Nov 18, 2025 Board Meeting

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

[CLOSED SESSION]

ZARAGOZA VERSUS COUNTY OF MERCED MERCED SUPERIOR COURT CASE NUMBER 25 CV 025872.

GALLETTI VERSUS COUNTY OF MERCED MERCED SUPERIOR COURT CASE NUMBER 24 CV 01181 AND THREE HANK MOORE VERSUS COUNTY OF MERCED WORKERS COMPENSATION APPEALS BOARD, CASE NUMBER 80, J 96 12911.

THE PUBLIC WILL BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED IN CLOSED SESSION, PRIOR TO THE BOARD ADJOURNING INTO CLOSED SESSION.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

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.

WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK TO THE NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

THIS MORNING WE HAD A CLOSED SESSION MEETING AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION. WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INDICATION, LED BY FATHER ROBERT BORGES OF SAINT PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MERCED.

AND THEN I WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

LET US REMEMBER THAT WE ARE IN THE HOLY PRESENCE OF GOD, HEAVENLY FATHER AND GOD OF US ALL.

WE GATHER IN YOUR PRESENCE THIS MORNING WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, AS YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD THINGS AND ABUNDANT GRACES.

WE THANK YOU FOR THE BOUNTIFUL HARVEST OF THIS SEASON AND FOR ALL WHO LABOR IN THE FIELDS.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT MANY STILL STRUGGLE DAILY.

WE LIFT THEM UP AND THANK YOU FOR THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT AID THOSE WHO SUFFER.

WE TRUST IN YOUR GUIDANCE TO HELP US MAKE A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL YOUR CHILDREN.

MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT COME TO US, REMAIN WITH US, AND ENLIGHTEN OUR HEARTS THIS DAY.

GIVE US THE WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING TO KNOW YOUR WILL, THE COURAGE TO MAKE IT OUR OWN, AND THE STRENGTH TO LIVE IT IN OUR LIVES.

MAY THE DELIBERATIONS OF THIS BOARD AND THE ACTIONS THEY PROMULGATE TODAY BE FOR THE BUILDING UP AND SUSTAINING OF OUR COMMUNITY.

MAY ALL WHO APPROACH THIS DAIS COME WITH A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND DESIRE FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

BLESS OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE. BLESS THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND ALL WHO WORK TO STRENGTHEN OUR COUNTY, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR FAMILIES. HEAVENLY FATHER, MAY WE NEVER BECOME DISCOURAGED, BUT RATHER RENEW OUR TRUST IN YOU WHO MAKE ALL GOOD THINGS POSSIBLE. BE WITH US TODAY TO GUIDE THE WORK OF OUR HANDS AND SUSTAIN US ALWAYS IN YOUR LOVE AND PROTECTION.

WE MAKE THIS PRAYER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

AMEN. 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.

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

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ]

AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN.

THIS IS FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. GOOD MORNING.

CHAIRMAN PEDROSO. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

TODAY, KAREN ADAMS. TODAY I SPEAK AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE KIWANIS CLUB OF GREATER MERCED.

KIWANIS CLUB ESTABLISHED IN 1957 AND CREATED KIDDIELAND, WHICH IS LOCATED IN APPLEGATE PARK.

FOR ALMOST 68 YEARS, WE'VE PROVIDED A SAFE, FUN, AFFORDABLE, PARK LIKE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN YEAR THREE OF AN EXTENSIVE UPGRADE WITH IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING A NEW TRAIN.

EVERYONE IS EAGER TO SEE OUR NEW KIDDIELAND EXPRESS TRAIN, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL.

WE'VE BEEN ASKED BY CENTRAL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY FUND, WHO IS HOSTING OUR CHRISTMAS PARADE, TO LEAD THE CHRISTMAS PARADE BEHIND OUR GRAND MARSHAL.

WE'RE THRILLED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY OUR EXCITING ADA COMPLIANT CLEAN ENERGY TRAIN UPGRADE THAT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY FIRST FIVE OF MERCED COUNTY. SO THANK YOU TO CHAIRMAN PEDROZO AND THE BOARD OF FIRST FIVE FOR BELIEVING IN THE KIWANIS CLUB OF GREATER

[00:05:08]

SO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BOARD. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR OUR MARCH 2026 RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY.

WELL, WHERE WE WILL KICK OFF OFFICIALLY AND ASK EVERYONE TO GET ON BOARD TO EXPERIENCE OUR NEW KITTY LAND EXPRESS TRAIN.

THANK YOU. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE PARADE ON DECEMBER 6TH AT 2 P.M..

HAVE A GREAT ONE! GOOD MORNING. I'M KRISTY WATKINS COHEN FROM THE WINSTON CEMETERY DISTRICT OFFICE MANAGER.

I WANTED TO INFORM THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC THAT WE HAD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DAY OF THE DEAD EVENT WHERE WE OFFER AN OFFENDED FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE.

AND ALSO, I WANTED TO REMIND THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD THAT THE WINSTON CEMETERY DISTRICT HOSTS THE NATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAY, WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE A WREATH FOR A VETERAN LOCATED AT OUR CEMETERY.

I BROUGHT THE FLIERS AND MY CARD IN CASE ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

THIS WILL BE AN EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE DECEMBER 13TH, 2025, SO PLACE YOUR ORDER SOON.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON.

YOUR FRIEND. ALRIGHTY. MORNING BOARD. COUNTY MERCED.

MY NAME IS KARTHIK PRASAD. HERE ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSMAN ADAM GRAY. HERE TO GIVE MY USUAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.

BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I WANTED TO EXTEND A HUGE THANK YOU TO MERCED COUNTY FOR LAST WEEK'S VETERAN'S DAY PARADE.

IT WAS JUST AWESOME. I MEAN, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

IT WAS AWESOME. REALLY, I MEAN, MERCED COUNTY GOES ALL OUT FOR VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S JUST IT MAKES IT A TREMENDOUS HONOR TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY.

IN DC BECAUSE, I MEAN, VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY SERVE ACROSS ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AND TO RECOGNIZE THEM IN THE PARADE, IT'S JUST AWESOME. AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO SHERIFF THAT FLYBY WAS AWESOME.

AND I KNOW THEY HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT, SO THANK YOU. BUT YEAH, GOING FORWARD, THE GOVERNMENT'S OPEN, SO IF ANYONE'S HAVING ANY ISSUES REACHING OUT WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE.

BUSINESS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY NORMAL NOW. SO IF ANYONE'S HAVING ISSUES, PLEASE SEND THEM OVER TO OUR OFFICE.

602 WEST 20TH STREET. WE'LL SORT IT OUT. LAST WEEK, REPRESENTATIVE GRAY LED A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS IN SENDING A LETTER TO SENATE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN THUNE AND MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER TO PROGRESS COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP AND ADVANCE A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE PLAN.

REPRESENTATIVE GRAY OFFERED AN AMENDMENT TO THE FEBRUARY BUDGET FRAMEWORK THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED CUTS TO MEDICAID, WHICH WAS NOT ADOPTED BY THE MAJORITY, AND HE ALSO INTRODUCED A PROTECTING HEALTH CARE AND LOWERING COSTS ACT OF 2025, WHICH WE HAVE FORWARDED TO THE BOARD AND WOULD REALLY LOVE LETTER SUPPORT AS GOING FORWARD. ONE OF OUR PRIMARY LEGISLATIVE CONCERNS IS ENSURING FUNDING FOR MEDICAID.

SO WE'LL BE SURE TO SEND THAT OUT TO YOU AGAIN, BECAUSE WE GOING FORWARD, THAT IS LIKE THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR US.

WE'RE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ONGOING DISCUSSION AROUND PERMITTING REFORM AS PART OF OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.

SO, AS ALWAYS, OUR OFFICE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

602 WEST 20TH STREET. ANYONE'S WELCOME TO STOP BY.

MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE DOCTOR TIETJEN TO THE PODIUM TO PROVIDE US WITH THE ANNUAL WILLIAMS REPORT.

[PRESENTATIONS]

AND COUNTY COUNCIL. HANSEN. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR.

TO PROVIDE THE WILLIAMS REPORT. JUST A BRIEF UPDATE, A REMINDER OF WHAT THE WILLIAMS REPORT IS.

20 YEARS AGO AND 2005, THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THEN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND A GROUP OF FOLKS THAT HAD SUED HIM FOR A LACK OF SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MAINTAINING FACILITIES.

AND SO WHAT WAS AGREED TO WAS THAT THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, ALL 58 OF US, WOULD SPEND THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF SCHOOL SENDING STAFF OUT TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD APPROPRIATE NUMBERS OF OF TEXTBOOKS THAT THEIR SITES WERE CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED AND THAT TEACHERS WERE FULLY CREDENTIALED.

SO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, WE HAD 11 DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED UNDER THE CRITERIA THAT THE STATE SET.

OUT OF THOSE 11 DISTRICTS, THERE WERE 38 SCHOOL SITES THAT WERE VISITED.

[00:10:03]

WE JUST SHOWED UP. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE WERE NO FINDINGS IN ANY OF THE AREAS THAT WOULD CAUSE CONCERN FOR FOR LOCAL LEADERS. NO URGENT OR EMERGENCY REPAIRS TO SCHOOL SITES WERE NECESSARY, AND ALL STUDENTS HAD ACCESS TO TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER LEARNING MATERIALS. SO THE ONE ITEM THAT I ALWAYS SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME ON IS TEACHER CREDENTIALING.

TEACHER CREDENTIALING IS A CHALLENGE THESE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE WORKFORCE AGING OUT.

AND AND SO WE DO HAVE CHALLENGES RECRUITING ENOUGH TEACHERS, FULLY CREDENTIALED TEACHERS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MEMO THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM MY OFFICE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A PARTICULAR CATEGORY THAT IS A LITTLE DISCONCERTING.

IT SAYS INEFFECTIVE. AND THAT INEFFECTIVE CATEGORY REALLY IS TEACHERS THAT ARE IN CLASSROOMS BASED ON EMERGENCY PERMITS. IT'S A PERMIT THAT IS ALLOWED BY THE STATE, BY THE COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING.

THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE FINISHED THEIR BA, AND THEY'RE IN A TEACHING CREDENTIALING PROGRAM, BUT THEY HAVEN'T FINISHED IT. SO THEY'RE ON A PERMIT, AND THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE IN THIS CATEGORY FOR ONE YEAR AS A PROVISIONAL INTERNSHIP PERMIT. AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR IS CALLED A SHORT TERM INTERNSHIP PERMIT.

AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE INTERN PROGRAM, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE CREDENTIALED, OTHERWISE THEY'RE RELEASED.

AND SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TEACHERS ACROSS OUR COUNTY THAT ARE IN THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY.

AND THEY ARE ALL THEY ARE ALL WORKING HARD AT FINISHING THEIR CREDENTIALS.

