May 21, 2024 Board of Directors Meeting

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. OKAY.

WELCOME, EVERYONE.

THIS IS A REGULAR BOARD MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ON MAY 21ST, 2024, BEGINNING AT 1:06 P.M.

WOULD OUR MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

[ROLL CALL]

YES. PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

DIRECTOR COFFEY. HERE.

DIRECTOR CORBETT. NOT HERE.

DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

HERE. DIRECTOR MERCURIO. HERE.

DIRECTOR SANWONG. HERE.

DIRECTOR WAESPI. HERE.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

HERE. GENERAL MANAGER LANDRETH.

HERE. DEPUTY.

EXCUSE ME. GENERAL COUNSEL BOURGAULT.

HERE. THANK YOU.

AND DIRECTOR CORBETT JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT SHE'S NOT HERE BECAUSE SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL.

SO OKAY, SO, DIRECTOR WAESPI, CAN YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? SURELY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

DIRECTOR COFFEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT?

[LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]

CERTAINLY. THANK YOU.

SO GOOD AFTERNOON ALL.

TODAY WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNCEDED LANDS OF THE OHLONE PEOPLE AND THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, WHERE WE MEET TODAY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HUCHIUN TERRITORY, WHICH IS THEIR TRADITIONAL, ANCESTRAL AND SHARED HOME.

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 SURVIVAL, AND IMPORTANT TO CULTURAL PRACTICES, ALL WHILE PASSING DOWN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.

WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE THE LAND ITSELF, THE WILDLIFE LIVING WITHIN THESE LANDS AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEWARDED IT AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY. THANK YOU MUCH.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR AGENDA TODAY?

[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SO SECOND.

OKAY. MOTION BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND SECOND, BY DIRECTOR WAESPI.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE.

OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

SO MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[PUBLIC COMMENT]

MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES. PRESIDENT ECHOLS PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED ONE OF THREE WAYS VIA EMAIL TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT EBPARKS.ORG VIA VOICEMAIL AT (510) 544-2016, LEAVING A MESSAGE WHICH WILL BE TRANSCRIBED AND GIVEN TO THE BOARD AND MADE A PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD, OR SIMPLY BY JOINING THE MEETING VIA ZOOM LINK, WHICH IS LISTED ON THE AGENDA POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.

THE SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS WAS NOTICED ON THE AGENDA AND IN THE BOARD PACKET, WHICH WAS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE ON MAY 17TH AND OUTSIDE IN THE BREEZEWAY.

ALL EMAILS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE ON TODAY ON YESTERDAY, MONDAY, MAY 20TH HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE TEAM.

ANY EMAILS OR LETTERS THAT HAVE COME IN AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE ORGANIZED AND GIVEN TO THE BOARD AFTER THIS MEETING.

OKAY, SO IF YOU'RE HERE TO GIVE A COMMENT REGARDING ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE WILL CALL ON YOU WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP.

[00:05:03]

MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA TODAY? YES. PRESIDENT ECHOLS, THERE ARE SEVERAL.

WE HAVE ALSO SOME IN THE ZOOM ROOM.

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, ZOOM ROOM THAT CAN HEAR ME.

IF YOU ARE SPEAKING ON AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, I REPEAT THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

IF YOUR ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA WE WILL CALL YOU WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP.

OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE ROOM.

RENEE PATTERSON, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.

OH ONE EXCUSE ME AND ONE OTHER NOTE THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE IN THE ZOOM ROOM WHEN I CALL ON YOU BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THE TIMER.

I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO DARK.

AND THEN WHEN I COME BACK ON THAT, LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE 30S.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.

GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS RENEE PATTERSON.

I'M AN ADMIN ANALYST IN BUSINESS SERVICES IN THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, AND I WORK HERE AT PERALTA OAKS ON THE THIRD FLOOR.

SO I'M HERE, SORRY TO SAY IT YET AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO MOVEMENT IN THE PERBS FILING FOR THAT AFSCME FILED WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BOARD.

THE FILING WAS FOR AN UNFAIR PRACTICE CHARGE, AND IT WAS FILED ON AUGUST 26TH, 2022.

SO WE'RE JUST LIKE A LITTLE OVER THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM TWO YEARS AGO.

AND THE CHARGE WAS FOR BAD FAITH BARGAINING, INTERFERENCE, DIRECT DEALING AND UNILATERAL IMPLEMENTATION.

SO HOPEFULLY I WON'T BE TO TOO MANY MORE OF THESE BOARD MEETINGS.

I KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENED.

AND I HEARD ABOUT THAT THAT IT WAS CANCELED AND THAT WE HAVE NO NEW DATE, SO HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE ANOTHER TWO YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING HAPPENS.

SO. BUT UNTIL THEN, I WILL CONTINUE TO COME TO THE BOARD MEETING AND REMIND YOU OF THIS UNFAIR PRACTICE CHARGE.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICHOLAS DAI.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME TODAY.

MY NAME IS NICHOLAS DAI, HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT RECENT CUTS TO THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM AT TILDEN.

BACK IN APRIL, IT WAS ANNOUNCED RATHER SUDDENLY THAT THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM, ONE OF THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH IN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT , WOULD BE CUT BY APPROXIMATELY 40% STARTING NEXT YEAR.

HOW THESE CUTS OCCURRED AND HOW THEY WERE ANNOUNCED WILL BE FOUND AS THE JUNIOR RANGER FAMILIES PARTICULARLY DISAPPOINTING.

THERE WAS A LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT AS PART OF THE COMMENTS, SIGNED BY OVER 90 INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ.

BUT TODAY I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW I'VE SEEN THE PROGRAM NOT ONLY AFFECT THE PARTICIPANTS, BUT THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.

MY DAUGHTER, FORTUNATELY, HAS BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM SHE STARTED IN FOURTH GRADE.

SHE'S NOW GOING TO BE COMING AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR.

SO THIS WILL BE HER LAST YEAR IN THE PROGRAM.

BEFORE WE WERE IN THE PROGRAM, BEFORE SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THAT PROGRAM AS A FAMILY, WE SPENT SOME TIME IN THE PARKS.

WE'D BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THEM.

WE'D BEEN TO TILDEN LITTLE FARM AND TO 1 OR 2 OF THE NATURALIST LED YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS. BUT SHE HADN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THEM NEARLY THE WAY SHE HAD OR DID WITH THE JUNIOR RANGERS.

HER FIRST OVERNIGHT WITH THE JUNIOR RANGERS THEY HAVE THEY MEET ONCE A WEEK CURRENTLY.

ONE OVERNIGHT A MONTH THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO BE CUT IN HALF WITH THESE CUTS.

SHE CAME BACK.

IT WAS RAINY. SHE WAS THIS TALL, WEARING A BACKPACK, PROBABLY ALMOST HALF HER SIZE, DRENCHED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN RAINING, COVERED IN MUD, AND ABSOLUTELY AS HAPPY AS COULD BE.

PART OF THE STRENGTH OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT THE FOURTH GRADERS, THE YOUNG KIDS COMING INTO IT, THEY SEE THE HIGH SCHOOLERS AND THE AIDES ABOVE THEM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE HOW THESE PEOPLE ARE INTERACTING AND EMULATE THEM AND LEARN FROM THEM.

AND IT BRINGS THEM INTO THIS UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PROGRAM AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY THAN IT COULD WITH ANY OTHER SORT OF PROGRAM IN THE PARK.

BECAUSE OF HER EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, SHE BROUGHT OUR FAMILY OUT INTO THE PARKS.

WE HAD BEEN TO A COUPLE PARKS.

I'VE COUNTED RECENTLY AT LEAST 31 PARKS THAT WE VISITED.

WE HIKE REGULARLY.

WE'VE BEEN BACKPACKING, WHICH WE HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE AS A FAMILY.

[00:10:04]

SHE WAS A GIRL SCOUT.

SHE STILL IS A GIRL SCOUT.

HER OLD TROOP WAS NOT PARTICULARLY OUTDOORS.

GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT WE STARTED A NEW TROOP BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE OUTSIDE.

AND SO WE BROUGHT A WHOLE NOTHER GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE OUT INTO THE PARKS, BACKPACKING, HIKING SERVICE.

WE'VE DONE SERVICE PROJECTS IN TILDEN BECAUSE OF THAT.

SHE'S VOLUNTEERED AT FARM CAMP UP UNTIL THEN, AT THE CAMP OF THE WILD UP THERE HELPING OTHER YOUTH.

SHE'S JUST RECENTLY BEEN HIRED BY THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT TO HELP RUN SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE YOUTH.

THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM.

TIME SIR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MISS JEANNIE DAI.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JEANNIE DAI, AND I'LL BE SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF THE JR PROGRAM ON OUR FAMILY.

BOTH OF MY CHILDREN ARE JUNIOR RANGER AIDES.

THEY'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM SINCE THEY WERE NINE YEARS OLD, AND THEY ARE NOW 14 AND 17.

THE JR PROGRAM HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY PIVOTAL IN THEIR LIVES AND FOR OUR ENTIRE FAMILY.

EVERYTHING MY KIDS HAVE LEARNED BY BEING JRS HAS SHAPED THEM INTO THE PEOPLE THEY ARE TODAY.

THEY HAVE FOUND A SENSE OF HOME IN THE OUTDOORS, AND THEY FOUND A PLACE OF BELONGING IN THE FRIENDSHIP OF OTHER JRS, AS WELL AS IN THE CAMARADERIE AND GUIDANCE OF THE NATURALISTS. FOR OUR OLDER CHILD IN PARTICULAR, JRS HAS PROFOUNDLY SHAPED HER IDENTITY AND HER PLACE IN THE WORLD.

SHE WILL BE JOINING THE RANKS OF EAST BAY PARKS EMPLOYEES THIS SUMMER, AS MY HUSBAND MENTIONED, AS A RECREATION AIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM.

THERE ARE SO MANY SPECIAL AND IRREPLACEABLE THINGS ABOUT THE JR PROGRAM, AND ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT THINGS I'VE NOTICED IS THAT IT FOSTERS A SENSE OF STEWARDSHIP AND SERVICE. JRS GROWS A COHORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO TRULY RESPECT AND CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THEY GO ON TO SHARE THAT LOVE WITH OTHERS.

THEY GAIN CONFIDENCE OUTDOORS, DEVELOP DETERMINATION AND GRIT ON LONG HIKES, LEARN THAT THEY CAN DO HARD THINGS AND OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND HELP EACH OTHER ALONG THE WAY. MOST SIGNIFICANTLY TO ME THEY LEARN TO CARE FOR EACH OTHER THE OLDER AND MORE EXPERIENCED KIDS HELPING THE YOUNGER ONES.

WHEN MY OLDER CHILD WAS A FIRST YEAR JR, SHE LOOKED UP TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AGED AIDES, AND THEY FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN ALL HER STORIES ABOUT THE SATURDAY MEETINGS AND MONTHLY OVERNIGHTS. NOW SHE IS A HIGH SCHOOL AGED AIDE AND IS PAYING IT FORWARD BY HELPING THE NEW CROP OF YOUNGER JRS.

THESE CONNECTIONS AND EXPERIENCES ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE CONSISTENT AND WEEKLY STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM.

SHOWING UP FOR EACH OTHER EVERY SATURDAY BUILDS TRUST, CONNECTION, AND SECURITY THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP IF THE GROUP ONLY MET TWICE A MONTH.

IT IS SO RARE FOR KIDS TO FIND A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YEARS LONG WEEKLY FELLOWSHIP OUTDOORS IN NATURE, WITH A CONSISTENT GROUP OF PEERS.

I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT MY KIDS HAVE GOTTEN TO GROW UP WITH THEIR FRIENDS IN NATURE, AND I WISH THIS FOR ALL KIDS.

I URGE YOU NOT TO ALLOW CUTS TO THE JR PROGRAM TO DIMINISH WHAT HAS MADE IT SO VERY SPECIAL FOR SO MANY KIDS FOR 75 YEARS.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF KIDS CAN HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TOO.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE KYLIE GABBARD.

KYLIE AND THEN IN A FEW SECONDS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK.

YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THAT INVITATION THAT YOU JUST RECEIVED.

AND THEN THERE YOU GO.

I THINK I DID IT.

HI, GUYS. SORRY, THIS IS MY FIRST ONE.

I'M GOING TO TRY AND BE QUICK.

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT FOR DOING THIS.

I'M KYLIE GABBARD. I HAVE A 13 YEAR OLD JUNIOR RANGER.

HE STARTED WHEN HE WAS NINE.

WE ARE NOT OUTDOOR PEOPLE.

HE'S NOT AN OUTDOOR PERSON.

JUNIOR RANGERS HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES AND GIVEN US A LITTLE BIT OF OUTDOOR LIFE.

IT'S KIND OF WILD.

THE COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT THAT JUNIOR RANGERS BRINGS CAN'T BE REPLACED IN ANOTHER FACET OF MY KID'S LIFE.

HE'S A NEURODIVERSE KID.

SOCIALIZING IS DIFFICULT.

MIDDLE SCHOOL IS DIFFICULT.

THE REQUIREMENT TO MASK AND GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE ALL THE TIME IS DIFFICULT.

JUNIOR RANGERS HAS PROVIDED A HAVEN FOR HIM AND PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR THESE DIVERSE GROUP OF KIDS.

AND THEY FOUND IT WITHOUT ANY ADVERTISING.

THERE'S NO WEBSITE. YOU CAN'T GOOGLE IT.

YOU CAN'T SIGN UP ONLINE.

THERE'S NO EMAIL ADDRESS.

WE FOUND IT WHEN HE WAS FOUR, STUMBLING AROUND LITTLE FARM.

SO WE CONSIDER OURSELVES, LIKE, REALLY, REALLY LUCKY.

AND THE SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THE PROGRAM ARE GOING TO BE DEVASTATING BOTH TO THE PROGRAM AND THE KIDS.

[00:15:01]

MIDDLE SCHOOL TIME IS LIKE DOG YEARS.

THE WEEKLY MEETINGS FEEL LIKE LONG INTERLUDES TO HIM.

AND BI WEEKLY MEETINGS WOULD BE LIKE A YEAR, LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS RIGHT.

THERE'S NEW SONGS.

NEW LIKE THEY CAN'T EVEN MANAGE IT.

IT'S WILD. SO, ANYWAY I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALREADY SOME BROKEN TRUST AND BROKEN PROMISES AND KIND OF HOW WE GOT HERE WITH MANAGEMENT THAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO AND CUTS THAT ENDED UP GETTING MADE.

AND I GUESS I'M COMING TO YOU TO ASK TO HELP US MAKE IT RIGHT, TO WORK WITH US TO SUSTAIN THE CURRENT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT HAVE ALLOWED EAST BAY KIDS AND OUR KIDS TO THRIVE. OUR KIDS NEED THIS, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO YOU AS A PIVOT POINT.

AND HELP KEEP OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS POSSIBLE.

SO THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE DAVE BUILDER.

DAVE, I'M GOING TO ELEVATE YOU TO A PANELIST.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE INVITATION.

AND WHERE DID YOU GO? OKAY. THERE YOU ARE.

OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE INVITATION AS A PANELISTS, PLEASE ACCEPT THAT.

OKAY. OKAY.

HELLO, EVERYONE. I'M A PARENT WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM FOR TEN YEARS, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF EMOTION IN THESE COMMENTS TODAY.

AND IN THE LETTER THAT WAS SIGNED BY, I THINK, 90 PARTICIPANTS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT.

YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PASSION ABOUT WHAT THIS GEM OF A PROGRAM HAS MEANT TO YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.

YOU'LL HEAR ANGER AT THE REALLY EVIDENT DISHONESTY AND FRANK DISRESPECT WITH WHICH THE EPRPD CONSTITUENTS HAVE BEEN TREATED BY YOUR STAFF. AND YOU'LL HEAR OUTRAGE ABOUT THAT.

THE VERY KIDS WHO REALLY SHOULD BE LEADERS IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE ARE INSTEAD, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THESE PROGRAM CHANGES HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD, THEY'VE LEARNED TO MISTRUST THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO BE NEEDED TO SOLVE THE MANY CRISES THAT WE'RE FACING, INCLUDING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES.

BUT BEYOND ALL THIS EMOTION, I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS A COMMUNITY, THE JR COMMUNITY, WE WANT TO SUGGEST A RATIONAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE PATH FORWARD AND GENUINE RECOGNITION OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT THE DISTRICT FACES.

OUR COMMUNITY HAS IDENTIFIED THE ELEMENTS OF THE JR PROGRAM THAT ARE REALLY MOST IMPACTFUL FOR THE RESOURCES REQUIRED TO DELIVER THEM, AND ALSO THOSE THAT REQUIRE KIND OF OVERSIZE, OUTSIZED RESOURCES FOR THE IMPACT THEY DELIVER.

BUT THIS INFORMATION APPARENTLY PLAYED NO ROLE AT ALL IN PROGRAM MANAGEMENT'S SO-CALLED DATA DRIVEN CHANGES.

BECAUSE THEY SLICE IN HALF THE FORMER, THEY SLICE IN HALF THE EFFICIENT ELEMENTS.

WHILE INEXPLICABLY PRESERVING THE LATTER.

SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO KIND OF EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.

