE GOVERNOR BROWN GAVE THE 20% RAISE TO CAL FIRE FIREMAN, I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT OUR FIRE SYSTEM IS HEADED TO BE BROKE AND OUR FIRE FUND AND YOU KNOW, SO WHAT I'VE BEEN FEELING IS THAT THE EFFORTS YOU AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN MAKING WILL HELP US HAVE OUR FIRE FUNDS STAY SOLVENT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY IN THERE TO KEEP AN EXTRA STATION OPEN.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DISCOUNT WHAT THE WORK YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VALUABLE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I MEAN THAT SINCERELY. HOWEVER YOU KNOW, TWO STATIONS, WE'VE CLOSED TWO, WE REALLY VOTED TO CLOSE THIS

[01:20:08]

AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE FOLKS IN DOS PALOS PASSION, THEIR SAFETY MEASURE, PROVIDING SOME FUNDING.

BUT I COULD GO, I GUESS, EITHER WAY. I WILL DEFER TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WHETHER IT'S STATION 75 OR 76 GETS CLOSED. BUT I THINK THAT THAT YOU KNOW, THE STATION 75, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY HERE IN ANOTHER 2 OR 3 YEARS, WE'LL HAVE A STATION JUST DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO COVER THAT AREA.

YOU KNOW, BUT I'LL DEFER TO TO YOUR DIRECTION ON THAT IF YOU WANT TO PICK ONE.

IF NOT, THEN THEN I GUESS WE STAY THE COURSE.

THANK YOU. OKAY. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S.

BOTH OF THEM ARE CRAPPY OPTIONS, REALLY. AND THAT'S THE PART OF IT, AND I DON'T LIKE THAT.

IT'S THE 11TH HOUR TALKING ABOUT CLOSING 76. A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, BECAUSE THAT WAS NEVER THE DISCUSSION.

AND TO THROW IT ON, THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS THERE, AND THEN JUST TO MENTION ON THE PART ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF A VOLUNTEER STATION, IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT YET, THE WAY OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING AWAY.

WHEN I STARTED IN 96, LITERALLY, IF YOU HAD A HEARTBEAT AND YOU COULD, YOU'RE 18 YEARS OLD AND YOU HAD A GED OR A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO BECOMING A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN IS WHETHER THE COMPANY THAT YOU WANTED TO JOIN WANTED YOU OR NOT, AND AT THAT TIME THOSE PLACES HAD WAITING LISTS OF FOLKS TO GET IN.

AND AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND IT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I GOT HERE, I'LL TELL YOU THE STORY IS I MADE IT THROUGH THE COMPANY INTERVIEW, I WENT DOWN HERE TO THE OLD COUNTY HEALTH BUILDING.

I DID A PHYSICAL THAT WHICH, I MEAN, IT WAS EASIER THAN MY PHYSICAL FOR PLAYING SPORTS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

IT'S LIKE, COUGH. OKAY. YOU'RE GOOD. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT STATION 81.

THEY GO AND THEY OUTFIT YOU WITH GEAR. AND AT THAT TIME, IF YOU WERE THE NEW GUY, YOU GOT THE OLDEST RANKEST GEAR THAT THEY HAD IN THERE.

THEY GAVE YOU A HELMET WITH AN R ON YOUR ON IT THAT STOOD FOR ROOKIE.

YOU WENT BACK TO THE STATION. YOU DID FOUR HOURS OF STATION ORIENTATION.

I HAD THE BENEFIT OF DOING MANY, MANY DAYS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE DOWN THERE.

SO I ALREADY HAD THAT PART DIALED IN. AND THEN I SAID, HERE'S YOUR PAGER.

I'LL SEE YOU ON THE NEXT CALL. YOU HAVE A YEAR TO GET YOUR BASIC SKILLS AND PUBLIC SAFETY, CPR AND FIRST AID DONE, AND HAZMAT FIRST RESPONDER.

AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BACK THEN IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET A HAZMAT CLASS TOGETHER, SO YOU'RE GOOD.

BUT WHEN THE NEXT ONE COMES UP, YOU HAVE TO GO TAKE IT.

NOW TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN, YOU'RE TRAINED AT THE LEVEL OF EVERY ONE OF THOSE FIREMEN THAT ARE SITTING ON A CAL FIRE ENGINE FOR LIABILITY REASONS.

SO THE DAYS OF GETTING JUST THE THE RESIDENT THAT WANTED TO BE JUST TO HELP OUT THEIR COMMUNITY, THERE'S THERE'S SO MUCH TRAINING AND SO MUCH THAT IS INVOLVED IN IT ON THE FRONT END BEFORE THEY EVER EVEN GET TO SEE A CALL THAT THEY'RE JUST THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GETTING, ARE THE ONES THAT WANT TO MAKE A CAREER OUT OF IT. IT'S JUST A QUICKER STEP INTO A CAREER OUT OF IT. SO THE THE IDEA THAT MAYBE IT COULD BE A VOLUNTEER STATION OR WHATEVER, THAT GETS CHALLENGING. THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, I JUST TALKED TO DEWAYNE HERE IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.

YOU HAVE FOUR VOLUNTEERS, RIGHT? AND YEAH, THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD VOLUNTEERS.

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND THERE A LONG TIME, BUT IT JUST IT REALLY IS FRUSTRATING.

AND I THINK IT JUST REALLY COMES DOWN TO, ARE WE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS? I THINK IT'S UNFAIR THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT SQUARE MILES THAT'S COVERED HOW MANY STATIONS WE HAVE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY? THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY GETS PUNISHED. AND I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT PERSON. I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IMAGINARY WALL THAT IS THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, ONE OF MY GOALS AND TASKS WHEN I CAME HERE AS A COUNTY SUPERVISOR WAS TO ELIMINATE THAT IMAGINARY WALL.

AND THEN REALLY, IF WE'RE GOING TO IF THE ROUTE OF THIS BOARD IS, IS THAT THEY WANT TO CLOSE THIS STATION BECAUSE THE CITY OF DOS PALOS ISN'T PROVIDING ITS FAIR SHARE OF FUNDING, I WANT ON AN AGENDA SOON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE CITY OF AUGUSTINE, BECAUSE THEY ARE PAYING NOTHING RIGHT NOW. AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO IF WE'RE JUST GOING TO TREAT EVERYBODY EQUAL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES. WE'RE GOING TO SAY THEY'RE ALL APPLES. WE ARE SUBSIDIZING THE CITY OF AUGUSTINE'S FIRE SERVICE 100% TODAY.

AND THE REASON THAT THEY HAVE THE LUXURY OF THIS NOT BEING UP FOR CONSIDERATION IS JUST GEOGRAPHICALLY.

THE COUNTY STILL NEEDS TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO JUST A COUPLE QUICK THOUGHTS.

YOU KNOW, WE, THIS BOARD HAS DONE THIS QUITE A BIT WHERE WE PROVIDE DIRECTION.

AND THEN WE PUT A PAUSE. AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF REASSESS AND CHECK IN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. CLOSING FIRE STATION S ARE NOT FUN.

I HAD TO CLOSE ONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND TO YOUR POINT, ALSO, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, YOU KNOW,

[01:25:01]

I HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT, TOO, YOU KNOW, AND SO NOT JUST FOR THE STATION 85, BUT OF ALL OF MERCED COUNTY.

AND WHEN I'M HEARING THIS, YOU KNOW, TODAY I'M LOOKING AT, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE.

IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR BUDGET, I'M SORRY, AT OUR AND I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF COMPARING COMPARING DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUT IN HSA TODAY AND A BUNCH OF THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS, WE JUST VOTED AND THESE ARE SUBVENTED DEPARTMENTS LIKE $2 MILLION, CLOSE TO $2 MILLION IN THINGS THAT WE VOTED ON.