I JUST RESENT A LITTLE BIT THAT THE LABEL INEFFECTIVE HAS BEEN PLACED ON THOSE FOLKS, BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING HARD EVERY DAY FOR THE KIDS IN THEIR CLASSROOM.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR ME TODAY? I DON'T THINK SO.

OKAY. WAS THAT QUICK ENOUGH, JOSH? THAT WAS EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THE INEFFECTIVE THING, BECAUSE AS A FORMER TEACHER, WHEN YOU SEE THE INEFFECTIVE, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT A GOOD TEACHER. IT'S JUST THEY'RE OUT OF CLASS. AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THERE'S ONE OTHER CATEGORY THERE THAT SAYS OUT OF OUT OF FIELD.

THAT IS AN INTERESTING KIND OF DYNAMIC AS WELL.

THAT MEANS THE LOCAL BOARD HAS APPROVED THE ASSIGNMENT.

THE TEACHER HAS EXPERTISE. THEY JUST DON'T MAYBE HAVE THE 24 UNITS IN A PARTICULAR SUBJECT AREA THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO HAVE SUPPLEMENTARY CREDENTIAL, BUT THE LOCAL BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE IN FACT QUALIFIED.

SO THAT'S HOPEFULLY THAT EXPLANATION HELPS AS WELL.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. SO I WILL ASK A QUESTION THEN.

SO HAS YOUR ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY OFFICE OF ED SUPERINTENDENTS THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE AND ASKING THEM TO CHANGE THAT.

WE WE HAVE WORKED ON IT. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. FOR YEARS.

IT IS NOT CHANGING. THAT'S KCTCS PRETTY DEMANDING ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT.

AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SUPPORTS THEM IN THEIR POSITION, AND SO WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE.

GOTCHA. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANKS FOR TRYING. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. HAVE A GREAT MORNING. GREAT MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE OUR SERVICE PIN AWARDS PRESENTATION FOLLOWING.

WE WILL HAVE A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND THEN COME BACK TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.

WE HAVE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WILL BE RECOGNIZING THIS MORNING.

WE ASK THAT THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT IN WHICH EACH INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL IS FROM JOIN US UP FRONT WHEN WE CALL THE INDIVIDUAL'S NAME.

ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL IS RECOGNIZED, THEIR FRIENDS AND OR FAMILY WHO ARE HERE TO SEE THEM BEING RECOGNIZED ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME UP FOR A PHOTO OP.

AS STATED, FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION OF THE SERVICE PINS, WE WILL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENTS IN HONOR OF THOSE RECEIVING THEIR SERVICE PIN. WE WILL BE GOING IN THE ORDER LISTED ON THE AGENDA, SO I WILL NOW TURN THE MIC OVER TO SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IF I COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MAGALI CROSS TO JOIN ME.

EVERYBODY CAN CLAP. MAGALI IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY. MAGALI HAS BEEN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DURING HER ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY A CRIMINAL INFORMATION ANALYST ASSIGNED TO MERCED AREA GANG AND NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT TEAM.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING MAGALI ON HER 20 YEARS.

[00:15:04]

AND THEN, MAGALI, YOU GET THE MICROPHONE AFTER THAT.

GOOD MORNING. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M SO PROUD OF YOU.

AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT I GET TO BE THE ONE TO GIVE YOU THIS PIN.

I'VE WORKED WITH MAGALI FOR 15 YEARS NOW, ALL OF MY CAREER, AND SHE WAS ACTUALLY MY SECRETARY FOR SEVERAL YEARS WHEN I WAS IN GANGS.

AND SO WE DID A LOT OF VERY SERIOUS WORK TOGETHER.

BUT WE HAD A LOT OF FUN AND WE BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS.

SO I'M SO PROUD OF YOU. REALLY.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE FOR ME.

I'M SORRY. I DON'T LIKE TO SPEAK TOO MUCH IN PUBLIC.

I'M VERY THANKFUL TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY GIVE ME.

ALL THESE 20 YEARS. WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY? I LOVE MY WORK, AND I LOVE THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH.

AND THANK YOU, MY FAMILY, FOR THEIR PATIENCE ALL THESE 20 YEARS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME.

BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NICOLE. THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO WE'LL BE WAITING FOR YOUR 30 YEAR PIN HERE IN TEN YEARS.

HERE. LET'S ALL GET TOGETHER FOR. THANK YOU.

OH, CAN WE LOOK UP MOISES? OH.

ABSOLUTELY. AND THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER? YES. OH.

ALL RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ROBERT GAMBLE JUNIOR TO JOIN ME, PLEASE.

ROBERT IS ALSO BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

ROBERT HAS BEEN IN THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE DURING HIS ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY THE ASSISTANT ASSESSOR.

AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MR. MAY TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW THINGS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, SUPER PROUD OF BOB, ROBERT AND GLAD SHANNON CAN MAKE IT HIS WIFE TODAY.

I'VE WORKED WITH BOB FOR OVER 20 YEARS SINCE SINCE HE GOT HERE.

AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE. AND HE'S A GREAT TEAMMATE AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM.

THE COUNTY IS LUCKY TO HAVE HIM. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY I'VE HAD AT MERCED COUNTY.

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO APPLY MY ABILITIES, LEARN AND GROW.

IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF MERCED COUNTY.

I'VE TRIED TO WORK MY HARDEST TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR YOU.

HOPEFULLY YOU THINK I'VE DONE SO AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

IT'S BEEN A WILD RIDE. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

I STARTED 20 YEARS AGO AT AN ENTRY LEVEL POSITION AT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, AND ADVANCED TO BECOME THE ASSISTANT ASSESSOR.

SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTS IN OUR ORGANIZATION.

I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK I'LL START WITH MY AMAZING WIFE, SHANNON.

YOU'RE MY NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT YOU GIVE ME, ALL THE WISDOM AND ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME.

YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT I HAVE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, I LOVE YOU.

OUR ASSESSOR, MATT MAY. HE'S BEEN MY MENTOR SINCE DAY ONE.

HE'S A GREAT FRIEND. HE SETS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT AND ALSO A LEADER.

SO, MATT THANKS FOR ALL THE GUIDANCE YOU'VE GIVEN ME OVER THE YEARS.

I'LL DO A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES ESPECIALLY THE MERCED COUNTY ASSESSOR MANAGEMENT TEAM.

MCGILL. CAROL STACEY, YOU'VE ALL BEEN WITH ME THE PAST 20 YEARS AND EVEN LONGER FOR YOU.

SO YOU JUST MAKE OUR. YOU'RE ALL GREAT AT YOUR JOBS AND MAKE OUR DEPARTMENT A GREAT PLACE TO WORK FOR.

THANK YOU.

[00:20:13]

EMILIA IS ALSO BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

EMILIA BEGAN HER CAREER WITH THE COUNTY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES BEFORE JOINING THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.

EMILIA IS CURRENTLY A FAMILY SERVICE SUPERVISOR IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING BRANCH.

AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE REINA ESPINOSA TO COME UP AND PROVIDE SOME COMMENTS.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

SO I'M EMILIA'S PROGRAM MANAGER. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS.

EMILIA BEGAN THE COUNTY CAREER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES IN 2005, BEFORE JOINING THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY A YEAR LATER AS AN EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING WORKER. OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, SHE HAS BUILT A STRONG FOUNDATION WITHIN HUMAN SERVICES, ADVANCING THROUGH MULTIPLE LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY, FIRST AS AN EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING WORKER, ONE AND THEN A TWO, AND THEN A THREE AND DEVELOPING THERE.

SHE SUPPORTED STAFF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PROGRAM OPERATIONS.

IN 2015, AMELIA WAS PROMOTED TO A SUPERVISOR WITHIN THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING BRANCH, WHERE SHE CONTINUES TO PROVIDE STEADY LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT TO HER TEAM IN THAT THROUGH HER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, SHE HAS CONSISTENTLY EMBRACED NEW INITIATIVES AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN SHAPING HOW THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING BRANCH SERVES FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SHE WAS PART OF A NEW INTRODUCTION OF A CALWORKS INITIATIVE, WHICH IS 2.0, WHICH WE INTRODUCED A NEW PHILOSOPHY FOR HOW WE ENGAGE OUR PARTNER CLIENTS AND HOW EARLY INVOLVEMENT HELPED LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE BRANCH'S IMPLEMENTATION AND ONGOING SUCCESS WITH THIS APPROACH.

16 SHE LED THE FIRST SUPERVISORY TEAM THAT WAS HELPING ESTABLISH OPERATIONS THERE AND SUPPORTING THE TEAM'S TRANSITION.

BEYOND THE PROGRAM LEADERSHIP, SHE HAS HELPED COORDINATE SEVERAL IMPORTANT STAFF AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND AS A FACT, SHE CURRENT AGENCY DIRECTOR JOHN CHECKLEY DURING HIS EARLY DAYS IN EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMELIA. YOU HAVE BEEN GREAT TO ME.

THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.

IT'S HARD WORK THAT WE DO THERE, BUT IT'S MEANINGFUL, MEANINGFUL WORK.

SO THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? I DO.

I WAS HOPING FOR AN ANECDOTE ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN TRAINING.

I APPRECIATE THAT TRAINING. IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE.

TEAM NINJA, THAT'S FUNNY. ALSO, JUST FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, TO UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY A SUPERVISOR MIGHT HAVE IN EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING. RIGHT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT 5000 THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS IN A IN A COUNTY THAT HAS 90,000 HOUSEHOLDS.

SO LESS THAN 10% ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO COME THROUGH OUR DOORS AND MEET PEOPLE LIKE AMELIA AND GET THOSE SERVICES THAT SHE'S INVOLVED IN.

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

THESE ARE REALLY SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND AMELIA AND HER TEAM AND THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE AND THE HEART THAT THEY SHOW IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. SO THESE FAMILIES CAN BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING AMELIA ON HER 20 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MARTHA ESPINOSA TO JOIN ME, PLEASE.

CONGRATULATIONS. MARTHA IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

MARTHA HAS BEEN WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY DURING HER ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY A SOCIAL WORKER.

THREE IN THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES BRANCH. AT THIS TIME, I'D ALSO LIKE TO INVITE DIRECTOR AND KELLY KNUDSEN UP TO PROVIDE SOME COMMENTS.

[00:25:04]

THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE IS IS VERY DIFFICULT. AND THE FACT THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT AT A SUPERIOR, SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE FOR SO LONG IS REALLY TESTIMONY TO YOUR DEDICATION TO THE COUNTY WORKING IN OUR CHILD SERVICES BRANCH.

YOU AGAIN ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE KIDS KIDDOS, AS WE CALL THEM IN OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND IT GOES WITHOUT ANY FANFARE. THERE'S NO FIREWORKS THAT GO OFF FOR WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY, PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN, WHICH IS REALLY MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO.

