Jun 16, 2026 Board Meeting

[00:00:03]

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME

[CALL TO ORDER]

[CLOSED SESSION]

MERCED SUPERIOR COURT CASE 26CV 03229. AND SAME COMPANY, 26CV 03342. THE PUBLIC WILL BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED IN CLOSED SESSION. PRIOR TO THE BOARD ADJOURNING INTO THE CLOSED SESSION.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AT THIS TIME. I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK TO THE JUNE 16, 2026 MEETING

[10:00 A.M. REGULAR MEETING]

NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. LET US PRAY.

HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE, FOR MANY BLESSINGS YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON SAID COUNTY, ITS FERTILE FARMLANDS, HIS VIBRANT COMMUNITIES, AND RESILIENT PEOPLE WHO CALL IT HOME. AS SAINT IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH TAUGHT, MAY OUR HEARTS BE UNITED IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST. SO THAT WE MAY LIVE AND WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY AND PEACE. LORD, WE ASK YOU TO POUR OUT YOUR WISDOM, DISCERNMENT AND GRACE UPON THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND ALL COUNTY LEADERS. GUIDE THEM AS THEY CARRY OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

AND INSPIRE THEM TO ALWAYS SEEK THE COMMON GOOD.

MAY THEIR SERVICE STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF EVERY PERSON.

FOSTER JUSTICE, UNDERSTANDING AND PEACE. WE ALSO LIFT UP THE PEOPLE OF MERCED COUNTY AND ALL THOSE WHO WORK EACH DAY TO PROTECT, SERVE AND SUSTAIN IT. LORD, JUST AS JESUS WALKED AMONG THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF GALILEE, WE ASK YOU TO WALK AMONG US FROM WINTON TO LOS BANOS AND THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL VALLEY. NURTURE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY A PROFOUND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL. REMINDING EVERY CITIZEN OF THEIR INHERENT DIGNITY. AND THEIR PRECIOUS IDENTITY AS A CHILD OF GOD. MAY WE BE A PEOPLE MARKED BY CHARITY, ENRICHED BY DIVERSITY, AND UNITED IN HOPE FOR THE FUTURE AS WE BUILD TOGETHER.

AS WE BEGIN TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS, BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER AND THE WORK BEFORE US. MAY OUR DELIBERATIONS BE THOUGHTFUL, OUR DECISIONS WISE AND OUR ACTIONS GUIDED BY A SINCERE DESIRE TO SERVE.

WE ASK ALL OF THIS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.

THANK YOU.

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.

[PUBLIC COMMENT]

EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA.

TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL.

AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN. THIS IS FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. OH, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY GETTING UP? GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

GOOD MORNING.

I ONLY HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

NO.

FIRST QUESTION IS WHEN DID SNELLING ROAD BECOME A TRUCK ROUTE? THE SECOND IS WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS YOU GET FOR FROM OUR REGISTRATION OF OUR VEHICLES AT $24 A VEHICLE, THIS ISN'T A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION, BUT WE WILL HAVE SOMEBODY GET WITH YOU ON THAT.

OKAY? YEAH.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO CAN ANSWER THAT? GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.

GOOD MORNING.

BOARD SUPPLY RESEARCH.

[00:05:02]

GOOD MORNING BOARD MEMBERS.

TODAY I'M HERE. MY NAME IS HEIDI SANCHEZ. I AM A MACMORE SHOE AND OUR DELHI IN ACTION.

WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A REPORT WHAT'S GOING ON IN DELHI. SO FAR WE'RE DOING GOOD AND OUR PROJECT IDEA IS THE PARK AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK LLOYD FOR ALWAYS HELPING US AND SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY AND WE ARE THE FIRST FUNDER OF THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT.

AND SO WE'RE STILL CONTINUING HOPING LIKE THE. WELL WE GOT THE ONE POINT MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE PUT A SURVEY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND IT GOT APPROVED.

SO WE WERE VERY EXCITED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT FINDING A PLACE WHERE WE CAN PUT LIKE A PARK OR A COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND AGAIN SO WE USED TO BE PART OF THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BUT WE ARE NOT PART OF THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AT THE PLTI PARENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE. THEY TAUGHT US HOW TO DO A PROJECT AND IDEA. WE GOT A CERTIFICATE BACK IN 2015. SO WE FEEL READY TO CONTINUE AND HAVING THE KIND OF IDEA OF THE PROJECT. SO THIS HELP US AND THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE WITH (INAUDIBLE) NEEDS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THAT.

THE (INAUDIBLE) PARK. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

SINCE I JUMPED AGAIN LAST TIME, I THINK I'LL GO A LITTLE SLOWER THIS TIME. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? IF NOT, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 21. PLEASE NOTE, ITEMS THREE AND FOUR REQUIRE A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE AT THIS TIME.

I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 21. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 1 THROUGH 21 IS NOW CLOSED. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? I SEE NOBODY IN THE QUEUE. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. MOTION BY SCOTT SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES.

AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE

[Additional Item]

THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE 20 TWIX CF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION 5 SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS AS WELL. AND SINCE THEY COME FROM DISTRICT 01, JIMMY WILL HAVE YOU LEAD THE WAY. EVERYBODY COMING UP, COME ON UP INTO HERE.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU FOR THE COACHES AND THE SOFTBALL TEAM FOR BEING HERE. I WAS ABLE TO WATCH THAT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

IT WAS VERY EXCITING. YOU GUYS DID AN AWESOME JOB. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PROUDLY EXTENDS ITS HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LEGRAND HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOG SOFTBALL TEAM ON WINNING THE CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE. THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE DETERMINATION, TEAMWORK AND EXCELLENCE DEMONSTRATED BY NOT ONLY THESE STUDENT ATHLETES, BUT ALSO THE COACHES, SCHOOL STAFF, AND THE FAMILIES WHO SUPPORTED THEM THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPETITION AND A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR THE ENTIRE LE GRAND PLANADA COMMUNITY AND MERCED COUNTY. THIS BULLDOG TEAM HAS NOT ONLY ACHIEVED

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SO ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF MERCED COUNTY AND THE MERCEDES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE COMMEND THE LEGRAND HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOG SOFTBALL TEAM FOR THIS HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT.

CONGRATULATIONS, CHAMPIONS.

ALL RIGHT, I HAVE SOME CERTIFICATES HERE THAT WILL BE GIVEN OUT. AND DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? FIRST? FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. CEO, MARK, YOU WERE OUT THERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT, SUPERVISOR PACHECO, FOR MAKING THE TIME. ALSO, TO THE COMMUNITY, I THINK IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO THESE YOUNG LADIES AND THE HARD WORK THEY PUT IN, JUST HOW FAR THEY GOT THIS YEAR. SO I REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE GIRLS, THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY, THE PARENTS THAT ARE HERE.

IT'S A REALLY GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECOGNITION.

YES, SIR. FIRST RECIPIENT.

PERFECT.

OKAY.

OKAY. SO DID YOU WANT TO READ THIS? ALL RIGHT. LISA ANGEL, AVA AVILA. ALIYAH CEJA, CRYSTAL ALMANZO, MIKAYLA LEYVA, SADIE SERVIN, CARLA REYES, AUBREY DUCLO, ELLIE RAMIREZ, ELIZABETH DIAZ, TAYLOR HUI, NEELY PEREZ. COACH ADRIAN ANGEL. ASSISTANT COACH JUAN AVILA. AND JUAN TO LA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES AND COACHES. AND LE GRAND HIGH SCHOOL. ARE WE GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE. AND JUST A BIT. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO. THE SOFTBALL TEAM IS GOING TO TRY TO DO A FUNDRAISER TO GET SOME RINGS FOR ALL THE LADIES AND THE COACHES. SO BE LOOKING FOR THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

[BOARD ACTION]

BEGINNING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ITEM 22.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR PUBLIC WORKS ITEM NUMBER 22. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW OVER FOR ITEM NUMBER 22. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. IS THERE FURTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN THE MOTION.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY

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NEXT WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 23 THROUGH 27.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 23 THROUGH 27. WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEM 23 THROUGH 27. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAISY. I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES.

NEXT WE HAVE HEALTH ITEM 28.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HEALTH ITEM NUMBER 28. WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HEALTH ITEM NUMBER 28. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE COMMENTS. THERE YOU GO.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.

BOARD CO HENDRICKSON AND COUNTY COUNCIL HANSON. I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO UPDATE YOU ON THE BOARD DIRECTIVE TO ANALYZE AND PURSUE THE POSSIBILITY OF MERCED COUNTY JOINING THE CALIFORNIA MEDICAL SERVICES PROGRAM, OR CMSP TO MEET COUNTY ENGINE HEALTHCARE REQUIREMENTS. AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR, MERCED COUNTY AND ALL CALIFORNIA COUNTIES ARE FACING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY. FEDERAL CHANGES THROUGH HR1 ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SOME RESIDENTS TO LOSE MEDICAL COVERAGE. AND WE STILL DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE AFFECTED OR IF THE STATE WILL TAKE ANY ACTION TO CONTINUE COVERAGE FOR THESE PEOPLE. CALIFORNIA WELFARE AND INSTITUTION CODE 17,000 REQUIRES COUNTIES TO PROVIDE COVERAGE THAT PROTECTS RESIDENTS LIFE AND LIMB THROUGH INDIGENT HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS. RESIDENTS WHO FALL OFF MEDI CAL MAY THEREFORE RETURN TO THE COUNTY FOR COVERAGE THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. RECOGNIZING THESE CHALLENGES, YOUR BOARD SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTENT TO THE CMSP BOARD FEBRUARY 3RD AND DIRECTED ME TO ANALYZE CMSP AS WELL AS OTHER OPTIONS TO MEET THE COUNTY INDIGENT HEALTHCARE REQUIREMENTS. THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU IS A RESULT OF THAT ENGAGEMENT AND WAS APPROVED BY THE CMSP BOARD IN LATE MAY. ONE CHALLENGE FACING THE BOARD IS THAT CMS IS THE CMSP CONTRACT DEADLINE IS JUNE 30, 2026 BEFORE MANY OF THESE UNCERTAINTIES WILL BE RESOLVED.

WAITING FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY THAT WE ARE FACING. NO OPTION IS PERFECT. THE QUESTION BEFORE YOUR BOARD IS WHICH OPTION BEST PROTECTS RESIDENTS AND PROTECTS THE COUNTY FROM UNNECESSARY RISK? THE FIRST AND BEST OUTCOME WOULD BE FOR THE STATE TO CREATE A STATE LED EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO LOSE COVERAGE BECAUSE OF THE NEW FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. THIS OPTION WOULD BE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE, WOULD LEVERAGE EXISTING MEDI CAL SYSTEMS AND PROVIDER NETWORKS AND WOULD MAINTAIN CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR RESIDENTS AND WOULD PLACE THE ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE STATE RATHER THAN THE COUNTY. THAT OPTION IS UNDER DISCUSSION AT THE STATE, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE CMSP CONTRACT BEFORE YOUR BOARD TODAY IS AN OPTION OF HOW TO PROVIDE COVERAGE TO RESIDENTS IF THE STATE DOES NOT ACT OR IF IT DOES ACT, HOW TO FILL ANY GAPS LEFT BEHIND BY A STATE DECISION FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.

FULL SCOPE MEDI CAL IS THE BEST CASE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE, THEY DELAY CARE UNTIL THEY BECOME VERY POOR OR VERY SICK. PROVIDING CARE AT THAT POINT IS EXPENSIVE, MORE DIFFICULT, AND MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO POOR OUTCOMES. FROM A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT HEAD PERSPECTIVE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS MANY CRUCIAL FUNCTIONS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS AND WE DO NOT HAVE INFINITE RESOURCES TO FILL THE GAPS CAUSED BY THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.

BALANCING THESE OFTEN COMPETING PERSPECTIVES, I BELIEVE THAT CMSP OFFERS THE MOST BALANCED APPROACH MOVING FORWARD. CMSP IS NOT PERFECT. IT INVOLVES SHARED GOVERNANCE, MEANING THE BOARD WOULD NOT HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFIT DECISIONS. COSTS COULD ALSO INCREASE IF ENROLLMENT GROWS SIGNIFICANTLY. THOSE ARE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS, BUT THE ADVANTAGES ARE SUBSTANTIAL.

CMSP ALREADY HAS AN EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONAL MODEL. IT PROVIDES MORE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES THAN THE MINIMUM INDIGENT CARE REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING PREVENTATIVE CARE AND COVERAGE THAT IS NOT TIED TO A QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITION.

IT ALLOWS PARTICIPATION IN A RISK POOL SHARED WITH OTHER COUNTIES RATHER THAN LEAVING ONE COUNTY SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR UNPREDICTED MEDICAL COSTS.

IT HAS A KNOWN IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF APRIL 2027 AND WOULD PROVIDE AT LEAST SOME REIMBURSEMENT AND STABILITY TO COUNTY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS STAFF ALSO EXPLORED ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING AN

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HOWEVER, IT IS AN EXISTING OPERATIONAL PROGRAM THAT PROTECTS RESIDENTS, LIMITS COUNTY RISK AND PRESERVES FLEXIBILITY WHILE THE STATE AND FEDERAL LANDSCAPES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE. FOR THESE REASONS, I RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU TODAY. THANK YOU.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE CMSP.

WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW. ACTUALLY CREATED A RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT EVER BECOMING ACTUALLY A CLIENT.

AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, IT'S BEEN A TIGHT ROPE, VERY TIGHT LINE THAT WE'VE HAD TO WALK PROVIDING THIS KIND OF CARE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, HR1 HAS TRIPPED US WITH THAT TIGHT LINE AND PUT US INTO THIS SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO DO THIS.

BUT WE HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THIS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS WHERE WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT THIS WAS AN OPTION. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED RELATIONSHIP THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THEM TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION NOW. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I ECHO A LOT OF WHAT CHAIRMAN MCDANIEL SAID IN THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS DECISION ISN'T TAKEN LIGHTLY BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH HR1, WITH THE STATE BUDGET AND NOT KNOWING WHERE WE'RE AT.

AND I THINK THAT STAFF. I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR REALLY PREPARING WITH THE BRIEFINGS THAT WE, THAT WE ALL GOT. I THINK THAT YOU GUYS DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.

AND EVEN EXPLAINING IT EVEN FURTHER AFTER MY BRIEFING AND TALKING TO YOU, I REALLY, I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH IT. I KNOW IT'S A HIGH COST, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, I MEAN, OUR, OUR HAND IS KIND OF FORCED. AND SO I THINK STAFF PREPARING US FOR THIS REALLY DID A GOOD JOB.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

DR. SULLIVAN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.

RIGHT.

AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT DID NOT EXCEED 20 MILLION.

WE STILL, BECAUSE OF SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY OUT THERE, THE NUMBER MIGHT NOT BE 20 MILLION, BUT WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY, POSSIBILITY THAT IT CAN BE 20 MILLION. AND I KNOW THAT WE FOUND SOME WAYS TO BE ABLE TO FUND THE FRONT END OF THIS.

BUT THAT MONEY SOON RUNS OUT.

IF IT CONTINUES TO BE COST NEARLY 20 MILLION, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY. IT'S GOING TO. THAT'S A CHALLENGING.

IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE IF THESE. IF WE DON'T GET SOME OF THESE EXEMPTIONS THAT WE'RE HOPEFULLY ANTICIPATING TO GET.

SO.

BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK IN REALLY BRINGING THIS FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE ARE DEAD TIMELINES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BE PREPARED FOR JULY 1ST.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZING SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO.

WELL, I.

OF COURSE, MY COMMENTS AND SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA'S COMMENTS ARE PRETTY SIMILAR, SO I'LL KEEP THOSE OUT.

BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OF DELVING IN GETTING ALL THE FACTS AND MAKING ME FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH A TOPIC THAT I REALLY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.

SO. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR EFFORTS. SO THANK YOU.

YEAH, I ECHO THAT, TOO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

AND AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION COMING UP HERE PRETTY SOON, AND THIS SHOWS YOU THE IMPACTS.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING FOR OTHER MONIES IN THE BUDGET, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE AND ANOTHER UNFUNDED MANDATE THAT FALLS ON THE COUNTY THAT WE HAVE TO FULFILL. SO THANK YOU WITH THAT. SO IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS UP HERE? IF NOT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.

LET'S RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE FIRE ITEM 29.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT ON FIRE ITEM NUMBER 29. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR FIRE ITEM 29 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT TO THE DIOCESE. THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM. I DO HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. PACHECO.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. LET'S RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE PROBATION ITEMS 30 AND 31.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 30 AND 31. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

[00:25:03]

THE ANTICIPATION WAS KILLING US, SUPERVISOR. LET'S GO AHEAD AND RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE SHERIFF.

AT THIS TIME, NO ITEMS 32 THROUGH 34. AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO SHARE A PRESENTATION ON ITEM NUMBER 34. HENDRICKSON AND HANSON COUNTY COUNCIL UNDER SHERIFF COREY GIBSON, MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE A FEW YEARS AGO, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECOGNIZED THAT WE HAD SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES SURROUNDING OUR FLEET WHEN IT CAME TO ACQUIRING AND UPFITTING VEHICLES.

WITH THE COUNTY'S HELP, WE RECOGNIZED THAT UNITED FLEET SERVICES MIGHT BE A SOLUTION TO THOSE CHALLENGES.

IN OCTOBER 2025, YOU APPROVED A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH UNITED FLEET SERVICES FOR ACQUISITION, EMERGENCY VEHICLE OUTFITTING AND LIQUIDATION OF SHERIFF'S FLEET VEHICLES. AS PART OF THAT APPROVAL, YOU ASKED US TO COME BACK AND GIVE YOU A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE LEASE PROGRAM BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY FUTURE CATEGORIES.

TODAY IS THAT PRESENTATION AND I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT STEVE BASSEY WHO OVERSEES SHERIFF'S FLEET AND OUR LEASE PROGRAM.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING BOARD CHAIR, COUNCIL HANSON AND CEO HENDRICKSON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS ITEM TO YOU.

LIKE THE UNDERSHERIFF SAID, STEVE BASSEY WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE LIEUTENANT AND I OVERSEE THE FLEET SERVICES FOR OUR AGENCY. SO WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THE PRESENTATION HERE NOW.