SINCE MANAGEMENT HAS DEMONSTRATED IN TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE THE CONSTITUENT COMMUNITY IN GOOD FAITH, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT YOU EMPOWER AN OUTSIDE INDIVIDUAL.

MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHO COULD INCORPORATE THE COMMUNITY'S DATA, WHO COULD REALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO OVERSEE ANY CHANGES THAT ARE MADE TO THE JR PROGRAM AND TO ENSURE THAT THESE CHANGES ARE MADE IN WAYS THAT REALLY REFLECT THE VALUE OF YOUR BOARD AND OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE ETHIC OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN GENERAL.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE JOEL IRVIS.

EXCUSE ME IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, I'M GOING TO ELEVATE YOU TO PANELIST.

AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE THAT INVITE, PLEASE ACCEPT IT.

KEEPING IN MIND YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK ON THIS ONE ITEM, AND AT THE NEXT TURN YOU WILL SPEAK ON YOUR CONSENT ITEM.

PLEASE ACCEPT THAT AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? YES.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS JOEL IRVIS, AND MY SON PARTICIPATES IN THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM.

I'M JOINING THE 90 MEMBERS OF THE JR COMMUNITY THAT SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM.

FIRST DISTRICT MANAGEMENT HAS BROKEN THE PUBLIC TRUST REGARDING ITS PROGRAM DECISION MAKING STAFF PUBLICLY COMMITTED IN FEBRUARY AND AGAIN IN MARCH TO MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE [INAUDIBLE] FAMILIES ABOUT POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM.

YET WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION IN EARLY APRIL, MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCED MAJOR CUTS STARTING NEXT YEAR TO PROMISE TO INVOLVE

[00:20:03]

FAMILIES AND THEN TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE PROGRAM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IS A FAILURE OF TRANSPARENCY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM.

IT ALSO GOES AGAINST THE DISTRICT'S STATED COMMITMENT TO, QUOTE, ENSURE AN OPEN AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS.

END QUOTE. I'M AN ADULT AND I'M USED TO DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT MANAGEMENT MADE THIS COMMITMENT IN FRONT OF SEVERAL OF THE YOUNG JUNIOR RANGER PARTICIPANTS.

WHAT MESSAGE DOES IT SEND TO THEM ABOUT THE TRUSTWORTHINESS OF OUR INSTITUTIONS AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT? THIS ETHICAL BREACH WOULD BE EASIER TO BEAR IF THE PLANNED CUTS WEREN'T SO DEVASTATING.

THEY INCLUDE A 40% REDUCTION IN OVERNIGHT TRIPS, AND REGULAR GATHERINGS WILL BE REDUCED TO EVERY OTHER WEEK.

THE CURRENT REGULAR MEETINGS AND TRIPS ARE FOUNDATIONAL 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 THE PERCEPTION THEY'RE NOT ATHLETIC ENOUGH FOR TRADITIONAL SPORTS, KIDS WHO ARE NEURODIVERGENT, 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.

BECAUSE OF THE BREACH OF THE PUBLIC TRUST BY DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AND THE SIGNIFICANT CUTS THAT WILL DAMAGE THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM WE'RE ASKING FOR TWO THINGS.

FIRST, PLEASE DIRECT MANAGEMENT TO TABLE THE PLANNED CUTS.

DOING SO WOULD HELP RESTORE TRUST IN DISTRICT MANAGEMENT.

SECOND, 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 TO BEST DO THAT.

THIS IS A FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR DISTRICT MANAGEMENT TO WORK WITH US TO ENSURE THE PROGRAM EVOLVES IN A WAY THAT IS AS STRONG AND AS MEANINGFUL AS POSSIBLE, NOT JUST FOR CURRENT MEMBERS, BUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

WE'RE INVESTED IN JR, AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT TO MAKE THE PROGRAM AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

AND CLERK OF THE BOARD JUST TO CLARIFY, I DON'T NEED TO SPEAK ON ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS, SO NO NEED TO CALL ON ME AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE ISAAC.

AND THEN ISAAC MANKITA.

AND THEN FOLLOWED BY REBECCA MILLIKEN.

MR. MANKITA.

I'M PROMOTING YOU TO PANELISTS.

THERE YOU GO. PLEASE ACCEPT.

AND THERE YOU GO.

YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.

ALL RIGHT. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

I'M SORRY I WAS MUTED.

THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS ISAAC MANKITA.

AND TODAY I'M HERE READING COMMENTS LEFT BY MY SON MAX MANKITA WHO IS A JUNIOR RANGER AID AND A RESIDENT OF EL CERRITO.

MAX REALLY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO YOU DIRECTLY, BUT AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, HE CANNOT ATTEND A 1 P.M.

PUBLIC MEETING.

HERE ARE HIS COMMENTS.

DEAR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, SOON I WILL BE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL.

THE THING THAT WILL BE SADDEST ABOUT WILL BE GRADUATING FROM JUNIOR RANGERS.

I'VE BEEN A JUNIOR RANGER FOR HALF OF MY LIFE, AND IT HAS MOLDED ME INTO THE PERSON I AM TODAY.

BESIDES MY SADNESS AT LEAVING, AND I FEEL DEEPLY SADDENED AND UPSET ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS TO THE PROGRAM, I WILL BE ONE OF THE LAST TO EXPERIENCE ITS MANY GREAT BENEFITS. JUNIOR RANGERS HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HAS FOSTERED A DEEP LOVE OF NATURE.

JRS HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT ECOLOGY AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN INTERESTING AND VERY IMPACTFUL WAYS.

JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A SATURDAY JUNIOR RANGER MEETING, I REMOVED INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES SPECIES IN TILDEN TO HELP NATIVE FISH FLOURISH IN WILDCAT CREEK.

BUT BEYOND HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARKS, I WAS ABLE TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION OF JRS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO HELP THEM DEVELOP A LOVE OF NATURE.

I WAS BROUGHT UP IN THAT SYSTEM WHERE I LEARNED FROM MY PEERS, WHICH IS MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL THAN ANY CLASSROOM SETTING.

NOW I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD JUNIOR RANGERS YOUTH AND HELP THEM EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY SERVICE.

THIS PEER TO PEER STYLE OF MENTORING IS CRUCIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM.

MY LOVE OF NATURE THROUGH THE JRS HAS INSPIRED ME TO TAKE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE OUTDOORS.

I'M PLANNING ON BECOMING A VOLUNTEER SIERRA CLUB BACKPACKING LEADER TO HELP MORE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE JOYS OF THE OUTDOORS.

JRS, AS SEEN BY THE 90 SIGNATURES ON OUR PETITION, IS AN IMPACTFUL PROGRAM, AND CUTTING IT IS A SHORT SIGHTED MEASURE THAT WILL HARM OUR COMMUNITY

[00:25:06]

AND THE FUTURE YOUTH WHO ENJOY EAST BAY PARKS.

JRS HAS TAUGHT ME, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE, HOW TO COLLABORATE IN GROUPS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE TAUGHT TO LOVE AND RESPECT NATURE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU TREAT OUR PROGRAM WITH THE SAME RESPECT.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT IS WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE PLAN PRESENTED BY YOUR STAFF DOES NOT ALLOW FOR YOUR COLLABORATION.

I URGE YOU IN YOUR POWER TO PRESERVE THE JRS PROGRAM SO I WILL NOT BE THE LAST EXPERIENCE ITS DEEP IMPACT AND LASTING BENEFITS.

PERFECT. PERFECT TIMING SIR.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE REBECCA MILLIKEN.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELIST, MA'AM, AND ACCEPT THAT.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON.

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 FOR YOUR HELP ONCE AGAIN.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE HAD LEARNED THROUGH BACK CHANNELS THAT THE PROGRAM WAS THREATENED.

I, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, REACHED OUT TO THE BOARD BEGGING YOU TO COLLABORATE WITH US ON A NEW VISION FOR THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM.

WE SENT OVER 50 LETTERS TO THE BOARD AND TO MANAGEMENT.

WE OFFERED TESTIMONY FROM YOUTH AND PARENTS LIKE THE ONE YOU JUST HEARD.

SPEAKING TO THE UNIQUE IMPACT OF THE 75 PLUS YEAR PROGRAM, WE ALSO OFFERED MANY PRACTICAL IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS ON HOW TO REACH A BROADER AUDIENCE, REDUCE EXPENSES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE INVITED COLLABORATION.

THANKS TO THAT ADVOCACY, THE CUTS WERE DELAYED FOR THE CURRENT PROGRAM YEAR.

THIS WINTER, MANAGEMENT ASKED THE JRS COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A SURVEY AND THEN INVITED US TO A FAMILY MEETING TO SHARE THE RESULTS.

FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES INDICATED THAT 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, AND WITH NATURALISTS AND STUDENT AIDES.

FAMILIES DEEPLY APPRECIATED AND WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CURRENT SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMING.

THERE WAS GOODWILL AND A PROMISE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH FAMILIES.

THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF CUTS THEN WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ENGAGEMENT TWO MONTHS LATER, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE SUPERVISING NATURALIST INFORMING US OF DRASTIC PROGRAM CUTS.

WE WERE SHOCKED.

WE WERE DEVASTATED.

THIS LETTER CAME AFTER A PROMISE OF CONTINUED DIALOG.

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT DEPTH OF PROGRAMING VERSUS BREADTH OF PROGRAMING.

IT'S NOT JUST A NUMBERS GAME.

THIS IS ABOUT BREACH OF THE PUBLIC TRUST.

AND IT GOES AGAINST THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S VISION STATEMENT TO ENSURE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESSES.

I ASK YOUR HELP TODAY TO DIRECT MANAGEMENT TO TABLE THE CUTS AND ENGAGE IN A GENUINE DIALOG WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE PROGRAM WHILE PROTECTING ITS CORE VALUES. THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NING TIAN.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

I GUESS I'LL PROMOTE YOU TO PANELIST.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT, ACCEPT THE INVITATION.

AND THERE YOU GO.

MY COMMENT IS ON THE CHILDREN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM.

THANK YOU. HI.

I HAVE TWO CURRENT JUNIOR RANGER AIDES IN THE PROGRAM.

IT WAS MENTIONED, THAT THE PROGRAM REVIEW OF THE JR PROGRAM WOULD BE DATA DRIVEN.

SO [INAUDIBLE] STATE STUDY DONE? WHAT WERE ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? THE MANAGEMENT SAID THE JR PROGRAM IS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR.

HOW THE MANAGEMENT ARTICULATED, HOW CUTTING THE PROGRAM BY HALF WILL STILL LEAD TO THE SAME OUTCOME.

HAS MANAGEMENT ARTICULATED WHERE THE RESOURCES WILL BE REDIRECTED.

IS THERE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT REDEPLOYMENT.

AND PARK OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MAY BE WORKING WITH FAULTY DATA.

[00:30:03]

IT WAS SAID THAT PROGRAM.

WELL, WE SAID THE PROGRAM RUNS FOR NINE MONTHS, NINE MONTHS, A YEAR.

IN FACT, IT RUNS FOR IT USED TO RUN FOR SEVEN MONTHS A YEAR.

SO THE CALCULATION OF TWO FULL TIME EQUIVALENT TO RUN THE PROGRAM MAY BE QUESTIONABLE.

SO. WHAT SAVINGS ARE WE LOOKING AT? WHERE IS THAT SAVING GOING? INCLUDING THE DISCUSSION ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS. SO DO COMMUNITY PARTNERS RUN THE PROGRAM MORE EFFICIENTLY? RUN A SIMILAR PROGRAM MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN EAST BAY PARKS? IF SO, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE? IF NOT.

THEN WHY? WHY CAN'T WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE JR PROGRAM, WHICH IS PROVEN TO WORK WELL WITH THE OUTCOME WE HAVE AND IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY PARTNER PROGRAMS. ALSO THE STAFFING MODEL.

RIGHT. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE COST, THE STAFFING MODEL.

WHEN MY SON GOES ON A HIGH SIERRA TRIP, IT'S ONE ADULT FOR EVERY SIXTH CHILD.

NOW FOR THE JRS PROGRAM THE OVERNIGHTS ARE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND WE ARE USING ONE ADULT PER SIX CHILD MODEL ACA MODEL.

ACA IS ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM.

SO THIS PROGRAM, THE EAST BAY PARKS COULD BE CONTRIBUTING BEST PRACTICE TO THE ACA.

SO WE CAN BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST STAFFING MODEL FOR OVERNIGHTS? THAT'S YOUR TIME, SIR.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.

THANK YOU SIR. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNETTE OVERBY.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT, PLEASE ACCEPT THE INVITATION AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THERE YOU GO. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK, MISS OVERBY? MA'AM, YOU NEED TO UNMUTE.

I THINK SHE'S ON. OKAY.

THERE YOU GO. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OKAY.

SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

OKAY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

OKAY. I'M A RESIDENT OF BERKELEY.

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS, AND WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE CUTS, I FELT THAT I HAD TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT TO THE JR PROGRAM.

MY SON, WHO IS HALF LATINO AND ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, WAS A JR FOR NINE YEARS.

AND FIRST AS A JR AND THEN AS AN AIDE.

THIS PROGRAM MADE A HUGE AND VERY POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO WHO HE IS AS AN ADULT, AND FOSTERED A DEEP CONNECTION TO NATURE AND TO THE PARKS.

CUTTING THE FREQUENCY AND THE OVERNIGHTS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERMINE THE IMPACT THIS PROGRAM HAS ON THE KIDS.

THEY, THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS REMEMBERED THAT THE DISTRICT AND ITS MANAGERS 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 YOU AND MANAGEMENT WANT TO EARN BACK THAT TRUST BY NOT CUTTING THE FUNDING AND KEEPING THEIR PROMISE TO WORK WITH THE PARENTS AND THE JR INTERESTED PARTIES, WHICH DOES NOT JUST INCLUDE THE JR FAMILIES, BUT FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS WHO THE KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM ENDLESSLY AT PARTIES, NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERINGS, AND THEY KNOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE TO MY SON.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NADIA TARGULEEN.

PLEASE ACCEPT THE INVITATION.

[00:35:01]

AND UNMUTE IF NECESSARY.

THERE YOU GO.

YOU NEED TO UNMUTE, MRS. TARGULEEN. OKAY.

THERE YOU GO. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. DEAR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS NADIA TARGULEEN, AND I'M SPEAKING HERE TODAY AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND A RESIDENT OF ALAMEDA.

I AM VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE CUTS PLANNED FOR THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM.

I'M A PARENT OF JUNIOR RANGER, SO 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 HOME 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 CHILDREN NATURALISTS IN THE PARKS.

ALL THE NATURALISTS ARE DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB FOSTERING AN ATMOSPHERE OF NATURE, STEWARDSHIP, INCLUSIVITY AND FUN.

THE PROGRAM HAS BECOME MORE RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE IN RECENT YEARS.

MANY KIDS IDENTIFIED WITH DIFFERENT GENDERS, AND THESE KIDS FIND IT A SAFE PLACE TO BE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SCHOOL TEAM SPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE. IT CREATES STRUCTURE AND IN THEIR LIVES, AND 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 THE DISTRICT.

SUCH A GREAT IMPACT CAN HARDLY BE REPLICATED WHEN THE PROGRAM IS SEVERELY CUT.

THE PLAN CHANGES WILL BE EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO THE PROGRAM'S FUNCTIONING AND MAY BRING ABOUT 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 THE PROGRAM.

BEFORE FINALIZING ANY CHANGES IT'S CRUCIAL FOR THE DISTRICT TO ENGAGE MORE WITH THOSE AFFECTED JUNIOR RANGERS AIDES AND FAMILIES.

THE DECISION MAKING PROGRESS SO FAR HAS LEFT MANY OF US FEELING FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED.

WE PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY AND WE MET WITH JUNIOR RANGER LEADERSHIP, ONLY TO BE INFORMED OF THE CUTS SHORTLY AFTERWARD.

RESPECTFULLY, I ASKED THAT YOU RECONSIDER THE PLANNED CHANGES.

PLEASE LET THE PARENT COMMUNITY KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP.

WE HAVE FOUR MORE SPEAKERS AND I'M GOING TO CALL EACH ONE OF YOU IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED.

WE HAVE AMANDA, KATE, ANTON AND ERIC.

I'M GOING TO START WITH AMANDA ATCHISON.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELIST.

PLEASE ACCEPT THAT INVITATION.

UNMUTE IF NECESSARY.

THERE YOU GO. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS AMANDA ATCHISON, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF OAKLAND.

I WAS A JUNIOR RANGERS FOR NINE YEARS IN THE 1980S, AND MY DAUGHTER, LUCY WAS A JUNIOR RANGER FOR NINE YEARS, GRADUATING OUT OF THE PROGRAM TWO YEARS AGO.

AND MY 15 YEAR OLD HAS BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR SIX YEARS AND IS STILL CONTINUING.

ALL THREE OF US AGREE THAT THE JUNIOR RANGERS HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE ADDITION TO OUR LIVES, SHAPING OUR LIVES IN IMMEASURABLE WAYS.

OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY IT PROVIDES, BUT I WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT IT DOES TO THOSE KIDS WHO ARE DIFFERENT AND DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, NOR WELCOME IN THE TYPICAL KID OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS REC LEAGUES OR SCOUTS OR TEAMS. I WAS ONE OF THOSE BULLIED AND NEURODIVERGENT KIDS, LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM STILL.

