[00:00:08]
- ALL RIGHT, FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 14TH, 2025 MEETING WITH SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CLERK TO CONDUCT THE ROLL CALL.
- CERTAINLY, SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - HERE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ALSO BEGIN BY WELCOMING OUR NEWEST SUPERVISORS UH, SUPERVISOR DESERPA AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ UH, TO JOIN THE BOARD.GLAD TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE WITH US.
AND, UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM WHICH IS MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO'D LIKE TO DEDICATE TODAY'S MOMENT OF SILENCE.
WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS TO RECOGNIZE UM, THAT PASSED AWAY OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, THE FIRST IS DR. ROBERT QUINN WHO PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY AT THE AGE OF 63 ON DECEMBER 22ND WHILE RELAXING AT HOME WITH HIS FAMILY IN APTOS.
[MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
ROBERT WAS AN ACUTE STROKE AND SPINAL CORD INJURY REHABILITATION DOCTOR AT DOMINICAN HOSPITAL FOR 30 YEARS AND SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF HIS CAREER IN A SENIOR EXECUTIVE ROLE AT DIGNITY HEALTH.HE DEDICATED HIS CAREER TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OTHERS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR HIS PATIENTS UM, AND REALLY SHARING HAPPINESS WITH, UH, EVERYONE IN HIS LIFE.
HE SERVED AS AN ALTERNATE FOR SUPERVISOR FRIEND ON THE RTC AND THAT'S THE CAPACITY THAT I KNEW HIM BEST.
HE WAS A CHAMPION OF THE UNDERDOG.
FAMILY, FRIENDS, PATIENTS, COLLEAGUES, EVERYONE FELT BETTER WITH INPUT FROM ROB.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY HE SPENT HIS LAST DAYS SURFING WITH HIS SON AND WELCOMING HIS DAUGHTER'S HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FROM NEW YORK.
[PAUSE] UM, OF COURSE THERE ARE MORE FOLKS THAT WE, UH, HAVE TO REMEMBER AS WELL.
UM, JESSICA YORK IS THE NAME I THINK MANY OF US, UH, WILL KNOW WELL.
SHE WAS A SENTINEL REPORTER, UH, WHO DIED SATURDAY MORNING AFTER A FOUR YEAR BATTLE WITH NEUROENDOCRINE CANCER JUST, UH, TWO WEEKS SHY OF HER 44TH BIRTHDAY.
SHE WAS A HARD WORKING CONSCIENTIOUS REPORTER WHO WAS DEDICATED TO HER CRAFT AND THE SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY.
HER BEATS WERE PRIMARILY CRIME, COURTS, AND HOMELESSNESS BUT SHE ALSO COVERED SANTA CRUZ CITY POLITICS, SCHOOLS AND THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT AS WELL AS OTHER HUMAN INTEREST STORIES.
UH, AND EVERYONE THAT KNOWS HER SAYS SHE REALLY, UH, HAD A DEEP COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND, UH, COVERED REALLY DIFFICULT CASES WITH DIGNITY AND GRACE.
AND FINALLY, UM, I WANT TO MENTION MARY BLANCHARD.
MARY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 95.
SHE WAS BORN IN KANSAS IN 1929, THE YEAR OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND SO SHE LEARNED EARLY ON THE VALUES OF HARD WORK AND CREATIVITY.
AND SHE LEARNED HOW TO TURN HARDSHIP INTO JOY.
THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN SHE LOST HER YOUNG DAUGHTER TO A HORSEBACK RIDING ACCIDENT.
AFTER THAT, SHE THREW HERSELF INTO PHILANTHROPIC WORK.
AND MANY OF US KNEW MARY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS AND THAT, AN EXPERT FUNDRAISER, AND AN EFFERVESCENT HOSTESS.
SHE FOCUSED HER ENERGIES ON CHILDREN'S CHARITIES THE ARTS, AND EDUCATION.
HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN UH, WOULD LOVE HER TO HONOR HER MEMORY THROUGH A DONATION TO BOK RANCH, A WRITING ACADEMY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
[PAUSE] SO AS YOU REMEMBER ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE, I THINK THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM THAT EVERY DAY IS A GIFT AND, UH, TO ENJOY IT TO ITS FULLEST AND TO SHARE LOVE WITH EVERYONE AROUND US.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS MOMENT OF SILENCE TO EVERYBODY WHO'S BEING IMPACTED BY THE FIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF DEVASTATION THAT'S HAPPENING DOWN THERE.
UM, AND IT STRIKES VERY CLOSE TO HOME FOR OUR COMMUNITY SINCE WE ARE CONTINUING TO RECOVER FROM OUR OWN MAJOR DISASTER.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS TIME FOR.
- I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME THING BUT YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, IT'S WENT FROM 5 TO 26 AND IT'S GROWING, SO DO PRAYERS FOR ALL THE VICTIMS OF THE FIRE, LA FIRE.
- SUPERVISOR DESERPA, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? - UM, I WOULD JUST ECHO, UM, WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.
UM, DR. ROB QUINN WAS A PERSONAL FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF MINE.
I WORKED WITH HIM FOR MANY YEARS.
I'M HELPING PEOPLE WITH PARALYSIS.
UM, IN OUR COUNTY, WE HAVE ABOUT 450 PEOPLE LIVING WITH PARALYSIS IN OUR COUNTY AND, UM, HE AND I TOGETHER TOUCHED MANY OF THOSE LIVES.
UM, WE SEND OUR LOVE TO HIS WIFE, POLLY AND THEIR, UM, THREE YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN.
UM, THE OTHER PERSON I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE UM, WHO I BELIEVE WE'VE LOST IS, UH, CENTRAL FIRE
[00:05:01]
CAPTAIN STEPHEN RAMIREZ WHO WAS- DEDICATED HIS LIFE FOR 24 YEARS TO THE CENTRAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY MISS HIM AND, UM, SAD FOR HIS FAMILY AS WELL FOR HIS, UH, UNTIMELY DEATH.
AND THEN, TO ADD, UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS MOMENT OF SILENCE TO A COUPLE OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
UM, PETER SCOTT, WHO, UM, PASSED IN LATE OCTOBER, WAS AN ACTIVIST IN THE COMMUNITY AND FOR MANY OF US WE TRAVEL AROUND SANTA CRUZ AND WE SEE MANY OF THE GREEN AND OPEN SPACES THAT EXIST TODAY.
PETER SCOTT WAS ONE OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS WHO HELPED PRESERVE THESE SPACES.
PETER AND HIS WIFE, CECILIA SCOTT WERE AT THE HEART OF THE CITIZENS ACTION THAT MADE WILDER RANCH STATE PARK, BACK IN 1974, PUSHED AGAINST PG&E, UM, AND LED TO THE ABANDONMENT OF ITS PLAN FOR A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ALONG THE NORTH COAST AND WORKED TO GENERATE SIGNATURES FOR THE 1972 BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT ESTABLISHED THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION.
IN 1979, PETER, CECILIA, AND OTHERS WORKED TO PASS THE GREENBELT BALLOT INITIATIVE WHICH SAVED POGONIP, ARANA GULCH, AND MOORE CREEK FROM DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT BALLOT INITIATIVE INCORPORATED REQUIREMENT.
THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE 15% AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, PETER WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED AND- AND HE WAS AN ACTIVIST AND AN AVID BIKE RIDER UP UNTIL THE DAY HE PASSED.
[PAUSE] UM, BRUCE BRATTON ALSO PASSED AWAY RECENTLY ON DECEMBER 9TH- ON DECEMBER 11TH AT THE AGE OF 91.
BRUCE BRATTON WAS A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN SANTA CRUZ NEWSPAPERS IN THE 1970S AND 80S AND SINCE THEN IN HIS ONLINE PUBLICATION BRATTON ONLINE.
HIS HIGHEST PROFILE YEARS IN THE LOCAL PRESS HE HAD A WEEKLY COLUMN IN THE GOOD TIMES, THEN IN THE EXPRESS, AND AFTER BRIEFLY IN THE SENTINEL.
BRUCE'S COLUMNS WERE POPULAR WITH ANYONE WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEYOND OR BENEATH THE HEADLINES AND UNDER THE RADAR.
BRUCE HAS INFORMED AND MOBILIZED THE COMMUNITY ON CRITICAL ISSUES SUCH AS LIGHTHOUSE FIELD THE BEACH AREA PLAN, UCSC GROWTH, HIGHWAY ONE WIDENING NUMEROUS BALLOT MEASURES AIMED AT CHECKING THE CITY'S GROWTH, MACHINE POLITICS, AND THAT ANNUAL POLITICAL FIASCO HE SOUNDLY REJECTS WHICH ARE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.
BRUCE BRATTON IN THE 1980S HELPED RAISE AWARENESS TO THE INACCURATE NAMING OF THE LOUDON NELSON CENTER, WHICH WAS ACCURATELY CHANGED TO LONDON NELSON COMMUNITY CENTER THROUGH A COMMUNITY LED EFFORT IN 2021.
WHICH WAS VERY VOCAL IN THE ACTIVIST COMMUNITY AND WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY MANY.
[PAUSE] AND FINALLY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, WHO DIED ON DECEMBER 29, 2024 AT THE AGE OF 100.
JIMMY CARTER, AS WE ALL KNOW, AS WE MAY WELL KNOW SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FROM JANUARY 20TH, 1977 TO JANUARY 20TH, 1981.
PRESIDENT CARTER WAS KNOWN FOR BEING HUMANITARIAN, WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS BY EARNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN 2002.
HE CREATED THE CARTER CENTER TO PROMOTE AND EXPAND HUMAN RIGHTS, TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY TO CONDUCT PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, MONITOR ELECTIONS, AND FURTHER THE ERADICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CONTINENTS SUCH AS AFRICA.
CARTER WAS A KEY FIGURE IN THE NONPROFIT HOUSING ORGANIZATION HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND HIS LEGACY WILL BE CHERISHED BY THOSE THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY AND BEYOND.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, TODAY IS A MUCH LONGER MOMENT OF SILENCE THAN WE NORMALLY HAVE, BUT WANT TO RECOGNIZE STEPHEN RAMIREZ, PETER SCOTT, BRUCE BRATTON, PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, ROBERT QUINN, JESSICA YORK, MARY BLANCHARD, AND THE MANY VICTIMS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES.
SO IF YOU ALL JOIN ME IN THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
"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." - THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS.
I'LL TURN TO CAO CARLOS PALACIOS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO TODAY'S AGENDA.
- UH, THERE ARE NO CORRECTIONS TODAY. THANK YOU.
MOVING ON ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE AN ITEM FROM CONSENT AND PLACE AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA? SEEING NONE...
- UM, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER 20
[CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA; ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS]
JUST FOR A CLARIFYING- COUPLE OF CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.- YEAH, CAN I JUST ASK, BECAUSE WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S AN ACTION THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THE CONSENT THEN WE WILL PULL ITEM.
[ANNOUNCEMENT BY BOARD MEMBERS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT TO REGULAR AGENDA]
SO IF WE CAN, IF YOU THINK THAT YOUR QUESTION IS GONNA BE ANSWERED...- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE.
[00:10:02]
IT'S MY FIRST MEETING TODAY.- IT'S OKAY. - SO THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN I'M USED TO SO ON BEHALF OF MONICA AND MYSELF, YOU KNOW.
- NO PROBLEM. - I'M SORRY, BUT UM, SO- SO WHAT WOULD I- WE COULD- I COULD ASK QUESTIONS? - YEAH, ONE...
- IS NOW THE TIME TO DO THAT? - AFTER WE COME BACK FROM ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND THAT'LL BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
SO SEEING NO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WANTING TO PULL AN ITEM FROM CONSENT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS US ON ANY ITEM THAT IS, OR ANY ITEM THAT IS NOT ON OUR AGENDA, ANY ITEM THAT IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND ANY ITEM THAT'S ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
JUST NOTING THAT IF YOU SPEAK TO AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT A SECOND TIME WHEN IT IS HEARD.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO'S HERE TO SPEAK.
[PUBLIC COMMENT]
UM, I'VE- I'M ADDRESSING YOU TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE GOOD FAIRIES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE.AND I WANNA OFFER A BLESSING TO YOU AND WELCOME THE NEW CHAIRS.
ONLY IF YOU CONSENT TO THE BLESSING BECAUSE CONSENT SHOULD BE PRIMARY IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE IN A REVOLUTIONARY MOMENT AND THIS IS A MOMENT OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND DANGER.
UM, AND, ESPECIALLY FOR CALIFORNIA NOW AT THE TIME OF THE FIRES.
IT'S ALSO WITHIN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PURVIEW TO, UM, PAY ATTENTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I THINK THAT THAT RAISES MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT GOOD GOVERNANCE.
IN PREVIOUS YEARS, I'VE SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE A TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR EVERY ASPECT OF THE COVID ERA.
I STILL THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA AND IF I WAS STILL TRAPPED IN MY MORTAL COIL, I MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE, I TOLD YOU SO DON'T TRUST THE PRCR TEST BUT, UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING OVER THE FAIRY HANDBOOK, AND IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING THAT IS EVEN VAGUELY HAS THE APPEARANCE OF BEING RESENTFUL OR ANYTHING.
IT TURNS OUT THE FIRST STAGE OF HEAVEN IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE DMV AND AN AA MEETING EXCEPT STEP ONE'S TAKING CARE OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY.
UM, I GOT THE FAIRIES ALL CHIPPED TOGETHER AND WE'VE GOT, UH, BOOKS FOR EACH ONE OF YOU.
IT'S THE REAL ANTHONY FAUCI BY OUR NEXT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
IT'S- NO ONE'S BEEN SUED SO WE CAN TRUST THAT A LOT OF THE MATERIALS IN THAT THERE IS FACTUAL.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY MOMENT WE'RE IN.
ONE FINAL THING IS A POINT OF GOOD GOVERNANCE.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL CONSIDER HAVING A MORATORIUM ON THE SMART CITY SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA.
BECAUSE THERE'S A DANGER THAT DISASTER CAPITALISM WILL INTERSECT WITH LAND GRABS UNDER THE GUISE OF NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS AND WE COULD BE L.A.
YOU KNOW, JANUARY 14TH, 2020, I WROTE THIS.
[PAUSE] WHAT HURTS THE VICTIM MOST IS NOT THE CRUELTY OF THE OPPRESSOR BUT THE SILENCE OF THE BYSTANDER.
FIDUCIARY TRUST, A PERSON (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OR CORPORATE PERSONHOOD) WHO HAS THE POWER AND OBLIGATION TO ACT FOR ANOTHER (OFTEN CALLED THE BENEFICIARY UNDER, UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH REQUIRE A TOTAL TRUST, GOOD FAITH, AND HONESTY).
"THOSE WHO HAVE FIDUCIARY TRUST, MAKE THEM THE CHANNEL OF THY PEACE.
THAT THEY- THAT WHERE THEY- WHERE THAT WHERE THERE IS HATRED THEY MAY BRING LOVE.
THAT WHERE THERE IS WRONG THEY BRING THE SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS.
THAT WHERE THERE IS DISCORD, THEY BRING HARMONY.
THAT WHERE THERE IS ERROR, THEY MAY BRING TRUTH.
THAT WHERE THERE IS DOUBT, THEY BRING FAITH.
THAT WHERE THERE IS DESPAIR, THEY BRING HOPE.
[PAUSE] THAT WHERE THERE ARE SHADOWS, THEY BRING LIGHT.
THAT WHERE THERE IS SADNESS, THEY MAY BRING JOY.
THOSE WHO HAVE JUDICIARY TRUST, GRANT THEM- FIDUCIARY TRUST, GRANT THEM THAT THEY MAY SEEK COMFORT, THAN BE COMFORTED TO UNDERSTAND, THAN TO BE UNDERSTOOD, TO LOVE, THAN TO BE LOVED.
FOR IT IS BY SELF FORGIVING THAT THEY FIND IT IS BY FORGIVING THAT THEY ARE FORGIVEN.
IT IS BY DYING THAT THEY AWAKEN TO ETERNAL LIFE.
ALL THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN FIDUCIARY TRUST HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO MANY FURTHER GENERATIONS." [PAUSE] THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.
- THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
[00:15:01]
HERE IN CHAMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO US AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ONLINE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US DURING THIS TIME.CALL IN USER ONE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
UM, YES, THANKS TO PETER, CELIA, SCOTT, AND OTHERS FOR STOPPING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT FROM BEING IN DAVENPORT.
AND THE RADIATION POISONING OF AMERICA IS ONLY INCREASING WITH NUCLEAR POWER WIRELESS RADIATION, ETC.
AND I HAVE A COUSIN THAT LIVES DOWN THERE.
UM, THERE, THIS IS, THERE'S A SANTA SUSANNA NUCLEAR FACILITY.
AND WITH LOTS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
I'M READING FROM A PUBLICATION COMMITTEE TO BRIDGE THE GAP.
THE LEADING ARTICLE SAYS, NUCLEAR, NOT GREEN, SAFE, OR CLEAN.
I HAVE ONLY HEARD OF ONE SOURCE REFERRING TO THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AT SIMI VALLEY BEING DISPERSED BY THIS FIRE.
I WILL READ YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM THE PUBLICATION WHICH I RECOMMEND EVERYONE READS.
IN JULY, 1959, A NUCLEAR REACTOR IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA SUFFERED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
A THIRD OF THE FUEL ELEMENTS EXPERIENCE MELTING, RESULTING IN RELEASE OF RADIATION DIRECTLY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT WAS KEPT SECRET FOR 20 YEARS UNTIL BRIDGE THE GAP UNCOVERED DOCUMENTS ABOUT IT AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE NEWS MEDIA.
THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE SANTA SUSANNA FIELD LABORATORY.
THERE WERE ACCIDENTS AT THREE OTHER REACTORS RADIOACTIVE FIRES.
I THINK THAT'S GOING ON PRESENTLY.
[SILENCE] - TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
YES, MY NAME IS TIM DELANEY AND I LIVE UP, UH, ON THE TOP OF THE HILL HERE ON THE TOP OF SUMMIT.
ANYWAYS, UH, SO I'VE BEEN TALKING TO LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL POLITICIANS FOR ABOUT THREE DECADES IN REGARDS TO THINGS LIKE LAND MANAGEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND ALL OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME MULTIPLE TIMES MAKE COMPARISONS YOU KNOW, TO THE TAHOE BASIN YOU KNOW, WITH SANTA CRUZ HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, FROM EXPERIENCE HERE YOU KNOW, POLITICIANS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS WITH THEM.
THEY JUST WILL NOT LISTEN AND IT'S INTERESTING.
YOU KNOW, I DO THE- ENGINEERING PHYSICS DEGREE IS REAL AND OF COURSE WE GET ALL A LITTLE EXCITED WHEN THERE ARE EXPLOSIONS AND FIRE AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR THINGS GOING WRONG.
OKAY? SO ANYWAYS, THAT'S KIND OF MY MINDSET AND I'VE TALKED TO FOLKS IN THE TAHOE BASIN AND HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET A, AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I LIVE AT THE TOP OF HILLS IN TAHOE.
MY HOME IS AN ICE CAVE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF EXPENSIVE HOUSES DOWN BELOW, A WHOLE BUNCH IN INCLINE VILLAGE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MY ONE LITTLE BIT HOUSE MIGHT BURN DOWN SURE, MAYBE A FIRE STARTS, RIGHT? BUT WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, IT GOES WHERE? DOWNHILL, SOMEHOW, IT'LL GO DOWN THE BACKSIDE OR IT'LL GO DOWN THE FRONT SIDE.