SO THE FIRST JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM. THIS WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OCTOBER 21ST OF 2025. FIVE YEAR CONTRACT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEASE PROGRAM AND ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN ORDERING SPECIFIC TYPES OF VEHICLES THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ACQUIRE. MOVING FORWARD, CATEGORY 1 VEHICLES THE CURRENT STATUS 31 VEHICLES WE HAVE CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND OPERATING OUT OF THE 83 THAT ARE APPROVED IN THE CATEGORY ONE VEHICLES, TWO ARE PENDING DELIVERY, 28 WAITING TO BE DELIVERED TO THE UPFITTER AND 22 THAT ARE OUTRIGHT PENDING TO GET TO THE UPFITTERS AS WELL AND COME IN SERVICE. AND THAT WAS APPROVED IN FISCAL YEAR 25-26.

THE REQUEST FOR CATEGORY TWO, WHICH IS IN FISCAL YEAR 26-27 IS 33 VEHICLES. AND THEN TO FOLLOW CATEGORY THREE VEHICLES WHICH IS IN FISCAL YEAR 27-28 AND THAT IS FOR 53 VEHICLES. MOVING JUST TO FINANCIAL OVERVIEW IN CATEGORY ONE 26-27 WHAT'S BUDGETED IS $1.4 MILLION FOR OUR OPERATE OPERATIONS BUDGET AND THEN OUT OF THE CORRECTIONS BUDGET IS 181,000 WITH ADDITIONAL OPERATING TRANSFERS OF APPROXIMATELY 8 OR 825,000 TO DATE IN THIS FISCAL UP THROUGH JUNE 2026, $389,000 HAS BEEN SPENT ON CATEGORY 1 VEHICLES.

ON THE RIGHT YOU'LL SEE ON THE TOP RIGHT BUDGETED FOR 26-27 FOR CATEGORY TWO VEHICLES.

IN THE OPERATIONS BUDGET IS 495,000 AND THE CORRECTIONS BUDGET IS $4,800. ON THE BOTTOM YOU'LL SEE CATEGORY THREE WHICH IS DEDICATED FOR FISCAL YEAR 27-28. AND THE OPERATING BUDGET, OPERATIONS BUDGET IS 644,000.

AND THE CORRECTIONS BUDGET IS 35,000 WITH ADDITIONAL OPERATING TRANSFERS OF 825,000. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THIS WAS A PRESENTATION, KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THE NOVEMBER PROJECTIONS WERE FOR LIQUIDATIONS.

LIQUIDATIONS. WHEN WE SELL OFF THE VEHICLES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO ACQUIRE THESE LEASED VEHICLES, THE NOVEMBER PROJECTIONS FOR THESE VEHICLES WAS

[00:30:02]

EFFICIENCY. OUR PREVIOUS MODEL HAD DELAYS.

UNDER THE PREVIOUS MODEL, IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 24 MONTHS FROM THE TIME THAT WE AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PUT IN THROUGH THE PURCHASING OF THE VEHICLES TO FINALLY BEING DEPLOYED ON THIS ON PATROL. AND NOW THE UNIFIED FLEET SERVICES PROCESS.

WE'VE ALREADY DELIVERED 31 CARS WITHIN A FIVE MONTH PERIOD OF TIME. SO THAT JUST KIND OF ELABORATES THE EFFICIENCY PROCESS THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE FLEET SERVICES OR THE UNIFIED FLEET SERVICES MODEL.

JUST VISUALLY FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE IS ON THE LEFT SIDE YOU HAVE THE FORWARD POLICE INTERCEPTOR UNIT, WHICH IS THE EXPLORER TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR WITH THIS MODEL WE HAVE BETTER EQUIPMENT COMING INTO THE VEHICLES, BETTER RESALE VALUE. AT THE END YOU SEE THE STORAGE SYSTEM IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE HELPS ORGANIZE DEPUTIES FOR WHENEVER THEY NEED THEIR EQUIPMENT FROM THE REAR FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. AND THEN TO THE RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE YOU SEE THE FORWARD RESPONDER F150S. THERE'S AN ADMIN ONE WHICH IS THE UNMARKED WHITE ONE AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE SLIDE TO THE RIGHT. AND THE TOP ONE IS A PATROL F150 THAT IS SERVICING THE COUNTY.

AND YOU SEE THE COMPARTMENT SYSTEM IN THE BACK SPLIT SYSTEM.

THERE'S STILL ABILITY FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR AN INCARCERATED PERSON.

AND THEN NEXT SLIDE. KEY SAFETY FEATURES THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED WITH THIS UNIFIED LEASE MODEL AND GETTING IT UPFITTED THROUGH A PROFESSIONAL OUTFITTING COMPANY WAS THE WE CAN VEHICLE TO VEHICLE SYNC WHICH AUTOMATICALLY SYNCHRONIZES LIGHTS AND TONES ACROSS MULTIPLE VEHICLE PATTERNS. AS VEHICLES COME IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH BLUETOOTH CONNECTION, THEY ALL SYNCHRONIZE IN LIGHTING, WHICH HELPS WITH VISIBILITY WITH IMPAIRED DRIVERS. SO KEEPING THE DRIVERS, THE PUBLIC SAFE AND OUR DEPUTIES SAFE.

EMERGENCY LIGHTING PARKED VERSUS DRIVE LIGHTING PATTERNS IS LESS RAPID WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED VERSUS WHILE THE LIGHTS ARE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE IS LESS RAPID IN A PARK SETTING VERSUS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN A DRIVE SETTING AND THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED. AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SERVICE SIREN CHANGING FROM THE HORN. SO AS WE HAVE OUR LIGHTS ACTIVATED AND THE SIRENS SIREN GO IN NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE TONE OF THE SIREN THROUGH THE HORN FROM A PREVIOUS MODEL OF POTENTIALLY HAVING TO LOOK DOWN AND SEEING WHERE THE BUTTON IS. SO IT HELPS WITH, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE EYES DOWN THE ROAD FOR OUR DEPUTIES WHILE THEY'RE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. AND THEN LASTLY, THE SIREN TERMINATE AT PARK WHEN A PATROL VEHICLE IS.

SIRENS ARE ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE IS IN A DRY POSITION.

ONCE YOU TURN THE SHIFT TO A PARK SETTING, IT TERMINATES THE SIREN HELPING WITH COMMANDS FROM POTENTIALLY FROM THE DEPUTY THAT'S POTENTIALLY MAKING COMMANDS TO SOMEONE. SO IT HELPS WITH THE NOISE CANCELLATION.

AND THEN THIS PROGRAM KEY POINTS. THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES EFFICIENT VEHICLE PROCUREMENT, FLEET STANDARDIZATION ACROSS THE BOARD AND CONSISTENT SAFETY IMPLEMENTATIONS. VEHICLES ARE CONSISTENT ACROSS THE FLEET AND READY TO BE DEPLOYED FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS THROUGHOUT MERCED COUNTY. AND A KEY POINT IS THE FULL FINANCIAL VALUE OF THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE REALIZED UNTIL WE HAVE FULLY LIQUIDATED CATEGORY 1 VEHICLES AND FUTURE LIQUIDATIONS FOR CATEGORY 2 AND CATEGORY 3 REQUESTED ACTIONS.

FROM THE BOARD THIS MORNING IS APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH THE PURCHASE OF CATEGORY 2 AND CATEGORY 3 VEHICLES.

AGAIN, THE BOARD AUTHORIZED A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT APPROVAL THAT WOULD ALLOW THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO PURCHASE THE REMAINING TWO CATEGORY 2 VEHICLES AND CATEGORY 3 VEHICLES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FISCAL YEARS. AND THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU MAY HAVE. I ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM UNIFIED IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE THAT BRONSON IS

[00:35:01]

NO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK A BIG THANK YOU NEEDS TO GO OUT TO SCOTT SILVEIRA, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, FOR THIS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PROBLEM PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND HOW WE DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS ON. AND SCOTT AND I ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND MET WITH HUGO CEJA AND SAW THE PROBLEMS WE HAD IN FLEET SERVICES AND GET THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. SCOTT WAS ABLE TO THROUGH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AS WELL AS CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES TO MEET THE FOLKS AT UNITED FLEET SERVICES. SCOTT THEN BROUGHT ME OVER AND INTRODUCED HIM TO ME AND WE SAID WE GOT TO GET YOU GUYS IN FRONT OF OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

YOU HAVE THE ANSWER. WE HAVE A PROBLEM. AND I SAY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA GETS A BIG THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE FORUM AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR UNDERSTANDING IT WAS A PROBLEM AND WE NEEDED TO SOLVE IT. AND APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND SO AT THIS POINT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

LIEUTENANT BASSEY. ON. ON THE ANTICIPATION OF YOU STILL HAVE THE REMAINING VEHICLES IN CATEGORY ONE, AND THEN YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT CATEGORY TWOS AND THEN THREES IN A NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

ARE YOU ANTICIPATING IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THE REST OF THOSE OTHER ONES DELIVERED FROM CATEGORY ONE? CORRECT.

CORRECT.

AND THEN AS WELL AS THE 33 THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN CATEGORY TWO? CORRECT.

OKAY. AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION, AND MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS SOONER. THE OPERATING TRANSFER, WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? THAT'S MONIES THAT POTENTIALLY IS FROM OUR FSR, THE FLEET REPLACEMENT THAT WE ALREADY HAD DEDICATED FOR REPLACEMENTS THAT NOW WE HAVE SET ASIDE THAT ARE TRANSFERS IN TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THE BUDGET.

PERFECT. AND I'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM AND IT GOES BACK TO RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME, AND THEN HAVING A CONVERSATION LITERALLY. AND I THINK IT WAS IN THE UNDERSHERIF'S OFFICE, MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND I WERE IN THERE AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEN IT JUST HAPPENED SO THAT A MONTH OR SO LATER WE'RE AT CRC AND THAT'S WHERE I MET THE FOLKS FROM UNIFIED. AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THIS. WE HAVE THIS ISSUE.

AND I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT GOING INTO THIS, THAT THIS DOESN'T SAVE US MONEY. IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY COST US A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY. BUT WHAT WE GAINED IS THE EFFICIENCY.

THE EFFICIENCY OF. AND THEN WHAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AS YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWARE, SOME OF THE BIGGEST LAWSUITS WE SETTLE IN THIS COUNTY HAPPENS TO BE WHEN OUR DEPUTIES ARE RESPONDING AND WE GET IN ACCIDENTS AND WHATNOT. SO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT. THAT ARE. THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO WITH HAVING THIS STANDARD SET OF VEHICLES. SO IF, IF A DEPUTY GETS IN ONE VEHICLE VERSUS THE NEXT VEHICLE, HAVING ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS STANDARDIZED IN THERE. THE.

EVERY.

EVERY BUTTON THAT YOU NEED TO PUSH, IT'S IN THE SAME PLACE IN EVERY VEHICLE. THE, THE.

THE.

I WATCHED THE SHOW ON PATROL LIVE RELIGION AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT DRIVES ME MORE CRAZY. THEY GET ON SCENE AND THEY GO CHASING AFTER THE BAD GUY AND THAT DANG SIRENS JUST SITTING THERE, JUST GOING AND GOING AND GOING.

SO BUT THOSE, THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE GAIN WITH THESE EFFICIENCIES I THINK ARE REALLY GOOD. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM. I WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE OUR DEPUTIES OUT THERE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND HAVING RELIABLE EQUIPMENT, SAFE EQUIPMENT, IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. I KNOW IN OUR BRIEFING I HAD SOME QUESTIONS. I THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.

AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC IS, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THE KIND OF THE NEWER LOOK VEHICLES OUT AND ABOUT MORE OF THEM AND HAVING RELIABLE EQUIPMENT. AND THEN JUST TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THIS PROGRAM OR THESE LEASED VEHICLES INSTEAD OF RUNNING THEM UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF OF THEM AND THEY'RE WORTH NOTHING ON A LEASE SITUATION, WE'RE ABLE TO GET HIGHER RESALE VALUES ON THEM, WHICH THEN ALLOWS US TO TURN THEM OVER AND THEY GO TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESOURCES. SO TO ME IT'S A WIN WIN ACROSS THE BOARD AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE AND I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YEAH, I ECHO A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY. I WAS INITIALLY HESITANT WITH THIS PROGRAM A YEAR AGO AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED HABIT COME BACK AND EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S WORKING OUT, WHAT'S GOING ON. AND YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT THAT WASN'T SAID ALREADY.

BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ASKED IN OUR BRIEFING WAS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD NAME SOMETHING THAT WENT WRONG WITH THIS OR WHAT ARE THE CONS WITH THIS WHEN YOU'RE WEIGHING PROS AND CONS IN THIS. AND I THINK THAT IN THE STAFF REPORT YOU REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT THE ISSUES WERE JUST KIND OF THE GROWING PAINS TYPE

[00:40:01]

AND AGAIN, JUST THE EFFICIENCY AND HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS AND HAVING EVERYTHING THAT YOUR GUYS NEED WHERE THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT NEEDS FOR, YOU KNOW, SAFETY, EFFICIENCY I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THIS, WORKING ON THIS AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GENERAL AND UNIFIED FLEET. SO THANK YOU.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. YEAH, OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, I SPENT 30 YEARS DRIVING IN PATROL CARS AND SO STARTED OUT AT 8 HOUR SHIFT, BUT NOW IT'S 12 HOUR SHIFT. SO YOU'RE GOING TO AVERAGE DEPUTY IS GOING TO SPEND 12 HOURS IN ONE OF THESE PATROL CARS. SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT THEY'RE EQUIPPED AND EVERYTHING. AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR OFFICE IN MERCED, BUT YOU GET SENT OUT TO A BEAD IN SNELLING OR LEG GRAND PLANADA. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EQUIPMENT, YOU GOT TO DRIVE BACK TO THE OFFICE TO PICK IT UP TO GO BACK OUT THERE. SO IT'S NICE, THESE CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE STORAGE SYSTEMS. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT IN THERE AND EVERY CAR IS THE SAME. SO WHEN YOU JUMP IN A CAR, YOU CAN GO. SO I THINK IT'S A BIG THING BECAUSE THESE ARE THE OFFICES OF OUR DEPUTIES. SO I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED AND NOT ONLY TO BE EFFICIENT BUT TO BE SAFE. SO THANKS FOR THAT.

YOU GOT IT. A BIG THANK YOU TO UNITED FLEET SERVICES. I SEE YOU FOLKS OUT HERE. UNIFIED.

OH, SORRY. UNIFIED FLEET SERVICES. I KNOW WE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THIS AND GETTING YOU GUYS IN FRONT OF THE SHERIFF AND UNDER SHERIFF AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS AS WELL.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS 32 AND 34. GO AHEAD. WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.

BUENOS DIAS TO ALL OF YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS. SEEING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT BUDGET. ONE QUESTION WAS, IS THERE AN AVERAGE MILEAGE PER VEHICLE? IS THAT DEPENDENT ON THE RESALE PRICE? THAT'S ONE QUESTION I HAVE. ALSO, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS RECUPERATED WITH THE RESALE FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THAT VEHICLE? AND I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE. YOU KNOW, FLAT TIRES, OIL CHANGES. IS THAT PART OF THE UNIFIED FLEET SERVICES, THE MAINTENANCE? IS THAT PART OF IT, OR IS THAT A SEPARATE ITEM? AND THEN I'M NOT REAL CLEAR ON WHAT CATEGORY ONE, CATEGORY TWO, CATEGORY THREE, WHAT THOSE ARE. YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE CLEAR FOR YOU, SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT? IF NOT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR 32 AND 34.

MR. BASSEY, YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON THOSE A LITTLE BIT ON THOSE THREE QUESTION? YES. SO THE FIRST, THE QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED WAS IN REGARDS TO THE PERCENTAGE BASIS, THE LIQUIDATION OF THE VEHICLES ALL DEPENDS ON TIMING AND MARKET CONDITIONS THAT WHAT THE MARKET'S GOING THROUGH. SO THERE IS ALL THAT.

WHAT CAN BE DONE FROM UNIFIED IS THAT THERE'S A PROJECTION OF WHAT WE BELIEVE THAT WOULD YIELD THAT AMOUNT, BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE DUE TO MARKET VALUES AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE RESALE VALUE OF VEHICLES. AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS OUR MILEAGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THE MILEAGE THAT IDEALLY THAT WE ARE TARGETING IF IT'S 60 TO 70,000 MILES AND AT THAT TIME WE RETURN IT BACK.

AND THEN LASTLY, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE CATEGORIES. SO THE CATEGORIES IS CATEGORY ONE WAS FISCAL 25-26. CATEGORY TWO IS 26-27, WHICH WE'RE MOVING INTO NOW. AND CATEGORY THREE IS 27-28, WHICH WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE BUDGET FISCAL FOR AFTER THIS ONE THAT WE'RE MOVING INTO NOW.

AND A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE.

OH, YES, ABSOLUTELY.

SORRY. SO THE MAINTENANCE WILL STILL BE CONTINUED TO BE DONE BY OUR DPW TEAM. THEY WORK VERY GREAT WITH US WITH THIS IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. SO THEY'LL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THE CARS WITH OIL

[00:45:01]

HOWEVER, THESE VEHICLES WITHIN THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS WITHIN THESE THREE YEAR WINDOW, THE VEHICLES ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SO THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY WILL STILL BE ACTIVE. SO IF THERE'S ANY CATASTROPHIC ISSUE THAT COMES UP WITH THESE VEHICLES, WE JUST TAKE THEM RIGHT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP OR CHEVY DEALERSHIP OR WHATEVER TYPE OF VEHICLE WE HAVE ACQUIRED AND GET THEM WARRANTY WORK DONE.

AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHARE BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM, HOW MANY MILES WOULD WE HAVE ON SOME OF OUR VEHICLES? WE'VE HAD CARS AT 150,000 MILES, 132, SOME EVEN MORE THAN 150,000 MILES.

SO BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE PROGRAM, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE.

THAT'S RIGHT. THEY'VE ALREADY CHANGED YEAR AND OVER.

SOME EQUIPMENT DOESN'T FIT INTO THE NEW MODEL BECAUSE OF JUST THE CHANGE IN BODY STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLES.

NOW MOVING FORWARD, EVERYBODY, COMPLETELY NEW FLEET FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

COMPLETELY NEW FLEET FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

I THINK I'M GOING TO ADD ON TO THE CATEGORY PIECE IS IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO BUY ALL NEW VEHICLES IN ONE YEAR BECAUSE THEN THREE YEARS LATER YOU GOT TO BUY ALL NEW VEHICLES AGAIN.

AND SO THE INITIAL CATEGORY WAS LARGER BECAUSE IT WAS REPLACING SOME REALLY, REALLY OLD STUFF. AND IT KIND OF GETS YOU OFF THE GROUND.

