[00:00:06]
OKAY.[Roll Call]
A NEW YEAR, SAME OLD PACK.THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, LETTING ME SERVE AS YOUR CHAIR THIS YEAR.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A FUN YEAR.
UM, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:04 PM THIS IS THE REGULAR, UM, PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICTS ON JANUARY 22ND, 2024.
UH, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE ROLL CALL, BUT SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR, I WONDER IF WE COULD DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BECAUSE I THINK, UH, I DON'T SEE SOMEBODY, BUT WE, WE'LL HAVE A NEW MEMBER MAYBE JOINING US.
UM, AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH ON THE ROLL CALL, AS YOUR NAME IS CALLED, UM, WE PLEASE NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE HERE, BUT JUST, UM, LET US KNOW YOUR APPOINTING AUTHORITY AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE, AND WE CAN, UM, UH, GO AROUND AND, UH, REMIND EACH OTHER OF, UH, WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM.
SO, NEIL, IT'S, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL AND ROLL, UH, YULI OR NEIL? I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF SOMEONE CAN UNBLOCK MY VIDEO.
IT SAYS THE HOST HAS BLOCKED IT, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU GUYS CAN THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ECCLES.
WE'RE GOING TO, UH, AJE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW.
OKAY, DAVID, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR ROLL CALL.
I, OH, I JUST SAID THANK YOU, AND PLEASE GO PROCEED WITH YOUR ROLL CALL.
PRESIDENT ECCLES, UH, BOARD PRESIDENT ECCLES.
I AM CO-WORKING, UH, WITH, UH, LAUREN BLANCHARD TODAY.
AND SO I'M GONNA CARRY OUT AS THOUGH, UM, AS I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, JUST TO BE, UH, PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE FOR LAUREN, HOW SHE'LL PROCEED IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND START ROLL CALL.
UM, BUT ALSO WANNA WELC WELCOME, UH, LAUREN BLANCHARD, UH, WHO WILL BE CLERKING THE, UH, PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, HERE IN 2024.
SO I WILL START WITH MEMBER FRANCIS MENDOZA.
UH, HERE, UH, FREMONT, UM, LABOR COUNCIL.
UH, MEMBER MENDOZA, MEMBER BOB SIMMONS.
UM, JOHN MECURIO, WALNUT CREEK.
AND WE HAVE MEMBER IRENE DIETER.
I WAS APPOINTED BY BOARD MEMBER ELLEN CORBETT, AND I LIVE IN THE CITY OF ALAMEDA.
AND I'M JUST GONNA GO IN KIND OF AN S DIRECTION HERE, AND SO WE CAN CLOSE OUT WITH OUR, UM, OUR CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIR.
SO, UH, PAC MEMBER SUSIE CLAXTON.
HI, I'M FROM FREMONT AND APPOINTED BY DENNIS WASPY.
AND IT'S KIND OF A REVERSE S IF, IF YOU'RE JUDGING ME.
REMEMBER BOB REED? OH, I'M SO CONFUSED.
UH, I WAS APPOINTED BY DE ROSARIO BOARD MEMBER, AND I LIVE IN MONTCLAIR.
SO START BY SAYING THAT I WAS APPOINTED BY OLIVIA SAM WONG, AND I LIVE IN PLEASANTON.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE MEMBER BOB PEOPLES, UM, I WAS APPOINTED BY JOHN MECURIO, AND I LIVE IN SAN RAMON.
WOULD YOU MIND SPEAKING INTO THE MIC THERE? I WAS APPOINTED BY JOHN MECURIO, AND I LIVE IN SAN RAMON.
AND WE HAVE, UH, MEMBER, UH, I'M SO SORRY.
I WANTED TO SAY THE LAST NAME, RIGHT.
I'M APPOINTED BY DE ROSARIO AND I RESIDE IN MORAGA.
AND WE HAVE MEMBER ED VALENZUELA? NO, I LIVE IN BRENTWOOD, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS WORKING.
THERE'S NO LIGHT, IS THERE NO LIGHT? WE'LL, UM, WE CAN, OH, THERE WE GO.
LET'S, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND REPEATING YOURSELF IN THAT MICROPHONE, AND WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET YOU A REPLACEMENT.
I LIVE IN BRENTWOOD, AND I WAS POINTED BY COLIN COFFEE.
AND, UM, ERIC, UM, I'M ACTUALLY, I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE KIND OF MADE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, IN PUBLIC YET, IF EVERYONE KNOWS THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO, UM, CARLIN WAS THE PRESIDENT, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, IF FOLKS ARE AWARE, DID YOU WANNA TAKE THAT OVER? UH, NOT SURE THE QUESTION,
[00:05:01]
BUT WE DID HAVE AN ELECTION AT OUR LAST MEETING FOR, UH, CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND, UH, UNANIMOUSLY NEIL TSUI WAS CHOSEN AS CHAIR AND LUANA ESPANIA IS CHOSEN AS VICE CHAIR AND ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE CORINA LOPEZ, WHO HAS JOINED US IN ATTENDANCE AS A NEW MEMBER.AND, UM, AND, UH, MEMBER CARLIN OBRINGER.
AND I JUST, SINCE WE, UM, WE'RE GOING AROUND THE ROOM, MAYBE OUR NEWEST MEMBER, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE INTRODUCING OURSELVES AND WE ARE IDENTIFYING THE, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS THE APPOINTING AGENCY.
SO I WILL GO AND THEN IT'LL BE YOUR TURN.
SO, CARL AND OBRINGER, I'M APPOINTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA MAYORS CONFERENCE, AND I PROUDLY RESIGN IN THE CITY OF CONCORD.
I RESIDE IN SAN LEANDRO, AND I'VE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE HERE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
AND, UH, THAT CONCLU OH, AND MEMBER, UH, SORRY.
AND THEN, UH, CHAIR TSUI IS HERE.
AND SO, UM, I WAS APPOINTED BY ELLEN CORBETT AND I RESIDE IN SAN LEANDRO.
AND, UH, I LIVE IN EL CERRITO, APPOINTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
IT'S, UH, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU AND, UH, WELCOME TO CORINA.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE.
UH, I HAVE THE, UH, TYPICAL BLURB ABOUT THE BROWN ACT TO SHARE WITH YOU.
TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
UM, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT OR PARK DISTRICT INTENDS TO HOLD MEETINGS THROUGH A HIGH PLATFORM OF IN-PERSON AND REMOTE ATTENDANCE TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE VIA REMOTE ATTENDANCE THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT'S VIRTUAL PLATFORM, ZOOM, THE PARK ADVISORY MEMBERS AND DESIGNATED STAFF WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE PARK DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, 29 50 PERALTO OAKS COURT, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.
OCCASIONALLY, MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY ATTEND REMOTELY PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT AS AMENDED BY AB 2 4 4 9, WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR LIVE VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL OR LEAVING A VOICEMAIL.
THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN, UH, SEEING NO QUESTIONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL, CALL ON VICE CHAIR ESPANIA TO READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNSEATED LANDS OF THE LONEY PEOPLE, AND THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE UNE TERRITORY, WHICH IS THEIR TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND SHARED HOME.
SINCE TIME AND MEMORIAL, THE LONEY PEOPLE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN, UH, RECIPROCITY WITH NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLE OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCES FUNDAMENTAL FOR SURVIVAL AND IMPORTANCE TO CULTURAL PRACTICES, ALL WHILE PASSING DOWN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE, WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE, THE LAND ITSELF, THE WILDLIFE LIVING IN THESE LANDS, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEWARDED SINCE TIME IN MEMORIAL, WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY.
AND ALSO, UM, PLEASE JOIN US IN CELEBRATING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH AS WE HONOR TRUTH IN HISTORY AND AWARENESS OF CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FACING NATIVE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE EAST BAY, THE NATION AND THE WORLD.
THE PARK DISTRICT STRIVE TO PROMOTE ACCURATE AND, OOPS, SOME FEEDBACK THERE.
UH, THE PARK DISTRICT STRIVES TO PROVIDE, TO PROMOTE ACCURATE AND HOLISTIC DEPICTIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN OUR PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR NATIVE VOICES, AND WE ASK OTHERS TO JOIN US IN LEARNING ABOUT CALIFORNIA NATIVE PEOPLES FROM CALIFORNIA NATIVE PEOPLES THEMSELVES.
PLEASE VISIT THE DISTRICT'S WEBPAGE FOR PROGRAMS AS WE CELEBRATE NOVEMBER NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PAC MEMBERS JOINING US REMOTELY? OKAY.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE DIRECTOR ECCLES JOINING US REMOTELY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY INDIVIDUALS 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, UH, WHO WILL BE PRESENT IN THE ROOM AT YOUR LOCATION DURING THIS MEETING? NO.
[Announcements]
SO, UM, BEFORE[00:10:01]
PROCEEDING TO THE MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MOVE ITEM NUMBER SIX, ANNOUNCEMENTS UP BECAUSE WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TODAY.UM, AND SO WE CAN, UM, UH, WELCOME THAT PERSON AND THEN ALLOW THEM TO STAY FOR AS LONG AS THEY CHOOSE.
UM, AND SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR MOVING ANNOUNCEMENTS UP TO THIS PART OF THE AGENDA.
SO IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
COULD WE, UM, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL GUESTS.
UM, AND SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, JOSE G. GONZALEZ, WHO IS OUR FIRST EVER EQUITY OFFICER FOR THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS DISTRICT.
AND I BELIEVE HE'S, UH, UM, IS, UH, ANNA ALVAREZ.
ARE YOU GONNA, UH, INTRODUCE HIM? OKAY.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE AN INTRODUCTION AND THEN, UM, OH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMENTS FROM, UH, MR. GONZALEZ HIMSELF.
I AM SO SHORT, I HAVE TO GO TO THE SIDE OF THE PODIUM.
'CAUSE THEN I CAN'T SEE YOU WITH THE COMPUTER
I JUST WANTED TO COME BY AND, UM, SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR.
WISHING YOU THE BEST FOR AN AMAZING 2024.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED WITH THE NEWLY ELECTED CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
2024 IS PROMISING TO BE AN AMAZING YEAR FOR THE EAST REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AS WE'RE CELEBRATED THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM DIRECTOR EC ECHOS ON THAT.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY TO ACCELERATE THE, UH, OUR MISSION DELIVERY TO THE CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD AND THE EAST BAY, AS WELL AS THE CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE AND NATURE.
AND ON THE PEOPLE SIDE OF THE EQUATION.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED AND IT'S MY PRIVILEGE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRMAN, UM, TSUI TO ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE A INAUGURAL EQUITY OFFICER, JOSE GONZALEZ, WHO JUST RECENTLY JOINED THE EAST REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
AND JOSE WILL BE INTRODUCING HIMSELF AND SHARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND SO YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM.
BUT THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO INTRODUCE HIM IS TO TELL YOU IT'S BEING QUITE A JOURNEY TO GET HERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS AND HOPES PLACED ON HIS SHOULDERS, NO PRESSURE
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED AND WE FEEL VERY BLESSED TO HAVE JOSE JOSE'S EXPERTISE, HIS APPROACH AND HIS DEMEANOR IN BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS VERY CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AND STEPS THAT WE NEED ALL TOGETHER NEED TO TAKE SO THAT WE CAN TRULY ADDRESS EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND OTHER, UH, OTHER, UM, PATHWAYS THAT WILL LEAD US TO, UH, A PLACE OF BELONGING WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRULY CONNECTED WITH THE LAND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, THE NATURAL WORLD, AND WHEN WE CAN REALLY CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY THAT COMES WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
SO, WITH THAT, AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, JOSE, WELCOME TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I LIKE THE SIDE OF THE PODIUM.
SEE, IT'S LIKE, IT'S A GOOD CHOICE.
UH, I'LL START BY, UH, FOR SAYING THANK YOU.
SO JOSE GONZALEZ, AH, HIS, THEY'LL RESPOND TO ANYTHING OFFERED WITH JOY AND RESPECT, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO, TO BE HERE.
AND THANKS TO THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS AS WELL.
UH, I WANNA JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO REALLY KIND OF SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME SO YOU KIND OF GET A SENSE OF, OF, UH, WHAT I'LL BE DOING HERE.
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THE ONLY TIME THAT YOU SEE ME, OF COURSE.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, I, UH, WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN, UM, AND NOT JUST BE HERE WITH YOU ALL, BUT CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE STAFF ALSO, THAT, THAT SUPPORT THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, THAT THREE QUICK THINGS ARE, ONE IS, UH, I WAS JUST ACTUALLY WRITING AN INTRODUCTORY EMAIL TODAY.
IT'S LIKE, WHAT I AM, WHAT I'M NOT, AND I SAID, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THE MAGIC WAND THAT CAN JUST SAY FIXED, AND IT'S ALL DONE.
HAVING SAID THAT, THOUGH, I THINK EVEN IN MY VERY SHORT START TIME HERE, I'M REALLY EXCITED BY BOTH THE POTENTIAL AND THE EXCITEMENT THAT THE DISTRICTS AS A WHOLE, BUT ALSO KEY STAFF AND BODIES SUCH
[00:15:01]
AS YOURSELVES.UM, BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
AND LIKE I SAID, SO IT'S A VERY INTENTIONAL, UH, CHOICE TO BE, UM, HERE AT THE DISTRICT AND BE IN SERVICE IN THIS WAY.
UH, TWO IS THAT MY, UM, JOURNEY HERE.
I'M AN IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO, SO FIRST GENERATION, UH, COLLEGE STUDENT GRADUATE, LIKE ALL OF THAT PATH AND JOURNEY.
UH, AND WHILE I COULD'VE HAD OTHER OPTIONS IN TERMS OF CAREER-WISE, THAT I THINK, UH, WOULD'VE NOT BEEN SURPRISING FOR ME, THE FACT THAT SOMETHING ABOUT CON, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK AND OUTDOOR NATURE ACCESS WORK, ESPECIALLY, UH, RECONNECTING REALLY PEOPLE AND NATURE AS PART OF A HOLISTIC, UM, ECOLOGY.
AND SO, UM, REALLY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS HERE.
AND THEN LASTLY IS, LIKE I SAID, I, I HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE THE ONLY, OF COURSE IN LAST TIME YOU'LL SEE ME.
AND SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF ALL THE IN INTENTIONAL FOCUS THAT THIS BODY'S GONNA HAVE, UH, NOT JUST FOR THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD AND THE ROLE THAT, THAT IT PLAYS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT, THAT I'VE, I AM ATTENTIVE, I'M PAYING ATTENTION, AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, TO WHAT YOU PROVIDE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO GUIDE IN MY DIRECTION AS I WORK WITH SABRINA GENERAL MANAGER, UH, AND OF COURSE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, AND THE STAFF AT LARGE.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN.
I'M, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU BETTER.
UM, AND SO I'VE BEEN ALERTED THAT WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PAC WHO ARE ACTUALLY JOINING US REMOTELY, UM, DANISHA AND IGOR.
SO, UM, IF WE GO BACK TO, UM, ROLL CALL AND HAVE, UM, UH, THEM, UH, ALSO COMMUNICATE THEIR, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, UH, CHAIR, I BELIEVE, UM, AND I, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, AND MAYBE ERIC CAN CLARIFY, BUT, UM, I THINK THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED ATTENDEES AND, AND, UM, NOT, UM, PARTICIPATING PAC MEMBERS TODAY.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I, IF I'M WRONG HERE.
DO DO WE KNOW IF THEY POSTED THEIR LOCATION AHEAD OF TIME? MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE YET.
SO THEY'LL BE PARTICIPATING AS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, SO STILL CAN OFFER COMMENT IN THAT CAPACITY.
UH, SO ARE THERE, SO SINCE WE MOVED ANNOUNCEMENTS UP TO THIS PART OF THE AGENDA, ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, BECAUSE WE WON'T COME BACK TO IT LATER.
ARE THERE, UM, ANY PAC MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES.
MEMBER SIMMONS, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS FITS UNDER THE ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT, UH, SOMEBODY NODDED THEIR HEAD YES.
I'M PRESIDENT OF SOMETHING CALLED THE WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED COUNCIL.
IT'S THE LARGEST WATERSHED IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
INCLUDES PARTS OR ALL OF NINE CITIES AND TOWNS.
AND WE ARE, UH, TOGETHER WITH THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, WHICH HAS BUILT A LOT OF, UH, CONCRETE IN, IN THE WATERSHED.
UM, AND THE, UM, CONTRA COSTA RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT ARE STARTING, UH, AN EFFORT TO CREATE A, THE FIRST EVER WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN.
IT'S OF INTEREST TO THE DISTRICT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT, UH, MOST OF LOS TROPICS A GOOD PART OF BRION, ALL OF, UH, DIABLO FOOTHILLS, ALL OF, UH, SYCAMORE VALLEY.
SO IN A LOT OF THE PAVED TRAILS ARE ALSO IN THE WATERSHED.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THERE IS PRETTY, UH, I THINK PRETTY IMPORTANT.
WHAT MY GOAL IS, IS TO CREATE A RESTORATION PLAN THAT WILL GUIDE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT 20 OR 30 YEARS.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PLAN LIKE THIS, THE REASON TO MENTION IT.
AND THERE, AND, UH, THEY KINDLY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LAUREN OR SOMEBODY KINDLY PRINTED SOME OF THESE FOR US, AND THEY'RE THERE AS YOU WALK OUT, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A, UH, WEBINAR HOSTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA LIBRARY SYSTEM ON FEBRUARY 7TH FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AND THIS GIVES YOU SOME GUIDANCE AS TO HOW YOU CAN, UH, SIGN UP FOR IT.
YOU DO HAVE TO REGISTER, YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOU EMAIL ADDRESS.
