[00:00:01]
STREAMING AND ENCODING.- FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING US ON ZOOM, WE'LL BE PREPARING TO LAUNCH THE MEETING SHORTLY. THANK YOU.
[CALL TO ORDER]
- GOOD MORNING.I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE JANUARY 27TH, 2026, MEETING OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL? - CERTAINLY, CHAIR. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - HERE.
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.
[MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
DOES ANY, DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES LIKE TO USE TIME TO RECOGNIZE ANYONE? DO YOU HAVE SOME TOO? WE'LL START WITH SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.UM, I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE TODAY'S MOMENT OF SILENCE, UH, TO TWO, UM, WELL, ONE INDIVIDUAL AND, AND TWO, UH, A CAUSE.
ALEX PRETTI, WHO IS A 37-YEAR-OLD, UM, NURSE AT THE VSO, WHO WAS MURDERED BY ICE AGENTS IN MINNESOTA EARLIER LAST WEEK UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALL RECOGNIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THIS GOVERNMENT THAT IS VIOLATING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING EXECUTING PEOPLE IN THE STREETS.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, TODAY IS HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY.
AND I WANT US ALL TO, DURING THIS MOMENT OF SILENCE, REMEMBER THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST IN THE HOLOCAUST AND THE ACTIONS THAT LED TO THE HOLOCAUST TAKING PLACE.
AND AGAIN, REMIND OURSELVES THAT, UM, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING LIKE THAT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
- THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR, UM, HONORING ALEX PRETTI.
UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKED IN HEALTHCARE ALL OF MY CAREER UM, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALEX WAS AN ICU NURSE AND, UM, I THINK, UH, OUR HEALTHCARE COLLEAGUES, UM, WHO I WORKED ALONGSIDE ARE BRAVE, COMPASSIONATE, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH THIS, AND THEY'VE JUST AWAKENED A SLEEPING GIANT.
SO, UM, SO ON BEHALF OF ALL OF HEALTHCARE UM, WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF ALEX PRETTI.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS FOR HONORING, UM, HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY.
I'M A JEWISH PERSON AND, UM, MANY, AS YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE DIED THESE LAST TWO WEEKS.
WE'VE HAD THE MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE IN THE PAJARO VALLEY, UM, TEACHING KIDS ABOUT, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS AND INJUSTICE
[00:05:03]
AND HOW THESE THINGS CAN OCCUR OVER TIME.AND SO, THIS WEEK I BELIEVE THEY'RE AT THE PAJARO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS.
SO, THANK YOU, UH, TO, UM, GAIL STEIN, ROSS HORNSTEIN, AND DOUG KAPLAN FOR BRINGING THE MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE HERE INTO OUR COUNTY.
AND FINALLY, UM, I'D LIKE TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF ANDREAS BERGANO A 52-YEAR-OLD, UM, FATHER, HUSBAND, AND FRIEND TO MANY.
UH, HE WAS A MANAGER AT THE APTOS SAFEWAY FOR 19 YEARS, DIED AT THE AGE OF 52, UM, LEAVING BEHIND HIS WIFE, VANESSA, AND FOUR CHILDREN.
UM, HIS GOFUNDME STARTED WITH AN ASK OF $3,000 TO HELP OFFSET FUNERAL EXPENSES AND IS NOW UP TO 38,000, WHICH I THINK IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, APPRECIATED AND LOVED HIM.
- ANY FURTHER DEDICATIONS TODAY? SEEING NONE, PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
- I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
- THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE
[CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA; ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS]
CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS.UM, NICOLE, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO TODAY'S AGENDA? - YES, CHAIR.
WE DO HAVE SOME CHANGES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 21, STAFF REQUESTS THAT THE ITEM BE DELETED.
ITEM 60, STAFF ALSO REQUESTS THAT THE ITEM BE DELETED.
AND FOR ITEM 61, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.
WE HAVE A REVISED ATTACHMENT IN PAGES 1028 THROUGH 1059, WHICH HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH CORRECT FORMATTING.
[ANNOUNCEMENT BY BOARD MEMBERS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT TO REGULAR AGENDA]
I'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.WOULD ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES LIKE TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - YEP. I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER 19 AND ITEM NUMBER 32 FOR QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I HAD A, A QUESTION TOO FOR, UM, COUNTY COUNCIL REGARDING THE MEETING, UH, PROCESS FOR TODAY.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT ITEM NUMBER 13, WHICH IS THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE ITEM, UM, IS LAST ON THE AGENDA, AND WE HAVE A PRETTY PACKED AGENDA WITH A LOT OF ITEMS, MEANING THAT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN THAT ITEM WILL BE HEARD.
AND SO, I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO MOVE THAT ITEM FIRST, GIVEN THAT THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO ARE LIKELY HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM AND FEWER PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SPEAK ON THE REST OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
- YEAH. IT'S UP TO THE CHAIR TO DECIDE WHETHER TO MOVE ITEMS AROUND ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY, UM, AVAILABLE TO DO THAT IF THE CHAIR WANTED TO DO THAT.
- SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CHAIR IF WE CAN MOVE ITEM NUMBER 13 TO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
IT'S NOTING THAT THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM.
- I UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUEST, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR REQUEST.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT BECAUSE I, MY OFFICE WAS CONTACTED BY PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, AND WE DID LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS AT THE END OF THE AGENDA.
AND GIVEN THAT THIS IS THE PUBLISHED AGENDA, I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING THAT CHANGE BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING BY THE PUBLISHED AGENDA NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MOST LIKELY TO BE HEARD IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO I'D LIKE TO KEEP THE ITEM WHERE IT IS.
- AND I GUESS ONE QUESTION I HAVE THEN, SINCE THE BOARD LAST YEAR TOOK A POSITION THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN'T COMMENT ON ITEMS ON THE REGULAR AGENDA UNTIL THE ITEM'S HEARD, UNLESS THE CHAIR ALLOWS THEM TO, IF WE COULD AT LEAST ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM WHO ARE HERE.
KNOWING THAT, AND I, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PRESENTERS TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHEN THIS ITEM MIGHT BE COMING BACK IN THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE WE HAVE A PRETTY PACKED AGENDA AND, YOU KNOW, BE- WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOBS AND NEED TO WORK.
UM, IT WOULD HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHEN THIS ITEM CAN BE HEARD SO THEY CAN MAYBE GO BACK TO THEIR JOBS, COME BACK IF THEY NEED TO, AND SO THEY'RE NOT SITTING AROUND ALL DAY.
UM, WHEN WE GET TO PUBLIC COMMENT, I'LL GIVE SOME INSTRUCTIONS BASED ON WHAT YOU SHARED.
SO WE HAVE, YOU HAVE REMOVED ITEM NUMBER 19 AS WELL AS ITEM NUMBER 32. IS THAT CORRECT? I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS
[00:10:03]
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CONSENT AGENDA TODAY.SO, AS ITEM NUMBER 6.1 WILL BE ITEM 19 AND 6.2 WILL BE ITEM NUMBER 32.
IS THAT CLEAR, MADAM CLERK? - YES.
DO ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE PULLED? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, WE'LL BE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE
[PUBLIC COMMENT]
WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT.UM, I'D NOW LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS OF THE CONSENT OR CLOSED AGENDA OR ANY SUBJECT MATTER THAT'S WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD.
UM, TYPICALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM THAT'S ON THE REGULAR AGENDA, THOSE ARE ITEMS BETWEEN 7 AND 14.
I'M GONNA ASK THAT YOU SPEAK AT THE TIME WHEN THOSE ITEMS ARE HEARD.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE ITEM RELATED TO AN ELECTION ISSUE, AB 1416 OR THE ITEM RELATED TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
BOTH OF THEM WILL BE HEARD AFTER THIS ITEM, THE CONSENT ITEM.
UM, I DID HEAR A REQUEST TO, UH, HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE FOR ITEM NUMBER 13 TO SPEAK TODAY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A NOTE THAT IF YOU SPEAK NOW, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN WHEN THAT ITEM IS HEARD.
AND ON ITEM NUMBER 13 LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, AND THE REASON THAT WE ASK PEOPLE GENERALLY TO SPEAK WHEN THE ITEM IS HEARD IT'S SO THAT THE BOARD CAN CONSIDER ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARE IN THE SAME CONTEXT IN THE SAME DIALOGUE WITH THE PRESENTATION, WITH STAFF RESPONSES, AND WITH THE DELIBERATION THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO HAVE.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PRESERVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR THAT TIME, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UM, HOWEVER, GIVEN THE REQUEST FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS THAT IF FOLKS AREN'T ABLE TO STAY, UM, I'LL ALLOW SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK THIS MORNING.
- THROUGH THE CHAIR. JUST ALSO LIKE TO ASK, DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHEN 13 WILL BE HEARD SINCE IT'S LIKELY GONNA BE AFTER LUNCH AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF LONG ITEMS, SO I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A TIME THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE HERE IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK, OR FOR THE PRESENTERS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO MAY WANT TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM, IF THERE'S ANY SENSE OF WHEN THAT ITEM WILL BE HEARD.
- YEAH, IT, IT'S, IT'S UNCLEAR WHEN IT'S GONNA BE HEARD.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE A PACKED AGENDA, TO YOUR POINT, AND THERE'S MANY ITEMS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT ITEM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE HERE AT 1:30 WHEN WE PICK BACK UP ON THE AGENDA AND IT COULD BE HEARD ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1:30 AND 4:30.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IF YOU INTEND TO SPEAK, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE LINE UP SO WE CAN SEE APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE WISH TO SPEAK TODAY.
AND IF YOU'RE PARTICIPATING VIA ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE BUTTON TO RAISE YOUR HAND OR DIAL *9 IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE.
SO I SEE APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 10 OR 12 PEOPLE WHO ARE HOPING TO SPEAK, UM, IN PUBLIC.
AND THEN MADAM CLERK, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE PHONE? - CURRENTLY, APPROXIMATELY FIVE SPEAKERS ONLINE, THOUGH FOLKS ARE CONTINUING TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
- OKAY, THAT BEING THE CASE, I'D LIKE TO SET THE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME FOR TWO MINUTES EACH.
AND WITH THAT, GO AHEAD. YOU MAY BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO, AS WITH MANY PEOPLE, I'M GETTING OVER THAT COUGH THAT'S BEEN GOING AROUND THE COUNTY.
SO I JUST WANT TO, UH, MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF AN OPPORTUNITY THIS EVENING TO SEE A DOCUMENTARY OF THE MINING OF LITHIUM BATTERIES AND AT THE APTOS RANGE AT 6:30 TONIGHT.
AND THERE'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THIS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOW TOXIC THIS IS, AND IN TERMS OF TRYING TO, UM, KEEP OUR ENVIRONMENT SUPPOSEDLY GREEN.
YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE IT'S DOING JUST THE OPPOSITE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE TOLL THAT IT'S TAKING ON INDIVIDUALS AT THIS INDIAN RESERVATION.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU CAN, TO COME TO THE APTOS GRAND AT 6:30 TONIGHT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON THERE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S FROM A CERTAIN PERSPECTIVE, BUT AS I KNOW YOU ALL ARE WONDERFUL
[00:15:03]
ABOUT LISTENING TO BOTH SIDES AND TAKING THEM INTO ACCOUNT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE TOLL THAT IT TAKES ON PEOPLE.AND ALWAYS, I AM ALWAYS ADVOCATING TO TRY AND KEEP OUR ENVIRONMENT AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE.
MY HUSBAND IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS IN VIETNAM.
HE GOT EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE AND IS NOW CONSIDERED A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED FROM THAT EXPOSURE.
AND I JUST MET UP WITH A NEIGHBOR WHO ALSO HAD THAT EXPOSURE.
AND AFTER HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS TAKE THEIR TOLL MANY YEARS LATER.
SO THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THESE TOXINS ARE INCREDIBLY, UH, IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR TRYING TO MAKE OUR COUNTY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
- HI, MY NAME IS OLIVIA MARTINEZ.
I'M THE REGION 2 DIRECTOR FOR SEIU.
UM, WE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA COME ONCE A MONTH TO GIVE YOU A REPORT OF THE ISSUES THAT OUR WORKERS ARE FACING.
WE ARE THE LARGEST BARGAINING UNIT.
UM, TWO, A COUPLE CONCERNS WITH THE BIGGEST TWO DEPARTMENTS UM, HSA AND HSD.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIRECT SERVICES TO THE CLIENT.
ONE IS THEIR TRANSITION BACK TO FROM REMOTE WORK.
UM, YOU GUYS, I THINK THE THREE OF YOU, MONICA MANU AND KIMBERLY VOTED AGAINST THE WORKERS.
UM, THERE WAS NO TRANSITION AND NO PLAN FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
THERE IS A LACK OF PARKING, THERE IS A LACK OF, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BATHROOMS, THERE'S ENOUGH, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH SPACE, RIGHT? AND PEOPLE ARE SHARING OFFICES.
AND SO THERE WAS NO TRANSITION.
SO AS YOU SUPPORTED THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, I THINK YOU SHOULD HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE LACK OF PREPARATION OF HAVING SO MANY WORKERS COME BACK TO WORK.
HSD HAS A WAIT TIME OF MORE THAN THREE HOURS FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAL.
WE ALL HERE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE FOOD AND MEDICAL SERVICES.
THESE FOLKS ARE WAITING MORE THAN HOURS, RIGHT? THE OTHER THING IS THE LAB.
HSA HAS NOT CONTACTED THE UNION TO START WORKING ON THE X-RAY LABS.
IT WAS A UNION THAT HAD TO CONTACT THEM TO START MEETING AND LOOKING AT THE ISSUES THAT THE LAB AND THE X-RAY FACES.
AND SO, UM, NEXT MONTH WE'LL COME BACK AND GIVE YOU ANOTHER REPORT WITH THE HOPES THAT YOU'RE HOLDING COUNTY DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE, UM, FOR THEIR LACK OF LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU.
- HI, MY NAME IS LYNETTE CUTTER AND I LIVE IN LIVE OAK.
SO, IN DISTRICT ONE, I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND THAT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU AUTHORIZE THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO DO SHIELD, WHICH IS TO PROTECT US FROM ICE, SHOULD THEY COME HERE.
KNOWING THAT MANPOWER CAN BE AN ISSUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT YOU HAVE A VERY ACTIVE CITIZENRY HERE.
MAYBE YOU CAN PARTNER WITH CITIZENS TO DO SOME PART OF AN AGENDA TO CREATE THAT SHIELD.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU.
UM, I'M LAURA MARCUS, THE CEO OF DIENTES COMMUNITY DENTAL CARE.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK OUR VETERANS HERE IN THE ROOM TODAY.
MANY OF WHOM ARE OUR PATIENTS.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 46 IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING CONTRACT FOR OUR NEWEST CLINIC ON PENNY LANE IN WATSONVILLE.
UM, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE IN THE BRIEF MOMENT THAT I HAVE THAT JUST OVER 10 YEARS AGO, DIENTES EXPANDED TO MEET THE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS GROWN EVEN SINCE THEN.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE FIVE CLINICS.
WE'RE SERVING 18,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING CHILDREN AND SENIORS WITH COMPREHENSIVE FULL SCOPE MEDICAL CARE FROM SPECIALISTS.
UH, WE HAVE AMAZING WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. AND OUR NEWEST CLINIC AT PENNY LANE WILL BE SERVING 3,000 COUNTY PATIENTS, UH, SERVING THEM WITH DENTAL SERVICES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE AVAILABLE BEFORE TODAY.
I ALSO WANNA REMIND YOU THAT DUE TO HR1 AND THE CUTS WE SEE COMING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AS A RESULT OF THAT, DIENTES IS UNDER THREAT.
UM, PEOPLE WITHOUT RESIDENCY STATUS, UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS OF OUR STATE ARE BEING, UH, LEFT OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
THEY WILL HAVE DENTAL CARE ELIMINATED AS OF JULY 1ST.
THOSE PEOPLE ON MEDI-CAL, THERE'S 9,000 ADULTS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, WE HAVE GROWN, WE'VE HAD GREAT TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN MEETING MORE THAN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT NEED OUR SERVICES.
[00:20:02]
DON'T FORGET THAT WHEN TIME COMES TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS IN YOUR BUDGETS, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.- I'M NOT SURE IF THE ITEM GOT PULLED, THE SHIELD ONE.
- IT DID. IT'LL BE HEARD AFTER THIS.
THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL. - SO I'LL JUST GO BACK? - THANK YOU. - ALL RIGHT. - YES.
- GOOD MORNING. UH, COVE BRITTON, MATSON AND BRITTON ARCHITECTS.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES REGARDING THE RIO DEL MAR BEACH ISLAND ISSUE.
UH, THE COUNTY SPENT APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION THUS FAR ON LEGAL FEES FOR THIS.
UM, THIS IS A TRAGIC, UM, EVENT TO HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY SPENT OVER SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE STARTED OUT AS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND, FRANKLY, SUPERVISOR FRED, WHERE THERE COULD BE A WIN-WIN.
THE TRIAL COURT ROUNDLY CRITICIZED THE COUNTY'S HANDLING OF THIS.
UH, THE APPEALS COURT WAS SYMPATHETIC TO THE BEACH ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS AND HAVE SAID THAT THERE'S A COMMON LAW EASEMENT THERE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T SAY WHERE THAT EASEMENT IS.
BUT DIDN'T SAY IT'S ON THE PATIOS.
SO, YOU'RE STILL STUCK IN A BATTLE AND ONE THAT ENDS UP TO BE REALLY UNFORTUNATE FOR THE LANDOWNERS THERE AND FOR GETTING CONVENIENCE OF WALKING ON A BEACH THAT IS RIGHT THERE.
SO I SUGGEST AND REALLY STRONGLY HOPE THAT THIS BOARD WILL LOOK AT THIS AS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A WIN-WIN VERSUS THEM AGAINST US.
ARE WE TO SPEAK ABOUT SHIELD NOW OR IS THAT POSTPONED? - THAT ITEM HAS BEEN PULLED AND IS NOW ITEM 6.2.
SO THIS IS GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE SHIELD ITEM WILL COME IN TWO ITEMS FROM NOW.
- THANK YOU. I'LL WAIT FOR THAT.
SO FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE JOINED, UM, THE ITEM RELATED TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN PULLED AND IS ITEM 6.2.
IT'LL PROBABLY BE- IT'LL BE HEARD AFTER THE SERIES OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANOTHER BRIEF ITEM, AND THEN THE ITEM WILL BE HEARD.
- MORNING. MY NAME IS TRACEY WALKER AND I'M A CZU FIRE VICTIM.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS MISLED AND OBSTRUCTED OUR REBUILD, COSTING US HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND WASTING FIVE AND A HALF YEARS.
COUNTY COUNCIL REFUSES A CLEAR AND VIABLE PATH FORWARD, PILING ON BURDENS AND LEGAL FEES.
NOW, JUSTIN GRAHAM SEEKS TO DELAY OUR CASE UNTIL JUNE FOR PERSONAL REASONS, PUSHING BACK, PUSHING US ALMOST SIX YEARS POST FIRE.
PRIOR TO TAKING MATERNITY LEAVE WHEN MY KIDS WERE BORN, I MADE SURE MY COWORKERS COULD FULLY COVER MY RESPONSIBILITIES SO THAT NO ONE RELYING ON ME TO DO MY JOB HAD TO WAIT UNTIL I RETURNED.
WHY CAN'T THE COUNTY DO THE SAME FOR A DISASTER VICTIMS? SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH LOOKOUT SANTA CRUZ IN OCTOBER 2024 RESPONDING TO A CIVIL GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION THE HANDLING OF THE CZU FIRE, YOU STATED, "THE COUNTY MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CULTURE WITHIN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ACROSS AGENCIES.
WE CANNOT ALLOW RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY DISASTER VICTIMS, TO FEEL IGNORED OR MISTREATED BY THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS MEANT TO HELP THEM," BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US.
IF THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SYSTEM THAT YOU ARE NOW A PART OF, THEN WHY AM I HERE AGAIN TODAY? WHY IS OUR PROPERTY STILL EMPTY, AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU DIRECT ACCOUNTING COUNCIL TO SETTLE OUR CASE? THE FACT THAT OUR HOME WAS LOST AT A WILDFIRE NEVER SHOULD HAVE LED TO A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ.
I HAVE HERE 780 PAGES OF GEOTECHNICAL DATA SPECIFIC TO MY PROPERTY, ALL REPORTING ON HOW WE COULD REBUILD OUR HOMES SAFELY THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNTY, BUT THE COUNTY DECIDED THAT THE 46-PAGE CGS REPORT THAT DOES NOT EVEN MENTION MY PROPERTY WAS PROOF ENOUGH TO STOP US FROM MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR REBUILD.
MATT MACHADO ATTEMPTED TO RECORD A NOTICE OF GEOLOGIC HAZARD ON THE TITLE TO OUR PROPERTY.
WE APPEALED THAT DECISION AND WE WON BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN ACTUAL HAZARD BUT HERE WE ARE TWO YEARS LATER AFTER HEARING WAS SETTLED AND THE COUNTY STILL REFUSES TO LET US MOVE FORWARD.
THEY CLAIM THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD THAT DO NOT INVOLVE TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WHILE REFUSING TO IDENTIFY POSSIBLE PATHS THAT WE COULD TAKE, LEAVING US IN LEGAL LIMBO.
IF THE COUNTY WANTS US TO REBUILD, WHY HASN'T THE LEGAL PATH BEEN IDENTIFIED YET? LATER TODAY, WHEN MY NAME COMES UP IN YOUR CLOSE SESSION, I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THEY WERE 2 AND 4 WHEN MY HOUSE BURNT DOWN.
- THANK YOU. - LET THAT SINK IN.
UM, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR MARTINEZ.
THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING WITH YOU, MY HOME DISTRICT BEING CHAIR.
UM, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH BYRD AND I'M THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HOLISTIC DEFENSE FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE HERE AT THE ST.- COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 42.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACCEPTING THE GRANT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER.
THIS FUNDING ALLOWS OUR OFFICE
[00:25:01]
TO KEEP OUR CURRENT HOLISTIC DEFENSE TEAM INTACT.I HAVE 3 OF MY 4 CURRENT ADVOCATES HERE ACCOMPANYING ME.
THE OTHER ONE WAS LEFT BEHIND IN COURT TO HELP- HELP THE ATTORNEYS.
UM, I WANNA BRIEFLY SHARE WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE FOR OUR OFFICE.
JUST IN THE LAST QUARTER, OUR ADVOCATES PROVIDED EARLY REPRESENTATION TO 134 INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY AND 37 INDIVIDUALS OUT OF CUSTODY WHO WERE SEEKING COUNSEL BEFORE THEIR VERY FIRST COURT APPEARANCE.
EARLY SUPPORT LIKE THIS CAN MAKE A CRITICAL DIFFERENCE IN THE TRAJECTORY OF THE CASE.
OUR ADVOCATES ALSO PROVIDED ONGOING CASE MANAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY TO 59 INDIVIDUALS AND CONCLUDED WORK WITH 43 CLIENTS, WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE IDENTIFIED SERVICE GOAL.
THOSE OUTCOMES INCLUDED SECURING HOUSING, ACCESSING PUBLIC BENEFITS, ADDRESSING HEALTH NEEDS, STRENGTHENING FAMILY CONNECTIONS, PURSUING EDUCATION, AND SUBSIDIZING FINANCES.
WE SUPPORTED 13 INDIVIDUALS WHO ENGAGED IN TREATMENT, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT.
THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT REAL PEOPLE, OUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
THEY ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
BY SUPPORTING THIS WORK, YOU ARE HELPING TO STABILIZE THEIR LIVES, NAVIGATE THE LEGAL SYSTEM MORE EFFECTIVELY, AND REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE BOARD'S CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP IN SUSTAINING THIS WORK.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND TO EXPRESS OUR OFFICE'S STRONG SUPPORT FOR CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 50, APPROVING STAFF APPOINTMENTS TO REPRESENT THE PUBLIC VENDORS OFFICE AND THE HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY ON THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM OF CARE BOARD.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE APPOINTMENT OF HEATHER ROGERS AND HER ALTERNATE, ERIC CRABS.
- YES. HELLO, AND I AM CONCERNING CITIZEN AND I BELIEVE THIS MONTH IS THE MONTH OF THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND, UM, I SENT NUMEROUS EMAILS TO ALL OF YOU, AND SPECIFICALLY ALSO TO MANU KOENIG AND KIMBERLY DE SERPA TO HELP, YOU KNOW, ELDERLY, UM, WHICH ON THE- THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUE, AND IT'S ALREADY GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS AND I STILL DID NOT GET ANY HELP.
I JUST WONDER WHY IT TAKES SO LONG, YOU KNOW, TO FINALLY MAKE A PRIORITY TO SAVE SOMEBODY'S LIFE AND LET SOMEBODY TO LIVE HER LIFE IF SHE WANT TO IN THE END OF YOUR, DO YOU KNOW, ROAD, AND THIS IS, UH, UNACCEPTABLE AND, UM, VERY BRUTAL.
AND, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAS MANY FACES, AND THE PSYCHIATRIC ABUSE IS ONE OF THEM, AND IT'S ALSO GOING ON AT TELECARE.
SO I WONDER WHY AGAIN, DO YOU KNOW, IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO GET HELP, BUT OBVIOUSLY, TELECARE COORDINATE THEIR ABUSE WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION.
SO THEY EVEN SEND LETTERS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION AND ASK THEM IF THEY MAY TREAT THEIR CLIENT.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE NOBODY PROVIDE, LIKE IN THE- LIKE THE CARE THAT UH, ACTUALLY NOT, UH, COMPOUND WITH THE-SOME KIND OF CORRUPTION.
SO PLEASE, WE DO NOT HAVE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES HERE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ADVANCEMENT HERE. NO.
THEY ARE ALL INVOLVED WITH THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
SO PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE NEEDS HELP, AND THEIR LIFE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
- THANK YOU. BECKY STEINBRUNNER.
I URGE YOU TO TAKE SERIOUSLY WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER JUST SAID.
I HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS CASE AND IT IS SERIOUS AND MERITS INVESTIGATION.
UM, MY NAME IS BECKY STEINBRUNNER.
I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ISSUE, UH, REGARDING THE VETS IS THE VERY LAST ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
THAT FILLED YOUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON DECEMBER 9TH FULL OF PEOPLE AND YET YOU PUT IT VERY LAST ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
I THINK THAT'S DISRESPECTFUL OF THOSE VETERANS.
UM, I WANT TO SAY, ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC, THAT YOU ARE STILL CONSIDERING THE, UH, RING INTEROPERABILITY RADIO PROJECT AND YOU APPROVED GOING FORWARD EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PAY FORWARD.
REALLOCATE PROPOSITION 172 PUBLIC SAFETY MONEY.
LAST YEAR ALONE WE REC-THIS COUNTY RECEIVED $29 MILLION FROM THE PERMANENT HALF SINCE STATE WIDE SALES TAX
[00:30:04]
THAT IS ALLOCATED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.SO, YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING AT REALLOCATING PROP 172 MONEYS IN THIS COUNTY TO PAY FOR THAT, IF IT'S THAT URGENT AND IMPORTANT.
FINALLY, I WANNA SAY THAT I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR LAST MEETING, ESPECIALLY SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, THAT YOU ABANDONED THE PEOPLE OF WATSONVILLE WHEN YOU APPROVED TO FORWARD WITH THIS COUNTY'S BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM ORDINANCE.
IT IS A DEFICIENT DOCUMENT AND YOU LEFT OUT COMPLETELY THE PEOPLE OF WATSONVILLE.
YOU COULD HAVE POSTPONED IT TO FEBRUARY 10TH, WHEN YOU'RE GONNA BE MEETING IN WATSONVILLE, BUT YOU DID NOT.
NO ONE EVEN MENTIONED IT EXCEPT THE PEOPLE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF LETTERS WRITTEN TO YOU ASKING FOR THAT.
THIS ORDINANCE HAS NOTHING ABOUT SEISMIC SAFETY, NOTHING ABOUT STACKING CONTAINERS.
- GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
MY NAME IS FARIS SABBAH, AND I, UH, WORK AS YOUR COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEM 32 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND REALLY SPEAK IN THANKS OF THE BOARD AND THE STEPS THAT YOU'RE TAKING TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
I, UH, RECENTLY MET WITH ALL THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS AND WE ARE, UM, ARE SPEAKING AS ONE VOICE WHEN IT COMES TO PARTNERING WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ENSURE THAT ICE AGENTS ARE NOT, UH, IMPACTING, UM, OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
UH, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SHIELD, GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE NOT SUPPORTING THESE EFFORTS AND THAT ICE AGENTS ARE KEPT AS FAR AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS, AS FAR AWAY FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND, UH, AND THAT WE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND KNOW THAT THE SCHOOLS STAND WITH YOU IN THIS WORK.
MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ONLINE SPEAKERS? - CERTAINLY, CHAIR.
KATHERINE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
IS THIS... INTERNALLY CAN SPEAK ON IMMIGRATION ISSUE, I THOUGHT, UM, ALL RIGHT.
IF NOT, I JUST WANNA SUPPORT ALL THE PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE CZU FIRE REPARATIONS, AND ALSO, I SHARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE BATTERY FACILITY.
- THANK YOU. AND I WILL CLARIFY, UM, THE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ITEM HAS BEEN MOVED TO ITEM 6.2, SO IT WILL BE HEARD FOLLOWING THIS SESS- THIS PUBLIC COMMENT AND ONE OTHER ITEM. THANK YOU.
- CALLING USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
I ATTENDED THE PAJARO VALLEY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 14TH AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS SIMILAR RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU.
I-IT'S TITLED A PAJARO VALLEY SCHOOL-UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTION 252618 CONDEMNING IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENT VIOLENCE AND AFFIRMING THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
THIS WAS AUTHORED BY TRUSTEE, GABRIEL MEDINA.
AND I'LL JUST READ PART OF IT.
EVERY ORGANIZATION AND GROUP SHOULD TAKE SIMILAR ACTION, IN MY OPINION, WHEREAS THE PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SERVES STUDENTS AND FAMILIES FROM IMMIGRANT MIX STATUS AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES MANY OF WHOM EXPERIENCE FEAR, STRESS AND DISRUPTION DUE TO FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
AND WHEREAS THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SAFE, WELCOMING, AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS, CONSISTENT WITH THE DISTRICT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT STUDENT WELFARE, ACCESS TO EDUCATION, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.
AND WHEREAS THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WERE KILLED IN ENCOUNTERS INVOLVING IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN REGULATED FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
[00:35:04]
SILVERIO VILLEGAS GONZALEZ, KILLED SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025 IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.KEITH PORTER, KILLED DECEMBER 31ST, 2025 IN NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA.
RENEE NICOLE GOOD, KILLED JANUARY 7TH, 2020...
- BERNIE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
UM, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
BERNIE GOMEZ OF MILPA, DOWN AT DISTRICT 4.
UM, UH, [INAUDIBLE] IF I MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOMETHING UM, AROUND ITEM 41, I BELIEVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UM... I WOULD REQUEST FOR IT TO BE PULLED TO A-FOR A LATER TIME OR TO-OR, UM, TO HAVE IT UH, AN ACTUAL PUBLIC, UH, HEARING ON IT AND THE CONVERSATION AROUND IT.
'CAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, INTENTIONALITY GOING INTO THIS LAST YEAR, UH, OR TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK.
AROUND THE SYTF AND THE BRANCH CAMP AT THE JUVENILE HALL, UM, AND ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SAVINGS, AND HOW OUR-HOW THOSE SAVINGS WOULD BE WERE BEING DIRECTED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, I MEAN, I WAS READING THE-KIND OF SCANNING THE REPORT, AND I JUST- I HAVE- I PERSONALLY HAVE QUESTIONS AROUND IT JUST IN REGARDS LIKE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. RIGHT? AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD HAVE- IT SHOULD- IT MERITS HAVING A-A OPEN PUBLIC DISCUSSION, UM, BECAUSE JUST OUT OF JUST ONE POINT OF IT, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLAN SERVICES CONTRACT, THE, YOU KNOW, START PROGRAM, $80,000 THAT WAS AFFORDED TO IT. I'M NOT- I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MONEY CAME FROM THOSE SAVINGS, RIGHT? BUT I DON'T SEE THAT BEING SOMETHING THAT IS NEW, RIGHT? SOMETHING THAT IS- THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, YEAH, THAT IT'S ENHANCING, RIGHT? OR JUST PROVIDING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR SYTF. RIGHT? UM, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, JUST NOT BEING FULLY PREPARED AT THIS MORNING, UM, BUT I DO REQUEST FOR THIS ITEM TO BE PULLED SO WE CAN HAVE A PROPER PREPARATION AND HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION AROUND THIS TO FURTHER ADVANCE THE-THE HEALTH, THE WELL-BEING OF JUSTICE, UH, JUSTICE PARTNERS, YEAH.
- TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- HELLO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING ME TODAY.
UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, CONCERNS HERE.
SO, THIS ISSUE HERE WITH ICE, I FEEL THAT, UH, THE SITUATION WITH RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI HERE, I FEEL THAT'S A FULL THROTTLE HOMICIDE.
THAT'S WHAT THAT IS, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE ICE, DHS OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKING ASSUMPTIONS.
SO, THAT'S THE WORD OF THE DAY, ASSUMPTIONS, AND ALSO THEY'RE LYING TO US.
SO, I REALLY DON'T LIKE BEING LIED TO.
SO, IT'S QUITE A BUMMER SITUATION HERE THAT, UH, DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION ARE IN, BUT I DO FEEL THAT THESE OFFICERS ARE NOT IMMUNE AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD TO ACCOUNT, THEY SHOULD BE TRIED, CONVICTED, AND PUNISHED WITH A DEATH SENTENCE. SERIOUS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS CAN BE RESOLVED.
YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT HAVE A SOCIETY HERE WHERE WE HAVE A SECRET POLICE THAT'S PARTISAN, THAT'S CRUISING AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND THAT THINKS THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO FULL THROTTLE VIOLATE OUR US CONSTITUTION AND A PRESIDENT WILL NOT UPHOLD ITS OATH, AND THAT THEY'LL JUST COME INTO OUR HOMES, DESTROY OUR LIVES, AND MURDER OUR FAMILIES.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
SO... AND I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THIS GUY IN THE WHITE HOUSE, HE DOESN'T HAVE OUR BACK.
IF HE SENDS HIS ICE AGENTS IN HERE DURING THE SUMMERTIME, WE HAVE ALL THIS TURMOIL, AND THEN WE END UP GETTING A FIRE THAT BURNS DOWN OUR HOMES, AND YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE COST, THE ISSUES WITH REBUILDING, AND THEN, UH, CALIFORNIA INSURANCE, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAD A QUITE A ROUGH TIME WITH CAL FAIR PLAN IN GETTING MY BILL SO I CAN PAY MY INSURANCE JUST SO, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE WITH YOUR INSURANCE POSSIBLY BEING CANCELED.
SO, WE HAVE SOME MIGHTY BIG ISSUES HERE TO CONSIDER.
ANYWAYS, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
- THANK YOU. - YOU WON'T... REFINED...
[00:40:08]
- FUTURE NOW, YOUR MICROPHONE'S AVAILABLE.- UH, HELLO, UH, THIS IS ARIAN ADEL, AND I AM ATTENDING THE SUPERVISOR'S MEETING TODAY BECAUSE I WAS NOTIFIED BY NEIGHBORS OF A POTENTIAL THREAT TO COASTAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
AND I AM A COASTAL PROPERTY OWNER, SO I WANTED TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT WAS LISTED AS REGULAR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, UH, CONCERNING THE COUNTY'S ZERO LOT AREA, UH, APPROACH, UH, WHICH APPARENTLY GOES TO THE HEART OF WHETHER PRIVATE COASTAL PROPERTY CAN BE FUNCTIONALLY TAKEN WITHOUT COMPENSATION UNDER THE BANNER OF MANAGED RETREAT AND RELATED SHORELINE POLICY CONCEPTS.
SO, I WANTED TO READ SOME OF THESE CONCERNS INTO THE RECORD AND ADDRESS THAT I OPPOSE ANY ACTIONS THE COUNTY TAKES WITHOUT DUE PROCESS THAT THREATEN MY COASTAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.
SO, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW ON JANUARY 27TH? YOU'RE HEARING THIS, UH, THE COUNTY'S LAND USE PLAN DEFINITION OF GROSS SITE AREA, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES WOULD FORMALLY EXCLUDE COASTAL BUFFS, BEACHES, LAND SEAWARD OR OF THE BLUFF, UH, TO THE MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE FROM LOT AREA CALCULATIONS.
EVEN THOUGH THESE AREAS REMAIN PRIVATELY OWNED AND TAXED.
UM, IN THE PAST, THE COUNTY HAS, UH, POSTPONED MEETINGS WHEN PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO SHOW UP AND ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
AND, UM, WHAT, UH, BASICALLY, UH, THE PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOES NOT GO INTO EFFECT.
AND SO, UM, I WANT TO SAY THAT THE ZERO LOT AREA IS A DIRECT THREAT TO OUR OWNERSHIP.
- JESSICA. YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
JESSICA, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, WE'RE UNABLE TO HEAR YOU.
CHAIR, IT APPEARS THAT THE SPEAKER'S UNABLE TO CONNECT.
UH, THAT WAS OUR FINAL SPEAKER, SO I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE.
[ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA (ITEMS 16-64)]
I'LL NOW TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR COMMENTS OR ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.DOES ANYBODY HAVE COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? LETS' START WITH SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
ON ITEM 30, UM, A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AB 762 BANNING BATTERY EMBEDDED VAPE INHALERS.
UM, THANK YOU TO SUPERVISOR JUSTIN CUMMINGS, UM, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, UH, WITH ME.
ITEM NUMBER 33, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PARK COMMISSIONERS, UM, FOR THEIR SERVICE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RECEIPT OF THE PARKS MASTER PLAN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
ITEM 37, UH, THANK YOU TO REBECCA DOWNING, UM, FOR HER SERVICE TO THE SANTA CRUZ METRO AND TO THE RTC.
AND, UM, ITEM NUMBER 40, THANK YOU TO AT&T FOR THEIR COMMUNITY GRANTS OF $50,000.
UM, ITEM 45 UNDER HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, APPARENTLY WE'VE HAD CLOSURE OF OUR DUI PROGRAMS AND WE HAD TWO COMMUNITY GROUPS STEP FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT ALERT DRIVING AND SOBRIETY WORK, SO WELCOME.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
YEAH, JUST A COUPLE BRIEF COMMENTS ON ITEM 31.
I WANNA THANK SUPERVISORS HERNANDEZ AND CUMMINGS FOR VOLUNTEERING, UH, TO WORK ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL WORKERS AND RESIDENTS.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE CAN ALSO DIVE INTO JUST HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM THIS ACTUALLY IS TODAY, AS FAR AS NOT GIVING THAT LOCAL PREFERENCE AND HOW MANY FOLKS FROM OUT OF THE AREA OR, OR WITH LIMITED TIES TO THE AREA, ARE ACTUALLY RECEIVING THE PREFERENCE.
I THINK DEFINING THE PROBLEM IS A GOOD STEP TO ALSO DEFINING THE SOLUTION AND HOW WE CAN TRACK THE ISSUE BETTER.
UM, ON ITEM 52, OUR APPOINTMENTS, UH, TO THE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR HAC.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS
[00:45:03]
TO GET SOME FOLKS APPOINTED TO THIS COMMISSION.UM, IN RETROSPECT, I THINK THAT MAYBE OUR DEFINITION OF ALL THESE LIMITED CATEGORIES OF- FOR EXACTLY WHAT TYPE OF PERSON AND WHAT KIND OF BACKGROUND SHOULD BE ON THIS COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY A BIT OF A HINDRANCE.
UM, AND I THINK WE, IF, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET FOLKS APPOINTED TO THAT COMMISSION, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, WE SHOULD CONSIDER REVISING, UH, OUR ORDINANCE RELATED TO THE HAC SO THAT WE CAN- IT CAN SIMPLY MEET, WE DO HAVE 10 APPOINTEES TODAY.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE- WE'RE STILL LACKING A QUORUM BECAUSE OF THOSE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES.
UM, SO LET'S, LET'S KEEP AN EYE ON THAT, SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME USEFUL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO HOUSING, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, A SERIOUS ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
- THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
- I DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMMENT, BUT, UH, JUST ON, ON NUMBER 31.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO, UH, THANK SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
UH, IF THERE'S ANY INPUT, PLEASE LET US KNOW AS, AS WELL, UH, ANY INPUT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.
WE'RE GONNA CLOSELY FOLLOW WHAT CITY OF WATSONVILLE DOES ON THE LOCAL PREFERENCE.
THEY MANAGE TO GO, UH, I GUESS WORK ON THE LEGALITIES OF IT, UH, SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO.
AND SO WE'LL FOLLOW THEM TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING THAT UP OVER HERE.
ITEM NUMBER 26, RATIFY REVENUE LEASE WITH JANUS OF SANTA CRUZ FOR OPERATION OF WOMEN'S TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM.
I JUST WANNA THANK STAFF AND JANUS FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP ON THIS PROGRAM, WHICH REALLY HELPS WOMEN WHO ARE COMING OUT OF INCARCERATION WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS GET BACK ON A PATH TOWARDS LEADING A PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL LIFE.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 30, UH, THIS IS THE LETTER SUPPORT FOR ASSEMBLY BILL 762.
I JUST WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR DE SERPA FOR JOINING ME ON SUPPORTING THAT SO WE CAN HELP REDUCE, UH, MUCH OF THE GARBAGE THAT'S GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS.
AND I THINK FOLKS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, LITHIUM BATTERIES IN THE MINING, AND THIS WILL HOPEFULLY HELP REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF LITHIUM BATTERIES THAT ARE BEING IN THE LITHIUM THAT'S BEING EXTRACTED.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 31, I JUST WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ FOR JOINING ME ON LOOKING AT, UM, INCORPORATING LOCAL PREFERENCE FOR WORKERS WHO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WE DID HEAR FROM SOME FOLKS IN SANTA CRUZ ANECDOTALLY THAT THERE WERE, UM, ONE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD GONE AROUND TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO WERE IN SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN ON THE LIST WEREN'T EVEN LIVING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY TO MEET OUR CURRENT HOUSING CRISIS, THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY TO GETTING INTO THAT HOUSING.
AND SO, I REALLY WANTED TO SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER, UM, IMPROVE THAT TO HAPPEN SO THAT WE'RE REALLY PRODUCING HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY SERVE.
UM, I DO WANNA THANK BERNIE FOR MAKING THE COMMENTS ON THAT.
I DO THINK IT, IT IS WORTH US CONSIDERING, UM, CONTINUING THAT ITEM AND HAVING IT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, LAST YEAR WHEN THAT ITEM CAME BEFORE THE BOARD, THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW THE COST SAVINGS OF WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT AS WE OPEN UP THIS NEW SECURE YOUTH TREATMENT FACILITY.
AND I THINK IT'S WORTH THE BOARD GETTING AN ACTUAL, UH, PRESENTATION ON THAT.
AND SO, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE CONTINUE ITEM NUMBER 41 WHEN THE MOTION IS MADE FOR APPROVING CONSENT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO ITEM NUMBER 62.
THIS IS ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING APPLICATION FOR WHALE TAIL GRANT FUNDS FROM THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION AND THE AMOUNT OF 49,500 TO SUPPORT AN INTERIM LOW IMPACT OVERNIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH AT GREYHOUND ROCK.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, OUR PARK STAFF FOR ALL THEIR CONTINUED HARD WORK TO HELP US WITH TRANSITIONING, UM, GREYHOUND ROCK PROPERTY OVER FROM CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE TO THE COUNTY.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE A MAJOR STEP IN US BEING ABLE TO GET THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT'S NECESSARY TO MEET, TO COMPLY WITH THE TRANSFER.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS.
HAPPY TO MOVE CONSENT WITH THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION, ITEM NUMBER 41, IF THAT'S WILLING TO THE CHAIR.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
BEFORE WE CALL THE ROLL, I'LL GO FORWARD WITH MY COMMENTS ON TODAY'S CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE TREMENDOUS GOOD WORK THAT WENT INTO PREPARING TODAY'S PACKET.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING CLOSELY, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN THIS OVER A THOUSAND PAGE PACKET.
AND JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK FROM THE STAFF BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 39, RATIFYING AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENTS WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK COMMUNITY, BRIDGES, AND COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD EXTENDING THE TERMS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE STANDBY SERVICES.
UM, I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WE SEE, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN A DISASTER IS GONNA STRIKE.
SO THE PREP WORK THAT HAPPENS AHEAD OF TIME TO SECURE THESE MOUS TO LINE UP, UM, OUR PARTNERS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
SO, I WANNA THANK OUR PARTNERS FOR CONTINUING THIS
[00:50:01]
AND OR3 FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO THE BOARD.ITEM NUMBER 41, UM, I HEAR IN THE MOTION, A SUGGESTION OR RECOMMENDATION TO DEFER THIS ITEM GIVEN THAT IT'S ACCEPTING A REPORT.
I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH DEFERRING THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE REPORT.
I DO WANNA SHARE THAT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT.
I WASN'T PREPARED OR WASN'T PLANNING ON ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS TODAY, GIVEN THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF HIRING A NEW CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THAT NEW CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER WHEN SHE STARTS, WHICH I BELIEVE IS IN A WEEK FROM NOW, AND REALLY EXPRESSED TO HER MY INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW WE MAY SEE GREATER SAVINGS AND UTILIZE GREATER SAVINGS.
IF OUR SYATF AND CAMP POPULATIONS REMAIN LOW, HOW DO WE USE THOSE SAVINGS TO REINVEST BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY? SO THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS I HOPE TO HAVE WITH HER AT THAT TIME.
IT'S AUTHORIZING A RELEASE, A NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT ACTIVITIES.
UM, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE HOW EXCITING IT IS TO BE ABLE TO OFFER AN ESTIMATED $1.5 MILLION THROUGH CDI FOR INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
UM, THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE RARE.
THE COUNTY DOES A LOT TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE DON'T OFTEN HAVE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE PROJECTS.
SO WHEN WE DO, IT'S SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE AND I AM, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE FUNDS GO TO GREAT USE.
AND FINALLY, ITEM NUMBER 61, APPROVING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS IN THE AMOUNT OF $47,000 TO DO WORK AT QUAIL HOLLOW RANCH.
I JUST WANNA THANK THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE CONSERVATION CORPS FOR PARTNERING IN THIS WORK TO DO IMPORTANT CLEARING OUT AT QUAIL HOLLOW RANCH IN MY DISTRICT.
UM, THAT PART GETS A LOT OF USE, UM, AND IT'S WONDERFUL AND WE CAN PARTNER TO MAKE IT THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY.
SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - CERTAINLY. SUPERVISOR DESERPA. - AYE.
THE MOTION PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE'RE NOW GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM 6.1,
[6.1. Accept and file report on the administrative impacts of implementing Assembly Bill 1416 in the November 2025 Special Election, and take related actions]
WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY ITEM NUMBER 19, ACCEPT AND FILE A REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACTS OF IMPLEMENTING ASSEMBLY BILL 1416 IN THE NOVEMBER 2025 SPECIAL ELECTION AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS WHO PULLED THE ITEM.
UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS ITEM IS THAT WE ACCEPT AND FILE A REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACTS OF IMPLEMENTING ASSEMBLY BILL 1416 IN NOVEMBER, 2025, SPECIAL ELECTION AS DIRECTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON AUGUST 5TH, 2025, THAT WE ACCEPT SURVEY RESULTS ON VOTER OPINION OF SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS LOCAL MEASURES BEING PRINTED DIRECTLY ON THE BALLOT IN ADDITION TO THE VOTER INFORMATION AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO OPT OUT OF AB 1416 FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS.
UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
I REALLY WANNA THANK STAFF FOR BRINGING BACK, UM, YOU KNOW THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THIS.
I THINK MY ONLY AREA OF HESITATION ON THIS, AND THE REASON WHY I PULLED IT IS BECAUSE, UM, WE ARE IN A VERY TUMULTUOUS TIME WHERE THERE'S A LOT THAT'S CHANGING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND SOMETIMES ON AN HOURLY BASIS, UM, THAT'S COMING OUT OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAS IMPACTS ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, THERE MAY BE TIMES WHERE WE MAY HAVE ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND, UM, I, I, WHILE I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO OPT OUT OF THIS PROCESS FOR FOUR YEARS WITH JUST THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY AROUND, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT'S ON OUR BALLOTS, UM, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SUPPORTING A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD.
I THINK THAT GIVEN WE HAVE A PRIMARY THAT'S COMING UP IN JUNE AND WE HAVE THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH OPTING OUT FOR, UH, THE REST OF THIS YEAR AND THEN BEING ABLE TO RECONSIDER OPTING OUT IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE FOUR YEARS FROM NOW WE MAY HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BOARD.
UM, SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, JUST AMEND THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS THAT WE ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO OPT OUT OF AB 1416, UM, FOR THE 2026 ELECTION SEASON.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS.
DO ANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO TRICIA WEBER, CLERK OF THE BOARD TO, UM, RESPOND TO THIS ITEM.
- WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR MARTINEZ, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, I HEAR EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS,
[00:55:02]
AND ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND IT, I CAN, MY CONCERN IS THAT IT PUTS ME IN A POSITION- I WANNA TREAT ALL OF THE VOTERS EQUALLY AND US GOING, WE'RE PUTTING IT ON, WE'RE TAKING IT OFF, WE'RE PUTTING IT ON, WE'RE TAKING IT OFF.UM, BASED ON THE TYPE OF ELECTION OR WHAT THE ELECTION IS, GIVES THE PERCEPTION THAT, UM, TO OUR OFFICE AND TO MANY VOTERS THAT WE'RE TREATING SOME JURISDICTIONS ONE WAY AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS THE OTHER, WHICH IS WHY I PUT IN THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IT GO FOR FOUR YEARS RATHER THAN JUST ONE YEAR OR TWO ELECTION CYCLES.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ELECTIONS IN THERE AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION, UH, GREATER THAN 30 DAYS PRIOR TO EACH ELECTION BEING, UM, NOT BEING CALLED, BUT THE- IT BEING FINALIZED.
AND WE WOULD BE BACK AND FORTH CONSTANTLY TO TRY TO MEET THOSE DEADLINES AND DECIDING, IS THIS JURISDICTION GONNA GET IT ON THERE? IS THIS ONE NOT? AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAID FOUR YEARS.
IF THE BOARD'S WILL IS TO DO IT JUST ONE SET OF ELECTION CYCLE, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR AT A TIME, THEN THAT IS AGAIN YOUR CHOICE.
UM, I, I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD, IT- TO ME IT'S JUST TOO MUCH OF THIS IS IT, ISN'T IT, IS IT, ISN'T IT THAT, UM, WHY I WAS SUGGESTING A LONGER TIME PERIOD.
- ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I'LL NOW TURN IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE IN THE ROOM, MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CALL? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR DIALOGUE OR A MOTION.
DID YOU MAKE THE MOTION? I DON'T THINK YOU MADE THE MOTIONS.
I WANNA APPRECIATE THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AND I, IT ACTUALLY DOES, YOU KNOW, BRING UP A LARGER QUESTION OF LIKE, AND I GUESS I'LL ASK THIS TO OUR, UH, CLERK OF THE ELECTIONS.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE CITIES HAD A SPECIAL ELECTION, COULD THEY DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANNA OPT IN OR OPT OUT BASED ON THIS? - UM, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS NO.
THE CODE IS VERY CLEAR THAT IT'S THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT MAKES THE DECISION ON LOCAL MEASURES AND IT AFFECTS ALL LOCAL MEASURES.
- THANK YOU. WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M STILL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ONE YEAR AND I THINK WITHIN THIS YEAR PERIOD, IT MAYBE, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US, GIVEN THAT MANY OF US HAVE CITIES WITHIN OUR JURISDICTIONS IN TERMS OF OUR COUNTIES, THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE CITY COUNCILS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE AT, UM, TO SEE IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD IN THIS DIRECTION OF HAVING THE FOUR YEARS.
BECAUSE I THINK IF, IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY CAN AGREE THAT WE WANT TO OPT OUT OR OPT IN FOR THAT MATTER, UM, I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN US UNILATERALLY MAKING THIS DECISION ON BEHALF OF THE OTHER JURISDICTION.
SO I'M HAPPY WITH MOVING THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WITH THE AMENDMENT TO, UH, TO NUMBER THREE, THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO OPT OUT OF AB 1416 FOR THE NEXT TWO ELECTION CYCLES OR THE 2026 ELECTION CYCLES.
UM, AND CALL IN MY MOTION THERE.
AND THEN I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO REACH OUT TO OUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CITIES ARE AT ON THIS.
- WE HAVE A, A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? - SO YOU RECOMMEND- WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO BRING THIS BACK AND HAVE US COME BACK WITH, UH, WITH A REPORT FROM OUR CITIES OR 'CAUSE IF WE VOTE ON THIS AND THEY SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR THE NEXT FORESEEABLE FUTURE, I MEAN, THEN IT'S OKAY.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION, RIGHT? THAT WE JUST BRING IT BACK THE FOLLOWING MEETING? - THE FOLLOWING MEETING? - WAS THAT A MOTION, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, LIKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION OR- - NO, I WOULD JUST, IT WOULD JUST ADDITIONAL, UH, DIRECTION OR IT COULD BE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION.
IS THERE ANY TIMELINE- TIME CONSTRAINTS FOR THIS? - THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UM, CURRENTLY, UM, THE, IT SAYS WE HAVE TO DO IT, WE HAVE, THE DECISION HAS TO BE MADE BY THE BOARD 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE, UM, THE, THE ARGUMENT PERIOD.
UM, BECAUSE THE SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS ARE TAKEN OFF OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST MEASURES, AND THEY HAVE TO BE TURNED IN WHEN THE ARGUMENTS ARE.
SO FOR THE JUNE PRIMARY ELECTION THAT THIS IS THE MEETING THAT THE DECISION HAS TO BE MADE.
AND CURRENTLY WE ARE IN THE POSITION OF PRINTING THE SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS.
UM, IF WE DEFER THIS, THEN THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN FOR THE JUNE ELECTION.
- AND ANOTHER QUESTION, THIS INCLUDES THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS
[01:00:01]
AND LARGER AGENCIES AS WELL.IT INCLUDES ALL JURISDICTIONS THAT WOULD BE ON A BALLOT, OR TAKE PART IN AN ELECTION, YES.
- AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I THINK IT MAKES SENSE, UM, THROUGH THE CHAIR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE OPT OUT FOR THIS YEAR AND YOU KNOW, WE OPTED IN FOR THE SPECIAL ELECTION THIS YEAR.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN OPT OUT NOW AND THERE'S GONNA BE TIME FOR US TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO NOT NECESSARILY COMING BACK IN THE NEXT MEETING.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A TIME CRUNCH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH GIVING OURSELVES POTENTIALLY TWO YEARS TO A YEAR AND A HALF TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH OUR CITY COUNCILS AND GET SOME FEEDBACK AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT WILL REALLY HELP US BETTER, BE BETTER INFORMED INTO WHAT THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS THINK ABOUT US, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY, AND THE TIMELINE OF EITHER OPTING IN OR OPTING OUT.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND I'M NOT HEARING A SECOND.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND SECOND THE MOTION.
UM, AND I, I'M SECONDING THE MOTION AND UM, BECAUSE I DO... THE POINT THAT YOU'RE MAKING, MS. WEBER, IS EXTREMELY WELL TAKEN, AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR US TO PROCEED WITH UM, OPTING OUT.
UM, IT'S MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A PRETTY BIG POLICY TO HAVE PUT JUST ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR TO NOT HAVE MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEEK FURTHER INFORMATION, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH OTHER JURISDICTIONS OR, UM, THROUGH OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF SETTING A 4-YEAR TIME PERIOD.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? - JUST, I'LL, I'LL JUST COMMENT.
I MEAN, I, I HAVE TO SAY I SORT OF I HEAR THE ARGUMENT THAT UH, OUR, UH, CLERK OF ELECTIONS IS MAKING HERE THAT, I MEAN, THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF BIAS IF IT'S A SORT OF AN ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN POLICY.
I MEAN, I, I'M, YOU KNOW, I WILL, I SUPPOSE RE- CAUTIOUSLY SUPPORT THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T SEE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GET ANY USEFUL INFORMATION BACK FROM THE CITIES.
UM, I MEAN, WHAT WAS USEFUL WAS ACTUALLY THE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT BACK FROM VOTERS WHO EXPERIENCED THIS IN THE LAST ELECTION AND THE- DURING THE SPECIAL ELECTION AND WHAT WE HEARD WAS, WELL, THE VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE IS ACTUALLY A MORE COMPLETE AND MORE USEFUL TOOL AND THE LIMITED INFORMATION WE RECEIVED ON THE BALLOTS, UM, IF ANYTHING, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST A SMALL PART OF THE PICTURE AND THEREFORE AN INCOMPLETE PICTURE.