AT THE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY AT THIS COUNTY. YOU KNOW, I WAS RECENTLY AT A CONFERENCE AND THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT A MARCI GREETING.

WHEN THEY SEE EACH OTHER, IT'S NOT HOW ARE YOU? IT'S HOW HOW ARE THE CHILDREN AND THE HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN, THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN.

AND IF THE RESPONSE IS THAT CHILDREN ARE WELL, THAT MEANS OUR COMMUNITY IS THRIVING.

AND YOU'RE AN INTEGRAL PART IN MAKING SURE WE HAVE A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

YOU HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION.

AND, YEAH, I'LL JUST ADD I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THE AGENCY, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.

AND I INVITED MARTHA'S DIRECT SUPERVISOR ANGELIA TO JUST GIVE A COUPLE COMMENTS.

I AM MUCH BETTER AT READING FROM SOMETHING THAN I AM ON THE FLY.

COMPARED TO THESE THESE FINE FOLK. SO FIRST OFF, I AM MARTHA'S DIRECT SUPERVISOR.

MARTHA IS A LEADER AMONGST HER PEERS. SHE IS TRAINED AND MENTORED OTHER STAFF FOR OVER TEN YEARS IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF CHILD WELFARE.

SHE'S WORKED IN THE COURT UNIT, FAMILY UNIT AND AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT.

MARTHA TAKES ON CHALLENGES AND VOLUNTEERS FOR PILOT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE INCLUDED CHILD WELFARE'S, POD TEAM, ONE VISION, ONE VOICE, TEAM TOPS, AND FAMILY GROUP DECISION MAKING.

AND THAT'S JUST A FEW OF THEM. LET'S BE REAL. IN ADDITION, SHE HAS COLLABORATED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH TO PERFORM SOCIAL WORK DUTIES AND REFER FAMILIES TO THE FIRST STEPS PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES MATERNITY AND INFANT CARE SERVICES AND COLLABORATIVE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING TO WORK WITH ELIGIBLE FAMILIES.

MARTHA'S TEAMWORK IS EXEMPLARY, OFTEN VOLUNTEERING TO ASSIST PEERS, MENTOR PEERS, AND VOLUNTEERING TO FULFILL ON CALL AFTER HOURS WORK.

IN 2024, MARTHA CONTINUED HER EDUCATION AS SHE STARTED A MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM THROUGH CSU STANISLAUS.

MARTHA COMPLETED HER FIRST YEAR OF INTERNSHIP IN OUR PERMANENCY PLANNING UNIT.

MARTHA'S CURRENTLY IN HER SECOND YEAR OF INTERNSHIP, AS SHE TAKES ON A NEW ROLE THROUGH THE DART PROGRAM WITH MERCED POLICE DEPARTMENT. MARTHA HAS ALWAYS DEMONSTRATED A FIERCE INITIATIVE TO LEARN NEW ROLES, NEW RESOURCES AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER AGENCIES.

MARTHA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE AN TEAM SHE JOINS.

WELL, THANK YOU, ANGELINA. AND YOU DO YOU DO A GREAT JOB WITH 3D? I DO LESS OF A GOOD JOB IN TALKING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.

I'M MUCH BETTER IN A HOUSE WITH FAMILIES. BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY THAT I SEE, PEOPLE THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH, PEOPLE THAT I'VE TRAINED. IT'S AMAZING DOING THIS WORK.

I STILL LOVE IT 25 YEARS LATER. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING MARTHA ON HER 25 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE.

NOW, SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO INVITE RACHEL TORRES TO JOIN ME UP HERE.

GOOD MORNING. RACHEL IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

RACHEL HAS BEEN WITH PUBLIC HEALTH DURING HER ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY A PUBLIC HEALTH SOCIAL WORKER IN THE MATERNAL, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH PROGRAM. I'D LIKE TO INVITE DOCTOR SULLIVAN TO FOR A FEW COMMENTS.

I AM SO HONORED TODAY TO BE RECOGNIZING RACHEL FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE COUNTY.

YOUR PASSION AND DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY HAS TOUCHED COUNTLESS LIVES OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE THREE DECADES.

SO RACHEL BEGAN HER SERVICE WITH THE COUNTY BACK IN 1992 WHEN THE COUNTY OWNED A CLINIC, AND AT THAT TIME SHE WAS DOING PERINATAL AND OB INTERVIEWS.

AND ALREADY SHE LOVED PUBLIC HEALTH AND JUST DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT BECAUSE SHE WAS DOING THINGS AT THAT TIME THAT WERE VERY CUTTING EDGE.

[00:30:05]

SO SHE TRANSITIONED AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH SPECIALIST FOR PERINATAL OUTREACH.

AND JUST A YEAR LATER, SHE STEPPED INTO THE ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH SOCIAL WORKER, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH YOUNG PARENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, SUPPORTING THEM, GUIDING THEM, AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO CONNECT TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEEDED TO UPLIFT THEM IN THEIR LIVES.

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE DEFINING DEDICATION THAT SHE HAS SHOWN THROUGHOUT HER CAREER.

IN 2009, RACHEL EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN FORCE, BUT WHEN THE COUNTY CALLED HER BACK, SHE CAME THANKFULLY, FOR US TO CONTINUE HER WORK AND DEDICATION TO TEEN PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IN COVID, RACHEL WAS DEPLOYED UNDER ME AND SHE CALLED OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH COVID AND CONNECTED THEM TO RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THERE'S A LOT. AFTER COVID, SHE CAME FULL CIRCLE AND WENT BACK TO WORKING IN OUR CLINIC WITH OUR TB PATIENTS.

AND NOW HAS BEEN IS WITH OUR MATERNAL, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH PROGRAM, WHERE AGAIN, SHE HAS SERVED OUR COMMUNITY FOR FOR THREE DECADES IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT ROLES. BEYOND THAT, SHE ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS EFFORTS, SERVES ON THE ADVISORY BOARD, AND LENDS HER VOICE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THE MIGRANT COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR MIGRANT ADVISORY COUNCIL. SHE ALSO ENSURES THAT TEEN PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE CONNECTED TO RESOURCES.

EVEN THOUGH WE'VE LOST SOME OF OUR TEEN PREGNANCY PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY.

RACHEL IS AN AMAZING MILESTONE AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BUT DURING ALL THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THIS COUNTY, IT IS A TRULY REMARKABLE MILESTONE. AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO THE COUNTY AND TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU FOR THIS MILESTONE. THANK YOU. DO THIS.

FIRST OF ALL, I HAD TO GO TO CHURCH THIS MORNING AND SAY, OKAY, HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS DAY. SO AND THAT'S WHERE I NEED TO BE THANKFUL FIRST.

AND I WANT TO BE THANKFUL TO MY PARENTS, MY FAMILY AND THE FAMILY THAT HAS GROWN AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THEY'RE MY EXTENDED CHOSEN FAMILY. BUT ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FAMILIES THAT ALLOW US IN THEIR HOMES BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, I TRULY APPRECIATE LEARNING FROM THEM AS WELL AS THEM LEARNING FROM US.

WHAT I DID WANT TO ADD IS THAT I WAS AN ADOLESCENT FAMILY LIFE PARTICIPANT.

SO I WAS TELLING KRISTEN THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAME AROUND FULL CIRCLE, AND I GREW UP IN A MIGRANT CAMP.

I MY PARENTS HELPED ME TO LEARN HOW TO BE KIND AND JUST KEEP THE FAITH AND KEEP GOING.

AND AND I ALWAYS SAY, MY FRIEND HERE HAS ALWAYS TOLD ME, JUST KEEP SWIMMING, KEEP GOING, AND JUST KEEP LOVING EVERYBODY AS BEST AS YOU CAN. SO THANK YOU. THANK. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING RACHEL FOR HER 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO MERCED COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY. CONGRATULATIONS.

LET'S HAVE OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS COME ON UP FOR SOME PHOTOS, EVERYBODY, SHE SAID.

THAT'S AWESOME.

[00:35:04]

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MICHELLE ROWE TO JOIN ME.

MICHELLE IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

MICHELLE HAS BEEN WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY DURING HER ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY A DEPUTY DIRECTOR.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE JOHN DIRECTOR TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. AND WE ALSO HAVE A NICE LONG 30 YEAR LIST.

I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING I'M A BETTER PUBLIC SERVANT BECAUSE OF YOU AND I, THAT THAT'S EVERYTHING.

IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SERVANT.

AND BECAUSE OF YOU AND THE WAY YOU MODEL BEHAVIOR AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.

MICHELLE STARTED AS AN OFFICE ASSISTANT, TOO, IN 1995, AND THAT JUST DOESN'T CAPTURE THE IMPACT SHE'S HAD.

I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH HER FOR PROBABLY THE LAST 7 OR 8 YEARS, PRIMARILY AROUND HOMELESS SERVICES YOU KNOW, WORKING FIRST AT THE CEO'S OFFICE WHERE MICHELLE WAS REALLY LEADING OUR COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT EFFORTS.

RIGHT. AN ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION. RIGHT. MICHELLE'S THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE LEADER OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BRANCH, WHICH YOU'VE SEEN TWO PREVIOUS PEOPLE GET RECOGNIZED FOR CHILD SERVICES IN THE FIELD, PROVIDING SERVICES DIRECTLY TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH, FROM MICHELLE'S TEAM, AND THE ABILITY TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE FIELD AND DELIVER DIRECT SERVICES IS COMPLETELY TIED TO HER WORK IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BRANCH.

BUT THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THIS STORY IS HER SERVICE HAS EXPANDED SO MUCH MORE BEYOND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE FUNDING IS THERE FOR US TO DELIVER SERVICES.

WHEN COVID HAPPENED, MICHELLE LED OUR PROJECT.

ROOMKEY EFFORTS LITERALLY BOOTS ON THE GROUND, LED OUR PROJECT ROOMKEY EFFORTS BY BEING IN THE FIELD, GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE SERVE.

AND IT WAS JUST SO INTERESTING TO SEE THIS TRANSFORMATION IN MICHELLE'S A PUBLIC SERVANT, TO DELIVERING DIRECT SERVICES TO SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEE MICHELLE ADVOCATE. NOT THAT IT WAS SURPRISING, BUT JUST, HEY, WE CAN'T DO THAT.

WE HAVE TO GET THESE FOLKS SERVICES. WE HAVE TO WRAP AROUND THESE INDIVIDUALS.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEIR LIVES ARE BETTER. AND SHE LED THAT EFFORT, AND IT WAS AN EFFECTIVE EFFORT WITH 40 PEOPLE GETTING HOUSED OUT OF THAT AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMING THROUGH MOTELS. IT WAS JUST AMAZING TO SEE THAT, THAT IT'S NOT A TRANSFORMATION, JUST THE THE HEART THAT YOU HAD FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE VULNERABLE.

BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THERE. RIGHT. VERY SHORTLY AFTER COVID AND PROJECT ROOMKEY, WE HAD THE PLANADA FLOODS, WHERE AGAIN, MICHELLE WAS LEADING THE TEAM IN JEANS AND TENNIS SHOES, SETTING UP SHELTERS, MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAD WHAT THEY NEED. SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON WE WOULD CALL OF, HEY MICHELLE, THERE'S 300 PEOPLE NOW FLEEING PLANADA THAT ARE IN A SHELTER.

WE NEED COFFEE, WE NEED WATER. SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WERE JUST ESSENTIAL FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE.

AND MICHELLE MADE SURE THESE PEOPLE HAD WHAT THEY NEED TO MAYBE NOT OVERCOME ALL OF THE OBSTACLES, BUT TO AT LEAST HAVE A SAFE PLACE THAT THEY COULD GO HARBOR FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND IT JUST THE STORIES GO ON AND ON.

PLANADA 20 MILLION MICHELLE HAS AGAIN LED THE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY BUILDS SOME RESILIENCE IS A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY TO BEGIN WITH. OUR OUR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER, OUR OUR STATE SENATOR WAS ABLE TO GET FUNDING FOR THAT ORGANIZATION.

AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW JUST DON'T KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO STAND A PROGRAM UP FROM JUST NOTHING TO WHERE WE CAN EFFECTIVELY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FAIRLY IDENTIFY FOLKS AND THEN RESOURCE THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT IT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT COMMUNITY HAS SOME RESILIENCE. AND MICHELLE HAS LED ALL THAT.

AND SO I'M GOING TO CLOSE WITH WHERE I START.

I'M A BETTER PUBLIC SERVANT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, FOR THE DEDICATION YOU SHOW EVERY DAY.

EVERY DAY. I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE YOU ON OUR TEAM, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM VERY MUCH A BEHIND THE

[00:40:02]

I COULD NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING WITHOUT MY INCREDIBLE TEAM, OF MY MANAGERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY, AND MY COWORKERS AND I TRULY BELIEVE MY WORK FAMILY.

AND THEN A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY MOM AND MY HUSBAND AND MY DAUGHTER, WHO HAVE BEEN MY MENTORS AND SHOWED ME EVERYTHING AND REALLY HAVE BEEN MY SUPPORT AS WELL AS SACRIFICED ALONG WITH EVERYTHING. AND I REALLY LOVE MY JOB.

EVERY DAY IS A BRAND NEW DAY. THERE ARE NEW TWO NEW, TWO DAYS ALIKE.

AND I'VE HAD AMAZING LEADERSHIP WITH AVANDIA.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. AND, JOHN, THANK YOU.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER AS WE CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND MY COWORKERS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THANK YOU FOR LET'S GIVE HER ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

SO REQUESTED. EVERYBODY. ARE THEY ALL BEHIND THE SCENES? YEAH. COME ON GUYS. OH, AWESOME. FOLKS. YOU'RE ON VACATION. DID THE WRITE UP? I PUT IT IN MY POCKET.

ALL RIGHT. IT'S ALL GOOD.

LET'S GO BACK IN THERE. WELL. THANK YOU.

GREAT WORK. THERE'S NO NUMBERS FOR YOU RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE RAUL MEDINA TO JOIN ME.

RAUL IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MERCED COUNTY.

RAUL HAS BEEN WITH PUBLIC HEALTH DURING HIS ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, AND IS CURRENTLY A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE INVESTIGATOR.

DOCTOR SULLIVAN. THANK YOU. IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN WE GET TO CELEBRATE 130 YEAR PIN.

AND TODAY PUBLIC HEALTH GETS TO CELEBRATE TWO TWO, WHICH IS HOW WE KNOW THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS THE BEST DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY.

SO I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE TO CELEBRATE RAUL AND HIS 30 YEARS OF SERVICE DEDICATED TO PROTECTING, EDUCATING AND CARING FOR THE PEOPLE OF MERCED COUNTY.

RAUL BEGAN HIS JOURNEY IN 1995, BACK WHEN PUBLIC HEALTH WAS STILL IN AN OLD BUILDING.

AND A BUILDING IS PROBABLY A GENEROUS WAY OF DESCRIBING IT NEXT TO THE FORMER COUNTY HOSPITAL.

FROM DAY ONE, RAUL WAS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, FOLLOWING UP WITH PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH COMMUNICABLE INFECTIONS AND ENSURING THAT THEY AND THEIR PARTNERS GOT TREATMENT AND THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED.

THAT EARLY WORK SET THE TONE FOR EVERYTHING HE WOULD GO ON TO DO.

GROUNDED IN COMPASSION, SERVICE AND A GENUINE DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES.

I'LL GIVE JUST ONE EXAMPLE. EARLY ON IN HIS WORK AS AN HIV COUNSELOR, THE ONLY WAY TO TEST FOR HIV WAS WITH A BLOOD TEST.

NOW WE HAVE ORAL. ORAL SWABS. THIS WAS WHEN THERE WAS MORE STIGMA AROUND HIV AND ESPECIALLY AROUND HIV PATIENTS BLOOD.

RATHER THAN SHY AWAY FROM HIS COMMUNITY, RAOUL BECAME A PHLEBOTOMIST SO THAT HE COULD DIRECTLY TEST OUR COMMUNITY, ENSURING ACCESS TO CRUCIAL EARLY LIFE SAVING INFORMATION.

RAOUL IS BILINGUAL, BICULTURAL AND BI LITERATE, AND HE SHOWED UP.

IN DOING SO, HE BECAME A TRUSTED VOICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

HE HAS BEEN ON THE RADIO, TALK SHOWS, TELEVISION SEGMENTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS.

HE'S DEVELOPED BROCHURES AND FLIERS AND HEALTH EDUCATION MATERIALS THAT HAVE REACHED THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEEDS IT, COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN PEOPLE SHUN. ALSO A LOT.

AND WHEN OUR COUNTY HAS FACED OUTBREAKS OVER THESE LAST 30 YEARS, ANTHRAX, H5N1 OR BIRD FLU, SYPHILIS, TUBERCULOSIS, AND OF COURSE, COVID 19, RAOUL WAS THERE WITH THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE TEAM DOING THE DIFFICULT, DETAILED WORK THAT MOST PEOPLE NEVER SEE. BUT EVERYBODY BENEFITS FROM DURING THE STORMS AND FLOODS OF 2023.

HE VOLUNTEERED AT COUNTY SHELTERS TO SUPPORT DISPLACED RESIDENTS, AND THAT IS JUST WHO HE IS.

[00:45:03]

HE OFTEN SAYS, JUST PLANT THE SEED AND WATCH IT GROW.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE'S DONE, INCLUDING TO AN INCREDIBLY GREEN EPIDEMIOLOGIST WHO SHOWED UP AT THE DEPARTMENT TEN YEARS AGO AND THOUGHT THAT SURVEILLANCE DATA WAS SOMETHING YOU GOT OFF A RING CAMERA. AND SPOILER ALERT, IT IS NOT.

RAUL AND THE REST OF THE TEAM WERE WERE REALLY CRUCIAL IN TRAINING ME IN ALL THINGS INFECTIOUS DISEASE, AND FOR THAT I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL. 30 YEARS IS AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE, BUT THE TRUE IMPACT OF THOSE YEARS IS MEASURED IN HEALTHIER FAMILIES, SAFER COMMUNITIES, AND THE MANY PEOPLE AND COWORKERS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY YOUR DEDICATION.

SO, RAUL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I'LL BE VERY BRIEF LOOKING AT YOUR FACES. WE'RE READY FOR THE CAMERA AND LET'S GO ON BREAK.

LET'S SEE IF EVERYBODY THAT GOT A SERVICE AWARD COULD COME UP AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE BOARD.

I'D APPRECIATE IT, PLEASE. CONGRATULATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.

COME OUT A LITTLE JUST OVER THERE AND YOU CAN GO BEHIND, I THINK.

OKAY. LOOK RIGHT HERE. ONE MORE.

GO AHEAD. THREE. ONE. THANK YOU. LET US SEE.

THANK YOU. SURE. SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS.

AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK. YOU CAN TAKE MORE PICTURES OUT IN THE LOBBY AND THERE'S SOME REFRESHMENTS.

OKAY. WELCOME BACK. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 17.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 17 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

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

WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD ACTION, BEGINNING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 18 AND 19.

[BOARD ACTION]

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DPW ITEMS 18 AND 19 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. O SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL SORRY.

YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AFTER THESE RECENT RAINS, THOSE OF YOU WHO COMMUTE ON SANTA FE, I JUST WANT TO BRING TO ATTENTION ITEM NUMBER 18.

THIS IS A BIG PROJECT, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS TRAVELING DOWN THAT ROAD, AND THOSE POTHOLES ARE HUGE. AFTER THIS PAST RAIN.

SO I ENCOURAGE A YES VOTE ON THIS. THANK YOU.

SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

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

NEXT, WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES.

ITEMS 20 AND 21. PLEASE NOTE BOTH ITEMS REQUIRE A 4/5 VOTE.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 20 AND 21.

[00:50:06]

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

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

UNANIMOUSLY PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH ITEM 22.

PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED AT THIS TIME.

I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HEALTH ITEM 22.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HEALTH ITEM 22 IS NOW CLOSED.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

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

NEXT, WE HAVE FIRE ITEMS 23 AND 24. PLEASE NOTE, ITEM 23 REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR FIRE ITEMS 23 AND 24.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR FIRE ITEMS 23 AND 24 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

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

NEXT WE HAVE SHERIFF ITEM 25. PLEASE NOTE A 4/5 VOTE IS REQUIRED.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 25.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR SHERIFF ITEM 25 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. NEXT WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

ITEM 26. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SID.

ITEM 26. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR SID ITEM 26 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. NEXT WE HAVE SPRING FAIR ITEM 27. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SPRING FAIR ITEM 27.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR SPRING FAIR. ITEM 27 IS NOW CLOSED.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

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

NEXT WE HAVE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR. ITEM 28.

AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR OR INVITE MISS ADAMS TO SPEAK.

TIMER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KAREN ADAMS, YOUR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR.

I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER JUST SOME QUICK THINGS REGARDING THE OCTOBER 29TH FED FUND MEETING.

AS YOU KNOW, THEY DID REDUCE THE DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

SORRY, SORRY, I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON. ALL RIGHT. PERFECT. NO.

NO PROBLEM. YOU PROBABLY SHOULD SILENCE ME SOMETIMES.

ANYWAY AS YOU WELL KNOW. SO THE FEDS DID REDUCE THE FED FUNDS RATE BY 25 BASIS POINTS.

OCTOBER 29TH AND TODAY'S EFFECTIVE FED FUNDS RATE IS A 4.09.

AND SO THAT THAT JUGGLES BETWEEN THE 3.75 AND THE 4.4% TARGET THAT THEY'VE SET.