AND ALL THOSE FOLKS DOWN BELOW ME WILL LOSE THEIR HOUSES AND THEIR LIVES.
SO, HOW DO YOU GET FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT OKAY TO KEEP CRAMMING PEOPLE INTO FORESTED AREAS.
OKAY? SO WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM HERE IN SANTA CRUZ.
I HOPE YOU FIND A WAY TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM.
[SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1628.
YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
[SILENCE] - YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
[00:20:01]
- YES, WE CAN.- YES. I'D LIKE TO READ AGAIN.
UH, I DID LAST TIME FROM A BOOK BY A LOCAL AUTHOR LEON CANO WROTE, THE UNFORTUNATE TRUTH ABOUT VACCINES PART THREE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT VACCINES.
MEDICAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES ASSERT THAT VACCINES ARE SAFE BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT EACH VACCINE GOES THROUGH A PAINSTAKING PROCESS OF TESTING AND EVALUATION BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
SUPPOSEDLY, THERE ARE A SERIES OF CLINICAL TRIALS THAT A NEW VACCINE MUST PASS SUCCESSFULLY IN ORDER TO ADVANCE TO THE POINT OF FDA APPROVAL AND THEN BE PUT ON THE MARKET FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES.
THE PUBLIC ASSUMES THAT THIS PROCESS WILL ASSURE THAT VACCINES ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE.
[PAUSE] THE GOLD STANDARD FOR EVALUATING VACCINES IS BASED ON RANDOMIZED CONTROLS, TRIALS, RTC IN WHICH SUBJECTS ARE DIVIDED BETWEEN A TRIAL GROUP THAT RECEIVES A VACCINE AND A CONTROL GROUP THAT RECEIVES A PLACEBO, AN INERT COMPOUND LIKE A SUGAR PILL THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE, ON THE SUBJECTS.
IN THIS WAY, THE TEST RESULTS WILL SHOW THE IMPACTS OF THE NEW VACCINE COMPARED TO THE PLACEBO.
FORTUNATELY, THE DRUG COMPANIES DO NOT AND HAVE NEVER USED AN ACTUAL PLACEBO IN EVALUATING ANY VACCINE ON THE MARKET.
INSTEAD, THEY COMPARE THE NEW VACCINE WITH THE PREVIOUS VACCINE OR SIMILAR COMPOUND TO THE NEW VACCINE IN ORDER "TO OBSCURE THE TRUE INCIDENCE OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF THE VACCINE BEING TESTED." IN THIS WAY, THEY CAN CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE VACCINE REACTION COMPARED TO THE PLACEBO AND THAT IT IS THEREFORE SAFE.
IN THE INITIAL CHAPTER OF TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN, VACCINE SCIENCE ADMITS THERE IS A PRECISE SUMMATION OF HOW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ARE ABLE TO HIDE THE TRUE EXTENT OF ADVERSE EVENTS, AS IN THE CASE OF A FAKE PLACEBO.
IN THE SUMMARY, IT STATES, VACCINE TRIALS ARE DESIGNED AND PERFORMED...
- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE MOVING ALONG PRETTY QUICKLY I'LL REOPEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON.
APPEARS THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO SPEAK TO US.
SO PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES.
THIS IS A BRIEF LETTER OF APPRECIATION FOR THE LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THAT WAS SIGNED AND PUBLISHED ON, UM, NOVEMBER 8TH.
UM, MY GROUP PUT OUT AN EXTRA PETITION TO GET SUPPORT AND WE ALSO ADDED, UM...
WE ADDITIONALLY PLEDGED TO RESIST ANY PUSHBACKS ON CLIMATE ACTION PLANS, INCLUDING FUTURE GOALS AND WE PLEDGED TO RESIST ANY EROSION OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO, WE GOT QUITE A LOT OF RESPONSES.
THE HOLIDAYS CAME IN BETWEEN AND WE GOT INVOLVED IN OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE POINT IS WE APPRECIATE THIS.
AND, UM, ICE MAY NOT RECOGNIZE, UM, SANCTUARY STATUS.
THEY MAY JUST COME IN AND TRUMP ALL OVER.
ANYWAY, UH, VARIOUS GROUPS ARE ORGANIZING AND WE JUST HOPE WE HAVE AS MUCH SUPPORT AS POSSIBLE.
[PAUSE] SEEING NO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US TODAY I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I'LL START WITH SUPERVISOR DE SERPA UH, SINCE YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON ONE OF THE ITEMS ON CONSENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD ASK, UH, MY QUESTIONS FIRST OR, AND I'D COMMENT ON OTHER THINGS.
UM, I WANNA, UM, JUST BRIEFLY COMMENT ON ITEM 16 UH, GRANT, UH, THAT WILL BE, UH, APPARENTLY SUBMITTED BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR A CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY UH, FOR GOING AFTER THIS MONEY.
[ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA (ITEMS 12-25)]
I THINK, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN FROM MY TOUR, WE'VE GOT DEDICATED STAFF UM, TO INVESTIGATE CHILD SEX ABUSE AND OTHER, UM, IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO KIDS.AND, UM, I JUST- IF WE CAN GET MORE MONEY TO CONTINUE THAT GOOD WORK, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.
I STARTED MY CAREER IN CHILD WELFARE AND I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL ADDITION, UM, TO OUR COUNTY SERVICES.
ITEM NUMBER 19, MONTECITO MANOR.
IT'S AN ASSISTED LIVING DOWN IN WATSONVILLE.
A PRIVATELY OWNED GROUP, UM, OFTEN TAKES PATIENTS ON BEHALF OF, UM, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, UM, FROM OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE.
AND, UH, IT'S REALLY AN ASSISTED LIVING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT NEED EXTRA HELP.
AND I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL TO MONTECITO MANOR.
UM, I HAVE PLACED MULTIPLE PEOPLE THERE OVER THE YEAR THAT NEEDED A LITTLE EXTRA ASSISTANCE AND I FEEL VERY, UH, GRATEFUL AND, UM, WANNA EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THEM FOR TAKING CARE OF SOME OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS WHO ARE OLDER AND NEED EXTRA SUPPORT.
[00:25:01]
UH, ITEM 20.I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY COULD...
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO COULD ANSWER? AND I WANNA ALSO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE NORMALLY I WOULD ASK THIS TO YOU AHEAD OF TIME BUT I HAVEN'T HAD MY ORIENTATION DATE WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT YET SO I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHO TO ASK.
SO ITEM 20, UH, IS AN ITEM CONTRACTING IT APPEARS WITH THE LOS GATOS THERAPY CENTER FOR AN EATING DISORDERS PROGRAM.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEED FOR THAT.
AND I- AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THIS REPORT IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD BEFORE, BUT FOR MY OWN INFORMATION I- I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
KAREN KERN, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY.
MOSCATOS TREATMENT CENTER PROVIDES BOTH, UM, EATING DISORDER TREATMENT AND, UH, INPATIENT...
I'M SORRY, UH, INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT AND PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
WE HAVE SEEN, UM, A RISE IN REQUESTS FOR EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO THIS ENABLES US TO EXPAND OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE NEEDING THAT SERVICE.
UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH EATING DISORDERS.
WE SHARE THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH A MANAGED CARE PLAN.
- UH, AND THAT'S FOR MEDI-CAL PATIENTS, CORRECT? - CORRECT.
- MEDICARE ALSO, OR JUST MEDI-CAL? - MEDI-CAL AND MEDICARE.
AND SO THE FACILITY, UM, THE OPERATION CAN ALSO BILL INSURANCE FOR THESE, UM, SERVICES, CORRECT? SO, ARE THEY GETTING, ARE, ARE WE PAYING THEM A SUM OF $700,000 JUST AND THEIR BILLING OR...? I'M CONFUSED ABOUT HOW THE MONEY'S GOING.
- WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MEDI-CAL POPULATION AND THEN ALSO THE DUAL ELIGIBLES THE MEDI- MEDI-CAL, MEDICARE POPULATION, NOT PRIVATE INSURANCE.
UM, FOR EATING DISORDER TREATMENT, WE ACTUALLY, UM, PARTNER WITH, AS KAREN SAID UM, THE MANAGED CARE PLAN.
SO, THE LARGEST ONE THAT WE WORK WITH HERE IN THE COUNTY IS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH.
AND WE HAVE A 50-50 COST SHARE AGREEMENT FOR EATING DISORDER TREATMENT WHERE THEY PAY 50% OF THE COST AND WE PAY 50% OF THE COST WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANAGED CARE PLAN IS COVERING THE PHYSICAL HEALTH NEEDS RELATED TO THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDER AND WE WOULD BE COVERING THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE SPECIALTY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS RELATED TO THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDER.
WE ARE STILL NEGOTIATING THAT COST SHARE AGREEMENT WITH KAISER WHICH IS A NEW MEDI-CAL HEALTH PLAN THAT OPENED IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN JANUARY OF 2024.
SO, WHEN WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH THEM FOR THE 700,000 ARE WE JUST ASSUMING THAT THAT'S ENOUGH AND WE'RE GONNA JUST CAP COSTS THERE OR...? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL SUM...
- SO THAT- THAT IS THE TREATMENT EXPENSES AND THEN UM, WE ARE RECONCILING THAT EACH MONTH OR WITH EACH INVOICE.
UM, IF WE DO END UP NEEDING MORE MONEY, WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATE AND MOVE THOSE FUNDS OVER TO THAT CONTRACT.
BUT SO FAR, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
UM, SO I'M SOMEBODY THAT'S PLACED PEOPLE IN THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES O- OVER MY LIFETIME.
SO WE'RE STILL ABLE FOR- ON THE INPATIENT SIDE TO USE PROGRAMS LIKE STANFORD, FOR EXAMPLE, CORRECT? IF PEOPLE NEED INPATIENT HOSPITALIZATION? - FOR EATING DISORDER? - YEAH.
- I THINK RIGHT NOW WE- WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH STANFORD.
I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. I'M NOT SURE.
I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS.
- DOES THAT COMPLETE YOUR QUESTION AND YOUR COMMENTS? - NO, I HAVE ONE MORE.
- ITEM 23 IS, UM, A CONTRACT, UM, WITH BOSCO CONSTRUCTION UH, FOR THE BATHROOMS AT HIDDEN BEACH.
AND I JUST- ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORS, ON BEHALF OF BEACH GOERS AND APTAS I WANT TO THANK, UM, OUR COUNTY PARKS AND GSD FOR, UM, HELPING TO CREATE BATHROOMS THAT ARE, UH, APPROPRIATE AT HIDDEN BEACH.
THERE'S MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT'LL BE VERY THRILLED WITH, UH, THE CONCLUSION OF THAT PROJECT, SO THANK YOU.
- OKAY. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ? - YES, JUST REALLY BRIEF.
I'D LIKE TO, UH... NUMBER 19 I'D LIKE TO ALSO THANK, UH, MONTECITO MANOR FOR WORKING WITH OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOLKS UM, DOWN IN SOUTH COUNTY.
AND ALSO 15, I WANT TO THANK, UH, RITA SANCHEZ FOR TAKING ON THE ROLE AS, UH, WOMEN'S COMMISSIONER FOR THE FOURTH DISTRICT.
ON ITEM 13, THE AMENDMENTS TO SB 329 TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
JUST WANTED TO THANK SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR BRINGING THIS LETTER FORWARD.
UM, I THINK IT'LL ULTIMATELY BE AN IMPORTANT WAY THAT WE ADD AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO OUR COMMUNITY, ASSUMING OUR LEGISLATORS
[00:30:01]
UH, TAKE THIS UP THE- IN THE STATE CAPITOL.UM, AND THEN ON ITEM 18 AUTHORIZING YEAR THREE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENSE PILOT PROGRAM GRANT, I WAS JUST GLAD TO SEE THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AID CONTEMPLATING, UH, THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING HIRING TO HELP WITH THIS.
I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH SB 90 FOR UNFUNDED SERVICES MANDATED BY THE STATE.
UH, IT DEFINITELY SEEMS TO BE, UM, A NUMBER OF THOSE RELATED TO, UM, THE, UM- TO- TO THIS PROGRAM.
AND, UH, GLAD TO SEE THAT'S BEING CONTEMPLATED.
- UM, JUST WANNA SHARE, UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY MY COLLEAGUES.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, JENNY PANETTA FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR, UM, BRINGING ATTENTION TO SENATE BILL 329 AND- AND FOR, UH, ADVOCATING FOR US TO SEND THESE LETTERS TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER PELUM, AND ALSO JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO HELP US EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UM, AND THEN ITEM NUMBER 14, I JUST WANNA THANK, UM, THE RESIDENTS OF THE NORTH COAST UM, SHARKS FIN COVE BEACH AND THE PARKING ASSOCIATED WITH AS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PARKING AREAS, UM, ALONG THE NORTH COAST.
AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BEGIN MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANNING A- A SAFER PARKING FACILITY AT THAT LOCATION.
AND SO JUST WANNA THANK THE STAFF FOR BEING WILLING TO- TO HELP US AS WE TRY TO MAKE PARKING SAFER FOR RESIDENTS WHO VISIT SHARKS FIN WHICH HAS NOW BECOME A VERY POPULAR BEACH DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A MOTION TO MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
- I NEED TO MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT, I'M SORRY.
ON ITEM, UM, 13, UM, I'M GONNA BE ABSTAINING FROM THAT, UM, PARTICULAR VOTE.
UM, WE- MY HUSBAND HAS A CONDOMINIUM THAT, UM, I TALKED HIM INTO PUTTING INTO SECTION EIGHT PROGRAM AND HE RECEIVES INCOME AS A RESULT OF THAT.
IT- WE- IT'S NOT COMMUNITY PROPERTY, BUT NONETHELESS, UM, I'LL BE ABSTAINING UM, FROM ITEM 13. THANK YOU.
- I JUST WANNA CONFIRM WITH COUNTY COUNSEL IS AN ABSTENTION UM, SUFFICIENT VERSUS A RECUSAL, UM? - YES.
THE- THOSE WORDS ARE USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH REGARD TO THIS SUBJECT.
- SO MOTION BY SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR KOENIG TO MOVE THE ITEMS ON CONSENT WITH AN ABSTENTION BY SUPERVISOR DE SERPA ON ITEM NUMBER 13.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL HAVE THE CLERK DO A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THE ITEM.
THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THE ABSTENTION OF SUPERVISOR DE SERPA ON ITEM NUMBER 13.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEM WHICH MOVES US ON TO ITEM NUMBER 7 WHICH IS THE CONS- TO CONSIDER THE SELECTION CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2025.
UM, AS IS CUSTOMARY, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR POSITIONS ROTATE EVERY YEAR, AND NEXT...
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE HAVE SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ UH, MOVING TO THE CHAIR POSITION AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ MOVING TO THE VICE CHAIR POSITION AS THE DISTRICT FOUR AND FIVE SUPERVISORS.
[7. Consider selection of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for calendar year 2025]
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION.IF THERE'S NO COMMENTS RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL OPEN UP TO THE PUBLIC AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ACTION DELIBERATION.
AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO US ON ITEM NUMBER 7, CONSIDER SELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIRPERSON FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2025, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
- YEAH. MY NAME IS JAMES EWING WHITMAN.
AS WE MAKE AN ELECTION FOR WHO IS GOING TO BE THE LEAD CONTROLLED PUPPET OF THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS JASON HEATH AND CARLOS PALACIOS THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE I ALSO WROTE AND PUBLISHED FIVE YEARS AGO.
[INHALES] THERE'S AN EXACT SCIENCE TO MAKING MOST OF THE SUPPOSED CITIZENS OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY EVER, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LARGELY ALREADY DEAD.
IT IS THE CONTROL OF INFORMATION AND BLIND BELIEF THAT TECHNOLOGY IS ANY REPLACEMENT FOR A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERY ASPECT OF THE NATURAL WORLD.
YES, IT SEEMS BEYOND IMAGINATION THAT EVERY ASPECT OF OUR MODERN SOCIETIES ARE DEAD ENDS.
AS UNLESS WE VIEW EVERYTHING AS IT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE MACHINES, THE SOLACE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CORPORATE PERSONHOODS WHO RETRIEVE WHAT THE ROMANS PLACED INTO PRINT THE BIBLE.
WHY ARE SO MANY AROUND BLIND ONLY TO MOSTLY BEING AFRAID FOLLOWERS THAT SEEMED TO ACCEPT THE CHINESE MODEL OF HAPPINESS?
[00:35:01]
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETE ENSLAVEMENT AND A BLIND TRUST IN THOSE WHO HAVE PHD AND DOCTORS IN FRONT OF THEIR NAMES.WHY? [PAUSE] I'M BEING AS NICE AS I CAN, GENTLEMEN AND LADIES.
THIS IS DAUNTING BECAUSE IT'S INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOU THAT ARE CHAIN- ARE TRAINING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
[PAUSE] AND THAT'S A SCARY CONCEPT BECAUSE THERE'S NO MATCH FOR...
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NO MATCH FOR NATURAL STUPIDITY.
AND I'M PRETTY GOOD AT NATURAL STUPIDITY, NOT SO GOOD AS EVIL AS THE MAJORITY OF YOU SEEM TO BE BY WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING.
I JUST WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, WE- WELCOME, UM, NEW- THE NEW SUPERVISORS, MS. KIM DE SERPA AND- AND MONICA MARTINEZ.
I WANNA WELCOME YOU, UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE HARD PART ONE.
UM, BUT, UM, I REALLY WANNA, UM, UH...
UH, HOPEFULLY, YOU GUYS VOTE IN SUPPORT OF HAVING, YOU KNOW UH, THE- THE RECOMMENDATION COMING FORWARD OF UH, AND PUTTING CHAIRPERSON, UH, FELIPE HERNANDEZ AND- AND- AND MONICA AS VICE CHAIR.
A GREAT GROUP TO LEAD US IN 2025 WHERE WE'RE- WE'LL HAVE CHALLENGES.
NOT ONLY BUDGETARY CHALLENGES, BUT COMMUNITY CHALLENGES.
SO I REALLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE, UH, UH, NAMES PUTTING FORWARD.THANK YOU.
- UH, NICHOLAS, UH, WHITEHEAD.
UH, I FEEL MOVED TO SAY SOMETHING TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE ETHICS THAT ARE FACING OUR ENTIRE CIVILIZATION.
- SIR, THE TIME TO SPEAK TO THAT WAS DURING ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.
THE ITEM THAT'S BEFORE US RIGHT NOW IS SPEAKING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AS CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AS VICE-CHAIR.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY TO THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HERE IN PERSON WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO US TODAY ON ANY ITEM? ON BOARD TO THIS ITEM SITTING ON HERE IN PERSON WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE OF THE PUBLIC ONLINE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US ON THIS ITEM.
- YES, CHAIR, WE HAVE SPEAKERS ONLINE.
CALL-IN USER ONE, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
- I AM CALLING ON THE NEW CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR TO PRIORITIZE REPRESENTATION OF THE PUBLIC'S WELLBEING NOT CORPORATE DICTATOR INTEREST.
[PAUSE] MY CAT AGREES WITH ME.
WE NEED TO DEMILITARIZE THE POLICE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
I SEE THERE'S AN ITEM TODAY THAT THERE IS FURTHER MILITARIZATION OF OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, ITEM 17.
ALSO TO REPRESENT THE PUBLIC HEALTH UM, I'M CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION AND WORLDWIDE WITHDRAWAL OF THE COVID VACCINE.
JAPANESE RESEARCHERS SAY SIDE EFFECTS OF THE COVID VACCINES ARE LINKED TO 201 TYPES OF DISEASES.