THIS WAS SUBVENTED THROUGH FEDERAL AND STATE MONIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR LOWEST, OUR MOST POOREST PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY.

WITH ALL THE TALKS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE NOW IN WASHINGTON, DC AND IN SACRAMENTO ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CUTS TO THESE PROGRAMS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT GAP TO FILL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE MANDATED THAT WE HAVE TO DO.

AND SO THAT'S A BIG ISSUE FOR ME. I DON'T THINK THAT I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING TO SAY WE HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE.

AGAIN, WE HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR A YEAR, NOT SUSTAINABLE, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION COME BACK IN A YEAR WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS ALL OVER AGAIN. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE CITY OF DOS PALOS HAS REALLY WORKED HARD TO WORK WITH US.

AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A STEP BY STEP APPROACH AS IT COMES TO DEVELOPING DEVELOPMENT, BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEES THAT ANYTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT TWO, THREE, 4 OR 5 YEARS.

I MEAN, WE THINK THAT THERE IS. WE CAN THINK, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT REALITY AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGET.

SO I MEAN, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS WHAT MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT THREE. IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE ONE OF THEM, WHICH I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY MADE THE DECISION TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE 75 AND KEEP 76 OPEN.

AND THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION. AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR KNOWING MY DISTRICT BETTER THAN THAN I DO MYSELF.

I GUESS BECAUSE THAT'S I WOULD NEVER DO THAT.

AND AND QUITE HONESTLY. I'M NOT EVEN THAT. IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING TO MAKE THAT DECISION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S IN MY DISTRICT TO CLOSE ONE VERSUS THE OTHER. THAT HASN'T BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION UNTIL RECENTLY.

LIKE AS IN, I JUST STARTED HEARING ABOUT THIS PROBABLY A WEEK AGO.

THAT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING. I STILL REPRESENT ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN AND AROUND THE DOS PALOS AREA, IN AND AROUND THE DOS PALOS AREA. IF ANYTHING, THAT DECISION SHOULD BE POSTPONED TO HAVE SOME MORE TIME TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT.

THAT'S IT'S TERRIBLE TO PUT ME IN A POSITION TO, I CAN JUST TELL YOU I WOULD VOTE NO ON ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS.

BUT REALLY, TO PUT ME IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU GUYS ARE MAKING THE DECISION THAT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON IN MY DISTRICT WITHOUT THERE BEING A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO VET THIS OUT AND FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE REASONS I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FROM CHIEF PIMENTEL OR CHIEF TRINDADE ON WHEN THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION WAS TO CLOSE DOS PALOS.

WHY WERE THOSE REASONS? I DON'T KNOW. HAS ANY OF YOU GUYS HEARD THOSE REASONS AS TO WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE? THE REASON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE FROM I KNOW IT'S JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, AND PROBABLY I CAN, I'M SMART ENOUGH TO READ THE TEA LEAVES HERE.

BUT IT'S KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT HERE TO AN INEVITABLE SITUATION WHERE A STATION IS GOING TO CLOSE.

BUT I WOULD I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THAT STUFF INTO CONSIDERATION.

THAT. YEAH. OH, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND SCOTT, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHY CAL FIRE RECOMMENDED THAT EITHER, BECAUSE FOR ME, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT LOGISTICS AND THE AMOUNT OF CALLS AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS THREE TIMES AS MANY CALLS OUT OF THE CITY OF DOS PALOS STATION.

IT JUST MADE MORE SENSE TO ME. AND THE POPULATION CLUSTER WAS HIGHER.

AND THAT'S WHY. AND BECAUSE OF THE BROWN ACT, WE ALL CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL WE'RE OUT HERE ON THE ON THE DAIS.

AND SO WHEN I'M MEETING WITH STAFF, THAT WAS MY, I KEPT BRINGING THAT UP, GOING, WELL JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND THE LOGISTICS OF THIS, WHY IS IT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO CLOSE DOS PALOS WHEN THEY HAVE THREE TIMES AS MANY CALLS AS THE OTHER STATION? THAT'S THAT'S WHY IT'S COME OUT TODAY IN MY DISCUSSION, JUST BECAUSE OF THE BROWN ACT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR.

[01:30:01]

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. AND YOU MENTIONED IT YOURSELF. THE REASON IS, IT'S NEAR A POPULATION CENTER.

THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE CALLS IN A POPULATION CENTER THAN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS.

I JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS TALK YEARS AGO THAT IF YOU'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT, WHAT MADE SENSE IS, IS YOU CLOSE 76 AND 75 AND YOU BUILD A NEW STATION AT EUCALYPTUS THAT SERVICES THE AREA BETTER.

SAME THING WITH PLANADA AND LE GRAND. THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON.

NEITHER ONE OF THOSE STATIONS ALONE JUSTIFIES FOR THE AMOUNT OF CALLS THEY HAVE, WHERE YOU REALLY SHOULD PLOP A STATION RIGHT IN BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM AND HAVE IT RESPOND OUT OF THERE. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO BE EFFICIENT, THERE'S PLENTY OF THEM OUT THERE. SO YEAH, I HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING. YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO. I'VE SAID WHAT I NEEDED TO SAY.

I JUST WANT TO KNOW. LET MY RESIDENTS IN THE DOS PALOS AREA, ALL OF THEM.

WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE INCORPORATED CITY OF DOS PALOS, WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF SOUTH DOS PALOS, MIDWAY, DOS PALOS Y , I REALLY, TRULY GAVE THIS EVERYTHING THAT I POSSIBLY CAN GIVE IT TO TRY TO BE ABLE TO COME TO A SOLUTION.

YES. THERE'S MONEY IN THERE. THERE'S $6 MILLION SITTING IN THERE.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND TO BUILD A FIRE STATION IN EL NIDO.

THERE IS RESOURCES THERE TO BUY SOME TIME TO, TO SEE IF DOS PALOS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET, AND IF THEY CAN'T GET THERE, THEN AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION WITH OURSELVES AND SAY, HEY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE, WE CAN'T SUSTAIN THIS. VANESSA MADE THAT CLEAR THAT ONGOING THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY IN DOS PALOS THAT IS COMMITTING TO US, HAS SAID IT PUBLICLY, HAS A WATER TREATMENT PLANT COMING ON BOARD ONCE THE ANNEX PROPERTY ONCE HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME, HAS COMMUNITY FACILITY DISTRICTS IN ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT NUMBER.

BUT IF WE CLOSE THEIR STATION, IT BASICALLY TAKES THEIR LEGS OUT FROM UNDER THEM.

I'VE TALKED TO BILL NICHOLSON AT LAFCO. IS IT IMPOSSIBLE? NO, BUT IT MAKES IT REALLY, REALLY HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YEAH. ON THE FIRE STUDY THAT THAT EVALUATED 76 AND 75, I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST THE LOCATION NEAR 152 THAT HAD THAT STUDY SAY THAT THE DOS PALOS STATION SHOULD CLOSE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE WAY MY RECOLLECTION AND I GUESS WE'LL ALL HAVE TIME TO GO LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

THIS IS YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT AN EASY DECISION.

EITHER WAY I WILL POINT OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, AUGUSTINE BEING KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOGICALLY PLACED IN A SPOT WHERE THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE OTHER SERVICES SO WE NEED SERVICES IN THAT AREA. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUGUSTINE HAS A CHIEF, THEY HAVE ABOUT 20 TO 25 VOLUNTEERS.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE STEPPED UP IN THEIR OWN RIGHT TO, TO BE BENEFICIAL TO THE SYSTEM AND I THINK BENEFICIAL BENEFICIAL TO THE COUNTY.

FOR EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN UP HERE ADVOCATING FOR A STRONGER PAID FOR CALL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT WANT TO BE A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITIES FIRE SAFETY TO BE THAT.

