[00:00:05]
OKAY.[Roll Call]
HI EVERYONE.WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 26TH MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT EXACTLY 4:00 PM UM, OUR FORCED ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE ROLL CALL AND, UM, OUR MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ROLL CALL IS WELCOMING ANOTHER NEW MEMBER THIS TIME, CASEY FARMER.
AND SO, UM, IF WE COULD DO THE ROLL CALL THE SAME AS LAST TIME AROUND WHEN EACH PERSON, UM, IS CALLED ON.
IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR APPOINTING AUTHORITY AND CITY OF RESIDENCE, UM, THAT WILL HELP ORIENT ALL OF US AND OUR NEW MEMBER TO WHO EVERYBODY IS.
UM, AND SO, MADAM SECRETARY, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE.
AND, UH, MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS DENNIS WAPI
IRENE DIETER LUANA ESPANIA, VICE CHAIR PRESENT.
MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS, UH, DIRECTOR ELLEN CORBETT, AND I RESIDE IN, UM, UNINCORPORATED SAN LEANDRO, CASEY FARMER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CASEY FARMER HERE.
AND I'M APPOINTED BY THE ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BRUCE HENRY HERE, APPOINTED BY DIRECTOR OLIVIA SAM WONG, AND I LIVE IN PLEASANTON, KARINA LOPEZ.
DEV MAHA, UH, MY PAINTING AUTHORITY IS DENNIS
AND, UH, I LIVE IN CASTRO VALLEY, WHICH IS UNINCORPORATED AT THE MOMENT.
DANISHA MARSH, I BELIEVE MIGHT BE ATTENDING REMOTELY, SO WE'LL GET TO THAT.
FRANCIS MENDOZA CARLIN OBRINGER.
MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS THE CONTRA COSTA MAYORS CONFERENCE, AND I PROUDLY RESIDE IN THE CITY OF CONCORD.
UH, PRESENT, UH, MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS JOHN RIO, AND I LIVE IN SAN RAMON, BOB REED.
PRESENT, UH, MY PRES, MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS DE ROSARIO, AND I LIVE IN MONTCLAIR, BOB SIMMONS.
PRESENT MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND I LIVE IN WALNUT CREEK, IGOR SCAR PRESENT, AND I LIVE IN MARTINEZ.
AND HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CONTRA COSTA RESOURCE, UM, NO, THE OTHER ONE.
I'M APPOINTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND I LIVE IN EL CERRITO, ED VALENZUELA HERE, UH, APPOINTED BY COLIN COFFEY.
AND I LIVE IN BRENTWOOD, ROLAND WILLIAMS. ALL RIGHT.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING REMOTELY? DO NOT SEE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A FEW ABSENCES.
I WONDER IF WE COULD GET A CHECK TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE QUORUM.
UM, SO, UM, THIS TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT OR PARK DISTRICT INTENDS TO HOLD MEETINGS THROUGH A HYBRID 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 49.
WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN, CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR LIVE VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL OR BY LEAVING A VOICEMAIL.
THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES,
[00:05:01]
WE WILL BEGIN.AND SO FOR OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, VICE CHAIR ESPANIA TO READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNSEATED LANDS OF THEONE PEOPLE, AND THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE JUNE TERRITORY, WHICH IS THEIR TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND SHARED HOME.
SINCE TIME IMMORAL, THE MALONE PEOPLE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN, UH, RECIPROCITY WITH NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCES FUNDAMENTAL FOR SURVIVAL, AND IMPORTANT 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 IT SINCE TIME AND MEMORIAL AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY.
UM, I NOTE THAT MEMBER MENDOZA HAS ARRIVED.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND STATE YOUR APPOINTING AUTHORITY IN CITY RESIDENCE? HI, I AM FRANCIS MENDOZA.
UM, I AM IN FREMONT, CALIFORNIA AND I'M APPOINTED BY THE, UH, LABOR COUNCIL.
[Approval of Minutes]
UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UM, THE MINUTES WERE ATTACHED TO OUR, UM, AGENDA PACKAGE.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES TO THE MINUTES? SEEING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
MADAM SECRETARY, COULD YOU, UH, CALL THE ROLE AGAIN PLEASE? YEP.
[Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda]
UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.UM, I NOTE THAT WE DID RECEIVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS CIRCULATED TO MEMBERS BY EMAIL REGARDING CATTLE GRAZING AND, UM, CONTRAL, I BELIEVE.
UM, DO WE HAVE, UM, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS OR ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA OR COMMENTS REMOTELY? NOT AT THIS TIME.
UM, RIGHT, SO I SEE THAT WE HAVE, UH, NO ACTION ITEMS, NO COMMENTS.
SO WE MOVE NEXT TO, UM, I BELIEVE IT IS INFORMATIONAL
[Informational Items]
ITEMS. UM, ARE THERE ANY INFORMATIONAL ITEMS FOR AT THE MOMENT? NO.THAT'S FUNNY 'CAUSE I HAVE INFORMATIONAL OKAY.
SOMEBODY PASSED OUT THIS, UH, FLYER.
IS IT, IS IT ONLY AT BIG BREAK OR OTHER VISITOR CENTERS? JUST A BIG BREAK.
IS THIS THE TIME FOR US TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OR, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'LL COME BACK TO IT.
I THINK, SO THIS, UM, AGENDA I HAVE IS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
SO I THINK AFTER PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE MOVE TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SCHEDULED, HAD SCHEDULED, UM, BOARD MEMBER CORBITT, UM, TO GIVE COMMENTS.
BUT WE HAVE A SURPRISE GUEST VISITOR TODAY, UH, MEMBER OF DENNIS WASPY.
AND SO I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
UH, THANK YOU NEIL, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UH, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
UH, DIRECTOR CORBET SENDS HER REGRETS.
SHE HAD SOMETHING TO COME UP UNEXPECTEDLY.
SHE LOVES BEING HERE ALSO, AS DO ALL, ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
IT'S GREAT TO MEET WITH YOU AND, AND, AND, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH YOU FOLKS.
SO ELLEN CALLED ME LATE LAST NIGHT, AND, UM, SO I JUST SAID I'M GONNA PICK SOME OF THE FUN THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING
[00:10:01]
AND, AND FUN THINGS THE PARK DISTRICT'S BEEN DOING AND THINGS THAT EXCITE ME ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT.SO, FIRST OFF, I WAS JUST GONNA POINT OUT AS EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT THE TRAILS CHALLENGE, I HOPE YOU ALL DO GOOD.
I HOPE EVERYBODY PARTICIPATES IN IT.
UM, IF Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT IT, I WON'T SAY ANYMORE.
UH, BUT WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT DO THAT HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR 31 YEARS, AND IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT WAY TO GET INTO THE PARK AND GET A FREE T-SHIRT AND, AND WALK AROUND SAYING YOU, YOU DID THE TRAIL CHALLENGE.
UM, I'LL MOVE TO, UM, ANOTHER FUN THING THAT WE DID AS A BOARD, UH, AND AS STAFF, THE, UM, UH, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY GROUP, UH, HOSTED, UH, OR ORGANIZED A STATE ADVOCACY CONFERENCE.
UH, ALL THE BOARD GOT TOGETHER WITH, UM, SABRINA LANDRETH AND, UM, SOME OTHER KEY STAFF MEMBERS AND THE BOARD, WE ALL WENT TO SACRAMENTO, SPENT TWO DAYS UP THERE, TWO INTENSE DAYS.
I'M NOT GONNA TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT BECAUSE ERIC, IF YOU NOTE ON YOUR AGENDA PACKET, ERIC'S PROBABLY GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT IT FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE.
UH, I, I'M NOT A PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO, THAT LIKES TO GO UP AND LOBBY PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY BEG THEM FOR MONEY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, AND LETTING 'EM KNOW THE GREAT THINGS WE DO IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
BUT THIS WAS SO WELL ORGANIZED AND I WANNA COMPLIMENT STAFF AND ESPECIALLY LAUREN, UH, WHO ORGANIZED THE WHOLE THING.
IT WENT SO SMOOTHLY AND IT'S SO HARD.
IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO GET UP THERE, GO THROUGH SECURITY, GET TO A LEGISLATOR, GET TO A LEGISLATOR THAT WILL AGREE TO MEET WITH YOU AND NOT THEIR, UM, I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL, BUT NOT THEIR 19-YEAR-OLD STAFF MEMBER WHO DOESN'T,
WE HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET WITH LEGISLATORS.
IT'S AS NANCY SKINNER, WHO WE MET WITH AND ALWAYS QUOTES, YOU ALWAYS WANNA MEET WITH PARK PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD SUCCESS RATE WITH MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS.
WE HAVE MANY KEY PRIORITIES THAT OUR ADVOCACY GROUP LINED OUT FOR US WITH A BIG BOOKLET.
UH, WE WENT UP THERE, WE WERE CLEAR, WE WERE CONCISE IN OUR 20 TO 30 MINUTES WE HAD WITH LEGISLATORS.
THEY LOVE OUR PROGRAMS. THEY LOVE TO HELP US OUT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE STATE BUDGET.
SO THEY SAID, UH, WE LOVE YOU, BUT WE PROBABLY CAN'T SUPPORT YOU THIS YEAR.
OR, BUT WE WANNA KEEP IT IN THEIR MIND.
AND GOING UP THERE WAS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE AND A REALLY GOOD TEAM BUILDING THING JUST FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO GET TOGETHER, WHICH WE HARDLY DO ANYMORE.
FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A, UH, A GREAT, UH, IDEA BY OUR LIFEGUARD SERVICES GROUP.
THEY PRODUCED THEIR, THEIR ANNUAL REPORT, AND IT'S A GLOSSY BROCHURE THAT SOMEONE WITH SOME TECHNOLOGY IN THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, GOT THE JUMP ON.
EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE PARK DISTRICT, UH, I MEAN, THERE ARE ANNUAL REPORTS, BUT THIS IS LIFEGUARD SERVICES, WHICH IS PART OF THE, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT OR PUBLIC PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE ARE POLICE, FIRE, AND LIFEGUARD SERVICES AND LIFEGUARD SERVICES REALLY JUMPED OUT ON IT.
UH, THEY'VE GOT AN ANNUAL REPORT THEY TELL ABOUT THE THINGS THEY DO.
I HOPE, I MEAN, I KNOW THIS GROUP KNOWS THAT THESE AREN'T JUST A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT GET IN BATHING SUITS AND, AND SIT ON THE BEACH AND, AND WITH SUNTAN OIL AND, AND WATCH PEOPLE.
NO, THEY GO, THIS IS, I THINK WE'RE IN OUR 14TH YEAR OF A NON DROWNING EVENT IN THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN UNGUARDED AREAS.
SO THAT'S A TREMENDOUS RECORD.
UH, UH, JUST SOMETHING THAT IS, IS, UH, A SOURCE OF PRIDE AND OBVIOUSLY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, UH, A DEATH IN THE PARKS IS, IS A TRAGEDY.
SO THEY'VE GONE 14 YEARS WITHOUT THAT.
THEY ALSO DO TREMENDOUS OTHER THINGS.
THEY'RE MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE GOING OUT INTO COMMUNITIES AND OFFERING SWIM LESSONS, NOT JUST LIFEGUARDING.
IT'S ALL KINDS OF SWIM LESSONS, UH, AQUATIC ADVENTURE CAMPS, UH, LEARNING NOT TO DROWN CAMPS, UH, CAMPS THAT TEACH YOU HOW TO BE A LIFEGUARD.
JUNIOR LIFEGUARD PROGRAMS, CADET PROGRAMS. THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING AND THEY'RE REACHING OUT INTO COMMUNITIES LIKE ANTIOCH.
UH, I THINK WE'RE MOVING INTO THE ASHLAND COMMUNITY THIS YEAR, UM, UM, WHERE IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT THEY'RE MEETING WITH CITY, CITY RECREATION DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE POOLS BUT DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE SUPPLEMENTING THEIR STAFF DOING GREAT, GREAT WORK.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THIS, I'LL PASS IT AROUND.
IT'S A THANK YOU'S, A GREAT GLOSSY DEAL.
YOU CAN GET THAT, UH, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY FAIRLY EXPENSIVE TO PUBLISH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, THERE'S A LINK TO IT ON EAST EB PARKS.ORG.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM IF YOU'D LIKE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PAC? WELL, THANK YOU DIRECTOR WASPY.
UM, YEAH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT EXCELLENT TRACK RECORD OF OUR, UM,
[00:15:01]
OF OUR LIFESAVING STAFF.IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS EVERYBODY TO SORT OF USE THESE RESOURCES WITH PEACE OF MIND.
YEAH, I GO AHEAD MEMBER PEOPLES APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU TOOK THAT TWO DAYS UP IN SACRAMENTO, BECAUSE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF CONTACTS.
AND, UM, AS, UH, BOARD MEMBER WAS BE SAID, UH, WE'LL BE HEARING A LOT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.
SO WE HAVE TWO BIG INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, UM, TONIGHT, UM, A PRESENTATION ON THE PARK DISTRICT'S FEE STUDY, AND THERE'S LOTS OF INFORMATION IN THE AGENDA PACKET ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
AND SO MOVING ON TO THE, UM, FEE STUDY.
I THINK WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THAT ANALYSIS AND AS THE PRESENTATION IS GETTING GOING, I JUST HAD ONE REALLY QUICK QUESTION FOR, FOR YOU.
SO I JUST, I FLIPPED TO THE BACK OF THAT REPORT AND I SAW THAT THERE WERE EVENTS, RECRUITMENT EVENTS FOR LIFEGUARDS, AND I JUST SAW, YOU KNOW, SO CONCORD HAS MULTIPLE HIGH SCHOOLS AND I JUST SAW THAT THERE WAS ONE EVENT AT ONE CONCORD HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO WHO WOULD I CONTACT IF I WANTED, ENCOURAGE, UM, TO HELP RECRUIT MORE, BECAUSE I GET QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING TO BE LIFEGUARDS.
SO I THINK I CAN HELP WITH YOUR PIPELINE.
I WILL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION AT THIS MEETING.
I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU WANNA BECOME A LIFEGUARD IN THE PARK DISTRICT, THERE'S AN INTERVIEW PROCESS.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PASS A SWING TEST, WHICH IS DIFFICULT.
AND WE PAY, I THINK IT'S $21 AN HOUR.
AND BY THE WAY, WE TRAIN YOU FOR A FULL MONTH OF MAY AND PAY YOU TO BE TRAINED AND LEARN AND GET ALL THE CERTIFICATES AND SKILLS YOU NEED.
