GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. [00:00:05] YOUR CLOSED SESSIONS THIS MORNING ARE EXISTING LITIGATION, CALIBER CONTRACTING SERVICE SERVICES, [CLOSED SESSION] INC. VERSUS COUNTY OF MERCED ET AL. MERCED SUPERIOR COURT CASE NUMBER 26CV-03342. SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION ONE CASE. INITIATION OF LITIGATION ONE CASE. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR PROPERTY 317 15TH STREET, MERCED. AGENCY NEGOTIATOR NATHAN BRAY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. NEGOTIATION, NEGOTIATING PARTIES, MERCER COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, DBA, MERCER COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY UNDER NEGOTIATION TO REQUEST AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE PROPOSED LEASE TERMS. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR. PROPERTY IS APPROXIMATELY 1.75 ACRES. LOCATED ON 16TH STREET SOUTH OF SPACECRAFT DRIVE, AND NORTH OF SHUTTLE DRIVE AT CASTLE COMMERCE CENTER IN ATWATER. AGENCY NEGOTIATOR MARK MIMMS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NEGOTIATING PARTIES, NEW BEGINNINGS FOR MERCER COUNTY ANIMALS. UNDER NEGOTIATION TO REQUEST AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AND VALUE. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR. PROPERTY. APPROXIMATELY 27 ACRE PORTION OF APN 170-220-012 AND 170-220-0111 AT 5714 LAKE DRIVE BORDERED ON THE SOUTH BY THE FAIRFIELD CANAL AND ON THE EAST BY THE LE GRAND CANAL. AGENCY NEGOTIATOR DAVID MARION, ASSISTANT COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER. NEGOTIATION, NEGOTIATING PARTIES, MERCED COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, NATHAN DEVINE. UNDER NEGOTIATION TO REQUEST AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE THE SALE OF AND VALUE OF THE PROPERTY. THE PUBLIC WILL BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED IN CLOSED SESSION PRIOR TO THE BOARD ADJOURNING INTO CLOSED SESSION. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL. FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM. FOR OUR REMOTE ATTENDEES, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON ZOOM OR PRESS STAR NINE IF YOU'RE CALLING BY PHONE. TO BETTER FACILITATE THE MEETING AND ENSURE FAIRNESS, WE WILL START WITH FIVE SPEAKERS IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY FIVE REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. SEEING NOBODY HERE, I'LL CHECK TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANYBODY ON THE ONLINE OPTION. MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE NO REMOTE ATTENDEES AT THIS TIME. OKAY, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS IS NOW CLOSED. WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION. WHY DO YOU SAY THAT LIKE A COW? [10:00 A.M. REGULAR MEETING] GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK TO THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026, MEETING OF THE MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THIS MORNING WE HAD CLOSED SESSION AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION. WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY TONY SIMEONE AND SUPERVISOR PACHECO WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE THEREAFTER. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE INVITATION TO COME AND DO THIS TODAY. IT'S QUITE AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU FOLKS. SO, IF YOU WOULD WITH ME, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TODAY IN SERVICE OF MERCED COUNTY. LORD, WE ASK FOR THE WISDOM AND THE DISCERNMENT FOR THE SUPERVISORS AND ALL THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MERCED COUNTY. LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU GIVE THEM THE PATIENCE TO LISTEN, THE COURAGE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, THE INTEGRITY TO ACT FAIRLY, AND THE WISDOM TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. MAY THEIR DECISIONS PROMOTE THE SAFETY, PROSPERITY, AND WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE. MAY THE APPROACH TODAY, TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS WITH RESPECT, HUMILITY AND THE COMMITMENT TO WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR COUNTY. WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND BLESSING UPON THIS MEETING AND UPON OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE. AND IT'S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. [PUBLIC COMMENT] IT IS NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, EXCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA. TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON AND 30 MINUTES TOTAL. FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM. [00:05:02] FOR OUR REMOTE ATTENDEES, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON ZOOM OR PRESS STAR NINE IF YOU ARE CALLING BY PHONE. TO BETTER FACILITATE THE MEETING AND ENSURE FAIRNESS WE WILL START WITH FIVE SPEAKERS IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY FIVE REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. HMONG AND SPANISH TRANSLATORS ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. OKAY, AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO REGISTER OR RAISE YOUR HAND, IT'S AND TIME TO SPEAK DURING THE REGULAR AGENDA. I WILL CHECK BACK AT THE END OF THE MEETING TO SEE IF PARTICIPANTS STILL WANT TO COMMENT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JEAN OKUYE AND I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND I'M GLAD TO SEE PEOPLE ARE HERE TO, OTHER PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE A GREAT BIG JOB TO DO. AND I, I'M RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HARVEST. I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ALMOND ORCHARD AND RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT DUST AND I'VE BEEN OUT HENDRICKSON THIS MORNING EVEN. AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE BIG FIRE. IT'S NOT TOO FAR AWAY AND ALWAYS CHALLENGES. BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAITH WITH WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE PUBLIC AND HAVING REPRESENTATIVES THAT LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE CAN DO IT. YOU KNOW, I REALLY HAVE FAITH. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR NUMBER ONE AND TWO TAKEN OFF. THIS IS REGARDING THE REPAIRS AT SANDY MUSH FACILITY. IS THAT THE TIME TO DO IT? OKAY. AND I DO FEEL POSITIVE. A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE GREAT, BUT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND FIND SOLUTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I'M CHRISTY MCCAMMOND, HOUSING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF LOS BANOS, AND I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN EXCITING UPDATE TO OUR ONE TREE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT IN LOS BANOS. THAT'S FUNDED BY THE CALIFORNIA ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUND AND THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH HOUSING FUND. CONSTRUCTION IS WELL UNDERWAY. WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED THAT FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING POURED AS WE SPEAK, AND WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE PROJECTED AROUND JANUARY, MAYBE THE END OF DECEMBER. WON'T THAT BE A LOVELY CHRISTMAS PRESENT? THIS PROJECT IS TO RESOLVE ENCAMPMENTS IN LOS BANOS, AND WE ARE PROUD THAT WE ARE CREATING 58 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITH SERVICES TO THAT COMMUNITY ON PREMISES. WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE'VE HAD FROM MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU TO JOHN CHECKLEY FOR THE LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND FOR THE GUIDANCE. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. WE ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS WITH A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, AND WITH COMPASSION AND WITH EMPATHY, AND ALSO WITH EXPECTATION THAT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF LOS BANOS. I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY EXTRA TIME. Y'ALL KNOW I LIKE TO TALK. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. I WAS GOING TO SAY USUALLY FOR ANYBODY ELSE WE'D CONSIDER IT, BUT WE KNOW YOU. YES, ABSOLUTELY. MY NAME IS SAM RANGEL. FOR MOST OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ALL KNOW ME, AND I JUST WERE REPRESENTING THE CENTRAL VALLEY BARBECUE FESTIVAL THAT'S COMING TO MERCED SEPTEMBER 6TH FROM 12 TO 8:00 AT THE MERCED COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT STARTED AS AN INFLUENCER REACHING OUT TO ME WITH OVER 300,000 FOLLOWERS, HE SAID ON FIRMER SAID, I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY, AND I HEARD YOU WERE THE GUY TO TALK TO. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I SAID, LET'S PUT THIS. LET'S PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING GREAT. AND SO DUN DUN DUN DUN. I DEVELOPED THE A TEAM, AND IN ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF, WE ARE BRINGING YOU THE FIRST EVER CENTRAL VALLEY BARBECUE FESTIVAL FEATURING THE BEST PITMASTERS FROM FRESNO ALL THE WAY TO MODESTO. WE HAVE VENDORS COMING FROM ALL OVER, FROM FRESNO TO MODESTO. NOT JUST LOCAL, BUT WE'RE TALKING JUSTIN, NEWMAN, LOS BANOS WE'VE BEEN HAVING VENDORS REACHING OUT FROM ALL OVER THE CENTRAL VALLEY THAT ARE EMBRACING THIS FESTIVAL. WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERED WITH SOME LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY ALL HEARD OF MERCED GOT TALENT. WELL, THEY CALLED US AND SAID, HEY, HOW CAN WE JUST BRING THE TALENT SHOW TO THAT DAY SO THAT WE CAN FEATURE ALL THE YOUTH AND THE LOCAL TALENT? SO, WE SAID, COME ON BOARD, SO THEY'LL BE FEATURED ON THE MAIN STAGE. WE'LL BE HAVING A LIVE TALENT SHOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ALONG WITH FOUR BANDS THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME. WE ALSO HAVE RED BULL COMING OUT, REPRESENTING AND BRINGING THEIR RED BULL STAGE. [00:10:05] GOING TO BE A PART OF THIS FESTIVAL? THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP COMING UP IN MERCED, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THEM CALLED FINDERS KEEPERS, AND THEY'LL BE AT THE EVENT EARLY IN THE MORNING HIDING A BUNCH OF GIFTS AND RAFFLES. THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY FOR FAMILY TO COME OUT AND ENJOY SOME GOOD BARBECUE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME GOOD COMMUNITY. AGAIN, I WANT TO APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AND OFFERED TO HELP. SOME ALREADY HAVE MADE DONATIONS. I WANT TO YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGE MR. PACHECO. I KNOW THAT'S YOUR DISTRICT. SO YEAH, WE EXPECT YOU TO MAKE A DONATION. JUST KIDDING. BUT ANYWAYS, I JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY COME OUT AND INVITE YOU. ALSO, LET THE FAMILIES OUT THERE KNOW THE FIRST HUNDRED FAMILIES. WE HAVE A COMMEMORATIVE, ONE OF A KIND BAG THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THE FIRST HUNDRED FAMILIES THAT WALK THROUGH THEM GATES. SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS OUT THERE AND JUST COME AND ENJOY THE BEST FOOD THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TASTE IN A LONG TIME. AND HOPEFULLY WE MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL EVENT. THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS EVENT IS ALL THE MONEY THAT WE ARE RAISING IS GOING TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS A DIAMOND IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS THE HARO BROTHERS FOUNDATION. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW COACH HARO, MAN, HE DOES SO MUCH FOR THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MERCED. TIRELESSLY EVERY WEEKEND, THIS MAN IS DRIVING KIDS TO COMPETE IN TOURNAMENTS AND IT'S COSTLY FOR HIM. SO WE'VE DECIDED THAT ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT ARE GOING TO GO TO HIS FOUNDATION SO THAT HE CAN JUST CONTINUE HIS WORK WITH OUR YOUTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND DON'T WE HAVE A LOCAL CELEBRITY THAT'S GOING TO BE BARBECUING? I'M. YES. SHERIFF WARNKE WILL BE OUT THERE. OKAY. HE BETTER ANYWAYS. YEAH. THANKS, SAM. OKAY, NEXT. CHAIR STAFF, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. I DO HAVE SOME VISUAL AIDS WITH ME. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU IF I'M ABLE TO GIVE THESE TO YOU NOW OR NOT, BUT I DID BRING SEVERAL FOR EACH OF YOU ON THIS TOPIC. I KNOW. GO AHEAD AND PUT THEM IN THE BASKET. SURE. YOU GOT IT. YEAH. I KNOW MOST OF YOU GUYS PERSONALLY AND I HAD AN EXPERIENCE THAT I KNOW YOU WOULD ALL WANT TO KNOW ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO I WAS NEARLY KILLED IN FRONT OF MY OWN HOME BY A DRIVER HEADED VERY QUICKLY TO SCHOOL AT CHENOWETH. I LIVE OVER BEHIND CHENOWETH OVER THERE. AS YOU'RE AWARE THAT THAT SCHOOL HAS A BACK ENTRANCE AND A FRONT ENTRANCE, TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOL SERVICES OFFERED THERE. I'VE ALWAYS NOTICED THAT PEOPLE DRIVE PARTICULARLY FAST TRYING TO GET TO SCHOOL, USUALLY RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE AND WHATNOT. IN JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN SCHOOL OPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I'VE BEEN WALKING TO THE SCHOOL. MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S KIDS BOTH GO TO CHENOWETH. WE'VE ALMOST, IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS SINCE SCHOOL STARTED, BEEN HIT THREE TIMES. THE MOST RECENT TIME WAS THE TIME THAT I'M REFERRING TO THE GAL THAT WAS GOING PROBABLY ABOUT MY ESTIMATION ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR DOWN BROOKDALE, WAS LOOKING DOWN AT HER PHONE AS WE WERE CROSSING THE STREET TO HEAD TO SCHOOL. SHE CAME WITHIN ABOUT THREE FEET OF HITTING ME. SO INSTEAD OF HERE SPEAKING YOU, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN AT MY FUNERAL THIS WEEK. THIS HAS BECOME KIND OF AN ISSUE. I INCLUDED HERE THAT THERE IS NOT SUFFICIENT SIGNAGE. A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN OFF OF MCKEE TRYING TO GO THE BACK WAY TO THE SCHOOL AND ARE RACING DOWN EITHER TEAK OR BROOKDALE TRYING TO GET THERE. THERE IS NO SIGNAGE AT THAT INLET FROM MCKEE, WARNING THEM THAT THIS IS A SCHOOL ZONE. THERE ARE ABOUT, AS I CAN BEST ESTIMATE, THERE'S ABOUT A DOZEN KIDS FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WALKED TO THE SCHOOL AND ARE WALKING IN THE STREETS BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE SIDEWALKS. AS THE COUNTY POCKET WITHIN WHAT IS NOW KIND OF THE CITY LIMITS OF MERCED, BUT IT'S A COUNTY POCKET, COUNTY ROADS. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS. SO, ALL OF THESE KIDS, MYSELF INCLUDED, ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREETS TO GET TO CHENOWETH. OBVIOUSLY, I ASSUME THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GOING TO NEED TO BE SOME COOPERATION WITH THE SCHOOLS AS WELL. BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I LIVED IT OR NEARLY DIDN'T LIVE IT. AND YOU KNOW, I'M WORRIED ABOUT, ABOUT SAFETY OF NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT OUR MOST CHERISHED RESOURCE KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL IN THESE AREAS. PERSONAL THOUGHTS, BUMPS. SOME PEOPLE DON'T STILL DON'T SEEM TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS ANYWAYS, RIGHT? THERE'S PLENTY OF SIGNAGE ALL UP ALONG PARSONS AROUND THE SCHOOL. STILL SEE PEOPLE GOING 40, 45, 50 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THAT STREET. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WOULD. YOU KNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. I THINK THIS IS FINE. THIS IS FINE. YES. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR. GOOD MORNING. [00:15:05] MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CEO AND STAFF. MY NAME IS AGGIE FREEMAN AND I'M REPRESENTING THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR ENTIRE COUNTY TO COME TOGETHER FOR PAWS ON PATROL. TWO EVENTS, ONE COMMUNITY AND ONE MISSION SUPPORTING THE CANINE HEROES WHO HELPED PROTECT MERCED COUNTY. I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE CEO AND TO MID, DIRECTOR OF PARKS BROOKE GUTIERREZ FOR THEIR HELP AND HELPING SUPPORT US BRING THIS FAMILY EVENT TO LAKE YOSEMITE. PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THIS REMIND US OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN COMMUNITY LEADERS WORK TOGETHER TOWARD A COMMON PURPOSE. ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, WE'LL GATHER AT CASTLE IN ATWATER FOR THE MERCED COUNTY SHERIFF'S PAWS ON PATROL. AND JUST TWO WEEKS LATER, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, OUR COMMUNITY WILL COME TOGETHER IN BEAUTIFUL LAKE MERCED FOR THE K9 ASSOCIATION FOR MERCED POLICE DEPARTMENT. THESE ARE EVENTS MUCH MORE THAN A RUN OR A WALK, THEY'RE ABOUT SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY, PARTNERSHIP AND GRATITUDE EVERY DAY. LAW ENFORCEMENT K9 TEAMS GO TO WORK BESIDE THEIR HANDLERS. THEY SEARCH FOR MISSING PEOPLE, HELP LOCATE DANGEROUS SUSPECTS IN ILLEGAL DRUGS, PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, AND SERVE IN WAYS THAT MOST OF US WILL NEVER PERSONALLY WITNESS. PAWS ON PATROL GIVES OUR COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES. SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, VETERANS, RUNNERS, WALKERS AND NEIGHBORS. NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT DIVIDES US, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE SHARE. A DESIRE FOR A SAFE COMMUNITY. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN AT RUNSIGNUP.COM. I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. OCTOBER 3RD AT CASTLE AND ATWATER. OCTOBER 17TH AT LAKE MERCED. LAKE YOSEMITE AND MERCED. TWO EVENTS. ONE COMMUNITY, ONE MISSION. BECAUSE EVERY STEP, EVERY DONATION, AND EVERY PERSON WHO PARTICIPATES SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. MERCED COUNTY SUPPORTS OUR CANINE HEROES. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER. TOGETHER WE ARE SAFER. THANK YOU. OKAY, THAT WAS OUR FIFTH PUBLIC SPEAKER. I WILL CHECK NOW TO SEE. DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE PARTICIPATION OR REQUEST TO SPEAK? MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO REMOTE ATTENDEES IN THE QUEUE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. SO, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE HERE WITHIN THE BOARDROOM. NEXT, PLEASE. BUENOS DIAS. MI NOMBRE ES SILVIA NAVARETTE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SILVIA NAVARETTE. DÍGALE QUE YO VIVO EN EL 2990 TAHOE DRIVE, MERCED, CALIFORNIA. I LIVE AT 2940 TAHOE DRIVE IN MERCED, CALIFORNIA. TENGO 22 AÑOS VIVIENDO ALLÍ. I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 22 YEARS NOW. ESTOY POR EL PROGRAMA DE LA SECCIÓN 8. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM. PERO RESULTA DE QUE ME LLEGA UNA PERSONA Y ME DAS UNA NOTA DONDE TENGO QUE DESOCUPAR 3 DÍAS. AS A RESULT, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A PERSON WHO SAID THAT I NEED TO VACATE THE APARTMENT IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS. YO EN ENERO HABÍA HABLADO CON MI TRABAJADORA. I SPOKE WITH MY WORKER IN JANUARY. Y ME DIJO ENERO, EN FEBRERO O MARZO TE VA A LLEGAR LA FORMA PARA QUE LA LLENAS Y LA TRAIGAS. I WAS TOLD THAT IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH, I WOULD BE RECEIVING A FORM FOR ME TO FILL OUT AND BRING IN. PERO RESULTA QUE CUANDO YO RECIBÍ LA NOTICIA DE QUE TENÍA QUE DESALOJAR TRES DÍAS. PUES YO ME, YO ME ALARMÉ, YO ME ASUSTÉ MUCHO, PORQUE NOSOTROS SIEMPRE ESTAMOS AL PENDIENTE DE LA RENTA, Y ESTE VAMOS CON LA REGLA DE QUE DEBE DE IR LA REGLA. BUT WHEN I RECEIVED THE NOTICE THAT I NEEDED TO MOVE OUT WITHIN THREE DAYS, I WAS REALLY ALARMED BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS KEPT UP WITH OUR RENTAL PAYMENT, ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT OUR PAYMENT IS MADE ON TIME. FUI A LA SECCIÓN 8 Y ME DIJERON QUE YA NO ESTABA EN EL PROGRAMA PORQUE HABÍAN IDO DOS VECES, LA, UNA PERSONA PARA HACER LA INSPECCIÓN, PERO LA PERSONA NUNCA SE PARÓ, LA PERSONA NUNCA DEJÓ NINGUNA NOTA EN LA PUERTA NI NADA. SO, I WENT TO THE SECTION EIGHT OFFICE. TO THE SECTION EIGHT OFFICE TO DISCUSS THAT. AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS TWO INSPECTIONS THAT WERE PROGRAMED, BUT NEITHER ONE OF THE INSPECTIONS TOOK PLACE. THE PERSON OR THE INSPECTOR WHO SHOWED UP TO THE INSPECTIONS NEVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND NEVER LEFT A NOTICE THAT HE HAD BEEN THERE. PORQUE ALGO TAN SIMPLE NOS QUIEREN ECHAR PA FUERA. [00:20:02] WHY ARE WE BEING KICKED OUT FOR SOMETHING SO SIMPLE? ÉL ESTA DESABILITADO. HE'S DISABLED. NO, NO, PERDIÓ UN OJO ALLÍ PORQUE LO GOLPEARON. HE WAS BEING THERE IN THAT AREA AND LOST ONE OF HIS EYES. TRATARON DE, DE UNOS JOVENCITOS ESTE, QUE, ROBARLO. SOME YOUNG GUYS TRIED TO ROB HIM. AL VER QUE NO, ÉL LE DIJO DE QUÉ TE VOY A DAR DINERO, ESTE SI YO NO TENGO DINERO. HE TOLD THEM. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU MONEY WHEN I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY? ALLÍ LO GOLPEARON AFUERA. THEY BEAT HIM UP RIGHT OUTSIDE. Y QUEDÓ CIEGO. AND HE WOUND UP BLIND. YO TAMBIÉN ESTOY DESABILITADA. I'M ALSO DISABLED. NO TENGO, ESTOY DESABILITADA. I'M ALSO DISABLED. ASÍ ES QUE NECESITO QUE POR FAVOR TOMEN EN CUENTA LO QUE YO ESTOY HABLANDO PORQUE DE REPENTE NO NOS PUEDEN SER PA AFUERA NI PODEMOS SALIRNOS ALLÍ PORQUE NO TENEMOS DINERO NO TENEMOS DÓNDE. SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT I TALKED ABOUT TODAY, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE AND WE'RE BEING KICKED OUT IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS. QUIERE QUE LE MENCIONE LO QUE HABÍA DICHO DE LA SUPERVISORA BLANCA? SI ESTE, HABLARON CON LA SUPERVISORA BLANCA Y DIJO QUÉ NO. AND. NO MORE. AND WE SPOKE WITH SUPERVISOR BLANCA AND SHE SAID, NO MORE, NO MÁS. NO MÁS. POR FAVOR NECESITAMOS QUE NOS AYUDEN PORQUE YO NO, YO NO SOY LA ÚNICA. SO, WE NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. MUCHAS PERSONAS ESTABAN ALLÍ QUEJÁNDOSE DE LO MISMO. THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE. NUNCA LLEGO, NUNCA LLEGO UNA. YELLING AT THE SAME THING. NUNCA LLEGÓ UN AVISO POR CORREO. WE NEVER GOT A NOTICE. NUNCA ME HABLARON POR TELÉFONO, NUNCA NADA. WE NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. NEVER, NOTHING. ESO ES TODO. POR FAVOR NECESITO QUE USTEDES TOMEN ESTO EN CUENTA Y ME AYUDEN. THAT'S ALL. I JUST NEED YOUR HELP. AND PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M HERE FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY HERE IN MERCED. MY NAME IS REBECCA AND I HAVE PAGES OF COMPLAINTS, BUT I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THAT. I STAYED HERE 16 YEARS AGO WITH HOUSING, AND WHEN I MOVED HERE 16 YEARS AGO, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HERE, LOOK FOR A PLACE FROM SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. AND IF THE LANDLORD ACCEPTED SECTION EIGHT, I CAN MOVE IN. NOW, IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I WAS TOLD IN JULY THAT THE ONLY WAY I COULD MOVE BACK HERE SINCE I'M RETIRED IS TO WAIT FOR THEM TO CONTACT ME FOR THE VOUCHER. WELL, 16 YEARS AGO THERE WAS NO VOUCHER. NOW IT'S A VOUCHER. AFTER I GAVE THEM ALL MY INFORMATION AND TRANSFERRED FROM SAN JOSE TO MERCED, I WAS TOLD THAT MY VOUCHER AMOUNT IS ONLY $1,275 A MONTH, SO ANY PLACE I LOOK FOR HAS TO BE THAT AMOUNT. IF IT WAS 1,300, I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THAT SITE, AND THEY DID NOT DO THAT 16 YEARS AGO. THEN I WAS TOLD IN SAN JOSE THAT THE ONLY WAY I COULD TRANSFER OUT WAS THAT I'M KIND OF UPSET ABOUT THIS SITUATION. IN JULY, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ONLY WAY I CAN COME DOWN HERE AND LOOK FOR A PLACE WAS I HAD TO PUT IN MY 30-DAY NOTICE WHILE I WAS AT BEFORE I COULD MOVE TO MERCED. SO, I DID THAT IN JULY. OKAY. I DIDN'T GET THE VOUCHER PHONE CALL UNTIL SEPTEMBER THE 17TH. SO I HAD TO PUT IN TWO MOVE OUT LETTERS TO MY LANDLORD BEFORE I WAS THERE. IT TOOK ME ALMOST FOUR MONTHS. SO, WHEN I DID COME IN SEPTEMBER TO GET MY VOUCHER, THE 1,275, I WAS TOLD I WAS SHOCKED. I LOOKED HERE IN MERCED, I ONLY FOUND ONE APARTMENT BUILDING AND IT WAS 1,200. THE PLACE WAS TORN DOWN. IT WASN'T PAINTED. WINDOWS WAS BUSTED OUT IN SOME OF THE APARTMENTS IN A TERRIBLE AREA. NOW MY CREDIT SCORE IS OVER 800. SO THAT TELLS YOU I'M A GOOD CITIZEN. I WORKED WITH THE OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I'M RETIRED, BUT I ONLY WORK PART TIME. THAT'S WHY I QUALIFIED FOR HOUSING. AND I'M GLAD I WORKED PART TIME BECAUSE I'M 75 YEARS OLD. TOMORROW I'LL BE 75, THANK GOD. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY, THE WAY THEY HAVE TREATED ME AT THE MERCED HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE SUPERVISORS, IF YOU CALL THEM, THEY GO TO VOICEMAIL. I GO TO THE OFFICE. I CAN NEVER I NEVER HAVE MET MY WORKER HERE. [00:25:05] EVERY TIME I CALL HER VOICEMAIL, AND THEN I GO INTO THE OFFICE, I CAN'T TALK TO NOBODY. AND IT'S JUST AT THAT HOUSING AUTHORITY. OKAY, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. I NEED MORE TIME. OKAY. WILL YOU DO? HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YOU GOT MORE TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. YEAH. IN RESPECT TO ALL OF YOU, MY NAME IS HORTENCIA VASQUEZ. I AM HERE REGARDING HOUSING. I AM ON A SENIOR HOUSING SECTION 8, AND I'M HERE ABOUT HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY TERRIBLE AND I DON'T WANT. I'M NOT MEANING TO BE DISRESPECTFUL OR DISHONORED AND, DISHONORED THEIR WORK OR ANYTHING. I KNOW THEY'RE REALLY. EVERYBODY'S BUSY WORKING. BUT AS THE PRIOR LADY WAS SAYING, I CALLED SUPER, MY WORKER NEVER RETURNS MY CALLS. I GET NO EXPLANATION. THE ONE TIME I DID EXPLAIN TO HER THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR I TURNED IN MY PAPERWORK THAT THEY REQUEST. THIS NEW WORKER NEVER RETURNED MY CALLS. SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE NEVER RECEIVED PAPERWORK, BUT I HAVE AN AGENCY THAT DOES MY PAPERWORK TO HELP ME WITH THAT, AND I GO IN PERSON AND I GET A RECEIPT STATING TIME AND DATE THAT I TURNED IN MY PAPERWORK, NEVER HAPPENED. CALL HER SEVEN TIMES, RETURNED MY CALL ONE TIME, AND AT THAT SHE STARTED YELLING AT ME BECAUSE SHE SAID THAT SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THAT I HAD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS DOING BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T. AND I TOLD HER, WELL, EXCUSE ME, YOU'RE THE ONE GETTING PAID. YOU'RE THE ONE DOING THE JOB. YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL. EITHER WAY, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR TWO YEARS. MY PRIOR WORKER, I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH HER. SHE WOULD ALWAYS HELP ME WITH PAPERWORK OR LET ME KNOW IF I WAS MISSING SOMETHING. THIS ONE HERE IS JUST IT'S BAD BECAUSE SUPPOSEDLY WITH MY AGENCY RENTAL AGENCY, WHAT'S GOING ON IS THAT HOUSING HAS NOT PAID MY PART OF THE RENT TO THEM. I PAY MY RENT LIKE CLOCKWORK EVERY THIRD OF THE MONTH BECAUSE I'M ON SOCIAL SECURITY. I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR HOUSING CERTIFICATES BECAUSE OF THE EMPLOYEES, THE PEOPLE WORKING AT HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND I REALLY, I KNOW YOU HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE, WOW, WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT? THERE IS A LOT GOING ON WITH HOUSING, WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS HERE IN MERCED. AND I JUST, PLEASE SAY, PLEASE, IF YOU'RE TOO BUSY AND YOU CANNOT FIND TIME TO REALLY LOOK INTO THIS AS IN A DETAILED MANNER. MAYBE GET SOMEBODY THAT CAN. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING HOMELESS. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LOSING THEIR VOUCHERS THROUGH SECTION EIGHT, ONLY BECAUSE SECTION EIGHT IS NOT DOING THEIR WORK AND STANDING UP TO THEIR WORD. I DON'T WANT TO GET ANYBODY IN TROUBLE. I WANT TO SEE THINGS WORK. I DON'T WANT TO SEE NO MORE HOMELESS PEOPLE. I WAS HOMELESS FOR THREE YEARS. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK OUT IN THE STREETS AND AND HEAR PEOPLE SAY, WELL. THANK YOU. OKAY. EVERYBODY IS SO COURTEOUS TODAY ASKING TO SPEAK. USUALLY, THEY GET RIGHT UP THERE AND SPEAK. WELL, YOU KNOW ME, I LIKE TO GO LAST. MORNING BOARD, CEO HENDRICKSON. MY NAME IS KARTHIK PRASAD HERE ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSMAN ADAM GRAY. AND HERE JUST GIVE MY USUAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE BECAUSE HEY, AUGUST IS ALMOST OVER. AND FOR THOSE OF US IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE, WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL BECAUSE THIS WHOLE MONTH, THE CONGRESSMAN HAS BEEN RUNNING AROUND THE DISTRICT, MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GETTING THINGS READY FOR SEPTEMBER AND DOING A GREAT JOB KEEPING ALL OF US IN THE DISTRICT VERY BUSY. BUT BEFORE THE AUGUST RECESS BEGAN, THE CONGRESSMAN WORKED ON QUITE A NUMBER OF BILLS. SOME OF THEM DIDN'T GET QUITE THE MEDIA ATTENTION AS SOME OF THE OTHERS. BUT ONE OF THOSE BILLS WAS HR 5390, THE FAMILY ACT, WHICH THE CONGRESSMAN CO-SPONSORED, WHICH WOULD GUARANTEE UP TO 12 WEEKS OF PARTIAL INCOME FOR WORKERS WHO TAKE LEAVE FOR SERIOUS MEDICAL FAMILY EVENTS. THIS INCLUDES THE BIRTH OF A CHILD, ADOPTION OF A CHILD, CERTAIN DOMESTIC ISSUES, AND MILITARY FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES. [00:30:02] THE CONGRESSMAN ALSO LED MULTIPLE LETTERS, INCLUDING A LETTER THAT EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION NOT TO RENEW THE USMCA. A LETTER URGING SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE ROLLINS TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAMS. A LETTER TO SPEAKER JOHNSON WITH 23 COSIGNERS CALLING FOR $15 BILLION IN RELIEF, FUNDING FOR SPECIALTY CROP FARMERS, AND A LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGARDING CALIFORNIA'S TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FINAL RULE RESTRICTING NON-DOMICILE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES. SO IT'S BEEN A BUSY, BUSY MONTH, BUT YOU CAN BET SEPTEMBER IS ONLY GOING TO GET BUSIER. AS ALWAYS, IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY BILLS, THEY WANT US TO TAKE A LOOK AT ANY ISSUES WITH THE FEDERAL AGENCY OR JUST REALLY ANYTHING GOVERNMENT RELATED. FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM OVER TO US. WE'RE JUST DOWN THE STREET ON 602 WEST 20TH STREET. THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, SUPERVISORS, COUNTY CEO AND STAFF. MY NAME IS KAYLEE ESCOBAR AND I'M A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FOR ASSEMBLYWOMAN SORIA AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY. I'M HERE TO INVITE MERCED COUNTY RESIDENTS TO ATWATER MOBILE OFFICE HOURS. IT WILL BE THIS THURSDAY AT THE ATWATER CITY COMMUNITY CENTER FROM 3:30 P.M. TO 5 P.M., AND OUR OFFICE WILL BE HELPING WITH ANY QUESTIONS THAT RESIDENTS MIGHT HAVE ABOUT STATE AGENCIES OR HELPING THEM LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES. SO PLEASE, IF ANYONE HERE NEEDS HELP WITH ANY OF THAT, PLEASE LET OUR OFFICE KNOW. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? CHECK ONLINE. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. DO WE HAVE ANY REMOTE PARTICIPANTS? WE DO. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS. [PRESENTATION] AT THIS TIME CEO HENDRICKSON WILL PROVIDE OPENING COMMENTS AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR OF HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY JOHN CHECKLEY. BEFORE WE BEGIN A PRESENTATION FROM HOUSING AUTHORITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROSA VASQUEZ. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. YOU KNOW, AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CLEARLY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY ADMINISTERING HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ACCESS SAFE, STABLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. TODAY IS REALLY ABOUT BRINGING SOME AWARENESS TO THEIR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY, MERCED AND OTHER PARTNERS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, IT IS A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT ORGANIZATION FROM MERCED COUNTY, THE ORGANIZATION THAT THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OVERSEES. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ROSA VASQUEZ, THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, ITS PROGRAMS, AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY. I DO APPRECIATE HER WILLINGNESS TO KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS. BUT BEFORE TURNING IT OVER TO TO TO ROSA, I WOULD ASK JOHN CHECKLEY, OUR DIRECTOR OF OUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT AND COMMENTS RELATED TO HIS ORGANIZATION'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, CEO HENDRICKSON, AND GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN MCDANIELS. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. AS STATED, MY NAME IS JOHN CHECKLEY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY. AND I BEGAN WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY AROUND 2015 IN A DIFFERENT ROLE AS A MEMBER OF OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM. I CREATED TO PRIORITIZE AND HOUSE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. AND I BELIEVE AT THE TIME, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PROVIDED ABOUT 50 HOUSING CHOICE RENTAL SUBSIDY VOUCHERS. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I'VE CONTINUED WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ACROSS MULTIPLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES, SUPPORTING FAMILIES, SENIORS AND VULNERABLE RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY. TOGETHER, OUR AGENCY HAS COLLABORATED ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS. THESE INCLUDE THE NOW FULLY FUNDED MERCY VILLAGE ON PARK AVENUE, WHERE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS COMMITTED MORE THAN 50 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS TO ASSIST FAMILIES WITH COMPLEX NEEDS. THEY'VE ALSO PROVIDED 30 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS TO THE RETREAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX. MORE THAN 80 VOUCHERS FOR THE 1213 V STREET AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AND OVER 30 VOUCHERS AT THE RECENTLY COMPLETED DEVONWOOD APARTMENTS, WHICH SERVE SENIORS AND FAMILIES WORKING TO REUNIFY WITH THEIR CHILDREN. WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED ON TARGETED PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC NEED POPULATIONS. [00:35:01] THIS INCLUDES 50 VOUCHERS DEDICATED TO OUR HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES AND OUR CALWORKS PROGRAM EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 25 VOUCHERS THROUGH OUR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, AND 37 FOR OUR FAMILY UNIFICATION AND INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN OUR CHILD WELFARE SERVICES. MY UNDERSTANDING IS CURRENTLY THE COORDINATE SYSTEM HAS BEEN ALLOCATED 235 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS. FOLLOWING THE RECENT FLOODS IN PLANADA, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE SOME OF THEIR MIGRANT HOUSING RESOURCES ADJACENT TO THAT COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR SURVIVORS OF THAT DISASTER. THIS COLLABORATION HELPED ENSURE SAFE SHELTER FOR FAMILIES DISPLACED BY AN UNEXPECTED AND DEVASTATING EVENT. BOTH THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY MANAGE COMPLEX STATE AND FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY PROGRAMS. ALIGNING THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BETWEEN OUR PROGRAMS CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT OUR SHARED MISSION TO PROMOTE THE COMMON GOOD THROUGH THESE SYSTEMS IS CRITICAL TO IMPROVING THE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY. OUR PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENS THAT MISSION AND HELPS ENSURE RESIDENTS RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROSA VASQUEZ OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS, THEIR IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE THAT IMPACT MOVING FORWARD WITH NOT JUST THE PROVISION OF VOUCHERS, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH. ROSA. THANK YOU, JOHN. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AFTER JOHN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALLY NEED ME UP HERE, BUT HERE WE GO. SO GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CEO HENDERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT NOT ONLY INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BUT ALSO PROVIDE CLARITY REGARDING THE PROJECTED SHORTFALL NOTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ADMINISTERS SEVERAL PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE 421 UNITS UNDER PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM, 228 UNITS UNDER THE SEASONAL MIGRANT PROGRAMS, 60 UNITS UNDER THE YEAR-ROUND FARM WORKER HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY LARGEST PROGRAM 2,950 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS, OF WHICH 666 ARE ALLOCATED TO THE PROJECT-BASED PROGRAM. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THESE PROGRAMS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS OVERVIEW DOES NOT OUTLINE PROGRAMS, RULE AND REQUIREMENTS. SO, THE FIRST PROGRAM WE HAVE IS OUR PUBLIC HOUSING. THE PUBLIC HOUSING IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY 421 UNITS. IN THE CITIES OF MERCED 180 UNITS. ATWATER 53 UNITS. LIVINGSTON 60 UNITS. WINTON 6 UNITS. LOS BANOS 70 UNITS. AND DOS PALOS 52 UNITS. PUBLIC HOUSING IS LIMITED TO INCOME, QUALIFIED FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY BASED ON INCOME, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, U.S. CITIZENSHIP OR ELIGIBILITY, IMMIGRATION STATUS, SUITABILITY, AND HOUSING AUTHORITY RULES. THEN WE HAVE OUR SEASONAL MIGRANT HOUSING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF MIGRANT SERVICES, OMS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OVERSEAS FOR SEASONAL MIGRANT CENTERS. THE CENTERS ARE LOCATED IN LOS BANOS 48 UNITS, ATWATER 59 UNITS, PLANADA 54 UNITS, AND MERCED 49 UNITS. THE CENTERS ARE OPEN FOR OCCUPANCY SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER TO COVER THE HEART OF THE GROWING SEASONS. ELIGIBILITY FOR THE CENTERS IS SET BY THE OMS AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, USDARD. SOME RESTRICTIONS INVOLVING MANDATORY STATUS AND INCOME SOURCES DO APPLY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE THE YEAR-ROUND FARM WORKER HOUSING. AND THIS IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO OPERATE THE FELIX TORRES FARM WORKER CENTER, WHICH IS 60 UNITS AS A YEAR-ROUND HOUSING FOR PERMANENT FARM WORKERS WHO ARE TYPICALLY EMPLOYED YEAR-ROUND BY THE SAME EMPLOYER OR THE SAME REGION. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY BASED ON INCOME, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, U.S. CITIZENSHIP, AND ELIGIBLE IMMIGRATION STATUS AND REGULATIONS. WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THAT PROPERTY, SO WE DO WELCOME FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR THAT PROPERTY. OUR BIGGEST PROGRAM IS THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER FORMERLY KNOWN AS SECTION EIGHT. PEOPLE STILL REFER TO IT AS SECTION EIGHT, BUT IT IS NOW THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM. SO, THE VOUCHER PROGRAM AGAIN, WHICH IS SECTION EIGHT, IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPLEX PROGRAM. WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ALLOCATION OF 2,950 VOUCHERS. [00:40:03] THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ADMINISTERS AND UTILIZES THESE VOUCHERS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS. THESE INCLUDE TENANT-BASED VOUCHERS WHICH ARE ISSUED DIRECTLY TO THE TENANT AND PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS WHICH ARE THE UNITS, THE VOUCHERS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED FOR THE UNITS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE FURTHER. CURRENTLY ON AN AVERAGE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS FOR OUR VOUCHER PROGRAM AN AVERAGE TWO LANDLORDS, PRIVATE LANDLORDS 2,496,856. EXCUSE ME. THAT'S AN AVERAGE MONTHLY PAYMENT THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS TO DIFFERENT LANDLORDS. EXCUSE ME. OUR NEXT PROGRAM IS THE PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES HOUSING ASSISTANCE AT SPECIFIC PRIVATELY OWNED AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS LIMITED TO PARTICULAR PROPERTIES UNITS, AND THIS CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED AS THE VOUCHER IS ATTACHED TO THE PROPERTY UNIT. THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS PAID TO THE LANDLORD DIRECTLY BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF THE PARTICIPATING FAMILY. THE FAMILY MAY PAY DIRECTLY TO THE LANDLORD THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL RENT AND THE LANDLORD. THE SUBSIDIZED, WHICH IS SUBSIDIZED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UNDER THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S TENANT-BASED VOUCHER THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS SEVERAL SPECIAL VOUCHERS. THESE SPECIAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE GRANT FUNDED VOUCHERS AS WELL AS HOUSING AUTHORITY DESIGNATED SPECIAL VOUCHERS ALLOCATIONS, SPECIAL VOUCHERS TO THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE MERCED COMMUNITY HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY, HSA, CONTINUUM OF CARE, AND THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM IS, COORDINATED SYSTEM. THE TOTAL VOUCHERS ALLOCATION, WHICH RESULT FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S INITIATIVE AND EFFORT TO HOUSE SPECIFIC POPULATION. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES NOT RECEIVE EXTRA FUNDS FOR THESE DESIGNATED SPECIAL VOUCHERS. AND THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO, WHAT I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THESE VOUCHERS THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS DESIGNATED. SO, FROM OUR DESIGNATION OF THE 2,950, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS PUT ASIDE THESE VOUCHERS TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HELP OUR FAMILIES IN NEED. WE ALSO HAVE OUR HAP VETERANS SUPPORTIVE SERVICE, OUR SUPPORTIVE SERVICE HOUSING, WHICH IS CALLED VASH. THIS IS A GRANT AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 123 VOUCHERS. AND WE WERE RECENTLY AWARDED FIVE ADDITIONAL VOUCHERS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1ST, 2026, TOTALING 128. THE HAP-VASH PROGRAM ALLOWS ELIGIBLE VETERANS TO OBTAIN SAFE, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, PERMANENT HOUSING IN LOCATIONS OF THEIR CHOICE. THEIR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO HELP MOVE VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES OUT OF CHRONICALLY HOMELESSNESS. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO APPLY FOR NEW VASH VOUCHERS DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED VA SUPPORT LETTER, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN 2026 WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SUBMIT ITS LETTER OF INTENT AND RECEIVE THE ADDITIONAL FIVE VOUCHERS. REFERRALS FOR THESE VOUCHERS MUST COME FROM THE FRESNO LOCAL VETERANS OFFICE. CURRENTLY, OUR STATS ARE WE HAVE 96 LEASED, MEANS THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN A UNIT. EIGHT FAMILIES THAT ARE SEARCHING FOR HOUSING. WE HAVE EIGHT REFERRALS THAT ARE PENDING. WE'RE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THEM AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 16 AVAILABLE REFERRALS. SO, WE DO ENCOURAGE ANY VETERANS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM CHRONICALLY HOMELESSNESS TO PLEASE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE VA IN FRESNO. TELL THEM THE SITUATION AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN GET REFERRED TO US FOR ASSISTANCE. THE OTHER PROGRAM WE ADMINISTER IS THE MAINSTREAM VOUCHER. THAT'S ALSO A HAP GRANT. 26 VOUCHERS. THESE VOUCHERS HELPS INDIVIDUALS MOVE OUT OF INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS OR OTHER ISOLATED ENVIRONMENTS, OR THOSE THAT ARE SERIOUS RISK OF ENTERING SUCH SETTINGS IN A MORE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY HOUSING. ASSIGNMENT OF THESE VOUCHERS REQUIRES THAT THE APPLICANT VERIFY THE MAINSTREAM PREFERENCE REQUIREMENTS AT THE TIME OF THE SELECTION OF THE HOUSING, AND THAT'S INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERENCES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIX THAT ARE UNDER LEASED, FOUR THAT ARE LOOKING FOR HOUSING. WE HAVE TEN THAT ARE PENDING TO REVIEW, AND WE HAVE TEN AVAILABLE SLOTS. SO, FAMILIES AGAIN, ANYBODY THAT MEETS THAT CRITERIA, WE ASK THAT THEY REACH OUT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE ALSO ADMINISTERED THE SHELTER PLUS CARE, THE AUTHORITY DESIGNATED SPECIAL. EIGHT SPECIAL VOUCHERS. THE SHELTER PLUS CARE PROGRAM PROVIDES HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN PRIVATE RENTAL MARKETS WHO ARE HOMELESS, LOW INCOME, DISABLED, AT LEAST ONE ADULT MEMBER, AND HAVE CURRENT SUPPORTIVE CARE SERVICES PLAN WITH THE PROVIDER AGENCY. [00:45:04] REFERRALS FOR THIS VOUCHER COME FROM MERCED COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE THAT ARE UNDER LEASED. WE ALSO HAVE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS. THE AUTHORITY HAS DESIGNATED TEN VOUCHERS. THESE VOUCHERS ARE FOR TARGETED FOSTER YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER CARE WHO LACK ADEQUATE HOUSING OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS AS A RESULT OF THE OF THEM LEAVING FOSTER CARE. REFERRALS COME FOR THE MERCED COUNTY HSA, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE EIGHT LEASED. WE ALSO HAVE THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE DESIGNATED 27 VOUCHERS. THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVIDE THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM WITH RESOURCES TO PREVENT FAMILY SEPARATION DUE TO HOMELESSNESS AND TO PREVENT HOMELESS AMONG AGING OUT YOUTH. ELIGIBLE FAMILIES INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF LOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO FOSTER CARE, AND THE FAMILIES WHO ARE UNABLE TO REGAIN CUSTODY OF THEIR CHILDREN, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE LACK OF HOUSING. REFERRALS FOR THIS VOUCHER COME FROM MERCED HSA, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 18 LEASED. THEN WE WORK WITH A COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, AND WE HAVE DESIGNATED 235 VOUCHERS TO CES. AND CES ASSESSES PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSING CRISIS, PRIORITIZING THEM BASED ON THEIR NEEDS AND THE CONNECTION, AND CONNECTS THEM WITH APPROPRIATE HOUSING RESOURCES. ONE SUCH RESOURCE IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. REFERRALS FOR THE VOUCHER COME FROM MERCED COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY. OVER SEVERAL YEARS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS INCREASED THE INITIAL ALLOCATION FOR THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON THE NEED, AS REPORTED FROM CES. AND YES, JOHN IS CORRECT. WE INITIALLY STARTED WITH 50, AND WE ARE NOW AT 235. OF THOSE, WE HAVE 169 LEAST 17 THAT ARE SEARCHING. EXCUSE ME. THEN WE GO ON TO OUR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, AND WE HAVE DESIGNATED 25 VOUCHERS. THESE VOUCHERS ASSIST ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ABUSE AND OR NEGLECT TO ESCAPE THE SITUATION AND SECURE HOUSING. REFERRALS FOR THESE VOUCHERS COME FROM HER, SAID HSA. OVER SEVERAL YEARS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS ALSO INCREASED THE INITIAL ALLOCATION FOR THIS PROGRAM BASED ON THE NEED. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 18 FAMILIES LEASED AND ONE THAT IS SEARCHING. THEN WE HAVE THE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY VOUCHERS AND WE HAVE 50 THAT WE ALLOCATED. THESE ARE THE MOST RECENT NEW VOUCHERS THAT WE ALLOCATED. AND THESE ARE FOR INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING TEMPORARY HOUSING ASSISTANCE FROM MERCED COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES THAT ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. REFERRALS FOR THIS VOUCHER COME FROM MERCED COUNTY HSA. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 44 LEASED AND 4 SEARCHING. AND THEN WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS. THESE VOUCHERS THE ACTUAL GRANT IS EXPIRED. WE HAVE 68. THESE VOUCHERS WERE DESIGNATED TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THAT ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, OR FLEEING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING, VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC. THE FUNDING PERIOD FOR THESE VOUCHERS EXPIRED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2025. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS ISSUED INITIALLY 68 EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS AS ATTRITION OCCURRED AND BECAUSE THE FUNDING WAS LIMITED, HAP PROHIBITED THE RE-ISSUANCE OF THESE VOUCHERS TO NEW INDIVIDUALS. AT THE END OF THE FUNDING PERIOD. WHEN THE GRANT EXPIRED, THE HOUSING PROVIDED THE REMAINING 43 VOUCHER HOLDERS, TENANT BASED VOUCHER HOLDERS INSTEAD OF TERMINATING THE HOUSING, EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS. SO WE TRANSITIONED THEM FROM THE GRANT TO THE PERMANENT PROGRAM. THEN WE HAVE OUR PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 666 VOUCHERS ALLOCATED TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS ARE RENTAL SUBSIDIES RENTAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS TIED TO SPECIFIC HOUSING UNITS OR BUILDING RATHER TO AN INDIVIDUAL TENANT. THESE ARE THE VOUCHERS THAT AFFORD HOUSING DEVELOPERS THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS SEEK FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BECAUSE THE FEDERAL SUBSIDIES GRANT GUARANTEED LONG TERM RENTAL, STABLE RENTAL INCOME, HELP SECURE CONSTRUCTION FINANCING AND PROVIDE THE PIPELINE OF ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS AND APPLICANTS AND OCCUPANTS. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT-BASED HAP CONTRACTS CAN VARY IN LONGEVITY LASTING FROM 15 YEARS TO 30 YEARS. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SUBSIDIZES THE FOLLOWING PRIVATE AND HOUSING AUTHORITY PROJECT-BASED SITES WITHIN MERCED COUNTY. [00:50:07] WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, WE HAVE THE GROVE, WHICH IS 191 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. LAUREL GLEN APARTMENTS, 32 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. GATEWAY TERRACE, 56 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. THE RETREAT, 30 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. WE ALSO HAVE TWELVE THIRTEEN, 84 UNITS THAT THIS PROPERTY WAS BROUGHT ON AT THE END OF 24-2025, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE LEASING PROCESS. WE ALSO HAVE TIERRASANTA APARTMENTS, 20 UNITS IN THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON. WE ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF LEASING UP THOSE UNITS, 2026. WE ALSO HAVE DEVONWOOD OR RIVER CANYON 39 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF LEASING THAT PROPERTY UP, CAME ON BOARD IN 2026. WE HAVE I STREET PROJECT THAT IS PENDING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE 53 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. WE EXPECT THAT TO COME ONLINE 27-28. WE ALSO HAVE MERCY VILLAGE, WHICH IS PENDING 57 UNITS, ALSO WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED. THAT SHOULD COME ONLINE 27-28. WE ALSO HAVE BELLA VISTA APARTMENTS THAT ARE PENDING. 20 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF MERCED, ALSO AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 27-28. THEN WE HAVE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH ARE MIDWAY AND 34 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS. WE HAVE O'BANNON TERRACE, WHICH IS FOR OUR SENIORS AND DISABLED. 25 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF DOS PALOS. WE HAVE SIERRA VISTA APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED. 14 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF ATWATER. WE ALSO HAVE LAS VILLAS, WHICH WILL ALSO BE FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED. 6 UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS. WE EXPECT THAT TO COME ON IN 2026, AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH HSA FOR REFERRALS. WE ALSO HAVE EL MIRADOR COMING ON, IS ALSO FOR ELDERLY AND SENIORS, FIVE UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS. AND WE EXPECT THAT TO COME ON IN 2026. THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE VOUCHER PORTABILITY. ONE OF THE KEY BENEFITS OF THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM, THE VOUCHER IS THE ABILITY TO MOVE THE VOUCHER TO ANY COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS FLEXIBILITY IS KNOWN AS PORTABILITY. IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS. IT ALSO ALLOWS THE VOUCHER HOLDER TO RELOCATE FOR BETTER JOBS, SCHOOL SECURITY, OR TO BE CLOSER TO LOVED ONES. THE ABILITY TO MOVE WITH A VOUCHER MAY DEPEND ON FACTORS SUCH AS HOW LONG THE FAMILY HAS HAD THE ASSISTANCE, AND WHERE THE FAMILY LIVED WHEN THE VOUCHER WAS ISSUED. IN ADDITION, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CURRENTLY HAS 140, 174 UNITS UNDER SECTION EIGHT CONTRACT COMPLEX. WE HAVE 65 MARKET RATE COMPLEX, AND ONE MARKET RATE SINGLE UNIT IN THE CITY OF MERCED. OKAY. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE ABOVE? BECAUSE I STILL HAVE YOU MORE. NO? I HAVE NO NOBODY IN THE QUEUE. OKAY, GREAT. CONTINUE, PLEASE. SO, BEFORE I DISCUSS THE SHORTFALL, I WANT TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY RECEIVED, IF I MAY. SO, WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR TIME FRAME FOR RECEIVING HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER APPLICANTS TO APPROVE FROM APPROVAL TO UTILIZATION TO A HAP PAYMENT. THIS QUESTION HAS SEVERAL PHASES. THE WAIT TIME FOR SELECTION MAY VARY BASED ON FACTORS SUCH AS ATTRITION, VOUCHER'S AVAILABILITY. FROM THE SELECTION TIME ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE SELECTION AND PROVIDED 14 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY SCREENING. SHOULD THE APPLICANT PROVIDE ALL NECESSARY INFORMATION, THE ELIGIBILITY REVIEW TAKES ABOUT 30 TO 45 DAYS. APPLICANTS DEEM PROGRAM ELIGIBLE WILL THEN BE SCHEDULED FOR A BRIEFING WHERE THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ARE REVIEWED WITH THEM. AND THEY ARE PROVIDED, THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH THE NECESSARY FORMS TO BEGIN THE SEARCH FOR THEIR ACTUAL UNIT. VOUCHERS ISSUED TO NEW APPLICANTS MAY BE ISSUED UP TO 120 DAYS, UP TO 120 DAYS, WHICH IS THE VALIDITY PERIOD, WITH EXTENSIONS GRANTED ONLY FOR EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND A CASE BY CASE. SO, THE MAXIMUM ONCE WE ISSUE THE VOUCHER IS 120 DAYS. IF THE APPLICANT IS SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING A UNIT AND THE UNIT PASSES THE HOUSING QUALITY STANDARD INSPECTION, THE HAP CONTRACT WILL BE FULLY PROCESSED NO LATER THAN 60 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE PASSED INSPECTION. AND THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE CONTRACT. OKAY. WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE OR PERCENTAGE OF THOSE AWARDED A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER WHO SECURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING? FOR NEW, OF ALL NEW HCV PARTICIPANTS, THE SUCCESS RATE IS 16%. AND THAT IS BASED ON THE FAMILY'S SUITABILITY BECAUSE LANDLORDS STILL DO THE SUITABILITY ON THEIR TENANTS. [00:55:08] SO, WHAT WE FIND IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR THE VOUCHER, THEY DO NOT LEASE UP BECAUSE THEY DO NOT PASS THE SUITABILITY WITH THE OWNER. WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE OF THOSE AWARDED HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER AT RECERTIFICATION? OKAY, SO WHEN A FAMILY CERTIFIES WHICH IS REQUIRED, WHICH FAMILIES ARE REQUIRED TO DO ONCE A YEAR, A NEW VOUCHER IS NOT ISSUED. THEREFORE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CANNOT PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION. THE FAMILY IS SIMPLY RECERTIFYING THAT THEY REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM BY COMPLETING THE ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION. IN THE EVENT THAT THE FAMILY DOES NOT COMPLETE THE RECERTIFICATION PROCESS BY THE STIPULATED DATES, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL ISSUE A SECOND FINAL NOTICE PRIOR TO TERMINATION. SO ONCE A YEAR, THE FAMILY IS NOTIFIED THAT THE RECERTIFICATION IS DUE. AND IF THE FAMILY THEN DOES NOT QUALIFY ANYMORE BASED ON THEIR INCOME, THEY STILL HAVE 180 DAYS IN CASE A CHANGE HAPPENS. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE TOLD YOU DON'T, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE RECEIVING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, YOU STILL HAVE 180 DAYS TO COME IN AND REPORT A CHANGE. AND IF THAT CHANGE THEN MAKES THE FAMILY ELIGIBLE BASED THAT WE HAVE TO PAY A HALF, THEN THE FAMILY CAN CONTINUE TO RECEIVE RENTAL ASSISTANCE. OKAY. WHAT BARRIERS PREVENT HOUSING AUTHORITY FROM DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE UNIT? THERE'S MANY FACTORS IMPACTING NOT JUST THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ABILITY TO DEVELOP, BUT ALSO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. THESE INCLUDE HIGH CONSTRUCTION COSTS, PERMITTING, PLAN COSTS, AS WELL AS HUD'S BUILD AMERICA, BUY AMERICA REGULATIONS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE MATTER OF CONTINUED SUITABILITY OF ANY PROJECT IS THE RESTRICTED NUMBER OF THE VOUCHERS, BECAUSE THE CONTINUED RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS IMPORTANT FOR THESE UNITS. ONE MAJOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ARE COMING UP THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PLANS TO PURSUE. WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING APPLYING FOR UPCOMING ROUND OF HOMECOMING, HOMEKEY AND FUNDING FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE ARE PROJECTED, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CITY OF LOS BANOS AND DOS PALOS. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO CITIES THAT WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON IN THE NEXT COMING YEAR. WHAT INTERNAL CAPACITY EXISTS FOR COMPETITIVE GRANT WRITING AND DO YOU NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES? THANK YOU. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY INTERNAL CAPACITY IS LIMITED. HOWEVER, THE AUTHORITY WE DO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR WHO DOES US, WHO DOES ASSIST US WITH SUBMISSIONS OF GRANTS. WHAT PARTNERSHIPS CITIES NONPROFIT DEVELOPERS HAVE STRAIGHTENED OR LIMITED YOUR COMPETITIVENESS AND GRANT APPLICATION? THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP ARE NOT WHAT PROHIBITS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FROM SEEKING FUNDING. THE ISSUE REMAINS THAT VOUCHERS THAT MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ARE LIMITED BY THE PERCENTAGE ALLOCATED. RESTRICTIONS, AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS REACHED THE MAXIMUM AT THIS POINT. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CANNOT IN GOOD FAITH DEVELOP A PROJECT THAT WILL LACK THE RENTAL SUBSIDY. AND WHEN I SAY THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT IS FROM THE TOTAL ALLOCATION, HUD ONLY ALLOWS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TAKE 25% OF THOSE VOUCHERS AND ALLOCATE THEM TO PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS, AND WE ARE AT THAT CAP, SO WE CAN ONLY DO A LIMITED AMOUNT. SO EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW WE WANT PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS UNTIL HUD CHANGES THAT ALLOCATION AMOUNT, WE ARE ALSO AT OUR CAP. HOW DO CURRENT AND PLANNED PHA DEVELOPMENTS PROJECTS ALIGN WITH MERCED COUNTY'S IDENTIFYING HOUSING SHORTAGE, EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME UNITS, SENIOR UNITS, FARMWORKER HOUSING AND THE HOMELESS HOUSING? THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S CURRENT PROGRAMS AND OUR PORTFOLIO ALIGN WITH SUPPORT. ALIGNED WITH AND SUPPORT THE POPULATION THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE COUNTY'S HOUSING SHORTAGE, SHORTAGES. WITHOUT THE SUBSIDIES PROVIDED BY THE AUTHORITY TO SEVERAL DEVELOPERS AND SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE HOUSING SHORTAGE WOULD BE EVEN GREATER. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES IN RURAL AREAS AND NON-CITY OF MERCED CITIES THAT HAVE HELPED WITH THE LIMITED HOUSING AVAILABILITY IN OUTLYING CITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AWARDED VOUCHERS TO SEVERAL NEWLY CONSTRUCTED SITES IN ORDER TO SECURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STABLE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE NO HAVE TO RENT HIGH-COST MARKET UNITS. WHILE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW HOUSING IS A PRIORITY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MUST REMAIN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CURRENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK AND FUNDING. SO THAT IS THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE SENT OVER. [01:00:02] IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN CLEAR UP ON ANY OF THAT? DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR PRESENTATION? I HAVE THE BIG ONE THE SHORTFALL. SO, I'M ALMOST DONE. OKAY, WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND THEN. THANK YOU. SO, THE SHORTFALL. SO, WHAT IS THE SHORTFALL? THE SHORTFALL IS WHERE PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES LACK ENOUGH FEDERAL FUNDING TO COVER THE REQUIRED HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENT FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM. WHAT HAS CAUSED OUR SHORTFALL? THE SHORTFALL OCCURRED WHEN INCREASE IN CONTRACT RENTS AND UTILITY ALLOWANCES CHANGES PUSHES THE AVERAGE COST PER UNIT MUCH HIGHER THAN WE PROJECTED. DURING THE SHORTFALL THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS REQUIRED TO TAKE CERTAIN COST MEASURES, SAVINGS ACTIONS AND MEASURES. THESE ACTIONS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMMEDIATE FREEZE OF ALL NEW VOUCHER ISSUANCE AND THAT'S ONLY TO PEOPLE FROM THE WAITING LIST AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT THIS TIME. SUSPENDING THE ABSORPTION OF PORTABILITY COMING IN FROM OTHER REGIONS, AND REJECTING ANY PORTABLES THAT ARE HIGHER FROM OTHER COSTS. WE ARE LOWERING OUR PAYMENT STANDARDS, AND WE ALSO HAVE ASKED OWNERS TO VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATE IN NOT ASKING FOR RENT INCREASES THIS YEAR. BECAUSE IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE THE SHORTFALL AND ENSURE PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE PROGRAM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MEASURES. THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE FREEZE OF THE VOUCHERS, BILLING PORTABILITY, LOWERING THE PAYMENT STANDARD, REVIEWING OUR UTILITY ALLOWANCE, AND REQUESTING AGAIN, OWNERS NOT ASK FOR RENT INCREASE. IN ADDITION, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS WORKING VERY CLOSELY AND HAVE PERIODIC MEETINGS WITH OUR HUD FIELD OFFICERS. I EMPHASIZE THE AUTHORITY IS IMPLEMENTING THESE MEASURES TO FREEZE NEW VOUCHERS. THAT WILL ENSURE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO TERMINATE CURRENT FAMILIES THAT ARE UNDER HAP. SO, IT SEEMS DRASTIC, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO ELIMINATE ANY CURRENT PARTICIPANTS FROM HAVING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE SHORTFALL. OKAY. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO NOW THAT CONCLUDES. THAT CONCLUDES. OKAY, I THINK WHAT I'LL DO NOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY REQUESTS IN THE QUEUE HERE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PUT IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO ALLOW COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS AND WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU THEN ROSA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THE PRESENTATION. OKAY, I'LL CHECK, IS THERE ANY FROM THE PUBLIC? YEAH. OH, GOOD. IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY HAND RAISED AS WELL. YES, SIR. GOOD DAY. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND STAFF. MY NAME IS MICHAEL BELLUOMINI. I'M A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE SIERRA SAVING GRACE HOMELESS PROJECT, A NONPROFIT OPERATING HERE IN MERCED FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, PROVIDING HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO THOSE AT RISK OF LOSING HOUSING OR WHO ARE HOMELESS AT THE TIME. SO, WE, WE'RE AN ORGANIZATION WITH 14 SOCIAL WORKERS. EACH ONE OF THEM CARRIES ABOUT 25 CLIENTS THAT THEY'RE ASSISTING. AND SO, WE DO A FAIR AMOUNT OF WORK IN TERMS OF THE HOUSING OF PEOPLE. AND ONCE THEY ARE HOUSED, MAKING SURE THAT THEY STAY HOUSED IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE RECEIVE GRANTS FROM THE WESTERN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH AND OTHERS. SO, WE TURN TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR ASSISTANCE IN MAKING HOUSING AVAILABLE, FINDING HOUSING THAT'S AVAILABLE. AND OUR EXPERIENCE OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN THAT THERE ARE INORDINATE DELAYS. I MEAN, WE WILL MAKE APPLICATION TURN IN ALL THE SUBMITTED PAPERWORK, ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK. WEEKS WILL GO BY WITHOUT A RESPONSE WHEN WE CALL AND TRY AND FOLLOW UP. IT'S VOICEMAIL ONLY. AND SO THAT'S BEEN A CONTINUING PATTERN, WHICH FRUSTRATES US BECAUSE WE HAVE CLIENTS, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE STREET OR ARE ABOUT TO BE ON THE STREET, AND THEY NEED HOUSING, AND WE KNOW THE HOUSING IS AVAILABLE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO, WE JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND HOPE THAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE TO THE RESPONSE TIME OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO REQUESTS FROM OUR AGENCY AND OTHERS. AND THAT WE APPRECIATE WHATEVER COOPERATION AND WHATEVER WORK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN [01:05:10] PROVIDE TO HELP US HOUSE PEOPLE IN MERCED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AGAIN. I'M SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF STRONG TOWNS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 40 YEARS, STARTED IN MINNESOTA, A TOWN ABOUT THE SIZE OF LIVINGSTON, 14,000, TO TRY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN EVERYBODY'S LIVES. AND WE ARE THE ONLY PIN ON THEIR MAP OF 300 IN NORTH AMERICA, THAT'S CANADA AND MAINLAND. WE'RE THE ONLY PIN IN CENTRAL VALLEY. THERE ARE OTHER LOCAL CONVERSATION GROUPS OF STRONG TOWNS THAT ARE BEING VERY ACTIVE AND TRYING TO WORK WITH ALL TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE. BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK AT STRONG TOWNS AND ARE HAVING WEB SITE, STRONGTOWNS.ORG AND WE ARE HERE. WE'VE BEEN. I'VE EVEN WENT. I EVEN WENT TO SALINAS WHEN THEY HAD THE PERSON THAT STARTED THIS BACK IN MINNESOTA AS A SPEAKER THERE. SO THAT MONTEREY COUNTY, YOU KNOW, SALINAS IS, HAS A REALLY POOR AREA, THAT FARMING AREA. AND THEY HAD THEY HAD THE CHUCK MARONE WHO STARTED THIS 40, OVER 40 YEARS AGO. AND THERE'S A DEVELOPER OF INCREMENTAL BUILDING IN CITIES, AND HE'S FROM TEXAS. THOSE WERE THE TWO SPEAKERS. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION OUT SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH AMERICA, WITH HOW WE PROVIDE PLACES. IF WE COULD DO INCREMENTAL BUILDING IN THE CITIES WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GET IN THE CAR TO GO. BUT SINCE WORLD WAR II, WE'VE BEEN BUILDING THESE SUBDIVISIONS AND THAT'S WHY LA WAS USED TO BE THE AG CENTER. YOU KNOW, MOST ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR ALL OF CALIFORNIA FOR AG, AND TODAY LOOK AT IT. DO WE WANT TO BE LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH IT. WE, I KNOW WE'LL BE HAVING GROWTH, BUT HOW WE GROW IS SO IMPORTANT. AND LET'S PUT HOUSES WHERE 400FT², 500FT² FOR SENIORS, FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DRINK AND NOT HAVE TO GET IN A CAR, THEY WANT TO GO DOWNTOWN AND WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THE CITIES, AND THEY HAVE TO GET IN THE CAR TO GO SOMEPLACE. AND I SEE A LOT OF PAIN OUT THERE. I DON'T THINK I HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT, BUT I WILL JUST SAY ONE THING. SUNDAY MORNING AT 9:00, I DROVE OUT OF MY FARM TO A CROSSROAD, AND I SAW I HAVE A HEDGEROW FOR INSECT FOR INSECT TREE, BECAUSE WE HAVE MONOCROPPING. I THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS. SO, THERE'S A MAN COMING OUT OF THE HEDGEROW AND WE'RE HARVESTING ALMONDS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. AND HERE BETWEEN THE FIRST ROW OF ALMONDS AND THE HEDGEROW IS THIS MAN. AND HE IS LYING. HE STARTS LYING DOWN ON THE FLOOR, ON THE GROUND, ON HIS STOMACH PROSTRATE. AND SO I BACKED UP, WENT OVER TO MY OTHER HOUSE WHERE MY DAUGHTER LIVES. AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE OR WHAT'S GOING ON. HE'S HERE NOT TO ROB US. SO, THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN OUT THERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BITTER. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH. GOOD MORNING AGAIN, CHRISTI MCCAMMOND FROM THE CITY OF LOS BANOS. I HEARD IN THE QUESTIONS THAT THERE WAS AN OFFER OR A QUESTION ABOUT OUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED. OBVIOUSLY, OR I DON'T KNOW IF OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE CITY OF LOS BANOS WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE DO WORK WITH THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, SPECIAL VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND SOME OF OUR FOLKS WERE AFFECTED BY THIS BUDGET SHORTFALL. AND SO WE SOUGHT TO LEARN WHY AND WHAT HAPPENED. AND SO THAT WE COULD DO SORT OF A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS AND FIGURE OUT HOW COULD WE HELP AS A JURISDICTION. AND SO I DO UNDERSTAND, AS YOU HEARD, ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, IT'S AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF WORK AND THERE'S A RECOGNITION OF THAT. AND SO OUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ANY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TURN THAT DOWN. AND SO WE, FROM A JURISDICTIONAL PERSPECTIVE, WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TALK ABOUT THAT MORE. HOW WOULD THAT HAPPEN? GRANT WRITING? ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU CAN COMBINE THE GRANT WRITING POSITION WITH AN HR POSITION, IF YOU FIND SOMEBODY WITH THAT SPECIAL SET OF SKILLS WHERE THAT COULD BE IN FULL [01:10:01] TIME, STRONGLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT. THE GRANT DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME INTO OUR JURISDICTION HAVE BEEN PIVOTAL AND ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HOW WE CAN ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN OUR JURISDICTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT TO REQUEST MORE MONEY FROM HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD TO SHOW THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. AND YOU HEARD ABOUT THE PAYMENT STANDARDS THAT MIGHT BE CHANGED. I'LL TELL YOU, AS WORKING AS A CASE MANAGER FOR QUITE A WHILE, FINDING AN AVAILABLE UNIT AT THE VOUCHER RATE IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT. AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FOLKS FAIL TO FIND A SPOT IN THEIR 120 DAYS IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE THE RENTAL APPLICATION STANDARDS ARE SO FAR OUTSIDE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE CANNOT NOW, AT THE HIGHER RATE OF PAYMENT, FIND AVAILABLE UNITS THAT WILL ACCEPT THAT VOUCHER. SO IT'S A CONSEQUENCE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO FACE THAT YES, WE WE MAY, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO GET THAT WAIVER FOR LOWER PAYMENT STANDARDS, BUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT IS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MORE UNUSABLE VOUCHERS BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIND UNITS NOW THAT WILL ACCEPT THE CURRENT, NOT ONLY THE VOUCHER AMOUNTS, BUT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH CREDIT SCORE, AND THEY HAVE LESS THAN DESIRABLE RENTAL HISTORIES. SO WE'RE ADVOCATING VERY STRONGLY FOR THAT. SO, IN A NUTSHELL, YES, IT WOULD BE NICE IF A HOUSING HAD MORE RESOURCES. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT HAPPENS, MAYBE IT'S THROUGH GRANT GRANT WRITING. BUT THEY NEED MORE HELP TO ANSWER THOSE PHONES. THEY NEED MORE HELP TO ANSWER THOSE EMAILS TO GET TIME FRAMES IN A MORE REALISTIC MEASURE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH, I THOUGHT SOMEBODY WAS GETTING UP TO MAKE A COMMENT, SO APPARENTLY NOT. I WILL CHECK FOR ONLINE. DOES ANYBODY HAVE THEIR HANDS RAISED OR. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO REMOTE PARTICIPANTS IN THE QUEUE. OKAY, WE'LL COME BACK HERE TO THE BOARDROOM. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN. MY NAME IS LINDA DASH, AND I DO WORK FOR AN AGENCY IN MERCED. HAVE FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS, AND I'VE HOUSED SEVERAL HUNDRED CLIENTS. BUT MY CONCERN IS TWO PEOPLE THAT I COMPLETED THE APPLICATION AND SUBMITTED IT TO HOUSING AUTHORITY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. FEBRUARY, WE'RE UP ON SEPTEMBER. WE CHECKED SEVERAL MONTHS TO FIND OUT THE SITUATION. I COULDN'T GET ANYBODY TO RETURN A CALL. I DO HAVE A COUPLE FRIENDS THAT WORK THERE. I DON'T LIKE TO PUT THEM ON A SPOT. THEY SAID THEY'RE TOO BUSY. THEY HAVE PILES, AND THEY'LL CALL ME. ONE OF MY CLIENTS HAS STAGE FOUR BREAST CANCER, AND SHE WAS ON THE STREETS, AND HER DOCTOR SAID HE COULD NOT REALLY TREAT HER UNTIL SHE HAD A PLACE WHERE SHE COULD HEAL AND BE AWAY FROM STRESS. I THINK BEING HOMELESS IS VERY STRESSFUL. MY OTHER CLIENT HAS SEVERE BACK PROBLEMS, KNEE PROBLEMS, BEEN SLEEPING IN HIS CAR FOR OVER THREE YEARS AND ALSO, HE IS A MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT. BOTH THOSE PEOPLE I FILLED OUT THE APPLICATIONS FOR, WE THOUGHT THINGS WERE GOING TO BE GREAT UNTIL JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHEN WE WERE TOLD, SORRY. SO NOW WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE STRESSFUL. WHERE AM I GOING TO FIND A PLACE FOR MY LADY THAT'S UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR HER BREAST CANCER AND MY GENTLEMAN THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE EVICTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, IT'S STILL NOTHING ONLINE. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS NOW CLOSED, AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS HERE. DISCUSSION. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PEDROSO. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE SHORTFALL. WHAT IS THE SHORTFALL? LIKE I UNDERSTAND YOU SAID WHAT CAUSES A SHORTFALL AND ALL THAT, BUT WHAT IS IT? AND THEN IS IT NOT, YOU KNOW, BUDGETED OR PROJECTED THE RENTAL RATE INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO THAT YOU CAN BALANCE OR YOU CAN BUDGET FOR THAT? SO, WHAT THE SHORTFALL IS, IS WE RECEIVE, WE HAVE VOUCHERS 2,950. [01:15:06] AND HUD SAYS FOR THESE 2,950 YOU'RE GOING TO GET X AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND BASED ON THAT X AMOUNT OF MONEY IS WHAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY THESE CONTINUED VOUCHERS FOR. HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE THIS MONEY, FAMILY SITUATIONS CHANGE. SO IF A FAMILY LOSES IN SOME SITUATIONS. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS 100% OF THE FAMILY'S RENTS. YOU CANNOT PROJECT HOW MANY OF THESE FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS. YOU ALSO HAVE LANDLORDS THAT WILL REQUEST A RENTAL INCREASE. WE HAVE THE LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT REQUEST THEM EVERY YEAR. AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR. SO PROJECTING THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT, YES, WE ARE GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE OF 3%. BUT AGAIN, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR JOBS. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE GOING TO MOVE. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY UTILITY REIMBURSEMENTS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY OUT. AND WHAT UTILITY REIMBURSEMENT IS, IS WHEN A FAMILY HAS VERY LOW INCOME OR ZERO INCOME. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS 100% OF THE RENT. AND IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS TO ISSUE A CHECK TO A FAMILY TO HELP WITH THE UTILITY ALLOWANCE. SO THOSE ARE HARD TO PROJECT. SO YES AND NO IS THE ANSWER. SO, WE DO PROJECT, BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T FORESEE HOW MANY ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED DURING THE YEAR. IN ADDITION, WHEN WE WHEN WE DID THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE PROJECT-BASED UNITS, THE NEW ONES WE BROUGHT IN BROUGHT ON. WE WERE NOT EXPECTING, I'M SORRY, WE WERE EXPECTING THEM TO COME ON IN 2026, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S WHEN OUR PROGRAM HAS BEEN HIT WITH QUITE A SEVERAL FAMILIES THAT HAVE ALSO REPORTED DECREASES IN INCOME. SO, WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS ON AND WE'VE BEEN HIT WITH A LOT OF FAMILY CHANGES. OKAY, SO I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION IS, SO HOW MANY VOUCHERS WILL BE CUT IN TOTAL? WE'RE NOT CUTTING ANY VOUCHERS RIGHT NOW. WE'RE NOT CUTTING ANY VOUCHERS. WHAT THE SHORTFALL AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE ARE NOT ISSUING ANY NEW VOUCHERS. SO, WE ARE NOT CUTTING VOUCHERS FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS, WE'RE JUST NOT ISSUING ANY OF ANY NEW VOUCHERS AT THIS TIME. FROM WHAT DATE ON? JUNE 21ST, 2026. SO, ANYTHING THAT WAS APPROVED BEFORE THAT WAS GIVEN A VOUCHER? ANYBODY THAT WAS ISSUED A VOUCHER ON JUNE, BY JUNE, ON JUNE 21ST, THEY WERE STILL ALLOWED TO USE THEIR VOUCHER AND FIND HOUSING. SO, THOSE VOUCHERS WERE NOT REVOKED. YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND IT'S KIND OF BEEN A CONTINUED ISSUE, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT MERCED COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, WE IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO APPOINT THE BOARD, RIGHT? AND THEN ONCE THAT IT'S THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OVERSEE THE AUTHORITY. AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME HERE TODAY AND GIVE US THAT INFORMATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF IT UNDER THAT. YOU KNOW, IT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED TO REPORT TO US IF THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE. BUT THE ONGOING COMPLAINT THAT I GET, AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES GET IS WHAT YOU JUST HEARD. AND SO HOW CAN PEOPLE REPORT A CHANGE IN SOMETHING IF THERE'S NOBODY TO ANSWER THE PHONE? AND I DON'T LIKE THE ARGUMENT THAT, WELL, WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED, I GET THAT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT'S A TERRIBLE ARGUMENT BECAUSE WE'RE ALL UNDERSTAFFED AND YOU CAN MAKE THAT ARGUMENT ACROSS THE BOARD AND THERE'S WAYS TO WORK AROUND THAT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AND I APPRECIATE MR. MCCAMMOND COMING UP AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP, LET US KNOW THAT THE LOS BANOS HAS HELPED. IF HSA CAN BE A BETTER ASSISTANCE. THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO BEST SERVE THE POPULATION. AND SO, WHEN WE COME WHEN THEY COME TO US AND ASK US THESE QUESTIONS, AND THEN WHEN WE CAN'T GET AHOLD OF PEOPLE, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY COME TO US, BECAUSE IT SAYS MERCED COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY. SO THAT'S ONE PART. ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, I NOTICED THAT YOU SAY THE DIFFERENT PRIVATE DEVELOPER OWNED AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED DEVELOPMENT. IS THERE CURRENTLY ANY PROPERTY THAT IS OWNED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SO THAT IF A GRANT BECAME AVAILABLE, THAT THEY COULD EASILY GO OUT AND SAY, OR THEY COULD WORK WITH OUR PEOPLE AT HSA, AND JOHN COULD CONNECT YOU TO THE PEOPLE THAT TO TALK TO. [01:20:01] FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, YES. IN THE HANDOUT THAT YOU GAVE, IT DOES SAY HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED PROPERTY, SO. BUT, BUT LIKE ANY SITES AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT? WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE TWO THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED. DOS PALOS AND LOS BANOS, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO DEVELOP ON THOSE TWO PROPERTIES. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. SO, MAY I RESPOND TO THE FIRST QUESTION? YES. OKAY. SO, WE DO HAVE ALL OF OUR FAMILIES DO HAVE TO COMPLETE THEIR RECERTIFICATION ONLINE. WE DO HAVE SOME FAMILIES DEPENDING ON REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION DO WE STILL RECEIVE A PAPER PACKET, BUT FAMILIES THAT REPORT A CHANGE OR RECERTIFY CAN DO IT ONLINE THROUGH THE RENT CAFE, SO THEY DON'T REALLY NEED TO SPEAK TO ANYBODY. THEY CAN GO INTO THEIR SYSTEM AND LOG IN AND COMPLETE THEIR RECERTIFICATION. FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE DIFFICULTIES THEY CAN COME INTO OUR OFFICE, WE DO HAVE KIOSKS AT OUR, BOTH OUR LOCATION AT BOTH PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE HCV DEPARTMENT WHERE OUR STAFF WILL HELP THEM COMPLETE AND PROCESS THEIR APPLICATIONS AND THEIR PAPERWORK ONLINE. SO, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME FAMILIES DO CALL AND THEY ARE FRUSTRATED. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. MY STAFF WORKS AS HARD AS THEY CAN, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE'S STAFF. BUT WE DO HAVE OTHER RESOURCES, OTHER WAYS THAT THE FAMILY CAN REPORT AND CAN SUBMIT THEIR DOCUMENTS. IF THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT WILL WALK THEM THROUGH ON THE PHONE OR AGAIN, THEY CAN COME INTO THE OFFICE, AND WE WILL HELP THEM THROUGH THEIR KIOSK. SO THAT WAS MY QUESTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO REPORT IT. BUT AGAIN, IF THEY COME INTO THE FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU'RE A LOT OF TIMES DO PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO INTO YOUR OFFICE AND WHERE YOUR OFFICE IS LOCATED? NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER. AND SO, IF THERE'S PEOPLE IN THERE THAT ARE, YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE ASSISTING THEM. WELL, IF IT'S NOT IN TRANSIT, IF IT'S NOT IN ENGLISH OR IF IT'S NOT IN SPANISH OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T TRANSLATE IT. WHAT'S THE ASSISTANCE OF PEOPLE? BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A QUICK TURNAROUND TIME AND SOMEBODY GETS A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING, YOU'RE GOING TO BE KICKED OUT OF YOUR HOUSE IN A HURRY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T RECERTIFY. THAT'S VERY CONFUSING. AND IT'S SCARY. WELL, OUR SYSTEM DOES ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE INTO THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK. SO, IT'S NOT JUST IN ENGLISH, SO THEY CAN SELECT THEIR LANGUAGE. IF THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THE COMPUTER AGAIN FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. WE CAN STILL DO A PAPER PACKET THAT WE CAN STILL MAIL IT TO THEM, AND THEY CAN STILL DO PAPER. AND THAT OPTION HAS NOT BEEN TOTALLY ELIMINATED. SO THAT IS THE PROCESS FOR THE RECERTIFICATION. WE SEND OUT A NOTICE 120 DAYS BEFORE THE RECERTIFICATION DUE DATE. SO, THEY RECEIVE A 30-DAY NOTICE THAT THE REPORT IS DUE, AND THEY HAVE 14 DAYS TO RESPOND. AND THEN WE SEND OUT A REMINDER AT THE END OF THE 14-DAY NOTICE THAT THE REPORT IS DUE. IF THAT STILL IS NOT COMPLETED, WE WILL SEND OUT A THIRD REMINDER. SO, FAMILIES RECEIVE THREE REMINDERS THAT THE REPORT IS DUE. AND AGAIN, IF THE FAMILY IS HAVING DIFFICULTY, THEY CAN COME IN. THEY CAN REQUEST A PAPER PACKET IF THEY ARE FINDING THAT IT'S TOO DIFFICULT TO DO IT ONLINE. BECAUSE YOU ARE CORRECT, NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO USE A COMPUTER, BUT WE DO HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE WAY FOR THEM TO COMPLETE IT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO, THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT THAT I RECEIVE BOTH FROM THE AGENCIES THAT YOU WORK WITH AND FROM CLIENTS THAT YOU SERVE IS THE INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR OFFICE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STANDING HERE SAYING, OH, WE HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE TO HELP FOLKS THAT COME INTO OUR OFFICE. BUT I MEAN, IT'S TIME. I MEAN, YOU HEARD IT IN PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING. AND I HEAR THAT. I MEAN, NOT ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY APPROACH ME ALL THE TIME. BUT WHEN THEY DO, THAT'S THE COMPLAINT. AND WHEN I STARTED KIND OF PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT I WILL SAY, ISSUES WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY 7-8 YEARS AGO IT WAS, IT WAS BAD. AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, GIVE OR TAKE, THAT IT GOT A LITTLE BETTER FOR A WHILE AND MAYBE EVEN SIX MONTHS. BUT SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN TERRIBLE. AND SO, I HELP ME RECONCILE YOU SAYING THAT WE'RE ALL HERE AND WE'RE HELPING EVERYBODY. AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DO BUSINESS WITH, I'LL CALL IT THAT, SAY THAT YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE AND YOU DON'T HELP. SO HELP ME RECONCILE THAT. SO WE CURRENTLY SERVE 2,890 PEOPLE ON ANY GIVEN DAY. [01:25:03] UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE GOING TO BE COMPLAINTS OF FAMILIES NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND IN SOME CASES THEY HAVE CALLED MORE THAN ONE TIME. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE DO ADDRESS IT. AND WE ALSO RECEIVE PHONE CALLS FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ASKING QUESTIONS. WE UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION TO THOSE PEOPLE IF WE DO NOT HAVE AN AUTHORIZATION FORM. AND WHAT WE FIND IS PROBABLY 90% OF THE TIME WHEN THEY'RE CALLING IS WE CANNOT PROVIDE THEM INFORMATION AND WE CANNOT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE HUD AUTHORIZATION FORM. ONCE WE RECEIVE IT, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO HELP THE FAMILIES. FOR AGAIN THOSE THAT DO NOT, ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THROUGH, WE DO HAVE AN ANSWERING, A BACK ANSWERING SERVICE, SO WHEN THE PHONE CALLS COME IN, IF STAFF IS NOT AVAILABLE TO ANSWER, IT DOES ROLL OVER TO OUR ANSWERING SERVICE. OUR ANSWERING SERVICE THEN DOES TAKE THE MESSAGE, CONVERTS IT AND THEN SENDS IT TO OUR STAFF AND TO OUR SUPERVISOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT. WE STARTED USING THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO START TRACKING WHY THE STAFF IS NOT CALLING BACK TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES? BECAUSE YOU ARE CORRECT. WE WERE ALSO RECEIVING THAT THOSE CALLS. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT AGAIN, THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE AND THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE GET, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE GET NO COMPLAINTS AND IT WOULD BE TO ZERO, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. AND ALL WE CAN DO IS TRY TO ADDRESS IT. AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IT IS NOW STARTING TO TRACK EACH CALL THAT COMES IN. RIGHT. AND THEN WE'LL SWITCH GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT. DO YOU HAVE A SYSTEM THAT TRACKS THE TIMING OF, OF AN APPLICATION, ITS FIRST RESPONSE AND THEN THE ULTIMATE LIKE THE DETERMINATION OF WHETHER SOMEBODY GETS APPROVED OR NOT APPROVED AND WHAT'S THAT SYSTEM CALLED? WELL, IT, IT STARTS FROM THE TIME OF FAMILIES SELECTED. SO THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT ARE LOOKED AT. SO IT'S BASED ON WHEN A FAMILY APPLIES. IT'S BASED ON PREFERENCES THAT THE FAMILY SELECTS AND THEN THEIR INCOME. AND THE LAST THING IS DATE AND TIME. SO EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE APPLIED AT THE SAME TIME NO, LET'S SAY I APPLIED FIRST AND YOU APPLIED THREE DAYS LATER. DEPENDING ON THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SUBMITTED, YOU PROVIDED YOUR PREFERENCES AND YOUR INCOME. THERE'S A POSSIBILITY BASED ON YOUR INCOME AND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU WILL GET CALLED BEFORE I DO, EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED BECAUSE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY USES PREFERENCES AND WE HAVE TO USE INCOME, 75% OF OUR NEW ADMISSION HAS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW. SO THAT'S THE POPULATION WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR OUR FOR THE FIRST YEAR. I MEAN, OUR WHEN WE'RE SELECTING FAMILIES. SO 75% HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY LOW. IF THEY'RE NOT EXTREMELY LOW, THEN WE CANNOT PROCESS THEIR APPLICATION AND THEY WILL BE PLACED BACK ON THE WAITING LIST. SO AGAIN, IT VARIES DEPENDING ON THE FAMILY SITUATION. SO BUT MY QUESTION IS DO YOU TRACK THAT PROCESS. YES. AND WHAT IS THAT SYSTEM CALLED. WE TRACK ALL OF OUR APPLICATIONS IN OUR SYSTEM THAT WE USE IS CALLED YARDI. SO FROM THE TIME THE APPLICATION IS ENTERED IT DATE STAMPS, WHEN THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED, WHEN WE ACCEPTED IT, WHEN THEY'RE SELECTED AND WHEN THEY WERE APPROVED. OKAY. AND SO WHAT'S THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN WHEN A PERSON TURNS IN THEIR APPLICATION AND WHEN THEY GET APPROVED? IT CAN VARY. I KNOW THAT THE AVERAGE ABOUT 30 DAYS, 45 DAYS. SO THERE'S PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE IN PUBLIC COMMENT SAID THEY TURNED IN APPLICATION IN FEBRUARY. NOT HEARD YET. SO SO SO SO IF YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU GET IT IN 30 DAYS, SO ARE YOU DOING SOME WITHIN A FEW DAYS TO MAKE THE AVERAGE. IT DOESN'T. IT DOESN'T RECONCILE. NO IT DOESN'T. AND IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE AVERAGE. THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT 30 TO 45 DAYS. IF THE FAMILY HAS SUBMITTED ALL OF THEIR DOCUMENTS. OKAY. AND SO IF A FAMILY HASN'T SUBMITTED ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS, THEN ARE YOU IS YOUR STAFF REACHING OUT TO THEM AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVEN'T SENT EVERYTHING IN? AND YOU NEED MORE? WE'RE REQUIRED TO SEND NOTIFICATIONS OUT. ASKING THEM REMINDING THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO SUBMIT AND THE TIME FRAME DATE THAT THE [01:30:02] INFORMATION IS DUE BACK TO OUR OFFICE. OKAY. THANKS. AND THEN, AND THEN I'LL SWITCH TO I GUESS FARTHER AWAY. THE, WHEN I TALK TO MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE, THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR HOUSING AUTHORITIES APPLYING FOR GRANT MONEY, BRINGING THAT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THEN FINDING DEVELOPERS TO DEVELOP. RIGHT. SO YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR IN YOUR PRESENTATION RECEIVING TWO GRANTS, BUT NEITHER OF THOSE WERE REALLY FOR DEVELOPING PROJECTS. AND SO WHAT WHEN'S THE HOW MANY GRANTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED TO BUILD HOUSING? THE, THE ONES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DEVELOPING IN LOS BANOS. THAT IS WE DID NOT, THAT IS NOT A GRANT. THAT'S MONEY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS. WE ARE CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE. WE ARE SEEKING HOME KEY MONEY TO BUILD THE ONES IN LOS BANOS AND DOS PALOS. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF SEEKING MONEY. OKAY. GRANTS. AND THEN. SO HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THE DIRECTOR AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? I'VE BEEN THERE GOING ON TEN YEARS. TEN YEARS. SO IN THAT TEN YEARS, HOW MANY OF THOSE TYPES OF GRANTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED? WELL, WE RECEIVED ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR BUT IT WAS MORE LIKE FOR REDEVELOPMENT. I MEAN, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE UNITS, TO YOUR GRANT. NOT NEW DEVELOPMENTS. CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S A YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT IN I'M ON IT IN THAT WORLD, BUT JUST IN PEOPLE AND TALKING TO PEOPLE OTHER COUNTIES HOUSING AUTHORITIES ARE RECEIVING GRANTS AND WE'RE TALKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BUT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THOSE, AT LEAST IN THE LAST NINE YEARS, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE GOING RIGHT NOW. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. WHAT'S THE PLAN GOING FORWARD? THE PLAN GOING FORWARD IS WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR DEVELOPER TO SEEK THESE GRANTS, AND IT'S TO BUILD, BUT WE STILL NEED MONEY FOR CONTINUED RENTAL ASSISTANCE. RIGHT. SO WE NEED BOTH. RIGHT. AND SO HOW DO YOU GET THE INCREASED MONEY, THE INCREASED MONEY FOR THE VOUCHERS YOU HAVE. WELL THERE UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO NEW NOFAS FOR ADDITIONAL HAP MONEY. SO WE ARE LOOKING TO WORK WITH OUR VA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DESIGNATE SOME OF THOSE VASH VOUCHERS TO OUR PROJECTS. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO SEE IF, THROUGH ATTRITION, WE CAN USE SOME OF THAT IF HAP WILL ALLOW THEM TO INCREASE OUR PROJECT BASE. HAP IS CURRENTLY LOOKING TO INCREASE THE 25% PROJECT BASE TO 50%. SO IF HUD DOES THAT, THEN THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING TO DO. OKAY. AND HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE THAT WORK IN THE ADMIN SIDE? OH. 34 ADMIN IS NINE. OH TOTAL OF 34. AND THEN NINE OF THEM ARE ADMIN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'LL I'LL STOP AND LET MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TIME. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DIRECTOR VASQUEZ, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I DON'T EVEN. WELL, I DON'T ENVY THE POSITION YOU'RE IN WITH WITH THESE DIFFERENT VOUCHERS, DIFFERENT RULES AROUND HOW THEY CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WHERE THEY CAN BE USED. SUPERVISOR ASKED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS OF HOW, HOW MUCH STAFF DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE? SO I NOTICED WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU TALKED ABOUT SPECIFIC VOUCHERS FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS. SOME OF THOSE ARE UNUSED. WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE DOLLARS IF I IF YOU HAVE, I'M GOING TO MAKE UP THE NUMBER. IF YOU HAVE 20 THAT'S ALLOCATED TO THIS PROGRAM, YOU HAVE 15 OF THEM BEING USED. THERE'S FIVE THAT ARE THAT ARE NOT BEING USED. I'M SURE WHEN YOU BUILD YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO BUILD IN THAT THERE'S A POTENTIAL. THOSE 20 COULD BE USED. WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT MONEY RIGHT THERE? SO WE ISSUE THE IT GOES BACK TO HERE'S THE VOUCHER. AND THEN HERE IS THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT. SO THAT THOSE. THAT IS WHY THOSE VOUCHERS ARE NOT BEING REISSUED BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY TO THOSE VOUCHERS, BECAUSE PART OF THAT IS THE INCREASE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE OTHER PAYMENT STANDARDS. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS A VOUCHER DOES NOT COME WITH A DOLLAR AMOUNT. HERE IS YOUR TOTAL BUDGET. AND THEN HERE IS YOUR VOUCHERS. SO EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ALLOCATED FOR 2950, WE ARE NOT TOTALLY LEAST AT 2950 BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR ALL 2950. SO AGAIN, WE ARE NOT ATTACHING A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO EACH VOUCHER. SO THOSE THAT MONEY IS PUT INTO THE OTHER VOUCHERS TO HELP KEEP FUNDING THOSE VOUCHERS. OKAY. THAT THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, THERE ARE THESE VOUCHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO YOU CAN USE THEM ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. I KNOW THIS FROM SPEAKING TO SOME FOLKS OVER IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. [01:35:03] THEY HAVE A LOT OF VOUCHERS THAT ARE NOT BEING USED SIMPLY BECAUSE THE RENTS ARE SO HIGH OVER THERE. NOBODY QUALIFIES FOR THEM. SO THEY HAVE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF VOUCHERS THAT ARE GOING UNUSED BECAUSE SIMPLY A $2,000 VOUCHER OVER THERE, IT DOESN'T GET YOU ANYTHING, RIGHT. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE POTENTIALLY WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE SAME ISSUES HERE THAT SO WE'RE NOT BEING USED. SO I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR BUSINESS, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE A STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION, A REGIONAL ASSOCIATION. I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU GUYS ADVOCATE TO YOUR PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE ADVOCATING AT THE NEXT LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT TO, TO ADVOCATE, YES, WE NEED MORE MONEY, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE WITH OUR MONEY, ALLOW THE MONEY TO WORK AT THE SPEED OF WHATEVER, BECAUSE EACH COUNTY IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. THAT WOULD BE JUST A KIND SUGGESTION. SO IT IS. NO, IT'S THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY, RIGHT. AND THAT REASON IS, IS BECAUSE OF THIS UNIQUE. IT'S CALLED THE MERCED COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHERE THE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALONE. WE GET CALLS ABOUT MERCED COUNTY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT. THESE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHARE THE SAME NAME WITH US, RIGHT? AND AS THEIR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE GET THE PHONE CALLS AND AND I, AND I THINK THAT THIS ISN'T A CRITICISM. IT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU NEED TO HEAR. YOU'RE NOT MEETING THE BAR, RIGHT? YOUR YOUR ORGANIZATION ISN'T MEETING THE BAR. AND, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT FOR A SECOND THAT ANYBODY, WHEN YOUR ORGANIZATION IS NOT WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE, BUT IT'S FAILING AND IT'S FAILING IN THE SENSE THAT YOU HEARD FROM RESIDENTS TODAY. AND THIS IS THIS IS, IS THIS IS THEIR THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE. THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO REST THEIR HEAD AT NIGHT. THIS IS THIS IS THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT THING TO THESE FOLKS. AND SO WHEN YOU HEAR A STORY OF SOMEBODY THAT COMES HERE AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE REASONS BEHIND WHY I'M BEING TOLD I GOT TO MOVE OUT OF THIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF AN INSPECTION NOT BEING DONE. BUT, BUT TO ME, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE GOT TO GET. RIGHT, RIGHT. WE CAN'T LET THOSE SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. THESE ARE THE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE AMONGST US THAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE, RIGHT? THAT LISTEN, I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I DON'T SHARE THAT EXACT SAME STRUGGLE WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS. BUT BUT AS AS AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE OF THEM, IT BECOMES NOW MY PROBLEM. AND SO AND I WILL LET YOU RESPOND TO IT. BUT IT'S JUST I WANT YOU TO HEAR IT. LIKE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S NOT WORKING. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS INTERNALLY. DO WE NEED TO LOOK INTERNALLY AND DO WE NEED TO? THERE ARE THIS, THERE'S THIS MAGIC THING OUT THERE, AI TECHNOLOGY THAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HELP WITH THINGS, STREAMLINE THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LITTLE THING HERE IN THE COUNTY CALLED SEECLICKFIX, RIGHT? YOU GOT A POTHOLE, YOU TAKE A PICTURE, YOU GET ON THERE, YOU TAKE A PICTURE OF IT, IT GOES RIGHT OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS. AND NOW WE HAVE A RECORD OF WHEN THAT WAS THERE. WE HAVE A RECORD TO SEE HOW GOOD WE'RE DOING AT RESPONDING TO THOSE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU NEED TO HEAR THAT. I THINK YOU NEED TO HEAR THAT THERE'S PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS THAT ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS FEEL LIKE THAT, THAT THIS THIS SYSTEM THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE IS FAILING THEM. AND, AND THAT'S THE STRUGGLE. RIGHT? AND SO I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR YOU, I PROMISE YOU THAT. BUT I THINK IT'S HERE'S HERE'S THE CALL TO ACTION IS, IS WE'RE HEARING IT. MY, MY ASK OF YOU GUYS IS TO LOOK IN, THINK, GO INTO IT WITH AN OPEN MIND AND SAY, HOW CAN WE INTERNALLY BE BETTER AT WHAT WE DO? RIGHT? BECAUSE I GET IT. IF THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH DOLLARS TO GO AROUND, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY VOUCHERS THAT YOU CAN OFFER. AND YOU GUYS SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, YOU'RE TRYING TO ROB PETER, TO PAY PAUL TO GET TO MAXIMIZE SO THAT WE CAN HELP THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT IS YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS. BUT WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PIECE OF IT, RIGHT? BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, EVERY ONE OF THESE CLIENTS, THEY PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM, RIGHT? SOME MIGHT PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THIS IS ALL TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT ARE HELPING THESE THINGS, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK IF YOU GO INTO IT WITH THAT MINDSET THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WALKS IN THAT DOOR IS ONE OF YOUR BOSSES, RIGHT? AS AN ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR OF YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUT YOU ANSWER TO A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, RIGHT? IF YOUR BOSS CAME IN THERE AND SAID, HEY, I NEED HELP WITH THIS, HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND BACK TO THAT BOSS? THAT'S HOW I WOULD TAKE IT. AND THAT'S HOW I APPROACH MY JOB. EVERY ONE OF MY 58,000 BOSSES THAT MANY OF YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT ON THE WEST SIDE OF MERCER COUNTY. EVERYONE OR ONE OF THOSE FOLKS ARE ONE OF MY BOSSES. AND WHEN THEY CALL ME WITH A QUESTION, A COMMENT, A CONCERN, I RESPOND BACK TO THEM IN A WAY, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE MY BOSS. THEY ELECT ME TO COME AND BE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE. SO I'LL LET YOU RESPOND TO IT. BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF MY PERSPECTIVE ON IT. AND WE'RE HEARING THIS STUFF, AND THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU WERE ASKED HERE. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU TO HEAR THIS. YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, YOU'LL CALL IT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. HOW CAN WE BE BETTER AT WHAT WE DO? BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU FROM AN OUTSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ISN'T THE BEST WE CAN BE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I DO APPRECIATE IT. AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I DO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLAINTS AND I DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS. AND AGAIN, OUR STAFF IS WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED WE HAVE MADE IMPLEMENTATIONS TO HELP BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WILL ALSO SAY THERE'S ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EACH STORY. [01:40:03] AND UNFORTUNATELY WHEN THE CALL COMES TO YOU, THERE'S THE SITE THEY'RE TELLING, AND THEN WHEN THEY HEAR WHAT WE HAVE DONE, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT, OH, WE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING BETTER. WE DO NOT ISSUE THREE DAY NOTICES FOR FAMILIES TO MOVE OUT WHEN WE RECEIVE NOTICES AND TENANTS ARE CONCERNED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE THE VOUCHER BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT OUR FAMILIES TO LOSE THE VOUCHER, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT IS GOING TO CREATE A FAMILY BEING OUT THERE HOMELESS. SO WHEN THE CALL COMES THROUGH AND THE FAMILY AND THE OWNER IS SERVED A TENANT, A LEASE VIOLATION OR THREE DAY NOTICE FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT, YES, MY STAFF IS GOING TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OKAY, IS IT REPEATED? IS IT A HISTORY? AND WE WILL ALSO WORK WITH OWNERS, THE SUPERVISOR AND THE DIRECTOR WITH THE OWNERS TO TRY AND PREVENT A VOUCHER FROM BEING NOT USED. SO AGAIN I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE WILL TAKE THAT BACK AND WE WILL TRY TO WE WILL IMPROVE. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY RIGHT OFF THE TOP THAT THE, THE COMPLAINTS ARE GOING TO GO DOWN 100%. AND I WOULD SAY I WOULD, I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO. WE DON'T CALL THEM COMPLAINT. WE CALL THEM LIKE OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET BETTER AT WHAT WE DO. YES. AND, AND I UNDERSTAND I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS DEAL LONG ENOUGH. WHEN I GET THE PHONE CALL, IT'S TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'VE ALREADY TALKED TO X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND THEY'RE FRUSTRATED. AND, YOU KNOW, I SAY THERE'S THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY. THERE'S YOURS. MINE IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE LIES THE TRUTH, AND IT'S RECOGNIZING THAT. AND YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO THESE CHALLENGES, THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME BEFORE US, THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO GO AWAY. BUT WHEN BUT IT'S REALLY KIND OF EASY FOR ME TO LOOK AT IT IS, IS WHEN I HEAR THE ONE OFF ONCE IN A WHILE. THAT'S JUST THE COURSE OF DOING BUSINESS, RIGHT. WE'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY ALL THE TIME. BUT WHEN YOU START TO HEAR THEM CONTINUOUSLY, THAT STARTS TO TELL ME THAT THERE'S THAT THERE'S THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY HERE. AND WE REALLY NEED. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S YOUR PARTNERS, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU HAD A FEW OF YOUR PARTNERS THAT I'LL CALL THEM THAT COME UP HERE THAT WORK PRETTY CLOSELY WITH YOU. LIKE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT I'M TAKEN CARE OF. AND BECAUSE THEY'RE THEIR BOOTS ON THE GROUND. AND, AND SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND HEARING THIS. IT IS IT IS NOT TO TO PENALIZE ANYBODY. IT'S JUST TO TELL YOU THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PACHECO. THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WELL, PRETTY MUCH IT'S ALL IT'S ALL BEEN SAID. IN FACT, YOU KIND OF ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. THE CALLS THAT I GET IS, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING KICKED OUT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE CALLS ARE PRIORITIZED. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL JUST NEED INFORMATION AND ALL THAT. AND I GET THAT SOMETIMES A LITTLE LOWER. BUT I MEAN, I WOULD THINK IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, HEY, I'M GOING TO GET OUT IN A WEEK OR IN A MONTH THAT THOSE CALLS WOULD BE PRIORITIZED AT LEAST, LIKE I SAID, SO THEY DON'T LOSE A VOUCHER. SO AND YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION. SO I APPRECIATE THAT THAT YOU GET ON THOSE. SO THAT'S GOOD. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. SO LANDLORDS CAN ASK FOR INCREASES AND WHO WHO DECIDES? YES, THEY CAN HAVE ONE AND HOW MUCH IT IS. CAN YOU SAY NO OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? THE LANDLORD CAN REQUEST A RENT INCREASE ONCE A YEAR AND THEY CAN. WE HAVE LANDLORDS THAT REQUEST CRAZY AMOUNTS. WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO WHAT'S CALLED A RENT RENT SURVEY. SO WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE SURROUNDING AREA IS RENTING FOR WHAT THE UNIT IS AT, WHERE IT'S LOCATED, HOW MUCH THEY'RE ASKING. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A CAP AMOUNT. IN SOME CASES, WE DO SAY NO. LANDLORDS DO NOT RECEIVE RENT INCREASES AND OTHER TIMES WE WILL NEGOTIATE WITH THE OWNER. WE WILL TELL THEM WE CANNOT GIVE YOU THIS, BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT. SO AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE LANDLORD IS ASKING FOR AND WHAT THE SURVEY THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED SAYS. SO IF YOU CONDUCT A SURVEY AND YOU DO YOU HAVE STILL HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE INCREASE OR IS THERE, IS THERE A DISCRETION OR IS THERE A POINT WHERE THEY MEET THE CRITERIA, WE HAVE TO GIVE IT TO THEM. REGULATIONS SAY WE HAVE TO GIVE IT TO THEM IF THEY MEET THE CRITERIA, BECAUSE YOU ARE CORRECT. IT STILL HAS TO PASS INSPECTION AND IT STILL HAS TO MEET THE RENT REASONABLENESS FOR THE AREA. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PEDROSO. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. SO I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF THE SHORTFALL, THERE WAS 54 HOMELESS VOUCHERS ON HOLD. IS THAT CORRECT? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE THE HOMELESS VOUCHERS. THERE'S 54 HOMELESS VOUCHERS ON HOLD. YEAH. THOSE ARE NOT AGAIN, THE DESIGNATION IS WHAT CES HAS DESIGNATED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO. SO THEY'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR HOMELESS. WE DID NOT GET SPECIAL MONEY FOR HOMELESS POPULATION. [01:45:03] SO THOSE ARE THE VOUCHERS, THE REGULAR ALLOCATION THAT WE GAVE TO THEM AND TO RS AND RS. THEN LOOKS AT THEIR CRITERIA. AND THEN THOSE ARE THE REFERRALS THEY SENT OVER TO US. SO IT'S NOT MONEY THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR HOMELESS. IT'S FROM THE REGULAR POT OF MONEY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PAREIRA. THANK YOU CHAIR. JUST JUST ONE QUICK SUGGESTION. RIGHT. AND AND IT'S IT'S THAT YOU SET A GOAL WITH YOUR STAFF THAT IF AN AGENCY THAT YOU WORK WITH, RIGHT, WITH YOUR VOUCHERS PLACES A PHONE CALL TO YOU THAT YOU COMMIT TO, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S 24 HOURS OR 48 HOURS, BUT THAT THEY GET A CALL BACK. AND YOU KNOW, I, I, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S TWO, THERE'S TWO WORLDS, RIGHT? THERE'S THE ADMINISTRATIVE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH YOU. AND THEN THERE'S THE CLIENTS YOU SERVE AND, AND THE CLIENTS YOU SERVE. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A STORY, A SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SAID THERE'S THREE, THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY. AND I USED TO THINK THAT WAS JUST DIVORCES, RIGHT? HIS HERS AND THE TRUTH. BUT I GUESS IT APPLIES ELSEWHERE. SO IF YOU COULD COMMIT TO RESPONDING TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE ADMINISTRATIVELY USING YOUR VOUCHERS, THAT THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN SOLVING A LOT OF YOUR ISSUES. AND, AND, AND IN WORKING WITH THEM, RIGHT? NOT JUST RESPOND, NOT JUST CALL THEM BACK AND SAY, YEAH, I GOT YOUR NOTE, BUT ADDRESSING THEIR ISSUES. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP YOU TREMENDOUSLY. AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID, WHAT I DID IS I MET WITH LUKE WHO IS THE, THE, HIS AGENCY DOES REFERRALS FOR SES AND SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SIERRA SAVING GRACE. WHO ELSE WORKS WITH US IS THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH CS. WHAT WE DISCUSSED IS IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS THAT IF WE CAN HAVE A CENTRAL PERSON, A CENTRAL ORGANIZATION LIKE SES THAT COULD TAKE THE CALL. SO THIS WAY THEY CAN ALSO HELP US IDENTIFY WHERE MY, WHERE OUR VOUCHERS ARE NOT BEING ALLOCATED BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME VOUCHERS DEPENDING ON PROGRAMS. SO IN DISCUSSION WITH HIM, ONCE WE START UTILIZING THESE, ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE THESE VOUCHERS AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE A CENTRAL CONTACT. SO IT WILL BE CES THE CALLS AND CONCERNS COMPLAINTS WILL COME FROM THERE TO OUR OFFICE. AND THEN THIS WAY WE DON'T HAVE 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND WE DON'T KEEP GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL HELP US. SO, SO DOES THAT COME WITH A COMMITMENT TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE? OKAY. IT DOES. THANK YOU. OKAY. ROSA, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE REQUESTS IN THE QUEUE. AND USUALLY IT'S THE FACILITATOR OF THIS CONVERSATION. I GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BASICALLY COVERED IT ALL. BUT WHAT I SEE CONSISTENTLY IS A COMMUNICATION NOT ONLY WITH THE PARTNERS THAT YOU'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH, BUT ALSO WITH CONSTITUENCY. AND I KNOW OUT OF MY OFFICE DISTRICT THREE, MOST OF MY COMMENTS OR MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO FINALLY REACH OUT TO US, THERE IS A CONFUSION OF MERCED COUNTY WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BEING UNDER OUR ROOF, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE MY CONSISTENT CALLS ARE ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION. SO I JUST HOPE WE CAN GET A BETTER PROCESS IN PLACE. I LIKED SUPERVISOR PEREIRA'S COMMENTS ON MAYBE DOING A AT LEAST A 24 HOUR CALL BACK. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, IT'S GOOD JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THE MESSAGE, BUT WELL, VERY GOOD. I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE. AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO USE CHAIR PREROGATIVE AND I'M GOING TO GO FOR A BREAK AND WE'LL RETURN. AT 1155. THANK YOU. OKAY. WELCOME BACK TO THE MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. [CONSENT CALENDAR] WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 12. PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEMS ONE THROUGH THREE REQUIRE A 4/5 VOTE. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM. FOR REMOTE ATTENDEES, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON ZOOM OR PRESS STAR NINE IF YOU ARE CALLING BY PHONE. TO BETTER FACILITATE THE MEETING AND ENSURE FAIRNESS, WE WILL START WITH FIVE SPEAKERS IN PERSON FOLLOWED BY FIVE REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL THE TIME IS EXPIRED. OKAY. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 12 AND YOU CAN COMMENT ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR WAITING PATIENTLY, JEAN. [01:50:02] IT'S MY PLEASURE. YOU HAVE QUITE A JOB HERE. SO, JEAN. OKUI AGAIN? YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA BEFORE REPAIRS OUT THERE. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, I SEE A LOT OF PAIN AND A LOT OF ANGER EXPRESSED. AND I THINK IF WE ASKED THE WHY WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN PRISON AND TRY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF WHY, BUT IT MUST BE PEOPLE INSIDE BREAKING THINGS. I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE DETAILS OF, OF HOW MUCH IS GOING ON OUT THERE AND HOW WE CAN ADDRESS IT, FIND A SOLUTION SO WE DON'T HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE. SO WE WE DID LOOK AT THE WHY. THANKS. UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. AND I'LL LOOK AROUND TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT. AND I'LL CHECK FOR OUR ONLINE. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. AND THEN I'LL ASK OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DO YOU WANT TO MAYBE JUST ADDRESS THAT REAL QUICK JUST TO. BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ON THERE A LONG TIME? GENE, YOU'RE CORRECT. LONGER THAN SHE KNOWS. YEAH, SURE. GOOD MORNING, BOARD CHAIR AND SUPERVISORS. THE ITEM ITEM NUMBER ONE SPECIFICALLY IS NOT IN RELATION TO THE OVERALL PROJECT THAT'S BEING UNDER TAKEN AT THE JAIL, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO THE BUNK BED REFURBISHMENT. AND SO THIS IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE TO REFURBISH THE EXISTING BUNK BEDS UP TO STATE STANDARDS. WE THE REASON THE LOCAL EMERGENCY IS DECLARED IS TO EXPEDITE THE TIME FRAME FOR FABRICATION OF THOSE BUNK BEDS SO WE DON'T HOLD UP THE OVERALL COMPLETION DATE OF THE EXISTING PROJECT. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE EMERGENCY, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ON HERE NEARLY AS LONG, BUT IT HAS BEEN DOWN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF MEETINGS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF FENCING AT BHRS THERE WAS A TREE THAT FELL ON EXISTING FENCING. AND DUE TO THE SECURITY NATURE GOING THROUGH THE TYPICAL BID PROCESS, PROCUREMENT WOULD HAVE DELAYED US REINSTALLING AND SECURING THAT SITE OR REINSTALLING FENCING TO SECURE THAT SITE. SO THOSE ARE THE SPECIFICS OF THOSE TWO ITEMS. AND I CAN GIVE MY CARD TO THE THE PERSON THAT ASKED THE QUESTIONS. IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, SHE CAN REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STEPPING UP AND ADDRESSING THAT. OKAY. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. CHAIR. WELL, ACTUALLY, LET'S GO AHEAD. I'M GOING TO CLOSE OUT THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 12. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. THAT IS NOW CLOSED. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. SILVEIRA. AND I JUST WANT TO ADD ON TO WHAT NATHAN SAID IS, IS SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE BUNK BEDS THAT THE JAIL IS MORE THAN ONE WING. AND AS WE HAD PEOPLE THERE, THEY'VE REMODELED, THEY'RE REMODELING THOSE, YOU KNOW, STARTING ON DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AT A TIME. AND SO IF I'M CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, NATHAN, BUT THIS WAS TO REPLACE ALL THE BUNK BEDS. AND SO IT'S STAYING ON HERE FOR SO LONG TOO, IS BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE REMODELS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THE LAST ONE HASN'T BEEN DONE YET. SO WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY DID THE BUNK BEDS, THEY DID IT FOR THE WHOLE FACILITY, BUT THEY'RE NOT UTILIZING THOSE UNTIL EACH WING HAS BEEN REDONE. AND SO YOU HAVE THE LAST ONES THAT ARE ALMOST DONE. AND THEN ONCE THOSE GET PUT IN THERE, THEN YOU'LL SEE THAT ITEM COME OFF OF OUR AGENDA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR RECOGNIZES MR. PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM 12. THAT THE MONTH OF AUGUST HERE. IN A MINUTE, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL DECLARE THAT BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH. I SEE SOME LADIES IN THE AUDIENCE WITH SOME SHIRTS ON IN SUPPORT OF THAT. AND ANYWAYS, I JUST DIDN'T WANT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GO BY WITHOUT KIND OF SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC THE IMPORTANCE OF BREASTFEEDING AND, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THAT WE HAVE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE EXPERTS AT IT. AND MY WIFE, WE HAVE FOUR CHILDREN, ALL, ALL, ALL NURSED. AND AND WE'RE FRIENDS AND PERIODICALLY THERE'S ISSUES THAT COME UP AND YOU KNOW, MASTITIS IS ONE OF THEM. AND YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF HAVING A RESOURCE THAT YOU'RE WELCOME. HAVING A, HAVING A RESOURCE THAT A NEW MOM CAN CALL OR AN OLD MOM, YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY IS VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. SO CURRENTLY I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY MR. SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY MR. PACHECO. AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. LET'S RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NOW WE MOVE ON TO BOARD ACTION. [BOARD ACTION] [01:55:04] BOARD ACTION ITEMS. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM FOR OUR REMOTE ATTENDEES, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON ZOOM OR PRESS STAR NINE IF YOU ARE CALLING BY PHONE TO BETTER FACILITATE THE MEETING AND ENSURE FAIRNESS. WE WILL START WITH FIVE SPEAKERS IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY FIVE REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. WE NOW BEGIN WITH PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 13 THROUGH 17. PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM 17 REQUIRES A 4/5 VOTE AT THIS TIME. I'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 13 THROUGH 17. SEEING NOBODY HERE IN THE ROOM, I WILL CHECK FOR OUR REMOTE. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC PERIOD FOR PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS 13 THROUGH 17 IS NOW CLOSED. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. AND I SEE WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. ITEM 18. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. ITEM NUMBER 18. SEEING NOBODY HERE IN THE ROOM, THEN I WILL LOOK OVER AND CHECK OUR REMOTE. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. ITEM 18 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. AND I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 19 THROUGH 21. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR HUMAN AGENCY SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 19 THROUGH 21. SEEING NOBODY IN THE ROOM, WE'LL LOOK FOR REMOTE PARTICIPATION. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEMS 19 THROUGH 21 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. AND I ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ITEMS 22 AND 23. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY ITEMS 22 AND 23. SEEING NOBODY IN THE ROOM, WE'LL CHECK FOR OUR REMOTE ACCESS. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY ITEMS 22 AND 23 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. NO SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE SHERIFF ITEM 24. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE SHERIFF ON ITEM NUMBER 24. SEEING NOBODY IN THE ROOM, I WILL LOOK FOR REMOTE ACCESS. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM NUMBER 24 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. NO SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE, SO I'LL HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, WE HAVE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM 25. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEM NUMBER 25. SO I SEE NOBODY IN THE ROOM WILL CHECK FOR REMOTE ACCESS. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. WITH THAT COMMENT PERIOD FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ITEM 25 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. NO SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. I DO HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE TREASURER ITEM 26. [02:00:07] AT THIS TIME, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PRESENT BEFORE I OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT? GO AHEAD PLEASE. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. I MADE SURE I DIDN'T DO PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN THREE MINUTES. BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR LENGTHY MEETING. I WILL TRY TO FACILITATE THIS. BEFORE I APPRECIATE YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KAREN ADAMS, MERCED COUNTY TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR TODAY BEFORE YOU. AS THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2026. I'M GOING TO GO OVER JUST A FEW THINGS. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU AN ECONOMIC UPDATE, BUT I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MY ESTIMATE LAST YEAR THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO HIT A $80 MILLION INTEREST EARNED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2526. I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT WE ACTUALLY EARNED 86,463,000 WITH ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT AT 2.35 BILLION. THE RATE OF RETURN FOR JUNE 26TH WAS 4.04, AND THE RATE OF RETURN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR WAS 3.95. SO IF YOU COULD TAKE AND I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME. BUT IF YOU COULD REFER TO PAGE SEVEN. I THINK THE INFORMATION I'M GOING TO PRESENT NEXT WILL ACTUALLY EXPAND ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS. PRIOR TO 2000, THE MERCED COUNTY TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR ALSO SERVED AS THE MERCED COUNTY RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN ADMINISTRATOR UNDER THE COUNTY RETIREMENT LAW OF 1937. ONCE THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO EXCEEDED A HALF $1 MILLION, THE LAW ALLOWED THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE COUNTY TREASURER. TAX COLLECTOR. MY PREDECESSOR, TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR BILL SMITH, HIRED THE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS FIRST DEDICATED PLAN ADMINISTRATOR, ESTABLISHING IT AS A LONG, STANDALONE OPERATION. THE COUNTY TREASURER REMAINS A STATUTORY REQUIRED EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEE ON THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM BOARD, A ROLE THAT I HAVE SERVED IN FOR THE LAST 24 YEARS, HAVING ALSO SERVED AS ASSISTANT TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR AND ADMINISTRATOR FROM 1997 TO 2000 AND FOLLOWING AS THE EX OFFICIO TRUSTEE, I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS GROWTH. STAFFING HAS INCREASED FROM APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY THREE EMPLOYEES TO 14. ALONG WITH INCREASED OPERATING COSTS, WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO INVESTMENT CONSULTANTS, A MEDICAL CONSULTANT AND AN OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL. WHILE ASSETS HAVE GROWN THREE TIMES FROM APPROXIMATELY A HALF A MILLION EXCUSE ME, A HALF 1 BILLION TO 1.5 BILLION. SO THAT'S THREE TIMES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXPENDITURES ARE NOT PAID AS A DIRECT, OUT OF POCKET OPERATING EXPENSE OF THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND. INSTEAD, THESE COSTS ARE PAID FROM RETIREMENT SYSTEM INVESTMENT EARNINGS OR PLAN ASSETS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE COUNTY, AS THE PLAN SPONSOR SUPPORTS THESE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS THROUGH SOFT DOLLAR RECOVERY RATHER THAN FROM A SEPARATE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE. THEIR COSTS ARE PAID DIRECTLY BY THE INVESTMENT, EARNINGS AND PLANNED ASSETS. THIS COST RECOVERY APPROACH IS THE SAME AS HOW WE PAY OUR FUND MANAGERS. IF WE PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONWIDE 457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PROGRAM. WE PERSONALLY DO NOT WRITE A CHECK TO OUR FUND MANAGERS. INSTEAD, THE FUND MANAGERS DEDUCT THEIR FEES DIRECTLY FROM OUR INVESTMENT EARNINGS OR PLAN ASSETS. AND IT IS THE SAME COST RECOVERY APPROACH FOR THE RECOVERY OF MY TREASURY. THE DIFFERENCE IS ILLUSTRATED ON PAGE SEVEN OF THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT BEFORE YOU TODAY. PLEASE NOTE ON THE GRAPH THAT THE SCHOOLS REPRESENT 54% OF THE PORTFOLIO ASSETS. THEREFORE, THEY PAY 54% OF MY TREASURY OPERATING COSTS. THE COLLEGE PAYS 3%. SPECIAL DISTRICTS PAY 5%. COUNTY TRUST PAYS 27 AND THE COUNTY OPERATING GENERAL FUND PAYS 11% OF MY TREASURY COST REMAINING, THE TREASURY COST REMAINING AFTER WE DEDUCT ALL OUR SERVICE FEE DIRECT REVENUES AND THAT IS OFFSET. AGAIN, NONE OF THESE COSTS ARE DIRECT OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS THAT UTILIZE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. THEREFORE, THE TREASURY IS 100% FULLY FUNDED FROM OUR DIRECT SERVICE FEES AND THE REMAINDER FROM THE POOL PARTICIPANTS. FROM 1997 TO 2006, THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE HAS GROWN THE ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT 11.5 TIMES, FROM 200 MILLION TO OVER $2.3 BILLION. IN ADDITION, TAXES HAVE INCREASED FROM 200 MILLION TO 500 MILLION, [02:05:03] AND YET THE STAFF HAS ONLY INCREASED FROM 12 TO 14, WHICH INCLUDES THE UPS AND DOWNS DURING BUDGET REDUCTION YEARS. IN ADDITION TO TODAY'S 14 FULL TIME STAFF, I HAVE FIVE EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES FOR A TOTAL OF 19 EMPLOYEES WITH EXTRA HELP, REPRESENTING 26% OF MY WORKFORCE. SINCE JULY 2020. FOR. THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE HIRED 16 INDIVIDUALS TO FILL THESE FIVE EXTRA HELP POSITIONS, CREATING A REVOLVING DOOR THAT MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE THE EXTENSIVE INTERNAL CONTROL TRAINING NECESSARY TO SAVE THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PUBLIC FUNDS THAT I AM MANDATED TO PROTECT. I HAVE SURVEYED MY COLLEAGUES AND CONFIRMED THAT NO OTHER COUNTY TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR RELIES ON EXTRA HELP STAFF TO PERFORM CRITICAL FUNCTIONS INVOLVING THE DAILY MOVEMENT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. MOST CONCERNING IS THE SOPHISTICATION OF CYBER CRIMES THAT HAVE IMPACTED LOCAL AGENCIES AND RELATIVELY CLOSE TO US SAN BENITO. OCTOBER 15TH, 2025. LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, THEY HAD A $700 FRAUDULENT ACH PAYMENT. AND IN SAN FRANCISCO, A FAKE VENDOR SCHEME STOLE $627,000. WE CONTINUOUSLY HEAR ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FACING THE COUNTY, AND I SYMPATHIZE. I REMIND YOU THAT NO OTHER DEPARTMENT SERVES AS A SAFE KEEPER OF THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC FUNDS. NO OTHER DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSFERRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON A DAILY BASIS. NO OTHER DEPARTMENT RECEIVES AND DEPOSITS MORE THAN $4 BILLION ANNUALLY, AND NO OTHER DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE CRITICAL LIQUIDITY NEEDS TO ENSURE THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE POOR PARTICIPANTS. THESE CRITICAL MONTHLY OBLIGATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE MONTHLY PAYROLL OF $67 MILLION, MONTHLY COUNTY PAYROLL OF $15 MILLION. PAYROLL OF 6 MILLION. WELFARE 5 MILLION IN ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE OF $35 MILLION. JUST TO MENTION A FEW. I'M RAISING THESE CONCERNS IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY AND TO EXPLICITLY IDENTIFY A SERIOUS OPERATIONAL AND INTERNAL CONTROL RISK. THAT IS WHY LAST YEAR I STOOD BEFORE YOU AND PROVIDED THE HISTORY OF FOUR EMBEZZLEMENTS IN THE TREASURE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE FROM 1901, AND THAT I SERVED AS THE AUDITOR ON THE LAST EMBEZZLEMENT AFTER LEAVING A CPA FIRM AND ULTIMATELY BEING HIRED AS THE ASSISTANT TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT REMINDING YOU OF MY STAFF VULNERABILITY WILL NOT RESULT IN YOU MANDATING THAT I LAY OFF MY EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES, WHICH WOULD FURTHER REDUCE OUR STAFFING CAPACITY AND COMPOUND THE VERY RISK I AM ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS. I DO APPRECIATE HR S EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MY ASSISTANT TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR ABOUT OUR STAFFING NEEDS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A FINAL BUDGET MEETING WITH THE CEO'S OFFICE LATER TODAY. BECAUSE OF MY COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY OVER THE PAST 28 YEARS, I'M PROUD TO HAVE RECEIVED SUPPORT LETTERS FOR MY FULL TIME STAFF REQUEST FROM MY MAJOR PARTICIPANTS. TODAY I DELIVER TO YOU. COPIES. COPIES OF LETTERS. I HAVE A LETTER FROM STEVE TIETJEN, SUPERINTENDENT OF MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF ED, WHO SAID, QUOTE, OUR CONCERN IS NOT THE COST. RATHER, IT IS THE SAFE KEEPING OF PUBLIC FUNDS ENTRUSTED TO THE TREASURY ON BEHALF OF PARTICIPATING AGENCIES. I REMIND YOU THAT MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION WILL PAY 54% OF MY ADDITIONAL FULL TIME STAFFING NEEDS. I ALSO HAVE A SUPPORT LETTER FROM JOE ALLISON, MERCED COLLEGE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, AND MY SPECIAL DISTRICT MEMBER, RIHANNA JONES, DIRECTOR OF MOSQUITO ABATEMENT. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL ALSO SUPPORT MY POSITION REQUEST TO BUILD OUT A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR MY OPERATIONS IN HOPES OF HAVING THE ABILITY TO CATCH FRAUDULENT AND SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS, LIKE IN SAN BENITO AND SAN FRANCISCO, AND TO PROVIDE STRONG INTERNAL CONTROLS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO MITIGATE THE INHERENT RISK OF FRAUD, COLLUSION AND EMBEZZLEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH DARON. THIS IS NOT A BUDGET DISCUSSION. IT HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION FOR WHAT WE'RE HERE SPEAKING ON WHAT IS AGENDA? TRYING TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL. BUT NO, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY YOU'RE NOT BEING RESPECTFUL. WELL, I BECAUSE THIS AGENDA FOR A DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, TWO YEARS WHEN I'VE REQUESTED MY STAFFING REQUEST. WELL, THAT'S THAT'S DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. THIS IS NOT ON THE AGENDA AT THIS TIME. IT PRESENTATION WAS ON PAGE SEVEN THAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE THE, THE OBLIGATION OR HAVE NOT HAD [02:10:04] ANY. IT'S STILL NOT, IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. SO THIS IS A BROWN ACT ISSUE. I WILL GO TO SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA WHO HAS COMMENTS. NOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, KAREN, BUT BUT I THINK I THINK THAT THEY'RE A LITTLE MISGUIDED DOING IT ON THIS ITEM. THIS IS THE TREASURY REPORT HERE. BUT SO BUT NOW SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, I DO WANT TO POINT TO IF YOU JUST GO TO ONE PAGE ABOVE THAT ON PAGE SIX. KAREN, IT WASN'T THAT VERY LONG AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THIS BOARD THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT $86 MILLION IN RETURNS. THAT'S THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW MUCH MONEY THE SCHOOLS ARE BROUGHT IN. I CAN REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN WE WERE AROUND THE $20 MILLION MARK OF WHAT OUR MONEY WAS. AND QUITE HONESTLY, HERE'S A QUICK SOLUTION. IF THE SCHOOLS AND THE COLLEGE WANT TO TAKE THEIR MONEY AND PUT IT IN THEIR OWN TREASURY, WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS. WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THE COUNTY STUFF. WE CUT IT IN HALF. NOW WE HAVE PLENTY OF STAFF TO HANDLE $1 BILLION FUND. THE SCHOOLS MUST BE IN THE TREASURY. IT'S THE LAW. WELL, THEN, IF THEY'RE SO HAPPY ABOUT IT, WHY DON'T THEY OFFER TO PAY ALL OF IT? HAVE WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM? WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD ENTERTAIN THAT NOTION BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY SHOCKING. YOU'RE THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR. MAYBE YOU SHOULD ENTERTAIN THAT NOTION AND BRING US SOLUTIONS AND NOT JUST BRING. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TIMING TO BRING IT UP DURING THIS. AND IT IS A LITTLE FRUSTRATING AND IT'S A LITTLE BACKHANDED AND AND I'M SORRY, THAT'S JUST THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT IT. WE COULD HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION OFFLINE, BUT WE HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND NOT ONE OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN BACK TO ME OVER THE YEARS ABOUT SOME OF MY STAFFING. WE SHOULD MOVE BACK TO THE TREASURY REPORT AT THIS TIME. WELL AS ALWAYS, I'M SURE YOU'VE READ THE TREASURY REPORT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I COULD ADDRESS THEM NOW. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT THIS TIME, I OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TREASURER'S ITEM NUMBER 26. SEEING NONE HERE IN THE ROOM, I WILL LOOK TO FOR A REMOTE. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR TREASURE ITEM NUMBER 26 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR FURTHER COMMENTS HERE AT THE DAIS. SEEING NONE, I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE AUDITOR. ITEM 27. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR AUDITOR NUMBER 27. SEEING NONE HERE IN THE ROOM, I WILL LOOK FOR REMOTE ACCESS. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEM NUMBER 27 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK HERE TO THE DAIS. AND I SEE I ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY PEDROSO WITH NO REQUEST IN THE QUEUE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. JOSH, RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. ITEM 28. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ITEM NUMBER 28. SEEING NO COMMENTS HERE IN THE ROOM, WE'LL CHECK FOR REMOTE ACCESS. MR. CHAIR, I HAVE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES NUMBER 28 IS NOW CLOSED. BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. I, I ALREADY HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PACHECO. NO SPEAKERS ARE IN THE QUEUE, SO WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT WE HAVE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 29 AND 30. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME. CEO HENDRICKSON WILL PROVIDE COMMENTS REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 30. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY WITH REGARD TO ITEM 30 IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MR. SEAN RUNYON AS THE MERCED COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEAR TERM, EFFECTIVE WHAT WILL BE JANUARY 2ND OF 2027? MR. RUNYON, I BELIEVE, HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB LEADING THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, BRINGING STRONG TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, PROFESSIONALISM AND A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING MERCED COUNTY'S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY WHILE ALSO PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR GROWERS, RANCHERS AND COMMUNITY. THIS REAPPOINTMENT IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO ONE, TWO TWO, THE CALIFORNIA FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE, AS WELL AS SECTION 12200 OF THE CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE. [02:15:01] AND WITH THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I DO APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO THIS COUNTY AND STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD THAT IT REAPPROVE HIS APPROVE HIS REAPPOINTMENT FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEAR TERM. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. AND AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEMS 29 AND 30. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CHECK FOR REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT. MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM 29 AND 30 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS. AND I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE. THANK YOU. IS THERE A DRUM ROLL? OH. RECALL TO VOTE. THANK YOU, MR. RUNYON. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW COMMENTS? CONGRATULATIONS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNTY COUNCIL, HANSEN CEO, HENDRICKSON. SO SEAN RUNYON AND COMMISSIONER FOR ANOTHER FOUR MORE YEARS. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A. EXCUSE ME. TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THIS BOARD'S SUPPORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT AND OF AGRICULTURE IN MERCED. AS THE AG COMMISSIONER AND CR, IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO WORK FOR A BOARD THAT UNDERSTANDS THE TRUE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE AND WORKS SO WELL TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THAT. AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND I KNOW FROM MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE THAT THIS ISN'T ALWAYS THE CASE AND ALL PARTS OF THE STATE AND OTHER COUNTIES. SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I WANTED TO THANK THE CEO'S OFFICE AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL, AS WELL AS OUR HR DEPARTMENT AND OUR BUDGET TEAM. TO A SMALL DEPARTMENT LIKE US, THOSE ARE PRETTY IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS THAT WE GET THAT SUPPORT FROM. AND THEN SO TO ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TOO, AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH, BUT MOST OF ALL TO OUR DEPARTMENTS TEAM WHO ON A DAILY BASIS PERFORM THE CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT WORK, OUTSTANDING WORK OUR DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS ITEM 31 AT THIS TIME. OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT FOR BOARD APPOINTMENTS. ITEM NUMBER 31. SEEING NOBODY IN THE ROOM, WE'LL CHECK FOR REMOTE COMMENTS. MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS LOGGED IN. THANK YOU. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEM NUMBER 31 IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DIOCESE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. NO SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, SO AT THIS TIME, WE WILL LOOK BACK TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, JUST IN CASE THEY SIGNED ON LATE. MR. CHAIR, I HAVE NO REMOTE SPEAKERS LOGGED IN. [REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION] THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE BOARD REPORTS STARTING WITH SUPERVISOR PACHECO. WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION MODE. THANK YOU CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. ON THE 13TH, I ATTENDED THE PROSPERO GRAND OPENING AT THE MALL AND AT CASTLE. WONDERFUL FACILITIES. THE ONE AT THE MALL ACTUALLY TURNED THE OLD UA REGENCY THEATER INTO AN OFFICE, AND THEY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB. YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL IT WAS THE THEATER THERE. SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO DIRECTOR SERATO AND HIS STAFF ON A GREAT JOB ON THAT. AND YESTERDAY I TOURED THE SYNERGY TRANSITION PROGRAM ALONG WITH SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND SOME MEMBERS OF BHRS VERY NICE FACILITY, GREAT STAFF, ENTHUSIASTIC, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. AND I THINK I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND THE COUNTY TO ASSIST OUR MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS, CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PEDROZO. THANK YOU. I ATTENDED THE I TWO ATTENDED THE PROSPERO REBRANDING AT BOTH THE MALL AND AT CASTLE. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE DIRECTOR SERATO ON, ON A, ON, ON HIS WORK OVER THERE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. AND LIKE SUPERVISOR, PACHECO SAID, YOU REALLY CAN'T RECOGNIZE THAT BUILDING AS A THEATER. [02:20:02] AND AS YOU WERE WALKING AROUND, I REMEMBER SEEING MOVIES THERE, BUT IT LOOKS SO DIFFERENT. NOW I ALSO HAD ATTENDED THE HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING ON LAST WEDNESDAY. AND THEN A SEPARATE MEETING AFTER THE FACT WITH THE CEO, IAN CHOWDHURY THE CHAIR OF THE AUTHORITY BOARD MR. STEVE CAVA AND THEN ALSO THE CITY, OUR CITY PARTNERS AS WELL. AND THEN LAST SATURDAY AND I MENTIONED IT AT MY LAST DURING MY, DURING MY COMMENTS AT THE LAST MEETING, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER THE EDGE AT THE TIOGA WITH MY SON. IT WAS REALLY FUN. I'D ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO DO IT, RAISE MONEY FOR A GOOD CAUSE FOR UNITED WAY AND, AND GO OVER THE EDGE. THAT'S ALL I GOT. YEAH. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH OUR FEDERAL LOBBYIST WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL THE DENTON GROUP. WE GAVE THEM A TOUR OUT AT CASTLE, KIND OF UPDATING THEM ON THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUT THERE. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR MIMS AND MIKE NORTH FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. IT'S IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE SIT DOWN IN YOUR HOMETOWN WITH THE FOLKS THAT REPRESENT YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THEY, THEY CAN UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE THINKING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR US. AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR. I TOO ATTENDED THE RIBBON CUTTING OR GRAND OPENING FOR THE PROSPERO OUT OF CASTLE. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO DIRECTOR SERRATO AND HIS TEAM FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB. I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THIS PAST WEEK WAS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARIE GREENE CENTER OPENING UP THE PSYCHIATRIC CENTER AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE THERE ARE, ARE LOCKED IN AND, AND IT'S KIND OF A SURREAL SETTING, BUT OUR STAFF WORKS REAL HARD AT MAKING IT AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN THRIVE AND GET HELP AND GET BETTER. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT GOOD WORK. AND THEN YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE TOUR OF THE SYNERGY FACILITY, YOU KNOW, SYNERGY, YOU KIND OF THINKING IT'S SOLAR OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BUT BUT IT'S PSY IN ENERGY AND IT'S PSYCHOLOGY AND, AND THEY THEY TAKE CLIENTS OF OURS THAT NEED TO BE IN A FACILITY. IT'S NOT A LOCKED IN. IN FACT, WE WENT DOWNTOWN FOR LUNCH AFTERWARDS AND WE SAW SOME OF THE CLIENTS WALKING DOWN THE STREET THAT WE HAD SEEN IN THE FACILITY EARLIER THAT MORNING. AND YOU KNOW, THEY SEEMED HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND THEY REALLY PRESS ATTENTION TO TREATING THE WHOLE PERSON. THEIR FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAM IS PROBABLY AS GOOD AS ANY I'VE SEEN IN A PUBLIC FACILITY, SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT. AND KNOWING THAT OUR RESIDENTS, IF THEY GO OVER THERE FOR HELP, THEY'RE GETTING WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY A STAFF THAT REALLY CARES. AND THEY HAVE A LADY THAT SITS AT THE DOOR, AND IF ANYBODY NEEDS HELP WITH ANYTHING, SHE'S THERE TO ASSIST THEM, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, FINDING A BUS ROUTE OR, OR WHATEVER A STORE OR IF THEY HAVE A NEED IN THE FACILITY. AND I JUST THINK THEY'RE REALLY RESPONSIVE AND APPRECIATED THAT. AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IT'S BEEN A BUSY COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE OUR LAST MEETING. I ATTENDED THE CSAC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN SACRAMENTO A WEEK AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO. AND THEN I MADE IT BACK FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL PROSPERO OPENING IN LAS VEGAS OUT ON THE WEST SIDE. SO, YES, I MADE IT BACK IN TIME. CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIC. BY THE TIME I GOT THERE DOING THREE KIND OF GROUNDBREAKING OR RIBBON CUTTINGS IN A MATTER OF JUST HOURS IS QUITE THE TASK. AND I COULD SEE A GREAT TURNOUT, A GREAT LITTLE JOB FAIR THAT THEY DID ALONG WITH IT. BUT YOU COULD TELL THAT THE FOLKS THAT WERE DOING ALL THE HARD WORK OF PUTTING IT ON AND GETTING EVERYTHING READY, I THINK THEY WERE READY TO BE DONE BY THE TIME THEY GOT DONE WITH THEIR THIRD ONE IN THE SAME DAY. SO GREAT JOB. ON TO ALL. THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. WE HAD OUR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO THEM QUARTERLY, WE HAD A MEETING TO DISCUSS ISSUES THAT PERTAIN TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COUNTY IS ALWAYS A GOOD GROUP ATTENDED THE LAST WEEK I WAS IN SACRAMENTO FOR THE STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES BOARD MEETING. AND THEN ON THAT FRIDAY, I'M ALSO PART OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR SIGMA. SO IT'S BRINGING PERSPECTIVE. SIGMA IS THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT. AND IF YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, WE GOT OUR, THE WAY WE SEE IT IN THE VALLEY AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE IN THE VALLEY, YOU SEE IT DIFFERENTLY. WELL, NOW YOU BRING IN THE COASTAL PARTS, RIGHT? AND YOU, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT SALTWATER INTRUSION. THAT'S A BIG THING FOR THEM OVER THERE. SO IT'S TRYING TO BRING AWARENESS AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL AS A STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION TO ISSUES IN AND AROUND RELATING TO SIGMA. [02:25:03] I WANT TO THANK JAMES HUNT. HE HAD A FIELD DAY. HE'S GROWING AGAVE OUT HERE, I GUESS THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY. HE HAD, I'M GOING TO CALL THE GAL THAT HE BROUGHT IN AN EXPERT. SHE CAME IN FROM AUSTRALIA. AGAVES, SOME PRETTY, PRETTY INTERESTING STUFF. AND NOT JUST FOR THE FOLKS THAT ENJOY THE SPIRITS PART OF AGAVE. THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS IN THAT SPACE. IT'S IT'S, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS. IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE WILD, WILD WEST OF A NEW PRODUCT AND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN COME OUT OF AGAVE AND AGAVE PLANTS. SO REALLY THANKFUL THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE SOME OF THAT STUFF FIRSTHAND. SEAN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FOUR MORE YEARS. AND THEN THE LAST THING YOU KNOW IS ON CONSENT CALENDAR. WE APPROVED OUR REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LOS BANOS, AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER WANTED TO BE HERE BUT WASN'T ABLE TO. SO HE SENT A STATEMENT AND I'M GOING TO READ IT REALLY QUICKLY. IT JUST SAID, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LOS BANOS, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT LED TO THIS AMENDED TAX SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR TWO AGENCIES. THE AGREEMENT REFLECTS OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO THOUGHTFUL LAND USE PLANNING, RESPONSIBLE GROWTH AND ENSURING THAT BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE APPROPRIATELY POSITIONED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS AND AS AS TRUE PARTNERS. THE AGREEMENT STRENGTHENS COORDINATION BETWEEN OUR AGENCIES AND CREATES A FRAMEWORK FOR CONTINUED COOPERATION AS WE PLAN FUTURE. AND JUST A SPECIAL THANKS TO MYSELF, CEO HENDRICKSON ASSISTANT CEO, MIRRIONE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP, SUPPORT, AND DEDICATION THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AND ALL OF OUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY HELP BRING THIS EFFORT TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. AND SO THE REASON I READ THIS IS, IS THESE THINGS ARE NECESSARY. COUNTIES DON'T ANNEX LAND, CITIES DO. AND AS PART OF THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THESE THESE REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS, BECAUSE THERE ARE SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY OF MERCED PROVIDES THAT ARE BLIND TO WHETHER YOU LIVE IN AN INCORPORATED AREA OR AN UNINCORPORATED AREA. AND THAT'S WHERE THESE REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS COME INTO PLACE. AND THIS IS FOR ALL THE OTHER CITIES OUT THERE. OUR TWO LARGEST CITIES WITH IN REALLY SHORT ORDER, A COUPLE MEETINGS WITH WITH OUR STAFF AND THEIR STAFF WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THESE REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS. SO IT COULD BE THAT EASY. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TWO CITIES AND TWO MEETINGS. VERY GOOD. I THINK COUNTY COUNCIL CEO HENDRICKSON. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I, I ATTENDED A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS. I DO A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIC SERRATO ON THE PROSPERO GRAND OPENING. AND TO LESLIE ABASTA FOR HER LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT, OF THAT GROUP. I ALSO HAD TO ATTEND RC RC. LAST WEEK WE HAD VERY FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS ON SOME OF THE STUFF COMING UP ON THE BALLOTS, AND IT WENT VERY WELL. A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO CASTLE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER WITH THEIR DESIGNATION AS AN HKFC. THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THEM AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAD SECRETARY KENNEDY COME HERE TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS QUITE SPECIAL. IT WAS NICE TO HAVE HIM HERE. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WORKED OUT AT A, AT ONE OF THE GYMS AND A LOT OF THE MERCED PD FOLKS WERE OUT THERE WORKING THE GYM AND GOT TO HAVE PICTURES WITH THEM AS WELL. THERE WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION WITH THAT. SO WITH THAT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 10 A.M. [POSSIBLE DIRECTION FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH. SO THIS CONCLUDES OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR AUGUST 25TH, 2026. MEETING IS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.