I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE RIGORS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH HAS HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT STEPPING UP.

AND I THOUGHT WE WERE KIND OF ON A PATH TO WHERE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A TWO STEP PAID FOR CALL SYSTEM.

THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU KNOW, FOLKS TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAINING AND BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE MAYBE NOT FULLY, MAYBE NOT CARRY A HOSE INTO A BURNING HOUSE, BUT BE ABLE TO YOU KNOW, SHOW UP TO A LOT OF THE CALLS.

KIND OF DISAPPOINTED THAT WE'RE NOT HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION ANYMORE, OR DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE ARE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED.

YOU KNOW, CONSOLIDATION OF STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

B UT IT COSTS MONEY TO CONSOLIDATE AS WELL, AND I WOULD RATHER SEE A PORTION OF THAT 12 MILLION BE SPENT CONSOLIDATING THAN ON ONGOING EXPENSES, BECAUSE DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT WHERE OUR FIRE FUND IS NOT CAPABLE OF PROVIDING FOR ALL THE EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE. SO BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO CLOSE THE STATION, AND, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU.

I GET THAT. AND I KNOW IT'S TERRIBLE. I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT.

BUT I'LL JUST STOP TALKING. SUPERVISOR PACHECO, FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID LE GRAND PLANADA GET DRAGGED INTO THIS NOW? AND I, YOU KNOW, AS A DEPUTY SHERIFF, I WORKED AT THE SOUTH DOS PALOS AREA.

[01:35:06]

AND YOU'RE DRAGGING OR GETTING A FIRE STATION AWAY FROM THEM.

I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. AND AGAIN, I JUST I DON'T KNOW IF THE THE CHIEF CAN MAYBE GIVE US A ONE WORD ANSWER.

I KNOW LLOYD DID IT IS JUST BEING CLOSE TO 152.

IS THAT THE ONLY ONE OF THE ONLY REASONS THAT THAT THAT STATION IS IS CLOSING? PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE LOOKED AT ALL THE ASPECTS.

THE LAST ONE ON THE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK WAS THIS ONE THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU? YEAH. WE LOOKED AT ACCESSIBILITY. WHERE IT IS AT, WHERE IT'S GENERALLY LOCATED, HOW IT CAN SERVE THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE AND NOT JUST ONE LOCATION. SO AS IT CAME DOWN TO IT, AND THOSE DISCUSSIONS WERE ABOUT CONSOLIDATING BUILDING STATIONS, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON EL NIDO'S BUILD FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND TAKE SOME TIME.

SO BUT YEAH, IT WAS GENERALLY WHERE IT'S LOCATED, HOW IT ACCESSES EVERY AREA WITHIN THE COUNTY AND SERVES THOSE AREAS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE DETERMINATION CAME FROM. AND THE ACTUALLY THE PROXIMITY OF THE TWO STATIONS TOGETHER ACTUALLY ASSISTED AS WELL. AND THEN HAVING THAT ONE STATION BE IN AN INCORPORATED CITY WAS THAT DISCUSSION WITH THOSE INCORPORATED CITIES THAT CAME NET TO ARISE.

WE TALKED ABOUT AUGUSTINE. WE TALKED ABOUT LIVINGSTON. WE TALKED ABOUT DOS PALOS AS WELL.

AND THEN GO BACK TO IS SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, WE DO HAVE A TIER PROGRAM WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS, WE DO HAVE AN EMS PROGRAM, LESSER TRAINING THAT ALLOWS THEM TO. AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE THE FULL FIREFIGHTER CAPABILITIES.

SO WE DO HAVE THAT TIER PROGRAM CURRENTLY GOING ON.

IT'S AGAIN IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS NOW.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. JUST ONE FINAL PARTING COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WE CLOSE CRESSEY AND MCKEE BECAUSE THEY MADE SENSE. AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO THE LATE 90S, EARLY 2000 THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT CLOSING THOSE STATIONS.

THAT WASN'T NEW. THAT WAS JUST GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED.

IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE IF YOU HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO SLIM DOWN SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU'RE EXPANDING.

THOSE TWO MADE SENSE. THE OTHER THREE WITH LIVINGSTON AND DOS PALOS AND AUGUSTINE HASN'T BEEN A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT REALLY IT WAS TO GET THEM TO THE TABLE. IT WAS OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT GETTING THESE CITIES, THESE INCORPORATED CITIES TO THE TABLE TO START COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE.

I THINK THAT HAD MORE TO DO WITH IT THAN WHY IS 76 OR 75 BETTER? IT'S 76 DOS PALOS IS ITS OWN INCORPORATED COMMUNITY AND DOES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP PROVIDE FOR FOR THAT SERVICE.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS STARTED.

SUPERVISOR PACHECO, I KNOW YOU WERE. I JUST WANTED A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT.

JUST I APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY OF DOS PALOS AND THEIR CITIZENS DID VOTE AND HAVE AN ELECTION, AND THEY VOTED TO KEEP THEIR FIRE STATION , OR AT LEAST PAY EXTRA TO HAVE THEIR FIRE STATION THERE.

SO, I MEAN, THAT IS A CONSIDERATION. BECAUSE THEY DID IT, THEY GOT IT PASSED.

AND THEN NOW HERE WE ARE. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

YEAH. OH, YEAH. WELL, I JUST A LITTLE BIT OF I JUST WANT TO AIR THIS, I GUESS, NOT.

IT'S NOT A PERSONAL GRIEVANCE, BUT JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW GROWTH WORKS.

YOU KNOW THIS, THE COMMUNITY OF DELHI WOULD LOVE TO BE INCORPORATED.

AND THE WHOLE TIME THAT I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN THE BEGINNING, THAT'S ALL THEY THEY TALKED ABOUT.

AND SO WHEN I GET INTO OFFICE, I REALIZED THAT THE COUNTY HAD DONE A STUDY A TAX STUDY AND, AND BASICALLY SHOWED THAT EVEN A COMMUNITY OF 10,000 PEOPLE COULDN'T BE SELF-FUNDING.

AND YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME YOU DO, YOU PAY FOR YOUR CITY COUNCIL, YOU PAY FOR YOUR POLICE CHIEF, YOU PAY FOR YOUR FIRE. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT ON THESE SMALLER COMMUNITIES.

AND THE THING THAT I DID LEARN WAS THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, BUT IT'S THE SALES TAX GENERATION. AND YOU KNOW, THE UNFORTUNATE PART FOR THE CITY OF DOS PALOS IS YOU'RE NOT ON THE HIGHWAY.

AND SO GENERATING, YOU KNOW, HAVING A HAVING A LARGE BOX STORE OR SOMEBODY COME TO TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW , A TRUCK STOP TO GENERATE EXTRA DOLLARS COMPARED TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE IS JUST PRETTY SLIM.

AND SO BETTING ON THE COME WITH DOS PALOS. I MEAN, I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S HERE AND THE CITY MANAGER, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, RAIN ON YOUR PARADE BECAUSE FOR YOU BEING SUCCESSFUL.

HOWEVER, JUST THE DOLLARS THAT IS GOING TO MAKE THIS WORK DOWN THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, AND JUST HAVING MORE RESIDENCES DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK.

AND IF IT DID, IT WOULD BE FIVE, TEN, 15 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S JUST A HARSH REALITY THAT I SEE.

OKAY, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LET US INTERIM CEO HENDRICKSON SAY SOME A COUPLE THINGS.