UM, FOOD, NOT BOMBS SAYS IT ALL.
WE NEED TO BE PROVIDING FOOD AND HOUSING, ET CETERA FOR THE PUBLIC, NOT HOW OUR TAX DOLLARS INCLUDING FROM THIS COUNTY GOING TO WARS AND MILITARY.
HALT.... HERE'S THE LAST ONE, HALT THE RADIATION POISONING THAT IS GALLOPING ALONG FROM CELL TOWERS, UH, WI-FI, AND ANTENNAS EVERYWHERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU THE NEW CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN GENUINELY REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
- TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
- HI. THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH.
UM, NO, I THINK I'M OKAY WITH THE VICE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR.
I... MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT, UH, THESE INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THESE BUZZWORDS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WHATNOT ARE NOT GONNA BE SO AFFORDABLE ANYMORE WHEN A FIRE COMES ALONG AND BURNS OUT YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD NATURAL DISASTERS OVER THE LAST YEAR
[00:40:04]
THAT AMOUNT TO I THINK, A TRILLION DOLLARS’ WORTH OF ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO OUR COUNTRY.I MEAN, I GUESS IT'S PROBABLY YOU- YOU LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF INFLATION.
WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY TOWARDS THE, UH, ECONOMIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY OSAMA BIN LADEN DOWNING THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS.
SO, IT'S A PRETTY BIG HIP IN LA.
AND MY SISTER LIVES DOWN THERE.
AND ON ONE SIDE SHE HAS, UH, A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY THAT'S A MIDDLE-INCOME COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN CLEANED OUT AND BURNED TO THE GROUND.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, SHE HAS A LOT OF WEALTH THAT'S BEEN BURNED DOWN TO THE GROUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW WHEN- WHEN IS INFRASTRUCTURE AND LAND MANAGEMENT GONNA TAKE A PRIORITY SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE KIND OF COLOSSAL DISASTERS THAT ARE- THAT ARE PUT UPON US? I MEAN, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE MUCH TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF HEALTHCARE OR ANYTHING IF WE'RE ALL DEAD AND OUR HOMES ARE ALL BURNED DOWN.
SO SOMEONE'S GOTTA GET SMART ON ALL THIS SORT OF STUFF.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW- AND I- I ALSO HAVE TO PUT OUT THERE, THERE'S GOTTA BE A LITTLE COMMON SENSE.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE AFRAID OF VACCINES, BUT FOLKS, GET REAL.
WE'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THEM.
NOW YOU HAVE ANOTHER BLACK SWAN INCIDENT.
YOU HAVE DAIRY AND CHICKENS AND EVERYTHING BEING TAKEN DOWN AND FOOD SUPPLY THAT COULD BE TAKEN DOWN.
THAT'S GONNA BE AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO VACCINATE DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS TO SAVE OUR ECOLOGY AND OUR FOOD SUPPLY? ANYWAYS, BEST OF LUCK.
[SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR.
- ALL RIGHT. LET'S BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ACTION AND DELIBERATION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY MORE MEMBER OF THE BOARD WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THE ITEM.
- UH, I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THE ITEM NOMINATING UH, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AS OUR NEXT CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AS OUR VICE CHAIR.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I THINK THAT CHAIR CUMMINGS, YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB THIS PAST YEAR UM, REALLY SHOWED A LOT OF DEFERENCE TO THE PUBLIC AND ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT WE ANSWERED CONCERNS UH, AND QUESTIONS.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT YOUR- YOUR APPROACH AND STYLE.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON SOUTH COUNTY THAT SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ CAN BRING TO THIS UH, AND AS OUR CHAIR NEXT YEAR.
- I'D LIKE TO SECOND, UM, THAT MOTION AND ALSO ECHO, UM, THAT YOU'VE SET SUCH A NICE, UM, CULTURE HERE IN THE BOARDROOM.
VERY RESPECTFUL OF, UH, OUR- OUR CONSTITUENTS HERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
- AND, UM, CONGRATULATIONS, I THINK IN A MINUTE TO, UM, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND MARTINEZ.
- ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ? - YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UM, THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU FOR SHOWING US SUCH LEADERSHIP AND CHARACTER ON THE BOARD, LEADING THE BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALWAYS DO IS ALLOW FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THAT ARISE TO, YOU KNOW, BE ANSWERED.
SO REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS.
- [INAUDIBLE] - NO QUESTIONS. OKAY.
UM, I GUESS BEFORE WE GO TO THE VOTE I JUST WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE PRESENTLY AND MY FORMER COLLEAGUES, SUPERVISORS, UH, MCPHERSON AND FRIEND FOR, UM, NOMINATING ME TO BE CHAIR LAST YEAR.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF MOMENTS OF- OF, YOU KNOW WHERE WE WERE, GET THROUGH MEETINGS QUICKLY AND ALSO HAD MOMENTS WHERE WE HAD CONTROVERSY.
BUT, UM, I WAS JUST GRATEFUL FOR THIS BOARD FOR BEING OPEN TO US BEING ABLE TO HAVE RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE AND RESPECTFUL CONVERSATIONS WHEN SOME OF THE TIMES WE WERE MAYBE EVEN AT ODDS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
BUT IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED ABOUT THIS BOARD IS JUST THE RESPECT AND THE LEVEL OF RESPECT THAT WE ALL SHOW AS COLLEAGUES EVEN WHEN WE DON'T ALWAYS, UH, AGREE ON THINGS.
AND JUST HOPE THAT MOVING FORWARD WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN UM, THOSE, UM, UH, ABILITIES TO HAVE TOUGH DISCUSSIONS UM, WITH OURSELVES AND WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BEING ABLE TO FIND AREAS WHERE WE CAN UH, REALLY COMPROMISE AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MOVE US ALL FORWARD AS A UNITED, UH, BOARD.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO THE CLERK.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR KOENIG, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR DE SERPA TO APPOINT, UH, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOR 2025 AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AS VICE CHAIR.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO YOU FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
- THANK YOU, CHAIR. CERTAINLY.
- PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, AND WITH THAT I WILL TURN THE GAVEL AND THIS CHAIR SEAT OVER TO SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UH CHAIR HERNANDEZ TO LEAD US FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING.
[00:45:12]
- THANK YOU. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANNA ALSO, YOU KNOW THANK, UH, SUPER- SUPERVISOR, UH, MARTINEZ FOR, UH, BEING THE VICE CHAIR ON THE BOARD.SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
[PAUSE] WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS NUMBER...
- [INAUDIBLE] - WHAT'S THAT? YES. GO AHEAD.
- SORRY, JUST ONE LAST COMMENT TO MAKE WAS JUST I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE STAFF AND THE CEO'S OFFICE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME AS CHAIR LAST YEAR TO, UM, PART OF WHAT KEEPS THESE MOVING- THESE MEETINGS MOVING SMOOTHLY IS US BEING ABLE TO ARRANGE THE AGENDA AND SO JUST REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE, UM, THE TIME THAT THE CEO'S OFFICE HAS PUT INTO MAKING SURE THAT THE AGENDA WAS ABLE TO FLOW SMOOTHLY
[8. Consider selection of one of the three nominees for appointment to the Santa Cruz Metropolitan (METRO) Transit District Board of Directors, as an at-large general community member representative, from the nominations of Darrin Caddes, Fabian Carlos Leonor and Larry Pageler, for a term to expire on December 31, 2028 (nominations accepted December 17, 2024)]
AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE MEETINGS IN A VERY SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT WAY.SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
CONSIDER SELECTION OF ONE OF THREE NOMINEES FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF SANTA CRUZ METROPOLITAN TRANSIT DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS A NET LARGE GENERAL COMMUNITY MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NOMINATIONS OF ONE LARRY PAGLER, TWO, DARREN CADDIS, AND THREE, FABIAN CARLOS LEONOR.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE NOMINEES TO COME UP IN THAT ORDER TO, WITH THE NOMINEES, COME UP AND HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UM, STARTING WITH DARREN KATAS.
- GOOD MORNING, UH, MY NAME IS DARREN KATAS.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
UM, I AM A LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
UM, I AM RECENTLY RETIRED, BUT, UH, PRIOR TO THAT I SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS AS THE CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER FOR PLANTRONICS OR POLLY HERE IN TOWN WHICH UP UNTIL THE HP ACQUISITION WAS LARGEST PRIVATE EMPLOYER IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
UM, PRIOR TO THAT, I SPENT MY CAREER IN TRANSPORTATION UM, PARTICULARLY AUTOMOTIVE AND MOTORCYCLE DESIGN.
SO I HAVE A KEEN INTEREST IN ALL THINGS THAT GO, THAT MOVE THAT HELP PEOPLE GET FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
UM, AND ALONG WITH THAT TERM OF SERVICE AT PLANTRONICS UM, I INVESTED A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO, UH, INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, SERVED BOTH ON THE BOARDS OF SHAKESPEARE, SANTA CRUZ AND SEVEN YEARS AT THE SANTA CRUZ MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORY.
UM, IN THAT TIME, I WAS A KEY CONTRIBUTOR AND SUPPORTER OF THE REVITALIZATION AND RENOVATION OF ABBOTT SQUARE.
AND A KEY DRIVER IN THAT WAS UM, ACTUALLY THE MISSION OF THE MOBWAS REALLY TO BRING SOUTH COUNTY AND NORTH COUNTY TOGETHER REALLY FROM A CULTURAL STANDPOINT, AND AS IT RELATES TO UM, THE SANTA CRUZ METRO, I HAVE A KEEN INTEREST IN TWO AREAS REALLY, ONE IS, UH, HOW WE CAN EFFECTIVELY DO THAT UH, IN A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT BRINGING SOUTH COUNTY AND NORTH COUNTY TOGETHER UM, AND ALSO, UH, UM HOW I COULD BEST REPRESENT THE DISABLED COMMUNITY IN THAT CONTEXT.
SO, UM WITH THAT I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE UM, IF THERE ARE ANY.
- WE'LL DO THAT AFTER THE THREE CANDIDATES HAVE SPOKEN.
- GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU.
I HADN'T PREPARED ANY THOUGHTS HERE BUT I'LL JUST WING IT.
UH, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SINCE 1977 SO I GUESS 45, 48 YEARS.
UM, WORKED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UH, WAS A TRANSIT RIDER AS A STUDENT AND MUCH OF MY TIME SINCE THEN.
UH, AT THE UNIVERSITY, I WAS A CAMPUS PLANNER AND ANALYST FROM 1990 UNTIL I, MY RETIREMENT IN 2019, I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING SERVICES UH, HAD SEVERAL ROLES AS EX OFFICIO TO THE TRANSIT DISTRICT BOARD AND AFTER RETIREMENT HAVE SERVED IN THIS PARTICULAR ROLE UH, FOR I GUESS A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS.
UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WELL, LET ME ALSO OFFER UH, IN THE COMMUNITY I HAVE ALSO SERVED AS A CHAIR
[00:50:03]
OF WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE SANTA CRUZ TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.IT WAS KIND OF A PREDECESSOR OF GO SANTA CRUZ AND, UH, I THINK 10 OR 11 YEARS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM BOARD.
SO, UM, KUSP I WAS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THERE AND MOST RECENTLY ON THE BRANCIFORTE FIRE DISTRICT.
MY INTERESTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN TRANSIT TRANSPORTATION.
AT THE UNIVERSITY I MANAGED THE CONTRACT WITH THE METRO AND, UH, TRYING TO FIND WAYS THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE OFTEN CAR ABSENT ARE ABLE TO GET AROUND AND THAT MIRRORS MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CANNOT AFFORD, WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO AUTOMOBILES.
AND SO HOW CAN TRANSIT BEST SERVE THAT AUDIENCE? UM, I THINK I'D LEAVE IT THERE AND HAPPY TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS.
- GOOD MORNING, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SUPERVISORS.
[PAUSE] A LIFETIME RESIDENT OF WATSONVILLE.
[PAUSE] AND A DEDICATED HUSBAND, FATHER, AND GRANDFATHER.
[PAUSE] FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE PROUDLY ESTABLISHED MYSELF AS A LEADER IN MY COMMUNITY [PAUSE] DEDICATING MY TIME AND EFFORTS TO VARIOUS NON PROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO SERVING AS A WATSONVILLE- CITY OF WATSONVILLE, UH, PARKS AND RECS COMMISSIONER FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
[PAUSE] MY COMMITMENT HAS NOT ONLY ENRICHED MY LIVES, THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND ME, BUT ALSO, UM, FOSTER A THRIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR GROWTH AND COLLABORATION.
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS I RELIED ON THE METRO TO GET AROUND TOWN TO- TO COMMUTE FROM WATSONVILLE TO SANTA CRUZ.
AS A SENIOR SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST I HAVE THE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINING CLIENTS [PAUSE] UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, UM, I'M SORRY, LET ME GO...
UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINING CLIENTS THAT ARE ON THE SPECTRUM AND, UM, ON THE BUS ROUTES AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
EMPOWERING THEM TO NAVIGATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CONFIDENTLY AND INDEPENDENTLY.
[PAUSE] THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
IT'S ABOUT FOSTERING INDEPENDENCE AND ENHANCING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
[PAUSE] FURTHERMORE, UM, RIDING THE BUS HAS BEEN THE SMARTEST DECISION I'VE MADE.
[PAUSE] IT'S SUPPORTED, IT'S BENEFITED MY HEALTH AND ALSO MY WALLET.
[PAUSE] RIDING THE BUS CONTRIBUTES, UH, RIDING THE BUS I AM CONTRIBUTING TO REDUCING THE CONGESTION IN OUR LOCAL STREETS AND ADVOCATING FOR MORE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.
[PAUSE] AS I HAVE SHOWN, I AM EAGER TO JOIN THIS METRO DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
[PAUSE] WHILE I COMMEND THE PROGRESS MADE THERE IS STILL SO MUCH MORE TO BE DONE PARTICULARLY IN ENGAGING SOUTH COUNTY AND NOT JUST SOUTH COUNTY WE HAVE NORTH, MID, AND SOUTH THAT WE NEED TO ENGAGE.
OUR YOUTH, OUR SENIORS, AND TEACH THEM, EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF USING AND ENCOURAGING METRO SERVICES.
[PAUSE] INVESTING IN A ROBUST TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS VITAL TO SUPPORTING THE WORKFORCE FROM SOUTH COUNTY THAT TRAVELED TO MID COUNTY AND NORTH COUNTY.
[PAUSE] THAT WOULD BE CAPITOLA, SOCAL, SANTA CRUZ.
IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC FUTURE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
TOGETHER WE CREATE A SEAMLESS TRANSIT NETWORK THAT ONLY ENHANCES ACCESSIBILITY BUT ALSO STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITIES [PAUSE] DRIVES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY APPLICATION.
- THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.
I'LL NOW TURN TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ASK, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I'LL START TO THE LEFT WITH SUPERVISOR KEONIG.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY I THINK WE HAVE AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES HERE WITH OUR THREE APPLICANTS.
EACH ONE OF YOU IS IMMENSELY QUALIFIED, UH, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TODAY UH, WE'RE GONNA GET A FABULOUS APPOINTMENT TO THE METRO BOARD.
AND I'M JUST SO GLAD TO SEE THAT, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH INTEREST UH, AND, UM, PASSION FOR THE METRO.
I MEAN, IT IS REALLY A VITAL SERVICE, UH, THAT IS KEY TO MOVING OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD UM, AND, AND OF COURSE, ALSO CRITICAL UM, BOTH FOR PROVIDING MOBILITY BUT ALSO FOR THE FUTURE OF HOUSING, UH, IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, SOME OF YOU TOUCHED ON THIS AT VARIOUS LEVELS,
[00:55:01]
BUT MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, UM, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT DO YOU SEE FOR METRO AND HOW SPECIFICALLY WOULD YOU USE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO BRING ABOUT THE NEEDED CHANGE? - WE'LL START WITH THE SAME ORDER THAT WE DID THE PRESENTATIONS IN, PLEASE.- WELL, I'M HOPING THAT, UH, WELL, MY CAREER IS REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.
AND LIKE I SAID, I SPENT 15 YEARS IN TRANSPORTATION AND, UM, BUT, UH, A LARGE PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN USER EXPERIENCE AND THE QUALITY OF USER EXPERIENCE AND SYSTEMS. AND SO, UH, LOOKING INTO THAT I'M HOPING THAT THAT WOULD BE AN ASSET.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT WOULD BE AN ASSET.
UM, TO, UH, TO HELPING FOSTER AND CREATE, UH, A SYSTEM THAT SERVES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS I SAID, UM, UH, BEFORE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
ANY, ANYTHING SPECIFIC IS, IT REALLY...
- SURE, COULD YOU ELABORATE THAT A LITTLE BIT? I MEAN, DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A DESIGN CHARRETTE, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE? - UH, YEAH, I MEAN, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING LIKE I SAY, IS REALLY AT THE CORE OF IT.
UM, USER NEED IS WHERE YOU ALWAYS START.
START AT THE BACK END AND WORK YOUR WAY FORWARD.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, THE INDIVIDUALS, THE USERS.
UM, BUT REALLY, IT'S FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, EFFICIENCY SPEED, UM, AND QUALITY OF THE USER EXPERIENCE REALLY, AT THE END IS- IS THE FOCUS.
AND AT LEAST IN ANY CREATIVE PROBLEM I'VE EVER ADDRESSED IN THE PAST.
[PAUSE] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? - THANK YOU.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OFTEN NEED TO LOOK AT IS WHAT ARE THE PATTERNS OF RIDERSHIP? WHO'S RIDING? WHERE ARE THEY TRYING TO GET TO? WHERE ARE THEY TRAVELING FROM? UM, METRO HAS A TREMENDOUSLY RICH DATA SET OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE BOARDING BUSES WHAT TIME OF DAY, WHAT DAYS OF THE WEEK THEY'RE RIDING.
AND, UH, STRANGELY ENOUGH I'VE BEEN ANALYZING THAT FOR SEVERAL DECADES.
UH, AT THE UNIVERSITY, WE WOULD, WE HAD ACCESS TO THE ORIGIN DESTINATION DATA FOR COMMUTERS.
WE KNEW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM SOUTH COUNTY TO TRY TO GET TO THE UNIVERSITY AND OFFERING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO RIDE BUSES INSTEAD OF DRIVING BY THEMSELVES OR GETTING THEM INTO CARPOOLS OR VANPOOLS.
UH, SOMETIMES WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T NOTE THAT WE NEED THE RELIABILITY OF A VEHICLE FLEET THAT CAN BE IN SERVICE AT ALL TIMES TO MOVE PEOPLE WHEN THEY NEED TO BE MOVED.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S ALWAYS VALUABLE TO HAVE THAT PUBLIC INPUT OF, UM, CHARRETTES AND SO FORTH WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING SOME NEW ROUTE.
UH, ONE THAT I HAD A HAND IN WAS THE ROUTE 20 ON THE WEST SIDE OF SANTA CRUZ.
I WORKED WITH MIKE ROTKIN AND A STUDENT TO ANALYZE WHERE PEOPLE LIVED IN UNDERSERVED PARTS OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ.
AND DISCOVERED THAT ROUTE WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF IT OPERATING.
WE HAD FOUND THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE ROUTES IN THE SYSTEM.
- SO FOR THE PAST YEARS I'VE BEEN RIDING METRO AND I HEAR A LOT OF CHATTER WHEN PE- FROM RIDERS THAT ARE TALKING, WHY ARE THEY TAKING THIS? WHY ARE THEY TAKING THIS OR WHY ARE THEY TAKING 90? SO, UM, I TAKE ALL OF THAT IN AND- AND UM, I CONNECT WITH MY MY LEADERS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT- WHAT OUR WRITERS WANT, WHAT THEY NEED.