WE DO NOT SEE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR CONTACTING YOU, BUT IT'LL BE A, A GOOD TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE WATERSHED, TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR THE WATERSHED, TO HAVE A CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE, TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS ONE LITTLE AREA OR BIG AREA THAT COULD USE SOME, UH, RESTORATION ACTIVITY? UH, WE'RE GONNA BE INTERESTED IN CREATING WETLANDS, UH, IMPROVING, UH, RIPARIAN HABITAT AND THE LIKE.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND I HOPE SOME OF YOU HAVE IT.
MEMBER SIMMONS ARE THERE? YES, MEMBER O BRINGER.
[00:20:01]
BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS A, A NEW EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK IN CONCORD, AND IT IS ADJACENT TO THE FORMER CONCORD NAVAL WEAPONS STATION.SO JUST, UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWING OUR ONGOING SAGA, UH, WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING A MEETING ON FEBRUARY 20TH TO HOPEFULLY, UH, SIGN THE TERM SHEET WITH, UH, THE MASTER DEVELOPER CANDIDATE.
AND THERE WILL BE DISCUSSION ON A LIMITED BASIS ABOUT PARKS AND OPEN SPACE.
'CAUSE THIS IS JUST THE TERM SHEET.
IT IS NOT THE SPECIFIC PLAN, BUT JUST WANNA LET PEOPLE KNOW.
SO THAT IS FEBRUARY 20TH, A TUESDAY AT 6:30 PM AND YOU CAN WATCH ON ZOOM IF YOU'RE INTERESTED OR COME IN PERSON TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM PAC MEMBERS? YES, MEMBER MENDOZA.
UH, JUST WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT ON JANUARY 25TH, UM, SAVE BLO IS HAVING A STATE OF THE MOUNTAIN ADDRESS, AND SOMEBODY THERE IS GONNA GET A MOUNTAIN STAR AWARD THAT WE KNOW VERY WELL.
CARLIN JUST WANTED, IT'S ALL SAVE BLO WEBSITE.
UH, DOUG MCCONNELL'S ALSO GETTING, UH, AN AWARD AS WELL, AS WE ALL KNOW FROM OPEN ROAD AND BURIAL BACK ROADS.
ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THERE'S A, UH, TWO-SPIRIT POWWOW.
THE BIGGEST, UH, TWO-SPIRIT POWWOW.
TWO-SPIRIT IS, UH, L-G-B-T-Q FOR INDIGENOUS FOLKS.
AND IT'S HAPPENING AT THE FORK MASON CENTER ON FEBRUARY 10.
SO I INVITE YOU ALL TO THAT AS WELL.
MEMBER MENDOZA, ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS OR ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM PAC MEMBERS? NO.
SO I'LL CLOSE THAT ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND MOVE
[Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda]
ON TO THE NEXT ONE, WHICH ARE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.I KNOW THERE WAS ONE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS CIRCULATED, UM, TWO MEMBERS, UH, VIA EMAIL ABOUT THE NIMITZ WAY PATH.
SO THAT'S BEEN ENTERED INTO THE RECORD.
UM, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE HERE OR JOINING US REMOTELY? UH, YES.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UH, KELLY A BREW.
AND SO JUST ONE MOMENT, KELLY, AS I PROMOTE YOU, UH, TO A PANELIST.
AND KELLY, YOU HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
UM, WELL, UH, COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT, UH, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS AND, UH, ESG.
UM, THERE, THERE WAS A MENTION OF MOUNT DIABLO, UH, JUST NOW.
AND, UH, MOUNT DIABLO HAS A WELL-KNOWN CONTROVERSY, UH, WHERE, UH, PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, JUST, UH, BLOCKED OFF A GATE THAT HAD BEEN THERE, UH, THAT AN EASEMENT, UH, FOR BICYCLISTS, UH, KIND OF A ROAD THROUGH A, UH, PATH THROUGH A PRIVATE, UH, UH, PRIVATE ROADS AND STREETS TO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN.
SO THE, THE, UH, A SHORTCUT TO THE MOUNTAIN, UH, NOT REALLY A SHORTCUT, BUT IT WAS A SAFE PATH TO THE MOUNTAIN AND, UH, BY, AND, UH, PEOPLE PUT UP A FENCE AND BLOCKED IT.
AND THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS QUITE, UH, CONTROVERSIAL.
AND THIS IS, UH, EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, EVERYWHERE WHERE, UH, PARKS, UH, THESE REMOTE, UH, REGIONAL PARKS ARE BEING, UH, ACCESS TO THEM IS, IS, UH, IS INCONVENIENT FOR SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO, UH, OWN GIANT, UH, UH, ESTATES NEXT DOOR.
AND THEY, THE ESTATE OWNERS WOULD RATHER THESE PEOPLE JUST GO AWAY AND NOT, NOT GET, UH, NOT, UH, GO NEAR THEIR HOU UH, THEIR, UH, HOUSES.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO COM COMPANIES AND MAYBE PUBLIC AGENCIES, UH, WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENTS, UM, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL RECENTLY HAD A STORY ABOUT HOW MANY COMPANIES NO LONGER WANT TO TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE.
UH, THEY'RE FACING AN INVESTOR BACKLASH, UH, WITH POLITICAL PRESSURE AND LEGAL THREATS.
UM, AND, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE, UH, PEOPLE ARE CALLING IT WOKE CAPITALISM.
AND, UH, IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS KIND OF POLITICAL CRITICISM, UH, COMPANIES ARE STARTING TO, UH, GO, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE QUIET ON THIS, THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND, UH, THE, UH, THEIR SOCIAL GOALS, UH, MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY.
THE, THE DIVERSITY PROGRAMS ARE OFTEN PART OF THE ESG AGENDA, UH, BUT ARE FACING, UH, RENEWED ATTACKS THROUGH THE SUPREME COURT, UH, ON THINGS LIKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
AND, UM, BUT THE, LUCKILY FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PART OF ESG IS PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR OF THE THREE.
[00:25:01]
AND, UH, THEY'RE, UH, THE COMPANIES, SOME COMPANIES ARE SWITCHING, THEY'RE GOING OVER TOWARDS PHRASES LIKE OUR PEOPLE, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, AND, UH, OR A BROAD, UH, GENERIC PHRASE LIKE RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS.UH, SO YEAH, I THINK THESE, THESE THINGS ARE, ARE, UH, ARE, UH, FACING SOME PUSHBACK.
UM, AND THEN WE, UM, I WOULD MOVE FORWARD NOW, I THINK WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
DID I SKIP OVER APPROVAL? YES, I DID.
[Approval of Minutes]
SO, UH, WE DID HAVE THE MINUTES ATTACHED PREVIOUS TO THE, UM, CIRCULATED AGENDA, SO I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.AND, UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING? UH, SEEING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN MOTIONS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
SO, MOVED BY PEOPLES AND SECONDED BY VALENZUELA.
COULD YOU TAKE THE ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
MEMBER, UH, VICE CHAIR ESPANIA AYE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UM, OUR ROLL CALL.
SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? UM, SO THAT, DOES THAT CONCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENTS? IS THERE, UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA? UM, I, UM, AM LOOKING AT OUR LIST OF ATTENDEES AND NO ONE HAS THEIR HAND UP.
AND SO, UH, HAND UP WOULD SIGNIFY THAT, UH, SOMEONE'S INTERESTED IN MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO I WILL SAY NO AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND SO I SEE THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WE OFFERED, UM, ONCE WE GET TO THOSE SPECIFIC ITEMS.
[Informational Items]
AND SO, UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THEN WE HAVE, UH, BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.AND SO WE HAVE BOARD PRESIDENT, UH, DIRECTOR ECCLES JOINING US REMOTELY TODAY.
UM, I'LL, UH, TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, I'M STILL GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT, UM, THE HOST HAS STOPPED MY VIDEO, SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S, I'M NOT SURE WHO THE HOST IS, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST DOUBLE CHECK TO SEE IF YOU CAN TURN THE VIDEO ON THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I CAN GO AHEAD AND START, I SUPPOSE.
BUT, UM, UH, I THINK STEPH IS WORKING ON IT NOW.
I WONDER IF, UH, DIRECTOR ECCLES COULD BE MADE A CO-HOST.
WOULD THAT HELP? WELL, UH, TRY THAT.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO START BY CONGRATULATING, UM, BOTH NEIL ZUI AND LUANA ESPANA ON YOUR NEW POSITION AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
CONGRATULATIONS AS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS OUR NEW EQUITY OFFICER, JOSE GONZALEZ.
I WAS SO GLAD THAT HE COULD BE HERE TODAY.
UM, I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO CENTER EQUITY IN EVERY SINGLE THING WE DO, AND I'M CERTAINLY LOOKING FOR JOSE'S, UH, GUIDANCE AND HELP WITH THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE THE PARK DISTRICT A TRULY WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE PLACE.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK TO CREATE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OUR PARKS, TO OUR PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS, UM, IMPROVE OUR OUTREACH SO THAT WE'RE REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS AND NEEDS FROM OUR PARKS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S, AND OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO ALL THAT, LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT OUR WORKFORCE AND
[00:30:01]
WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WORKFORCE TRULY REFLECTS THE FULL DIVERSITY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, UM, IN BOTH RECRUITMENT, HIRING, RETENTION, PROMOTIONS, YOU NAME IT, AND AT ALL LEVELS.SO, SO REALLY, REALLY EXCITED THAT, UM, WE HAVE OUR NEW EQUITY OFFICER ON BOARD NOW.
THIS IS GONNA BE AN EXCITING YEAR HERE AT THE, AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
UM, WE HAVE BOTH THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY, AS YOU WELL KNOW, AND THE DISTRICT PLAN, UM, BOTH OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO, FOR OUTREACH AND TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LEARN WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE WANT, WHAT THEY NEED, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THE DISTRICT PLAN, THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE, I THINK SUSAN OR SOMEONE MAY HAVE ALREADY COME TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY, BUT JUST SO, JUST BIG PICTURE, WE, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE OUTWARD FOCUSING FOCUSED THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
UM, THERE'LL BE PUBLIC EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A BIG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN MAY, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW.
BUT THERE WILL BE, UM, THERE WILL BE EVENTS IN EVERY, EVERY WARD, EVERY PART OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND I CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AND ENGAGED IN THAT.
AND, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALSO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VERY MUCH ENGAGED IN THE DISTRICT PLAN, BOTH THE OUTREACH THAT WE PLAN TO DO.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE DOING MORE PUBLIC OUTREACH THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN, TRYING TO GET BEYOND OUR SORT OF USUAL SUSPECTS WHEN IT COMES TO OUTREACH.
UM, AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR INPUT ON THE DISTRICT PLAN AND HOW WE CAN BUILD A PLAN THAT IS, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ROBUST AND, AND INCLUDES EVERYTHING WE NEEDED TO INCLUDE AND WILL GET US INTO THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND BEYOND.
IT'S A GOOD START TO THE NEXT CENTURY OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I GUESS THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS YOUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM WITH BRIAN AND THE, THE DISTRICT PLAN ITSELF.
AND I SHOULD SAY, I'M SORRY I'M NOT THERE IN PERSON.
I WANTED TO BE THERE, BUT I'M JUST RECOVERING FROM THE FLU AND STILL COUGHING.
SO DIDN'T WANT TO, UH, EXPOSE YOU GUYS TO ANYTHING.
SO I'M HERE STUCK IN THE REMOTE WORLD, BUT, UM, I'M GLAD THAT I COULD AT LEAST BE HERE TODAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU GUYS, GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, AS IN GALS, UH, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO ASK OR OTHERWISE WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UM, HEAR FROM FROM BRIAN.
WELL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, UH, REMOTELY.
AND THAT IS A PERFECT, UH, TRANSITION INTO OUR, UM, NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, ARE THERE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR ECCLES FROM THE PAC? NO.
HI, THAT, SUSIE, DID YOU SAY THERE IS A DATE FOR THAT, UM, CELEBRATION? I THINK YOU SAID MAY, DID YOU SAY BIRTHDAY OR BIRTHDAY?
SO MAYBE WE'LL START TO GO THEN.
NO, UH, IT'S, UM, IT'S IN MAY.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE ACTUAL SPECIFIC DATE HAS BEEN RELEASED YET, BUT I WAS, I THINK IT WILL BE SOON.
UM, BUT THERE WILL BE A BIG, UH, GRAND BIRTHDAY PARTY SOMETIME IN MAY, AND IT WILL BE A, A BIRTHDAY PARTY, ALTHOUGH I LIKE THE IDEA OF THINKING IT ALSO AS PART OF EARTH DAY TOO, BUT, BUT IT, IT WILL BE A BIRTHDAY.
UM, SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND THEN, UM, MOVE ON TO OUR, UM, UH, PRESENTATION ABOUT THE DISTRICT PLAN.
SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE, NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
AND WE HAVE, UH, BRIAN HOLT IS GONNA WALK US THROUGH IT.
SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME AS WE, UM, LAUNCH THIS NEW PROCESS TO, UM, TAKE, UH, A DEEP AND BROAD LOOK AT, UH, THE FUTURE OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
CHAIR ZUI, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PAC, I'M, UH, BRIAN HOLT, UH, CHIEF OF PLANNING TRAILS AND GIS AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO, UH, VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT TO, UH, REALLY WHAT'S, WHAT'S ONE OF OUR, OUR FIRST, UH, UH, EXTERNAL SORT OF MEETINGS ON, UM, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO AS THE DISTRICT PLAN, UM, AS WE SORT OF KICK THIS OFF.
SO, UM, BY WAY OF CONTEXT, UM, GO AHEAD.
FEEL FREE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
UM, WE, UH, UH, DURING, UH, WE'VE, THE BOARD HAD, UH, DIRECTED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, THE EXISTING MASTER PLAN, UM, AND, UH, LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES
[00:35:01]
TO, TO UPDATE THAT, UH, DO THAT.SO, UM, THE GENERAL MANAGER HAD SORT OF GIVEN US DIRECTION THAT, UH, 2023 WAS, WAS THE YEAR TO PLAN FOR THE PLAN.
SO WE SPENT THE, THE PAST YEAR, UM, UH, UH, GOING THROUGH AND, AND REALLY EVALUATING THE EXISTING PLAN, SOME OF OUR EXISTING OPERATIONS AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND, UH, SO NOW WE'RE HERE IN 2024, UM, AND WE'RE KICKING OFF THIS EFFORT AND, UH, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, SO BEFORE I, I REALLY GET INTO, UH, MY PRESENTATION AND AS WE GET SET UP HERE, UM, I WANT TO, UH, OKAY, VERY GOOD.
UM, WANTED TO JUST SEE HOW MANY FOLKS, JUST BY SHOW OF HANDS, ARE, UH, FAMILIAR OR HAVE, UH, REVIEWED OUR EXISTING 2013 MASTER PLAN.
UM, JUST BY CURIOSITY, HOW MANY WERE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THAT 2013 MASTER PLAN? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE, UH, THIS TIME AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, I AM GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
I'VE GOT, UM, WHAT I HOPE WILL BE A RELATIVELY QUICK PRESENTATION THAT WILL BE, UM, SORT OF WALK US THROUGH THE HISTORY OF, UM, MASTER PLANS HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE REALLY WANT TO, UH, HAVE A, A BIT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, FOR YOU ALL TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND OF COURSE, THIS IS THE FIRST OF WHAT I KNOW WILL BE MANY OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR YOU ALL TO PROVIDE INPUT.
SO, SO WE'RE REALLY JUST GETTING STARTED HERE.
SO, UM, WE'VE REFERRED TO THIS AS, AS THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN.
UM, UH, AS YOU KNOW, YOU'VE ALL BEEN PART OF OUR NAMING EXERCISES.
UH, EVERYBODY HAS OPINIONS ON NAMES.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE, THE NAME OF THIS AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THE IDEA IS REALLY WE'RE MOVING INTO OUR 90TH CEN, OUR 90TH, UM, ANNIVERSARY HERE.
UM, AND AS WE LOOK BACK, UM, AND AS WE LOOK TOWARDS, UH, WHAT WILL BE THE PARK DISTRICT'S NEXT CENTURY, UM, WHO DO WE REALLY WANNA BE AS AN AGENCY? UM, SO THAT'S REALLY PART OF THE FOCUS HERE.
SO, WALKING BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT THROUGH HISTORY, I'VE GOT THIS, UH, THIS GIF UP HERE.
AND IF YOU WATCH IT, IT STARTS IN 1935, WHICH IS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE START OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND YOU CAN SORT OF SEE, UH, THE GROWTH THROUGH THE YEARS HERE FROM WHEN, UM, OUR FIRST MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS REALLY THAT OLMSTEAD HALL REPORT THAT IDENTIFIED OUR FIRST THREE PARKS OF ESCAL REDWOOD, UH, UH, AND, UH, AND TILDEN, UH, ESTABLISHING THOSE FIRST PARKS IN THE OAKLAND HILLS.
UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY THE PARK DISTRICT THROUGH A NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL THE FIFTIES, UNTIL WE STARTED TO GROW INTO CHABOT, WHAT WAS THEN GRASS VALLEY, UM, AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER AREAS TO THE SOUTH.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN YOU START TO SEE OUR EXPANSION IN THE SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, SUNOL ELONEY, UM, BRIANIS STARTED TO COME ONLINE IN THE SIXTIES AND THE SEVENTIES.
YOU START TO SEE THE ANNEXATION OF EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
UM, AND AS WE MOVE INTO THAT AREA, SOME GROWTH AROUND DELVAL, AND IT'S REALLY IN THE EIGHTIES THAT YOU START TO SEE THE GROWTH OF THE PARK DISTRICT, UH, UH, COME TOGETHER.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN MEASURE AA, OUR FIRST BIG LAND ACQUISITION BOND MEASURE WAS PASSED.
SO YOU START TO SEE THE, THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN THE PARK DISTRICT THAT STARTED TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF LAND.