SO THEY PROVIDE LIFEGUARD SERVICES, BUT THEY ALSO PROVIDE, UM, HEALTH SERVICES.
THEY, I MEAN, THEY, THEY'RE RESCUE PEOPLE, FIRST AID, LOTS OF STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'RE JUST, UH, FIXING TECHNICAL ISSUES.
IT'S ALWAYS SOME UNFORESEEN TECHNICAL ISSUE.
I'M RUBY TIMR. I'M THE ACTING BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER.
UH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I RARELY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE PAC, SO IT'S A REAL HONOR TO BE HERE.
I'M PROVIDING AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE TODAY ON THE COST ALLOCATION PLAN AND FEE STUDY THAT THE DISTRICT CONDUCTED LAST YEAR FOR MY PRESENTATION.
TODAY, I'LL PROVIDE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY, SOME OF OUR KEY OBJECTIVES AS A DISTRICT IN PERFORMING THIS STUDY, THE METHODOLOGY THAT WE EMPLOYED, OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WELL AS THE NEXT STEPS.
FOR A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, I'LL START AT THE BEGINNING.
IN 2022, THE BUSINESS SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS TA TASKED IN CONDUCTING A FEE STUDY ON ALL DISTRICT-WIDE FEES.
WE WERE ALLOCATED $50,000 IN OUR BUDGET FOR THIS ENDEAVOR.
WE ENGAGED IN AN RFP PROCESS AND FROM THAT PROCESS SELECTED MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP AS OUR CONSULTANT FOR THIS PROJECT.
THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SING
[00:20:01]
THEIR ACCOLADES.MATRIX HAS BEEN IN THIS ARENA FOR 2020 OR SO YEARS WITH PROVIDING CONSULTING FOR ALL FACETS OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORK.
EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC SAFETY PARKS AND RECREATION, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION SPECIFICALLY.
THEY HAVE PERFORMED OVER 250 STUDIES SIMILAR TO THIS ONE FOR OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES.
AND THEY CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE WORKED WITH THEIR TEAM, THEIR, UM, VICE PRESIDENT COURTNEY RAMOS, AS WELL AS THEIR SENIOR MANAGER, KUSH ENGLE.
AND THEN ON THE DISTRICT SIDE, IT WAS A MULTI-PERSON, TEAM CONSISTING OF MYSELF, OUR A FO, DEBRA SPALDING, OUR A A TWO RENEE PATTERSON, AS WELL AS CROSS-DIVISIONAL INPUT FROM EVERYONE FROM THE GM, GM DOWN.
SO UNTIL TODAY, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE FEE STUDY.
MAYBE YOU WERE, BUT YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHAT A FEE STUDY IS AND WHAT IS A COST ALLOCATION PLAN.
SO IN THE SIMPLEST TERMS, A FEE STUDY IS AN ANALYSIS ON FEES FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH AN ORGANIZATION AND AGE OR AGENCY.
THE PURPOSE IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND FACTORS SUCH AS COST RECOVERY, MARKET COMPARISONS, AND REVENUE GENERATION.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE FEES IN OUR FEE SCHEDULE.
THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM SWIMMING FEES, CAMPING FEES, PARK FEES, VARIOUS DIFFERENT USER FEES.
A COST ALLOCATION PLAN IS A FACET OF A FEE STUDY.
IT'S A TOOL USED TO UNDERSTAND HOW AN ORGANIZATION ALLOCATES COSTS AND HOW THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS PERSONNEL AND SERVICES.
ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC? AND ONE THING OF NOTE HERE IS A FEE STUDY ITSELF IS AN ANALYSIS.
IT DOES NOT PRESCRIBE METHODS OF WHAT TO CHARGE OR HOW TO CHARGE FEES OR HOW TO CHANGE FEES.
ULTIMATELY, THAT'S UP TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS ANALYSIS IS LOOKING AT FEES THROUGH A FINANCIAL LENS IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES, OVERHEAD COSTS, RECOVERY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE ARE MANY LENSES IN WHICH, IN WHICH YOU WOULD LEVY A FEE.
AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS PURELY ABOUT REVENUE AND RECOVERY, FOR EXAMPLE.
IT CAN BE MEANS OF CROWD MANAGEMENT.
IT CAN ALSO BE A MEANS TO MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
YOU SEE THAT IN VARIOUS FRESHWATER LAKES THAT ARE UTILIZED AS DRINKING WATER RESERVOIRS.
THOSE, UM, HAVE A COST OF ENTRY OPPOSED TO OTHER PUBLIC LAKES.
OUR OBJECTIVES FOR THIS STUDY WERE TO REVIEW OUR FEE STRUCTURE, DETERMINE COST COMPONENTS, CALCULATE FULL COSTS, REVIEW AND REVISED FEES, DEVELOP A REVISED FEE SCHEDULE, AND ULTIMATELY PROVIDE OUR FINDINGS TO THE BOARD.
WE HAVE NOT YET DONE A DEEP DIVE ON OTHER FEES.
I THINK THAT QUESTION MAY COME UP.
THINGS SUCH AS SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS, PROGRAM FEES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS IS PURELY THE ITEMS ON OUR FEE SCHEDULE.
I THINK THAT QUESTION MAY COME UP, SO I WANTED TO ADDRESS IT.
WE'VE NEVER DONE A FEE STUDY LIKE THIS BEFORE IN THE 90 YEARS OF OUR EXISTENCE.
SO THIS IS JUST A STARTING POINT.
OUR FIRST PHASE BEFORE WE EMBARK ON OTHER ANALYSES FOR THE METHODOLOGY MATRIX, LOOKED AT A MYRIAD OF COSTS IN UNDERSTANDING OUR FEES.
THIS IS OUR FULLY BURDENED RATE, WHICH IS THE SALARY AND BENEFITS OF THE DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS HERE AT THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS PARK USE OVERHEAD.
AND THAT'S COMPRISED OF INDIRECT AND DIRECT COSTS.
DIRECT COSTS WOULD BE THINGS SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY PATROLS.
THE LIFEGUARDS DIRECTOR, WASPY ALLUDED TO EARLIER, OUR MASS DEPARTMENT WHO MAY GO OUT AND FIX A PLAYGROUND OR A PAVED ROAD IN ORDER TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE PUBLIC.
THOSE ARE DIRECT PARK COSTS, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO INDIRECT COSTS SUCH AS ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD, AND THOSE ARE SMOOTHED ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THOSE ARE THINGS SUCH AS IT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY PROVIDING THE WIFI IN YOUR PARK OFFICE, YOUR HR COSTS, THE COST FOR THE GENERAL MANAGER TO APPROVE AND LOOK AT PERMITS, UH, THE COSTS OF OUR A GM ADMINISTRATION TEAMS TO REVIEW VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THOSE ARE THE INDIRECT COSTS THAT THAT WERE ANALYZED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT MATRIX ALSO LOOKED AT MATERIAL AND LAND COSTS.
AND THESE WERE EVERY EXPENDITURE UNDER THE SUN.
SO THAT'S THINGS LIKE PAPER COSTS, THE COST OF FISH THAT WE USED TO STOCK OUR LAKES.
[00:25:01]
I SAY REAMS OF PAPERUM, BASICALLY ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES AND, UH, BECAUSE THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 2023, IT WAS A SNAPSHOT OF THE MOST CURRENT FISCAL BUDGET THAT WE HAD THAT WAS, UH, COMPLETED.
SO THAT WOULD BE FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH FOR THE DISTRICT IS A JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER CALENDAR.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR FACILITY SPACES AS WELL AS OVERTIME RATES.
SO REST ASSURED IT WAS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT ALL OF THE DISTRICT COSTS.
SO ULTIMATELY YOU WILL FIND THEIR FI FIND THEIR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE ATTACHED DRAFT REPORT, WHICH WAS WITH THE STAFF MEMO.
AND, UM, I WILL DO A VERY COMPREHENSIVE MACRO LEVEL SUMMARY OF THOSE FINDINGS.
OVERALL, THEY FOUND THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS UNDER RECOVERING OUR FEES AND THAT RATE WAS ABOUT 36%.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE RECOVERING OUR FEES A HUNDRED PERCENT, MEANING WE WOULD CHARGE FEES TO COMPLETELY COVER THE COST OF CHARGING THOSE FEES.
THAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
36% IS OBVIOUSLY LOWER THAN THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, AS A COMPARISON TO HOW WE DO TO OTHER AGENCIES, MOST OTHER AGENCIES IN OUR REALM OF WORK FALL BETWEEN 20 AND 50% FOR COST RECOVERY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY.
THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR FEES WITH REGULARITY.
UH, AS YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR, THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE DOES LOOK AT FEE CHANGES EVERY FALL THAT WILL BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
GENERALLY, THE FEES THAT WE LOOK AT IN THAT COMMITTEE ARE, ARE CONCESSION FEES, WHICH WE ACTUALLY DON'T SET.
THOSE ARE RECOMMENDED TO US BY CONCESSIONAIRES.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT A PART OF THIS STUDY.
SO THEY'RE SUGGESTION WAS TO UPDATE THINGS MORE FREQUENTLY.
THE STUDY ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE DEVELOP A SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES BASED UPON BENEFIT, BENEFIT AND RECOVERY, WHICH I WILL GET INTO.
AND THEY ALSO SUGGESTED DOING A COMPREHENSIVE FEE UPDATE SUCH AS THIS ONE EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, PERHAPS NOT WAITING 90 YEARS.
AND ALSO LOOKING AT COMPARISONS OF OTHER AGENCIES AND MARKET COMPARISONS AND TO SEE HOW WE DO BASED ON THE LOCAL MARKET, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO DO WHEN WE BRING OUR FEES TO THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
THE REPORT BREAKS DOWN THE COST OF EVERY FEE AND ITS PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERY.
SO SOME ARE OBVIOUSLY LOWER THAN OTHERS, SOME ARE HIGHER THAN OTHERS.
THIS INDICATES THEIR OVERALL RECOVERY LEVEL.
RIGHT HERE ON THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE A LARGER LEVEL REVIEW OF OUR FEES AND THEN A CONSOLIDATION FOR THE ENTIRE STUDY.
AND THAT'S HOW WE GET THAT 36% NUMBER.
THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT BREAKDOWN BY FEE IS IN THE REPORT.
AND IT'S SUMMARIZED IN FURTHER DETAIL THERE.
SO WHAT DOES THIS INFORMATION ULTIMATELY MEAN? THE COST RECOVERY PYRAMID IS SOMETHING THAT IS OUTLINED IN THE STUDY, AND IT'S A MODEL IN WHICH WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN BENEFIT AND COST RECOVERY FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
WE TYPICALLY SEE THE COST RECOVERY POLICY DEVELOPED AT THE SERVICE TYPE AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT FACTOR.
THIS GRAPHIC IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID, WHICH HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF SPACE, THE MOST SURFACE AREA.
WE SEE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FOR THINGS THAT HAVE THE MOST COMMUNITY BENEFIT, SUCH AS A PARK ENTRY FEE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GENERALLY LEVIED TO EVERYONE ENTERING THE PARK.
WE GENERALLY WANNA FOCUS ON A LOWER COST AND A HIGHER LEVEL OF SUBSIDIZATION.
AS YOU GET TO THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID, THINGS WITH A HIGHLY INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT, WE WANNA AIM TO HAVE A HIGHER COST RECOVERY THERE AND THEREFORE LESS OR NO SUBSIDIZATION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE CAN GET INTO IT MORE LATER.
THIS IS JUST ONE BASIC, UM, METHODOLOGY THAT YOU CAN USE TO UNDERSTAND FEES AND, AND HOW, HOW TO CHARGE FEES TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE STUDY AND PER RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER WAS DEVELOP TO DEVELOP A SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT STAFF DEVISED.
THE FIRST BEING PUBLIC BENEFIT.
THIS IS KIND OF OUTLINED IN THE MODEL THAT I JUST DESCRIBED, AND THAT'S TO CONSIDER THE BROADER PUBLIC INTEREST AND BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY
[00:30:01]
FEES.ENSURE THAT FEES WITH THE WIDEST COMMUNITY BENEFIT ARE THE MOST SUBSIDIZED, WHILE THOSE WITH THE MOST INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT ARE THE LEAST SUBSIDIZED.
OF COURSE, WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT COST.
RECOVERY FEES SHOULD AIM TO RECOVER SOME COST OF PROVIDING THE SERVICE OR REGULATING THE ACTIVITY.
AND WE NEED TO CONDUCT COST ASSESSMENTS TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE FEE LEVELS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
IT'S ONE PART OF THAT PROCESS.
WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT EQUITY AND FAIRNESS.
FEES SHOULD BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE CONSIDERING THE ABILITY TO PAY AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS.
WE, THERE'S ALSO THE NOT SO FUN KIND OF BORING ASPECTS SUCH AS LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND TRANSPARENCY.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH ALL OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS AND THEN WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR FEES ARE ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY ARE NOT DONE IN SORT OF A BACK ROOM DECISION.
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IN EMPLOY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
SO LIKE I SAID, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DOING TODAY.
WHEN WE SET THOSE FEES, WE WANT TO REGULARLY REVIEW AND ADJUST THEM.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE EFFICIENT IN THE PROCESSES INVOLVED WITH THEM, MEANING WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT CHECKS MAYBE AS MUCH ANYMORE.
WE'RE GONNA CHANGE WITH THE TIMES.
MAYBE DEVELOP, UM, METHODS AND PARKS TO USE OTHER FORMS OF PAYMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE GONNA REGULARLY REPORT OUR FINDINGS TO OUR OVERSIGHT BODIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
SO ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER ARE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE AGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING OUR FEES FOR THE NEXT STEPS OF THIS STUDY.
UM, WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO THE PAC, WHICH IS TODAY, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO GARNER YOUR INPUT AND WE WILL COME UP WITH MORE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR OUR FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THAT MAY GO BACK TO THE BOC, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY GO BACK TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE'LL WORK WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO WORK ON THOSE PROPOSED FEE CHANGES AND UNDERSTAND WHAT CHANGES THAT WE'LL HAVE ON OUR REVENUE SCHEDULE.
AND THEN COME BACK WITH THE FINALIZED FEE SCHEDULE IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR TO BE ADOPTED FOR 2025.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'LL DO EVERY SINGLE CHANGE ALL AT ONCE.
I WANNA SAY THIS WILL BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS OVER TIME AND, UM, IT WILL BE ONGOING.
