[00:00:04]
ACTUALLY, TECHNICALLY, 10:35 A.M.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ROLL CALL.
[Roll Call]
DIRECTOR ROSARIO.HERE. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, LISA GOORJIAN.
HERE. ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, ELIZABETH MCKENZIE.
HERE. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE VIDEO AND AUDIO.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL, LEAVING A VOICEMAIL, OR JOINING LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.
THAT WAS POSTED ONLINE THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH TODAY, AND WE JUST DID ROLL CALL.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY MINUTES TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO.
IS THAT IS THAT CORRECT? I'LL JUST VERIFY.
DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD WISH TO SHARE PUBLIC COMMENT? IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC THAT ARE ON THE ZOOM WEBINAR, IF THEY WOULD RAISE THEIR HAND, IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
OKAY. MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO ACTION ITEM FOUR A WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT.
[Action Items]
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.I'M AN ADMIN ANALYST TWO AND OPERATIONS FOR BUSINESS SERVICES, AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT FOR AN EQUESTRIAN ARENA AT. LET ME SAY THIS RIGHT, TED AND KATHY RADKE, MARTINEZ REGIONAL SHORELINE.
SO THIS SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT IS ADMINISTERED BY BUSINESS SERVICES.
SO THAT'S TIFFANY MARGOLIS, WHO'S THE MANAGER, AND THEN THE PARK SUPERVISOR, WHO'S TRAVIS VINCENT, AND THEN TRAVIS'S UNIT MANAGER, WHO RIGHT NOW IS DAN SYKES, BUT FOR A LONG TIME WAS DAVID KENDALL, AND HE HAS MOVED ON TO ANOTHER UNIT, BUT DAVID WAS ALSO THE SUPERVISOR OF MARTINEZ, SO HE KNOWS THIS GROUP REALLY WELL.
SO I'M GOING TO STATE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FIRST SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S A FIVE YEAR SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT WITH TRI-CITY HORSEMAN'S ASSOCIATION FOR USE OF LAND FOR AN ARENA AT RADKE MARTINEZ REGIONAL SHORELINE, WITH AN ANNUAL FEE OF $670, INCREASING 3% EACH YEAR.
SO JUST AS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, I'LL DISCUSS SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS IN GENERAL, JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS DO WHEN WE BRING UP A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT FOR REVIEW.
TALK ABOUT THE LOCATION, A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND, AN ANNUAL PAYMENT AND HOW WE CAME TO THE LEVEL OF THE PAYMENT THAT WE'RE AT, AND THEN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
[00:05:05]
BY CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS OR SIMILAR GROUPS OPERATING AS A NONPROFIT ENTITY WITH MEMBERSHIP OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WHEN WE SAY NONPROFIT, WE JUST MEAN THEY SHOULDN'T BE MAKING ANY MONEY FOR PROFIT, JUST THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE A 501(C)(3) OR ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, REGISTRATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE.SO THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS 30 SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS AND THEIR TYPE RANGES FROM SWIMMING OR SCOUTING, HORTICULTURE THINGS LIKE THAT. SO FOR THE LOCATION, WE SEE THAT IT'S AT MARTINEZ SHORELINE AND IT'S THE AREA IN THE RED CIRCLE, WHICH IS JUST BEYOND THOSE SPORTS PARKS AT THE END OF THE STREET BY I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED JOE DIMAGGIO DR.
THE CURRENT SIZE OF THE ARENA IS IN THE RED THERE.
IT'S 37,500FT², WHICH IS ABOUT THREE ACRES, BUT THEIR TOTAL I MEAN THEIR TOTAL USE AREA IS ABOUT THREE ACRES.
THE SIZE OF THE ARENA IS THE 37,500 BUT THEIR USE AREA ALSO ENCOMPASSES PARKING AREA AND SOME AREA FOR THEM TO HAVE STORAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WITHIN THE ARENA, THEY PROVIDE THE SAND FOOTING, WHATEVER KIND OF FOOTING THEY NEED THERE FOR WHATEVER KIND OF COMPETITIONS THEY'RE DOING OR TRAINING THEY'RE DOING OR WHATEVER THE RAILING.
ALL OF THAT IS PROVIDED BY THEM.
WE HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANYTHING THERE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE ARENA ITSELF.
THERE'S SOME LITTLE BUILDINGS THERE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE DO NOT PROVIDE THAT, AND WE DON'T MAINTAIN THEM.
SO THIS ARENA, OR ONE OF ITS TYPE, HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1978.
IT'S A PUBLIC ARENA IN THAT ANYBODY COULD USE IT.
IT MAY BE NOT AS EASY FOR THEM TO JUST PULL UP AND USE IT AS IT IS FOR MEMBERS OF THIS CLUB, BUT A DETERMINED PERSON COULD GET THEIR HORSE OVER THERE AND USE THEIR ARENA AT ANY TIME.
SO AND THEY CAN ALSO SET UP TIMES TO USE THE ARENA WITH THE CLUB THEMSELVES.
SO TRI-CITIES TOOK OVER THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ARENA IN 2018, AFTER THE PREVIOUS SPECIAL USE GROUP, MARTINEZ HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION DISBANDED AND RELINQUISHED THEIR AGREEMENT WITH US.
SO THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS NOW, AND THEY HAVE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE SPACE, AND THAT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GO IN AND PROVIDE THIS ARENA.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN USE IT, AND THE THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT DOES FOR THEM INCLUDE MOWING AROUND THE AREA AND SOME TREE SERVICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN THEY HAVE LIMITED PORTA POTTY SERVICE OR CHEMICAL, CHEMICAL TOILET.
SO THERE ARE ANNUAL FEE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS WAS $500 PER YEAR.
THAT'S ABOUT $3,000 TOTAL THAT THEY'VE PAID SO FAR.
SO FOR THE HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION, THEY'VE BEEN THERE.
IT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR ABOUT 80 YEARS NOW.
THEY'VE HAD DIFFERENT LIMITS OF MEMBERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE ABOUT 50 MEMBERS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE RIDE OR PARTICIPATE.
IT JUST MEANS THOSE ARE THE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, AND IT'S VERY FAMILY ORIENTED.
THEY'RE PART OF A BIGGER ORGANIZATION CALLED CALIFORNIA STATE HORSEMAN'S ASSOCIATION, AND THEY HOLD MONTHLY MEETINGS AND THEY HOST A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES.
SO THEY ARE NOT IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE AT THAT ARENA EVERY WEEKEND BECAUSE THEY GO ON CAMPING TRIPS AND THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED TRAIL RIDES.
THEY PARTICIPATE IN COMPETITIONS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
[00:10:06]
GYMKHANA, WHICH IS JUST SORT OF AN ORGANIZED WAY OF DOING A COMPETITION THAT INCLUDES SPEED OR AGILITY OR OBSTACLE COURSE, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEY GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.SO NOW WE HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THE ARENA AREA.
THEY ALSO BRING UMBRELLAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROVIDING THEIR OWN SHADE THAT ISN'T AVAILABLE THERE, AND THEY ALSO HAVE STORAGE IN THESE CONTAINERS WHICH THEY'VE BROUGHT THERE WHICH WERE APPROVED BY PARK STAFF.
THEY DIDN'T JUST SHOW UP THERE THAT WAS AN APPROVED ADDITION.
THIS IS WHAT JIM CONNELL LOOKS LIKE IN ACTION.
IT'S USUALLY KIND OF LIKE BARREL RACING, BUT NOT ALWAYS.
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST SPEED AND THE HORSEMANSHIP THAT THEY'RE SHOWING.
JUST SOME MORE PICTURES OF THEIR MEMBERS DOING A HORSE.
ACTIVITIES. SO FOR THEIR NEXT AGREEMENT, THEY REQUESTED THAT THEY BE ABLE TO ADD AN OBSTACLE COURSE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE LAYOUT OF THE OBSTACLE COURSE WOULD BE.
IT'S THE RED AND BLUE SORT OF LITTLE FIGURES ON UP BEYOND THE CONTAINERS.
SO ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE ADDING SOME SQUARE FEET ONTO THEIR USE AREA.
SO THAT WAS ALSO LOOKED AT ON SITE BY ALL THREE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS HERE AND TIFFANY MARGULICI TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, SAFE KIND OF THING THAT THEY COULD ADD THEIR.
SO IN ANTICIPATION OF THEM ADDING THIS OBSTACLE COURSE AND INCREASING THEIR SQUARE FOOTAGE ABOUT 35,000FT², WE DETERMINED THE CPI OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS AND ADDED ON TO THE $500 ANNUAL PAYMENT WITH CPI, AND THE INCREASED AREA COMES ABOUT $670.
SO THEIR FEE WILL NOW BE $670 AND IT WILL INCREASE 3% ANNUALLY.
SO OUR STACK RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE A FIVE YEAR SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT WITH TRI-CITY HORSEMAN'S ASSOCIATION FOR CONTINUED USE OF THE DESIGNATED AREA, AND TED AND KATHY RADKE MARTINEZ REGIONAL SHORELINE FOR A PUBLIC EQUESTRIAN ARENA WITH A SNACK SHACK SLASH ENTRY BOOTH, ALONG WITH CONTINUED MAINTENANCE OF THE AREA AND THE STRUCTURES THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED THERE, WITH AN ANNUAL FEE OF $670, INCREASING 3% EACH YEAR.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THE STAFF IS HERE.
THEY KNOW THE GROUP VERY WELL.
THEY'RE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND RESPECTFUL OF THE PARK ITSELF AND WORKING WITH STAFF, AND ALSO TIFFANY'S HERE ONLINE OR WEBINAR THROUGH THE WEBINAR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HER.
THAT WAS A VERY GOOD OVERVIEW OF BOTH THIS SPECIFIC SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW OVERALL HOW IT FITS INTO THE PARK AND AND EVERYTHING.
SO WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND DO COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, AND WE ALSO DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE ACTION, AND THE ACTION WE'LL TAKE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE THIS GO BEFORE THE FULL BOARD.
FOR US TO LOOK AT AT FUTURE BOARD MEETING.
SO ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS QUESTIONS.
GO AHEAD. DEE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO THEY THEY TAKE CARE OF THE ARENA AND THEIR EQUIPMENT.
[00:15:04]
SO ARE THEY WHEN THEY WORK ON THE PROPERTY, ARE THEY INSURED? DO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INSURANCE? YES. ALL THE SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE SPECIAL OR TO HAVE INSURANCE.GOOD. SO WE HAVE NO LIABILITY.
NO. SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE OBSTACLE COURSE, AND THEN YEAH THAT'S, AND THEN DO THEY HAVE A IS IT SOME OF THE SOME OF THE REVENUES THAT GO INTO A CONCESSIONAIRE MAINTENANCE FUND OR IS IT.
NO, NONE OF THE SPECIAL USE GROUPS PARTICIPATE IN THE CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND.
RIGHT, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S IT.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S WELL RUN AND WELL MAINTAINED.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
THANK YOU. YES, DIRECTOR CORBETT? I AGREE IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS AND THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THERE LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD DAY.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SHOW THAT IT CAN BE DONE WELL.
I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH BOTH OF YOU.
IT SEEMS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
I GUESS, WAS THERE ANY SORT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FEE INCREASE FROM 500 TO 670? MORE SPECIFICALLY, WERE THERE ANY CONCERNS FROM THIS ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF THAT INCREASE, OR DID THEY FEEL THAT IT WAS REASONABLE? I'LL LET TIFFANY, WHO'S VERY DIPLOMATIC ADDRESS THAT.
THANK YOU. HI. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OKAY. YES.
TIFFANY MARGULICI, BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER.
SO WHEN WE HAVE A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT THAT'S UP FOR RENEWAL, WE GO THROUGH A CERTAIN PROCESS.
WE TYPICALLY MEET WITH THE GROUP ON SITE, AND WE EXPLAIN TO THE GROUP THAT PART OF OUR PROCESS IS TO EVALUATE THE FEE, MAKE SURE IT'S STILL CURRENT AND RELEVANT.
SO WE DID THAT MEETING FIRST WE EVALUATED THE USE AND THEN LOOKED AT OTHER SIMILAR USE AGREEMENTS, AND SO WE DID SHARE WITH THE GROUP AHEAD OF TIME THAT THERE WOULD BE THIS FEE INCREASE.
