Sep 15, 2020 Board Meeting

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GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2020 MERCERD COUNTY BOARD MEETING.

[Call to Order]

BOTH CITY FOR THE PUBLIC LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE.

WE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED SOME OVERFLOW SPACE ON THE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DO NOT WISH TO ATTEND IN PERSON.

WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA EMAIL AND VOICEMAIL FOR NON AGENDA AND AGENDA ITEMS. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ACCEPTING COMMENTS FOR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS BY VOICE MAIL, USING A LINE THAT IS DEDICATED TO RECEIVE PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS ONLY.

THIS LINE WILL REMAIN OPEN UP TO AND DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW FOR COMMENTS WHICH WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES IN LENGTH.

WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION PROVIDED BY REVEREND DON RAMSEY, AND THEN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE WILL BE LED BY DARON MCDANIEL, THANK YOU.

IF YOU CAN PLEASE STAND.

OK. LET US PRAY.

HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME IN OUR LIFE, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT WE MAY FACE.

YOU SAID THAT WE WILL HAVE MOMENTS IN THE VALLEY.

WELL, THIS IS CERTAINLY A VALLEY MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE IN THE VALLEY.

LORD JESUS NOW, BLESS.

WE PRAY THESE MEN AND WOMEN, AS THEY LEAD THEIR CONSTITUENTS, BLESS THEM, THAT THEY DO THE THINGS THAT ARE TRUE, THAT ARE HONEST, THAT ARE JUST, THAT ARE PURE. AND LOVELY, AND LET THEM DO THEM DEAR GOD IN ORDER, AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO, SO THAT THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE WILL BE BLESSED AND THEY TOO SHALL BE EXPERIENCING A BLESSING FOR THEMSELVES.

NOW, BLESS THIS COUNTY AND BLESS THE LEADERS WITHIN IT.

WE ASK ALL THESE THINGS IN THY HOLY AND BLESSED NAME, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK TO YOU AND GIVE YOU ALL THE PRAISE, ALL THE GLORY AND ALL THE HONOR.

IN THY HOLY NAME. AMEN.

AMEN.

THANK YOU AGAIN, REVEREND DON RAMSEY AND SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

THIS MORNING, WE HAD A CONCESSION MEETING AND STAFF WAS GIVEN DIRECTION.

WE HAVE A PRESENTATION AND EFFORT TO MAXIMIZE RESOURCES AND EFFICIENCY.

WE WILL NOW BRING FORWARD ITEM NUMBER THIRTY ONE ON OUR AGENDA, TOGETHER WITH THE

[BOARD ACTION (Part 1 of 2)]

WE ALSO SAID ANY COMMENTS RELATED TO THIS ITEM AFTER THE PRESENTATION, SIR? MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

GOOD MORNING. MARK HENDRICKSON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND SAY THANKS FOR MOVING THIS SPECIFIC ITEM TO THE FRONT OF THE AGENDA THIS MORNING.

AS, AGAIN, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE CONSULTANTS PARTICIPATING FROM MULTIPLE PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY. ULTIMATELY, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM FOR YOU THIS MORNING IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER APPROVING A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH KPMG TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY UNDERTAKEN BY THIS BOARD WITH THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUTO TESTING FACILITY AT CASTLE.

AS YOU WILL SHORTLY HEAR IN THEIR PRESENTATION, THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST TWO PHASES OF WORK WHICH THIS BOARD APPROVED AND ITS ORIGINAL CONTRACT BACK IN MARCH.

AND NOW WE ARE AT THE POINT OF TAKING EITHER AN OFF RAMP OR, AS THE ITEM RECOMMENDS, TAKING AN ON RAMP TO IDENTIFYING A THIRD PARTY OPERATOR THROUGH A PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO MANAGE OUR NONPROPRIETARY VEHICLE TESTING FACILITY, WHICH IS NOW GAINED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION. YOU MAY ALSO FURTHER RECALL THAT THE COUNTY WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING A SIX

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SO IN OTHER WORDS, THIS CONTRACT WILL BE PAID VIA THIS GRANT.

PRIOR TO TURNING OVER TO THE PRESENTATION OVER THE KPMG TEAM.

I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.

I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO THANK MARK MIMMS AND ANA MUNIZ-LAGUNA FROM MY TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK, MR. HERTFELDER AND THE ENTIRE DPW ORGANIZATION, MR. COWART AND HIS TEAM, COUNTY COUNCIL AND HIS TEAM, MOST CERTAINLY OUR CEO AND MR. [INAUDIBLE] FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND MOST NOTABLY OUR AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM THIS BOARD SUPERVISORS MCDANIEL AND PAREIRA.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ENTIRE KPMG TEAM AS THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE THOUGHTFUL, SMART, RESPONSIVE AND INNOVATIVE.

TWO QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS FOR YOU.

FIRST, COPIES OF THIS PRESENTATION THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE MAKING ARE MADE AVAILABLE ARE AVAILABLE RATHER, IN THE FOYER FOR THE PUBLIC.

AND SECONDLY, AS WE KIND OF PROGRESSED THROUGH THE PRESENTATIONS, IF THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AFTER THEIR PRESENTATION, IF YOU DO ME A FAVOR, DO THEM THE FAVOR.

PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF SO THEY CAN RESPECTFULLY RESPOND AS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE US ON VIDEO AS WE DO THEM.

SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

ON THIS VIDEO CALL TODAY, WE HAVE SEVERAL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, ALL OF WHOM ARE POSITIONED TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I WILL TURN IT OVER FIRST TO MR. DAN FEITELBERG, A PRINCIPAL WITH KPMG, AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED INDIVIDUAL WITH INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF MERCED COUNTY, AS HE SUCCESSFULLY OVERSAW AND DELIVERED THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL UC MERCED 2020 PROJECT.

AND WITH THAT, MR. FEITELBERG, WE ARE READY TO PROCEED.

[INAUDIBLE] YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

GREAT. CHAIR ESPINOZA AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DAN FEITELBERG AND I SERVE AS THE CALIFORNIA LEAD PARTNER FOR KPMG'S PUBLIC SECTOR STRATEGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY PRACTICE.

AS WE BEGIN THIS MORNING AND JUST FIRST, WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND ARE CURRENTLY DOING TO SUPPORT THE MERCED COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND RESPOND TO OUR CURRENT FOREST FIRES AND THE AIR QUALITY. AND I'M SORRY THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT WITH YOU TODAY.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THIS PRESENTATION ON THIS CRITICAL INITIATIVE WHICH BEGAN IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.

AND OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR, IN THE IMMEDIATE, THE POTENTIAL FOR IN THE INTERMEDIATE TO LONG TERM VISION AND VIABILITY OF THE REDEVELOPMENT OF CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE.

WE EXAMINE WHAT GOES ON IN THE NEAR TERM OPPORTUNITIES TO MOBILIZE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA AUTOTECH TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

AND IN THIS REGARD, WE'VE CONDUCTED A MARKET SOUNDING TO INCLUDE A BROAD ARRAY OF POTENTIAL MARKET PARTICIPANTS AND DEFINE THE POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION.

BEFORE I PASS THIS OVER TO OUR TEAM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. FROM THE TIME THAT I JOINED UC MERCED I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THIS COMMUNITY COULD BECOME A BEACON OF PROMISE FOR CALIFORNIA'S SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

AND AS WE MOVE BEYOND 2020, AND PERHAPS NOT SOON ENOUGH, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE REALLY COULD BECOME ANOTHER DEFINING PROJECT FOR THIS REGION.

SO WE'RE STILL AT THE VERY BEGINNING BROADLY OF THE AUTOTECH REVOLUTION.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WILL HELP ACCELERATE CONVERSION IN MODES AND FLEXIBLE TRANSPORTATION.

CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE HOLDS THE PROMISE OF A STRATEGIC LOCATION NOT ONLY FOR AUTOTECH DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GOODS MOVEMENT INDUSTRY IN CALIFORNIA AS WELL.

SO FOR TODAY, WE'LL FOCUS ON THE FIRST STEP IN THE JOURNEY, AND THAT IS ON THE CASTLE AUTOTECH TESTING FACILITY AND OUR TEAM, LED BY TED HAMER, BASED IN CHICAGO.

WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH OUR TEAM'S ANALYSIS OF THE FACILITY, THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT AND PRESENT NEXT STEPS OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.

SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND TED, I'LL PASS THIS OVER TO YOU.

WELL, TERRIFIC.

AGAIN, I'LL DO A QUICK SOUND CHECK.

CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OK? YES.

OK. WELL, LET ME REITERATE OUR GRATITUDE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU ALL TODAY.

AGAIN, WE WISH THIS WAS IN PERSON.

AND I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THE REASONS WHY IT'S NOT SO.

SO BEFORE MOVING ALONG, I JUST HOPE THAT EVERYBODY IS SAFE AND SANE THROUGH THIS

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AND TO TURN THE PAGE ON THAT, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS PROJECT WHEN WE FIRST HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, WITH COUNTY EXECUTIVE BROWN, MARK HENDRICKSON AND MARK MIMMS, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WE THOUGHT THE PROXIMITY OF THE MERCED, THE AUTOTECH FACILITY OF CASTLE CREATED A NICE CONFLUENCE THAT COULD REALLY BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF KNOWING THOSE IN THE MARKET AND SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS WORK AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AS IT RELATES TO CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.

SO I WILL GO THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.

WE CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING.

WE STRIVE TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT WITH ALL OF OUR CLIENTS AND AT EVERY TURN WANT TO BE ABLE TO SET YOUR MIND AT EASE IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS.

SO OVER THE PAGE. BRIAN.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THE MARKET THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES PRESENT.

IT REALLY IS A VAST, MULTIBILLION, SOME ESTIMATE MULTITRILLION DOLLAR MARKET.

BUT AS IT RELATES TO WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD, KIND OF THE CALIFORNIAN PRESENCE, YOU'RE ONLY TWO HOURS AWAY FROM SILICON VALLEY.

THERE'S LARGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OUT AT THE AUTOTECH SITE AT CASTLE IN TERMS OF ACREAGE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

THERE ARE ADJACENCIES.

YOU KNOW, UP TO THIS POINT, IT'S BEEN A VERY NICE STORY TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WAYMO IS DOING OUT AT CASTLE AND THE TESTING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE.

BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE FACILITY AND THE SITE PRESENTS A BLANK SLATE FOR TESTING THESE AUTOMATED CONNECTED TECHNOLOGIES.

AND I THINK THE GOOD NEWS HERE IS THAT IN MANY WAYS YOU'RE ALREADY GENERATING REVENUE OUT OF THIS SITE AND THE ABILITY TO MATURE AND ADVANCE AUTOTECH PLAYS INTO THE BROADER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STORY THAT CASTLE REALLY REPRESENTS FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. SO OVER THE PAGE, DAN MENTIONED AT THE OUTSET THAT WE HAD COMPLETED THE FIRST TWO PHASES OF OUR WORK, WHICH REALLY, REALLY CAME TO A CULMINATION IN AUGUST, WHICH WAS RIGHT ON THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED.

IT STARTED WITH PHASE ONE AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE SUPERVISORS, MCDANIEL AND PAREIRA.

TO TALK ABOUT THE MARKET SOUNDING, WE'LL GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHO WE DID TALK TO HERE IN A MOMENT. AND I THINK THAT CONCLUDED WITH AN AFFIRMATION THAT THE COUNTY WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO BRING AN OPERATOR ON AND HAVE INTEREST FROM TECHNOLOGY FIRMS, FROM THE OEMS AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SITE.

SO FROM THERE, WE MOVED INTO THE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURING, WHICH BY COMMERCIAL STRUCTURING, WE MEAN A REAL DEEP DIVE INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT WOULD AN AGREEMENT THEORETICALLY LOOK LIKE WITH AN OPERATOR OR WITH A AN INVESTOR, WHICH THERE'S ALWAYS A DEMAND FOR [INAUDIBLE] INVESTMENT CAPITAL INVESTMENT AT THE SITE.

AND SO WE EXPLORED THAT PRETTY DEEPLY.

AND THE RESULTS OF THAT REALLY ARE WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, WHICH IS WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A REAL POTENTIAL TO BRING AN OPERATOR ON IN THE SHORT TERM AND THEN ULTIMATELY IN THE LONG TERM, USE THAT OPERATOR TO CREATE AN ECOSYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR INVESTMENT TO COME IN TO CASTLE ON A BROAD BASIS AND ALLOWS FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO BE MADE INTO THE AUTOTECH SITE. ONE OF THE INTERESTING LEARNINGS FROM PHASE ONE WAS THAT BECAUSE OF THE DISRUPTIONS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE HOW FAST THEY ARE, BUILDING MAJOR NEW CAPITAL IS NOT WHAT ANYBODY ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED.

WHAT THEY WHAT THEY REALLY SUGGESTED WAS CREATING A NIMBLE CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY THAT ALLOWS TESTING AND PROVING GROUNDS LIKE CASTLE, LIKE AUTOTECH TO RESPOND TO MARKET DEMANDS AS THINGS EVOLVE.

SO A FEW YEARS AGO, ONE OF OUR CLIENTS IN THE MARKET WAS VERY KEEN TO BUILD OUT LIKE A CITY GRID. AND WHAT PEOPLE REALLY FOUND TO BE MUCH MORE BENEFICIAL IN THE CURRENT

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AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE BECAUSE OVER THE PAGE WE'LL SPECIFICALLY GIVE YOU BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EACH OF THESE.

BUT YOU CAN SEE WE TALK TO FOLKS IN SWEDEN AND SPAIN AND IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER IN OHIO AND THE CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH IN MICHIGAN. IN ADDITION, WE TALKED TO THE SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS, WHICH IS, ONE OF THEIR PARENT COMPANIES IS ALPHABET RIGHT THERE IN SILICON VALLEY.

AROUND THEIR INTEREST IN THE FACILITY, AS WELL AS PLENARY INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP, WHICH HAS A MAJOR US PRESENCE, OF COURSE, EVEN A MERCED PRESENCE GIVEN THE UC MERCED PROJECT, BUT THEY'RE ORIGINALLY BASED IN AUSTRALIA AND ALL EXPRESSED SOME LEVEL OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, BUT PARTICULARLY TRC, ASTAZERO, IDIADA.

AND CAR IN MICHIGAN ARE QUITE KEEN TO TO PURSUE AN OPERATING AGREEMENT FOR THE FACILITY GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY TO THE VALLEY AND TO OTHER ASSETS IN CALIFORNIA.

SO HERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE DID IN PHASE ONE, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THE LIST HERE, I WON'T REPEAT THAT, BUT THIS REALLY TRANSLATED INTO OUR PHASE TWO WORK WHERE WE STARTED WITH A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS THAT WE WANTED TO TEST WITH EACH OF THESE, INCLUDING HOW THEY GET PAID, THE RATES PER HOUR THAT THEY CHARGE, THEIR CHARGING SCHEME, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR MARKET.

HOW THEY BRING CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO THE TABLE OR HOW THEY HOW IN SOME CASES THEY DON'T, AND WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT POTENTIALLY WITH THE COUNTY. NOW, MEANWHILE, WE ALSO TALKED TO MANY OF YOUR LOCAL PARTNERS.

WE TALKED TO THE STATE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, CALSTA, AROUND THE TERMS OF THE GRANT AGREEMENT AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN USING THE FACILITY.

WE ALSO SPOKE WITH UC MERCED, YOUR REGIONAL MPO, MCAG, AND WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS.

SO OUR ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT WHILE CASTLE IS CURRENTLY GENERATING REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY, BY BRINGING IN A PROFESSIONAL OPERATOR ON COULD REALLY CREATE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. ONE, YOU GET REAL TIME DESIGN INPUT IN TERMS OF THE ASSETS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR CASTLE IN THE AUTOTECH FACILITY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN TERMS OF BEING A VIABLE PROVING GROUND AND A FOCAL POINT IN THE CAV ENVIRONMENT IN CALIFORNIA.

IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITIES THAT AN OPERATOR COULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THOSE COULD INCLUDE AND SHOULD INCLUDE SCHEDULING DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS, THE MARKETING AND THEN THE INDUSTRY VISIBILITY.

AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS THE COUNTY TO REALLY LEVERAGE THE ASSET GOING FORWARD AND POTENTIALLY BROADEN THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.

THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD JUST NOTE HERE IS WE CAN VIEW CASTLE AND THE AUTOTECH FACILITY AND IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LIGHTS.

ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THE COMPANIES THAT USE IT ARE HAPPY TO COME IN AND RUN THEIR OWN TESTS.

BUT A LOT OF THE OPERATORS, INCLUDING TRC AND IDIADA, AND ASTAZERO CREATE THEIR OWN PRODUCTS AROUND TESTING TO ENHANCE THE MARKETING AND THE VIABILITY OF THE DAY TO DAY SCHEDULING. SO WE COULD SEE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, IF THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL, THEY BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON PROFESSIONALS ON TO ACTUALLY CREATE A TESTING REGIME THAT AUTOMOTIVES AND TECHNOLOGY FIRMS IN CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND, FRANKLY, MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

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AND IF IT'S A NET NEGATIVE, HOW DO WE APPROACH THAT? WE ARTICULATED SOME KEY ASSUMPTIONS.

THESE ACTUALLY WERE VALIDATED IN MANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOLKS THAT WE TALKED TO, INCLUDING CAR AND TRC AND IDIADA.

ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS, WE WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE SLAVISHLY.

BUT ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT WE LEARNED IS THAT THE DAILY TRACK RENTAL RATES ARE TYPICALLY MUCH HIGHER IN THE MARKET THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING CURRENTLY CHARGED OUT AT CASTLE. SO THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE.

AND IF YOU CAN CREATE A POSITIVE NET OPERATING INCOME STRUCTURE, WE THINK THAT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, A LEASE IS ON THE TABLE FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT WHERE THE OPERATOR WILL PAY FOR THE RIGHT TO OPERATE THE ASSET.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IN TERMS OF THE TAKEAWAYS BETWEEN THE LOWER BOUND AND THE UPPER BOUND, IS THAT IF YOU MAINTAIN THE CURRENT SORT OF FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS A DAY IN TERMS OF THE RATE, FOR AN OPERATOR IT LIKELY DOES NOT CREATE POSITIVE NET CASH FLOW.

IN FACT, IT'S POTENTIALLY A NEGATIVE AND THEREFORE WOULD REQUIRE THE COUNTY IN SOME RESPECT TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT TO MAKE AN OPERATOR WHOLE.

RIGHT? WHETHER THAT'S SORT OF A COST PLUS FIXED FEE ARRANGEMENT OR A FEE FOR SERVICE TYPE ARRANGEMENT. I THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS ON THE TABLE.

CONVERSELY, IF YOU ALLOW MARKET RATES TO BE CHARGED, WE DO THINK BASED ON THE LEVEL OF CURRENT TESTING AND THE TESTING AND THE UTILIZATION RATES THAT SOME OF THE OPERATORS INDICATED THAT THEY THINK THEY COULD ACHIEVE, THAT AN ANNUAL LEASE PAYMENT COULD BE MADE TO THE COUNTY, NOT DISSIMILAR TO WHAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE WITH WAYMO, PERHAPS NOT QUITE AS AGGRESSIVE. I WOULD HASTEN TO ADD THAT MANY OF THESE OPERATORS ARE ACTUALLY NONPROFIT ENTITIES AFFILIATED WITH ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS.

SO WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT PRAGMATIC ON THAT FRONT.

BUT THERE WAS APPETITE AROUND THAT.

AND I THINK THE TERRIFIC STORY THAT CASTLE HAS TO TELL IS THAT ALREADY TODAY THERE IS CASH FLOW SURROUNDING THE TESTING OPERATIONS.

ONE OF THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON HERE AS WELL AT THE BOTTOM THAT I WOULD JUST HIGHLIGHT IS THAT MAJOR MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT INTO THE FACILITY WOULD BE RETAINED BY THE COUNTY AT THIS STAGE.

OPERATORS TYPICALLY DO NOT BRING THAT TO THE TABLE.

HOWEVER, WHAT WE DO SEE ON OCCASION IS THAT OPERATORS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A MANUFACTURER OR TECHNOLOGY FIRM WILL BROKER CAPITAL INVESTMENT BASED ON SPECIFIC NEEDS.

I WOULD GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE AROUND THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER IN OHIO WHERE HONDA AMERICA HAS A MAJOR PRESENCE THERE ADJACENT IN TERMS OF MANUFACTURING RIGHT THERE.

AND THEY NEEDED A WIND TUNNEL TESTING FACILITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO HONDA ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT TO THE TABLE.

THERE ARE OTHER STORIES SIMILAR THAT IDIADA AND ASTAZERO POINT TO.

I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY DOWN THE ROAD THAT CERTAINLY IS ON THE TABLE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE STORY TODAY.

I THINK THE STORY TODAY IS TO GET IN WITH AN OPERATOR WHO CAN HELP FINALIZE THE DESIGNS OF THE AUTOTECH FACILITY AND CREATE THAT POSITIVE NET CASH FLOW.

SO OVER THE BENCH, WE'VE IDENTIFIED NEXT STEPS TO COMPETITIVELY SEEK PROPOSALS FROM INTERESTED OPERATORS WITH A TRANSPARENT PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WITH THE GOAL OF CONCLUDING BY JANUARY OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

THAT IS, TO BE SURE, AN AGGRESSIVE GOAL.

BUT WE THINK ONE THAT IS ACHIEVABLE BASED ON THE PRIOR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH A HOST OF COUNTY OFFICIALS AND ADMINISTRATIVE FOLKS, INCLUDING THOSE IN PROCUREMENT AND LEGAL AND WITH MARK HENDRICKSON AND HIS TEAM.

