ALRIGHTY, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
[00:00:04]
WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 MERCED COUNTY BOARD MEETING.[Call to Order]
IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 VIRUS, THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS.WE'RE SITTING FOR THE PUBLIC LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE.
WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED SOME OVERFLOW SPACE ON A 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.
PLEASE NOTE AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR REGULAR MORNING MEETING, WE WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MEETING FOR OUR BUDGET HEARINGS AT ONE THIRTY PM.
COMMENTS RELATED TO THE BUDGET HEARINGS ITEMS MAY BE MADE AT THAT MEETING.
WE WILL NOW START WITH THE INVOCATION PROVIDED BY PASTOR JOHN [INAUDIBLE] OF NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN ATWATER AND THEN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WILL BE LED BY SUPERVISOR LOR. WOULD YOU MIND? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WILL WE PLEASE STAND? FATHER, GOD, WE COME TODAY LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP IN THE MIDST OF THESE VERY UNCERTAIN AND UNPRECEDENTED TIMES THAT WE LIVE, THAT WE WORK, THAT WE LEAD AND WE PRAY FOR THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY, AS A COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT STRIKE DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COUNTIES, NOT ALWAYS IN WAYS WHICH ARE FAIR, BUT ENABLE US AS YOUR SERVANTS, AS LEADERS OF THIS COMMUNITY TO SEE WITH WITH NEW EYES, FRESH EYES OF HELP AND GUIDANCE.
FATHER, I PRAY FOR EACH OF THE SUPERVISORS WHO ARE HERE BEFORE US TODAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO IMBUE THEM WITH STRENGTH, WITH STRENGTH AND DEPTH OF CHARACTER, CONTINUE TO GUIDE THEIR STEPS AND THEIR THOUGHTS AS WELL AS THE ACTIONS THAT THEY TAKE.
PRAY FOR SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND ALL THOSE WHOM HE SERVES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITIES LIKE LE GRAND AND PLANADA.
GOD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR BLESSING TO BE ON HIM AS HE CONTINUES TO GUIDE.
EVEN WITHIN THIS, THESE CHAMBERS CONTINUE TO BE HIS STRENGTH.
GOD FOR SUPERVISOR LOR AND ALL THOSE THAT SHE SERVES HERE IN THE MERCED AREA.
GOD, WE PRAY FOR A SENSE OF YOUR DIRECTING AND IN YOUR HAND GUIDING HER.
WE THANK YOU FOR HER PRESENCE HERE.
AND EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE HER STEPS.
FOR SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL AND THOSE LIVING IN HIS DISTRICT, IN THE ATWATER, IN VARIOUS AREAS AROUND THERE, FATHER, WE PRAY AGAIN FOR HIS ABILITY TO GUIDE WITH INTEGRITY AND THE SENSE OF PURPOSE THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO HIM AND TO EACH OF THESE SUPERVISORS.
LORD FOR SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND FOR ALL THOSE IN VARIOUS PARTS OF OUR COUNTY, FROM GUSTINE TO DELHI AND ALL PARTS IN BETWEEN.
FATHER, WE PRAY FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THE SPECIAL CHALLENGES THAT OFTEN THEY FACE, SOMETIMES FEELING OVERLOOKED.
BUT I THANK YOU FOR HIS COMPASSION AND CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIS STRENGTH OF LEADERSHIP.
GOD, I PRAY FOR SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND FOR ALL THOSE OUT ON THE WEST SIDE AND LOS BANOS AND DOS PALOS IN ALL PARTS IN BETWEEN.
GOD, YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO ALSO GIVE HIM STRENGTH AS HE SERVES HERE IN THE COUNTY SEAT, BUT CONTINUES TO REPRESENT THOSE FAR FROM US.
AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE HIM INSIGHT AND HELP AS HE CONTINUES TO GUIDE AND TO LEAD.
FATHER FOR ALL OF US AS WE COME TODAY, RECOGNIZING THAT WE TOO WALK THROUGH THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, TIMES OF THIS PANDEMIC, HOW IT IS THAT WE CAN STAY AND REMAIN SAFE AND YET CONTINUE TO GUIDE AND LEAD AND ENCOURAGE, NOT BEING SEPARATED OR ISOLATED OR FALLING PREY TO THE PANIC OF ISOLATION AND THE ANXIETY OF BEING SO FAR SEPARATED AND THE FEARS OF WHAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY.
GOD, CONTINUE TO GIVE US YOUR PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
GOD, I PRAY ALSO IN THE MIDST OF OUR POLITICAL SEASON FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF CAMPAIGNS AND FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF A COUNTRY THAT IS SO DEEPLY DIVIDED AND SO, SO QUICK TO SPLINTER AND QUICK TO POINT OUT FAULT AND QUICK TO FIND WAYS TO VOICE AND VENT OUR ANGER ON OTHERS.
GOD, I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR HEARTS CLOSER TO EACH OTHER, THAT WE MIGHT FIND SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD BE FOR THE GOOD OF ALL AND NOT SIMPLY LOOKING FOR OUR OWN POLITICAL GAIN OR SOMEHOW TO PUT OUR AGENDA FORWARD.
AND GOD, FOR ALL OF US HERE, NOT ONLY IN MERCED COUNTY, BUT THROUGHOUT OUR STATE, WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONTINUING TO CONFRONT THE WILDFIRES OF THE SEASON.
WE PRAY FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS THROUGHOUT OUR STATE, PRAY FOR THOSE UP IN THE HILLS HERE ABOVE US. I PRAY FOR THOSE OVER OVER ALONG THE COAST, AROUND SANTA ROSA AND OTHERS WHO
[00:05:05]
ARE DEALING WITH TREMENDOUS LOSS AND TREMENDOUS FEAR OF WHAT POTENTIAL LOSS, AS WELL AS LAYING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.FARTHER IN THE WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE A PART OF THAT SOLUTION.
GOD, I PRAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED STRENGTH AND YOUR CONTINUED HELP.
SO, LORD, WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE.
WE ASK FOR YOUR PEACE TO COVER THIS MEETING SO THAT INSTEAD OF AGITATION OR DESTRUCTIVE DISTRACTIONS, SETTING THE TONE, GOD, I PRAY THAT WE WOULD SENSE YOUR LEADING AS WE SEEK A BETTER COUNTY TO WHICH TO LIVE.
ACTUALLY I SHOULD SAY THANK YOU TO DARREN, YOU'RE THE ACTUAL INVITER BECAUSE I'M IN YOUR DISTRICT. BUT THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND TO THE COUNTY FOR ALLOWING ME AND OTHERS LIKE ME THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYING FOR YOU HERE IN PUBLIC.
I DON'T THINK YOU COULD DENY US THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYING FOR YOU, BUT THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYING FOR YOU IN PUBLIC IS SOMETHING I RECOGNIZE AND I APPRECIATE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR YOU. THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].
COMMENT? YEAH. I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK PASTOR [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL.
AND I JUST HAD TO DO A RECOGNITION FOR HIM BECAUSE THE LAST FEW WEEKS IN HIS CHURCH, HE HAS DOVE INTO THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO READ THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, IT GETS VERY DIFFICULT AND TIRESOME, I'LL ADMIT.
BUT THE WAY HE PRESENTED IT NOW, IT'S ONE OF THE BETTER BOOKS.
SO I APPRECIATE HOW YOU DO THAT.
AND IT WAS A PERFECT THING AT THE PERFECT TIME.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN, SIR.
OK, NOW WE HAVE A [INAUDIBLE] REPORT OUT.
[CLOSED SESSION - CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - INITIATION OF LITIGATION:]
INITIATION OF LITIGATION.APPROVAL WAS GIVEN TO COUNTY COUNCIL TO INITIATE LITIGATION AFTER CONSULTATION IN CLOSED SESSION UNDER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION FIVE FOUR NINE FIVE SIX POINT NINE.
THE ACTION DEFENDANTS IN OTHER PARTICULARS SHALL BE DISCLOSED TO ANY PERSON UPON AN INQUIRY ONCE LITIGATION IS FORMALLY COMMENCED.
IT'S NOW TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS.
TESTIMONY IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
I'D LIKE TO STATE THAT THERE WAS NO EMAILS RECEIVED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NO COMMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, ANY COMMENTS COME AS WE RECEIVE.
SO NONE OF THEM WENT ON THE RECORD.
BUT ANYBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? AGAIN, NOBODY HERE WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND PUT AN AGENDA OR ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
OK, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND MOVE ON.
NEXT IS APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR ITEM ONE THROUGH TEN.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
ITEMS ONE THROUGH 10.COUNCIL, ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
PUBLIC COMMENT WAS GIVEN ALREADY, SO GO FOR A VOTE.
CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
[BOARD ACTION]
OUR COMMISSIONER ITEM NUMBER 11.ITEM NUMBER 11, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? OK, I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
CALL THE ROLL PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
NEXT IS HEALTH ITEM NUMBER 12, PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A CORRECTION, THE CONTRACT IS WITH
[00:10:01]
PUBLIC HEALTH AND NOT MENTAL HEALTH.OK, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED ALREADY, SO, UH, GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES. ITEM 13 TO 15.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? PLEASE NOTE ITEM 13, THERE IS A CORRECTION ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE IT SHOULD READ MAY TWENTY EIGHT TWENTY NINETEEN.
SO IS IT 19 OR 20? 19, OK. I SHOULD SAY MAY TWENTY EIGHT, TWENTY NINETEEN.
THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IT SHOULD READ IT SAYS, MAY 28, 2020 IN THE STAFF REPORT ON THE REQUESTED ACTIONS.
IT SAYS MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, UM, TWENTY TWENTY.
BUT IN THE BODY OF THE, UM, THE SUMMARY, IT SAYS MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY NINETEEN.
SO I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS FOR MAY TWENTY EIGHT, TWENTY TWENTY.
THAT SEEMS KIND OF A LONG TIME TO BE RETROACTIVELY APPROVING SOMETHING ALL THE WAY BACK TO MAY TWENTY EIGHTH TWENTY NINETEEN.
YEAH. GO AHEAD AND COMMENT PLEASE.
[INAUDIBLE], WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A CLINICAL DIRECTOR.
AT THE TIME WE HAD A MEDICAL DIRECTOR OVER MURRAY GREEN, SO WE ACTUALLY HAD IT AS A CO DIRECTOR, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, CLINICAL DIRECTOR AS OF MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY NINETEEN.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN ERROR THAT WHEN OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT THE TIME LEFT WHERE WE WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY TWENTY, WHICH IS WHY THERE WAS THE CONFUSION, SAME DATE, TWO DIFFERENT YEARS WHERE WE WERE TAKING HER OFF OF THE DHCS REQUIREMENTS AND ONLY HAVING JACKIE COLTER MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY NINETEEN.
THE REASON WHY WE WOULD BE GO BACK TO RETROACTIVE IS SO THAT WAY THERE'S ONLY ONE NAME ON THE REQUIREMENT THROUGH DHCS WHEN WE REMOVED DR.
MANUEL. OK, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? I AM NOW CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THE REQUESTED ACTION IS BECAUSE IT STATES ON THE AGENDA THAT IT'S MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY TWENTY.
IN THE LAST LINES OF THE OF THE SUMMARY, IT SAYS THE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO RETROACTIVELY DESIGNATE JACQUELINE COLTER LMFT AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES CLINICAL DIRECTOR EFFECTIVE MAY TWENTY EIGHTH TWENTY NINETEEN.
THE MAY 20 TWENTY, TWENTY TWENTY DATES ARE WRONG ON BOTH ON THE AGENDA AND IN THE--.
THAT IS CORRECT. IT SHOULD BE MAY TWENTY EIGHTH, TWENTY NINETEEN.
YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
FURTHER COMMENTS? NO. THANK YOU.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? SO WE HAD A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEREIRA, SO WE CAN VOTE.
SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL. THERE YOU GO.
NEXT, IS HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY ITEM 16 AND 17.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON ITEM 17.
IS IT YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON IT.
BUT IT JUST AS I READ THROUGH THAT REPORT THAT THE MERCED COUNTY AREA ON AGENCY IN THEIR FOUR YEAR PLAN, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON HOW IMPRESSED I WAS WITH THE DETAIL THAT IS DONE ON THIS REPORT IN BREAKING DOWN AGE GROUPS, ETHNICITIES, JUST ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
AND IT'S QUITE A LENGTHY REPORT.
AND I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT I READ EVERY PAGE OF IT, DID I?
[00:15:01]
BUT I DID SKIM THROUGH IT.AND SO I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE JOB I THINK THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON THIS.
THANK YOU. FURTHER COMMENTS? NO. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE PLEASE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM 18.
ITEM 18. COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. RETIREMENT ITEM NUMBER 20.
ITEM NUMBER 20 COMMENTS OR MOTIONS SUPERVISORS.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR. SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVERIRA.
GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES 5 0. ITEM TWENTY ONE COUNTY COUNCIL . ITEM NUMBER TWENTY ONE COMMENTS OR MOTIONS.
NO COMMENT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
AS IT WERE RECEIVED ALREADY. SO GO VOTE PLEASE.
MOTION CARRIES 5 0. ITEM NUMBER TWENTY TWO, PLEASE NOTE ON PAGE TWO, PARAGRAPH FOUR OF THE STAFF REPORT, THIS PARAGRAPH SHOULD READ THREE RAIL TRAIL PROPERTIES, APN NUMBER 025054005 025-054-007 AND 025-072-036 HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED WITH A PUBLIC WALKING TRAIL, A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. THESE PROPERTIES WILL BE SUBDIVIDED AT THE CURRENTLY DEVELOPED PROPERTY, WILL BE RETAINED BY THE CITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL USE SUBJECT TO TWENTY YEAR PERIOD.
PARCEL B OF ZERO TWO FIVE DASH ZERO FIVE FOUR, DASH ZERO ZERO FIVE AND ZERO TWO FIVE DASH ZERO FIVE FOUR ZERO ZERO SEVEN AND PARCEL C OF ZERO TWO FIVE DASH ZERO SEVEN TWO DASH THREE SIX SHALL BE RETAINED BY THE CITY FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT. OK, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ITEM NUMBER TWENTY THREE.
THAT'S OKAY I'LL READ THE NUMBER 23, WHICH IS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
RECEIVE. NUMBER ONE RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THE AUGUST 25, 2020 LEGRAND-ATHLONE WATER DISTRICT GENERAL DISTRICT ELECTION.
AND NUMBER TWO CERTIFY AND RECORD THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL DISTRICT ELECTION WAS CONDUCTED BY LEGRAND-ATHLONE WATER DISTRICT.
OK SO MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. BOARD INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, TWENTY FOUR THROUGH
[BOARD INFORMATION & POSSIBLE ACTION]
TWENTY SIX.[INAUDIBLE] FILE 24 THROUGH 26. COMMENTS MOTIONS.
SUPERVISOR LOR SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
[00:20:04]
VOTE PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.MOTION CARRIES 5 0. AND LAST IS BOARD REPORTS.
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. GO AHEAD. YEAH ON THE LAST VOTE, ONLY ITEM TWENTY FOUR CAME UP, WERE THERE ITEMS TWENTY FIVE AND TWENTY SIX AS WELL.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE VOTE ON ALL OF THEM, NOT JUST THE ONE.
ALL THREE ITEMS. YEAH MOVE TWENTY FOUR TWENTY FIVE AND TWENTY SIX, IT WAS FIVE ZERO.
THANK YOU. SO NOW WE WILL DO BOARD REPORTS.