WE HOPE THAT WHAT WE PROPOSED WAS REASONABLE BASED ON COST OF, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY BASED ON COST OF LIVING INCREASE WITH THIS ALSO A SMALL ADDITIONAL INCREASE BASED ON THE EXPANDED USE WITH THE PROPOSED OBSTACLE COURSE.
SO WE DID A TWO YEAR PILOT JANUARY 2018 THROUGH DECEMBER 2019.
SO THEN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW WILL BE THAT CONTINUATION STARTING IN 2025.
YEAH. I MEAN, THIS SEEMS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD TO ME.
I GUESS WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SHARE A COMMENT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE ZOOM ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT AT THIS TIME? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO YOU WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION AND THEN SECOND.
OKAY, SO DIRECTOR CORBETT MADE THE MOTION AND THEN DIRECTOR ROSARIO SECONDED.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY THREE ZERO.
SO WE'LL SEE THIS AGAIN WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD.
THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THAT'S OUR ONLY ACTION ITEM.
WE NOW HAVE TWO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
[Informational Items]
WE'LL START WITH INFORMATIONAL ITEM 5A.I BELIEVE WE'RE READY FOR THAT.
THE NORTHWEST REGION INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES OVERVIEW.
ONE OF THE TWO REGIONAL INTERPRETIVE RECREATION SERVICES MANAGERS.
[00:20:03]
THAT CORRECT? OKAY.COULD I GET YOUR HAND HERE FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE? LET'S SEE. OH, THERE IT IS, I SEE IT.
THANKS SO MUCH, AND WE'LL START UP HERE.
WE'LL START OFF WITH THE WORKGROUPS.
JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE GEOGRAPHY REFERENCE ABOUT THIS.
WHEN WE SAY NORTH AND WEST, IT'S NOT THE NORTHWEST, BUT IT'S THE NORTH AND WEST REGION.
SO EVERYTHING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT RED LINE THE WORKGROUPS AND THE NORTH AND WEST REGION INCLUDE THE TILDEN NATURE AREA, DOUG SIDEN VISITOR CENTER AT CRAB COVE, OUTDOOR RECREATION AND MOBILE EDUCATION, WHICH INCLUDES THE MOBILE VISITOR CENTER, THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT, AND THE FISH LAB.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY MANAGING THE FACILITY THAT ALLOWS THOSE FISH AMBASSADORS TO GO OUT AND CONNECT WITH FOLKS, AND COYOTE HILLS VISITOR CENTER, WHICH SEASONALLY ALSO RUNS THE GARIN BARN VISITOR CENTER UP IN GARIN.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT OUR TEAM DOES THAT MAKES IT SO EFFECTIVE, AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION FOR THE NEW EMPLOYEES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS BRING UP IS FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED, WHO THE FAMOUS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT WHOSE SON WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE FIRST PLAN FOR THE PARKS, PRESERVES THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS, AND OLMSTED WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF WRITING UP A MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE YOSEMITE VALLEY AND MARIPOSA GROVE BY PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND THIS IS A REALLY SHORT ABBREVIATION.
SO OLMSTED STATED THAT IT'S A SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT THE OCCASIONAL CONTEMPLATION OF NATURAL SCENES, WHICH WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF IN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS IN CONNECTION WITH RELIEF FROM ORDINARY CARES.
THIS GIVES PLEASURE FOR THE TIME BEING, AND INCREASES THE SUBSEQUENT CAPACITY FOR HAPPINESS, SO THAT ACCESSIBILITY, THAT ABILITY TO GET OUT AND EXPERIENCE THESE THINGS ON AN INDIVIDUAL WAY, IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CONNECTING PEOPLE TO GET THAT SENSE OF AWE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN THE ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT, BUT ALSO I&R IS OUR KEY IS TO CONNECT THOSE PEOPLE ON SOME VERY PERSONAL LEVEL.
IT WAS INTERESTING, YOU CAN SEE IN THE LOWER LEFT IN THE LEFT HAND PICTURE, THAT'S OUR STAFF ACTUALLY FEELING THAT SAME AWE AT A MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THE LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE, AND SO I KNOW THAT MOTIVATES THEM AND THEY HAVE A REAL MOTIVATION TO SHARE THAT.
WHICH LED ME TO AN ARTICLE BY A FELLOW NAMED DACHER KELTNER.
HE'S OVER AT THE GREATER GOOD INSTITUTE AT UC BERKELEY, AND HE THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN AWE AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IT IS THAT BRINGS AWE TO PEOPLE AND WROTE A PAPER IN 2023 AND SAID WHAT MOST COMMONLY LED PEOPLE TO FEEL OR WAS IT NATURE, SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, LISTENING TO MUSIC? IN FACT, IT WAS OTHER PEOPLE'S COURAGE, KINDNESS, STRENGTH, OR OVERCOMING THE ACTIONS OF STRANGERS AND TEACHERS AND COLLEAGUES AT WORK, OUR NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. WE FEEL AWE WHEN MOVED BY MORAL BEAUTY, EXCEPTIONAL VIRTUE, CHARACTER AND ABILITY MARKED BY A PURITY OF GOODNESS AND AN INTENTION OF ACTION, AND THIS IS WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT SEEMS TO FLY IN THE FACE OF WHAT OLMSTED SAID, BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, THAT MOST FOLKS AROUND THE WORLD, AND THIS WAS A WORLDWIDE STUDY THAT WAS DONE.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY RARE OPPORTUNITY AND SYNERGY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BOTH THIS MORAL OR THIS EMOTIONAL AWE, AS WELL AS THE AWE THAT OLMSTED SPEAKS OF THROUGH PHYSICAL AREAS AND THAT NATURAL AWE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AWE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR PROGRAMS FOR I&R, THESE ARE UNIQUE PROGRAMS. WE ARE TRYING TO DO THINGS THAT IS NOT THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THIS AREA.
WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN OFFER AND PROVIDE THAT IS UNIQUE, THAT MAKES OUR SERVICE SPECIAL AND PROVIDES THAT SENSE OF AWE? I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE IMPACTED.
WE ARE VERY BUSY, WHICH IS GREAT.
IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE, RIGHT? WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO USE OUR SERVICES THAN WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR, AND THESE ARE RESOURCE INTENSIVE PROGRAMS, TIME
[00:25:09]
PEOPLE OF COURSE, BUT ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE OUR OFFICES AND STAGING AREAS IN COMPARISON TO WHERE THE PROGRAMING IS, WHERE IS THE DEMAND. SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO RAISE EFFICIENCIES TO BRING THAT SERVICE TO AS MANY PLACES AS WE CAN IN LIGHT OF THAT RESOURCE, INTENSIVENESS, AND WE NOT ONLY WANT TO BROADEN THAT SERVICE, BUT REALLY DEEPEN IT.SO WE THANK THE BOARD FOR ALL THE SUPPORT WE'VE GOTTEN OVER THE YEARS TO NOT JUST GET A CAST, A BROADER NET, BUT TO PROVIDE THOSE REALLY DEEP, IMPORTANT PROGRAMS THAT CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR PARKS, TURN THEM INTO STEWARDS, TURN THEM INTO PARK SUPPORTERS, AND SPREAD THAT INTERGENERATIONALLY AND PROVIDE AWE FOR ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE YET TO COME AND USE OUR PARKS.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH TILDEN NATURE AREA.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STAFF CHANGES THIS YEAR.
OUR NATURALIST MARTHA CERDA AND NATURALIST AIDE JENNA TIDD HAD JOINED THE STAFF HERE.
THE NATURALIST AIDE IS A NEW POSITION.
WHO ARE ON THAT CAREER LADDER, AND THIS IS A POSITION THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY OFFER A LOT MORE IN THE WAY OF SERVICES IN THE VISITOR CENTER, WHICH ALLOWS US TO OFFER SERVICES OUTSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER.
A BIG PUSH THIS YEAR HAS BEEN THE EEC, THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT, WHICH YOU FOLKS HAVE BEEN VERY AWARE OF AS WE'VE REVIEWED THAT OVER THE YEAR, OVER THE YEAR, AND A LITTLE FARM UPDATES LITTLE FARM, AN INCREDIBLY POPULAR SPOT ON A SUNNY SUNDAY, WE COULD HAVE 2000 PEOPLE OR MORE GOING THERE. SO THE IMPACT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IS REALLY FELT.
WE'VE HAD WE'RE WORKING ON THE GOAT BARN, REPLACING THAT GOAT BARN TO BRING GOATS BACK INTO THE PARK AND GIVE THEM THE--WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR--THE APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS.
YOU CAN SEE IN THAT CENTER PICTURE THERE, THE PERIMETER ROAD AROUND THE MEADOW AREA IS REALLY RUTTED OVER THE RAINSTORMS. I CAN'T COMPLAIN A WHOLE LOT ABOUT GETTING A GOOD BATCH OF WATER LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT IT'S HAD SOME TREMENDOUS IMPACTS ON THAT ROAD AND IT'S SEVERELY RUTTED.
WHEN WE WERE THERE FOR A MEETING, WE ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE A TODDLER GET DOWN ON THEIR HANDS AND KNEES, CRAWL DOWN INTO ONE OF THOSE RUTS, AND THEN CRAWL BACK OUT, WHICH GAVE US A REALLY GOOD IDEA THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THIS ROAD AND WE'VE ACTUALLY WE'RE WORKING ON IT, AND OUR FRIENDS AT MAST HAVE BEEN REALLY RESPONSIVE TO PUT THAT PROJECT TOGETHER.
YEAH. IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN SOMETHING ELSE.
WE HAVE REPLACEMENT BUNNIES THAT WERE BROUGHT IN.
HAZARDOUS TREES ARE A SIGNATURE FEATURE OF TILDEN NATURE AREA.
A LOT OF OUR MONTEREY PINES THERE HAVE REACHED THEIR AGE 90, 95, 100 YEARS OR SO.
SO THOSE ARE PART OF OUR HAZARDOUS TREE PROGRAM.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTING NOT ONLY THE NATURE AREA, AND I'M SORRY, NOT ONLY THE LITTLE FARM, BUT ALL AROUND THE NATURE AREA AND DOWN ALONG BY JEWEL LAKE AND THE BOARDWALK THERE, AND IT'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH NESTING BIRDS, ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE THE WOOD RATS AND SUCH.
SO IT MAKES IT FOR A VERY COMPLEX THING.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENACTING OUR UPCOMING CHANGES TO MAKE THAT PROGRAM A LITTLE MORE EQUITABLE, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE JUNIOR RANGER FAMILIES TO MAXIMIZE THAT.
RICHMOND RANGERS, WHICH WAS BUILT UPON JUNIOR RANGERS YEARS AGO, HAS BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH, YES, NATURE TO NEIGHBORHOODS OUT IN RICHMOND, LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP THERE, AND OUR FOLKS ACTUALLY JUST CAME BACK FROM A BACKPACKING TRIP UP IN POINT REYES.
PRIDE IN THE PARK WAS OUR SECOND ANNUAL PRIDE IN THE PARK CELEBRATION.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
VERY SUCCESSFUL THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
MORE SUCCESSFUL THE SECOND TIME AROUND.
[00:30:02]
INCREDIBLY, IT'S A UNIQUELY TILDEN EXPERIENCE, AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY WELL LOVED BY THE COMMUNITY.WE'LL JUMP ON OVER TO DOUG SIDEN VISITOR CENTER AT CRAB COVE.
ASHLEY CISNEROS, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR INTERPRETIVE STUDENT AIDES FOR FOUR YEARS REALLY SHINED AND NOW HAS A PERMANENT POSITION WITH THE PARK DISTRICT AS A NATURALIST AIDE.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PANELS THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT THAT ARE CONSTANTLY NEEDING UPDATING, AND OUR STAFF HERE AT CRAB COVE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON DOING AN AWFUL LOT OF WRITING AND BRINGING SOME OF THOSE THINGS OFF THE TO DO LIST AND PUT IT ONTO THE TO DONE LIST.
BLACK BIRDER'S WEEK VERY SUCCESSFUL, JUST FINISHED UP LAST WEEK AND WE HAD HAVEN'T GOTTEN FINAL NUMBERS FINAL NUMBERS YET, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THIS YEAR AS THEY DID LAST YEAR.
SAW DIRECTOR ROSARIO ON ONE OF OUR WALKS AT TEMESCAL.
