[00:00:01]
          OKAY. HELLO, EVERYBODY. IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE JUST HERE. 
          TIME FLIES. 
          MUST BE HAVING FUN, AND SO THIS IS REGULAR PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST
BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ON MAY 20TH, 2024, STARTING AT 4:10 P.M.. 
          [Roll Call]
MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? 12 MEMBERS PRESENT. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU, AND NOW I'LL READ OUR NORMAL BLURB ABOUT THE ZOOM PROCEDURES. 
          SO 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, 2950 PERALTA OAKS COURT, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND OCCASIONALLY MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY ATTEND REMOTELY PURSUANT TO
THE BROWN ACT, AS AMENDED BY AB 2449 PURSUANT TO THE GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 54953, SUBDIVISION B, ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER DENISHA MARSH WILL PARTICIPATE FROM 352
SHORELINE DRIVE, PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA. 
          THIS NOTICE AND AGENDA WILL BE POSTED AT THE TELECONFERENCE LOCATION ACCESSIBILITY TO AND
PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THIS ADDRESS WILL BE PROVIDED AS REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953B3. WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING. 
          MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO, EITHER IN PERSON OR LIVE
VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL OR LEAVING A VOICEMAIL. 
          THE. THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA. 
          IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN. 
          MADAM VICE CHAIR, COULD YOU PLEASE READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT? WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNCEDED LANDS OF THE OHLONE PEOPLE, AND THAT THE
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HUCHIUN TERRITORY, WHICH IS OUR TRADITIONAL, ANCESTRAL, AND SHARED
HOMELAND. 
          SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE OHLONE PEOPLE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN RECIPROCITY WITH
NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCES FUNDAMENTAL FOR OUR 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 SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT. 
          THANK YOU, AND AS NOTED EARLIER, MEMBER MARSH IS JOINING US REMOTELY TODAY. 
          SO I'LL TAKE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE HER REMOTE ATTENDANCE. 
          I MOVE. LOPEZ. 
          MOVED BY LOPEZ. SECOND. 
          SECOND BY SIMMONS, I BELIEVE. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? MR. SECRETARY, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL VOTE? ROLL CALL? YOU DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON ON THIS ITEM. 
          SHE'S PRE-APPROVED UNDER A SEPARATE AUTHORITY. 
          EXCELLENT. THANK YOU, AND MEMBER MARSH, COULD YOU PLEASE CONFIRM WHETHER THERE ARE
INDIVIDUALS 18 YEARS OR OLDER IN THE ROOM WITH YOU? NO, THERE'S NO ONE WITH ME. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY MOVING ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          [Approval of Minutes]
SO THE MINUTES THAT WERE ATTACHED TO OUR AGENDA PACKET WERE THE MINUTES FROM MARCH. 
          SO WE WILL DEFER THE APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES UNTIL NEXT MONTH, WHERE WE HAVE TWO SETS
OF MINUTES TO APPROVE. 
          SO THOSE WILL BE CIRCULATED BOTH BEFORE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, AND SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO
PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS 
          [Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda]
THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. 
          [00:05:02]
I NOTE THAT WE RECEIVED COMMENTS BY EMAIL FROM ONE GROUP REGARDING THE JUNIOR RANGER, SO
I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOU SAW THOSE BY EMAIL. 
          THOSE ARE FAIRLY LENGTHY COMMENTS, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO READ THOSE. 
          THERE WERE SOMETHING LIKE 100 SIGNATORIES TO THAT COMMENT, AND SO PLEASE DO TAKE A LOOK
AT THAT. 
          IT'S ON THE ISSUE THAT WE HEARD ABOUT FROM STAFF A FEW MEETINGS AGO ABOUT THE JUNIOR
RANGERS, AND SO IT'S RELEVANT TO A TOPIC THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED RECENTLY. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR CARDS? WE HAVE ONE IN THE ROOM. 
          NICK [INAUDIBLE]. MR. [INAUDIBLE], PLEASE STEP FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MY NAME IS NICK [INAUDIBLE]. I'M HERE TO SPEAK UPON THE SAME TOPIC THAT EMAIL WAS ABOUT. 
          I'M ALSO A SIGNATORY TO THAT EMAIL. 
          I HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO ARE IN THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM, AND VERY RECENTLY, BACK
IN APRIL, WE WERE INFORMED OF SOME CUTS TO THE PROGRAM. 
          I WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO HOW IT GOT TO THAT POINT. 
          APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM GOES FROM
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL. 
          CHILDREN MEET CURRENTLY ONCE A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN THEY HAVE ONCE A
MONTH. 
          THEY DO AN OVERNIGHT, USUALLY A BACKPACKING, TO ONE OF THE SITES IN THE TILDEN REGIONAL
PARKS. 
          I HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO ARE CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROGRAM. 
          APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE STARTED TO HEAR SOME RUMORS. 
          SOME OF THE JUNIOR RANGERS HEARD SOME RUMORS THAT THE PROGRAM WAS LIKELY TO BE CUT BY 50%
THAT YEAR. 
          BECAUSE OF THAT, AND BECAUSE OF THE ADVOCACY OF BOTH THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM AND
THEIR FAMILIES AND SOME ALUMNI. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME SECUREMENT FROM MANAGEMENT THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE CUT
THAT YEAR. 
          FOLLOWING THAT, MANAGEMENT SENT OUT A SURVEY TO SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT OR TO THE
MEMBERS OF THAT PROGRAM. 
          HAD A MEETING WITH THE FAMILIES AND THE CURRENT JUNIOR RANGERS. 
          AT THAT TIME, THEY LET US KNOW THAT THERE WAS NO PLANS AT THAT TIME TO CUT THAT. 
          THEY WERE LOOKING AT PROGRAMS, BUT THEY HAD NO SPECIFIC PLANS, AND WE WERE GUARANTEED, WE
WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE HAVE FURTHER COMMUNICATION BEFORE ANY, ANY CUTS WOULD BE MADE OR ANY CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM WOULD BE MADE. 
          IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SHORTLY THEREAFTER THEY MET WITH THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO
SHARE THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY, AND AT THE TIME THEY WERE THEY AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH
THE COMMUNITY. 
          APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THE MANAGEMENT, HAVING NO
FURTHER COMMUNICATION, THAT THE PROGRAM WAS GOING TO BE CUT, APPROXIMATELY 40%. 
          BASICALLY, WE SAW THEM IMPLEMENT THE EXACT SAME CUTS THAT WE HAD HEARD RUMORS ABOUT A
YEAR AND A HALF BEFORE, WHICH WE WERE TOLD WERE NOT GOING TO BE M ADE, AND THERE WAS NO PLANS TO MAKE THEM AT THAT TIME. 
          THIS WAS VERY SHOCKING TO ALL OF US, PARTICULARLY HAVING JUST BEEN RECENTLY MET WITH THE
MANAGEMENT. 
          FELT VERY BETRAYED, FELT THAT WE HAD BEEN LIED TO, KIND OF GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD
BEEN TOLD BY MANAGEMENT SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY SO THAT WE WOULD QUIET OUR ADVOCACY SO THAT THEY COULD PUSH THESE CHANGES THROUGH WITHOUT FURTHER INTERFERENCE FROM
THE PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PROGRAM. 
          SO I'M COMING HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO HELP THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM IN TABLING THESE
CUTS. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE, BUT THE WAY THAT THEY
HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE AFFECTED THE JUNIOR RANGER COMMUNITY HAS, HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTING AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE IN THE SPIRIT OR
THE WAY THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE RUN FOR A PUBLIC ORGANIZATION--YOU'RE THREE MINUTES ARE UP. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND WE CAN'T RESPOND OR ENGAGE IN THIS FORUM, BUT I
DO THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TODAY AND SPEAKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA? THERE ARE NINE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED. 
          OKAY. I CAN'T SEE THEM, BUT WE CAN JUST TAKE THEM IN ORDER, AND JUST A REMINDER THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. 
          I'M SORRY, WAS I INVITED TO SPEAK, I GOT PROMOTED. 
          I DIDN'T HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS. 
          YES. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          MY APOLOGIES. 
          HELLO. MY NAME IS REBECCA MILLIKEN, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF EL CERRITO. 
          MY SON IS A HIGH SCHOOL AIDE IN THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM. 
          I'M ALSO SPEAKING BRIEFLY TODAY ABOUT THE LATEST ROUND OF CUTS TO THE PROGRAM, THE BREACH
OF PUBLIC TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND REACHING OUT TO YOU FOR HELP ONCE 
          [00:10:06]
AGAIN. AS YOU HEARD BEFORE, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE LEARNED THROUGH BACK CHANNELS THAT THE
PROGRAM WAS THREATENED. 
          I, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, WE REACHED OUT TO THE PARKS ADVISORY
COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD BEGGING FOR TO COLLABORATE WITH US ON A NEW VISION FOR THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM. 
          WE SENT OVER 50 LETTERS TO THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT. 
          WE OFFERED TESTIMONY FROM YOUTH AND PARENTS ALIKE SPEAKING TO THIS UNIQUE IMPACT OF THE 75
PLUS YEAR PROGRAM, AND WE OFFERED MANY IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS ON HOW TO REACH A BROADER AUDIENCE, HOW WE COULD REDUCE EXPENSES, BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WE INVITED COLLABORATION, AND AS YOU HEARD, THANKS TO THAT, ADVOCACY CUTS WERE DELAYED FOR THE CURRENT 20 2324 PROGRAM YEAR, AND THIS WINTER, THE
TILDEN SUPERVISING NATURALISTS ASKED THE JUNIOR RANGER COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A SURVEY. 
          INVITED US TO THIS MEETING TO SHARE THE RESULTS. 
          THE FEEDBACK FROM THE FAMILIES INDICATED THAT CONTINUITY. 
          CONTINUITY WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM, THAT THE
REGULAR WEEKLY MEETINGS AND MONTHLY OVERNIGHTS LED TO A TIGHT KNIT AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY ACROSS YOUTH FROM A RANGE OF AGES AND BACKGROUNDS, WITH NATURALISTS AND WITH
STUDENT AIDES FAMILIES DEEPLY APPRECIATED AND WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CURRENT SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMING. THERE WAS GOODWILL WITH MANAGEMENT AND A PROMISE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
FAMILIES. 
          THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF CUTS THEN, AS YOU HEARD, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ENGAGEMENT. 
          TWO MONTHS LATER, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE SUPERVISING NATURALIST INFORMING US OF
40% PROGRAM CUTS. 
          WE REALLY WERE SHOCKED. 
          THE LETTER CAME AFTER A PROMISE OF CONTINUED DIALOG. 
          THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT DEPTH OF PROGRAMMING VERSUS BREADTH, AND IT'S NOT JUST A NUMBERS
GAME. 
          IT'S ABOUT THE BREACH OF PUBLIC TRUST, AND IT GOES AGAINST THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS
DISTRICT VISION STATEMENT TO ENSURE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESSES AND I'M ASKING YOUR HELP TODAY TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD AND THE MANAGEMENT TO TABLE THE CUTS
ONCE AGAIN AND ENGAGE IN A GENUINE DIALOG WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE PROGRAM WHILE PROTECTING ITS CORE VALUES. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          APOLOGIES, BUT I THINK I WAS PROMPTED TO SPEAK AGAIN, AND I THINK YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, MAX
MAKITA, HAS LOST HIS PANELIST VIEW BECAUSE I WAS PROMPTED TO SPEAK AGAIN AND UNMUTE. 
          YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MARSHA. 
          THREE MINUTES. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          I JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS PROPOSED CHANGE. 
          TWO DAYS AGO, AND I'M GLAD I GET A CHANCE TO ADDRESS IT. 
          I'M A PARENT OF TWO FORMER JUNIOR RANGER AND WHO BECAME JUNIOR RANGER AIDES AND
PARTICIPATED WITH THE PROGRAM OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD FROM 1989 TO 1999. 
          [00:15:04]
I HAVE STILL VERY, VERY DEEP AND LASTING COMMITMENT AND INTEREST IN SEEING THE JUNIOR
RANGER PROGRAM CONTINUE AS IT WAS RUN AT THE TIME, AND I KNOW THAT THINGS NEED TO CHANGE, BUT I DO THINK THAT
THERE ARE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM THAT I THINK COLLABORATING WITH PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY WILL HELP TO PRESERVE,
WELL, ENHANCING THE EAST BAY PARKS PROGRAMMING. THERE'S A RICH RICH HISTORY HERE. 
          THERE IS A LOT OF BUILT UP GOODWILL AND CONTRIBUTION BY THE KIDS THAT WENT THROUGH THE
JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM THAT HAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE EAST BAY, THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYWHERE. 
          MY DAUGHTER DOES ENVIRONMENTAL WORK NOW, AND SO I CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE
JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM. SO I URGE YOU TO TABLE THE CUTS AND ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT CAN
STRENGTHEN THE PROGRAM AND CALL ON THE GOODWILL, RESTORED GOODWILL, THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS CREATED
OVER THE YEARS. 
          I MYSELF AM VERY WILLING TO DO WHAT I CAN TO SEE THAT THE PROGRAM CONTINUES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JOEL IRVIS AND MY SON PARTICIPATES IN THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM. 
          CONTINUING WITH THE THEME. 
          IN LATE MARCH, DISTRICT MANAGEMENT MADE A PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL ABOUT THE ONGOING
EVALUATION OF THE JR PROGRAM. 
          STAFF SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT THE NEXT STEPS INCLUDED TO, AND THIS IS PER THE
TRANSCRIPT, QUOTE, FIGURE OUT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE DO WANT TO PROPOSE AND THEN GO TO NOT JUST STAFF, BUT GO TO THE JUNIOR RANGER FAMILIES AND DISCUSS THE BEST WAYS TO DO THAT,
END QUOTE. 
          THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME STAFF HAD PROMISED TO ENGAGE THE JR FAMILIES. 
          AS MENTIONED, IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, STAFF MADE A SIMILAR COMMITMENT TO DISCUSS
POTENTIAL CHANGES WITH JR MEMBERS, AND YET, TO OUR DISMAY, JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER MAKING THAT COMMITMENT IN FRONT OF THIS COMMITTEE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION OR
ENGAGEMENT, STAFF ANNOUNCED DEEP, DEEP CUTS TO THE JR PROGRAM, INCLUDING A 40% REDUCTION IN OVERNIGHT TRIPS AND REDUCING REGULAR GATHERINGS TO EVERY OTHER WEEK. 
          APART FROM BEING SHOCKED AND APPALLED ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT MANAGEMENT SAID
IT WOULD DO AND WHAT IT DID, I CAN'T OVERSTATE HOW DIFFICULT THESE CUTS ARE. 
          THE REGULAR MEETINGS AND TRIPS ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO FOSTERING NOT ONLY A STRONG AND
LIFETIME LOVE OF THE PARK AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO THE WONDERFUL, FULFILLING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN KIDS AND ADULTS OF DIFFERENT AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. 
          THIS IS A COMMUNITY WHERE KIDS CAN BE THEMSELVES AND BE ACCEPTED FOR WHO THEY ARE. 
          THAT INCLUDES KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN BULLIED FOR NOT BEING PERCEIVED AS ATHLETIC ENOUGH IN
SPORTS. 
          KIDS WITH NEURODIVERSITY AND KIDS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF GENDER EXPRESSIONS. 
          IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF MINDLESS SCREEN TIME AND RISING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, OUR KIDS
NEED THE KIND OF OUTLETS THAT JR PROVIDES TO BE THEIR AUTHENTIC, CONFIDENT SELVES. 
          THIS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE JEWELS IN THE DISTRICT'S CROWN, AND THE CUTS ARE SHORTSIGHTED
AND DEEPLY DAMAGING. 
          BECAUSE OF THE BREACH OF THE PUBLIC TRUST BY DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AND THE SIGNIFICANT CUTS
THAT WILL UNDERMINE THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM. 
          NEARLY 90 MEMBERS OF THE JR COMMUNITY HAVE SUBMITTED A LETTER TO YOU TO ASK YOUR SUPPORT
FOR TWO THINGS. 
          FIRST, HELP US CONVINCE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT TO TABLE THE PLANNED CUTS. 
          DOING SO WOULD HELP RESTORE TRUST IN DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AND WOULD PREVENT TARNISHING ONE
OF THE DISTRICT'S TREASURES. 
          SECOND, TELL MANAGEMENT TO WORK WITH THE JR COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN AND PROTECT THE
PROGRAM AS IT EVOLVES. 
          WE SO VERY MUCH WANT TO SEE THIS PROGRAM SUCCEED AND BE A VALUE TO THE EAST BAY
COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE IDEAS ABOUT HOW BEST TO DO THAT. 
          THIS IS A FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR DISTRICT MANAGEMENT TO WORK WITH US, TO ENSURE THE
PROGRAM IS AS STRONG AND AS MEANINGFUL AS POSSIBLE AS IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, NOT JUST FOR CURRENT MEMBERS, BUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          NADIA, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          [00:20:07]
HI. HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          YES. HELLO. 
          DEAR MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS NADIA TARGARYEN, AND I'M SPEAKING
HERE TODAY AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND A RESIDENT OF ALAMEDA. 
          I'M VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE CUTS PLANNED FOR JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAMS. I'M A PARENT OF JUNIOR RANGER, AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW LIFE CHANGING THIS PROGRAM IS. 
          THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM IS A HIGHLIGHT OF MY SON'S WEEK. 
          IT GIVES HIS LIFE CONTINUITY AND HE COMES EVERY SATURDAY HAPPY, MUDDY, AND WITH STORIES
TO TELL ABOUT CAMARADERIE, RESILIENCE, AND NATURE ADVENTURES. 
          ON SATURDAYS, HE IS AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH A GREAT GROUP OF FELLOW
NATURE LOVING KIDS AND NATURALISTS IN THE PARKS. 
          ALL THE NATURALISTS ARE DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB FOSTERING AN ATMOSPHERE OF NATURE,
STEWARDSHIP, INCLUSIVITY AND FUN. 
          THE PROGRAM HAS BECOME MORE RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE IN RECENT YEARS. 
          MANY KIDS IDENTIFY WITH DIFFERENT GENDER IDENTITIES, AND FOR THE KIDS, THEY FIND IT A
SAFE PLACE TO BE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SCHOOL TEAM SPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          IT CREATES STRUCTURE AND IDENTITY FOR MANY KIDS. 
          THEY LEARN RESILIENCE THAT IS CRUCIAL FOR THEM. 
          I THINK THE KIDS WILL GROW TO BECOME AMBASSADORS OF OUR PARKS, STEWARDS OF NATURE AND
FUTURE LEADERS AND VOCAL SUPPORTERS OF OUR DISTRICT. 
          THE IMPACT, THE IMPACT. 
          THIS IMPACT CAN HARDLY BE REPLICATED IF THE PROGRAM IS SEVERELY CUT. 
          THE PLANNED CHANGES WILL BE EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO THE PROGRAM'S FUNCTIONING AND MAY
BRING EVENTUALLY ITS DEMISE IN THE FUTURE. 
          I BELIEVE SUCH A PROGRAM NEEDS NOT TO BE SEVERELY CUT, BUT RATHER REPLICATED, SO MORE
KIDS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND IDENTITIES CAN JOIN THIS PROGRAM. 