REALIZING THAT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UH, INFORMATIVE, INTERESTING, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE ONE QUESTION TO GET US STARTED, AND THAT IS, UM, SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE, UM, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY PYRAMID, UM, WHERE YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE USERS AND UM, AND SCALE THE FEES ACCORDINGLY.
AND I WAS WONDERING HOW IS THE, UM, HOW IS THE, WHAT'S THE METRIC FOR IDENTIFYING HOW MANY USERS ARE USING A PARTICULAR RESOURCE? IS IT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL USERS OR IS THERE SOME WAY OF ASSESSING LIKE USER HOURS OR SOME EQUIVALENT LIKE THAT? AND, AND HOW DO WE GET THOSE DATA? UH, WELL FOR EVERY CHARGE THAT THE DISTRICT, UM, EVERY FEE THAT THE DISTRICT LEVIES, WE HAVE A TABULATION OF THAT IN OUR REVENUE SCHEDULE.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY SWIM CHARGES WE HAD LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TOTAL AND WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE CHARGE.
SO WE CAN GET A PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MANY INDIVIDUAL CHARGES WERE BASED ON THAT FEE.
WE TRACK IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS BECAUSE THESE FEES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO, UM, ENCROACHMENT FEES, THOSE ARE TRACKED BY THE MASS DEPARTMENT.
THEY LOOK AT, THEY USE A SYSTEM CALLED CLARITY AND THEY CAN LOOK AT HOW MANY DIFFERENT PERMIT FEES WERE, UM, EITHER APPROVED, DENIED, OR APPLIED TO ALTOGETHER WITHIN A SINGULAR YEAR.
OUR RESERVATIONS DEPARTMENT KNOWS HOW MANY, UM, RESERVATIONS WERE MADE FOR VARIOUS FACILITIES.
THEY ALSO KNOW THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CAMPING RESERVATIONS THAT WERE MADE IN A SINGULAR YEAR, PICNIC RESERVATIONS, BASICALLY ALL THOSE GENERAL RESERVATIONS THAT YOU USE ACTIVE NET FOR.
SO THERE'S NO SIMPLE ANSWER HERE.
THERE, THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT ORDER OF MAGNITUDE.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE METRIC IS CLOSER TO NUMBER OF USERS THAN TO SAY AMOUNT OF TIME A RESOURCE IS USED.
AND I MEAN, FOR, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE FEES ARE.
I MEAN, WHAT THE ITEM IS, LIKE, YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS AN INDIVIDUAL BOOKED A CAMPGROUND,
[00:35:01]
FOR EXAMPLE.UH, HOW OFTEN AN INDIVIDUAL USER BOOKS A PICNIC SITE, WE CAN GET PRETTY GRANULAR.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DO THAT ON THE REGULAR, BUT THE, THERE, THERE IS, UH, THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE, UM, PAC? YEAH.
MEMBER INGER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAD A, SO I THINK IT'S GREAT.
UM, IN FACT, I, FOR MY CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT, WE ACTUALLY DO AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE FEES AND, UM, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.
SO, UM, BUT MY QUESTION WAS, UM, WHAT LAWS APPLY TO THE, THE SETTING OF THE FEES, MEANING, SO FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW WITH CITY GOVERNMENT, OUR CHARGES HAVE TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME, SO WE CAN'T CHARGE IN EXCESS OF HOW MUCH, UM, IT COSTS FOR STAFF TO BASICALLY, UH, UH, PROVIDE THE SERVICE, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
SO DO THOSE SAME LAWS APPLY TO THE PARK DISTRICT OPERATIONS? WE HAVE TO FOLLOW, UH, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS.
UH, I THINK THE ACRONYM HAS CHANGED.
IT WAS FORMERLY G GS B MM-HMM.
BUT THERE IS REGULATORY STANDARDS THAT WE CAN'T ESSENTIALLY LEVY FEES THAT ARE IT.
THERE'S NOT A NEX, IT SOUNDS SIMILAR'S THAT FAR EXCEED, EXCEED THE COST OF MM-HMM.
UM, OVER YOU CAN'T MAKE A PROFIT OVER PROVIDING OVERLY COMPENSATORY MM-HMM.
SO WITH THAT SAID, THEN, HOW DOES THAT, I MEAN, DOESN'T THAT KIND OF DETERMINE, UM, THE, THE, THE CEILING FOR WHAT YOU CAN CHARGE FOR DIFFERENT SERVICES? AND SO IS THAT, IS THE QUESTION, UM, IS THE QUESTION, IS THE PARK DISTRICT GONNA PRO, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST PASS ALONG THOSE COSTS THROUGH THE FEES, UM, WHENEVER YOU RESET THE FEE SCHEDULE? OR, YOU KNOW, OR ARE YOU TRYING TO DECIDE BASED ON EQUITY PRINCIPLES, IF YOU'RE EVEN GONNA CHARGE, UM, WHAT IT COSTS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE? IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT.
IT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO KIND OF HAVE THAT BROAD BRUSH STROKE APPROACH BECAUSE OUR FEES ARE SO DISPARATE AND THE THE PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERY ON ALL OF THEM IS SO DIFFERENT.
AND, UM, COULD YOU REPEAT THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION PLEASE? YEAH, I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THIS, SO MM-HMM, YAY THAT YOU'RE DOING IT.
BUT I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AT LEAST IN MY CITY COUNCIL EXPERIENCE, WE, IN MANY CASES, WE CHARGE WHATEVER THE COST IS FOR A PERMIT, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH STAFF TIME.
HOWEVER, UM, WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, UH, THE CITY ACTUALLY SUBSIDIZES THAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE WANT IT TO BE AFFORDABLE.
SO I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION IS ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH WHAT THE ACTUAL COST IS TO PROVIDE A SERVICE AND THEN HAVE THE BOARD DETERMINE WHICH SERVICES, UM, WOULD BE PROVIDED AT COST AND WHICH ONES WOULD POTENTIALLY BE SUBSIDIZED BY THE PARK DISTRICT? POTENTIALLY? I DON'T HAVE A PERFECT ANSWER FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
THE, THE STUDY ITSELF IS JUST AN EVALUATION OF HOW MUCH WE'RE RECOVERING.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, IT'S, IT'S LOOKING AT THINGS THROUGH A PURELY FINANCIAL LENS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FEE IS, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
SUCH AS, AS YOU SAID, FOR DAYCARE SERVICES OR DAY CAMPS FOR US OR WHATEVER THE SERVICES, WE MIGHT WANT TO LEAN IN MORE INTO AN EQUITY LENS FOR OTHER THINGS.
IF THERE'S A PRETTY LARGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, PERHAPS WE WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE FEES RELATED TO ENTERING INTO THAT PARK.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A CONSIDERATION.
SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL FEE AND KIND OF WHAT THE BOARD ULTIMATELY WANTS, UH, WHAT SORT OF, UM, SUBSIDIZATION DECISION THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO MAKE ON, ON THAT FEE.
SO THIS IS STARTING THAT CONVERSATION.
THIS IS STARTING THAT CONVERSATION.
WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YOU MEMBER PEOPLES, AND I THINK WE'LL JUST GO AROUND THIS WAY.
UH, AGAIN, UH, I WANNA ADD MY THANKS, UH, FOR PRESENTING THIS.
UH, I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE, UH, AND IT'S BASED ON WHAT APPEARS TO ME TO BE A, A REALLY WELL DONE STUDY.
UH, I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE, THE CONSULTANT HAD, UH, SHOWING UP IN THIS.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE SCOPE THAT THEY LOOKED AT IT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IDENTIFIES KEY ISSUES AND ACTIONS FOR THE, UH, THE DISTRICT TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS ASSESSING REVENUE AND COSTS, UH, ASSOCIATED
[00:40:01]
WITH EACH FEE.THE, UH, UH, UH, APPENDIX TWO, WHICH, UH, COMPILES ALL THESE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PAGES IT IS, UH, SEVEN OR EIGHT PAGES, UH, LISTING OF ALL THE DIFFERENT FEES, UH, THAT YOU LOOK AT, I THINK IS USEFUL.
YOU CAN, UH, SEE WHERE THEY COME FROM, THE DISCUSSION IN THE REPORT, UH, UH, EXPLAINING HOW THESE, UH, SOME OF THESE COSTS WERE, UH, ESTABLISHED IS VERY USEFUL.
UH, THE WHOLE QUESTION OF, UH, UH, HOW, HOW MUCH, UH, WHAT PROPORTION OF THESE COSTS CAN BE RECOVERED, UH, I THINK IS VERY ESSENTIAL.
AND IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO ADD TO THE, UH, APPENDIX TWO A COLUMN, WHICH SHOWS, UH, THE BASIS FOR SETTING FEES, WHETHER IT'S MARKET BASED, WHETHER IT'S, UH, UH, RECREATION FEES, UH, WHICH HAVE LIMITS ON HOW, HOW MUCH, UH, CAN BE CHARGED OR WHETHER IT'S ENTRY AND USE, UH, OR RENTAL FEES, WHICH CAN BE, UH, MARKET BASED AND SO FORTH.
UH, THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S BEING DONE.
AND THAT LIST ALSO PROVIDES A BASIS FOR, UH, ASSESSING, UH, UH, ASSESSING WHAT KINDS OF, UH, UH, DISCOUNTS AND, UH, WAIVERS MIGHT BE, UH, NEEDED BY THE, UH, UH, MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DISTRICT TO, TO UNDERTAKE THE, UM, UM, ONE OTHER THING THAT I JUST BECAME AWARE OF TODAY, UH, AN ALERT FROM THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL DISTRICTS, UH, ASSOCIATION IS THAT, UH, INITIATIVE, INITIATIVE 1935, WHICH IS, HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR A, INCLUDING ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
AND IT'S GOING TO RESTRICT SPECIAL DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES THE PARK DISTRICT REVENUES, UH, RETROACTIVE TO SOMETIME, UH, ANY INCREASES IN FEES, UH, UNTIL, UH, RETROACTIVE TO 2022.
UH, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WOULD REALLY HAVE A, A GREAT IMPACT ON THE DISTRICT AND, UH, THE DISTRICT I, I THINK, MIGHT WANT TO GET AHEAD OF IT IN TERMS OF ADVOCATING, UH, LEGISLATIVELY OR, OR, UH, THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS TO, UH, PERHAPS EITHER MODIFY OR OPPOSE THAT, UH, UH, INITIATIVE.
BUT IT, IT IS A, WOULD, WOULD BE A REALLY THREAT TO THE WHOLE FEE STRUCTURE.
I, I'M SURE A LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM IS AWARE OF THIS.
JUST, JUST WE, WE WERE AWARE OF THE LEGISL OR THE INITIATIVE AND WE'VE, THE BOARD HAS TAKEN A OPPOSITION POSITION AND WE'RE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, MEMBER HENRY.
SO THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE DETAIL YOU WENT INTO AND I ALSO LIKED THE, UM, THE PYRAMID AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
IN LIGHT OF, UM, THE STING IN REALLY DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS, IS REVENUE RECOVERY BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT? IS IT MORE OF A CRITICAL COMPONENT FOR THE DISTRICT? IT'S HARD TO SAY AS BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER, AND I THINK I'D WANT THE A FO HERE TO GIVE, I THINK THE DISTRICT'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT THERE.
UM, OUR AGENCY IS IN A SPECIAL SORT OF CIRCUMSTANCE IN WHICH OUR GENERAL FUND IS LARGELY FUNDED BY TAX REVENUE RATHER THAN FEE REVENUE.
AND, UH, OPPOSED TO AN AGENCY SUCH AS BART, WHICH RELIES HEAVILY ON, ON FEES THAT THEY CHARGE FOR THEIR SERVICES, BUT I DON'T THINK I'M THE ONE THAT CAN MAKE THAT OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
SO KIND OF TO THAT END, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE OBJECTIVES IN TERMS OF MAN, LIKE HOW MUCH REVENUE DO YOU WANT TO GET? 'CAUSE YOU HAVE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GETTING TODAY, AND THEN, UM, YOU HAVE RECOVERY RATES BY EVERYTHING.
SO DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE AN OBJECTIVE FOR HOW MUCH REVENUE WE NEED TO ALSO KIND OF FILL THAT INTO THE, THE GENERAL BUDGET AND EVEN A, A TOTAL NUMBER OR EVEN A RECOVERY PERCENTAGE VERSUS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY? WOULD THAT MAKE SENSE TO PUT IN THERE? IT, IT WOULD BE THE BOARD'S DECISION.
SO CURRENTLY, AT LEAST BASED ON THE 2022 BUDGET, IN THE 2023 ANALYSIS, WE FOUND THAT IT WAS 36%.
AND IT WASN'T ANYTHING THAT WAS OF CONCERN OR ALARM BECAUSE IT FELL WITHIN THE MEDIAN RANGE OF OTHER AGENCIES THAT DO SIMILAR WORK.
WHEN IT COMES TO PARKS AND RECREATION OR PUBLIC SERVICES, SUBSIDIZATION IS A VERY COMMON COMPONENT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
[00:45:01]
SERVICE DELIVERY RATHER THAN COST RECOVERY.COST RECOVERY IS JUST ONE ASPECT OF THAT WHOLE CONVERSATION.
SO KIND OF TO THAT END, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GO TOO DEEP, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE CAN MEASURE MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT AROUND, UM, HELPING OUT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
SO MAYBE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO IDENTIFY IF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE NEED MM-HMM.
SO TO KEEP A PROGRAM OPEN, OR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND, AND JUST KIND OF HAVE THINGS BALANCE OUT A LITTLE BIT, IF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
THERE'S, THERE'S MODELS THAT WE CAN RUN THAT CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT.
BECAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER ON THIS, BUT I GUESS IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE LIKE, WELL, WHY 36? WHY NOT, YOU KNOW, 42? OR WHY NOT 27? LIKE, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A, A RANDOM NUMBER AND I, I WOULD JUST KIND OF SUGGEST THERE'S MORE MM-HMM.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST THING AT THE LAST, UH, LAST PAC MEETING, THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE IN THE PLAN KIND OF CONSISTENTLY, UM, INCLUSIVENESS CAME UP A LOT.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THAT PIECE AROUND INCLUSIVENESS.
IT WASN'T SAID QUITE THAT WAY IN TERMS OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES, BUT ONE SUGGESTION ALSO WOULD BE TO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PUT IN THERE.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, CROWD MANAGEMENT.
IT'S NOT JUST, UH, RECOVERING REVENUE.
