[00:00:01]
[Roll Call]
WE'RE READY TO START OUR BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.SORRY, THERE'S A TYPO ON HERE.
I'M ONE MINUTE EARLY, ACTUALLY.
10:30 ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 17TH.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO OUR ROLL CALL.
HERE. GENERAL COUNSEL LYNNE BOURGAULT.
HERE. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE VIDEO AND VIDEO STREAMING, LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL, LEAVING A VOICEMAIL, OR JOINING VIA ZOOM LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.
OKAY, GREAT, AND WE DO HAVE ONE CHANGE TO THE AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE. WE'RE GOING TO BE SWITCHING WHAT'S PRINTED FIVE C WITH FIVE B.
SO THE ORDER WILL GO FIVE A, FIVE C, FIVE B.
[Approval of Minutes]
SO MOVED.DIRECTOR COFFEY, WERE YOU ATTENDING THE MEETING OF JUNE 17TH OR THE MEETING OF JUNE 17TH FOR THIS COMMITTEE? NO, BUT I CAN APPROVE.
MINUTES. IF YOU WEREN'T IN ATTENDANCE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU NOT, AND THAT YOU ONLY NEED TWO MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE IN THE COMMITTEE TO DO SO AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT OFFLINE.
ALL RIGHT, THEN I WILL SECOND AND THEN ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ABSTENTIONS? NOPE? OKAY. THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
ALL RIGHT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS, NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[Action Items]
GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD MORNING? IT'S MORNING, SO GOOD MORNING.I'M AN ADMIN ANALYST TWO IN OPERATIONS WITH THE BUSINESS SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND TODAY I'M HERE TO DISCUSS AN ITEM WITH YOU FOR AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND THE DEL VALLE FOOD AND MARINA CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH THE ADVENCO, LLC.
STAFF RECOMMENDS AN AMENDMENT TO DEL VALLE FOOD AND MARINA CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH ADVENCO LLC TO EXTEND THE CURRENT AGREEMENT FOR TWO YEARS ENDING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2029, AND ADJUST THE CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND FEES DOWN TO 0.5% ON FOOD AND RETAIL.
THAT'S INCLUDING BAIT AND 10% ON BOAT RENTALS.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER.
THERE WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS AMENDMENT IS BECAUSE OF THE 2023 STORM DAMAGE.
TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE COST OF THAT WAS INCURRED BY THE CONCESSIONAIRE
[00:05:01]
AND SO WE'LL GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND OF THAT AND ANY FINANCIAL IMPACTS MOVING FORWARD AND A STAFF RECOMMENDATION.SO THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A REMINDER IN YOUR HEAD OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THE STORM.
THE MARINA HERE HAD A FLOATING BOATHOUSE, AND ALL THE BOATS THAT WE OWN FOR THAT CONCESSION WERE TIED UP TO THE DOCKS THERE.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AFTER THE STORMS. IT LOOKS KIND OF TRANQUIL STILL, BUT THEY WERE JUST, THE PIERS WERE JUST FREE FLOATING AS WELL AS THE BOATHOUSE WAS JUST FREE FLOATING OUT THERE.
THEY WEREN'T ANCHORED TO ANYTHING.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN IT HAD CLEARED UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO YOU CAN TELL FROM ALL THE DEBRIS AND STUFF HOW HOW BAD IT GOT.
THAT BUILDING RIGHT THERE IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE MARINA BOAT RENTAL BUILDING, AND IT HAS BEEN SINCE DEMOLISHED. THIS IS THE EAST CONCESSION, WHERE THEY SOLD PREPARED FOOD ITEMS AND RETAIL FOOD ITEMS, ALONG WITH OTHER TYPES OF MERCHANDISE.
THAT BUILDING IS NOT IN USE RIGHT NOW AND IT HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED YET.
SO IN OCTOBER 2016, WE HAD A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THIS LOCATION.
IT WAS AWARDED TO A CONCESSION AGREEMENT, WAS AWARDED TO PYRAMID ENTERPRISES THAT DID BUSINESS AS ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONCESSIONS. IT WAS THREE YEARS WITH A SEVEN YEAR SECOND OPTION TERM THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED OCTOBER 3RD, 2026.
THEN IT WAS EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 3RD, 2027 AS A MEANS OF COVID RELIEF, AND THEN IN 2021, PYRAMID SOLD THEIR BUSINESS AND ASSIGNED IT TO THE CONCESSION AGREEMENT TO ADVENCO, LLC.
IT DESTROYED THE MARINA STORE, WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN REMOVED, AND THEN IT'S SEVERELY DISABLED.
PARKS STAFF, AND THEY DISCUSSED THIS TOGETHER, DECIDED TO APPROVE AND LET THE CONCESSIONAIRE ADVENCO INSTALL A TEMPORARY PIER, AND THAT HAPPENED IN JUNE OF 2023.
THEY'RE ALSO RENTING A MODULAR BUILDING, WHICH THEY'VE PLACED IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE MARINA, AND WE REIMBURSE THEM FOR THAT EXPENSE OUT OF THE CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND.
WE HAVE NOT AND WE DO NOT PLAN TO PURCHASE THAT TEMPORARY PIER.
THE NO OTHER KIND OF ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN MADE TO HELP ALLEVIATE THEIR EXPENSE, THEIR OR THEIR LOSS OF REVENUE AS OF THIS MOMENT.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE TEMPORARY MODULAR LOOKS LIKE.
IT WAS PLACED IN THE PARKING LOT.
THIS IS BEFORE THE THIS PICTURE IS BEFORE THEY DEMOLISHED THE MARINA STORE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE MARINA STORE USED TO BE, AND THE DISTRICT ALSO SET UP A ADA RAMP TO ACCESS THAT TEMPORARY MODULAR BUILDING, AND THIS IS WHAT THE TEMPORARY PIER SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE.
YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRICT'S PIER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PICTURE, AND THEN SORT OF THE TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, WHERE THE MAN IS STANDING ON THE PIER, IS THE TEMPORARY PIER SYSTEM THAT ADVENCO PURCHASED AND PLACED.
[00:10:01]
SO THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY WOULD ALLOW THE CONCESSIONAIRES SOME EXTRA TIME TO RECOUP EXPENSES DUE TO THEIR LOST SALES WHEN THE PARK WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED, AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE PIER, THEY'RE NOT GETTING TO HAVE AS MANY BOATS OUT FOR RENTAL AS THEY USED TO HAVE, AND AS WELL AS THEIR COST FOR THAT PIER SYSTEM WHICH IS OWNED BY THEM. SO ADVENCO SENT A PROPOSAL TO US, AND WHAT WAS FINALLY DECIDED ON WAS THAT WE WOULD ALLOW THEM TO PAY A REDUCED FEE ON THEIR CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND, WHICH TOOK IT DOWN TO ABOUT 50% OF WHAT THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY PAYING.THEY WERE PAYING A HIGHER AMOUNT THAN USUAL TO THEIR CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND, WHICH WAS 14% ON BOAT RENTALS AND 7% ON FOOD AND MERCHANDISE, WHICH IS REALLY MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER CONCESSIONAIRES PAY.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO THE BOARD THAT WE LOWER THOSE FUNDS DOWN, THOSE THAT FEE DOWN TO 5% ON FOOD AND RETAIL AND 10% ON BOAT RENTALS, AND THAT WE WOULD EXTEND THEIR AGREEMENT TO OCTOBER 3RD, 2029.
ON YOUR MEMO, DOWN IN THE BOTTOM PART, IT SAYS OCTOBER 3RD, 2028, AND THAT IS A TYPO.
IT SHOULD BE OCTOBER 3RD, 2029.
SO THEY HAD ONE YEAR EXTENSION FROM COVID, AND NOW WE'RE PROPOSING PROPOSING TWO MORE YEARS TO OCTOBER 3RD, 2029. SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER AND BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD AN AMENDMENT TO THE DEL VALLE FOOD AND MARINA CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH ADVENCO, LLC TO EXTEND THE CURRENT AGREEMENT FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS, ENDING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2029, AND ADJUST THE CONCESSION MAINTENANCE FUND FEES DOWN TO 0.5% ON FOOD AND RETAIL AND 10% ON BOAT RENTALS ENDING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2029.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REFER QUESTIONS TO LISA.
SHE KNOWS ABOUT THIS ITEM AS MUCH AS TIFFANY DOES.
I THINK THEY DISCUSSED IT BEFORE TIFFANY WENT ON VACATION, AND ALSO RUBY TUMBER IS HERE.
SHE WAS INVOLVED IN THE STORM DAMAGE AND THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR ADVENCO BRINGING AND INSTALLING THE NEW PIER.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS SUCH AN INFORMATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW.
SO WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR COMMITTEE MEMBER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS REALLY SOUNDS REASONABLE.
THE QUESTION IS, HOW MANY BOATS DOES THAT TEMPORARY PIER HOLD? I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE DID ALLOW THEM TO PURCHASE A FREE FLOATING BUOY SYSTEM, WHICH WE REIMBURSE FOR.
WE WILL REIMBURSE FOR THROUGH CMF.
IT'S NOT A VERY BIG COST, LIKE $1,500 TO ANCHOR SOME OF THE SMALLER BOATS, SORT OF IN THE OLD PIER AREA, WHICH THEY HAVE ALREADY INSTALLED, AND THEY ARE DOING AND THEY DO SORT OF LIKE A, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WANTS TO RENT A LITTLE ROWBOAT THING AND THEY SEND SOMEBODY OUT IN A ROWBOAT AND GET THAT BOAT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE DOCK AND LOAD THEM UP THERE.
SO I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT YEAH, IT WAS 23 IN THE FIRST OF THE LARGER BOATS.
OKAY. HELLO, I'M RICHARD PARENTE, PARK, SUPERVISOR OF PARK DEL VALLE.
[00:15:02]
EXCUSE ME. IF THEY PUT THE LARGER BOATS ON THERE, IT'S UP TO 19.I THINK THE TOTAL NUMBER THEY CAN GET TO IS AROUND 43.
SO 43 IS WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
OKAY, GREAT, AND THEN I MEAN, IT'S GREAT THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO BRING IN THAT TEMPORARY PIER.
WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT? WHY WAS THEIR CMF SO HIGH? WHAT WAS IT AT, 14%? DON'T BE SHY. WELL IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE RFP RESPONSE AT THAT HIGH RATE, AND IT WAS ACCEPTED.
SO OF COURSE, TO PAY THIS LARGE AMOUNT INTO THE CMF, THEY PAY MUCH LESS INTO REVENUE TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE'RE PAYING A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE TO REVENUE, WHICH WAS 2% ON RENTALS, 3% FOR ANY SALES, OVER 400,000 ON RENTALS, AND THEN 3% ON MERCH, WHICH IS PRETTY LOW FOR THAT SIZE OF A CONCESSION.
SO THEY CONTRIBUTE VERY LITTLE TO REVENUE, AND WE'RE GETTING A HIGHER ALLOWANCE INTO CMF AND USING IT MAINLY TO MAINTAIN AND REPLACE OUR BOATS.
SO. YEAH. OKAY, THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO LOWER A 3% REVENUE.
YEAH, AND SO WE ACCEPTED A, A MAJOR REVENUE OR MAJOR DEDUCTION TO THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO CMF.
YEAH, AND BIG QUESTION'S ABOUT THE FACILITIES.
WHEN WE REPLACE THESE BUILDINGS, ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THEM SO THAT THEY'RE MOBILE? BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THESE FLOODS ARE NOT GOING TO THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE LAST OF THE FLOODS.
ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THEM SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO BE TOWED OUT OF THE FLOOD AREA.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP RECURRING REBUILDING THESE FACILITIES.
DIRECTOR ROSARIO, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE CONCESSION THAT'S CLOSED RIGHT NOW? I THINK WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH INSURANCE ON AND GETTING SOME COST TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOBILE BRINGING IN SOMETHING MOBILE OR REBUILDING IT.
I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IT IS WELL, IT'S WITHIN THE FLOOD AREA.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT RICHARD AND I MET WITH TIFFANY AND MATT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE EAST CONCESSION, WHETHER IT NEEDS TO BE MOBILE OR CAN JUST BE USED THE EXISTING BUILDING AND HAVE IT REPAIRED, AND ONE THING THAT RICHARD BROUGHT UP IS THAT IN IN OUR LIFETIME WITH THE PARK DISTRICT, THAT BUILDING HAD NEVER FLOODED BEFORE.
SO I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE MARINA BUILDING, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE EASIER TO HAVE THE MARINA BUILDING BE SOMEWHAT MODULAR, BUT WE CAN ALSO VERIFY FOR YOU THAT MOVING THE KAYAK BUILDING EVERY YEAR IS AN ENORMOUS ENDEAVOR.
IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO UNINSTALL IT AND INSTALL IT EVERY YEAR, AND, AND, AND THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO DO THAT TO, YOU KNOW, MORE BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE PARK IS, YOU KNOW, DAUNTING TO SAY THE LEAST.
SO IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
I MEAN, I'M THINKING THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS, TO ME, A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CONVENIENCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE FACILITIES AND SPENDING MORE MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO GET DAMAGED AGAIN.
[00:20:09]
HAS DONE.IT'S COMMENDABLE. SO THANK YOU.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOPE. OKAY. OKAY.
WONDERFUL. I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY.
SO THIS IS THE CONCESSIONAIRE RUNS ALL FOR EXCUSE ME, ADVENCO RUNS ALL FOUR OF THE CONCESSION LOCATIONS WITHIN DEL VALLE THAT ARE LISTED HERE IN THE PACKET, SO THE SWIM BEACH CAMPGROUND STORE, BAIT STORE, AND THEN THE BOAT RENTAL MARINA.
YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY CONSIDERED ONE CONCESSION.
OH, THREE. BOAT WITH THE MARINA, BOAT RENTAL WITH THE MARINA STORE.