AND JUNIOR RANGERS WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH IN THE TEEN YEARS.

MY 15 YEAR OLD IS THE SAME WAY, BULLIED AND NEURODIVERGENT, AND FEELS THAT JUNIOR RANGERS IS THE ONLY PLACE SHE TRULY FEELS ACCEPTED AND IS CELEBRATED FOR THE THINGS SHE'S NORMALLY BULLIED ABOUT.

BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS FEEL THAT BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES IN JUNIOR RANGERS ARE THE MONTHLY BACKPACKING TRIPS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE CUT BY 40%, AND THE WEEKLY MEETINGS WHICH ARE GOING TO BE CUT GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH, LIKE, 50%.

THEY IDENTIFY AS A JUNIOR RANGER.

AND ANNIE, MY YOUNG ONE, IS SO SAD TO LEAVE HALF THE BACKPACKING TRIPS AND MEETINGS.

SHE DOESN'T. SHE ALMOST DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO GO NEXT YEAR IF THESE CUTS HAPPEN, AND I THINK THE DEPARTMENT HAS GOTTEN IT WRONG, THEY'RE EXCHANGING ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS THE PARKS HAVE TO OFFER, WITH THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE EYEBALLS OR CLICKS ON A WEBSITE, NOT BOTHERING TO SEE HOW DEEP THOSE CLICKS GO.

BY THE PARKS CURTAILING THIS PROGRAM WILL REMOVE WHAT HAS MADE THIS PROGRAM SUCH A SUCCESS FOR THE LAST 75 YEARS.

CONTINUITY AND DEEP INVOLVEMENT BY THE KIDS? YES, BY IMPLEMENTING THESE CUTS, TILDEN WILL HAVE MORE RANGERS AVAILABLE FOR OTHER WEEKEND PROGRAMS, BUT NONE AFFECT KIDS AS DEEPLY AS THE JUNIOR RANGERS DOES.

[00:40:08]

WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS OR THE DEEP AND LONG TERM SUCCESS AND EFFECT OF THEM.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE WAY IT WAS UNDERTAKEN.

YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT MANY OF THE JUNIOR RANGER KIDS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING, AND THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED BY PARK MANAGEMENT HAS SOURED THESE KIDS ON PARK MANAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE, AS WELL AS LEADING THEM TO LACK OF TRUST AND ADULT TRUTHFULNESS, WHICH IS A SERIOUS LOSS.

AFTER ALL, THESE ARE THE KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO GROW UP AND WORK TO PRESERVE PARKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE FUTURE.

I AM REQUESTING THAT THESE CUTS BE TABLED IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY UNTIL WE GET A REAL CONVERSATION GOING WITH MANAGEMENT, WITH MEANING AND MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT WITH US, AS WELL AS BOARD OR PARK REPRESENTATIVES WHO CAN ENSURE THIS PROCESS IS OCCURRING IN THE OPEN, AS WE WAS PROMISED.

THE JUNIOR RANGER MANAGEMENT HAS BROKEN OUR TRUST TOO MANY TIMES, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED SOMEBODY ELSE IN THERE TO HELP.

PLEASE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE CUTS.

I AM BEGGING YOU.

TO MANY OF US AND OUR KIDS, THIS PROGRAM IS A LIFELINE DURING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN THE WORLD WHEN OUTDOOR TIME, PHONE FREE TIME, KINDNESS, ACCEPTANCE AND TRUTHFULNESS IS IN SADLY SHORT SUPPLY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE WORK YOU DO FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.

THANK YOU, MISS ATCHISON.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATE DEO.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS, MA'AM.

THERE YOU GO. IF YOU CAN UNMUTE.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

HI. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.

MY NAME IS KATE DEO.

MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN IN THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM FOR SIX YEARS.

SHE'S NOW AN AIDE.

IT 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 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.

SHE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE SHE'S IN ENGLISH CLASS.

BUT SHE HAS FILMED AND EDITED A VIDEO CAPTURING THE MEANING OF THIS PROGRAM THROUGH THE WORDS OF SOME JRS AIDES AND PARENTS.

SHE PLANS TO SEND THIS OUT TO YOU ALL IN AN EMAIL AFTER THIS MEETING, AS A WAY FOR YOU TO SEE HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THIS PROGRAM HAS HAD ON ALL THE LIVES THAT IT TOUCHES.

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 COULD DILUTE THOSE EXACT RESULTS.

IT IS ALSO DISHEARTENING THAT THE JR 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 JR 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 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.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTON DELWIG.

YOU NEED TO UNMUTE, ANTON.

ACCEPT THE INVITATION.

THERE YOU GO. UNMUTE.

THERE WE GO. YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. DEAR BOARD MEMBERS MY NAME IS ANTON DELWIG, AND I'M A PARENT OF TWO JUNIOR RANGERS.

I SECOND ALL THE PREVIOUS POINTS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT DISTRICT'S MISSION TO PRESERVE AND ENABLE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO ITS PARKS AND PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY SUCCESSFUL

[00:45:09]

PROGRAMS SUCH AS JUNIOR RANGERS.

SO JUNIOR RANGERS ARE REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO ENJOY TILDEN PARK AND ITS PROGRAMS. WHILE, OF COURSE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM IS LIMITED IN SIZE, IT'S AN EXEMPLARY MODEL WORTH PRESERVING AND IMITATING THROUGHOUT OTHER PARKS IN THE DISTRICT. KIND OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE.

MAYBE A SWIMMING POOL, IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE TO A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE BUT LESSONS AND SKILLS LEARNED ARE LIFE CHANGING.

WE USUALLY DON'T CLOSE SWIMMING POOL BECAUSE IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

WE FIND A WAY TO KEEP IT AND EXPAND ACCESS TO IT.

SO I'M SURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL APPRECIATE WHAT WAS KEPT AND BUILT UPON AND NOT WHAT WAS DESTROYED.

SO, BOARD MEMBERS, I URGE YOU TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP IT, EXPAND IT, AND PRESERVE IT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO ENJOY.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ERIC DEE.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS, SIR.

ACCEPT THE INVITATION AND UNMUTE.

THANK YOU. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

HI. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS ERIC DUBINSKY.

I'M THE PARENT OF A THIRD YEAR JUNIOR RANGER.

MY CHILD WAS NINE YEARS OLD WHEN THEY JOINED JUNIOR RANGERS.

AND THE JR PROGRAM HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR THEM.

THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN GENDERED SPORTS OR ACTIVITIES.

BUT THROUGH THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM, THEY FOUND A WELCOMING COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN SHARE THE LOVE OF OUTDOORS WITH REGARDLESS OF AGE, GENDER, OR BACKGROUND.

THE WEEKLY SATURDAY MEETINGS AND THE MONTHLY OVERNIGHT TRIPS HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD THE TRUST AND THE CAMARADERIE WITH FELLOW JUNIOR RANGERS WITH THE AIDES, WITH THE NATURALISTS. AND THEY HAVE STEADILY GAINED CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE THROUGH THEIR ADVENTURES WITH THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM.

ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THESE CUTS WILL DAMAGE THE FABRIC THAT REALLY IS THE HEART OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE LOSS OF HALF OF THE OVERNIGHT TRIPS, THE ONE DAY OVERNIGHT TRIPS.

SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S A MONTHLY OVERNIGHT, ONE DAY OVERNIGHT TRIP.

AND THEN AT THE END THERE'S THE THREE DAY AND THE FOUR DAY.

AND THESE ONE DAY OVERNIGHT TRIPS ARE REALLY KEY FOR THE YOUNG JUNIOR RANGERS THE FIRST YEARS AND THE KIDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE IN THE WILDERNESS. AND THEY HAVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO TO GO OUT THERE AND BUILD THAT CONFIDENCE.

BUT WITH THE CUTS, THE ONE DAY OVERNIGHTS ARE REDUCED TO THREE, ONE IN THE ONE IN THE FALL, ONE IN THE WINTER, ONE IN THE SPRING.

THE ONE IN THE WINTER THEY'VE NOW SCHEDULED DURING MLK WEEKEND.

SO A LOT OF FAMILIES.

THAT'S A THREE DAY WEEKEND.

WORKING FAMILIES TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SOMETHING AS A FAMILY.

SO A LOT OF KIDS ARE GOING TO MISS THAT.

AND IF YOUR KID'S SICK, YOU MAY MISS ONE OF THESE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY CUTS THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE NOW THERE'S ONLY 1 OR 2 OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE YOUNG KIDS TO GO OUT AND TAKE AN OVERNIGHT TRIP AND, AND START DOWN THE ROAD THAT THIS PROGRAM PUTS THEM ON TO DEVELOPING THAT LOVE OF NATURE AND THAT CONFIDENCE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO THESE THINGS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT'S LOST BY MAKING THESE DRASTIC CUTS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS THAT YOU PRESERVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND DON'T DILUTE THE PROGRAM. I MEAN, I WISH, I WISH ALL KIDS COULD HAVE THE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY THAT MY CHILD HAS BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO STUMBLE UPON WITH THE JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM.

AND SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS TO TRY TO EXPAND ACCESS AND EXPAND THIS TYPE OF PROGRAMING RATHER THAN CUTTING IT AND DILUTING IT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE JR COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE TO HELP FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT.

AND WE'VE BEEN DISMISSED.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF US.

PLEASE TABLE THE CUTS AND LET'S DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY AND BE TRANSPARENT.

ENGAGE WITH US, AS PROMISED.

[00:50:01]

AND LET'S FIND WAYS TO MAKE THIS TYPE OF PROGRAMING THIS DEEP MEANINGFUL PROGRAMING ACCESSIBLE TO MORE PEOPLE RATHER THAN JUST CUTTING IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.

THANK YOU SIR.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY AND PROVIDING US WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY. SO AT THIS POINT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THE ITEMS. DIRECTOR MERCURIO, WERE YOUR ITEMS ADDRESSED? THEY ARE ALL ADDRESSED.

OKAY. DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? YES. NUMBER 13, PLEASE.

JUST A QUESTION.

OKAY. GO AHEAD.

OKAY. ITEM 13 IS THE APPROVAL OF THE ENGINEER'S REPORT FOR A NUMBER OF LIGHTING AND ASSESSMENT, DISTRICT LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS.

AND I'M LOOKING AT THE ENGINEER'S REPORT.

AND I SEE IN SOME OF THESE IT LISTS AND IT DESCRIBES HOW THESE FUNDS ARE USED FOR A VARIETY OF MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, FENCING SIGNAGE TRAIL MAINTENANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT I'M LOOKING AT, SAY, I'M WONDERING, LIKE IN THE TWO COUNTY LIGHTING OR THE BIG FUND. THE WHICH ONE IS IT? THE LLD FOR TWO.

COUNTY. YEAH. THANK YOU. SORRY.

AND IT'S THE ASSESSMENT REVENUE IS $4.5 MILLION PER YEAR OVER THE TWO COUNTIES.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS YEAR THERE'S $142,000 FOR SERVICES AND $89,000 FOR SUPPLIES, WHICH I ASSUME DOES THAT. BUT THEN $750,000 IS TRANSFERRED OUT.

AND I'M WONDERING AND THAT OCCURS IN SOME LARGER DEGREES IN ALL OF THE OTHER SMALLER ZONES OF BENEFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I'M WONDERING WHERE THESE TRANSFERS OUT GO.

RIGHT. I'M DEBORAH SPAULDING.

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

SO THE TRANSFER THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS DESCRIBED A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON IN THE REPORT.

AND ALSO THERE'S A SECTION SO BOTH IN THE AGENDA REPORT AND THEN IN THE, THE LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPING, THE ENGINEER'S REPORT THAT DESCRIBES THE $750,000, IT'S GOING TO BE TRANSFERRED FOR A TRAIL PROJECT.

SO THERE WERE FUNDS REMAINING FROM PRIOR YEARS THAT HAD NOT BEEN SPENT, ACCRUED FUND BALANCE.

AND SO WE WANT TO USE UP THAT ACCRUED FUND BALANCE FOR A PROJECT THAT BENEFITS TRAIL MAINTENANCE, SINCE THAT'S A PURPOSE OF THE FUND.

AND SO IT'S GOING TO TRAIL PROJECT.

BUT IT STAYS WITHIN THAT.

WELL YEAH. THIS IS THE TWO COUNTY DISTRICT IN THIS CASE.

BUT IN THE OTHER CASES THE SMALLER DISTRICTS WHEN THERE'S TRANSFERS OUT DOES THAT JUST SO THAT'S A GOOD IDEA IN MY OPINION.

YOU CAN COLLECT A YEAR'S REVENUE, WHICH IN SOME CASES IS VERY LOW.

IT'S NOT MUCH AT ALL.

AND JUST BUILD IT UP UNTIL YOU CAN REALLY DO A BIG PROJECT.

YEAH. SO CORRECT.

SO WE YEAH IN SOME CASES WE'RE USING THE FUNDS FOR DOING ANNUAL MAINTENANCE.

WE USUALLY ARE. BUT WHEN SOME SMALL INCREMENT BUILDS UP OVER TIME THEN WE HAVE ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL.

MAYBE IT'S A PROJECT. YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE TRANSFERS OUT.

I DON'T HAVE THE BOOK IN FRONT OF ME.

I'M SORRY, BUT THERE'S A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THOSE SPECIAL PROJECTS ARE.

SO IN SOME CASES WE'RE BUYING EQUIPMENT.

IN SOME CASES IT'S DOING A PROJECT IN THE PARK AREA, LIKE IN THE ZONES OF BENEFITS, DOING A SPECIAL PROJECT.

ANYONE HAVE THE PAGE IN FRONT OF THEM THAT THEY CAN REFERENCE IT.

SORRY. WELL.

THAT'S OKAY. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU BUY A TRUCK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

ONE SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

IT'S ON PAGE 78.

SO DESCRIPTION OF AREAS TO BE IMPROVED.

SO THE $750,000 TRANSFER OUT IS FOR THE POINT MOLATE BAY TRAIL EXTENSION.

AND THEN IN THERE ARE OTHER ZONES OF BENEFITS WHERE WE'RE DOING SPECIAL PROJECTS AS WELL.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I WAS WONDERING, I THINK SOME OF SOME OF THESE SMALLER DISTRICTS WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON DEVELOPMENTS I WOULD THINK

[00:55:03]

I'M REFERRING TO THE STONEBRAE AND ALSO WALPERT RIDGE AND THE FIVE CANYONS, THOSE ARE ALL BY BIG, BIG DEVELOPMENTS WHICH ARE SURROUNDED BY OUR LAND, WHICH IS TO THEM IT'S NOT A PARK.

IT'S A FIRE HAZARD.

SO IS THERE ANY WAY WE I DON'T SEE IT HERE, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN LINE IT OUT THE STUFF THAT'S USED FOR FIRE MITIGATION OR STUFF LIKE THAT, DOES THAT? WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT USING THESE FUNDS FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION AND SOME OF THE TRAIL MAINTENANCE WORK AND THE PARK MAINTENANCE WORK THAT IS DONE ALREADY IS FIRE SUPPRESSION WORK. WE'RE NOT APPROPRIATING ANYTHING FOR LIKE A PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT'S FIRE SUPPRESSION, BUT THE LIKE THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE DOES TAKE CARE OF THAT FIRE SUPPRESSION WORK? DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? WELL, YEAH. I MEAN, I'M JUST THINKING AS A PUBLIC RELATIONS DEAL, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, MY CHIEF CONCERN.

AND I CAN SEE, ESPECIALLY AT FIVE CANYONS, WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY REALLY NOTHING THERE'S A TRAIL, BUT THAT'S IT.

THEIR MAJOR CONCERN IS FIRE SUPPRESSION OR PRE FIRE MITIGATION AND THEN SUPPRESSION, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT I THINK IF WE COULD KEY INTO SOME OF THESE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING USED FOR THAT EVERY YEAR TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOUR MONEY IS BEING USED FOR, AND WE ARE PROTECTING YOU FROM FIRE. YEAH, POSSIBLY IN THE FUTURE.

YEAH. IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? DIRECTOR ROSARIO. YEAH, JUST ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE DIRECTOR WAESPI ON BEING ELECTED TO BE PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU, DEE. IT'S A FORMALITY.

I NEED TO. ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE.

I'VE ONLY BEEN NOMINATED.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY OR WHATEVER IT IS TOMORROW.

[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU.

OKAY, SO COULD I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR? WE DO HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMMENTING.

ONE IS ON ITEM 6.

JOEL. EXCUSE ME, JOEL IRVIS, AND THE OTHER IS ON ITEM 11.

DAN LASSHOW.

DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THAT? OH, YES. PLEASE GO AHEAD.

ITEM SIX IS AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE AN ON CALL TRAIL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS TRAIL STEWARDSHIP.

FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $264,346 PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK. MAKING SURE YOU ARE STILL ON THE LINE, MR. IRVIS. THERE YOU GO.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELIST.

JUST REMEMBER, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

ACCEPT THAT AND UNMUTE.

THERE YOU GO. BUT JUST A QUICK JUST A MISCOMMUNICATION.