[01:40:02]

THE BOARD HAS TWO PRIMARY CHOICES. ONE DOES IT REAFFIRM ITS POLICY DIRECTION TO CONSOLIDATE STATION 76 INTO, FROM THE CITY OF DOS PALOS WITH STATION 75 IN THE WYE, OR DOES THIS BOARD PIVOT AND CHANGE NOW AGAIN, AS WAS STATED IN THE ASSISTANT CEO'S COMMENTS, SHOULD THE BOARD REAFFIRM THIS PRIOR POLICY DIRECTION, THAT CONSOLIDATION WOULD TAKE PLACE AT JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, THOUGH, JUST TO TO MAYBE REHASH SOME SOME QUICK STATS? BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE SALIENT. THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL REPORT DOES INDICATE THAT THERE WERE 1114 RESPONSES GENERATED FROM STATION 76, AND OF THOSE, 54% WERE DERIVED SOLELY FROM WITHIN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS, 46% WERE NOT.

PUT A FURTHER PERSPECTIVE, 68.3% WERE MEDICAL AID.

NOW, THE STAFFING COSTS, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IS APPROXIMATELY $1.5 MILLION ANNUALLY.

BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY ADD PROBABLY ONE ADDITIONAL POINT IS WE PROBABLY NEED TO ANTICIPATE ANTICIPATE ESCALATIONS OF APPROXIMATELY 5% EACH YEAR DUE TO LABOR COSTS COMING OUT OF SACRAMENTO. ULTIMATELY, AS HAS BEEN STATED HERE MULTIPLE TIMES, THIS IS A QUESTION OF LONG TERM BUDGET SUSTAINABILITY.

NOW, THE BEST OPTION, OF COURSE, IS FOR A GREATER CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY TO SUPPORT THE STAFFING AND OPERATIONAL COSTS OF STATION 76 IN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS.

IN THIS REGARD, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT, THOUGH, TO ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGE CITY MANAGER DEWAYNE JONES.

HE AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST WEEK TO BRAINSTORM THIS ISSUE, AND I AGAIN WANT TO SAY THANKS TO HIM AND HIS TEAM.

NOW, AGAIN, IF THE PRIOR MENTIONED 54% WAS THE CHOSEN BENCHMARK FOR THE CITY TO PAY ITS PROPORTIONAL FAIR SHARE, THAT WOULD EQUATE TO AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT OF ABOUT $810,000.

AGAIN, TO GET TO THAT 2.0 STAFFING, 3.0 FACTOR STAFFING MODEL.

NOW, DESPITE THE CITY PASSING ITS SALES TAX MEASURE EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO GENERATE IN EXCESS OF $200,000 ANNUALLY, THE CITY IS CURRENTLY NOT POSITIONED TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THE STAFFING AND OPERATIONS OF 76, AND THERE IN LIES THIS BOARD'S CHALLENGE. NOW THE CITY, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED AND SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA JUST MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, DOES HAVE A LONG TERM STRATEGY WHICH IS TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THROUGH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

NOW, THAT SAID, THAT WILL LIKELY NOT TAKE PLACE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 24 TO 36 MONTHS.

AND IT'S ALSO BE MINDFUL THAT THERE IS ALSO A LAG TO REALIZE THE SALES TAX REVENUE THAT WAS PASSED BY THE CITY OF APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS.

SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AGAIN, UNLESS THE BOARD ELECTS TO PIVOT, STATION 76 WOULD CONSOLIDATE WITH 75 IN JUNE.

AND TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, AS OUR TEAM WILL BE WORKING WITH CAL FIRE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT MONTH TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU DO HAVE, AS I SEE IT, YOU'VE GOT FOUR OPTIONS, ONE OF WHICH OBVIOUSLY WAS MENTIONED TODAY. AND I'LL JUST RECAP FOR YOU.

ONE IS TO BUY ADDITIONAL TIME. YOU KNOW THE COUNTY UNDER THAT MODEL WOULD CONTINUE TO SUBSIDIZE, BUT FUNDING, AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE DEPUTY CEO, IS SIMPLY JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG HAUL.

TWO. AGAIN, THE BEST OPTION IS FOR THE CITY TO TO CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN WHAT IT HAS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

THE REALITY IS THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME TO STAIR STEP UP OVER TIME AGAIN TO REALIZE THAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, AS SUPERVISOR PAREIRA JUST MENTIONED, MAY OR MAY NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

THERE WAS A SUGGESTION EARLIER TODAY, OR A QUESTION RATHER ABOUT CLOSING NOW AND REOPENING LATER.

AGAIN, I THINK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED THAT AS, THAT COULD HAPPEN.

BUT THERE'S SOME RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AS YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE INCREASED STAFFING REQUIREMENTS IN EXCESS OF THE TWO STAFFING AND THREE FACTOR MODEL WILL BECOME RELEVANT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS MENTIONED DURING THE MEETING ITSELF BY BOTH FOLKS FROM THE CITY OF DOS PALOS AND A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS BOARD TO FLIP THE STATIONS AGAIN BASED UPON OBVIOUSLY KIND OF. WHERE CAN YOU SEE GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK? I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE THING. AND CHIEF PIMENTEL HAS DONE A NICE JOB OVER THE COURSE THIS PAST WEEK JUST TO GIVE THE BOARD A FULL PICTURE. AND I THINK IT'S ALSO TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA COMMENTS AGAIN, AS IT RELATES TO THE STATION 75, LET'S JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THE DISTANCE FROM LOS BANOS IS 17.1 MILES.

THE DISTANCE FROM EL NIDO IS 15.9 MILES TO THE DOS PALOS Y AREA.

SO AGAIN, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY WITH THIS BOARD AS YOU EVALUATE YOUR DECISION MAKING TODAY.

THAT IS A FACTOR AS IT RELATES TO THE OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH.

SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THAT'S AGAIN THE BEST, THE BEST I CAN DO TO KIND OF RECAP WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY.

AND OF COURSE, IT IS ENTIRELY THE PURVIEW OF THIS BOARD.

AND YOUR STAFF WILL HAPPILY IMPLEMENT YOUR POLICY DIRECTION.

OKAY. AND THERE WAS A MOTION BASED OFF OF THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE RESIDENT FROM DOS PALOS,

[01:45:07]

IS THERE A SECOND? WHAT WAS YOUR MOTION TO? MY MOTION WAS TO SWITCH 75 WITH 76.

I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE 75 INTO 76. RIGHT. OKAY, SO THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO .

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. PLEASE. DO WE CALL FOR THE VOTE? CALL FOR THE VOTE. VOICE VOTE. CONVERSATION. OH, YEAH. WE HAD IN CONVERSATION.

DID YOU WANT A ROLL CALL VOTE?. OKAY. DISTRICT ONE, SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

AYE. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. AYE. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

NAY. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. CHAIRMAN. AYE.

MOTION PASSES. OKAY. WE'RE NOW GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.

CAN I SAY ONE MORE COMMENT? IT'S JUST I JUST REALLY THINK IT WAS VERY SHORTSIGHTED OF YOU GUYS TO DO THAT.

YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ARE THE WHAT? LISTEN, I'VE BEEN TOLD STORIES OF THAT LAND WAS DONATED BY THE KAZI FAMILY TO BUILD THAT FIRE STATION . OR DO WE OWN THAT LAND? DO WE DO? DOES THAT LAND GO BACK TO THEM? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT STATION NOW? VERY SHORT SIGHTED, IN MY OPINION, TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE FLY LIKE THAT WITHOUT DOING ANY RESEARCH.

OKAY. FIVE MINUTE RECESS. I'M GOING TO ASK THAT WE COME BACK AND START OUR MEETING BACK UP, PLEASE. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

DARREN, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE NOT SITTING DOWN. SO NOW YOU ARE.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME NEXT, WE HAVE CEO. ITEM 54. AT THIS TIME, INTERIM COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARK HENDRICKSON WILL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION TODAY ARE TWO PROPOSED OPTIONS RELATED TO MODIFYING YOUR DISTRICT PROJECT FUNDS POLICY. NOW, THIS BOARD HAS BEEN STEADFAST IN ITS PRIOR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THERE IS A CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR UTILIZATION OF THESE FUNDS.