CHAIR. REALLY, JUST ONE THING TO REPORT AS OF NOW, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR BUDGET HEARING COMING UP AT 1:30 AND I'M SURE I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY AT THAT POINT, BUT I JUST WANT TO KIND OF READ SOMETHING HERE. SO IN SPITE OF COVID-19, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY AT THE COUNTY.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, THE COUNTY HAD ARRANGED FOR A NUMBER OF TOWN HALLS IN EACH DISTRICT. IN MY OPINION, THIS EFFORT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
IT ENABLED OUR CONSTITUENTS AFTER HOURS ACCESS TO EXECUTIVE STAFF INFORMATION AND HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
IT ALIGNED WITH ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES, KEEPING MY CONSTITUENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS INFORMED. I TRY TO DO THAT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, INCLUDING MY SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, EMAIL BLASTS AND MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS.
FROM THE FEEDBACK I'VE RECEIVED, DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS FIND THIS EFFORT HELPFUL AND USEFUL. IN ADDITION TO DIGITAL AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS I WOULD STILL RATHER MEET FACE TO FACE.
THIS YEAR, SINCE WE CAN'T GATHER IN LARGE NUMBERS FOR A TOWN HALL I'M DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, FROM 7:00 P.M.
TO 8:30 P.M., I'M HOSTING A DISTRICT FIVE VIRTUAL TOWN HALL.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND SPANISH TRANSLATION WILL BE AVAILABLE.
TO REGISTER YOU CAN VISIT SCOTTYSILVEIRA.COM AND CLICK ON THE EVENTS PAGE.
SOME OF THE TOPICS I'LL BE COVERING ARE THE BUDGET COVID-19 ROADS, PUBLIC SAFETY, PARKS, WATER RELIABILITY AND EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION FOR THE FOLKS ON THE WEST SIDE ON CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE AND HOPEFULLY MORE SO I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN ME.
AGAIN YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER AS WELL AS REGISTER AT SCOTTYSILVEIRA.COM.
AND THAT WILL BE THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, FROM 7:00 P.M.
THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. THANK YOU.
MR. CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE WINTON ROTARY CLUB.
THEY EVERY FRIDAY ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON THEIR REGULAR GROUP PAGE, THEY DO A VIDEO OF SOMEBODY IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY READING TO TO YOUNG FOLKS.
AND ANYWAY, SO THEY HAD ASKED ME TO READ A BOOK THIS LAST WEEK AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR POSTING THAT.
THE BOOK IS THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY 4 CHILDREN'S FAVORITES WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP. AND ANYWAY, SO JUST LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR TAKING THE TIME TO INVEST IN OUR YOUTH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CLOSE THIS MEETING IN MEMORY OF DR.
CHRISTIAN GALLERY. HE WAS NOT ONLY A PHYSICIAN TO MANY IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT HE WAS MINE AND IT WILL BE A GREAT LOSS REALLY TO THE FOLKS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE WERE AT THE END OF THE MONTH, LET'S NOT LOSE FOCUS.
WE HAVE LOST QUITE A FEW PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY RECENTLY TO SUICIDE.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO RAISE THE AWARENESS, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS COVID.
RIGHT, BECAUSE FOLKS AREN'T INTERACTING AND IT'S HARD TO TELL WHERE PEOPLE ARE AS FAR AS THE MENTAL STATE. AND SO I JUST ASK YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NOT JUST TO TEXT, BUT MAKE A PHONE CALL SO THAT YOU CAN CHECK IN WITH THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE DOING OK. IF EVERYBODY WOULD CALL TEN FRIENDS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK GENEVIEVE VALENTINE BECAUSE OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS
[00:25:03]
REALLY FOCUSING ON THIS ISSUE.AND THAT IS ALL OF MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. AS I WAS GIVING MY MONTHLY UPDATE TO ATWATER CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT THEY FOLLOWED UP WITH ME.
THE ATWATER POLICE CHIEF AND MAYOR WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO SHERIFF VERN WARNKE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAD A LITTLE THING GOING ON THIS WEEKEND AND THEY APPRECIATED THE SHERIFF'S SUPPORT AND HELP AND NOT ONLY FOR THAT, BUT THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY MY MOBILE DISTRICT HOURS HAVE STILL BEEN GOING ON AND CONSTITUENCY HAS REALLY BEEN REACHING OUT TO ME DURING THIS AND THE CITY OF ATWATER.
IT'S THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.
IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BUSY AT CITY HALL AT ATWATER.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET THAT OUT THERE AND I'LL DO IT THROUGH EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. BUT WE'RE MOVING IT TO THE THE FRAGO ROOM AT THE ATWATER COMMUNITY CENTER.
THAT WAY IT COULD BE A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT AND WE DO IT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.
IT'S FOR TWO HOURS, 1:30 TO 3:30.
AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY NICE REACH OUT.
SO I WANT TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. SURPRISINGLY, NOTHING FOR THIS SESSION.
OKAY. OVER MOVE TO THE CO ANY COMMENTS? NOTHING AT THIS POINT? OTHER COUNCIL.
NO. OKAY. FOR MY COMMENTS WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DID A VIRTUAL ZOOM CALLING MEETING FOR THE SAN JOAQUINS [INAUDIBLE] AUTHORITY LAST FRIDAY, AND IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING. WE DISCUSSED THE STOCK AND DIAMOND CROSSING OF THE TRAINS, WHICH IS VERY CONGESTED, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST CONGESTED IN THE NATION.
SO THEY'RE DOING ENVIRONMENTAL.
MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS GET TAKEN CARE OF, ESPECIALLY THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE A LOT OF CROSSINGS ARE GOING TO BE ENCUMBERED WHERE IT IS GOING TO AFFECT CITIZENS AND AROUND THE STOCKTON AREA HAS YOU KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO DO A BRIDGE OVER, OVER THAT CROSSING.
AND SO IT'LL BE MORE EFFICIENT FOR NORTH, SOUTH AND EAST WEST, RELAYING TO THE AMTRAK, YOU KNOW, AND THE ACE TRAIN AND THE AMTRAK COMING FROM STOCKTON, FROM SACRAMENTO, SOUTH AND NORTH. SO THAT WILL BE MORE EFFICIENT AND CUT SOME TIME OFF THE RIDE FROM HERE TO SACRAMENTO AND BACK.
ALSO, WE DISCUSSED THAT TURLOCK DENAIR PARKING STATION THEY ADDED ABOUT 45 OR 50 CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT IT WAS ENHANCING THE PARKING SPACES THERE FOR ANY STOPS FROM THE TURLOCK DENAIR RESIDENCE OR ANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO RIDE THE TRAIN THERE.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE MADERA STATION THAT IS BEING WORKED ON AS WELL, SO THEY MOVED THAT MADERA STATION WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE TO AND I THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE SHARED WITH A HIGH SPEED RAIL. SO THAT'LL BE VERY GOOD FOR THE MADERA AND AND THE CITY OF MADERA AS WELL. SO I KNOW THEY WERE WORKING ON ADDING MORE PARKING SPACE HERE IN IN MERCED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE STATION, YOU KNOW, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TRACKS.
I MEAN, I HAVE BEEN OUT THERE THEY MIGHT BE DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THEY WILL HAVE SOME MORE PARKING HERE AS WELL.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, OH, I DID MY COVID TEST ON FRIDAY AND IT CAME BACK NEGATIVE YESTERDAY. SO THAT'S GOOD. I PUT THE VIDEO THERE, RECORDED MYSELF ON FACEBOOK.
SO IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE AND A LITTLE BIT PAINFUL, BUT I'M GLAD TO BE HERE NEGATIVE.
AND SO WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY AT 1:30 FOR THE BUDGET MEETING.
THANK YOU THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
WE'RE ALREADY. OK, GOOD AFTERNOON.
[Call to Order]
WE WILL NOW HAVE OUR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 AND BEGIN OUR FISCAL YEAR 2020 21 FINAL BUDGET HEARINGS.IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF COVID 19 VIRUS THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY AND FOR THE PUBLIC LIMITED TO TWENTY FIVE. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED SOME OVER FLOW SPACE ON A 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.
[00:30:02]
THIS PHONE LINE IS OPEN NOW AND WILL REMAIN OPEN DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL PAUSE THE MEETING FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW FOR COMMENTS WHICH WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES IN LENGTH.WE WILL NOW HAVE THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE LED BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK]
IT'S NOW TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY MATTER OF THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ITEMS SPECIFICALLY SCHEDULED AS PUBLIC HEARINGS, TESTIMONY LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. OK, DOES ANYBODY WISH TO COME FORWARD AND AND COMMENT ON ANYTHING.SORRY, I WASN'T SURE IF THIS WAS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET.
MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M FROM LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
SO I JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET, WELL THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, COVID-19 HAS EXACERBATED MANY PREVALENT ISSUES IN MERCED COUNTY, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LACK OF PARKS AND REC AND YOUTH INVESTMENT.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT FUNDING NEEDS TO PRIORITIZE, TO BE PRIORITIZED TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES SO THAT THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WILL NOT CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM DISINVESTMENT. AND AS WE BEGIN TO REIMAGINE MERCED AND THE DEFINITION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTY REANALYZE AND REDISTRIBUTE LOCAL REVENUE EXPENDITURES FOR PROACTIVE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES THAT WILL TRULY RESULT IN INCREASED HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL RESIDENTS. IN THE PAST 12 YEARS, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM HAS BEEN THE ONLY PROGRAM EXPLICITLY TARGETED TO ALLEVIATE MERCED COUNTY'S HOUSING CRISIS.
AND SO FOR THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 BUDGET, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THERE IS EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED [INAUDIBLE] REVENUES, MERCED COUNTY'S 2019 APR CLEARLY SHOWS THE NEED FOR CONSTRUCTING, REHABILITATING AND CONSERVING HOUSING FOR VERY LOW AND LOW INCOME LEVELS.
AND HOUSING IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE.
PARKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES HAVE PROVEN TO BE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT FOR GOOD HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AND MERCED COUNTY HAS SEVERELY UNDERFUNDED PARKS FOR DECADES.
SO DEDICATED INVESTMENT IN PARKS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THIS BUDGET BY DEVELOPING A PARKS MASTER PLAN.
THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE COUNTY'S CURRENT PARK AND RECREATION RESOURCES TO ASSESS THE NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE AND DEVELOP A ROAD MAP TO ACHIEVING THOSE NEEDS.
SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GIVE INPUTS THAT RESIDENTS HAVE FOR THE BUDGET.
NOT ON THE SPECIFIC ITEMS, BUT YOU CAN GO FORWARD IF YOU HAVE A GENERAL COMMENT IF NOT YOU CAN JUST WAIT FOR.
ON THE BUDGET AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS APPLIES BUT I'M DENNIS WELLS AND I DEAL A LOT WITH THE VETERANS IN THE COUNTY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE FINALLY DOING TO UPGRADE THE FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTY.
[00:35:05]
I THANK THE NEWEST ONES WERE BUILT IN 53, AND SOME OF THEM GO BACK TO THE 1929. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE OTHER ONES THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT TO YET.
THANK YOU, SIR. ANYBODY ELSE, WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.
NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER BUDGET PRESENTATION, FISCAL
[PRESENTATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER - BUDGET PRESENTATION FISCAL YEAR 2020/2021]
YEAR 2020, 2021.MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION FROM THE TABLE IN THE BACK, FOYER, AS WELL AS THE BUDGET AT A GLANCE SUMMARY.
IF YOU HAVE NOT PICKED ONE UP, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET ONE AT THIS TIME.
AS WE SHARED AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IN ADDITION TO COVID-19 CHANGING EVERYONE'S DAILY LIVES, IT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 20-21 BUDGET, CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXTREME UNCERTAINTY AND MANY CHALLENGES.
SO WE'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, DEPARTMENT HEADS AND STAFF FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND TEAMWORK THROUGH THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS.
I KNOW IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY AND REQUIRED FLEXIBILITY TO ADAPT TO EVER CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES. AND FOR STAFF AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIRELESS, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO COVID.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T AND STAFF AND THE AUDITOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER.
AS WE ALSO SHARED DURING THE PREVIOUS BUDGETS AND IN JUNE AT PROPOSED BUDGET, THE GAP BETWEEN ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENSES HAS BEEN CLOSING AND ACTUALLY CROSSED DURING FISCAL YEAR 18 19, WHERE EXPENSES EXCEEDED REVENUES.
WITH THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES FROM COVID IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 19-20, WE PROJECTED A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR REDUCTION IN FUND BALANCE FOR PROPOSED BUDGET, RESULTING IN AN ESTIMATED AT THE TIME SHORTFALL OF FOUR POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
AND WE'RE CONSIDERING FURTHER REDUCTIONS.
DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE AND BENEFITED WITH SIGNIFICANT ONETIME ADJUSTMENTS OF OVER 10 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE YEAR END NUMBERS WHICH HAVE HELPED THAT FUND BALANCE FOR TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
HOWEVER, WE MUST CAUTION YOU THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ONE TIME REVENUES, FUND BALANCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO WHERE WE PROJECTED IT, AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO IDENTIFY FURTHER REDUCTIONS TO CLOSE A GAP OF APPROXIMATELY TWO TO FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING BROAD REDUCTIONS AT THIS TIME AND A STOCK AND HOUSING MARKET SEEM TO BE MOVING IN AN UPWARD TREND, THE ECONOMIC PICTURE IS STILL VERY UNPREDICTABLE. WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE ECONOMY, COVID AND THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE UPCOMING YEAR AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR EMPHASIS ON STEADY AND CAUTIOUS BUDGETING PRACTICES.
WE RECOMMEND TO CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR THE MORE POSSIBLE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND ALLOCATE ANY RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN TOWARDS ONE TIME LONG TERM ITEMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THAT FISCAL STABILITY AND TOWARDS ONE TIME ISSUES SUCH AS A SIGNIFICANT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE OUTSTANDING.
AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET ARE ATTEMPTED TO BE FOCUSED IN THESE AREAS AND TRY TO POSITION FOR THE FUTURE.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THIS BUDGET POSITIONS YOU FOR THE CURRENT CHALLENGES IN THE ECONOMY AND WE WILL BE KEEPING A CAREFUL WATCH AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR.
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. [INAUDIBLE]AND MR. DOCKSTADER TO WALK THROUGH AN OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHT THE MAJOR CHANGES FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, CHAIRMAN ESPINOZA.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU OUR TWENTY TWENTY ONE FINAL BUDGET.
AND THE FIRST SLIDE WE'RE STARTING WITH IS REVIEWING THE REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES AT YEAR END FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT FOR 19-20, WE CLOSE THE FISCAL YEAR ON JUNE 30TH WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE MILLION IN REVENUE AND FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE MILLION IN EXPENDITURE. THIS REPRESENTS A THIRTY SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN REVENUE AND A TWENTY NINE MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
WE CAN ATTRIBUTE THIS INCREASE IN BOTH REVENUE AND EXPENSE DUE TO THE STRONG START OF
[00:40:01]
2019. AND THEN AS WE KNOW, COVID CAME TO THE FOREFRONT.AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE THIS YEAR, AS CEO BROWN MENTIONED EARLIER IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT FOR THE ONE TIME REVENUE THAT'S ALLOWED US TO DEVELOP THIS YEAR'S FINAL BUDGET.
BIGGEST DRIVER OF THE TWENTY NINE MILLION DOLLAR EXPENSE INCREASE IS FROM A TWENTY ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNCTIONAL AREA.