THEN THERE'S THE EAST CONCESSION AND THE CAMP STORE.
YEAH, I GUESS THE BOAT MARINA WAS JUST IT WAS SECTIONED OUT IN THE PACKET, BUT YES, IT IS FOR MORE, MORE OR LESS THE SAME, AND THEN I SEEM TO RECALL AT ONE POINT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR A CONCESSIONAIRE AT SHADOW CLIFFS, I BELIEVE THEY MIGHT ALSO BE MAYBE TEMPORARILY, THEY WERE THE CONCESSIONAIRE OR ARE THEY STILL THE CONCESSIONAIRE AT SHADOW CLIFFS? THEY ARE STILL THE CONCESSIONAIRE AT SHADOW CLIFFS.
YES. OKAY. IT'S THE SAME COMPANY, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT SHADOW CLIFFS TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME COMPANY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I AGREE, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY REASONABLE PROPOSAL THAT I AGREE WITH.
I DO LIKE THIS IDEA OF THE EXTENSION ALLOWING TIME TO PLAN AND EXECUTE A REPLACEMENT STRATEGY, AND MAYBE, PERHAPS DURING THAT PLANNING TIME, THERE CAN BE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MOBILE VERSUS REBUILD.
SOUNDS LIKE THAT CONVERSATION'S ALREADY STARTED.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY QUESTION ON THAT, YOU KNOW, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A TEMPORARY PIER.
DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THAT TEMPORARY PIER TO BE OKAY? YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR, THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS TO FOR THE PARK DISTRICT TO REPLACE A PEER.
IT IS ON OUR CAPITAL PROJECT LIST, AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS TO, TO SORT OF HAVE A PARALLEL EFFORT TO KEEP THE TEMPORARY PIER IN PLACE WHILE WE PLAN AND DEVELOP AND THEN EVENTUALLY CONSTRUCT A NEW THAT WHOLE NEW AREA, THE MARINA. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME PUT A PLUG IN FOR THAT.
I WILL SHARE. I THINK I HAD HEARD THERE MIGHT BE ALSO A RESIDENCE OR TWO AFFILIATED WITH THIS CONCESSIONAIRE AT THE DEL VALLE SITE WITHIN THE PARK OR NEAR THE PARK.
THERE'S NOT A RESIDENCE THERE.
THEY BRING THEIR OWN MOBILE HOME WITH THEM.
IT'S A THE CURRENT MANAGER THERE HAS, LIKE, A BOUNDER TYPE.
THEIR COURTYARD IS UP ABOVE THE MARINA ON THE HILLSIDE AND THEY PARK THEIR RV THERE.
THAT AND WE DO NOT OWN THAT RV.
THAT'S THEIR OWN PERSONAL RV, AND IS IT ONLY THE MANAGER WHO LIVES THERE? OR THERE MAY BE SOME FAMILY MEMBERS WHO LIVE THERE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS.
THE CURRENT MANAGER LIVES THERE WITH HER SPOUSE.
OKAY, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER EMPLOYEE OF THE CONCESSIONAIRE H ABITATING IN THEIR OWN RV IN THE CAMPGROUND AREA, BUT HE NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE COMPANY IS GONE, SO, AND IS IT A YEAR ROUND? DO WE? IT'S UP TO THEM, I GUESS, HOW LONG THEY CAN.
THEY COULD BE THERE YEAR ROUND. THEY CAN IF THE CURRENT MANAGER DOES LIVE THERE YEAR ROUND.
[00:25:13]
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IT FOR ME IN TERMS OF QUESTIONS, I LIKE TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.OKAY. WAS THERE SOMETHING ELSE, TOO? I SAW YOU WERE MAKING SOME SORT OF.
IF YOU COULD START YOUR VIDEO, WILLIAM.
DO WE PROVIDE THREE MINUTES OR IS HE GOING TO BE COMMENTING? OKAY, THREE MINUTES THEN.
OKAY. NOW I'M NOW ASKING TO UNMUTE YOU.
I THINK THERE'S CONNECTIVITY ISSUE.
OKAY. DOES THAT WORK? YES. PATIENCE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD THIS MORNING, AND I HAVE, I THINK, SOME ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE GENERAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAD EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR PRESENTING THE PROPOSAL TO THE TO THE BOARD.
THE DOCK SYSTEM THAT WE INSTALLED IS A PERMANENT DOCK SYSTEM.
IT IS ANCHORED TO THE LAKE BED, DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS PREEXISTING AND OWNED BY THE PARK DISTRICT, WHICH WAS A PIER SYSTEM THAT WAS ATTACHED TO PIERS THAT WERE SUNKEN TO THE LAKE BED.
SO WE FULLY EXPECT THAT THE DOCK SYSTEM WILL LAST WELL BEYOND THE FIVE YEARS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE THE ANTICIPATED TIME FOR DESIGN AND REINSTALLATION OF A NEW MARINA SYSTEM AT THIS LAKE.
WE CURRENTLY ARE ABLE TO HOUSE 43 BOATS IN OUR MARINA SYSTEM WITH THE TEMPORARY DOCK IN PLACE, AS WELL AS THE MOORING BUOYS THAT WERE INSTALLED RECENTLY IN THE OLD MARINA SPACE.
SO WE OWN, I SHOULD SAY, THE PARK OWNS 53 BOATS, SO WE STILL HAVE SOME BOATS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE ON THE WATER FOR PARK VISITORS OR EASILY ACCESSED.
THIS OBVIOUSLY PRESENTS A CHALLENGE TO US IN TERMS OF OUR REVENUE PLAN FOR 2024 AND 2025 AND BEYOND.
WE ALSO HAD A VAST MAJORITY OF 2023 WHERE WE HAD NO OPERATION AT ALL.
WHILE WE WERE STRUGGLING TO GET THIS TEMPORARY DOCK APPROVED AND INSTALLED THROUGH BOTH THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE STATE, AND THEN SUBSEQUENT IMPACTS TO THE CAMPGROUNDS IN 2023 AND 2024.
SO I APPRECIATE THE GROUP WITH EAST BAY PARKS THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, RENEE, RUBY AND, AND TIFFANY THAT HAVE WORKED WITH US, AS WELL AS THE LOCAL PARK MANAGER, MR. PARENTE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU CONSIDERING THE PROPOSAL HERE.
WE DID, IN FACT, REQUEST THAT THE PARK DISTRICT ENTERTAIN AN ACTUAL LONGER TERM EXTENSION AND A GREATER REDUCTION IN FEES BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL IMPACT BOTH TO 2023 AND TO 2024.
[00:30:02]
IN OUR CONTINUING OPERATION AT THE LAKE, WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER, AND WE'VE OFFERED TO EXPAND THE TEMPORARY DOCK TO ACCOMMODATE MORE BOATS.THE PROBLEM IS, IS JUST THE WAY THAT THE LAKE AND MARINA AREA ARE LAID OUT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ADD ANY SPACE TO THIS EXISTING DOCK THAT WE HAVE.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE RELOCATED TO THE OLD MARINA SPACE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AS THE CONCESSIONAIRE FOR THE BOARD TO ASK ME ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OPERATION AND BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FROM US.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY.
YES. DO ANY OF MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, I THINK I THINK HE ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VOTES AND THE EFFECT ON THEIR ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE ENTIRE FLEET. SO.
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HEAR THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND I HOPE THAT WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENT HERE WITH EAST BAY PARK STAFF WILL BE VIABLE.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THAT GOOD COOPERATION BETWEEN BOTH ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK WE HAVE A VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CONTACTS AT EAST BAY PARKS.
EXCUSE ME. I DO THINK THAT THE ONE COMMENT THAT I WOULD MAKE IS, I THINK THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO DESIGN AND GO THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESSES TO RETURN THE MARINA TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE.
WHAT I THINK IS IN THE PLANS, IN THE CAPITAL PLANS WITH THE PARK DIVISION IS GOING TO BE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME, AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO TRY AND RETURN THE CAPACITY OF THE PARK TO THE LEVELS THAT EXISTED PRIOR TO THESE STORMS WOULD CERTAINLY BE IN THE BENEFIT BOTH OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND OF US.
SO ANYTHING WE'VE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS AS THE CONCESSIONAIRE, WE'VE BEEN VERY OPEN TO TRY AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO BE ABLE TO RETURN SERVICES AT THIS PARK TO PRE-STORM LEVELS AND THE ACTIONS THAT ARE TAKEN TO COME TO A CONCLUSION ABOUT THE EAST CONCESSION, WHICH IS STILL CURRENTLY OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M JUST GOING TO PUT OUT THERE THAT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME TO THE TABLE AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC THAT ENJOY THE RECREATION AT THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE.
YES, AND I GUESS THAT GIVES ME A QUESTION MAYBE FOR STAFF.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES AT PLAY IN REGARDS TO DEL VALLE JUST SEEING OUR EXTREME WEATHER PATTERNS, WHETHER IT'S SEVERE DROUGHT OR YOU KNOW, EXCESSIVE STORMS AND EXCESSIVE LARGE NUMBER OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS OR I KNOW IN 2017, WE GOT A LOT OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT ALSO WAS PROBLEMATIC FOR THIS AREA, AND SO I THINK WITH THESE DIFFERENT VARIABLES AND ALSO WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STATE OF CALIFORNIA OWNED LAND THAT'S MANAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES WITH SOME OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN REGARDS TO WATER AGENCIES, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO A FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL WHERE THE WATER RELEASES ARE MANAGED BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THAT 2017 STORM, THERE'S A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED WHEN WE GOT A LOT OF WATER IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RELEASED A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER DOWN THE ARROYO DEL VALLE, AND IT CAUSED SOME SOME ISSUES DOWNSTREAM, AND SO THAT'S ALSO PART OF THIS CALIBRATION IN REGARDS
[00:35:05]
TO THE LAKE LEVELS, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS CONTRACT NEGOTIATION WITH WITH YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION AND IT MAY BE LET'S JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAY IN TWO YEARS IN 2026, WE MIGHT HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO MANAGING THE WATER LEVELS AT DEL VALLE, AND SO MY QUESTION THEN IS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE GET THESE DIFFERENT PIECES OF INFORMATION? WOULD THERE BE THE POTENTIAL OPTION TO, YOU KNOW, REVISIT THIS CONTRACT? WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION FROM ALL THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AT DEL VALLE, AND COULD IT BE ALWAYS RENEGOTIATED? AT SOME POINT DURING THE TERMS OF THIS CONTRACT, SO ARE WE LOCKED IN DURING THIS TIME PERIOD OR CAN IT BE RENEGOTIATED IN THE MIDDLE? SHOULD WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION? YEAH, I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR CONTRACT IS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 90 DAYS OR I'M NOT SURE SPECIFICALLY I CAN'T RECALL, BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.YOU KNOW, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM ALL THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS MANAGING THE LAKE, AND IT MAY BE THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, AS WE HAVE MORE OF THESE DATA POINTS AND MORE CERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING, IT COULD CHANGE SOME OF THE DYNAMICS, AND SO IT MAY BE POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE THIS OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH ADVENCO AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE PERMANENT THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS PERMANENT DOCK AND MARINA THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THERE COULD BE A NEED TO REVISIT THIS CONTRACT.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT, THANK YOU.
ABSOLUTELY. I HOPE I SUMMARIZED THAT OKAY.
I HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION IN MY BRAIN.
SO I WAS TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, IT SUMMARIZED IN A SHORT MANNER THERE.
I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I RECALL WHEN WE HAD A TOUR AT THE AFTER THE FLOOD.
THERE WAS TALK OF BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THIS PICTURE OF THE BAIT SHOP HALFWAY UNDERWATER.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT INSTALLING A QUICK DISCONNECT FOR ALL THE UTILITIES.
WAS THAT IN PLACE THEN, AND IS THAT IN PLACE NOW? NO, THEY'RE ALL THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU.
ALL OF THE SORRY ALL OF THE ELECTRONIC OR ELECTRIC PHONE, INTERNET, WATER AND SEWAGE ARE ALL HARDWIRED INTO THE MARINA ARE HARD-LINED INTO THE MARINA AT THIS TIME.
SO THERE WOULDN'T YES THAT WOULD ONLY WORK FOR THE ELECTRICAL AND THE PHONES AND THE INTERNET.
THAT WOULDN'T WORK FOR THE WATER OR SEWER.
YEAH, AND THEN I KNOW THE WATER SYSTEM WAS UPDATED.
BASICALLY, IT WAS UPDATED AFTER THE AFTER FIRES.
SO IS THAT IS THAT FULLY FUNCTIONAL NOW? YES. THE NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS UP AND RUNNING.
THANK YOU. I'LL GIVE ONE MORE OPTION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
OKAY. IF THERE AREN'T ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'LL.
THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE RECOMMEND TO AUTHORIZE THIS AMENDMENT OF THE DEL VALLE FOOD AND MARINE CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH ADVENCO, LLC, PER STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
SO THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY THREE ZERO.
OKAY, SO THAT'S THE END OF OUR ACTION ITEMS. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS FIVE A AND THAT'S OUR DISTRICTWIDE FUELS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE.
[Informational Items]
[00:40:15]
GOOD MORNING.I'M CHIEF EILEEN THIELE FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CO-PRESENTING WITH ME WILL BE ASSISTANT CHIEF KHARI HELAE.
SO TODAY, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT.
AN UPDATE FOR THE 2024 SEASON OF OUR STRATEGIC FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THE TOTAL PERMITTED ACREAGE NOW FOR OUR ENTIRE PLAN IS 50 TO 85,280 ACRES, WHICH IS HUGE, AND THAT JUST AS A REMINDER COMBINES THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, FORMERLY CALLED OR AFFECTIONATELY CALLED THE WHRRMP, WHICH IS 3000 ACRES, AND THEN RECENTLY THE ADDED CALVTP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY.