THE FEDS WERE, YOU KNOW, DILIGENT ABOUT STATING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ASSESSING FUTURE POLICY.

THEY WILL CAREFULLY ASSESS INCOMING DATA, THE EVOLVING OUTLOOK, AND OF COURSE, BALANCING THE RISK, WHICH IS INFLATION, EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS AND GDP.

THAT TWO PRONG HAS NOW GONE TO INCLUDE THE GDP NUMBERS.

AND AS THAT DATA IS COMING IN, THEY'RE ADJUSTING THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF CUTTING RATES AT THE DECEMBER 9TH OR 10TH MEETING.

PERSONALLY, I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD IS DIMINISHING THAT THEY'LL CUT ANOTHER 25 BASIS POINTS.

I THINK 50 BASIS POINTS IS OFF THE TABLE. BUT AGAIN, WHAT DO I KNOW? YOU KNOW, YOU COULD FLIP A COIN REGARDLESS OF THE OF ANY POTENTIAL CUTS FROM THE FEDS IN DECEMBER OR EVEN IN EARLY 2026, UNLESS THERE ARE MASSIVE CUTS OF 50 OR 100 BIPS.

THE PORTFOLIO IS GOING TO BE VERY STABLE WITH ITS EARNINGS BECAUSE WE HAVE A DURATION IN OUR PORTFOLIO AND THE LONGER DURATION YOU HAVE, THEN THE LESS YOUR MOVING WITH THE OVERNIGHT RATES.

SO WE'LL HAVE MORE STABILITY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE LAST QUARTER, OUR BOOK VALUE OF THE ASSETS HELD DID DROP BELOW THE 2.2 BILLION.

[00:55:07]

SO I SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STABLE IN THOSE EARNINGS.

OUR ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN DIMINISHING BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE SCHOOL BONDS.

THOSE THOSE BOND ISSUES ARE BEING PUT TO WORK BY THE NUMEROUS SCHOOL BONDS AND SOME OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE PULLING DOWN SOME OF THE LIQUIDITY, BUT I STILL THINK THERE WILL BE SOME STABILITY.

AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE WILL EXCEED THE $78 MILLION OF INTEREST EARNINGS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.

SO THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. AND LET'S HOPE IT'S POSSIBLE.

AND UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL JUST MAKE REAL QUICK MENTION BEFORE YOU.

TODAY IS ALSO OUR ANNUAL INVESTMENT POLICY STATEMENT.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE POLICY THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OR THE FRAMEWORK FOR THAT MANDATES ME TO INVEST PUBLIC FUNDS IN A MANNER WITH PRESERVATION OF SAFETY, LIQUIDITY, AND OF COURSE, LASTLY, YIELD, BECAUSE WHAT OUR POLICY IS, IS TO PRESERVE THE DOLLARS THAT ARE GIVEN TO US TO INVEST AND THEN MAKE THAT DOLLAR AVAILABLE AND HOPEFULLY ADD SOME NET ADDED VALUE TO THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO INVEST ON BEHALF OF OUR POOL PARTICIPANTS. REAL QUICK POOL PARTICIPANTS, OF COURSE, IS THE COUNTY AND MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF ED, WITH THE 20 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE MERCED COLLEGE, AND THE NUMEROUS NUMEROUS SPECIAL DISTRICTS.

SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTION, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. I DID OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

FOR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR. TAX COLLECTOR. ITEM 28 IS NOW CLOSED.

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

CALL FOR THE VOTE. LLOYD. WHAT? DOES THAT MATTER? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IS THAT A BIG DEAL OR JUST LET IT GO? OKAY. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 29 THROUGH 31.

PLEASE NOTE ITEM 31 REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE. OKAY.

AT THIS TIME, COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARK HENDRICKSON WILL PROVIDE COMMENTS REGARDING ITEMS 29 AND 31.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AGAIN, GOOD MORNING. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY AND I'LL BE SPEAKING FIRST TO TO ITEM 29 IS A CONTRACT WITH THE BALDWIN GROUP WEST LLC, WHICH IS TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE COUNTY'S EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE PLAN.

THIS BOARD HAS LONG BEEN CONCERNED WITH RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE COUNTY'S BUDGET AND OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS BOARD EARLIER THIS YEAR, THIS BOARD PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED THAT STAFF CONDUCT AN RFP TO IDENTIFY A THIRD PARTY FIRM TO OBJECTIVELY EVALUATE THE COUNTY'S EXISTING HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES, COST DRIVERS, PLAN PERFORMANCE AND BENCHMARKING AGAINST COMPARABLE PUBLIC AGENCIES.

TO THAT END, YOUR STAFF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THAT RFP AND UPON YOUR APPROVAL TODAY, THIS CONTRACT WILL BE FROM NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025 THROUGH MAY 31ST, 2026, WITH A COST NOT TO EXCEED $40,000.

THE BALDWIN GROUP WEST IS HEADQUARTERED IN IRVINE AND IS A PART OF THE BALDWIN GROUP, WHICH IS AN AWARD WINNING ADVISORY FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND STRATEGIC HEALTH PLAN DESIGN.

THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH PUBLIC SECTOR CLIENTS, AND OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS THEY WILL REVIEW OUR CURRENT HEALTH PLANS, CLAIMS, EXPERIENCE AND RATE METHODOLOGY. ULTIMATELY, THEIR ANALYSIS IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING THE VALUE OF BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WHILE ENSURING THE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROGRAM.

IN APRIL 2026, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WILL FORMALLY PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS BOARD OPENLY AT THAT TIME.

SO WITH THIS ITEM, WE CERTAINLY RECOMMEND APPROVAL TRANSITIONING JUST VERY QUICKLY.

ANY QUESTIONS ON ITEM 29? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES. CEO HENDRICKSON. AS WE AS THEY LOOK AT ALL THIS STUFF, THERE'S ONE OTHER PIECE THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS PART OF THE RFP OR IF THIS IS PART OF KIND OF MAYBE SOME ACTION IN THE CEO'S OFFICE.

I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE A SOME KIND OF BOARD SET UP WITH, WITH ALL THE KEY PLAYERS THAT INTERNALLY LOOKS AT ALL OF THIS STUFF, TOO, AND IT COMES FROM A PLACE OF REALLY IN MY MIND,

[01:00:03]

BUT AS PEOPLE TRANSITION IN AND OUT, YOU JUST YOU JUST HATE TO LOSE ALL THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

SO IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF BOARD SET UP TO WHERE YOU HAD AND I'M NOT TRYING TO CLAIM I KNOW WHO THOSE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE AT THIS POINT, BUT FOLKS THAT ARE WITHIN THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY FROM HR, FROM THE RISK SIDE OF STUFF, BUT THEN MAYBE SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS COUNCIL I BELIEVE WOULD PROBABLY WOULD WANT IN THERE. THAT KIND OF LIKE IS YOUR FIRST KIND OF SOUNDING BOARD.

I WANT TO KIND OF NOT THAT IT HAS A LOT OF ACTION TO TAKE, BUT ALMOST KIND OF LIKE THIS RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, ALMOST LIKE A HEALTHCARE KIND OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, SO THAT YOU'RE GETTING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES INTO WHAT IT IS WE'RE LOOKING AT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE BETTER AND MORE INFORMED DECISIONS. SO AGAIN, NOT SURE IF IT PERTAINS TO WHAT THE WORK THAT THE BALDWIN GROUP POTENTIALLY WOULD BE DOING, BUT ALSO WANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT WE CHAT ABOUT THAT AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING.

THANK YOU. YES, SIR. SO THAT'S SOMETHING LIKE ONCE THE BALDWIN GROUP DOES IT, THEN WE ASSESS OR WE HAVE OUR INSIDERS GO OVER IT AND KIND OF EXPLAIN, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT? THAT'S EXACTLY OKAY. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO CEO HENDRICKSON, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.

I MEAN, I I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS EVALUATION FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW, AND AND I'LL JUST I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, YOUR LEADERSHIP HERE, THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP HAS BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, AND YOU STARTED WORKING ON IT DAY ONE.

AND I PUBLICLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND AND I THINK ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, OUR WHOLE TEAM IS GOING TO BE APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.

SO THANK YOU, SIR. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AGAIN, CEO HENDRICKSON, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

AS MY COLLEAGUE JUST STATED, WE KNOW DAY ONE, YOU STARTED LOOKING AT THIS.

I WAS JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I KNOW THROUGH OUR NEGOTIATIONS, WE ARE LEARNING NEW FACTS ON DIFFERENT STUFF.

AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THE PUBLIC SAFETY SEGMENT. I KNOW I BRING THIS UP EACH TIME. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE THE, THE REVIEW AS WELL. SUPERVISOR OR MR.. HENDRICKSON.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THROUGH THE CHAIR. YES, SIR. THAT WAS THAT WAS HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE RELEASE OF THE RFP THAT WAS INCLUDED AS A PART OF AS A PART OF THE RFP PROCESS. SO.

YES, SIR. I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MR. HENDRICKSON FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, BUT AS WELL AS THE BOARD MEMBERS PREVIOUS TO REALLY FOCUSING ON THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'LL NEVER FORGET THE FOUR HOURS OF CLOSED SESSION GOING OVER THIS STUFF.

AND SO IT WAS REALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S DESPERATELY NEEDED.

AND I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA THAT ONCE THEY DO THEIR ASSESSMENT, THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND HAVE OUR, OUR TEAM OR SOME INTERNAL GROUP LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT.

SO WITH THAT ITEM 31, JUST VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE COUNTY MERCED HAS RECEIVED OVER $7.8 MILLION IN OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO DATE.

AND I THINK WHILE WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THESE RESOURCES ARE FINITE AND THEY DO DECREASE OVER TIME, THEY MUST BE ALSO USED STRATEGICALLY TO REDUCE THE IMPACTS OF THE OPIOID CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

JUST BY WAY OF BRIEF BACKGROUND, AT LEAST 50% OF THESE FUNDS MUST GO TOWARDS WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS HIGH IMPACT ABATEMENT ACTIVITIES AND THE ITEM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.

THE PHASE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS DO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT.

IN FACT, TODAY ABOUT $2.2 MILLION IS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED IN PHASE THREE TO FUND CRITICAL ITEMS SUCH AS PROP 36, SB 43 TRAINING AND INNOVATIVE GRANT PROGRAM THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND MATCHING FUNDS FOR THE MARIE GREEN PSYCHIATRIC CENTER EXPANSION, JUST TO MENTION A FEW, ALL OF WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION CAPACITY.

THESE RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRE NO NET COUNTY COSTS IN EACH OF THE IMPLEMENTING DEPARTMENTS.

DO DO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE DOLLARS MAY NOT BE REPLACED ONCE THEY'RE DEPLETED.