          BEFORE FINALIZING THE CHANGES. 
          IT IS CRUCIAL FOR THE DISTRICT TO ENGAGE MORE WITH THOSE AFFECTED. 
          JUNIOR RANGERS, AIDES AND FAMILIES. 
          THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS THUS FAR HAS LEFT MANY OF US FEELING FRUSTRATED AND
DISAPPOINTED. 
          WE PARTICIPATED IN A SURVEY. 
          WE MET WITH THE JUNIOR RANGER LEADERSHIP, ONLY TO BE UNFORTUNATELY INFORMED OF THE CUTS
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. 
          RESPECTFULLY, I ASKED THAT YOU RECONSIDER THE PLANNED CHANGES. 
          PLEASE LET THE PARENT COMMUNITY KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR YOUR DEVICE. 
          HI. YES, MY NAME IS ANNETTE OVERBY. 
          I FELT I HAD TO SPEAK OUT WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE PLAN TO CUT FUNDING TO THE JR PROGRAM. 
          MY SON, WHO IS HALF LATINO AND NEURODIVERGENT, HE'S ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, WAS A JR AND
THEN AN AIDE. 
          THIS PROGRAM MADE A HUGE AND POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO WHO HE IS AS AN ADULT, AND FOSTERED A
DEEP CONNECTION TO NATURE AND THE PARKS. 
          IN FACT, HE CONSIDERS TILDEN HIS SECOND HOME. 
          CUTTING THE FREQUENCY IN OVERNIGHTS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERMINE THE IMPACT THIS PROGRAM
HAS ON THE KIDS. 
          THEY, THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WILL REMEMBER THAT THE DISTRICT AND ITS
MANAGEMENT ARE NOT TRANSPARENT AND DO NOT KEEP THEIR PROMISES, LEADING THEM TO CONCLUDE THAT THEY HAVE LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE PUBLIC THEY
SERVE AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED. 
          I CHOOSE TO BE HOPEFUL THAT THEY WANT TO EARN THAT TRUST BACK BY NOT CUTTING THE FUNDING
AND KEEPING THEIR PROMISE TO WORK WITH THE PARENTS AND THE JRS INTERESTED PARTIES. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          OKAY. WHOOPS. 
          HI, MY NAME IS AMANDA ACHESON. 
          THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, ANNIE. 
          WE ARE RESIDENTS OF OAKLAND. 
          I WAS ACTUALLY A JUNIOR RANGER FOR 8 OR 9 YEARS IN THE 1980S, AND BOTH MY DAUGHTERS HAVE
BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 
          [00:25:06]
MY OLDER DAUGHTER, LUCY, WAS A JUNIOR RANGER FOR NINE YEARS AND GRADUATED OUT OF THE
PROGRAM TWO YEARS AGO, AND MY 15 YEAR OLD, ANNIE, HAS BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR SIX YEARS AND I CAN SAY THAT FOR ALL OF US JUNIOR RANGERS WAS, IS AND WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR WEEK. 
          IT WAS THE THING WE WERE MOST EXCITED TO GET OUT AND DO EVERY WEEK, JUST BECAUSE OF HOW
MUCH FUN IT WAS. 
          IT WAS AN INVALUABLE ADDITION TO OUR LIVES OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE, OF FOSTERING A DEEP
AND ONGOING LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS, AND AN INTEREST IN CONSERVATION AND A DEEP LOVE OF THE REGIONAL PARKS, ALL OF THEM, BUT ESPECIALLY TILDEN, AND IT PROVIDED AN INCREDIBLE
OPPORTUNITIES TO KIDS WHO ARE DIFFERENT AND DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE NOR WELCOME IN THE TYPICAL KID ACTIVITIES SUCH AS REC TEAMS OR CUB SCOUTS OR THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          JUNIOR RANGERS GET TO EXPERIENCE THE OUTDOORS. 
          THEY MEET OTHER KIDS WHO ARE DIFFERENT LIKE THEY ARE, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT FROM THEM. 
          THEY LEARN ACCEPTANCE OF THEMSELVES AND OTHERS AND THEY LEARN TO JUST LOVE THE OUTDOORS,
GET OFF OUT OF THE HOUSE, OFF THEIR PHONES, AND EXPERIENCE LIFE AS A KID SHOULD, PLAYING AND GETTING DIRTY, LEARNING TO COOPERATE WITH OTHERS AND I THINK THE DEPARTMENT HAS KIND
OF GOTTEN IT WRONG. 
          THEY'RE EXCHANGING ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK HAS TO
OFFER THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE EYEBALLS OR CLICKS ON A WEBSITE WITHOUT BOTHERING TO SEE HOW DEEPLY THOSE CLICKS GO. 
          IT'S CURTAILING THIS PROGRAM WHERE WE REMOVE WHAT HAS MADE THIS PROGRAM SUCH AN ENORMOUS
SUCCESS FOR THE LAST 70 YEARS. 
          I'M IN TOUCH WITH PREVIOUS JUNIOR RANGERS, WHO ARE NOW MY AGE IN THEIR 50S, AND THEY ARE
DEVASTATED THAT THESE CUTS ARE GOING ON AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE KIDS IN IT BECAUSE IT MEANT THAT MUCH TO THEM GROWING UP, AND YES, TILDEN WILL HAVE MORE RANGERS AVAILABLE FOR
OTHER WEEKEND PROGRAMS, BUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AND THE SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING THROUGH ARE THE DEEP SUCCESS AND THE DEEP WAY YOU TOUCH
CHILDREN, AND IT'S NOT A ZERO SUM GAME. 
          . YOU CAN DO BOTH, AND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK OUT IN THE WAY THIS WAS
UNDERTAKEN WHEN I WAS IN THE PROGRAM, AND TIM RAN THE PROGRAM BACK IN THE 80S. WE WERE INVOLVED. 
          IT WAS LIKE A BIG FAMILY GROUP, AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT IS WITH THIS MANAGEMENT. 
          THIS CURRENT MANAGEMENT HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED, NEVER INVOLVED THE USERS. 
          THEY HAD NEVER SENT OUT A THEY THEY PROPOSED ALL THESE CUTS WITHOUT EVEN BOTHERING TO
KNOW, LIKE WHAT IT MEANT TO PEOPLE, AND AT OUR URGING, THEY THEN SENT OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE AND THEY WERE AMAZED AT HOW THIS PROGRAM WOULD TOUCH PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND TO PUT IT
BLUNTLY, IT APPEARS TO US THAT MANAGEMENT NEVER REALLY INTENDED AT ALL TO INCLUDE US. 
          THEY JUST SORT OF PLACATED US, TO SHUT US UP SO THEY COULD GO THROUGH AND EVENTUALLY PUSH
OUT THE SAME EXACT CUTS THEY TRIED TO DO IN SECRET WITHOUT LETTING ANYBODY KNOW. 
          A YEAR AND A HALF EARLIER, THEY LIED REPEATEDLY AND FAILED TO MEET THE STANDARDS OF THE
PUBLICLY FUNDED AGENCY THAT, ON ITS OWN WEBSITE, TALKS ABOUT ENSURING AN OPEN AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS. 
          THAT'S THREE MINUTES. 
          OKAY, SORRY. 
          OKAY. I GUESS I'M ASKING THE SAME THING, THAT THE CUTS BE TABLED AND WE GET REAL
INVOLVEMENT FROM THEM, AS WELL AS SOMEONE FROM THE COMMUNITY FROM, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER UP MANAGEMENT POSITION, WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE
ACTUALLY DOING WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          I THINK SO, YES. 
          HI. OKAY, I HAVE MY, ALL RIGHT. 
          I HAVE MYSELF. 
          I'M A FATHER OF TWO. 
          JUNIOR RANGER EIGHTH. 
          THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM FOR. 
          WELL, MY OLDEST HAS BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM FOR THREE, FOUR YEARS, AND MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN
IN THIS PROGRAM FOR FIVE ACTUALLY FOUR, I DON'T KNOW. THEY'LL BE IN THIS PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS UNTIL THEY GRADUATE. 
          YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE FAMILIES HOW GOOD THE PROGRAM IS, AND YOU HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM
STAFF IN THE PAST SEVERAL MEETINGS HOW GOOD AND SUCCESSFUL THIS PROGRAM IS. 
          I WANT TO [INAUDIBLE] SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CUTS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED. 
          WHEN IS LAST MEETING, LAST TIME YOU HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT
SAN FRANCISCO STATE IS DOING A STUDY 
          [00:30:09]
ON THE PARK'S LONGITUDINAL PROGRAM. 
          WHAT WAS THE REPORT. 
          WHAT'S THE REPORT'S CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? I HAVEN'T SEEN IT. 
          I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE. 
          TWO, IS STAFF PRAISED THE PROGRAM AS BEING WONDERFUL, SUCCESSFUL WITH A LONG HISTORY. 
          DO WE KNOW IF RICHMOND RANGERS, OAKLAND ATHLETICS AND THE OTHER INITIATIVES ARE SUCCESSFUL. 
          HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR RETENTION AND ATTENDANCE DATA? RIGHT. SO THESE ARE GREAT THINGS TO TRY WHEN THEY ARE PROVEN SUCCESSFUL. 
          I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD SUPPORT AN EXPANSION OR EXTENSION OF THE JR PROGRAM OR SOMETHING
SIMILAR TO IT, BUT T HERE HASN'T BEEN EVIDENCE THAT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THIS TRADITIONAL JR PROGRAM IS ABLE TO
DELIVER THAT KIND OF SUCCESS A JR PROGRAM HAS. 
          ALSO, POSSIBLY, THE BOARD AND ALSO STAFF HAS BEEN RELYING ON FAULTY DATA. 
          IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE PROGRAM RUNS NINE MONTHS A YEAR. 
          ACTUALLY IT'S SEVEN. 
          SO THE OVERALL RESOURCE IS MISREPORTED BY MORE THAN 20%. 
          RIGHT. THAT'S YOU KNOW, IF WE DO NOTHING, JUST FIX THE DATA, WE HAVE 20% COST SAVINGS. 
          THE FAMILY SURVEY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR I CAN PROVIDE A LINK. 
          SIR, YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. 
          YES? YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. 
          OH, SORRY. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO SPEAK. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS ANNIE DEO AND I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM
FOR SIX YEARS, AND I'M CURRENTLY AN AIDE. 
          MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OUTDOOR FAMILY. 
          WE GO ON HIKES ALL THE TIME, WE BACKPACK. 
          SO I STARTED JRS IN FIFTH GRADE AND HOPES TO BROADEN MY LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS. 
          IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRUGGLE TO FIND PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT GETTING DIRTY, AND WHO
JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AND EXPLORE, RAIN OR SHINE. 
          BEING ABLE TO GO TO JRS EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AND LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT NATURE, AND
THE BEST STRATEGIES AND SKILLS FOR BACKPACKING AND ADVENTURING, WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST WAYS FOR MY YOUNGER SELF TO FIND HERSELF. 
          SHE AND I BEGAN TEACHING MY FRIENDS AND TAKING MY WHOLE FAMILY OUT ON HIKES THAT I GOT TO
LEAD. 
          IT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME THAT JRS AND MANY OTHERS LIKE ME, HAD THE SAME PASSION AND LOVE
OF THE OUTDOORS. 
          DURING MY WHOLE JR EXPERIENCE, I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO THE AIDES, AND NOW, BEING ONE, I CAN
CONTINUE THAT MENTORSHIP AND BE THE AIDE FOR MY JRS AS MY AIDES WERE FOR ME. 
          ECHOING EVERYTHING THAT THOSE BEFORE ME HAVE SAID. 
          I WAS SURPRISED WHEN HEARING THAT CONSIDERABLE CUTS WERE BEING MADE TO THE PROGRAM. 
          I HAD JUST STARTED ADDING MY IDEAS TO OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD WORK WITH THE
DISTRICT TO REVISE THE PROGRAM. 
          WHEN I SUDDENLY GOT AN EMAIL WITH PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS. 
          IT FELT LIKE NONE OF OUR SUGGESTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION LIKE THE DISTRICT
HAD SAID THEY WOULD. 
          AFTER THEY GAVE US SOME VAGUE REASONING AS TO WHY THE CUTS WERE BEING MADE, SUCH AS NOT
HAVING ENOUGH STAFF TO SUPPORT IT OR THAT IT DIDN'T SERVE ENOUGH KIDS. 
          I KEPT THINKING THAT SOME OF THESE ALREADY HAVE FIXES. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THE JR PROGRAM WOULD BENEFIT FROM UTILIZING ITS RESOURCES OF THE
ENTIRE JR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AIDES. 
          WE ARE HERE. WE ARE HERE TO HELP THE JR NATURALIST. 
          WE WANT TO SUPPORT AND REPRESENT THE PARK, AND WE SIGNED UP TO GUIDE THE YOUNGER JRS. 
          WE ARE HERE AND WE WANT TO HELP. 
          USE US AS LEADERS THAT WE ARE AND THE LEADERS THAT WE WANT TO BE. 
          TO SUM ALL THIS UP, I FILMED AND EDITED A VIDEO CAPTURING THE MEANING OF THIS PROGRAM AND
SOME OF THE WORDS OF THE JRS AND AIDES AND SOME PARENT QUOTES. 
          I WILL SEND THAT EMAIL OUT SHORTLY AFTER THIS MEETING TO ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND I
HOPE THAT YOU WILL WATCH IT AND SEE HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM MAKES ON ALL THE LIVES THAT IT TOUCHES. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY. 
          [00:35:16]
HI, I AM KATE DEO. 
          YOU JUST HEARD FROM MY DAUGHTER WHO HAS BEEN IN THE PROGRAM, AS YOU HEARD FOR SIX YEARS
AND IS NOW AN AIDE, AND I'M HERE TO LEND ANOTHER VOICE TO THIS ISSUE. THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN A FORMATIVE PART OF HER IDENTITY, WHEREIN OVER THE COURSE OF
CONSISTENT ENGAGEMENT, SHE ESTABLISHED DEEP AND DIVERSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS, PEER LEADERS, AND PROGRAM STAFF ACROSS DIFFERENT AGES AND
GENDERS AND GEOGRAPHIES. 
          AS A RESULT OF HER WEEKLY IMMERSION IN THE PROGRAM, SHE HAS BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT AND AND OUTDOOR RECREATION AND HAS GROWN TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THESE AREAS. 
          SHE IS CONSIDERING A COLLEGE PROGRAM WHERE SHE COULD TRANSLATE THIS INTO AN ENVIRONMENTAL
FILMMAKING CAREER. 
          IT IS DISHEARTENING TO ME THAT A PROGRAM THAT RELIES ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING TO
FACILITATE AND DEEPEN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTDOORS AND BUILD FUTURE LEADERS IS NOW BEING REDUCED TO A FORMAT THAT WOULD DILUTE THOSE EXACT RESULTS. 
          IT IS ALSO DISHEARTENING THAT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WAS NOT INITIALLY INFORMED OF ANY
PROPOSED CHANGES, AND THEN, AFTER BEING PROMISED THAT WE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM, THE FINAL DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT US. 
          THAT'S IN BAD FAITH AND, FRANKLY, BAD BUSINESS, BECAUSE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS
COLLECTIVELY COME UP WITH SOME EASILY ACTIONABLE WAYS WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN PITCH IN TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND THE PROGRAM INTO SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES BOTH THE JR COMMUNITIES AND
THE DISTRICT'S CONCERNS. 
          WE ARE A COMMUNITY WITH DIVERSE PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS IN LEADERSHIP, FUNDRAISING,
SCIENCE, EDUCATION, BUSINESS. 
          WE CAN OFFER OUR SKILL SETS, OUR WILLINGNESS TO VOLUNTEER OUT IN THE FIELD, AND FINANCIAL
SUPPORT. 
          THE AIDES WOULD WELCOME ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND WOULD BE OUTSTANDING
RESOURCES FOR A RE-ENVISIONED PROGRAM, BUT WE'VE NOT BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ALL THE FACTS AND PRESENT THESE OPTIONS,
AND TO WORK WITH YOU TO REIMAGINE HOW TO COLLECTIVELY RUN THIS PROGRAM AND BRING ABOUT LASTING IMPACT FOR ITS PARTICIPANTS AND THE PARKS. 
          PLEASE HEAR US AND MAKE THE SPACE TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS LIFE CHANGING PROGRAM. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          JUST A SECOND. 
          OKAY. HELLO. 
          MY NAME IS ADRIAN DENNING AND THIS IS MY SON, QUINN. 
          WE ARE BOTH RESIDENTS OF ALBANY, AND QUINN IS A FIFTH YEAR JR AIDE THIS YEAR, AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY COMMENT ON
THE CUTS TO THE OVERNIGHT BACKPACKING TRIPS. CURRENTLY, THE JRS GO ON ONE OVERNIGHT BACKPACKING TRIP EACH MONTH EXCLUDING
DECEMBER, AND THESE TRIPS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE JRS BECAUSE THE JRS LEARN HIKING AND BACKPACKING SKILLS,
ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG ONES. 
          I MEAN, THESE KIDS ARE STARTING SOME OF THEM THIS PROGRAM AT THE AGE OF NINE AND THIS IS
THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE GOING OUT INTO A NATURE FOR OVERNIGHT TRIP. 
          THE AIDES LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND GOSH, THESE KIDS HAVE SO MUCH FUN PLAYING GAMES
TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER, COOKING TOGETHER, HELPING EACH OTHER WITH GEAR, AND ALSO, THESE OVERNIGHT TRIPS ALLOW THE JRS TO EXPLORE
THE ENTIRE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. 
          SOME OF THE PARKS THE JRS HAVE BACKPACKED IN INCLUDE TILDEN, SUNOL BLACK DIAMOND MINES,
MORGAN TERRITORY, DEL VALLE AND POINT PINOLE AND DESPITE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT AMONG THE JR FAMILIES FOR THESE ONE NIGHT OVERNIGHT
TRIPS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE REDUCED TO EVERY OTHER MONTH IN THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE, AND SO THAT IS A VAST REDUCTION OF
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE KIDS TO REALLY GET OUTSIDE IN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND IT'S ALSO VERY CONFUSING
BECAUSE WHILE THESE ONE NIGHT OVERNIGHT TRIPS ARE GETTING SLASHED AT LEAST 50%, THE FOUR DAY TRIP BACKPACKING TRIP THAT HAPPENS IN POINT
REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, WHICH COSTS $395 THIS YEAR TO ATTEND, THAT IS GOING TO REMAIN, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IS A SORT
OF A MORE EXCLUSIVE TRIP. 
          [00:40:03]
THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNGER KIDS WHO ARE NOT READY TO GO BACKPACKING FOR FOUR DAYS OR
THREE NIGHTS OR WHOSE FAMILIES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT FEE. 
          SO WE REALLY CONFUSED WHY THE ONE NIGHT OVERNIGHT TRIPS ARE GETTING SLASHED, YET THIS
FOUR DAY OVERNIGHT TRIP IS REMAINING? I REALLY URGE THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO, AS THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE SAID, TO TABLE
THESE CUTS, TO REALLY PLEAD WITH MANAGEMENT TO COME AND WORK WITH US, WORK WITH JR FAMILIES AND TO REALLY TAKE OUR CONCERNS
SERIOUSLY, AND WE HOPE TO CREATE A PROGRAM THAT REALLY BETTER SERVES THE KIDS OF THE JR COMMUNITY,
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THOSE COMMENTS. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS MAX MANKITA. 