HIP HOP FOR CHANGE, WHICH IS WITH A GROUP CALLED AGENTS OF CHANGE IN OAKLAND.
THEY HAVE AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM, REALLY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP, WHERE THE YOUTH ACTUALLY HAVE A FIVE DAY PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES A STIPEND WHERE THEY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER ARTWORK, BE IT MUSIC, BE IT VISUAL ART OR WHATEVER THAT TALKS ABOUT THEIR CONNECTIONS WITH THE PARKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL.
SO REALLY INNOVATIVE, FUN PROGRAM.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND PICTURE THERE.
IT HAS BEEN ON HIATUS SINCE THE PANDEMIC, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT COME BACK AS A REGULAR ONE WEEK DROP IN PROGRAM FOR FOLKS TO BRING THEIR TODDLERS AND GET THAT FRESH START HEALTHY, START OUTSIDE AT THE PARK EVERY YEAR NATURALIST SUSAN RAMOS DOES A REALLY UNIQUE PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU'VE GOT TO BE READY TO DO IT, YOU GOT TO GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THE FULL MOON AND GO OUT AT 12 A.M., 1 A.M., 2 A.M.
IT IS A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE PARK DISTRICT, AND THIS YEAR, SUSAN AND THE TEAM WAS WORKING WITH SOME A PROFESSOR AT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY TO ACTUALLY ADD THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT INTO THAT LARGER STUDY.
THAT GREAT COMMUNITY SCIENCE APPROACH, THE AQUARIUM AND AQUARIUM IS A HUGE DRAW FOR CRAB COVE, FOLKS WHO ARE COMING IN JUST TO SEE THE FISH, TO SEE THE DAILY FEEDING AND SUCH THAT EQUIPMENT IS TAXED AS WE'RE FINDING MORE AND MORE HOT DAYS, LONGER DURATIONS OF HOT DAYS START EARLY IN THE MORNING, GO LATER INTO THE EVENING.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE WATER TEMPERATURE DOWN IN A HEALTHY RANGE FOR THE FISH.
THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF THE VISITOR CENTER, WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY AIR CONDITIONING, AIR CONDITIONERS, HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP THE CHILLER FOR THE DIRECT CHILLER FOR THE WATER IS REALLY OVERMATCHED.
SO WE'RE PUTTING IN A NEW ONE, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA THAT THESE THINGS THAT WE KIND OF TOOK FOR GRANTED OVER THE YEARS ARE NOW REACHING THE END OF THEIR NATURAL LIFESPAN, AND WE'RE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OF OUR CHANGING WEATHER AND CLIMATE.
WE'RE ADDING A NEW RECREATION ASSISTANT THIS YEAR.
WE HAD 150 SOME ODD APPLICANTS FOR THAT POSITION.
OUR OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAMS ARE REALLY POPULAR.
IF ANYBODY'S TRIED TO GET ON A KAYAKING PROGRAM, THE PUBLIC PROGRAM, THEY FILL UP JUST LIKE THAT, AND THEY ARE GREAT GATEWAY PROGRAMS. THIS IS A BIG HOOK TO GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN HEALTHY RECREATION OUT IN OUR PARKS, AND THEY ARE GETTING IMPACTED.
WE HAD THE FELLOW WHO MAKES THE EQUIPMENT IN MINNESOTA FLY OUT TO GIVE A PERSONAL TRAINING TO OUR FOLKS AND RECREATION STAFF, AND FROM THAT THEY LEARNED THAT THEY HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF SKILL AND A LOT TO OFFER, BUT THEY ALSO REALIZE THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT MORE TO LEARN ABOUT ADAPTIVE PROGRAMMING, TO DO IT SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY AND OUR FRIENDS OVER AT BAY AREA OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM, BORP HELPED US IN NOT ONLY PROCURING THE EQUIPMENT, BUT ALSO DOING THAT TRAINING.
TIDEWATER BOATING CENTER IS PACKED.
[00:35:08]
THEY'LL TAKE OVER THE SPACE WHERE THE COPY MACHINE WAS.IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW PACKED THEY ARE.
WE ALSO, SADLY, HAVE RUN INTO CONSISTENT SAFETY ISSUES DOWN AT THE PARK, EITHER FROM THEFTS FROM THINGS LIKE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS BEING STOLEN FROM DISTURBED FOLKS WHO ARE HARASSING AND SCARING PARK STAFF, AND THE MERE FACT THAT FOLKS ARE OUT ON TIDEWATER, ONLY ABOUT 5% OF OUR PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE THERE.
THE OTHER 95% ARE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT.
SO COMMUTING, GRABBING EQUIPMENT FROM ONE PLACE LIKE THAT, IT'S A WONDERFUL STORAGE AREA, BUT COMMUTING, LOADING UP BOATS, TAKING THAT OUT TO DEL VALLE, TAKING THEM OUT TO BIG BREAK OR ANOTHER PLACE LIKE THAT IS INCREDIBLY INEFFICIENT.
WE HAD A GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TOUR AND IT WAS REALLY FUN.
I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS ASKED.
SO DO YOU FOLKS DO ANY OUTREACH WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS? AND IT WAS JUST LIKE YOU POPPED A CORK OFF OF MEGAN, AND SHE JUST STARTED NAMING ALL KINDS OF PARTNERS, AND THE STAFFER WAS NODDING HIS HEAD.
WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER A FISHING PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, BORP WORKED WITH US THIS YEAR OUT AT CAMP ARROYO TO SEE HOW DOES THIS THING GO TO WORK? WILL IT WORK WITH FOLKS OF DIFFERING ABILITIES? IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WE STARTED A TEEN ECO ACTION WITH HAYWARD AREA RECREATION DISTRICT, AND I WANT TO REITERATE, THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND FOR THESE PROGRAMS, SO MANY PARTNERS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SERVE.
WE'RE BUMPING INTO CAPACITIES, ALWAYS WORKING ON WAYS TO EXPAND THAT.
WE HAD A BIG STAFF UPDATES THIS YEAR.
CHRIS MODELSKI, WHO WAS AN ACTING NATURALIST THERE.
HIS SKILLS ARE JUST PERFECT MATCH FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER AT MOBILE EDUCATION.
SO HE'S OUR NEW SUPERVISING NATURALIST.
MAIER AMEZCUA JOINED US, AS DID DAVID COHEN, AND BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW TEAM, THEY WERE CHARGED WITH REALLY REVAMPING THE PROGRAM, LOOKING FIRST AT COMMUNITY PARTNERS, REESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS WITH FOLKS THAT MAY HAVE DEGRADED A BIT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, OVER THE PANDEMIC.
WORKING WITH DELTA FIRST FIVE, ANTIOCH UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT'S A VERY STAFF INTENSIVE PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU RUN THE MOBILE VISITOR CENTER OR THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT, IT USED TO BE THAT STAFF WOULD HAVE TO GET TO GLORY OF THE SEAS AND THE FISH LAB AT 4:30 IN THE MORNING TO RUN A DAY LONG SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND THEY MAY NOT GET HOME UNTIL 6:00 AT NIGHT.
SO AT EVERY TIME NOW, THE FISH EXHIBIT GOES OUT.
IT'S ACCOMPANIED BY THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT BY NATURALISTS.
TRULY IS A MOBILE VISITOR CENTER.
SO MAST HAS WORKED VERY HARD WITH US.
WE HAD A HOT SPELL LAST WEEK OR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
THE FISH LAB THAT'S DOWN ON THE BEACH AT CROWN BEACH.
[00:40:06]
SO THAT'S A CONSIDERATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DELVE INTO MORE AND MORE AS TIME GOES ON.THE MOBILE, THE MOBILE VISITOR CENTER, 2009.
WE BOUGHT THAT VEHICLE. IT'S TIME FOR A NEW VEHICLE, AND AS OUR PUSH TOWARDS GREENER SERVICE COMES UP, WE'RE LOOKING JAMES MCCRYSTAL IS LOOKING AT ELECTRIC VANS LIKE YOU SEE FROM AMAZON OR THINGS LIKE THAT, AND CONSIDERING THE RANGE LIMITATIONS RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S DOABLE.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO PURSUING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
OUR RESOURCE ANALYST, TOM LAW, IS IN CHARGE OF NOT ONLY THE FISH, HE'S IN CHARGE OF FISH COLLECTION WITH UC DAVIS AND THIS CONSORTIUM AROUND THE STATE. HE'S TAKING CARE OF ALL THE AQUARIA AROUND THE DISTRICT.
SO TOM IS A VERY BUSY FELLOW, AND HE IS AT CAPACITY RIGHT NOW, AND JUST LIKE TIDEWATER BASE LOCATION, BEING OVER GLORY OF THE SEAS MAKES IT DIFFICULT. WHEN YOU ARE A DISTRICT WIDE PROGRAM, YOU NEED TO GET OUT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
COYOTE HILLS NEW NATURALIST, SEAN MULCAHY.
WE POACHED HIM FROM NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UP IN YOSEMITE VALLEY.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE SHOWN ON BOARD.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FILLING TWO NATURALIST VACANCIES WITH THE PRESENT POOL OF NATURALISTS.
CANDIDATES THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE INTERVIEWS FOR JUST AT THE END OF THIS SUMMER.
GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES WAS THE FIRST TIME IN PERSON IN YEARS, AND IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.
SO FOLKS GOT A CHANCE TO GO OUT AND SEE THAT.
THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION IS VERY GENEROUSLY PROVIDED A GRANT THAT ALLOWED THE COYOTE HILLS STAFF TO HAVE A CAMPING PROGRAM FOR THE UNION CITY FAMILY CENTER, AND THAT GROUP WAS PREDOMINANTLY BASED ON, I'M SORRY, CHARGED WITH IMMIGRANT EDUCATION.
SO WE HAVE MULTI-GENERATION FAMILIES.
VERY MANY OF THEM ARE OFTEN GETTING THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE IN CAMPING AND IN PARKS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
OUTREACH TEEN ECO ACTION SPREAD DOWN TO COYOTE HILLS.
WE TALKED ABOUT HAYWARD AREA RECREATION DISTRICT.
THIS WAS THE GROUP THAT THEY WORKED WITH, OUR VISITOR CENTER WE HAVE WONDERFUL EXHIBITS IN THERE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A GRANT AND ALSO LOOKING FOR FUNDING TO UPGRADE, NOT TO REDO, BUT TO UPGRADE AND UPDATE THOSE EXHIBITS TO REALLY CENTER NATIVE VOICES, AND WHEN WE SPEAK OF CAPACITY, WHEN WE HAVE THINGS LIKE VISITOR CENTER EXHIBITS, WAYSIDE PANELS, BROCHURES, THAT INCREASES OUR CAPACITY, THE MORE ATTRACTIVE, THE MORE EFFECTIVE THOSE ARE.
THAT INCREASES OUR CAPACITY FOR GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT.
THE PATTERSON PROPERTY WHEN THAT OPENS UP.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING. OUR STAFF IS WORKING ON INTERPRETIVE AND INFORMATION PANELS, INCLUDING NATIVE TRANSLATION FOR SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, AND THE DUMBARTON QUARRY CAMPGROUND PROGRAM IS IN FULL SWING.
THAT BEAUTIFUL NEW AMPHITHEATER HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING THAT KIND OF PROGRAMING.
SO BY THE NUMBERS, THIS IS FOR ALL OF INTERPRET AND RECREATION SERVICES.
LAST YEAR, 2023, WE SERVED 1521 CLASSES, 44,000 STUDENTS AND 229,000 PEOPLE SERVED ON PUBLIC PROGRAMS. EACH ONE OF THOSE CLASSES THAT COMES OUT BRINGS 2530 KIDS.
PARKS ARE, FOR ME, VERY OFTEN THOSE FOLKS ARE BRINGING THEIR FAMILIES BACK.
ON THE WEEKEND, 44,000 SCHOLARS THAT ARE HITTING ON ALL THOSE LEARNING POINTS, BUT ALSO DISCOVERING THAT THESE PARKS BELONG TO THEM, PLACES THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE, AND AGAIN, AFTER EVERY PROGRAM, WE'RE INVITING THOSE KIDS TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES BACK OUT AND BECOME PART OF THEIR PARKS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TOTAL HERE, WE'RE PUSHING ABOUT 300,000 PEOPLE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE USING THE PARKS HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME.