UM, AND THAT CONTINUED ON THROUGH THE NINETIES AS WE SEE, UM, GROWTH OUT AROUND MOUNT DIABLO AND LOST TRUMPUS, UM, SOME OF THE PIL UH, PARKS AT PLEASANTON RIDGE, UM, UH, THOSE OTHER AREAS.
AND THEN WE GET INTO THE MID TWO THOUSANDS, AND WE HAD SORT OF A CONCURRENCE OF EVENTS, WHICH WAS THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
UH, THERE WAS A GREAT RECESSION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE PASSED MEASURE WW.
SO JUST REALLY EXPLOSIVE GROWTH, UH, SINCE 2008, UH, UNTIL TODAY.
SO YOU CAN JUST SEE, UM, REALLY, WE HAVE A SYSTEM NOW OF PARKS THAT ARE NO LONGER ISLANDS OF INDIVIDUAL LANDS, BUT THEY'RE REALLY CONNECTED, UM, CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, UM, CONNECTED TO, UH, TO OTHER PARK LANDS LIKE MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK, UM, AND CITY PARK LANDS.
AND, AND CONNECTED TO A LOT OF THE WATERSHED LANDS THAT, UH, WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EAST BAY MUD, OR CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT OR SAN FRANCISCO.
UM, SO A, A DIFFERENT PARK SYSTEM FROM SOME OF THE, UM, UH, THAN WHAT WAS, UH, WHAT WAS PLANNED FOR IN THE PAST.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO TAKE A NEW LOOK, UH, AT, UH, AT MASTER PLANNING FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, AND AGAIN, SORT OF MOVING AWAY FROM THAT TERM MASTER PLAN, BUT WHAT, UH, BUT BUILDING OFF, UH, THE SUCCESS OF THE PAST PLANNING THAT'S BEEN DONE, BUT REALLY SHIFTING OUR EMPHASIS, UH, TOWARDS EQUITY, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL SORT OF GET INTO KIND OF HOW WE LANDED ON SOME OF THOSE, BUT, UH, BUT I THINK, UM, THAT'S A CONSISTENT THEME THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THIS PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
SO, JUST GOING BACK IN HISTORY A LITTLE BIT AGAIN, THAT, THAT ORIGINAL REPORT THAT ESTABLISHED THE PARK DISTRICT, THE OLMSTEAD HALL REPORT
[00:40:01]
THAT REALLY, UH, IDENTIFIED THE PARKS ON, UH, THE EAST BAY MUD WATERSHED LANDS, UH, DEVELOPED BY FREDERICK LAW OLMSTEAD JR.UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, AGAIN, WAS REALLY WHAT I WOULD SORT OF REFER TO AS, AS A BIT OF A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DOCUMENT.
THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY A BIT OF A ACQUISITION DOCUMENT IN THAT IT SORT OF SET THE FRAMEWORK OF SORT OF WHERE ARE THOSE FIRST PARK LANDS GONNA BE, AND REALLY HONED IN ON THOSE, THE OAKLAND HILLS THERE.
UM, AND THEN AS WE MOVED INTO 1940, UM, THIS IS WHERE, UH, SOME OF THE PARK DEVELOPMENT PLANS KIND OF CAME FORWARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WHAT WAS TILDEN GONNA LOOK LIKE? AND YOU CAN SEE THAT DIAGRAM DOWN THERE ON THE BOTTOM.
SO WHERE WAS THE MERRY-GO-ROUND GONNA BE, WHERE WAS THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BOTANIC GARDEN AND, UH, AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVED IN TILDEN TODAY? UM, SO THIS WAS, AGAIN, SORT OF A, A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE EXERCISE, REALLY PLANNING FOR HOW DO WE DEVELOP SOME OF THESE FIRST PARKS.
IT WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
UM, AND AGAIN, YEAH, FOCUSED ON THOSE, THOSE FIRST, UH, FIRST PARKS.
UH, 1964 CAME ABOUT WHAT WAS CALLED THE, THE FORWARD PLAN.
AND THIS WAS REALLY, UH, INSTIGATED BY MEASURE B, WHICH WAS THE ANNEXATION INTO CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
UM, AND THIS WAS, AND THIS IS A BIT OF A THEME IN THESE EARLY, UH, EARLY, EARLY PLANNING DOCUMENTS, WAS THAT THEY WERE REALLY GENERAL MANAGER FOCUS, OR GENERAL MANAGER AT THE TIME WAS, UH, WAS SORT OF DIRECTING, UH, THESE EFFORTS.
AND, UH, SO THIS GUIDED THE ANNEXATION INTO CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
SO IT LOOKED AT, UM, SOME OF THE EXISTING PARKS.
IT DID SOME OF THAT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SORT OF WORK, UM, FOR, UH, FOR SOME OF THE EXPANDED PARKS AT OLE AND GRASS VALLEY, WHICH BECAME LAKE SHABOT, DON CASTRO, UH, BUT THEN ALSO IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, PARK NEEDS, UM, BEYOND THE EXISTING BOUNDARIES, LOOKING TOWARDS ANNEXATION INTO, UM, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND IDENTIFIED FUTURE, FUTURE PARKLANDS, SUCH AS BLACK DIAMOND MINES, UM, OR, UH, POINT PINOLE.
SO, UM, KIND OF, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, A CAMPAIGN, UH, BROCHURE THAT WAS PUT OUT AT THE TIME.
SO IT'S A KIND OF NICE, KIND OF FUN TO LOOK BACK AND SEE THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF SUCCESS IN ESTABLISHING, UM, SOME OF THESE PARKS THAT WERE ENVISIONED AT THE TIME.
UH, AND, UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A REAL FOCUS ON SORT OF LOOKING AT, UM, RAISING REVENUE AND WHAT THAT WAS REALLY GONNA COST, WHAT THE INVESTMENT WOULD TAKE, UM, TO ESTABLISH SOME OF THESE NEW PARKLANDS.
SO THAT REALLY GUIDED US FORWARD, UM, THROUGH THAT ERA.
UM, UP UNTIL 1973, AND I KINDA REFER TO 1973, THE 1973 MASTER PLAN, UM, AS, AS THE FIRST REAL COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND UNLIKE THOSE, THOSE EARLIER, UH, PLANS THAT WERE DONE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, THIS WAS THE PLAN THAT, UM, THAT REALLY TOOK IT, UH, EXTERNAL AND, AND WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO ASK THE PUBLIC, UM, WHAT DO YOU ALL WANNA SEE IN OUR PARKLANDS? UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS REALLY ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS REALLY FORMED TO SORT OF SERVE AND ASSIST, UH, AS, UM, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTER PLAN.
UH, BUT A LOT OF THIS WAS INSTIGATED BY, UH, AB 9 25, WHICH AUTHORIZED THE PARK DISTRICT TO, UH, TO LEVY ADDITIONAL TAXES.
SO BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EFFORT WAS TO REALLY IDENTIFY HOW THOSE TAXES WERE GONNA BE SPENT.
17 PUBLIC HEARINGS FORMED A, A 83 MEMBER CITIZENS TASK FORCE, UM, A 60 MEMBER PUBLIC AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THEY BROUGHT IN STUART UDALL, WHO HAD, WHO HAD RECENTLY RETIRED AS A SECRETARY OF INTERIOR, UM, AND HIS CONSULTING FIRM TO LEAD THAT EFFORT.
AND THIS IS WHERE SOME OF OUR METRO AREAS AND, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT WE, UM, KNOW TODAY.
UM, AND JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE HISTORY, I JUST FOUND THIS QUOTE INTERESTING, IF ANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH WILL TRAVIS RETIRED, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BAY CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
HE WAS, UH, AN EARLY STAFFER WORKING WITH STUART UDALL AND HELPED DEVELOP THE 1973 MASTER PLAN.
UM, AND THIS QUOTE WAS JUST KIND OF INTERESTING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, THIS CAME FROM HIS ORAL HISTORY, BUT JUST BASICALLY SAYING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PARK DISTRICT WANTED TO GO AND GET MORE MONEY, AND THE STATE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, AND OTHERS CRITICS SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU, ARE YOU GONNA USE THAT MONEY FOR? AND THAT'S REALLY WHY THIS EFFORT WAS UNDERTAKEN, WAS TO GUIDE HOW, UH, HOW FUNDS RAISED WERE GOING TO, WERE GOING TO BE SPENT.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE GOT A MASTER PLAN THAT, UM, WAS, UH, WAS RELATIVELY PRESCRIPTIVE, UH, AND ITS POLICIES, UM, AND, UH, LAID OUT REALLY CLEAR GUIDELINES THAT, UH, REALLY TRIED TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE PUBLIC'S CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE LAND WAS GONNA BE ACQUIRED OR HOW IT WAS GONNA BE DEVELOPED.
[00:45:01]
WAS THE, UM, THE TENSION BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE PROTECTION AND ESTABLISHED OUR PARKLAND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR, UM, PRESERVES VERSUS, UH, RECREATION AREAS.UM, ESTABLISHED A LOT OF THE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR LAND USE PLANS AND THAT PROCESS OF HOW WE DEVELOP THOSE AND HOW THOSE GO FORWARD.
UM, AND UH, REALLY THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT REALLY IDENTIFIED THE REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM AS PART OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
UM, AND THAT WAS BUILT OFF OF THE, UH, TWO COUNTY REGIONAL TRAIL PLAN THAT HAD BEEN DEVELOPED.
UM, AND SO THAT GOT INCORPORATED IN THE MASTER PLAN, UM, AND REALLY INCLUDED A REAL EXTENSIVE LIST OF, OF, UH, POTENTIAL ACQUISITION SITES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE TABLE OF CONTENTS THERE ON THE RIGHT, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T READ IT, THE, THE WRITING'S REALLY, REALLY SMALL THERE.
BUT, UH, BUT GETS REALLY VERY DETAILED INTO, UM, SPECIFIC POLICIES THAT GUIDED US.
AND THAT WAS, UM, LIKE I SAY, NECESSARY AT THE TIME.
'CAUSE IT WAS REALLY IN RESPONSE TO, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE PARK DISTRICT WAS GONNA SPEND THESE TAX MONIES THAT WE WERE, UH, RAISING.
AND NOW WE ARE GONNA BE, UM, RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC'S INTERESTS THERE.
SO MOVING FORWARD FROM THAT 1973 MASTER PLAN, I LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE MASTER PLANS THAT CAME FORWARD FROM THERE, REALLY, THEY ALL BUILT OFF OF THAT 19 C 73 MASTER PLAN.
UM, AND TO SOME DEGREE, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN THIS TO BE, UH, PEJORATIVE, BUT, UM, BUT THEY WERE OFTEN REALLY COSMETIC UPDATES.
THEY, THEY UPDATED, PERHAPS UPDATED THE LANGUAGE, SOME UPDATED THE EXHIBITS, UPDATED, UH, THE LOOK AND FEEL, UM, BUT THERE WASN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS A REAL SUBSTANTIVE, UH, CHANGE.
UM, 1980 WAS A REVISED MASTER PLAN THAT WAS REALLY TO KIND OF, UM, RESPOND TO PRO THE PASSAGE OF PROP 13.
AND, UH, THE RECOGNITION THAT A LOT OF THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE 1973 MASTER PLAN WOULD'VE TO BE DIALED BACK BECAUSE OF REDUCED REVENUE, BUT IT REALLY CARRIED FORWARD MUCH OF THE SAME POLICIES AND GUIDELINES, UM, FROM THE 73 MASTER PLAN, UM, 1988, AGAIN, IT REALLY KIND OF UPDATED THE IMAGES AND MADE SOME MODEST TEXT CHANGES, SORT OF REORGANIZED SOME OF THE POLICIES IN THE MASTER PLAN, BUT, UH, AGAIN, CARRIED MORE FORWARD, MUCH OF WHAT WAS, UH, WAS ESTABLISHED IN THAT 1973 MASTER PLAN.
UH, AND THEN THE 97 MASTER PLAN, UH, WAS, UH, WAS DEVELOPED THAT WAS, UH, DEVELOPED WITH, UH, A LOT OF BOARD EXECUTIVE INPUT, AGAIN, A, A MASTER PLAN TASK FORCE.
SO THE PAC WAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER AT THAT TIME.
SO THERE WAS A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH, UH, WITH THIS BODY, A NUMBER OF PUBLIC FORUMS. UM, THIS IS WHERE THE AGENCY REALLY STARTED TO SEE MOUNTAIN BIKING EMERGENCE EMERGING AS A, AS A REAL, AS A REAL ISSUE.
TRAIL CONFLICT, UM, BECAME A REAL FOCUS IN THE 1997 MASTER PLAN, BUT AGAIN, CARRIED FORWARD A LOT OF THOSE SAME POLICIES THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN PREVIOUS MASTER PLANS.
AND, UH, THIS IS WHERE OUR, OUR MISSION STATEMENT FIRST SORT OF, UH, CAME FORWARD.
SO, UM, SO THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 97.
UM, AND, UH, I JUST FOUND THESE COUPLE ARTICLES REALLY INTERESTING, JUST I, UH, THAT, UH, OPPOSITION TO THE MASTER PLAN AT THE TIME, CONCERN FROM SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY AROUND, UM, AROUND ZONING OUR PARKS.
SO, UH, IDENTIFYING ZONES FOR, SAY, RECREATION VERSUS CONSERVATION AND, AND, UH, UM, AND WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE I THINK TODAY WE'VE, WE'VE RECEIVED REQUESTS TO, TO KIND OF DO THAT SAME THING FROM SOME OF THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, BUT, UH, AND THEN, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, TRAILS.
THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO, UM, AN EFFORT TO TRY TO, UH, RENAME, UH, TRAILS TO, TO FOOTPATHS.
AND THE CONCERN WAS THAT THAT WAS SEEN AS EX EXCLUSIVE EXCLUDING BIKERS.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFLICT AROUND, AGAIN, BIKING AND HIKING ON TRAILS.
SO I JUST MENTIONED THIS BECAUSE, UM, TRAIL USE, TRAIL CONFLICTS IS A PERENNIAL ISSUE.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE AS WE, UH, DEVELOP THIS DISTRICT PLAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE PAC AND, UM, SO SOMETHING CERTAINLY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DIVING INTO IN THIS EFFORT.
BUT, UH, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DISCUSS AND, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IS A PERENNIAL ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA SOLVE OVERNIGHT.
SO, UM, SO WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT IT TO BE THE FOCUS OF THIS EFFORT.
SO, FAST FORWARDING TO 2013 AND OUR MASTER PLAN IN 2013, AND, UM, A NUMBER OF US WERE AROUND AT THE TIME, I, MYSELF, WAS HERE.
UM, AND, AND REMEMBER THAT EFFORT, AND AGAIN, UM, IT WAS A GOOD EFFORT.
IT WAS REALLY DEVELOPED, UM, UH, PARTLY IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF, OF MEASURE WW AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THE RECOGNITION THAT, UM, IT NEEDED TO BE SPRUCED UP.
THERE WAS A NUMBER OF POLICIES THAT WERE, UH, ADDED IN THERE AROUND CULTURAL RESOURCES.
UM, THIS IS WHERE WE STARTED TO SEE LANGUAGE ABOUT TRAILS FOR ALL, UM, UH, IN THE MASTER PLAN, UM, AND INCLUDED SOME, SOME OTHER, UM, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MOVE FORWARD THERE.
BUT REALLY, AGAIN, LARGELY, UH, UM,
[00:50:01]
UH, A VISUAL UPDATE TO THE MASTER PLAN, MANY OF THOSE SAME POLICIES.UM, AND AS YOU READ THIS, A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE IN THIS 2013 MASTER PLAN IS VERBATIM FROM OUR 1973 MASTER PLAN, UM, WHICH IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN 1973.
UM, IT, IT HAD A LOT OF LEGS, UM, AND IT'S SERVED US WELL.
UM, BUT IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO, UM, TO LOOK AT IT FRESH AND LOOK AT IT NEW.
SO, SO WE'RE NOT REFERRING TO THIS AS AN UPDATE OF THE MASTER PLAN.
WE'RE DEVELOPING A NEW, A NEW PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND, AND WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT A, A NEW PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT? AND, AND REALLY, UM, THE RECOGNITION THAT, UH, REALLY SINCE COVID, BUT SINCE 2013, UM, THE PARK DISTRICT'S EXPERIENCED A LOT OF CHANGE.
UM, WE'VE SEEN INCREASED, UH, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT TRAIL CONFLICT, UH, EQUITABLE ACCESS IS, UM, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE INCREASE IN USE, UH, THAT WE SAW DURING COVID-19, UM, CERTAINLY ON THE FOREFRONT.
UM, RESOURCE PROTECTION, UH, CONTINUES TO BE, AND WILL ALWAYS BE A CONCERN, BOTH NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION.
UM, WE'RE SEEING INCREASES IN INCIDENTS OF WILDFIRE.
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH DROUGHT, SEA LEVEL RISE, SO CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW WE RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE, HOW WE, UM, HOW WE, UH, UH, BRING IN THE, THE EFFORTS OF 30 BY 30, UM, AND THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AROUND THAT.
UM, HOW WE ADDRESS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, UM, UH, AND, UH, AND JUST RESPOND TO A NUMBER OF THESE EMERGING ISSUES.
SO THE QUESTIONS SORT OF COME UP OF, OF WHY ARE WE DOING A NEW PLAN? AND, AND, UM, REALLY IT'S TO RESPOND THAT CHANGE IS, IS ALREADY HERE.