NEXT IS OUR CASH FLOW FOR OUR GENERAL FUND, THE JUNE YEAR END, AS YOU CAN SEE, HAD ENDED AT NINETY ONE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THIS IS AN INCREASE FROM YEAR OVER YEAR TO EIGHTY FOUR POINT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THIS IT REPRESENTS A SIX POINT SIX MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN YOUR CASH FLOW.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART, WE DO HAVE A DOTTED LINE THERE SHOWING GOING DOWN TO EIGHTY ONE POINT SEVEN MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD HAVE ENDED FOR THIS YEAR FOR NINETEEN TWENTY HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR NINE POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS IN ONE TIME REVENUES THAT WERE RECEIVED.
SO WE WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE THAT FOR YOU.
THE NEXT SLIDES ARE OUR AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE AFTER RESERVES, SO WE'RE PRESENTING FORTY SIX POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS A ONE TIME TOTAL OF TEN POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
AND ALMOST HALF OF THAT WAS DUE TO CARES ACT FUNDING THAT WAS RECEIVED.
SO THIRTY SIX POINT ONE MILLION IS OUR FUND BALANCE WITHOUT THE ONE TIME, TEN POINT THREE IS THAT ONE TIME FOR A TOTAL OF FORTY SIX POINT FOUR MILLION.
NEXT IS OUR BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUE.
AND THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS THE TREND OF OUR LOCAL BUDGETED REVENUES WITHIN YOUR GENERAL FUND OVER THE LAST 13 YEARS.
FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE FINAL BUDGET, WE HAVE BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUE AT NINETY NINE POINT NINE MILLION DOLLARS AND THIS REPRESENTS A SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR DECREASE FROM PRIOR YEAR.
BETWEEN THE PROPOSED AND FINAL BUDGET PROCESS WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN BUDGETED LOCAL REVENUE.
THE NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE OF THE BUDGETED LOCAL RESOURCES.
AND SO THIS SLIDE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH HOW WE GET TO THE LOCAL REVENUE AND WHAT GOES INTO THAT. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE THE COLUMN TO YOUR FAR LEFT IS THE 19 20 FINAL BUDGET AND THEN WHAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD BACK IN JUNE FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CHANGE THERE, THAT IS FROM FINAL TO PROPOSED.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO ADJUST AFTER FURTHER REVIEW IN THE OTHER TAXES CATEGORY THAT WOULD BE YOUR TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND THAT WAS REDUCED AT A RATE OF THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND THAT'S LEAVING THE COUNTYWIDE LOCAL REVENUE AT NINETY NINE POINT NINE MILLION.
SO NEXT, THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE TREND IN TOTAL LOCAL RESOURCES BUDGETED OVER THE LAST 14 YEARS AND THE YELLOW REPRESENTS IN THE YEARS PAST THE AMOUNT OF ONE TIME DOLLARS IN YOUR TOTAL LOCAL REVENUE.
SO, AGAIN, THAT NINETY NINE POINT NINE OF LOCAL REVENUE I JUST WENT OVER IN THE SLIDE PREVIOUS THIRTY SIX POINT ONE OF FUND BALANCE AND THEN THE TEN POINT THREE OF ONE TIME REVENUE MAKING UP YOUR TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
AND SO THIS SLIDE IS A DIFFERENT GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION.
SO YOU CAN SEE BACK FROM 07, 08 ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO TWENTY TWENTY ONE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF BUDGETED LOCAL RESOURCES IS ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX POINT THREE MILLION, WHICH IS A INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR OF FIVE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVE, AND YOU WILL HAVE A POLICY ITEM ON THIS UPCOMING LATER IN THE AGENDA TODAY.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE FROM 07, 08 THE AMOUNT OF RESERVES THAT HAVE BEEN BUDGETED.
THIS YEAR, WE ARE PROPOSING THIRTY ONE POINT ONE MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT WAS PROPOSED LAST YEAR. AND IN 18 19 WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THAT RESERVE LEVEL OF THIRTY ONE POINT ONE BACK TO THE 08 09 PRERECESSION LEVELS.
AND SO, AS I WILL PRESENT LATER THE RESERVE POLICY THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY IS BUILDING ON AN AVERAGE GENERAL REVENUE OF THE PAST THREE PRECEDING FISCAL YEARS AND THEN TAKING A PERCENTAGE RANGE OF THAT THE AVERAGE REVENUE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE NEW THIS YEAR IS WE HAVE A A SMALL BOX AROUND THE FAR RIGHT.
[00:45:01]
AND THAT'S SHOWING THIRTY ONE POINT ONE IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE RANGE THERE, SEVEN PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE GENERAL FUND REVENUE FOR THE PRECEDING THREE FISCAL YEARS WOULD BE TWENTY NINE POINT SIX MILLION.
AT THE TOP OF THAT RANGE, AT NINE PERCENT WOULD BE THIRTY EIGHT MILLION.
AND SO THIS IS A RANGE IT CAN BE SET DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND CAN BE USED DURING THE PROCESS OR DURING THE YEAR IN THE EVENT OF A DECLARED LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL EMERGENCY REQUIRING A FOUR FIFTHS VOTE AND A PLAN.
SO I'LL GO OVER IT A LITTLE MORE AS WE GET INTO THE AGENDA ITEM.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY, AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS INCREASED BY TWO MILLION DOLLARS YEAR OVER YEAR AND THAT INCREASE REPRESENTS A HEALTHY GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY. AND THE TWO MILLION DOLLARS IS FOR UNSEEN COVID-19 RELATED COSTS AS WELL AS ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT TO OUR BUDGET MANAGER, MR. SCOTT DOCKSTADER.
SCOTT. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN BOARD. OUR NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A COUNTYWIDE POSITIONS, YOU'LL RECALL AT PROPOSED BUDGET WE BROUGHT BEFORE YOUR BOARD PROPOSED REDUCTIONS IN POSITIONS.
FOR FINAL BUDGET WE STILL HAVE A REDUCTION IN POSITIONS.
FROM FINAL BUDGET LAST YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, AND YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR ITEMS TODAY, PRESENTED BEFORE YOU FOR APPROVAL, A FEW POSITIONS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE ADDED BASED ON GRANT FUNDING AND OTHER REVENUES THAT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD.
SO THOSE POSITIONS WILL ALL BE FUNDED BY REVENUES THAT WILL HELP PAY FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
OUR NEXT SLIDE IS THE FINAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS.
THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND NOW.
YOU'LL RECALL THE DISCUSSION EARLIER ABOUT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET SHORTFALL OF FOUR POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
WE ADJUSTED OUR COUNTYWIDE REVENUES DOWN THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND OUR FUND BALANCE INCREASE OF ELEVEN POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECALL AND POINT OUT AGAIN, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE ONE TIME RECEIPTS OF REVENUES AND ADJUSTMENTS OF TEN POINT THREE, THAT ELEVEN POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE WOULD HAVE LEFT US QUITE A BIT SHORT OF WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO DO ANY OF THESE ADJUSTMENTS.
GETTING INTO THE BUDGET NOW, THE CHANGES THAT WE ACTUALLY MADE IN BUDGET, WE ADD AN ADDITIONAL ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO CORRECTIONS DEBT SERVICE.
[00:50:08]
FOR OUR CONTINGENCY THAT WAS JUST DISCUSSED, ANOTHER TWO MILLION DOLLARS.OUR PENSION RATE STABILIZATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN ITEM THAT WILL BE COMING BEFORE YOU BOARD IN JUST A MOMENT. AN INCREASE OF EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, CIP ADJUSTMENTS OF ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
AT PROPOSED BUDGET WE HAD A ONE POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS PLACEHOLDER.
AND FOR FINAL BUDGET, WE'VE INCREASED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET BY ROUGHLY ONE POINT FIVE MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF THREE APPROXIMATELY THREE MILLION DOLLARS IN TOTAL PROJECTS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LOANS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT BEFORE YOUR BOARD AND THESE ARE THE MECHANICS FOR THE RDA LOAN FORGIVENESS.
BEFORE YOUR BOARD TODAY ALSO WAS AN ITEM FOR A SPRING FAIR LOAN TO FORGIVE THAT LOAN.
AND THAT'S A HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AT PROPOSED BUDGET WE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD RECOMMENDED REVENUES FOR OUR RISK DEPARTMENT.
IN REVIEWING THAT DEPARTMENT, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD INADVERTENTLY DOUBLE COUNTED SOME REVENUES. WE RECENTLY HAD CHANGED OUR PROCESS IN THE WAY WE BILL IN RISK.
AND SO WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CORRECTION THERE.
AND THAT CORRECTION COST US ABOUT SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN INCREASE IN THAT COUNTY COST.
YOUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WILL BE BROUGHT THAT IS COMING ALSO TODAY FOR YOUR BOARD'S CONSIDERATION AND WILL RESULT IN A NET COUNTY SAVINGS OF ABOUT THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. AT PROPOSED BUDGET WE HEARD YOUR BOARD VERY CLEARLY EXPRESS INTEREST IN THE GRANT WRITER AND MAKING THAT A FULL TIME POSITION.
AND SO THAT ALSO HAS BEEN ADDED IN HERE AT FINAL BUDGET AT A COST OF $177,000.
WE ALSO INCREASED OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
SHOULD YOUR BOARD NEED TO HAVE A CONSULTANT IN COUNCIL OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
OUR PARKS IN GOING THROUGH THAT BUDGET AS WELL.
DUE TO COVID AND THE CLOSING OF PARKS, WE'VE ASCERTAINED THAT WE NEEDED TO REDUCE OUR PARKS REVENUE BY ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND OUR COUNTY CLERK REVENUES AS WELL DUE TO COVID-19.
WE CHARGE FEES FOR WEDDING CEREMONIES AND LATELY THERE'S THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPENING AS OFTEN OR AS MUCH. SO THOSE REVENUES ARE ALSO DOWN.
AND THEN OUR LAST CATEGORY. THERE ALL OTHER BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS HAVE A NET INCREASE OF FORTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO ALL OF THOSE INCREASE ALL OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS INCREASED OUR BUDGET, SIX POINT SEVEN, SIX POINT EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS A BUDGET OVERVIEW.
AT A HIGHER LEVEL OVER A FEW FISCAL YEARS FOR PROPOSED BUDGET TO FINAL BUDGET, WE SEE AN OVERALL INCREASE OF FORTY TWO POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS.
TWENTY SIX POINT ONE OF THAT IN OUR OTHER FUNDS DUE TO INCREASES IN OUR LONG TERM FACILITIES AND OUR ROADS FUNDS AND IN THE GENERAL FUND, AN INCREASE OF SIXTEEN POINT FIVE MILLION. AND THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO INCREASES IN OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY.
OUR CONTINGENCIES OUR CORRECTIONS DEBT SERVICE, THE LOAN FORGIVENESS AND THE GRANT WRITER POSITION THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED.
THIS NEXT SLIDE DEPICTS THE TOTAL [INAUDIBLE] BUDGET AND GENERAL FUND BUDGET BROKEN OUT ACROSS DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL AREAS.
EACH SLICE IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE SPENDING AUTHORITY BY FUNCTION.
YOU'LL NOTICE IN OUR TOTAL BUDGET OF SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX POINT SIX MILLION THAT OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AREA MAKES UP FORTY NINE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
WHERE MUNICIPAL IS 21 PERCENT, LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AT 17 PERCENT AND OUR SUPPORT SERVICES AT 13 PERCENT.
AND OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF FIVE HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN POINT NINE MILLION OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS 61 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WITH MUNICIPAL SERVICES AT SIX PERCENT, LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AT TWENTY TWO PERCENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES AT 11 PERCENT. NOW WE HAVE THE SAME DATA IN A BAR FORMAT.
IT SHOWS OUR DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL AREA OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY OF THE TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS BY FUNCTIONAL AREA OVER THOSE LAST FEW YEARS AND POINT OUT THAT OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AREA IS THE LARGEST FUNCTIONAL AREA OF THE TOTAL BUDGET AND HAS A HEALTHY INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
OUR NEXT SLIDE IS A BUDGET OVERVIEW AGAIN.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH THE TOTAL BUDGET OF SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX POINT SIX MILLION OF THAT OUR OTHER FUNDS MAKE UP ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT POINT SEVEN MILLION OR TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
THE GENERAL FUND IS FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN POINT NINE MILLION OR SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUES THAT SUPPORT THAT IS FOUR HUNDRED ONE POINT SIX MILLION OR 73 PERCENT OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, LEAVING OUR NET COUNTY COST OF ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX POINT THREE MILLION OR 27 PERCENT OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
SO OUR NET COUNTY COST THE ONE HUNDRED FORTY SIX POINT THREE BROKEN DOWN BY FUNCTIONAL AREAS SHOWN IN THIS SLIDE.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IN OUR NET COUNTY COST, OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY MAKES UP 53 PERCENT OF OUR NET COUNTY COST, OR 77.9 MILLION DOLLARS WITH SUPPORT SERVICES AT FORTY FOUR POINT FIVE MILLION. OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT 5.8 MILLION OUR MUNICIPAL COUNTYWIDE SERVICES AT 13.
THIS SHOWS THAT SAME INFORMATION, BUT NOW IN A CHART IT'S SHOWING THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OUR FROM PROPOSED BUDGET TO FINAL BUDGET, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY OF ONE POINT TWO MILLION, MAINLY DUE TO THAT ONE MILLION IN OUR CORRECTIONS DEBT SERVICE INCREASE.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS RELATIVELY FLAT.
OUR MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WIDE SERVICES, WE HAD A SLIGHT INCREASE THERE.
AND OUR SUPPORT SERVICES OR CIP, WE HAD AN INCREASE THERE OF FIVE POINT TWO MILLION
[00:55:06]
DOLLARS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S FROM THE TWO MILLION IN OUR CONTINGENCIES, OUR ONE POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN CIP PROJECTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING YOU FORWARD.OUR 600,000 IN THE LOAN FORGIVENESS.
THE SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND IN RISK REVENUE REDUCTION, THE CORRECTION THAT WE MADE AND AGAIN, THE GRANT WRITER POSITION OF ROUGHLY TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO AS YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU CAN SEE MOST OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE FROM PROPOSED ARE CENTERED AROUND WHAT WE CONSIDER ARE KIND OF THOSE LONG TERM ISSUES FROM A STABILITY AND ONE TIME.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A SUMMARY HERE FOR THE ITEMS THROUGH YOUR CONSIDERATION.
STARTING AT THE TOP I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, AS YOU NOTICED, WE ARE RECOMMENDING ANOTHER TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN CONTINGENCIES THAT IS PRIMARILY RELATED TO JUST THE UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING STILL CARES ACT AND THE ECONOMY.
AND THAT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY GOING INTO THE FUTURE YEAR AS WHERE TO GO FROM THERE.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS NOT AN AGENDA ITEM SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.
IT IS UNDER ITEM ONE UNDER YOUR NON POLICY ITEMS. IF FOR SOME REASON THE BOARD DID HAVE QUESTIONS AND WANTED TO FURTHER DISCUSS THAT, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND POINT THAT OUT.
NORMALLY WHEN YOU APPROVE THE SCHEDULES AT THE BACK END OF YOUR AGENDA IS WHEN YOU'RE ESTABLISHING YOUR RESERVES.
OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INTEREST FROM SOME BOARD MEMBERS IN RELATED TO AN OVERALL POLICY ON RESERVES, AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP, AGAIN, AT PROPOSED BUDGET. AND SO WE HAVE DONE AS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED.
I'LL TRY NOT TO GO ON TOO MUCH BECAUSE WE DO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT.