SO ONE SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO PUT SOMETHING IN THERE SPECIFICALLY AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND, AND TIE FEES TO THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, I WOULD JUST REALLY ENCOURAGE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO REALLY MEASURE IT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ADJUST A FEE WITH THE INTENTION OF REDUCING CAPACITY BY A CERTAIN NUMBER MM-HMM.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO ECHO, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ALL THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE SAID IS HOW IMPRESSIVE A PIECE OF WORK THIS IS AND HOW USEFUL IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE, UH, DIG, DIGGING ALL THIS INFORMATION OUT AND MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL AND PRESENTING IT IN A WAY THAT KIND OF IS COHERENT IS NO SMALL THING.
UH, AND WHAT IT DOES, IT KIND OF LEADS YOU TO THE ABILITY TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS LIKE THE OTHER PRE PREVIOUS FOLKS HAVE SAID IS TO MANAGE THE COSTS IN A MINDFUL WAY.
UH, SOME THINGS MAYBE WERE SORT OF TRADITIONALLY RECOVERED LESS FROM, AND OTHERS, WE TRIED TO GET 'EM TO PAY FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THIS HELPS TO PROVIDE IT IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN DO IT INTENTIONALLY AND NOT JUST SORT OF HAVE A, HAVE IT HAPPEN THAT WAY.
AND SO, I GUESS MAYBE THIS, UH, THIS QUESTION IS MORE TOWARDS DENNIS AND ERIC.
PERHAPS, UH, HAS TO DO WITH COST RECOVERY AS WELL.
UH, IT SAYS, UH, IN HERE THAT THE ENTITY SHOULD ADOPT FORMAL POLICIES REGARDING CHARGES AND FEES, WHICH INCLUDE THE JURISDICTION'S INTENTION TO RECOVER THE FULL COSTS OR PARTIAL COSTS AND, AND SO ON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER, WHETHER YOU ALREADY HAVE THIS OR THIS IS SOMETHING IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, I JUST KIND OF WOULD WONDER, UH, IF YOU MIGHT COMMENT ON WHERE WE STAND IN THAT RESPECT TO HAVING POLICIES THAT WOULD GUIDE APPLICATION OF THIS KIND OF KNOWLEDGE.
I MEAN, THIS IS OUR FIRST BIG STUDY, BUT EVERY YEAR WE STUDY RAISING THE RATES ON SAY, A GOLF COURSE.
UH, AND THEN WE DOER AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, WELL, IT IS A SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
WE GO AND CHECK OUT WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS, WHAT DO OTHER GOLF COURSES CHARGE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IF THEIR RATES ARE GOING UP AT A CERTAIN RATE, WE TRY TEND TO BE MINIMAL, BUT WE RAISE THEM AT THAT RATE.
THERE, THERE ARE GOING RATES FOR THINGS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BIGGER STUDY, A BETTER ONE.
YOU KNOW, I WON'T EDITORIALIZE TOO MUCH HERE, BUT I'M IN A DIFFERENT POSITION THAN EVERYBODY IN THIS PLACE.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T DO, MAYBE WE DIDN'T DO THIS FOR 90 YEARS, MAYBE FOR GOOD REASON.
I THINK IT'S, WELL, I DON'T WANNA GO TOO FAR OUT THE LINE AND GET TOO WEIRD HERE, BUT WHY ARE WE CHARGING FEES FOR ANYBODY? YOU PAY TAXES LIKE CRAZY TO HAVE PARKS.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN CHARGING PEOPLE FEES.
I KNOW WE DO IT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, AND THERE'S A VERY MANY REASONS.
SO WHEN A PERSON WANTS AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT TO DO SOMETHING AND, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THEIR HOUSE, I CAN UNDERSTAND AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT.
UH, I CAN EVEN UNDERSTAND AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUAL DEALS, EVEN AT THE BASIC ONE WHERE EVERYBODY'S AFFECTED, SAY, A PARKING FEE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, PARKING FEE IS, DO A NUMBER OF THINGS FOR, FOR MY PERSPECTIVE IS WE HIRE A POSITION CALLED A, UM, EITHER A GATE ATTENDANT OR IT'S PROBABLY GOT A BETTER NAME NOW.
[00:50:01]
YOUR FIRST POINT OF CONTACT.AND I GUESS WE COULD PUT THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE FOR FREE AND SAY, HI, WELCOME TO THE PARK, COME ON IN AND I'LL ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
BUT WHEN WE CHARGE, WE PAY THAT PERSON'S SALARY.
THAT'S A GREAT ENTRY LEVEL POSITION INTO THE PARK DISTRICT, BY THE WAY.
SO WE ARE PAYING FOR THE PARKING FEE PAYS IN PART FOR THAT POSITION TO BE A PARK SERVICES OR A GATE ATTENDANT, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL THEM.
I FORGET WHAT THE NAME IS AT THIS POINT.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ITERATIONS OF THAT JOB, BUT IT'S A POINT OF, FOR US, WE BENEFIT, WE GET TO HAVE SOMEONE IN A UNIFORM SAY, WELCOME TO REDWOOD PARK.
GLAD YOU'RE HERE TODAY, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
WOULD YOU LIKE A MAP? YOU KNOW, KINDA LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO YOSEMITE, IT'S, YOU GET TO SEE A PERSON DRESSED IN A SMOKY BERRY UNIFORM AND THEY WELCOME YOU TO THE PARK AND THEY GIVE YOU A HANDSOME BROCHURE.
WE DO THE SAME THING AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
UH, IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL DEAL.
THIS WILL BE A, A MECHANICAL PROCESS, WHICH WILL TAKE IN EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION AND DEAL WITH ALL THOSE ISSUES.
BUT FOR ME, I, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD BE A MINIMALIST.
I I DON'T WANT TO RAISE THE RATES ANY, WELL, I, I CAN SEE WHERE THE PHILOSOPHICAL DEAL WOULD HAVE TO UNDERLIE THE PRACTICAL NUTS AND BOLTS OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP YOUR, WE CAN STAKE, WE CONTINUALLY SAY WE WANNA BE WELCOMING.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO COME TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
WELL, UM, I GUESS, UH, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME FEES, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, I GUESS IF YOU DIDN'T CHARGE A FEE, THERE'D BE 10,000 PEOPLE AT ROBERTS PARK EVERY DAY, OR 10,000 PEOPLE AT THERE, 20,000 PEOPLE AT LAKE REBO.
AND IS THAT A QUALITY EXPERIENCE? BUT THEN AGAIN, HOW DO WE DO WE KNOW, DO WE KNOW THAT? UM, JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER TO PLEASE MOVE YOUR MICROPHONES CLOSER, UH, SO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE CAN HEAR YOU.
I DIDN'T WANT THIS ON BE RECORDED.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
IT'S A CONTINUING FLUID, UH, PHILOSOPHICAL EFFORT BY THE, ON THE PART OF THE BOARD WITHOUT A DOUBT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS JUST LIKE A BIG FIRST STEP, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S LOTS THAT'LL FLOW FROM THIS IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE NO, NO, NO.
I WAS, I'M A LITTLE UNCERTAIN AFTER THE LAST SET OF REMARKS,
UM, UH, I, I SAT ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN WALNUT CREEK FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, AND WE WENT THROUGH AND THE BEGINNING OF THE RECESSION, THE LAST RECESSION, WE WENT THROUGH A COST RECOVERY ANALYSIS, VERY SIMILAR TO THIS.
UH, AND WE WENT THROUGH THE, THE, THE WHOLE ANALYSIS OF DO WE CHARGE, WHAT SHOULD WE BE CHARGING FOR? AND WE OPTED TO DO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND, AND THERE ARE PARKS AND RECREATIONS INCLUDED IN THAT.
THERE, THERE'S A SWIMMING POOL, THERE'S OPEN SPACE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST BY WAY OF INFORMATION.
BUT A QUESTION FOR YOU IS, IT SOUNDED LIKE, WELL, LET ME, I'M NOT SURE I'VE HEARD A RECOMMENDATION OF WHERE YOU SHOULD BE.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD THAT IT BE IN TERMS OF AN OVERALL PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERY? I HEARD THE RANGE, YOU SORT OF SAID BE WITHIN THE RANGE, MAYBE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I HEARD FROM, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
DO YOU, DO YOU, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA COME OUT WITH A MORE DEFINITIVE NUMBER OR ARE YOU JUST GONNA HAVE IT AS IS? IT IS OUR HOPE TO BRING A MORE RE REFINED GROUP OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE POTENTIALLY.
UH, AS I'VE STATED, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO AN ACTIVITY AFTER THIS, WHICH IS A SURVEY, AND WE'D LOVE TO GET EVERYONE'S INPUT ON WHAT ARE YOUR DIFFERENT, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, AT LEAST THE PAC VALUES? IS IT EQUITY? IS IT ABOUT SUBSIDIZING THE PUBLIC? IS IT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR FACILITIES ARE UP TO SCRATCH? MEANING WE PROBABLY NEED TO CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO ACCESS THEM? THAT'S ONE DIFFERENT AVENUE.
UM, OUR PARKS OVERRUN WITH PEOPLE THAT IT HAS A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON OUR TRAILS, ON OUR ENVIRONMENT.
PERHAPS WE NEED TO CHARGE MORE THERE.
SO THIS, AS I, AS I SAID, IS PHASE ONE, WE WANNA INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK IN ORDER TO GIVE A BETTER RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD.
I THINK YOU MOSTLY ANSWERED MY SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE WITH THE RANGE OF 3% OR LIKE 194% IN TERMS OF COST RECOVERY OF VARIOUS THINGS.
IS ONE OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT
[00:55:01]
SAYS, LET'S BRING IT TO A RANGE OF 40 TO 60 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? IT COULD BE, YEAH.SO THIS IS, I'M LISA GORGEN, UH, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF OPERATIONS.
AND, UM, I JUST REALLY WANNA REITERATE THIS IS YOU'RE OUR, WE'VE PRESENTED THIS, UM, PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION TO WAS TO BRING IT TO THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WHAT RUBY PRESENTED ON IS OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS, WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME.
YOU ARE PART OF THAT PROCESS OF INFORMATION GATHERING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT DIRECTOR WASPY MADE WAS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY EVEN HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATIONS.
MAYBE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE TO REMOVE FEES.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT'S ON THE TABLE AS WELL.
SO WE MAY FIND THERE'S SOME THINGS WE WANNA INCREASE FEES OR MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE FEES.
WE MAY WANNA RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMOVE SOME FEES.
THERE MAY BE SOME SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THERE.
SO THAT YOU'RE REALLY OUR FIRST STEP, UM, AFTER GIVING THIS PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD.
AND, AND I KNOW RUBY'S GOT SOME AMOUNT ACTIVITY, BUT I'LL, I'LL DEFER BACK TO THE PC.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO, YOU'RE OUR, THIS IS BABY STEPS, SO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION ON THE COST COVERAGE FOR THE 36%.
IS THAT TRENDING UP FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS, OR IS IT, UM, OR DO WE EVEN KNOW THAT? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION SINCE THE STUDY'S ONLY BEEN DONE.
OH, I WAS WONDERING IF WE'D LIKE TO COME BACK IN FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT
YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF WE'RE TRENDING UP OR IF WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN STAGNANT FOR 20 YEARS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL WHEN WE DO THE STUDY AGAIN.
VICE CHAIR, ESP SPANA, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR A WELL, UH, WRITTEN REPORT THAT DEFINITELY BROKE DOWN HOW YOU CAME AT ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTORS USED.
SO YOU COULD MOVE TOWARD, UH, THROUGH THE DIFFERENT REPORT AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS.
UM, I DO HAVE, UM, SOME DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL COLUMNS, AND THIS IS BEFORE WE ADD GUIDELINES AND VALUES.
SO, UM, AS PEOPLES HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME TYPE OF LEGAL, UM, COLUMNS.
SO THAT WAY, LIKE WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I KNOW IF THERE'S ACTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE OF A FEE.
LIKE IS THAT FEE SET BASED ON A DIFFERENT LAW OR IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN SET AT A MARKET VALUE, UH, UM, BASED, BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
SO, SO THAT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHERE THE TRUE OPPORTUNITY IS.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS, UH, PAC MEMBER SIMMONS SAID ABOUT THE GOAL RATE OF RECOVERY, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S EVEN MORE DETAILED THAN AN OVERALL FEE, BUT REALLY BREAKING IT DOWN BECAUSE MAYBE SOME ITEMS, UH, THERE'S A HIGHER, UH, RATE OF RECOVERY.
UM, AND THEN KNOWING THAT OVERALL GOAL THAT WE ARE REACHING TOWARDS AS A PARK, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN RECOVER AT A HIGHER RATE LATER ON WHEN WE START LOOKING AT VALUES.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHER THINGS BASED ON THAT PYRAMID WE DECIDE TO SUBSIDIZE.
SO KIND OF KNOWING WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
ALSO, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE APPENDIX, I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITHIN THE SUMMARY SECTIONS THAT COULD BE BETTER EXPRESSED, UM, IN A CHART.
SO AS FAR AS, UM, LEARNING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DIFFERENT PARKS, IT WOULD BE NICE TO JUST, EVEN, I, I UNDERSTAND WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT FEES, BUT IF THERE'S DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, SO WE COULD EASILY SEE THAT, UM, THIS, THIS DIFFERENT DISTRICT OR THAT DIFFERENT DISTRICT, UH, CHARGES THIS FOR SPECIAL PROGRAMMING.
UM, SO THEN WE'D HAVE AN IDEA LIKE VISUALLY, UM, HOW ARE WE COMPARING WITH OUR DIFFERENT, UM, COMPETITORS.
UM, AND THEN JUST AS FAR AS, UH, STAFF COSTS, I THINK THIS IDENTIFIES WHERE THERE MIGHT BE INEFFICIENCIES.
SO I THINK AS FAR AS WHERE THERE ARE HIGHER STAFF COSTS, MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A FOLLOW UP REPORT.
LIKE IS IT PROPERLY STAFFED? UM, IS THERE SYSTEMS IN PLACE? SO WHAT IS, OR MAYBE IT'S JUST THAT LONG OF A PROCESS.
SO MAYBE UNDERSTANDING MORE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND SOME OF THOSE HIGHER STAFF COSTS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE FOUNDATION PASS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SIGN UP FOR ONE OF THOSE, YOU GET FREE PARKING AND OTHER
[01:00:01]
STUFF.SO WHAT ARE SOME OF, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THIS, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE IMPACTS OF PROGRAMS, UH, THAT ARE VALUED HAVING ON THIS? UM, BUT THIS WAS AWESOME.