ADDITIONAL PHASE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS DO INCLUDE GRANTING THE CEO AUTHORITY FOR UP TO 10% ADJUSTMENTS BETWEEN FUNDING FUNDING CATEGORIES TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN RESPOND QUICKLY TO EMERGING NEEDS WHILE KEEPING THE BOARD FULLY INFORMED.

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, HOWEVER, ALSO TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF OUR SHERIFF AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN PREPARATION FOR THIS ITEM TODAY.

AND AGAIN, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

THANK YOU SIR. OKAY. NOW I DON'T BELIEVE I OPENED THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CEO ITEMS 29 THROUGH 31.

[01:05:04]

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

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

NEXT, WE HAVE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ITEM 32. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEM 32.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

ITEM 32 IS NOW CLOSED. I'VE MOTIONED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

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

OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS 33 THROUGH 40.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEMS 39 AND 40 WILL EACH BE TAKEN SEPARATELY.

OKAY, AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD APPOINTMENT ITEMS 33 AND 38.

CLOSE. THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW CLOSED. DO I HAVE A TICKET BACK TO THE O SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? YES, MR. CHAIR. AS PERTAINS TO ITEM. LET ME GO BACK TO MY.

SORRY, I'M ON THE WRONG ONE THERE. AS IT PERTAINS TO ITEM NUMBER 40, I WOULD NOMINATE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AS THE PERMANENT MEMBER AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AS THE ALTERNATE MEMBER.

TAKE THAT. WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NOT THERE YET. WE HAVE TO TAKE THOSE SEPARATELY.

SO WE HAVE TO DO 30, 38 AND 33, 40, 39 AND 40 HAVE TO BE TAKEN SEPARATELY.

OH, WELL. SO THIS. AGENDA ITEM. OKAY. BUT I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE ITEM UP THERE.

OKAY. VERY GOOD. SO THEN I WILL HOLD THAT UNTIL WE GET TO ITEM 40.

IT SHOULD SAY 33 THROUGH 38. YEAH. IT'S IT IS 33 THROUGH 38.

IT SHOWS IT HERE. IT'S 38. JUST MAKE IT CLEAR ON THE RECORD.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT DOES SAY 33 THROUGH 40, TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE IS A RANDOM BUG IN THE SYSTEM THAT MAKES IT, SAY 33 THROUGH 40. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 33 THROUGH 38.

AND THEN WE WILL DO 39 THROUGH 39 AND THEN 40.

CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. SO PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR THAT.

SO WE'LL TAKE A MOTION FOR 33 THROUGH 38. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD.

PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW CONSIDER ITEM 39. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

YEAH. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. THIS IS CSAC, AND I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT MY COLLEAGUE HAS DONE AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.

HE IS CURRENTLY ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND I KNOW THEY CURRENTLY ARE WANTING HIM TO DO MORE LEADERSHIP ROLES.

AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT SCOTT SILVEIRA IS NOMINATED FOR THIS POSITION.

AND THEN FOR THE ALTERNATE, I'D LIKE JOSH PEDROZA AS WELL, WHO'S DOING THE INCREDIBLE WORK AT NACO AS WELL.

OKAY, I'LL SECOND THAT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

DO WE HAVE TO CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE OR CAN WE DO IT ON HERE? NO, I CAN DO IT IN THERE IN THE SYSTEM. OKAY.

MAKE A MOTION. YEAH. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

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

DO WE DO? PUBLIC COMMENT? PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 33 OKAY, SO WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 39. I'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 39. OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR 39.

NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO 40. I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 40.

OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 40 IS NOW CLOSED.

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

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, I WOULD AGAIN LIKE TO NOMINATE THE SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AS THE PERMANENT MEMBER AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AS THE ALTERNATE MEMBER FOR OUR CRC, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES GOLDEN STATE FINANCE AUTHORITY AND GOLDEN STATE CONNECT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

DELEGATES. AGAIN, JUST WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.

[01:10:04]

OKAY, SO I DID PUBLIC COMMENT AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A SECOND.

IS THERE YOU CAN DO IT IN THE SYSTEM. OH SORRY I DID THAT ALREADY.

OKAY. SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

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

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR INFO ITEMS 41 AND 42.

OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM INFO FOR INFO ITEMS 41 AND 42 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. FOR MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

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

OKAY. NEXT WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SCHEDULED ITEM, A PUBLIC HEARING AS SUBMITTED BY COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

[SCHEDULED ITEMS]

IN CONNECTION WITH PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF OBLIGATIONS BY THE CALIFORNIA ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, SIDA TO FINANCE A PROJECT LOCATED IN THE COUNTY.

AT THIS TIME, DIRECTOR MARK MIMS WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ITEM.

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MARK MIMS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A PUBLIC HEARING AS REQUESTED BY THE CALIFORNIA ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OR CTA, IN CONNECTION WITH A PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF OBLIGATIONS TO FINANCE A PROJECT LOCATED IN MERCED COUNTY. GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS HAS REQUESTED THAT CTA SERVE AS A MUNICIPAL ISSUER OF OBLIGATIONS IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $12 MILLION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING OF THE REAL PROPERTY AND IMPROVEMENTS.

LOCATED AT 72 SEVEN WEST CHARLES AVENUE IN MERCED, CONSISTING OF AN APPROXIMATELY 18,000 SQUARE FOOT OFFICE BUILDING. GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS, A NONPROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION, WILL OPERATE THE FACILITIES IN CONNECTION WITH ITS PROGRAM OF ALL INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND IN SUPPORT OF ITS MISSION OF PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY, COMPASSIONATE CARE.

HEALTH. EXCUSE ME? COMPASSIONATE HEALTH CARE FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS, REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL, CULTURAL OR LANGUAGE BARRIERS. THE TAX EQUITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT, OR TEFRA, AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING AND THE ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION BY A RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY REGARDING THE ISSUANCE OF TAX EXEMPT BONDS FOR THIS PROJECT. AS THE COUNTY OF MERCED IS A MEMBER OF CTA, AND THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN MERCED COUNTY, IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE FOR THE GOVERNMENT BODY TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.

THE COUNTY WILL HAVE NO FINANCIAL, LEGAL, MORAL OBLIGATION, LIABILITY, OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROJECT OR THE REPAYMENT OF THE OBLIGATIONS FOR FINANCING THE PROJECT. THE RECOMMENDATION ACTIONS FOR THE ITEM ARE AS FOLLOWS ONE.

OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING UNDER THE REQUIREMENT OF THE TAX AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED AND ACCEPTED. PUBLIC COMMENT AND ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT.

TWO. CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING AND THREE. ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF OBLIGATION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $12 MILLION BY THE CALIFORNIA ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS, A CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION OR RELATED OR SUCCESSOR ENTITY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING ONE OR MORE HEALTH CARE RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF TEFRA, THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, AND THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 60 500. THANK YOU. AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

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

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

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.

[01:15:02]

I'LL MOVE THAT. WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF OBLIGATIONS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $12 MILLION BY CTA FOR THE BENEFIT OF GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS. AND IT'S THEY'RE A NONPROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION OR A RELATED OR SUCCESSOR ENTITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING ONE OR MORE HEALTHCARE RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITHIN THE COUNTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF TEFRA UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AND CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 6500 SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

BEFORE I SECOND THAT MOTION, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS WE DON'T SEE VERY MANY OF THESE.

I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN ONE OF THEM, BUT THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WAS ENACTED THROUGH THE STATE.

AND I'M GOING TO EVEN GUESS, MAYBE LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GIVE ONE MORE CLEARINGHOUSE TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THAT THESE TYPE OF THINGS ARE GOING ON, AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF THE GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT GETS INVOLVED, THAT HAS TO HELP THEM BY HOSTING A PUBLIC HEARING.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. OKAY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY. MOTION CARRIES. SUPERVISOR PRAYER.

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? OH, NO. OKAY. OKAY. AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE BOARD REPORTS STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MERCED COUNTY TEAM THAT'S INVOLVED WITH PUTTING THAT ON THE LOGISTICS OF MOVING FOLKS FROM THE GRAND OR, EXCUSE ME, THE OPENING CEREMONIES OVER TO WHERE THE PARADE STARTS.

WELL, VERY WELL ORGANIZED. STARTING ON TIME. I MEAN, AT 2:00, THE PARADE WAS GOING.

SO THAT'S. IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING. WE APPRECIATE THAT.

AND JUST I FOR THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN GOING TO IT, I CAN'T REMEMBER THERE BEING MORE PEOPLE THAN THERE WAS AT THE ONE THAT WE HAD ON VETERANS DAY. THAT'S ON WAS IT JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, ON A WEEK AGO ACTUALLY TODAY.

AND BUT IT JUST WAS REALLY A REALLY COOL EVENT. IT'S IT'S ALWAYS GREAT.

AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND I WERE RIDING ON A FIRE TRUCK AND ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER MY COLLEAGUES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO RIDE ON THERE AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT IT'S REALLY THE VETERANS SHOULD BE THE ONES RIDING ON THERE. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WE'RE WE'RE CELEBRATING.

BUT JUST REALLY, TRULY COOL. DEAL. AND I DO AGREE.

THE HELICOPTER. I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THE FLYOVER WHEN THEY DID, BUT I, I THINK THEY KIND OF GOT A LITTLE BIT CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. AND SO WE'VE GOT QUITE THE LITTLE BIT OF A SHOW.

WE GOT THEM ON THE WAY IN AND THEN DONE A LITTLE FLYOVER.

SO THAT WAS I THINK GAVE ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE ONES KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHLIGHT FOR IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT.

I ALSO ATTENDED THE FARM CITY BANQUET WHERE THEY HONOR A TREE AND ROW CROP FARMER OF THE YEAR.

EXCUSE ME, TREE AND VINE FARMER OF THE YEAR, ROW CROP FARMER OF THE YEAR, DAIRY CATTLEMAN FARMER THERE AND THEN A BUSINESS OF THE YEAR.

ALWAYS. AND AN EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR. CORRECT.

AND ALL IN THE AG SECTOR. SO THOSE FOLKS PUT ON A PUT ON A GOOD LITTLE EVENT THERE AND WAS HAPPY TO BE THERE TO, TO HONOR ALL OF THE AWARDEES TWO OF WHICH WERE FROM DISTRICT FIVE.

SO WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THAT. YESTERDAY WE HAD OUR PLEDGE DAY.

AND SO THAT'S A DAY WHERE WE BRING IN OUR STATE AND FEDERAL FOLKS THAT WE PARTNER WITH AND REALLY HAD SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS WE EMBARK THIS NEXT YEAR. REALLY, IT'S HELPFUL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET TO CHAT WITH ALL OF US, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, ALL THE OTHER COUNTY ELECTEDS. GET TIME TO MEET WITH THOSE FOLKS SO THAT THEY THEY KNOW WHAT KIND OF STUFF THAT WE WANT TO BE ADVOCATING FOR AND ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF MERCED COUNTY. SO THANK YOU TO STAFF MIKE NORTH AND EVERYBODY THAT PUTS THAT TOGETHER.