[00:45:04]
I DON'T IN ANY WAY MEAN TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD BE CONNECTING WITH NATURALIST PROGRAMS WITH EACH AND EVERY PERSON IT'S NOT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE 99% OF OUR FOLKS THAT ARE USING THE PARKS THAT ARE NOT HAVING INTERPRETIVE RECREATION SERVICES PROGRAMMING, AND WE KNOW FROM OUR DEMAND AND OUR CAPACITY THAT WE'RE NOT MEETING THAT DEMAND BECAUSE OF OUR CAPACITY.WE'VE HAD A LOT OF HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR.
ARISTOTLE SAID IT THE BEST: THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
WE'RE FILLING VACANCIES, WHICH IS GOING TO EXPAND OUR SERVICE.
THE MOBILE EDUCATION PROGRAM REVAMP, WHICH I SPOKE OF.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. GATHERING OHLONE PEOPLES ONLY WAY IS UP THERE.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IN PERSON THIS PAST YEAR AND EXPANDING OUR UNIQUE NICHE, THOSE THINGS THAT WE OFFER UNIQUELY THROUGH OUR STAFF SKILL PERSONALITIES, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY EXPAND THOSE IN AN EQUITABLE FASHION USING THAT LENS OF EQUITY JUST A SENSE AND A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION, COLLABORATION AND SYNERGY WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING IN-HOUSE AND OUTSIDE OF HOUSE, AND WE'VE REALLY COME TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S AN INTENSITY OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE NEED TO OPERATE.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO EXHIBITS TO WRITING TO PEOPLE, TO TIME, VEHICLES, ETC.
THERE'S, IT'S A LOT; IT'S A LOT, AND GETTING BACK TO INSPIRING AWE THIS WAS A QUOTE FROM A TEEN ECO ACTION PARTICIPANTS AND THEY SAID, I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW IT BENEFITS US AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER, AND THAT KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE OLMSTED DEFINITION OF AWE, AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT, THIS PERSON SAID, I ALSO LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT I MET HEARING ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND INTERESTS, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY AMAZING, AND THERE'S THAT PERSONAL OR MORAL THAT WE SPOKE OF FROM KELTNER.
SO AGAIN, OUR UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE RESOURCES OF THE PARK DISTRICT THAT PEOPLE GENERALLY SEE, LIKE, OH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK, IT'S A LOVELY PLACE, BUT ALSO WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO CONNECT THOSE TWO PUTS US IN A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION TO PROVIDE AVENUES TO AWE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THAT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU COVERED ALL OF THAT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
THANK YOU. THANKS SO MUCH FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE PRESENTATION AND SHARING IT TODAY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST, ELLEN? SURE. THE QUESTION.
THANK YOU. QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
YOU BRING THEM IN AND YOU SEE, CAN DO THIS.
YOU CAN DO THAT. IT'S JUST IT'S WITHOUT A DOUBT SHOWS WONDERFUL THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT IT WHEN THEY'RE IN OUR PARKS AND JUST TO SEE THEM YOU KNOW, IN A BOAT DOING THIS AND THEN OUT IN ONE OF THE HIKING AREAS, IT'S JUST AMAZING, AND THERE'S SO MANY MORE THINGS THEY COULD BE DOING THAN THE THINGS THEY'RE DOING.
SO THANK YOU FOR TEACHING THEM ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THEY COULD LEARN AS THEY GO IN THERE, AND I JUST CAN'T I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO IN THOSE PARKS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THEM INTO THE PARKS FOR ALL THOSE VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE COULD TALK ABOUT EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL THING THAT THEY DID WHILE WE WERE THERE, BUT WE TALKED FOR ANOTHER HALF HOUR AND BUT IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE ALL THAT GREAT STUFF YOU HAD THEM DO.
WITHOUT A DOUBT. THANKS, DIRECTOR CORBETT.
THANK YOU. THIS IS VERY THIS IS ACTUALLY VERY TIMELY, AS WE SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WENT TO MINNEAPOLIS AND WE GOT TO SEE THE THREE RIVERS DISTRICT, AND SO WHILE I WAS THERE, I WAS LIKE, OH, DO WE DO THIS? DO WE DO THIS? AND IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT.
YES, WE DO DO THIS, AND AND I THINK THERE'S THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID AT THE, AT THAT
[00:50:02]
CONFERENCE ABOUT A SENSE OF PURPOSE, KIND OF A GOAL, AND I THINK ALL PARK DISTRICTS, ALL PARKS PEOPLE HAVE THAT SAME SENSE OF BEING IN THE PARKS, MAKING SURE THAT THE PARKS ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, AND I THINK THAT SENSE OF MISSION HAS REALLY BROUGHT A LOT OF COMMONALITY AS FAR AS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND I JUST CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR AND THE STAFF AND, AND THE FUTURE THINKING, FORWARD THINKING THAT WE'RE GOING TO THROUGH TO MAKE THE OUR PARKS AVAILABLE IN OUR PROGRAMS, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS MORE ADVERTISING OR TOOTING OUR OWN HORN BECAUSE THERE'S SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY ARE THERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW BIG THEY WERE OR ARE AND I THINK THAT WOULD GO REALLY WELL TO ADVERTISE, AND THEN MAYBE THAT WOULD ATTRACT EVEN MORE PEOPLE.OF COURSE, WE'RE ALREADY PACKED, RIGHT? THE THINGS THAT REALLY STRUCK ME IN THIS REPORT IS THAT LACK OF SPACE AND EQUIPMENT, AND WE REALLY NEED TO WORK.
I'M SURPRISED. I'M SURPRISED WE WAITED THIS LONG TO TRY AND ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF HOW IT WORKS OUT LOGISTICALLY OR SPACE WISE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING A NEW FACILITY AT POINT PINOLE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU SOME MORE DISTANCE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR LOOKING FOR OTHER, I MEAN, OF COURSE, CONCORD AT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL SHORELINE OR REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50 WOULD BE ANOTHER GREAT ONE, BUT THAT'S FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT I THINK IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, I THINK POINT PINOLE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT, AND THEN I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THE HOW THE CHILLERS WORK FOR BOTH THE AQUARIUM AT CRAB COVE AND ALSO THE, THE FISH LAB OR THE MOBILE AQUARIUM.
THE MOBILE ONE HAS ITS OWN CHILLER.
SO WHEN WE PUT FISH FROM THE FISH LAB INTO THE HOLDING TANK THAT IS TOWED ALONG WITH THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT, THERE'S A CHILLER THAT IS IN THAT HOLDING TANK AND THEN WHEN WE OPEN UP, WHEN WE FILL UP THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT, WE HAVE A GENERATOR THAT RUNS A CHILLER TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE THERE, THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE LOW.
AS FAR AS AT EACH OF THE TWO FACILITIES YOU SPOKE OF THE CHILLER IS ESSENTIALLY JUST REFRIGERANTS.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS 90, 95, THOSE CHILLERS ARE WORKING OVERTIME.
SO TOM, OUR RESOURCE ANALYST TOM LAW, AS WELL AS FELICIA WALKER, OUR SUPERVISING NATURALIST AT CRAB COVE AND CHRIS MODELSKI HAVE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO FIND THE BEST THING THAT MEETS THOSE NEEDS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
GREAT. I'M GLAD WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT IS DEFINITELY IN OUR ON OUR HORIZON, AND THEN OUR 44,000 PLUS STUDENTS THAT WE'VE THAT YOU'RE WE'RE SERVICING OR EDUCATING HOW ARE WE TRACKING THE DATA ON THAT? SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS. SO WE WHEN A TEACHER WANTS TO GET A PROGRAM, THEY WILL GO TO WHAT'S CALLED SAMARITAN.
THAT'S OUR SOFTWARE THAT TRACKS EVERYTHING.
SO THEY GO AND THEY SAY, I WANT TO DO A PROGRAM THAT'S IN SUCH A PLACE.
HOW MANY STUDENTS DO YOU WANT? WHAT PROGRAM DO YOU WANT? WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM? AND SO WE HAVE THAT DATA AND OUR FRIENDS AT GIS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB AT ACTUALLY HELPING US PLOT OUT WHICH SCHOOLS ARE COMING FROM, WHERE AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO.
SO WE HAVE THAT DATA AND WE COMPILE IT YEARLY.
GREAT, AND THEN OH, JUST PLEASE.
THANKS. GOOD MORNING, DIRECTOR SANDI FUNKE, CHIEF OF INTERP AND REC.
CONTRACTS LIKE SAMARITAN DO COME UP FAIRLY FREQUENTLY, AND SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN COME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND HAVE A SOMETHING WHERE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPILED, THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CENTRAL DATABASE, BUT THE TEAM DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF COMPILING THAT VISITOR CENTER BY VISITOR
[00:55:02]
CENTER CURRENTLY.THANK YOU, AND, SANDY DO WE GET OTHER DATA FROM OTHER SOURCES LIKE MEDIA SOURCES? I THINK WE WERE AT THE BRIONES UPDATE, AND THEY SAID THEY, THEY TRACK STRAVA TO SEE WHO'S USING.
DO WE IS THERE SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT WE CAN SO I'M SURE THAT BOARD HAS ALREADY HEARD PRESENTATIONS ON THE PLACER.AI.
HAVE YOU HEARD PRESENTATIONS ABOUT PLACER.AI? SO THIS IS A NEW GOSH, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD CALL IT SOFTWARE EXACTLY, BUT CAPABILITY THAT OTHERS WILL BE PRESENTING ON FROM PLANNING, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES ONCE YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS.
FOR THOSE OF US IN PROGRAMMING TO ACCESS ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING DATA.
COOL. OKAY, CAN I JUST, THAT'S THE MOBILE PHONE SERVICE? YES. OKAY. YES.
ONE MORE THING, A LITTLE PREVIEW.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DOCTOR YOSHINO, AND SHE'S BEEN LOOKING AROUND THE WHOLE COUNTRY OF WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES AS FAR AS GATHERING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, AND SO I'LL BE PRESENTING HER FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO ENACT STARTING IN 2025, TO BETTER ENACT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
EXCELLENT, AND PLACER.AI IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE REPORT.
THANK YOU, AND THEN LASTLY WHEN WE WERE IN MINNEAPOLIS, ONE OF THE NATURE CENTERS THERE HAD A FARM, AND I WAS THINKING OF IESE AND ARDENWOOD AND THEIRS, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT IS AN AGRICULTURAL STATE, RIGHT? THEY ACTUALLY DON'T.
IT'S NOT THEY'RE NOT LOOKED AT AS PETS, BUT THEY'RE LOOKED AT AS, YOU KNOW, ANIMALS THAT THEY TAKE CARE FOR, BUT AT THE END THEY FEED PEOPLE AT AS THE END PRODUCT, AND SO IS THERE. IS THERE A PLACE FOR THAT FOR I MEAN.
HAVING KIDS KNOW ABOUT INSTEAD OF TREATING THEM AS PETS AND BUT TREATING THEM AS ACTUAL LIVESTOCK.
GO AHEAD PLEASE. SO I DON'T BELIEVE FFA IS CURRENTLY ACTIVE AT TILDEN.
THEY HAVE IN THE I BELIEVE IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SOME FFA, BUT WE DO HAVE FFA INVOLVED WITH US DOWN AT ARDENWOOD, AND THAT'S OF COURSE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS THOSE KIDS ARE RAISING THE ANIMALS TO GO TO THE COUNTY FAIR, AND MATTER OF FACT, I THINK SOME OF OUR YOUTH ARE AT THE COUNTY FAIR, PERHAPS THIS WEEK I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING ANIMALS AND THOSE WILL BE MEAT ANIMALS, AND I BELIEVE AT ARDENWOOD IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHEEP.
THANK YOU. YEAH. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
IF THEY EVEN SELL SOME OF THE PRODUCTS IN THEIR STORE THERE, WHICH WAS PRETTY KIND OF COOL, AND THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS THAT WHEN YES.
OH I'M SORRY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I THINK WE'RE JUST REALLY CONSTRAINED BY FACILITIES, PEOPLE, AND A LITTLE FUNDING, BUT I THINK SOMETHING WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOOT FOR.
YES. I'D SAY THIS IS ALSO VERY TIMELY FOR ME.