AND THEN YOU LOOK AT CATEGORY TWO AND THEN CATEGORY THREE IS SO THAT ONCE THIS GETS INTO A CYCLE, NOW EVERY YEAR YOU'RE ROTATING OUT A PERCENTAGE OF THE FLEET. SO YOU NEVER HAVE A COMPLETELY BRAND NEW FLEET, BUT THEN YOU DON'T HAVE A FLEET WITH THE SAME AGE OF VEHICLES. SO THAT BREAKING IT INTO CATEGORIES IS BASICALLY YEARS. SO THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS EVERY VEHICLE IN THE FLEET GETS REPLACED.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE FURTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING? OKAY, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ITEMS. 35 AND 36.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ITEMS 35 THROUGH 36. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ITEMS 34 THROUGH 36 IS NOW CLOSED.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF NOT, I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM 37. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM NUMBER 37. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM 37 IS NOW CLOSED.

BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF NOT, I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEMS 38 AND 39. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEM 38 AND 39.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ITEM 38 AND 39 IS NOW CLOSE. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF NOT, I WILL CALL FOR A MOTION. I DO HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS ITEMS 40 AND 41. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 40 AND 41. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 40 AND 41. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. WE'LL RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

[00:50:01]

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS 42 AND 44. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR 42 AND 44 IS NOW CLOSED. THE CHAIR DOES RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THIS.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED IN ONE OF MY BILL CHIAT CREDENTIALED CLASSES ABOUT AI AND HOW IT COULD WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND HOW IT CAN WORK TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I HAVE A FORMER COLLEAGUE OF OURS, SUPERVISOR ZACH FRIEND FROM SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. HE'S KIND OF KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN THIS. HIS STUFF, AND HE WROTE THE POLICY IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. AND I WAS TALKING TO HIM AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD SEND IT OVER. AND I WANT TO THANK MR. DELANEY FOR REALLY WORKING WITH THAT POLICY AND FINDING THE OTHER POLICIES AND KIND OF COLLABORATING WITH EVERYBODY INVOLVED TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT FITS MERCED COUNTY. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I LEARNED THIS AS A TEACHER. YOU HAVE TO KIND OF GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS AND WORK WITH THE INFORMATION NOT TO REINVENT THE WHEEL TYPE TYPE OF THING. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE REALLY DID. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK MY, OUR FORMER COLLEAGUE FROM SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. AND JUST SHOWS THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE CONFERENCES THAT WE GO TO OR THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE A PART OF TO GET THESE IDEAS LIKE THAT.

SO WHEN IT'S TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION AND ASK FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

I TOO WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE. I DO HAVE A REQUEST AND THAT IS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OUR PROGRESS REPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GIVING US WHERE WE ARE WITH EACH OF THE PROJECTS. BUT AT SOME POINT I WOULD LIKE FOR LIKE, ESPECIALLY ON LIKE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PORTION, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GET THE DATA POINTS SO THAT, THAT US AS A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNOW IF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE STATUS QUO OR THEY'RE BECOMING NEGATIVE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT LIKE YEARLY OR BIANNUALLY OR WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE DATA.

OKAY, I SEE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I THINK.

OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE MOTION PASSES.

NEXT WE HAVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. I'M GOING TO USE CHAIR PREROGATIVE.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND WE WILL RETURN AT.

LET'S RETURN AT 11 O'.

CLOCK.

SO IT'LL BE AN EIGHT MINUTE BREAK. OKAY. WELCOME BACK.

[FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 PROPOSED BUDGET]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN AND GOOD MORNING. MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY IS THE FISCAL YEAR 2026. 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET REFLECTS YOUR PRIORITIES AND CONTINUES OUR COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES WHILE MAINTAINING THE FISCAL DISCIPLINE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE LONG TERM STABILITY OF THIS ORGANIZATION.

AT ITS CORE, THIS BUDGET INVESTS IN THE SERVICES THAT MATTER MOST TO OUR RESIDENTS. IT CONTINUES TO PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY, SUPPORTS CRITICAL COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS, STRENGTHENS OUR ABILITY TO SERVE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AND ADVANCES OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. IT ALSO REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A HIGH PERFORMING COUNTY GOVERNMENT CAPABLE OF BEATING BOTH TODAY'S CHALLENGES AND TOMORROW'S OPPORTUNITIES.

NOW.

WHILE THIS BUDGET FUNDS IMPORTANT PRIORITIES, IT DOES SO WITH A CLEAR RECOGNITION OF THE SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL HEADWINDS THAT LIE AHEAD. ONGOING DISCUSSIONS AT BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS REGARDING HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL SERVICES, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND OTHER SAFETY NET PROGRAMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS FOR COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE

[00:55:01]

WE HAVE RESISTED THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED SOLELY ON CURRENT REVENUES AND INSTEAD OF FOCUSED ON LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY. A KEY COMPONENT OF THAT STRATEGY IS OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN COUNTY RESERVES. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET CONTINUES TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES TOWARD RESERVES AND FISCAL SAFEGUARDS, RECOGNIZING THAT STRONG RESERVES ARE NOT SIMPLY A FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICE, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO PROTECTING CRITICAL COUNTY SERVICES DURING PERIODS OF ECONOMIC VOLATILITY AND UNCERTAINTY. THIS BETTER ENSURES THAT WE WILL BE POSITIONED TO RESPOND TO UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES WITHOUT COMPROMISING SERVICE DELIVERY. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO REFLECTS A MULTI YEAR PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN A SINGLE YEAR SOLUTION. WE RECOGNIZE THAT RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING REQUIRES LOOKING BEYOND THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

EVERY INVESTMENT, STAFFING REQUEST AND EXPENSE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN EVALUATED THROUGH THE LENS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY. THIS APPROACH ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE MAKING PROGRESS ON BOARD PRIORITIES WHILE PROTECTING THE COUNTY'S FINANCIAL HEALTH OVER THE LONG TERM. AS WE PRESENT THE PROPOSED BUDGET THIS MORNING, THE COUNTY CONTINUES TO NAVIGATE AN ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY PERSISTENT INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, ELEVATED COST, AND ONGOING UNCERTAINTY IN GLOBAL MARKETS. WHILE INFLATION HAS MODERATED FROM ITS PEAK LEVELS OF RECENT YEARS, CONSUMER PRICES REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS AND MANY OF THE GOODS AND SERVICES RELIED UPON BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL COST ESCALATION. RECENT GEOPOLITICAL INSTABILITY, INCLUDING CONFLICTS ABROAD AND RESULTING DISRUPTIONS IN GLOBAL ENERGY MARKETS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN OIL PRICES, DRIVING HIGHER FUEL, ASPHALT, CONSTRUCTION, MATERIAL, AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY.

AND ALTHOUGH RECENT DIPLOMATIC DEVELOPMENTS HAVE EASED SOME PRESSURE ON OIL MARKETS, FUEL PRICES HAVE REMAINED ELEVATED COMPARED TO HISTORICAL NORMS AND CONTINUE TO IMPACT COUNTY OPERATIONS, PARTICULARLY ROAD MAINTENANCE, PUBLIC SAFETY, TRANSIT AND FLEET OPERATIONS, TO MENTION JUST A FEW. THESE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES EXTEND WELL BEYOND FUEL, HOWEVER, AS HIGHER TRANSPORTATION AND PRODUCTION COSTS HAVE INCREASED THE PRICE OF NEARLY EVERY COMMODITY PURCHASED BY THE COUNTY.

FROM CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO EQUIPMENT TO ALSO CONTRACTED SERVICES.

SO THIS IS ALL TO SAY THAT MERCED COUNTY, LIKE ALL COUNTIES, ARE NOT IMMUNE TO INFLATION.

AND THE OVERALL COST OF DELIVERING SERVICES IS GOING UP. AND AT THE SAME TIME, HOUSEHOLDS CONTINUE TO CONTEND WITH HISTORICALLY HIGH LEVELS OF CREDIT CARD DEBT AND REDUCED PURCHASING POWER, RESULTING IN A MORE CAUTIOUS CONSUMER SPENDING PATTERN THAT CAN AFFECT SALES TAX GROWTH AND BROADER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. SO IN DEVELOPING THIS BUDGET, STAFF HAS REMAINED FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING FISCAL DISCIPLINE.

WHILE PROTECTING ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PRESERVING THE COUNTY'S LONG TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY. I'M PARTICULARLY PROUD THAT THIS BUDGET CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO DELIVER SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS. OUR EMPLOYEES REMAIN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE WORK THAT WE DO.

AND THIS BUDGET SEEKS TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR THEM TO CONTINUE SERVING OUR RESIDENTS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. NOW, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS BOARD, THE HARD WORK OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR AUDITOR COMPTROLLER FOR HER HELP AND ASSISTANCE IN DEVELOPING THIS BUDGET.

ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MANY EMPLOYEES WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET AS WELL. THEIR EFFORTS REFLECT A SHARED COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY.

SO, IN CLOSING, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS BALANCED. IT'S FISCALLY DISCIPLINED AND STRATEGICALLY ALIGNED WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THIS BOARD. IT INVESTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY, PROTECTS ESSENTIAL SERVICES, STRENGTHENS RESERVES AND PREPARES THE COUNTY FOR THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT MAY ARISE FROM STATE AND FEDERAL ACTIONS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT REPRESENTS A THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO ENSURING THAT MERCED COUNTY REMAINS FISCALLY AND FINANCIALLY STRONG AND WELL POSITIONED TO CONTINUE OUR PURSUIT OF BECOMING THE HIGHEST PERFORMING COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA.

AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT CEO DAVID MARIONI, WHO'S GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH TODAY'S PRESENTATION.

AND THEREFORE, SIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THE FISCAL YEAR 2627 PROPOSED BUDGET. MR. MARIONI.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY'S 26-27 PROPOSED BUDGET. SO THE OVERALL BUDGET REPRESENTS A 1.2 BILLION DOLLAR APPROPRIATION. THAT'S YOUR SPENDING AUTHORITY, OF WHICH 350.2 MILLION IS MADE UP FROM OUR OTHER FUNDS, WHICH REPRESENTS A 39.3 MILLION INCREASE OVER OUR ADOPTED BUDGET OF THE 25-26 YEAR. AND AN

[01:00:03]

AND THOSE ARE THE FUNDS THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS BRING IN TO OPERATE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THOSE REVENUES ARE UP 27.6 MILLION AND REPRESENT 73 POINT OR 73% OF OUR REVENUE FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. OUR NET COUNTY COST OVERALL FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS 226 MILLION AND THAT'S UP 6.1 MILLION AS COMPARED TO THE 25-26 ADOPTED BUDGET. SO THOSE ARE OUR, AS YOU'LL HEAR US SAY, OUR DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, OF WHICH 150.1 IS OUR GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE. THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THAT IS UP MODESTLY BY $7.7 MILLION.

AND THEN OUR ESTIMATED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS BUDGETED AT $76 MILLION. AND THAT IS A REDUCTION FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET OF $1.6 MILLION. YOU MAY REMEMBER A HANDFUL OF MONTHS AGO WE WERE BEFORE YOU WITH A MID YEAR UPDATE WHERE THAT PROJECTED SHORTFALL WAS IN THE MID $14 MILLION RANGE. DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF OUR NOT ONLY OUR INTERNAL BUDGET TEAM, BUT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR FISCAL STAFF, WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME REFINE OUR PROJECTIONS AND GO THROUGH AND REFINE OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS AND GET THAT DOWN TO A $1.6 MILLION REDUCTION. SOME OF OUR INCREASES IN OUR OTHER FUNDS ARE RELATED TO SOME OF OUR BIG PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO CASTLE WITH OUR INLAND PORT PROJECT.

THOSE APPROPRIATIONS ARE BEING BUDGETED TO GET THAT WORK STARTED AS WELL AS SOME WORK WITH THE TRAINING FACILITY WITH CAL FIRE AS WELL AS SOME FUNDING BEING APPROPRIATED FOR THE NIDO FIRE STATION.

YOU'VE HAD THOSE ITEMS COME BEFORE YOU. AS WELL AS ONGOING COSTS. AS WE COMPLETE OUR JAIL PROJECT AND THEN IN THE GENERAL FUND WE DO HAVE INCREASES AND IN REGARDS TO PERSONNEL, OUR SALARY AND BENEFIT COSTS THAT WERE NEGOTIATED. THOSE ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THROUGHOUT ALL FUNDS AND IN THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS WELL AS CREEK PROJECTS, WE ARE DOING SIGNIFICANT WORK 27 DIFFERENT SITE REPAIRS AND BANK REPAIRS AS WELL AS INCREASES FOR IN THE SHERIFF'S OPERATION AND CORRECTION.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE POSITIONS. AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW JAIL, THERE ARE SOME RELATED POSITIONS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED WITH THAT FOR OPERATIONS. AND THEN IN REDUCTIONS, WE DO HAVE SOME IN THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION PIECE IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE JAIL PROJECT, AS WELL AS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN OUR MATCH FOR HSA. SO FOR OUR NET COUNTY COST ADJUSTMENTS FROM THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO THIS FISCAL YEAR, YOU'RE SEEING A COUNTYWIDE REVENUE INCREASE OF JUST SHY OF $7.7 MILLION WITH THAT FUND BALANCE REDUCTION OF 1.545. AND SO THAT NETS OUT TO $6.1 MILLION. AND THEN WHAT WE SHOW IS THE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS. SO WE HAVE SOME PERSONNEL COST ADJUSTMENTS, THE CORRECTION PERSONNEL COSTS, YOUR INCREASE IN JAIL MEDICAL AS WELL AS CREEK PROJECTS, SOME INCREASE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE PREMIUMS HAVE GONE UP. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO PROJECT, WE HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT THERE OF 536,000 AS WELL. OR I'M SORRY, 526, OUR ISF ALLOCATION.

SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A PROCESS OF LOOKING AT OUR INTERNAL SERVICE RATES.

THOSE CHANGES ARE INCLUDED HERE. WE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT ON THAT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. OTHER DEPARTMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS, THOSE ARE JUST MINOR ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

[01:05:02]

SO OVERALL, ON THE BUDGET OVERVIEW, WE TAKE THAT OVERALL $1.2 MILLION BUDGET AND YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN. YOUR 350.2, THAT IS YOUR OTHER FUNDS, AND THEN YOUR 846.6 MILLION, THOSE ARE, THAT'S YOUR GENERAL FUND. AND THEN WHAT THAT PIE CHART TO THE RIGHT INDICATES IS OF THAT 71%, THAT 846 MILLION, WHERE ARE, HOW IS THAT BEING FUNDED? HOW ARE THOSE SERVICES BEING FUNDED? SO $620 MILLION, THAT COMES IN FROM YOUR DEPARTMENTAL REVENUES. SO MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, YOUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, YOUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCIES, THEY WILL PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AGAINST. AND THEN THEY DRAW DOWN THOSE REVENUES TO, TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS AS THEY PROVIDE THEM IN THE COMMUNITY. OUR OVERALL GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE, WHAT WE ARE BUDGETED TO RECEIVE NEXT YEAR IS AT $150.1 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND THEN USING AN AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE OF 76 MILLION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ON THE $620.5 MILLION WITH GRANT REVENUES, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL BILLING, DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS, THAT IS NOT DISCRETIONARY. SO WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE THOSE REVENUES TO OFFSET A PARTICULAR SERVICE THAT WE WANT TO, THAT WE ARE PROVIDING IN THE COMMUNITY. WE CANNOT GO INTO THOSE REVENUE STREAMS AND USE THEM TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE A PARK OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THE USE OF FUNDS OVERALL, HOW ARE THESE DOLLARS BEING APPROPRIATED? SO ACROSS ALL FUNDS, YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, $398 MILLION. YOU HAVE AN INCREASE OF $14.2 MILLION. AND THAT MAKES UP ABOUT A THIRD THIRD OF THE BUDGET. THAT DOES INCLUDE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ESTIMATED WAGE INCREASES, SOME POSITION CHANGES THAT WE'LL SPEAK TO IN A FEW SLIDES. YOUR SERVICES AND SUPPLIES, THAT IS UP BY 19.1 MILLION, ACCOUNTING FOR ROUGHLY 27% OF THE BUDGET. WE HAVE THAT BUDGETED AT 322 MILLION. WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR LIABILITY INSURANCE.

YOU'LL, YOU KNOW, JUST THE COST OF INSURANCE KEEPS RISING.

THAT'S AT ABOUT A $5 MILLION INCREASE ACROSS ALL FUNDS. AND THEN WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER INCREASES EMBEDDED THROUGHOUT.

WE SPOKE ABOUT SOME JAIL COSTS ON THE FOR YOUR JAIL MEDICAL.

JAIL MEDICAL CONTINUES TO RISE, AS WELL AS SOME INTERNAL SERVICE CHARGES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BHSA. CONTINUUM OF CARE DOES HAVE SOME INCREASES OF ABOUT $1.4 MILLION. AGAIN, THOSE ARE INCREASES BUT HAVE OFFSETTING REVENUES THAT DO COME IN AGAINST THAT. AND THEN ON OUR OTHER CHARGES, YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT WE DO HAVE AN INCREASE OF ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS REPRESENTING 14.4% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET. THAT'S BUDGETED AT 172 MILLION, OF WHICH YOU DO HAVE AN INCREASE THERE ON THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SIDE AS WELL AS YOUR MEASURE V DEBT SERVICE IS BAKED IN THERE. SO AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE BROUGHT YOU AN ITEM MONTHS AGO TO DO SOME ROAD PROJECTS AND TO FINANCE THOSE. SO YOUR DEBT SERVICE IS INCLUDED THERE AND IS BUDGETED THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET. YOUR TRANSFERS AT A REDUCTION OF 2.7 MILLION.

AND SO THAT IS PRIMARILY DUE TO GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS BEING FOR THE JAIL PROJECT BEING SPENT DOWN. AS THAT PROJECT APPROACHES COMPLETION.

OUR CAPITAL ASSETS, YOU'RE SEEING THAT AT ABOUT $41 MILLION INCREASE INCREASE OR A $272.7 MILLION. AND THAT'S A 22.8% OF OUR OVERALL SPEND.

PRIMARILY THAT IS IN OUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROJECT AT CASTLE THAT WE DISCUSSED. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR ROADS AND BRIDGES THROUGHOUT. SO AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT MEASURE V THAT WILL BE IN THERE AS WELL AS YOUR, YOUR TRAINING FACILITY THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER. AND THEN YOUR CONTINGENCIES THAT DOES COME DOWN JUST SHY OF $3 MILLION.