PART OF THAT INCLUDES REFINING THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT USING THE CALSTA GRANT FUNDS.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNTY'S TECHNICAL ADVISOR AND ENGINEER ON THAT.

IT INCLUDES SEEKING THE OPERATOR PROPOSALS THIS FALL AND INTERVIEWING AND SELECTING A POTENTIAL PARTNER IN EARLY TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

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NOW, WE THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTY CONSIDERS ALL OF ITS OPTIONS.

WE TRY TO APPROACH THESE PROJECTS IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND RATHER AGNOSTIC MANNER.

AND IT'S BEEN IMPORTANT TO THIS POINT THAT THE COUNTY HAS OFFRAMPS, IF YOU WILL.

YOU HEARD MARK HENDRICKSON ALLUDE TO THIS EARLIER.

SO WHILE THE MIDDLE PATH IS THE ONE THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING, THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING TAKING A STEP BACK AND CONSIDERING HOW THE GRANT FUNDS MIGHT BE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH CALSTA BUT TRYING I'M SORRY, MY SLIDE IS BLOCKED BY THE VIDEO. EXCUSE ME FOR A SECOND, BUT WORKING ON A LARGER AV CONCEPT IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, THE FACILITY CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS IS, BUT IT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE CALSTA GRANT FUNDS IN TIME AND YOU MAY NOT GET ECONOMIC IMPACT ON QUITE AS QUICKLY.

ALTERNATIVELY, AT THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE A THIRD OPTION, WHICH IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OPERATOR, BUT ALSO REALLY TRY TO ACHIEVE BROADER AMBITION BY BRINGING A DEVELOPER ON.

AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS, BUT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXPEND THE GRANT MONEY FROM CALSTA IN TIME.

AND ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE RECOMMENDED OPTION IS THAT THERE'S NOTHING FROM THE COUNTY'S POINT OF VIEW THAT WOULD PROHIBIT BRINGING A DEVELOPER ON FOR THE FUTURE, WHICH IS POTENTIALLY REALLY IMPORTANT FROM A BROADER ECONOMIC PLAY WITH CASTLE, AS YOU CONSIDER THE [INAUDIBLE] AND OTHER LOGISTICS, AS WELL AS THE INVESTMENT INTO THE AUTOTECH FACILITY.

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN.

WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS INFORMATION VERY QUICKLY AND WE WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS.

I DO WANT TO JUST GIVE A QUICK HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TEAM.

YOU'VE HEARD DAN AND MANY OF YOU MET DAN IN PERSON.

YOU'VE ALSO MET RICHARD CUMMINGS IN PERSON, MANY OF YOU.

HE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH DAN ON THE UC MERCED 2020 PROJECT.

YOU'VE HEARD FROM ME THIS MORNING.

THE TWO FOLKS PERHAPS THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ARE DAVID SPECTER AND BRIAN BUNGO.

YOU CAN SEE THEIR BACKGROUNDS HERE A LITTLE BIT.

BRIAN ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ON FUTURE MOBILITY, ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE PROJECTS.

AND DAVID, MUCH LIKE MANY OF YOU IN THE ROOM, WAS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL WHO WORKED WITH COLORADO'S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE STATE OF COLORADO.

AND WE LIKE TO CALL DAVID A REFORMED LAWYER.

BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE POKE FUN AT DAVID AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN.

SO WITH THAT, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE A TERRIFIC TEAM.

WE HAVE ENJOYED VERY MUCH WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS PROJECT.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE TO ADVANCE THE AUTOTECH FACILITY WITH AN OPERATOR AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN THE COUNTY MEETING AND WANTING TO ACHIEVE ITS AMBITIONS.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL CONCLUDE AND WELCOME ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.

BOARD MEMBERS? ANY COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND THANK YOU DAN AND TED, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND THE WHOLE TEAM.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT MOVED.

THIS PROJECT HAS MOVED VERY QUICK SINCE WE'VE ENGAGED WITH KPMG IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR FROM THE BEGINNING IN A PREVIOUS TIME.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS ONE IS LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE MAKE THAT DECISION.

I AM VERY CONFIDENT WITH THIS DECISION.

I THINK WE NEED TO BE CLEAR ON THIS ISN'T AN IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.

THIS IS CALSTA GRANT FUNDING THAT THE STATE HAS AWARDED US ON THIS PROJECT.

AND THEY'VE GOT IT TEED UP WITH FOLKS READY TO GO.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.

IT'S NICE SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN.

YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF THOSE TEAM MEMBERS WERE WITH THE PROJECT THAT UC MERCED AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE OUT THERE.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.

AND I'M JUST ENCOURAGING MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS.

THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE]? YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, YES, I'M SORRY.

YOU KNOW, BOTH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND I SERVE ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.

AND SO WE WERE HAD HAD KIND OF RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS FROM FROM YOUR TEAM OR FROM THIS

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AND AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE OF THIS INDUSTRY.

AND WHEN I CAME ON THE BOARD THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OUR GOAL IS TO GET CASTLE DEVELOPED.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE MORE PROGRESS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAN WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS WITH ANYWAYS AND SO I JUST TO WANT TOO THANK THE TEAM FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB, I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING OUT THERE IN FACEBOOK LIVE THAT YOU WILL NOT ONLY HAVE WATCHED TODAY, BUT TO WHAT YOU WILL RECOMMEND THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES ALSO WATCH, GO BACK, THIS IS A RECORDED VIDEO.

AND SO WE WANT TO GET THIS UPDATE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

AND SO, ANYWAY, THANKS FOR FOR DOING SUCH A SUCCINCT JOB AT DOING THAT TO THE TEAM.

SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE]? THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND I DO APPRECIATE HEARING COMMENT FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.

I JUST WANT TO TELL THIS TEAM AT THIS POINT THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR CONFIDENCE AND YOU'RE WILLING TO WILLINGNESS TO ADMIT THAT IT'S AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE, BUT STILL PROMISING TO DELIVER SOMETHING BY TWENTY TWENTY ONE, JANUARY TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

AND FOR THE SHORT TIME I'VE BEEN HERE AND I'VE BEEN AROUND THE COUNTY FOR ALL MY LIFE.

CASTLES, THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CASTLE FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW AND I WILL WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE SUPERVISOR PAREIRA THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE ACTION IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAN WE'D PROBABLY DID IN THE LAST MINIMALLY SIX YEARS.

SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I THINK THAT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN TO US.

IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND AND ACTUALLY TURN IT AROUND AND MAKING IT AN ASSET TO THE COUNTY.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE VOTE ON THIS ONE.

THANK YOU. OK, [INAUDIBLE] WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT NOW AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

DO WE HAVE ANY ON THIS ITEM? JUST ON THIS ITEM RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE NO EMAILS OR RECEIVE.

RIGHT? SO, OK, WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT.

ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? HI, MY NAME IS TODD WHITE, I HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THIS, DOES IT USE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE COMPLEX OR IS IT A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE ON ONE OF THE ENDS OF THE BASE? JUST TO RESPOND TO MR. WHITE'S QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND ENTIRE BOARD.

QUICK ANSWER IS A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE OF AN UNUTILIZED TAXIWAY.

AND IT WILL ALSO INVOLVE NEW CONSTRUCTION AS WELL, PRIMARILY LOCATED AT WHAT WOULD BE THE NORTH END OF THE OF THE EXISTING COMPLEX.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 60 PERCENT OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND COME BACK AND [INAUDIBLE].

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T WANT TO LET THIS MOMENT PASS WITHOUT THANKING OUR STAFF AS WELL.

WHEN I EARLIER, THAT WAS MY INTENTION.

SO, YOU KNOW, FROM CEO BROWN TO DIRECTOR MARK HENDRICKSON, MARK MIMMS AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AS YOU KNOW, STEVE MAXEY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR TEAM REALLY HAS DONE A GOOD JOB AT CASTLE, TEED THIS UP WELL.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT THE TEAM HAD TO US.

AND ONE OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MEETINGS WAS THAT IT WAS A REALLY AN EFFECTIVE GROUP TO WORK WITH HERE AT THE COUNTY.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF AS WELL.

WELL, I'M JUST GLAD THAT THEY KNOW WE'RE USING A GRANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

AND I THINK ANYTHING THAT'D BE PRODUCTIVE FOR CASTLE AND FOR OUR COUNTY WOULD BE GREAT.

[00:35:01]

[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]

TESTIMONY LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

OK, COME FORWARD.

WE'RE GOING TO DO FIRST COME FIRST, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A PUBLIC COMMENTS [INAUDIBLE]. NOW, THIS IS REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS TODD WHITE.

I COME TODAY BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO SCHEDULE AN INDIVIDUAL MEETING OR A MEETING WITH ME TO DISCUSS AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS ENTERED BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND MYSELF AND MY WIFE BACK IN 2008.

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL IN REGARDS TO THIS AGREEMENT. I'VE HAD COUNTLESS NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. HENDRICKSON IN REGARD TO THIS AGREEMENT, AND WE NEED TO RESOLVE IT.

SO I'M ASKING FOR A MEETING WITH YOU ALL SO WE CAN SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT THE OLD AGREEMENT AND PUT IT INTO A TIMELINE AND GET THIS JUSTIFIED.

OK, MR. MCDANIEL, YOU'VE SEEN THE AGREEMENT.

I GAVE IT TO YOU AT MY OFFICE.

WE DISCUSSED IT. YOU NEVER FOLLOWED UP.

MR. HENDRICKSON AND I HAVE HAD NUMBERS OF DISCUSSIONS.

HE'S GIVEN HIS OPINION.

WE HAVE NEVER SAT DOWN WITH A GROUP AND LOOKED AT IT AND LOOKED AT IT FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN WHAT THE COUNTY HAS TO SAY THAT NEEDS TO END.

OK, YOU TOOK ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM ME.

WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT.

IT WAS VOTED ON BY THIS BOARD IN 2008.

MERCED COUNTY HAS NOT FULFILLED THEIR AGREEMENT AND I NEED IT RECTIFIED.

AND I'M COMING TO YOU TO DO THAT.

MR. HENDRICKSON HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION, MR. MCDANIEL HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.

I'M HERE UNTIL THE SECOND OF OCTOBER AND I'D LIKE TO GET THIS RESOLVED SOON.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE OF THE HONORABLE MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO LISTEN TO MY STORY.

THIS IS ABOUT A [INAUDIBLE] PROBLEM AND ALSO THE REASSESSMENT PROBLEM THAT IT IS THAT SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM REASSESSMENT.

I HAVE A PROJECT IN CITY [INAUDIBLE] AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR THE LAST TWENTY SIX YEARS. SO THERE WAS A CONTRACTOR WHO DID SOME WORK ON IT AND THEN HE WAS NOT PAID.

HE FILED A LAWSUIT WHICH WAS [INAUDIBLE] WHICH HE GETS.

HE GOT A JUDGMENT WHICH COMPRISED OF TWO PARTS MECHANICALLY IN PART, AND THE ATTORNEY FEES PART. MY BROTHER ACCEPTED TO PAY THE MECHANICS IN PART TO THE CONTRACTOR TO STOP THE AUCTIONING OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS IN THE HANDS OF SHERIFF.

I ACCEPTED AND THEN STARTED WORKING ON THE PROJECT.

SINCE HE HAD A LAWSUIT UNDER HIS NAME.

I USE HIS DAUGHTER'S NAME, [INAUDIBLE], TO BE THE OWNER, AND I GAVE HER THE [INAUDIBLE] UNILATERALLY MYSELF, EVEN WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE, WHILE THEY PAID THE MECHANIC'S LEAN PART OF THE JUDGMENT.

SO I BELIEVE THIS TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM REASSESSMENT JUST ON THESE EXIGENT SITUATION THAT I HAVE TO DO TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER.

[00:40:03]

THE APPRAISER USED THE NUMBER, WHICH IS NOT THE CORRECT NUMBER.

MY PROJECT WAS APPROVED IN 2004 AND THEN IN TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN I CAME BACK TO HAVE IT REAPPROVED. THE CITY CAME UP WITH ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN AND I CAME OF CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OR SAY REAPPROVAL AND THOSE THINGS WERE REPAIR, COST AND OPERATING COST AND REPLACEMENT COST, WHICH CAME UP TO UNDER FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, HARD COST, IGNORING THE INVESTORS AND OVERHEAD PROFIT AND FINANCING.

SO THE APPRAISER USED THAT NUMBER THAT IF HE ADDS IT TO THE RAW LAND, IT TURNED THE RAW LAND INTO FINISHED PROJECT, WHICH THE WHOLE THING WOULD HAVE THE VALUE OF ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND FOURTEEN FINISHED LOTS.

SO THIS NUMBER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE.

YEAH. EXCUSE ME. YOU GOT TO FINISH IN TEN SECONDS, PLEASE.

GO AHEAD.

IT'S THE COST OF REPAIR FIX UPS AND UPGRADING WHAT WAS ALREADY DONE AND APPROVED AND FINISHED. SO YOUR [INAUDIBLE] ARE PASSED UP SO WE CAN FINISH.

YES. SO THE AMOUNT OF 820 IS NOT AT ALL SUPPORTED IN THE MARKET.

NO INVESTOR COMES TO PAY OK, THANK YOU THOUGH.

THAT WAS PAST YOUR THREE MINUTES.

YES, I THINK. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? PLEASE COME FORWARD. YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES, AND IF YOU GO PAST IT, I'LL GIVE YOU 10 SECONDS MORE TO FINISH. OK, GO AHEAD, SIR.

THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE], I'M THE BROTHER OF [INAUDIBLE].

AND THE REASON I'M HERE TO JUST PROVE THAT I WAS A WITNESS, THAT THIS TRANSFER BETWEEN THE TWO BROTHERS, HIM AND THE OTHER BROTHER, WAS JUST THE TRANSFER BECAUSE OF SOME FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT BOTH OF THEM HAD.

THERE WAS NO SAY, NO CONTRACT, NO AGREEMENT.

AND I WAS RIGHT IN BETWEEN THEM.

AND I KNOW IT WAS NOT A SALE.

SO THE TRANSFER THE LAND HAS NEVER BEEN SOLD.

SO IT'S BEEN UNDER HIS NAME FOR 25 YEARS OR WHATEVER HE'S TALKING ABOUT.

AND THE SECOND ISSUE THAT HE HAS I HAVE BEEN WITH HIS NUMBERS IS THAT IT HAS THE APPRAISER, OVER APPRAISED THIS PROPERTY AND NOW HE IS ASSESSED WITH A MUCH HIGHER TAX THAN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

THIS IS HIS LAND. IT HAS BEEN TWENTY FIVE YEARS AND NOT MUCH HAS HAPPENING ON IT.

SO IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EVEN APPRAISED.

I BELIEVE. SO THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS I HAD TO MAKE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS SHENG XIONG WITH LEADERSHIP COUNSEL FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAGEDY AT FOSTER FARMS THAT HAS HAPPENED.

WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE EIGHT DEATHS AND NEARLY 400 POSITIVE CASES OF COVID.

AND ALTHOUGH THE BUSINESS HAS SHUT DOWN TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CHANGES TO COMPLY WITH STATE GUIDELINES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE FOR WORKERS PROTECTIONS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER OUTBREAK LIKE THIS HAPPEN.

FOSTER FARMS HAD A LOT OF TIME TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT, AND IT TOOK THEM SEVERAL MONTHS TO DO SO. SO THIS SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE THAT THE OUTBREAK HAPPENED OVER THE COURSE THAT IT DID. I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE HMONG WORKERS THERE AND THE BUSINESS THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE INTERPRETATION.

SO IN A TIME LIKE THIS, THERE ARE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT GETTING THIS INFORMATION.

[00:45:05]

TIMES. ON TOP OF THAT, THE FLU SEASON IS HERE.

SO EVERYBODY IS YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO GET TESTED FOR BOTH THE FLU AND COVID.

AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES SO THAT THEY DO MORE TO PROTECT WORKERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS THROUGHOUT ALL OF MERCED COUNTY.

LASTLY, I HAD EMAILED YOU, CHAIRMAN ESPINOZA, ABOUT THE LIST OF PROTECTIONS THAT COULD BE INCLUDED. I WILL GLADLY SHARE THAT WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD IF NEEDED.

BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH PEOPLE ARE NOT HERE IN PUBLIC TALKING ABOUT THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED THERE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THIS WINTER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? GOOD MORNING.

MORNING.

I'M UP HERE JUST TO ECHO WHAT SHENG HAS MENTIONED, SEEING THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENTERING THE WINTER AND THESE CASES, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THEY MIGHT GO UP.

BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTY CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO BE PASSED.

AND FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING IS RAPID TESTING AND RESULTS AND N NINETY FIVE MASKS, SPECIFIC MEASURES TO ENSURE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

WE ASK THAT ALL WORKERS BE PLACED SIX FEET APART IN THE WORKPLACE, INCLUDING BREAK ROOMS AND AT LUNCH, EMPLOYEE TRAINING, QUARANTINING.

WE ASK THAT WORKERS EXPOSED TO AN INFECTED WORKER BE ALLOWED TO QUARANTINE UNTIL THEY RECEIVE A NEGATIVE TEST OR UNTIL 14 DAYS PASS.

NOTIFICATION OF EXPOSURE WITHIN 24 HOURS, NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABLE PAID TIME OFF, WORKERS COMPENSATION AND OTHER WORKER SAFETY MEASURES ESTABLISHED BY CALOSHA, ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF ORDINANCE.

AND ESTABLISH A HOTLINE FOR WORKERS TO CALL FOR POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, I DID WANT TO ALSO ADD A COMMENT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET FOR A JUST ECONOMIC RECOVERY, AS WELL AS AN ADOPTION OF POLICIES AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS LONG STANDING AND ONGOING INJUSTICES.

WE'RE ALSO ASKING THAT YOU HOLD MORE THAN ONE BUDGET HEARING ON THE BUDGET TO ALLOW FOR COMMUNITY TO COMMENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? WHAT WAS THAT? NO, BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR THREE MINUTES, IT WAS FOR ALL THE AGENDA ITEMS. FOR THAT SPECIFIC ITEM, OK? PLEASE COME FORWARD. [INAUDIBLE] THAT I WAS COMMENTING ON GENERAL PUBLIC ITEMS AND NOW I WANT TO COMMENT ON AN ITEM.

[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, ON ALL AGENDA ITEMS. GO AHEAD. OK, SO ALL AGENDA ITEMS. HI AGAIN SHENG XIONG WITH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, I'M COMMENTING ON AGENDA, I GUESS, IN THIS CASE TWENTY SEVEN AND TWENTY NINE.

THIS IS RELATED TO THE [INAUDIBLE] FRANKLIN COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE.

I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO RESIDENTS AND THEY HAVE ASKED ABOUT WHEN WILL THERE BE UPDATES? AND I NOTIFIED THEM THAT THEY WERE ON THE AGENDA TODAY WITH THE CONTRACT WITH THE DESIGN GROUP AND ADDITIONALLY ABOUT THE INTERCONNECTIVITY PLAN.

RESIDENTS AT THIS TIME HAVE NOT BEEN COMMUNICATED WITH FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. AND ALTHOUGH THE [INAUDIBLE] MEETINGS ARE COMMUNITY LED BY RESIDENTS, THEY NEED TO BE SUPPORTED BY STAFF.

AND SO THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY INFORMATION.

SO AND THEREFORE CANNOT COMMENT ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS OR KNOW THAT THEY ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE.

AT THE LAST MEETING, I THINK BACK IN FEBRUARY, FROM DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, THERE WAS A LOT OF RESIDENT INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE, AND THEY

[00:50:02]

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TO DOING SOME VIRTUAL MEETINGS OR IN ANY WAY BE SUPPORTED BY STAFF TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS SO THAT WHEN THIS CONTINUES AND THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NO LONGER INVOLVED.

WE CAN'T SAY THAT THEY DON'T CARE.

IT'S THAT THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED.

THEY WEREN'T NOTIFIED AND INFORMED.

AND SO IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE ENGAGING RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA ON THIS PLAN, THINGS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM, WHETHER THAT'S WITH STAFF OR SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT SO THAT WE DON'T BLAME RESIDENTS FOR NOT ENGAGING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MIC] OK, YEAH, IF ANYBODY HAS LEFT ANY PREVIOUS VOICEMAILS THAT ARE THE SAME ON THESE ITEMS, THERE'LL BE ALL THE ITEMS, OK, ALL THOSE SPEAKING TIMES.

MARK, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO.

[INAUDIBLE] OK.

ALL RIGHT. IS THAT ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE'LL GO TO THE VOICEMAILS.

I WANT TO KNOW THIS BENCHWOOD [INAUDIBLE] INTERCONNECTIVITY PLAN.

WHAT IS THAT? I MEAN, DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IN, LIKE, A LITTLE PICK UP FRANKLIN OR SOMETHING AND MAKE KIND OF A MOVE STRAIGHT THROUGH SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? JUST KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.

BUT IF SOMEONE CAN EXPLAIN THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO.

THANK YOU.

[INAUDIBLE] COMMENTS.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] WITH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.

I AM CALLING TO REQUEST THAT YOU HOLD MULTIPLE PUBLIC HEARINGS TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET.

THE DRAFT WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 16, AND AS OF TODAY, THERE HAVE BEEN NO WORKSHOPS OR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET.

THE NEXT AND ONLY BUDGET HEARING WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 29TH WERE YOU WILL VOTE FOR THE FINAL BUDGET AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT RESIDENTS BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INPUT ON THIS COMMUNITIES PRIORITIES FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVEST IN SUCH A PUBLIC HOUSING, [INAUDIBLE], INFRASTRUCTURE [INAUDIBLE].