AND BUT THERE IS A POLICY FOR YOU TO CONSIDER ACTUALLY ESTABLISHING A POLICY FOR RESERVES, HOPEFULLY ALSO GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY IN ADDRESSING ISSUES AS THAT TAKES PLACE.
PENSION RATE STABILIZATION PROGRAM.
WE BROUGHT THAT UP AND SHARED THAT WITH YOU AT PROPOSED BUDGET.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT EFFORT FROM A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT TO TRY AND BEGIN POSITIONING FROM THE RETIREMENT BOARD AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY. EVEN PAST YEARS, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED MAYBE LOOKING AT SETTING ASIDE MORE THAN WHAT THE ACTUARIES RECOMMENDED.
WE CONSIDER THIS AS ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FROM TRYING TO CREATE AND PROVIDE YOU MORE FLEXIBILITY IN TIMES OF UNFORTUNATE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND OR AND SOMETIMES MIGHT EVEN BE BETTER FOR THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM IF YOU CAN BASICALLY ESTABLISH AND SET DOLLARS ASIDE THERE, IT CAN BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS MORE OF A LONG TERM FISCAL STABILITY THAT ALSO GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY.
THERE IS AN ITEM FOR YOU AS A CONSIDERATION.
IT'S AN OLDER OPERATING LOAN OUT THERE THAT ESSENTIALLY THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR DIRECTION AS FAR AS HOW TO PROCEED WITH THAT.
AND AGAIN, WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP, I CAN TOUCH A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THAT ITEM.
ANNUALLY THE BOARD HAS TO APPROVE THE CCP PLAN, THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIP AND BUDGET. WE ARE GOING TO ASK MS. ROCHESTER TO JUST QUICKLY, BRIEFLY TOUCH UPON THE CCP UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, IS KIND OF LOOKING AT DOING AN ASSESSMENT FROM A DATA STANDPOINT TO DO AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE THERE.
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE THAT THEY'RE STARTING THAT PROCESS.
WHERE YOU ESSENTIALLY I'LL TOUCH UPON IT HERE BECAUSE IT IS AN ANNUAL THING.
I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE OVER 10 YEARS AGO, THE STATE DID AWAY WITH THE SUBVENTION THAT WE USED TO RECEIVE THAT'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN ONE POINT FOUR ONE POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A PILOT OR A TEMPORARY PROGRAM SET UP THAT BECAME PERMANENT. AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT TAKES ONE TENTH OF THE ADJUSTMENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEY IN TURN, TURN AROUND AND PAY FEES ON THAT.
ANNUALLY THAT'S ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BUT EVERY YEAR, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO ADOPT THE FINDING THAT SAYS DID YOU RECEIVE LESS THAN ONE HALF OF THE SUBVENTION AMOUNT?
[01:00:02]
WELL THE SUBVENTION AMOUNT NORMALLY IS ABOUT ONE POINT FOUR ONE POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, I CAN TELL YOU WE DID NOT RECEIVE LESS THAN SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST IN THE SUBVENTION PROGRAM.
SO YOU CAN MAKE THAT FINDING, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
OTHERWISE WE CANNOT COLLECT THE SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE FEES.
FROM THE BROADER PERSPECTIVE, THOUGH, JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN THAT PROGRAM WAS PUT IN PLACE, THERE WAS WORK WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY.
AND EVERY YEAR EVERYONE HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT PROGRAM VERSUS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO THE WILLIAMSON ACT.
SO IT'S A PROGRAM THAT MOST EVERYBODY SUPPORTS AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING CONTINUES AS THEY MOVE FORWARD ON.
THE REST OF THE ITEMS ARE MORE WHAT I WOULD CALL STAFFING AND ORGANIZATIONAL.
AND I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT WITH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN CONCERTED EFFORTS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY AND THE CLIENTS THAT ARE SERVED EITHER ON THE JUSTICE SYSTEM OR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT INTEGRATION ACROSS THE LINES ANYMORE.
AND SO IN WORKING WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, WHERE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE CONTINUE THAT, THOSE PROCESSES WHICH WE'VE BEEN WORKING AT.
AND SO SHE'S COME UP WITH CREATING A NEW DIVISION UNDER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THAT ESSENTIALLY IS A JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION DIVISION.
I DO NEED TO CAUTION YOU THAT THIS WOULD NEED TO BE DONE OVER A FEW YEAR PERIOD.
THIS YEAR IS CONSIDERATION FOR PHASE ONE OF THAT TO GET IT STARTED.
I THINK ALL OF YOU UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED IT THIS MORNING.
PART OF THAT PHASE ONE WAS THIS MORNING YOU HAD AN MOU WITH THE CITY RELATED TO BEING ABLE TO INTEGRATE WITH THE CITY.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE STAFF THAT'S WITH THEM ON DIFFERENT CALLS AND DIFFERENT SERVICES.
THE SECOND PIECE OF THIS PHASE ONE IS REALLY RELATED TO WHAT I WILL CONSIDER ON THE PROBATION SIDE JUVENILE HALL SIDE IS INCREASED SERVICES TO THE YOUTH AT THE FACILITY AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT AND BETTER SERVING THE YOUTH THAT ARE IN THE FACILITY. SO THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF THE FIRST PHASE RELATED TO WE CAN'T GO ALL THE WAY IT'S MORE OF A FUNDING ISSUE.
AND WITH THE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH COVID, HOPEFULLY IF THAT CAN RETURN, THEN MAY BE IN YOUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET YOU CAN LOOK AT THE NEXT PHASE.
HSA. I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS TOWARDS THE HOUSING AND HOMELESS.
THERE HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN FLOWING INTO THE COUNTY AND THROUGH COC AND A VARIETY OF OTHER COMPONENTS TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT FROM A COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, THERE'S BEEN MORE FUNDING THAT'S COME THROUGH AND MORE REQUIREMENTS.
AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S BECOME A REAL CHALLENGE FROM A STAFFING RESOURCE.
SO AFTER LOOKING INTERNALLY IN THE ORGANIZATION OF HOW CAN WE DO THINGS BETTER, THIS ITEM WOULD CREATE A NEW DIVISION WITHIN THE HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY CALLED HOUSING AND HOMELESS.
I DO WANT TO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, IT IS ONLY ONE POSITION.
WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE'RE ADDING A LOT OF POSITIONS, BUT THEY WOULD BE RESHUFFLING THE STAFFING INTERNALLY ACROSS THE DIVISIONS.
IT'S JUST BECOME TOO MUCH OVERSIGHT FOR THE CURRENT STAFF, LEADERSHIP STAFF THAT ARE THERE. AND WE NEED TO SPREAD THAT OUT AND TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN MANAGING THESE EFFORTS.
PUBLIC HEALTH. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN TO YOU IN A SMALLER SCALE.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT ABOUT A FOUR MILLION DOLLAR GRANT.
AND IN LOOKING GOING FORWARD, ESSENTIALLY, I'M GOING TO CALL IT KIND OF I'LL CALL IT A MINOR COVID DIVISION UNIT.
IT WOULD BASICALLY HELP FUND ADDITIONAL STAFF FROM SURVEILLANCE, FROM INVESTIGATION, FROM A VARIETY OF THINGS.
AND THAT ITEM UNDER YOUR CONSIDERATION, IT IS A TWO YEAR GRANT WOULD HELP GIVE PUBLIC HEALTH SOME MORE PERMANENT STAFF TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE COVID, BUT ALSO POSITION THEM LONGER TERM FOR AS WE SEE MORE OF THESE TYPES OF CHALLENGES RELATED TO PANDEMICS AND OTHER DISEASES.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AS I'VE SAID, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME VERY CHALLENGING REDUCTIONS THAT PROPOSED AS THE ECONOMY STARTED TO TURN IN THE FIRST QUARTER, WE STARTED HOLDING VACANCIES.
AND JUST FROM A VERY CANDID WE HAVE BEEN HOLDING VACANCIES AND THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
[01:05:06]
NO ONE WAS PRECLUDED FROM THAT UNLESS IT WAS VERY STRATEGICALLY LOOKED AT.BUT WE WERE HOLDING THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES.
WE'VE BEEN HOLDING SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND IN LOOKING AND WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON THE BUDGET, HE UNDERSTANDS AND HE WANTS TO BE PART OF THE TEAM. AND SO HE'S COME UP WITH A COUPLE SUGGESTIONS INTERNALLY WITHIN HIS OFFICE OF HOW TO HELP HOW TO REDUCE COSTS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE HE CAN ADDRESS THE PRIORITIES FROM AN OPERATION STANDPOINT TOO.
UNDER STAFFING ADJUSTMENTS THESE ARE WHAT WE'LL CALL MISCELLANEOUS SOME CLEANUPS.
IT IS AND WE WANT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGE AND BE TRANSPARENT.
THIS IS WHERE THE GRANT WRITER POSITION IS UNDER.
I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT GRANT WRITER POSITION, I THINK OVER THE LAST YEAR THROUGH A PART TIME EFFORT, WE WENT OUT AND I THINK APPLIED FOR 13.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN EIGHT OVER SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE'LL GET GRANTS AWARDED TO.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR PROPOSED BUDGET I HEARD YOU BASICALLY SUPPORT ACROSS THE BOARD IS ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES IS THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON INVESTMENT ON THIS AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST ALL DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE OF BEING PART TIME.
SO THERE IS THAT POSITION INCLUDED IN THAT ITEM.
THERE IS ANOTHER POSITION IN THERE.
AS YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FROM A STANDPOINT OF SUCCESSION PLANNING. AND SO THERE IS ALSO IT DOES NOT IMPACT YOUR BUDGET THIS YEAR FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT. THERE WILL BE AN IMPACT FROM A RATES IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, IT IS ONE OF THE LAST DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL A SENIOR LEADERSHIP TO HELP SUPPORT SUCCESSION PLANNING.
AND FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, JUST THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND YOU'VE ALL BEEN TELLING US AS STAFF.
AND THE DRECTOR, MR. [INAUDIBLE], IS RUNNING IN A VARIETY OF WAYS AND TO GET HIM A LITTLE MORE SUPPORT THERE.
SO IT DOES FULFILL TWO PURPOSES THERE.
OTHERWISE, THAT IS MOST OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OK, SUPERVISOR LOR.
THANK YOU. I'M FLIPPING THROUGH THE POWERPOINT.
ON ONE OF THE PAGES, IT REFERENCES TWO LOANS FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION TO FORGIVE . PAGE 12, I BELIEVE.
SO THE RDA AND THE SPRING FAIR AND I KNOW THAT STAFF GAVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THAT.
WE SEE THIS SPRING FAIR IN OUR AGENDA PACKET.
AND AS A SEPARATE ITEM, AND THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION IS WHY IS THE RDA NOT A SEPARATE ITEM AS WELL? THE RDA IS NOT A SEPARATE ITEM BECAUSE THE BOARD HAS ACTUALLY ALREADY TAKEN AN ACTION AND APPROVED THE FORGIVENESS OF THIS LOAN.
AND I THINK IT WAS IN MAY, BUT IT WAS DURING LAST FISCAL YEAR.
THIS IS I'LL CALL IT THE TECHNICAL MECHANICAL FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THAT PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION IN ADOPTING YOUR BUDGET.
AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, THIS ITEM HAS TO DO WITH THE DISSOLUTION OF RDA'S THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE STATE MANY YEARS AGO.
AND THAT PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING.
IN FACT, IN YOUR AGENDA, EARLIER TODAY, YOU HAD AN ITEM WITH THE CITY OF LOS BANOS THAT'S STILL FOLLOWING THROUGH ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
AS A RESULT, THE RDA DISSOLUTION WHEN GOVERNOR BROWN WAS IN OFFICE.
WHAT ESSENTIALLY THAT WAS, IS FOR THE PUBLIC IS BACK IN [INAUDIBLE] I'M AFRAID TO SAY WHEN IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO OUT AT CASTLE, THAT IS THE ONLY RDA THAT THE COUNTY HAD WAS AT CASTLE. THERE WAS AN EFFORT WHERE WE NEEDED TO SIGNIFICANTLY INVEST IN SOME WATER METERS AND DIFFERENT THINGS. AND SO CASTLE DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDING AT THE TIME.
AND SINCE IT WAS AN RDA, IT WAS STRUCTURED AS A LOAN FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO CASTLE RDA AT THE TIME. UNDER THE DISSOLUTION OF THE RDA'S, WE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO TRY AND HAVE IT
[01:10:02]
INCLUDED IN THAT. BUT ESSENTIALLY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE TOLD US, NO, IT COULD NOT HAPPEN, THEY WOULD NOT APPROVE IT, AND SO ESSENTIALLY IT REALLY, EVEN THOUGH YOU APPROVED IT, YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE BECAUSE YOU HAD TO BASICALLY ELIMINATE AND GET RID OF THE LOAN. AND SO IN THE CAFR AND FROM THE AUDITOR'S PERSPECTIVE EVERY YEAR THAT IS TREATED AS A LIABILITY AND RECEIVABLE ON THE TWO DIFFERENT FUNDS.THIS ESSENTIALLY IS THE MECHANICS OF JUST ELIMINATING THAT ON THE BOOKS, ALTHOUGH YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN US THE AUTHORITY AND DIRECTION TO DO IT.
THANK YOU. AND THEN A SECOND QUESTION ON PAGE 14 OF THE SLIDE, THAT UNDER THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT SIXTY ONE PERCENT AND THEN ALL THE OTHER PIECES.
AS A REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC AND I KNOW THAT IT'S IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
CAN WE BRIEFLY SHARE WHERE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GET THEIR FUNDING AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER PIECES. SURE.
FROM A HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THOSE I MAY MISS ONE, BUT THOSE THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN THE MAJORITY ARE YOUR HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL FUNDS IT WOULD INCLUDE CHILD SUPPORT.
WE ROLL UP EVEN SENIOR SERVICES AND I MAY BE MISSING SOME BUT THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY ONES.
AND EVEN I THINK WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE INVESTMENT IN THERE UNDER OTHER FUNDS.
AND SO THOSE TYPES OF DEPARTMENTS MAKE THOSE UP.
THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE GET A BULK OR THEY GET A BULK OF OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUES THAT FUND THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO MOST OF THEIR FUNDING DOES COME FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUES.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT BAR CHART THAT SHOWED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE THEY HAD THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SPENDING AUTHORITY, THAT'S CHANGED. IT'S PRIMARILY AS A RESULT OF MORE STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUES COMING TO THE COUNTY. THANK YOU.
IS THERE OTHER QUESTIONS. THAT'S IT OK . ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS SUPERVISORS.
NO THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE AUDITOR.
[PUBLIC HEARING:]
WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE AUDITOR TO CONSIDER SETTING THE APPROPRIATION LIMITATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020/2021 ESTABLISHED UNDER ARTICLE 13 OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION.MAKE A MOTION FIRST RIGHT [INAUDIBLE] WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE COMMENTS FIRST OR WAIT FOR THE 10 MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TAKE A SHORT BREAK OF 10 MINUTES SO WE CAN GET THE PEOPLE THAT CALL IN FOR THE VOICE MAILS.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO TAKE THE COMMENTS TO THAT.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL WAIT FOR TEN MINUTES.
[01:25:22]
OK, THANK YOU. WELCOME BACK.[01:25:23]
DID WE RECEIVE ANY CALL IN'S.[01:26:15]
SPANISH] HELLO, MY NAME IS ARMANDO RUIZ.I'M A RESIDENT OF LOS BANOS, I'M CALLING IN AND REQUESTING FOR THERE TO BE MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS TO GO OVER THE BUDGET.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE WOULD NEED MORE SERVICES FOR THE PARKS AND ESPECIALLY FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS COME OUT TO SPEAK WITH US IN OUR AREA, ESPECIALLY A SUPERVISOR HIMSELF.