UM, BUT HOW WE WOULD IMPROVE [PAUSE] WE CAN MAKE SOUTH COUNTY EVEN NORTH COUNTY A HUB WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME FROM THOSE VINYL'SIF THEY'RE COMING INTO WORK FROM OTHER CITIES AND THEY CAN COME TO SOUTH COUNTY AND MAYBE PARK THEIR CARS THERE AND THEN MAYBE GET ON THE BUS TO RIDE TO WORK TO NORTH COUNTY, THAT WOULD BE HERE.
[PAUSE] UM, I CAN SEE THAT HAPPENING, AND THAT WOULD GIVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR- FOR OUR COUNTY, OUR RESIDENTS THAT CAN- THAT LIVE THERE [PAUSE] A BETTER LIFE, A BETTER QUALITY OF UH, HOUSING.
UM, ALSO THE OTHER THING THAT I- I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IS THAT OUR WORKFORCE NEEDS THE SYSTEM THAT CAN GET THEM FROM WORK FROM SOUTH COUNTY TO- TO NORTH COUNTY.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE I- I SEEN A LOT OF WAITRESSES I SEEN A LOT OF HOUSEMAIDS I SEEN YOUTH FROM THE BOARDWALK COMING INTO SANTA CRUZ RIDING THE BUS.
HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM, MORE AFFORDABLE TO GET TO- TO THEIR JOBS?
[01:00:03]
YOU KNOW, UH, SO I'M- I'M SPEAKING MORE OF A, FROM A RIDER'S PERSPECTIVE.BECAUSE I'M- I'M IN THERE, I SEE IT, I HEAR IT.
- WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, QUESTIONS, SET OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR SUPERVISOR.
UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? - I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BUT I'LL HAVE SOME COMMENTS WHEN THE TIME'S APPROPRIATE.
IS THAT NOW OR IS THAT? - COMMENTS, YES.
UM, WELL I WANNA START OFF JUST BY SHARING THAT UM, I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THREE OF YOUR PERSPECTIVES.
UM, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR EVERYTHING THAT ALL THREE OF YOU BRING AND WE'RE TRULY FORTUNATE THAT YOU'VE COME FORWARD.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE ONLY ONE PERSON WILL LEAVE THIS MEETING WITH A POSITION BUT I DO HOPE THAT THE TWO OF YOU WHO DON'T LEAVE WITH A POSITION FIND A WAY TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR SKILLS AND YOUR EXPERIENCE TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY CAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT ALL THREE OF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER.
UM, I AM REALLY LOOKING AT THIS UM, IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COUNTY GOALS AND OUR GOALS TO, UM, DIVERSIFY COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE VERY DIVERSE VOICES AT THE TABLE.
UM, AND SO WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE INFORMING MY, UM, DECISION GOING FORWARD.
AND, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, UH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
- I THINK MY FIRST QUESTION IS AROUND PROCESS.
SO, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GONNA HEAR FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? UM, SO ARE WE GONNA...
- I WAS HOPING TO- I'D PERSONALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE MAKING MY COMMENTS.
UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO I'M GONNA, UM, BE INTERESTED IN NOMINATING.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION UM, FOR, UM, UM, FABIAN.
UM, YOU MENTIONED JUST NOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF PEOPLE DRIVING FROM LOS BANOS THEN TO SOUTH COUNTY AND THEN TAKING THE BUS FROM SOUTH COUNTY TO NORTH COUNTY.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY DO THAT AS A BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IF SOMEONE, TYPICALLY IF SOMEONE IS, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL- ALREADY TRAVELING IN A CAR FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE TO TWO HOURS UM, FOR THEM TO THEN ABANDON THE VEHICLE TO GET ON A BUS IT JUST DOESN'T, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT EXAMPLES OF THAT YOU HAVE.
BECAUSE, UM, I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY, UM, EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENGAGING IN THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ABANDONING THEIR VEHICLE WHEN THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN IT FOR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MULTIPLE HOURS AT A TIME TO THEN JUMP ON A BUS.
- I SEE IT AS, UH, IF WE DO HAVE OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, SANTA CRUZ IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
WHY SPEND TIME ON THE FREEWAY? [PAUSE] OUR FREEWAY, ONE FROM WATSONVILLE TO NORTH COUNTY, [PAUSE] AND I ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY WE HAVE AND GET ON THE BUS AND ENJOY IT.
THROW ON SOME MUSIC, GET ON YOUR LAPTOP.
IF YOU HAVE TO WORK ON WORK, WHY NOT DO THAT AND ENJOY IT? AND JUST PARK, PARK- WE HAVE A BIG STRUCTURE IN WATSONVILLE [PAUSE] THAT PEOPLE CAN USE AND THERE'S REVENUE TO BE DONE THERE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE PAY A FEE AND GET ON THE BUS AND ENJOY YOUR RIDE TO SANTA CRUZ TO GO TO WORK.
I DON'T HAVE NO EVIDENCE RIGHT NOW THAT THAT'S WHAT OTHER MAYBE CITIES ARE DOING OR OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING.
BUT IT'S AN IDEA AND NOT JUST OUR COUNTY WOULD BENEFIT BUT METRO AND OTHER SOURCES OF TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT FROM THAT TOO.
- ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS? - NO, I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
- UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? - I'LL HOLD MY COMMENTS I THINK, UNTIL AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, TOO.
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU KNOW, ALL THE THREE CANDIDATES.
IT'S, USUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE THREE CANDIDATES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE SUCH WELL QUALIFIED CANDIDATES UM, TALKING HERE TO DOING PRESENTATIONS TO US.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[SILENCE] ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS US, PLEASE COME UP.
[01:05:03]
- UM, EDUARDO MONTESINO.YOU HAVE THREE GREAT CANDIDATES AND I KNOW TWO, UH PERSONALLY I'VE WORKED WITH LARRY UM, FOR- FOR A LONG TIME AND, UM FABIAN, UM, UM, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO, UM, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF, UM, UM, FABIAN LEONOR.
HE'S NOT ONLY A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION BUT RIDES THE BUSES JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY.
I KNOW FABIAN SINCE HE'S BEEN A BASKETBALL COACH TO MY DAUGHTER AT THE Y FOR MANY YEARS AGO.
AND THAT IS WHO FABIAN IS, A PARENT, A COACH, A VOLUNTEER A VERY GIVING PERSON IN OUR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, HE, HE AND HIS WIFE ALWAYS VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY ON ONE WAY OR ANOTHER UM, AND I BELIEVE YOU'LL GET, YOU KNOW, A POWER COUPLE REPRESENTING WATSONVILLE.
YOU KNOW, SO I SEE A TWO FOLD, YOU'LL BE GETTING- YOU'LL BE GETTING.
UM, WE HAVE AN, UM, OVER A CONCENTRATION OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM NORTH COUNTY UM, WHICH I'M HERE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, AT METRO, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS UM, WE, UH, WELL, ONE OF THE SMALL REASONS WHY, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, METRO, UH, UM, BECAUSE OF ITS CHALLENGES.
BUT WENT AWAY WITH THE 90X, WHICH WAS INSTRUMENTAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY, EXPRESS BUS.
A VERY FEW STOPS AND IT- AND IT- AND IT GOT AND IT GOT CANCELLED BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE OVERWHELMING YOU KNOW, BOARD IS NORTH COUNTY.
THEY DON'T SEE THAT BENEFIT FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT- THAT HAVE TO TRAVEL AND NOT HAVE TO GET IN A BUS THAT TAKES A LOT LONGER.
LIKE A ROUTE ONE OR ROUTE TWO.
SO THOSE ARE THE YEARS AS JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF- OF WHY I'M- I'M SUPPORTING FABIAN.
- THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC? [PAUSE] IS THERE ANYONE FROM ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR, WE HAVE SPEAKERS ONLINE.
[PAUSE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[PAUSE] YEAH. IN REGARDS TO TRANSPORTATION, UH, WELL, WHY, FROM, UH, PLANTRONICS WOULD BE A FINE CANDIDATE.
SO, ALL, ALL THE CANDIDATES ARE REALLY GOOD, JUST SO YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE CORDIAL NATURE OF, OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
UM, AT LEAST YOU ALLOW PEOPLE F-, WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPINIONS TO COME OUT AND SPEAK EVEN IF THEY'RE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND SO ON.
AND, UH, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN TAHOE ANYMORE.
IN REGARDS TO TRANSPORTATION, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO MOVE PEOPLE AND HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO ESCAPE FROM THE SITUATION.
[PAUSE] SO, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE, UH, MELTED BUSES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OR FREEWAY OR SOMETHING WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ON IT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
EVERY TIME YOU BUILD MORE UNITS AND THEN YOU STRUGGLE WITH TRANSPORTATION, YOU WANTING TO HAVE THE LOGISTICS NAILED AND YOU WANT THINGS TO FLOW SMOOTHLY TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY UP IN THE TAHOE BASIN I WAS HIGHLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN DOWN HERE IN SANTA CRUZ, OKAY? BUT UP THERE, I WAS VERY MUCH AGAINST, UH, RENO AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES TRYING TO SET UP BUS SYSTEMS IN INCLINE VILLAGE AND SAND HARBOR.
SO THE WHOLE DARN FOREST GOES OFF LIKE A NUCLEAR BOMB AND THEN YOU CAN'T GET PEOPLE OUT.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS I THINK YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT, ALL OF YOU.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES IN LA AND WONDER, HEY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE VERY URBAN TYPE OF SETTINGS.
AND THE FIRE CAME FROM THE MOUNTAIN RIGHT DOWN INTO THE URBAN SETTING.
THAT'S LIKE THE FIRE BURNING FROM MY HOUSE AND GOING INTO SANTA CRUZ OR GOING RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF SAN JOSE AND WIPING OUT EVERYBODY'S HOME.
SO FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT LOGISTICS AND MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU KEEP PEOPLE IN A SAFE SPOT, OKAY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 2, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
[SILENCE] - MARILYN GARRETT, I USED TO RIDE THE BUS A LOT BEFORE MY CATARACT SURGERY.
AND WHY I DON'T, UH, RIDE IT NOW IN PART IS BECAUSE, UM, THE USE OF CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS IS, UM, MICROWAVE RADIATION AND IT'S DAMAGING.
IN FACT, INDEPENDENT SCIENCE AND RESEARCH, UH, SHOWS
[01:10:04]
THAT THIS RADIATION CAUSES CELLULAR STRESS AND DAMAGE, INCREASED CANCER AND TUMOR RISK, COGNITIVE DISABILITIES HEADACHES, UM, MEMORY AND CON-, AND CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS. I GET HEADACHES ALL THE TIME AND HAVE TO LIMIT WHERE I GO BECAUSE, UH, LIKE CIGARETTES YEARS AGO, AND I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHERE SMOKING WAS EVERYWHERE.YOU COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE AND AVOID CIGARETTE SMOKE.
AND OF COURSE, AN ASTHMATIC OR SOMEONE WHO REALLY FEELS THIS HAS A LOT MORE OBVIOUS DIFFICULTIES THAN SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T.
SO, HAVING CELL PHONES ON THE BUS AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IS LIKE SITTING IN A MICROWAVE OVEN AND IS MANDATING TOXIC MICROWAVE EXPOSURE.
GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THIS, CELLPHONETASKFORCE.ORG.
I THINK IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT BECAUSE FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT IS CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO THIS RADIATION.
SO PEOPLE ARE EXCLUDED FROM PLACES BECAUSE OF THIS.
- DO YOU WANNA WRAP UP THE COMMENTS, MS. GARRETT.
- ... I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF SOMEONE WHO RIDES THE BUS LIKE FABIAN.
[SILENCE] - BERNIE, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
[SILENCE] - YEAH, GOOD MORNING, UH, CHAIR AND BOARD.
UM, BERNIE GOMEZ HERE WITH ME, PROBABLY JUST MY OWN, UH, THOUGHT AND COMMENT AROUND TRANSPORTATION IS I HOPE THAT THESE, UH, WHOEVER THE CANDIDATE IS AND THIS GOES TO THE BOARD TOO.
THERE'S, UH, THINK ABOUT, UH, CREATING PATHWAYS UH, OPENING UP THE, THE ONLY CORRIDOR AND ACCESS TO THE BEACH IN WATSONVILLE, RIGHT? UM, THERE'S, THERE'S WETS- WEST BEACH, RIGHT? IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE, TO THE ONLY ENTRANCE THE ONLY ACCESS TO, UM, YEAH, TO THE BEACH, RIGHT? SO I HOPE THAT THAT ALSO IS A, UH, SOMETHING IN METRO'S UM, UPCOMING VISION, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CANDIDATES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER IT IS, UH, THAT YOU TAKE THIS COMMENT IN CONSIDERATION AND START THINKING ABOUT CREATING THAT THAT, UH, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UH, FOR RESIDENTS IN SOUTH COUNTY, UH, TO ACCESS, UH, THE BEACH.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, SURPRISINGLY, THAT HA-, THAT DO NOT ACCESS IT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE BEACH THAT ARE, UH, ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY FROM IT, YOU KNOW SO I THINK, UH, HAVING A BUS ROUTE THERE UH, OR SOME TYPE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION READY AND AVAILABLE FOR THEM WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD JUST, UH, ALSO INCREASE UH, PEOPLE'S, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE BY ACCESSING NATURE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, UH, YEAH, SO THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT AND, UH, GOOD LUCK TO, UH, THE CHOSEN CANDIDATE.
[SILENCE] - LANI, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
LANI FAULKNER WITH EQUITY TRANSIT.
AS YOU, THE BOARD, CONSIDER WHO TO APPOINT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASK WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE ON THE METRO BOARD? LARRY PAGELER IS BY FAR THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE TO TAKE ON THE HEAVY LIFT OF SUPPORTING OUR ROBUST PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM AS WE FACE A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HELL-BENT ON ELIMINATING FUNDING.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT OUR METRO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE AND IDEALLY HAVE USED OR CURRENTLY USE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DO NOT HAVE A CAR FACE IN TRYING TO ACCESS JOBS MEDICAL FACILITIES, EDUCATION CENTERS, AND RECREATION FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
ROBUST PUBLIC TRANSIT IS CRITICAL IN PROVIDING ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY FOR 20% OR MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DO NOT HAVE A CAR.
AND IT HAS BEEN DISASTROUS TO OUR COMMUNITY WHEN IN THE PAST MEMBERS OF METRO HAD A MORE CORPORATE BUSINESS APPROACH WHEN NAVIGATING A CRITICAL PUBLIC SERVICE.
SUPERVISOR BRUCE MCPHERSON STATED IN DECEMBER, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR MR. PAGELER AS I'VE WORKED WITH HIM FOR MANY YEARS.
HIS CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE CANNOT BE MATCHED.
[01:15:04]
THIS IS REALLY A CRITICAL JUNCTURE.OUR METRO SYSTEM HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS AND LARRY PAGELER HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PART OF MAKING THAT POSSIBLE.
WE MUST HAVE A METRO BOARD MEMBER WHO IS KEENLY SAVVY IN NAVIGATING THE MYRIAD OF CHALLENGES A PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCY FACES AND HAS RESPECT FOR OUR LABOR AND UNION MEMBERS AND UNDERSTANDS MANY OTHER ISSUES INCLUDING, UH, ADA COMPLIANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, LARRY PAGELER HAS AN EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ANY NOMINEE WHO'S PRIMARILY WORKED IN THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY WITH PRIVATE CORPORATE EXPERIENCE.
UM, WE DO HAVE TWO MEMBERS CURRENTLY OF THE 11 WHO ARE FROM WATSONVILLE UM, EVEN THOUGH NORMALLY I WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT A WATSONVILLE PERSON.
I THINK IN THIS CRITICAL NATURE WE NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS PUBLIC TRANSIT EXPERIENCE AND MIGHT ALSO ADD ADVISING, UM, THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS TO LOOK AT THE METRO ADVISORY BOARD WHERE MORE ADVICE COULD BE PROVIDED.
[SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
IF ANYONE HAS ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION, THIS TIME I'LL S-S...
- YEAH, THIS TIME I'LL START TO MY RIGHT WITH, UH, SUPER- SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY I THINK HAS SAID IT ALREADY WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THREE VERY EXCELLENT CANDIDATES TODAY AND I REVIEWED THE BOARD MEETING, THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND I NOTED THAT YOU WERE HERE AS WELL GIVING COMMENTS, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR INTEREST IN TRYING TO MAKE, UH, THINGS BETTER.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLES OF A BOARD MEMBER IS BALANCING A BUDGET, UM, AND, UH, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE METRO'S BUDGET FRANKLY, SO I HOPE WHOEVER, UH, MOVES INTO THIS POSITION WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UH, THE OTHER THING I'LL JUST SAY OUT LOUD IS THAT A- AS A MEMBER OF THE PAJARO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS WE'D OFTEN DO ALL THE TRAINING, BUY-IN-THE-WHEEL TRAINING UM, FOR BUS DRIVERS, AND THEN THE METRO WOULD SHORTLY THEN, UM, TAKE OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY PAID A LOT MORE THAN WE COULD.
UM, SO I JUST WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT WE ARE 30 BUS DRIVERS DOWN IN THE PAJARO VALLEY, AND WE, WE NEED TO KEEP THE PEOPLE THAT WE TRAIN, SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT DIFFERENT BUT IT'S, UH, PART, SORT OF A HEARTACHE FOR US.
UM, SO, UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY NORTH COUNTY PEOPLE INTERESTED IN METRO AND SERVING AND, UM, BECAUSE I REPRES-, I'VE REPRESENTED ALL OF THE PAJARO VALLEY FOR MANY YEARS I DO FEEL LIKE WE NEED SOMEBODY FROM THE SOUTH COUNTY AND SO TODAY WE'LL BE SUPPORTING, UM, FABIAN LE-LEONOR AND IF I COULD, IS IT OKAY TO MAKE A MOTION AT THIS POINT? - IT WOULD BE, BUT WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH COMMENTS AS WELL, TOO.
- SO I... COULD I MAKE A MOTION BEFORE JUSTIN CUMMINGS GIVES HIS... SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - YES, YOU CAN MAKE THE MOTION.
- OKAY. - AND I'MMA ALLOW EVERYONE TO SPEAK THOUGH, TOO, AFTERWARDS.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT UM, THE CANDIDACY OF LE-, OF, UM, FABIAN LEONOR.
- WE NEED TO ENTER- ENTERTAIN THE MOTION NOW OR CAN WE CONTINUE WITH THE COMMENTS? - YOU CONTINUE WITH THE COMMENTS AS PART OF ENTERTAINING THE MOTION.
SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? [SILENCE] - [INAUDIBLE] I JUST WANNA START BY, UM, THANKING EVERYONE WHO HAS APPLIED AND, UH, TO BE IN THIS POSITION WITH BOARD AND I JUST WANNA THANK, UM, ALL THE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO COMMENTED HERE TODAY AND THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HAD AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, BASED ON THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD TODAY BASED ON THE COMMENTS THAT WERE AT THE LAST MEETING UM, I AGREE THAT I FEEL THAT LARRY PAGELER BRINGS THE MOST EXPERIENCE, UM, TO THIS SEAT AND TO THIS POSITION.
UM, AND WHILE I DO THINK THAT YOU KNOW, INCREASING DIVERSITY ON OUR BOARDS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT UM, I THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF THAT OVERALL, UNIFORMLY.