SO WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS THE UPCOMING BUDGET. THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE], AND I'M A CONSTITUENT OF SUPERVISOR PAREIRA'S DISTRICT AND I CONTINUE TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUTBREAK WITHIN OUR COUNTY, ESPECIALLY THE OUTBREAK AT FOSTER FARMS. I DO THINK THAT IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE OUTBREAK THAT HAPPENED THERE LED TO LARGER NUMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND A MORE VAST AMOUNT OF DEATHS.

I RESPECTFULLY ASKED THIS MORNING THAT SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND CHAIRMAN OF OUR BOARD, PUT FORTH AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD FURTHER PROTECT OUR WORKERS, ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THOSE WORKING TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY GOING IN THESE TIMES SAFE SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO CARE FOR US. SO, AGAIN, I URGE YOU TO PUT ON THE NEXT AGENDA WHAT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ORDINANCE THAT WILL ENFORCE PROTECTIONS FOR ALL WORKERS IN MERCED COUNTY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR THAT TO INCLUDE PROPER TESTING AND RESOLVE AND N95 MASKS, MEASURES TO ENSURE SOCIAL DISTANCING, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE PLACES THAT ARE INSIDE [INAUDIBLE] DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, TESTING CENTERS, POULTRY PROCESSING PLANTS, MAKING SURE THAT EMPLOYEES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BE SAFE AND IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGES, AT

[00:55:06]

THEY ARE [INAUDIBLE].

SPANISH] HELLO, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE].

IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO PLEASE PASS THIS ORDINANCE, I AM VERY CONCERNED, DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE WORKERS IN FOSTER FARMS. I PERSONALLY KNOW PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE.

I HAVE A SISTER THAT WORKS THERE AND I PERSONALLY HAVE WORKED THERE IN THE PAST.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING SICK.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC.

IF SOMEHOW THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN THERE SO THAT THEY COULD ESTABLISH SOCIAL DISTANCES AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY CAN TAKE OTHER MEASURES TO PROVIDE THE PPE NECESSARY SO THAT EVERYONE CAN STAY AND WORK IN A SAFE MANNER.

CRISANTEMA GALLARDO 99ROOTZ DIRECTOR WITH POWER CALIFORNIA, AND I WANTED TO JUST COMMENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A WORKER PROTECTION ORDINANCE.

IN POWER CALIFORNIA, WE WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO HARNESS THE ENERGY OF THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT THEY COME OUT AND VOTE AND CREATE A STATE THAT IS EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE AND JUST FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN CALIFORNIA.

AND WE'RE SUPPORTING AND WANT TO SEE THIS COUNTY PASS A MORE SAFETY ORDINANCE FOR WORKERS, BECAUSE WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS UNACCEPTABLE.

WE'VE SEEN [INAUDIBLE] HISTORY OF JUST ALWAYS CATERING TO PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES UNDER THE GUISE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE REGION.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, BLACK, INDIGENOUS, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES HAVE BEEN DYING ON THE JOB.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOSING LIMBS, WORKERS HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, AND MANY OF US HAVE GROWN UP SEEING OUR LOVED ONES THROW THEIR LIFE AWAY WORKING IN INDUSTRIES THAT PRIORITIZE PROFIT AND PRODUCTIVITY AT THE COST OF OUR LIVES.

AND NOW THAT THERE'S A PANDEMIC, EVERYONE ELSE IS RECOGNIZING THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OUR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN PLAYING.

AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE SUPPORT THEM WITH MORE THAN A FEW FACE MASKS AND SPORADIC FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS.

WE NEED BIG CORPORATIONS [INAUDIBLE] IN FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS LIKE FOSTER FARMS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR COMPLICITY IN THE DEATH AND DIAGNOSES THAT ARE DESTROYING RURAL COMMUNITIES. I SAY AGAIN THAT LOCAL GROUPS, STATE, COUNTIES AND OUR CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE AN ECONOMY THAT'S FOUNDED ON DIGNITY AND A FUNDAMENTAL RESPECT FOR LIFE.

AND IT BEGINS WITH THE PROTECTION OF WORKERS IN MERCED COUNTY.

THIS COUNTY SHOULD ADOPT A WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY ORDINANCE THAT WILL ENSURE PROTECTIONS FOR ALL WORKERS.

WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER OUTBREAK TO HAPPEN LIKE THE ONE IN FOSTER FARMS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COUNTY HAS A HOTLINE FOR WORKERS TO BE ABLE TO CALL ON ANY POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS.

YOU NEED TO BE IN SPANISH, HMONG [INAUDIBLE] AND ANY OTHER LANGUAGE.

[01:00:03]

WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A MECHANISM IN PLACE FOR BIG COMPANIES, THINKING ABOUT EVEN DOLE IN ATWATER.

I HAVE VARIOUS NEIGHBORS THAT WORK THERE THAT WE'RE SEEING MANAGEMENT, NOT FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING. AND SO CAN YOU PLEASE ENSURE THAT THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR THIS COMPANY TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY VIOLATE ANY PART OF THIS ORDINANCE? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT AVAILABLE PAID TIME OFF, WORKER COMPENSATION AND ANY OTHER SAFETY MEASURES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED BY CALOSHA.

AND WE NEED TO BE LETTING EMPLOYEES IN ANY WORKPLACE KNOW ABOUT EXPOSURE WITHIN 24 HOURS.

WE ALSO WANT WORKERS TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT ONCE THEY ARE EXPOSED, THEY CAN QUARANTINE UP TO 14 DAYS, NO ONE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO BACK TO WORK BEFORE THEN.

THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU. SO NOW WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE WILL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK TO TRANSITION TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PRESENTATION.

I THINK WE'RE ALL HERE. WE'RE ALL ALREADY.

GO AHEAD. [INAUDIBLE] NEXT AS A PRESENTATION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT.

[BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT]

SO GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN, SUPERVISORS, COUNTY COUNCIL, CEO BROWN, PUBLIC.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND ALLOWING US TO ACTUALLY PUBLICLY DO A SUMMARY OF OUR ANNUAL ADVISORY REPORT.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND OUR ADVISORY BOARD IS DOING A PRESENTATION LIKE SUCH. SO THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR LOR, FOR BEING ABLE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA FOR ENCOURAGING IT.

SO I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND ALLOW OUR CHAIRS, SALLY RAGONUT, TO DO THE PRESENTATION. GOOD MORNING, BEGIN.

MORNING. MY NAME IS SALLY RAGONUT.

I'M THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE MERCED COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD.

I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.

IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BRING YOU A SHORT PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY NINETEEN, TWENTY TWENTY.

NEXT. MERCED COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD MISSION STATEMENT IS MISSION OF THE MERCED COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD IS TO ENSURE THAT THE AGENCY PROVIDES INTEGRATED, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES THAT PROMOTE WELLNESS AND RECOVERY.

OUR CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, AS WELL AS OUR VISION STATEMENT, ARE FOUND ON PAGE THREE OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT.

NEXT. OK, OUR MEMBERSHIP.

FIRST, I WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR LOR AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA FOR BEING OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REPRESENTATIVES.

IN DISTRICT ONE, VIRGINIA VEGA, IRIS MOJICA DE TATUM AND BRIAN PENA ARE OUR BOARD MEMBERS FROM EL NIDO, LIVINGSTON, LA GRAND AND PLANADA.

IN DISTRICT TWO MARY ELLIS AND VINCE RAMOS REPRESENT MERCED.

IN DISTRICT THREE, KENG CHA AND SALLY RAGONUT REPRESENT ATWATER AND THE BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN AREA.

IN DISTRICT FOUR BRUCE METCALF, VICKI HUMBLE AND ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER THAT WE FORGOT TO ADD IS ZACHARY RAMOS.

HE JOINED THE BOARD IN APRIL.

THEY REPRESENT DELHI, GUSTINE HILMAR AND SNELLING.

IN DISTRICT FIVE EMIL ERRECA REPRESENTS DOS PALOS, LOS BANOS AND SANTA NELLA.

OUR MEMBERS AT LARGE ARE KIM CARTER, MICKI ARCHULETA AND PAULA MASON.

[01:05:02]

THE BOARD SHOULD CONSIST OF 10 TO 15 MEMBERS.

AND AS OF JUNE 2020, WE DID HAVE 15 MEMBERS.

WE ARE TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE CLIENT POPULATION IN THE COUNTY TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.

50 PERCENT OF THE BOARD MEMBERSHIP SHALL BE CONSUMERS OR THE PARENTS, SPOUSES, SIBLINGS OR ADULT CHILDREN OF CONSUMERS WHO ARE RECEIVING OR HAVE RECEIVED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

THE BOARD SERVES IN AN ADVISORY ROLE TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE AND SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE COUNTY GOVERNING BODY, WHICH MUST INCLUDE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD IS TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE COMMUNITY'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, SERVICES, FACILITIES AND SPECIAL PROBLEMS. THIS INCLUDES THE USAGE OF A DATA NOTEBOOK, WHICH HELPS BOTH LOCAL AND STATE COUNCILS TO COMMUNICATE PERFORMANCE OUTCOME MEASURES.

WE ALSO CONDUCT PUBLIC MEETINGS AS WELL AS PUBLIC HEARINGS.

NEXT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT, THE ANNUAL REPORT, IS TO PROVIDE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS A SUMMARY OF THE BEHAVIOR HEALTH ADVISORY BOARDS FISCAL YEAR 19, 20 GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, A REVIEW OF THE 2019 DATA NOTEBOOK AND FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE GOALS AND ACTIVITIES. NEXT.

OUR TOP FISCAL, THE TOP FISCAL YEAR TWENTY NINETEEN, TWENTY TWENTY GOALS WERE TO ESTABLISH PRACTICES FOR BOARD DEVELOPMENT AND ONBOARDING, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE DRUG MEDICAL PROGRAMS. TO FOCUS ON HOW SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS CLIENTS.

AND WE DO THIS THROUGH UPDATES ON OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS UPDATES ON THE NAVIGATION CENTER.

ANOTHER GOAL IS OVERALL AGENCY UPDATES, AND WE RECEIVED A LOT OF INFORMATION ON STAFF RATIOS LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS DISCUSSING THE NEED FOR PSYCHIATRISTS.

WE ALSO HOPE TO IMPROVE.

WE HOPE TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR CLIENTS.

AND WE HAVE A BOARD REP WHO ATTENDS MONTHLY QIC MEETINGS.

IN ADDITION TO TRAINING, WE HAD SMALL GROUPS ATTEND ADVISORY BOARD OVERALL PURPOSE TRAINING, ESPECIALLY OUR NEW PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE ONGOING BOARD TRAINING, WHICH HAPPENS DURING OUR BOARD MEETINGS.

NEXT.

SOME UNEXPECTED ACTIVITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY NINETEEN, TWENTY TWENTY.

FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD A TRANSITION BETWEEN DIRECTORS.

WE HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO DIRECTOR OF [INAUDIBLE] BROWN, AND WE WELCOMED OUR NEW DIRECTOR, GENEVIEVE VALENTINE.

WE ALSO FOUND IT AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBUST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

WE DID CHANGE THE HOURS OF MEETING TO ACCOMMODATE PUBLIC AND MEMBER PARTICIPATION.

WE USED TO MEET THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH FROM THREE TO FIVE.

AND AFTER A LOT OF DISCUSSION, WE MOVED OUR TIME TO FOUR P.M.

TO 6:00 P.M. SO THAT THOSE WHO ARE WORKING CAN COME TO OUR MEETINGS.

AND ANOTHER UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY WAS, OF COURSE, THE COVID-19.

THIS HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR CLIENTS AND DEVELOPMENT.

THE WELLNESS CENTERS WERE CLOSED.

THEY HAD TO BEGIN USING TELEMEDICINE AND TELEPSYCHIATRY.

IT MADE OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD MEETINGS ONTO BLUEJEAN.

AND AT FIRST WE HAD CONFERENCE CALLS AND NOW WE ARE ABLE TO USE VIDEO AS WELL.

WE ALSO BEGAN TO USE NEW TECHNOLOGY LIKE SURVEYMONKEY.

NEXT. OUR FISCAL YEAR, TWENTY NINETEEN, TWENTY TWENTY DATA NOTEBOOK.

THREE ITEMS THAT WE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED.

FIRST OF ALL, LOCAL ADULT RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES HERE IN MERCED COUNTY, AS WELL AS REVIEWING AND EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS FOR THE SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL POPULATION, AND TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE CONGREGATE CARE FACILITIES,

[01:10:02]

AND WHAT DID WE LEARN? WE LEARNED THAT MERCED COUNTY OVERALL HAS MADE GREAT EFFORTS OVER THE LAST YEAR TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS FOR THE SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL POPULATION, THE EFFORTS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE, HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY AND OTHER LOCAL AND STATE SUPPORTS.

THIS INCLUDES THE NAVIGATION CENTER, RENOVATION OF A TRANSITIONAL HOUSE FUNDED BY MHSA AND PLANS FOR AN OUTREACH VAN.

WE ALSO LEARNED THAT MERCED COUNTY IS IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL LONG TERM BEDS FOR SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL CLIENTS.

THESE BEDS SHOULD INCLUDE AN INCREASE ON ADULT RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, BOARD AND CARES AND SUPPORTED HOUSING.

IN TWENTY NINETEEN WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF OUR CONSERVED CLIENTS OUT OF COUNTY.

WE ALSO LEARNED THAT MERCED IN 2019 HAD ONE SHORT TERM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR FOSTER YOUTH CONGREGATE CARE FACILITY FOR MALE ONLY.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE WAS WORKING ON CONTRACTING FOR ANOTHER IN COUNTY SHORT TERM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE A FEMALE ONLY FACILITY.

NEXT. THIS YEAR'S GOALS, WE WOULD LIKE TO ESTABLISH A LIST OF BOARD PRIORITIES, AND WE DID BEGIN TO DO THAT ALREADY AND IT IS COMPLETED AS OF JULY 2020.

AND WE DID USE THE SURVEYMONKEY TO DO THAT.

ALSO, WE WANT TO RECEIVE MONTHLY TRAININGS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID HAVE A TRAINING FROM SHARON JONES ON TRAUMA SYMPTOMS CONDUCTED TO COVID-19 AND COPING SKILLS TO HELP.

WE WILL BE RECEIVING TRAINING ON CULTURAL HUMILITY.

AND WE DID GET A TRAINING ON BROWN ACT ONE ZERO ONE.

ANOTHER GOAL WE HAVE IS TO INCREASE BOARD MEMBER PARTICIPATION.

WE WOULD LIKE TO ESTABLISH AND SHARE BOARD ACTION PLAN AND REVIEW COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE DATA AND OUTCOME MEASURES TO HELP MAKE THE SYSTEM BETTER, NEXT.

THIS YEAR'S ACTIVITIES OUR TOP PRIORITY ARE UTILIZING OUR PATIENTS RIGHTS ADVOCATE TO EVALUATE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS THROUGH THE EYES OF THE CLIENTS AND FAMILIES TO DETERMINE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT.

WE WANT TO THANK CHRIS CROUCH, WHO'S GOING TO DO A LOT TO HELP US IN THIS AREA, LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW BEHAVIOR HELP RECOVERY SERVICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK WITH OUR SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL CLIENTS.

AND WE'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AREAS THAT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICE IS DOING WELL. ANOTHER ACTIVITY IS TO DETERMINE ONE RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVEMENT TO OUR DIRECTOR FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.

WE WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD WEBSITE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SUPERVISOR LOR FOR HELPING US TO GET STARTED ON THIS.

WE ARE UPDATING TO ADD THE MEMBERS NAMES, AS WELL AS SUMMARIES ON THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

THANK YOU. WE WOULD LIKE TO ALSO RECEIVE PROGRAM UPDATES ON THE NEW YOUTH CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL BE OPEN THIS MONTH.

THE NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH WE HOPE TO HAVE OPEN IN DECEMBER, AND THE NEW ADULT RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES WHICH ARE OPEN ALREADY.

THEY OPENED IN AUGUST AND THEY ARE FIVE HOMES WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 40 CLIENTS, NEXT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AND I BELIEVE DIRECTOR VALENTINE IS GOING TO HELP ME WITH THIS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU.

NO QUESTION, JUST A SINCERE APPRECIATION TO SALLY AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD FOR THEIR ROLE IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.

AND I WANT TO THANK FORMER DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH YVONNE BROWN AND THEN ALSO CURRENT DIRECTOR VALENTINE FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS.

WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, GOSH, MAYBE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, AND WE ESTABLISHED AN ANNUAL GOAL SETTING PRIORITIES AND WE WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW THAT AND ACCOMPLISH GOALS.

[01:15:04]

AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT BEFORE THIS YEAR, BEFORE LAST YEAR, YOUR ANNUAL REPORT WAS THICKER THAN THIS. AND SO IN WORKING WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD, WE WERE ABLE TO BOIL IT DOWN TO THE KEY POINTS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD.

AND WE'RE IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW.

WE ALSO TRANSITIONED SOME OF OUR STUFF ONLINE.

AND I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GO ON TO OUR WEB PAGE TO SEE SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD IS DOING IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND LOCAL AGENCIES. AND THE LIST OF BOARD MEMBERS THAT YOU SAW ON THE SCREEN, A MAJORITY OF THEM ARE VOLUNTEERS.

AND THIS IS A CALL OUT FOR INTERESTED RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD. WE DO HAVE SOME VACANCIES AND YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE OR YOU CAN CONNECT WITH OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD, EITHER ONE OF OUR COUNTY SUPERVISORS, AND WE WILL GET YOU STARTED ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY AND I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THESE PRACTICES WE PUT IN PLACE WILL REMAIN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT ACHIEVE ALL THE GOALS THAT WE SET OUT TO ACHIEVE.

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

SALLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY SUCCINCT AND THOROUGH.

IT'S HARD TO DO BOTH SOMETIMES.

AND I FEEL LIKE YOU DID THAT TODAY.

SO THANK YOU. AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO JUST KIND OF RECOGNIZE THE SYSTEM WHEN I BECAME THE [INAUDIBLE] SUPERVISOR LOR AS THE PRIMARY MEMBER, AND I'M THE ALTERNATIVE.

AND IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE SHE WAS TRAVELING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. AND SO I SAT IN AS THE PRIMARY MEMBER ON THE MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, FROM THEN TILL TODAY AND I GUESS KUDOS ACTUALLY TO SUPERVISOR LOR AND THE TEAM.

BUT THE WAY THE MEETINGS ARE RUN, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INFORMATION, THE VALUE OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S TRANSFERRED AT THE MEETINGS IS JUST IS REALLY TOP NOTCH.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THREE OF YOU AND, OF COURSE, PAST DIRECTOR BROWN WITH DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE]? THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE ONE JUST QUICK COMMENT IS, IS I DO APPRECIATE IN YOUR GUYS LIST OF ACTIVITIES AND GOALS.

YOU TALK ABOUT TRYING TO, I GUESS, TAKE A LAP ON THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL.

FAR TOO OFTEN WE ONLY FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND I THINK AS A GROUP, IT'S PROBABLY REALLY GOOD FOR YOU TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL AND KIND OF CELEBRATE THOSE A LITTLE BIT AND MORE OF A QUESTION IN THE PRESENTATION IT TALKED THAT THERE'S BETWEEN 15, 10 TO 15 MEMBERS AND YOU CAN SEE THAT DISTRICT FIVE ONLY HAS ONE ON THERE. SO WHAT HAPPENS AND I COUNT THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS [INAUDIBLE] OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNT TOWARD THAT 15, OR IF SOMEBODY COULD ANSWER THAT, BECAUSE I DO HAVE A FEW LURES IN THE WATER, IF YOU WILL, TO TRY TO GET A FEW FOLKS, BUT JUST WANT A CLARIFICATION ON IT. COULD I SPEAK TO THAT? WE HAVE HAD UP TO 17 MEMBERS AT ONE TIME.

AND SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO LIMIT IT TO 15.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT TWO, AND DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FIVE. SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO BRING IN SOME MORE MEMBERS.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU.

I NEVER LET AN OPPORTUNITY PASS WHEN I HAVE TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO DISTRICT THREE.

SO THANK YOU, SALLY, FOR BEING THE CHAIR.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN MIND IN DISTRICT THREE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE BOARD, I PLEASE BRING THEM FORWARD AND WE'LL GET THEM ON THERE.

BUT A GREAT PRESENTATION TODAY.

MUCH APPRECIATED. YOU MAKE DISTRICT THREE VERY PROUD AND LOOK GOOD.

THANK YOU. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A PRETTY SEAMLESS TRANSITION TO THE NEW LEADERSHIP.

AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR LOR? DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YOU WANT TO PUSH THE BUTTON, IT GOES AWAY.

[INAUDIBLE] KEEPS GOING OFF.

THERE IT GOES.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A JOKE ON DISTRICT FIVE AND AND TELL THEM THAT HE'S ONLY ALLOWED

[01:20:03]

BUT SALLY HONESTLY RESPONDED.

EACH DISTRICT HAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE UP TO THREE REPRESENTATIVES.

SO I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO APPLY.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD IS FULL RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE AT LARGE POSITIONS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER FOLKS FOR.

SO PLEASE BRING ON AS MANY APPLICATIONS AS YOU CAN.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MYSELF.

I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.

AND I KNOW THESE ARE HARD TIMES ON EVERYBODY.

SO I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I HAVE TWO VACANCIES IN MY IN MY DISTRICT AND I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO PLEASE APPLY AND WORK WITH, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL TEAM TO HELP OUT OUR COUNTY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S ALL FOR ME AND THANK YOU EVERYONE.

THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS I WANT TO THANK RENEE [INAUDIBLE], WHO IS ACTUALLY DOING TECH SUPPORT WITH SALLY.