LIKE I WOULD SAY BEFORE READING THIS, UM, I, VERSUS AFTER READING THIS, I COULD GO TO DIFFERENT SECTIONS AND NOW TALK ABOUT LIKE HOW FEES ARE DEVELOPED.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE JUST SOME VISUAL THINGS BECAUSE UM, I JUST DON'T WANNA CONFLATE THAT DATA SECTION OF IT WITH THAT OVERALL VALUES.
UM, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION MIGHT GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY ASKED, BUT ESSENTIALLY AS THE BOARD IS CREATING THEIR BUDGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR, UM, HOW MUCH ARE THEY DE UH, ANTICIPATING IN FEE RECOVERY? IS THAT, IS THAT AMOUNT DETAILED IN THIS REPORT? IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE AT, EXCUSE ME, 36%, BUT IS THAT BROKEN INTO SPECIFIC CATEGORIES IN A DIFFERENT FASHION THAN, THAN THIS IS LAID OUT? SO IS YOUR QUESTION, HOW WILL 2020 FIVE'S FEE RECOVERY COMPARE TO THIS? NO, IT'S JUST THAT AN THROUGH AN ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS THAT THE BOARD UNDERTAKES, UH, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING REVENUE.
SO HOW IS THAT FACTORED INTO THE BUDGET CURRENTLY? OH, JUST IN TERMS OF PROCESS? YES.
EVERY YEAR, UH, BUSINESS SERVICES ACTUALLY WORKS WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN DOING A SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR YEAR'S RECOVERY.
WE'RE ALWAYS A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF BEHIND BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION IN REAL TIME.
WE DEVELOP OUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IN AUGUST, SO THERE'S STILL ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO GUESS ON, AND WE'RE BASING IT ALL ON THE YEAR BEFORE, WHICH IS THE LAST COMPLETE YEAR.
SO WE COME UP WITH A REVENUE MODEL BASED ON THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND WHAT WE GOT FOR DIFFERENT FEES, AND THEN WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BASICALLY WHATEVER IS ON THE HORIZON THAT WE UNDERSTAND.
THERE COULD BE A NEW PARK OPENING, PERHAPS.
UM, A GIANT POOL IN THE OAKLAND HILLS IS OPENING IN THE FUTURE AND THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF REVENUE COMING FROM THAT AND THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, SO IT, IT'S MORE ART THAN SCIENCE ALMOST.
WE, WE START OFF WITH THE FOUNDATION OF ONE YEAR'S REVENUE AND THEN WE USE OUR BEST GUESS BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ON HAND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON TO EXTRAPOLATE FROM THAT.
AND ONE OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, IS THERE A SEPARATE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE TRUDEAU TRAINING CENTER? I'M WONDERING WHY IT HAS A ZERO REVENUE AND A ZERO ANNUAL COST, BUT NO DIFFERENCE.
I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT SPECIFIC THING.
IF I HAD TO GUESS IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PUBLIC RESERVABLE FACILITY IN THE SAME WAY THAT BRAZILIAN ROOM, SHORELINE ROOM FERN COTTAGE AND THE TEMESCAL BEACH HOUSE ARE, IT'S AN INTERNAL, UH, PUBLIC USE SPACE.
I THINK THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
UM, I GUESS ONE REFLECTION I HAVE IS I HAVE SEEN THE IRREGULARITY OF FEE COLLECTION AS JUST A PARTICIPANT OF A USER OF MANY PARKS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, UH, MOST REGULARLY AT LAKE TEMESCAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT JUST, UH, I'VE HAD A, MY CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES THERE ALL THREE YEARS AND, UH, WE ALWAYS INVITE OUR GUESTS TO BRING THEIR $5 AND REMIND THEM OF THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE, THEY'VE BEEN COLLECTED OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS AS ONE ANECDOTE OF, UM, HOW ARE THE FEES BEING COLLECTED? UM, I KNOW AT CERTAIN PARKS THEY'RE REGULARLY, UH, THERE'S A GATE ATTENDANT.
I DO AGREE THAT THAT'S A QUITE A GOOD WELCOME.
UM, HAS A, A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL VALUE THAT WE OFFER OUR GUESTS, UM, TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE PARK TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT DONE REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S POLICY REASONS FOR THAT OR REVENUE REASONS FOR THAT.
I WILL SAY AS A MEMBER OF THE OPERATIONS TEAM AND IN THE TALKS IN THE EVALUATION, IN THE CREATION OF THIS REPORT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL AGREED UPON, UH, THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE AND WHERE WE CHARGE 'EM AND IN WHAT REGULARITY.
THERE IS CONFUSION THERE SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS STEP, UM, IN THIS PROCESS, THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL OUTCOME,
[01:05:01]
IS HAVING SOME DEGREE OF REGULARITY OR PROCESS OR POLICY BEHIND, BEHIND THAT.MEMBER MAHA DEON, THANK YOU FOR A NICE PRESENTATION.
I CONCUR WITH WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER.
THIS, UH, MINE'S MORE A COMMENT TO CONSIDER.
UM, I THINK MEMBER SIMMONS MENTIONED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL UNDER DISTRESS HAD TO RAISE, AT LEAST YOU LOOKED, SAID AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, FROM WHATEVER THEY WERE, MIGHT HAVE GONE FROM 90 TO A HUNDRED.
BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHEN YOU HAVE A FEE AND YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE A FEE, AND IT'S CUSTOMARY, UH, BETTER TO DO IT REGULARLY, WHATEVER REGULARITY MEANS IN SMALL PERCENTAGES THAN TO SUDDENLY WAKE UP AND HIT SOMEBODY WITH A 300% INCREASE, PUBLIC DOESN'T RECEIVE IT WELL.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA CHARGE A FEE AND YOU THINK THIS IS THE MIDDLE, TRY AND STAY IN THE MIDDLE.
SO MAYBE EVERY THREE YEARS, SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UH, MEMBER PEOPLES, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT? YEAH, I, I, THE, THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD BE FEES AT ALL, I THINK IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD WILL HAVE TO, TO ADDRESS, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK OF THE FEES, UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SERVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PURPOSES, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO OFFSETTING COSTS OF OPERATING THE FACILITIES.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HAVE A, A, A MAJOR ROLE IN CONTROLLING, UH, THE CROWDING AND THE USE OF AN AREA, YOU KNOW, SO YOU DON'T GET OVERUSE AND OVERCROWDING AND SO FORTH.
BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE HELPED TO, UH, REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE BIG AREA, I, I KNOW WHAT, WHICH HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED, UH, IN THIS STUDY IS GRAZING FEES.
YOU KNOW, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR, UH, UH, HELPING TO REDUCE FIRE RISK, WILDFIRE RISKS ON, UH, UH, PARK LANDS.
AND THERE ARE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM, FROM TOO MANY PEOPLE USING TRAILS AND SO FORTH, WHICH CAN BE, UH, UH, CONTROLLED TO SOME EXTENT, YOU KNOW, BY THE, THE FEES THAT ARE CHARGED FOR, FOR THE USE OF THAT.
AND IT ALSO CAN HAVE A, CAN BE USED, YOU KNOW, IN CON IN THE CONTEXT OF DISCOUNTS AND WAIVERS TO HELP, UH, DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND, AND PEOPLE FROM, UH, THE COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PURPOSES THAT, THAT THESE, UH, UH, FEES, UH, UH, UH, CAN APPLY TO.
AND, UH, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT SIMPLE
THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, IN DETAIL AT THESE, UH, AT THESE, UH, UH, EACH OF THESE FEES.
AND, UH, THERE MAY BE SOME DIFFERENCE.
FEES MAY CHANGE OR VARY FROM PARK TO PARK, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION THERE, WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY IN IT.
AND, UH, AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE OR OR HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE POINTS THAT YOU MADE IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THESE, UH, FEES PROBABLY ARE NOT GONNA BE IN IMPOSED ALL AT ONCE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A, IT'S GONNA BE A ROLLED OUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE, THAT CONTEXT TO WHAT THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD.
I APPRECIATE A SECOND SHOT AT THIS.
UH, UH, AS I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE VARIOUS, UH, COMMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS, UH, IT TROUBLES ME A LITTLE BIT TO HEAR HERE, UH, FEES AS BEING A MAY, MAY, UH, A MAY A MEANS OF, OF USAGE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF A PLACE IS BEING OVERUSED, LET'S CHARGE MORE MONEY FOR IT.
SO IT'LL BE NOT AS USED AS MUCH.
UH, I KIND OF, IT BOTHERS ME THAT, THAT APPROACH, UH, FOR ONE THING, UH, IT'S NOT THE ONLY APPROACH, BUT IT IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED.
BUT STILL, UH, I THINK RELIANCE ON, RELIANCE ON SUCH, UH, MEANS IS THAT, IS, UH, IS CLASSIFYING THE KIND OF, UH, ACCESS PEOPLE ARE GONNA, UH, HAVE TO THE PARKS, THOSE WHO HAVE MORE MONEY AND THOSE WHO HAVE LESS.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S AN, AN UNFORTUNATE, UH, MEANS OF SCREENING WHO YOUR USERS ARE.
AND I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAJOR WAVE.
I MEAN, BUT THE ALTERNATIVE TO THAT
[01:10:01]
IS SENDING A LIMIT OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN USE A TRAILER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.IT'S FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU GET TO THAT LIMIT AND THEN YOU CAN'T USE IT.
SO IT'S A TOOL BASED ON ECONOMICS, UH, ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON, I THINK ALL OF US, IS THE GREAT, UH, APPRECIATION OF THE PARKS BY THE PUBLIC, HOW IMPORTANT THEY'VE BECOME AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT A, WHAT A ACTUALLY A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE THEY WERE PROVIDING.
AND, UH, I THINK RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO RESTRICT PARTICIPATION IN THE USE OF THE PARKS BY THE PUBLIC, WE FIND WAYS TO ALLOW MORE PARTICIPATION WITH THE APPROPRIATE SAFEGUARDS THAT WE ALL WANT TO HAVE.
I'M OFF OF THAT, BUT IF YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL TRAIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR INDIVIDUAL FACILITY THAT HAS FINITE ABILITY TO USE IT, YOU'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH THAT.
WELL, ANYWAY, I, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A DEBATE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT IDEA OUT THERE THAT, UH, IT'S, IT KIND OF GOES COUNTER TO ONE OF OUR BASIC, UH, FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS IS ALL PARKS FOR ALL PEOPLE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT RATHER THAN RELYING ON CHARGING AS A WAY OF LIMITING ACCESS, WE WOULD FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO DO THAT.
ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THOSE PERSPECTIVES.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD WILL HAVE TO TUSSLE WITH.
SO, UM, AND THERE'LL BE LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES ACROSS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT RESOURCES WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, ANY MORE COMMENTS IF, OH, GO AHEAD, MEMBER FARMER? WELL, I'D LIKE TO CONCUR THAT, I HOPE THAT IT'S A THEME WE CAN SHARE WITH THE BOARD THAT, UH, EQUITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
HOW DO WE CHARGE FEES EQUITABLY OR, UH, ENSURE THAT OUR FEES ARE NOT A DETERRENT TO USAGE, UH, BY MORE, UH, DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A, I DON'T HAVE ANSWERS TO THAT NOW, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THEIR CONVERSATION.
UH, AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD CLARIFY WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL DOG PERMIT IS, WHAT DOES THAT PROVIDE YOU? SORRY TO GET INTO THE WEEDS HERE, BUT IT WAS A ONE THAT I WAS NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S TWO PERMIT FEES THAT THE DISTRICT CHARGES FOR DOGS.
ONE IS FOR A COMMERCIAL DOG WALKER, WHICH IS FOR A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
AND THEN YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO HAVE, I BELIEVE, THREE DOGS THAT YOU CAN WALK IN THE PARK.
AND IF IT'S OVER THAT YOU CAN GET A PERMIT TO WALK ALL OF YOUR DOGS THAT EXCEED THAT NUMBER.
SO YOU AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN CAN SEEK OUT THAT PERMIT IN ORDER TO DO SO.
SO AN INDIVIDUAL WITH MORE THAN THREE DOGS SHOULD, SHOULD PURCHASE THIS PERMIT? YES.
AND SO I KNOW YOU HAVE AN ACTIVITY, BUT I WANTED TO MOVE TO PUB PUBLIC COMMENTS AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY, UM, ANY HANDS RAISED IN THE ZOOM ROOM? NO, NOT ON THE ZOOM.
AND SO I THINK YOU HAVE AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU WANTED TO MOVE TO AS WELL.
AND I, I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD SEGUE INTO THE NEXT PART AT THE DIFFERENT COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, REALLY HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECONCILE HERE.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO GET THIS COMMITTEE'S IMPORT INPUT AS THE FIRST STEP IN BETTER INFORMING OUR OWN BOARD FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN MAKING A DECISION IN THIS PROCESS.
YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE YOUR, IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE ON YOU, YOU CAN POINT YOUR CAMERA TO THE QR CODE AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PULL UP THE SURVEY IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PHONE OR DEVICE ON YOU.
I ALSO HAVE A WRITTEN SURVEY AS WELL.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES, I'M HAPPY TO HELP.
I'LL COME OVER, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS, YOU'LL TAKE A PAPER.
[01:15:11]
YES.TAKE SOME TIME, UH, TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
WE WILL NOT BE REVIEWING THE RESULTS TODAY, BUT WE'LL BE USING THOSE RESULTS TO INFORM OUR BOARD.
LET'S JUST TAKE A COUPLE MORE MINUTES TO WRAP IT UP AND THEN, UM, THIS INFORMATION WILL GO TO THE BOARD AND WILL WE SEE THE RESULTS AT, IN SOME, SOME FUTURE MEETING? IT WILL BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME EITHER TO BOC BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, OR THE BOARD IN WHICH WE, I IMAGINE WE'LL SAY THE PAC THOUGHT THIS AND THE P'S ULTIMATE FINDINGS WERE THIS, WHICHEVER WAY YOU LEAN, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IF, IF IT'S MEANINGFUL, I KNOW IT IS, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT THE, THE DATA ULTIMATELY TELLS US.
DO PEOPLE STILL NEED A COUPLE MORE MINUTES? I SEE THESE PEOPLE LOOKING AT THEIR PHONES.
ARE WE CHECKING EMAIL NOW OR ARE WE STILL LOOKING
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY DO IT LATER.
JUST I ASK THAT YOU DO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
HUH? IS THIS INCORRECT? AND IT SAYS CORRECT ANSWERS.
YOU READING? YEAH, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT, ALRIGHT.
SO LET'S MOVE TOWARDS WRAPPING UP THIS ITEM.