THAT'S AT 6.8 MILLION. SIX AND A HALF MILLION OF THAT IS YOUR GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY THAT

[01:10:03]

THAT IS STAYING THERE. AND SO YOUR OFFSET THAT YOU'RE SEEING THAT REDUCTION IS AS THE JAIL PROJECT STARTS TO WIND DOWN, YOU HAVE SOME SLIGHT CONTINGENCIES IN SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS.

BUT PRIMARILY THAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY. SO FOR SOURCE OF FUNDS. SO WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING THE DOLLARS.

NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE COMING IN FROM YOUR AID FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

SO THAT'S BUDGETED AT 592.3 MILLION OR AN INCREASE OF 11.8. AND THE COLUMN TO THE RIGHT, WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT SHOWS OVERALL WHEN THOSE DOLLARS COME IN WHERE OUR DISCRETIONARY ABILITY IS WITHIN THOSE FUNDS. AND SO YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT THAT'S 2.2 MILLION. SO PRIMARILY WHERE THOSE AID FROM GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR PASS THROUGH GRANTS, YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, YOUR MEDICAL SERVICES, A LOT OF THE, THE WORK THAT YOUR HSA, YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH, YOUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, YOUR DW, YOUR DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT, THAT'S WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO FLOW THROUGH. AND THEN THEY HAVE OFFSETTING EXPENSES. THE SLIGHT 2.2 THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO COME THROUGH YOUR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REALIGNMENT AS WELL AS YOUR STATE HOMEOWNERS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER AMOUNT THAT 2.2 YOUR TAXES. THAT'S PRIMARILY YOUR SOURCE OF YOUR DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.

THAT IS BUDGETED AT $191.7 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 18.7 AND OF THAT 134.8 IS DISCRETIONARY ON YOUR REVENUES. SO THAT'S YOUR TRANSFERS IN AND YOU HAVE SOME SLIGHT CATEGORIES WHERE MAYBE THEY'RE SMALL AND THEY FIT THERE. THAT'S YOUR CATCH ALL FOR YOUR ONE OFFS, YOUR VERY SMALL ACCOUNTS.

THAT'S BUDGETED AT $130.7 MILLION OR AN INCREASE OF 26.7. AGAIN, 2 MILLION OR $200,000 IS ALLOWED FOR DISCRETIONARY USE. YOUR CHARGES FOR SERVICE. SO THAT IS BUDGETED AT $109 MILLION OR $20.4 MILLION INCREASE.

AGAIN, VERY SMALL DISCRETIONARY USE. 68% OF THAT COMES FROM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT REIMBURSEMENTS OR FROM YOUR MEDICAL BILLING. SO YOU DO HAVE SOME BILLING THERE AS WELL. SO COLLECTIVELY THROUGH YOUR AID FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OR YOUR CHARGES IS FOR SERVICE. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE PRIMARILY SEEING A LOT OF YOUR SUBVENTED DEPARTMENTS, AS WE CALL THEM, BEING FUNDED. YOU DO HAVE THE DISCRETIONARY AREA THERE.

THAT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO WHAT'S KNOWN AS YOUR COST PLAN. YOU HAVE YOUR SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE AND SO THOSE SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS WILL BILL BACK THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO YOU KNOW WE'RE OPERATING PROGRAMS ON BEHALF OF THE STATE AND BUT YET WE'RE RUNNING PAYROLL FOR ALL OF THE THOSE SAID EMPLOYEES.

AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN AGENDA HERE TODAY, THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES. SO YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORT YOUR WHOLE COUNTY, THEY ACTUALLY WILL BILL BACK.

AND THAT GETS CALCULATED HERE AND THEN YOUR LICENSES AND PERMITS.

THAT ALSO INCLUDES ANY OF YOUR FRANCHISE FEES THAT ARE COLLECTED. THAT'S BUDGETED AT 9.8 MILLION, A SLIGHT INCREASE OF 0.4 MILLION, WITH 2 1/2 MILLION OF THAT BEING DISCRETIONARY FOR YOUR USE OF MONEY AND PROPERTY. I'M SORRY, I SKIPPED THAT ONE. THAT ONE IS AT 13 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 1.1. AND OF THAT ABOUT HALF YOUR 5.5 MILLION IS DISCRETIONARY. THINK OF YOUR USE OF MONEY AND PROPERTY AS THE INTEREST EARNINGS THAT COME THROUGH.

YOU HAD AT YOUR LAST MEETING.

OUR TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR CAME UP AND GAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER. THOSE INVESTMENT EARNINGS GET SPREAD ACROSS THE DIFFERENT FUNDS IN A PRORATED FASHION AND THEN THOSE DOLLARS COME IN. AND SOME OF IT IS ALLOWED TO BE USED THROUGH DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, BUT SOME WILL NOT BE BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THE THOSE FUNDS HAD A DEDICATED PURPOSE. SO THE INTEREST THEN ROLLS BACK IN AND SUPPORTS THOSE DEDICATED SERVICES AND THEN YOUR FINES, FORFEITURES AND PENALTIES.

THAT IS BUDGETED THIS YEAR AT 7.4 MILLION, A VERY SLIGHT INCREASE OF ABOUT 300,000, OF WHICH 1.8 MILLION IS DISCRETIONARY. SO OVERALL TOTAL REVENUE OF 01,053,000, OF WHICH YOU SEE AN

[01:15:05]

AND THEN TOTAL DISCRETIONARY OF ALL THAT REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN IS AT 151.1 THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE. AND YOUR FUND BALANCE, SO WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD OF WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE FROM WHAT YOU HAVEN'T SPENT THIS YEAR, YOU MAY HAVE SOME SAVINGS. YOU BRING THAT FORWARD. AND WE'LL GET INTO HOW THE FUND BALANCE IS BROKEN DOWN IN A FEW SLIDES. SO OVERALL TOTAL TOTAL FUNDING SOURCES. SO THAT'S THE OVERALL BUDGET IS YOUR 1.19, 6.6 OF WHICH $73 MILLION INCREASE.

AND OF THAT WE ARE USING $226.1 MILLION OF THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, YOUR BUDGET GROWTH PROJECTION.

SO WHAT THIS IS SHOWING IS GOING BACK TO 2015, 2016 AND ALL THE WAY UP TO YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. AND WHAT THIS IS SHOWING IS THAT OUR OVERALL SPENDING AUTHORITY HAS INCREASED BY 123% OR ABOUT $660 MILLION. HOWEVER, OUR VARIOUS REVENUES THAT COME THROUGH TO SUPPORT THAT HAVE GROWN BY 492.3 MILLION OR 120%.

BUT OUR COUNTYWIDE REVENUE.

AND THAT'S THAT LINE AT THE BOTTOM. SO THAT BLUE LINE, THAT'S THAT 150.1, THAT'S OUR DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS THAT WE, THAT WE BRING IN. THAT'S AT 150.1. SO YOU COULD SEE THAT GROWTH, THAT'S MORE OF YOUR STEADY GROWTH THAT COMES THROUGH. THAT'S AT 92% OVER THE, OVER THESE LAST YEARS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE, THE OVERALL GROWTH DURING YOU KNOW, THE COVID TIME PERIOD WHERE YOU HAD A LOT OF NEW SPENDING THAT WAS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC.

BUT A LOT OF SERVICES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ON BEHALF OF THE STATE HAVE MAINTAINED HIGHER SPENDING LEVELS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THAT SPENDING RISE. SO OUR APPROPRIATIONS AND OFFSETTING FUNDING BY FUNCTIONAL AREA. SO WHAT THIS CHART DOES IS YOU TAKE THE 1.2, I'LL CALL IT BILLION DOLLAR OF APPROPRIATION. SO WHAT IS OUR, WHERE ARE WE SPENDING THESE DOLLARS BY FUNCTION? AND THIS IS OF ALL FUNDS. AND SO IN THIS SLIDE YOU'RE SHOWING 533.3 MILLION ON THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE SIDE. BUT TO THE RIGHT THAT'S SHOWING THE OFFSETTING FUNDING. SO THERE YOU'RE AT 524.3. SO YOU SEE A SLIGHT IMBALANCE THERE. AND TYPICALLY WHAT THAT IS IS MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE OPERATE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE HAVE A LOCAL MATCH, WE'LL CALL IT REQUIREMENT. SO WE ARE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES BUT WE HAVE TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF OUR DISCRETIONARY MONEY INTO, INTO THOSE PROGRAMS TO HELP MAKE THEM WHOLE ON THE MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES. SO THAT'S REPRESENTING 26% OF THE TOTAL SPEND AT $311.4 MILLION OF WHICH 238.6 MILLION IN DEDICATED REVENUE WHICH SUPPORTS THOSE ACTIVITIES. SO THEN THERE WE'RE LOOKING AT $76 MILLION OVERALL THAT IS COVERED VIA NET COUNTY COST OR USING FUND BALANCE. AND SO ON OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE.

SO THAT'S YOUR, YOUR GRAY SLICE THERE, THAT'S AT 196.2 MILLION OR 16% OF WHICH WE HAVE OFFSETTING REVENUE OF 74 MILLION. SO THAT COULD BE GRANTS THAT COME IN TO OFFSET ACTIVITIES. AND SO OF THAT THAT WE HAVE TO THEN BRING THAT DELTA IN.

AND SO OF THAT YOUR NET COUNTY COST IS MILLION. AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE LARGEST PORTION OF DISCRETIONARY FUNDS THAT WE HAVE TO USE TO OFFSET. AND THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE IN THESE AREAS IS AB 109 AS WELL. AND PROP. 172 ON THE SUPPORT SERVICES SIDE THAT FUNCTIONAL AREA REPRESENTS 13% OR $155.7 MILLION WITH AN OFFSETTING REVENUE OF $66.6 MILLION. AND SO THE DEPARTMENT, BASICALLY THE MAJORITY OF THESE OFFSETTING REVENUES ARE SOURCES RELATED TO CIPS AND GRANT AWARDS THAT COME IN AND FUNDING FROM OUR CEMENTED DEPARTMENTS.

AND THEN FINALLY THAT DELTA

[01:20:03]

SO YOU, YOU, YOU'LL BRING OTHER FUNDING BALANCE IN FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE A PARTICULAR ROAD PROJECT THAT YOU KNOW THOSE, THEY'VE BROUGHT IN REVENUES, THAT FUND BALANCE HAS GROWN, THEY'VE GROWN THE ACCOUNT. NOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO A LARGE SCALE PROJECT AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING THAT TO THE TABLE TO, TO FUND THE PROJECT. SO WHAT THIS SLIDE DEPICTS, THIS IS OUR APPROPRIATIONS WITH GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE REQUIREMENTS ACROSS ALL FUNDS. AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS GOES BACK FOR A MULTI YEAR REVIEW, GOES BACK A TOTAL OF THREE BUDGET YEARS PLUS THE PROPOSED AND THEN BREAKS IT DOWN BY THOSE CATEGORIES. AND SO LIKE IF WE LOOK TO YOUR FIRST SET OF BARS THERE, THAT'S YOUR SUPPORT SERVICES AND CIP FUNCTION. AND WHAT THAT'S SHOWING IS, IS THE LARGER BAR, THAT'S SHOW YOUR OVERALL APPROPRIATION THAT IS BUILT INTO TODAY'S PROPOSED BUDGET.

AND THEN THAT RED LINE BELOW IT IS WHAT WE ARE USING FOR GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES TO OFFSET THE GAP IN FUNDING BASED ON WHAT WE BRING IN VIA DEDICATED FUNDING THROUGH GRANTS OR OTHER PROGRAMMATIC FUNDING, SO ON.

FOR OUR SUPPORT SERVICES AND CIPHER, WITH $155.7 MILLION OF APPROPRIATIONS, WE'RE USING $15.1 MILLION OF OUR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO MAKE THAT WHOLE. AS FAR AS YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE SYSTEM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 196.2 MILLION AS BUDGETED WITH $118.2 MILLION OF DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. AS FAR AS OUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES YOU'RE AT 311.4 MILLION WITH 14.8 MILLION OF GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUES COMING IN. AND THEN ON THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SIDE WHERE YOU SEE THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF OUR SPEND THERE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 533.3 MILLION WITH 1.9 MILLION OF OUR DEDICATED REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN OR OUR GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE. AND THEN WE DO ALSO BRING THE FUND BALANCE IN TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE ITEMS WHOLE. SO FROM A GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE BY FUNCTIONAL AREA, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS THAT 150.1 MILLION THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR COMING IN FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. WHERE DO THOSE DOLLARS GET APPROPRIATED? THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET. THIS YEAR YOU'RE AT 79% IN PUBLIC SAFETY. LAST YEAR THAT WAS 78. VERY, VERY CLOSE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT DECIMAL POINTS, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT 1%. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE LAST YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 2%. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT SHIFT WAS.

ON YOUR SUPPORT SERVICES SIDE, THAT'S AT 10%. AND THEN ON YOUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTYWIDE SERVICES, THAT'S ALSO AT 10%.

SO OVERALL, FOR YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE, THAT EQUATES TO $118.3 MILLION.

FOR YOUR SUPPORT SERVICES, THAT'S $15.1 MILLION. AND THAT INCLUDES YOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, YOUR GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCIES, AND THE OTHER SUPPORT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENTS I SPOKE OF EARLIER, LIKE OUR REGISTRAR, VOTERS, ELECTIONS ASSESSOR, TAX COLLECTOR, AUDITOR, CONTROLLER, THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPARTMENTS THAT, THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE COUNTY'S EFFORTS, MUNICIPAL AND COUNTYWIDE, THAT'S AT $14.8 MILLION. AND THEN YOUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT 1.9 MILLION TO COVER THAT, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR REQUIRED LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS. AND YOU'LL HEAR US REFER TO THOSE AS MATCH. SO REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES.

SO WHAT THIS SLIDE DEPICTS IS YOUR BUDGET IS A PLAN. IT'S YOUR PLAN OF ACTION. IT'S YOUR PROJECTIONS, RIGHT? YOU MAY HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT IS PLANNING IN YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY OR PUBLIC HEALTH OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO SERVE X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OR TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND THEN GET A REIMBURSEMENT AGAINST. SO AS

[01:25:01]

SO PART OF WHAT WE DO IS WE GO THROUGH, AS WE GO THROUGH FROM OUR PROPOSED BUDGET TODAY TO THE FINAL BUDGET, DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW ARE WORKING WITH NOT ONLY OUR TEAM, BUT THE AUDITOR COMPTROLLER TO START TO, YOU KNOW, CLOSE OUT THEIR BOOK. THEY'RE REQUESTING VENDORS GET YOUR INVOICES PREPARED BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS WE'LL CLOSE OUR BOOKS AND THEN THOSE NUMBERS IN MID AUGUST OR SO, ONCE THE CLOSE OF BOOKS IS COMPLETE, THOSE BECOME FINAL NUMBERS.

AND THAT HELPS BASICALLY GIVE US WHAT OUR FINAL FUND BALANCE IS. SO THAT 76 MILLION THAT WE'RE USING FOR FUND BALANCE.

ONCE THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETE, THAT GETS REASSESSED AND WE GET THAT NUMBER FROM THE AUDITOR COMPTROLLER AND THEN WE USE THAT GOING FORWARD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD FROM NOW TO FINAL BUDGET. FURTHERMORE, YOU ALSO, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT PERIOD IN BETWEEN PROPOSED AND FINAL, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE PROVIDING MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ON BEHALF OF THE STATE, THE STATE RIGHT NOW IS GOING THROUGH THEIR BUDGET PROCESS PROCESS. THEY HAVE THEIR REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE A BUDGET PASSED IN JUNE. HOWEVER, WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS AS YOU HAVE VARIOUS TRAILER BILLS THAT COME THROUGH THAT WILL IMPACT HOW THE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED. AND SO OUR DEPARTMENTS THEN REASSESS WHERE THOSE REVENUES ARE BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS. AND THEN WE WORK WITH THEIR OFFICE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR REVENUES, TO THEIR EXPENSES TO BRING THEM IN INTO BALANCE. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROCESS THEN ALSO HELPS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, INDICATE WHAT OUR FUND BALANCE IS AS WELL AS THE FUND BALANCE AND ALL THE OTHER FUNDS. AND THEN WE BRING THAT FORWARD TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AT FINAL. SO THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THAT TWO STEP THAT YOU SEE IN COUNTIES. JUST BECAUSE WE'RE SO, SO MUCH OF OUR OPERATIONS IS FUNDED WITH MONEY THAT COMES THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FUND BALANCE. WHAT THIS CHART DOES IS THIS SHOWS YOUR FUND BALANCE TRENDS FROM 15, THE 16 FISCAL YEAR TO THE 25-26 FISCAL YEAR. THINK OF YOUR FUND BALANCES FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUND. SO WHEN THE GENERAL FUND WAS CREATED WITH THE FORMATION OF THE COUNTY, YOUR REVENUES THAT COME IN, YOUR EXPENSES THAT WERE SPENT AND WHAT'S THAT BALANCE? RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THAT AS PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS. SO WHAT THOSE BARS TO THE. WE'LL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT FOR 25, 26, YOU HAVE 76 MILLION.

YOU'VE HEARD THAT NUMBER A FEW TIMES. THAT'S OUR AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE. THERE'S MULTIPLE TYPES OF FUND BALANCE THAT ARE DEPICTED HERE. SO THE NEXT ONE ONE IS YOUR ENCUMBRANCES SO THOSE ARE YOUR MONEY THAT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FUNDS THAT ARE BASICALLY WRAPPED IN A PURCHASE ORDER. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE. THERE'S ENCUMBERED FOR A PROJECT. YOU MAY HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S GOING OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. SO YOU, YOU BASICALLY ARE EARMARKING THOSE DOLLARS SO YOU DON'T END UP IN A POSITION WHERE YOU END UP SPENDING IT TWICE.

RIGHT? YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE FLAGGED THOSE DOLLARS IN THE SYSTEM. AND THEN WHAT YOU HAVE IS, YOU HAVE 45.1, AS I GO UP, THAT IS YOUR COMMITTED RESERVES. SO I'LL HAVE A SLIDE ABOUT OUR RESERVE POLICY.

$45.1 MILLION IS WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY FOR YOUR GENERAL FUND RESERVE.