SO THANK YOU FOR GOING OVER THERE AND HELPING.

AND I APPRECIATE IT. AND ALSO BRUCE METCALF, WHO WAS ALSO IN THE ROOM FROM OUR ADVISORY BOARD. SO WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD MEMBERS AND SOME REALLY GOOD GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT FROM OUR SUPERVISORS.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. NEXT IS A COVID-19 UPDATE.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, I KNOW.

PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE MICROPHONE, BUT IT'S JUST TOO LOW FOR ME, SO I APOLOGIZE.

OK, GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS REBECCA NANYONJO-KEMP.

[COVID-19 UPDATE]

AND WE'RE HERE FOR WHAT LITERALLY SEEMS TO BE OUR FIFTIETH UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19.

THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING, SOME OF WHICH IS BUT JUST BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION AND FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM OUR PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S THE STATE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SEVERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, WITH RESPECT TO INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE MAY BE CONFUSED ABOUT.

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY THAT.

SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET HERE AS A GROUP, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL UPDATES.

BUT WE DID WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE INFORMATION TODAY PRESENTED SHORT, BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

AS MUCH AS WE'RE TOLD NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE SHORT.

WE KNOW, IN SHORT, IS AROUND AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF.

SO WE'VE KEPT OUR INFORMATION NOT AS DETAILED, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU'LL GET QUITE A BIT FROM THIS PRESENTATION.

HERE WITH ME IS THE STAFF WHO COMPRISE THE DEPARTMENTAL OPERATION CENTER.

YOU'VE ALREADY MET THEM BEFORE, ONE PERSON OR TWO PEOPLE ACTUALLY, THAT DON'T TYPICALLY GET INTRODUCED. WE HAVE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION DIRECTOR HERE, VICKI JONES.

BUT VICKI HAS A NEW STAFF MEMBER THAT SHE'S BROUGHT TO TODAY'S BOARD MEETING, A NEW SUPERVISING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST, NANCY PETERSEN.

AND SHE WILL BE OVERSEEING THE [INAUDIBLE] UNIT.

AND SO WANTING TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND NOT LET IT PASS BY.

AND, OF COURSE, WE'RE HERE WITH DR.

SANDOVAL, WHO'S OUR HEALTH OFFICER.

THE FIRST PART OF THE TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE DATA THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED.

THE ONE THING I'LL JUST SAY FROM A HIGH LEVEL PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THE DATA IS GOING, THE RATES THAT WE'RE SEEING.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ARTIFACT OR KIND OF A SHADOW VARIABLE IS THAT WE DO HAVE THESE UPCOMING NOT JUST SEASONAL ISSUES.

WE'RE ALSO DEALING WITH A SIGNIFICANT RESPIRATORY ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT THIS FIRE SEASON, AS WELL AS WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER.

SO WE KNOW THAT FALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

AND THE FACT THAT OUR NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN ONLY NOW AND WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING THE FALL SEASON REALLY GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF HEARTACHE.

AND I KNOW A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTERSECTING SOCIAL FACTORS THAT ARE ALSO PLAYING INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS COVID EPIDEMIC. SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KRISTYNN, WHO WILL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE DATA, AND THEN I'LL COME BACK UP TO TOUCH ON SOME OTHER HIGH LEVEL ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE AND THEN ENTERTAIN THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

SO THANK YOU.

[01:25:06]

ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING.

AS DR. NANYONJO-KEMP STATED, I'LL BE GIVING THE DATA OVERVIEW PART OF THIS PRESENTATION AND THEN SHE'LL BE COMING BACK UP TO TOUCH ON SOME OTHER UPDATES RELEVANT TO OUR COVID RESPONSE IN THE COUNTY.

OK, SO I'M GOING TO START WITH THE SAME SLIDE THAT I DO EVERY PRESENTATION, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE NOW, AS COMPARED TO THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE.

SO WE WERE HERE ABOUT JUST OVER TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO, AND ACTUALLY HAVE POSITIVE NUMBERS TO REPORT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS REPORTING VERY, VERY LARGE CHANGES IN OUR CASES.

AND THAT, AS BECKY NOTED, IS STARTING TO TREND IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO ON AUGUST TWENTY FIFTH, THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, WE HAD SEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES.

WE AS OF YESTERDAY HAVE EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN, WHICH IS A 13 PERCENT CHANGE, STILL AN INCREASE.

IT STILL KEEPS US IN THAT PURPLE CATEGORY THAT THE STATE TIERS US OUT IN.

I'LL DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A FEW SLIDES.

BUT IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND A MUCH SLOWER RATE OF GROWTH THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING PREVIOUSLY.

AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THIS NEXT COLUMN, WHICH IS OUR PROBABLE ACTIVE.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, OUR ACTIVES NOW ARE NOT ARE NOT CONFIRMED SO THAT WE DEFINE ACTIVE AS ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN REPORTED TO A CASE.

IT'S BEEN REPORTED TO US IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.

ON AUGUST 25TH, THAT NUMBER WAS ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN AS OF YESTERDAY AT SIX HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN, WHICH IS A DECREASE OF SIXTY SEVEN PERCENT.

SO, AGAIN, YOU REALLY CAN SEE HERE THAT WE ARE STARTING TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

ON AUGUST 25TH, WE REPORTED ONE HUNDRED AND SIX FATALITIES.

AS OF YESTERDAY, WE ARE REPORTING ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE FATALITIES.

THAT IS A 22 PERCENT INCREASE.

I MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT WE TEND TO SEE A DECREASE IN CASES AND THEN A DECREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AND THEN LASTLY, A DECREASE IN THE DEATHS.

AND SO THAT IS FOLLOWING THE PATTERN THAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE RIGHT NOW.

SO SPEAKING TO THAT IS THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE HOSPITALIZATIONS OF ANY CASES IN ANY COUNTY.

ON AUGUST TWENTY FIRST WE WERE REPORTING SEVENTY EIGHT RESIDENTS HOSPITALIZED.

AS OF YESTERDAY, THAT NUMBER IS DOWN TO SIXTY FIVE, WHICH IS A 17 PERCENT DECREASE.

OUR EVER HOSPITALIZED IS A RUNNING TALLY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS HAD COVID THAT HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED AT ANY TIME.

THIS DOES TEND TO LAG SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE OFTEN FIND OUT ABOUT HOSPITALIZATIONS WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CASE, WHEN THEY'VE RETURNED HOME, AND THEN WE HEAR THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED A HOSPITALIZATION EVENT.

AND SO ON AUGUST TWENTY FIFTH, WE WERE REPORTING FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE HOSPITALIZATIONS. AND AS OF YESTERDAY, THAT NUMBER IS SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF TWENTY SIX PERCENT.

AND THEN THE LAST METRIC WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND TESTING, IT'S GOING TO COME UP THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO.

AS OF AUGUST TWENTY FIFTH WE HAD REPORTED FORTY THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN TOTAL TESTS.

AS OF YESTERDAY, WE'RE AT FIFTY THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE TOTAL TESTS, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF TWENTY SIX PERCENT.

AND I'LL MENTION WHY TESTING IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.

SO JUST TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO OUR COVID-19 FATALITIES, WE ARE SEEING THAT MOST OF THE FATALITIES REPORTED IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS HAVE BEEN MALE.

SO WE'VE GONE FROM 58 FATALITIES IN MALES TO 75 FATALITIES IN MALES, AND THAT'S AN INCREASE IN TWENTY NINE PERCENT.

BLESS YOU. AND THAT IS EXPECTED.

THAT IS FOLLOWING NATIONAL TRENDS AND NOT ONLY FOR COVID, BUT FOR ALL RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES. MALES JUST TEND TO HAVE MORE SEVERE DISEASE AND BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SEVERE EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.

SO ON AUGUST 25TH, WE WERE REPORTING FIFTY EIGHT FATALITIES, I'M SORRY.

FORTY EIGHT FATALITIES IN FEMALES.

THAT NUMBER IS NOW FIFTY FOUR, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 13 PERCENT.

AND AGAIN, I DO WANT TO JUST POINT OUT THAT WHILE THESE ARE INCREASING, THE PERCENT CHANGE THAT WE'RE REPORTING IS QUITE A BIT SMALLER THAN SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS REPORTS, WHICH IS, AGAIN, DATA GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO MOST OF OUR FATALITIES IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS HAVE BEEN IN THE 65 PLUS AGE GROUP.

[01:30:05]

BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME FATALITIES IN THE SIXTY FOUR AND UNDER GROUP.

ON AUGUST 25TH WE WERE REPORTING THIRTY FIVE.

WE'VE HAD SEVEN ADDITIONAL FATALITIES IN THIS AGE GROUP IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WHICH IS A 17 PERCENT CHANGE.

MOST OF OUR CASE FATALITIES DO OCCUR WITHIN THE COUNTY, BUT AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED OUT OF COUNTY AND SO THEN PASS OUT OF COUNTY AS WELL. IN AUGUST, WE WERE REPORTING SIXTY TWO FATALITIES WITHIN MERCED COUNTY.

NOW THAT'S SEVENTY SIX.

SO UP FOR AN INCREASE OF TWENTY THREE.

OUTSIDE OF MERCED COUNTY, WE HAD FORTY FOUR FATALITIES IN AUGUST AND NOW WE HAVE 53, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 20 PERCENT.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE I MOVE ON THOSE TWO SIDES? NO THANK YOU. OK, SO THIS IS THE COVID CASES IS BY COMMUNITY PER 1000 RESIDENTS SLIDE.

IT'S BEEN UPDATED SO THAT THE DISCUSSION THAT CAME UP AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POPULATION NUMBERS WERE ALIGNED, HAS BEEN FRUITFUL.

AND SO WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THESE NUMBERS DO ALIGN WITH HOW WE'RE ALSO REPORTING THE CASES OUT. SO THE WAY THAT WE'RE REPORTING CASES OUT IS BY ESSENTIALLY MAILING ADDRESS.

SO IF A RESIDENT PUTS, FOR EXAMPLE, MERCED ON THEIR ON THEIR MAILING ADDRESS, THEY'RE GOING TO COUNT AS A MERCED CASE, MERCED COMMUNITY CASE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS MANY.

BUT THERE'S KIND OF A MORE LIKE A SCIENTIFIC REASON IN THAT THE COVID DOESN'T KNOW CITY LIMITS. SO IF YOU'RE TECHNICALLY IN A COUNTY ISLAND, BUT YOU'RE STILL UTILIZING ALL OF THE MERCED CITY RESOURCES AND STORES AND SUCH, SO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

IT DOESN'T MAKE A TON OF SCIENTIFIC SENSE TO MAKE THOSE DESIGNATIONS.

BUT THE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT REASON WAS JUST WORKLOAD, BEING ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHAT IS AND IS NOT IN A CITY LIMIT.

SO ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD OUR INFLUX OF CASES, THAT WAS NOT FEASIBLE.

AND SO THAT IS HOW WE'VE BEEN REPORTING OUT THE CASES BY COMMUNITY.

SO WHAT WE DID FOR THIS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CAPTURED ALSO IN THE POPULATION IS THAT WE ADDED SOME OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS THAT HAVE THOSE MAILING ADDRESSES TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE PART OF.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MCSWAIN IS AN UNINCORPORATED AREA THAT HAS AN ATWATER MAILING ADDRESS.

SO THAT POPULATION WAS ADDED TO THE ATWATER POPULATION FOR THIS.

SO THIS IS NOW CLEANED UP AND READY TO ROLL OUT.

WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DASHBOARD TECHNICAL PEOPLE TO GET THIS ADDED UP ONTO THE DASHBOARD. AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE SOON.

BUT WHAT WE CAN SEE HERE IS JUST THAT LEVINGSTON HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF CASES PER CAP PER 100000 OR I'M SORRY, PER THOUSAND WITH SIXTY ONE.

AND THEN CONSISTENTLY WE'VE SEEN THAT LOS BANOS HAS THE LOWEST NUMBER OF CASES PER CAPITA AT TWENTY FIVE POINT NINE.

AND IF I COULD JUST SAY SOMETHING AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS, IS THAT'S DUE TO A BUSINESS THAT HAS HAD THE MOST CASES AND BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD TO WORK CLOSELY, SO THEY HAD THEY'VE PROBOBLY NO CHOSE OTHERWISE IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND THE COMMUNITY, THEY HAD OUTBREAKS.

SO I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT. YES, OUTBREAKS DEFINITELY LEAD TO INCREASES IN NUMBERS OF CASES WITHIN COMMUNITIES.

OK, SO I'M GOING TO MOVE INTO NOW AN UPDATE ON THE CALIFORNIA BLUEPRINT FOR A SAFER ECONOMY. THIS IS WHAT HAS REPLACED THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST.

SO THIS IS THE TIER SYSTEM.

AND JUST GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE TIER SYSTEM AS WELL AS WHAT OUR STATUS IS IN THIS SYSTEM.

OK, SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS REPLACE THE WATCH LIST OR THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST, IT'S NO LONGER BEING UTILIZED.

AND INSTEAD, THERE ARE THESE FOUR TIERS.

THERE'S PURPLE, RED, ORANGE AND YELLOW.

AND THOSE CORRESPOND TO WIDESPREAD SPREAD OF COVID, WHICH IS PURPLE, SUBSTANTIAL SPREAD OF COVID, WHICH IS THE RED MODERATE SPREAD OF COVID, WHICH IS THE ORANGE, AND THEN MINIMAL SPREAD OF COVID, WHICH IS THE YELLOW.

SO ONE MAJOR CHANGE BETWEEN THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST AND IN THIS FRAMEWORK IS THAT MANY OF THE METRICS THAT WERE ON THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST ARE NO LONGER PART OF THIS FRAMEWORK. SO WHEN I WAS UP HERE BEFORE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST, THERE

[01:35:04]

THERE WAS MORE, MORE METRICS THAT WE HAD TO MEET.

THIS HAS REALLY BEEN SIMPLIFIED DOWN TO TWO.

SO ESSENTIALLY THE TWO METRICS THAT WE'RE TRACKING ON ARE THE CASES PER 100000, WHICH HAS BEEN CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, AND OUR TESTING POSITIVITY RATE, WHICH DOES REMAIN THE SAME AS THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST.

SO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE CASE RATE IS, IS THERE ARE TWO MAIN DIFFERENCES.

FOR THE COUNTY MONITORING LIST, WE WERE LOOKING AT 14 DAYS, THE ACCUMULATION OF CASES OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD PER HUNDRED THOUSAND.

IT'S NOW BEEN CHANGED TO A PER DAY PER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR NO REAL REASON.

JUST THAT WAS DEEMED TO BE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.

SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM.

AND SO THE GOAL IS TO BE AT SEVEN CASES PER HUNDRED THOUSAND PER DAY.

THAT REALLY DOESN'T CHANGE WHAT OUR WHAT OUR GOAL IS.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO HIT ABOUT THAT 20 CASES PER DAY MARK THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HIT THAT I'VE MENTIONED HERE AT THE DYAS QUITE A FEW TIMES.

IT'S JUST BASICALLY LOOKING AT IT BY DAY INSTEAD OF BY A TWO WEEK PERIOD.

BUT OUR GOAL CONTINUES TO REMAIN 20 CASES PER DAY THAT WILL GET US MOVING INTO THE RED TIER. THE TESTING POSITIVITY HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED, AS I MENTIONED.

AND SO THE GOAL IS STILL LESS THAN EIGHT PERCENT ON THAT.

SO THERE'S ONE OTHER FAIRLY MAJOR DIFFERENCE.

TO THE CASE RATE MEASUREMENT, AND THAT IS NOW THAT IT IS ADJUSTED.

AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE STATE ACTUALLY HAS A MODEL THAT YOU BASICALLY CAN GET CREDIT TOWARDS YOUR CASE RATE OR HAVE CREDIT TAKEN AWAY OF YOUR CASE RATE BASED ON A COUPLE OF VARIABLES.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU'RE TESTING IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TESTING.

TESTING IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT NOW BECAUSE WE GET CREDIT FOR HOW MUCH TESTING WE'RE DOING. AND ALTERNATIVELY, WE CAN GET CREDIT TAKEN AWAY IF OUR TESTING NUMBERS FALL.

AND THEN SECONDLY, THEY'LL BE ADJUSTING THIS CASE RATE BASED ON AN EQUITY METRIC THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY OR WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

BUT IT IS STILL BEING FINALIZED.

SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT PART, BUT I WILL SPEAK TO THE TESTING PART AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR NUMBERS. OK, SO THIS IS HOW WE LOOK RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT NOW, MERCED IS IN THE PURPLE TIER, WHICH IS THE WIDESPREAD WORST TIER.

OUR CASES PER DAY ARE ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW NINE POINT NINE.

AND AGAIN, WE WANT THAT NUMBER TO BE UNDER SEVEN.

BUT THIS IS WHY THE TESTING PART MATTERS.

OUR ACTUAL CASES PER DAY RIGHT NOW ARE THIRTEEN POINT EIGHT.

AND SO THAT'S BASED ON JUST OUR RAW DATA, JUST OUR CASES PER DAY WE'RE AT THIRTEEN POINT EIGHT CASES PER DAY PER HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING A VERY SIZABLE ADJUSTMENT IN OUR FAVOR RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE TESTING SO MUCH IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE'RE TESTING ABOVE THE STATE RATE.

SO THAT IS THE CREDIT YOU'RE SEEING.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

THE GOAL IS SEVEN, RIGHT? AND SO RIGHT NOW, JUST OUR RAW DATA, WE'RE ALMOST TWICE THAT GOAL.

BUT WITH THE CREDIT, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TESTING SO MUCH, WE'RE MUCH CLOSER THAN WE WOULD BE. SO THIS IS REALLY WHY TESTING MATTERS BASED ON THIS, THE WAY THAT THE STATE IS MEASURING THIS. AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN OUR TESTING POSITIVITY RATE, WHICH IS PRETTY.

IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD. RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT EIGHT FIVE POINT THREE PERCENT, WHICH PUTS US SOLIDLY WITHIN THE RED TIER.

SO IT'S JUST THOSE CASES PER 100000 THAT WE NEED TO START LOWERING DOWN.

BUT AGAIN, IF WE INCREASE OUR TESTING, WE GET THAT CREDIT THAT CAN BRING THAT DOWN AS WELL. I WILL PAUSE THERE. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA HAS A QUESTION.

THANK YOU, CHAIR. SO YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THE TESTING BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THIS CREDIT THAT YOU GET.

FIRST OFF, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I FOLLOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I STILL JUST THINK THAT IT'S THERE'S ALMOST LIKE THERE'S THIS CONCERTED EFFORT TO JUST MAKE IT SO CONFUSING FOR EVERYBODY THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AND BREATHE IT EVERY DAY THAT CAN UNDERSTAND IT, BECAUSE I CAN TAKE WHAT YOU JUST SHOWED ME AND GAVE ME AND GO AND GIVE THAT AND TRY TO EXPLAIN THAT TO ANY ONE OF MY

[01:40:02]

LET ME START OUT BY SAYING THAT.

BUT IT LEADS TO THE BIGGER QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ONE THAT YOU COULD ANSWER OR DR.

NANYONJO NEEDS TO ANSWER, BUT IS THE TESTING, IT BECOMES MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE STATE STILL HELPS US TO SET UP TO TO PROP UP THESE TESTING SITES.

AND DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION BECAUSE I'VE HEARD NOW THIS IS IN THE PAST AND I KNOW THINGS CHANGE ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THESE CONTRACTS ARE ONLY FOR SO LONG ARE THEY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OR, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IS THE STATE GOING TO START PULLING THE FUNDING AWAY FROM THESE TESTING SITES? DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY ARE THEY GIVING YOU ANY INDICATION AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING WITH THAT? IT DOES STILL CONTINUE TO BE OFFICIALLY MONTH BY MONTH, BUT THE INDICATION IS, IS THAT THEY WILL BE IN PLACE AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.

AND THEN WE'LL SEE.

BUT THAT HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED UP TO THE STATE VERY CLEARLY.

WE'VE RECEIVED A SIZABLE ALLOTMENT IN TERMS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, LABORATORY CAPACITY FUNDING.

BUT IF WE WERE TO HAVE TO TAKE OVER THE STATE FUNDING SITE, THAT MONEY WOULD BE GONE VERY, VERY QUICKLY. SO THE WITHOUT HAVING TO DO WITHOUT ADDRESSING ANY OF THE OTHER NEEDS, YOU KNOW, CONTACT TRACING, CASE INVESTIGATIONS, DATA, ALL OF THAT.

SO THE NEED FOR STATE SUPPORTED TESTING HAS BEEN IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY BRING UP AND TO THAT AND WE DID RECEIVE A FEDERAL STATE PASS THROUGH RESOURCE THAT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS A MOBILE TESTING SITE THAT'S GOING TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL I BELIEVE WE STILL HAVE NINE PLACES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT IT'S GOING TO WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

AND THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE DISSEMINATED ON THAT YESTERDAY.

AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ALL HAVE THAT TO PROMOTE THOSE TESTING SITES WITHIN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, BECAUSE THERE ARE A MOBILE TESTING SITES WITHIN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS. AND THAT'S A ONE OFF RESOURCE TO BE ABLE JUST TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THE MORE HARD TO REACH PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ACCESS TO TESTING.

OK, AND SO TO SPECIFICALLY TO THAT IS, IS WHERE DOES THE TRACKING OF THAT YOU GET OUT INTO SOMETHING LIKE RURAL DOS PALOS THAT THAT BUTTS UP AGAINST FRESNO COUNTY, OR ARE THEY TRACKING THAT, YOU KNOW? OR WE'RE NOT.

AS YOU GUYS SAID EARLIER, THE VIRUS DOESN'T KNOW THE COUNTY LINE.