          CURRENTLY I'M A SENIOR LIVING IN EL CERRITO AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE JUNIOR RANGER
PROGRAM. 
          THIS YEAR I WILL BE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THE THING THAT'S GOING TO HURT ME MOST IS
LEAVING JRS. 
          FOR ME, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT INTO THE OUTDOORS AND EXPLORE AND LEARN NOT JUST
ABOUT NATURE, BUT ABOUT TEAMWORK COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. 
          YOU KNOW, IN MY TIME AS JRS, I'VE HELPED, YOU KNOW, REHABILITATE STREAMS FOR FISH
HABITATS, YOU KNOW, HELPED ENGAGE PEOPLE IN THE LITTLE FARM WITH, YOU KNOW, HAVING LITTLE KIDS PET THE CHICKENS AND DONE LOTS OF TRAIL MAINTENANCE, AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME AS I
SEE THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING PEOPLE OUT INTO NATURE, IT HAS MOLDED ME AS WHO I AM AS A PERSON, AND, YOU KNOW, IS IT'S THE REASON WHY,
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BECOME A SIERRA CLUB LEADER AND, YOU KNOW, HELP OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF THE OUTDOORS. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, IF THESE CUTS WILL BE GO THROUGH, I'LL BE ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO SAY
THAT THEY HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTED FOR 75 YEARS FOR A REASON, BECAUSE IT PROVIDES A, YOU KNOW, KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO, YOU KNOW, GET OUT AND EXPLORE NATURE, TO HAVE INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITY BUILDING AND TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WILL BE GONE. 
          I STRONGLY URGE ALL OF YOU GUYS IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE SURE I AM NOT THE LAST TO EXPERIENCE
THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM. 
          IT HAS MOLDED ME AND EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY DEEPLY TO THE CORE, MAKING SURE
WE'RE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAKING SURE WE CAN TAKE CARE AND RESPECT FOR NATURE. I ASK THAT YOU, IN YOUR AUTHORITY, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH
MANAGEMENT, AND YOU TREAT US WITH THE SAME RESPECT YOU HAVE TAUGHT US TO RESPECT NATURE. 
          WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT IS WILLING TO HELP IMPROVE THIS PROGRAM AND MAKE SURE IT CONTINUE
OPERATING AND EXPANDING SO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE CAN EXPERIENCE ITS WONDERFUL BENEFITS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT THE REALITY THAT WE'VE SEEN OUR OPPORTUNITIES
TO, YOU KNOW, HELP CHANGE AND IMPROVE THE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN, AND INSTEAD WE'RE SEEING CUTS THAT WILL DEEPLY DAMAGE OUR ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, CAN DEEPLY
[INAUDIBLE] THE NEXT GENERATIONS COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT NATURE. 
          BEYOND BEING A JUNIOR RANGER, I WORK WITH KIDS, YOU KNOW, AS MY I TEACH SWIM LESSONS, I
TEACH SPEECH AND DEBATE, AND I SEE THAT PEOPLE DESPERATELY ARE YEARNING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE OUTSIDE, TO BE FREE AND TO EXPLORE, AND THAT'S WHAT JUNIOR RANGERS OFFERS, BUT AT
THE END, YOU LEAVE AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES NATURE, AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDENT, AND SOMEONE WHO'S DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND HAS THE SKILLS TO
MAKE SURE THEY CAN BUILD COMMUNITY WHEREVER THEY ARE AND SO AGAIN, I URGE YOU, SAVE THE PROGRAM. 
          DON'T LET ME BE THE END OF THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          I THINK. PLEASE UNMUTE UNMUTE YOUR YOUR DEVICE. 
          OH, SURE. HI THERE. 
          THIS IS SONJA HERBERT. 
          I'M A MOTHER OF A JR CURRENTLY, AND FIRST, I JUST WANT TO WISH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL
PARKS HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 
          YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD. 
          PART OF THAT 75 YEAR HISTORY THAT YOU'RE CELEBRATING IS HAVING A MODEL JR PROGRAM THAT
LITERALLY IS SAVING LIVES OF KIDS. 
          [00:45:02]
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR CHILDREN, AND MANY OF THEM DON'T FIND A
HOME AT SCHOOL. 
          THEY FIND BULLYING. 
          THEY FIND GENDER SPECIFIC SPORTS THAT LEAVE MANY OF THEM OUT. 
          SO JR IS REALLY THAT HAVEN FOR THEM, BUT BEYOND WHAT IT DOES FOR INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN,
WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WHILE THE PROGRAM AND MANY OTHER PROGRAMS HAVE MADE JR LOOK GOOD FOR MANY YEARS, BROKEN PROMISES IS NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR YOU, AND THAT'S
WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THIS TRANSITION. 
          WITH THAT, IT'S NOT ONLY A COST TO JRS AND FUTURE JRS, IT'S A REPUTATION WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY, AND THE LOST PARTNERSHIP THAT EAST BAY PARKS HAS, HAS CAUSED. 
          RIGHT NOW, MANY OF THE PARENTS OF THIS PROGRAM STEPPED UP DURING OUR ONE OPPORTUNITY TO
TALK WITH PARKS STAFF TO REVEAL SKILLS THAT COULD HELP THE PROGRAM EXPAND, AND TO BE VERY CLEAR, I SPENT 30 YEARS WORKING ON COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS IN THE BAY AREA, SO I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO HELP REACH THE GOAL OF EXPANDING THIS MODEL PROGRAM TO NEW
COMMUNITIES AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY DONE THAT. 
          I WAS ON THE CURRICULUM BUILDING TEAM FOR A PROGRAM CALLED DIVERSITY WORKS, WHICH TOOK LOW
INCOME KIDS FROM OAKLAND AND BROUGHT THEM INTO REGIONAL PARKS FOR CAMPING, AND YET, THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP WAS NOT EVEN CONSIDERED WITHIN THE ONE MEETING WE HAD WITH
DISTRICT STAFF. 
          THERE'S ALSO PARTNERS, POTENTIAL PARTNERS FOR FUNDRAISING, FOR ORGANIZING, FOR SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGE, WAYS THAT YOU CAN IF THIS IS REALLY A CRISIS OF EXPANSION, USE THE JR COMMUNITY TO BUILD UP AND EXPAND THIS MODEL PROGRAM
RATHER THAN BREAKING TRUST AND AND CAUSING PEOPLE TO DISENGAGE. 
          ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS IS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FIX HERE? BECAUSE IF THIS IS REALLY A FUNDRAISING ISSUE, THEN USE US TO HELP WITH THAT. 
          THE LAST MEETING I ATTENDED OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, I LEARNED THAT MOST OF THE GRANTS THAT
THE PARK DISTRICT GOES AFTER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS, NOT PROGRAMMING GRANTS. SO MY QUESTION IS, IS IT REALLY SOMETHING WE CAN SOLVE IN THIS WAY? OR SHOULD WE LOOK FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND JR FAMILIES
AND FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TAPPED TO SUPPORT THIS? SO I JUST WANT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT GO FORWARD WITH A PLAN THAT TAKES AWAY
POTENTIAL PARTNERS IN THE JR FAMILIES, BUT LETS US SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF A MODEL PROGRAM TO INCLUDE MORE KIDS WHO COULD BENEFIT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YEAH THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'M CHARLES TAYLOR. 
          I LIVE IN EL CERRITO. 
          I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 40 YEARS AND WAS IN TILDEN PARK IN 1984, WHEN WE CELEBRATED 50 YEARS
OF SERVICE AND COMMUNITY TO THE CITIZENS OF THE EAST BAY. DURING THIS TIME, MY WIFE AND I RAISED OUR DAUGHTERS AND HAVE THOROUGHLY
APPRECIATED THE MAGNIFICENT BENEFITS AND THE COSTS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. 
          NOW I HAVE ANOTHER GENERATION OF FAMILY THAT HAS SETTLED IN EL CERRITO, CALLING IT HOME
AND FULLY ENGAGING IN THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS. ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IS EXPRESSED BY MY 12 YEAR OLD GRANDSON, BENNETT
SCHREINER, WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. 
          IN THE MIDST OF THE MANY ACTIVITIES IN HIS LIFE, THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM HAS HAD A
PROMINENT PLACE. 
          I HAVE TAKEN HIM TO WEEKLY MEETINGS IN TILDEN PARK MANY SATURDAY MORNINGS, OR PICKED HIM
UP FROM ADVENTURES OF LEARNING ABOUT THE OUTDOORS AND BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO SHARE HIS APPRECIATION OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. 
          HERE IS A NOTE HE SHARED WITH ME ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM ON HIS
YOUNG LIFE. 
          QUOTE. THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM HAS HELD A BIG PLACE IN MY HEART EVER SINCE I HAVE
JOINED ITS COMMUNITY WHEN I WAS NINE. 
          IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES TO MAKE FRIENDS AND CONNECT TO THE WORLD AFTER THE
PANDEMIC. 
          I LOVE WHAT I LEARNED THERE. 
          IT'S A SAFE PLACE FOR ME TO HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, AS WELL AS TO MAKE NEW ONES. 
          I LEARNED A LOT OF IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE EVERY TIME I GO. 
          LIKE THE TIME WE LEARNED HOW POISONOUS CALIFORNIA ROUGH SKINNED NEWTS ARE. 
          I WANT TO BE A RANGER WHEN I GROW UP, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PLACES I LEARN. 
          [00:50:06]
MY FAVORITE EXPERIENCE IS THE MONTHLY BACKPACKING TRIPS. 
          WE ALWAYS GO SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL AND EXCITING. 
          I HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FRIENDS AT THE JRS AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY FOR ME. 
          IF WE CUT ITS SCHEDULE, IT WOULDN'T BE THE SAME FANTASTIC PROGRAM IT IS NOW. 
          I THINK EVEN MORE KIDS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO JRS. 
          I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU WILL CHOOSE TO LET THE JUNIOR RANGERS GO ON LIKE IT IS NOW. 
          SINCERELY, BENNETT SCHREINER, BUT DESPITE THIS IMPACT, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE JUNIOR
RANGERS PROGRAM HAS BROKEN THE PUBLIC TRUST BY PROMISING TO WORK WITH THE JR COMMUNITY AND FAILING TO DO SO. 
          THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND IN MORE THAN ONE YEAR. 
          OTHERS ARE GIVING AND HAVE GIVEN EXAMPLES OF THESE BREACHES OF THE PUBLIC TRUST
IMPERATIVE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND STAFF. 
          YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. 
          THE JR COMMUNITY, NEARLY 90 STRONG, AND ONLY THAT A SUBSET, FEELS BETRAYED BY THE PROGRAM
LEADERSHIP AND SEEKS REDRESS AS WELL AS FULL CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM ALONG WITH FULL, HONEST NEGOTIATIONS REGARDING ANY CHANGES. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS. 
          THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND TALKING ON THIS TOPIC. 
          IT'S CLEAR THIS IS A BELOVED PROGRAM AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR IT, AND
WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE OUT PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA, AND WE MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEMS. I BELIEVE THERE ARE NO ACTION ITEMS TODAY. 
          SO THEN WE MOVE ON TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, AND OUR FIRST PART OF THAT SECTION IS BOARD
MEMBER COMMENTS, AND SO WE HAVE 
          [Informational Items]
DIRECTOR MERCURIO HERE TODAY TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT
THESE DAYS. 
          THANKS, NEIL. 
          IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE AGAIN. 
          IT'S BEEN ALMOST IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR, ROUGHLY SINCE LAST YEAR THAT I CAME HERE. 
          WHEN I CAME HERE LAST YEAR, I WAS A BRAND NEW BOARD MEMBER. 
          I STILL FEEL LIKE A BRAND NEW BOARD MEMBER. 
          THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON, AS YOU KNOW, BUT I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING
IN THIS ROLE. 
          IT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, TO A PERSON ON THE BOARD. 
          WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU DO, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU PUT
IN AND THE THOUGHT THAT YOU GIVE TO WHAT YOU DO HERE. 
          THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE TODAY OF WHAT'S GOING ON OF YOU KNOW, GETTING DOWN INTO THE REAL
STUFF THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW AND ALSO. I KNOW SOME OF YOU, BUT THE TURNOVER HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, STEADY IN WHICH AS IT
SHOULD BE, AND SO MANY OF YOU I DON'T KNOW. 
          SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING SOME MORE OF YOU AT SOME POINT. 
          YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, COME TO AS MANY OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE AS YOU CAN
WHERE THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE THERE AND GET TO KNOW THEM BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IS GETTING TO KNOW AND HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON
IN YOUR AREAS. 
          SO WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? WE SPENT ALL LAST WEEK IN WASHINGTON, DC. 
          YOU PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT THIS. 
          WE CALL IT THE FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE, AND WE HAVE ERICH AND HIS CREW TO THANK FOR
ORGANIZING THIS FOR US AND FOR GUIDING US THROUGH SOME OF THE ISSUES, TO PICK OUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WOULD NEED
TO ADDRESS WHEN WE GO BACK THERE. 
          THE WHOLE POINT OF IT IS TO MEET WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES, INCLUDING THE OFFICES OF THE TWO NATIONAL, YOU KNOW, THE TWO STATES, THE TWO US SENATORS AND ALL THE
CONGRESSMEN, CONGRESS MEMBERS AS WELL AND SO IT WAS VERY I'D NEVER I WASN'T ABLE TO DO IT LAST YEAR, BUT I WAS VERY STRUCK BY
HOW INTERESTED IN OUR WORK THAT THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WE DIDN'T YOU DON'T GET TO MEET WITH ALL THE
CONGRESS MEMBERS. 
          THEY DON'T DO IT. 
          THEY CAN'T DO IT, I GUESS, BUT WE DID MEET WITH SOME CONGRESS MEMBERS DIRECTLY, BUT, YOU
KNOW, ALL THE WAY ACROSS, WE'RE ALWAYS STRUCK BY HOW INTERESTED AND THANKFUL THEY ARE OF THE WORK THAT'S DONE BY THE EAST BAY REGIONAL
PARK DISTRICT, AND YOU ALWAYS END UP WITH SOME STORY ABOUT HOW THEY WENT THERE WHEN THEY WERE KIDS. THEY TAKE THEIR GRANDKIDS TO THE PARKS, ALL THOSE STORIES, AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, YOU PROBABLY HEAR THOSE SAME THOSE SAME COMMENTS THAT I DO, AND SO WE WERE QUITE BUSY MOST DAYS. 
          [00:55:08]
WE, WE WERE THERE FROM SUNDAY WAS A TRAVEL DAY, BUT THEN MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND
THURSDAY MOST OF THOSE DAYS WE WERE INVOLVED IN MEETING WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
          WE ALSO MET WITH OTHER GROUPS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL
PARK SERVICE, BECAUSE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY DEAL WITH, WE DEAL WITH AS WELL. 
          FOR INSTANCE, THE CARBONIZER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CARBONATOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
HAS BEEN DOING SOME. 
          WE LEARNED ABOUT SOME GREAT RESEARCH THAT THEY'RE DOING WITH WHAT TO DO WITH THE BIOCHAR
THAT'S LEFT, AND THEY HAVE A THEY HAVE A LAB IN WISCONSIN THAT MAKES THINGS OUT OF IT. 
          IT WAS PRETTY, PRETTY INCREDIBLE. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING LOOKING INTO. 
          WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE VARIOUS MEMBERS, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW
EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE, THE, THE FUNCTION OF FEMA AND HOW WE, HOW WE
INTERACT WITH IT? WE TALKED ABOUT THE JUDGE, JUDGE JOHN SUTTER, SHORELINE PARK, HOW WE CAN SPEED UP THE
PROCESS OF CLEANING THAT UP FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. 
          A HUGE ONE. THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, HOW TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, AND WE
SUGGESTED SOME CHANGES TO MAKE TO THAT, TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE FOR US TO, TO UTILIZE. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT THE BAY TRAIL GAP AT POINT WILSON OVER IN THE RICHMOND AREA, AND ALSO SOME
LEGISLATION AFFECTING GRASSLANDS, AND FIGHTING WILDFIRES. 
          SO AND THERE WERE ACTUALLY A FEW MORE TOO, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE SPLIT IT ALL UP AMONG ALL
THE DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE EACH GOT A CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH SOME OF THE STAFF AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DIRECTLY. 
          I DO HAVE TO SAY, THOUGH, PROBABLY THE HIGHLIGHT OF IT ALL WAS ON ON THE VERY LAST DAY WE
MET WITH CONGRESSMAN MARK DESAULNIER WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY CONGRESSMAN AND AN OLD FRIEND, AND HE HAD SOMETHING GOING THAT HE
TOLD US ABOUT, AND SO WE LEARNED THAT HE HAD PREPARED A RESOLUTION TO PRESENT ON THE FLOOR OF
THE HOUSE CONGRATULATING US ON OUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY AND SO HE WAS GIVEN A MINUTE TO READ THAT ON THE FLOOR, AND WE ALL GOT PASSES, AND WE GOT
TO GO IN THE GALLERY AND WAIT THERE LONGER THAN I THOUGHT WE HAD TO, BUT ANYWAY SO IT GOES. 
          IT WAS WORTH IT, THOUGH, AND SO HE READ IT AND WE ALL FELT SO PROUD, YOU KNOW, AND YOU
KNOW, THE ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF, OF CONGRESS ARE TO SOME EXTENT ARE WORKING FOR US DIRECTLY TO IMPROVE WHAT WE
WHAT WE DO HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT. 
          SO I AM IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT? ARE YOU GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM OR. 
          YEAH. YEAH. 
          OKAY, BUT BESIDES THAT. 
          NO. YEAH. 
          YEAH. OKAY. 
          SO I UNDERSTAND THAT SUSAN SHIU WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO US. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I SUSAN SHIU, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK
DISTRICT. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. DIRECTOR MERCURIO PARK FEST WAS AN AMAZING EVENT. 
          IF YOU CAME OUT OR SAW THE PHOTOS. 
          WE WERE EXPECTING A CROWD OF 2500 TO 3000. 
          WE DOUBLED THAT NEARLY, YOU KNOW, 5500 TO 6000 ESTIMATED PARK VISITORS ARE. 
          I'M ON CAMERA NOW. 
          VISITORS THAT DAY. 
          SO IT WAS A TREMENDOUS TURNOUT. 
          I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD DIRECTOR MERCURIO, PRESIDENT ECHOLS AND THE BOARD FOR THEIR
SUPPORT. 
          GENERAL MANAGER LANDRETH'S SUPPORT AND REALLY, ALL OF THE PARK DISTRICT STAFF MEMBERS WHO CAME OUT. 
          WE WERE THERE TO SHOWCASE ALL THAT WE DO AS A PARK DISTRICT. 
          THANK YOU TO THE PAC FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND WE DID THAT. 
          OUR GOAL WAS TO REACH A BROAD AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE, AND WE DID THAT. 
          WE BROUGHT OUT FAMILIES. 
          WE BROUGHT OUT MULTIPLE GENERATIONS. 
          THEY WERE ALL DANCING. 