THAT HAS BEEN YOUR GENERAL FUND RESERVE FOR THE 24-25 BUDGET AS WELL AS THE 23-24 BUDGET. AND THEN THERE IS A VERY, VERY SLIGHT BLUE LINE ON THE TOP THERE THAT SAYS NON SPENDABLE. THAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR INVENTORIES FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF INVENTORIES THAT GET BOOKED AS WELL AS IF YOU HAVE ANY LIKE INTER LOANS BETWEEN, BETWEEN FUNDS THAT WILL GET BOOKED THERE. AND THAT'S VERY,

[01:30:01]

BUT IT IS TECHNICALLY UP THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE. AND THAT IS SCHEDULED AT JUST SHY OF $2 MILLION THIS YEAR. AND SO NEXT, IF WE TAKE THAT $76 MILLION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE, ONE OF THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF IS HOW ARE THOSE DOLLARS BEING APPROPRIATED? OKAY, SO IF YOU LOOK TO THE VERY RIGHT, YOU HAVE 31.6 MILLION OF THAT 76. THAT IS WHAT WE CALL YOUR ONE TIME EXPENSES.

RIGHT? AND SO WE, WITHIN THOSE ONE TIME EXPENSES, YOU HAVE ABOUT $5.3 MILLION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS. WE SPOKE ABOUT THOSE OPERATING TRANSFERS THAT'S IN THERE AT 7.8 MILLION.

WE SPOKE OF THE $6.5 MILLION CONTINGENCY. SO THAT GETS INCLUDED RIGHT THERE, VARIOUS CREEK PROJECTS, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO REPLACEMENT, AND THEN GENERAL FUND ASSETS THAT ARE NOT SUBVENTED. SO DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND ASSETS OR DIFFERENT ASSETS THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR THAT ARE NOT SUBVENTED, THEN YOU HAVE YOUR ONGOING. SO THAT NEXT BAR IN THE MIDDLE, THAT 44.4, THAT IS YOUR ONGOING COSTS. SO WITHIN WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FROM SAVINGS FROM THIS YEAR AND ALL THE PAST YEARS OF THAT $44.4 MILLION IS BEING USED FOR ONGOING COSTS. AND SO WE WANT TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR OUT AND BE DEDICATED TO HAVING ONGOING COSTS THAT FAR EXCEED WHAT YOU PLAN ON BRINGING IN FOR THE YEAR, RIGHT? SO WHAT THAT SHOWS THERE, THAT 150.1 BELOW IT, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE BUDGETING FOR THE DOLLARS WE WILL RECEIVE FROM JULY 1 THROUGH JUNE 30.

SO COLLECTIVELY, YOUR ONGOING SPENDING IS $194.5 MILLION. HOWEVER, WE'RE BRINGING IN 150.1.

NOW.

THAT IS A BALANCED BUDGET.

BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF BECAUSE AS YOU ADD TO THE ONGOING SPENDING IN THAT CATEGORY, THEN IF YOU HAVE SHIFTS IN YOUR, IN THE BUDGET, YOU HAVE SHIFTS IN THE ECONOMY, THEN YOU'RE MAKING SOME MUCH HARDER DECISIONS OF HOW TO REDUCE THOSE DOLLARS. SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF HOW THAT IS BUDGETED THERE.

AND THEN TO THE FAR RIGHT, THAT 226.1 MILLION, THAT IS YOUR OVERALL WHAT IS BUDGETED AND DISCRETIONARY REVENUE FOR THE YEAR. AND THAT IS BUDGETED AT 150.1 MILLION.

THAT IS AGAIN WHAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AS WELL AS THAT 76 MILLION THAT WOULD BE COMING THROUGH YOUR AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE. SO GENERAL FUND RESERVES. SO A FEW SLIDES AGO WHERE WE HAD THE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR FUND BALANCE, SPOKE OF THE 45.1 MILLION THAT IS BEING PROGRAMMED. SO THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT AFTER THE BOOKS ARE CLOSED.

YOUR RESERVE POLICY ADOPTED BY YOUR BOARD BASICALLY TAKES THE LAST THREE YEARS OF ACTUAL GENERAL FUND REVENUE AND TAKES AN AVERAGE OF THAT AND THEN APPLIES A RANGE OF 7 TO 12% PERCENT.

RIGHT? SO UNTIL WE CLOSE BOOKS, I DON'T HAVE THE 26, 27 ACTUAL.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS, IS WHEN THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER CLOSES BOOKS, WE'LL LOOK AT WHAT THAT NEW AVERAGE IS AND SEE WHERE THAT $45.1 MILLION LANDS. IF IT LANDS WITHIN THE POLICY, THEN THAT'S STEP ONE, IS STILL YOUR BOARD'S POLICY TO SAY WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT COME IN. HOWEVER, IF, IF YOUR REVENUES SHOT WAY UP OVER A FEW YEARS AND YOU NEVER CHANGE THAT 45.1, YOU COULD BE IN A POSITION WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S 6.8% AND NOW YOU'RE OUT OF POLICY. SO THAT IS A BOARD ADOPTED POLICY.

YOUR BOARD ADJUSTED THAT POLICY A FEW YEARS AGO TO ACTUALLY TAKE THAT, THAT CEILING FROM 9 TO 12%.

AND SO FOR, FOR THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, IT IS AT PROPOSED, IT IS BUDGETED AT 45.1 MILLION.

SHOULD BE NOTED, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, IF WE EVER HAD TO USE THESE DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO COME IN AS PART OF THE POLICY WITH AN ACTUAL PLAN, A SPENDING PLAN

[01:35:01]

WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, IT'S JUST SHY OVERALL FROM A PAYROLL STANDPOINT OF ABOUT TWO MONTHS OF PAYROLL.

COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS BY FUNCTIONAL AREA. AND THIS IS SINCE THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED.

AND SO YOU DO HAVE AS PART OF YOUR BUDGET PACKET THERE IS A BOARD AGENDA ITEM THAT OUTLINES THE POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED TODAY. ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU HAVE MADE FROM ADOPTED TO TODAY. THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE MAY BRING YOU SOMETHING IN IN DECEMBER TO ADOPT. THOSE CHANGES ARE INCLUDED IN HERE AS WELL. AND SO THROUGH THIS WE SPOKE ABOUT THE JAIL PROJECT. THERE ARE POSITIONS BEING INCLUDED TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE JAIL. LAST YEAR YOUR BOARD APPROVED POSITIONS AND THIS YEAR AS WELL, 10 DEPUTY CORRECTION OFFICERS AS WELL AS THE STAFF TO SUPPORT FROM THE SERGEANT SIDE AND THEN THE SECURITY SYSTEMS OPERATORS POSITIONS AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE INCLUDED AS WELL AS SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, ADOPTION OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT AND THOSE CHANGES. AND SO THOSE ARE PRESENTED HERE TODAY.

OVERALL, FROM A COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS, THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN SINCE 1516. WE'RE AT 2328, 2328 GENERAL FUND POSITIONS AND THEN 02,559 POSITIONS FOR ALL FUNDS. AND SO OVERALL WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THIS WILL BE WE WITH WITH ANY OF THE POSITIONS. WE DO GET POSITION REQUESTS THAT COME THROUGH THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

AND THEN WE LOOK AT AT THOSE NOT ONLY FOR PROPOSED, BUT ONES THAT AREN'T BEING PRESENTED HERE TODAY WILL BE REVIEWED AGAIN THROUGH THE FINAL BUDGET PROCESS. WITH THAT, BEFORE I PASS BACK TO CEO HENDRICKSON, JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK OF OUR BUDGET TEAM WHO IS HERE TODAY IN THE AUDIENCE, AS WELL AS OUR HR TEAM, OUR RISK TEAM. ALL OF THOSE UNITS WORK VERY WELL TO PUT ALL OF THESE PIECES TOGETHER TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO THE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS A VERY, VERY LARGE TEAM OF DEPARTMENT FISCAL STAFF THAT ARE OUT THERE. THEY ARE MAKING THEIR REQUESTS THROUGH OUR SYSTEM. THEY'RE WORKING WITH THEIR ANALYSTS.

OUR ANALYSTS ARE ALL ASSIGNED OUT TO DEPARTMENTS. SO THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COLLABORATION AND WORK AND CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS THAT WENT INTO THE BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY.

WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO CEO HENDRICKSON.

THANK YOU, MR. MURONE. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AGAIN, AS WE KIND OF CLOSE OUT THIS PRESENTATION AND OBVIOUSLY PROVIDE YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF STAFF. YOU KNOW, AGAIN THIS IS A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTY.

CLEARLY A LOT OF DECISIONS, DECISIONS COMING OUT OF BOTH FEDERALLY AND CERTAINLY OUT OF THE STATE ARE IMPACTING CALIFORNIA COUNTIES GREATLY.

SO IN THAT REGARD WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THESE ARE THINGS I'VE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY FROM THE DAIS THAT WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT TO INCLUDE THE DELETION OF AN EVALUATING OF DELETION OF POSITIONS. WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT OBVIOUSLY MANDATED VERSUS NON MANDATED PROGRAMS. WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT DEFERRING NEW PROGRAMS. THIS IS PROBABLY NOT THE TIME TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE IN A PERIOD OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY. WE ARE CERTAINLY AND I REALLY WANT TO COMPLIMENT OUR DEPARTMENTS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING EVALUATING AND RENEGOTIATING VENDOR CONTRACTS. AGAIN TRYING TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK FOR THE COUNTY TAXPAYER.

CERTAINLY TAKING A LOOK AT DELAYING NON MISSION CRITICAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AS DEPICTED ON THE SLIDE. ONE THING I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS IS AGAIN, AGAIN ANOTHER JUST COMPLIMENT TO THIS BOARD. EARLIER THIS YEAR, MAYBE LATE LAST YEAR, WE ACTUALLY STARTED DOING SOME WORK WITH PROCURE AMERICA TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL UTILITY SAVINGS THAT'S RESULTED IN ABOUT $200,000 WORTH OF SAVINGS. SO CERTAINLY WANT TO COMPLIMENT THIS BOARD ON TRYING TO IDENTIFY AGAIN CREATIVE WAYS TO SAVE THE TAXPAYER MONEY.

AND THEN LASTLY ON THIS SLIDE WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDERGOING A FEE ANALYSIS TRYING TO AGAIN ALIGN THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEES THAT WE REALIZE.

AND THEN JUST LASTLY, AGAIN

[01:40:02]

AGAIN I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THIS BOARD WITH REGARD TO YOUR CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN RESERVES AND CONTINGENCIES.

THIS HAS POSITIONED YOU INCREDIBLY WELL. AS MENTIONED DURING THE PRESENTATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY, AS PROPOSED IS A $45.1 MILLION INVESTMENT IN YOUR RESERVES.

CONTINGENCIES ARE ESSENTIALLY HOLDING FLAT AT ABOUT 6, 6.8 MILLION.

BUT AGAIN WE ARE AS A RESULT OF AGAIN THE UNCERTAINTY TAKING PLACE PRIMARILY IN SACRAMENTO. WE ARE WORKING HARD TO ENSURE THAT POST GETTING SOME GREATER CLARITY WITH HR1, THIS COUNTY WILL BE WELL POSITIONED. I WANT TO COMPLIMENT OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO WITH REGARD TO DEBRIS REMOVAL AND REALLY DEBRIS MANAGEMENT. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS UNDERWAY, ONE OF NOTE AND REALLY WANT TO COMPLIMENT THIS BOARD AND MR. BRAY AND HIS TEAM CONTINUED PROGRESS WITH REGARD TO THE BLACK RASCAL FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT. AND SIR, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF FROM REALLY DAY ONE UPON YOUR SERVICE HERE AT THE BOARD. CERTAINLY OBVIOUSLY AS DEPICTED AND DISCUSSED DURING THE PRESENTATION, A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THEN AGAIN JUST TO KIND OF CLOSE OUT, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION WITH REGARD TO OTHER BIG PICTURE PROJECTS, NOTABLY THE INLAND PORT PROJECT AT CASTLE. REALLY WANT TO COMPLIMENT MR. MEMS AND HIS TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN BEING DONE THERE, WHICH WILL POSITION US WELL TO HAVE THAT OPERATIONAL IN OR AT LEAST COMPLETE IN ABOUT 2028. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOUR STAFF STANDS READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE. I KNOW THE BOARD HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN A WHOLE LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AND THE STAFF ON THIS BUDGET. AND I DEFINITELY SEE THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE BOARD OR THE FINGERPRINTS OF THE BOARD ON THIS GOING THROUGH THIS.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THE THIS POINT? YEAH, I CAN DO THAT. DO IT AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

OKAY, SO I'LL GO AHEAD BASIE WANT TO ANSWER IF YOU WANT TO SO AT THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION AND ITEMS 45 THROUGH 47.

REMINDER, TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A NUMBER OF EMAILS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED REGARDING THE BUDGET HEARING AND HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AND PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC IN THE BACK.

NO THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE IT. WE DO HAVE ALL OF THEM.

WE'VE ALREADY READ THE EMAIL COMMENTS. SO TO MOVE THIS DISCUSSION FORWARD, I'D APPRECIATE IF WE DON'T GO AND REPEAT THE SAME EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED BECAUSE WE OPEN THIS UP FOR FULL CONVERSATION. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION AND ITEMS 45 AND 47.

REMEMBER, TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

GOOD MORNING FOREIGN SUPERVISORS, MERCED COUNTY STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. I AM ROSIE IN GUANZO AND I'M LEAVING DISTRICT 2. I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH COMMUNITIES FOR RENEWAL CALIFORNIA, A LOCAL COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION.

AS THE BOARD AND SUPERVISORS, COUNTY STAFF ALREADY KNOW, CNC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN MEETING AND TALKING WITH THE BOARD ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS OR NEIGHBORS AND WE FACE DAILY SINCE JANUARY 2025. WE ASK FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE COMMENTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

BEFORE THE HEARING, THE PUBLIC WAS ONLY PROVIDED WITH THREE WORKING DAYS TO REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET. IT WILL BE HELPFUL IF THE PUBLIC CAN PROVIDE COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE THERE WAS AN EMAIL TO SUBMIT COMMENTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IT WILL ALLOW FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY BY ELICITING THE INPUT AND OPINIONS FROM RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT MERCED COUNTY. A DECISION DECISION MAKERS THE BOARD AND SUPERVISORS MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CNC AND ITS MEMBERS CAN OFFER SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF LETTERS, PERSONAL VISITS AND SHARING THE COUNTLESS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT MERCED COUNTY.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE YOUR BACK AND ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU. THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 BUDGET FOR MERCED COUNTY DOES NOT PRIORITIZE HIGHEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE MOST RECENT 2025 SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY'S BIG SURVEY IDENTIFIES 39.9% OF RESIDENTS CITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS HAVING MOST NEGATIVELY IMPACTED HOUSEHOLDS. CNC ITS MEMBERS ANALYZED COMBINED THAT 2026-2027 BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM IS 2.5 MILLION AND WE URGE THE COUNTY TO MATCH THOSE STATE FUNDS

[01:45:02]

THANK YOU.

SPEAKER R BUENAS TARDES. MY NAME IS ANALISA VARGAS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT 3. I'M ALSO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH COMMUNITIES FOR NEW CALIFORNIA AND I'M HERE TODAY TO ALSO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET. AND SINCE SEPTEMBER 2025, DURING THE FINAL BUDGET HEARING, CNC HAS CONTINUED TO REACHING OUT TO THE BOARD ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ENGAGING WITH THE NONPROFIT LIVE TO RISE, WHICH IS HELPING THE COACHELLA VALLEY REACH ITS GOAL OF ADDING NEARLY 10,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY 2028 AND HELPING TO IDENTIFY FUNDING GAPS THROUGH A REVOLVING LOAN FUND.

LIVE TO RISE'S SUCCESSFUL MODEL HAS CENTERED AROUND BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND LOW INTEREST LOANS TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE FUNDING AND RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. I WANT TO THANK EACH OF THE SUPERVISORS, CEO MARK HENDRICKSON AND COUNTY STAFF FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH US, ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS AND TALK MORE ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SMALLER COUNTIES LIKE MERCED FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES SUCH AS HIGH COST ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND OTHER CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE MENTIONED DURING OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM, THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HCD ISSUED FINAL WARNINGS TO 15 CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT HAVE FAILED TO ADHERE TO FAIR HOUSING LAW REQUIREMENTS TO PLAN FOR HOUSING THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS.

WITH MERCED COUNTY BEING ONE OF THEM, THESE JURISDICTIONS WERE MORE THAN 60 DAYS AWAY FROM SECURING A CERTIFIED HOUSING ELEMENT. THEY HAD 30 DAYS TO RESPOND TO THE NOTICES OF VIOLATION BEFORE HCD TOOK FURTHER ACTION INCLUDING REFERRAL TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. THIS NOTICE IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT MERCED COUNTY WAS FAILING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS RESIDENTS AND VIOLING STATE HOUSING LAW REQUIREMENTS.

MERCED COUNTY'S HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE FOR 2024-2032 WAS APPROVED A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND YOU ARE NOW IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE HOUSING LAW. IF THE COUNTY PLANS TO MEET ITS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES LAID OUT IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WE ENCOURAGE THE COUNTY TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM. MERCED COUNTY SERVED SEVEN HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH ITS FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS DURING THE 2025-2026 BUDGET AND HAS MENTIONED IN THE BUDGET THAT IT WILL SERVE MINIMUM OF FIVE ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS FOR 2026-27. THAT'S A TOTAL OF 12 HOUSEHOLDS. IS THAT CORRECT? CNC RECOMMENDS THE COUNTY INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM THE AMOUNT OF 5 MILLION. THIS WILL ALLOW THE COUNTY TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSEHOLDS SERVED FROM 12 TO 24. AND THIS IS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. SO. SO WE REALLY FEEL THAT IT'S TIME TO PRIORITIZE HOUSING AND TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE MERCED COUNTY IS NOT ONLY COMPLIANT WITH STATE HOUSING LAW, BUT MEANS MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES.

THANK YOU.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS YASMIN ALEJANDRA ESQUE AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 3. WE ARE A FAMILY OF THREE, MY HUSBAND, OUR DAUGHTER AND MYSELF. WE CURRENTLY RENT A STUDIO. WE HAVE LOOKED INTO PURCHASING A HOME BUT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER WE HAVEN'T REACH THAT GOAL. MY HUSBAND BECAME THE SOLE PROVIDER AFTER I GAVE BIRTH TO OUR DAUGHTER. HE HAS WORKED OVERTIME AND THERE ARE WEEKS WHERE HE HAS NO DAYS OFF. I RECENTLY STARTED WORKING TO EASE SOME OF THAT PRESSURE. RENT, UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE ADDS UP. MY PARENTS ARE HOMEOWNERS. BOTH MY FATHER AND MOTHER WORK ALONG WITH ONE OF MY SISTERS. MY YOUNGEST SISTER IS STILL IN SCHOOL.