ACTUALLY, I DO NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, BUT THANK YOU.

OKAY. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU HAD SAID IN YOUR MESSAGE.

OKAY. WE'RE GOOD.

APPRECIATE IT. WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU BACK AS AN ATTENDEE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CALL ON MR. DAN LASSHOW ON ITEM 11.

AND THIS ITEM IS AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDS FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH AND INTEGRATED CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY PROGRAMS ADAPTATION PLANNING GRANT, IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $500,000 FOR A WILDCAT CREEK WATERSHED RESILIENCE ASSESSMENT. OKAY.

THERE YOU ARE, SIR.

PROMOTING YOU TO PANELIST.

ACCEPT AND UNMUTE.

THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU.

SORRY. MY COMMENT IS ACTUALLY ON ITEM XI 11 ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION ISSUE.

SO. OKAY.

THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE WELCOME. SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMENT.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CLERK.

COULD I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR IN THAT CASE? SECOND OKAY.

MOVED BY DIRECTOR ROSARIO AND SECONDED BY DIRECTOR WAESPI.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIES.

SO THEN WE ARE MOVING ON TO OUR PRESENTATION FROM OUR ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.

[ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION]

WELCOME, REN BATES.

[01:00:03]

GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS.

I'M REN BATES, CHIEF OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS ITEM FOR YOUR ACTION.

WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO AUTHORIZE AWARD OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR OUR JOB ORDER CONTRACTING PROGRAM TO HELP US RUN MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THAT.

AND HERE'S THE RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF YOU.

THE PICTURE IS ACTUALLY A PROJECT THAT WAS JUST COMPLETED FAIRLY RECENTLY OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BIG BREAK SHADE SAILS.

WE UTILIZED JOB ORDER CONTRACTING FOR THAT.

I BELIEVE WE WERE ALL OUT THERE FOR A BOARD TOUR LAST YEAR, SO THIS IS JUST SHOWING WHAT KIND OF WORK WE DO.

SO THERE ARE SEVERAL PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION, AND THERE HAVE ALL BEEN DELIVERED WITH JOB ORDER CONTRACTING.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT, BUT AS JUST A REMINDER, IT'S AN ALTERNATIVE COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT METHOD TO AWARD ANNUAL CONTRACTS FOR RENOVATION, REFURBISHMENT, REPAIRS AND REMODELING PROJECTS.

SO THOSE ARE ANNUAL CONTRACTS BASED ON THE FIRST NOTICE TO PROCEED TO THE CONTRACTORS.

THE DISTRICT, WE OPERATE THIS PROGRAM CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE, AND THE DISTRICT HAS A POLICY THAT THE BOARD HAS ADOPTED.

AND THEN JUST IN GENERAL, IT'S AN ON CALL GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHO PERFORMS WORK ACCORDING TO ESTABLISHED SET OF UNIT PRICES, WHICH THEY HAVE COMPETITIVELY BID AN ADJUSTMENT FACTOR ON. AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TODAY IS APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION FOR CONSULTANTS THAT CAN HELP US RUN THIS PROGRAM.

AND BY DOING THAT, THEY PROVIDE THESE SERVICES THAT WE'VE REQUESTED.

PART OF THE PROGRAM IS CREATING A CONSTRUCTION TASK CATALOG THAT'S BASED ON LOCAL MATERIAL COSTS AND PREVAILING LABOR, PREVAILING WAGE LABOR RATES.

STAFF DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY OR RESOURCES TO CREATE THESE.

SO WE SEEK CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT CAN ESTABLISH AND CREATE THESE TASK CATALOGS.

ADDITIONALLY, THEY WOULD ASSIST WITH THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND BIDDING.

SO IN TERMS OF THAT, THEY'LL DO SOME SOLICITATION AND REACHING OUT TO CONTRACTORS SO THAT THEY KNOW WE'RE PUTTING THESE OUT TO BID.

THEY'LL HELP COORDINATE AND WALK THROUGH PRO SERVICES ABOUT OUR MANDATORY PRE BID MEETINGS.

WE HAVE THESE SO THAT WE CAN WALK THE CONTRACTORS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.

AND THE CONSULTANT HELPS US DO THAT.

AND THEN ONCE WE GET IT INTO A CONTRACT WITH CONTRACTORS, THEY SOLICIT AND HELP REVIEW PRICING FOR THE JOB ORDERS, AND THEY ASSIST WITH OUR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.

FOR OUR SELECTION PROCESS, WE DID A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTING SERVICES.

WE ISSUED THAT ON MARCH 4TH.

WE RECEIVED TWO RESPONSIVE PROPOSALS BY THE MARCH 29TH DEADLINE.

EXCUSE ME. THE SELECTION COMMITTEE SCORED ALL THE RESPONSES.

AND THEN OUR PREFERRED OPTION OR OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE GORDIAN GROUP SCORED HIGHER FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PROGRAM, THEIR PROJECT TEAM HAD SUFFICIENT RESOURCES AND CAPACITY, AND THEY HAD STRONGER REFERENCES.

SO TO THAT END, THE RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF YOU IS TO AUTHORIZE AN AWARD OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR JOB ORDER CONTRACTING SERVICES TO THE GORDIAN GROUP IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $800,000.

AND SO, JUST IN TERMS OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AND HOW WE GET TO THAT THE GORDIAN GROUP DOES NOT GET PAID UNTIL THEY GET UNTIL WE ISSUE AN NTP FOR A JOB ORDER THAT IS ISSUED TO THE CONTRACTOR AND THAT BASED ON THAT TOTAL COST OF THAT IS WHAT THE GORDIAN GROUP PAY FEE STRUCTURE IS BASED ON.

SO IT'S 5%.

SO BASICALLY THEY RECEIVE 5% OF EVERY JOB ORDER THAT WE ISSUE FOR THAT TOTAL COST.

SO THAT DOESN'T COVER THAT COVERS EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DO NOT GET PAID UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WE ISSUE THAT.

SO ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO IN DEVELOPING THE CONSTRUCTION TASK CATALOG AND HELPING WITH BIDDING DOESN'T HAPPEN.

THEY DON'T GET COMPENSATED FOR THAT UNTIL WE GET INTO CONTRACTS.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE AT $800,000 FOR NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT.

WE HAVE HISTORICALLY BID EIGHT CONTRACTS OR I SHOULDN'T SAY HISTORICALLY, I SHOULD SAY MOST RECENTLY WE'VE BID EIGHT CONTRACTS AT $2 MILLION EACH.

SO BASED ON 5% OF THAT, THAT GETS US TO THE $800,000.

WE TYPICALLY HAVEN'T REACHED CAPACITY ON ALL OF THOSE.

SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS FINE AND FAIR.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE EXPECTING TO GO OUT FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF CONTRACTS LATER THIS YEAR WITH THE AWARD AND GETTING A CONSULTANT ON BOARD TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD.

SO WITH THAT, AS AN AMENDMENT TO MY PRESENTATION AND EXPLANATION OF THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT, THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE YOU AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. GREAT.

BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. GO AHEAD.

YES. HAVE WE.

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE INAUGURATING THIS TYPE OF AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER? WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY? NO, WE'VE HAD A CONSULTANT.

WE'VE HAD CONSULTANTS WORK FOR US SINCE THE INAUGURATION OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO WE'VE DONE.

AND IT WAS THIS COMPANY.

YES. BUT WE'VE DONE TWO RFP PROCESSES.

[01:05:01]

THIS IS THE SECOND RFP PROCESS IN WHICH WE'VE DONE A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.

HAVE WE EVER WORKED WITH ANY OTHER COMPANIES OR HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN? IT'S BEEN GORDIAN CONSISTENTLY.

WE'VE FOUND THAT IN OUR SOLICITATIONS THAT NO ONE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE.

AND SO IN ORDER FOR THE AND WE'VE HAD SUCCESS WITH THE PROGRAM THUS FAR, I WOULD SAY IN MY OPINION.

AND SO, YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THEY'VE BEEN THE ONLY GROUP, BUT WE'VE DONE TWO RFP.

THIS IS THE SECOND RFP PROCESS.

I'M JUST CURIOUS, DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUBMIT FOR THIS RFP PROCESS? YEAH, WE HAD ANOTHER COMPANY.

AS IN THE PRESENTATION, WE HAD TWO RESPONSIVE PROPOSERS.

OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU.

SURE. DIRECTOR WAESPI.

WELL, LET'S JUST FOLLOW UP TO THAT REN. SO I LOVE THE GORDIAN GROUP.

I LOVE THE JOC PROCESS, BUT.

SO YOU HAD TWO PEOPLE BID.

WHAT DID THE OTHER PEOPLE BID? I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT GORDIAN'S GOT THE BETTER DEAL BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THE HISTORY WITH US.

BUT DID THE OTHER GROUP COME IN AT 2% OR FIVE? OR WERE THEY RIGHT AROUND FIVE? SO THEIR STRUCTURE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THAT.

IT WAS PROBABLY.

IT WAS A LITTLE LESS THAN THE GORDIAN'S GROUP.

BUT AS I SAID, ARE THEIR REFERENCES WERE LESS STRONG.

THEY'VE NOT BEEN DOING IT QUITE AS LONG.

THEIR RESOURCES AND AVAILABILITY OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE, IN TERMS OF US HELPING TO RUN THE PROGRAM WAS NOT AS STRONG.

SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT AND I UNDERSTAND WHY WE GO WITH THE GORDIAN.

I'M JUST WONDERING IS, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT GORDIAN CAME IN AND DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.

WE HIRED THEM NEW.

SO THIS NEW PERSON THAT PROPOSED, YOU SAID THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT LOWER WHERE THEY.

I'D HAVE TO CHECK. I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE OF RATE.

IS THAT AVAILABLE? I'D REALLY LIKE TO.

YEAH, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.

GREAT. THANKS. OKAY.

ANYBODY ELSE? NO. ALL RIGHT.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE. SO MOVED.

THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU.

SO MOTION BY DIRECTOR WAESPI AND SECONDED BY DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY. VERY GOOD MOTION PASSES.

SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO FINANCE SORRY.

[FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION]

FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION.

AND THIS IS AUTHORIZATION TO APPROVE A THREE YEAR TIME EXTENSION FOR MEASURE WW LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M KATY HORNBECK GRANTS MANAGER.

AND I'M PRESENTING ON THE MEASURE WW LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM.

SO IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I'LL GO OVER, PROVIDE A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON MEASURE WW LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM, THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROGRAM, AN OVERVIEW OF THE AGENCIES WITH FUNDS REMAINING AND THEIR INCOMPLETE PROJECTS, AND THEN PROVIDE A LIST OF THE COMPLETED AND CLOSED PROJECTS SINCE 2022 THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FORMAL CLOSURE ON WHICH HAS BEEN OUR PAST PRACTICE WITH THE BOARD.

AND THEN FINALLY THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WILL BE TWOFOLD ONE, A PROGRAM TIME EXTENSION AND THEN A FORMAL PROJECT CLOSURE.

SO TO START BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAM.

IN NOVEMBER 2008, VOTERS APPROVED MEASURE WW.

OF THAT $500 MILLION BOND EXTENSION, 125 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO THE LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM.

46 AGENCIES MAKING UP CITIES, COMMUNITIES, LOCAL PARK DISTRICTS AND OTHER COUNTY SERVICE AREAS BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM.

THERE WERE 240 APPROVED PROJECTS VARYING IN SCOPE AND SIZE.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROGRAM, SO IT DOES EXPIRE THIS DECEMBER, OF THE 125 MILLION, ABOUT 99.9% HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED TO THOSE AGENCIES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S ABOUT $3,000 LEFT THAT HASN'T BEEN APPROPRIATED.

AND THAT WAS BECAUSE THOSE AGENCIES EITHER DIDN'T FULLY REQUEST THEIR ALLOCATED AMOUNT OR THEY CAME IN A LITTLE UNDER BUDGET ON THEIR PROJECTS.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS BEING APPROPRIATED FOR THE PROGRAM.

OF THAT 125, APPROXIMATELY 117 MILLION HAS BEEN REIMBURSED TO THOSE AGENCIES.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS APPROXIMATELY 224 PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

SO ABOUT 90% OF OUR PROJECTS OR OF THOSE AGENCY PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND CLOSED OUT.

[01:10:05]

THERE ARE EIGHT AGENCIES WITH REMAINING FUNDS TO BE REIMBURSED.

AND HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN IS APPROXIMATELY 17 OPEN PROJECTS.

OF THOSE 17, TEN ARE COMPLETED.

BUT WE NEED TO CLOSE THEM OUT.

AND THAT MEANS THE AGENCY NEEDS TO SUBMIT THEIR FINAL PAYMENT REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST, AND THEY ALSO NEED TO SUBMIT THEIR FINAL DOCUMENTATION.

WE HAVE A CHECKLIST OF INFORMATION THEY NEED TO PROVIDE THE COPIES OF THEIR CONTRACTS THE LAND TENURE, CEQA, THINGS LIKE THAT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEIR PROJECT IS.

SO ONCE THEY PROVIDE ALL THAT INFORMATION AND THEIR FINAL PAYMENT REQUESTS, WE CALL THAT CLOSED OUT AND DONE.

SO TEN ARE FINISHED, BUT WE NEED TO CLOSE THEM OUT.

AND THEN THERE ARE SEVEN PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL IN PROGRESS, FOUR OF WHICH WILL NOT BE COMPLETED IN 2024.

AND THOSE AGENCIES ARE REQUESTING A TIME EXTENSION.

AND HERE IS A LIST OF THOSE AGENCIES.

SO I'LL GO THROUGH VERY QUICKLY.

BUT THE INFORMATION ON THESE PROJECTS IS LISTED IN DETAIL IN THE STAFF REPORT OR EXCUSE ME IN THE ATTACHMENT SUPPORTING THE STAFF REPORT.

SO CITY OF BERKELEY HAS THREE OPEN PROJECTS.

ALL THREE ARE COMPLETED, BUT WE'RE AWAITING THAT CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTATION.

EL CERRITO HAS ONE PROJECT.

IT WILL BE COMPLETED THIS SUMMER.

SAME WITH HARD, CITY OF HERCULES.

ONE OF THOSE TWO PROJECTS IS COMPLETED.

THE OTHER THEY HAVE REQUESTED A TIME EXTENSION ON CITY OF NEWARK TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE OPEN BOTH ARE COMPLETED.

WE JUST NEED TO CLOSE THEM OUT.

THE CITY OF OAKLAND HAS FIVE PROJECTS THAT ARE OPEN, THREE OF WHICH ARE COMPLETED, TWO OF WHICH ARE IN PROGRESS STILL AND WILL NEED TIME EXTENSIONS, AND THEY'VE ESTIMATED THEIR PROJECTS WILL BE COMPLETED SOMETIME BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026.

AND THEN THE UNINCORPORATED CONTRA COSTA, TWO PROJECTS, ONE COMPLETED, JUST NEED TO CLOSE OUT, THE OTHER WILL BE COMPLETED THIS SUMMER.

AND THEN FINALLY THE CITY OF FREMONT.

THEIR ONE OPEN PROJECT IS ACTUALLY ONE THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WILL BE COMPLETED.

WE ENTERED INTO A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF FREMONT IN 2009 THAT OUTLINED THAT OF THE ALLOCATION GOING TO THE CITY OF FREMONT, 1.8 MILLION WOULD GO TOWARDS THE PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION AT THE VARGAS PLATEAU REGIONAL PARK.

AND THEN I WANTED TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE ATTACHMENT JUST SO YOU CAN GET A SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

EVERY SINGLE AGENCY THAT RECEIVED AN ALLOCATION FROM THE LOCAL WW PROGRAM IS IN THAT REPORT.

MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, THEY'LL LIST THE CITY NAME OR THE AGENCY NAME, AND THEN THE PROJECTS THAT THEY APPLIED FOR, THE TYPE OF PROJECT AND THEN THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT.

SO LOOKING AT THE TOP, HERCULES, YOU CAN SEE THEIR FIRST PROJECT IS CLOSED.

AND THEN THE NEXT TWO ARE APPROVED MEETING.

AND BECAUSE IF APPROVED BASICALLY MEANS THAT IT'S STILL IN PROGRESS, IT COULD BE A COMPLETED PROJECT, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T CLOSED IT OUT YET.

THE APPLIED DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THEN WHAT WAS APPROVED TO THEM.

AND THEN IF THEY HAVE RECEIVED ANY REIMBURSEMENT TO DATE, YOU CAN SEE FOR HERCULES.

THE FIRST TWO HAVE RECEIVED PAYMENT.

THE THIRD ONE HAS NOT. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T SUBMITTED A PAYMENT REQUEST TO US.

AND THEN THE BALANCE LEFT IN THAT PROJECT.

MOVING BACK OVER TO THE LEFT UNDER WHERE YOU SEE TOTAL AVAILABLE AND $0 DOLLARS.

SO THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE REQUESTED THE ENTIRE AMOUNT THAT THEY WERE ALLOCATED.

SO OF THAT 1.1 MILLION FOR CITY OF HERCULES, THOSE THREE PROJECTS DIVVIED OR HIT ALL OF THAT AMOUNT.

SO THERE'S NOTHING LEFT FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR.