SO A LOT OF THE TIMES WE'RE QUESTIONED BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY BY HOW IS IT THAT WE PICK WHAT WORK WE'RE GOING TO DO IN OUR WORK PLAN FOR THE PARTICULAR SEASON. SO WE USE CERTAIN CRITERIA IN AN EFFORT TO HELP US TRY TO PRIORITIZE WHAT LANDS AND WHAT AREAS OF THE CALVTP AND THE WHRRMP THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS HERE YOU SEE IN ON THE PRESENTATION.
THAT'S KIND OF THE FIRE WISE MANTRA THAT ALL OF CALIFORNIA AND CALFIRE WORK OFF OF.
NEXT TO HOMES, EUCALYPTUS STANDS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'VE GOT A STAND THAT'S FAIRLY DENSE, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY GROW.
THEY ARE ABLE TO, IF THEY CATCH FIRE, CAST EMBERS ALOFT, AND AS FIREFIGHTERS, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS DRAW A BOX AROUND A FIRE AND FIGHT IT AND KEEP IT INSIDE THAT BOX AND EUCALYPTUS STANDS BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT THE LEAVES DO WHEN THEY'RE ON FIRE, AND THE WINDS THAT WE HAVE IN THESE AREAS OFTEN CARRY THEM ALOFT.
SO IDENTIFICATION, THE MAINTENANCE OF CRITICAL ACCESS ROUTES FOR FIRE RESPONSE AND ALSO FOR FIRE EVACUATION, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE CRITICALFIRE ROUTES ARE, ARE TREATED IN A WAY THAT WOULD MAKE FOR SAFE PASSAGE, BOTH FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND ALSO IF IT'S PART OF THE EVACUATION PLAN FOR A SAFE EGRESS.
SO AND THEN THE DISTRICT FACILITIES, DEFENSIBLE SPACE FOR OUR FACILITIES IS ESSENTIAL FOR OPERATION.
WE NEED TO NOT ONLY TAKE CARE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALSO PROTECT ANY PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE AT LIKE A VISITOR CENTER OR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WORK AT OUR FACILITIES, AND IT'S ALSO PART OF THE FIRE CODE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY TWO COUNTIES.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE CRITICAL WHEN WE'RE PRIORITIZING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MITIGATE FOR THAT YEAR, AND THEN THE 2024 MULES FUELS MANAGEMENT INITIAL TREATMENT WORK PLAN, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SOMETIMES WE FORGET TO REMIND EVERYBODY IS THAT WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROJECTS.
THOSE ARE INITIAL ENTRY IN AREAS THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY RECENT WORK.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE DONE FUELS MANAGEMENT IN THE 1970S AND THE 80S AND 90S, BUT IN THE 2000S, IT TOOK A DIFFERENT TURN UNDER OUR WILDFIRE HAZARD WILDFIRE REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND SO WE DO GO BACK AND MAINTAIN AREAS, BUT THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE GO TO THAT ARE INITIAL THAT IT'S FIRST TIME.
SO IT'S USUALLY A BIGGER PROJECT.
SO THE PLANNED INITIAL ENTRY FOR 2024 ARE PRIMARILY HERE'S A LIST OF THE PARKS BUT PRIMARILY IT'S TILDEN PARK, WHICH IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE VTP IS AND OBVIOUSLY ANTHONY CHABOT, BUT THOSE OTHER PARKS WILL BE HAVING SOME INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE WORK IN THEM AS WELL.
GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
KHARI HELAE, YOUR ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.
SO OUR FIRST SLIDE HERE TALKS ABOUT OUR FUNDING SOURCES, AND WHEN I WAS PREPARING FOR THIS PRESENTATION, I CAME ACROSS A SLIDE FROM A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION IN 2020.
I FOUND THE NUMBER INTERESTING WHERE IT SAYS 2.3 MILLION SPENT IN FUELS MANAGEMENT.
4.5 MILLION FROM THE CALRECYCLE STATE FUNDING.
[00:45:05]
3.2 MILLION FROM THE PARK DISTRICT GENERAL FUND AND 2 MILLION FROM FEMA.TECHNICALLY, IT'S 2.8, BUT THE OTHER FUNDING GOES TO OUR PARTNERS UC BERKELEY, CITY OF BERKELEY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EAST BAY MUD, BUT WE WERE THE LEAD GRANTEE ON THAT FOR 2.8, AND OUR PORTION IS THE 1.3 MILLION AND 700 FROM MEASURE FF AND A PG&E GRANT FOR 100,000, FOR A TOTAL OF 11.8 MILLION.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY DRASTIC DIFFERENCE FROM 2020 TO 2024 AND THEN WE HAVE $30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS OUT THERE THAT COULD ARRIVE AT ANY TIME.
WE HAVE POTENTIALLY FEMA GRANTS TO BE AWARDED NEXT YEAR, BUT YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY DEPEND ON WHEN THAT'S GOING TO ARRIVE, BUT WHEN WE SAY WE HAVE $30 MILLION OF PENDING GRANTS OUT THERE, THAT'S THE EXAMPLE OF OF THAT INTERESTING, FUN FACT WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO KATY HORNBECK PRESENTATION A COUPLE BOARD MEETINGS AGO, SHE SAID THAT THE DISTRICT HAD $100 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS, WHICH MEANS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS 30% OF THOSE PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS.
THIS IS A PHOTO OF CANDY GROVE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE OVER IN WEST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND THAT PG&E GRANT THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS GOING TO FUND THAT PROJECT, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO USE SOME GENERAL FUND MONEY TO FINISH OFF THAT WORK SO WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT TO COMPLETE OVER THERE, BUT THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SOME TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AN INITIAL TREATMENT AT THAT SIDE OF THE COUNTY, AND WE ARE ALWAYS ON THEIR DIABLO FIRE SAFE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
I WORK WITH THEIR HEAD OF THAT COMMITTEE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LITERALLY JUST LOST A BLANK OF HER NAME.
THANK YOU, AND SO WE WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN REPRESENT OUR WORK IN ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE DISTRICT, AND SO THAT WAS A SPECIAL PROJECT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR WORK IN THAT AREA.
THIS MAP HERE IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES AROUND TILDEN.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE THERE, WHICH IS OFF OF GRIZZLY PEAK, AND THEN THE RED, YOU SEE CALRECYCLE AND THE GRIZZLY AND THE DISTRICT GENERAL FUNDS, THE CALRECYCLE FUNDING IN THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT IS OFF OF SOUTH PARK DRIVE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN TILDEN RECENTLY AND THIS IS ANYBODY, IF YOU GO TO SOUTH PARK DRIVE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE OF WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE, AND I WAS IN A MEETING WITH BERKELEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL, AND THE ACTING ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF FROM BERKELEY WAS GIVING US COMPLIMENTS AS AN AGENCY, TELLING US WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF OURSELVES FOR THE WORK THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OVER OFF OF SOUTH PARK DRIVE, AND THIS IS SOME EXAMPLES OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK FUEL BREAK.
WE ALREADY DID OUR FIRST QUARTERLY GRANT REPORT.
TECHNICALLY, WE WERE JUST SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE CEQA PORTION COMPLETED, BUT BECAUSE THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN SHOVEL READY FOR A WHILE OVER A DECADE. WE WERE ABLE TO GET WORK COMPLETED AHEAD OF TIME OF THE GRANT SCHEDULE, SO WE WERE THE FIRST PARTNER OF THESE GRANTS TO GET WORK DONE, BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE BEFORE AND AFTER OF WHAT THAT PROJECT LOOKS LIKE AND AS WE ARE LOOKING AT HOLD ON ROADSIDE PICTURES OF WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE. THIS IS ANOTHER PICTURE IN TILDEN.
WHY DO WE DO WORK NEAR ROADSIDES? WELL, INTERESTING FACT.
NATIONWIDE, 53% OF ALL FIRES NATIONWIDE ARE STARTED NEAR THE ROAD.
90% OF ALL FIRES STARTED ARE CREATED OR START A HALF MILE FROM A ROAD, AND LASTLY, 88% OF ALL HUMAN CAUSED FIRES, OR 88% OF FIRES ARE HUMAN CAUSED.
[00:50:09]
WE PUT THE MONEY, SO THAT IT GETS THE BEST BENEFIT FOR THE PUBLIC.UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PRESENTATION IS ABOUT A MONTH OLD BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS, BUT SO I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE CURRENT PICTURES, BUT RIGHT NOW THE PROJECT IS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE, AND IF YOU JUST DRIVE THROUGH IT, YOU'LL BE AMAZED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE, AND HERE WE ARE IN ANTHONY CHABOT AND YOU CAN SEE A ROADSIDE WORK BEING COMPLETED OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE DONE OTHER WORK AT ANTHONY CHABOT, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ROADSIDE WORK GOING ON OVER THERE, AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS OUR FUELS CREW AND THIS IS A PROJECT UP IN CLAREMONT AND WHERE WE WERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BARE LAND THERE WHERE IT'S A FUEL BREAK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING FOR MANY YEARS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CREW MEMBERS THERE, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING PRESCRIBED FIRE. BURNING PILES WITH ANOTHER CREW, AND SO BETWEEN THE TWO CREWS, WE WERE ABLE TO BURN MORE PILES THAN NORMAL. PICTURE THAT'S ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AT LEAST MY BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IS A PILE, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S VERY DETAILED WITH WAS CREATED, AND THERE'S A PIECE OF PAPER THAT'S THERE, THAT'S THERE, SO THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE A DRY SPOT WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE PILE.
SO WHEN WE COME BACK AND BURN IT DURING WINTER IT MAKES IT MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO BURN IT, AND WE ARE VERY METICULOUS HOW WE CREATE OUR PILES, AND THIS IS ONE THING I'M PROUD ABOUT WITH THIS CURRENT GENERATION, COMPARED TO WHEN I WAS A FIREFIGHTER, WE CREATED PILES BUT NOT DETAILED LIKE THIS, AND THE BENEFIT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THEM BEING SMARTER AND MORE DETAILED WITH PILE CREATING IS THAT BURNS MORE EFFICIENT.
IT'S CLEANER FOR THE AIR, AND WE ALSO TAKE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T OVERHEAT THE SOIL, AND WE IT JUST WASN'T DONE ON THAT LEVEL DECADES AGO, AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS UP IN INSPIRATION POINT IN TILDEN, WHERE WE HAD A LARGE PILE BURN PROJECT WITH MULTIPLE CREWS, ALAMEDA COUNTY CREW AND MORAGA, ORINDA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OBVIOUSLY OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THE LITTER THAT WAS IN THE EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION UP ON INSPIRATION POINT, AND ANTHONY CHABOT.
SO LET'S TAKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME, BACK TO 2022, WHERE THE BOARD APPROVED OUR FIRST PILOT PROJECT OF 80 ACRES, WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROJECT BECAUSE THAT WAS BEFORE WE EVEN KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A SUCCESS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP AT THE DISTRICT, WE HAD SUPPORT TO DO A PILOT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS GOING TO BE, AND BUT IT DID TURN OUT TO BE A SUCCESS, AND SO WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF OURSELVES.
THAT ALLOWED US TO GO TO THE NEXT PROJECT OF MARCH OF 2023.
THE 365 ACRE PROJECT THE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT HAZARDOUS WILDLAND FUELS REDUCTION PROJECT.
THAT PROJECT IS ABOUT 5% LEFT, SO 95% COMPLETED, AND WE HAVE JUST STARTED THIS WEEK, THE CONTINUATION PROJECT, WHICH IS A CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS WORK, 221 ACRES, ABOUT 5.3 MILLION AUTHORIZED FUNDS FOR THAT PROJECT.
WE HAVE COMPLETED MORE WORK IN ANTHONY CHABOT IN ANY TIME IN HISTORY, AND WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST DURING THIS TIME TO SEE IF WE CAN COMPLETE AS MUCH FUELS WORK OUT THERE AS POSSIBLE, AND ALSO MAINTAIN IT.
SO WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB AT REACHING THAT GOAL AND LAST TIME WE PRESENTED TO THE PAC COMMITTEE, AND I REMEMBER A COMMENT ABOUT WANTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND SO THIS IS A MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES ARE BASED OFF THE BUDGET, AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, PUT MY GLASSES ON BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE FROM HERE.
[00:55:10]
GIVE ME A SECOND HERE.CALRECYCLE FUNDS AND 5500, AND THEN WE HAVE IN GREEN.
WE'RE BEING TOLD ANY ANY DAY NOW, AND WE HAVE STATE FUNDING FROM CALRECYCLE THAT IS THE RED COLOR, AND IN THE MAGENTA IS THE PILOT PROJECT FUNDING FROM THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY OF $1 MILLION AND $1 MILLION FROM THE PARK DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT'S A COMBINED BALANCE OF $15.5 MILLION AND A TOTAL OF 692 ACRES.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, AND IF YOU'RE ADDING UP ACRES, SOME OF THOSE ACRES AT 692 IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER, INCLUDING THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE DONE BEHIND THE SCENES. OKAY, AND THIS SLIDE IS OLD.
FOR THE ANTHONY CHABOT PROJECT, WE DID OUR 42ND TOUR YESTERDAY WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
WE HAD PARKS OUT THERE LIKE POINT REYES AND GOLDEN GATE AND ROSIE RIVETER, A LARGE VARIETY OF NATIONAL PARKS REPRESENTATIVES THERE TO SEE THIS GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT THAT THE DISTRICT HAS, HAS DONE AND IS, HAS BEEN DOING FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD LEGAL AND THE OUR BOARD OUT THERE AND WE'VE HAD THE BAY AREA BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND CAR CARB.
WE'VE HAD THE US FOREST SERVICE OUT THERE AND FORESTERS DIABLO FIRE SAFE COUNCILS, AND OTHER GROUPS LIKE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY, BUT A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME OUT TO SEE THE DISTRICT'S WORK, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO BE PART OF A TEAM THAT HAS CREATED SUCH A PROJECT, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN PART OF A PROJECT WHERE 42 GROUPS WANTED US TO SHOW THEM THEIR WORK, BUT IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN FUN TO SEE WHERE WE HAVE, WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THESE PROJECTS.