THEY NEED TO WORK TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE. BACK THEN IT WAS ONLY MY FATHER WHO PAID EVERYTHING. WE NEED TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND FIND BETTER RESOURCES AND HOUSING PROGRAMS. SOME MAY WANT TO PURCHASE A HOME INSTEAD OF RENTING, BUT NO, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER THEY DON'T QUALIFY AND ARE STUCK PAYING OFF SOMEONE ELSE'S MORTGAGE PAYMENT BECAUSE INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO INVEST IN A HOME, WE HAVE TO PAY HIGH MONTHLY RENT

[01:50:01]

THE HOUSING MARKET HAS ALSO BECOME VERY COMPETITIVE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT RENT OR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AREN'T THE ONLY MONTHLY PAYMENT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ADD UP, SUCH AS UTILITY BILLS, CAR INSURANCE AND MUCH MORE. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO ONE, INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM'S BUDGET TO 5 MILLION AND TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS. I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT I'M URGING YOU, URGING YOU TO USE THE BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS.

BECAUSE HOMEOWNERSHIP TO ME MEANS THAT I CAN CREATE A FUTURE FOR MY CHILDREN. THIS IS A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT THAT BENEFITS MY FAMILY, NEIGHBORS AND THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. IN MERCED COUNTY, HOME OWNERSHIP CREATES GREATER PROPERTY TAX AND CONSTRUCTION RELATED REVENUES WHICH IS. WHICH IN TURN SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND OTHER IMPORTANT SERVICES. HOMEOWNERS MEAN MORE EMPOWERED AND BETTER SUPPORTED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS MARISOLCO BARRUVIAS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT 1. I HAVE A HOUSEHOLD OF FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS. EIGHT YEARS AGO WE MOVED TO MERCEDES PARA NUESTA FAMILIA LOOKING FOR A BETTER QUALITY FOR OUR FAMILY. SIN EMBARGO LOS ALTOS COSTOS DE ALQUILER DIFFICULTARO UN MUCHO NUESTRO SOENO DE CERTIFICATION. EVEN THOUGH THE HOUSING COSTS MADE IT HARD FOR OUR FAMILY TO EVEN PROGRESS AND BECOME HOMEOWNERS, IT'S BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT JUST SURVIVING OFF ONE INCOME ONLY. MI EXPERIENCIA PERSONAL ESLA DE MUCHAS FAMILIAS AQUI AND MERCEDES. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS AS WELL AS OTHER MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS.

PORRESO CONSIDERO QUE LA JUNTA DE SUPERVISORES. THE VERIA TRABAJAR EN COLABORACION CON LAS AGENCIAS ENCARGADAS PARADAR SOLUCIONES AL PROBLEMA DE VIVIENDA QUENTAMOS AND MERCED. AND THAT'S WHY I FEEL THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE BECOME HOMEOWNERS AND JUST HELP US EVEN MORE. I WANTED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE IT PUBLIC THAT I WOULD LIKE THAT YOU RAISE THE BUDGET FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

POR QUIMPERTIER EN LA CRISIS DE VIVIENDA. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN THE HOUSING SITUATION SITUATION. THAT WOULD HELP LOWER THE CRIME RATES AND ALSO VIOLENCE. OTROS DEFENSORES DE LA VIVIENDA LES GUSTEIN FORMAR QUE LA VIBIENDA ACCESSIBLE. OTHER SOURCES THAT HELP WITH HOUSING ALSO MENTION THAT THAT HELPS DECREASE CRIME AND VIOLENCE AND IT HELPS ALSO YOUR EDUCATION AND IT HELPS ALSO SOCIAL MEDIA. LO QUE AZUBES FOMENTA COMUNIDADES RESILENTES.

SPEAKER S OKAY? AND THIS IS WHAT RESILIENT COMMUNITIES WILL BUILD. DONDE TODOS TIENE LA OPPORTUNIDAD DE EXITO WHERE EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED. ESTA EMBARCION GRANTIZA QUE FRENTIA LOS RACICOS RECORDES A LOS PROGRAMAS FEDERALES. AND THIS SHOWS THAT YOU CAN INVEST IN SOME PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH THE BUDGET CUTS ARE NOT AROUND. EL CONDADO PUER SEGUIR BRINDANDO SERVICIOS. THE COUNTY COULD STILL PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS Y DESTINAR FUNDOS DE VIVIENDA. AND ASSIGNED THE FUNDING TOWARDS HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE CITIES

[01:55:01]

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

HELLO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS IRENE KOCHO AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 1. WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MERCED COUNTY. MY SON WAS BORN IN MERCED. MY DAUGHTER WAS BORN IN MERCED. MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER WERE BORN IN MERCED. AND I AM A PROMETORA COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WITH UC MERCED. PACE I STAND BEFORE YOU ONCE AGAIN. JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL NEED FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCED COUNTY. MANY OF OUR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS CANNOT AFFORD HIGH RENTS. NOT TO MENTION THE IDEA OF EVEN OWNING A HOME. HOUSING INSECURITIES DO EXIST.

THEY ARE REAL.

AND NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO SLEEP IN A CAR.

ON A DAILY BASIS I WITNESSED INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SEEKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCED COUNTY.

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS ONLINE TRYING TO LOCATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCED COUNTY. THE WAIT LISTS ARE FIVE YEARS LONG. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCED COUNTY.

LEAVING OUR FAMILIES SO DISCOURAGED. I WANT TO SHARE ONE EXAMPLE OF A SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCEDES COUNTY. I HAVE AN ADULT FEMALE WHO IS 58 YEARS OLD WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MERCED COUNTY. SHE WAS FORCED TO MOVE OUT TO MADERA COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IS NOW THRIVING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREATES FINANCIAL STABILITY AND BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES. OUR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LEAVE MERCED COUNTY OR BECOME UNHOUSED DUE TO LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ASK FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO PRIORITIZE THE CRUCIAL NEED THAT THE COUNTY HOUSING. I'M SORRY. THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP 2024 AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS REPORTS FOUND THAT NEARLY 9,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN MERCED COUNTY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS AFFORDABLE HOME WHERE FAMILIES PAY NO MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME TO RENT, ALLOWING THEM TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO OTHER ESSENTIAL NEEDS LIKE FOOD, HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION.

ADDITIONALLY, 72% OF EXTREMELY LOW INCOME ELI HOUSEHOLDS AND MERCED COUNTY PAY MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING COSTS COMPARED WITH 0% OF MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

THE HOUSING CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA ALSO LEADS TO INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS WITH OVER 1,000 160,000 PEOPLE OF UNHOUSED ON ANY GIVEN DAY. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO INCREASE THE 2026-2027 AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM BUDGET FROM 2.5 MILLION TO 5 MILLION. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY UTILIZING THE COUNTY'S DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO MATCH STATE FUNDING.

ADDITIONALLY, THE COUNTY CAN CREATE MORE TRANSPARENCY BUDGET PROCESS BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC INPUT SUCH AS HOSTING A PUBLIC BUDGET WORKSHOP.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS BLANCA LOZANO. I LIVE IN (INAUDIBLE) AND MEMBER AND I AM LEADER ON MY GROUP DELHI AND ACCION AND WE ARE UNITED WITH CNC. I CAME TODAY TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MARSEILLE COUNTY. WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY RENT AND STILL HIDE A LOT OF.

WE HAVE A LOW INCOME DISABILITY, SENIORS, LOW MINIMUM WAGE, GAS, FOOD BILLS. HI, I HERE HAS A DELHI MEMBER TO SUPPORT MARSEILLE COUNTY TO INCREASE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM BUDGET $5 MILLION. THIS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE LESS HOMELESS AND CROWN HOME.

[02:00:02]

I LOVE TOGETHER CONTI MERCED.

THANK YOU.

HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ARACELI HERNANDEZ. I AM A 22 YEAR OLD MERCED COLLEGE STUDENT WHO IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A CAREER IN RADIOLOGY HERE IN MERCED COUNTY AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT A BOARD MEMBERSHIP. SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE. I THINK IT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE, ESPECIALLY AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO ONE OF THESE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE PRESENTATION.

SO I AM HERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CNC, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WE HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR WITH MEMBERS MEETINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. SO AS A RESIDENT OF LEE GRAND HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, I'VE BEEN IN THIS COUNTY FOR 22 YEARS.

I'VE BEEN HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT IS NORMAL TO DRIVE INTO TOWN AND SEE HOUSELESS PEOPLE ASKING FOR CHANGE. IT IS NORMAL NOW TO FILL UP A TANK FOR OVER $100. IT IS NORMAL FOR PEOPLE AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO CHOOSE OVER GROCERIES OR PAYING THEIR RENT.

IT IS NORMAL FOR MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO NOT RELOCATE SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RISING COSTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. TO MANY OF THESE, THESE ARE JUST STORIES.

TO SOME, THESE ARE JUST WORDS THAT WE'RE SAYING TO YOU GUYS.

BUT TO MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS THE REALITY AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING DAY TO DAY BASIS. MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO ARE OUT OF COLLEGE ARE STILL LIVING WITH THE PARENTS. THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT GRADUATED FROM UC BERKELEY, UC DAVIS, UC MERCED WHO ARE COMING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE WHERE THEY HAVE RAISED AND ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE OF THAT. THEY HAVE TO STAY WITH THE PARENTS.

THEY'RE NOT ABLE. THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A CAR PAYMENT, GROCERIES, RENT, OR SOMEWHERE TO LIVE WITH THE ROOF ON TOP OF THEIR HEAD. I ALSO PERSONALLY STILL LIVE WITH MY PARENTS. I WORRY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING IF I WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT OR EVEN BE ABLE TO BE A HOMEOWNER. THEY ARE HOMEOWNERS THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE WORKED HARD FOR OVER 22 YEARS TO RAISE OUR FAMILY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE SUSTAINABLE WHERE WE CAN LIVE. HOWEVER, WITH THE RISING COSTS, IT'S ABOUT 1K OVER RENT EVERY MONTH. AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S UTILITIES, GROCERIES, BILLS AND OTHER PAYMENTS ON TOP OF THAT. SO IT'S REALLY, AS YOU GUYS SAID IN THE PRESENTATION, IT'S REALLY UNCERTAIN TIMES WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. AND THAT IS TRUE. AND I FEEL THAT A LOT OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE OBVIOUSLY FACING THAT PROBLEM. SO THAT'S WHY WE URGE THAT YOU LISTEN TO US. AND HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY, AS I ASK YOU BOARD MEMBERS TO LISTEN, YOU ALSO EMPATHIZE WITH THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. I WANT TO URGE YOU NOT TO BE PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES TO PLAGUE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT BE PART OF THE CHANGE IN MERCED WHERE WE WANT A BETTER FUTURE FOR THESE MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THESE COMMUNITIES. I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT TO 5 MILLION AND PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AS YOU'RE DOING TODAY. REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, THESE ARE OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, OUR TEACHERS, OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS. AND ONE THING WE CAN DO IS HELP EASE THEIR BURDEN.

THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS URIEL CONTERAS.

I'M A 28 YEAR OLD RESIDENT OF MERCEDES, HAVE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE. IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR ME TO PURCHASE A HOME HERE IN MERCED FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I LIVE WITH MY PARENTS AND MY SISTERS.

I WANTED TO PURCHASE A HOME IN MERCED. HOWEVER, THE EFFORT HAS LED NOWHERE BECAUSE MY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS WOULD BE ABOUT 75% OF MY MONTHLY INCOME. AND I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A GOOD JOB BECAUSE I'M COLLEGE EDUCATED AND I WORK WITH A NON PROFIT WHO HELPS FARMWORKERS. BUT I'M IN A GOOD PLACE COMPARED TO OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY. THE NONPROFIT I WORK FOR HELPS FARMWORKER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. SO I GET TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHOSE STRUGGLES ARE GREATER THAN MINE. JUST HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 150,000 PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

AGRICULTURE GENERATES $4.2 BILLION IN ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALES AND 10 BILLION IN TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.

ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, IT COSTS ABOUT $7,500 A MONTH, WHICH IS ROUGHLY $90,000 A YEAR FOR FAMILIES. FOR A FAMILY OF THREE TO LIVE HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, THE INDIVIDUAL PER CAPITA INCOME IN THE REGION IS 28,000 TO $31,000. FARM WORKERS, THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE A

[02:05:02]

THEY'RE BEING PRICED OUT OF BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN MERCED. MY LANDLORD IS FROM THE BAY AREA. HE EARNS WAY MORE THAN I DO, YET HE GETS TO OWN SEVERAL HOUSES. HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, INFLATION ROSE TO 4.2% LAST MAY. THE COST OF LIVING IS GOING UP, RENT IS GOING UP, HOUSE PRICES ARE GOING UP, BUT WAGES AREN'T GOING UP. AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OF OUR COUNTY, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE OUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART AND YOU CAN WORK WITH US TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT. I ASK THAT YOU INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM TO $5 MILLION AND CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ENGAGED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS TO PROMOTE TRANSPORTATION TRANSPARENCY AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. NOW, I TOOK SOME TIME FROM WORK TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. AND NOT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. AS YOU SAW, IT'S JUST MAYBE 10 PEOPLE OVER HERE, WHICH IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF MERCED COUNTY. AND AS YOU CAN HEAR, WE ARE STRUGGLING. SO I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO STRUGGLE OUR EASE AND WORK WITH US. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

SPEAKER U GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOSHUA LOPEZ. I HAVE LIVED IN MERCED COUNTY FOR ALL 20 YEARS OF MY LIFE. I WAS BORN HERE, I WENT TO SCHOOL HERE. AND HONESTLY, I HOPE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY, OF COURSE, BECAUSE MERCEDES, WHERE I FEEL AT HOME, BUT THE COST OF HOUSING HAS ONLY INCREASED WHILE WAGES STAYS SAME, WHICH MAKES IT HARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF. RIGHT.

TO FIND A PLACE ON MY OWN.

WHILE I WAS GROWING UP, IT WASN'T UNCOMMON TO SEE A HOMELESS PERSON HERE AND THERE.

RIGHT.

BUT HOMELESSNESS HAS EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED IN THE AREA AND WELL, THERE.

WHILE THERE IS MANY REASONS FOR, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS, ONE OF THEM SHOULDN'T BE BECAUSE THERE ISN'T SUITABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE. AND THAT IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE.

BECAUSE I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM'S BUDGET TO $5 MILLION AND TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.

THAT IS ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

LOOKS LIKE I'M THE ONLY SHORT ONE AROUND HERE.

I THINK OTHER PEOPLE WERE STILL ON THEIR TOES OR SOMETHING.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SUPPORT, FIRST OF ALL TO, TO CNC, TO.

TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER RAISING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THIS BUDGET TO HAVE PEOPLE. I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE APPROACHING YOU.

MY NAME IS GLORIA SANDOVAL.

I'VE LIVED IN MY SAID OVER 50 YEARS, PROBABLY IN THE SAME HOME.

BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR MAKING THIS AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT GIVES US MORE INFORMATION. THE PUBLIC, ALTHOUGH I DON'T.

HAVEN'T SEEN IT AROUND ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, I KNOW EVERYTHING COSTS MONEY AND I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET DOCUMENT IS 682 PAGES LONG. SO I WASN'T GOING TO PRINT THAT.

OKAY.

IT IS A VERY CHALLENGING PROCESS. SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE HAVE SOME EDUCATION BEHIND THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SETTING ASIDE SOME OF THEIR CHALLENGES IN SPEAKING IN PUBLIC. BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A FEW YEARS BACK. THERE WAS SOME SENTIMENT IN THE PUBLIC REGARDING REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY. I AM NOT AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT. I WILL REPEAT THAT. I AM NOT AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT I THINK THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DEALS WITH INTERVENTION, NOT WITH PREVENTION. WE NEED LEADERS IN OUR COUNTY THAT WILL THINK IN THAT REGARD AND PREVENTION.

AND I BELIEVE SOME PEOPLE FEEL AND SEE THE HOUSELESS HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN PART OF THAT. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EVEN KEEP UP WITH ALL THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS GOING ON. THERE'S A HUGE ATTEMPT. I KNOW PARTICULARLY THANK JOHN CHECKLEY BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE FRONT LINES AND THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.

NOW WE'RE HAVING THAT CHALLENGE OF THE HR1, YOU KNOW, NOBODY REALLY FORESAW THAT, YOU KNOW, COMING OUR WAY.

BUT THE OTHER THING, I MEAN, YOU HAD ONE ITEM ON YOUR CONSENT CALENDAR ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S TAKING AWAY JOBS. WE DON'T REALIZE IT YET, BUT THAT IS.

AND WE ARE SPENDING AS A COUNTY A HECK OF A LOT OF MONEY ON TECHNOLOGY AND THAT TYPE

[02:10:02]

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HEIDI SANCHEZ AND I LIVE IN (INAUDIBLE) FOR SO MANY YEARS, SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS OLD. AND I'M PART OF THE CNC TOO. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I HAVE SOME IDEA MAYBE IF THIS WILL WORK.

MAYBE GETTING SOME VOLUNTEERS TO GO TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF MERCED COUNTY AND ASK PEOPLE IN THE HOME AND THEN ASKING THEM WHAT DO THEY THINK ABOUT HAVING AN AFFORDABLE HOME, WHAT ARE THEIR FEEDBACK AND IDEAS? AND THEN GET TOGETHER WITH CNT AND THEN GO TO THE CAPITAL OF SACRAMENTO AND THEN FINDING OUT WHO, WHEN THEY HAVE BUDGET OR WHAT OTHER IDEAS THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, LIKE MONEY ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MONEY GOING TO SPREAD OUT. SO THAT WAY WE HAVE A TIME TO GIVE OUR VOICE FOR THE WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING THROUGH. SO THAT WAY WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY HERE IN MERCED. SO THAT'S AN IDEA THAT I'M THINKING AND MAYBE GET LIKE A BUS, A TOUR BUS THAT WE CAN GO THAT WAY BECAUSE MAYBE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A RIDE TO GET THERE. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR THE WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS BUDGET AND FOR, YOU KNOW, THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS. IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTY. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SAID QUITE A BIT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, BUT A LOT OF THE UNCERTAINTY COMES FROM THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. AND SO WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE FUNDS THAT WE ARE GIVEN.

AND SO WHEN YOU SAY WE'RE GOING TO, WE CAN DOUBLE A BUDGET, THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM SOMETHING ELSE TO PUT INTO THAT. SO THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FOUR AREAS THAT WE HAVE.