SO THEY COULDN'T SUBMIT ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR ANOTHER PROJECT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO FUNDS LEFT IN THEIR ALLOCATION.

ALL RIGHT. AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE SECOND PART OF THIS UPDATE IS THE COMPLETED AND CLOSED PROJECTS.

AND SINCE 2022 THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE.

AND THERE'S PHOTOS OF EACH WORKING THEIR WAY AROUND FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.

THE TABLE OUTLINES WHICH OF THOSE PROJECTS THEY ARE AND THEN THE WW FUNDING THAT WENT TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT.

ALL RIGHT. AND THEN FINALLY, TO END THE PRESENTATION, I'LL READ THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OUT.

AND THAT IS AUTHORIZATION TO APPROVE A THREE YEAR TIME EXTENSION FOR THE MEASURE WW LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM AND FORMALLY CLOSE OUT FIVE COMPLETED MEASURE WW LOCAL GRANT PROGRAM PROJECTS. AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM.

AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CLOSE AT THE END OF THE THREE YEARS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LEFTOVER MONEY? DOES THAT GET REABSORBED INTO THE WW? OF THE THAT $3,000 OR I'M NOT, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE WHERE IT GOES.

I CAN CHECK IN WITH OUR CFO ON THAT.

AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS IT TOO LATE FOR AN AGENCY TO

[01:15:04]

APPLY FOR A NEW PROJECT? IF THEY HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE, IT'S NOT TOO LATE.

WHAT THEY COULD DO ALTERNATIVELY, IS I'LL JUST USE CITY OF OAKLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAVE TWO PROJECTS THAT STILL NEED TO GET DONE, THEY COULD REQUEST TO ESSENTIALLY WITHDRAW THAT PROJECT AND THEN SUBMIT A NEW PROJECT TO USE THAT FUNDING OR ONE OR MORE PROJECTS.

BUT ONCE THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY COMPLETED A PROJECT THAT MONEY'S DONE AND GONE WITH.

YEAH, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE IT IS WITH THE CITY OF OAKLAND.

I'M ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE COMMISSION OF AGING, AND WE WANT TO BUILD A NEW MULTI GENERATIONAL EXERCISE AND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT THE DOWNTOWN SENIOR CENTER.

AND I KNOW THERE'S MONEY AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT'S NOT GOING TO GET DONE.

SO THAT'S I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.

YES, THEY COULD DECIDE TO WITHDRAW AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST RESUBMIT.

YEAH. EXCELLENT.

AND THANK YOU FOR A GREAT JOB.

YEAH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO IN THAT CASE THANK YOU VERY MUCH KATY THIS WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

AND I APPRECIATE ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YOU HAVING THAT TABLE WHERE EVERYTHING'S CLOSED OUT AND THE TOTALS AND WHAT'S LEFT IT MADE IT VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK.

AND SO THIS ONE IS.

OH YEAH. NO, WE DO NEED A MOTION ON THIS ONE.

SO DOES SOMEONE, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION? I'LL MOVE. OKAY.

IS THERE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.

MOVED BY DIRECTOR WAESPI.

SECONDED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I THINK AT THIS POINT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO TAKE ABOUT A TEN MINUTE BREAK QUICKLY AND THEN COME BACK TO OUR FINAL PRESENTATION FROM PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION.

GREAT. WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.

SOUND IS OPEN.

[PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION]

SO NEXT UP WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION, OUR FIRE CHIEF, AILEEN THEILE.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.

SORRY, KHARI HELAE.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MY NAME IS AILEEN THEILE AND WE ARE HERE ULTIMATELY.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK.

WE ARE HERE TO ASK YOU FOR THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CONTINUATION OF FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK IN ANTHONY CHABOT REGIONAL PARK, AND WE'RE ASKING FOR 5,386,030. YES.

GO BIG OR GO HOME.

THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRESENTATION WILL BE BY MYSELF AND ASSISTANT CHIEF KHARI HELAE.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TREE DIE OFF REVIEW.

IN 2020 IS WHEN WE REALLY DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD A MAJOR ISSUE.

WASN'T JUST DISTRICT WIDE, IT WAS STATEWIDE.

BUT WE STARTED TO NOTICE IT REALLY IN ANTHONY CHABOT AND TILDEN, PRIMARILY.

IN 2020 WHEN WE DISCOVERED THIS WE ALERTED THE GENERAL MANAGER.

WE DID A AN INVENTORY OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS THAT WERE MOST AFFECTED.

AND IN 2021 AND 2022, WE, TOGETHER WITH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, STARTED LOOKING FOR MONEY TO MANAGE THIS, AND WE ENDED UP GETTING A GRANT OR NOT A GRANT, BUT A DIRECT A DIRECT ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

IN 2023, AFTER THE PILOT PROJECT SUCCESS, IN WHICH WE SPENT 7.5 MILLION IN ANTHONY CHABOT WE BEGAN IN MAY OF 2022 AND WE COMPLETED 365 ACRES.

WE WILL COMPLETE 365 ACRES BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

ALSO IN THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST CALVTP PROJECT.

AND THAT WILL BEGIN THINNING SOME OF THE TREE DIE-OFF AREAS IN TILDEN.

[01:20:02]

SO PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE, ASKING FOR THE AUTHORIZATION TO SPEND THE MONEY IS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT AND FUEL METHODS THAT WE'VE USED, WHICH STARTED IN JUNE OF 2022 WITH OUR PILOT PROJECT OF 80 ACRES THAT STARTED IN ANTHONY CHABOT.

AND THAT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FALK FORESTRY, ASCENT FORESTRY AND EARTH FOUNDRIES.

AND THAT PILOT PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL CONSERVANCY.

AND IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN TREATED IN THE PAST ARE IN RED.

AND THE FOCUS PROJECT AREA WHERE WE'VE BEEN USING THE CARBONIZER IS IN THE YELLOW SLATTED AREAS ON THE MAP.

SO FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAD IN THE PILOT PROJECT AROUND MARCH OF LAST YEAR, IT WAS SO DEMONSTRATED AND SO SUCCESSFUL THAT WE CAME TO THE BOARD AND WE ASKED FOR THE APPROVAL TO ENCOMPASS THE ADDITIONAL 365 ACRES APPLYING THE SAME METHODS THAT WE HAD.

BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A DIRECT ALLOCATION MONEY BY THE STATE, AND IT WAS FUNDED AS A PASS THROUGH WITH CALRECYCLE.

SO CURRENTLY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO SEEK YOUR APPROVAL TO ADDRESS THE REMAINING 221 ACRES UNDER THE ORIGINAL RFP, TARGETING THE REST OF THE DEAD TREES THAT ARE STILL STANDING.

AND WE ARE HOPING TO EMPLOY THE SAME SUCCESSFUL MEASURES THAT WE HAD THAT WILL HELP MITIGATE THE FIRE RISK.

AND FOR THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION, ASSISTANT CHIEF HELAE WILL BE UP HERE TO COMPLETE IT.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRESIDENT WAESPI.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE CONTINUATION PROJECT.

AND ON THE LEFT, OBVIOUSLY, IS A BEFORE PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE THICK STANDS OF EUCALYPTUS SO THICK THAT YOU COULD NOT WALK THROUGH THOSE STANDS. AND ON THE RIGHT YOU CAN SEE THINNED AREAS.

YOU STILL HAVE TREES AND VEGETATION, BUT IT'S DESIGNED SO THAT WE DO HAVE A FIRE IT STAYS ON THE GROUND.

IT'S ABLE TO BE MITIGATED AND SUPPRESSED QUICKLY BY FIRE RESOURCES.

SO OUR PROJECT HERE, THE 80 ACRE AND THE 365 ACRE PROJECT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

IT'S SO SIGNIFICANT IT'S THE LARGEST FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT IN THE DISTRICT'S HISTORY.

IT'S SO SIGNIFICANT THAT IT'S THE LARGEST EUCALYPTUS PROJECT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

IT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT THAT WITH THE HELP OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THREE PRESS TOURS AND 41 TOURS WITH DIFFERENT LOCAL, MUNICIPAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ENTITIES AND ELECTIVES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

YOU, YOURSELVES WERE ONE OF THE GROUPS OF THAT 41 TOURS THAT WE'VE DONE.

AND THAT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING OVER AT ANTHONY CHABOT UTILIZING THE METHODOLOGY WE'RE USING WITH THE CARBONIZER AND THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER.

AND THE WORK IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF MANY REASONS BEHIND THE SCENES, IT'S BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT WITH $10 MILLION FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND PASS THROUGH MONEY THROUGH CALRECYCLE.

IT WAS SUPPORTED WITH $1 MILLION FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY WITH THE 80 ACRE PROJECT.

IT'S BEEN SUPPORTED BY CAL FIRE, WITH RESOURCES AND INFORMATION, AND IT'S BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH SENATOR PADILLA WITH $2.5 MILLION AND WORK THROUGH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.

AND BECAUSE OF THE MOMENTUM, BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING AND BECAUSE OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO TREAT MORE ACRES THAN ANY OTHER TIME OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT.

AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU A QUICK VIDEO.

THIS WORK IS PRODUCED THROUGH PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MEDIA VIDEOS THAT WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC SHOWING THE CARBONIZER WHERE WE'RE PROCESSING BIOMASS ON SITE.

SO THE CURRENT PROJECT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE IS 91% COMPLETE.

AND PART OF THE ASK TODAY IS TO CONTINUE THAT WORK ONCE THIS PROJECT IS FINISHED.

SO I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME DRONE FOOTAGE OF THE PROJECT THAT WAS TAKEN BY OUR GIS DEPARTMENT.

WAS ABLE TO DO A REQUEST WITH THEM, AND WITHIN ONE DAY THEY CAME OUT WITH THEIR DRONE AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE FOOTAGE FROM THERE.

[01:25:02]

NOT ONLY THAT, WE COULD USE FOR PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS, BUT WE CAN ALSO USE IT TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT.

JUST TO BRING SOME DETAIL TO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, THE AREAS THAT ARE BROWN BETWEEN THE TREES ARE TREATED AREAS PRIOR TO US DOING WORK THERE, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE ANY DIRT BELOW.

IT WOULD JUST BE THICK WITH TREE STANDS.

AND OBVIOUSLY IF THERE WAS A FIRE, IT WOULD BE VERY PROBLEMATIC.

WHEREAS NOW WE HAVE 365 ACRES OF TREATED STANDS THAT ARE GOOD FOREST HEALTH, BUT ALSO FOR HELPING PROTECT THE CITIES OR CITY OF OAKLAND, CASTRO VALLEY, SAN LEANDRO FROM A DEVASTATING EFFECT OF A WILDFIRE THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANTHONY CHABOT.

AND WHAT? LET ME GET INTO SOME DETAILS OF OUR CURRENT PROJECT.

AND SO IT'S $5,386,030, 221 ACRES AND PER ACRE IT'S 23 OR $24,371.

AND AS CHIEF THEILE SAID EARLIER THE RED ARE ACRES THAT WERE ALREADY TREATED AND THE AREA IN YELLOW ARE ACRES THAT WE ARE SEEKING PERMISSION AND AUTHORITY TO TREAT TODAY.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT APPROVAL, YOU COMBINE THE TWO COLORS THAT'S A LOT OF THAT PARK THAT HAS BEEN COVERED.

IT'S PRETTY HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF ACRES THAT WE'RE TREATING OVER AT ANTHONY CHABOT.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, MORE ACRES HAVE BEEN TREATED THERE THAN ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY.

AND I'M CONVINCED DECADES FROM NOW THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS DONE AT THIS PARK IN THIS TIME, RIGHT NOW THAT THIS WORK IS OCCURRING.

AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE ACRES THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO TREAT.

AGAIN, THIS IS DRONE FOOTAGE FROM OUR GIS DEPARTMENT.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS FOOTAGE, YOU CAN'T SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE FOREST.

IT'S THICK WITH EUCALYPTUS TREES.

AND IF THIS WAS TO CATCH ON FIRE, IT'D BE VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR FIRE RESOURCES TO SUPPRESS, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE TRYING TO MITIGATE THOSE FUELS AND TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM OUT THERE.

AND I WANT TO END OR NOT END, BUT TALK ABOUT THE BIOCHAR PORTION.

BECAUSE TYPICALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR WORK OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT, WE LEAD WITH THE BIOCHAR PORTION OF IT.

THAT'S THE PART THAT GETS US MOST OF THE ATTENTION OF THIS PROJECT AND NOT THE TREE THINNING, THE FUELS MITIGATION WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THAT'S GOING TO SAVE LIVES THROUGH THAT PREVENTIVE WORK WE'RE DOING OUT THERE.

SO WE HAVE 360 ACRES OF EUCALYPTUS THAT WE HAVE TREATED.

WE HAVE PRODUCED 12,775 TONS.

WE PROCESSED THAT MANY TONS OF BIOMASS THAT'S BEEN CONVERTED TO 1277 TONS OF BIOCHAR. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE VISUAL AND YOU LIKE CUBIC YARDS, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 4,277YD³ OF BIOCHAR.

IT'S A LOT OF BIOCHAR WE'VE EVER PRODUCED.

AND WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED THE BIOCHAR 100% WITHIN DISTRICT PROPERTY.

SO WHERE DID ALL THIS BIOCHAR GO? ON THIS SLIDE HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BIOCHAR HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF IT'S GONE TO RESTORATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.

I THINK MOST OF YOU REMEMBER THE FLOOD THAT HAPPENED FROM THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS THAT WIPED OUT THE GARDEN OVER AT DRY CREEK.

SOME OF THE BIOCHAR WENT THERE.

THE PICTURE UP TOP OF THE WATER TANK, BIOCHAR WAS USED OVER IN SUNOL FOR WATER FILTRATION.

AND THE BOTTOM PICTURE IS TAKEN FROM WILDCAT, WHERE THE BIOCHAR WAS USED IN A LANDSLIDE SITUATION THAT HAPPENED OVER THERE DURING THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MIX BIOCHAR WITH THE SOIL TO HELP REGENERATE THE VEGETATION QUICKER THAN JUST USING SOIL ALONE.

OUR BIGGEST CLIENT WAS ARDENWOOD FARMS, WITH 339 TONS OF BIOCHAR THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE.

AND ALL OF THIS WAS, LIKE I SAID, 100% UTILIZED WITHIN DISTRICT PROPERTY.

[01:30:03]

SO THAT MEANS WE TOOK BIOMASS.

WE TYPICALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN TRUCKED WITH NINE SEMI TRUCKS ON THOSE BACK ROADS OF ANTHONY CHABOT.

DURING THE DAYTIME, NINE CONSISTENT TRUCKS TICKED THOSE OFF THE ROAD, PROCESSED THE BIOMASS ON SITE, CONVERTED IT INTO BIOCHAR, UTILIZED IT ON DISTRICT PROPERTY, AND SEQUESTERED CARBON AT THE SAME TIME ALL THROUGH THAT SAME PROJECT.

AND AS I START TO END THIS PRESENTATION, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND ALL OF THIS WORK HERE.

WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS YOUR FUELS TEAM.

THIS IS YOUR REGIONAL PARKS FIRE DEPARTMENT FUELS TEAM.

AND WHAT I TOLD [INAUDIBLE] AT THIS MORNING'S MEETING WAS THAT THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL THAT IT'S ALLOWED OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS TO DO THEIR JOB? GRANTEES LIKE TO FUND PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL, THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT MANY PEOPLE AND FOR AND GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO UTILIZE THE MONEY EFFECTIVELY.

AND WE CHECK ALL THOSE MARKS WITH OUR GRANTEES.

AND BECAUSE OF THE TOURS, BECAUSE OF THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT TO ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, THAT'S WHY THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND THAT'S WHAT I TOLD THEM THIS MORNING.

AND I SAID, EVERY SO OFTEN, IT'S OKAY TO PICK YOUR HEAD UP, GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.

AND THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT RECOGNIZED, BECAUSE BEHIND THE SCENES, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE DOING ALL THE WORK.

DIDN'T HOLD ON.

OKAY, SO SHOULD PLAY AM I? MIGHT HAVE TO CLICK IT HERE AND GIVE ME A SECOND.

NO, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK.

THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER.

JUST ONE SECOND. IT'S.

WE'RE FINE.

THANK YOU. SO, AS WE CLOSE, I WANT TO FORMALLY ASK FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONTINUATION PROJECT FOR $5,386,030, 221 ACRES AT ANTHONY CHABOT.

THANK YOU. WE'D LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

THANK YOU. I THINK WE HAVE A BUNCH.

[LAUGHTER] SO I THINK DIRECTOR ROSARIO HAD HIS HAND UP FIRST.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

AND CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETION OF THE 365 AT LEAST WHEN WE GET TO JUNE.

A LOT OF WORK. MY QUESTION IS ONCE THIS ANTHONY CHABOT IS DONE, WE STILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY 700 ACRES OF DEAD TREES STILL TO TREAT.

AND OUTSIDE OF ANTHONY CHABOT.

SO WHERE ARE WE LOOKING FOR FUNDING ON THAT? SO WE'RE THE FUNDING WE CURRENTLY HAVE $30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS OUT THERE, AND EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SIX MONTHS, WE GET NOTIFICATION THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING HAS ARRIVED, JUST LIKE WE GOT NOTIFICATION.