WELL THANKS EVERYONE FOR, UH, YOUR INPUT AND FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
AND BIG THANKS TO RUBY AND THE REST OF THE STAFF AND, UH, MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP FOR ALL THE HARD WORK ON THIS EXCELLENT REPORT THAT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING.
NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR PARK DISTRICT'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
AND ERIC, I THINK WE'RE GONNA WAIT A MOMENT FOR THE PRESENTATION TO LOAD.
[01:20:05]
GOOD EVENING.UH, ERIC FEELER, CHIEF OF GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
UH, APPRECIATE DIRECTOR WASP'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE SACRAMENTO CONFERENCE.
IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL TWO DAYS.
WE DID HAVE SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A POSSIBLE CLIMATE BOND, THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS, POTENTIALLY HAVING A COUPLE OF CREWS IN THE EAST BAY, AND SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR EACH MEMBER THAT WE MET WITH IN TERMS OF EITHER POLICY OR LEGISLATIVE ASK.
AND WE ALSO ASKED THEM ALL ABOUT POTENTIAL C QL REFORM FOR PERMITTING OF RESTORATION PROJECTS.
AND, UM, ALSO FOR SOME SPECIFIC, UH, EXAMPLES FOR PROJECTS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS PURSUING.
I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CONFERENCE REALLY WAS ORGANIZED BY, UH, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT ANALYST, LISA BALLINGER, UH, REALLY TOOK THE LEAD IN IN SETTING OUT THE TWO DAYS.
AND THEN, UM, LAUREN BLANCHARD WAS OUR, OUR LEAD IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING THE MEETINGS.
UH, BUT THE, THE BOOKLET THERE THAT, THAT DENNIS SHOWED YOU ALL WAS, UH, DEFINITELY A PRODUCT OF, OF LISA'S GREAT WORK.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE OVER IN TERMS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, JUST TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT, UH, IN 2021, UH, OUR NEW GENERAL MANAGER, SABRINA LANDRETH, REQUESTED, UH, LISA AND I TO MEET WITH ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES FOR A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAD NOT HAD AN OFFICIAL, UH, STATED PROGRAM.
WE HAD, UH, PRIORITIES EACH YEAR, BUT IT WASN'T SORT OF GROUNDED IN, UH, POLICY ADVOCACY GOALS.
UH, AND IT NOW IS, UH, AND THEN I'LL GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE.
UH, THESE ARE THE ADVOCACY GOALS WE, UH, DEVELOPED WITH THE BOARD'S HELP AND WITH, UH, THE GENERAL MANAGER'S ASSISTANTS.
AND IN ADDITION TO THESE SEVEN PRIMARY ADVOCACY GOALS, WE HAVE SOME OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES THAT AREN'T ON THE SLIDES.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND TO READ THOSE.
THEY ARE EQUITABLE SERVICE DELIVERY, ADVANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCY, ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION, GUIDING WORK WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC, SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASING CONSERVATION THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION AND ENSURING THE FISCAL HEALTH OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO THOSE, UH, OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES UNDERLIE EACH OF THESE SEVEN ADVOCACY GOALS.
WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE GOALS, UH, ONE BY ONE.
SO, UH, EACH, EACH ONE OF THEM HAS ITS OWN SLIDES, SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2023.
UH, THESE ARE JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS, BUT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THE, UH, SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF THE BILLS THAT WE, UH, SUPPORTED AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEN THE ONES THAT WERE NO LONGER FEASIBLE.
UH, IN TERMS OF JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS, WE WERE ABLE TO ADVANCE SOME FUNDING FOR A COUPLE DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN THE PARK DISTRICT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS IN A VERY DIFFICULT BUDGET YEAR.
UH, THOSE FUNDING REQUESTS ARE STILL PENDING AND, UH, AS, AS WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE STATE BUDGET IS CHALLENGING THIS YEAR.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.
AND THEN, UH, OUR POLICY GOALS WERE SOME LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING SOME LANGUAGE INTO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL.
UH, BUT IT DID NOT MAKE THE FINAL, UH, BILL AS IT WAS AGREED TO BY BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD OUR 10 EXTERNAL EVENTS THAT WERE, UM, WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE PARTICIPATION AT THOSE EVENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH ELECTED OFFICE STAFF.
AND THESE THREE HIGHLIGHTS REALLY UNDERGROUND THE, OR, OR HIGHLIGHT, I GUESS THE, THE THREE SORT OF CORE PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
AND THAT IS, UH, TO REALLY BE FOCUSED ON FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO FOCUS ON POLICY OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN TO DEVELOP WORKING RELATIONS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO THE METHODOLOGY FOR, UH, ACHIEVING, UH, OUR OBJECTIVES, WE, WE TRIED TO MAKE IT ACHIEVABLE AND ALSO TO TRY TO MAKE, UH, SOME GOALS THAT REALLY RESONATE WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND, UH, ALSO MEET SOME IDENTIFIED NEED JUST AS A HIGHLIGHT OF HOW THIS SORT OF CIRCLE OF, UM, OF, OF WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WORKS.
UH, A FEW YEARS BACK IN 2021, UH, OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT TEAM NOTICED, UH, A INCREASING
[01:25:01]
AMOUNT OF DEAD AND DYING TREES IN THE, IN THE EAST BAY HILLS.UH, WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND REALLY AS A DROUGHT AND PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY, UH, AND HAVE CONVERSATION WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR ELECTED LEADERS.
SO WE HAD THE NEED IDENTIFIED.
UH, THE SOLUTION WAS, WAS REMOVING THE TREES, UH, WHICH WAS GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY.
UH, AND THEN BY HIGHLIGHTING THIS PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, DROUGHT EMERGENCY WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, THEY WERE, THEY WERE DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF, OF THE PARK DISTRICT'S EFFORTS AND WERE ABLE TO SECURE SOME DIRECT ALLOCATION IN THE STATE BUDGET, UM, FULFILLING THAT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE, UH, SLIDES ON EACH OF THE OBJECTIVES AND, UH, LISA WILL BE GOING THROUGH MOST OF THEM, BUT I'LL JUST START IT OFF THE, THE CLIMATE FRIENDLY TRANSPORTATION OBJECTIVES FOR 2024, UH, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, BUT REALLY TO FOCUS ON MTCS ACTIVITY AROUND A POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE IN 2026 THAT WOULD REQUIRE LEGISLATION, UM, TO, TO APPROVE A NINE COUNTY ELECTION.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM, OUR TRANSPORTATION LEADERS TO ENSURE THAT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH TRANSIT FOR OUR, UH, GETTING FOLKS TO OUR PARKS ARE CONSIDERED AS PART OF WHATEVER, UH, BALLOT PROPOSAL THEY DEVELOP.
THEN WITH REGARD TO THE STATE, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE STATE LEGISLATIVE ASK, UH, WE'RE ASKING FOR $7 MILLION FOR THE RICHMOND BAY TRAIL GAP CLOSURE.
THIS IS A GAP BETWEEN, UH, SORT OF THE PIN POINT BUSINESS CENTER WHERE THERE'S A, A BUNCH OF, UH, DISTRIBUTION CENTERS FOR AMAZON UPS AND OTHERS, UH, THROUGH A WETLAND AND NEAR, UH, A RAILROAD TRACK, UH, TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE IT CONTINUES ON TO HERCULES AND THE HERCULES INTERMODAL CENTER, AND THEN ALSO TO THE BIORAD LABORATORIES.
UH, SO IT REALLY WOULD BE A LINK IN, UM, FOR COMMUTERS AND IT ALSO AS THE, ONE OF THE REMAINING GAPS OR THE ONLY GAP BETWEEN, UH, THE OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE AND THE CITY OF HERCULES.
SO COMPLETING THAT WOULD BE A, A KEY, UH, ACHIEVEMENT.
AND THEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE HAVE SOME, OR WE ARE SUBMITTING A RAISE APPLICATION FOR THIS SAME PROJECT.
UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ACRONYM FOR RAISE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS THE FEDERAL GRANT PRO DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S BEEN GOING NOW, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
IN 2010, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE 10.2 MILLION THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, THEN CALLED TIGER TWO.
UH, SO WE HAVE THE APPLICATION PREPARED AND WE'LL BE SUBMITTING THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVING A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME BETWEEN THE TWO EFFORTS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO, UH, FULLY FUND THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN AN EXAMPLE OF AN ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2023 WAS SECURING $900,000 FOR THE MARTINEZ BAY TRAIL GAP, UH, FROM A COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECT REQUEST FROM REPRESENTATIVE JOHN GARAMENDI.
UM, SO THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY SORT OF THE LAST MILE IN TO COMPLETE, UH, TO START WORK ON ON THAT TRAIL GAP SEGMENT.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL ASK LISA TO COME UP.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, LISA BALLINGER, LEGISLATIVE POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST, AND I'LL BE GOING OVER OUR REMAINING FIVE ADVOCACY GOALS AND HOW WE CONNECTED THEM TO 2024 OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND GENERAL MANAGER.
UM, JUST TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, WE MENTIONED OUR STATE ADVOCACY CONFERENCE.
IN MAY WE'LL BE GOING TO DC WITH OUR FULL BOARD AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER AND DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER FOR OUR FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE.
AND THESE ARE TWO MEANS OF ACTIVATING THESE PRIORITIES AND THESE OBJECTIVES THROUGH FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT A LOCAL LEVEL.
WE ENGAGE THROUGH SITE VISITS, EVENTS, AS WELL AS FORMAL MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE AN AGENDA, PERHAPS SITTING DOWN WITH A MAYOR OR A COUNTY SUPERVISOR, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTOR, UH, FROM THAT RELEVANT AREA AND TALKING THROUGH THAT LOCAL PRIORITY.
SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT ON HOW WE FORMALLY ACTIVATE THESE OBJECTIVES.
THEY'RE ALSO INTEGRATED INTO OUR DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM THROUGH LETTERS, THE BILLS, REPRIORITIZE, ET CETERA.
EXCUSE ME, I HAVE AN ALARM GOING OFF.
UH, SO TO CONTINUE ON COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, OUR LOCAL PRIORITY IS REALLY JUST GETTING FOLKS OUTSIDE INTO THE PARKS, CONNECTING WITH OPEN SPACE.
THESE ARE, UH, EVERYONE'S PARKS HERE IN THE EAST BAY.
SO, UM, ELEVATING THE ROLE THAT OPEN SPACE CAN PLAY FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, WE ARE ADVANCING A PIECE OF LEGISLATION WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER TIM GRAYSON.
UH, WHAT THIS BILL IS PROPOSING IS TO ALLOW FOR OPEN SPACE AGENCIES WHEN WE'RE ACQUIRING NEW PROPERTIES, UH, THAT HAD FORMER IMPACTS SUCH AS ROADS, TRAILS, AND PATHWAYS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED IN ITS PREVIOUS USE.
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THOSE LANDS, WE'RE THEN ABLE TO OPEN THOSE TRAILS, ROADS, AND PATHWAYS FOR PUBLIC ACCESS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE CQA UM, REQUIREMENTS.THIS WOULD REALLY EXPEDITE PUBLIC ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE AND CREATE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE ACQUIRING THOSE LAST BITS AND PIECES CONTIGUOUS TO EXISTING PARK LANDS THAT HAVE STAGING AREAS, RESTROOMS AND OTHER FACILITIES, AND DON'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE IMMEDIATE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY.
UM, AND IT IS MOVING FORWARD TO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THIS YEAR.
AND THEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAND OF WATER, UH, CONSERVATION FUND COALITION, UH, WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE ON THIS PROGRAM.
SO THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND IS A FEDERAL LEVEL COMMITMENT TO TAKE ROYALTIES FROM, UH, OIL AND OTHER EXTRACTION PROCESSES AND INVEST THEM INTO PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
UH, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH GRANTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM PREVIOUSLY FOR VAL AND OTHER AREAS.
UM, IN A FEW YEARS BACK THROUGH THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT, THE 900 MILLION ANNUAL ALLOCATION WAS LOCKED IN.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THREATS TO THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT ONLY PLAYING DEFENSE ON PROTECTING THAT 900 MILLION ANNUAL, BUT ALSO IN, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COALITION.
WE'RE ASKING TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT, UH, BY AN ADDITIONAL 450 MILLION BECAUSE IT'S AN OVERSUBSCRIBED PROGRAM, THERE'S SO MUCH NEED AND THERE'S PLENTY OF OIL ROYALTIES THAT WE COULD, UH, BE LEVERAGING FOR THE CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION OF OUR NATURAL AREAS FOR ECOSYSTEM STEWARDSHIP.
UH, NEW TO OUR PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING INTO EXPANDING INTO WORKING WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS TEAM ON VOLUNTEER EVENTS, UM, OUT IN OUR PARKS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO WE HAVE A WALK AND TALK PROGRAM WHERE ELECTED OFFICIALS GET PAIRED UP WITH A NATURALIST AND THEY BRING NEW FOLKS OUT TO THE PARKS, UH, BY DOING A VOLUNTEER EVENT.
WE SEE OPPORTUNITY FROM HANDS-ON ENGAGEMENT AND A PARK CREATING THAT SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND SENSE OF PLACE.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE, UH, WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY OUR NEXT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT STALLED OUT, UH, BUT WE ARE HOPING TO INTRODUCE A TRAILER BILL.
UM, BUT IT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PATHWAYS.
IT'S TO 30 BY 30, UH, PROGRAM ENGAGING ON THE STATUTORY EXEMPTION FOR RESTORATION, UH, PROJECTS, WHICH WAS A CQA EXEMPTION THAT MOVED FORWARD IN 2021.
UH, TURNS OUT IT WAS PRETTY POPULAR, SO WE WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES INTRODUCING A BILL ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, AND A DIFFERENT BILL MOVED FORWARD AND WAS ADVANCED.
AND SO WE ARE SUPPORTING THAT BILL, WHICH REMOVES THE 2025 SUNSET OF THAT PROVISION.
HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE SOME INTEREST IN SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE REFINEMENT, ESPECIALLY AROUND EXPANDING.
IT CURRENTLY ALLOWS FOR PROJECTS AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT ALSO ALLOW FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW FOR RESTORATION AND HEALTH OF HABITAT, THOSE ONGOING STEWARDSHIP NEEDS, UH, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR DELEGATION, HOPEFULLY ON A TRAILER BILL THAT HELPS TO EXPAND THAT LANGUAGE THERE.
SO SORT OF REROUTING FROM A PROPOSED BILL TO A, TO A TRAILER BILL.