PUBLIC SAFETY, GOVERNMENT SERVICES. AND THEN WE HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, THIS IS THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT, THAT WE CAN USE TO SUPPLEMENT THIS. SO DO YOU CUT WHICH ONE DO YOU CUT, DO YOU CUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT OF IT THAT THE PUBLIC HAS MADE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WANT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. A LOT OF THAT, THE 1%, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT IS ALREADY PAID FOR BY, THROUGH OTHER AGENCIES THAT WILL BE CUT. AND SO THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY, WAY TO BACKFILL THAT JUST A LOT LIKE THE CMSP THAT WE JUST DID FOR THE HEALTH INSURANCE SUPPORT SERVICES OR 10% MUNICIPAL, COUNTYWIDE. AND SO THE OTHER THING TOO IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO JUST MAGIC MONEY TREE. SO IF YOU CUT ONE, THEN YOU HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO. THE OTHER THING TOO IS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT INFLATION AND INFLATION GOING UP BY 4%. GOVERNMENT IS NOT IMMUNE TO THAT. OUR COSTS GO UP TOO. SO EVERYBODY'S COSTS ARE GOING UP. AND SO WE HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS TO MAKE IT WORK. AND SO I THINK THE, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARGUMENT IS, IS, IS VERY. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT, BUT REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS.

THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE, THE CITIES OF THE COUNTY. AND SO THAT IT'S A REALLY COMPLICATED FINE LINE.

SO IN DEVONWOOD, HERE IN MERCED, IN THE CITY OF MERCED, I THINK THERE'S 200 UNITS THAT ARE FULL. OKAY, WE, WE HAVE THAT. OKAY. BUT THOSE ARE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS, I BELIEVE. AND SO UNLESS YOU'RE ABLE TO FIND A PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO DO THAT AND THEN WE GET IN AND CAN HELP AND LOOK FOR OTHER AREAS TO DO THAT THEN AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING OUR HOMELESS, AS WAS MENTIONED. IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NO, IN NO WAY ARE WE IN A, WE'RE IN A BETTER FINANCIAL SITUATION THAN WE ARE THAN A LOT OF OUR OTHER COUNTY FOLKS.

FRESNO IS GOING TO BE HIT FRESNO COUNTY WITH THIS HR1 AND NO HELP FROM THE STATES LAW, LOOKING AT A $294 MILLION SHORTFALL.

294 MILLION. WE'RE NOT THERE.

YOLO COUNTY, I THINK THEY'RE

[02:15:02]

WHICH EQUATES TO 125 JOBS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO BY ALSO BALANCING THAT WE'RE NOT THERE. AND SO TO START SAYING WE NEED TO UP THIS, WHERE DO WE CUT IT FROM? AND THEN PREPARE FOR THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE MEETING MOVING AHEAD.

BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IF THIS PROJECT PROGRAM ISN'T SUSTAINABLE, THEN IT GETS CUT TO ZERO TO BACKFILL AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER SERVICES. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE JUST START SAYING TAKE THIS FROM THAT AND TAKE THIS FROM THAT, BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN'T.

BUDGETS DON'T WORK THAT WAY. I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS, I WISH WE HAD HAD MORE TO PUT INTO OUR, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL, OUR RESERVES THAT, THAT ACCOUNT THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK 7% OR 7 TO 12% AND WE WERE ABOUT 7 AND A HALF PERCENT, IS THAT CORRECT THAT WE PUT IN. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT ONE YEAR WHERE WE COULD GET CLOSER TO THE 12% BECAUSE THAT'S OUR REALLY, OUR RAINY DAY FUND.

BUT THEN EVEN THEN YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO BACKFILL THAT. AND SO THAT TAKES TIME. AND SO I JUST, I THINK, AND THEN IN REGARDS TO, TO THE TRANSPARENCY ARGUMENT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO UP HERE IS TRANSPARENT.

EVERYTHING. I MEAN, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN, WE WERE VERY ACCESSIBLE. WE'LL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. AND SO I THINK THAT, AND WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.

AGAIN, WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE REALLY DOING A DEEP DIVE IN WHAT'S MANDATED VERSUS NON MANDATED PROGRAMS. THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, BECAUSE OF THE CUTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET AND HR1 REQUESTED $1.9 BILLION THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

THAT'S NOT MUCH. SO WE HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE SPECIFIC ARGUMENT.

AND SO I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THAT AND SAY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR, YOU KNOW, TAKING THIS HUGE THING.

BECAUSE THE OTHER THING TOO IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE $1.2 BILLION BUDGET AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO SPEND, IT'S NOT VERY MUCH.

AND SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS DIRECTED BY THE STATE OR BY THE FEDS THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SERVICES AND THEY PAY FOR IT, BUT WE CAN'T USE THAT MONEY FOR ANYTHING ELSE. SO I JUST AGAIN WANT TO THANK STAFF AND THE HARD WORK ON THIS. AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT NEVER AN EASY TIME.

YOU WANT TO SAY YES TO EVERYBODY.

BUT AS A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF MERCED, I WORKED ON A BUDGET WHERE WE HAD DURING THE RECESSION THAT WAS THE HARDEST THING WE HAD TO DO.

AND WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S CYCLICAL.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF AND CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU.

SUPER CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

MR. MARIONE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR DOING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH A BUNCH OF NUMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS, FOR ME, AT LEAST THE WAY THEY'RE PORTRAYED ARE COUNTERINTUITIVE. YOU KNOW, A DEBIT IS A CREDIT AND A CREDIT IS A DEBIT. AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST CAN NEVER REALLY.

THAT'S NOT HOW I NATURALLY THINK. AND SO ANYWAYS, I APPRECIATE ALL THE NUMBERS.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE A REQUEST FOR NEXT YEAR WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE FIRE FUND AND THE FUNDING, RIGHT. AND SO WHEN YOU BROUGHT IT TO ME, I MEAN, IT ALL MAKES SENSE, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO PROCESS IT IN A WAY TO GET IT TO MAKE SENSE, I GUESS. AND SO MAYBE LIKE IN THE. I DON'T KNOW, IN THE BREAKDOWNS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO TO A PAGE HERE JUST SO I GET IT RIGHT. I SHOULD HAVE GONE THERE ALREADY.

BUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE LICENSES AND PERMITS, RIGHT. IS IT. WHEN YOU CLICK ON IT, IT JUST HAS LIKE THE INCOMES FOR EACH OF THOSE, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC, WHEN THEY CLICK ON THE BUDGET, YOU DON'T GET TWO PAGES OF ITEMS. I GUESS IT KIND OF MADE ME MORE EXPLANATORY.

ANYWAYS, AND THEN I KIND OF WANT TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC COMMENT A BIT. I MET WITH CNC AS WELL THIS PAST YEAR. AND I'LL REITERATE MY COMMENTS A LITTLE BIT. THE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I GET PEOPLE'S FRUSTRATION, RIGHT, THAT IT'S HARDER TO AFFORD TO LIVE TODAY THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO, RIGHT. WHEN I, WHEN I GOT ON THIS BOARD AND I DID SOME MATH, THE AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME IN MERCED COUNTY WAS $3,500. THAT WAS $816 A WEEK. TODAY, THE AVERAGE INCOME IN MERCED COUNTY IS $5,375.

SO. SO INCOMES HAVE GONE UP.

[02:20:02]

IT IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND RENTS FOR SO MUCH LESS THAN MARKET RATE APARTMENTS THAT THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED. RIGHT. AND SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WHAT DO WE DO? AND I THINK GOING TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND ASKING THEM, MY ESTIMATION AND TALKING TO OUR STAFF, THAT THERE'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MILLION DOLLARS COULD HAVE COME TO MERCED COUNTY TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO HELP LOTS OF FAMILIES. AND SO THAT'S ONE SUGGESTION AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE. AND YOU KNOW, WE WERE KIND OF JOKING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

SUPERVISOR PEDROZO KIND OF WAS LONG WINDED AND MAYBE I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT.

BUT MY GOAL IS TO HELP PEOPLE, RIGHT? IS TO MAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES BETTER.

AND SO I'M GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SHARE THAT. CEQA. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA THINK CEQA NEEDS TO BE REFORMED.

BASICALLY IT INCREASES THE COST OF BUILDING HOUSES AND REALLY IT JUST ADDS TO THE COST. IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE THEM ANY MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

IT DOESN'T. YOU KNOW, AN APPLICATION FOR A SUBDIVISION IS GOING TO GET APPROVED AND ALL CEQA DOES IS MAKE THAT MORE EXPENSIVE.

AND SO I'M NOT SAYING WE DO AWAY WITH CEQA, BUT I'M SAYING WE REFORM IT.

AND SO IF YOU COULD GO TO SACRAMENTO OR MEET WITH YOUR LEGISLATURES, YOUR STATE LEGISLATURES AND ADVOCATE FOR CEQA REFORM, YOU WOULD BE HELPING THE PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY THAT CAN'T AFFORD A HOUSE. AND SO I'LL LEAVE THOSE TWO THINGS THERE AS SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. AND NOW I'LL COME BACK TO OUR BUDGET.

YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING. YOU KNOW, I KEEP SAYING THAT OUR BUDGET'S GOING TO GO DOWN. AND I SAID THAT BACK WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. OUR BUDGET HASN'T GONE DOWN, BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS WE'RE ABLE TO DO LESS WITH THAT BUDGET. AND SO ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONALLY, OUR BUDGET HAS GONE DOWN. AND SO I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND THANK STAFF FOR TAKING THAT SCENARIO AND MAKING IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH AND WORK WITH. AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AND GALS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. SO THANK YOU.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK GREG, TERRY, KIM AND ANDRES.

THOSE ARE THE FOLKS IN THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT LIVE AND BREATHE BUDGET ALL YEAR LONG.

AND I. AND, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE SUPER BOWL IS WHEN YOU PRESENT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND YOU HAVE A KIND OF ANOTHER SUPER BOWL. THAT IS WHEN WE GET TO FINAL BUDGET.

BUT AS SOON AS THEY GET DONE WITH ONE BUDGET, THEY'RE MAKE THEY'RE DOING WORK ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. AND SO THAT'S NOT LOST ON ME. THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO COMPUTING THIS BUDGET. IT IS A CRAZY BIG BUDGET. IT IS VERY HARD TO FOLLOW. I THINK THAT THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, WHEN YOU GET THESE BUDGET AT A GLANCE, IT'S KIND OF A CONDENSED VERSION OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, HELPFUL FOR EVEN US TO BE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE TOP LINE NUMBERS GO. AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THESE IN TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT AND DOING THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO.

YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE GET TO VOTE ON THIS THING, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT BEFORE IT EVER COMES TO HERE.

AND I DO, I HEAR THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE. WHAT I WOULD SAY SAY IS LET ME BE YOUR PARTNER AND LET'S GO ADVOCATE.

AT THE STATE LEVEL.

WE TALKED ABOUT LIFT TO RISE AS A GROUP THAT'S OUT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I MET WITH THEM, WE HAD A ZOOM MEETING. YOU KNOW, PART OF HOW THEY GOT THEIR FUNDING STARTED WAS HOW THEY, THEY, THEIR STATE SENATOR GAVE THEM A DIRECT BUDGET ALLOCATION. RIGHT. WHICH THEN LED TO OTHER INVESTMENTS AND IT'S THAT REOCCURRING LOAN.

AND IN TALKING WITH THEM, THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THEY LOAN THAT MONEY OUT AND THEN THEY GET PAID.

IT'S THAT BRIDGE, THAT BRIDGE MONEY. AND WHAT SUPERVISOR PAREIRA TALKED ABOUT IS BY ITSELF A DEVELOPER IS NOT GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE SUBSIDIZED IN SOME WAY.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF THESE LITTLE PIECES OF MONEY THAT THEY CAN'T GET A LOAN FROM A BANK FROM. THAT'S WHERE

[02:25:01]

BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO IS I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 10 MILLION THEY GOT FROM THEIR STATE SENATOR GOT THEM IN A BUDGET, A DIRECT BUDGET ALLOCATION.

THAT'S WHERE WE CAN BE HELPFUL AT IS BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY WE TALK ABOUT THE PIE. THE PIE IS ONLY SO BIG. YOU CUT, YOU PUT IT OVER HERE, YOU GOT TO CUT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THOSE DECISIONS ARE NOT MADE LIGHTLY.

BUT IF THE STATE WANTS TO COME IN AND HELP, I DON'T WANT TO.

SURE. RESPONSIBILITY. THESE ARE MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND OUR STATE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY WITH, WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH HR1. THERE'S. THE GOVERNOR BASICALLY SLAPPED COUNTIES IN THE FACE IS WHAT HE DID. HE PUT, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS LIKE $23 MILLION INTO HIS. HIS MAY REVISE TO SOLVE SOME OF THE HR1 ISSUES AND BASICALLY KICK THE CAN TO THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE, WHO HAVE DIFFERING VERSIONS ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. AND THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT I SAID WHEN I WAS IN A MEETING IN SACRAMENTO WITH THE CHAIRMAN, SENATE CHAIR ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. AND I SAID TO HIM, LOOK, IT'S REALLY EASY WHEN YOU HAVE A $350 BILLION BUDGET AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR ROUGHLY $2 BILLION TO HELP SOLVE. SOLVE THIS HR1 ISSUE. IF AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU REALLY DO BELIEVE IN THAT. WE ARE TASKED WITH THE FIRST THING AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHETHER IT'S CITY, COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL, THAT WE'RE CHARGED WITH THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS. IT SHOULD BE AN EASY FIX. IN A $350 BILLION BUDGET. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO CARVE OUT 2 BILLION TO. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU HEARD FOLKS TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE HOUSING STABILITY, IT LEADS TO BETTER HEALTH, HEALTH OUTCOMES, ALL THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH HR1.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE'S ANSWER TO IT IS TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF COUNTIES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO. LISTEN, YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRINT MONEY. THE STATE GOVERNMENT, THEY STEAL MONEY.

AND I DON'T MEAN LITERALLY THEY STEAL IT FROM YOU, BUT WHAT THEY DO IS THEY PROMISE IT YOU TODAY AND THEN THEY TAKE IT BACK AND THEY SAY, OH WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TO YOU SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN.

RIGHT. AND SO THE FRUSTRATION, WE FEEL THAT SAME FRUSTRATION, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BY OURSELVES. WE NEED YOUR GUYS HELP TO ADVOCATE TO THESE FOLKS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN SACRAMENTO AND TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR DISTRICTS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE AG INDUSTRY, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT CREATES FOR THE ECONOMY. IT CREATES A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND WE DON'T GET OUR FAIR SHARE BACK BECAUSE.

BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS.

WE DON'T YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE STORY OF WHEN ADAM GRAY FIRST GOT ELECTED TO THE ASSEMBLY. HE TOLD ME THIS AND IT PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. EVERY. EVERY NEW ELECTION THEY DO ROLL CALL IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY BY COUNTY AND THEY GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. AND MERCED COMES BEFORE LOS ANGELES. I MEAN, FROM. SO MERCED. YES. LA COUNTY. THEY SAY MERCED COUNTY. AT THAT POINT, ONE ASSEMBLY MEMBER STANDS UP AND IS REPRESENTING MERCED COUNTY. THEN THEY SAY LA COUNTY COUNTY. AND A THIRD OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE STANDS UP BECAUSE A THIRD OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE REPRESENTS LA COUNTY. THE MONEY TENDS TO GO THERE. THE ADVOCACY THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING HERE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE DOING THAT SAME ADVOCACY AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH OUR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER, ESMERALDA SORIA, WHO'S RUNNING FOR STATE STATE TO BE OUR STATE SENATOR.

WHOEVER THAT PERSON, WE NEED TO ADVOCATE TO THOSE FOLKS TO GET OUR FAIR SHARE BACK HERE SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE THESE SO THAT IT COMES FROM THE STATE. AND YOU START WITH THAT SEED MONEY. WE'RE IN A LOT BETTER PLACE VERSUS US TRYING TO ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. IF WE CUT THE MONEY FROM WELL, THEN WHAT DOESN'T GET FUNDED.

SO AGAIN, I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS. I'LL BE YOUR PARTNER IN ADVOCATING AT THE STATE LEVEL. WE DO IT ALL THE TIME AS A MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY DOING IS ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA'S COUNTIES, WHICH IS THEY REPRESENT THE STATE, REPRESENTS ALL THOSE SAME PEOPLE. AGAIN, BACK TO DAVID. THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DO THINK WE ARE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN OTHER COUNTIES BECAUSE HR1 IN THESE BIGGER COUNTIES IS GOING TO BE A HUGE IMPACT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A COUNTY THAT HAS COUNTY HOSPITALS BECAUSE THERE ARE COUNTY HOSPITALS THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO FUND AND KEEP THE DOORS OPEN WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HR1, A LOT OF THAT FUNDING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GO AWAY.

WE MADE A VOTE EARLIER TODAY THAT'S COMMITTING $20 MILLION TO HELP WITH THAT. AND THAT IS WE DON'T HAVE THAT TO CONTINUE TO PAY. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. SO WE'RE TAKING A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO OUR BUDGET. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OUR MANDATED SERVICES VERSUS THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END UP IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

THEY KEEP ADDING PROGRAMS AND IT'S UNFUNDED MANDATES. THEY PASSED A LAW IN SACRAMENTO COMES DOWN TO US AT THE COUNTY. WE'RE THE IMPLEMENTERS OF THIS.

BUT IT DOESN'T COME WITH ANY FUNDING TO DO IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE MANDATED SERVICES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AND

[02:30:02]

THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. I DO WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THEIR WORK, BUT I ALSO WANT TO STAFF. I THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME TODAY. I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO COME AND PRESENT YOUR IDEAS TO US. I KNOW IT'S HARD. WE ALL WANT TO HELP. HELP EVERYBODY AND GIVE EVERYTHING. BUT, YEAH, WE'RE RIGHT. WE JUST DON'T HAVE. WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING THAT. THAT YOU.

THAT YOU BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. I'M SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR SITUATIONS. MY GRANDPARENTS, MY PARENTS WERE. MY MOTHER WAS A FARM WORKER. SO I SAW THE STRUGGLES THAT CAME THROUGH. I HAVE FOUR ADULT CHILDREN, SOME GONE TO COLLEGE, AND NONE OF THEM ARE ANYWHERE NEAR GETTING A HOUSE RIGHT NOW.

