[SILENCE] [00:00:12] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [INTRODUCTORY ITEMS] [CALL TO ORDER] - I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER FOR MAY 20TH, 2025, MEETING OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTRY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WOULD THE CLERK PLEASE CALL ROLL CALL. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - PRESENT. - CUMMINGS? - HERE. - MARTINEZ? - PRESENT. - KOENIG? - HERE. - AND HERNANDEZ? - HERE. [PAUSE] IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE... [INAUDIBLE] [MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] I'D LIKE TO SEE IF ANY MEMBER OF THE, OF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE TODAY'S MOMENT OF SILENCE. [SILENCE] - SINCE I WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL IN SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI, AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THERE'S BEEN AN EF3 TORNADO THAT RIPPED THROUGH THERE AND SEVERAL PEOPLE DIED. AND INCLUDING IN KENTUCKY, AND SO... I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT LIVES THERE NOW AND THE TORNADO DID, ACTUALLY, HIT HER HOUSE. AND SHE'S OKAY BUT THE HOUSE IS NOT. SO, ANYWAYS... SO LET'S JUST, MAYBE, HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN THE MIDWEST. - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. IF YOU 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. - I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER PALACIOS HAS, [CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA; ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS] IF THERE IS ANY LATE ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE REGULAR AGENDA OR CONSENT AGENDA? - WE HAVE NO CORRECTIONS TODAY. - OKAY. [PAUSE] SEEING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 5: PUBLIC COMMENT. [SILENCE] - YES. - [CROSSTALK] [ANNOUNCEMENT BY BOARD MEMBERS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT TO REGULAR AGENDA] - WOULD ANY BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA? - CONSENT AGENDA? [PUBLIC COMMENT] - SEEING NONE, NOW WE'LL GO TO, TO PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES. - GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. MY NAME'S XALOC CABANES. I LOVE SANTA CRUZ, AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ADV-, ADVISORY BOARD, APPOINTED BY SUPERVISOR KOENIG. SO, THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MESSAGE. - MEMBERS, SUPERVISORS, MY NAME IS ANTONIO RIOS PART OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BEHAVIORAL COMMISSION CHAIR. I'M GONNA READ A LETTER TO YOU THAT WE ARE CONCERNED, THE ADVISORY BOARD, AND THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE CARE ALERT AND MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM. DEAR COUNTY SUPERVISOR, THIS IS A, A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD HAS HAD 2 PRESENTATION REGARDING 2 PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO THE PEOPLE, WHO ARE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. THE NEW CARE ALER-, ALERT PROGRAM, WHICH IS BEING DEVELOPED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, IS GENERATE DISPATCH AFTER A 911 CALL. THIS PROGRAM PLANS ON BUILDING A DATABASE ABOUT THEIR POTENTIAL CLIENTS. WHICH MAY HELP TO ESCALATE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SITUATION, UNFORTUNATELY. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TOO, DUE TO THE PRIVACY CONCERNS IN LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS THERE'S NO CURRENT METH- METHOD TO ALLOW SHARING THIS DATA, REAL TIME WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM. WHICH IS GENERALLY CALL INTO ACTION AFTER A CALL TO 800 95952 2335 OR 988. [00:05:01] WE RECOMMEND SUPERVISORS, THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REQUIRE THESE TWO PROGRAMS TO FIND A WAY TO SHARE THIS VALUABLE DATA REAL TIME. WHICH MAY SAVE LIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY, REDUCE SUFFERING AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. SO, PLEASE, TAKE A MOMENT AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. - YEAH, WE HAD HOPED TO HAVE THIS ON YOUR AGENDA, BUT OUR MEETING WAS LAST THURSDAY, SO THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT ON YOUR AGENDA. WE FELT THAT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH, BECAUSE ONE EXAMPLE THEY GAVE WAS A, A FELLOW THAT WAS IN MENTAL HEALTH DISTRESS AND UM, THEY KNEW FROM THE DATABASE THAT THIS PERSON WAS INTERESTED IN FOOTBALL AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE PERSON IN A FOOTBALL DISCUSSION SORT OF DEESCALATED THE SITUATION. I THINK IT'S VALUABLE DATA FOR BOTH PROGRAMS TO HAVE AND, UH, THE CARE ALERT SAYS THEY'RE WILLING TO SHARE THIS DATA WITH MENTAL HEALTH, A, OTHER MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO SEND THEIR CONSENT. BUT THERE'S NO METHOD TO DO THAT REAL TIME WITH MOBILE HEALTH, MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE. SO THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING. UM, MY NAME IS ALEX MILLER. I LIVE IN APTOS, AND, UH, I THANK ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE. I AM ASKING FOR A MORATORIUM ON THE PERMITTING OF LITHIUM BATTERY ELECTRIC STORAGE SYSTEMS IN SANTA CRUZ. I THINK THAT THE STANDARDS AND RULES ARE STILL COALESCING AND WE NEED MORE TIME TO STUDY THEM. I WOULD NOTE THAT JOHN LAIRD'S, UM, SENATE BILL 283 WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO A COMMITTEE YESTERDAY, BUT THAT'S BEEN POSTPONED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT BILL BECOMES LAW, UM, BEFORE, UM, PROCEEDING WITH ANY PROJECTS, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP MOVING THE GOALPOST FOR DEVELOPERS. ANYWAY, THANK YOU. AND, AND, UM, MY, MY LASTING THOUGHT IS THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING THE PLANE AS WE FLY IT. WE SHOULD BE DESIGNING IT AND REVIEWING IT CAREFULLY. THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS. MY NAME'S MICHAEL JULIAN. I LIVE IN BOULDER CREEK, CALIFORNIA, AND THREE WEEKS AGO MY BEAUTIFUL LOVE LISA BLADMEYER SUFFERED A STROKE AND I BROUGHT HER TO DOMINICAN HOSPITAL FOR CARE. RIGHT AFTER THAT, THEY HAD GIVEN HER AN OPIOID WITH THE STROKE MEDICATION. I OVERHEARD THE PHYSICIAN SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THIS, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO IT ANYWAYS 'CAUSE THE PAIN. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T PROCESS IT PROPERLY. AND, AND I JUST FIGURED, OKAY, HE'S, HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. BUT IT WAS A BAD MISTAKE WHAT HE'D DONE AND SHE... WE LOST HER. IT TOOK THREE WEEKS FOR HER TO PASS AS THEY PRACTICED ON HER BODY WITH A FEEDING TUBE THAT WAS, THAT WASN'T ASKED ABOUT. I TRIED TO, I TRIED TO ADVOCATE FOR HER AND I WAS ONLY SHUT OUT THE BUILDING. I GOT VALLEY MEDICAL TRANSFER TEAM ON BOARD THEY AGREED TO ACCEPT HER THERE. I HAD DR. VU AGREEING TO SEND HER THERE. DAYS PASS, TWO DAYS PASS. SO I GO BACK DOWN TO DOMINICAN AND I ASKED DR. VU WELL WHAT HAPPENED? AND HE SAYS, WELL, WE'VE LOOKED AROUND BUT NOBODY WILL ACCEPT HER. SO I CALLED VALLEY MEDICAL BACK 'CAUSE I HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO THEIR TRANSFER TEAM AND THEY SAID, AND I HEARD THE KEY- I KEYPAD GOING. THEY SAID THEY HAVEN'T CORRESPONDED WITH US AT ALL, MICHAEL. THEY DIDN'T ASK, THEY LIED TO ME. ALL I WANTED WAS A TRAUMA UNIT, A TRAUMA CENTER. WE HAD... AND SO SHE COULD GET BETTER CARE. AND I WASN'T ALLOWED THAT. I WAS SHUNNED OUTTA THE HOSPITAL. I WAS LAUGHED AT AND NOW IT'S TOTAL DESPAIR. PLEASE HELP ME SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE. LISA AND I HAD A LONG ROAD MAN, AND IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS. BAD MEDICINE. I KNOW SOME YOU MIGHT NOT CARE, BUT THIS IS MY WHOLE LIFE HERE. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - HI, I AM LAURA CHATHAM. I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMMITTING TO LOOKING FOR FUNDS FOR MHCAN AND GEMMA AND STREET TEAMS AND THE OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT YOU AGREED TO LOOK FOR FUNDS [00:10:02] AT THE LAST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ON APRIL 29TH, AGENDA ITEM EIGHT. I DO ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU IF YOU WERE, IF YOU FOUND THE FUNDS AND IF NOT, ARE YOU STILL LOOKING, PLEASE? UM, WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE APPROXIMATELY $590,000 NEEDED TO FUND MHCAN THIS YEAR? THAT'S JUST 0.59 MILLION OUT OF THE PROPOSED $1.23 BILLION BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY, APPROXIMATELY 0.048% OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, LESS THAN HALF OF 1% OF THE BUDGET. I'M ASKING BECAUSE DURING THE THREE YEARS THAT I WAS, SERVED ON THE MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD, I WAS ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR TWO OF THOSE YEARS AND I TOOK A LOT OF CLASSES. I DID RESEARCH, I SAT IN A LOT OF STATEWIDE MEETINGS ON MENTAL HEALTH. ALL OF MY RESEARCH AND STUDY MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE CLUBHOUSE MODEL THAT MHCAN AND ONLY MHCAN GOES BY IN NORTH COUNTY, IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR GOOD OUTCOMES FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO SUFFER WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. MHCAN ALSO PROVIDES REALLY IMPORTANT SERVICES FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, SERVICES THAT HELP THEM GET WELL AND BACK ON THEIR FEET SO THEY CAN GET BACK TO WORK. IN THE END THIS SAVES A LOT FOR THE COUNTY AND EVERYONE IS HAPPIER. I HAVE HEARD FROM SO MANY CURRENTLY AND FORMALLY UNHOUSED PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE PROUD TO WORK FOR THE STREET TEAMS AND, AND AT OTHER JOBS. THEY HAVE SO MUCH HOPE FOR THE FUTURE WHEN THEY CAN GET A LITTLE HELP. AND WE KNOW THAT WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING SERVICES. MHCAN HELPS PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES. IT WOULD BE LIKE SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT NOT TO COME UP WITH... - THANK YOU. - ...LESS THAN HALF OF ONE PO- OF 0.1%. THANK YOU. - HELLO, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MY NAME IS TIM DELANEY, AND, UH, FIRST THING, UH, THE NAME DELANEY, UH, I WOULD LIKE THE NAME TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS PRISON SYSTEM THAT YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT OVER IN NEW JERSEY. I DON'T LIKE MY NAME BEING ASSOCIATED WITH EVIL. MY COMBAT VETERAN FAMILY MEMBER COFFIN FLAGS WILL NOT BE FLOWN TO CELEBRATE A FAMILY NAME THAT HAS NEVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY. SO WE ALL KNOW WHO THAT IS, DONALD TRUMP, I'M CALLING YOU OUT. IT'S AN ISSUE FOR ME AND UH, I JUST CANNOT FATHOM HOW A FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY FOR SO LONG AND HAS NOT ENDURED THAT TYPE OF SACRIFICE. MY FAMILY IS FILLED WITH COMBAT VETERANS. I STILL STRUGGLE WITH THAT TODAY. OKAY. SO, UH, OSAMA BIN LADEN EXPRESSED HIS DISTAIN FOR THE US CONSTITUTION AND ITS FIRST AMENDMENT, BILL OF RIGHTS, DUE PROCESS, HABEAS CORPUS. PERHAPS DONALD SHOULD BE NAMED DONALD BIN LADEN TRUMP, SERIOUSLY. WHILE MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER STRUGGLED TO CARE FOR THE WIDOW OF A VIETNAM WAR COMBAT VETERAN, ATV AND MOTORCYCLES STORM MY LAND, RUN OVER OUR FLOWERS, AND JUST TRAMPLE ALL OVER OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LIVING IN ANYMORE. OKAY. MY HOME IS MY CASTLE. IF I HAVE NO BILL OF RIGHTS, US CONSTITUTION, HABEAS CORPUS, DUE PROCESS AND PROPERTY RIGHTS WHERE IS MY SAFETY, SECURITY AND PEACE? WHERE IS THE RAMBO? ITALIAN AMERICANS DON'T BACK DICTATORS, SYLVESTER STALLONE. I DON'T LISTEN TO KID ROCK. OKAY. MEN THAT TORTURE, ELECTRIC SHOCK A FEMALE JOURNALIST ARE NOT NICE GUYS. GOT THAT DONALD TRUMP. VLADIMIR PUTIN IS A PIECE OF SHIT. - THANK YOU. UH, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM THE LANGUAGE. - GOOD MORNING SUPERVISORS AND UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, BEING HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS GREGORY ADINO. I AM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, UM, INTENDED BESS FACILITY ON METO ROAD. SENATOR JOHN LAIRD'S MOST RECENT BILL SB 283 ABOUT SAFETY IN THE BEST FACILITIES PUTS THE BURDEN SQUARELY ON THE BACKS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. WHEN THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND MATERIAL TO DEAL WITH THE THERMAL RUNAWAY INCIDENT. THEY'VE EVEN MENTIONED THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT TRAINING. UM, NEWLEAF IS LEADING THE DIALOGUE ON BEST SAFETY. THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER OPTION ON DESIGN SAFETY. A YEAR AGO, THE CHINESE IN SOUTHERN CHINA [00:15:01] OPENED, UM, A SODIUM ION BESS THAT'S OPERATIONAL. UM, HERE'S A PICTURE OF IT HERE. UM, IT IS MIXED WITH LITHIUM ION. THEY'RE BASICALLY GOING BOTH DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME. UM, NEWLEAF STATES, UM, OH, HERE, SODIUM HOLDS POTENTIAL AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO LITHIUM ION, THANKS TO ITS MORE ABUNDANT RAW MATERIALS, WHICH COST LESS LOWER FIRE SAFETY RISK WITH WIDER TEMPERATURE OPERATING CONDITIONS AND HIGHER DEPTH OF DISCHARGE CAPABILITIES. THE LATTER MEANS THAT IT CAN BE FULLY CHARGED AND DISCHARGED WITH LESS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE BATTERY'S DEGRADATION. SO THAT THEY DON'T FAIL AND CATCH FIRE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LITHIUM. UM, BECAUSE OF THE INTENSITY THAT THEY, THEY EXIST- EXIST BY. NEWLEAF STATES THAT THEIR BESS WILL BE OPERATIONAL IN 20 UH, FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. WITH PROVEN FAILURE RATES WHAT LEGACY ARE WE LEAVING? WHEN NEWLEAF BUILDS AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL LEAVE AND HAND IT OVER TO [INAUDIBLE]. WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE. UM, IT LEAVES US IN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HOLDING THE BAG. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. WE CAN DO BETTER FOR US, FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY AND FOR OUR AG BUSINESS. OKAY, THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING, COVE BRITTON MATSON, BRITTON ARCHITECTS. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED AT THE LAST HEARING WHERE, UH, MR. KOENIG, SUPERVISOR KOENIG ASKED MR. GRAHAM A SPECIFIC QUESTION IN THE PUBLIC HEARING. MR. GRAHAM EVADED THE ANSWER, AND THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE LEGALITY, WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID. AND THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE HERE TO HEAR IN PUBLIC AND DELIBERATE ON. UM, IT, MAYBE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PRACTICE OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ IS THEY DON'T INFORM THE BOARD. AND I'VE SUED THE COUNTY MULTIPLE TIMES, UNWANTED BUT I SUSPECT THEY NEVER WENT TO THE BOARD AND GO, YEAH, HE WAS COMPLETELY RIGHT AND WE JUST SPENT $60,000 OF HIS MONEY JUST BECAUSE WE COULD AND WE DIDN'T WANNA ADMIT THAT WE'RE WRONG. AND I THINK THAT'S THE SAME CASE HERE. I FILED A BROWN ACT COMPLAINT BECAUSE IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT NOT TO HAVE THESE THINGS DELIBERATED ON. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT 'EM, HE'S SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT 'EM. THE PUBLIC IS SUPPOSED TO HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS. THE LEVEL OF ILLEGALITY IN THE COUNTY CODE IS WHAT, IS A GOOD PORTION OF WHY THE PROCESS DOESN'T WORK. BUT IT'S ALSO PART OF THE PROCESS IS LEGAL COUNSEL ISN'T STANDING UP AND GOING, YEAH, WE GOT A PROBLEM. I WAS AT A HEARING AT, UH, THE ZA, THE OTHER WEEK WHERE ONE OF THE PEOPLE COMMENTING WAS A PAST RETIRED CITY ATTORNEY. AND HE WAS FLABBERGASTED BY THE UTTER LACK OF INPUT FROM COUNTY COUNCIL ON LEGAL ANALYSIS. I'VE HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. LEGAL COUNSEL OF THE COUNTY DOES NOT RESPOND TO LEGAL ISSUES ON PERMITTING. IT'S INEXCUSABLE. THANK YOU. - HI. I'M MAKING JUST A COMMENT FOR PUBLIC RECORDS SO THAT FOLKS ARE A BIT AWARE. FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS, PEOPLE ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING, FOR THE GEMMA HOUSE. THE GEMMA TRANSITIONAL HOUSE, I WAS WORKING AT, I'VE BEEN LET GO. IT'S BEEN DISSOLVED WHILE IT'S BEEN STATED ALSO THAT IT'S CONTINUING ON. SO I'VE BEEN WORKING IN IT AS A CASE, I WAS WORKING AS A CASE MANAGER AT GEMMA FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS. IN THE PAST FOUR WEEKS, I HAVE WITNESSED UNNECESSARY STRESS PUT UPON THE RESIDENTS, ALL OF WHOM ARE COMING OUT OF THE CARCERAL SYSTEM AS THERE WERE, THERE WERE RUMORS OF GEMMA SHUTTING DOWN. THE STRESS AND CONFUSION HAS BEEN SO ACTIVATING. I ATTRIBUTE THE SUBSTANCE RELAPSE OF ONE CLIENT FROM THE SITUATION. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD RUMORS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE SECURED WRP FUNDS, THERE WERE OTHER FUNDS LIKE STILL UP FOR VOTING AND THAT HAD BEEN ALLOTTED FOR THE GEMMA PROGRAM, WHICH IS A LONG-TERM TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM. THAT'S WHAT GEMMA IS. [PAUSE] TO BE VOTED ON PRESENTLY. WITH THE FUNDS AS A SEEMINGLY POTENTIAL NON-ISSUE I, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER STAFF, RESIDENTS, AND SOON TO BE RESIDENTS OF GEMMA COMING OUT OF JAIL ARE WONDERING WHY ARE WE GETTING MIXED MESSAGES? IF THE PURPOSE OF A NONPROFIT IS TO SERVE THE MOST IN NEED WITH DEPRIORITIZING FINANCIAL GAIN, [00:20:02] I'M WONDERING HOW ARE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STAFF OF GEMMA PROGRAM BEING SERVED IN THIS SITUATION? ASKING WOMEN NEWLY IN TRANSITION TO REHOME THEIR OWN SELVES DOESN'T SEEM LIKE TOO MUCH OF A SERVICE TO ME. WITH THE RECENT LOOKOUT ARTICLE ON JANICE CEO AMBER WILLIAMS SALARY BEING 371% HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE NON-PROFIT CEO SALARY IN 2023, IT'S QUITE DISHEARTENING TO HEAR JANICE IS TAKING OVER THE CONTRACT, NOT THE BEST LOOK. IF GEMMA IS ABSORBED INTO JANICE, WHY CAN'T THESE FUNDS NOT BE USED FOR SUPPORTING THE CURRENT PARTICIPANTS? - THANK YOU. - UNDER WHO'S... [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS BECKY STEINBRUNER. I'M A RESIDENT OF RURAL SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS. I WANNA COMMENT ON TWO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER 23. I FEEL THAT THIS COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THIS DENSE INFILL DEVELOPMENT. AND, UM, YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AGAIN. I SUPPORT WHAT MR. COVE BRITTON SAID AND FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD ALSO REALLY LOOK AT THAT. ITEM NUMBER 31, I OPPOSE THE, UH, BLOCKCHAIN DEVELOPMENT CONTINUING FOR THE DIGITAL WALLET IN OUR COUNTY. I THINK THIS IS BAD NEWS. IT WILL NOT, UM, COME TO ANYTHING GOOD AND IS AN INVASION OF PRIVACY AND PUBLIC, PUBLIC, UH, RIGHTS. I WANNA SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME, OH, AND WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE IS A REAL PROBLEM. I'M LEARNING A LOT THAT PEOPLE ARE SENDING LETTERS AND YOU'RE NOT SEEING THEM AND THEY'RE NOT BEING LISTED IN CORRESPONDENCE. FINALLY, I WANNA SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME TALKING ABOUT AND SUPPORTING WHAT MR. GREG ADINO SAID TO YOU AND MANY HAVE SAID TO YOU MANY, MANY TIMES. PLEASE, INSTALL, APPROVE A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON LITHIUM ION, BESS, IN OUR COUNTY NOW AND CONVENE AN EXPERT PANEL, NOT JUST LETTING NEWLEAF AND DUDEK WRITE OUR COUNTY'S ORDINANCE ON BESS. THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW. WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT. I WANT A CONVE- TO-, YOU TO CONVENE AN EXPERT PANEL THAT INCLUDES THE CITIZENS AND ALTERNATE ENERGY, UM, PROVIDERS. PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING AB 303 AND ALSO AB 434 THAT TALKS ABOUT AND LINKS BESS TO FIRE CODES. THOSE ARE CHANGING THIS YEAR. IN JULY, THERE WILL BE A SYMPOSIUM FOR FIRE PROFESSIONALS ON LITHIUM ION BATTERIES AND HOW TO SUPPRESS THEM. YOU CAN'T. OUR CODE IS CHANGING AND WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND HAVE... - THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - HI, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH BIRD AND I'M A SENIOR ANALYST WITH THE ADULT AND LONG-TERM CARE DIVISION OF THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AND WE ALL WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR SINCERE THANKS AND GRATITUDE FOR YOUR RECENT PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING MAY AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. AS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY APPROACHES A SIGNIFICANT DEMOGRAPHIC MILESTONE WITH NEARLY 30% OF RESIDENTS WHO WILL BE 60 OR OLDER BY THE YEAR 2030, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN ACKNOWLEDGING AND SUPPORTING THIS VITAL SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION IS COMMENDABLE. THE FORESIGHT, THIS FORESIGHT IS ESSENTIAL AS WE COLLECTIVELY WORK TOWARDS CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT'S INCLUSIVE, SUPPORTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR AGING RESIDENTS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING AND EFFORTS THAT ENSURE A VIBRANT AND AGE FRIENDLY SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [SILENCE] - GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN, SUPERVISORS. I'M MATT MACHADO, YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTOR. AND THIS MORNING I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOU FOR PROCLAIMING THIS WEEK PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. AND SO ROADS IS A COUNTY SERVICE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY USES EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING AND, AND, UM, MAKING THAT PROCLAMATION. AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR STAFF FOR THEIR, THEIR COMMITMENT AND THEIR PERSEVERANCE TO MAKE OUR ROAD SYSTEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - GOOD MORNING. I HAVE NEVER BEEN PRONE TO CYNICISM AND EVEN PRAGMATIC [00:25:03] SOLUTIONS THAT ARE NOT GROUNDED IN FUNDAMENTAL MORALS AND ETHICS HAVE ALWAYS KINDA SEEMED A BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL TO ME. AND SO I'M OKAY WITH HOW THINGS ARE GOING HERE IN RELATION TO HOW YOU GUYS ARE APPROACHING THE PUBLIC WITH THIS MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURAL CHANGE, ALL OF YOU. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE HAVE HAD TWO MEETINGS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND I GENUINELY WITHOUT ANY SARCASM OR FACETIOUSNESS AT THIS POINT, MISS YOU. I THINK EVERYBODY MISSES YOU AT THESE MEETINGS. WE WANNA SEE YOU THERE. TTHERE WERE ALMOST 200 PEOPLE AT THE FIRST MEETING IN A CHURCH AND ALMOST 100 IN THE SECOND ONE. WE DID A POWERPOINT IN THE SECOND ONE JUST TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. THESE ARE PETITIONS AND LETTERS. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS. WE'VE COLLECTED 140 LETTERS, SIGNED LETTERS, 50 OF THEM ARE UNIQUE AND 192 PETITION SIGNATURES. AND THAT'S JUST IN THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THE PROPOSED SITE. SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THE MEETINGS. THERE'LL BE ONE IN MIDSUMMER IN JULY, AND WE'LL SEND YOU ALL INVITATIONS. I, UM, NEVER REALLY BEEN PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I CAN'T SAY THAT I'M IMPRESSED WITH HOW THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. I WISH YOU GUYS WOULD GET INVOLVED. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE ARE THEY? WE NEED OUR SUPERVISORS. PLEASE GET INVOLVED. UM, I THINK THAT'S IT. OH, AND WE HAVE A DATABASE GROWING OF OUR MEMBERSHIP BASE. UH, IT'S OVER 250 RIGHT NOW. ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, EMAILS, AND IT'S GONNA GROW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. - YEAH, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JAMES EWING WHITMAN. ABOUT THE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES, YOU KNOW, THAT FIRE WAS ONLY LIKE ONE-TWELFTH OF THE CAPACITY. YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK I SPENT $700 REPLACING, BUYING A CORDLESS TOOL AND TWO RED LITHIUM BATTERIES. BUYING A CORDLESS TOOL WHEN I OWN 7 CORDED TOOLS THAT ARE SIMILAR, BUT NOT CORDLESS. SO WHEN I PLUGGED THAT SUCKER IN, IT LITERALLY SOUNDS LIKE A, LIKE A FIREWORK FUSE GOING OFF. AND I PROBABLY HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, AT LEAST 10 OTHER LITHIUM ION BATTERIES AND ONE THAT'S OLDER AND SIMILAR TO THE TWO BATTERIES I PURCHASED FOR 300 BUCKS. BUT DID I WANNA LEAVE IT, YOU KNOW, CHARGING? NO. DO I HAVE SOME REALLY STRONG CONCERNS ABOUT THE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES? COZ TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NOT A WAY TO PUT THOSE OUT. ISN'T THERE GONNA BE A NEW BATTERY STORAGE PLANT AT THE OLD MOVE-IN, AT THE OLD DRIVE-IN THEATER? I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS. JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S THE BEST OPTION. THAT'S ENOUGH. THANK YOU. - ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. JOHN, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HEY EVERYONE. UH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, UH, PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO USE SWEAR WORDS WHEN ADDRESSING YOU GUYS. THIS IS LIKE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FIRST AMENDMENT-Y, BUT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE BAD WORDS. UH, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO CENSOR THEIR SPEECH UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC POLICY IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, WHICH IS VERY RARE. UH, SECOND OF ALL, THE LITHIUM BATTERY THING IS OBVIOUSLY JUST A WAY FOR PG&E TO STORE THE EXCESS SOLAR ENERGY SO THEY CAN SOL-, SELL IT BACK TO US. THIS ISN'T LIKE GREENING THE WORLD. I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT ALL THE OTHER REASONS PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT. IT'S BAD FOR ROI. THERE'S NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR US. WE LOSE MONEY ON IT. SO DON'T DO IT BECAUSE WHY LOSE MONEY IN A COUNTY THAT IS REALLY BAD AT HOLDING ONTO MONEY TO BEGIN WITH. UH, BUT REALLY I'M CALLING TODAY COZ I JUST THINK WE SHOULD ALL CELEBRATE THE NEW APPOINTMENT TO THE, UH, COASTAL COMMISSION. CHRIS LOPEZ, GREAT GUY, UH, PRO-HOUSING. WE NEEDED SOMEONE WHO WAS PRO-HOUSING, NOT ANTI-HOUSING FROM CENTRAL COAST ON THAT COMMISSION AND SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES, UH, AND NOT JUST RICH WHITE PEOPLE. SO SUPER PLEASED ABOUT THAT OUTCOME. AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO CALL IN AND, UH, STRESS HOW HAPPY I AM IN MY PART IN THAT. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 9902, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - GOOD MORNING. UM, MY NAME IS NINA BEATTIE. THE PENTAGON PLANS JOINT FORCE WAR GAMES HERE IN MONTEREY BAY AND OFFSHORE ALL COASTAL COUNTIES FROM MENDOCINO TO SAN DIEGO AND IT'S CALLED THE HAWAII CALIFORNIA TRAINING AND TESTING, HCTT. [00:30:01] IN JUNE, THE COASTAL COMMISSION DECIDES IF HCTT SHOULD GET A CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION. THE NAVY SAYS IT WILL BE AIR SURFACE AND UNDERWATER WARFARE AND INCLUDE WIDESPREAD OPERATION OF UNMANNED AND UNMAN-UNMANNED SURFACE AND SUBMARINE VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT, THE USE OF ACTIVE SONAR, EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER MUNITIONS, HIGH ENERGY LASERS, EMF WEAPONS, AIR GUNS, INSTALLING TRAINING STRUCTURES AND UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT ON THE SEA FLOOR. LETHAL HIGH DECIBEL ACTIVE SONAR ALONE WILL MAIM AND KILL SEA LIFE FROM PLANKTON AND KRILL TO FISH, SEA TURTLES, DOLPHINS AND WHALES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR HCTT EIS-NEPA FOR THE, UH, NEPA DOCUMENTS AND WEB-, AND ITS WEBSITE. PLEASE OPPOSE THESE ACTIONS. SECONDLY, THE FORT ORD SUPERFUND SITE IS IN YOUR BACKYARD. RECENT REPORTS ON THE EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION AND ILLNESSES FROM THAT SITE INCLUDE FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND THE NEW YORK TIMES, AS WELL AS THE WEBSITE MILITARY POISONS. THE ARMY PROPOSES A PRESCRIBED BURN THAT WILL, IN THE FALL SOMETIME, THAT WILL CAUSE VERY TOXIC SMOKE AND FALLOUT THAT CAN COME TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. MONTEREY BAY UNIFIED AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT SUED TO STOP THE BURNS AND FAILED OVER JURISDICTION. PLEASE PETITION THE EPA, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO STOP THE PRESCRIBED BURNS AT FORT ORD AND STOP THIS CONTAMINATION OVER THE MONTEREY BAY. INFORMATION IS IN THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE ON MILITARYPOISONS.ORG. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - KRISTEN, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HI, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR HERNANDEZ, SUPERVISORS AND STAFF. MY NAME IS KRISTEN BROWN AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE SANTA CRUZ AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I'M JOINING YOU TODAY TO EXPRESS STRONG SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS RELATED TO PREPARING FOR THE 2026 SUPER BOWL AND FIFA WORLD CUP ON YOUR CALENDAR TODAY AS CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 37. AS OUTLINED, THESE GLOBAL EVENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BRING AN ESTIMATED 460,000 ADDITIONAL VISITORS TO THE BAY AREA AND SANTA CRUZ AREA AS A WORLD RENOWNED DESTINATION, AND WE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY FEEL THE RIPPLE EFFECTS. WHILE THE INFLUX OF VISITORS PRESENTS POTENTIAL CHALLENGES, IT ALSO OPENS THE DOOR TO MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, FROM HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS TO RETAIL, WINERY AND COASTAL ATTRACTIONS. AT THE CHAMBER, WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY DISCUSSING HOW THESE EVENTS MIGHT IMPACT OUR REGION. WE'RE CURRENTLY ORGANIZING A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP VISIT TO SAN JOSE AND SANTA CLARA COUNTY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TRAVEL, TOURISM AND LARGE SCALE SPORTING EVENTS CAN BE LEVERAGED FOR LOCAL BENEFIT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING OUR MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY PREPARE FOR WHAT COULD BE A ONCE IN A GENERATION TOURISM OPPORTUNITY. WE APPLAUD SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND THE THIRD DISTRICT OFFICE FOR PROACTIVELY BRINGING THIS FORWARD. WITH THOUGHTFUL COORDINATION, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE SANTA CRUZ AREA IS READY, MAXIMIZING ECONOMIC BENEFIT WHILE ENSURING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. I URGE YOUR SOLE, FULL SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM AND LOOK FORWARD TO BEING AN ACTIVE PARTNER IN THE PLANNING AND PREPARATION AHEAD. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - MARILYN GARRETT, THANK YOU TO PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, ESPECIALLY NINA BEATTIE AND HER CALL FOR YOU TO OPPOSE THE BURNING OF TOXINS AT FORT ORD AND THE MILITARY OPERATIONS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE ON OUR COAST, IF IT GETS APPROVED. I'M ALSO ADDRESSING, UM, UH, REFERRING TO RENETTE SENUM'S FOGHORN EXPRESS SUB-STAT AND HER, UM, UH, FOCUS, IT'S CALLED FROM FARM TO POOR, HOW CONTAMINATION IN LOST LANDING THREATENS EVERY DINING TABLE IN AMERICA. AND TO QUOTE A LITHIUM BATTERY FACILITY IN ANY COMMUNITY OR RURAL AREA DIRECTLY THREATENS THAT COMMUNITY AND ITS SURROUNDING AREA. AND, UH, MONTEREY BAY HAS AN ORDINANCE FOLLOWING THE MOSS LANDING JANUARY 16 FIRE AT MOSS LANDING AND PASSED A TWO-YEAR URGENCY ORDINANCE TO PUT A HALT TO THIS. AND I WILL READ IT, UH, JUST, UH, IT SAYS ON JANUARY 28TH AND YOU SHOULD DO THIS TOO. THIS YEAR, THE MONTEREY BAY CITY COUNCIL [00:35:01] UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED AN URGENCY ORDINANCE NUMBER 668 THAT IMPOSED AN IMMEDIATE TWO-YEAR MORATORIUM ON THE ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL, ESTABLISHMENT, OR EXPANSION OF ANY GRID-SCALE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM WITHIN CITY LIMITS. AND I REFER YOU TO THAT AND THE PERSON WHO SAID WE SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING THE PLAIN AND... - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 8204, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS DIANE AND, UM, I LIVE IN SOUTH COUNTY AND I AM AGAIN EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE 14 ACRES, 300-CONTAINER INDUSTRIAL SIZE BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM PROPOSED ON MINTO ROAD IN WATSONVILLE. DECIDING THIS FACILITY IS UNCONSCIONABLE. IT IS SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF HOMES AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE NEWLY BUILT COLLEGE LAKE INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT, ACRES AND ACRES OF PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND AND IT, IT FEEDS THE WORLD, NINE SCHOOLS, EXPENSIVE WILDLIFE HABITAT IN THE PINTO LAKE PARKS AND WATERSHEDS AND WATERWAY SYSTEMS THAT FLOW DIRECTLY INTO THE MONTEREY BAY MARINE SANCTUARY. THE COMMUNITY IS VERY CONCERNED AND A TOWN HALL PROMISES HAS NEVER MATERIALIZED. OUR DEMANDS REMAIN THE SAME, PLAN A TOWN HALL IMMEDIATELY, A MORATORIUM ON INDUSTRIAL LITHIUM BATTERIES OF ANY KIND IN THE COUNTY UNTIL THAT ORDINANCE IS PUBLICLY REVIEWED. WE WANT A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE BE FORMED THAT WILL DEVELOP THIS ORDINANCE, NOT THE NEW LEAF ENERGY CEO WRITING IT FOR US. WE WANT A MORATORIUM THAT AFFORDS US TIME TO FIND SAFE ALTERNATIVE, UM, ENERGY BATTERIES. WHAT IS THE RUSH? THIS NEW ERA OF BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS IS BEING THRUST UPON US AND WE THE PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT WILL BE PUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE BUILDING THE PLANE AS WE FLY IT. LET'S NOT RUSH INTO THIS. WHOEVER PUT SANTA CRUZ ON TRACK TO BE A NET [INAUDIBLE] BY 2030 IS PUSHING OUR COUNTY TO MAKE RECKLESS DECISIONS AND POOR CHOICES. LET'S SLOW THE ROLL. PLEASE, A MORATORIUM IS, IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BYE BYE. [SILENCE] - ZACHARY, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HELLO, THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME IS ZACHARY JOHNSON. UM, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE, UH, SENIORS COUNCIL OF SANTA CRUZ AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES. UH, I WOULD, HAD HOPED TO BE THERE IN PERSON. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M ACTUALLY CARING FOR AN ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBER WHO'S ILL, BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. I WANTED TO THANK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR PROCLAMATION EARLIER THIS MONTH, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. UM, AS, UH, ELIZABETH BIRD ALLUDED TO EARLIER, BY 2030, IT'S ESTIMATED MORE THAN 30% OF OUR POPULATION IN THE COUNTY WILL BE OVER THE AGE OF 60. THAT'S ALMOST ONE IN THREE PEOPLE BEING SENIOR CITIZENS. SO IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND WE'RE GRATIFIED TO SEE THAT THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING AN EVEN BETTER COMMUNITY FOR OUR OLDER RESIDENTS AND ENGAGING WITH EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT SUPPORT HEALTHY AGING IN PLACE. UM, SO ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, AGING COMMUNITY IN SANTA CRUZ AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES THANK YOU FOR THAT PROCLAMATION, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR, UM, OUR OLDER RESIDENTS IN, IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA. THANK YOU. - TERRENCE, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HELLO, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THIS IS TERENCE CONCANNON, AND I'M THE CEO FOR VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. THERE ARE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON. THE FIRST, UH, BEING THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT FROM VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. WE HOPE YOU'LL FIND, UH, OUR REPORT INFORMATIVE AND INSPIRING AS ALL OF US AT VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY LOVE OUR DESTINATION AND WE LOVE WHAT WE DO, AND WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THE SECOND ITEM I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON IS CONSENT AGENDA NUMBER 37, I BELIEVE, AND VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY THE DESTINA-, AGAIN, THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION FOR THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ, SUPPORTS IN FULL THE CREATION OF A COUNTY GROUP TO EXPLORE WAYS TO PROMOTE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND ENCOURAGE OVERNIGHT VISITATION DURING THE LARGE SPORTING EVENT BEING HELD IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IN 2026, 2026, WE'LL SEE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST ICONIC SPORTING EVENTS OCCURRING IN SANTA CLARA AND OUR PROXIMITY TO SILICON VALLEY PROVIDES US WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY TO INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC VISITORS AS A WORLD-CLASS DESTINATION. VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HOPES, IF THIS COMMITTEE'S EFFORTS MAY, IN CONCERT WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS, OUR LODGING STAKEHOLDERS, OUR RESTAURANTS AND BARS, OUR RETAIL BUSINESSES, OUR ATTRACTIONS, AND OUR SCHOOLS, PROVIDE EXCITING AND MEMORABLE ACTIVATIONS AND EVENTS COUNTYWIDE AND COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC PROMOTIONS ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT AND EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS [00:40:02] ALL OF WHICH MAY TIE IN WITH THE SPECIAL THE FIERCE COMPETITION AND THE HISTORY OF THE GAMEOF ALL THE COUNTIES IN THE BAY AREA, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY OFFERS AN ICONIC COASTAL CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE THAT DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL VISITORS FIND SO APPEALING. WHEN INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC VISITORS THINK OF CALIFORNIA THEY THINK OF ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER. GORGEOUS BEACHES, TOWERING REDWOOD, BOUNTIFUL FIELDS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, AND A VAST SPECTRUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE. NOT TO MENTION, OF COURSE, THE LEGENDARY SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS A BUCKET LIST DESTINATION FOR MANY INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC TRAVELERS. SO LET'S DO ALL WE CAN TO LURE THEM HERE, LURE THEM OVER THE HILL, WELCOME THEM, ASSIST THEM, AND ENSURE THAT THEIR STAYS ARE PICTURE PERFECT AND THE FIRST OF MANY REPEAT VISITS. THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1628, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] AS A REMINDER, IT'S STAR SIX TO MUTE OR UNMUTE YOURSELF. [SILENCE] - YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME? - YES, WE CAN. - YES, I... MY NAME IS RICHARD BUCKY, I'M IN APTOS. I'D LIKE TO READ AGAIN ANOTHER SECTION FROM A BOOK CALLED 'THE UNFORTUNATE TRUTH ABOUT VACCINES' BY LEON CANEROT WHO ALSO LIVES IN APTOS. THIS IS ABOUT AUTISM. OKAY, REGARDING AUTISM, BY THE MID 1990S MORE THAN 75% OF ALL AUTISM CASES WERE OF THE REGRESSIVE TYPE COMPARED TO INNATE AUTISM NOTED FROM THE EARLIEST STAGES OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT. WITH REGRESSIVE AUTISM, CHILD WHO WAS DEVELOPING NORMALLY WOULD THEN SUDDENLY RELAPSE INTO DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS, TYPICALLY DURING THE TODDLER PERIOD, WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE HIGH RATE OF CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS. A ONCE TALKATIVE, CURIOUS 12-YEAR-OLD, 2-YEAR-OLD ABRUPTLY WITHDRAWS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS, AVOIDING EYE CONTACT, REGRESSING IN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SKILLS AND LOSING MANY OF THE PREVIOUS MILESTONES ACHIEVED WHILE OBSESSING OVER PARTICULAR OBJECTS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER ACTIVITY. CHILD ROUTINELY DISPLAYS REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS SUCH AS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH, HEADBANGING, WALKING ON TIPTOES OR FLAPPING HANDS AND ARMS, SEEMINGLY AS A WAY OF RELIEVING, RELIEVING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND OR PHYSICAL PAIN. WHAT CAUSES AUTISM? THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION ON THE CDC WEBSITE FOLLOWING RISK FACTORS FOR AUTISM ARE [INAUDIBLE] GENES, GENETIC OR CHROMOSOMAL CONDITIONS, CHILDREN WHO HAVE A SIBLING WITH ASD, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TAKEN DURING PREGNANCY LIKE VALPROIC ACID OR THALIDOMIDE CRITICAL PERIODS BEFORE, DURING, AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH, AND CHILDREN BORN TO OLDER PARENTS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ADDRESSING VACCINES AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE, CDC UNEQUIVOCALLY STATES THAT THERE'S NO CONNECTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NUMEROUS INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES THAT DISPUTE SUCH PERSISTENT DENIALS. WHILE THE CDC EMPHASIZES A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION ASSOCIATED WITH AUTISM, THERE IS OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE BASED ON LEVERAGE... - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - MICHELLE, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HI, YES, THANK YOU. AND, UH, GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS MICHELLE WALL, REGISTERED NURSE. I OWN A HOME ON HEEHAW HELL. I'VE PAID... [SILENCE] [SILENCE] ... HIS METH LAB IS RIGHT ON THE CREEK. I HAVE TELEPHONED THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ TO DO AN INVESTIGATION FOR THE CHEMICALS. SUCH A SURPRISING, UM, READ TO FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE A PHD IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND THAT YOU WANNA BE PART OF THE COASTAL COMMISSION. WELL, LET ME SHARE SOME EDUCATION. THE CREEK GOES TO A RIVER AND THEN IT GOES TO THE OCEAN. HE DOES NOT HAVE RUNNING WATER OR SEWAGE, AND THAT'S HOW EPIDEMICS ARE CAUSED WHEN YOU PUT POOP IN PEOPLE'S DRINKING WATER OR COASTAL WATER. LISTENING TO THIS, THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISOR, IT'S, I, I'M DELIBERATELY BIASED AGAINST. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN. YOU'VE GOT A PROCLAMATION, YOU'RE NOT DOING CRAP FOR ME. I'M A DISABLED SENIOR CITIZEN THAT GAVE 45 YEARS OF MY LIFE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND INSTEAD, THIS PERSON THAT HAS DRUG TRAFFIC GOES UP AND DOWN OUR ROAD AND YOU DO NOTHING TO INVESTIGATE. YOU WANNA BE COASTAL COMMUNITY? YOU CAN'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF A ONE MILE LOGAN CREEK. [00:45:02] HOW CAN YOU PROTECT THE COAST WHEN YOU CAN'T DO A DAMN CREEK THAT GOES TO THE COAST? I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE TELLING YOU THAT THERE'S ALREADY AN ORDER TO TEAR IT DOWN AND HAVE HIM VACATE TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT SAFE. HE'S KNOCKING ON MY DOOR. HE'S VANDALIZING MY HOME. I'M A DISABLED SENIOR CITIZEN AND I'M NOT GETTING ANY HELP FROM THE COMMUNITY. - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - ATHENA, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? - YES, WE CAN. - HI, MY NAME'S ATHENA. I LIVE ON WEST SIDE AND I CAME IN THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT MHCAN GEMMA AND JAG. AT THE LAST MEETING THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TALKED ABOUT THE COUNTY BUDGET, THERE WAS A HONESTLY, REALLY HOPEFUL MOMENT AT THE END OF THE MEETING WHERE IT SEEMED LIKE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAD SEEN HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS GEMMA, JAG, AND MHCAN AND PROMISED TO TRY TO FIND THE BUDGET FOR THOSE. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU GUYS LIVE UP TO THIS PROMISE. I HOPE THAT YOU FIND THE BUDGET FOR THESE PROGRAMS. I ESPECIALLY CAN TALK TO HOW IMPORTANT MHCAN IS. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE COUNTY PUTS INTO MHCAN IS REALLY, REALLY TINY COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF PROFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT MHCAN CREATES. BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE, AND IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO BE TOGETHER FOR FREE SOMEWHERE IS ACTUALLY JUST EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND HEALING. I HAVE HAD SUCH MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AT MHCAN WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT GET DEFUNDED. MHCAN BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND REALLY, AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE. PLEASE FIND THE SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO USE MHCAN. GEMMA AND JAG ARE INCREDIBLE PROGRAMS THAT ARE EXTREMELY NECESSARY. PLEASE FIND THE FUNDING THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THESE PROGRAMS. IT IS EXTREMELY DISHEARTENING THAT THE SHERIFF'S TEAM IS GETTING MORE MONEY WHILE THE HHS IS GETTING DEFUNDED AND HAVING PEOPLE'S, UM, JOBS CUT. PLEASE, PLEASE DO BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKER CHAIR. - WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD, SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. [ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA (ITEMS 21-51)] [PAUSE] SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT ON ITEM 36. I WANNA THANK SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE ITEM TO SUPPORT, UH, STATE SENATOR BECKER'S SB 457 CLARIFYING, UH, THE PROVISIONS OF THE HOUSING ACCOUNTABILITY ACT RELATED TO HOUSING ELEMENT COMPLIANCE. UH, IT'S PRETTY FRUSTRATING THAT WE APPROVED OUR HOUSING ELEMENT FOR 2023 ON TIME IN NOVEMBER WITH A MONTH TO SPARE. AND THEN DUE TO, UH, THE STATE'S BUREAUCRATIC BACKLOG, WE WERE PUSHED OUT OF COMPLIANCE BECAUSE IT TOOK SO MUCH TIME TO REVIEW IT, UH, ALL THE WAY TILL APRIL OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND THEN THAT OPENED THE DOOR FOR BUILDERS REMEDY APPLICATIONS, WHICH CAN BASICALLY THROW OUR LOCAL ZONING CODE OUT THE WINDOW. SO THIS SENATE BILL WOULD CORRECT THAT ISSUE AND CONSIDER HOUSING ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIANT IF THEY'RE APPROVED ON TIME BY LOCAL JURISDICTIONS LIKE OURS. UM, AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE UH, THE ATTENTION BROUGHT TO SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS TO THIS ISSUE AND BRINGING IT FORWARD. THANKS. - SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. I WANNA START BY ANNOUNCING THAT I WILL NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM ITEM NUMBER 46 AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER OF CFSC, INC. UM, AND THAT I HAVE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF CFSC, INC WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. UM, ON ITEM NUMBER 34, AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY, UM, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD, EXPRESSING OUR SUPPORT FOR ASSEMBLY BILL 996 UM, WHICH WAS AUTHORED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER GAIL PELLERIN. AND I WANNA USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR HIS WORK ON THE COASTAL COMMISSION. YOU HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY RELATED TO COASTAL PROTECTION. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD, WHICH FURTHER, YOU KNOW, EXEMPLIFIES YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY. LIKEWISE, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR BRINGING FORWARD ITEM SB OR ITEM NUMBER 36, SUPPORT OF SB 457. I ALSO THINK THAT THE, UM, BUILDER'S REMEDY NEEDS SOME, UH, IMPROVEMENT AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, IMPACTED BY THAT HERE LOCALLY AND HOPE TO SEE THIS BILL MOVE FORWARD, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK IT'S HAD ANY PROGRESS IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'LL HAVE A NEW LIFE. [PAUSE] [00:50:01] UM, I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF ITEM NUMBER 37, WHICH, UM, IS TO EXPLORE WAYS TO REALLY MAKE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY A WELCOMING COMMUNITY DURING MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE 2026 SUPER BOWL AND THE 2026 WORLD CUP. UM, THOSE VISITORS WILL CERTAINLY BE COMING THROUGH MY DISTRICT UM, AS THE FRONT DOOR TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FROM SANTA CLARA AND REALLY WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED BOTH TO, UM, WELCOME BOTH GUESTS AND ALSO TO, UH, PREPARE OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE IMPACT OF SUCH A FLOW OF VISITORS. AND FINALLY, ON ITEM NUMBER 41, DIRECT CHAIR TO SEND A LETTER TO THE STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IN SUPPORT OF FUNDING FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE. UM, THIS WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, AND WE'LL BE HEARING A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER TODAY RELATED TO THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET AND THE IMPACT OF STATE POLICIES THAT ARE MANDATED FOR COUNTIES TO ROLL OUT, UM, BUT AREN'T FULLY FUNDED. AND SO PROP 36 IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IT'S LED TO AN INCREASE IN FILINGS OF FELONIES, BUT IT HAS NOT COME WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SERVICES. AND IT ALSO HASN'T COME FOR ADDITIONAL, COME WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC DEFENSE. AND SO IF WE WANNA LIVE UP TO OUR VALUES OF HOLISTIC DEFENSE FOR OFFENDERS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE TO BRING FORWARD ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, SO THAT WAY WE CAN SERVE THOSE WHO LIVE HERE LOCALLY. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD. THAT'S MY FINAL COMMENT. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANK- THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON, ON SOME OF THE ITEMS I BROUGHT. I DID, I, I DIDN'T COMMENT MUCH TO THE LAST MEETING, SO I HAVE A LIST OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO SAY AT THIS MEETING. UM, THE FIRST, I JUST WANNA THANK THE COMMUNITY ON THE COMMENTS THEY MADE AROUND THE CARE ALERT PROGRAM. UM, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THE ABILITY FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH WORKERS OR THE, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE WORKERS TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING, UM, SO THAT THEY HAVE BE- BETTER OUTCOMES WHEN OUR EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS ARE ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISTRESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE FUNDING FOR GEMMA, MHCAN, STREETS TEAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE UP FOR CUTS, I DO HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT PROJECTING THE POTENTIAL THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE GONNA BE CUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET HEARINGS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS. I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP SAVE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE SENDING A MESSAGE TO WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, GEMMA HOUSE, WHETHER IT'S JAG, WHETHER IT'S MHCAN, THAT THEIR DOORS ARE GONNA, THAT THE FUNDING'S GONNA BE CUT OFF BECAUSE THAT'S A PRO-, THAT'S A DECISION THAT THIS BOARD IS GONNA NEED TO MAKE. AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT DISCUSSION YET. AND SO I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AREN'T TRYING TO MAKE CUTS IMMEDIATELY AND THAT THEY'RE SUSTAINING, UM, THE CURRENT LEVELS OF SERVICE IN PREPARATION FOR WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE CUTS. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE AS A COUNTY HAVE BEEN DOING AS WE'RE WATCHING THE STATE BUDGET, AS WE'RE WATCHING THE FEDERAL BUDGET. UM, AND I, I HOPE THAT THAT CAN BE THE SAME AND THAT SAME MESSAGE CAN BE SENT TO THESE PARTNERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, ITEM NUMBER... SORRY ABOUT THAT. [PAUSE] ITEM NUMBER 34. JUST WANT TO THANK ASSEMBLY MEMBER PELLERIN FOR HER SUPPORT TO HAVE FUNDING GO TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DEDICATED FUND AT THE STATE LEVEL SO THAT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UPDATING THEIR LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAMS CAN HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO SO. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE COASTAL COMMISSION, UH, THROUGH THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY FOR OUR CURRENT, UM, LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM UPDATE, UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO SEA LEVEL RISE WHICH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS DILIGENTLY WORKING ON CURRENTLY. AND HAVING THE STATE, UH, POOL OF FUNDING WILL JUST HELP OTHER JURISDICTIONS COME INTO COMPLIANCE AS WELL AS WE MOVE FORWARD. ITEM NUMBER 35, OPPOSITION ASSEMBLY BILL 770. UH, THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY, UM, ONE OF THE COASTAL COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY SUPERVISORS FROM HUMBOLDT COUNTY, WHERE THE BILL'S INTENT IS TO ELIMINATE ANY, UM, REVIEW AND PERMITTING AUTHORITY OF COUNTIES OR CITIES AS IT PERTAINS TO BILLBOARDS. AND THE ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THERE ARE BILLBOARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET UP THAT SOME OF WHICH ARE IN SENSITIVE HABITAT. UM, SOME HAVE BEEN PERMITTED AND ARE DECAYING, UM, BUT THE ELIMINATION OF LOCAL CONTROL OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE STRUCTURES, UM, SEEMS TO BE, UH, INAPPROPRIATE. AND SO THIS, THE OPPOSITION OF THIS BILL WOULD ALLOW US TO RETAIN LOCAL CONTROL WHEN BILLBOARDS ARE BEING REPLACED AND SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME JURISDICTION OVER TIME AS TO THE SIZE AND SCALE OF THESE STRUCTURES, WHETHER THEY SHOULD, WHETHER THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED OR NOT, UM, AND WHETHER IN WHAT MANNER THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED. AND SO I'M JUST, HOPE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THAT. SIMILARLY, UH, SHARE THE SAME, UH, CONCERNS AROUND, UH, THE BUILDER'S REMEDY WITH, UH, NUMBER 36, THE FACT THAT WE WORKED SO HARD TO SUBMIT OUR HOUSING ELEMENT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ON TIME AND ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT WE WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE BECAUSE IT HADN'T BEEN APPROVED [00:55:02] BY HCD AND THEREFORE OPENED UP THE BUILDER'S REMEDY I THINK IS JUST KIND OF A SLAP IN THE FACE TO ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT WE DID TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN. AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT AS MORE LETTERS OF SUPPORT COME IN FOR THIS BILL, THAT WE CAN SEE THIS PASSED AND HAVE THAT, UM, KIND OF LEGAL BUREAUCRATIC ISSUE RESOLVED. [PAUSE] UM, I ALSO SHARE THE SAME, UH, SENTIMENTS ON ITEM NUMBER 41, UH, THAT WAS EXPRESSED BY, UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ REGARDED TO STATE LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR FUNDING FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE. UM, ITEM NUMBER 45, THIS IS, UH, THE APPROVED PROGRAM YEAR 2025, '28, WORKFORCE INNOVATION OPPORTUNITY ACT, LOCAL AND REGIONAL PLANS UM, AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, LIKE WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE GROUPS WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE MOST OCCUPATION WITHIN OUR COUNTY. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS REPORT WAS THAT THE LARGEST MAJOR OCCUPATION GROUPS IN SANTA CRUZ, MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTY, IS FARMING, FISHING, AND FORESTRY. AND THE OCCUPATION GROUP WITH THE HIGHEST AVERAGE WAGE IS LEGAL OCCUPATIONS WITH AN AVERAGE WAGE OF $140,700 PER YEAR. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE HOUSING THAT'S GOING IN, IF YOU WERE TO DIVIDE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAGE RELATED TO LEGAL OCCUPATIONS BY 12 AND MULTIPLY IT BY 0.3 WHICH IS ABOUT 30%, WHICH THEY SAY IS THE WHAT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING TOWARDS YOUR HOUSING, THEY'LL BE SETTING ASIDE ABOUT $3,517 PER MONTH FOR HOUSING RELATED EXPENSES BEFORE TAXES. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HOUSING THAT WE HAVE GOING INTO SANTA CRUZ, THE NEW MARKET RATE HOUSING, 425 SQUARE FOOT STUDIOS ARE GOING FOR ABOUT $3,100 A MONTH. SO THAT'S THE HIGHEST WAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING ON AVERAGE IN OUR COUNTY. WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT THE HOUSING THAT WE'RE BUILDING IS GONNA BE ACTUALLY PROVIDING ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M, I'M HOPING WE CAN TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT MOVING FORWARD AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, ENCOURAGE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO RETHINK THE HOUSING ELEMENT FORMULAS AND MODELS SO THAT WE'RE BUILDING THE HOUSING THAT'S ADEQUATE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND, UM, AND WITH THAT, AND THEN I JUST WANNA THANK, UM, CDI FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK ITEM NUMBER 50, WHICH IS THE DAVENPORT WATER TANK COMPLETION. UM, IT CAME IN RIGHT AROUND BID AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT PROJECT BE COMPLETED. SO I JUST WANNA THANK CDI FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK ON THAT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA, AGAIN, UH, THANK, UH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR HIS WORK ON THE COASTAL COMMISSION. UM, HE HAD WIDE SUPPORT FROM ACROSS THE REGION AND CERTAINLY OTHER PLACES IN THE STATE, AND HE DID A GREAT JOB. AND, UM, I'M JUST SENDING, UH, THOUGHTS TO YOU AROUND THAT 'CAUSE I KNOW IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT YOU WERE DOING THERE. I WANNA CONGRATULATE, UM, SUPERVISOR CHRIS LOPEZ OVER IN MONTEREY COUNTY, AND I KNOW HE'LL CONTINUE TO HOPEFULLY WORK WITH OUR REGION UM, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COASTAL NEEDS. UM, MONTEREY COUNTY IS HEARING TODAY, I BELIEVE, A REPORT ON THE MOSS LANDING, UH, SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE A SIMILAR REPORT TO COME FORWARD TO THIS BOARD, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE OTHER THING IS, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DID HEAR A REPORT, UM, I BELIEVE FROM C3E, UH, RECENTLY IN THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW, TWO MONTHS. AND I WOULD LIKE THAT REPORT TO COME TO THIS BOARD AS WELL. UH, I THINK, UH, THIS BOARD NEEDS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES AND SO I WOULD LIKE THE FULL BOARD AND THE PUBLIC TO HEAR, UM, FROM MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MOSS LANDING SOME OF THE, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED AND WHAT THE PLAN IS GOING FORWARD. UM, REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR ITEM 37. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR COUNTY EXPAND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. UH, WE HAVE, UH, IT WAS DISBANDED DURING COVID AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED MORE THAN ONE PERSON WORKING ON TRYING TO BRING INCOME AND, UM, MONEY INTO OUR GENERAL FUND. I THINK, UM, THANK YOU TO KRISTEN BROWN FOR HER COMMENTS TODAY. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES I THINK THAT WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB ON, UM, ATTRACTING BUSINESSES AND, UM, TOURISTS ET CETERA, TO OUR COMMUNITY. LAST YEAR, OUR TOURIST VISITS WERE DOWN. UM, I THINK THAT ALSO WOULD BE A NICE REPORT TO THE BOARD ABOUT WHY WE THINK THAT THAT IS. AND SO MAYBE VISIT SANTA CRUZ COULD COME BEFORE US. UH, I WANNA CONGRATULATE JANET JOHNS AS ARTIST OF THE YEAR. I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO HER, UM, DURING A PERFORMANCE AT CABRILLO COLLEGE. [01:00:03] I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE SANDRA SHEPHERD WALLACE, WHO IS THE DISTRICT TWO PERSON OF DISTINCTION THIS YEAR. SHE ALSO RECEIVED AN AWARD RECENTLY AT THE VOLUNTEER CENTER. AND, UH, FINALLY I ATTENDED THE MONTEREY BAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, UM, MEETING YESTERDAY ON BROADBAND. UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S A BIG ISSUE, UH, FOR US BECAUSE OF OUR RURAL COUNTY. UM, THERE'S STILL AREAS IN PARTICULAR IN MY AREA AND IN DISTRICT FIVE WHERE WE HAVE NO, UM, ACCESS TO HIGH SPEED CONNECTIVITY, INTERNET, CELL PHONE SERVICE, ET CETERA. AND SO I WANNA THANK TAMMY WYGLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING THERE, TAMMY. SHE SERVED ON A, UM, ON A, A, UM, PANEL THAT WAS VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE AND I WAS VERY PROUD, UM, THAT SHE'S HERE LEADING OUR IT DEPARTMENT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - YEAH, I FORGOT TO MAKE, UM, COUPLE STATEMENTS ON THE WORLD CUP ITEM. UM, JUST AS A SOCCER PLAYER, FORMER SOCCER PLAYER, AND EVERYBODY WHO WAS IN EUROPE DURING THE 2006 WORLD CUP BACKPACKING ACROSS THE CONTINENT, UM, THERE WERE WATCH PARTIES JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND IT WAS, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE FROM THE AROUND THE WORLD WHO CAME INTO EUROPE AT THAT TIME FOR THE WORLD CUP. AND JUST KNOWING THAT THERE'S ONLY TWO CITIES IN CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, AND LA WHERE GAMES ARE GONNA BE PLAYED. AND OUR PROXIMITY BEING, YOU KNOW, THE ONE BEACH TOWN THAT'S FAIRLY LARGE, FAIRLY ACCOMMODATING HAS THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AMAZING SURF, WE HAVE A BOARDWALK, WE'VE BEEN MANAGING FOREST. IT'S JUST CLEAR THAT THERE'S LIKELY GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA WANT TO COME TO SANTA CRUZ. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE READY TO NOT ONLY WELCOME THOSE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT BEING ABLE TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA ALLEVIATE THE AMOUNT OF STRESS AND IMPACT ON OUR ROADS AND ON OUR SERVICES. AND AS I WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IT WAS CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WERE DOING THIS PIECEMEAL. SO THE BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY. UM, THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH VISIT SANTA CRUZ. THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT HOTELS. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO COORDINATE ALL OF OUR EFFORTS SO THAT, UM, RATHER THAN HAVING A LOT OF DIFFERENT MESSAGES COME FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE WE CAN ALL, AS A UNIFIED, UM, COMMUNITY, HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BEST, UM, ACCOMMODATE ALL THOSE FOLKS. AND SO I WELCOME ANY AND ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH FOLKS UM, AND SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR WHEN THE SUPER BOWL'S GONNA BE IN SANTA CLARA IN FEBRUARY AND THEN THE WORLD CUP, UM, FROM JUNE TO JULY OF NEXT YEAR. SO, THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO KEEP MY COMMENTS, UH, REALLY BRIEF UH, FROM, I, I WANT TO, ON BEHALF OF ALL THE BOARD, I WANT TO THANK JUSTIN FOR HIS SERVICE. AND YOU KNOW, HE HAD A, A HUGE, UH, FOLLOWING OF SUPPORT UH, FOR THIS POSITION. BUT I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE ON THE COASTAL COMMISSION. AND ONLY, UH, ONE ITEM I'M GONNA ADDRESS IS ITEM 48, ZONE SEVEN. WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER, UH, AND NANCY BILSAGE, ACTUALLY, SHE'S BACK ON THE COMMISSION, SO I'D LIKE TO THANK HER FOR HER NEW ROLE. UM, WITH THAT, I'LL LIKE TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION. - I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM KOENIG AND A SECOND FROM DE SERPA. [SILENCE] - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE, WITH AN ABSTAIN ON 46. - UH, SORRY. POINT OF ORDER. I ACTUALLY DID WANT TO, UH, REGISTER ON ITEM NUMBER.... CAN YOU JUST COME BACK TO ME IN LIKE ONE SEC? I HAVE, I NEED TO... OH, HERE WE GO. ITEM NUMBER 49. I JUST WANTED TO REGISTER A NO VOTE. THIS IS JUST CONSISTENT WITH THE VOTES I'VE TAKEN ON THIS ITEM UM, IN THE PAST AND CONSISTENT WITH THE VOTE THAT I TOOK ON THE COASTAL COMMISSIONS AGENDA. - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 49 WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND 46 WITH SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. [PAUSE] WITH THAT, UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT. UM, BEFORE WE MOVED ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA, I WANNA NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE A SCHEDULED ITEM, BOTH AT 10:45 AM AND ALSO AT 1:00 PM. [PAUSE] SO IF I FORGET, REMIND ME. [LAUGH]. SO, REGULAR AGENDA. [7. Presentation by Rob Darrow, Chair of the Santa Cruz Pride 50 Committee, recognizing 50 years of Pride celebrations in Santa Cruz County] THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PRESENTATION BY ROB DARROW, CHAIR OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PRIDE 50TH COMMITTEE, RECOGNIZING 50 YEARS OF PRIDE CELEBRATIONS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DISTRICT FIVE, SUPERVISOR MONICA MARTINEZ AND ROB DARROW, CHAIR OF THE SANTA CRUZ PRIDE 50TH COMMITTEE [01:05:03] FOR THE PRESENTATION. - THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR ALSO WORKING WITH ME TO BRING THIS ITEM FORWARD. UM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ROB DARROW, CHAIR OF THE SANTA CRUZ PRIDE COMMITTEE TO SHARE A PRESENTATION RECOGNIZING 50 YEARS OF PRIDE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. UM, THIS YEAR MARK'S THE 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST PUBLIC PRIDE GATHERING IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. UM, WHEN ABOUT 200 PEOPLE GATHERED COURAGEOUSLY IN SAN LORENZO PARK IN 1975. SO TODAY, WE'RE HONORING THAT LEGACY AND THE PROGRESS MADE OVER FIVE YEARS TOWARDS DIGNITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS LONG BEEN A LEADER IN LGBTQ+ RIGHTS, FROM PASSING ONE OF THE EARLIEST ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES IN THE COUNTY TO REAFFIRMING OUR STATUS AS A TRANSGENDER AND NON-BINARY SANCTUARY. WE ARE PROUD OF THIS HISTORY AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROTECTING IT. HOWEVER, AS STATES ACROSS THE COUNTY ROLLBACK PROTECTIONS AND INTRODUCE DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES, WE MUST CONTINUE TO STAND FIRM IN OUR VALUES. THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRIDE IS NOT JUST A CELEBRATION, IT'S A CALL TO ACTION TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE THE HARD FOUGHT PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE. SO LET'S TAKE THIS MOMENT TO HONOR THE ACTIVISTS FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PAVED THE WAY AND RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO THE FUTURE WHERE EVERY PERSON, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE OR WHO THEY LOVE, CAN THRIVE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. SO, UM, I KNOW ROB IS HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE INVITING US TO JOIN IN SOME ACTIVITIES, UM, WHICH I HOPE FOLKS WILL PARTICIPATE IN. AND NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO ROB DARROW. - THANK YOU CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AND IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. AND I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME A FEW MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SANTA CRUZ PRIDE. I'M HERE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF A HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS THAT CAME BEFORE ME TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE QUICK HISTORY AND THEN INVITE YOU TO SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMING UP. IF WE COULD MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE MISSION OF SANTA CRUZ PRIDE IS REALLY TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR VISIBILITY AND CELEBRATION FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. THE PHOTO YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE THERE IS ONE OF THE FIRST PRIDE PARADES IN, UH, 1977 THAT TOOK PLACE. IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE THIS GENERAL BELIEF THAT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS BECOME A THRIVING COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MANY GROUPS OF PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. AND LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE THRIVED IN SANTA CRUZ BECAUSE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE BROADER ALLY COMMUNITY. THERE ARE FEW COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS THAT ARE SO INCLUSIVE AND INVITE EVERYBODY TO BELONG AND TO PARTICIPATE IN WHO WE ARE. THE NEXT SLIDE, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE PART OF SANTA CRUZ PRIDE. YOU'RE PART OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, AS IS EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTY. THAT PHOTO IS FROM ONE OF THE EARLY, UM, PRIDES THAT TOOK PLACE IN SAN LORENZO PARK THAT PEOPLE GATHERED IN CIRCLES. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANTED TO, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE CONTEXT OF HISTORY. SO, BACK IN 1969, THERE WAS THIS LITTLE RIOT IN NEW YORK CALLED THE STONEWALL RIOTS. LASTED OVER THREE DAYS, WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IN THE MODERN, UH, HISTORY, RIGHTS MOVEMENT STOOD UP TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE AT THE TIME. THE FOLLOWING YEAR WAS A CHRISTOPHER STREET PARADE THAT COMMEMORATED THAT EVENT. AND THEN IN 1971 WAS THE FIRST TIME THE TERM PRIDE WAS USED. AND THEN IN 1972 IS WHEN PRIDE PARADES ACTUALLY CAME INTO BEING. AND A SHORT TIME LATER IN 1975, SANTA CRUZ BECAME THE FIRST SMALLER CITY TO HAVE A PRIDE EVENT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY CELEBRATING THIS YEAR. IN THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF OUR SANTA CRUZ PRIDE HISTORY. AT THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER, YOU SEE A POSTER FROM THAT 1975 FIRST PRIDE EVENT. IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER, YOU SEE THE TUG OF WAR THAT TOOK PLACE ACROSS THE SAN LORENZO RIVER IN 1975. I KNOW WE COULDN'T GET BY WITH THAT THIS YEAR, BUT WE HAVE THOSE MEMORIES FROM THOSE PREVIOUS YEARS. UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE HELD A VIRTUAL PRIDE WHICH WORKED OUT REALLY WELL. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS WAS ONE OF THE SPEAKERS THAT YEAR AS WERE MANY OTHER PEOPLE. AND THEN WE BUILT THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SANTA CRUZ MAH, ABBOTT SQUARE AND THE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION TO REALLY MAKE THIS A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION. AND SO HERE WE ARE IN OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. I DID WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT IN 1975, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL SHOW YOU THIS, THAT THE SANTA CRUZ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED RESOLUTION NUMBER 263. NOW, AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, I, I WAS A HISTORY TEACHER, AND SO WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME SOMETHING HAPPENED, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT REALLY HAPPENED. AND SO PEOPLE KEPT SAYING THERE WAS THIS PROCLAMATION. AND I SAID, I WANNA SEE IT. I LEARNED FROM PEOPLE IN YOUR OFFICES THAT THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN FIND THIS IS IN THE ARCHIVED MINUTES [01:10:01] THAT ARE HOUSED IN THE UCSC LIBRARY. SO I TOOK SOME TIME, A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO GO AND FIND THIS RESOLUTION. AND SO I'M SHARING IT WITH YOU TODAY. AND JUST POINTING OUT THAT AT THAT, IN THAT PARTICULAR PROCLAMATION, IT THE MINUTE SAID, SIX PERSONS ADDRESSED THE BOARD IN SUPPORT. ONE PERSON SPOKE IN OPPOSITION, THE MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SMITH, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PATTON WAS 3 - 1 WITH CHAIRMAN FORBUS VOTING, NO. THERE HAD BEEN A RECENT RESIGNATION, SO THERE WERE ONLY FOUR VOTING MEMBERS AT THE TIME. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, AS SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ MENTIONED, YOU HAVE ALL SHOWN UP. THE SUPERVISORS HAVE SHOWN UP SINCE 1975 AND LONG BEFORE THAT IN SUPPORT OF OUR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. SO I'M JUST HIGHLIGHTING THOSE TO VALIDATE THAT. THE ONE OTHER ITEM I'LL POINT OUT, THAT WAS IN 1983, YOUR COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER, GEORGE WOLF, HELPED SUPPORT THE FOUNDING OF THE SANTA CRUZ AIDS PROJECT THAT BECAME A MODEL OF HOW WE SUPPORTED AIDS PATIENTS IN THOSE YEARS THROUGH THE SANTA CRUZ AIDS PROJECT. AS WITH MANY THINGS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, IT BECAME A MODEL THAT OTHER CITIES FOLLOWED. AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST A COUPLE OF STATISTICS. I'M PART OF A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD. WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS. THE DIVERSITY CENTER IS OUR FISCAL AGENT. OUR FUNDING REALLY COMES FROM OUR YEARLY SPONSORSHIPS, SOME BOOTH FEES AND PARADE FEES. WE HAVE PARADE CONTINGENTS THAT RANGE FROM 50 TO A 100. WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS THAT HELP AS BARRICADE MONITORS AND GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ. AND THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST OUR LOGO, I MEAN, OUR THEME THIS YEAR. ORIGINALLY WAS RIDING THE WAVE OF PROGRESS, AFTER JANUARY 6TH, WE HAD TO SHIFT A BIT AND WE NOW ARE CELEBRATING 'NO GOING BACK' BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO ANY OF THE, UH, RIGHTS THAT WE'VE GAINED OVER THE YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER STATES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO WITH THAT, I WANTED TO SHARE OUR PRIDE WEEK ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT ARE ALL LISTED ON THE NEXT SLIDE THERE. NEXT WEEK WE'RE CALLING PRIDE WEEK FROM MAY 27TH THROUGH JUNE 1ST. THERE'S AN ACTIVITY HAPPENING EVERY NIGHT. LOTS OF WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND THEN THE FINAL SLIDE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THIS SLIDE THAT HIGHLIGHTS OUR JOINT ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER. UM, THIS IS REALLY A COUNTYWIDE EVENT. THANK YOU TO SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ TO HELP ORGANIZE OUR ILLUMINIGHT EVENT. YOU MAY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE STUDENT SPEAKERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE. ONE FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ' DISTRICT, ONE FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG'S AREA. I LIVE IN SUPERVISOR DE SERPA'S AREA, AND IT'S TAKING PLACE IN SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AREA. SO YOU'RE ALL INVOLVED AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL ALL BE THERE THAT NIGHT. I BROUGHT SOME BUTTONS AND STICKERS FOR ALL OF YOU AND YOUR STAFF. AND IN ADDITION FOR THE ILLUMINIGHT, WE WILL HAVE ENTERTAINERS FROM THE SAMBADÁ MUSIC GROUP THAT WILL HELP US TO ILLUMINATE THIS BUILDING AS WELL AS THE TOWN CLOCK BUILDING THAT NIGHT. SO I INVITE YOU ALL AND EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE ACROSS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. [SILENCE] ANYONE ONLINE? - I SEE NO ONE ONLINE, CHAIR. - WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS. [PAUSE] I WILL START WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANK YOU. ROB, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THE YEARS. UM, IT'S TRULY UNBELIEVABLE. AT THE MALL, THERE'S AN EXHIBIT THERE THAT IS CALLED, WHAT IS IT CALLED? QUEER, QUEER HISTORY. AND, UM, IT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, ON THIS ISSUE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS INCLUDING MY FRIEND PAT DILAN, YOURSELF, ROB DARROW. I'M JUST GONNA READ THE NAMES. AMELIA BARAJAS, JOHN LAIRD, PHILIP LONGO, BRISTOL CAVE, LACOSTE WHITE YOUNG, SHARON PAPO, MY FRIEND JERRY SOLOMON, MY FRIEND LARRY FRIEDMAN, MY FRIEND, STELLA MORENO, ADAM SPITLER, DAN DICK MEYER, AND STEWART ROSENSTEIN. SO THERE'S OTHERS ON THIS LIST, BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO SEE THAT EXHIBIT. IT HAS A TIMELINE THAT HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY LAID OUT ABOUT THE HISTORY IN OUR COUNTY. AND, UM, I'M, I'M VERY, UM, PROUD TO BE, UM, FRIENDS WITH MANY OF THESE PEOPLE. UH, I DID ATTEND THE QUEER YOUTH AWARDS. IT WAS MY 15TH YEAR ATTENDING RECENTLY. UM, AND THAT WAS A, IT'S A, A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL EVENT UM, SUPPORTING AND UPLIFTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, ROB. - YOU'RE WELCOME. AND JUST TO COMMENT ON THE MALL, THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS THERE, UM, LETTERS OF LOVE [01:15:04] WILL BE THERE AND CELEBRATING OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. SO LOTS TO SEE IN THE MALL STARTING THAT WEEKEND. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - FIRST I WANNA THANK SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ FOR INVITING ME TO, UM, BE A PART OF BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD TODAY. AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU, UM, ROB, FOR COMING OUT AND GIVING US THIS PRESENTATION, NOT ONLY TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, BUT ALSO TO SHOW THE AMAZING EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE TAKING PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT WEEK. UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, TRULY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO DURING WHAT IS A, A REALLY CHALLENGING TIME AS IT RELATES TO JUST PEOPLE'S CIVIL RIGHTS, GENERALLY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, TO REALLY BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ALL ITS ACCOMPLISHED IN ITS 50 YEARS AND MORE, BUT IN 50 YEARS SINCE THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THE PARADES HERE IN OUR COUNTY. AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ALL OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING ALL THE EVENTS, IN THE COMING WEEKS, AND WORKING WITH YOU ALL MOVING FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY AND THE INCLUSION THAT, UM, SANTA CRUZ BRINGS AND THAT YOU ALL HELP BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - YEAH, THANK YOU MR. DARROW FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION. AND THE HISTORY IS REALLY FASCINATING. UM, IT JUST, UH, EXEMPLIFIES THE FACT THAT WE CAN NEVER TAKE, UH, OUR RIGHTS OR ANYONE'S RIGHTS FOR GRANTED. AND WE ALL HAVE TO STAND UP TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, UH, FOR, UM, GAY RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, RIGHT? AS I SAID THAT, UH, THE SIGN MAKES VERY CLEAR, THEY'RE VERY EQUIVALENT. AND THANK YOU SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR BRINGING THE ITEM TO THE BOARD TODAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU GUYS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE AND ESPECIALLY, TO WALKING WITH EVERYONE IN THE PRIDE PARADE. - I TOO WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, TO THANK SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT TIME AT THESE EVENTS UM, I, I ALWAYS PARTICIPATED WITH OUR LOCAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB IN WATSONVILLE, UH, AND IT'S GONNA BE GREAT TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE BOARD THIS TIME. I WISH I WOULD'VE HAD THAT IDEA WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, UH, AS WELL, OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE COLLEGE DISTRICT. UH, YOU KNOW, I MADE A NOTE OF ALL THESE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING LEADING UP TO THE, THE PARADE. AND I'M CERTAINLY GONNA, UM, PUT IT ON MY SCHEDULE ALREADY RIGHT NOW TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND I'LL, WE'LL END IT WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, JUST REALLY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE AND THE HISTORY OF SO MANY LOCAL LEADERS AND TO HELP LEAD THE CHARGE TOWARDS THE FUTURE. 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UM, SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, I WANNA INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US ON MAY 27TH FOR THE ILLUMINIGHT, UM, EVENT. IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FUN. UM, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. AND ALSO THEN THE MANY EVENTS ALL WEEK, BUT, UM, ALSO YOU'LL BE SEEING ALL FIVE OF US SUPERVISORS MARCHING TOGETHER IN THE PRIDE PARADE, UM, WHICH IS GONNA, I THINK MAYBE THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT'S HAPPENED FOR THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS. SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. IT'S GONNA BE FUN TIME. UM, FINALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE, DO WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS, OR IS IT JUST A...? - YES, WE'LL NEED A MOTION. - WE DON'T NEED A MOTION. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE JUST GONNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. [SILENCE] [8. Consider adopting resolution renewing the County’s uncodified ordinance that adopted and approved a Military Equipment Use Policy for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office (Ord. 5435), make findings based on the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Annual Military Equipment Report for 2024, and take related actions] - THANK YOU. THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS NUMBER EIGHT, CONSIDERING ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION, RENEWING THE COUNTY'S UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE THAT ADOPTED AND APPROVED A MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY FOR THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. ORDINANCE 5435. MAKE FINDINGS BASED ON THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT REPORT FOR 2024 AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JACOB AINSWORTH UNDERSHERIFF AND LIEUTENANT DEE BALDWIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. [SILENCE] - ... AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UH, LIKE YOU SAID, MY NAME IS DEE BALDWIN. I AM A LIEUTENANT AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND I'M CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO BE OUR AB 481 COORDINATOR. SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR TO ASSEMBLE THE ANNUAL REPORT AND PRESENT IT TODAY. UM, WE WILL GO THROUGH JUST QUICKLY OUR AGENDA. WE'RE GONNA REVIEW AN INTRODUCTION OF WHAT AB 481 IS AND HOW IT IMPACTS US. GO OVER A SUMMARY OF COMPLAINTS AND AUDITS THAT WE, UH, RECEIVED THIS YEAR. REVIEW A SUMMARY OF THE 2024 DEPLOYMENTS AND OUR EXPENDITURES. GO OVER A FEW PHOTOS OF SOME EXAMPLES, AND THEN BE, BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. A REFRESHER OF AB 481, THIS WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021. WENT INTO EFFECT, UH, JANUARY 1ST, 2022. IT... YEAH. - I WAS WONDERING IF THEY [INAUDIBLE]? [01:20:01] - THERE, A LITTLE CLOSER. IS THAT BETTER? - YEAH. - UH, THIS ESTABLISHED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ACQUISITION AND USE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT, AND IT REQUIRES APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD, UM, FOR, UH, PUBLIC POLICY AND TO HOLD HEARINGS REGARDING THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE. EVERY YEAR, THE ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, UH, REQUIRE US TO CREATE A SUMMARY OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT USES. AND IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE COMPLETED PAGES, UM, THREE THROUGH EIGHT, UH, SPELL OUT EVERY TIME THAT THOSE ITEMS WERE DEPLOYED IN PUBLIC, THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE DATES OF THEIR DEPLOYMENT, SO THAT IT'S AVAILABLE, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR PUBLIC REVIEW. IT ALSO CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF COMPLAINTS AND SUMMARIZES THE COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR REGARDING THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE. UH, IT ALSO CONTAINS A RESULT OF OUR AUDITS, UH, INTERNAL AUDITS VIOLATIONS, AND ANY ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, EACH SECTION IN THE REPORT ALSO COVERS ANNUAL COST, AND THAT COST INCLUDES THE TOTAL COST TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT, MAINTAIN IT, OR PERSONNEL ITEMS FOR THE HOURS, UH, THAT ARE USED DURING THOSE, UH, DEPLOYMENTS. UH, IT ALSO CONTAINS A CURRENT UPDATED INVENTORY AND SPELLS OUT THE QUANTITY POSSESSION OF EACH TYPE OF EQUIPMENT ITEMS SPELLED OUT. AND FINALLY, IT COVERS ACQUISITIONS THAT ARE PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR AND ANY, UH, FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS THAT THAT MAY HAVE. REVIEWING THE ANNUAL REPORT, THIS YEAR, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED NO FORMAL COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING OUR MILITARY USE. AND OUR, UH, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMPLAINTS SPECIFIC TO MILITARY EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, DURING THE 2023 ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTATION AND PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE HELD, WE HAD TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORTH. THE FIRST WAS A QUESTION AS TO WHY OUR AR 15 RIFLES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MILITARY EQUIPMENT INVENTORY. UH, AND WE'RE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS YEAR SHERIFF CLARK HAS, UM, ELECTED TO ADD THOSE ITEMS TO OUR INVENTORY MOVING, UH, FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE. SO NEXT YEAR'S ANNUAL REPORT, WE'LL HAVE THE ITEMS LISTED, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO NOW SET UP THE, THE FRAMEWORK TO CAPTURE THOSE DEPLOYMENTS IN PUBLIC. SO STARTING JUNE 1ST, WE'LL BE CAPTURING ANYTIME THAT AR-15 IS DEPLOYED INTO PUBLIC AS A USE OF FORCE FOR PUBLIC, UH, REVIEW NEXT YEAR. SO THAT'S A, A CHANGE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO THE CONCERNS FROM LAST YEAR. UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO A SUGGESTION TO HOLD A VIRTUAL, UH, MEETING OF THE PUBLIC MEETING, UM, FOR NEXT YEAR. SO WE WILL EVALUATE THAT AT THE OFFICE. UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE CONDUCT, UH, MONTHLY AUDITS. THIS IS ALL DONE IN A USE-OF-FORCE REVIEW PROCESS WHERE WE LOOK AT ITEMS AND WE DETERMINE IF THEY'RE STILL USEFUL WITHIN THE AGENCY OR IF THERE'S A BETTER TOOL THAT'S OUT THERE. UM, THIS SYSTEM SEEMS TO WORK IN THAT WE DETERMINED THAT, UH, AN ITEM THAT WAS LISTED LAST YEAR IN THE, AS A BOLAWRAP, WE FOUND WAS INEFFECTIVE AND WE'VE NOW REMOVED IT FROM OUR INVENTORY AND WILL BE DECOMMISSIONING IT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THIS IS A QUICK, UM, GRAPH TO SHOW A SUMMARY OF THE DEPLOYMENTS, THE RELATED STAFF HOURS, AND THEN A SEPARATION OF THE TRAINING HOURS THAT WE'RE USING. UH, THIS IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE DATA THAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WITH NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BEYOND THE PEPPER BALL SYSTEM. WE FOUND ABOUT HALF RATED DEPLOYMENT THIS YEAR, SO WE USED THE TOOL ABOUT HALF AS MANY TIMES AS WE DID IN 2023. [PAUSE] THIS SLIDE, UH, WHICH IS ALSO COVERED, UH, MORE IN DEPTH WITHIN THE ANNUAL REPORT ITSELF, COVERS OUR HOURLY EXPENDITURES ON EVERY, UH, INDIVIDUAL ITEM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR INVENTORY. UH, THIS IS, AGAIN, CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR, AND THIS INCLUDES TOTAL TRAINING HOURS. SO SOME OF THE HIGHER CONSUMPTION ITEMS ARE TOOLS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO THIS COVERS AGENCY WIDE TRAINING. SO IF WE HAVE A TRAINING DAY THAT ENTIRE HOUR BLOCK IS CONSIDERED, AND THAT RESULTS IN THESE FIGURES THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE REPORT. UM, JUST A VISUAL REPRESENTATION. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S A LITTLE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ITEMS WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT. SO I JUST WENT THROUGH AND LISTED A COUPLE FOR EACH CATEGORY. AS YOU SEE HERE, CATEGORY ONE IS A ROBOT. THIS IS A, A TACTICAL DEVICE THAT WE USE. IT CAN CARRY PHONES AND DELIVER, UM, WAYS FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WITH INDIVIDUALS, UH, FROM A SAFE POSITION. SO THIS ALLOWS US TO GET IN AREAS THAT ARE TOO DANGEROUS FOR A, A PERSON TO GO TO. WE CAN USE THIS DEVICE TO GET THERE. UH, THE SECOND CATEGORY IS A, UH, INTERIOR DRONE. SO THIS IS ANOTHER VERSION OF THAT SAME ROBOT. IT ALLOWS US TO GET INTO AN AREA THAT IS, IS NOT SAFE. WE CAN PUT THIS IN THERE AND FORM A WAY OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SPEAK WITH FROM A SAFE, UH, AREA. THIS IS A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ITEM THAT CAN BE GENERALLY PURCHASED ON AMAZON. CATEGORY TWO IS OUR ARMORED VAN. THIS IS A STANDARD, UH, FLEET STYLE VAN THAT HAS ARMOR PLATING ON THE INSIDE THAT'S MEANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS. SO THIS IS USED FOR RESCUE SITUATIONS WHERE THE AREA IS STILL TOO DANGEROUS TO GO. [01:25:01] WE CAN PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS AND GET SOMEBODY OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION OR ALLOW STAFF TO BE IN A POSITION THAT WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE CONSIDERED SAFE. GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF PROTECTION. CATEGORY FIVE IS OUR INCIDENT COMMAND VEHICLE FOR THE BOMB TEAM. IT'S A CONVERTED, UH, DELIVERY TRUCK THAT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE CONTROL INSIDE OF A FACILITY, UM, AND HAVE YOUR OPERATIONS AND COMPUTERS AND RADIOS IN AN AREA THAT'S ALL SELF-CONTAINED. SO THEY CAN BRING THIS TOOL WITH THEM AND THEN OPERATE A COMMAND POST OUT OF THAT. SIMILARLY, LOOKING AT THE NEXT ONE IS OUR MOBILE INCIDENT COMMAND VEHICLE. THE INSIDE OF THAT VAN IS BASICALLY JUST A COUPLE OF TABLES AND CHAIRS WITH CON- UH, CONNECTIVITY TO THE INTERNET AND RADIO SO WE CAN HAVE, UM, COMPUTERS THERE AND RADIOS AND USE THAT AS AN INCIDENT COMMAND POST IN SITUATIONS. WE ALSO DEPLOY IT AT THE FAIR WHERE IT BECOMES OUR FAIR, UM, COMMAND VEHICLE AND WE RUN THE SECURITY FOR THE FAIR EVENT OUT OF THAT VEHICLE. A PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR 308 AMMUNITION. THESE ARE THE PRECISION RIFLES THAT OUR TACTICAL TEAMS USE. IT'S JUST A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE AMMUNITION THAT IS DEPICTED. CATEGORY 12 IS A PEPPER BALL LAUNCHER. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A PAINTBALL GUN, A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE PAINTBALL GUN. IT ALLOWS THE DEPLOYMENT OF A CHEMICAL AGENT, UH, PAINTBALLS THAT CAN PUT, PUT THE CHEMICAL AGENT AT A DISTANCE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO, TO, TO GET TOO CLOSE. SO IT ALLOWS A LITTLE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT FROM A SAFE POSITION. CATEGORY 12 DEPICTS, UH, A FLASH BANG AND A STING BALL UM, BOTH OF WHICH ARE NOISE FLASH DISTRACTION DEVICES. UH, AND THE STING BALL IS A DEVICE THAT DEFLEGRATES AND PUTS PROJECTILE PELLETS IN AN AREA. SO THIS ALLOWS US TO CONTROL A CERTAIN AREA WITHIN A SITUATION UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO RISK STAFF GOING THERE. UH, FINALLY IS CATEGORY 14. THIS IS, UH, WHAT'S CALLED A BEANBAG ROUND. IT'S A, A SOCK STABILIZED WITH SOME, UH, WEIGHTED ITEMS INSIDE TO BE A LESS THAN LETHAL, ALTERNATIVE TO A SHOTGUN. SO THIS ALLOWS, AGAIN, THAT STANDOFF DISTANCE GIVES US MORE OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT GETTING TOO CLOSE TO SOMEONE AND TRYING TO USE THIS TO GAIN COMPLIANCE. [PAUSE] UM, WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR FORMAL PRESENTATION AND WE ARE OPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING AB 41. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. BECKY STEINBRUNER. I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT SHERIFF CLARK IS GOING TO PUT THE AR-15'S IN THE MILITARY INVENTORY AND ALSO ADD, UM, REPORTS OF THEIR USE NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU. THAT'S ENCOURAGING AND I, I AM VERY GRATEFUL. UM, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MEETING, THE TOWN HALL MEETING. I HAVE ATTENDED THOSE IN THE PAST AND THERE WAS ALWAYS THE ISSUE THAT THIS HAPPENED BEFORE THE TOWN HALL MEETING. UH, HAS THE TOWN HALL MEETING HAPPENED? UM, I, I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BUSY, SO MAYBE IT DID, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND, UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, FIND OUT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE NEW ROBOT THAT WOULD BE PURCHASED. UH, WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF TRAINING WILL IT TAKE FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT? WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR USING THAT? AND AS I'M LOOKING AT THIS, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE WORLD CUP AND ALL OF THAT OVER THERE. I'M AWARE THAT YOUR STAFF IS TRAINING UP GETTING READY FOR THAT PIECE OF HAVING EVENTS LIKE THAT NEARBY. SO, UM, I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF USING THESE IS, IS, IS THE SHERIFF LOOKING AT THAT ISSUE. FINALLY, UM, THE BOLAWRAPS I SAW THERE 22, ARE THEY BEING DECOMMISSIONED? IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE BEING SOME PURCHASE, SO THAT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING TO ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. - ANYONE ONLINE? [SILENCE] - YES, CHAIR, THERE ARE SPEAKERS ONLINE. PETER, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. THIS IS PETER GABLUM. I'M FROM THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE ACLU OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. I COMMITTED A WRITTEN COMMENT AND I URGE YOU PLEASE TO NOT, UH, UH, VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL TODAY UH, BECAUSE, UH, THERE WAS A CLEAR VIOLATION OF LAW. UH, (AB) 481 SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 7072B, SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES THAT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HOLD "AT LEAST ONE WELL PUBLICIZED AND CONVENIENTLY LOCATED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING TO DISCUSS THE REPORT." [01:30:03] UM, WHAT HAPPENED HERE WAS A SHOCK TO EVERYBODY, AND THAT'S WHY MS. STEINBRENNER DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE MEETING. BECAUSE THE ONLY PUBLICITY OF THE MEETING WAS ON THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES. SO THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO COULD POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT IT ARE THOSE WHO HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING AT THE PAGES, UH, AND MAYBE EVEN HAPPEN TO LOOK ON THE DAYS THAT THEY WERE PUBLICIZED. THE, UM, REPORT WAS PUT ON THE WEBSITE ON MAY 2ND AND THEY SET THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR MAY 8TH, BUT AGAIN, ONLY ON THE INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK PAGES. THERE WAS NO NOTICE IN ANY NEWSPAPER, RADIO, TV SHOW UH, NEXTDOOR, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, NO PRESS RELEASE. AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, NOT A SINGLE PERSON ATTENDED THE PUBLIC MEETING BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT. THE LAW SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE THAT THE MEETING BE WELL PUBLICIZED AND THAT DID NOT HAPPEN HERE. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL ACTIVISTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, MET WITH SHERIFF CLARK ON MAY 5 ON ANOTHER TOPIC, WE DISCUSSED (AB) 481 AND HE MADE NO MENTION OF THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WAS COMING UP IN THREE DAYS. SO NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT, AND THAT'S WHY MS. STEINBRUNER AND THE REST OF US DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO THIS REALLY CANNOT BE DONE TODAY. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE NOT SUBMITTED SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON THE REPORT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT. BECAUSE THE MEETING WASN'T PUBLICIZED IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. SO I REALLY URGE YOU TO CONTINUE THIS TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING ON JUNE 10TH. I ALSO WANNA GET CONFIRMATION THAT THE, UH, DEPARTMENT IS NOT SEEKING TO ACQUIRE THIS $345,000 ROBOT THAT'S LISTED IN THE REPORT.... - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - LOUISA, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HI, UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND A MEMBER OF SURJ SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE. AND I'M ALSO, UM, ECHOING WHAT PETER WAS SAYING, ASKING YOU TO TABLE THIS DISCUSSION FOR A FUTURE TIME ABOUT (AB) 481. UM, THE COMMUNITY OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T GET ENOUGH, UM, ENOUGH NOTICE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING. I WAS ALSO AT THAT MEETING ON MAY 5TH WITH SHERIFF CLARK, AND WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE COMMUNITY MEETING OR THIS REPORT. SO, UM, WE, WE NEED MORE TIME TO REVIEW IT AND MAKE MEANINGFUL COMMENTS AND WE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT WELL PUBLICIZED COMMUNITY MEETING THAT'S REQUIRED BY LAW. UM, AND UM, I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ROBOT AND HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD WANT DETAILED ANSWER TO AND TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. UM, SO PLEASE, UM, HAVE A NEW COMMUNITY MEETING AND PUBLICIZE IT VIA ALL THOSE METHODS THAT PETER WAS SUGGESTING AND THEN LET US COME BACK AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR PROPER PREPARATION. [PAUSE] THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - SUSAN, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - HI, GOOD MORNING. UH, GOOD MORNING, SUPERVISORS. MY NAME'S SUSAN COHEN. I'M ALSO PART OF SURJ SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, AND I'M CALLING TO ECHO OTHER COMMENTS, UM, TO URGE YOU TO POSTPONE YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM, UM, FOR A LATER TIME AFTER THERE HAS BEEN, HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO GET ENOUGH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LEARN ABOUT, UH, WHAT MILITARY WEAPONS OUR SHERIFF DEPARTMENT OWNS AND USES. UM, WE DO APPRECIATE THAT- THAT SHERIFF CLARK AGREED TO ADD AR-15 USAGE IN THE REPORTS. WE APPRECIATE THAT CHANGE. UM, SO TRANSPARENCY IS AT THE HEART OF BILL 481, INCLUDING THE WELL PUBLICIZED COMMUNITY MEETING THAT OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED. UM, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY'VE BEEN USED, HOW... WHAT THEY'VE USED, AND HOW THEY'VE USED THEM IN THE PAST YEAR. UM, THESE MEETINGS ALSO GIVE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND SHARE EXPERIENCES OF USE OF THE WEAPONS AND ALSO, I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE EVEN KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY OWN THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. UM, THE REPORT, THE BILL ALSO REQUIRES THAT THE REPORTS BE PUBLISHED TO AND REMAIN ON THE AGENCY'S WEBSITE FOR AS LONG AS THE AGENCY IS USING THAT MILITARY EQUIPMENT. AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THIS. I MEAN, THESE ARE, THAT, THAT THIS BILL CAME TO BE IS THESE ARE WEAPONS THAT ARE USED DURING WAR, UM, NOT REALLY MEANT TO BE ON STREETS AND IN JAILS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, THAT'S A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. SO, UM, PLEASE MOVE THIS ITEM. UM, YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE DID NOT ATTEND BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. UM, AND THE BOARD USED... THE BOARD ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE PARAMETERS THAT OF (AB) 481 THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWED. SO POLICE MILITARIZATION HARMS EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES [01:35:04] AND AS WE KNOW, IMPACT FALLS DISPROPORTIONATELY ON BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS. SO PLEASE VOTE TO DELAY... - THANK YOU. - ... ON THIS AGENDA ITEM. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - I THINK MILITARY EQUIPMENT AGAINST THE CIVILIAN, A POPULATION IS, UM, OUTRAGEOUS AND SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE. AND SO THAT YOU ARE NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW, AND WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT FOLLOWING THE LAW, RIGHT? YOU NEED TO PUBLICIZE THE MEETING AS WAS BROUGHT UP AND DO NOT VOTE TO APPROVE THIS TODAY. UM, I WANNA REFER PEOPLE TO AN ARTICLE, UH, RELATED. THIS IS BY CHRIS HEDGES TITLED: THE PURGE OF THE DEEP STATE AND THE ROAD TO DICTATORSHIP. DONALD TRUMP'S DISMANTLING OF THE DEEP STATE PRESAGES THE FORMATION OF SOMETHING FAR WORSE. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S WAR WITH THE DEEP STATE IS NOT A PURGATIVE. IT IS NOT ABOUT FREEING US FROM THE TYRANNY OF INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES, MILITARIZED POLICE, THE LARGEST PRISON SYSTEM IN THE WORLD. PREDATORY CORPORATIONS ARE THE END OF MASS SURVEILLANCE. IT WILL NOT RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW TO HOLD THE POWERFUL AND THE WEALTHY ACCOUNTABLE. IT WILL NOT SLASH THE BLOATED AND UNACCOUNTABLE SPENDING SOME $1 TRILLION BY THE PENTAGON. THIS IS FROM THE CHRIS HEDGES REPORT OF FEBRUARY 18TH. UM, AND I SAW A FILM CALLED THE ENCAMPMENTS ABOUT THE STUDENT PROTESTS, UM, IN SUPPORT OF, OF GAZA AND ENDING THE GENOCIDE, AND IN THIS COUNTY WEREN'T THERE 3000 POLICE AGENT, 3000... - THANK YOU. - ... POLICE PERSONNEL FROM JURISDICTIONS ACROSS... [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO MORE SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR. [SILENCE] - IF YOU COULD MAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT BRIEF. - THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY NAME IS JAMES EWING WHITMAN. I'VE ATTENDED SOME OF THE MEETINGS AT THE SHERIFF'S ABOUT THAT, WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE. THIS CAME UP IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ FOR A WHILE ON THE PACKET OUTSIDE PAGE 56. SEVEN, ZERO, EXCUSE ME, 706.1.1 DEFINITIONS, DEFINITIONS RELATED TO THE POLICY GOVERNMENT CODE 7070 MILITARY EQUIPMENT INCLUDES, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING, WEAPONIZED AIRCRAFT VEHICLES, WEAPONIZED AIRCRAFT VESSELS, OR VEHICLES OF ANY KIND. WOW, WHEN IS THE STAR TREK SHIP GONNA COME INTO OUR TOWN? I'M JUST MAKING A JOKE. COME ON. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND THEN FURTHER ON DOWN THAT PAGE TASERS, SHOCKWAVE, MICROWAVE WEAPONS, WATER CANYONS, WATER CANYONS, LONG RANGE ACOUSTICAL DEVICES. YOU KNOW, THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM THAT ARE REALLY NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT ARE WHY ARE WE ALLOWING MILITARY FREQUENCY WEAPONS IN CIVILIAN LOCATIONS? AND I SUPPOSE THE ONLY ONE THAT I COULD MAKE A REAL REFERENCE TO IS THAT SPHERE THAT'S ON TOP OF THE SHERIFF'S BUILDING. [PAUSE] BUT WE'VE GOT WEAPONIZED STREETLIGHTS IN ALL THE CELL TOWERS. UH, SO I, I DID READ THROUGH THIS AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU GUYS ARE KEEPING TRACK OF STUFF. I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ'S ISSUE IS AN AR-15 TO EVERY OFFICER. I HOPE THAT THAT'S WHAT'S BEING DONE WITH, UH, THE DEPUTY SHERIFFS AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY USEFUL TOOL, YOU KNOW. BUT GUN CONTROL IS HITTING YOUR TARGET. ANYBODY CAN HIT SOMETHING AT 700 YARDS. IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT. BUT WE HAVE WEAPONIZED TECHNOLOGY SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES THAT CAN HIT A TARGET WITH A SOLID PROPELLANT OR A FREQUENCY FROM 13, FROM 13,000 FEET. THAT'S TWO AND A HALF YARDS, THAT THAT'S TWO AND A HALF MILES. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS. SO MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD POSTPONE THIS AND HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TALK, 'CAUSE THOSE WERE GOOD CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. BEFORE I BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THE, UH, UNDERSHERIFF OR LIEUTENANT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UH, COMMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS AND MAYBE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL ON THE LEGALITIES. - GOOD MORNING, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND, AND BOARD. UH, YES IN, IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC [01:40:02] UH, THIS YEAR, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, POSTED UM, THE SAME WAY WE DID LAST YEAR. UH, WE HAD ATTENDANCE LAST YEAR AS WELL. WE POSTED IT DOWNSTAIRS, UH, IN OUR, UH, AGENDA BOX AS WELL AS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES. UH, NO DIFFERENT THAN WE DID LAST YEAR. UM, AS FOR THE ROBOT, UM, THE, THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ROBOT, I UNDERSTAND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, OR THE SHERIFF AND I, UM, WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO OBTAIN THIS ROBOT THROUGH USACE FUNDS, OUT OF CONCERNS FOR, UH, THE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE UNCERTAINTIES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND REIMBURSEMENTS. UH, WE HAVE DECIDED TO MOVE ON FROM THE ROBOT. UM, THE, UM, COUNTY OF MONTEREY HAS ELECTED TO TAKE THAT FROM US. SO, UM, WE WON'T EVEN BE PROCEEDING FORWARD WITH THE ROBOT AT THIS TIME. - YES, THANK YOU. UM, CHAIR, UH, RELATED TO THE, UM, THE WELL-PUBLICIZED MEETING THAT'S REQUIRED UNDER 7072, THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT PROVISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE. SECTION 7071 REQUIRES THE PROCEEDINGS THAT YOU'RE HAVING HERE TODAY. THAT IS A SEPARATE STATUTORY, UM, REQUIREMENT, AND THERE'S BEEN NO ISSUES OR PROBLEMS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH THAT, AND NO REASON WHY YOUR BOARD SHOULDN'T CONTINUE WITH THIS ITEM TODAY. UM, 7072 IS A SEPARATE STATUTE THAT REQUIRES A WELL PUBLICIZED MEETING WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RELEASE OF THE REPORT. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS DONE, UM, UH, BUT IT, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T, WHETHER IT WAS DONE OR NOT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE FROM WHETHER YOUR BOARD SHOULD CONTINUE WITH WHAT YOUR, UH, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO TODAY. - THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. [COUGHS] [SILENCE] - WELL, I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE, UH, THIS [INAUDIBLE] CHIEF AINSWORTH AND LIEUTENANT BALDWIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVING THIS REPORT. UM, AS MENTIONED WITH THE INCLUSION OF AR-15'S AND NEXT YEAR'S REPORT, AND ALSO MOVING THE, UH, PUBLIC MEETING TO BEFORE THIS HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD, UM, I JUST THINK IT REALLY IS ONE SMALL PIECE OF, UH, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY TO COULD BE CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, AND IT'S ALSO ALWAYS VERY EDUCATIONAL TO SEE, THE REVIEW OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT BEING USED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, DETAILS ON ITS USAGE. UM, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. - [INAUDIBLE]. - SURE. THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY. UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ON THE BOARD, SO FIRST TIME SEEING THIS AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. UM, I WANNA REALLY ECHO THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS REPORT IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. AND SO REALLY APPRECIATING THAT THE AR-15'S WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE REPORT. UM, I'M EAGER TO SEE THE OUTCOME OF THAT REPORT AND SORT OF THE UTILIZATION. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT INVOLVES A NEW PROCESS OF TRACKING AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT EFFORT. UM, AND REALLY, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS A COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND HAS A COMMITMENT TO REALLY GOOD PROCESS. AND SO, UM, I JUST IN RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC MEETING, UM, SINCE YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE YOUR COMMITMENT TO, COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY. I JUST REALLY WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT FOR FUTURE MEETINGS THAT YOU DO GREATER OUTREACH, UM, THAT YOU USE VARIOUS MECHANISMS FOR PUBLICATION UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS A VALUE THAT WE SHARE UM, AND WE SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC. AND SO, UM, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. NO? - OF COURSE, I'LL... YEAH. UM, I GUESS I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND THEN I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS TO MAKE. ONE OF THE THINGS I, I NOTICED ON THE GRAPH WAS FOR, UM, THE UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS OR VEHICLES THAT THE TRAINING WAS REALLY LOW, BUT THE USAGE WAS REALLY HIGH. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU ALL COULD SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, I MEAN, IT'S, I, I, I SEE IT AS BEING A REALLY USEFUL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, UM, THAT REALLY HELPS KEEP OFFICERS OUT OF DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. IT'S A BETTER WAY TO GET EYES ON THINGS. AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU BRIEFLY JUST SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. - YEAH, I... TO, TO FOCUS ON THAT. IT WAS ACTUALLY HIGH. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THE GRAPH DEPICTED IT ACCURATELY. SO IT WAS OVER 350 HOURS OF STAFF TOTAL TIME FOR THE YEAR. UH, AND THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH LAST YEAR, AND THAT COVERS THEIR TRAINING DAY. SO THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT, UM, HOURLY INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR, UH, UAV OPERATORS IS, UH, SOUND WITH THEIR TRAINING AND UP TO DATE. SO IT, IT'S VERY WELL DOCUMENTED. IT JUST PROBABLY WASN'T DEPICTED WELL IN THE GRAPH. [01:45:02] - GREAT. UM, AND THEN A FEW COMMENTS. I MEAN THIS IS MY FOURTH ITERATION OF THIS AND, UM, JUST YEAR OVER YEAR, IT'S, IT'S JUST GREAT TO SEE UM, THE COMMITMENT OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO BEING TRANSPARENT AND, AND YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO ADJUST BASED ON PUBLIC COMMENT. I MEAN, I KNOW YEARS AGO THE PUBLIC MEETING WAS AFTER WE WOULD TAKE ACTION. NOW THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE THEM BEFOREHAND. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO SOME UM, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, OF OUTREACH AND, UM, ENGAGEMENT IN TERMS OF LETTING PEOPLE, IN, IN TERMS OF NOTICING. UM, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THESE REPORTS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT CAME TO MY ATTENTION WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS TO THE, UH, INDEPENDENT AUDITOR AND INVESTIGATOR. AND THAT REALLY GOES TO SHOW THE COMMITMENT OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY'RE USING THE EQUIPMENT IN APPROPRIATE WAYS AND THAT THEY'RE DOCUMENTING WHEN THE, THE EQUIPMENT'S BEING USED. UM, I'M REALLY, UM, EXCITED TO SEE THAT THE AR-15'S WILL BE INCLUDED NEXT YEAR. I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT CITY SANTA CRUZ DID BACK WHEN I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. SO SEEING THAT MOVE FORWARD I THINK IS JUST VERY RESPONSIVE TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY. AND I HAVE HEARD, UM, FROM SOME FOLKS THAT THEY DO WANNA TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT THE DRONE USE POLICY AND AS IT COMPARES TO THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ. AND SO I'M HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS IF IT MOVES FORWARD AS SOMEONE WHO HAS THEIR TRUMP PILOT'S LICENSE TO BE ABLE TO LEND SOME CREDIBILITY TO USE. UM, BUT REALLY WANNA JUST COMMEND YOU ALL ON, ON EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IT'S TRANSPARENT IN TERMS OF HOW THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S USING THIS EQUIPMENT. AND SO I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTING MOVING FORWARD TODAY BASED ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE HAD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - YEAH, I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. I'LL BE SUPPORTING, UH, THIS REPORT TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. UM, I JUST WANNA COMMEND SHERIFF CLARK AND YOUR TEAM. I HAD MET WITH THE ACLU AND THEY WERE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVING THE RIFLES LISTED OUT IN, IN THIS REPORT AND SHERIFF CLARK, UM, MADE A CHANGE FROM WHAT, SHERIFF HART HAD BEEN DOING AND DID INCLUDE ALL OF THE RIFLES UM, IN THE DEPARTMENT ON THE REPORT THIS TIME, AND SO THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS A NICE CHANGE AND HOPEFULLY ACLU NOTES THAT AND, UM, FEELS CONFIDENT THAT THERE IS GREATER TRANSPARENCY. BUT WITH REGARD TO THE ROBOT, I KNOW THE ROBOT THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IS 22 YEARS OLD. I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET A NEW ONE. IT REALLY, UM, IT'S A SAFETY FEATURE, NOT ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE HAVING A CRISIS, BUT ALSO FOR YOUR STAFF, OUR STAFF. AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, UM, WE CAN SEE HOW MONTEREY COUNTY DOES SEE IF THEY END UP ACTUALLY GETTING THE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, FOR THAT ROBOT. AND I'D LIKE TO REPLACE OUR ROBOT WITH WHATEVER THE STATE OF THE ART ROBOT IS IN THE FUTURE. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND I UNDERSTAND IT WAS SHERIFF ACTIVITY WEEK LAST WEEK, IS THAT RIGHT? - YES, WE HELD A, UH, SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE GOLF TOURNAMENT. THAT WAS FOR THE FIRST, UH, WE'VE EVER HOSTED AND RAISED A, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. - THAT'S GREAT AND WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE THAT IN THAT NEXT YEAR. I THINK ALL OF THE, YOUR BOARD WOULD LOVE TO HELP AND, UH, PARTICIPATE TOO. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS REPORT. - THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE 20 PEOPLE LIKE WE DID, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS, UH, PREVIOUS YEARS IS TESTAMENT, YOU KNOW, TO THE, THE, HAVING THE PUBLIC COMMENT UH, FOR FOLKS, UM, IN THE MEETING BEFORE PRIOR TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE RELEASE OF THE, THE DATA AND TAKING THE... PLACING THE AR-15'S ON THE LIST. I'M GONNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT AND THE SHERIFF AS WELL BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN. UM, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR DURING THE LEVY BREACH NEAR THE, UH, WATER RECLAMATION PLANT FOR BRINGING THE DRONES OUT THERE, UH, FOR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN THE COUNTY AND PERFMA TO BE OUT THERE AND BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THAT BREACH NEAR THE WATER RECLAMATION PLANT. IT COULD HAVE BEEN DETRIMENTAL IF IT WOULD'VE CAME DOWN ON THE, ON THE WATER RECLAMATION PLANT AT THE CITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL. WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION. - I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AND IT IS 10:50. [SILENCE] [01:50:07] WHERE IS MY ZONE FIVE? [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [19. The Board of Supervisors shall recess in order to permit the Board of Directors of the Santa Cruz County Flood Control and Water Conservation District – Zone 5 to convene and carry out a regularly scheduled meeting] - ALRIGHT, I BELIEVE I'M THE CHAIR OF THE ZONE FIVE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. SO I'LL OFFICIALLY CALL, UH, OUR ZONE FIVE MEETING TO ORDER AND, UH, ASK FOR A ROLL CALL? - DIRECTOR DE SERPA. - PRESENT - CUMMINGS. - HERE. - HERNANDEZ. - HERE. - MARTINEZ? WILL BE RETURNING, I BELIEVE. UH, JEFF BONNEY, ABSENT. AND KOENIG. - HERE. [SILENCE] - DO WE HAVE, SORRY, WAS IT, WERE, WE'RE YOU MISSING...? - I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE QUORUM WITH, WITH FOUR OUT OF THE SEVEN. FOUR OUT OF THE... - SEVEN. YEAH. ALRIGHT, GREAT. THEN... - AACTUALLY WE, WE MAY NEED TO WAIT FOR SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ TO ARRIVE [CROSSTALK]. [PAUSE] SHE'S ON A SHORT BREAK. [SILENCE] - I WAS GONNA SAY TEXT HER, BUT HER PHONE'S RIGHT HERE. [LAUGHTER] [SILENCE] - SURE, LET'S TAKE A TWO MINUTE RECESS UM, OF THE ZONE FIVE MEETING AND COME BACK. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [01:55:02] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - OR THE ZONE FIVE OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION CONSTRUCTION BUDGETS TO YOUR BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION AND ACTION PRIOR TO THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ BUDGET HEARINGS. THE FINAL BUDGET WILL BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATIONS AT THE JUNE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUDGET HEARINGS. [SILENCE] [INAUDIBLE] - HERE WE GO. SO, WHAT IS ZONE 5? UH, ZONE 5 WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1969 FOR LIMITED SCOPE OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED. UH, IN THE 1969 ENGINEERS REPORT. UH, THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IN THE ENGINEERS REPORT AND THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN, UH, SAYS THAT THE... IT WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND FINANCING OF A STORM DRAIN SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROVED MASTER PLAN OF DRAINAGE FOR THE AREA AND FOR MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING PIPES, DITCHES, AND NATURAL WATERWAYS PENDING RECONSTRUCTION INTO THE AFOREMENTIONED MASTER PLAN. UH, THE BOUNDARIES FOR THE DISTRICT ARE SHOWN ON THE, AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ, EXTENDING FROM THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, AND AT THE EASTERLY EDGE, UH, ROUGHLY ALIGNED WITH THE EDGE OF THE CITY OF CAPITOLA AND EXTENDING NORTH OF HIGHWAY ONE AS SHOWN. UH, THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR ZONE 5 INCLUDE PROPERTY TAXES, IMPERVIOUS AREA FEES, PERMIT PROCESSING FEES AND INTEREST ON ANY FUND REVENUE BALANCE, THAT THE UH, DISTRICT HAS. THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND BOUNDARIES OF ZONE 5 HAVE EXPANDED OVER TIME, UH, WITH INCREASED DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASES IN STATE REGULATIONS. SO WHAT DOES ZONE 5 DO? UH, THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS ZONE 5 HAS SEVERAL CRITICAL ELEMENTS INCLUDING CLEAN WATER PROTECTION OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. UH, PARTIAL LIST OF, UH, CLEAN WATER PROTECTION PROGRAMS AT ZONE 5 PROVIDES, INCLUDES CREEK MONITORING, TRASH REDUCTION THE OVERVIEW OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THROUGH BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, WATER BOARD PERMITTING THAT, UH, WHERE WE HAVE ANNUAL REPORTING AND, UH, PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE COMPLY WITH. UH, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES THAT ZONE 5 PROVIDES INCLUDES EMERGENCY STORM RESPONSE, STREET SWEEPING, AND STORM DRAIN, AND OPEN CHANNEL MAINTENANCE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ZONE 5 UH, IS INVOLVED IN INCLUDES REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF AGED INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE END OF ITS DESIGN LIFE REPLACEMENT OF CAPACITY CONSTRAINED INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. [PAUSE] SO HOW IS ZONE 5 FUNDED AND WHAT ARE OUR EXPENDITURES? UH, I SHOULD NOTE THE, THE BOARD [INAUDIBLE] BEFORE YOU INCLUDED IN TODAY'S AGENDA, UH, HAS THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES FOR THE OPERATIONS BUDGET SEPARATE FROM THE EXPANSION CONSTRUCTION BUDGET. UH, THE TABLE ON THIS SLIDE AND COMBINES THOSE TWO REVENUES AND EXPENSES, UH, IN ORDER TO GET A, UH, COMBINED SENSE OF HOW MUCH TOTAL REVENUE AND HOW MUCH TOTAL EXPENSES [02:00:05] ARE EXPERIENCED, UH, BY THE ZONE. UM, SO REVENUES. THE TOP... I GUESS I TOUCHED ON THESE A BIT, BUT, UH, REVENUES INCLUDE PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTIONS, IMPERVIOUS AREA FEES AND PERMIT PROCESSING FEES, THOSE WOULD BE OUR MOST STABLE REVENUE SOURCES. ALTHOUGH IMPERVIOUS AREA FEES AND PERMIT PROCESSING FEES CAN VARY DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT, UH, THAT THE COUNTY SEES AND THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. UH, THIS YEAR THERE IS A GENERAL FUND TRANSFER IN PROPOSED UM, THAT WOULD BE AN ATYPICAL REVENUE SOURCE FOR, FOR ZONE 5 BUT THIS YEAR IT'S PROPOSED FOR A SPECIFIC HIGH PRIORITY CULVERT PROJECT. UM, THERE'S A 66 INCH CULVERT, UH, IN LEONA CREEK THAT'S UNDER CAPITOLA ROAD THAT'S IN POOR CONDITION AND IN NEED OF REPAIR. UM, THIS CONTRIBUTION WOULD HELP GET THIS PROJECT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. UM, AND THIS 500,000, IT'S DISCRETIONARY AND CONTINGENT UPON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUDGET APPROVAL. AND I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT PROJECT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. UH, IN ADDITION TO THESE REVENUES, UH, THE BUDGET THIS YEAR HAD A STARTING FUND BALANCE OF JUST OVER $3.9 MILLION. UH, THAT WAS COMPOSED PRIMARILY OF CAPITAL RESERVE THAT WAS BANKED OVER THE YEARS TO BE USED ON FUTURE PROJECTS. UM, AND I GUESS THIS GETS ME TO THE, I GUESS, THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN OUR EXPENDITURES PROPOSED FOR THIS YEAR. I'LL REMIND THE BOARD THAT IN JANUARY OF 2024, THERE'S A DRAFT STORMWATER MASTER PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND, UH, THAT MASTER PLAN IDENTIFIED, UH, HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT NEEDS FOR THE DISTRICT. SO THIS YEAR WE'VE PROPOSED TO ALLOCATE, UH, MOST OF OUR CAPITAL RESERVE TOWARDS HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS AND, UM, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, $200,000 FOR, UH, MINOR EMERGENCY PROJECTS. UM, I GUESS I'M GETTING INTO MY EXPENDITURES HERE. UM, THE, UM, AND THE EXPENDITURES I SHOULD NOTE, UH, BEING COMBINED LOOK DIFFERENT THAN THE BOARD MEMO. BUT, UM, I'VE... THE FIRST LINE COMBINES OUR OPERATION, NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM COMPLIANCE. THAT'S OUR STATE PERMITTING AND OUR- OUR MASTER PLAN EFFORTS INTO ONE- ONE EXPENDITURE ITEM THIS YEAR FOR, UH, APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION. WE HAVE, UH, FOR PUBLIC SERVICE PERMIT PROCESSING AND PLAN REVIEW, UH, $220,000. UH, OUR CAPITAL PROJECT ALLOCATION, THAT'S OUR BIGGEST CHANGE THIS YEAR IS, UH, ALMOST $4.2 MILLION PROPOSED AND THE 200,000 FOR MINOR EMERGENCY PROJECTS. UM, IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND OF THIS SLIDE, I, UM, INDICATED STABLE REVENUE, WHICH IS THE FIRST THREE LINES OF OUR, UH, FIRST THREE ROWS OF OUR, OUR, UM, REVENUE, UH, IN OUR REVENUE TABLE. THAT ADDS UP TO ABOUT 1.23 MILLION, WHERE IF YOU TAKE OUR OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES, UH, TOTAL AND SUBTRACT OUT THE CAPITAL PROJECT AND EMERGENCY PROJECT ALLOCATIONS. OUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS ARE AT ABOUT $1.45 MILLION. SO, UM, WE'RE AT A BIT OF A DEFICIT HERE. UM, UM, AT LEAST IN THINKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR. WE MAY HAVE TO WORK IF WE THE BEST WAY TO PHRASE THAT. BUT, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, AND YEAH. UM, [INAUDIBLE]. - YEAH, SO, HI, CAROLYN BURKE, ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. SO, UM, BASICALLY, UH, WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING STABLE REVENUE IS YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND, UM, IMPERVIOUS AREA FEES AND PERMIT PROCESSING FEES ARE A LITTLE LESS STABLE, BUT PROPERTY TAXES, UM, GO UP AND DOWN, UM, OVER TIME. SO THIS IS JUST TO GIVE KIND OF A GENERAL IDEA [02:05:01] OF THE, UM, OVERALL MAGNITUDE. THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN CAPITAL PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE AT, THESE ARE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THEIR LIFECYCLE. SO WE'RE DOING, UM, DESIGN AND PERMITTING. AND SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY NEXT YEAR TO BE ABLE TO, UM, MEET OUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS. I THINK IT'S TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR SOME OF OUR, UM, FUTURE FUNDING APPROACHES TO CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT OUR MASTER PLAN PROJECTS, WHICH CLEARLY IDENTIFY HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE GOING FIRST. AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ON THE NEXT SLIDE. - IT IS, YEAH. AND THAT WAS WHERE I WENT OFF SCRIPT, THAT- THAT WAS TO POINT OUT THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO, FOR THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL NEEDS THAT WE WERE REALIZING WE HAVE OVER TIME. SO THE, UH, APPROXIMATELY $4.2 MILLION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THIS BUDGET ARE LISTED HERE. WE HAVE FOUR PROJECTS. THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, CULVERT REPAIRS THROUGH TWO MOBILE HOME PARKS, THE BUDGET OF A MILLION DOLLARS. AND, UH, THAT PROJECT PROPOSES TO LINE AROUND A THOUSAND FEET OF LARGE 72 INCH DIAMETER CULVERT THAT EXISTS BELOW THE CASTLE AND BAYVIEW MOBILE HOME PARKS. UH, THIS PROJECT SERVES TO PROTECT OUR EXISTING HOUSING INVENTORY AND IS, WAS IDENTIFIED AS A HIGH PRIORITY IN THE DRAFT STORMWATER MASTER PLAN. UH, THE SECOND PROJECT IS PORTOLA DOWNSTREAM AT 38TH. THE CURRENT BUDGET, UH, ALLOCATION IS, UH, AROUND $1 MILLION. AND THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY UH, THE EXISTING, OF AN EXISTING STORMWATER PIPE IN PORTOLA BETWEEN 38TH AND 30TH AVENUE. AND THIS IS PART OF A PLAN IDENTIFIED IN THE MASTER PLAN TO REDUCED FLOODING POTENTIAL UPSTREAM OF THE PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS A HIGH PRIORITY IN THE, UH, MASTER PLAN. UH, THE THIRD PROJECT IDENTIFIED IS PORTOLA, UM, 30TH AND AT $1.28 MILLION. AND THIS PROJECT PROPOSES TO REDIRECT STORMWATER FROM BENEATH MOBILE HOME PARKS AND THE 38TH OR 34TH AVENUE DITCH TO A NEW 30 INCH, 36 INCH STORM DRAIN INSTALLED IN 30TH AVENUE. UH, THIS PROJECT PROPOSES TO HELP PROTECT EXISTING HOUSING INVENTORY AND WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS HIGH PRIORITY IN THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN. AND THE FOURTH PROJECT, I TOUCHED ON EARLIER IS THE LEONA CREEK PROJECT. UH, THAT'S A CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT OR A CULVERT THAT RUNS UNDER CAPITOLA ROAD, UM, OR IT'S NOT A REPLACEMENT PROJECT, EXCUSE ME, IT'S A LINING PROJECT TO LINE APPROXIMATELY 185 FEET OF 66 INCH DIAMETER PIPE UM, PART OF THIS PIPE WAS REPAIRED ALREADY AS PART OF AN EMERGENCY PROJECT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDS TO ADDRESS THE WHOLE PIPE. AND THAT'S WHY THERE IS A REQUEST FOR $500,000 IN GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION TO ALLOW THIS PROJECT TO GET OVER THE FINISH LINE. UH, AND THIS STRETCH OF, UH, ROADWAY IS, UM, CAPITOLA ROAD, SEES HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES, AND THIS PROJECT WOULD SERVE TO HELP PROTECT EXISTING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THIS GETS US TO SOME OF OUR EMERGING ISSUES, WHICH PROBABLY [INAUDIBLE] SURPRISE FROM THE REST OF THE PROPOSAL FOR THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. SOME OF IT IS OLD AS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND AGED INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRES GREATER MAINTENANCE, GREATER ATTENTION. UH, CURRENT REVENUE SOURCES WE HAVE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO, UM, TO, UM, ADDRESS OUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. UM, UH, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT REPLACEMENT OF AGED INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT CONSIDERED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORIGINAL ZONE 5 FUNDING. UM, AND THERE, WE'VE EXPERIENCED RISING COST OF CONSTRUCTION, INFLATION IS AFFECTED, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRICES OF PIPE AND EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING. AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE'VE, UH, SEEN MORE FREQUENT AND STRONGER STORMS IT SEEMS WE'VE HAD, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING EXPANDING REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. THE WATER BOARD HAS A NEW GENERAL PERMIT COMING OUT THAT WILL, UH, LIKELY REQUIRE MORE, UH, PROGRAMMATIC THINGS [02:10:02] THAT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UH, WE'RE ANTICIPATING WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. UM, AND SO CURRENTLY ZONE 5 IS EVALUATING LOCAL REVENUE STRATEGIES AS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN EFFORT. UM, AND THE OVERALL FINDINGS FROM THE MASTER PLAN, DRAFT MASTER PLAN ARE THAT OUR ESTIMATED SHORTFALL, UH, FOR OUR EXPANDED PROGRAM NEEDS OVER THE TIME ARE ESTIMATED APPROXIMATELY, UH, 4 MILLION PER YEAR. UM, THE ZONE 5 IS CURRENTLY INITIATING POLLING AND OUTREACH EFFORTS TO GAUGE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RELIABLE SOURCE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, THESE PROGRAM NEEDS. MUCH OF THIS IS DESCRIBED IN THE DRAFT STORMWATER MASTER PLAN WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE IF ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT. AND WE'RE EXPECTING, UH, GOING TO, UH, BALLOTING NEXT WINTER OR SPRING, UH, WITH A, A PROPOSED, UH, SOLUTION. AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE RECOMMENDED ACTION TODAY, UH, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT YOUR BOARD CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED 2025 - 26 ZONE 5 AND ZONE 5 EXPANSION CONSTRUCTION BUDGETS. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, UNLESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. - THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO THE TWO, UH, PRIORITY PROJECTS MENTIONED. UM, I, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF-, VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC KNOW UH, ABOUT THE ZONE 5 FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, AND FRANKLY, IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAT WE KEEP IT THAT WAY, UM, BECAUSE IF WE'RE IN THE NEWS, IT WOULD PROBABLY MEAN THERE'S A PROBLEM. AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE IN THE NEWS, UH, IF WE SAW CAPITOLA ROAD COLLAPSE BECAUSE THE CULVERT UNDER UH, THE, FOR LEONA CREEK FAILED. SO, UH, I THINK 15,000 CARS USE THAT ROAD EVERY DAY. SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANT TO KEEP INTACT. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, UH, WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT. UM, AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, FIXING THE HIGH PRIORITY LINES UNDER, UM, THE MOBILE HOME PARKS OFF OF 38TH, OBVIOUSLY. ALSO, UH, GLAD TO SEE WE'RE PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING THAT. THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED AS YOU, AS YOU POINTED OUT IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED LAST YEAR. I THINK IT'S REALLY THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROJECT OUT OF ABOUT IS IT 40 TO 60 MILLION TOTAL ESTIMATED CAPITAL NEEDS FOR THIS DISTRICT OVER THE, THE COMING YEARS? - CORRECT. - SO GLAD TO SEE WE'RE GETTING STARTED WITH, UM, THE, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROJECTS AND, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCE TO MEET THE REST OF THAT NEED. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? YEAH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DO, UM, SHARE THE COMMENTS THAT SUPERVISOR KOENIG MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS BECAUSE IF THERE WERE TO, IF WE WERE TO HAVE FAILURES, THEN THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WOULD BE MUCH GREATER THAN THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE UPFRONT BEFORE THOSE FAILURES HAPPEN. I, I DO HAVE, I GUESS I'M, THE ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE IS LIKE OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WAS BEFORE US, 'CAUSE I, I THOUGHT I WAS TRACKING IT PRETTY WELL, AND THEN I KIND OF GOT THROWN OFF, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS COMING OUT OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET VERSUS THE ZONE 5'S KIND OF DISTRICT BUDGET. IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE'S A $500,000 APPROPRIATION, BUT THEN WHEN I STARTED LOOKING DOWN INTO THE, UM, ZONE 5 EXPENDITURES, I GUESS THAT YOU WERE SHOWING LIKE THE 4 MILLION. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND HAVE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IS, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF WHAT ZONE 5 HAS COLLECTED AND ASSESSED VERSUS HOW MUCH IS COMING OUT OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET. - GOT IT. YEAH. ALL, ALL OF THIS IS COMING OUT AS ZONE 5 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 500,000 GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION THAT'S PROPOSED. UM, YEAH, THE, THE REASON THE REVENUES ARE MUCH LESS THAN THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES IS THAT WE HAD A, A LARGE CAPITAL RESERVE THAT WAS SAVED UP OVER A LARGE SPAN OF TIME. - IN THE ZONE 5. - IN ZONE 5. IT WAS ZONE 5 FUNDS THAT WERE BANKED OVER TIME FOR, AS, AS, UH, IN HOPES THAT A MASTER PLAN WOULD IDENTIFY HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS. - GREAT. THANKS. THAT WAS, I, I THINK THE CAPITAL FUNDS FROM ZONE 5, THAT WAS THE ONE PIECE THAT WAS MISSING. SO I WAS LIKE, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ZONE 5 OR IS THAT THE COUNTY? SO THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD. - THANK YOU. - DIRECTOR DE SERPA. - UH, SO THIS IS COMMON PRACTICE THAT WE TRY TO SAVE UP MONEY YEAR OVER YEAR SO THAT WE COULD GET SOME OF THESE BIG PROJECTS DONE. - YEAH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOOK LIKE YOU CAN DO [INAUDIBLE]. - OH, WELL, YEAH, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE DONE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A LOW ACCRUAL RATE YEAR OVER YEAR, IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME BEFORE YOU HAVE A REASONABLE DESIGN BUDGET. AND IF YOU ACTUALLY WERE TRAINED TO BANK FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, IT WOULD BE THAT MUCH LONGER. SO WE ARE, UM, HOPING TO GET THROUGH, YOU KNOW, [02:15:03] DESIGN AND PERMITTING AND HOPEFULLY, BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THIS FOR GRANTS. UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE IT'S STILL GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, 20, 25 YEARS BEFORE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET TO A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS. THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE TIMESCALE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SPREADING THEM OUT OVER. SO IN ORDER TO GET, YOU KNOW, MORE NEAR TERM PROJECT DELIVERY WE'RE HOPING TO GET THEM TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN, UH, LEVERAGE GRANT OPTIONS. - THANK YOU. - YEAH. - AND IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING, DO WE NEED A MOTION? - WE DO. I'M GONNA TAKE IT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST. - OKAY, THANK YOU. - ... BRING IT BACK SHORTLY. IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. BECKY STEINBRENER. I HAD TO MOVE MY CAR TO AVOID A TICKET, SO I MISSED PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION. BUT WHAT I DO SEE, UM, I LIVE IN THE RURAL AREA AND I APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF A GOOD INTACT CULVERT AND HOW IT IS MONEY WELL SPENT TO, UH, REPAIR AND REPLACE THEM IN A TIMELY WAY BEFORE THERE ARE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. SO I'M VERY GLAD THE COUNTY'S LOOKING AT THIS. UM, I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ALTERNATIVE REPAIR METHODS. HAVE YOU LOOKED AT POSSIBLE EPOXY INJECTION? UH, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT, I THINK ABOUT LINERS UH, WHICH I'M FAMILIAR WITH, BUT ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THESE ARE UNDER, AS SUPERVISOR KOENIG POINTED OUT, VERY HIGH TRAFFIC. UM, MAJOR THOROUGHFARE IS THE CASE OF LEONA, BUT ALSO UNDER, UM, HOUSING. SO I, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF, UH, WHAT ALTERNATIVE REPAIR SYSTEMS YOU'VE LOOKED AT, UM, AND I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THE EPOXY INJECTION. THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD ONE. UH, ALSO, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS MONEY IS BANKED OVER TIME. IS IT PUT IN A, A HIGH RATE OF RETURN SO THAT THE FUND DOES BUILD AND HELPS, UH, INCREASE THE AMOUNT? OR IS IT JUST KIND OF SET ASIDE WITH NOT MUCH GROWTH? I'D LIKE TO SEE IT, UH, INVESTED WELL AND WHAT GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE TO APPLY FOR. I WOULD THINK, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF THOSE GOING UNDER, UM, THE CASTLE AND BAYVIEW MOBILE HOME PARKS, THAT THERE COULD BE POSSIBLE GRANTS TO SUPPORT AND, UH, MAINTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR, UM, DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU'VE INVESTIGATED THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - ANYONE ELSE HERE IN CHAMBERS WISH TO SPEAK? IS THERE ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR, WE HAVE SPEAKERS ONLINE. TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? - YES, WE CAN. - COOL. OH, AND OH, MY APOLOGIES FOR MY LAST FOUL LANGUAGE WORD AT THE END. I JUST HAD TO, UM, HOPEFULLY A DAY WON'T COME WHERE YOU FOLKS END UP DISHING OUT LANGUAGE LIKE THAT. SO ANYWAYS, UH, I'M HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS LIKE THIS. UM, I FEEL THAT UH, THINGS LIKE THIS KEEP THE COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES WHOLE IN SANTA CRUZ. IT'S IMPERATIVE. AND IF THERE ARE WEALTHY PATRONS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST SO YOU KNOW, PROJECTS LIKE THIS, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU WANT TO DONATE MONEY. SO THAT'S A GOOD CAUSE. AND ALSO, UH, THE POINT MADE, UH, UH, BY THE LAST SPEAKER AT THE, AT THE END HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING MONEY WITH MONEY YOU KNOW, CD'S TYPICALLY ARE A GOOD WAY. I WAS A LITTLE SHOCKED WITH, UH, JUST DEALING WITH MY MOTHER IN THE GUARDIANSHIP IN THE STATE OF NEVADA AND SO ON. IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM LIKE GOVERNMENT REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF, UH, USING THE BANKING SYSTEM TO GROW MONEY. IT'S TO THEIR BENEFIT. SO I WAS A LITTLE SHOCKED. SO IF, UH, FOLKS ARE ALL KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THAT, UH, I, I SYMPATHIZE, I UNDERSTAND. SO, BUT YOU KNOW, USING CDS WOULD BE A GOOD WAY. ALSO THOUGH YOU DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU NEED TO THINK REAL LONG AND HARD ABOUT HOW YOU STORE YOUR MONEY AND HOW YOU ROLLED OVER FOR THESE KIND OF PROJECTS. IT'S POSSIBLE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT HE COULD REACH INTO BANK ACCOUNTS AND TAKE SANTA CRUZ MONEY. THAT IS A REAL CONCERN HERE WITH THE BEHAVIOR. SO ANYWAYS, I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, IT'S SUPERIOR WORK, SO I HOPE ALL THIS GOES FORWARD AND IT'S, IT'S TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [02:20:01] YOU TAKE IT EASY. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - IT'S CRITICAL TO LOOK AT CAUSES AND I DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERALL PRESENTATION OF ZONE 5. AND I CAN SEE YOUR WORK IS OVERWHELMING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. GLOBAL CLIMATE MODIFICATION PROGRAMS ARE THREATENING ALL LIFE ON EARTH. I REFER YOU TO GEOENGINEERINGWATCH.ORG AND WHEN I FINISH MY COMMENT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN SEND THIS TO YOU, POSTAL SERVICE PLEASE. SO THE ISSUES YOU ADDRESS ARE ALL RELATED TO GEOENGINEERING. PICTURES HERE SHOW BEFORE SKIES ARE UNTAINTED BY CLIMATE ENGINEERING. THEN SKIES IN THE PHOTOS SHOW SKIES CONTAMINATED BY SOLAR RADIATION MANAGEMENT. THESE ARE NASA SATELLITE IMAGES CLEARLY REVEAL MICROWAVE TRANSMISSION MANIPULATION OF AEROSOL CLOUDS, AND, UM, THE GEOENGINEERING IS FURTHER FUELING THE OVERALL WARMING OF OUR PLANET, UM, ACCELERATING, UM, FOREST [INAUDIBLE] CAUSING ALL THESE, UM, FLOODS AND DROUGHT, ET CETERA. SOME STATES HAVE BANNED IT. WE NEED TO BAN THE GEOENGINEERING ERROR AND SOLVE PROJECTS. HOW CAN I MAIL THIS TO YOU? IT'S PRETTY SHOCKING. WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SO MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTY IF THIS, A SOLVED CAUSAL FACTOR WERE HALTED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR POSTAL, POST MAILING ADDRESS VIA POSTAL SERVICE. I'VE GOT A PEN HERE AND I'M LISTENING. THANK YOU. - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS CHAIR. - THANK YOU. UM, ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS CAN BE SENT TO, UH, CERTAINLY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ALL FIVE OF WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE, SIT ON THE ZONE 5 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT 701 OCEAN STREET, ROOM 500 SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA 95060. UM, AND WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? - I'LL SO MOVE. - SECOND. - ALRIGHT, MOTION FOR THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. UH, SECONDED, UH, BY DIRECTOR DE SERPA. SECOND BY DIRECTOR HERNANDEZ. CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE. - DIRECTOR CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - HERNANDEZ. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. AND, UH, THAT PASSES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHAIR HERNANDEZ TO CONTINUE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. - RECORDING IN PROGRESS. - SO BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, WE DO HAVE AN ITEM AT AT ONE O'CLOCK UH, AND WE'LL PROBABLY BE TAKING A RECESS AT 12:00. [INAUDIBLE] YES. [9. Hold a public hearing to consider resolution confirming fiscal year 2025-26 benefit assessment rates and service charge reports proposed for County Service Areas No. 53, No. 53N, and No. 53S for Mosquito & Vector Control, and take related actions] [PAUSE] SO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS NUMBER NINE. HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION CONFIRMING FISCAL YEAR 2025 - 2026 BENEFIT ASSESSMENT RATES AND SERVICE CHARGE REPORTS PROPOSED FOR COUNTY SERVICE AREA NUMBER 53, NUMBER 53N AND NUMBER 53S FOR THE MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMANDA PAULSON, ASSISTANT VECTOR CONTROL MANAGER FOR THE PRESENTATION. - UM, ALMOST GOOD AFTERNOON, I GUESS UH, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I'M AMANDA POLSON, THE ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR THE MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL DIVISION OF THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. ON APRIL 29TH, 2025, THE BOARD SET TODAY MAY 20TH, AS THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE ON THE PROPOSED BENEFIT ASSESSMENT RATE REPORTS THAT WILL PROVIDE OPERATIONAL FUNDING FOR MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL IN FISCAL YEAR 25/26. [PAUSE] UH, SOME BRIEF BACKGROUND, THE COUNTY SERVICE AREA CSA 53 WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1993 AND THEN EXPANDED IN 2004 AND 2005 FOR SOUTH AND NORTH COUNTY, RESPECTIVELY. THIS WAS TO PROVIDE MOSQUITO CONTROL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES TO ALL OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. [PAUSE] [02:25:02] OUR SERVICES INCLUDE SURVEILLANCE AND DISEASE TESTING FOR MOSQUITOES, TICKS AND OTHER VECTORS, TICK IDENTIFICATION AND LYME DISEASE INFORMATION, ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE MOSQUITO CONTROL, RODENT EXCLUSION SERVICES, MOSQUITO-EATING FISH FOR BACKYARD POOLS, PONDS OR ANIMAL TROUGHS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION OUTREACH FOR THE COUNTY. [PAUSE] THE THREE STANDING BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS THAT FUND THESE SERVICES LISTED HERE ARE EXPECTED TO GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 1.7 MILLION IN REVENUES FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THIS DOES NOT COVER THE DIVISION'S ANNUAL COST. SO FROM YEAR TO YEAR, OUR DIVISION OFFSETS OUR DEFICIT BY USING OUR RESERVE FUND, WHICH HAS LIMITED REMAINING CAPACITY. OUR CURRENT ASSESSMENTS WERE SET IN 1993, 2004 AND 2005 AND ARE NO LONGER KEEPING UP WITH THE COST OF PROVIDING SERVICES ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF EMERGING THREATS LIKE INVASIVE MOSQUITOES. WHILE WE ARE NOT REQUESTING ACTION ON THIS TODAY, WE ARE STILL EXPLORING A FOURTH ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT AS PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED BY YOUR BOARD IN 2023. SHOULD WE DECIDE TO PURSUE IT, WE WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR AUTHORIZATION BEFORE THE COMMUNITY CAN VOTE ON IT. [PAUSE] SO BACK TO WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY. ON SLI-, UH, ON THIS SLIDE HERE, UM, WE HAVE, AGAIN, OUR THREE CURRENT STANDING CSA RATES. UM, THE CSA RATES FOR OUR CURRENT THREE BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS WERE APPROVED BY THE BOARD ON APRIL 29, 2025 AND MUST BE REVIEWED THROUGH THIS PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS EVERY YEAR. THEY EITHER REMAIN AT THE SAME LEVEL SINCE 1993 OR HAVE RATES AND A CONSUMER PRICE INDEX INCREASE OF 2.4% AS APPROVED IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS. THESE RATES HAVE BEEN POSTED IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THE CLERK OF THE BOARD AND THE MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL WEBSITE PRIOR TO TODAY'S HEARING. [PAUSE] IF APPROVED, RATE REPORTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER BY AUGUST 10TH TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 25/26 PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT ROLE. WE RECOMMEND THE BOARD OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO HEAR OBJECTIONS OR PROTESTS TO THE CURRENT STANDING PROPOSED THREE ASSESSMENT RATE REPORTS, CSA ORIGINAL, SOUTH AND NORTH. AND THEN PLEASE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE BENEFIT ASSESSMENT RATE REPORTS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, WE'LL OPEN IT AND WE'LL SEE IF ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU, BECKY STEINBRENER. I DO NOT OPPOSE THE 2.4%, UH, CPI INCREASE, UM, BUT I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED, UH, ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MOSQUITO CONTROL IN THE SLOUGH AREA AND, UM, THE INTERLAKEN AREA. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT ONLY, UH, NON-TOXIC CONTROL METHODS BE USED. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT NO, UH, GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES BE RELEASED. AND I DO THIS BECAUSE I THINK, UM, PESTICIDES, PESTICIDE USE IN GENERAL IS NEVER A GOOD THING FOR OUR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY THOSE RESIDENTS LIVING AROUND TO THOSE AREAS, OR FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOD CHAIN THAT, THAT GETS INVOLVED IN THE ENVIRONMENT. AND FINALLY, UM, I'M AWARE THAT RECENTLY THE, UM, MOSQUITO VECTOR CENTER WAS REALLY NICELY REMODELED. AND I'M WONDERING IF IT'S GOING TO STAY THERE, OR IF THERE'S ANY THOUGHT ABOUT CONSOLIDATING THE FACILITY WITH THE NEW WESTRIDGE AND THE AG COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE IN WATSONVILLE, AND, UH, THEREBY THE COUNTY COULD SELL THE VERY VALUABLE PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF CAPITOLA ROAD AND 7TH AVENUE AND, UH, RECOUP SOME MONEY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. - ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [PAUSE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. - COOL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I, UH, YEAH, I AGREE WITH MUCH OF WHAT BECKY IS SAYING. UH, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT DDT, FOR INSTANCE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO BUT, BUT ONE THING TO CONSIDER IS I, I, IF THERE'S A WAY TO, TO INCREASE RESEARCH AND FUNDING A LITTLE BIT IN THIS AREA, BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, MORE DISEASES THAT ARE GONNA BE CARRIED BY MOSQUITOES ARE PROBABLY GONNA COME OUR WAY. SO THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY THOUGHT ON THAT. SO ANYWAYS, UM, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE. [02:30:04] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [SILENCE] - CALL IN USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - UM, MARILYN GARRETT, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOU RESPOND TO BECKY STEINBRUNER'S REQUEST FOR NON-TOXIC METHODS OF INSECT CONTROL AND ALSO TO BE ASSURED THAT GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES ARE NOT BEING USED. THOSE ARE, UM, PROBLEMATIC, ANTI-NATURE. AND YES, I KNOW ABOUT DDT PERSONALLY BECAUSE IN 1969, US NURSING MOTHERS WHO WERE PART OF THE LAWSUIT TO BAN DDT ALL HAD DDT IN OUR BREAST. NOW, OF COURSE, WE WERE ASSURED BY THE ADS THAT DDT IS GOOD FOR ME, SAYING THE WOMAN CLEANING HER HOUSE HOWEVER, WAS FOUND TO BE CARCINOGENIC AND, UM, VERY VERY DEADLY I AM OPPOSED TO MORE AND MORE MONEY BEING PUT ONTO OUR, UH, HOMEOWNERS, UH, POLICIES. SO PLEASE RESPOND TO BECKY STEINBRUNER'S REQUEST AND I'LL LISTEN TO THOSE RESPONSES. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS, CHAIR. - I'LL BRING THIS HEARING BACK TO THE BOARD, SEE IF ANYONE HAS ANY, UH, QUE-QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BUT JUST WANNA APPRECIATE THE WORK OF STAFF ON THIS. I MEAN, THIS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE SEE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOSQUITOES AND THE DISEASES THAT THEY CARRY MOVING NORTH, UM, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THIS. SO I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION WHEN THE TIME COMES. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MS. POLSON. UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR YOUR FACILITIES AND LEARN ABOUT THE GOOD WORK HAPPENING IN, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT. AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU GUYS ARE REALLY THE UNSUNG HEROES OF COUNTY SERVICES AND PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT YOU DO WITH SUCH A SMALL TEAM. AND, UM, REALLY WANTED TO USE THIS MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, TO JUST PROMOTE SOME OF THE FREE SERVICES THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UM, SUCH AS THE MOSQUITO FISH DELIVERY, UM, THE TICK IDENTIFICATION AND LYME DISEASE INFORMATION UM, INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS AND SORT OF COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE GOOD WORK AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION WHEN THE TIME COMES. [SILENCE] - AGAIN, WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO. UH, I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A TOUR LIKE TWO, THREE YEARS AGO. SO, UH, AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF WORK IN SOUTH COUNTY AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD, SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION. - I'LL SECOND. - NO, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. - I THINK THAT... WAS THERE A MOTION FIRST? - NO. - I WILL, I WILL, I'LL MOVE THIS, I'LL MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. - OKAY, I'LL SECOND. - AND THEN JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION. I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD RESPOND TO THE, UH, COMMENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY MS. STEINBRUNER REGARDING, UH, GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES AND, UM, NON, I THINK IT WAS LIKE AROUND PESTICIDES, YEAH. - DEFINITELY. UH, SO WE FOLLOW THE PRACTICE OF INTEGRATED VECTOR MANAGEMENT SO THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, THOSE PRINCIPLES INVOLVE USING THE LOWEST IMPACT PESTICIDES IF WE HAVE TO USE THEM. I MEAN, TYPICALLY THEY'RE OUR LAST RESORT, UM, BUT IF WE DO HAVE TO USE PESTICIDES, THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC TO MOSQUITOES. UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART THEY'RE, WHAT WE'RE USING, UM, ARE ORGANIC AND, UM, CERTIFIED ORGANIC, UM, AND ARE NATURALLY DEV-, DERIVED OF INGREDIENTS. UM, WE USE A LOT OF, UM, BTI, WHICH IS A SOIL BACTERIA THAT'S JUST INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE GUT OF A MOSQUITO. UM, IT'S A PH SITUATION THERE. SO, UM, THEY'RE VERY, VERY SPECIFIC TO MOSQUITOES. UM, AND SO WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES IN, IN USING THE LOWEST IMPACT PRODUCTS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WHEN WE DO RESORT TO PESTICIDE USE IT'S TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, AND IN TERMS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN AVENUE, A LOT OF MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, AND THE WORLD ARE, ARE USING AS A TOOL. UM, AT THIS POINT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXPLORING FOR OUR USE LOCALLY. - THANK YOU. SO, SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS [02:35:02] AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. WE COULD TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. AND WE WILL NOW CLOSE THIS HEARING. THE NEXT, WHAT TIME IS IT? [10. Hold a public hearing to approve a proposed resolution to implement the Mills Act Program, confirm the proposal is exempt from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, and take related actions] YES. THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS NUMBER 10. HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO APPROVE A PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO IMPLEMENT THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM. CONFIRM THE PROPOSAL IS EXEMPT FROM REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MATTHEW SUNDT, SENIOR PLANNER AND SHERRY THOMAS, ASSESSOR RECORDER FOR THE PRESENTATION. - GOOD MORNING, CHAIR HERNANDEZ. MORNING SUPERVISORS, MARK CONNOLLY, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH CDI. WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU THIS MORNING IS, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM. AS YOU MAY RECALL, DECEMBER 17TH, WE HAD A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DIRECTED, UH, REFERRAL TO CDI TO DEVELOP THIS PROGRAM, THIS, UM, MILLS ACT PROGRAM. SO THERE, IT'S SUPPLEMENTED, IT REALLY COMES FROM A GENERAL PLAN POLICY THAT WE HAVE, UH, 2024, THAT REALLY DIRECTS THE COUNTY TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A MILLS ACT TO PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC RESOURCES AND, UH, PROVIDE SUBSIDIES AND, UH, RECOGNIZE OUR HISTORIC STRUCTURES TO ENCOURAGE THE REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE. SO WE THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF PRESERVING THOSE STRUCTURES AND PROVIDING THE SUBSIDIES. UM, TO MY RIGHT, WE HAVE MATTHEW SUNDT, SENIOR PLANNER FROM, UH, CDI. AND TO HIS RIGHT, WE HAVE SHERRY THOMAS, THE COUNTY ASSESSOR, AND WE'RE GONNA DO A JOINT, UH, PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY. SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO THEM. THANK YOU. - CHAIR. [INAUDIBLE] - IS THAT MICROPHONE WORKING? - GOOD MORNING. - OKAY. - OKAY, GOOD MORNING CHAIR AND SUPERVISORS, MATTHEW SUNDT WITH CDI. REGARDING OUR... LET'S SEE IF I GET THESE BUTTONS RIGHT. YES, OUR AGENDA, WHAT IS THE MILLS ACT? WHY THE MILLS ACT? PROPOSED MILLS ACT PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION AND ONGOING COSTS. [PAUSE] WHAT IS THE MILLS ACT? [PAUSE] A LOCAL PROPERTY TAX INCENTIVE TO ENCOURAGE RESTORATION, REHABILITATION AND PRESERVATION OF PRIVATELY OWNED HISTORIC PROPERTIES. A PRESERVATION TOOL TO REVITALIZE HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY CITIES AND COUNTIES WITHOUT STATE GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT. THE PROPERTIES MUST BE ON LOCAL, STATE OR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND PROPERTIES MUST ALSO BE PRIVATELY OWNED. [PAUSE] WHY THE MILLS ACT? THE MILLS ACT IS A TOOL THAT CAN HELP THE COUNTY PROTECT ITS HISTORY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ELABORATE HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE COUNTY AND SOME HAVE DETERIORATED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER RESTOREABLE OR WILL BE COST PROHIBITIVE TO RESTORE. THIS SLIDE SHOWS ONE EXAMPLE. SINCE 2004, THE REDMAN HIRAHARA HOUSE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC BUILDING DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL REGISTER 1 OR MORE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS NR1. THE NR1 IS THE HIGHEST RANKING NATIONAL REGISTRY DESIGNATION. BUILDINGS SUCH AS THE REDMAN HIRAHARA HOUSE, WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE 1880S, ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN AND HAVING THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM IN PLACE WOULD POTENTIALLY PROVIDE A PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR ELIGIBLE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, THEREBY OFFSETTING THE COST OF RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE. WITH THE MILLS ACT IN PLACE, WE HOPE TO NOT SEE ANOTHER DETERIORATED HISTORIC BUILDING IN THE COUNTY. [PAUSE] ANOTHER NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC BUILDING EXAMPLE IS THE BAYVIEW HOTEL IN APTOS. THIS HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1878 AND IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE INCREDIBLE DETAIL INCORPORATED IN CONSTRUCTION DURING THAT ERA. THE BAYVIEW HOTEL CAN POTENTIALLY BENEFIT FROM HAVING THE MILLS ACT. THE BENEFITS TO PROPERTY OWNERS INCLUDE AN INCENTIVE TO KEEP THE HISTORIC PROPERTY RATHER THAN DEVELOP OR SELL. IT BENEFITS SUPPLIES TO COMMERCIAL OWNERS AND MILLS ACT, A TAX BENEFIT THAT RUNS WITH TITLE OF THE PROPERTY. THE TAX BENEFIT IS INDEFINITE, OPEN-ENDED, AND THE ANNUAL RENEWAL IS AUTOMATIC UNTIL NON-RENEWABLE NOTICE IS FILED. THE BENEFITS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT INCLUDE HELPING RETAIN AND MAINTAIN HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND CAN FOSTER PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, AN INCENTIVE TO HELP REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS AND PRESERVING THE HISTORIC FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY [02:40:02] AND BOOST CULTURAL TOURISM AND INCREASE CIVIC PRIDE. [PAUSE] HOW DOES THE MILLS ACT WORK? [PAUSE] WE PROPOSE TO BE AN OPT-IN PROGRAM OFFERED TO OWNERS WITH STRUCTURES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY RANKED NR1 OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER RANKINGS. THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE FEELS THAT 20 MILLS ACT CONTRACTS WILL BE AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE EFFECTIVELY. IF THERE IS DEMAND IN THE FUTURE, WE COULD INCREASE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS SUBJECT TO THE MILLS ACT. COUNTY WOULD ASSIGN A STAFF MEMBER TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM AND WORK WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE COUNTY ASSESSOR TO ASSURE SUCCESSFUL RESULTS. THE COUNTY WILL START A 10-YEAR CONTRACT WITH A WILLING PROPERTY OWNER WHEN THE TIME COMES. IF THE OWNER AGREES TO MAINTAIN THEIR HISTORIC PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT AND THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARD FOR THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS. AFTER THE FIRST 10-YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD, THE CONTRACT AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDS ANNUALLY UNLESS EITHER PARTY ELECTS TO NON-REVIEW. THE PARTY WOULD BE THE COUNTY OR THE PROPERTY OWNER. [PAUSE] [PAUSE] HOW DOES THE MILLS ACT WORK? THE PROPERTY MUST BE MAINTAINED AND IN A MANNER COMPATIBLE WITH ITS ARCHITECTURE AND USE OF ORIGINAL MATERIALS WHERE FEASIBLE. INSPECTIONS ARE PERFORMED EVERY FIVE YEARS. CONTRACT SPECIFIES WHAT MAINTENANCE OR REHABILITATION MUST BE DONE. THE RESPONSIBLE COUNTY STAFF SHOULD NOTIFY THE ASSESSOR OF ANY CHANGE IN THE CONTRACT. MILLS ACT CONTRACTS REQUIRE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT BY THE ASSESSOR. AT THIS POINT, I PAUSE AND TURN IT OVER TO ASSESSOR-RECORDER SHERI THOMAS TO PRESENT ON THE FINANCIAL DETAILS OF THE MILLS ACT. - GOOD MORNING. ONCE THE PROPERTY IS ENROLLED IN THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM, THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WILL BE REQUIRED TO CALCULATE THREE DIFFERENT VALUES EACH YEAR. FIRST IS THE PROPOSITION 13 VALUE, NEXT IS THE MARKET VALUE, AND FINALLY THE MILLS ACT VALUE. WHICHEVER VALUE IS THE LOWEST BECOMES A TAXABLE VALUE FOR THE PROPERTY FOR THAT YEAR. THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE THREE TYPES OF VALUES. FIRST, THERE'S THE PROPOSITION 13 VALUE, WHICH IS THE BASE YEAR VALUE OR VALUES PLUS AN ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, CPI, INCREASE OF UP TO 2% PER YEAR. SECOND, WE HAVE THE MARKET VALUE. THAT'S WHAT THE PROPERTY MIGHT SELL FOR AS DETERMINED BY COMPARABLE SALES OR INCOME APPROACH TO VALUE. THIRD, WE HAVE THE MILLS ACT VALUE, USING METHODS THAT ARE PRESCRIBED TO US BY THE STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. WE'RE REQUIRED TO USE AN INCOME APPROACH TO VALUE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AN INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY. THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MARKET VALUE AND THE MILLS ACT VALUE IS, UH, IN THE BLUE SQUARE, IS THE CAPITALIZATION RATE OR CAP RATE. FOR MARKET VALUE, THE CAP RATE IS BASED ON COMPARABLE SALES UH, OR CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS. IN THIS EXAMPLE, IT'S 6%. BUT FOR THE MILLS ACT, THE CAP RATE IS BUILT UP USING FOUR SPECIFIC COMPONENTS. FIRST IS AN INTEREST RATE SET BY THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION EACH YEAR. NEXT IS A HISTORICAL RISK COMPONENT, WHICH IS 4% FOR OWNER OCCUPIED AND 2% FOR ALL OTHER PROPERTIES. AN AMORTIZATION FACTOR, WHICH IS BASED ON THE REMAINING LIFE OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE. AND FINALLY, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ADDED TOGETHER TO GET THE MILLS ACT CAP RATE, WHICH IN THIS EXAMPLE IS 11.89%. THE HIGHER THE CAP RATE, THE LOWER THE INDICATED VALUE. SO IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD SAVE $3,086 IN PROPERTY TAXES DUE TO BEING IN THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM. [PAUSE] WHILE THERE ARE STRONG POLICY REASONS TO SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENT THE MILLS ACT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROGRAM WILL REDUCE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO THE COUNTY. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FISCAL IMPACT, I'VE DEVELOPED TWO SETS OF ESTIMATES. FIRST IS A MAXIMUM IMPACT SCENARIO. THIS ASSUMES THAT PROPERTIES HAVE A PROP 13 VALUE AT THE PROGRAM LIMITS AND THAT THEY RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM MILLS ACT REDUCTION POSSIBLE. WHILE THIS SCENARIO IS NOT REALLY POSSIBLE UH, IT HELPS TO FIND THE UPPER LIMIT OF POTENTIAL REVENUE LOSS AT $65,520 PER YEAR. THE SECOND METHOD IS A MORE REALISTIC SCENARIO, REFLECTING TYPICAL ASSESSMENTS AND TYPICAL VALUE REDUCTIONS. THIS METHOD INDICATES AN ANNUAL GENERAL FUND VALUE [02:45:01] LOSS OF $22,880 PER YEAR. BOTH ESTIMATES ASSUME THE MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT OF 20 PROPERTIES, WHICH WILL TAKE TIME TO REACH. [PAUSE] WHEN DO MILLS ACT VALUES BECOME EFFECTIVE? ONCE A PROPERTY... UH, ONCE A CONTRACT IS SIGNED AND RECORDED THE MILLS ACT VALUES BEGIN WITH THE NEXT LIEN DATE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CONTRACT IS RECORDED IN AUGUST OF 2025, THE FIRST MILLS ACT VALUATION WILL BE FOR THE JANUARY 1ST, 2026 LIEN DATE, WHICH SETS THE VALUE FOR THE 26/27 PROPERTY TAX YEAR. [PAUSE] IF A PROPERTY OWNER IS FOUND TO BE IN BREACH OF THEIR MILLS ACT CONTRACT, THE COUNTY HAS TWO OPTIONS. THEY CAN EITHER CANCEL THE CONTRACT OUTRIGHT OR PLACE IT IN NON-RENEWAL STATUS. WHICH MEANS THAT IT WOULD EXPIRE AT THE END OF ITS TERM WITHOUT BEING RENEWED. IF THE CONTRACT IS CANCELED, THE PROPERTY OWNER WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A PENALTY EQUAL TO 12.5% OF THE MARKET VALUE OF THE PROPERTY. THIS PENALTY ENSURES THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT. IMPLEMENTATION ONGOING COSTS. WHILE CDI FEES DO NOT COVER ASSESSOR COSTS WHILE CDI WILL ESTABLISH A FEE STRUCTURE TO RECOVER THEIR OWN COSTS FOR ADMINISTERING AND ENFORCING THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM. THOSE FEES WILL NOT COVER ANY ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD OR EXPENSES INCURRED BY THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. MILLS ACT VALUATIONS ARE LABOR INTENSIVE AND REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT STAFF TIME EVERY YEAR. THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE APPRECIATES COLLABORATING WITH THE CDI DEPARTMENT TO CAP THE ENROLLMENT TO 20 PROPERTIES. WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING THAT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE CAN MANAGE THE INCREASED WORKLOAD. UPFRONT IMPLEMENTATION COSTS. LAUNCHING THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM WILL REQUIRE THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE TO INCUR AN ESTIMATED $10,000 IN HARD COSTS, INCLUDING BILLABLE CHANGE ORDER WITH OUR THIRD PARTY VENDOR, SOFTWARE VENDOR, AND COUNTY IT PROGRAMMING CHARGES TO UPDATE CODES, SCRIPTS, AND DEVELOP NECESSARY REPORTING TOOLS TO CARRY OUT THE ASSESSMENTS. PART OF THE PROPOSAL IN YOUR STAFF REPORT IS TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO THE BUDGET PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION. THIS WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO OCCUR IN THE 26/27 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET. THAT WOULD ALLOW STAFF TO USE THE INTERVENING TIME TO DEVELOP THE PROGRAM AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY IN ANTICIPATION OF TAKING APPLICATIONS IN THE 2026 CALENDAR YEAR. - THANK YOU. SO OUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR TODAY; CONDUCT THE HEARING TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED MILLS ACT PROPERTY PROGRAM. NUMBER TWO, DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS EXEMPT FROM CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. THIRDLY, ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IMPLEMENT THE MILLS ACT PROGRAM, AND LASTLY, DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE AND FINALIZE THE APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND CONTRACT TEMPLATE NEEDED FOR IMPLEMENTATION. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. [INAUDIBLE] - THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. WOULD ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, UH, LIKE TO, LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM? [SILENCE] - THANK YOU, BECKY STEINBRUNER. I'VE ATTENDED SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION MEETINGS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS BEFORE YOU FINALLY TODAY. UM, SO, I, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THIS IS, UH, GOING TO BE MADE AVAILABLE. I THINK IT SHOULD NOT BE CAPPED AT 20 PROPERTIES. I THINK ALL 58 ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE WOULD APPLY BECAUSE IT ISN'T, UM, ACTUALLY THAT MUCH MONEY, 03,000 OFF ON YOUR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR TAX IT'S NOT THAT MUCH. BUT I, I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S SOMETHING, I DON'T THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO HISTORIC PROPERTIES, UH, RESIDENTIAL AT VALUE OF 3 MILLION AND COMMERCIAL VALUE OF 5 MILLION. THAT'S HOW THIS IS READING, AND I THINK ALL HISTORIC PROPERTIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY. BECAUSE WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE PRESERVATION OF ALL HISTORIC PROPERTIES, NOT JUST CERTAIN ONES. UM, I ALSO FOUND IT VERY... I, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION HERE BECAUSE IN READING THE STAFF REPORT, I COULDN'T REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW THE AMOUNT OF $65, 520 REVENUE [02:50:07] ANTICIPATED LOSS WAS CALCULATED. SO I DID READ, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE 4390.2 TO SEE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO CALCULATE THAT. BUT IT, IT STILL ISN'T CLEAR AND I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE CLEAR TO THOSE WHO WANT TO APPLY. SO I THINK, UH, SOME GOOD CLEAR OUTREACH TO THOSE WHO, WHO HAVE THEM, THESE PROPERTIES IS NEEDED. I COULD NOT FIND THE VALUES OF SOME OF THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES THAT I KNOW TO BE ON THE HISTORIC, NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTRY AND I WOULD'VE APPRECIATED A LIST. AND FINALLY, LET ME JUST FINISH, IF I MAY PLEASE. DOES THIS APPLY TO HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, OR ONLY THE UNINCORPORATED? AND IF YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD, SO DOES THE CITY COUNCILS OF THOSE HAVE TO REVIEW THIS ALSO? UM, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS. THIS IS A GOOD MOMENT AND I'LL HOPE YOU CONSIDER DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT SOON TOO. - THANK YOU. ANY COMMENTS ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [PAUSE] CALL IN USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU TO BECKY STEINBRUNER AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, ALL YOUR WORK FOR ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY, INCLUDING THIS ONE AND TRYING TO PRESERVE HISTORIC PROPERTIES. I AGREE THAT ALL, UH, 58 ELIGIBLE HISTORIC PROPERTIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY. THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES ARE SUCH, UM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE, THE BEAUTY AND HISTORY OF OUR, OUR COUNTY. AND I THINK EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESERVE THEM. UM, I'M WONDERING WHY THEY'RE EXEMPT FROM, UH, CEQA. I APPRECIATED THE INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION ON WHAT THE MILLS ACT IS, AND I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED. SOUNDS LIKE THE COUNTY HASN'T BEEN PART OF THIS YET. AND ALSO IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE THAT'S LOST SO MUCH PROPERTY TAXES PAID AND OTHER WAYS I, YOU KNOW LIKE THIS MILITARY BUDGET STUFF, WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH THAT MONEY TO REALLY BENEFIT OUR COUNTY AND PUTTING FUNDS INTO, UM, WHAT I CONSIDER MATTERS AND BENEFITS THE PUBLIC. UH, SO YEAH, I'D LIKE A RESPONSE TO BECKY'S QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, AND THANK YOU, BECKY. [SILENCE] - TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - WELL, I JUST HEARD A LITTLE BIT HERE. YEAH, WHEN IT COMES TO HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND SO ON, UM, THAT, THAT'S A CONNECTION TO OLDER GENERATIONS. SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, ALLOW COMMUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND BE A LITTLE MORE, FOR THERE TO BE A LITTLE MORE COHESION WITH, UH, COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF DIVISION. SO ANYWAYS, IT'S A THOUGHT. SO I AM ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE, UH, HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND SO ON, AND MUSEUMS AND SO ON. SO ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF BECKY IN ALL OF HER WORK. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS, CHAIR. - THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR ENTERTAIN A MOTION. SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - SURE. UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANNA START OFF BY COMMENDING THE HISTORICAL RESOURCES COMMISSION FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM TO THE COUNTY'S ATTENTION. I REALLY DO LOVE THE IDEA OF INCENTIVIZING THE RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL PROPERTIES. UM, WE'VE REALLY SEEN TOO MANY OF THEM DECAY BEFORE OUR EYES BECAUSE PROPERTY OWNERS AREN'T ABLE TO KEEP THEM UP. UM, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENTERING A TIME OF FINANCIAL HEADWINDS, AND SO JUST BEFORE THE COUNTY ABSORBS ADDITIONAL COSTS WHILE ALSO REDUCING OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS JUST, IS THERE AN INITIAL INSPECTION THAT HAPPENS AT THE ONSET OF THIS CONTRACT? [02:55:04] - YES, IT'S PART OF THE CONTRACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT THE COUNTY STAFF WOULD LOOK AT THE PROPERTY. - AND THEN IS THERE... - ON THE OUTSIDE. - ...A PLAN LAID OUT FOR THE TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE THERE? - THERE WOULD BE, THE CONTRACT INCLUDES A PLAN. AND THEN, UH, I'M PROPOSING COUNTY STAFF IS PROPOSING THE FIVE-YEAR INSPECTIONS ON A FIVE-YEAR HEAD- HEADWAY. - DO YOU THINK THAT A, I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF STAFF, UM, RESOURCES, BUT DO YOU THINK THAT A FIVE-YEAR TIME PERIOD IS ADEQUATE TO MONITOR THAT PLAN? - YES, I THINK IT'S FINE. UH, WE HAVE THE OPTION OF DOING IT ONCE A YEAR. I DON'T THINK THAT'S PRACTICAL UH, FINANCIALLY AND STAFF LOAD-WISE, I THINK ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS IS ADEQUATE. - AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE A PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS. SO THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE US ABOUT IN THE $3,000 RANGE. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT SAVINGS IS BEING ALLOCATED TO THAT, FROM THAT PROPERTY OWNER TO IMPROVEMENTS? IS THE PLAN SORT OF BUDGETED TO EQUAL THE AMOUNT OF THE PROPERTY [CROSSTALK]? - THE PROPERTY OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING TRACK OF ALL EXPENDITURES ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE. I COULD USE THE, UH, BAYVIEW HOTEL AS AN EXAMPLE, AND, UH, REPLACING, UH, ROTTED WOOD, DRY ROT, WET ROT, UH, PRIME PAINT, UH, NEW GUTTERS, NEW ROOF. ALL THAT HAS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN, UH, IN THEIR IN THEIR LEDGER. - AND IT TRACKS BACK TO THAT [CROSSTALK]. - AND I LOOK AT IT EVERY, EVERY FIVE YEARS. OR, OR SOONER IF I NEED TO. - OKAY. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. AND THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE CONTRACT THAT THEY'LL BE SIGNING? - YES. - WONDERFUL. - YES. - GREAT. UM, AND YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS OVERALL, YOU KNOW, I SEE IT'S REALLY A, A MODEST INVESTMENT IN, UH, PRESERVING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY PROPERTIES IN OUR COUNTY. UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO COMMENTED, UM, WHILE THERE ARE 58 BUILDINGS ON THE LIST UM, 21 OF THOSE BUILDINGS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE PUBLICLY OWNED OR PLACES OF WORSHIP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO THAT REALLY LEAVES 37 PROPERTIES THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS. SO WITH THE 20 CAP, IT'S, IT'S OVER HALF THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE AT THIS POINT. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AS THE PROGRAM ROLLS OUT IN THE FUTURE. - YES, AND, UH, AS IT'S PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IDEALLY WE'D START IN, UH, THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR, THAT GIVES US TIME TO ROLL THIS THING OUT, UH, ADVERTISE AND GET SOME INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, I DON'T SEE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE 20 CONTRACTS THE FIRST YEAR OR THE SECOND YEAR, OR THE THIRD YEAR. - RIGHT. THANK YOU. WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. - ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - JUST FOR CLICK. WELL FIRST THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC FOR THE COMMENTS. I DID HAVE SIMILAR QUESTIONS AROUND, IF THIS IS JUST GONNA BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AND IF SO, DO WE KNOW IF ANY OF THE CITIES HAVE SIMILAR PROGRAMS CURRENTLY ADOPTED? - SO IT IS IMPLEMENTED BY JURISDICTION. SO THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THEIR OWN TO IMPLEMENT THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE A MUCH LARGER LIFT FOR THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE VAST VOLUME OF HISTORICAL PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ. SO MY OFFICE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT. 'CAUSE IF THEY ENROLL A HUNDRED PROPERTIES, WE CAN'T DO THAT. MY, MY OFFICE CANNOT HANDLE THAT MANY VALUATIONS. UM, BUT THAT'S A SEPARATE THING THEY HAVE. BUT YES, IT'S, IT'S ENACTED BY JURISDICTION. - AND THEN I GUESS THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE PURCHASED RECENTLY HISTORIC PROPERTIES. THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE RENOVATIONS. THIS COMES FORWARD, IS THERE ANY WAY TO KIND OF RETROACTIVELY, I MEAN THEY, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THEY ADOPT THE PROGRAM, THEY WANT TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM. ARE THERE ANY SAVINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, FROM WHEN THEY PURCHASE THE PROPERTY RETROACTIVELY UH, TO WHEN THEY SIGN THE CONTRACTS OR HOW WOULD IT WORK IF THE PROPERTIES ARE LIKE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS? - YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO RETROACTIVITY. UM, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. I DO WANNA STRESS THAT THERE IS PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS, BUT THE TAX SAVINGS AREN'T GONNA PAY FOR THE RENOVATIONS, RIGHT? THE RENOVATIONS ARE GONNA BE MUCH MORE THAN THE ACTUAL PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS, BUT IT IS AN INCENTIVE. IT DOES HELP. AND THE, UM, THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY BENEFITS PROPERTIES THAT ARE PURCHASED MORE RECENTLY BECAUSE OF HOW PROP 13 WORKS. SO THE LONGER YOU OWN THE PROPERTY UNDER PROP 13, THE LOWER THE ASSESSED VALUE WOULD BE. SO IT'S THE NEWER ONES AND THAT'S WHY ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER 37 PROPERTIES MAY NOT BE INTERESTED BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE A REALLY LOW VALUE. [03:00:03] BUT THAT BRINGS IN PROP 19 WHICH DOES AFFECT THIS BECAUSE NOW INHERITED PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, ARE GOING TO BE REASSESSED AT MARKET. SO THOSE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS MIGHT ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW BE ASSESSED AT MARKET. SO THIS WOULD HELP THEM, UM, LOWER THEIR PROPERTY TAX BASE TO SOME DEGREE. - GREAT, THANKS. AND THEN I GUESS JUST THE COMMENT I'LL MAKE, I MEAN, I'M REALLY STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE. I KNOW IT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA SEE SOME IMPACTS TO PROPERTY TAX, BUT IT'S VERY MINUSCULE, UM, IN COMPARISON TO THE LOSS OF OUR HISTORY. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CITIES IN EUROPE THAT WE GO TO WHERE YOU CAN SEE BUILDINGS THAT ARE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD, LIKE THAT'S PART OF WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO THOSE PLACES AND EVEN HERE, ALTHOUGH WE'RE A MUCH YOUNGER COUNTRY AND A MUCH YOUNGER CITY IN COMPARISON TO SOME OF THE CITIES ON THE EAST COAST. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR HISTORY AS PART OF OUR IDENTITY AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO TEACH PEOPLE WHO COME HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SANTA CRUZ USED TO LOOK LIKE VERSUS WHAT IT IS NOW. AND AS SOMEONE WHO, UH, USED TO LIVE IN LA BAHÍA BEFORE IT GOT TORN DOWN, I MEAN, THAT WAS A REALLY COOL BUILDING AND HOW IT WAS LAID OUT. AND IT WAS LABELED AS A HISTORIC BUILDING, BUT DUE TO A LACK OF LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE AND THERE'S ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF IT THAT'S BEEN SAVED, AND NOW WE HAVE A GIGANTIC HOTEL SURROUNDING IT. SO I'M REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF HISTORY AND PRESERVING OUR HISTORY, AND I SEE THIS AS A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND HELP INCENTIVIZE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE PROPERTIES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - I'LL TAKE IT BACK OVER HERE TO SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, I JUST APPRECIATE THE STAFF MEMO INCITING THAT, UH, THIS PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY CREATED TO SAVE THE CORONADO HOTEL IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA. AND OF COURSE, THE PARALLELS TO OUR OWN BAYVIEW HOTEL ARE OBVIOUS AND, UM, THERE WAS A SALE THAT FELL THROUGH ON THAT HOTEL AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THE INCENTIVE OF THE MILLS ACT ADOPTION HERE BY THIS BOARD TODAY WILL BE ENOUGH TO MOVE THAT FORWARD INTO, UH, PRODUCTIVE PROPERTY. AGAIN, I MEAN, WE'RE SORT OF, CLEARLY WE'RE RESTRICTED AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW BIG THAT INCENTIVE IS. AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, IT PROBABLY WON'T PAY FOR ALL THE REPAIRS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW THOUSAND BUCKS A YEAR IT'S, UM, IT'S BETTER THAN A POKE IN THE EYE. UM, SO, UM, IT DOES, SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS SAID, UH, YOU, YOU COULD STILL... THE, THE ACT IS NOT RETROACTIVE. LIKE IT CAN'T GET BACK PROPERTY TAXES REFUNDED. BUT EVEN IF YOU'VE OWNED A PROPERTY FOR MULTIPLE YEARS YOU COULD STILL APPLY FOR ASSESSMENT UNDER THE MILLS ACT VALUE, RIGHT? - ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN OWN IT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME AND STILL APPLY. - OKAY, GREAT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER, I MEAN, I, I NOTICED IN THE PRESENTATION THERE WAS QUITE A FEW PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SORT OF HEADLINERS LIKE THE BAYVIEW HOTEL THAT MIGHT, UM, WE EXPECT OR HOPE MIGHT APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM? - I'VE HAD NO WORD, UH, OF, OF SERIOUS INTEREST, BUT I'VE BEEN PUTTING THE WORD OUT TO SOME PEOPLE THAT IT'S COMING THEIR WAY. - OKAY, THANKS. AND OF COURSE, HOPEFULLY, UM, WHATEVER LOSSES WE SEE IN PROPERTY TAXES FROM THIS, WE MAKE UP IN TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAXES OR SALES TAXES. THANKS. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANKS, SO, UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, EVERYTHING MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID TODAY. MONTEREY COUNTY HAS HAD THIS IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THEY DON'T HAVE 20 THOUGH, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LESS MAYBE 10, UM, BUILDINGS ARE ALLOWED IN THE MILLS ACT. UM, ONE OF THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS I HAD, UH, WITH, UH, THE COMMISSIONER ON MY HISTORIC, UM, COMMISSION UH, WAS WITH KEVIN NEWHOUSE, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD THE CONVERSATION IN THE BAYVIEW HOTEL TOGETHER AND IT WAS ABOUT THE MILLS ACT. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. - I'LL SECOND. - WE, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG. IF WE COULD TAKE... - MA'AM. - MA'AM. - MA'AM. [INAUDIBLE] - YEAH, BUT WE, I DID PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'RE GONNA, WE CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT. CAN WE, CAN WE TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. - YES. SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THIS HEARING. I DON'T THINK THE ITEM 11 IS GONNA BE FINISHED IN 20 MINUTES. UH, SHOULD WE TAKE A RECESS NOW AND COME BACK AT 1:00? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL COME BACK AT 1:00 FOR A SCHEDULED ITEM AT ONE O'CLOCK. [INAUDIBLE] - IT'S LIKE A 30... - RECORDING STOPPED. [SILENCE] [03:05:05] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE] RECORDING IN PROGRESS. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - YOU READY? [SILENCE] [20. Consider update on the California Governor's May Revision to the Proposed 2025-26 Budget] - WE'LL NOW RECONVENE FOR THE ONE O'CLOCK SCHEDULED ITEM. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS IT- ITEM NUMBER 20, CONSIDER UPDATE ON CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION TO THE PROPOSED 2025-2026 BUDGET. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARCUS PIMENTEL, BUDGET MANAGER FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND... - HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M NICOLE COBURN, ASSISTANT CEO, AND I'M JOINED TODAY BY MARCUS PIMENTEL, OUR COUNTY BUDGET MANAGER. WE ARE GOING TO, LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, INVITE DIRECTOR MONICA MORALES OF OUR HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY TO TALK ABOUT IMPACTS TO HEALTH SERVICES, AS WELL AS DIRECTOR RANDY MORRIS OF OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. UM, I WILL START JUST BY EMPHASIZING, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, AS YOU KNOW, IS VERY RELIANT ON STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING. AND WE'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION. [03:10:02] BUT MARCUS, IF YOU WANT TO- WE'LL START OFF WITH THE TIMELINES, UM, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, KEY CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE MAY REVISION. UHM, LUCKILY, WE HAVEN'T SEE- SEEN A HUGE IMPACT TO THE COUNTY. THERE WILL BE SOME UH, MINOR CHANGES HERE AND THERE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PIVOT TO. BUT I'M GONNA LET MARCUS START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TIMELINES, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS. WHERE'S...? OH, THERE IT IS, SORRY. - THANK YOU, NICOLE. AS YOU KNOW, HALF OUR COUNTY BUDGET IS FUNDED THROUGH STATE AND FEDERAL SOURCES. SO WHEN THERE ARE ANY CHANGES AT THE STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL, IT IMMEDIATELY ALTERS SOMETIMES FOR THE GOOD, BUT MANY TIMES IN RECENTLY PUT SIGNIFICANT THREATS AND RISKS ON OUR COUNTY BUDGET. ON MAY 2ND, THE PRESIDENT RELEASED HIS TOP LINE DISCRETIONARY BUDGET. THAT'S A NON-BINDING BUDGET THAT WAS SENT TO CONGRESS AND FOR APPROPRIATIONS. UH, CONGRESS IS WORKING ON THE RESOLUTIONS TO SET THOSE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS THE HOUSE IS WORKING ON THE RECONCILIATION BILL THAT WOULD EXTEND PROVISIONS OF THE 2017 TAX CUTS AND ADVANCE FURTHER OF THE CUTS, UH, AS PROPOSED BY THE PRESIDENT, IDENTIFYING CUTS TO PROGRAMS LIKE MEDI-CAL, UH, SNAP, UHM, NUTRITION BENEFITS, STUDENT LOANS, AND OTHER- OTHER AREAS OF FUNDING. CONGRESS MUST APPROVE A FULL YEAR BUDGET BY THEIR OCTOBER 1ST START OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY OFTEN DON'T, AND THEY ADOPT CONTINUAL RESOLUTIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT EXTENDS THEIR FUNDING. BUT THEIR AIM IS TO HAVE A FULLY FUNDED BUDGET BY OCTOBER 1ST OF THE START OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR. THE STATE, MOVING DOWN TO THE STATE LEVEL IN THEIR TIMELINE, THE GOVERNOR RELEASED HIS BUDGET FOUR MONTHS EARLIER ON JANUARY 10TH TO- TO CALIFORNIA. AND JUST LAST WEEK, WEDNESDAY, RELEASED THE MAY REVISION TO THE STATE BUDGET. AS WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT, WHILE THE MAY REVISION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN ITS REDUCTIONS MORE THAN WE EXPECTED AND MORE THAN HE THOUGHT IN JUST LAST MONTH AND SOME PUBLIC UH, STATEMENTS HE MADE. NONETHELESS, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT THREATS AND RISKS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PROPOSALS THAT WOULD IMPACT AND REDUCE COMMUNITY- COMMUNITY'S ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, AND THAT WILL CERTAINLY HAVE OUR DIRECTORS, RANDY MORRIS AND MONICA MORALES SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION. THE GOVERNOR, OR THE STATE, IS REQUIRED TO PASS LEGISLATION TO ENACT THE BUDGET BY JUNE 15TH. PAUSE FOR EFFECT. THEY OFTEN DO, AND THEN OFTEN AMEND THAT BUDGET BEGINNING JUNE 16TH, A DAY LATER, AND GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER IN WHAT'S CALLED BUDGET JUNIOR BILLS. SO THEY ENACT A BUDGET THAT'S KIND OF IN PLACE, AND THEN THEY SPEND THE NEXT TWO MONTHS REALLY PUTTING TOGETHER ALL THE BUDGET DETAILS. SO JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST ARE OFTEN BUSY MONTHS WHERE THE REST OF THE STATE'S BUDGET COMES TOGETHER IN WHAT'S CALLED BUDGET JUNIOR BILLS. SOMETIMES IT GOES ALL THE WAY INTO SEPTEMBER. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE SIX BUDGET JUNIOR BILLS THAT FOR- TOGETHER FORMED THE ENTIRE STATE BUDGET. AND THERE ARE 24 OTHER BUDGET TRAILER BILLS THAT HAD BUDGET IMPACTS TO THE BUDGET. SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AFTER JUNE 15TH WHEN THE STATE MUST ADOPT A BUDGET THAT WILL STILL PROVIDE ALL THE DETAILS. SO WHAT THAT'S LEADING TO IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR A WHILE, FOR US, WE MIGHT NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THESE DETAILS AND PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS UNTIL THE FALL, AND MAYBE LATE FALL, WE'RE TALKING SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, WHEN ALL THE DETAILS ARE REALLY KNOWN, AND WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT ARE THREATS TO FUNDING AND WHAT ARE THREATS TO SERVICES AND WHAT'S THE COMBINATION THEREOF. [PAUSE] AND OF COURSE, OUR OWN COUNTY, WE'VE PRESENTED OUR BUDGET EARLY ON APRIL 29TH. UHM, WE ARE- WE HELD A BUDGET HEARING ON THE 29TH. WE'LL CONTINUE BUDGET HEARINGS ON JUNE 3RD, JUNE 4TH, AND MOVE TO APPROVING THE BUDGET JUNE 10TH AND COME BACK ON SEPTEMBER 30TH FOR FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION. [PAUSE] AS MENTIONED, UHM, THE STATE AND US RELY HEAVILY ON FEDERAL FUNDING. OF THE STATE'S $492 BILLION TOTAL BUDGET, 170 BILLION COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 322 BILLION IS FROM OTHER STATE FUNDS. OF THAT 322 BILLION, THERE'S ABOUT 230 BILLION THAT'S THEIR STATE GENERAL FUND. UHM, AS WE'LL MENTION BRIEFLY, THE TOTAL BUDGET, THIS SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU SHOWS THEIR JANUARY PROPOSED BUDGET. IT'S COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THE TOTAL BUDGET ACTUALLY ONLY DECREASED BY 375 MILLION, WHICH IS NOT THE 12 BILLION THEY TALKED ABOUT. AND THE STATE'S GENERAL FUND BUDGET ONLY DECREASED BY TWO AND A HALF MILLION. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON. [PAUSE] AS MENTIONED, WE ARE HEAVILY RELIANT, AND YOU'VE SEEN THIS DATA BEFORE, WE ARE HEAVILY RELIANT ON THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDING, 57% OF THE TOTAL COUNTYWIDE IS FUNDED BY FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS. AND I'M SAYING, SORRY, 47% COUNTYWIDE AND 57% IS THE GENERAL FUND SHARE. THOSE PROGRAMS INCLUDE ALL OF OUR MEDI-CAL PROGRAMS, CALWORKS, CALFRESH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, CLINIC SERVICES. THEY HELP FUND AND PROTECT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, [03:15:01] SUPPORT OUR VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, AND STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY TO MAINTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE. WE DESPERATELY RELY ON THESE FUNDING SOURCES. [PAUSE] - SO I'M- AS A REMINDER, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR RELATED TO FEDERAL POLICY REAL IMPACTS ON OUR BUDGET. UHM, WE'VE HAD SOME UH, MORE PROCEDURAL IMPACTS RELATED TO PASSPORTS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM VOTER ELIGIBILITY IN ELECTIONS. WE LOST THE $20 MILLION PHASE TWO BREAK GRANT THAT WOULD HAVE BEE- PROVIDED WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION IN OUR COUNTY IN SIX DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, AS WELL AS $420,000 TO IMPROVE THE PAJARO LEVY AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND THEN HEALTH SERVICES IN PARTICULAR LOST ABOUT OVER $400,000 IN VARIOUS GRANTS, UHM WHICH INCLUDED 5.7 FTES THAT WERE FUNDED THROUGH THOSE GRANTS, ALTHOUGH THEY PIVOTED VERY QUICKLY AS WE ALREADY MENTIONED, TO SAVE THOSE POSITIONS WITH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. AND AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT EVEN THOUGH WE LOST THE MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATIONAL PILOT PROJECT FUNDING, THE PILOT PROJECT ITSELF IS CONTINUING JUST WITH OTHER SOURCES AND WITH EXISTING STAFF. UHM, SO THAT'S- WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THESE IMPACTS THROUGH OUR FEDERAL POLICY RESPONSE TEAM AND ADAPT AND MITIGATE TO ANY CHANGES. SO IN TERMS OF A FEDERAL BUDGET THAT IS OUT THERE AND THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, CONGRESS IS GOING THROUGH RECONCILIATION FOR THE 2025 BUDGET AND THE PRESIDENT HAD INTRODUCED HIS PROPOSED REQUEST FOR THE 2026 BUDGET. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO MEDICAID, WHICH IS MEDI-CAL IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH PROVIDES ALL OF OUR HEALTH, DENTAL, VISION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND OTHER INSURANCE FOR, UHM, UP TO 90,000 PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY AND THESE CHANGES COULD HAVE FAR REACHING RAMIFICATIONS ON OUR POPULATION WHO RECEIVES MEDI-CAL BASED ON INSTITUTING MORE FREQUENT ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS BY IMPOSING WORK REQUIREMENTS. UHM, THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES THAT ARE PROPOSED RELATED TO OUR DEMONSTRATION WAIVERS AND PROVIDER TAX RATES. SO IN ALL THESE COULD HAVE VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS HERE LOCALLY AND THIS BOARD HAS ADVOCATED AGAINST THESE CHANGES AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO MESSAGE THAT UM, TO OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION. IN TERMS OF THE 2026 BUDGET, THE PRESIDENT HAS PROPOSED A 22% CUT TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING AND LABOR PROGRAMS. THIS INCLUDES AN OVER 40% CUT TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS INCLUDING HEAD START, THE LOW INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT BRO- BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AND TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION TO NAME A FEW. SO THIS PROPOSAL AND HIS REQUEST IS CONTINUING TO EVOLVE AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS IN CONGRESS, BUT ALL IN ALL IT LOOKS TO HAVE FAR REACHING IMPACTS ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. UHM, IN TERMS OF THOSE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, I MENTIONED THE ALMOST 90,000 PEOPLE IN MEDI-CAL HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. WE BELIEVE ALMOST 30,000 PEOPLE COULD BE AT RISK A- OF BEING LOSING THEIR MEDI-CAL BASED ON FEDERAL POLICY CHANGES. UHM, SO THAT COULD BE- THAT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT. UHM, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER CUTS POTENTIALLY OR CHANGES IN SNAP OR SUP- THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALFRESH IN CAL- IN CALIFORNIA AND DIRECTOR MORRIS IS GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THAT. THAT COULD BE VERY BAD FOR CALIFORNIA AND OUR COUNTY. AND I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THAT OUR FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN KIND OF A HOLDING PATTERN WE HAVE $90 MILLION OUTSTANDING UH, FROM THAT FEMA. WE'RE RELYING ON THESE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR OUR DEBT THAT WE ISSUED LAST YEAR. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DON'T GET THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS AND AREN'T ABLE TO PAY DEBT SERVICE, THAT FALLS ON THE GENERAL FUND AND THE ROAD FUND. SO JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER, AND I AM GOING- WE SHOULD- AS MARCUS NOTED, UHM, THE FEDERAL PROCESS IS GONNA CONTINUE [03:20:03] THROUGH THE SUMMER. THEY'RE WORKING ON RECONCILIATION IN JULY AND THEN THEY HAVE TO GET TO THE NEW 2026 BUDGET AS WELL. SO LOTS HAPPENING OVER THE SUMMER. IF WE GET TO SOME SORT OF RECONCILIATION AGREEMENT, THEN WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER OR AS PART OF ADOPTED. AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS FOR THE NEW FISCAL FEDERAL BUDGET, STARTING OCTOBER 1ST, WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU AGAIN FOR THAT. SO THIS IS A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION AND WE ANTICIPATE UHM, RETURNING AS NEEDED. OH, HIT THAT ONE. CAN YOU JUST FORWARD IT? OKAY. - SO I'LL PREFACE THIS WITH MOVING BACK TO THE STATE LEVEL. GOVERNOR LAST WEDNESDAY RELEASED THE MAY REVISE ON THE BACKDROP OF THEIR CURRENT YEAR REVENUES EXCEEDING THEIR EXPECTATION, THEIR CASH BALANCES BEING AT HISTORICALLY HIGH LEVELS. SO WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A REDUCTION? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A REDUCTION BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY CATEGORIZED IN THESE SLIDES AS A FEDERAL THREAT BUT THE ACTIONS OF WASHINGTON HAVE THROWN OUR ECONOMY INTO A PERIOD OF INSTABILITY AND THE STATE IS HAVING TO REACT AND REDUCE THEIR PROJECTIONS JUST LIKE WE HAD TO DO IN SOME OF OUR CONSUMER SPENDING PROJECTIONS BECAUSE OF OTHER FEDERAL ACTIONS THAT ARE NOW DRIVING THE ENTIRE ECONOMY AND TO SOME EXTENT THE WORLD ECONOMY INTO A VERY UNSTABLE PLACE. UNSTABLENESS IS BAD FOR A LOT OF PROJECTIONS AND IT'S BAD FOR CONSUMER CONFIDENCE. NEARLY 70% OF THEIR GDP IS CONSUMERS AND JUST REPORTED CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. AND SO WE'RE REALLY RELYING ON THE HIGH INCOME EARNERS TO DRIVE CONSUMER SPENDING BECAUSE ONCE THERE'S A PULLBACK ON EVERYBODY ELSE, THE UNCERTAINTY WILL TRIGGER A REALITY OF AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. SO THE STATE IS PROJECTING DESPITE REVENUES BETTER THAN FORECAST DESPITE CASH BALANCES BETTER THAN THEY EXPECTED, THEY'RE PROJECTING A DEFICIT WORSE THAN THEY EXPECTED. AND THAT'S WHERE THE $12 BILLION CURRENT DEFICIT IS COMING FROM AT THE STATE LEVEL. TO SOLVE THEIR $12 BILLION DEFICIT, THEY REALLY ONLY TACKLED ABOUT 5 BILLION OF THAT IN REDUCTIONS. UHM, SO W- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A REDUCTION LEVEL OF ABOUT 2% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND. SO IN- I-I-IN CONTEXT, 12 BILLION SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S 2% OF THEIR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. SO IT'S A SMALL SHARE AND THAT'S WHY THE IMPACTS TO US ARE NOT NECESSARILY, THEY'RE NOT SIGNIFICANT YET, BUT THE IMPACTS TO OUR COMMUNITY ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND IN- IN- WE'LL HAVE OUR TWO DIRECTORS SPEAK TO THAT. UHM, IN WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AT THEIR STATE LEVEL IS WHAT WE'RE FEELING AT OUR LOCAL LEVEL. OUR FORECASTS HAVE ALSO PULLED BACK. WE'VE DOWNGRADED SALES TAX. WE'VE DOWNGRADED OUR FEMA COLLECTION. WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN ACTIONS TO DOWNGRADE OUR OWN REVENUE STREAMS BECAUSE OF THESE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY. THE STATE'S AT THE SAME POSITION. SO WHAT THIS FEDERAL LEVEL IS ALREADY HAVING FEDERAL IMPACTS TO US FROM A FUNDING LEVEL, IT'S JUST IN- INDIRECT WITH THE ECONOMY. [PAUSE] SO SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO HIGHLIGHT ARE; FREEZING ACCESS TO MEDI-CAL BEGINNING NEXT JANUARY TO UNDOCUMENTED ADULTS, 19 AND OLDER, CUTS TO LONG-TERM CARE FOR UNDOCUMENTED ADULTS, REDUCTIONS IN CAPS ON IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, PUTTING A CAP ON HOW MUCH EXTRA TIME THAT CAN BE SPENT AND REIMBURSED UH, REDUCING BENEFITS IN DENTAL, REDUCING ACCESS TO CLINICAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOR COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS. THESE WERE TYPICALLY GRANTS ALLOCATED TO FUND FACILITY EXPANSION. THERE IS NO FUNDING FOR PROP 36 APPROVED BY THE VOTERS THAT WE ARE ALL NOW REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT. AND THERE'S NO NEW FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO IMPLEMENT THIS CREATING YET ANOTHER NEW UNFUNDED MANDATE. THERE'S ALSO NO NEW FUNDING AS WE EXPECTED THERE MIGHT BE FOR THE HOMELESS- THE HAP PROGRAM WHERE WE GET FUNDING FOR HOMELESS ACTIVITIES. WE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE FUNDING IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE. THERE IS NO FUNDING IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE. THERE IS NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS. THERE IS, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE THIS MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT STATE FUNDED MANDATES. THERE'S ALSO A UNIQUE PROVISION THAT I, IN MY OPINION, MIGHT BE ILLEGAL, WHERE THEY'RE RETROACTIVELY INVALIDATING A REQUIREMENT FOR STATE MANDATES. AND IN THIS EXAMPLE, THEY'RE GOING BACK TO 2009 THROUGH 2017 IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR SOME WATER MANDATES AND SAYING THOSE THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAD TO DO FOR NINE YEARS BETWEEN- OR EIGHT YEARS BETWEEN 2009, 2017 THAT WERE MANDATED. WE'RE NO LONGER GONNA REQUIRE THAT. OH, BY THE WAY, RETROACTIVELY, NOW THOSE THINGS ARE INVALID WHICH IS A NEW THING WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE. SO THAT'S CREATIVE. UHM, WE HAVE ABOUT 2.4 BILLION- MILLION OF UNFUNDED MANDATES. [03:25:01] SO WE HOPE THAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT- THAT TEST MOMENT DOESN'T EXTEND TO THE REST OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATES FOR US AND THE REST OF THE COUNTIES AND CITIES. AND THERE'S A- THERE'S SOME INTERESTING STUFF IN THE WEEDS OF THIS BUDGET. AND WE'RE STARTING TO FIND THAT OUT. YOU KNOW, LAST WEDNESDAY, THE TOP LINE LEVEL WAS RELEASED. AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL KEEP LEARNING MORE AND MORE DETAILS OF WHAT'S REALLY IN THE WEEDS OF THIS BUDGET DOCUMENT. UHM, JUST TO REITERATE THE- THE SIZE OF THE CUT IS REALLY PRETTY SMALL IN THE STATE BUDGET, 2% OF THEIR BUDGET AND THEIR TOTAL BUDGET- THEIR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, SHRUNK ONLY ABOUT 2 BILLION TO SOLVE A $12 BILLION DEFICIT. SO THEY REALLY RELIED ON A LOT OF INTERNAL FINANCING OPTIONS TO CORRECT THEIR BUDGET DEFICIT. AND WITH THAT, BEFORE WE PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS, I WANNA ASK UH, DIRECTORS RANDY MORRIS AND MONICA MORALES TO COME SPEAK. [SILENCE] - SO MIKE, I MEAN, OKAY. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND BOARD MEMBERS. IT'S A SOMBER TIME AND I'M ALSO AWARE YOU HAD A LONG MORNING AND MORE AGENDA ITEMS. SO I'M GONNA TRY TO FIND THE SWEET SPOT OF SHARING ENOUGH INFORMATION AND THEN WE'RE HERE FOR QUESTION AND ANSWER. UHM, WE DECIDED HEALTH AND HUMAN, THAT HUMAN WILL GO FIRST IN LARGE PART BECAUSE THE SINGLE LARGEST IMPACT IN THE STATE AND FEDERAL ACTIVITY IS MEDICAID OR MEDI-CAL IN CALIFORNIA. AND AS A REMINDER, OR AS A PIECE OF EDUCATION, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, CALIFORNIA HAS A MANDATE THAT ONLY COUNTY HUMAN SERVICE ELIGIBILITY WORKERS CAN DETERMINE AND RENEW ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDI-CAL. SO WE'RE SORT OF THE PIECE OF THE PUBLIC SYSTEM THAT IS MANDATED AND AUTHORIZED TO ESTABLISH AND RENEW MEDI-CAL. AND THEN WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTHCARE AGENCY AND ALL OF THEIR PARTNERS IN MANAGED CARE AND HOSPITALS AND NONPROFITS. SO THAT'S WHY, UM, I'M GOING FIRST INTENTIONALLY TO SORT OF BRIDGE THAT GAP AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MONICA. UM, THE MAY REVISE IS NOT AS BAD AS WE PREDICTED. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING THAT WAS SHARED WITH YOU TODAY AND WHAT'S GONNA PLAY OUT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD WILL REALLY DETERMINE WHAT AND HOW, UM, EVERYTHING WILL SETTLE. I'M GONNA SHARE FIRST WITH YOU THE DIVISIONS THAT WE MANAGE, UM, THAT ARE NOT THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM. THAT'S WHERE I'LL END BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME MEANINGFUL CUTS THAT MEAN A LOT TO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'M GONNA START WITH THE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM. UM, IT WAS MENTIONED, MARCUS MENTIONED OUR BUDGET MANAGER, THAT FOR PROVIDERS WHO ARE PROVIDING IN-HOME CARE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED ON MEDI-CAL DUE TO FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR OVERTIME. IN ORDER TO HELP MANAGE THE BUDGET THE STATE IS PROPOSING TO LIMIT AND CAP THE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN PRACTICE IS WHEN FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE THE PRIMARY CAREGIVERS, UH, ARE WORKING OVERTIME AND GETTING TIME AND A HALF, THEY'RE GONNA BE LIMITED AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE, FIND ANOTHER CAREGIVER AT REGULAR TIME PAY, UNDERSTAND IT'S A BUDGET SAVING ISSUE, BUT HAS REAL IMPACTS ON REAL PEOPLE. SECOND, INSIGHT BUT THIS IS PART OF THE THEME, VERY NUANCED, BUT A BIG DEAL FOR US AND BIG DEAL FOR OUR BUDGET. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT APPLIED FOR, OR STATE GOVERNMENT APPLIED FOR A WAIVER IN IHSS, WHICH INCREASED THE SHARING RATIO FROM 50% TO 56% OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR OUR PROGRAM. BUT IN ORDER TO GET THAT 56%, YOU HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH A FEW THINGS. AND CALIFORNIA IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE AND CALIFORNIA IS GETTING PENALIZED AND THE STATE MAY REVISE. THE STATE IS PROPOSING THE COUNTIES HAVE TO SHOULDER THAT BURDEN. SO THAT 6% DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO LAND AND LIKE REAL MONEY THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO BUDGET FOR IF THIS PASSES. IN OUR CHILD WELFARE DIVISION. UM, THERE ARE TWO PROPOSED CUTS, BOTH OF WHICH WILL IMPACT NONPROFITS. SOME VERY SENSITIVE TO WHAT HAPPENED WHEN OUR HEALTHCARE AGENCY WAS HERE ON APRIL 29TH AND THE NONPROFITS THAT CAME FORWARD AND SAID, PLEASE DON'T CUT FIND ALTERNATE FUNDING. WELL, I JUST WANNA NAME THAT THESE ARE TWO PROPOSED CUTS THAT WILL IMPACT PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE FIRST IS, UM, FARS A PROGRAM THAT'S RUN BY A NONPROFIT IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDES A HOTLINE AND A MOBILE RESPONSE SYSTEM TO CAREGIVERS WHO ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO CARE FOR FOSTER CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE. AND THIS PROGRAM IS PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED BY ALMOST HALF, WHICH IN TURN WE WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE OUR BUDGET. UM, THE SECOND IS EMERGENCY CHILDCARE FOR CAREGIVERS WHO HAVE CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY 'CAUSE OF THE COMPLICATIONS OF SOMETIMES THE CHILDREN THEY'RE CARING FOR IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES. THERE IS EMERGENCY CHILDCARE AVAILABLE TO CAREGIVERS AND IT IS PROPOSED THAT THAT BUDGET ALMOST BE CUT IN HALF AS WELL. SO THESE ARE TWO REAL IMPACTS IN THE CHILD WELFARE DIVISION. THE SECOND TO LAST DIVISION I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, 'CAUSE THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA DANCE A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN THE MAY REVISE AND FEDERAL, AND THAT'S OUR HOUSING FOR HEALTH DIVISION. I KNOW THIS IS A SUPER MEANINGFUL ISSUE TO THIS COMMUNITY. WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR MANDATE AND HOUSING FOR HEALTH TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EVERYBODY OR THE STATE. I FEEL I, IT WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY ONE OF MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN POLITICAL TALK FROM OUR GOVERNOR AND ACTUALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PRACTICE. SO HE HAS, CONTINUES HIS INSISTENCE IN THE MAY REVISE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NOTHING TO DO WITH STATE GOVERNMENT. I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THE IRONY. HIS RHETORIC IS THAT HE, UH, HE FUNDS SUCCESS, [03:30:04] BUT IN PRACTICE OUR FUNDING ALLOCATION HAS BEEN GOING DOWN EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT. SO THE ACTUAL FUNDING FORMULA FROM THE STATE THAT FUNDS OUR PROGRAMS CALLED HHAP, HOMELESS HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM HAS BEEN STEADILY GOING DOWN BECAUSE OUR FUNDING GOES DOWN WHEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL. SO IN THE MAY REVISE, UH, MARCUS MENTIONED THIS, THAT THERE IS A PROPOSED CUT TO THE NEXT ROUND OF HHAP BUT I DO WANNA SHARE THAT THE CURRENT FUNDING ROUND CALLED HHAP SIX REMAINS IN THE BUDGET. AND THAT WILL ACTUALLY PLAY OUT IN THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS. AND WE'LL ACTUALLY BE IN FRONT OF YOUR BOARD TO ASK TO APPROVE THAT FUNDING. BUT HHAP SEVEN IS ELIMINATED FROM THE MAY REVISE. SO FUTURE FUNDING IS PROPOSED TO BE CUT. THERE IS ALSO TWO CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES GRANTS PROPOSED TO BE ENTIRELY ELIMINATED THAT HELP PREVENT HOMELESSNESS IN TWO UPPER DIVISIONS. ONE IS CALLED APS HOME SAFE. THIS IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE REFERRED TO OUR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM. THEY ARE AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOUSING AS AN ISSUE. WE HAVE A FUNDING STREAM TO HELP THEM KEEP THEIR HOUSING. THAT PROGRAM IS ELIMINATED FOR ELIMINATION. AND SECOND IS IN THE CHILD WELFARE DIVISION, A PROGRAM CALLED BRINGING FAMILIES HOME. THAT IS A PROGRAM THAT WHEN CHILDREN ARE BEING REUNIFIED WITH THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR FAMILY IS LOW INCOME AND STRUGGLING TO AFFORD HOUSING, THERE IS FUNDING TO HELP THEM GET AND KEEP HOUSING FOR A BRIDGE PERIOD. THAT PROGRAM IS SLATED FOR ENTIRE ELIMINATION. [PAUSE] UM, I WILL ALSO PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING MARCUS SAID BECAUSE THIS I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERLINE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THAT IS THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE TO OUR LOCAL COC UM, HOUSING FOR HEALTH PARTNERSHIP. TWO BOARD MEMBERS ARE ON THAT. THE SECRET SAUCE THAT WE HAVE FOUND IN OUR FOUR YEARS OF RUNNING THE HOUSING FOR HEALTH DIVISION IS BRINGING RENTAL ASSISTANCE WITH A PACKAGE OF SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED SECURE AND KEEP THEIR HOUSING. THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN MARKET RATE HOUSING WHICH IS UNAFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE ON SSI AND LOW INCOME, RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS THE HUB OF THE SERVICE WHEEL OF EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO TO HELP PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREETS AND INTO HOUSING OR KEEP THEIR HOUSING. HUD IS PROPOSING TO REDUCE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SERVICES BY ALMOST 50%. IF THAT HAPPENS, THE IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA'S ABILITY TO HELP DEAL WITH THE UNSHELTERED CRISIS IS IN SEVERE CRISIS. SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT. AND I WILL END WITH THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE, I CALL THE TRIFECTA OF ANTI-POVERTY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMS WHICH IS WELFARE TO WORK, SNAP OR CALFRESH, FORMERLY FOOD STAMPS. AND THEN I'M GONNA END WITH MEDICAID OR MEDI-CAL. FORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE FEDS NOR THE STATE PROPOSE ANY CUTS CALWORKS TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE. THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE, BUT THESE ARE VERY MEANINGFUL SERVICES, VERY MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS. OFTEN SINGLE PARENTS LIVING IN POVERTY WHO HELPED GET TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITH THE SERVICES OF CALWORKS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO PROPOSED CUTS THERE AT THE STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL, WHICH WE WERE SURPRISED. BUT I WANNA TAKE SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS IN THE MAY REVISE TO THE STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM. MARCUS MENTIONED THEM. TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE AT UH, AT UH, UNDUPLICATED A YEAR ALMOST 90,000 PEOPLE ON MEDI-CAL IN SANTA CRUZ. I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT 27,000 CHILDREN. ABOUT 9,000 ARE OVER 65. AND TO THE POINT I'LL BRING UP ABOUT 08,500 ARE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT AND APPRECIATE OUR EBSD DIVISION AND OUR MANY, MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO HAVE FOUND A WAY TO HELP UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS NOT BE FEARFUL TO ACTUALLY PUT THEIR NAME IN A GOVERNMENT DATABASE TO GET THIS HEALTHCARE. AND THAT IS AN ART THAT I THINK OUR COUNTY HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF TO SEE THE PENETRATION RATE TO HAVE 08,500 PEOPLE DURING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY. AND THE WAY OUR CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION TALKS ABOUT UNDOCUMENTED. SO WE HAVE 8,500 PEOPLE, THAT IS STATE FUNDED ONLY, NO FEDERAL MONEY. SO THE IMPACTS ON THE MAY REVISE ARE THREEFOLD FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. NUMBER ONE, FOR ANYBODY WHO IS 19 OR OLDER AND AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT EFFECTIVE JANUARY, 2026, THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. SO THERE WILL BE A SPRINT IF THIS PASSES FOR SIX MONTHS TO TRY TO GET EVERY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT AND EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26, THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY EVEN IF THEY WERE ELIGIBLE TODAY. NUMBER TWO, EFFECTIVE YEAR AFTER THAT JANUARY OF '27, THERE WILL BE A $100 PREMIUM EVERY SINGLE MONTH REQUIRED OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT TO RETAIN THEIR MEDI-CAL. AND IF THEY DON'T PAY IT, THEY DEFAULT TO RESTRICTED MEDI-CAL, WHICH MEANS THEY ONLY GET EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THEY DO NOT, THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO REAPPLY. AND NUMBER THREE, AND THIS IS WHERE I START PASSING A BATON TO THE HEALTH AGENCY, THERE IS AN ELIMINATION OF LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED ON, ON MEDI-CAL. [03:35:02] AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND MANY OTHERS AND DENTAL COVERAGE, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. UM, THE LAST STATE MEDI-CAL, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT INSIDE BASEBALL BUT IT'S VERY MEANINGFUL, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY. EFFECTIVE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THE STATE RAISED WHAT'S CALLED THE ASSET TEST FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AGE BLIND AND DISABLED AND ELIGIBLE FOR MEDI-CAL SO THAT THEY COULD GET ON MEDI-CAL IF THEY'RE AGE BLIND AND DISABLED AND HAD ASSETS. THEY THEN ELIMINATED IT TWO YEARS AGO. THE STATE BUDGET PROPOSES TO BRING BACK THE ASSET TEST AT $2,000 FOR A PERSON OR 3000 FOR A COUPLE. WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE ASSETS, YOU CANNOT GET MEDI-CAL ANYMORE IN CALIFORNIA FOR AGE BLIND AND DISABLED UNLESS YOU SPEND DOWN YOUR ASSETS. AND THAT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT ISSUE FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE FIELD OF AGING AND DISABILITY. SO I'M GONNA END WITH THE FEDERAL CUTS. UM, FIRST SNAP 'CAUSE I'D REALLY LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS BUSY, OVERWHELMING DAY TO SNAP AND THEN I'LL END WITH, UM, FEDERAL MEDICAID. IF YOU DID NOT KNOW THE BENEFITS EBT CARDS THAT USED TO BE A FOOD STAMP IS 100% FEDERAL MONEY, 100% FEDERAL, NO SHARE OF COST FOR A STATE OR A COUNTY. LAST FISCAL YEAR THERE WERE 24 BILLION DOLLARS OF CALFRESH BENEFITS GIVEN TO PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA, 24 BILLION. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PROPOSING TO ADD A 25% SHARE OF COST COST TO STATES AND THAT'S IS COMPLICATED 'CAUSE IT'S BASED ON FORMULAS AND COMPLIANCE AND ERROR RATES. BUT IF THAT 25% SHARE OF COST IS ADDED CALIFORNIA AS TO IN A SPECIAL SESSION, IF THIS PASSES COME UP WITH $6 BILLION. SO PLEASE, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE ARE TRACKING, THAT IF THE CONGRESS PASSES THIS, CALIFORNIA HAS TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO DEAL WITH A NEW $6 BILLION SHARE OF COST OR FIGURE OUT A WAY TO REDUCE ELIGIBILITY FOR CALFRESH. AND LET'S RECOGNIZE THAT THE FOOD BANKS ARE ALSO LOSING FEDERAL MONEY AND THERE'S NOT A LOT AS MUCH FOOD IN THE FOOD BANKS AND CALFRESH BENEFITS AND STATE MIGHT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THEY DON'T PAY FOR NOW. SO I'LL END WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH MEDICAID. UM, YOU WILL NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS ARE PROPOSING TO PENALIZE ANY STATE WHO PROVIDES MEDI-CAL OR MEDICAID TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. RIGHT NOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER OBAMACARE PAYS 90 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR FOR SERVICE COSTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MEDICAID. THE PROPOSAL IF PASSED BY THE FEDS WOULD SHIFT THAT SHARE OF COST TO 80% FEDERAL, MEANING THE STATES WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP THAT EXTRA 10% AS A PENALTY FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ON MEDICAID. SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ALSO SHARE OF COST. AND THEY'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO ADD WORK REQUIREMENTS. YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A LOT OF THIS OR READ THIS. IF YOU'RE TRACKING THE FEDERAL PROPOSALS OF AD WORK REQUIREMENTS PLEASE HEAR THIS. MOST PEOPLE ON FEDERAL MEDICAID AND IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ON MEDI-CAL ALREADY WORK. THEY OFTEN HAVE PART-TIME OR LOW INCOME, UH, LOW WAGE EMPLOYMENT AND THEY DON'T HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE FROM THEIR EMPLOYER BUT THEY STILL MEET CRITERIA TO BE ON MEDI-CAL. SO THIS WORK REQUIREMENT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ACT OF FICTION TO CREATE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON AND STAY ON MEDI-CAL BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE ALREADY WORKING. AND LASTLY, AND IT WAS MENTIONED BY MARCUS OR NICOLE, THEY'RE PROPOSING TO SHIFT FROM ONE TIME A YEAR RENEWAL FOR MEDI-CAL TO TWO TIMES A YEAR. AND THIS IS THE FRUSTRATING HYPOCRISY. WE ALREADY HAVE A SYSTEM THAT EVERY SINGLE MONTH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND I BELIEVE IT'S NATIONAL, BUT I'M NOT AS SUBJECT MATTER INFORMED ON THAT, IN CALIFORNIA, EVERY SINGLE MONTH WE GET A REPORT THAT TELLS US IF ANYBODY ON THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM HAS NEW INCOME, WE ALREADY EVERY SINGLE MONTH ARE TRIGGERED TO REDETERMINE ELIGIBILITY IF SOMEBODY NOW HAS INCOME, YET THIS ADDITION OF A TWICE A YEAR IS GONNA BE TREMENDOUS NEW WORKLOAD. AND MOST PEOPLE WHO DROP FROM MEDI-CAL ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDI-CAL. THE COMPLEXITY OF REDOING THE PAPERWORK IS WHAT USUALLY LEADS PEOPLE TO DROP. UM, SO THESE ARE VERY SERIOUS CHANGES AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MONICA TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS IN HEALTH. AND WE'RE BOTH HERE FOR QUESTIONS. - THANK YOU, RANDY. UM, SO, SO JUST, UH, FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, WE WILL COME BACK WITH MORE DETAIL WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION JUNE 3RD. THIS IS JUST THE PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. BUT I WILL BE FOCUSING ON THE MAY REVISE, UM, AND KIND OF SAVING A LOT OF THE FEDERAL, UH, CHALLENGES OR RISKS THAT WE SEE. I'VE SHARED SOME OF THOSE WITH YOU AS, UM, I'VE DONE SOME OF THE BOARD ROUNDS, BUT I THINK IN GENERAL, I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THERE'S MINIMAL IMPACT OVERALL TO HEALTH SERVICES, [03:40:03] WITH THE MAY REVISE. UM, THERE IS SOME, YOU KNOW, VERY TO NOTHING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, WHICH IS GREAT. THEY'RE NOT EVEN MENTIONED ON [CHUCKLES]. UH, THERE IS A LOT OF CLIMATE, UM, INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, CHANGED, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION. IN TERMS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, THE ONGOING COMMITMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS HAD CONTINUES FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE MAY REVISE. HE HAS CONTINUED TO INVEST IN OUR 911. ALSO SOME OF THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH GRANTS THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR LOCALLY. SO THAT'S GREAT. UM, AND WE ALSO SEE VERY MINIMAL IMPACT TO PUBLIC HEALTH. WE SEE THE TRAJECTORY OF PROP 99 AND PROP 56, WHICH IS THE TOBACCO TAX. BUT WE'VE SEEN THAT TREND LINE SLOWLY REDUCE BECAUSE SMOKING IS ACTUALLY REDUCING IN OUR STATE. SO THAT'S GREAT. WE DID SEE SOME CUTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR SOME OF OUR WORKFORCE ESPECIALLY OUR FELLOWSHIP EFFORTS. UM, WE GET, UH, THE HERO GRANTS AND THEY SUPPORT SOME OF THE, UM, FELLOWS THAT WE ACTUALLY HOUSE EITHER AT THE STATE OR ACROSS THE COUNTY. SO, UM, WE'RE SEEING THAT ALSO, UH, BEING REDUCED. BUT IN GENERAL, I WOULD SAY PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT WE WERE GONNA SEE MORE SIGNIFICANT CUTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. SO THAT'S GREAT. I WILL SAY THAT BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THE MAY REVISE, WHAT WE'RE MOSTLY CONCERNED RIGHT NOW IS ON THE CHANGES TO THE MEDI-CAL COVERAGE, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED. AND THERE'S TWO BUCKETS FOR US IN HEALTH THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. OBVIOUSLY WITH THE FREEZE, UH, FOR NEW ENROLLMENT AND THEN THE A $100, UH, PER MONTH PREMIUM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE A DROP. AND ACCORDING TO DHCS, THAT CAN BE UP TO 20% BY 2027. SO THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FOR US. UM, WE DO SERVE, UH, UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS, AS MANY OF YOU KNEW BECAUSE THEY'RE ON MEDI-CAL. UM, AND FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WE'RE STILL ANALYZING THE DATA BUT WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 3% OF OUR CLIENTS MIGHT BE IMPACTED. AGAIN, WE DO NOT ASK FOR, UH, DOCUMENTATION WHEN WE PROVIDE SERVICES. THIS IS JUST A GUESSTIMATE BASED ON THE ANALYSIS THAT WE CAN SEE WITH FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY AND WE'RE ABLE TO QUERY THE DATA BY LIKE, NO, UH, HAVING BLANK FIELDS OR 9999, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE KIND OF TRACK THAT. SO ABOUT 3% OF OUR 6,500 CLIENTS THAT WE PROVIDE CARE TO. I WILL SAY THAT FOR ME, THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS ON OUR CLINICS. AND I'VE DONE ROUNDS WITH YOU TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE STRUCTURED DEFICIT IN OUR CLINICS. UM, I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING THERE. THERE'S THREE KEY BUCKETS WITH THE CHANGES, UM, ON THE UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS. UM, THERE'S ALSO ACUPUNCTURE, THERE'S ALSO, UH, A RATE THAT'S GONNA BE IMPACTED AND THERE'S ALSO DENTAL. SO I'LL GO A LITTLE BIT INTO DETAIL OF WHAT WE UNDERSTAND OF THESE. KEEP IN MIND THAT ABOUT 85% OF OUR CLINIC PATIENTS, UM, HAVE MEDI-CAL, RIGHT? THE OTHER 15, UH, ARE UNINSURED FOR THE MOST PART. SO THAT'S ABOUT 30%. UM, WELL GUESS WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 30% OF OUR CLIENTS, SO IT'S ABOUT 5,000 FOLKS THAT WE CAN TELL FROM THE DATA THAT, UM, IDENTIFY OR MIGHT BE UNDOCUMENTED. SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DROP FOR US, UM, IN SERVICES FOR THIS POPULATION. IN TERMS OF ACUPUNCTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE SERVE ABOUT 440 CLIENTS. UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT, UH, IS ACROSS THE BOARD AND SO WE'RE GONNA ASSESS THE IMPACT TO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US. SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR US, WE WILL, WE ARE ANTICIPATING ABOUT A $90,000 REVENUE, UM, DELETION THROUGH THESE CHANGES. WE ALSO LEAN ON OUR PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM. SO THAT'S A RATE THAT WE USE TO PAY FOR THE CARE WE PROVIDE TO UNDOCUMENTED, IT'S ABOUT $248 PER VISIT. SO IF YOU'RE GUESSTIMATING THAT IT'S ABOUT 5,000 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SUPPORT OR WE HAVE WITH THIS PAYMENT, THAT'S ABOUT $1.5 MILLION, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL IMPACT. AND FINALLY, FOR DENTAL, WE DO SERVE ABOUT 3,100 CLIENTS AND, THROUGH OUR DENTAL SERVICES. AND WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST PROGRAM IN OUR COUNTY DUE TO THE PARTNERSHIP WE- WE HAVE WITH DENTISTS. SO IT'S GONNA BE A HUGE LOSS FOR US AS WE THINK ABOUT UM, THOSE SERVICES TO THE INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED. I KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT FOR US, IF WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 30% OF THOSE 3,000, UM, INDIVIDUALS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A THOUSAND FOLKS THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE IMPACTED, UH, WITH THE LACK OF DENTAL SERVICES. SO IT'S, IT'S A LOT FOR US. AND AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLAR REVENUE [03:45:02] THAT WE GENERATE THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH DENTISTS. SO I THINK IN CONCLUSION FOR US, WHAT YOU'RE NOTICING IS, YOU KNOW, A BALANCED BUDGET, UH, BASED ON A VERY, FOR ME UH, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY. AND SO WE WILL UNFORTUNATELY REALLY SEE, UH, THE LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE AND FOLKS CONTINUE TO BE SCARED TO ACCESS OUR SERVICES. WE DO PLAN TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND SHARE UM, UH, WITH NICOLE COLBURN WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPANSION. SO WE LEAN ON MEDICRUZ. WE ALSO LEAN ON SLIDING SCALE MODALITIES THAT WE'VE USED IN THE PAST. SO WE'LL COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND REPORT ON THAT. BUT I DO WANNA REMIND YOU, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR CLINIC. WE HAVE THREE KEY HEALTH CENTERS OR ENTITIES, AND WE HAVE SANTA CRUZ HEALTH CENTERS THAT ARE PART OF THE SAFETY NET FOR OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING OUR CLINICS. AND THAT'S ABOUT 90,000 PEOPLE THAT WE PROVIDE CARE TO. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WILL ALSO SEE IMPACTS, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT, I WOULD SAY, GAP IN SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. UM, I WOULD JUST END BY THINKING, YOU KNOW, THAT AS WE'RE ANALYZING, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THESE CHANGES, IT WILL ADD MORE PRESSURE TO THE CURRENT BUDGET IN THE CLINICS. AND AS I PRESENTED TO YOU IN THE PAST, THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU LATE THIS YEAR, EARLY NEXT YEAR TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE CURRENT SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW AND I'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS UH, JUNE 3RD. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THERE WE GO. [INAUDIBLE] I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC TO SEE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM. [SILENCE] SEEING NONE, I'LL BRING IT BACK... OH, SORRY. - UM, OKAY, I, UM, HI, MY NAME IS PAM SEXTON, AND I AM HERE AS A TEACHER, UM, I TEACH AT THE WATSONVILLE ADULT SCHOOL. I ALSO DO PARENTING CLASSES. I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTICE PROGRAM AND, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU ALL. UM, AS... I'M A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO OFTEN CAN'T ATTEND MEETINGS BECAUSE I TEACH MORNINGS, I ALSO TEACH NIGHTS, BUT I MADE IT HERE. SO I JUST WANNA SAY ABOUT THESE BUDGET, UM, DISCUSSIONS, AND I KNOW I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE, UM, ONE, SO GOVERNOR... ONE THING I HAVEN'T HEARD. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM DID IS HE'S BEING, UM, CLOSING PRISON FACILITIES. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, JUST ANNOUNCED A NEW CLOSURE IT'LL BE THE FIFTH, UM, PRISON FACILITY CLOSED AND IT SAVES OUR STATE, UM, 150 BILLION, I DUNNO, MY NOTES ARE A LITTLE MIXED UP. IT SAVES A LOT OF MONEY, RIGHT? AND IT'S BEEN ABLE TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF DECLINING CRIME, BECAUSE OF DECLINING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PRISONS. AND I'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TOO. UM, IN BOTH OUR JAILS AND IN OUR, UM, JUVENILE HALL. THANK YOU. OH, I STILL HAVE 20 MIN- SECONDS. OKAY, BUT I'M, UH, THAT'S GOOD. - SECONDS, NOT MINUTES. - THANK YOU. I SAW THE RED AND THOUGHT I WAS OFF. THANK YOU. - ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [PAUSE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HELLO. WELL, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY, BUT, UH, UH, POVERTY IN CHILDREN IS UNACCEPTABLE. I DON'T SEE HOW, UM, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, UH, HOW GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THINKS THAT'S GONNA BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THERE'S NO BENEFIT WHATSOEVER. SO THAT'S MY COMMENT. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. [SILENCE] - KATHY YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - HELLO. UM, MY NAME'S KATHY LAS. I AM IN APTOS, CALIFORNIA. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO, AND ALL OF THE HEART THAT'S GONE INTO LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND CARING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO CUT. AND JUST TO ECHO, UM, PAM SEXTON'S COMMENTS [03:50:01] UM, I JUST WANT US TO ALSO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER AGENCIES CAN, UM, SHARE THE BURDEN OF THESE, OF THESE CUTS AND TO REALLY LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND AND HOW WE'VE USED THE GENERAL FUND FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UM, FOR PU- VERSUS PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND PROBATION. SO, UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE, THERE'S CHOICES THERE AND IF WE CAN ALL SHARE IN THE BURDEN IN THESE TOUGH TIMES, I THINK THAT CAN STILL MAKE FOR A, UM, A HEALTHY AND- AND SAFE COMMUNITY BY INVESTING IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MORE THAN WE HAVE BEEN. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR. - THANK YOU, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. [PAUSE] THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE REALLY UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. UH, WE'VE NEVER HAD A TIME WHEN SLASHES ARE COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT THIS PACE. UH, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD GOVERNORS AND PRESIDENTS BEFORE BUT NOT AT THIS LEVEL. AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, IT REALLY, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR SAFETY NETS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I THINK OUR COUNTY IS MORE PRONE TO THAT NEED THAN MOST COUNTIES. UH, BUT WITH THAT, ANY OTHER SUPERVISORS WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, AND THANK YOU TO, UM, CAO'S OFFICE FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE DIRECTORS FOR THE DETAILS. UM, I JUST WANNA START OFF BY SAYING, HEARING THE POTENTIAL CUTS AND THE PROPOSED CUTS, IT FEELS LIKE A GUT PUNCH. FOR SOMEBODY LIKE YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND LIKE YOU WHO'VE DEDICATED OUR LIVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND TO ADVANCING THE SAFETY NET FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND THOSE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT THE FRONT LINES OF THE ROLLBACKS AND THE CUTS UM, IS INCREDIBLY BOTHERSOME AND CONCERNING. AND SO, UM, I JUST HAVE TO START BY JUST REFLECTING THAT IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A GOOD PICTURE. UM, AND I KNOW HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, WE HAVE SUCH A STRONG HISTORY AND STRONG VALUES IN SUPPORTING THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND CREATING A STRONG SAFETY NET. AND WE HAVE INCREDIBLE CLINICS AND CBOS AND PARTNERS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING TOGETHER TO FILL IN THE GAPS. AND, YOU KNOW, AS I, AS I THINK ABOUT WHAT'S COMING, IT, IT REMINDS ME OF KIND OF THE, THE PRE ACA DAYS OF, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT WE CAN HERE TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S HEALTHCARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED OR UNINSURED. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEVER HOPED FOR A DAY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING TO OUR CLINIC PARTNERS AND OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HOW, AND, AND WE, WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO, TO STEP UP TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS. AND HERE AT THE COUNTY, I FEEL VERY COMMITTED TO DOING OUR PART AS WELL. UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE IN THE BUDGET CYCLE, UM, WE'VE HEARD SOME PROPOSALS AND I THINK THAT I'M READY TO HAVE THOSE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PRESERVING THOSE MOST IMPORTANT, MOST, YOU KNOW, BOTH MANDATED AND LIFE-SAVING SERVICES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY. UM, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH PICTURE, BUT I'M READY TO HAVE THOSE, THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. I ALSO FEEL LIKE IT'S AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR EACH ONE OF US ON THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY TO DO THE ADVOCACY THAT WE CAN AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO REALLY DEMAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AS A HUMAN RIGHT FOR OUR POPULATION. UM, AND TO ENSURE THAT WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE STATE MAKES CHANGES OR ROLLS OUT MANDATES THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING THE COUNTIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DO THAT. UM, I KNOW THAT OUR, OUR BOARD, UM, APPROVED A LETTER TO OUR STATE ASSOCIATION TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MEDI-CAL. UM, I KNOW THAT OUR STATE ASSOCIATION IS ALSO TAKING A PRETTY STRONG STANCE TOWARDS THE STATE, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR RELATED TO UNFUNDED MANDATES. UM, AND I THINK ALL THAT WORK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHERE ANY OF US HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL, UM, YOU KNOW, OR STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, UM, AND ASSOCIATIONS, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT ADVOCACY BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS ALONE [03:55:03] AND IT'S A TOUGH PICTURE. SO, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT. UM, I, I FEEL DEEPLY COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE SAFETY NET AND, UM, AND I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - CHAIR, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. UH, THE FIRST IS FOR DIRECTOR MORRIS. FOR OUR HHAP 6 ALLOCATION, YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT MIGHT BE, THAT THAT'S GOING DOWN BASED, IS THAT DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE TOTAL DROP? - UM, YEAH. AND I CAN SEND A, UH, CHART TO YOU A TREND CHART, WHICH IS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S PREDOMINANTLY BASED ON THE POINT IN TIME COUNT. AND AS OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT STARTED GOING DOWN TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW WE DO IT EVERY YEAR, EACH TIME IT GOES DOWN WE HAVE A COMMENSURATE DECREASE IN OUR HHAP ALLOCATION. WHICH IS JUST SO MIND-NUMBINGLY, HYPOCRITICAL AND FRUSTRATING GIVEN THE RHETORIC FROM THE STATE. SO OUR SUCCESS IS BEING PENALIZED BY A REDUCTION IN OUR ONE STATE GRANT. MY SPECIFIC COMMENT WAS THE HHAP 6 ALLOCATION. WHICH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE OTHER BROWN ACT GOVERN ENTITY WHICH TWO OF YOU'RE ON, WHICH IS THE, UH, CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT HAS LED TO A PROPOSAL THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE BOARD. SO THAT MONEY IS STILL IN THE STATE BUDGET. SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY BENEFIT FROM THE HHAP 6 ALLOCATION TO CONTINUE SOME WORK, BUT THERE'S NOTHING BEYOND THAT. SO HHAP 7 IS NOT IN THE MAY REVISE IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. BUT YES, WE HAVE HAD A STEADY DECREASE IN THE STATE FUNDING DIRECTLY TIED TO OUR SUCCESS. - RIGHT, RIGHT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MONEY WE HAD FROM HHAP 5 WAS ENOUGH TO HOUSE EVERYONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON OUR STREETS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, AND SO A CORRESPONDING DECREASE DOESN'T... THERE'S STILL SO MUCH WORK TO DO. I MEAN, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS THAT WE ACTUALLY USE TO ACHIEVE MUCH OF THAT SUCCESS, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A 23% DECREASE IN HOMELESSNESS, UH, IN 2023 THAT WE THEN MAINTAINED IN 2024 IN THE PIT COUNT. UM, THAT THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TERMINATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. - YEAH, AND I JUST PEEKED AT THE CHART I HAVE, IT'S BEEN ALMOST A $2 MILLION STATE REDUCTION FROM THREE YEARS AGO TO THE CURRENT HHAP 6, BECAUSE OF THAT DECREASE THAT STARTED IN 2023. SO WE'RE LOSING MONEY AND THEN, YES, TO YOUR POINT, EXACTLY. THE FORMULA THAT WE HAVE FOUND IS SUCCESSFUL IS THE COMBINATION OF SERVICES SUPPORTS NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS THE GLUE TO BRIDGE THE COST OF RENT AND SOMEBODY'S INCOME 'CAUSE THE DISTANCE IS DEEP, THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THAT GLUE AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT IS ALL THIS OTHER STUFF. BUT YES, LOSING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, YOU'RE RIGHT THE PANDEMIC RELATED RENTAL ASSISTANCE COVID THAT'S DRYING UP AND NOW THE FEDS ARE PROPOSING ANOTHER ALMOST 50% CUT TO HUD PROGRAMS OF WHICH RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS A LARGE PART. SO THE PICTURES NOT GOOD. - RIGHT, I, I THINK YOU MENTIONED ABOUT 4,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THIS, THE NORMAL SECTION EIGHT HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN, I MEAN, SO THAT COULD SEE A 50% CUT ON TOP OF THE, IS IT THREE OR 400 EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN ELIMINATED? - THAT I... I CAN TRACK THAT AND MAKE SURE TO SPEAK TO IT ON THE JUNE 3RD BUDGET PRESENTATION. THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. YEAH, SO IT'S BOTH OF THOSE BUCKETS, BUT YES. A LOT. - I MEAN, SO THIS BASICALLY THREATENS TO UNDO ALL OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. - YES. THE COST TO RENT AND WHAT PEOPLE'S INCOME IS, IF THEY'RE ON CALWORKS OR SSI OR MINIMUM WAGE, THE DISTANCE IS PROFOUND IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT BRIDGE. - ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, UH, THE SECOND QUESTION IS FOR DIRECTOR MORALES. UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE JUNE 3RD MEETING, UM, BUT HAVE WE CONSIDERED ANY OTHER OPTIONS BESIDES SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WERE PROPOSED AT OUR APRIL 29TH MEETING? I MEAN, STAFF FURLOUGHS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD HELP, YOU KNOW, PRESERVE SOME STAFF WHO ALSO, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE AS EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKERS. AND, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THERE, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT CUTS, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE CUTTING MORE THAN JUST THE IMMEDIATE SERVICE, RIGHT? WE'RE CUTTING INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, WE'RE CUTTING OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND IN EMERGENCY. WHAT OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN, UM, HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT WORKED THROUGH, HAVE, HAVE FURLOUGHS BEEN DISCUSSED? - SO WHEN, UM, PROGRAMS SUCH AS OUR CLINICS OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDE, UH, REIMBURSABLE SERVICES, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO CONSIDER FURLOUGHS. BECAUSE IN ESSENCE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS A CLINICIAN THAT YOU WOULD HAVE WORKING AND PROVIDING, UM, A SERVICE THAT GENERATES REVENUE WILL BE OFF FOR THAT FULL EIGHT HOURS AND THEN YOU LOSE REVENUE. AND SO THE FURLOUGHS ACTUALLY HURT PROGRAMS SUCH AS OURS. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT OF A MODEL IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT [04:00:03] IN, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH OR EDUCATION PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN OTHER DIVISIONS. UM, SO BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I HAD MENTIONED TO YOU WHEN I WAS DOING THE PRESENTATION ON THE STRUCTURAL DEFICITS OF THE CLINIC, WE HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER SERVICE LINES UM, THAT COMING BACK TO OUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT FOLKS WOULD HAVE MORE DEVASTATING IMPACTS, UM, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, DELETION OF, UM, HOMELESS CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, SERVICES TO THE UNHOUSED HIV/AIDS PROGRAMMING AND CLINICAL CARE. SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT OPTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY THOSE WERE, AND THEY'RE STILL VERY PAINFUL. UH, WHAT WE THOUGHT COULD BE... UM, BECAUSE THE SERVICE STILL BEING PROVIDED VERSUS DELETING A SERVICE WAS THE BEST RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOARD. SO NOT EASY BUT AT LEAST THE SERVICE CONTINUES. IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO TAKE A COUPLE OF EXTRA STEPS TO GET IT VERSUS THE ELIMINATION OF SOMETHING COMPLETELY. - RIGHT, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BLOOD DRAWS AND X-RAYS. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY THEN COMPROMISE OUR ABILITY TO GET MORE, UM, DELIVER MORE REVENUE GENERATING SERVICES BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE, IF THERE IS A DROP OFF IN, UH, PEOPLE GETTING THE TESTS THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE HIGHER VALUE SERVICES HERE? - YEAH, WHEN I ASKED OUR SISTER, OUR COUSINS, YOU KNOW, SALUD AND SANTA CRUZ HEALTH, IT... THEY DON'T SEEM TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT DROPS. WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY THEY ALSO HAVE CONTINUED WITH THIS MODEL. UM, SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND TOO THOUGH, RIGHT? SO I JUST PRESENTED TO YOU SOME POTENTIAL IMPACTS. UH, ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, $5 MILLION JUST ON THE PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT RATE REDUCTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, IN ACUPUNCTURE AND DENTAL. SO YOU ARE GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS COMING YOUR WAY. AND SO I STILL THINK, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WITHOUT ADDITIONAL MONEY COMING IN, AND I MEAN, NOT JUST NOW BUT IN THE FUTURE FOR YOU GUYS, THIS IS, I THINK, SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, IS PROBABLY THE BEST AT THIS POINT. IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL, OBVIOUSLY, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT IS THE FIRST THING WE DO ABSOLUTELY IS, IS TRY TO LEVERAGE AND I THINK I'VE SEE-, SAID THIS TO THE BOARD BEFORE, WE'RE VERY PROUD AS A DEPARTMENT THAT WE LEAN SO HEAVILY ON REIMBURSEMENT AND GRANTS. BUT THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT WE'RE NOW IN THIS SITUATION. RIGHT? UH, WHEN YOU'RE 95 DEPENDENT ON GRANTS IN MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT OR JUST NON-GENERAL FUND, YOU GET STUCK IN THIS BIND. - ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. - YEAH. - AND I JUST AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. I MEAN, THIS IS JUST, IT'S CRAZY. THE, THE SAFETY NET'S BEING CUT, UH, IN EVERY PLACE POSSIBLE UM, AND IT SEEMS COMPLETELY COUNTERINTUITIVE TO ME. I MEAN, MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION WAS ELECTED WAS BECAUSE EVERYDAY PEOPLE WERE NOT FEELING THE BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION ENOUGH. AND HERE WE ARE TURNING AROUND AND PULLING THE FLOOR OUT FROM PEOPLE. UM, I, I CERTAINLY AGREE. I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN, UH, TO ADVOCATE TO AVOID THESE CUTS AND MAKE UP THE GAP, UH, AS WE TRY TO MANAGE THEM. BUT IT'S INSANITY AND, UH, I JUST HOPE THAT WE COME OUTTA THESE DARK TIMES, UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND HOW MUCH WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND THANKS EVERYBODY FOR BEING A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION. I THINK THE ONE, I WANNA CALL IT SILVER MORE LIKE BRONZE LINING IN ALL OF THIS, IS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT IT'S 12 BILLION ACROSS THE STATE, WHICH IS THE FOURTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, IT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE AS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED AS WE PROBABLY THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE. UM, AND IT'S REALLY SAD TO SEE, UM, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GONNA BE CUT. THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK COMING OUT OF THIS HEARING ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL BE GOOD IS IF THERE'S SOME, IF WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOME KIND OF PRESS RELEASE THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHAT PROGRAMS ARE GONNA BE CUT AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND THEN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITH THE GOVERNOR'S MIDYEAR BUDGET AND WHAT THAT'S GONNA MEAN FOR THE IMPACTS HERE. I THINK IT'S GONNA REALLY HELP US BE ABLE TO CARRY THAT MESSAGE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW LIKE, THIS IS, WHAT'S THIS IS BASED ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, THIS IS HOW WE ARE BEING IMPACTED LOCALLY. BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE SEE AT A BROADER SCALE AND THEY HEAR ABOUT, OH, MEDICAID'S GONNA GET CUT, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT- THAT TRANSLATES TO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO, TO BE ABLE TO DISTILL DOWN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FEDERAL CUTS MEAN IN TERMS OF [04:05:01] HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT THE STATE AND HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT US HERE LOCALLY, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHY VOTING MATTERS AND WHAT THIS IS GONNA MEAN FOR US MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF, UM, THE IMPACTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACED WITH AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET. UM, I SHARE THE SAME COMMENTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES BROUGHT UP SO I'M NOT GONNA REALLY REITERATE THOSE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CUTTING SERVICES THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES IN, OR ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES I SHOULD SAY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD HELP, UM, FILL THAT GAP VERSUS WHAT PROGRAMS ARE WE GONNA LOSE WHERE THERE'S NO ALTERNATIVE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, UH, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. IN SOME INSTANCES WE, WE CAN MAYBE FILL THAT WITH SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED BY CBOS AND NGOS IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN SOME CASES WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT YOU KNOW, THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC RESOURCES OR OTHER MEANS OR IT MAY EVEN MEAN WE'RE JUST GONNA LOSE THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE CAN HELP FILL GAPS. AND WHEN WE CAN'T REALLY JUST STRONGLY, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S AWARE THAT THIS IS THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS IMPACTED US IN THESE WAYS. AND SO MOVING FORWARD, IF WE TRULY CARE ABOUT HESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA GET INTO OFFICE AND REMOVE THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS DON'T GET THERE AND THAT WE'RE PUTTING PEOPLE INTO OFFICE WHO ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY ALIGNS WITH OUR VALUES. AND SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, UH, ENGAGE WITH OUR STAFF ON THIS AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE BUDGET. AND JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANK YOU. I'M GONNA KEEP, TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF. UM, THE MEDICRUZ PROGRAM, HOW IS THAT FUNDED? [PAUSE] BECAUSE, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THAT I'VE BEEN IN DOING SOCIAL WORK FOR 30 YEARS IN HEALTHCARE AND I REMEMBER THE TIME WHEN WE COULDN'T GET PEOPLE WHO WERE UNDOCUMENTED, UM, REALLY ONTO MEDI-CAL AT ALL AND WE WOULD LOOK TO THE MEDICRUZ... I NEED DEPARTMENT OF TWO PEOPLE TO HELP WITH HEALTHCARE COSTS. - YEAH. SO WE'RE DUSTING OFF, UM, THAT PROGRAM. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 400 CLIENTS THAT WE SUPPORT. UM, IT USED TO BE A VERY, UH, PROMINENT PROGRAM IN OUR COUNTY. AND SO WITH THE ACA EXPANSION AND NOW THE, UM, CURRENT EFFORT THAT OUR CURRENT GOVERNOR TRIED AND NOW IS RESENDING... WE'RE DUSTING IT OFF AND IT'S BEEN THROUGH REALIGNMENT DOLLARS. SO, YOU KNOW, REGISTRATION FEES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COME OUR WAY. UM, IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW THOUGH BECAUSE WE USED TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP ACROSS, UH, THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT GET REALIGNED. [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] ... IT REALLY IS EMERGENCY IF SOMEONE HAS CANCER, IS IN LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION, OR THEY MIGHT NEED SPECIALTY CARE. UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, PARAMETERS IN THE WAY THAT THE FUND GETS USED, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH, UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE HAD IN THE PAST, WHAT STILL APPLIES, AND THEN THE FUNDING MODALITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ADOPT. BECAUSE CURRENTLY, IT'S VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S IN THAT BUCKET. AND I DON'T WANNA, DON'T QUOTE ME, I DON'T WANNA GET IT WRONG BUT I'LL PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD ON THE THIRD AS WELL. - OKAY, AND SO IF WE HAVE LIKE A SIX-MONTH, UM, LEAD TIME TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE ONTO MEDI-CAL... - THAT'S RIGHT. - ... AS YOU KNOW POSSIBLE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THAT? - UM, SO LET ME BACK UP. FIRST, I WANT TO SORT OF DO A SHOUT-OUT OF APPRECIATION TO THE DIVISION IN HSD EBSD. AND THIS IS THE REAL POINT. ALL OF THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS WHO MEET WITH US ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN A PLACE CALLED THE BENEFITS COLLABORATIVE. AND THIS ENTITY IS A PLACE WHERE THERE'S MONTHLY COMMUNICATION AND CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO COLLECTIVELY FOCUS. ON TOP OF THAT, THIS BOARD, BEFORE SUPERVISOR DE SERPA, MARTINEZ WERE APPOINTED, APPROVED WHEN WE HAD MEDI-CAL ADMINISTRATIVE MONEY, A ONE-TIME $500,000 AUGMENT TO COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD WHO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING WITH THE UNDOCUMENTED POPULATION TO SPECIFICALLY TRY TO GET UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ENROLLED IN MEDI-CAL. THAT GRANT HAS BEEN DOWNSIZED, UH, TO A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND STILL EXISTS. SO NONPROFITS GENERALLY, AND CAB SPECIFICALLY. UM, AND IF MARIA, ELAINE AND HER TEAM'S WATCHING, YES, WE NEED TO HAVE A MEETING VERY SOON. UM, WE WILL NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN AND WORK TOGETHER. UM, AND I DO WANNA SAY JUST MAYBE AS A SUPPLEMENT, HOPING THIS IS ON POINT TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT MEDICRUZ UM, PENDING WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES, [04:10:04] MANY PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA WHO MIGHT BE INELIGIBLE FOR MEDI-CAL, INCLUDING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR EMERGENCY RESTRICTED MEDI-CAL SERVICES, EMERGENCY PREGNANCY SERVICES AND EMERGENCY ROOM SERVICES AS YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR WORK. SO THERE'S STILL THAT 50% FEDERAL, 50% STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES THROUGH EMERGENCY RESTRICTED MEDI-CAL THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S ALL THE PREVENTATIVE WORK. SO THAT CROSSWALK BETWEEN WHAT MEDICRUZ COULD DO AND WHAT RESTRICTED MEDI-CAL COULD DO. BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE'LL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH NONPROFITS AND CAPS SPECIFICALLY 'CAUSE OF THAT GRANT, THIS BOARD HAS APPROVED TO DO A SPRINT TOGETHER. [SILENCE] - YEAH, I WORRY ABOUT THE 9,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE 65 AND ABOVE TOO. UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY REALLY RELY ON MEDI-CAL. I MEAN, THEY HAVE TYPICALLY, SOME OF THEM HAVE MEDICARE, BUT, UM, THE MEDI-CAL ACTUALLY HELPS TO PICK UP THE COST OF MEDICATION. SO WHAT I ANTICIPATE IS THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED, LIKE, HAVE HEART CONDITIONS AND CANCERS AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS THAT NEED VERY EXPENSIVE MEDICATIONS AND CAN'T GET THEM, THEY'RE GONNA END UP A LOT. THEY'RE GONNA END UP IN THE ER AND IN THE HOSPITAL. - YEAH, AND JUST FOR TRACKING THIS ASSET TEST, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR WORK IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE BECAUSE WHEN THAT ASSET TEST GETS RETURNED, IF PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER AND ON MEDI-CAL HAVE ASSETS WHEN THEY GET REDETERMINED FOR ELIGIBILITY, THAT IF THE STATE CONTINUES WITH THAT ASSET TEST BEING REINSTATED, THEY MIGHT NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE AND HAVE A HUGE SHARE OF COST. SO THIS IS ALL A BIG COMPLEX INTERSECTION OF MEDICRUZ, RESTRICTED MEDI-CAL ASSET TEST, IT'S A COMPLICATED MAP, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS. - SO THE THING THAT I'M SUPER WORRIED ABOUT IS THE 50%, UM, REDUCTION, UM, TO HUD, YOU KNOW, TO PEOPLE'S, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UM, 'CAUSE I THINK ALL OF US, WHEN YOU, WHEN OUR PATIENTS, OUR CLIENTS GET A VOUCHER AND WE FIND AN APARTMENT FOR THEM AND WE PUT THEM IN THERE, WE THINK, OKAY, GOOD. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME SUPPORT THAT GOES WITH THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN STAY HOUSED. BUT WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THAT THEIR HOUSE, THEIR VOUCHER MIGHT GET RIPPED AWAY AND THAT WOULD REALLY JUST PUT PEOPLE BACK ON THE STREET AGAIN. - YEAH, AND NOT, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANNA BUZZKILL SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS BRONZES LINING 'CAUSE THERE IS SOME, NOT SILVER LINING, BUT THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS AND I WANNA REALLY HIGHLIGHT AND SUPERVISOR KOENIG, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU, AND TO YOU DE SERPA ABOUT THE, UM, SPECIFICS OF THE VOUCHERS. BUT THERE ARE CURRENT PEOPLE CURRENTLY ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE WHO IF THE FEDERAL CUTS GO FORWARD, THEY WILL LOSE THEIR VOUCHER. SO NOT ONLY ARE WE CONFRONTING A FUTURE OF LOSING THAT TOOL IN OUR KIT TO HELP PEOPLE GET HOUSING, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE CURRENTLY IN HOUSING ON VOUCHERS THAT HAVE NO TERMINATION DATE, THAT IF THE FEDS REDUCE BY 50% THE HUD GRANTS OF WHICH, AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS A BIG PART. I JUST WANNA KEEP THIS VERY REAL AND THIS IS WHAT, WE'LL, BY JUNE 3RD, WE'LL TRY TO MAP SOME OF THEM OUT AND PROBABLY IN THE FALL, BUT IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT. - YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T, UM, SEEN, UH, JENNY PANETTA YET UM, HERE IN THE BOARDROOM. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO INVITE HER TO GIVE A REPORT UH, IN THE FUTURE ON, UM, HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, ITEMS TO HELP AUGMENT SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GIVING. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU BOTH. THOSE WERE GREAT PRESENT-, WELL, NOT GREAT, BUT INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS. - THANK YOU. UM, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - YEAH, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT I FORGOT TO ASK. SO I KNOW THAT IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE PROP 36 IMPLEMENTATION THERE'LL BE NO FUNDING FOR THAT. UM, AND I GUESS THIS IS MORE BROADLY WITH THE UNFUNDED MANDATES, IS THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE'RE STILL AS A COUNTY SUPPOSED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATES? OR IS IT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE SOME WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A PAUSE ON THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES? - YEAH, THAT WAS A VOTER APPROVED INITIATIVE AND THAT MANDATE HAS NOT BEEN SUSPENDED. SO IT'S IN MOTION, IT'S HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE LAST DECEMBER AND THERE'S A WORK GROUP BETWEEN THE COURT AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTATION, BUT IT IS GOING TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD AND HAS ALREADY CREATED ADDITIONAL WORK FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS. - AND SO WHAT ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO SB 43 AND CARE COURTS? - AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE, THEY'RE STILL ON TRACK. UM, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF SB 43 HERE ON JANUARY 1ST, 2026. - I'M JUST, THANK YOU BECAUSE... - UH, IT'S UNFORT- NOTHING HAS BEEN SUSPENDED. - RIGHT, AND I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO AT A FUTURE DATE, YOU KNOW, IF THE, THE GOVERNOR'S GONNA BE CUTTING FUNDS AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, TAKING A PAUSE ON SOME OF THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SHORE UP A LOT OF THE OTHER LIKE, BASIC NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO MEET. [04:15:02] UH, THAT IT MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO REACH OUT TO OUR STATE REPS AND TO TELL THEM LIKE, NO MORE UNFUNDED MANDATES, LIKE, AND REALLY PUSH HARD AGAINST THAT SO THAT WE CAN MEET THE DEMANDS THAT HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN PUT BEFORE US, ALONG WITH, YOU TRYING TO SHORE UP ALL THE PROGRAMS WHERE WE'RE GONNA SEE CUTS AND NOT TAKE ON ANY MORE, UM, UNFUNDED BURDENS. SO THANKS. - THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS STRUGGLE. UH, MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE FACING THE SAME ISSUES, FACING THE SAME CUTS FROM, YOU KNOW, EVEN CITIES, ALL COUNTIES. UH, WE SPOKE TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT COUNTIES THE OTHER DAY, SPECIAL DISTRICTS, NONPROFITS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AND, UH, EVEN UNIONS. UM, THE OTHER DAY TO, UH, I, I GOT TO MEET WITH SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I MET WITH ENTENTES AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE FEDERAL BUDGETS, BUT ALSO I NOTICED THAT THEY'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT US, UH, AND THE ADVOCACY THAT WE DO AS A COUNTY. UM, THEY REALLY APPRECIATED THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT TO PRESERVE, UH, THE SAFETY NET SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, MEDI-CAL, MEDI-CAL, MEDICARE. UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY WORK WITH ALL THOSE GROUPS I MENTIONED TO ADVOCATE COLLABORATIVELY, UH, MORE, WITH MORE COLLABORATION WITH GROUPS THAT WE NEVER REALLY REACH OUT TO ADVOCATE TOGETHER. UM, I THINK IT'LL HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO IN THE FUTURE. WITH THAT, UH, DO WE NEED A GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE REPORT? - I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. IF WE COULD TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. [PAUSE] IF I REMEMBER, WE'RE ON 11. [SILENCE] [11. Consider approving in concept an "Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz Amending Santa Cruz County Code Chapters 12.10, 13.10, 13.20, 14.01, 15.10, 16.42, and 18.10, and Amending the Zoning Map to Change the Zoning of Parcel APN 070-281-01, to Ensure Compliance with State and Federal Law and to Improve Clarity, Accuracy, and Consistency within Santa Cruz County Code", confirm the proposal is exempt from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, and take related actions] NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 11. CONSIDERING APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ AMENDING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE CHAPTERS 12.10, 13.10, 13.20, 14.01, 15.10, 16.42, AND 18.10, AND AMENDING THE ZONES, AMENDING THE ZONING MAP TO CHANGE THE ZONING OF PARTIAL APN 070-2281-01 TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW TO IMPROVE CLARITY, ACCURACY, AND CONSISTENCY WITHIN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE AND CONFIRM THE PROPOSAL IS EXEMPT FROM REQUIREMENTS OF CEQA AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARK CONNOLLY, PRINCIPAL PLANNER AND JACOB LUTZ PLANNER FOR THE PRESENTATION. - THANK YOU, CHAIR HERNANDEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MARK CONNOLLEY, CDI, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH ME TO MY RIGHT THIS AFTERNOON, JACOB LUTZ, HE'LL BE PROVIDING, UH, UH, CONTENT OF YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY. WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU IS THE 2025 MISCELLANEOUS CODE AMENDMENTS AND, UH, THESE WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THEIR APRIL 9TH HEARING. UH, THEY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THESE SAME AMENDMENTS. MOST OF THEM ARE VERY MINOR IN NATURE, THEY'RE JUST CLEANUP ITEMS. UH, BUT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PERMIT STREAMLINING THAT JACOB WILL GO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON. AND THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE KNOW IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS BOARD. SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE. UH, AND WITH THAT, NO FURTHER ADO, I WANT TO GET RIGHT INTO THE PROGRAM HERE. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JACOB LUTZ. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION, MARK AND GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND SUPERVISORS. [PAUSE] TODAY'S AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING WILL BE SIMPLE. FIRST, WE'LL COVER A QUICK BACKGROUND OF WHAT THESE MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS ARE AND WHY WE ARE PRESENTING THEM TO YOU TODAY. NEXT, WE'LL GO OVER THE AMENDMENTS AND HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE MORE SUBSTANTIVE AMENDMENTS IN A SINGULAR ZONING MAP AMENDMENT. LASTLY, WE'LL PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. [PAUSE] TODAY, STAFF PRESENTS A SERIES OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS PART OF AN ONGOING EFFORT [04:20:02] TO UPDATE AND REFINE THE COUNTY'S REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS EVOLVING LEGAL CHANGES, INCONSISTENCIES FOUND BY STAFF AND APPLICANTS, AND CHANGES NECESSARY FOR INTERNAL CONSISTENCY. THESE AMENDMENTS WILL ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH CURRENT POLICIES, LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND LAND USE GOALS, AND IMPROVE CLARITY AND FUNCTIONALITY ACROSS THE COUNTY CODE AND GENERAL PLAN LCP. A CEQA NOTICE OF EXEMPTION HAS BEEN PREPARED BY STAFF PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINES, SECTION 15061B3, THE COMMON SENSE EXEMPTION BECAUSE THE AMENDMENTS AND REZONING ARE MINOR IN NATURE AND WILL NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. BECAUSE THESE ARE PART OF THE COUNTY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM, THESE AMENDMENTS WILL REQUIRE CERTIFICATION BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION FOLLOWING THE COUNTY'S ADOPTION. [PAUSE] MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN LCP ARE PROPOSED IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS. CHAPTER ONE, INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER TWO, BUILT ENVIRONMENT ELEMENT. CHAPTER THREE, ACESS AND MOBILITY ELEMENT, AND CHAPTER FIVE, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION ELEMENT. THESE AMENDMENTS INCLUDE CORRECTED REFERENCES TO THE COUNTY'S LATEST CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN. REPLACING THE OLD 2013 CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY PLAN, ALONG WITH ONE INCORRECT COUNTY CODE REFERENCE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ELEMENT. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL PLAN LCP CHAPTERS CAN BE SEEN IN THE ATTACHED STRIKETHROUGH OF GENERAL PLAN LCP AMENDMENTS. [PAUSE] AMENDMENTS ARE BEING PROPOSED TO THE COUNTY CODE CHAPTERS 12.10, 13.10, 13.20, 14.01, 1510, 16.42, AND 1810, INCLUDING VARIOUS SECTIONS WITHIN EACH OF THESE CHAPTERS. THE DETAILED SECTIONS AND THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGES CAN BE FOUND IN THE ATTACHMENTS, INCLUDING THE ORDINANCE AND UNDERLYING STRIKE-THROUGH FORMAT. THE NEED FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS VARY BY CHAPTER, BUT ARE PRIMARILY AIMED AT ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND INTERNAL CONSISTENCY. ADDITIONALLY, THE AMENDMENTS ARE MEANT TO IMPROVE CLARITY AND ACCURACY WITHIN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE. MANY OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE INTENDED TO CORRECT ERRORS AND INCONSISTENCIES, INCLUDING OUTDATED AND INCORRECT REFERENCES TO SECTIONS OF CODE, INCORRECT AND CONFUSING LANGUAGE AND JUST OVERALL CLARIFICATION OF LANGUAGE TO SECTIONS OF CODES THAT HAVE TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY. THIS INCLUDES UPDATES TO ANY REFERENCES OF LEVELS AS WE COME ACROSS THEM IN THE PROCESS. UPDATES SEVERAL DEFINITIONS THROUGHOUT COUNTY CODE FOR ADDED CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY. REVISE THE COUNTY'S ELECTRIFICATION CODE TO CONFIRM THAT ELECTRIFICATION OF NEW RESIDENTIAL IS NOT MANDATORY PER A RECENT CASE LAW THAT FOUND THE MANDATORY REQUIREMENT TO CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LAW. THE COUNTY IS WORKING TO IMPLEMENT THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN STRATEGY TO CONTINUE ENCOURAGING ENERGY-EFFICIENT RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND EXPLORE NEW AVENUES FOR ELECTRIC DESIGN. WE PROPOSE A RE-ADOPTION OF SECTION 13.10616 E, WHICH WAS INADVERTENTLY REMOVED THROUGH THE SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE PROCESS. WE ARE PROPOSING TO RE-ADD IT BACK INTO COUNTY CODE WITH NO CHANGES. LASTLY, CLARIFY THAT THE CALCULATION FOR RESIDENTIAL DENSITIES WOULD BE ROUNDED UP WHEN A CALCULATION RESULTS IN A PARTIAL UNIT. THIS REFLECTS CURRENT PRACTICE AND MIRRORS DENSITY BONUS LAW. [PAUSE] THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT COUNTY CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE WORTH HIGHLIGHTING TODAY. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS ACROSS THREE CODE SECTIONS 14.01, 504, 512, AND 630 OF THE COUNTY SUBDIVISION CODE. THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS REMOVE GRADING REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE TIED TO FINAL SUBDIVISION MAPS AND ALLOWS GRADING PRIOR TO FINAL MAP APPROVAL. THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE STREAMLINING PROCESS FOR APPLICANTS AS STAFF CAN CONCURRENTLY PROCESS AND PERMIT GRADING PRIOR TO THE FINAL MAP APPROVAL. MAKING THIS AMENDMENT IN 14.01.504 AFFECTS MINOR LANGUAGE CHANGES IN TWO OTHER SECTIONS, 14.01.512 AND 14.01.630. THE DETAILED LANGUAGE OF THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT CAN BE SEEN IN THE ATTACHED ORDINANCE. THE SECOND NOTABLE AMENDMENT IS TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE SECTION 18.10320. NOW PROPOSED TO BE TITLED APPEALS OF STAFF DETERMINATIONS. THESE AMENDMENTS CLARIFY WHICH TYPES OF ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS ARE HEARD BY THE PLANNING DIRECTOR AND WHICH ARE HEARD BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. IN AN EFFORT TO ALIGN OUR APPEAL PROCEDURES WITH APPLICATION TYPES IN ACCORDANCE TO STATE LAW. [PAUSE] A SPECIFIC PARCEL, APN 07028101 IS PROPOSED FOR REZONING [04:25:01] TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH ITS GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION, EXISTING LAND USE AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER. THIS REZONING IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER, AS THE CURRENT ZONING PREVENTS THEM FROM PURSUING A PROPOSED PROJECT ON THEIR PARCEL AND RESOLVING CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES. THE GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION WILL REMAIN MOUNTAIN RESIDENTIAL BUT THE ZONING WILL CHANGE FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (M-1) TO RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURAL (RA) TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY. [PAUSE] IN CLOSING, THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. ARE THERE ANY, UM, COMMENTS? I'LL TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? [SILENCE] DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS ONLINE? - YES, IT DOES APPEAR THAT WE HAVE CALLERS ONLINE. [SILENCE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - OH, YES, UH, I HAVE A, UH, PROPOSAL FOR SOME CODE CHANGES AND, UM, MY CONCERN HERE IS WHAT SHOULD WE PUT IN THIS CODE IS SOMETHING THAT EMPOWERS THE LANDOWNERS ON SUMMIT HERE IN THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE UTILITY COMPANIES. SPECIFICALLY, WHAT I NEED IS FOR THESE UTILITY COMPANIES TO PROPERLY TALK TO ME, APPROACH ME, AND NOTIFY ME AND SO ON AND SHOW UP WITH REAL EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, MARKED PG&E TRUCKS COMCAST, AND SO ON. AND MOST NOTABLY THIS BEHAVIOR I'VE NEVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE BECAUSE IT RECENTLY HAPPENED AND I, I THINK IT'S FRAUDULENT, BUT I'M NOT SURE. MOTORIZED VEHICLES LIKE ATVS AND MOTORCYCLES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO STORM ONTO MY LAND. AND THE REASON FOR THAT, IT BENEFITS OF COURSE ME AS A PRIVATE LANDOWNER, BUT THE BENEFIT IS HUGE TO EVERYONE THAT IS BELOW ME BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S AN EAST WIND, A SURFERS WIND, AN OFFSHORE WIND, AND IT'S ALL BLOWING DOWNHILL. AND IF THESE UTILITY COMPANIES SEND MOTORIZED VEHICLES ONTO MY LAND WITHOUT ME KNOWING AND THEY JUST STORM IN HERE THEN THEY SPARK A FIRE, WHERE'S THAT FIRE GONNA GO? IT'S GONNA GO DOWNHILL AND IT'S GONNA BURN EVERYBODY OUT BELOW ME. LAW ENFORCEMENT, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU REPRESENT. SO I'M CONCERNED HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND FEMA AND YOU SAW THE LA FIRES AND WHAT WENT DOWN AND MAUI AND PARADISE AND SO ON. THIS IS NOT GOOD BEHAVIOR FROM OUR UTILITY COMPANIES. AND I NEED CONTROL OVER MY LAND ASSETS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T INJURE ME AS A PROPERTY OWNER AND THAT THEY DO NOT DAMAGE MY COMMUNITY. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - WITH THAT, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. LET'S SEE IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. IF WE COULD TAKE A ROLL CALL. - CAN I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION? I'M SORRY. SO THE ERROR THAT WAS DISCOVERED ON APN 07028101, HOW DID, HOW WAS THAT DISCOVERED? [SILENCE] - UM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THROUGH, UH, APPLICATION BY THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND ONCE IT GOT TO THE BUILDING PERMIT PHASE, IT HAS BEEN STALLED BECAUSE OF THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE ZONING SAYING THAT IT'S LIGHT INDUSTRIAL EVEN THOUGH IT'S A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. - OKAY, AND HOW OFTEN, COULD YOU SAY HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING IS MISS LABELED? - YOU CAN JUST TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER. THIS IS REALLY JUST A MAPPING ERROR AND IT'S A ONE-OFF. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S COMMON. YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND A LOT OF THESE IN OUR ZONING CODE AND IN OUR MAPPING. THIS IS JUST A HISTORICAL ONE-OFF AT THIS POINT, YEAH. - BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A CONSTITUENT WHO THIS HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO WHO'S STILL, YOU KNOW, VERY ANGRY ABOUT IT AND ONCE IT CHANGED BACK, SO. SO THEN I SAW THIS ONE AND I THOUGHT, WOW, THAT'S INTERESTING. HERE'S ANOTHER MISTAKE. AND SO THE PROPERTY OWNER IS OKAY WITH THE ZONING MAP CHANGES, ET CETERA? YEAH, 'CAUSE... - YES. YEAH, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM. - OKAY, THANK YOU. - [INAUDIBLE] - ONE OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTION. DOES SECTION ON TEMPORARY STORAGE BOXES, IS THAT COMING FROM A SPECIFIC USE CASE? AND WOULD THAT APPLY TO, UM, A SHIPPING CONTAINER AS WELL? OR WOULD THAT SHIPPING CONTAINER BE CONSIDERED NON TEMPORARY STORAGE? [04:30:02] [SILENCE] - UM, IS THIS THE SECTION THAT WE'RE RE-ADDING INTO CODE? I THINK THIS IS E... [SILENCE] IT'S PRETTY DEEP IN HERE. 1310.6.6 TEMPORARY PERMITS, USES AND STRUCTURES. - E. - SECTION E. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - SO ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT, THAT IS LARGELY JUST CORRECTING THE REFERENCES TO THE NUMBERS OF THE SECTIONS OF THE CODE. UM, IF YOU LOOK THROUGHOUT YOUR STAFF REPORT, PARTICULARLY LIKE C5, YOU SEE THE, UH, INCORRECT REFERENCE TO THE NUMBERS THERE. UH, WE DID UPDATE THE... WE TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE OUR NAME, CDI, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THAT'S IN THERE AS WELL. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN THERE IS JUST UPDATING THE, UH, TEXT OF THE SECTIONS OF THE CODE AND NO CHANGE TO THE SUBSTANTIVE MATTER OF THOSE TEMPORARY STRUCTURES. - REALLY, EVEN THOUGH THE STRIKE THROUGH UNDERLINE, THE WHOLE THING IS UNDERLINE AND LOOKS NEW. - NOW E IS A DIFFERENT ONE, YEAH. SO E IS THE, THE STANDARDS FOR PERMITTING, UH, DEPENDING ON WHICH DIFFERENT TYPE OF STRUCTURE THERE WOULD BE. SO THAT ONE WAS, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NUMBER ONE THERE. IS THAT THE ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO? - YEAH, TEMPORARY STORAGE BOXES. I'M JUST CURIOUS, DOES THAT... - YES. - ... APPLY TO A SHIPPING CONTAINER OR IS IT... I DON'T SEE LIKE A SUPER CLEAR DEFINITION OF... - YEAH, THESE ARE YOUR CONSTRUCTION... IT COULD BE THEIR CONSTRUCTION KIND OF, UH, SHIPPING CONTAINER YOU JUST SEE, OR THEY COULD BE, UH, ONE OF THESE U-HAUL DROP OFF BOXES. THINGS ARE USED FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE, FOR CONSTRUCTION, EITHER OF MATERIALS OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A REMODEL GOING ON AND THEY MOVE THEIR EQUIPMENT OUT AND STORE IT SOMEPLACE CLOSE THEY'D HAVE TO PAY FOR A STORAGE UNIT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. - I MEAN, ARGUABLY A SHIPPING CONTAINER IS NOT TEMPORARY. I MEAN, THEY'VE, I... AS SOMEONE WHO, WHO GREW UP WITH A SHIPPING CONTAINER IN THE YARD, UH, FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE IT TOOK THAT MUCH TIME TO CREATE A PERMANENT STRUCTURE. I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THE HELL, HECK, WOULD WE LIMIT ONE SHIPPING CONTAINER PER PARCEL? SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES ARE VERY POPULAR, SO IF YOU CAN'T TELL ME CLEARLY, LIKE WHETHER OR NOT THIS ACTUALLY APPLIES TO SHIPPING CONTAINERS, I'M JUST A LITTLE CURIOUS WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. WHY WE WOULDN'T ALLOW SOMEONE OF WHO HAS MANY ACRES TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE SHIPPING CONTAINER. I MEAN, I SEE IN HERE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID NUISANCES BEING TOO CLOSE TO A PROPERTY LINE, ET CETERA. BUT I DO THINK THIS GETS AT A LARGER ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT CREATING A, A NUISANCE, WHY OR WHY CREATE RESTRICTIONS? [SILENCE] UH, CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS CODE APPLIES TO LIKE A STEEL SHIPPING CONTAINER OR NOT? - YEAH, IT WOULD. IT WOULD. SO YOUR, YOUR POINT IS THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT AND AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. AND THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE IS TO HAVE A REGULATION FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL STORAGE CONTAINERS. SO THERE ISN'T A ONE SIZE FIT ALL IN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE BUT THE ISSUE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. IT'S A, IT'S ABATEMENT OF SORT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE. IF YOU STACK A BUNCH OF THESE IN A SORT OF A QUARTER ACRE LOT, RIGHT ALONG A DRIVEWAY OR EVEN ON THE PROPERTY. IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S UNSIGHTLY AND, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION NOWADAYS CAN TAKE SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR OR LONGER. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ABATE THAT NUISANCE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT FOR FUTURE AMENDMENTS. IF YOU'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT A RURAL, UH, APPLICABILITY OF STORAGE ENVIRONMENT AND WHERE WE CAN LOCATE THOSE. SO WE CAN TAKE THAT INTO THE RECORD AND LOOK AT THE NEXT ONE. WE DO HAVE A SERIES OF THESE COMING. WE HOPE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE AN ANNUAL UPDATE THAT WE BRING TO YOU OF JUST CODE CLEANUPS AND THINGS THAT COME UP. SO CERTAINLY THIS CAN BE ONE THAT WE ADD TO THAT. - BUT I SUGGEST THAT WE PUT IT AS, WE STILL STRIKE THE LANGUAGE AND CHANGE IT FOR SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR, UH, FOR STORAGE. [PAUSE] SO THEY, IT ELIMINATES... 'CAUSE I'M, I'M THINKING YOU'RE REFERRING TO LIKE ADU TYPE SHIPPING CONTAINERS, CORRECT? IS WHAT YOU'RE ALLUDING TO? - I MEAN... - OR ANY STORAGE CONTAINERS TOO. I MEAN, WHY, IF I HAVE A 20 ACRE PROPERTY, CAN'T I HAVE MORE THAN ONE SHIPPING CONTAINER TO STORE EQUIPMENT? IF IT'S... - WELL, YOU HAVE A MOTION THAT'S SECONDED ON THE FLOOR. SO IF SUPERVISOR KOENIG WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU'D HAVE TO GET THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION IN THERE. BUT I, I THINK THIS, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SUBSTANTIVE THAN THAT. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND LETTING US TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT AND WORK ON SOMETHING IN THE NEXT BATCH. - UM, OKAY. I MEAN, I GUESS THE QUESTIONS FOR COUNTY COUNCIL, COULD WE MOVE FORWARD THE PACKAGE OF, UM, REVISIONS ACCEPTING SECTION E FROM 1310? [04:35:01] UM, ANYWAY, ACCEPTING THIS ONE SECTION? - IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO THAT? - YEAH. - YES, IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO THAT. - OKAY. - IT'S LEGALLY POSSIBLE TO DO THAT VIA SUBSTITUTE MOTION. - OKAY, WELL... - OR AN AMENDMENT. - HUH? - OR AN AMENDMENT. - WOULD THE, WOULD THE MOTION MAKER ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT? - SURE, I MEAN I DO LIKE REALLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME WANT TO KEEP US MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MEETING AND... AND I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK WITH STAFF ON OTHER FUTURE CHANGES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY INTEREST, GIVEN THAT IT WENT THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. WAS JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE, THE MEETING MOVING FORWARD. JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT MORE ITEMS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT IF THAT'LL KEEP US MOVING. UM, AND, AND OR IF WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND SUPERVISOR KOENIG CAN WORK WITH CDI STAFF ON BRINGING BACK OTHER CHANGES IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S ALSO AN OPTION. SO EITHER ONE. - SURE, SURE. AND I, I, I TOTALLY HEAR MY COLLEAGUE I'LL, I'LL OFFER UH, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT, UH, WE REMOVE SECTION 1310.616E UH, FROM THE UPDATE FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. - I'LL ACCEPT THAT. - IT'S OKAY WITH ME TOO. - OKAY. [PAUSE] ANY FINAL WORDS BEFORE WE, UH, MOVE WITH THE VOTE? [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] - AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE NO REGULATIONS FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE ON THE BOOKS AT ALL AND NEED ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO FIGURE IT OUT. SO I, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE LEAVE IT IN AND AS MARK MENTIONED, STAFF CAN RETURN WITH, UM, A, UH, A VARIETY OF OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERING MORE STORAGE BOXES ON LARGER PROPERTIES AT A LATER DATE. BUT I, I'D ASK YOU NOT TO REMOVE THE REGULATIONS. - ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I'LL RETRACT MY AMENDMENT AND SUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE AMENDMENT, UH, WHICH IS DIRECTING STAFF TO, UH, PROPOSE A CODE CHANGE THAT ALLOWS MULTIPLE STORAGE CONTAINERS ON RURAL PROPERTIES. - OKAY WITH ME. - OKAY, SO, UH, CLERK, DID YOU GET THAT? 13.10 MULTIPLE STORAGE CONTAINERS. A DISCUSS-, A FURTHER DISCUSSION. - ONE MOMENT. [SILENCE] - SO MY UNDERSTANDING THEN IS THAT, THAT WE'RE, YOU'RE... - WE'RE PASSING EVERYTHING. - YOU'RE APPROVING THE ORDINANCE AS IS WITH ADDITIONAL DIRECTION FOR STAFF TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH, UM, ADDITIONAL WORK ON THAT? - AND WORK WITH THE SUPERVISOR ON THAT. - GREAT, THANK YOU. - OKAY. - AND TO CLARIFY, IS THIS ADDITIONAL DIRECTION STILL PERTAINING TO THE CODE SECTION THAT WAS CITED 1310616E? - YES. - OKAY. [SILENCE] THANK YOU. - ALL RIGHT, WE'RE READY FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH ADDITIONAL DIRECTION. [12. Consider approving in concept an "Ordinance Amending Section 7.92.307.2 of the Santa Cruz County Code (Fire Code) Regarding the Definition of Open Burn Season and Permits Required to Kindle Fires”, confirm the proposal is exempt from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, and take related actions] NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM 12 IN THE AGENDA, CONSIDERING APPROVING... WAIT A MINUTE. YES, ITEM 12 THE NEXT... CONSIDERING APPROVING IN CONCEPT THE ORDINANCE AMENDING 7.92.307.2 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FIRE CODE REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF OPEN BURN SEASON AND PERMITS REQUIRED TO KINDLE FIRES. CONFIRM THE PROPOSAL IS EXEMPT FROM REQUIREMENTS OF CEQA AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CAL FIRE CHIEF JED WILSON FOR THE PRESENTATION. [SILENCE] - GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, CHAIR. - THE MIC, IS IT ON? - SHOULD BE. - OKAY. - I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER HERE. UH, THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS. SO ITEM 12 IS A CHANGE TO SECTION 3072 OF, UH, CHAPTER THREE OF THE FIRE CODE. UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH PILE BURNING. SO WHAT WE WOULD CALL A BACKYARD BURN. AND WHAT, UH, CHANGE WE ARE, UH, RECOMMENDING IS THAT THE AUTHORITY BE CHANGED FROM THE MONTEREY BAY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BEING THE PERMITTING AUTHORITY TO CAL FIRE BEING THE PERMITTING AUTHORITY. UM, HISTORICALLY, MBARD HAS, UH, HELD THAT ROLE AND NOW THAT WE HAVE UPDATED THE CAL FIRE BURN PERMIT PROCESS TO AN ONLINE, MORE TRANSPARENT AND EASY ACCESSIBLE, UM, PROCESS MBARD IS WILLING AND READY TO HAVE US TAKE BACK OVER THAT RESPONSIBILITY. [04:40:02] UH, AND ONE NOTE IS THAT IN LRA, SO WITHIN THE LOCAL RESPONSE AREA SUCH AS CITIES OR FIRE DISTRICTS THAT ARE NOT UNDER THE STATE RESPONSIBILITY AREA, THE LOCAL FIRE CHIEF WOULD STILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE BACKYARD BURNING UNDER THEIR DIRECTION. SO THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THE BOARD APPROVES THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR THESE PROPOSED CHANGES. - THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THIS ITEM? [SILENCE] SEEING NONE, ANYONE ONLINE? [SILENCE] - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR. - I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. - JUST A QUICK QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE FOLKS WHO DO LIVE WITHIN THE CAL FIRE DISTRICT WITHIN THE COUNTY, WOULD THAT MEAN THAT YOU WOULD BE THE PERMITTING AUTHORITY WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD THEY NEED TO GO TO? - CORRECT, SO WITHIN THE SRA, WHICH IS THE STATE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE, IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY THEY WOULD GO THROUGH THE CAL FIRE BURN PERMIT PROCESS. SO IN CSA 48, THAT IS PROBABLY 90% OF THE, THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, SRA. - OKAY. UM, I'LL... SEEMS LIKE A GOOD CLEANUP, SO I'LL JUST MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTION. - I'LL SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR, UH, KOENIG. YES. - [INAUDIBLE]. - OKAY. - THANK YOU CHIEF. THANK YOU FOR THE PROPOSAL. UM, JUST FOR ANY PUBLIC MEMBERS WHO MIGHT BE TRACKING THIS, CAN YOU DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BACKYARD BURN AND LIKE A WARMING FIRE OR CAMPFIRE? - YEAH, SO A CAMPFIRE WARMING FIRE IS ACCEPTABLE IN NOT NEEDING A BURN PERMIT ON SOMEONE'S PRIVATE PROPERTY OR IF THEY GIVE THAT AUTHORITY TO A INDIVIDUAL UTILIZING THEIR PROPERTY THAT HOMEOWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER IS, UH, ACCEPTING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT, UH, WARMING FIRE OR COOKING FIRE OR CAMPFIRE. BACKYARD BURNS ARE ONLY HELD BETWEEN DECEMBER 1ST AND MAY 1ST AND THAT THEY NEED TO BE FOUR BY FOUR AND THERE'S A IDENTIFIED BACKYARD BURN SIZE AND DOCUMENT THAT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE, THE BURN PERMIT. WHICH IS CURRENTLY WHAT WE DO WITH MBARD, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. - AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS PROCESS WILL MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS THOSE PERMITS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. I KNOW THERE'S, IT'S KIND OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT THOSE ARE HARDER TO GET. SO HOW WILL YOU BE INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEW PROCESS? - SO IF, IF THE BOARD ACCEPTS THIS UH, WE KIND OF DID IT STRATEGICALLY. WE JUST ENDED BACKYARD BURNING SEASON. WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO A CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT THAT WOULD BE DISRUPTIVE TO THE CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE TRYING TO CONDUCT BURNS. 'CAUSE WE DO LIKE PEOPLE REDUCING THEIR, THEIR WASTE OR THE, UH, LEAF LITTER, ET CETERA. SO WE WILL DO A SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH, UH, THROUGH THE NEXT PROBABLY I GUESS IT'S SEVEN MONTHS OR SO UNTIL WE GET TO DECEMBER. AND, UM, ALSO DO POSTINGS WORK WITH, UH, THE FIRE CHIEFS, THE UH, THE FIRE PREVENTION OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S OUT THERE. - WONDERFUL. THANK YOU CHIEF. - YEAH. - JUST A QUICK COMMENT. I'LL SAY, UM, I, FOR SOMEONE WHO'S DONE SOME BACKYARD BURNS, UH, TO DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WEBSITE IT SEEMS EXTREMELY EASY TO USE TO GET A CAL FIRE PERMIT. ALSO CHECKED IN WITH FOLKS, UM, LIKE CENTRAL FIRE AND SCOTTS VALLEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WHO OF COURSE, IN THE LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA WILL BE, HAVE TO BE ISSUING THESE PERMITS. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE GOT A PRETTY STREAMLINED PROCESS AS WELL. SO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT DOESN'T ADD A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, BURDEN TO SOMEONE DOING THIS. WOULD, WOULD AN MBARD PERMIT BE NECESSARY IN ADDITION, OR IS, IS IT IN THIS CASE NO LONGER REQUIRED AT ALL? - THERE WILL BE SPECIFIC CASES. UH, THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY IS A, UH, SPECIFIC, UM, GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, AND I BELIEVE IT'S SIX PERMITS. THE MBARD ALLOWS A DAY TO BURN AND THAT... UM, SO THE WAY THE CAL FIRE BURN PERMIT WILL WORK IS IT, IF SOMEONE APPLIES WITHIN THAT PARCEL BOUNDARY OR PARCEL BOUNDARIES, IT WOULD PUSH 'EM TO MBARD TO GET THE ADDITIONAL PERMIT. SO WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THEM IN THE BACK END TO MAKE SURE IT'S SEAMLESS FOR THE FOLKS. - AND THAT THEY'RE NOTIFIED THAT THEY NEED THE ADDITIONAL PERMIT. - YEAH. - OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. THANKS. - THANK YOU. MADAM CLERK, CAN WE TAKE ROLL CALL VOTE? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM 13. [13. Consider approving in concept “An Uncodified Ordinance Designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones Within the Unincorporated Areas of County Service Areas 4 (CSA 4) and 48 (CSA 48) Under the Jurisdiction of the Santa Cruz County Fire Department”, confirm the proposal is exempt from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, and take related actions] CONSIDER APPROVING CONCEPT AN UNQUALIFIED ORDINANCE DESIGNATING FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY SERVICE AREAS FOR CSA 48 UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. CONFIRM THE PROPOSAL IS EXEMPT FROM CEQA AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. [PAUSE] TURN IT OVER TO CAL FIRE CHIEF JED WILSON FOR THE PRESENTATION. - ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. UM, SO THE FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONE MAPS, UH, WERE RELEASED A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I'M GONNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE KIND OF GOT WHERE WE ARE. [04:45:01] UH, THE DEFINITION BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA, WHAT EFFECTS THESE WOULD HAVE ON OUR CONSTITUENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY, AND HOW THE ADOPTION PROCESS, UH, WOULD MOVE FORWARD. SO THE HISTORY, UM, WE PROBABLY ALL REMEMBER 1991, THERE WAS THE TUNNEL FIRE. A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY REMEMBER IT AS THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE. THAT FIRE, UH, DESTROYED OVER TWO OR 2,900 STRUCTURES AND IT CAUSED AND TRIGGERED WHAT WAS CALLED THE BATES BILL WHICH REQUIRED CAL FIRE TO IDENTIFY VERY HIGH UH, SEVERITY ZONES WITHIN THE LRA. SO MOVE FAST FORWARD IN 2007, 2008, THOSE, UH, MODELS WERE RELEASED FOR LRA AND THEN WHEN THOSE CAME OUT, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY DID NOT HAVE ANY VERY HIGH SEVERITY ZONES. SO WE GO THROUGH THE TUBBS FIRE UP IN THE NORTH BAY. UH, WE GO THROUGH THE CAMPFIRE, MOST RECENTLY WE HAD THE PALISADES IN EATON FIRE IN JANUARY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. UM, SO VERY RELEVANT TO US. UH, 2021 AB 642 AND SENATE BILL UH, 63 REQUIRED THAT CAL FIRE IDENTIFY MODERATE AND HIGH, ALONG WITH VERY HIGH. AND THEN IN 2022, ASSEMBLY BILL 211 REQUIRED THAT THE AGENCIES ADOPT THESE UNDER AN ORDINANCE. SO LEGISLATION HAS GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING HOPEFULLY A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR FOLKS. SO LRA AND SRA SOMETIMES GET CONFUSED. I TRY TO MAKE THESE MAPS, UM, PRETTY IDENTICAL. SO YOU'LL SEE ON WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LEFT SIDE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, STATE RESPONSIBILITY A, THAT'S WHERE THE STATE HAS THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE WILDLAND FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION. ON THE, UH, RIGHT SIDE, YOU HAVE THE LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA AND THAT'S WHERE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIRE PREVENTION. AND THAT WOULD BE SANTA CRUZ CITY, SCOTTS VALLEY, CENTRAL WATSONVILLE COUNTY FIRE. WE ALL HAVE UNINCORPORATED OR, UH, INCORPORATED CITIES THAT WE OVERSEE. SO WE'RE JUST TALKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT LRA. SO WITH THIS MAP, IT IDENTIFIES, OR EXCUSE ME, THIS PICTOGRAPH, IT IDENTIFIES VERY HIGH, HIGH, AND MODERATE. SO ON THE LEFT SIDE, ALL OF THOSE GREEN ARE ELEMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE AND ADOPTED LAST YEAR FOR STATE RESPONSIBILITY AREA. WHEN WE LOOK ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THIS IS WHAT AFFECTS PASSING THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TODAY. UM, HOPEFULLY AT THE JUNE 10TH MEETING WOULD HAVE ON THE CONSTITUENTS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. SO IN THE VERY HIGH WE WOULD NEED TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE. CEQA WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR PROJECTS. IT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE COUNTY SAFETY ELEMENT. FIRE SAFE REGULATIONS WOULD BE IN PLACE, CHAPTER SEVEN A, WHICH IS THE WUI BUILDING CODE WOULD TAKE PLACE ON NEW STRUCTURES BEING BUILT, SO THAT THEY'RE MORE, UH, ADAPTIVE TO FIRE. DEFENSIBLE SPACE INSPECTIONS WOULD BE REQUIRED, HAZARD DISCLOSURE, SO IF SOMEONE WAS GOING TO SELL THEIR HOME THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE AND THEN A SUBDIVISION REVIEW WOULD ALSO BE THERE. UNDER HIGH THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED. THE HAZARD DISCLOSURES, UH, REQUIRED WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO SELL THEIR HOME. AND CHAPTER SEVEN A IS IN EFFECT AND IN THE MODERATE IT'S JUST ADOPTED THERE'S NO REGULATIONS ATTACHED. SO FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, YOU CAN KIND OF RUN FROM, UH, THE SAN MATEO COUNTY LINE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CITY LIMITS OF SANTA CRUZ AND THAT IS THE COAST, COASTAL SIDE OF THE ROAD OF HIGHWAY ONE NOT THE INLAND SIDE. THE INLAND IS SRA. AND THEN AS YOU GET TO THE CITY, THAT LINE KIND OF DETERS OFF OF HIGHWAY ONE. IT KIND OF RUNS AND SKIRTS THE, UM, TOPOGRAPHY WHERE, UH, STRUCTURES END. UM, IT'S KIND OF WHERE THE SRA STARTS. SO I ZOOMED IN DOWN IN, UH, THE AREA OF WATSONVILLE, UH, BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE OF WATSONVILLE CSA4, UM, THE YELLOW PORTION OUT NEAR PAJARO DUNES AND CSA 48, AND WE DO HAVE TWO SECTIONS OF VERY HIGH, UM, THAT IS IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE LANDFILL. THERE'S A CANYON IN THERE THAT'S PRETTY DENSE IN GROWTH, AND THEN A SECTION NEAR THE LARKIN VALLEY, UH, RIDGE LINE. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME MODERATE, UM, WHICH ALSO IS WITHIN CENTRAL'S FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND COUNTY CSA 48. [PAUSE] SO, SOME THINGS I WAS HOPING WE'D HAVE A BIGGER AUDIENCE ON THIS, PREPAREDNESS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SO, ZONE 0 IS COMING. UM, THEY'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE, UH, IN DECEMBER UNDER, UH, LEGISLATION. SO JUST MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE CLEARING A ZONE 0, ZONE 1, WHICH IS 5 TO 30 FEET AND ZONE 3 WHICH IS 30 TO 100 FEET OF THEIR VEGETATION. SO, UM, EITHER IF THEY'RE HOME CATCHES FIRE, IT DOES NOT GO INTO THE WILDLAND OR VICE VERSA. UH, THINGS WE CAN DO HERE IN THE COUNTY IS DEFENSIBLE SPACE, [04:50:04] HOME HARDENING, UH, FIRESAFE AND FIREWISE. WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST FIREWISE NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES AND I JUST HEARD, I THINK IT'S, UH, UPPER PINE RIDGE IS, UH, FORMING ONE. SO WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING ANOTHER, AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA PUT US MAYBE INTO THE 80 RANGE OF, UH, FIREWISE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS GREAT. MAKING SURE WE PARTICIPATE IN EVACUATION DRILLS AND MESSAGING, HAVING FOLKS SIGN UP FOR CRUZAWARE, AND KNOWING YOUR ZONE IN GENASYS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ZONE HAVEN. SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION ACTIONS WOULD BE APPROVED WHICH IS TO ADOPT THE CONCEPT OF THIS ORDINANCE, SCHEDULE A SECOND READING ON JUNE 10TH, AND THEN DIRECT THE BOARD TO PUBLISH THE PROPOSED NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER. AND DIRECT THE DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THE ADOPTED ORDINANCE TO THE BOARD OF FORESTRY ONCE ADOPTED PRIOR TO JUNE 24TH. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE. OH... - LUCIA, I LIVE IN THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY. IS ALL THIS INFORMATION ONLINE ON THE CAL FIRE WEBSITE? [SILENCE] - THIS IS ONLINE ON THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FIRE WEBSITE AS THIS HAS TO DO WITH LRA. UH, THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY IS STATE RESPONSIBILITY AREA AND HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED. - OKAY, THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - HI, YES, I WONDER ABOUT THE ACCURACY IN WITH TODAY'S CLIMATE AND LOOKING AT THE MAPS AND SO ON, BASED ON THE FIRE THAT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT DOWN IN SOUTHERN CAL. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THOSE FIRES, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THINGS FROM, FROM ABOVE YOU SEE THAT A NUMBER OF HOMES THAT WERE ON THE TOP OF THE, OF THOSE HILLS, THEY SURVIVED, BUT THE FIRE, YOU KNOW, DRIVEN BY THE WIND COMING OUTTA THE EAST BLEW ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COAST AND WAS HEAVILY ENERGIZED. ARE WE SURE THAT THOSE SORTS OF SCENARIOS WOULDN'T PLAY OUT FOR US IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY? AND ALSO, ARE YOU, UH, CAPTURING, UM, THE UTILITIES ALONG THESE ROUTES THAT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIRE? AND UH, LASTLY, UM, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CAPTURE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE UTILITY COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS AND IN PARTICULAR ON TOP, AND ALL OF YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS REGARDING THIS? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, YESTERDAY I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS STORMING MY LAND WHERE THERE WERE MOTORCYCLES AND ATVS CLAIMING THAT THEY WERE, UH, THE UTILITY. SO THAT COULD PRESENT AN EXTREME DANGER TO EVERYBODY THAT'S BELOW ME. YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND ON THE EASTERN SLOPE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, PLANTS GROWING THERE. AND YEAH, IF IT'S HOT IT CAN BURN PRETTY FAST AND EVERYTHING BUT IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE MY HOME IN SAN JOSE IS MORE THREATENED THAN MY HOME OVER HERE AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IN SANTA CRUZ AND THE HOME IS BELOW US AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK OF ALL THAT. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS CHAIR. - WITH THAT, I'LL BRING BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS COMMENTS, OR ENTERTAIN A MOTION. [SILENCE] - I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. - SECOND. [PAUSE] ARE YOU GONNA SECOND IT? - NO, I WAS GONNA SECOND IT. - OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG AND A SECOND FROM HERNANDEZ. - QUESTION. SO, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYBODY'S INSURANCE GETTING CANCELED LEFT AND RIGHT... - [SNEEZES] - BLESS YOU. ... ARE, ARE THESE GONNA MAKE THAT WORSE? THESE... - THESE ARE HAZARD MAPS. INSURANCE IS BASED ON RISKS. SO THE INSURANCE COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE USING THESE MAPS TO DICTATE INDIVIDUAL'S INSURANCE. - OKAY. [SILENCE] - MADAM CLERK, IF WE CAN TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. [PAUSE] [14. Consider approving in concept an “Ordinance Amending Section 4.65.060 Of The Santa Cruz County Code Relating To The Santa Cruz County Safe Drinking Water, Clean Beaches, Wildfire Risk Reduction, And Wildlife Protection Act”, and take related actions] NEXT ON THE AGENDA WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 14. CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 4.65.060 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE RELATING TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SAFE DRINKING WATER, CLEAN BEACHES, WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION [04:55:01] AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT, AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, IT'S SAYING ALYSSA BENSON, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JEFF GAFFNEY AND DAVID REED FOR THE PRESENTATION. - GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, JEFF GAFFNEY SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PARK DEPARTMENT. - DAVE REED. - WITH THE OFFICE OF RESPONSE, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THIS IS A GREAT UPBEAT ITEM THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY. WE HAVE THE VOTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WHO ARE WILLING TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT WATERSHED, PARKS, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, OUR CEO, UH, BENSON WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, AND WE WILL TAKE IT OVER FROM HERE. I AM GOING TO HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON. [PAUSE] THANKS. SO, UH, JUST QUICKLY GIVING YOU A TIMELINE ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN UH, WE'VE GOTTEN DONE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. UH, DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO GREAT DETAIL, I PROMISE WE WILL MOVE QUICKLY. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE GOT THE VISION PLAN CONSULTANT CONTRACTED. WE GOT THE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT ADVISORY BOARD, UH, APPOINTED. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT. WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING ON APRIL 16TH, AND THEN ON APRIL 30TH WE APPROVED BYLAWS FOR THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT ADVISORY BOARD. AND WE ALSO STARTED THE SUPPORT FOR THE, UH, PUBLICATION DATE BEING CHANGED FROM JULY 1ST TO OCTOBER 15TH, 2025. THAT'S SOME OF THE DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA HAVE HERE TODAY WITH THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD OUR MEASURE Q KICKOFF FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT. WE HAD 50 PLUS STAKEHOLDERS ATTEND THAT. AND, UM, TOMORROW NIGHT WE'LL BE HAVING OUR THIRD CITIZENS OVERSIGHT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING. - SO I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST OUTLINE THE CALENDAR AS TO WHY WE'RE REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CODE, UM, TO SHIFT FROM A JULY ONE VISION PLAN UP TO THE AUGUST 15TH OR THE OCTOBER 15TH. SO WE HAVE A, AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE FEEL LIKE IS MOVING AT THE SPEED OF TRUST WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY. UM, AS, UH, DIRECTOR GAFFNEY MENTIONED, WE'VE KICKED OFF THE COAB MEETINGS. WE'VE KICKED OFF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UM, PRETTY QUICKLY AFTER GETTING A CONSULTANT ONLINE AND HAVING THE COAB BEING SEATED. UM, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, THAT IN JUNE WE'RE GONNA HAVE UH, THREE IN-PERSON COMMUNITY MEETINGS, ONE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITHIN THE THEMATIC AREAS OF THE MEASURE. SO KIND OF SIX THEMATIC AREAS. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO MEETINGS PER THEMATIC AREA FOR STAKEHOLDERS. SO TO REALLY TRY AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY, UM, ARE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF VISION PLAN PRIORITIES, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO REFLECT THOSE IN THE VISION PLAN CREATION. SO IN JULY, WE'LL SYNTHESIZE BOTH COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, AND THEN THE WRITING PROCESS WILL BE DONE IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING THE PLAN ADOPTED IN OCTOBER. AND WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THIS DATE IS FIRM, UM, AND THAT THE JULY ONE DEADLINE WAS, WAS, UH, NOT A REALISTIC EXPECTATION GIVEN KIND OF THE NEED TO SEAT THE COAB AGAIN THAT HAPPENING IN EARLY APRIL, UM, AFTER YOUR BOARD APPOINTED THOSE FOLKS IN MARCH. SO WE'RE MOVING QUICKLY, BUT WE JUST CAN'T MEET THAT JULY 1 DEADLINE. SO THE INTENT OF THE, OF THE ACTIONS TODAY IS TO MOVE THAT JULY 1 TO JULY 15TH. UM, WE WANT TO STILL MAINTAIN, UM, THE GOAL OF PROVIDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, LATER THIS CALENDAR YEAR, OPENING UP KIND OF RFPS AND HOPEFULLY GETTING MONEY OUT THE DOOR, OR AT LEAST AWARDING GRANTS, UM, IN EARLY 2026. SO THIS DATE CHANGE FOR VISION PLAN ADOPTION DOES NOT ANTICIPATE IMPACTING OUR ABILITY TO GET GRANTS OUT THE DOOR. AND SO WITH THAT, UM, YOUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE BEFORE YOU AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. - THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE HERE AT THE BOARD WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM? - THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, UH, AND GLAD TO BE HERE. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. MARIAH ROBERTS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COUNTY PARK FRIENDS AND NONPROFIT PARTNER TO OUR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT UM, THE PROUD NON-PROFIT PARTNER. LAST NOVEMBER, THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED MEASURE Q AS THEY HAVE BEFORE, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE APPROVAL OF MEASURE K, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY RESIDENTS KNOW THE VALUE OF AND REPEATEDLY VOTE TO INVEST IN OUR PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES. THERE'S A REASON WHY THE VOTERS SUPPORT MEASURES THAT FOCUS AND TELL THE STORY OF PARKS. PARKS ARE THE FRIENDLY FRONT STOOP OF OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND WE PUT OUR TRUST IN THEM. WHEN VOTERS ARE POOLED ABOUT WHAT ORGANIZATIONS THEY TRUST AND HAVE A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION WITH, THEY OVERWHELMINGLY PUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PARKS AT THE TOP. AND I'M AFRAID THAT DOES INCLUDE THE [INAUDIBLE] ON THOSE FALLS. UM, BUT IT'S JUST PEOPLE KNOW, KNOW, KNOW THEIR PARKS [05:00:03] AND THEY, THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE. MEASURE Q REPRESENTS HOPE AND POSSIBILITY DURING A DIFFICULT TIME. AN EXAMPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY CARING FOR EACH OTHER AND CHOOSING TO INVEST OUR PRECIOUS FUNDS AT HOME FOR OUR SHARED FUTURES. WE ENDORSE, COUNTY PARK FRIENDS BOARD ENDORSED THIS CITIZEN CREATED MEASURE. AND SO WE'RE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HOW IT ROLLS OUT. UM, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO REPORT THAT WE SEE THE LANGUAGE OF THE MEASURE AND THE WILL OF THE VOTERS BEING IMPLEMENTED WITH INTEGRITY AND WITH FOCUS. I WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK TO SEAT AN EXCELLENT COAB AND I'M HERE TO EXPRESS THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR WHAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED IN TERMS OF THIS DATE CHANGE AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE VISION PLAN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT FULL, UM, PARTICIPATION TO CREATE A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE. UM, AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE DECISION IS REALLY A PLANNING AND TIMELINE DECISION. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED AND THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, PLANNING LED BY THE PEOPLE THAT VOTERS TRUST, IS WHAT WILL MAKE US SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT. - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU, BECKY STEINBRUNER. SINCE, UM, THE BALLOT MEASURE Q DID PROMISE THE VOTERS WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION PROJECTS, I WANT TO SEE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE REVENUE ALLOCATED RELIABLY AND REGULARLY TO FIRE PROJECTS. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE PUBLIC IS GONNA HAVE ANY GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL SEE THAT UNLESS THERE ARE SOME, UH, FIRE OFFICIALS DEDICATED ON THE BOARD AND THERE IS ADEQUATE, TRANSPARENT PUBLIC, UM, INVOLVEMENT. SO THIS IS A THING THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME A LOT, THAT WILDFIRE GETS USED TO SELL A BALLOT MEASURE. AND THIS IS ONE OF MANY TIMES THAT HAS HAPPENED, AND I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS MONEY NEVER GO TO FIRE RISK REDUCTION. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE ALWAYS ALLOCATED TO FIRE REDUCTION PROJECTS. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU, ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [PAUSE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. [SILENCE] - TOTALLY AGREE WITH BECKY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, IF YOU, IF IT CAN'T BE ALLOCATED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN EASILY SEE FIRE REDUCTION EFFORTS, UM, YEAH, SIMPLE THING WOULD BE TO, UH, COME UP WITH IDEAS TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR OF THE UTILITIES, WHICH ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO SOME OF THESE HORRIBLE FIRES THAT WE ALL KNOW. AND ONCE AGAIN, I'M SURE YOU FOLKS DON'T WANT A UTILITY COMPANY TO SPARK A FIRE ON MY LAND AND TO HAVE THAT GO CAREENING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND BURN OUT ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR HOMES AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL. AND THEN WHAT, THE ONLY HOME THAT'S LEFT IS MY HOME STANDING AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. SO, UH, BECKY HAS SOME PRETTY GOOD THOUGHTS THERE. YOU FOLKS MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [SILENCE] - I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU CHAIR, AND JUST WANNA THANK MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, RELATED TO THIS ITEM. SO I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD ACTUALLY GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION. I JUST WANTED TO GET A SNAP. I JUST WANTED TO SEE THE TIMELINE, UM, BEFORE I ASK THESE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. [PAUSE] THERE WE GO. SO, UM, I GUESS WITH, SO I GUESS, SO THE OBJECTIVE IS TO HAVE ABOUT 16 MEETINGS IN JUNE TO INCORPORATE, TO GET FEEDBACK. AND I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WHERE THE, WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THAT IN TERMS OF WHERE'S THE FUNDING GONNA COME FROM TO COVER THOSE MEETINGS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GONNA BE ABSORBED WITHIN STAFF'S CURRENT SALARY TIME OR IS THAT GONNA BE ABSORBED BY THE CONSULTANT? OR IS THAT GONNA COME OUTTA MEASURE Q BECAUSE I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT WHEN THIS MEASURE WAS PASSED THAT THERE'S FUNDING FOR THAT. UM, GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY THE VISION, THE IDEA WAS THAT VISION PLAN IS DONE BY JULY, AND THEN WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE THESE MEETINGS AREN'T A REQUIREMENT OF MEASURE Q. SO I'M JUST WONDERING LIKE WHERE THOSE COSTS ARE GONNA BE ABSORBED. - SURE. SO IF YOU RECALL, THE BOARD TOOK ACTION [05:05:01] EARLIER THIS YEAR TO AUTHORIZE ABOUT $160,000 TO MOVE FORWARD SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATION WITH THE INTENT OF SPENDING EXISTING STAFF TIME TO AND HIRE A CONSULTANT TO HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESS. SO WE STRUCTURED THE BUDGET FOR THAT CONSULTANT TO BE VERY TIGHT, TO BE VERY JUDICIOUS. SO THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WILL BE RUN BY STAFF AND WE ARE TRACKING OUR TIME IN TERMS OF KIND OF HOW MUCH TIME WE SPEND ON THIS INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION ONE AND WE'LL EXPLORE THE REPAYMENT OF THAT STAFF TIME FOR STARTUP COSTS OUT OF THE MEASURE. UM, AND THEN THE, THE CONSULTANT TEAM AND SOME COUNTY STAFF WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. SO THAT IS PART OF THE CONSULTANT CONTRACT, THE HOST AND INTEGRATE THE CONSULTANT OR THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK. - IS THERE ANY... - I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ASKED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AS FAR AS COUNTY PARKS GOES, WITH THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME WE PUT IN. UM, BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA COME BACK AND ASK YOUR BOARD FOR ANY MORE MONEY. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD IN AS PART OF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A PARKS AND REC COMMISSION MEETING WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THIS. I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT'S, UM, ECONOMICAL. AND, UM, WE SAID WE CAME TO THIS BOARD AND SAID, WELL, 160,000 IS WHAT WE NEED. AND THAT'S WHAT WE USED. UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS BECAUSE TO BE HONEST HERE THE COMMUNITY WON'T BE ABLE TO APPLY GENERALLY FOR ANY OF THIS MONEY OR WON'T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. SO THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO SAVE SOME MONEY. UM, IF THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, THAT IS INTERESTING UM, I'M SURE WE'D BE WILLING TO LOOK AT THAT. UM, BUT UM, WE, WE DEFINITELY FEEL IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR CONSULTANT THAT, , UM, AND STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS FOR SURE. - YEAH, AND I, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, I JUST AM TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET A SENSE OF IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING MEETINGS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP IN CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH SOME OF THE COAB MEMBERS, IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THE VOTERS APPROVED US HAVING THE VISION PLAN COME BACK IN JUNE, IN JULY, SORRY. AND THERE WASN'T STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT KIND OF BUILT INTO THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO DO WANT TO SEE THAT IN TERMS OF THE COAB, UM, I DO JUST, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS AND JUST BEING, TRYING TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT WE JUST PASSED THIS MEASURE, JUST DON'T WANNA PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE IT'S LIKE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD AFTER THE FACT. IT'S LIKE, HEY, ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THESE MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL APPROVED, YOU NOW, WE NOW NEED TO RECUPERATE $200,000 OR HOWEVER MUCH MONEY IT IS. AND I JUST THINK THAT HAVING, YOU KNOW, SOME EXPECTATION AROUND IF 160,000 WAS APPROVED IN THE FIRST PLACE, THAT- THAT SHOULD BE WHAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING UNDER. THAT'S KIND OF MY, UM, HOPE. OTHERWISE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, APPROVING MORE MEETINGS HAVING SOME KIND OF, AT LEAST AN ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA COST, SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BASING OUR DETERMINATION ON. AND THAT'S GONNA COME OUTTA MEASURE Q. I THINK IT'S JUST IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY AS WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS. SO, UM, IF IT'S, IF THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT IT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, PARKS IS GONNA TRY TO WORK WITHIN THAT 160,000, OKAY. BUT I THINK THAT IF IT SEEMS LIKE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT STAFF IS PUTTING INTO IT, I THINK THE QUESTION BECOMES WELL, HOW MANY STAFF ARE THERE? YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THERE'S A LOT OF STAFF THAT ATTEND THESE MEETINGS THERE, SOME OF THEM ARE THERE JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CONVERSATION VERSUS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE PAID FOR ONE STAFF MEMBER TO BE MORE OR LESS LIKE THE SECRETARY OF TAKING NOTES. AND SO I JUST DON'T WANNA PUT THIS IN A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE COME BACK, YOU ALL COME BACK TO US WITH A BILL THAT WE COULD HAVE HELPED TRY TO MINIMIZE AT THE OUTSET. - I THINK I WANTED TO ADD TOO ONE THING. UM, WE ARE TRACKING OUR TIME AND THIS IS A STARTUP PROCESS AND SO WE ARE LEARNING, UM, AFTER A YEAR'S TIME, I FEEL LIKE WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE DATA TO, TO PROVIDE YOU BETTER INFORMATION, BUT WE'RE NOT COMING BACK ASKING FOR MORE MONEY. AND THIS, A LOT OF THE STAFF AT THE MEETING OFTENTIMES ARE SALARIED STAFF. AND SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT A HUGE COMFORT, BUT, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HOPEFULLY NOT COSTING ANY MORE MONEY TO THE DEFINITELY NOT TO MEASURE Q. - RIGHT, AND THAT, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. - ABSOLUTELY. - BECAUSE THAT HAS COME UP AS A CONCERN IS LIKE THERE'S NON-STAFF MEMBER AT, AT A MEETING, LIKE, WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT? AND IF THEY'RE THERE ON THEIR OWN TIME, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT IF THEY'RE THERE AND THE EXPECTATION IS WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING OVERTIME OR IT'S GONNA COME OUTTA MEASURE Q, I THINK THAT'S A BROADER CONVERSATION FOR US TO BE HAD. UM, I DO, UM, SO HOW, SO YEAH, 16 OUTREACH MEETINGS IT LOOKS LIKE, WHICH CAN BE MAXIMUM OF 16 WITH POTENTIAL FOR LESS IF NECESSARY. UM, I THINK TO MS. STEINBRUNER'S POINT, UM, DOES SEEM LIKE YOU KNOW, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY SURVEYS. SO, HOWEVER THAT IS GONNA BE DISSEMINATED IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO USE THE GREATEST NUMBER OF COMMUNICATION METHODS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING OUR NEWSLETTERS [05:10:05] HAVE TO PUT IN MIND. UM, AND THEN I GUESS THE NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? I MEAN, GIVEN THIS KIND OF EXTENSION OF THE OUTREACH, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE, WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS TIMELINE FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WHAT'S THAT LOOKING LIKE NOW IN TERMS OF US HAVING THE VISION PLAN AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JURISDICTIONS BEING ABLE TO AND NONPROFITS BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR? - YEAH, SO, SO THE, THE GOAL IS STILL, UM, TO WORK IN A CONCURRENT PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE GRANT PROGRAM, UM, WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS WORK. UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MECHANICS OF IT. SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STRIVING FOR KIND OF THAT LATE LATE 2025, EARLY 2026 FOR RELEASE OF AN RFP THAT'S OUT THERE ON THE STREET FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WE GET GRANT APPLICATIONS IN THE DOOR. WE MAKE THAT EVALUATION PROCESS AND WE, AND WE GET, WE ISSUE AWARDS. UM, IT IS STILL KIND OF THE GOAL IN THAT KIND OF WINTER TIME PERIOD OR Q2 OR 3. - AND WE COULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER MODELS OUT THERE. WE ARE GONNA DO SOME RESEARCH AROUND OTHER, LIKE THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY. I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY WHERE THEY DON'T DO AN RFP PROCESS. THEY DO VERY STREAMLINED. SO I'M SURE WE, WE WILL BE EXAMINING THAT PROCESS TO GET THINGS MOVING ALONG. - YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND THEN I GUESS THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE VISION PLAN DEVELOPMENT, I GUESS WHAT'S GONNA BE THE ROLE OF THE COAB PRIOR TO THESE KINDA OUTREACH MEETINGS TAKING PLACE IN TERMS OF LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS POTENTIALLY COMING FROM THE COAB BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS READING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT'S ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE, I MEAN, THEIR ROLE IS TO HELP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VISION PLAN. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE IS THAT THE COAB JUST USED AS BEING A RUBBER STAMP AND THAT THEY HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL INPUT IN THE OUTSET. AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING PRIOR TO THESE OUTREACH MEETINGS, KIND OF... I KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS LIKE ESTABLISHED IN THEIR BYLAWS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE ROLE THROUGHOUT THIS OUTREACH PROCESS? - YEAH, SO, SO WE'VE ADDED A MEETING IN JUNE, UM, TO THE ORIGINALLY ADOPTED SCHEDULE SO THAT THE COAB HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE OUTLINE OF, UH, A PROPOSED OUTLINE FOR THE VISION PLAN AND THEN THERE'LL BE ITERATIVE DRAFTS WHERE THE COAB WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THOSE ITERATIVE DRAFTS AS THEY'RE CREATED, PROVIDE FEEDBACK WE'LL BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE THAT FEEDBACK AND THEN WORK TOWARDS THAT FINAL AND ADOPTED VERSION. AND SO I GUESS THEY'RE GONNA BE MEETING MORE THAN LIKELY IN JULY. - THEY'LL BE MEETING IN JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. THEY MAY BE MULTIPLE MEETINGS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. - OKAY, GREAT. THAT REALLY CONCLUDES ALL MY COMMENTS AND I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE EXTENSION OF THE VISION PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF DO IT ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET SO THAT WE'RE NOT EXCEEDING KIND OF THE FISCAL EXPECTATIONS THAT THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, VOTERS HAVE WHEN THEY APPROVE THE MEASURE. THAT'S ALL. - THANK YOU. - CHAIR, YEAH, SURE. I'LL JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT MY COLLEAGUE JUST SAID. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE IS TO GET WORK DONE THAT AS MUCH OF THE MONEY AS POSSIBLE GOES TO REAL PROJECT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UH, THAT'S WHAT VOTERS APPROVED. AND THE BIGGEST WAY THAT WE COULD ERODE THAT TRUST IS, IS NOT BY HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, NOTHING LESS THAN 16 MEETINGS, BUT BY, UH, SPENDING TOO MUCH OF THE MONEY ON ADMINISTRATION. UM, SO I ALSO HOPE THAT THIS IS SORT OF A, A MAXIMUM THAT IF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP TO THE FIRST STAKEHOLDER MEETING ON ANY ONE OF THESE GIVEN TOPICS, LIKE MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A SECOND ONE, UM, OR MAYBE WE SHOULD LUMP THEM INTO ONE OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT'S STILL HAPPENING. UM... YEAH, IT'S, IT... WE DON'T WANT, I... WELL, I SAY LET'S AVOID ANALYSIS PARALYSIS HERE AND JUST MOVING FORWARD. THANKS. AND, AND I WOULD NOT APPROVE ANY ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION OF MEASURE Q FUNDS FOR ADMIN. THANKS. - SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING TO LIKE GET THIS DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, JUST HEARING THE COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS THAT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW IS TO DO IT RIGHT. THIS IS A LONG-TERM FINANCIAL COMMITMENT THAT OUR VOTERS APPROVED, AND THIS IS THE TIME TO LINE IT UP WITH OUR COMMUNITIES' PRIORITIES. AND SO TAKING THE TIME TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE DIVERSE VOICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY TO WEIGH IN TO ENSURE THAT THE WAY THESE DOLLARS GET SPENT IN THE LONG RUN REFLECT EVERYBODY FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. UM, AND SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE ADDING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. I... WE SAW EARLIER TODAY A, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDER MEETING WHERE STAKEHOLDERS DIDN'T SHOW UP BECAUSE IT WASN'T PROMOTED WELL. I WOULD THINK OF THAT AS A, A FAILURE ON OUR HALF, ON OUR BEHALF IF PEOPLE WEREN'T SHOWING UP. THERE WAS PLENTY OF INTEREST. AND SO MY, MY HOPE IS THAT THESE ARE VERY WELL PROMOTED [05:15:02] AND VERY WELL ATTENDED, AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU JUST ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT HOW TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE HAVE REALLY EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THESE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. - YEAH, SO THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UM, HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE THROUGHOUT KIND OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THEMATIC AREAS. SO AS DIRECTOR GAFFNEY MENTIONED, HAVING OVER 50 STAKEHOLDERS. SO THESE ARE AGENCIES, THESE ARE AGENCY PARTNERS, THESE ARE NONPROFIT PARTNERS, THESE ARE NOT INDIVIDUALS THESE ARE REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATIONS. SO WE FELT REALLY GREAT TO HAVE THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE PRESENT AND THE IDEA OF THE TWO MEETINGS IS TO FIRST HEAR WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE IN THOSE THEMATIC AREAS, THOSE STAKEHOLDER THEMATIC AREAS, WILDFIRE BEING ONE OF THEM, AND THEN TO TRY AND INTEGRATE THAT AND REFLECT THAT BACK TO THEM IN THE SECOND MEETING. IF WE DON'T NEED ALL OF THE TIME ALLOTTED, LET'S SAY IT'S A TWO HOUR MEETING, WE MAY ALSO PIGGYBACK IN THAT SECOND MEETING TO ASK THEM SOME OF THE GRANT ASPECTS. WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE IS THAT EVERY ORGANIZATION IS NOT CREATED EQUAL AND SO SOME OF THE GRANT ELEMENTS, THE GRANT MECHANICS, WE WANNA LEARN FROM REGIONAL EXAMPLES AND FROM LOCAL EXAMPLES LIKE CORE TO TRY AND DESIGN THAT GRANT MECHANICS TO BE EFFECTIVE. SO WE'LL TRY AND LEVERAGE THOSE MEETINGS TO GET INFORMATION IN THAT REGARD AS WELL. - AND WILL THESE BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? - SO THERE'LL BE A SEPARATE SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE THE CURRENT PLAN, RIGHT NOW, THOSE FOUR MEETINGS, THERE'S THREE IN PERSON, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE IN THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY, ONE IN MID-COUNTY, AND ONE IN SOUTH COUNTY AND WE WOULD HAVE ONE VIRTUAL MEETING. SO THAT'S THE FOUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM REPRESENTATIVES LIKE THOSE THAT YOU HEARD FROM TODAY AND OTHERS AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA LEVERAGE YOUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS SO THAT YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THOSE MEETINGS, WHETHER THEY CAN COME IN PERSON OR TO THE VIRTUAL MEETING. - THANKS, AND REALLY ANY LESSON LEARNED THAT WE'VE HAD AROUND UM, ENSURING THAT TRANSLATION IS AVAILABLE, ENSURING THAT PUBLIC TRANSIT IS AVAILABLE, DOING IT IN HOURS WHEN YOU KNOW WORKING PEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE, THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT I HOPE YOU'RE CONSIDERING WHEN YOU'RE SETTING UP THESE MEETINGS. - WE'RE, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN TO THAT POINT AND TO THE POINT BEING MADE ABOUT TIMING, RIGHT? JUNE AND JULY ARE ALWAYS CHALLENGING TIMES TO GET COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. WE ALWAYS TRY TO STRIVE TO BE OUTSIDE OF THAT KIND OF SUMMER AND SCHOOL GRADUATION WINDOW. BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO DELAY THIS PROCESS ANY FURTHER. SO WE'RE GONNA OPTIMIZE TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, BUT I WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT JUNE, JULY, AUGUST ARE ALWAYS DIFFICULT TIMES TO GET COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. - THANK YOU. UM, OTHERWISE, I, I APPRECIATE GETTING AN UPDATE ON WHERE YOU'RE AT TODAY. I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING REALLY HARD. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WON'T HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN UNTIL NOVEMBER. IS THAT CORRECT? DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? - WE MAY BE COMING BACK AS PART OF BUDGET ACTIONS TO GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING KIND OF THE FINANCIALS OF WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING AND FORECASTING. - OKAY, WELL THAT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA HOPE OR, OR, UM, JUST OFFER THAT IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT BACK DURING BUDGET HEARINGS, UM, I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANK YOU. UM, JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS, I MEAN, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS IF YOU JUST GOOGLE MEASURE Q SANTA CRUZ, IT'LL ALL COME RIGHT UP. BUT, UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE I THINK, ON THE COMMISSION THAT WERE THOUGHTFULLY APPOINTED. UM, WE HAVE A PARKS AND RECS COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE TWO ACTIVE FORESTERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND ARE SUPER WELL EDUCATED ON THAT. WE HAVE THE FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT WHO WILL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF PRESERVATION OF AGRICULTURAL WORKING LANDS. WE HAVE TWO FIRE CAPTAINS, ONE ACTIVE, ONE RETIRED, UM, ONE PERSON WHO HAS MANAGED 24 PRESERVES, LARGE STRETCHES OF LAND THAT ARE UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A BOARD MEMBER WHO APPOINTED ONE OF HIS STAFF AND WHO'S SUPER BRIGHT AND CARES, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE LIKE A MIX OF PEOPLE ON THIS COAB THAT ARE UNBELIEVABLE. UM, SO THE, THE WAY IT WAS PASSED, THE LAW, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT WAS ON THE BALLOT WAS PRETTY BROAD BUT ALSO PRETTY SPECIFIC TOO ABOUT WHAT THE MONEY COULD BE USED FOR. IT'S ABOUT $7 MILLION A YEAR. I MEAN, HOW, HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED TO GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC? I MEAN, I KNOW WE WANT PUBLIC INPUT, BUT WE'VE PRETTY MUCH, I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT AND WE'VE GOT THESE, THESE UNBELIEVABLE COMMISSIONERS. SO AFTER THIS FIRST STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WILL THAT CONTINUE EVERY YEAR? OR HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK? - SO THE VISION PLAN IS A FIVE-YEAR GUIDING DOCUMENT, RIGHT? [05:20:01] SO WE WOULD IMAGINE, DEPENDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THAT DOCUMENT WE MAY REVISIT THAT SOONER THAN FIVE YEARS. IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A PIVOT, SAY THERE'S SOME MAJOR INCIDENT MAJOR NATURAL DISASTER WHERE WE WANNA REPRIORITIZE, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE WOULD REVISIT A NEW VISION PLAN IN FIVE YEARS. SO THE HOPE IS THAT WE GET THAT FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND WE PRIORITIZE WHAT WE WANT TO SEE DONE IN THESE FIRST FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? IF WE PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING, WE DON'T PRIORITIZE ANYTHING. SO THE MEASURE GIVES US LOTS OF FLEXIBILITY AS TO WHERE AND HOW THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT, AND WE WANT TO SOLICIT THAT FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY ON WHERE TO PRIORITIZE IT. - OKAY, THANK YOU. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. WE NEED A MOTION ON THIS? - YEAH, WE WILL. YES. YOU KNOW, 16 MEETINGS, HONESTLY IS, IS A LOT. UH, I MEAN, YOU COULD EASILY JUST MAKE A FLYER PUT IT UP ON THE WEBSITE, PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THAT'S IT. CALL IT A DAY. BUT IF YOU GUYS WANT ENGAGEMENT, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT MORE STAFF TIME FOR THOSE 16 MEETINGS CALLS, EMAILS, AND SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF WORRIES ME, RIGHT? UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S EASY JUST TO PUT IT UP ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT GOES BEHIND THAT TO REALLY GET ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, UH, FOR FOLKS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS EVENT ABOUT HOUSING AND LITERALLY I WENT TO EVERY SINGLE CHURCH AND PRESENTED EVEN THE- THE ENGLISH ONES, SPANISH ONES, AND THEN I, I FLYER THE CARS. I WENT TO SOCCER CENTRAL AND FLYER THE CARS, AND PLUS WE DID ALL THE OTHER STUFF. WE PUT IT ON THE, ON THE NEWSLETTER THAT WE HAVE AND SO IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME. I WAS OUT THERE FROM DAYTIME, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED A SEVEN O'CLOCK MASS, BUT I WAS THERE AT 10. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW THAT'S WHAT WORRIES ME, RIGHT, IS IT IS A LOT OF STAFF TIME TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE ENGAGED IN MEETINGS AND 16 IS A LOT. - SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT HAVING 16 PUBLIC MEETINGS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE HAVING 12 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. - STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. YEAH. - WHICH IS WITH SPECIFIC GROUPS, RIGHT? WHO ARE NONPROFITS AND OTHER ADVOCATES AND SO FORTH. AND THEN THE FOUR, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY THE PUBLIC MEETINGS. SO IT'S REALLY JUST FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS THEN 12 STAKEHOLDER LIKE FOCUS GROUP TYPE MEETINGS. IT'S NOT 16 PUBLIC. - IT STILL TAKES TIME THOUGH. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEHIND IT. SO YEAH, WE DO NEED A MOTION. - YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO, TO, TO MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. UM, I WOULD JUST... I DID, I DID JUST HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH BEFORE I MAKE THE MOTION, WHICH IS, UM, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE FOUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS CAN YOU REPEAT THOSE 'CAUSE I SOMEHOW DON'T THINK I HEARD. WELL, I'LL LET TO SEE IF YOU CAN JUST REPEAT THOSE. - YEAH, SO THE INTENTION RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE ONE IN THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY, ONE IN MID-COUNTY, AND ONE IN SOUTH COUNTY. - SO I'M GONNA, JUST, JUST BASED ON THE IMPACTS THAT WE'VE HAD AND BONNY DOON AND THE NORTH COAST RELATED TO FIRE AND FIRE PROTECTION AND JUST ALL THE ONGOING ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING UP THERE. I'M GONNA STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE ONE THAT'S THIRD DISTRICT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE BECAUSE WE'RE... IT'S, IT'S VERY, THE, THE-, WHAT WE'RE FACING IN THE THIRD DISTRICT IN THE, IN THE NORTH COAST IS MUCH DIFFERENT FROM [INAUDIBLE] AND IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY AS WELL. AND SO I'M JUST GONNA, AS PART OF THE MOTION ADD THAT WE ADD A MEETING, UM, FOR ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS BEING IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. - WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE IF WE STILL HAD FOUR MEETINGS AND ONE OF THEM, SO THE VIRTUAL MEETING, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN LIVE OAK AND MAKE IT HYBRID POSSIBLY. AND THEN WE COULD DO ONE. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D WANT TO... - I, I MEAN, I THINK, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S YOUR DECISION, RIGHT? - WE HAVE A CONSULTANT. - THE INTENTION WAS TO TRY AND BALANCE THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS AS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE BOARD. UM, WE'VE CONSIDERED THE VIRTUAL MEETING TO BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, BUT IF YOUR MOTION WANTS TO ADD A COMMUNITY MEETING WE CAN LOOK AT HAVING A COMMUNITY MEETING IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. - I JUST THINK GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF LIKE IMPACT THAT WE FACE, THAT LEAVING THE THIRD DISTRICT OUT, THEY'RE GONNA BE REALLY UPSET IF WE DON'T HAVE A THIRD DISTRICT. - OUR INTENTION IS NOT TO LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO BALANCE WHETHER WE HAVE FIVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR SEVEN COMMUNITY MEETINGS, OR NINE COMMUNITY MEETINGS ONE IN EACH CITY. - I MIGHT EVEN SUGGEST THAT SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS ARE MORE COMBINED, I MEAN, 12 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. - SO JUST AS, AS THE CEO MENTIONED, IT'S SIX THEMATIC AREAS, RIGHT? SO SIX THEMATIC AREAS, TWO MEETINGS PER THEMATIC AREA. SO THOSE, SO WILDFIRE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE WILDFIRE SPACE, THERE'LL BE TWO MEETINGS, A LISTENING SESSION WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, AND THEN A FEEDBACK SESSION WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS. SO THAT'S NOT, AGAIN, IT'S NOT 12 COMMUNITY MEETINGS THOSE ARE THEMATIC AREAS. SO REDUCING THOSE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS MEANS THE WILDFIRE COMMUNITY, THE PARKS COMMUNITY, [05:25:03] THE WORKING LANDS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR PERSPECTIVE. SO THOSE, THE SIX THEMATIC AREAS WERE TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE VARIOUS AREAS OF THE MEASURE AND GET THOSE STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTICIPATE. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING, THAT'S CERTAINLY THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD FOR SURE. - I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, HAVE FOUR PHYSICAL MEETINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT AT LEAST ONE IS A HYBRID MEETING. I MEAN, IT'S, I'M SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO FIND AT LEAST ONE VENUE THAT CAN EASILY SUPPORT A HYBRID MEETING FORMAT. - YEP, THE, THE PARTICIPA... WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO STRUCTURE IS A PARTICIPATORY PROCESS, SO IT'LL BE VERY HARD TO HOLD A HYBRID MEETING WHERE... BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE ENGAGING, RIGHT, VOTING ON THEMATIC ISSUES THAT THEY WANT BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, WE CAN CERTAINLY TRY AND ACCOMPLISH THAT, OR WE CAN JUST ADD A FOURTH COMMUNITY MEETING IN PERSON IF THE THIRD DISTRICT WANTS TO HAVE THAT AS PART OF THE MEMBERSHIP. - JUST KNOW THAT THE THIRD DISTRICT FOLKS ARE PRETTY ACTIVE WHEN IT RELATES TO LOT OF THESE THINGS, SO YEAH. I MEAN, AND, AND AS YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO VOTED ON SUPPORTING THIS, I JUST THINK THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THE COMMUNITIES, YOU SHOULD, IF IN THE DISTRICT, YOU'D PROBABLY GO TO ALL OF 'EM BECAUSE OTHERWISE I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF THE ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE SOME CONCERN WITH. - UNDERSTOOD. - WE'LL TRY TO DO FOUR MEETINGS AND HAVE ONE HYBRID THAT'S POSSIBLE, MAYBE. - YEAH, OR I'D SUGGEST MAKING THIS SURVEY THAT GOES OUT FUNCTIONALLY VERY SIMILAR OR EQUIVALENT TO THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET IN PERSON, AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE, THE OPTIONS TO PROVIDE INPUT, IF IT'S WHATEVER, RANKING, VARIOUS CHOICES OR PROVIDING A COMMENT ON THIS OR THAT. BUT I THINK THAT'D BE ANOTHER WAY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. - OKAY, DO WE HAVE A MOTION YET? - SO I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTION WITH THE ADDITION THAT WE, THAT STAFF HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. - I'LL SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. CAN WE TAKE ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR, KOENIG. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. - THANK YOU. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] - [INAUDIBLE]. NEXT ITEM THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 16. CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 1.13.070A3 AND 7.20220B AND 7.20.440A OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE REGARDING FINES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I DO HAVE A LITTLE INTRODUCTION. UM, SO I HAD GOOD MORNING HERE, BUT IT'S, UH, ALMOST EVENING HERE. - CHAIR, WE HAVE... CHAIR, I JUST WANT, JUST WANNA, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS OUT OF ORDER, RIGHT? THE NEXT ITEM, UM, WAS A PERSONNEL ITEM. UM, YOU'RE READING THE, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE... - I'M TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE. [LAUGHTER] - DO, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IT OUTTA ORDER? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IT IN ORDER? - WE'LL DO IT IN ORDER. - OKAY, GREAT. [15. Consider approving in concept "Ordinance Amending Section 1.04.140 of the Santa Cruz County Code Relating to Definitions of Director of the Personnel Department, Personnel Director, and Personnel Department,” and take related actions] YES. SO THE NEXT ITEM OF THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 15. CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 1.04.140 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE RELATING TO DEFINITIONS OF DIRECTOR OF THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL DIRECTOR AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, AND TAKE ALL THE RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO NISHA PATEL, DEPUTY PERSONNEL DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION. - GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NISHA PATEL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU TODAY PROPOSES TWO ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES. THE FIRST IS TO RENAME THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND THE SECOND IS TO RETITLE THE POSITION OF PERSONNEL DIRECTOR TO HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR ALONG WITH CORRESPONDING UPDATES TO OTHER RELATED CLASSIFICATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ASSISTANT PERSONNEL ANALYSTS WOULD BECOME ASSISTANT HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST. THESE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE INTENDED TO ADOPT A TITLE THAT MORE CLEARLY ALIGNS WITH CURRENT INDUSTRY STANDARDS. AND SEVEN OF OUR EIGHT COMPARABLE COUNTIES, UH, ALREADY USE HUMAN RESOURCES AND IN THEIR TITLES. THIS CHANGE WOULD BRING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN LINE WITH THAT NORM. USING HUMAN RESOURCES TITLE WILL ALSO PROVIDE GREATER CLARITY AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE BROAD RANGE OF SERVICES THAT OUR OFFICE PROVIDES, SUCH AS RECRUITMENT, CLASSIFICATION, COMPENSATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, BENEFITS, ADMINISTRATION, AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY LABOR RELATIONS AND RISK MANAGEMENT. [05:30:02] THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL FISCAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CHANGES. MOST UPDATES WILL BE MADE IN-HOUSE, SUCH AS THINGS ON LETTERHEADS. AND MINOR ITEMS LIKE SIGNAGE UPDATES ARE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR WITHIN OUR INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS. WITH YOUR APPROVAL TODAY, WE WILL RETURN TO THE BOARD ON JUNE 10TH, 2025 FOR THE SECOND READING. THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. - THANK YOU. IS ANY ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WISH TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, ANYONE ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. - I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. - I'LL SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. CAN WE TAKE ROLL CALL VOTE? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - HERNANDEZ. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. WAIT, DID I SAY AYE TWICE? - MY APOLOGIES. - OKAY. [PAUSE] MY SIZE COUNTS AS TWO VOTES. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. [SILENCE] ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER 16. [16. Consider approving in concept an “Ordinance Amending Sections 1.13.070 (A)(3), 7.20.220(B), and 7.20.440(A) of the Santa Cruz County Code Regarding Fines for Illegal Dumping,” and take related actions] CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 1.1307, 7.20220 AND 72.20440 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE REGARDING FINES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. UM, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, UH, CAROLYN BURKE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA A BRIEF, UH, INTRODUCTION TO THIS. UM, SO ILLEGAL, ILLEGAL DUMPING CONTINUES TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, POLLUTING THE ENVI-, OUR ENVIRONMENT, INCREASING CLEANUP COSTS. SINCE, SINCE TAKING OFFICE, MY TEAM HAS ORGANIZED MONTHLY CLEANUPS ROTATING BETWEEN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS AND THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE. THESE EFFORTS ARE SUPPORTED BY PARTNERS LIKE CDI, TRASH TALKERS, WATSONVILLE PUBLIC WORKS, WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH, WATSONVILLE WORKS, AND SPEAKER ROBERT RIVA'S OFFICE. WE'VE LAUNCHED THE ANNUAL, WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE ANNUAL COUNTYWIDE CLEANUP HELD EVERY SECOND SATURDAY IN MAY AS PART OF THE PITCHING INITIATIVE. TOGETHER WITH THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS, WE REMOVED TONS OF DUMPED ITEMS, MATTRESSES, TIRES, UTENSILS, REFRIGERATORS, CABLES, AND EVEN CAR PARTS, OFTEN WITH THE SUPPORT FROM CDI AND CITY STAFF. DESPITE THESE, ALL THESE EFFORTS, ILLEGAL DUMPING STILL CONTINUES TO PERSIST. A KEY ISSUE IS OUR OUTDATED FINE STRUCTURE. IT'S JUST A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE. BY CONTRAST, THE CITY OF SAN BENITO, MONTEREY, MONTEREY COUNTY, AND SANTA CLARA FINE STARTS AT 2,500 AND ESCALATE UP TO 10,000. TODAY WE PROPOSE ALIGNING THESE REGIONAL STANDARDS BY INCREASING THE FINES TO 2,500 FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE, 05,000 FOR THE SECOND 10,000 FOR THE THIRD WITHIN A YEAR. THESE CHANGES STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT OUR GOALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE PROTECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH. I'LL NOW PASS IT ON TO CAROLYN BURKE FOR THE PRESENTATION. - THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS CAROLYN BURKE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CDIM PUBLIC WORKS AND I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON OUR RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE PROGRAMS AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR THE INCREASED ILLEGAL DUMPING FINES UNDER CONSIDERATION TODAY. [PAUSE] AS THOSE LIVING IN SOME OF THE COUNTY'S ILLEGAL DUMPING HOTSPOTS KNOW, ILLEGAL DUMPING AND LITTER ARE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY. DUMPING OCCURS LARGELY IN THE RURAL AREAS AND HAS BOTH AESTHETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. MANY ARE UNAWARE THAT BULKY ITEM PICKUP IS OFFERED BY OUR FRANCHISE HAULER GREEN WASTE RECOVERY FOR FREE AND IF UTILIZED THIS SERVICE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING WE SEE IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES. I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE PSA HERE AND THANK YOU FOR GOING ALONG WITH ME WITH A SIMPLE CALL TO GREEN WASTE TO ARRANGE FOR PICKUP UP TO THREE BULKY ITEM PICKUPS PER YEAR AND FOUR EXTRA TRASH PICKUPS PER YEAR ARE AVAILABLE FOR EACH COUNT AT NO EXTRA COST. THIS SERVICE HAS RESULTED IN 6,300 BULKY ITEMS BEING PICKED UP CURBSIDE IN 2024 ALONE. WHILE WE HAVE SEEN A YEAR-OVER-YEAR INCREASE OF OVER 750 ITEMS, THIS IS STILL AN UNDERUTILIZED SERVICE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICIZE IN WHOSE USE CAN MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE AMOUNT OF DUMPING WE SEE IN OUR PUBLIC AREAS. THE COUNTY RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE DIVISION ALSO LEVERAGES MULTIPLE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES TO REMOVE ILLEGALLY DUMPED MATERIALS HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS OF DUMPING [05:35:01] AND HIGHLIGHT EXISTING OPTIONS FOR DISPOSING OF UNWANTED TRASH AND BULKY ITEMS. OUR DIVISION PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT THE DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM, WATSONVILLE WORKS, SAVE OUR SHORES AND TRASH TALKERS TO SUPPORT THEIR MISSION TO REDUCE LITTER IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION, OUR COUNTY ROADS DIVISION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF WORK DAILY TO REMOVE TRASH ON OUR ROADS AND OPEN SPACES AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO HELP US INVESTIGATE AND HOLD VIOLATORS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. OUR DEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, TIFFANY MARTINEZ, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN RAMPING UP OUR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS RELATED TO ILLEGAL DUMPING AND COORDINATES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND MEDIA OUTLETS, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA TO CREATE RELEVANT CONTENT THAT REACHES A LARGE COMMUNITY AUDIENCE. FOR THOSE THAT ARE LESS ACTIVE ON THE INTERNET, MESSAGES ARE BROADCASTED VIA TV ADS AND SENT DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTS IN PRINT VIA OUR ZERO WASTE NEWSLETTER. ONE OF THE MESSAGES I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THOSE JOINING US TODAY IS THAT ILLEGAL DUMPING CAN BE CONVENIENTLY REPORTED VIA THE MY SANTA CRUZ COUNTY APP. THIS APP CAN BE DOWNLOADED ONTO YOUR SMARTPHONE AND IS A DIRECT WAY FOR YOU TO NOTIFY US OF ILLEGALLY DUMPED ITEMS FOR QUICK RESPONSE FROM OUR CREW. YOU ARE OUR EYES AND EARS AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE VOLUME OF ILLEGALLY DUMPED MATERIAL COLLECTED IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE YEARS WITH A SMALL DIP DURING COVID. OVER 855 TONS OF MATERIAL WAS COLLECTED IN 2024, WHICH EQUATES TO ALMOST $83,000 OF REVENUE IF LEGALLY TAKEN TO THE LANDFILL FOR DISPOSAL, 840 TONS OF DUMP MATERIAL AND LITTER WERE CLEANED UP BY COUNTY ROAD CREWS, 12 AND A HALF TONS BY THE DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM, AND ALMOST THREE TONS WERE REMOVED DURING CLEANUP EVENTS BY SAVE OUR SHORES IN THE PITCH IN SANTA CRUZ CAMPAIGN. IN TOTAL, THE COUNTY PROJECTS THAT OVER THE COURSE OF 24/25 FISCAL YEAR CDI WILL HAVE SPENT ALMOST $457,000 ON ILLEGAL DUMPING. IN ADDITION TO ILLEGALLY DUMP MATERIAL, CASUAL LITTERING IS AN ISSUE THAT OUR DIVISION HAS COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO BOTH OUR ROADS DIVISIONS, STREET SWEEPING AND LITTER ABATEMENT EFFORTS, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPH, THE COST OF LITTER ABATEMENT HAS ALSO STEADILY INCREASED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. AND IN THE 24/25 FISCAL YEAR ALONE, WE HAVE DEDICATED OVER $865,000 TO LITTER ABATEMENT. [PAUSE] IN RECENT YEARS, RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE DIVISION HAS MADE STRIDES IN RAMPING UP OUR LEGAL DUMPING ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. IN ADDITION TO HIGH POWERED CAMERAS BEING DEPLOYED AT HOTSPOTS AROUND THE COUNTY TO CAPTURE ACTIVITY AND LICENSE PLATES, WE WERE PLEASED TO WELCOME A NEW CODE COMPLIANCE INVESTIGATOR THIS YEAR TO PURSUE THESE CASES IN COORDINATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. WE ALREADY HAVE ONE ACTIVE CASE IN WHICH A MISDEMEANOR WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING ACTIVITY CAUGHT ON CAMERA. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ'S PROPOSED INCREASE TO ILLEGAL DUMPING FINES IS ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR ENFORCEMENT TOOLBOX. THE CURRENT FINES OF $100 FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE, 200 FOR THE SECOND OFFENSE, AND 500 FOR EACH OFFENSE THEREAFTER, ARE WELL BELOW OUR NEIGHBORS IN SANTA CLARA, AS WELL AS MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES. THE PROPOSED INCREASE TO 2,500 OR 5,000 AND 10,000 WILL BRING US INTO PARITY AND ILLUSTRATE OUR UNITED FRONT AGAINST LEGAL DUMPING. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE PROMOTION OF THESE INCREASED FINES WILL MAKE PEOPLE THINK TWICE BEFORE DUMPING IN OUR SHARED PUBLIC SPACES. FOR THOSE THAT CHARGE FOR HAULING SERVICES AND INFLATE PROFITS BY DUMPING ILLEGALLY, THE CURRENT LOW FINES CAN BE ASSUMED AS A COST OF DOING BUSINESS. THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF INCREASED FINES MAY INFLUENCE THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LEGAL AVENUES FOR DISPOSAL. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND HIS STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA. IN SUPPORT OF OUR EFFORTS, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. - I'D LIKE TO SEE IF ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE. ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [SILENCE] TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - THANK YOU. WELL, THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING. UM, YEAH, IF YOU CAN RAISE THE, UH, FINES EVEN A LITTLE MORE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD BECAUSE, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE IN SANTA CRUZ IS PRICELESS, JUST LIKE IN LAKE TAHOE. SO THE DUMPING, I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT STAND. I HAVE SPENT YEARS, DECADES PICKING UP GARBAGE IN OUR REGION AND ALSO IN THE TAHOE BASIN. I'VE SPENT WHOLE DAYS, WEEKS PICKING UP AWESOME AMOUNTS OF TRASH [05:40:04] ON THE EAST SHORE OF LAKE TAHOE IS CONSIDERABLE. AND I HAVE MY KIDS EVEN PICKING UP TRASH AT LEXINGTON RESERVOIR WHILE THEY WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR SOME OF THEIR CLASS PROJECTS. SO THIS STUFF I REALLY LIKE. AND, UH, ALSO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET TOXIC FLUIDS OUT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES AND PROPERLY DISPOSED OF. WHAT I'VE NOTICED OVER THE LAST COUPLE DECADES HERE, AND ALSO UP IN THE TAHOE BASIN IS UNLIKE OLDER DAYS WHERE I COULD JUST BRING IN SAY, OLD SNOWBLOWER GASOLINE INTO THE TAHOE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S SO MUCH HARDER TO GET RID OF ANY TOXIC FLUIDS. SO I THINK THAT, UH, WILL LONG TERM IT'LL CONTRIBUTE TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN, IN THE SANTA CRUZ REGION AND ALSO IN THE TAHOE BASIN. IF YOU HAVE HORRIBLE FIRES YOU JUST GOTTA THINK ALL THOSE FLUIDS, ALL THOSE COMPOUNDS ARE JUST GONNA FLOW INTO YOUR SOILS AND INTO YOUR CREEKS AND MAKE MATTERS A LOT WORSE. IF YOU CAN GET THAT OUT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES AND PEOPLE AREN'T STORING IT AND LETTING IT ALL BUILD UP, THAT WOULD BE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [SILENCE] - WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS, CHAIR. - THANK YOU. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. [SILENCE] YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH... ANYONE? - I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ACTIONS. UM, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE THE HIGH POWER CAMERAS THAT CAN BE MOVED AROUND TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE THIS. UH, I THINK IT'S A HARD TIME THAT WE CATCH UP WITH, UH, OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES' FINES THAT WILL ACTUALLY DETER PEOPLE. THANKS. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I APPRECIATE THE INTENTION OF THIS. I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND ACTUALLY HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS UH, THAT MIGHT WANNA SEE IF THE BOARD IS WILLING TO ENTERTAIN. UM, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THE INTENT OF TRYING TO INCREASE FINES AS A DETERRENT. UM, BUT OFTENTIMES ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE WHEN WE INCREASE FINES, UM, ON INDIVIDUALS IS THAT LOWER INCOME PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO GET HIT OR GET, ARE THE ONES WHO GET HIT THE HARDEST. AND THEN OFTENTIMES THEY GET STUCK IN A PERPETUATION, A PERPETUAL CYCLE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THEIR FINES WHICH ACTUALLY CAN HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THEIR ABILITY TO GET JOBS AND OTHERWISE. AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AROUND LIKE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE OTHER COUNTIES BECAUSE, UM, TO DATE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S ONLY ONE CASE THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO CATCH SOMEONE IN THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES. AND SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS, IF IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING TO CATCH PEOPLE, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MITIGATE THE ILLEGAL DUMPING VERSUS TRYING TO JUST USE, YOU KNOW A KIND OF A PUNITIVE FINDING APPROACH, WHICH MAYBE WILL DETER, BUT LIKELY IT WILL NOT HELP SOLVE THE ISSUE, WHICH IS TRYING TO CATCH PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING, CONDUCTING THESE ACTIVITIES. SO I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THESE THE FINE INCREASES IN SANTA CLARA, SAN BENITO, MONTEREY COUNTY HAVE ACTUALLY LED TO A REDUCTION IN, UM, DUMPING, IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION ON THAT. - YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT DO THIS, UM, AT LEAST IN SOUTH COUNTY AND PART OF, UH, THE SECOND DISTRICT IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE HAULING SERVICES THAT TAKE PEOPLE'S STUFF FROM JOBS THAT THEY DO AT THEIR HOMES. YOU KNOW, I, WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN LIKE 30 TIRES THAT THEY TAKE FROM, USED TIRES THAT THEY TAKE TO HAUL, BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING IT TO THE, THE, THE BUENA VISTA OR TO THE, THE, TO THE, UH, RECYCLE CENTER, THEY JUST DUMP 'EM. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DOUBLE DIP ON THEIR, ON THEIR, UH, BUSINESS THAT THEY DO BY NOT PAYING. IT'S CHEAPER TO PAY THE FINE THAN IT IS TO GO PAY, GET RID OF ALL THE STUFF THAT THEY'RE HAULING. SO THAT'S BEEN THE BIG ISSUE FOR THESE BIG, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING AFTER FOLKS LIKE IN ENCAMPMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. - SO I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE QUESTION THAT CAME UP IS IF, LET'S SAY THERE'S GONNA BE AN ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENT AND INDIVIDUALS BRING WHAT THEY CAN CARRY, BUT THEY LEAVE STUFF BEHIND, IS THAT, DOES THAT CONSTITUTE ILLEGAL DUMPING? BECAUSE SEEING SOME OF THOSE PICTURES, IT'S NOT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN ILLEGALLY KIND OF JUST DROPPED OFF VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATED AND LEFT IN OUR OPEN SPACES. 'CAUSE I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A BIG PART OF THIS, RIGHT? IS LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE WASTE THAT WE'RE FINDING IN OUR OPEN SPACES. AND, UM, AND SO IF ON THE ONE HAND THE FINE STRUCTURE [05:45:01] IS TRYING TO ADDRESS COMPANIES THAT ARE ILLEGALLY DUMPING, I THINK THAT, THAT THE $2,400 FINE, THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AN IN LIKE LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS OR FOR EXAMPLE, IF I PUT SOMETHING ON MY CURB, LIKE, IS THAT CONSIDERED ILLEGAL DUMPING? I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY NO, BUT IF YOUR NEIGHBOR IS UPSET WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU PLACING THINGS OUTSIDE YOUR CURB, WHICH ULTIMATELY COULD BE PICKED UP BY SOMEONE WHO'S HOMELESS, THEY CAN TAKE IT WHEREVER THEY WANT. THEY MAY LEAVE IT SOMEWHERE. DOES THAT CONSTITUTE ILLEGAL DUMPING? SO I'M JUST REALLY TRYING TO, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT NITPICKY, BUT I THINK THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND SOME OF THE PERSPECTIVES OF SOME FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY DON'T WANNA SEE THIS BEING YET SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAN BE USED TO PENALIZE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, WHEN THE INTENT IS REALLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, TO GO AFTER SOME OF THESE COMPANIES THAT MAY BE ILLEGALLY DUMPING AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE CASE THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS, IS THIS GONNA BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL VERSUS EDUCATION AND CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES? FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE MAYBE WE NEED MORE FREE DAYS AT, UM, THE DIFFERENT LANDFILLS AND MAYBE THAT'S A COST THAT THE COUNTY CAN HELP COVER, OR THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT A FUNDING STREAM FOR THAT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S OTHER WAYS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DO, LIKE, I DON'T DISAGREE THAT MAYBE THE FUND, FUNDING STRUCTURE SHOULD BE CHANGED. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE STAFF REACH OUT TO SANTA CLARA, SAN BENITO, MONTEREY STUDY TO UNDERSTAND HOW, UM, OFTEN FINES ARE ADMINISTERED AND THE IMPACTS THE FEE STRUCTURE HAS HAD ON ILLEGAL DUMPING AND BRING BACK SOME INFORMATION ON THAT. ALSO, UM, TO BRING FORWARD ALTERNATIVES FOR, UM, INDIVIDUALS ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE CAUGHT ILLEGALLY DUMPING. BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE AT THE CITY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE EXPLORED WAS, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY GETS CAUGHT WITH A, YOU KNOW, A, A SHOPPING CART OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND THEY'RE ILLEGALLY DUMPING IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO CONDUCT COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO HELP DO CLEANUPS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE FINES? AND THEN IF THEY'RE ENGAGING IN THOSE ACTIVITIES, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THEM WITH DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM OR SOMETHING, SOME OTHER KIND OF PROGRAM. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GOOD TO EXPLORE THAT PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS AND MAYBE A FINE STRUCTURE FOR INDIVIDUALS VERSUS LARGER COMPANIES AND WE CAN HAVE THAT COME BACK FOR BOARD OF CONSIDERATION. 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A BIFURCATION HERE WHERE WE WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT DETERS COMPANIES FROM DOING THIS ILLEGAL DUMPING VERSUS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE DEAL WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE, YOU KNOW, UM, EITHER ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL DUMPING OR ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL DUMPING. - I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY ONE RIGHT NOW THAT'S HAPPENING, AND SO THEY OBVIOUSLY THE COUNTY, IT'S NOT GONNA GO FOR INDIVIDUALS. UH, LIKE I SAID, ENCAMPMENTS, PEOPLE THAT THROW A FEW ITEMS AWAY BUT I THINK THAT THEY ARE GOING FOR THE ONES THAT HAVE TRUCKLOADS OR TRAILERS FULL OF STUFF THAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE AIM OF THIS IS. AND JUST BY THE, JUST, JUST BY KNOWING THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE, RIGHT NOW, ONE CASE, UM, IT, IT'S OBVIOUS WE'RE NOT TARGETING FOLKS LIKE THAT. - SO I CAN ALSO, UM, SPEAK TO THE ONE CASE, AND THAT'S MAINLY DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND GET OUR, GETTING OUR CAMERAS SET UP. AND SO THERE'S BEEN KIND OF A LEARNING PROCESS FOR US WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS, UM, SOME BATTERIES GOING DEAD AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT I THINK THAT WE'LL SEE MORE IN THE FUTURE. UM, THAT PERSON, YOU KNOW, IT, IT APPEARED TO BE THAT THEY WERE YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY HAULING. I MEAN, SOME OF THESE COMMERCIAL ENTITIES AREN'T NECESSARILY REGISTERED COMMERCIAL ENTITIES. THEY'RE FOLKS WHO SAY I'LL HAUL THESE THINGS FOR, YOU KNOW, MONEY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT THE EXACT ARRANGEMENT WAS, BUT IT DID SEEM LIKE THIS PERSON CAME, THEY LOOKED AT THE AREA THEY CAME BACK AND DUMPED THE SAME STUFF THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR CAR BEFORE. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ABOUT FOCUSING ON THE HOTSPOTS. WE PARTICULARLY CHOSE OUR, UM, PHOTOS TO NOT HAVE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF DEALING WITH HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, COUNTY COORDINATED AND FUNDED AND, UM, THE INTENT IS NOT TO FOCUS ON, UM, THOSE ENCAMPMENTS BUT DISCREET DUMPING. AND SO IN, YOU KNOW, HOTSPOTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE STANDARD OF EVIDENTIARY, YOU KNOW, COLLECTION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, INCLUDING SOMETHING LIKE A LICENSE PLATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR SOME WAY OF TYING THAT DUMPING TO THE PERSON AS WELL. SO I DO THINK, UM, THE THRESHOLD IS HIGH FOR INFORMATION, AND THIS IS JUST, LIKE I SAID, ONE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX. UM, WHEN, WHEN I WENT TO THE CAC AND CAC CONFERENCES UM, AND TALKED WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THEIR AREAS, IT'S AN UPHILL BATTLE AND IT FEELS LIKE YOU NEED [05:50:02] TO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. AND IT'S BEEN, IT'S EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN NOBODY'S LOOKING. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET A LOT OF GREAT STATISTICS ON WHO IS DOING IT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO, UM, CATCH THEM. BUT, UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S ONE OF A MULTI, YOU KNOW, PRONGED EFFORT. UM, SO ANYHOW, I HOPE THAT THAT PROVIDES SOME CONTEXT FOR YOUR CONVERSATION. - SO CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, WHICH IS, SO WHAT, I MEAN, CAN YOU DEFINE THEN WHAT THE LEGAL DUMPING WOULD BE, WOULD CONSTITUTE I MEAN, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I'M LIKE, BECAUSE.. - THERE'S A DEFINITION IN THE CODE RIGHT NOW FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. SO I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A, THERE'S A STRAIGHT UP DEFINITION. IT'S, IT'S, UH, SUBDIVISION LL. I CAN READ IT. DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? - YES, YEAH. - IT'S ILLEGAL DUMPING OR ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OR ANY VARIATION THEREOF MEANS THE WILLFUL THROWING, DROPPING, PLACING, OR DEPOSITING OF ANY DISCARDED MATERIALS, BULKY ITEM, HAZARDOUS WASTE, HOUSEHOLD MEDICAL WASTE, SOLID WASTE OR LIQUID WASTE ON ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF THE COUNTY THAT IS NOT APPROVED AND APPROPRIATELY PERMITTED AS A PROCESSING OR DISPOSAL SITE FOR THE TYPE OF SOLID WASTE THROWN, DROPPED, PLACED OR DEPOSITED AT THE SITE. [PAUSE] IT'S VERY BROAD, IT'S A VERY BROAD DEFINITION AND IT, AND IT, BOTTOM LINE IS RIGHT NOW IT, YOU KNOW, THAT DEFINITION ARGUABLY INCLUDES LITTERING. YOU KNOW, UM, EVERY DAY, STAFF IS USING THEIR DISCRETION IN DETERMINING HOW THEY'RE APPLYING THESE INDIVIDUAL LAWS. UM, SO I MEAN, I MEAN, I-I-IT, IT, UH... - AND THAT'S KIND OF MY CONCERN, RIGHT? IS BECAUSE LIKE IF SOMEONE, FOR EXAMPLE, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A BROKEN DOWN CAR IN YOUR YARD, THAT TECHNICALLY COULD BE CONSIDERED ILLEGAL DUMPING BASED ON THAT DEFINITION. - I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT COULD BE. BUT I MEAN, I, I WOULD NOT SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING UNDERNEATH WHAT I JUST READ, BUT, UM, I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT I, I HAVE, I HAVEN'T HEARD... I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY INSTANCES WHERE ANYBODY HAS INDICATED THAT THIS IS BEING ABUSED AND THAT STAFF IS, IS ABUSING THIS STATUTORY SCHEME BY OVER TICKETING PEOPLE AT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW. UM, IF THERE'S A CONCERN THAT THEY COULD ABUSE IT, UM, IF WE RAISE THE FINES ASSOCIATED WITH IT, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, I GUESS, IF THAT... IS THAT THE DISCREET CONCERN THAT YOU'RE RAISING? - I GUESS THE CONCERN I'M RAISING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME JUST THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT OR, OR CODE ENFORCEMENT OR WHAT HAVE YOU, OR PEOPLE GOING AFTER, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. AND THIS POTENTIALLY BEING USED AS A TOOL, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT IT'S REALLY TRYING TO ADJUST IS PEOPLE ILLEGALLY DUMPING FROM TRUCKS, POTENTIALLY. UM, MY CONCERN IS REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE CHANGES IN THESE OTHER COUNTIES, HOW THEY'VE BEEN EFFECTIVE, AND HAVE THEY BEEN EFFECTIVE, HAVE THEY NOT? UM, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND TRYING TO BIFURCATE, YOU KNOW, HAVING FINES THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT SOUND LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS, VERSUS INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE LITTERING OR WHAT HAVE YOU AND OTHERWISE, AND HAVING SOME ALTERNATIVES FOR INDIVIDUALS VERSUS WHO MAY JUST BE YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS VERSUS PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGING AND DUMPING WHETHER THEY HAVE A-AN OFFICIAL COMPANY OR OTHERWISE. AND SO JUST HAVING THAT INFORMATION COME BACK, I THINK WILL BE HELPFUL FOR US AS BOARD MEMBERS WHEN PEOPLE COME TO US AND SAY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? PEOPLE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT MAY ARISE, COZ I JUST COULDN'T SEE THIS BECOMING SOMETHING THAT CAN BE A HOT BUTTON ISSUE. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO REALLY GIVE US THE SPACE TO HAVE CONVERSATION KNOWING WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S GONNA BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT VERSUS JUST SAYING, WE'RE JUST GONNA FINE PEOPLE BLANKETLY, AND THEN IT'S TO THE DISCRETION OF THE STAFF TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA GIVE OUT A FINE SO... - ANY OTHER COMMENTS? - YES. I WANNA JUST START OFF BY THANKING SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS IN YOUR OWN DISTRICT TO, UM, DO CLEANUPS. I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE DOING ALL OF THAT. SO IT WAS NICE TO HEAR. UM, I PARTICIPATED IN THE PITCH IN DAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THERE WERE EIGHT DIFFERENT SITES IN DISTRICT FIVE THAT PARTICIPATED, INCLUDING ONE THAT WAS LED BY MY DAUGHTER AT OUR SCHOOL. UM, AND I GOT TO SEE REALLY F-FIRSTHAND, JUST THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LITTER AND PLASTIC AND, UM, THINGS AROUND, YOU KNOW, OUR DISTRICT. AND I ALSO SPEAK TO THE LARGER ISSUE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING UM, AND THAT IT IS AN ISSUE IN DISTRICT 5. [05:55:01] I KNOW YOU KNOW OF SOME HOTSPOTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE CONCERN THAT FOLKS MIGHT BE COMING FROM OVER THE HILL ONTO OUR SIDE OF THE WOODS AND, UM, DUMPING IN SOME OF THE SPOTS THAT ARE PRETTY REGULARLY ABUSED. UM, AND SO JUST GIVEN THE, THE DISPARITY BETWEEN OUR FINES AND THE RE-, OTHER FINES IN THE REGION, I HAVE... I DON'T HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT I'M HEARING FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUE IN D3. UM, I CERTAINLY WOULD BE CONCERNED IF I FELT LIKE THIS WAS GONNA BE ABUSED IN AN EFFORT TO FIND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. I'M NOT HEARING THAT. UM, I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WORK TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH, WHETHER IT'S OUR, OUR SERVICE PROVIDER COMMUNITY, OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER OR OTHERS, IF THERE IS AN ABUSE OF FINES. UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE THE INTENT AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD COME BACK TO MODIFY THIS OR PUT OTHER DEFINITIONS AROUND WHAT ILLEGAL DUMPING, DUMPING IS IF, IF IT BECAME AN ABUSE. UM, BUT JUST KIND OF GIVEN WHERE THE FINES ARE TODAY LOCALLY VERSUS OUR, OUR, UM, NEIGHBORS IN, ACROSS THE REGION, UM, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION ON THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. - SECOND. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - UH, I AM... I WOULD SUPPORT THIS TODAY. AND IF I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S OKAY TO REVISIT THIS SOMETIME LATER IF, IF IT PROVES TO BE, UM, VERY HURTFUL FOR A CERTAIN, UH, POPULATION. UM, I, WHAT I AM INTERESTED IN, UM, DOING OR KNOWING IS HOW WE'RE REALLY GOING TO PUBLICIZE THIS SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A HEADS UP THAT THEY REALLY SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS. - YEAH, SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION, OUR DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, TIFFANY MARTINEZ, IS AMAZING AND WE'LL WORK WITH HER ON SPREADING THE WORD IN THAT WAY. AND THEN ALSO SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE BIG CALTRANS SIGNS. I KNOW MY KIDS KNOW THEM. MOM, DID YOU KNOW IT COSTS THAT MUCH TO LITTER? AND SO WE PLAN TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH, UM, SIGNAGE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO, UM, PUBLICIZE IT IN THAT WAY BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU SEE UM, THE NUMBER THERE. - THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AND I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM, FOR THIS FROM, ESPECIALLY FROM FARMERS TOO, WHERE THEY DUMP ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ON THEIR FARMS. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE DO HAVE IS WORKING WITH THE WINE DISTRICT, WHICH IS SEEKING TO GET THE, UH, RIGHT AWAYS FOR SIGNAGE. AND IT'S REALLY IN THOSE RURAL AREAS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UH, THROUGHOUT DISTRICT 2 AND, AND THROUGH CASTERLY AND THAT AREA OF, UH, DISTRICT 4. SO WE DO HAVE A MOTION. - I WOULD JUST WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. SO I DO THINK IT'S STILL IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THESE ALREADY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT WE DIRECT STAFF TO CONDUCT OUTREACH WITH SANTA CLARA, SAN BENITO, MONTEREY COUNTY TO UNDERSTAND HOW OFTEN FINES ARE ADMINISTERED AND THE IMPACT THE FEE STRUCTURE HAS HAD ON ILLEGAL DUMPING AND BRING BACK INFORMATION ON THAT. UM, AND THEN ALSO THAT, UM, AT THE MID-YEAR BUDGET, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON HOW MANY FINES HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND WHO THOSE FINES HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO AND THE AMOUNT OF, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING MATERIALS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE FINES. UM, COZ I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BE MOST EFFECTIVE UM, AT TRYING TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DUMPING. - WITH THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, JUST A QUESTION, UM, TO COUNCIL, WILL THIS STILL BE THE FIRST READING ASSUMING THAT, UM, BOARD DIRECTION? - YEAH, THIS, YEAH, YES, BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO CHANGES BEING MADE TO THE ORDINANCE IT SOUNDS LIKE, YEP, YEAH. - AND, AND THEN ASKING IF THAT INFORMATION CAN COME BACK NO LATER THAN IN THE SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER OR [INAUDIBLE]. - SO WE HAVE A MOTION WITH A, UH, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND A SECOND. WE CAN TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. [SILENCE] [17. Consider authorizing the issuance of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes in the amount of $42,000,000, and take related actions] NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 17, CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, 2026 TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION, NOTES IN THE AMOUNT OF 42 MILLION AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO EDITH DRISCOLL, OUR AUDITOR-CONTROLLER-TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION. - YOU DID IT THIS TIME, GOOD JOB. [06:00:02] - WE'RE GONNA ADD ONE MORE THERE, [CHUCKLING] ONE MORE TITLE. - RIGHT, GOOD MORNING CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I AM EDITH DRISCOLL, YOUR CURRENT AUDITOR-CONTROLLER-TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR. ALSO JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON IS LAURA BOW-BOWERS, CURRENT CHIEF DEPUTY AND ONLINE IS SUZANNE HAROLD, THE COUNTY'S MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL ADVISOR ON THIS NOTE ISSUANCE. THE ITEM BEFORE YOUR BOARD TODAY IS A REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE MYSELF AS THE COUNTY AUDITOR-CONTROLLER TO PROCEED WITH THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO SECURE ITS ANNUAL TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTE IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $42 MILLION. THIS NOTE IS BEING ISSUED BECAUSE COUNTIES HAVE INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN WHEN PROPERTY TAXES ARE RECEIVED AND WHEN EXPENDITURES NEED TO BE PAID. TAXES ARE THE COUNTY'S LARGEST FUNDING SOURCE AND THEY ARE RECEIVED PRIMARILY IN DECEMBER AND APRIL. YET THE COUNTY BEGINS SPENDING OUR MONEY, OUR BUDGETED MONEY AS EARLY AS JULY 1. THIS NOTE ISSUANCE, ALSO REFERRED TO AS A TRAN, IS ISSUED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR AND PAID OFF WITHIN 364 DAYS. IT IS A SHORT-TERM LOAN PAID OFF WITHIN 364 DAYS WITH FUNDS THAT ARE SET ASIDE DURING THE YEAR AS TAX REVENUES ARE RECEIVED. REGARDING THE METHOD OF SALE FOR THIS YEAR'S TRAN, OUR MUNICIPAL ADVISOR IS RECOMMENDING THE NOTES BE SOLD AS A COMPETITIVE SALE. HOWEVER, THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU PRESENTED, UH, RE-REFLECTS THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION DOES ALLOW FOR THE COUNTY TO SWITCH TO A NEGOTIATED SALE IF MARKET CONDITIONS DETERIORATE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR IN OUR, UH, RESOLUTIONS. AS IN PRIOR YEARS, THE COUNTY'S FISCAL TEAM WILL BE MAKING PRESENTATIONS TO STANDARD & POOR'S AND MOODY'S TO OBTAIN A RATING FOR THE NOTE. THE COUNTY'S PAST SHORT-TERM BOND RATING FROM THESE AGENCIES WERE AT THE HIGHEST RATING LEVEL. NO CHANGE IN THIS RATING IS ANTICIPATED THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT YEAR TAX FLOW CONCERNS, THIS TRAN ALSO PROVIDES FUNDING TO COVER A PORTION OF THE PRIOR YEAR TAX DELINQUENCIES THAT THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY DISPERSED TO THE CITIES AND COUNTIES BECAUSE WE ARE A TEETER COUNTY. UNDER THE TEETER PLAN, THE COUNTY DISTRIBUTES PROPERTY TAX REVENUES TO THE CITIES AND AGENCIES BASED UPON THE TOTAL AMOUNT EXPECTED WITH NO ADJUSTMENT FOR UNPAID OR LATE TAX PAYMENTS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES THE ENTITIES WITH CONSISTENT GUARANTEED CASH FLOW. IN EXCHANGE, THE COUNTY RECEIVES THE PENALTIES AND INTEREST ON ANY DELINQUENT TAXES AS THEY WILL BE ULTIMATELY COLLECTED. IN CLOSING, I REQUEST THAT YOU APPROVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS NECESSARY TO SECURE THE TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $42 MILLION. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS INCLUDING SUZANNE HARRELL ONLINE. THANK YOU. [SILENCE] - THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, ANYONE ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR. [SILENCE] [SILENCE] INDIVIDUAL HAS PUT THEIR HAND DOWN. A LAST CALL FOR ANYONE WISHING TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM [SILENCE] WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS, CHAIR. - OKAY, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. - I'LL MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. - SECOND. SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM HERNANDEZ. [PAUSE] WE'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE WHEN YOU'RE READY. - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - DE SERPA. - AYE. - HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ARE WE ON THE LAST ONE? [SILENCE] - YES [INAUDIBLE]. - NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 18. [18. Consider report on proposed integration of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) framework with County strategic initiatives, including the Strategic Plan refresh and community indicators, and take related actions] CONSIDER A REPORT ON PROPOSED INTEGRATION OF HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES. FRAMEWORK WITH COUNTY STRATEGIC INITIATIVES INCLUDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN, REFRESH AND COMMUNITY INDICATORS AND TAKE ALL RELATED ACTIONS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO NICOLE COBURN ASSISTANT CAO AND SVEN STAFFORD, PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST AND JENNIFER HERRERA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY AND PAM CONELLY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGER FOR THE PRESENTATION. - HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, CHAIR HERNANDEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M NICOLE COBURN, ASSISTANT CEO AND I'M JOINED HERE BY SVEN STAFFORD IN THE CEO'S OFFICE AS WELL AS JENNIFER HERRERA WHO IS WITH THE HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY AS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND PAM CONLLEY WHO'S ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO TODAY DURING THIS PRESENTATION, WE WANT, WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OUR PROGRESS ON INTEGRATING A HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES FRAMEWORK INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN [06:05:02] REFRESH AND ON UPDATING OUR COMMUNITY INDICATORS OF WELLBEING WHICH ALSO TIES INTO THE HIAP FRAMEWORK. SO TO BEGIN, I'M GOING TO SHARE AN OVERVIEW OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WALKING THROUGH TOGETHER. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, STAFF WERE ASKED TO EXPLORE HOW A HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES FRAMEWORK OR WHAT WE'LL REFER TO AS HIAP COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO COUNTY STRATEGIC PLANNING AND OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. TODAY'S PRESENTATION PROVIDES A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HIAP AND WE'LL BE SHOWING HOW THE COUNTY IS ALREADY INTEGRATING ASPECTS OF HIAP INTO OUR WORK. WE WILL ALSO REVIEW, UH, AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR COMMUNITY INDICATORS AND HOW THESE ELEMENTS SUPPORT AND SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY AND BETTER OUTCOMES. SO TO TRANSITION, I'M GONNA MOVE, UM, HAND IT OVER TO MY HEALTH COLLEAGUES TO TALK ABOUT HIAP. - GREAT, THANK YOU, NICOLE. SO HIAP OR HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES, IT'S SIMPLY A RECOGNITION THAT HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ARE RELIANT ON HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICIES. ON THIS SLIDE ARE PICTURES OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY REPRESENTING HEALTH AND VIBRANCY. IT SHOWS THAT HEALTH DOESN'T HAPPEN IN A MEDICAL OFFICE. IT HAPPENS WHERE WE LIVE, WHERE WE WORK AND WHERE WE PLAY. POLICIES INFLUENCING OUR SOCIAL CONDITIONS HAVE A DOWNSTREAM EFFECT ON OUR HEALTH SYSTEMS, HOW LONG WE LIVE, HOW WELL WE LIVE. THIS IS CENTRAL TO THE HIAP FRAMEWORK. IN ORDER TO HAVE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, WE NEED A MULTI-SECTOR APPROACH ENSURING HEALTH IS CONSIDERED WITH DECISION-MAKING. THIS WELL-RECOGNIZED FRAMEWORK IS UTILIZED BY MANY STATES COUNTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. [PAUSE] THE APPLICATION OF HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES RELIES ON THE FOLLOWING FIVE KEY ELEMENTS. FIRST, THE POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING SHOULD PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, CONSIDERING WHAT'S THE HEALTHIEST OPTION NOW AND FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THOUGH IT CENTERS HEALTH OUTCOMES, HIAP SHOULD ALSO SUPPORT INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION. THE SECTORS COLLABORATING ON POLICY SHOULD BE REFLECTIVE OF THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES HOLISTICALLY, NOT JUST WITHIN THE MEDICAL SECTORS. POLICIES UTILIZING THIS FRAMEWORK SHOULD BENEFIT MULTIPLE PARTNERS BY LOOKING FOR WIN-WIN SCENARIOS AMONG THE PARTNERS. IT SHOULD ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THE POLICIES AND IT SHOULD CREATE STRUCTURAL OR PROCESS CHANGE WHICH CIRCLES BACK TO THE FIRST KEY ELEMENT I MENTIONED. HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES IS ABOUT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE APPROACH TO CONSIDER COMMUNITY HEALTH, EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS WITH POLICY DECISIONS. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO OUR INTERIM PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, PAM CONELLY, TO SHARE HOW WE'VE UTILIZED THIS FRAMEWORK. - GOOD AFTERNOON, PAM CONELLY, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH. I'M HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU A LOCAL EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM THAT USES A HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES APPROACH. SO THIS TYPE OF STRUCTURE, AS FAR AS A HEALTHY POLICIES IS A STRUCTURE, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER NOT JUST HOW POLICIES ARE DEVELOPED, BUT ALSO HOW INITIATIVES ACROSS AREAS LIKE HEALTHCARE, PARKS AND RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AFFECT HEALTH OUTCOMES. PARKS RX IS AN INITIATIVE THAT BEGAN IN 2020, BUT REALLY TOOK OFF IN 2022 FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. UM AND THE... IT'S A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS PATIENTS IN THE MEDICAL SAFETY NET WITH ACCESS TO PARKS, PARK SERVICES THROUGH A REFERRAL FROM THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, TYPICALLY THE PCP OR THE FAMILY CARE PROVIDER. THIS PROGRAM INTEGRATES HEALTH GOALS INTO NON-HEALTH SECTORS BY, UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, BUILDING FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS AMONG CLINICIANS, PUBLIC HEALTH, PARKS AND OTHER ENTITIES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PARKS AND HEALTHY OUTDOOR SPACES. IT ALIGNS POLICY AND LEVERAGES RESOURCE, RESOURCES THROUGH SHARED DATA SYSTEMS AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL POLICY ALIGNMENT, REALLY ENHANCING COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES WITHOUT REQUIRING A LOT OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE. AND LASTLY, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS EQUITABLE INVESTMENTS BY EQUITABLE COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS, EXCUSE ME, BY PRIORITIZING UNDER-RESOURCED AREAS FOR PROGRAMMING, ENSURING THAT ALL RESIDENTS BENEFIT FROM PREVENTATIVE HEALTH OPPORTUNITIES. SO THIS EXAMPLE THAT, UM, REALLY SHOWS THAT PARKS RX CAN BE USED AS A MODEL IN OUR COUNTY FOR FUTURE INITIATIVES THAT USE A HEALTHY POLICIES APPROACH. AND, UM, OF COURSE, THIS FRAMEWORK DOESN'T STAND ALONE AND SVEN WILL TALK ABOUT HOW IT ALIGNS WITH AND BUILDS ON OUR EXISTING EFFORTS ACROSS COUNTY SYSTEMS. - ALL RIGHT, THANKS, PAM. THANKS, JEN. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD. HIAP DOES ALIGN WITH WORK THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND COUNTY EQUITY STATEMENT. WE'VE INCREASED AND IMPROVED OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, REALLY REACHING OUT TO THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY OUR POLICIES AND OUR PROGRAMS. [06:10:03] AND THAT PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL ALSO BE INFORMING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN REFRESH, UH, WORK IN THE FALL HERE. IN... WITHIN OUR OPERATIONAL PLAN, WE'VE TALKED A LOT THIS SPRING ABOUT ACTION, HIGH ACTION AND HIGH ALIGNMENT. AND THAT, THAT ALIGNMENT PIECE IS WHAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING. AND SO IN OUR CURRENT SET OF OBJECTIVES WE'VE HAD DEPARTMENTS WORK TO ALIGN WITH THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN, WITH DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANS, WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO THIS WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, USING HIAP AS ANOTHER OPTION FOR HOW WE MIGHT CONSIDER ALIGNMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THEN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, FRAMEWORKS LIKE HIAP REALLY, UH, TAKE HOLD WHEN PEOPLE USE THEM AND PRACTICE THEM CONSISTENTLY. AND SO THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TOOLS THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING, UH, AND BEEN SHARING AND PRACTICING WITH STAFF OVER THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. UH, AND SO ADOPTING A HIAP UH, FRAMEWORK WOULD REPRESENT A LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT, BUT NOT A HUGE DEPARTURE FROM CURRENT PRACTICE. SO LET'S LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT HOW HIAP MIGHT SHOW UP PRACTICALLY. IT REALLY OFFERS A SET OF QUESTIONS THAT PRIORITIZE AS JEN MENTIONED, HEALTH, EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. AND THOSE QUESTIONS OR PRIORITIES COULD BE APPLIED TO ANY OF THESE DOMAINS. AND THESE ARE REALLY SORT OF SIX DOMAINS THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SLIDE OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR WORK IN COUNTY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, PLANS, POLICIES AND BUDGETS, WORKPLACE AND WORKFORCE UH, LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS AND SERVICES UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. UM, IN ALL OF THESE DOMAINS, WE'VE BEEN TESTING DIFFERENT SETS OF QUESTIONS EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE A COUNTYWIDE STANDARD SET OF QUESTIONS THAT HIAP MIGHT OFFER. ONE EXAMPLE THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO THE BOARD RECENTLY WAS THE UM, STORM DAMAGE PRIORITIZATION TOOL THE CDI WORKED WITH, RIGHT? AND THAT ADDED IN AN EQUITY COMPONENT AND A BUNCH OF OTHER FACTORS RELEVANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A WAY TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS. [PAUSE] AND SO, OF COURSE, TO DO THIS WELL, WE DO NEED TO BE, UH, CLEAR-EYED ABOUT THE REALITIES OF WHAT IT'LL TAKE TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF, AGAIN, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MIGHT CONSIDER AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN. THE, AGAIN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH WILL HELP SET PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS. AND SO A QUESTION MIGHT BE, TO WHAT DEGREE DOES THIS BOARD WANT A HIAP OR SOME OTHER FRAMEWORK TO INFORM OR DEFINE THOSE PRIORITIES? TO DATE, WE'VE ALSO ACHIEVED RESULTS WITH THE HELP OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS FROM FOLKS LIKE THE ANNIE CASEY FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS- AS STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN, BEEN WILLING, UH, TO TAKE ON NEW ROLES IN ADDITION TO THEIR, UH, CURRENT WORK. AND SO, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES, UM, THE BOARD WANNA INVEST IN CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UH, THIS WORK OR FRAMEWORK WITH STAFF AND RESOURCES? UH, WE DID CHECK IN WITH THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OVER THE LAST FIVE TO SIX YEARS UH, HAS BEEN RAMPING UP. AND PART OF IT IS DUE TO WHAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE THAT. IMPLEMENTATION'S REALLY BEEN ASSIGNED TO ONE STAFF PERSON AND IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, 25 TO 30% OF THEIR WORK. UM, STAFF OFTEN VIEW, IN DIFFERENT, IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS MIGHT VIEW IT AS SUPERFLUOUS TO THEIR, TO THEIR ROLES AND JUST ANOTHER THING THAT THEY HAVE TO CHECK THE BOX ON. UM, AND, AND THEN HAVING VARIOUS PRIORITIES OF THE, OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS THAT'S CHANGED OVER TIME. BUT PART OF CREATING THESE PRIORITIES IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS. AND WHAT WE DO WANNA COME BACK TO IS THAT PIECE OF, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY AND UM, AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE GET THERE IS BY LOOKING AT WHAT WE MEASURE. AND SO WE WANTED TO BRING BACK THE, UH, INDICATORS OF WELLBEING AND THESE INDICATORS THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK WERE SHAPED BY YOUR FEBRUARY FEEDBACK, UH, WITH A FOCUS ON REALLY ON RESILIENCE AND APPLYING IT TO AREAS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING AND JOB QUALITY. AND SO, UH, WE CREATED SORT OF TWO BUCKETS, ONE OF STANDARD DRIVERS OF HEALTH, WHICH LOOK AT A LITTLE MORE LONG-TERM SYSTEMIC OUTCOMES AND THOSE ALIGN MORE WITH SORT OF A, A HIAP FRAMEWORK [06:15:01] AND THEN SOMETHING WE'RE CALLING OR WE LABELED RESILIENCE DRIVERS, WHICH MAY BE AREAS OR INDICATORS WHERE THE COUNTY HAS MORE DIRECT INFLUENCE. UH, SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE. WITHIN THE HEALTH FOCUS AREA, WE, UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO MAINTAIN THE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, UH, METRIC, AND THEN ADD A METRIC ALIGNED WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ON SELF-REPORTED POOR MENTAL HEALTH DAYS. WITHIN THE SAFETY FOCUS AREA, UM, WE ADDED A SAFETY RATE, WHICH IS REALLY MEANT TO BE THE, JUST THE INVERSE OF THE CRIME RATE. UM, AND THEN SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO COMMUNITY, WHICH AGAIN, IS MEANT TO BE THE INVERSE OF THE RECIDIVISM RATE. UH, UNDER HOUSING, UH, WE ADDED THE POINT IN TIME COUNT AND THEN ARE COMMITTED TO LOOKING AT THE UNITS THAT WERE BUILT, THAT WE'RE BUILDING BY AFFORDABILITY LEVELS. UNDER TRANSPORTATION WE MAINTAINED THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX AND ADDED A, A MEASURE OF TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, WHICH INCLUDES BIKE LANES AND UTILIZATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AND THEN IN ENVIRONMENT, WE MAINTAINED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND ADDED A METRIC AROUND EV INFRASTRUCTURE, SINCE MOST OF THE, UM, MOST OF THE EMISSIONS IN OUR CAP REPORT COME FROM TRANSPORTATION. AND THAT'S ONE AREA THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE'RE GETTING GOOD DATA ON. AND THEN IN ECONOMY WE MAINTAINED A MEASURE, A METRIC OF POVERTY AND THEN ALSO ADDED A MEASURE OF JOB QUALITY WHICH IS ALSO WITHIN OUR STATE OF THE WORKFORCE REPORT. AND, UM, AND IS A MEASURE OF HOW MANY JOBS SOMEONE HAS TO HAVE IN A CERTAIN TIER TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY. [PAUSE] SO THE INDICATORS AREN'T JUST, UM, DATA POINTS THEY LOOK AT... THEY HELP US ALIGN WITH, UH, PARTNERS AND STAFF WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND, UM, AND SO AT THE, AT THE STAFF LEVEL IT'S REALLY ABOUT HOW WE DEVELOP OUR OPERATIONAL PLAN AND HAVE THAT ALIGNED TOWARDS THESE INDICATORS, WHICH CAN AGAIN ALIGN TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, VISION, AND MISSION. UM, WITHIN THE HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES, WE CAN USE THOSE INDICATORS TO, UH, DISAGGREGATE AND LOOK AT HEALTH, HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND EQUITY IMPACTS ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND THEN WITHIN OUR, UM, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THE INDICATORS REALLY HELP US TO LOOK AT WHERE WE NEED TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO, AND WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WE NEED TO BE ASKING AND THEN TO SUPPLEMENT THAT WITH ADDITIONAL QUALITATIVE DATA THAT WE GET FROM COMMUNITY VOICE AND PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. [PAUSE] AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON, ON THESE AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN MOTION. AND SO I'LL TURN IT BACK TO NICOLE TO TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION. - YEAH, SO JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, WE'RE IN SPRING OF 2025 AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE FOUNDATIONAL REVIEW FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN REFRESH IN, STARTING IN THE FALL. SO, UM, WE'RE ENGAGED IN INTERVIEWS WITH EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE A SURVEY THAT WE'VE RELEASED THAT STAFF HAVE RESPONDED TO. I THINK WE HAVE OVER 500 RESPONSES, WE'VE PUSHED IT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RESPONDING, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING FOCUS GROUPS IN JUNE TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK BASED ON A SERIES OF QUESTIONS WE'RE GONNA ASK, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE ALL THIS INPUT TO DEFINE AND HELP US, UM, DEVELOP THE PLAN FOR THE FALL ENGAGEMENT. AND THEN WORKING ON DEVELOPING THAT REFRESHED STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE'LL BRING BACK TO THE BOARD, UM, IN 2026. BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, UM, WE WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE IN AUGUST ON OUR OPERATIONAL PLAN AND ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WE WOULD RETURN WITH AN UPDATE ALSO ON HIAP INTEGRATION AND THEN WHILE NOT NOTED HERE... WELL, WHILE NOTED HERE IN THE WINTER OF 2026 IN DECEMBER WE WILL, UM, RETURN WITH FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ON HIAP HOW WE MIGHT INTEGRATE IT, UM, AND ANY ADDITIONAL AREAS OR IDEAS WE HAVE FOR INTEGRATION UM, THERE IS AN IDEA RELATED TO POTENTIALLY IDENTIFYING PILOT PROJECTS THAT IT MIGHT BE TIED TO. SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS AND PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION IN BY DECEMBER. SO TO WRAP UP, UM, WE'VE, UH, OR WOULD LOVE TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK [06:20:03] ON THE PROPOSED INDICATORS, UM, AND FROM YOU ALL, WE'LL BE RECEIVING FURTHER FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS PART OF OUR FALL ENGAGEMENT WITH FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN REFRESH AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP HIAP IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS AND RETURN WITH FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS WITH AN UPDATE IN AUGUST, AND THEN THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS BY DECEMBER. AND IF POSSIBLE, WE CAN RETURN EARLIER AS PART OF THE UPDATE IF WE HAVE ANYTHING FORMULATED. BUT WITH THAT, WE UM, ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY. - WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE IT TO, TO THE PUBLIC, SEE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE, ANYONE ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE CHAIR. - I WILL TAKE IT BACK TO THE BOARD. - THANK YOU. UM, LET ME JUST START OFF BY SENDING MY APPRECIATION TO ALL OF YOU FOR BRINGING THIS REPORT FORWARD, UM, AND FOR THE DILIGENT WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO START EXPLORING HIAP. UM, I ORIGINALLY BROUGHT THIS CONCEPT FOR TO THIS BOARD BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY SINGLE DECISION THAT COMES BEFORE US HAS A HEALTH IMPACT. WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. AND MY HOPE IS THAT BY INTEGRATING HIAP WE'RE ABLE TO BRING MORE INTENTIONALITY TO OUR PLANNING AND TO OUR DECISIONS IN A WAY THAT REALLY IMPROVES THE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND EQUITY IN OUR COUNTY. UM, AND I CARE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, UM... WELL I GUESS WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IN THIS PROCESS IS NOT SO MUCH, UM, THAT WE GET IT DONE QUICKLY AND THAT WE GET IT DONE, YOU KNOW, SUPER FORMALLY BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, I WANNA GET IT DONE RIGHT. AND, AND I WANNA DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S, THAT HAS A, THAT'S MEANINGFUL, UH, THAT ACTUALLY SHIFTS THE DIRECTION AND ISN'T JUST CHECKING A BOX. UM, AND SO I WANTED TO START WITH THAT, WITH THOSE COMMENTS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE THINKING ABOUT AS YOU KNOW WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS WORK. UM, I THINK THE TIMING IS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, AND I THINK IT JUST, DELVESWITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE ALREADY SEEKING UM, AND THE, THE PLANNING TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SIX YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, AND SO I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE HELPING US TO DO THAT INTEGRATION. UM, THERE'S KIND OF TWO, TWO THOUGHTS THAT I'D LIKE TO ADD. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY NEED TO BE IN A FORMAL MOTION OR IF JUST SHARING THEM WITH YOU IS ENOUGH. SO I'M NOT SURE YET. UM, AND THE FIRST IS JUST, UM, I, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES TODAY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANNA BE SORT OF CHOOSING, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS VERSUS A CRITICAL SERVICE, YOU KNOW, THAT DIRECTLY SERVES OUR COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE, UM, US VERSUS THEM IN THAT KIND OF WAY. AND SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE LOOKED AT POSSIBLE GRANTS THROUGH SOME OF THE LARGER FOUNDATIONS WHO MIGHT SUPPORT US WITH THIS WORK. UM, I KNOW THAT WE CURRENTLY WORK WITH ANNIE CASEY, SO, UM, THEY MAY POSSIBLY HELP TO SUPPORT, UH, PLANNING OR BASICALLY A PLANNING GRANT AROUND THIS SORT OF THING. UM, I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, LIKE OVER A DECADE AGO, OUR COUNTY PARTNERED WITH THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION ON SOME EQUITY WORK. AND I KNOW THEY HAVE SOME GRANTS COMING OUT NOW AROUND SORT OF GENERATIONAL EQUITY. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK POTENTIAL FUNDERS OR PARTNERS TO HELP US MOVE THIS 'CAUSE I THINK THAT OUR COUNTY'S DONE A LOT OF INNOVATIVE WORK, UM, JUST ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTY MACHINE BUREAUCRACY UM, AND WOULD LOVE TO BE PARTNERED UP WITH SOMEBODY LIKE THAT. UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PIECE IS REALLY JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW TO START SLOWLY. UM, I, I, IN READING THE REPORT AND HEARING KIND OF THE CHALLENGES IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS FLIPPING A SWITCH. YOU'RE NOT JUST GONNA BE A HIAP CITY OR COUNTY IMMEDIATELY. UM, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU [06:25:04] TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PILOT PROJECTS HERE IN THE COUNTY WHETHER IT'S AROUND SOMETHING LIKE, UM, THE EV INFRASTRUCTURE OR SOME OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OR LAND USE PROJECT THAT ISN'T ALWAYS TRADITIONALLY THOUGHT OF AS A HEALTH AREA. IT'S NOT IN THE H'S, UM, BUT CERTAINLY HAS HEALTH IMPACTS AND, UM, AND MAYBE JUST SORT OF STARTING SOMEWHERE WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO, UM, TO LEARN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT RESOURCES IT'LL TAKE TO GET US WHERE WE WANNA GO DOWN THE FUTURE. SO THOSE ARE MY TWO THOUGHTS, UM, AND I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND, UM, AND IF IT FEELS HELPFUL TO ADD THAT INTO A MOTION, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. - ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS? SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - TO ADD TO SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ'S POINT, I MEAN THIS IS GENERALLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD THIS, THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO GIVE YOU ALL SUGGESTIONS, RIGHT? AND SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO INCORPORATE IT INTO A MOTION. IS THAT CORRECT? - CORRECT, YEAH. - BECAUSE THAT COULD BE VERY... - WE, WE CAN, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY PURSUE AND LOOK INTO THOSE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND, UM, WE'RE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF GENERATING SOME PILOT PROJECT IDEAS SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THINK THROUGH THAT FURTHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IDEAS WE LAND UPON IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE JUST WITH THE TYPE OF PROJECT, THE STAFF CAPACITY, ALL OF THAT. - AND I JUST WANNA ADD THAT I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. I THINK THIS IS GOOD TIMING AND ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS I HAD IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WENT INTO THE CITY'S PROCESS AND HOW THAT WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH ANY KIND OF STRATEGIC PLANNING OR MULTI-YEAR PLANNING. AND THE FACT THAT IT'S ALIGNED WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, I THINK ACTUALLY HELPS TO KIND OF DO THE OUTREACH IN A, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GET BOTH OUTREACHES DONE AT THE SAME TIME. BECAUSE THEY PRETTY MUCH ALIGN VERY WELL. AND I KNOW THAT AS WE, YOU KNOW, SEEN IN OUR, UM, AGENDA REPORTS WE OFTENTIMES HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW HOW WHAT WE'RE DOING ALIGNS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE AND SO BY KIND OF CO-MINGLING THESE TWO, IT REALLY HELPS US TO KINDA ALIGN. I MEAN, IF, IF WE WANT OUR PLANS TO ALIGN WITH HEALTH, THEN THIS IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO KIND OF DO THAT IN THE SAME, UM, EFFORT. AND SO I, I DO THINK THAT AS WE'RE MOVING, AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS, HAVING THESE TWO PROCESSES ALIGNED MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. UM, OTHERWISE IT COULD GET REALLY EXPENSIVE. UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK IT'S, UM, ALSO IMPORTANT THAT AS WE'RE TRACKING WE'RE, I MEAN, AND THIS KIND OF ALIGNS WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL BUDGET, IS THAT WE ARE GONNA SEE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY US HAVING A COMMUNITY THAT MAY BE GETTING LESS HEALTHY BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOSE FUNDING FOR CRITICAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE... THIS, THIS CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TRACK THAT. SO THAT WHEN WE'RE IN A, A, A POSITION WHERE WE'RE MORE FISCALLY SOLVENT OR WE HAVE MORE ACCESS TO RESOURCES WE CAN ACTUALLY IDENTIFY WHERE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THE, WHERE WE LOST HEALTH, YOU KNOW, POINTS AND METRICS IN THE PAST, AND HOW CAN WE KIND OF RESTART THOSE PROGRAMS OR WHAT ARE SOME OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER. UM, AND SO I THINK THIS CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TRACK THAT AS WELL. UM, JUST TO LAY OUT A COUPLE THINGS I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME, AND I THINK ONE OF 'EM WAS CALLED OUT, WAS SOCIOECONOMIC MOBILITY, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS INCLUDED SO THAT WE'RE TRACKING HOW PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY OR WHO ARE LOW INCOME ARE MAKING, YOU KNOW, UM, OR ARE ABLE TO KIND OF INCREASE THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING OVER TIME AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO PUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS IN PLACE THAT ALLOW FOR THAT AND HAVING JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET TO A POINT IN TERMS OF THEIR INCOME TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THIS COMMUNITY. ALSO, THAT HAS TIES TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE LEVELS OF HOUSING, SO DEED-RESTRICTED HOUSING THAT ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE UP IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS TO HOUSING. AND SO THAT'S MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, THE MISSING MIDDLE, LOW, VERY LOW MARKET RATE BUT HAVING RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE TO THAT HOUSING IS GUARANTEED TO BE THERE SO WE DON'T LOSE THAT MIDDLE, UM, INCOME HOUSING THEN PEOPLE ARE KIND OF STUCK WITHIN THOSE LOWER INCOME LEVELS AND THEN THERE'S NO INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO GROW BECAUSE IF THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THEIR HOUSING, WHY, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON A BETTER JOB? UM, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY, UM, BIG ON IS, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OFF OF OUR SECTION 8 HOUSING LIST INTO HOUSING. AND SO WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN INCREASE IN THE INCLUSIONARY THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR, FOR SECTION 8, I KNOW THERE'S SOME STATE LEGISLATIONS THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA ALLOW FOR US TO KIND OF DESIGNATE HOUSING FOR CERTAIN INCOME GROUPS. AND SO IF THAT IS TO PASS, [06:30:01] I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE. IT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN PUSHING SINCE I'VE GOT ON THIS BOARD, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, HOUSING AND INCOME, THOSE ARE TWO I THINK AREAS THAT WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS INTENSELY ON SINCE PEOPLE FALLING INTO POVERTY IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE EXPERIENCE HERE THE MOST AND PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK ALSO IS, IS JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE FACTORS THAT CAN ALSO LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASED EMISSIONS AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN'T LIVE AND WORK HERE, THEN YOU KNOW, IT HAS IMPACTS ON WHO WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO I'LL LEAVE IT THERE 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS THIS OFFLINE AND IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, SO THANK YOU. - NO, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN. ARE YOU GONNA CHECK IN WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT OFFICES JUST TO, TO MEET UP OFFLINE ON SUGGESTIONS? ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE, UH... - YES, WE HAVE MEETINGS WITH EACH OFFICE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FOUNDATIONAL REVIEW AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CHECK-INS ALONG THE WAY. - OKAY. PERFECT. - YEAH. - WELL, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD AND SEE IF ANYONE HAS A MOTION. [INAUDIBLE] SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - JUST TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WORK PREPARING THIS AND MOVING FORWARD, LIKE, I, I JUST, I SEE IT AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME. IT'S A LENS AND A FRAMEWORK THAT HELPS TO GUIDE POLICY. UM, BUT I JUST, IT'S A LOT. IT'S A LOT. AND I, WHAT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE BECOME IS JUST WE NEED TO CHECK THIS BOX. SO HERE'S THE GOALS AND THEY'RE NOT THAT MEANINGFUL, RIGHT? - YEAH, WE SHARE THAT. - YEAH, SO ANYWAY, GREAT. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK INVOLVED IN THIS. - SO I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. - SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND A SECOND FROM HERNANDEZ. MADAM CLERK IF WE CAN TAKE ROLL CALL. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - MARTINEZ. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - AND HERNANDEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. NEXT MEETING IS, NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING IS TUESDAY, JUNE 3RD AT 9:00 AM. [SILENCE] - ABSOLUTELY WHATSOEVER, [INAUDIBLE]. - RECORDING STOPPED. [SILENCE] [END] * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.