IT'S NOT TO ANTICIPATE FUTURE CHANGE.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH PROBLEMS AROUND STAFFING AND, AND FUNDING, AND REALLY THE NEED TO PRIORITIZE WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND, AND THIS IS AN EFFORT TO REALLY, UH, ADDRESS THAT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT CHANGE LOOK LIKE? UM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE GROWTH OF THE PARK DISTRICT SINCE 1973, AGAIN, WHERE A LOT OF THOSE, A LOT OF THAT EXISTING LANGUAGE IN THE MASTER PLAN EXISTS, UM, THE, THE EAST BAY'S GROWN INCREDIBLY SINCE THEN AND, AND THE PARK DISTRICT'S GROWN, UM, BUT FROM 24 OR SO PARKS TO TODAY, 73.
UM, AND THEN JUST SINCE 2013, UM, WHEN THIS EXISTING MASTER PLAN IS, WAS IN PLACE, UM, HAVE GROWN, UM, HAVE GROWN FROM SOME 50 SOME PARKS TO 73 PARKS, AND JUST A LOT OF GROWTH.
AND OF COURSE, WE FORECAST ADDITIONAL GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE EAST BAY.
AND NOT ONLY DO WE SEE JUST THE GROWTH IN THE POPULATION, BUT WE SEE A FAR MORE DIVERSE EAST BASE.
SO THAT, UM, UH, AND YOU CAN'T QUITE SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
BUT THE, UH, LEFT BAR, UM, IS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS IN 2000.
UH, THE RIGHT BAR IS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS IN 2020.
SO THIS BAR OF WHITE ONLY YOU CAN SEE IS GETTING SMALLER.
UM, AND AS WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION, UM, OF THOSE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD, SO THIS BAR ON THE LEFT AGAIN, IS UNDER 18 YEARS.
UM, THIS BAR ON THE RIGHT IS OVER 18 YEARS.
AGAIN, YOU SEE THAT PERCENTAGE WHO IDENTIFY AS WIDE ALONE IS GETTING SMALLER.
SO, UM, SO WE RECOGNIZE A NEED TO RESPOND TO THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES HERE, UM, AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO, UM, WE DEVELOPED SOME OF THESE JUST BROAD GENERAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR A NEW DISTRICT PLAN.
UM, AGAIN, ROOTED IN THE PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY AND RESILIENCY AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT THEME OF RES OF ADDRESSING EQUITY AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND WE JUST HEARD, WE HAVE OUR, OUR FIRST, UH, UM, EQUITY OFFICER AT THE PARK DISTRICT, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AND THEN RESILIENCY, UH, IS A CONCERN.
AND WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING OF RESILIENCY, UM, IT'S NOT JUST CLIMATE RESILIENCY.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN REALLY TALK ABOUT CLIMATE RESILIENCY WITH ALL, ALSO TALK ABOUT FISCAL RESILIENCY, RIGHT? I MEAN, CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HUGE, UH, HUGE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS FOR, FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THE, WHAT ARE VERY EXPENSIVE CHALLENGES? SO, UH, FISCAL RESILIENCY, STAFFING RESILIENCY, HOW DO WE JUST, UH, MAKE OURSELVES A MORE RESILIENT AGENCY? UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, LOOKING AT HOW DO WE EXPAND ACCESS? THERE'S ALWAYS AN INTEREST IN HOW DO WE OPEN UP NEW PARKLANDS, UH, AND OPEN UP OUR LAND BANK PROPERTIES, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND ACCESS WITHIN OUR EXISTING PARKLANDS.
SO HOW DO WE EX ACTIVATE, UH, EXISTING AREAS, UM, ACTIVATE OUR SHORELINE, ACTIVATE EXISTING, UH, PARKS, UH, SO HOW DO WE INVEST IN SOME OF OUR OLDER PARKS AS WELL? UM, ANYTIME WE TALK ABOUT EXPANDING ACCESS, WE NEED TO BALANCE THAT WITH HOW DO WE ENSURE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES? UM, SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THAT, UH, AND STEWARD AND RESTORE AND ENHANCE, UM, THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE? UM, AGAIN, HOW DO WE ENHANCE EXPERIENCES? SO HOW DO WE, UH, IN INVEST IN SOME
[00:55:01]
OF OUR, OUR EXISTING AREAS MAKE FOR A MORE WELCOMING, UH, AND INVITING PARK EXPERIENCE, UM, IN SOME OF OUR PARKS THAT, UH, THAT ARE MOST HEAVILY USED AND PERHAPS COULD USE SOME LOVE.UM, AND THEN AGAIN, EMPHASIZE CONNECTIVITY.
THE PARK DISTRICT IS NO LONGER, UM, AN ISLAND OF PARKS OF OURSELVES.
UM, EACH OF OUR PARKS, OR IT'S, THEY'RE LANDSCAPE LEVEL PARKS, OUR REGIONAL TRAILS CONNECT TO EACH OTHER, BUT WE ALSO CONNECT TO, UM, WE CONNECT TO CITY PARK LANDS, OUR REGIONAL TRAILS CONNECT INTO CITY TRAIL SYSTEMS. UM, UH, WE CONNECT TO STATE PARKS, WATERSHED PARK, WATERSHED LANDS.
SO REALLY, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT, THAT CONNECTIVITY BOTH FOR, UM, RECREATIONAL AND PUBLIC ACCESS CONNECTIVITY, BUT ALSO FOR WILDLIFE CORRIDORS AND RESOURCE PROTECTION.
UH, SO THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AS A, AS A FRAMEWORK.
SO WE'RE REALLY UP IN THAT UPPER, UH, LEFT HAND QUADRANT, PRE-PLANNING.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF MY STAFF, UH, HAS BEEN WORKING AND PULLING IN A LOT OF EXISTING CONDITIONS ABOUT OUR PARKLANDS.
UM, WE'RE GOING THROUGH ON A WARD BY WARD LEVEL AND LOOKING AT PULLING IN INFORMATION, UM, THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PAC AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS, AND ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE SERVING IN EACH WARD, WHAT FACILITIES ARE IN EACH WARD, AND PUTTING TOGETHER A WARD REPORT, UM, THAT SUMMARIZES THAT.
UM, UH, AND REALLY TRYING TO, UH, UH, PUT ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN GOING IN AND LOOKING AT DOING A, A NEEDS AND CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING WHERE ARE OUR MAJOR GAPS AND NEEDS AT THE PARK DISTRICT, UM, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE NEED FOR, UH, STAFF FACILITIES, SERVICE YARDS, OFFICES.
UM, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS OF, OF CERTAIN, UH, PUBLIC PICNIC AREAS, UH, AND OTHER SITES, AND REALLY TRYING TO GET A LIST OF, OF WHAT ALL OF THOSE NEEDS ARE.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS GONNA BE DRIVEN INTERNALLY BY, UM, MY STAFF AND REACHING OUT, UH, INTER DIVISIONALLY TO, TO GET A LOT OF, UM, FRANKLY, THERE'S A LOT OF EXISTING INFORMATION THAT, THAT WE NEED TO JUST, UH, UH, PULL TOGETHER.
THERE'S, UM, BUT THEN WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM.
WE'RE CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
UM, HOPE TO HAVE THAT OUT SOON, UM, LATER IN THE YEAR, BRINGING ON A, A CONSULTANT TEAM THAT WILL THEN START DOING A LOT OF THAT EXTERNAL OUTREACH, UM, TO HELP CRAFT TAKE THAT EXISTING INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING OUR NEEDS, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HELP, UM, CRAFT THAT VISION, WORKING WITH THE BOARD, UM, AND YOU ALL AND, AND SORT OF WORKING THROUGH, UM, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES AND THE OFFS, AND, UM, ULTIMATELY COMING UP WITH SOME ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND A STRONG IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO, UM, WHAT DO WE HOPE THAT TO COME OUT OF THIS EFFORT? UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND, AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER HAS, HAS, UH, STATED THIS AS WELL, IS, UM, REALLY A BELIEF THAT, THAT THIS PROCESS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS, AS THE PRODUCT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, UM, REALLY ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD EQUITY BASED OUTREACH THAT, AGAIN, BRINGS IN, UM, UH, A LOT OF, UH, CONSTITUENTS, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT PERHAPS, UH, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS NOT TRADITIONALLY HEARD FROM.
SO REALLY MAKING THAT EFFORT TO, UM, TO REACH OUT TO, UH, TO THOSE, UH, TO THOSE GROUPS AND THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UN UNDER US, UNDERREPRESENTED, UH, IN PARK DISTRICT, UH, MATTERS TO DATE, UM, GIVES US A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE FOR SOME, SOME FOCUS STRATEGIES.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, TRAIL STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, PRIORITIZING OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW WE, UH, PURSUE LAND ACQUISITIONS.
SO, UM, UH, LOOKING TOWARDS SOME GUIDANCE ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AGENCY WIDE ISSUES THAT, THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH HERE.
SO, UM, PROGRAMMING WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES OUR, UH, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMMING LOOK LIKE? UM, TRAIL DESIGN GUIDELINES, IS THAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TRAIL CONCERNS? UM, CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO DO THERE.
UM, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND WILDLAND, UH, UH, MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT I KNOW IS OF INTEREST TO A LOT.
SO, SO ULTIMATELY, ALL OF THIS REAL EFFORT IS TO REALLY, UH, ALIGN A LOT OF OUR WORK PLAN WITH THE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, UM, AND, UH, WITH RECOGNITION THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, EMERGING ISSUES FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND, AND, UH, EQUITABLE ACCESS AND, UH, AND JUST OUR GROWTH.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ALIGN THAT WORK PLAN WITH OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, UM, AND REALLY HELP TO WORK WITH THE BOARD THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE CLEAR PRIORITIES THAT GUIDE THE WORK OF STAFF.
SO WHEN WE'RE COMING TO THE PAC COMING TO THE BOARD, IT'S REALLY CLEAR THAT THERE'S A THROUGH LINE, UM, FROM OUR DISTRICT PLAN TO THE BUDGET, TO OUR GRANTS APPLICATIONS, TO OUR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME OUTCOME.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK INTERNALLY ON STAFF ENGAGEMENT.
[01:00:01]
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET OUT AND MEET WITH, UH, MEET WITH ALL OF OUR STAFF TO GET, UM, INTERNAL INPUT.SO I'VE BEEN HOLDING, UH, PRESENTATIONS WITH, UH, DIFFERENT DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS.
WE'VE HAD TABLES AT VARIOUS STAFF EVENTS.
UH, WILL BE ACTIVE DURING A LOT OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS, UH, TO GET INPUT.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING TO FORM SOME STAFF WORKING GROUPS TO REALLY CONTINUE TO GET STAFF INPUT, UH, AS WELL.
'CAUSE THEY'RE REALLY, UM, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMERS, UH, OF THIS DISTRICT PLAN.
AND, AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH IT, UH, AS IT'S IN PLACE IN THE FUTURE.
SO THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, THE ROLE OF THE BOARD.
UM, THE BOARD WILL BE, UM, PROVIDING FREQUENT, UH, UPDATES TO THE BOARD AT ALL KEY MILESTONES.
UM, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO WORK WITH YOU ALL TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHICH, UH, WHICH WARDS YOU'RE, UM, MOST ENGAGED IN, UM, WHETHER YOU'RE APPOINTED BY A BOARD MEMBER OR, UM, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, BUT WHICH WORDS YOU'RE MOST ENGAGED IN THAT, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE, UM, INVOLVED IN.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO ENGAGE WITH YOU ALL IN THE OUTREACH, UM, AND THE BOARD, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW WE GET THAT INPUT.
UM, AND THEN, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'RE, WE'RE PULLING TOGETHER INFORMATION THAT WILL BE, WILL BE AVAILABLE ON, UM, EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT SORT OF SUMMARIZE EACH WARD.
SO THE ROLE OF THE PAC REALLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU ALL HAVE, HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, BROADLY OF WHAT THE ROLE OF THE PAC IS.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY TO SERVE AS A LIAISON IN SUPPORT OF THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO, UM, UH, HAVE OUR STAFF, UM, UH, ENGAGE WITH YOU TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INPUT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
SO, AGAIN, WE'LL, UM, HOPEFULLY BE HERE, UM, AT MULTIPLE TIMES AND KEY POINTS TO, TO GET YOUR INPUT.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU ALL HERE, UM, FROM, UM, FROM YOUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS AND, AND JUST OTHER, UM, OTHER FORUMS, UH, HAVING YOU ALL BE ABLE TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, SO THEN THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANT TEAM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM.
UM, THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE A LOT OF, UH, THE EXTERNAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, TAKING TO A LOT OF THE EXISTING DISTRICT INFORMATION, UH, PULLING THAT TOGETHER, UM, TO REALLY PUT THAT INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, DIGESTIBLE GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND ACTIONS.
UH, AND REALLY GOING THROUGH AND DOING THE FINANCIAL ASSESSMENTS TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHERE ARE OUR GAPS, UM, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK TOWARDS FINDING SOME, SOME SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE, THOSE LARGER, LARGER CHALLENGES.
SO, UH, SO I HAVE RECEIVED QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE BUDGET? HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO TRAIL STRATEGIC PLAN? SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, AND I, I THINK I MENTIONED THAT OF JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A OVERARCHING UMBRELLA SORT OF DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT GONNA GET INTO THE WEEDS IN TERMS OF WHERE, WHERE TRAILS ARE.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO GET, UM, UH, IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHICH TRAILS NEED TO BE REROUTED OR, UM, SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THIS IS REALLY GONNA PROVIDE THE BROAD GUIDANCE THAT WILL THEN, UM, HELP US, UH, AGAIN, HAVE THAT THROUGH LINE FROM OUR BUDGET, UH, THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION GUIDE, OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, OUR TRAILS, UH, AS WE'RE DOING, UH, MORE TRAILS PLANNING, UM, HELP STEER OUR GRANT EFFORTS.
UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY CONSISTENT WITH THE WORK THAT GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
SO WE'RE ALL, UM, WE'RE ALL MOVING, UH, MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
SO THE GIST OF, OF WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT, AND WE'VE GOT THREE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, UM, IS JUST, UH, UH, QUICKLY 'CAUSE WE'RE A LARGE GROUP, BUT, UM, BUT WANT TO, UH, TO GO AROUND, UM, AND JUST HEAR, UH, HEAR QUICKLY, UH, YOUR ANSWERS TO EACH OF THESE THREE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UH, POSE THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE THREE MAJOR TOPICS THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, UH, IN THE DISTRICT PLAN? AND IF YOU COULD JUST KEEP THAT TO, YOU KNOW, UM, AGAIN, THREE, THREE MAJOR TOPICS.
UM, UH, AND THEN, UM, WE'VE BEEN ASKING THIS, UM, OF, OF A NUMBER OF FOLKS INTERNALLY AND WE WILL END EXTERNALLY.
SO, UH, SO IT'S HELPFUL TO US TO SORT OF HEAR THAT.
UM, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL HOW YOU AS INDIVIDUALS WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
SO I THINK SOME FOLKS, UH, MIGHT BE MOST INTERESTED IN GOING OUT AND PERHAPS GIVING PRESENTATIONS TO OTHER GROUPS OR MAYBE OTHER GROUPS, UH, OR OTHER, OTHER FOLKS WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO GET INTO SOME OF THE MORE DETAILS.
SO IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
AND, UH, AND THEN I THINK, UM, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN A QUESTION THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RAISE IS SORT OF WHAT ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IN YOUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN THE, IN THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN.
UM, AND I'M GONNA CAVEAT THAT LAST QUESTION A LITTLE BIT IN THAT, UM, WE KNOW, UM,
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A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE VERY INVESTED IN THIS EFFORT.SO, UM, SO SIERRA CLUB, NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY, SAME MOUNT DIABLO, UM, A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, AND WE VERY MUCH VALUE THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND INPUT.
UM, UH, WE, WE ARE ARE FULLY, UH, EXPECTING AND, AND, UH, AND WILL WILL BE PLANNING FOR A VERY HEAVY ENGAGEMENT FROM THOSE GROUPS.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, THAT WE DON'T OFTEN HEAR FROM.
SO IT'D BE HELPFUL FROM US TO HEAR, UM, FROM YOU ALL, UM, THOSE GROUPS THAT YOU MAY BE THINK, UM, HAVEN'T BEEN REPRESENTED, UH, IN THE PARK DISTRICT, UH, IN THE PAST, THAT, THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE, UM, THAT YOU SHOULD BE, UH, ENGAGED IN GOING FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, UM, CHAIR ZUI, I, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU TO KIND OF HELP FACILITATE SORT OF HOW WE GO THROUGH THIS.
AGAIN, MY THOUGHT WAS WE COULD JUST KIND OF GO AROUND THE TABLE, UM, UH, BUT YEAH, RECOGNIZING, UH, WE'RE AN HOUR IN HERE, UM, DEFER TO YOU ON HOW BEST EFFICIENTLY DO THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A A A GREAT TIME TO BE ON THE PAC BECAUSE THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SORT OF SHAPE THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT FOR NOT ONLY THE NEXT 10 YEARS BEFORE EVEN BEYOND THAT GOING FORWARD.
AND SO, UM, I THINK MAYBE WHAT WE SHOULD DO FIRST IS, UM, SEE IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PAC AND THEN, UM, AND THEN WE CAN QUICKLY GO AROUND AND, UM, PEOPLE CAN GIVE THE RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS.
ALTHOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU NOTED, WE, WE SHOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO BE BRIEF WITH, YOU KNOW, A 20 MEMBER BODY AT FIVE MINUTES, A PERSON THAT'S AN HOUR.
UM, SO WE DO WANNA BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY BRIEF, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO WANT TO CAPTURE EVERYONE'S IDEAS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES AFTERWARDS.
ALSO, IF YOU GO HOME AND REALIZE, OH, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS ORGANIZATION WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM INVOLVED.
UM, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, COLLECT THAT INFORMATION OR PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO FIRST, YEAH, LET'S JUST, UM, OPEN IT UP TO, UM, THE PAC GENERALLY FOR QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE PLAN.