UM, AND SO I- YOU KNOW, IN TALKING WITH THE CITIES, FIRST OF ALL, THE IDEA OF LIKE, "HEY, WHAT SPECIAL ELECTIONS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP?" AND LIKE, "DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE USEFUL OR NOT?" THAT'S NOT REALLY AN APPROPRIATE DISCUSSION, UM, BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE A BLANKET POLICY BASED ON ITS UTILITY TO VOTERS, NOT WHAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT.
UM, AND ALSO, I DON'T THINK THAT MOST CITIES ARE GONNA KNOW, EVEN IF THEY DID WANT TO TAKE THIS APPROACH, WHAT'S GOING, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL ELECTIONS HAVE A WAY OF POPPING UP IN A PRETTY SHORT TIME PERIOD.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN RE- YOU KNOW, IN THE INTEREST OF FULL TRANSPARENCY IN DISCUSSION, I'LL SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY, UM, I- I PREFER THE DIRECTION THAT THE CLERK HAS RECOMMENDED.
- ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? - WELL, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS AS WELL, BUT I THINK THAT I'M PRETTY MUCH AWARE OF ALL THE ELECTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP IN MY DISTRICT.
I KNOW THAT THE METRO'S THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT IS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING, THE FIRE DISTRICT DECIDED NOT TO GO TO AN ELECTION, UH, AND GET ABSORBED.
AND I DON'T THINK THE CITY- THE CITY IS NOT GONNA, UH, ENTER ANY, UH, ELECTIONS EITHER THIS JUNE OR THIS NOVEMBER, OR IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHICH OTHER AGENCIES EXIST THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION, BUT- - THANK YOU.
UM, SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION UH, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND.
I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL.
SO WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO WHAT IS NOW ITEM 6.2,
[6.2. Authorize the establishment of an ad hoc subcommittee of the Board, comprised of Supervisor Martinez and Supervisor Hernandez, to work to Safeguard Health, Inclusion, Essential Services, and Local Defense (S.H.I.E.L.D.) in the context of increased federal immigration enforcement actions, and take related actions]
WHICH ORIGINALLY WAS ITEM NUMBER 32, WHICH IS TITLED "AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD, COMPROMISED OF SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, TO WORK TO SAFEGUARD HEALTH, INCLUSION, ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND LOCAL DEFENSE,"[01:05:01]
THE ACRONYM BEING SHIELD, IN THE CONTEXT OF INCREASED FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.AS THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY MY OFFICE AS WELL AS SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, I'M GONNA START BY CALLING ON MYSELF TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM AND THEN I WILL BE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
WE'LL THEN BE GOING TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION.
SO, BEFORE I BEGIN, I REALLY JUST WANT TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE WEIGHT OF THIS ITEM.
UM, I KNOW THAT THESE AREN'T EASY CONVERSATIONS, AND IT'S DEEPLY PERSONAL FOR PEOPLE HERE AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE A PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT REALLY SHOWS UP, AND SPEAKS UP, AND CARES SO DEEPLY ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, AND THAT CARE IS PART OF WHAT MAKES SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WHAT IT IS.
SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND I ARE BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS PREPARED IN THE FACE OF INCREASED FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
OUR COUNTY HAS A LONG RECORD OF STANDING WITH OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE AFFIRMED OUR SANCTUARY COUNTY POLICIES, COMMITTED COUNTY RESOURCES- COMMITTED THAT COUNTY RESOURCES WILL NOT BE USED FOR FEDERAL CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, AND INVESTED IN LEGAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
THIS ITEM BUILDS ON THAT FOUNDATION.
HOWEVER, THE ESCALATION OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, INCLUDING THE FATAL SHOOTING OF A MINNESOTA RESIDENT BY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS JUST THIS WEEKEND, ARE DEEPLY TROUBLING AND HEARTBREAKING.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOULD PUT US ALL ON NOTICE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN A LARGE-SCALE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WILL COME TO THE BAY AREA OR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, BUT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED.
THIS ITEM IS ABOUT LOCAL PREPAREDNESS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT RHETORIC, IT'S NOT ABOUT SYMBOLIC ACTION.
RIGHT NOW, PREPAREDNESS IS WHERE WE TURN OUR VALUES INTO ACTION.
IT ESTABLISHES A FOCUSED BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND MYSELF WILL SERVE ON, TO COORDINATE WITH COUNTY STAFF AND THE REGIONAL PARTNERS ON HOW WE PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO ENFORCEMENT ACTION ACTIVITIES THAT MAY AFFECT OUR RESIDENTS.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S ROLE IS TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION INSIDE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT REACHING- REACTING IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS WITHOUT A PLAN.
SPECIFICALLY, WE'LL WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN INTERNAL COORDINATION AND RESPONSE PLANNING, ENSURE STAFF KNOW PROTOCOLS IF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS OCCUR AT OR NEAR COUNTY FACILITIES, PROTECT CONTINUED ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL COUNTY SERVICES, IDENTIFY PRACTICAL STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN UNDER EXISTING AUTHORITY, AND BRING VETTED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE FULL BOARD WHERE BROADER ACTION IS NEEDED.
SOME WORK CAN HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, REINFORCING DEPARTMENT PROTOCOLS, ENSURING FRONTLINE STAFF UNDERSTAND CONFIDENTIALITY AND RESPONSE PROCEDURES, COORDINATING COMMUNICATIONS, AND STRENGTHENING INTERNAL GUIDANCE SO RESIDENTS CAN CONTINUE ACCESSING ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
OTHER POLICIES REQUIRE CAREFUL LEGAL AND FISCAL REVIEW, AND THAT DILIGENCE MATTERS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WHAT WE DO IS LAWFUL, DURABLE, AND DOES NOT UNINTENTIONALLY PUT THE VERY COMMUNITIES WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT AT GREATER RISK.
WE'RE ALL- ALSO ASKING TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATION IN THE REGIONAL "BELONGING TO THE BAY" CONVENINGS, WHERE STAFF FROM MULTIPLE COUNTIES ARE COORDINATING AND SHARING STRATEGIES.
THAT COLLABORATION CAN HELP US LEARN FROM OTHERS, AVOID DUPLICATION, AND RESPOND MORE EFFECTIVELY HERE IN OUR HOME COUNTY.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATORS, HEALTH PROVIDERS, FAITH LEADERS AND IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES HAVE BEEN DOING COURAGEOUS AND ESSENTIAL WORK ON THE GROUND.
THEY'RE EDUCATING FAMILIES, HELPING PEOPLE KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, SUPPORTING CHILDREN, AND RESPONDING DIRECTLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN CRISIS.
OUR BOARD IS NOT TRYING TO REPLICATE THAT WORK.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED, COORDINATED, AND USING EVERY TOOL WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY TO SUPPORT THAT WORK AND TO PROTECT ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
THIS SUBCOMMITTEE CREATES A CLEAR STRUCTURE FOR OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
IT ENSURES FOLLOW-THROUGH, COORDINATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY INSIDE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT OUR PEOPLE.
THIS IS ENSURING THAT FAMILIES FEEL SAFE, THAT OUR WORKFORCE IS PREPARED,
[01:10:03]
AND THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO SAFEGUARD OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND OUR COMMUNITY.THAT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S BEFORE US TODAY.
SO I APPRECIATE SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ'S PARTNERSHIP IN BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE HIM TO ADD ANY COMMENTS THAT HE MAY HAVE.
SO, OF COURSE, I'M IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS ACTION HERE BEFORE US TO ESTABLISH SHIELD, UH, AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEES, SAFEGUARDING HEALTH, INCLUSION, ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND LOCAL- LOCAL DEFENSE.
LAST WEEK'S ICE PRESENCE IN WATSONVILLE HAD AN IMMEDIATE AND CHILLING EFFECT IN SOUTH COUNTY.
FAMILIES WERE AFRAID TO GO OUT TO WORK, CHILDREN STAYED HOME FROM SCHOOL, AND RESIDENTS HESITATED TO ACCESS HEALTHCARE AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE WITNESSED TRAGIC DEATHS CONNECTED TO THE RECENT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS IN MINNESOTA, WHERE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS HAVE RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS.
ACTIONS THAT BY- BY MANY ACCOUNTS, WENT FAR BEYOND ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS, TRAINING, AND USE-OF-FORCE POLICIES, AND EVEN MILITARY RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ESPECIALLY WITH THE LAST INCIDENT.
IMMIGRATION- IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS ARE DEEPLY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, ESPECIALLY IN AGRICULTURE, CONSTRUCTION, HOSPITALITY, AND WHEN THEY ARE PUSHED INTO THE SHADOWS, OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS IMPACTED, AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS BEEN CLEAR ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
WE DO NOT USE COUNTY RESOURCES TO ENFORCE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS AND WE HAVE INVESTED LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT.
BUT AS FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS EVOLVE, WE MUST BE PREPARED COORDINATED, AND PROACTIVE.
THE SHIELD SUBCOMMITTEE PROVIDES THE BOARD WITH A FOCUSED STRUCTURE TO WORK WITH STAFF, COUNTY COUNSEL, TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, YARR, TO PROTECT ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND RESPOND RESPONSIBLY WHEN URGENT SITUATIONS ARISE.
THIS IS ABOUT PREPAREDNESS, NOT POLITICS.
IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AND ENSURING OUR COUNTY CONTINUES TO LEAD WITH DIGNITY, COMPASSION, AND CARE.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
I'LL NOW TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.
- YEAH, SINCE I- I PULLED THIS ITEM, UM, SIMPLY FOR QUESTIONS MORE- MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS POINTED OUT, UM, IS THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.
THERE'S BEEN DIRECTION IN THE PAST TO HAVE STAFF WORK WITH, UM, SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING IMMIGRATION DEFENSE AND I JUST WANT TO GET A SENSE FROM THE STAFF OF WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING BECAUSE MY OFFICE HAD BEEN ATTENDING SOME OF THESE MEETINGS AND THEN, UM, AT SOME POINT, THE INVITES WEREN'T GOING OUT AND WE HAD TALKED TO SOME FOLKS AND WE HAD BEEN HEARING THAT- THAT SOME OF THESE GROUPS WEREN'T MEETING ANYMORE.
AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION AROUND WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, WHAT'S THE- THE ROLE OF THE COUNTY STAFF BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECTION WE PROVIDED IN THE PAST, UM, BECAUSE I WANNA GET A SENSE.
AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY, IT'S WORTH GETTING AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE COUNTY'S ROLE HAS BEEN AND WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE WITH THE CREATION OF THIS GROUP BECAUSE I THINK, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO SEE OUR COUNTY STAFF, WE WANT TO SEE THE SUBCOMMITTEE BE EFFECTIVE AT BRINGING INFORMATION BACK AND DIRECTION BACK, AND THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR COMMUNITY'S BEING IMPACTED AND THE POLICIES THAT WE CREATE, HOW THAT'S IMPROVING THE LIVES FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET A SENSE OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON GIVEN THE DIRECTION THAT WE HAD PROVIDED STAFF IN THE PAST ON THIS ISSUE.
- YEAH, UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH VARIOUS CBOS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE IMMIGRATION COALITION, HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS WITH COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD TO DELIVER VARIOUS SERVICES RELATED TO IMMIGRANTS, SO WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE, UM, SOME EFFORTS THAT MAY HAVE, UH, SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IS REALLY A WAY TO RE-ENGAGE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD ACTION ITEMS TO THE BOARD THAT WOULD MAKE MOST SENSE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CHANGE- THE- WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY IN SOME CITIES AS WE'RE SEEING IN MINNEAPOLIS.
SO, UM, THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHORE UP AND, UH, READDRESS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND SEE WHERE WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR EFFORTS.
- THANK YOU. UM, I APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK.
AND SO, I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MIGHT RECOMMEND, UM, THERE'S A- I WILL SAY THAT IN ITEM NUMBER 6,
[01:15:01]
WHICH IS THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S GONNA REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD ON OR BEFORE MARCH 10TH, THAT IS A REALLY SHORT TIMEFRAME.AND SO, UM, SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK DONE BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, UH, OR NOW AND THEN, BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT THAT WHEN THAT COMES BACK, WE GET A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF ON WHAT STAFF HAS BEEN DOING ON THIS TOPIC OVER THE PAST YEAR.
I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK, BUT HAVING SOME, LIKE, AND BEING ABLE TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY ON LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPES OF- OF, LIKE, THE FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS, WHAT'S BEEN COMING OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS, HOW THAT'S BEEN INFORMING HOW WE ARE RESPONDING TO SOME OF THE THREATS, WOULD JUST BE REALLY HELPFUL, UM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A VERY HIGH-LEVEL, UM, UM, REPORT.
BUT REALLY HEARING FROM STAFF, LIKE, WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING ON THIS TOPIC WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE- WE'RE PREPARING, HOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PREPARE FOR THIS, AND, UM, WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING MOVING FORWARD GIVEN THAT THAT DIRECTION WAS PROVIDED BACK IN DECEMBER, I THINK, OF 2024.
SO, SINCE WE'VE HAD OVER A YEAR THAT THAT DIRECTION'S BEEN PROVIDED, IT'S- IT'S WORTH US GETTING A REPORT BACK ON WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN ADDITION TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GONNA GET FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC, BUT REALLY WANTED TO JUST HELP US CLARIFY WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND THEN WHEN YOU ALL BRING BACK FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS TOPIC MOVING FORWARD.
- I WANNA ALSO ADD, YOU KNOW, WE AS A COUNTY, UM, HAVE HOLDING MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT SEE ICE ACTIVITY.
WE'VE BEEN MEETING MONTHLY AT LEAST TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROTOCOLS.
THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MOST OUTWARD-FACING AND WOULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH CLIENTS AND POTENTIALLY ICE IF THEY SHOW UP AT THEIR FACILITIES HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE.
BUT I THINK THE INTENTION NOW IS TO MAYBE EXPAND IT A LITTLE FURTHER.
THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT NEED, LIKELY NEED SIMILAR POLICIES AND TRAINING.
AND SO, THIS IS EXPANDING EXISTING EFFORTS.
SO, I JUST WANNA KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT HAPPENING, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
- AND IF I COULD JUST RESPOND, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN GET A PRESENTATION ON WHAT ARE THE POLICIES, WHAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I THINK PEOPLE WANNA KNOW.
AND IT'S GREAT TO HEAR IT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE MEETING RIGHT NOW, BUT HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S NOTICED, WE HAVE THINGS IN WRITING WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT'S RECORDED THAT PEOPLE CAN WATCH AFTER WE HAVE OUR MEETING, I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL, SO WE CAN GET, HAVE CONCRETE, UM, WE CAN- SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN KNOW, LIKE WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING DONE, UM, AND THAT THEY CAN SEE THAT, UM, IN WRITING, AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ON RECORD FOR THEMSELVES.
SO, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THIS IS GOING AND JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISORY CUMMINGS.
I THINK THAT FEEDBACK IS, UM, WELL TAKEN.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON AND WE WOULDN'T WANT TO DUPLICATE WORK.
SO, IT'S- IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO REVIEW WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED AND TO PREPARE TO REPORT THAT BACK.
UM, IT'S ALSO WELL TAKEN THAT, UM, OUR REPORT BACK WILL BE HERE ANY MOMENT.
WE CERTAINLY ARE FEELING A SENSE OF URGENCY AS IT RELATES TO THIS ITEM.
UM, WE ARE ALSO BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TOGETHER IN FEBRUARY FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY CONVENING BASED ON HOW TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE RESPONDING TO THE IMPACTS OF HR1 AND HOW OUR RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY REALLY IS DOING TODAY.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT ALSO INFORMS THE PRESENTATION THAT WILL COME BACK IN MARCH, AND, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO A ROBUST DISCUSSION AND FURTHER ACTION IN THAT MEETING.
SO, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC...
- WE HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
- YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WILL BE GOOD TO SEE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY AT AND SEE WHERE WE NEED TO FORTIFY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FIND OUT WHAT OUR PARTNERS HAVE DONE THAT WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH WHETHER IT'S CAB, YARR, THE PB COOK COLLABORATION, OR THE LEGAL AID.
UM, IT'S GOOD TO GET A REPORT BACK TO FIND OUT WHERE WE'RE AT AND SEE WHAT NEEDS, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
SO, WE'LL NOW GO UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE, UM, FORM A LINE IN THE ROOM.
AND MADAM CLERK, HOW MANY CALLERS IN DO WE HAVE TODAY? - JUST A MOMENT, CHAIR.
PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 8 SPEAKERS.
UM, GIVEN THAT, I'LL SET THE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME FOR 2 MINUTES.
- I'M NOT SURE IF I COUNT AS STAFF BECAUSE I'M A COMMISSIONER, UH, BUT YEAH.
UH, SO MY NAME IS MANNY, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE LATINO AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
MY JOB, OF WHICH THIS BODY AND THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ APPOINTED ME TO DO, IS TO REPRESENT AND SPEAK ON THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE LATINO COMMUNITY, AND BY EXTENSION,
[01:20:02]
THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS TO SPEAK ON THE SHIELD AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE.
FIRSTLY, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR FINALLY GETTING TO THIS POINT.
HOWEVER, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT TOOK THE MURDER OF WHITE US CITIZENS FOR ELECTED BODY AROUND- ELECTED BODIES AROUND THE COUNTRY TO FINALLY CARE.
WE ARE WAY PAST THE POINT OF FORMING AN AD HOC, AND THAT WAS OUR LAST, ASK LAST YEAR.
THIS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN HAS NOT ONLY LED TO THE MURDER OF US CITIZENS, BUT ALSO THE DETENTION OF US CHILDREN SIMPLY BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE IMMIGRANTS.
TWELVE HUNDRED PEOPLE WENT MISSING FROM... AN ALLIGATOR...
FROM ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IN FLORIDA.
IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HAVE EVEN ASSIGNED AN ALIEN REGISTRATION NUMBER AND ATTEMPTED TO DEPORT A 22-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF... YOU...
AND NOW SHE IS WEARING AN ANKLE MONITOR WHILE TRYING TO PROVE THAT SHE IS A US CITIZEN.
THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE, ONCE FORMED NEEDS TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS YOU'RE ALREADY DOING, INCLUDING YARR, THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IMMIGRATION COALITION, AND THE LATINO AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
AND LUCKY FOR YOU, I'M PART OF ALL THREE.
SO, I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING COMMUNICATIONS FROM YOU AS WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS AND- ON ACTIONS THAT THIS BODY CAN TAKE TO ACTUALLY PROTECT NOT ONLY IMMIGRANTS, BUT ALSO US CITIZENS OF COLOR AND US CITIZENS PRACTICING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF SHIELD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT FORWARD.
I'M A CITIZEN OF BOULDER CREEK.
IN BOULDER CREEK, OUR LAST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST LAWLESS GANGS CONTROLLED BY ICE IS OUR LOCAL DEPUTY SHERIFFS.
SEVERAL OF US HAVE MET WITH COUNTY SHERIFF CHRIS CLARK.
SHERIFF CLARK HAS EXPLAINED TO US THAT HIS DEPUTY'S GREATEST DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER AT THIS MOMENT IS THAT HE AND HIS DEPUTIES DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR MANDATE OF WHAT PROACTIVE ACTION THEY CAN TAKE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND AT THE SAME TIME, AVOID LEGAL RETRIBUTION FROM FEDERAL AGENTS ALLIED WITH UNCONTROLLED ICE GANG BEHAVIOR.
I WOULD LIKE SHIELD TO IDENTIFY AND MANDATE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHERIFF CLARK, FOR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, AND FOR OTHER LOCAL PEACE OFFICERS, SO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE EMPOWERED AND PROTECTED WHILE PROACTIVELY ACTING TO ENSURE LAW AND ORDER IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IT IS NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STEP ASIDE WHEN GANG ACTIVITY ARRIVES FROM OUTSIDE OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANT MY LOCAL PEACE OFFICERS TO STEP IN AND STOP CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
I WOULD LIKE SHIELD TO CREATE CLARITY REGARDING THE LAW AND TO CREATE DIRECT INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR SHERIFFS AND POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT ACTIONS OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS THEM TO TAKE TO PROTECT US.
AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ALSO WILL BE PROTECTED FOR TAKING THESE ACTIONS TO ENSURE NO VIOLENCE OR HARM WILL BE ALLOWED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE ONLINE SPEAKERS? - YES.
KATHERINE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF LIVE OAK, A MEMBER OF BOTH YARR AND SURJ.
I THANK THE SUPERVISORS FOR THE CONCERN FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY REGARDING THE INHUMANE AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTIONS OF HOMELAND SECURITY AGAINST BOTH IMMIGRANTS AND RAPID RESPONDERS.
OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS USED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AS A CHECKLIST OF HOW TO SUBDUE THE POPULATION.
ALL THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE CROWN.
I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THE SHERIFF HAS BEEN HIDING BEHIND THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE TO SUPPORT ICE OVER THE RESIDENTS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
MEMBERS OF THE LATINO AFFAIRS COMMISSION ASKED THAT THERE IS A MEETING IF HE WOULD ARREST ICE AGENTS WHO USED EXCESSIVE FORCE AND SUPPORT RAPID RESPONDERS AND PEACEFUL PROTESTERS BEING ATTACKED BY ICE.
HE SAID THAT HE IS PROHIBITED BY THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE FROM INTERFERING WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.
IF A CROWD FACED OFF WITH ICE, HIS DEPARTMENT MUST CONTROL THE CROWD TO ALLOW ICE TO CONTINUE THEIR RAID.
IF ICE BRUTALIZES SOMEONE, HIS DEPARTMENT LACKS JURISDICTION
[01:25:02]
TO INTERVENE OR SUPPORT CHARGES AGAINST THE AGENTS.WITH ALL THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, DOES OUR SHERIFF STILL BELIEVE SO? AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER IS SAYING, THE COUNTY NEEDS TO GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION THAT HE NEEDS TO SUPPORT THE CITIZENS AND NOT ICE.
DON'T ASSUME WE CAN KEEP FLYING UNDER THE RADAR.
ICE IS ATTACKING SMALL TOWNS IN MAINE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS TO OVERWHELM CITIES THE SIZE OF LA OR MINNEAPOLIS.
THEY COULD START OPERATION STRAWBERRY CRUSH NEXT WEEK.
ALSO, I CALL FOR AN EVICTION MORATORIUM DURING THIS TIME OF TERROR BECAUSE OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS CAN'T GO OUT AND WORK TO PAY THE RENT.
- RAYMOND, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- GOOD MORNING. RAY CANCINO, COMMUNITY BRIDGES, CEO.
UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN PROPOSING THE SHIELD COMMITTEE.
THIS ACTION MATTERS AND IT COMES AT A CRITICAL MOMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT PREPARATION IS NOT PANIC.
PREPARATION IS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND TODAY, PREPARATION MEANS ENSURING OUR COUNTY IS READY TO RESPOND TO ANY SITUATION THAT MAY ARISE FROM FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS WEEKEND COINCIDES WITH THE SUPER BOWL.
DHS HAS PUBLICLY STATED THAT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY IS GONNA BE HEIGHTENED AND AT NATIONAL EVENTS.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS NOT ISOLATED FROM THAT- FROM THAT REALITY.
MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WORK IN, TRAVEL TO, AND HAVE DEEP FAMILY AND COMMUNITY TIES IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE DOES NOT STAY THERE.
IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS FAMILIES HERE.
FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASED ENFORCEMENT CREATES FEAR, DISRUPTION, AND HARM, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN, SENIORS, AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
THAT FEAR ALONE CAN STOP PEOPLE FROM GOING TO WORK, SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL, OR SEEKING MEDICAL CARE.
WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THESE RIPPLE EFFECTS.
THE SHIELD COMMITTEE GIVES THE COUNTY A COORDINATED PROACTIVE FRAMEWORK, ONE THAT CENTERS PREPAREDNESS, ACCURATE INFORMATION, CIVILITY AND RESPONSE.
UM, IT ALLOWS US TO MOVE AWAY FROM REACTING TO CRISIS TOWARDS PROTECTING COMMUNITY, CLARITY AND COORDINATION.
WE URGE THE COUNTY TO FOCUS IN ON, UM, COUNTY COUNSEL'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE CLEAR LEGAL ADVICE AROUND SOME OF THESE NUANCES THAT PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE SPOKEN TO AROUND SHERIFF, UH, SUPREMACY CLAUSE AROUND THE ABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL PEACE OFFICERS TO VERIFY ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL WARRANTS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY IN THAT PROCESS.
COMMUNITY BRIDGES STANDS READY TO SUPPORT THIS WORK ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS AS WE'VE DONE SO FOR THE LAST YEAR.
AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCE BUILDING THAT RAPID RESPONSE COMMUNICATION COMMUNITY RESPONSE PLAN, UH, THROUGH OUR COORDINATED COMMUNICATION, UM, UH, PART OF OUR AGENCY.
IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT NO FAMILY IS LEFT ALONE IN MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY.
SO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
AND WE'RE PREPARED FOR ACTION, SO THANK YOU.
- PAULINA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- THANK YOU. UH, AND GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND SUPERVISORS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CAB.
I WANT TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE CREATION OF THE SHIELD AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AT A TIME OF INCREASED FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND GROWING HARM TO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND MATTERS THAT THIS BOARD IS NAMING HEALTH, INCLUSION, ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND LOCAL DEFENSE AS PRIORITIES, THAT RECOGNITION IS IMPORTANT.
HOWEVER, I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS STEP ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.
ACROSS THE NATION AND IN CALIFORNIA, WE'RE WITNESSING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAT TRAUMATIZE FAMILIES, DISRUPT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION, AND ERODE TRUST IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
PROCESS WITHOUT CONCRETE ACTION WILL NOT PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM THESE HARMS. IF SHIELD IS TO BE MEANINGFUL, IT MUST MOVE QUICKLY FROM STRUCTURE TO SUBSTANCE.
WE URGE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING THREE THINGS.
FIRST, FORMALLY PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY-BASED COALITIONS AND IMMIGRANT SERVING ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DEEP RELATIONSHIPS, LIVED EXPERTISE, AND REAL-TIME INSIGHT INTO WHAT FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING, SUCH AS THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IMMIGRATION COALITION, CO-LED BY CAB AND COMMUNITY BRIDGES, WHICH FOR NEARLY A YEAR HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER TRUSTED ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ACROSS LEGAL SERVICES, ADVOCACY, AND DIRECT SUPPORT.
THESE GROUPS SHOULD NOT BE CONSULTED AFTER DECISIONS ARE MADE BUT ENGAGED AS CO-CREATORS OF SOLUTIONS.
SECOND, COMMIT REAL RESOURCES TO THIS WORK.
SAFEGUARDING COMMUNITIES REQUIRES FUNDING FOR LEGAL SERVICES RAPID RESPONSE, OUTREACH, LANGUAGE ACCESS, ECONOMIC AID TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY DETENTION, AND COORDINATING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
WITHOUT DEDICATED INVESTMENT, RISK BECOMES SYMBOLIC RATHER THAN PROTECTIVE.
AND THIRD, ESTABLISH CLEAR OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
COMMUNITIES NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS EFFORT WILL TRANSLATE INTO SAFETY, ACCESS TO SERVICES, AND TANGIBLE PROTECTIONS ON THE GROUND.
[01:30:03]
WE APPRECIATE THE DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE MOVING IN, AND WE'RE READY TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU.BUT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED ACTION, URGENCY, AND INVESTMENT.
- CALLING USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- MARILYN GARRETT, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, WE NEED MUCH MORE TO DEFEND OURSELVES.
I, UM, WANT TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT OF THE BROADER PICTURE, UH, BY REFERRING TO A PROGRAM I HEARD YESTERDAY, THE RALPH NADER RADIO HOUR INTERVIEWING THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK, HOW TO HIDE AN EMPIRE, THE HISTORY OF THE US.
PART OF THE STATEMENTS WERE: EMPIRES, IMPERIALISM ABROAD, WILL LEAD TO DESPOTISM AT HOME.
IT'S BEEN A WAR ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNTRY.
A JOURNALIST WAS SAYING THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN COUNTRIES WHERE THERE'S WAR WHERE MASKED MEN ARE GRABBING PEOPLE, ARRESTING THEM, KILLING THEM, PUTTING THEM IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
AND I THINK ALSO I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU URGE, UH, JOIN WITH OTHERS CALLING FOR IMPEACHMENT OF TRUMP.
AND, UH, THERE ARE... THERE'S A LIST OF IMPEACHMENT CRIMES.
THIS IS... WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO STOP IT.
BUT, YEAH. YEAH, IMPEACH TRUMP. THANK YOU.
- TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I'LL BE QUICK.
THE ONLY THING I CAN SUGGEST TO YOU FOLKS IS THAT WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED IS A HEAVILY ARMED STATE GUARD OF ABOUT 10,000 TO 20,000 INDIVIDUALS.
AND I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS ALMOST 40 MILLION PEOPLE WHERE MINNESOTA HAD 6 MILLION.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BETTER WAY TO GO ABOUT IT AND TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OFF THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. OKAY? ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE A FINE DAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
- BERNIE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- YEAH. UM, I'LL KEEP IT SHORT AS WELL.
JUST THAT, I THINK THAT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT IS A STEP, RIGHT? AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW THAT MY FAMILY, MY COMMUNITY, RIGHT, VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN FACING.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE, ONE THING THAT I HEARD AND I THINK IS... IS SUPER CRITICAL IS, UM, IT'S REALLY AROUND POLICY, RIGHT? LIKE, WHAT... WHAT CAN THE PEOPLE HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, YOU KNOW, EXPECT FROM THE COUNTY? AND IT SHOULD BE PUT ON PAPER.
YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE EMBEDDED INTO SANTA CRUZ POLICIES, RIGHT? AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ACTUALLY IS, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING AND SEEING, RIGHT? EVEN IN MY OWN FAMILY, YES, IT IS THE SENSE OF, MAN, WHEN AM I- IS IT TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'MA GET CAUGHT UP? IS IT TODAY THAT WE GOTTA GO OUTSIDE TO LET, YOU KNOW, OUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL? YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, GOTTA RUN TO THE CAR AND DRIVE OUR KIDS TO THE... TO SCHOOL REAL QUICK.
YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS, VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HAPPENING.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE IS, PEOPLE ARE ALSO WORRYING ABOUT THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO WORK, UM, PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, CLOTHING FOR THE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW,
[01:35:03]
WHO'S... YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW.SO I JUST... I ASK THIS COUNTY, THIS BOARD, EVEN ALL THE PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY TO NOT GET STUCK IN THE SUPERFICIAL, LIKE, STUFF THAT WE'RE SEEING EVERYWHERE, RIGHT? WHERE ALL THAT RAGE IS HAPPENING NOW IS LIKE, WE REALLY GOT TO GO IN AND REALLY DEFINE THINGS WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA SEE THEIR LIVELIHOOD PROTECTED, UM, NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
- JOHANNA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- HI. MY NAME IS JOHANNA TIMMER.
AND I'M GONNA SPEAK FIRST AS A MOM OF YOUNG CHILDREN, AND SECONDLY, AS A MEMBER OF A STATEWIDE ALLIANCE OF ACTIVISTS.
UM, AS A MOM, I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING WONDERING IF THIS IS A SAFE PLACE FOR MY KIDS TO BE, CONSIDERING I'VE BEEN EXERCISING MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AGGRESSIVELY AND IN THE FRONT AND CENTER, UM, PUBLICLY.
MY SISTER IS FLYING DOWN FROM WASHINGTON THIS WEEKEND, SO WE CAN TALK OFF RECORD TO SEE WHERE OUR CHILDREN SHOULD BE TO BE SAFE AS THIS GETS SCARIER AND SCARIER.
IT'S A REALLY HARD THING TO BE A MOM WITH LITTLE KIDS IN A TIME LIKE THIS.
UM, I AM SO GRATEFUL YOU'RE CONSIDERING THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE THAT GIVES ME ASSURANCE AS A MOM THAT MY KIDS MIGHT BE SAFE IF I CONTINUE TO EXERCISE MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN THIS COUNTY AND STATEWIDE.
SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO TAKE BIG ACTION AND MAKE IT VERY APPARENT TO THE PUBLIC WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAKE UP SCARED EVERY MORNING.
AND I'M... I'M A WHITE WOMAN WITH WHITE KIDS, AND I'M STILL SCARED, RIGHT? I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING A WOMAN OF COLOR WITH, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT AREN'T WHITE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS...
WE'RE MOVING ON THIS BECAUSE A LOT OF US ARE VERY SCARED.
UM, SECONDLY, I AM A STATEWIDE... I'M PART OF STATEWIDE NETWORKS THAT DO ALL KINDS OF WORK.
AND WHEN SANTA CRUZ GOT RID OF FLOC PEOPLE KNEW I WAS FROM SANTA CRUZ, AND I WAS APPROACHED FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE STATE ABOUT HOW WE DID IT.
AND IT WAS REALLY... I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF A PLACE THAT'S FRONT AND CENTER AND TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY.
AND I HOPE THAT SHIELD CAN BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OUR COUNTY BEING UPFRONT AND DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES AND PROTECT OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME OUT AND THANKS FOR CONSIDERING THIS.
LOUISA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- HI THERE. MY NAME IS LOUISA.
I'M A RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, AND I WANT TO START BY THANKING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN.
UM, YOU'VE SAID PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I WANT TO SAY AND I JUST WANT TO SECOND IT.
ESPECIALLY THANK YOU, MANNY, FROM THE LATINO AFFAIRS COMMISSION AND PAULINA FROM CAB.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS COMMISSION WORK WITH THESE EXCELLENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY SUPPORTING AND PROTECTING OUR IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS AND, UM, LISTEN TO THEM AND FUND THEM AND MAKE REAL COMMITMENTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MAKE THE SAME COMMITMENTS THAT THE MINNEAPOLIS LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS, WHICH IS TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM ILLEGAL AND VIOLENT ACTIONS FROM FEDERAL OFFICERS.
AND, UM, I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT PRIOR SPEAKERS HAVE SAID THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE REAL ACTIONS AND TAKE THEM QUICKLY.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE STARTING THIS COMMITTEE.
BUT I THINK WE... WE NEED REAL ACTION RIGHT NOW.
- HARMONY LAW, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
HARMONY LAW, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
PLEASE ACCEPT AND, THE UNMUTE TO BEGIN YOUR- YOUR COMMENT.
- THANK YOU. I HAD STARTED WITHOUT PUSHING THE BUTTON.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU, SUPERVISORS.
MY NAME IS TANYA HARMONY RODINO, AND I'M AN ATTORNEY.
I'VE WORKED FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WITH MANY OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT IN MENDOCINO COUNTY.
I'M BORN AND RAISED IN CORRALITOS, AND I'M REALLY DEEPLY COMMITTED TO CARING FOR MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
I FULLY SUPPORT THE AUTHORIZATION OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE PRIOR SPEAKERS THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH, AND WE NEED TO SEE MORE SUBSTANTIAL ACTION.
I REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE THE INVESTMENT OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT ALL OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE COUNTY, UH, AUTHORIZED ABOUT 100,000 LAST YEAR, AND I JUST DO NOT THINK THAT'S A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
[01:40:01]
I THINK MONTEREY COUNTY, UH, DID FIVE TIMES THAT AMOUNT.UM, I WANNA ALSO SPEAK ABOUT THE URGENCY.
UH, I'VE WORKED, YOU KNOW, WITH EACH OF YOU ON VARIOUS ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND I REALLY WANNA OFFER MY SUPPORT RIGHT NOW IN WHATEVER WAY ANY OF YOU MIGHT NEED.
UM, I AM AVAILABLE TO OFFER MY TIME AND MY INFORMATION.
UM, I'M A FOUNDER OF THE CHILDCARE SAFETY PLAN, AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IMMIGRATION COALITION.
UM, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS LAST YEAR, I DID A TRAINING FOR OVER 50 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTH COUNTY ABOUT THE CHILDCARE SAFETY PLAN.
I'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THAT'S RECEIVED.
UM, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO CATCH UP.
UH, WE ARE BEHIND, BEHIND ON OUR TIMES.
AGAIN, MONTEREY COUNTY CALLED ME SHORTLY AFTER THE INAUGURATION.
LOUIS ALEJO ASKED ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR FIVE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS FORUMS. SO THEY DID THAT LAST YEAR.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO STEP IT UP WITH EDUCATION.
WE NEED TO BE DOING THOSE TYPES OF FORUMS, AND OUR COUNTY DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT EACH OF YOU WILL DO, WHAT OUR COUNTY WILL DO WHEN, AND IF FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT IS HERE IN OUR COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND, UH, PLEASE CARRY FORTH WITH STRENGTH.
- ALEJANDRO, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- UH, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY SPEAKING FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ESPECIALLY SUPERVISORS MARTINEZ AND HERNANDEZ, AND, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNTY'S SHIELD AD HOC COMMITTEE, UH, THAT YOU ARE FORMING AS YOU WORK TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY SAFETY INFORMATION NEEDS, AND TRUST IN THE TIME OF THIS HEIGHTENED CONCERN.
UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING IMMIGRATION AND ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING THE FATAL SHOOTINGS BY FEDERAL AGENTS OF MINNEAPOLIS AND OTHER CITIES, HAS UNDERSTANDABLY RAISED ANXIETY FOR FAMILIES AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES ALIKE, AND HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR STRONG LOCAL COORDINATION AND SUPPORTS.
IN RESPONSE, PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED HAS TAKEN SUSTAINED PROACTIVE ACTION OVER THE PAST YEAR TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
WE'VE HOSTED MULTIPLE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EVENTS, INCLUDING MULTILINGUAL SESSIONS, TRAINS HUNDREDS OF STAFF DISTRICT-WIDE.
OUR EFFORTS, UH, REGARDING LAWFUL ICE PROTOCOLS AND OFFERED FAMILY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
OUR EFFORTS EXTEND BEYOND TRAINING AND BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THE PAJARO VALLEY COLLABORATIVE, ENSURING FAMILIES HAVE TRUSTED SUPPORT AND RESOURCES.
AT THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL, OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS REAFFIRMED EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS AND SUPPORTED STATE LEGISLATION TO PRODUCE, TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS.
OUR WORK IS ROOTED IN REDUCING FEAR COUNTER MISINFORMATION, AND ENSURING THAT SCHOOLS REMAIN PLACES OF SAFETY, TRUST, AND BELONGING FOR EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
PVSD IS READY TO CONTINUE THIS WORK AND STANDS BY YOU WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROTECT THE WELLBEING OF EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND BEYOND INTO MONTEREY COUNTY.
- ADRIANA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
ADRIANA MATA, WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK.
FIRST, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FORWARD THINKING AND- AND ESTABLISHING THIS SUBCOMMITTEE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING AN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
UM, AT SECOND HARVEST, WE ARE WITNESSING FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF FEAR THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING.
WE GET CALLS FROM OUR FAMILIES AND ASKING HOW THEY CAN GET FOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOME.
WE'VE SEEN MOMS CRYING AS, AS THEY COME IN TO PICK UP FOOD AT THE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS.
UM, IT'S JUST EVERYBODY'S IN FEAR.
AND, UM, THE, AN INCREASE OF ANXIETY.
UM, WE'RE- AT THE FOOD BANK, WE'RE MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE NOURISHMENT THAT THEY NEED.
AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, SPEAKING ABOUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND FOOD IS ONE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT FAMILIES NEED, REGARDLESS OF, UM, THEY'RE IMMIGRANTS OR NOT.
UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO COLLABORATING WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, UM, COUNTY, OUR NONPROFITS, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND TO CONTINUE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE NOURISHED SPECIFICALLY, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'S TIMES THAT LIKE WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE COME TO OUR FOOD BANK BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S A SAFE PLACE AND WE WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
UM, WE STAND COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING UM, LIKE I SAID, OUR... THE COUNTY, OUR COUNTY, UH, OUR NONPROFITS, BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT
[01:45:01]
EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, UM, THIS TODAY IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD AS A UNIFIED PROCESS AS WELL.- CALLING USER ENDING IN 454, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
OKAY, THEY'VE PUT THEIR HAND DOWN.
MARIA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF VENTURES, AND ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO A SHARED ECONOMICS PROSPERITY.
I WANNA EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT OF THE CREATION OF SHIELD AS AN AD HOC COMMUNITY, AS A CONTINUED START TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS IS NOT ONLY A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, IT IS AN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY ISSUE THAT AFFECTS WORKERS, FAMILIES, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND LOCAL SYSTEMS. OUR COUNTY'S ECONOMY DEPENDS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANTS ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS, FROM AGRICULTURE TO HOSPITALITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, COMMUNITIES FACE REAL CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE THOUGHTFUL, COORDINATED RESPONSES.
CENTERING BELONGING, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS KEY ASPECTS OF THIS COMMITTEE IS CRITICAL.
I INVITE THE COMMITTEE TO SEEK NOT ONLY VOICES BUT SHARE CO-CREATION OF SOLUTIONS WITH COMMITTEE PARTNERS AND RESIDENTS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING IN THIS PROCESS AND TO WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TOWARDS POLICIES THAT ADVANCE THE MORE JUST AND RESILIENT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
- LORI, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS LORI KLEIN.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE JUSTICE TEAM ON THE WELCOMING NETWORK IN TOWN, AND I'M ALSO A RABBI AND A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN.
I WANNA SUPPORT THE OTHER CALLS FOR CONCRETE ACTION.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO ADD IS, SADLY, I THINK WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT, UM, ICE WILL ACT IN WAYS THAT ARE ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AND I THINK THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER CONCRETE ACTIONS THAT THE SHIELD SUBCOMMITTEE COULD, UM, HELP THE WORK WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SPECIFICALLY PREPARE FOR THAT, INCLUDING, UM, HAVING TEMPLATES OF TEMPORARY REQUESTS FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS, UH, READY TO GO.
AND ALSO JUST THINKING THROUGH WHAT CAN LAW ENFORCEMENT DO IN THE MOMENT IF ICE IS ACTING UNCONSTITUTIONALLY AND ILLEGALLY? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND YOUR FORWARD THINKING.
- FERNANDA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? - YES, WE CAN.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND FOR BRINGING THESE TOPICS, UH, FORWARD.
I AGREE WITH, UH, MANNY, WITH PAULINA, AND I WANT TO SECOND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CAB, YARR, ARE ALSO IN PART OF THE DECISION MAKING.
AND, UH, AS A PSYCHOLOGIST, UM, I ALSO THINK THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF THE FAMILIES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR AND UPBRINGING, TRAUMA INFORMED, UH, TO ALL THESE, UH, CONVERSATIONS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, TO SAY TO, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ANXIETY AND FEAR AND ALL THAT HAS TO BE WITH THIS SITUATION IS TRAUMATIC FOR EVERYBODY.
SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND, UM, US ALL THAT TALKING ABOUT TRAUMA AND BEING TRAUMA INFORMED, WORK IS SUPER IMPORTANT IN THE CONVERSATION.
- A. MELGOZA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- GOOD MORNING, UH, CHAIR AND, UH, SUPERVISORS.
FIRST, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT YOU ALWAYS PROVIDE TO SANTA CRUZ RESIDENTS
[01:50:02]
AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER SPACE.I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WATSONVILLE LAW CENTER.
UH, WATSONVILLE LAW CENTER IS HERE TO SUPPORT THIS WORK AND WE APPRECIATE THE BOARD'S COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS AN ORGANIZATION ON THE GROUND, LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDERS, UH, SERVING FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ACROSS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, WE'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE NEED AND CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE STRONGLY SUPPORT CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN EFFORTS THAT MAKE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY A SAFER PLACE FOR ALL RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES WHO ARE CURRENTLY, UM, UNDER ATTACK AND BEING TARGET.
WE, UH, ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH PROVIDERS AND WITH LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND PARTNER TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY CENTER SOLUTIONS.
THESE INVESTMENTS ARE CRITICAL TO BUILDING TRUST, STABILITY, AND COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE EVERYONE CAN BE THRIVING.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CONTINUED SUPPORT, AND THANK YOU, SUPERVISORS.
AND REACH OUT IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM OUR OFFICE.
- SANTA CRUZ UNITY, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
- HI, MY NAME IS JULIA MONAGHAN.
I'M A 28-YEAR RESIDENT OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND I'M ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE GET THE FLOCK OUT COALITION.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST FIRST ECHO THE THANKS TO THE SUPERVISORS FOR CONSIDERING FORMING THE SHIELD AD HOC COMMITTEE AND ALSO MOVE THAT, THAT'S JUST A FIRST STEP, THAT'S A BIT LATE AND WE NEED YOU TO DO MUCH MORE.
YOU'VE HAD SO MANY EXCELLENT GROUPS CONNECTED TO THE MIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE, SPEAKING ABOUT THEIR NEEDS AND SUGGESTIONS, AND I JUST HOPE THAT YOU LISTEN TO AND HEED THAT ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS ACTUALLY ARE ON THE GROUND, AND HOW YOU CAN BEST SUPPORT AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE ALL ONE COMMUNITY.
AND AS REPRESENTING GET THE FLOCK OUT IN UNINCORPORATED COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS ACCESS TO FLOCK DATA, RESIDENTS TRAVEL DATA THAT IS TRACKED IN A CENTRALIZED STATE DATABASE AND THAT THIS PUTS ALL RESIDENTS AT RISK.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW THE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ON THIS ISSUE, AND YOU WILL SEE HOW THIS DATA IS BEING USED BY ICE AND DHS TO TARGET MIGRANTS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS TO TARGET PARTNERS AND EXES TO TARGET WOMEN THAT HAVE HAD ABORTIONS AND MUCH MORE.
THIS DATA IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
THE ONLY DATA THAT'S SECURE IS DATA THAT'S NOT CONNECTED.
AND BY FAILING TO SEE HOW THIS CONNECTS TO THE SAFETY OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, IT'S JUST A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE LOOP ON THIS AS WELL AS THE SHERIFF'S PARTNERSHIP WITH ICE.
WE WERE INFORMED AT THE DECEMBER 3RD LATINO AFFAIRS COMMISSION MEETING BY SHERIFF CLARK, IN PERSON, THAT SHOULD ICE ISSUE A CODE THREE REQUEST FOR COVER, SHERIFFS WOULD HELP ICE NOT THE RESIDENTS, AND THAT THEY HAVE NO RECOURSE TO INVESTIGATE, ARREST, OR EVEN COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT BEHAVIOR AND VIOLENCE.
PLEASE HELP DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. YOU'RE APPRECIATED.
- CALLING USER 454, YOUR MICROPHONE IS ONCE AGAIN AVAILABLE.
- YES, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JAMES EWING WHITMAN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY CITY AND COUNTY, IS OPERATING WITHOUT PHYSICAL ARMS. AND THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE.
IN 1998, THE UN RELEASED A DOCUMENT, 297 PAGES, ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
I'M GONNA START WITH A LITTLE STORY.
THE WALL STREET BACK COMMUNIST, JOSEPH STALIN, ONCE IN A GROUP OF HIS FOLLOWERS, TOOK A LIVE CHICKEN AND PULLED ALL OF THE FEATHERS OUT OF THE CHICKEN.
OBVIOUSLY, THE CHICKEN WAS BLOODIED AND IN GREAT PAIN, BUT WHEN STALIN THREW IT A FEW BREADCRUMBS, THE CHICKEN CAME TO HIM.
HE SAID TO HIS FOLLOWERS, THIS IS HOW EASY IT IS TO GOVERN STUPID PEOPLE.
IT'D BE INTERESTING IF PEOPLE BECAME MORE INFORMED AS FAR AS THE UNDERLYING REASONS ABOUT ALL THESE ACTIONS.
MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN MINNESOTA, THERE'S $18 BILLION IN QUESTION FROM WHERE THE GOVERNOR, TIM WALTZ, IS DIRECTLY IMPLICATED.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA UNDER GAVIN NEWSOM THAT OVER $300 BILLION OF FUNDS HAVE BEEN MISAPPROPRIATED.
SO WHAT ARE WE ALL DOING TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER? WE NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT THESE CHALLENGING SUBJECTS.
[01:55:03]
THANK YOU.- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- THANK YOU MADAM CLERK, AND THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY.
I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UM, SO I WILL BE MOVING THIS, UH, ITEM, UM, WITH THE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT THIS TIME.
UM, I WANTED TO, UH, ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, UH, THE PUBLIC MADE.
OUR INTENT OF THIS AD HOC IS TO CREATE SOUND POLICY AND ACTION, BUT WE WANT TO COLLABORATE.
WE WANT COLLABORATION AND INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
EVERYONE THAT WAS MENTIONED HERE TODAY.
UM, AS PART OF THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE, WE DO PLAN TO ENGAGE OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, AS WELL AS OUR DEA'S OFFICE AND COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL, TO BE PART OF THESE DISCUSSIONS SO THAT WE CAN CREATE CLARITY, SOUND POLICY, AND SAFE PROTOCOLS AND OPTIMAL PROCEDURES.
- SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? - SECOND.
- A CECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? - UH, JUST HAVE BRIEF COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ AND HERNANDEZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
ICE'S RECENT ACTIONS ARE COMPLETELY SICKENING.
THE MURDERS OF A MOTHER AND AN ICU NURSE, AMERICAN CITIZENS ON AMERICAN STREETS.
UH, AND WE SHOULD DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO PROTECT LAW ABIDING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I WILL POINT OUT THAT THIS BOARD HAS ALREADY PASSED A NO KING'S RESOLUTION, ASKING FOR CONGRESS TO REASSERT ITS POWER AND LEASH THEIR DOGS.
WHILE THIS COMMITTEE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP, MY PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACTION WE CAN ULTIMATELY TAKE IS TO ORGANIZE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RID OURSELVES OF ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS WHO CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THIS TERRORISM.
CONGRESS WORKS FOR US, AND THE SOONER WE REMIND THEM OF THAT, THE BETTER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MONICA, UH, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN A, IN A REGIONAL, I DON'T KNOW, IF IT IS A STATEWIDE OR JUST REGIONAL, LIKE THE BAY AREA COALITION, UM, ON THESE ISSUES.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE GETTING, I MEAN, I KNOW MANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES HAVE MUCH MORE MONEY TO, UM, OPERATE WITH THAN WE DO, BUT I THINK, UM, THE SHARING OF INFORMATION, AND, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FOR YEARS HAS BEEN A LEADER IN MANY AREAS.
AND SO, UM, SO EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT NOT HAVE AS MANY RESOURCES AT OUR DISPOSAL, WE OFTEN HAVE SOLUTIONS.
WE COME WITH SOLUTIONS AND GOOD IDEAS, UM, TO GET THINGS DONE.
SO, THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING THERE.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WE DO- WE DO HAVE A GRASSROOTS COALITION IN THE PAJARO VALLEY, UM, THAT IS MADE UP OF ALL THE SERVICE PROVIDERS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND OUR STAFF, IT'S NOT LOW LEVEL STAFF PARTICIPATING THERE.
IT'S THE HIGHEST STAFF IN OUR ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO WE'VE GOT NICOLE COBURN, WHO'S A MEMBER OF THAT COALITION, CORRECT? RIGHT? AND ELISA BENSON, WHO'S YOUR, UM, WHO'S OUR, WHAT'S ELISA'S, THE DEPUTY? - ASSISTANT CEO.
- ASSISTANT. THANK YOU. ASSISTANT CEO.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF OUR STAFF PARTICIPATING IN THESE COALITIONS.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE GRASSROOTS, UM, CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND, AND PROTECTIONS FOR PEOPLE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WORKING, UM, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND SO WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM AND WE'RE TAKING THEIR, UM, WE'RE TAKING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, INTO CONSIDERATION IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO PROTECT PEOPLE.
SO I THINK, UH, ALL THE PARTNERS ARE, THAT ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN THESE EFFORTS.
UM, WHEN THE TRUMP ADMIN, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE IN A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT WHEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FIRST TOOK OFFICE, UH, IN, IN THEIR FIRST TERM, THE PAJARO VALLEY, ALONG WITH MANY, UM, LOCAL ATTORNEYS, CREATED A CHILDCARE SAFETY PLANNING.
AND THAT'S AN ADVANCED DIRECTIVE FOR KIDS WHOSE PARENTS MIGHT BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY SO THAT THEY COULD SAY, I WANT MY KIDS TO GO WITH THIS PERSON, OR, UM, THIS FAMILY MEMBER.
UM, THANK YOU TO TANYA RODINO, AND A LOT OF OTHER ATTORNEYS, UM, AND PARTICIPATING AGENCIES FOR CARRYING THAT FURTHER AND FOR INTRODUCING THAT STATEWIDE.
AGAIN, IT'S A IDEA THAT WAS GENERATED HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND IS BEING, UM, PUSHED OUT STATEWIDE TO KEEP KIDS AND FAMILIES SAFE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, SUPERVISOR, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND MARTINEZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND, UH, IN SUPPORT TODAY. THANK YOU.
[02:00:03]
- ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SO, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG.MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE? - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - AYE.
WE WILL NOW BE MOVING ON TO OUR SCHEDULED AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND JUST FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE'S INFORMATION, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS ITEM, THEN I'LL BE CALLING A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON WITH THE REGULAR AGENDA.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
[14. 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]
- ALL RIGHT. I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE ZONE 5 FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.COULD WE START WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? - CERTAINLY. DIRECTOR KOENIG.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU HAVE QUORUM.
UM, WE WILL PROCEED WITH OUR, UH, WITH ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.
DOES ANY MEMBER OF, OR I'M SORRY, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE CONSENT IN REGULAR AGENDAS? - CHAIR... CHAIR, WE DO. - YES.
- UM, WE HAVE STAFFS REQUESTING THAT ITEM 5 BE DELETED.
DO WE HAVE ANY ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT BOARD? SEEING NONE HERE IN CHAMBERS, ARE THERE ANY ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- ALRIGHT. UH, WE'LL PROCEED WITH OUR SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA ITEM 4, TO CONSIDER RECOGNIZING THE FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS THE ZONE 5 CHAIR AND THE SECOND DISTRICT SUPERVISOR AS THE ZONE 5 VICE CHAIR, THE BOARD CHAIR, AND VICE CHAIR AND APPROVING THE 2026 ZONE 5 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, ZONE 5 BOARD.
UH, THE TWO ITEMS, UH, BEFORE YOU ARE AS STATED, UH, THE ZONE 5 RULES AND REGULATIONS SPECIFY THAT THE CHAIR SHALL BE THE FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS, AND THE SECOND DISTRICT SUPERVISOR IN ODD NUMBER YEARS.
UM, THE ZONE 5 VICE CHAIR SHALL BE THE SECOND DISTRICT SUPERVISOR IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS, AND THE FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR IN ODD NUMBER YEARS.
UM, SO THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS BEFORE YOU ARE TO, ONE, RECOGNIZE THE FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS A ZONE 5 CHAIR AND THE SECOND DISTRICT SUPERVISOR AS A ZONE 5 VICE CHAIR.
AND THE SECOND ITEM RECOMMENDED IS TO APPROVE THE 2026 SCHEDULE OF THE BOARD, UH, SCHEDULE OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT ZONE 5 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? ANY COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? ANYONE ONLINE? - NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
SEEING NONE, I'LL RETURN IT TO THE BOARD FOR ACTION.
- I MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
- ALL RIGHT. MOVED BY DIRECTOR CUMMINGS, SECOND BY DIRECTOR HERNANDEZ.
- ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO ADJOURNMENT OF THE ZONE 5 BOARD.
I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO OUR CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR KOENIG, FOR SHOWING US HOW TO RUN A VERY EFFICIENT MEETING.
UM, I'LL NOW CALL A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
WE WILL RETURN AT... HOW ABOUT LET'S RETURN AT 11:10.
[02:13:42]
- WE ARE ON ITEM NUMBER 7- 7.[7. Consider presentation on current pavement conditions of County roadways, and take related actions]
[02:13:45]
CONSIDER PRESENTATION ON CURRENT PAVEMENT CONDITIONS OF COUNTY ROADWAYS AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS AS A REMINDER OF PROCESS.WE'RE GONNA START WITH A STAFF REPORT AND THEN I'LL BE ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK THE QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
I'LL THEN BE GOING OUT TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND A MOTION.
AND WITH THAT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE HERE TO PRESENT, UM, MR. WEISNER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CDI, WE HAVE MR. MACHADO BACK THERE, DIRECTOR OF CDI, AS WELL AS MR. CARLSON, OUR SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEER.
UH, WE HAVE A TIERED TEAM APPROACH TODAY HERE.
UM, GOOD, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND BOARD MEMBERS, CEO COBURN, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
MY NAME IS STEVE WIESNER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE THIS MORNING WITH CASEY CARLSON.