THIS WAS FROM A MONTH AGO WHEN WE TURNED THIS IN, AND SO THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS SLIDE HERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WE'RE HAVING A FIRE YEAR, AND AT THE TIME IT WAS SAYING 89,000 ISH ACRES.
IT WAS ABOVE THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 225,000 ACRES.
SO TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE THAN A MONTH AGO WHEN THE STATISTIC WAS WAS TAKEN.
SO WE'RE BUSY IN CALIFORNIA AND SPENT A PRETTY ACTIVE FIRE YEAR, BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PERCENTAGES OR FACTS I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ON WITH FIRE STARTS AND THE CAUSES AND HOW MUCH OF IT IS HUMAN CAUSED, YOU KNOW, IT'S APPARENTLY US AS PEOPLE ARE BUSY AND FIRES HAVE BEEN STARTING THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND BEFORE I END, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT THE DISTRICT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT FUELS TEAM IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY BY MITIGATING FIRE RISKS BEFORE THEY OCCUR AND BEFORE THEY ESCALATE THROUGH PROACTIVE MEASURES AND EFFECTIVE FUELS MANAGEMENT, WE AIM TO REDUCE THE INTENSITY AND SPREAD OF WILDFIRES, SAFEGUARDING LIVES, PROPERTY AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
BEFORE THIS PRESENTATION WAS CREATED, THE WEEK OF JULY 4TH, WE HAD THREE WILDLAND FIRES IN TILDEN AND IN RIGHT SOME TOO WERE ON OUR LAND ONE OF THEM OCCURRED FROM A FIREWORK, AND IT OCCURRED IN ONE OF OUR HISTORIC FIELD BREAKS OFF GRIZZLY PEAK THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING FOR MANY YEARS, AND WE DON'T STAFF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT 24 HOURS ALL THE TIME, BUT WHAT WE DO IS BASED OFF WEATHER AND DATA, WE STAFFED 24 HOURS, AND WE HAPPEN TO BE STAFFED 24 HOURS THAT NIGHT, AND THE FIRE OCCURRED ON OUR LAND IN A FIELD BREAK, AND BECAUSE WE HAD OUR SUPPRESSION
[01:00:10]
FORCES ON DUTY THAT NIGHT, WHEN THEY GOT THE CALL, THEY WERE THERE WITHIN MINUTES, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT FIRE OUT FIRST ONE ON SCENE AND THEN LATER ON MFD, BERKELEY FIRE, OAKLAND FIRE, CALFIRE, ALL OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS ARRIVED ON SCENE TO MITIGATE THAT FIRE, BUT IT WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HAVING FUELS MANAGEMENT, ALONG WITH QUICK SUPPRESSION FORCES, IS WHAT KEEPS FIRES SMALL.I WANT US TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT ALL THESE LARGE FIRES THAT ARE BURNING IN CALIFORNIA STARTED OFF AS SMALL AS THESE FIRES WE JUST HAD ON OUR LAND, BUT WHEN EVERYTHING LINES UP PERFECTLY, WE HAVE SUCCESS STORIES LIKE THE ONE I'M TALKING TO YOU ABOUT, AND I HAD PUT THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WADE CROWFOOT HAD MADE A COMMENT SAYING THAT WAS EXCITING TO SEE.
I'M PARAPHRASING, BUT SEE THE DOTS CONNECT WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT TELLS US THAT OUR WORK IS BEING RECOGNIZED EVEN AT THE STATE LEVEL.
IT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ANY QUESTIONS.
WOW, THAT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SEND US THAT POST THAT YOU PUT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND OR THE COMMENT FROM THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, I KNOW I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING IT, I MIGHT GO LOOK FOR IT MYSELF ANYWAYS, BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT STORY.
A GREAT WAY TO CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
OKAY. SO WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND START WITH BOARD COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS? OKAY. YOU GO FIRST.
SO IF I'M RUNNING OUT MY NUMBERS HERE.
SO THE ORIGINAL THE DEAD TREES WAS RIGHT AROUND 1200 ACRES, CORRECT? OR SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE? NOW IT'S 15.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE AFTER THE CONTINUING PROJECT IS DONE, WE'LL HAVE APPROXIMATELY, ALMOST, SAY, 590 ACRES DONE.
SO THAT MEANS WE'LL STILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 700 ACRES.
IS THAT CORRECT? AS LONG AS YOU ADD THE TECHNICAL TERM ISH AT THE END OF IT THEN, YES, AND THEN AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE PURSUING GRANTS FOR THAT AS WELL.
WE ARE THAT, THAT REASON I SAID THAT IS THAT WAS AN ESTIMATE BASED OFF GROUND TRUTHING AND USING DATA, BUT IT'S STILL AN ESTIMATE, AND YES, WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING GRANTS, AND THAT 30 MILLION OUT THERE AND PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS DOESN'T JUST INCLUDE ANTHONY CHABOT, BUT IT'S THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND OBVIOUSLY OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMMUNICATION WITH OR CONTINUING TO ASK US WHERE WE NEED FUNDING AND WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS IS, AND ALWAYS HAVING US DO TOURS SO WE CAN PUT ATTENTION ON THE PROJECT SO WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
I MEAN, INITIALLY I THINK THIS PROJECT HAS SHOWN THAT YOU KNOW, FOR $10 MILLION, WE DID A LOT AND IT ALSO GOES TO SHOW THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH AND YOUR TEAMS, AND THEN YOUR DEFINITION OF INITIAL ENTRY. SO THOSE ARE YOU'RE GOING I MEAN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE PARKS HAVE ALREADY HAD INITIAL HAVE ALREADY HAD TREATMENT DONE, BUT SO INITIAL IS GOING TO BE GOING INTO AREAS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TREATED BEFORE.
THAT WAS KIND OF FOR YOU, DIRECTOR ROSARIO, BECAUSE YOU AND I HAVE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF LONGEVITY HERE IN THE PARK DISTRICT, AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE CLEAR, THOSE ARE INITIAL ENTRY AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE PLAN, RIGHT, THAT WE ADOPTED IN 2010.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER GONE INTO ANY OF THESE PARKS.
WE DID WORK IN THE 70S AND THE 80S AND ANTHONY CHABOT WE DID THE WORK WE LEARNED, AND WE'RE DOING BETTER THROUGH THE PLAN, BUT YES, AS THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IDENTIFIES THEM, THEY ARE INITIAL ENTRY AREAS, AND THEN THE CALVTP HAS ADDED ON THAT EXTRA ACREAGE, AND FOR OUR RECORDS IT SHOWS THESE ARE INITIAL ENTRY AREAS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE AND I KNEW YOU WOULD CATCH ME.
[01:05:04]
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK.YEAH, IT'S FASCINATING TO SEE THAT HOW FAR WE'VE COME.
SO WE'VE COME A LONG WAY AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
ARE WE WORKING ON HAVING A BURN BOSS? WE ARE YEAH, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR CAPTAINS, PATRICK MCINTYRE, WAS THE FIRST.
WE HAVE OTHER CAPTAINS WHO WERE VERY CLOSE, BUT HE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT HAS COMPLETED HIS TRAINING AND NOW HAS A OPEN TASK BOOK, SO THE TRAINING PORTION OF IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
YEAH, AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK ABOUT.
I'M THINKING OF PLEASANTON RIDGE, SUNOL, MORGAN TERRITORY, HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH THOSE OUTSIDE OF THIS? WE DO WORK AS WHEN WE'RE REQUESTED BUT THAT IS AN AREA WHERE AS WE NOW HAVE THE CALVTP, IT GIVES US AN OPTION TO GET THOSE AREAS PERMITTED PRIOR WHEN YOU I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
CREW CAN DO THAT TYPE OF WORK, BUT AT SOME POINT NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS CALVTP AS AN ADDITIONAL OPTION, THE DISTRICT CAN SEEK TO GET OTHER AREAS PERMITTED SO WE CAN DO HIGHER LEVEL FUELS WORK.
THE GOAL DIRECTOR ROSARIO IS TO GET KIND OF A PROGRAMMATIC, ALMOST CALVTP PERMIT FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. HOWEVER CURRENTLY CALVTP CAN ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED ON SRA.
SO BASICALLY, I MEAN I IMAGINE A LOT OF THESE PARKS OUTSIDE OF THE PERMITTED AREAS ARE BASICALLY RESPONSIBLE BY OPERATIONS AND THE PARKS PARK CREWS THERE.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S TRUE? I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THIS PRESENTATION IS CALLED A FUELS MANAGEMENT UPDATE BUT, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY DISTRICT WIDE THAT INCLUDES OPERATIONS, AND SO THERE'S THERE IS FUELS MANAGEMENT HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT THROUGH PARK OPERATIONS AND ALSO THROUGH STEWARDSHIP THROUGH WITH THE CATTLE GRAZING AND SO THIS PRESENTATION IS JUST FOCUSING ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S WORK, BUT DISTRICTWIDE WE WOULD BE PRESENTING ABOUT OPERATIONS AND ALL THE WORK THAT HAPPENS, AND THAT WORK IS IS GOOD WORK THAT'S GOING ON THROUGH PARK OPERATIONS, AND THE GRAZING OCCURS THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, AND WE BUT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE ARE PART OF A COLLABORATIVE GRANT WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE OVER IN THE LAS TRAMPAS AREA.
IT'S CALLED HUNSAKER ROAD AREA, WHERE IT'S A CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK AND A PORTION OF IT GOES THROUGH DISTRICT LAND, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP THAT COMMUNITY WITH HELPING IT BE SAFER BY HAVING THIS CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK.
SO WORK IS HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A HIGHER LEVEL PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF OUR CURRENT AREAS.
OKAY. THAT WAS BASICALLY A QUESTION FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW ALL THAT'S GOING ON, BUT I MEAN, THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY LOCAL PARK, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE THEM THAT WORK IS BEING DONE.
IT'S NOT JUST CONCENTRATED IN THE OAKLAND BERKELEY HILLS, BUT YEAH, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
SO I THINK THAT'S MY LAST QUESTION.
[01:10:02]
ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? WE HAD A PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTATION, AND YOUR DEPARTMENT WAS LEFT OUT, AND THEY SAID THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE DOING ONE LATER TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATE.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR OUR ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT JULY 30TH.
IS THAT'S THE LAST ONE FOR A WHILE.
I THINK PRINTING A REPORT OF SOME SORT.
YES WE KIND OF DREW THE SHORT STRAW.
SO WE ARE PRODUCING AN ANNUAL REPORT.
WE CHOSE THE SAME CONTRACTOR AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, YEAH, WE'VE HAD LIFEGUARD SERVICES PRODUCED THEIRS.
THEY HAVE A MORE FOCUSED PERIOD OF TIME STATISTICALLY.
SO THAT WAS FAIRLY EASY TO DO, AND THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GOT THE LONGER STRAW.
I'LL SAVE ALL THOSE STAFF QUESTIONS FOR THEN OKAY.
SO THANK YOU. DOCTOR COFFEY DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YEAH, GO FOR IT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA WORK, AND IT IS A HIGHLY REGARDED AND HIGHLY READ CLICKED ON, I GUESS IS THE PARLANCE AND I WANTED TO BOTH COMMEND IT AND SUGGEST THAT YOU, YOU KEEP UP THAT WORK.
YOU KNOW, OUR SURVEYS, AND WE JUST GOT A REPORT AT THE LEG' COMMITTEE ON OUR MOST RECENT COMMUNITY SURVEYS AND POLLING, WILDFIRE THREAT, WILDFIRE CONCERN REMAINS AT THE BASICALLY THE TOP OF THE LIST OF AMONG OUR CONSTITUENTS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE THE PARK DISTRICT FOCUSED ON AND REFLECTING THEIR OWN CONCERNS FOR THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.
SO I THINK IT IS HIGHLY INFORMATIVE TO OUR PUBLIC GIVEN THEIR HIGH CONCERN FOR THE WILDFIRE ISSUES THAT THEY BE CONTINUALLY INFORMED OF OUR MITIGATION PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING, AND AS DIRECTOR ROSARIO ELICITED THE GREATER DISTRICT WIDE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES WHAT IS BEING DONE OPERATIONALLY.
IN MY WARD, THERE'S A FOCUSED CONCERN ON GRASS FIRES, RIGHT? CONTRA LOMA, BLACK DIAMOND, BRIONES ALL ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO GRASS FIRE AND HAVE FAIRLY CONCENTRATED NEIGHBORHOODS NOT FAR FROM THEIR BORDERS.
SO THAT WORK THAT WE DO THAT PANOPLY OF OF METHODOLOGIES FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND GRASSFIRE MITIGATION, IN PARTICULAR AT THOSE PARKS ARE IMPORTANT.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT I THINK IT IS FOR US TO KEEP UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WHAT YOU DO IS TERRIFIC. ALSO GIVES ME VERY GOOD CONTENT TO SHARE, SO I APPRECIATE IT PERSONALLY BECAUSE MY CONSTITUENTS ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY INTERESTED IN THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW THESE IMPRESSIVE FUNDING STATISTICS.
I THINK THERE'S A BIT OF OVERLAP.
THE TOURS THAT YOU'RE HOSTING ARE THAT'S JUST INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE, AND I THINK I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT SUMMARY OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO HEAR AND APPRECIATE HOW MUCH THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW HIGHLY INNOVATIVE IT IS, IS ATTRACTING THAT MUCH ATTENTION.