HEATHER, KARINA, THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS FROM ITS INCEPTION ON THIS, ON THIS ROUND.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE A TIMEFRAME, UM, AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AT WORKFLOW, UM, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE LIKE SUBCOMMITTEES AND SO FORTH OF THE PACK? YEAH, THERE, UM, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM.
UM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, UH, JULY OR SO OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THE, UM, UH, CURRENTLY, AND THIS IS A, THIS IS AN AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE, IS THAT THAT WOULD BE SORT OF A TELL 12 MONTH, A ONE YEAR SORT OF ENGAGEMENT.
SO WE WOULD HOPE TO HAVE THAT, UM, WRAPPED UP AT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MID PART OF 2025 IS KIND OF HOW, HOW WE'RE SEEING, RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COULD TAKE LONGER OR IT COULD GO QUICKER, WHO KNOWS? UM, SO, SO WE'RE BEING FLUID WITH THAT.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE GOAL RIGHT NOW, UM, REGARDING, UH, A TASK FORCE AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE TALKED WITH LISA, UH, AND ERIC ABOUT, ABOUT THIS GROUP.
AND I THINK, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YEAH, THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK THOSE, THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS.
IT'S A, IT'S NICE THAT IT'S, UM, UH, A LONG TIMEFRAME THAT GIVES US SOME SORT OF CHANCES TO SORT OF READJUST IF WE NEED TO AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, UH, DEVELOP A PROCESS THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM PAC MEMBERS, MEMBER DIETER? UM, NOT REALLY A QUESTION, JUST A SUGGESTION.
UM, THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST DO ONE QUESTION AT A TIME, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE MIGHT BE ALL OVER THE MAP ON ALL DIFFERENT SUBJECTS, SO IT JUST MIGHT BE QUICKER.
SOME OF US MAY HAVE A, UM, INPUT ON ONE QUESTION, BUT NOT ANOTHER.
SO JUST TO YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
MAKE IT SMOOTHLY AND IT'S FINE TO PASS, RIGHT? SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
I THINK I SAW ANOTHER HAND OVER HERE.
UM, USUALLY IN THIS PROCESS, THERE'S, THERE'S A, A, A VISION OF WHAT THINGS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE IN 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
THE DANGER, I THINK, IN USING THIS SECOND CENTURY PLANT IS WHAT'S IT GONNA LOOK LIKE IN A HUNDRED YEARS NOW? IS THAT, WHAT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? IF WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF ENVISIONING WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH IN A HUNDRED YEARS WHERE WE WANNA MOVE TOWARDS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, BUT THAT, TO ME, THAT'S WHAT THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN BRINGS TO MIND.
IT SEEMS. I THINK, I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT WAS ENTIRELY THE INTENT OF SORT OF, UH, SETTING A FOUNDATION OF WHO AS
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AN AGENCY, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO SEA LEVEL RISE, UM, IN 10, 20, 50 YEARS.UM, SO A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE AS STAFF, UH, ARE WORKING ON ARE REALLY 20, 30, 50 YEAR PROJECTS.
UM, SO, UH, SO A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SAY WHAT A CITY GENERAL PLAN MIGHT BE, WHICH DOES GUIDE, UM, GIVE, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY CITY GENERAL PLANS OF A 10 20 YEAR SORT OF TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND THIS VERY MAY WELL NEED TO BE UPDATED IN 10, 20 YEARS.
UM, BUT REALLY LOOKING AT THE, THE, THE VISION, THE GOALS AND SOME OF THOSE, UM, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UM, THAT, THAT COULD HOPEFULLY BE RESILIENT FOR, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE EXISTING MASTER PLAN HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR 50 YEARS.
'CAUSE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1973.
SO, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT GIVES THAT FRAMEWORK, BUT CERTAINLY RECOGNIZED THERE'LL PROBABLY BE NEED TO UPDATE AND CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AS IT GOES FORWARD.
I, I HAD KIND OF THE SAME, YOU KNOW, RESPONSE, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME WHAT YOU'RE REALLY DOING IS SETTING IT UP TO, TO WHAT YOU EXPECT TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING.
YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE CHANGES AND, AND THERE ARE CHANGES.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING DRAMATICALLY AND WE NEED TO, UH, UH, UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE CHANGES ARE COMING FROM.
BUT THEN THE PLAN, IT SEEMS TO ME, OUGHT TO BE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT CHANGES HAVE TO OCCUR IN THE ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT FUTURE WORLD, WHICH IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THE SECOND CENTURY OF, OF THE, UH, UH, EAST BAY PARKS DISTRICT.
UH, UH, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I MEAN, THAT'S A, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
YEAH, AND I'LL JUST, I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO SORT OF BELABOR TOO MUCH, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE MASTER PLAN MAP THAT WAS, UH, UH, DEVELOPED IN PART OF THIS 2013 MASTER PLAN, I MEAN, IT WAS GREAT.
IT'S, UH, IT'S A VERY, IT'S A IT VISIONARY, VISIONARY MASTER PLAN MAP THAT SETS OUT A LOT OF PRIORITIES FOR ACQUISITION AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING TO UPDATE OR CHANGE THAT MAP.
THERE'S ENOUGH HERE THAT CAN KEEP US BUSY FOR A LONG TIME.
SO, LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S, UH, CHANGES OF, OF HOW DO WE DO THAT OR WHERE DO WE, WHERE DO WE BEST, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE SOME OF OUR SPENDING AND RESPONDING TO SOME OF THESE EMERGING ISSUES.
HOW THE, THE DISTRICT PUT, UH, POSITIONS ITSELF TO DEAL WITH THAT FUTURE WORLD AS BEST WE CAN, UH, SEE AT, AT PRESENT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THESE THINGS WILL BE, UM, UH, SORT OF STRUCTURES FOR THE PLANNING THAT EMERGE AS THE PROCESS GOES FORWARD.
IT'S, UH, GOD GOOD TO BE PART OF THIS, THE PRE-PLANNING.
SOME OF WHAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH IS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU THROW A LOT AT US.
WE HAVE ALL THESE PLANS THIS WHOLE CENTURY AND I DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEELING OF HOW WE HAVE DONE ON THE OTHER PLANS.
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, AND I, I PRE LOOKED WHAT I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
I JUST LOVE DATA AND I'M JUST REALLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW HAVE WE DONE IT? ARE, YOU KNOW, ACRES PER CAPITA, HOW, BECAUSE THAT COULD CHANGE WHAT THE NEXT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES.
WHEN I SAY I'M GONNA PICK MY TOP THREE, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE AN ITERATIVE ONGOING PROCESS, BUT IT WOULD MAKE ME TRY TO, LIKE, HOW DO I TRIAGE? WHERE ARE THE ISSUES? HOW DID WE DO ON THE OTHER PLANS? WHERE'D WE FALL SHORT? HOW CAN I PICK MY TOP THREE? HOW CAN I FIGURE OUT WHERE I'D WEIGH IN? SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING THING AND MAYBE EVEN AN OPPORTUNITY.
WHAT I REALLY LOVE IN MY EXPERIENCE ARE CHARETTES, WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE POST-ITS, AND GO UP AND PUT OUR TOP THREE AND START LINING THEM UP WITH EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO ALL THIS TODAY, BUT, OH NO,
AND I'M JUST LOOKING, YOU SAID THE FIRST PART IS, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION NEEDS.
AND I JUST WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED.
I'M BEEN TEACHING A POPULATION EDUCATION CLASS FOR 35 YEARS AND TRYING TO LOOK AT THE POPULATION NUMBERS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB FROM FOUR PARKS TO 73 PARKS FOR 600,000 PEOPLE TO 3 MILLION PEOPLE.
BUT WE SEEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, BUT MORE DATA TO TRY TO HELP FIGURE OUT.
AND OF COURSE THE EQUITY PIECE AND HOW THAT BALANCES.
I'VE, I'VE, EVEN WITH THE BICYCLE THING, I'M STRUGGLING, LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR REALLY BICYCLE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY HIKE VERSUS RIDE A HORSE VERSUS, SO I DON'T KNOW.
I'M, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M, I'M A DATA PERSON PERSONALLY, AND I HOPE THAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE THE PROCESS.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE GET, WE'RE UNDER A CRUNCH, WE'RE UNDER A CRISIS, AND WE'VE GOTTA REALLY TRIAGE AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THE NEXT SECOND CENTURY.
AND IT'S JUST REALLY EXCITING TO BE, BE PART OF THIS.
SO I, AND I WAS REMISS IN SAYING THAT I DO HAVE TWO OF MY STAFF MEMBERS HERE TAKING STAFF.
[01:15:01]
AND RAY GRAMME.UM, AND SO I HEARD YOU SAY YOU WANT A DATA DRIVEN PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF TYPE OF FEEDBACK THAT WE WANT AND YEAH.
AND I THINK IT'S, UM, IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS JUST OUR FIRST PASS THROUGH, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, GIVE OUR FIRST SORT OF LITTLE BITS OF INPUT, BUT THERE WILL BE REPEATED VISITS AND REPEATED OPPORTUNITIES, HAVE CONVERSATIONS, AND HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS AND INTERACT WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND SO, UM, AND SO WE DON'T HAVE TO FEEL TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY AT THIS MEETING TO, UM, TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS, RIGHT? REALLY AN INTRODUCTION.
REMEMBER HENRY, UM, YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY, UM, KIND OF BUILD ON THAT TOO.
IT'S A GREAT SLIDE THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH THE PARK HAS EXPANDED.
BUT I THINK TO ADD TO THAT WOULD BE HOW MUCH IS REALLY EXPANDING FOR PUBLIC USE? SO HOW MUCH IS IN LAND BANK? HOW MUCH IS STUCK IN WHATEVER PROCESS? 'CAUSE I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING BOARD MEMBERS, THAT IT CAN BE REALLY DIFFICULT AND CUMBERSOME TO GET TRAILS OPEN.
SO I, I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE THIS KIND OF FALSE SENSE OF WE'VE GROWN ENOUGH WHEN IN FACT WE MAY HAVE ALL THIS LAND, BUT IS IT REALLY USABLE? THE OTHER QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH OF THAT LAND SHOULD, YOU KNOW, SHOULD ACTUALLY BE OPEN? MAYBE THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED FOR PURELY FOR RESOURCE PROTECTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? OR SHOULD WE GO ONTO OUR, UM, THREE QUESTIONS HERE? LET'S GO AHEAD AND DIVE IN.
SO LET'S, UM, LET'S TAKE QUESTION NUMBER ONE AND MAYBE WE'LL JUST GO AROUND THE TABLE THIS WAY.
AND THEN QUESTION NUMBER TWO, WE'LL REVERSE IT AND WE'LL COME BACK AROUND.
SO THOSE OF YOU HERE GET READY TO GO TWICE IN A ROW REALLY QUICKLY, UM, ONCE IT BOUNCES AROUND.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US WILL STRUGGLE A LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS FIRST ONE, IDENTIFYING THE TOP THREE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? THERE ARE SO MANY THAT COULD, THAT WE WANNA BRING TO THE TABLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S TRY AND JUST KEEP IT TO THREE.
AND I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, IF WE MISS ONES THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY IMPORTANT TO US, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL ADD THOSE TO THE LIST AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, UH, SO I'LL GO LAST ON THIS ONE.
AND SO LET'S PASS THAT TO MEMBER CHANG FIRST AND WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO MOVE AROUND.
I'M GONNA SKIP, BUT I'M GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO TALK CLOSER TO THE MIC BECAUSE, UH, DON'T JUDGE ME, BUT I'M ACTUALLY HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING SOME OF YOU.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE IS HOW WELL DID WE DO IN THE LAST TIME? AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE A LOT OF ASPIRATIONAL GOALS, BOTH THAT REALLY THE, LIKE THE LOGISTICAL TECHNICAL, UH, ABILITY TO SELF-ASSESS AND, YOU KNOW, PAST PROCESSES AND THEN THE CURRENT PROCESS.
AND, UM, WE DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW WELL WE'RE DOING.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S ONE IMPORTANT THING ALSO THAT I WOULD, UM, DITTO.
I WOULD, WHAT'S ANOTHER WORD FOR DITTO, BUT, YOU KNOW,
AND ONE OF THEM IS AROUND HOUSING WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THAT THERE'S REGIONAL HOUSING GOALS.
AND SO IN A SPACE LIKE THE BAY AREA WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LIMITED GEOGRAPHIC REACH AND, AND CITIES ARE, ARE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE, UM, UNDER AND UNDER PENALTY TO EXPAND HOUSING, HOW DO, HOW DO WE DO THAT WITH ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOUSED HAVE OPEN SPACE AND REALLY BEING IN FRONT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK PROTECT EVEN REALLY SAYING THAT THE PLAN NEEDS TO HAVE A, A REALLY STRONG LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING COMPONENT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, GROWTH AND, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THEN THIRDLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE EQUITY INCLUSIVITY AND THEN THE EMPHASIS HERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, I HAVE SOME KIND OF IN THE TRENCHES IDEAS, WHICH I'LL, I'LL SHARE LATER.
BUT REALLY, ONE OF THEM REALLY SHOULD BE AROUND AFFORDABILITY AND, UM, PROGRAMMING AND, AND THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING OF ALL ECONOMIC LEVELS AND THAT SOME OF THESE, UM, PROGRAM THE PROGRAMMING AND THE, THE MARKETING MATERIALS AND SO FORTH, AND I HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOME OF THIS, BUT, UM, REALLY THAT WE, WE CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THAT, UM, THAT THERE'S LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR A VERY DIVERSE, DIVERSE, UM, TWO COUNTIES.
WE SAW THAT IN THE GRAPH THAT YOU'D SHOWN EARLIER.
AND THEN I'M, I'M PERSONALLY VERY INTERESTED IN A DA ACCESS AS, UH, WE CONTINUE TO AGE IN PLACE AND, UM, I THINK THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN NOW IS OVER.
I THINK MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE HERE KNOWS THAT NUMBER BETTER, BUT AT LEAST 84.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WHILE PEOPLE ARE AGING IN PLACE, THAT CAN STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE OPEN SPACE IN A WAY THAT'S SAFE AND AND INCLUSIVE.
[01:20:01]
YOU.UM, YES, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS OR THREE TOPICS.
AND I WOULD FIRST SAY THAT THE 2013 MASTER PLAN HAS SOME GREAT POLICIES THAT ARE IN THERE.
THEY SEEM TO BE TIMELESS, AND THEY, TO ME, THEY COULD ALMOST BE ADOPTED IN THIS NEW PLAN.
AND, UM, I AM HOPING THAT THEY ARE.
AND IF ANYTHING IS LEFT OUT FROM THOSE POLICIES, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, THE PAC SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S BEING LEFT OUT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, GOOD IN THE PUBLIC, OF COURSE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS LAND ACQUISITION.
I ASSUME I SAW YOUR SLIDE, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF IT, BUT SHOULD, IT SHOULD REMAIN A PRIORITY, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE ALL AROUND.
AND ALSO, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, SOME OF THE BALLOT MEASURES, SOME OF THE BOND MEASURES ARE ONLY FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE DISTRICT AND HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE AS PRIORITIES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I WILL START WITH THE EQUITY, UH, GOAL.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE.
UH, BUT EQUITY IS REALLY HARD TO MONITOR OR MEASURE.
AND WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT? AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT AGE, AND I SAW, I HEARD AGE BEING MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, AND THE OTHER, UM, LET ME, LEMME MAKE SURE, UM, AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA PROVIDE FOR WHERE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES AND THE PROJECTIONS GO TO 2040? BUT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT I'VE READ IS THAT THE, THE POPULATION STATISTICS BEGINNING IN 2050 ARE PROJECTING A DECLINE IN POPULATION.
AND, AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN, YOU KINDA, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT GROWTH THING IS GONNA BE CONTINUING THAT WAY.
AND, AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME, SOME THOUGHT TO THAT.
UM, I'M LOOKING PARTICULARLY AT THE CHANGES HERE SLIDE.
AND IF THAT'S A LOOK BACK, THAT'S GREAT.
IF IT'S A LOOK FORWARD, I GOT A COUPLE CONCERNS.
ONE OF WHICH IS ACTUALLY, EVEN THOUGH YOU MENTIONED IT SEVERAL TIMES, CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT MENTIONED HERE.
I SAW SOME INDICATORS OF IT, BUT ONE OF THE INDICATORS IT WASN'T THERE IS INVASIVE SPECIES.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED THAT COVID-19 WAS THERE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS, IN PART BECAUSE, UM, GOING BACK, NONE OF THE PLANS TO DATE PROBABLY MENTIONED, UH, THE SPANISH FLU OF 1918.
AND IF WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE PANDEMICS FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS, WHY IS IT A FOCUS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR A SECOND CENTURY PLAN? UM, YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED BY MY, UH, LAST COMMENT, WHICH IS, PARKS LIKE CITIES FOCUS ON GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WATERSHED HEALTH AND A WATERSHED IS A VERY DIFFERENT COMPONENT.
IT DOESN'T RESPECT THE POLITICAL COMPONENTS AND WILDLIFE DON'T RESPECT THE POLITICAL COMPONENTS.
UH, AND, AND SO I, I WOULD HOPE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THE PARK DISTRICT DECIDES TO FOCUS ON IS LOOKING AT THINGS FROM A WATERSHED PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST FROM A BOUNDARY PERSPECTIVE.
AND GOTTA SAY THOUGH, IT LOOKS WEIRD, UM, NOT SEEING YOU IN A GREEN HAT
SO NICE TO SEE YOU WITH A BALD HEAD JUST LIKE MYSELF,
UM, AUTHENTIC INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT.
