[00:00:03] - FOR THOSE PRESENT TODAY WHO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE [INTRODUCTORY ITEMS] MAKING THEIR COMMENTS IN SPANISH, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE WHO WILL TRANSLATE YOUR COMMENT INTO ENGLISH. FOR THOSE WHO REQUIRE TRANSLATION OF THE WHOLE MEETING, PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS IN ADVANCE WITH THE CLERK OF THE BOARD, EITHER BY VISITING THEIR OFFICE IN PERSON OR CALLING AT 831-454-2323. WE WANNA HEAR FROM OUR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY, SO PLEASE DO REQUEST YOUR TRANSLATION ASSISTANT IF YOU FEEL LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER TO YOUR PARTICIPATION. - [SPANISH] - [SPANISH] - [SPANISH] [CALL TO ORDER] - I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE APRIL 28TH, 2026, MEETING OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - CERTAINLY. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - PRESENT. - KOENIG? - HERE. - HERNANDEZ? - PRESENT. - AND MARTINEZ? - PRESENT. - NEXT, WE WILL HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANYONE FOR THE MOMENT OF SILENCE? WELCOME. DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY YOU'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE FOR 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. - WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 3, [CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA; ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS] CONSIDERATION OF LATE ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS. CEO COBURN, DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES? - YES. WE DO, CHAIR. UM, STAFF REQUESTS THAT ITEM 21 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BE DELETED. THESE ARE PACKET PAGES 174 THROUGH 184, AND I'LL NOTE THIS IS THE OPPOSITION LETTER TO AB 2494 THAT'S BEING DELETED. - THANK YOU. WOULD ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES LIKE TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS [ANNOUNCEMENT BY BOARD MEMBERS OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT TO REGULAR AGENDA] FROM THE CONSENT TO THE REGULAR AGENDA TODAY? SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. [PUBLIC COMMENT] I'D NOW LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT OR CLOSED AGENDA, OR ANY SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD. IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN AGENDA ITEM THAT'S ON TODAY'S REGULAR AGENDA, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE WAIT AND SPEAK AT A TIME WHEN THAT ITEM IS HEARD. IF YOU INTEND TO SPEAK TODAY, CAN YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, OR FORM A LINE, SO WE CAN SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN ATTENDANCE? THANK YOU. WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF YOU. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE PHONE? - CURRENTLY, APPROXIMATELY FOUR PEOPLE HAVE THEIR HANDS UP ONLINE. - THANK YOU. SO, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE SET THE TIMER FOR TWO MINUTES EACH. WELCOME AND GOOD MORNING. - GOOD MORNING, BOARD. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BECKY STEINBRUNER. USUALLY, I WAIT UNTIL THE END TO SPEAK WITH YOU, BUT I HOPPED UP BECAUSE I WANT TO GO TO SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY'S HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION THAT'S HAPPENING IN A FEW MOMENTS. AND I WANT TO REALLY TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE, THE GREAT EFFORT OF MATTHEW SUNT. THIS IS HIS LAST STAFF MEETING CHAIRING THE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION. HE HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. HE GOT OUR COUNTY, $40,000 GRANT FROM THE STATE TO HELP US UPDATE A LOT OF OUR HISTORIC MATERIALS. SO, I'M GOING TO MISS HIM A LOT, AND I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE HIS VALUE IN THE COUNTY. I WANT TO- HOPE THAT OUR NEXT MEETING HERE IS- WITH YOU, IS IN WATSONVILLE. I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN SPANISH AND FOR TRANSLATION, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE HAVING MEETINGS IN WATSONVILLE. NOW I WANT TO PIVOT TO THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM ORDINANCE. I HOPE THAT YOUR NEXT AGENDA WILL INCLUDE AN UPDATE FOR THE PUBLIC ON THE STATUS OF THAT ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS ANY ACTION YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE SEAHAWK PROJECT. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2025, YOUR BOARD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MR. JOHN HUSSAR, FROM ENVINITY. [00:05:02] AND HE WAS OUTLINING THE BASIC SUPERIORITY OF VANADIUM FLOW BATTERIES TO OPPOSE TO LITHIUM. YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS TO HEART. I WILL SEND YOU A COPY AGAIN. THESE BATTERIES DO NOT BURN. WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU EVER ALLOW LITHIUM BATTERY PROJECTS IN OUR COUNTY, ESPECIALLY NEXT TO LARGE SUBDIVISIONS AND SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS? MR. HUSSAR OUTLINES FOUR PROJECTS THAT ENVINITY HAS ALREADY INSTALLED IN THE WORLD AND IN CALIFONIA, VIEJAS CASINO AND RESORT IN ALPINE, EUROPEAN MARINE ENERGY CENTER IN THE ORKNEY ISLANDS, A VERY SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREA, PERTH UK AND ALBERTA, CANADA, AND MANY, MANY MORE. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW LITHIUM IN OUR COUNTY. THANK YOU. - YEAH, HELLO, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JAMES EWING WITTMAN. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THE VIDEO, WHERE THEY TAKE A AA LITHIUM ION BATTERY, AND CAN VERY CAREFULLY TAKE IT APART AND SEPARATE THE METAL FOLD THAT UP AND THROW IT IN WATER AND THEN CATCHES FIRE AND IT EXPLODES. IF ARE THERE, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT ARE A LOT SAFER THAN WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED. I MEAN, I OWN A PLETHORA OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES, THEY ALL WORK SO, THERE IS NO REASON FOR ME TO TAKE ONE APART AND PRACTICE. I GUESS TERRORISM. I MEAN, WHEN ONE OF THE VEHICLES ACTUALLY CATCHES FIRE IN THIS TOWN PEOPLE MIGHT REALLY REALIZE HOW TOXIC THEY ARE. I MEAN, FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY HARMED, BEING OVER 100 YARDS AWAY FROM THOSE FIRES. I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF UTTER RIDICULOUSNESS AS FAR AS COMMON SENSE LOGIC ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS SOMETHING IS? WHY ARE THESE THINGS GOING ON? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE- CHANGING THE SUBJECT SLIGHTLY, I APPRECIATE THAT THE NEW COUNTY MANAGER HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 2016. BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT I'VE WITNESSED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2020, I'M SURE SHE COULD PLEAD THE FIFTH ABOUT ALL THE ATROCITIES AND HARM THAT THIS COUNTY HAS CAUSED TO THE PUBLIC. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ IS A CORPORATION, AND THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR STAKEHOLDERS. YOU KNOW, IT'S COUNTY OF, IT'S NOT COUNTY FOR. SO, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF PEOPLE COULD REALLY EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND WORK TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ IS GONNA TALK ABOUT HAVING THAT REALLY ODD INVERSION FLAG THAT'S IN THIS ROOM. YOU LOOK AT THE SEVEN CHAKRA COLORS, THAT'S UPSIDE DOWN, AND IT'S MISSING INDIGO. THERE'S A LOT OF INVERSIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S ACTUALLY REAL, AND WHAT IS WORKING AND NOT WORKING. THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS NEERA BHATNAGAR, AND I HAVE-I SERVE AS THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF MONARCH SERVICES, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S DEDICATED PROVIDER OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES. APRIL IS SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH, AND THIS YEAR'S THEME, 25 YEARS STRONGER, MARKS A MILESTONE WORTH PAUSING TO RECOGNIZE. FOR 25 YEARS, THIS NATIONAL MOVEMENT HAS WORKED TO SHIFT CULTURE, STRENGTHEN SYSTEMS, AND ENSURE SURVIVORS ARE SEEN, BELIEVED, AND SUPPORTED. HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, MONARCH SERVICES HAS BEEN PART OF THE WORK EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. MONARCH PROVIDES CRISIS INTERVENTION, ADVOCACY, COUNSELING, AND LEGAL SUPPORT TO SURVIVORS ACROSS OUR COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF AGE, BACKGROUND, OR CIRCUMSTANCE. SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY BECAUSE TRAUMA DOESN'T KEEP BUSINESS HOURS. APRIL IS ALSO CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, AND THESE TWO REALITIES ARE DEEPLY CONNECTED. RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT MANY ADULT SURVIVORS FIRST EXPERIENCED TRAUMA IN CHILDHOOD. PREVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTION, AND LONG-TERM SUPPORT ARE NOT SEPARATE PRIORITIES. THEY ARE ONE CONTINUUM OF CARE. THIS IS WHY CROSS-SYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS MATTER SO MUCH. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT IN POLICY, IN FUNDING, AND IN VISIBILITY TO THE SERVICES THAT MAKE THIS COUNTY SAFER FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. SURVIVORS ARE COUNTING ON US. 25 YEARS OF PROGRESS IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. IT IS ALSO THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD UPON TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. - GOOD MORNING, SUPERVISORS. I AM LYNNE PETROVIC, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CASA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. I AM ALSO ONE OF YOUR COMMISSIONERS FOR THE JUSTICE AND GENDER COMMISSION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TASKED US WITH, ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES YOU HAVE GIVEN US ON THE COMMISSION [00:10:01] IS TO ADVISE YOU ON THE NEEDS OF WOMEN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE IMPACT OF BEING INCARCERATED. 60% TO 80% OF THE WOMEN WHO ARE INCARCERATED HAVE EXPERIENCED CHILD ABUSE. 50% TO 60% OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT. THIS IS, AS WE JUST HEARD, SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH AND CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH. AND THANK YOU- FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY SUPPORTED OUR FAMILY STRENGTHENING VERSUS FAMILY MANDATED REPORTING, RIGHT? WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES, TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN FROM CHILD ABUSE. WE KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO PERHAPS YOU'RE GONNA HEAR TODAY ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS THINGS, REQUESTS, THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL YEAR LONG. PLEASE PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT'S SUPER OBVIOUS. BUT YOU HAVE THE UNENVIABLE TASK OF ALLOCATING RESOURCES IN THIS COUNTY. IT'S NOT EASY. AND I'M ASKING YOU TO CONTINUE TO STAND BEHIND THOSE ETHICS THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO UPHOLD, RIGHT? TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES. TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE PREVENTION. IF WE DO THAT, THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN WILL SUFFER LESS INCARCERATION. SO PLEASE, DO WHAT WE CAN TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS LEEANN LUNA, THE CEO OF MONARCH SERVICES, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. APRIL IS SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH, AND THIS YEAR MARKS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS NATIONAL EFFORT TO RAISE AWARENESS, SUPPORT SURVIVORS, AND STRENGTHEN PREVENTION. THIS RECOGNITION FEELS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE WHILE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT VIOLENCE HAVE BECOME MORE VISIBLE, SURVIVORS STILL FACE ENORMOUS BARRIERS TO REPORTING, HEALING, AND BEING BELIEVED. AT MONARCH SERVICES, WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW CLEARLY WE ARE HERE FOR SURVIVORS NOW MORE THAN EVER. NATIONALLY, SEXUAL VIOLENCE REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERREPORTED AND WIDESPREAD FORMS OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, NEARLY HALF OF WOMEN AND MORE THAN 1 IN 6 MEN IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF CONTACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THEIR LIFETIME. THESE EXPERIENCES OFTEN BEGIN EARLY IN LIFE. MORE THAN 4 IN 5 FEMALE SURVIVORS AND NEARLY 8 IN 10 MALE SURVIVORS REPORT THAT THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE HAPPENED BEFORE AGE 25. NEARLY HALF OF FEMALE SURVIVORS AND ABOUT 4 IN 10 MALE SURVIVORS EXPERIENCED THAT VIOLENCE BEFORE AGE 18. THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT DISTANT STATISTICS. THEY ARE REFLECTED HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY. IN 2025 ALONE, MONARCH PROVIDED DIRECT SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 460 ADULT AND CHILD SURVIVORS ACROSS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. OUR ADVOCATES RESPONDED TO 84 ADULT SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAM ACCOMPANIMENTS, 14 PEDIATRIC- PEDIATRIC FORENSIC EXAM ACCOMPANIMENTS, AND 173 SAFE KIDS AND YOUTH FORENSIC INTERVIEWS, ENSURING THAT SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES DID NOT FACE SOME OF THE HARDEST MOMENTS OF THEIR LIVES ALONE. BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THOSE RESPONSES IS A PERSON CHOOSING SAFETY, SEEKING SUPPORT, AND DESERVING DIGNITY. THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP THIS ISSUE VISIBLE AND FOR STANDING WITH SURVIVORS IN OUR COUNTY. - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CATHERINE MCCORMICK. I'M THE COO OF MONARCH SERVICES. MONARCH IS PROUD TO SERVE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S ONLY RAPE CRISIS CENTER, AND FOR MORE THAN 44 YEARS, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ENSURE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT HAVE ACCESS TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR JOURNEY. OUR WORK BEGINS IN THE MOMENTS OF CRISIS BUT OFTEN CONTINUES FAR BEYOND THAT FIRST CALL FOR HELP. WE PROVIDE 24-HOUR BILINGUAL CRISIS RESPONSE, FORENSIC EXAM ACCOMPANIMENT, CONFIDENTIAL SHELTER, MOTEL VOUCHERS, COURT ACCOMPANIMENT, TRANSPORTATION, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOUSING SUPPORT, SAFETY PLANNING, AND ONGOING ADVOCACY BECAUSE SURVIVORS OFTEN NEED MANY LAYERS OF SUPPORT ALL AT ONCE. MONARCH IS ALSO ONE OF THE EARLIEST COORDINATED FORENSIC RESPONSE EFFORTS IN THE NATION, HELPING ESTABLISH WHAT BECAME EARLY SAFE AND SART MODELS THAT ARE NOW RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS BEST PRACTICE. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT STRONG COLLABORATION WITH MANY CRITICAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING DOMINICAN HOSPITAL, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT JURISDICTIONS, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UCSC, WATSONVILLE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, AND COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, JANUS, SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK, SURVIVORS HEALING CENTER, [00:15:04] AND MANY, MANY OTHERS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS MATTER BECAUSE HEALING AND JUSTICE ARE NEVER ACCOMPANIED BY ONE AGENCY ALONE. A SURVIVOR MAY NEED MEDICAL CARE, LEGAL ADVOCACY, TRANSPORTATION, EMERGENCY SHELTER, AND FOOD SUPPORT ALL IN THE SAME DAY, AND BEHIND ALL THIS WORK IS EXTRAORDINARY STAFF THAT SHOW UP WITH COMPASSION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND DEEP COMMITMENT EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHT. WE ARE PROUD OF THAT WORK AND CONTINUE TO DO IT HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. - GOOD MORNING, SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS JANA RIVAS, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT IN MONARCH SERVICE, AND HELP SUPPORT OUR 24-7 ON-CALL PROGRAM CURRENTLY. SO YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN ALL DO IS BELIEVE SURVIVORS FIRST AND LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT. FOR MANY SURVIVORS, THE FIRST RESPONSE THEY RECEIVE AFTER DISCLOSURE SHAPES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, WHETHER THEY SEEK MEDICAL CARE, COUNSELING, LEGAL SUPPORT, OR WHETHER THEY REMAIN SILENT. THIS MEANS EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. ANOTHER WAY TO SUPPORT IS TO PARTICIPATE IN DENIM DAY, WHICH IS TOMORROW, APRIL 29TH. JOIN US AT THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, UM, SANTA CRUZ CITY FARMERS MARKET, WHERE WE'LL HAVE AN ART INSTALLATION, ACTIVITIES, AND INFORMATION. WE ALSO INVITE OUR COMMUNITY TO WEAR DENIM AND TO TAKE PICTURES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND TAG US. AWARENESS MATTERS. AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS, YOU PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING SURVIVORS AND ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE WHO CAUSE HARM. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN A NEW FORENSIC DNA LABORATORY TO HELP PROCESS SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS MORE QUICKLY, AND WE WANT EVERY KIT COLLECTED TO BE COUNTED, TESTED, AND MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT DELAY. WE ALSO HONOR EVERY SURVIVOR'S CHOICE AND EMPOWER THEM TO CHOOSE IF THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OR NOT. THIS ALSO MEANS PROTECTING THE SYSTEM SURVIVORS RELY ON, ENSURING OUR PUBLICLY FUNDED HOSPITALS REMAIN OPEN, PRESERVING ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS AND SAFE KIDS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS, AND MAINTAINING STRONG CONSISTENT FUNDING FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, SHELTER, AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. AT MONARCH, OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE LIVES FREE FROM VIOLENCE AND ABUSE, AND OUR WORK EACH DAY IS ROOTED IN THAT BELIEF. WHEN SURVIVORS ARE SUPPORTED, ENTIRE FAMILIES COMMUTE-AND COMMUNITIES BECOME STRONGER. WE INVITE YOU TO CONTINUE TO STAND WITH US TO WORK TO INTERRUPT GENERATIONAL CYCLES OF VIOLENCE. THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JESSE SILVA. I AM THE CO-CHAIR OF YOUR COMMISSION ON JUSTICE AND GENDER, AND I'M THE COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. I AM ALSO A LIBRARIAN, AND I AM A SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS. I'M HERE TODAY TO REMIND THE BOARD HOW IMPORTANT STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS ARE IN SUPPORTING SURVIVORS. RECOVERY FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT IS A LONG, NON-LINEAR PROCESS THAT, IN MY EXPERIENCE, CANNOT BE DONE ALONE. THROUGH SUPPORT FROM MONARCH SERVICES, WALNUT AVENUE, AND THE SURVIVORS HEALING CENTER, I AND MANY OTHERS HAVE FOUND A PATH TO HEALING. I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS SUPPORT, THERE IS HOPE, AND YOUR EXPERIENCE DOES NOT DEFINE YOU. TO THE BOARD, I IMPLORE YOU TO ENSURE THAT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MAINTAINS STRONG SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULTS, INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN OUR COUNTY JAILS. SURVIVORS ARE EVERYWHERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE ARE YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR INCARCERATED COMMUNITY, YOUR LIBRARIANS. WHEN ONE OF US IS HARMED, WE ARE ALL HARMED. WHEN ONE OF US BECOMES MORE RESILIENT, PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES MAKES OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER AND SAFER FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. - GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UNDERSHERIFF JACOB AINSWORTH OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. ON BEHALF OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH. MORE IMPORTANTLY, RECOGNIZE THE SURVIVORS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THIS MONTH IS ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND COURAGE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT. COMING FORWARD IS NEVER EASY, AND FOR MANY, HEALING IS A LONG, DEEP, PERSONAL JOURNEY. WE WANT EVERY SURVIVOR TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SEEN, THEY ARE HEARD, AND THEY MATTER. AS AN AGENCY, OUR COMMITMENT BEGINS WITH LISTENING, TRULY LISTENING TO SURVIVORS [00:20:02] AND ENSURING THEY ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY, COMPASSION, RESPECT AT EVERY STEP. WE STRIVE TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE INDIVIDUALS FEEL SAFE TO COME FORWARD, KNOWING THEY WILL BE SUPPORTED. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WORK IS NOT DONE ALONE. WITH STRONG PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH ADVOCATES, WALNUT AVENUE, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CENTRAL COAST FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, MONARCH SERVICES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE WORK TO ENSURE SURVIVORS HAVE ACCESS TO CARE, RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED, BOTH IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH AND THROUGHOUT THEIR HEALING PROCESS. SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH IS NOT ONLY ABOUT RAISING AWARENESS, IT IS ABOUT STANDING WITH SURVIVORS AND CONTINUING TO BUILD A COMMUNITY WITH HEALING AND ACCOUNTABILITY. TO EVERY SURVIVOR IN OUR COMMUNITY, ON BEHALF OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE SEE YOU, WE HEAR YOU, AND WE STAND WITH YOU. THANK YOU. - GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. UH, ERIC LOMBARDO, LAND TRUST OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HERE TO BRIEFLY COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER 22 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, ON BEHALF OF THE LAND TRUST, WE JUST WANNA SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERING A SUPPORT POSITION ON SENATE BILL 1250 TO IMPROVE AND BETTER INTEGRATE WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY IN STATE HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. UH, THIS WILL HELP US BUILD ON OUR SUCCESS UP AT HIGHWAY 17, THE WILDLIFE CROSSING THAT'S ALREADY FACILITATED THOUSANDS OF, UH, DEER AND OTHER WILDLIFE MOVING UNDER THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF DYING ON THE ROAD. UM, THIS WILL HELP US GET MORE WIN-WIN PROJECTS ON THE GROUND FOR DRIVERS IN WILDLIFE. UH, THE LAND TRUST HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK, AND PROFESSOR CHRIS WILMERS OF THE UCSC PUMA PROJECT, UM, TO SUPPORT THIS BILL. AND WE'RE REALLY JUST GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE THIS SUPPORT POSITION AND STEP FORWARD AND I WANNA SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TO MAUREEN MCCARTY IN DISTRICT 2 AND JM BROWN, AND, UH, THE CHAIRS, THE CHAIR'S DISTRICT FOR, UH, REALLY SPENDING THE TIME WITH ME TO UNDERSTAND THIS WONKY PIECE OF LEGISLATION AND, UH, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. IT'S, IT'S TRULY GONNA SAVE COUNTLESS WILDLIFE, BIG AND SMALL FROM DYING ON THE ROADS AND KEEP OUR DRIVERS SAFER, UH, AS IT GETS IMPLEMENTED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME'S LINDA SANTOS. AND I'M TALKING REGARDING THE BESS ORDINANCE. UH, THE COUNTY SHOULD NOT PAUSE THE BESS ORDINANCE WHILE WAITING FOR THE DEVELOPER TO DECIDE THEIR PATH. THAT DECISION DOES NOT BELONG TO THE DEVELOPER. IT BELONGS TO YOU. IF NEW LEAF GOES TO THE STATE, YOUR STRONGEST INFLUENCE WILL BE A COMPLETED ENFORCEABLE ORDINANCE. WITHOUT IT, YOU ARE VOLUNTARILY GIVING UP YOUR VOICE AND OUR VOICE IN THE RULES, PROTECTIONS, AND ULTIMATELY, THE OUTCOME. SECOND, THE ORDINANCE MUST CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE AGRICULTURAL LAND ACTUALLY MEANS. IT CANNOT BE BASED ON A DEVELOPER-FUNDED STUDY ALONE. IT MUST INCLUDE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA, REAL PRODUCTION DATA, REGIONAL COMPARISONS, WATER ACCESS, AND ESPECIALLY INDEPENDENT SOIL ANALYSIS. BEFORE ANY MORE TIME IS SPENT, REQUIRE INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY SITE SPECIFIC SOIL TESTING AT MINTO ROAD NOW. WE ALREADY SEE A PRODUCTIVE AG, APPLE ORCHARD, AND NEIGHBORING ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL STRAWBERRY FIELDS. THAT IS REAL WORLD EVIDENCE OF VIABLE AG LAND. IF INDEPENDENT TESTING CONFIRMS THAT, THEN THE BASIS FOR THIS PROJECT COLLAPSES AND WE AVOID WASTING PUBLIC RESOURCES. FINALLY, SEND THE DRAFT ORDINANCE TO THE AG POLICY COMMISSION IMMEDIATELY SO THEIR ANALYSIS IS READY NO MATTER WHAT PATH THE DEVELOPER TAKES. THAT WAS INSTRUCTED AFTER THE JANUARY 13TH MEETING. THE LAST MEETING I WAS AT THERE, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE PART OF THE PROCESS. UM, DO NOT WAIT. DO NOT PAUSE AND LEAD. THIS IS A PHOTO OF WHAT THE AG REPORT SAYS IS AN ABANDONED STRAWBERRY FIELD. AND ON PORE SOIL, AND THIS IS THE ACTUAL STRAWBERRY FIELD AS OF THE LAST WEEK. SO THEIR REPORT IS BOGUS. SO PLEASE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS SO THAT WE HAVE SOME CHOICE, EVEN IF IT GOES TO THE STATE. THANK YOU. - I'M THOMAS WILDHAM, AND ON BEHALF OF MY DEAD WIFE, NELLIE CARDOSO, WHO IS A PORT COMMISSIONER, I MADE HER A PROMISE ON HER DEATHBED THAT I WOULD CONTINUE THE FIGHT, UH, TO HAVE YOU, THE SUPERVISORS, FACILITATE THAT THE SANTA CRUZ HARBOR GET THE 8.3 ACRES ON 7TH AND BROER. NOW, THERE'S NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRICE TAG THAT YOU HAVE FOR THAT, BUT NELLY WOULD LIKE YOU TO- TO GIVE THAT LAND TO THE HARBOR. NOW THE HARBOR IS IN FINANCIAL BOTTOMS. [00:25:02] THEY'VE HAD SEVERAL MAJOR THINGS COME FROM THE OCEAN THAT HAVE COST 'EM A LOT OF MONEY. THE HARBOR HAS A REALLY GOOD PLAN, WHICH WILL GENERATE THE COUNTY OF EVERY DOLLAR SPENT, ONE AND A HALF CENTS, WHICH COMES FROM ALL THE COUNTY STORES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHICH WILL GO INTO YOUR COFFERS. AND THE PLAN THAT THEY HAVE WILL GET TOURISM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY PEOPLE COMING IN. SO YOU GIVE THAT LAND TO THE HARBOR AND THE HARBOR'S GONNA MAKE THAT LAND GENERATE TAX MONEY FOR YOU FOREVER. NOW, YOU SPEND $1.35 BILLION ON YOUR BUDGET. THAT'S YOUR BUDGET, OKAY? YOU SPEND ABOUT A FOURTH OF THAT, $331 MILLION ON HEALTHCARE TO THE POOR, WHICH DOESN'T GENERATE YOU ONE PENNY. I SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE HEALTHY PEOPLE. THAT IS AN OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE AS A SOCIETY, AS A PEOPLE. THAT I, I SUPPORT THAT. BUT THE HARBOR IS AN INCREDIBLE FACILITY, WHICH FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK REALLY HARD, THAT THEY CAN GO THERE IN THE SUMMER AND, AND THEY CAN GET... - THANK YOU. - I'M SORRY. ANYWAY, THE OCEAN GIVES YOU SOMETHING THAT'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE HARBOR GIVES YOU ACCESS TO THAT OCEAN. - THANK YOU. - THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GIVE- PLEASE GIVE THAT LAND TO THE HARBOR. YOU CAN DO THAT. YOU CAN LEGALLY DO THAT. THANK YOU. - MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE FIRST ONLINE CALLER? - YES. WATSONVILLE YOGA, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. - GOOD MORNING TO THE CHAIR AND THE BOARD. MY NAME IS PHOENIX ARTENISIA. I'M AN ORGANIZER OF THE RECENT COMMUNITY MEETING AGAINST THE LITHIUM BESS IN WATER- WATSONVILLE. I OPPOSE NEW LEAF ENERGY'S PROPOSED BESS SIDING AT 90 MINTO ROAD AND I OPPOSE LITHIUM BATTERY CHEMISTRY BEING ALLOWED IN OUR COUNTY AT ALL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU SUPERVISORS WANT TO HARM OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY. SO WHY DOESN'T THE COUNTY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT TO TRULY LEAD FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE BY NOT ALLOWING FLAM-FLAMMABLE CHEMISTRY AND NOT PLACING THIS IN DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOODS AT ALL. IT'S ELECTION TIME AND DISTRICT FOUR SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ KNOWS IT. HE HAS CHANGED HIS TUNE CONSIDERABLY AT OUR COMMUNITY MEETING THIS PAST SUNDAY TO APPEAL TO THE VOTING PUBLIC ASSEMBLED OF OVER 100 PEOPLE. HE STATED, "NOW THAT THEY, NEW LEAF ENERGY, TOOK IT TO THE STATE, WE'RE GONNA FIGHT THIS BESS WITH YOU." I ASK YOU, CAN HERNANDEZ REPRESENT TO US TRULY THAT THE COUNTY IS SUDDENLY CHANGING ITS POSITION ON THE BESS IN WATSONVILLE AND IS GONNA FIGHT NEW LEAF? I THINK WE'RE BEING GRAVELY MISLED BY THIS STATEMENT, MEANT TO CREATE A FEELING OF SUDDEN SOLIDARITY AND GET HIM OUT OF THE HOT SEAT IN FRONT OF CONSTITUENTS. FELIPE REPEATEDLY TOLD OUR NEIGHBORS, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT IS THE STRONGEST TO PROTECT PEOPLE, BUT WHAT THE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS IS AN INCOMPLETE DRAFT ORDINANCE NEEDING MONTHS TO FULFILL COLLECTING REPORTS AND EIRS AND WHICH WOULD HAVE AN INSUFFICIENT COMBINED SUPPLEMENTAL EIR NOT REPRESENTING THE TRUE IMPACT ON OUR PEOPLE. DEFINITELY NOT STRONG AND NOT PROTECTING PEOPLE OR LAND. HE STATED, A BESS HAS NOT COME BEFORE THE COUNTY, WHILE IT IS SITTING ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE. I HAVE DELIVERED WHAT HE SAID TO THE LOCAL MEDIA AND REQUEST THAT THEY FOLLOW UP AND HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE IN THESE INCREDULOUS GASLIGHTING STATEMENTS. THERE ARE SAFER NON-FLAMMABLE ALTERNATIVES TO LITHIUM, SUCH AS SODIUM OR VANADIUM, WHICH ARE ALREADY IN USE GLOBALLY AND ELSEWHERE IN OUR NATION. WATSONVILLE RESIDENTS AND WILDLIFE DESERVE PROTECTION. WE HAVE MANY NATURAL LAKES, AGRICULTURAL LAND, AND POPULATIONS AND BIRDS AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES NOT FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTY. 28,450 LATINO RESIDENTS LIVE WITHIN TWO MILES OF MINTO, 02,948 MONOLINGUAL SPANISH SPEAKERS, 03,010 PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, 04,221 PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS, 06,985 CHILDREN, 12 SCHOOLS, 4,600... - CAROL, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CAROL BJORN. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO BOTH LINDA AND PHOENIX FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND I WANNA ASK THE BOARD TO REALLY CONSIDER WHAT BOTH OF THESE WOMEN HAVE TO SAY. THOSE WERE SOME GREAT COMMENTS. AND, UH, PARTICULARLY WHAT LINDA TALKED ABOUT, UM, WITH THE SOIL AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY, AND THIS ALL RELATES TO MEASURE J. UM, YOU GUYS REALLY NEED TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS BESS ORDINANCE, AND REALLY, NOW IS THE TIME. PHOENIX MADE THAT POINT. AND IT'S, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND, AND GET THIS ORDINANCE TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO THE COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING HOSTED BY STOP LITHIUM BESS ON SUNDAY AT PINTO LAKE. [00:30:03] UM, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG OPPOSITION AMONG THE PEOPLE THERE FOR PLACING A LITHIUM BESS NEAR THIS WORKING CLASS HISPANIC, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE VOICES HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY HEARD BY THE BOARD, THE COUNTY CAO, LEGAL COUNSEL, OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. IT SEEMS THAT THE BOARD, THE CAO, LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAVE ONLY HEARD AND PRIORITIZED THE TIMELINE CONCERNS FROM THE DEVELOPER, NEW LEAF. THE PRIORITIZATION OF THIS RUSHED TIMELINE IGNORES PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS, AND INSTEAD ELEVATES SHAREHOLDER AND COUNTY REVENUE INFLOWS. IT'S TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, BESS ORDINANCE THAT PRIORITIZES THE PEOPLE, ANIMALS, PLANTS, LAND, AND AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY FALSE NARRATIVE THAT EXISTS IN THE PUSH TOWARD GREEN ENERGY. CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY WAS CREATED AS A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO PG&E, YET 3CE IS NOT AN ENERGY PROVIDER. IT ONLY BUYS AND SELLS ENERGY THROUGH CONTRACTS. IN 2024, 3CE PAID ITS CEO, ROBERT SHAW, $480,000, AND IN A YEAR ENDED 9/30/25, 3CE PAID SALARIES OF $10.8 MILLION. THE RATE PAYERS OF THIS COUNTY ARE PAYING THOSE SALARIES. HOW CAN IT BE A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO PG&E IF THE RATE PAYERS HAVE TO PAY THE SALARIES, THE OFFICE SPACE, AND ALL THE EXPENSES OF 3CE? WHAT A FRAUD. - THANK YOU. - THOMAS, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. - GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE CHAIR MARTINEZ, AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I AM THOMAS FIN AND I WORKED FOR CAL FIRE FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU. AND-AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALSO FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE COUNTY. I AM SPEAKING TODAY AGAINST LEGISLATION AB2494, WHICH WOULD GREATLY DIMINISH CAL FIRE'S ABILITY TO- TO MANAGE THE DEMONSTRATION STATE FOREST SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE SOCAL DEMONSTRATION STATE FOREST IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMO IN OPPOSITION TO THIS LEGISLATION. I WANNA JUST, JUST BRIEFLY GIVE YOU A BIG PICTURE OF THE CALIFORNIA SITUATION WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. YOU KNOW, SINCE ROUGHLY 2017, WE'VE SEEN THIS GREAT UPTICK IN THESE HUGE FIRES, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS MEGA FIRES. UH, FIRE SCIENTIST SCOTT STEVENS FROM UC BERKELEY SAYS THAT WE ARE IN A CRISIS SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO TREAT MORE ACRES TO DIMINISH THEIR CHANCE OF BURNING UP. HE'S SEEN MILLIONS OF ACRES BURN IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE BURNED WITH SUCH INTENSITY THAT THEY MAY NEVER COME BACK. AND WE NEED TO DO MORE TO KEEP THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS FROM BURNING UP LIKE WE SAW WITH THE CZU FIRE. THIS LEGISLATION WOULD REALLY REDUCE CAL FIRE'S ABILITY TO DO WHAT IT'S SET, SET OUT TO DO. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE FOLKS OUT IN SOCAL DEMONSTRATION STATE FOREST TO SEE THE GOOD WORK THAT'S OCCURRING THERE AND, UM, TO KEEP THAT GOOD WORK GOING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. - CALLING USER 1, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - MARILYN GARRET. THANKS TO ALL WHO ARE SPEAKING UP FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY BY, UH, TRYING TO STOP ANOTHER MOSS LANDING HERE BY THE PROPOSED MINTO ROAD AND OTHER BATTERY SITES KNOWN TO EXPLODE AND DISTRIBUTE TOXIC NANOPARTICLE, MEDICAL METAL, ET CETERA. I'M THINKING OF ANOTHER TYPE OF ASSAULT THAT ISN'T WELL PUBLICIZED AND THAT IS, UH, RADIATION ASSAULT FROM ALL THE 5G TELECOM CELL TOWERS, ET CETERA. I AM URGING THIS BOARD TO OPPOSE HOUSE RESOLUTION 2289. WHY DO I SAY THIS? I'M QUOTING FROM AN ARTICLE TITLED, "THE HR 2289 WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT" BY JENNY MILLER, APRIL 22ND, PUBLISHED IN DISSIDENT VOICE. [00:35:04] HERE'S A PARAGRAPH. "THE PURPOSE OF HR2289 CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED BY THE US CONGRESS IS TO REMOVE ALL LOCAL CONTROL OVER THE ROLLOUT OF 5G CELL TOWERS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS THAT UNREGULATED 5G WHICH STANDS FOR FIFTH GENERATION WILL BRING DEVASTATION. IT WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE RISK OF OUT-OF-CONTROL FIRES AND CAUSE VERY ADVERSE HEALTH IMPACTS FOR WHICH THERE IS EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION, AND YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED THE SUBSTANTIATION OF THE HARM. I URGE YOU TO, UM, SEND A LETTER OPPOSING HR 2289." I DO NOT... - TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - OH, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME AGAIN. SO, UM, YEAH, I'LL JUST, UH, THERE'S SO MANY, UH, INTERESTING THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. UH, I SEE HERE EVERYTHING'S OF VALUE. UM, JUST A LITTLE IDEAS FOR YOU FOLKS, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN I HEAR THE MEDIA AND STUFF, HOW THEY'RE HANDLING, YOU KNOW, KASH PATEL AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN HE SAYS, UH, HE'S A, A FAN OF HOCKEY, OKAY? WHAT, UH, YOU FOLKS NEED TO SAY IS YOU'RE NOT FANS OF FALL LINE SPORTS LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT ALL OF YOU ACTUALLY PLAY THEM. SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU A LITTLE BIT HERE. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UH, THESE, UH, BATTERIES, YEAH, THERE'S OTHER BATTERY TYPES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OF SANTA CRUZ NEEDS TO MAKE THEMSELVES ANY MORE OF A TARGET. YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE ALL THIS WAR IN THE WORLD AND IT'S PRETTY BAD. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SPACE, AIR, SEA, LAND, BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, NUCLEAR, AND CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, THAT COULD BE USED WITH DRONE- DRONES, AI AND ROBOTS. UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR LAND AND OUR PEOPLE, AND TO NOT MAKE US A TARGET WOULD BE A BETTER THING. SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE THAT RUSSIA, CHINA, NORTH KOREA, AND IRAN, THEY'RE REALLY ALL WORKING TOGETHER. AND I SEE THIS THAT WE'RE IN, IT'S A WORLD WAR. OPTICS BY ICE, YOU KNOW, OPTICS OF HANDLING A TODDLER AND YOU SEE THAT ADULT HAND HOLDING ON TO A BITTY LITTLE KID. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. YOU GOTTA SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS ME, OKAY? WASHOE COUNTY SHERIFF, WE'RE MORTIFIED AT HANDLING ME AS A KID. THAT'S PROPER BEHAVIOR. AND THEY WERE HELPFUL WHEN THEY SAW ME WALKING HOME FROM MY JOB WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD UP IN TAHOE, AND THE DOOR WOULD SWING OPEN. - CALLING USER 628, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? - YES, WE CAN. - YEAH. HI, THIS IS RICH BUCKHAM, AND I'M BACK AGAIN TO QUOTE FROM THIS, THE BOOK, "THE UNFORTUNATE TRUTH ABOUT VACCINES" BY LOCAL AUTHOR LEON CANEROT. UH, HERE'S, UH, WHAT ROBERT MENSON HAD TO SAY ABOUT, UH, VACCINES. ROBERT MENSON, AN OUTSPOKEN AND RESPECTED PEDIATRICIAN FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, WAS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF MEDICAL PRACTICES THAT HE VIEWED AS MORE, WAS OFTEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE DISEASES THEY WERE DESIGNED TO TREAT. HE MAINTAINED THAT MANY OF THE COMMON CHILDHOOD AILMENTS PARENTS ENCOUNTER WILL RESOLVE THEMSELVES WITHOUT HAVING TO INITIATE UNNECESSARY INTERVENTIONS BY PEDIATRICIANS. IN HIS BOOK, "HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY CHILD IN SPITE OF YOUR DOCTOR" IN 1984, NELSON EXPRESSED HIS OBJECTION TO VACCINES AS SUMMARIZED BELOW. "THERE'S NO CONVINCING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT MASS INOCULATIONS CAN BE CREDITED WITH ELIMINATING ANY CHILDHOOD DISEASE." TWO, "WHILE THE SOC VACCINE IS CREDITED WITH ELIMINATING THE POLIO EPIDEMIC IN THE US, THE POLIO EPIDEMIC ENDED IN EUROPE WITHOUT ANY MAJOR VACCINE PROGRAM." THREE, "THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EVERY IMMUNIZATION AND NUMEROUS CONTRAINDICATIONS THAT MAY MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR THE SHOTS TO BE GIVEN TO YOUR CHILD." FOUR, "NO ONE KNOWS THE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES OF INJECTING FOREIGN PROTEINS INTO THE BODY OF YOUR CHILD." AND FINALLY, "THERE IS GROWING SUSPICION THAT [00:40:02] IMMUNIZATION AGAINST RELATIVELY HARMLESS CHILDHOOD DISEASES MAYBE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DRAMATIC- DRAMATIC INCREASE IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES SINCE MASSIVELY- MASS INOCULATION WERE INTRODUCED." THANK YOU. - CHAIR, WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE. - THANK YOU. I'LL NOW RETURN TO THE BOARD [ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA (ITEMS 13-38)] FOR ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. STARTING ON MY RIGHT, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM- FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S JOINED US TODAY, UM, RECOGNIZING APRIL IS SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH. UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN PUSH BACK AGAINST IT, UM, AND SUPPORT, NOT ONLY THE VICTIMS, BUT THE- THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT HELP SUPPORT THOSE VICTIMS IN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IS VERY CRITICAL AS WE, UM, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THE VALUES THAT WE ALL SHARE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN TERMS OF CONSENT ITEM NUMBER 20, UM, ACCEPT AND FILE STATUS REPORT ON EMERGENCY WORK AT THE SOUTH COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER AND MCDERMOTT FIRE STATION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE SECTION 1102, AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. UM, WHILE THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, VERY- IN TERMS OF THE, UH, MCDERMOTT FIRE STATION, WHICH IS IN MY DISTRICT, THAT FIRE WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY TRAGIC. I MEAN, LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO NOT HAVE IT BE EVEN MORE DEVASTATING THAN IT WAS. UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO WORKED HARD, ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO HELPED PUT THE FIRE OUT, AND THE INVESTIGATION THAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING. I DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, THOUGH. UM, TODAY IS APRIL 28TH, AND WITHIN THE STAFF REPORT, UM, IT SAID THAT THE SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE WORK WOULD BE COMPLETE BY APRIL 17TH, AND THE OVERHEAD DOOR WORK WOULD BE COMPLETE BY APRIL 24TH. AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THIS WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED YET. - HI. THANK YOU. UH, NO, THIS WORK HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT ERROR. UM, I WOULD PUSH THAT OUT A MONTH. - OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, SO I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE, UM, THE FOLKS IN BONNYDEN AN UPDATE ON- ON THAT STATUS. SO, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. - NO PROBLEM. - UM, ITEM NUMBER 33 ON OUR AGENDA, APPROVE THREE RECOMMENDED CHILD CARE DEVELOPER FEE LOANS IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,763 TO TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. SO, I WANNA THANK OUR, UM, HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, AND JUST OUR BOARD, IN GENERAL, FOR HAVING THIS- THIS FUNDING AVAILABLE. UM, THIS PROVIDES FORGIVABLE LOANS TO CHILD CARE FACILITIES FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND JUST KNOWING HOW IMPORTANT CHILD CARE IS IN OUR FACILITY. IT'S JUST GREAT TO SEE THAT THE, UM- THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO HELPING SUPPORT, UM, CHILD CARE FACILITIES AND CHILD CARE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. NEXT ITEM, UM, ITEM NUMBER 35, APPROVE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY IN THE AMOUNT OF $350,000 FOR THE SHARK FIN COVE COASTAL ACCESS PLANNING PROJECT AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING US MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT, AND I WANT TO REALLY THANK CDI FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK, UM, WITH OUR OFFICE TO HELP SECURE $350,000. THAT WILL REALLY GO A LONG WAY TO IMPROVING, UM, NOT ONLY PARKING AND ACCESS, BUT SAFETY OVERALL AT WHAT HAS NOW BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BEACHES ON THE NORTH COAST. SO, REALLY JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK OUR STAFF FOR THEIR AMAZING WORK TO HELP US SECURE THIS NEEDED FUNDING DURING A TIME WHEN FUNDING- WHEN WE'RE ALL STRAPPED FOR FUNDING THESE DAYS. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER 37. THIS IS A SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 30TH, 2026, BEGINNING AT 9:00 AM, OR THEREAFTER, TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO REVISE AND UPDATE A CHARGE FOR RECYCLING A SOLID WASTE SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE COUNTY'S BUENA VISTA LANDFILL AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. I THINK, UM, JUST ONE COMMENT I HAD ON THIS, UH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT FEES ARE. I THINK IT SHOWED THE PROJECTIONS FOR 26-27, 27-28, AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS, BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T SEE WAS WHAT THE CURRENT RATES ARE. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RATES AND KIND OF WHAT THAT DIFFERENTIAL IS IN TERMS OF IT CHANGING FROM THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. AND SO THAT CONCLUDES ALL MY COMMENTS ON CONSENT. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - I'LL BE BRIEF. UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME OUT HERE IN SUPPORT OF SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH, UM, MONARCH SERVICES, AND ALL THE OTHER ORGS HERE. AND SECOND, UM, I'VE SEEN THE NEWS ALL WEEKEND, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE COUNTY DOING GOOD THINGS, SPECIFICALLY, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS ALL WEEKEND, FRIDAY, THE NEW PUMP TRACK OVER IN NORTH COUNTY. SO, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT THERE. MY LOVE OF BMX BIKES AND ALL THAT STARTED IN SCOTTS VALLEY, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. [00:45:04] - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. ON ITEM 828, ADOPTING THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 2025, JUST WANNA, UH, THANK OR3 FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS. IT WAS CLEARLY, UH, A LOT OF WORK THAT BOTH WENT INTO COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS WELL AS WORKING WITH, UH, MANY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. UM, IT'S AN EXTENSIVE PLAN, UM, AND I JUST HOPE THAT, UM, IF ANYTHING, SOME OF THE FINDINGS, UH, CAN BE EXTRACTED AND- AND SHARED IN A MORE, UH, ACCESSIBLE FORMAT, YOU KNOW, THE 190 MITIGATION ACTIONS. THERE'S A LOT TO CHEW ON THERE. AND SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S- THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER COMMUNICATE HOW WE PLAN TO PRIORITIZE THIS, UH, AND MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY SAFER. UH, ON ITEM 33, APPROVING THREE RECOMMENDED CHILD CARE DEVELOPER FEE LOANS, ALSO WANT TO THANK HUMAN SERVICES, UH, FOR TAKING- GOING BACK, TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THE PROCESS AND FINDING A WAY TO GET ANOTHER $60,000 OUT THE DOOR TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE PROVIDERS. UH, THERE'S... IT'S CLEAR THERE'S MANY ELIGIBLE BUT NOT FUNDED APPLICATIONS, SO THE DEMAND FOR CHILD CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS GREAT, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS WITH GREATER VISIBILITY INTO LONG-TERM OUTCOMES AND CLARITY ON HOW PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - THANK YOU. UH, SO THIS MONTH, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON TO SUPPORT VICTIMS. IT IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH, AND NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK, WHICH WAS MARKED BY A VIGIL ON THE COURTHOUSE STEPS. UM, THE VIGIL WAS EMOTIONAL, AND MEMBERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WERE THERE, MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD WERE THERE. UM, UM, PEOPLE THAT SERVE VICTIMS IN THE COMMUNITY WERE THERE, AND THERE WERE, UM, PHOTOS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LOST TO HOMICIDE, UM, ACROSS OUR COUNTY, AND, UM, WE'LL NEVER FORGET THOSE PEOPLE. AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WERE PRESENT, AND IT WAS A VERY, VERY MOVING, UM, VIGIL. I WANT TO THANK OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OUR VICTIM WITNESS STAFF, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY NOT ONLY DO EVERY DAY, UM, ON THESE VERY DIFFICULT CASES, UM, BUT ALSO FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VIGIL FOR THE FAMILIES IN OUR COUNTY. I ALSO JUST, GIVEN THAT THIS IS SUCH A HEAVY MONTH, I WANT TO THANK LAW ENFORCEMENT, CHILD WELFARE, SOCIAL WORKERS, THE DA'S OFFICE, VICTIM WITNESS STAFF, COMMUNITY THERAPISTS THAT RECEIVE VICTIMS AND PROVIDE HEALING TO THEM. UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO TOUCHES ANY OF THESE CASES IN ANY WAY. IT'S, UM... AND- AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I'M GRATIFIED THAT THE COUNTY COULD OFFER SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE NEWLY LOCATED FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, UM, WHICH IS NEAR THE SHERIFF'S STATION. UM, THAT FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER WILL BE A ONE-STOP SHOP WITH, UM, MULTIPLE SERVICES SO THAT VICTIMS OF CRIMES WON'T HAVE TO GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE COUNTY. THEY'LL ALL BE CO-LOCATED TOGETHER. UM, SO THANK YOU, UM, TO OUR CEO, NICOLE COBURN, FOR, UM, IDENTIFYING A SITE AND MAKING THAT HAPPEN. I REALLY- WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND THEN ON THE ITEM NUMBER 21 THAT WAS PULLED, UM, I'M- I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT WE PULLED THAT LETTER. UM, I WILL BE SENDING MY OWN LETTER IN OPPOSITION OF AB, UM, 94, WHAT IS IT, 20... SORRY, 2494. UM, THAT PARTICULAR LEGISLATION WOULD BASICALLY DEFUND OUR DEMONSTRATION FORESTS. OUR COUNTY HAS THE GOLD STANDARD IN DEMONSTRATION FORESTS. THERE'S 19 OF THEM ACROSS THE STATE, AND WE HAVE THE MOST, I THINK, THE MOST IMPORTANT DEMONSTRATION FOREST HERE. WE HAVE SUCH A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR FORESTERS, BIG CREEK LUMBER, UM, SEMPERVIRENS, SAVE THE REDWOODS, OUR LAND TRUSTS, OUR FARM BUREAU. WE HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE WORKING RELATIONSHIP MANAGING THIS DEMONSTRATION FOREST, AND THIS PARTICULAR LEGISLATION WOULD GUT THE FUNDING. UM, SO I AM ABSOLUTELY, UM, AGAINST THAT LEGISLATION AND WILL BE PROVIDING MY OWN LETTER IN OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. UM, I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR PREVIOUS COMMENTS RECOGNIZING SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH, AND THE OTHER, UM, RECOGNITIONS THIS MONTH AND THIS WEEK. UM, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, IT'S- IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND SUPPORT VICTIMS, BUT ALSO LOOK AT HOW WE CONTINUE TO DISMANTLE THE STRUCTURES [00:50:03] THAT ALLOW THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE TO TAKE PLACE. UM, WE SEE IT, YOU KNOW, ACROSS SOCIETY, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE THE STRUCTURES THAT, UM, THAT ALLOW SUCH A VICTIMIZATION OF OUR, UM, OF WOMEN AND OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE. ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ON ITEM NUMBER 22, UH, DIRECTING THE CHAIR TO SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR SB 1250 RELATED TO WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY. I WANT TO THANK SUPERVISOR DE SERPA AND HER OFFICE FOR JOINING ME IN THIS REQUEST. UM, YOU KNOW, IN MY DISTRICT, WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THE SUCCESS OF THE HIGHWAY 17 UNDERCROSSING, UM, AND WE HAVE A VIDEO. SO, IF YOU EVER CHECK OUT THE LIVE VIDEO, THERE'S SOME, UM, INCREDIBLE CRITTERS WHO ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE UNDERCROSSING. UM, WE KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR, SOMETHING LIKE 48,000 DEER ARE KILLED BY DRIVERS IN CALIFORNIA, 100 MOUNTAIN LIONS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT REALLY STRUCK ME WHEN I VISITED THE UNDERCROSSING WAS THAT IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO TRY TO PUT AN UNDERCROSSING IN AFTER YOU'VE BUILT A HIGHWAY. UM, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO DESIGN NEW ROADS AND NEW HIGHWAYS, LET'S DO THE PLANNING UP FRONT AND INCORPORATE IT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE- OF THE ROAD AND HIGHWAY. UM, AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT THIS LEGISLATION WILL DO. AND SO I'M HAPPY TO- TO SEND OUR VOICE OF SUPPORT FOR THAT. AND THEN ON ITEM NUMBER 28, UM, JUST A WORD OF GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE WHO WAS A PART OF THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. UM, IT'S AN INTERESTING READ. I HOPE YOU, YOU KNOW. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PREPARE FOR OR PREVENT DISASTERS, CHECK IT OUT. UM, BUT REALLY, THANK, UM, OUR OR3 AND OTHERS FOR BEING A PART OF THAT. SO, WITH THOSE COMMENTS, I WOULD ACCEPT AN ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. - I MOVE CONSENT. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - AYE. - KOENIG? - AYE. - HERNANDEZ? - AYE. - CUMMINGS? - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ? - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER 7, [7. Consider update on the County’s use of artificial intelligence and the County Artificial Intelligence (AI) Elevation and Standardization Workplan 2026 for enterprise AI deployment, and take related actions] WHICH IS TO CONSIDER AN UPDATE ON THE COUNTY'S USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE COUNTY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ELEVATION AND STANDARDIZATION WORK PLAN 2026 FOR ENTERPRISE AI DEPLOYMENT AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM OUR INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WELCOME. GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION. - TAMMY WEIGL, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES FOR THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ. WITH ME HERE TODAY IS NADA ALGHARIB, WHO IS THE, UH, IT MANAGER FOR, UH, DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO KORY ASFOUR, WHO IS THE BUSINESS ANALYST WHO IS IN CHARGE OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY. UM, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TODAY TO BE PRESENTING THE AI ELEVATION AND STANDARDIZATION WORK PLAN, UM, TO THE BOARD, TO SHOW- AND ALSO SHOW THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE ON AI SO FAR. SO, UM, THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, UM, IS ALREADY A REALLY EARLY ADOPTER OF AI. UM, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS OTHER CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, WE HAVE FULLY EMBRACED IT. UM, WE WERE AN EARLY, UM, POLICY SETTER FOR AI. AND SO WHILE WE HAVE WIDESPREAD USE DAILY, UM, WE DO STILL HAVE GAPS IN VISIBILITY AND GOVERNANCE THAT WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS. UM, THE THREE TRACKS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SHOWING TODAY FOR THE AI WORK PLAN ARE LICENSING, TRAINING, PILOTS, AND GOVERNANCE, ADDRESS THESE NEW LEVELS OF MATURITY, WHILE WE... AND THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY AND REINFORCE EACH OTHER. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR COUNTY AI USAGE IS ALREADY AT SCALE. UM, THE CURRENT USAGE ACTUALLY IS BEYOND THESE- THESE NUMBERS. UM, WE ARE BEYOND THE INITIAL PILOTING OF AI, AND AI IS BECOMING ROUTINE AND BROADLY USED, UH, WITH DAILY, UM, RELIANCE BY OUR EMPLOYEES. THE CHALLENGE THIS WORKPLACE, UM, WORK PLAN ADDRESSES IS CONVERTING THIS EARLY ADOPTION TO A GOVERNED ENTERPRISE QUALITY PROGRAM. SO, OUR JOURNEY IN AI HAS- REALLY HAS BEEN A DELIBERATE PATH FROM POLICY TO ENTERPRISE DEPLOYMENT. SO, UM, WE WERE VERY FORWARD THINKING. WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA, AND ACTUALLY THE NATION, THAT SET A POLICY EARLY IN 2023, WHICH, UM, WAS FOCUSED ON DATA PRIVACY, INFORMED CONSENT, [00:55:05] AND RESPONSIBLE USE THAT WAS ANCHORED BY HUMAN JUDGMENT. SO, WE... HAVING THE HUMAN IN THERE WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THIS SET US UP WELL FOR EARLY ADOPTION AND EVALUATION WORK THAT WAS CONTINUED AND REPORTED ON IN APRIL OF 2025. UH, THIS INCLUDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF POWER USER GROUP, UM, JOINING AN EARLY JOINER OF THE, UH, SAN JOSE CITY'S GOV AI COALITION, WHICH INCLUDES GOVERNMENTS AND, UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AND WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT ENTERPRISE TOOLS, EVALUATION, AND SOLUTIONS FOR, UH, THE COUNTY. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE TAKING A DELIBERATE PHASED JOURNEY THAT IS THOUGHTFUL AND SCALES ADOPTION IN THE FINAL PHASE OF ELEVATION AND STANDARDIZATION. THE CHALLENGE WE SEE, UM, IN THIS PLAN IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE BROAD ADOPTION, WE HAVE LIMITED VISIBILITY. UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, USAGE IS ROUTINE RIGHT NOW. IT'S CONCENTRATED IN A FEW GENERAL-PURPOSE TOOLS, UM, AND WITH BROAD PRODUCTIVITY SUPPORTS, AND WE HAVE STRONG, CONSISTENT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. BUT WHAT WE CAN'T SEE RIGHT NOW IS THE SPECIFIC USE CASES, THE TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT EMPLOYEES ARE ENTERING IN AI TOOLS, HOW OUTPUTS ARE BEING REVIEWED AND INCORPORATED, AND HOW THERE IS CONSISTENT ADHERENCE TO THE 2023, UH, APPROPRIATE USE POLICY. SO, WHILE WE HAVE STRONG ADOPTION, IT IS LIMITED VISIBILITY. THIS WORK PLAN THAT WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT TODAY ADDRESSES THE VISIBILITY GAP AND PROVIDES TRAINING THAT REINFORCES THE POLICY. THIS TRAINING ALSO BUILDS IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES AS WE SCALE USAGE FORWARD. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO NADA ALGHARIB. - GOOD MORNING, CHAIR MARTINEZ, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. OUR VISION IS TO ELEVATE THE WORK, NOT REPLACE THE JUDGMENT. OUR GOAL IS TO INTEGRATE AI SEAMLESSLY INTO DAY-TO-DAY COUNTY OPERATIONS SO THAT EMPLOYEES CAN WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY, CUTTING DOWN ON REPETITIVE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, PRODUCE MORE CONSISTENT WORK PRODUCTS, AND FREE UP THE TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST: ANALYZING DATA, SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND SERVICE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. THE RESULT... THE RESULT WILL BE A MORE CAPABLE WORKFORCE THAT CAN HAVE TIME TO RESPOND TO THE DEMANDS, THE INCREASING DEMANDS ON THE COMMUNITY, AND ON THE COUNTY. SO, THE WORK PLAN CONSISTS OF THREE INTERDEPENDENT TRACKS: ENTERPRISE LICENSING, TRAINING AND SUPPORT, AND PILOTS AND GOVERNANCE. RIGHT NOW, MANY OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE USING AI TOOLS, BUT INDIVIDUALLY, AND THEY ARE NOT MANAGED. THIS LEAVES GAPS IN SECURITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND COST OVERSIGHT. ENTERPRISE LICENSING SOLVES THIS ISSUE. IMPLEMENTING THE TOOLS ALONE DOESN'T- IS NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE HOW AN ORGANIZATION WORKS. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TRAINING AND SUPPORT SO THAT THE EMPLOYEES CAN USE THESE TOOLS SAFELY AND TO THE FULL POWER OF THE AI TOOLS. PILOTS AND GOVERNANCE PUTS THE AI TOOLS IN USE, IN FULL USE, BUT IMPLEMENTING PILOTS AND SOLUTIONS REQUIRES OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WILL BE DOING. NEXT, PLEASE. SO, FOR ENTERPRISE LICENSING, WE ACTUALLY STARTED THIS WORK, AND WE WERE LOOKING INTO, UH, MANY OF THE AI PLATFORMS. AND RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TWO FINALIST AI PLATFORMS, CLAUDE AND CHATGPT. BY THE END OF THE MONTH, BEGINNING OF, UM, FIRST WEEK OF MAY, WE WILL HAVE DECIDED ON, WE HAVE SELECTED WHICH ONE OF THESE TOOLS. AND RIGHT AFTER THAT, WE WILL BE, UM, STARTING THE PROCUREMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DEPLOYMENT PROCESS. WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON, UH, SELECT USER GROUPS, MIGRATING THEM FROM INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS INTO COUNTY- COUNTY-MANAGED ACCOUNTS. [01:00:04] THIS... THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS IS SECURITY, UM, AND CENTRALIZED SUPPORTS AND ONBOARDING, SHARED KNOWLEDGE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, AND INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING COUNTY SYSTEMS. AND OF COURSE, THIS WILL- WILL ALLOW FOR CONTROLLED ROLLOUT OF NEW AI- AI CAPABILITIES THAT WILL- THAT WILL KEEP EVOLVING WITH TIME. FOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS, WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON THREE THINGS: THE COUNTY-WIDE AI TRAINING PROGRAM THAT, UM, EMPLOYEES WILL, WILL HAVE, UM, THE ACCESS TO BE TRAINED ON THE AI PLATFORM THAT WE WILL BE SELECTING AND, UM, IN GENERAL AI, UH, TRAINING, AND ALSO IN PROMPT CRAFTING, WHICH IS VERY, VERY, UM, ESSENTIAL BECAUSE JUST HAVING AI TOOL WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO DO THE PROMPTS CAN, CAN DELAY THE, THE GOOD RESULTS OR NOT EVEN COME TO GOOD RESULTS. AND, UM, OUR TARGET IS THAT 85% OF THE KNOWLEDGE BASE WORKFORCE, UM, WILL BE TRAINED BY, UH, BY END OF 2026. AI HELP DESK WILL, WILL PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO GET, UM, UH, GUIDANCE, DOCUMENTATION, UM, ESCALATION PATHS, AND, UH, RESPONSE TO EVERY DAY-TO-DAY QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGES. DEPARTMENTAL AI CHA-CHAMPIONS IS VERY, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL BE, UM, IT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS IN EACH DEPARTMENT BY A PEER, UM, EMPLOYEE SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE LIKE, UM, INFORMATION, UM, RESOURCES, AND THEY CAN ALSO BE A, UM, PROVIDE WITH REAL, REAL USE CASES THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT, UM, IN AI. PILOTS, RESOURCES AND GOVERNANCE. UM, THIS TRACK IS, THIS WILL BE THE, THE REAL, UM, VISIBLE, UM, PRODUCT OF IMPLEMENTING AI TOOLS. WE WILL BE, UH, CREATING A, UH, PUBLIC FACING CHAT BOT. BUT THIS WILL BE PRECEDED BY AUDITING OUR COUNTY WEBSITES UH, BECAUSE THIS IS CRITICAL. WE CAN'T HAVE A CHAT BOT ON OUR COUNTY WEBSITES IF THE DATA IS STALE OR IF THE DATA NEEDS UPDATING OR IT'S NOT CORRECT. UM, TWO AUTOMATION TOOLS, WILL BE DETERMINED WHICH ONES. UM, AGAIN, UH, LEVERAGING THE AI CHAMPIONS IN EACH DEPARTMENT, UM, TO SEE WHICH ONES, WHICH TOOLS OR PROCESSES WE WILL BE, UM, AUTOMATING. FOR, FOR ALL OF THESE, UM, FOR IMPLEMENTING THE AI TOOLS, UM, AGAIN, WE, WE WILL NEED GOVERNANCE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROPOSING TO CREATE A AI ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE AND ALSO REFRESH, UH, THE, OUR 2023 AI POLICY. SO, UM, THE FULL WORK PLAN IS, UM, IS FUNDED BY OUR EXISTING BUDGETS. SO WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS. UM, PROGRAMMING WORK, UH, AROUND THE TRAINING, RESEARCH, IMPLEMENTING THE AI SOLUTIONS, UM, IS CURRENTLY FUNDED THROUGH THAT TECHNOLOGY SERVICE FEE, UH, FROM THE ISD, UH, PROGRAMMING BUDGET. THIS WILL LAST TILL, UM, TILL END OF JUNE, THIS FISCAL YEAR. UM, FROM JULY, UM, AND FORWARD, THIS WILL BE FUNDED BY THE, UH, INNOVATION, UH, SECTION, INNOVATION BUDGET IN THE ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SUPPORT FEE. FOR, REGARDING THE LICENSES, UM, IT'S $25 TO $30 PER USER PER MONTH. AND, UM, THIS WILL BE COVERED BY EACH DEPARTMENT BUDGETS. AND NOW I WILL TURN IT TO KORY, WHO WILL GO OVER THE ROADMAP, OUR COMMITMENT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR, AND ALSO THE GUARDRAILS. - THANK YOU. OUR AI ADOPTION PLAN FOR 2026 BREAKS DOWN INTO FOUR PHASES. WE'RE CURRENTLY ENDING THE TAIL PHASE OF, SORRY, THE TAIL PORTION OF PHASE ONE, DURING WHICH WE BETA-TESTED THREE OF THE LEADING ENTERPRISE AI PLATFORMS IN THE SPACE, WHICH WERE MICROSOFT'S CO-PILOT, ANTHROPICS, CLAUDE, [01:05:03] AND OPEN AI'S CHATGPT. BY THE END OF PHASE ONE, WE WILL SELECT ONE OF THESE PLATFORMS TO ADOPT COUNTYWIDE, AND BEGIN DEVELOPING TRAINING SPECIFIC TO THAT PLATFORM. IN PHASE TWO, WE WILL FINALIZE OUR ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT WITH THAT VENDOR AND BEGIN TO TRAIN AND MIGRATE OUR USERS TO THAT NEW PLATFORM FROM THE CURRENT STATE OF MANY USERS ON MANY DIFFERENT UNMANAGED PLATFORMS. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INTRODUCE NEW TOOLS FOCUSED ON HELPING USERS MANAGE AND ACCESS OUR INTERNAL DATA USING AI DURING PHASE TWO. MOVING INTO PHASE THREE, WE'RE GOING TO DEVELOP OUR FIRST AUTOMATED WORKFLOW PROCESSES BUILT ON AI. UH, THERE WILL BE AN UPDATED COUNTYWIDE AI TRAINING PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF AI MORE BROADLY, NOT JUST IN THE ENTERPRISE PLATFORM. AND THEN WE'LL USE AI TO HELP AUDIT OUR WEB PAGES AND IDENTIFY OUTDATED OR CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION THAT MAY BE HIDING IN PLACES THAT USERS WOULDN'T TYPICALLY FIND BUT AI AGENTS WILL. FINALLY, IN PHASE FOUR, OUR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WILL BEGIN TO MEET. WE WILL RELEASE A LIMITED VERSION OF A PUBLIC-FACING CHAT BOT ON OUR WEBSITE AND PUBLISH A YEAR-END ASSESSMENT OF OUR ONGOING AI EFFORTS, ALONG WITH THE PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT WORK INTO 2027. THIS CHART GIVES THE BOARD A VISUAL OVERVIEW OF HOW THE THREE WORK TRACKS OVERLAP AND PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ACROSS THE FOUR PHASES I JUST MENTIONED. THE TIMELINE HERE REFLECTS OUR REALISTIC BEST EFFORTS. IN ORDER TO STICK TO THESE DATE RANGES, A LOT OF THINGS NEED TO GO RIGHT. AND THE KEY BOTTLENECK IN THIS PLAN IS FINALIZING OUR ENTERPRISE AI CONTRACT. UH, IF THAT TAKES LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED, THEN SO WILL USER MIGRATION AND PLATFORM-BASED TRAINING. WITH THAT CAVEAT ASIDE, WE ARE NO STRANGERS TO COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE TIMELY COMPLETION OF THESE GOALS. THESE SIX OUTCOMES ARE THE BOARD'S ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKPOINTS FOR DECEMBER 31ST, 2026. EACH ONE IS CONCRETE AND MEASURABLE. THE 2026, SEPTEMBER, 2026 UPDATE, WHICH IS OUR RECOMMENDED ACTION NUMBER THREE WILL PROVIDE A MID-YEAR PROGRESS REPORT. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT ITEM HERE BECAUSE THAT REALLY EMPHASIZES THAT OUR WORK WITH AI REPRESENTS AN ONGOING, MULTI-YEAR PROGRAM OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. AI IS NOT A ONE-TIME PROJECT WHERE WE CHECK A BOX AND MOVE ON. IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO EVOLVE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY. LASTLY, UH, GOVERNANCE IN OUR AI PLAN IS NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT. IT IS BAKED INTO THE WORK PLAN FROM THE START. OUR 2023 AI APPROPRIATE USE POLICY REMAINS FOUNDATIONAL. THE 2026 UPDATE WILL STRENGTHEN IT FOR OUR ENTERPRISE AI DEPLOYMENT, AND CONSIDERS USES OF AI THAT WERE NOT EVEN POSSIBLE WHEN THE INITIAL 2023 POLICY WAS WRITTEN. LASTLY, THE AI ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE WILL ENSURE THAT NO SINGLE DEPARTMENT OR VENDOR DRIVES OUR AI POLICIES. DECISIONS ARE INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND BOARD-ALIGNED. - SO, UM, WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD, UM, THREE REQUESTS ON THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTIONS TO ACCEPT AND FILE THIS WORK PLAN OF THE COUNTY AI ELEVATION AND STANDARDIZATION FOR 2026 TO GUIDE ENTERPRISE DEPLOYMENT OF AI TOOLS AND GOVERNANCE ACROSS COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF AGREEMENTS, TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES OR DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENTS, SOFTWARE LICENSES, AND RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS WORK PLAN, AND ALSO TO DIRECT US TO COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER, 2026 WITH AN UPDATE ON HOW THIS WORK PLAN IS PROGRESSING. AND WITH THAT, UM, I WANT TO, UH, THANK BOTH NADA AND KORY TODAY FOR ALL THEIR WORK, AS WELL AS THE REST OF MY DEPARTMENT ON THE AI WORK THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR. AND I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS. BUT I WILL NOTE THAT WE DID FOLLOW OUR OWN POLICY, AND YES, THIS, UM, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WAS DEVELOPED USING CLAUDE SONNET 4.6. THANK YOU SO MUCH. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE WILL START WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. [01:10:01] QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE HAVE ANY CANDIDATES FOR THE TWO AUTOMATION TOOLS THAT, UH, WE HOPE TO ROLL OUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR. - AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T. WE ACTUALLY WANT TO DO SOME, UM, DEEP SURVEY AND DISCUSSIONS WITH DEPARTMENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE BEST TOOL, UM, TO AUTOMATE. SO THAT IS, UM, WHAT PART OF THE PLAN. SO AT THIS POINT IT'S A, IT'S KIND OF AN OPEN-ENDED, UM, DISCUSSION. - GOT IT. I MEAN, YOU ME- YOU MENTIONED HIGH FRICTION PROCESSES. SO I, I COULDN'T HELP BUT CHUCKLE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DISCUSSING ONE OF THOSE, UH, WITH OUR NEXT ITEM. UM, AND, UH, I, I KNOW THAT THE CDI, UH, DEPARTMENT HAS EVALUATED SOME, SOME PLAN CHECK, UH, AI TOOLS, AND AT LEAST IN THE RECENT PAST, DISCOVERED THAT THEY WERE NOT QUITE READY YET. UM, BUT THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES AS FAR AS OUTREACH COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH PEOPLE WHO APPLY FOR PERMITS AND, UM, HELPING THEM TO OVERCOME AND NAVIGATE, UM, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE PROCESS. UM, I MEAN, JUST THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THAT MANY RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW YOUR, YOUR, UH, PROCESS, RECEIVING A PERMIT WAS, UH, I THINK IS INDICATION THAT WE COULD DO BETTER JUST WITH THE COMMUNICATION SIDE OF THAT. SO THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AUTOMATING THE WHOLE PROCESS. UM, I, I LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT A CHAT BOT FOR, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATION OF COUNTY SERVICES, IN GENERAL. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHAT, UH, SUCCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR IN, IN PRACTICAL TERMS FOR, FOR THAT EFFORT? - A LOT OF IT IS GOING TO DEPEND UPON, UM, TO BE HONEST, HOW CLEAN OUR DATA IS ON OUR, UH, WEBSITE. UM, THIS IS WHY WE ARE PARTNERING WITH A VENDOR WHO ACTUALLY HAS A TOOL THAT WE CAN AUDIT PRIOR TO RELEASING THE CHATBOTS. THERE HAS BEEN ENOUGH, UH, INSTANCES OUT THERE WITH, UM, COUNTY AND CITY GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE DONE THIS TOO EARLY, AND IT HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS BECAUSE OF BAD DATA BEING, UH, BROADCAST. SO, UM, IT'S A LOT OF, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND UPON, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DATA WE HAVE TO CLEAN UP AND, UM, THROUGH THE AUDIT PROCESS AS TO WHEN WE CAN START ROLLING OUT. UM, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES IS WE ARE USING, ACTUALLY THE SAME TOOL THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS BEING CURRENTLY USED BY NEVADA AND PLACER COUNTIES. AND SO ONE OF THE, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY RECOMMENDED, WHICH WE WILL BE DOING AS WELL, IS TO DO A SLOW ROLLOUT. UM, THESE TOOLS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CONSTRAIN THE DATA THAT IT ACTUALLY CAN REPORT ON. SO WE CAN DO A VERY MEASURED ROLLOUT OF IT SO THAT WE CAN CONTROL THE DATA, CONTROL THE MESSAGE, AND CONTROL THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED THROUGH THE CHAT BOT. - UM, GREAT. UM, AND THEN, I MEAN, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE FACE RIGHT NOW AS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, IS IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE THEIR BENEFITS. AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF FRICTION THAT'S BEEN INTRODUCED, UH, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF LITERALLY JUST MAKING THAT PROCESS HARDER. AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT WITH THE SAME, EFFECTIVELY, THE SAME NUMBER OF BENEFIT REPS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME EFFORT AT THE STATE TO LOOKING AT, UM, USING AI TO MAKE THAT PROCESS BETTER, IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE MOVING TO AN ENTERPRISE PLATFORM. UM, GIVE US, YOU KNOW, ANY MORE, UM, I MEAN, PRESUMABLY IT WOULD KEEP THE SENSITIVE DATA IMPLICIT IN THAT PROCESS SAFER BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE AGREEMENTS, BECAUSE OF THE ENTERPRISE PLATFORM. ARE THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES THERE? - WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL AND IN SOME OF THE COUNTY LEVELS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING TOOLS THAT WOULD HELP, UM, INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THOSE, THOSE, UM, AREAS TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY BE ABLE TO PROCESS THINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING, UM, DECISIONS THAT, UH, FOR- BASED- YOU KNOW, IMPACTFUL DECISIONS USING AI. SO WE STILL NEED TO HAVE THAT HUMAN IN THERE, BUT THERE PROBABLY, YES, THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT, THAT ARENA AS WELL. - OKAY. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - UH, JUST REALLY QUICK QUESTIONS. SO THE CHAT BOT, WOULD IT, WOULD IT HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO SPEAK IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES LIKE... - YES. - OKAY. SPANISH AND... - YES, IT DOES. - ... WATSONVILLE, SOME OF THE NATIVE LANGUAGES TOO. - AND ACTUALLY, UM, IT CAN BE ALSO, UH, MEET THE CURRENT ADA COMPLIANCE FROM DOJ FOR, UM, VISUALLY IMPAIRED AS WELL. - OKAY. AND WITH THE CHAT BOT, WILL YOU STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO SPEAK TO A PERSON OR IS IT JUST GONNA BE AI. - NO, IT'S, IT, IT'S STILL WHAT IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IS THOSE ROUTINE QUESTIONS. WE ACTUALLY DID A, UH, SHORT PILOT WITH, UM, THE COUNTY CLERK. [01:15:04] AND SO IT'S BASICALLY, IT'S, IT'S THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS LIKE PEOPLE SAYING, "HOW DO I GET A PASSPORT? UM, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AS FAR AS A PERMIT FOR OFFENSE?" AND SO IT KIND OF LEADS THEM TO ANSWERS THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS SO THAT WHEN THEY DO GET TO A PERSON, THEY'VE HAD GOTTEN THOSE BASIC QUESTIONS ANSWERED. SO TO TAKE THE LOAD OFF THE PHONES A BIT, BUT IT'S ALSO TO HELP, UM, OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE OUR WEBSITE. I'VE GOTTEN ENOUGH FEEDBACK OVER THE YEARS THAT SOMETIMES ON OUR WEBSITE, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO FIND QUICK ANSWERS. THAT'S THE OTHER, REALLY, ONE OF THE PRIME REASONS WHY WE WOULD BE RELEASING A CHATBOT, IS TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE QUICK ANSWERS BACK TO RESIDENTS AND HELP THEM TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESSES, AND GET THEM THE ANSWERS THEY NEED. - THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, SOME OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, UM, BUT DO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO STILL BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH A HUMAN BEING WHENEVER POSSIBLE. UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING CALLS TO DIFFERENT COMPANIES FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ISSUES. I KNOW ESPECIALLY, UM, FOR SOME FOLKS WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAY HAVE THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS HACKED OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND TRYING TO CONNECT WITH THE PERSON IN A TIMELY MANNER SOMETIMES CAN BE CHALLENGING THESE DAYS, UM, IN TERMS OF BEING- BECOMING MORE RELIANT ON THESE TECHNOLOGIES, AND, AND NOT HAVING A HUMAN YOU CAN DIRECTLY CONNECT WITH. SO I THINK IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO TALK TO A PERSON THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO. UM, BUT I DO REALLY LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, IDEA THAT THIS IS GONNA HELP US AND HELP THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, GET INFORMATION MUCH MORE QUICKLY. I'VE HAD MY SHARE OF CHALLENGES OF NAVIGATING, UM, THE COUNTY'S SEARCH ENGINE SOMETIMES, AND WHEN THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ SOMETIMES JUST GOING TO GOOGLE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER. IF THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE THAT, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY. I DO HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE AS MANY FOLKS IN THIS ROOM KNOW, WE'VE BEEN GETTING INCREASING PUBLIC RECORD ACT REQUESTS, WHICH CAN TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THESE CHAT BOTS CAN BE USED INTERNALLY FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, GATHER THAT INFORMATION MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN, THAN NORMAL BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE STATE WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THESE PUBLIC RECORD ACT REQUESTS AND HOW IT TAKES UP SO MUCH TIME. SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S A, AN OPTION FOR US TO USE INTERNALLY. - THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK, LOOK INTO AS WELL. UM, AND A LOT OF THE NEWER, UM, APPLICATIONS THAT ARE- THAT GOVERNMENTS USE FOR THESE, UH, PRAS AND FOIA ARE ALSO STARTING TO BUILD INTO THEIR APPLICATIONS THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY AS WELL. UM, AGAIN, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD OUT, YOU KNOW, AND TEST, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE COME UP WITH BAD DATA BUT THAT IS ANOTHER REALLY GOOD USE CASE THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO. - THAT'D BE GREAT. AND THEN, UM, LAST QUESTION, JUST TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE FEES, AND HOW INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS WILL BE CHARGED FOR THIS. LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THERE MAY BE, YOU KNOW, A FEW FOLKS IN THE BOARD OFFICES, LIKE MAYBE A STAFF MEMBER USES IT LIKE OCCASIONALLY. LIKE I DON'T REALLY USE AI THAT MUCH. BUT LIKE FOR THOSE OF US WHO AREN'T USING IT, ARE WE STILL GONNA BE CHARGED FOR IT? AND HOW IS THAT GONNA BE MANAGED IF WE'RE NOT USING IT CONSISTENTLY? - UM, THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, DEPARTMENTS WILL BE CHARGED FOR ARE DIRECT LICENSES. SO IT'S, UM, AGAIN, IT'S, TO USE THE EXAMPLE, IT'S LIKE ADOBE. SO YOU MAY NOT NEED ADOBE PRO, BUT SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR OFFICE DOES. SO DEPARTMENTS WILL MAKE THE DETERMINATION AS TO WHO REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE THESE TOOLS AND THEN BUILD THAT COST INTO THEIR BUDGET, WHICH IS, AS NADA SAID BEFORE, IT'S BETWEEN 25 AND $30 PER MONTH. - THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - UH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR EXPANDING ON THE POLICY THAT WAS PUT INTO PLACE IN 2023. UM, CURRENTLY TODAY, LIKE IF I, SOMETIMES I NEED TO, UM, UH, FOR A DIFFERENT JOB LIKE GOOGLE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING REFERRAL, AND I NOTICE THAT THE REFERRAL THAT COMES UP IS NOT THE MOST CURRENT REFERRAL. SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO CLEAN UP WEBSITES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, I'M GUESSING THINGS LIKE THIS TOO WOULD GET CLEANED SOMEHOW OUT. - UM, WE WOULD ONLY BE, WE'D BE FOCUSING ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE ITSELF. UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS KIND OF JOKE ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AI GENERATED HUMAN VERIFIED. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE GOING BEYOND OUR COUNTY WEBSITE, IS THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO VERIFY THE INFORMATION. UM, IS BECOMING, AI IS BECOMING EMBEDDED IN WAYS THAT WE HAVE NEVER IMAGINED. YOU CANNOT GO OUT TO A, LIKE GOOGLE OR EDGE OR THAT, ANYMORE WITHOUT GETTING AI LITERALLY GIVING YOU BACK THE INFORMATION. SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST TO SAY IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AI GENERATED HUMAN VERIFIED. - OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE TAKING A LOOK AT THE WEBSITES, IN GENERAL, BECAUSE THEY SOMETIMES CAN BE VERY CONFUSING AND HARD TO FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU NEED. [01:20:01] SO IF THIS IS GONNA MAKE THAT EASIER FOR THE PUBLIC, THAT'S GREAT. - YEAH, DEFINITELY. - AND THEN TO ECHO, UM, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS' COMMENT, ALL OF US HAVE HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE OF DEALING WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES, ET CETERA, WHERE YOU'RE JUST LIKE IN THIS CRAZY, YOU KNOW, MAZE OF, OF AI ESSENTIALLY, OR YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT REAL TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THINGS, AND THEN THE REAL PERSON GETS ON AND MAKES YOU REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PUT IN, YOU KNOW? UM, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE AN OPTION SOMEHOW, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, POUND OUT TO, TO A HUMAN BEING FOR HELP. - SO, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE WEBSITE. SO WE, UM, THOUGH I'VE HEARD OTHER ENTITIES HAVE GONE AND DONE THE VOICE AI AGENTS THAT IS NOT ON THE ROADMAP RIGHT NOW. WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, IS TO, UM, REPLACE TASKS AND NOT THE HUMAN. AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANNA DO IS, IS WE WANNA ELEVATE THE WORK SO THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH CONSTITUENTS, UM, PRODUCE WORK THAT IS VALUABLE AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. - SO IF THERE, UM, IF THERE ARE FRUSTRATIONS IN USING THE SYSTEM WE HAVE, UM, WE'LL HAVE A, A... - OH, YEAH. - WE CAN PIVOT QUICKLY TO CORRECT THINGS THAT, YEAH. - YES. - THAT'S GREAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO GET UP-TO-SPEED ON HOW AI IS BEING USED BY OUR WORKFORCE. AND FROM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, IT SEEMS THAT RIGHT NOW AI IS STILL A VERY VOLUNTARY TOOL FOR OUR WORKFORCE. IS THAT CORRECT? - THAT'S CORRECT. - AND DO WE SEE A PATH WHERE IT MAY BE REQUIRED AS FAR AS, FOR EFFICIENCY FOR A PARTICULAR POSITION? - SO, UM, I'VE BEEN AROUND THE COUNTY LONG ENOUGH THAT I REMEMBER WHEN WE ROLLED OUT EMAIL. [LAUGHS] AND SO NOT EVERYBODY GOT EMAIL AT FIRST. AND SO IT WAS A SLOW ROLLOUT AS PEOPLE ADOPTING. SO, I SEE IT ROLLING OUT THAT WAY AS BECOMING A FORMAL TOOL. UM, SO WE DO HAVE LIKE OUR CORE PEOPLE THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THIS YEAR. NEXT YEAR, IT MAY BE MORE AND MORE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY MANAGED ROLLOUT LIKE WE DID WITH EMAIL. NOT EVERYONE NEEDED EMAIL AT THAT TIME, BUT NOW YOU LOOK AT MOST, I WOULD SAY 95% OF THE COUNTY HAS AN EMAIL ADDRESS, AND I KIND OF SEE IT EVOLVING IN THAT SORT OF WAY. - THAT'S A REALLY HELPFUL ANALOGY. THANK YOU. AND BECAUSE THIS WORK'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW YEARS, THE PRIOR BOARD WAS A PART OF THE AI POLICY DEVELOPMENT. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF, UM, DURING THAT TIME, WAS DISCUSSION HELD ABOUT HOW AI MAY PERPETUATE LIKE EXISTING BIASES, FOR EXAMPLE, AND DO YOU SEE OUR AI SUBCOMMITTEE AS A PLACE WHERE THAT TYPE OF SORT OF POLICY REVISION HAPPENS? CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT? - YES, I DO. UM, BUT BIAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE POLICY, EVEN THE ORIGINAL POLICY. UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE REALLY STRONG ABOUT IS YOU COULD NOT USE, UM, AI TO MAKE CONSEQUENTIAL DECISIONS. UM, SO, AND THEN ALSO TOO, THAT'S PART OF GUARDRAILS. SO WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT HOW WE WERE DOING GUARDRAILS, AND THEN ALSO TOO OF THE HUMAN REVIEW WAS ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH A, AN IMPORTANT PART TO RE- AND WE, IN THE INITIAL TRAINING WE DID REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT THERE CAN BE BIAS. UM, THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT WORK. YOU CAN'T JUST ACCEPT AN AI OUTPUT AND SAY, "OKAY, I'M DONE." THE REALLY, THAT HA- THAT HUMAN OVERSIGHT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. SO AS WE DEVELOP THE AI POLICY, YOU KNOW, PHASE TWO, I THINK THAT MESSAGE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BE AN IMPORTANT PART. - WELCOME. - GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. ELISA BENSON, ASSISTANT CEO. I WANNA SPEAK TO THE, THE ANTI-BIAS BIAS QUESTION IN THE ORIGINAL POLICY. AND LIKE MANY OF THE PRINCIPLES IN THE ORIGINAL POLICY, THESE IDEAS OF BIAS ALREADY EXIST, RIGHT? WHEN YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH TODAY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT MATERIALS THAT HAVE IMPLICIT BIAS IN THEM. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAINING IN THE NEXT NEW WORLD OF AI, THAT'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF TRAINING. HOW DO YOU ASK DIFFERENT PROMPTS TO EVEN SORT OF CALL OUT BIAS QUESTIONS? SO IT'S, IT'S... I JUST WANT TO DRAW THAT FORWARD BECAUSE WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PRIVACY ISSUES OR, OR PII, ALL OF THOSE PRACTICES WERE THINGS WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DEALING WITH. AND IN SOME WAYS, THIS GIVES US AN-ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT AN EXISTING, DARE I SAY, [01:25:03] QUALITY OF THE INFORMATION ONLINE, AND ACTUALLY START INTERROGATING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT THAT'S GONNA COME WITH TRAINING AS MUCH AS POLICY. - THANK YOU. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT PHASES, UM, THERE'S I THINK A TRAINING PHASE AND THERE'S ALSO A AI POLICY REFRESH PHASE. WILL YOU IMAGINE THAT THAT'S A PART OF ALL OF IT? - YES. - THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. UM, IF THERE'S NO OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AND WE'LL SET THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR TWO MINUTES EACH. - YEAH, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS, UH, JAMES EWING WHITMAN. IT'S QUITE THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, THE NEOCONS, UH, DESCRIBED A PROJECT FOR A NEW AMERICAN CENTURY YEARS BEFORE, UM, 9/11. SO I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS. THE HEGELIAN MACHINE WANTS IN. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE TOLD NOT TO WORRY. SURVEILLANCE WAS FOR SAFETY. DIGITAL SYSTEMS WERE FOR CONVENIENCE. SMART INFRASTRUCTURE WAS FOR EFFICIENCY. ESG WAS FOR RESPONSIBILITY. DIGITAL IDENTITY WAS FOR INCLUSION. BLOCKCHAIN WAS FOR TRUST. GLOBAL COORDINATION WAS FOR RESILIENCE. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WAS FOR PRODUCTIVITY. EACH PIECE ARRIVED WITH ITS OWN POLISHED SLOGAN, ITS OWN EXPERT CLASS, ITS OWN HUMANITARIAN RAPPER. BUT WHEN THE PIECES ARE LAID SIDE BY SIDE, THE SHAPE THAT EMERGES IS NOT SIMPLY MODERNIZATION. IT LOOKS INCREASINGLY LIKE ARCHITECTURE OF CONTROL. THAT IS WHY THE STORY OF ISRAEL'S LAVENDER PROGRAM MATTERS SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN EVENT FEBRUARY 28TH WHERE THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHOSE WHO TO TARGET, AND THE SCHOOL THAT WAS ON THAT CAMPUS, THAT 15 YEARS BEFORE IT WAS CHANGED INTO A SCHOOL, IT WAS 171 LITTLE GIRLS THAT WERE DESTROYED BY THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THAT'S AN EXAMPLE. PROJECT LAVENDER, THAT'S A TARGETING SYSTEM LIKES A, LIKE A REVERSE SOCIAL CREDIT SCORE. YOU KNOW, THERE, IF IT'S A, IT'S ZERO TO A HUNDRED, IF YOU'RE ABOVE 70, YOU'RE A TARGET FOR EXECUTION. I WONDER HOW I STAND AS A, UH, PALESTINIAN IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'M HERE BECAUSE I ACTUALLY CARE AND THE DIALOGUE HERE COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. SO, UM, AT LEAST I RECORDED WHAT I SAID. I'M REALLY GLAD I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE UNDERSHERIFF JACOB HAD TO SAY. I WISH HE WAS HERE TOO. THANKS, GUYS. - THANK YOU. - UH, GOOD MORNING. EVAN DITMARS, I'M A COUNTY EMPLOYEE, AND, UH, WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COMMENT. I'M SHARING MY OPINION HERE TODAY, MOSTLY, UH, CENTERED ON, UH, MY CONCERNS ABOUT JUST HOW AI IS IMPLEMENTED OR AFFECTING, UH, SOCIETY IN GENERAL. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BOARD IS CONSIDERING THE FULL WEIGHT OF A DECISION LIKE THIS WORK PLAN AS IT COMES TO, UH, YOUR EMPLOYEES' QUALITY OF LIFE AND, AND JUST HOW IT AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS THE DIRECTOR SAID IN THEIR PRESENTATION, UH, THE COUNTY DID ADOPT AN AI USE POLICY IN 2023, AND TODAY YOU'RE HEARING THE WORK PLAN FOR THIS YEAR AND BEYOND. UM, BUT WHAT I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD OR DISCUSSED IS WHETHER OR NOT YOUR BOARD WOULD INTEND TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THIS AI POLICY, UM, OR, OR USE THIS AI POLICY FOR IMPLEMENTATION. UM, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BOARD REMAINS COMMITTED TO, UH, THE PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY, AND ETHICAL USE OF AI, UM, WHICH AS WRITTEN IN THIS REPORT, UM, ESTABLISHES FOUNDATIONAL EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW AI IS USED IN COUNTY OPERATIONS, UH, BUILT AROUND THE PRINCIPLES OF DATA PRIVACY, INFORMED CONSENT AND RESPONSIBLE USE. UM, THE OTHER ISSUE I WANTED TO BRING UP IS JUST A TIMELINE PRESENTED BY STAFF FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AI ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE. UM, BASED ON THE TIMELINE, UM, THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD BE ESTABLISHED AFTER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND AFTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM, UM, AND AFTER UPDATING THE COUNTY'S AI USE POLICY. AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THAT AI ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE SHOULD REALLY INFORM THE DIRECTION THAT ALL OF THOSE, UM, UH, WORK PLAN MECHANISMS TAKE PLACE. UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. UH, MY HOPE IS THAT AS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED, THAT AI REMAINS A TOOL THAT IMPROVES THE EMPLOYEE QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMPROVES SERVICE AND IS NOT JUST A MONITORING TOOL. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. [01:30:02] - GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS EMILY FONTANA. I'M AN INTERNAL ORGANIZER WITH SEIU 521. I REPRESENT THE LARGEST BARGAINING UNIT HERE IN THE COUNTY. UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AS WE ROLL OUT THIS AI, THAT IT IS STILL A TOOL. UM, I APPRECIATED THAT, UH, DIRECTOR TAMMY DID MENTION THAT IT WAS TO REPLACE TASKS, NOT THE, NOT THE HUMAN, UM, BUT WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LABOR IS NOT OUTSOURCED TO TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER IT BE A TOOL, NOT A HINDRANCE. SO, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO INTO NEGOTIATIONS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE BARGAINING PRINCIPLES ARE MET AND KEPT IN TUNE WITH ALL, UH, LEGAL PROCESSES. THANK YOU. - BOARD, I JUST WANNA, UM, UM, TAKE YOU BACK TO WHEN WE DID DO THE '23 POLICY. SO IT WAS BOARD-DIRECTED, IT WAS PRINCIPLE-DRIVEN, AND WHEN WE DID DEVELOP IT, WE DID MEET WITH ALL OUR LABOR PARTNERS TO TALK ABOUT THE POLICY TO GET THEIR INPUT BEFORE WE WENT FORWARD WITH IT. I, I WOULD SUSPECT WE WOULD BE DOING THAT AGAIN. WE RECOGNIZE HOW THIS TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY WILL IMPACT OUR WORKFORCE, AND WE'RE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, BECAUSE MANY OF YOU WERE NOT HERE WHEN WE DID THIS IN '23. THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR BARGAINING UNITS WERE CRITICAL TO GET THEIR, THEIR INPUT AND ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS. SO, UH, WE WILL BE DOING THAT AGAIN WITH ANY NEW POLICY CHANGES. - MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANYONE ON THE PHONE? - YES, CHAIR. TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - COOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AGAIN. SO, YEAH, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT, UH, IT BEING SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH, AND SO ON. AND, UH, SPEAKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BEING A CHILD WITH VIOLENT CRIME AROUND ME, AND PEOPLE THAT WENT TO PRISON, THINGS LIKE BIAS AND AI IT'S A BIT OF A CONCERN, YOU BET. YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU CONTRAST THAT WITH MY ENGINEERING PHYSICS DEGREE FROM A LONG TIME AGO IN THE '90S, IT HAS AI ALL OVER IT. AND SO I'M WAY AHEAD OF THAT. AND THE WHOLE FAMILY USES AI, OKAY? SO IT'S, UH, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S NECESSARILY VOLUNTARILY A VOLUNTARY SITUATION ANYMORE. THIS IS UPFRONT. AND SO SOME THOUGHTS HERE, PERHAPS YOU WANNA TRAIN EVERYBODY NOW, BUT NOT DEPLOY. AND, UH, THEN YOU, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME MAJOR ISSUES HERE, LIKE WHO CONTROLS JUDGMENT? THAT'S A BIG CONCERN. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A NICE GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE THE NEXT GOVERNMENT COMES ALONG AND THEY'RE NOT SO NICE, AND THEY CONTROL JUDGMENT. SO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OF A CONCERN. HOW ARE WE GONNA DEAL WITH, UH, QUANTUM AI CRYPTOLOGY? THERE'S SOME HUGE SECURITY ISSUES COMING DOWN THE PIKE HERE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TO CON- YOU KNOW, TO CONCERN YOURSELVES WITH. AND, UH, SO ANYWAYS, SO MAYBE TEST, TRAIN EVERYBODY WELL AND KEEP SEPARATE FOR NOW. YOU KNOW, DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS DEPLOY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE DON'T WANT PROPAGANDA THAT YOU HEAR OUT THERE NOW FILTERING INTO, UH, GOVERNANCE HERE WITH BIAS AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN COMING INTO THAT AI, AND THEN SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF HAVING AN EXPERIENCE WITH AN ORDINANCE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S NO LONGER A HUMAN BEING BUT IS A DRONE CONTROLLED BY AI AND GOVERNMENT. SO, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BYE-BYE. - CALLING USER 3, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - THERE IS A QUOTE FROM RACHEL CARSON, SILENT SPRING, 1962. "THE ROAD WE HAVE LONG BEEN TRAVELING IS DECEPTIVELY EASY, A SMOOTH SUPER HIGHWAY ON WHICH WE PROGRESS WITH GREAT SPEED, BUT AT ITS END, LIES DISASTER." SO TOO WITH AI. THERE'S AN OMISSION, CONCEALMENT OF SOME INHERENT PROBLEMS WITH AI. IT'S AN OXYMORON. ARTIFICIAL ISN'T INTELLIGENT. THERE'S INHERENT INTELLIGENCE IN NATURE AND IN PEOPLE. SOME OF THE BASIC PROBLEMS, AI REQUIRES ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER, [01:35:03] ROBBING COMMUNITIES OF PRECIOUS WATER, HUGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY, HIGHER ELECTRIC COSTS PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER, NOISE ISSUES AT THESE AI DATA CENTERS, WHICH ARE PROLIFERATING, ANTI-LIFE FREQUENCIES. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF AI? MASS SURVEILLANCE AND MILITARY PURPOSES. AI GENOCIDE IS USED IN TO KILL THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE, AI GENOCIDE WARFARE. I DO NOT WANT TO TALK TO A MACHINE. I WANT TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON. I RECOMMEND SEEING THE DOCUMENTARY, MINING THE SACRED. IT'S ABOUT VACKER PATH IN ARIZONA. THE DEVASTATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE AI CENTERS. I VOTE NO. THE COUNTY SHOULD NOT BE... - SHERRY, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. - UH, AS SOMEONE WHO USES AI ALMOST DAILY TO GENERATE REPORTS, I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, UM, WHICHEVER PROGRAM OR VENDOR YOU CHOOSE FOR THE AI, THAT, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF REPORTS, UM, UM, CONCERNS AT LEAST AVAILABLE ABOUT, UH, DATA TAKEOVER, LIKE A ROGUE, UH, ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE AI. UM, SO I NOTICE WHEN I DO MY RESEARCH, UH, TO GENERATE REPORTS, WHICH IS SOMETHING I IMAGINE WOULD BE DONE BY THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THAT, UM, AI ACTUALLY TAKES OVER YOUR COMPUTER AND ACCESSES ALL SORTS OF DATABASES, UH, IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, PRODUCE. AND SO I GUESS I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, UH, THE DATA THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND THE PRIVACY ISSUES AROUND THAT DATA AND, UM, JUST THE OVERALL, UH, CONCERN ABOUT, UH, PRIVACY, UH, THOSE RECORDS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE COUNTY DATABASES. THANK YOU. - CHAIR, WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE. - THANK YOU. I'LL NOW RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON THE AGENDA ITEM. - IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ONE MORE PUBLIC, UH, INPUT? - YES, GO AHEAD. - HI, MY NAME'S AL HEINDEL. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NORMALLY TWO TYPES OF, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A QUESTION AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, THAT WILL ONLY, UH, REPLY IN REGARDS TO YOUR QUESTION. AND THEN, THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF EMPLOYEES THAT WILL REALIZE WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS, THEY WILL GIVE YOU WORKAROUNDS, LOOPHOLES, THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DO THINGS. AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT AI, IN SO MANY CASES, IS MISINFORMATION OR INADEQUATE INFORMATION. AND I'M WONDERING, IS THERE ANY SORT OF A PROGRAM THAT WOULD ACTUALLY TRAIN AI- AI FROM EXPERIENCED SENIOR EMPLOYEES WHO KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS IN A MORE EFFICIENT WAY? UM, AND I, I JUST DO HAVE CONCERN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED IN KIND OF A CURSORY WAY, UM, DEALING WITH AI. AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THAT SORT OF, UH, HUMAN INTERACTION, AND HAVE IT IN A, UM, FINGERTIPS SORT OF, UH, WAY. UM, ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WHEN A LOT OF THIS, UM, AUTOMATED COMPUTER INTERACTION STUFF STARTED WITH CORPORATIONS, UM, THERE WERE A LIST OF CODES THAT YOU COULD TYPE IN YOUR PHONE THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GET YOU TO A PERSON. AND, UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS WELL AS MORE EFFICIENT AI. AND I DO HAVE A LOT OF OTHER CONCERNS, OF COURSE, AS WERE VOICED BY SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TRAINING FROM EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THINGS IN MY EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. I WILL NOW CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - WELL, I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTION TO UPDATE THE COUNTY'S USE OF AI AND THE COUNTY'S, UH, AI ELEVATION AND STANDARDIZATION WORK PLAN FOR 2026 [01:40:02] AND ENTERPRISE AI DEPLOYMENT. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG. FURTHER DISCUSSION. - UM, COUPLE OF... - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - YEAH, SORRY. COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO, I HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT, UM, PUTTING THE SUBCOMMITTEE TOGETHER AHEAD OF SOME OTHER STEPS WOULD BE A PRUDENT THING TO DO. I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON, ON WHY WE, UH, SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE DECIDED TO DO THAT AFTER ALL OF THESE OTHER STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN. - SO, UM, ONE IS RESOURCES, SO THAT WE LOOKED IT OUT. WE COULD PUSH IT UP SLIGHTLY, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT RESOURCES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE. THE OTHER THING IS WHEN YOU BRING TOGETHER AN IT TECH UM, COMMIT- TYPE COMMITTEE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT TECHNOLOGISTS IN AND OF THEMSELVES, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THEIR ROLE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND SO THAT TAKES SOME TIME. SO THAT WAS WHY IT WAS PUSHED OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE CAN ALSO, I CAN WORK WITH, UM, WITH THE CEO'S OFFICE, AND SEE THAT IF WE CAN MOVE THAT UP-SLIGHTLY UP, UH, THE TIMELINE AS WELL. - THAT'S GREAT, TAMMY. - AGAIN, THE PLAN IS-THE PLAN IS A PROPOSAL. AGAIN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT THINGS TO FLEX AS WE LEARN AND WE DEVELOP, AND WE MOVE THINGS ALONG. - AND IS THIS FOR INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS OR WILL THERE BE ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS? I'M SORRY IF I MISSED THAT. - THIS WILL BE FOR INTERNAL. IT'LL BE AN INTERNAL, UH, COMMITTEE. - OKAY, THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - YEAH, I JUST SHARED, UH, SIMILAR CONCERN THAT WAS BROUGHT BY THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND BY SUPERVISOR DE SERPA, JUST, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET THAT SUBCOMMITTEE ESTABLISHED SOONER, THEN THEY CAN HAVE SOME INPUT ON THESE PROCESSES AS THEY'RE DEVELOPED. I THINK THAT'LL BE REALLY BENEFICIAL. I ALSO DO, YOU KNOW, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS TODAY, BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE, UM, EXERCISING CAUTION AROUND THIS. I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN SEEING TECH COMPANIES THAT HAVE NOW IMPLEMENTED AI, AND THEY'VE BEEN LAYING OFF THEIR WORKFORCE, AND I WOULD HATE TO, YOU KNOW, SET US UP FOR A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE TRAIN UP FOLKS IN THESE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN LATER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROPOSALS TO- TO LAY PEOPLE OFF. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR WORKFORCE AND PROVIDING THEM WITH THESE TOOLS THAT CAN MAKE THEIR WORK MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME RECOGNIZING THE VALUE IN THEIR POSITIONS AND THEN NOT, IN THE FUTURE, SHIFTING OVER TO HAVE AI REPLACE, UM, OUR WORKERS. UM, YEAH, AND THEN I GUESS THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, CONCERN I HAVE, BUT AGAIN, SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD, IS THAT HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE HERE THAT MIGHT-THAT AI MIGHT NOT PICK UP ON. THEY CAN ACTUALLY HELP THEM GET THROUGH CHALLENGING SITUATIONS, UM, BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK AND EXPERIENCE, UM, WORKING ACROSS WHETHER IT'S PLANNING OR OTHER DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, REALLY, AGAIN MAKING SURE WE HAVE THAT ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS HUMAN CONNECTION AND NOT HAVE OUR WORKFORCE ENTIRELY RELY ON GETTING THOSE ANSWERS FROM AI BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE TO- IF THE ANSWER I'M GONNA GET FROM THE PERSON WHO I'M SPEAKING TO IS THE FACT THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO AI, AND ASKING IT, THEN THAT'S ALSO NOT HELPFUL. UM, SO REALLY WE JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPECT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE FROM THEIR HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE-AND HONOR AND MAINTAIN THAT AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS TECHNICAL KIND OF REVOLUTION. UM, AND ALSO JUST THE FACT THAT, I MEAN, A LOT OF US SEE WITH EMAIL, I MEAN, YOU CAN GO BACK AND FORTH IN AN EMAIL, AND THAT CAN TAKE HOURS IF NOT DAYS, AND A CONVERSATION CAN TAKE, LIKE, 10 MINUTES FOR US TO GET TO A SOLUTION. SO, AGAIN, JUST EMPHASIZING THAT HAVING THAT HUMAN CONNECTION I THINK, IS REALLY CRITICAL. SO, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF THE DIRECTOR MOVING IN TODAY, AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING UPDATES ON THIS PROCESS. - THANK YOU. CEO COBURN. - YEAH, I JUST WANTED, UM, TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, I THINK WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE ALWAYS CONCERNS WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE APPROPRIATE GUARDRAILS FOR. UM, THIS IS A TOOL. WE HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS IN THE COUNTY TO HELP US DO OUR WORK AND WE SEE IT AS HELPING US TO-WITH THOSE MORE REDUNDANT AND, UM, TIME-INTENSIVE TASKS TO BE ABLE TO FREE UP STAFF TO WORK ON THE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND TO TACKLE ALL OF THE ISSUES WE FACE. SO WE REALLY VALUE HUMAN CONNECTION, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO USE STAFF TO THEIR HIGHEST AND BEST USE. SO IT'S ANOTHER TOOL TO HELP US DO THAT. AND I WANTED TO JUST NOTE THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE PLAN TO RELEASE THIS THURSDAY, UM, IN EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET NARRATIVE, WE'VE ASKED DEPARTMENTS TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT USING AI AND THE VARIOUS AREAS IT MIGHT HELP WITH SERVICE DELIVERY IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE EACH TASKED WITH DOING. SO HOPEFULLY, THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT AS WELL AS HOW THE PUBLIC, [01:45:03] UM, CAN SEE WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE THINKING OF. SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PUT OUT THERE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT COME THIS THURSDAY. - THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE WAYS THE AI CAN IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, UM, WHILE ALSO BUILDING IN THE SAFEGUARDS NECESSARY TO DO IT IN THE MOST, UM, PRODUCTIVE AND EFFECTIVE AND ACCURATE WAY. UM, AND I REALLY JUST APPRECIATED THE VISION STATEMENT OF OUR AI POLICY, WHICH INCLUDES LANGUAGE LIKE DESIGNED TO EMPOWER EMPLOYEES TO PERFORM THEIR WORK BETTER, FASTER, AND WITH GREATER IMPACT, AND NOT REPLACE HUMAN JUDGMENT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AS-AS YOU'VE HEARD AS-AS WE PROCEED, I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHECKING BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MOVEMENT IN THIS DIRECTION ALIGNS WITH OUR COUNTY VALUES, AND THAT, UM, AS WE DISCOVER POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, WE'RE ADJUSTING COURSE. AND, UM, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THESE TOOLS CAN HELP TO IMPROVE COUNTY SERVICES IN THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC. SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - CERTAINLY. SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - AYE. - KOENIG? - AYE. - HERNANDEZ? - AYE. - CUMMINGS? - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ? - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. WE'LL NOW BE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 8, [8. Consider progress report on “Streamline Santa Cruz County” project, and take related actions] WHICH IS TO CONSIDER A PROGRESS REPORT ON STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. AND AS YOU COME UP, I'LL ASK YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UM, BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. - I'LL GET STARTED WHILE THE TEAM IS SITTING DOWN. AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, ELISSA BENSON, ASSISTANT CEO, AND I AM EXECUTIVE SPONSOR FOR THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WORK. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM THAT IS REALLY CARRYING OUT THIS WORK, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PAUSE AND HIGHLIGHT THAT IT WAS 13 MONTHS AGO. IT WAS MAY-MARCH 25TH, 2025, WHERE WE BROUGHT FORWARD THE ORIGINAL BAKER TILLY ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND THE BROAD AND DEEP BODY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, SO I JUST-WE SO FREQUENTLY JUST KEEP MOVING AND DON'T LOOK IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR. AND YOU JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, PARTICULARLY TODAY, WHEN YOU SEE THE LEVEL OF CHANGES THAT ARE GOING ON. UM, AND FORECAST OF WHAT'S COMING TO JUST TAKE THAT MOMENT TO THINK THAT WE STARTED THIS 13 MONTHS AGO. CLEARLY, WE STARTED THE ASSESSMENT BEFORE THAT, BUT THEY REALLY SORT OF BRING OUT SOME VERY, UM, UH, WHAT AM GONNA I SAY? CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OF HOW WE AS A COUNTY, NOT JUST AS A DEPARTMENT, BUT AS A COUNTY, HAVE APPROACHED DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND THE-AND THE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BEFORE I PASS IT OVER TO THE TEAM, BECAUSE A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN 13 MONTHS. WE HAVE A LOT OF JOURNEY AHEAD OF US, BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO TAKE THAT MOMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK ACROSS DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE GONE ON AND WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE, UH, OUR DIRECTOR MACHADO. - ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, ELISSA, AND GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ELISSA, AND GOOD MORNING, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISORS. UH, MATT MACHADO, CDI DIRECTOR, AND, UH, I'M JOINED HERE TODAY WITH, UM, TWO GENTLEMEN. UH, WE'VE GOT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, ANDREW STRADER, AND WE ALSO HAVE BRIAN RUBIN, OUR UPC MANAGER. I'M GONNA LEAD US OFF TODAY, BUT, UH, I'LL BE PASSING THE MIC, UH, AS NEEDED HERE. SO LET'S GET STARTED HERE. LET'S SEE IF I CAN MANAGE THIS GUY. OH, BOY. WHICH WAY WOULD BE THE MIC? - THERE WE GO. - OH, THERE WE GO, GREAT. SO TODAY, UH, WE PLAN TO PROVIDE A HIGH-LEVEL UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WORK PLAN. UH, WE PLAN TO HIGHLIGHT PROGRESS ON KEY PROJECTS, INCLUDING CUSTOMER SERVICE METRICS, CODE UPDATES, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE CZU REBUILD SUPPORT. UH, WE PLAN TO, UH, REQUEST OF YOUR BOARD CONSIDERATION OF SHIFTING THE WORK PLAN REPORTING FROM QUARTERLY TO SEMI-ANNUAL WITH PROJECT-SPECIFIC ITEMS RETURNING AS NEEDED. I'LL COVER THAT AGAIN. I'M JUST PLANTING THAT SEED EARLY. SO JUST FOR A LITTLE BACKGROUND, AND, UM, ELISSA COVERED THIS, UH, QUITE A BIT, BUT I'LL COVER IT AGAIN. [01:50:01] UM, THIS GOES BACK TO JUNE 24TH OF '25, WHERE-WHERE YOUR BOARD APPROVED OUR WORK PLAN, INCLUDING QUARTERLY UPDATES. UH, AND THEN MOST RECENTLY IN JANUARY, UH, THE BOARD DIRECTED SOME ADDITIONAL EXPLORATION, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS BY-BY MR. STEVE HOMAN, AND I'LL JUST SHARE WITH YOU. MR. STEVE HOMAN IS A-IS A, UM, REGISTERED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST. HE'S RETIRED. UH, HE'S A FIRE VICTIM, AND HE'S HELPED NUMEROUS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE TAKE HIS RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, SERIOUSLY, AND WE INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THE UPDATE TODAY. AND THEN, UM, OF COURSE YOU'VE, UH, YOU DIRECTED US TO RETURN BY THE END OF APRIL. SO HERE WE ARE TODAY. SO THE OVERALL WORK PLAN GOALS INCLUDE, UH, IMPROVING OUR PERMIT PROCESSES THROUGH STANDARDIZATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. UM, ANOTHER GOAL IS TO REDUCE OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY FOR STAFF AND APPLICANTS. UH, WE STRIVE TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TRANSPARENCY. AND, UH, WE ARE USING THE COUNTY'S PLAN, DO, STUDY, AND ADJUST THE PDSA, UH, MODEL TO REFINE IMPROVEMENTS OVER TIME. AND HERE WE ARE WITH A QUICK SUMMARY OF, UH, OUR NOW 12-12 PROJECTS. YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS OF EACH OF THEM. AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROCESS- SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, SORRY, ACROSS THE WORK PLAN WHILE MAINTAINING DAILY OPERATIONS. SO QUITE A BIG LIFT FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF. UH, SEVERAL-SEVERAL PROJECTS ARE MOVING FROM IMPLEMENTATION INTO STUDY AND ADJUST, MEANING THE ORIGINAL ROLLOUT IS LARGELY COMPLETE, AND FOCUS IS SHIFTING TO EVALUATION AND REFINEMENT. SOME EARLY BENEFITS ARE BEING SEEN IN THE AREAS OF BETTER FRONT AND GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS, MORE STANDARDIZED INTERNAL PROCEDURES, IMPROVED PUBLIC ACCESS FOR PERMIT INFORMATION, AND A STRONG CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ON STAFF COMMUNICATION AND SERVICE. SO HERE'S A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT WE PLAN TO COVER TODAY. UH, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON. SO THERE'S, UH, SIX OF THOSE, AND I'M GONNA LEAD US OFF ON THE FIRST ONES OR THE FIRST TWO TO COVER. AND SO, UH, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS KIND OF A REVERSE ORDER. PROJECT 5 IS REALLY OUR ANNUAL CODE UPDATE. AND, UH, THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON TECHNICAL CLEANUP, CLEAR STANDARDS FOR APPLICANTS. UH, IT INCLUDES PROPOSED-A COUPLE NEW THINGS THAT WE, UM, ACTUALLY ARE INCLUDING THIS YEAR, ARE A NEW DEFINITION OF IN-KIND FOR REBUILDS TO ALIGN DISASTER REBUILD, REVIEW ACROSS DIVISIONS. AND THEN ALSO WE'RE PROPOSING TO REMOVE THE 10-YEAR, UH, CATASTROPHE REBUILD ALLOWANCE. OF COURSE, UH, THAT'S CONTINGENT ON THE REGIONAL BOARD'S APPROVAL AS WELL. UH, THESE, UH, UPDATES-THIS CODE UPDATE HAS GONE TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEIR REVIEW. THAT WAS, UH, LAST WEEK ON APRIL 22ND, AND WE PLAN TO BRING THESE AMENDMENTS TO YOUR BOARD, UH, IN EARLY JUNE, I THINK IT'S JUNE 9TH. UH, THE DATE WRITTEN DOWN, JUNE 9TH? YEAH, THANK YOU. AND THEN, UH, PROJECT 1 IS THE-REALLY THE LARGE COMPREHENSIVE COUNTY CODE UPDATE. WE HAVE COMPLETED INITIAL SCOPING. UH, WE'RE NOW MOVING INTO CONSULTANT PROCUREMENT. UH, WE DID RECEIVE 19, UH, RESPONSES TO OUR RFQ. UM, WE RELEASE AN RFP, WHICH IS THE NEXT STEP. UM, WE DID THAT ON APRIL 20TH. AND, UH, WE ANTICIPATE, UH, CONSULTANT SELECTION IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. AND WE ALSO, UH, EXPECT TO BRING A CONTRACT TO YOUR BOARD IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR. UH, THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT. UH, IT'LL INCLUDE SOME CONSIDERABLE COSTS, AND WE'LL BRING THOSE AS NEEDED, UH, THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS TO, UH, TO COMPLETE THIS UPDATE BUT IT IS A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT. SO, UH, NEXT I'LL COVER PROJECT 6, AND PROJECT 6 IS REALLY, UH, OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. IT'S, UH, REALLY FOCUSED ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS IMPROVING OUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD SUCCESS HERE. UM, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE ADVISORY GROUP IS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, SHORTER, MORE FOCUSED MEETINGS. UH, THEY LIKE STRONG FACILITATION, WHICH, UH, MEANS THAT WE'LL BE, UH, SWITCHING TO STAFF-LED FACILITATION LED BY, UH, TWO INDIVIDUALS, UH, LESLIE CROWELL, UH, CEO'S OFFICE, AND BRIAN RUBIN HERE AT THE FRONT COUNTER OR AT THE-AT THE DESK WITH ME TODAY. AND SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, UH, INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH, UH, OUR OWN EXPERTISE. THERE'LL BE MORE TARGETED AGENDAS, BROADER REPRESENTATION. AND LASTLY, WE PLAN TO HAVE TWO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, UH, ONE CONTAINING LAND-USE DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, AND THE OTHER CONTAINING CONTRACTORS. AND SO AS I TRANSITION TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GONNA BE TRANSI-TRANSITIONING [01:55:01] TO, UH, ANDREW STRADER TO PRESENT THE NEXT TWO SLIDES. - ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MACHADO. UH, GOOD MORNING, UH, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, CEO COBURN. UH, AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE AI PRESENTATION A MINUTE AGO UH, I-I HEARD THAT THE-THE ISD DIRECTOR REFERENCED, UH, BEING AROUND WHEN, UH, EMAIL WAS JUST BEING IMPLEMENTED. AND IT KIND OF STRUCK ME, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WAS-WHEN I STARTED HERE, WE DIDN'T HAVE COMPUTERS. AND HERE I AM NOW ABOUT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON SOME OF OUR IT DEVELOPMENT ISSUE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION HERE IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. SO YEAH, IT'S COME A LONG WAY, OR I'VE COME A LONG WAY, I GUESS, IN 30 YEARS, BUT, UH, IT WAS JUST KIND OF INTERESTING TO REMINISCE FOR A MOMENT. UH, I DID WANNA SPEAK BRIEFLY BEFORE I GET TOO MUCH INTO THE SPECIFICS OF-OF MY PRESENTATION ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. I'M GONNA KIND OF KEEP THAT BRIEF BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE SOME UPDATES ON THE STATUS, UH, THAT I'D RATHER, UH, FOCUS ON, SUFFICE IT TO SAY THOUGH THAT UH, YOU KNOW, THE OLD ADAGE OF WISH WE KNEW BACK THEN WHAT WE KNOW NOW, UH, CERTAINLY APPLIES TO, UH, IMPLEMENTING-IMPLEMENTING A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. UH, IN THE BOARD REPORT, UH, IN-IN-INDICATED A GO-LIVE DATE FOR OUR FIRST PHASE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION TOMORROW, UH, APRIL 29TH. UH, RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH OUR USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING. UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED QUITE A FEW ISSUES THAT ARE STILL, UH, OF CONCERN THAT WE REALLY DO NEED TO HAMMER OUT. WE HAD OUR FIRST KIND OF TRAINING SESSION WITH STAFF YESTERDAY, ALSO, UH, DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT AGAIN, NEED TO BE WORKED ON. SO, IN AGREEMENT WITH THE-THE-THE COMPANY, WE ARE GONNA POSTPONE THAT GO-LIVE DATE, UH, TO BE DETERMINED YET. I WOULD EXPECT THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE TOO LONG, MAYBE A WEEK OR TWO, HOPEFULLY, UH, BUT IT IS KIND OF A DYNAMIC SITUATION AS OF YET. AND, UH, IT'S, UH, VERY FLUID, SO, UH, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE ON THAT AT-AT THIS TIME. UH, SO AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE SLIDE, SO WE-WE DID CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY CALLED HS GOVTECH, AND THE APPLICATION IS CALLED, UH, THE HS CLOUD SUITE OR HS CLOUD, UH, FOR OUR DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THIS IS A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACROSS ALL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, DIVISION PROGRAMS. SO, UH, IT'S NOT JUST RELATED TO PERMIT PROCESSING. UH, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION DOES, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, IN CONCERN WITH STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROJECT. SO PERMITTING, PLAN REVIEW, INSPECTIONS, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE PART OF THIS FIRST PHASE. UM, SO BESIDES THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, THAT WE'LL HAVE THIS NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON THE INTERNAL SIDE, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC-FACING PORTAL ASPECT. I'LL SHOW YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THAT IN A MOMENT, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO MAKE APPLICATIONS, UH, SUBMIT PAYMENTS. UH, IT WON'T BE IMMEDIATE, BUT WE'LL GET, UH, PROJECT STATUS WILL BE ON THERE, UH, INSPECTION RESULTS, ETCETERA. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE ACTUAL-AS WE WORK, UH, THE PROGRAM, THE CLOUD SUITE PROGRAM WILL, UH, ALLOW US TO DO MORE STANDARDIZED PLAN REVIEW COMMENTS. I'LL BE ON, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL ALL LOOK THE SAME, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, STANDARDIZED, UM, LANGUAGE WILL BE USED. UH, SO THEY'LL BE VERY CONSISTENT IN OUR RESPONSES. UH, THERE'LL BE A CLIENT COMMUNICATION TRACKING MECHANISM WHERE WE CAN, UH, ACTUALLY WORK WITHIN THE PROGRAM TO BE-APPLICATION TO BE COMMUNICATING, UH, WITH OUR CLIENTS SO THAT ALL OF THOSE COMMUNICATIONS ARE TRACKED AND MONITORED. SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR FOLLOW-UP OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE CALLS ME AND WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, I CAN EASILY REVIEW THAT AND-AND KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE. UH, ELECTRONIC INSPECTIONS WITH STANDARD VIOLATION LIBRARIES IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. UH, SO WHEN WE DO INSPECTIONS, UH, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, CODE SECTIONS THAT APPLY, UH, AND-AND BOTH, UM, WHAT WE OBSERVED IN TERMS OF ISSUES AND-AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER ONE I JUST WANNA MENTION, AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE BOARD REPORT AS WELL, BUT, UH, IS, UH, MORE ROBUST REPORTING MECHANISM. UH, WE'LL BE USING POWER BI, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE, [02:00:01] UM, UH, WEBSITE DATA LIKE CDI WHERE WE-WHERE WE REPORT ON METRICS. UM, MAY EVEN TAG TEAM WITH THEM AND-AND-AND, YOU KNOW, COMBINE IT INTO THE SAME PORTAL. WE'LL SEE, AT LEAST ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THINGS. UH, SO-SO WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE ABILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF, UH, STATUSES OF THINGS AND, UH, BE TRANSPARENT WITH, UH, PUBLIC AND MANAGEMENT. UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO OUR PUBLIC-FACING PORTAL. UM, THIS IS THE DASHBOARD THAT PEOPLE WOULD SEE ONCE THEY, UH, ACTUALLY LOG IN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT INTO THE SYSTEM. UH, ACCOUNT CREATION IS VERY SIMPLE. IT'S BASICALLY NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL. UH, YOU DON'T NEED A CREDIT CARD. YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING SPECIAL TO, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, TO THE-TO THE, UH, ONLINE PORTAL. UH, YOU'D BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR ALL OF YOUR PERMIT APPLICATIONS, OPERATING PERMITS OR CONSTRUCTION PERMITS, UM, SOCIETY VALVES, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS FOR ALL OF OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS. UH, YOU CAN CONTACT US FOR SCHEDULING INSPECTIONS OR FILE COMPLAINTS. UH, THIS IS ONCE YOU ACTUALLY LOG INTO YOUR ACCOUNT, BUT PRIOR TO LOGGING IN, YOU WILL BE SETTING UP, UH, THE ABILITY TO FILE COMPLAINTS OR SEE INSPECTION RESULTS, UM, AND LIKE I SAID, EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE STATUS OF PRODUCT, PROJECTS EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE STATUS OF A, OF THE PROJECT THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT THE APPLICANT OF THAT PROJECT. SO, UH, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT KIND OF, UH, INFORMATION BEING AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, TO THE BOARD, TO THE, TO THE REST- OTHER COUNTY AGENCIES, AND ET CETERA. UH, SO THAT'S MOSTLY IT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE A SELECT, WE CAN RECEIVE PAYMENTS THROUGH THERE. IT HAS A TRANSLATION THING AS YOU CAN SEE WITH GOOGLE TRANSLATE. THEY CONVERT IT TO ANY LANGUAGE. UM, AND, UH, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO DIRECTOR MACHADO. - UH, THANK YOU, ANDREW. AND, UH, THE NEXT FIVE SLIDES WILL BE PRESENTED BY BRIAN RUBIN, OUR UPC MANAGER. - GOOD MORNING. I'M BRIAN RUBIN, UNIFIED PERMIT CENTER MANAGER. UH, I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT, UH, AN UPDATE ON PROJECT 4 AND A FEW OTHERS FOLLOWING THIS SLIDE. PROJECT 4 FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND PROCESS MAPS FOR DISCRETIONARY BUILDING AND BUILDING PERMITS, UH, TO SUPPORT STAFF TRAINING, CREATE MORE PREDICTABLE EXPECTATIONS FOR BOTH STAFF AND APPLICANTS. UH, THIS IS A MULTI-DIVISIONAL EFFORT THAT INCLUDES DEVELOPING STANDARDIZED PLAN CHECK COMMENTS WITH CODE REFERENCES, ENSURES THAT REVIEWS ARE CONSISTENT, THEY'RE CLEAR, AND THEY'RE GROUNDED IN CODE ACROSS ALL THE REVIEWING SECTIONS. UH, WE'VE, WE'VE CREATED 100 SOPS TO DATE, AND WE'RE NEARLY 85% COMPLETE. UH, THE NEXT PHASE IS LOOKING AT ENGAGING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAMS IN MAY TO FINISH THIS EFFORT. THANK YOU. PROJECT 8 IS THE ROBUST PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS. UH, THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING A ROBUST PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS FOR BUILDING PERMITS TO SUPPORT APPLICANTS FROM LARGE DEVELOPERS TO HOMEOWNERS AND DIY APPLICANTS. A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS EFFORT IS THE CAMINO GUIDE, WHICH PROVIDES A RULES-BASED LIST OF REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE TAILORED TO THE APPLICANT'S SPECIFIC PROJECT AND PARCEL. THESE GUIDES HELP IDENTIFY APPLICABLE PERMITS, TECHNICAL REPORTS, AND SITE-SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS EARLY IN THE PROCESS. WE'VE RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS GROUP THAT CAMINO HAS BEEN A STRONG, UH, IMPLEMENTATION. WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE PRE-PERMIT SCREENING MEETINGS, WHICH GIVES APPLICANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH ALL STAFF TO REVIEW THEIR CAMINO GUIDE RESULTS AND CLARIFY THE REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SUBMITTING A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION. PROJECT 8 IS APPROXIMATELY 95% COMPLETE. THE REMAINING 5% IS- WILL BE FOCUSED ON STAFF TRAINING FOR ALL THE COUNTER STAFF. PROJECT 14, THE CZU REBUILD AND CNC CLEARANCE EFFORTS. CNC STANDS FOR CONDITIONALLY NOT CLEARED. UM, STAFF HAVE COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT OF THE ASSESSORS AND THE PERMIT TRACKING DATA, REVIEWING EACH PARCEL INDIVIDUALLY TO CONFIRM REBUILDING STATUS THE PRE-CLEARANCE HISTORY AND THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COUNTY. 94 PARCELS WERE REVIEWED THROUGH THIS EFFORT. THIS WORK HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THESE PROPERTIES STAND RESULTING IN MEASURABLE PROGRESS AS SEEN IN THIS SLIDE. [02:05:04] UH, UNIFIED PERMIT CENTER STAFF CONTINUE TO HOLD INDIVIDUALIZED CNC MEETINGS WITH ALL THE REVIEWING DIVISIONS. THIS OUTREACH HAS PRODUCED CLEAR RESULTS INCLUDING RECLASSIFICATION OF INACTIVE CASES, RE-ENGAGEMENT OF PROPERTY OWNERS AND MOVEMENT, EXCUSE ME, OF PROJECTS INTO ACTIVE REVIEW AND PERMITTING. WE ARE ALSO SEEING INCREASED PROGRESS WITH ADDITIONAL PRE-CLEARANCES APPROVED, PERMITS BEING ISSUED, AND MORE PROJECTS ADVANCING THROUGH THE PROCESS. OVERALL, THIS EFFORT HAS IMPROVED VISIBILITY INTO THE RECOVERY PROGRESS AND CLARIFIED NEXT STEPS FOR PERMIT- FOR PROPERTY OWNERS MOVING THROUGH THE REBUILDING. THE REMAINING 25% OF THIS PROJECT 14 IS FOCUSED ON THE CODE LANGUAGE AND CLEANUP. UH, NEXT IS OUR SURVEY METRICS. I'D LIKE TO SHARE A QUICK UPDATE THAT WE'VE CAPTURED SO FAR. UH, THE POST-PERMIT APPROVAL SURVEY RESULTS SCORES; THEY'RE RANGING FROM 3.1 TO 3.6 OUT OF 5 IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, EASE OF PERMITTING PROCESS, AND THE QUALITY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE RESPONSE RATE REMAINS LOW AT 3.9% DESPITE THE EXPANDED OUTREACH EFFORTS THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT METHODS, UH, E-PLAN, APPROVAL LETTERS, UH, WE NOW HAVE NEWLY AUTOMATED EMAILS THAT, UH, ARE SENT TO ALL PROJECT PARTICIPANTS UPON PERMIT ISSUANCE. IMPORTANTLY, FEEDBACK FROM THIS SURVEY CONSISTENTLY REFLECTS THAT CONCERNS ARE PRIMARILY RELATED TO REGULATORY COMPLEXITY AND REQUIREMENTS RATHER THAN STAFF PERFORMANCE; SOMETHING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED IN SOME OF THE EARLIER STREAMLINING EFFORTS. IN CONTRAST, THE POST APPOINTMENT SURVEY RESULTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER WITH A 4.8 OUT OF 5 RATING FOR QUALITY OF SERVICE, AND 96% OF RESPONDENTS REPORT THEY RECEIVED CLEAR AND HELPFUL GUIDANCE. THE SURVEY ALSO HAS A HIGHER RESPONSE RATE OF 18%. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE RESULTS REINFORCE THAT DIRECT STAFF ENGAGEMENT IS DELIVERING A HIGH LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHILE BROADER REGULATORY COMPLEXITY CONTINUES TO BE THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF DISSATISFACTION IN THE OVERALL PERMITTING PROCESS. SURVEY RESULTS ARE SHARED WITH THE MANAGERS EACH WEEK AND ARE USED TO IDENTIFY ISSUES, PRIORITIZE IMPROVEMENTS, AND GUIDE ONGOING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS. AN INSPECTION SURVEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE MOBILE INSPECTOR TO CAPTURE ANY FIELD-RELATED FEEDBACK DIRECTLY FROM THE JOB SITES. WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW, PERFORMANCE HAS IMPROVED ACROSS MULTIPLE KEY INDICATORS, INCLUDING REVIEW TIMELINES AND OVERALL PROCESSING EFFICIENCY. PLAN CHECK REVIEWS ARE CURRENTLY COMPLETED ON TIME, ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME. IN ADDITION, MEDIAN REVIEW TIME HAS DECREASED FROM 80 DAYS TO 66 DAYS, WHICH REFLECTS A MEANINGFUL REDUCTION IN OVERALL TURNAROUND TIME. THE DEPARTMENT IS AVERAGING APPROXIMATELY 7- UH, SORRY, 576 REVIEWS PER MONTH WITH 87% OF APPLICATIONS PROCESSED IN TWO OR FEWER REVIEW CYCLES, INDICATING IMPROVED 1ST ROUND COMPLETENESS AND FEWER REVISION CYCLES. THESE IMPROVEMENTS RESULT FROM TARGETED PROCESS CHANGE ACROSS THE PERMITTING SYSTEM THAT HAVE INCREASED CONSISTENCY IN INTAKE AND REVIEW PRACTICES THAT HAVE IMPROVED GUIDANCE TO STAFF AND APPLICANTS AND ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY IN THE PERFORMANCE TRACKING. THANK YOU, MATT. - ALL RIGHT, SO AS WE WRAP UP OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, I JUST WANNA REMIND THE BOARD THAT WE WILL CONTINUE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, AND TODAY WE DO HAVE, UH, THREE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS: FIRST, TO ACCEPT AND FILE THE REPORT ON THE STREAMLINE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WORK PLAN; SECOND, TO RETURN IN AUGUST WITH UPDATES ON CONTINUED CZU EFFORTS, AND, AND THE REBUILD DIRECTIVE EXTENSION. AND LASTLY, TO RETURN IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR WITH A BIANNUAL UPDATE. AND STAFFS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AND THEN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, PROJECT TEAM FOR THE REPORT. UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME THINGS THAT, UH, SEEM TO BE GOING WELL HERE, UM, PARTICULARLY THE ROBUST PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS, UH, AND INITIAL PLAN REVIEW THOROUGHNESS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE NOW HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE TRACKING THAT HOW MANY PRO- HOW MANY APPLICATIONS OR HOW MANY ROUNDS OF REVIEW EACH APPLICATION HAS. UM, AND I THINK ON, ON THE WHOLE, THE AVAILABILITY OF SOME DATA TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS REALLY HELPFUL. UM... [02:10:02] - THANK YOU. - I, I, YOU, YOU PUT ONE GRAPH UP THERE AT THE END, BUT I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE- THE DASHBOARDS NOW. UH, THE Q1, 2026 HISTORY, UH, BUILDING PERMIT HISTORY METRICS, UM, JUST IN CASE ANYONE WANTS TO, TO FOLLOW ALONG OR IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP ON THE SCREEN HERE. UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUILDING PERMIT PLAN CHECK PER SE, REVIEWED ON TIME, TWO-YEAR HISTORY. I MEAN THE, I, I DON'T SEE A SUPER OBVIOUS INCREASE IN BUILDING PERMITS, UH, REVIEWED ON TIME. IT SEEMS TO BE SORT OF INVERSELY CORRELATED TO THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, RIGHT? WHEN OUR NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS GOES DOWN, WE REVIEW MORE APPLICATIONS ON TIME, AND WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BETTER OFF TODAY THAN MAYBE WE WERE A YEAR AGO. I MEAN, IN JUNE, 2024, WE HAD 122 APPLICATIONS, 66% WERE REVIEWED ON TIME. TODAY OR FEBRUARY '26, 124 APPLICATIONS, 71% REVIEWED ON TIME, A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT NOT LIKE ANYTHING THAT SAYS YES, THAT IS WORKING REALLY GREAT. UM, I MEAN, IT MIGHT- IS THERE SOMETHING I'M NOT SEEING IN THE NUMBERS? COULD YOU CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE? - YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT. I THINK, UM, I THINK IF YOU LOOKED BACK A COUPLE MORE YEARS, YOU WOULD SEE A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE. AND I THINK WHAT THAT MEANS AND, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE STARTED IMPLEMENTING CHANGE EVEN BEFORE THIS WORK PLAN STARTED. AND SO, WE BROUGHT ON, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL HELP TO HANDLE THE PEAKS. BECAUSE I MEAN, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS WORK IS REALLY PEAKS AND VALLEYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE TRY TO STAFF THE, THE AVERAGE NEED. AND SO, THE PEAKS, WE DID BRING IN SOME EXTRA HELP AND WE DID THAT PRIOR TO A LOT OF THE WORK PLAN EFFORTS. AND SO, WE TRIED TO BRING THAT, UH, BACKLOG DOWN EVEN BEFOREHAND. SO, IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT, SAY, FOUR YEARS, YOU WOULD SEE A DRAMATIC, DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT, UH, TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND TODAY IT'S TRUE, WHEN THE WORKLOAD IS HIGHER, YOU'LL SEE A SLIGHT DELAY, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE EBB AND FLOW OF WORK, AND YOU KNOW, IT DOES TAKE TIME TO, TO, UM, TO RESPOND TO THAT, BOTH WITH OUR STAFF AND WITH OUR OUTSIDE HELP. BUT, UH, I THINK IF YOU LOOKED AT A LONGER TIMEFRAME, YOU WOULD SEE SOME REAL IMPROVEMENT. - OKAY. UM, WELL, YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT DATA. I MEAN, HELP US TELL THE SUCCESS STORY, RIGHT? - SURE. - UM, ALSO, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE, UM, A NUMBER OF MEDIAN DAYS IN COUNTY REVIEW DECREASED FROM ABOUT 80 LAST YEAR TO 66 TODAY. AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ALTHOUGH THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO DID SEE A DECREASE IN APPLICATIONS DURING THAT TIME, SO IT CAN'T BE 100% ATTRIBUTED TO AN IMPROVEMENT IN OUR EFFORTS. UM, AND I MEAN, IT ALSO WOULD BE GREAT, UH, TO SEE SOME OF THIS BROKEN OUT BY APPLICATION TYPE. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSING- [CHUCKLES] RIGHT? I MEAN, AS OPPOSED TO DECKS FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IT STILL TAKES OVER 100 DAYS TO APPROVE AN ADU IN OUR HANDS, UH, AND CLOSE TO 200 IF YOU COUNT CLIENT TIME AS WELL. SO, UM, I MEAN, I GUESS SAME, SAME QUESTION AS, AS LAST TIME. I MEAN, WHEN WE COME BACK, WHETHER IT'S QUARTERLY REPORTS OR BIANNUAL REPORTS, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU SEE POTENTIALLY CHANGING BETWEEN NOW AND IF IT IS OCTOBER, OCTOBER, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT MAJOR STEP IN, IN THIS EFFORT? - YEAH. WELL, I'LL SHARE, UH, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT TO BRIAN IF HE WANTS TO COMMENT ON IT AS WELL. BUT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT THE HU- THE MAGNITUDE OF ALL THE PROJECTS, THEY'RE ALL HELPING. AND SO, TAKE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UM, THAT TWO-WAY CONVERSATION WHERE WE'RE INFORMING OF THEM, YOU KNOW, OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR PARTNERS, OF CHANGES ON OUR END, THEY INFORM US OF WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR PROCESS BETTER. IT'S A BIT OF AN EDUCATION. AND SO, WE SEE THAT, THAT CONSTANT EDUCATION, UH, WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE METRICS OUT THERE, WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT OUR OWN PROCESSES. UH, AS BRIAN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE 100 SOPS, ALL OF THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED, UH, PROCESSING, IMPROVED, YOU KNOW, TIMELINES, UH, IMPROVED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S QUITE HIGH TODAY. AND SO, I THINK AS TIME GOES, AND ALL THE PROJECTS DO COME TO FRUITION, YOU'LL SEE THE BENEFITS OF ALL THAT COLLECTIVELY. I THINK, THERE'S A CUMULATIVE IMPACT THAT, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE WITH ALL THE PROJECTS. - OKAY. I MEAN, AS FAR AS CUSTOMER FEEDBACK GOES, I WOULD, I MEAN, IF THERE'S, UH, ANY WAY TO SORT OF DEMONSTRATE SOME OF WHAT THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN WITH THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND WHAT THE LEARNINGS HAVE BEEN AND IMPLEMENTATIONS FROM THOSE, THAT'D BE GREAT. I MEAN, ALL WE NOW, ALL WE SEE REALLY RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY ARE HAPPENING, UM, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE LEARNINGS ARE AND WHAT WE TURN AROUND AND DO AS A RESULT OF THOSE. UM, I MEAN ALSO, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER FEEDBACK, IN GENERAL, I MEAN, YES, CLEARLY, PEOPLE LOVE THE ABILITY [02:15:02] TO COME AND TALK TO STAFF, RIGHT? I MEAN, APPROVAL RATING IS HIGHEST RIGHT AFTER, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LEAVE THE COUNTY BUILDING AND THEY'VE HAD A GOOD, UH, KIND OF, ENCOURAGING EXPERIENCE. UM, BUT THEN THINGS FALL OFF A BIT BY THE TIME THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN THEIR PERMIT, RIGHT? OR MAYBE IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RESPONDING. BUT I MEAN, WHAT'S INTERESTING, EVEN IN TERMS OF LIKE THE- AT ISSUANCE FEEDBACK IS THAT CLIENT SET THAT, WHAT IS IT, 3.6 OUT OF 5 IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF'S WORK, BUT 3.1% APPROVAL OVERALL, OR 3, 3.1 OUT OF 5 IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL PROCESS. I MEAN, AND I THINK YOU SAID, BRIAN, THAT SPEAKS TO THE, THE COMPLEXITY, RIGHT? OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS. SO, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO STRIP THAT COMPLEXITY OUT OF THE PROCESS? AND I MEAN, I SEE THAT WE'RE DOING... UH, A, A LOT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT ITEMS BUT, UM, STILL WONDER WHERE, WHERE ARE THE, JUST THE OBVIOUS THINGS THAT WE COULD STOP DOING. - I THINK, THERE IS A NEED FOR A CONSTANT, UM, EDUCATION, BOTH DIRECTIONS. UH, I THINK WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU REFERENCED THE POST-PERMIT APPROVAL SURVEY, I THINK IT'S HARD TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE. THEY'VE GOT THEIR PERMIT, AND NOW THEIR, THEIR WORLDS ARE EXPLODING WITH ACTIVITY. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING INTO CONSTRUCTION, THEY'RE MANAGING CONTRACTORS, THEY'RE MANAGING ALL THE THINGS, AND THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR US TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT COMMENT BACK. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO, TO GET MORE OF THAT INFORMATION OUT OF THEM WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BEING A BURDEN ON THEM, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY GONNA BE A CONTINUED CHALLENGE. I DO THINK THAT, UM, CONTINUED EDUCATION, AND THIS IS NEVER ENDING, THIS IS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FOREVER, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF, THE CODE CHANGES, THE ENVIRONMENT CHANGES, THE ECONOMY CHANGES, AND WE HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THAT. SO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN END TO ANY OF THIS. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIAN WANTS TO COMMENT MORE ON, ON THAT. - UM, SURE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE. UH, WE CAME OUT OF THE VERY FIRST ONE WITH A WHOLE LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN, AND IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME, BUT WE ENDED UP MEETING WITH A BUNCH OF STAFF, UM, WITH ISD, AND WE IMPLEMENTED ALMOST ALL OF THE REQUESTS. AND SO, WHEN THE SECOND MEETING CAME AROUND, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM SAYING, WELL, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. YOU GUYS HAVE NAILED IT. UM, WHICH WAS VERY, UM, GREAT TO HEAR. THE MOST RECENT STAKEHOLDER MEETING WAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON CAMINO, WHICH IS THE PRE-PERMIT SCREENING. AND THAT HOLDS A LOT OF WEIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS, THERE'S CODE STUFF IN THERE. AND SO, WE HAVE NOW A NEW LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO IMPROVE THE LANGUAGE, TRYING TO, UM, REDUCE SOME OF THE BARRIERS. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON NOW. AND I THINK GOING FORWARD WITH US CONTROLLING THESE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME TO THOSE WITH A, LIKE A FOCUSED AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE NEXT PHASES OF, OF IMPLEMENTATION? WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SEEING? SO, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE. UM, TO MATT'S POINT WITH THE SOPS, I THINK HAVING THEM DOCUMENTED NOW HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STAFF. UM, IT'S QUITE AN EFFORT TO PUT THOSE TOGETHER BUT NOW THAT WE'VE DONE THAT, YOU COULD SEE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THERE WERE LOTS OF QUESTIONS OR SOME GRAY AREAS. AND SO, I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPING, UM, EDUCATE SOME OF THE INEXPERIENCED STAFF, AND ALSO DOCUMENT, UM, SOME OF THE MORE SENIOR LEVEL STAFF. AND I THINK YOUR LAST, OR ANOTHER QUESTION YOU HAD, UM, WAS ABOUT THE POST-PERMIT APPROVAL SURVEY. UM, WE LOOK AT THOSE, THAT FEEDBACK EVERY WEEK, AND IT GETS- DISSEMINATES ALL THE DIFFERENT MANAGERS OF EACH OF THE SECTIONS. SOME OF THEM ARE 5S ACROSS THE BOARD AND SOME OF THEM ARE ALL 1S, OR 1S AND 2S. AND SO, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF MIDDLE GROUND. SOME PEOPLE LOVE THE PROCESS AND THINK IT GOES REALLY SMOOTHLY, AND SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT THING THEY'VE SEEN. AND SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT WITH THE ONES THAT ARE KIND OF JUST, JUST FLOWING RIGHT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. AND SO, UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT DATA, IT'S- WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, AND TRYING TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL. - OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, WHAT ARE THE STATE REQUIREMENTS THESE DAYS AS FAR AS ISSUING BUILDING PERMITS? YOU KNOW, ARE THE, UH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN ALL THESE STATE LAWS, AS FAR AS, I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S THE PERMIT STREAMLINING ACT, RIGHT? WHICH SAYS LIKE, THAT'S 60 DAYS. AND THEN, I THINK THERE'S SOME SHOT CLOCKS AROUND DISCRETIONARY REVIEW. I MEAN, ARE THERE ANY AROUND JUST ISSUING STANDARD BUILDING PERMITS? - UH, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE, THE TIMELINES. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NEW TIMELINES [02:20:01] BEING SORT OF FORCED UPON US. AND WHAT'S CHALLENGING IS THAT, UM, THEY'RE ALL BECOMING PRIORITIES AT THIS POINT. AND SO MANAGING AND, YOU KNOW, AN AGING LIST, THAT'S ALL PRIORITIES CAN BE KIND OF DILUTING SOME OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT, UM, SORT OF GET PUSHED TO THE, TO THE BACK. UM, BUT MAYBE, MAYBE DAN OR SOMEONE ELSE CAN HELP ANSWER THAT. - OR BRIAN, MAYBE WE COULD SHARE THE STANDARD TURNAROUND FOR ALL OF OUR APPLICATIONS FOR THE, FOR THE PLAN CHECK. ARE WE 30 DAYS? AND THEN, THE SECOND REVIEW... - TYPICALLY, THE FIRST ROUND REVIEW IS, UM, 3 TO 4 WEEKS, AND THEN, THE SECOND ROUND IS TYPICALLY 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT, SO IT DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, HOW QUICKLY YOU GET THROUGH THAT FIRST ROUND. YEAH. - SO, SO, THE ON-TIME MEANS IT'S BEEN REVIEWED WITH, EFFECTIVELY WITHIN 30 DAYS? - RIGHT. - WELL, EACH, EACH PERMIT TYPE HAS A DIFFERENT SORT OF TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND SO, IF A NEW HOUSE COMES IN VERSUS A WIRELESS PROJECT, THEY'RE, THEIR, UM, THEIR REVIEW DATES ARE, ARE LOGGED IN, IN, DIFFERENTLY, AND SO ON-TIME MEANS THAT THEY'RE JUST HITTING THAT, THAT FOR WIRELESS, LET'S SAY IT'S TWO WEEKS VERSUS A NEW HOUSE COULD BE 30 DAYS FOR THAT FIRST TIME, FOR THAT FIRST REVIEW. - I MEAN, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I MEAN, WHAT IF THE BOARD SAID, WELL, WE WANT TO REACH 100% ON TIME REVIEW, AND ANYTHING WE DON'T GET TO WILL BE DEEMED APPROVED, AND SO THEN THAT'S GONNA FORCE US TO GO BACK AND TRIAGE THOSE APPLICATIONS MAYBE WE DON'T GET TO A DECK PERMIT, BUT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, WASN'T MAKE OR BREAK THAT WE ACTUALLY REVIEW IT ANYWAY. UM, AND WHY NOT DO, DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? - UH, I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT AS A GROUP. I KNOW THAT JUST APPROVING A BUILDING PERMIT, UM, WITHOUT A REVIEW DOESN'T ACTUALLY DO ANY GOOD SERVICE FOR THE, THE CONTRACTOR OR THE HOMEOWNER. IT'S YOU N- YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO BUILD SOMETHING OUT OF COMPLIANCE, AND SO GETTING IT REVIEWED ON PAPER IS A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE THAN REDOING CONCRETE AND WOOD STRUCTURES IN THE FIELD IS ONE SORT OF IDEA. BUT BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH, AS A TEAM. WE, AND JUST TO CLARIFY WE... WHEN I FIRST STARTED AS A PERMIT TECHNICIAN, UM, AND WE STARTED THIS METRIC PROCESS, WE WERE AT LIKE 80% OVERDUE, AND WE HIT THE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON TIME JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. AND SO WE HAVE BEEN MAKING STEADY IMPROVEMENTS SINCE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE AT 80% ON TIME RIGHT NOW, UM, I THINK THAT'S JUST LIKE A COMPLETE TURN OF EVENTS FROM, FROM WHERE WE'VE BEEN. SO IT MAY NOT SOUND GREAT TO BE AT 80%, BUT I, I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE AND THE STAFF ARE REALLY WORKING, WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET THERE. - APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THE PROCESS FOR SURE. THANKS. - THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR... ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? - YES. - SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - SO WITH THE SOFTWARE WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO CHECK ON, LIKE, YOUR PROJECT STATUS, IT'S KINDA LIKE A SIMILAR QUESTION TO THE AI. CAN YOU STILL REACH A REAL PERSON OR AT LEAST LIKE A EMAIL OR SOMETHING? YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME TO THE OFFICE ABOUT PROJECTS, AND THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC EMAIL TO A SPECIFIC PERSON, AND WHEN THEY EMAIL THEM BACK, THERE'S NO PERSON TIED TO WHOEVER DOES THE RESPONSE. SO I JUST WANTED TO CHECK, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN STILL ACCESS A REAL PERSON OR EMAIL OF A REAL PERSON WHEN THEY CHECK ON THEIR PROJECT STATUS WITH THE SOFTWARE THAT, THAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED. - YEAH. FOR, UH, FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, SOFTWARE, UH, THE, THE, THE STATUS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED WILL TELL YOU WHO THE REVIEWER IS OR WHO IT'S ASSIGNED TO, UH, SO YOU ALWAYS WILL HAVE THAT OPTION TO, UH, BE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY. THE OTHER THING THAT'S PART OF THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE IS, UH, A, A MESSAGING, THERE'S ACTUALLY A DIRECT MESSAGING ELEMENT THAT I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS TO, AT THIS POINT. BUT THAT, THAT BASICALLY WILL ALLOW THEM THROUGH THE PORTAL TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE, THE, THE PERSON OR THE REVIEWER, AND IT'LL SHOW UP INTO, IN OUR DATA, UH, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. - AND IF SOMEONE SHOWS UP AT THE FRONT DESK, THEY CAN STILL ACCESS THE PERSON. - ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. ALL THE REGULAR WAYS OF SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS DEALING WITH US, NONE OF THOSE ARE GOING AWAY. THIS IS JUST AN EXTRA, UH, UH, CONVENIENCE FOR THEM. - THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR DESERPA. - THANK YOU. UM, GO- NICELY DONE ON THE IMPROVING, UM, TIME TO REVIEW. I THINK WE'RE MOVING OBVIOUSLY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, I'M NOT GONNA ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS JUST 'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE PROCESS [02:25:02] ALSO OF GOING, GOING THROUGH TRYING TO GET A PERMIT, AND I STILL DON'T HAVE ONE, MONTHS LATER. UM, DESPITE HAVING USED, UM, LICENSED ENGINEERS, SOIL ENGINEERS, CONTRACTORS, DESIGNERS, ET CETERA. SO CAN I JUST ASK LIKE, WHY... ASK WE HA- AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE THIS SORT OF VERY CONVOLUTED BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS THAT'S BASED ON YEARS AND YEARS OF AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES, ET CETERA. I HAD HEARD, AND I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T EXACTLY HEAR HOW YOU ANSWERED MANU, I JUST NEED TO HEAR IT MORE CLEARLY I THINK. UM, HAVE WE... I, I'VE HEARD OVER THE, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT MAYBE WE WOULD THINK ABOUT GETTING RID OF COMPLETELY OUR OWN BUILDING CODES AND JUST SORT OF ADOPTING THE STATE. CAN YOU JUST TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, NOT A GOOD IDEA OR IF WE PLAN ON GOING THAT DIRECTION OR? - YEAH. YEAH. SO, UH... - JUST 'CAUSE IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. - RIGHT. - I THINK EVEN FOR YOUR OWN STAFF, TO, TO LEARN ALL OF THE INS AND OUTS. AND I THINK THEY MAKE IT SO COMPLICATED FOR AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER. - THE, UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REALLY REFERENCING IS THE STATE BUILDING CODE. IT IS COMPLICATED AND IF YOU LOOK BACK 20, 30 YEARS, 40 YEARS, IT HAS GOTTEN A LOT MORE COMPLICATED. YOU THINK ABOUT AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, THE ONE HERE, YOU KNOW, THE NORTHRIDGE, EVERYTHING GOT MUCH, MUCH MORE COMPLEX. YOU LOOK AT THE ENERGY CODES, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF WITH COMPLEXITIES. AND SO, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS THE STATE BUILDING CODE COMPLEXITIES GONE UP. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT A CHALLENGE, I THINK, FOR EVERYBODY, IS TO FOLLOW THAT- THOSE CODE CYCLES. AND IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, OR EVEN IF YOU ARE DOING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILS AND, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS IN THERE. I WOULD SAY THAT OUR OWN COUNTY CODE, AND WE'RE GONNA GET TO THIS TODAY ACTUALLY. BUT WE'RE NOT- I WOULD SAY WE'RE NOT OVERCOMPLICATING THAT STATE BUILDING CODE, WE'RE TRYING TO ADD CLARITY TO IT. BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE REASONS, OR JUST THE THINGS YOU'RE TRYING TO DESCRIBE THERE, IS THAT IT'S REALLY THE STATE BUILDING CODE AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY FOR DECADES. WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM HERE. UM, WHAT THEY'RE MOST UPSET ABOUT IS THAT STATE CHANGE. IT REALLY IS. AND, YOU KNOW, NEW KNOWLEDGE. WHETHER IT'S GEOLOGIC KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, SEISMIC, YOU KNOW, EARTH MOVEMENTS. THERE'S ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT NEW CHALLENGES IN THERE. BUT IT'S REALLY THE BUILDING CODE, AND WE DO ADOPT THE BUILDING CODE, THE STATE BUILDING CODE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE FOLLOW WITH A FEW AMENDMENTS TO PROVIDE CLARITY, UM, TO PROVIDE SOME CERTAINTY TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR. WE'VE REALLY COMPARED OURSELVES TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE STATE, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON PAR WITH, UH, NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS OF HOW WE USE THE STATE BUILDING CODE. - UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL SAY IS THAT WHEN I'VE HAD CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS, THE STAFF HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY ABOUT, UM, COMING WITH ME TO THE CONSTITUENTS PROPERTY AND WE LOOK AT IT TOGETHER, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE FOR PROBLEMS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A CHANGE FROM YEARS PAST OR MAYBE THAT'S A COMMON PRACTICE, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF TRULY FOR, UM, HELPING ME IN THAT WAY. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENT THINGS THAT I SEND YOU GO TO END UP GOING TO STEPHANIE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND SO I, I DO WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON THAT. I STILL THINK WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AS YOU'RE ADMITTING ALSO. AND, UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD TODAY, AND I, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVEMENTS UPCOMING. THANKS. - THANK YOU. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY. UM, I WANNA JUST START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME, UM, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THE PROGRESS AND HAVE APPRECIATED THESE UPDATES. UM, I WANNA START OFF BY THANKING YOU FOR INCORPORATING MR. HOLMAN'S, UH, PROPOSALS INTO THIS REPORT. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD DIRECTED AT OUR LAST UPDATE. AND, UM, I'M CURIOUS AS IT RELATES TO THE NEW DEFINITION OF IN KIND, UM, THAT'S INTENDED TO CREATE ALIGNMENT ACROSS PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISIONS. ARE THERE CURRENT REBUILDING PROJECTS THAT THIS MIGHT IMPACT? UM, IS THERE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THIS MIGHT HELP UNSTUCK ANY ISSUES? - I, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES BUT I'LL JUST SHARE QUICKLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IN KIND DEFINITIONS ONE WAS THE 10%, THE OTHER WAS 500, EXCUSE ME, 500 SQUARE FEET, AND WE'VE COMBINED THAT TO BE UP TO 500 SQUARE FEET. HOPEFULLY, THAT PROVIDES SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY [02:30:02] FOR SOME OF THOSE, UH, VICTIMS STILL TRYING TO REBUILD. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF BRIAN'S AWARE OF ANYBODY THAT WAS ON THAT CUSP OF, OF THEY DIDN'T MEET THE IN KIND BECAUSE OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE. I, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT CERTAINLY THIS CLARITY WE'RE PROVIDING TODAY, WHICH WE'LL ALSO BRING BACK TO, UM, TO YOUR BOARD FOR THE CZU DIRECTIVE UPDATE IN AUGUST. UH, IT WILL HELP IN GENERAL. AND EVEN IN THE FUTURE, IT'LL PROVIDE MORE ASSURANCE THAT- THAT WE'VE GOT THAT DIALED IN REALLY. BUT BRIAN, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANYBODY THAT WAS ON THAT CUSP OF IN KIND DIFFERENCES? - I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL WITH ME. BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN A COMMON THEME THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BY OUR STAFF AND ALSO BAKER TILLY DURING ANALYSIS AS WELL. SO I WOULD ASS- I WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE. - THANK YOU. YEAH, IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS WHICH IS JUST TRYING TO, UM, ALIGN DEFINITIONS ACROSS VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTY. UM, UNDER PROJECT 14, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OVERALL NUMBERS. UM, SO THERE ARE 480 PARCELS THAT, UM, WERE PREVIOUSLY RESIDENTIAL THAT REMAIN UNDER ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP. UM, SO THEY QUALIFY FOR THE CZU REBUILD DIRECTIVE AND THE REPORT SAYS OF THOSE 177 RE- WERE REBUILT, 105 ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND 94 ARE IN CNC, UM, WHICH WE HEARD ABOUT. SO THAT TOTAL IS 376. SO THERE'S A REMAINING JUST ABOUT 104 PARCELS. NOW, UM, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THOSE PARCELS? ARE THOSE FOLKS WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM AT ALL? UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN EFFORTS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH CZU VICTIMS IN THE PAST. DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE STATUS OF THOSE? - UH, I'M UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM, AND IN GOING THROUGH THIS EFFORT, UM, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF NUMBERS IN THERE THAT WERE CONFUSING TO US. THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HAD SOME NUMBERS, WE HAD DIFFERENT NUMBERS, APNS HAD CHANGED NUMBERS OVER TIME. AND SO, SO I THINK TODAY, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SPREADSHEET OF WHERE THAT IS, AND I'M SURE WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT MORE DIGGING FOR YOU ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. - I, I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PART OF THE INTENT OF PROJECT 14 WAS, IS CONTINUES TO BE JUST HAVE A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE FOLKS ARE AND TO CONTINUE THE DIRECT ENGAGEMENT, UM, THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND THAT I APPRECIATE. UM, SO WE CAN JUST HAVE THAT SENSE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND FOLLOW UP AND KNOW WHEN WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT CZU VICTIMS. UM, I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT, UM, 10 PRE-CLEARANCE HAVE BEEN APPROVED SINCE OUR LAST REPORT. UM, AND CAN YOU... DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THAT PATH LOOKED LIKE? WAS THERE ANY LEARNINGS THAT YOU HAD FROM THAT, THAT, UM, YOU CAN SHARE WITH US SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BORROW THAT FOR OTHER FOLKS? - SURE. UM, WELL LET ME FIRST START BY SAYING NOT ALL 10 WERE APPROVED IN THIS QUARTER. UH, DURING THIS ANALYSIS, WE FOUND SOME THAT WERE OPEN THAT, UM, APPLICANTS HAD ALREADY SUBMITTED A BUILDING PERMIT, AND SO WE CLOSED, I THINK IT WAS, UM, I THINK WE APPROVED THREE OUT OF THE 10. UM, WE HAD ONE CNC MEETING AT THE COUNTER, WHICH, UH, GAVE THE APPLICANTS CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO AND THAT WAS ANOTHER APPROVAL. AND THAT, THAT CHECKED A FEW BOXES. UH, I BELIEVE, EH AND GL CLEARANCES. AND THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL THAT WERE ZONING THAT WERE, UH, APPROVED AS WELL. UM, TWO OF THE 10 THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE WERE PRE CLEARANCES THAT HAD BEEN APPROVED PREVIOUSLY, THAT NOW THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF WORK. AND SO IN THE REVISED SCOPE OF WORK, THOSE HAVE BEEN NOW APPROVED AS WELL. AND SO, UM, MAY NOT BE 10 IN THIS LAST COUPLE MONTHS, BUT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY CLOSE 10 AT THIS POINT, AND MOVE ON TOWARDS BUILDING PERMITS. - GOT IT. I APPRECIATE- I APPRECIATE THE, UM, FURTHER DETAIL ON THAT. UM, I'LL HAVE A FEW MORE COMMENTS BUT I'LL SAVE THAT FOR AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT TO SEE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. SEEING NO ONE IN THE ROOM, IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE PHONE? - YES, CHAIR. THERE ARE SPEAKERS ONLINE. MIKE, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOW AVAILABLE. [02:35:02] - THANK YOU. ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? - YES. - GOOD MORNING, SUPERVISORS. THIS IS MIKE GUTH FROM DISTRICT 1. I WANTED TO COMMENT- I'M GONNA REPEAT SOME OF THE COMMENTS I MADE AT THE LAST STATUS MEETING, WHICH I THINK ONCE AGAIN ARE NOT ADDRESSED, AND ARE STILL OUT THERE. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING I HAVE GREAT FAITH IN DIRECTOR MACHADO AND HIS ABILITY TO GET THIS PROJECT THROUGH ON A GOOD BASIS, AND I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR KOENIG THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HERE. BUT SEPARATE FROM WHAT YOU ALL HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO BRIEFLY, YOU HEARD THAT THERE'S CHAPTER 16 CODES CHANGES COMING, AND IT'S GOING OUT FOR A BID TO CONSULTANTS. CHAPTER 16 ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. AT THE LAST MEETING I SAID, HEY, THIS NEEDS TO BE LIKE LOOKED AT. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU'RE WORKING OUT. WE'VE HEARD SO MUCH TALK ABOUT STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH. I'M AWARE OF NONE ON CHAPTER 16 ITEMS, EXCEPT THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT TO DEVELOPERS AND, AND WHAT... THESE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL CODES, ESPECIALLY WHERE OUR PERMIT PROTECTION CODES, SENSITIVE HABITAT CODES, CREEKS, CREEK BANKS, ARROYOS, WETLANDS, LAGOONS, ALL THESE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT ARE SO SPECIAL. IF, IF CODE CHANGES ARE GONNA BE MADE, THE IDEA THAT THERE'S NOT OUTREACH AND DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ALREADY. IS MIND BOGGLING TO ME. AND IF ANYBODY WAS GONNA EVER SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, IT'S JUST PROCEDURAL. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I'VE HEARD THAT. IF I'VE HAD A NICKEL EVERY TIME, I'D HAVE A LOT OF NICKELS. THERE NEEDS TO BE OUTREACH AND DISCUSSION WITH GROUPS LIKE THE SIERRA CLUB, VALLEY WOMEN'S CLUB AND, UH, SURF RIDER. AND THEY HAVE PLANS TO SAY, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS EXPECTING TO DO TO CHAPTER 16? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE CONSULTANTS WRITE STUFF UP BASED ON DEVELOPER'S CONCERNS, IT'S GONNA COME UP IN A DRAFT, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A BIG BATTLE. SO I URGE YOU TO, LIKE, LET'S GET THIS OUTREACH GOING AND STAKEHOLDERS OF A DIFFERENT TYPE INVOLVED, AND LET'S NOT WAIT ON THAT ANY LONGER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. - THANK YOU. - CALLING USER 3, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - I'D LIKE YOU TO FOLLOW MY GOOF RECOMMENDATIONS. THE, THIS IS, UM, A DISASTER AS I SEE IT STREAMLINING. YOU'RE STREAMLINING OUT THE PUBLIC, AND FOR IN-PERSON CONTACT, PEOPLE LIKE ME NOT HAVING OPTIONS 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER. WE NEED REAL PEOPLE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY, PLANNING TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS TOXIC RADIATION EMITTING TECHNOLOGY. AND I WOULD REFER YOU TO A RECENT ARTICLE BY JOEL MOSKOWITZ- MOSKOWITZ, JMM@BERKELEY.EDU. THE ARTICLE FROM APRIL IS ENTITLED, "HIGH CERTAINTY EVIDENCE MOBILE PHONE RADIATION," THAT INCLUDES WIRELESS RADIATION, CANCER, FERTILITY, AND WIDE CURRENT LIMITS ARE NO LONGER DEFENSIBLE. UM, THE STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD BE THE PUBLIC NOT THE CORPORATIONS DEEMED APPROVED. UM, IT IS NOT LOOKING CAREFULLY AT IMPACTS OF A PROJECT. UM, LET'S SEE. UM, I'M READING FROM THIS OPENING OF THIS ARTICLE BY JOEL MOSKOWITZ. "THERE IS NOW HIGH CERTAINTY EVIDENCE FROM EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL STUDIES THAT RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATION INCREASES THE RISK OF CANCER AND HARMS REPRODUCTIVE OUTCOMES." - TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AGAIN. UM, I LIKE MIKE'S COMMENTS. UH, MY, MY MAJOR CONCERNS WHEN IT COMES TO THESE SORTS OF THINGS ARE OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND, UH, SAFETY, YOU KNOW, EARTHQUAKE, UH, RELATED CODES, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNMENT, UH, YEAH, I, WITH MY, UH, PROJECTS IN THE PAST WHEN I WORKED, I'VE WORKED A LOT WITH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL BUREAUCRACIES, [02:40:03] AND, UH, DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE LABS. AND, AND ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, BACK THEN, YOU KNOW, I JUST GOT TIRED OF IT REAL QUICK AND I GAVE HIM ESSENTIALLY TWO CHOICES. DO YOU WANNA LAND ON MARS AND HAVE SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS OR DO YOU WANT FAILURE? THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET. AND I KEPT ALL THESE BUREAUCRATIC FOLKS AWAY FROM ME. SO I ALSO HAVE MANAGEMENT AND UNIONS TOO, AND UNION FOLKS THREATENING ME. WELL, I'M THE WRONG GUY TO THREATEN. I DON'T PUT UP WITH IT AT ALL. AS SOON AS SOMEONE ISSUES A THREAT, THEN I STEP RIGHT INTO THEIR WORLD. SO FOLKS GOT THE MESSAGE REAL QUICK. THAT'S HOW MY PROJECTS ENDED UP, UH, BEING QUITE SUCCESSFUL. YOU KNOW, THE MARS PROGRAMS THAT I WORKED ON WERE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. THEY DIDN'T CRASH INTO THE PLANET. SO THE THING IS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT ALL THIS, AND, UH, AI IS COMMON. YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GONNA BE USING IT AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK, UH, OF THIS. UH, A LOT OF THINGS NEED TO BE CLEANED UP AND, UM, FOLKS ARE GONNA BE USING AI WITH CODE AND BUILDING AND, UH, YOU CAN'T DUCK IT. YOU KNOW, IF I DON'T SEE THINGS SPEED ALONG IN EFFICIENT, UH, PROGRESS HERE, THEN WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH GOVERNMENT. ANYWAYS, UH, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MANY OF MY THOUGHTS. SO, YOU FOLKS ALL HAVE FUN... - THANK YOU. - CHAIR, I SEE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE. - THANK YOU. I'LL NOW RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - FIRST, I JUST WANNA START BY ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS PROCESS MORE- PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT. AND WHILE IT'S NOT PERFECT, I MEAN, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT WE'RE TAKING THERE CONCERNS, UM, SERIOUSLY AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO ENGAGE WITH THEM TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT ARE ULTIMATELY GONNA MAKE THIS PROCESS, UM, MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO DATE AND JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MOVING FORWARD. UM, ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, I, I DO JUST WANT TO US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A VERY ECOLOGICALLY DIVERSE, A GEOLOGICALLY DIVERSE PART OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH MAKES BUILDING AND STREAMLINING CONSTRUCTION VERY COMPLICATED BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE A NUMBER OF THESE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE APPROVING PERMITS. I MEAN, IF WE WERE A VERY FLAT HOMOGENOUS LANDSCAPE WITH, YOU KNOW, VERY LOW BIODIVERSITY, IT MIGHT BE MUCH MORE EASY TO, YOU KNOW, JUST MOVE PROJECTS THROUGH THE SYSTEM. BUT THE COMPLEXITY OF WHERE WE LIVE REALLY MAKES IT CHALLENGING AND DIFFICULT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION, WHILE ALSO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VARIOUS FACTORS THAT MAKE THAT CHALLENGING. AND SO, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH THIS AND THROUGH ALL THE COMPLEX CODE THAT EXISTS AT OUR STATE LEVEL. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WORKING WITH, UM, STEVE HOLMAN. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS, EVEN WHEN I WAS ON THE COASTAL COMMISSION, WE WERE HAVING AROUND, UH, DISASTERS AND CALAMITIES. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN STRUCTURES THAT WERE PRE COASTAL ACT, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON A LARGE PROPERTY, AND DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO BUILD, TO, TO REQUIRE AN IN KIND REBUILD IN A PLACE THAT WASN'T SAFE PREVIOUSLY. AND IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT FLEXIBILITY TO POTENTIALLY MOVE THAT STRUCTURE TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE PROPERTY WHERE IT'S SAFER OR WHERE IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UM, IMPACTING, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SENSE OF HABITAT JUST MAKES SENSE. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE, UM, EXPLORING THAT WITH THESE CODE AMENDMENTS, I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS OUT ON, ON, UM, CAL POLY'S RANCH IN MY DISTRICT AND THEY LOST STRUCTURES IN AREAS WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU CAN REBUILD, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A DEBRIS FLOW, FLOW WALL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT IN PILINGS. IT WAS GONNA BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO BE REBUILD IN KIND IN THAT EXACT LOCATION. AND THEY'VE BEEN EXPLORING OTHER AREAS ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT ARE MUCH SAFER. AND SO, I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT FLEXIBILITY, IT'S REALLY GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN KIND IN A PLACE THAT WAS NOT SAFE, BUT BUILD SOMETHING SIMILAR IN A PLACE THAT'S MUCH MORE SAFER AND, UH, WILL HAVE LESS IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY. SO JUST GLAD THAT WE'RE EXPLORING THAT AND, UM, I'M ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE SEMI-ANNUAL UPDATES. UM, I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK IT TAKES TO BRING THESE TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS FORWARD, AND I THINK THAT ALL OF US WOULD RATHER HAVE PLANNING STAFF HELPING PEOPLE GET THEIR PERMITS THROUGH AND GETTING THEIR BUILDINGS BUILT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT AS INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS, IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP, WE CAN COME AND, YOU KNOW, MEET WITH YOU ALL, AND IT'LL BE GREAT IF YOU ALL CAN, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE US UPDATES IF THEY'RE REQUESTED. BUT IT MAKES MORE SENSE AND I THINK THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANT TO SEE YOU ALL HELPING PEOPLE GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF GETTING THEIR PERMITS, UM, APPROVED, [02:45:02] AND GETTING BUILDINGS BUILT. AND SO I THINK THAT THE SEMI-ANNUAL, UM, UPDATES WILL MAKE SENSE. AND WHILE I KNOW THIS YEAR, WE'RE- IT'S RECOMMENDED THEY COME FORWARD IN OCTOBER, IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE FOR US TO JUST HAVE THEM COME FORWARD DURING THE MIDYEAR BUDGET, AND THE BUDGET, UM, TIMES AS WE'RE GETTING UPDATES ON THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING. UM, SO IF IT'S INCORPORATED INTO THOSE TIMES WHEN WE'RE ALREADY GETTING UPDATES FROM YOU ALL, IT MIGHT HELP INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN TERMS OF GETTING FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL ON THIS WORK. UM, YEAH, AND WITH THAT, I JUST, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING THESE UPDATES, THE UPDATES ON THE CZU. UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UM, GOOD TO SEE THIS INFORMATION. IT, IT, IT'S REALLY TROUBLING THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO AREN'T COMING FORWARD. BUT I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR US WHEN WE'RE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE REBUILD THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO ON OUR END IN TERMS OF DOING THE OUTREACH. UM, IF PEOPLE AREN'T WANTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH US OR IF THEY DON'T WANNA REBUILD, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO FORCE THEM TO DO THAT. I THINK BY JUST GETTING THESE UPDATES ON THE COUNTIES, UM, YOU KNOW, INTENTION ON ENGAGING WITH FOLKS AND TRYING TO GET THEM, UM, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEIR PINCH POINTS FOR REBUILDING. IT JUST REALLY HELPS US CONVEY TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO REBUILD IS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. I WILL NOTE ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I WILL SAY IS THAT, AS PART OF STREAMLINING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING THAT'S A CONCERN FROM FOLKS IS THE ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC PROCESS AND THE ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT OF FOLKS IT'S, YOU KNOW, COMING IN WITH AN APPLICATION, GETTING FEEDBACK, GOING OUT DOING THE WORK AND COMING BACK AND BEING TOLD, OH, WELL, ACTUALLY YOU GOT TO GO DO THIS. THEN THEY GO BACK AND DO IT, AND THEN THEY COME BACK, AND SAY, OH, YOU GOT TO DO THIS. LIKE, THAT'S THE PART OF THE STREAMLINING PROCESS, I THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOST CONCERNED WITH IS GETTING INCONSISTENT FEEDBACK OR INCONSISTENT DIRECTION. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO JUST GO, DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, GET THE PERMITS, AND BE ABLE TO MOVE ON. UM, BUT I THINK FROM A PUBLIC PROCESS, HAVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT HAVING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES AND MAINTAINING THAT ENGAGEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE STILL WANNA SEE HAPPEN. SO JUST POINT OF FEEDBACK MOVING FORWARD THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM OUR OFFICE. SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE, THE DIRECTION. - SECOND. - THAT WAS... DO WE HAVE A MOTION? - SURE. THAT'LL BE A MOTION. - OKAY. - I'LL MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. - OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. YEAH, I'M, I MEAN, I'M FINE WITH THE SEMI-ANNUAL UPDATES. UM, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE SORT OF, UH, NOT IN EXCHANGE BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SORT OF ARE, ARE STAYING ON TRACK IS JUST A LITTLE BIT GRA- MORE GRANU- GRANULARITY IN TERMS OF THE DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE DASHBOARD. UM, SO I'D OFFER THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM, THAT STAFF PROVIDE PERCENT REVIEWED ON TIME DATA BROKEN OUT BY BUILDING PERMIT TYPE. UH, AND ALSO MEASURE, UH, OF THE PERCENT OF APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED COMPLETE THAT KIND OF GETS TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR PRE-APP PROGRAM. UM, ALSO BY BUILDING PERMIT TYPE AS PART OF THE REGULAR STREAMLINE UPDATES WITH THE INITIAL DATA AVAILABLE BY THE AUGUST 25TH DATE. - WE HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. IS THAT ACCEPTED BY THE... - I WANNA GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM STAFF 'CAUSE THAT CAME REALLY QUICK TOO. SO, BUT JUST WANT TO. - UH, I, I'M, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT WE CAN COME BACK WITH SOME MORE GRANULARITY. THE, UM, THE COMPLETENESS QUESTION IS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S OR I'D JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT DISCRETIONARY PERMITS OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BUILDING PERMITS? BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL... - JUST BUILDING PERMITS HERE. - OKAY. UM, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT. I WOULD NEED TO PROBABLY ENGAGE WITH ISD TO SEE HOW TO PULL THOSE METRICS FROM E PLAN BUT I BELIEVE WE CAN- WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, AND FIGURE THAT OUT. - OKAY. - WE, WE DON'T... IN THE BUILDING SECTION, WE DON'T CALL, IT'S, WE DON'T DEEM IT COMPLETE OR INCOMP- WE DON'T CALL IT INCOMPLETE LIKE THE DISCRETIONARY PROCESS. THERE'S NO LIKE HARD LINE THAT SAYS IT'S COMPLETE. WE, WE PROVIDE INTAKE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IF THEY'RE NOT MET, THEN WE PROCESS THEM ON THE NEXT ROUND REGARDLESS OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR. SO, COMPLETENESS COULD BE A LITTLE BIT TRICKY, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL REGROUP ON THAT AND FIGURE THAT OUT. - IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO PHRASE IT, I MEAN, I, I THINK THERE'S UNDERSTANDING HERE ENOUGH THAT WE CAN GET TO SOMETHING, BUT OKAY. - SO I GUESS, CAN I ASK, SUPERVISOR KOENIG LIKE, I GUESS, WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE IN TERMS OF... - UM, SO AS FAR AS THE, THE FIRST PIECE BUILDING PERMIT TYPE, UH, OR SORRY, PERCENT REVIEWED ON TIME DATA BROKEN OUT BY BUILDING PERMIT TYPE. IT'S JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATING A VANITY METRIC HERE OF SAYING, WOW, WE'RE REVIEWING ALL THE PERMITS, YOU KNOW, REALLY QUICKLY. BUT IN FACT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DECK PERMITS OR SOLAR PERMITS THAT ARE, ARE DRIVING UP OUR AVERAGE THAT WE, THAT WE'RE, WE KNOW WE'RE ALSO GETTING [02:50:03] TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OR ADUS, UH, IN A, IN A TIMELY WAY. AND THEN AS FAR AS, UM, MEASURING APPLICATIONS THAT ARE SUBMITTED COMPLETE, IT'S REALLY, WELL, HOW WELL ARE WE DOING IT? UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE CAMINO GUIDE, OR JUST WITH, WITH STAFF, EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT'S REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION. UM, AND I THINK THAT WILL LEAD TO FAST, YOU KNOW, FASTER PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS GREATER SATISFACTION. UM, SO I THINK WE'RE- WE'RE ACTUALLY AT TWO OUT OF THREE IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BEST PRACTICE I'VE SEEN, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEASURE, AS A DEPARTMENT, IT TENDS TO BE APPLICATIONS REVIEWED ON TIME. UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY ROUNDS OF REVIEW, AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE THAT I'M GONNA JUMP IN THAT WE'RE MISSING, BUT I'M ASKING FOR, IS, UM, APPLICATION SUBMITTED COMPLETE? - YES. IF I MAY, UH, SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON THAT. I THINK WE PROVIDED SOME METRICS TODAY ABOUT HOW MANY ROUNDS OF PLAN CHECKS THEY REQUIRE, WHICH IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF COMPLETENESS. NOW, THERE MAY BE A LITTLE MORE TO IT THAT WE COULD DIG INTO, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS RIGHT ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF APPLICATIONS ARE GETTING REVIEWED AND APPROVED AND, AND ONE TO TWO ROUNDS. AND SO IF THE ONES THAT TAKE THREE, FOUR ROUNDS, WE DO HAVE A PROCEDURE FOR THAT TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANTS AND REALLY REVIEW THE COMMENTS. BUT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GET ALSO TO THE COMPLETENESS OF THE FIRST APPLICATION. AND SO, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST BUILDING PERMITS, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A KEY METRIC. NOW MAYBE WE CAN DIG A LITTLE DEEPER TO UNDERSTAND, TO UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT, UM, BUT WITH REGARD TO JUST STRAIGHT BUILDING PERMITS NOT DISCRETIONARY, UM, PERMITS, I THINK THAT NUMBER MAY BE HERE BUT MAYBE WE CAN DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND, AND SHARE SOME MORE INFORMATION IF WE CAN PULL IT OUT OF THE SYSTEM. - OKAY. - THAT'S, UM... SO I'LL JUST ASK SUPPORT THE DIRECTION THAT SUPERVISOR KOENIG'S GOING ON. I THINK IT, IT MAY NEED SOME MASSAGING ON YOU ALL'S END, UM, BUT TRYING TO GET SOME MORE OF THAT GRANULARITY AROUND BILLING APPLICATION APPROVAL IN THE TIME IT TAKES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN IN FULL APPLICATION APPROVAL IN THE TIME IT TAKES THAT TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, WE'LL LET YOU ALL BRING SOMETHING BACK TO US AND THEN IF WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, ADJUST IT AND FINE TUNE IT, WE CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AND ALSO WE JUST ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO OUR OFFICES PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, SHARING WITH US, UM, WHAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING IN TERMS OF THAT INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE IT'S ALIGNED WITH WHAT, WHERE SUPERVISOR KOENIG IS AT AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHERE THE BOARD'S DIRECTION IS COMING FROM TODAY. - SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. - I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF FINAL COMMENTS OF... IF I COULD. UM, SO THIS IS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTACK HERE, RIGHT? SO FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR PERMITTING PROCESS, RIGHT? NOT ONLY FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT FOR STAFF TOO, RIGHT? WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT BANGING THEIR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL TRYING TO... - RIGHT. - YEAH. AND THAT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR. IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE HIRED PEOPLE WITH LICENSES TO PREPARE OUR, OUR PERMITTING APPLICATION. UM, IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. SO LET'S JUST START THERE. SECONDLY, WE WANT TO IMPROVE, RIGHT? UM, UH, OUR REPUTATION SO THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA GET THAT PERMIT. INSTEAD OF SAYING, NO, I'M GONNA DO THIS ON RADAR. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE LOSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN NOT ONLY PERMITTING FEES, BUT IN ASSESSED VALUE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T COME IN TO GET THE PERMIT. SO WE WANNA MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. YEAH. - YEAH. WE HEAR THAT AND, UH, IN FACT, THIS MIGHT TIE INTO SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS COMMENT ABOUT, UH, CLEAR, CONSISTENT DIRECTION AND WE THINK THE SOPS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED WILL GET TO THAT, SO THAT WE'RE ALL FOLLOWING THE SAME PROCEDURE, THE SAME GUIDANCE, AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK THAT ADDRESSES BOTH OF YOUR COMMENTS. UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S CLEARLY A, A KEY PART OF OUR WORK PROGRAM AND, UH, WE'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF IT. AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT, BUT I THINK WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS FOR SURE. - THANK YOU. - CAN I, CAN I JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK AS WELL? UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN AN APPLICANT, UM, SUBMITS THE FILES TO THE WRONG PLATFORM TO LIKE, LET'S SAY TO CAMINO, WHICH IS NOT ACTUALLY THE PLATFORM FOR SUBMITTING PERMITS. UM, WE NOTICE THAT RIGHT AWAY AND WE CONTACT THEM AND WE LET THEM KNOW THAT THE PROPER CHANNELS ARE TO GO THROUGH E PLAN AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS TO COME TO THE COUNTER AND TALK TO US. UM, WE ALSO RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED, UM, LIKE LITTLE LINKS TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS WITH INDIVIDUALIZED STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT. [02:55:02] SO WE, THE, UM, ACCESS IS, IS, UM, MORE PREVALENT, AND, UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE, AND WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO HELP FOLKS. UM, THERE ARE SOME PERMITS THAT ARE- WE'RE JUST WAITING ON A RESUBMITTAL TO COME IN TO PROCESS, AND IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS SINCE THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED. AND SO, IT LOOKS POORLY UPON US, BUT I THINK WE ARE IMPROVING, AND WE ARE DOING CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET YOUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN IMPROVING AND THERE ARE A FEW ONE-OFFS HERE AND THERE THAT MAY, YOU MAY HEAR ABOUT AS THE SQUEAKY WHEEL. SO, SO THANKS. - MAY I ADD ONE MORE ELEMENT? THIS IS NOT ON THAT TOPIC BUT, UH, BEFORE THE, YOUR BOARD TAKES ACTION WE HEARD A, A BIT OF CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT, UM, OUR PROJECT 1, THE MAJOR CODE UPDATE. AND I JUST WANT TO INFORM THE BOARD THAT WHEN WE BRING THAT CONTRACT TO YOUR BOARD, WE WILL INCLUDE A SCHEDULE THAT'LL INCLUDE OUTREACH AND ADEQUATE COMMUNITY INPUT. SO BE ASSURED THAT, THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS. UH, GO THROUGH ALL THOSE STEPS, PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, UH, TO WEIGH IN ON, ON ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT WE PROPOSE TO YOUR BOARD. SO JUST TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR, FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION. - THANK YOU. UM, JUST FOR SOME FINAL COMMENTS FROM ME, UM, I WANNA START OFF JUST BY SAYING THAT I DO HOLD REGULAR OFFICE HOURS IN MY DISTRICT, AND SO I GET A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH RESIDENTS. AND, UM, AND THERE ARE A LOT LESS PEOPLE COMING TO ME ASKING ABOUT A PERMIT THAT STUCK OR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BACKLOGGED FRUSTRATION AROUND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. AND SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THAT'S NOT A MEASURABLE INDICATOR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, MY EX- THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE AND, UM, IT MAY BE THE, THE SIGNS OF TURNING THE CORNER BASED ON ALL OF YOUR GOOD WORK. SO, UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I DO WANT TO JUST REALLY, UM, REITERATE GOING BACK TO NUMBER 14 THAT I DO WANNA KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE EVERY REASONABLE EFFORT TO CONTACT EVERY HOMEOWNER WHO LOST THEIR RESIDENCE DURING THE CZU FIRE. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT HAS MOSTLY HAPPENED, BUT I WANNA KNOW FOR SURE. UM, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTER THIS MEETING TO GO THROUGH YOUR LISTS OR OUR LISTS OR WHATEVER LIST MAY EXIST, SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE FOR CERTAINTY THAT THAT OUTREACH HAS HAPPENED. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I ALSO AM SUPPORTIVE OF GOING TO A SEMI-ANNUAL UPDATE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE, UM, AUGUST REPORT BACK RELATED TO THE CZU REBUILDS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN UPDATE ON THE REBUILD DIRECTIVE, KIND OF SEE WHAT DIRECTION YOU'RE HEADED WITH THAT. UM, AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT REPORT BACK IN AUGUST. SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DESERPA. - AYE. - KOENIG. - AYE. - HERNANDEZ. - AYE. - CUMMINGS. - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ. - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. WE WILL NOW BE BREAKING FOR A LUNCH RECESS AND DOING OUR CLOSED SESSION. IS THERE ANYTHING REPORTABLE FROM CLOSED SESSION? - NO. - OKAY, THANK YOU. WE WILL BE RETURNING AT ONE O'CLOCK. WELCOME BACK. WE WILL NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA AND WE ARE... OH, WAS THERE ANYTHING REPORTABLE FROM CLOSED SESSION? - NO. - THANK YOU. [9. Hold public hearing to consider approving in concept an "Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz Amending Chapter 12.10 of the Santa Cruz County Code to Delete Specific Local Amendments to the 2025 California Building Standards Code," confirm the proposal is exempt from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, and take related actions] UM, WE ARE NOW ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA. WE ARE ON ITEM NUMBER NINE. UM, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVING IN CONCEPT AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ AMENDING CHAPTER 12.10 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE TO DELETE SPECIFIC LOCAL AMENDMENTS TO THE 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE. CONFIRM THE PROPOSAL IS EXEMPT FROM REQUIREMENTS OF THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS. WE ARE NOW GONNA RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM MR. CARLSON. - YES. - AS... AND GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF. - OH. GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. THANK YOU. I'M DAVID CARLSON. I'M A RESOURCE PLANNER WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN THE POLICY SECTION, AND I'M HERE WITH DAN CHEPLEY, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, AND I'LL GIVE THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL BOTH BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. UM, SO THE, THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE WITH LOCAL AMENDMENTS IS THE BUILDING CODE FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY [03:00:04] AND IT'S LOCATED IN CHAPTER 12.10 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE. UM, UPDATED STATE BUILDING CODES ARE PUBLISHED EVERY THREE YEARS, AND THE COUNTY IS REQUIRED TO READOPT OUR LOCAL AMENDMENTS, UM, WITH THE STATE CODES EVERY THREE YEARS. IN DECEMBER OF 2025, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED THE 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODES WITH NUMEROUS LOCAL AMENDMENTS AND DIRECTED STAFF TO RETURN WITH RECOMMENDATIONS IDENTIFYING WHICH LOCAL AMENDMENTS MAY NO LONGER BE NECESSARY AND COULD BE ELIMINATED. OH, LITTLE, LITTLE DELAY. OKAY. UM, SO THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE CAN BE ADMINISTRATIVE OR TECHNICAL, AND THEY'RE INTENDED TO ADDRESS LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES NOT ADDRESSED BY THE STATEWIDE BUILDING CODE. WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE FINDINGS TO JUSTIFY THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS AND FILE THOSE WITH THE STATE. THE FINDINGS CAN BE ADMINISTRATIVE, MEANING THE LOCAL AMENDMENT RELATES TO ADMINISTRATION OF THE BUILDING CODE AND DOESN'T CHANGE A BUILDING STANDARD. UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS THAT DESCRIBE PERMIT ISSUANCE AND INSPECTION PROCEDURES AND HOW THE CODE IS ENFORCED THAT ESTABLISH THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE PERMIT PROCESS AND THOSE AREN'T PART OF THIS REVIEW. UM, TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS MUST BE BASED ON LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGIC, OR TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS SUCH AS FLOOD HAZARDS, DROUGHT, FIRE HAZARDS, SEISMIC HAZARDS, STEEP SLOPES, LANDSLIDES AND SEVERE STORMS, ALL OF WHICH WE EXPERIENCE REGULARLY HERE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. UM, SO STAFF HAS REVIEWED THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS SUMMARIZED ON THIS SLIDE AND THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, UM, AND NOTED WHICH LOCAL AMENDMENTS, UH, COULD BE ELIMINATED. THE SLIDE ALSO INDICATES THE FINDING, UM, INDICATED BY THE LETTER, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH EACH LOCAL AMENDMENT. WE ARE RECOMMENDING RETAINING THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS RELATED TO THE LIST OF EXEMPT WORK. UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ACTING AS THE BUILDING APPEALS BOARD. UH, BATHROOMS NOT OPENING INTO A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, AND A REQUIREMENT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES IN LARGER REMODEL PROJECTS AND SIMILAR REQUIREMENTS FOR UPGRADES TO FIRE RESISTANT BUILDING MATERIALS AS PART OF A REMODEL PROJECT. UM, THESE LOCAL AMENDMENTS ARE REASONABLE AND REMAIN RELEVANT AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING RETAINING THEM. UM, AS PART OF THE ADOPTION PROCESS IN DECEMBER, 2025, WE ALREADY RECOMMENDED DELETION OF TWO LOCAL AMENDMENTS. UM, WE HAD A LOCAL AMENDMENT REQUIRING NEW CONSTRUCTION TO BE ALL ELECTRIC, WHICH CONFLICTED WITH FEDERAL LAW, SO WE HAD TO DELETE THAT ONE. UM, THE WINDOW REPLACEMENT UPGRADE AMENDMENT REQUIRED POTENTIALLY COSTLY STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS TO WINDOW OPENINGS TRIGGERED BY JUST A WINDOW REPLACEMENT. SO WE DECIDED THAT WAS TOO ONEROUS AND, UH, DELETED THAT ONE. UH, LOCAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS, AS I MENTIONED, ARE INTENDED TO MAKE BUILDINGS, UH, SAFER, STRONGER, AND LONGER LASTING IN THE LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS PRESENT IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. UH, LOCAL AMENDMENTS RELATED TO SHEAR WALL CONSTRUCTION AND SEISMIC REINFORCING, AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR GAS SHUTOFF VALVES THAT ARE AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED DURING AN EARTHQUAKE ADDRESS SEISMIC SHAKING HAZARDS AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING RETAINING THESE AMENDMENTS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY. UH, USING WOOD FOR FOUNDATIONS AND POSTS FOR RETAINING WALLS IS PROHIBITED LOCALLY BECAUSE WOOD DECAYS FASTER THAN CONCRETE AND STEEL IN OUR LOCAL CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, AND DOESN'T PROVIDE THE LONGEVITY DESIRED WHEN USED TO SUPPORT AND PROTECT HABITABLE STRUCTURES. THEREFORE, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING RETAINING THESE AMENDMENTS. UH, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING DELETION OF A COUPLE OF LOCAL AMENDMENTS RELATED TO CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRENT STATE BUILDING CODE ARE ADEQUATE. UH, STAFF REVIEWED A NUMBER OF LOCAL AMENDMENTS RELATED TO SWIMMING POOL, ENCLOSURES, GRADING, FLOOD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION, AND SOILS REPORTS, AND DETERMINED THAT THESE REMAIN RELEVANT AND NECESSARY FOR SAFETY AND TO ADDRESS LOCAL CONDITIONS. UM, STAFF IS ALSO RECOMMENDING RETAINING LOCAL AMENDMENTS REQUIRING DOORWAYS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION TO BE A CERTAIN WIDTH BECAUSE IT IMPROVES ACCESSIBILITY OF BUILDINGS FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND STAFF IS ALSO RECOMMENDING RETAINING A LOCAL AMENDMENT THAT CLARIFIES WHEN ACCESSIBILITY UPGRADES ARE REQUIRED, UM, TO REDUCE CONFUSION IN THE CODE. UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING DELETING LOCAL AMENDMENTS, ADDRESSING LOFTS IN BUILDINGS BECAUSE THAT REQUIREMENT, UH, THOSE REQUIRE, LOFT REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRENT BUILDING CODE ARE ADEQUATE. UH, SO IN SUMMARY, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TWO LOCAL AMENDMENTS THAT WERE DELETED IN, UM, 2025 RELATED TO WINDOWS AND ALL ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE RECOMMENDING DELETION OF THREE MORE LOCAL AMENDMENTS [03:05:01] RELATED TO CONCRETE AND LOFTS. AND THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION, RECOMMENDED ACTIONS TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS, UM, APPROVE THE ORDINANCE IN CONCEPT, ADOPT THE, UH, NOTICE OF EXEMPTION FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. DIRECT THE CLERK OF THE BOARD TO PUBLISH THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE SUMMARY. UM, ALSO DIRECT THE CLERK TO SCHEDULE THE ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING. AND FINAL ADOPTION ON MAY 19TH AND DIRECT THE CDI DIRECTOR TO SUBMIT THE ORDINANCE TO THE BUILDING, CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - SURE. UM, JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK OUR CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL, DAN CHEPLEY, FOR HIS THOROUGH REVIEW OF OUR LOCAL BUILDING CODE AMENDMENTS. UM, AND I THINK YOU'VE, I MEAN, REALLY ESTABLISHED BOTH A GOOD INDEX AND TALKED TO A, A NUMBER OF, UM, OTHER COUNTIES AND, UH, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT. UM, I'M GLAD THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING SOME INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT HERE AS FAR AS THE REQUIREMENTS AROUND SLEEPING LOFTS, UM, YOU KNOW, STRIKING OUT THE NEED FOR STAIRCASE WILL ENABLE THAT MANY MORE LOFTS TO GO IN, UM, AND ULTIMATELY MORE HABITABLE UNITS TO BE CREATED. SO, THAT'S GREAT. UM, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, I WAS HOPING THAT WE, THE, THE SCOPE, UH, WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE COULD LET GO. UM, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF, WITH A LOT OF THESE, WE'RE STILL SAYING, WELL, THEY DO PROVIDE SOME INCREMENTAL SAFETY AND SO WE SHOULD STICK WITH THEM. UM, I DON'T SEE HERE, IS ANY DISCUSSION OF THE COSTS, UM, THAT THEY ADD AND, UM, I MEAN, IN SOME CASES, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH, UH, WOOD FOUNDATIONS OR WOOD RETAINING WALLS, YES, IN A LOT OF CASES THEY'RE INAPPROPRIATE. UM, BUT THEY MIGHT, THERE'S, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT OUR BUILDING CODE SHOULD DENY THEM. UM, THEY MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, AN ADVISABLE BASED ON LIABILITY OR EVEN JUST THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WORKING ON THE PROJECT, AND IT JUST DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR, UM, I MEAN, A, A BLANKET BAN ON THEM. I MEAN, EVEN IN THE DRIEST, YOU KNOW, SANDHILLS HABITAT, WE'RE STILL SAYING, "OH, NO, NO. THERE COULD BE A RAINFOREST, A REDWOOD RAINFOREST HERE, AND OUR COUNTY'S JUST TOO WET." I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE HUMBOLDT COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE REDWOODS, RAIN AND EARTHQUAKES AS WELL, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I, I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION. UM, I THINK WHERE I WOULD SUGGEST WE GO WITH THIS, I MEAN, I, I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD TODAY, UH, WITH THE ACTIONS BEFORE US, AND THEN JUST TO GET, UH, CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE SOMEWHAT, UM, MAYBE WE ASK THE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS, UM, AND KNOW SOME OF THE FOLKS THERE, HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THEM, AND MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT. UM, SO, OR, OR MAYBE WE COULD TAKE IT TO STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP, UM, THAT IS WORKING WITH THE ON, ON THE PERMIT STAFF. SO, UM, UH, NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANKS. - ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTION? - YEAH. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. AND SORRY IF YOU SAID THIS ALREADY, BUT DID THE, DID THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP WORK WITH YOU ON THESE AMENDMENTS? - THE REVIEW THAT CONSIDERS DELETE? - YEAH. - YEAH. FOR THE REVIEW OF THE CONSIDERS DELETE, NO, WE DID NOT WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS. - AND WHY IS THAT? - IT- IT JUST, IT, IT'S A GREAT IDEA. I THINK IT COULD BRING... - YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY BOOTS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW? LIKE IF ANY OF THESE THINGS ARE GONNA BE A HARDSHIP. - YES, IF WE COULD FIND A PATH THAT- I, I HAVE HAD NO C-COMMUNICATION WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS... - OH, OKAY. SORRY. - BY DESIGN, SO. - YEAH. - YEAH. IF I GET, UH, MATT MACHADO, CDI DIRECTOR. UM, THE CONTRACTOR STAKEHOLDER GROUP'S A NEW ONE WE HAVEN'T MET YET. SO THAT'D BE A GREAT FUTURE TOPIC. AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO SUPERVISOR KOENIG'S POINT, MAYBE WE SHOULD BRING A LOT OF THESE ITEMS TO THAT NEW STAKEHOLDER GROUP. WE DON'T HAVE THEM FORMED YET OR THEY'RE NOT MEETING REGULARLY YET. SO, GREAT FUTURE TOPIC. UM, THE EXISTING STAKEHOLDER GROUP ARE THE DESIGNERS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS. AND SO I THINK WHERE THIS WOULD REALLY FALL, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AS YOU SAID, TO SEE WHAT IMPLEMENTATION LOOKS LIKE FOR THESE BUILDING CODES. SO MAYBE THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR ONE OF OUR FUTURE MEETINGS AND REPORT BACKS. - SO WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE DOORWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS TO BE A CERTAIN WIDTH, IT, DOES THAT, THAT'S FOR A BUSINESS, RIGHT? THAT IS NOT FOR SOMEBODY'S HOME, OR? - APPLIES TO NEW CONSTRUCTION. - ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION. - SO THAT'S, THAT'S FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION. SO THE IDEA IS THAT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT THE COST [03:10:04] OR THE DIFFICULTY IN CONSTRUCTION. YOU'RE JUST REQUIRED TO BUILD THE DOOR WIDER THAN... FROM THE GET GO. YOU'RE NOT REMODELING OR TAKING SOMETHING APART AND PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER. YOU'RE- IT'S BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP. - THANK YOU. - ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? - WELL, WELL, I MEAN, YES AND NO. RIGHT? AND MAYBE ACTUALLY, GIVEN YOUR THOROUGH REVIEW OF THIS, YOU COULD PROVIDE GREATER CLARIFICATION. UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT CAME UP ABOUT OUR LOCAL AMENDMENTS IS THAT THE DOOR WIDTH, I THINK WE REQUIRE A, IS IT A 32 OR 36-INCH EXIT DOOR, WHEREAS ALL THE OTHER DOORS ARE 32 OR 30. AND SO, I MEAN, YEAH, IN THEORY YOU JUST ORDER ANOTHER DOOR, BUT IT'S, IT HAS TO BE DIFFERENT SIZE THAN EVERY OTHER DOOR. SO JUST AS, JUST ONE MORE BIT OF COMPLEXITY, WHY DID WE END UP NOT, OR WHY DID YOU END UP NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE REMOVE THAT LOCAL AMENDMENT? - I'M SORRY. THE LAST PART OF THE QUESTION, THE REASON? - I JUST ASKED WHY DID, WHY DID YOU END UP NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE REMOVE THAT ONE? - THAT WAS FOR JUST ACCESSIBILITY TO PROVIDE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR BOTH THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE AND ANY VISITORS OF THE HOUSE AND FUTURE OWNERS OF THE HOUSE. - IT REALLY DOES BRING VALUE IN, IN THE SENSE THAT YOU, YOU HAVE THESE RESIDENCES IN PLACES THAT WERE BUILT LONG AGO. YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY, UM, THAT'S, HAS SOME DISABILITY OR SOME MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. THEY GO TO VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS OR ET CETERA. I HAVE HEARD EXAMPLES OF FOLKS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AND YOU GO TO VISIT THE FAMILY AND YOU CAN'T EVEN ACCESS THE HOUSE, YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH THAT. IT'S SOMETHING SO KIND OF SIMPLISTIC AND JUST TO HAVE IT IN THE AMENDMENT, IT SEEMS TO BRING VALUE FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO DOWN THE ROAD, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO VISIT THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES AND IT'S JUST THIS LITTLE IN, BUILT-IN, YOU KNOW, NUANCE THAT, YOU KNOW. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE SENSE THERE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN IN PLACE. IT'S JUST TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THEIR HOMES, AND THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. - I MEAN, SO THE, THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS? - DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR INTERIOR DOOR WIDTHS IN RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS. - OKAY. - SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL NOW TAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. DOES ANYONE HERE WANNA SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE PHONE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - OKAY. UM, THANK YOU. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND A MOTION. - I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WITH THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE THE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THE CONTRACTOR STAKEHOLDER GROUP REVIEW, THE LOCAL AMENDMENTS, UH, AND PROVIDE ANY FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD. - I SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG AND A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK STAFF FOR KIND OF FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE BOARD DIRECTION AND BRINGING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US. I MEAN, BASED ON THE AGENDA REPORT, A LOT OF THIS IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, BRINGING, BRINGING OUR BUILDING CODE UP TO STATE STANDARD AND ELIMINATING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE CODE THAT ARE NOW OUT OF DATE. AND SO I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE, UM, THE DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING IN TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY GETTING SOME FEEDBACK FROM OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AS WE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER FUTURE CHANGES. UM, AND I GUESS IF THERE'S AREAS, I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD TO HEAR BACK FROM THOSE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL MAYBE, MAYBE OUR MAIN CONSIDER IS THAT ACTUALLY IS GONNA INCREASE THE COST OF BUILDING HOUSING. BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES I HEARD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WOOD FOUNDATIONS IS THAT IF, IF PEOPLE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CONCRETE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST CONSISTENTLY DRIVING UP THE COST OF PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO BUILD HOUSING, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE WANT TO BE BRINGING DOWN THE COST OF HOUSING AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE HOUSING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS, WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT WAYS, ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE IT CHEAPER? BUT THEN HAVING THE, THAT AFFORDABILITY ACTUALLY REALIZED IN THE COST OF THE HOUSE AND NOT NECESSARILY DRIVING DOWN THE COST. AND THEN STILL IN THE END, MAKING, UM, THE HOUSING SUBJECT TO MARKET FORCES, WHICH ULTIMATELY MEANS IF YOU'RE A BUILDER, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE MORE MONEY. AND IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY ACCESS HOUSING, IT'S GONNA BE, UM, IT'S STILL NOT GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE. SO, UM, YEAH, SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. - ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS? - AYE. - HERNANDEZ? - AYE. - KOENIG? - AYE. - DE SERPA? - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ? - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO REGULAR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10, [10. Consider annual report on status of the 2016-17 Winter Storm projects and 2023 Atmospheric River projects, and take related actions] CONSIDER THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE 2016-17 WINTER STORM PROJECTS AND THE 2023 ATMOSPHERIC RIVER PROJECTS AND TAKE RELATED ACTIONS [03:15:02] AND A PRESENTATION FROM DIRECTOR MACHADO. - ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ, AND CHAIR MARTINEZ AND SUPERVISORS. SORRY. UH, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS, UH, IS AN UPDATE ON OUR 2017 AND 2023 STORMS. UM, JUST, UH, A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA COVER TODAY. SO THE RECOVERY EFFORTS ACROSS BOTH THOSE DISASTERS INCLUDE 414 DAMAGE SITES, UM, FOR THE COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM. SO A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF SITES, AND THE TOTAL VALUE OF THIS DAMAGE WAS $266 MILLION. UH, ABOUT 76% OF THESE SITES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. SO ABOUT 315 SITES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. UH, A LITTLE FURTHER, FINANCIAL SUMMARY. IN 2024, THE COUNTY DID ISSUE DEBT IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT $89 MILLION TO SUSTAIN PROJECT DELIVERY AND CASH FLOW, UH, PENDING REIMBURSEMENTS. SO WAITING FOR FEMA AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY TO REIMBURSE US. UH, I WILL SHARE THAT MOST OF THE 2023 WORK, UH, THAT WAS, UH, FUNDED VIA DEBT WAS EXPECTED TO BE RETIRED, THAT DEBT WAS EXPECTED TO BE RETIRED, UH, BASED UPON REIMBURSEMENTS FROM FEDERAL AND STATE SOURCES. UM, THE REIMBURSEMENT SOURCES OBVIOUSLY ARE FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, FEMA AND, UM, CAL OES THROUGH THE CDAA PROGRAM. UM, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ELEMENT OF NON-REIMBURSABLE, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, OVERHEAD DEBT INTEREST, AND SOME OF THE, UM, INELIGIBLE, UM, COSTS FOR ALL PROJECTS. UH, THE RISKS, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH ARE, YOU KNOW, SLOW AND EVEN DENIED REIMBURSEMENTS, AND, UM, OF COURSE THE DEBT SERVICE, UM, HAS BEEN COMPETING WITH OTHER PRIORITIES. AND SO IT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A CHALLENGE AND A BIT OF A RISK. UH, SOME OF, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE FACED, UH, FOR THE 23, UM, STORMS. UH, MOST OF THE PROJECTS, UH, MOST OF THE OBLIGATIONS ARE IN PLACE AND, UH, BUT THE TIMELY AND ELIGIBILITY UNCERTAINTIES OF REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL AGENCIES CONTINUES TO PERSIST, AND I'LL SHARE SOME NUMBERS HERE IN A BIT. SOME OF THE MOST COMMON DELAYS ARE, UM, EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION THAT, THAT THEY REQUIRE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, EVOLVING GUIDANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORICAL REVIEWS, AND ELIGIBILITY CHANGES. SO IT'S A, IT IS A MOVING TARGET AND IT, IT CAUSES US, UM, SOME CHALLENGES FOR THAT REIMBURSEMENT. SOME GOOD NEWS. UH, SINCE MID 2024, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT HELP ON BOARD. UM, THE COUNTY DID HIRE A CONSULTANT, UH, STICKAGE. AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY OUTSTANDING WITH HELPING US, UM, NAVIGATE THE FEMA AND CAHOYAS, UM, CHANNELS AND COORDINATION AND COST RECOVERY. SO IT'S BEEN SOME GOOD NEWS. ON THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS, UH, JUST DUE TO INFLATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS, UH, WE HAVE SEEN COSTS INCREASE, WHICH, UH, REQUIRES AMENDMENTS TO OUR AGREEMENTS WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, WHICH, UM, ADD DELAY SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS. UM, FRONT LOADING THESE, UH, PROJECT COSTS WITH UNCERTAIN REIMBURSEMENTS CERTAINLY, UH, PUTS PRESSURE ON COUNTY RESOURCES. SO THAT'S A QUITE A CHALLENGE FOR US. UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE POTENTIAL FOR LONGER RECOVERY TIMELINES, UM, IF REIMBURSEMENTS LAG OR ELIGIBILITY CHANGES. SO, SO THE TIMING, TIMING TO GET OUR MONEY BACK HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ONGOING DEBT SERVICE, UH, WILL CERTAINLY IMPACT OTHER TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES. UM, IF WE DON'T, UM, SECURE ALL REIMBURSEMENTS. JUST, UM, STATUS AT A GLANCE FOR THE 2016-2017 WINTER STORMS. UM, FOR JUST THAT ONE EVENT, WE HAD 192 SITES OF DAMAGE VALUED AT $134 MILLION. WE HAVE COMPLETED 160 OF THOSE PROJECTS. WE HAVE 11 OF THOSE IN CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE SEVEN OF THEM GOING THROUGH THE BID AND AWARD PROCESS. UH, WE HAVE ONE STILL IN DESIGN. UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, 11 PROJECTS ON HOLD DUE TO, UH, FINANCING CONSTRAINTS. AND WE'VE HAD, UH, TWO FEMA PROJECTS DENIED. SO THAT'S FOR THE 2016-2017 EVENT. UM, AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE FEMA SIDE. FOR THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY SIDE, WE HAD 94 TOTAL PROJECTS. WE'VE COMPLETED 77 OF THOSE. UM, WE HAVE EIGHT IN CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE SIX GOING THROUGH THE BID AND AWARD. UH, ONE IN DESIGN AND TWO ON HOLD. FOUR, UM, FOR THE 23 ATMOSPHERIC, UH, RIVERS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 222 DAMAGED SITES VALUED AT $131 MILLION. WE HAVE COMPLETED 153 OF THOSE PROJECTS. WE HAVE FIVE THAT ARE IN THE BID AND AWARD STAGE. WE HAVE FIVE IN DESIGN. [03:20:01] WE HAVE EIGHT ON HOLD DUE TO FINANCING. WE'VE HAD, UM, SEVEN DENIED, AND WE HAVE 44 FUTURE, MEANING WE DON'T HAVE A FINANCE PLAN YET FOR THOSE PROJECTS. SO, UH, STILL A WAYS TO GO ON THE 2023, BUT WE ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS. SOME OVERALL FINANCIAL IMPACTS. UM, IF WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF, THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS AND THE VALUE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE DENIED, ON HOLD OR OF FUTURE, WE HAVE $33.3 MILLION OF FUTURE NEEDS UH, THAT WE DON'T YET HAVE, UH, FUNDING SOLUTIONS FOR, BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE THOSE IN THE FUTURE. AND THEN, UH, SOME GOOD NEWS. THE, UH, PRIORITIZATION TOOL, WE'VE BEEN USING IT REGULARLY. THAT'S OUR, UM, ERDA TOOL THAT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT. AND SO WE CERTAINLY PLAN TO USE THAT GOING FORWARD AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE. UH, I WILL END BY SAYING THAT THE, UH, STATUS OF TODAY'S REPORT, UH, REFLECTS, AS OF MID-FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DATED, BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF UPDATES THAT ARE SNAPSHOT IN TIME. UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOUR BOARD WITH UPDATES AS WE GET THEM. AND THEN FOR YOUR REVIEW, UH, WE DO HAVE ATTACHMENTS DETAIL IN ALL PROJECT STATUS, COSTS, AND REIMBURSEMENTS. THE RECOMMENDED ACTION TODAY IS TO ACCEPT AND FILE THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE 16-17 WINTER STORM PROJECTS, AND A REPORT ON THE 23 ATMOSPHERIC RIVER PROJECTS, AND TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT TO RETURN NO LATER THAN APRIL OF '27 WITH, UH, THE NEXT PROGRESS REPORT, AND, UH, I AND OTHER STAFF ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. - THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'LL NOW LOOK FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. IT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS. SO I'M, UH, NEEDING TO HELP GET SOME CLARIFICATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD PROVIDE WHAT WAS THE TOTAL ACROSS FROM 2017 THROUGH 2023, HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN REIMBURSED TO DATE AND WHAT'S OUTSTANDING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE, THE BONDING THAT WE DID TO TRY TO HELP US HAVE FUNDING TO PAY FOR THESE PROJECTS. I'M JUST REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE TRYING TO GET FROM FEMA, UM, AND HOW WE CAN SETTLE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS BONDING ISSUE UP SO WE CAN PAY THIS OFF AND... YEAH. AND HOPEFULLY NOT HAVE AS MUCH INTEREST RATES. - RIGHT. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE BOND WAS FOR THE 23 STORMS. AND LET'S SEE HERE. WE HAVE, UH, LET'S SEE. INVOICED, OH, HOLD ON. GIVE ME A SECOND HERE. LET ME LOOK AT MY NOTES HERE. SO, FOR THE FEMA SIDE OF IT, WE'VE SPENT 52 MILLION, AND WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS VALUED AT 23 MILLION. AND SO, THAT'S ABOUT A 20, $27 MILLION GAP, UH, FROM THE FEMA SIDE. ON THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY SIDE, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT 78 MILLION, AND WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS OF 56 MILLION, SO THAT'S ABOUT A $20 MILLION GAP. AND SO THAT'S ABOUT A, PROBABLY CLOSE TO A $50 MILLION GAP, UM, OF WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING STILL TO, TO COME IN. - GOT IT. AND THEN THAT'S JUST, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST APPLYING AND WAITING FOR FEMA AND, YOU KNOW. - WE ARE RESPONDING, WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING, WE ARE, UM, PUSHING, UM, YOU KNOW, FEMA'S HAD PLENTY OF STRUGGLES WITH THEIR OWN FUNDING WITH, YOU KNOW, TIMEOUTS FROM THE FEDERAL BUDGET. UM, SO, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT AT PLAY THERE, BUT ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE STILL PUSHING ON THEM PRETTY HARD. - OKAY. THANKS. - FURTHER QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR MACHADO, FOR THE REPORT. UM, I THINK MAYBE ONE OF THE MORE DISTRESSING THINGS I'VE, I'VE HEARD RECENTLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THESE 2016-17 CLAIMS DENIED BY FEMA, RIGHT? AND THAT WAS BECAUSE BASICALLY WE HAD, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, YOU TOOK TOO LONG. - RIGHT. - DO WE EXPECT THAT MORE OF THE PROJECTS FROM, PARTICULARLY FROM 2016-17, COULD BE ULTIMATELY DENIED? - SO WE, UM, I MENTIONED THE, UM, THE 16-17 PROJECTS THAT ARE ON HOLD. UM, AND THOSE ARE ON HOLD BECAUSE WE ARE FEARFUL THAT THEY WILL GET DENIED FOR THOSE, THOSE REASONS, AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE. UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND, AND ARE AT SOME RISK. UM, I DON'T HAVE THE SUMMARY OF THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, BUT, UM, WE'RE CERTAINLY BEING VERY CAUTIOUS BECAUSE THERE ARE, I'M TRYING TO FIND MY NUMBERS HERE, 16-17, [03:25:04] WE HAVE 11 ON HOLD. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD UNTIL WE CAN WORK OUT APPROVALS FOR THOSE. UH, SO WE ARE BEING A BIT CAUTIOUS FOR SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. WE DON'T WANNA, UH, RISK ANY MORE FINANCE. - IS THAT THE REASON THAT NORTH RODEO GULCH, I THINK WE HAD A PROJECT THAT WAS GONNA GO THIS YEAR 3.82, AND NOW IT'S SAYING ANTI- ANTICIPATED YEAR OF CON- CONSTRUCTION IS 2027. - SO, NO, THAT, UM, I'LL HAVE TO PULL MY NOTES. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON ON NORTH DALE GULCH. UM, ONE OF THEM WAS OBLIGATED AND THEN IT WAS A 16-17, AND THEN RIGHT NEXT TO IT WAS A '23 SLIP OUT. AND SO, WE WERE INITIALLY TRYING TO COMBINE THEM. UH, BUT DUE TO PERMITTING, AND JUST COMPLICATIONS OF PROCESSING IT, WE DECIDED TO SEPARATE THEM. AND THE ONE IS GOING TO CONSTRUCTION, I BELIEVE, WHERE'S- OKAY. STEVE'S NOT IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT I THINK ONE OF THOSE IS GOING TO CONSTRUCTION NOW, AND THE OTHER ONE IS STILL GOING THROUGH PERMITTING AND PROCESSING. WE DID GET A COUPLE OF DENIALS ON THE- SOME SMALLER ONES. I THINK THEY'RE AT, UM, ONE POINT, I'D HAVE TO PULL MY NOTES, BUT THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DENIALS. UM, BUT, BUT OTHERWISE, WE'RE STILL PROCEEDING WITH, WITH THOSE, WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE, IF NOT TWO OF THOSE PROJECTS. - OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, WELL, MY QUESTION WAS PARTIALLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING I HAD HEARD IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS WAS GONNA GO TO CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER. - YEP. - BUT IN THIS LIST, IT SHOWED UP AS BEING IN 2027. SO I'M WONDERING IF SOMETHING HAS CHANGED. I MEAN, I GUESS I'LL, I'LL, UH, ASK DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WEGNER THAT. UM, THEN WITH THE, YOU SAID, WAS IT 33.3 MILLION THAT STILL WE, WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED WHERE THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM. I MEAN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE USING THOSE KINDS OF NUMBERS, IS THAT TOTAL PROJECT COST OR OUR LOCAL SHARE? - YEAH, THAT'D BE TOTAL PROJECT COST. - OKAY. - RIGHT. - UM, AND THEN FINALLY, ONE TOOL THAT I'VE FOUND REALLY HELPFUL JUST IS, IS A QUICK RESOURCE TO GO BACK TO AND, AND KIND OF SEE HOW WE'RE GENERALLY DOING ON THIS IS THE ARCGIS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ROAD STORM DAMAGE, UM, MAP. DO YOU KNOW IF THESE NUMBERS ARE STILL UP TO DATE? - I BELIEVE THEY ARE. - OKAY. UM, AND SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THERE IT SAYS, 133 ARE ACTIVE STORM DAMAGE REPAIR SITES, 66.8 MILLION. SO THAT'S 66.8. THAT'S THE TOTAL COST. THAT'S NOT LOCAL SHARE. - CORRECT. - UM, AND ACTIVE MEANS WE ARE IN SOME PHASE OF PROJECT DEFINITION AND... - YES. - OKAY. AND THEN WE HAVE 103 THAT ARE STILL IN REVIEW, WHICH ARE JUST SORT OF, WE HAVEN'T QUITE MEASURED THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM. IS THAT RIGHT? - WELL, I THINK IT'S, UM, IN REVIEWS ALSO. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A FINANCE PLAN OR WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE BUDGET AND PARTS TOGETHER TO, TO TAKE AN ACTIVE STEP. SO, IN REVIEW STILL. OR WAITING FOR OBLIGATIONS OR WAITING FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF ACTION SO THAT IT'S NOT AN ACTIVE PROJECT. - SO EVERYTHING THAT'S ACTIVE HAS BEEN OBLIGATED? - NO. UM... - BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? WE'VE ACTUALLY LIKE MET, WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW BIG OF A PROJECT IT IS VERSUS WE'VE APPLIED FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR IT, AND WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A PROJECT. - SO, IN GENERAL, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING ARE THE ONES THAT ARE OBLIGATED. NOW, THERE'S MAYBE AN EXCEPTION WITH THE 2016-2017 BECAUSE THOSE PROJECTS WERE ALL OBLIGATED, BUT DUE TO TIMING, WE'RE HAVING STRUGGLES WITH THOSE. UH, BUT IN GENERAL, WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS ON. THAT'S CORRECT. - RIGHT. SO THE PROJECTS THAT WERE DENIED WERE ALREADY OBLIGATED AND THEN THEY... - CORRECT. FOR THOSE OLDER PROJECTS, 2016-2017, IS, THAT'S RIGHT. - UM, OKAY. AND THEN YOU COULD, SO WITH THE AMOUNT THAT'S NOT OBLIGATED FOR BOTH OF THESE YEARS, I MEAN, IS THERE ANY HOPE? WHAT, HOW MUCH, OR, OR- I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALWAYS A DEGREE OF HOPE OR A DEGREE THAT YOU THINK WE MIGHT GET SOME OF THAT MONEY. I MEAN, WHAT- WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE AMOUNT OUTSTANDING THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN OBLIGATED, DO YOU EXPECT THAT WE WOULD, WOULD EVENTUALLY GET OBLIGATED? - YEAH. IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY. I ALWAYS SAY THAT, UM, AT THIS POINT WE HAVE HOPE, UH, BUT AS TIME GOES FORWARD, I WOULD IMAGINE THE HOPE WILL DIMINISH DUE TO, UM, TIME LIMITATIONS RUNNING OUT, AND THE, UM, CURRENT, UM, THE CURRENT VIEW [03:30:05] FROM FEMA OF NOT ISSUING TIME EXTENSIONS. SO FOR NOW, I THINK WE'RE, WE HAVE GOOD HOPE WE HAVE HIGH HOPE. UH, BUT DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THAT HOPE WILL BE AFFECTED BECAUSE OF FEMA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS OUR PROJECTS. - OKAY, WELL, LAST QUESTION, I PROMISE MY COLLEAGUES. OKAY, WE TOOK TWO VERY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO 2016-17. WE TOOK A PAY-AS-YOU-GO APPROACH, RIGHT? WE'LL GET- WE WILL REPAIR THESE AS WE HAVE MONEY TO, VERSUS 2022-23, WE SAID, LET'S BORROW MONEY, DO AS MANY REPAIRS AS POSSIBLE WITH EMERGENCY PERMITS, AND, UM, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET PAID BACK WHEN WE CAN. BUT AT LEAST WE'LL GET THROUGH IT CHEAP. THE, GET THROUGH MORE REPAIRS, WE'LL GET THROUGH THEM CHEAPER, WE'LL MORE LIKELY TO BE REPAID FOR THEM. WHEN THE NEXT MAJOR STORM COMES THROUGH AND WE SEE SIMILAR DAMAGE, WHICH APPROACH WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE TAKE? - IT'LL CERTAINLY BE, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO REALLY BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT. I DO THINK THAT, UM, THERE'S A, THE KEY FACTORS WILL BE WHETHER IT'S A FEDERAL HIGHWAY ROUTE, WHETHER IT'S A FEMA ROUTE, UH, THE DEGREE OF DAMAGE. I THINK SOME OF THAT 2023 CHALLENGE THAT WE WERE FACED WITH WE HAD SO MANY ROADS CLOSED, WE HAD 60 ROADS CLOSED. AND SO WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE HAD VERY MANY OPTIONS. UM, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IN HINDSIGHT, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE TO GO FORWARD WITH IT, IF IT'S MINOR DAMAGE, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR STRATEGY FOR, SAY, SHOULDER DAMAGE, THINGS LIKE THAT, EVEN THOUGH THAT CAN LEAD TO LARGER DAMAGE, WE'LL REALLY HAVE TO PUT ALL OF OUR ENERGY INTO SIMPLY THE WORST OF THE WORST. BUT I THINK THE TIMING WILL BE IMPORTANT DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH OF THIS CURRENT CHALLENGE WE CAN GET BEHIND US WHEN THE NEXT DISASTER HAPPENS, NOT IF IT'S A WIN. SO WHEN IT HAPPENS, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT OUR SITUATION IS. I MEAN, CLEARLY WE WANNA FIX ALL DAMAGE FOR SURE. - OKAY. THANK YOU. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA. - HEY, MATT. THIS IS, UM, MANU ASKED A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS BUT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY AND, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE NOW A BOND OUTSTANDING AND SOME OF THAT FEMA MONEY'S BEEN TRICKLING IN, BUT WE'RE NOT USING THAT MONEY TO MOVE FORWARD ANY CURRENT ROAD WORK, WE'RE USING THE MONEY THAT'S COMING TO PAY DOWN THE $80 MILLION THAT WE'VE ALREADY PAID OUT. - THAT'S CORRECT. - SO I, YEAH. ANYWAY. - CORRECT. - SO WE JUST, YEAH. IT, IT, IT, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE EXTRA MONEY TO DO SOME OF THESE FIXES. SOME OF IT WAS, SOME OF IT IS SET ASIDE INCREMENTALLY, RIGHT? OVER THE YEARS WITH SB1. AND, UM, MEASURE D IN PART, SMALL AMOUNTS, RIGHT? BUT... - SO I THINK, UM, AS, UM, SUPERVISOR KOENIG MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE 2017 STRATEGY WAS PAY-AS-YOU-GO, AND IT WAS AS WE ACCRUED SB1, THEN WE WOULD GO AFTER THOSE REPAIRS. UM, AND SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE STRATEGY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO REBUILD SOME OF THOSE. UM, AND TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, WAITING FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT TO RETIRE DEBT, WHICH WOULD GIVE US MORE COMFORT TO MAYBE PURSUE THE NEXT PROJECTS AND THE NEXT PROJECTS WITH THE PAY-AS-YOU-GO SB1 FUNDS. UH, THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE TODAY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BACK THEN WAS THAT, IS THE TIME EXTENSIONS. IN THE PAST, TIME EXTENSIONS WERE AUTOMATIC AND NOW THEY'RE NOT. AND SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHICH PROJECTS WE PURSUE, EVEN WITH SB1 MATCH, UH, BECAUSE, UH, GREATER RISK ARE THESE TIME EXTENSIONS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOW AND IN THE PAST. - SO, UH, BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF OUR LEADERS HERE AT THE COUNTY, YOU, I'M GUESSING YOU GO, I'M NOT GUESSING. I KNOW YOU GO TO WASHINGTON DC, YOU GO TO SACRAMENTO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AT ALL THESE CONFERENCES. IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS WHO HAVE, UM, OLD INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDING REPAIR ROADS, ET CETERA? DO YOU SEE ANYTHING ON THE HORIZON TO HELP US IN THE FUTURE? - I THINK THE, UM, THERE'S FEDERAL LEGISLATION. I BELIEVE IT'S HR4669, AND IT'S THE FEMA REVAMP LEGISLATION. AND I DO THINK THAT, UM, COMPONENTS OF THAT WILL HELP US GREATLY. UH, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY HOPE ON THE HORIZON FROM THE FEDERAL SIDE, AND THEN ALSO ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE FEDERAL, UH, TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION IS DUE. WE WERE HOPING TO GET IT THIS MONTH, AT LEAST THE DRAFT LANGUAGE, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT THERE YET. BUT, UM, WE'RE HOPING THIS YEAR THAT WE GET TO SEE IT AND WE HOPE THERE'S MORE, UM, FUNDS IN THERE FOR, UH, MAINTENANCE AND, AND REPAIRS OF THESE, [03:35:03] THIS TYPE OF NATURE. SO WE'RE HOPEFUL ON THOSE TWO FRONTS. SO I DO THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME HOPE ON THE HORIZON. - THANK YOU. - YEP. - SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - JUST A QUICK QUESTION. IS THERE ANY MORE, UM, FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE ARE EXPECTING IN THE NEAR FUTURE? - ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RECEIVING THEM ON A PRETTY REGULAR, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY REGULAR, BUT WE ARE RECEIVING THEM, BUT THEY'RE IN SMALLER DOSES, YOU KNOW, OR IT'S A COUPLE MILLION HERE AND THERE. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF, IF WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY HERE TO, TO COMMENT, BUT ABSOLUTELY. IT'S, IT'S A DAILY, IT'S A DAILY EFFORT, AND, AND, AND IT IS, IT'S JUST COMING IN SLOW. I THINK IT'S REALLY, THE TIMING IS WHAT, IS WHAT'S REALLY, UM, THE CONCERN TODAY. - YEAH, IT JUST SEEMS THAT SO MUCH OF OUR PREDICAMENT... HI. WELCOME, MR. REED. - UM, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP A LITTLE BIT ON THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT, UH, DIRECTOR MACHADO IS MENTIONING. SO, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CAL OES TO EXPEDITE OUR REIMBURSEMENTS ON, ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON THE OBLIGATED PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. SO WE'RE CLOSER, AS THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED, TO GETTING A, A BUNCH OF THAT FUNDING IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS GONNA HELP US, UM, IN OUR POSITION. AND THEN AS HE MENTIONED, PRIORITIZATION OF FUTURE WORK IS A, IS A LONGER CONVERSATION. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO JUST ADD WHILE I'M HERE, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HOPE IS THERE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO THE BRIC, BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM HAS BEEN REINSTATED BY FEMA. THERE'S SOME NUANCES TO WHAT THE NEXT NOFO, NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, IS GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT PROGRAM WILL CARRY FORWARD AND WE CAN LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES. LIKE CDI IS TAKING SOME OF THE CDBGDR MONEY, LOTS OF LETTERS, TO PRIORITIZE CULVERT REPLACEMENT WORK. REPLACING CULVERTS IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROTECT OUR ROADS FROM COMPLETE FAILURE IN BIG STORM EVENTS. SO THAT'S ONE WAY IN WHICH THE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT'S TRYING TO PRIORITIZE RESILIENCE. AND THEN YOUR BOARD, OBVIOUSLY, ADOPTED OUR HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN THIS MORNING. WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT ACTIVITIES IN THERE TO TRY AND BUILD A MORE RESILIENT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU. UM, DIRECTOR REED. SO YOU COULD KIND OF, BUILDING OFF OF WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR THAT SO MANY OF OUR CHALLENGES ARE COMING FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL LEGISLATION COMING OR CHANGES, I GUESS. UM, I KNOW YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH NACO, I KNOW YOU'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS. IS THERE ANY ADVOCACY YOU COULD RECOMMEND THE BOARD DO TO SUPPORT, UM, OPENING THE PIPELINE OF REIMBURSEMENT SPEC FOR US? - YEAH, I THINK THE, UM, THE FEDERAL, FEMA LEGISLATION THAT I MENTIONED, JUST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT, AND, UM, REALLY ADVOCATING WITH OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATORS TO, TO SUPPORT THAT, AND AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION BILL, RIGHT? I MEAN, THE TIMING ON THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT DOES EXPIRE IN SEPTEMBER AND THERE IS A, UM, FEDERAL BILL. IT'S CALLED THE BASICS ACT THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE HOPE EVERYBODY SUPPORTS AND WE HOPE THAT THAT LANGUAGE OF THAT ACT WILL BE IN THE REAUTHORIZATION. AND SO THAT TYPE OF ADVOCACY IS HUGELY IMPORTANT. UM, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING IT. I THINK IT NEVER STOPS. UM, BUT THOSE ELEMENTS ARE CRITICAL. - GREAT, THANK YOU. UM, SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC. IS THERE ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? SEEING NONE, IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE PHONE? - YES, CHAIR. - THANK YOU. - TIM, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOW AVAILABLE. - COOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, UM, AT THE, UH, STATE LEVEL, IT'S, UH, KNOWING HOW TO COMMUNICATE TO FOLKS OVER IN RED STATES THAT THINK THAT INFRASTRUCTURE SAY IS, UH, NOT THAT IMPORTANT OVER HERE IN BLUE STATES. SO I HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT BACK, OH, GOSH, I THINK MAYBE 2013 OR '14 OR SOMETHING, WHERE THE CAL TRANS GUY FOR INTERSTATE 80 OVER AT KING VALE, BASICALLY SICK BEYOND SOME, UH, CALIFORNIA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS THAT WERE GETTING SNARKY ABOUT REPAVING THE HIGHWAY. AND I JUST HAD TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, "WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ALL THIS TRADE COMING ACROSS THAT OCEAN OVER THERE, HUGE. AND YOU HAVE ALL THAT MILITARY HARDWARE BEING SHIPPED OVER, UH, ABRAHAM LINCOLNS ROAD. IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR A REASON. AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA PAVE THE ROAD, KNOCK ME OUT, THEN I GUESS I CAN'T GET TO MY HOME IN TAHOE." [03:40:02] AND GUESS WHAT? THE WHOLE DARN COUNTRY'S ECONOMY GOES DOWN THE DRAIN. FOR HERE FOR SANTA CRUZ AND MONTEREY, YOU FOLKS PRODUCE FOOD. AND THE THING IS, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T SEEM TOO WISE WHEN WE'RE IN ALL THESE CONFLICTS HERE THAT FEMA WOULD BE SLOW, OR WOULD DENY RESOURCES AND MONEY FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN SANTA CRUZ AND MONTEREY COUNTY, WHEN THEY KNOW THE VALUE OF THOSE FOOD RESOURCES COMING INTO ALL THEIR STATES, AND THE INFLATIONARY IMPACT ON THEM AND THE CONCEPT THAT MAYBE THE FOOD JUST DOESN'T COME. BECAUSE ALL THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN GET OUT THEIR DOOR BECAUSE OF ROAD WASHED OUT. SO MAYBE IF, UH, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNICATED THAT TO THEM IN THAT LANGUAGE THAT THEY COULD UNDERSTAND AND THEY COULD ALSO UNDERSTAND THE MILITARY BENEFIT, MAYBE THEY WILL BE A LITTLE MORE QUICK ABOUT PROVIDING FUNDS TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. - THANK YOU. - THERE ARE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - THANK YOU. I'LL RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND A MOTION. - I'LL MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS. - SECOND. - SECOND. - WE HAVE A MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR KOENIG. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - AYE. - KOENIG? - AYE. - HERNANDEZ? - AYE. - CUMMINGS? - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ? - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. [11. Hold public hearing to discuss vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts in compliance with Government Code Section 3502.3​] WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11. TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS VACANCIES AND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 3502.3. FOR TODAY'S ITEM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH A STAFF REPORT, AND THEN WE WILL INVITE SOMEBODY FROM, UM, OUR GENERAL REPRESENTATION UNIT TO GIVE A REPORT. THEN WE'LL COME TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS, OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN, UM, A MOTION. WELCOME. - I'D LIKE TO GO BACK. - GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MARTINEZ AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I AM AJITA PATEL, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, AND WITH ME TODAY IS ERIN MORIMOTO, OUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES MANAGER. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF VACANCIES AND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE. WE'VE INVITED BARGAINING UNITS TO JOIN US TODAY, AS A STATUTE ALLOWS THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN US AND PRESENT. NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO ALL LABOR GROUPS AND ONE UNIT ASKED TO PRESENT TODAY AND THAT IS SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTING THE GENERAL REPRESENTATION UNIT, AND WE HAVE ALLOTTED TIME FOR THEM TO SPEAK, ALSO AT THE, AFTER ERIN AND I. THE FIRST PART OF OUR PRESENTATION WILL FOCUS ON THE VACANCY DATA AND I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO ERIN. - ALL RIGHT. SO, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THE VACANCY DATA ACTUALLY CHANGES PAY PERIOD BY PAY PERIOD. IT'S A MOVING TARGET. AND SO THE DATA THAT'S IN THE BOARD LETTER IS ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE MARCH 13TH. HOWEVER, THE DATA THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS THE MOST UPDATED DATA AS OF APRIL 10TH. - CAN YOU SPEAK CLOSER TO THE MIC, PLEASE? - ALL RIGHT. IS THAT BETTER? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO COUNTYWIDE, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 2,783 BUDGETED POSITIONS AND A TOTAL OF 251 VACANT POSITIONS. SO COUNTYWIDE, OUR VACANCY RATE IS 9%. AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, WE'LL GO OVER THE VACANCY RATE FOR EACH BARGAINING UNIT. THE GENERAL REPRESENTATION UNIT HAS 1,892 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH 192 VACANT POSITIONS FOR A VACANCY RATE OF 10%. [03:45:02] GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS HAS 69 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH TWO VACANT POSITIONS FOR A VACANCY RATE OF 3%. MIDDLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION HAS 332 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH 31 VACANT POSITIONS FOR A TOTAL VACANCY RATE OF 9%. PHYSICIAN'S REPRESENTATION UNIT HAS 19 BUDGETED POSITIONS AND THREE VACANT POSITIONS FOR A VACANCY RATE OF 16%. AND WITH THIS BARGAINING UNIT, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT LAST YEAR, THE VACANCY RATE WAS 24%. AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VACANCY RATE FOR THIS BARGAINING UNIT HAS GREATLY DECREASED. UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES HAS 129 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH EIGHT VACANT POSITIONS FOR A VACANCY RATE OF 6%. DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICERS HAS 59 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH ONE VACANT POSITION FOR A VACANCY RATE OF 2%. SHERIFF'S CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS HAS 116 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH 10 VACANT POSITIONS AND A TOTAL VACANCY RATE OF 9%. DISTRICT ATTORNEY INSPECTORS HAS 15 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH ONE VACANT POSITION. WITH THE VACANCY RATE OF 7%, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS 118 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH THREE VACANT POSITIONS AND A VACANCY RATE OF 3%. LAW ENFORCEMENT MIDDLE MANAGEMENT HAS 10 BUDGETED POSITIONS WITH ZERO VACANCIES FOR 0% VACANCY RATE. AND SHERIFF'S SUPERVISORY HAS A VACANCY RATE OF 0% WITH 24 BUDGETED POSITIONS AND ZERO VACANT POSITIONS. SO I THINK ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT THE FACT THAT THESE- SOME OF THESE POSITIONS ARE VACANT, IT'S REALLY UP TO DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO FILL THEM OR HOLD THEM, AND THAT'S AN OPERATIONAL DECISION. AND OUR PRESENTATION DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE ONES THAT ARE VACANT AND WHAT ARE DEPARTMENTS DOING WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. BUT IN GENERAL, FROM A HUMAN RESOURCES PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE PLEASED WITH THESE NUMBERS. AND I THINK THAT THESE NUMBERS REALLY REFLECT THE WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING AND MY TEAM IS DOING TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ELEMENT, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN ENSURING, DO WE HAVE STAFF ON THE GROUND TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. AND YOU'LL SEE IN THIS NEXT FEW SLIDES, ERIN AND I WILL BOTH TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE EMPLOYING TO KEEP OUR EFFORTS STRONG IN FILLING POSITIONS. ERIN. - ALL RIGHT. OUR RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH EFFORTS, UH, LARGELY REMAIN FOCUSED ON BUILDING OUR LOCAL TALENT PIPELINE. AND SO THERE ARE SOME NEW STRATEGIES THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU. ONE OF THEM BEING, WE HAVE STARTED PRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY WORKSHOP IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT AS WELL AS IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE. AND SO THAT REALLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND LET COMMUNITY MEMBERS KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE OUR RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY. WE HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED HR'S FIRST EVER INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, AND THAT IS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY JOBS. AND WE USE THIS PLATFORM AS WELL AS OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR OUTREACH PURPOSES, INCLUDING ONE OF OUR NEW EFFORTS, WHICH IS DOING EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTS. AND WITH OUR EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTS, WHAT THAT ALLOWS IS FOR, UM, US TO HUMANIZE OUR EMPLOYEES, AND IT GIVES A PLATFORM FOR EMPLOYEES TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEY DO IN THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND WHY THEY LOVE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY. WE CONTINUE OUR OTHER OUTREACH METHODS AS LISTED ON THIS SLIDE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE DIRECT CONTACTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. AND SO, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT FOR POSITIONS OVER THIS LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE FOCUSED LARGELY ON OUR TARGETED HEADHUNTING EFFORTS AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL IN BRINGING NEW TALENT TO THE COUNTY AND, UM, ALLOWING US A PLATFORM TO TELL PEOPLE WHY THEY SHOULD COME AND WORK FOR US. SO IN ADDITION TO THE OUTREACH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INCENTIVES IN OUR TOOLBOX. SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIX CLASSIFICATIONS THAT WE HAVE THIS AVAILABLE FOR, THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT AT THIS TIME, AND THE INCENTIVES RANGE ANYWHERE FROM $10,000 TO $25,000. IT'S, THIS TOOL HAS BEEN HELPFUL, AND WE'VE HAD SOME THAT WE'VE USED IT FOR THAT WE NO LONGER NEED IT FOR, SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'LL KEEP IN THE TOOLKIT. SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE HIRING STRATEGIES AND PIVOT AS NEEDED TO MEET THE INDUSTRY CHANGES. [03:50:04] RIGHT NOW, THE APPLICANT POOL NUMBERS ARE INCREASING, AND THAT'S GREAT. IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS, AND WE HAVE JOBS SO THAT'S WONDERFUL. AND TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD 7,000 APPLICANTS AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WHERE WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 7,000 AT THE END OF JUNE 30TH, 2025. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPTICK. SO AS WE SEE THIS UPTICK, WE ADJUST TO THE STRATEGIES. SO ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING DEPARTMENTS TO THINK ABOUT, IS USING THE MINIMUM FILING PERIOD UNDER CIVIL SERVICE RULES. YOU ONLY HAVE TO HAVE A RECRUITMENT OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS. WE TRADITIONALLY OFTEN WILL KEEP THEM OPEN SIX WEEKS EIGHT WEEKS, BECAUSE AT TIMES IT'S HARD TO GET APPLICANTS, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE TICK'S UP. SO WE WANNA SHORTEN THAT HIRING TIMELINE BY SAYING, "HEY, WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF APPLICANTS. LET'S DO A SHORTER PERIOD." AND WE CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO MEET THE NEEDS. SO THAT'S ONE THAT WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING, I THINK THE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE TAKING USE OF THAT ARE FINDING THAT HELPFUL. SOME ARE STILL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SEVEN DAYS. SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL OPT FOR 14 DAYS, WHICH IS NOT BAD. IT'S JUST A CHANGE. IT'S JUST CHANGING AND ADJUSTING. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW IS CAREER GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES AT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ WHO HAVE BEEN HERE A REALLY LONG TIME, AND FOLKS WHO HAVE COMMITTED AND ARE STAYING BECAUSE THEY REALLY BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE. AND SO THE GOAL IS REALLY TO KEEP THEM INTERESTED IN PUBLIC SERVICE. SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENTS. WHEN YOU'RE OPENING A RECRUITMENT, SHOULD WE DO PROMOTIONAL ONLY? DO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND THEN CREATE SOME NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NEW TO THE FIELD? SO WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF RECRUITMENTS LATELY THAT ARE PROMOTIONAL ONLY AND SEEN FOLKS PROMOTE. THIS IS GREAT FOR RETENTION AND IT'S GREAT FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING. AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE SEE THAT AS A VIABLE TOOL RIGHT NOW. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT OUR TEAM WILL DO IS THAT IF THERE ARE COUNTY EMPLOYEES OR EVEN ACTUALLY BRAND NEW CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND OR TALK ABOUT INTERVIEWING SKILLS, MY ANALYSTS WHO ARE ALL HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US TODAY WILL ALSO DO ONE-ON-ONES. WE'RE HAPPY TO GIVE CANDIDATES FEEDBACK IF THEY DIDN'T GET A JOB BECAUSE THAT'S HOW PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND MAYBE HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE SKILLSETS OR ALSO MARKET THEMSELVES. ONE OF THE THINGS WE FIND IS THAT PEOPLE ARE SHY ABOUT MARKETING THEIR SKILLS. AND SO MY TEAM ARE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGE THAT. WE ARE CURRENTLY REALLY REMINDING FOLKS AND MARKETING INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS. IF EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING IN A POSITION AT ANOTHER PUBLIC AGENCY AND IT HAS THE SAME EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE AS A POSITION THAT WE HAVE HERE, THEY CAN TRANSFER OVER AND BE PUT ON A LIST. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. THAT GIVES EASE TO SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT MOVING OR RELOCATING OR PERHAPS THEY LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ AND WANT TO STOP COMMUTING. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE MARKETING. AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT EXAMINATION VARIETY. SO UNLIKE THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ALL OF OUR POSITIONS REQUIRE AN EXAMINATION OF SOME SORT, AND THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF OUR TIME GOES, BECAUSE PRIVATE SECTOR DOESN'T HAVE TO CONDUCT AN EXAM WE DO. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ORAL EXAMS, WRITTEN EXAMS, AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL TRAINING AND EDUCATION, EVALUATION. SO THOSE ARE THREE WAYS WE CAN CONDUCT AN EXAMINATION, BUT WHERE WE NEED TO REIMAGINE, MERIT SYSTEMS ARE, HOW CAN WE ALSO DO SOME OTHER EXAMINATIONS THAT MAYBE DON'T TAKE AS LONG? EXAMINATIONS ARE USED FOR A REALLY GREAT REASON. MERIT SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT YOU GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY, THERE'S NO FAVORITISM, AND SO WE DO NEED AN EXAMINATION COMPONENT BUT THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IN THIS NEXT YEAR, IS HOW DO WE REIMAGINE THAT? HOW CAN WE HELP DECREASE THE TIME IT TAKES ON THAT, BUT STILL KEEP THE FOUNDATION AND, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS, UM, STRATEGIES, AND WE CONTINUE TO USE SOME OF THE OLD ONES THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, WHICH IS THAT IF WE HAVE A CANDIDATE WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT COMING HERE, HOW DO WE LURE THEM HERE? WE HAVE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE. WE WILL TRY TO MATCH THEIR ACCRUAL RATES AT OTHER COUNTIES SO THEY CAN COME HERE, AND STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE TIME OFF TO RELAX AND REJUVENATE. SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PIVOT DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ERIN TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR ACHIEVEMENTS FROM THE LAST TIME [03:55:02] THAT WE TALKED TO YOU. - ALL RIGHT. SO THERE ARE SOME HIRING PROCESS ACHIEVEMENTS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU TODAY, AND SOME OF OUR CURRENT ACHIEVEMENTS. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED TARGETED TRAININGS FOR DEPARTMENT SUPERVISORS AND HR LIAISONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, THEY KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF THE HIRING AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS. OVER THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAVE REDUCED OUR AVERAGE RECRUITMENT TIME BY 6%, AND THAT IS, THAT MEANS WE REDUCED IT BY 6% FROM THE TIME IT TAKES, UM, OR WHEN A DEPARTMENT REQUESTS THE RECRUITMENT TO THE TIME IT TAKES US TO ESTABLISH THE ELIGIBLE LIST. WE'VE ACHIEVED OUR OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVE, WHICH WAS TO REDUCE THE EXAMINATION NO-SHOW RATE FOR HISPANIC LATINO POPULATION. WE'VE ACTUALLY, UM, GONE ABOVE OUR GOAL, WHICH WAS 15%, AND SO WE'VE REDUCED IT BY 19.27%. WE ARE STARTING TO MEET WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE IN TERMS OF VACANCIES, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER PLAN FOR THEIR RECRUITMENT NEEDS. THIS ALSO GIVES DEPARTMENT HEADS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE US SOME VALUABLE FEEDBACK ON WHERE THEY THINK THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR PROCESS. AND WE HAVE ALSO MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT MEETINGS, WHICH IS THE MEETING THAT WE CONDUCT WHEN WE ARE IN THE PLANNING PHASES OF THE RECRUITMENT. AND SO NOW WHAT WE DO IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO SUPERVISORS ABOUT THEIR NEEDS, WE ACTUALLY, UH, CARVE OUT SOME TIME TO, UM, TO DETERMINE WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE DOING THEIR INTERVIEWS, THEIR REFERENCE CHECKS AND JOB OFFERS. SO THAT'S ALL BUILT INTO THE TIMELINE NOW. AND LOOKING FORWARD, WE WILL BE BRINGING TO YOU SOME MORE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND AN EFFORT TO HELP MODERNIZE OUR RECRUITING PROCESS. WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS AS OUR OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVE, WE ARE BUILDING A HIRING TRACKER, AND THIS IS A TOOL THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY TRACK THE HIRING TIMELINE. AND SO WE ARE, OUR GOAL IS TO TRACK THE TIMELINE FROM VACANCY DATE TO HIRE DATE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ARE NOW BUILDING A REFERENCE CHECK TOOLKIT FOR SUPERVISORS, AND WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE SOME SUPERVISORS HAVE, HAVE LET US KNOW THAT REFERENCE CHECKS ARE QUITE CHALLENGING AND THEY GET STUCK AND SO WE ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE THIS REFERENCE CHECK TOOL, UH, TOOLKIT AVAILABLE TO THEM ON THE COUNTY INTRANET AS A RESOURCE. - SO THAT WILL END COMMENTS FROM ERIN AND I, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP, UM, SEIU REPRESENTATIVES TO ALSO JOIN US IN THE PRESENTATION. - WELCOME. - ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS MAX OLKOWSKI-LAETZ, AND I'M HONORED TO BE THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT OF SEIU 521. I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE YOU MANY TIMES, TALKING ABOUT THE FRONTLINE WORK OUR MEMBERS DO, PROTECTING THIS COMMUNITY FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES, GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND INTO TREATMENT PROGRAMS, KEEPING THEM OUT OF EXPENSIVE JAILS AND HOSPITALS. AH. THANK YOU. SHOULD I START FROM THE BEGINNING? ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS MAX OLKOWSKI-LAETZ, AND I'M HONORED TO BE THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT OF SEIU 521. I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE YOU MANY TIMES, TALKING ABOUT THE FRONTLINE WORK OUR MEMBERS DO, PROTECTING THIS COMMUNITY FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES, GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND INTO TREATMENT PROGRAMS, KEEPING THEM OUT OF EXPENSIVE JAILS AND HOSPITALS, KEEPING OUR ROADS AND STREETS SAFE AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING. I'VE TALKED TO YOU MANY TIMES ABOUT OUR GRAND JURY REPORT SHOWING THAT OUR STAFF REMAIN UNDERSTAFFED, OVERWORKED, AND UNDERPAID. I'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW DURING THAT SAME TIME, MANAGEMENT HAS INCREASED OVER 82%, A TRULY STAGGERING, TOP HEAVY BLOAT. AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YEAH, I'M JUST A SOCIAL WORKER USING GOOGLE TO PULL THESE NUMBERS ON MY, ON MY WEEKENDS. I'M NOT AN ANALYST. I'M GOING TO MISS THINGS AN ANALYST WOULD CATCH. I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY. AND SOME OF THAT OCCURS TO ME, I'D NEVER THOUGHT TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'D BEEN A MASSIVE HIRING BLOAT IN ANALYSTS OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. THEY'RE A MANAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION. THEY GET MANAGEMENT PAY. THEY'RE NOT CHEAP. TURNS OUT THAT IN 2017, THERE WERE TWO ASSISTANT DEPARTMENT ADMIN ANALYSTS EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY. BY 2024, THERE WERE 13. [04:00:03] THEY WERE ASSISTING 15 SENIOR DEPARTMENTAL ADMIN ANALYSTS WHO WERE ENOUGH IN 2017. IN 2024, THERE WERE SUDDENLY 32. THE DATA PRESENTED DOES SHOW AN INTERESTING PICTURE OF VACANCIES AND RECRUITMENT, BUT IT DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. THINGS LIKE THE BUDGET CUTS LAST YEAR TELL THE WHOLE STORY. WHO SHOULDERED THE BURDEN OF BUDGET CUTS LAST YEAR? MY PEOPLE. ROADS IS DOWN NINE STAFF DESPITE COUNTY MANAGEMENT'S INEXPLICABLE DECISION TO FILL THE ROADS WITH THOUSANDS OF MORE CARS BY WORKING, BY REDUCING WORKING FROM HOME. HSA LOST 85 OR MORE POSITIONS, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY OUR NUMBERS ARE AT 10% AND NOT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. HOW MANY ANALYSTS GOT CUT? HOW MANY MANAGERS? I VAGUELY REMEMBER HR SAYING THAT THERE WAS PARITY BECAUSE THEY CUT ONE MANAGER, BUT WITH THE NUMBERS I JUST SAW ON THE SCREEN, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO PASS MUSTER. WERE THEY COUNTING ANALYSTS WHEN THEY RAN THOSE NUMBERS? AS WE GO INTO THE 2026 BUDGET, DEMAND TRANSPARENCY FROM MANAGEMENT. DEMAND THAT THEY GIVE YOU MORE THAN JUST THE NUMBERS, BUT THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE NUMBERS. EVEN JUST LOOKING AT THIS PRESENTATION, AVERAGE RECRUITMENT TIME IS DOWN BY 6%, AMAZING. RECRUITMENT TIME HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP HAVE CONSISTENTLY BROUGHT UP. BUT HOW DOES THAT COMPARE WITH AVERAGE RECRUITMENT TIME IN OTHER COUNTIES? WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE AVERAGE RECRUITMENT TIME? HOW MUCH HAS STAFFING FOR MANAGEMENT CLASSIFICATIONS BLOATED? HOW MUCH HAS IT INCREASED TO GIVE OUR CURRENT PA- UH, UH, CURRENT VACANCY RATES? ASK THEM WHY DO THE CUTS ALWAYS NEED TO COME FROM US, FROM THE FRONTLINE STAFF WORKING EVERY DAY TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY HEALTHY AND SAFE. I'VE BEGGED YOU MANY TIMES BEFORE, AND I'LL BEG YOU MANY TIMES AGAIN. DEMAND BETTER FROM YOUR MANAGEMENT. DEMAND BETTER FROM SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. STAFF YOUR FRONTLINE WORKFORCE, STAFF YOUR HEALTH CLINICS, AND STAFF YOUR ROAD CREWS. WE CAN FIGURE OUT MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSTS LATER. IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS- I'M NOT USED TO THIS. USUALLY, I JUST HAVE TWO MINUTES, BUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE THEM. - START OFF WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD FROM, UM, EITHER OUR REPRESENTATIVE OR STAFF. SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - YES, UM, A QUESTION THAT GOT RAISED, UH, I WANTED TO ASK, SO THE ANALYST, ARE THEY MIDDLE MANAGEMENT OR CONSIDERED UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT? - WE HAVE THEM THROUGHOUT A FEW BARGAINING UNITS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE LIEUTENANTS WHO ARE IN LIEUTENANTS MIDDLE MANAGEMENT UNIT. WE HAVE... - OH, FROM THE SHERIFFS? - YEAH. - OKAY. - WE HAVE SOME MANAGERS WHO ARE IN MIDDLE MANAGEMENT, AND SOME THAT ARE IN UNREPRESENTED. - AND THE 37 YOU STA- 34, 34? - UH, THE POSITION THAT I WAS LOOKING AT... - 37, 34. - ...SPECIFICALLY WAS SENIOR DEPARTMENT ADMIN ANALYSTS. - OKAY. - AND THAT WENT FROM, UH, I BELIEVE THERE WERE 15 IN 2017, AND 32 IN 2024. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA, I'M REQUIRED TO USE THINGS LIKE TRANSPARENT CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS A KOCH BROTHERS WEBSITE. I'D RATHER NOT BE USING THAT CONSIDERING THEIR OBJECTIVE IS TO DESTROY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, BUT IT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE RIGHT NOW, SO. - BUT I THINK YOU ANSWERED MY SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION. THE 34 ARE SPREAD OUT. THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE. THEY'RE SPREAD OUT THROUGH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. UM, AND ANOTHER QUESTION, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY TOO, UM, OUT OF THE 7,000 APPLICANTS, DO YOU KNOW, KIND OF, DEMOGRAPHICALLY WHERE THEY COME FROM? NORTH COUNTY, SOUTH COUNTY, OUT OF THE AREA? - UM, AT THIS TIME I DON'T, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO BECAUSE WE TRACK ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT COME IN THROUGH OUR JOB APP SYSTEM AND WE DO ASK PEOPLE TO TELL US. IT'S VOLUNTARY. BUT THEY CAN TELL US WHAT THEIR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION IS. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING IF YOU HAVE INTEREST WE COULD DO OFF-SITE. - SURE. THANK YOU. YEAH, OFFLINE. THAT'S IT. - SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND I WANNA THANK OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEIU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND FOR OUR STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM. I DID WANNA ASK, UM, THE STAFF, WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY OF UPDATING THE JOB LISTINGS? I'VE RUN INTO PEOPLE ALL THE TIME WHO ARE WANTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, APPLY TO JOBS HERE IN THE COUNTY. AND SOMETIMES I'VE HEARD THAT CERTAIN JOBS ARE AVAILABLE, AND THEN YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE AND THE JOB LISTING ISN'T THERE. AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW WE CAN BETTER CONNECT FOLKS WHO WANT TO WORK HERE WITH JOB OPPORTUNITIES. - SO I'LL START, AND ERIN CAN JUMP IN IF I GET IT WRONG, BUT WE POST UPDATE ON OUR WEBSITE EVERY MONDAY, EVERY FRIDAY, EVEN BETTER. EVERY FRIDAY, ALL THE UPCOMING VACANCIES, [04:05:01] AND IT'S IN REAL TIME. PEOPLE CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, AND THEY CAN STOP BY OUR OFFICE, AND IT'S, IT'S ACCURATE. UM, PERHAPS WHAT I THINK IS A COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING MIGHT BE THAT WHEN WE OPEN A RECRUITMENT, WE MIGHT ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO POSITIONS, RIGHT? SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, BASED ON WHERE SOMEBODY LANDS ON THE ELIGIBILITY LIST, UNDER THE MERIT SYSTEM, PEOPLE ARE RANKED. SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD APPLY FOR A JOB BUT NOT GET CALLED, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF MY STORY. I APPLIED FOR A JOB IN AUGUST OF 1991, AND I GOT CALLED TO THE COUNTY OVER A YEAR AND A HALF LATER. SO PATIENCE SOMETIMES, AND HERE I AM, 32 YEARS LATER. SO THAT'S A COMMON THING, THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, "WOW, I NEVER GOT CALLED. I APPLIED FOR IT," OR, "OH, I NEVER HEARD BACK, SO THERE MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A JOB." SO THAT OFTEN HAPPENS. - AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION/COMMENT IS HOW, HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT EFFICIENCY. I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME WORK ON THAT BEING DONE NOW. BUT I WILL SAY THAT I RAN INTO SOMEONE RECENTLY AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD APPLIED FOR A JOB IN THE FALL, AND THEY WERE, THEY GOT A CALL BACK, LIKE IN APRIL. AND BY THAT... AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE OF PEOPLE'S NEEDS IN TERMS OF PAYING THEIR RENT AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW... IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, THEN THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO TAKE WHAT THEY CAN, AND WE MIGHT BE LOSING OUT ON GOOD CANDIDATES. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT EFFICIENCY OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, REVIEWING APPLICATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER SO WE'RE NOT MISSING OUT ON GETTING GOOD CANDIDATES HERE. - YEAH. WELL, I THINK THAT ALL THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH YOU, WE CONTINUE TO DO THOSE. BUT I THINK WHERE THE ISSUE LIES IS THAT WE GET HUNDREDS OF APPLICANTS FOR ALL OF OUR JOBS, AND IF YOU ARE RANKED LOWER ON THE LIST, ALTHOUGH WE SEND THE DEPARTMENT ALL THE NAMES, THEY DO HAVE TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE IN RANK ORDER. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HA- IF YOU'RE NUMBER 40 ON A LIST, THE DEPARTMENT HAS YOUR NAME, AND IF THEY WANNA KEEP GOING AND INTERVIEW UP TO 40, YOU'LL GET AN INTERVIEW. BUT IF NOT, THEY MAY ONLY INTERVIEW THE FIRST 10 OR THE FIRST FIVE, AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE. THE GOOD NEWS IN THIS IS THAT WE GET LOTS OF APPLICANTS BUT WE MAY ONLY HAVE A FEW POSITIONS, AND SO THAT IS THAT BALANCE. NOW, THE ONE THING THAT MY TEAM DOES IS THAT THEY DO SEND OUT LETTERS, WE DO EMAIL PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR STATUS, THEIR RANKING. MY TEAM IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE IF PEOPLE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STANDING. THEY ALWAYS HAVE A PHONE NUMBER LISTED, AND THEY'RE WELCOME TO CALL IN. AND I THINK THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL, WHEN YOU HEAR OF THAT, OR FRUSTRATION, CONNECT THEM WITH ERIN AND HER TEAM BECAUSE WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPLAIN THE PROCESS. AND THAT IS PART OF THE GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS GROUP IS DOING. THEY'RE HOLDING NIGHTTIME COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS TO HELP DEMYSTIFY HOW TO APPLY FOR A JOB. AND I THINK, ERIN, UH, CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW MANY WE DID THIS PAST YEAR? - WE DID, I BELIEVE WE DID 12 THIS PAST YEAR. - BECAUSE WE THINK THAT'S GONNA HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ON A LIST, BUT YOU, PEOPLE MAY NOT... YOU'RE NOT, NOT GETTING THE INTERVIEW NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE JOB, BUT BECAUSE PERHAPS THEY'VE ALREADY FOUND SOMEBODY WHO'S RANKED HIGHER. AND THAT, AGAIN, IS A MERIT SYSTEM-ELEMENT. - WHAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, EVEN IF IT'S JUST LIKE CONDENSING THIS INTO SOME BLURB THAT WE CAN SHARE OUT IN OUR NEWSLETTERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND LISTINGS FOR JOBS, HOW FREQUENTLY IT'S UPDATED, AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FIND OUT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE TYPES OF, WHETHER IT'S A JOB FAIR, WHETHER IT'S THESE NIGHTTIME MEETINGS. UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP PEOPLE UP TO SPEED, UH, WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND HOW THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY COME WORK FOR THE COUNTY. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. - AND I'LL, I'LL PUT A PLUG OUT. I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HOLD TOWN HALL MEETINGS. I ACTUALLY THINK MAYBE WHAT A REALLY GREAT THING WOULD BE IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT, IF YOU EVER HAD A FEW MINUTES YOU WANTED TO ALLOT, AND HAVE OUR TEAM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO A GROUP THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THAT, AND ALSO HELP WITH MORE DEMYSTIFYING. I THINK THAT'D BE A REALLY GREAT THING, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT COMING TO YOUR TOWN HALLS. WE THINK THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET INFORMATION OUT. BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. - YEAH, AND I WOULD ALSO JUST FOLLOW UP BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING AS WELL WITH, AND I'M NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT Y'ALL ARE ENGAGING WITH THE UNIVERSITIES. I KNOW CAREER FAIRS ARE KIND OF SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE AT UNIVERSITY. BUT EVEN HAVING SOMETHING EARLIER ON, SO IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHAT CLASSES DO I NEED TO TAKE AND WHAT TRAINING DO I NEED TO DO TO GO INTO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OR TO BECOME A, YOU KNOW, UM, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST OR WHAT HAVE YOU. JUST SO THAT PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL WHAT TRAINING THEY NEED TO, WHAT CLASSES THEY NEED TO TAKE, AND WHAT TRAINING THEY'RE GONNA NEED IN ORDER TO BE IN THAT POSITION AND BE ELIGIBLE COMING OUT, I THINK IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, LIKE, INTERNSHIPS AND, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNTY. AND THEN, UM, LASTLY, I'LL JUST SAY IT'D BE GREAT [04:10:02] TO FOLLOW UP WITH SEIU ON SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU ALL ARE EXPERIENCING, JUST TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT, WHAT YOUR WORKERS ARE FACING AND, AND HOW WE CAN BEST MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR US TO BE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IN CONSIDERATIONS FOR, UM, WHAT VACANCIES WE'RE GONNA BE ELIMINATING, THAT WE'RE DOING SO IN SUCH A WAY THAT REALLY FINDS A BALANCE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS AND NOT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOO MUCH BURDEN ON TOP OF THEM, UM, VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREATER STRUCTURE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF, UH, VACANCIES HERE IN THE COUNTY. AND SO, UM, SO NOT JUST YOU ALL. WITH ALL THE OTHER WORK, THE, UM, LABOR GROUPS WOULD JUST BE REALLY, UM, INTERESTED IN, IN GETTING YOUR INPUT AS WE MOVE INTO THIS BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL. - THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS. - SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. - SO WITH THE, UH, TRAININGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO, LIKE, FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS, IT'D BE GOOD IF YOU ALSO, LIKE, LET US KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHEN THESE JOB FAIRS, THE TRAININGS HAPPEN, SO THAT WE CAN PUT THEM... 'CAUSE I THINK ALL OF US NOW HAVE A NEWSLETTER AS WELL THAT GOES OUT TO ALL OUR CONSTITUENTS. THAT'D BE A GOOD THING TO PUT, FOR US TO PUT ON THERE, UH, TO KIND OF HAVE A TIMELINE OF WHERE THEY'RE GONNA HAPPEN. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH COUNTY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THOSE, UH, LIKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS TRAININGS. UM, I, I WANTED TO ASK, HOW LONG DO THE POSTINGS GO UP FOR? ARE THEY VARIED OR IS IT JUST WHATEVER THE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO PUT FOR THE... HOW LONG THEY LAST ON THAT, THAT LITTLE TRIFOLD PAPER THAT HAS ALL THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS EVERY FRIDAY? - SO IT VARIES, AND AS AJITA WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, THE MINIMUM TIME IS SEVEN DAYS. BUT IT CAN GO ANYWHERE FROM SEVEN DAYS TO A MONTH TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING AND THEN WE WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA CLOSE THE RECRUITMENT. - YEAH. A WEEK SEEMS A LITTLE SHORT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE A LOT OF THESE GET MAILED OUT TO DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THEY MIGHT FIND THE LIKELY CANDIDATES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, AND IT TAKES LIKE, AT LEAST FIVE DAYS FOR THEM TO GET IN THE MAIL, PUT IT UP, POST IT UP ON THEIR WALL. I THINK SIX WEEKS AT THE MINIMUM SHOULD BE PROBABLY THE, THE, THE STANDARD FOR THAT. UM, I MEAN, 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE THEM, WHAT, THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO GET THE CALL BACK, SO. - WELL, TRUE, EXCEPT THAT WE DO A LOT OF THINGS ELECTRONICALLY NOW, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF AGENCIES ARE GETTING THINGS THROUGH EMAIL NOW. SO THE, THE OLD WAY OF PUTTING IT IN THE MAIL AND THEY PUT IT ON THEIR BULLETIN BOARDS IS A LITTLE BIT... IT, IT, WE'RE NOT USING THAT AS MUCH. THINGS GET MAILED, BUT THINGS ARE MORE ELECTRONIC. AND AGAIN, AS I NOTED IN THE PRESENTATION IT'S UP TO THE DEPARTMENT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO A RECRUITMENT FOR SEVEN DAYS. IT'S REALLY UP TO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND HOW THEY WANNA ESTABLISH THE RECRUITMENT. BUT FOR SURE, THE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT WILL ALWAYS BE LONGER. - SO IT LOOKED LIKE THE, UH... YOU KNOW, IT LOOKED GOOD FOR THE VACANCY RATE. IT LOOKED LIKE THE AVERAGE WAS ABOUT 7%. IT'S NOT UP THERE NO MORE. ABOUT 7%, BUT, UM, YOU PROBABLY HEARD THE PRIOR TWO ITEMS THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, AI ON THE AGENDA AND THE STREAMLINING. I THINK A LOT OF OUR, MY COLLEAGUES HERE, UH, KIND OF, WE, UH, ALL SHARE THE SENTIMENT OF THAT WE CAN'T LET PEOPLE GO AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW? WE GOTTA KEEP... IT TAKES SO, IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT THEM. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'D BE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE, UH, LOSING STAFF. SO THAT'S IT. - SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, AND THANK YOU, MAX, FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND, AND SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHARED. I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, FROM OUR PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, IF THOSE NUMBERS SOUND ACCURATE AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF SENIOR DEPARTMENTAL ANALYSTS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH IN THAT JOB CATEGORY BETWEEN 2017, 2025 OR 6, UM, AND IF YOU COULD PROVIDE AC- MORE ACCURATE DATA IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU. - YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO WE HAVE A BUDGETED POSITION FILE THAT SHOWS US HOW MANY WE HAVE ALLOCATED ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. I COULDN'T SPEAK TO, IF 34 IS THE CORRECT NUMBER. THAT, THAT WOULD BE IN THE MIDDLE MANAGEMENT UNIT. BUT OF COURSE, YES, WE COULD CERTAINLY SHARE OUT THE EXACT NUMBER. 34 DOESN'T SOUND, UM, COMPLETELY OUT OF THE NORM IF THE MIDDLE MANAGEMENT UNIT HAS, LET'S SEE. THEY HAVE 332 BUDGETED POSITIONS IN OUR COUNTY, AND IF 34 WERE SENIOR DEPARTMENTAL ADMIN ANALYSTS, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TOTALLY WRONG. BUT WE COULD, WE DO HAVE AN ACCURATE COUNT. - OKAY. - YEAH. - GREAT. AND, UM, CEO COBURN, YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY MOST OF THOSE YEARS. I MEAN, I, IS THAT TRACK, UH, MAYBE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORKFORCE THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND... - YEAH. UM, I WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE ANALYSTS, [04:15:01] UH, WITH ALL THE NEW STATE MANDATES AND REQUIREMENTS, IT'S PARTICULARLY RELATED TO REPORTING. SB43, CARECORPS, UM, ALL THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVES, ESPECIALLY BHSA, UM, WE HAVE TO DO SO MUCH MORE IN TERMS OF INFORMATION GATHERING, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTING TO STATE DEPARTMENTS. SO OFTENTIMES WE HAVE HAD TO ADD ANALYSTS TO MANAGE ALL OF THAT WORKLOAD. SO I WOULD THINK IT WOULD TRACK REALLY WELL WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER RECENT YEARS IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING OF COUNTIES. - GOT IT. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, IN EFFECT, THIS IS, UH, ONE MORE UNFUNDED MANDATE. - MM-HMM. YES. - GOT IT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. I MEAN, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF... UH, UH, AC- LITTLE CARTOON THAT'S, SOMEONE SHARED WITH ME RECENTLY IS, I, I'LL JUST DESCRIBE IT TO YOU 'CAUSE I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS. BUT IT'S A MAN DIGGING FURIOUSLY. HE'S SURROUNDED BY AN HR MANAGER, A MARKETING MANAGER, A LOGISTICS MANAGER, A COMMUNICATION MANAGER, A SECURITY MANAGER, AN IT MANAGER, AN INTERNAL SUPERVISOR, A PRODUCT MANAGER, AND A PR MANAGER. THEY'RE ALL STANDING AROUND WATCHING THE MAN DIGGING FURIOUSLY, AND THEY SAY, "DUE TO CU-" UH, WHOSE NAME IS DAVE, BY THE WAY. AND THEY SAY, "DUE TO CUTBACKS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIRE DAVE." AND SO I, I MEAN, I SYMPATHIZE WITH, UM, OUR COLLEAGUES IN SEIU, WHO ARE, WHO ARE EXPLAINING WE, WE CAN'T FIRE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE WORK THAT THE PUBLIC SEES, AND IF WE ARE FORCED INTO A POSITION TO MAKE CUTS, WE SHOULD DO SO FURTHEST AWAY FROM WHERE THOSE SERVICES ARE BEING DELIVERED. THANK YOU. - THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR KOENIG. - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - THANK YOU. UM, SO WE'VE HAD A FREEZE ON HIRING. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE CALLING IT THAT, BUT WE'VE HAD SORT OF A SLOWDOWN ON HIRING. WHAT, WHAT ARE WE CALLING IT, THESE... - IT'S CURRENTLY A HIRING. - OH, IT IS A FREEZE. - CURRENTLY A HIRING FREEZE, BUT WE HAVE, UM, AN ABILITY TO GET CEO APPROVAL TO HIRE. - IF IT'S A, SOME VERY IMPORTANT POSITION IN A DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. - WE HAVE CRITERIA TO, BY WHICH WE EXAMINE THE REQUEST TO APPROVE IT OR NOT. - OKAY. AND I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED OR PUT ON H-HOLD AT THIS TIME. - WE'VE HELD ON VARIOUS POSITIONS. UM, THEY'RE ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF THE COUNTY. UM, AND WE'RE, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AS WE REPORTED TO YOU AT MIDYEAR. AND WE HAVE HR1 IMPACTS, SO WE'RE HOLDING BACK ON TRAVEL, UM, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, HIRING TO THE EXTENT WE CAN. - SO I'VE, SO FAR, I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE PLAN THAT, UM, NICOLE, YOUR OFFICE HAS PUT INTO PLACE BECAUSE FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, WE ARE TRYING TO SPARE LAYOFFS AT THIS POINT. - THAT IS CORRECT, YES. - BECAUSE OF OUR $25 MILLION DEFICIT. AND GROWING EACH YEAR, APPARENTLY. - IT, IT'S $23 MILLION NEXT YEAR, PLUS $25 MILLION. SO IT'S ALMOST $50 MILLION BETWEEN OUR STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AND HR1, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT WITHOUT LAYOFFS. - OKAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT, IS THAT, UM, I THINK NICOLE UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED AS, AS WE CAN. AND SO FOR THIS YEAR, IT FEELS LIKE EVEN THOUGH TIMES MIGHT BE TOUGH OUT THERE, I THINK AMONG THE DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE POTENTIALLY, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, AND POTENTIALLY NOT AS MANY PEOPLE AS THERE HAD BEEN IN THE PAST, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS REALLY SPARE PEOPLE FROM BEING LAID OFF AT THIS TIME. - AND THAT MIGHT REQUIRE FOCUSING ON OUR CORE FUNCTIONS AND NOT DOING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE NICE TO DO. SO WE, YOU KNOW, EXAMINING THE WORKLOAD AND MAKING SURE THAT THE WORKLOAD IS APPROPRIATE IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT. - THANK YOU. - THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, YOU AND ALL YOUR MEMBERS. UM, TH- ONE THING I WAS HEARING IN YOUR QUESTION WAS KIND OF SEEKING INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY. I THINK AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, WE STRIVE TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FUNDS. UM, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION IS, IS AVAILABLE. MY, MY QUESTION IS, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, ANALYSIS THAT THEY'RE DOING, WOULD THAT BE FOUND ON OUR BUDGET TOOL? YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, UM, KIND OF GETTING MORE AND MORE FAMILIAR WITH OUR ONLINE BUDGET PLATFORM, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE MIGHT BE, UM, MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THEM IF THEY USE THE, THE BUDGET TOOL THAT, UM, WE HAVE ONLINE. [04:20:03] - I BELIEVE THE BUDGET TOOL DOES INCLUDE TABLES, UH, BY DEPARTMENT OF THE POSITIONS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO EACH BUDGET. AND THEN AT MANY TIMES, WE'VE GIVEN SEIU AND OTHER GROUPS THE VACANCY REPORT, SO THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. WE'VE ALWAYS GIVEN IT WHEN THEY'VE REQUESTED IT. AND THOSE TABLES SHOULD SHOW EXACTLY HOW MANY POSITIONS EACH DEPARTMENT HAS ALLOCATED. - GREAT. I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA COMMIT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED, SO IF THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT OR CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS. UM, TRYING TO BE A GOOD PARTNER, UM, REALLY TO OUR PUBLIC TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE HOLDING ALL OF US ACCOUNTABLE. UM, SO WITH THAT, I AM GONNA OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM. - THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. - SEEING NO ONE IN THE ROOM, IS THERE ONE, ANYONE ON THE PHONE? - I SEE NO SPEAKERS ONLINE, CHAIR. - ALL RIGHT, I'LL BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION AND A MOTION. - I MOVE THE RECOMMENDED ACTION. - SECOND. - THE, A FIRST AND A SECOND, BUT I, I'M ON THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO'S WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO THIS, BUT I THINK THIS IS SUPER INNOVATIVE IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT. IT, IT TALKS ABOUT THE JOB CLASSIFICATION OR THE POSITION AND WHAT THE, UM, ELIGIBLE APPOINTMENT STEP IS, LIKE STEP ONE, TWO, THREE. BUT THEN IT SAYS FUTURE SALARY INCREASES. SO IF THERE'S BEEN A NEGOTIATION, IT SAYS JUNE 2026, WHAT THE INCREASE IS, AND THEN JUNE 2027, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ANTICIPATE WHAT THEY WOULD BE MAKING IN THE FUTURE, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF COOL. - THAT IS COOL. - THANK YOU. - GREAT. SO WE HAVE A, UM, MOTION, AND THIS MOTION- MOTION FROM SUPERVISOR CUMMINGS, A SECOND FROM SUPERVISOR HERNANDEZ. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? - SUPERVISOR DE SERPA? - AYE. - KOENIG? - AYE. - HERNANDEZ? - AYE. - CUMMINGS? - AYE. - AND MARTINEZ? - AYE. MOTION PASSES, FIVE TO ZERO. AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S AGENDA. OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR A WEEK FROM TODAY, UM, AT 9:00 AM. IT'LL BE HELD HERE. NO. OR I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS. I THINK IT IS HERE. - NO, IT'S GONNA BE HELD HERE BECAUSE WE HAD, UM, WE HAVE ISSUES WITH STAFFING COVERING BOTH LOCATIONS, AND OUR TECHNOLOGY ISN'T READY IN- UPSTAIRS, SO. - GREAT. THEN WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. MEETING ADJOURNED. - RECORDING STOPPED. [END] * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.