AND SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. I DO WANT TO HELP OUT, BUT I THINK, LIKE, SUPER VICE VERSA. I THINK OUR BEST OPTION IS BEING A GOOD PARTNER AND GOOD ADVOCATE.

COME TO US WITH IDEAS AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE WITH YOU. AND I'LL DO ANYTHING. IF THERE'S A GOOD IDEA OUT THERE THAT WE THINK CAN RUN WITH, I'D LOVE TO DO THAT. THE BUDGET PROCESS.

I KNOW IT'S A BIG PROCESS. I'M JUST LEARNING IT MYSELF. I KNOW WE HAD A PRESENTATION HERE AT THE COUNTY. THE PUBLIC WAS INVITED. AND IF WE NEED TO COME OUT TO EACH DISTRICT, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO THAT AND WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT. BUT.

BUT IT IS HARD. BUT I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING DOWN HERE TO GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW AND LETTING US KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE. AGAIN, I'M SYMPATHETIC TO IT. I SEE IT.

IT AFFECTS ME PERSONALLY. SO I WANT TO DO WHATEVER I CAN TO HELP OUT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OKAY, I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE, BEFORE I CALL FOR THE VOTE? IF NOT, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE MOTION PASSES.

GOOD WORK BY OUR BUDGET STAFF. YOU GUYS PUT IN A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR IT.

AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON WITH BOARD REPORTS, STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. I THINK THAT WAS A KNUCKLEBALL.

THAT WAS A KNUCKLEBALL IN THE DIRT. OKAY, GIVE ME A QUICK SECOND HERE.

YEAH, YEAH.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE.

CHAIR I ATTENDED THE SESAC SUMMER MEETING. KIND OF A NEAT NEW DEAL THAT SESAC'S DOING IS HOLDING SOME REGIONAL MEETINGS.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD US TALK MANY TIMES ABOUT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUPERVISORS GETTING TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE FOR US. AND THAT'S KIND OF ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THAT. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA HAD PLENTY TO DO WITH GETTING CSAC HERE IN THE VALLEY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

LET'S SEE, YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE MERCED COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCH. AND ONE VOLUNTEER IN THE PAST YEAR HAS VOLUNTEERED 450 HOURS OF THEIR TIME TO BE A DOCENT AT OUR COUNTY COURTHOUSE MUSEUM. AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY AMAZING. AND KIND OF IRONICALLY, HE IS A RETIRED MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEE. AND SO ANYWAY, SO I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AMAZING. I'M A HISTORY BUFF AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, OUR HERITAGE. AND SO IT'S NEAT TO LISTEN TO HIM TALK AND SHARE WITH FOLKS. I WANT TO THANK STAFF. YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WE HAD A DAIRY EXPANSION MEETING. WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE DAIRIES THAT HAVE PERMIT APPLICATIONS IN WITH THE COUNTY. AND THAT PROCESS HAS GONE WELL AND THEN IT'S GONE NOT WELL AND WE'RE BACK ON TRACK. AND I THINK MEETING WITH THE DAIRYMEN AND THEIR CONSULTANTS TO KIND OF GO OVER WHERE WE ARE.

DIRECTOR MIMS AND HIS STAFF REALLY LAID OUT THE PROCESS AND I THINK THE DAIRYMEN APPRECIATED KNOWING THAT ONE.

WE'RE WORKING ON IT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING, YOU'RE GOING TO OPEN A STORE, YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE, AND SOMETHING GETS DELAYED A PERIOD OF TIME. IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT'S, I GUESS YOU CAN LIVE

[02:35:03]

AND SO THESE FOLKS ARE PLANNING ON EXPANDING AND DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND SO WHEN WE HOLD STUFF UP OR, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS HOLDS STUFF UP, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, IT'S A BIG COST, NOT ONLY A CONVENIENCE, BUT IT'S A BIG COST TO THE, TO THE DAIRYMAN. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, WE, I SERVE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MERCED GSA WATER BOARD. AND I'M ON THAT BOARD BECAUSE I'M A COUNTY SUPERVISOR. AND SO YESTERDAY WE PASSED A PROP 218, WHICH IS BASICALLY. IT CAN BE UP TO $15 AN ACRE FOR PEOPLE TO PAY INTO A FUND THAT HELPS US IMPLEMENT SGMA. AND OUR BOARD WORKS REALLY HARD. LACEY MCBRIDE WITH OUR STAFF, OUR WATER MANAGER IS ALSO THE INTERIM, OR I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND HAS JUST DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.

INSTEAD OF THE $15.11 THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TO EXTRACT RIGHT FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS PER ACRE, IT WAS.

IT WAS.

WE PASSED A BUDGET OF $505.02.

AND SO I JUST FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND TO TRY TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. I KNOW THAT'S NOT A COUNTY DEPARTMENT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND SO WANT TO JUST SHARE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THAT'S IT.

ALL RIGHT.

CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PEDROZO.

I THOUGHT I WAS THE LONG WINDED ONE TODAY, BUT APPARENTLY THAT'S STILL THE SAME WAY OVER THERE.

FOR THE SAKE OF NOT BEING ACCUSED OF BEING LONG WINDED AGAIN, I'LL SAY. WE HAD THE HILLS FERRY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY COOL.

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STANISLAUS COUNTY AND MERCED COUNTY. I WENT TO THE MERCED AF RIBBON CUTTING, WHICH. WHERE YOU SEE ALL THE NEW MURALS. THEY WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT. LAST WEEK, OBVIOUSLY WAS THE FAIR.

I'M VERY HAPPY THAT IT'S OVER BECAUSE MY CHILDREN HAD PROJECT OR LIVESTOCK PROJECTS AND I WAS THERE EVERY DAY. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION I DO THIS EVERY TIME MY SON'S IN A SHOW. AND TO SUPPORT THE ARTS. THERE'S A SHOW STARTING ON FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH, AND IT RUNS THROUGH JUNE 28TH. SIX SHOWS. IT'S CALLED THE OLYMPIANS. AND SO IT'S BACK AT PLAYHOUSE MERCED, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY COOL TO SEE.

AND THEN ALSO I WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADJOURN FOR TWO PEOPLE TODAY. ONE IS DAN GALLAGHER AND THE OTHER IS DON BERGMAN. DAN GALLAGHER WAS A. BOTH OF THESE GENTLEMEN WERE CHAMPIONS OF THE CITY OF MERCED AND MERCED COUNTY IN GENERAL. DON BERGMAN WAS ACTUALLY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF MERCEDES AND THEY RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADJOURN IN THEIR BEHALF.

ON THEIR BEHALF.

THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SCOTT SILVEIRA.

THANK YOU, SIR. A COUPLE THINGS I ATTENDED A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS. THE HILLS FERRY BRIDGE, THAT WAS. THAT WAS A REALLY COOL PROJECT.

WANT TO THANK NATHAN BRAY FROM PUBLIC WORKS. IT'S WHEN TWO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES THAT SHARE A BRIDGE. THE COUNTY LINE IS RIGHT IN THE CENTER. THE OF OF THE BRIDGE. SO IT WAS A PROJECT WHERE YOU WORKED TOGETHER. IT TURNED OUT REALLY, REALLY NICE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. AND THEN IT'S KIND OF A COOL LITTLE DEAL AS PART.

THEY PUT THE LITTLE PLAQUE ON THERE. AND SO ONE DAY WHEN I'M TAKING MY GRANDKIDS AROUND, I COULD SHOW THEM THAT I WAS A COUNTY SUPERVISOR AT THE TIME WHEN THAT BRIDGE GOT REPLACED.

SO COOL THERE. THIS SUMMER REGIONAL MEETING WAS IN KINGS COUNTY. IT WAS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY. I DID KIND OF FEEL A LITTLE, LITTLE SORRY FOR THE. FROM. FOR THE GAL FROM THE STATE BECAUSE THE CROWD THAT SHE WAS IN FRONT OF IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WATER AND WATER ISSUES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. AND SHE GOT TO HEAR A LOT OF OPINIONS ON HOW WE COULD REALLY EASILY FIX IT IF THEY WOULD JUST LISTEN TO US. SO THERE WAS REALLY A GOOD MEETING. THOSE MEETINGS. I TRIED TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS. THIS ONE WAS IN MERCEDES OR, WELL, IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.

CENTRAL.

SO A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES, BUT WHEN YOU ATTEND THEM IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE, IT REALLY GIVES YOU AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE AS TO WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE EXPERIENCING.

WE'RE ALL COUNTIES, BUT IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ONE, YOU'VE BEEN TO ONE. AND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. THE DAIRY FOCUS GROUP, I WANT TO THANK CO HENDRICKSON AND MARK MIMS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME AS A COUNTY SUPERVISOR TO HEAR IT, BUT REALLY THE APPROACH TO THE MEETING WAS WANTING TO LISTEN. LISTEN TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING OUR PROCESS AND WHERE ARE THEY SEEING THAT SOME OF THE PINCH POINTS ARE, AND THEN OFFERING UP EXAMPLES OF MAYBE IN SOME OTHER COUNTIES THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DOING IT AND STREAMLINING IT. SO I THINK A REALLY, REALLY FRUITFUL MEETING. DAIRY IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTY BY A LONG SHOT. AND SO WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE FOLKS

[02:40:01]

ENVIRONMENT AS THEY ADD ON TO THESE DAIRIES. AND JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT IS IN CALIFORNIA, THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, YOU HAVE THE FOLKS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE WHO HATE AND WANT TO PENALIZE AND CALL THEM BIG FACTORY FARMS AND THEY WANT TO HATE ON THEM. BUT THE REALITY IS ALL THE REGULATIONS THAT THEY'VE CAUSED, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN SURVIVE IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS IS YOU HAVE TO GET BIGGER.

RIGHT. THE AVERAGE SIZE IN MERCED COUNTY IS BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 COWS. TWENTY YEARS AGO, THAT NUMBER WAS PROBABLY MORE LIKE SEVEN OR 800 COWS.

RIGHT.

AND SO IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS, YOU HAVE TO GET BIGGER. AND THEY'RE DOING IT IN SOME OF THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAYS POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN THE LAST THING I KNOW, THE SHERIFF WAS A BIG PART OF THIS, BUT THE MERCED WESTERN HERITAGE FOUNDATION, THEY BROUGHT A PRCA RODEO TO SPRING TO THE MERCED COUNTY FAIR. JUST A QUICK LITTLE SIDE NOTE, RENO ROSSER, WHO'S PART OF FLYING VIEW, WHO IS THE PROMOTER, HE WAS THE GUY THAT BROUGHT THIS.

HE BROUGHT THE SHOOTS, HE BROUGHT THE LIVESTOCK AND EVERYTHING TO THAT. HIS WIFE NICOLE AND I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER, SO I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND.

BUT REALLY COOL EVENT. THEY DID IT RIGHT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT YOU WANT THIS PRCA SANCTIONED RODEO IS ANY ONE OF THOSE PARTICULAR PARTICIPANTS THERE ANY MONEY THAT THEY WON THAT GOES TOWARD THEIR TOTALS THAT HELPS THEM TO GET TO THE NATIONAL FINALS. SO IT'S NOT JUST A LITTLE ONE OFF.

THERE'S ACTUALLY MEANING BEHIND IT.

IN TALKING A LITTLE BIT WITH RENO THAT NIGHT ON SATURDAY, I STOPPED BY IS IT WAS TWO SEPARATE RODEOS. THEY HAVE ONE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NIGHT. AND SO YOU DIDN'T SEE SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THEY MOVED ON TO ANOTHER RODEO. AND IT WAS DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE ON SATURDAY NIGHT. SO REALLY COOL EVENT. I HEARD THAT THEY DID REALLY WELL IN THEIR SPONSORSHIPS. THEY WERE ACTUALLY. THEY HAD A GOAL IN MIND. THEY OUTRAISED THEIR GOAL BY SO MUCH THAT THEY ACTUALLY LOWERED THE COST OF TICKETS TO GET IN BECAUSE THEY DID SO WELL ON SPONSORSHIPS. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MERCED FAIR HAS. THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THAT BEING A SUCCESSFUL EVENT GOING FORWARD FOR THEM.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISOR PACHECO.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS. I TOO, ATTENDED THE HILLS FERRY BRIDGE RIBBON CUTTING PROJECT.

AND THIS PROJECT WAS STARTED WAY BEFORE ME. BUT I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I COULD BE THERE TO WATCH IT COME TO FRUITION.

AND I'LL BE THERE WITH SCOTT'S GRANDKIDS, POINT OUT MY NAME ON THE PLAQUE. I ATTENDED THE WESTERN RODEO DAYS, WHICH IS KIND OF A PREQUEL TO THE ACTUAL RODEO. I KNOW BACK IN THE HISTORY OF. THEY USED TO HAVE MERCY GULCH DAYS IN MERCED. THIS MIGHT BE A PREQUEL. THAT WAS NICE TO GO OUT ON SATURDAY. A LOT OF VENDORS THERE. THE SHERIFF'S THERE. SO IT WAS A GOOD EVENT.

AND THAT ROLLS INTO THE.

YEAH, THE MERCED COUNTY FAIR I ATTENDED. I DID ATTEND THE RODEO ON FRIDAY NIGHT. IT WAS A REALLY COOL EVENT. HOPE IT STAYS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND YEAH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION FOR PUTTING IT ON AND BEING SUCCESSFUL. I ALSO ATTENDED THE LIVESTOCK SHOW AT THE FAIR AND THE AUCTION MY GRANDKIDS WERE SHOWING. AND I WAS ABLE TO BUY A COUPLE ANIMALS TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL 4H AND FFA KIDS. THAT'S ALWAYS FUN TO DO. AND THEN YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION LESSON.

AND AGAIN, JUST, IT'S NICE TO SEE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE.

AND THEIR MAIN JOB IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR CORDARTH MUSEUM IS HIGHLIGHTED AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB MAKING SURE THEY KEEP OUR MERCED COUNTY HISTORY ALIVE. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO WISH ALL THE FATHERS HAPPY FATHER'S DAY ON SUNDAY. I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A GREAT DAY.

THAT'S WHY I'M CHAIR.

RIGHT ON.

THANK YOU, COUNTY COUNCIL CEO.

NO. OKAY. SO, YEAH, I ATTENDED THE RCRC COUNTY OF THE CHAIR MEETING. OUR RCRC MEETING WAS IN. IN MARIPOSA.

WE GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THE IMPACTS. LET'S UNDERSTAND. A LOT OF THE IMPACTS WE HAVE HERE AT THE COUNTY ARE UNFUNDED MANDATES PROPOSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE ONTO THE COUNTIES TELLING US WHAT WE HAVE TO DO DO. AND IT COSTS US NOT JUST THE COUNTY, BUT THE RESIDENTS MORE MONEY TO DO THEM. IN FACT, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES IS MAYBE THE ONE THAT WAS JUST IMPOSED DOING A MANDATORY COMMISSION FOR OUR REDISTRICTING, WHICH IS A PROBLEM THAT THE COUNTY DIDN'T HAVE, BUT IT WAS IMPOSED ON. IT'S GOING TO COST US OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. AND SO THE SAME GROUP WHO WAS ASKING FOR $5 MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS THE GROUP WHO PUSHED THAT OVER AND ACTUALLY TESTIFIED IN SACRAMENTO SAYING WE HAD A PROBLEM HERE. SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATES ARE IMPOSED HERE ON THE COUNTY. THAT'S JUST ONE OF MANY. ALSO ATTENDED THE CSAC REGIONAL MEETING IN KINGS COUNTY, OR AS THEY LIKE TO REFER TO IT, THE COUNTY OF KINGS. AND. BUT VERY FRUITFUL CONVERSATIONS. I APPRECIATED THE FOLKS. I DID FACILITATE ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WAS STARTING TO GET A LITTLE OUT OF CONTROL BECAUSE OUR SUPERVISORS WHO ATTEND THE MEETING, WHO ARE ALSO FARMERS, ARE VERY OPINIONATED ON THE WATER AND ALWAYS INVITE PEOPLE

[02:45:02]

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE NEEDED TO TELL THE STATE WHEN SHE GOT BACK UP THERE. ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE THAT I ATTEND EVERY YEAR. CASTLE VETERANS ORGANIZATION IN ATWATER HOSTS THE WOMEN'S VETERANS RECOGNITION DAY. IT'S ACTUALLY ON JUNE 12TH THIS YEAR. WE DID IT ON SATURDAY THE DAY AFTER, WHERE WE RECOGNIZE A LOT OF OUR WOMEN, WOMEN VETERANS. I NOTICED THAT IT'S NOT REAL PUBLIC, ALTHOUGH IF YOU GO TO THE CVO THAT NIGHT, IT'S STANDING ROOM ONLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THERE.

AND A LOT OF LADIES THAT I KNOW THAT I HAD NO IDEA SERVED IN OUR MILITARY WERE RECOGNIZED AT THIS EVENT. AND IT'S A VERY WELL DONE THING. JACKIE COOK WAS RECOGNIZED BECAUSE OF HER. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO JACKIE IS, SHE'S THE OWNER OF GRANNY'S PANTRY. THEY'RE IN ATWATER. AND THEY DID A SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO HER BECAUSE SHE HAS THREE GENERATIONS OF FEMALE VETERANS WITHIN HER FAMILY. AND SHE GOT MESSAGES FROM HER GRANDKIDS WHO DID VIDEO PRESENTATIONS TO HER, RECOGNIZING THAT THEY'VE ALL FOLLOWED IN HER FOOTSTEPS AS WELL AS HER DAUGHTER, HER DAUGHTERS AND.

AND HER DAUGHTER WAS THERE AND HER, HER SON ACTUALLY SENT IN A VIDEO AS WELL.

BUT VERY WELL DONE WITH OUR VETERANS, THE CASTLE VETERANS ORGANIZATION IN

[POSSIBLE DIRECTION FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO SB 707, JULY. I SAID JULY. OKAY, CORRECT MYSELF, IT'S JULY 7TH.

BUT DUE TO SB 707, AGAIN, IN MY COMMENTS, I MENTIONED UNFUNDED MANDATES.

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL BE ADJUSTING HOW WE OPERATE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS. MOVING FORWARD. WE WILL BE ROLLING THIS OUT BEGINNING WITH THE JULY 7, 2026 REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEW FORMAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING ON OUR WEBSITE AND IN OUR AGENDA NOTICE. PLEASE REFER TO THE POSTED AGENDA NOTICE, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

FOR ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE NEW FORMAT, PLEASE CALL 209-385-7366.

AGAIN, THAT'S 209-385-7366.

THIS CONCLUDES THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR JUNE 16, 2026. MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.