SPANISH] HELLO, MY NAME IS GARMIN OJEDA.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DOS PALOS COUNTY OF MERCED.
I'M CALLING IN AND REQUESTING FOR THERE TO BE MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN ORDER TO GO OVER THE BUDGET AND THE NEEDS, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS.
I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT DUE TO THE COVID-19 SITUATION, THE RENT AND HOMES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. I WOULD HAVE TO SAVE MONEY FOR 20 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE DOWN ON BUYING A HOME.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR PARKS, THERE'S A NEED FOR THE ROADS TO BE FIXED AND FOR A PLAN TO MAINTAIN THOSE PARKS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDREN IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A NICE PLACE FOR THEM TO PLAY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS PAMELA COBB I'M A MEMBER AND RESIDENT AT THE BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN COMMUNITY, I'M CALLING BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PARKS MASTER PLAN PUT INTO EFFECT IN THE BEACHWOOD AREA. WE HAVE A LARGE SITE THERE, BUT WE HAVE A FEW [INAUDIBLE] WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT EXPANDED FOR THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AT LEAST HAVE A BUILDING THERE.
WE'VE ASKED FOR MANY YEARS FOR HELP AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS COUNTY PART.
[01:30:06]
WE CERTAINLY WOULD HOPE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LISTENS TO THE RESIDENTS THAT SUPPORT THE COUNTY.THANK YOU, PAMELA COBB TWO ZERO NINE TWO ZERO FIVE FIVE [INAUDIBLE].
HI, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] LOPEZ AND I LIVE IN MERCED COUNTY, I AM A YOUTH LEADER OF 99 ROOTZ [INAUDIBLE] NEEDS AFFORDABLE HELP IN PARKS AND ETC., ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASE PUBLIC SERVICES ARE INCORPORATED, AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
USE INVESTMENT ESTABLISH A GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THREE YEARS, FOR 50 YEARS AGES 16 TO 24.
ALLOCATE ONE MILLION OF YOUTH PARTICIPATING, BUDGETING ACROSS THE COUNTY.
[INAUDIBLE] DEMOCRACY AND COMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE] VOTING ACCESS TO RURAL COMMUNITIES BY INSURE ADDING [INAUDIBLE] YOUTH ARE HIRED TO WORK AS POLL WORKERS AT VOTE CENTERS [INAUDIBLE]. YOUNG PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE DOING THERE PART TO TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. [INAUDIBLE] STOCKING SHELVES AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES, PICKING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE FIELDS AND TAKING CARE OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
WE NEED ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PART BY MAKING CHOICES THAT PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE VALUABLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M ANGEL SALINA AND I LIVE IN ATWATER.
I'M A YOUTH LEADER WITH 99 ROOTZ.
OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARKS AND ROAD MAINTENANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASE.
PUBLIC SERVICES IN UNINCORPORATED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
WE NEED TO WORK TO INVEST, ESTABLISH AND GUARANTEE INCOME PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
600 A MONTH FOR TWO YEAR FOR 250 YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24.
YOUNG PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE DOING THEIR PART TO TAKE CARE OF ONE OF ANOTHER.
FAMILY STOCKING SHELVES AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE, PICKING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE FIELD AND TAKING CARE OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
WE NEED ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PART BY MAKING CHOICES THAT PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD MEMBERS I'M [INAUDIBLE] AND A RESIDENT OF THE BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN AREA. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PARKS AND RECREATION ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOUTH INVESTMENT.
BUT MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS ABOUT THE PARKS MASTER PLAN.
I BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH AND PARKS AND RECREATION IS A WONDERFUL THING FOR THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THE PARK, ALONG WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WOULD BE A GREAT INVESTMENT. I WOULD APPRECIATE THE BOARD INVEST IN FUNDS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND ON THIS PROJECT.
[INAUDIBLE] COULD HELP BRING ABOUT PRIDE AND A SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG THE RESIDENTS.
[01:35:20]
HELLO MY NAME IS LI XIONG AND I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO USE THE BUDGET TO PROVIDE LOW COST RENTAL HOUSING IN THE FRANKLIN AND BEACHWOOD AREA AND USE THE MONEY TO FIX OR REPAIR THE SIDEWALKS AND STREET IN THE AREA AND ALSO TO BUILD A PARK IN THE FRANKLIN AND BEACHWOOD AREA.HI, MY NAME IS EUGENE VANG AND I LIVE IN THE BEACHWOOD FRANKLIN AREA OF MERCED.
I AM A YOUTH LEADER WITH 99 ROOTZ AND TODAY I WANTED TO SHARE AND UPLIFT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES ARE.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PARKS AND RECREATION, ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, INCREASED PUBLIC SERVICES AND UNINCORPORATED IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
THE TIME IS NOW TO INVEST IN YOUTH.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST THE FUTURE.
YOUNG PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE READY TO LEAD.
WE ARE DEMANDING THAT THE COUNTY ESTABLISH A GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH FOR TWO YEARS FOR 250 YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24.
WE ARE DEMANDING THAT THE COUNTY ALLOCATE ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR YOUTH PARTICIPATING BUDGETING ACROSS THE COUNTY.
WE ARE DEMANDING THAT THE COUNTY PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY AND CONTINUE TO CREATE VOTING ACCESS TO RURAL COMMUNITY BY ADDING AND ENSURING THAT 26 YOUTH TWO IN EACH VOTING CENTER ARE HIRED TO WORK AS POLL WORKERS AT VOTE CENTERS THIS FALL.
YOUNG PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE SO HARDWORKING, COURAGEOUS AND RESILIENT.
WE ARE THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND WE ARE RISKING OUR LIVES EACH DAY AT THE GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS, THE FIELDS AND MORE TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF OUR PARENTS AND OUR FAMILY.
WE ARE DOING ALL OF THIS WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL VIRTUALLY ON ZOOM AND GOOGLE MEET TO GET OUR EDUCATION.
THE TIME IS NOW AND WE NEED OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PART BY MAKING CHOICES THAT PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THE MOST IMPACTED.
WE NEED OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO CENTER THE VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THESE CONVERSATION FOR FAR TOO LONG.
THE TIME IS NOW INVEST IN YOUTH INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES THE VOICEMAILS RECEIVED.
WE WILL NOW GO TO PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS.
ANYBODY FROM HERE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
PLEASE COME FORWARD ONE AT A TIME.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY MEMBERS, MY NAME IS SHENG XIONG WITH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE MET WITH SOME OF YOU AND WE'VE MET WITH RESIDENTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND ONE OF THEIR TOP PRIORITIES, AS YOU'VE SEEN IN OUR LETTER AND IN OUR MEETINGS WITH YOU, IS AROUND PARKS AND RECREATION, YOUTH INVESTMENT, ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NOW, THESE ITEMS ARE BROAD AND THEY ARE NOTHING NEW, BUT THEY AGAIN COME UP TIME AND AGAIN WHEN WE SPEAK WITH THE RESIDENTS.
AND AFTER LOOKING INTO THE COUNTY A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND PARKS AND RECREATION, WE DON'T SEE A PARKS MASTER PLAN AS WE DO IN OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP ABOUT HOW ARE WE INTENTIONALLY PLANNING FOR A COMMUNITY FOR SOMETHING AS ESSENTIAL AS PARKS.
WE'VE SEEN IN A TIME OF COVID HOW PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ARE BEING CHALLENGED.
PARKS ARE A CRITICAL NEED OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND NOT ONLY JUST A PARK TO HAVE, BUT A PARK THAT'S WELL DESIGNED WITH A RECREATION CENTER BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD RESIDENTS ASK TIME AND AGAIN THEY'D LIKE A RECREATION CENTER FOR THESE EVENTS THAT THEY HOSTED THROUGHOUT THE
[01:40:03]
YEAR. AND I THINK THAT IF WE HAD A PARKS MASTER PLAN, WE CAN PUT INTENTION BEHIND IT AND WE CAN ALSO THEN ALLOCATE FUNDING INTENTIONALLY FOR IT.I KNOW THAT YOU ARE THINKING OR CONSIDERING A GRANT WRITE POSITION AND THIS PERSON WILL PROBABLY LIKELY APPLY FOR PARK GRANTS.
RIGHT. BUT IN YOUR OWN COUNTY BUDGET, HOW ARE YOU ALLOCATING FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS THIS.
YOU KNOW WHAT IF WE HAD A PARK IN EVERY CITY AND UNINCORPORATED AREA THAT HAD A TRAIL THAT CONNECTED TOGETHER? THESE ARE IDEAS THAT WE CAN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A SPACE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS. YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT FOR MERCED COUNTY TO BE KNOWN TO DO A BICYCLE DAY AND GO THROUGH ALL THE CITIES AND COUNTIES HERE? I MEAN, THESE ARE JUST IDEAS THAT DON'T EVEN BEGIN TO FLOURISH BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT.
SO IT IS REALLY CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES AND AMENITIES.
A PARKS AND COMMUNITY CENTER IS SOMETHING THAT IS ENRICHING FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERS WHEN IT'S HOT OR THERE'S NOTHING TO DO, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO BE OUT.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS YEAR IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER YEAR.
BUT THIS IS A NEED THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED TIME AND AGAIN.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE PUT SOME INTENTION AND MEANING INTO THESE PARKS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, ROADS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE ON THE QUEUE BUT SOME OF THESE PLACES HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED LIKE THE PLAINSBURG AND 140 INTERSECTION [INAUDIBLE] AND OTHER AREAS.
HELLO. ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERVISORS CHAIR ESPINOZA.
MY NAME IS BRENDA GUTIERREZ AND I'M WITH 99 ROOTZ.
I'M HERE TO UPLIFT SOME COMMENTS FROM THE YOUNG PEOPLE WE WORK WITH ACROSS MERCED COUNTY.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND YOU HEARD IN THE VOICEMAIL'S, YOUNG PEOPLE IN MERCED COUNTY ARE DOING THEIR PART TO TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER FROM RESTOCKING SHELVES AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES, PICKING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE FIELDS TO TAKING CARE OF FAMILY MEMBERS.
THESE ARE THE REALITIES NOW WE NEED ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PART BY MAKING CHOICES THAT PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
OUR VALUES ARE REFLECTED IN OUR BUDGETS.
THE RESULTS OF CALIFORNIA'S RECENT YOUTH POLL ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON YOUTH IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND IN MERCED COUNTY, GIVEN THE UNDERLYING ISSUES WITH THE STRUGGLING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT YOUTH.
THE TOP THREE ECONOMIC PRIORITIES FOR YOUTH IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE ENCOMPASSED IN THE THREE BASIC NEEDS HELP WITH WAGES AND INCOME, RENT OR MORTGAGE RELIEF, AND HELP WITH FOOD, MEDICINE AND BASIC RESOURCES.
YOUNG PEOPLE 24 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDER MAKE UP 30 PERCENT OF THE UNEMPLOYED IN MERCED COUNTY. AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES AND WITH SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING ECONOMIC RECESSION THAT WILL IMPACT THE MOST HARD HIT COMMUNITIES IN MERCED COUNTY, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, ONE ESTABLISHING A GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS PROGRAM SHOULD ALLOCATE THREE POINT SIX MILLION FOR A GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES A MONTHLY STIPEND OF 600 OVER TWO YEARS.
THAT SPANS OVER FOR, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 TO 24 TWO ALLOCATE ONE MILLION FOR YOUTH PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING ACROSS THE COUNTY.
THIS PROCESS WILL ENSURE THAT EACH DISTRICT IDENTIFIES YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE.
THAT WILL THEN ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGET PROCESS. AND THREE, PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY AND CONTINUE TO CREATE VOTING ACCESS TO RURAL COMMUNITIES BY ENSURING THAT TWENTY SIX TWO IN EACH VOTING CENTER YOUTH ARE HIRED TO WORK AS POLL WORKERS AT VOTING CENTERS THIS FALL.
EVERYTHING I WANT TO UPLIFT AND I JUST WANT TO END BY SAYING INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE IS INVESTING IN YOUR ECONOMY.
INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE IS INVESTING IN NOT ONLY YOUR FUTURE, BUT YOUR NOW THIS MOMENT, THIS HISTORIC, UNPRECEDENTED AND SCARY MOMENT CAUSE US TO THINK BOLDLY, CREATIVELY AND SEEING HOW WE CAN CONNECT THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CONNECTED BEFORE.
AND INVESTING IN YOUTH AND FINDING THOSE HOW DO WE PULL YOUTH AND BRING THEM IN AND SET THEM UP.
JUST TO ADDRESS THE RECURRING PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO DO NOW MORE THAN EVER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK?
[01:45:19]
HELLO, I WANT TO ECHO JUST EVERYTHING THAT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, I THINK THAT THERE ARE REAL COMMUNITY NEEDS, AS I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH SOME RESIDENTS, THEY HAVE BROUGHT ISSUES OF THE WATER. I DON'T KNOW.AND I WOULD REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT YOU INCORPORATE THAT INTO YOUR PLAN, WHATEVER IT IS THAT FALLS ON OR WHETHER THAT'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
I KNOW THAT IN DISTRICT FIVE, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY OF DOS PALOS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THAT. AND I DO WANT TO BRING UP ALSO JUST I KNOW IN THE PAST WE HAVE ADVOCATED FOR RENTAL UTILITY ASSISTANCE, RENT AND MORTGAGE AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE FOR FOLKS IN MERCED COUNTY AS THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POINTS MOVING FORWARD ARE BEING CONSIDERED IN THIS PLAN AND THAT YOU'RE MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS, WHICH WE'VE LIFTED UP.
ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? NO ONE ELSE. IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[INAUDIBLE] NUMBER TWO APPROVE A SO NOW WE WOULD YEAH OKAY GIVE ME A SECOND.
YES, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AUDITORS PROPOSAL.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
IS THERE A SECOND? THERE'LL BE A SECOND PART I SHOULD HAVE SAID ALREADY.
THANK YOU. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE APPROPRIATION LIMITATION AS ONE BILLION SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY ONE MILLION FIFTY TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTY ONE DOLLARS.
SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA ON NUMBER TWO AND THREE AND WAS SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
ANY OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES 5 0. GO AHEAD.
NEXT IS THE BUDGET CALENDAR, FINAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS, ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[BUDGET CALENDAR]
ITEM NUMBER ONE, ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS.WE'LL MOVE TO A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
CHAIR. COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
IT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU. I'M REFERENCING THE ATTACHMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE DEPARTMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS.
WE HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] YOUTH.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND THEN THE.
I DON'T SEE MY IN MY NOTES, BUT GENERAL FUND AND THEN THE [INAUDIBLE] YOUTH.
SO PAGE TWO, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE TWENTY ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR ADJUSTMENT IN THERE? YES. YES. SO THAT IS TO OUR SERVICE AND SUPPLY LINE ITEM.
AND THAT IS JUST MAKING A SMALL ADJUSTMENT AT THE FROM PROPOSED TO FINAL BUDGET.
AND SO THAT IS IN OUR CONTRACTING.
[01:50:01]
SO WE HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT THERE, BUT IT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU APPROVED OR PROPOSED. THE CONTRACTS ARE SECURED ALREADY.THANK YOU. SO THAT MEANS NO IMPACT TO THE PROGRAM ITSELF? NO, NOT AT ALL.
YEAH. THE AMENDMENT FOR THAT PROGRAM FOR THIS PROGRAM YEAR HAS BEEN SIGNED EARLY IN THE SUMMER. THANK YOU.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? JUST THE GENERAL FUND PIECE.