UM, BUT THIS IS A POSITION UM, THAT REALLY HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO GET AROUND THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY IS THAT [PAUSE] MR. PAGELER WAS THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION ON CAMPUS.
UM, HE WORKED AS A CAMPUS PLANNER FOR 30 YEARS IN THAT POSITION,
[01:20:01]
AND HE'S JUST FINISHING UP HIS FIRST TERM ON THE METRO BOARD.AND HE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT HE'S WILLING TO SHOW UP.
HE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT HE IS BRINGING EXTENSIVE EXPERTISE TO THAT POSITION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE APPOINT PEOPLE TO BOARDS, WE SHOULD GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE IN THOSE POSITIONS UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THAT POSITION.
UM, AND THIS IS A NO WAY TO, TO SPEAK DOWN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS FROM WATSONVILLE SERVING IN THIS POSITION.
UM, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, REALLY FEEL STRONGLY THAT HA- HAVING SOMEBODY WITH THIS EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD AT THIS PO- POINT IN TIME WE'RE GOING THROUGH SO MANY DIFFERENT CHANGES IS REALLY CRITICAL.
AND I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT UM, WHO THE METRO SERVES, THE NUMBER ONE DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE THAT THE METRO SERVES IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE STUDENTS AT UCSC.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE LOWEST INCOME PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND HAVING SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, TRANSIT AND THE METRO ON CAMPUS UM, BRINGS SOMETHING THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN REALLY BRING TO THE CONVERSATION.
AND AS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH BUDGETS MR. PAGELER HANDLED THE CONTRACTS WITH THE METRO.
SO HE'S DEEPLY FAMILIAR WITH THE BUDGETS AND THAT PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D JUST BE VERY HARD PRESSED TO NOT NOMINATE, UM, MR. PAGELER.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION UM, NOMINATING LARRY PAGELER IN THE POSITION UM, FOR THE, UM, METRO BOARD AS THE, AS THE DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
[SILENCE] - CAN I GET A POINT OF ORDER? IF IT'S OKAY WITH SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
CHAIR HERNANDEZ, CAN I GET A POINT OF ORDER? - WELL, LET ME WAIT FOR A SECOND.
IF THERE ISN'T ANY, THEN THAT MOTION WOULD FAIL.
- IF, IF RIGHT NOW WE NEED A SECOND, IF, UH, THERE'S NO SECOND THEN THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WOULD DIE AUTOMATICALLY.
- [INAUDIBLE] - WELL, I THINK WE'LL MOVE ON TO, WITH THE COMMENTS THEN.
I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A FEW OF MY COMMENTS EARLIER UM, BUT I DID WANT TO AGAIN REALLY THANK, UM, MR. PAGELER FOR YOUR SERVICE TO DATE.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN AN EXEMPLARY, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
AND AGAIN, HOPE THAT YOU WILL, UM, DEPENDING ON HOW TODAY GOES UH, WE HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND SAME WITH MR. KATIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EXPERIENCE UM, AND LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WHAT'S DRIVING MY SUPPORT OF, UH, MR. LEONOR IS TRULY OUR, OUR COUNTY'S UM, STATED GOALS OF DIVERSIFYING LEADERSHIP ON COMMISSIONS AND ON DIFFERENT BODIES.
UM, OUR COUNTY HAS ADOPTED A S- SANTA CRUZ LIKE ME PLAN WHICH LOOKED AT THE REPRESENTATION ON OUR VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SAW THAT THERE WAS SOME DISPARITIES.
AND WE WERE MISSING VARIOUS VOICES AT THE TABLE.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE WHO HAS LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT REPRESENTS THE POPULATION THAT WE ARE HERE TO SERVE UM, I'M, I'M INCREDIBLY INCLINED TO SUPPORT THAT, UM, THAT CANDIDATE.
AND MR. LEONOR, YOUR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY YOUR, UM, EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS YOUR SERVICE IN SERVING, UM, ADULTS WITH, UM, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, I THINK IS TRULY, UM, A, A VOICE THAT'S MISSING TODAY.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M HERE SUPPORTING YOUR APPLICATION.
AND AGAIN, UM, WE'RE JUST SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MANY CANDIDATES.
AND, UM, AND I WANNA THANK EACH ONE OF YOU.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ.
YEAH, AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE, UM, MY GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF YOU FOR APPLYING.
UM, I THINK, UH, A-AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL ALL BE SERVED BY ANY, W-WELL BY ANY ONE OF THE APPLICANTS TODAY.
UM, PERSONALLY, UM, I... THI-THIS APPOINTMENT HAS TYPICALLY GONE TO SOMEONE, UH, WHO WILL BE A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS LIVED EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, I-IN MANY WAYS WE HAVE TWO CANDIDATES THAT PROVIDE THAT.
UM, UH, MR. KATIS, WHO, UH, OF COURSE HAS TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD, UM, WITH A WHEELCHAIR, AND, UM, MR. LEONOR, WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH AUTISM EVERY DAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, UH, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE, UH, ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT MR. KATIS BRINGS, UM, AS, UH, SUPERVISOR DE SERPA SAID KIND OF MANAGING, UH, WANTS AND EXPECTATIONS AGAINST A BUDGET AND HOW, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, IS NAVIGATED THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY THAT DESIGN THINKING
[01:25:04]
WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL AS WE BRING MANY OF THESE INITIATIVES TO BEAR, UH, OR TO FRUITION.UM, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WATSONVILLE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A NEW UH, WATSONVILLE TRANSIT CENTER COMING.
WE'VE GOT TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMMITTED TO THAT.
AND SO I THINK THE EFFORT NOW IS NOT NECESSARILY ADVOCATING FOR THAT FACILITY AND PRIORITIZING THAT FACILITY, BUT HOW TO BRING IT, UH, TO FRUITION IN A WAY THAT SERVES THE MOST PEOPLE AND ALSO ENTICES MORE PEOPLE TO USE THE SERVICE.
UM, AND SO, PERSONALLY, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT, UH, MR. KATIS COULD BRING AS FAR AS DESIGN THINKING ON, ON PROBLEMS LIKE THAT AS WELL AS ALL THE LITTLE PIECES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, I-IMPROVING THE METRO WITH WHETHER IT'S SOFTWARE, UM, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST BASIC UM, UH, SHELTER DESIGN OR YOU NAME IT.
UM, AND, UM, SO, SO MR. KATIS WOULD BE MY FIRST CHOICE.
UM, THAT SAID, I, UM, WOULD, UM, DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S THE VOTES FOR THAT TODAY, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT MR. LEONOR AS WELL.
UM, AND WITH ALL THAT SAID, UM, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH, LARRY FOR YOUR SERVICE, UM, AND THE TIME THAT WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER.
UM, AND CERTAINLY IF, UH, THERE'S, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE DOING SO.
- SO I'LL BE ALSO SUPPORTING THE MOTION, UH, FOR THREE REASONS.
I THINK THAT ON THE SANTA CRUZ METRO BOARD THERE'S ONLY OUT OF THE 13 MEMBERS, THERE'S ONLY TWO VOICES FROM SOUTH COUNTY.
UM, AND SO A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ALSO DO RIDE AND USE THE BUS SYSTEM TO GO TO WORK FROM YOUNG KIDS THAT GO TO BOARDWALK, FROM ADULTS FROM FOLKS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AS WELL.
AND SO NUMBER... REASON NUMBER TWO IS I THINK WE DON'T HAVE THE VOICE...
AN ADVOCATE VOICE OF THE BUS RIDERS.
AND I THINK WITH MR. LEONOR, WE HAVE AN ACTUAL BUS RIDER THAT, THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE METRO COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, HE KNOWS A LOT OF BUS DRIVERS, HE TALKS TO THEM HE TALKS TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE BUS, RIDING THE BUS.
SO IT'S A UNIQUE VOICE THAT WE HAVE, NOT ONLY FROM SOUTH COUNTY, BUT A UNIQUE VOICE THAT IN THAT HE'S AN ACTUAL BUS RIDER.
AND NUMBER THREE, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP UH, BY SOME OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS STUDY WITH, UM, SANTA CRUZ LIKE ME AND EVEN THESE, UH, HEARINGS THAT WE HAD ABOUT EQUITY, DIVERSITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME THAT I JUST CONSTANTLY REMEMBERED IS THAT AND IT- IT LED ME TO SELECT A DIFFERENT LINE OF, UH, COMMISSIONERS WITHIN MY OWN COMMITTEES.
AND SO WHAT STRUCK ME IS THAT OVER 95% OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY ARE OVER 60 YEARS OLD AND WHITE MALES.
AND SO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY I THINK OBVIOUSLY WATSONVILLE COMES TO MIND.
AND WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY, OBVIOUSLY, OF COURSE, SOMEONE THAT RIDES THE BUS AND ASSISTS AND TRAINS PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO RIDE THE BUS.
SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE SERVICE THAT LARRY PAGELER HAS SERVED ON THE METRO BOARD.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, THERE, THERE WASN'T A S-, UH, SECOND FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR IS FOR, UM, FABIAN CARLOS LEONOR.
AND SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING, UM, HIS APPOINTMENT AS WELL TODAY.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, UM, I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, UM, NOT ONLY ON CAMPUS BUT TO TRANSIT IN GENERAL, UM, AND FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE BOARD.
UM, I THINK YOU'LL BE DEEPLY MISSED.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CONTINUE FORWARD ON A DIFFERENT COMMISSION MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UM, MR. KATIS FOR, FOR PUTTING YOUR HAT INTO THIS AS WELL.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU WOULD BRING AND, UM, YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR DEDICATION TO HELPING TO SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, JUST SAYING THE WAY THAT THE VOTES ARE ALL TURNING OUT OBVIOUSLY, WE, WE THINK WE HAVE A, A CLEAR CANDIDATE.
UM, JUST WANNA ALSO, UM, EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND HOPE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SERVE ON ANOTHER COMMISSION UM, HERE IN THE COUNTY AS WELL.
- SO, YES, I EQUALED THE SAME COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK THE INCUMBENT THAT'S BEEN SITTING ON THE MERO BOARD.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE.
USUALLY WE ONLY HAVE ONE CANDIDATE.
SO THIS IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THREE CANDIDATES STEPPING UP TO TAKE THESE LEADERSHIP POSITION ROLES.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL- MADAM CLERK, WE'LL TAKE ROLL CALL.
WE HAVE A, UM, MOTION FROM- FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ.
[01:30:02]
- MARTINEZ. - AYE.NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER, ITEM NUMBER NINE, [PAUSE] CONSIDERING APPROVING CONCEPT IN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2.82 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE RELATED TO THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION APPROVE PROPOSED BYLAWS FOR THE COMMISSION AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. SHEILA DANIELS PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[9. Consider approving in concept an "Ordinance Amending Chapter 2.82 of the Santa Cruz County Code Related to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission", approve proposed bylaws for the Commission, and take related actions]
- GOOD MORNING.I'M ONE OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL PLANNERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SECTION OF UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO ACTING AS SECRETARY TO THE...
SO I ALSO ACT AS SECRETARY TO THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION KNOWN AS APAC.
SO I WANTED TO WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THE DIVERSITY ON OUR BOARD AT THIS POINT.
SO GETTING INTO THE PRESENTATION THE COUNTY AND COMMISSION STAFF IDENTIFIED A NEED TO PROVIDE COMMISSION CODE UPDATES AND COMMISSION BYLAWS TO ALIGN WITH RECENT UPDATES TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 2.38 KNOWN AS THE COMMISSION'S POLICY ORDINANCE OF THE SANTA- OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND THE BROWN ACT.
[PAUSE] SO, THIS IS THE LAST STEP AS PART OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS UPDATE PROGRAM AND COUNTY COMMISSION LIAISON- LIAISON TRAINING FACILITATED BY THE CLERK OF THE BOARD AND COUNTY COUNCIL INTENDED TO IMPROVE THE FUNCTIONING OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS.
SO, BASED ON THE GUIDANCE FROM OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AND COUNTY COUNCIL, APAC APPROVED THE PROPOSED APAC BYLAWS AT THE REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 17TH OF 2024.
THE PROPOSED BYLAWS ARE REFLECTED IN THE ATTACHED AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 2.82.
[PAUSE] SO THE REVISIONS TO CHAPTER 2.82 INCLUDE THAT EACH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR MAY NOW NOMINATE ONE ALTERNATE MEMBER IF DESIRED TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION WHEN THE REGULAR MEMBER IS ABSENT.
THIS HERE 2.4 HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.
[PAUSE] AND THEN REVISIONS TO NOW REFERENCE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE COMMISSION INSTEAD OF THE FORMER PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE- NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WERE EMERGED A FEW YEARS AGO INTO THE CDI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THE REVISIONS CLARIFY THAT THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER AND THE APAC SECRETARY PROVIDE MINUTES AND COORDINATION ON PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS TO YOUR BOARD.
THIS HAS BEEN THE LONG STANDING PRACTICES NOW WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE REGULATIONS.
IN ADDITION, CHANGES TO ADD REGARDING COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE CODE WITH COMPENSATION TO BE DETERMINED BY YOUR BOARD ANNUALLY.
[PAUSE] AND WITH THAT, THE PROPOSED BYLAWS CLARIFY THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF APAC IN THE FORMAT OF HEARINGS WITH- IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE 2.38.
THESE BYLAWS WILL ASSIST APAC CHAIR IN ADMINISTERING THE HEARING CONSISTENT WITH THE BOARD PRACTICES.
SO THAT SHOULD BRING EVERYTHING INTO ALIGNMENT.
[PAUSE] PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL EQUALITY ACT SECTION 21065A.
THE ORDINANCE AND BYLAWS DO NOT QUALIFY AS A PROJECT AS DEFINED IN SECTION 15378A1 OF CEQA.
THEREFORE, NO ADDITIONAL CEQA ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED FOR THE ORDINANCE, UM, AND BYLAW- BYLAWS APPROVAL.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOUR BOARD APPROVING CONCEPT AND ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2.82 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE RELATED TO THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THAT- THAT YOU SCHEDULE THE ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION ON JANUARY 28, 2025, AND THAT YOUR BOARD DIRECT THE CLERK OF THE BOARD TO PUBLISH THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE SUMMARY IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION AT LEAST FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULE SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION NO LATER THAN JANUARY 23RD, 2025, PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 25124 AND THAT YOUR BOARD APPROVED THE PROPOSED BYLAWS OF THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO FOR THE SECOND TIME WE DO HAVE A SCHEDULED ITEM AT 10:45.
I'M GONNA GO MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS FIRST.
[PAUSE] IF ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT PLEASE COME UP.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO ONLINE.
- YES, CHAIR, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER ONLINE.
CALL IN USER 2, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
[01:35:02]
[SILENCE] - MARILYN GARRETT.IN TERMS OF CEQA, CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHO'S EVER ON THIS AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION THE POLICY OF THE COMMISSION AND I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS OF ITEM NINE IN FRONT OF ME.
I THINK WE NEED TO REQUIRE ORGANIC AND ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE.
[PAUSE] AS A TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS IN WATSONVILLE BILINGUAL CLASSES AT A MESTI SCHOOL I HAD TO TAKE MY CLASSROOM CHILDREN IN FROM THE PLAYGROUND AS THEY WERE SPRAYING PESTICIDES ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL WITH THEIR EYES WATERING, COUGHING.
WE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TOXICS IN AGRICULTURE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION AND IN PAST YEARS THERE WERE ORGANIC FARMERS ON IT.
IN FACT ONE MEETING I ATTENDED WAS A PROPOSAL TO HAVE A CELL TOWER ON AG LAND.
AND THE DECISION AT THAT TIME WAS THAT THIS IS NOT IN LINE WITH AGRICULTURAL POLICIES.
IN FACT, THE RADIATION FROM CELL TOWERS KILLS THE BIRDS AND BEES AND I REFER YOU TO A DOCUMENT, 'BEES, BIRDS, AND MANKIND - DESTROYING NATURE BY ELECTROSMOG.' WE ALL KNOW THAT WITHOUT THE BEES TO POLLINATE WE WERE, WE ARE IN BIG TROUBLE.
UH, SO THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE...
- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR.
- SO WITH THAT I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD TO- FOR ANY COMMENTS OR ENTERTAIN THE MOTION.
- I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST, THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE ALTERNATE POSITIONS, WERE THERE ANY ISSUES WITH ESTABLISHING QUORUM WHICH HAS LED TO, UM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ALTERNATE POSITIONS? I'M JUST, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY.
- WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST NOT LAST YEAR, BUT THE YEAR BEFORE WHERE WE DIDN'T, DIDN'T HAVE AN A QUORUM BECAUSE OF SUDDEN, UM, NO SHOWS AT THE MEETING.
SO I RECOMMENDED AND INCLUDED THAT IN THE ORDINANCE AS AN OPTION FOR YOUR BOARD TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE IN THAT EVENT INSTEAD OF CREATING...
UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS IF THERE'S A NO SHOW FOR I BELIEVE IT'S TWO MEETINGS THEN THAT COMMISSIONER WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMISSION.
SO BY ALLOWING AN ALTERNATE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THAT UNLIKELY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION FROM HAPPENING CAUSE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE AN ALTERNATE.
- I'LL JUST SAY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, THE BACKUP UM, IN TERMS OF HAVING AN ALTERNATE THAT CAN IMPACT A, UH, COMMISSIONER WHEN THEY'RE UNAVAILABLE.
I DO HOPE THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW IF, IF AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR ALTERNATE AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND IT HAPPENS TWICE WITHIN A YEAR THAT THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY BUILT IN SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T YOU KNOW, CAUSE A LOT OF UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES CAN POP UP.
AND IF SOMEBODY MISSES A MEETING IN FEBRUARY AND THEN THEY MISS A MEETING IN OCTOBER TO HAVE THEM BE ELIMINATED FROM A COMMISSION UM, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT THAT JUST WOULDN'T...
- I THINK IT'S TWO CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS.
- OKAY. - NOT NECESSARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE MEETING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND ONE MEETING AT THE END OF THE YEAR PER SE.
WE TYPICALLY COORDINATE WITH THE COMMISSION TO ACHIEVE A QUORUM BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE A SINGLE COMMISSIONER.
SO WE GENERALLY COORDINATE BEFORE THEY SCHEDULE THE MEETING.
BUT IT HAS OCCASIONALLY BECOME A CHALLENGE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CONDUCT COUNTY BUSINESS AND WE CAN'T ACHIEVE A QUORUM.
SO IT'S AN OPTION, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.
IT'S THE LANGUAGE IN THE CODE WOULD ALLOW YOUR BOARD TO APPOINT AN ALTERNATE IF DESIRED.
- OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, AND GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A TIME CERTAIN ITEM I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
- IF THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL COMMENT WE HAVE A, UH, MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM, UH, SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
- AND I'M SORRY, I LOST THE LINK SOMEHOW BUT UM...
- UNDER SECTION A AND THE- THE RED LINE VERSION THAT WE WERE PROVIDED...
[01:40:01]
- MM-HMM.- IT TALKS ABOUT A MEMBER SHALL BE A RESIDENT OR OF, OR EMPLOYED IN THE COUNTY, AND THAT'S A CHANGE.
SO ARE WE SAYING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT RESIDENTS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY COULD THEN SERVE ON THIS? - THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT'S BEEN- THAT'S A CHANGE IN OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONS ORDINANCE.
AND THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN REVISED TO REFLECT THE COUNTY ORDINANCE SO THAT- THAT'S, UM, COUNTY CODE SECTION 2.38 IS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ORDINANCE WHICH WAS REVISED BY THE BOARD, I BELIEVE, IN 2024.