          THE LION DANCE WAS A HIT, AND IT WAS JUST A FABULOUS EVENT, REACHING A VERY DIVERSE
AUDIENCE, AND IT GOT US A LOT OF PUBLICITY AND A 
          [01:00:01]
LOT OF ADVERTISING, WHICH INCREASES OUR BRAND AWARENESS AND THE FACT THAT THE PARK CLOSE
TO YOU THAT YOU VISIT IS PART OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          IT WAS TREMENDOUS, AND THEN REALLY QUICKLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL YEAR. 
          WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT JUNE 2ND PRIDE IN THE PARK IS ONE OF INTERPRETATION AND
RECREATIONS SIGNATURE EVENTS. 
          WE WILL BE THERE TO ALSO DO 90TH A BRIEF PRESENTATION AROUND OUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY, AND
WE'LL HAVE SWAG AND TABLING THERE FOR THAT EVENT ON JUNE 2ND. 
          I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION IT WAS A LANDMARK SPONSOR
FOR THE EVENT ITSELF FOR PARK FEST ALSO HAS A RUN. 
          SO IF YOU PUT ON YOUR RUNNING SHOES, THERE WILL BE A 5K, A 10K AND A HALF MARATHON AT
LAKE CHABOT JULY 20TH. 
          LAKESIDE LAPS. 
          TRY TO SAY THAT FAST FIVE TIMES BUT ANYWAY, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AT THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION WEBSITE. 
          SO SOME MORE EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE OUR 90TH ALL YEAR. 
          THANK YOU FOR THOSE FEW MINUTES, AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MERCURIO. 
          ALL RIGHT. YEAH, AND IF I MIGHT ADD ONE MORE ONE MORE ITEM, AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT
IT'S GREAT TO TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT AND YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS OPERATE AND WHAT WE DO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE ITEM FROM
MY WARD, WARD SIX IN CONCORD AND AREA SOUTH AND EAST OF THERE. 
          WE HAD WE WERE MADE AWARE OF AN ISSUE THAT WAS HAD THE CONCERN OF CITIZENS IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50 AND THE IN THE BAILEY ROAD AREA THAT WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP FIRST. 
          I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT. 
          THE 900 ACRE PARCEL ON BAILEY ROAD THAT THERE WAS NOT THERE'S NOT GOOD IN THE CURRENT
PLAN THAT WE HAVE. 
          THERE'S NOT REALLY GOOD SAFE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCESS TO THAT, THAT LAND, AND WHEN
IT OPENS IF NOTHING IS DONE, IT WILL REQUIRE DRIVING A CAR TO GET TO THAT PARK, AND SO I HEARD
ABOUT THIS, AND I AND I KNOW THAT I GREW UP IN CONCORD. 
          I KNOW THE AREA, AND I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT, OH GOSH, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          BAILEY ROAD IS AN AWFUL DANGEROUS ROAD, AND WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE RIDING THEIR BIKES OR
TRYING TO WALK ON THAT. 
          SO I DID LOOK AT THAT ISSUE. 
          I, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT IT WITH PARKS, WITH OUR DISTRICT STAFF, BUT THE REAL SOLUTION
CAME WHEN I RAN INTO THE CITY ENGINEER OF CONCORD AT A, AT AN EVENT, AND I SAID, HEY, THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS ISSUE. 
          HOW CAN THE CITY OF CONCORD HELP US SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY YOU'RE SAYING THAT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT
THAT MYSELF, AND I'M GOING, WOW, OKAY. 
          WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. 
          WELL, TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORTER, THEY HAVE COME UP WITH A PROJECT THAT THEY'RE GOING
TO CONSTRUCT AN OFF STREET TRAIL, MULTI-USE TRAIL ALONG AN ABANDONED RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY AND INCLUDING A PARCEL OF LAND THAT THEY
JUST PURCHASED. 
          THIS IS WHAT I'M HEARING IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE, AND SO I'VE BEEN PROMISED THAT
IT'S GOING TO THERE BE A PLACEHOLDER IN THEIR CIP FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THAT THE GOAL HOPEFULLY WILL BE REALIZED IN TIME FOR THE OPENING OF
THAT PARK. 
          SO I'M REAL HAPPY TO SEE THAT, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I COULD TALK ABOUT MY WARD ALL DAY,
BUT THAT'S JUST THE ONE THING I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM. 
          SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO. 
          TAKE A SHOT AT HIM. 
          YES, SIR. THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          JUST WONDERING IF THE PITTSBURG BAY POINT BART STATION IS A REALLY WONDERFUL PLACE FOR
COMMUTERS TO GO TO AND PARK USERS. 
          MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO GET A SHUTTLE, AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE OPENING OF
THE PARK, TO JUST DRUM UP INTEREST AS WELL AS PROVIDE THAT ACCESS UNTIL THAT PROJECT COMES TO FRUITION, AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AT ALL. 
          I HADN'T HEARD, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. 
          THAT'S INTERESTING IDEA. 
          THERE IS STILL HOPE, YOU KNOW, BY BY THE TIME THAT THE PARK OPENS, THAT THIS TRAIL WILL
BE WOULD BE PART OF PART OF THE TRAIL IS ACTUALLY WAS ALREADY BUILT AS PART OF A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. SO PART OF IT'S THERE, IT JUST DOESN'T REALLY DO MUCH AS IT'S FLOATING OUT
THERE BY ITSELF. 
          SO THE OBJECT OF THE CITY OF CONCORD IS TO CONNECT IT UP TO, I THINK AT THE FIRST, AT THE
FIRST PHASE UP TO CONCORD BOULEVARD. 
          SO THAT'LL KIND OF BRING THE, THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD UP TO THAT, AND THEN IN THE FUTURE
WE'RE HOPING TO COME UP WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, LOCAL, LOCAL ACCESS FROM LOCAL STREETS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET
INTO THAT PARK. 
          [01:05:04]
THAT NO WAY OF SAYING WHEN THAT WOULD BE HOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT
THAT AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL. 
          IT WAS OVER HERE SOMEWHERE. 
          YES. HI. THANK YOU. 
          HI. I'M ONE OF THE NEWER. 
          YES. GREAT. 
          WELCOME. HERE REPRESENTING THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY. 
          MY NAME IS KARINA LOPEZ. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT. 
          CAN YOU REPEAT THE NAME OF THE CONFERENCE AGAIN, PLEASE, AND THEN WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
WOULD BE SOME OF THE FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCES? THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT. YEAH. 
          WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS WOULD BE SOME OF THE NATIONAL THEMES OR MAYBE STATEWIDE THEMES THAT
WERE COMMON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT A LOT OF THE VARIOUS PARKS DISTRICTS ARE FACING? WELL, IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF A CONFERENCE. 
          WE CALL IT A CONFERENCE, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST OUR BOARD AND OUR STAFF GOING TO
WASHINGTON, DC AND MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND I DID MENTION SOME OF THE IMPORTANT POINTS THAT WE LOOKED AT. 
          I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. 
          I'D BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT WE DID, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT IS. 
          WE WE'RE MAKING OUR OWN CONFERENCE, BASICALLY WHAT IT IS. 
          IT'S LIKE. IT'S LIKE A BUFFET. 
          WE TAKE WHAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, AND WE PRESENT THAT TO THEM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN MANY
CASES, IN MOST CASES, MAYBE ALL CASES, THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO PROVE TO THEM THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO BY BRINGING ALL
OF OUR BOARD THERE TO MEET WITH THEM AND TO ENGAGE THEM IN DISCUSSION AND ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, THE RESULT OF, A LOT OF THIS IS THE RESULT IS THAT THEY MANAGED TO COME UP
WITH SOME FUNDING FOR US. 
          THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE ONE OF THE REALLY GOOD OUTCOMES THAT HAPPENS. 
          THANK YOU. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TERM CONFERENCE IS USED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS,
INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE OR THE NLC CONFERENCE OR THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE. 
          THAT'S REALLY THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER KIND OF CONFERENCE. 
          RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME AGAIN. 
          I'M NEW, SO I'M LEARNING AS I GO. 
          SURE. YEAH. 
          HI. HI. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING, AND GLAD TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS ON THE FUNDING. 
          I IT'S LIKE YOU'RE LUCKY THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE IN THIS PACKET IS THE MARCH
MEETING MINUTES BY ACCIDENT, BUT ALL OF OUR COMMENTS ON THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM IS IN THERE, THE PAC
MEMBERS, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THEM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE BOARD DID IF THEY SAW ALL OF OUR COMMENTS, BUT MY
QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAS THIS ITEM COME BEFORE THE BOARD? WE HAVE SEEN COME, WE HAVE SEEN, LET'S SAY, MANY COMMUNICATIONS FROM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED
INDIVIDUALS. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY GOAL THAT I'M TRYING TO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. 
          I MY DESIRE IS TO GET MORE FULLY INFORMED ABOUT ABOUT THIS ACTION, WHY IT'S BEING DONE,
IF IT HAS TO BE DONE EXACTLY THE WAY THAT WE'VE PROPOSED IT, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THESE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND SO I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT IT. 
          OKAY. SO SO FAR IT HASN'T BEEN BEFORE THE BOARD. 
          I DON'T I DON'T THINK SO. 
          OKAY. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. 
          YEAH. JUST YOU KNOW A LOT LOTS OF COMMENTS. 
          WELL IF THERE'S EXTRA PACKETS YOU CAN HAND THEM OUT OUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS. 
          YEAH. NO I THAT'S DEFINITELY ONE ELEMENT OF HOW I CAN GET MYSELF UP TO, YOU KNOW, BE A
LITTLE BIT BETTER EDUCATED ABOUT THIS. 
          GOOD. YEAH. GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY AND FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THE
PARK DISTRICT. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I WON'T BE ABLE TO STICK AROUND. 
          I'M GOING OUT OF OUT OF STATE THIS WEEK, LATER ON. 
          SO I GOT I'M PRETTY BUSY GETTING READY, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE TIME FOR THIS TO COME IN
PERSON AND SEE YOU ALL, AND THE NEXT TIME I COME BACK, HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU WILL BE HERE. GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          OKAY. NEXT UP IN OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS. 
          THESE ARE NOT ACTION ITEMS, BUT THEY'RE BOTH REALLY INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS. 
          I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY THEM. THE FIRST IS RECREATION PLANNING ON CONSERVATION LANDS. 
          DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          NEOMA LAVALLE, PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN PLANNING TRAILS, GIS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. 
          [01:10:02]
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TSUTSUI AND MEMBERS OF THE PACK. 
          I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE PRESENTING ON WELL, THE CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM IN GENERAL AT THE
PARK DISTRICT AND HOW WE GO ABOUT PLANNING FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. 
          SORRY I JUST WANT TO HERE WE GO. 
          SO I'M GOING TO BE PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM. 
          THE AND THEN MOVING DIVING A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY INTO THE EAST CONTRA COSTA
COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HABITAT CONSERVANCY, AND THEN I'LL PRESENT ON THE HCP'S RECREATION PLANNING PROCESS AND THEN I'LL DAYLIGHT JUST A
LITTLE BIT OF A DECISION SUPPORT TOOL THAT WE'RE WORKING ON INTERNALLY TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS PLANNING. 
          SO THE CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM, WHILE WE HAVE BEEN ACQUIRING LANDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
CONSERVATION FOR OUR ENTIRE 90 YEARS, WE HAVE A SUBSET OF LANDS THAT ARE UNDER A SPECIAL STATUS, AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP
HERE, EVERYTHING THAT'S IN RED IS UNDER A SPECIFIC CONSERVATION INSTRUMENT THAT RESTRICTS ITS USE IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER. 
          IN YELLOW IS HIGHLIGHTED THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN. 
          NATURAL COMMUNITIES CONSERVATION PLAN. 
          THERE'S TWO PLANS THAT ARE PART OF THAT YELLOW AREA. 
          IT'S THE INVENTORY AREA, AND I'LL JUST SAY HCP MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE
EASIER THAN SAYING HCP AND CCP, BUT I'M REALLY REFERRING TO BOTH PLANS THAT SORT OF GOVERN THE MITIGATION LANDS IN THAT AREA. 
          THOSE LANDS THAT WE'VE ACQUIRED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONSERVANCY ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN
BLUE WITHIN THAT YELLOW INVENTORY AREA IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. 
          SO THE CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM MANAGERS AND MONITORS THE PARK DISTRICT'S CONSERVATION
LANDS. 
          THIS INCLUDES ALL ALL THE LANDS IN RED AS WELL AS THE HCP LANDS. 
          WE ALSO HELP NEGOTIATE FUTURE CONSERVATION INSTRUMENTS AND LONG TERM MANAGEMENT PLANS,
AND ANY ASSOCIATED FUNDING FOR THOSE FOR THOSE LANDS, AND THEN WE STEWARD THE PARK LANDS AND MEET THE DUAL, IN ORDER TO MEET THE DUAL MISSION AT THE PARK
DISTRICT TO BALANCE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION. 
          SO WHAT OUR CONSERVATION LANDS. 
          I SAID IT REALLY QUICKLY. 
          THEY'RE SPECIAL, THEY'RE LANDS UNDER A SPECIAL PROTECTION STATUS. 
          SOME ARE REQUIRED BY A RESOURCE AGENCY AS MITIGATION FOR IMPACTS, AND THOSE USUALLY ARE
GOVERNED BY A LONG TERM MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT REALLY DICTATES WHAT YOU WILL DO ON THOSE LANDS. WHAT YOU NEED TO MONITOR FOR IN TERMS OF SPECIES, WHAT THE GOALS AND PURPOSES
ARE, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER CONSERVATION LANDS THAT ARE MORE OF A VOLUNTARY RESTRICTION. 
          SO THOSE MIGHT HAVE A DEED, AND THEY'RE REALLY MEANT TO PRESERVE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT,
PRESERVE SCENIC OR OPEN SPACE VALUES, AND THEN WE HAVE A VARIETY OF CONSERVATION INSTRUMENTS AT THE PARK DISTRICT. 
          SO EVERYTHING FROM THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN TO THE
CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR MITIGATION OR PROTECTIVE, AND THEN THERE'S SCENIC EASEMENTS AND THERE'S OTHER PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS AS WELL. 
          SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, HOW DOES THE CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM OR THE CONSERVATION LANDS
AT THE PARK DISTRICT LOOK? SO OVERALL, THE PARK DISTRICT, WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 126,000 ACRES. 
          IF YOU SPLIT IT DOWN, CONSERVATION LANDS TAKE UP ABOUT 25. 
          I'LL SAY 25,000 ACRES. 
          IT SORT OF FLUXES A LITTLE BIT AS WE HAVE DIFFERENT KIND OF PENDING CONSERVATION
INSTRUMENTS. 
          ABOUT 22,000 OF THOSE ACRES ARE FOR MITIGATION. 
          SO IMPACTS TO SPECIES OR WATERS OR AND THOSE LANDS ARE REALLY SET ASIDE AS MITIGATION FOR
THOSE IMPACTS FROM OTHER PROJECTS, AND THEN THERE'S CONTRACTUAL ONES. SO THOSE ARE THOSE MORE THOSE VOLUNTARY ONES WHERE IT HAS BEEN THE LAND
HAS BEEN PRESERVED WITH A WITH AN ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENT ON TOP OF IT, BEYOND JUST OWNERSHIP BY THE PARK DISTRICT, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE MITIGATION LANDS, IT BREAKS
DOWN TO ABOUT 15,000 ACRES OR PART OF THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVANCY'S PRESERVE LAND SYSTEM, AND THEN A LITTLE OVER 7000 ACRES IN OTHER
CONSERVATION INSTRUMENTS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE PENDING CONSERVATION INSTRUMENTS, BOTH MITIGATION AND CONTRACTUAL, AND THEN
AT FULL BUILD OUT OF THE OF THE HCP THERE'S STILL ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 15,000 ACRES. 
          SO WHAT IS THE HCP? I THINK PROBABLY MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT SOMEWHAT. 
          I'LL JUST GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW. 
          IT'S A PLAN THAT PROVIDES ULTIMATELY A STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR IMPACTS TO
FEDERALLY AND STATE LISTED SPECIES. 
          THERE ARE MITIGATION FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AS WELL AS THE
PLAN ALSO HAS GOALS FOR RESTORATION AND JUST PURE CONSERVATION VALUES, NOT JUST MITIGATION. 
          THE IT'S A 30 YEAR PERMIT TERM WHERE THE CONSERVANCY CAN ISSUE PERMITS TO DEVELOPERS. 
          [01:15:04]
THEY PAY A FEE, AND THOSE FEES ARE USED TO PURCHASE THE LANDS FOR MITIGATION AND
CONSERVATION, AND THERE'S A GOAL OF ABOUT 30,000 ACRES, ULTIMATELY TO BE CONSERVED IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND EACH THE PRESERVE
LANDS ARE ALSO GOVERNED BY PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING WRITTEN, AND THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF SEGUE INTO WHAT DOES RECREATION
LOOK LIKE. 
          SO THE HCP GOALS ARE, AS I SAID, IT'S A REGIONAL PLAN FOR CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION
AND ITS MITIGATION AND PERMITTING FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AND WITHIN THAT THERE IS A STATEMENT THAT IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT RECREATION IS OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE AND
MUST DEFER TO THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. 
          THAT'S REALLY THE CONSERVANCY AND THE AND THE HCP'S THE PLANS, GOALS WHEN IT COMES TO
THOSE PRESERVE LANDS IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. 
          THE PARK DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, HAS A GOAL IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TO PROVIDE EXPANDED
PUBLIC ACCESS AND PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES. 
          YOU KNOW, AND WE ALSO PLAN TO MANAGE THE LANDS ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES OF THE HCP,
BUT THERE'S ALSO WITHIN THE HCP GUIDELINES, A CLEAR ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THERE IS A SOCIETAL BENEFIT TO RECREATION ON EVEN ON
CONSERVATION LANDS, AND THAT AS LONG AS IT'S LIMITED IN THE PRESERVE SYSTEM. 
          TO A MINIMUM LEVEL OF IMPACTS, THEN THE RESOURCE AGENCIES, WHICH ARE PART OF THE
PERMITTING. 
          YOU KNOW, ALLOW THE RECREATIONAL USE. 
          SO WHEN WE REALLY GOT INTO THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ATTRACTED TO EXPANDING
THE PUBLIC ACCESS, AND BECAUSE THE PLAN DID ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS. 
          WE WERE KIND OF IDENTIFIED AS THE PRIMARY LAND OWNER FOR THE HCP'S PRESERVE LANDS, BUT
THAT SORT OF MAKES WHAT DOES PLANNING FOR PUBLIC ACCESS LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF RESTRICTED IN WHAT YOU
CAN AND CANNOT DO? WE CAN'T DO OUR BUSINESS AS USUAL, AND WE STILL ARE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO MEET OUR DUAL
MISSION? BUT WE ALSO REALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR, THE RECREATION GOALS ARE SECONDARY TO
MEETING THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND IN TERMS OF PLANNING HERE, IT'S NOT OUR NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS WHERE REALLY WE SORT OF COME UP WITH A PLAN
FOR OUR PARKLANDS AND WE, YOU KNOW, CATALOG WHAT THE IMPACTS WILL BE, AND THEN WE APPLY FOR PERMITS. 