HE'S OUR SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR DIRECTOR OF CDI, MACHADO.
UM, AND TOGETHER WE WILL PRESENT OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UPDATE.
WE STUDY THE CONDITIONS OF THE PAVEMENT OF OUR NEARLY 600 MILE ROAD NETWORK, UH, ONCE EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
UM, AND THE SURVEY IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
[02:15:02]
OF THE ENTIRE ROAD NETWORK THAT THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN.UM, IT, IT IS DONE IN LARGE PART, UH, AND IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR CONSULTING ENGINEERS, NICHOLS CONSULTING, UH, GROUP.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE PREMIER PAVEMENT CONSULTING EXPERT FIRMS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, THEY CONSULT WIDELY ALL OVER THE STATE WITH COUNTIES AND CITIES.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN STUDYING AND ANALYZED OUR COUNTY'S PAVEMENT CONDITION FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES.
SO, THEY'RE SUPER FAMILIAR WITH OUR HISTORY AND WITH, WITH OUR ROAD SYSTEM.
OUR PRESENTATION WILL COVER, UM, HOW WE MEASURE AND KEEP TRACK OF OUR PAVEMENT CONDITION, EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS ROADS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY, OUR PRESENT PAVEMENT CONDITION WITH THE BIG REVEAL, ALTHOUGH IT IS IN THE REPORT, AND A COMPARISON OF HOW WE STACK UP AGAINST OTHER AGENCIES.
UM, AND AT THE END, WE'LL HAVE A, A DISCUSSION ON OUR MOST- OUR MOST RECENT INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, PAVEMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROJECT-WISE, AND A FORECAST OF OUR FUTURE FUNDING OUTLOOK.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CASEY CARLSON.
- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, STEVE.
- ACTUALLY, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE THINGS I'M GONNA DO BEFORE CASEY COMES IN HERE.
OKAY. UM, THIS, THIS FIRST SLIDE IS ACTUALLY JUST A VISUAL OF, UM, WHAT OUR ROAD SYSTEM WOULD LOOK LIKE.
IF IT'S ONE LANE, IT WOULD STRETCH ALL THE WAY FROM THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE UP TO VANCOUVER, CANADA.
SO, IT'S OVER A THOUSAND LANE MILES OF ROADS THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN.
AND THEN JUST A LITTLE, I GUESS, NO FLYING ON THAT, HUH? - I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
- OKAY, SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LITTLE FLY IN HERE, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, SO THAT'S OKAY.
I'LL- I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS.
UM, UM, ACTUALLY, SO WHAT THIS SLIDE HAS IS IT SHOWS, UM, WHAT OUR OVERALL INVESTMENT OF OUR 600 CENTER LINE MILE ROAD NETWORK HAS.
AND REALLY, UM, WHAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING THERE IS ABOUT HALF OF OUR ROAD SYSTEM IS MADE UP OF OUR LARGE ROADS, RIGHT? THESE ARE ARTERIALS AND MAJOR COLLECTORS.
THESE ARE THE ROADS LIKE BEAR CREEK ROAD, MOUNT HERMAN ROAD, SOQUEL, SAN JOSE ROAD, SOQUEL DRIVE, FREEDOM BOULEVARD, GREEN VALLEY ROAD.
THOSE ARE OUR MAJOR ARTERIALS.
UM, AND, AND THEN, OF COURSE, ALL OUR COLLECTORS.
THESE ARE LIKE THE AVENUES. 17TH AVENUE, SEVENTH AVENUE.
UM, THE ROADS THAT FEED INTO THE ARTERIALS, THESE CARRY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC, UM, ON OUR ROADWAYS.
BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE WE HAVE ALMOST 50% ARE LOCAL ROADS AS WELL.
AND THESE ARE PRETTY MUCH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS.
UM, AND, AND, UM, AND THEN ON DOWN, WE HAVE JUST A VERY FEW, UH, MILES OF GRAVEL ROADS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT WE MAINTAIN.
UM, BUT REALLY WHAT THIS SLIDE IS JUST SUPPOSED TO SHOW EVERYONE IS THE HUGE INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE, NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS IN OUR ROAD NETWORK.
OKAY. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CASEY.
- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, STEVE.
UH, SO HOW WE MEASURE THE CONDITION OF OUR ROADS IS THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX.
UH, IT'S A SIMPLE SCALE YOU CAN THINK OF LIKE A TEST AT SCHOOL.
IT'S, UH, ZERO IS COMPLETELY FAILED NO VALUE LEFT IN THE ROAD.
A HUNDRED IS BRAND NEW, JUST REPAVED.
UH, WE, AS STEVE SAID, EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, WE HIRE A CONSULTANT TO GO AND TAKE THIS RATING OF OUR ROADWAYS AND WE TAKE THAT DATA AND WE INPUT IT INTO A PROGRAM CALLED STREET SAVER.
UM, THIS IS THE MOST WIDELY USED PROGRAM FOR THIS PURPOSE IN THE STATE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE PREMIER PROGRAM AND WE USE THE CONSULTANT THAT'S, UM, PRETTY MUCH THE TOP OF THE GAME ON THIS, UH, EXAMPLES OF ROADS, A DIFFERENT PCIS.
HERE'S JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A GAUGE, UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF PCI 100.
WE WERE JUST ABLE TO PAVE THAT THIS SUMMER, UH, AFTER SAVING UP FOR MANY YEARS WITH MEASURE D.
THAT WAS A GREAT PROJECT. GLAD TO BRING THAT TO DISTRICT 3.
UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, ABOUT A PCI 70.
YOU CAN SEE THE ROAD IS NOT LOOKING TOO BAD YET, BUT IT'S STILL GOT, UH, IT'S GETTING HAIRLINE CRACKS NOW.
UM, IT COULD REALLY USE A SEAL AT THIS POINT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE MAJOR DEGRADATION THAT NEEDS PATCHING.
AS YOU GET FURTHER ALONG, YOU'RE GONNA START TO HAVE CRACKS THAT ARE, UH, MORE PRONOUNCED, MORE CONNECTED, MORE WIDESPREAD.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE, UH, MORE POTHOLES, UH, MORE PATCHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BEFORE YOU COULD APPLY SOME SORT OF A SEAL, UH, AS YOU CONTINUE TO GET DOWN.
UH, THIS IS GONNA TAKE A LOT MORE WORK.
UM, WE STILL HAVE WAYS TO DEAL WITH THIS, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH AREAS THAT HAVE SETTLED, UM, DO MORE EXTENSIVE PATCHING, UM, POSSIBLY AN OVERLAY.
AND JUST THE FURTHER DOWN YOU GET, WE DIDN'T HAVE A PCI ZERO IN THE SURVEY TO SHOW YOU, BUT, UM, THE- A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A PCI ZERO THAT WE'VE RECENTLY REPAIRED WOULD BE MURPHY'S CROSSING, UM, WHERE THE ROAD IS JUST DEGRADED DOWN TO THE BASE.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD IT FROM THE BASE UP, UH, TREATING THE BASE, AND THEN REBUILDING THE TOP OF THE ROADWAY AS WELL.
ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THAT IS JUST,
[02:20:02]
HERE'S THE SORT OF PRICING YOU SEE AS A ROAD CONTINUES TO DEGRADE.WHEN YOU'RE UP IN THAT PCI 70 RANGE, YOU CAN JUST APPLY THE CHEAPEST SURFACE SEAL AND THAT'S ABOUT $240,000 A MILE.
UM, THE COSTS GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS THE TREATMENTS GET MORE INVOLVED.
UM, IF YOU WAIT TILL THE ROAD IS COMPLETELY DEGRADED THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL TIMES MORE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION A MILE.
UM, SO THE MORAL IS YOU WANT TO IDEALLY TRY TO GET THE ROAD WHEN IT'S IN ITS BEST SHAPE RATHER THAN LETTING IT DECAY.
UH, ON THE BOTTOM, WE HAVE SOME TYPICAL ITEMS THAT WE USE IN THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ADDITION TO COSTS GETTING MORE WITH THE CONDITION DETERIORATING, OUR COSTS ARE ALSO INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME.
UH, ASPHALT'S A LARGE DRIVER OF THIS, SO OUR ASPHALT PRICES INCREASED OVER 50% SINCE OUR LAST, UH, UH, MEETING ON THIS TOPIC.
AND, UH, LIKE OUR PATCHING HAS DOUBLED IN, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS, DIFFERENT PRICES, BUT, UH, OVERALL OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP AS WELL.
UH, SO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IS A PAVEMENT CONDITION OF 57.
SO KIND OF UPEND TO THE MIDDLE AT THE LOWER END OF THE FAIR RANGE.
UH, TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE ARE, UH, OUR FIRST, UH, SURVEY WAS IN 1989, AND AT THAT, WE WERE ABOUT A PAVEMENT CONDITION OF 80.
AND WE'VE SOLELY BEEN LOSING GROUND OVER THE YEARS SINCE, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THE FUNDING WE NEEDED TO KEEP THE PAYMENT AT ITS, ITS CONDITION.
IT'S CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE.
UM, AT OUR LAST COMMUNICATION IN 2019 WE ARE AT A PAVEMENT CONDITION OF 48.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT A PAVEMENT CONDITION OF ABOUT 41, BUT WE HAD A DIFFERENT METHOD OF SURVEY THAT I'M GONNA GO INTO.
UH, SO WE'RE NOW AT A PAVEMENT CONDITION OF 57.
AND WHAT THAT REPRESENTS IS MORE OF A JUMP DUE TO THE CHANGE IN METHOD OF SURVEY THAN IN AN ACTUAL BETTERMENT OF CONDITION OF THE ROADWAY.
UH, SO THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED TO IMPROVE OUR PCI, WE HAVE BEEN DOING AS MUCH RESURFACING AS WE COULD GET MONEY TO DO, UM, OVER THIS LAST PERIOD, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, 15% OF OUR NETWORK IN RESURFACING, AND THAT'S WITH MEASURE D PROJECTS AND GRANT PROJECTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE HAD, UH, A FAIR AMOUNT, IF YOU'VE LOOKED OVER THE PAST YEARS WHERE WE HAVEN'T DONE A FULL RESURFACING, BUT YOU'VE SEEN, UH, SIGNIFICANT LIKE REPAIR OR, UH, ISOLATED LANE PAVING.
OUR CREWS HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IN DOING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO TAKE THOSE WORST PARTS OF THE ROAD AND MAKE THOSE WORST PARTS THE BEST PARTS OF THE ROADS.
IN ADDITION, WE'LL HAVE UTILITY PROJECTS THAT ALSO HELP WITH THE PATCHING.
AND THE CHANGE IN SURVEY METHOD IS KIND OF THE BIG STORY IN THIS YEAR'S CHAIN, UH, THIS YEAR'S UPDATE.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE'S GONNA GO OVER THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE PICTURE WHERE THERE'S, UH, A GUY WITH A WHEEL AND A TRUCK NEXT TO HIM ON THE RIGHT.
AND SO, IN THE PAST WE WOULD USE A MANUAL SURVEY, AND THE CURRENT SURVEY IS USING A FULLY AUTOMATED SURVEY THAT HAS A VEHICLE WITH CAMERAS AND LIDARS AND MOTION SENSORS AND, AND A LOT OF TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT THAT GETS A MUCH MORE COMPLETE PICTURE.
SO, THE SAMPLE SURVEY, UH, IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO HAVE ONE PERSON WALK ALL 600 MILES OF OUR ROAD AND RATE EVERY INCH OF IT.
SO WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS RATE 10% OF A SAMPLE.
SO EVERY, EVERY SECTION OF DIFFERENT ROADWAY, THEY WOULD PICK A SECTION THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE AND DO A PCI ANALYSIS BY...
THEY WOULD EVALUATE CRACKS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FATIGUE IN THE ROAD AND COME UP WITH A PAVEMENT CONDITION FOR THAT SECTION.
AND THAT REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE WOULD BE THE PAVEMENT CONDITION FOR THE ENTIRE SECTION OF THE ROAD.
UH, WHAT THAT LEFT OUT IS OFTEN THEY WOULD CHOOSE NOT TO SAMPLE A SECTION THAT HAD EXTENSIVE PATCHING BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REST OF THE ROAD.
SO IN ESSENCE, WE'VE MISSED A FEW DECADES OF THE GOOD WORK AND PATCHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
UH, THIS NEW SURVEY GETS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE ROAD, SO IT'S GETTING CREDIT FOR ALL THAT PATCHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
UM, AND IT, IT'S BUMPING OUR AVERAGE UP, BUT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A ONETIME BUMP UP.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO SEE A DOWNWARD DECLINE, UM, WITHOUT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUNDING.
UH, A WAY TO LOOK AT OUR NETWORK IS ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE THE ENTIRE NETWORK KIND OF RANKED BY PAVEMENT CONDITION.
SO, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 30% OF OUR NETWORK IN THE GOOD RANGE.
[02:25:01]
UM, ANOTHER 30% ROUGHLY IN THE FAIR RANGE, 35% IN THE POOR, AND A SMALLER SEGMENT OF 3.7 IN THE VERY POOR.ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN IS BY ROAD TYPE.
UH, ON THE, ON THE RIGHT THERE, YOU'VE GOT OUR ARTERIALS, THOSE MAIN ROADS STEVE WAS TALKING ABOUT, LIKE SOQUEL DRIVE, FREEDOM.
UH, THOSE ARE AN AVERAGE PCI OF ALMOST 70, AND WE'VE, OVER THE YEARS, PUT THE MOST MONEY INTO THOSE ROADS BECAUSE THEY CARRY THE MOST PEOPLE.
UM, AND SECONDARY TO THAT WOULD BE THOSE COLLECTOR STREETS, THOSE, THOSE MEDIUM INTERCONNECTORS FROM THE ARTERIALS.
UH, THOSE ARE AN AVERAGE PCI OF 61.
THE RESIDENTIAL LOCALS HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN, UH, LOWER.
THEIR CURRENT PCI IS 51 AND I THINK WE'VE DONE BETTER IN THAT CATEGORY OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS WITH MEASURE D.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO START GETTING WORK IN ON THOSE STREETS THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN DECADES, LIKE, LIKE FOUR DECADES OFTEN PEOPLE WILL CALL ME AND WE'RE ABLE TO BRING PAVING PROJECTS TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVEN'T SEEN WORK IN DECADES.
UH, SO THAT IS REALLY HELPING THAT CATEGORY OF ROADS A LOT.
UM, OUR STATEWIDE AVERAGE IS 65, SO WE'RE BELOW THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE.
THERE'S OTHER AGENCIES NEAR US THAT ARE DOING BETTER.
THERE'S SOME OTHERS THAT ARE DOING WORSE.
UH, WE'RE A BIT KIND OF LOW OF MIDDLE.
AND FOR FORECASTED PAVEMENT FUNDING, OUR PRIMARY PAVEMENT FUNDING SOURCES ARE, PRIOR TO MEASURE D WE HAD, UH, MAINLY GRANT FUNDING.
THE RTC HAS A FUNDING CYCLE EVERY TWO YEARS WHERE WE'LL GO IN AND COMPETE FOR FUNDING WITH OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES, AND THAT PRETTY MUCH WAS THE MAINSTAY OF OUR PAVING PROGRAM PRIOR TO MEASURE D.
WE ARE STILL GOING AFTER THOSE FUNDS, UH, THEY LARGELY FUND OUR MORE MAJOR ROUTES.
MEASURE D HAS BEEN FOCUSED, UH, MORE PRIMARILY ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS.
AND JUST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON GETTING US MEASURE D.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH THAT.
UM, TOTAL OF THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THOSE TWO FUNDING SOURCES, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT OUT ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MILLION PER YEAR IN PAVING PROJECTS, AND WE DON'T SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THOSE FUNDING SO WE'RE EXPECTING ABOUT THAT LEVEL GOING FORWARD.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THAT CREW PATCHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT, AS WELL AS UTILITY PATCHING, UH, WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT THAT HAS A VALUE OF ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR IN ADDITION TO THE PAVING PROJECTS.
SO, OUR TOTAL TOWARD PAVING IS ROUGHLY EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION PER YEAR.
UH, WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT, IT WOULD TAKE 29 AND A HALF MILLION ACCORDING TO OUR CONSULTANT TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT PCI OF 57.
SO, AT A BUDGET OF EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION A YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE A DECLINE OF A FEW POINTS PER YEAR AT THAT LEVEL.
AND TO LOOK AT, UH, FUNDING AND LONG-TERM OUTLOOK.
I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO MATT.
- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CASEY.
UH, SORRY I'M SITTING IN THE BACK HERE, BUT I HAD THE LEAST TO SAY SO I TOOK THE BACK SEAT.
BUT, UM, I'LL WRAP THIS UP HERE.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE REALLY AN EFFORT TO SUMMARIZE AND TO REINFORCE OUR MESSAGE REGARDING PAVEMENT, UH, CONDITION AND MAINTENANCE.
AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR, UH, BULLETS HERE, I'LL DESCRIBE THEM BRIEFLY, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DETAIL.
UH, TODAY WE, WE RELY ON FUEL TAXES, UH, WHICH IS WHAT FUNDS OUR, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS AND ALSO OUR FORMULA FUNDS THAT, THAT COME OUR WAY.
AND ALSO MEASURE D, WHICH CASEY DESCRIBED, UH, VERY WELL AS A LOCAL SALES TAX MEASURE AND WE'RE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
SO IN ADDITION, WE'RE ACTIVELY IN PURSUIT OF NEW REVENUE SOURCES BECAUSE YOU DO SEE THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT FUNDING GAP.
AND SO WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING THAT AND WE WILL REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD AS WE GATHER, UH, INFORMATION FROM, UM, PENDING CONSULTANTS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED UPON THAT INFORMATION.
UM, ONE MORE COMMENT ABOUT THE, UH, PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE WHICH IS FUEL TAX BASE, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL OR STATE.
UM, OVER THE PAST QUITE A FEW YEARS THAT REVENUE HAS SEEN VERY, UH, LITTLE GROWTH.
IT'S BEEN VERY FLAT, AND YET OUR COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST STRUGGLES IS, UH, KEEPING UP WITH, UH, INFLATION.
SO, UH, JUST TO FURTHER SUMMARIZE OUR EFFORTS TODAY, UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT WE HAVE A VERY LARGE ASSET, THE NEARLY BILLION DOLLARS, UH, VALUE OF OUR ROAD NETWORK.
UH, WE'VE SEEN THIS NEW PCI OF 57 AS COMPARED TO THE 48 FROM THE LAST STUDY, AND AS CASEY DESCRIBED, THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE NEW METHOD
[02:30:02]
WHICH, UM, REALLY DOES REVIEW A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR ROADS AND TAKES CREDIT FOR REALLY GOOD WORK BY OUR ROAD OPERATIONS CREW AND OUR COLLABORATION WITH UTILITY COMPANIES DOING THEIR, THEIR PATCHWORK.AND SO WE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT.
UH, THE NEED IS GREAT, UH, TO HOLD OUR CONDITION AT FAIR, UM, AS WE'VE SEEN AND OUR CONTINUED, UH, OPPORTUNITIES WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY OF USE OF THOSE FUNDS AND OUR STRONG ADVOCACY, UH, WORK TO SECURE GRANTS AND TO INFORM NEW LEGISLATION TO, TO BENEFIT OUR ROAD SYSTEM AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR NEW REVENUE SOURCES AND WE'LL BRING THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOUR BOARD IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN TO, TO WRAP UP HERE, OUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS TODAY ARE TO RECEIVE THIS PRESENTATION ON OUR CURRENT PAVEMENT CONDITION OF THE COUNTY ROADWAYS AND TO ACCEPT AND FILE THE 2025 PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT CONDITION UPDATE REPORT FROM NICHOLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
- THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I'LL NOW RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS FROM OUR STAFF PRESENTERS.
I'LL START ON MY LEFT. SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
- THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST A, A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THE 29.5 MILLION NEEDED PER YEAR JUST TO MAINTAIN THE PCI OF 57.
UH, I MEAN, I GUESS IN GENERAL THIS REPORT, IT'S NOT CONSIDERING ANY OF THE STORM REPAIRS OR CULVERT REPAIRS OR ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT SORT OF AFFLICTING OUR ROAD NETWORK THAT ALSO NEED ATTENTION, RIGHT? - YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, I WILL SAY THOUGH, THE CONDITION IS NOW REFLECTING THAT GOOD WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE SEEN AS PATCHES IN THE ROAD.
SO WE ARE REFLECTING THE CONDITION OF THAT WORK, UH, BUT THE 29 AND A HALF MILLION DOES NOT REFLECT THE INVESTMENT NEEDED FOR STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS.
UM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE AS YOUR SLIDE SAY, SAYS, PAY NOW OR, OR PAY MORE LATER.
- UM, IF SO, IF WE BASICALLY CONTINUE THE CURRENT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT, I THINK IT'S THAT, UH, PREDICTS THAT MAYBE LOCAL ROADS WOULD GET TO A 36 PCI WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
- UM, THAT'S OUR, OUR AVERAGE PCI FOR ALL ROADS.
- OH, FOR ALL ROADS FOR THE WHOLE NETWORK AS THE 30 WOULD BE A 36 IN 10 YEARS. WOW.
- UM, AND THEN, UH, SO THEN OVER THE 10 YEARS AFTER THAT, I MEAN, WOULD WE EXPECT LIKE MORE RAPID DECLINE BECAUSE A, YOU KNOW, A POOR ROAD FAILS FASTER.
- YES. YEAH. THE, THE CURVE KIND OF GOES MORE STEEPLY DOWNWARD.
SO THE, THE FURTHER WE DECLINE, THE FASTER IT HAPPENS. YES.
UM, THE SLIDE THAT COMPARED US TO OTHER COUNTIES.
I MEAN, THE NEW METHODOLOGY LIFTED OUR OVERALL PCI SIGNIFICANTLY. RIGHT? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES WHO ARE STILL FAIRLY LOW, I THINK MONTEREY COUNTY'S CURRENTLY SHOWING A 41, UM, IS IT POSSIBLY JUST HAVEN'T UPDATED THE NEW METHODOLOGY YET AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE...
- IT'S A VALID POINT. THAT IS POSSIBLE.
- OKAY. UM, I'LL JUST, I'LL SAY THE REST OF MY COMMENTS FOR AFTER THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN BUT, UH, I WILL SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE NEW METHODOLOGY, JUST THE, THE GRANULARITY IS MUCH BETTER. RIGHT? I DON'T THINK WE EVER GOT TO SEE THE COMPARISON BETWEEN ARTERIALS AND COLLECTORS AND LOCAL ROADS BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT PROVIDES A MUCH MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF OUR NETWORK, AND ALSO WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC.
- DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, SUPERVISOR DESERPA? - THANK YOU.
UM, YOU HAD A SLIDE UP THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE AGAIN? I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST SLIDE.
- SO I'M SOMEBODY THAT DWELLS IN OPPORTUNITY.
- WAS IT THIS ONE? - OKAY. THAT'S IT. - OKAY.
- SO I MEAN, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT MY CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, UM, CONTACT ME ABOUT IS THEY'RE VERY UPSET WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR ROADS.
SOME OF THEM YOU SAID FOR DECADES.
I'M SURE THERE'S LIKE ROADS IN MY DISTRICT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN RESURFACED IN MORE THAN SIX DECADES.
SO, UM, SO OF COURSE, PEOPLE ARE UPSET, RIGHT? THEY PAY A LOT IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX, AND THEY, THEY DESERVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ROADS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR FUNDING SITUATION IS BUT I LOVE THIS WHERE IT SAYS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THIS GIVES ME HOPE THAT POTENTIALLY WE CAN PULL DOWN SOME OF THIS MONEY.
SO WE ARE SEEKING A FINANCIAL CONSULTANT TO ADVISE ON POTENTIAL NEW ROAD FUNDING SOURCES.
CAN YOU- CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? - YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING
[02:35:02]
THE LACK OF RESOURCES TO DO THE WORK THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, UH, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND AS I MENTIONED THE FUEL TAXES ARE A VERY FLAT REVENUE SOURCE.UH, ANOTHER FLAT REVENUE SOURCE IS, IS, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE PARCEL ASSESSMENTS VERY, VERY LOW, BUT IT'S BEEN STATIC FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND IF THE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT POTENTIALLY OTHER REVENUE SOURCES.
AND IT COULD BE BY AREA, BY, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ZONES OF THE COUNTY TO SEE WHERE THE SUPPORT WOULD LIE.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITY, OR WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS BASED UPON STATE LAW.
SO STATE LAW GOVERNS A LOT OF HOW WE RAISE REVENUE, AND SO WE'LL BE CONSIDERING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND BRINGING, BRINGING BACK RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT ABSOLUTELY THAT'S, THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG ADVOCACY AT THE, YOU KNOW, STATE, FEDERAL, UH, LEGISLATIVE LEVELS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT NEW LEGISLATION CAN REALLY, UM, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT OUR REVENUE SOURCES IN A GOOD WAY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL THAT HOPE- THAT WE HOPE TO, UH, SEE COME TO FRUITION THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE LARGER ADVOCACY WORK WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN I DO HAVE, UM, A QUESTION I THINK FOR NICOLE.
UM, SO IT LOOKED TO ME ON THE PAVEMENT CONDITION THAT IN THE PAST, IN 1980...
- OH, YOU WANNA LOOK AT THAT SLIDE- - YEAH. CAN WE LOOK AT THAT SLIDE AGAIN? LIKE, WE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER PAVEMENT CONDITIONS.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IS THE REASON THAT WE DON'T HAVE- I'M WONDERING WHAT THE REASON IS FOR THE BUDGETARY PRESSURES.
WELL, I KNOW IT'S SOME OF THE REASONS ARE, BUT JUST FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE... IT, IT APPEARS THAT WE USED, WE USED TO HAVE A BUDGET, A BIGGER BUDGET FOR ROAD RESURFACING.
I, UH, DO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FUEL TAX AND THAT EVS, AND THAT'S KI- WHAT IS THAT? THE ONLY REASON, UM, THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE REVENUES NEEDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR, UH, RESURFACING? - WELL, THIS CHART IS, UH, SHOWING PCI IN YEAR, SO I'D BE INTERESTED TO OVERLAY THE BUDGET ON THIS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW MAYBE CDI COULD SPEAK TO IT.
I'M NOT SURE, JUST BASED ON THIS INFORMATION, HOW THE BUDGET HAS CHANGED RELATED TO THIS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
AND MATT, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS.
I THINK THE, THE DRIVER HERE IS THE FUEL TAX REVENUES AND THEN ALSO THE PARCEL ASSESSMENT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT CAME ABOUT IN THE, UH, STEVE WAS IN THE EARLY NINETIES, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.
- WHAT WAS IT? - 1983, IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE '82 STORMS. - RIGHT.
SO WE DID HAVE SOME INFUSION OF, YOU KNOW, NEW REVENUE SOURCES IN THE EIGHTIES AND INTO THE EARLY NINETIES.
AND THEN ALSO IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF FUEL TAXES, UH, IN CALIFORNIA, THEY WERE BEING KEPT UP IN THOSE DAYS, UH, DUE TO INFLATION.
AND THEN, UM, MID-NINETIES FORWARD, THERE WAS A, A VERY STAGNANT, UM, INFLATIONARY INCREASE.
THERE'S ALMOST NONE UP UNTIL 2017.
SO 2017 SAW NEW LEGISLATION THAT PUT INTO PLACE SB1, WHICH, IN AN ESSENCE, WAS TO INFLATE THAT WAS, UH, MID-NINETIES, FUEL TAXES.
BUT, BUT WE LOST 25 YEARS IN THE MIDDLE THERE WHERE WE WEREN'T KEEPING UP OUR REVENUES, WERE NOT KEEPING UP WITH OUR COSTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS CHART IS, IS THE REVENUES NOT KEEPING UP WITH OUR ACTUAL COST TO DO THE MAINTENANCE.
- YEAH. I'D DONE A STUDY, UM, ON THAT PERIOD WHERE THE GAS TAX WAS PRETTY MUCH STAGNANT AND OVER THAT TIME, STANDARD INFLATION, UH, WHAT YOU COULD BUY WITH A DOLLAR WAS, UH, NOW COST YOU 1.89.
LOOKING AT WHAT WE WERE BUYING IN PAVEMENT TERMS, ASPHALT SEAL THAT SORT OF THING, UH, THAT SAME ASPHALT AND SEAL WAS ABOUT $4 COMPARED TO THE $1.
SO IT MORE THAN DOUBLED INFLATION, THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UM, OVER THE PERIOD THAT THE GAS TAX, OUR MAIN REVENUE SOURCE WAS STAGNANT.
- AND I CAN ADD JUST A FEW DETAILS TO THIS AS WELL.
UM, THE, THE FEW, COUPLE BUMPS THAT YOU SEE THERE, UM, LIKE IN AROUND THE YEAR 2000, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE END OF A UTILITY TAX THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED JUST RIGHT AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, UH, IN '89.
SO, IN THE EARLY NINETIES, UH, THE, OUR COUNTY IMPLEMENTED UTILITY TAX THAT PROVIDED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO REBUILD OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE IS THE END OF THAT MONEY.
ACTUALLY, THAT UTILITY TAX, I THINK ENDED RIGHT AROUND THE YEAR 2000 AND THERE WAS A LARGE INFUSION.
THIS IS IN STUDY WORK I'VE DONE OF OUR COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM OF UTILITY TAX MONEY, AND THAT'S WHAT BUMPED US, I THINK, FROM THAT 57 WAY UP TO 65.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THE DECLINING IN CASH TAX
[02:40:03]
JUST FURTHERED OUR, OUR DEGRADATION.AND THEN UNTIL, LIKE RIGHT AROUND THE YEAR 2008 TO 2010, THAT'S ACTUALLY YOU'RE SEEING THE INFUSION OF RDA FUNDS INTO OUR ROAD SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE VAST NUMBER OF PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROJECTS WE DID IN THE LIVE OAK AREA OF OUR COUNTY AS WE DEVELOPED RDA PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW THAT WENT AWAY, I THINK RIGHT AROUND 2010 WITH THE GREAT RECESSION.
- AND I'LL JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, BEFORE PROP 13, COUNTIES SET OUR BUDGETS BASED ON OUR EXPENSES.
AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE KIND OF HOW WE HANDLED THAT UP TO THAT POINT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WAS GOING INTO ROADS, UM, UNTIL THEN, BUT AFTER THAT POINT, SO THE ROADS WERE PROBABLY IN RELATIVELY GOOD SHAPE.
AS OUR COSTS ARE INCREASING AND WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES BY WHICH TO FUND ROADS OR OTHER SERVICES, WE START TO MAKE CHOICES.
SO WE PROBABLY START TO SEE LESS AND LESS GOING TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND WE STARTED TO RELY MORE AND MORE ON SPECIAL FUNDING SOURCES LIKE THE GAS TAX AND OTHER THINGS.
SO IF, IF YOU WERE TO OVERLAY THOSE THINGS ON THIS CHART, I THINK IT WOULD BE REVEALING.
AND THEN THE, I THINK MY FINAL COMMENT IS THAT, UM, LIKE I'M AWARE THAT WE HAVE A DIFFICULT FUNDING SITUATION AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, PARTICULARLY THANK STAFF BECAUSE EVERY TIME I'VE ASKED FOR HELP, COULD YOU COME WITH ME TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO CONSTITUENTS, TO ACTUALLY SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES WHAT THIS ROAD LOOKS LIKE.
YOU ARE, UM, YOU'VE JUST BEEN GREAT.
SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
AND EVEN THOUGH POTENTIALLY WE CAN'T RIGHT NOW, REPAVE THAT ROAD, YOU COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO TO ALL, ALL THE ROAD CREW AND EVERYBODY, UH, INVOLVED, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
- THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION HERE TODAY.
UM, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS JUST ANSWERED, UH, REGARDING KIND OF WHAT'S CHANGED BETWEEN THE 1980S AND NOW.
UM, BUT I DO, I GUESS ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE IS I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CONVERSATIONS OR DISCUSSIONS AROUND OTHER TYPES OF FUNDING MECHANISMS, IN PARTICULAR, AS IT RELATES TO EV CHARGING.
UM, THIS NOTION, I MEAN, THE FUEL TAX IS LIKELY GONNA STAY FLAT OR KEEP GOING DOWN, UM, UNLESS THERE'S- WE HAVE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN POPULATION AND PEOPLE DRIVING CARS.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE STATE LEVEL AROUND PLANNING THAT IF YOU LIVE WITHIN TRANSIT DISTRICT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE PARKING FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A HUGE PUSH TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF CARS, ONTO BIKES AND OUT OF, YOU KNOW, GAS POWERED VEHICLES AND AT LEAST INTO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR ALLIANCE AND THAT FUNDING SOURCE IS GONNA BE CONTINUING TO BE DIMINISHED OVER TIME.
SO I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT, UM, WITHIN THIS, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF NEEDING TO MAINTAIN OUR ROADS AND OUR ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GONNA BE COMING FORWARD.
AND IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION OF, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF ROAD TAX ON EV CHARGING? - YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, SUPERVISOR.
UM, SO I, I MENTIONED SB1, AND SO THAT WAS LEGISLATION PUT IN PLACE IN 2017, AND IT INCLUDED A SIGNIFICANT, UH, INCREASE TO REGISTRATION FEES FOR EVS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH OF SB1, UH, IT'S GROWING SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN THE OLD GAS TAX, WHICH IS CALLED HUT, THE HIGHWAY USER TAX.
UH, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH OF THE REGISTRATION FEES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
SO THAT PART OF THE FUEL TAX OR THE, THE LEGISLATION IS SHOWING REAL GROWTH.
BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT, IT'LL BE ENOUGH TO REALLY COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF, OF BUYING POWER THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST, SAY, 25 YEARS.
UH, BUT FOR SURE EVS ARE STARTING TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TIERED EFFECT FROM SB1, SO THERE'S CONTINUED GROWTH EVEN WITHOUT THE GROWTH OF EVS, THE REGISTRATION FEES CONTINUE TO GO UP.
SO WE THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ACCOUNTED FOR, BUT TO YOUR POINT, AS VEHICLES BECOME MORE EFFICIENT THERE'S JUST LESS FUEL BEING PURCHASED.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO COUNTER SOME OF THOSE EV INCREASES WITH THE NET EFFECT OF HAVING VERY FLAT OR VERY SLOW GROWTH OF THE FUEL TAXES.
- THANK YOU. WELL, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SB1, THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT MORE EVS OUT THERE, BUT ALSO A LOT MORE HYBRIDS AND FUEL EFFICIENT CARS THAT'S BRINGING DOWN THE SB1 FUNDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ME AND, UH, SUPERVISOR DE SERPA HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE TRANSPORTATION CHAIR, WILLIAMS,
[02:45:02]
IN WATSONVILLE WHEN SHE CAME BY.AND I THINK THE TOPIC WAS JUST KIND OF FLOATING OUT THERE, THE IDEA ABOUT A NEW SB1.
UH, THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS- AS THEY TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY COMMUNITIES WITH, UH, LESS ECONOMIC MEANS USUALLY HAVE TO DRIVE THE FARTHEST TO WORK.
AND ALSO, THESE GROUPS ARE ALSO THE ONES THAT CANNOT AFFORD EVS OR, UH, HYBRIDS.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO WRAP THEIR HEAD AROUND THIS ISSUE, UH, SO THAT WHATEVER THEY CREATE WITH SB1 IS, UH, MORE EQUITABLE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE LOCAL ROADS, UH, CASSERLY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS, IS ONE OF THEM.
UH, BUT I, I WANTED TO SEE LIKE, WE SHOULD ALSO BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE, UH, TYPE OF, UH, COST BENEFITS WHEN OTHER COMMUNITIES OR OTHER CITIES ARE WORKING ON ROADS IF WE CAN GO IN TOGETHER.
AND A PERFECT EXAMPLE, I THINK, IS ONE THAT IS SHARED WITH THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE AND SUPERVISOR DE SERPA, WEST BEACH AND, UH, FREEDOM BOULEVARD.
I KNOW THE CITY WANTS TO WORK ON THEM, BUT IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON THOSE, UH, TO SAVE COST, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY AND TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE IN SCOTTS VALLEY, CAPITOLA, UH, CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO CUT THE COST BY WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, TO GET ONE APPLICATION TOGETHER MAYBE.
UM, THE LAST THING IS, UH, IF I CAN TURN IT BACK TO THAT LIST, I'M TRYING TO SEE THOSE GRADES, RIGHT? THE, LIKE, WHAT THE GRADES ARE FOR, FOR ROADS.
I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST OR SECOND SLIDE.
I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IT WAS.
IS THERE A LIST THAT COMPILES ALL THE LISTS? A LIST THAT COMPILES ALL THE ROADS THAT ARE ON THE, UH, THAT LOWEST TIER, THAT LOWEST GRADE.
- UM, THE REPORT WOULD HAVE A LISTING OF ALL THE, ALL THE ROADS.
I'M SORRY, I'M GOING THE WRONG WAY HERE.
UM, DID I PASS BY IT? - I THINK SO.
- YEAH, THE 24'S AND THE, THE POOR AND THE VERY POOR.
IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE A LIST OF THOSE.
- SO WE DO HAVE, UM, ON OUR GIS SYSTEM, THERE IS A LAYER FOR PAVEMENT CONDITION.
SO YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE THE, THE RED, THE YELLOW, THE BLUE, AND THE GREEN ROADS THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO WE CAN SEND YOU A LINK TO THAT GIS, SO YOU CAN VISUALIZE WHERE THOSE ROADS ARE.
- THAT IDENTIFIES THE ROADS, RIGHT? - IT IDENTIFIES THE ROADS. YES.
I WILL CAVEAT THOUGH THAT, UM, THE CURRENT LAYER IS FROM THE LAST SURVEY IN 2019.
WE'RE GOING TO BE UPDATING THAT AS PART OF THE PROCESS WE'RE IN NOW, LIKE, AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, LIKE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, WE'LL BE UPDATING THE GIS WITH THE CURRENT.
UM, I'LL ALSO TELL YOU THAT THE REPORT THAT'S ATTACHED TO THIS PRESENTATION HAS A LISTING AT THE END OF EVERY SINGLE ROAD AND ITS PAVEMENT CONDITION, SO YOU CAN LOOK IT UP, IT'S SORTED BY, UM, EITHER ALPHABETICAL BY ROAD, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER SAME LISTING SORTED BY PCI AS WELL.
- AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE, UM, THAT WOULD HELP US PAIR PAVEMENT PROJECTS WITH STORM EVACUATION OR CLIMATE RESILIENCE WORK? IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THESE SHARED GOALS? - SO I THINK THAT, UM, AS SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ MENTIONED, THE, SOME OF THE COLLABORATION ON PROJECTS IS REAL.
UH, THE PROJECTS THAT WE SEE THE MOST VALUE IN WOULD BE UTILITY PROJECTS.
AND A GREAT EXAMPLE, THIS PAST YEAR WAS WITH A SEWER PROJECT, A SANITATION REHAB PROJECT WHERE THEY PUT THEIR MONEY IN TO DO THE TRENCH REPAIR.
WE ADDED ON TO THAT TO DO A RESURFACING, AND WE GOT A LOT MORE DONE BY JOINING FORCES.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT WITH OTHER UTILITIES, UH, WITH WATER UTILITIES AND, AND EVEN WITH SOME CITIES, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH CITIES TO TRY TO GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR, YOU KNOW, JOINT EFFORTS.
UH, WITH REGARD TO STORM DAMAGE, IT'S A LITTLE TRICKIER, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO ADD PAVEMENT, UM, WORK TO, UH, STORM DAMAGE SAY A FEMA OR FEDERAL HIGHWAYS PROJECT.
BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PROJECTS TO COLLABORATE WITH TO- TO SPREAD OUR RESOURCES EVEN FURTHER AND WIDER.
AND THAT WAS THE, THE BULLETS YOU SAW ON THE POWERPOINT ABOUT BEING EFFICIENT WAS JUST THAT WAS COLLABORATING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS TO GET MORE OUT OF OUR MONEY.
- AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE GO AFTER THAT RSDP AND STEP MONEY AND THE RTC GRANT CYCLES EVERY OTHER YEAR.
THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW, UM, OUTSIDE LIKE GRANT OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR PAVING, LIKE PAVING'S KIND OF LIMITED IN WHAT, WHAT CAN APPLY TO IT.
BUT YEAH, WE DO THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
ONE YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH CITY OF CAPITOLA, UM, AND HAD THEM IN OUR PROJECT,
[02:50:02]
AND WE ALWAYS INVITE THE LOCAL AGENCIES IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.UM, YEAH, I, I'LL, I'LL SAVE SOME OF MY COMMENTS FOR AFTER WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IT, IT DOES, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY CLEAR TO ALL OF US THAT THIS ISN'T A, YOU KNOW, ALL OR NOTHING STRATEGY.
IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME KIND OF PHASED APPROACH.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WOULD YOU BE RECOMMENDING AS A NEAR TERM STABILIZATION STRATEGY WHILE WE DEVELOP LONGER TERM REVENUE SOURCES? - YEAH, I'LL TAKE THAT ONE.
UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY TRICKY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY NEEDS AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE STORM DAMAGE PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY TO STABILIZE OUR RESURFACING PROGRAM, UH, WE WOULD WANT TO KEEP- WE'D WANT TO PROTECT THAT PROGRAM AND RECOGNIZE THAT, SAY, WHETHER IT'S A STORM DAMAGE PROJECT OR MAYBE ANOTHER PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THOSE IDEAS SEPARATE SO THAT WE CAN STABILIZE OR MAINTAIN THE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING FOR THE RESURFACING PROGRAM.
AS, AS THE PRESENTATION POINTED OUT.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE 5.5 MILLION PLUS THE 3 MILLION OF PATCHWORK, EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION.
I THINK THE BEST APPROACH IS TO TRY TO HOLD ONTO THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT.
AND WHILE WE LOOK FOR NEW REVENUE SOURCES WHILE WE ADVOCATE FOR NEW LEGISLATION, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST STRATEGY GOING FORWARD.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A TEMPTATION TO PULL FROM THOSE DOLLARS TO, TO MEET SOME OTHER NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE STRUGGLE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS UP AGAINST BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO MANAGE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE TO STABILIZE, WE TRY TO HOLD THAT EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT FOR THE PAVEMENT, UH, RESURFACING PROGRAMS. - THANK YOU.
UM, I KNOW IN, IN MY DISTRICT, MY PREDECESSOR WAS FACED WITH THAT DIFFICULT CHOICE OF MOUNT CHARLIE ROAD, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY WASHED OUT AND COMMITTING OUR MEASURE D FUND FOR THE YEAR TO THAT PROJECT AS OPPOSED TO RESURFACING, RIGHT? SO, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE, OF THE TRADEOFFS AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS 'CAUSE THAT WAS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT.
UM, JUST THE LAST QUESTION FROM ME.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY, WE, WE HAVE SUCH LIMITED FUNDING, HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT EQUITY AND COMMUNITY IMPACT, RIGHT? I KNOW WE FOCUS ON MAJOR ARTERIES BUT MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION RIDES ON THE OTHER ROADS.
SO HOW ARE YOU WEIGHING THAT? HOW MIGHT YOU RECOMMEND THE BOARD MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? - DO I TAKE THAT ONE? - YOU GO FOR IT, CASEY.
- UM, SO THOSE GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WE GO AFTER THE RSDP, UH, STEP, THOSE ARE ONLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE LARGER ROUTE.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS BEEN LARGER ROUTE FUNDING.
THE MEASURE D IS MORE DISCRETIONARY TO ANY ROAD.
UM, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WHAT WE DO IS WE GEO BALANCE BY LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF ROADS THAT EACH SUPERVISOR OR DISTRICT MAINTAINS AND WORKING INDIVIDUALLY WITH EACH DISTRICT MEMBER ON, UH, WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEIR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THEIR DISTRICT ARE.
AND TO US, THAT- THAT'S AS APPLICABLE AS WE CAN BE IS, IS LIKE TELL US WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE DONE, DONE.
UM, SO SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION OR A COMMENT? - YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE KIND OF LACKING FUNDING SOURCES, BUT I THINK THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, UH, OUR COUNTY WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE BOARD TO IDENTIFY WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
UM, I THINK THAT THE STP FUNDS AND THE, AND THE RTP FUNDS, I THINK THOSE, UH, GIVEN THAT WE WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE RANGE OF THE PCI RANGE OF ROADS THAT WE HAVE, THE VERY LOW, THE POOR, THE VERY POOR.
I THINK THAT, GIVEN WITH OUR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS, WE CAN IDENTIFY WHICH ROADS WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE, AND THEN WE CAN BETTER COLLABORATE, UH, TO GET THOSE FUNDS FROM, UH, THE STP FUNDS AND THE RTP FUNDS.
I THINK WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITHIN OUR BOARD, I THINK IS A GOOD, UH, EFFORT TO GET MORE FUNDING.
- AND IF I MIGHT MENTION LIKE THE, UH, WE'VE DONE SOME INNER, LIKE WHERE TWO DISTRICTS KIND OF COMBINED TO DO A, UM, MORE COMPETITIVE GRANT PACKAGE.
UH, THE SOCAL MULTIMODAL PHASE 2, DISTRICT 1 AND 2 WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL IN THE RECENT GRANT.
UM, IN THIS CYCLE AND IN LAST CYCLE, DISTRICTS 3 AND 5, UH, WORKED TOGETHER FOR, UH, DIFFERENT EMERGENCY ROUTE RESURFACING PROJECTS.
SO I AGREE THAT THE, THE MORE, UH, COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS DO SEEM TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
[02:55:03]
- I MENTIONED CASSERLY, BUT YOU KNOW, I GO UP RIGHT UP ON FREEDOM WITH DISTRICT 2, AND THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A COLLABORATION.AND SO IS WEST BEACH, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER.
- YEAH, LEE AND WEST BEACH, UM, COMBINED WITH, UH, MURPHY'S AND ROGGE WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PACKAGE IN THE LAST CYCLE.
SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, I'M GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO'D LIKE TO APPROACH FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? THANK YOU.
- HELLO. UM, MY NAME IS SALLY LUE.
I LIVE IN BROOKDALE IN THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY.
I'VE HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. WIESNER.
UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT CULVERTS.
I LIVE ON A FAIRLY STEEP ROAD.
THE CULVERTS ARE INADEQUATE, AND SO WHEN THE, THE RAIN IS HEAVY, THE WATER RUNS ALL OVER THE ROAD AND THEN IT NEEDS REPAIR.
SO HOW, HOW ARE CULVERTS FUNDED AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT KIND OF FUNDING? - GOOD QUESTION.
HOW TEMPTING IS IT IS WE'RE IN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UM, BUT THE BOARD WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU THAT QUESTION WHEN IT COMES BACK TO THE BOARD.
UH, ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ROOM? ANY SPEAKERS ONLINE? - I SEE ONE SPEAKER ONLINE.
BERNIE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
- YEAH. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON OR CLOSE TO IT.
UH, MY ONLY COMMENT AROUND THIS IS THAT AS THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, GOES THROUGH ITS CROSSES AND IDENTIFYING THE MOST NEED, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NEED.
AND, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT LOOKING INTO ROADS, RIGHT? THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO, UH, TO RECREATION AREAS, [INAUDIBLE] WE HAVE THE BEACH, PARK AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT TALKING SPECIFICALLY TO WEST BEACH, YOU KNOW, THAT CORRIDOR THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO, UH, UH, PALM BEACH, AND THAT AREA THAT THIS COUNTY ALSO LOOKS INTO PRIORITIZING THAT AREA BECAUSE I DON'T- I'M IN MY 42 YEARS OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, I'VE ONLY SEEN PATCHES IN THAT ROAD AND THROUGHOUT THAT, THIS WHOLE TIME I'VE, I'VE SEEN SAN ANDREAS ROAD, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO IT, RIGHT? UM, IT'S ALWAYS GETTING, YOU KNOW, RESURFACED AND PAVED AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT ALSO GOES THROUGH, UH, RENAISSANCE HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, IT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO, UH, MANRESA STATE BEACH.
BUT WEST BEACH HAS NEVER, NEVER REALLY GOTTEN THE ATTENTION IT NEEDS.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT, UM, PROVIDING A SAFE, UM, CORRIDOR FOR, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIANS, FOR BICYCLISTS, YOU KNOW, FOR VEHICLES AND STUFF, TO, UM, YEAH, TO HAVE- TO FEEL ENCOURAGED TO GO TO THE BEACH, TO GET OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY DETERIORATED ROAD AND STUFF.
AND SO, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I HOPE THIS COUNTY JUST KIND OF KEEPS THAT ONE IN MIND, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU.
- I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
I'M GONNA BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD AND I'LL START BY ASKING, UM, FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE QUESTION ABOUT CULVERTS.
- I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.
UM, WE CERTAINLY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CULVERTS AS WELL, COUNTYWIDE.
UM, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE UNDERTAKEN A PRETTY SYSTEMATIC WIDE ASSESSMENT OF OUR CULVERTS.
WE KNOW WHERE A LOT OF THE BAD ONES ARE, UM, IN THE CONTEXT OF PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT.
WHEN WE DO HAVE A PAVING PROJECT, UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'LL DO IS WE WILL LOOK AT THE CULVERTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PROJECT ZONE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT PAVING OVER A BAD CULVERT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE WE CAN MAKE REPAIRS PRIOR TO THE PROJECT, UM, BEING IMPLEMENTED, UH, OFTENTIMES WE'LL DO THAT WITH OUR CREWS.
SOME OF THE LARGER ONES, THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONES ARE HARDER TO GET TO, AND THEY, THEY NEED TO LIKE, UH, HAVE A LONGER TERM FINANCIAL PLAN FOR REPAIRS.
UM, BUT WE DO, WE DO PAY ATTENTION TO 'EM, AND WE KNOW THERE'S HUGE NEEDS COUNTYWIDE FOR OUR CULVERTS.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION OR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, LET'S GO WITH SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
- SO, YEAH, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION IF MANU ISN'T INTENDING TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, I WANTED TO CHECK IF, UH, WITH THE SB1 FUNDS, UH, DOES THAT APPLY TO, LIKE CULVERTS THAT ARE DAMAGED DURING EMERGENCIES? AND IF SO, CAN WE SAVE THOSE, UH, THAT FUNDING POT FOR THOSE CULVERTS, SORT OF PUT IT IN OUR BACK POCKET
[03:00:03]
UNTIL WE ACTUALLY RESURFACE THAT ROAD AND THEN APPLY IT, THE EMERGENCY FUNDS FROM SB1 TO THE CULVERTS? I WAS JUST, IT'S A QUESTION I'M WONDERING IN MY OWN HEAD.UM, DURING EMERGENCIES, YOU KNOW, WE RESPOND IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND, UM, SB1 NOT NECESSARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINED AS THE FUNDING SOURCE RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
UM, IT HAS BECOME OUR LOCAL MATCH, UM, BY AND LARGE FOR THE LARGER FEDERAL DISASTERS THAT GET DECLARED, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH FEMA OR THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM, WHICH ARE BIGGER ROADS.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON SB1 OVERALL IN THE COUNTY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR EMERGENCY PROJECTS, FOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, AND ALSO IT'S STARTING TO BE USED ALSO FOR OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND SO THE SB1 FUNDS ARE, THEY'RE SPREAD FAR AND WIDE, ACTUALLY, THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY NOW, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO BE USED BY JUST ABOUT EVERY, EVERY PART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORTATION DIVISION'S BUDGET.
- SO I KNOW THERE'S UNCERTAINTY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITH FEMA BUT CAN THOSE FEMA EMERGENCY FUNDS BE USED FOR CULVERTS? BUT IS THERE A TIMELINE WHERE THEY GOT TO BE USED BY, OR CAN WE WAIT, PUT IN OUR BACK POCKET UNTIL WE RESURFACE THE ROAD? - YEAH, NO, IF WE GET A FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTER, UM, WE HAVE REALLY TIGHT TIMELINES, TOO, AND THOSE FUNDS REMAKE THE REPAIRS, AND ALSO, UM, PROVIDE AND IDENTIFY THE LOCAL MATCH.
YEAH. I THINK IT'S WORTH DISCUSSING A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU RAISED, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UH, AND THAT WAS ALSO KIND OF RAISED DURING THE PRESENTATION.
I MEAN, THE FIRST IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MENTIONED MEASURE D WAS MENTIONED AS A SOURCE OF FUNDS.
AND IT'S, IT'S TRUE THAT THAT HAS BEEN, UH, A GAME CHANGER.
AND IT'S REALLY, UH, BEEN USEFUL IN PROVIDING A NEW LOCAL SOURCE PARTICULARLY FOR, UH, FOR LOCAL ROADS.
THE PROBLEM I'VE SEEN ON MY TIME IN THIS BOARD IS THAT BECAUSE IT IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR ROADS, WE INCREASINGLY HAVE TO DRAW UPON IT FOR LOCAL MATCH FOR THE ARTERIAL AND COLLECTOR PROJECTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN DISTRICT 1 THIS YEAR, I DON'T THINK WE'RE REPAVING A SINGLE LOCAL ROAD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO USE THE ENTIRETY OF MEASURE D AS MATCH TO PULL DOWN THAT STATE MONEY, UH, AND, UH, DO THE REPAIRS ON SOQUEL SAN JOSE ROAD.
I MEAN, IT'S AN ARTERIAL WITH A TON OF TRAFFIC.
IT, IT'S A EASY DECISION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT STILL MEANS THAT THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TO THE LOCAL ROADS WHICH ARE DETERIORATING THE FASTEST AT THIS POINT.
UM, IT'S ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THE $5.5 MILLION, I MEAN, IT INCLUDES THAT, THAT- THAT STATE MONEY, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE ALSO RELIED ON.
AND SO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, YOU MENTIONED, WELL, YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN IDENTIFY THESE PROJECTS AND GET THAT STATE MONEY. YEAH.
THAT, THAT'S COUNTED ALREADY HERE, RIGHT? THAT IS NOT NEW MONEY THAT'S GONNA GET US FROM THE 5.5 MILLION TO THE 20, WHAT IS IT? 27.5, 29.5 MILLION THAT WE NEED JUST TO MAINTAIN THE NETWORK.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF, BECAUSE THIS IDEA OF NEW REVENUES, IT'S LIKE, WELL, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT MORE TAXES. RIGHT? UM, LET ME READ YOU SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I KEEP GETTING BACK WHENEVER THIS, THIS ISSUE IS RAISED WITH CONSTITUENTS.
DEBBIE SAYS, WE PAY TAXES AND WE EXPECT OUR ROADS TO BE USEFUL.
HAPPY VALLEY ROAD IS DEFINITELY NOT.
AND WE'LL, WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO COME OUT HERE AND SEE WHAT WE DEAL WITH EVERY DAY? DR. BRIAN SAYS, PERHAPS IT'S FINALLY TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING, CUTTING COUNTY EXPENDITURES, REALLOCATE INVESTMENT, IN ORDER TO BRING THE AVERAGE PAYMENT CONDITION INDEX UP TO 70.
I AM NOT ON BOARD FOR ANY TAXATION OR FEE HIKE TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, JUST ANECDOTALLY, JAMES SAYS, REDWOOD LODGE HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED IN EVEN FAIR CONDITION FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
DRAINAGE DITCHES, IMPROPERLY CLEARED WEEDS, BLOCK DRAINAGE AND POTHOLE REPAIRS THAT ARE NOT DONE PROPERLY CAUSING THEM TO FAIL AGAIN WITHIN MONTHS.
I THINK THAT THE RE- ONE OF THE DANGERS HERE IN NOT REPAIRING OUR ROADS IS THAT THE PUBLIC WILL LOSE TRUST IN US WHEN IT COMES TO ANY GENERAL TAX MEASURE.
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE LA- LOOK AT MEASURE K, HOW DID WE SELL IT? ROADS. MEASURE G? ROADS.
I MEAN, YES, IT WAS A NUMBER OF THINGS BUT ROADS ALWAYS PULLS THE HIGHEST.
AND WE USE IT TO SELL EVERY ONE OF THESE MEASURES, EVEN IF WE ONLY THEN ALLOCATE 10% AT BEST OF THAT MEASURE.
AND SO, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE THE TRUST OF VOTERS, AND THEY'RE SIMPLY GOING TO STOP APPROVING NEW MEASURES.
UM, I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THAT, I MEAN, WE JUST, WE, WE CAN- I MEAN, EVEN IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HEARD FROM RESPONDENTS, ROADS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
IT'S THE ONE COUNTY SERVICE WE ALL USE EVERY DAY.
AND OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES DO NOT REFLECT THIS IN THE LEAST.
I MEAN, WE'RE SPENDING THREE AND A HALF MILLION
[03:05:01]
OUT OF A $250 MILLION GENERAL FUND ON ROADS.I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE BARELY MORE THAN 1%. IT'S NOT 2%.