SO THOSE ARE AREAS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION THAT I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, FOLKS, FOR PURSUING AND DOING SO WELL PARTICULARLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I HAD JUST ONE PAROCHIAL TRIGGER FROM THE SLIDES, AND, AND THAT IS THE WORK
[01:15:06]
THAT'S BEING DONE AT KENNEDY GROVE, AND YOU'RE MENTIONING THE RICHMOND COUNCILWOMAN WHO WAS VERY ACTIVE IN FIRE MITIGATION CONCERNS IN EL SOBRANTE AND THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S KENNEDY GROVE BORDERS ON THE EASTERN END, THE CARRIAGE HILLS SOUTH AND CARRIAGE HILLS NORTH IS CARRIAGE HILLS.NORTH BORDERS SOBRANTE RIDGE AND CARRIAGE HILLS, SOUTH KENNEDY GROVE AT ITS EASTERN BORDER, VERY, VERY HEAVILY WOODED AREAS RIGHT UP AGAINST THOSE POPULATIONS.
IS THERE A COORDINATED EFFORT TO TRY TO PROTECT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, BE IT WITH I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT IS CITY OF RICHMOND, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS COUNTY AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS OUR JURISDICTION, BUT IT JUST JUMPED OUT AT ME BECAUSE I'VE HEARD OF THE CONCERNS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
OKAY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET PARTNERS FROM THE CITY OR RICHMOND FIRE IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE AND OBVIOUSLY THE PARK DISTRICT TO GO IN TOGETHER WITH A COLLABORATIVE GRANT. SO WE'RE BECAUSE OF THE CEQA AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE PARTNERS PORTION OF THEIR PROPERTY.
I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF HAVING IT FUNDED, BUT THAT IS THE COLLABORATIVE WORK THAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE WEST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DIABLO FIRE SAFE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, AND I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE.
AT LEAST BE INVOLVED WITH IT A BIT ALONG WITH DIRECTOR ECHOLS.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
I WANT TO FOLLOW UP TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CONVERSATION IN THE SURVEYS AND HOW WILDFIRE, WILDFIRE THREAT AND CONCERN, YOU KNOW, WAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
YOU KNOW, I THINK AS ALL CALIFORNIANS, WE'RE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THIS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN HERE ON THE HEAVY WILDFIRE SMOKE DAYS OR WE LIVE NEAR A LOCATION THAT MIGHT BE PRONE TO FIRE RISK.
I KNOW I BELIEVE I WAS AT THE PAC MEETING WHEN YOU PRESENTED SO, AND I AM HAPPY TO LISTEN TO THIS PRESENTATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, AND YOU KNOW, AT THAT PAC MEETING, I KNOW I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE SITUATION AND PROPERTY INSURANCE SITUATION IN CALIFORNIA IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF CALIFORNIANS ARE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
MANY CALIFORNIANS ARE ENCOUNTERING A SITUATION WHERE THEIR PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES HAVE EITHER INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OR THEY'RE NOT EVEN RECEIVING PROPERTY INSURANCE THROUGH THE INSURANCE MARKETS AND HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA INSURANCE PROGRAM.
ALSO THAT PAC MEETING THAT WAS AT THE END OF APRIL, AND I MENTIONED THE SENATE BILL 1060, THE FIRE ACT, AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING FOR US, MAYBE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM TO TRACK, AND THAT'S THE SENATE BILL 1060 IS THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL THAT WHEN THERE IS WORK BEING DONE TO MITIGATE FIRE RISK, THAT THEN HELPS TO SUPPORT INSURANCE RATES AND HELPS TO YOU KNOW, I GUESS COME BACK TO HOMEOWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS FROM THAT REGARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HEAR COMMENTS LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING SO MUCH GREAT WORK HERE IN REGARDS TO OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OWNERS AND PEOPLE SEEKING PROPERTY INSURANCE TO, YOU KNOW, RECEIVE SOME SORT OF RECOGNITION OF THIS WORK.
THAT'S WHAT SENATE BILL 1060, IN THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT FOR US, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY YOU KNOW, LONG TERM ITERATIVE PROCESS FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT THAT BALANCE BETWEEN FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK AND PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS, COLIN? I SEE OKAY PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN.
[01:20:01]
THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT, ACROSS ALL OF OUR PARKS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT START TO COME TOGETHER IN SOME SORT OF REPORT, AND MAYBE THAT MIGHT BE THIS ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PRODUCING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.THAT'S SIMILAR TO THIS ONE HERE FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR ABOUT GRAZING.
I KNOW I BELIEVE WE HAD SOME SHEEP UP ON PLEASANTON RIDGE WITHIN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SENT ME SOME PHOTOS OF THE SHEEP AND I KNOW SHEEP FOR GRAZING ARE IDEAL WHEN THEY'RE SENSITIVE HABITAT.
SO THEY DO HELP US IN REGARDS TO THAT BALANCE OF MAINTAINING SOME SENSITIVE VEGETATION WHILE ALSO HELPING WITH FUELS MANAGEMENT AND I THINK THIS SMALL EXAMPLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF.
WHEREAS MAYBE IN SOME OTHER LOCATIONS, THE CATTLE GRAZING PROGRAM IS WHAT'S REALLY BENEFICIAL IN TERMS OF FUELS MANAGEMENT, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS IN MY COMMUNITY AND WITH MY NEIGHBORS AND PEOPLE THAT I INTERACT WITH AND THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS, BOTH IN REGARDS TO FUELS MANAGEMENT AND THEN THE WORK OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS VARYING, AND I DO THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE THIS NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY, AND I THINK ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TOURS, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD THAT WONDERFUL ARTICLE COME OUT ABOUT THE CARBONIZER A FEW MONTHS AGO, THAT'S ALL INCREDIBLY HELPFUL, BUT I THINK THAT THE POINT YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AT MY LOCAL PARK THAT DEE MENTIONED EARLIER WILL STILL BE THE ONE THAT RESONATES WITH OUR GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO WHETHER THEY LIVE NEAR GRASSLAND, WHERE WE HAVE CATTLE GRAZING OR, YOU KNOW, NEAR MORE SENSITIVE LAND WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE SHEEP GRAZING, I THINK THAT'S ALSO JUST AS IMPORTANT TO SHARE, AND I THINK WE'RE GETTING THERE AS A PARK DISTRICT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT.
I KNOW WITHIN THE CITY OF PLEASANTON, THE AGUSTIN BERNAL PARK, WHICH IS 247 ACRES LOCATED NEXT TO PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK, CITY OF PLEASANTON, RECEIVED A GRANT RECENTLY, AND THEY ARE YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THEIR OWN FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN WITH THAT GRANT, AND THEY MENTIONED HOW THEY HAD REACHED OUT TO EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TO RECEIVE SOME ADVICE FROM US, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT ALL OF THAT'S WORKING IN COLLABORATION.
I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY IMPORTANT STORY FOR US AT THE PARK DISTRICT TO SHARE SO THAT YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH EACH OF THESE LOCAL CITIES AND HELPING THEM AS THEY'RE TRYING TO MANAGE YOU KNOW, THEIR FUELS WITHIN THE LAND THAT THEY OWN, AND I KNOW THIS IS COMING UP IN OAKLAND.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER FOR OAKLAND HILLS HOMEOWNERS, AND SO WHILE THIS MIGHT BE SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE PARK DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR AVERAGE NEIGHBOR, THEY MAY NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS LAND IS CITY OF OAKLAND, THIS LAND IS EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS. OR, YOU KNOW, THIS LAND IS CITY OF BERKELEY.
THIS LAND IS UC BERKELEY, THIS LAND IS EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND I THINK ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO SHOW ALL THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE MAKING HELPS US AS A PARK DISTRICT AND SO THEN AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WRITING THIS REPORT, I HOPE THAT SOME OF THESE THEMES WILL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BE WEAVED INTO IT, AND I BET IT ALREADY IS.
SO I JUST WANT TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU MENTIONED FIREWORKS.
I THINK THAT THEY ARE TERRIBLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AT THE PARK DISTRICT IN REGARDS TO THAT INITIATIVE, BUT I'M PERSONALLY WILLING TO GO TO SACRAMENTO HELP BOOST EFFORTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE AMOUNT OF FIRES THAT GET STARTED FROM FIREWORKS, THE NUMBER OF PETS AND VETERANS AND OTHERS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY FIREWORKS, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A REAL SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AS CALIFORNIANS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU SHARED, AND I'M GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, IT GOT SOME TRACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALL THE WAY UP TO THE LEVEL OF OUR SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO IT'S AND I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, I BELIEVE, AT A BOARD MEETING.
SO WE HAVE 1500 ACRES, APPROXIMATELY OF DEAD TREES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN REGARDS TO THIS STRATEGIC FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN PERMITTED AREA AND THEN WE'VE TREATED CLOSE TO 700 ACRES.
[01:25:03]
I THINK YOU GAVE US THE EXACT NUMBER.OKAY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THOSE NUMBERS CORRECT.
YES. THANK YOU, AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE REVIEWED THIS AT A RECENT BOARD MEETING, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT TIMING OR THAT TIME SERIES OF WHEN WE'RE CHECKING IN ON THE DEAD TREES, AND THE REASON I MENTIONED THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE 1500 ACRES OF DEAD TREES IN 2000, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE AT 2004 AND DIFFERENT THINGS CAN HAPPEN BETWEEN OR EXCUSE ME, 2020.
DIFFERENT THINGS CAN HAPPEN BETWEEN 2020 AND 2024, AND SO THE CONTINUAL REVIEW OF ALL OF OUR TREES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT NUMBER CAN INCREASE, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DRONES AND SOME OTHER OPTIONS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CHECKING ON THE CONDITION, AND MY QUESTION ON THIS, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE A SENSE I GUESS WE'RE MONITORING THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DEAD TREES WERE OBSERVING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS? WE CAN ALSO TAG TEAM IT.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS WE'VE HAD WEATHER CHANGES SINCE THE DROUGHT YEARS.
TREES, IF YOU LOOK AT TREES AS STRAWS IN THE GROUND, BY THINNING TREES, YOU HAVE LESS STRAWS IN THE GROUND, WHICH LEAVES MORE NUTRIENTS FOR THE TREES THAT REMAIN AND MORE WATER FOR THE TREES THAT REMAIN.
SO OUR PRESCRIPTION OF THINNING THE FOREST, GETTING RID OF THE DEAD TREES OR TREES THAT ARE UNHEALTHY NOT ONLY HELPS WITH THE REMAINING TREES, BUT ALSO HELPS WITH THE PATHOGENS OF AND INFESTATIONS OF BEETLES HOPPING FROM TREE TO TREE.
GETTING RID OF THE DEAD STANDING TREES OBVIOUSLY IS A GOOD THING FOR THE FIRE MITIGATION PORTION.
BY REMOVING THOSE TREES THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CAST EMBERS MILES AWAY FROM WHERE THOSE TREES ARE, AND SO FOR NOW, THIS IS WORKING, BUT I ALWAYS SAY FOR NOW BECAUSE IN FUELS MANAGEMENT IT'S A CONSTANT ASSESSMENT.
EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS CHANGING, AND WE'RE ALWAYS ADAPTING TO THOSE CHANGES, AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING SOME, SOME TREES CAN ALSO BE AFFECTED BY I GUESS LIKE BEETLES OR SOME SORT OF INSECT, AND OTHER SPECIES CAN CAUSE TREES TO DIE.
ARE ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF TREES ONES THAT WE ALSO MIGHT BE LOOKING AT OR CONCERNED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO FUELS MANAGEMENT? YES AND NO.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS JOB TO DO.
SO WE TEND TO WE TEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TENDS TO BE THE ONES THAT IDENTIFIES THE ISSUE, RIGHT? OR IDENTIFIES THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE.
I GUESS IT SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC, AND THEN WE IMPLEMENT KNOWING THAT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE DOING THAT STEWARDSHIP IS DOING WHAT THEY DO TO MONITOR AND CHECK FOR HEALTH AND SO ARE OTHER AGENCIES.
WE'RE LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EXACT NUMBER OF ACREAGE THAT NEEDS TREATMENT, AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING THOSE AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED MORE RESILIENT, RIGHT.
WHEN WE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A TREE DIEBACK, EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING FOR ONE SILVER BULLET, RIGHT? THERE WAS ONE THING THAT WAS CAUSING IT.
FOREST SERVICE, CALFIRE, EVERYBODY.
THERE IS NO THERE'S NO OVERALL ARCHING SILVER BULLET.
IT WAS DROUGHT STRESS THAT THEN WAS THAT THEN HAD ENDEMIC SPECIES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE THAT ARE NATURAL ENDEMIC SPECIES, SOME UNNATURAL, LIKE THE PINE BORER BEETLE.
IT'S UNNATURAL, BUT NOT NATIVE.
COME IN AND THEN START TO DETERIORATE.
THAT POPULATION OF TREES THAT WERE ALREADY DROUGHT STRESSED.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IN IN THINNING THE TREES IS THAT WHEN WE REMOVE THE DEAD TREES AND SOME OF THE DYING TREES, AND WE THIN THESE FORESTS BACK TO A MORE MANAGEABLE FOR THE RESOURCES AT HAND NUMBER WE'RE SEEING IN INCREASED RESILIENCY.
[01:30:02]
THERE'S NOT AS MANY STRAWS IN THE GROUND AS KHARI WOULD SAY, AND ALSO THESE TREES ARE GROWING A LITTLE BIT STRONGER AND, AND A LITTLE BIT MORE RESILIENT TO THOSE ENDEMIC SPECIES THAT WERE NATURALLY KIND OF GOING AFTER A TREE THAT WAS ALREADY STRESSED.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT'S A LITTLE OVER.
I'M BEING A LITTLE OVER COMPREHENSIVE, BUT THERE THERE'S NOT ONE ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING.