I THINK IT WAS A MONTH AGO THAT THE FUNDING THAT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DID WITH SENATOR SWALWELL, THE $1.4 MILLION WE WERE AWARDED THAT MONEY, AND ALSO THE MONEY THAT CAL FIRE JUST AWARDED US, THE 2.5 MILLION OVER AT THE GRIZZLY PEAK PROJECT. THE 30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANTS THAT MONEY JUST TRICKLES IN AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND SO WE HAVE A VERY EFFICIENT AND SUCCESSFUL GRANTS DEPARTMENT AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WHO ARE CONSTANTLY SEEKING MONEY.

AND THE MONEY TRICKLES IN AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND AS IT DOES TRICKLE IN, WE SEND IT TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS TO PUT THE MONEY TO WORK.

AND SO MY WHAT I FORESEE IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING SHOWING UP.

AND AT SOME POINT WE'LL BE BACK IN FRONT OF THE BOARD WITH ANOTHER RFP REQUESTING ADDITIONAL ACRES TO BE TREATED.

YEAH. IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF A SECOND CARBONATOR.

THE CURRENT PROJECT HAS A HAS TWO CARBINATORS ON IT.

THERE'S A NEW MODEL, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE THE MODEL NUMBER AND ACTUALLY CARBONIZER.

YOU TRICKED ME THERE WITH CARBONATOR.

IT'S NOW I'M TEASING, BUT IT'S NOW CARBONIZER I HAVEN'T.

AND THE I DON'T KNOW THE MODEL NUMBER, BUT THERE'S A NEW, BETTER VERSION THAT'S MORE EFFICIENT AND DOES EVERYTHING BETTER.

COOL. AND THEN JUST AS AN ASIDE, WHEN WE WERE IN DC NATIONAL PARKS, NATIONAL PARKS, WE GOT

[01:35:03]

TO GO INTO THE BOWELS AND TALK TO THE SCIENTISTS THAT WERE WORKING ON BIOCHAR.

AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE LAB WORKING ON THE BIOCHAR ISSUE.

AND THEY'VE GOT THEY HAVE AN ATLAS OF THAT SHOWS WHERE HOW MUCH BIOCHAR YOU CAN USE ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL.

AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO DEVELOPING PRODUCTS FOR WHAT YOU CAN USE THAT THEY'VE DEVELOPED ROOF TILES LUMBER FOR INSULATION, AND THEY'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF STUFF. SO THAT BODES WELL FOR THE BIOCHAR THAT WE'RE PRODUCING IF WE RUN OUT OF USES.

AND ALSO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT GOT ME EXCITED WAS THAT BIOCHAR CAN ABSOLUTELY BE USED TO FILTER OUT LEAD. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT, BUT I THINK MATT GRAUL WOULD BE VERY HAPPY.

IT HAS A. BIOCHAR, HAS AN AFFINITY TO FILTER OUT HEAVY METALS, INCLUDING LEAD, SO THAT I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS AS ONCE YOU GUYS LEAVE THE GUN RANGE THERE AT ANTHONY CHABOT, WE NEED TO CLEAN THAT UP BECAUSE OF THE OLD GUN RANGE.

SO JUST BE AWARE.

THANKS. THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR MERCURIO, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? NO. YEAH. OKAY.

EVERYBODY'S SO POLITE, YOU KNOW HERE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

YOU PACKED A LOT IN THERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL HAVE THIS CHURNING AROUND IN OUR HEADS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

BUT THE WAY YOU LAID IT OUT, IT KIND OF WE CAN PROCESS IT BETTER, I THINK.

BUT CAN YOU GO BACK, CAN YOU START THAT UP AGAIN AND GO TO THAT MAP THAT HAS THE RED AND THE YELLOW SHADING ON IT? YES.

MAYBE NOT. ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS A TEST.

[LAUGHTER].

IT SHOULD ALREADY BE OPEN.

HOW DO WE GET THAT? WE'RE SHARING THE WRONG DOCUMENT, RIGHT? OKAY. GOTCHA. WELL, LET ME ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

BUT IT'S NOT HERE.

I HAVE MORE THAN ONE QUESTION, SO I CAN ASK YOU A DIFFERENT QUESTION THAT DOESN'T RELY ON THAT MAP.

SO HAVE WE.

ARE WE THINKING ABOUT CONSIDERING OR IS THERE A REASON TO USE BIOCHAR ON LIKE, FIRE ROADS? TO, YOU KNOW, AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE SOIL TO MAYBE DEAL WITH REALLY MUDDY CONDITIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE HAVE A STUDY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FUNDING, AND PART OF THAT STUDY IS TO TEST THE BENEFITS OF BIOCHAR ON FIRE ROADS, LANDINGS, SKID TRAILS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND WE'RE IT'S GOING TO BE A THREE YEAR STUDY.

AND SO THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRST STUDY THAT WE PLAN TO FUND IS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIOCHAR ON LANDING SKID TRAILS AND FIRE TRAILS WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU. AND THEN SO ON THAT MAP.

THE FIRST AREA THAT WAS DONE WAS.

THE SECOND AREA THAT WAS DONE IS THE AREA CLOSEST TO WHERE THE HOMES ARE.

RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT ARC THERE, THAT CURVING ARC BEHIND THAT IS THERE.

THERE'S HOMES THERE, RIGHT? YES. YEAH.

SO I'M, JUST WONDERING WHY WE DIDN'T DO THAT FIRST, IF PROTECTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS A BIG GOAL OF THIS.

I MEAN, IT'S A DUAL GOAL.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, HABITAT AND IT'S ALSO PROTECTING YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.

YOU KNOW, WHY DID WE WAIT FOR THE SECOND PHASE TO DO THAT? THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE EASE OF GETTING TO PARTICULAR AREAS.

[01:40:02]

SO THERE'S LOW COMPLEXITY, MEDIUM COMPLEXITY AND HIGH COMPLEXITY AREAS.

AND OBVIOUSLY THE HIGH COMPLEXITY COST MORE PER ACRE.

AND BECAUSE OF THE ACCESS.

AND SO THE PROJECT FUNDING FOR THE PILOT, WE WENT AFTER THE ACRES THAT WERE MORE MEDIUM TO LOW COMPLEXITY, SO THAT THE FUNDING THAT WE CURRENTLY HAD WITH THE TEST PILOT PROJECT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE USED AND COMPLETE AS MANY ACRES WE COULD WITH THAT FUNDING.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PARTICULAR ASK RIGHT NOW, WE WILL FINISH THE CURRENT RFP AND THE NEXT RFP THAT WE WILL NEED TO DRAFT UP DEALS WITH THE COMPLEX ACRES.

SO ALL THE ACRES THAT ARE ON RIDGE TOPS AND ACRES THAT ARE JUST MORE CHALLENGING TO TREAT, THAT'S WHAT THE NEXT RFP IS GOING TO BE.

AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S MORE COMPLEX, IT'LL BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT ALSO IT'LL BE COMPLEX FOR THE CONTRACTORS IF THEY GET AWARDED TO DO THAT WORK.

BUT THAT'S A SHORT VERSION OF IT.

BUT THERE'S IF OUR LEAD PROJECT MANAGER WAS HERE, JAVON, SHE WOULD THERE'S MANY HOURS AND THOUGHT THAT WENT INTO THE EXECUTION OF WHY THEY CHOSE THE ACRES THAT THEY CHOSE.

I'M JUST GIVING YOU.

YEAH. NO.

AND ALSO, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN YOU START OUT ON SOMETHING, YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE MOST COMPLEX STUFF FIRST.

SO YOU DID THE RED AREA BECAUSE IT WAS MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD, I GUESS.

AND THEN GRADUATED TO THE YELLOW AREA.

RIGHT? YES. GRADUATED.

OKAY. WELL.

THIS IS JUST A COMMENT.

I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THIS WORK, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EXPECT IT, BUT I HOPE THAT IT LEADS TO MORE REASONABLE INSURANCE RATES FOR THOSE HOMES THAT ARE LOCATED ALONG THAT BUFFER THERE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING, I HOPE THERE'S A RESULT BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING THAT.

SO ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST A COMMENT.

I THINK THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.

AND I JUST WANT TO.

YEAH. GO AHEAD. DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

JUST A REMINDER ON THAT WESTERN EDGE, THERE'S ALREADY A FIRST GENERATION FUEL BRAKE THAT WAS DONE IN THE 80S.

AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE IS RIGHT OFF THE RIDGE, IT GOES DOWN IN THE YELLOW THERE.

SO THAT'S JUST BELOW THE ORIGINAL FIRST GENERATION FUEL BRAKE THAT WAS DONE IN THE 80S.

SO THAT SO THERE IS SOME PROTECTION THERE ALREADY BENEFITS FROM BEFORE.

OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

AND ON THAT NOTE OF HISTORICAL FUEL BRAKES THAT WERE PUT IN ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED FUNDING TO IT IS MAKING SURE THAT ANY WORK THAT WE DO, WE CAN STAY ON TOP OF IT AND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GROW BACK.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ON AVERAGE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US ABOUT THREE YEARS OF A COMMITMENT OF GOING BACK IN TREATING WITH HERBICIDE TO STOP THE RESPROUTING THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING FROM THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S VIGOROUSLY TRYING TO COME BACK LIKE EUCALYPTUS TRY, BUT WE'RE JUST AS COMMITTED AS MAKING SURE IT DOESN'T. WE'RE GOING TO WIN THAT BATTLE, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS OF BEING COMMITTED TO THAT.

YEAH. ABOUT THE INSURANCE RATES.

JOHN, I KNOW IN SACRAMENTO THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE THERE'S A BILL, SENATE BILL 1060, TO LOOK AT FIRE INSURANCE RISK EVALUATION.

AND THIS IS JUST INTRODUCED AT THE END OF APRIL.

SO IT'S STILL FAIRLY NEW.

AND IN THIS STATE SENATE INSURANCE COMMITTEE.

BUT THERE IS WORK HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST IN SACRAMENTO.

I WAS AWARE OF THAT. IT WASN'T AN ORIGINAL IDEA ON MY PART.

[LAUGHTER] YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE TRACKING THAT, THOUGH, AS A BILL THAT WE'RE TRACKING ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND AS A PARK DISTRICT.

BUT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THANKS. SURE.

WELL, AS YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS PROJECT.

I WISH I COULD BE IN THE FUELS CREW RIGHT NOW, BUT ANOTHER LIFE.

SO, ANYWAY YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING.

SO IN 2020, WE IDENTIFIED 1500 ACRES OF DECLINING TREE MORTALITY AND DIEBACK.

HAVE YOU NOTICED IN THE NEXT IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE FOUR YEARS SINCE THAT ANY MORE TREES DYING OFF, OR IS THIS THESE WET WINTERS HELPED OUT A LOT.

TREES, YOU KNOW, OUR WORK NEVER ENDS AN TREES WILL CONTINUE TO DIE.

WHAT WE HAVE NOTICED IS THAT THE FOREST OVERALL IS HEALTHIER.

SO BACK IN 2020, WHEN WE HAD FORESTERS AND SCIENTISTS AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TREAT THIS. AND PART OF THE REASON WE CALL IT A TREATMENT AND PRESCRIPTION, THE SHORT VERSION OF IT WAS BY THE ANALOGY, IS TREES OR STRAWS IN THE GROUND.

[01:45:05]

BY REMOVING TREES, THERE'S LESS STRAWS IN THE GROUND, MORE RESOURCES FOR THE REMAINING TREES.

KEEP THE HEALTHIER TREES, REMOVE THE TREES THAT ARE NOT HEALTHY, DEAD AND DYING, THIN OUT THE AREA.

NOT ONLY ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF THE FIRE MITIGATION, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TAKING CARE OF THE FOREST HEALTH BECAUSE THE REMAINING TREES NOW HAVE MORE RESOURCES TO SURVIVE.

SO THAT METHOD HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH.

AND THAT'S HOW WE ARE TREATING THE DISTRICT'S LAND AND THE TREE MORTALITY THAT WAS AFFECTING US.

GREAT. SO AND YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT AND YOU HAD SOME GREAT DRONE FOOTAGE, BUT.

SO WHAT'S THE REHAB LOOK LIKE? IS ARE YOU LETTING UNDER THE EUC'S [INAUDIBLE] JUST A NATURAL AND PLUS WITH LAYERS OF, THE MASTICATED PRODUCT, I'M SURE THAT'LL BE MULCH FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

BUT DOES ANYTHING COME UP THROUGH THERE, OR ARE YOU PLANNING ANYTHING IN THERE OR YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT A NATURAL SCAPE OF WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE THE NATURAL SCAPE.

WHAT WE DID DO IS KEEP THE REMAINING NATIVE TREES OF THE OAKS AND THE BAYS THAT WERE ALREADY THERE, AND IT DID TREATMENT WHERE MORE SUN CAN BE EXPOSED TO THOSE TREES THAT ARE REMAINING.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE FOREST WILL BE A LITTLE MORE DIVERSE THAN WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS.

BUT WE'RE NOT DOING ANY ADDITIONAL PLANTING RIGHT NOW.

IT'S JUST THE THINNING AND TRYING TO PUT THAT PARTICULAR PARK AND HAVE IT BE IN A STATE OF A HEALTHY EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION.

YEAH, GREAT.

HEY, DIRECTOR ROSARIO, JUST TO ADD TO THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE DIDN'T GET RELAYED IN THE MANY TOURS THAT WE DID TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IS THAT ONE OF THE MASTICATORS THAT WAS BROUGHT IN WAS SPECIALIZED IN THE WAY IT MASTICATED SIZE WITH DEPTH.

AND THE IDEA BEHIND IT WAS THAT IT WAS GOING TO CREATE CHIPS ON THE GROUND THAT WERE LAID DOWN IN A STRUCTURE SO THAT OTHER PLANTS COULD COME UP THROUGH.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING THE MAJORITY COME UP THROUGH IS BAY TREES AND SOME OAKS.

OBVIOUSLY EUCALYPTUS ARE COMING UP AS WELL.

IT WAS SOMEWHAT EXPERIMENTAL IN KIND OF HOW DO WE BUILD A MASTICATOR THAT PUTS DOWN CHIPS IN A WAY THAT IS MOST BENEFICIAL TO NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE COMING UP WITHOUT SUPPRESSING THEM. AND SO, OF COURSE, STEWARDSHIP ADDS TO OUR PRESCRIPTIONS BY TELLING US HOW DEEP IT SHOULD BE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN WE ENSURE THAT THE CONTRACTOR DOESN'T EXCEED THE DEPTH, SO THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR REGENERATION OF NATIVES.

GREAT. AND KHARI, YOU TOUCHED ON IT, THE MAINTENANCE AND I ADMIRE YOUR CONFIDENCE TO THINK YOU CAN CONQUER THE EUCALYPTUS IN THREE YEARS.

THAT'S [LAUGHTER] I HOPE YOU CAN DO IT.

AND SO ARE YOU FINDING LOTS OF SPROUTS? I KNOW TRADITIONALLY THROUGHOUT THE LAST 50 YEARS.

IT'S A IT'S A REALLY MONUMENTAL TASK.

YOU HAVE SUCKER BASHERS, OR DO YOU JUST GO BACK AND RETREAT.

GOING BACK AND RETREATING.

BUT YEAH, CERTAIN AREAS AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO THEY'VE BEEN DOING DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY SOME AREAS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THE ORIGINAL HERBICIDE TREATMENT AND WHY OTHER AREAS ARE VIGOROUSLY COMING BACK.

AND SO THEY'RE USING, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, DIFFERENT CONCOCTIONS TO TO FIND THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD.

SO THAT'S SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S ALSO BEING DONE WITH SUCH A LARGE SCALE PROJECT.

BUT WE THROUGH OUR BUDGET, THAT'S THE REASON I'M CONFIDENT WE ARE GOING TO ENSURE WE'RE COMMITTED THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW IT TO GROW BACK SO THAT THE MONEY THAT WAS BEEN GIVEN TO US HAS BEEN USED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT WE DON'T ALLOW IT TO GROW BACK.

IN THE FIRST PILOT TREATMENT AREA THAT THAT SMALL GROUP IS POISON OAK COMING BACK UP? I'M GUESSING IT IS, BUT I COULDN'T TELL YOU FOR SURE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME.

JUST ANOTHER TENACIOUS. YEAH.

PLANT THAT WE LOVE IN THE DISTRICT.

OKAY. ANYWAY WHAT ELSE? OH, I'M VERY HAPPY YOU'VE DONE 41 TOURS.

I REALLY PROMOTE THAT.

I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY.

IT'S SUCH AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM.

AND SO GREAT THAT I THINK WE REALLY OUGHT TO PUBLICIZE IT.

AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF THAT.

AND AS DIRECTOR ROSARIO SAID THOSE FOLKS IN D.C., THEY'RE SCIENTISTS THAT ARE REALLY ON THIS, AND THEY THINK THAT BIOCHAR IS AN AMAZING PRODUCT, AND THEY'RE FINDING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT USES FOR IT.