          WE'RE REALLY STARTING AT THE BEGINNING WITH THE RESOURCE AGENCIES AND THE CONSERVANCY AND
HAVE TO PLAN KIND OF WITH GUIDELINES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN LAID OUT RATHER THAN KIND OF, I WOULDN'T SAY A BLANK SLATE ON OUR OTHER LANDS, BUT IT'S A
LITTLE MORE HAS METES AND BOUNDS WITH WHAT? AND GUIDELINES. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, OUR INITIAL RECREATION PLANNING, OFTEN WE LOOK AT AN AREA, WE'LL OFTEN LOOK
AT ALL OF THE EXISTING ROADS. 
          OR IF THERE'S ALREADY EXISTING TRAILS, WE'LL LOOK AT LINKAGES THAT WE CAN MAKE BETWEEN
EXISTING SERVICE ROADS OR RANCH ROADS, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO HERE. 
          THERE'S OFTEN YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT DURING OUR NORMAL PLANNING PROCESS
AND THERE'LL BE CHALLENGES WITH PUBLIC ACCESS DEMANDS, BUT THE HCP GUIDELINES ARE REALLY DIFFERENT, AND A LOT OF THE APPROACH IS NOT THE SAME. 
          SO WE HAD TO WHEN WE REALLY LOOKED AT PLANNING IN THIS AREA, WE KIND OF HAD TO GO BACK TO
THE DRAWING BOARD AND COME UP WITH A NEW PROCESS. 
          SO WE WANTED TO REACH CONSENSUS WITH BOTH THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN
ITSELF, OF THE HCP AND AND RECREATION. 
          WE KNEW THAT WE NEEDED TO DECREASE TRAIL DENSITY BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE GUIDELINES, AND
WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL. 
          WHEN WE WENT TO THE RESOURCE AGENCIES WITH OUR RECREATION PLANNING, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE
TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT, WHY DO YOU WANT THIS TRAIL HERE? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? DO YOU NEED THIS TRAIL HERE? BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF QUESTIONS WE WERE GETTING. 
          WE DON'T GET THAT IN OUR NORMAL PERMITTING PROCESS WHEN WE GO TO THE RESOURCE AGENCIES TO
ASK FOR PERMITS, BUT IN THIS PROCESS WE DO, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE VERY INTENTIONAL REASONS FOR WHY WE ARE PROPOSING WHAT WE PROPOSE ON THESE PRESERVE LANDS AND, YOU KNOW, RECREATION MAY BE OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE, BUT IT'S OBVIOUSLY STILL A VERY
HIGH IMPORTANCE TO ALL OF US, AND EVEN THE RESOURCE AGENCIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. SO THIS IS THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE CAME UP WITH WHEN WE WERE REALLY
APPROACHING HOW TO PLAN FOR RECREATION ON THESE CONSERVATION LANDS, AND I'M REALLY FOCUSING ON THE HCP LANDS, BUT IT'S REALLY
SIMILAR TO WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON MITIGATION LANDS THAT ARE NOT ON THE HCP. 
          IT'S KIND OF A SIMILAR PROCESS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN INITIAL AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO
THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BUT JUST KIND OF REALLY QUICKLY. 
          THE PHASE ONE IS REALLY ABOUT INITIAL ASSESSMENTS AND REALLY SETTING GOALS BOTH FOR US
AND FOR THEM, AND SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHICH SPECIES THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT 
          [01:20:03]
WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE MIGHT BE DATA GAPS AND YOU KNOW, WHAT LEVEL OF PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT AND AND IDENTIFYING ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN SOME OF OUR RECREATION GOALS AS WELL, AND THEN THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES. 
          SO THEN ONCE WE'VE HAD THAT INITIAL MEETING WITH ALL FOUR KIND OF MAIN GROUPS WITH THE
PARK DISTRICT CONSERVANCY AND THEN US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, THEN WE GO BACK AND WE START DRAFTING THE RECREATION PLAN, AND SO
WE ANALYZE THE EXISTING CONDITIONS. 
          WE LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT REALLY MAKES THE MOST SENSE AND THEN WE TAKE THAT DRAFT, VERY INITIAL DRAFT PLAN BACK TO THE RESOURCE AGENCIES AND
REALLY GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY BEFORE WE REALLY EVER DAYLIGHT IT TO THE PUBLIC, AND SO WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN THAT PHASE THREE, TO BE
PERFECTLY HONEST, FOR A LOT OF THESE AREAS, BUT IT'S BEEN A REALLY WELL RECEIVED PROCESS FROM THE RESOURCE AGENCIES, AND IT'S WORKED REALLY
WELL INTERNALLY AS WELL, AND THEN PHASE FOUR AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON EACH ONE OF THESE PHASES, IS REALLY THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PROVE AND
MONITOR AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THE NATURAL RESOURCES OR THE PLANS RESOURCES. SO FOR THIS CLAYTON RANCH, WHICH I KIND OF ALREADY SHOWED TO YOU, THIS IS THE
CLAYTON RANCH AREA. 
          IT'S SOUTH OF BLACK DIAMOND MINES OFF OF MARSH CREEK ROAD, JUST EAST OF THE COMMUNITY OF
CLAYTON. 
          WE HAVE A TOTAL ACREAGE OF ABOUT 4000 ACRES, AND ABOUT 3000 OF THOSE ARE HCP LANDS. 
          SO EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT BROWN BORDER WE IDENTIFIED THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES,
AND WE SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR RECREATION WHEN WE INITIATED THE PROCESS FOR LOOKING AT THESE LANDS, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS A THERE WAS A PRETTY EXTENSIVE
EXISTING ROAD NETWORK THERE, BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOME NARROW TRAILS THAT HAD BEEN BUILT BY A PREVIOUS BY PREVIOUS GROUP, A COMMUNITY GROUP, BEFORE WE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY, AND SO
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE MORE NARROW TRAILS AS WELL. SO AND THEN WE REALLY THERE WAS A LOT OF BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES,
CONSIDERATIONS. 
          HAS THAT NOT CAUGHT UP? MY LAPTOP'S AHEAD OF THE IT'S NOT OH, HERE WE GO. 
          YEAH, THERE WE GO. SO THEN WE MOVED ON TO PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE RECREATION PLANNING
ONE. 
          WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE GUIDELINES. 
          SO THIS IS JUST A LITTLE EXAMPLE. 
          WE'RE RESTRICTED TO HOW MANY TRAILS, PICNIC AREAS, BACKPACK CAMPS. 
          WE CAN HAVE WITHIN 300FT OF WETLANDS AND STREAMS THAT PROVIDE SUITABLE HABITAT. 
          WELL, IF YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE RANCHER WILL BUILD A ROAD TO A POND, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR RANCHING. 
          SO MOST OF OUR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE IS WITHIN 300FT AT SOME POINT OF A POND, BUT WE'RE
ALSO MANDATED. 
          SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO NOT HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS WITHIN 300FT OF A POND, BUT ALL OF OUR
EXISTING ROADS, AND THEN THE NEXT GUIDELINE SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO AT ALL, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, MINIMIZE THE NEEDS OF NEW GROUND IMPACTS. 
          SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO USE EXISTING ROADS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          THERE'S AN INHERENT CONFLICT WITHIN THOSE GUIDELINES. 
          SO HOW DO WE MEET THOSE MUTUAL GOALS? WELL, WE REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE REGULATORY AGENCIES AND WE TO RESOLVE THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE, AND WE CAME UP WITH THIS AQUATIC HABITAT ANALYSIS WHERE WE REALLY LOOKED AT EACH INDIVIDUAL POND, AND IN SOME CASES THE POND WAS LIKE 290FT, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T EVEN
VISIBLE FROM THE POND, FROM THE ROAD AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO CASE BY CASE, AND THIS IS ALLOWED AS PART OF THE PLAN, GET
EXCEPTIONS, BUT WE REALLY HAD TO DO OUR WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD BUY INTO THE RECREATION WITHIN THAT AREA. 
          SO SOME OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. 
          WELL, SO THEN WE IN PHASE THREE, WE MOVED ON TO PRESENTING THE PLAN TO THE PARTNERS, AND
WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY ADJUST IT BASED ON FEEDBACK, AND, AND IT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE INITIALLY PROPOSED TO THEM, BUT I THINK IT'S
SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL PRETTY SATISFIED WITH, AND WE REALLY HAD TO IN SOME CASES BE LIKE, NO, THIS PARTICULAR AVENUE IS THE SPINE. 
          IT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED
RECREATION ALLOWED ON THIS PARTICULAR ROAD OR THIS PARTICULAR CORRIDOR, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH METHODS TO MAYBE MINIMIZE IMPACTS. 
          SO AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MEASURES WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT
NOW AND MOVING FORWARD TO IS THIS PHASE FOUR. 
          SO BEFORE WE EVEN OPEN UP LANDS, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR
RECREATIONAL USE AND ITS IMPACTS, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NECESSARILY DO REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ANNUALLY
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REPORT ON AS PART OF OUR IS PART OF OUR REPORTING AND MONITORING PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO IMPLEMENT
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT WITHOUT THE PUBLIC BUYING IN TO THE 
          [01:25:04]
DIFFERENT GUIDELINES ON THESE LANDS, WE'RE REALLY NOT GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN
HAVING RECREATION OUT THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HAVE HOW CAN WE REALLY MINIMIZE ANY IMPACTS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC ACCESS COULD BE ADJUSTED OR
DISCONTINUED IF IT'S ULTIMATELY FOUND TO BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. 
          SO THAT'S THE OUTCOME NOBODY WANTS, NOT EVEN THE RESOURCE AGENCIES, BUT THAT'S THE
OUTCOME THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY PROACTIVE IN, NOT RUNNING INTO. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF RECREATION PLANNING ON ESPECIALLY THE HCP LANDS, BUT REALLY IT APPLIES
TO ANY OF THESE MITIGATION LANDS OF WHICH KIND OF SAW WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MITIGATION CONSERVATION LANDS. 
          SO IT'S A VERY INVOLVED PROCESS, BUT I REALLY THINK IT'S SETTING US UP FOR SUCCESS. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE TURNING IN GENERAL, THE HCP IS A REGIONAL PLANNING APPROACH. 
          IT'S REALLY TRYING TO DO CONSERVATION ON A LANDSCAPE SCALE THROUGHOUT EAST COUNTY, AND
THAT'S SOMETHING THE PARK DISTRICT OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN DOING, BUILDING CORRIDORS AND ACQUIRING LAND OVER THE LAST 90 YEARS, BUT WE'RE REALLY TURNING TOWARDS HOW
CAN WE BALANCE THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE RECREATION LIMITS WITH OUR OTHER WITH OUR WITH THE REST OF OUR PARKLANDS AND FOCUSING ON REALLY
ACHIEVING THE PARK DISTRICT'S DUAL MISSION THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT, NOT JUST ON THESE LANDS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN VERY RESTRICTED AND THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF GET TO A THIS IS GOING TO BE A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
SUPPORTED TOOL, BUT IT'S A TOOL THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING INTERNALLY AND WE'RE CALLING IT THE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL OR DST. 
          IN ORDER TO LOOK AT OUR ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT AND ASSESS CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR OPEN PARKLANDS, AND WE REALLY WANT OUR FOCUSING ON IDENTIFYING CONSERVATION AND RECREATION FOCUS AREAS IN OUR OPEN PARK LANDS, AND THEN
COMING UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE FOCUS AREAS IN OUR FUTURE PARK LANDS. SO CONSERVATION FOCUS AREAS, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS
WITH REALLY SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES, AS WELL AS IDENTIFY AREAS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY GOOD FOR MITIGATION, BOTH MITIGATION FOR OUR OWN, MOSTLY MITIGATION FOR OUR OWN PROJECTS, BECAUSE
AS WE BUILD STAGING AREAS OR TRAILS, WE HAVE OUR OWN IMPACTS AND THEN RESTORATION AREAS AND THEN RECREATION FOCUS AREAS. 
          WE'RE REALLY BUILDING THE INDICES THAT ARE GOING INTO THAT IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE AREAS
WITH HIGH RECREATION VALUE. 
          WHERE DO WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHERE MAYBE WE HAVE GAPS IN WHAT WE
ARE OFFERING, NOT JUST TRAIL GAPS, BUT OTHER POTENTIAL AMENITIES AND THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF GET INTO AREAS WHERE THAT ARE SUITED FOR NEW PUBLIC ACCESS AMENITIES AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS TOOL ISN'T GOING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR US, BUT IT'S GOING
TO HIGHLIGHT AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO REALLY UNDERSTANDING DO WE NEED THAT NEW STAGING AREA OR IS THIS AREA BETTER SUITED FOR JUST
CONSERVATION? OR MAYBE WE REALLY NEED THIS TRAIL AND EVEN THOUGH IT WILL HAVE IMPACTS, IT ENDS UP
PROVIDING A REALLY CRITICAL LINKAGE FOR OUR RECREATIONAL NETWORK. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. 
          THIS IS STILL PRETTY EARLY ON. 
          HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THESE TOPICS, AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE REALLY QUICKLY
THE CONSERVATION LANDS TEAM. 
          WE HAVE A COUPLE CORE MEMBERS. 
          ELLIE KNECHT IS OUR PROJECT COORDINATOR. 
          SHE'S NEW, LESS THAN A YEAR AT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND SHE'S REALLY TAKEN OFF WITH THIS
CONSERVATION LANDS PROGRAM. 
          IT'S BEEN IN THE PROGRAM ITSELF HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD SAY, REALLY THE LAST 20
YEARS, BUT REALLY CONCENTRATED MAYBE THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE SENIOR PLANNERS THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON CONSERVATION LANDS, GIS SUPPORT AS WELL AS,
YOU KNOW, MULTIDISCIPLINARY. 
          WE WORK WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP STAFF QUITE A BIT, AND THEN WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING TO
OPERATIONS AND FINANCE AND LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE. 
          SO EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, I DON'T THINK I'VE NOT TALKED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM WITH
ANY STAFF MEMBER OR GROUP. 
          SO YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. 
          VERY INTERESTING. 
          MAYBE I'LL ASK THE FIRST ONE, AND THAT IS HOW GRANULAR DOES THIS PLANNING GET IN TERMS OF
THEIR RECREATION PLANS? I'M THINKING, I MEAN, IF IT'S A GIS DEVELOPMENT TOOL, THEN THAT'S PROBABLY SPATIALLY
EXPLICIT, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF RECREATION THAT MIGHT OCCUR. 
          LIKE I CAN IMAGINE IN A WATERSHED, MAYBE THERE ARE CERTAIN TYPES OF RECREATION THAT ARE
MORE DAMAGING AND OTHERS THAT ARE NOT. 
          OR SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S KNOWN ALAMEDA WHIPSNAKE YOU DON'T WANT DOGS, AND I'M JUST
MAKING THAT UP, AND SO ARE YOU DOING MIXING AND MATCHING BETWEEN SORT OF THE HABITAT TYPES AND THE SPECIFIC SORT OF IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECREATION? YEAH. SO SORRY, THAT WAS A LITTLE LOUDER THAN I EXPECTED. 
          YES. SO THE. 
          THE GUIDELINES THEMSELVES THAT ARE ALREADY AS PART OF THE HCP OR REALLY ANY MITIGATION
CONSERVATION INSTRUMENT THAT WE HAVE DOES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT KIND OF THOSE VERY GRANULAR 
          [01:30:04]
GUIDELINES. AS WE'RE BUILDING THE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL, WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT
INDICES TO JUST IDENTIFY THE FOCUS AREAS TO BEGIN WITH. 
          SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE CALLING LIKE A HIKER OPTIMIZED TRAIL, WHICH WOULD BE A
SHORT LOOP TRAIL WITHIN, YOU KNOW, NO MORE THAN TWO MILES FROM A STAGING AREA OR AN EQUESTRIAN TRAIL BECAUSE IT HAS WATER TROUGHS OR A PARKING FOR
A HORSE TRAILERS, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SORT OF AN EQUITY. 
          WE HAVE AN EQUITY INDEX THAT WE'RE BUILDING THAT WILL BE LOOKING AT PROXIMITY TO
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, PROXIMITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. 
          YOU KNOW, HOW EASY IS IT TO GET TO PARKS, WHO'S USING THOSE PARKS, ETC.? AND THEN FOR AS WELL AND THEN WE HAVE WILDLIFE AND VEGETATION INDICES AS WELL THAT ARE
BEING DEVELOPED. 
          ALL OF THOSE, WHEN YOU KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT, EACH ONE WILL HAVE A WEIGHT ASSOCIATED
WITH IT, AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL RUN EACH ONE OF THOSE COMPONENTS OF EACH INDICES. 
          WE'LL HAVE A WEIGHT WHEN WE RUN THAT IN THE GIS THINGS WILL KIND OF STACK UP IN ONE WAY,
RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE A PICNIC AREA AND A SWIM FACILITY AND A SHORT LOOP TRAIL AND, YOU KNOW,
YOU MIGHT BEGIN TO SEE, WOW, THIS IS A REALLY HIGH RECREATION FOCUS AREA, RIGHT? LIKE THIS IS SCORING VERY KIND OF BEEN USING THE EXAMPLE YELLOW, RIGHT, FOR RECREATION,
AND THEN YOU SORT OF LOOK AT LIKE, WOW, THIS PLACE HAS ALAMEDA WHIPSNAKE AND IT HAS RED LEGGED FROG AND IT HAS, YOU KNOW,
VEGETATION THAT'S REALLY INDICATIVE OF, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT RESOURCES THAT'S STARTING TO STACK UP HERE, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE THE TRAIL, YOU
KNOW, AND SO IT'S SCORING REALLY, REALLY, BLUE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE AREAS WHERE THEY END UP BEING GREEN, RIGHT? LIKE THEY KIND OF END UP KIND OF BEING IN BETWEEN, AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE THINK
THE TOOL WILL REALLY HELP US IDENTIFY LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A REALLY IMPORTANT WATERSHED, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THIS SHORT LOOP TRAIL HERE. 
          DO WE NEED TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT MEASURES OR JUST EDUCATION MEASURES TO CHANGE HOW
WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE OR DO WE NEED TO LIKE AND THIS IS THE OPEN PARKLANDS RIGHT? LIKE OR DO WE NEED TO RETHINK WHAT RECREATION LOOKS LIKE IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, AND
THEN WE HAVE OTHER AREAS WHERE ARE NOT YET OPEN, BUT WE WANT TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK, AND THAT WILL ALSO HELP US IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GAPS. 
          IT SOUNDS REALLY USEFUL. 
          I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND FIRST. 
          GO AHEAD MEMBER LOPEZ. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THIS IS A SORT OF A DILEMMA WITH ALL LIKE, PUBLIC LANDS, SO TO
SPEAK, IS HOW DO YOU HAVE THAT BALANCE OF PROTECTING WHAT YOU LOVE AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT SO PEOPLE BECOME STEWARDS. 
          SO IT'S A VERY, VERY DELICATE PROCESS. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS ON THE LEGACY ROAD NETWORK AND WORKING WITH THAT. 