I DID IT THROUGH THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE, WHICH IS THE GROUP THAT DOES A LOT OF ADVOCACY FOR ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, NATIVE FISH TO MAKE THEIR WAY FROM THE BAY UP THE ALAMEDA CREEK AND INTO THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED, AND I THINK ONE OF THEIR MOST RECENT SUCCESSFUL WINS WAS THE FISH LADDER ALONG THE ALAMEDA CREEK TRAIL AT THE BART WEIR IN FREMONT, AND CERTAINLY IT'S A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, THE AREA, I GUESS, THAT I'M INTERESTED IN.
I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND PUT TOGETHER SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL AT COYOTE HILLS, AND THERE'S SOME FASCINATING HISTORY AND INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THAT PARTICULAR POINT, AND, YOU KNOW, HEARING ABOUT THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT, IT MADE ME THINK A LOT, TOO, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT FISH IN GENERAL, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES IN REGARDS TO HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ON
[01:00:08]
WHY FISH ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND ALSO I THINK I MENTIONED SOME OF THIS AT OUR RECENT BOARD WORKSHOP IN REGARDS TO PRIORITIZATION.YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT FISH, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND ALSO BECAUSE I KNOW WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS AND HOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HELP YOU KNOW, SUPPORT SENSITIVE HABITATS.
I ALSO FIND THAT OUR RECREATION, FISHING AND OUR ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT FISHING IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEN THAT HELPS RELIEVE PRESSURE FROM PEOPLE ILLEGALLY FISHING IN AREAS WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FISHING, AND SO I THINK THAT ASPECT OF THE EDUCATION IS ALWAYS SO IMPORTANT.
SO I WANTED TO GO BACK TO SLIDE EIGHT.
THE MAP OF OUR INTERPRETIVE SECTORS.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THESE WERE REORGANIZED BASED ON THE OPERATIONS DIVISION REORGANIZATION.
CORRECT, AND SO THAT, THAT VERY BOLD LINE, KIND OF HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAP OR KIND OF JUST A LITTLE BIT TO THE LEFT OF THE MIDDLE, SO THAT SHOWS THE DIVISION BETWEEN OUR TWO I&R GROUPS, THE TWO REGIONS.
YES. THAT'S CORRECT, AND THEN BUT THEN IT LOOKS LIKE ARDENWOOD DOES GO TO THE SOUTH AND EAST REGION AND MAYBE ALSO ROBERTS AND REINHARDT, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, ROBERTS AND REINHARDT WOULD BE IN THE NORTH AND WEST.
ARDENWOOD IS ITS OWN LITTLE CUTOUT.
OKAY. IT GOES INTO THE SOUTH AND EAST.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE AREN'T WORKING TO REORGANIZE I&R.
IT'S GOING TO STAY AS IT IS IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
THAT'S FAIR. THAT'S FAIR. OKAY.
I WOULDN'T SAY TOTALLY REORGANIZED, BUT PERHAPS ADDING SOME CAPACITY.
I HAVE TO SAY KEVIN AND MIKE ARE I FEEL VERY HUMBLE BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT THE TEAM DOES, BUT HONESTLY, THEY BOTH HAVE THEY ARE AT CAPACITY AS WORK GROUPS, AND THEN THEY PERSONALLY DO QUITE A BIT OF I'M SO SHORT AND YOU'RE SO TALL.
THERE WE GO. THEY DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF CONSULTING ON INTERPRETIVE MEDIA AS WELL, SO THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT DOWNPLAYED IN BOTH OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, BUT BOTH MIKE AND KEVIN SERVE ON NUMEROUS WORKING GROUPS AND COMMITTEES, DEVELOPING PANELS, DEVELOPING IDEATIONS ON VARIOUS INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
YEAH, AND I GUESS THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT OVERLAP.
RIGHT. SO WE HAVE ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, VISITOR CENTERS AND MOBILE EXPERIENCES, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PANELS AT TRAILHEADS, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR CREATIVE DESIGN GROUP THAT REALLY LEADS A LOT OF THAT, BUT DOES I&R CONSULTANT MAY DEPEND ON THE SPECIFIC TRAILHEAD AND THE SPECIFIC TOPIC AREA, BUT I IMAGINE WE DO DO SOME CONSULTING ON THESE PANELS, 90% TO 95% OF THE PANELS WE ARE CONSULTING ON, WE'RE DOING INTERPRETIVE WRITING ON.
SO THAT'S IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT'S A GREAT DEAL OF WORK AND THAT'S OUT.
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL NON PERSONAL INTERPRETATION, AND THAT'S THAT CAN TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ITERATIONS ON A PANEL OR A SERIES OF PANELS THAT CAN BE 4 OR 5 ITERATIONS.
YES, AND THEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT DIGITAL AND ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, I KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR I&R STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING FACEBOOK PAGES AND ALSO HELPING TO CONSULT IN REGARDS TO DIGITAL INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO JUST SHARE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THAT TOO.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST MULTIPLY THAT OUT, THAT'S A LOT OF DIGITAL MEDIA THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
YEAH, AND SO NOW I'M GOING TO BRING UP A LITTLE BIT OF ANOTHER TOPIC ALONG THOSE LINES.
IS THAT CORRECT? INSTAGRAM REALLY WOULD FALL IN THE REALM OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
SO WE DON'T WE DON'T CURRENTLY DO INSTAGRAM, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING PUBLIC AFFAIRS WOULD WANT TO TAKE ON IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND WHAT ABOUT PROMOTIONS AND ADVERTISING OF THE PROGRAMS AT EACH OF OUR VISITOR CENTERS? BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'RE VERY LOCALIZED, AND I KNOW WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL REGIONAL AND NATURE PRINT EACH MONTH,
[01:05:05]
AND THERE MAY BE HIGHLIGHTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR VARIOUS VISITOR CENTER LOCATIONS AND THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE A MORE LOCALIZED PROGRAM THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE IT INTO THAT. HOW DO WE PROMOTE THAT PROGRAM? SURE. I THINK THINGS ARE PROMOTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND WE CERTAINLY DO PARTNER VERY CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS ON PROGRAMS. SO SOME THINGS ARE PUSHED OUT VERY WIDELY, AND THEN SOME THINGS ARE PUSHED OUT IN A MORE LOCALIZED WAY.SO IT COULD BE EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC AFFAIRS, INCLUDING US IN A PRESS RELEASE ABOUT SOMETHING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVENTS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON THE 90TH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO A LOCALIZED FLYER THAT'S BEING PUSHED OUT BY A VISITOR CENTER.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST GETTING CLOSER AND BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED.
SO I WOULD SAY, LOOK, I LOOK FORWARD TO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, SOPHISTICATED APPROACH TO THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME, BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY PUSHING THINGS OUT A VARIETY OF WAYS DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE OF COURSE, SOME PROGRAMS HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY AND SOME PROGRAMS MAYBE ONLY HAVE AN ENROLLMENT OF TEN.
SO YOU DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DO A PRESS RELEASE FOR A PROGRAM OF TEN FOR TEN PEOPLE.
THAT'S HELPFUL. IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING.
WE ALSO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH THESE COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THERE WE GO AGAIN, RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ALSO LOCAL PRESS OUTLETS.
SO SOMEBODY AT TILDEN MAY BE SPEAKING WITH SOMEBODY AT BERKELEYSIDE OR MAYBE THE RICHMOND LIBRARY.
SO ANYBODY IS WELCOME. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GROUPS KNOW ABOUT THAT, TOO.
I KNOW I'VE HEARD OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS AT COYOTE HILLS, AND THEN I KNOW DEL VALLE'S IN THE OTHER REGION, BUT WHERE THEY WILL WORK WITH THE LOCAL LIBRARIES, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST WONDERFUL, AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO HEAR AND SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DID JUST FINISH THIS CALIFORNIA NATURALIST PROGRAM WHERE WE DO GET A CERTIFICATE, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE'S A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS.
I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS AT THE BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP WE HAD RECENTLY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAPACITY BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE REACHING A LOT OF CAPACITY LIMITS, AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING MORE ABOUT FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, BUT I THINK ALSO IN TERMS OF PEOPLE, WE DO REACH SOME CAPACITY LIMITS, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS, THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LONG TERM PLANNING, BUT HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE SOME OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE? AND IN THIS CASE HERE YOU HAVE A GROUP, A LARGE GROUP OF CERTIFIED VOLUNTEER NATURALISTS WHO I THINK COULD BE VERY WELL POSITIONED TO HELP, YOU KNOW, ASSIST SOME OF OUR PROGRAMING GOALS.
SO I HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH THE CALIFORNIA NATURALIST PROGRAM.
MY WORK GENEALOGY GOES BACK TO THE FIRST PLACE THE PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED AND I WORKED THERE.
I KNOW SOME OF THE VOLUNTEERS I WORKED WITH HAVE WORKED WHERE I WAS OVER TEN YEARS.
SO I THINK I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL SUPERVISOR TO SPLIT JESSICA SLOANE'S POSITION INTO A TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR AND A VOLUNTEER SUPERVISOR.
THAT POSITION IS WORKING, IS WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE AIR CHECKS AND BALANCES, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT OUT SOON AND I REALLY THINK THAT IS GOING TO FREE US UP TO THINK IN A MORE EXPANSIVE AND CREATIVE WAY ABOUT HOW WE CAN HAVE JESSICA'S POSITION BE A SORT OF BACKBONE SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTEERING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
SO THERE TOO, I WOULD SAY STAY TUNED, BUT WE ARE VERY AWARE OF THAT.
RIGHT, AND SO ONE THING MY GROUP IS DOING IS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THIS DIGITAL WORKBOOK ALL ABOUT THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED AND TALKING ABOUT THAT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, ONCE WE HAVE THAT TOGETHER AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'LL HAVE A LOT ABOUT FISH.
SO THAT COULD BE REALLY INTERESTING, AND THEN I THINK THAT COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY BE AN ENHANCEMENT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE MOBILE FISH EXHIBIT OR RECREATIONAL FISHING AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO DO THINGS LIKE STOCK FISH AND SOME OF OUR LAKES FOR RECREATIONAL FISHING.
[01:10:01]
DIRECTOR SANWONG, IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, WE NATURALLY LOST AN AWFUL LOT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THAT COULDN'T COME INTO WORK, AND SOME PEOPLE JUST THROUGH PEOPLE JUST KIND OF SLID AWAY AND DID OTHER THINGS, BUT WE ARE RAMPING THAT BACK UP, AND BLACK DIAMOND JUST HAD THEIR FIRST DOSE AND TRAINING CLASS IN A FEW YEARS, AND I THINK THEY ADDED, I THINK IT WAS TEN, MAYBE 15 NEW DOCENTS OUT THERE, AND SO AS WE GET MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE OF THOSE TRAINING CLASSES, OUR DOCENT CREWS, WHICH ARE INDISPENSABLE IN PROVIDING PROGRAMING, ARE GROWING BACK UP.I KNOW BACK IN MID-MAY, RIGHT BEFORE WE WENT TO OUR DC FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE.
EXCUSE ME. I WANTED TO SAY PROGRAM.
CONFERENCE. PUT ON BY OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
I MADE AN EFFORT TO GO TO DON EDWARDS WHICH IS US FISH AND WILDLIFE, AND I KNOW THAT THEIR VISITOR CENTER, IT'S BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2020, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE IT'S REOPENING ANYTIME SOON, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE INCLUDE, LIKE AT DUMBARTON QUARRY, BECAUSE, I KNOW WE HAVE A CONNECTING TRAIL THERE IN REGARDS TO, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO OVER IF YOU TAKE THIS TRAIL TO DON EDWARDS, HERE'S WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE AND HERE'S SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AT DON EDWARDS AND BIGGER PICTURE, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD COMPLIMENTARY FACILITIES FOR IN THIS CASE, IT'S A US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SITE, BUT I KNOW WHEN I THINK ABOUT STATE PARKS WITH MOUNT DIABLO OR MAYBE SOME OTHER CONSERVATION GROUPS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DO WE ALSO SHARE? THAT KIND OF INFORMATION TO PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE CAMPING AT DUMBARTON QUARRY, YOU CAN ALSO GO AND EXPERIENCE THIS US FISH AND WILDLIFE SITE NEARBY.
THANKS. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE GROUPS LIKE SAVE MOUNT DIABLO.