AND THEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, AS I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE WELL ATTUNED TO, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR WORK ON THE 2021 AND UNFORTUNATELY THE 2017, UH, ATMOSPHERIC RIVER STORM DAMAGE IN OUR PARKS, UH, WE HAVE CLOSE TO, UH, 400 PRODUCTS TOTAL FROM BOTH STORMS. UM, AND SO WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, UH, NOT ONLY JUST TO, UH, ENSURE THAT OUR GRANTS TEAM HAS ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO SWIFTLY IMPLEMENT, UH, THOSE GRANTS AND OUR PROJECTS TEAM HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECTS, BUT ALSO LEARNING THROUGH THIS PROCESS ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS HOW WE CAN WORK PROACTIVELY TO, UM, ENSURE THAT OUR SPACES ARE AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS IN THE MOST RECENT ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS, THE PARKS ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY DAMAGE OR CLOSURES, UH, BECAUSE WE PREPARED FOR THEM APTLY.
SO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
OUR NEXT PRIORITY IS GREEN JOBS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE PAST YEAR TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
CIVICORE IS A, A LOCAL, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, GROUP OUT OF OAKLAND.
AND NOW THEY HAVE A PITTSBURGH LOCATION AND THEN THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS.
UM, AND SO WORKING TO ELEVATE WHAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS LOOK LIKE.
UH, LAST OCTOBER WE HAD A GREAT SITE VISIT WITH ELECTED OFFICE STAFF OUT AT LOST TRUMPUS, WHERE CIVICO AND CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS JOINED US.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE ALL WORK TOGETHER.
'CAUSE REALLY THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR CAREER LADDERS INTO THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN PARTS OF AMERICORPS, CIVICORE AND OTHER ENTITIES AS REALLY THAT FIRST STEP IN AND EXPOSURE TO THIS SORT OF WORK.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR $2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR PERMANENT FACILITIES OF, FOR THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS AT LOS TRUMPUS.
THIS $2 MILLION WOULD BE A COMMITMENT BY THE STATE TO FULLY FUND THE FACILITIES AT A $30 MILLION TAG.
UM, HOWEVER, THE EAST BAY IS CURRENTLY AN UNDERSERVICED AREA BY CIVIC, OR EXCUSE ME, BY CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS.
AND SO THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO WORK WITH THE PARK DISTRICT TO HAVE PERMANENT FACILITIES THAT HAVE, UM, AN EDUCATION CENTER, THAT HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER AND THAT CREATE THOSE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
THE YOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO FINISH, UH, THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION OR TAKE COLLEGE COURSES WHILE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT, UH, PARK DISTRICT CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES,
[01:35:01]
UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIC CORE, THE LOCAL CORE.AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM COMMITMENTS BY THE WHITE HOUSE.
THERE'S REALLY A STRONG INTEREST IN INVESTMENTS IN CLIMATE CORE.
AND OUR ASK THERE IS PLEASE INVEST IN WHAT'S WORKING WELL.
AND SO DIRECTING THE FEDERAL DOLLARS TOWARDS CIVIC CORE AND CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORE EXISTING CORES THAT CAN HELP TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THEIR PROGRAM WITHOUT NEEDING TO START FROM SCRATCH AND CREATE NEW PROGRAMS. AND SO WHEN WE GO TO DC LATER THIS YEAR, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING WITH OUR DELEGATION ABOUT THAT AS A PRIORITY.
ALRIGHT, ON SEA LEVEL RISE PREPAREDNESS, UM, LOCAL, UH, AND STATE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE PARK DISTRICT ARE THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION AUTHORITY GRANT FUNDING, AS WELL AS THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT FUNDING.
THESE ARE TWO, UH, PROGRAMS THAT HAVE HELPED TO SUPPORT MANY PROJECTS HERE IN THE EAST BAY IN THE GREATER BAY AREA.
AND SO REALLY PAYING, PLAYING DEFENSE OF THOSE LOCAL PROGRAMS, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL AS FUNDING MAYBE IS BEING SHIFTED AROUND IN THE BUDGET AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ELEVATING THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN THE SMOOTH OPERATIONS OF OUR ORGANIZATION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, DIRECT FUNDING, EVEN IN A BUDGET SHORT YEAR IS WORTH, UH, BRINGING UP BECAUSE IT OFTEN TAKES MULTIPLE YEARS OF HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UH, TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD.
AND SO, UH, WE DID HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS IN SACRAMENTO WITH, UH, SENATOR SKINNER'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER ANTE'S OFFICE ON OUR TIDEWATER PROJECT, WHICH IS OUT AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT 'CAUSE IT TAKES A HARDENED GRAY AREA AND TURNS IT INTO AN AREA FOR RECREATION, FOR JOY, FOR TIME OUTSIDE PLAY, AS WELL AS SOME NATIVE, UH, HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS.
AND OVERALL, UH, SOME ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY HERE IN IN THE OAKLAND AREA.
AND THEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO DIFFERENT FEDERAL BILL PACKAGES TO SEE HOW THERE MIGHT BE NEW FUNDING INTRODUCED THROUGH THE EPA AND OTHERS, UH, FOR THOSE CLIMATE INVESTMENTS.
ALRIGHT, FOR WELCOMING VISITOR USE FACILITIES, UM, THE T WATER PROJECT CONNECTS ON A LOCAL LEVEL.
WE HOPE TO GET SOME ELECTED OFFICE, UH, STAFF OUT THERE LATER THIS YEAR TO ENGAGE WITH THIS PROJECT AND REALLY SEE AND ENVISION WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, ON THE STATE LEVEL, WE ARE RESUBMITTING A $2 MILLION REQUEST FOR THE OYSTER BAY PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECTS FOR THOSE FAMILIAR AND THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SITE.
UH, OYSTER BAY IS A FORMER LANDFILL THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE OF BRINGING IN FILL, WHICH HAS BEEN SETTLING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
WE'RE AT THE EXCITING POINTING TIME WHERE WE CAN FINALLY CONSTRUCT ON THAT PROPERTY.
THE FILL HAS SETTLED ENOUGH AND THIS CONSTRUCTION WILL CREATE THE FIRST POINT OF FORMAL PUBLIC ACCESS.
WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE GENDER INCLUSIVE, A DA RESTROOMS, BIKE RACKS AND OTHER, UM, AMENITIES TO ENJOY OUT AT THE SITE.
UM, AND SO WE ARE SEEKING FUNDING, UH, FOR THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN ON THE FEDERAL, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, ADVOCATE FOR THE TRANSFER AND CLEANUP OF THE PROPERTY AT JUDGE JOHN SUTTER REGIONAL SHORELINE.
UH, THERE IS, UH, 14 ACRES OF UPLAND PROPERTY THAT THE MULTIPLE AGENCIES INVOLVED HAVE AGREED ON THE CLEANUP, CLEANUP LEVEL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S ATTACHED TO A WATER AREA PROPERTY THAT THE LEVEL OF CLEANUP HAS NOT BEEN AGREED ON.
AND SO WE ARE ASKING FOR BIFURCATION OF THE PROPERTY TO TRANSFER THE UPLAND TO ALLOW THE PARK DISTRICT TO START WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OPENING THAT AREA.
UM, IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAP OF THE PROPERTY, WE HAVE OUR OBSERVATION DECK DOWN AT THE VERY END OF IT.
WE HAVE OUR BRIDGE YARD FACILITY OVER AT THE BEGINNING, AND THIS PROPERTY IS OF COURSE, SMACK DAB IN BETWEEN.
AND SO GETTING IT OPEN AND PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
AND OUR LAST BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT LEAST, UH, GOAL WE'LL GO OVER TODAY IS WILDFIRE RESILIENCE.
SO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE AND ELEVATE THE ROLE THAT THE CALIFORNIA VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM HAS PLAYED IN HELPING US AS A PARK AGENCY EXPEDITE OUR WILDFIRE RESILIENCE EFFORTS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, DUE TO THE BUDGET SHORTFALLS, WE'RE REALLY PLAYING DEFENSE HERE AND MAKING SURE THAT THE PROGRAMS AND THE GRANT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT INVEST IN OUR WILDFIRE MEDICATION WORK CONTINUE TO HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
UH, BECAUSE IF WE SLOW DOWN OR STOP THAT WORK, IT HAS, UH, GREATER IMPLICATIONS LONGER TERM.
AND THEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, WE'RE FOCUSING IN AND EXPANDING OUR EFFORTS ON GRASSLAND MITIGATION.
SO, UH, OFTEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE, PEOPLE, PICTURES, FORESTS AND TREES.
AND SO REALLY ELEVATING THE ROLE THAT GRASSLANDS PLAY AND NEED TO MITIGATE, UM, ON GRASSLANDS, WHICH TAKE UP, UH, ABOUT 80,000 ACRES OF PARK DISTRICT PROPERTY.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES AN OVERVIEW OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2024.
UM, THIS YEAR IS A ONE YEAR PROGRAM.
AS ERIC SHARED, UH, HAVING THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING AS PART OF OUR WORK PLAN IS A LITTLE BIT NEWER FOR OUR TEAM, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
IT'S BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL TO HELP US ORGANIZE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
WE DO PLAN TO DO TWO YEAR PROGRAMS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND SO NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD A 25 26 PROGRAM.
BUT WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THAT'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE JUST DOZENS AND DOZENS OF OTHER BILLS THAT YOU GUYS ARE LIKE TRACKING AND KEEPING YOUR EYES ON EVERY YEAR.
AND SO IT'S A, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON UNDER THE SURFACE BEYOND JUST THIS.
I KNOW, AND I ESPECIALLY WANTED TO SAY I APPRECIATE, UM, THE
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INCREASING, UM, ROLE THAT WE SEE THROUGH THE YEARS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION AS WE REALIZE, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR MORE AND MORE HOW SERIOUS IT IS.IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT THAT'S ALSO REFLECTED IN, IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
MEMBER OF VALENZUELA, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION.
I LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU, UH, ADDED IN BOXES AROUND THE SIDE, THE SURVEY ATTACHED TO THE DIFFERENT SLIDES AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT WAS ON THOSE SLIDES, UH, KIND OF TIED IN EVERYTHING FOR ME.
UM, ALSO, UH, THE WALK AND TALKS, ARE THOSE ALREADY SCHEDULED OR ARE WE ARE IN THE SEASON OF SCHEDULING.
SO, UH, IN, UH, MARCH, APRIL IS WHEN WE REACH OUT TO ELECTED OFFICES TO OFFER WALK AND TALKS TO GET THEM ON THE CALENDAR FOR THE MONTHS OF APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
SO ONCE WE GET THEM SCHEDULED, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM WITH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
GUESS MEMBER SIMMONS, I HESITATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT IT'S THE POLITICAL SEASON.
HOW IS THIS GONNA CHANGE IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS? GOOD MOVE, LISA
WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE LOOKING AT A TWO YEAR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OUR WORK PLAN LITERALLY CHANGES AFTER EVERY ELECTION.
UM, AND SO SHOULD SOMETHING CHANGE IN WASHINGTON, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING TO DEFEND THINGS LIKE THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
UH, THERE IS AN EFFORT TO RESCIND A HUNDRED MILLION OUT OF THE 9 MILLION IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH A COALITION TO TRY TO PREVENT THAT.
UH, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COULD, WHAT COULD OCCUR, UH, IN 2025 IF, IF THINGS CHANGE.
UH, WE ALSO SEE CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL EVERY, UM, TWO YEARS.
AND ALSO NEXT YEAR, I BELIEVE WILL BE, UH, A YEAR WHERE WE'LL SEE SOME LEADERSHIP, WELL, WE'RE SEEING LEADERSHIP CHANGES NOW.
UH, AND WE MAY CONTINUE TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT, AND SOME OF OUR MORE PROMINENT MEMBERS ARE TERMING OUT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I DID WANT TO JUST MENTION, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BOB, UH, BUT I DID WANNA MENTION WITH NEIL, UH, NEIL'S QUESTION OR COMMENT ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR PARKS WITH THE EXTREME WEATHER.
I USE THE EXAMPLE OF TREE MORTALITY AND DROUGHT, UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE FLOODING ISSUE AND, AND LISA MENTIONED OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH FEMA.
UH, BUT WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF IMPACT IN TERMS OF HAVING TO EITHER CLOSE PARK OR CLOSE TRAILS, SOMETIMES CLOSED PARKS IF THERE'S A LOT OF SMOKE OR, OR FIRE.
UH, AND THEN, UM, HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO REPAIR AND HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES TO GET APPROVALS THROUGH AGENCIES LIKE FEMA TO REPAIR THOSE TRAILS.
SO WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE IMPACTS ALSO HAVING AN, UH, HAVING, UH, AN EFFECT ON THE PARK DISTRICT AND OUR STAFFING NEEDS, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE ROLE WE CAN PLAY FOR MITIGATION AND RESILIENCY.
AND THAT THOSE, THOSE TWO CO THOSE TWO EFFORTS ARE REALLY WHAT'S PROMPTING SOME OF OUR WORK ON CQA BECAUSE IF WE ARE TO BE PART OF THE, UH, SOLUTION TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK IN A EXPEDITED WAY, UM, BECAUSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN AN EXPEDITED MANNER IN THAT SPACE.
SO I WAS INTERESTED IN, UM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GREEN JOBS OBJECTIVES.
I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONSERVATION CORPS, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, ARE THESE, ARE THESE ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS GREEN EMPOWERMENT ZONE INITIATIVE.
EVERYBODY'S TALKING GREEN JOBS, HIGH ROAD JOBS, SO, AND THEN, AND THEN I SAW A LITTLE BOX WHERE THE SURVEY WAS TALKING ABOUT SUPPORT FOR, UM, GETTING PEOPLE MORE INTO ALL FIELDS RELATED TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO WHAT IS THE QUESTION, CARLIN? THE QUESTION IS, UM, IS THERE A WAY, IS THERE A WAY TO, UM, EVEN HAVE IT, WHAT KIND OF INVENTORY IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF JOBS AND THE NEED IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE? AND HOW DOES THAT, UM, IF YOU GET ALL THESE PEOPLE INTO THE CONSERVATION CORPS, DOES THAT CREATE THE PIPELINE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? OR IS THAT ACTUALLY TOO MANY PEOPLE, OR WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THANK YOU.
I REALLY FOCUSED ON THE, THE HARDENED FACILITIES.
UM, SO FOR THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORE PARTNERSHIP, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS, AND ONE OF THE REASONS OUR DELEGATION IS REALLY BEHIND US ON THIS ONE IS THE CAREER LADDER THAT IT WOULD CREATE.
UM, SO WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IS THAT IT WOULD BE TWO, UH, FOREST CREWS OUT AT LOST TRUMPUS.