IF WE WANT TO FIX THE ROADS, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY ACT LIKE IT IN OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
THERE'S JUST NO OTHER WAY IN THE SHORT TERM.
AND YES, WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE STATE TO GET, YOU KNOW, MORE TAXES ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND- AND TRYING TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF- SOME ROADS OR LIKE SOME CSAS MANAGED TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP A LITTLE BIT.
BUT UNLESS WE MAKE A MAJOR COMMITMENT FROM OUR GENERAL FUND, THIS PROBLEM IS GONNA JUST GOING TO GET WORSE.
UH, AND, AND LESS AND LESS MANAGEABLE TOO.
I MEAN, THE OTHER THING TO- TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS THAT ONE WAY WE HAVE MANAGED THIS SYSTEM OVER THE LAST YEARS IS BY CRISIS, IS BY DISASTER.
BECAUSE WHEN THE ROADS FAIL, HEY, DISASTER DECLARATION, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES IN WITH 75% THROUGH FEMA, AND THE STATE COMES IN WITH ANOTHER 12.5%. GREAT.
87.5% IS PAID FOR BY EXTERNAL SOURCES, AND WE CAN KIND OF KEEP SKATING ON BY.
THE PROBLEM IS MORE DISASTERS.
NOW, FEMA, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH PRESSURE ON FEMA THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO NOT RECOGNIZE MAJOR STORM EVENTS AS DISASTERS.
THEY'RE- WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THOSE REPAIRS FAST ENOUGH.
AND AS WE'RE SEEING WITH THE 16, 17 STORMS NOW, WE HAVEN'T COMPLETED THOSE REPAIRS IN A TIMELY ENOUGH MANNER, AND THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE GONNA GET REIMBURSED MIGHT NOT BE.
AND SO, THAT STRATEGY IS NO LONGER GOING TO WORK EITHER.
UM, AGAIN, IF WE DON'T MAKE A COMMITMENT WITH OUR GENERAL FUND WHICH IS PROPERTY TAXES, IT IS THE MONEY PEOPLE PAY ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR PROPERTY AND THEY NEED A ROAD TO GET TO THEIR PROPERTY.
SO, UM, FOR ALL THESE REASONS, UH, MY MOTION IS THAT WE ASK, UH, FOR OUR CEO'S OFFICE TO PREPARE AN ADDITIONAL BUDGET SCENARIO FOR REVIEW DURING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET HEARINGS THAT ALLOCATES 10% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, APPROXIMATELY $25 MILLION TO THE HIGHEST, UH, ROAD NEED REPAIR OR HIGHEST NEED ROAD REPAIRS, UH, IN THIS COMING YEAR.
- WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? HEARING NONE, THE MOTION DIES.
I'LL NOW MOVE ON TO, UM, SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
- YEAH, I MEAN, I, I HEAR, I FEEL THE SAME WAY, FRANKLY.
UM, I DON'T THINK I CAN SECOND THAT MOTION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, UM, WE CAN AFFORD IT AS A COUNTY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PRESSURES ON US INCLUDING, UM, BONDING FOR LACK OF FEMA REIMBURSEMENT ON, YOU KNOW, STORMS IN THE PAST.
AND THOSE, THOSE NOTES ARE COMING DUE NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT, UM, THE PRESSURE OF RECENT NEGOTIATIONS OF OUR, UM, HARDWORKING STAFF, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF TAKING $25 MILLION OUT OF THE BUDGET, UM, IS PRUDENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MONEY FOR ROADS.
YOU, YOU KNOW THAT, BECAUSE I TALK ABOUT IT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE MEET.
- I WILL NOTE THAT IT WAS JUST A MOTION THAT PREPARED AN ALTERNATIVE BUDGET SCENARIO SO WE CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS IS LIKE.
AND AGAIN, 10% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES, I MEAN, THIS IS THE THING THAT, THAT LEVEL WILL BARELY HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY.
I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CAN CREDIT TO THE TAXPAYERS ALL DAY LONG.
OH, NO, WE ONLY GET 13% OF THE PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT IF WE WON'T EVEN SPEND 2% OF THE TAXES THAT WE DO GET, I MEAN, THAT DOESN'T PASS THE STRAIGHT FACE TEST.
I WANNA- I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
UM, AND I DO JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS HELPING RUN MEASURE K, THAT YES, ROADS WAS A COMPONENT, BUT THERE WERE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IN THIS COMMUNITY THEY WANT TO SEE FUNDING GO TOWARDS.
THEY WANTED TO SEE FUNDING GO TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY WANNA SEE FUNDING GO TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS.
THEY WANNA SEE- AND EVEN NOW, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING IN TERMS OF CUTS TO HEALTHCARE.
SO, PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE HAVING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND THE STRAIN THAT THAT'S GONNA PUT ON MANY OF OUR HOSPITALS AND THE COST OF THAT'S GONNA COME TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, I APPRECIATE IN A PERFECT WORLD, AND DURING A PERFECT SCENARIO, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATING 10% OF OUR BUDGET TOWARDS ROAD MAY MAKE SENSE, BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF COMPETING PRIORITIES HERE.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WHAT WILL BE A SCENARIO IF WE TOOK 10% OF THAT AND PUT IT TOWARDS WORKFORCE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE AS FAR TO GO TO WORK, AND INSTEAD THEY CAN LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY SERVE AND WHERE THEY WORK.
I MEAN, WE COULD START THROWING OUT NUMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE REALITY THAT WHEN OUR BUDGET COMES FORWARD, AND MAYBE THERE CAN BE SOME, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION DISCUSSION WHEN THE MID-YEAR BUDGET COMES UP.
BUT I AM ASSUMING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE
[03:10:02]
IN A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FINANCIAL SITUATION.AND I THINK THAT'S THE REALITY THAT WE ALL NEED TO ADDRESS AND THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE IMPACTS FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THAT WE ARE GONNA BE VERY FISCALLY CHALLENGED JUST TO KEEP OUR SERVICES THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD AND AFLOAT.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE CONCERN THAT'S BEEN RAISED, UM, BUT THAT'S THE REASON WHY I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION.
BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD TODAY, I HOPE THAT THE CEO'S OFFICE CAN BRING BACK AN UPDATE ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT FISCALLY THIS YEAR, WHAT THAT'S GONNA MEAN IN TERMS OF CUTS, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO ROADS DURING OUR, UM, MID-YEAR BUDGET.
AND I, I DO HOPE WE'RE BEING MINDFUL.
THIS IS THE, WE HAVE, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN ON OUR AGENDA.
WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 MORE REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS PLUS CLOSED SESSION AND IT'S NOON.
SO JUST HOPE WE CAN BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME WE'RE TAKING ON THESE CONVERSATIONS AND KEEP THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
- I SEE THE CEO COBURN HAS A COMMENT.
- YEAH. SO, CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SO WE ARE BRINGING THE MIDYEAR BUDGET FORECAST ON FEBRUARY 10TH.
AND SO, AT THAT MEETING, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27, AND THEN GOING INTO THE OUT YEARS.
UM, WE ARE IN A VERY TIGHT SITUATION WITH OUR GROWING COSTS AND THE IMPACTS FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE BUDGET.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT REDUCTIONS GOING OUT INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND MOVING FORWARD.
UH, JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY, WE RECEIVE ABOUT $250 MILLION IN GENERAL DISCRETIONARY RESOURCES REVENUES.
WE ARE ONLY GONNA HAVE ABOUT, UM, A LITTLE UNDER $6 MILLION IN GROWTH FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE SPREAD ACROSS ALL OF OUR GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS.
SO EVEN IF YOU JUST TOOK THAT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER 20 MILLION IN CUTS TO GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS ON TOP OF THE GROWTH AND DEPARTMENTS WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT CUTS.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE CAN COME BACK AT THE MIDYEAR AND GIVE YOU THE FULL PICTURE AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOU.
- THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
- YOU KNOW, ROADS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT IN DISTRICT 4.
UM, BUT I WANNA ASK SUPERVISOR KOENIG IS, UH, THIS IS SIMPLY A, A STUDY FOR STAFF TO COME BACK TO US WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE, CORRECT? - UH, THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH.
- OKAY. SO IT'S KIND OF A DAUNTING TASK GIVEN OUR BUDGET, RIGHT? UH, 10%, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A STUDY THAT'S MORE INCREMENTAL OR TIERED.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE BELOW 2% RIGHT NOW FOR ROAD FUNDING, EVEN IF WE JUST DID 1.5, THAT WOULD DOUBLE OUR FUNDS.
BUT IF WE DID A 10 YEAR PLAN TO GO 1% EVERY YEAR, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR US TO, TO, TO, I GUESS, CHEW ON THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR BUDGET OR IF WE DID, YOU KNOW, JUST 1% EVERY TWO YEARS, AND THEN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, GO TO 2% UNTIL WE REACH 10% AT SOME POINT.
BUT I THINK GIVEN OUR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, IT, IT'S A TOUGH TIME TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, EVEN FOR 26-27 TO BEGIN SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT GIVEN THAT THIS IS A STUDY, IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO DO A MORE TIERED APPROACH OR A INCREMENTAL APPROACH TO THIS, UH, THAT STAFF CAN BRING BACK TO US, I WOULD SUPPORT IT.
- SURE. I, I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WITH THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT THE CEO'S OFFICE PREPARE, UM, BUDGET SCENARIOS THAT WOULD GET US TO THE MINIMAL LEVEL OF FUNDING NEEDED TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT PCI CONSIDERING ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING INCREASED GENERAL FUND REVENUES, UH, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER, UH, REVENUE MEASURES THAT COULD BE CONCEIVED.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
IS THERE A SECOND? - YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL SECOND THIS, BUT I THINK THAT ALSO TO REALLY WORK WITH OUR FINANCE, UH, TEAM AND OUR CEO'S OFFICE TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND OF ALL THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACING UH, AFTER THE FEDERAL PUTS OUT THEIR, THEIR BUDGETS.
- COULD I ASK WHAT THE TIMELINE IS FOR THIS? 'CAUSE THIS MIGHT TAKE, THIS WILL TAKE MORE THAN WHAT- COMING BACK AT MID-YEAR FOR THE FORECAST.
SO ARE YOU ENVISIONING THIS AS PART OF THE BUDGET? - FOR BUDGET HEARINGS IN MAY, JUNE.
- SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UM, I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A FEW COMMENTS.
FIRST OFF, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, IT REALLY PAINTED THE PICTURE
[03:15:02]
OF A PRETTY DAUNTING SITUATION THAT OUR COUNTY IS FACING.UM, LIKE I THINK ALL FIVE OF US, MY OFFICE RECEIVES MORE CALLS AND CONCERNS ABOUT ROADS THAN MOST ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, AND SO IT IS A, A CRITICAL PART OF THE SERVICES OUR COUNTY PROVIDES TO THE PUBLIC, UM, ESPECIALLY ON RAILROADS WHERE ROADS ARE A LIFELINE FOR FOLKS.
I THINK WHAT THE STUDY MAKES CLEAR TO ME, THOUGH, IS THAT THIS ISN'T A GENERAL FUND ONLY PROBLEM, WE'VE GOT TO LOOK- WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS WITH GENERAL FUND ONLY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK CREATIVELY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCES.
I AM ENCOURAGED TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL FINANCE, UM, FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS WHO CAN DO THAT DEEP DIVE FOR US.
AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT DIRECTION.
UM, AND I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL PICTURE THAT OUR COUNTY IS FACING AND THE PRESSURE THAT OUR CEO'S OFFICE AND EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IS FACING RELATED TO THE PROPOSED, UM, BUDGET FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THE IMPACTS OF HR1, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I'M THINKING ABOUT HEALTHCARE AND HEALTH SERVICES.
I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR CRITICAL HUMAN SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
IT- IT RUNS THE GAMUT. OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM IS AT RISK.
SO, SO I'M NOT GONNA BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION TODAY, NOT BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING THE WORK TO IDENTIFY WHERE AND HOW WE ALLOCATE OUR PRECIOUS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE ROADS GOAL, BUT BECAUSE I KNOW THE PRESSURE THAT ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE UNDER TO DO CUTS IN THE CURRENT P- IN THE CURRENT SITUATION.
AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SCENARIO, ALMOST, WE HAVE A CRISIS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TODAY.
WE DON'T NEED A SELF-IMPOSED CRISIS BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO MEET A SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE AROUND ROADS.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
THIS IS RISING TO THE TOP OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
WE CAN FOLLOW THE STEPS THAT ARE ALREADY OUTLINED TO SURFACE HOW TO ADDRESS THIS, UM, WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING THE COMPETING PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SO, UM, I AM GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND IF NOT, I'LL ASK FOR, UM, AN ADDITIONAL, A DIFFERENT MOTION, UM, TO PASS THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
- WELL, CHAIR, HOW ABOUT THIS? I WILL WITHDRAW MY MOTION, UH, AND OFFER A DIFFERENT MOTION, WHICH IS THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS PLUS ASKING, UH, THE CEO'S OFFICE TO COME BACK, I MEAN, ROUGHLY THE SAME TIMEFRAME STILL.
SO, BY, UH, THE END OF JUNE OF 2026 WITH, UH, SOME MODELING FOR HOW- WHAT REVENUE SOURCES WOULD ALLOW US TO MEET THE MINIMAL FUNDING, UH, REQUIREMENTS TO SIMPLY MAINTAIN, UH, THE PCI ON OUR ROADS.
UM, AND ALSO TO CONSIDER SOME OF THE STORM DAMAGE NEEDS AND CULVERT NEEDS AS WELL.
- IS THERE A SECOND? - SO THAT GIVES THE CEO'S OFFICE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO OUT AND DISCOVER AND FIND AND OF COURSE, CDI.
I MEAN, LOOK, WE'VE HEARD, OH, MAYBE THE GAS TAX, YOU KNOW, REVISION OF THE GAS TAX WILL SAVE US.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME LOCAL FUNDING MEASURE WE COULD DO, MAYBE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THREW OUT THEIR GENERAL FUND.
MAYBE IT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE SOME COMBINATION OF ALL OF THESE.
UM, AND IN FACT, I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT IN MY 10% MOTION, THAT ONLY GETS US $25 MILLION, AND WE NEED BASICALLY 50 TO MAKE THIS NETWORK STABLE.
SO ALREADY THERE WAS SOME IMPLIED, UH, GAP CLOSING WE WOULD NEED TO DO THERE.
BUT IN ANY CASE, A PLAN IS NOT A, OR A PRAYER IS NOT A PLAN.
WE NEED A PLAN, RIGHT? UM, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT WILL GO AWAY.
THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT WILL GO AWAY JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CRISES.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN FACING CRISES FROM THE CZU FIRE TO THE PANDEMIC.
I MEAN, AND OUR ROADS ARE, ARE A CRISIS AMONG THEM.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL THIS IS ASKING FOR SOME PLAN ON HOW TO CLOSE THE GAP.
- WELL, UM, I WAS ABOUT TO, WELL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SECOND IT.
YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THIS IS JUST BASICALLY A PLAN OR A ROADMAP TO SHOW US HOW TO GET THERE, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE TRIP, GO ON VACATION, RIGHT, WITH THE- IT'S JUST A ROADMAP.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE IT IN OUR BACK POCKET,
[03:20:02]
POSSIBLY NOT THIS YEAR, POSSIBLY NEXT YEAR, WE COULD USE IT OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, OR WHO KNOWS, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE, WE COULD, UH, USE THIS ROADMAP TO SHOW US HOW TO GET THERE IN AN INCREMENTAL WAY.UM, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, GOOD TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE SHOULD GO, AT LEAST.
- THANK YOU. WAS THAT A SECOND? - YES.
- OKAY. SO, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UM, SUPERVISOR KOENIG, I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO MODIFY YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, I THINK WE ARE ALL FEELING THE CONCERN THAT YOU'RE FEELING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT TO KIND OF SOFTEN THE WORKLOAD FOR OUR STAFF WHO ARE FACING SO MUCH, UM, AND, AND I WILL SUPPORT HOW YOU'RE PRESENTING THIS.
BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL IN ALIGNMENT THAT WE NEED CLEAR OPTIONS SO WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE FACING THE COMPETING PRIORITIES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, I'LL ASK FOR A ROLL CALL.
IT IS 12:19, AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GET THROUGH THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
DO WE... SHOULD WE TRY THAT? NO. OKAY. I'M GETTING A NO. OKAY.
WELL, A WISH IS NOT A PLAN, I GUESS.
SO I'M GONNA ADJOURN FOR LUNCH AND, UM, WE WILL BE BACK AT 1:30.
- AND THERE'S NOTHING REPORTABLE FROM CLOSED SESSION.
- AND THERE'S NOTHING REPORTABLE FROM CLOSED SESSION.
ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
UM, WE HAVE NOTHING REPORTABLE FROM CLOSED SESSION AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
[8. Consider progress report on “Streamline Santa Cruz County” project, and take related actions]
CONSIDER PROGRESS REPORT ON STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROJECT AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.SO, UM, AS A REMINDER OF PROCESS, WE'RE GONNA HEAR A STAFF PRESENTATION, BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS, GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION AND DISCUSSION.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MR. MACHADO, OUR DIRECTOR OF CDI, AND MS. JANSEN, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MARTINEZ, AND BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, AS YOU SAID, MY NAME IS MATT MACHADO.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND WITH ME TODAY IS JOCELYN JANSEN.
SHE'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF ALL THINGS PERMITTING.
AND SO, WE WILL CO-PRESENT THIS ITEM TODAY.
UM, I'M GONNA- BEFORE WE KICK OFF AND GET INTO THIS QUARTERLY REPORT, I WANT TO SET THE CONTEXT FOR WHAT WE DO AS AN AGENCY FOR THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO APPLY THE STATE BUILDING CODE TO DEVELOPMENT FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT COMMUNITY IS, IS FAIRLY LARGE.
IT'S- OUR ACTUAL UNINCORPORATED POPULATION IS 130,000 PEOPLE.
AND OUR COMMUNITY LIVES IN, IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT URBAN CENTERS, WHETHER IT'S THE COASTAL AREAS FROM, YOU KNOW, PAJARO DUNES, LA SELVA SEASCAPE, RIO DEL MAR, SEACLIFF, UH, APTOS, SOQUEL.
UH, AND THEN YOU GET INTO PLEASURE POINT AND LIVE OAK, GET INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND YOU'VE GOT BIN LOMAN, OR FELTON BEN LOMAN, BOULDER CREEK, AND THEN ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTH TO DAVENPORT.
AND SO, OUR COMMUNITY LIVES IN A LOT OF URBAN AREAS, WHERE WE OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR BUILDING CODES.
UH, AND THEN NOT TO MENTION THAT THAT AREA SPANS MORE THAN 400 SQUARE MILES.
AND SO, THAT'S THE MAGNITUDE OF, OF THE, OF THE PROJECTS AND THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE KICK OFF THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE APPLYING THE BUILDING CODE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THIS LARGE COMMUNITY IS A VERY LARGE TASK.
OKAY, SO TODAY WE, WE PLAN TO COVER, UH, WE'LL DO A BRIEF RECAP OF THE WORK PLAN, INCLUDING OUR TIMEFRAME, OUR TIMELINE, THE PURPOSE AND GOALS.
UH, WE'LL DIG INTO, UH, THE WORK PROGRAM AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN WE GET TO QUESTIONS, WE DO HAVE OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AVAILABLE.
WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY SO, UH, WE OPEN- WE'RE OPEN TO, UM, A DIALOGUE, HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UH, BACK IN JUNE OF '25, YOUR BOARD APPROVED, UH, OUR WORK PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TODAY, AND A PART OF THAT DIRECTION IS TO COME BACK AS FOR QUARTERLY UPDATES, AND THAT'S TODAY, WE'RE GIVING YOU AN UPDATE.
UH, OCTOBER 21ST WAS OUR FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND, UM, AND SO WE'LL BE GETTING INTO THE DETAILS.
WE ALSO ADDED, UH, YOUR BOARD ADDED MORE DETAIL TO THE CZU IMPACTED REGIONS AND RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE A DETAILED, UH, REPORT ON SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS TO DATE.
SO, UM, BAKER TILLY IDENTIFIED THREE MAIN THEMES AS PART OF THEIR ASSESSMENT AND SO, UH, THOSE INCLUDE
[03:25:02]
THAT THE PERMIT PROCESS IS COMPLEX TO NAVIGATE, UH, FOR BOTH STAFF AND THE PUBLIC.UH, THAT WE DO NEED PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WITH THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND, UM, SO THERE'S CONSISTENCY AMONGST REVIEWERS, AND OVERALL STREAMLINING IN ALL PHASES OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND THEN LASTLY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, UH, COULD BE IMPROVED VIA ROBUST ONLINE TOOLS.
UM, AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT THAT WE'LL COVER TODAY IN THE ESSENCE OF, UH, IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE IS BETTER AND MORE COMMUNICATION, WHICH WE THINK DOES EQUAL BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND SO THAT'S JUST AN OPENER TO OUR QUARTERLY REPORT TODAY.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOCELYN TO DIG INTO THE, THE DETAILS OF OUR ITEMS TODAY.
ALRIGHT. SO YES, I'M JOCELYN, EVERYBODY KNOWS ME HERE, I THINK.
AND I AM HERE TO COVER THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ WORK PROGRAM IN MORE DETAIL, AS MATT SAID.
UM, AND AS MATT TOUCHED ON, BAKER TILLY IDENTIFIED THREE KEY FOCUS AREAS WHERE THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR PERMITTING PROCESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND SO, AFTER, UH, THEY DID THAT INITIAL REVIEW OF OUR SERVICES.
WE COORDINATED WITH BAKER TILLY AND A STEERING COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP A WORK PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED 14 ITEMS. AND THAT WORK PROGRAM WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD LAST JUNE.
UM, AND THE WORK PROGRAM INITIALLY INCLUDED 14 DISTINCT PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, ONCE WE BEGAN DIGGING INTO THE PROJECTS, WE, UH, REALIZED THAT FOUR OF THEM WERE REALLY CLOSELY INTERCONNECTED AND INTERDEPENDENT, SO WE COMBINED FOUR OF THOSE PROJECTS INTO TWO.
SO WE ARE NOW DOWN TO A 12-PROJECT WORK PROGRAM.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT ALL OF THE PROJECTS ON THIS WORK PROGRAM ARE INTERCONNECTED AND ALL OF THEM DO ADDRESS MORE OR ONE FOCUS AREAS AS HIGHLIGHTED BY BAKER TILLY.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON ALL 12 OF THESE PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE THREE THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD AS YOU'LL SEE, IT'S THE STANDARDIZING POLICIES.
OH, I'M SORRY, IT'S THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM AND ENHANCED COLLABORATION ACROSS BUILDING PERMIT DEPENDENT SERVICES.
AND THE REASON WHY THESE ARE ON HOLD IS BECAUSE THESE ARE MULTI-AGENCY, LONG-TERM, LONG RANGE, UH, WORK PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS EVALUATING THESE PROJECTS.
THEY ARE STILL A PRIORITY, AND WE WILL BE, UM, DEVELOPING WORK PROGRAMS AROUND THESE ITEMS, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND I'LL REPORT BACK ON THOSE IN OUR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT.
SO IN THE BOARD PACKET, THERE'S A DETAILED, UM, DISCUSSION ON ALL 12 WORK PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, AND YOU HAVE HEARD, UH, ME REPORT ON- OR OUR TEAM REPORT ON A FEW OF THEM AT THE PRIOR MEETINGS, BUT WE WANTED TO TOUCH ON, UM, A FEW OF THE ONES THAT ARE HIGH PRIORITY AND ACTIVELY, UM, BEING WORKED ON NOW.
AND SO, I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THESE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE WORK PLAN PROJECTS ONE AND FIVE, THE COMPREHENSIVE CODE UPDATE AND ANNUAL CODE UPDATE, WORK PLAN PROJECT TWO, INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY WORK PLAN PROJECTS 4 AND 10, STANDARDIZING PROCEDURES, WORK PLAN EIGHT, ROBUST PRE-APPLICATION SERVICES AND WORK PLAN PROJECT 14, WHICH IS THE CZU REBUILD EFFORTS.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON, UM, THE PROJECT ONE AND FIVE FIRST.
THAT'S THE COUNTY CODE UPDATES.
SO, UM, PROJECT 1 ENTAILS THE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ALL OF OUR LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CODES.
THAT INCLUDES TITLE 13, TITLE 16, TITLE 18, AND CHAPTER 7.38.
THIS IS A LONG-TERM WORK PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE CONSULTANT ASSISTANCE.
WE DID RELEASE A REQUEST FOR, UH, QUALIFICATIONS, UM, IN JANUARY.
THE BUDGET FOR THE FIRST YEAR'S WORK IS INCLUDED IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH IS COMING TO THE BOARD SHORTLY.
HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL PHASES AND BUDGET REQUESTS WILL BE NEEDED AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE WORK PROGRAM, AS IT IS A MULTI-YEAR WORK PROGRAM.
PROJECT 5 IS OUR ANNUAL UPDATES TO COUNTY CODE, TO STREAMLINE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AND MAKE CORRECTIONS THAT DON'T RESULT IN CEQA IMPACTS.
THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE MINOR, MINOR AS IN, YOU KNOW, CORRECTING, UM, INCORRECT CODE CITATIONS WHERE WE HAVE SOME DISCREPANCIES IN THE CODE, UM, CLARIFYING SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE CODE WHERE THERE'S AMBIGUITY BUT NOT CHANGING THE INTENT OF THE CODE. ITEMS LIKE THAT.
[03:30:03]
AND IF THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC WAS TO REVIEW A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE CODE UPDATES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, THEY ARE ATTACHED IN, UM, THE STAFF REPORT AND APPENDIX B AND THAT FIRST PACKAGE OF CODE AMENDMENTS WHICH WILL HAPPEN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THE MINOR ONES IS GOING TO BE BEFORE YOUR BOARD THIS SPRING.SO, NEXT, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY.
SO THIS IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WORK PROGRAM ON THE WORK, ON OUR LIST.
SO I WOULD JUST WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST YEAR OR MORE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR, UH, PERMITTING PROCESSES.
WE REALLY FEEL THAT OUR APPLICANTS AND, UM, THE PUBLIC AND OUR STAFF CAN BENEFIT FROM SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TECHNOLOGY AREA.
AND TECHNOLOGY IS INTERTWINED WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE, OF COURSE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS THAT TARGET BOTH.
WE INITIALLY HAD ONE GIANT WORK PROGRAM THAT WAS GOING TO TACKLE LIKE FULL ON TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE, THE, UH, THIS WORK PROGRAM, WE REALIZED THAT THIS IS A PRETTY HEAVY LIFT TO DO A, A MAJOR UPGRADE OF OUR TECHNOLOGY OR REPLACEMENTS.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE BIFURCATED THIS WORK PROGRAM INTO TWO DISTINCT, UM, UH, TIERED WORK PROGRAMS WHICH IS SHORT-TERM STRATEGIES AND A STRATEGY.
AND WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT EFFORT AND MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SHORT TERM, SHORT TERM STRATEGY, UH, BUCKET.
THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY PROGRAM IS ON HOLD TO ALLOW ISD AND UPC STAFF TO PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT PERMITTING SOFTWARE, AS WELL AS TO PERFORM ADDITIONAL RESEARCH INTO AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, I DID WANNA NOTE BEFORE I DIG INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THE UPC HAS BEEN DOING, WHICH IS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IS, IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSITIONING TO A NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO THEY'RE AHEAD OF US IN TACKLING TECHNOLOGY, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE UPGRADE IS ANTICIPATED TO MERGE FIVE OF THEIR DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS INTO ONE INTEGRATED SYSTEM WHICH WILL RESULT IN EFFICIENCIES FOR STAFF AND GREATER COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S AN EXCITING WORK PROGRAM THAT EH HAS UNDERGONE.
BUT BACK TO THE UPC, UM, WE'VE REALLY STARTED THESE EFFORTS WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE NEW CDI WEBSITE AND WE CONTINUE TO UPGRADE OUR WEBSITE, UH, DAILY OR ON A WEEKLY BASIS AS WE REALIZE THAT WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE'RE PROVIDING ACCESS TO BETTER ACCURATE INFORMATION, STRONGER TRANSPARENCY, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON MORE EFFICIENT INTERNAL OPERATIONS AND THESE CHANGES ARE REALLY BENEFITING THE PUBLIC AND COUNTY STAFF.
UM, ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WE'VE ASSIGNED PERMIT TECHNICIANS TO PERMIT INTAKES, SO WE'RE ESTABLISHING A CLEAR POINT OF CONTACT AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BY DOING THIS.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR COUNTER APPOINTMENTS, WHICH IN TURN ALLOWS FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO THE PUBLIC IN DEVELOPING COMPLETE APPLICATIONS AND RESOLVING ISSUES EARLIER IN THE PROCESS, UM, THROUGH DIRECT CUSTOMER SUPPORT.
SO THIS ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT HAS RESULTED IN REDUCED E-PLAN REJECTIONS, FEWER PERMIT STATUS INQUIRIES AND MORE COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT EXPERIENCE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND, AND OVERALL REDUCED WORKLOAD AND- FOR STAFF.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE MANY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS IMPLEMENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
AS I SAID, UM, WE'VE FOUND STRATEGIC LOW-COST IMPROVEMENTS ARE DELIVERING MEANINGFUL TRANSPARENCY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE BENEFITS, BUT WE'RE STILL PRESERVING FUTURE OPTIONS FOR A LARGER SYSTEM, UM, UPGRADE THROUGH THAT LARGER WORK PROGRAM THAT IS ON HOLD.
ALL RIGHT. SO, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO PROJECTS 4 AND 10, WHICH IS STANDARDIZING PROCEDURES.
AND THE FOCUS OF THIS P- WORK PROGRAM IS TO STANDARDIZE OUR OPERATING PROCEDURES AND PROCESS MAPS FOR BOTH DISCRETIONARY AND BUILDING PERMITS.
THE GOAL IS TO SUPPORT STAFF TRAINING AS WELL AS CREATING PREDICTABLE EXPECTATIONS FOR BOTH STAFF AND APPLICANTS.
THE WORK PROGRAM COVERS ALL OF OUR DIVISIONS THAT ARE, UM, COUNTY DIVISIONS THAT TOUCH PERMIT REVIEWS.
UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE TARGETING IS STANDARDIZING PLAN CHECK COMMENTS, AND REQUIRING CODE REFERENCES FOR EACH REVIEWING SECTION TO ENSURE ALL STAFF ARE PROVIDING CONSISTENT, CLEAR, AND CODE-BASED REVIEWS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, UH, SET OF OPERATING PROCEDURES
[03:35:02]
FOR HOW WE DO OUR WORK FROM INTAKE THROUGH INSPECTIONS.WE HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVE MOMENTUM BEHIND THIS PROJECT.
WE, OUR STAFF, UM, HAVE KIND OF DIVIDED AND CONQUERED AND PUT IN, UH, UM, DEVELOPING THE PROJECTS AND THE, UM, SOPS THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, ACCELERATE THE PROJECT TIMELINE FOR THIS ONE FROM, UH, BY FIVE MONTHS.
WE WERE INITIALLY THINKING WE WOULD COMPLETE THIS BY NOVEMBER.
WE'RE SHOOTING FOR JUNE NOW, WHICH IS EXCITING.
I THINK OUR STAFF ARE THE, ARE, ARE PROBABLY THE MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS WORK PROGRAM THAN ANY OF THE OTHER WORK PROGRAMS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A HEAVIER LIST- LIFT FOR OUR STAFF.
THIS ONE I PRESENTED, UM, TO THE BOARD BRIEFLY LAST YEAR, BUT THIS IS OUR BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE TWO OR MORE ROUTINGS.
THIS IS A NEW, UM, REQUIREMENT THAT WE PUT IN PLACE LAST JUNE, WHERE FOR ANY PROJECT THAT HAS MORE THAN TWO ROUTINGS, UM, THE PLAN CHECKER, UH, OR PLAN REVIEWER IS REQUIRED TO OFFER TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANT TO DISCUSS THE COMMENTS.
AND IF THAT, UM, MEETING, UM, DOESN'T RESOLVE THE CHALLENGES THEN IF THEY MAKE IT TO A FOURTH ROUTING, THEN THE DIVISION MANAGER IS REQUIRED TO REVIEW THE COMMENTS AND ENSURE THAT THOSE COMMENTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE STANDARDIZING- STANDARDIZED PLAN, CHECK COMMENTS I MENTIONED, AND ALSO OFFER TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANT TO LOOK FOR- TO STRATEGIZE ON SOLUTIONS AND PROBLEM SOLVE, AND THAT HAS BEEN GOING VERY WELL.
UM, I WILL SAY I THINK THAT, UH, I THINK THIS IS ONE THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
I SEE OUR PLAN REVIEWERS MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC MORE REGULARLY AND, UM, IT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE.
I WILL MOVE ON NOW TO THE ROBUST PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS, WHICH IS PROJECT 8.
THE BOARD HAS ALSO HEARD ABOUT THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE, UM, IMPLEMENTED A REQUIREMENT FOR FOLKS TO RUN THE CAMINO GUIDE PRIOR TO SUBMITTING A BUILDING PERMIT FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY EFFECTIVE, UM, TO BOTH ON THE STAFF SIDE AND THE PUBLIC SIDE.
WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC THAT IT'S REALLY HELPED THEM IN, UM, SCREENING THEIR APPLICATIONS EARLY ON FOR DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, THE TECHNICAL REPORTS THAT'LL BE REQUIRED, UM, PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS THAT WILL TRIGGER SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS LIKE GEOLOGY REVIEWS.
UM, AND THESE, UM, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT THIS GUIDE ONLY TAKES LESS THAN A MINUTE TO GO THROUGH, TO RUN THROUGH.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A TIME-INTENSIVE EXERCISE, SO YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IN GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, IT ALSO, ONCE THEY GO THROUGH THE CAMINO GUIDE, OUR STAFF CAN USE THE RESULTS OF THAT CAMINO GUIDE TO FURTHER INFORM ROUTINGS AND, UH, REQUIRED REVIEWS, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AND AT OUR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UM, WHICH WE'RE HAVING, UH, WE'RE HOLDING QUARTERLY, WE RECEIVED REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT, UM, ADDITION TO OUR PRE-APPLICATION TOOL BELT.
UM, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT EVEN FURTHER, UM, BY LAUNCHING A NEW SERVICE, UM, AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, WHICH IS AN EXPANSION OF THE CAMINO GUIDE, WE'RE LAUNCHING THE PRE-PERMIT SCREENING MEETING OR PPS.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS OPTIONAL MEETING IS TO CLARIFY AND EXPAND ON THE CAMINO GUIDE FINDINGS AND TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH PROJECT SPECIFIC GUIDANCE THROUGH A MEETING WITH THE REVIEW STAFF.
SO, UM, THE WAY THAT THIS WORKS IS THE APPLICANT WOULD COMPLETE THE CAMINO GUIDE, THEY WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF AREAS OF CONCERN, AND THEY WOULD BE, UH, THEN THERE WILL BE A, A PROMPT WHERE THEY CAN SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH STAFF, UM, AND ALSO TO UPLOAD ANY NEW DRAFT PLANS OR REPORTS THAT THEY HAVE.
ONCE THEY SCHEDULE THE MEETING, STAFF WILL MEET WITH THEM FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEY WILL PROVIDE MORE DETAILED FEEDBACK AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE CAMINO GUIDE.
AS YOU KIND OF SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THEY CAN WAIVE REQUIREMENTS, THEY CAN ADD REQUIREMENTS, THEY CAN PUT IN COMMENTS, AND UM, I THINK THIS WILL BE A GREAT SERVICE.
THIS IS- THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, BY BAKER TILLY AS A BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE, AND WE SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED THIS PROGRAM WITH ONE OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH.
ALL RIGHT. SO, ONTO PROJECT 14, WHICH IS THE CZU REBUILD IMPROVEMENTS.
[03:40:03]
UH, WE'VE REPORTED TO THE BOARD, UH, QUITE A BIT ON THE PROGRESS OF CZU REBUILDS.UM, BUT WE HAVE A FOCUS WORK PROGRAM THAT TAKES, UM, OUR EFFORTS EVEN FURTHER IN THIS AREA.
SO, WITH THE, WITH THIS PROJECT 14, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON REDUCING COMPLEXITY, IMPROVING PROCESSES, OPTIMIZING CUSTOMER SERVICE TO CZU SURVIVORS.
UM, AND WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, SUPPORTING OWNERS WHO ARE IN THE CNC OR CONDITIONALLY NOT CLEARED STATUS.
SO I'VE, I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA DO THIS AGAIN.
I'M JUST GOING TO REMIND THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD OF THE CONTEXT HERE OF THE CZU DAMAGE.
SO WE HAD 805 PARCELS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE FIRE.
697 OF THOSE WERE DEVELOPED WITH A RESIDENTIAL USE.
AS OF JULY, 2025, 217 OF THESE PARCELS HAVE BEEN SOLD.
THAT WAS ALMOST, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THE DATE IS MORE THAN SIX, UH, MONTHS OLD.
AND WHEN I LAST CHECKED, UH, WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, WE'VE GOT OTHERS LISTED FOR SALE, WE'VE NOTICED THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THIS NUMBER IS HIGHER THAN 217 AND WE'LL HAVE THE UPDATED DATA THIS JULY.
ALSO, TODAY WE HAVE 171 REPLACEMENT DWELLINGS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND FINAL.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 104 REBUILDS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
UM, INITIALLY, OUR DEPARTMENT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THERE WERE 88 PARCELS IN CNC STATUS.
HOWEVER, 26 OF THESE PARCELS HAVE SINCE SOLD.
SO THAT BROUGHT THE NUMBER DOWN TO 62 PARCELS THAT ARE IN CNC STATUS WITH THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE TO TARGET, UM, REAL SPECIALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THESE 62 FOLKS, WE CREATED DEDICATED APPOINTMENTS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CNC, UM, STATUS, UM, PROPERTIES.
AND ON DECEMBER 8TH, WE SENT MAILERS AND EMAILS TO ALL OF THESE PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE ALSO FOLLOWED UP WITH PHONE CALLS TO ALL THE OWNERS CONCERN, UH, TO CONFIRM THAT THEY RECEIVED OUR EMAIL AND OUR MAILER AND TO AGAIN OFFER SERVICES.
UM, AND WE DID SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, RECOGNIZANCE AROUND THESE PARCELS, THESE 62 PARCELS AND RESEARCH.
AND WE REALIZED THAT 11 OF THEM HAD ACTUALLY BEEN CLOSED OR WITHDRAWN.
UM, SO WE ARE DOWN TO 51 PARCELS ACTUALLY IN CNC STATUS.
UM, AS A RESULT THEN OF THE OUTREACH WE PERFORMED, SIX OWNERS CONFIRMED THEY DON'T WISH TO MOVE FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
EIGHT OWNERS SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH OUR OFFICE, AND AN ADDITIONAL SIX APPOINTMENTS ARE PENDING.
AND WE'VE COMPLETED I THINK THREE OF THESE APPOINTMENTS SO FAR.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE BOARD AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, IN OCTOBER DIRECTED, UM, STAFF TO CONNECT WITH THE TWO SPEAKERS WHO SPOKE AT THE HEARING AND EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH THE CZU PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO OUR STAFF HAS CONNECTED WITH THESE TWO OWNERS.
ONE OF THEM, ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PUSH THROUGH, THROUGH SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS AND CONVERSATION AND COLLABORATION.
SO THAT PERMIT WAS ISSUED THREE WEEKS LATER, WHICH IS EXCITING.
THE OTHER, UM, PROJECT IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, AND STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THAT OWNER TO HELP THEM GET OVER SOME OF THE HURDLES THAT THEY'RE FACING.
UM, SO THAT ONE'S STILL IN PROCESS, UM, THROUGH COLLABORATION.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE BOARD DIRECTED US TO, UM, EVALUATE POTENTIAL CODE OR POLICY UPDATES THAT COULD BE MADE TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO REBUILDING.
UM, THE THOUGHT WAS THAT STAFF MEETS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE LOOKING FOR COMMON THEMES WITH REGARD TO CHALLENGES IN GETTING OVER THE PERMIT FINISH LINE.
UM, WE ARE DOING THAT, BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED SO WE'RE NOT GETTING A LOT OF DATA SO FAR.
WE ARE PRETTY AWARE OF WHAT THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES ARE AND, UM, OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SECTION AND BUILDING SECTION HAS BEEN, UH, COORDINATING WITH OUR POLICY SECTION TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE LARGER POLICY ISSUES.
AND ALSO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, WE'VE BEEN CONTACTED, TALKING WITH THEM.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT TACKLING SOME BIGGER POLICY CHANGES, UM, THROUGH THAT COMPREHENSIVE CODE UPDATE THAT I MENTIONED.
THERE ARE SOME SMALLER, LESS COMPLEX REGULATORY CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE THROUGH THIS ANNUAL CODE CLEANUP.
AND WE ARE, UM, PROPOSING A COUPLE OF AMENDMENTS THERE, INCLUDING ALIGNING THE DEFINITION OF BEDROOM,
[03:45:02]
AND THE DEFINITION OF IN KIND ACROSS ALL OF OUR PERMIT REVIEW DIVISIONS.SO THOSE ARE TWO THAT WE COULD TACKLE NOW, WHICH HAVE REALLY INTRODUCED A LOT OF CONFUSION FOR STAFF AND THE PUBLIC.
SO I COVERED THE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THAT, UM, FROM THOSE PROJECTS THAT I WENT THROUGH THAT ARE VERY ACTIVE.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO JUST, UH, WRAP UP MY COMMENTS WITH SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS, WHICH ARE THAT EARLY FEEDBACK HAS BEEN REALLY POSITIVE FROM STAFF, AS I MENTIONED, AND CUSTOMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I WANTED TO NOTE THAT IN ADDITION TO THESE 12 PROJECTS, THE DEPARTMENT HAS IMPLEMENTED DOZENS OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, LARGE AND SMALL, WHICH ALL COMBINED HAVE RESULTED IN MORE CONSISTENCY REGARDING INTAKES AND REVIEWS, HAVE ESTABLISHED CLEARER GUIDANCE TO THE PUBLIC AND STAFF, AND HAVE INCREASED TRANSPARENCY WITH REGARD TO PERMIT METRICS.
AND I WANTED TO STATE ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF ARE FEELING REALLY PUMPED UP AND THRILLED TO SEE THAT OUR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RATINGS ARE IMPROVING.
UM, I'LL MENTION THAT OUR POST-APPOINTMENT SURVEYS THAT WE, UM, ARE PERFORMING, UM, AFTER COUNTER, YOU KNOW, INTERACTIONS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY, UM, POSITIVE, AND CUSTOMERS ARE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE PLEASED WITH OUR SERVICE.
WITH OUR QUALITY OF SERVICE RATING BEING 4.8 OUT OF 5 STARS ON AVERAGE AND 96% OF OUR CUSTOMERS REPORTING THAT THEY RECEIVE CLEAR AND HELPFUL GUIDANCE.
UM, IN ADDITION, PERMIT PROCESSING METRICS HAVE IMPROVED BOTH IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS IT TAKES TO REVIEW, UH, TO RECEIVE FIRST ROUND COMMENTS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF TOTAL REVIEW CYCLES.
WE REVIEWED THE 2025 BUILDING APPLICATION ROUTING HISTORY, AND THE DEPARTMENT IS AVERAGING ABOUT 600 PERMIT REVIEWS ACROSS ALL REVIEW DIVISIONS PER MONTH WITH AN 85 TO 92% SUCCESS RATE IN APPROVING, UM, IN TWO OR A FEW REVIEWS.
UM, AND THAT 92% REPRESENTS THE MOST RECENT WINTER QUARTER.
SO THE PERCENTAGES ARE GOING UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
AND, UH, WE'RE REALLY SEEING SUCCESS THROUGH STANDARDIZATION OF SOME OF THE, UM, STANDARDIZED, UH, REVIEW COMMENTS, I THINK IS ONE OF THEM.
AND THROUGH MEETINGS, UM, AT THE COUNTER WITH THE CUSTOMERS AND ALSO THROUGH CAMINO, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THESE RESULTS.
UM, AND I'LL JUST NOTE THAT AT THE RECENT FALL QUARTER STAKEHOLDER MEETING, STAKEHOLDERS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH A CULTURAL SHIFT HAD BEGUN PRIOR TO INITIATION OF THIS SANTA CRUZ STREAMLINE- STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ WORK PROGRAM, THEY HAVE NOTED A DEMONSTRATED, UM, EFFORT IN FLEXIBILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS SINCE WE'VE STARTED THIS EFFORT.
AND I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
SO, IN CLOSING WITH MY COMMENTS, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING HARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND SEEING ALL 12 PROJECTS THROUGH.
IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING THESE OTHER WORK PROGRAMS INITIATED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND FRANKLY INITIATED BY A LOT OF OUR STAFF, UM, AND, UM, AND IMPLEMENTED BY MANY OF OUR STAFF, WHICH IS AWESOME.
ALL OF THIS EFFORT IS SUPPORTING THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ PERMIT PROCESS AND IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING ON THE ONGOING PROGRESS IN FUTURE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MATT.
- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JOCELYN.
UH, SO WE CONTINUE OUR GOOD WORK, AND AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF GREAT, UH, RESPONSE AND PROGRESS.
UM, CONSIDERING WE HAVE 12 PROJECTS, THERE'S STILL A WAY TO GO.
AND I THINK IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT EACH PROJECT AREA AND LOOK AT PERCENT COMPLETE, AND THEN YOU COMBINE 'EM ALL TOGETHER, WE'RE ABOUT 30% COMPLETE.
UH, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE FURTHER ALONG 'CAUSE WE'VE SEEN SO MUCH SUCCESS AND SO MUCH GREAT FEEDBACK.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROJECT DELIVERY OF EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS, EACH OF THESE WORK PLANS, UH, WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
SO WE'LL BE BACK, WE'LL BE BACK IN APRIL, UH, TO REPORT MORE OF OUR, OUR WORK.
AND SO TODAY THE BOARD ACTION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS TO ACCEPT AND FILE THE REPORT ON THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WORKPLAN, AND, UH, TO RETURN BACK IN APRIL OF '26, WITH AN UPDATE, UH, ON THIS WORK PLAN.
AND STAFF IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
- THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LET'S START WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
ANYBODY LIKE TO BEGIN? LET'S START WITH SUPERVISOR KOENIG.
- SURE. UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, UM, JOCELYN AND MATT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK THE RESULTS ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING
[03:50:01]
THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR.AND, UM, THE FACT THAT THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE IS LEANING INTO THIS, UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT I THINK GIVES ME THE, UH, WHATEVER THE MOST WARM AND FUZZY FEELING, YOU KNOW, IS THE FACT THAT THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UM, IS COMMENTING THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY SEE A REAL SHIFT.
UM, AND I MEAN, JUST TO YOUR POINT, UM, JOCELYN, THAT YOU'RE SEEING JUST MORE OF THOSE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PLANNERS, UM, AND THE PUBLIC.
UM, I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE WE ARE SOCIAL CREATURES AND THE MORE I THINK THAT WE GET BACK TO THAT FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION, UM, THE MORE THERE'S THAT SENSE OF TEAMWORK IN GETTING THE APPLICATIONS COMPLETED RATHER THAN, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THE SIDE OF THE DESK, THEY'RE ON THAT SIDE.
UM, AND I THINK YOU ALSO SEE THAT IN THE POST-APPOINTMENT RESULTS, RIGHT? I MEAN, SUPER HIGH LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WHEN PEOPLE HAVE COME IN AND ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE, UM, FROM THE COUNTY.
AND SO WHAT I'M WONDERING IS THEN IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GETTING STILL PRETTY LOW RESPONSE RATE ON LIKE THE POST PERMITTING, UM, SURVEY.
IT LOOKS LIKE 2.9% OR SOMETHING.
UM, THE SATISFACTION IS ALSO LOWER THERE, MORE LIKE THREE OUT OF FIVE RATHER THAN LIKE FOUR AND A HALF, FIVE OUT OF FIVE.
UM, SO DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN JUST GET MORE PEOPLE TO RESPOND THERE? AND, AND ALSO ARE WE, ARE WE COLLECTING SUBSTANTIVE FEEDBACK BESIDES LIKE, HOW HAPPY ARE YOU OR NOT HAPPY? LIKE HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN BETTER? - I AM GOING TO LOOK TO OUR UPC MANAGER TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, HE'S WORKING WITH OUR ANALYST TO EXPLORE WAYS TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY ALSO THAT THE MISSING PIECE IN OUR PROCESS THAT WE HOPE TO ADDRESS IS OUR INSPECTION SATISFACTION.
SO WE ARE DEVELOPING A POST, UM, FINAL, UM, SURVEY TO PULL OUR CUSTOMERS ON OUR INSPECTION PROCESS AS WELL.
BUT I WILL- OH. [LAUGHS] SO THIS IS BRIAN RUBIN, OUR UPC MANAGER.
UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY EXPLORING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR REACHING OUT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE COMING, GOING TO THE DOCTOR, AND YOU GET THE TEXT MESSAGE AND THEN THE EMAIL.
WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE A FINE LINE BETWEEN, UM, OVER-ASKING AND, YOU KNOW, ASKING, UM, POLITELY.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE SENT EMAILS, WE HAVE A DIGITAL LINK, WE'VE SENT PHYSICAL MAILERS.
WE'RE OPEN TO OTHER IDEAS IF YOU HAVE ANY AS WELL.
- UH, SORRY, YOU SAID, YOU SAID EMAILS PHYSI...
- WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE AN APPROVAL LETTER THAT GETS MAILED TO THE APPLICANT AND THE OWNER.
- UM, WE HAVE A LINK ON OUR E-PLAN PORTAL WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD THE APPROVED DOCUMENTS, AND THE PERMIT CARD WHERE YOU CAN, UM, COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN ONES RIGHT NOW.
- YEAH, I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S, UH, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THE CHANNEL THAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION THERE WAS TEXTING, RIGHT? UM, I GET MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE REMINDERS VIA TEXT NOW.
UM, SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE, ONE WAY.
UM, ANOTHER IS MAYBE JUST THE TIMING OF THE SURVEY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BY THE TIME PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET THE PERMIT, THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT AND I'VE MOVED ON.
MAYBE IT'S LIKE SOMETHING WE ASK THEM ABOUT RIGHT BEFORE THEY GET THEIR PERMIT OR BEFORE THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FINISH PAYING THEIR FEES AND MAYBE WE GIVE 'EM LIKE $10 OFF THEIR FEES OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AS FAR AS LIKE USING MY OWN NAME AND MAYBE MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
I MEAN, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE OFTEN ARE THE SORT OF RECEPTACLES OR RECEIVERS OF PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND APPROACHING OF LIKE, WE WANT TO HELP.
THIS IS YOUR SUPERVISOR, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS PROCESS IS WORKING FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT THE STAFF TO GET THE COMMENTS DIRECTLY AS WELL, BUT, UM, THAT COULD BE ONE ANGLE, JUST SORT OF THE, THE METHOD THERE OF BOTH TIMING AND MESSAGE.
SO, UM, AND DO WE HAVE SUBSTANTIVE FEEDBACK BESIDES LIKE, JUST THE, THE RIGHT RATINGS ON THOSE? - YEAH, WE HAVE A COUPLE FILL IN THE BLANKS, UM, OR A COUPLE MULTIPLE CHOICE, AND AT THE VERY END, WE HAVE AN OPTION FOR PROVIDING WHATEVER KIND OF INFORMATION YOU WANT ABOUT THE PERMIT.
AND IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED, IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
- BUT YES, WE'D DEFINITELY BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING OTHER DELIVERY OPTIONS AS WELL, AND TIMING.
- GREAT. I MEAN, JUST 'CAUSE THERE'S- THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO. I THINK, SORT OF IMPROVE OUR PROCESS, AND REALLY GAIN MOMENTUM ON THIS THAN BOTH LIKE THE SORT OF CONSISTENT FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS AS WELL AS FROM STAFF.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S HAPPENING AS WELL.
LIKE STAFF ARE SEEING OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND FEELING EMPOWERED TO MAKE THOSE.
SO WE DEFINITELY WANT THIS TO BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BOTH WAYS, BOTH SIDES BEING ABLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE SOME OWNERSHIP
[03:55:02]
AND ABILITY TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.- YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND IF I CAN ADD TO WHAT JOCELYN SAID, WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING, UM, A PERMIT INTAKE SURVEY THAT JUST FOCUSES PURELY ON INTAKE AND E-PLAN AND HOW THAT FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS AN INSPECTION PROCESS AS WELL.
SO WE CAN GET FEEDBACK ON OUR INSPECTION, SEQUENCING, HOW IT FEELS IN THE FIELD, AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO KIND OF BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SOME OF THIS MISSING DATA THAT WE HAVE.
- OKAY. YEAH, I MEAN IT WOULD BE ALSO BE HELPFUL I THINK AS FOR ME, CERTAINLY, TO SEE SOME OF THE QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, I MEAN BOTH FROM THE SURVEYS AS WELL AS MAYBE FROM THE WORKING, UH, STAKEHOLDER GROUP, RIGHT? UM, TO SEE HOW THAT EVOLVES OVER TIME, UH, AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE PICKING UP FROM THAT AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING.
UM, ONE LAST THING I KIND OF ON THE, UH, INTERFACE BETWEEN STAFF AND PUBLIC TOPIC IS, UM, ARE PEOPLE ABLE TO CALL THE DEPARTMENT WITH QUESTIONS? I KNOW THAT WAS ONE THING I'VE HEARD IS LIKE, I JUST NEED TO TALK THROUGH THIS WITH SOMEONE.
YOU KNOW, EMAIL SEEMS LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GETTING LOST.
IS THERE SOME WAY FOR SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY LIKE CONTACT THEIR PLAN TECH OR CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OR, AND SCHEDULE A CONVERSATION? - WE DO HAVE, UM, OUR SWITCHBOARD THAT CONNECTS, UH, CALLERS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT WORK THE COUNTER, SO THEY MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME SOMEONE CALLS, WHICH IS COMPLICATED.
UM, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO GET THROUGH TO OUR STAFF BY PHONE.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER AREA WE COULD MAYBE LEAN INTO.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERYONE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO COME IN FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT ULTIMATELY, BUT JUST AGAIN, SOMEBODY TO, LEANING INTO THE INHERENT BENEFITS OF THE HUMAN TO HUMAN INTERACTION.
- ABSOLUTELY. WE, UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE, UM, CONTACT WITH DIFFERENT REVIEWERS THROUGH LIKE, LITTLE DEDICATED APPOINTMENT SLOTS AS WELL.
SO THERE'S, WE'RE, THAT'S NOT ONE OF THESE WORK PLAN OPTIONS BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING AS WELL ON THE SIDE.
- YEAH, I MEAN, AND AGAIN I DON'T THINK THIS IS A CURRENT PROJECT, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO WAS TELLING ME ABOUT IT BUT THEY, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET A PERMIT IN LAS VEGAS, AND LIKE THEY WENT INTO CITY HALL AND IT WAS LIKE BUILDING, PUBLIC WORKS, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST, YOU JUST WALKED DOWN THE HALL, RIGHT? AND SO I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING ALL THIS FANTASTIC WORK WITHIN, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILDING PERMITS BUT THEN ULTIMATELY, I MEAN, AS WE'VE SEEN, THERE'S MULTIPLE DIVISIONS INVOLVED HERE.
AND SO, LIKE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TRY TO, UM, GET SOME OF THE THINGS AND SAME THINGS THAT ARE WORKING FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT SIDE OF THINGS INTO PUBLIC WORKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
UM, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CAMINO GUIDE THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED ARE BEING WELL RECEIVED, AND WE'RE KIND OF TAKING THAT TO THE NEXT PHASE WITH PRE-APPLICATION.
IS THERE, LIKE, IS THERE LIKE A PHASE AFTER THAT? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY.
I MEAN LIKE SORT OF FULL SUITE PRE-PERMIT SCREENING AND WE'RE LIKE ON OPTION TWO OR WHERE ARE WE AS FAR AS, LIKE, WHAT WE ARE DOING AND EVERYTHING WE COULD BE DOING, UM, ON THE PRE-PERMIT PROCESS? - UM, WELL, RIGHT NOW, UH, IT IS JUST A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF OUR, YOU KNOW, CAMINO GUIDE.