SO IF SOMEBODY COMES FROM FRESNO COUNTY BECAUSE THEY LIVE, YOU KNOW, JUST RIGHT OUTSIDE DOS PALOS IN FRESNO COUNTY, THEY'RE COMING OVER.

THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO TEST THAT ISN'T A COUNTY SPECIFICALLY.

CORRECT? NO SO, NO LET ME ANSWER THAT IN TWO WAYS.

IT'S NOT COUNTY SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF UTILIZING THE TESTING SITES SO OUR COUNTY RESIDENTS OFTEN GO TO OUT OF COUNTY TO GET TESTED.

THAT'S FINE. OTHER COUNTY RESIDENTS COME HERE TO GET TESTED.

THAT'S ALSO FINE.

IN TERMS OF OUR NUMBERS AND WHO COUNTS IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH TESTING WE ARE DOING.

WE GET CREDIT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, NOT NECESSARILY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE TEST WITHIN OUR COUNTY. SO THAT BOTH HURTS IF COUNTY PEOPLE OUT OF COUNTY COME IN TO TEST OUR SITES, BUT IT ALSO HELPS US FOR OUR COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT GO OUT OF COUNTY.

SO IT ENDS UP BEING KIND OF A WASH. AND THEN THIS IS THE LAST [INAUDIBLE], IT SEEMS, THAT THERE'S AN INCENTIVE TO BE TESTED.

BUT I JUST KNOW JUST FOLLOWING A FACEBOOK POST HERE A WHILE BACK WHERE THE SITE IN LAS BANOS WAS OPENED AND THE PERSON THAT WENT AND GOT TESTED BASICALLY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, NOR DID THEY THINK THEY WERE EXPOSED, BUT THEY JUST THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THEY WANT TO GO GET TESTED.

IS IS THAT THE BEST USE OF OUR RESOURCE? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT IS I GUESS WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH'S MESSAGE? EVERYBODY SHOULD GO GET TESTED.

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED OR YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF SYMPTOMS, YOU SHOULD GO GET TESTED. AND THAT BEING SAID, IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE MORE TESTING WE DO, IT KIND OF HELPS OUR NUMBERS OUT. SO I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS, IS WHAT DO I PASS OUT? WHAT DO I SEND OUT TO MY CONSTITUENTS? WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO I SEND OUT TO THEM? SURE. IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO TESTING, KIND OF LIKE WITH ANYTHING ELSE, THERE'S THERE'S TIERS OF PEOPLE WHO DEFINITELY SHOULD GET TESTED AND THEN ON DOWN.

AND THEN HOW MANY PEOPLE WITHIN THOSE TIER SYSTEMS THAT WE RECOMMEND GET TESTED AT A GIVEN TIME DEPENDS ON OUR RESOURCES.

RIGHT NOW, OUR RESOURCES ARE IN ABUNDANCE.

WE HAVE MORE SUPPLY THAN WE HAVE DEMAND.

AND SO WE'RE OPENING UP MORE OF THOSE TIERS.

SO ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY WHO IS SYMPTOMATIC SHOULD GET TESTED.

AND THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY HOW MANY RESOURCES WE HAVE.

IF YOU'VE HAD A CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO IS KNOWN COVID POSITIVE, YOU SHOULD GET TESTED.

AND AGAIN, THAT TENDS TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD UNLESS WE'RE IN A VERY, VERY DIRE RESOURCE

[01:45:01]

ONE THING THAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND OUT THAT THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED AND THEN GET TESTED THAT SAME DAY.

IF YOU'RE ASYMPTOMATIC, THAT MAY BE TOO SOON.

SO IF YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH COVID, YOU WANT TO WAIT AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS, ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT EXPOSURE TO GO GET TESTED SO THAT YOU'RE MAKING SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE MOST ACCURATE TEST RESULT.

SO THOSE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE SHOULD GO GET TESTED NO MATTER WHAT.

BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HIGH RISK, SO 65 OR OLDER, HAVE AN UNDERLYING CONDITION, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO GET TESTED JUST FOR BASIC SURVEILLANCE PURPOSES, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN UNKNOWINGLY EXPOSED EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SO THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A SURVEILLANCE TYPE TESTING.

AND AT THIS TIME, WE DO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THAT.

WE ALSO RECOMMEND OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

SO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, OUR GROCERY STORE PROFESSIONALS, ANYBODY WHO'S OUT IN THE WORLD INTERACTING, WORKING, EXPOSED A LOT TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, SAME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO GET TESTED FOR SURVEILLANCE PURPOSES EVERY TWO WEEKS.

OK, AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT IS AGAIN, THAT WOULD EVERY ONE OF THOSE TESTS GOES TO OUR OVERALL AMOUNT OF TESTS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOR.

SO IF I TAKE 10 TESTS OVER THE COURSE OF THREE MONTHS THAT THOSE 10 TESTS SHOW UP IN THAT OVERALL TESTING NUMBER, CORRECT? YES. CURRENTLY, THAT IS HOW THE STATE CALCULATES OUR TESTING POSITIVITY RATE.

OK, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU CHAIR.

A LOT OF THE ANSWERS WERE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE WEST SIDE, WHO HE CLAIMS IS THE BEST SIDE. AND BY THE NUMBERS, I GUESS MAYBE HE IS CORRECT, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO THIS. BUT WE LOOK AT OUR MESSAGING OUT THERE IS TO GET TESTED IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS. AND SO I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL INSTEAD OF HALF EMPTY.

SO WE'RE REPORTING AND TESTING POSITIVE RATE OF FIVE POINT THREE PERCENT, BUT YET NINETY SEVEN POINT NINETY I WROTE IT DOWN HERE, NINETY FOUR POINT SEVEN PERCENT WHO THINK THEY HAVE THE VIRUS ACTUALLY DON'T AS THEY'RE GETTING TESTED.

SO I'M NOT I'M JUST THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT.

BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE OUR MESSAGING, IF WE WANT TO BEAT THIS, BECAUSE I LISTEN TO A RADIO STATION EVERY DAY OUT OF LOS ANGELES AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF THESE MOBILE TESTING AND THEY'RE ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO TEST ALL THE TIME SO THEY CAN GET THEIR NUMBERS DOWN. SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF EVERYBODY START TESTING SO WE GET OUR NUMBERS DOWN, BECAUSE IF WE TEST IN MASS QUANTITIES, I THINK THE WAY THE OTHER PEOPLE WOULD, OUR NUMBERS WOULD BE GOING A LOT FURTHER DOWN.

YEAH. AM I WRONG TO ASSUME THAT? NO, I THINK THAT THAT'S AN ACCURATE ASSUMPTION.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY A IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER FOR US TO GET THIS CREDIT BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS NOW.

RIGHT? EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IF YOU TEST MORE AND YOU'RE ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE, THEN YOU GET THIS CREDIT. SO EVERYONE IS TRYING TO BUMP UP THEIR TESTING NUMBERS.

SO, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE IN A 58 COUNTY COMPETITION.

YES. FOR IT TO INCREASE OUR TESTING NUMBERS, AND I ALSO WILL SAY, YES, IT IS A HUGE PART OF THIS, IS THAT THERE'S THE DATA COMPONENT AND BEING ABLE TO BRING OUR TIERS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, AND OUR CASES TO A CERTAIN LEVEL.

BUT WE DO KNOW THAT ASYMPTOMATIC SPREAD HAS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT ISSUES IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IN OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE.

SO BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED AND INFECTIOUS AND DON'T THINK THEY ARE HAS HUGE BENEFIT IN ACTUALLY SLOWING THE SPREAD IS WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND QUARANTINE THEM, GET THEIR CONTACTS, GET THOSE CONTACTS TESTED MORE RAPIDLY BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

SO, YES, IT IS PARTIALLY A NUMBERS GAME IN TERMS OF THE TESTING COMPONENT, BUT IT ALSO REALLY DOES HELP US ON THE BACK END FOR THE CASE INVESTIGATION CONTACT TRACING PART TO REALLY MAKE THE SPREAD LESS.

WELL, THANK YOU. MAYBE IN THAT CASE, I DID INVITE OUR CEO AND OUR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER TO JOIN ME AND WE GO GET TESTED.

IT'S NOT THAT BAD. IT'S THE TICKLE ONE NOW.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THAT'S IT. YOU CAN CONTINUE.

OK, SO ONE THING THAT THE STATE HAS DONE AS THEY'VE MOVED INTO THIS TIER FRAMEWORK IS THEY VASTLY HAVE IMPROVED THEIR WEBSITE.

SO THIS WEBSITE LINK HERE, COVID19.CA.GOV/SAFER-ECONOMY/ IS MUCH EASIER AND MORE INTUITIVE AND EASIER TO USE AT THIS POINT.

[01:50:02]

PREVIOUSLY WE HAD CREATED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS ON OUR REOPENED MERCED COUNTY WEBSITE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T REALLY EXIST ON THE STATE LEVEL.

NOW IT DOES.

AND SO IT IS KIND OF A ONE STOP SHOP FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE GUIDANCES DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE. YOU ALSO CAN DO IT IN THE REVERSE AND LOOK UP BY BUSINESS AND SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENT TIERS LOOK LIKE BASED ON THE DIFFERENT COUNTY TIER COLORS.

THERE IS ONE MORE QUESTION. YEAH, AND I DID HAVE ONE BECAUSE I'VE DIRECTED A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND NOT SO MUCH JUST FOR THE BUSINESSES.

THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT OUR STATUS WAS BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A LAG.

WE REPORT ON OUR WEBSITE BECAUSE OURS IS REAL TIME AND WE LOOK WELL ALMOST CLOSER TO REAL TIME THAN THE STATES AND WE LOOK GOOD MOVING FORWARD.

BUT THEN WHEN THEY GO TO THE STATE WEBSITE, THERE'S NO WHERE TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THEY JUST HAVE US IN A COLOR.

THEY DON'T TELL US WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO ACCESS THAT OR DO WE TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT? YOU KIND OF HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

BUT THE DASHBOARD IS THE DASHBOARD IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THAT.

THAT'S WHAT I. HAVE TRENDING DATA ON THEM.

BUT WE DO TRY TO PUT THAT DATA ON OUR DASHBOARD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND I ALSO WILL SAY THAT THE STATE NOW ONLY UPDATES COUNTY STATUSES ONCE PER WEEK.

AND ALL OF THE LAG THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE DATA THAT THEY DO BEFORE A SEVEN DAY LAG, SEVEN DAY TEST POSITIVITY.

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT 14 DAYS BACK IS STILL TRUE.

SO THE DATA THAT THEY ARE REPORTING IS QUITE A BIT OLDER THAN WHAT WE REPORT ON OUR DASHBOARD. SO OUR DASHBOARD IS KIND OF ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE LOOKING LIKE IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GETTING THERE.

OK, SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THE DATA.

SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE I MOVE ON? NO, I DON'T THINK SO. THANK YOU.

OK, GREAT. SO I'M ALWAYS THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS.

SO FOR ONCE, I WANTED TO ACTUALLY BE THE BEARER OF GOOD NEWS, AND THAT IS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE OFFICIALLY APPROVED OUR FIRST ROUND OF SCHOOL WAIVERS FOR A SMALL SUBSET OF MERCED COUNTY SCHOOLS, 10 SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING FOR K THROUGH SIX. THAT APPROVAL CAME THROUGH YESTERDAY.

SO WE'VE HAD THE DOCUMENTATION FROM THESE SCHOOLS SINCE AUGUST.

WE JUST HIT THE THRESHOLD BY WHICH OUR DATA WAS ENOUGH THAT WE WERE ABLE TO START APPROVING THEM. SO WE HIT THAT THRESHOLD.

ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, DR.

SANDOVAL APPROVED THE FIRST ROUND OF WAIVERS ON SEPTEMBER 10TH.

WE SUBMITTED THEM TO THE STATE ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, AND THEY GOT BACK TO US WITH THEIR AGREEMENT YESTERDAY.

AND SO WE'VE ALERTED THAT THOSE 10 SCHOOLS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO REOPEN, IT'S A MIX BETWEEN SOME OF OUR SMALLER PUBLIC DISTRICTS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, SMALLER PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO MORE SCHOOLS IN ONE DISTRICT THAT WAS SUBMITTED YESTERDAY.

AND SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO HEAR BACK ABOUT IT WAS ABOUT A THREE DAY TURNAROUND TIME, WHICH IS GREAT, MUCH FASTER THAN MOST THINGS THAT GO TO THE STATE FOR APPROVAL.

SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.

AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROCESS TO APPROVE THOSE PLANS TO ALLOW SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST WITH DISTANCE LEARNING BACK INTO THE SCHOOL. ANY QUESTIONS ON SCHOOL WAIVERS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA HAS A QUESTION.

YES, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.

I KNOW THIS ONE. THIS ONE IS, I WAS GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM SCHOOLS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY. NOT ONLY STUFF IN MY DISTRICT, I KNOW THIS IS STUFF THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

SO, DR. SANDOVAL, THANK YOU.

AND I'M GOING TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

I DIDN'T SUSPECT THAT THE STATE WAS GOING TO GET BACK TO US THAT FAST.

I GOT TEXT MESSAGES YESTERDAY AFTERNOON SAYING THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED THAT THE STATE APPROVED [INAUDIBLE] WHEN I HAD GIVEN THEM MY TIMELINE, THAT I TOLD THEM THEY COULDN'T HOLD ME TO BECAUSE IT WAS THE STATE.

I DIDN'T SUSPECT THAT THEY WOULD GET ANSWERS BACK UNTIL MID TO LATER PART OF THE WEEK.

AND SO I GIVE CREDIT TO THE STATE FOR GETTING THESE DEALS TURNED AROUND BECAUSE THERE WAS THERE IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF LAG TIME FOR I MEAN, I KNOW SPECIFICALLY THE SCHOOL IN LAS BANOS, THEY FEEL LIKE BY MONDAY THEY'LL BE UP AND READY TO BE OPEN.

SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT.

THEY KNOW THAT THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WE ARE ALL GETTING A LOT OF PRESSURE UNDER.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE FAST HARD WORK ON THAT.

[01:55:02]

NO, THIS IS GREAT. THIS IS GREAT NEWS.

ABSOLUTELY. BUT I SEE THAT SO TEN SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST ROUND WERE APPROVED.

SO THE QUESTION IN MY MIND IS HOW COME NOT ALL THE K-SIX SCHOOLS, HOW COME THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT APPROVALS? DO YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER OR IF YOU DON'T, THAT'S FINE, BECAUSE I TEND TO THROW A LOT OF QUESTIONS LIKE THAT.

BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY EVERY K-SIX, BECAUSE HEARING OF THE PARENTS AND THE KIDS AND THE CHALLENGES THEY HAVE, I WOULD THINK THAT EVERY SCHOOL WOULD HAVE SUBMITTED.

SO I THINK THAT THE REASON IS THAT THE SCHOOL WAIVER DOES HAVE MORE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS THAN A FULL SCHOOL REOPEN, THE BIGGEST OF WHICH IS THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING FULL SCHOOL REOPEN IN JUNE AND BEFORE OUR CASES WENT HAYWIRE, WE WERE ALLOWING FOR THREE TO SIX FEET SOCIAL DISTANCING IN COHORT'S.

THE WAIVER PROCESS DOES NOT ALLOW THAT FLEXIBILITY.

SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE SIX FEET DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR KIDS AND YOUR IN THE COHORTS.

AND FOR SOME OF THE LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THEY HAVE THAT'S A HARDER HURDLE.

AND SO THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN THAT HAVE SUBMITTED TO US HAVE BEEN OUR SMALLER DISTRICTS LIKE PLAINSBURG, MERCED RIVER, EL NIDO, SNELLING AS OPPOSED TO SOME OF OUR LARGER DISTRICTS. BUT I DO AND LA GRANT.

BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE LARGER DISTRICTS ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

IT'S JUST TAKING THEM A BIT LONGER TO WORK OUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.

PERFECT. YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. CAN YOU, BECAUSE WHEN I'VE SHARED WITH FOLKS THAT THAT THE WAIVERS WERE GRANTED, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION IS, WELL, WHY NOT SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE? CAN YOU JUST SHARE WITH THAT THOUGHT PROCESS? YEP, IT'S TWO FOLD.

SO RESEARCH SHOWS THAT REALLY THE CUTOFF BETWEEN WHEN IN TERMS OF INFECTIVITY, A CHILD BECOMES CLOSER TO IT, AN ADULT THAN A CHILD IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO PASS COVID BACK AND FORTH IS RIGHT AROUND TEN, TEN IS THAT CUT OFF YEAR.

AND THEN THE SECOND PART IS THAT SIX AND UNDER ARE WHERE THE BIGGEST CHILD CARE ISSUES ARE. SO ISSUES WITH SOCIAL, WITH DISTANCE LEARNING, BASICALLY THEY HAVE A HARDER TIME DISTANCE LEARNING. THERE ARE SUPERVISION ISSUES FOR KIDS OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT IT'S KIND OF A RISK REWARD, THAT IT'S RIGHT ON THAT BUBBLE OF WHEN THE KIDS START TO BECOME MORE INFECTIOUS AND MORE ABLE TO BRING COVID BACK TO THEIR FAMILY AT A HIGHER RATE.

AND THEY'RE THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH DISTANCE LEARNING.

[INAUDIBLE] YEAH.

OK, SO THAT CONCLUDES MY SECTION AND THEN I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO DR.

NANYONJO-KEMPFOR AN UPDATE ON FOSTER FARMS. OK, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, AND ALL, I AM BACK TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON FOSTER FARMS AS WELL AS SOME OTHER INFORMATION, BUT KRISTYNN HAD ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT WITH RESPECT TO TESTING. AND I DID WANT TO, I GUESS, JUST KIND OF GO BEYOND, LIKE THE SCIENTIFIC REASONING AS TO WHOM SHOULD BE TESTED AND WHEN EVERYONE SHOULD GET A TEST.

EVERYONE SHOULD GET A TEST.

WE HAVE THE SURPLUS THERE.

WE HAVE THE CAPACITY.

WHAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO WAS GROUPS OF PRIORITIES OR PRIORITY GROUPS.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.

IF YOU RECALL THE FIRST THREE OR SO BOARD MEETINGS, WE SAID THE CDC'S HIGHEST PRIORITY GROUP IS NOW THIS GROUP, YOU KNOW, 65 OR OLDER, THOSE WHO ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

BUT AS TIME GOES ON, IT'S REALLY, REALLY I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A BASELINE BY GOING TO GET YOURSELF TESTED.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, I MEAN, EVEN EVEN THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN HEALTH CARE LIKE THAT, THERE IS NO NEED. AND I AM ACTUALLY HAPPY THAT THERE IS A CREDIT THAT'S GIVEN AND THAT CREDIT IS GOING TO BE EXPENDED ON FURTHER.

WE WERE ON A STATE CALL THIS PAST WEEKEND.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT I GUESS JURISDICTIONS SUCH AS OURS, SUCH AS OURS, WHERE WE HAVE LARGE NUMBERS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF POPULATIONS THAT ARE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR ANYWHERE IN THE DATA. SO PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TARGET THEIR OUTREACH OR INTERVENTION EFFORTS.

WE HAVE THOSE GROUPS IN MERCED COUNTY.

WE HAVE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS.

WE HAVE LARGE, DISCONNECTED COMMUNITIES.

[02:00:01]

THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY MAKE THINGS BETTER.

SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TESTING.

YOU KNOW, WE HEAR OFTEN OF ONE OR TWO PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO HUNDREDS OF CASES.

AND I DON'T KNOW I HAD IT, IT'S LIKE DRUNK DRIVERS.

THEY'RE LIKE, I KILLED PEOPLE? YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS ONE TO SPREAD WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS, BUT THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH A LOT OF THESE CARRIERS WHO OTHERWISE DO NOT KNOW. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION, I THINK DR.

SANDOVAL WOULD AGREE, IS THE MORE THAT'S TEST, THE MORE TESTED, THE MERRIER, THE BETTER THE BETTER PORTRAIT THAT WE HAVE OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE HERE IN MERCED COUNTY.

A QUESTION CAME UP WHEN WE WERE DOING A MEDIA RELEASE ON HOW OFTEN TO GET TESTED.

AND THANK YOU, KRISTYNN, FOR RESPONDING TO THAT.

WHEN YOU GET TESTED ONCE IN MARCH, THAT DOESN'T COUNT FOR WHERE WE ARE IN SEPTEMBER.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET YOURSELF TESTED WITH SOME FREQUENCY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR STATUS IS. AND SO I DID WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT AND REALLY AM NOT ONLY ENCOURAGING YOU, BUT ASKING THAT WHAT YOU SHARE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS AUGMENTS THE MESSAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DELIVER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

WE'RE DOING OUR BEST WITH KEEPING UP.

YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO THE TEAM FOR HAVING TO DO SOME LAST MINUTE REQUIREMENTS JUST TO GET OUR MOBILE TEST SITE UP AND RUNNING.

WE HAVE IT WE HAVE IT AS AN ADVANTAGE.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT EXPANDING ON THAT.

BUT WE NEED HELP IN REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE CONSTITUENTS WE'RE RELYING ON TO GET THOSE TESTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR AVAILABILITY.

AND SO WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO FORTIFY AND STRENGTHEN THAT MESSAGE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, I WILL GO INTO THE FOSTER FARMS UPDATE.