UM, I LIKE TO SEE, UM, WHEN I SAY AUTHENTIC, WE CAN SEE EXAMPLES IN SONOMA COUNTY WHERE THEY HAVE CO-MANAGEMENT OF TOLE REGIONAL PARK, AS WELL AS, UH, THAT'S REGIONAL SONOMA COUNTY REGIONAL PARKS AND ALSO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT POINT REYES.
UM, THEY HAVE CO-MANAGEMENT OF, UH, THE NATIONAL SEASHORE WITH THE GREAT RENT, UH, RANCHERIA.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING, UH, YOU ALSO SEE IT AT, UM, CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS WITH SUME STATE PARK, UH, UP NORTH.
UM, SO TRYING TO SEE THAT THERE'S, UM, AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE LAND BACK MOVEMENT AS WELL AS CO-MANAGING OF ANY OF THE PARKS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, TOPIC I'D LIKE TO SEE IS JUST AS FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED, DEI PRINCIPLES.
UM, MANY OF US REMEMBER IN 2020 WHEN THE BOARD PUT OVER, PUT FORTH THE RESOLUTION, UH, IN SUPPORT OF,
[01:25:01]
UM, BIPOC FOLKS, UH, AFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.SO JUST WANTING TO CONTINUE THAT AND, UM, HAVING JOSE GONZALEZ AS THE EQUITY OFFICER IS A STEP IN THE, THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
ALSO WITH THE EMPHASIS, UH, THIS IS THE THIRD TOPIC ON EQUITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
UH, WOULD LIKE TO SEE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AS ALSO A TENANT OF, UM, THE, THE PARK DISTRICT AS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE HAS ALL THOSE THINGS COMBINED ALONG WITH THINGS THAT FOLKS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, LIKE OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION, UM, ENSURING THAT THEIR, UM, HAVING ACCESS TO OP, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE WITHOUT, UM, AL ALSO MANAGING THE, THE VERY REAL, UM, UH, APPLI THE VERY REAL RE UM, REALITY OF MANY OF OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS, UH, LIVING IN OUR PARKS, UH, IN, IN A, IN A UNSUSTAINABLE WAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE THREE TOPICS, UM, EXPLORED.
WAIT, I'LL JUST JUMP IN BEFORE WE MOVE OVER TO THE NEXT TABLE.
WE SHOULD PROB WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT BRIEFER BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, TWO MORE QUESTIONS TO GET THROUGH AND STILL NINE PEOPLE ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE.
SO QUICKLY, I WROTE DOWN SUSTAINABLE STAFFING, INCLUDING LEVELS AND DEI CLIMATE RESILIENCE, PARTICULARLY WILDFIRE 30 BY 30, AND INPUT FROM MALONE PEOPLE MORE AS WHAT FRANCIS SAID, 'CAUSE HE'S MUCH MORE ENGAGED WITH THAT AND UNDERSTAND.
SO CO-MANAGEMENT, UH, EQUITABLE ACCESS, LANGUAGE, PHYSICAL ABILITY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, REAL COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF THE, UM, PARK DISTRICT.
I WANT THE COMMUNITY, THE LARGER BAY AREA COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS AND WHAT ITS PLANS ARE AND HOW IT HAS DONE THAT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE EDUCATION SO THAT PEOPLE, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
I, I USED TO BE IN A, UH, ON A RADIO, UH, STATION AND THERE WAS A FEELING ON THE RADIO STATION THAT EVERYBODY LISTENED TO OUR STATION.
AND THE FACT THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAD NO CLUE THAT WE EVEN EXISTED, DIDN'T REALLY COME UP ON OUR RADAR.
AND I THINK THE TRUE IS THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM KNOWING ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT AND WHAT IT'S DOING, UM, AND BECOME ENGAGED ON A MUCH LARGER LEVEL THAN THEY HAVE BEEN.
SO THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.
AND, UH, MAJOR TOPICS WOULD BE LAND ACQUISITION AND TRAIL EXPANSION, TRAIL USE POLICIES, AND THEN EQUITABLE ACCESS.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT EQUITABLE ACCESS PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE DEFINED.
OBVIOUSLY NOT HERE IN TODAY, BUT BROKEN OUT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT TOPIC.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY BROUGHT UP SOMETHING NEW.
SO I'LL ADD EQUITABLE ACCESS, BUT ALSO LET'S DEFINE WHAT THAT IS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION THAT, UH, IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
I THINK THAT HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, UH, IS HELPFUL IN TERMS OF, UH, TOPICS, UH, TO, TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL BUILD ON MY EARLIER COMMENTS.
THE, UH, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY ADAPTATIONS NEEDED TO MOST EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE FUTURE, UH, PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION, INCLUDING, UH, PARTICULARLY I THINK CLIMATE CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, AS THE DISTRICT ENTERS ITS SECOND CENTURY SO THAT IT CAN, UH, MORE EFFECTIVELY, UH, UH, DEAL WITH THAT SITUATION AT THE TIME.
UH, I THINK CONTINUED, UH, AGGRESSIVE INVESTMENT IN PROTECTING NATURAL AREAS AND OPEN SPACE.
UH, I, I THINK ESPECIALLY TO ENSURE ECOSYSTEM CONNECTIVITY, UH, IS IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK, UH, FACILITATING INVOLVEMENT BY ALL RESIDENTS, UH, UH, OF THE, UH, EAST BAY AND, AND DISTRICT ACTIVITIES AND DECISIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT INCLUDES ACCESS TO PARKS.
WELL, AS STATED BEFORE, I THINK MY NUMBER ONE THING WOULD REALLY BE TO TAKE A LOOK AT POPULATION GROWTH.
THERE IS A COMMENT THAT IT'S DECLINING, BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT POPULATION OF SPECIES THAT ARE DECLINING, POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GROWING.
THE COMMENT WAS MADE EARLIER ABOUT RENA HOUSING NUMBERS.
THEY AREN'T THROWING THOSE NUMBERS AT CITIES AND THROWING THEMSELVES INTO COURT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REAL.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMING, THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING.
MAYBE THERE'S BALANCE AND THE YOUNGER GENERATION AREN'T HAVING AS MANY CHILDREN, BUT LOOKING AT OUR PARKS, 'CAUSE WE'VE ALSO MAYBE LOST NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.
[01:30:01]
WE'VE MAYBE LOST DIFFERENT, UM, WAYS OF, YOU KNOW, RECREATING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.AND MAYBE THAT'S PUTTING MORE PRESSURE, BUT I JUST, I'D LOVE THIS NEXT LOOK TO REALLY LOOK CLOSELY.
IT'S A TOPIC THAT'S ALWAYS OVER OVERLOOKED AND PEOPLE THINK IT'S IMMEDIATELY ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL AND RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S DATA, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A DATA-DRIVEN NUMBER.
AND REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT, UM, BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME.
UM, AND BE A VOICE FOR, FOR NATURE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE PART OF THE POPULATION AND THE SPECIES WE'RE LOSING DAILY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SPEAK AS A VOICE AND WE SPEAK AS HORSE RIDERS AND HIKERS AND, BUT WHO'S SPEAKING FOR THE PLANTS AND THE LOSS OF THOSE? AND WHERE ARE THOSE AREAS WHEN WE ZONE, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THOSE PLACES IN OUR PARK THAT ARE MAYBE OFF LIMITS TO EVERYTHING? UM, OF COURSE CLIMATE, UH, THE COMMENT WAS MADE EARLIER.
ALL THESE THINGS POPPED UP ON THE, THE SCREEN ABOUT GROWTH, BUT CLIMATE WAS REALLY DRIVING MOST OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIRE, THE DROUGHT, THE UM, THE RISK.
YOU KNOW, UM, WHERE ARE PEOPLE GONNA GO, YOU KNOW, FOR HEAT RE RELATED RELEASE.
MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA COUNT ON OUR PARKS MORE AND WE NEED THESE TREES THAT WE'RE LOSING SOME OF THE REPORTS WE'VE SEEN HERE AT THE PAC, LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ALL THIS CLIMATE STUFF? WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE AND TRIAGE THAT.
SO THAT'S, UM, A REALLY BIG PART.
AND THERE'S PROBABLY MORE PANDEMICS COMING AND THERE'S PROBABLY MORE SUDDEN OAK DEATHS COMING.
AND AS WE GET MORE AND MORE CROWDED TO EACH OTHER, WE'RE GONNA GET MORE AND MORE OF THAT PRESSURE ON THE PARK.
AND I'D SAY THE THIRD IS DEFINITELY, UM, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
UM, AN EQUITY ISSUE, BUT BRINGING IN THE, UM, INDIGENOUS WAYS.
WE'VE GOT ONLY 90 YEARS PEOPLE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND 90 MORE.
BUT REALLY WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS IN THE FUTURE DOWN THE, THE ROAD.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND UM, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE THIS LIVABLE FOR ALL SENTIENT BEINGS, NOT JUST, NOT JUST OURSELVES.
UM, I'M FROM EAST COUNTY CONTRA COSTA BRENTWOOD.
AND OUR GROWTH IS, IS IS THERE, I MEAN, WE ARE, WE ARE GROWING LOTS OF HOUSES, OAKLEY, BRENTWOOD, ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING UP WITH THAT POPULATION.
AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH, UH, PROJECTS LIKE THE RODDY RANCH PROPERTY, UM, EMERSON RANCH PROPERTY.
IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE A PART OF THAT, THAT'S A, A HUGE PROCESS OF SAVING WETLANDS THERE, WHICH ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, FOR OUR COUNTY.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BE SURE THAT THESE PARKS ARE ALSO ACCESSED BY NOT HAVING TO DRIVE TO ALL OF THEM, THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED TRAIL WISE, IF, IF PEOPLE CAN WALK OR BIKE TO, TO SOME OF THESE TRAILS.
UH, AS FAR AS ACCESS, I THINK OUR PARKS NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OUR POPULATION IS GETTING OLDER, LIKE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
MORE PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE, UH, MOBILITY ISSUES.
AND I, I FEEL THAT SOME OF OUR PARKS, YOU CAN'T GO VERY MUCH PAST THE PARKING LOT.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF ISSUE OF TRYING TO GO ANY FARTHER.
UH, LAST WE, IN 1997, YOU TALKED ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING.
I MEAN, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BIKES WERE, WERE BOUGHT THIS PAST, UH, THIS PAST YEAR.
AND TALK ABOUT, UH, TRAIL CONFLICT OF WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
WE HAVE TO BE SURE THAT WE MANAGE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM TO ALLOW FOR THIS GROWTH.
'CAUSE THIS IS ALLOWING A GROUP OF THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE GONNA GO MUCH FARTHER INTO OUR PARKS WITH THEIR E-BIKES.
AND ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TRAIL CONFLICT, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THESE PEOPLE TO USE OUR PARKS AND ENJOY THEIR PARKS.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE REALLY THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.
SO BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE END OF THIS, I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO ADD.
UM, THE ONLY THING, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO BASICS FOR ME, FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT, I MEAN, I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR ONGOING OPERATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THE MAINTENANCE OF THE EXISTING PARKS AND THEN, UH, THE NEW PARKS, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT HAVE BEEN LAND BANKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I AGREE THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY.
AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF EQUITABLE ACCESS.
SO ONE PIECE THAT I WANNA LIFT UP IS WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE POPULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SURVEYED THAT HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY FELT WELCOME WITHIN THE PARK DISTRICT AND EVEN HAVE A NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS HERE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS PARTICULAR EMPHASIS AND OUTREACH DONE, UH, TO, UH, TO THAT POPULATION.
[01:35:01]
THERE'S BEEN SO MANY THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.UM, I WANNA JUST AS FAR AS ONE THING THAT I, I I HEARD A LOT AND I DEFINITELY THINK IS BEFORE WE EVEN LOOK AT ANYTHING ELSE, IS DEFINITELY HAVING A REPORT CARD.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT MARK AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, BUT FOR ME, I THINK NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND I THINK IT JUST AS FAR AS CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, JUST CAN REALLY IMPACT THE, THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE PARK IN THE FUTURE.
JUST LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH, UH, THE FIRES AND, UM, RAINS AND, UM, HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT OVER TIME AND IN THE FUTURE? UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT, UM, EQUITY IN THE PARK, UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT EQUITABLE ACCESS, BUT I THINK, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW THE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS ARE CHANGING AND ARE WE INVESTING IN THOSE POPULATIONS AT, UM, EVERY OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME FUTURE STEWARDS OF THE PARK.
UM, BUT ALSO THAT WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE OUR PARK ACTUALLY REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY AND DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR AREAS, UM, NOT JUST IN USERSHIP, BUT ALSO IN STAFFING.
UM, AND AS FAR AS ONE THING THAT, UM, AS AS THAT AS WHEN YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, PAC MEMBER, UM, UM, VENEZUELA MENTIONED AS FAR AS ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKES AND E-BIKES, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES IN GENERAL.
SO TODAY WE HAVE THE E-BIKE, BUT WHAT'S THAT NEXT GROWTH OF TECHNOLOGY FOR OUTDOOR ACCESS AND WHAT ARE WE DESIGNING THOSE TRAILS FOR? BECAUSE I, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS IS A SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL PARK, AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, HERE'S OUR COLLECTIONS OF PARKS RATHER THAN HOW WE ARE IN THE GREATER REGION.
AND THAT CAN BE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, WATERSHEDS, UH, TRAIL ACCESS, UM, AND ALSO SOME OF THE DIFFERENT STABILITIES OF THE CITIES BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR PARKS OR ASKING THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS TO MANAGE THEIR PARKS, UM, OR DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES.
SO HOW DO WE NOT JUST PLAN FOR OURSELVES AS A REGIONAL PARK, BUT HOW DO WE INCLUDE MAYBE SOME OF THOSE CITIES AND TRAIL SYSTEMS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, TAKE SOME OF THOSE LARGER IMPACTS AND SPREAD 'EM OUT.
SO IF THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BIKERS, HOW DO WE CONNECT ALL OF THOSE TRAILS SO THAT THERE'S MORE ACCESS OR, UM, IF, IF SOME PARKS MIGHT BE LOST IN ANOTHER CITY, CAN WE PREDICT THAT AND SEE HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT LIKE THE REG, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ABSORBED SOME PARKS OVER TIME.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I SEE.
UM, SO FOR ME, I WOULD SAY MY NUMBER ONE IS ALSO CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THOUGHT AND, UM, EFFORT PUT INTO PLANNING FOR WHAT OUR PARKS WILL LOOK LIKE WITH, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW WE WILL, UM, MANAGE THAT.
BUT I THINK ALSO THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO THAT COIN IN THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS A UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY AS A CARBON SINK.
AND ARE WE MANAGING OUR LANDS IN A WAY THAT, UM, REALLY SORT OF OPTIMIZES OUR CONTRIBUTION TO SUCKING ALL OF THIS CARBON OUTTA OUR ATMOSPHERE.
UM, NUMBER TWO I WOULD SAY WOULD BE THE, THIS PERENNIAL QUESTION.
EVER SINCE THERE'S BEEN A PARK DISTRICT, PROBABLY THE BALANCE BETWEEN RECREATION AND CONSERVATION.
UM, AND SO HOW DO WE THREAD THAT NEEDLE WHERE WE PROVIDE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME DON'T DEGRADE THE QUALITY OF THE HABITATS, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MANAGE THEM IN A WAY THAT, UM, SORT OF MAXIMIZES BIODIVERSITY TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND THEN I THINK FOR NUMBER THREE, IT'S CLOSELY RELATED TO THAT ONE, AND IT'S CLOSELY RELATED TO THE EQUITY ISSUE AS WELL, IS I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE PARK DISTRICT, UM, FOR EVERYBODY SOMEWHERE.
I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE EVERY EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY PERSON IN EVERY PARK, BUT WE NEED TO THINK PROACTIVELY, I THINK ABOUT WHAT, UM, WHAT ARE THE PLACES THAT WE'RE GONNA SET ASIDE FOR THIS ACTIVITY VERSUS THAT ACTIVITY, OR WHAT ARE THE PLACES THAT WE'RE GONNA SET ASIDE FOR THAT ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE PARTI FOR PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS FOR DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THINK INTO THE FUTURE
[01:40:01]
ABOUT WHAT THOSE DIFFERENT NEEDS ARE GONNA BE FOR OUR DIFFERENT LANDS.AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IN MANY CASES THAT WILL BE, UM, REQUIRE US TO, UM, HAVE PARTICULAR LANDS SET ASIDE FOR PARTICULAR THINGS.
POINT ISABEL IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WALK DOGS, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK WE CAN IMAGINE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKS FOR OTHER TYPES OF ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
UM, AND SO I'LL ALSO GO FIRST ON NUMBER TWO.
HOW WILL YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN? I THINK, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT WILL PROBABLY COME FROM WHAT THE CONSULTANTS THINK ARE GOOD WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH US AND HAVE US ENGAGE WITH OTHERS.
UM, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE MODELS THAT WE'VE SEEN PREVIOUSLY WITH THE, UM, SORT OF RETHINK AND REDESIGN OF THE DOG POLICY.
AND THEN AGAIN, UM, THE TRAILS, UM, POLICY WHERE WE HAD, UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS COMING TOGETHER IN SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WEEKEND SESSIONS OR EVENING SESSIONS WHERE WE COULD SORT OF CROSS POLLINATE AMONG PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS THAT HAVE, IN SOME CASES VERY DIVERGENT OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING.
BUT I THINK THOSE WERE OFTEN VERY PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE IT ALLOWED US TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY ESTABLISH THAT THERE WERE MANY MORE AREAS OF AGREEMENT THAN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE GROUPS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT THERE WERE.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE COMMUNITY GROUP SETTINGS WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE AND, UH, I, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY ENJOY BEING INVOLVED IN.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON ANYTHING THAT, UH, THAT I CAN PROVIDE, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK WE'LL GO BACK AROUND THIS WAY NOW.