AND THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN REVISED TO ALIGN WITH THOSE REGULATIONS.
- CAN YOU GIVE US JUST FOR MY OWN KNOWLEDGE AND MAYBE THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT- CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN WE WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S A COUNTY EMPLOYEE WHO DOESN'T ACTUALLY LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SERVING? LIKE WHAT...
- SO THE CHALLENGE WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION AND I BELIEVE OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL, IS THAT, UM, YOU NEED THE QUALIFICATIONS IN AGRICULTURE TO SIT ON THAT COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO AS A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU BE A RESIDENT ONLY MAY NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE YOU THE QUALIFICATION AS A PERSON OF- IN WORKING IN AGRICULTURE.
SO OUR CURRENT COMMISSION HAS MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR, GOSH, 30 YEARS, FOR THE MOST PART.
WE HAVE MORE RECENT APPOINTEES UM, IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, BUT, UM, FOR THE MOST PART, GOSH, I THINK, I BELIEVE TWO, AT LEAST TWO OR THREE HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES NOW.
SO, ADDING THAT EMPLOYMENT ELEMENT ALLOWS FOLKS WHO WOULD QUALIFY IN AGRICULTURE TO WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SIT ON THE COMMISSION BUT DON'T NECESSARILY RESIDE HERE.
I THINK THAT'S A BONUS FOR THE COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE.
UM, MADAM CLERK, CAN WE TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE? - CERTAINLY.
WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FINISH THE NEXT ITEM, OR WE'RE GONNA COME BACK, TAKE A SHORT RECESS AFTER THE SCHEDULED ITEM TO COME BACK AND FINISH ITEM NUMBER 10.
OR DO WE HAVE AN EXTRA FIVE MINUTES THAT WE CAN BE LATE WITH? NOPE? - NO, SO YOU- YEAH, WE-WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FINISH THE NEXT TIME SO WE GO TO THE 10:45.
UH, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK OR A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND BACK.
- SO WITH THAT, LET ME MOVE TO THE...
[SILENCE] - YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK RIGHT NOW AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK FOR THE 10:45 ITEM IF YOU'D LIKE.
- YEAH, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AT 10:45 TWO MINUTES.
[SILENCE] - RECORDING STOPPED.
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE]
[01:45:13]
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - THE ITEM.[PAUSE] THAT'S A PRESENTATION OF THE 2024-2025 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION AWARDS.
AND WE HAVE CHRISTINA HORVAT AND MARIANNE LOBALVO FROM THE, FROM CDI, UM, AND ALSO ALONG TO PRESENT IS CLAUDIA VILLALTA-MEJIA AND JACKIE CASTORENA DAVILA
[11 Presentation of the 2024-25 Santa Cruz County Green Business Certification and Re-Certification Awards]
FROM ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS.- GOOD MORNING BOARD, CHAIR HERNANDEZ.
MY NAME IS MARY ANN LOBALBO AND I'M HERE WITH CHRISTINA HORVATH, ZERO WASTE PROGRAM COORDINATORS WITH RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE SERVICES.
ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ARE PLEASED HERE TO BE PRESENTING THE GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION RECIPIENTS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZE THE PROGRAM UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZE THEM TODAY FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.
IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM ARE CLAUDIA VILLALTA-MEJIA AND JACKIE CORONAWITH ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS TO GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THEIR WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR.
THE COUNTY'S GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO MEET AND EXCEED ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS WHILE CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES.
THIS INCLUDES SWITCHING TO REUSABLE AND SINGLE- FROM SINGLE USE ITEMS TO HELP LOWER WASTE COSTS, PAPER GOOD COSTS, AND LESS PFAS A FOREVER CHEMICAL IN ALL OUR LIVES.
- THE COUNTY CERTIFICATION PROCESS INVOLVES A SERIES OF RIGOROUS AUDITS BY ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION EXPERTS
[01:50:02]
TO COME UP WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT POLLUTION AND CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES.CERTIFIED BUSINESSES HAD INVESTED TIME, EFFORT, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT THEY MEET THE CRITERIA FOR CERTIFICATION.
THESE BUSINESSES ARE THE INDUSTRY FRONT RUNNERS THAT MEET AND EXCEED EXCEPTIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.
THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ BEGAN ITS GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IN 2003 AND IT IS ENDORSED BY THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL, AND WAS ESTABLISHED BY AB 913 IN 2011.
IT IS FUNDED FOR THE SANTA, IT'S- FUNDING FOR THE SANTA CRUZ GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY THE RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE SERVICES SANITATION ZONE 5 FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, COUNTYWIDE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, AND THE PAJARO STORM DRAIN MAINTENANCE DISTRICT.
- WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL.
NOW, WE WILL HEAR A BRIEF PRESENTATION FROM OUR GREEN BUSINESS PARTNERS, JACKIE AND CLAUDIA WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS.
- GOOD MORNING, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I AM JACKIE CASTORENA DAVILA, - AND I'M CLAUDIA VILLALTA-MEJIA.
- THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROGRESS OF OUR GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAMS SINCE OUR LAST ANNUAL MEETING IN DECEMBER 2023.
A SPECIAL WELCOME TO OUR BUSINESSES WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON TODAY.
WE KNOW THESE ARE YOUR TYPICAL BUSINESS HOURS AND THANK YOU FOR PIVOTING WITH US THROUGH THE DATE CHANGE.
[CHUCKLES] - ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS IS A LOCAL CONSULTING GROUP WHO MANAGES SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS FOR CITY OF WATSONVILLE, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND CITY OF SANTA CRUZ.
WE STAFF MOSTLY BILINGUAL COORDINATORS LIKE JACKIE AND I TO BEST SERVE OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
WE SPECIALIZE IN BUSINESS OUTREACH AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, INCLUDING SB 1383 AND POLLUTION PREVENTION, WHICH WE CONDUCT IN CITY- CITIES OF SCOTTS VALLEY AND CITY OF CAPITOLA.
OUR WORK APPROACH IS COMMUNITY-BASED WHICH IS SHAPED BY OUR EQUITY COMMITTEE.
BEING COMMUNITY-BASED ENSURES WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO RESOURCES LIKE ELECTRIC AND OTHER UTILITY PROGRAMS TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM MOST.
[PAUSE] THE CALIFORNIA GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK IS MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS FUNDED BY CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE.
THREE OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
AS STAFF TO THE GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK, WE PROVIDE FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT THAT HELPS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
IN ADDITION, CERTIFIED BUSINESSES RECEIVE ONLINE PROMOTION AND LOCAL RECOGNITION LIKE THIS EVENT FOR THE, THEIR EFFORTS TO HELP THEIR PLANET AND COMMUNITY.
- AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM EMPHASIZES SMALL CHANGES THAT TOGETHER MAKE A LARGE IMPACT.
WE HELP BUSINESSES SAVE ENERGY, REDUCE WASTE CONSERVE WATER, CUT COSTS ALL WHILE LOWERING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
WITH EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES WE SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES EFFICIENTLY ENSURING WE DON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF THEIR VALUABLE TIME.
[PAUSE] AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE COUNTY IS HOME TO THREE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAMS. UH, TO ORIENT EVERYONE, HERE'S A COUNTY MAP THAT SHOWS AN OVERLAY OF THE SUPERVISOR DISTRICT AND THE THREE PROGRAMS. UM, THE OFF-WHITE AREAS SHOW THE TWO CITY PROGRAMS WHICH ARE CITY OF WATSONVILLE AND CITY OF SANTA CRUZ.
THE BLUE SHOWS THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES UNINCORPORATED COUNTY, CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY AND CITY OF CAPITOLA.
[PAUSE] MOVING ON TO SOME AMAZING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GREEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM HAS EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY EMPHASIZING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.
THE COUNTY IS A LEADER IN THE STATE ONE OF THE ONLY COUNTIES TO HAVE A GREEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM ENSURING FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE AWARE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
PAJARO VALLEY PRIDE IN WATSONVILLE'S PROGRAM BECAME CALIFORNIA'S FIRST CERTIFIED GREEN BUSINESS COMMUNITY EVENT.
EVENT PLANNERS SET UP PROPER WASTE STREAMS AND REQUIRED VENDORS TO USE BPI CERTIFIED PRODUCT AMONG MANY OTHER SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES.
NOW TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ ACHIEVED CERTIFICATION AND IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE A LARGE AND LONGSTANDING BUSINESS COMMIT TO GREEN PRACTICES BECAUSE THIS DEMONSTRATES TO THEIR NEIGHBORS THAT CHANGE IS POSSIBLE AND POSITIVE.
- OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WE'VE CERTIFIED 62 BUSINESSES,
[01:55:02]
A COMBINATION OF NEW CERTIFICATIONS AND RE-CERTIFICATIONS.WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR OUR BUSINESSES, PARTNERS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WHO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE.
BEFORE WE TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD TO READ THE LIST OF CERTIFIED BUSINESSES.
UM, WE'RE OPEN TO QUESTIONS FROM THE SUPERVISORS.
[PAUSE] OR COMMENTS. [CHUCKLES] - ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? - UM, DO WE HAVE COMMU- DOESN'T THE COMMUNITY SPEAK FIRST BEFORE OUR COMMENTS? - YEAH, WE CAN CHANGE IT THOUGH.
HI. SO, BUT I, I KNOW YOU TWO ARE BUSY AT WORK.
DO YOU HAVE, UM, HOW, HOW BIG IS THE STAFF THAT YOU WORK WITH? IS IT JUST YOU TWO OR ARE THERE MORE PEOPLE? - YEAH, SO, UM, WE DO HAVE OTHER, UM, COLLEAGUES THAT ARE A PART OF ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS, OUR CONSULTING COMPANY.
UM, BUT FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, IT IS MAINLY THE TWO OF US WORKING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS AS COORDINATORS WITH BUSINESSES.
UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR PARTNERS FROM THE COUNTY CHRISTINA AND MARYANNE, AND THEN OUR, UH, GREEN WASTE PARTNERS WHO HELP US WITH ANY WASTE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE DO.
SO WE ARE A LARGER TEAM, BUT IN TERMS OF COORDINATORS IT'S THE TWO OF US.
- WE ALSO GET SUPPORT FROM KRISTEN PEREZ WITH THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND TAMMY [INAUDIBLE] WITH CITY OF WATSONVILLE.
YEAH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
- AND IF THERE'S NO COMMENTS, WE CAN BEGIN.
- FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND, UM, WANNA APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN BRIEFLY SPEAK TO, UM, KIND OF THE, THE GENERAL OUTREACH THAT YOU DO ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO RESTAURANTS.
UM, AND I ASK THIS BECAUSE, UM, I'LL JUST SAY ONE, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE BUSINESSES WHO ARE HERE TODAY WHO'VE MADE SUCH GREAT EFFORTS TO TRY TO KEEP US, UH, SUSTAINABLE AND GREEN.
BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT A LOT OF BUSINESSES UM, KINDA STUCK WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE MORE THROWAWAY UM, KIND OF PLASTIC WEAR EVEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE DINING IN.
AND SO I'M JUST KINDA WONDERING WHAT CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING HAD TO KIND OF GET SOME OF THOSE RESTAURANTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE DINING IN TO GO BACK TO REUSABLE AND STOP, YOU KNOW, USING PLASTIC DINE IN WEAR THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE- SINGLE USE.
- YEAH. SO I CAN TAKE THAT ONE.
SO AS A PART OF OUR OUTREACH, WE DO, YOU KNOW, JUST SHOW UP TO BUSINESSES OFTENTIMES BUT IN TERMS OF RESTAURANTS WE'VE REALLY TAKEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY'S ORDINANCES UM, AS A PART OF OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESSES ARE EDUCATED ON WHAT, UM, STANDARDS THEY HAVE TO MEET.
UM, THAT OF COURSE GOES FOR ANY KIND OF STANDARDS FOR OUR CERTIFICATION, BUT FOR FOOD FACILITIES, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ORDINANCES MAY DIFFER DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
UM, SO FOR OUR OUTREACH WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE EDUCATION PART OF IT.
UM, WE FIND THAT BUSINESSES SOMETIMES JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO PURCHASE.
MAYBE THEY NEED A RECOMMENDATION OF LOCAL VENDORS WHO CAN PROVIDE THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY NEED TO USE.
UM, SO A LOT OF IT IS HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ALSO HERE TO HELP THEM AND ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS AND IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT REUSABLES UM, THAT SOMEONE BRINGS IN, THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
BUT THEY HAVE TO TALK TO, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO IT REALLY IS JUST, UH, EDUCATING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE UM, TO KIND OF INCENTIVIZE THEM TO SWITCHING TO REUSABLES UM, AND STEPPING AWAY FROM PLASTIC.
I'LL ADD TO THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM AND A LOT OF TIMES THE RESTAURANTS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING.
UM, BUT LIKE JACKIE MENTIONED, WHEN IT COMES TO ORDINANCES WE DO A LOT OF THAT OUTREACH AS WELL WITH THE CITIES.
UM, WE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE LOOKING AT ALL THE FOOD TRUCKS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PROCURING THE CORRECT UM, DISPOSABLES, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE USING BPI CERTIFIED PRODUCTS.
- THANK YOU BOTH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS EFFORT.
IT MEANS A LOT TO THE COMMUNITY.
- ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM SUPERVISORS? [PAUSE] SEEING NONE, UH, WE'LL MOVE IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO...
[PAUSE] SEEING NONE, ANY ONLINE? - YES CHAIR.
[PAUSE] CALL IN USER TWO, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
[SILENCE] - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AS I SEE IT, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE WITH CONTAMINANTS
[02:00:02]
IS THE STRUCTURAL DOMINATION OF THE CORPORATE STATE.CORPORATIONS THAT ARE PRODUCING ALL THESE TOXINS.
THERE'S A BOOK CALLED, 'TOXIC SLUDGE IS GOOD FOR YOU.' LIES, DAMN LIES IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY.
[PAUSE] WE ARE CONDITIONED TO THINK THAT TOXIC PRODUCTS ARE GOOD FOR US LIKE CELL PHONES, LIKE ELECTRICITY, LIKE PESTICIDE, ET CETERA.
[PAUSE] THERE'S A BOOK CALLED, 'THE INVISIBLE RAINBOW A HISTORY OF ELECTRICITY ON LIFE BY ARTHUR FURSTENBERG,' THAT DOCUMENTS HOW EACH TIME THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL POLLUTION YOU HAVE CORRESPONDING ILLNESSES.
FLU'S WERE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE ELECTRICITY.
THE LIGHTS IN THE STORES LIKE THE NEW- NEW LEAF, UH, MANY PLACES ARE SO, UH, THEY'RE PAINFUL, THEY'RE UNHEALTHY.
I TRY TO RUSH IN AND RUSH OUT.
ALSO WITH EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL WHEN THERE'S A POWER OUTAGE, ELECTRICAL SOURCES DON'T WORK.
MY LANDLINE, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU ON AND I DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER.
IT WORKS WHEN THE POWER IS OUT.
SO I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS VERY DECEPTIVE AND IN REALITY NOT GREEN AND NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
THAT'S MY COMMENT, WE NEED TO STOP.
- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS CHAIR.
- NO SPEAKERS, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, BEFORE THAT I WANT TO THANK OF COURSE OUR, OUR STAFF FROM CDI AND RECYCLING SOLID WASTE.
UH, CHRISTINA HORVATH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND MARY- MARYANNE LOVALVO, AND OF COURSE, UH, CLAUDIA AND JACKIE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, SO THE NAMES OF THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THIS YEAR'S GREEN BUSINESS AWARD WILL NOW BE READ BY THE SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT.
SO THAT RE- REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE BUSINESSES CAN STAND TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
AS YOUR BUSINESS IS CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE DAIS, THE PODIUM.
UH, SO A GROUP PHOTO CAN BE TAKEN WITH YOUR DISTRICT SUPERVISOR.
AND LET'S WAIT FOR ALL THE APPLAUSES TILL AFTER THE, ALL THE NAMES ARE CALLED.
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE FIRST DISTRICT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE RECEIVED CERTIFICATION INCLUDE ART OF SANTA CRUZ, [PAUSE] UH, SYMMETRY GROUP, COMMUNICATION SERVICE CORPORATION, KIND PEOPLES ON SOCAL AVENUE, MAR VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MONTEREY BAY MORTGAGE, SANTA CRUZ GARDENS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND WILD BEAUTY COSMETICS.
YOU WANNA HOLD, UH, IS THIS YOURS? PERFECT. - THANK YOU.
- [INAUDIBLE] - WELL, PLEASE NEVERTHELESS, COME STAND UP HERE.
YOU WANNA COME ON THE OTHER SIDE? - PICTURE.
- YEAH, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN TOGETHER.
- [INAUDIBLE] - NEXT WE HAVE THE SECOND DISTRICT BUSINESSES UH, SUPERVISOR DE SERPA, IF YOU COULD READ THE NAMES.
UH, SECOND DISTRICT BUSINESSES INCLUDE CALIFORNIA COAST LANDSCAPING, CAPITOLA SELF STORAGE, THE CITY OF CAPITOLA CITY HALL, JIMENEZ DAYCARE, MID VALLEY SUPPLY, MORENOS DAYCARE.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO PRONOUNCE THIS.
RODESI, DID I SAY IT RIGHT? RODESI LLC, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND THE SOS COMPANY.
[02:05:36]
- ALL RIGHT. SO FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ, ECOLOGY ACTION OF SANTA CRUZ, GAZELLE BICYCLES EXPERIENCE CENTER, THE GOOD TIMES KAISER PERMANENTE ARENA, OUR ENERGY, PETROGLYPH CERAMIC LOUNGE, STACY MITCHELL REALTOR, THE RIDE GUIDE LLC, THE SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY LEAGUE, SIGHTLINE CONSTRUCTION AND UCSC FLEET SERVICES.- [INAUDIBLE] - AND I ALMOST FORGOT UH, NONPROFIT INSURANCE ALLIANCE.
SO THAT MAKES ALL THE ORGANIZATION.
- THANK YOU AND THEN NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE FIFTH DISTRICT UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ.
IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT, I'M PROUD THAT WE HAVE A SMALL BUT MIGHTY LIST OF AWARD RECIPIENTS.
WE HAVE THE CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY CITY HALL, HEIT FAMILY DENTISTRY, THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT AND THE SCOTTS VALLEY SENIOR CENTER.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, [LAUGH] I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANA VASQUEZ GUARDERIA, BELMONTES DAYCARE, CITY OF WATSONVILLE'S WATER RESOURCES CENTER DIGITAL NEST, EXCLUSIVE PAINTING AND DECORATING, FREEDOM TAX SERVICE, FRUTERIA QUETZAL, GREENWASTE RECOVERY, LLC, JC JEWELERS AND DESIGNER, L.A MEN'S WEAR LLC, LEONOR MELGOZA BEJAR DAYCARE, MARIA LOPEZ DAYCARE, [PAUSE] MARY'S GIFT SHOP, MORALES DAYCARE, NUTRI-NATURAL, OLIVIA'S DAYCARE, PAJARO VALLEY LOAVES AND FISHES, PAJARO VALLEY PRIDE, PAJARO VALLEY TRAVEL CSI SERVICES, RAICES Y CARINO, REGENERACION - PAJARO VALLEY CLIMATE ACTION, S. MARTINELLI & CO. SALES OFFICE, S MARTINELLI & CO. WEST BEACH PLANT, SALGADO DAYCARE, SALINA'S BEAUTY SUPPLY #2, SANDRA'S DAYCARE, WATSONVILLE CHARTER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND WATSONVILLE CYCLERY.