IT'S A WHOLE DAY EVENT FOR THOSE FOLKS. I GET A HALF HOUR WITH THEM, BUT THEY SPEND A LOT OF HALF HOURS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT FOLKS. AND SO ALWAYS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT WITH THOSE PEOPLE. WANT TO CELEBRATE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.

SO SOME YEARS BACK, MERCED COLLEGE STEVE LANDERS IS KIND OF THE SPEARHEAD OF THIS DEAL.

WE SAW A NEED. AND THE NEED WAS, IS THAT THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PARAMEDICS IN IN THE EMS FIELD AND MERCED COLLEGE EMBARKED ON GETTING ACCREDITATION TO BE ABLE TO THERE HOSTING PARAMEDIC CLASSES.

WHERE I THINK WE'RE ON COHORT FOUR NOW IS WHAT THEY'RE AT.

AND JUST TO SHOW YOU THE SUCCESS OF IT IS WHEN THEY PUT OUT APPLICATIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY ONLY HAVE 30 SOMETHING

[01:20:02]

AND I KNOW COVID, WHEN COVID CAME, IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED SOME DEFICIENCIES IN THE IN THE WHOLE MS SYSTEM.

AND YOU HAD CAREER LONG PARAMEDICS WHO JUST DECIDED THAT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS GOING ON WITH COVID AND THEY JUST LEFT THE INDUSTRY ALTOGETHER.

THEN YOU PUT ON TOP OF THAT THE FACT THAT PARAMEDIC SCHOOL SHUT DOWN FOR A YEAR.

SO THERE'S THIS. SO YOU HAD NO PIPELINE OF NEW ONES COMING IN.

YOU HAD LONG TIME ONES LEAVING. AND AND I GIVE STEVE MILANDER A LOT OF CREDIT.

AND WITH WHEN I SAY STEVE MILANDER, OBVIOUSLY HE'S INVOLVED IN MERCED COLLEGE AND THE LEADERSHIP AT MERCED COLLEGE, THAT REALLY WENT DOWN THIS PATH OF BECOMING AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO PUT ON THESE PARAMEDIC CLASSES.

AND IT'S KIND OF A DEAL WHERE THERE'S SOME FRONT END STUFF THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN ATTEMPT THAT.

AND THAT'S WHERE I CAME IN. AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'RE OBVIOUSLY ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE.

BUT THEN THEY NEEDED A LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL TO BE A PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THAT APPLICATION PROCESS.

AND THEY ASKED ME AND I GLADLY DID IT. AND I'M ACTUALLY THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.

AND YOU FAST FORWARD TO NOW AND SOME OF THE, THE SUCCESS RATE OF, OF THESE COURSES OF, OF GRADUATING PARAMEDICS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY GRADUATE THE PROGRAM AND THEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR STATE, THEIR NATIONAL REGISTRY TEST. AND THE PERCENTAGE RATE OF FOLKS THAT PASS IS IS QUITE EXCEPTIONAL. IT'S ABOVE THE CALIFORNIA AVERAGE AND ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

AND REALLY THEY'RE GROWING SOMETHING OVER THERE THAT IS GOING TO MAKE THEM ONE OF THE PREMIER PARAMEDIC SCHOOLS.

I BELIEVE IN THE COUNTRY, IF NOT JUST IN CALIFORNIA.

SO JUST GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE.

AND JUST WHEN YOU WATCH THESE FOLKS THAT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THE THE AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTORS THAT THEY HAVE, BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY ACCELERATED. I THINK THEY'RE DOWN TO 16 MONTHS IS WHAT THEY'RE IS WHAT IT'S TAKING TO PUT FOLKS FROM, FROM WHEN THEY START TO, WHEN THEY FINISH AND NOT JUST BEING SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT ALSO DIGGING INTO, OKAY, HOW DO WE MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO EVEN GET BETTER? SO JUST A GREAT JOB ALL THE WAY AROUND, AND YOU'RE KIND OF SEEING NOW THAT THERE'S THIS INTEREST FROM SOME OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION ARE LIKE, HEY, I WANT TO I WANT TO MAKE A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE. I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS. AND AND NOW THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO TRAVEL EITHER TO THE NORTH OR TO THE SOUTH TO GO TO QUITE HONESTLY, THERE'S SOME PARAMEDIC SCHOOLS OUT THERE THAT THAT'S ALL THEY ARE IS JUST A STANDALONE PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.

AND THE COST TO GO TO THOSE IS SO MUCH MORE. BUT BY LEVERAGING THE RESOURCES OF MERCED COLLEGE THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT IT ON AT QUITE A REDUCED RATE THAN IF YOU JUST WENT TO A PARAMEDIC, A STANDALONE PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.

SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT GREAT WORK. BY BY ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

CHIEF MICKEY BRUNELLI FROM CITY FIRE IS HE'S A I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS TITLE IS, BUT HE TEACHES OVER THERE WITH THEM AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, WITHIN THE FIRE INDUSTRY AND THE EMS INDUSTRY WHO HAVE THEIR REGULAR JOBS, WHO ALSO PUT SOME TIME INTO HELPING TO TRAIN THIS NEXT GENERATION OF PARAMEDICS COMING THROUGH. SO JUST GOOD WORK ALL AROUND. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I'LL LEAVE WITH IS, IS WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE, HILDA LOPEZ, WHO IS SHE'S SHE'S LEAVING US AND, AND AND, YOU KNOW, AND I TOLD HER THAT I'M SAD THAT SHE'S LEAVING US, BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, SHE SEES AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT SHE'S NOT GOING TO BE GOING VERY FAR. SHE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE GOING TO MERCED COLLEGE. AND SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS HER ACTUAL LAST BOARD MEETING, THAT SHE'LL BE WITH US.

AND SO, HILDA, THANK YOU. ALWAYS APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR. PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I MET WITH A GROUP, A NONPROFIT FROM THE COACHELLA VALLEY THROUGH THE CNC.

PUT THE MEETING TOGETHER. THEY'RE THERE CALLED LIFT TO RISE. AND IT'S KIND OF A HOUSING CONSORTIUM THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER.

AND SO YOU KNOW, THEIR IDEAS ARE PRETTY GOOD, BUT THE GOALS ARE PRETTY LOFTY.

SO IF ANYBODY OUT THERE IN IN COUNTY WORLD OR OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER IS INTERESTED IN WORKING ON A NONPROFIT THAT COULD HELP BRING FUNDING INTO MERCED COUNTY TO GET HOUSING BUILT ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS.

REACH OUT TO ME OR ONE OF US, I GUESS, WHEREVER YOUR SUPERVISOR IS.

I'D LIKE TO THANK SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. HE INVITED US OUT TO THE LOS BANOS SPORTSMEN'S CLUB.

HE HAS IT'S CALLED THE KIND OF COUNTY NIGHT. AND SO THE COUNTY ELECTEDS GENERALLY SHOW UP AND HELP SERVE.

HE'S GOT A GREAT, GREAT GROUP OF COOKS. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

DAD OR EX SUPERVISOR PEDROZO AND WILL AND AND BOBBY POWERS.

SO, ANYWAYS, IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A GREAT NIGHT.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM MULTIPLE DISTRICTS THAT ARE THERE.

AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. I TOO ATTENDED THE FARM CITY BANQUET.

AND JUST KIND OF NEAT TO SEE PEOPLE GETTING HONORED FOR PROMOTING AG IN OUR COUNTY AND BEING SUCCESSFUL.

[01:25:06]

IT WAS IT WAS AT THE PAVILION, PROBABLY 4 OR 500 PEOPLE THERE.

NOT BECAUSE OF ME, OBVIOUSLY, BUT BECAUSE OF OF THE PROGRAM.

AND AND NOW THIS LAST WEEK, IT WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 200 PEOPLE.

AND SO JUST KIND OF SAD TO SEE OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY HONORING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ACROSS THE, THE SPECTRUM OF THE INDUSTRY AND TO NOT HAVE MORE PEOPLE SHOWING UP.

SO MAYBE NEXT YEAR AS SUPERVISORS, WE COULD HELP PROMOTE THAT EVENT A LITTLE.

I THINK SO. JUST JUST TO WISH TO SPENT A HALF HOUR YESTERDAY WITH OUR LEGISLATORS AND I THINK WE'RE REALLY WELL REPRESENTED BY PROBABLY. AND IN SACRAMENTO BY FAR, YOU KNOW, THE MOST ACTIVE LOBBY GROUP.

AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB FOR US. AND, AND SO ANYWAYS, JUST APPRECIATE THAT ONE BIG ITEM THAT'S ON MY AGENDA IS FOR J59 TO BECOME HIGHWAY 59. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEAS. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SAFETY INFORMATION.

WHO USES IT? AMBULANCE, FIRE. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE SLOW IN COMING, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEAS OF HOW TO EXTRACT THE MS USAGE OF THAT ROAD, IT WOULD BE REAL HELPFUL.

AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

THANK YOU. CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, I ATTENDED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROMOTIONAL CEREMONY FOR SERGEANT RODRIGO SANDOVAL, SERGEANT AMANDA ABARCA, AND LIEUTENANT MIKE RUIZ.

THERE WAS ALSO A LIFE SAVING AWARD THAT WAS GIVEN OUT TO CUSTODIAL DEPUTY MICHAEL PACHECO, WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY SON AARON JAMIE HARPER AND ALVIN ALLISON MOOREHEAD.

AND THEY ACTUALLY SAVED THE LIFE OF AN INCARCERATED, INCARCERATED PERSON THAT HAD TAKEN A FENTANYL OVERDOSE IN THE JAIL.

SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY. AND AND A GOOD JOB.

I ALSO ATTENDED THE VETERAN'S PARADE CEREMONY DOWNTOWN.

MY DAD IS A VETERAN, SO IT'S ALWAYS INSPIRING TO SEE HOW MERCED COUNTY RECOGNIZES OUR VETERANS.

AND THEN I SPENT MY HALF HOUR WITH THE LEDGE LODGE LOBBYIST YESTERDAY TO TO GIVE MY PRIORITIES FOR MERCED COUNTY AND DISTRICT ONE.

SOME OF MY PRIORITIES. AND THEY'RE NOT LIMITED TO THIS, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY OUR ROADS AND FLOOD CONTROL AND HOPEFULLY GETTING A PARK IN SANTANELLA.

SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. YEAH, I DID ATTEND THE NOVEMBER 5TH SPORTSMAN'S.

I APPRECIATED SCOTT SILVEIRA'S LEADERSHIP ON THAT.

I TELL YOU WHAT, THOSE GUYS KNOW HOW TO GET THE FOOD OUT IN A QUICK WAY AND VERY ORDERLY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT LEADERSHIP THERE.

I ALSO ATTENDED THE DANBOM FARMS CONSERVATION CELEBRATION IN HILMAR ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE.