IT'S KIND OF A WHOLE PICTURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE AND MONITOR ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
I REALLY LIKE THAT ANSWER, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, AND THERE'S MANY FACTORS THAT, YOU KNOW, GOT US TO THIS POINT IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT OUR, YOU KNOW, FOREST HEALTH AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING OUR LOCAL FORESTS MORE RESILIENT TO, YOU KNOW, EXTREME WILDFIRE, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, THAT ANSWER IS A GOOD ONE TO ALSO CONSIDER, MAYBE INCLUDING THE REPORT AND JUST HAVING AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, WHEN I TALKED TO, YOU KNOW, MY FRIENDS, MY NEIGHBORS, THE PEOPLE THAT I SEE THAT I INTERACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, THERE'S VARYING LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING, I BELIEVE.
RECENTLY WHEN CITY OF PLEASANTON WAS REVIEWING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RECEIVING THIS GRANT, I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO GO OUT NOW TO A CONSULTANT TO HELP THEM PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT IS FUELS MANAGEMENT? I HEARD THAT QUESTION AND I'M LIKE, I KNOW WHAT THIS IS, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, VERY EDUCATED, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT MAYBE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO JUST, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SHARE OUR GOOD WORK AND ALSO HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE WHO I KNOW, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE RIGHT NOW IN CALIFORNIA.
YOU KNOW, MY FINAL ONE CHIEF THIELE, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE, BECAUSE I REMEMBER ALSO AT THE PAC, I MADE THE COMMENT THAT WHEN I WAS ON THE PAC, I THINK IT WAS EITHER SUMMER OF 2015 OR SUMMER OF 2016, WE WERE AT THE TILDEN EEC FOR OUR PAC MEETING, AND WE WERE REVIEWING FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN IN THE BERKELEY HILLS AT THAT MEETING, AT THE PAC MEETING, AND WE HAD A SIZABLE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTEND THAT MEETING TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND MOST OF THE COMMENTS WERE ACTUALLY AGAINST THE FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK THAT WE WERE DOING IN THE BERKELEY HILLS AND THIS WAS PRIOR TO, I BELIEVE IT WAS SUMMER OF 2017, WHEN WE HAD ONE OF OUR FIRST EXTREME WILDFIRE SUMMERS IN TERMS OF THE SMOKE COMING INTO THE BAY AREA, AND I LOVE IF YOU COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE YOUR ROCK CONCERT ANALOGY ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BEFORE 2017, WE WERE KIND OF IN THE UPPER STANDS, BUT THEN AS WE'VE HAD MORE EXPERIENCES, PEOPLE HERE IN THE BAY AREA NOW.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE A REALLY LONG TIME.
I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS. THIS IS MY 30TH YEAR, AND IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, 29 YEARS, AND WE USED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW FIRE DEE THE RIM FIRE, THE CEDAR FIRE, ALL THESE FIRES WERE YOU KNOW, THEY WERE COMING TO US IN OUR LIVING ROOM, BUT THEY WERE HAPPENING SOMEWHERE ELSE IN CALIFORNIA.
THE PARK DISTRICT FELT IT THAT WE WOULD SEND OUR OES ENGINE OUT AS PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN, BUT WE WERE KIND OF IN WHAT I CALL THE NOSEBLEED SEATS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WEREN'T EXPERIENCING THE DIRECT EFFECTS.
I WAS CALLED TO SACRAMENTO THROUGH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TO BE AN EXPERT WITNESS TO LET THEM KNOW, ALONG WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GENTLEMAN, THAT IN THE BAY AREA, WE HAD 13 DAYS OF THE WORST AIR ON THE PLANET, SURPASSING BEIJING AT THE TIME AND SO NOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SO CLOSE BECAUSE WE HAD THE CAMPFIRE THAT WE'RE NO LONGER IN THE NOSEBLEED SEATS.
NOW WE'RE IN THE SECOND ROW AND WE'RE GETTING THE SWEAT OFF OF THE ROCK STAR, RIGHT? THEN 2020 HAPPENED, AND THEN WE GOT ANOTHER FRONT ROW SEAT BECAUSE WE WERE WE HAD 6900 ACRES OF DISTRICT LAND BURNING DURING THE 20, THE AUGUSTINE SIEGE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE POIGNANT.
THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY RAMPED UP IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR MESSAGING TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT SEEMS A SIMPLE MESSAGE, BUT SOMETIMES THEY NEED TO, THEY NEED TO HEAR IT.
WE ARE HERE, WE ARE PRESENT, WE ARE DOING WORK TO HELP MITIGATE, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS WE'RE COLLABORATING ON ALL OF THESE ALL OF THESE GRANTS THAT KHARI TALKS ABOUT WITH HIS TEAM.
OTHER ENTITIES ARE BENEFITING FROM IT BECAUSE, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE GRIZZLY PEAK STRATEGIC FUEL BREAK THAT WAS WE WERE THE LEAD GRANTEE, BUT IT WAS OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOLKS AND OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENTS ON BEHALF OF THESE OTHER AGENCIES THAT WERE PARTICIPATING.
[01:35:06]
PARTS OF THE PARK DISTRICT DO.THEY ARE DIRECTLY BENEFITING FROM THAT.
SO HUGE LAYER UPON LAYER UPON LAYER OF COLLABORATION.
THANKS AGAIN FOR SHARING THAT.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER, DO WE HAVE DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? EXPAND ON THE STORY. I MEAN.
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE JUST AS LONG.
SO YOU KNOW, BACK LIKE I SAID, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE FUEL BREAK AREAS.
WELL, IN ADVANCE OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING NOW AND IN THE 70S AND 80S, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD.
WE HAD A FUEL BREAK CREW THAT WAS STAFFED THROUGH OPERATIONS, AND WE WERE JUST ON A REGULAR PARK BUDGET AT THAT TIME, AND SO WHEN THE 91 HILLS FIRE HAPPENED, IT WAS MADE, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TURN THE FUEL BREAK OVER TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE WERE WE HAD A PLAN.
WE DEVELOPED THE PLAN CULMINATED IN 20.
WE PASSED THE MEASURE CC TO FUND IT, TO FUND IT, AND THEN IN 2010, WE HAD THE PLAN DEVELOPED.
WE STARTED WORKING ON THAT PLAN.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE FEMA PORTION OF THAT PLAN WAS HELD UP FOR EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE OF LITIGATION.
SO WE WERE SO WE DIDN'T GET TO START ON THE FEMA PROJECTS FOR EIGHT YEARS UNTIL 2018.
WE FINALLY GOT THE PERMITTING, THE PERMITTING IN 2019 AND STARTED IN 2019.
SO WE LOST EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE OF LITIGATION.
111 ENTITY WAS SUING US BECAUSE WE WEREN'T TAKING ENOUGH TREES OUT.
THE OTHER ONE, THE OTHER ONE WAS SAYING WE WERE TAKING OUT TOO MANY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS, WE, THE DISTRICT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF THE VEGETATION ALONG OUR URBAN INTERFACE AND NOW WE'RE ONE OF THE LEADERS AND WE'VE BEEN ASSISTING WE'VE ASSISTED WITH VEGETATION PLANS FOR, WITH A LOT OF CITY OF OAKLAND AND ALL OF THE CITIES AROUND US AND SO WE'RE ONE OF THE LEADERS AND THANKS TO THIS TEAM HERE, YOU'VE JUST TAKEN THAT LEADERSHIP TO ANOTHER LEVEL, AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE, AND I THINK THE COMMUNITIES ARE AROUND US ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF THAT WORK, AND IT'LL CONTINUE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
THE ALL SUCCESSES ARE BUILT UPON PREVIOUS SUCCESSES.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT PREVIOUS GENERATIONS DID, WE'RE ALL ABLE TO BUILD OFF THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, AND I WANTED TO SAY ONE OTHER THING HAD TO DO WITH ROADS AND TRAILS.
IT'S A LOVE FEST. WE'RE ALL CONNECTED.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT REAL QUICK.
DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT.
SO, WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT I ALWAYS APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU.
OKAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ANNUAL.
DO WE NEED TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK OR ARE WE GOOD TO.
YEAH OKAY. WE'LL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK REAL QUICK.
SO 12:20 ACCORDING TO THAT CLOCK.
IT'S GREAT. WE ARE BACK FROM OUR BREAK, AND SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH EARLIER I MENTIONED WE SWITCHED OUR TWO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. SO WE ARE NOW GOING TO SEE FIVE C FIRST, THE DEL VALLE PILOT PROGRAM UPDATE.
GO AHEAD. OH COULD I THINK LISA HAD WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT? YES. PLEASE GO AHEAD. SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THIS PILOT PROJECT AT DEL VALLE ENTRY TODAY.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T ON ON OUR RADAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY A CATALYST.
YOU ARE OUR CATALYST FOR THIS, AND SO BUILDING ON THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION THAT TALKED ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S LEGACY WITH PILOTS AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO TRY NEW THINGS AND, AND THIS IS, THIS WAS ONE OF THEM.
[01:40:05]
SO THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A TEAM, I THINK THERE'S OVER SEVEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH THIS, AND THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO REALLY RECOGNIZING, LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE SOMETHING.IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGE, WE NEED TO TRY NEW THINGS, AND SO THIS WAS AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS COMMENTS, OUR STAFF COMMENTS, AND CERTAINLY OUR VISITOR COMMENTS, AND SO THIS WAS THIS IS OUR FIRST ATTEMPT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH THE ENTRANCE INTO DEL VALLE, AND I'M JUST REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STAFF AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS BECAUSE IT REALLY LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF OF HOW WE RUN THIS COMPLEX, THIS COMPLEX PARK.
WE TALK ABOUT IT BEING ACTUALLY AN ESSENTIALLY LIKE A CITY.
IT DOES ITS OWN WATER, IT DOES ITS OWN SEWER, YOU KNOW, IT'S WE HAVE PEOPLE LIVING THERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT FRAME THAT, THAT THIS REALLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR YOU COMING TO US.
SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND I THINK WE REALLY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND WE FEEL REALLY LIKE WE'RE LEARNING A LOT, AND TODAY WE HAD COMMITTED TO YOU THAT WE WOULD BE COMING WITH AN UPDATE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, LIKE I SAID, WE DIDN'T CAME TO OUR ATTENTION BASICALLY ON FEBRUARY 29TH, BY APRIL EARLY APRIL, WE HAD A SCOPE OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD DO.
WE REFINED IT, AND THEN WE WERE OFF AND RUNNING.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, IN GOVERNMENT TIME, WE WERE THE HAIR ON THIS, AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LONGER TERM KIND OF SOME STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT NEED TO HAPPEN, PHYSICAL, BUT THOSE TAKE SO LONG, AND SO WE THOUGHT, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT DO WE HAVE CONTROL OVER? THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY IS WHEN WE EVALUATED WHAT WE COULD DO HOW WE COULD IMPLEMENT CHANGE.
SO I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE SELENEY SANCHEZ.
SHE IS THE UNIT MANAGER OF UNIT ONE.
HELLO, BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
AS IT WAS STATED, THIS IS A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE DEL VALLE PILOT PROJECT.
I ACTUALLY STARTED MY CAREER WITH THE DISTRICT IN THE KIOSK THAT THIS PILOT IS NOW WORKING ON, AND SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT SOME OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE SEEN SO FAR, AND I WOULD LIKE TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING SORRY SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS. SO WHY WAS THIS NEEDED? AS IT WAS STATED BY LISA PARK VISITORS HAVE HAD WAIT TIMES OF UP TO TWO HOURS DURING PEAK TIMES IN THE PAST.
COONEY COLLECTION THAT WAS RELEASED BACK IN JUNE.
THEY ALSO SORRY THEY ARE BETTER SERVED IF THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ELSEWHERE. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS REDUCE WAIT TIMES BY MOVING SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AWAY FROM THE KIOSK.
STAFF, WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO GET INTO THE PARK OFTEN HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE.
THERE'S ALSO A COMPONENT OF SAFETY THAT WAS ADDRESSED.
PREVIOUSLY LIFEGUARDS, NEIGHBORS AND OTHER STAFF WOULD DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND WHEN PUBLIC SAFETY PUT A STOP TO THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE, THEY WERE STUCK IN LINE AGAIN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE MOST COLLABORATIVE, CROSS-DIVISIONAL PROJECT THAT I'VE BEEN ON, AND WITH THE SPEED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS REQUEST AND CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL WITHIN OPERATIONS, I WAS HIGHLY IMPRESSED BY EVERYONE'S INPUT FROM INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION, FINANCE,
[01:45:02]
RESERVATIONS, INFORMATION SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND AS RICK LIKES TO SAY, WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, PARK OPERATIONS. SO SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE PILOT I WILL DIVE INTO THESE IN THE PRESENTATION LATER, BUT YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW LONG THIS PILOT IS INTENDED TO LAST.FEE RESTRUCTURING INCLUDES SOME FEE CONSOLIDATION, WHICH WE'LL TOUCH BASE ON LATER ON.
THERE ARE ALSO ADJUSTMENTS BEING MADE TO THE ENTRY LANES, SIGNAGE AND VISITOR DIRECTIONS.
OVERTIME HAS BEEN UTILIZED AS A TOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIOSKS ARE STAFFED AND SUPPORTED, AND THERE IS AN INFO BOOTH THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING RAN BY INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION STAFF.
FOR THE FEE RESTRUCTURING RESERVATIONS, HELPED BY CREATING A PREPAID OPTION OF 25% OF THE PARKING BEING AVAILABLE FOR PREPAY. THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 345 SPACES, AND FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE, THERE WERE ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 25 PREPAYS PER DAY.
IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SLOW THINGS DOWN A BIT ON THE EXPEDITED LANE WHICH I WILL TOUCH BASE ON LATER, AND THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR FEE RESTRUCTURING IS THAT THERE IS NOW A FLAT $10 VEHICLE ENTRY FEE, AND THIS CONSOLIDATES PARKING, DOG TRAILERS, CAR TOP LAUNCH, BOAT LAUNCH, AND OH, THAT'S IT FOR THE FEES INTO ONE.