[02:10:44]
SO NEXT WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF RECESS.UM, FIVE-MINUTE RE- FIVE-MINUTE RECESS FOR, UM, SMALL LITTLE GET TOGETHER OR CELEBRATION OUT HERE IN THE HALLWAY.
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE]
[CONSENT AGENDA]
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE][02:15:02]
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE][02:20:05]
[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - WELL, WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE LAST ITEM AGE-, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 THAT WE LEFT OFF BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED ITEM: TO CONSIDER A REPORT ON RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE LONG-TERM PLANNING PROGRESS AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS.IF WE CAN HAVE A CDI FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[10. Consider report on Recycling and Solid Waste long-term planning progress, and take related actions]
- GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND THE REST OF THE BOARD.UM, I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE KASEY KOLASSA, OUR SOLID WASTE, UH, RECYCLING SOLID WASTE SERVICE MANAGER AND MYSELF.
UH, HE HAD A FAMILY EMERGENCY.
[PAUSE] UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SHARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COUNTY'S RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE SERVICES WORK.
[PAUSE] RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE SERVICES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING PREPARING FOR THE CLOSURE OF THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL AND DESIGNING TRANSFER FACILITY TO REPLACE IT BEFORE IT CLOSES.
[PAUSE] UH, WE ARE REGULATED BY STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, INCLUDING CLIMATE ACTION BILL SB 1383 AND THE NEW PACKAGING LEGISLATION, EXCUSE ME, LEGISLATION SB 54.
THIS SLIDE AND THE NEXT WERE COMPLETED DURING A STUDY SESSION UH, WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, HF&H, WHERE WE MAPPED OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS OF WASTE DIVERSION, GIVEN THE LEGAL TRENDS, UH, LEGAL TRENDS AND CHANGING ECONOMIC CLIMATE.
UH, THIS WAS CONDUCTED PRE-COVID, UM, AS WE REFER TO IT ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT THERE.
THIS IS, THOSE WERE UNCERTAINTIES THAT JUST COME UP IN, IN LIFE.
[PAUSE] OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF SOLID WASTE AND DIVERSION IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE VALUES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT ALL, WHAT, WE ALL WANT TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF, A COMMUNITY THAT IS INNOVATIVE AND A LEADER IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT.
WHILE WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR A TRANSFER STATION TO BE CO-LOCATED WITH AN ORGANIC PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL UH, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FOR ALTERNATIVES TO COMPOSTING, SUCH AS WASTE TO ENERGY TO-, TECHNOLOGIES LIKE HYDROGEN, LIKE HYDROGEN, UH, POWER, GA- UH, ELECTRIC, UH, GASIFICATION, OR EVEN POTENTIAL OF AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER.
BOTH OF THOSE TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES WOULD HELP WITH ITEMS THAT AREN'T TRULY COMPOSTABLE IN A COMPOST FACILITY, SUCH AS COMPOSTABLE FOODWARE, CUPS, AND BAGS.
IN FACT, WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT OUR, UH, AT REVISING OUR BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING ORDINANCE TO EXCLUDE THESE ITEMS AS THEY WILL NOT COMPOST IN A TIME FRAME FOR MOST COMMERCIAL COMPOSTING OPERATIONS.
[PAUSE] THE MOST RECENT AERIAL SURVEY OF THE BUENA VISTA- BUENA VISTA LANDFILL THAT WE HAVE DATA FOR TOOK PLACE IN THE FALL OF 2023 AND REVEALED THAT AT THE CURRENT RATE OF SPACE UTILIZATION THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 6 YEARS OF REMAINING CAPACITY.
IT'S VITAL THAT THE COUNTY HAVE A TRANSFER STATION UP AND RUNNING BEFORE THIS TIME PERIOD LAPSES SO THAT THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS IN THE SOUTH COUNTY
[02:25:03]
FOR THEIR WASTE DISPOSAL.[PAUSE] THIS IS A SLIDE OF THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL PROJ-, REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA THAT WE HAVE UP ON OUR WEBSITE THAT SHOWS THE AVAI-, SHOWS THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US FOR THE SITE PROJECT.
UH, WE HAVE A WEBSITE DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO THE BUENA VISTA PROJECT THAT WE HAVE, UH, BEEN UPDATING, UH, AND WE'LL USE TO PLACE ALL OF THE PROJECT DOCUMENTS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, AND ONCE READY, WE WILL RE-, UH, UPDATE THIS BOARD.
[PAUSE] IN 2022, THE COUNTY HELD A PROTEST VOTE TO ESTABLISH A NEW RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE CHARGE UH, AND CLOSURE CHARGE THAT FIRST APPEARED ON THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY PARCEL TAX ROLL IN 2022/2023.
THE CHARGE WAS APPROVED FOR 5 YEARS AND WE WILL HAVE TO RETURN TO THE BOARD EVERY 5 YEARS WITH A NEW PROTEST VOTE AND AN ENGINEERING REPORT WITH ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RATES AS NECESSARY.
THE ALLOWABLE USES OF THESE FUNDS IS LIMITED TO THE BUENA VISTA TRANSFER STATION PROJECT DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND EVENTUALLY THE BOND PAYMENTS.
WE'RE ALSO ALLOWED TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR ANY CURRENT TRANSFER OPERATIONS FROM THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL CLOSURE COSTS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY ESTIMATED IN TODAY'S DOLLARS TO BE APPROXIMATELY $15 TO 20 MILLION.
[PAUSE] CURRENTLY, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY FOU-, $14 MILLION IN THE CLOSURE FUND.
AND BY BEGINNING TO ASSESS THE CHARGE WHEN WE DID UH, WE ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE DESIGN AND PERMIT STAGES OF THE PROJECT AS WELL AS TO LOWER THE OVERALL AMOUNT THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BORROW UH, BY PLACING THE MONEY IN A RESERVE ACCOUNT.
[PAUSE] OUR CURRENT CONTRACT WITH AMERESCO WHICH RUNS OUR COGEN FACILITY AT THE BUENA VISTA LANDFILL, EXPIRES JANUARY, 2026.
THE COUNTY HAS BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH AMERESCO AS WELL AS OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING HYDROGEN FUEL TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY REPRESENTATIVES INCLUDING OUR OWN 3CE.
UH, WE PLAN ON PRESENTING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO THE BOARD TO RELEASE, THIS SPRING, IN SEARCH OF A PARTNER FOR AN LFG TO ENERGY PROJECT.
AND AFTER WE HAVE RESEARCHED AND FIND QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
[PAUSE] THE BEN LOMOND TRANSFER STATION PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO BID FROM FEBRUARY 12, 2025 AND CLOSING IN MARCH 26TH, 2025, I ASSUME.
BONDING AND, UH, PRESENTATION TO YOUR BOARD FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WOULD, APPROVAL WOULD FOLLOW.
CONSTRUCTION IS ESTIMATED TO LAST APPROXIMATELY 200 DAYS AND TOTAL ESTIMATED COSTS AS OF OCTOBER 2024 ARE AT $8.2 MILLION.
[PAUSE] ILLEGAL DUMPING FALLS INTO THE PURVIEW OF RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE AND IS MANAGED BY COORDINATING WITH MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THE BULKY ITEM COLLECTION PROGRAM THROUGH THE GREENWAYS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WAS UTILIZED MORE IN 2023 THAN IN 2022 BY 1,478 MORE ITEMS COLLECTED CURBSIDE.
AS A REMINDER, EACH GREENWAYS CUSTOMER GETS 3 FREE BULKY ITEM COLLECTIONS PER YEAR, AS WELL AS 4 EXTRA COLLECTION SET OUTS PER YEAR AS PART OF THEIR SERVICE AT NO EXTRA ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
[PAUSE] WE'RE NOW 2 YEARS INTO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PITCH IN SANTA CRUZ CAMPAIGN.
THE ORGANIZATION- ORGANIZATION FITS IN WELL WITH THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN ELEMENT TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES.
THE COUNTY SUPPORTS THE GROUP'S WEBSITE AND HELPS WITH PLACEMENT OF THEIR SIGNS THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO RAISE AWARENESS AND RALLY SUPPORT TO MAKE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY THE CLEANEST COUNTY IN THE STATE.
THE GROUP MEETS ONCE PER MONTH TO TALK TRASH.
PITCH IN SANTA CRUZ ALSO HELPED PROCURE 2 HIGH-POWERED CAMERAS WITH THE COUNTY PROCURING AN ADDITIONAL 2 FOR A TOTAL OF 4 CAMERAS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED STRATEGICALLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
[PAUSE] WE HAVE NOT YET CAUGHT ANY ILLEGAL DUMPING ACTIVITY ON CAMERA BUT I'M SURE IT, IT PROBABLY IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
WE ALSO RECENTLY HIRED A CODE ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RECYCLING SOLID WASTE SERVICES TO HELP INVESTIGATE ILLEGAL DUMPING AS WELL AS OTHER CODE SECTIONS THAT FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF RECYCLING SOLID WASTE SERVICES.
[PAUSE] TDI IS WORKING TO IMPROVE DISASTER DEBRIS MANAGEMENT IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AS WELL WHEN DISASTERS OCCUR.
[PAUSE] DURING ST-, DURING STORM EVENTS IN RECENT YEARS WE'VE LEARNED TO NOT LEAVE DEBRIS BOXES UNATTENDED, AS MANY ITEMS END UP IN THE BOXES THAT ARE NOT DISASTER-RELATED.
MONITORING AND HANDLING WASTE THAT IS PART OF THE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT EFFORT IS NECESSARY TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT
[02:30:03]
FROM THE STATE AND, OR FEMA.[PAUSE] SB 1383 IMPLEMENTATION BEGAN IN JANUARY OF 2022.
ITS PRIMARY GOAL IS TO REDUCE METHANE GAS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE NUMBER ONE CONTRIBUTOR OF METHANE GAS TO OUR ATMOSPHERE IS OPEN LANDFILLS THAT LEAK METHANE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
IT'S CAUSED BY ROTTING ORGANICS THAT ARE, UM, UH, ROTTING INS-, IN THE LANDFILL, AND THEREFORE LEAKING OUT.
[PAUSE] FOOD AND YARD WASTE IS NOW BEING DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS IN EVERY JURISDICTION IN CALIFORNIA, AND OUR PROGRAM IN THE COUNTY, UH, ALLOWS CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS TO USE THEIR EXISTING GREEN ORGANICS CARTS TO DISPOSE OF THEIR FOOD WASTE.
UH, IN THE CITY, WE HAVE, IT'S A SEPARATE CART THAT, UM, ON A SEPARATE ITEM THAT THEY DO, IT'S THE ONLY COMM-, JURISDICTION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT, UH, COMMINGLE THEIR ORGANICS.
ALL FOOD ITEMS ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTED, EXCEPT FOR RAW MEAT AND COMPOSTABLE FOODWARE AND BAGS.
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION CONTINUES TO BE CONDUCTED BY BOTH COUNTY AND GREENWAY STAFF, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS.
THE STATE HAS ALREADY BEGUN ENFORCEMENT WITH FINES BEGI-, BEING ASSESSED FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.
[PAUSE] SB 1383 REQUIRES A GROUP EFFORT BY MANY COUNTY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FROM POLICYMAKING AT THE BOARD AND CAO LEVELS TO GENERAL SERVICES AND FLEET MAKING PROCUREMENT DECISIONS.
[PAUSE] ANOTHER ASPECT OF SB 1383 IS TO COLLECT EDIBLE FOOD BEFORE IT BECOMES FOOD WASTE.
THE AMOUNT OF [INAUDIBLE] FOOD INSECURITY IN CALIFORNIA IS STAGGERING.
WE ARE LUCKY IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY THAT WE HAVE THE NATION'S SECOND EVER FOOD BANK, AND THE FIRST IN CALIFORNIA IN THE SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK.
THEY ARE A GREAT PARTNER AND ARE HELPING THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE OTHER FOUR JURISDICTIONS TO FULFILL THIS REQUIREMENT.
ALSO IN, IN OUR COUNTY, WE HAVE GRAY BEARS WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN A GREAT PARTNER IN THE EFFORT TO HELP PROVIDE MEALS TO PERSONS EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY.
[PAUSE] RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE STAFF ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO INFORM AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN CHANGES IN STATE LAW THAT AFFECT RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE MANDATES, PARTICULARLY CLIMATE ACTION LEGISLATION UNDER SB 1383.
WELL, WE JUST HEARD ABOUT GREEN BUSINESS EFFORTS FROM THE PRESENTATION OF THE GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATIONS.
IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THROUGH THE GREEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH 1,429 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WE WORK TOWARDS ENGAGING WITH DIFFERENT SCHOOLS EACH YEAR TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS EQUI-, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE PROGRAM.
[PAUSE] THE COUNTY RECENTLY COMPUTED- COMPLETED THE REFUEL YOUR FUND CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE USE OF REUSABLE AND REFILLABLE ONE-POUND PROPANE CANISTERS.
SINGLE USE PROPANE CANISTERS PRESENT A DANGER TO SOLID WASTE UH, PERSONNEL AS THEY USUALLY ARE NOT COMPLETELY EMPTY WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THE FACILITY AND PRESENT FIRE AND EXPLOSION DANGERS.
THE CAMPAIGN WAS EFFECTIVE, AND THERE ARE NOW 9 LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY THAT SELL THE REFILLABLE CONTAINERS AND BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1ST, 2028, ONLY REFILLABLE RE-, CONTAINERS, ONLY REFILLABLE OR REUSABLE ONE-POUND CONTAINERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO BE SOLD IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
[PAUSE] UH, CAREIT IS AN APP THAT BUSINESSES CAN USE THAT CONNECTS THEM TO NON-PROFITS, SUCH AS SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK AND GRAY BEARS AMONG MANY OTHERS, TO MORE EASILY DONATE USED EDIBLE FOOD.
IT USES TECHNOLOGY TO HELP THE ENTIRE NETWORK OF FOOD PRODUCERS TO RESPONSIBLY DONATE THEIR C-PLUS- SURPLUS FOOD AND RESOURCES.
THE APP PROVIDES BUSINESSES, CORPORATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS WITH A PLATFORM FOR DATA AND IMPACT TRACKING AND IS FREE TO BUSINESSES.
THE COUNTY PROCURED THE APP ON BEHALF OF ALL THE CITIES AND THE COUNTY, UTILIZING A GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FOR SB 1383.
[PAUSE] SB 54 IS LANDMARK EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY LEGISLATION WITH A GOAL OF ELIMINATING SINGLE-USE AND DIFFICULT-TO-REUSE RECYCLED PACKAGING.
[PAUSE] DUE TO THE GOAL SET BY SB 54, ALL PACKAGING SOLD IN CALIFORNIA MUST BE EITHER RECYCLABLE OR COMPOSTABLE BY 2032.
MATERIALS MUST BE ABLE TO MEET A 65% RECYCLING RATE BY 2032.
THE LEGISLATION TENDS TO SHIFT THE BURDEN OF PLASTIC POLLUTION RESPONSIBILITY IN MANAGEMENT FROM LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY BY RAISING $5 BILLION FROM INDUSTRY MEMBERS IN OVER 10 YEARS, OVER 10 YEARS.
[PAUSE] WE ALL NOW, WE, WE NOW ASK THAT THE BOARD TAKE THE RE-, RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND ACCEPT AND FILE THE RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE LONG-TERM PLANNING PROGRESS REPORT
[02:35:02]
AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON ZERO WASTE PLANNING AND DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO RETURN ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 16TH, 2025, WITH RESOLI-, RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE LONG-TERM PLANNING PROGRESS REPORT.AND I, THE, FOR THAT, I THANK YOU AND I'M HERE FOR AS WELL AS OUR DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
- SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT TO THE BOARD FOR ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I'LL START TO MY LEFT, UH, SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
- UH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, IF I LISTENED CORRECTLY, SO WE'RE EXPLORING OPTIONS TO USE THE METHANE CAPTURED AT THE LANDFILL TO PRODUCE HYDROGEN? - WE'RE EXPLORING THAT AMONG OTHERS, UH, AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH 3CE AND JUST, LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS.
- YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDING OUT THERE FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION THROUGH THE ARCHES PROGRAM AND THE $1.2 BILLION DOLLARS THAT CALIFORNIA RECEIVED.
I KNOW WE'RE REALLY, UH, [COUGHS] ANGLING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT THROUGH METRO.
AND, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'LL SOON HAVE OVER 50 HYDROGEN BUSES WITH METRO THAT WILL NEED HYDROGEN.
SO, UM, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME, UM, SYMBIOSIS THERE.
UM, AND I GUESS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE RFP THAT WE PUT OUT KIND OF SEEING IF THERE'S OTHER [CROSSTALK].
- IT, IT WOULD BE AND WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN OUR TALK AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THESE DIFFERENT INDUSTRY GROUPS WE, IT'S BEEN DETERMINED THAT WE PRODUCE ENOUGH METHANE THAT COULD POWER UP TO 150 BUSES PER DAY.
THE METHANE CONVERTED TO HYDROGEN.
WELL, THAT'S PROMISING AND POTENTIALLY, I SUPPOSE SOME OF THE TRANSPORT VEHICLES IF WE WERE THEN TO TAKE ORGANIC...
- CORRECT - [CROSSTALK] TRANSFER FACILITY TO GO DOWN TO MARINA.
- CORRECT, AND GREENWAY ALSO HAS, HAS INDICATED TO US IT'S ONE OF THE OPTIONS THEY'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE NEXT, UH, FRAN- IF, FOR THE, FOR THEIR FLEET, IF THEY WERE TO CONTINUE TO BE THE COUNTY'S FRANCHISE PARTNER.
BUT WE WOULD NEED THAT TECHNOLOGY PARTNER THAT ACTUALLY WAS INTERESTED IN PRODUCING IT. OKAY.
AND THEN, UM, WOULD, WHAT, WHAT'S OUR APPROACH TO DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSFER ORGANICS OR DO SOME KIND OF WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY AT BUENA VISTA? WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR DECIDING KIND OF THE WAY FORWARD? - THAT'S WHY I WISH CASEY WAS THERE.
UM, [LAUGH], I, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION PLEASE? - SO WE'RE EVALUATING HOW TO HANDLE ORGANICS AT BUENA VISTA, RIGHT? SO, UM, EITHER DO COMPOSTING ON SITE, TRANSFER THEM ALL TO MARINA.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A WASTE OF ENERGY.
UH, OPTION IS BEING CONSIDERED AS WELL.
HOW WILL WE MAKE THE, WHAT'S OUR PROCESS FOR EVALUATING THOSE? AND WHEN WE ANTICIPATE WILL...? - WE WOULD DEFINITELY DO A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS ON, ON THOSE OPTIONS AND, AND, AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH BONDING AND, AND THE MATERIAL, THE TYPE- AMOUNT OF MATERIALS THAT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING.
AND, UM, I'M SURE SOME OF IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE TRANSFERRED.
BUT HOWEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WEIGHING WE'RE WEIGHING OUR OPTIONS JUST TO, TO SEE WHAT, WHAT IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, NO MATTER WHAT WE DECIDE, I KNOW WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO PROCESS ORGANICS IN SOME MANNER OR FORM.