NOW, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE BOARD CREATED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO REEVALUATE THE CURRENT POLICY, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND PEDROZO FOR THEIR THOUGHTFUL INPUT IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS ITEM TODAY.

NOW, AS I AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY WALK THROUGH THE THE TWO OPTIONS.

I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME SIMILARITIES AND THEN KEY DISTINCTIONS.

FIRST, BOTH OPTIONS ALLOW FOR WHAT WOULD BE A ONE TIME, SIX MONTH EXTENSION TO ENCUMBER FUNDS INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR IF A PROJECT CANNOT BE COMPLETED BY JUNE 30TH OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH THE REQUEST WAS MADE.

TWO BOTH OPTIONS ADD LANGUAGE THAT REQUEST FOR FUNDS MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE OF A PROJECT START.

THREE, BOTH OPTIONS WOULD ADD LANGUAGE TO ENSURE THAT AN IMPLEMENTING DEPARTMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS AS A REQUIRED REVIEWER AND APPROVER.

NOW, IN TERMS OF KEY DISTINCTIONS, BETWEEN THE TWO OPTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS.

AN OPTION ONE. THERE IS A MODIFICATION ESSENTIALLY TO CORRECT AN ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR, CAPITALIZING THE WORD COUNTY WHEN REFERRING TO COUNTY FACILITIES.

N OW UNDER OPTION ONE. THE ALLOWABLE USE OF FUNDS WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED, FOCUSING ON PROJECT RELATED ACTIVITIES THAT PROVIDE A PUBLIC BENEFIT.

[01:50:02]

SO THAT'S THE KEY DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO OPTIONS AS PROPOSED FOR YOUR GUIDANCE TODAY.

SO AGAIN, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, STAFF IS SEEKING YOUR GUIDANCE TODAY.

AND DEPENDING UPON YOUR COURSE OF ACTION, STAFF WILL UPDATE THE REQUEST PROCESS, ALL APPROPRIATE FORMS, AND WOULD, OF COURSE, ROLL OUT THE ASSOCIATED COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS.

AND AGAIN, SHOULD THIS BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? BOTH COUNTY COUNCIL AND I WOULD BE PLEASED TO TO RESPOND, MR. CHAIRMAN. DO YOU WANT TO GO BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT? OR I'M GOING TO OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN COME BACK UP.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CEO ITEM 54.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CEO ITEM 54 IS NOW CLOSED.

I'LL BRING IT BACK UP TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. NO, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE DONE ON THIS AND BROUGHT IT FORWARD.

IT'S, I THINK I WAS INVOLVED WITH TWO OTHER REITERATIONS OF THIS AND STARTED OUT WITH JERRY O'BANION AND MYSELF, AND THEN I THINK THE SECOND TIME WAS MR. PAREIRA AND MYSELF.

AND I THINK THIS JUST TIGHTENS IT UP. OUR GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO TIGHTEN IT UP SO THERE WOULDN'T BE TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY OUT THERE, AND THAT FOLKS WEREN'T JUST GIVING GIFTS OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

AND I APPRECIATE US TRYING TO TIGHTEN THIS UP. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THE SIX MONTH.

SO ONCE FUNDS ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED INTO A PROGRAM, ARE THEY STILL, BECAUSE I HAVE TWO PROGRAMS THAT I'VE INITIATED IN DISTRICT THREE, ONE IS MY GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH I HAVE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE IN THERE FOR MY GRAFFITI ABATEMENT FOLKS TO TO HAVE ACCESS TO, AND THE SECOND ONE I JUST IMPLEMENTED ABOUT A MONTH AGO, IS FOR MY LANDFILL VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE STUFF DUMPED OUT ON THE ROADS OR OUT CLOSE TO THEIR ORCHARDS TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A VOUCHER.

SO THOSE PROGRAMS, I HAVE TO KEEP FUNDS WITHIN THOSE PROGRAMS. ARE THOSE SUSCEPTIBLE, OR DO THOSE AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THAT PROGRAM AND ARE ASSIGNED? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THROUGH THE CHAIR.

A HANDFUL OF QUICK THOUGHTS. I THINK THE INTENTION HERE IS TO ENSURE THAT SHOULD YOU WISH TO ENCUMBER THOSE FUNDS TO KEEP THAT GOING AS YOU JUST JUST ARTICULATED.

THAT OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A ONE TIME EXTENSION.

AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU WANTED TO KEEP THAT MOVING FORWARD PROSPECTIVELY, OF COURSE, THAT WOULD BE YOU'D BE COMING BACK, I WOULD IMAGINE, FOR ADDITIONAL POLICY CONSIDERATION MOVING FORWARD.

SO IT'S, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE NEED TO IF THERE IS A REVOLVING I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE AS IT GETS LOWER, THEN I TRY TO REFILL THAT OPTION. SO I'M JUST HOPING THAT MAYBE AN I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE RENEWED ALL THE TIME OR IS THAT ONGOING UNTIL I DECIDE I DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE OR.

WELL, THAT'S. YEAH. SO AGAIN, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THROUGH THE CHAIR.

I THINK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA JUST SAID IT CORRECTLY. ULTIMATELY IT'S A BOARD DECISION.

BUT, AGAIN, I WOULD PROBABLY YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY BOTH SUPERVISORS THE BOARD DOESN'T BRING IT UP EACH TIME IT'S ME BRINGING IT UP EACH TIME.

AND THAT WAS THAT'S WHAT I MEANT. AS THE REQUESTER CORRECT? YEAH. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I DON'T THINK YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. I THINK THE WAY IT KIND OF SEEMS TO ME AND, YOU KNOW, IS THAT YOU MAKE AN ALLOCATION AND THEN TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU WOULD THEN REQUEST AN ALLOCATION THAT WOULD START JULY 1ST FOR IF YOU WANTED TO KEEP SOMETHING ONGOING.

AND THAT WOULD BE A WAY WHERE I THINK YOU COULD KEEP CONTINUITY AND NOT BE A MONTH OR TWO WITHOUT SERVICES.

IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT. THE RISK MAY BE THAT IF YOU'VE ALLOCATED MONEY THIS YEAR AND THEY DON'T UTILIZE IT AND YOU GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU KNOW YOU CAN CARRY MONEY KIND OF TWO YEARS FORWARD, SO TO SPEAK.

BUT IF IT WERE, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE OVER 80,000, THEN YOU WOULD MAYBE BE AT RISK OF SOME OF THE MONEY THAT YOU HAD ALLOCATED FOR THAT PROGRAM, IF IT WASN'T SPENT THAT YEAR. BUT I THINK IN ALL FUNCTIONALITY, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AS LONG AS THE BOARD APPROVES IT.

YEAH, I THINK THE INTENT ON THE SIX MONTHS WAS, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, APPROVES A PROJECT AND THEN DPW OR WHATEVER DEPARTMENT JUST

[01:55:01]

I MEAN THAT'S THE INTENT. MR. HENDRICKSON DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? NO, I DID NOT. OKAY. MOTION TO APPROVE OPTION TWO.

SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A. DID YOU DO PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, YEAH, I DID PUBLIC COMMENT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE MOTION THERE, DON'T YOU? OH, YEAH. GO BACK TO SCREEN. THERE WE GO. OH, SORRY.

OH. THAT'S YOURS. GO AHEAD.

TWO WOULD BE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN 3.3. OKAY.

SO I'M GOING TO AND I'M GOING TO PUT THIS ON THERE, BUT I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN BEFORE I VOTE.

I'M GOING TO VOTE NO ON THIS ON OPTION TWO. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, COUNTY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES I GET IT.

I JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN MY DISTRICT.

A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT. AND SO I THINK THAT BY HAVING THE TERM PUBLIC BENEFIT, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT IS BENEFICIAL.