[01:50:02]

SO THEY'RE A GREAT RESOURCE IN THAT ATLAS THAT DEE REFERRED TO AS IS A DOCUMENT THAT I THINK CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US. WHAT ELSE? OH, SO I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS FIGURE, BUT I'M SORT OF WONDERING IF THE $5.5 MILLION THAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON THIS.

I'M WONDERING WHAT.

AND IT'S ALWAYS FOR ME, THE BIOCHAR.

I GET IT. WE DROPPED IT 90% THIS MASS TO 90% OR 10% OF WHAT IT USED TO BE, BUT STILL, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE QUANTITY.

AND I'M TRYING TO DO THE YOU KNOW, I DO LIKE THE CUBIC YARDS NUMBER BECAUSE THAT'S MEANS A LOT TO ME.

AND SO IF WE MOVE THIS OUT AND IF THERE WERE 4277YD³ OF MATERIAL THAT HAD TO BE EXPORTED, THAT WOULD BE 214 20 YARD TRUCKLOADS.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN GET A 20 YARD TRUCK IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS.

YOU GOT IT. AND I'M THINKING THE ONLY THING PARK DISTRICT HAS IS FIVE YARD DUMPSTERS.

THAT WOULD BE FOUR TIMES THAT AMOUNT.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THIS 5.5 MILLION IS FOR TRUCKING TO GET RID OF THIS STUFF.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, THAT'S THE KILLER AND ENVIRONMENTALLY.

AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS TRUCKING THIS STUFF AWAY.

IT'S THAT FIGURE IS SOMEWHERE.

BUT THAT'S NOT HOW WE IT WAS BIDDED.

IT WAS BIDDED WITH A COMBINATION OF THE BIOCHAR PROCESSING THE ENTIRE PROJECT.

SO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BIOCHAR, THE TREATMENT WHICH WE WERE CALLING AND THERE'S TASK ONE, TASK TWO, WHICH IS THE SITTING IN THE TREES.

AND THE OTHER PORTION OF IT WAS THE PROCESSING OF BIOCHAR ON SITE, THE ADMINISTRATION, EVERYTHING CAME DOWN TO THE 24,000 AND 371,000 PER ACRE.

AT A LATER DATE.

I COULD SEE SOMEWHERE IF THAT NUMBER OF THE DISTRIBUTION COST IS SOMEWHERE BUT THE 300 AND 76. 365 ACRES THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE 90% THROUGH.

NOW ALL THAT BIOCHAR HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED.

I SAW THAT IT WAS DONE WITH LIKE FLAT BEDS AND DIFFERENT VEHICLES, BUT THEY IT WAS INTERNAL TO THE CONTRACTORS, BUT IT WAS DISTRIBUTED.

THEY FIGURED IT OUT.

GOOD SO THAT'S BALLED UP IN THE COST.

I SORT OF WONDER IF YOU COULD BREAK IT DOWN AT SOME POINT.

I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING BECAUSE I'D STILL LOVE TO SEE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HOME DEPOT STILL SELLS THAT BIOCHAR AND CALLS IT A MIRACLE THING FOR A LOT OF MONEY.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD CONVERT THAT OR IF THAT'S OUR BUSINESS, BUT AT LEAST I'D SURE RATHER NOT PAY TRUCKING COSTS TO GET RID OF IT.

AND THEN I GUESS THAT CONTRACT SUGGESTS THAT THEY'LL CUT THEM, CUT THE TREES DOWN AND BURN THEM UP, CREATE THE BIOCHAR, STACK THEM UP IN A TRUCK AND TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE. AND AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT THAT SOMEWHERE, WHICH I'M CONFIDENT WE DO OF 126,000 ACRES.

BUT IT.

YEAH, I SURE WISH THERE WAS A BETTER USE OF THAT BIOCHAR OR.

WELL, THE NEXT PROJECT, SOME OF THE PROJECT AREAS WILL HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE BIOCHAR.

WE HAVE CONSTRAINTS ON, FOR EXAMPLE, 365 ACRE PROJECT, WHICH WAS WE USE CALRECYCLE AS A PASS THROUGH.

THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, DETAILS WITHIN THAT CONTRACT AGREEMENT WHICH PROHIBITED WHERE THE BIOCHAR COULD GO, MAINLY BECAUSE THE CALRECYCLE PART OF THEIR MISSION IS MAKING SURE THAT BIOMASS ISN'T DUMPED AND IT'S USED IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY.

AND SO PART OF THE NEGOTIATION WAS THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE ALL THE BIOCHAR FROM THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AND FUNDING SOURCE ON DISTRICT PROPERTY.

AND SO IN THIS CURRENT CONTRACT, CAN WE OR ARE WE PERMITTED TO TAKE IT ANYWHERE WE WANT.

WITH PART IT'S FUNDED BY MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES.

SO THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR EXAMPLE LIKE THE SENATOR PADILLA FUNDING WE'LL CALL IT PADILLA MONEY.

THAT MONEY WE CAN WE ARE FREE TO DO WHAT WE WANT, OBVIOUSLY IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AREAS.

BUT THE MONEY THAT WE'RE UTILIZING FROM CALRECYCLE, WE WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO UTILIZE IT WITHIN PARK DISTRICT PROPERTIES.

FANTASTIC. GOOD LUCK.

IT SOUNDS GREAT. THANKS.

YES, DIRECTOR SANWONG.

YES. SO I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM SOME NUMBERS.

SO. SO FAR, THE PREVIOUS TWO PROJECTS, IT WAS A TOTAL OF 445 ACRES.

AND THEN TODAY'S PROJECT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 221 ACRES IN ADDITION TO THE 4 OR 5.

SO THAT WOULD BE 666 TOTAL IN ANTHONY CHABOT, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. THERE ARE AMENDMENTS TO THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.

I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, BUT IT'S SMALL ACREAGE IN THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. AND THEN THE TOTAL THAT WE IDENTIFIED IN 2020 WAS I SAW 1250 ACRES.

[01:55:06]

SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO ABOUT HALF OF WHAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED IN 2020.

CORRECT? OKAY.

AND THEN WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE 2020 SURVEY, BECAUSE I KNOW NOW THAT WE'RE IN 2024, HAVE WE GONE BACK OUT TO LOOK AT ANTHONY CHABOT AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR OTHER PARKS? I KNOW GRIZZLY PEAK WAS ALSO INCLUDED TO GET US TO THAT 1500 NUMBER.

BUT HAVE WE IDENTIFIED ADDITIONAL ACREAGE WITHIN ANTHONY CHABOT AND, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF ANTHONY CHABOT? SINCE 2020, OR DO WE HAVE SOME SORT OF PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT TYPE OF SURVEY FOR THIS WORK? WE DID, AND IT WAS A WHILE AGO.

BUT WE'VE COME TO THE BOARD WITH HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH WORK IN MILLER, KNOX AND TILDEN AND SIBLEY.

BUT WE BASICALLY CREATED A STRATEGIC DIEBACK PLAN WHERE WE FIGURED OUT WHAT AREAS HAD THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF ACRES, WHICH AREAS WERE AFFECTING COMMUNITIES THE MOST AND TRYING TO DISTRIBUTE OUR ENERGY IN A EQUITABLE WAY TO BENEFIT THOSE COMMUNITIES.

BUT ONE OF THE BIGGER CHALLENGES HAPPENED TO BE ANTHONY CHABOT, WITH ALL THE ACRES THERE.

AND THAT RANKED UP RANKED EXTREMELY HIGH BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITIES IT AFFECTED.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY WITHOUT SEEKING A, YOU KNOW, LARGE SUMS OF MONEY THROUGH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS FOR THE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT HAPPEN AT TILDEN, SIBLEY, MILLER, KNOX, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PARTS.

BUT THE LARGER PROJECTS WERE BIGGER THAN OUR PARTICULAR BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEEDED OUR DISTRICT RESOURCES TO SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHICH THEY DID. AND AS THAT FUNDING COMES IN, WE KEEP ALLOCATING THE MONEY TO THE PROJECT AREAS.

AND YES, WE ARE CONSTANTLY PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS REASSESSING ALL AREAS AND OUR PLAN IS CONSTANTLY UPDATED AS NEEDED.

SOMETIMES OUR TWO YEAR WORK PLAN CHANGES BECAUSE OTHER AREAS SHOW UP AS A HIGHER PRIORITY, OR THE SITUATION JUST CHANGED.

THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. AND THEN EACH AREA MIGHT ALSO HAVE A DIFFERENT I GUESS, PREFERRED TREATMENT.

YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE SENSITIVE SPECIES, FOR EXAMPLE I KNOW I HEARD RECENTLY THAT WE HAD SHEEP OUT ON PLEASANTON RIDGE IN TERMS OF GRAZING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, REDUCE SOME WILDFIRE RISK. AND IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN, YOU KNOW, THE DEAD EUCALYPTUS TREES THAT WE HAVE AT ANTHONY CHABOT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT PARKS BASED ON WHAT'S AT THE PARK.

AND I KNOW WE ALSO HAVE GOATS AND CATTLE THAT ALSO HELP IN TERMS OF MITIGATING WILDFIRE RISK.

MY NEXT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SO WITH THE 5.38 MILLION AND I THINK YOU SORT OF ANSWERED THIS ALREADY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM.

SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE GOING TO GO INTO THAT 5.38 MILLION.

YOU MENTIONED SENATOR PADILLA, 2.5 MILLION, AND THEN CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL 1.38 MILLION.

AND THEN YOU SAID THAT WE HAD SOME PENDING GRANT FUNDING, AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE EXACT NUMBER.

HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN THE PENDING GRANT FUNDING? 30 MILLION. BUT LET ME BE MORE PRECISE WITH SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE THREW OUT THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW I THREW OUT A LOT OF NUMBERS.

SO WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND THIS PARTICULAR ASSETS IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO BE FUNDED WITH THE PADILLA MONEY, WHICH IS THE FEMA, FIRE MITIGATION MONEY, AND THAT MONEY IS THE 2.5 MILLION.

IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE FUNDED WITH THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND MONEY, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL OUR 55 ACCOUNT 5500 ACCOUNT.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF, I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE, BUT MAJORITY OF IT WILL BE WITH THE DISTRICT FUNDING AND NOT THE.

IN THE REMAINING IS THE PADILLA FEMA FIRE MITIGATION MONEY.

THE REASON WHY IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THE SENATOR SWALWELL FUNDING WITH THIS CURRENT PROJECT IS BECAUSE IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR FOR THE MONEY TO SHOW UP.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAD AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND THAT WE WERE AWARDED THE MONEY YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT MOVES AT ITS SPEED.

AND SO IT WILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR FOR US TO SEE THAT FUNDING.

OKAY, BUT WE STILL ALSO HAVE ALMOST 600 ACRES IN ANTHONY CHABOT THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED.

SO YEAH, SURE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FUNDING WHEN IT ARRIVES.

YES. AND SO FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, THOSE TWO FUNDING SOURCES, FEMA MITIGATION AND THE 5500, AND I FORGOT THE THIRD, THE CALRECYCLE FUNDING. SO THERE'S THREE BUDGET STRINGS.

THERE'S CALRECYCLE.

AND OFF TOP MY HEAD.

WELL, ACTUALLY, I DON'T WANT TO, BUT CALRECYCLE FEMA MITIGATION MONEY FROM SENATOR PADILLA AND DISTRICT

[02:00:02]

FUNDING GENERAL FUND MONEY.

WE HAVE ADDITIONALLY $30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS NOT ALLOCATED NECESSARILY TO THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT WE'RE ASKING TO BE AWARDED, BUT FUNDING THAT IN THE FUTURE CAN BE AWARDED TO EITHER DIFFERENT RFPS THAT WE GET APPROVAL FOR OR THROUGH OUR TASK ORDER, WHICH WE ACTUALLY ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU NEXT MONTH, WHICH COMPLETES ABOUT 95% OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING GOES THROUGH OUR TASK ORDER PROCESS.

AND SO THAT FUNDING SOURCE OF THE 30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANTS, AS THAT MONEY SHOWS UP, WE PUT IT TO WORK THROUGH OUR FUELS TEAM.

AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE US IN FRONT OF YOU ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS OR SUPPORT, IT'S BECAUSE THE MONEY IS COMING IN QUICKER THAN THE CURRENT TEAM WE HAVE ON HAND. AND SO WE DO THOSE REQUESTS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE DOING THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, WHICH ALLOWS US TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WHICH ALLOWS THE FUNDING TO KEEP FLOWING IN. THAT'S GREAT.

YEAH. I THINK YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT'S INCREDIBLE WORK, VERY INNOVATIVE.

I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE A PART OF THIS PARK DISTRICT THAT'S WORKING ON ADDRESSING THIS.

AND I THINK IT'D JUST BE HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT TO PUT TOGETHER SOME SORT OF CHART.

MAYBE THIS MIGHT COME FROM, YOU KNOW, FINANCE OR OUR GRANTS TEAM JUST TO SEE WHERE ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES HAVE COME FROM THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF THIS TOTAL PROJECT. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S NEEDED TO APPROVE THIS TODAY, AND NOR WOULD I SAY THAT IT'S URGENT.

BUT I JUST THINK IN THE FUTURE, GOING FORWARD, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT ON HAND, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO TO PLACES LIKE SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON DC, JUST TO KNOW WHERE WE RECEIVE FUNDING, AND ALSO MAYBE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT GRANT FUNDING APPLICATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY. DIRECTOR COFFEY.

NO. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, WELL CHIEF THEILE AND ASSISTANT CHIEF KHARI HELAE, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.

I'M 100%, 200% IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

AND YEAH, I THINK MY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY ASKED ALL THE QUESTIONS AND SAID EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID, BUT JUST AGAIN, WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP AND HARD WORK.

AND YOU REALLY YOU AND YOUR TEAMS ARE JUST DOING AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

[LAUGHTER] YEAH. YOU'VE BEEN DEMOTED DENNIS.

OH YOU ALL CHUCKLING BUT NO FOCUS.

WELL I WAS MOSTLY CHUCKLING BECAUSE HE CORRECTED ME WHEN I GOT YOUR NAME WRONG.

AND SO THEN I THOUGHT THAT WAS LIKE SOME KIND OF INSIDE DEAL THAT YOU KNOW YOU GUYS.

[LAUGHTER] KNEW I DID SOMETHING WRONG, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH IT AT THE MOMENT.

I LOSE MY PRESIDENCY ANYWAY.

YEAH. GREAT.

SO I THINK NOW A MOTION IS IN ORDER.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS, WE DO HAVE.

OH, WE HAVE COMMENTS. OKAY.

THANK YOU. MR. LASHOFF, I'M GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS.

SIR. IF YOU COULD DROP THAT SLIDE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

OH, YEAH. BECAUSE I CANNOT SEE HIM.

PLEASE ACCEPT.

THERE YOU GO. HOLD ON JUST ONE SECOND, SIR.

OOPS. YEAH.

GO. ALL RIGHT, MR. LASHOFF, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

I'M THE US DIRECTOR AT THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE AND A BERKELEY RESIDENT AND ACTIVE PARK USER.

MY NAME IS DAN LASHOFF.

I'M SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM, FIRST OF ALL, TO CONGRATULATE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE PARK DISTRICT FOR ITS FORESIGHT IN TAKING ON THESE CRITICAL FUEL MANAGEMENT PROJECTS IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH ONLY MAKES IT EVEN MORE URGENT YEAR BY YEAR.

AND ALSO FOR BEING INNOVATIVE IN USING THE CARBONATOR TO PRODUCE BIOCHAR, WHICH HAS BENEFITS BOTH AS A SOIL AMENDMENT, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT ALSO AS A WAY TO SEQUESTER CARBON AND HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION TO TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

BUT THE REASON FOR MY COMMENT IS I WANT TO URGE THE DISTRICT TO BE EVEN MORE INNOVATIVE.

BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S NOW OPPORTUNITIES TO BE EVEN MORE EFFICIENT IN ACTUALLY SEQUESTERING THE CARBON THAT IS BEING REMOVED AS PART OF THESE FUEL REDUCTION TREATMENTS, BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WERE JUST PRESENTED ABOUT 20% OF THE CARBON IN THE BIOMASS THAT'S BEING REMOVED IN THE EUCALYPTUS TREES IS BEING PRESERVED IN THE FORM OF BIOCHAR.

[02:05:04]

AND THAT'S A RESULT OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF CARBONATOR THAT'S BEING USED, WHICH IS OPEN TOP.

AND WHILE IT DEFINITELY DOES A GOOD JOB OF REDUCING THE VOLUME THAT NEEDS TO BE DISPOSED OF, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO CARBON REMOVAL. SO IN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE THIS PROJECT STARTED, THERE'S BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF INNOVATION IN THIS SPACE.

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY RECENTLY PUBLISHED A GROUNDBREAKING STUDY CALLED ROADS TO REMOVAL THAT DESCRIBES A WIDE VARIETY OF APPROACHES TO USE BIOMASS TO CONTRIBUTE TO TO CLIMATE SOLUTIONS.

SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

THERE'S STARTUP COMPANIES IN THE BAY AREA SUCH AS CHARM, GRAPHITE, KODAMA SYSTEMS, VAULTED DEEP AND A INVESTMENT FUND CALLED FRONTIER CARBON, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PAYING FOR CARBON REMOVAL FROM BIOMASS APPROACHES.