SIERRA CLUB THESE ARE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO WHEN WE'RE AT THE PLACE, IF SOMEBODY'S AT A VISITOR CENTER, IF A VISITOR SHOWS UP, IF WE JUST WANT TO TELL THEM, GIVE THEM A PRESENTATION ON THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE AREA.
IT GOES BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES.
SO IT'S A STANDARD PART OF THE BUSINESS BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE RIGHT NEXT DOOR THAT WE NEED TO KEEP LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT.
YEAH, AND I ALSO SHARE BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE COMING UP ON THINKING ABOUT PHASE TWO AT DUMBARTON QUARRY, AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR VALUE PROPOSITION OF HAVING IT, IS THAT WE ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONE OF THE LARGEST NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES IN THE COUNTRY.
I KNOW THERE'S A PORTION OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND THEN THE REST IS SANTA CLARA COUNTY, BUT STILL YOU HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THAT FROM OUR, YOU KNOW, RV AND CAMPSITE AT DUMBARTON QUARRY, AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL THAT WE PROVIDE THAT EXPERIENCE TO PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE IT, AND THEN I THINK GOING BACK TO.
HOLD ON ONE SECOND. I ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF PAPERS THAT GET MOVED AROUND, INCLUDING ONTO THE FLOOR.
I THINK I REALLY LIKE THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT I KNOW NOW I'M SPREADING IT TO YOU.
IN REGARDS TO THE COMPILING, VISITOR CENTER DATA AND SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GATHERING INSIGHTS, AND AND I THINK I KNOW I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THIS AT ALMOST EVERY OTHER MEETING.
I KNOW WE WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE COME FORWARD, AND I AND I THINK AS A PART OF THAT, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT BEST LIVES BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS IS FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THAT CUSTOMER INSIGHTS ASPECT AND HOW IF WE CAN HAVE SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, CENTRALIZED TEAM OR POINT PERSON THAT KNOWS ABOUT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT DATA POINTS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND CAN REALLY ALSO BECOME THAT, YOU KNOW, CENTER OF EXCELLENCE WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, DATABASES OR I ALSO, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE SOME OF THE ANECDOTAL OBSERVATIONAL DATA IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
I KNOW A FEW WEEKS AGO, I MENTIONED HOW I WAS WALKING ALONG THE ALAMEDA CREEK TRAIL, AND I WAS AMAZED THAT YOU DON'T HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEAKING ENGLISH, AT LEAST THE DAY THAT I WAS THERE. SO IT WAS JUST THE DAY I WAS THERE, AND ANECDOTAL.
[01:15:02]
HAVE BEEN CANTONESE. I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST AMAZING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT TRAILS, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES BEING SPOKEN, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE, AND SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE CHALLENGING FOR US TO REALLY HAVE A TRUE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE LANGUAGES BEING SPOKEN ON.WE'LL SAY ALAMEDA CREEK TRAILS SPECIFICALLY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THE ANECDOTAL PIECES OF INFORMATION IS JUST IMPORTANT AND SO I THINK, I THINK THE FINAL ONE.
I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I STILL DIDN'T SEE US HAVING A BOOTH, AND I KNOW I BROUGHT THIS UP A FEW TIMES.
SO HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT LOCATION AND EVENT WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT RELATE TO YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FAIR REPRESENTS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK ON THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COMES OUT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR I&R OR SOME SORT OF PARTNERSHIP, BUT THESE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US EXPAND, AND THEN I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS TOO RECENTLY, AND I POINT TO YOU, DIRECTOR CORBETT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S WITHIN YOUR WARD, BUT OAKLAND AIRPORT, I WAS ALSO THERE WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, AND I NOTICED THAT THEY DO HAVE SOME INTERPRETIVE PANELS UP FOR SOME DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS, AND I REMEMBER LOOKING OUT AT OYSTER BAY AND THINKING, GOSH, LIKE, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT FOR US TO HAVE AN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK PANEL THERE? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COMES FROM I&R PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR SOME SORT OF PARTNERSHIP, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE.
IDEAS IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, SHARING OUR STORY AS AN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WITH THAT WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
DOES ANYONE IN THE ZOOM ROOM INTERESTED IN PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO I'LL LET YOU TWO DECIDE WHO GETS TO GO NEXT.
THE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH THAT WE DO IS PHENOMENAL, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK.
HOW BIG IS THAT? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE THAT DO OUTREACH? IS THERE? YOU HAVEN'T.
THERE'S AN OUTREACH COORDINATOR POSITION.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT.
YOU HAVE THE SHORTEST LEADER AND THE TALLEST LEADER TOGETHER TODAY.
IT'S WAY BEYOND OUR OUTREACH COORDINATOR, SO I THINK.
YES WE DO OUTREACH WITH THE COORDINATOR, BUT OUTREACH IS DONE AT THE VISITOR CENTERS.
YOU CAN HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE RECREATION CREW DOES A GREAT DEAL OF OUTREACH.
SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT MY WHOLE DEPARTMENT.
YEAH. IT'S JUST THAT IT STRIKES ME THAT THERE COULD BE A LOT MORE DONE AND I THINK AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT IN FOR ANOTHER POSITION TO STAFF THAT COORDINATING POSITION BECAUSE IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT, AND IT'S TOO MUCH FOR ONE PERSON, AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE, YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO ASKING FOR MORE HELP THERE, AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT, AND THEN MY LAST THING IS THAT AROUND NATIVE AMERICANS OFFERED ONCE BEFORE, AND I JUST WANTED TO RESTATE IT THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING YOU NEED AS FAR AS POLICY SO THAT ENABLES YOU TO WORK MORE WITH OUR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES.
PLEASE. YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO US, AND MAYBE WE CAN WORK ON LANGUAGE FOR RESOLUTION, SO THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. LISA? OH, YES. THANK YOU.
I JUST JUST TO WRAP IT UP, I DID WANT TO THANK THANK MIKE AND SANDY FOR BEING HERE.
THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
WE HEARD FROM KEVIN DAMSTRA, WHO'S THE SOUTHEAST REGION, AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THESE ARE LEGACY SORT OF STRUCTURE, AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING WITH SANDY BEING THE NEW CHIEF OF INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION, WHICH, OF COURSE, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF LUMP IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT AS YOU'VE TEASED OUT, IT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR VISITOR CENTERS, OUR MOBILE
[01:20:06]
EDUCATION, OUR RECREATION, OUR VOLUNTEER, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATION, AND AND THEN THAT ALSO EMBEDDED IN THAT IS THE FOLKS WHO HELP WITH OUR THE EXHIBITS.SO IT'S A TREMENDOUS THIS IS FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
SO WE HAVE PARK OPERATIONS, OUR RANGERS FRONT OF THE HOUSE, THIS DEPARTMENT, FRONT OF THE HOUSE, AND IT'S ALSO I JUST REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP.
THAT IS SORT OF THAT I WOULD JUST WANT A DAYLIGHT.
WE ARE PROVIDING THE SOCIAL SERVICE SOCIAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM TO FOURTH OR THIRD FOURTH GRADERS THROUGHOUT THE EAST BAY.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND COORDINATION, THEY A LOT OF TIMES THESE CLASSES ARE COME TO US WITH FUNDING FROM TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FROM OUR REGIONAL PARK FOUNDATION.
SO IN SUPPORT THEY ARE GETTING THEIR BUSSES THROUGH OUR REGIONAL PARK FOUNDATION, AND I WANT TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT THESE TEAMS PROVIDE, THE AMOUNT OF PREPARATION TO PREPARE AND STAFFING NEEDED FOR SCHOOL PROGRAMING ALONE.
FORGET ABOUT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN ON THE WEEKENDS, I MEAN THOSE THAT'S ALSO VERY CRITICAL, BUT JUST THE CAPACITY THAT ALL OF THIS TAKES UP IS, IS YOU HEARD IT FROM MIKE.
YOU HEARD IT FROM SANDY. WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT IS THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE VERSUS WHAT ARE THE CAPACITY WHAT ARE THE HOURS THAT REALLY WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY AT CAPACITY.
SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT SAYING EVERYTHING, WHAT WE'RE DOING. WELL, AND I'M REALLY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THE TEAM TO SAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WELL, RIGHT NOW? BUT WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR BECAUSE OUR FACILITIES ARE OUT OF DATE, OR BECAUSE WE JUST ARE NOT LOCATED WHERE THE SERVICES ARE. SO THAT WAS PART OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION, AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO PUT A PIN ON IT FOR YOU GUYS, BECAUSE THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE THAT HAVE ALSO REINFORCED THAT.
SO THANK YOU AND REALLY WELL DONE TO POINT THAT OUT.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE I THINK I MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY MISSED THAT.
SO I SEE THAT WE DID HAVE A 2023 BY THE NUMBERS SLIDE.
SO NOT NECESSARILY ANY WEEKEND TYPE OF CLASSES IN THAT NUMBER, AND THEN WHEN WE SAY 44,021 STUDENTS, IS THAT ALSO THEN THOSE ARE OUR WEEKDAY PROGRAMS. THAT'S OUR BREAD AND BUTTER.
THAT'S OUR JUST TO SPEAK TO WHAT ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER GOORJIAN WAS SAYING, WE HAVE INFORMAL SLOGAN OF THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS YES, UNLESS THERE'S A COMPELLING REASON TO SAY NO AND THOSE INFRASTRUCTURAL LIMITS, THOSE STRUCTURAL LIMITS ARE THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE TO SAY NO, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO SAY YES.
WE'RE BUMPING INTO THOSE LIMITS.
I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THERE ON A WEEKDAY, AND I HAVE SEEN THE SCHOOL PROGRAMS HAPPENING.
SO WE SERVICE SCHOOL PROGRAMS BEYOND ALAMEDA COUNTY AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND I'M ALSO FAIRLY CONFIDENT WHEN I WAS YOUNG, A YOUNG PERSON, I ALSO WENT TO COYOTE HILLS ON ONE OF THE SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I VERY MUCH REMEMBER AS A YOUNG PERSON.
SO THESE ARE IMPORTANT PROGRAMS, BUT I CAN ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES IN REGARDS TO WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING BECAUSE OF THE FOCUS ON THE PROGRAMS. YEAH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY IT'S EITHER OR.
IT'S WE DO ALL OF IT, AND THAT IS OUR MISSION.
THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE WORK WE DO, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE AT CAPACITY.
[01:25:02]
YES, AND I CAN ALSO SHARE, YOU KNOW I KNOW I MENTIONED ZONE SEVEN A LOT, BUT I GUESS THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE ORGANIZATION THAT I PREVIOUSLY SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR, AND WE ALSO HAD A SCHOOL PROGRAM.IT WAS IN CLASSROOM SCHOOL PROGRAM.
I WANT TO SAY AT LEAST IF NOT 100%, AT LEAST 90 TO 95% OF THE PROGRAMS IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT ACTUALLY WHAT ZONE SEVEN DID WAS OUTSOURCE IT TO A PRIVATE COMPANY AND THEN FUND THAT PRIVATE ORGANIZATION TO GO TO THE CLASSROOMS ON BEHALF OF ZONE SEVEN.
TO DO THAT CLASSROOM PROGRAMMING SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, AS AGAIN, IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS AND THINKING ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS, THERE MAY BE THE OPTION TO LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I AGAIN, THROUGH MY CALIFORNIA NATURALIST PROGRAM, I GOT TO MEET THE PERSON FOR CITY OF FREMONT WHO RUNS THE CITY OF FREMONT PROGRAMMING, AND IT SOUNDED VERY SIMILAR TO THE ZONE SEVEN PROGRAM, BUT THAT'S RUN WITHIN THE CITY OF FREMONT AND NOT NECESSARILY THE LOCAL WATER AGENCY IN THE FREMONT AREA.
OKAY. WELL, SO THIS IS INFORMATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS I THINK THEN WE'RE GOOD.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE.
OKAY. WE HAVE ONE OTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA ITEM FIVE B ON AGRICULTURAL LEASES.
SO WE'RE READY FOR YOU FOR AGRICULTURAL LEASES.
SHE'LL BE REMOTE AND PRESENTING.
TIFFANY MARGULICI, BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER.
ONE MOMENT WHILE I SET UP MY SHOW, AND SEE.
I'M SCREEN SHARING AND I WANT TO GO TO FULL SCREEN.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD MORNING? WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT ON THE CUSP.