          SO FOR THE PROSPECTIVE ROADS THAT WON'T BE USED IN THE FUTURE PER SE FOR RECREATIONAL,
THAT WILL THEY STILL BE MAINTAINED OR IS THERE A MANDATE TO MAINTAIN THEM IN WITH THE LENS OF LIKE WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT AND SO FORTH AND
HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT THIS SPACE FOR EVERYBODY, RIGHT, FOR THE CREATURES AND FOR PEOPLE, AND THEN THE OTHER THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE, AND IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF QUESTION,
BUT IT'S REALLY AROUND YOU KNOW WORKING WITH OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, A COALITION WITH
INTEREST IN PRESERVING WILD LANDS, AND I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERENCING INDIGENOUS GROUPS, AND WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS
IS THE PARK DISTRICT HAVING, HAVING A PARTNERSHIP THERE? BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS AN INTERSECTION IN THAT AND THAT DESIRE, RIGHT, TO PROTECT, YOU
KNOW, SACRED SPACES AND SO FORTH. 
          THANK YOU. YEAH. 
          SO I'LL ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION. 
          WE WORK WITH OUR OPERATIONS STAFF AND FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SOME, AT LEAST IN THE HCP. 
          WE ARE KEEPING SOME ROADS JUST SERVICE ROAD ONLY. 
          IN FACT, THE MAJORITY OF ROADS THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING PUBLIC ACCESS ON ARE STILL BEING
KEPT BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER OPERATIONALLY NEEDED FOR GRAZING PURPOSES OR FOR RANGER STAFF OR IN THE CASE OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST
EDUCATION PROGRAM ABOUT HEY, SORRY YOU CAN'T USE THIS PARTICULAR TRAIL. 
          I KNOW IT'S HERE, BUT IT'S A SERVICE ROAD ONLY, AND IT MIGHT WE MIGHT WHAT WE'RE KIND OF
THINKING IS IT'S GOING TO BE A MUCH HIGHER TOUCH WITH THE PUBLIC JUST ON THESE PARTICULAR, ESPECIALLY THE HCP PRESERVE LANDS, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST IN GENERAL IN ANY SORT OF
CONSERVATION LAND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PROTECTED FOR WHATEVER REASON. 
          THERE ARE SOME ROADS WHERE EVERYBODY SORT OF AGREES. 
          THEY'RE NOT REALLY NEEDED. 
          NOBODY REALLY WANTS THEM AND IT ACTUALLY HAS A HIGHER CONSERVATION VALUE. 
          IF WE CAN EITHER DISCONTINUE USE OR IN SOME CASES FULLY RESTORE, BUT RESTORING HAS ITS
OWN IMPACTS WHEN IT COMES TO ROADS. 
          [01:35:04]
SO IN A LOT OF CASES PEOPLE AGREE THAT JUST ABANDONING AND WILL BE SUFFICIENT. 
          THANK YOU. SO AND THEN AS TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION--HOPEFULLY I ANSWERED THE FIRST PART. 
          OKAY, AND THEN ANSWER TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, WE CERTAINLY WORK. 
          WE HAVE ANNA MARIE GUERRERO, WHO IS OUR CULTURAL OUR NEW, ACTUALLY OUR NEW PRINCIPAL
PLANNER OF CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND WE CERTAINLY ARE CONSIDERING HER INPUT AND THE NEEDS OF THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. 
          IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE MITIGATION LANDS, WHEN THEY ARE SORT
OF WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO AS DICTATED BY THE RESOURCE AGENCIES, BUT I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH KIND OF THE NON RESTRICTED
MITIGATION CONSERVATION LANDS, BUT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE CONSERVATION FOCUS AREAS, IT'S NOT JUST THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. 
          WE ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND HOW THOSE WILL SCORE IN THAT
DECISION SUPPORT TOOL. 
          IT'S VERY SENSITIVE INFORMATION, AND SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE ANNA MARIE AS PART OF OUR TEAM,
IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING THE RIGHT METRICS WHEN WE ARE COMING TO THAT, TO THOSE THAT LAYER OF INFORMATION. 
          YEAH. YES, MEMBER VALENZUELA. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR ALL YOUR INFORMATION. 
          ON YOUR FLYER IS THAT VASCO CAVES UP THERE? THAT IS, YES, THAT'S VASCO CAVES. 
          YEAH, IT'S JUST ADJACENT. 
          YEAH, ONE OF THE MOST FRAGILE PLACES. 
          YES. OKAY, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT  SETTING ASIDE UP TO 30,000 ACRES. 
          THAT'S THE HCP'S GOAL. 
          GOAL? YES, EXACTLY. 
          IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR THAT, THAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT REACH THAT? SO WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THERE AND WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE PERMIT TERM. 
          SO THE PERMIT SUNSETS IN 2037, AND THE CONSERVANCY. 
          SO ABBY FATEMAN IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT
CONSERVANCY. 
          SHE IS CERTAINLY KEEPING TRACK ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO MEET THAT GOAL, BUT I
THINK THERE'S A LOT OF HOPE. 
          IF NOT, THERE'S ALSO POTENTIALLY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXTEND THE PERMIT TERM, AND HOW MUCH
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, ALL YOUR TIMELINES THAT YOU HAVE OUT THERE, ONCE YOU ENTER THE PROCESS, ONCE A,
A PROPERTY IS PURCHASED, WHEN IT GETS TO WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE FOR THAT PROPERTY, WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT. 
          SO THE CONSERVANCY IS THE HABITAT GOALS. 
          THOSE JUST START ON DAY ONE. 
          IN TERMS OF THE RECREATION GOALS, WE'VE BEEN WAITING UNTIL WE REALLY HAVE A UNIFIED AREA
THAT MAKES SENSE AS A PARK. 
          SO CLAYTON RANCH, WHILE THERE WAS INITIAL PARK PLANNING THAT HAPPENED A NUMBER OF YEARS
AGO. 
          I THINK WE'RE ON A MUCH MORE SOLID TIMELINE WITH THAT PARTICULAR ONE, AND WE'RE MORE
WITHIN THE LIKE 3 TO 5 YEARS OF BEING ABLE TO OPEN IN TERMS OF OUR PART OF THE RECREATION PLANNING, WE'RE DONE. 
          IT'S NOW THE CONSERVANCY'S HANDS TO FINISH THE PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH IS SORT OF
THE REST OF THE DOCUMENT THAT DICTATES HOW THE PROPERTY WILL BE MANAGED AND WHAT SPECIES ARE GOING TO BE MONITORED AND, AND REPORTED ON. 
          SO THAT'S WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL BE ABOUT TWO YEARS, AND THEN THE RESOURCE AGENCIES HAVE
TO APPROVE THAT PLAN, AND THEN WE'LL BE READY TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING ABOUT 3 TO 5 YEARS AT THE CLAYTON RANCH. 
          WE DO HAVE THE RODDY RANCH GOLF COURSE, WHICH IS PART OF THE CLAYTON RANCH SORRY, DEER
VALLEY AREA, AND THAT AS YOU MAY KNOW, IS ALREADY IN WE'RE GETTING OUR FINAL PERMITS IN THE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONSTRUCTION,
HOPEFULLY IN 2026. 
          SO THERE'S MORE OF A DEFINED TIMELINE FOR THE GOLF COURSE FOR THE REST OF DEER VALLEY,
WE'RE HOLDING OFF BECAUSE THERE'S STILL SOME INHOLDINGS AND OTHER PROPERTIES WHERE WE'RE NOT 100% SURE HOW THE FULL NETWORK WILL
LOOK, BUT WE TRY, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S AN APPROPRIATE PARK. IT'S NOT JUST MAYBE A PIECE OUT BY ITSELF, UNCONNECTED FROM EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          THEN WE REALLY TRY AND INITIATE SOME LEVEL OF PLANNING. 
          YEAH, BECAUSE YEAH, EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY IS GROWING SO FAST, AND EVEN WITH ALL OUR
PLANS, I MEAN, I SEE IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH THAT'S IN THE AREA. 
          I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE THAT WHEN WE DO CONNECT THE PARKS, THAT WE HAVE
ACCESS TO SOME OF THE MAJOR TRAILS, ALSO, THAT WE CAN REDUCE CAR TRIPS TO GET TO SOME OF THESE PARKS. 
          THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? MEMBER DIETER. 
          [01:40:02]
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A FAIRLY YOUNG PROGRAM WITH THE CONSERVATION, WITH THE AGENCIES
AND EVERYTHING, AND SO, I MEAN, YOU SAID SIX YEARS IS--THE CURRENT FORMAT IS ABOUT SIX YEARS. 
          I WOULD SAY WE'VE BEEN BUILDING TOWARD IT SINCE THE LATE 90S. 
          IT JUST WASN'T AS COHESIVE. 
          OKAY. FROM SOUP OR NUTS TO SOUP, SOUP TO NUTS. 
          WELL, IN TERMS OF THE PARK DISTRICT CELEBRATING 90 YEARS, IT'S A FAIRLY YOUNG, DEFINITELY
PROGRAM, AND SO I ASSUME THAT THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE FOR EVERYONE, WHICH YOU GET BETTER AND BETTER AT, EVEN AMONG THE
OTHER AGENCIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO BECAUSE THERE'S NEGOTIATIONS THAT GO ON. 
          I IMAGINE THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO WORK THINGS OUT. 
          SOMETIMES AFTER YOU PIN SOMETHING DOWN, YOU MAY DISCOVER SOMETHING LATER, LIKE IN ANY
PROJECT, AND YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND WORK OUT THINGS, RIGHT. 
          SO MY QUESTION IS, IS DO THESE AGENCIES EVER ALL MEET TOGETHER IN AT A PUBLIC MEETING, OR
IS IT SOMETHING THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS THE PUBLIC FACE FOR THE PROJECT ALTOGETHER? THAT THERE'S NO ONE THERE'S NO GROUP MEETING WHERE ALL THE AGENCIES ARE TOGETHER? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED IN A PUBLIC MEETING. 
          THE CONSERVANCY MAY HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE RESOURCE AGENCIES, BUT I HAVE NOT
PARTICIPATED IN ONE AND IN SOME. 
          SO YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE MORE. 
          YEAH. VICE CHAIR ESPAÑA. 
          HI, GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          I HAD TWO QUESTIONS. 
          SO CURRENTLY, LIKE THIS TOOL IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR DIFFERENT CONSERVATION LANDS, BUT DO
WE SEE AS FAR AS IF THIS TOOL COULD BE EDITED IN A WAY WITH DIFFERENT INDICES TO PROBABLY IN THE FUTURE LOOK AT DIFFERENT RECREATION AREAS TO MINIMIZE TRAIL
USER CONFLICT BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS. 
          IS THIS LIKE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED KIND OF JUST BEYOND THAT? IT'S POSSIBLE IF WE CAN GET THE DATA, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN GET THE DATA IN GIS. 
          WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'LL BE A VERY FLEXIBLE TOOL THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY USE AS A BROAD SWATH
TO UNDERSTAND JUST THE PARK DISTRICT ON A MUCH ON A LARGER SCALE, BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD FOCUS IN ON PARTICULAR PROJECT AREA, AND THEN FOR THE
DIFFERENT INDICES AROUND EQUITY BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY VERY CLEAR FOR ME IN GIS WHERE WE CAN TELL, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS
DOT, THIS IS WHERE WE FOUND A WHIPSNAKE BUT HOW DO WE DEVELOP KIND OF THE DIFFERENT EQUITY METRICS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF I MEAN,
SORRY, INDICES THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF OUR EVOLVING VIEWS OF WHAT EQUITY ARE. 
          I KNOW THERE ARE SOME EQUITY MEASURES ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE FROM A
PARK, BUT JUST HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT THOSE OTHER EQUITY KIND OF INDICES WHERE THEY MAY BE MORE VALUE DRIVEN OF OUR PARK, OUR PLACE, OUR PEOPLE VERSUS AS DATA DRIVEN, AND THEN HOW DO WE KIND OF
DECIDE THAT THOSE ARE THE VALUES? AND THEN ALSO HOW DO WE DECIDE THAT THOSE VALUES ARE GOING TO ALLOW US TO PLAN FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME? SO THEY'RE NOT VALUES THAT ARE PURELY REFLECTED OF THIS TIME SO YEAH, IT'S KIND OF STATIC. 
          YEAH. NO, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, AND WE HAVEN'T FULLY BUILT OUT OUR EQUITY INDEX. 
          WE HAVE HIRED AT THE PARK DISTRICT OUR FIRST EQUITY OFFICER, AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING
TO BE MEETING WITH HIM. 
          I THINK LATER THIS WEEK TO REALLY START DISCUSSING WHAT THESE INDICES SHOULD BE, WE ARE
GOING TO BE USING SOME OF SORT OF THE. 
          ESTABLISHED INDICES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT HAVE GIS LAYERS ALREADY ALREADY COMPLETED. 
          I THINK MTC HAS ONE. 
          THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT ONES, PARTLY BECAUSE IT ALSO FOLDS IN WITH GRANT ORGANIZATIONS
AND THEY WANT TO SEE SORT OF, OH, HEY, DID YOU USE X, YOU KNOW, LAYER IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THIS PROJECT AREA? BUT WE DON'T WANT TO JUST LIMIT IT TO THAT BECAUSE IT'S ALSO WORK DONE BY OTHERS. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO BE REFINING THAT EQUITY INDEX, AND I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE NOTE OF YOUR
COMMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE YOU KNOW, VERIFY THAT WE ARE FOLDING THAT INTO OUR LENS, 
          [01:45:03]
BECAUSE I THINK EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID IS, IS SPOT ON, THAT WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE STATIC
AND WE DON'T WANT IT TO NECESSARILY. 
          IT'S TOUGH. IT'S A TOUGH QUESTION, AND IT'S NOT DATA DRIVEN IN THE SAME WAY THAT, YOU
KNOW, LIKE THERE'S A PRESENCE OF A SPECIES SOMEWHERE. 
          YEAH. YES, MEMBER HENRY. 
          THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          IT'S A REALLY COMPLEX TOPIC ON HOW TO BALANCE ACCESS VERSUS PRESERVATION. 
          SO YOU MENTIONED THE GUIDELINES ARE ALREADY LAID OUT. 
          ARE THOSE LAID OUT FROM THE RESOURCE AGENCIES OR FROM THE PARK DISTRICT. 
          FOR THE HCP, IT'S THE, WE ARE A PARTNER IN THE HCP, BUT WE DID NOT CONCEIVE THE PLAN
ITSELF. 
          SO THAT WAS AN AN AN EFFORT REALLY BY THE RESOURCE AGENCIES AND REALLY DRIVEN BY THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND THE MEMBER PARTNER AGENCIES. 
          SO THERE WAS THE CITY, THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND THEN PITTSBURG, OAKLEY,
BRENTWOOD, AND I'M REALLY SORRY, I THINK I MIGHT BE MISSING ONE OF THEM, OH, CLAYTON, YES. 
          SO THOSE GUIDELINES, I THINK REALLY, AS IT COMES TO RECREATION, WE'RE VERY MUCH DICTATED
BY THE RESOURCE AGENCIES AND THEY WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN AS THAT WAS NEGOTIATED AND THROUGHOUT THE EARLY
2000S. 
          SO IT'S NOT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY HAD INPUT ON, BUT WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WE
DID NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A HAND IN WRITING THOSE, THOSE GUIDELINES. 
          SO A LOT CAN CHANGE IN 20 YEARS, WHICH IS GOING TO TIE TO MY NEXT QUESTION. 
          SO IF THERE'S IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION BETWEEN THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE
RESOURCE AGENCIES, WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY ULTIMATELY IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS WITHIN 300FT OF PONDS
OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS. 
          YEAH. SO IF WE HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE, THERE CAN BE ALLOWANCES CASE BY CASE BY CASE, BUT
ULTIMATELY I THINK THE WAY THE PARTNERSHIP IS WRITTEN IS WE ARE OBLIGATED TO IMPLEMENT THE, THE, THE GOALS AND THE AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. 
          SO NOT TRULY IN CONTROL. 
          SO THE OTHER ONE, IT'S KIND OF TIES TO THAT TOO. 
          SO IT MENTIONED THAT ITS SOCIETAL BENEFIT. 
          AGAIN THAT'S GOING TO LOOK REALLY DIFFERENT EVEN LIKE PRE-COVID/POST-COVID. 
          SO ARE THERE CRITERIA AROUND SOCIETAL BENEFIT AND DOES THAT GET LOOKED AT PERIODICALLY TO
SEE IF IT'S STILL RELEVANT? YEAH. NO, I THINK IT'S MORE THAT THEY SO MOST CONSERVATION INSTRUMENTS DON'T ALLOW ANY
PUBLIC ACCESS WHATSOEVER. 
          RIGHT, AND THEN OFTENTIMES WHEN THE PARK DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE THE LANDOWNER OR THE
PRESERVE MANAGER, WE ARE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE PUBLIC ACCESS INTO THOSE INSTRUMENTS. 
          RIGHT, AND SO THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND HCP. 
          IT WASN'T A QUANTIFIED SOCIETAL BENEFIT. 
          IT WAS JUST AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT PASSIVE RECREATION DID PROVIDE A BENEFIT OF SOME SORT
TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PARK DISTRICT AS SORT OF THE PROPOSED PRESERVE MANAGER. 
          THAT WAS REALLY OF BENEFIT BECAUSE WE'RE A PUBLIC AGENCY THAT WAS REALLY KIND OF ONE OF
OUR GOALS WAS TO ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIMITED, BUT THERE WAS NOT NECESSARILY METRICS ASSIGNED TO THAT SOCIETAL BENEFIT. 
          YEAH, YEAH. OKAY, MEMBER MENDOZA, AND THEN I'M GOING TO TURN TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE. 
          GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT WHAT FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID IN REGARDS TO WORKING WITH
INDIGENOUS GROUPS AND ANNA MARIE GUERRERO AND HOW HER PLAN TO INTEGRATE ALL OF THIS, I HOPE. 
          THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'VE COME UP WITH QUESTIONS FOR IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS AS
WELL, LIKE CULTURAL BURNING. 
          OFTENTIMES I HEAR THINGS LIKE WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS OR WE'VE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION
MANY TIMES. 
          WELL, LET'S ANSWER IT, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO PUT UP IN THE
FOREFRONT AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, CONSERVING THE LAND FOR RECREATION, BUT ALSO FOR CEREMONY AS WELL, AND THAT IS ALSO TIED IN WITH THE EQUITY INDEX THAT OFTENTIMES DOESN'T
INCLUDE THAT. 
          THE EQUITY INDEX IS SO IMPORTANT, AND I JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN HAVE IN THE FOREFRONT
THAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT WITH TRIBES INSTEAD OF JUST DOING IT AS A PERFORMATIVE THING, HAVING THEM AT THE TABLE WITHOUT REALLY
HAVING THE ABILITY TO HAVE POWER TO GET LAND BACK OR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT MYRIAD THINGS THAT LAND BACK ENTAILS, LIKE LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION, FOOD REVITALIZATION,
AND ALSO, AS ED POINTED OUT AT VASCO CAVES NOT JUST A BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION AREA, BUT A CULTURAL ONE AS WELL. 
          SO IT'S A LENGTHY QUESTION, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S HAPPENING. 
          [01:50:02]
NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION BUT ALSO TYING IN THAT CULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL PIECE, AS MANY OF
US WENT TO SEE THE AURORA BOREALIS, MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO DRIVE THROUGH NILES CANYON LOOKING FOR THAT PERFECT
INSTAGRAM PICTURE RAN OVER TIGER SALAMANDERS. 
          SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU KNOW, SOUTH PARK AND TILDEN IS CLOSED ON THE ANNUAL
BASIS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'D ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER WITH WILDLIFE CORRIDORS THAT IF THAT'S A PART OF THAT PROCESS AS WELL, CONSIDERING PAVED ROADS FOR
BICYCLISTS AND ALSO MAYBE LOWERING THE TIME SO THAT WHEN SALAMANDERS AND NEWTS ARE MIGRATING BICYCLISTS ARE NOT RUNNING THEM OVER ON ACCIDENT, AND THEN LASTLY WONDERING HOW
3030 FITS INTO THIS, IS THERE AN INTERSECTION? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WOULD BE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS SORT OF LIKE, OH, 30,000 ACRES BY
2030 THAT'S A LITTLE YOU KNOW, AMBITIOUS, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOAL, AT LEAST. 
          YEAH. A LOT TO UNPACK THERE, BUT I THINK WE DEFINITELY ARE WORKING TOWARDS WE HAVE THE
INTENTION TO CERTAINLY CONSIDER A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, AND WHILE THE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL MIGHT NOT GET AS GRANULAR AS EACH INDIVIDUAL MIGRATORY ROUTE FOR A
TIGER SALAMANDER, IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO HELP US IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE THAT COULD BE OF CONCERN, AND THEN IF WE WERE DOING A PLANNING PROJECT WITHIN THAT AREA,
WE COULD DIVE MUCH DEEPER INTO THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC. 
          I THINK IN TERMS OF THE CULTURAL RESOURCES YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE
PARTNERING AND HAVE ANNA MARIE CERTAINLY ON OUR TEAM AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH. 
          YEAH. I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THANK YOU, MEMBER MENDOZA, FOR THOSE QUESTIONS, AND I JUST
WANTED TO ADD EACH OF THOSE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN, AND SOMETHING NAOMI DIDN'T REALLY MENTION AS PART OF THIS IS THAT THIS IS KIND OF A SUBSET
OF OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING BACK TO THE PAC AND DISCUSSING WITH YOU ALL REGARDING THE BROADER DISTRICT PLAN. 
          SO SHE'S TALKING VERY MUCH ABOUT CONSERVATION LANDS, BUT, YOU KNOW, EACH OF YOUR
QUESTIONS ARE RELEVANT TO THE PARK DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. 
          SO SO THESE WILL BE QUESTIONS THAT WILL KEEP COMING UP AS WE BRING BACK THE DISTRICT
PLAN. 
          I'LL BE BACK BEFORE THIS GROUP, I THINK, AT YOUR NEXT MEETING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON
THE DISTRICT PLAN. 
          SO YOU CAN KIND OF CONSIDER THIS AS SORT OF A ONE DISTRICT PLAN PRESENTATION, EVEN THOUGH
IT'S FOCUSED ON THE CONSERVATION LANDS PART OF IT, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE AND CERTAINLY WELCOME ALL THOSE QUESTIONS AS PART OF THAT PROCESS TOO. 
          SO. YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. THANKS, BRIAN. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ZOOM OR IN THE ROOM? NO WE DON'T. OKAY, GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. 
          THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. 
          YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, SO WE ARE FAIRLY PRESSED FOR TIME, AND THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS ALSO A A VERY
INFORMATION RICH ONE, AND I KNOW THAT REN HAS A HARD STOP AT 6:30, AND SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY NOT GET TO EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS IN TIME AFTER THE
PRESENTATION, BUT IF THAT IS THE CASE, I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT BY EMAIL WITH ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND LEAP INTO OUR NEXT
ONE, WHICH IS AN UPDATE ON CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE PARK DISTRICT. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, AND MY YES, I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE TO BE OUT AT 6:30. 
          MY DAUGHTER HAS A PERFORMANCE THIS EVENING AT SEVEN AND SO I WANT TO ATTEND THAT MUCH
LIKE I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE, BUT I DO HAVE OTHER THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THIS EVENING. 
          SO TO THAT END, I WILL GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE. 
          SO I'M REN BATES, I'M THE CHIEF OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. 
          I'M GOING TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. 
          WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ENTITY IN THE DISTRICT THAT DOESN'T DELIVER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS. 
          THERE'S ALSO OUR TRAILS GROUP, AND SOMETIMES MAINTENANCE GETS INTO MAJOR MAINTENANCE
PROJECTS, BUT MOSTLY DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. 
          WHO'S MY TEAM? IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PROJECTS. 
          SO WE HAVE 30 MEMBERS IN FOUR UNITS. 
          IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE OUR ORG CHART THERE, AND IT ACTUALLY NEEDS AN UPDATE BECAUSE
CARMEN ERASMUS, WHO WAS FORMERLY A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO BE OUR OOPS CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGER. 
          SO WE HAVE FOUR UNITS CONSTRUCTION DESIGN, PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION PROJECTS. 
          SO OUR CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTOR UNIT HAS SURVEYORS AND INSPECTORS. 
          THEY HELP DO PLAN SURVEYING FOR OUR PROJECTS. 
          THEY ALSO HELP OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT WITH ANY SORT OF LAND PLATS OR ANYTHING THAT'S
NECESSARY FOR ANY AGREEMENTS OR EASEMENTS OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          OUR DESIGN, PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION PROJECTS ARE ALL SIMILAR. 
          WE'RE SPLIT UP SO THAT WE HAVE FEWER REPORTS THAT ARE THEY KIND OF TIE TO THEIR NAMES. 
          [01:55:03]
SO IN THE RESTORATION PROJECTS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND DESIGN GROUP, WE HAVE OUR
DESIGN PROFESSIONALS. 
          SO WE HAVE AN ARCHITECT. 
          WE HAVE THREE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS ON STAFF. 
          WE HAVE TWO CIVIL ENGINEERS, CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHS PROJECT COORDINATORS AND PROJECT
MANAGERS THAT HELP PROSECUTE AND DELIVER ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. 
          SO WHAT WE DO DO IS WE DELIVER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND MAJOR MAINTENANCE THAT
EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS, MAINTAIN FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND RESTORE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ECOSYSTEMS. WE ALSO WILL FACILITATE WITH OTHER DESIGN NEEDS AS NECESSARY. 
          SO NOT NECESSARILY PROJECT WORK, BUT HELPING OTHER STAFF WITH DESIGN OPS, WITH LAYOUTS
FOR PARKING LOTS AND OR STAGING AREAS THAT MIGHT NEED SOME RENOVATION, AND TO THAT END, WE'RE WORKING ON DESIGN STANDARDS AND DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED
DISTRICT WIDE. 
          HERE'S A MAP OF CURRENTLY OUR CURRENT WORK PLAN. 
          IT'S REALLY HARD TO READ BUT SO WE DO IT BY PHASE. 
          THE ORANGE IS PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION. 
          THE YELLOW ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DESIGN AND PERMITTING. 
          PURPLE IS IN PRELIMINARY DESIGN, WHICH MEANS SORT OF CONCEPT PLANNING AND FIGURING OUT
WHAT OUR FULL SCOPE IS, AND THEN ON THIS MAP, WE HAVE OUR COMPLETED. 
          I REALIZE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO READ, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK. 
          PROJECTS VARY IN LENGTH OF TIME. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT FOR 18 YEARS, AND THERE'S SOME PROJECTS THAT TAKE
ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 10 YEARS TO DELIVER. 
          THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF AS WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT NEOMA TALKED ABOUT, WE ALSO
HAVE TO THEN GET PERMITS FROM A LOT OF THOSE AUTHORITIES HAVING JURISDICTION, AND WE SOMETIMES, OFTEN DON'T HAVE ANY SORT OF COVERAGE LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATION PLAN. 
          SO WE HAVE TO GET INDIVIDUAL PERMITS, AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS A QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT
AGENCIES TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER, AND WE USUALLY DON'T DO THAT. 
          SO WE USUALLY HAVE TO GET INDIVIDUAL PERMITS FROM EACH AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION OR
REGULATORY AGENCY AND SOMETIMES THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS CONFLICT. 
          SO IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR US TO GET OUR PERMITS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT CONSTRAINS SOMETIMES OUR WORK WINDOWS BASED ON SPECIES OF
CONCERN. 
          SO I'LL JUST THAT'S WHAT I'LL LEAVE AT THAT. 
          PROJECT PRIORITIZATION MIGHT BE A QUESTION IN TERMS OF WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT'S SHOWN
THERE. 
          THE OTHER THING TO NOTE IS THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET CYCLE, THERE'S OUR PROJECT AND
PROGRAM BUDGET BOOK, WHICH SORT OF CALLS OUT ALL OF OUR PROJECTS. 
          SO THERE'S A BUNCH OF PROJECTS IN THERE, AND HISTORICALLY, THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN
DETERMINED BY VOTER APPROVED MEASURES, I.E. 
          LIKE WW AND CC RESPONSE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS. 
          SO IF THERE'S EMERGENCY LIKE SLIDES OR STORM DAMAGE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, THAT WILL
USUALLY TAKE IT UP IN PRIORITY REPLACEMENT OF FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES, AND AS ALWAYS, WE ARE A PUBLIC AGENCY, AND SO THERE'S POLITICAL DESIRES AND NEEDS THAT CAUSE
US TO ROTATE OUR PROJECT PRIORITIES. 
          IN 2022, THE BOARD DID ADOPT A PROJECT PRIORITIZATION POLICY, WHICH HAS CRITERIA WHICH
MEANT WAS AS A MEANS TO OBJECTIFY OR NOT OBJECTIFY, BUT MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN SCORE OUR PROJECTS USING CRITERIA THAT SPEAK TO MANY THINGS LIKE
ACCESS OR PROXIMITY TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, WHICH USES A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT INDICES. 
          SO AND THE GOAL FOR THIS, AGAIN, IS SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES IN TERMS OF
CRITERIA FOR PROJECTS AND RANK THOSE HIGHER UP. 
          THIS POLICY WAS ADOPTED IN 2022. 
          WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON PROCEDURES AS TO HOW TO BEST DO THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF
NEEDS AT THE DISTRICT FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO DELIVER THOSE. SO THE GOAL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BY FROM OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM IS THAT WE WANT TO
REPLACE THAT PROJECT, PROGRAM AND BUDGET BOOK WITH A FIVE YEAR CIP THAT HAS FIVE YEAR EXPENDITURES, AND ACTUALLY THE PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON, BECAUSE THAT
PROGRAM PROJECT AND BUDGET BOOK HAS A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE AREN'T NECESSARILY WORKING ON, AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT AND ACCURATE IN ALL THE
WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND IT ACTUALLY ALSO GIVES US AN IDEA ABOUT FUNDING. 
          SO THIS IMAGE IS ACTUALLY OF THE WE JUST REDID THE LAFAYETTE RIDGE STAGING AREA, AND FOR
BRIONES. 
          WE UTILIZE, SO I'LL JUST TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE. 
          WE USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT METHODS FOR DELIVERY OF PROJECTS. 
          WE DO USE DESIGN BID BUILD WHICH IS TYPICALLY WE DO DESIGN PERMITTING GO OUT TO PUBLIC
BID. 
          WE'RE REQUIRED TO AWARD TO THE LOWEST PUBLIC THE LOWEST BID ON THAT. 
          THIS WE USE JOB ORDER CONTRACTING, WHICH IS WE HAVE A CONSULTANT THAT HELPS US PROVIDE A
COST CATALOG WHICH TAKES STANDARD FIXED UNIT COSTS FOR LOCAL MATERIALS AND PREVAILING WAGE, AND SO THAT HAS ALL
KINDS OF TASKS IN IT, LIKE FROM LAYING ASPHALT DOWN, STRIPING, RESTROOM REPLACEMENT. 
          IT IS BASICALLY FOR RESTORATION AND REPLACEMENT. 
          IT'S ONE OF OUR, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE UTILIZE FOR THAT. 
          IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN ON CALL CONTRACTOR. 
          SO IT'S STILL PUBLICLY BID. 
          SO WHAT THEY BID IS AN ADJUSTMENT FACTOR TO THOSE FIXED COSTS WHICH ARE GOOD FOR A YEAR,
AND THEN WE AWARD ON THE LOWEST ADJUSTMENT FACTOR. 
          [02:00:05]
SO IT'S STILL COMPETITIVELY BID, BUT IT ALLOWS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE
CONTRACTOR AND NOT NECESSARILY GO THROUGH DESIGN BID AND THEN GET BOARD AUTHORIZATION, WHICH SOMETIMES CAN TAKE THREE MONTHS TO FOUR MONTHS JUST FOR THE BIDDING PROCESS, NOT
EVEN GETTING TO THAT POINT. 
          SO THESE ARE EXISTING CONDITIONS. 
          WE LIKE OUR PROJECT SITES. 
          THIS I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANY OF OUR PROJECT SITES FOR ANY WORK I DO HERE, BECAUSE
IT'S THE PARK DISTRICT, SO THEY'RE ALL PRETTY AMAZING, AS EVIDENCED BY THESE PHOTOS. 
          SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH A COUPLE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON OUR LIST AS KIND OF
EXAMPLES TO SORT OF SHARE WITH YOU OUR PROCESS, SORT OF DESCRIBE THE PHASES THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND GO THROUGH THAT. 
          SO THIS FIRST ONE IS THE THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD PUBLIC
ACCESS PROJECT. 
          SO WHAT WE DID INTERNALLY IS ONE OF OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, EVA ROSE LEAVITT. 
          SHE DID SHE LED A GROUP OR PROCESS BY WHICH SHE INCORPORATED AND INVITED OPERATIONS AND
ALL OF OUR INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO SORT OF COME UP AND VET A CONCEPT PLAN THAT WE COULD THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE GOALS ARE FOR THE
PROJECT AND THEN WHAT WE CAN MANAGE AND HANDLE AS STAFF IN TERMS OF OPERATIONALLY WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE. 
          AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS AND IT WOULD BE GREAT THAT WE CAN MAKE THE DREAM PROJECT
EVERYWHERE, BUT WE HAVE LIMITED BUDGETS AND SO WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION AND DEVELOP CONCEPT PLANS. SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. 
          IN TERMS OF THAT TWO AT RODDY RANCH OR AT SORRY, SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD, THERE IS A BUNCH
OF OLD RAILS THERE BECAUSE IT WAS AN AMMUNITIONS DEPOSITION. SO THERE'S TRAIN TRACKS. 
          WE'RE GOING TO CONVERT A LOT OF THOSE TO RAILS TO TRAILS. 
          SO CONVERT THOSE. 
          THEY'LL BE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE GRADE FOR RAILROAD FOR FAMILIES TO GO OUT,
UTILIZE THESE LOOPS FOR BIKES AND OTHER THINGS, AND SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO GET PEOPLE OUT TO THIS PARK AND ACTUALLY HAVE A DESTINATION BEFORE THE ENTIRE PARK IS OPEN AND
AVAILABLE. 
          SO WE THINK ABOUT HOW IF WE'RE GOING TO OPEN A PARK, THAT THERE'S FACILITIES THERE AND
THAT THEY FUNCTION. 
          SO WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH THIS PROJECT IS WE'VE NOW SUBSEQUENTLY GONE OUT TO HIRE A
CONSULTANT WHO WILL HELP US DEVELOP THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND HELP US PERMIT THAT. 
          WE JUST DON'T HAVE STAFF TO DEVELOP ALL THOSE PRODUCT PRODUCTION DRAWINGS FOR ALL OF OUR. 
          PROJECTS BECAUSE AS YOU SAW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS. 
          NEXT PROJECT IS MILLER/KNOX REGIONAL SHORELINE. 
          WE ARE GOING TO REDO THIS KELLER BEACH AREA. 
          IT IS BEYOND ITS LIFE IN TERMS OF ITS SERVICES, AND WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE ADA ACCESS. 
          ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THIS. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RAILROAD CORRIDOR RIGHT HERE, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN ACTIVE LINE, AND SO
THERE'S BEEN ON AND OFF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RAILROAD. 
          AGAIN AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, WE HAVE TO GET ENGAGED WITH ALL KINDS OF ENTITIES TO DELIVER
OUR PROJECTS, AND THIS IS RAILROAD IS ONE OF THEM. 
          SO IN ADDITION TO CREATING A NEW ADA ACCESS DOWN HERE WE NEED TO CREATE AN ADA PATH OF
TRAVEL TO OUR PARKING LOT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY CLOSEST ONE WE HAVE IS OVER HERE IN MILLER/KNOX. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T PUT PARKING ON THE STREET, AND THEN THE GRADES ARE SUCH THAT WE
CAN'T. 
          WE HAVE NO, NOT ENOUGH VERTICAL DISTANCE OR HORIZONTAL DISTANCE TO MAKE IT ADA
ACCESSIBLE. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO ACCESS IT FROM THE PARK. 
          I'M PROBABLY GETTING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL. 
          MY WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE RAILROAD TO FIGURE OUT AN EASEMENT
ACROSS, AND THEN THE WAY WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO IN ADDITION TO REGULATORY AGENCIES FOR OUR SPECIES, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH RAILROADS IN
THEIR RIGHTS OF WAYS, WHICH IS CHALLENGING. 
          HERE'S SOME RENDERINGS FROM THAT PROJECT. 
          SO AGAIN, THIS IS ONE THAT WE DID INTERNALLY WITH A CONCEPT AND THEN HIRED CONSULTANTS
THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS AND BOARD AWARD OF A OF AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO GET TO THIS, AND THESE ARE DONE BY A CONSULTANT JUST TO HELP US. 
          WE HAD A PUBLIC MEETING OUT THERE TO SHARE THESE, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH
PERMITTING AND DESIGN. 
          ANOTHER PROJECT THAT OUT AT MILLER/KNOX IS THE DEMOLITION OF THE FERRY POINT PIER. 
          JUST IN PLAN VIEW, THIS IS THE CONCRETE FISHING PIER, WHICH IS THERE. 
          HERE'S THE GANTRY STRUCTURE. 
          THESE TWO STRUCTURES WILL STAY, BUT THEN THE REST OF THIS WILL ALL BE REMOVED. 
          AGAIN, CHALLENGED, WORKING IN THE WATER, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO ALL OF THESE
THINGS. 
          GETTING PERMITS FOR ALL OF THIS. 
          WE WERE READY TO DO THIS LAST YEAR, AND AT THE LAST MOMENT BAY AREA AIR QUALITY WANTED US
TO DO SOME HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, AND WE FOUND THROUGH THAT THERE'S SOME MATERIAL THAT HAS SOME MASTIC ON THE TOP OF EACH ONE OF THOSE PIERS THAT HAS ASBESTOS IN IT. 
          SO NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ASBESTOS OVER WATER AND DEAL WITH CAL
OSHA, WHO'S ON THE SURFACE, AND THE FED OSHA WHO'S ABOVE THE WATER. 
          SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. 
          THAT'S ENOUGH ON THAT ONE. WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT ONE TAKEN OUT THIS YEAR. 
          WE HAD SOME EMERGENCY REPAIRS ON THAT BECAUSE PART OF THOSE STRUCTURES, NOT LAST WINTER
BUT TWO WINTERS AGO, FELL. 