SO SOME OF THESE APPROACHES COULD ACTUALLY SEQUESTER AS MUCH AS 70% OF THE ORIGINAL CARBON USING MORE MODERN TECHNOLOGY. AND ACTUALLY, IN THE RESEARCH THAT WE'RE DOING, WE FIND THAT ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE THINGS TO DO IS SIMPLY BURY THE CARBON UNDERGROUND TO PRESERVE IT AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE, WHICH WOULD PRESERVE ALMOST ALL OF IT.

SO I DON'T THINK THIS.

I HOPE THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT.

OR MAYBE THIS IS FOR A FUTURE PROJECT, BUT JUST URGE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD TO CONTINUE TO SEEK EVEN MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS KIND OF PROJECT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR, AND THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON THE LINE FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING.

SO THANK YOU. THAT'S IT.

OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THIS RESOLUTION.

SECOND. OKAY.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR WAESPI AND A SECOND BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED.

OKAY. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

DO WE HAVE ANY GENERAL MANAGERS COMMENTS TODAY? NO. OKAY.

OKAY.

SO ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION? I THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

THERE ARE NONE. OKAY, GREAT.

[BOARD COMMENTS]

SO NOW WE'RE ON TO THE BOARD COMMENTS.

SO I THINK I WILL START.

MAYBE I'LL START IN THE MIDDLE.

DIRECTOR WAESPI, DO YOU WANT TO START? SURE. ONCE YOU LEAVE I NEED A LITTLE SECURITY HERE, SIR. SO ON APRIL 9TH, I ATTENDED THE HASBA MEETING WHERE WE GOT TOGETHER AND DID AN ALTERNATIVE JPA.

NO, HE'S NOT. HE'S WE COACHED HIM.

AND ON APRIL 10TH, I ATTENDED THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.

APRIL 11TH WAS THE DISTRICT 90TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY AT LAKE CHABOT.

INCREDIBLE EVENT.

OTHER PEOPLE WILL TALK BECAUSE I GOT SOMETHING PLANNED HERE.

ABOUT THE GREAT PARTY I LOVED IT.

HAD A GREAT TIME.

AND ON APRIL 13TH THROUGH THE 17TH, WE WENT TO WASHINGTON, DC AND ADVOCATED EXCELLENT JOB BY OUR LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF.

OH, OKAY. I STOLE MY THUNDER.

CHIEF CONGRATULATIONS.

I WAS GOING TO POSE THIS AT THE END OF MY DEAL UNTIL I SAW YOU WALKING OUT THE DOOR.

I WAS GOING TO START THIS OFF AS A COMPLIMENT TO OUR GREAT DIFFERENT, DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO THERE'S A REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT POLICE, PUBLIC POLICE FACEBOOK PAGE.

THERE'S A REGIONAL PARKS LIFEGUARD PUBLIC PAGE, THERE'S OUR PUBLIC PAGE.

BUT ANYWAY, I NOTICED THIS ON OUR PUBLIC PAGE.

AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR SHOWING PROUD THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT RIGHT THERE WITH THE PRESIDENT.

AND I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF IT, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY YOU WERE THERE.

[LAUGHTER] AND IT'S A GREAT PHOTO.

I'D LIKE TO GET AN AUTOGRAPH OF THAT IF I COULD.

SO THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, CHIEF.

THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND.

ANYWAY, BACK AT IT.

OH. AND THEN SO.

THE LIFEGUARD SERVICE. SO LAST WEEK WAS WHAT WAS IT? IT WAS NATIONAL, LIKE EVERY OTHER NATIONAL DAY.

NATIONAL LIFE JACKET DAY OR AWARENESS DAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO WEAR LIFE JACKETS, MOSTLY SWIMMING.

SO THE LIFEGUARD STAFF WENT OUT AND GOT FIREFIGHTERS TO PUT ON LIFE JACKETS DISPATCHERS TO WEAR LIFE JACKETS AND THE LAKESHORE BOAT CREW TO WEAR LIFE JACKETS.

[02:10:02]

THEY ALSO BROUGHT ME ONE TO WEAR TODAY.

BUT SO I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT A WEIGHT PROBLEM.

I TRIED THAT THING ON AND IT WASN'T GOING TO WORK.

BUT ANYWAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM TO PROMOTE THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.

AND TODAY OR THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL EMS WEEK, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOR ALL FIRST RESPONDERS.

OH, YEAH, I'M DONE. SO IT WAS GREAT IN D.C..

WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.

AND I THINK SOME OF THESE I'LL LET OTHER FOLKS TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND GREAT JOB BY THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS STAFF.

THIS COMING WEEK IS THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION RECREATION PARK DISTRICT'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WILL BE HONORING A VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AT THAT EVENT.

AND I THINK WE'RE IN LINE TO WIN A COUPLE OF PRIZES.

SO I'LL BRING BACK THE HARDWARE TO OUR NEXT MEETING, AND THAT'S IT FOR ME.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR SANWONG.

YES. AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, I GUESS SPENDING LAST WEEK IN DC THAT'S MOST OF WHAT I HAVE TO REPORT.

HOWEVER, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, ON MY PERSONAL TIME AND MY PERSONAL MONEY ON MAY 9TH, I DID ATTEND THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED FORUM IN FREMONT, AND WE DID HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF THERE. ACTUALLY WE HAD OUR FISHERIES AND OUR ACTING LAKE STEWARDSHIP PERSON THERE.

AND I KNOW THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE WITH SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO, I GUESS, IN WARD FIVE.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE GET A LOT OF EMAILS ABOUT EVENTS AND FORUMS, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, BUT I'VE NOTICED THAT AT LEAST IN WARD FIVE, WE DON'T GET THOSE SAME EVENTS AND EMAILS.

AND I THINK WHEN STAFF ATTENDS AN EVENT, MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO OFFERED TO THE BOARD.

I'M REALLY GLAD I WENT TO THIS WATERSHED FORUM, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THE ALAMEDA CREEK ITSELF DOES RUN THROUGH SUNOL WILDERNESS AND THEN ALSO THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED.

YOU KNOW, IT STARTS ALL THE WAY AT THE FINLEY RANCH ROAD ACQUISITION AND, YOU KNOW, GOES THROUGH NILES INTO COYOTE HILLS. SO I THINK WE MAY NEED TO, AT SOME POINT, REVIEW SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT YOU KNOW, BOARD EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIP POLICIES.

OKAY. DIRECTOR COFFEY.

YOU KNOW, THE PRECEDENT OF ALLOWING US TO DO OUR OWN SLIDES DURING OUR BOARD COMMENTS IS DANGEROUS.

I'M NOT. [LAUGHTER] ALL SORTS OF THOUGHTS COME TO MIND TO ACCOMPANY MY COMMENTS.

ANYWAY. I'LL AVOID THAT.

MAY 8TH I ATTENDED THE TOGETHER BAY AREA CONFERENCE AT FORT MASON, AT WHICH THE PARK DISTRICT WAS WELL REPRESENTED IN TERMS OF ITS SHEER PRESENCE WITH PANELISTS.

A NUMBER OF THE PANELS DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY FEATURED PARK DISTRICT STAFF.

AND I WAS PARTICULARLY TAKEN WITH THE ROLE OF JOSE GONZALES AND THE MC ROLE HE HAD THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

AND THAT HIGHLIGHT WAS HIS ONE ON ONE ON THE STAGE WITH SECRETARY CROWFOOT WHO THREW OUT SOME, SOME GREAT PRAISE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT AS WELL.

ON THE 10TH, I ATTENDED NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, AND ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 10TH, WITH DIRECTOR ROSARIO AND DIRECTOR WAESPI I ATTENDED THE TOGETHER BAY AREA FIELD TRIP WITH CIVICORPS THAT FEATURED SIBLEY AND HIKE AND HUCKLEBERRY TO HIGHLIGHT THE SUBSTANTIAL WHAT DO THEY CALL DENNIS? CANYON WAS SUBSTANTIAL WORK IN TERMS OF THE CIVICORPS PERSONNEL HAVING TO HAND CARRY SUBSTANTIAL.

YEAH. EQUIPMENT AND RETAINING WALL IS THE WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR OR RETAINING WALL STRUCTURES.

AND WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE NINE COUNTIES ATTENDING THAT FIELD TRIP AND OBSERVING CIVICORPS'S WORK ON BEHALF OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND HOW THAT ENTIRE PROGRAM WORKED.

I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THAT OUTCOME.

ON THE 11TH, I ATTENDED THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY AT LAKE CHABOT AND CERTAINLY SUSAN AND ALL THE TEAM THAT WORKED ON

[02:15:02]

THAT THAT PARTY, I GUESS WE'RE CALLING WERE SHOULD BE COMMENDED.

THERE'S TREMENDOUS TURNOUT, TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE PARK DISTRICT FROM ALL SORTS OF VANTAGE POINTS, GIVEN ALL THE REPRESENTATION THE PARK DISTRICT HAD AT THE EVENT AND GREAT WEATHER ON TOP OF THAT WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE BOARD, WE ATTENDED THE FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, DC.

I GUESS THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS THE ABILITY TO SIT IN THE HOUSE GALLERIES WHILE CONGRESSMAN DESAULNIER.

SAT WITH US. RECITED.

ALL OF US WERE ABLE TO SIT IN THE HOUSE GALLERY THANKS TO CONGRESSMAN DESAULNIER'S OFFICE TO WATCH AND BE PRESENT DURING HIS PRESENTATION OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE PARK DISTRICT ON ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY.

ON THE 18TH, I GUESS THAT WAS JUST THIS SUNDAY.

I ATTENDED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY GALA OF THE BAY AREA CHAPTER OF THE SIERRA CLUB AT THE BERKELEY CITY CLUB, AND THE PARK DISTRICT HAD A TABLE AT THE EVENT AND SUNDAY MEILA AND I ATTENDED A HIKE SPONSORED BY THE GREENBELT ALLIANCE WITH NATURALIST KEN LEVIN HIKING A VARIETY OF TRAILS AND ON MOUNT DIABLO, INCLUDING ROCK CITY AND THE MARY BOWERMAN TRAIL AT THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN.

SO THAT'S MY TWO WEEKS.

THANK YOU. GREAT.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU.

ON 5-8 I ATTENDED THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SPECIAL DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION MEETING AT THE CASTRO VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT, AND THEY WERE THEY HIGHLIGHTED THEIR CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW OFFICE AND FACILITY BUILDING AND ALSO WHAT WAS BROUGHT UP THERE WAS THE LEGISLATOR THERE FOR THE CSDA.

SO THERE WAS THE LEGISLATION THAT'S GOING THROUGH THAT TO ALLOW ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO MEET BY ZOOM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE OUR PAC OR SOME OF OUR OTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

SO THAT'S CONTINUING TO GO THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

AND THEN ON FIVE, ALSO FIVE, EIGHT THAT EVENING, I ATTENDED THE ALAMEDA COUNTY MAYOR'S CONFERENCE AT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM AND MAYOR SHENG THAO INTRODUCED OR PROVIDED A PROGRAM ABOUT THE REINSTITUTION OF THE CEASE FIRE PROGRAM, WHICH THEY'RE ALREADY SEEING BENEFITS FROM.

AND THEN ALSO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE PRESENTED A PROGRAM WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING AN RFP FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THE COUNTY AND WHERE THEY WOULD BE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE WOULD BE THE LEAD AGENCY.

AND WITH THE AMBULANCE COMPANIES BEING SECONDARY, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING.

AND THEN ALSO [INAUDIBLE].

OH, AND SB 1060 WAS ALSO TALKED ABOUT.

IT'S THROUGH THE LEAGUE OF CITIES REPORT, AND THEIR INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT PREDICATED PREDICTIVE MODELS FOR MITIGATION.

AND THEY'RE TRYING TO ALTER THE MITIGATION TO INCLUDE MITIGATION EFFORTS TO GIVE CREDITS TO INSURANCE COMPANIES, TO GIVE CREDITS TO HOMEOWNERS AND AGENCIES THAT DO ACTUALLY HAVE MITIGATION WORK.

AND THEN AB 2330 WHICH IS AN ATTEMPT TO STREAMLINE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PERMITS.

THAT'S IT PASSED THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS, BUT IT'S NOW IN SUSPENSE.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THAT TO BE IN SUSPENSE? IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT ALL THE CITIES, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.

AND THEN JUST TO THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY IS GOING TO BE MAYOR MARCHAND FROM LIVERMORE AND MAYOR SALINAS FROM HAYWARD IS THE VICE PRESIDENT.

OKAY. AND THEN.

I. OH THEN ON THE NINTH I MET WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER AND GAVE HER MY BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE. THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME.

AND THEN ON ALSO THAT LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I SAT IN AND WATCHED THE DEFERRED COMPENSATION MEETING.

[02:20:01]

AND THEN ON THE 10TH, ALONG WITH DIRECTOR WAESPI AND COFFEY I ATTENDED THE BAY AREA TOGETHER SIBLEY TOUR, WHICH IS VERY WELL RECEIVED.

I THINK PEOPLE HAD GOT A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE KIND OF WORK THAT CIVICORPS DOES.

AN APPRECIATION FOR THE HUCKLEBERRY TRAIL.

AND THEN ON THE 11TH, THE PARKFEST.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY? WHAT A GREAT SUCCESS.

BUT I ALSO HEARD OUR STAFF AFTERWARDS WAS VERY, VERY TIRED.

THAT WAS A HUGE EVENT.

ALL HANDS WERE ON DECK FOR THAT EVENT.

AND BUT IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND I APPRECIATE IT.

AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THE STAFF THAT PARTICIPATED BECAUSE THAT WAS IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

PEOPLE WERE INCREDIBLY WELL RECEIVED.

PEOPLE WANT US TO DO IT AGAIN, BUT MAYBE NOT TOO SOON.

[LAUGHTER] EVERY TEN YEARS.

AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER I JUMPED ON THE PLANE WASHINGTON, DC, WITH MY FELLOW MEMBERS ON THE BOARD.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW WELL IT'S ORGANIZED.

I THINK IT GETS BETTER EVERY YEAR.

SHOUT OUTS TO DOCTOR ANA ALVAREZ AND ERICH PFUEHLER AND SABRINA AND THEIR STAFF.

IT DOESN'T GET EASIER.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS ORGANIZED SO MUCH EASIER AND REALLY MAKES IT FOR OUR PRESENTATIONS MUCH EASIER TO VERY WELL ORGANIZED.

AND THEN ON THE RETURNING HOME, I ATTENDED THE 442 REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM, COMPANY E'S ANNUAL MEMORIAL AT ROBERTS PARK.

THIS IS SUCH A HEARTFELT MEMORIAL.

AND I HOPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, SEE THROUGH FOR IN PERPETUITY UNTIL THE AND THEN UNTIL THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE NISEI VETERANS DECIDE NOT TO DO IT ANYMORE.

THE LAST THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE LAST SURVIVOR PASSED GAVE A MEMORIAL AND EULOGY AT THIS EVENT, AND THAT IT WAS REALLY BROUGHT EVERYBODY TO TEARS.

BUT THE LAST HER GRANDFATHER WAS THE LAST SURVIVOR.

HE DIED LAST YEAR.

SO AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, I HOPE WE CAN SEE THAT DONE IN PERPETUITY UNTIL THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE.

ALSO, AND A BIG THANK YOU SHOUT OUT TO BRENDA MONTANO FOR HELPING THAT AND THE ROBERTS CREW AS WELL.

AND THEN ON THE ALSO THAT EVENING ATTENDED THE SIERRA CLUB'S 100TH EVENT ANNIVERSARY GALA.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SENATORS NANCY SKINNER FOR HER AWARD FOR THE PHILLIP BURTON COURAGE AWARD.

AND SHE TOLD SOME GREAT STORIES.

[LAUGHTER] AND THEN YEAH, AND THAT'S IT.

AND THEN I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM.

I THANK YOU, NICHOLAS, FOR SHOWING UP AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT.

YOU KNOW, THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM IS A LEGACY PROGRAM LONG ENDEARED, YOU KNOW, AND BUT IT HAS BEEN COPIED AND WE HAVEINSTITUTED PROGRAMS AT OAKLAND THROUGH THE PERALTA HACIENDA IN OAKLAND, THE RICHMOND JUNIOR RANGERS OUT OF RICHMOND WITH THAT YEP.

WHICH WE ARE GETTING AN AWARD, I THINK, NEXT WEEK.

AND THEN ALSO WE'RE STARTING TO COHORT IN ANTIOCH.

SO THE PROGRAM IS GROWING.

IT'S GROWING IN OTHER AREAS.

AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THAT PLAYS INTO THE DECISION TO REFORMULATE THE TILDEN JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM.

BUT I THINK, IN FAIRNESS, WE SHOULD GIVE THAT PROGRAM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW IT GOES, BECAUSE I THINK ALL THESE PROGRAMS ARE LIVING PROGRAMS. THEY GROW.

WE EXPERIENCED THEM, THEY GROW AND WE LEARN FROM THEM.

YOU ADD, SUBTRACT.

SO WE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND THERE'S A LOT ON OUR PLATE TO CONSIDER, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.