CURRENTLY, WE'RE PRE-PROCESSING AND STUFF AND EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S BEING SHIPPED DOWN TO MARINA FOR, FOR FURTHER PROCESSING INTO COMPOST.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO WEIGH THE COST OF TRANSPORTING THAT MATERIAL DOWN THERE, UM, WITH THE COSTS OF DEVELOPING PROCESSING ON SITE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, THE COST MIGHT, AS FAR AS LIKE, IF WE WERE TO GO LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION, WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK INTO PARTNERS 'CAUSE IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGY.
- OKAY, GREAT. [INAUDIBLE] - WE GOT ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
- HI, CAROLYN BURKE, ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UM, SO, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR EIR THAT WE'RE PREPARING RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE, UM, AN AREA FOR ORGANICS COMPOSTING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO NOW.
AND THEN PART OF THE, UM, CHALLENGE I THINK WITH THE FUTURE OF THE LANDFILL AND AS WE LOOK AT LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS EVOLVING.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE TRACKING SOME OTHER IDEAS UM, AROUND BIOCHAR AND SOME OTHER, UM, WASTE-TO-ENERGY OPTIONS.
UM, THAT JUST DUE TO TIMING WE CAN'T GET INTO THE EIR NOW, BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE PLACEHOLDERS THERE.
UM, SO THAT WE'RE NOT SEGMENTING OUR PROPOSAL BUT WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, LOOK INTO THOSE LATER ON BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, THERE ARE NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE EMERGING ALL THE TIME AND AS WELL AS JUST THE CURVE OF TECHNOLOGY.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE GONNA BE PART OF UM, OUR, OUR FUTURE PROPOSALS.
[02:40:01]
WE'VE ALSO BEEN TALKING WITH, UH, REGEN MONTEREY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEIR PILOT PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE THEY ALSO DID A PILOT PROGRAM ON BIOCHAR.THEY DID AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER PROGRAM THAT, AS BO NOTED DID NOTE THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, HIGHLY RESOURCE INTENSIVE.
SO WE'RE KIND OF TRACKING WITH THEM ON, ON WHERE WE WANNA GO IN THE FUTURE WHILE CONTINUING OUR PROGRESS TOWARD THE OVERALL CLOSURE AND THEN LEAVING OURSELVES OPTIONS TO PURSUE THOSE ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
- GOTCHA. SO THAT'S- WHAT'S THE EVALUATION UH, WHATEVER VEHICLE THERE IS, THE EIR? AND WHEN, WHEN WILL WE EXPECT THE EIR TO BE- THE DRAFT EIR TO BE AVAILABLE? - THE DRAFT EIR, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR, OUR PLANNING PARTNERS UM, TO, UH, TO DETERMINE THE BEST, UH, WAY FORWARD AS FAR AS COORDINATING OUR APAC AND REZONING REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS THE EIR.
UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE PROBABLY LOOKING AT SUMMER OR FALL UM, PUTTING OUT THE EIR.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERNAL REVIEW THAT GOES ON BEFORE IT GOES OUT.
UM, BUT OUR NOTICE OF INTENT, UM, HAS GONE OUT AND WE HAVE, UH, HELD THAT COMMUNITY MEETING.
UM, I WANNA JUST START OFF BY THANKING, UM, CDI FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL OF THE REALLY GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MANAGE THESE MAJOR PROJECTS.
UM, UH, AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU IN YOUR GOALS.
UM, IN YOUR REPORT I SAW A REFERENCE TO SECOND HARVEST.
UM, I KNOW YOU WORK WITH THE DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM, OUR GREEN SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES AND ALSO GRAY BEARS.
AND SO THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE SUPPORTING THESE GOALS.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVERALL I DO HAVE, UM, A, A STRONG INTEREST IN INVESTMENT IN SUPPORTING OUR OVERALL, YOU KNOW, WASTE GOALS BECAUSE IT HAS, UM, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S A PRODUCT OF REALLY THE, THE, THE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE SEE IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS A, AS A COUNTY GOVERNMENT SYSTEM WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ALL OF OUR INVESTMENTS AND ALL OF OUR GOALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY SETTING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WE SEE CHANGING AS IT RELATES TO THE CLIMATE.
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AND I APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE PROJECT SO FAR.
I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THEM, IT WAS AROUND DISASTER DEBRIS MANAGEMENT WHICH, UM, I CERTAINLY REMEMBER THE, THE BOXES IN OUR DISTRICT UM, AFTER A COUPLE OF THE WINTER STORMS. AND YOU MENTIONED WORKING OR LEARNING FROM SANTA BARBARA COUNTY UM, WHO WORKED WITH A FIRM WHO HELPED COORDINATE WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL, UM, GOVERNMENT TO HELP ADOPT LIKE A, A CRADLE TO GRAVE APPROACH, THAT WAS SOMETHING NEW I'D NEVER HEARD ABOUT BEFORE.
AND THE REPORT REFERENCES THAT SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WOULD BE REQUIRED.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? - SO THE CRADLE TO GRAVE CONCEPT IS, IS ONCE THE DISASTER STRIKES AND WE'RE READY FOR THE CLEANUP PORTION, UH, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF ANY DEBRIS BOXES TO THE TIME IT ENDS UP TO THE LANDFILL, THAT THERE IS MONITORING AT EVERY STAGE.
UM, WHAT- WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT IF THEY'RE UNMONITORED WHICH HAS HAPPENED, UH, IT BECOMES A FREE FOR ALL.
UH, WE SOME, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE BINS GET OVERLOADED TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TO BRING IN.
IN SOUTH COUNTY ON ONE OF THEM, IT WAS SO OVERLOADED THAT IT WAS LITERALLY STARTING TO COLLAPSE AND WE HAD TO GET OTHER EQUIPMENT OUT THERE TO HELP ASSIST WITH THE TRASH AND THEN HAUL IT AWAY.
SO, AND FEMA WON'T, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF UNRELATED OR NON-RELATED DISASTER, UH, DEBRIS IN THERE, OTHER HOUSEHOLD GOODS THAT PEOPLE JUST BRING IN THAT WEREN'T, WERE JUST LIKE CLEANING UP THEIR GARAGE TYPE OF THING.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN'T GET REIMBURSED.
AND I, I, I BELIEVE THAT ONCE ANY TYPE OF CONTAMINATION, THEY, THEY KIND OF DEEM THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE LOAD CONTAMINATED.
SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S MONITORS ON SITE THAT THEY'RE, UH, VERIFYING WHETHER THAT BOX FOR THAT COMMUNITY IS, IS ONLY BEING UTILIZED BY THOSE MEMBERS THAT WERE AFFECTED.
AND THAT THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS BY CRADLE TO GRAVE.
UM, WITHOUT SUCH MECHANISMS IN PLACE, THERE'S NO CHAR- I MEAN, IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GET ANY TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT, BUT WITH THE, WITHOUT THOSE IN PLACE, IT'S, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
- AND DO YOU HAVE THE CURRENT SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND I DON'T KNOW, ROOM IN YOUR BUDGET IF A DISASTER WERE TO STRIKE TO MOBILIZE THAT TYPE OF OVERSIGHT OF THE BINS?
[02:45:02]
- WE DO.WE, WE DO PARTNER WITH GREEN WASTE AND WE HAVE SOME CONTINGENCIES IN PLACE IN CASE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPEN WHICH THEY MORE READILY DO.
UM, AND GREEN WASTE HAS, HAS LET US KNOW THAT THEY CAN MONITOR THE BOXES.
SO ONCE THEY'RE DEPLOYED, AND WE ALSO HAVE IT UH, WE HAVE THESE OTHER, WHAT WE CALL, SO THE ROLL OFF BINS ARE NOT PART OF THE FRANCHISE- THE EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A NERO, A NERO FRANCHISE, WHICH IS NON-EXCLUSIVE ROLL OFF.
SO ALL- IN ALL OF THOSE AGREEMENTS, UH, ALL OF THOSE, UH, COMPANIES THAT ALLOW FOR, FOR THE COMP- THE, THE PUBLIC TO RENT THOSE BINS, THEY'RE, IT'S ALL IN THEIR CONTRACTS THAT WHEN DISASTER STRIKES THEY'LL, THEY DO, ARE REQUIRED AT LEAST ONE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE BUSINESS AND WE CAN MONITOR THOSE.
BUT GREENWAYS WOULD MONITOR THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN BID.
[LAUGHTER] - GOT IT. UH, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK TO PREPARE FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION UM, JUST GIVEN THAT THE REPORT SUMMARIZES A COUPLE OF REALLY MAJOR PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE DEPARTMENT UM, AS WELL AS THE ONGOING WORK WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT, UM, IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE DECEMBER IS A LONG WAY OUT FOR ANOTHER REPORT.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE NEEDING TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANOTHER REQUEST? I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION A COUPLE RFPS, LIKE WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU? UM, PARTICULARLY AS A NEW SUPERVISOR, I GET MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME CONSTITUENTS WHILE CAMPAIGNING, BUT I JUST WANT SOME TIME TO LEARN AND I'M, I'M KIND OF WONDERING IF THERE'S ALREADY A PAR- A TIME WHEN YOU IMAGINE COMING BACK BEFORE DECEMBER.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON THE DOCKET.
- ONE POPPED UP THAT I DID MENTION.
UM, SO OUR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE BEN LOMOND PROJECT WILL BE BRINGING THE, UM, RFP LIKE ONCE WE HAVE A FINAL, YOU KNOW, FINAL OFFERS, UH, THAT'LL BE COMING TO THE BOARD UH, SOMETIME IN APRIL.
[INAUDIBLE] UM, UM, I WOULD BELIEVE UH, 'CAUSE MARCH 26TH IS WHEN THE CLOSING FOR THAT BID, UH, HAPPENS AND CONSTRUCTION FOR THAT PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO START IN SUMMER.
SO WE WOULD COME BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE BOARD, UH, APPROVES THE AWARD.
AND THEN WE WOULD, WE WERE ALREADY BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH BOARD, UH, BOND COUNCIL.
SO THAT PORTION THAT OPERATES OUTSIDE, LIKE MY PURVIEW UH, WILL, WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR, FOR CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
UM, THE EIR THAT IS IN CEQA THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED FOR THE, UH, BUENA VISTA PROJECT, ONCE THAT IS COMPLETED IT WILL, WE WILL, WE'LL UPDATE THE BOARD AS WELL.
SO THOSE COULD VERY WELL COME BEFORE DECEMBER.
UH, THIS GENERAL UPDATE THAT WE, WE DO IS, IT'S AN ANNUAL REPORT BUT WE DO, WE DO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WHEN WE HAVE ANY OTHER MAJOR, UM, ASKS OR, UH, AS PROGRESS DEVELOPS ON OTHER PROJECT- AREAS OF PROJECTS WE'LL- WE'LL BRING IT UP, WE'LL UPDATE THE BOARD.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, WOULD BE COMING IN THE BUDGET IN, UM, MAY AND JUNE.
AND THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION BY, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AS PART OF CDIS BUDGET, AND THEY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT MANY OF THESE ISSUES DURING THEIR PRESENTATION.
SO THAT'LL BE COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, YEAH, SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, QUESTIONS AND POTENTIALLY SOME ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS AS, UM, I HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO GET, UM, MY FEET UNDER ME AS A NEW SUPERVISOR.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
- THANK YOU. AND SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, I WAS ALSO JUST DOING A TOUR MAYBE WITH THE, WITH THE SOLID WASTE FOLKS.
- THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO TO TRY TO MAKE US A MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND PARTLY WHY I DON'T HAVE AS MANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND MYSELF SIT ON THE INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS AND GET REGULAR UPDATES AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT STATE LAW, HOW THE COUNTY IS IMPLEMENTING STATE LAW AND WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND ME BETTER ABLE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WASTE MANAGEMENT.
AND I GUESS WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO IMPLEMENT STATE LAWS AND ALSO TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON A LOT OF, UM, THE, THE NEW LAWS THAT ARE COMING IN PLACE.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT AND CONSIDERING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO, UM, JUST LEARNING ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WE ARE EXCEEDING SOME OF THE STATE STANDARDS REALLY, UM, REASSURES UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO DIVERT AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE
[02:50:01]
THAT'S GOING INTO OUR LANDFILL.AND I JUST WANT, IN PARTICULAR, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, THE WORK TO ADDRESS SOME ISSUES THAT WE HAD WITH GREEN WASTE LAST YEAR.
UM, I'VE BEEN CONTACTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S A CARPENTER AND OWNS A, UM, UH, SHOP IN THE COMMUNITY AND GREEN WASTE WAS DENYING HIS ABILITY TO, UM, THROW AWAY SAWDUST WHEN IT CLEARLY WAS OUTLINED IN THEIR POLICY THAT THEY WOULD TAKE AWAY SAWDUST.
AND SO JUST REALLY WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING TO REMEDY THAT SITUATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NOW THERE'S CLEAR GUIDELINES FOR GREEN WASTE AND FOR, UM, PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE CARPENTRY INDUSTRY ON HOW THEY CAN DISPOSE OF THEIR SAWDUST PROPERLY.
SO IT'S NOT GOING INTO OUR LANDFILL.
AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, REALLY JUST THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A BIG ACHIEVEMENT IN, UM, FOLKS BEING ABLE TO DIVERT SOME OF THIS WASTE FROM THE LANDFILL INTO A MORE, UM, ORGANICALLY, UM, PROCESSED WAY OF, OF, OF GETTING RID OF THAT WASTE.
UM, AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
UM, I HOPE TO STILL STAY ON THAT BOARD AS WE'RE GONNA GET OUR RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT WEEK AND, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL MOVING FORWARD ON MAKING US A GREATER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO RECENTLY I ATTENDED THE CSAC CONFERENCE BACK IN NOVEMBER AND, UM, THERE WERE MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS ON DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS AND I WALKED OUT OF THE JUSTICE, UM, THE JUSTICE ONE BECAUSE I PRETTY MUCH ALREADY KNEW MANY OF THE THINGS THEY WERE TEACHING.
SO, UH, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT ELEMENTARY FOR ME.
SO I MOVED ON TO HEALTHCARE AGAIN, IT WAS PRETTY ELEMENTARY.
I MOVED ON TO SANITATION WHERE I GOT TO SIT WITH CAROLYN BURKE AND FOUND IT FASCINATING, ACTUALLY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION TODAY.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE OUT OF ROOM THERE IN ABOUT SIX YEARS, UM, OR SO-ISH FROM THE AERIAL VIEWS AND EVERYTHING.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION, AND THIS RELATES TO THE HYDROGEN FUEL CONVERSION LIKE THE BIOMASS TO HYDROGEN FUEL CONVERSION.
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT AND I KNOW THAT HYDROGEN FUELS' GOTTEN SO, SO EXPENSIVE, LIKE ALMOST DOUBLED IN PRICE I THINK IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
I THINK WE BOUGHT ALL THESE, ALL THESE FLEET OF BUSES AND THEN THE FUEL COSTS WENT CRAZY.
SO IS IT A COST-NEUTRAL THING TO DO TO PUT IN UM, SOME TYPE OF A PLANT THAT WOULD CONVERT FOOD SCRAPS, FOOD WASTE, BIOMASS TO HYDROGEN? - I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CAROLYN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
CAROLYN BURKE, ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
SO, UM, THE COMPANY THAT WE HAD BEEN APPROACHED BY, THEY MAINLY WORK ON THE EAST COAST AND THEIR MODEL IS ACTUALLY TO DO, UM, TO COM- THEY, THEY CAN DO IT EITHER WAY.
YOU CAN EITHER COMPLETELY HAVE IT FINANCED PRIVATELY BY THEM AND THEN BASICALLY OUR RESOURCE THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING WOULD BE THE LANDFILL GAS AND THEN THEY WOULD CONVERT IT INTO HYDROGEN AND THEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, BEYOND JUST, SO, SO THERE WOULD BE A REDUCED COST FOR THE COUNTY AND THEN THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE OUTSIDE, UM, PURCHASERS AS WELL.
UM, OR IT COULD BE OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE A FLEET OF ABOUT 12 TRANSFER TRUCKS WHICH WOULD ALSO GO THERE.
THE REASON WHY THERE WOULD BE A REDUCTION IN COST IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR COSTS WITH HYDROGEN IS ACTUALLY COMPRESSING IT TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT IT.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE IT TRANSPORTED IN, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY GENERATE IT.
AND THEN, UM, FUEL VEHICLES AT THE SOURCE OF THE GENERATION.
UM, SO, SO FOR, YOU KNOW, METRO TRUCKS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME DOWN TO THE BUENO VISTA STATION AND BE ABLE TO, UM, FILL UP THERE AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING AT THE CORP YARD.
UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY OTHER INDUSTRIES IN THE AREA THAT COULD ALSO, UM, DO HYDROGEN GENERATION LIKE A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OR, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ALSO HAS A LANDFILL.
SO THOSE ARE ALL OPTIONS TO KIND OF DO LIKE A HYDROGEN MICROGRID IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY PEOPLE ON ALL SIDES AS WITH ANY OF THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AS, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THEIR PROS AND CONS.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO DO A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FIRST AND THEN DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND THEN BRING THAT, UM, RECOMMENDATION BACK TO YOUR BOARD SO THAT YOU CAN KINDA SEE THE BREADTH OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
- I WANNA THANK CDI AND RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE
[02:55:02]
FOR ALL THEIR WORK.AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK WITH, UH, TRIPLE C WITH SOME OF OUR MEMBERS HERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD TIME FOR SOLID WASTE.
[LAUGHTER] WITH THAT I'LL TURN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
SEEING NONE, ANY ONLINE? - YES CHAIR.
[SILENCE] CALL IN USER TWO, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- SO I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT STOPPING THE PRODUCTION OF THE PLASTIC AND OTHER POLLUTANTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
[PAUSE] CORPORATIONS PRIVATIZE THE PROFIT ON THEIR PRODUCTS AND THEY SOCIALIZE THE COST.
SO WE ARE TALKING HERE WITH DEALING WITH THEIR POISONS AND CONTAMINANTS THAT THEY HAVE IMPOSED UPON THE PUBLIC.
POLLUTION IS SOMEBODY'S PROFIT.
IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED AT THE SOURCE, BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE PROFIT SYSTEM.
IT DOESN'T PRIORITIZE HEALTH OR THE ENVIRONMENT.
[PAUSE] ADDITIONALLY, WE RECENTLY HAD THIS PANDEMIC WITH ALL THE PLASTIC EXCESS USE AND YOU- WAS DETAILED IN ONE OF YOUR, UM, UH, ZERO WASTE PUBLICATIONS.
[PAUSE] THE PLASTIC YOU CAN'T, UM, RECYCLE.
AND FROM YOUR PUBLICATION, IT SAYS IN THE JUNE 9TH, 2019, SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL ARTICLE, LEVELS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION IN MONTEREY BAY LIFE BELOW THOSE IN GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH.
PAUL ROBERTS EXPLAINS THAT THE PLASTIC POLLUTION IS MADE UP OF TINY BITS OF DEBRIS FLOATING FROM NEAR THE SURFACE TO THOUSANDS OF FEET UNDERWATER.
OCEAN ANIMALS ARE CONSUMING THESE PARTICLES.
SO I ADD AS ARE WE AND FISH, ROUGHLY 40% OF THE PARTICLES DETECTED ARE PET AND BEVERAGE CONTAINERS AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. - THANK YOU MRS. GARRETT.
- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS CHAIR.
- I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
- I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
MADAM CLERK, IF WE COULD TAKE A ROLL CALL.
- DE SERPA? - CUMMINGS? - AYE.
[PAUSE] WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW ADJOURN THE MEETING.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR... LET ME DOUBLE-CHECK.
- TUESDAY, JANUARY 28TH AT 9:00 AM.
[END]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.