I KNOW IT'S AN ADJUSTMENT, BUT THE JUSTIFICATION BEHIND THE ADJUSTMENT.
ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A KIND OF THE GENERAL OVERALL? OK, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PAGE THAT OUTLINES, THESE ARE ALL WE WOULD CONSIDER, EXCEPT I DID POINT OUT TO YOU THE CONTINGENCY ADJUSTMENT, WHICH WOULD BE A AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE BUDGET UNIT SEVENTY TWO THOUSAND.
BUT THE REST OF THESE ITEMS ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE NON POLICY, AND THERE IS SOME JUDGMENT IN THAT.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SALARY AND BENEFITS COLUMN, YOU'RE SEEING MOSTLY REDUCTIONS AND IN THE SERVICE AND SUPPLIES YOU'RE SEEING OUTSIDE OF YOUR I'M GOING TO CALL IN GENERAL ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, WE DID ADJUST.
WE ACTUALLY REDUCED WORKER'S COMP RATE.
WE REDUCED HEALTH INSURANCE A LITTLE BIT AND MADE AN ADJUSTMENT AND WE INCREASED GENERAL LIABILITY, WHICH SHOWS IN YOUR SERVICE APPLY.
SO THOSE ALL OF THOSE ACROSS ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE JUST BASICALLY KIND OF TAKEN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ADJUSTMENT ON SOME OF THE BENEFIT RATES RELATED TO SALARY AND BENEFITS. NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HSA, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE SERVICE AND SUPPLY COLUMNS AND EVEN IN THE INTERIM FUND TRANSFERS, THOSE ARE AGAIN, BACK TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER. RELATED TO STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS THERE.
THERE'S SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS LIKE HSA I'M SEEING A FOUR MILLION DOLLAR CHANGE AND SOME OTHERS.
THOSE ARE AS A RESULT OF, IF YOU RECALL, A PROPOSED BUDGET.
WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS, WHEN COVID WAS IN EVERYTHING, VERY CANDIDLY, I THINK WE SHARED WITH THE BOARD AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN HSA, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE ALLOCATIONS.
WHILE SINCE THEN THE STATE HAS ADJUSTED AND THOSE ALLOCATIONS AND REVENUE STREAMS FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE BECOME KNOWN.
AND SO THOSE ARE BASICALLY JUST ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON NOW KNOWING WHAT THEIR ALLOCATIONS ARE AS A RESULT OF GETTING INFORMATION AFTER THE STATE ADOPTED THEIR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S IN GENERAL THE CONCEPT BETWEEN MOST OF THOSE.
THERE MIGHT BE A FEW MINOR ONES HERE AND THERE, BUT THAT'S THE GENERAL MAJORITY OF THE CHANGES ON THAT PAGE.
AGAIN, I POINT OUT THE CONTINGENCY ONE, AS I DID EARLIER, BECAUSE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER ADJUSTMENT.
OTHER COMMENTS? SUPERVISORS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NO. ALL RIGHT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION. I NEED THE MOTIONS AGAIN.
IT'S ON [INAUDIBLE]. OK, NOW IT'S GOING ALREADY.
MOTIONS BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM TWO, LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS.
[INAUDIBLE] ANY COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM THREE.
ITEM THREE OUT OF STATE TRANSPORTATION AND TRAINING FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY, TWENTY TWENTY ONE. ANY QUESTIONS ON OUT OF STATE NUMBER THREE? TRANSPORTATION? COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PEREIRA, THANK YOU.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CAPITAL ASSETS, FISCAL YEAR, TWENTY TWENTY, TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT WE HAVE ASSETS HERE AND THERE'S JUST GOING TO
[01:55:05]
COMMENT ON SEVERAL OF MY PROJECTS IN MY DISTRICT.WHICH IS THE LE GRAND PARK IRRIGATION SYSTEM IS ON THERE.
THAT [INAUDIBLE] VETERANS HALL REMODELING SESSIONS ON THERE.
THE PART OF THE HOULIHAN PARK RENOVATIONS ON THERE.
[INAUDIBLE], AND ALSO [INAUDIBLE] FIRE WATER SYSTEM AND PART OF THE CHILDS REHAB SYSTEMS ON THERE, TOO, AS WELL, SO.
AND THEN WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
GO AHEAD AND VOTE, PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE . MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO.
NEXT IS POLICY ACTION NUMBER FIVE, GENERAL FUND RESERVE POLICY.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF AND CEO JIM BROWN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A WHILE, AND I KNOW WE NEEDED TO REALLY ANALYZE IT AND SEE WHERE WE WERE. AND I KNOW THIS YEAR WAS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER.
BUT I THINK JUST BECAUSE OF OUR PLANNING, IT MAKES US A LOT MORE STABLE.
AND I JUST WANT TO, I APPRECIATE STAFF FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED IN PLACE.
YES, I AGREE. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS IN LIVINGSTON, WE NEED TO ADD TO THE RESERVE AS MUCH AS WE CAN EVERY YEAR AND ALWAYS SAVE FOR PANDEMIC TIMES LIKE AS WE ARE IN. WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A GOOD RESERVE JUST IN CASE IT'S NEEDED.
WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR, BUT WE CERTAINLY IT'S ALWAYS SAFER TO HAVE A GOOD RESERVE.
FURTHER COMMENTS? OK, YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION? YEAH.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK THROUGH A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE POLICY. AND SO AS I SHOWED IN THE SLIDE EARLIER DURING THE FORMAL BUDGET PRESENTATION, WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD A RESERVE POLICY THAT IS BASED ON LOOKING AT SETTING A RANGE BASED ON THE AVERAGE GENERAL FUND REVENUE FOR THE PRECEDING THREE YEARS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE IS A RANGE OF SEVEN TO NINE PERCENT.
AND THAT IS SHOWING, EXCUSE ME, THE SEVEN PERCENT WOULD PUT YOU AT TWENTY NINE POINT SIX MILLION BASED ON THE LAST THREE YEARS OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, WHEREAS THE TOP OF THAT RANGE WOULD BE THIRTY EIGHT MILLION.
AND SO WE ARE COMING TODAY WITH THIRTY ONE POINT ONE MILLION, WHICH IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, WHICH EQUATES TO SEVEN POINT THREE SIX PERCENT.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS BUILT INTO YOUR BUDGET TODAY.
AND SO THE CALCULATION OF THE TARGET RATIO WILL BE REPORTED DURING THE ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET. SO IN FUTURE YEARS, WE WOULD BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD AS ONE OF THE PREMISES OF THE BUDGET BUILDING.
THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ONE TIME INCREASES TO REVENUE, CREATING A SMOOTHING EFFECT.
SO AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ONE TIMES DUE TO THE CARES ACT. SO GOING THREE YEARS OF AN AVERAGE ON YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE WOULD HELP TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SPIKES LIKE THAT THAT HAPPEN SO WE DON'T END UP SETTING AN ARTIFICIALLY HIGH RESERVE THAT THAT WE END UP HAVING A CHALLENGE MEETING.
AND SO I DID MENTION ON THE SLIDE BEFORE THAT THAT EQUATES TO SEVEN POINT THREE SIX PERCENT. SO THE PERMITTED USES OF THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
SO TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO MAKE UP FOR TEMPORARILY DECREASED REVENUES THAT RESULT FROM STATE AND FEDERAL BUDGET ACTIONS, PROVIDE TEMPORARY RESOURCES IN THE EVENT OF AN ECONOMIC
[02:00:01]
DOWNTURN, PROVIDE RESOURCES IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER OR EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAID DISASTER, AS WELL AS ABSORB LIABILITY SETTLEMENTS IN EXCESS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES.AND SO FOR THE FUNDING OF THE GENERAL RESERVE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WOULD ADOPT A PLAN TO RESTORE FUNDS TO THE MINIMUM LEVELS WITHIN A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME IF THE FUNDS FALL BELOW THE MINIMUM ESTABLISHED RANGE.
SO IF THERE WAS A DETERMINATION TO USE AND TAP INTO THOSE REVENUES, THEN AT THAT TIME A PLAN WOULD BE DEVELOPED OF HOW TO RESTORE THOSE FUNDS.
AND WHAT THIS DOES, IT ALLOWS THE FLEXIBILITY BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF RESERVES NEEDED AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE NEED TO ACCESS THAT GENERAL FUND RESERVE.
AND SO A HIGH LEVEL OF THE BENEFITS OF A GENERAL FUND RESERVE POLICY ALLOWS YOU TO RESPOND STRATEGICALLY AND RESPONSIBLY TO THE CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING FISCAL ENVIRONMENT, MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FISCAL RESOURCES, MAINTAIN UNANTICIPATED COSTS OCCURRING ON A ONE TIME BASIS, MITIGATE OPERATIONAL IMPACTS DURING DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES, AND FINALLY TO DEMONSTRATE CREDIT WORTHINESS TO RATING AGENCIES.
WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
SUPERVISORS ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
I THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS PUT THAT TOGETHER AND I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO WALK THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TO ME THAT THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE LOOK DOWN THE ROAD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BOND OUT FOR IF WE'RE GOING TO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONE OF THE THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT HAVING THIS GENERAL FUND RESERVE IS THE WAY CREDIT RATINGS, HOW THEY LOOK AT THE COUNTY AND WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT.
AND HAVING A A SOLID FISCAL RESERVE REALLY HELPS YOU WHEN YOU'RE TALKING QUARTER PERCENT DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST YOU'RE PAYING ON 20, 30 MILLION DOLLAR BONDS.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY OVER THE COURSE OF THE LIFE OF THAT LOAN.
SO I THINK THAT'S I THINK IT'S IT'S A GOOD TO HAVE A POLICY AND RANGE.
IT ALLOWS US I THINK THIS POLICY ALLOWS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE A RESERVE FOR WHAT IT'S INTENDED FOR.
WHEN THERE'S THIS ONE TIME UNEXPECTED DECREASES IN REVENUE OR EXPENSES THAT OCCUR AND THEN BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE WITH THE FOUR FIFTHS VOTE.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD POLICY AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE BRINGING ONE FORWARD.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, THERE'S A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS NUMBER SIX, PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC AGENCIES, POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TRUST.
NUMBER SIX COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
RECORD THE VOTE. VOTE GOES FIVE ZERO.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN PROVIDE DIRECTION REGARDING THE OPERATING LOAN FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO SPRING FAIR. SO WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM SUPERVISOR LOR.
CAN STAFF PROVIDE US WITH INFORMATION ON WHAT OTHER TYPES OR WHAT OTHER LOANS OTHER DEPARTMENTS MIGHT HAVE STILL OUTSTANDING.
I'M ACTUALLY, SORRY, I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR THE AUDITOR RIGHT NOW NOT TO PUT LISA ON THE SPOT. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST ONES OUTSTANDING THAT WE HAVE.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ONES THAT I CAN THINK OF AND I'M LOOKING TO.
OH, JANEY, SORRY I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE.
MS. CABRAL OUR ASSISTANT AUDITOR-CONTROLLER.
AND PLEASE, IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DON'T RECALL ANY OTHER ONES THAT ARE ON THE BOOK.
THERE ARE NO OTHER DEPARTMENTAL LOANS. OK.
THERE ARE NO OTHER LOANS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
[02:05:01]
NO. THANK YOU.SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU CHAIR. YEAH, I THINK THIS IS ONE WHERE I MEAN, OUR FAIRS ARE STRUGGLING ANYWAY, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THIS COVID WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, TO RENT THEIR FACILITIES OR BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I THINK THE FAR ARE THE FAIRS ARE A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WHERE IT BRINGS ALL FOLKS TOGETHER AND THEY CAN CELEBRATE BASICALLY THE HARVEST AND AGRICULTURE. SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TO GET THE BOOK STRAIGHT AND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR THIS.
THANKS. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND MY COLLEAGUE, MR. MCDONALD. THANK YOU FOR THOSE WORDS.
AND IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE, I'VE SHARED UP HERE BEFORE.
SPRING FAIR GENERATES 80 TO 85 PERCENT OF THE REVENUE IN THE EVENTS UP AND AROUND THE WEEK OF THE FAIR, WHICH THEY LOST LAST YEAR.
AT THE OTHER 15 TO 20 PERCENT, COMES IN FROM RENTING THE BUILDINGS OUT THE REST OF THE YEAR, WHICH I KNOW THAT IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR, THEY HAD A FEW RENTALS, MAYBE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, AND THEN EVERYTHING CEASED TO EXIST SINCE THEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU, DARON, IN THAT THIS FAIR IS REALLY A BIG PART OF WHAT OUR HISTORY WITH AGRICULTURE, HOW IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE STILL IS TO THIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT IT BEHOOVES US TO KEEP SUPPORTING IT.
AND AND IT'S KIND OF AT ONE POINT, I MEAN, LISTEN, IS IT ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL? THE COUNTY HAS COMMITTED TO HELP IN THE FAIR THROUGH THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR POWER BILL, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE MONEY TO PAY BACK THE LOAN.
AND SO I'M GLAD TO JUST GET THIS THING OFF THE BOOKS.
I KNOW IN THE INTEREST OF HISTORY I WAS HERE, I DON'T KNOW, BACK IN THE EARLY 2000S ASKING FOR THE SAME FORGIVENESS OF THIS LOAN.
AND WE CAN GO INTO THE HISTORY ONE DAY OF WHY IT'S THERE AND WHETHER I THINK THAT WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. BUT I WON'T.
I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES ON THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].
GO AHEAD. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND I APPRECIATE I DO SEE I SEE THE MOTIONS AND SECONDS UP THERE, BUT THIS IS ONE THAT STAFF WAS LOOKING FOR DIRECTION.
THERE IS AN EITHER OR ON THIS ONE.
SO I JUST IF THERE COULD BE CLARITY FOR STAFF.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK I HEAR WHAT THE DISCUSSION IS.
BUT IF THE MAKER OF THE MOTION COULD BE CLEAR PLEASE.
YEAH, IT IS. MY PROPOSAL IS TO PROVIDE DIRECTION, CHOSE ITEM A WAIVING THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR LOAN IN ITS ENTIRETY.
IT DIDN'T LET ME VOTE, I GUESS.
[LAUGHTER] MY VOTES WAS YES, SO WE'LL GO AT FIVE ZERO.
NUMBER EIGHT, ROAD WORK OR ROAD DIVISION WORK PROGRAM.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NUMBER NINE, APPROVE THE AB ONE ZERO NINE FISCAL YEAR 2020 2021 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIP. OK, WELL, WE'VE GOT A SPEAKER.
GO AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND CHAIRMAN ESPINOZA, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I AM YOUR CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER.
AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, THE CURRENT FISCAL CLIMATE HAS LED TO A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE AB ONE ZERO NINE ALLOCATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
AND AS A RESULT, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIP ELECTED TO ADJUST THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE UTILIZED FROM THE AB 109 TRUST ACCOUNT.
ALTHOUGH REDUCTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, YOUR PROBATION DEPARTMENT IS COMMITTED TO SUSTAINING COMMUNITY SAFETY BY PROVIDING EVIDENCE BASED SUPERVISION AND PROGRAM SERVICES TO OUR CLIENT POPULATION.
AS YOU HAVE SEEN THE CCP STRATEGIES FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY ONE PROVIDE YOUR BOARD WITH STATISTICAL DATA.
AS CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, I CAN ASSURE YOU WE ARE COMMITTED TO SCRUTINIZING
[02:10:02]
OUR DATA OUTCOMES BOTH PROGRAMMATICALLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY THIS FISCAL YEAR TO ENSURE WE ARE INVESTING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESOURCES AND EVIDENCE BASED CORRECTIONAL SANCTIONS AND PROGRAMS. I LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO STRATEGIZE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES FOR OUR CLIENTS.AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS SUPERVISORS? SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU KALISA, ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO.