INSPECTION FEES UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE CONSOLIDATED BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF A COST SHARING AGREEMENT TO COLLECT INSPECTION FEES AND THEN FISHING PERMITS WERE MOVED AWAY FROM THE KIOSK AS WELL, AND THEY ARE NOW OBTAINED SOLELY AT THE MARINA.
SO I'M GOING TO BE REVIEWING THE TRAFFIC PLAN.
SO ORIGINALLY BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, WE HAD A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR TRAFFIC PLAN WAS GOING TO BE FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD SPLIT THE LANES INTO TWO GUIDING VEHICLES EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT WINDOW OF THE KIOSK, AND THIS LANE SPLIT WENT FROM THE KIOSK 900FT UP DEL VALLE ROAD WITH A SIGNBOARD ALERTING DRIVERS THAT THE LANE CHANGES WERE COMING AHEAD, AS WELL AS SOME SIGNAGE THAT WAS AVAILABLE ONCE THEY REACHED THE CONES AND THE LANES AND MADE A DECISION TO GET INTO THE APPROPRIATE LANE.
THE LEFT LANE IS GOING TO BE FOR OR HAS BEEN SORRY FOR PREPAY CAMPERS, MEMBERS, RESIDENTS AND STAFF AND THE RIGHT LANE IS FOR ALL DAY USE ENTRY.
WHEN IT WAS IMPLEMENTED ON SATURDAY, MAY 25TH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT DRIVERS TRAVEL TOO FAST DOWN DEL VALLE ROAD TO MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICE INTO THE APPROPRIATE LANE TO GET INTO, AND SO THE CONES WERE ACTUALLY REDUCED AND THE LANE LENGTH WAS REDUCED FROM 900FT TO 200FT BEYOND THE KIOSK.
THIS ALLOWED PEOPLE TO COME AROUND THE TURN, SLOW DOWN AND MAKE THE APPROPRIATE DECISION, AND THAT IS THE WAY THAT THIS LANE SPLIT HAS GONE SINCE. THE SIGNAGE IS STILL UP WITH THE SIGNBOARD WARNING DRIVERS OF THE LANE CHANGE AND ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE STILL PLACED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CONES.
ON 4TH OF JULY, THE DISTRICT CONTRACTED WITH CITY RISE, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS BATS, TO OBTAIN PERMITS AND IMPLEMENT TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES FOR 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND.
SO NOW LET'S TOUCH ON SOME ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
SO AS I MENTIONED, OVERTIME SHIFTS ARE BEING UTILIZED AS A TOOL TO SUPPORT THE KIOSK STAFF.
IT ALSO IS BEING USED AS A TOOL TO SUPPORT INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION STAFF AT THE INFO BOOTH.
CURRENTLY, STAFFING LEVELS YEAR ROUND.
THERE IS ONE PARK SUPERVISOR, ONE ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST, ONE GARDENER, ONE PARK CRAFT SPECIALIST, EIGHT RANGERS, FOUR PARK SERVICES WORKERS, THREE KIOSK SACHSE PARK SERVICES ATTENDANTS AND ONE KIOSK PARK SERVICES WORKER.
IN THE SUMMER, THERE'S A POTENTIAL TO HIRE UP TO FIVE GATE ATTENDANTS AND FOUR STUDENT LABORERS, ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND STAFFING FOR THOSE POSITIONS, AND SO THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO GATE ATTENDANTS AND TWO STUDENT LABORERS FOR THIS SEASON.
[01:50:02]
IN 2024, WITH ONLY FOUR STAFF AT THE KIOSK YEAR ROUND.ONLY THE MAIN GATE IS STAFFED ONCE GATE ATTENDANTS COME ONLINE, WE ARE ABLE TO THEN STAFF BOTH KIOSKS AND BY BOTH KIOSKS I MEAN THE MAIN GATE KIOSK AND THEN THE CAMPGROUND KIOSK. THERE WERE TWO SHIFTS OFFERED PER DAY FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND FOR OVERTIME, AND THAT WAS REDUCED DOWN TO ONE SHIFT PER WEEKEND DAY IN JUNE AND JULY BECAUSE SEASONAL STARTED AND SO WE DIDN'T NEED QUITE SO MUCH OVERTIME SUPPORT.
CAMPGROUND KIOSK STAFFING LEVELS IMPACT THE MAIN GATE OPERATIONS.
WHEN CAMPERS CHECK IN, THEY CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 10 MINUTES, DEPENDING HOW MANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE AND HOW SEASONED THE EMPLOYEE IS WHO'S CHECKING THEM INTO THE CAMPGROUND, AND THAT CAN EXACERBATE THE WAIT TIMES AT THE MAIN GATE KIOSK.
SO MOVING STAFFING DOWN TO THE CAMPGROUND IS IMPERATIVE FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS.
THE INFO BOOTH I MENTIONED IS BEING LED BY PARK OR SORRY SUPERVISING NATURALIST ASHLEY GRENIER, WHO'S PRESENT HERE TODAY, AND THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE VISITOR CENTER THAT IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PARK.
THEY ARE SERVING APPROXIMATELY 100 PARK VISITORS PER DAY, AND THE MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ARE AROUND QUAGGA INSPECTION, LOCAL FOOD AVAILABILITY WHERE THEY CAN GO IN THE PARK, WHAT THEY CAN DO, REPORTING ANY ITEMS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WAYFINDING WHERE'S THEIR GROUP AND WHERE'S THEIR PICNICS SINCE THERE IS NO SIGNAL AT DEL VALLE, AND WHERE TO GET ICE.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KEEP THEIR DRINKS COLD.
SO THIS HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED TRAFFIC TO THE VISITOR CENTER BECAUSE NOW THEY ARE ABLE TO ROVE AND TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT ADDITIONAL PROGRAMING BOTH AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND IN THE CAMPGROUND.
AS I MENTIONED, WE NEEDED LESS OVERTIME, BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING INTEREST IN SIGN UPS ON OVERTIME DWINDLE FOR THE KIOSK, AND SO THERE WAS ONE WEEKEND IN JUNE, ACTUALLY FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND, THAT WE HAD NO ADDITIONAL OVERTIME STAFFING AVAILABLE, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OR IN PART DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS SHOWING UP AND POINTING TO WHERE SOMEBODY'S PARKING.
IT REQUIRES SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE POS SYSTEM, ACTIVENET AND KIOSK OPERATIONS IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS PARK KNOWLEDGE SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO BETTER DIRECT PEOPLE. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SEASONALS ARE STARTING LATER AND LATER INTO THE SEASON BECAUSE OF SCHOOLING, AND OFTENTIMES THEY'RE NOT CALLING BACK WHEN WE ARE DOING INTERVIEWS AND SUCH.
SO THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN UNRELIABILITY WHEN WE DEPEND ON SEASONALS TO STAFF OUR KIOSKS.
THE SPRING SEASON CAN OFTENTIMES BE EVEN BUSIER OR FEEL BUSIER THAN THE REGULAR SEASON, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE LOW STAFFING LEVELS BEFORE THE SEASONALS CAN COME ON, AND BECAUSE THE CAMPGROUND CAN'T BE STAFFED DUE TO THOSE LOW STAFFING LEVELS.
THERE WERE SOME INITIAL IS CHALLENGES, AND DUE TO THIS, THE INTENT TO MOVE INSPECTION FEES DOWN TO QUAGGA STATION HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
THERE WERE UPGRADES MADE TO THE SYSTEM, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND FROM IS THAT THEY'VE WORKED TO IMPROVE, AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT IN CONNECTIVITY, AND WE ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S ALSO MORE MONITORING NOW.
[01:55:55]
OKAY. AS I STATED BEFORE, THERE WERE SOME TRAFFIC PLAN CHALLENGES IN THE BEGINNING WITH SPLIT LANE CHANGES.ALL RIGHT. SO EXISTING CONDITIONS WHERE ARE WE TODAY? PARK SUPERVISOR RICHARD PARENTE WORKED WITH CITY RISE TO PUT TOGETHER A TRAFFIC PLAN FOR 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, AND WE SAW SOME GREAT SUCCESS WITH THAT.
THEY WERE ABLE TO SHIFT LANES TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE TWO LANES OF ENTRY FOR DEL VALLE, BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN PERMITS FROM THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO SHIFT THE LANES OVER AND CREATE ENOUGH SPACE FOR TWO LANES RATHER THAN JUST THE ONE.
ADDITIONALLY, IT SEEMED TO WORK FOR DRIVERS THAT THEY RECOGNIZED, YOU KNOW, SOME FAMILIAR TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AND SIGNAGE, AND SO WE SAW A LOT OF REDUCED SPEEDS COMING INTO THE PARK, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO BETTER MAKE A DECISION INTO WHAT AS TO WHAT LANE TO GET INTO FOR ENTRY INTO THE PARK.
IN ADDITION TO THESE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AND THE PUBLIC RESPONDING REALLY WELL TO LISTENING TO THE TRAFFIC COMPANY AND THE FLAGGERS, THIS FREED UP PARK OPERATIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY FOR 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND TO CONTINUE TO DO THEIR WORK INSIDE OF THE PARK.
SO RATHER THAN HAVING TO STAFF A CLOSURE UP AT THE TOP OF THE HILL ON MENDENHALL ROAD, AT THE INTERSECTION THERE WITH DEL VALLE, OR EVEN DOWN BELOW AT THE INTERSECTION OF DEL VALLE AND MINES.
THEY WERE NOW ABLE TO RESPOND TO OTHER PARKS, RESPOND TO NEEDS OF THE PARK AND THOSE THINGS, AND SO THAT ACTUALLY GREATLY IMPROVED SERVICES FOR THE PARK VISITORS THAT HAD MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE PARK ALREADY, AND THE ENTRY LANE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONE SINGLE LANE, WAS FLOWING THE ENTIRE TIME AND STAFF AT THE KIOSK LET ME KNOW THAT THEY SAW NO IRATE PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE, AND PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT TRAFFIC WAS FLOWING IN, EVEN IF IT WAS SLOW ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
DWINDLING OT, LIKE I SAID, IS PROBLEMATIC, AND WHEN THE SEASON ENDS, WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT NUMBER OF HOURS WERE USED AND WHAT STAFFING LEVELS ARE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH KIOSKS ARE STAFFED LONG TERM.
THE REACTION TO FEES, WHILE I EXPECT IT TO BE SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE, HAS LARGELY BEEN POSITIVE.
PEOPLE ARE MOSTLY CURIOUS ABOUT WHY THERE'S AN INCREASE AND WHEN STAFF IS ABLE TO INFORM THEM OF ALL OF THE FEES THAT ARE BEING CONSOLIDATED, THEY UNDERSTAND WHY WE WENT FROM $6 TO $10 FOR THE WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, AND YOU MAY BE WONDERING, HAS FLOW IMPROVED? AS I STATED BEFORE, YES, IT HAS VASTLY ACTUALLY.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY ADAPTIVE PILOT PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT AS WE SEE THINGS NEEDING CHANGE. WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE NEIGHBORS THUS FAR IN REGARDS TO THE PILOT PROJECT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ONE NEIGHBOR OUT ON 4TH OF JULY TAKING A LOOK AT CONDITIONS AT THE KIOSK AND IN THE PARK POST PILOT PROJECT, WE WILL BE SENDING OUT SURVEYS TO PEOPLE WHO HAD THE PREPAY OPTION TO FOLKS WHO MADE RESERVATIONS AT DEL VALLE DURING THE PILOT PROJECT TIME FRAME, AND ADDITIONAL SURVEYS WILL BE SENT OUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO SENT IN CONTACT FORMS THAT PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS CURRENTLY MONITORING THAT HAVE COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THIS PROJECT.
OKAY, SO ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND WE'LL SEE HOW THIS ALL GOES.
[02:00:10]
AND THE DISTRICT IS CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS TO FUND A POTENTIAL TRAFFIC STUDY THAT CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE IN THE FUTURE TO THIS AREA, AND ANY RESTRIPING THAT IS RECOMMENDED, SO THAT WE CAN ALL IMPROVE BOTH VISITOR ACCESS AND NEIGHBOR ACCESS.THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING ALL OF THAT, AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, AND I REALLY LIKED THE 1977 PHOTO THAT YOU SHARED, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE PARK OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AS A PARK RUN BY EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN 1975, SO THIS IS PRETTY SOON AFTER THE PARK OPENED IN OUR HISTORY, AND I BELIEVE LAKE DEL VALLE CAME INTO EXISTENCE IN 1968.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE TO HAVE THIS AS PART OF OUR HISTORY.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FEW WORDS I'D LIKE TO SHARE BEFORE GOING TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR COMMENTS, AND THEN I MAY COME BACK WITH A FEW MORE COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO SHARE.
I THINK THAT IT'S A REALLY GOOD TESTAMENT TO OUR ORGANIZATION TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING NEW AND SOMETHING QUICK, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL FEEL REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE REASON I VIEW DEL VALLE TO BE SO IMPORTANT IS IT REALLY IS A PLACE WHERE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND I MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED SOME OF THIS EARLIER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT WITH OUR CONCESSIONAIRE AT DEL VALLE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AT DEL VALLE.
IN FACT, THE LAKE AND MOST OF THE PRIMARY LAND WHERE WE HAVE OUR RECREATION FACILITIES IS OWNED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND WE HAVE WE SIGNED IN 1975 A LONG TERM LEASE WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO OPERATE LAKE DEL VALLE AND WHAT IT WAS A 50 YEAR LEASE, WHICH MEANS NEXT YEAR WILL BE 50 YEARS, 2025.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT LEASE RENEWAL, AND THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT CONVERSATION IS GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE SAW EARLIER WITH THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR CONCESSIONAIRE AT LAKE DEL VALLE, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT KIND OF TEES UP THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS AND SOME OF THE EXTREME WEATHER THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THAT REALLY MAKES A PARK LIKE LAKE DEL VALLE, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR MARINA AND WHAT THE POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, LAKE LEVELS MIGHT BE IF WE'RE HAVING AN EXTREME DROUGHT OR IF WE'RE HAVING A SERIES OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS, OR AS I MENTIONED, THAT 2017 STORM WAS ALSO VERY SIGNIFICANT, WHERE WE GOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL OF THESE EXTREME WEATHER PATTERNS, AND THAT TO ME JUST AGAIN UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF LAKE DEL VALLE, AND I KNOW EVEN WITH OUR VISITOR CENTER AND WITH THE LAKE LEVELS YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE THE LAKE.