THE OTHER WAY AROUND, UM, MY BACKGROUND IS IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO AS FAR AS, UM, LENDING, ANY SKILLS, UM, THERE AS APPROPRIATE.
UM, AND THEN JUST AS FAR AS, UM, REALLY SEEING HOW WE CAN SUPPORT, UM, OUR DIFFERENT DIRECTORS.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY JUST AS FAR AS TO PACK MEMBERS, UM, TO, UM, GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND HELP WITH THE OUTREACH AND CONNECT WITH OUR POPULATIONS AND, UM, GET THAT, UM, FIRSTHAND TESTIMONY OR QUESTIONNAIRES OR INFO AND REALLY, UM, FINDING DIFFERENT PLACES, UM, WHERE IT'S ACTIONABLE, UM, SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN SEE THAT THEIR INPUT, UM, HAS CHANGED OR INFLUENCED OR BEEN, BEEN LIKE CONSIDERED.
SO I GUESS, YES, SO MY, UH, MY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, IF I HAVE ANY, IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND IN PARTICULAR WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE AT SOME POINT HAVING THIS PROGRAM, UH, COME TO THE CONTRA COSTA MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S PLENTY OF ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAPPEN, UH, IN CENTRAL, AND I KNOW EAST CONTRA COSTA AS WELL, UH, AROUND, YOU KNOW, INVITING YOU BRIAN, FOR EXAMPLE, TO COME TO MUSIC AND MARKET UNTIL THE SANCHEZ PLAZA AND GET 5,000 PEOPLE OR LESS TO, UH, GIVE, UH, INPUT ABOUT THIS.
SO, SO THINKING THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS APPROPRIATE.
AND I THINK PROBABLY, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CONSULTANT, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THERE, THERE WILL BE SMALLER CHUNKS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGE ON NOT JUST THIS ENTIRE ENTIRE PLAN, BUT, UM, AND THEN LOOK LOOKING FORWARD TO SOCIALIZING CERTAIN IDEAS, CERTAIN CONCEPTS HERE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A PLACE LIKE WE DID, UH, WITH SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT NEIL MENTIONED, SHARED TSUI MENTIONED, AS WELL AS EVEN THE NAMING OF THE, UH, THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT TO OUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED.
UM, SINCE THEIR HAND IS RAISED AND THEY'RE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IT WOULD HAVE TO, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT, UM, TO ADDRESS ANY, UM, TO ADDRESS PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL THE ITEM IS CONCLUDED.
SO WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IS, UH, TO NOTE, UM, EVERYTHING, UH, AND PREPARE FOR YOUR THREE MINUTE TIME SLOT
APOLOGIES FOR THE INTERRUPTION.
UH, FROM THE EAST COUNTY, LIKE I SAID, I VOLUNTEER AT, UH, BIG BREAK REGIONAL PARK, AND WE'VE ALWAYS CONSIDERED OUR PARK THERE AS A, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.
AND I THINK THAT FEELING IN THE EAST COUNTY IS PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER ABOUT THAT, ABOUT, UH, SMALL, SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF INPUT.
SO I'D BE WILLING TO BE A PART OF
[01:45:01]
ANY OF THAT, UH, OUT IN EAST COUNTY.WELL, I'D DEFINITELY BE HAPPY AND EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON ANY TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, TASK FORCE SUBCOMMITTEES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I DO HAVE SOME UNIQUE SKILLS THAT I WORKED 21 YEARS FOR THE FEDERAL U-S-E-P-A, SO I HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE.
I HAVE NOTICED THE PARKS TAKING ON MORE AND MORE LANDS THAT NEED CLEANUP AND AS A SUPER FINE BROWNFIELD PERSON FOR 21 YEARS, AND I WORKED WITH TRIBES AND, UH, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, THAT'S SOMETHING, A SKILLSET I COULD BRING TO THE TABLE.
I'M ALSO AN EDUCATOR AND A TEACHER, AND A NEXT QUESTION ON ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY ENGAGED IN MY 5 0 1 C3 WITH A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS, AND I THINK PARTICULARLY I KEPT HEARING THINGS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF SUSTAINABILITY GROUPS, CLIMATE GROUPS THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN TRADITIONALLY INVOLVED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO, UM, HELP BRING TO THE TABLE OR JUST BE PART OF MAKING THIS A ROBUST OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.
AND ONE THING I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT I CAN'T BELIEVE NONE OF US HAVE MENTIONED, MYSELF INCLUDED, UM, YOUTH, UM, DEFINITELY, UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT AND SOME VARIOUS YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY GROUPS AND, UM, I'D LOVE TO, UH, GET SOME YOUNG PEOPLE, THIS IS THEIR FUTURE THEY'VE GOT TO, UH, LIVE WITH, WITH US.
I, I THINK, UH, UH, BUILDING ON SOMETHING YOU SAID, NEIL, UH, THE, UH, HAVING REALLY ROBUST DEBATES WITHIN THE, THE, THE PAC WITHIN THE COMMITTEE ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES, I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED HERE WAS WE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS THERE, AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY USEFUL TO BE ABLE TO DEBATE THOSE AND SEE IF WE COULD COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS, UH, ON WHAT MIGHT BE THE TOP 3, 4, 5, WHATEVER IT IS, UH, TOPICS THAT THE, THE PLAN OUGHT TO ADOPT.
AND IT WOULD BE A, I THINK WITH THAT KIND OF DEBATE AND WITH THE, UH, EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE TABLE HERE, UH, IT, IT WOULD, UH, BE AN INFORMED DEBATE, UH, UH, AND INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT.
I THINK PARTICIPATION IN, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, THAT ARE HELD ON THIS WOULD BE VERY USEFUL.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS SUBMITTING COMMENTS, UH, UH, ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE, OF THE PLAN ARE ALSO, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO FOR ME, I'D LIKE TO HELP OUT WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I'VE GOT A BACKGROUND IN DOING PRESENTATIONS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'M SURE THERE'S LIMITED RESOURCES FOR STAFF.
SO IF THERE'S EVENTS IN MY COMMUNITY, WHETHER THAT'S A CITY COUNCIL MEETING OR IF IT'S A COMMITTEE MEETING OR SOMETHING WITHIN MY WARD AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT WANTS COMMUNICATED, THEN I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UH, I'M PART OF THE HORSE COMMUNITY IN THE BAY AREA AND, UH, I HAVE BEEN WORKING TO TRY TO CREATE MECHANISMS FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE.
SO IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS OR IF THERE THERE'S INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, I CAN GET THAT TO THEM.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CON CONGEAL THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, MOST OF MY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE, UH, PARKS, SEA BAY PARKS HAS BEEN, UM, AS A DOCENT AT COYOTE HILLS AND THEN ALSO NOW BEING A PAC MEMBER.
BUT, SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, UM, I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF FREMONT, SO THOSE ARE THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT I WOULD MAYBE REPRESENT.
THERE'S LIKE FIVE PARKS IN FREMONT, I'D LIKE TO ATTEND LISTENING SESSIONS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD SET THEM UP OR IF THE PARK DISTRICT WOULD BE SETTING SUCH THINGS UP, LIKE IN OUR WARD FOR, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, BUT LISTENING SESSIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERS AND, UM, THESE WOULD BE PARK VISITORS.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO HELP THEM ENJOY THE PARKS MORE, UH, WHAT THEY'D LIKE MOST TO SEE CHANGED OR ADDED TO THEIR PARK EXPERIENCE.
UH, MY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IS IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, WORKING WITH YOU, NATURE CONNECTION, UM, I'M WEARING THE SHIRT, MAYBE SOME OF Y'ALL MIGHT, ESPECIALLY NEIL SINCE HE'S A PROFESSOR IN BIOLOGY, SEE THE FUNGI ALL THERE AND THE MYCELIAL NETWORK THAT'S UNDERNEATH.
AND, UM, MY FRIEND JOSE REALLY TALKS ABOUT, UM, HOW THAT MYCELIAL NETWORK IS,
[01:50:01]
UH, ANALOGIZED IN MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGE WORK THAT WE DO.SO I CAN CONNECT FOLKS WITH INDIGENOUS TRIBES LIKE M MALONEY, UM, SAGOR LAND TRUST, UM, FIRE MITIGATION THROUGH CULTURAL PRACTICES, UM, AS WELL AS I JUST ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH SAVE CALIFORNIA SALMON AS A THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DIRECTOR.
SO WATERSHEDS AND, AND RIPARIAN FISHERIES AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE, AS AN AVID HIKER, I'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY DISCUSSION OF TRAILS AND TRAIL USE.
I PREFER THAT TO TRAIL CONFLICT.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU REWRITE THAT ONE SLIDE,
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER WAY BESIDES BEING A MEMBER OF THE PACK IS I ANTICIPATE BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR WATERSHED HEALTH.
UH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH COVERED WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
I JUST THINK AT TIMES TOO, IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR MEETINGS, UM, BE LESS LONG, IS SOMETIMES WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED JUST TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS TOO, FOR THE RECORD FROM, FROM OURSELVES.
AND THAT MIGHT, UM, BE HELPFUL AS THINGS COME UP THROUGH THIS SECOND CENTURY PLAN.
UM, MOST OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID I AGREE WITH, SO IT'S BEEN COVERED.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE COMPLEXITY AND THOUGHTFULNESS OF THE GROUP.
UM, AS IN MY FIRST MEETING HERE, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REPRESENTING THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE, BE ABLE TO JOIN IN AND HAVE A PRESENTATION TO THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, BUT NOT JUST AS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, BUT ALSO SO THAT THERE'S SOME ACTIVE, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT.
AND THEN PERHAPS TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, A DEEPER DIVE AND ACTUALLY ENGAGE CITIES DIRECTLY, UM, THROUGHOUT, UM, SO THAT THOSE TRAILS CAN BE, UM, MADE SEAMLESS, THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLANS THAT CITIES HAVE OUR WORK WITH, WHAT, UM, WE'RE DOING HERE, CLIMATE ACTION PLANS WORK IN CONCERT WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND SO THAT WE'RE NOT SILOED, I THINK IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY OF SUMMARIZING WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO ARTICULATE.
AND THAT IS, I THINK THERE'S SOME SILOS, HONESTLY.
AND I THINK THAT THOSE CAN BE IMPROVED.
THOSE CAN BE IMPROVED UPON THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, I, I GUESS I'M A SUBJECT EXPERTISE IN HOUSING, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN LISTENING SESSIONS, UH, AND ANYTHING INVOLVING BERKELEY OR WARD ONE.
AND THEN, THEN OUR, UH, SO I HEARD, UM, THE NAMES OF SOME ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY AS WE WERE GOING AROUND THAT LAST ROUND.
AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME OBVIOUS ONES THAT, UM, BRIAN MENTIONED THAT, UM, WILL EMERGE AND COME TO THE TABLE OF THEIR OWN VOLITION.
UM, BUT WE CAN QUICKLY GO THROUGH FOR NUMBER THREE AND JUST, UM, IF THERE ARE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE OVERLOOKED OR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SURFACE, UM, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY NAME THOSE.
AND, UM, I THINK FOR TWO THAT COME TO MY MIND, ONE WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE INVOLVED ARE, UM, BRUCE BYER TRACK, WHICH IS THIS, THE TRAILS, UM, ADVOCACY GROUP IN RICHMOND.
UM, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE THEM INVOLVED.
AND THEN THE UC, BERKELEY INSTITUTE FOR, UM, PEOPLE, PARKS AND BIODIVERSITY, UM, HAS A, A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, ESPECIALLY INVOLVED IN NATIONAL PARKS, UM, POLICY AND PLANNING, BUT WOULD BE I THINK, VERY INTERESTED IN THE REGIONAL PARKS AS WELL.
AND I'M GONNA PASS IT BACK AROUND THIS WAY WE'RE GONNA BOUNCE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT OF COURSE TO ENGAGE MULTIPLICITY OF GROUPS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB THAT ARE, UM, FACING POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY, H UH, HOUSING INSECURITY, JOB INSECURITY, AND JUST REALLY DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF NECESSARILY TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AND UH, UH, SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUPS.
THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AS WELL THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, FEAR OF AUTHORITY AND, UM, ARE WORRIED THAT WHEN THEY SEE UNIFORM, UM, I KNOW THIS HAPPENED IN MY OWN FAMILY, WHEN THEY SAW PARKS UNIFORM, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ICE 'CAUSE IT WAS A GREEN UNIFORM, AND IT WAS LIKE REALLY SCARY.
AND, AND I HAD TO TALK TO MY PARENTS WHO WERE MOST CITIZENS.
MY FATHER AT THE TIME WAS A US-BORN CITIZEN, UM, SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A NATIONAL PARKS, YOU KNOW, RANGER NOT ICE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF LIKE, CULTURAL SENSITIVITY IN THIS PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO MEET THE COMMUNITY WHERE IT IS AND REALLY DO OUTREACH, UM, REALLY IN THE TRENCHES THAT ARE NOT IN TRADITIONAL GROUPS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLICITY OF LANGUAGES.
AND THAT'S REALLY A CONUNDRUM THAT
[01:55:01]
MOST JURISDICTIONAL BODIES TRY TO, THEY, THEY PONDER AND TRY TO CONQUER.AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S NECESSARILY A SOLUTION OR AN EASY FIX, BUT PERHAPS WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR STEP.
AND BRIAN, DO I NEED TO SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL ROUND TABLE
I'M SURE YOU WOULD INCLUDE THEM.
UM, IN SOME OF MY, THE LOCAL GROUPS IN ALAMEDA, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN THEY SHOULD BE, UM, CALLED THE STAKEHOLDER 'CAUSE THIS IS A, IS AN OVERREACHING THING, BUT WE HAVE, UH, BIKE WALK, ALAMEDA AND FRIENDS OF THE PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE CAN, WHENEVER YOU DEEM THAT TO BE APPROPRIATE, I WILL ADD THAT.
SO I HAVE A FEW HERE, UM, LOCAL ASK ME 24, 28.
SO I'D BE REMISS IN NOT MENTIONING THEIR WORKFORCE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS A LARGE PART OF, UH, THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS A NATURALIST WITH EAST BAY PARKS, UM, LATINO OUTDOORS WHO JOSE JOSE GONZALEZ FOUNDED, WHICH IS, UH, WHICH HAD CELEBRATED THIS 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THE MULTICULTURAL WELLNESS GROUP THAT MONA CO, UH, RAN BEFORE SHE RETIRED.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM CONTINUE, UH, THEIR WONDERFUL WORK AND NOT HAVE IT DROP OFF ALONG WITH THE INDIGENOUS GROUPS I MENTIONED BEFORE.
UM, THE ELONE INDIGENOUS GROUPS, UM, ECHO THAT AND, UM, SINCE I'M FROM WARD THREE AND SOUTH FREMONT OR FREMONT UNION CITY AND, UM, NEWARK, UM, THERE'S A NEW, UH, PARK URBAN FOREST MANAGER AND THERE'S A GROUP CALLED URBAN FOREST FRIENDS IN THAT AREA THAT'S REALLY TRYING TO INCREASE THE CANOPY IN, UH, THOSE AREAS.
UH, WE'RE PRETTY LOW WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO PALO ALTO, UH, MEN PARK PLEASANTON.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO INCLUDE THEM, UH, THE METROPOLITAN HORSEMAN'S ASSOCIATION.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE MANY JUST, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO THE LIAISON.
SO ACTUALLY THE GROUPS IDENTIFIED, THEY'RE ALL IN THE TRAIL USER WORKING GROUPS, SO SAKE OF TIME, THERE'S NO REASON TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE.
BUT I DO THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY I BROUGHT UP BEFORE WHERE WE SHOULD BE CAPTURING, OR WE'RE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO USE THE PARKS, BUT THEY'RE NOT PART OF ANY ORGANIZED GROUP BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE I TALK TO ON THE TRAILS, AND I TALK TO PEOPLE A LOT, THEY'RE NOT IN A GROUP, BUT THEY'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT PARK USE, WHETHER THAT'S TRAIL CONFLICT, WHICH IS HUGE, OR, UM, PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN UPSET AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE PARKS ON A BOND ISSUE IF THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
IT ALSO TIES INTO THE SATISFACTION WE SEE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO DO THAT.
BUT I, I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE WAY IS EVERYBODY'S GOT A PHONE PUT QR CODES ON ON THE POSTMARKS, ON THE SIGNBOARDS AND STUFF, LESS PAPER.
UM, I REALLY THINK THAT'S A WAY TO, IF YOU WANNA SURVEY PEOPLE, AND I, I'VE GOTTEN SURVEYS BEFORE, BUT I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE, TO BE MORE ENCOMPASSING IN REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE.
IT ALSO IDENTIFIES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, WELL, HOW MANY LANGUAGES DO WE NEED TO PUT SIGNS IN.
WELL, IF YOU'RE ON A QR CODE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE TWO OR THREE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
UH, I, I THINK A LOT OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT ARE MADE HERE, I, I, I AGREE WITH, I, I THINK PERHAPS THERE ARE TWO, TWO GROUPS OR TWO AREAS THAT WE NEED TO ALSO, UH, LOOK AT.
ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, UH, DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S A, A CATEGORY THAT'S, UH, ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE AND THE COUNTIES AND, AND WHATNOT USE THAT.
AND IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS.
AND THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEGUN TO WORK IN, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UH, I, I KNOW THE, UH, CONTRA COSTA RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THAT, UH, UH, FOR, FOR SOME TIME DEALING WITH THAT.
SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE GROUPS WITHIN THESE, UH, IDENTIFIED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES THAT I THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED, UH, IN GETTING APPROACHED ABOUT THIS.