THIS IS A UPDATE INFORMATIONAL ITEM ON AGRICULTURAL LAND LEASES, AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS UPDATE IS TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AS HOW WE ARE USING THESE LEASES, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE THREE LAND LEASES FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, WHICH ARE RUN BY BUSINESS ADMINISTERED THROUGH BUSINESS SERVICES, AND WE ALWAYS WORK CLOSELY WITH THE PARK SUPERVISOR AND UNIT MANAGER FOR THESE AREAS, OR SUPERVISING NATURALISTS FOR ARDENWOOD.
SO I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TODAY, STARTING WITH DELTA ACCESS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA, THEN MOVING ON TO ARDENWOOD AND THEN TO COYOTE HILLS. SO WHY DO WE HAVE AGRICULTURAL LEASES? WE HAVE THREE, AS I MENTIONED, AND THEY ARE FOR SOME COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME AGRICULTURAL LEASES HELPING US MEET OUR EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION GOALS, AS WE'VE JUST BEEN DISCUSSING IN THE PRIOR PRESENTATION, AND IN SOME CASES, WE HAVE LAND USE REQUIREMENTS OR GOALS THROUGH OUR LAND USE PLAN OR DEED RESTRICTION THAT MIGHT REQUIRE AGRICULTURAL USE.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, THOSE ARE THE BENEFITS IN THE PRIOR SLIDE AND NOW SOME OF THE CHALLENGES.
WE ARE IN AN URBANIZED REGION IN THE EAST BAY.
WE'RE NO LONGER AN AGRICULTURAL REGION, AND SO AS SUCH, WE HAVE A HIGH COST OF LIVING AND THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS FOR AGRICULTURE HAS REALLY INCREASED FROM WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR BOTH OUR CURRENT LESSEES, CURRENT LEASES AND ALSO THOSE WHO HAVE LET US KNOW WHY THEY AREN'T SUBMITTING PROPOSALS TO BE LESSEES.
THERE'S LIMITED ACREAGE FOR FARMING AND IN SOME CASES, WITH OUR DELTA EXAMPLE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WATER AND WATER AVAILABILITY MAY BECOMING A CHALLENGE. SO I JUST INCLUDED THESE PHOTOS OF FREMONT AND OAKLEY TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, JUST AN OVERVIEW OF HOW URBANIZED OUR AREA IS.
HERE'S A MAP. THERE'S SOME GREEN STARS SHOWING WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
[01:30:01]
DELTA AREA IN THE EASTERN PART OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.SO FIRST TALKING ABOUT DELTA ACCESS WHERE IT'S LOCATED, IT'S OFF OF NORWOOD ROAD AND NEAR KNIGHTSEN, WHICH IS EAST OF BRENTWOOD, AND WE HAVE LEMHI LAND AND CATTLE HAS BEEN OUR LESSEE THERE SINCE JUNE 2019, AND RECENTLY THE BOARD COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED TO THE FULL BOARD, AND THEY APPROVED THE LEASE TO BE EXTENDED TO 2029.
THIS LEASE WAS 323 FARMABLE ACRES, AND WE RENTED OUR AT $150 PER ACRE PER YEAR.
SO IT'S ABOUT A $50,000 A YEAR REVENUE TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
IT'S A 323 ACRES IS A SIGNIFICANT AREA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THE AGRICULTURE LESSEE TAKE CARE OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT.
FARMING ALFALFA, AND THEY'VE HAD SOME WATER CHALLENGES.
WE RECEIVE AND COORDINATE WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
WHEN LEMHI LAND AND CATTLE RECEIVES NOTICES FROM THE DELTA ABOUT CERTAIN TYPES OF WATER RESTRICTIONS AND WATER USE REGISTRATIONS BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE AND BE SUCCESSFUL, AND IT'S A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARK IN THAT IF THEY WEREN'T THERE, WE WOULD HAVE A BIG AREA, A BIG OPERATIONAL AREA TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO MOVING FROM DELTA ACCESS OVER TO ARDENWOOD, WE HAVE A HYBRID SITUATION HERE WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THE ACRES FARMABLE ACRES AT ARDENWOOD FARMED BY PARK DISTRICT STAFF, INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION STAFF, AND SOME THROUGH A LEASE AND IT'S LOCATED IN THE CITY OF FREMONT ON ARDENWOOD DRIVE.
THIS USE IS DESIGNATED AS A SPECIAL MANAGEMENT UNIT IN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT LAND USE PLAN FOR ARDENWOOD, AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE INTENDED INTERPRETIVE USE FOR THIS PARK.
IT'S A 91 ACRE TOTAL AREA, AND 53 ACRES IS FARMED ONLY BY THE LESSEE, AND THEN THE OTHER ACRES ARE SOME ARE FARMED ONLY BY THE PARK DISTRICT AND THEN SOME ARE ON ROTATION.
SO THE PARK DISTRICT FARMING PROGRAM AND THE LESSEE FARMING PROGRAM WORK TOGETHER VERY CLOSELY.
IN THE PAST THEY HAVE FARMED AND CURRENTLY THEY DO FARMING AND PACKING OF THEIR FARM PRODUCT.
THEY ARE ALLOWED TO SELL PRODUCE, ALTHOUGH THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN RECENT TIMES, AND THERE'S AN ANNUAL PUMPKIN AND HARVEST SALE, WHICH IS VERY POPULAR, AND IT IS A CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM, HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS AND CURRENTLY IS.
IN TERMS OF THE LEASE AT ARDENWOOD, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON THE LEASE TIMELINE.
SO FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND FROM THE MID 80S TILL ABOUT 2020 PERRY FARMS WAS THE LESSEE AT ARDENWOOD AND PERRY FARMS. WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
THEY LET US KNOW IN JANUARY 2020 THEY WERE PLANNING ON RETIRING, AND SO AT THAT TIME, WE DID TWO DIFFERENT REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AS AS SOME OF THE BOARD COMMITTEE MAY REMEMBER FIRST IN MAY 2020 AT WHICH TIME WE DID NOT SELECT ANY OF THE PROPOSALS, THEN AGAIN IN JANUARY 2021.
WE DID A SECOND SEARCH, AND WE DID, I THINK, SOME OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE OUTREACH AND ADVERTISING TO FIND TO FIND A LESSEE HERE THAT SOME OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE THAT WE'VE WORKED ON REALLY GOING TO ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF ENTITIES, LIST BOARDS NONPROFITS.
WE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF PEOPLE COMING AND LOOKING AT THE SITE, HOWEVER I THINK ONLY ONE, 1 OR 2 PROPOSALS WERE ACTUALLY RECEIVED, AND IN AUGUST 2021, THE BOARD AUTHORIZED TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH DIG DEEP FARMS, WHICH HAD BEEN PART OF THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE, AND SINCE AUGUST SINCE 2021 STAFF HAD BEEN WORKING WITH DIG DEEP FARMS TO GET THEIR PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING.
THEY'VE BEEN INCREMENTALLY GETTING MOBILIZED AND MAKING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS, AND STAFF HAS BEEN PLEASED RECENTLY WITH HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO SCALE UP.
[01:35:04]
AS MANY OF US KNOW, IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE SHARED WITH US THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE ACTING AS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR DIG DEEP FARMS, AND SO WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST MONTHS IS THAT DIG DEEP.DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE HAS SHARED WITH US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ASSIGN THE LEASE WHICH THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO TO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, AND IF TIME WAS PERMITTING, I POSSIBLY, I THINK THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALAMEDA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, REGGIE YOUNG, MAY BE ON THE LINE AND ABLE TO SAY A FEW WORDS OR ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO STAFF IS WORKING CURRENTLY WITH THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE AND ALAMEDA COUNTY FOOD BANK AND ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT LEGAL DEPARTMENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY ASSIGN THE LEASE TO ALAMEDA COUNTY FOOD BANK PRIOR TO JUNE 30TH WHICH IS WHEN DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE IS ENDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT.
THE STAFF WOULD CAN DIG DEEP FARM STAFF WOULD CONTINUE, AND IT WOULD BE PRIMARILY A CHANGE IN THE GOVERNING BODY FOR THAT FOR THAT LEASE.
SO IT'S STILL VERY MUCH IN PROCESS, AND WE'RE REALLY WORKING COOPERATIVELY TOGETHER TO TRY AND NOT HAVE ANY BREAK IN ON THE GROUND OPERATIONS, AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE THE COYOTE HILLS, ALSO LOCATED IN THE CITY OF FREMONT. WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE REGARDING COYOTE HILLS IS THAT THERE IS A WHEN WE, THE PARK DISTRICT RECEIVED THE DONATION OF THE PATTERSON PROPERTY, THERE IS A DEED RESTRICTION THAT WE WILL PRESERVE AGRICULTURAL AND OPEN SPACE VALUES IN OUR USE OF THE LAND, AND MANY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE RECENTLY HAPPENED AS PART OF THE PUBLIC ACCESS AND RESTORATION PROJECT HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE OPEN SPACE VALUES, AND THERE'S ABOUT A 45 ACRE AREA THAT HAS BEEN SET ASIDE TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON AGRICULTURE.
HISTORICALLY WE HAD PLANTINGS THERE FOR HAY FOR COVER CROPS.
THERE ARE SOME SITE CHALLENGES.
THERE'S A SHARED USE OF THE WELL.
THE WELL IS BEING USED FOR THE RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE WAY THE SITE IS SET UP IS IS NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO PUBLIC ACCESS.
OOPS. LET ME GO BACK, AND THE STORAGE OR STAGING AREA IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED, ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE SHOWN HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT COULD BE USED BY A POTENTIAL LESSEE.
REGARDING THE PAST HISTORY OF THIS LEASE.
WE DID HAVE A COMPANY THERE FROM 2020 TO 2023 CALLED BEAR FLAG ROBOTICS.
WE WERE THAT WAS A POSITIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
THEY WERE ABLE TO TEST THEIR TRACTORS AND PUT IN COVER, CROP AND MAINTAIN THAT AREA.
SINCE THEN, THEY'VE MOVED ON AND THE STAFF AND BUSINESS SERVICES HAS WORKED TWICE TO PUT OUT REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER ENTITY WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN WILLING IN, IN LEASING THIS AREA, WE HAVE RECEIVED NO PROPOSALS, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT UPDATE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE REALLY MADE A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO LOOK FOR FARMING PROPOSALS. WE ARE DISCUSSING AMONG STAFF HOW WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A LEASE FOR THIS AREA THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH AGRICULTURAL VALUES BUT WE MIGHT WE ARE DISCUSSING HOW WE COULD EXPAND OUR SCOPE FOR REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS BEYOND JUST FARMING.
SO WE HAD REALLY BEEN SEEKING SOMEONE WHO COULD BE FARMING, DOING ROW CROPS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE.
[01:40:01]
THERE'S NOT A MARKET FOR THAT AT THIS TIME AND THIS AREA, BUT WE ARE GETTING GETTING OUR CREATIVE THINKING HATS ON AND THINKING WHAT OTHER TYPES OF USES MIGHT BE CONSISTENT WITH AGRICULTURAL VALUES THAT ARE NOT JUST TRADITIONAL FARMING, AND SOME OF THE IDEAS BEING DISCUSSED ARE FOR EXAMPLE CULTIVATING BEES APIARIES DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAYBE COMMUNITY GARDEN.SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON BROADENING OUR SEARCH TO, TO FULFILL THE DEED RESTRICTION BUT MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN WE HAD IMAGINED.
WHEN WE EMBARKED ON THIS 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, AND WITH THAT, I WILL CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANY QUESTIONS, AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK POSSIBLY IF TIME ALLOWED, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REGGIE YOUNG FROM ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK MAY ALSO BE ATTENDING.
HE IS ATTENDING? YEAH. IF HE'S ABLE TO JUST SHARE A FEW WORDS.
I KNOW I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HIS ORGANIZATION.