SUPERVISOR. PAREIRA. I ATTENDED THE MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION DINNER.

IT'S AMAZING HOW THEY CAN TRANSFORM THAT BUILDING INTO LOOKING AS NICE AS IT DOES.

YOU NEVER KNOW. YOU'RE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS OUT THERE.

ALSO ATTENDED THE ATWATER VETERAN'S DAY PUT ON BY THE CASTLE VETERANS ORGANIZATION.

THAT MORNING, WE HAD A BRIGADIER GENERAL FROM MERCED FROM ATWATER.

HE ACTUALLY HAS RETIRED AND RETURNED TO ATWATER AND APPRECIATE THE MESSAGE HE SENT.

HE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB AND APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS DEDICATION.

ALSO ATTENDED THE THE MERCED VETERANS DAY PARADE AND AFTER THAT WENT BACK OVER TO THE CVO FOR THEIR POTLUCK CELEBRATION.

AND THEY HAD A LOT, OF LOT OF STUFF GOING ON THERE.

SO IT WAS A GOOD DAY, A FULL DAY OF CELEBRATING OUR VETERANS, ESPECIALLY THE VETERANS THERE IN ATWATER WITH THE CASTLE VETERANS ORGANIZATION.

I ALSO HAD A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

I DO SAID AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE THEY GAVE US A REALLY GOOD UPDATE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN WASHINGTON, DC. AND BELIEVE ME, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN MY FOCUS SITTING ON THE COMMITTEE HERE IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS FUNDING IN STORE.

SOUNDS LIKE THIS ADMINISTRATION IS DEFINITELY PUSHING IT.

WE WERE CLEAR THAT WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO GO THROUGH THE STATE AND THEN REDIRECTED TO THE COUNTIES THAT WE WANTED IT GOING DIRECTLY TO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.

ALSO GOT TO ATTEND THE PROSPERO UNVEILING, WHICH IS ACTUALLY OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

WE'RE CHANGING THE NAME AND MAKING IT A LITTLE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.

[01:30:02]

SO WE'RE TAKING IT TO ONE NAME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I WANT TO SAY ALSO ATTENDED THE PHOENIX GRADUATION PHOENIX PROJECT GRADUATION.

AND I GOT TO SAY I WENT THERE. I ALWAYS ENJOY THESE TO SEE WHAT FOLKS HAVE DONE AND BETTER THEMSELVES THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

BUT IT WAS I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MARIO LOPEZ.

MARIO AND I ATTEND CHURCH TOGETHER AND BECOME VERY CLOSE THROUGH OUR FELLOWSHIP AND THE MEN'S FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST.

AND I HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE PROJECT AND WE WERE VERY THRILLED TO SEE EACH OTHER, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE HIM GRADUATE FROM THE PROGRAM.

AND ANYWAY, MARIO, GREAT JOB OUT THERE. AND I ALSO ATTENDED THE LEGACY BALL, THE FIRST ANNUAL IN ATWATER.

IT WAS WELL ATTENDED, AND I JUST WANT TO ANOTHER SHOUT OUT TO LAMAR HENDERSON FOR GETTING HIS AWARD AND BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HIS WORK HERE AT THE COUNTY AND WHAT HE'S DOING FOR ALL DADS MATTER, AND THAT WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE.

AND ALSO, I'D BE WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE TO HILDA.

THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE, HILDA, WAS I WAS THE LAST TO KNOW.

I HAD NO IDEA SHE WAS GOING TO JUMP SHIP AND GO TO MERCED COUNTY.

BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE PEOPLE GROW AND TO WATCH OUR CONNECTIONS BROADEN.

SO GOOD LUCK TO YOU. THANK YOU. MR.. SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

YES, I TOO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO HILDA. WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, SHE RAN MY MAC MINIS BETTER THAN I DID, SO YOU TRULY WILL BE MISSED. BUT CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

SO, MR. HANSEN, MR. HENDRICKSON. NOTHING SIR.

OKAY, I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE HILDA ON HER NEW JOURNEY WITH MERCED COLLEGE.

I KNOW ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OVER THERE. HE CAN BE KIND OF A HASSLE.

IT'S MY DAD. YEAH. SO I, I TOO, DID THE LEDGE DAY YESTERDAY.

WITH OUR, OUR OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM FROM SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON, D.C., WHICH I THINK DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB.

I, TOO, ATTENDED THE VETERANS DAY PARADE. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND I WENT TO THE FIELD OF HONOR GRAND OPENING AND THE CLOSING CEREMONIES FOR IT.

THE FIELD OF HONOR IS IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY POWERFUL TO TO GO AND TO SEE AND TO BE A PART OF I THINK THEY HAD LIKE 2012 FLAGS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS REALLY COOL. THE. LET'S SEE. ON FRIDAY, I ATTENDED THE REBRANDING OF THE SAN JOAQUIN'S TO THE GOLD RUNNER. THE SAN JOAQUIN ARE OUR AFFILIATE THAT RUN FROM HERE THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY.

RIGHT. IT'S THE SAN JOAQUIN TRAIN. THE AMTRAK TRAIN.

BUT THEY CHANGED THE NAME TO GOLD RUNNER TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS THAT YOU CAN MAKE IN THE STATE, NOT JUST BOXING IT INTO SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, BUT ALL THE WAY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. I TOO, ATTENDED THE FOOD BANK.

OH, I'M SORRY, THE FARM CITY DINNER AT LAST SATURDAY.

AND THEN I WANTED TO YESTERDAY THEY WERE FILLING FIRST FIVE AND MCO WAS FILLING FOOD BAGS AT THE FOOD BANK TO HAND OUT TO THE HEAD START PROGRAM. THERE WAS 1000 BAGS OF FOOD THAT WAS PUT THERE WAS GOING TO BE DONATED.

AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL, OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL.

MY DAUGHTER GOES THERE. I WENT THERE. I HAVE REALLY DEEP CONNECTIONS THERE WITH MY FAMILY, AND I ASKED THEM TO. I ASKED MY AUNT, WHO'S THE PRINCIPAL, IF SHE WOULD PUT TOGETHER A CANNED FOOD DRIVE TO FOR THE FOOD BANK TO GIVE TO THE PANTRIES AND STUFF. AND THEY SET OUT A GOAL FOR 2000 CANS IN A WEEK, AND THEY COLLECTED OVER 4000 CANS.

SO IT WAS A REALLY COOL JOB FOR THEM. AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

I ALSO DID THE FARM THE PHOENIX PROJECT GRADUATION, AND THEN I WANTED TO THANK OUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR THE THE VETERANS DAY PARADE AGAIN, LIKE SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID, BUT ALSO YOU KNOW, ED SKELTON, WHO WAS OUR VSO, DID A REALLY GOOD JOB IN MERCED COUNTY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, HE LEFT US TO GO BACK HOME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH ED WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ED WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MOVE INTO A NEW COMMUNITY AND HE JUMPED IN.

HE WAS INVOLVED WITH ROTARY. I MEAN, ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. HE WAS EVERYWHERE.

AND SO HE REALLY DID A GOOD JOB AND WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT HE DID.

TOMORROW I ALSO ATTENDED THE SHERIFF PROMOTION, SWEARING IN ON THE 10TH AND THE 17TH.

AND THEN TOMORROW I HAVE THE FARM BUREAU IS HOSTING A GET TOGETHER.

I THINK THEY'RE DOING IT WITH ALL FIVE OF US. BUT TOMORROW THEY'RE DOING WITH DISTRICT TWO.

[01:35:02]

DID YOU HAVE YOU HAVE SOME MORE THINGS? OKAY.

GO AHEAD. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. YEAH. SORRY, MISTER CHAIR, I DO.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS MONTHS AGO, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST TWO WEEKS AGO.

MARK HENDRICKSON, THE CEO, AND I HAD A MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THEIR STAFF REGARDING THE FLOW RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE TRYING TO PUT ON MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT, AND WE HAD A VERY FRUITFUL CONVERSATION, AND IT KIND OF WENT IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO GO.

THEY WANTED US TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE WITH MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT AND WE SAID, NO, THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB.

WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE 291,000 PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT AS CONSTITUENTS.

BECAUSE THESE RESTRICTIONS OF WATER FLOWS, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

AND THEY WERE GIVEN US SUCCESS OF ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND HOW WELL THEY'RE WORKING. AND I WAS FLAT OUT TELLING THEM, YOU CUT OUR WATER, YOU CUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO WE STOOD WITH MIT, BUT WE STOOD ON BEHALF OF OUR CONSTITUENCY IN PROTECTING THE WATER RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE IN MERCED COUNTY, BECAUSE THOSE WATER RIGHTS WILL BE RESTRICTED, OUR ECONOMICS WILL BE RESTRICTED. AND WE STOOD STRONG THERE. AND I FELT IT WAS A VERY FRUITFUL CONVERSATION. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND APPRECIATE OUR CEO'S WORK WITH ME ON THAT.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TO HIGHLIGHT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE WE KIND OF SOMETIMES TAKE IT FOR GRANTED WITH THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. AND WITH THAT, ON THURSDAY, I'M GOING TO BE GOING TO SACRAMENTO TO BE TALKING TO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE BEING COMMUNICATED. THEY'RE COMMUNICATING THEIR PROCESS.

AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, WITH WITH THEM. AND THEN FINALLY THERE'S TWO PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN FOR.

THE FIRST ONE IS LILY KEMP. LILY KEMP WAS A LONG TIME MERCED RESIDENT.

SHE WAS 92 YEARS OLD. IF ANYBODY KNEW MRS. KEMP, SHE WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY IT.

SHE WAS A PISTOL. I MEAN, SHE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT SHE WAS VERY, VERY NICE, SWEET LADY.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS MANY OF YOU KNOW MY AUNT DIANA WHO WORKS FOR SENATOR CABALLERO'S OFFICE. THIS HAS BEEN KIND OF A TOUGH YEAR FOR MY FAMILY.

MY UNCLE TIM, MY DAD'S YOUNGEST BROTHER, PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER.

AND THEN MY UNCLE JOE, MY AUNT DIANA'S HUSBAND, PASSED AWAY LAST WEEKEND.

AND SO I'D LIKE TO MY UNCLE JOE WAS HE WAS A BIG SAN FRANCISCO 40 NINERS, GIANTS WARRIORS FAN.

AND THE ONE THING ABOUT MY UNCLE JOE, WHEN YOU TALK TO HIM, HE WAS.

HE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT. HE WAS NEVER WRONG ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT YEAH, EXACTLY.

HE KIND OF. YEAH. IT'S A PORTUGUESE THING, I GUESS.

BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY COUSIN SAID AND HIS SON JOEY, I THINK MY UNCLE WOULD HAVE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT JUST MAKE SURE YOU, YOU KNOW, HUG THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE AND AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S TIMES, TIMES NO ONE'S FRIEND.

BUT SO WITH THAT, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 6 P.M.

6 P.M. ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2025.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.