SO I AM GOING TO VOTE NO, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT WE REENGAGE ON SOME OF THESE DECISIONS.

AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES WORKING ON THIS IN THE PAST AND THEN CURRENTLY.

SO. YEAH. OKAY. SO LET'S GO AHEAD. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES WITH MYSELF VOTING IN OPPOSITION.

OKAY. NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS 55 THROUGH 57.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD APPOINTMENTS.

ITEMS 55 THROUGH 57. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD APPOINTMENTS.

ITEMS 55 THROUGH 57 IS NOW CLOSED. BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

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

OKAY. NEXT, WE HAVE A SCHEDULED ITEM, A PUBLIC HEARING SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

[SCHEDULED ITEMS]

AT THIS TIME, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MARK MIMMS WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS MARK MIMMS , DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE MERCED COUNTY AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE.

UPON YOUR APPROVAL, THIS ACTION WILL FACILITATE FOR APPLICANT INITIATED REQUESTS THREE PROPERTY PROPERTY LINE ADJUSTMENTS AND ONE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT UNDER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 51233. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS REQUIRED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE MAKING ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE. AS PROPOSED. THIS AMENDMENT WOULD RESULT IN THE REMOVAL OF APPROXIMATELY 978.78 ACRES AND AND THE ADDITION OF 7.8 ACRES TO THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE. IMPORTANTLY, NONE OF THE PARCELS INVOLVED ARE CURRENTLY UNDER WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACTS.

THESE PROPERTIES ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR REMOVAL BECAUSE THEY ARE NO.

THEY NO LONGER MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR INCLUSION IN THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE OR WILLIAMSON ACT PROGRAM, PRIMARILY DUE TO SIZE AND CURRENT USE. AT THIS TIME, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS.

ONE, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT.

TWO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AFTER RECEIVING COMMENT.

THREE FIND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE BOUNDARY, REFLECTING A NET REDUCTION IN ACREAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE THREE POA'S AND THE CUP AND EXEMPT. IS EXEMPT FROM CEQA PURSUANT TO SECTION 15061 B3.

THE COMMON SENSE EXEMPTION. SECTION 15183 PROJECTS CONSISTENT WITH A GENERAL PLAN, COMMUNITY PLAN OR ZONING AND SECTION 15162. NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES REQUIRED OF SUBSEQUENT EIR OR NEGATIVE DECLARATION AS DETAILED IN THE FINDINGS IN THE STAFF REPORT. ADOPT, AND NUMBER FOUR. EXCUSE ME. ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF

[02:00:07]

I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. I WILL NOW OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND AT THIS TIME I WILL ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THIS ITEM.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

NOBODY. OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS OR A MOTION.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. OKAY, SO WE'LL DO THEM SEPARATELY.

OKAY. THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO FIND THAT THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION TO THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE BOUNDARY, REFLECTING THE NET REMOVAL OF LAND IN RELATION TO THE THREE PROPERTY LINE ADJUSTMENTS AND ONE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS EXEMPT FROM CEQA PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES, SECTION 15061 B3 AND DOES NOT REQUIRE FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES SECTION 15183. CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN.

GENERAL TO CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS, OH PLAN ZONING AND 15162.

OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAY NAY. OKAY. MOTION PASSES.

IS THERE A MOTION FOR NUMBER FOUR? OH. YES, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965, THE WILLIAMSON ACT, SECTION 51200 OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE.

SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND A SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. MOTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSES.

OKAY. LAST IS BOARD REPORTS. YES. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE BOARD REPORTS, STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

THANK YOU CHAIR. JUST REAL QUICK. ON MAY 13TH TO THE 15TH, I ATTENDED THE ONE VOICE DELEGATION TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C., WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MCAG AND FROM THE CITIES IN MERCED COUNTY AND SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS.

IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND MEET WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS AND ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER RESOURCES AND PUBLIC SAFETY. KIND OF PUT A FACE ON MERCED COUNTY.

GIVE THEM A PERSONAL STORY. OF COURSE, I DID MENTION THAT YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO CLOSE FIRE STATION , SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL RESONATE WITH SOME PEOPLE. WE CAN GET SOME MONEY BACK INTO MERCED TO HELP THAT SITUATION.

ON THE 21ST, I ATTENDED THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES WESTERN INTERSTATE REGION CONFERENCE.

MET WITH SOME PARTNERS IN OUR WESTERN STATES TO DISCUSS ISSUES THAT WE BOTH SHARE.

AND MADE SOME GOOD CONNECTIONS, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO GET SOME SOLUTIONS.

ON SATURDAY, I ATTENDED THE LE GRAND COMMUNITY DAY IN LE GRAND , WHICH IS HELD ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

WE NOT ONLY HONOR THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY OF LE GRAND .

THERE WAS A DEEP PIT BARBECUE AND A PARADE, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT MY WIFE, JEANETTE, WHO IS A LONGTIME RESIDENT, AND MYSELF WERE HUMBLED AND HONORED TO BE THE GRAND MARSHALS OF THE PARADE AND ENJOYED A FULL DAY WITH WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE. YOU'RE NOW A LONGTIME RESIDENT. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I PARTICIPATED IN A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS MEETING WITH OUR CURRENT CEO, INTERIM CEO, AND TO ALIGN PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.

MET WITH CNC AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SPEAKS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM A RECENT REGIONAL SURVEY.

TOOK PART IN AN EPA STRATEGY DISCUSSION WITH MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS, FOCUSING ON THE AIM AND THE FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES.

CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS ON KEY ROAD PROJECTS IN DISTRICT THREE, WITH DPW PUSHING FOR THE PROGRESS OF LONG OVERDUE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.

I ATTENDED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR WESTMARK, A MAJOR LOCAL EMPLOYER AND PARTNER IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, JOINED THE MERCED COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS APPRECIATION LUNCHEON, RECOGNIZING THE HARD WORKING STAFF THAT KEEP OUR COUNTY RUNNING,

[02:05:09]

TO A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF LE GRAND CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT AND PRIDE OF THE LE GRAND COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. OKAY. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I ATTENDED THE 50 YEAR OF HMONG RESILIENCY CEREMONY HERE AT CASTLE WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. AND IT WAS CERTAINLY INTERESTING.

YOU KNOW, THE MY FIRST TIME, I THINK THAT I PROBABLY MET A HMONG RESIDENT WHO HAD RECENTLY COME TO THE UNITED STATES WAS PROBABLY IN 1982.

AND AND JUST TO SEE THE GROWTH IN THEIR COMMUNITY FROM THEN TILL NOW AND LEARN ABOUT THEM LEARNED A FEW NEW THINGS ABOUT THEM THAT WEEKEND.

AND SO JUST APPRECIATE THE IMPACT THAT THEY'VE MADE IN OUR COUNTY AND, AND APPRECIATE THEM AND WAS HAPPY TO YOU KNOW, BE A PART OF THEIR CELEBRATION OF THEIR CULTURE AND HISTORY.

I ATTENDED THE MERCED UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SALUTE TO SERVICE, WHICH IS A LUNCHEON THAT IS SET UP FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO GO INTO THE MILITARY AFTER THEY GRADUATE.

AND, HAD TWO NICE YOUNG MEN AT MY TABLE. AND ONE OF THEM IS A SON OF A COUNTY EMPLOYEE.

SO SHE WAS THERE AND GOT A KIND OF VISIT WITH THEM AND HEAR THEIR YOU KNOW, THEIR GOALS FOR LIFE.

AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE AWESOME GOALS. SO THAT WAS FUN FOR ME.

I ATTENDED THE UC MERCED BRIDGES AND BEYOND POLITICAL SCIENCE.

IT'S KIND OF AN OPEN HOUSE, BUT IT WAS FOR TO HONOR THE GRADUATING SENIORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE.