SO, YOU PUT IN THE INFORMATION AND BASICALLY ON THE BACKSIDE, UM, THE CAMINO IS LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR GIS LAYERS AND ALL OF OUR TRIGGERS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF REVIEWS, UM, REPORT REVIEWS AND DISCRETIONARY PERMIT TRIGGERS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN IT COMES UP WITH FLAGS OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, UM, AND SINCE JULY, OUR CUSTOMERS CAN COME IN AND MEET WITH OUR STAFF AND SAY, WOW, I JUST DID THE CAMINO GUIDE, AND IT SAID I NEED A COASTAL PERMIT, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THEY MEET WITH STAFF, AND STAFF CAN SAY, YOU ACTUALLY DON'T, I EVALUATED YOUR PROJECT.
YOU DON'T. AND THEY CAN RELAY THAT INFORMATION, AND THEN THE TECHS WILL TAKE IT IN.
WE'RE FORMALIZING THAT RIGHT NOW THROUGH AN UPGRADE WHERE STAFF CAN MAKE THOSE NOTES RIGHT IN THE CAMINO GUIDE SO THAT WE CAN MORE EASILY RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO OUR TECHS.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S LIKE YOU GET THE INITIAL INFORMATION AS A CUSTOMER, THEN YOU CAN CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THAT INFORMATION IS CORRECT, OR WE CAN EXPOUND ON THAT THROUGH A COUNTER APPOINTMENT.
THE THING IS, OUR COUNTER APPOINTMENTS ARE 20 MINUTES AND IT'S JUST WITH PLANNING, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND AS WE'VE SEEN WITH CZU REBUILDS, OR ANY TYPE OF REALLY COMPLICATED DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION, UM, WE, IT'S REALLY SYNERGISTIC BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, HOW YOU'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH YOUR PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE MIGHT SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T PUT IT THERE.
AND ZONING'S LIKE, WELL, THAT DOESN'T MEAN SETBACK, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE'S THIS OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE CAMINO GUIDE TO SCHEDULE A MEETING THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE REVIEW DIVISIONS, KIND OF LIKE OUR CZU MEETINGS
[04:00:02]
THAT WE'RE OFFERING NOW, ARE ACTUALLY GONNA TRANSFER THAT TIME SLOT INTO THE CAMINO, UM, DEDICATED MEETING SINCE WE HAVE THE STAFF ALLOCATED TOWARDS THE, THAT COUPLE OF HOURS.UM, AND SO THAT'S ALMOST KIND OF LIKE A MINI CONSULTATION THAT WE DO NOW, WHICH YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GIVE US THAT INFORMATION, AND WE SUBMIT A LETTER.
UM, THIS WAY WE CAN JUST HAVE A MEETING, HAVE A DISCUSSION, AND WE'RE COLLABORATIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE SECTIONS AND THEN ADJUST THE CAMINO GUIDE EVEN FURTHER, AND WITH, AND MAKE COMMENTS.
I THINK WE WANNA SEE HOW THIS GOES AND THEN LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD ON THAT IN THE FUTURE.
IN ADDITION, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES THAT WE CAN OVERLAY ON THE CAMINO GUIDE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, A CHAT BOT OR SOME KIND OF AI ASSISTED, YOU KNOW, UPGRADE.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EVALUATING AS PART OF THAT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM, WORK PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE HAD ROBUST DISCUSSIONS IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE AROUND HOW WE CAN AFFORD SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS, WHICH SOLUTIONS WOULD WORK.
UM, ISD HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL IN DEVELOPING SOME MANY WORK PROGRAMS WITH US.
SO, I THINK, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THESE PPS MEETINGS WORK, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD ON THAT.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? KIND OF? - MORE OR LESS.
- WE DON'T HAVE A PHASE 3 RIGHT NOW.
- OH, AND I SEE LISA HAS COMMENTS AS WELL.
- IS THAT OKAY? - YEAH, PLEASE.
- I JUST WANTED TO, UM, OBSERVE, SHARE MY OBSERVATION THAT THE TEAM HAS MADE THESE, MADE THESE SMALL TESTS OF CHANGE, AND THEN THEY'VE GOTTEN SORT OF WHAT'S THE RESPONSE FROM THEIR APPLICANTS FROM THEIR STAFF, AND THEY'VE CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND TWEAK.
AND I THINK JUST WHAT, WHAT JOCELYN'S SAYING, AS WE IMPLEMENT EACH OF THESE THINGS, WHAT I'M OBSERVING IS THIS WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST AND LEARN AND TRY NEW THINGS.
SO, IT'S BEEN A VERY ADAPTIVE PROCESS, AND I THINK THAT'S THE LEARNING MINDSET, THE OPEN MINDSET THAT WE, UM, THAT WE WANNA CONTINUE TO, UH, JUST HONOR AND ENCOURAGE AND, AND I JUST WANNA SHARE THAT THAT'S WHAT, THAT I'VE SEEN THIS TEAM CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE.
- GREAT. YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE, APPLICANTS ARE APPRECIATING THE CAMINO AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THAT.
UM, LAST QUESTION IS JUST AROUND THE COMPREHENSIVE, WELL, I GUESS OVER ON THE CODE UPDATES, IN GENERAL.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S SOME, YOU, YOU'RE INCLUDING SOME BUDGET FOR THAT OR BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS $600,000 POTENTIALLY EVEN THAT, UM, IT WAS LIKE A PRICE TAG FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CODE UPDATE.
DID I REMEMBER THAT RIGHT? UM, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY THINKING ON LIKE WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ADDRESS IN THAT LIKE SECTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CODE UPDATE, LIKE WHATEVER THE, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WE COULD SPEND THAT WOULD FIX, YOU KNOW, 30% OF THE DIFFICULTY? OR DOES STAFF HAVE LIKE A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, THAT CODE IS WHAT'S REALLY HANGING ME UP? UM, OR IS THIS JUST SOMETHING LIKE, OH, NO, WE GOT TO JUST PAY THE MONEY, HIRE THE CONSULTANTS, AND MAYBE THAT'LL BE FIXED.
- [LAUGHS] IF ONLY, RIGHT? STEPHANIE HANSEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CDI.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A, A DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY WE WERE THINKING OF LIKE A COMPLETE TEAR DOWN OF ALL THE CODES AND JUST START FROM SCRATCH.
BUT THE, WHEN, WHEN YOU, YOU TALK TO THE PLANNERS WHO ARE REALLY KIND OF STRUGGLING WITH A LOT OF DETAIL, AND A LOT OF COMPETING NEEDS, IT'S PRETTY DAUNTING TO THINK OF LIKE, OKAY, GET RID OF IT. ALL RIGHT.
SO I'VE BEEN THINKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE REAL STREAMLINING MEASURES, AND THAT MAY BE ACROSS, ACROSS THE BOARD AND SEVERAL, UM, CHAPTERS THEY REALLY MAY FOCUS ON.
UM, MAYBE THERE'S SOME REMOVAL OF STANDARDS THAT ARE GETTING IN THE WAY, UM, AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME, UH, DUPLICATION OF PROCESS AND WHATNOT.
SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO KIND OF FOCUS OUR EARLY EFFORTS ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEATY AND REALLY COULD GET US THERE.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S A LONGER PROCESS.
UM, AND SO AS JOCELYN WAS MENTIONING, WE DO A BUDGET RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE TRY TO, UH, STREAMLINE THE BUDGET, UM, FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF, OF WORK.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK ON SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
SO, BUT YES, WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT PRIORITIZATION.
[04:05:03]
- OKAY. THANKS. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT.THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS ON THEIR REPORT? - UH, THANK YOU.
AND, UM, IT'S GREAT NEWS, UM, THAT THINGS ARE, UM, GOING BETTER.
UM, JUST TO COMMENT ABOUT, UH, REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF THROUGH ELECTRONIC MEANS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY ARE OLDER.
UM, WE HAVE BUILDERS THAT, UM, MIGHT NOT BE DIGITAL NATIVES THAT UPLOADING PLANS AND ALL OF THAT.
THEY'VE HAD TO START USING THESE SYSTEMS, BUT, UM, BUT SOMETIMES THINGS GET KIND OF GUMMED UP AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I THINK, IF YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, OLDER OR THEY'RE BUILDERS LIKE THEY'RE NOT SITTING AROUND IN FRONT OF THEIR COMPUTER WAITING FOR AN EMAIL TO COME IN AND THEY LIKE, THEY'RE LIKE ME.
THEY GET LIKE THOUSANDS OF EMAILS, YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK AND THINGS GET LOST.
AND, UM... SO I DO THINK THE PERSONAL TOUCH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS AND STUFF THAT ARE WAITING ON, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT, UM, GREEN LIGHT, YOU KNOW, TO GREEN LIGHT THEIR PROJECT OR COMMENTS OR WHATEVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT ON JOB SITES.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF, OF, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, SITTING AT A COMPUTER AND WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO COME IN.
SO, I DO THINK IF SOMEBODY COULD JUST PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL SOME, YOU KNOW, CALL SOMEONE, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
SO THAT'S ONE OF MY COMMENTS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
- FURTHER QUESTIONS, UM, THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO MY QUESTIONS.
UM, WERE YOU GONNA RESPOND TO THAT? OH, PLEASE. BY ALL MEANS.
- UH, THIS IS BRIAN RUBIN, UNIFIED PERMIT CENTER MANAGER.
UM, WHEN JOCELYN TOUCHED ON SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY WINS, IT WAS TALKING ABOUT FREEING UP SPACE FOR OUR STAFF TO DO MORE WORK AND TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, AND EXCUSE ME, MAKING PHONE CALLS TO APPLICANTS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AT CONTACTING FOLKS AND WORKING WITH THEM.
SO, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. THANKS.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO MY QUESTIONS ON THIS, AND THEN I'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I WANNA START OFF BY JUST RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, AND THERE- IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY AND ALSO BECAUSE THE CZU REBUILD PROGRESS IS TUCKED INTO THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ WORK, THIS IS THE TIME WHEN I GET TO ASK YOU THE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PROGRESS.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE THAT TIME BECAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO MY DISTRICT AND TO CZU SURVIVORS.
UM, SO I WANNA START OFF BY ASKING IF YOU'RE GETTING A SENSE OF- YOUR REPORT SAYS 88, BUT I HEARD YOU SAY 51 PARCELS IN THE CNC STATUS.
HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE EXPERIENCING BARRIERS THAT ARE STRICTLY LIKE STATE REQUIREMENTS VERSUS AREAS THAT THE COUNTY HAS POLICY DISCRETION OVER? DO YOU HAVE A SENSE? - THE MAJORITY, UM, SO FAR THAT WE'VE SEEN JUST FROM THE STATISTICS THAT WE HAD EVEN BEFORE WE SCHEDULED THESE MEETINGS, ARE THERE ARE BARRIERS WITH REGARD TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REQUIREMENTS AND GEOLOGY REQUIREMENTS, UM, BOTH OF WHICH ARE COUCHED IN STATE REGULATIONS, EITHER THE BUILDING CODE OR THE LAMP, WHICH NEEDS TO- IT HAS STATE REGULATIONS BUILT INTO IT.
I GUESS I'M, I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE, BUT I KNOW THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE STATE, YOU KNOW, CHANGES TO, TO MAKE THOSE, UM, ADJUSTMENTS SO THAT, THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG HURDLES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, YOU KNOW, LOCAL, UM, OUR LOCAL REGULATIONS, LIKE OUR ZONING REGULATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR COASTAL REGULATIONS.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN WORKING WITH THESE FOLKS IN CNC STATUS TO MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR PROJECTS TO REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS.
UM, AND SO A BIG PART, A BIG EXERCISE IN HAVING THESE DEDICATED MEETINGS IS REALLY LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVISE FOLKS ON HOW TO GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE ON THESE BIGGER TICKET ITEMS THROUGH, UH, UH, PROJECT REVISIONS, DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION TYPES, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE GEOLOGY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE BIGGER TICKET ITEMS TYPICALLY FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT- BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION IN THOSE AREAS.
- RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT MAKES SENSE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE HUNDRED THAT HAVE, ARE MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS OR HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
[04:10:01]
BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE STATE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.UM, KIND OF MOVING ON TO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OVER, I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT WORK TO ALIGN THE DEFINITION OF IN KIND AND BEDROOM ACROSS THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
DID YOU SAY THAT THAT WAS GONNA BE DONE THROUGH A PROCESS ALREADY UNDERWAY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO DIRECT IN A FUTURE ACTION? - UM, WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS IN THE MINOR CODE CLEANUP THAT'S COMING THIS SPRING.
- THAT'S GREAT. SO NO MORE FURTHER ACTION FROM US UNTIL IT COMES TO US.
- THAT'S RIGHT. - GREAT. OKAY. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
UM, SO FOR PARCELS, ACTUALLY THAT'S KIND OF A, A REDUNDANT TO THE RESPONSE YOU JUST GOT, SO I'LL SKIP THAT ONE.
UM, OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO PARCELS, CZU PARCELS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN NO STATUS.
- SO THERE'S A COUPLE HUNDRED THAT WE, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM.
- YOU KNOW, IT'S CHALLENGING TO COME UP WITH AN EXACT NUMBER, UM, BECAUSE, UH, THE DATA LIVES IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HOW MANY BUILDING PERMITS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ISSUED, WE KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN CNC STATUS.
WE KNOW HOW MANY PARCELS HAVE SOLD.
BUT WHAT'S CHALLENGING IS SOME OF THOSE PARCELS THAT HAVE SOLD, IF PEOPLE COME IN AND SPEAK WITH US AT THE COUNTER, THEY'RE NOT, UM, CATEGORIZED UNDER THE, THE CZU REBUILD BUCKET.
THEY'RE A STANDARD APPLICANT THAT COMES THROUGH OUR PROCESS.
SO IT WOULD TAKE, UM, SOME RESEARCH TO PUT- TO COMPILE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DATA WE HAVE IN DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LOCATIONS TO COME UP WITH A BETTER, A REAL ACCURATE NUMBER.
I DID A ROUGH CALCULATION THIS MORNING JUST BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND I KNOW BRIAN DID AS WELL.
AND I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY AROUND THE 150 RANGE.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED 200, IT'S PROBABLY 150 TO 200, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND WE STILL WOULDN'T GET THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, WHEN I GET TO, AFTER WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, WE GET BACK TO THAT- MY TERM, GREATER DIALOGUE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL AND HELPFUL AS WE THINK THROUGH.
UM, I KNOW THAT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STREAMLINE WORK, YOU'RE TRACKING KIND OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET A PERMIT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE TRACKING FOR CZU REBUILDS AS WELL? - UM, IT REALLY VARIES HOW LONG IT TAKES SOMEBODY TO GET THROUGH THE PRE-CLEARANCE PROCESS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAIL RIGHT THROUGH AND AS YOU'VE SEEN, SOMETIMES IT TAKES FIVE YEARS.
SO, THAT'S A SORT OF A CHALLENGE.
WE COULD GET A METRIC ON THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE PRETTY DISPERSED.
UM, ONCE SOMEBODY, UM, GETS THROUGH THE PRE-CLEARANCE PROCESS, IT TAKES 10 DAYS TO ISSUE THE BUILDING PERMIT ONCE THEY SUBMIT THE BUILDING PERMIT.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT INSPECTIONS TOO, BUT I'LL LET YOU, I'LL SEE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
- [LAUGHS] GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU THINK I'M ASKING.
- OKAY. UM, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS, OF COURSE, REBUILDING AND, UM, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THROUGH THAT INSPECTION PROCESS TO FINAL.
SO, ISSUANCE TO FINAL, AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA REALLY RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MONTHS TO SEVERAL YEARS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN REBUILDING, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE TEMPORARY HOUSING PERMITS, THAT ARE LIVING ON THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY, AND THEY'RE JUST SLOWLY REBUILDING THEIR HOUSE AS THEY, AS FUNDS COME IN, YOU KNOW.
SO, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE A REAL RANGE OF, YOU KNOW, TIMELINE THERE.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS INSPECTION REQUESTS ARE HONORED THE SAME DAY SO WE DO SAME DAY INSPECTIONS OR NEXT DAY INSPECTIONS.
SO ON OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE, WE'RE INSPECTING AS QUICKLY AS, AS PEOPLE ARE READY TO HAVE US INSPECT.
- UM, YEAH, AND I, I THINK AS YOU CONTINUE TO REFINE THIS WORK, IT COULD BE A POTENTIAL HELPFUL PERFORMANCE METRIC TO CLOSELY MONITOR SORT OF THOSE, THE- A LOT YOU'RE MONITORING WHAT'S IN YOUR CONTROL, BUT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL TIMELINE THAT PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING WITH.
UM, I GUESS KIND OF THE REAL MEAT OF MY QUESTION OR WHAT I'M HOPING TO SEE DOWN THE LINE IS REALLY AROUND WHERE THERE MAY BE POTENTIAL POLICY IMPROVEMENTS.
I SAW IN YOUR REPORT YOU REFERENCED, UM, A POTENTIAL REBUILD OR ORDINANCE THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE OR REVISITING THE REBUILD DIRECTIVE OR LIKE THAT KIND OF THING.
[04:15:01]
UM, WHEN DO YOU THINK STAFF WOULD BE READY TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OR PROPOSALS TO SOME OF THESE GREATER CHANGES TO THE DECISIONS THAT THE BOARD MADE A FEW YEARS AGO? UM, BUT MAY NEED TO BE REVISITED AT THIS POINT.- [LAUGHS] LOOKING TO STEPHANIE.
- THANK YOU. STEPHANIE HANSEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CDI.
I, I THINK YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THERE.
I THINK, I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT BRINGING THE DIRECTIVE BACK IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER.
I THINK THAT WAS A RESOLUTION SO WE COULD- OUR MAJOR GOAL WITH THAT WOULD BE, UM, UH, ALLOWING GREATER PERIODS OF TIME FOR REBUILD AND BEING, UM, UH, INCLUDED IN KIND OF THE DISASTER REBUILD CATEGORY.
UM, THE, UH, REBUILD ORDINANCE IS, UM, A REALLY INTERESTING IDEA AND WE'VE, UM, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GIVE IT THE WEIGHT THAT IT DESERVES.
WE'VE- SO WE'VE ADDED THAT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE DO KNOW, UM, SOME JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT, THAT HAVE A REBUILD ORDINANCE.
SO WE MAY, IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO, I THINK, KIND OF BUILD IN AN EXTRA STEP WHERE WE COME BACK IN AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT SOLANO COUNTY DOES, OR, YOU KNOW, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S VERY POSSIBLE.
- UM, I'LL SAVE THE REST OF MY COMMENTS FOR WHEN WE COME BACK FOR A BOARD DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I DO, BASED ON WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SOME POTENTIAL POLICY DECISIONS THAT SHOULD COME BEFORE THE BOARD SO WE CAN GIVE GREATER DIRECTION ON HOW TO PROCEED TO HELP PEOPLE GET HOME.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND APPROACH THE MIC AND LINE UP AND WE'LL SEE HOW MANY THERE ARE.
AND WHILE WE DO THAT, MADAM CLERK, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE PHONE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? - CURRENTLY? I SEE NO ONE WITH THEIR HAND RAISED ONLINE.
- ALRIGHT, UM, WITH THAT, ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? START WITH THE ONE PERSON STANDING UP. THANK YOU.
- I THOUGHT THERE'D BE QUITE A FEW.
HI, MIKE GOTH FROM DISTRICT 1.
SO, I READ THE PACKAGE AND RAISED A BUNCH OF CONCERNS FOR ME ABOUT SUBJECTS NOT ON THE TOPICS YOU'VE ALREADY JUST COVERED SO FAR.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PRO- I THINK THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING AS FAR AS INTERACTION FOR INTAKE, ALL, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE MAKE A LOT OF SENSE, BUT I DEFER TO YOU ALL.
UH, AND I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT CZU REBUILDS, I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL.
IT'S THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE SCHEDULE AND ON THIS PROCESS PLAN AND AMONG THEM ARE CHANGES TO TITLE CHAPTER 16, ENVIRONMENTAL CODES.
NOW, WE'LL SAY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR US TO GET HERE, I HAD TWO CONVERSATIONS WITH DIRECTOR MERCADO, MS. DRAKE AND MS. HANSEN.
I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW HAVING AIRED MY CONCERNS BUT SOME OF THESE CHANGES TO STREAMLINE OUR PROCESS CHANGES BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS LISTED IN THIS SET OF GREEN THAT ARE TRUE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.
AND IF YOU START FOOLING AROUND WITH THE SUBSTANTIVE CODES, ESPECIALLY I THINK THE DEFAULT POSITION SHOULD BE, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING ON 16, YOU NEED TO BEGIN OUTREACH TO THE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THESE CODES ALL ALONG.
YOU'VE DONE ALL THIS OUTREACH TO DEVELOPERS TO TALK ABOUT INTAKE AND 'CAUSE THEY DO THAT PART.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE LAST BIG ENVIRONMENTAL CODE THAT WE PUT IN WAS 7.79 RUNOFF POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE FOR STORM WATER FOR MPDES AND PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING CAME AND MET WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, SIERRA CLUB AND OTHER GROUPS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE INCLUDING EXPERTS IN CLEAN- WATER LAW.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR THAT LIKE SOME OF THE STUFF IN HERE IS TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.
SOME OF THE TIMELINES ON HERE, SAY MARCH OF THIS YEAR, MAY, THERE HASN'T, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, BEEN ANY OUTREACH YET TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK THESE CODES IN THE COMMUNITY INTEREST.
I THINK THEY'VE SORT OF COMMITTED THAT THAT WILL COME, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD ASK THEM ABOUT SOME OF THE TITLE 16 STUFF.
AND THAT'S MY CONCERN. THANK YOU.
- COVE BRITTON, MATSON BRITTON ARCHITECTS AND I DO APPRECIATE THE BOARD AND STAFF WORKING ON TRYING TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST CONTINUING PRACTICING ARCHITECTS IN THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ.
SO I'M REALLY CURIOUS, ARE THEY HAVING A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE IN OUR OFFICE? I MEAN, WE'RE HAVING SOME GLIMMERS OF IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE'RE SEEING THINGS LIKE THREE RUN- THREE RUNS ON A PUBLIC WORKS DRAINAGE ON AN EXISTING LOT
[04:20:04]
THAT HAS AN EXISTING HOUSE USING ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED, UM, ENGINEERS IN THE COUNTY.SO, YOU CAN'T EVEN GO, IT'S COVE'S PROBLEM, IT'S MY ENGINEER'S PROBLEM.
UM, SO I'M LIKE GOING, SO WE'RE IMPROVING, BUT WHY ARE WE HAVING THREE RUNS ON THIS THING? UH, THAT ALSO VIOLATES THE PERMIT STREAMLINING ACT, WHICH I'M ALSO LIKE, LIKE, I STILL DON'T THINK STAFF HAS A GRASP ON THAT.
UM, WE ALSO JUST SAW ON FRIDAY, AND MR. GOTH WAS THERE FOR THE HEARING, I WASN'T.
THAT THE COUNTY STAFF APPROVED A RETAINING WALL IN RIO DEL MAR AT THE BASE OF THE WALL, AND SAID IT WASN'T A COASTAL BLUFF PROTECTION STRUCTURE.
YET AT THE SAME TIME, I'M PROCESSING WHAT'S CALLED A DEBRIS FENCE, WHICH IS A FENCE LITERALLY, AND THEY'RE SAYING IT IS A COASTAL PROTECTION STRUCTURE.
SO, I'M LIKE GOING... SO, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS, TWO I'M MENTIONING RIGHT HERE, THE CONFLICT THAT WE'RE GETTING DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, A FENCE IS NOT A RETAINING WALL, IT'S A FENCE.
AND THEN, WE'RE HAVING THREE RUNS AT THINGS.
AND WE ALSO GOT A REQUEST FOR A LANDSCAPE PLAN ON A HOUSE THAT'S ON THE SAND.
I THINK IF MOST OF YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ON THE SAND, THE LANDSCAPING DOESN'T SURVIVE.
SO, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
I'D LOVE TO TALK TO SOME OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS AND GO, WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE? BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THINGS ARE IMPROVING? MAYBE. THANK YOU.
- MY NAME IS TREVOR HUTCHINSON.
I JUST HEARD A LOT OF THE COMMENTS AND STAND WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I HEARD A LOT OF CALCULATIONS.
UM, I'M GOING TO DO A ROUGH CALCULATION.
CZU FIRE STARTED IN AUGUST OF 2020.
IT'S NOW JANUARY, 2026; FIVE YEARS WITHOUT YOUR HOUSE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERMITTING PROCESSING.
ARE THERE KIDS INHERITING THE HOUSE YET? I MEAN, IT'S... COME ON.
JUST, LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING AND GET PEOPLE BACK, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR HOUSES.
I MEAN, THAT'S A LONG TIME, RIGHT? THANK YOU. I RESERVE THE REST OF MY TIME.
- I'VE SPOKEN PUBLICLY A LOT. I'M SALLY LUCIER.
UM, OUR PROPERTY IS IN BROOKDALE.
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE'VE HAD LOTS OF HELP FROM STAFF.
UM, AND OF THE FIVE BUILDINGS THAT NEED TO BE REBUILT "IN KIND", UM, TWO HAVE GOT PERMITS.
IT'S BEEN FRAMED AND, UM, WE ARE BUILDING WHAT WE CALL THE BACK CABIN THAT WE CAN LIVE IN FOR NOW.
AND, UM, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT STAFF HAS REALLY HELPED US.
TOM ANDERSON, THE INSPECTOR, HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
WE ARE MOVING AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S BEEN 6 YEARS AND WE'D LIKE TO MOVE HOME. THANK YOU.
- ANY SPEAKERS ONLINE? ANY SPEAKERS ONLINE AT THIS POINT? - I STILL SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE.
- OKAY. WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION AND DISCUSSION.
AND I WANNA THANK STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, I DO HAVE A FEW, LIKE A QUESTION, BUT MORE COMMENTS.
UM, ONE THING I DO HOPE WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE IS KIND OF DECOUPLE THE CZU CONVERSATION FROM SOME OF THESE CODE UPDATE CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THAT, FOR SOME FOLKS, UM, JUST READING THE SURFACE OF THIS ITEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ABOUT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF CZU REBUILDS, THAT SHOULD BE CALLED OUT JUST SO THAT PEOPLE CAN CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS GONNA BE ABOUT BECAUSE THEY'RE TANGENTIALLY RELATED.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WHEN IT COMES TO CZU, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE CAN INVITE THEM OUT AND SAY WE'RE GIVING AN UPDATE FROM THE COUNTY ON THE REBUILD PROCESS.
BUT I DO WANNA APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED HERE TODAY.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, BECAUSE- SINCE IT IS A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE- WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECT 14, CZU REBUILD PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, STEVE HOLMAN, UH, WHO I'VE WORKED WITH IN MY DISTRICT, HE'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR GETTING PEOPLE'S HOMES REBUILT.
I THINK, HE'S ACTUALLY WORKED WITH ABOUT 50, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS PRO BONO TO HELP 'EM GET REBUILT.
AND I KNOW EARLIER WAS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UM, PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND I REALLY WANNA RECOMMEND THAT NOT ONLY WE HAVE STAFF
[04:25:03]
REACH OUT TO STEVE HOLMAN, AND MEET WITH HIM TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BUT HE ALSO, ON JANUARY 11TH, SENT A LETTER TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.SO, ALL FIVE SUPERVISORS ALONG WITH UH, CEO, NICOLE COBURN, MATT MACHADO, CONNIE MORENO, ANDREW SCHRADER, OUR PROPOSED CHANGES IN ORDINANCES AND POLICIES APPLYING TO CZU FIRE FAMILIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN THIS EMAIL THAT HE CALLS OUT ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS IS HOW THERE ARE CERTAIN INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PASSED AND, UM, SOME OF OUR COUNTY SEWAGE DISPOSAL ORDINANCES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WITHIN THE RESOLUTION, UM, IN KIND WAS MEANING NO MORE THAN 10% LARGER THAN THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE THAT HAD BEEN REBUILT, BUT UNDER OUR SEWAGE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE, UH, RECONSTRUCTION OF ANY LEGAL STRUCTURE PARTIALLY OR WHOLLY DESTROYED BY FIRE, FLOOD, LAND MOVEMENT, OR OTHER NATURAL CALAMITY OR ANY OTHER CALAMITY BEYOND CONTROL OF THE OWNER OF SUCH STRUCTURE, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED NEW DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS CHAPTER, AS LONG AS CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET.
AND THEN, WITHIN THAT SAME ORDINANCE, THERE'S ALSO, UM, AN ALLOWANCE OF UP TO 500 SQUARE FEET OF A RESIDENCE, UM, ONCE ONLY WHEN IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL BEDROOMS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE THINK ABOUT A STRUCTURE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN 450 SQUARE FEET LIKE A CABIN.
YOU KNOW, 10% INCREASE, THAT MEANS THEY CAN ADD AN ADDITIONAL 45 SQUARE FEET VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT SAYS UNDER THE, UH, COUNTY SWITCH DISPOSAL ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR 500, UM, SQUARE FEET.
SO, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALIGN, UM, THESE POLICIES.
AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE ALLOWING FOR 1,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND, UH, THE CALAMITY REBUILD, AND I THINK UNDER THE COUNTY SEWAGE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE ALLOWS 10 YEARS AFTER CATASTROPHE FOR REBUILDING LOST HOMES, USING, UTILIZING SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM REPAIR STANDARDS FOR ANY KIND OF REPLACEMENT LOST HOMES.
AFTER THAT TIME, NEW HOME SEPTIC TANK SYSTEMS STANDARDS AND THE ONE ACRE PARCEL MINIMUM WOULD APPLY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING THROUGH THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE MAY BE, UM, SOME OPPORTUNITIES AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STEVE HOLMAN AND HAVING THE BOARD CONSIDER THOSE.
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO, UM, THE, LET ME SEE, WHAT THIS IS CALLED, THERE'S APPENDIX B, THE CODE AMENDMENT CATEGORIZATION.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIT WELL WITHIN THERE BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CODES AND RECOMMENDED CODE CHANGES, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD TO ADD TO THAT.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, I DO HOPE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE CODE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ONES THAT REALLY S- THAT STUCK OUT TO ME OF CONCERN, UM, THERE'S NOT A PAGE NUMBER ON HERE, BUT IT'S 7.38.045 A, UH, NOTES TO TABLE GP POLICY, AND IT'S CHANGING LOT SIZE MINIMUMS FOR CREATION, AND IT'S WITH, THIS WOULD CONVERT THE ONE ACRE MINIMUM TO A HALF ACRE MINIMUM PARCEL SIZE.
AND IT'S IN, AND THERE'S A QUESTION MARK AROUND WHETHER THAT'LL BE IN THE RURAL SERVICES LINE.
AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING LOT SIZES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT THAT COULD HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW MANY LOTS THAT WOULD APPLY TO, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOME KIND OF BRIEFING ON THAT BEFORE THAT CHANGE TAKES PLACE 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK OUR BOARD HAS ACTUALLY AUTHORIZED THAT CHANGE.
AND I KNOW FOR MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE THINKING ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE ON ROADS, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL PARTS OF THE, OF THE COUNTY, WHERE IF THERE WERE TO BE A FIRE, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OUT SAFELY, I THINK, IT'S REALLY WORTH US TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION.
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDED CHANGE OR SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA APPLY, THAT COME BACK, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE AND WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING HOW MANY PARCELS THAT WOULD APPLY TO, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, WE BE, WE SHOULD BE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, IF WE'RE GONNA REDUCE LOT SIZES FROM AN ACRE MINIMUM TO NOW HALF ACRE MINIMUM? SO, UM, WHEN THE TIME COMES, I'D LIKE TO ADD, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD THE LETTER FROM MR. HOLMAN TO THE AGENDA, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR HIS CONC- HIS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS, UH, CODE CHANGE PROCESS.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REST OF YOUR WORK.
IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT, UH, THERE'S PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING PRODUCTIVELY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A, A VERY, UM, UM, EFFICIENT PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND PLANNING PROCESS.
SO, THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU. FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
DO YOU HAVE ANY? THEY WANT THE STRUCTURE. OKAY.
UM, THEN I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS.
I WANNA START BY JUST REALLY COMMENDING YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK TO DATE.
UM, YOU'RE ABOUT, I HEARD, SO YOU SAID 30% DONE.
YOU'RE SEEING POSITIVE FEEDBACK, AND MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS A TURNAROUND STORY, AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE ON THE PATH.
SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK TODAY
[04:30:02]
AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ACROSS ALL 14 AREAS.UM, YOU KNOW, I AM VERY, AS IT RELATES TO THE CZU REBUILD, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU ARE STARTING TO GET MUCH BETTER PARCEL LEVEL DATA.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE FAMILIES UNTIL WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH.
AND SO, THE GREATER DETAIL WE CAN GET, THE BETTER.
AND SO, YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT.
UM, I LOVE THE WAY THAT YOU ARE COORDINATING OUTREACH TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE CNC STATUS.
UM, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE SLOW TO RESPOND.
YOU'VE GOTTEN JUST A LITTLE BIT OF RESPONSE, BUT KEEP AT IT.
UM, THESE ARE REAL RESIDENTS, THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE.
AND, UM, IT WILL GO A LONG WAY HEARING FROM THIS OFFICE.
AND OF COURSE, THE KIND OF MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL APPROACH AND COORDINATION.
JUST SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING ALL THE COMPLEXITY.
YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH THE COMPLEXITY AND WE BRING THEM, YOU KNOW, A, A SINGLE ONE-STOP SHOP TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THEIR PROGRESS.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLES WITH THE CZU RECOVERY CONTINUED TO BE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN DISTRICT 5.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT STILL HAS A FINANCIAL TOLL ON, FOR PEOPLE, AN EMOTIONAL TOLL FOR NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES, BUT PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR COMMUNITY, ALL OF US.
AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY PERSONAL.
SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PROGRESS AND I'M STILL FEELING A SENSE OF URGENCY TOWARDS GREATER ACTION, RIGHT? WE'RE PROVIDING GREAT, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION AND WE WANT MORE FURTHER ACTION.
UM, I'M GONNA LIST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'D HOPE TO SEE IN THE NEXT REPORT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED TO ADD THIS TO A MOTION BUT I THINK BY SHARING IT, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M HOPING TO SEE, AND I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU IN FURTHER MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S NEED GREATER CLARITY, UM, FROM ME OR FROM MY OFFICE.
SO, SPECIFICALLY I'D LOVE TO SEE A MORE CLEAR BREAKDOWN OF WHICH COMMON CNC BARRIERS ARE DRIVEN BY THE STATE VERSUS THE COUNTY, AND SOME OF THAT'S INTENDED TO ALLOW US TO ADVOCATE APPROPRIATELY AT THE STATE LEVEL, IF NEEDED.
I REALLY WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND SO I CAN REPRESENT MY CONSTITUENTS IN STATE-LEVEL ADVOCACY.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, HELP LEAD LOCAL CHANGE IF, IF NECESSARY, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE REALLY WORKING HARD ON THE LOCAL LEVEL.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE PROCEEDING WITH THE CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO IN-KIND AND BEDROOMS, SO OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THAT, ON THOSE POINTS, UM, WHICH HOPEFULLY GETS TO SOME OF THE POINTS THAT MR. HOLMAN WAS ADDRESSING AS WELL.
I THINK THAT THAT'S INCORPORATED IN THAT.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO START TALKING ABOUT A STRATEGY OR START SEEING A STRATEGY FOR MORE PROACTIVE OUTREACH TO SUPPORT PROPERTY OWNERS CURRENTLY IN NO STATUS.
AND I CAN PARTNER WITH YOU, IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT, AND WHERE WE MIGHT GAIN CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THOSE FOLKS.
I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE METRICS SPECIFIC TO CZU REBUILDS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE MEASURING OUR SUCCESS? I THINK WE'RE CLEAR THAT NOT EVERY HOME IS GONNA BE REBUILT.
THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY.
SO, WHAT ARE WE STRIVING FOR? WHAT IS OUR GOAL? AND THEN LET'S MEASURE OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
AND THEN FINALLY, JUST MORE CONCRETE OPTIONS RELATED TO A FORMAL DISASTER REBUILD FRAMEWORK.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S AN ORDINANCE OR CHANGES TO THE REBUILD DIRECTIVE OR WHATNOT, IT'S KIND OF THE, THE GREATER POLICY CHANGE THAT THE BOARD IS GONNA NEED TO CONSIDER, UM, IN THE NEXT PHASE OF REBUILD, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN ALMOST 6 YEARS OR 6 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE'RE NO LONGER DEALING WITH THE, IF THERE WAS LOW HANGING FRUIT, THEY'VE BEEN REBUILT, AND I KNOW IT WASN'T EASY FOR THOSE FOLKS, SO IT'S NOT FAIR TO CALL THEM LOW HANGING FRUIT, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOW IN THE REALLY TRICKY LAND, IN THE SPACE OF REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT REBUILDS.
AND SO, ANY POTENTIAL POLICY GUIDANCE WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AS WE TRY TO SUPPORT THOSE FOLKS IN GETTING HOME.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
AND, UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IS SOMETHING I CAN SUPPORT.
SO, THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS, AND WITH THAT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
- YEAH. SO, I'M GONNA MOVE, UH, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT STAFF EXPLORE THE RECOMMENDATIONS,
[04:35:03]
UM, AS PROVIDED BY STEVE HOLMAN AND HIS EMAIL THAT WAS SENT ON JANUARY 11, 2026 THAT'S ALSO INCLUDING THE BOARD PACKET, UM, AS PART OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS AND REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD WHEN THIS COMES BACK.- ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE? - ABSOLUTELY. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - AYE.
[9. Hold public hearing to accept California Coastal Commission modifications to the County’s Local Coastal Program, consider approving in concept “An Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz Accepting California Coastal Commission Modifications to Santa Cruz County Code Section 13.10.040 as Adopted in the 2025 Miscellaneous Amendments,” and take related actions]
WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO ITEM 9, NUMBER 9: HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING TO ACCEPT CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION MODIFICATIONS TO THE COUNTY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM.CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ ACCEPTING CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION MODIFICATIONS TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE SECTIONS 13.10040 AS ADOPTED IN THE 2025 MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.
SO, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UM, INVITE OUR SPEAKERS.
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UM, CDI PLANNER, MR. LUTZ, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE LISTED.
[LAUGHS] SORRY. GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
- GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MARTINEZ, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
MARK CONNOLLY, PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN CDI.
WITH ME THIS AFTERNOON TO MY LEFT IS JACOB LUTZ, POLICY PLANNER IN CDI.
AND WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU THIS MORNING, SPEAKING OF, UH, ANNUAL CODE UPDATES, ARE THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS.
UH, REALLY TWO ITEMS TO OUR 2025, UH, STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ CODE UPDATE, ANNUAL CODE UPDATE.
UM, THE BOARD TOOK ACTION TO APPROVE THIS AND WENT THROUGH IN JUNE OF 2025, AND STAFF TRANSMITTED THE, UH, BECAUSE IT AFFECTS LCP CHAPTERS, WE TRANSMITTED THAT TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION.
AND HOW IT WORKS IS THE COASTAL COMMISSION WILL EITHER CERTIFY IT AS IT IS, OR THEY'LL DO WHAT THEY DID IN THIS CASE, WHICH IS TO BRING IT BACK TO US WITH SOME COMMENTS.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD, IT'S UP TO THE BOARD TO EITHER ACCEPT THOSE COMMENTS AND IT'LL GO BACK TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION, UH, FOR FINAL CERTIFICATION, OR WE HAVE TO JUST BEGIN NEW NEGOTIATIONS.
SO, WE HOPE TODAY THAT THE, UH, MODIFICATIONS THAT STAFF HAS WORKED WITH THE COASTAL COMMISSION HAVE BEEN ACCEPTABLE AND THE BOARD ADOPTS THOSE.
UH, I DO WANT TO, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO JACOB, NOTE ONE THING.
UH, IN YOUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND IN YOUR PACKET TODAY, UH, I WOULD ASK FOR ONE CLARIFICATION THAT REFERENCE TO CHAPTER 1310.040 IN THE PACKET, AND MATERIALS RESOLUTION BE AMENDED TO SAY 1320.040.
SO, THAT'S A CLERICAL ERROR THERE.
SO, WE WANT THAT TO BE INCLUDED IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO JACOB LUTZ TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE TWO MODIFICATIONS. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MARTINEZ, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
AS MARK STATED, THIS ITEM IS REGARDING THE BOARD'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION MODIFICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY'S 2025 MISCELLANEOUS CODE AMENDMENTS.
AS BACKGROUND, THESE AMENDMENTS ARE A PART OF THE COUNTY'S ONGOING EFFORT TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE OUR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
THE 2025 MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS CONSIST OF MINOR UPDATES TO THE GENERAL PLAN AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM, AND THE COUNTY CODE INTENDED TO IMPROVE CLARITY, CORRECT ERRORS, AND ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH CURRENT POLICIES, PERMITTING FRAMEWORKS, AND STATE LAW.
THE PROJECT WAS PROCESSED WITH A CEQA AND NOTICE OF EXEMPTION, AND BECAUSE IT INCLUDES LCP AMENDMENTS, REQUIRE CERTIFICATION BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION FOLLOWING LOCAL ADOPTION.
AFTER THE BOARD ADOPTED THE MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS IN JUNE, 2025, THE COASTAL COMMISSION REVIEWED THE PACKAGE AND APPROVED IT WITH TWO MINOR MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE NOW BEFORE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE FIRST MODIFICATION APPLIES TO THE GENERAL PLAN GLOSSARY DEFINITION OF GROSS SITE AREA.
THE COMMISSION REQUESTED THAT THE DEFINITION BE REVISED TO ALIGN WITH THE CERTIFIED LCP BY EXPLICITLY EXCLUDING BEACHES, COASTAL BLUFFS, AND AREAS SEAWARD OF THE MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE FROM DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY CALCULATIONS.
THIS CLARIFICATION ENSURES CONSISTENCY WITH COASTAL ACT POLICIES AND THE COUNTY CODE, AND REFLECTS HOW DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY IS ALREADY BEING EVALUATED IN THE COASTAL ZONE.
THE SECOND MODIFICATION APPLIES TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE SECTION 1320. 040, WHICH DEFINES TIMBER HARVEST PLAN.
THE DEFINITION IS BEING PROPOSED TO REVISE THE REMOVAL OF
[04:40:03]
REFERENCES TO NON-INDUSTRIAL TIMBER MANAGEMENT PLANS.THIS CHANGE CLARIFIES THAT THESE PLANS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMITS UNDER THE LCP OR THE COASTAL ACT, AND ENSURES CONSISTENCY WITH STATE LAW AND THE COASTAL COMMISSION REGULATIONS.
BOTH OF THESE MODIFICATIONS ARE TECHNICAL AND MINOR IN NATURE.
THEY DO NOT INTRODUCE NEW POLICY DIRECTION NOR EXPAND DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OR CHANGE HOW PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED IN PRACTICE.
INSTEAD, THEY CLARIFY EXISTING INTENT AND ENSURE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN COUNTY REGULATIONS, THE CERTIFIED LCP AND STATE LAW.
TODAY'S RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS, ADOPT A RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE COMMISSION'S AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL PLAN AND COUNTY CODE AND DIRECT CDI DIRECTOR TO SUBMIT THE RESOLUTION TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION, APPROVE IN CONCEPT ASSOCIATED ORDINANCE, ACCEPTING THE MODIFICATIONS TO COUNTY CODE SECTION 1320.040, DIRECT THE CLERK OF THE BOARD TO PUBLISH, AND POST THE REQUIRED NOTICE OF ORDINANCE SUMMARY.
AND LASTLY, SCHEDULE THIS ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION ON FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026.
THIS CONCLUDES STAFF SUMMARY AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'M GONNA START BY ASKING THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION.
SO, I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN AT LEAST, UH, IS SOME OF OUR INBOXES AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTARY THAT'S SORT OF TANGENTIAL TO THIS ITEM IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS OVER THIS WHOLE NOTION OF LIKE ZERO DEVELOPABLE AREA ON LOTS.
UM, AND, UM, I- I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, UH, OR MAYBE ASK THE QUESTION.
SO THE WAY, AND A LOT OF THIS HAPPENED THROUGH A SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE THAT CHANGED FROM LOOKING AT NET DEVELOPABLE AREA WHEN CALCULATING A FLOOR, YOU KNOW, THE FLOOR AREA RATIO AND THE BUILD SIZE OF A BUILDING YOU COULD BUILD TO GROSS DEVELOPABLE AREA.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE DID THAT LARGELY TO BASICALLY ALLOW THE CREATION OF MORE HOUSING IN SOME AREAS BUT BE, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING 'CAUSE OF COASTAL COMMISSION CONCERNS.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO START BUILDING TOWERS ALONG THE BEACH.
UM, IS IT, AM I CORRECT THAT, I MEAN, WE'VE, WE, THE NET EFFECT OF THE CHANGE WAS THAT WE ARE STILL CALCULATING NET DEVELOPABLE AREA IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY WHEN IT COMES TO THESE BEACH PARCELS? - YEAH, YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW DEVELOPMENT IS CALCULATED THROUGH THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THIS HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS THAT WE DEDUCT THESE COASTAL HAZARD AREAS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROTECTIONS FROM DEVELOPMENT AND IT'S BEEN THE PRACTICE.
IT- THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD ALIGNMENT, AS YOU SAID, WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, THE UPDATE TO THE SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN SO THAT'S REALLY ALL THIS DOES.
IN PRACTICE FOR ANYBODY WHO'S COME IN FOR A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, THIS HAS BEEN THE PRACTICE THAT WE DEDUCT THESE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT TERMS THAT ARE THROWN AROUND IN TERMS OF HOW TO EXPLAIN IT, BUT THAT'S REALLY THE PRACTICE THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.
SO WE'VE BEEN USING THIS GROSS SITE AREA AND DEDUCTING THESE HAZARD AREAS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO REALLY THIS JUST ALIGNS THAT AREA, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY NEW CHANGE.
- OKAY. SO, THE CHANGES BEFORE US OR THAT WERE MADE THROUGH THE SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE, THEY, THEY DON'T REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT A COASTAL PROPERTY OWNER, UH, COULD BUILD, IS THAT RIGHT? - IT DOESN'T REDUCE THEIR ABILITY AND IF THERE WAS A, SOME KIND OF CALAMITY OR SOME KIND OF A ACT OF GOD THAT A HOUSE WENT AWAY OR A STRUCTURE WENT AWAY, THEY CAN STILL REBUILD.
AND WE HAVE A PRETTY GENEROUS, UH, REBUILD ORDINANCE IN THIS COUNTY SO, UH, THAT IS A VERY GOOD POINT, SUPERVISOR KOENIG, THAT I THINK A LOT OF THE PUBLIC HAS THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID, WELL, NOW I CAN'T REBUILD OR I CAN'T ADD ONTO MY HOUSE.
AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
THAT'S- IT'S THE SAME WAY THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.
AND THIS DOESN'T ADD ANY NEW PRECLUSIONS, - RIGHT. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS ONE PART OF THE ZONING CODE THAT DEALS WITH, WITH NET DEVELOPABLE AREA, BUT THAT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME BY RIGHT WITHIN AN EXISTING DEVELOPED NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THAT ALSO, THAT YOU CAN REBUILD BY RIGHT UM, IN, IN SUCH A NEIGHBORHOOD. IS THAT CORRECT? - THAT'S CORRECT.
- UM, I GUESS ONE, ONE LINGERING QUESTION ON THIS IS, IN THOSE KINDS OF CASES WHERE YOU'VE GOT A LOT
[04:45:01]
WITH ZERO DEVELOPABLE AREA, UM, BUT STILL HAS A RIGHT TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME UNDER OTHER SECTIONS OF THE CODE, UM, HOW IS IT DETERMINED HOW BIG A, A HOME COULD BE BUILT THERE? - SO, IN PRACTICE, YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY COMPLICATED QUESTION BUT EXCUSE ME TO ANSWER THAT IT'S LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT SITE AREA IS, WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, COASTAL HAZARDS ARE, LET'S SAY IT'S ON THE BLUFF OR THE BEACH, AND THOSE AREAS OF DEDUCTION THAT ARE MAPPED, UH, PERHAPS EVEN ADDITIONALLY CREATED WITH SOME TECHNICAL REPORTS THAT GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL TO THESE AREAS AND HOW THEY AFFECT A SPECIFIC PROPERTY.THOSE ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND AVOIDED.
UH, CEQA DOES THIS FOR US AS WELL, AND WHAT YOU'RE LEFT WITH IS A PROJECT CAN STILL DEVELOP THAT AVOIDS THOSE IMPACTS.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
- SORT OF, I MEAN, IN THE CASE WHERE SOMEONE'S BUILDING SINGLE FAMILY HOME, AND I MEAN, LET'S SAY IT'S ENTIRELY, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED BEACH, RIGHT? THE, THE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE LOT, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE COMPARABLE PROPERTIES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE SIZE OF THE HOME THAT HAD BEEN BUILT THERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, A 2,000 OR 4,000 SQUARE FOOT HOME COULD BE BUILT? - SO, YEAH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO, WE WOULD LOOK AT THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE, THE ZONING AND SEE WHAT THEY ARE.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN ANY ZONE DISTRICT BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY DEDUCTIONS OR LOOK AT ANY FURTHER DEVELOPABILITY, THAT'S THE BASELINE.
SO, SAY THAT THERE WAS A AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED ON THIS, ON A LOT BASED ON FLOOR RATIO OR ALLOWED IN THE GENERAL PLAN IN TERMS OF DENSITY.
SO THAT NUMBER'S WHERE YOU START AND THEN YOU DEDUCT WHATEVER THOSE AREAS THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE AWAY FOR COASTAL BLUFFS AND BEACHES, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CALL IT ESHA.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FROM SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES, UH, RIPARIAN CREEK, ANY NUMBER OF THOSE SORT- SORTS OF THINGS, THOSE ARE THEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND THAT YIELDS YOU WITH A, A SORT OF A NET NUMBER THAT SOMEBODY CAN DEVELOP ON.
SO THERE'S NO ONE NUMBER THAT YOU SAY IT'S A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, IT'S 2,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ON A PER LOT THOSE SPECIFIC IMPACTS, UH, ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND OUR DEV REV PLANNERS AND POLICY PLANNERS REVIEW THE GENERAL PLAN AND DO THE CEQA WORK AND COME UP WITH THAT ULTIMATE DEVELOPABILITY.
- OKAY. UM, SO DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT IN CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE MULTIPLIER, YOU KNOW, THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH OF LIKE NET DEVELOPABLE AREA TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FLOOR AREA RATIO DOESN'T WORK, RIGHT, BECAUSE THE MULTIPLIER IS ZERO.
AND WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT AN ALTERNATIVE SECTION OF THE CODE THAT SAYS, BUT YOU CAN STILL BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IF IT'S AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THOSE CASES, YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING AT HAZARD AVOIDANCE IN EVALUATING A PLAN AND, UM, WOULD THAT BE A FAIR WAY TO CHARACTERIZE IT? - IT WOULD, AND I WOULD SAY THAT IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE SOMEBODY FROM DEVELOPING, BUT MAYBE THEY DON'T GET A 4,000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
MAYBE THEY GET A SMALLER HOUSE, RIGHT, THAT RESULTS FROM THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE WOULD FIND THAT OUT IN. YEAH.
- OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
- SUPER- NO? NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT.
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? - UP UNTIL 2024, THE COUNTY CODE REGISTERED FOR THESE BEACH PROPERTIES THAT YOU'VE GOT 50% OF THE EXISTING LOT AREA ON THE SAND PERIOD.
THIS HAS BEEN WHAT IT STAND FOR AS LONG AS I'VE WORKED HERE IN 35 YEARS AND PRIOR, SO THIS CODE WAS PASSED UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF, UH, THING, UM, UPDATE AND WHAT THE COASTAL COMMISSION ACTUALLY SAID, IT WAS UNENFORCEABLE.
YOU ACTUALLY HAD A SUIT FILED AGAINST YOU YESTERDAY FOR THIS ISSUE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IS CREATE A LAND USE POLICY, THEN CREATE IMPLEMENTING CODE.
WHAT IT DID WAS YOU DID A IMPLEMENTING CODE THAT COULDN'T BE SUPPORTED BY THE LAND USE POLICY.
AND TO PUT IT JUST BLUNTLY, VARIANCES ARE NOT A BASIS OR A TOOL FOR DETERMINING WHAT SIZE HOUSE IT IS.
YOU'VE LEFT IT UP TO PERFECT DISCRETION, COMPLETE DISCRETION.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO GO REDUCE THEIR TAX BILL.
SO I ALSO WANT TO GO TO, THIS IS PART OF THE TOOL BAG, AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH MANAGED RETREAT, THIS IS PART OF THE TOOL BAG, A MANAGED RETREAT THAT SAY
[04:50:03]
YOU HAVE ZERO LOT AREA, AND THEREFORE, IT'S A VARIANCE TO PUT IN A HOUSE.THEREFORE, WE CAN PUT YOU IN THE POSITION AND YOU CAN DO IT, THAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY THEIR HOME WITHOUT RECOMPENSE.
THERE'S A REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT IT AND THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S A SUIT ON IT, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT APPROACH, TRY TO PULL THIS OFF IN HUNTINGTON BEACH THAT YOU'RE ON THE SAND AND THEREFORE YOU HAVE NO SIGHT AREA.
AND AGAIN, THIS WAS SNUCK BY, THIS ISN'T A CLEANUP IT'S A COVERUP, AND YOU'VE BEEN TOLD IT WAS A CLEANUP AFTER SOMETHING WAS PASSED THAT NOBODY KNEW ABOUT.
- HI, UH, MY NAME'S JOHN VORIS.
UM, I'M A LONG TIME SANTA CRUZ COUNTY RESIDENT.
UH, OUR FAMILY MOVED HERE IN 1973.
UM, WE LIVE IN A COASTAL HOME FULL TIME.
UH, WE HAVE THREE GENERATIONS OF FAMILY TO LIVE HERE, AND WE LIVE HERE BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE, THE VALUES.
WE, WE LOVE THE LIBERAL VALUES, AND IN OUR VIEW, LIBERAL VALUES IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO BAFFLED, UM, BY THIS SUBVERSIVE EFFORT TO UNLAWFULLY UNDERMINE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO DEVELOP OUR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
CLASSIFYING COASTAL PROPERTY AS ZERO LAW AREA IS ARBITRARY AND IT'S UNLAWFUL.
IF THIS INITIATIVE COMES TO PASS, IT WILL ERODE PROPERTY VALUE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP OUR PROPERTY, PROBABLY MAKE INSURANCE IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURE, AND WILL REDUCE COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED BY TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER THE YEARS.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT LACK OF BUDGET AND HOW TO SPEND EVERY DOLLAR EFFICIENTLY.
HOW ABOUT TRYING TO INCREASE OR MAINTAIN PROPERTY VALUES AND THEREBY INCREASING PROPERTY TAXES? IMPEDING PEOPLE FROM REMODELING THEIR HOUSES, UH, IS GOING TO DEGRADE THE TAX BASE OVER TIME AND THE WHOLE COMMUNITY PAYS THE PRICE.
FEWER PEOPLE WANNA BUY A COASTAL HOME IF IT HAS ZERO BILLABLE IRA.
DEMAND FOR COASTAL PROPERTY WILL BE DEGRADED AND THE PROPERTY VALUES WILL GO DOWN.
THIS INITIATIVE IS UNLAWFUL AND BAD FOR A COMMUNITY.
IF THIS INITIATIVE MADE ALL PROPERTY VALUES ZERO RIGHT AREA, WOULD YOU VOTE FOR IT? THANK YOU.
- HELLO, CHAIR. HELLO, SUPERVISORS. AGAIN, MIKE GOTH.
I URGE YOU TO PASS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I ATTENDED THAT COASTAL COMMISSION HEARING.
IT WOULD BE NICE IF IN YOUR PACKAGE, THE COASTAL COMMISSION STAFF REPORT WAS IN THERE BECAUSE THEY EXPLAINED THE BASIS FOR THIS QUITE WELL AND YOU DIDN'T REALLY GET ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT.
BUT, UH, A LOT OF REASONS THIS MAKES SENSE.
AND WITH REGARD TO BUILDING AND HAZARD AREAS, SO IN OUR DISTRICT, DISTRICT 1 SUPERVISOR KOENIG IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IF YOU STAND AT THE ROAD AT MORAN LAKE WITH A CULVERT UNDERNEATH YOU AND THE LAGOON BEHIND YOU, THIS FIRST LITTLE UNBUILT WALK THERE, A HOUSE GOT DESTROYED IN 1983.
SO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL WERE AWARE OF THE BIG EVENT, SIX FOOT TIDE, EIGHT FOOT STORM SURGE, 17 FOOT SWELL DESTRUCTION OF ALL THE BEACH STAIRS, EVERYTHING THAT LOT IS PROBABLY THE ONLY UNBUILDABLE LOT THAT WOULD COME UNDER THE POSSIBLY BE AFFECTED BY THIS IN THE PLEASURE POINT AREA.