I DO WANT TO START OFF BEFORE GOING INTO WHAT TOOK PLACE WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

THERE'S BEEN A RANGE OF CONFUSION FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONSTITUENTS TO SOME OF OUR STATE AGENCIES ON THE HEELS OF THIS, RECOGNIZING THAT WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE PARTNERSHIPS, ESPECIALLY FOR WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS AND THE CONTRIBUTORS OF THAT, I THINK THERE WAS A MARK THAT WAS MISSED IN REALLY PROVIDING UP TO DATE INFORMATION TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

AND SO MOVING FORWARD, COMMUNICATION FOR TODAY'S BOARD MEETING SEEMS TO BE THE THEME.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE PUSHING HARDER ON AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OUT OF RESPECT AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T A MUDSLINGING CONTEST AS A RESULT OF THIS. I THINK SOMEWHERE WE FORGOT THAT A PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER AND THERE ARE NO FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND THERE IS NO INTENTION OR THERE IS NO BAD BLOOD.

AND AGAIN, THAT BECAME SOMEWHAT OF THE NARRATIVE.

AND IN THE MIDST OF THAT, OUT OF RESPECT, WE LOOK LIKE WE WERE CONCEALING INFORMATION THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT WHATSOEVER.

AND SO AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY WHAT TOOK PLACE WITH FOSTER FARMS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SITTED HERE IN THE BOARD CHAMBERS, GOING TO GO THROUGH A TIMELINE, SOME OF WHICH IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED ON THESE SLIDES, OTHERS NOT.

BUT THAT'S HOW WE'LL CONCLUDE TODAY'S CONVERSATION.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER EACH SLIDE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AT ANY GIVEN TIME. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO START WITH THE THE NUMBER OR HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE WERE, WHAT TOOK PLACE, WHAT IS FOSTER FARMS? HOW DID WE GET INVOLVED? SO FOSTER FARMS POULTRY IS LOCATED IN LIVINGSTON, CALIFORNIA, WITH ON THE SIDE OF THE COMPLEX OF THE FOSTER FARMS COMPLEX.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT EXIST WITHIN THERE.

I MEAN, JUST WALKING THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS, IT'S QUITE LARGE, THERE'S QUITE MANY DIVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS, THE BULK OF THE WORKERS WERE IDENTIFIED AS BEING IN LIVINGSTON PLANT. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY SIXTEEN HUNDRED, AND THAT WAS THE SITE OF A MAJOR OUTBREAK, THE MAJOR OUTBREAK, WHICH I'LL GET TO SHORTLY.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT DEPARTMENT, THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON THE COMPLEX WHICH INCLUDE THE DELI PLANT.

THERE ARE TWO DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, A RENDERING PLANT, A TRANSPORTATION BUILDING AND A TRUCK SHOP. THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THIS IS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MONITOR AN OUTBREAK OR WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN A LARGE, LARGE FACILITY, UNLESS YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF HOW THAT FACILITY ACTUALLY CONNECTS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE THESE CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS AND SHARED AIRSPACE AND ALL OF THAT.

IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY WHAT INTERVENTION BASED MEASURES YOU SHOULD HAVE, ESPECIALLY FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.

SO LET'S CONTINUE ON.

SO THERE'S ALSO A TRUCK SHOP AS WELL.

SOMETIME EARLY BEFORE I GET TO THAT ONE, SOMETIME EARLY IN MAY, I BELIEVE WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A FEW APRIL.

I THINK IT WAS AS FAR BACK AS APRIL THAT WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A COUPLE OF CASES.

THERE WAS NOT AN OUTBREAK DECLARED AT THE FOSTER FARMS FACILITY UNTIL SOMEWHERE AROUND JUNE. JUNE TWENTY NINTH WHEN THERE WAS A SITE INSPECTION THAT WAS DONE BY DR.

SANDOVAL, KRISTYNN SULLIVAN AND A COUPLE OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHO WENT OUT TO THE FACILITY, GOT A LAY OF THE LAND, ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY

[02:05:02]

AND THAT WAS WHEN AN OUTBREAK WAS DECLARED, WHICH, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THREE OR MORE CASES WITHIN THE SAME FACILITY.

AT THAT TIME, THE NUMBERS WERE LOW.

THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT A CASE OR TWO COMING IN BASED ON THE SURVEILLANCE SITE OR THE SURVEILLANCE LIST THAT WE ASKED FOR THEM TO PROVIDE WEEKLY SO WE COULD KEEP AN EYE ON IT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE, I MEAN, VIRUSES AND DISEASE LOOK AT THEM AS OPPORTUNITIES, THEIR GIFTS TO THEM LIKE, OH, MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO, WHAT HAVOC I CAN WREAK. AND SO REALLY, IT WAS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO CONTINUE HAVING SHARED DISCUSSION. SO ON JUNE TWENTY NINE, PUBLIC HEALTH PERFORMED ITS FIRST SITE VISIT AND AT THAT TIME MADE TESTING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS.

THAT SAME DATE, JUNE TWENTY NINTH, AN OUTBREAK WAS DECLARED AT THE LIVINGSTON PLANT, WHICH AGAIN IS WHERE THE BULK OF THE WORKERS OR THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKERS ACTUALLY WORK. IN JULY, THERE WAS A MEETING BETWEEN MERCED COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOSTER FARMS SENIOR LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS THE NEED FOR EXPANDED TESTING.

SO NOT PASSIVE TESTING WHERE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THEMSELVES TESTED, PERHAPS BRING IN A SLIP SAYING, OH, I TESTED POSITIVE FOR THIS, BUT ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR IT BECAUSE WE STARTED TO SEE, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE NUMBERS START TO BLOSSOM AND JUST REALLY GET TO A PLACE THAT WAS ALMOST CONSIDERED UNCONTROLLABLE.

BUT AT THAT TIME, WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO PARTNER WITH THEM.

AND I IDENTIFIED WHAT WE COULD DO EVEN IF WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT PIECE BY PIECE.

SO FOSTER FARMS TESTED AND THEY DID CONDUCTED LIMITED TESTING OF INDIVIDUALS ON THE LINE FROM THE TESTS THAT WERE CONDUCTED AT THAT TIME.

AGAIN, THIS IS IN JULY.

SO A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK, THERE WAS A 40 PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE.

SO IN FRACTIONS, TWO OUT OF EVERY FIVE, FOUR OUT OF EVERY 10 INDIVIDUALS WAS COMING BACK AT BEING REPORTED AS POSITIVE.

THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN.

IF WE GO BACK A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO WHAT KRISTYNN WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, OUR COUNTYWIDE POSITIVITY RATE IS FIVE POINT THREE PERCENT.

SO WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THAT FACILITY WAS EIGHT TIMES WHAT OUR CURRENT POSITIVITY RATE IS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

SO THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN.

AT THAT TIME IN JULY, THERE WERE TWO FATALITIES AND A LITTLE OVER TWO HUNDRED CASES THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO US.

THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION AND I WAS A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION MAKING SURE THAT THERE WAS AN ONGOING EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY AS THEY PERTAINED TO FATALITIES, BECAUSE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE START TO SEE IT IN THE CASES THAT WE SEE IN THE HOSPITALIZATIONS, THEN WE SEE IT IN THE DEATHS.

SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE TOTAL PORTRAIT OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE INVESTIGATING FROM AN OUTBREAK PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU HAVE FATALITIES AND A LARGE NUMBER OF CASES, YOU HAVE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PUZZLE PIECE OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN OUTCOME VARIABLE.

EVERYTHING ELSE THAT FEEDS INTO THAT, WE NEED TO CONTROL FOR NOW.

AND THAT'S HOW WE LOOKED AT IT.

SO THAT MEETING WAS HELD ON JULY 13TH.

JULY, JUNE 29TH, WHEN WE ACTUALLY CONDUCTED THE PUBLIC HEALTH SITE VISIT.

THERE WERE MUCH FEWER CASES THAN WHAT WE FOUND OUT.

LET ME DELAY THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT.

BUT JULY 13TH, FOLLOWING THAT MEETING, WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO PROBABLY MEET WITH MORE FREQUENCY AND START TO INVOLVE THE STATE FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND SO AT THAT TIME. DOCTORS BOB HARRISON AND DOCTOR DR.

CHRISTINE NARMADA WERE SERVED AS OUR POINT CONTACTS WHEN IT CAME TO MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS. DR. BOB HARRISON, WHO ADVISES THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION AND CAME UP WITH THAT SCHEMA FOR CONDUCTING ALL THAT TESTING THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND BOTH OF WHOM ARE PHYSICIANS.

SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE HEALTH OF THE REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO THE HEALTH ORDER BEING PROVIDED TO FOSTER FARMS, THERE WERE TWO HEALTH DIRECTIVES THAT WERE FURNISHED TO THEM, ONE OF WHICH WAS ON AUGUST 5TH AND AUGUST 11TH.

AND I WON'T GO INTO TOO MANY SPECIFICS, BUT THROUGHOUT THE BOTH OF THOSE DIRECTIVES, THEY WERE ADVISED AGAIN TO CONDUCT MASS TESTING, SURVEILLANCE TESTING.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET A TURNAROUND TIME THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COHESIVE AND NOT RELY ON PEOPLE SELF REPORTING AND NOT REALLY BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW UP BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS THAT WE NEED TO EVALUATE IT.

AND SO THAT ALL TOOK PLACE AUGUST 5TH, AUGUST 11TH, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT POINT, AUGUST 11 THROUGH THE 15TH.

WHAT DATE WAS THAT? AUGUST 14TH.

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING.

KRISTYNN CALLED TO ADVISE THAT WE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THE FATALITIES THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND IT WAS ON THAT DAY THAT WHAT WAS ASSUMED TO BE TWO FATALITIES WAS ACTUALLY EIGHT FATALITIES OR SEVEN AT THAT TIME.

THERE WAS AN EIGHTH FORTHCOMING, UNFORTUNATELY.

AND AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE FROM APRIL OR MAY TO WHERE WE WERE NOW, THE DECISION WAS MADE.

WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CLOSURE.

THIS IS SIGNIFICANT.

AND JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST OCCUPATIONAL

[02:10:05]

THIS IS NOT NOT A BIG DEAL.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE DEAL.

SO AT THAT POINT, THE STATE BECAME INVOLVED, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

LUCKILY FOR US, THEY'D BEEN INVOLVED FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

PRIOR TO THAT NOTIFICATION.

ON AUGUST 14TH, IN EARLY AUGUST, PUBLIC HEALTH AND CALOSHA PERFORMED A SITE VISIT.

THIS WAS ON THE HEELS OF THE DEATH NOTIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED ARE MADE JUNE 29TH HAD NOT BEEN PUT INTO PLACE.

AND AGAIN, KNOWING HOW COVID-19 BEHAVES, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A BLOOD PRICK THAT YOU PLACE YOURSELF AT RISK IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE PPE, IF YOU'RE SHARING SPACE, IF YOU'RE TOO CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER, IF YOU'RE TOUCHING THE SAME ITEMS, THE SAME SHARED ITEMS, YOU CAN QUICKLY ACQUIRE THIS.

AND ANYBODY WHO'S FAMILIAR WITH THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES KNOW PEOPLE STAND RELATIVELY CLOSE TOGETHER. IT'S PART OF THE BUSINESS.

AND SO TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE WERE SIMPLE MEASURES THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO REALLY SLOW DOWN THE RATE OF INFECTION, WE WERE STARTING TO SEE THAT.

SO AGAIN, AUGUST 5TH AND 11TH THAT TOOK PLACE.

AUGUST TWENTY SIX WAS WHEN THE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER FOR CLOSURE WAS DELIVERED.

AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A 12 HOUR TURNAROUND PERIOD THAT WAS PROVIDED TO FOSTER FARMS. THERE WAS A DELAY IN WHAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN AUGUST TWENTY SIX AND WHAT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE END OF AUGUST. THERE WERE A HOST OF CALIFORNIA STATE AGENCIES INVOLVED, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL AGENCIES INVOLVED BECAUSE OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT ACTS AND VARIOUS DIFFERENT PERMISSIONS THAT WERE ALLOWED.

BUT WHAT DID BECOME VERY CLEAR DURING THE COURSE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OF FACILITIES WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION TO SAY, BASED ON OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIC ASSESSMENT, BASED ON WHAT'S TAKING PLACE BASED ON A HOST OF THINGS AT THIS POINT, IT WASN'T EVEN ABOUT THE CASE NUMBERS, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE FATALITIES THAT WE KNOW ARE DIRECT CORRELATES OF THOSE CASE NUMBERS. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IMMINENT.

AND THERE WAS A 48 HOUR RESPITE THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN GETTING THINGS TO TAKE PLACE.

BUT THE REASON I BRING UP THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION ON THE PHONE WITH THESE FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES IS BECAUSE THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT RECOGNITION OF THE HEALTH OFFICERS INSTRUCTION.

THE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER ACTUALLY WAS VIEWED EVEN MORE STRONGLY THAN THE STATE ORDERED THAT WAS ACTUALLY OFFERED, THAT WAS DECLINED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO KEEP THIS SOMETHING INTERNAL TO THE COUNTY.

THERE'S SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE HEALTH ORDER REQUIRING THE BUSINESS TO CLOSE AND WHEN THEY ACTUALLY CLOSED AND WHETHER THEY WERE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, WHETHER THEY WERE NOT. THE ONE THING I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY IS THAT NOTHING HAPPENS IN A VACUUM. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTIES THAT ARE INTERESTED FOR THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE WORK THAT'S DONE. THE FACT THAT THESE CAN HAVE DIFFERENT IMPACTS AND IN OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES WERE ALSO CONSIDERATIONS, BUT ALSO FOR THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT TAKES PLACE THERE.

THERE WERE SOME AREAS THAT WE ACTUALLY SAID, NO, YOU HAVE TO STOP HERE, BUT WILL ALLOW FOR THIS TO CONTINUE TO REMAIN OPEN, THIS PLACE TO CONTINUE, REMAIN OPEN.

ALL OF THOSE FINE DETAILS, ALL OF THOSE NIMBLE DETAILS ARE NOT INFORMATION THAT CAN ALWAYS BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC. SO WHILE THE PUBLIC IS SAYING PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT DOING ANYTHING, I CAN ASSURE YOU WE WERE DOING ACTUALLY MORE THAN THEY WERE EVEN AWARE OF.

WE WERE DOING A TON.

SO AFTER MUCH NEGOTIATION, WHEN WE RETURN TO THE TABLE, ADVISING.

AN IMMINENT CLOSURE WAS GOING TO BE REQUIRED.

IT WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE.

IT WAS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE OF FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT.

THEY WERE ABLE TO PROCURE TESTS THAT WOULD GIVE THEM A MUCH TIGHTER TURNAROUND TIME.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THE WINDOW WAS NARROWED FROM TWO WEEKS TO ONE WEEK, BECAUSE IN ONE WEEK, THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO ACHIEVE OVER THE TWO WEEK DURATION.

SO WHAT WOULD THOSE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER REQUIREMENTS TO REOPEN? TRAINING OF ALL EMPLOYEES AND PERSONNEL.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AND GIVE CREDIT TO WAS VICKI JONES, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION DIRECTOR, SHE AND HER TEAM.

SO VICKI ACTUALLY ACCOMPANIED CALOSHA TO THE ONE INSPECTION AND ALSO HAS BEEN BACK SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR REGISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THEY ARE THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF THIS STUFF WHEN IT COMES TO I NEED TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT, I NEED TO BASE IT ON WHAT THE STATE CODE SAYS.

I NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, WHETHER IT'S FROM DISINFECTION AND SANITATION PERSPECTIVE OR IT'S FROM AN OCCUPATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.

IT WAS A NICE TIE IN FROM OUR SURVEILLANCE AND OUR DATA TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.

AND VICKI'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE LISTED AND THE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER ACTUALLY WERE ADHERED TO.

AND THE WHOLE TEAM ACTUALLY IT THE WHOLE THE WHOLE TEAM DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.

JESSICA AND YADIRA ACTUALLY TAKING ADMINISTRATIVE LEADS AS WELL.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AGAIN, THAT WAS REQUIRED WAS TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES.

[02:15:02]

SO WE SAW THE PRE AND THE POST.

THERE WAS A NEED FOR EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION IN THE EMPLOYEES PREFERRED LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE MONOLINGUAL.

AND THERE WAS VERIFICATION THAT POSTS WERE MADE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND PUNJABI.

PHYSICAL CHANGES TO BREAK SPACES.

AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE CHALLENGE WITH DOING THAT.

BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAD ONSITE INSPECTORS TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TEAM, THEY WERE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SAID THIS YESTERDAY, TODAY BY SUCH AND SUCH TIME AGAIN, WHAT THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO, THIS NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED.

MOVING BREAK SPACES THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE IN ONE AREA INSIDE A PHYSICAL LOCATION TO BE OUTSIDE.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT MAKES A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING IN TERMS OF HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES IN THE SAME SPACE.

ALL PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF TEMPORARY AND VOLUNTEER WORKERS MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS CONTINUATION OF THEM RETURNING TO THE FACILITY, YOU HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE.

SO IF THEY'RE NOT GETTING TESTED AND THEY MAY BE A CARRIER, THEY'RE NOT ALSO EXPOSING OTHERS WHO WOULD THEN FURTHER SPREAD IT.

ARE YOU? IS THERE SOMETHING? OH, YES. SORRY.

I'M SORRY. I'LL COME BACK TO THAT.

LET ME GO TO THIS ONE FIRST AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO THAT.

ALSO, WHILE THEY HAVE REOPENED THE COMPLEX, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER IS STILL IN PLACE.

AND SO FOR THOSE WHO HAD A CHANCE TO READ THAT MEDIA RELEASE, IT IS STILL VERY ACTIVE.

THERE ARE STILL ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH FOSTER FARMS EXECUTIVE TEAM, AND THEY MET THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS THEY WERE ABLE TO OPEN ON SEPTEMBER SEVEN.

BUT I APOLOGIZE THAT I SKIPPED OVER THIS.

I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO IT TOO MUCH.

BUT THE GIST OF WHAT WAS REQUIRED WAS LISTED WAS CONDUCTING MASS SURVEILLANCE TESTING, WHICH MEANS TEST EVERYONE.

WHEN YOU SAID WHO NEEDS TO BE TESTED, EVERYONE, THIS IS WHAT WE REQUIRED.

TEST EVERYONE AT THE LIVINGSTON PLANT WORKFORCE WHERE OUR LARGEST OUTBREAK WAS OCCURRING AT LEAST THREE TO NO MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS APART, WITH TWO BACK TO BACK NEGATIVES THAT WOULD QUALIFY AS THAT EMPLOYEE BEING CLEARED, THEY CAN GO BACK TO WORK.

THIS ALL TOOK PLACE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2ND AND THE 5TH.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE AWARE OF OUR TURNAROUND TIMES WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING, IT'S REMARKABLE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PROCURE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO BE ABLE TO PROCURE TEST RESULTS WITH WITHIN TWENTY FOUR HOURS, SOMETIMES LESS THAN 24 HOUR PERIOD.

AND WE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE LABORATORY.

SO WE WE RECEIVED ROSTER'S FROM ONE FACILITY, BUT WE GOT THE LABS DIRECTLY FROM THE LABORATORY TO FACILITY TO MATCH UP AGAINST THAT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN OUR WORLD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION WE'RE RECEIVING IS VALID. INDIVIDUALS WHO DID NOT HAVE TWO NEGATIVE TESTS WERE NOT ALLOWED BACK INTO THE PLANT AND HAD TO BE SENT HOME FOR A PERIOD OF DURATION.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESUMPTION IN POSITIVITY.

IF YOU IF YOU HAD AN INCONCLUSIVE TEST, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AGAIN OR YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THEY'RE POSITIVE AND THEY NEED TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE WORKPLACE.

THERE WAS IMMEDIATE TESTING OF THE REMAINDER OF THE ENTIRE COMPLEX.

THEY CONDUCTED TWO TERMINAL CLEANINGS, BRINGING OUTSIDE INDIVIDUALS OR OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT THE TERMINAL CLEANING.

AND AGAIN, FOR A PLANT THAT LARGE, THAT IS AN ENORMOUS FEAT.

WE SAW THE PLAN.

WE CONDUCTED AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN.

THEY KEPT US UP TO DATE AS TO WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE WHEN THEY WERE CONDUCTING THE TERMINAL CLEANING. AND IT WAS DONE REALLY RELATIVELY BACK TO BACK AND FOR TERMINAL CLEANING. IT'S A VERY BRITISH TERM.

THE FINAL CLEANING, THEY GO INTO EVERYTHING, IT'S LIKE BASICALLY BOILING YOUR WHOLE COMPLEX, WE HAVE TO DO THAT WITH SHIPS ALL THE TIME.

THEY'RE MASSIVE UNDERTAKINGS.

EVERY SINGLE TIME.

REQUIREMENT IN AN INCREASE IN THE TYPES OF DATA THAT WAS BEING REPORTED AND USE OF PUBLIC HEALTH TEMPLATES. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDED US WITH THE CDC EPIDEMIC INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OFFICER THAT FALLS UNDER THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE CORPS.

SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN HEALTH WITH THE DARK BLUE SUITS AND THE MILITARY THAT THEY GAVE US ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS TO HELP US OUT AND THEY ACTUALLY ACCOMPANIED VICKI.

THIS WAS A PHYSICIAN AND TRAINED PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WHO HAS HELPED, BUT WHO IS REALLY CRITICAL AND HELPING US ANALYZE THE DATA.

DOCTORS [INAUDIBLE] AND DR.

HARRISON REMAINS EXTREMELY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE THING.

THOSE ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

AND PRIOR TO EVEN MOVING FORWARD, THEY WERE ADVISED THAT MITIGATION PLANS AND TESTING PLANS FOR EACH BUILDING ON THE COMPLEX HAD TO BE SUBMITTED, DISCUSSED AND APPROVED BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. SO THE REASON THAT I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE ARE, THEY WERE JUST ALLOWED TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT IN PUBLIC HEALTH GOT PUNKED.

THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.

WE HAVE GIVEN UP LITERALLY EVERY WEEKEND THESE PAST THREE WEEKENDS SPOKEN WITH SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA. I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE MAYOR IN TERMS OF OUR INVOLVEMENT.

AND AGAIN, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY WHAT OUR ROLE HAS BEEN IN THIS, IS IT UNDERSCORES IT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF

[02:20:03]

THEY HAVE ALL REACHED OUT TO CONGRATULATE MERCED COUNTY ON THIS SIGNIFICANT LIFT.

THIS WAS HUGE. AND I WISH THAT THE MEDIA OR THE ATTENTION THAT THE COMMUNITY PROVIDED WAS INDICATIVE OF HOW MUCH PRAISE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE AND FROM OUR LEGAL TEAMS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND PEOPLE WE'VE NEVER WORKED WITH BEFORE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE.

AND REALLY, THE HEAVY LIFTING WAS REALLY PLACED ON THIS TEAM BACK HERE, THE UNSUNG HEROES OF WHAT TAKES PLACE AND CONTINUE TO CONDUCT MONITORING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MEETING OR EXCEEDING THE REQUIREMENTS.

AND SO I DON'T WANT THAT TO FALL ON DEAF EARS.

I WANT IT TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT FEAT.

I'VE WORKED FOR MANY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS THAT I'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MY CAREER. THAT'S HOW DIFFICULT THIS WAS.

SO KUDOS TO THEM AND AND KUDOS TO PUBLIC, TO FOSTER FARMS FOR BEING ABLE TO OPEN UP.

AND IF THEY'RE WATCHING, WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE MONITORING YOU.

SO [INAUDIBLE].

OK THEN THE OUTBREAK CLEARANCE PROTOCOL.

I WON'T GET INTO THIS TOO MUCH.

WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THE LIVINGSTON PLANT HAS BEEN CLEARED FROM OUTBREAK MODE, SEPTEMBER 8TH, THE LIVINGSTON DAILY PLANT.

THIS MATCHES THE FIRST SLIDE THAT I REFERENCE WAS CLEARED FROM OUTBREAK MODE, SEPTEMBER 11TH. ONE OF THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS IS PENDING CLEARANCE.

AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TWO ROUNDS OF THIS TESTING AND THEN THEY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED AND PLACED IN THE HEALTH OFFICER ORDER TO HIRE AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TO SERVE AS A LIAISON THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS COVID-19 OUTBREAK.

AND SO THEY'RE PENDING A HIGHER ON THAT WITH AN ANTICIPATED DATE OF COMPLETION SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 27TH.

THIS IS SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THEM.

IS THIS RELATED TO THE STATE? THRIVING. AND WE ACTUALLY WILL BE BEYOND WHAT WAS PRESENTED ON THAT COVID-19 WEBSITE.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO BE PROPOSING.

A KIND OF SHIFTS GEARS FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO AS A COUNTY, BUT WITHIN OUR STATE SAFE STATE.

IF MR. [INAUDIBLE] WANTED TO COMMENT ON THIS.

BUT THAT'S UNDERWAY. AND ACTUALLY THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE THAT I'VE RECOGNIZED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AS WELL.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS LIKELY GOING TO BE CHANGING IS NUMBER.

WELL, I WON'T SAY TOO MUCH BECAUSE THE STATE DID SAY PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING.

AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE SPEAKING TO ME.

SO WHILE WE WANT TO SHARE, WE'LL SHARE AT A TIME WHEN IT'S NOT HELD AGAINST US AT A LATER TIME FOR BEING INCORRECT.

OK, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.

ANY QUESTIONS? [INAUDIBLE] I WANTED TO COMMENT.

FIRST OF ALL, PERSONALLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU, DR.

SANDOVAL, AND THE WHOLE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM THAT YOU GUYS WERE UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE, NOT JUST FROM THE STATE AND THE PUBLIC, BUT YOU GUYS DID AN ASTOUNDING JOB BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING SO MANY COMPLAINTS, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS FROM THE RESIDENTS, NOT JUST A LIST OF ALL AROUND THE COUNTY SINCE THEY HIRE CITIZENS FROM STANISLAUS AND MERCED COUNTIES AS WELL, BUT CRITICS ARE BEING CRITICIZED AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA EVERYWHERE, THAT WE WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING. AND ON THE BACKGROUND, YOU GUYS WERE NEGOTIATING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO WORK WITH FOSTER FARMERS.

EVEN NOW, WE'RE STILL GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T DO ENOUGH. BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THE PUBLIC DIDN'T SEE THE BACKGROUND NEGOTIATIONS.

AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE COMPANY, YOU GUYS NEGOTIATED THE YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS TOUGH FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY AGREED TO DO ALL THE TESTING WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE STILL GET, YOU KNOW, EMAILS AND CALLS THAT THEY SAY THAT THE COMPANY TRANSFERRED THOSE EMPLOYEES FROM THE BIG PLANT OVER TO OTHER BUILDINGS AND THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO COME BACK BEFORE THE SECOND NEGATIVE TESTS.

AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU THAT.

IF YOU HEARD THAT? I HAVE NOT HEARD WORD OF THAT.

WE DO. WE MADE IT A POINT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK WITH THE UNIONS TO ENSURE THAT WHAT THE INFORMATION OR THE INFORMATION THAT'S NECESSARY FOR EMPLOYEES TO BE AWARE OF IS FINDING ITS WAY TO EMPLOYEES, SOME OF THAT WITHIN HEALTH AND SAFETY.

SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES MAY NOT FALL UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH.

AND I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF REQUESTS BECAUSE THIS IS COVID-19 RELATED THAT WE CAN

[02:25:04]

AND SO WE'RE BEING VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE TAKE ON AND WHAT WE DON'T.

BUT WE'RE ALSO MAXIMIZING OR CAPITALIZING ON THE FACT THAT WE NOW HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENTITIES AND AGENCIES THAT WE DID NOT HAVE BEFORE.

AND SO WE DO WRAP THEM UP WHEN THEY ARE FOUND TO OR DEEMED TO BE VALID AND FACTUAL.

AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THAT.

EVEN THE OTHER BUILDINGS WERE HAVE TO BE TESTED BEFORE THEY COME BACK TWICE.

SO THANK YOU. I NOW GO TO OTHER SUPERVISORS.

MAKE ONE COMMENT SANDOVAL. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD IS NOT AWARE OF BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED IS THAT WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED, DR.

SANDOVAL REACHED OUT DIRECTLY TO THE STATE HEALTH OFFICER.

HIS INVOLVEMENT AND HOLDING THE STATE ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT MERCED COUNTY NEEDED WAS THE DRIVE. IT WAS THE SPARK THAT ALLOWED FOR THIS, THE EMBER THAT STARTED THIS.

THEY BECAME VERY INTERESTED AFTER A COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER.

I MEAN, HE SHAMED THEM FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.

LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO NOW.

YOU NEED TO STEP UP AND AND ILLUSTRATE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT DONE.

AND SO HAD IT NOT BEEN AND WE ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS FOR DR.

SANDOVAL'S PERSISTENCE IN MAKING SURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE WAS REPRESENTED IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WE WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN VERY FAR OFF THE GROUND AND WE PROBABLY NOT EVEN BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.

SO IT WAS HIS PERSISTENCE AND INSISTENCE AND HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AT THE STATE WHO ENDED UP APOLOGIZING LATER THAT THIS EVEN TOOK OFF THE WAY IT DID. SO I REALLY WANT TO TIP MY HAT TO HIS INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE OTHERWISE NOTHING WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE. YES.

THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? DR. KEMP THANK YOU.

YOU AND YOUR TEAM, DR. SANDOVAL, I VIEWED THIS FROM THE OUTSIDE.

I COMMEND OUR CHAIRMAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO OBSERVE WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT MUCH INPUT INTO IT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO GIVE OUT A BIG GIVE OUT SOME KUDOS TO OUR CHAIRMAN.

HE WAS IN A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH SPOT.

BUT I THINK YOU HANDLED THAT VERY PROFESSIONALLY.

YOU WEIGHED OUT EVERYTHING.

YOU LET ALL THE INFORMATION COME IN.

AND, MR. CHAIRMAN, I JUST WANT TO SAY YOU HANDLED THIS IN A VERY GOOD WAY.

AND I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW HOW YOU STOOD UP.

YOU WERE LOOKING AT BOTH SIDES AND YOU WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL.

AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON YOUR EFFORT THROUGH THIS THING.

THANK YOU SIR. OTHER QUESTION? [INAUDIBLE] AGAIN I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENTS OF SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND CHAIR, I GET THE POSITION THAT NO ONE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN.

AND TO DR.

KEMP'S POINT, EARLIER, WHEN WE GOT THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF EMAILS FROM FOLKS THAT WERE SAYING SHUT DOWN THE PLANT AND IT'S ALL THE SAME BLANKET E-MAIL WITH JUST DIFFERENT NAMES ON IT. BUT PART OF IT IS, IS THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES. AND I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT ALL YOU FOLKS AT PUBLIC HEALTH IN ALL THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS WHERE. I JUST KNEW UP HERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR, THIS THING WAS IT WAS AT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY LEVEL, THEY WERE IN MEETINGS, UPON MEETINGS THAT THEY WOULD GO INTO A MEETING AT NINE O'CLOCK AND IT WOULDN'T BE TILL THREE, FOUR HOURS LATER THAT THEY WOULD COME OUT OF THAT MEETING.

AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT, LIKE I DON'T I THINK THAT EVERYBODY CAN ALWAYS IN HINDSIGHT, WE CAN ALWAYS DO THINGS BETTER.

I THINK THAT NO ONE'S EVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE.

AND MAYBE IT TOOK FOSTER FARMS A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THERE.

BUT I THINK THAT ONCE WE ALL GOT ON THE SAME PAGE, IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU AND WHEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER HOW WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.

AND SO THE FEAT OF BEING ABLE TO PUT IT TOGETHER AND YEAH IT TAKES SOME TIME AND I GET IT. AND I DON'T WANT TO, NO, IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT THERE'S THERE'S FOLKS OUT THERE THAT WERE GETTING SICK AND THAT LOST LOVED ONES THROUGHOUT THIS.

BUT THESE THINGS DON'T JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE GOOD WORK OF EVERYBODY PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION JUST TO GET A FACILITY TESTED WITHIN 48 HOURS.

IT JUST IT IS AN AMAZING FEAT.

AND REALLY, I THINK THAT THE REASON THAT THE STATE IS GIVING KUDOS IS IS, YEAH, IT WAS THE BIGGEST ONE.

BUT WE SET THE GROUNDWORK.

THERE IS NOW A PLAYBOOK THAT EXISTS THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, IF, GOD FORBID, HAPPENS AGAIN, THEY'RE GOING TO BE CALLING YOU UP DOCTOR KEMP.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE SAYING, OK, NOW WHAT DO WE DO HERE?

[02:30:01]

I ALWAYS SAY I DON'T LIKE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, BUT WITH COVID WERE FORCED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL A LOT OF THE TIME. AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE HERE IN THAT WE YEAH, I'M SURE THAT THERE'S MOMENTS WHERE YOU WANT TO REACH THROUGH THE PHONE AND DO A LOT OF THINGS TO FOLKS.

BUT WE STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND WE ARE WRITING THE PLAYBOOK ON THIS.

AND SO WHAT I'VE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES NOW THROUGHOUT THIS COVID EVENT IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO COME OUT STRONGER AND BETTER FOR THIS AS WE ARE GOING THERE.

LIKE, WELL, WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE.

WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE.

WELL WE ARE AND WE'RE GOING TO FIND EFFICIENCIES IN THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER SERVICE.

AND SO, CONGRATULATIONS.

AND IT IS REALLY NOT A GREAT THING THAT HAPPENED.

BUT THE CONGRATULATIONS ON THE OUTCOME AND I KNOW THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON IT, AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT OF THE TEAM.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND TO ADD TO YOUR SUPERVISOR, SILVEIRA, THEY ACTUALLY ARE USING MERCED COUNTY AS AN EXAMPLE PLAYBOOK. SO THAT'S NOT FAR FETCHED.

WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED BY MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.

HEY, COULD YOU SEND THIS? COULD YOU SEND THIS COULD YOU SEND THIS AS A COMPILATION? BECAUSE THEY WANT TO USE IT.

AND I WILL ADD, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MENTIONED WE AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS BROUGHT UP, IT'S LIKE, WELL, THE DATA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

SO THIS IS A DIRECTION WE HAVE TO GO.

AND WHEN IT CAME UP, ONE OF THEIR OPERATIONAL MEETINGS, IT'S LIKE, OH, WOW, THIS IS HUGE.

WHO'S GOING FOR IT? MERCED. WHAT? YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE ONE OF THOSE RESPONSES.

BUT WE WERE THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD AND IF EVEN IF WE WE DIDN'T GET TO WHERE WE WERE GOING, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO OUR BEST BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND OUR PRIORITY, WHILE ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, OUR PRIORITY AND OUR MANDATE IS TO TO MAKE NUMBER ONE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ONE PERSON.

IT'S THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

AND SO IT IS THE HEALTH AND OVERALL SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY THAT DRIVES ALL THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE. AS MUCH AS PEOPLE THINK IT'S PERSONAL.

IF YOUR NUMBERS HAVE A PERSONALITY, THEN I GUESS IT IS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO FEELINGS, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GUIDING OUR DECISION.

IT'S THE DATA AND AND WHAT THAT DATA SPEAKS TO.

AND SO THERE IS A PLAYBOOK AND IT ACTUALLY IS BEING UTILIZED AT MULTIPLE LEVELS AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT.

AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THAT, THE RESULTANT HEALTH OFFICER ORDER, THE HEALTH DIRECTIVES ARE JUST KIND OF THE TIMELINE OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT TOOK PLACE FROM MAY TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THESE AREN'T THINGS THAT WE BROADCAST.

BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO THE COMMUNITY, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO ALL THE TIME.

WE DON'T DO THINGS CROSS SECTIONALLY.

WE DO THEM LONGITUDINALLY.

WE DON'T BROADCAST THEM BECAUSE OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT'S A POOR NUMBER, IT IMPROVES. WHERE THERE'S A FATALITY, WE HAVE NO MORE OF THEM.

AND WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT THE PER CAPITA RATE OR THE RATE OF INFECTION THAT ARE TAKING THAT'S TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE START TO SEE INCREASES, WE PUT WHATEVER MEASURES AND INTERVENTIONS IN PLACE TO BRING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.

AND THAT IS OUR CHARGE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORDS.

SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU. I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONTINUE SENDING IN YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR THOUGHTS, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE THE SAME BLANKET EMAIL.

IT'S OK BECAUSE AGENCIES, JURISDICTIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT DO IT ALL THE TIME.

WE DO IT AT THE STATE LEVEL, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

SO EVEN IF YOU JUST CHANGE YOUR NAME, AT LEAST I GET TO HEAR.

IF YOU'RE FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING, AND I WANT TO THANK OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS FOR STANDING YOUR GROUND, I KNOW THE LAST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS HAVE BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT FOR YOU.

THANK YOU FOR STANDING THEIR GROUND AND FOR DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR PUBLIC. AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME AND CONTINUE STANDING YOUR GROUND. DON'T BREAK. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I HAVE A QUESTION OR A SUGGESTION OR A COMMENT WHEN WE ADD THE PER CAPITA INFECTION RATES TO THE DASHBOARD, IF WE COULD DO THAT IN A IN SOME SORT OF A TIME FRAME, THAT'S CURRENT VERSUS FROM THE BEGINNING UNTIL NOW, I THINK THE TRENDS AND COMMUNITIES WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE VERSUS WHAT'S BEEN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES IN A COMMUNITY SINCE THE BEGINNING BACK IN MARCH? WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT.

YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO.

I YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC DOES NOT KNOW.

IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THOSE EMAILS THAT THAT SUPERVISOR LOR WAS TALKING ABOUT.

[02:35:03]

RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

BUT I JUST THINK OUR PUBLIC ISN'T AS WELL INFORMED AS AS THEY COULD BE OR SHOULD BE.

THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, BECAUSE IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CLARIFY WHETHER WHEN THERE'S A LACK OF CLARITY.

AND SO WHATEVER OPPORTUNITY WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE THOSE EMPLOYEES COULD BE OUR RELATIVES. THEY COULD BE OURSELVES.

I LIKE MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS.

I DON'T LIKE MAKING IT OFF OF INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

YOU MAY HAVE. YOU MAY HAVE.

I WANT THE WHOLE STORY BEFORE I MAKE A DECISION.

AND I REALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR BODY OR YOUR LIFE, FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE THERE'S MORE AT STAKE.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU NOTING THAT THAT IT'S NOT JUST HAVING IT, BUT WHO ARE YOU SHARING WITH AND HOW INFORMED ARE THEY AS A RESULT OF YOUR SHARING? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WE SHOULD ALWAYS CHALLENGE OURSELVES IN IMPROVING AND DOING BETTER.

SO THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE [INAUDIBLE] CEO JIM BROWN AND COUNTY COUNCIL [INAUDIBLE], THAT WAS KEEPING US UPDATED ON ALL THE ISSUES AND ESPECIALLY WITH SUPPORTING PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH I THINK THEY WERE ON MOST OF THE CALLS WITH YOU GUYS.

AND SO I ALSO WANT TO STRESS ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID WITH YOU.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OK, I'M GOING TO GO [INAUDIBLE] AND START.

GO AHEAD, STACY.

NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 15.

[ CONSENT CALENDAR]

ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? WE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT ALREADY. SO GO AND VOTE. OK, PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS BOARD ACTION, PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS NUMBER 16 THROUGH 20, PLEASE NOTE ITEM 18 HAS

[BOARD ACTION (Part 2 of 2)]

OK, ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? I HAD A COMMENT, A QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER 16, BUT [INAUDIBLE] THE GRANT? JUST THE GRANT? OK. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

ALL RIGHT. AND GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

SYSTEM IS ACTING UP.

THAT'S ME. HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.

YOU MAKE THE MOTIONS AGAIN, PLEASE.

THAT WAS SUPERVISOR LOR.

[INAUDIBLE] OK, MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

IT'S NOT LETTING ME VOTE.

YEAH. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. THE SYSTEM DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ME, BUT I VOTE YES.

[02:40:08]

SO ADD IN TWENTY ONE, TWENTY TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS, IF NOT A MOTION.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. WE HAD COMMENTS ALREADY SO WE CAN GO AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES ITEMS TWENTY THREE THROUGH TWENTY FIVE.

TWENTY THREE TO TWENTY FIVE.

COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.

MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEM TWENTY SIX.

ITEM TWENTY SIX. COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

GO AHEAD AND RECORD THE VOTE. [INAUDIBLE] SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITEMS, 27 THROUGH 30.

OK, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. I THINK SINCE THIS WAS BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER TODAY, I'D LIKE TO ASK MARK HENDRICKSON TO ADDRESS THIS, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ON TOP OF THIS.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ADDRESSED THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT WE ARE WAY AHEAD ON THIS. THANKS. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AGAIN.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MARK HENDRICKSON, DIRECTOR OF YOUR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT. AND THEY ACTUALLY DO MY BEST TO KIND OF BE BRIEF, BUT HANDLE A HANDFUL OF DIFFERENT THINGS. I WANT TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMMENTER THAT WAS ON THE PHONE LINE WITH ITEM TWENTY SEVEN.

THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF SHE WAS ASKING A QUESTION, REALLY, WHAT WAS THIS ABOUT? AND THIS IS REALLY AN INITIAL FIRST STEP FOR US VIA GRANT FUNDS THAT WE ARE RECEIVING FOR THE PURPOSES OF IDENTIFYING PROJECTS WITHIN THE FRANKLIN BEACHWOOD COMMUNITY THAT'S GOING TO HELP IMPROVE MODALITY SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO DOVETAIL, OF COURSE, INTO THE COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE FOR THAT COMMUNITY. SO THIS IS GOING TO ABSOLUTELY REQUIRE SOME EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

AS IT RELATES TO THE FRANKLIN BEACHWOOD ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA.

ITEM TWENTY SEVEN TO THE COMMENTER AT THE AT THE PODIUM EARLIER TODAY, I WANT TO CERTAINLY COMPLIMENT SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL FOR HIS EFFORTS.

THIS IS LITERALLY STEP ONE IN A PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO BE MULTIPLE YEARS.

BUT TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS ACTUALLY JUST START WITH STEP ONE.

THIS IS A CONTRACT WITH A FIRM WITH WHOM WE AS A COUNTY HAVE WORKED WITH ON MANY OCCASIONS. AND MOST NOTABLY, MOST RECENTLY, WHEN THIS BOARD SUCCESSFULLY ADOPTED THE LE GRAND COMMUNITY PLAN, THIS BOARD WAS AWARDED A IN HONOR OF DISTINCTION FROM THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, THE CALIFORNIA CHAPTER FOR YOUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

THE SAME FIRM WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.

SO I WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT CERTAINLY NO LESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FRANKLIN BEACHWOOD EFFORT. BUT TO PUT IN FURTHER PERSPECTIVE, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WAS A RESULT OF AN RFP PROCESS.

THAT RFP PROCESS WAS SHAPED BY THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, WHO WAS IN MY PERSONAL OFFICE, WHO HELPED US IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE AS IT RELATES TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

AND THEN ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY TOO HELPED SHAPE THE RFP.

THAT RFP LED TO A CONTRACT WHICH YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

SO IT KIND OF PUT THINGS IN A FULLER PERSPECTIVE.

AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO ACTUALLY SAY TWO THINGS TODAY IS ACTUALLY, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BALANCE OF MY ITEMS TODAY, THIS BOARD EITHER WILL EITHER HAVE ACCEPTED OR WILL BE MOVING EXCUSE ME, FORWARD WITH ABOUT TWO POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF GRANT RESOURCES COMING INTO THIS COUNTY WITH LITTLE TO NO MATCH.

AND THE MATCH THAT WE DO HAVE IS GOING TO BE IN THE FORM OF STAFF TIME.

SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO ITEM THIRTY, WHICH IS THIS BOARD BACK IN NOVEMBER IDENTIFIED A SERIES OF PROJECTS OF IMPORTANCE AS IT RELATES TO CASTLE. THEY WERE PART OF A NATIONAL PRIORITIZATION SYSTEM THAT THE FAA MOVED FORWARD WITH. AND THIS BOARD AND THIS BOARD ONLY SUCCESSFULLY SECURED ONE POINT EIGHTY FIVE

[02:45:03]

I HOPE IN A MOMENT OR TWO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

I JUST HAD A COMMENT. I KNOW THAT SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL'S PROJECT AND DISTRICT AND I KNOW HE'LL BE VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY PUBLIC FORUMS AND HE'LL BE HANDED OUT HAMBURGERS, I'M PRETTY SURE [LAUGHTER] OR HOT DOGS.

RIGHT. THAT'S IT.

ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS? WE HAVE A ITEMS TWENTY SEVEN THROUGH THIRTY.

ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. SO WE GO AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.

MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES ITEMS, THIRTY TWO AND THIRTY THREE.

THIRTY TWO AND THIRTY THREE, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE.

RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS DISTRICT ATTORNEY ITEMS THIRTY FOUR AND THIRTY FIVE.

ITEM THIRTY POINT THIRTY FIVE COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? COMMENT SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT ITEM THIRTY FIVE.

OUR VICTIM WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HERE IN MERCED COUNTY IS PHENOMENAL.

I'VE WORKED WITH THE STAFF OVER THERE, A FEW ON A FEW CASES.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RECOGNIZED AROUND THE STATE.

AND SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, VOTE ON THIS RESOLUTION WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE STAFF OVER THERE AND WITH THE GREAT WORK THEY DO ON BEHALF OF THE VICTIMS HERE IN MERCED COUNTY. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO HAVE A COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER THIRTY FOUR.

I'VE MET WITH [INAUDIBLE] LAST YEAR AND ALSO THE LIEUTENANT OF THE CHP, AND THEY WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS [INAUDIBLE] TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THEY THEY KNOW THAT THE, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO PREVENT MORE INSURANCE FRAUD IN AND BRING THAT DOWN SO THAT APPLICATIONS FOR ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIVE DOLLARS.

SO WITH THAT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS TREASURER ITEM 36.

WE HAVE A COMMENT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

YEAH, I SEE THAT THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTORS HERE.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS NEW POLICY MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON. NOW, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KAREN ADAMS, YOUR MERCED COUNTY TREASURER, TAX COLLECTOR. I'LL SUMMARIZE THIS ACTION THAT I'M REQUESTING TODAY AS YOUR TREASURER OF COURSE, I HAVE THE GREAT PRIVILEGE TO MANAGE THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO, WHICH IS IN EXCESS OF A BILLION DOLLARS.

THE PORTFOLIO IS THE COMMINGLED MONEY OF THE DIFFERENT POOL PARTICIPANTS, WHICH INCLUDES THE COUNTY, THE SCHOOLS, OUR COLLEGE, AND, OF COURSE, NUMEROUS SPECIAL DISTRICTS.

THEIR MONEYS ARE COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS REVENUE SOURCES.

AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, PROPERTY TAX IS THEIR MAJOR RESOURCE.

YOU ALSO KNOW THAT SECURE TAXES ARE ONLY COLLECTED TWICE A YEAR IN TWO INSTALLMENTS, UNLIKE THE EQUAL INSTALLMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT MANY BUDGETS HAVE EXPENDITURE NEEDS FOR. AS A RESULT, SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE POOL MAY HAVE SOME FUNDING SHORTFALLS UNTIL TAX REVENUES OR ARE APPORTIONED.

AND ESPECIALLY, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.

AS THE INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY, I MUST FOLLOW THE PRUDENT INVESTOR RULE TO ENSURE THE SAFE KEEPING AND PRESERVING THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT I'M PRIVILEGED TO HOLD.

AS YOUR TREASURER I ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY FUNDING LOAN OF UP TO 85 PERCENT OF THE TAX APPORTIONMENT FOR EACH POOL PARTICIPANT.

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE BOTH OBJECTIVES, I'VE DEVELOPED A BORROWING POLICY WITH THE VITAL

[02:50:02]

AFTER THE POTENTIAL BORROWER APPLIES TO MY OFFICE, MY OFFICE WILL COORDINATE WITH THE AUITOR COMPTROLLER TO DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF THE TEMPORARY BORROWING FOR THAT PARTICIPANT. THEREFORE, BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE DRY PERIOD FINANCE POLICY RESOLUTION AND POLICY ITSELF THAT WILL PROVIDE TEMPORARY FUNDING FOR QUALIFIED BORROWERS.

THE POLICY WILL PROVIDE THE PARTICIPANT AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO BORROW TAX APPORTIONMENT AT THE TREASURY'S INTEREST EARNINGS RATE AND TO BYPASS THE COSTLY PROCESS OF BORROWING MONEY FROM THE MARKETPLACE AT A HIGHER INTEREST RATE AND OF ALL, AND OF COURSE, ALSO INCURRING UNDERWRITER AND BOND COUNCIL FEES.

TO AID THE BORROWER, WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED A FUNDING FLOW CHART TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROCESS AS OUTLINED IN THE POLICY.

I'VE ALREADY DISTRIBUTE IT TO SEVERAL PEOPLE, SEVERAL INQUIRIES NOTING THAT TODAY IT WAS DEPENDENT ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVAL.

BUT THERE'S ALREADY BEEN SOME REQUESTS SUBMITTED TO ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND IT'S BEEN ONGOING. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL LEAVE SOME DRY PERIOD FUNDING FLOWCHARTS IN THE BASKET THAT WE'VE [INAUDIBLE] TO INCLUDE WITH THE BAI.

AND I'LL CONCLUDE NOW FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

BOARD ANY QUESTION? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? WELL, YEAH, IT WAS MORE OF JUST A COMMENT.

THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING IT.

AND IT REALLY GOES TO THE CITIES DON'T PARTAKE IN THIS.

THIS IS REALLY JUST GOES TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE COLLEGE DISTRICT AND THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS. JUST ANOTHER WAY THAT AS THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP FOLKS OUT OF THIS DIFFICULT TIME THAT IS COVID WITH NOBODY REALLY KIND OF KNOWING.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT THE NOT ONLY THE TREASURY TAX COLLECTOR, BUT ALSO THE AUDITOR COMPTROLLER PUT INTO THIS ITEM OF ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT FINANCE MECHANISM AND SAVING OUR SISTER AGENCIES, POTENTIALLY A LOT OF DOLLARS IF THEY HAD TO GO OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE TO BORROW THE MONEY.

SO. EXACTLY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT'S ALL QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER THIRTY SIX.

ANY MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. WE'LL GO AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS SHERIFF ITEMS THIRTY SEVEN AND THIRTY EIGHT.

ITEM THIRTY SEVEN THIRTY EIGHT, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

GO AND VOTE. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THERE WE GO. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.

MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS FIRE ITEMS 39 AND 40.

ITEMS 39 AND 40, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS HUMAN RESOURCES, ITEM 41.

ITEM NUMBER FORTY ONE COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ITEM FORTY TWO.

ITEM NUMBER FORTY TWO COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.

GO AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS BOARD APPOINTMENTS, ITEM FORTY THREE.

FORTY THREE COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.

GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, FORTY FOUR THROUGH FORTY NINE.

[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]

[02:55:20]

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.

NEXT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE

[PUBLIC HEARING]

GOOD AFTERNOON, BARB LEVY ASSESSOR.

IT'S BEEN ONE OF OUR LONG TERM GOALS TO GET A FEE SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU AND ACTUALLY THE COVID AND ALL THE ONLINE ATTENTION THAT WE'VE NEEDED TO PROVIDE AND HAVE RECEIVED HIGHLIGHTED OUR NEED TO COMPLETE THIS ITEM AND BRING IT FORWARD.

SO TODAY, BEFORE YOU IS OUR FEE SCHEDULE.

MUCH OF IT IS FEES THAT HAVE BEEN LONG IN EXISTENCE, A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN REDUCED, AND THEN A COUPLE OF NEW ONES THAT HAVE, AGAIN, LONG NEEDED TO BE HAVE ATTENTION BROUGHT TO THEM AND BE ADDED WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.

NO. SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL WILL MOVE TO.

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.

SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SO.

NOW, WE WILL TAKE A BRIEF.

VOTE ON IT. OK, ALL IN FAVOR.

ANY OPPOSED, FIVE ZERO.

NOW OPEN UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND HEAR VOICE MAILS.

SO NOBODY FROM THE PUBLIC HERE, RIGHT TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

WE'LL TAKE A BREAK AND WAIT FOR ANY VOICEMAIL'S.

ALL RIGHT, IT'S BEEN FIVE MINUTES, SO GO AHEAD AND START AND WE'LL ASK IF ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED.

DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

ALL RIGHT. NO PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED.

SO WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE'LL GO BACK FOR ANY MOTIONS.

MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, SIR? OK MOTION FOR ADOPTION BY SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE]. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.

ALL IN FAVOR. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES 5-0.

AND NOW WITH THAT WILL GO ON TO BOARD REPORTS.

[REPORTS/BOARD DIRECTION]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I DO WANT TO SHARE WITH FOLKS.

A REMINDER, OUR REGISTER OF VOTERS REACHED OUT AND JUST AND I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO PUSH SOME STUFF OUT ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE STILL NEED POLL WORKERS FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, SPECIFICALLY IN AREAS WITHIN MY DISTRICT.

OUT IN THE [INAUDIBLE] AREA, WE HAVE THE VOTING ASSISTANCE CENTERS IN BOTH [INAUDIBLE] AND [INAUDIBLE]. AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET YOU ANY CONTACTS.

BUT YOU CAN FOLKS CAN REACH OUT TO ME OR THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THE REGISTERED VOTERS OFFICE BY DIALING THREE EIGHT FIVE SEVEN FIVE FOUR ONE.

AGAIN, THESE ARE POLL WORKERS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE COUNTY STAFF THAT WE HAVE THE POLL WORKER, THE COUNTY POLL WORKER PROGRAM, WHERE AS AN INCENTIVE, THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR REGULAR PAY, WHATEVER. THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF A STIPEND TO ENCOURAGE SOME OF OUR COUNTY STAFF TO GO

[03:00:02]

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

AND THEN LASTLY, I WANTED TO IS AS PART OF SOME OUTREACH THAT WE'RE DOING FOR A POTENTIAL GRANT FOR THE DEL HILL HALL AND THE O'BANNION PARK IN [INAUDIBLE] ON SEPTEMBER 26TH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WORKSHOP AND I WILL BE HOSTING COFFEE AND DONUTS THAT MORNING WHEN IT'S 10 A.M. INVITE FOLKS OUT SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF WE AS PART OF THE GRANT, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS DO COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS OF LIKE TO SEE AND AND HOW WE CAN FACILITATE IN THAT.

AGAIN, THAT'S SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH AT 10 A.M.

IT'LL BE AT THE O'BANNION PARK OUTSIDE IN FRONT OF THE DEL HILL HALL.

AND AGAIN, I'LL BE HOSTING COFFEE AND DONUTS THAT MORNING.

AND AGAIN, JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THE WORK THAT THEY IT WAS NICE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO REPORT OUT SOME GOOD INFORMATION OR SOME GOOD NEWS WHEN IT COMES TO THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE WAIVERS.

I KNOW THAT THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AT MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE GUIDANCE THAT THE STATE SET FORTH.

AND NOW THEY WILL BE ABLE TO AT LEAST THOSE FIRST TEN OF THEM THAT GOT THEIR APPROVALS WILL BE ABLE TO START BACK UP IN SCHOOL HERE SHORTLY.

I DO WANT TO CAUTION THEM THAT IF THEY AREN'T FULLY STAFFED FOR EXCUSE ME, FULLY ENROLLED, I WOULD IMAGINE WITH THEIR NEW WAIVERS, THEY WILL PROBABLY BE GETTING A FEW MORE CALLS HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.

THANK YOU YOU CHAIR. ALL RIGHT SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU. YES, MR. CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK JUAN PENYA FROM DELHI, HE IS CHAIRING AND PUTTING TOGETHER A LOVE DELHI CLEAN UP THIS SATURDAY.

HE ASKED ME TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE, WHICH I GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED.

THE COUNTY WILL BE PROVIDING EQUIPMENT, TRASH BAGS.

I'LL BE THERE WITH MY TRAILER TO HAUL THE TRASH AND WE WILL ALSO BE DOING GRAFFITI ABATEMENT. SO JUST A SHOUT OUT TO THOSE YOU DELHI TO JOIN US SATURDAY.

THIS COMING SATURDAY AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, WE WILL BE MEETING NEAR THE FIRE STATION IN THE PARKING LOT JUST EAST OF THE FIRE STATION.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE ANOTHER ADVERTISEMENT FOR OUR MERCED COUNTY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED AND OWNED BY FOLKS IN MERCED COUNTY THAT HAVE TWENTY FIVE OR LESS EMPLOYEES.

YOU CAN APPLY FOR A GRANT OF UP TO FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

AND IF YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO SOME FOLKS THAT JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT DOING IT. IF YOU FEEL A LITTLE OVERWHELMED WITH THAT OR YOU'D LIKE A LITTLE ADVICE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT, YOU COULD REACH OUT TO MERCED COUNTY WORKNET AND THE PHONE NUMBER WOULD BE 724-2083.

WE HAVE THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU WITH COVID EXPENSES.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO OR COVID EXPENSES OR LOST REVENUE.

AND SO WE'D LIKE TO GET THIS MONEY INTO YOUR HANDS TO HELP YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THIS.

AND THEN THIRDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY THINK THANK OUR STAFF.

THIS COVID HAS WORE ON US ALL.

AND, YOU KNOW, EARLIER WE TALKED ABOUT MEETINGS AND CALLS ON THE WEEKENDS.

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MORE CALLS AND MEETINGS ON THE WEEKENDS, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO THE WEEKDAYS THAT IT'S ANYWAY.

SO OUR STAFF JUST WORKS DILIGENTLY AND VERY, VERY HARD ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF MERCED COUNTY. SO, YOU KNOW, LATELY IT'S THERE'S BEEN ON FACEBOOK.

IF YOU'VE SEEN A VETERAN, YOU KNOW, TELL THEM THANK YOU.

IF YOU SEE A FIRST RESPONDER, TELL THEM THANK YOU.

WELL, IF YOU SEE COUNTY STAFF, PLEASE TELL THEM.

THANK YOU. THAT'S IT.

MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MCDANIEL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I LIKE TO THINK DON RAMSEY, REVEREND DON RAMSEY FOR DOING OUR INVOCATION THIS MORNING. IT'S I HAVEN'T SEEN REVEREND RAMSEY IN A LONG TIME.

AND IT WAS GOOD TO GET CAUGHT UP THIS COVID THING HE DID GO INTO.

I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT HIBERNATION, BUT IT WAS GOOD TO SEE HIM OUT AND SEE HIM OUT AND COMING OUT HERE AND DOING THIS WITH US TODAY.

WE GAVE HIM THE OPTION TO CALL IN, ACTUALLY, AND HE SAID, NOPE, I'M GOING OUT, I'M GOING TO BE THERE. SO APPRECIATE REVEREND DON RAMSEY FOR DOING THAT TODAY.

AND I GOT TO GO BACK UP TO KPMG AND THANK THEM AND THANK MARK FOR WHAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO US. IT'S AMAZING WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND PUTTING US IN THE POSITION.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT MAYBE MY COLLEAGUE AND I SUPERVISOR [INAUDIBLE] HAD ENVISIONED IN OUR FIRST ATTEMPT, AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE NOTHING WOULD EVER GET DONE AND

[03:05:05]

BUT KPMG UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH AND STEPPED UP AND REALLY HELPED US OUT.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR VOTING FOR THAT, BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO MOVE CASTLE AND MOVE MERCED COUNTY TO BE A FOCAL POINT WORLDWIDE IN THE WORK THAT WE'LL BE DOING OUT THERE.

ALSO, I JUST LIKE TO PUT OUT THERE BEING CHAIRMAN OF RCRC, THIS CHALLENGE IN 2020, AS YOU CAN THINK, ANYBODY IN ANY OF OUR POSITIONS, OUR PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS IT WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

AS CHAIRMAN, YOU'RE ALL HAPPY TO DO ALL THE FUN THINGS THERE IS TO DO FOR RCRC BECAUSE THEY DO SO MUCH FOR THE THIRTY SEVEN RURAL COUNTIES HERE IN CALIFORNIA.

BUT THEN WHENEVER YOU'RE TASKED WITH HAVING TO FIND A NEW PERSON TO TAKE HIS POSITION, IT'S A VERY HEAVY POSITION AND WE MOVE FORWARD.

I THINK THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PLUS THE TWO OTHER MEMBERS THAT I PUT ON FOR THE COMMITTEE SEARCH, WE HAVE FOUND AN ORGANIZATION THAT WILL DO A NATIONWIDE SEARCH.

IT'S A PRETTY BIG POSITION AND WE HAVE OUR RCRC MEETING TOMORROW AND IT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD AFTER THAT.

AND SO THIS HAS BEEN A BIG TASK.

IT'S ONE THAT'S BEEN VERY HARD ON ME.

AND I HAVE TO THANK MARCY, TOO, FOR HELPING OUT WHENEVER THE WEIGHT WAS GETTING REALLY HEAVY. BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING STRAIGHT NOW AND IT'S MOVING FORWARD.

RCRC IS GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON OUR COUNTIES.

I THINK WE'VE KIND OF LOST OUR FOCUS ON AND BEING IN THE IN THE MOMENT WITH THE PANDEMIC.

IT'S BEEN HARD FOR ME AS A CHAIRMAN TO PUT THE RIGHT THINGS IN PLACE THAT I WANTED TO.

BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER NOW TOWARDS THE END AND VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. BUT I WANT TO SAY TO I'M REALLY, REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT.

ARE THE SMALL SCHOOLS K THROUGH SIX IS OPENING UP.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR KIDS TO BE IN SCHOOL.

THE INTERACTION OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION THAT THEY NEED IS ALL PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. AND WE'RE REALLY SEEING YOU KNOW, I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH SOME FOLKS FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND BECAUSE OF EVERYBODY BEING SO COOPED UP FOR SO MUCH TIME AND NOT BEING ABLE TO INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, MENTAL ILLNESS IS REALLY, REALLY I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT BLOSSOM, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY COME TO THE TOP.

AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY EVERY DECISION WE MAKE, WE HAVE TO BE CONSIDERATE TO WHERE WE LIKE TO CONGREGATE.

I MEAN, WE ARE SOCIAL, SOCIAL ANIMALS AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

AND FOR ME, IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.

AND I DO. AND I THINK SHARING WITH OUR CEO ONE TIME I FELT LIKE I WAS GETTING OUT OF PRACTICE. I COULDN'T TALK ANYMORE BECAUSE IT JUST THE INTERACTION ISN'T THERE.

I NEED, I GET ENERGY OFF OF OTHER PEOPLE.

AND I KNOW I NEED THAT INTERACTION AND I'M JUST THAT FOR K THROUGH SIX.

AND LET'S HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE THE TRENDS WHERE WE ARE SO WE CAN GET OUR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND EVERYBODY ELSE BACK BECAUSE THIS IS MUCH NEEDED FOR OUR SOCIETY.

MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SUPERVISOR LOR THANK YOU.

TWO ITEMS. ONE, THE MERCED COUNTY NAACP IS HOLDING A TOWN HALL THIS THURSDAY AT SIX P.M.

IT'S A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL.

IT'LL FEATURE OUR REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, BARBARA LEVY AND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL TO TALK ABOUT VOTING IN TWENTY TWENTY.

SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TO LOG ON.

YOU CAN ACCESS THAT BY GOING TO THE MARCED COUNTY NAACP WEBSITE OR ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE. SO PLEASE JOIN US SIX O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY.

AND THEN ALSO ON SATURDAY, OUR BELOVED MR. [INAUDIBLE], HIS FAMILY IS HOLDING HIS CELEBRATION OF LIFE ON SATURDAY FROM NINE A.M.

TO FIVE P.M., HIS FAMILY WILL BE STREAMING ON FACEBOOK.

SO IF HE CAN'T BE THERE IN PERSON, IT'S OK.

PLEASE HELP US CELEBRATE HIS LIFE ON SATURDAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT WAS EVERYBODY RIGHT.

OK, THANK YOU. I ALREADY SAID WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES ON [INAUDIBLE] TO APPLY FOR THOSE POSITIONS. GIVE ME A CALL.

ONE [INAUDIBLE], THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING COMMITTEE AND TWO VACANCIES ON THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD. SO GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN BEING ON ANY OF THOSE.

ALSO, PLEASE WEAR A MASK IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE AT ANY TIME.

WITH HARVEST AND THE FIRES RIGHT NOW IS A VERY UNHEALTHY AIR.

SO PLEASE WEAR A MASK.

AND ALSO TO THANK YOU TO ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS.

[03:10:05]

SO THANK YOU.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL ADJOURN OUR MEETING.

AND THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.