AND IT WAS JUST A REFRESHING AND INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO SOME YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE GRADUATING AND AND THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, ASPIRATIONS TO HAVE CAREERS IN POLITICS, NOT NECESSARILY BE POLITICIANS PER SE, ALTHOUGH ONE DID, BUT JUST TO BE INVOLVED IN IN SHAPING THE POLICY OF OUR YOU KNOW, CITY, COUNTY, STATE AND COUNTRY. SO THAT WAS WAS JUST REFRESHING.

I ATTENDED THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS, IN WINTON.

THAT WAS A QUICK CEREMONY, BUT JUST AS IMPACTFUL AS IT HAS ALWAYS IS.

AND TO SEE THE FLAGS ACROSS THE CEMETERY IS KIND OF A SOBERING MOMENT.

KNOWING HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY HAVE HAVE PASSED AWAY THAT SERVED OUR COUNTRY.

AND THEN I WENT OUT TO THE HILLS FERRY CEMETERY, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY IN STANISLAUS COUNTY NEWMAN.

HOWEVER, IT'S A JOINT CEREMONY BECAUSE THE CITY OF GUSTINE USES THAT CEMETERY AS WELL.

AND YOU KNOW, ON MY WAY OUT THERE, I WAS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAYING HAPPY MEMORIALS DAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST DOESN'T IT JUST NEVER HAS SET WELL WITH ME.

AND SO I PLAN TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON FOR THE SOMBER FOR THE SOMBERNESS OF MEMORIAL DAY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, HALFWAY THERE, IT DAWNED ON ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS THAT I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO ALREADY FIND IT A SOMBER DAY. AND SO I DON'T KNOW. I'LL SOMEHOW BE ABLE TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL DO IT ON FACEBOOK OR MAYBE AN OP ED, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S JUST DISHEARTENING TO ME TO SEE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THOSE CEREMONIES SLOWLY GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER.

LAST YEAR, THE HILL'S FERRY CEREMONY HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF YOUTH THERE, PROBABLY 20 OR 30 WHICH WAS ENCOURAGING TO ME.

HOWEVER, THIS YEAR THERE WAS ONLY, I WOULD SAY, SEVEN.

AND SO KIND OF BROUGHT THAT BACK TO, TO MY MIND'S FRONT I ATTENDED THE NACO CONFERENCE WITH SUPERVISORS PACHECO AND PEDROZO AND I HAD NEVER BEEN TO SOUTH DAKOTA.

AND SO KIND OF LISTENING TO THEIR I GUESS THEIR TAKE ON, ON, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU KNOW, POLICIES, FEDERAL POLICIES ESPECIALLY AFFECT THEM YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN US.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REFUGEES HERE AND GOVERNMENT LAND THAT, THAT THEY CONTROL, WHICH, WHICH HAPPENS THERE AS WELL.

AND YOU KNOW, TO SEE THE WAY THEY FARM A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY WE FARM HERE BUT WAS EYE OPENING.

I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MY COLLEAGUE, SUPERVISOR PACHECO, FOR BEING HONORED IN HIS COMMUNITY.

AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE'S THEIR SUPERVISOR.

THEY PICKED HIM TO BE THEIR SUPERVISORS BECAUSE FOR YEARS, HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE REALLY GIVEN TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

YOU YOU WERE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT IT. AND, AND I THINK THAT HUMILITY GOES A LONG WAYS WITH PEOPLE AND THEY KNOW YOU CARE AND DO IT BECAUSE SO I JUST I HAD A THOUGHT AND I GUESS THIS IS FOR WORKFORCE

[02:10:03]

MAYBE YARD SIGNS THAT SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT'S INTERESTED IN PROVIDING LOCAL CHILD CARE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU GIVE THEM YOUR NUMBER OR THEIR NUMBER, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT AWARE TO THE NEIGHBORS SO THAT IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT HELP THAT. ANYWAYS. AND THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'M GOING TO GO IN REVERSE ORDER WHEN WE HAVE THREE WEEKS IN BETWEEN MEETINGS.

IT MAKES FOR A LOT OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. I HAD TO ATTEND IT.

I HAVE TWO MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES IN MY DISTRICT, ONE IN LOS BANOS AND ONE IN DOS PALOS.

AND SO JUST A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR VFW AND AMERICAN LEGION IN DOS PALOS AND THEN THE AMERICAN, EXCUSE ME, IN LOS BANOS AND THEN THE AMERICAN LEGION IN DOS PALOS ALWAYS PUT TOGETHER A GREAT PROGRAM TO REALLY AND THEY AND THEY STRIVE AND TO REITERATE THE POINT OF OF WHY WE DO THIS AND GIVE THE HISTORY OF HOW MEMORIAL DAY STARTED AND, AND OVER THE YEARS, WHAT IT'S TURNED INTO FOR SOME FOLKS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT A DAY OFF AND HAVING A BARBECUE.

BUT THE REAL REASON IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FREEDOM ISN'T FREE. AND IT'S TO HONOR THOSE THAT THAT GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BE HERE AND DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO.

SO THANK YOU TO BOTH OF THEM FOR THE INVITATIONS.

I'LL GO BACK TO YOU KNOW, I'M SURPRISED NOBODY MENTIONED THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, WE HAD THE LUKE BRYAN CONCERT HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, AND I'M SURPRISED MCDANIEL DIDN'T MENTION THIS.

I'M REALLY, REALLY SHOCKED, ACTUALLY. [LAUGHTER] BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WITH IT IS I WAS IN THERE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DID NOT RUN INTO ONE PERSON THAT WASN'T HAVING A GREAT TIME. AND I THINK IT GOES TO IF YOU WENT INTO IT WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE AND YOU'RE EXCITED TO SEE A BIG NAME SUPERSTAR LIKE THAT COME AND DO A CONCERT IN ATWATER, YOU LEFT THERE WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE.

IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE NAYSAYERS OUT THERE THAT'S ALWAYS ON FACEBOOK AND KEYBOARD WARRIOR IT AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO HERE, WE NEVER BRING ANYTHING HERE. AND THEN WHEN WE ACTUALLY DO BRING SOMETHING HERE YOU'RE THE FIRST ONES OUT THERE COMPLAINING THAT THE TRAFFIC WAS TOO OR LINES WERE TOO LONG.

IT TOOK YOU TOO LONG TO GET IN. THERE'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE DID IT.

AND I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAY WE, I'M TALKING ABOUT WE, WE OWN THE FACILITY.

LUKE BRYAN AND HIS TEAM ARE THE PEOPLE THAT PUT THE CONCERT ON.

I'M SURE IF YOU TALK TO THOSE FOLKS LATER THAT NIGHT OR EARLY THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO SET UP FOR THEIR NEXT ONE, THEY WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BUT I'LL SHARE A STORY. AND THIS IS I'M NOT GOING TO PUT NO NAMES TO IT, BUT THE PERSON THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN THE ROOM AND IT'LL RESONATE WITH THEM AND IT TOUCHED ME, IS THEY HAD FOUR TICKETS AND THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO THE CONCERT, AND THEIR DAUGHTER AND HER DAUGHTER AND HER BOYFRIEND WENT, AND THEN HER OTHER DAUGHTER WENT, AND HER OTHER DAUGHTER DECIDED TO HAVE A FRIEND GO ALONG WITH THEM.

AND SHE ENDED UP STAYING BACK. AND WHAT RESONATED WITH ME IS THIS LITTLE GIRL, LIKE, MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO CONCERTS VERY OFTEN AND GOT TO GO SEE LUKE BRYAN IN ATWATER. AND SHE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT AS LONG AS SHE LIVES.

THE FIRST CONCERT THAT SHE EVER SAW WAS IN ATWATER.