JUST THE ATTENTION TO THE WEST SIDE AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION IS OVER HERE, BUT THAT WE'RE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT.
THAT'S PART OF MY TASK. COMING TO WORK EVERY DAY IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE FOLKS OUT ON THE WEST SIDE. AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT YOUR PROGRAMS ARE SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I, TOO, WANT TO JUST, I GUESS, SHARE MY APPRECIATION OF YOU TAKING THE TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS AND SEE WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T WORK, PUT THE RIGHT ATTENTION. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY FROM FOLKS THAT WANT US TO INVEST IN OUR YOUTH. AND YOU KNOW THAT THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER ARE HELPING THOSE THAT COULD BE IN JAIL, COULD BE INCARCERATED AND HAVING A PROGRAM THAT WORKS THAT MAY INTERVENE THERE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WANT TO GIVE YOUNG FOLKS A SECOND CHANCE. AND I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE YEAH.
I JUST THINK THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS IMPORTANT AND YOU'RE WORKING WITH.
SO THERE'S PROBATION, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, CORRECTIONS AND ANYWAYS, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, I THINK IT JUST MAKES ME HAPPY TO SEE EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO STAVE OFF PEOPLE GOING TO JAIL.
AND ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU.
SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU. I JUST LIKE TO THANK KALISA.
SO THIS IS YOUR FIRST BUDGET AS OUR CHIEF.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING, THE RECIDIVISM THAT'S PUT FORTH THAT YOU GUYS ARE VERY GOOD AT. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
AND I'M HERE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SHE IS FROM DISTRICT THREE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA. WE'LL GO AND VOTE PLEASE.
ITEM NUMBER 10 HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER 11 WILLIAMSON ACT PROGRAM.
I WAS JUST CHECKING ON THAT BECAUSE I WAS DOUBLE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THAT I, I THINK I'M STILL IN THE WILLIAMSON ACT FOR THAT REASON TOO.
OK, THANK YOU. IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 11.
PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT SUPERVISOR ESPINOZA AND SUPERVISOR PAREIRA HAVE RECUSED THEMSELVES. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT A YES VOTE WOULD BE TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE, OK.
JUST TO CONFIRM A YES VOTE WOULD BE YOU ARE MAKING THE FINDING THAT IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY. THANK YOU.
PLEASE RECORD THE VOTE. MOTION PASSES THREE ZERO.
[02:15:07]
OK THANK YOU VICE CHAIR.SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12 RIGHT? NEXT IS PERSONNEL ACTIONS.
ITEM NUMBER 12 AUTHORIZE THE CREATION OF THE JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES.
OK, ITEM 12, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.
HELLO CHAIRMAN, SUPERVISORS, COUNTY COUNCIL CEO BROWN, I FIRST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, AT FINAL BUDGET, ACTUALLY PRESENT FIVE NEW POSITIONS BASED OFF OF A NEW DIVISION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INTEGRATE INTO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES.
THIS PANDEMIC AND THE NATURE OF THE WORLD ALLOWED US TO REALLY DO A REALLY GOOD DEEP DIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS AND SERVICES HERE IN MERCED.
WHAT WE NOTICED IS THERE IS A GAP OF SUPPORT SERVICES WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PROBATION AND A GAP WITH OUR CURRENT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
EARLIER THIS MORNING, YOU GUYS APPROVED AN MOU WHERE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WILL ACTUALLY HAVE STAFF EMBEDDED IN THE DART TEAM, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE MERCED PD, WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO RESPONSE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS, EXPERIENCING CRISIS'S AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO DIVERT THEM FROM OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOMS. WE WANTED TO DO BEYOND JUST AN MOU WITH OUR LOCAL MERCED PD, BUT ACTUALLY CREATE A FULL DIVISION WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE NEEDS AT A FRONT LINE PERSPECTIVE.
EARLIER, CEO BROWN MENTIONED THAT WE WANT TO DO THIS IN A PHASE APPROACH.
ONE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS TOO.
TWO, WE WANT TO BE FISCALLY PRUDENT.
IF WE ROLLED IT OUT IMMEDIATELY, IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY PROVE THE DATA THAT WE WANT TO SHOW TO YOU ALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WORK THAT MS. KALISA IS DOING TO SHOW WHAT WE ARE DOING AS A WHOLE.
SO PHASE ONE WOULD BE ASKING FOR FIVE NEW POSITIONS.
TWO OF THOSE NEW POSITIONS ARE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
WE ARE ALREADY SPENDING EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TYPE WORK.
SO MENTAL HEALTH COURT, OUR SUBSTANCE ABUSE COURT AND SO FORTH.
THESE TWO NEW SUPERVISORS WILL ALLOW US TO NO LONGER [INAUDIBLE] THOSE PROGRAMS AND HAVE IT ALL UNDER ONE DIVISION, AS WELL AS ALLOWING FOR THE EXPANSION OF SERVICES.
ONE OF THE EXPANSIONS THAT CEO BROWN MENTIONED FOR PHASE ONE WOULD BE ALLOWING US TO BE REINTEGRATED INTO JUVENILE HALL.
WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE ONE STAFF AT JUVENILE HALL WORKING WITH OUR YOUTH.
WE WANT TO MAKE THAT A TEAM OF FOUR.
WHERE WE HAVE TWO CLINICIANS AND TWO MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS AND A PEER SUPPORT STAFF SUPPORTED THROUGH PROBATION ON THEIR TEAM IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT FULL TEAM OF FIVE IS FULLY INTEGRATED FOR BOTH THE FAMILY, BUT ALSO A DISCHARGE PLAN AFTER AT JUVENILE HALL TO BE REINTEGRATED INTO OUR OUTPATIENT SERVICES.
ANOTHER PHASE OF THIS IS BEING CO-LOCATED WITH PROBATION IN LOS BANOS, WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH BOTH THE YOUTH AND THE ADULTS IN THAT COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO BE FULL WRAPAROUND WORK. SO WE WOULD HAVE CLINICIANS, MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS WORKING DIRECTLY ALONGSIDE PROBATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DIVERTING FROM EDS AND SO FORTH.
THE LONG TERM PLAN, IF I HAD IT ALL FULLY IMPLEMENTED, IS ACTUALLY HAS SIX GOALS.
THE FIRST GOAL IS TO REDUCE UNNECESSARY LOCAL AND STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT FOR MENTALLY ILL, PROMOTE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE LINKAGE TO SERVICE POST INCARCERATION OR DETENTION. THREE TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE BASE DATA PRACTICES IN ORDER TO DECREASE RECIDIVISM RATES AND TRUANCY.
WE ARE ACTUALLY EVEN WITH THE PANDEMIC SEEING TRUANCY.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THOSE NEEDS.
WE WANT TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO WHEN THERE NEEDS TO BE DEBRIEFS, THERE NEEDS TO BE TRAINING FOR OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE COULD ACTUALLY PROVIDE THEM MENTAL HEALTH, FIRST AID, CULTURAL HUMILITY AND DEBRIEFS AS A WHOLE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THEIR MENTAL WELL-BEING.
WE ALSO WANT TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE ACUTE STRESS DEBRIEFS FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS POST A PANDEMIC LIKE THIS OR OTHER POST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE IS A SITUATION AT ONE OF THE LOCAL SHELTERS OR IF THERE IS A SITUATION AT ONE OF THE LOCAL SCHOOLS THAT IS TRAUMA DRIVEN, THAT THIS TEAM WILL BE ABLE TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THOSE DEBRIEFS.
LIKE CEO BROWN SAID, WE ARE HOPING TO DO THIS IN A PHASED APPROACH IN ORDER TO BE FISCALLY PRUDENT. SO WE'D LIKE TO WITH THESE FIVE POSITIONS AND THEN REALLOCATING THE CURRENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT DEAL WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, ROLL OUT PHASE ONE AND THEN BY TWENTY TWO, TWENTY THREE ROLL OUT PHASE TWO, IF NOT PHASE TWO POINT FIVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS SUPERVISORS? IT'S NOT COMING UP.
[02:20:07]
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME NEW STAFF IN LOS BANOS.YES. AND THEN INTERACTING WITH MERCED PD.
SO IN LOS BANOS, WILL YOU ALSO BE INTERACTING WITH LOS BANOS PD OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT APPROACH? SO WE WANT TO FIRST START WITH PROBATION AND ACTUALLY BE CO-LOCATED IN THE MODULAR OF THAT PROBATION HAS.
ONCE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED IN THE LOS BANOS COMMUNITY, WE DO WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR RESPONSE THROUGH OUR MOBILE CRISIS TEAM IN A VARIETY OF CITIES.
LIVINGSTON AT SOME POINT, LOS BANOS.
WE'RE HOPING EVEN AT SOME POINT GUSTINE, HILMAR AREA TOO.
BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON FISCAL MEANS.
AND THEN SECONDLY, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE, WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE.
ONE OF THE TERMS I USED WAS BEING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT HERE AT THE COUNTY.
AND SO FOR YOU TO USE THOSE TERMS AND TO HAVE THIS BE A NO NET COUNTY COST TO THE GENERAL FUND, I REALLY APPRECIATE AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU WORKED WITH A LOT OF STAFF TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED AND APPRECIATE IT.
SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND AND THANK STAFF, AS WELL AS THE BOARD FOR YOUR INCREASED FOCUS ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS, THAT INCREASE HAS BEEN NOTICEABLE.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO CONTINUE THAT GROWTH.
THAT GROWTH AND THAT SUPPORT OF OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR HSA DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. WELL, PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SPEAKING ON THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN GOING TO CONFERENCES AND THAT WAS THE SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WAS FOCUSING ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, ON PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, INCARCERATED.
SO IF YOU AND IT WAS STATED THAT IF YOU ANALYZE THEM BEFORE [INAUDIBLE] BEFORE THEY THEY GET BOOKED, THAT WOULD BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT.
IT WOULDN'T BE PAID BY BY THE CITY OR BY THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE SAVING A LOT OF MONEY FOR FROM COUNTY GENERAL FUND.
AS I STATED, PLUS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING REIMBURSED.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SOMETIMES WITH PEOPLE, WITH ISSUES, WITH MENTAL ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS, WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE CRIMINALS OUT OF SOME PEOPLE. SO THIS IS THIS WILL CERTAINLY HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND ALSO FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB YOU'RE DOING.
NO FURTHER COMMENTS? WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR AND SECOND BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
GO AHEAD AND VOTE, PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM NUMBER 13 APPROVE THE ADDITION OF ONE DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION TO THE NEWLY CREATED HOMELESSNESS RESOURCE BRANCH.
COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR. GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE.
IT WAS. [INAUDIBLE] RECORD THE VOTE.
SO IT WAS FIRST BY PAREIRA SECOND BY LOR.
NEXT IS ITEM 14, APPROVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ALLOCATION FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY ENHANCING DETECTION PROJECT.
MOTION OR QUESTIONS ON NUMBER 14? NO QUESTIONS. SO I HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
AND A VOTE PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. NEXT IS ITEM 15, AUTHORIZE THE REDUCTION IN FORCE OF TWO FIELD POSITIONS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? AND A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR LOR, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE
[02:25:08]
. RECORD THE VOTE.MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM NUMBER 16 APPROVE THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
OK. COMMENTS BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
THANK YOU. CAN STAFF GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST POSITION FOR THE CEO'S OFFICE AND THE INTENTION BEHIND THAT.
MR. CHAIR, AND TO RESPOND TO SUPERVISOR LOR'S QUESTION, THAT IS AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THAT IS THE GRANT WRITER POSITION.
SO THAT IS IT'S A MANAGEMENT ANALYST POSITION IN OUR CLASS [INAUDIBLE] IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE GRANT WRITER POSITION THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND YES, AS WE SAID EARLIER, I THINK WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN EIGHT GRANTS OUT OF 13 SUBMISSIONS IN THE LAST YEAR FOR I THINK IT WAS SEVEN POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
AND YES, BACK COMMENTS EARLIER IN THE MEETING THERE'S FOUR, THE FOUR GRANTS THAT ARE ON THE TOP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ARE RELATED TO PARKS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE TOP GRANTS AS FAR AS THE NEXT ONES THAT THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
THANK YOU. I WANTED THAT CLARIFICATION BECAUSE WHEN THE PUBLIC SEARCHES FOR THAT POSITION, THEY'RE GOING TO DO A GRANT WRITER AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO MANAGEMENT ANALYST.
THANK YOU. IS THAT ALL THE QUESTIONS? OK, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
THERE IS A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PAREIRA.
ITEM NUMBER 17, AUDITOR SCHEDULES.
ITEM NUMBER 17, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR LOR.
NO FURTHER COMMENTS, THEN GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE. RECORD THE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES FIVE ZERO. ITEM NUMBER 18, FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY, TWENTY TWENTY ONE, FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION.
WE HAVE A COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR LOR. YES, THANK YOU.
I JUST I WANTED TO PUT ON THE BOARDS TO DO LIST THE, A MASTER PARK PLAN.
AND I TALKED TO STAFF EARLIER THIS MONTH ABOUT THE COUNTY NEEDING TO HAVE ONE.
WITH ALL THE PROJECTS IN PLACE AND ALL THE FUTURE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE WHAT ARE THE WORDS USED, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IF WE HAD A MASTER PARK PLAN.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE HSA, THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS DIVISION.
I'M REALLY HOPING THAT WITH THAT DIVISION WE CAN ADDRESS THE LEVEL OF HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MERCED COUNTY.
I THINK. I BELIEVE THAT IS IT FOR NOW.
SUPERVISOR PAREIRA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YOU KNOW, JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION, THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS SPENT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE COUNTY TO COME UP WITH OUR FINAL BUDGET. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL.
IN THEIR APPROACH, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS YEAR THE DEPARTMENTS THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AS MANY CHANGES NEEDED WHEN THE DEPARTMENTS MADE THEIR REQUEST TO WHAT WAS IN FINAL BUDGET.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT THE BUDGETING PROCESS, AS IT GETS FINE TUNED, EVERYBODY KIND OF KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT AND AND TO ONLY COME FORWARD WITH WHAT'S NEEDED AND MAYBE A FEW LESS WANTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE COVID HAD SOMETHING TO DO WHEN THE DEPARTMENT'S EXPECTED THAT BUDGET, THE BUDGET WAS GOING TO BE DOWN THAT OUR INCOME WAS GOING TO BE GREATLY REDUCED. AND ALTHOUGH WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE FULL EFFECT OF IT, I JUST YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE SEE OUR STAFF HERE IN THE CEO'S OFFICE AND THE BUDGET OFFICE NOT PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT, THAT'S BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEIR STAFFS WERE REALLY THOUGHTFUL IN WHAT THEY BROUGHT FORWARD.
[02:30:03]
SO I DON'T WANT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE PROCESS IS, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY AND IT TAKES A LOT OF MAN HOURS, BUT THAT THE SKILL SET AND THE QUALITY OF WHAT COMES FORWARD TO THE CEO'S OFFICE IN THE BUDGET OFFICE IS HIGH CALIBER.AND SO I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT.
YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES IN GOVERNMENT, WE HEAR FROM FOLKS WHEN THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND OFTENTIMES WE DON'T HEAR FROM FOLKS WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL.
AND SO I DON'T WANT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PASS.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PARKS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS COMMUNITY PLANS OR PARK PLANS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US USE THOSE DOLLARS TO IMPROVE THE PARKS RATHER THAN STUDY THE PARKS. YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF IS IN THOSE PARKS EVERY DAY.