UH, SO THAT'S ABOUT 14 MEMBERS PER CREW.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 20, UH, EIGHT YOUTH WHO CAN HAVE A POSITION AT ANY ONE TIME.
UH, THROUGH THEIR TIME IN THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM, THEY'D BE GAINING THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY NEED TO ADVANCE
[01:45:01]
INTO PROGRAMS IN THE PARK DISTRICT, UM, INCLUDING FIREFIGHTER AS WELL AS PARK RANGER.AND THEY'D ALSO LEARN ABOUT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES LIKE NATURALISTS, ET CETERA.
AND SO, UM, WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'D BE DOING TRAINING WITH OUR FORESTRY CREW, SO EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ENTRY LEVEL EMPLOYEES, NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED, UM, FULLY BENEFITED POSITIONS.
WE HAVE OUR OWN FORESTRY CREW.
UM, AND SO AS POSITIONS ON THAT OPEN, THE YOUTH COULD THEN APPLY TO OUR FORESTRY CREW AND CONTINUE TO GAIN EXPERIENCE.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND THEN ALSO, CIVICORE WILL HAVE A HUB OUT AT THE SAME SITE.
CIVICORE IS A LOCAL CORE, AND SO THE YOUTH WON'T BE HOUSED AT THE SITE, BUT THEY WILL HAVE TRAININGS.
AND SO CIVICORE, CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS AND PARK DISTRICT STAFF WOULD ALL TRAIN TOGETHER TO GAIN THE NECESSARY CERTIFICATIONS TO THEN, UM, ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREER.
UH, DOVETAILING ON THAT QUESTION, CARLIN, UH, BROUGHT UP, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM AND THAT WAS SORT OF A, UM, RENDERED, UM, NOT VIABLE ANYMORE, I SUPPOSE, AND, AND IN PLACE CIVIC CORPS HAS TAKEN OVER.
I WONDER IF CIVIC CORPS HAS, UM, UH, UM, THE ABILITY TO HAVE THEIR EMPLOYEES BE UNDER UNION, UM, JURISDICTION, IF THAT'S A PART OF IT.
UM, AND THEN GOING WITH THE WALKIN TALKS AS WELL.
JUST WONDERING, HAVE, HAVE YOU ALL EVER CONSIDERED HAVING ONE OF THE, UM, UH, POLITICAL, UH, FOLKS THAT DO THE WONDERFUL WALKIN TALKS THAT YOU DO WITH NATURAL STAFF? UH, BE FROM A SOVEREIGN NATION LIKE, UH, THE MU MALONE TRIBE, UH, CHAIRMAN, CHARLENE NME OR, UM, FROM RA LAND LAND TRUST WITH, UH, KARINA GOULD.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO HAVE INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION BE A PART OF THAT.
UM, I CANNOT ANSWER TO THE, THE FORMATION OF CIVICORE, BUT I'M SURE THEY'D ALWAYS WELCOME THOUGHTS.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF WALK AND TALKS, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY INTERESTED IN EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS, UM, BOTH WITH NONPROFITS AS WELL AS INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION.
SO IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO HELP MAKE AN INTRODUCTION FOR US, WE WOULD BE HONORED.
ALSO, ONE OF MY FAVORITE WALK AND TALKS WAS WITH FRANCIS OUT AT COYOTE HILLS.
UH, HE HAD ASSEMBLY MEMBER QUIRK WITH HIM, AN ASSEMBLY MEMBER, QUIRK, BARELY SPOKE THE WHOLE TIME.
HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CAPTIVATED BY THE STORIES FRANCIS WAS SHARING.
UH, JUST, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE HAD A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION FROM THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS WHEN WE WERE IN SACRAMENTO.
WE SAT DOWN WITH THEM AND THEY SHARED SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR PROGRAM.
AND, AND ALONG THOSE LINES, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY'RE SO INVESTED IN GETTING A PERMANENT FACILITY HERE IN THE EAST BAY BECAUSE IT'S A GAP IN ONE OF THE MOST, IF NOT THE MOST DIVERSE AREA OF CALIFORNIA.
AND SO IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT, IT WOULD ALL BE LOCAL OF URBAN YOUTH HERE IN THE BAY AREA TO OUR FACILITIES, UM, PROVIDING THOSE HOUSING IN A HIGH, UH, HOUSING COST AREAS.
AND SO, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CCC IS IS DOING THEMSELVES, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE INFORMATION, BUT I, I WASN'T PREPARED TO PRESENT ON THAT TODAY.
SO WOULD BE THE LOCAL YES, ABSOLUTELY.
MEMBER FARMER IN RELATION TO WILDFIRE RESILIENCE.
CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE, UH, FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT YOU'RE SEEKING TO INTRODUCE OR SUPPORT? ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE GRASSLAND EFFORT? YES.
SO, UM, AS LISA SHARED, WE HAVE 80,000 ACRES OF GRASSLAND.
UM, AND OUR MAIN METHOD OF REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK IS GRAZING CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS.
AND AS PART OF THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S REQUIRED IN TERMS OF WATER, SPECIFICALLY WATER, CITRONS, AND THEN ALSO PONDS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO FENCING AND GATES.
UH, SO IT IS A, UH, EXPENSE TO THE PARK DISTRICT, UH, AND TO OUR GRAZERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS LEGISLATION, OR THIS EFFORT INITIATIVE EFFORT MIGHT DO OR COULD DO, IS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THOSE TYPES OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE NEEDED FOR GRAZING.
UH, THERE'S ALSO AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF, UM, PERC WHAT, WHAT'S KNOWN AS PRESCRIBED GRAZING.
UH, THAT IS, UH, THERE IS LEGISLATION PENDING AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, THAT IS ASKING FOR THAT, UH, THAT'S NOT, HAS
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NOT BEEN PART OF THE FEDERAL PORTFOLIO YET.SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AS PART OF THIS LEGISLATION.
UH, WE HEARD RECENTLY THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN EFFORT TO REINTRODUCE A BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED THREE YEARS AGO, I THINK, OR TWO YEARS AGO FROM SENATOR RON WYDEN, UM, THAT LAYS OUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE, UH, AN INTEREST AT THE, AT THE GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL, UH, TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR, FOR GRAZING AND FOR, FOR GRASSLAND PROTECTION.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ALSO AN ANNIVERSARY, A NATIONAL ANNIVERSARY OF, UM, GRASSLANDS THAT'S CREATED SOME, UH, MOMENTUM FROM SOME NONPROFIT GROUPS AND OTHERS TO, TO PUSH FORWARD SOME LEGISLATION AND RAISE AWARENESS.
IN TERMS OF GRASSLAND AND WORKING ON THE, UH, PARK LANDS, UH, THERE IS CURRENT GRANT PROGRAMS AVAILABLE.
I, I KNOW THAT, THAT THAT'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THROUGH NCRS, UH, UH, WHERE THEY PAY FOR CREATING WATER SYSTEMS. YOU KNOW, THERE THE INTENTION IS TO, UH, TRY TO GET THE CATTLE UP TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS AWAY FROM THE RIPARIAN AREAS.
UH, BUT IF THAT COULD BE EXPANDED, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE OF THAT.
UM, THANKS FOR ASKING THE QUESTION.
UH, THE, THE INTERESTING THING WITH SOME OF THOSE FUNDS IS THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UH, ELIGIBLE.
THE PARK DISTRICT IS NOT NECESSARILY ELIGIBLE.
IT, IT'S ACTUALLY THE RANCHERS THEMSELVES, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE OUR OWN COSTS.
I MENTIONED PONDS, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR WATER FOR THE ANIMALS.
UH, THOSE PONDS NEED TO BE RESTORED, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THERE'S NO REAL EXISTING FUNDING TO DO THAT WORK ON A, ON A REGULAR, ONGOING BASIS.
SO, UH, ADVOCATING FOR A GRANT PROGRAM FOR SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES REALLY SHOULD HELP, UH, THE PARK DISTRICT DIRECTLY.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE MOTIVATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON? NOT AT THIS TIME, NO.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL THE SUCCESSFUL FRUITS OF YOUR LABORS
AND SO, UM, AS WE START WINDING DOWN, WE, OUR NEXT ITEM ARE PAC MEMBER COMMENTS.
AND, UM, I'LL STEAL THE STAGE INITIALLY AND SAY THAT, UM, REMIND YOU ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TILDEN PARK, THAT THERE'S THE SECOND COMMUNITY MEETING COMING UP DAY AFTER TOMORROW AT 6:30 PM REMOTELY ON ZOOM TO DISCUSS THE REBUILD, REALLY, OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER AT TILDEN PARK.
SO THE, THE FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD ON MAYBE THE LAST DAY OF JANUARY AND WAS, UM, INTERESTING AND, UM, WELL ATTENDED.
INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT THE PLANS GOING FORWARD.
AND SO THE SECOND ONE WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, AND THEN THERE WILL BE A THIRD ONE LATER ON.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TILDEN PARK TO ATTEND THAT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, UH, COMMENTS FROM YES, MEMBER ER, THANK YOU.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE, AND I'M SURE MEMBER SIMMONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN READY TO MENTION THIS, BUT SORRY, I GUESS I PREEMPTED MAYBE, MAYBE.
SO THERE IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE CONCORD WATERSHED DAY THAT IS HAPPENING ON MARCH 2ND.
UM, AND THAT'S ORGANIZED BY THE FRIENDS OF CONCORD CREEK.
THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN WALNUT CREEK, THOUGH, UM, AT IGNACIO VALLEY LIBRARY FROM TWO TO 4:00 PM.
SO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS GROW THEIR MEMBERSHIP AND, UH, LET FOLKS KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE PLANNED.
SO PLEASE JOIN US AND I PLAN TO BE THERE.
MAY I SUPPLEMENT THAT, BECAUSE I'M ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THE OF COURSE.
AND THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT.
UH, CARLIN THE, UH, IT'S, IT'S, WE'VE DONE THE WA WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED COUNCIL, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S GOT NINE CITIES AND TOWNS IN IT.
SO IT'S THE BIGGEST WATERSHED IN CONTRA.
COSTA COUNTY HAS HAD TWO LARGE MEETINGS, PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND TRYING TO CREATE A, UH, WALL AND CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN.
AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF IDENTIFYING SITES, BUT WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF THE OUTREACH.
AND THE FIRST TWO LARGE PUBLIC MEETINGS, ONE WAS THE LIBRARY WEBINAR, AND YOU CAN, IT WAS TWO HOURS LONG, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUST GO TO THE CONTRA COSTA LIBRARY AND YOU CAN WATCH IT IF YOU WANT.
BUT THE, THE NEXT SET OF, UH, OF MEETINGS ARE JUST LIKE, UH, CARLIN IDENTIFIED.
UH, WHAT'S NICE, PARTICULARLY NICE ABOUT THIS PART, THIS ONE AT IGNACIO VALLEY LIBRARY, UH, IS THAT ABOUT AN HOUR IS REALLY GOING TO BE SPENT ON KIDS' ACTIVITIES RELATED TO CREEKS, AND THEN AN HOUR TALKING ABOUT YOU TO THE ADULTS ABOUT OTHER THINGS.
SO I KIND OF WANTED TO JUST ADD THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A REALLY NICE JOB OF BUILDING THEIR THING.
AND YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT, BUT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE KIDS
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THAT, UH, UH, UH, THAT GO TO FOOTHILL MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS ALMOST ADJACENT TO THE YV LIBRARY, ARE FROM CONCORD.AND THEY GO TO THE IGNACIO VALLEY LIBRARY AFTER SCHOOL WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR THEIR PARENTS TO PICK THEM UP.
SO IT'S, IT'S A HEAVILY USED ONE BY THE, UH, PEOPLE FROM CONCORD AS WELL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL EVENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE, ON MARCH 26TH, UH, BIG BRICK REGIONAL PARK IS HAVING THEIR, UH, FIRST ALL ABILITIES DAY OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVE THEM TWICE, TWICE A YEAR.
AND, UM, I THINK I MENTIONED IT, THE, MY FIRST MONTH I WAS HERE, THE ONE WE HAD IN OCTOBER, VERY HEAVILY ATTENDED.
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE TWO COUNTIES SHOW, SHOW UP HERE, AND THEY, UH, IT, IT, IT IS A VERY, UH, FUN PROGRAM, VERY FUN DAY.
THE SMILES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE ON THIS DAY, UH, REALLY STICK WITH YOU.
THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT GOES INTO IT FROM ALL OVER THE, THE, UH, THE PARK SERVICE, WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM, FROM THE, UH, THE, THE WHOLE PARK SERVICE COME, COME, COME OUT AND HELP BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR, FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY.
UM, THEY REALLY ENJOY THE DAY.
THEY'VE TOLD US WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN OUR PROGRAM.
WE ADJUST THE, THESE DAYS FROM YEAR TO YEAR, FROM PROGRAM TO PROGRAM.
AND, UH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM AND IT HAS CHANGED.
IT'S, UH, GREAT TO SEE, UH, PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITY ISSUES COME TO OUR PROGRAM AND JUST ENJOY THEMSELVES.
SO SPREAD THE WORD MARCH 26TH ON A TUESDAY, 10 TO ONE O'CLOCK.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES, FRANCIS, I GOT A NEW JOB, SO I WANTED TO SHUT OUT THE WORK THAT I'M DOING AND NOW WITH SAVE CALIFORNIA SALMON, UM, THE WATER AND LAND JUSTICE, UH, MANAGER.
AND, UM, YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE HEARD THE KLAMATH RIVER DAMS ARE DOWN AND THEY'RE COMING DOWN.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST DOCUMENTING THAT AND ALSO WORKING WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES ALL UP AND DOWN THE STATE TO ENSURE THAT THEIR, UM, UH, CONVEYANCE, BUT ALSO THEIR CONSULTATION FROM THE BEGINNING IS, IS, IS, UM, MEANINGFUL AND, UM, A PART OF A, A SOVEREIGN TRIBAL NATION.
SO I HAVE A NEWSLETTER HERE, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO PICK THEM UP, FEEL FREE TO.
UH, OH, ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IS, UH, A NEW SPECIES OF LAND PRAIRIE WAS FOUND, UM, IN NAPA RIVER, BUT ALSO CLOSE TO US IN ALAMEDA CREEK AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF WE WORK ON, THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AS WELL AS WESTERN SCIENCE.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SHOUT THAT OUT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING NONE, UM, REPORT FROM THE CHAIR.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR PROGRAM.
UH, I'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 5:56 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.