BUT THE LAST TIME THEY BUILT THERE, IT GOT DESTROYED.
AND I MEAN, COMPLETELY DESTROYED, NOT PARTIALLY DESTROYED.
SO THERE'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT TO BEING SLIGHTLY RESTRICTIVE OF THE ABSOLUTE MOST CRAZY AT RISK AREAS.
SO, UH, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE REASON WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK, IS THAT THE WAY THAT IT WAS PRESENTED AT BY COASTAL STAFF.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS DIDN'T COME FROM ME, THIS, THIS CHANGE I, UM, SENT TO THREE OF YOU THE LETTER SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA PUT IN AT THE STATE LEVEL IN FAVOR OF THIS.
AND I'M SORRY, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND DE SERPA.
I MEANT TO GO THROUGH ALL FIVE OF YOU ONE AT A TIME, AND I GOT SIDETRACKED.
BUT, UH, IT, TO ME, IT'S A COMPLETELY COMMON SENSE THING GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE TYPE OF PLACES THAT ARE AFFECTED AND GIVEN THE INTERESTING DISCUSSION THAT SUPERVISOR KOENIG HAD ABOUT ITS REAL IMPLICATIONS.
SO I URGE YOU TO PASS THAT AS PRESENTED. THANK YOU.
- THANK YOU. IS- ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR.
DEREK, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE.
- THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, BOARD, AND STAFF.
I'M AN ATTORNEY AND SHAREHOLDER AT FENTON AND KELLER IN MONTEREY AND REPRESENT NUMEROUS COASTAL PROPERTY OWNERS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
UM, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE
[04:55:02]
TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.UM, UH, I'M NOT APPEARING TODAY ON BEHALF OF ANY SPECIFIC CLIENT, RATHER, MY COMMENTS REFLECT MY OWN THOUGHTS, UM, PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF PRACTICING COASTAL ZONE LAWYER.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED, UH, REDEFINITION OF GROWTH SITE AREA, WHICH, IF ADOPTED, WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANY PARCELS FOR RESIDENTIAL USE.
WHILE, OF COURSE, HOUSING SHORTAGES REMAIN A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ADDRESS ONE OF SUPERVISOR KOENIG'S QUESTIONS IF THE REVISED DEFINITION IS ADOPTED, IF YOU'VE GOT A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF A 3,000 SQUARE FOOT PARCEL CONSISTING OF COASTAL BLUFF OR BEACH, THE DEVELOPMENT LIMIT CALCULATIONS LIKE FLOOR AREA RATIO, ET CETERA, FOR THAT PARCEL WOULD BE BASED ON 2,000 SQUARE FEET NOT 3,000 SQUARE FEET.
MEANING, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THAT PARCEL COULD BE DEVELOPED AND USED FOR HOUSING WOULD BE REDUCED BY A THIRD, IF THE NON BLUFF OR BEACH PORTION OF THAT PROPERTY IS SUITABLE FOR, UH, MORE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE LCP, INCLUDING THE ALREADY IN PLACE BLUFF TOP DEVELOPMENT MINIMUM SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, AND FOR SEVERAL REASONS, UM, THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY AND ILL-ADVISED, UM, REVISION.
I MEAN, COASTAL EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO REEMPHASIZE THAT YOU CAN'T BUILD ON THE BEACH AS CONCLUDED IN THE LCP.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO REEMPHASIZE THAT BY FURTHER LIMITING THE ABILITY TO USE PROPERTY, UH, TO LIMIT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, COASTAL STAFF ALSO POINTS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR OVERLY LARGE STRUCTURES AND THE NEED FOR NEW SHORELINE PROTECTED DEVICES- - THANK YOU.
- I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
I'LL NOW OPEN UP TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION AND DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE AND I WANT TO THANK COUNTY STAFF FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO START WITH AND REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING HERE IS WE'RE ALIGNING, UM, OUR GENERAL PLAN AND COUNTY CODE AND DEFINITIONS THAT WE'RE USING REGARDING SITE AREA IN TERMS OF GROWTH SITE AREA.
UM, THIS ITEM ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE AND WE'RE ALSO, UM, UPDATING SOME DEFINITION OF THE TIMBER HARVEST PLAN.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS DIRECTION TO MOVE TO THE DECISION TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION WAS ACTUALLY MADE ON JUNE 10TH, 2025.
THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, AGREED AND WE VOTED IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD IN THIS DIRECTION.
SO THERE WAS, SO THIS WAS PUBLICLY, YOU KNOW, THIS CONVERSATION WAS PUBLIC ON THAT DATE.
THE COASTAL COMMISSION HEARD THIS ITEM ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2025.
SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THIS AT THE COASTAL COMMISSION.
AND NOW AFTER IT'S GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, IT'S BACK BEFORE US TODAY.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA HAVE TO, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, GO BACK TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION AGAIN. CORRECT? SO I JUST WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND TAX DOLLARS HAVE GONE INTO THIS, THAT IF WE'RE GONNA FURTHER DELAY THIS, IT'S- WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA BE MAKING PROGRESS.
AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE ALREADY, UM, TAKEN THE STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, AND THAT WE'VE VOTED IN FAVOR OF MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE, UH, IN THIS DIRECTION TODAY, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR GENERAL PLAN AND OUR COUNTY CODES SO REFLECTIVE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY WITHIN THE COUNTY'S LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A CLEANUP ITEM THAN US TAKING NEW ACTION, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIDE THINGS FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TAKEN ACTION ON IN THE PAST AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH IT TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? - SECOND.
- WE HAVE A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? - I JUST WANNA ASK COUNTY COUNSEL IF YOU CAN COMMENT ON THIS, YOU KNOW, NOTION THAT THIS, I MEAN, AS SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS POINTED OUT, WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, THIS IS SORT OF TANGENTIAL, BUT THIS LARGER CONCERN THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING A TAKING, THAT WE'RE REDUCING FOLKS' PROPERTY RIGHTS.
AND CAN YOU JUST COMMENT ON, ON THAT RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, DO YOU SEE ANY TAKINGS HERE OR, YOU KNOW, REASON TO BE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE REDUCING PEOPLE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS? - NO.
- ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
- YEAH, I MEAN, I'VE HEARD ALSO FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT, THAT, UH, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ACTION, ALTHOUGH I HAD UNDERSTOOD ACTUALLY THAT IT HAPPENED IN 2024.
I DON'T THINK I WAS SITTING ON THE BOARD THEN, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, UM, THAT THEIR PROPERTIES ARE GOING TO BE DEVALUED AS A RESULT OF, OF THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ACTION TODAY.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS
[05:00:03]
AND THAT THIS IS LANGUAGE JUST BEING CLEANED UP TO BE CONSISTENT AND CONGRUENT WITH THE LCP AND THE COASTAL COMMISSION.- YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT. THIS HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS AND THIS DOES CLEAN THAT UP AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER, UM, LAWS OR ORDINANCES OR ZONING. THINGS ON THE BOOKS THAT MAKE, MAKE IT, UM, UH, POSSIBLE TO BUILD IN AREAS.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, UM, SUPERVISOR KOENIG WAS SAYING ABOUT IF IT'S AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE'S A VACANT LOT THERE, THEIR HOUSE GETS DESTROYED THEY CAN BUILD BACK.
- YEAH. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE REBUILD ORDINANCE, AND WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS ONE HERE IN SANTA CRUZ.
BUT TO THE NEXT POINT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, IF AND I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP BEFORE 'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF A COMPLICATED ISSUE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING IN OUR CODE THAT HAS AN ALLOWANCE CALLED A VARIANCE.
AND THOSE ARE USUALLY AREA VARIANCES.
SO, IF SOMEBODY'S CONSTRAINED TOO MUCH AND THERE'S A REASONABLE, UH, AMOUNT OF AREA WE CAN GIVE THEM, WE CAN MAKE THE FINDINGS.
UH, SO MAYBE WE REDUCE A SETBACK IN A REGARD OR TWO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN THEY HAVE THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS.
- YEAH. I, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THE ARCHITECT COVE BRITTON WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHERE IT'S DISCRETIONARY AND THAT THAT DOES FEEL, UM, WORRISOME. RIGHT? WHEN SOMEBODY OUTSIDE HAS DISCRETION TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING CAN BE BUILT BACK OR NOT.
- I WOULD SAY THE OPPOSITE, YOU WANT IT TO BE DISCRETIONARY.
IF IT WERE MORE MINISTERIAL, IF IT WAS A SAID NUMBER THAT MIGHT LOCK SOMEBODY INTO SOMETHING, THAT'S NOT VERY GOOD FOR THEM AND DOESN'T BENEFIT THEM.
YOU WANT THAT DISCRETION TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND OF AN ABILITY TO BUILD, BUT YET PROTECT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT.
- SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE.
[10. Consider selection of one of the two nominees for appointment to the Santa Cruz Metropolitan (METRO) Transit District Board of Directors, as an at-large general community member representative, from the nominations of Jacob Waller and Larry Pageler, for a term to expire on December 31, 2026 (nominations accepted January 13, 2026)]
I'M NOW GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND RETURN TO ITEM NUMBER 10.CONSIDER SELECTION OF ONE OF THE TWO NOMINEES FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE SANTA CRUZ METROPOLITAN TRANSIT DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS AN AT-LARGE GENERAL COMMUNITY MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NOMINATION OF JACOB WALLER AND LARRY PEGLER FOR A TERM TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
AS A REMINDER, NOMINATIONS FOR THIS ITEM WERE ACCEPTED ON JANUARY 13TH, 2026.
AND I WANT TO BEGIN BY, UM, SEEING IF EITHER OF OUR NOMINEES ARE IN THE ROOM OR ON THE CALL TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEIR NOMINATION.
- CHAIR, I SEE SOMEONE ON ZOOM WITH THEIR HAND RAISED.
HOWEVER, THEIR NAME DOES NOT MATCH UP WITH EITHER OF THE, UM, NOMINEES.
- I BELIEVE THEY MIGHT JUST BE WANTING TO MAKE COMMENT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
UM, AND I, SO I ASSUME NO BOARD MEMBER HAS A QUESTION FOR OUR NOMINEES SINCE THEY'RE NOT PRESENT TO ANSWER THEM.
SO, WHY DON'T WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS, AND THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UM, IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM WHO'S HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, HOW ABOUT THE CALLER ONLINE? - YES, CHAIR.
FORT ZOOM, YOU ARE, UM, ABLE TO BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
- UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UH, THIS IS MATT FARRELL AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF FRIENDS OF THE RAIL AND TRAIL TODAY, AND ALSO, UH, MYSELF PERSONALLY.
I WANNA SPEAK TODAY IN FAVOR OF APPOINTING, UH, LARRY PEGLER TO THE SANTA CRUZ METROPOLITAN TRANSIT DISTRICT.
UM, I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH LARRY AS A COLLEAGUE ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN SANTA CRUZ CITY AND COUNTY FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
AND, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATION AND CHALLENGES FACING TRANSIT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[05:05:05]
AND ALSO, I WANT TO SAY THAT GIVEN THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE GONNA FACE TRANSIT IN THE COMING YEAR, I THINK HE'LL BE, UH, AN INVALUABLE ASSET IN HELPING, IN HELPING THE DISTRICT NAVIGATE THOSE CHALLENGES.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT.
- WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW BRING IT TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION.
- THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, OR MOVE THAT WE APPOINT LARRY PEGLER, UH, TO THE METRO.
UM, AND, UH, I'LL SEE IF THERE'S A SECOND AND THEN HAVE SOME COMMENTS. THANKS.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG, AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
- UH, YEAH, JUST SO, JUST SOME COMMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE BEEN ON THE METRO BOARD FOR FIVE YEARS NOW, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY AT A PRETTY, UH, UNPRECEDENTED AND CHALLENGING TIME FOR THE AGENCY.
UM, I'VE ALSO SERVED WITH, UM, MR. PEGLER WHILE ON THAT, ON THAT BOARD, UM, AND WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER, UH, AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT HAVING SOME EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH THIS, THE PERSON THAT WE NOMINATE AT THIS TIME OR THAT WE APPOINTED AT THIS TIME WILL BE HELPFUL.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, MR. PEGLER'S EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY COULD BE CRITICAL IN TERMS OF HELPING US CLOSE SOME OF THE, OR ADDRESS SOME OF THE FUNDING ISSUES THAT WE'RE, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT METRO.
UM, AND, UM, WHILE, UH, WORKING WITH SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, I HAD INITIALLY RECOMMENDED JACOB BECAUSE, UH, I MEAN, JUST HE, HE'S A FANTASTIC RESOURCE, UH, THROUGH HIS WORK ON, ON HOUSING, UM, AND WITHIN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
UH, NEVERTHELESS, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THE COMMUNITY WILL BE BEST SERVED WITH MR. PEGLER IN THIS POSITION. THANKS.
- ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? - YEAH. UM, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO ALSO JUST SPEAK TO MR. PEGLER.
I THINK SUPERVISOR KOENIG TOUCHED ON SOME OF HIS QUALIFICATIONS BUT JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT, UM, AS THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AT UCSC ON CAMPUS, YOU KNOW, MR. PEGLER IS GONNA BRING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TO, UH, THE METRO BOARD AND, AND I THINK THAT AS, UH, METRO IS CONSIDERING, UH, SALES TAX INCREASE POTENTIALLY, UM, MR. PEGLER ALSO WAS EFFECTIVE AT GETTING THE STUDENTS TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF INCREASING FEES FOR TRANSPORTATION ON CAMPUS AND KNOWING THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A POPULATION THAT IF THE METRO WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, A REVENUE MEASURE THIS YEAR, THAT GETTING THE STUDENTS TO VOTE AND SUPPORT THAT IS GONNA BE REALLY CRITICAL.
AND GIVEN MR PEGLER'S EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE OF VALUE, UH, TO THE METRO BOARD AS THEY'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORT THE NOMINATION.
- ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? WE- SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE.
- WITH SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ ABSENT.
WITH SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AS- ABSENT. THANK YOU.
[11. Consider the Santa Cruz County Water Resources Management Status Report for 2025]
WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11.CONSIDER THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT STATUS REPORT FOR 2025.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE RECEIVING A STAFF REPORT FROM WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM MANAGER, SIERRA RYAN. THANK YOU.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERVISORS.
I'M THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM MANAGER IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.
UM, IN 2004, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONSOLIDATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CREATING WHAT IS NOW THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM.
AS PART AS OF THAT BOARD ACTION IN CREATING THE PROGRAM, THE BOARD ASKED FOR ANNUAL REPORTS ON THE STATUS OF THE PROGRAM.
UPDATES FOR THIS YEAR'S REPORT WERE PROVIDED BY FOUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND 10 OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEY IMPACT EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN AND VISITS THE COUNTY.
TODAY, I'LL BE GIVING A BRIEF PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTING A FEW OF THE WATER RESOURCE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE BIG INVESTMENTS UNDERWAY BY SOME OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.
UM, I WILL BARELY BE SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF WHAT IS IN THE REPORT, BUT THAT IS WHY I BROUGHT A COPY FOR EACH OF YOU TODAY.
[05:10:01]
SO BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF THE WATER WE USE IN THE COUNTY ORIGINATES AS RAIN THAT FELL WITHIN THE COUNTY.IT'S A RARE SITUATION IN A STATE WITH SOME OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS WATER PROJECTS IN THE WORLD.
UM, LOCAL SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER BASINS, WHICH ARE RECHARGED BY RAIN ARE OUR ONLY SOURCE OF SUPPLY.
SOME OF THAT WATER IS THEN RECYCLED FOR IRRIGATION IN THE PAJARO VALLEY AND IN SCOTTS VALLEY, AND THAT WILL BE INCREASING THIS YEAR WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PURE WATER SOQUEL PROJECT, WHICH I WILL DISCUSS LATER.
SINCE SANTA CRUZ IS NOT ON ANY OF THE STATE WATER PROJECTS, WE MUST SOLVE ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS LOCALLY.
SO THE TWO CHARTS YOU SEE HERE ARE BASED ON THE LATEST DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED FROM THE WATER, UM, DISTRICTS AND THE PAJARO VALLEY WATER MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
WATER USE IS ROUGHLY SPLIT BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL USES WITHIN THE COUNTY, AND GROUNDWATER PROVIDES ALMOST 80% OF THE WATER THAT WE USED IN 2025.
UH, THAT IS HIGH, BUT IT'S NOT WILDLY UNEXPECTED BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, A LOW RAIN YEAR.
WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 60% OF AVERAGE RAINFALL IN 2025, THOUGH IT WAS A RELATIVELY COOL SUMMER, WHICH MITIGATED A LOT OF THE IMPACTS.
FOR THE NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA COVER A LITTLE BIT OF THE WORK THAT THE COUNTY, UM, DID THROUGH OUR WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM AND THEN I'LL DISCUSS SOME UPDATES.
SO THIS IS A SCREEN GRAB FROM OUR WATER QUALITY WEBSITE.
UM, THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM ROUTINELY SAMPLES OVER A HUNDRED SITES LOCATED IN STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES, AND BEACHES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AT A WEEKLY, MONTHLY, AND QUARTERLY INTERVAL, DEPENDING ON THE STATE MANDATES, PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORIES AND LOGISTICAL CONSTRAINTS.
LAST YEAR, OVER A THOUSAND GRAB SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED AS PART OF OUR ROUTINE MONITORING EFFORTS WITH ADDITIONAL SAMPLES ANALYZED FOR SPECIAL STUDIES AND FEE FOR SERVICE.
ON OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO ALL OF THE DATA FOR ALL OF THE ROUTINE MONITORING SITES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS, UM, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING OUT NEW WATER QUALITY SIGNS AT ALL OF OUR BEACH LOCATIONS.
SO, 28 SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UM, THESE SIGNS, THEY'RE, UH, BILINGUAL AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A QR CODE SO VISITORS CAN SEE THE REAL TIME DATA THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED RATHER THAN HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL WE, UM, POST, UH, SIGNS WHEN THERE ARE HEALTH EXCEEDANCES, WHICH CAN TAKE A DAY OR TWO AFTER THE DATA WAS ORIGINALLY COLLECTED.
OOPS. NO, THIS DIDN'T WORK QUITE RIGHT.
WELL, UNDERNEATH THIS, UH, PICTURE YOU CAN'T SEE.
WE HAVE A SCREEN GRAB FROM OUR, UM, FISH MONITORING WEBSITE WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE DATA FROM OUR FISH MONITORING PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING FOR 20 YEARS NOW.
THAT PROGRAM, UM, PARTNERS WITH LOCAL WATER AGENCIES TO SAMPLE 39 LOCATIONS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SAN LORENZO, SOQUEL, APTOS, UM, WATERSHEDS AND TWO LAGOON.
AT THESE SITES, WE'RE MONITORING BOTH THE QUANTITY AND THE SIZE OF JUVENILE STEELHEAD TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR FISH ARE DOING, UM, HOW OUR FISH SPECIES ARE DOING.
SO, THE IMAGE YOU SEE HERE IS HOW THE FISH ARE ACTUALLY COUNTED.
SO, WE USE ELECTROFISHING WHICH STUNS THE FISH.
THEY'RE CAUGHT IN NETS AND PUT IN BASKETS AND COUNTED AND MEASURED.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE OVER 20 YEARS OF DATA NOW FOR THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A REALLY, UH, QUALITY LONG-TERM DATA SET.
IN TERMS OF OTHER PROGRAMS TO PROTECT FISHERIES, THE COUNTY STAFF CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT THE STREAMWOOD PROGRAM, UM, THAT THIS BOARD CREATED IN 2009.
THE GOAL IS TO HELP PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG STREAMS BY EVALUATING WHEN FALLEN LOGS OR LOG JAMS ARE CREATING SAFETY OR A PROPERTY THREAT.
UM, IF- IT NOT, THE WOOD IS LEFT IN PLACE, UH, TO PROVIDE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR OUR FISH.
IF THE WOOD POSES A THREAT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE GRANT FUNDING AND PERMITS THAT ALLOW US TO MODIFY THAT WOOD TO ALLEVIATE ANY CONCERNS.
UM, IN 2025, WE ONLY RESPONDED TO 14 REQUESTS, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER THAN IN THE PREVIOUS FEW YEARS GIVEN THE STORM EVENTS WE'D HAD IN '23 AND '24.
UH, SO THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK EITHER. IS THERE A WAY TO...
IN POWERPOINT, IT, THERE'S MULTIPLE IMAGES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO SHOW UP.
- OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, UM, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
I WILL, UH, JUST KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE.
SO, GIVEN THAT ALMOST 80% OF THE WATER USED IN THE COUNTY CAME FROM GROUNDWATER LAST YEAR, THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM CONTINUES TO SUPPORT GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IS A HIGH PRIORITY.
IN 2025, WE COMPLETED A REALLY EXCITING GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM THAT UPDATED THE COUNTY'S WELL LAYER.
SO WE TRAINED AI POWERED OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION, UM, WITH THE WELL LOG TEMPLATES THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES HAS USED SINCE THE 1940S.
[05:15:01]
UM, WE HAD OVER 17,000 LOGS THAT WERE SCANNED, UH, AND THEN THAT INFORMATION WAS PULLED INTO OUR GIS DATABASE AFTER BEING CLEANED THROUGH, UM, A NUMBER OF SCRIPTS.UH, WE REVIEWED OVER 17,000 LOGS IN ONE DAY USING THAT PROCESS.
AND NOW THE GIS WELL, UH, DATABASE HAS HIGH QUALITY DATA INCLUDING LOCATIONS AND WELL TYPE FOR EVERY WELL WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, THIS IS A MASSIVE UPGRADE FROM WHAT WE'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY, WHICH WAS, UM, KIND OF LOW QUALITY, AND NOT CLEAR WHAT THE WELL TYPES WERE AND THE LOCATIONS WERE SORT OF GENERALIZED.
UM, SO THAT IS NOW WHAT YOU SEE IF YOU GO TO THE GIS WEB AND YOU LOOK FOR, UH, OUR WELL LAYER.
UM, WE ALSO THINK THAT THIS PROJECT HAS A LOT OF BENEFITS.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ EARLIER TODAY, AND WE SEE A LOT OF ADVANCES IN THE TECHNOLOGY BEING AVAILABLE TO US, HAVING GREAT UTILITY AND BEING ABLE TO, UM, HELP WITH, UH, MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A MAP OF THE THREE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES.
WE HAVE UPDATES FROM ALL OF THEM IN THE REPORT THIS YEAR MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR BECAUSE YOU PARTICIPATE, UM, WITH THOSE AGENCIES.
ALL RIGHT. SO, THIS SLIDE HERE IS, UM, MOVING BEYOND OUR COUNTY PROGRAMS. SO, ONE THING THAT WE DO IN THIS REPORT IS TO COMPILE WATER USE, UM, DATA FROM THE SIX LARGEST WATER AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY, UM, WHICH TOGETHER SERVE ROUGHLY 240,000 PEOPLE.
SO THE GREEN LINE HERE REPRESENTS CONNECTIONS OR HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S BEEN A SLOW AND STEADY INCREASE OF ABOUT 30% SINCE, UH, THIS DATA COLLECTION BEGAN IN 1984.
UM, THE BLUE LINE IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF WATER PRODUCED BY THE AGENCIES OR HOW MUCH WATER THE COMMUNITY USED.
UM, AS YOU CAN... UM, UNTIL AROUND THE YEAR 2000, THAT WATER USE WAS INCREASING WITH POPULATION AND ROUGHLY CORRELATED TO RAIN FALL, WHICH IS THE RED BARS THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
UM, AFTER AROUND THE YEAR 2000, MORE EFFICIENT PLUMBING STANDARDS TOOK HOLD, UM, AND WATER USE BEGAN TO DECLINE WITH THE BIGGEST DECLINES HAPPENING DURING THE 2012 TO 2015 DROUGHT WHEN MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS WERE IN PLACE.
UM, HOWEVER, IF YOU CONTINUE TO SEE- LOOK AT THAT DATA, YOU SEE, WE NEVER HAD A REBOUND EFFECT AFTER THAT DROUGHT.
THOSE CONSERVATION ACTIONS WERE, UM, PERMANENT AND OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE ACTUALLY USED LESS WATER AS A COMMUNITY THAN WE DID WHEN THOSE MANDATED RESTRICTIONS WERE IN PLACE AND AROUND 23% LESS WATER THAN WE DID AS A COMMUNITY IN 1984.
UM, I DO ALSO WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE RAINFALL BARS THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
OVERALL, THE RAINFALL TREND LINE IS GOING DOWN SLIGHTLY, BUT THE BIGGER STORY IS THE INCREASING EXTREMES BETWEEN THE WET AND THE DRY YEARS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE COUNTY RELIES ENTIRELY ON WATER THAT ORIGINATES AS LOCAL RAINFALL.
SO NOT KNOWING IF WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING 22 INCHES OR 50 INCHES OR 92 INCHES OF RAIN EVERY YEAR, UM, HAS MASSIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING FOR WATER SUPPLY SECURITY, UM, WHICH GETS ME TO THE FINAL PART OF THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY IS DOING ON WATER SUPPLY, UM, MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR LONG-TERM SECURITY.
UM, FOR THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GONNA JUMP TO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO, THE FIRST PROJECT HERE IS, UM, PAJARO VALLEY WATER MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S COLLEGE LAKE PROJECT.
UM, SO THIS PROJECT INCLUDES COMPONENTS TO TREAT, STORE AND DELIVER SURFACE WATER FROM COLLEGE LAKE, UM, FOR USES, IRRIGATION IN-LIEU OF PUMPED GROUNDWATER.
THEY ANTICIPATE AROUND 2,300 ACRE FEET A YEAR, UM, OF NEW SUPPLY WILL BE COLLECTED, WHICH IS AROUND THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER AS ALL OF THE DOMESTIC WELLS WITHIN THE COUNTY USE COMBINED.
UM, THAT RIBBON CUTTING FOR THAT PROJECT TOOK PLACE IN 2025, AND THEY'RE ALREADY ACTIVELY USING IT.
UM, THE WATSONVILLE SLOUGH MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE PROJECT IS ALSO BEING PLANNED BY PV WATER, WHICH INCLUDES COMPONENTS TO DIVERT STORE AND CONVEY AND RECOVER SURFACE WATER, FOR USES, IRRIGATION, SUPPLY AGAIN IN-LIEU OF PUMPING GROUNDWATER.
UH, THIS PROJECT COULD YIELD ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT AROUND 2,250 ACRE FEET A YEAR WITH CONSTRUCTION ANTICIPATED TO START NEXT YEAR.
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT COMPLETED THEIR PURE WATER SOQUEL FACILITY IN CONVEYANCE IN 2025.
THE PROJECT PURIFIES, UH, TREATED WASTEWATER FROM THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WASTEWATER FACILITY THROUGH ADVANCED PURIFICATION PROCESS, UM, TO RECHARGE THE GROUNDWATER, THE MID-COUNTY GROUNDWATER BASIN AND PROTECT AGAINST SEAWATER INTRUSION.
THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN STARTUP, UM, AND IT WILL BE CREATING AROUND, UM, 1500 ACRE FEET A YEAR, WHICH IS AROUND 50% OF SOCAL CREEK WATER DISTRICT'S ANNUAL WATER USE.
SO, IT'S REALLY A SUBSTANTIAL PROJECT FOR THEM.
[05:20:05]
THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ IS ADVANCING THEIR CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVE, UM, TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND DELIVERABILITY- DELIVERY OF WATER TO ITS CUSTOMERS.UM, THREE EXISTING WELLS IN THE BELTZ WELL, SO IN THE LIVE OAK AREA ARE BEING CONVERTED TO ALLOW FOR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, WHICH TAKES TREATED SURFACE WATER, USUALLY FROM THE SAN LORENZO RIVER, OR THE NORTH COAST STREAMS. UM, TREATS IT, AND THEN INJECTS IT INTO THE GROUNDWATER BASIN FOR USE AT A LATER DATE WHEN SURFACE SUPPLIES ARE LESS ABUNDANT.
UM, THE EXPECTED YIELD FROM THESE NEW PROJECTS IS AROUND 900 ACRE FEET A YEAR OF NEW, NEW WATER.
UM, THEY ARE ALREADY-ALSO REPLACING THE PIPELINE THAT BRINGS WATER FROM LOCH LOMOND TO THEIR TREATMENT PLANT ON GRAHAM HILL.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME TRAFFIC.
UM, AND THEY EXPECT TO COMPLETE, UM, THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE THREE WELLS, UM, WITHIN THE YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, THE FOURTH ONE COMING UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
COMBINED, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I HAVE DISCUSSED ARE GOING TO PRODUCE A CAPACITY OF AROUND 7,000 ACRE FEET.
IT'S ABOUT 75%, THREE-QUARTERS OF THE CAPACITY OF LOCH LOMOND EVERY YEAR.
SO FROM A WATER, UM, SUPPLY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY BIG AND REALLY WELCOME NEWS.
IN GOOD RAIN YEARS, THEY COULD PRODUCE EVEN MORE.
AND LASTLY, THE FINAL PROJECT I WANTED TO MENTION IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS INTERTIE BETWEEN SCOTTS VALLEY, UM, WATER DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WATER DEPARTMENT.
IT'S CALLED INTERTIE 1, AND IT'S A PIPELINE AND PUMP STATIONS THAT WILL ALLOW FOR WATER TRANSFERS AND EXCHANGES BETWEEN THESE TWO WATER SYSTEMS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, THE PROJECT-THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED THROUGH A DWR GRANT, AND CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
UM, SO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UM, I'M HAPPY TO STAY HERE, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WELCOME TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING I DISCUSSED OR ANYTHING ELSE IN THE REPORT.
WE'LL START OFF BY SEEING IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
- THANK YOU. THE-AND, YOU KNOW, I READ THIS WHOLE REPORT, SUPER COMPREHENSIVE, 67 PAGES.
WHAT I'M STRUCK WITH IS THAT THERE JUST SEEMS, LIKE, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WATER AGENCIES ALL DOING SIMILAR OR, LIKE, WORK IN DIFFERENT AREAS, AND WE'RE SUCH A SMALL COUNTY.
HOW DID IT COME ABOUT THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES INSTEAD OF A CONSOLIDATED SORT OF OVERARCHING AGENCY? IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A DUP-PARTLY A DUPLICATION OF STAFF IN PARTICULAR, AND YEAH, ANYWAY.
THIS IS NOT AT ALL HOW YOU WOULD PLAN IT IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW AND STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
UH, IT'S A LOT OF LEGACY, UM, DISTRICTS THAT POPPED UP DURING- SOME OF THEM DATE BACK, UM, THE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT HAS WATER RIGHTS AND WATER, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE DATING BACK TO THE 1850S, '60S, '70S.
UM, SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT HAS BEEN SLOWLY CONSOLIDATING SMALL WATER SYSTEMS FOR A CENTURY, AND SOME OF THEIR WATER RIGHTS ALSO PREDATE 1914.
SO, A LOT OF, UM, WHY IT'S STILL LIKE THAT IS JUST BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS NOW DEVELOPED AND ENTRENCHED.
WATER RIGHTS ARE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE, UM, VERY DIFFICULT TO TRANSFER.
EVEN CHANGING THE PLACE OF USE TO ALLOW, UM, AN AGENCY TO USE WATER WITHIN THEIR OWN DISTRICT CAN BE, UM, CHALLENGING SO I KNOW DISCUSSIONS OF CONSOLIDATIONS HAVE HAPPENED CASUALLY OVER THE LONG TERM.
CURRENTLY, THERE'S NO REAL PLAN, AND INSTEAD, THE DISTRICTS ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON ALIGNING THEIR INTERESTS, WORKING TOGETHER, PICTURING WHAT WE NEED AS A COMMUNITY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE BIG PICTURE RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL FIEFDOMS THAT DON'T WANNA SHARE WATER.
WE'RE DEFINITELY PAST THAT STAGE, BUT I AGREE THAT IT'S NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT SYSTEM THAT YOU WOULD DESIGN TODAY.
- UH, OKAY, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I GET OFTEN FROM, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED TO SEE ALL THIS EXTRA HOUSING GOING IN IS HOW CAN WE SUPPLY THE WATER NEEDS FOR THE INCREASED PEOPLE, RIGHT? THAT'LL BE SHOWERING AND DOING LAUNDRY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND, UM, I-I'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT COULD YOU JUST, FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, HELP TO EDUCATE? - YEAH, SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON QUESTION THAT I GET WHEN I GIVE A PRESENTATION LIKE THIS.
THAT'S PARTLY WHY I ALWAYS INCLUDE THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS WATER USE TRENDS AND POPULATION TRENDS BEING COMPLETELY DECOUPLED, UM, IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
THE WATER AGENCIES CAN PLAN FOR POPULATION GROWTH.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PLAN FOR, EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RHNA NUMBERS.
MOST WATER AGENCIES PROJECT THAT THEIR WATER USE
[05:25:03]
IS GOING TO REMAIN FLAT, AND I MEAN FLAT AT THIS LEVEL, WHICH IS NOW LESS WATER THAN WE WERE USING IN THE 1980S.NEW HOUSES ARE EXTREMELY EFFICIENT, ESPECIALLY HIGH-DENSITY HOUSING.
YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OUTDOOR IRRIGATION.
YOU HAVE HIGH-EFFICIENCY FIXTURES.
THEY JUST DON'T USE A LOT OF WATER COMPARED TO THE WAY PEOPLE WERE LIVING BACK IN THE '50S, '60S, '70S, WITH THEIR LAWNS AND FOUNTAINS AND TOILETS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE NOW REPLACED WITH VERY HIGH-EFFICIENT, UM, EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVES.
UM, CLIMATE CHANGE IS WHAT IS OUR BIGGER CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO WATER SUPPLY.
YOU KNOW, IF WE GO FROM 92 INCHES ONE YEAR TO 22 INCHES THE NEXT YEAR, THAT IS A MUCH BIGGER AND MORE DRAMATIC CHANGE THAT IS MUCH HARDER TO PLAN FOR THAN AN INCREASING POPULATION OF SAY, 15% OVER A SPAN OF 15 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WITH THE RHNA NUMBERS, THEY CAN PLAN.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THERE ARE NO CHALLENGES, BUT IT IS CHALLENGES THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED AND THEY ARE NOT THE BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW FROM A WATER PERSPECTIVE.
- UH, JUST HAVE A QUICK, QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU AND COMMENT.
MOSTLY, UH, JUST TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON THIS ISSUE.
I MEAN, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY WATER AGENCIES AND THE GROUNDWATER, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AGENCIES AS WELL, UM, YOU, MS. RYAN, HAVE TO DO A LOT OF COORDINATION, UM, BETWEEN ALL THOSE, AND YOU DO AN EXCELLENT JOB.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY WATER, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE BRIGHT SPOTS, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THE POLICY LANDSCAPE.
I THINK I FIRST GOT INVOLVED IN LOCAL POLITICS BACK IN 2011 WHEN, YOU KNOW, DE-SAL WAS A VERY DIVISIVE ISSUE, UM, AND IT SEEMED LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES, UM, BUT WE ACTUALLY GENERATED THOSE ALTERNATIVES AND, MOREOVER, HAVE, OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS, IMPLEMENTED THEM.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING TO SEE, I MEAN, THE INTERTIES, THE GROUNDWATER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, UM, AS, UH, AND, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PURE WATER SOCAL PROJECT.
UM, AS WELL AS, OF COURSE, THE STUFF HAPPENING IN SOUTH COUNTY AND COLLEGE LAKE.
UM, ONE QUESTION I HAVE, WHICH SEEMS LIKE WE'RE STILL IN A PRETTY DANGEROUS ZONE, IS WITH, WITH, UH, THE FISH, RIGHT? I MEAN, THE POPULATION IS STILL VERY LOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD TO SUSPEND COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHING MULTIPLE TIMES HERE IN, UH, IN THE BAY, UH, MONTEREY BAY AREA.
UM, IS THERE ANY HOPE ON THE HORIZON, ANYTHING WE CAN DO FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE? - THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS THAT CAN IMPACT THE SALMONIDS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, BUT WHAT WE CAN FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO DO.
I DO THINK AND GETTING BACK TO SOME OF THE TOPICS EARLIER TODAY, THERE ARE SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT FISH AND PROJECTS THAT CAN BENEFIT THINGS LIKE ROADS.
SAY, EXPANDING CULVERTS, UM, IMPROVING ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE CAN HAVE A LOT OF BENEFITS TOWARDS STREAMS AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE TEMPERATURE ISSUES THAT ARE SORT OF OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, BUT TO SOME EXTENT, SOME OF THE FLOW ISSUES ARE BEING MITIGATED THROUGH SOME COMMITMENTS MADE BY THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WATER DEPARTMENT TO KEEP WATER IN THE SAN LORENZO RIVER, UM, THROUGH LOCH LOMOND, UM, AND THEN ALSO THROUGH THE WORK THAT PURE WATER SOCAL IS GOING TO DO.
IT'S LIKELY GOING TO RAISE BASE FLOW IN THE STREAMS, SO SOME POSITIVES THERE, AND WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL HELP LEAD TO SOME RECOVERY OF OUR FISH.
UM, RESTORATION PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY.
MEASURE Q HAS A LOT OF FUNDING TO BENEFIT THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM.
THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THE NORTH COAST AND IN THE SAN LORENZO RIVER.
UM, SO WE DO HOPE THAT WITH CONTINUED, UM, FUNDING AND EFFORT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT I DO AGREE THAT WE HAVE BEEN MONITORING FOR 20 YEARS AND DOING PROJECTS, UM, FOR 20 YEARS WITH THE HOPE OF SEEING RECOVERY AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING REALLY DRAMATIC IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS.
IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW WET IT WAS THAT YEAR, AND OCEAN CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRY, AND I THINK FURTHER COLLABORATIONS WITH CDI TRYING TO, UM, FIND, UM, AREAS WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE OVERLAP FOR PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT FISH AND OTHER NEEDS, RESILIENCY ISSUES, ROADS ISSUES, I THINK IS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO LOOK FORWARD AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUNDING ALLOCATIONS IN PROP 4.
- ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? - YES.
THE CHART WITH ALL THE WATER USAGE THAT GOES BACK TO- I FORGOT WHAT YOU SAID, '80S OR '90S TO NOW.
DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FOR, UH, AGRICULTURE USE IN SOUTH COUNTY? - THAT CHART DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AGRICULTURAL USE.
[05:30:03]
THE PIE CHARTS AT THE BEGINNING DO SHOW AGRICULTURAL USE, AND THEN AT THE VERY END OF THIS TABLE, WE HAVE, UM, NUMBERS FROM PV WATER FOR THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT THEY USE, UM, AND THEN ESTIMATES FOR AGRICULTURAL PUMPING FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTY.UM, WE ACTUALLY, THAT WAS ONE AREA THAT THE WATER ADVISORY COMMISSION WANTS US TO DIG INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF PROGRESS IN TERMS OF WATER CONSERVATION FROM THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.
UM, THERE ARE NO LONGER FLOODING FIELDS.
THEY'RE USING MICRO, UM, EMITTING DRIP IRRIGATION AND BEING VERY, VERY CAREFUL WITH THEIR WATER USE, THE TIMING OF THEIR WATER USE.
THERE'S A LOT MORE RECHARGE HAPPENING.
SO I THINK THAT THAT IS, UM, ANOTHER BRIGHT POINT THAT HASN'T BEEN WELL-REFLECTED IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT THAT I DO THINK DOES DESERVE ATTENTION IN THE FUTURE.
- DEFINITELY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DURING MY TIME WITH THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, UH, IT WAS ALWAYS SAID THAT BACK IN THE '80S, '90S, THAT, UH, THE WATER USAGE WAS BASICALLY 88, 87% AGRICULTURE, AND THE 17% OR SOMETHING BY THE CITY, BY THE URBAN AREAS.
SO, IT'S REALLY SURPRISING THEY USE THAT MUCH WATER, BUT THAT NUMBER HAS NOW GONE DOWN ABOUT 25, 30% FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY, THE RETENTION PONDS THAT ARE GROWING IN NUMBERS, AND OF COURSE, THE WATER RECLAMATION PLANT IN 2000 THAT CAME UP ONLINE.
- AND THESE PROJECTS PV WATER IS DOING ARE GONNA HELP FURTHER.
- YES, AND THE COLLEGE LAKE PROJECT, YES, DEFINITELY.
- FURTHER QUESTIONS? WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? WELCOME.
- THE VETERANS ARE STILL HERE.
I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE LAST OF YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS BEING PUT AS A REGULAR AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE, UM, SHE DOES TREMENDOUS WORK FOR THIS COUNTY, AND, UM, IN TERMS OF WATER, AND THIS REPORT IS EXCELLENT.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT IT'S GETTING THE ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, I WANNA, AGAIN, UH, EMPHASIZE THAT WATER LEVELS, WATER USE LEVELS ARE THE LOWEST SINCE, UM, 1984 AND HAVE BEEN SO SINCE, UH, FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS CONSECUTIVE LOW USE OF-PEOPLE ARE USING LESS.
PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE EFFICIENT.
I TAKE UMBRAGE THAT THE PURE WATER SOCAL PROJECT IS A GREAT THING, THOUGH.
I DO NOT THINK THAT INJECTING TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO OUR PRISTINE PURISIMA AQUIFER IS A GOOD THING.
THERE ARE MANY CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED AND WE'RE PUTTING THEM IN.
UH, WE'RE PUTTING IN NITRATE INTO, UH, CLEAN WATER THAT HAS NO NITRATE.
WE'RE PUTTING IN HIGH LEVELS OF CHLORIDE THAT, UM, WE WILL-CHLORIDE IS A, UM, DETERMINING FACTOR IN WHETHER OUR SEAWATER IS COMING IN OR NOT.
THE STATE HAS NO RECORD OF STUDIES TO REALLY, UM, VERIFY THAT THIS AREA, MID-COUNTY AREA, IS IN CRITICAL OVERDRAFT.
IT WAS DONE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNTY SUPERVISOR IN 1980.
SO, UM, I REALLY HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A, UH, HELICOPTER AEM STUDY TO VERIFY WHAT THE GROUNDWATER LEVELS, SEAWATER, FRESHWATER LEVELS ARE NOW, SO WE HAVE GOOD PROOF THAT PURE WATER SOCAL IS INDEED WORKING, IF IT IS.
- ANYBODY ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- THANK YOU. UM, THEN I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION AND DISCUSSION.
SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - YEAH, I JUST WANNA THANK MS. RYAN FOR HER PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM, AND FOR ALL THE ONGOING EFFORTS AROUND THE ENTIRE COUNTY TO KIND OF REALLY MAKE, UM, A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF WATER DELIVERY, WATER CAPACITY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE WATER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THEN UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS TO HELP BETTER CONSERVE WATER.
I THINK ALL THE EXAMPLES YOU SHOWED OF KIND OF THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATION REALLY JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, AND SO I'LL JUST MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME, UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE'VE STILL GOT TWO MORE ITEMS. - SECOND.
- WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? I'LL JUST ADD MY WORD OF GRATITUDE FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE. THANK YOU.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL CALL THE ROLL.
[05:35:02]
- HERNANDEZ? - AYE.AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12.
[12. Conduct study session and consider report on the County Climate Resilience Project Inventory, including a feasibility analysis of projects and funding, and take related actions]
UM, I WANTED TO JUST LET STAFF KNOW I'M NOT INTENDING TO TAKE A BREAK.WE'RE JUST PLOWING THROUGH, SO IF YOU HAVE NEEDS, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP GETTING THROUGH THIS AGENDA.
UM, SO ITEM NUMBER 12 IS CONDUCT-CONDUCT A STUDY SESSION AND CONSIDER A REPORT ON THE COUNTY CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT INVENTORY, INCLUDING A FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF PROJECTS AND FUNDING, AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
I THINK WE'LL HEAR FROM A FEW FOLKS.
I'LL ALLOW YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF WHEN YOU PRESENT.
- GOOD AFTERNOON, DAVE REED, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF RESPONSE, RECOVERY, AND RESILIENCE.
I'LL BE REALLY BRIEF AND THEN HAND IT OVER TO TATIANA AND DAVE FOR THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION.
BUT I WANTED TO CENTER OUR CONVERSATION TODAY ON A COMMENT, UM, CENTERED AROUND A ROBUST CONVERSATION YOU HAD THIS MORNING.
UM, THE CHAIR MENTIONED CLEAR OPTIONS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ON COMPETING PRIORITIES.
THAT WAS A STATEMENT MADE AROUND PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TODAY IS A TOOL THAT WE HOPE WILL HELP IN THE CLIMATE SPACE DO SOME OF THAT WORK.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO TATIANA BRENNAN.
- THIS IS OUR AGENDA FOR OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND TODAY... GOOD MORNING, CHAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR.
SORRY, I DIDN'T START WITH HELLO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT TODAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIRECTOR REED IS GONNA OPEN US UP, AND THEN I'M GONNA PRESENT, AND THEN ALSO, UH, DAVID CARLSON, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION WORKING GROUP.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE MICHAEL HETTENHAUSEN WITH US TODAY, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CAAP WORKING GROUP.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A WATER ISSUE AT THE CHILDREN'S, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UM, BUILDING BUT HE'S TAKING CARE OF IT.
SO FOR TODAY, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, BECAUSE THE CAAP WAS APPROVED BEFORE THIS ENTIRE BOARD, UM, WAS SITTING IN THESE CHAIRS.
SO WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT HAS LED UP TO TODAY'S MEETING.
THEN WE'LL INTRODUCE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT INVENTORY, SHARE HOW IT IS USED, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR, AND THEN SOME NEXT STEPS.
SO, JUST TO GROUND YOU IN WHAT HAS HAPPENED LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT.
THERE WAS A CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY THAT MR. CARLSON WAS A KEY FIGURE IN DESIGNING, WRITING, AND MONITORING THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2013.
AND THEN IN 2022, UH, COUNTY STAFF CAME TOGETHER FROM MANY, MANY DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND CREATED THE CAAP AND EQUITY GUARDRAILS.
WE THEN HAD AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAAP.
AND THEN WE CAME BACK TO YOU, JUST-I WANNA REITERATE THAT EACH OF THESE STEPS WAS DIRECTED BY THE BOARD AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
SO THEN THE BOARD DIRECTED THE OR3, COME BACK WITH AN ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM.
AND THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MOST COUNTIES AND CITIES HAVE IN TERMS OF A CAAP.
IT'S AN ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK THAT TIES TOGETHER THE CLIMATE EFFORTS OF SEVEN DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN HARNESSES THEM IN THE WORK OF A WORKING GROUP, A STEERING COMMITTEE, AND A DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS FOR ALL OF OUR STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES.
THAT'S THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM.
AND THEN WE CAME BACK WITH, ONCE WE HAD ALL OF THAT, AN UPDATE ON ALL OF OUR OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES.
AND NOW WE'RE HERE BEFORE YOU WITH THIS INVENTORY.
AND THEN WE'RE PLANNING TO COME BACK WITH A CAAP REFRESH, BUT, UH, DIRECTOR REED WILL TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE END.
AND THEN NOW I WOULD LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO MR. CARLSON.
- OKAY. LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT INVENTORY, WHICH, UM, IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF PROJECTS BOTH PLANNED AND UNDERWAY THAT CAPTURES INVESTMENTS OF COUNTY DEPARTMENTS CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE WORK.
EACH CAAP DEPARTMENT, WHICH, UM, YOU'LL SEE A LIST OF ON ANOTHER SLIDE, CONTRIBUTED INFORMATION ON PROJECTS THAT REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE, OR ADDRESS CLIMATE HAZARDS.
UM, THE PROJECT PORTFOLIO IDENTIFIES THE WORK BEING DONE TO MEET THE GOALS OUTLINED BY CAAP STRATEGIES AND THE RESULTS IDENTIFIED IN THE CAAP OBJECTIVES.
SLIDE 5. UM, SO DATA COLLECTION FOLLOWED A STANDARDIZED PROCESS FOR DEPARTMENTS TO INPUT CORE PROJECT INFORMATION SO THAT EVERY PROJECT CAN BE ANALYZED WITHIN A SINGLE COMPARATIVE, UM, FRAMEWORK.
THE GENERAL EVALUATION CRITERIA IN THE FRAMEWORK ADDRESSES EQUITY IMPACT, UM, READINESS OF THE PROJECT, FUNDING STATUS, CLIMATE IMPACT, AND GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE, INCLUDING, UM, PLAN AND POLICY ALIGNMENT.
[05:40:02]
AND SLIDE 6. UM, THE INVENTORY CONSISTS OF NEARLY 100 PROJECTS ACROSS THE SEVEN CAAP DEPARTMENTS LISTED HERE.UH, THE CAAP WORKING GROUP DEVELOPED THE INVENTORY IN COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENTAL STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND, UM, WHAT WE CALL THE DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE.
AND IT'S ALL IN A GIANT EXCEL SPREADSHEET, UM, WITH LINKS TO RELATED, UM, ADOPTED COUNTY PLANS.
UM, SO THIS, UH, SLIDE SHOWS THE EVALUATION CRITERIA, WHICH, UH, WAS THEN APPLIED TO THE PROJECTS, WHILE PART OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA, HALF OF IT, UM, IN THE INVENTORY, IN 8 AREAS AND 4 SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT EQUITY IMPACT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
UM, BUT, USING THE DEFINITIONS AND SCORING MARKERS, PROJECTS WERE EVALUATED FOR DIRECT CLIMATE IMPACT, EITHER THROUGH EMISSIONS REDUCTION OR INCREASING CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE, UH, PROJECT READINESS IN TERMS OF PLANNING, DESIGN, AND PERMITTING, UM, AND FUNDING STATUS.
AND, UH, FOUR ADDITIONAL CRITERIA INCLUDED LOOKING AT THE MULTI AND CO-BENEFIT ASPECTS OF THE PROJECTS, WHETHER THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE A SHORT-TERM OR LONG-TERM IMPACT OR IF THE PROJECT ALIGNS WITH OTHER COUNTY PLANS, SUCH AS THE STRATEGIC PLAN, HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, OR THE MEASURE Q VISION PLAN.
AND FINALLY, WHETHER THE COUNTY HAS FULL CONTROL TO MAKE THE PROJECT HAPPEN OR IF THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE PROJECT THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE COUNTY'S CONTROL.
UM, SO, AS A MEMBER OF THE CAAP WORKING GROUP, UM, I BROUGHT RELEVANT EXPERIENCE TO THE PROJECT, AS TATIANA MENTIONED, BECAUSE I WAS ON THE TEAM THAT DEVELOPED THE COUNTY'S FIRST CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY BACK IN 2013.
UM, AND WHILE THAT CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS EQUITY AS PART OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, IT DID IDENTIFY COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION AS A TOP PRIORITY.
UM, THAT PROJECT THAT I WAS- WORKED ON AS PART OF THE TEAM, ALSO, RESULTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY, OR 3CE.
IT WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT THE TIME AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE EQUITY-RELATED COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN TERMS OF RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE CLEAN ENERGY, REBATES INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES, AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND SELF-GOVERNMENT BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES.
THIS CAAP REPRESENTS AN IMPROVEMENT COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY IN THAT EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS ARE EMBEDDED IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, ENSURING ALL ASPECTS OF THE CAAP DIRECTLY SUPPORT LONG-TERM COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING AND CONSISTENCY WITH THE COUNTY'S EQUITY STATEMENT.
THE OVERALL EQUITY IMPACT OF A PROJECT IN THE INVENTORY IS CALCULATED AS THE AVERAGE OF SIX CAAP EQUITY GUARDRAIL MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE BOARD IN 2022.
UM, THEY WERE SCORED ON AN NUMERIC SCALE FROM 1-5, WHERE 1 REPRESENTS THE LEAST EQUITY IMPACT, AND 5 REPRESENTS THE STRONGEST EQUITY IMPACT.
COUPLE OF EXAMPLES: PROJECTS RELATED TO FLOOD PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION IN A LOWER-INCOME COMMUNITY OR ESTABLISHMENT OF A COOLING CENTER, UH, WHICH SCORES STRONGLY IN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CATEGORY.
UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE: PLANNING FOR SEA-LEVEL RISE WITH THE GOAL OF PRESERVING LOW-COST RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE RESOURCES AND ACCESS ALONG THE COAST WOULD SCORE HIGH IN THE AFFORDABILITY AND CULTURAL ACCESS CATEGORIES.
UM, PROJECTS WERE GIVEN A SCORE FOR EACH EQUITY GUARDRAIL, AND THE AVERAGE OF ALL THE, UH, SIX SCORES REPRESENTS THE EQUITY IMPACT.
UM, SO, THE PRELIMINARY SCORING FRAMEWORK ALSO EXPLORED A WEIGHTING FEATURE, UM, THAT ALLOWS STAFF TO TEST HOW DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, SUCH AS EMPHASIZING EQUITY OR HAZARD MITIGATION, OR GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION, UH, WOULD AFFECT PROJECT PRIORITIZATION.
UH, THIS FUNCTIONALITY IS INTENDED TO ALLOW EXPLORATION OF TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN VARIOUS PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA, SUCH AS READINESS, FUNDING LEVERAGE, AND CO-BENEFITS, AND HOW THESE ADJUSTMENTS WOULD AFFECT FINAL RANKINGS.
UH, THERE'S NO FINAL WEIGHTING SCHEME THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED OR RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE FRAMEWORK IS IN THE BETA PHASE.
ALL PRELIMINARY CRITERIA SCORING AND WEIGHTING CAN BE FOUND IN ATTACHMENTS 2 AND 3 OF YOUR STAFF REPORT.
UH, THE WEIGHTING SCENARIO HERE IS JUST AN EXAMPLE INTENDED TO SHOW WITH PERCENTAGES, YOU KNOW, THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF EACH CRITERION ON THE FINAL SCORE.
UM, CHANGES TO THE RELATIVE WEIGHTING COULD CHANGE THE OVERALL SCORING AND RANKING OF PROJECTS.
AND THEN IN THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS JUST SHOWING A COUPLE OF PROJECT ENTRIES IN THE SPREADSHEET, UM, AND A COUPLE OF, UH, ADDITIONAL COLUMNS IN THE SPREADSHEET, WHICH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS A GIANT SPREADSHEET WITH ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION ON EACH PROJECT, AND JUST SHOWS YOU THE, THE NUMBERS THAT,
[05:45:01]
UM, RESULTED FROM, UM, RUNNING THESE PROJECTS THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK AS, AS IT'S BEEN SET UP SO FAR.UH, SO WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS OTHER WAYS TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT DATA, UM, BY DEPART- BY BOTH DEPARTMENT AND BY GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE.
UH, THE GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE IS THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH IT BENEFITS A PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHIC AREA, WHETHER IT'S COUNTYWIDE, NORTH COUNTY, OR SOUTH COUNTY.
UM, IT'S A HIGH-LEVEL VIEW OF THE PROJECT INVENTORY THAT'S JUST COUNTING THE PROJECTS.
IT'S NOT REPRESENTING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT OR THE RELATIVE IMPACT OR THE READINESS OF, OR PRIORITY OR FUNDING, FOR THAT MATTER.
UM, THIS, THIS TOOL OVERALL ESTABLISHES A COMMON FOUNDATION THAT LINKS DEPARTMENT PROJECTS TO CAAP OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES, CREATING A CONSISTENT WAY TO SHOW HOW COUNTY EFFORTS ADVANCE CLIMATE, EQUITY AND RESILIENCE GOALS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, WHILE, WHILE IT'S IN THE BETA PHASE, IT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE USEFUL AS WE REFINE THE DATA INPUTS, THE CRITERIA, THE SCORING, THE DEFINITIONS, AND THE WEIGHTING OF THE PROJECTS.
AND NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO TATIANA TO FINISH UP THE PRESENTATION.
SO, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU SEE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE INVENTORY CAN BE USED.
SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING IS HOW TO REPRESENT WHAT IT COSTS TO DO CLIMATE WORK HERE.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS AN ESTIMATED PROJECT COST AND PLAN, SOURCES OF FUNDING.
AND RIGHT NOW, WHAT THE INVENTORY REFLECTS, IN- WHEN WE SAY FUNDING, WE MEAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE INVENTORY, WHAT HAVE DEPARTMENTS IDENTIFIED AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING? DOES IT MEAN THIS IS SECURED? DOES IT MEAN THAT IT'S CASH IN HAND? THIS IS JUST- DOES THE DEPARTMENT THINK THAT THERE IS A FUNDING STREAM COMING FROM ANY OF THESE SOURCES? SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF FUNDING FOR OUR CLIMATE WORK IS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEN ROUGHLY THE OTHER HALF IS COMING FROM THE STATE.
WE'RE A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS DATA BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SIGNIFICANTLY PULLING BACK ON FUNDING CLIMATE.