AND AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH AT TIMES WE DID SOME GRANTS AND WE HAD COMMUNITY OUTREACH DURING THOSE TIME PERIODS, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON THE BASICS BEFORE WE HAVE MONEY TO SPEND ON, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONS OF EQUIPMENT.
AND SO ANYWAY, SO I JUST WOULD RATHER SEE US SPEND THE MONEY ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE RATHER THAN ON THE STUDY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA? THANK YOU. CHAIR. AND I DO WANT TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT MY COLLEAGUE JUST MENTIONED. AND I DO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK BY NAME, SCOTT, LINDSAY, NICOLE AND AMBER, WHO WORK IN THE BUDGET OFFICE.
BACK OVER HERE, BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE HALLWAY BEHIND THE CHAMBERS HERE OR OFF TO THE SIDE. AND I COULD TELL YOU THAT IT AT, I DON'T KNOW, TEN, FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THIS MEETING START, THEIR DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THERE WAS A FRANTIC PACE GOING ON IN THERE.
AND THEY WERE RUNNING LAST MINUTE REPORTS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY POSSIBLE QUESTION THAT WE MAY HAVE AS A BOARD COULD BE ANSWERED BY THEM.
AND I KNOW THEY WORK HARD AND IT'S JUST IT'S CRAZY TIMES AROUND HERE.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH COVID BEING A PART OF THIS AND REALLY KIND OF BEING A GAME CHANGER IN THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT STUFF AND CARES ACT FUNDING [INAUDIBLE].
AND SO IT'S NOT LOST ON ME, THE WORK THAT THEY DO IN PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER.
AND IT'S, IF ONE THING IS CLEAR, I MEAN, WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF PASSING A SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
THAT'S A BIG NUMBER, TRYING TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
WE PASSED THE RESERVE POLICY TODAY THAT TALKS ABOUT SAVING THAT MONEY FOR A RAINY DAY.
I WANT TO COMMEND THIS BOARD AND ITS STAFF FOR SETTING US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN THAT WHEN WE DO REALIZE ONE TIME MONIES, WE'RE SPENDING THOSE ON ONE TIME THINGS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT ONGOING COSTS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND IF IT ISN'T ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO YOU, THEY'RE ALWAYS WAY MORE WANTS THAN THERE IS MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM. AND PART OF OUR JOB AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IS TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, LISTEN TO THEIR PRIORITIES, COME AND ADVOCATE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'D LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL [INAUDIBLE] I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHERE THAT MONEY TREE IS.
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN MY OFFICE, NOR THE MAGIC WAND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX EVERYBODY'S PROBLEMS. BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE MORE WANTS THAN NEEDS. IT'S OUR JOB TO PRIORITIZE AND TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT, QUITE HONESTLY, ARE BEST FOR ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND THAT'S NOT EASY SOMETIMES BECAUSE YOU IN THIS YOU KNOW, WHEN I GOT HERE, I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT IN MOST CASES, BEFORE YOU REALLY EVEN GET A CRACK AT IT, THE MONEY IS ALREADY SPENT. IT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED TO PROGRAMS. AND SO WHEN YOU COME UP WITH NEW PROGRAMS OR THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO DO, YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY THRUST INTO THE POSITION OF PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS.
IT IS. AND SO AND COVID DOESN'T HELP IT.
AND REALLY, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AT SIX EIGHTY FOUR AND NOW AT SEVEN TWENTY SIX OR IF THAT MAYBE WAS PROPOSED IS THOSE ARE A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS CARES ACT RELATED. THERE'S SOME OTHER PROGRAMS IN THERE THAT WE GET SOME I'M GOING TO CALL THEM SOME WHAT IS NOT REALIGNMENT BUT, SOME TRUE UP PAYMENTS AND THEY ACTUALLY CAME INTO THE POSITIVE FOR US THIS GO AROUND AND NOT NEGATIVE, ESPECIALLY IN THE VHRS, THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT, THOSE DON'T ALWAYS GO THAT WAY.
BUT I THINK THAT SOME OF THOSE THAT UPSWING WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO COVID.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OUR AGENDAS AND AS WE'VE BEEN MAKING AMENDMENTS TO CONTRACTS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, IT'S BECAUSE OF COVID RELATED EXPENSES THAT WE'RE THAT THERE'S BEEN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED. AND SO THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS, IS I KNOW THAT A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS BUDGET. I KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR.
[02:35:03]
BUT I CAN WALK AWAY FROM THIS MEETING KNOWING THAT WE GAVE IT A GOOD SHOT AT IT, TRYING TO ADDRESS ALL THE NEEDS.AND I LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE FOLKS BROUGHT UP HERE TODAY ON THE VOICEMAILS AND IN PERSON, THEY'RE THINGS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING.
PARKS, PARKS ARE A HUGE PRIORITY TO ME.
THIS GRANT WRITER POSITION, I AM STOKED THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
I THINK THAT THE WORK CAN ONLY GET BETTER.
THESE PROP 68 GRANTS TAKE A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF TIME.
WE'RE DOING ONE TRYING TO GO THROUGH ONE IN DOS PALOS RIGHT NOW, BEACHWOOD, FRANKLIN AREA. AND IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT SANTA NELLA DOESN'T HAVE A PARK AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME THINGS AND WORKING ON THAT.
SO I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING THAT, THAT, AGAIN, I DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING THAT I WOULD HAVE. AND WHEN I SAY I WOULD HAVE LIKED.
IT'S EVERYTHING THAT MY CONSTITUENTS TOLD ME THEY WANTED.
BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MAKING A GOOD, HONEST TRY AT IT BASED UPON THE REVENUES THAT WE HAVE AND THE EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.
AND I THINK THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO STAFF KEEPING US CRAZY ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM GOING TOO CRAZY ON SPENDING MONEY AND BRINGING US BACK IN WHEN WE NEED TO BE BROUGHT BACK IN AND MAKING US UNDERSTAND THE REALITIES THAT THE MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES.
SO, AGAIN, JIM, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT YOU LIVE AND BREATHE THIS BUDGET.
I COULD SEE NOW THIS IS MY SECOND TIME GOING AROUND THROUGH THIS, JUST THAT KIND OF EBB AND FLOW I'M GOING TO CALL IT AS WE GET CLOSER AND THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE IT IS TO GET ALL THIS STUFF TURNED AROUND. AND THEN AGAIN, COVID ADDED TO ALL THAT.
STAFF, THANK YOU. AND I'M HAPPY TO VOTE YES ON A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND I THINK A BUDGET THAT ADDRESSES A LOT OF ISSUES, EVEN THROUGH COVID STILL PUTTING FINDING MONEY TO PUT IN INTO SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE HAD A GENTLEMAN EARLIER THAT TALKED ABOUT STILL PUTTING THERE'S WORK GOING ON RIGHT NOW AT THE LOS BANOS VETERANS HALL ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT STUFF, EVEN THROUGH COVID.
SO THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, I WANT TO TOUCH ON I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK BUDGET STAFF FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.
THIS IS, I MEAN, COVID CHALLENGES, BUT WE HAD NO IDEA.
I KNOW. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE STARTED SHARPENING OUR PENCILS, I BELIEVE, IN MARCH IN ANTICIPATION IN A LOT OF THIS HAPPENING. AND I THINK EVERYBODY HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
THE RESERVE POLICY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SEE IN PLACE.
AND MAYBE IT'S JUST LIKE A SECURITY BLANKET, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE. AND I VERY APPRECIATE THE COLLEAGUES MOVING THAT FORWARD AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE. BUT I THINK THE TRUE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GO PUBLIC AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS, THIS IS OUR CEO, JIM BROWN.
HE HAS BEEN HERE EVERY DAY EARLY IN THE MORNING UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT.
HE'S HAD HIS HAND OR HE'S TOUCHED EVERYTHING THAT HAS GONE THROUGH IN THIS COVID.
HE'S A FRIEND OF MINE. AND I KNOW HE'S HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF SACRIFICES FOR HIS FAMILY TO DO THIS. BUT IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, JIM, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR LOR? THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY MY COMMENT EARLIER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ELABORATE PARK PLAN.
AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY IS DOING SOMETHING, BUT WE NEED TO SHOW AND SHARE THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING. SO WHEN WE GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND OUR COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PARKS, THERE'S NOTHING TO SHOW OUR RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THIS PARK, THIS PARK AND THIS PARK. IN RIGHT NOW IN THIS ORDER.
AND WE'RE WRITING GRANTS FOR THESE PARKS.
AND THESE AREAS DON'T HAVE PARKS AND WE KNOW THAT.
SO WHEN WE DON'T COMMUNICATE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE DON'T COMMUNICATE THE STATUS OF OUR ACTIVITIES, THEN THE ONLY CONCLUSION THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN COME UP WITH WHEN THEY PULL UP OUR WEBSITE IS WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
AND SO AS WE IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES TO BE EFFICIENT, IF I AS A RESIDENT CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION ON A WEBSITE, I DON'T HAVE TO CALL STAFF.
I DON'T HAVE TO I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE UP STAFF TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPLANATION WITH ME. SO WHEN I THINK AND I TALK ABOUT A PLAN, I'D LIKE TO SEE A FORMAL PLAN THAT RESIDENTS CAN DO A QUICK SEARCH.
IF I LIVE IN AN UNINCORPORATED AREA WITH NO PARK, I CAN SEE THAT.
[02:40:02]
OK, SO THE COUNTY UNDERSTANDS I HAVE NO PARK IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT THEY JUST HIRED A GRANT WRITER THEY'RE WORKING ON FOUR GRANTS AND ONE OF THOSE GRANTS COULD BE A GRANT THAT BRINGS A PARK TO MY COMMUNITY.SO IF WE CAN NOT CLOSE THE DOOR ON A FORMAL PARK PLAN AND STAFF ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO IF THEY COULD JUST PUT THAT IN A WRITTEN FORM SO THAT RESIDENTS CAN REFERENCE THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN I WANTED TO SUPPORT SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA'S COMMENTS EARLIER TODAY ABOUT TOWN HALLS. I'D LIKE TO SEE VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS THIS COMING YEAR.
I KNOW THAT IN-PERSON IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT, BUT IF WE CAN HOST MORE VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE BUDGET THIS FALL AND GOING INTO THE THE WINTER INTO THE SPRING, I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I, TOO, WANT TO ECHO MY THANKS TO STAFF.
I'M ACTUALLY THANKFUL THAT SOME DAYS I'M AN ELECTED AND NOT STAFF BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND ALSO THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT YOU ALL DO TO MAKE THOSE SACRIFICES TO ENSURE THAT OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND OUR COUNTY AS A COMMUNITY CONTINUE GOING AND THAT WE HAVE A FUTURE HERE.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL COUNTY STAFF.
THE WORK THAT YOU DO IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR LIVES TODAY, TOMORROW, FIVE, 10, 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY I WILL CONCUR WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES COMMENTS, JIM BROWN AND ALL YOUR STAFF THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS BEEN WONDERFUL.
LIKE IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PRESSURE AGAIN, AND GETTING THIS FINAL BUDGET DONE AND HAS IT BEEN, YOU KNOW, HAS TO BE IN PRETTY SOON.
SO IT'S NOT THE BEST IN EVERYBODY WOULD THINK IT IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, ONE IN OUR COUNTY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE A HARD DECISION OF APPROVING A BUDGET THAT'S ACCEPTABLE AND BALANCED IN A COMMITTEE.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR STAFF FOR DOING A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR.
AND TO MOVE ON, WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SILVEIRA AND A SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR LOR ON NUMBER 18. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE PLEASE.
WE HAVE A COMMENT BY SUPERVISOR MCDANIEL.
I BE REMISED IF I DIDN'T REPEAT THE WORDS OF SUPERVISOR O'BANNION PROPOSED BUDGET WAS JIM BROWN'S BUDGET. FINAL BUDGET, AS IT'S PASSED, IS NOW OUR BUDGET.
THANK YOU. ANY DISCUSSION? IN CASE THERE'S LAST COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
GO AHEAD SIR. I OPEN IT TO DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, I DID SAY IT EARLIER, BUT I KNOW THERE MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT SET OF FOLKS HERE ALSO I'M GOING TO READ THIS AGAIN.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS SUPERVISOR LOR. THIS IS NOT A COUNTY SANCTIONED.
MY TOWN HALL IS NOT A COUNTY SANCTIONED EVENT.
THIS IS JUST SOMETHING I'M DOING ON MY OWN.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, FROM SEVEN P.M.
TO EIGHT THIRTY PM, I'M HOSTING A DISTRICT FIVE VIRTUAL TOWN HALL EVENT.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND SPANISH TRANSLATION WILL BE AVAILABLE.
TO REGISTE YOU CAN VISIT MY WEBSITE AT SCOTTYSILVEIRA.COM AND CLICK ON THE EVENTS PAGE.
AGAIN. SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ARE THE BUDGET, WHAT WE JUST PASSED, COVID-19 ROADS UPDATE, PUBLIC SAFETY, PARKS, WATER RELIABILITY AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CASTLE AIR FORCE BASE AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AGAIN, THAT'S COMING UP HERE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
YOU CAN LOOK FOR ME ON FACEBOOK.
YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO REGISTER THERE.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL.
THAT'S WHERE I SEND OUT THOSE MONTHLY EMAIL UPDATES ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
AND WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY AND IT STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.
SO THANK YOU. ANY DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD SIR.
GO AHEAD SUPERVISOR PAREIRA. YES.
[02:45:01]
MR. CHAIR, IF I COULD ASK FOR JUST A MOMENT OF PROTOCOL CHANGE, COULD WE LET OUR[Additional Item]
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIRECTOR COME UP AND TALK ABOUT HER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DRIVE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON? SURE.THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA, CHAIRMAN, SUPERVISORS COMMUNITY TODAY IS THE SEPTEMBER TWENTY NINTH. IT IS THE LAST DAY BEFORE THE LAST LAST DAY OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH. AND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO STILL DO A OUTREACH SERVICE AND STILL BE ABLE TO BE IN COVID COMPLIANCE, WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IN OUR BACK PARKING LOT OF OUR MAIN CAMPUS HERE IN MERCED.
SO ON FIFTEENTH STREET, THE BACK SIDE, WE ARE DOING A DRIVE THROUGH SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS SERVICE OUTREACH DAY.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR OR FIVE BOOTHS READY TO GO WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING SUICIDE PREVENTION KITS, OUTREACH, SUPPORT.
THE LIBRARY IS THERE TO SUPPORT US AS WELL IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOW TO GET LIBRARY CARDS AND SO FORTH.
SO THERE ARE THINGS FOR YOU TO DO.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE MEMBERS FROM EACH MIND MATTERS COMING OUT TO SHOW SUPPORT, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE MANNING OUR CRISIS SUICIDE PREVENTION LINE.
SO THAT WAY, IF SOMEONE DOES NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET SERVICES AND HOW TO ACCESS SERVICES AND WHO THEY ACTUALLY SPEAK TO ON THE PHONE, THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE THERE.
SO FROM FOUR TO SIX TODAY, WE HAVE OUR STAFF DOING BAGS AND SO FORTH, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE FOUR TO EIGHT DIFFERENT BOOTHS.
THANK YOU, PUBLIC HEALTH, FOR GETTING A COVID PLAN WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE DOING THE DRIVE THRU SUPPORT. SO THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PAREIRA AND EVERYONE ELSE FOR THE SUPPORT OF SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT I'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.