ABSOLUTELY. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS REGGIE YOUNG AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, AND WE ARE NOW THE FISCAL SPONSORS FOR DIG DEEP FARMS. WE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN A WAY THAT IT CURRENTLY IS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST THREE YEARS ARE EFFORTS TO INCREASE OUR EFFICACY AND UTILIZATION OF OUR RESOURCES TO SUPPORT BIPOC FARMERS, AND SO ACTUALLY, RIGHT NOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCE THAT WE ACQUIRE FROM BIPOC FARMERS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY NEEDS WITHIN THROUGHOUT ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH RECENTLY IS THAT 100% OF OUR PURCHASED PRODUCE IS COMING FROM BIPOC FARMERS, AND A LOT OF THAT IS DONE BASED UPON THE WORK AND THE PHILOSOPHY THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO REALLY STARTING TO INVEST MORE IN OPERATIONALIZE EQUITY IN THE WORK THAT WE DO ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
SO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH DIG DEEP FARMS, WHICH WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY SPONSORED THEM OVER TWO YEARS AND WITH THE OPTION OF A THIRD YEAR AFTER THAT IS IN LINE WITH THAT, THAT EFFORT TO REALLY SUPPORT BIPOC FARMERS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE THROUGHOUT ALAMEDA COUNTY FOR PEOPLE IN NEED.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME NEW OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES THAT WILL OCCUR AT THE DIG DEEP FARM SITE BECAUSE THE TEAM THERE WILL NOT BE COVERING SIX FARMS LIKE THEY PREVIOUSLY WERE INCLUDING ONE BEING EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
THEY'LL BE FOCUSING THEIR ATTENTION ON THIS ONE PARK SITE TO IN ORDER TO INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO FARM THAT SITE, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE SOME INCREASE IN SOME OF THE PRODUCTION THAT WILL BE OCCURRING ON THAT SITE AS WELL, AND SO LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN TO THIS PARTNERSHIP AND EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT US, ALONG WITH DIG DEEP FARM WILL BE DOING WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN THE FUTURE, HOPEFULLY.
IT WAS REALLY NICE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
OKAY. SO I'LL OPEN UP TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I THINK DEE'S LIKE READY TO GO IN TERMS OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
A QUESTION FOR YOU IS YOU SAID THAT DIG DEEP FARMS IS GOING TO FOCUS ON ARDENWOOD FARMS. SO THAT MEANS THERE ARE OTHER FARMS THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE UP, OR ARE THEY GOING TO CONTINUE TO RUN THOSE? SO THERE'RE ACTUALLY THERE'S OUT OF THE SIX FARMS, FOUR OF THOSE THE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ACTIVITY LEAGUE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, AND THOSE ARE MORE LIKE GARDENS, I WOULD SAY.
THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL FARM THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO MASONIC FARM IN WHICH THERE IS NOT ANY PRODUCTION OCCURRING AT THIS MOMENT, AND SO THAT FARM WILL THAT SITE WILL STILL BE UNDER THEIR UMBRELLA, BUT THEY WON'T BE FARMING ON THAT LOCATION ANY TIME SOON.
SO ALL OF THEIR ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE ARDENWOOD PARK FARM.
INTERESTING, AND THEN TIFFANY, WHAT'S THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET FOR OPERATING THE FARM THERE AT ARDENWOOD? I WILL LOOK THAT UP AND GET BACK TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I WILL, SANDY'S HERE AND MAY KNOW.
[01:45:01]
I KNOW WE HAVE A PARK SUPERVISOR THREE DIFFERENT FARMER POSITIONS, A PARK CRAFT SPECIALIST AND A GARDENER, AND THAT IS COVERING THE ENTIRE.OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF ARDENWOOD NOT JUST THE FARM BUT ALSO THE DEVELOPED AREAS.
SO THEY PAY $150 PER ACRE PER YEAR, AND THE TOTAL COST, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH THEY'RE FARMING, THEN, IS AROUND ANYWHERE BETWEEN JUST $8,000 A YEAR.
OR IF THEY'RE ABLE TO FARM A LARGER AMOUNT, IT COULD IT COULD BE UP TO JUST UNDER $14,000, AND WE DO HAVE IT STRUCTURED THAT, DEPENDING ON THE CAPACITY OF DIG DEEP FARMS, THEY CAN DO WHAT WE CALL IN-KIND WORK, WHICH IS WORK THAT THEY IN THE PAST WITH THE PERRY LEASE THEY WOULD HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO WORK WITH THEIR LARGE FARM EQUIPMENT IN THE PARK DISTRICT'S FARMING AREA TO OFFSET THEIR LEASE COST.
SO UNDER THE PERRY FARMS LEASE, THEY WOULD USUALLY NOT HAVE ANY PAYMENT TO THE DISTRICT SINCE DIG DEEP FARMS HAS BEEN BEEN OPERATING ARDENWOOD.
UNDERSTANDABLY, BECAUSE IT'S A BIG UNDERTAKING.
THEY HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON FARMING THEIR CORE ACRES UNDER THEIR LEASE, AND THEY PAY ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH THEY'RE ABLE TO F ARM OF THOSE CORE ACRES, AND AS THEY CONTINUE TO GROW AND EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY, WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFSET THE LEASE FEE THROUGH IN-KIND WORK.
OKAY, AND THEN I GUESS THIS COULD APPLY TO ARDENWOOD AND PATTERSON AS WELL.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO OFFER SOME FARMING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NATIVE AMERICANS THROUGH SOGOREA TE'? I KNOW THEY HAVE SEVERAL FARMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
THANK YOU ALL. I WILL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT.
SOGOREA TE' IS A MATERNAL ORGANIZATION WITH NATIVE AMERICANS, THE OHLONE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THEY'RE THRIVING, BUT THEY'RE SMALL FARMS, BUT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A CAPACITY OR, AND IF WE CAN BREAK UP THE LAND TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR ABILITIES ALSO.
OH THAT WELL THAT WAS COMPLETED.
WHAT'S THE CAPACITY OF THAT WELL? I MEAN, IS THAT THE ONLY SOURCE FOR THAT ENTIRE 45 ACRES? THAT IS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR THE ENTIRE 45 ACRES, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE AND SUPPORT THE 45 ACRES AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, DEVELOPMENT ON THEIR USE OF THE WELL FOR THE RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH I UNDERSTAND WILL BE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT NOT IN PERPETUITY.
OKAY, GREAT. THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.
I KNOW WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU THAT'S IT FOR ME.
I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.
WITH THE LEASES, DOES THAT INCLUDE WATER OR DO WE BILL WATER SEPARATELY, OR IS WATER BILLED SEPARATELY THROUGH THE WATER AGENCY? SO IF WE HAVE A WELL AT COYOTE HILLS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD BE COULD POTENTIALLY BE BUILT INTO THAT LEASE.
HOW AND WHERE DOES WATER COME FROM FOR ARDENWOOD, AND YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FOR DELTA ACCESS DURING THE PRESENTATION. YES.
THE THOSE ARE THE WATER IS THE WATER PAYMENTS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LESSEE, AND FOR COYOTE HILLS IT'S ONE METER.
[01:50:04]
CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE RESTORATION PROJECT TO GET THE WATER, THEIR NEED FOR THEIR IMPORTANT PURPOSES AND ALSO TRACK THAT SO THAT THE A POTENTIAL LESSEE COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WATER.PARDON ME, WATER RIGHT NOW IS SEPARATE FROM THE LEASE.
SO WE DO NOT INCLUDE WATER IN ANY OF THE THREE LEASES.
WATER IS INCLUDED IN ALL THREE LEASES.
THAT'S HELPFUL. OKAY, I KNOW IT'S YOUR TURN NOW, ELLEN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAN WHAT WE'VE REQUESTED FOR THIS SPOT? SO THAT'S I THINK, WHAT STAFF IS WANTING TO EXPLORE.
SO WE HAVE OVER SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS BEEN REQUESTING FARMING REALLY TRADITIONAL ROW CROPS, AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT BECAUSE WE THINK WE'VE NOW DETERMINED THROUGH OUR SEARCH THAT WE WILL NOT FIND A ROW CROP. SOMEONE TO LEASE FOR ROW CROPS.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT OTHER OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH AGRICULTURAL VALUES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER POSSIBILITIES? ANY OTHER POSSIBILITIES FOR LAND USE? WE DO NEED TO ADHERE TO THE DEED RESTRICTION, WHICH SAYS IT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH AGRICULTURAL VALUES, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WHAT MIGHT FALL INTO THAT UMBRELLA.
YES. SO THIS IS A REALLY GOOD, TIMELY PRESENTATION.
I KNOW I KEEP ON TALKING ABOUT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR, BUT REALLY THE COUNTY FAIR CELEBRATES AGRICULTURE ACROSS ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER HAVING A STRONGER PRESENCE AT THE FAIR, THAT COULD HELP US IN REGARDS TO YOU KNOW, SHOWCASING THESE THREE FARMS WHERE WE HAVE LEASES, BUT THEN ALSO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT I GUESS, AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMING THAT WE HAVE IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
CERTAINLY WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR--GRANTED, MOST OF IT IS FOR WINERIES, BUT REGARDLESS, IT'S A PRETTY ACTIVE AND HIGHLY REGARDED GROUP.
IN REGARDS TO PARTNERS AND REACHING OUT TO THINK ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE 45 ACRES AT COYOTE HILL. SO IT'S POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE SPLIT AMONGST DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
I DID WANT TO JUST MENTION SFPUC HAS AN AGRICULTURAL PARK AT THE THEIR I GUESS WHERE THE WATER TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN SUNOL, AND THAT IS RUN THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH A GROUP, ACRCD, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE ALAMEDA COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A GROUP THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY CORRESPONDED WITH, BUT THEY ADVERTISE THAT THEY RUN EIGHT DIFFERENT ORGANIC FARMS AT THAT SUNOL AG PARK, INCLUDING FRESH FLOWERS AND PRODUCE.
I KNOW, ACTUALLY, AT MY LOCAL FARMERS MARKET IN PLEASANTON, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUY PRODUCE FROM THAT SUNOL AG PARK, AND I KNOW THAT WITHIN THE FREMONT COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE HAS HAD TRADITIONALLY BEEN A STRONG PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, FREMONT HISTORY AND HERITAGE AND I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON, PROBABLY WHY THIS DEED RESTRICTION IS IN PLACE FOR THESE 45 ACRES, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I'LL ALSO SHARE I'M ON AN EMAIL LIST. I THINK DIRECTOR WAESPI IS ALSO ON THE EMAIL LIST, AND UNION CITY, NEXT TO QUARRY LAKES, THERE IS A FARM THAT IS KNOWN AS THE RAMIREZ FARM, AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S A PRETTY SIZABLE DEBATE HAPPENING WITHIN THAT UNION CITY FREMONT AREA NEXT TO QUARRY LAKES ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY, AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT DEBATE, PER SE, BUT WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY IS THIS IDEA THAT THERE IS THIS HERITAGE OF FARMING IN FREMONT.
[01:55:04]
A LOT OF VALUE AND INTEREST IN REGARDS TO PRESERVING SITES LIKE COYOTE HILLS AND OF COURSE, ARDENWOOD, AND THEN ANOTHER AREA THAT COULD ALSO BE INTERESTING. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN SILICON VALLEY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FREMONT'S RIGHT THERE.I THINK FREMONT ADVERTISES THEMSELVES AS A GATEWAY TO SILICON VALLEY, ACTUALLY, BUT THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR FARMING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COULD BE ANOTHER AREA OF CREATIVE OUTREACH.
SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE THE ROW CROPS LEASE MIGHT NOT WORK FOR COYOTE HILLS.
SO HAPPY TO ALSO CHAT WITH YOU OFFLINE ABOUT SOME OF THESE IDEAS, TOO, TIFFANY.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
YEAH, THIS IS INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SHARE A COMMENT ON THIS TOPIC.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT. NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY ELSE HERE? TIFFANY, DID YOU HAVE ANY FINAL COMMENTS YOU WANTED TO SHARE BEFORE WE CLOSE ITEM? OKAY, GREAT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S REALLY HELPFUL, AND AND I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS TODAY.
[Announcements]
WEDNESDAY JUNE 19TH.IT'S ALSO JUNETEENTH, AND HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WE ARE WAIVING ALL PARKING FEES.
IT'S GOING TO BE A FREE PARKING DAY, AND SO WE ALSO HAVE SOME SPECIAL PROGRAMING AND WALKS.
ALL THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE EBRPD.ORG I HOPE I GOT THAT RIGHT IN TERMS OF THE ACRONYMS, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ITEM THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS I KNOW WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEETING TOMORROW AND WE WILL BE AT BIG BREAK.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS OR ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THESE TWO TOPICS THAT ANYBODY WANTED TO SHARE? I DON'T SEE ANYONE.
SO I GUESS WITH THAT WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.