AND THE OTHER GROUP THAT I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, PAY ATTENTION TO INVOLVED OUR LANDOWNERS THROUGHOUT THE, UH, EAST BAY.
UH, THAT'S NOT ONLY THE, THE, UH, WATERSHED, THOSE THAT OWN THE WATERSHEDS, EAST BAY MUD AND SO FORTH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF RANCHERS AND SO FORTH.
[02:00:01]
WE'RE INTERESTED IN PROTECTING OPEN SPACE AND WHATNOT AND, AND THESE NATURAL AREAS, UH, WE DON'T, THAT LAND DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OWNED BY EAST BAY PARKS OR SOME OTHER ENTITY.UH, IF THE RANCHERS AND WHATNOT ARE, UH, UH, MAINTAINING IT AS OPEN SPACE AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH THEM, INVOLVE THEM IN THIS AND, AND, AND, AND BRING THEM ALONG, UH, UH, AS WELL AS ALL THESE OTHER USER GROUPS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
BUT THEY, THEY'RE REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT TO PROTECTING AREAS IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I JUST WANNA ECHO THE HORSE.
I'M A HORSE PERSON ALSO, AND I DO THINK WE NEED, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE SPACES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE LIMITED REACH OUT TO THAT COMMUNITY BESIDES WHAT WAS ON THE TWIC.
UM, I DO THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CLIMATE GROUPS OUT THERE.
UM, I'M TRAINED IN PART OF THE AL GORE CLIMATE REALITY TEAM, AND THERE IS A CONTRA COSTA HUB AND AN ALAMEDA HUB, AND THEY LIKE TO WORK ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICY SPECIFICALLY FOR DRIVING CHANGE.
I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME GOOD FOLKS THERE.
UM, THREE 50, UM, CONTRA COSTA, THREE 50 BAY AREAS AND ANOTHER GROUP.
I MEAN, I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOSS OF TREES, THE ABILITY TO, UH, REALLY INTEGRATE.
I HEARD MANY TIMES TODAY THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE.
THERE'S THE, UH, 1000 GRANDMOTHERS THAT ARE OUT THERE BRINGING IN, UM, THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ELDERS WHO BRING IN THAT PERSPECTIVE, THE YOUTH GROUPS.
I MENTIONED THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ECOHEALTH CLUBS.
CONTRA COSTA HAS THE LEA A, THE SUSTAINABLE LEADERS IN STUDENT LEADERS IN ACTION.
UM, PITTSBURGH, PYA, PITTSBURGH YOUTH ACTION GROUP IS WORKING ON CLIMATE.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF YOUTH GROUPS OUT THERE WORKING ON IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, LABOR JOBS, BIDEN'S NEW, YOU KNOW, AMERICA'S CLIMATE CORE BRING, BRINGING MORE JOBS, UM, GETTING MAYBE THE RICHMOND, THE URBAN TILT, THE, UM, SOME TYPE OF TRAINING, YOUTH TRAINING IN THERE AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, OUR USUAL GREEN BELT ALLIANCE, SIERRA CLUB, UM, ALL OF THOSE, YES, OUT IN EAST COUNTY, YOU, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE BOUGHT LOTS OF LANDS THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY NEAR CURRENT POPULATIONS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE ALL THE GROWTH IS GONNA GO.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO THE DIFFERENT CITIES WITH THEIR PLANNING COMMISSIONS, CITY COUNCILS, THAT WHEN THEY START GROWING TOWARDS OUR PARKS, THAT THEY DON'T CUT OFF ACCESS.
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE A CAR TO GO TO THE PARK, THAT WE HAVE AN ACT, FOOTPATH, BIKE PATH THAT, UH, TO REDUCE CAR TRIPS.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR PLAN, TALKING ABOUT 40, 50 YEAR PLAN.
WELL, THERE'S GONNA BE HOUSES THERE IN 40 YEARS, AND SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S COVERED IN SOME WAY.
SO I'M TYPING UP MY LIST SO I CAN SEND IT TO YOU.
UM, BUT I HAVE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THAT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYONE MENTION.
SO IN ADDITION TO CITY COUNCIL, I THINK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN BOTH COUNTIES, BECAUSE THEY OVERSEE, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF THE WATERSHEDS AND, AND SO FORTH.
UM, ALSO, UH, SO I WORK FOR A HEALTH PLAN AND I KNOW THAT HEALTH PLANS ARE VERY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, IMPROVE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH BY GETTING OUT INTO THE PARKS? SO THERE COULD BE SOME KIND OF PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST THROUGH THE FOUNDATION, THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A PARTNERSHIP.
SO IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO, TO ENGAGE THOSE, UM, IN BOTH COUNTIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE, THE YOUTH COMPONENT.
UM, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO NOT ONLY ENGAGE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE, UM, THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVE NOT BEEN INVESTED IN, UH, AS THEY SHOULD BE IN THE PAST.
UH, AND ALSO, UM, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS WELL.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME IDEAS AND SOME PROGRAMS. UH, AND I WAS EVEN THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE CAL STATE, EAST BAY CONCORD CAMPUS OR WHATEVER THEY'VE IT TO NOW.
I KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO, I KNOW YOU'RE SMILING 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK, UM, THEY, BUT THEY DID HAVE, THERE, THERE WERE SOME PROGRAMS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO RELATED TO THE, UM, TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO AGAIN, THERE COULD BE, UH, SOME GROUPS THAT WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT, UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T TRADITIONALLY PARTNERED WITH.
SO I WILL SEND MY IDEAS AND YOU CAN DO WITH THEM WHAT, UH, WHAT YOU WILL.
UM, I'LL DEFINITELY SEND OVER MY LIST TOO.
UM, BUT HERE'S SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS, AND I'M GONNA THINK A LITTLE BIT.
VOICES WE DON'T NORMALLY HEAR, BUT ARE DEFINITELY THESE GROUPS ARE ENGAGED.
[02:05:01]
SO DEFINITELY, UM, GIRLS INC.OF ALAMEDA COUNTY AND ALSO GIRLS INC.
OF THE ISLAND, CITY AND ALAMEDA.
UM, THIS KIND OF FITS IN DIFFERENT MODULES.
THEY HAVE AT DIFFERENT AGES ABOUT ENVIRONMENT DECISIONS.
AND THEY'RE SMART, BRILLIANT YOUNG WOMEN.
UM, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WEST OAKLAND, WEST OAKLAND COMMUNITY, UH, COLLABORATIVE, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TOUCH AS FAR AS THE DIFFERENT NON-PROFITS IN THE AREA QUICKLY.
UM, IT ALSO HAS, UM, THE MAIN GATHERING POINT.
SO AS FAR AS THE DIRECTOR OF DEMARY PARK IS IN THERE, UM, THE OAKLAND LIBRARIES AND DIFFERENT FAITH GROUPS AND DIFFERENT, UM, UM, HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO IT'S VERY QUICKLY A WAY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT.
UM, CRUCIBLE IS WORKING, UH, WITH, UM, LIKE WOBO AND VI EAST BAY, BUT THEN ALSO A LOT OF KIND OF WHAT YOU MAY CONCERN AS UNDERREPRESENTED, UM, VIKING GROUPS.
SO THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A CONFERENCE IN MARCH AND THEY'RE STARTING TO WORK IN IT.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GET A DIFFERENT KIND OF YOUTH ORIENTED, BUT ALSO, UM, KIND OF A MORE BIPOC COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON VIKING AND OTHER ISSUES.
UM, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IN SAN LEE ANDRO, UM, THEY REALLY HAD A GREAT KIND OF, UM, FORM WHEN THEY DID THEIR WHOLE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TEEN CENTER THERE, AND A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THEY HAVE, THEY WERE ALL GENERATED, UM, BY AN INTERNAL PROCESS.
SO JUST AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE YOUTH FROM THAT POPULATION.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT SAN LEANDRO, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS, UM, HAYWARD, CASTRO VALLEY, WE'RE ACTUALLY UNINCORPORATED.
SO, UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A MAYOR
SO THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS LIKE EDEN MACK WITH REPRESENTATIVES, THERE'S THE MEV.
AND THE MEV IS GREAT BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, A BILINGUAL COMPONENT TO IT.
SO YOU HAVE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO SPEAK SPANISH WHO ARE WITHIN THE MEV AND THEY'RE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE, UH, UH, FOR EMPOWERMENT FROM GROUPS.
'CAUSE USUALLY LANGUAGE IS A BIG BARRIER.
UM, THE CHERRY, UH, THE CHERRY LAND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYERS WHO CAN GET WORD OUT, UM, ALSO IN WEST OAKLAND.
UM, AND HE'S NEWER TO THE SCENE, UM, WEST OAKLAND CULTURAL ACTION NETWORK.
SO YOU MIGHT KNOW THEM FROM GUIDED TOURS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A REALLY ACTIVE FORM, UM, THAT HE HOSTS IN HIS BACKYARD.
SO EVERYTHING FROM AIR QUALITY WHERE BANTA AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS CAME.
SO THAT IS A NICE KIND OF, UM, COMMUNITY FORM, UM, TO BRING PEOPLE.
AND PLUS HE HAS A GREAT NETWORK, UM, PARTNER AGENCIES.
UH, THIS IS DEFINITELY A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, UM, FROM EVERYONE AS YOU GUYS HAD MENTIONED, LOCAL LAND TRUST TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GROUPS LIKE THE BARRIER RIDGE, TRAIL HILL TO, UM, YOU NAME IT.
UM, BECAUSE A MASTER'S PLANS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE LONG TERM, BUT THEN ALSO BECOME PART OF YOUR MASTER PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, DIFFERENT PLANS IF, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SYNERGISTICS BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, OH, AND THEN HIGHER GROUND OVER IN EAST OAKLAND.
SO THEY DO LIKE A LOT OF CLEANUPS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED FOR ALAMEDA'S, UM, ALAMEDA POINT COLLABORATIVE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK OF THE FORMALLY HOMELESS.
WE DON'T THINK ABOUT ALL THE CHILDREN.
A MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS AT ALAMEDA POINT COLLABORATIVE ARE CHILDREN.
UM, THEY FEED INTO RUBY BRIDGES, BUT THERE'S ALSO A TEEN CENTER.
SO THERE'S A PLACE THERE TO MAYBE ACTIVATE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, UH, WITH FORMERLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN ABOUT KIND OF PARKS AND ACCESS.
AND THIS IS KIND OF, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS 'CAUSE UM, I SIT ON DIFFERENT TRAIL BOARDS, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
UH, BUT THESE ARE, I THINK, A FEW GROUPS.
UM, AND WE COULD THINK MORE ABOUT GETTING TO SOME OF THOSE, UM, UM, VOICES THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HEAR IN THIS.
AND ALSO TO YOUTH AND THEN YOUTH, UM,
[02:10:01]
UM, JUSTICE OUTSIDE AND STUFF AND EVERYTHING ELSE.AND I, I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME GREAT CONTACTS THERE AND EVERYTHING.
SO THO THAT'S A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.
I'M SURE BRIAN AND HIS TEAM ARE, UH, GONNA COMPILE IT ALL TOGETHER.
BUT FEEL FREE, LIKE I SAID, IF YOU THINK OF, UM, THINGS AFTERWARD, UM, I'M SURE YOU CAN SEND THEM ON.
AND, UM, THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROCESS WHERE THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER INPUT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOINED US REMOTELY.
SO, UM, COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, ADAM CO SECRETARIES OR CO-WORKS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MANAGE THAT? SURE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM SCOTT, UH, SCOTT BARBA.
UH, JUST ONE MOMENT AND I'M GONNA ELEVATE YOU, I'LL PROMOTE YOU TO PANELIST.
WE'LL LET YOU WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU START.
HELLO, SCOTT BARBA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
HI, I'M, UH, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR FOR BICYCLE TRAILS CONST EAST BAY.
UM, WE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE DISTRICT, UM, SINCE OUR FORMATION IN 1987.
UM, I, I THINK WE SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS, UH, ONE OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, I, I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER THAT.
UM, RICH CITY RIDES IN RICHMOND.
UM, I, I THINK THEY'LL BRING DEFINITELY A, UM, UH, A GOOD ASPECT OF UNDERSERVED, UM, COMMUNITIES.
UM, THERE ARE 18 YOUTH MOUNTAIN, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAMS IN CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTIES.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH YOUTH, UM, THAT ARE ALSO GETTING INVOLVED IN TRAIL STEWARDSHIP, UM, AND, AND WILL BE STEWARDS OF THE FUTURE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU REACH OUT TO, TO THOSE GROUPS AS WELL.
UM, AND, UM, I I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT, UM, UH, A RECREATION ROUND TABLE BE FORMED.
UM, WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ROUNDTABLE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A RECREATION ROUND TABLE.
UM, AND I, I, I'M GOOD TO SEE ON THE, THE DRIVING PILLARS, UH, THE, THE FOUR ITEMS THAT WERE THERE TO DRIVE, UH, THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT CENTURY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN RECREATION AND CON CONSERVATION AND THE, THEY'RE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, BUT I THINK RECREATION HAD BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, BOTH INSIDE THE PLAN AND OUTSIDE THE PLAN TO, UH, GET GREATER INPUT THERE.
UM, LAST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR, UH, UH, A GREAT PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT BUILDS ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS IN THE NOVEMBER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE, THE PAC MEMBERS.
THE, THE MEETINGS ARE VERY LONG HERE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND I THANK YOU FOR COMMITTING YOUR TIME TO THIS.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE THAT WE HAVE, UM, I JUST WANNA ASK THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UM, CASEY FARMER AND IGOR SCARRED OFF, UH, TO RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT.
LOOKS LIKE IGOR RAISED HIS HAND.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS.
JUST ONE MOMENT WHEN YOU'RE READY.
IGOR, YOU HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
IGOR, UH, YOU'RE ON MUTE, SO I'M JUST GONNA CHECK WITH YOU.
UH, WE'LL WAIT TILL YOUR SOUND IS AVAILABLE.
IS THIS WORKING NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
SO YOUR, UH, TIME, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WELL, THIS WON'T TAKE VERY LONG.
UH, I HAD A QUITE A LIST OF STUFF HERE THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE GOT BROUGHT UP.
AND, UH, ONE BY ONE OR SOMETIMES MORE OFTEN THAN THAT, UH, COVERED BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS.
SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR A VERY THOUGHTFUL, VERY FAR-RANGING DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, I'M SURE THAT IT'S GONNA BE A, A REALLY GREAT FOUNDATION FOR GOING AHEAD AND, AND, UH, WORKING ON THIS PLAN.
SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY.
[02:15:02]
OKAY.AND, UM, JUST CHECKING REALLY QUICKLY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE CASEY FARMER, AND THERE ARE NO COMMENTS.
SO IT APPEARS WE HAVE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT.
CASEY FARMER, I WILL PROMOTE YOU.
UM, SORRY, CASEY, BEFORE YOU START, THE TIME IS NOW SIX 19 AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I AM, UH, CASEY FARMER, MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, AND I PROVIDED A FEW NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CHAT.
UM, SO I THINK STAFF CAN TAKE THOSE, UH, SOME GROUPS FROM WEST OAKLAND, ASIAN PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK, UM, THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK IN THE EAST BAY.
AND, UM, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE SOME OF THAT, UH, WITH STAFF AND SOME CONTACT INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE DONE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I LED THE CENSUS ENGAGEMENT EFFORT FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, AND I KNOW THERE ARE, UH, GREAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD WANNA GET INVOLVED WITH THIS.
SO I WILL, UM, I WILL PASS THAT ALONG.
THERE ARE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR INPUT.
BRIAN, DID YOU HAVE SOME CLOSING? I WAS JUST, I JUST, SAME.
I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.
UM, LIKE I SAY, WE'RE ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON A RUNNING BASIS, SO IF YOU HAVE OTHER, WE'RE GONNA BE COMPILING A LIST.
UM, UH, CARLIN MENTIONED THE MUSIC AND MARKETS, UH, UH, UH, UH, EVENTS IN CONCORD.
IF YOU KNOW OF THOSE TYPES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT YOU THINK ARE GOOD, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO GET THOSE LISTS.
WE CAN'T NECESSARILY BE EVERYWHERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE, WE GET INTO ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE CAN.
SO IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION.
WE'RE A INFORMATION GATHERING STAGE RIGHT NOW, SO DUMP IT ON US, FEEL FREE.
REMEMBER ADDITION, BO, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I DO.
MAYBE IT CAN GO UNDER ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR THE CLIMATE CORE FELLOWS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROGRAM, BUT THIS COULD ACTUALLY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT HAS NOT HAD ONE OF THOSE CLIMATE CORE FELLOWS BEFORE, OR GET ONE OR TWO OR FOUR OF THEM TO HELP WITH THIS PROCESS.
UM, THE APPLICATION PERIOD IS OPEN RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND WITH THAT ALSO THE CAL PUBLIC SERVICE INSTITUTE.
AND THEN OUR, UM, OUR FINAL, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS IS REPORT FROM THE CHAIR.
I DON'T HAVE A REPORT EXCEPT, UM, ONE THING I WAS GONNA ASK IS IF, UM, UH, WE COULD GET THE DATES POSTED FOR THE FUTURE PAC MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY ANY THAT ARE NOT ON THE REGULARLY OCCURRING.
UM, MONDAYS, I KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD MAYBE ONE OR TWO, SO, UM, YOU CAN POPULATE OUR CALENDARS WITH THAT.
YEAH, I, I PARTICULARLY NOTICED THAT THE, UH, THE MAY MEETING WOULD, THE FIRST OR THE FOURTH MONDAY WOULD BE ON MEMORIAL DAY.
SO I ASSUME THAT THAT'S GONNA CHANGE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ARE ALWAYS A ISSUE WITH THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, CONCLUDES OUR MEETING.
SO I WILL, UM, CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:22 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.