AND THEN WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE STATE IS REALLY, UM, THAT MEANS, UH, A LOT OF THE COST IS SHIFTING TO STATES.
AND WITH CLIMATE CHANGE EXACERBATING, WE KNOW THAT, UM, OUR STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO COVER THE COST OF WILDFIRES, AND OTHER, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE HAZARDS.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE BULK OF THE COST OF COVERING CLIMATE CHANGE IS GONNA FALL ON COUNTIES AND CITIES.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT WE WANTED TO DEVELOP THIS INVENTORY IS TO GIVE US A BETTER VIEW OF CLIMATE WORK ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTY SO THAT WE COULD HELP PRIORITIZE BASED ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
SO, I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO DIRECTOR REED RIGHT NOW.
- YEAH, SO ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT WE COLLECTED WAS THE POTENTIAL TO UTILIZE MEASURE Q TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO, UM, AS AT THE TIME OF PROJECT COLLECTION, SO THE PROJECT COLLECTION IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
BUT AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL TIME, WE HAVE 16 PROJECTS THAT IDENTIFIED MEASURE Q AS POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCE.
AND WHAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THAT THE COUNTY'S DISCRETIONARY 20%, 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS.
HALF A MILLION OF THAT IS AT THE BOARD'S DISCRETION, AND THEN THE OTHER 900,000 ANNUALLY IS ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS BASED ON A CERTAIN CRITERIA.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OVER $10.9 MILLION IN PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS INITIAL PHASE, REPRESENTING AN OVERSUBSCRIPTION OR AN OVER-NEED TO THAT LIMITED AVAILABLE MEASURE Q DOLLARS.
SO ONE THING FOR YOUR BOARD'S CONSIDERATION AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE IF YOU WANT US TO UTILIZE THIS TOOL TO HELP INFORM PRESENTING TO YOU DURING BUDGET HEARINGS THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S MEASURE Q ALLOCATION.
WE CAN CERTAINLY USE THIS TOOL TO HELP PROVIDE YOU AND TO HELP YOU MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
AND I'LL HAND IT BACK TO TATIANA.
- SO, THESE NEXT TWO SLIDES, I'M JUST GONNA SHARE QUICKLY.
THESE SHOW, THE, WHEN THE WAITING SCENARIO IS APPLIED TO ALL THE PROJECTS.
THESE ARE THE TOP 10 PROJECTS THAT RISE TO THE TOP.
AND SO I WANNA JUST REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS ALL PROJECTS AND THIS IS ACROSS SEVEN DEPARTMENTS.
SO THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS PROJECTS THAT ARE- HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE VERY HIGH IN EQUITY AND FEASIBILITY, AND THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE INVENTORY THAT FUNDING, UM, HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED EITHER THROUGH A GRANT OR THE DEPARTMENT IS FUNDING IT.
SO, AT THE TOP IS THE VMT BANK.
[05:50:01]
THEN WE SEE THE CARB, WHICH IS A GRANT THAT GSD HAS RECEIVED, BRIC, FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS, STREAMWOOD MANAGEMENT, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE REST THERE.AND THEN THIS OTHER VIEW IS IF WE, YOU KNOW, ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN USE THIS INVENTORY IS TO LOOK AT PROJECTS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THAT IS YOU CAN SEE, FOR CERTAIN INITIATIVES, SAY, RAIL TRAIL, YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS HAVE REALLY TAKEN ON THAT WORK, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST LIVING IN PARKS OR JUST IN CDI.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, HOW THAT COST IS BEING COVERED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO GROUP PROJECTS LIKE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE, IS PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS.
AND SO THIS CAN HELP US TO SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE, UH, CARRYING THE BRUNT OF THAT WORK AND THE COST OF THAT WORK.
AND THEN AGAIN, VMT MITIGATION BANK IS AT THE TOP HERE.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO DIRECTOR REED TO CLOSE US OUT.
- WITH THAT, OUR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS, OBVIOUSLY, ARE TO CONDUCT THE STUDY SESSION, TO ACCEPT AND FILE THIS REPORT ON THE CRPI, AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO DIRECT STAFF TO RETURN IN EARLY 2027 USING THIS TOOL AS A FRAMEWORK, UM, TOWARDS UPGRADING OUR CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
WE'RE IN THAT KIND OF 5-YEAR REVISION CYCLE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR WORK PLAN FOR 2026, AND WE WANT TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE UPDATE TO THE CAAP OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, AND BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IN 2027 UTILIZING THIS AS PART OF THAT TOOL, UH, FRAMEWORK TO MAKE AN UPDATE.
AND WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS AND OTHER DIRECTION AS APPROPRIATE.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? - I'M GONNA SAVE MY QUESTIONS UNTIL AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
- THANK YOU. QUESTION? ALL RIGHT, I'LL NOW TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM FROM THE PUBLIC? - THANK YOU.
BECKY STEINBRUNNER. THE VETERANS ARE STILL HERE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE MOVED THEM AHEAD.
ANYWAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT.
AND I NOTE THAT WHAT IS MISSING IN THE PROJECTS IS, UH, PROJECTS REGARDING WATER THAT COULD HELP REALISTICALLY, AND VERY INEXPENSIVELY RECHARGE GROUNDWATER OVERCHARGE AREAS, SUCH AS IN THE PAJARO VALLEY.
MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE IS A VERY SIMPLE COST-EFFECTIVE WAY AND THERE SHOULD BE PROJECTS, SMALL PROJECTS, LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTY, UH, REFERENCING DR. ANDY FISHER'S, UH, RECHARGE INITIATIVE MAP THAT HE CREATED.
THAT SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER USED FOR PLACING THESE SMALL, VERY LOW-COST AND EFFECTIVE AQUIFER RECHARGE PLACES THAT ESPECIALLY GIVEN IF WE- IF WE, UH, LOOK AT THE CLIMATE CHANGE MODELS THAT THE WATER AGENCIES ARE ALL USING.
WATER WILL COME FROM THE SKY, UM, FURIOUSLY AND THEN NOT AT ALL.
SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT AND RECHARGE OUR GROUNDWATER TABLE WHEN IT COMES WITH THESE MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE PROJECTS.
I ALSO DO NOT SEE ON HERE SOMETHING THAT I WAS VERY CURIOUS TO SEE, AND THAT'S GENERATING ELECTRICITY FROM OUR, OUR LANDFILL.
MONTEREY COUNTY IS NOW UP AND RUNNING AND CREATING A LOT OF ELECTRICITY FROM THEIR LANDFILL GASES.
WE USED TO WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE 40 YEARS AGO.
WHERE DID IT GO? AND, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ATTENTION TO WILDFIRES SINCE FIRE WAS USED AS A SELLING POINT TO GET MEASURE Q, APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
WE NEED TO BE SENDING MORE MONEY FOR HOME HARDENING AND PROJECTS IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY FIXED-INCOME COMMUNITIES, TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK.
- GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.
UH, IN TERMS OF MY QUESTION IS TO THE PROJECT, OH, I USUALLY DON'T SPEAK INTO CLIMATE CONTROL.
BUT MY PROJECT, BASED ON DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, I INVITE EVERYBODY TO SHOW UP AT THE CIVIC AUDITORIUM AND GET THAT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM UC INVOLVED IN WHAT YOUR PLAN IS.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE BECAUSE I'LL BE SHARING THIS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ENCOURAGE THIS COUNTY, THE STATE, FOR YOUTH VOICE AND PROJECTS THAT COULD BE DONE
[05:55:02]
IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS? AND AGAIN, I CALL WHAT I DO FROM 4:30 IN THE MORNING MY PROJECT.BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE ON THAT BOARD.
I HOPE THERE'S TIME FOR WHAT IS IDEAS. OKAY? AND YOU MIGHT TAKE A LOOK AT LATER ONE BLOCK, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SOUTH COUNTY DOESN'T NECESSARILY BE THE PLACE.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO INVOLVE PEOPLE IN YOUR PROJECT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
I SEE NO OTHER SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- THANK YOU. I'LL NOW BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION AND DISCUSSION.
- THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THEIR WORK ON THIS ITEM.
I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME COMMENTS.
UM, I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE, JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY.
I'M WONDERING WHO IS ON THE CAAP WORKING GROUP, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE ON THIS PROCESS, AND THEN ALSO HOW THOSE FOLKS ARE SELECTED.
- DO ANY OF MY PARTNERS WANT TAKE THAT? - IF I CAN REMEMBER ALL THEIR NAMES, I HAVE A LIST OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
- THEN WE DO IT TOGETHER. I'LL START OUT.
SO, UM, I'LL START WITH THE REALLY ALL OF THEM ARE THOSE SEVEN DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE'VE GOT OR3, WE'VE GOT PARKS, GSD, CDI, WHO ELSE? AG COMMISSIONER, AND I'M MISSING SOMEBODY ELSE.
- GENERAL SERVICES. AG COMMISSIONER, CDI, GSD, HSA, ISD IS ALSO A CAAP DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WHEN THE CAAP WAS DEVELOPED, IT WAS MORE DEPARTMENTS THAN THAT, RIGHT? BUT THEN WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE CAAP, WE HAD THESE PRIMARY, WE HAVE THESE, UH, 29 OBJECTIVES, RIGHT? AND THEN WE HAVE THE STRATEGIES THAT FILTER, YOU KNOW, THAT CASCADE DOWN.
AND SO, IT WAS REALLY, DEPARTMENTS AGREED, OKAY, I'LL TAKE THIS ONE, GSD SAID ALL RIGHT.
I THINK IT MAKES SENSE THAT I TAKE GHG, GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION EMISSIONS FOR THE COUNTY FLEET THAT MAKES SENSE FOR ME TO DO THAT.
UM, CDI SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO LOOK AT GHG REDUCTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE CAN WORK ON CODE.
AND SO, THE DEPARTMENTS TALKED AMONGST THEMSELVES AND DECIDED HOW TO PARSE OUT THE OBJECTIVES THAT WOULD MAKE THE GREATEST IMPACT.
HSA SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO- WE'LL TAKE WATER.
THAT'S REALLY WITHIN OUR WHEELHOUSE, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT WHEN WE DESIGNED THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, THE DIRECTORS OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS AGREED THAT THEY WOULD MEET TWICE A YEAR AS PART OF THE DIRECTOR CIRCLE.
AND THEN THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF REALLY THE NUMBER TWOS IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEPUTY.
AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP IS COMPRISED OF REALLY THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
AND SO, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THE STAFF THAT HAD DEVELOPED THE CAAP.
THEN WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM.
IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO, THEN I TURNED TO DEPARTMENTS, AND I SAID, COULD YOU PLEASE NOMINATE SOMEBODY? AND SO, THAT'S HOW IT'S WORKED IS THAT REALLY THE STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER WORKS WITH THE DIRECTOR, AND THE WORKING GROUP MEMBER TO NOMINATE FOLKS.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY BECOME PART OF THIS.
AND THEN IF PEOPLE SELF-SELECT AND THEY SAY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THIS.
AND I SAY, TALK WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND LET ME KNOW.
- SO THOSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE COUNTY STAFF OR THOSE PEOPLE.
- THOSE ARE. THEY'RE ALL COUNTY STAFF. YES.
AND DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, MR. CARLSON? - JUST, JUST TO SAY FROM EXPERIENCE, IT'S JUST A MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAN COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY IN TERMS OF INVOLVEMENT OF DEPARTMENTS AND BUY-IN FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, AND LEADERSHIP.
SO THAT'S BEEN GREAT TO SEE, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN, UH, REALLY AN ASSET BENEFIT TO THE PLAN.
- THANKS. THE NEXT QUESTION I HAD WAS, I'M JUST, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE SLIDES BACK UP, THERE WAS A SLIDE THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD GO BACK, I THINK IT- KEEP GOING.
I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN TO STOP.
SO, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS YOU HAVE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PROJECTS, AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE A VERY FEW.
I GUESS THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS IF THEY'RE ALL BEING WEIGHED AGAINST EACH OTHER, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE DEPARTMENT THAT DOESN'T HAVE MANY PROJECTS,
[06:00:02]
THAT THAT PROJECT'S GOING TO COME TO THE TOP IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE PRETTY LOW FOR THE MOST PART.UM, SO I THINK, I MEAN, GIVEN THIS IS A STUDY SESSION, I'LL JUST MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS WE'RE GOING ALONG.
I THINK THAT IT'LL BE REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT THERE'S A WEIGHT GIVEN TO, UM, OR THERE'S A WAY TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN PRIORITIZE, WHETHER IT'S BY DEPARTMENT OR ALSO, I THINK, AND I'LL GET TO THE DISTRICT CONCERN THAT I HAVE.
BUT I MEAN, LIKE IF ISD HAS CAPACITY TO DO SOMETHING, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE AT THE TOP PRIORITY, IT WOULD STILL MAKE SENSE FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECT, GIVEN IF THEY HAVE THE STAFF CAPACITY, AND THEY CAN ACCESS FUNDING TO DO THAT PROJECT, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T SCORE HIGH.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT CAN MOVE FORWARD RATHER THAN SAYING, WELL, YOU DIDN'T SCORE HIGH, SO WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, APPROVE YOUR PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I GUESS ONE OF THE BIGGER CONCERNS THAT I HAVE WITH THIS, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS AN INTERNAL TOOL.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR EACH OF OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, I MEAN, THIS, MY PERSPECTIVE IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS VERY MUCH, YOU KNOW, IT'S RUN BY STAFF IT'S CREATED BY STAFF.
AND AS A RESULT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARILY REFLECTIVE OF THE EXTERNAL COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS ARE THE PRIORITIES.
AND SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY FOR US AS, UM, BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS TO THE COMMUNITIES AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR CONCERNS.
BECAUSE WHILE IT MIGHT BE A PRIORITY FOR STAFF, AND THEY'VE KIND OF FIGURED THIS OUT, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CALLS THAT WE GET EVERY DAY FROM FOLKS WHO WANNA SEE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR DISTRICTS.
AND I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, AND SO I THINK THAT AS THIS PROCESS IS MOVING ON, THERE NEEDS TO BE ENGAGEMENT WITH BOARD OFFICES TO FIND OUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
UM, THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
WE'VE GOT BOARD APPROVAL. WE'RE SECURING FUNDING.
AND I WOULD HATE FOR, IF WE'RE WORKING ON PROJECTS, FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO GET HELD UP JUST BECAUSE STAFF EITHER DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM OR THEY DON'T FIT THE SCORING CRITERIA.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A MARTIN ROAD FIRE STATION, WHICH HAS COME UP IN, WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS THAT THAT'S, THAT PROJECT ISN'T ON THE LIST.
'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD TO TALK TO OR3.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, THE, AS THIS CONTINUES TO, TO ROLL OUT THERE NEEDS TO BE ENGAGEMENT WITH BOARD OFFICES TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
AND THEN I DO THINK THAT WITHIN THE SCORING CRITERIA, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY IMPACT HAVE THE HIGHER, YOU KNOW, THAT FLIPS WITH EQUITY.
I MEAN, WE CAN ADDRESS EQUITY ALL WE WANT, BUT IF WE'RE NOT REDUCING OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND WE'RE NOT MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE RESILIENT, THEN IT'S REALLY NOT GONNA MATTER.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT'S IN, YOU KNOW, THAT THE EQUITY IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY SECOND ON THAT LIST, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND PROJECTS TO HELP MAKE OUR CLIMATE MORE RESILIENT AND TO REDUCE OUR IMPACTS.
AND SO THAT NEEDS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
AND SO I'M HOPING THAT FEEDBACK CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BUT REALLY WANT TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY VOICE IS ALSO FRONT AND CENTER IN THIS SCORING PROCESS.
AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME FROM STAFF DON'T IMPACT BOARD MEMBERS' ABILITY TO DO OUR WORK.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT RANKING AS WELL, I THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO RANK PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE SEEING IT COUNTYWIDE, BUT ALSO FOR EACH DISTRICT SO THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT, IT MAY TURN OUT THAT ALL, ALL THE PROJECTS ARE FOR RECOMMENDATION ARE IN DISTRICT 3 AND 5, AND THEN DISTRICT 4, IT'S LIKE, WELL, SINCE NONE OF YOURS ARE PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DON'T WORK ON THOSE.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT WE WANNA SEE IS, YOU KNOW, FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON? HOW ARE THEY RANKING AGAINST EACH OTHER? SO THEN WE CAN TAKE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY IF THE COMMUNITY AGREES WITH US, WHEN THEN WE CAN GO WORK ON THOSE.
AND THEN I THINK IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE REGION, WE CAN ALSO TAKE THOSE PROJECTS IN CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE DIRECTION AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND I JUST HOPE THAT FEEDBACK CAN BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
- SINCE SOUTH COUNTY WAS MENTIONED RIGHT NOW, I WANNA SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, KIND OF INTERTWINED BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OR3 AND CDI AND MAYBE EVEN PARKS, LIKE ONE PROJECT.
HOW WOULD THAT BE ACCOUNTED FOR HERE ON THIS CHART? OR WOULD IT GET, WOULD IT MOVE UP? THE, THE...
- THERE IS A SCORING CRITERIA THAT DOES, THAT IS DESIGNED TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT TO WHATEVER EXTENT.
- OKAY. BECAUSE I IMAGINE, AND YOU KNOW, THE 13% IN SOUTH COUNTY I WOULD IMAGINE THAT PAULSON WOULD RISE UP TO THE TOP OF THAT LIST THERE.
- IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. JUST CHECKING.
- CO-BENEFITS ARE DEFINITELY, UM, UM, WELL, JUST MULTI-BENEFIT CO-BENEFIT PROJECTS, IN GENERAL, UM, IS REALLY, IN MY OPINION,
[06:05:03]
WHAT YOU WANNA SEE AND YOU WANT WHAT YOU WANNA STRIVE FOR.- ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? SUPERVISOR DE SERPA.
- JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS DOCUMENT.
UM, YOU ALL BRIEFED ME YESTERDAY, AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT UP YESTERDAY IS, UM, JUST MAYBE ADD A COLUMN ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT HAS BEEN ON THIS LIST.
'CAUSE I CAN SEE AS WE ADD NEW ONES OVER TIME, LIKE SOME OTHER, UH, PROJECTS WOULD FALL TO THE BOTTOM AND MAYBE NEVER, UH, GET BUILT OR, OR COMPLETED.
AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S OKAY TOO.
BUT, UM, I, I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE A, UM, A GOOD THING TO LOOK AT. THANK YOU.
UM, STILL DON'T HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
- YEAH. SO, I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WITH THE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE BOARD.
- SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, UM, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
UM, I'LL JUST ADD MY GRATITUDE TO THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS AND BEYOND THIS.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDRED PROJECTS THAT OUR COUNTY STAFF ARE WORKING ON THAT ARE LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS A REFLECTION OF AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK AND A REFLECTION OF OUR COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES AND TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GOOD WORK.
UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - CERTAINLY. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - AYE.
MOTION PASSES, FOUR, IN FAVOR. WITH SUPERVISOR KOENIG NOT HERE.
[13. Consider approving the transfer of the Veterans Service Office from the Human Services Department to the County Executive Office, effective March 2026, and take related actions]
WE ARE NOW... I'M NOW GONNA CALL ITEM NUMBER 13.CONSIDER APPROVING THE TRANSFER OF VETERAN SERVICES OFFICE FROM THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE, EFFECTIVE MARCH, 2026, AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS.
AND BEFORE I INTRODUCE THE SPEAKERS, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT THAT THIS MORNING I MADE A DECISION TO KEEP THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA WHERE IT WAS SCHEDULED, REALLY TO PROTECT PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PROCESS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAD COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC WITH THE 72 HOUR NOTICE.
THE TRADE OFF WAS THAT SEVERAL, MANY OF YOU, WERE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE FOR A VERY LONG DAY, AND I'M RECOGNIZING THAT TRADE OFF.
AND I WANT TO EXTEND MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STAY AND BE HERE FOR THIS TOPIC.
- [INAUDIBLE] - THAT'S TRUE, BUT THIS IS MY JOB.
[LAUGHS] SO, UM, WITH THAT, I...
THIS ITEM WAS PUT ON BY SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
UM, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE OUR SPEAKERS TODAY ARE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING, DAVID RAMOS, AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, VSO, DEAN KAUFMAN.
SO PLEASE COME UP AND GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU.
- IF WE CAN GET THE SLIDES UP, AND I'M HAPPY TO KIND OF KICK US OFF ON THIS SINCE, UM, THIS CAME THROUGH MY OFFICE.
SO, FIRST, UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE VETERANS, UH, FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, UM, FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO UPHOLDING OUR CONSTITUTION, AND FOR THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY'VE MADE.
AND, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE HEARD ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS FROM MANY VETERANS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WE'VE HAD OUR CHAMBERS FILLED WITH THEM, UM, EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING, UM, THE LOCATION OF THE VSO OFFICE AND THEIR DESIRE TO HAVE, UH, THE VSO OFFICE SERVED INDEPENDENTLY.
UM, AND, AND GIVEN THE WORK THAT THEY, THEY, THEY DO AND THE, THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UM, SOME LEVEL OF AUTONOMY GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT WORK.
UM, MANY OF THE, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VETERAN SERVICES, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ALTHOUGH WE DO WANNA PRIORITIZE SERVICES FOR OUR HOMELESS VETERANS.
UM, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VETERANS BENEFITS, AS A WHOLE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOUSED, THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED, UM, WHICH CAN BE VERY COMPLEX.
UM, THE VETERANS HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, THEY'VE COME TO NUMEROUS MEETINGS.
UM, I, MY OFFICE HAS MET WITH THEM NUMEROUS TIMES.
WE'VE HEARD THEIR CONCERNS, WE'VE HEARD THEIR REQUEST, AND, UM, WE REALLY HAVEN'T, AS A BOARD, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANY ACTION.
AND I THINK THAT THERE, FROM MY CONVERSATIONS,
[06:10:02]
THERE HAS BEEN A LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION WITH THE VETS OF WONDERING WHEN WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, WHEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION.AND THAT IS WHAT LED ME TO PUT AN ITEM ON OUR BOARD'S AGENDA TODAY.
UM, I'VE HAD THROUGH MY MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH NOT ONLY VETERANS FROM OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THROUGH FRIENDS OF MINE WHO ARE VETERANS, UM, WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT OTHER WAYS TO STRUCTURE THE VSO OFFICE.
UM, ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD FRIENDS IS THE, THE, UH, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT FOR COOK COUNTY, UH, VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE.
AND HE SAID THAT THEY, UM, OPERATE KIND OF INDEPENDENTLY UNDER THE, THE, UH, THE DEPUTY CAO OFFICE THERE.
UM, WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT MODELS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MONTEREY WHERE THERE'S MOUS ALLOWING THEM TO OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE UNDER, I BELIEVE, THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BUT STILL HAVING THAT LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND WHAT WE HAD BEEN SUGGESTED BY THE VETERANS HERE IN SANTA CRUZ WAS THAT WE CREATE A MODEL THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE CEO'S OFFICE.
AND SO THERE WOULD STILL BE OVERSIGHT.
UM, AND THE ONLY THING THAT WE'D BE ASKING FOR IS THAT THE DIRECTOR OF THE VSO SERVICE OFFICE WOULD REPORT TO THE CEO.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE VETERANS.
THEY PROVIDED A PRESENTATION SO WE CAN HEAR MORE FROM THEM AND THEIR REQUESTS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT PART OF MY LEADERSHIP MODEL IS THAT WE TAKE IN FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HOW THEY WANNA SEE OUR GOVERNMENT OPERATE AND HOW THEY WANNA SEE THE GOVERNMENT SERVE THEM.
AND IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, WE PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT THEY THINK, UM, OUR, OUR, HOW OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OPERATING.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I WANT TO INVITE OUR, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE VETERANS HERE TODAY, SO THEY CAN PRESENT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR BOARD FOR HOW WE SHOULD CONSIDER STRUCTURING THE VSO OFFICE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER.
- SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OFFICIALS, BATTLE BUDDIES, AND, UH, SUPPORTERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
MY NAME IS DAVE RAMOS, AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS.
I AM A UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN, A FORMER COMBAT MEDIC.
SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, I SEE YOU OVER THERE, PROUD AND STEADFAST.
UM, I'VE BEEN APPOINTED, UH, BY THE UNITED VETERANS COUNCIL TO BE THE FACE, VOICE, AND REPRESENTATION OF THE VETERAN LEADERSHIP HERE IN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
AND SO I COME TO YOU TODAY WITH MY BATTLE BUDDY, DEAN KAUFMAN, TO TALK ABOUT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE.
- HELLO, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, CHAIR MARTINEZ, AND REMAINDER OF THE BOARD.
UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO NICOLE COBURN FOR HER ADVOCACY AND SUPPORTING US IN, IN A LOT OF OUR ENDEAVORS AND MEETING WITH US IN OUR ONGOING, UM, CONVERSATIONS.
UM, TO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A SPECIAL, UH, MOMENT OF AWARENESS FOR LOIS REGUN, WHO'S A, UH, KOREAN COMBAT VETERAN.
UM, SHE SERVED ON A NAVY HOSPITAL SHIP RIGHT OUTSIDE OF KOREA RECEIVING COMBAT WOUNDED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. AND...
- I'LL HAVE TO TELL YOU, I CAME BACK FROM THE WAR 72 YEARS AGO.
- SHE'S AMAZING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SHE'S BEEN SITTING HERE ALL DAY. [LAUGHS] JUST FOR THIS MOMENT.
SO, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE HER FOR THAT.
UH, FOR MYSELF, UM, I SERVED THIS COMMUNITY FOR 15 YEARS AND CONTINUE TO DO SO, UM, AS THE VETERAN ADVOCATE, A UNIQUE POSITION THAT THIS COUNTY CREATED THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT FUNDING.
I GOT MY TEETH CUT IN THAT JOB.
IT WAS A 20-HOUR WEEK POSITION THAT I TURNED INTO A FULL-TIME JOB BY DEDICATING MY TIME.
I VOLUNTEERED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, MAKING SURE THAT THE VETERANS OF THIS COMMUNITY GOT THEIR NEEDS MET ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE THAT I COULD FIND THEM.
FROM THE LEVIES TO THE WOODS, TO THE JAILS, THE HOSPITALS, SHELTERS, ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE I COULD FIND THEM, I WOULD GO AND FIND THEM.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET MY TEETH CUT IN SUCH A MANNER SERVING SUCH A VALUED AND NEEDED PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THESE VETERANS HAVE GONE OUT AND SACRIFICED SO MUCH FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND THEY DESERVE THE VERY, VERY BEST THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM.
AND THROUGH MY OWN LEADERSHIP AND MY OWN DEDICATION TO THE ROLE BECOMING THE VSO, WE'VE SHOWN THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT WE'RE AN OUTSTANDING, UM, SERVICE PROVIDER, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, AND WE DESERVE AND, AND NEED THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN GIVE EACH OTHER, RIGHT? VETERANS UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE CAN UNDERSTAND US, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN THERE AND SEEN THAT TO UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT, UM, VIETNAM AND THE, THE TOXINS AND EXPOSURES TO AGENT ORANGE.
ALL VETERANS HAVE- HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT SINCE VIETNAM GOING FORWARD.
WE'VE EXPERIENCED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TOXIC EXPOSURE.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO ALL THE, THE NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS BUT THERE'S A WHOLE PAGE LIST, LONG OF 'EM, RIGHT? UM, BURN PIN EXPOSURES AND SARIN GAS AND VARIOUS OTHER EXPOSURES THAT EVEN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT TESTED ON US, RIGHT? WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DEPLOY SOMEWHERE, YOU WALK DOWN A GAUNTLET AND YOU GET SHOTS IN BOTH ARMS AS YOU GET READY TO PREPARE TO GO.
IT'S, UH, IT'S AN EXPERIENCE DEPLOYING TO A COMBAT ZONE.
AND, AND IT'S AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.
[06:15:01]
AND THE, THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER, AND HOW TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER ARE INVALUABLE.AND THE ABILITY TO SERVE THAT POPULATION BEING VETERANS IS IT'S SO INCREDIBLY NECESSARY TO GIVE THE, THE VSO OFFICE, THE PEOPLE THAT DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE VSO IS, IS REQUIRED BY CALIFORNIA STATE LAW TO BE A VETERAN, RIGHT? IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE AS MUCH SUPPORT, RIGHT? AND SO, WHAT I'M SEEING SINCE I LEFT THE OFFICE, I DIDN'T HAVE THE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE NOW, YOU KNOW.
I DID THAT ROLE FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AS THE VSO.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THESE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE NOW, RIGHT? AND, BUT, BUT, BUT I WAS PAYING ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE FOLKS IN THE OFFICE.
I WORKED WITH THEM FOR OVER A DECADE.
SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, SHEILA ALBERG AND STEPHANIE GUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I- I, I HELPED PUT A LOT OF THE THINGS IN PLACE MANAGING THE BUDGET, UM, THROUGH THE PROCESS OF- THAT'S PROVIDED BY HSD AND OTHERS, AND, AND GROWING, UM, OUTREACH CONTRACTS WITH THE VBO REP.
AND SO, I MEAN, I COULD SEE HERE ALL DAY AND TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
I DID CREATE A 12-PAGE DOCUMENT THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE ANYONE AND EVERYONE READING THAT OUTLINES, UH, OVERVIEW AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE VSO OFFICE IS WHAT I, UH, I CALL IT.
BUT IT REALLY GIVES YOU A GOOD BIRDSHOT, UH, BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF WHAT OUR OFFICE DOES AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AND THE TYPES OF THINGS WE DO.
LIKE, UH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, UH, MENTIONED EARLIER, HOMELESS VETS DO REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF A- ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC NEED.
BUT ALSO OUR ELDERLY VETERANS AND OUR SURVIVING SPOUSES, AND OUR YOUNG VETERANS THAT ARE RETURNING, AND OTHERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM THINGS WE FOUND VETERANS WHEREVER THEY ARE UP IN SAN LORENZO VALLEY.
I FOUND A VETERAN IN AN RV PARKED BETWEEN TWO REDWOOD TREES WITH THE BUTT END OF IT HANGING OFF A CLIFF.
YOU KNOW, HE'D BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 20 YEARS, GOT HIM A HUNDRED PERCENT SERVICE CONNECTED.
YOU KNOW, I WENT UP AND FOUND HIM AND DID THAT.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE STORIES ALL DAY LONG.
THE POINT BEING WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT, OUR LEADERSHIP, AND TO BE A TRUE LEADER, YOU HAVE TO MEET FOLKS WHERE THEY ARE AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND THEIR SIDE.
I THINK A PART OF WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THAT THE LINE STAFF IN THE VSO HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD, AND THE VSO HAS NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GO OUT THERE AND SERVE VETERANS.
TO DATE, HE'S BEEN IN THE JOB FOR SIX AND A HALF, SEVEN MONTHS NOW.
HE NEEDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GO OUT AND SERVE VETERANS AND NOT BE PULLED BACK FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.
THE, THE STAFF IN THE OFFICE, UM, ARE DOING THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THEIR JOBS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE RUNNING THE FRONT DESK ANSWERING PHONES.
SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENT HAS CREATED A LACK OF ABILITY FOR THEM TO SERVE THE, THE COMMUNITY, WAY THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WE WERE A FUNCTIONING AT HIGH CAPACITY WHEN I, WHEN I WAS THERE.
WE WERE JUST BUSY ALL DAY LONG, JUST SERVING VETERANS.
THAT HAS SLOWED DOWN TO A LARGE DEGREE AND WE NEED TO FIX THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US.
JUSTIN CUMMINGS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING THE PERSON.
YOU KNOW, I, I WALKED AROUND AND I TALKED TO EVERYONE ASIDE FROM MANU KOENIG, UH, WHICH I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE.
BUT YESTERDAY, WE SPOKE TO JILLIAN, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR, UH, HER HEARING US.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU MEETING WITH ME THROUGHOUT, UM, THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS.
AND I DO, UH, HOPE AND, AND WISH THAT WE CAN FIND A RESOLUTION IN A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD IN JUST THE QUICKEST MANNER POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET THESE FOLKS BACK TO SERVING VETERANS ALL THE TIME FOR AND NOTHING ELSE.
UH, SO YEAH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE.
AND REALLY AS, AS A PART OF THAT IS THE ENTIRE VETERAN COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS, THE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, THESE ARE NOT SUM UP, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING ALL THE SERVICES, BENEFITS, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT THAT VETERANS HAVE EARNED.
THESE ARE ENTITLEMENTS, NOT NECESSARILY THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE ENTITLEMENTS DUE TO, UH, MILITARY SERVICE.
AND THE, THE WHOLE BRUNT END OF IT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMBAT IS THE NUMBER "22" A DAY.
YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES OR RESOURCES SUPPORT ARE, ARE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING VETERANS MOTIVATED, POSITIVE, FORWARD MOVING, AND REDUCING THE, THE SUICIDE RATE.
ULTIMATELY, BOTTOM LINE OR FRONT, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT'S GETTING THAT NUMBER 22 A DAY DOWN TO ZERO A DAY.
ONE A DAY IS TOO MANY, BE IT A CIVILIAN, A VETERAN, ANYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS, UH, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, THE OFFICER AND THE REPRESENTATIVES ARE DOING EXACTLY THAT, PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO KEEP PEOPLE UP, TO KEEP PEOPLE UP PROACTIVE AND, AND, UM, POSITIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE, UH, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND REALLY EVERYWHERE.
THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO.
- DO YOU GUYS HAVE THE CLICKER FOR THE SLIDES? OH, OKAY.
OH, UM, SO THE VISION ULTIMATELY, JUST LIKE WHAT, UH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS HAD SAID,
[06:20:01]
THE, THE VISION IS TO HAVE THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE BE ITS OWN STANDALONE DEPARTMENT REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE, UH, THE VETERAN, UH, AS YOU WERE, THE CEO'S OFFICE.UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE TWO, AS OF RECENTLY, THREE LAYERS OF NON-VETERAN LEADERSHIP ABOVE THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER AND NOW AS PER MILITARY AND VETERAN CODE, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, JUST LIKE WHAT DEAD HAD SAID, IS SUPPOSED TO BE RAN, OPERATED, MANAGED, AND, UM, YEAH, RAN BY A VETERAN.
AND THERE'S THREE LAYERS UNTIL RECENTLY, TWO LAYERS OF, UM, NON-VETERAN LEADERSHIP TELLING THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER WHAT TO DO, HOW TO DO IT, WHEN TO DO IT, AND REALLY RESTRICTING HIS, HIS AVAILABILITY TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES, TO DO THE OUTREACH, TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE, UH, COMPLICATED AND MORE COMPLEX CASES THAT HE SHOULD BE DOING.
YOU KNOW, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING ALL OF THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
THAT'S MORE CONCENTRATED AND, AND MORE IN DEPTH THAN THE TRADITIONAL VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, SO, YEAH, ULTIMATELY THE, THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO EXTRACT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, UH, OUT FROM UNDER HIS CURRENT DEPARTMENT AND BE ITS OWN STANDALONE AND REALLY MAKING THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER HIS OWN PROGRAM DIRECTOR AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A MIDDLE MANAGER UNDERNEATH, A DIRECTOR OF A DIVISION, UNDERNEATH A DIRECTOR OF A DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO THERE'S SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE, THE POPULATION OF SERVICE, RIGHT? THE VETERAN... OH, I'M SORRY.
AS YOU WERE THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT SERVICES INDIVIDUALS, UH, PERSONNEL THAT ARE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL, PERSONAL HARDSHIP AND CRISES, AND THEY'RE REALLY MEANS TESTED BENEFITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THESE, THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THEY HAVE TO MEET QUALIFICATIONS OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH INCOME AND THAT QUALIFIES THEM FOR THESE, THESE SERVICES AND RESOURCES.
WHEREAS THE VETERAN POPULATION, THESE ARE AGAIN ENTITLEMENTS THAT THE ONLY MEANS TESTED BENEFIT THAT I CAN- I CAN WRAP MY BRAIN AROUND, WOULD BE THE HUD-VASH VOUCHERS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ARE TAKING THOSE HOMELESS VETERANS LITERALLY OFF THE STREET, AND GIVING THEM, UM, HOUSING.
UM, SO THESE, THESE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO VETERANS ARE NOT COMING FROM COUNTY, COUNTY POOLS.
THESE ARE FEDERAL, FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING INTO THE, THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
UM, FROM THE COUNTY'S PERSPECTIVE, OR FROM THE COUNTY- COUNTY'S RESOURCES, IT'S ESSENTIALLY A, A TRIAGE OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN APPRECIATE TRIAGE AND WE'RE DOING THE MOST AMOUNT OF GOOD WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, WHEREAS THE ENTITLEMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE VA AND, YOU KNOW, CALVE IN A, A LITTLE BIT OF A WAY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL VETERANS WHO QUALIFY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, UH, TIME OF SERVICE AND DISCHARGE STATUS.
BUT IT'S REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE AT IN THE SOCIOECONOMIC LADDER, IT'S REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE AT IN, IN ANY KIND OF WAY, THESE ARE BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN EARNED, ENTITLEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN EARNED THROUGH MILITARY SERVICE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST THIS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHO THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, SERVICES IN, IN, CONTRAST AND SEPARATION TO THE, THE VETERAN POPULATION.
SO THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, THE, AGAIN, THE, THE IDEA IS THAT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE SUBMITS CLAIMS FOR VETERANS TO GET THE ENTITLEMENTS, THE BENEFITS, AND IN, IN PARTICULAR, THE SERVICE CONNECTED, DISABILITIES, ANY KIND OF INJURY, ILLNESS, SUSTAINED WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY OR MILITARY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE COMPENSATED BASED ON THE LEVEL OF INJURY.
AND SO, THESE ARE NEW AWARDS OR WHEN A VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SUBMITS A CLAIM, AND THAT CLAIM IS AWARDED, THOSE ARE NEW DOLLARS COMING INTO THE COUNTY.
AND SO, THE LAST SIX FISCAL YEARS, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING IN OVER $42 MILLION WORTH OF NEW AWARDS INTO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
AND THAT'S ALL JUST NEW AWARDS.
THAT'S NOT, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE CURRENT AWARDS, THE CURRENT SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITY RATINGS THAT THESE VETERANS IN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER 7,500 VETERANS WITHIN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE UTILIZATION RATE RIGHT NOW IS ROUGHLY 40% AT MAX OF WHAT IS, IS, UM, YEAH, 40% IS THE AMOUNT OF UTILIZATION THAT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE IS SEEING.
AND SO, I'M KIND OF JUMPING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, BUT IN MY MIND, THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S 60% OF OUR VETERANS WITHIN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
[06:25:01]
THAT ARE NOT INVOLVED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.I CAN, I CAN UNPACK THAT, BUT I DON'T WANNA TAKE THE TIME.
UM, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THERE'S A WHOLE SLEW OF VETERANS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE NOT INVOLVED AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE AVAILABILITY.
THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER NEEDS TO HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO GO OUT INTO THE LEVIES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TURNING OVER ROCKS TO FIND THESE VETERANS, TO GET THEM INVOLVED, GET THEM THE SERVICES, RESOURCES, BENEFITS AND SUPPORT THAT THEY HAVE EARNED.
UM, SO THE, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT REALLY THERE'S A THREE TO ONE OFFSET RATIO THAT EVERY $1 GOING INTO THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE PART OF THE BUDGET CAN RETURN $3 BACK ROUGHLY.
- PROBABLY THE, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IS, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE $42.9 MILLION, UM, BROUGHT IN IN NEW, UM, AWARDS, UM, THAT'S BOTH, UH, RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS.
SO, WHEN YOU FILE A CLAIM, THERE'S A LAG BEFORE IT GETS DECIDED, AND THEN THERE'S A LUMP SUM PAYMENT THAT'S MADE WHEN THE AWARD IS GRANTED, AND THEN, THERE'S A NEW MONTHLY BENEFIT THAT GETS PAID FROM THERE.
SO THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE TWO NUMBERS COMBINED FOR THOSE PERIODS OF YEARS THAT WE, AS THE OFFICE, UM, PROVIDED THAT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T COUNT ALL THE VETERANS THAT HAD BEEN RECEIVING, UM, BENEFITS BEFORE THAT.
SO, UM, THE ESTIMATION IS SOMETHING IN AN ARTICLE THAT I HAD READ WHERE, UM, TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY THE INCOME THAT COMES INTO THE, THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THESE FEDERAL, UH, DOLLARS, PROVIDES ROUGHLY A THREE TO ONE OFFSET.
SO IT'S, IT'S HARD TO, TO, TO EXPAND UPON IT.
UM, FROM AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL, WE, WE GOT A CHECK THAT'S COMING TO THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ. RIGHT? BUT THE BENEFIT IS ALSO IS, UH, REDUCING, UM, STATE AND LOCAL COSTS THROUGH MEDI-CAL PROGRAM ASSISTANCE, FOOD STAMPS, YOU KNOW, SO VETERANS THAT WE GET CONNECTED TO VA HEALTHCARE, AND GET OFF OF SSI, GET OFF OF MEDI-CAL, UM, AND, AND GET THEM UNDER FEDERAL BENEFITS.
IT'S ALSO A COST SAVING, RIGHT? SO THERE'S THIS- THERE'S KIND OF HIDDEN, UM, REVENUE THAT, THAT WE, WE ARE POINTING TO HERE AS, AS AN OUTLIER, SO.
- DEAN TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH IN THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING ALL OF THESE RESOURCES, BENEFIT SERVICES, AND SUPPORT TO VETERANS IS ALLEVIATING A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE FOR HEALTHCARE, IN GENERAL. RIGHT? TAKING THE BURDEN OFF OF THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM HERE, THE EMERGENCY ROOM SYSTEM, THE, UH, AMBULANCE SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, THOSE- THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT VETERANS CAN GET THROUGH THE VA.
UM, YOU KNOW, DEAN HAD MENTIONED THE BUDGET, AND I KIND OF WANT TO HAND IT OVER TO DEAN BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIALIZED OVERSIGHT THAT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS ARE, UM, EXPERIENCED.
- ARE WE CHANGING SLIDES? - YEAH, WE'RE CHANGING SLIDES. SORRY.
- UM, YEAH, SO A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT, UM, HOW AND WHY WOULD, WOULD THE VSO, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER, UM, FIT INTO A, A, A MOLD OF, OF BEING A STANDALONE DEPARTMENT AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT.
AGAIN, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN MY INTRODUCTION.
UM, BUT THE UNIQUE AUTHORITY, UM, CONVERSATION IS SIMPLY THAT THE, THE VA REQUIRES THAT THEY BE ACCREDITED.
SO, UH, ALL, ALL VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE STAFF HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ACCREDITATION PROCESS THROUGH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, CALVET, AND SO WE ALL GET CERTIFIED AS CDVA.
ONCE YOU GET THAT ACCREDITATION, THEN YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE THE VA SYSTEM TO RECEIVE ACCESS TO VETERAN BENEFIT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND ACCESS THE CLAIM ASSISTANCE PORTAL SO THAT YOU CAN SERVE OUR VETERANS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF POLICIES, PROCEDURES, GUIDELINES.
YOU CAN'T WORK AS A VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE OR A VSO WITHOUT THAT ACCREDITATION.
UM, AND SO IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S ALL BUILT INTO THE WAY THAT THE OFFICE RUNS AND THERE DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE OVERSIGHT, THERE NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTANDING FROM THE COUNTY.
AND, AND MAYBE A CHECKS AND BALANCES ABOUT THESE FOLKS.
UM, THAT, THAT AND THEIR ACCREDITATION, AND THEIR MAINTAINING THEIR ACCREDITATION THROUGH THEIR ONGOING CEUS THROUGH CALVET.
AND, AND THE ASSOCIATION, UH, FOR VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS PROVIDING THAT TRAINING ANNUALLY.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BUILT INTO, UM, AND THE, AND THE VSO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MANAGE THAT TEAM BASED ON, ON ALL OF THOSE PRINCIPLES, UNDERSTANDINGS OF RULES, REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, THERE'S 38 USC AND 38 CFR, THE FEDERAL CODE OF REGULATIONS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO AD-ADHERE TO AS PART OF THE, THE BENEFIT NAVIGATION PROCESS.
THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT, UH, THE VA IS, IS IS REQUIRED TO, UH, OPERATE BY, SO THAT... YEAH, YOU AS A VETERAN, YOU DON'T JUST COME UP TO, TO THE THE VA AND SAY, HEY, GIVE ME MY BENEFITS. RIGHT? YOU NEED AN ADVOCATE, SOMEONE THAT'S ACCREDITED, THAT CAN NAVIGATE THAT, UM, CARE FOR YOU.
AND THE FOLKS THAT DO IT ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY, OBVIOUSLY KNOW IT BETTER THAN, THAN THE AVERAGE VETERAN THAT'S JUST, UM, DISCHARGING FROM THE MILITARY, RIGHT? AND SO, WE HAVE THAT ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY, AND, UM, IT'S SET UP IN A WAY THAT, AGAIN, THE COUNTY DOESN'T NEED TO, TO UNDERSTAND IT NECESSARILY.
[06:30:02]
THEY JUST NEED TO, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEY DON'T NEED TO OVER- OVERSEE IT TO, TO A DEGREE AND, AND CAUSE ANY- A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT AN UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S A DESIRE TO GO IN AND CHANGE THINGS AND, AND CREATE NEW POLICIES AND ASK FOR A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS WHEN IT'S ALREADY LAID OUT.UM, AND SO WE ALL KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY BUREAUCRATIC ENOUGH, WE SHOULDN'T ADD MORE TO, TO THE PA- YOU KNOW.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS SLIDE IS, IS REALLY ABOUT.
AND, UH, UH, IN THE LAST BULLET POINT, STANDALONE NATURE OPERATIONS ARE REGULATED BY VA CALVET, AND, UH, NOT HSD FRAMEWORK.
SO WE, WE KNOW HOW TO SERVE VETERANS, RIGHT? ONCE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE JOB FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, AND THERE'S TRAINING MECHANISMS AND ABILITIES TO VSOS ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO THREE CONFERENCES A YEAR.
THEY NETWORK, THEY NAVIGATE, THEY LEARN, UM, VSR IS THE SAME THING, RIGHT? SO, IT'S LIKE IT'S ALREADY ALL THERE, AND WE'RE JUST SIMPLY POINTING OUT THAT HAVING THE VSO MANAGE THE PROGRAM IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, AND NOT TAKE AWAY ANY TIME FROM SERVING THIS COMMUNITY.
- TO JUMP ON THAT AS WELL, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES IN A VERY TIMELY MANNER.
UM, JUST A QUICK LITTLE CAVEAT.
YOU KNOW, 10, 15 YEARS AGO, THE VA WAS NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING LONG WAIT TIMES.
LONG WAIT TIMES TO GET APPOINTMENTS, SERVICE CONNECTED, UM, DISABILITY CLAIMS FINALIZED.
AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF STREAMLINING THAT TIMELINE.
I KNOW THAT FOR MYSELF WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH MY PERSONAL CLAIM, IT DID NOT TAKE NEARLY AS LONG AS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
I KNOW THAT DEAN HIMSELF HAS WORKED WITH MY PERSONAL BATTLE BUDDY WHO HAD BEEN FIGHTING THE VA FOR OVER 11 AND A HALF YEARS, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF DEAN AND HIS EXPERTISE REALLY.
HE WAS ABLE TO GET HIS AWARD THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE VA, AND, UH, MUCH FASTER THAN, THAN IT WOULD'VE GONE IF HE WAS LEFT TO HIS OWN DEVICES.
- WELL, I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT ABOUT THAT, UM, THAT VETERANS MAY ONLY SHOW UP THAT- THIS ONE TIME.
YOU KNOW, WORLD WAR II VET, NOT MANY OF THEM LEFT ANYMORE.
BUT IN THE DAY, THAT VETERAN IS ONLY GONNA COME TO OUR DOOR ONE TIME.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE SERVE THEM AT THAT MOMENT.
WHEN SOMEONE CALLS ME ON THE PHONE AND ASKS ABOUT A VETERAN RESOURCE OR BENEFIT, I HELP THEM RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE.
CAN WE REFER THEM TO ANOTHER IF THEY'RE FROM ANOTHER AREA? SURE WE CAN. BUT I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THAT CHANCE.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT VETERAN GETS THE CARE AND SUPPORT HE NEEDS OR SHE NEEDS FOR THAT MATTER.
SO WHAT'S THE COST? WHAT'S THE COST TO TRANSFER THIS? YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS SOME, UM, UM, COMMENTS THROWN AROUND THAT, UH, LEADING UP TO THIS MEETING HERE THIS MORNING THAT THERE'S A COST TO TRANSFERRING OUT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE OUT FROM UNDER ITS CURRENT STRUCTURE, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD WHAT THAT COST IS.
IT'S KIND OF A, A, AN AMBIGUOUS TERM RIGHT NOW THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT COST OFFICIALLY WOULD BE.
YOU KNOW, THE VSOS BUDGET IS RELATIVELY, WELL, IT'S VERY SMALL COMPARED TO HSD, AS- AS A WHOLE, AND THE ADULT LONG-TERM CARE DIVISION.
AND SO, IN OUR MINDS, IT SHOULD BE AS EASY AS PULLING A PUZZLE PIECE OUT FROM ONE SPOT AND PUTTING IT INTO ANOTHER SPOT.
UM, THE, THE COST IS... WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS THE LINE ITEM COST THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO TRANSFER A BUDGET AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT? - YEAH. AND I, I, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
AND, UH, NICOLE, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.
YOU MET WITH US ON THE 23RD OF DECEMBER AND THE 14TH OF JANUARY.
UM, WE HAD ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULED WE DECIDED, UM, THAT, THAT NICOLE AND HER TEAM NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO KIND OF WRAP THEIR NOODLE AROUND WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
UM, AND SO WE DO APPRECIATE THAT IT IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO FIGURE SOME OF THESE THINGS OUT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT IN THESE MEETINGS IS THAT HSD PROVIDES SOME, UM, SOME RESOURCES TO THE VSO THAT AREN'T IN OUR BUDGET.
I MANAGED IT FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.
IT'S ROUGHLY $760,000 FOR THE ENTIRE, UM, OFFICE.
UM, AND THE THINGS IN, IN, IN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT AREN'T WITHIN THAT BUDGET ARE...
THAT WE GET FROM HSD ARE FISCAL, UH, ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE A, A REPRESENTATIVE THAT HELPS US MANAGE THE BUDGET.
UM, SHE SPENDS MAYBE AN HOUR OR TWO A MONTH, UM, ON THAT.
WE HAVE, UM, A CONTRACT UNIT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE THAT HELPS US MANAGE OUR ONE CONTRACT.
UM, PROBABLY SPENDING FOUR TO SIX HOURS A QUARTER ON THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR IT SUPPORT AND VARIOUS OTHER, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH MAKING SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING COUNTY POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I DON'T SEE ANY LARGE COST OUTSIDE OF OUR BUDGET THAT COULDN'T BE, LIKE, A PLUG AND PLAY WHEREVER WE DECIDE TO MOVE IT.
YOU KNOW, BORROWING THOSE SERVICES FROM WHATEVER, UM, DEPARTMENT WE END UP IN.
SO, I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE ARE.
I WILL ADMIT THAT WE ARE SOMEWHAT NAIVE AND IGNORANT TO, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER GOVERNMENT, AND HOW THINGS ACTUALLY WORK.
SO, WE ARE, UM, INTERESTED IN LEARNING WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE
[06:35:03]
SO THAT WE CAN MAKE, UH, A BETTER ARGUMENT FOR OURSELVES.SO, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE SOONER THAN LATER, SO.
- UH, JUMPING IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IF THE COST IS, UM, MONETARY VALUE DUE TO PERSONNEL AND, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES JUST LIKE WHAT DEAN HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, GRANTS ARE VERY, UM, APPLICABLE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
I KNOW THAT THE, UH, VETERAN ADVOCATE IS GRANT, UH, GRANT FUNDED AND THE VETERAN OUTREACH COORDINATOR, UH, THROUGH THE VSO OFFICE IS ALSO GRANT FUNDED.
AND SO, IN OUR MINDS, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SECURE A GRANT FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES LIKE THAT, FISCAL MANAGER CONTRACTS, AND, UM, AND AN OA, AN OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY TO SECURE FUNDING FOR.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF BRINGS ME TO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT REASONS WHY WE'RE HERE.
UM, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, I GUESS THE, THE REAL EASY MOMENT IN TIME WAS WHEN THE PREVIOUS VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER WAS TERMINATED FROM HIS POSITION.
THAT KIND OF REALLY PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT OFFICE BY WAY OF, OF MANAGEMENT.
AND SO REALLY THERE'S TWO, TWO SITUATIONS GOING ON AT HAND.
ONE OF WHICH IS A, UM, MISALIGNMENT.
I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY I COULD PUT IT IN LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A, A MAJOR MISUNDERSTANDING OR MISCOMMUNICATION OF WHAT THE CULTURE OF THE VETERAN- VETERAN COMMUNITY REALLY, REALLY NEEDS, AND WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY THAT NON-VETERAN LEADERSHIP ABOVE THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER.
AND SO WITH THOSE, WITH THOSE, UM, MANAGEMENT TACTICS, I'M TRYING NOT TO USE THE WORD MISMANAGEMENT, BUT THAT'S THE WORD THAT, THAT KEEPS COMING UP TO MIND.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN SOME SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH NARRATIVE MANIPULATION, AND, UM, UH, MISTRUTHS AND POTENTIAL HARASSMENT.
THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN THE OFFICE THAT HAVE LED TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE ASPECTS BEING, UH, MEETINGS WITH THE HR DIRECTOR, UH, MS. AJITA PATEL, AND HER TEAM, UH, MEETING WITH THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER AND THE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THAT HAS, HAS REALLY LENDED ITSELF TO SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL ISSUES GOING ON WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN THOSE THINGS JUST BLEED OUT INTO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY REALLY TAKING THE, THE END OF THAT.
SO I'M NOT GONNA TOUCH ON THE, THE HR STUFF BECAUSE THAT'S HR STUFF, AND I'M NOT AT, AT LIBERTY TO TALK ABOUT THEIR, THEIR ISSUES.
UM, BUT THE, THE OPERATIONAL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON, THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, THOSE PERSONNEL ISSUES THAT ARE GETTING TO, UH, THE EFFICACY OF THE OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD COMPROMISED PROGRAMS, THE WORK STUDY PROGRAM, THE VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE DAV VAN PROGRAM.
AND I'M PERSONALLY ATTACHED TO THE WORK STUDY PROGRAM BECAUSE I'M A PRODUCT OF THAT PROGRAM.
ANDRE SAMAYOA, WHO'S THE CURRENT VSO, HE'S A PRODUCT OF THAT PROGRAM.
UH, JOSE VESERA, WHO'S THE VETERAN OUTREACH COORDINATOR, HE'S A PRODUCT OF THAT PROGRAM.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT PROGRAM, I MYSELF WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE HERE.
THAT PROGRAM IS RAN BY THE VA THROUGH THE VSO OFFICE, AND IT PROVIDES RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND SKILL SETS FOR TRANSITIONING VETERANS OUT OF THE MILITARY AND INTO THE CIVILIAN SECTOR.
THAT LITERALLY KEPT FOOD IN MY MOUTH AND ROOF OVER THE, THE HEAD OF MYSELF AND MY CHILD.
AND WITHOUT THAT, THAT PROGRAM, AND DEAN AS MY MENTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE HERE.
AND SO WITH THAT PROGRAM BEING COMPROMISED AND THEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM LEADERSHIP SAYING, NO, IT'S NOT.
YES, IT IS. NO IT'S NOT. YES IT IS.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT PROGRAM HAD BEEN INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED.
UM, THE DAV PROGRAM, THE DAV VAN HAS BEEN JEOPARDIZED.
AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A BENEFIT THROUGH THAT VSO OFFICE TO TAKE VETERANS TO THEIR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS WHEN THEY OTHERWISE DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION OR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THERE.
AND THE VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE PROGRAM, THOSE ARE VOLUNTEERS THAT HAD BEEN WORKING IN THAT OFFICE THAT WERE DOING, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF VOLUNTEER WORK.
UM, WITHOUT THOSE PROGRAMS HERE IN THAT OFFICE, JUST LIKE WHAT DEAN WAS SAYING, THE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ARE KIND OF WORKING OUT OF SCOPE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S BEEN, UM, PERMANENTLY RELOCATED DOWN TO SOUTH COUNTY, AND SO ON PAPER IT LOOKS GOOD.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE DOWN IN SOUTH COUNTY, WE'VE GOT REPRESENTATIVES UP HERE IN NORTH COUNTY, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THAT REPRESENTATIVE, THE MAJORITY OF HER CASELOAD IS VETERANS UP HERE IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA, AND WHILE SHE'S DOWN IN SOUTH COUNTY, SHE'S NOT ABLE TO FILL IN, IN NORTH COUNTY WHEN THERE'S WALK-INS AND PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS.