THOSE ARE THE STORIES THAT I WISH THE MEDIA WOULD HAVE RAN WITH, AND THAT THE PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WOULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO SEE EVERYWHERE IS THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN IN ATWATER AT AN AIR FORCE BASE THAT IS DESIGNED TO BE SECURE AND HAVE ONE WAY OF ENTRY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT EIGHT, 10,000 CARS SOMEWHERE IN THERE, 20,000 PEOPLE ALL CONVERGING ON ONE LOCATION AT ONE TIME.

THEY EXPECTED THEY WERE JUST GOING TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE, DRIVE UP TO CASTLE, PARK THEIR CAR IN FIVE MINUTES LATER, BE IN THE CONVERSATION IN TO THE CONCERT. THAT DIDN'T QUITE HAPPEN, BUT THOSE THAT WENT IN WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME.

AND SO I THINK OVERALL A BIG WIN FOR MERCED COUNTY.

AND I KNOW AT SOME POINT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET TO SOME OF THESE NUMBERS.

BUT THE EXAMPLE IS JUST IT'S NOT JUST IT'S WHAT IT BROUGHT INTO OUR COUNTY, OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES OF FOLKS.

I KNOW I TALKED TO ONE LIMO COMPANY. THEY HAVE 25 VEHICLES.

ALL 25 OF THEIR VEHICLES WERE RENTED TO COME TO THE CONCERT THAT NIGHT.

RIGHT? THAT IS THAT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THAT WE DIDN'T SEE.

AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE THINGS LIKE THAT. THEN WE COULD PROBABLY AFFORD TO KEEP OUR FIRE STATION S OPEN. ALL RIGHT, NOW I HAVE LUKE BRYAN'S DONE. I ATTENDED, SO, YOU KNOW, [INAUDIBLE] MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN LOS BANOS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY THEY HAVE A RURAL HEALTH CLINIC THAT THEY OPENED.

AND BECAUSE WE'RE A HEALTHCARE DESERT AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, THESE RURAL HEALTH CLINICS HAVE TURNED INTO IS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO SEE THEIR PRIMARY DOCTOR. THEY HAVE SO MUCH NEED IN OUR AREA IN LOS BANOS THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID THEIR GROUNDBREAKING ON A SECOND ONE.

SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC NUMBER TWO. I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH IT. RURAL HEALTH CLINIC NUMBER TWO, THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A BETTER NAME. BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY CALLED IT ON THAT DAY FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES. SO SUTTER HEALTH, THEY'RE GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND THEY SEE THE NEED AND THEY'RE TRYING TO EXPAND UPON THAT.

[02:15:04]

IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING. IT WASN'T PERFECT ALONG THE WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THE PROJECT DONE, BUT SOMETHING THAT. I KNOW THAT WHEN WE DID THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR IT, I LOOKED AT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND AND IMMEDIATELY WE SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO NAME THIS THING THE JERRY O'BANION LIBRARY IS SOMETHING THAT JERRY WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND AND ONE OF HIS ONLY REGRETS EVER BEING ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, A VOTE THAT HE TOOK TO ACTUALLY CLOSE LIBRARIES. SO LET THAT BE A WORD TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY THAT WE DON'T WE'RE NOT CLOSING LIBRARIES IN MERCED COUNTY.

WE'RE ACTUALLY BUILDING NEW ONES. AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT, THE DALE HALE HALL , WHICH HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING COMMUNITY EVENT OR COMMUNITY SPACE IN DOS PALOS GOT A ONCE IN A GENERATION REMODEL ON THAT.

SO THOSE FOLKS ARE EXCITED AND AT THE SAME ON THAT SAME DAY, WE ACTUALLY DID THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE LORRAINE STREET BRIDGE IN DOS PALOS.

SO A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS GOING ON IN DOS PALOS.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK PATTI DOSSETTI, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN, YOU KNOW, WE WENT AFTER A PROP 68 GRANT AND WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL.

AND AFTER THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PIECEMEAL A FEW GRANTS TOGETHER TO REALLY HELP CHANGE THAT COMMUNITY.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. OKAY. COUNSEL HANSEN. INTERIM CEO HENDRICKSON.

YEAH. JUST VERY BRIEFLY, MAYBE JUST A BIT OF GRATITUDE FOR OUR TEAMS FROM BHRS CED HSA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DALIA ACOSTA AS WELL. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TO INTERFACE WITH OUR ADVOCACY TEAM FROM CSAC, AN ORGANIZATION THAT THIS BOARD HAS A TAKES A LOT OF PRIDE IN ITS PARTNERSHIPS TO LOCALIZE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF STATE AND OR FEDERAL YOU KNOW, FUNDING CONCERNS PROSPECTIVELY. SO, YOU KNOW, IN SO DOING, IT CERTAINLY HELPS THEM ADVOCATE BETTER FOR US.

SO AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR TEAM FOR A JOB VERY WELL DONE. OKAY.

THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I GOT A COUPLE THINGS QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY.

I ATTENDED THE SJJPA MEETING, WHICH IS THE SAN JOAQUIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY.

AND AFTER THAT, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE FACILITY WHERE THEY WORK ON THE TRAINS AND GET THEM READY TO GO.

IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. I, TOO, WENT TO THE HMONG COMMUNITY EVENT AT CASTLE.

I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR WAYMO, WHICH WAS FASCINATING.

I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THOSE THE COMPUTERS ARE THEY'RE TRYING TO TRICK THOSE COMPUTERS THAT ARE DRIVING THOSE CARS TO PROVIDE NEW CHALLENGES, AND THEN THEY'RE GETTING TOO SMART. SO IT'S KIND OF SCARY, BUT IT'S REALLY COOL.

I TOO ATTENDED THE SALUTE TO SERVICE EVENT THAT'S ALWAYS A FUN ONE TO IT'S ONLY THE SECOND TIME THEY'VE DONE IT.

AND WHAT THEY DO IS ALL MUHSD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE PEOPLE THAT ARE GRADUATING, GOING INTO THE ALL BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY ARE RECOGNIZED.

I ATTENDED A MEMORIAL DAY EVENT AT THE CEMETERY YESTERDAY, AND I WANT TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT FIVE SAID THAT OUR AMERICAN LEGION DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB IN PUTTING THAT ON. WE HAD A, I THINK, A FAIRLY PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH MID LAST MONDAY, I BELIEVE. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO THANK CSAC STAFF FOR COMING.

I THINK, AND OUR STAFF, I THINK TO ECHO WHAT INTERIM CEO HENDRICKSON SAID I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT THERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR COMING AND SHOWING INTEREST. AND THEY TOOK TOURS OF CASTLE, AND I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE HSA PRESENTATION, AND I THOUGHT HSA DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. AND SO I WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR THAT.

AND I WAS LATE. I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE THE BHRS ONE, BUT I HEARD THAT THAT ONE WENT REALLY GOOD.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR FOR DOING THAT. AND THANK YOU, MARK MIMMS ALSO AND ERICK FOR BEING OUT THERE ALSO YOU KNOW, YEAH, I WENT TO THE LUKE BRYAN CONCERT AS WELL.

I'M NOT A BIG COUNTRY MUSIC FAN, BUT MY WIFE IS, AND IT HAPPENED TO BE HER BIRTHDAY, SO, YOU KNOW, TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. BUT I THINK THAT REALLY, A LOT OF THANKS GOES TO SHANE PARSONS COUNTY STAFF AND ESPECIALLY MARK MIMMS , WHO WAS THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHOLE THING.

SO AND SHANE PARSON, WHO WAS, WAS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THAT A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST MY SON GRADUATED FROM EIGHTH GRADE ON TUESDAY, SO I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE HIM FOR THAT.

WITH THAT THIS CONCLUDES THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR MAY 27TH, 2025.

THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 10 A.M. ON TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH,

[POSSIBLE DIRECTION FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]