          THIS IS A BIG ONE. THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER. 
          WE'VE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THIS. 
          THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS. THIS IS CONCEPT PLAN. 
          [02:05:01]
WHAT'S SHOWN IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE PREFERRED OPTION FOR SITE AND BUILDING, WHICH HAS
BEEN SHARED WITH THE BOARD. 
          SO YOU ARE SEEING RELATIVELY NEW THINGS. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAIL, BUT WE DID HAVE THREE PUBLIC OUTREACH
MEETINGS. 
          WE, INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR INTERNAL STAFF VISUALIZE AND COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT PLAN, WE
HIRED CONSULTANTS TO HELP US WITH THAT. 
          JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE, THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT, IT MADE MORE SENSE. 
          WE DON'T HAVE WE HAVE AN ARCHITECT WHO'S ON BOARD. 
          IT'S GREAT, BUT THIS INVOLVES INTERPRETING REC PROGRAMMING AND ALL OF THE THINGS
INVOLVED, AND IT'S A BIG SITE. 
          SO HERE'S SOME RENDERINGS OF THAT. 
          THESE AREN'T REALLY THESE ARE MORE LIKE MASS STUDIES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE GRAY
LIKE THAT. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON FINAL RENDERINGS WITH MATERIALS, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH THE
BOARD ON JUNE 4TH. 
          SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION THEN WITH MORE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE
PLANS, AND THEN HERE'S SOME INTERIOR SORT OF RENDERINGS TO SHOW WHAT THE SPACE WILL LOOK LIKE. THE GOAL BEING THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY REUSE SOME OF THE MATERIALS IN THE DEMOLITION
OF THE EXISTING BUILDING TO USE FOR SOME OF THE ROOFING MEMBERS IN THIS BUILDING, JUST FOR REUSE. ANOTHER BIG PROJECT IS ACROSS THE STREET. 
          THIS IS, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO SHOW THE BREADTH AND THE WIDTH OF OUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS,
FROM RESTORATION TO PUBLIC ACCESS TO DEMOLITION APPEARS TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES. THIS IS A BIG PROJECT. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT TO BID ON THIS. 
          WE DID A PRE-QUALIFICATION PROCESS TO SELECT CONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD FINANCIAL
WHEREWITHAL AND THE MEANS AND METHODS TO DO THIS, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A LARGE PROJECT. WE WILL BE OPENING BIDS ON THE FOURTH, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH FINANCE TO FIGURE
OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS. 
          WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO INTO SOME SORT OF DEBT SERVICE OR ISSUE BONDS, BUT THAT'S THE
GOAL FOR THIS BEING THAT THIS ROOM ACTUALLY WILL MOVE OVER TO THE STREET, ACROSS THE WAY, IT'LL BE THE PUBLIC, MORE OF A PUBLIC FACING BUILDING. 
          WE'RE HOPING TO MAKE THIS A CAMPUS FEEL. 
          THE BOARDROOM WILL BE OVER THERE. 
          HR WILL BE OVER THERE, RESERVATIONS, SO THOSE KIND OF ENTITIES WILL BE OVER THERE, AND
THEN IT'LL FREE UP MORE SPACE BECAUSE AS IT IS NOW, THIS BUILDING IS SORT OF WE'RE AT CAPACITY FOR STAFF. 
          ANOTHER ASPECT OF WORK THAT WE DO IS FACILITIES FOR PARK STAFF. 
          SO THIS IS THE NEW SERVICE YARD AT DUMBARTON QUARRY, COYOTE HILLS, TO HELP WITH THE
CAMPGROUND. 
          THIS IS A DISTRICT STANDARD THAT WE DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. 
          GETTING BACK TO HOW WE DELIVER THIS WAS DESIGN BID BUILD, BUT WHAT WE FOUND IN PROCESS OF
THIS IS THAT THERE WERE THIS IS A PRE-ENGINEERED METAL STRUCTURE, SO THERE ARE DEFERRED SUBMITTALS. WHAT WE DID GET TWO YEARS AGO AS WELL IS AUTHORIZATION THROUGH ERICH, AND HIS
GREAT TEAM'S EFFORTS TO HELP. 
          MID-PEN HAD DESIGN BUILD, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT METHOD WHERE THE DESIGN AND THE BUILD
HAPPENS AT THE SAME TIME CONTRACTOR AND DESIGNERS COME TOGETHER AS ONE ENTITY AND BID A PROJECT. WE'VE LEARNED, AND WITH OUR AUTHORITY AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY, WE'RE GOING TO
WORK ON A SERVICE YARD AT POINT PINOLE NEXT. 
          SO WE'RE TAKING LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS TO DEVELOP THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE
DESIGN BUILD, BECAUSE WE DID THIS DESIGN BID BUILD, AND WE HAD A LONG, AGAIN, LEAD TIME ON DEFERRED SUBMITTALS. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY THAT AS A METHOD, AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY GET STARTED WITH THAT LATER
THIS YEAR AS THIS PROJECT WRAPS UP ALSO AT COYOTE HILLS. 
          THIS IS THE RESTORATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT. 
          THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT CONVERTED THE PATTERSON RANCH DONATION THAT THE PARK DISTRICT
RECEIVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, RESTORED IT INTO DID A RESTORATION PROJECT AND IS PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS. 
          SO THIS ONE, TOO, IS WRAPPING UP CURRENTLY. 
          IT WAS A REALLY BIG PROJECT. 
          IT HAS DONE QUITE A BIT OF PLANTING RESTORATION. 
          I GUESS I WILL ADD, TOO, IS THAT A LOT OF OUR RESTORATION PROJECTS, WE CONTRACT GROW A
LOT OF THEM BECAUSE OF PHYTOPTHORA CONCERNS. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE DO, IS THAT WE THEN MAKE SURE THAT THE PLANTS THAT WE'RE
PUTTING IN ARE CONTRACT GROWN THROUGH NURSERIES THAT FOLLOW PHYTOPTHORA-FREE PRACTICES. 
          SO SO THOSE ARE ALL BIGGER, FANCIER ONES. 
          THESE ARE KIND OF MORE. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE IN THE BACKGROUND HERE IS THE DEL VALLE
VISITOR CENTER. 
          THERE'S BUILDINGS OUT THERE. 
          SO WE DID A REPLACEMENT FOR THAT, AND THERE WERE TWO BUILDINGS THAT HAD A MAN AND WOMEN'S
RESTROOM, CONSOLIDATING THEM ALL INTO GENDER MADE A FOOTPRINT THAT'S MUCH SMALLER OUT THERE, BUT PROVIDES A LOT OF FACILITIES TO OUR NEW VISITOR CENTER AND THEN A COUPLE OF
BIG ONES AT THE END, ROBERTS POOL. 
          WE HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING OUT THERE IN APRIL. 
          THIS IS A GREAT FACILITY. 
          REPLACED A POOL THAT WAS 60 YEARS OLD. 
          IT WAS A LOT OF WORK. 
          THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PARK WAS NOT UP TO SNUFF FOR THIS, SO IT TAKES A LOT. 
          ANOTHER GREAT PICTURE OF THIS, BUT IT'S SUCCESSFUL. 
          THE PARK IS OPEN FOR SWIMMING, I BELIEVE, ON THE 27TH FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING. 
          THEY HAD LIKE 300 PEOPLE ON SUNDAY AND 200 PEOPLE IN APRIL OUT THERE SWIMMING. 
          SO IF THAT'S ANY INDICATION, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND THEN LASTLY AND I
CAN THEN FIELD QUESTIONS, IS OUR MCCOSKER CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH IS UP IN 
          [02:10:01]
SIBLEY, AND THEN JUST FOR ANOTHER POINT OF REFERENCE ON THIS, THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE OF
OUR CONSTRAINTS OF WORKING FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER 31ST, BECAUSE OF OUR REGULATORY AND SPECIES CONCERNS, MEANT THAT THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE THOUGHT
WE COULD GET ON IN TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF FIRES AND FLOODS, IT TOOK US 4 TO 5 YEARS TO FINISH. SO WE'RE HAVING A GRAND OPENING ON THURSDAY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE GREAT. 
          IT HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE APRIL, BUT IT CONVERTED THREE QUARTERS OF BURIED AND CULVERTED
CREEK INTO WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. 
          SO IT IS A PRETTY AMAZING IT'S AN AMAZING PROJECT THAT I WAS HAPPY TO BE PART OF. 
          I KNOW I BLASTED THROUGH THAT. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR RIDING WITH ME THROUGH THAT. 
          I HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SORT OF A FLAVOR OF WHAT WE DO AND TRY TO PUT IN ALL
OF THE CONSTRAINTS AND THINGS WE STRUGGLE WITH AND OVERCOME TO DELIVER PROJECTS. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY ENORMOUS AND DIVERSE PORTFOLIO. 
          SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE TO DIP INTO SOME OF THE MANY PROJECTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON. 
          SURE. DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES. MEMBER. LOPEZ. THANK YOU. 
          I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF CIP PLANS WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THEN ON THE CITY
COUNCIL, AND I FOUND THAT YOU KNOW, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, HAVING BEEN ON THE FACILITIES COMMITTEES FOR BOTH OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS THAT A LOT THAT FIVE YEARS ISN'T A VERY LONG
TIME FOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY DO THE, THE LONG TERM PLANNING, AND I WOULD INVITE MAYBE A STRATEGY THAT WOULD INCORPORATE A SHORTER TERM
LIKE FIVE YEARS, BUT ALSO A MEDIUM TERM JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE CHANGE ORDERS, AND, YOU KNOW, THE BIDDING PROCESSES AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT
GET UNCOVERED DURING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, AS YOU KNOW, FROM THE POOLS, PROBABLY THAT HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE BREATHING ROOM, I WOULD SAY I
WOULD JUST FROM HAVING GONE THROUGH THE FIRE MYSELF. 
          SO YEAH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSION ON HOW THE CIP
PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED GOING FORWARD ON TWO LEVELS. 
          THE FIRST IS ON, YOU KNOW, WITH GOING OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE REVENUE FOR THAT OR ALL THE
REVENUE SECURED AND THEN THE OTHER, AND I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NEW, AND THEN THIS OTHER THING IS ON ON WHAT'S THE CONVERSATION AROUND OPERATIONS AND MAINTAINING OPERATIONS
AND MAINTENANCE AND SO FORTH ON NEWER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          GREAT QUESTIONS. APPRECIATE THE COMMENT. 
          I WILL SHARE THOSE WITH THE FOLKS THAT I'M WORKING WITH ON THE CIP DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE
THAT'S NOT ALL ME. 
          IN TERMS OF FUNDING, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON ALSO TO DO A FIVE YEAR CIP IS THAT WE'RE
TRYING TO HONE IN ON WHAT THAT DELTA IS OF WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE NEED. 
          HISTORICALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS TAKEN PRIDE IN GETTING LOTS OF GRANTS AND SPENDING OTHER
PEOPLE'S MONEY, AS I'VE HEARD IT REFERRED TO. 
          THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN DELIVERING PROJECTS, BUT NOT SO EFFECTIVE IN OUR
ABILITY TO PLAN AND MANAGE THAT IN TERMS OF BECAUSE IT'S OPPORTUNITY FUNDING, AND SO GRANTS COME AND GO, AND IF WE MANAGE JUST ON THAT, THE OTHER
THING IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROJECT SORT OF SHOVEL READY TO GET TO GRANT FUNDING, AND SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDED ON A LOT OF THESE. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES ARE MORE GRANT WORTHY OR AVAILABLE TO HAVE THAT. 
          I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS THEN NARROWING THIS DOWN INTO A FIVE YEAR CIP, AND THEN
NARROWING DOWN OUR PROJECT LIST SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH THE DISTRICT HAS MONEY AVAILABLE FOR TO EITHER GET US TO A SHOVEL READY POINT, IN WHICH WE CAN THEN LOOK FOR
OTHER GRANTING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS AND LOOKING AT THE FIVE YEAR CIP IS FIGURING OUT HOW WE ARE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          AS IT IS, WE ARE ASKING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, A BUDGET FOR WHAT WE CAN SPEND IN THE NEXT
YEAR OR TWO SO THAT WE CAN KEEP PROJECTS MOVING ALONG. 
          SURE. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO GO TO ZOOM TO MEMBER MARSH. 
          THANK YOU. I APPRECIATED THE PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. 
          DO WE HAVE A STATUS ON CONTRA LOMA? I'M IN THE EAST BAY, AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS COME TO ME ABOUT CONTRA LOMA, SO I'M NOT
SURE. 
          WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? YEP, FAIR ENOUGH, AND I THINK WITH ROBERTS OPENING, THAT'S A VALID QUESTION. 
          SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT. 
          THAT CONTRA LOMA FACILITY HAS SAND IN IT. 
          IT'S ALSO A VERY LARGE SWIM FACILITY SUCH THAT IT IS BIGGER THAN A REGULAR POOL. 
          SO THAT THERE ARE EXPANSION JOINTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAINTAIN AND
MANAGE THAT SWIM FACILITY. 
          SO IN TERMS OF THAT, WE HAVE REACHED OUT. 
          WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A SWIM CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT. 
          WE HAD A NEEDS ASSESSMENT STUDY DONE IN 2020 THAT LOOKED AT WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE OUT
THERE. 
          SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE PART OF... 
          OPERATIONALLY, THE SAND CAUSES A PROBLEM WITH THE WATERPROOFING THAT'S OUT THERE, AND SO
OPERATIONALLY THEY WANT TO REMOVE THE SAND. 
          [02:15:04]
PART OF THAT MEANS THAT IF WE DO IMPROVEMENTS, THEN WE HAVE TO GO AND HAVE CODE APPROVAL
FOR LIKE ADA ACCESS AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED. 
          THE FACILITY WAS BUILT OVER 20 YEARS AGO. 
          SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN BRIEF, WHICH I'VE ALREADY TAKEN TOO LONG TO DO, IS THAT
WE'VE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT TO COME UP WITH A COST ESTIMATE FOR REMEDIES FOR THAT. SO WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS THAT WILL BE TAKEN TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN THIS
SUMMER, I BELIEVE, MAYBE IN JULY. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHEN TO PRESENT THOSE OPTIONS TO THE BOARD TO SEE WHAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE
TO DO IN TERMS OF THE FUTURE OF THAT FACILITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. OKAY. 
          IF WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY, THEN WE'LL DO TWO MORE. 
          YEAH. MAHADEVAN AND THEN MEMBER SIMMONS. 
          THEN WE'LL CLOSE IT THERE, I THINK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT YOU SAID LEGISLATURE. 
          ARE WE LOOKING FOR A LEGISLATIVE REMEDY THAT WILL AT LEAST CARVE OUT CERTAIN PROJECTS SO
YOU CAN SHORTEN THE TIME FRAME? OR. NO. 
          WHAT I WAS SPEAKING, WHAT I WAS SPEAKING TO. 
          WELL, I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT OUR PERMITTING
ISSUES, BUT I WHAT I WAS SPEAKING OF SPECIFICALLY WAS THAT MID-PEN OPEN SPACE HAS THE DESIGN BUILD AUTHORITY, WHICH IS GIVEN BY THE LEGISLATURE TO
SAY THIS IS A DELIVERY METHOD, AND IT WAS GOING TO SUNSET, AND SO WHAT WE DID IS THEY WERE SEEKING EXTENSION OF THAT, AND SO BY WE WERE FOLDED INTO THAT APPROVAL,
AND SO NOW WE HAVE THAT AS AN OPTION FOR DELIVERY OF PROJECTS. THANK YOU. 
          SURE. MEMBER SIMMONS MY QUESTION IS REALLY SIMPLE, ALTHOUGH THERE'LL BE A COMMENT. 
          YOU MENTIONED THE GRAND OPENING IN MCCOSKER. 
          IS THAT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN A NOTICE OF IT AND THE PARKING IS PRETTY LIMITED. 
          YEAH, I WALKED THERE FROM SIBLEY, BY THE WAY, IN THE LAST 2/10 OF A MILE ALONG PINEHURST
IS NOT SAFE. 
          SO I PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS NOT HERE. 
          I BELIEVE IT WAS AN RSVP EVENT. 
          DO YOU KNOW AT ALL? I YEAH, I BELIEVE IT WAS AN INVITE BECAUSE OF THE PARKING. 
          PARKING? WELL, NO, THE PARK'S OPEN, BUT THE GRAND OPENING IS NOT A PUBLIC [INAUDIBLE]. 
          I THINK IT'S FOR [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, BUT THE PARK IS OPEN. 
          IT'S THE GATES. 
          THE FENCE HAVE BEEN DOWN SINCE APRIL 1ST, AND SO I THINK THEY'RE TRYING--THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THE GRAND OPENING WAS PUBLIC OR NOT. 
          THAT'S NOT MY PURVIEW. 
          SOMEBODY ELSE TAKES CARE OF ALL THOSE THINGS. 
          I JUST THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND FOR STICKING WITH US SO LATE. 
          REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TALK. 
          OKAY. NEXT UP, WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR. 
          THE CHAIR DOES NOT HAVE A REPORT THIS EVENING, AND THEN WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
          [Announcements]
ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? YES. MEMBER MENDOZA. THANKS, BOB. 
          THERE WAS A STACK OF FLYERS ON THE DESK HERE FOR BLACK BIRDERS WEEK, BUT I DON'T THINK
MANY FOLKS GOT IT. 
          IT'S UP THERE NOW ON THE INFORMATIONAL THING. 
          SO THERE'S STILL QUITE A FEW MORE THERE. 
          I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT THIS EVENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS AND JUST
WANTED TO THANK THE BLACK EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE AS WELL AS THE I&R DEPARTMENT TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GO TO THESE WONDERFUL EVENTS DURING THE WEEK. 
          I ALSO WANT TO UPLIFT A CONFERENCE THAT MY OLD WORK, CHILDREN IN NATURE NETWORKS HAVING
AT MADISON, WISCONSIN NEXT WEEK. 
          IF ANYBODY'S GOING AND IT WAS TOO LATE TO HAVE YOU ALL GO, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THERE'S
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AS WELL AS THE STATE OF THE ESTUARY CONFERENCE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, BOB KNOWS WAS RESCHEDULED BECAUSE THE HENRY J. 
          KAISER CONVENTION CENTER WAS NOT OPEN YET, AND THE FIRE MARSHAL TOOK IT DOWN ABOUT A
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, BUT IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN NEXT WEEK, AND THEN FINALLY IN ATLANTA. WE ARE ONE WHICH IS A PART OF THE JUSTICE OUTSIDE COALITION NEXT 100 COALITION
AS WELL. 
          IT'S AN AFFINITY SPACE FOR BIPOC AND QUEER FOLKS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU
DEFINITELY WANT TO GET ON YOUR RADAR BECAUSE IT STARTED OUT IN OAKLAND AND BERKELEY ABOUT FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO, AND THEN IT HAS BEEN IN A LONG HIATUS, WENT TO PHILLY AND NOW IS IN
ATLANTA, AND THAT'S WHERE FOLKS CAN COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEI AND EQUITY REALM. 
          SO AGAIN, IT'S WE ARE ONE IN ATLANTA IN JUNE. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE. 
          ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY, I WILL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:29 P.M.. 
          I WILL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN BACK HERE ON JUNE 24TH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.