AND THAT LEAVES THE, THE TEAM REALLY STRETCHED THIN TRIAGE OF RESOURCES AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, AND SO WHEN WE HAVE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE DOING THOSE THINGS, ANSWERING THE PHONES, AND TAKING CARE OF WALK-INS, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THEIR CASEWORK, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THE INTERVIEWS,
[06:40:01]
INVESTIGATIONS, PAPERWORK, AND SUBMISSION OF CLAIMS TO GET THOSE VETERANS SQUARED AWAY AND TAKEN CARE OF.UM, THERE HAS BEEN... GETTING INTO TO THAT SECURING OF FINANCIAL GRANTS, YOU KNOW, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER WAS TOLD THAT HE CANNOT SEARCH FOR GRANTS.
UM, HE WAS RESTRICTED IN A WAY THAT REALLY LIMITS THE OFFICE'S AVAILABILITY AND RESOURCES, HUMAN RESOURCES.
HE WAS ALSO GIVEN A GAG ORDER AND I DON'T...
HE WAS TOLD NOT TO TALK TO ME.
HE WAS NOT TOLD TALK- HE WAS TOLD NOT TO TALK TO HIS VETERAN NETWORK OF RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT HIS COUNTERPARTS IN THE VSO OFFICES ACROSS, UH, THE, THE NETWORK.
HE WAS TOLD HE CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MR. STONEY BROOK, ALICIA MORALES AND RANDY MORRIS.
AND THAT IS JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MICROMANAGEMENT AND HIM NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THE BEST HE CAN FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE WE GO FOR THAT SLIDE.
- I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE A, A, A COMMENT ABOUT THE COMPROMISED PROGRAMS WORK STUDY, VIP DAV VEHICLE.
UM, I, DURING MY TENURE AS VSO, I PROBABLY HAD 150 WORK STUDIES.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SUPPORTING THE VETERAN, ALTHOUGH IT DOES SUPPORT THE VETERAN.
UM, THERE'S ALSO DEPENDENTS THAT, THAT UTILIZE VA RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN, UM, EDUCATION BENEFIT FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED VETERANS.
THEY COME INTO OUR OFFICE AND THEY LEARN ABOUT THESE RESOURCES, AND THEY, THEY PROVIDE THAT CONNECTION TO THE, THE VETERANS THAT THEY SERVE WITH.
AND SOMETIMES, UM, THEY'RE DEPENDENT UH, THEIR, THEIR SPONSORS, THEIR PARENTS, RIGHT? AND SO, WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT A COMMUNITY IN A GREATER WAY.
WE, WE WERE JUST CONTINUING TO CAST A LARGER AND LARGER NET OVER THE VETERAN COMMUNITY WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THE VETERANS THAT COME INTO OUR OFFICE UNDER VA WORK STUDY, LEARN, AND WE- I'VE HAD WORK STUDIES THAT I'VE FILED FIVE OR EIGHT CLAIMS FOR THEIR BATTLE BUDDIES, YOU KNOW, AND THEY MIGHT LIVE IN FLORIDA OR COLORADO.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS SUPPORT THE VETERAN WHO NEEDS GROCERIES ON THE TABLE, RIGHT? IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPORT THEY GET THROUGH GI BILL, IT ALSO PROVIDES THEM, UH, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, UM, BREAK ISOLATION, YOU KNOW? IT, IT GETS THEM OUT AND DOING SOMETHING.
IT GIVES A LITTLE MORE, UM, RESPECT AND DIGNITY AND HONOR TO THEIR SERVICE WHEN THEY KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT AND HONOR EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S, IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT AND EVEN A REDUCTION IN THAT PROGRAM OF A TERM OR TWO, CAUSES SOME DISRUPTION IN THE FLOW OF, RIGHT? 'CAUSE ONCE YOU START HAVING WORK STUDIES THERE THAT ARE THERE FOR A FEW TERMS, THEY'RE TRAINING OTHERS, AND IT JUST, IT JUST KIND OF, AT, AT SOME POINT, IT STARTS TO, UM, ALMOST CARE FOR ITSELF, RIGHT? YOU KNOW? SO IT'S LIKE THIS, THIS CONSTANT, UM, SHUFFLE OF WORK STUDIES, UH, THROUGH THE OFFICE IS A GREAT THING.
UM, AND THE DAV VEHICLE, UM, DAVE, DAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S JUST AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE.
IT'S PROVIDED FOR FREE, YOU KNOW, THE VA PAYS WORK STUDIES.
WE JUST SIMPLY SEND IN A TIME CARD AND THE VA PAYS 'EM.
IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL PROGRAM.
UM, AND, AND FOR THE REASONS I DISCUSSED.
AND THE DAV VEHICLE IS ALSO PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE FROM THE VA TO OUR OFFICE THAT WE MANAGE.
UM, JUST GETTING VETERANS INTO THE VEHICLE, WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE VA TO GET THEIR, UM, VOLUNTEER STATUS, UM, RECOGNIZED BY THE VA AND THEN THEY CAN COME AND DRIVE.
SO THERE'S NO COST TO THE COUNTY FOR THESE PROGRAMS, AND HAVE THEM, UM, THREATEN IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, AND TAKEN AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY 'CAUSE YOU JUST DON'T GET IT BACK, RIGHT? ONCE YOU LOSE SOMETHING, YOU DON'T JUST GET IT BACK, YOU KNOW, A YEAR LATER OR SIX MONTHS LATER. RIGHT? IT, SO WE, WE, WE WE'RE FIGHTING FOR THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AND, AND THAT ARE A PART OF OUR OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
UM, AND I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MEDIATION THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
I KNOW AGAIN, UM, NICOLE'S BEEN, UM, RECEIVING OUR REQUEST AND SHE HAD MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AT SOME POINT.
SO I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT IN ADDITION TO THE HR DIRECTOR AND, AND WHATEVER SHE'S GONNA BE DOING IN THE WAY OF LOOKING AT THE OFFICE, UM, WE WERE ALSO, UM, REALLY INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION.
I THINK IT'S JUST AN, A VALUABLE COMPONENT TO MOVING FORWARD AND HEALING OUR COMMUNITY.
- SO THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS ARE ABSOLUTELY FORCED MULTIPLIERS.
THEY DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GOOD FOR OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY, OUR DEPENDENTS, OUR, OUR SUPPORTERS, UM, THEY DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GOOD WORK FOR THE COUNTY AT LARGE, JUST WITH THE, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE COMING INTO THE COUNTY FROM THOSE, THOSE, UM, AWARDS.
AND SO, OUR CALL TO ACTION REALLY IS TO SUPPORT THE VETERAN COMMUNITY, TO SUPPORT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, TO SUPPORT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER AND THE VETERAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES BY GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO DO THEIR WORK FREE
[06:45:02]
FROM ANY KIND OF MICROMANAGEMENT.I MEAN, THAT'S A TERM I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA USE RIGHT NOW.
I'M GONNA STICK WITH, YOU KNOW, THE VETERAN COMMUNITY AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS AS YOU KNOW, VETERANS.
YOU KNOW, WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN THE VALUES OF LOYALTY, DUTY, RESPECT, SELFLESS SERVICE, HONOR, INTEGRITY, AND PERSONAL COURAGE.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE IMBUE OURSELVES WITH WHEN WE'RE TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER.
AND AGAIN, GETTING TO THE CULTURAL THING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, A VETERAN WILL SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHERE ANOTHER VETERAN IS COMING FROM DUE TO THAT SERVICE, THAT COMMONALITY.
AND SO, BEING ABLE TO ADVOCATE AND PROVIDE FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY IS, I MEAN, THAT'S THE EXPERTISE, YOU KNOW, UM, AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND PRESENT OUR, OUR SITUATION TO YOU ALL.
- AND I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW THAT UP WITH, UH, ALSO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING US TODAY.
AGAIN, UH, JUSTIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR, UH, PUTTING US ON THE AGENDA, WHETHER WE'RE FIRST OR LAST MATTERS OR NOT.
WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION, AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT WE'RE- WHILE THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING ARE DIFFICULT, TRYING TO, TRYING TO TELL, UM, YOU ALL AND, AND THE COMMUNITY WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND WE'RE HERE TO FIND A POSITIVE RESOLUTION TO MOVE FORWARD JUST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO GET OUR OFFICE BACK FULLY FUNCTIONING AND SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS. THAT'S OUR GOAL.
AND THAT'S IT. JUST AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
- I GUESS I'LL JUST- - I'M SORRY. THANK YOU AGAIN.
- AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE VETERANS FOR ENGAGING WITH OUR BOARD, FOR ENGAGING WITH MY OFFICE, AND FOR BRINGING THIS PROPOSAL FORWARD FOR US TO CONSIDER.
AND AGAIN, JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REMIND US THAT THERE ARE OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE THIS MODEL, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE DO HAVE A NEW CEO, AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING NEW.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BOARD MEMBERS SAY THAT WE NEED TO BE BOLD AND WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON, ON VARIOUS ITEMS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
AND THIS IS ONE WHERE I THINK THE VETERANS HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH AND THEY'VE MADE A VERY STRONG CASE AS TO WHY WE SHOULD MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL END MY COMMENTS AND TURN IT BACK TO YOU, CHAIR.
- THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE, YOUR CLOSING COMMENTS, AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CEO COBURN FOR, UM, ANY COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION.
- THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE THE UNITED VETERANS COUNCIL.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU SINCE NOVEMBER, SHORTLY AFTER I WAS APPOINTED AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, JUST IN MY, THE THREE TIMES I'VE MET WITH YOU, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, CONCERNS RELATED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE VETERAN SERVICES OFFICE.
AND, UM, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM TO THE BOARD.
UM, WHAT I AM ASKING FOR TODAY IS TO REALLY HAVE MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
UM, I'VE ONLY HAD THE THREE MEETINGS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO KIND OF LOOK INTO.
I HAVE READ THROUGH ALL THE MATERIALS THAT, UM, DEAN HAS KINDLY PUT TOGETHER AS WELL AS DAVE, AND, UM, IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
I RECENTLY BROUGHT ON, UM, AN ANALYST WHO'S NOW MY DEPUTY CEO SVEN STAFFORD, TO HELP ME LOOKING INTO THESE ISSUES.
UM, THERE IS A LOT TO STILL EXAMINE AND BRING FORWARD TO THE BOARD IN TERMS OF ANALYSIS AND POTENTIALLY OPTIONS.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING, AND HOW CAN WE PROPERLY ADDRESS THEM IN A WAY THAT MAKES OPERATIONAL AND FISCAL, UH, SENSE.
UM, I, BECAUSE OF OUR BUDGET SITUATION, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSFER AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COST TO THE COUNTY.
AS YOU NOTED, THE BUDGET ITSELF THAT SUPPORTS THE SEVEN STAFF MEMBERS AND THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE ISN'T THAT LARGE.
IT'S ABOUT, UM, 700 AND HERE I WAS GONNA PULL IT UP, $765,000 IN 2024-25.
UH, THAT WAS FUNDED BY $583,000 IN GENERAL FUND.
AS YOU NOTED THAT, THAT'S JUST TO SUPPORT THE STAFF IN THE OFFICE.
UM, WE'RE DRAWING DOWN A LOT OF BENEFIT PROGRAMS AND BRINGING THAT INTO THE COUNTY THAT ARE GIVEN TO THE VETERANS THEMSELVES TO HELP THEMSELVES WITH, UM, THEIR EVERYDAY LIVING SITUATION, HEALTH SERVICES, UM, OTHER SORTS OF SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
IN ADDITION TO THE $765,000 BUDGET
[06:50:01]
OF THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, UM, THE OFFICE ITSELF IS SUPPORTED A LOT BY HUMAN, THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.SO, THEY RECEIVE ALL KINDS OF IN-KIND SERVICE THAT WILL NEVER BE REF- THAT ISN'T REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET ITSELF OF THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, UM, RUNNING THROUGH OUR COST PLAN, THERE'S SPACE COSTS AND IT COSTS AND FACILITIES COSTS.
UM, OUR COST PLAN, BECAUSE, BECAUSE VETERAN SERVICES IS EMBEDDED IN THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE GET TO BILL ABOUT 45% OF THAT, WHICH WE CALL SUBVENTED TO, THROUGH OUR COST, OUR COST CLAIMING SYSTEM, THROUGH- TO GET, DRAW DOWN THOSE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO THAT'S ADDITIONAL COST, UM, TO THE OFFICE.
THERE'S ALSO A PIECE OF THE CONTRACTS UNIT THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING, THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, WITH OUTREACH GRANTS, UM, UH, CONTRACTS AND OTHER LEGAL AND AUDIT COMPLIANCE.
THERE'S THE FISCAL STAFF WHO HELPS WITH THE BUDGET AND THE SUBVENTION, THE STATE FUNDING AND CLAIMING PROCESSES.
UM, THERE'S HSD STANDALONE, UM, IT STAFF WHO SUPPORT THE OFFICE.
UM, THERE'S OTHER HSD IN-KIND COSTS THROUGH PERSONNEL IN RECRUITING, UM, ANALYSTS WHO SUPPORT THE OFFICE, CLERICAL AND SECRETARIAL SUPPORT AND HSD IN-HOUSE TRAINING.
SO ALL OF THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT IS HELPING SUPPORT AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IN TERMS OF HAVING VETERAN SERVICES BE REMOVED FROM HSD AND COME OVER TO MY OFFICE.
MY OFFICE IS VERY SMALL COMPARED TO HSD.
HSD I THINK HAS PROBABLY OVER FIVE, CLOSE TO 500 STAFF FTES.
AND I HAVE ONLY ABOUT, UM, UNDER 30 FTES.
SO, I DO NOT HAVE THE BREADTH OF STAFF THAT'S CURRENTLY SUPPORTING THE OFFICE.
SO THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN OF MINE, JUST IN TERMS OF, UM, BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THE OFFICE IN THE WAY THAT IT DESERVES AND NEEDS.
UM, I DID ASK FOR A QUOTE FOR, UM, SOME OF THE IN-KIND COSTS AND IT'S PROBABLY A MINIMUM OF A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS AND DEPENDING ON HOW MANY STAFF WE WOULD NEED TO ADD IN MY OFFICE TO, TO SUPPORT THE VSO, IT COULD BE UPWARDS OF A MILLION DOLLARS ADDITIONAL FUNDING ANNUALLY.
SO GIVEN EVERYTHING WE HAVE GOING ON, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, BE VERY, UM, CAUTIOUS AND MINDFUL OF, UM, HOW WE WANNA STRUCTURE THIS AND WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF WHERE IT SHOULD LIVE AND HOW IT SHOULD BE SUPPORTED.
UM, SO I, I WANNA ADD THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE THIRD-PARTY MEDIATOR, UH, AJITA HAS BEEN OUT, BUT I DID TOUCH BASE WITH THE PERSONNEL OFFICE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, NISHA PATEL, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS HERE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, EXPLORING WHICH THIRD-PARTY MEDIATORS ARE AVAILABLE, AND WE DO WANT TO BRING SOMEONE IN TO MEET WITH THE STAFF AND MEET WITH, UM, THE MANAGEMENT TO WORK THROUGH THE ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO DATE.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHO'S AVAILABLE, AND WE'RE GONNA BE SCHEDULING THAT JUST AS SOON AS WE CAN.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY NEEDED, UM, THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH, AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE STEPS FORWARD.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I, I WANNA BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE BOARD TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I, I, WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS, TO EVALUATE WHAT'S GOING ON, TO FULLY BE ABLE TO, UM, LOOK AT ALL OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US, AND TO COME BACK WITH TO YOU WITH A RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF BUDGET HEARINGS.
SO NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING A MOTION QUITE YET.
WE'RE DOING JUST QUESTIONS FOR EITHER PRESENTER.
- SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL, UH, I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I MET WITH THE, THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR VETERANS, AND HE WAS TELLING ME THAT THE SANTA CRUZ OFFICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN REALLY CONSISTENT AND REALLY, UH, THE TOP GENERATORS FROM TWO, FROM SECOND TO FOURTH OVER THE YEARS.
AND THAT'S IN THE STATE, THAT'S, WE HAVE 58 COUNTIES.
AND SO THEY'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
UM, I HAVE TO SAY MY STORY TOO, BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT WAS RELUCTANT FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS TO DO ANYTHING VETERAN.
UM, I REMEMBER AMERICAN LEGION WOULD ALWAYS WANT ME, TRY TO RECRUIT ME, AND I WOULD STAY AWAY, YOU KNOW, AND IT WASN'T TILL I WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER THAT I REALIZED, YOU KNOW, THAT I, I SHOULD GET INVOLVED.
[06:55:01]
AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN AT THE TIME NAMED ALAN MOLSON, UH, HE HAD DONE MY PAPERWORK, I NEEDED TO SIGN OFF, I DIDN'T WANNA SIGN OFF.AND HE WENT TO MY HOUSE ON A WEEKEND, PICKED ME UP, AND HE TOOK ME TO THE, NOT HERE, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE OFFICE IN CAPITOLA OFF ON 41ST, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
IT WAS KIND OF A CLINIC AND, AND THERE, UH, COUNSELING, OR SOMETHING THERE.
- OH, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S A VET CENTER.
SO HE TOOK ME THERE AND HE HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET, FOR ME TO MEET WITH A YOUNGER VETERAN FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO THOUSANDS, UH, OEF, VETERAN ENDURING FREEDOM IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND HE MADE EVERYTHING CLICK FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A VETERAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
AND I IMMEDIATELY SIGNED THE PAPERWORK, UM, AND I REMEMBER GOING TO THE, YOU KNOW, PALO ALTO AND I IMMEDIATELY GOT, UH, 50% RATING JUST ON PTSD ALONE.
AND THEY SENT IN, UH, THAT SERVICE THAT THIS OFFICE DOES STILL CONTINUES TODAY.
YOU KNOW, RECENTLY, OR A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, A YOUNGER VA, A YOUNGER, UH, STAFF THAT WORKS AT THE VSOS OFFICE TOOK ME FROM 50 TO 70.
AND THAT'S SAID, I MISSED SOME APPOINTMENTS.
I COULD, SHE TOLD ME I COULD HAVE GOT HIGHER, BUT I MISSED SOME APPOINTMENTS, UH, DUE TO WORK UM, AND NOW THAT I REFLECT ON MY STORY, UH, NOW I KNOW WHY THIS VSO'S OFFICE IS THE SECOND BEST IN THE COUNTRY, AND IT STILL IS ON THE TOP FOUR, UH, DESPITE EVERYTHING THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
UM, I WANNA SAY THAT I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO, UM, THE VSO IN MONTEREY COUNTY, JACK MURPHY, AND I DID SPEAK TO SUPERVISOR LEJO THAT IS ON THE COMMISSION FOR VETERANS.
AND OVER THERE, IT IS A STANDALONE, I WOULD SAY "STANDALONE" BUT IT'S STILL UNDER THEIR SOCIAL SERVICES.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING THAT JACK TOLD ME IS THAT THEY HAVE AN MOU THAT GIVES THEM FULL AUTONOMY, UH, FROM THEIR SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL IT OVER THERE, THEIR SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, THEY'RE ABLE TO STILL DO ALL THE WORK, AND MIND YOU, THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT THREE HOURS SEPARATION FROM PRUNEDALE OR FROM PAJARO ALL THE WAY UP TO KING CITY.
AND THEY DO A TREMENDOUS JOB IN MONTEREY COUNTY AS WELL.
BUT NOT ONLY DO THEY COVER THAT THREE MILE, THAT THREE HOUR SPAN OF, OF LAND, THEY ALSO COVER SAN BENITO COUNTY.
AND IF THEY COULD DO A GOOD JOB BEING AUTONOMOUS, I THINK THAT OUR OFFICE CAN DO IT AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I- I, I THINK THAT IN THE PAST, LAST YEAR, WE GAVE CARLOS THE DIRECTION TO KIND OF TAKE IT IN HIS HANDS AND SEE IF HE CAN FIX IT.
THAT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME PLACE.
SO, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. SOME CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE.
UM, I WANNA SAY I DO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT OUR CEO'S SAYING.
UM, I, I MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HER THE SAME OPPORTUNITY WE GAVE CARLOS, AND SHE BARELY CAME INTO THIS ROLE, BUT TO DIRECT THE CEO'S OFFICE TO SEE IF THEY CAN WORK WITH THE VETERAN REPRESENTATIVES TO RETURN TO THE BOARD BY NO LATER THAN THE SECOND MEETING IN MARCH, WITH A PLAN FOR CREATING AN EITHER AN INDEPENDENT VSOS OFFICE THAT WOULD BE OVERSEEN BY THE CEO'S OFFICE, OR USING EXAMPLES FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING MONTEREY COUNTY'S MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING MODEL THAT GIVES THEM AUTONOMY FROM THE SOCIAL FROM THE, UH, HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
IF THE MAKER OF THE MOTION WOULD BE OPEN TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS, BECAUSE WE DO NEED THE TIME TO FIGURE OUT THE BUDGET, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS CHANGE, STRUCTURAL CHANGE, WHETHER IT'S THE AUTONOMY, OR COMPLETELY SEPARATED IN THE CEO'S OFFICE.
- THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION YET, AND RIGHT NOW I THINK I'D PREFER TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AND THEN HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, AND THEN COME BACK FOR A MOTION BASED ON WHERE THAT GOES.
SO, OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? - UH, I'M, I'M OKAY HOLDING MY QUESTIONS UNTIL AFTER THE PUBLIC SPEAKS.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE ALL DAY LONG, SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE I COMMENT - SUPERVISOR KOENIG, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. UM, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
[07:00:03]
TO LINE UP AND, UM, GIVE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.WE WILL BE SETTING THE TIME AT- FOR TWO MINUTES PER PERSON, UM, FOR BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE.
- MY NAME IS HUTCH COLLIER, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED VETERANS COUNCIL.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US THIS TIME.
I, TOO, AM A VETERAN OF VIETNAM, AND IT TOOK ME 13 YEARS TO STEP FORWARD AND GET HELP AND RATING.
IT'S ULTIMATELY IMPORTANT THAT THIS OFFICE BE ALLOWED TO SERVE THE VETERAN COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTY.
THESE PEOPLE, ALL OF US, TOOK AN OATH TO GIVE OUR LIVES IF IT WAS NECESSARY, AND WE ARE ENTITLED TO THE BENEFITS THAT THE VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE CAN GET US.
WE'RE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE VA.
- HI, MY NAME IS TREVOR RATSON.
DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
HONORED TO BE HERE WITH EVERYBODY.
UM, HELP WITH THE VETERAN MEAL PROGRAM, UH, IT'S ON WEDNESDAYS OUT OF THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL BUILDING.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, UH, THAT CARES FOR VETERANS AS WELL.
UM, IS THAT VETERANS UNDERSTANDING VETERANS, UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY GRASP WHAT HUTCH WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, TOO, AND WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
UH, I'VE ENCOUNTERED A COUPLE OF HEROES TOO, FROM OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH, WELL, LOTS OF THEM THROUGH THE, UH, WEDNESDAY MEAL PROGRAM.
WHETHER THEY'RE DEALING WITH UNHOUSED, WHATEVER CRISIS SITUATION THAT'S GOING ON, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, VETERANS THERE THAT REALLY UNDERSTAND TOO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH.
I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A COUPLE OF THEM REAL QUICK.
A GUY WHO BLEW OFF MOST OF HIS HAND THROWING A GRENADE AWAY FROM HIS UNIT SAVING THOSE LIVES.
I'M LIKE, HE, HE HAD FINGERS MISSING FROM JUST DOING THAT.
YOU GO UP AND ASK HIM, HE'S PROBABLY GONNA SAY, OH, YEAH, MY HAND DOESN'T HURT. DUDE, YOU'RE MISSING FINGERS.
IT TAKES VETERANS THAT UNDERSTAND AND THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THOSE TYPE OF TRAUMA EXPERIENCES AND ALSO BEEN TRAINED IN THAT SUCH MANNER TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THOSE SITUATIONS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ONE MORE, DEAR FRIEND, SPECIAL OPS, UH, VETERAN UNIT RAN OVER AN IED OR GRENADE, THREW INTO HIS ARMORED VEHICLE, UM, KILLED ALL OF HIS MATES.
YOU KNOW, ALMOST BLEW HIS LEGS OFF. NEEDED ALMOST AMPUTATION.
UH, DIDN'T, FORTUNATELY, BUT HE'S GOTTA DEAL WITH THE TRAUMA EXPERIENCE AND LIVE WITH THAT.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR VETERANS, UH, WHO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. THANK YOU.
- THANK YOU. I'M ACE KROGER MILESTONE.
MY FAMILY ARE VETERANS AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KEPT TALKING ABOUT THE COST, THE COST, COST.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TRANSPARENCY, ESPECIALLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR HIGHER OFFICES RIGHT NOW.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT, AND EVERY DAY THAT WE WAIT ON THIS, THAT'S ANOTHER VETERAN THAT WE'RE LOSING OR IT COULD BE MORE.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE THE STATEMENT OF SHOWING THE REST OF THE WORLD, YES, WE CAN BE TRANSPARENT, WE COULD FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN SINCE NOVEMBER.
HOW MUCH MORE TIME DO WE NEED TO KNOW NUMBERS? ANY NUMBERS? CLOSE TO NUMBERS, SOMETHING PLEASE.
BECAUSE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
- IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN NOVEMBER.
I CAME BACK 72 YEARS AGO FROM THE WAR.
I STILL VOLUNTEER 12 TO 14 HOURS A DAY, MANY DAYS WORKING WITH THE VETERAN FAMILY.
WE ARE A FAMILY. WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. WE HELP EACH OTHER.
A YEAR AGO, A FELLOW VETERAN AND I STARTED THE PANTRY PROGRAM IN WATSONVILLE.
BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE 2,000 VETERANS IN THAT AREA THAT WERE UNDERSERVED.
WE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING THAT STARTED.
WE NOW SERVE ONCE A WEEK, WE HAVE OUR PANTRY OPEN.
WE SERVE AT LEAST 80 VETERANS EACH WEEK.
WE NOW OFFER FOOD, WE OFFER MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
WE HAVE SET UP A SITUATION WHERE THE VETERANS DON'T FEEL ALONE,
[07:05:03]
THEY KNOW THEY CAN COME AND TALK TO US.WE HAVE MADE THEM FEEL THAT THEIR SERVICE WAS IMPORTANT.
SO, UH, AND I PERSONALLY HAD A, A CHANCE TO HAVE DEAN KAUFMAN HELP ME.
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE BOTH VETERANS.
WE NEVER BOUGHT- NEVER USED OR ACCESSED THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION UNTIL AFTER MY HUSBAND DIED, AND THEN I SOUGHT VA HELP AS A SECOND OPINION ON MY HEALTH.
DEAN HELPED ME WITH MY CLAIMS THAT WERE NOT DOCUMENTED.
BUT THE MAIN THING IS WE DO HELP EACH OTHER.
WE ARE A VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY, SO YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR EACH OTHER, BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO HEAR? WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO HEAR? I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ASK THAT YOU ADOPT A, A MOTION TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU THEY NEED AND WANT AND WILL BEST SERVE THE VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THE CAO WANTS TO WAIT UNTIL JUNE.
NO, IT SHOULD HAPPEN NOW. IT SHOULD HAPPEN NOW.
THERE IS, UH, NO REASON TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY WHEN THESE FOLKS HAVE TOLD YOU WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP THE PEOPLE.
AT YOUR LAST MEETING, YOU HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER TALKING ABOUT ALL THE SUICIDES IN OUR COUNTY.
YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT BY HELPING THESE FOLKS DO THEIR JOB AND THEY ARE THE BEST TO DO THE JOB.
THE CAO HAS HAD PLENTY OF TIME.
AND THESE FOLKS HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE WILL AND THE PASSION, THE DEDICATION TO DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I ASK THAT YOU DO THIS TRANSFER AT NO COST TO THE VETERANS DEPARTMENT, AND THAT YOU SPONSOR AT NO COST THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION RIGHT AWAY.
I HAVE SOME LITERATURE FOR YOU, [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW ME, THEY CALL ME GRANDPA.
DEAN YOU TOLD ME YOU RETIRED. YOU HAD NO TIME, MAYBE LATER.
SOMEBODY HAD TO GET IT STARTED.
START SOMETHING HERE. HE DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT VETS FOR VETS.
I COULD GO GET 250 BUCKS AS A HOMELESS PERSON, BUT I'M NOT TOTALLY HOMELESS.
UM, WHAT I GAVE YOU, PLEASE, AS A VET KNOW THAT VETS HAVE CHILDREN.
THE NATIONAL, UH, ASSEMBLY HAS ALL THE BIG SHOTS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AND HERE YOU HAVE A LIST OF JUST NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
TAKE THE TIME TO GO TO THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WHO KNOWS? I'M NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
THOSE THAT KNOW ME KNOW HOW LONG I'VE TRIED TO DO THINGS, AND NOW THE SAME MHCAN PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOING TO WEDNESDAYS.
SEND THE STAFF PERSON TO WEDNESDAY 'CAUSE HUTCH DIDN'T TELL YOU ALL THE GOOD THINGS.
SEE THE, THE CHANGE AND FLIPPY POLICE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
SO, WHAT I GAVE YOU IS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I'LL CALL APPLIED RESEARCH.
YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR YOU GUYS TO THINK I'M CRAZY.
WELL, I AM, BECAUSE I'VE NEVER GIVEN UP ON WHAT I CALL MY PROJECT FROM THE TIME, ROBERT, WAY BACK THEN AND YOU, OR WHEN YOU FIRST GOT ON.
NOW, WE GOT A NEW CEO, AND JASON, WE CAN CREATE A COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF NOT JUST VETS, THEY DON'T LIVE IN THE SKY.
AHA. THEY LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND YOU KNOW, I WANT WATSONVILLE ONE BLOCK, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD,
[07:10:02]
AND MAYBE ALL THE WAY BACK TO CHICAGO.'CAUSE I GREW UP ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO, UM, I'M WANNA SAY I'M ON MY WAY OVER TO THE CIVIC, I'VE NEVER WALKED AWAY FROM WHAT DR. KING TALKS TO ALL OF US.
DEAN, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA RETIRE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO NEVER GOT A PAYCHECK LATELY.
- HEY. OKAY, BOY, I HEARD YOU.
I WALKED ALL THE WAY OVER HERE.
- I'M NOT A SPEAKER AT ALL, BUT I CAN'T LEAVE TODAY AFTER BEING HERE.
AND THESE MEN I JUST MET... I DIDN'T KNOW WHO DEAN WAS, BUT NOW I DO AND I'M JUST THRILLED TO HAVE HIM SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE VETS.
AND DAVE, I KNOW ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU'VE GOT A GOOD GUY.
YOU'VE GOT THE BEST HERE. AND THE, UM, MY SON WAS A SOLDIER.
HE DIDN'T MAKE IT. HE, UM, HAD SEVERE PTSD.
I'VE BEEN JUST VOLUNTEER AND JUST EVERY WEDNESDAY, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE VALUE THIS HAS. UM, I DIDN'T GET IT.
I DIDN'T GET IT WHAT MEANS TO BE A SOLDIER? UM, I GET A LITTLE BIT. THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE SO HUMBLE.
YOU... THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT THEIR INJURIES.
THEY DON'T... INSIDE OUTSIDE, THEY ARE JUST, THEY'RE GRATEFUL TO GET FOUR AIDS, FOUR EGGS INSTEAD OF SIX.
THEY'RE GRATEFUL TO GET ANY KIND OF NEEDS.
THEY'RE EASY TO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE THEM.
THEY HAVE SACRIFICED, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIGHT, AND THEN COME BACK HOME AND FIGHT AGAIN.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ROOM? ANYBODY ONLINE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR.
- WITH THAT, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE A CAREER IN SOCIAL SERVICES, AND, UM, OVER THE YEARS I'VE WORKED WITH MANY OF THE VSOS.
I CAN EASILY SAY THAT WORKING WITH DEAN KAUFMAN WAS, UH, A HIGHLIGHT IN MY CAREER AS TOGETHER, AND MOSTLY BECAUSE OF HIM.
HE, LIKE, IF I HAD A PATIENT WHO WAS IN A HOSPITAL BED AND I CALLED DEAN, HE WOULD COME AND SIT NEXT TO THAT PERSON WITH ALL THE PAPERWORK AND SIGNING HIM UP OR HER UP FOR THOSE BENEFITS IMMEDIATELY.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I GOT USED TO THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
UM, WE HELPED PEOPLE GET THEIR ASSISTED LIVINGS PAID FOR, UM, WE GOT PEOPLE SERVICE CONNECTED SO THEY WOULD HAVE A PENSION THAT THEY NEVER HAD BEFORE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS THAT YOU'VE HEARD TODAY.
SO, AND I WILL SAY DEAN IS ALSO A PERSONAL FRIEND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE HIM VERY MUCH.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH VSOS IN OTHER, UH, COUNTIES, AND THEY'RE JUST, THEY AREN'T THE SAME AS SANTA CRUZ.
IN THE PAST, HAS HAD THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE.
I NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT ANYWHERE ELSE, AND IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT.
MONTEREY DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE JACK MURPHY VERY MUCH, BUT THEY JUST DON'T.
UM, SO DEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN MENTORING THE NEW VSO AND WE APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO PAY YOU FOR THAT, AND I, APPARENTLY YOU'RE REFUSING PAYMENT BUT YOU'RE PUTTING IN A LOT OF HOURS.
UM, BUT I LOVE THAT YOU'RE MENTORING THE NEW VSO BECAUSE YOU'RE GIVING THEM, UM, HOPEFULLY A ROADMAP.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE WRITTEN A 12-PAGE DOCUMENT ABOUT IT, BUT JUST IN WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU'VE SERVED, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT YOU CAN IMPART.
SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN DOING THAT.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, OVER AT UM, HSD, BUT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG SOMEWHERE.
UH, ANYWAY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE NICOLE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, AND SEE IF IT CAN BE FIXED OR REPAIRED.
SO THAT, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS TODAY.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE VETERANS FOR BEING HERE.
UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE VETERANS WHO CAME TO SPEAK TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, AGREE I WANNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT YOU AND IN SUPPORTING YOUR FELLOW VETERANS.
UM, I, I ALSO DON'T WANT TO UNDERTAKE THE WRONG MISSION. RIGHT?
[07:15:02]
UM, RESOURCES ARE LIMITED AND, UM, IF WE EXERT OUR EFFORTS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, THEN ULTIMATELY WE COULD END UP WORSE OFF THAN WHEN WE STARTED.UM, AS OUR CEO EXPLAINED, THERE IS A COST, UH, AND A FAIR AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT WE GO INTO MAKING THE VSO ITS OWN, UM, OWN DEPARTMENT, AND I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS OUTLINED HERE TODAY.
I MEAN, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT, FOR YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
UM, AND I, I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE COUNTY LAWS AND PROTOCOL THAT PREVENT VOLUNTEERS ACTING IN A CAPACITY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT SOME CONSULTATION WITH THE UNION.
UM, THOSE LAWS WOULD STILL APPLY IF YOU WERE YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED YET MAYBE THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH SOME MORE, UM, SOME, SOME MORE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES HERE, UM, THAT, THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A SOLUTION.
OF COURSE, I WANT YOU GUYS TO SUCCEED.
OF COURSE, I WANT AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE TO BE AWARDED TO VETERANS, UM, BUT I WOULD AGREE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME INVESTED INTO MAKING SURE WE'RE PURSUING THE RIGHT SOLUTION.
- COULD YOU PUT THE CLICKER BACK ON THOSE TWO MODEL, UH, COUNTIES, COUNTY VSOS.
I THINK IT WAS EITHER SANTA BARBARA AND MONTEREY OR I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IT WAS. MONTEREY COUNTY AND...
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO AGREE THAT PROBABLY WE SHOULD HAND IT OVER TO OUR NEW CEO.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING, UH, PROBLEM.
UH, I THINK THAT MAYBE THE END OF MARCH SHOULD BRING SOMETHING BACK TO US REFLECTING THOSE TWO MODELS.
THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY SEPARATES THEM AND THE ONE THAT SETS THEM AUTONOMOUS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
BUT IF WE CAN GET THAT PRESENTATION SOON, LIKE IN THE END OF MARCH, THE SECOND MEETING OF MARCH, UH, WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE? - SO, THERE, A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, I, I WANNA START THE MEDIATION AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
SO THAT'S ONE THING, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK THROUGH SO THAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS AND THE ISSUES AND CAN WORK THROUGH THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS, REGARDING OTHER COUNTIES, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I WANNA LOOK AT THESE COUNTIES.
I ALSO, THERE MIGHT BE OTHER COUNTIES, AND I DON'T WANNA DISCOUNT, I MEAN, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS MENTIONED HIS GOOD FRIEND, AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NATION.
AND SO, THERE ARE DIFFERENT MODELS, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S OUT THERE- OUT THERE, AND WHAT MAKES SENSE, AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, AND TRY TO FIT A SOLUTION WITH THE PROBLEM THAT'S OCCURRING, UM, SO THAT IT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN SOME ROAD WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIX IT WITH A SOLUTION THAT EITHER MAKES IT WORSE OR DOESN'T ADDRESS IT AT ALL.
SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESEARCH OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES THAT WE NEED TO BRING BACK TO THE BOARD.
AND TWO, AS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS, GIVEN OUR AGENDA DEADLINES, FEELS VERY AGGRESSIVE.
SO I THINK I WILL PROBABLY NEED THROUGH APRIL TO DO THAT RESEARCH.
AND I, I WANNA BRING THAT BACK SO YOU GET THE FULL PICTURE.
SO, I DO JUST WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PRESENTATION FROM THE VETERANS, IS REALLY THIS BUREAUCRATIC LEVEL OF OVERSIGHT.
AND SO WHETHER THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS REALLY TRY TO PROVIDE THE VETERANS WITH THE MOST AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT ONE OF THE MODELS, AND MAYBE WE COULD CREATE OUR OWN MODEL WHERE THE VSO REPORTS TO THE CEO'S OFFICE, TO THE CEO.
AND MAINTAINS THOSE SAME IN-KIND BENEFITS FROM THOSE OTHER, FROM THE HSD DEPARTMENT.
AND I THINK THAT IF THE ISSUE IS THAT TRANSFERRING THIS OVER IS A COST, THEN I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW,
[07:20:01]
OUR BOARD DOES HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE WITHIN OUR MOTION AND OUR DIRECTION THAT THOSE IN-KIND SERVICES BE MAINTAINED.AND SO THAT WOULD RESOLVE THIS COST ISSUE, UM, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY.
'CAUSE IT WAS CALLED OUT THAT, UM, THOSE IN-KIND SERVICES, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTS, IT, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HIRE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON AND EMBED THEM WITHIN THE CAO'S OFFICE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK OUR BOARD, WE COULD DECIDE TODAY THAT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT IN KIND...
- I, I WAS THINKING THAT EXACT SAME THING, JUSTIN.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS MATTERS, IF I COULD BRIEFLY, UH, MISCOMMENT ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE WORKING OUT OF CLASS. RIGHT? OR HAVING VOLUNTEERS AND WORK STUDIES DO THE WORK OF WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PAID POSITION IN THE LABOR ISSUES WITH SEIU IN THIS CASE, RIGHT? UM, THE VETERANS DON'T CARE, RIGHT? WHO PROVIDES THAT? I KNOW LEGALLY WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT, AS, AS AN ISSUE.
UM, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST STARTED AS A VSO, WE HAD A DEDICATED OA IN OUR BUDGET, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROMOTE THAT PERSON, STEPHANIE DIEGA, IS THE SAME PERSON THAT FILED, I KNOW, WORKED WITH YOU ON YOUR CLAIM, UH, SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ.
'CAUSE SHE WAS SO AMAZING AT WHAT SHE WOULD DO.
SHE WAS THE BEST MULTITASKER I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, AND SHE CARED SO MUCH ABOUT VETERANS THAT I FELT IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO PROMOTE HER TO A VSR, AND THAT'S HOW WE LOST OUR OA POSITION.
AND WHEN WE DID, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOT GOING TO GET AN OA BACK.
BUT HERE WE ARE, THIS MANY YEARS LATER, NOW THAT WE'VE PROMOTED THAT PERSON TO SERVING THE VETERANS IN THE BEST WAY, I FILLED THE GAP WITH THOSE WORK STUDIES.
AND GUESS WHAT? THOSE WORK STUDIES ARE GREAT AT MEETING THE PUBLIC AND DOING THOSE, THOSE MENIAL TASKS, ANSWERING THE PHONE AND DOING THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AN OA POSITION.
SO IT'S A GOOD THING TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY IN THAT AND WHY WE'RE WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT SERVING THE VETERANS IN THIS COMMUNITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO DOING THAT RIGHT NOW, A MONTH FROM NOW.
- THANK YOU, MR. KAUFMAN. BACK TO SUPERVISOR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT- I APPRECIATE SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ'S MOTION, I MEAN, I'M GONNA BE HAPPY, I'D BE HAPPY TO SECOND IT.
UM, AND THEN ADD IN THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE EXPLORE THESE MODELS, WE ALSO INCLUDE MAINTAINING THE IN-KIND SUPPORT THAT'S PROVIDED BY HSD BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE A WAY THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THIS COST ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE MODEL THAT HE'S REFERRING TO OUT OF MONTEREY, IT'S NOT SO MUCH WHAT THEY DO AND WHO THEY DO, IT'S HOW IT'S STRUCTURED.
AND SO, IF THEY STAY IN HSD, BUT THEY HAVE AN MOU THAT THEY'RE AUTONOMOUS, THAT THEY REPORT TO THE CEO AND THAT HSD STILL PROVIDES THAT IN-KIND SUPPORT, I MEAN, OUR CEO OVERSEES THE HSD DIRECTOR AS WELL.
AND SO THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES THAT ARE ARISING FOR THAT TO BE A MECHANISM FOR US TO HELP TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT HAS COME TO US, HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A YEAR, IS THAT THE CURRENT STRUCTURE HAS NOT BEEN WORKING.
AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAT'S NEEDED.
I MEAN, I WOULD SUPPORT SECOND MEETING IN APRIL, FIRST MEETING IN MAY.
UM, JUST KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE PUMP THIS OFF, THE MORE WE'RE GONNA GET INTO ISSUES WITH THE BUDGET AND ALSO NOT JUST THE BUDGET, BUDGET PREPARATION, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR BUDGET COMING TO THE BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE.
AND SO, WE DON'T WANT TO START BRINGING THIS INTO A TIMEFRAME WHEN PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, NOW WE'RE WORKING ON THE BUDGET, AND WE- THIS IS GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH TIME.
SO WE NEED TO PUSH THIS OFF EVEN FURTHER.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK ON OR BEFORE ALL THOSE MEETINGS, THE SECOND MEETING IN APRIL, THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY, MAKES SENSE AS WELL BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS TO COME TO US SOONER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
BUT WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN AND WHAT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IS THAT THE VETERANS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ALMOST OVER A YEAR FOR US TO DO SOMETHING ON THIS, AND WE HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY FORMAL ACTION, WE'VE NOT PROVIDED ANY FORMAL DIRECTION.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE MY MOTION INITIALLY WAS WANTING TO MOVE US FORWARD TODAY, AND HAVE THIS UP AND RUNNING IN MARCH, I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT THERE'S A DESIRE TO HAVE MORE TIME.
AND SO, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDED BY SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR US TO PROVIDE THAT TIME AND THEN WITH THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION, UM, THAT WE CONSIDER MAINTAINING THAT IN-KIND SERVICE SUPPORT.
- UH, CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? FOR 30 YEARS, THE VSO'S OFFICE, I THINK, WORKED VERY WELL IN THIS COUNTY.
SOMETHING HAPPENED, AND IT CHANGED.
WE NEED TO GET TO THE ROOT OF WHAT CHANGED AND SEE IF WE CAN RESTORE THE OFFICE BACK TO ITS FULLY FUNCTIONING POSITION.
SO I DON'T THINK MAKING, I'M NOT SURE IF MAKING A STRUCTURAL CHANGE IS GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE WAY IT FUNCTIONS.
SO I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS NICOLE AND HER STAFF NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT IS WRONG, WHAT'S HAPPENED, WHAT'S CHANGED, SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT RIGHT
[07:25:03]
BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN ANY FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT MOVING TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.SO THAT'S AND DEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT.
- AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BOARD DELIBERATION.
SO I THINK I'M GOING TO KEEP IT WITH BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THE TYPE OF RESPONSE THAT YOU, YOU WOULD BE GIVING IS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF DISCUSSION THAT WE SHOULD BE ALLOWING OUR CEO THE TIME TO DO, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF- THERE'S, I, WE WANT TO HEAR THAT ANSWER, UM, AND MANY OTHERS.
UM, I WANT TO START WITH MY OWN COMMENTS.
UM, THERE IS NO ARGUMENT THAT THE WORK OF THE VSO IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, THAT OUR VETERANS ARE VALUABLE ASSETS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THAT WE OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THOSE IN THE ROOM, AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY.
I'VE KNOWN DEAN KAUFMAN SINCE I WAS IN MY 20S, WORKING ON HOUSING PEOPLE, HOMELESS VETERANS, AND, UM, CAN SPEAK TO THE VALUE OF THE WORK.
I'M COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE VETERANS OFFICE IS FUNCTIONING AT ITS HIGHEST CAPACITY.
WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER DURING THIS ITEM HOW SUCCESSFUL OUR VSO HAS BEEN.
AND I'M COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THAT CONTINUES.
AND THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
BUT I THINK YOU'RE HEARING A COMMITMENT FROM ALL OF US THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK TO HIGH FUNCTION.
UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD BE ASKING THE EXECUTIVE, THE CEO TODAY, BUT NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING MORE TIME, I HOPE WE'LL GET BACK WHEN THIS DOES COME BACK BEFORE US.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, THE VSO IS A HANDS-ON PROGRAM WITH SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE.
AND I'M CURIOUS HOW AN ADMINISTRATIVE ARM OF THE COUNTY, NO OFFENSE, CEO'S OFFICE, WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE DOING BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION WOULD POSSIBLY OVERSEE THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION.
I RAN A VERY LARGE, COMPLICATED NONPROFIT WITH MANY COST ALLOCATIONS AND MANY REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, AND IT'S INCREDIBLY COMPLEX.
AND I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF OUR CEO'S OFFICE TO DO THAT EFFECTIVELY AND IT COULD BE DONE AT THE DETRIMENT OF VETERANS RECEIVING THEIR SERVICES.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF INFORMATION I WOULD WANT TO HEAR IF A PROPOSAL IS COMING FORWARD TO MOVE THIS, THE OVERSIGHT OF THIS PROGRAM TO THE CEO'S OFFICE.
VIA MOU OR NOT, HOW ARE YOU GONNA OVERSEE IT EFFECTIVELY TO MAKE SURE BENEFITS GET IN THE HANDS OF THE VETERANS WHO DESERVE THEM? I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT A THIRD OF OUR VETERANS ALSO RECEIVE MEDI-CAL AND CALFRESH, AND THE OTHER ENTITLEMENTS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH HSD.
I'M CONCERNED THAT BY MOVING IT TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT COORDINATION.
AND THOSE VETERANS WHO NEED COORDINATION AMONG THE VARYING TYPES OF ENTITLEMENTS THAT THEY DESERVE, MIGHT BE LOST BY DECOUPLING THAT TYPE OF PROCESS.
I HAVE QUESTIONS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW.
THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE RESEARCH THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I WANT TO KNOW HOW.
I AM GOING TO ASK THE CEO'S OFFICE REALLY TO LOOK INTO HOW THESE CONCERNS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD FROM THE VETERANS ARE IMPACTING SERVICE QUALITY, STAFFING LEVELS OR ACCESS TO SERVICES.
BECAUSE IF THEY ARE, THEN I WANT TO KNOW THE PROPOSED SOLUTION, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MUCH OF THIS IS OPERATIONAL AND HOW MUCH IS THIS MORE MANAGEMENT? I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE GAP, WHAT'S HAPPENED.
AND OF COURSE, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE COSTS.
I THINK, UM, ON THE FACE OF IT, I UNDERSTAND HOW SIMPLE IT WOULD SOUND TO MOVE THE VSO DIRECTLY TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND JUST DO THE IN-KIND SERVICES.
BUT JUST GIVEN WHAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THINGS LIKE CONFIDENTIALITY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, AND UM, BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION, I THINK THAT THERE'S, IT'S- MY EXPECTATION WITH IT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS BECAUSE, HONESTLY, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THAT.
[07:30:01]
UM, AND SO I WOULD WANT TO SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS WHAT WOULD IT TAKE, AND WHAT IS THE TRUE COST OF MOVING IT OVER.UM, I THINK, AND I DO HEAR A REQUEST FROM CEO COBURN FOR ADDITIONAL TIME, AND I THINK THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR HAS THROUGH THE END OF MAY WHICH IS SOMETHING I'D BE, OR MIDDLE OF MAY OR END OF APRIL, SOMETHING THAT GIVES THEM MORE TIME THAN MARCH.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WHAT THIS ITEM HAS HIGHLIGHTED, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD.
THANK YOU TO THE VETS WHO SPOKE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
OUR VETS AREN'T FEELING HEARD.
THEY AREN'T FEELING LIKE THEY'RE BEING ABLE TO BE EFFECTIVE.
AND I THINK YOU'RE HEARING A COMMITMENT FROM THE BOARD TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR VOICE IS HEARD AND TO REACH A RESOLUTION.
UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE MEDIATION PROCESS, AND I HOPE THAT SOMETHING GOOD COMES OF THAT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS ITEM COMING BACK BEFORE THE BOARD SO WE CAN MAKE A REASONABLE DECISION BASED ON ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND ALL THE IMPACTS, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR VETERANS RECEIVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION TO REPEAT THE MOTION, PLEASE.
- SO BEFORE I REPEAT IT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT MY MOTION, THE SPIRIT OF MY MOTION IS TO CREATE THIS FIREWALL SO THAT THE VSO'S OFFICE CAN WORK AND CONTINUE DOING THE GOOD JOB THEY'RE DOING.
UM, BUT, I'M GOING TO LEAVE THAT UP TO THE, THE, OUR CEO.
SO, I WANT TO DIRECT THE CEO'S OFFICE TO WORK WITH THE VETERAN REPRESENTATIVES TO RETURN TO THE BOARD NO LATER THAN THE SECOND MEETING OF APRIL OR FIRST MEETING OF MAY WITH A PLAN FOR CREATING EITHER AN INDEPENDENT VSO THAT WOULD BE OVERSEEN BY THE CEO'S OFFICE OR EXAMPLES FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT LIKE THE MONTEREY COUNTY MOU THAT GIVES THEM AUTONOMY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OR ANY OTHER HYBRID MODEL THAT DEAN AND SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS BROUGHT UP THAT RETAINS THE HSD SERVICES WITHIN THEM BUT SEPARATES THEM.
- I HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF I CAN ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
- IF IT'S TO CONTINUE THE THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION, YES.
- THAT'S A GOOD PART. ADD THAT.
NO, BUT IT'S, UM, THIS MAY COME OF THAT IS, OR ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT MAY ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES THAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY.
- IF THE VSO OFFICE AND THE VETERAN REPRESENTATIVES AGREE, YES.
IS THAT OKAY? - WELL, I THINK WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR CEO HER RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDLESS, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU REACH AGREEMENT IN MEDIATION, RIGHT? - I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTION CORRECTLY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THE CEO WORK WITH THE VETERANS TO BRING SOMETHING BACK THAT'S GONNA BE AGREEABLE TO THE VETERANS, THAT'S GONNA HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THEY THINK WILL BE A BETTER MODEL FOR, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING VETERAN SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MONTEREY MODEL.
BUT I THINK IT WAS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UM, WHETHER IT'S AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW THE MONTEREY MOU, WHETHER IT'S BASED ON SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, EXAMPLES THAT ARE OUT THERE, BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE EXAMPLES OF INDEPENDENT, UM, VETERAN SERVICE OFFICES, OR IF IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO HERE IS DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND IF THERE'S ONE THING SANTA CRUZ IS REALLY GOOD AT, IT'S DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO I THINK THAT, BY MAINTAINING, UM, FLEXIBILITY, AND I THINK THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW FOR, UM, A VARIETY OF OPTIONS.
UM, BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, BOILING DOWN TO IT, WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE VETS.
THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A YEAR, WE'RE NOW EXTENDING THIS OUT ANOTHER FIVE MONTHS, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ANY KIND OF ACTION, AND THEN EVEN AFTER THAT, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE AN EVEN LONGER TIMEFRAME.
BUT WHAT AGAIN, AND I THINK SUPERVISOR, UM, MARTINEZ, YOU MADE A GOOD POINT IS THAT THE VETERANS WANT TO BE HEARD, THEY WANT US TO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND I THINK WHEN THIS COMES BACK, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THE VETERANS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT.
- AND I THINK, I THINK THAT THEY SUCCESSFULLY HAD A VSO THAT WORKED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS FOR 30 YEARS.
AND IF WE COULD RESTORE THE OFFICE BACK TO THAT LEVEL, I THINK THAT SHOULD ALSO BE AN OP- AN OPTION ON THE TABLE.
THAT, THAT MAYBE NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE EXCEPT GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF WHY IT'S NOT WORKING NOW AND GETTING BACK TO THE EXPECTATION OF HIGH SERVICE AND JOB SATISFACTION.
SO, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, TO BE ON THE TABLE TOO.
[07:35:04]
- THAT'S KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAID.- YEAH. IT'S, I THINK, I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT'S IN THE, UM, THESE OPTIONS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THESE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR CEO, REGARDLESS, UM, BECAUSE WE HIRED YOU- HIRED YOU TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US.
SO, SO I DO HOPE WE WILL HEAR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS DURING THAT PRESENTATION.
AND I THINK BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR, UM, AND BEFORE I CALL THE ROLL, I DO, UM, WANT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT STEPS IN THE MEDIATION, IN THE PROBLEM SOLVING, TO COME WITH THE EXACT SPIRIT THAT I HEARD MR. KAUFMAN TALK ABOUT WHEN, DURING THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS THAT YOU JUST WANT TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR VETERANS.
UM, THERE ARE MANY WAYS AND HOWS TO DO THAT.
AND THE, THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS ON THE TABLE TODAY WAS A STRUCTURE CHANGE.
IT MAY BE A STRUCTURE CHANGE. IT MAY BE A RESOURCE CHANGE.
IT MAY BE A LEADERSHIP CHANGE, LIKE I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK RATHER THAN BEING ATTACHED TO THE HOW, LET'S JUST COME FROM A PROBLEM-SOLVING PLACE, AND WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
- SO, DO I ACCEPT YOUR-? - THAT'S NOT A MOTION, THAT'S JUST A QUESTION.
- YOUR FRIENDLY MOTION? - YES, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANKS.
- SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF OUR CEO IS ABLE TO BRING UP SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION THAT'S AGREEABLE TO THE VETERANS, WE'LL WELCOME THAT, TOO, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
I THINK, UM, WE WANT TO HEAR THE CEO'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
- THAT COULD BE HYBRID MODELS.
IT COULD MEAN THAT THIS THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION WORKS OUT, RIGHT? AND THE VETERANS AGREE. IT COULD MEAN THAT.
BUT FOR ME, IT'S I THINK THE SPIRIT OF MY MOTION STILL IS THAT FIREWALL IS THERE.
IS THAT GOOD? - I THINK WE COULD BE SATISFIED WITH THAT.
OKAY. UM, SO ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT CHANGE.
UH, THEN WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ, UH, SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - CERTAINLY. AND THIS INCLUDES THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ.
- CAN WE GET, CAN WE JUST GET THE LANGUAGE AGAIN ON THE, THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, JUST SO I'M CLEAR? AND SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION THERE.
UM, I HAVE NOTES INCLUDING THE CONTINUANCE OF THE THIRD-PARTY MEDIATION, AND ALSO THAT AT THE MEETING, EITHER THE SECOND MEETING IN APRIL OR FIRST IN MAY WHEN THE OPTIONS ARE PRESENTED BY CEO COBURN, THEY WILL INCLUDE ALSO, UH, ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS RATHER THAN JUST THE MODEL CHANGES, UM, THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHATEVER ISSUES ARE LEADING TO THE CURRENT SITUATION AND, UM, DISSATISFACTION.
- TO THE VETERANS? - TO THE VETERANS. YES. - OKAY.
- THANK YOU. WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? - YES. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - AYE.
MOTION, MOTION- MOTION PASSES, 5-0.
THAT WAS THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO STUCK WITH US TODAY TO HAVE A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION ON A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR OUR COUNTY.
UM, WITH THAT, I ADJOURN THE MEETING.
[07:40:39]
[END]