SO LEADING INTO THAT EARLY 2023 ATMOSPHERIC RIVER.
SO THIS WAS NEW YEAR'S EVE, DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
I THINK THE LAKE LEVELS WERE ALREADY PRETTY HIGH, AND THEN WHEN WE GOT A LOT OF RAINFALL IN THIS AREA IT CAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING TO HAPPEN NEAR WHERE OUR BRAND NEW VISITOR CENTER FLOODED, AND MY POINT HERE IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST NATURE. THERE'S A WHOLE COMPONENT OF WHERE THE LAKE LEVELS ARE BEING MANAGED BY BOTH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN REGARDS TO FLOOD CONTROL AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND THE LOCAL WATER AGENCIES, AND SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, AND WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS QUITE YET IN TERMS OF THE RANCHERS THAT ARE LOCATED NEXT TO DEL VALLE AND ACCESS THEIR PROPERTY ON THIS ALAMEDA COUNTY ROAD THAT RUNS PAST THE PARK KIOSK.
SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE YOU KNOW, A SAY IN OR
[02:05:03]
SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE A PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT LAKE DEL VALLE IS AND I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO I REALLY LIKE HOW YOU PHRASED IT, ACTUALLY, LISA, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE CONTROL WITHIN THE PARK DISTRICT TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM IN REGARDS TO TRAFFIC FLOW AT THE PARK KIOSK, AND THEN MY FINAL POINT, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND THEN I WILL PROBABLY HAVE SOME COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AFTER THAT.YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THIS IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, EXTREME WEATHER.
I THINK UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, JULY 4TH WAS OUR TEST DATE FOR THIS PILOT PROJECT.
SO RIGHT BEFORE THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND THAT'S A VIDEO THAT'S AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE TO WATCH TO SEE WHAT THE TRAFFIC LOOKED LIKE ON JULY 4TH, 2019, AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR JULY 4TH, 2024, I FEEL LIKE WE WERE ADULT.
I JUST WROTE IT DOWN AND I HAVE SO MANY NOTES HERE.
PLEASE GIVE ME A MOMENT, BUT THE TEMPERATURE RANGE WAS, I THINK, BETWEEN 105 AND 111.
IF YOU LOOK ONLINE, I KNOW SOME, SOME PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR DEL VALLE HAVE THEIR OWN.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN WEATHER STATION, AND I ASKED THEM WHAT THEY GOT AT THEIR HOME AND THEY GOT UP TO 115, AND I MEAN, THOSE ARE REALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES, AND I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE PARK DISTRICT FOR RECOGNIZING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE OUR SWIMMING FACILITIES AND LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN COOL OFF IN THIS EXTREME WEATHER OPEN, AND WHAT THAT MEANS WITH LAKE DEL VALLE IS THAT WE DID HAVE IT OPEN ON 4TH OF JULY, BECAUSE WE DID RECOGNIZE THAT IS A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS HOT WEATHER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS ALSO OUR TEST DATE IN TERMS OF THE TRAFFIC, AND I THINK THAT WILL ALSO BE A DAY THAT WE'LL WANT TO REVIEW AS WE, YOU KNOW, DO A REVIEW OF THIS OVERALL PILOT PROJECT.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? OKAY. THANK YOU.
IT IS LIKE A LITTLE CITY AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING HAPPENING THERE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS AND I WAS THINKING BACK TO MY DAYS BACK THERE AND JUST RECENTLY WITH THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS THAT KIOSK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BOTTLENECK AND IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT ROAD.
IS THERE ANY THOUGHT OF MOVING THAT KIOSK, DIVERTING TRAFFIC INTO THE ONTO THE WEST SIDE INTO THE ONTO THE WEST SIDE? THAT LIKE THAT PARKING AREA THERE OR, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOVE THE PARKING AREA ON THE WEST SIDE AND DOING THE KIOSK BUSINESS THERE, AND THEN MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE YOU CAN HAVE A HARD CURB OR MAYBE AN ELECTRONIC GATE FOR RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES SO THEY COULD GO STRAIGHT.
I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST THINK IF YOU GET THAT KIOSK OFF THAT ROAD, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE SAFER, AND YOU COULD TAKE PEOPLE COULD TAKE THEIR TIME.
OR OF COURSE, YOU STILL MIGHT HAVE A BOTTLENECK, BUT WITH YOUR WITH THE NEW FLAT FEE AND THE AND HAVING A DISPERSING THE PAYMENTS OR THE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY THINGS.
I DON'T KNOW--SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
THAT WAS JUST MY IMPRESSION, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S VERY LABOR INTENSIVE, AND I REALLY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE SEASONAL THING; IT'S JUST TOUGH FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'S NOT JUST YOU, BUT IN PARTICULAR LAKE DEL VALLE BECAUSE OF THE YOUR LOCATION, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START TO GETTING OUT THERE, BUT THAT WAS JUST MY INITIAL THOUGHT.
JUST HAVING MY EXPERIENCE THERE THAT MAYBE DIVERTING THAT PUTTING THAT KIOSK SOMEWHERE ELSE AND DIVERTING THAT TRAFFIC OFF THE ROAD, OFF THE MAIN ROAD, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS ONE INCIDENT, IF I RECALL, WHERE SOMEONE ACTUALLY HIT THE KIOSK WAY BACK WHEN I HEARD FROM ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE 1980S. YEAH.
[02:10:08]
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY THIS IN OUR ARCHIVES, BUT I BELIEVE THE CURRENT KIOSK WAS IS NOT THE SAME ONE IN THIS PHOTO.NO, BECAUSE THE CURRENT ONE NOW IS MUCH LARGER.
YEAH. YEAH, I THINK THAT ONE GOT SMACKED.
YES, I BELIEVE SO, BUT ANYWAY I REMEMBER THAT, BUT AND I'LL JUST SHARE THE PERSON WHO TOLD ME THAT STORY WAS ACTUALLY A PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBER ON THE ZONE SEVEN WATER AGENCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SO IT'S ALWAYS FUN THE CHARACTERS THAT WE HAVE IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORT.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION AND I'M GLAD IT SEEMS TO BE SUCCEEDING.
I ALSO WANTED JUST TO THANK DIRECTOR SANWONG FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THE ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEIGHBORS, AND TAKING THE TIME AND ENERGY TO WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS AND HELP BRING ALL OF THIS TO FRUITION AND SEE IT THROUGH, THE PILOT PROJECT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU. SO I DO THINK IT'S GOOD TO ALSO MAYBE JUST STATE REAL QUICK THE KIOSK, AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS IN TERMS OF THE UTILITIES AND CONNECTIVITY THAT ARE INSIDE THE KIOSK.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WORKING TELEPHONE THAT'S ON A LANDLINE.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF CONNECTION.
THERE IS A RESTROOM FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING INSIDE THE KIOSK.
YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THERE'S MECHANISMS TO HELP COOL DOWN THE KIOSK.
AGAIN, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEMPERATURE BETWEEN IN THE RANGE OF 109 TO 115, POTENTIALLY.
THAT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER BECAUSE I'M SURE, AGAIN, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING STAFF AND PEOPLE THERE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A COOL, COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE KIOSK.
IT'S NOT JUST SOME STRUCTURE THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THESE WORKING UTILITIES IN THE KIOSK.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO MENTION ABOUT JULY 4TH.
SO AGAIN, I WANT TO OPEN WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE OUR TEST DATE, AND I THINK THAT WILL BE THE DAY THAT WE'LL WANT TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE, AND THERE WAS A POINT I DID I DO REMEMBER AT A BOARD MEETING AT A FULL BOARD MEETING, WE DID RECEIVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT FROM SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORS NEXT TO THIS PARK, AND THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATION TRENDS ON JULY 4TH AND HOW YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED, AND I THINK THAT WAS AROUND THE TIME THAT THE NEARBY CITY OF LIVERMORE HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE CANCELING THEIR FIREWORKS AND ALSO MOVING THE LOCATION OF THEIR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF CONCERNS REGARDING TRAFFIC FLOW AND THE ABILITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, AND I BELIEVE THIS ALSO HAPPENED AROUND 2016, MAYBE 2017, IN DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON, NEXT TO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.
SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL THAT THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR WAS CLOSED ON 4TH OF JULY, AND THEN IT REOPENED WITH A FIREWORKS CELEBRATION AND WAS OPEN INTO THE EVENING, AND THEN THE FINAL YEAR THAT OCCURRED.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC, YOU COULDN'T GET ANY SORT OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE THROUGH THE STREETS IN DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON, AND SO NOW THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR, I BELIEVE, CLOSES AT 5 P.M. ON JULY 4TH, DOES NOT HAVE FIREWORKS BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS FOR 4TH OF JULY, AND I KNOW WE WERE DEALT SOME BAD CARDS WITH THE EXTREME HEAT AND WITH OTHER PARKS HAVING TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME HEAT, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE DID HAVE CITY RISE OUT THERE TO HELP US WITH TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD SHARE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE WAIT TIME AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT DAY, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOW WERE PARK USERS IN REGARDS TO THE EXTREME HEAT? I'LL ALSO SHARE THAT THE NEIGHBORS DID SEND ME SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND THE WAIT TIMES, AND SO I DO HAVE SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK FROM THEM, AND IT MIGHT BE THE SAME PERSON THAT YOU OBSERVED LOOKING AT THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, BUT IT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL TO HEAR A FEW THOUGHTS ON THAT DAY.
[02:15:09]
EXCUSE ME. SORRY. UNTIL 2 P.M, AND THEN THE PARK REOPENED, AND AT THAT POINT, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANOTHER CLOSURE; ENOUGH PEOPLE HAD LEFT.IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH HEAT THERE WERE ALSO SOME FIRE RESTRICTIONS, AND SO THAT LIMITED PARK VISITORS CAPACITY TO COOK ON AN OPEN FLAME AND SO WE ACTUALLY SAW A LARGE EXODUS OF FOLKS WHEN THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COOK THEIR FOOD AFTER THE CLOSURE HAPPENED AT 10 A.M.. SO WHEN I CAME INTO THE PARK AROUND 12 THAT DAY AFTER VISITING A DIFFERENT PARK I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE PARKING LOTS, AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE INITIATED THE REOPENING PROCEDURES, BUT TO SPEAK TO THE REST OF HOW THAT WOULD DAY WENT, I'D LIKE TO BRING PARK SUPERVISOR RICHARD PARENTE UP.
THE RESPONSE I GOT FROM THE PUBLIC ON 4TH OF JULY WAS MOSTLY POSITIVE.
NOBODY LIKES STAYING IN LINE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME.
HOWEVER THEY EXPECTED TO STAY IN LINES AND THEY WERE PREPARED AND IT CONTINUED TO MOVE PRETTY, I MEAN, SLOWLY, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS MOVING, AND THAT KEEPS PEOPLE SAFE.
IF IT STOPS, THEN PEOPLE GET OUT OF THEIR CARS, THEY START PLAYING CATCH.
THEY START, PEOPLE JUST BARBECUE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR START TO ENJOY A BEVERAGE.
SO KEEPING THE LINE MOVING IN ANY CAPACITY WAS GREAT FOR SAFETY AND JUST FACILITATE FACILITATING PEOPLE INTO THE PARK WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE, AND IT WAS VERY POSITIVE FROM ALL THE RESPONSES THAT I GOT.
SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR, AND I THINK MAYBE THAT'S ONE ONE THING WE CAN MENTION.
YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE WARD DIRECTOR, IF NOT THE ENTIRE BOARD TO HEAR SOME OF THIS INFORMATION JUST BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE HEARD SOME DIFFERENT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT DAY, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DID RECEIVE AFTER 4TH OF JULY AND I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS YESTERDAY AT THE BOARD MEETING BRIEFLY, WE DID RECEIVE A LETTER ON JULY 9TH, AND IT IS FROM ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERVISOR DAVID HAUBERT, AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THIS PROJECT IS THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, EVEN WITHIN THE SAME ORGANIZATION, AND, YOU KNOW, HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY ROAD US AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS WHO ACCESS THEIR HOMES AND PROPERTIES USING THIS COUNTY ROAD. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR WATER AGENCIES OR, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT ALSO HAVE A PERSPECTIVE ON YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THIS PARK AND EVEN WITHIN YOU KNOW, THIS PILOT PROJECT, IT SOUNDS LIKE AND I DON'T KNOW, LISA, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE SHARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS, BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SHARED WITH ME YESTERDAY IN TERMS OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR POINT OF CONTACT OVER THERE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY ALARMED BY THE LETTER THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERVISOR, DAVID HAUBERT, WHO MORE OR LESS SAID THAT YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T REMOVE THE KIOSK WITHIN 30 TO 45 DAYS FROM JULY 9TH, THAT AND IF WE CAN'T ENSURE THE PROMPT REMOVAL OF THIS KIOSK, ALAMEDA COUNTY WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS REMOVAL AND HOLD EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ASSOCIATED COSTS AND THERE'S A LOT MORE PRECEDING THIS, BUT TALKING ABOUT HOW BECAUSE IT'S A COUNTY ROAD, YOU KNOW, FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, THEY HAVE JURISDICTION OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THIS COUNTY ROAD, AND I KNOW FROM SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD, BECAUSE THIS IS A STATE OF CALIFORNIA PROPERTY THAT WE LEASE THAT TECHNICALLY, AND I BELIEVE STATE OF CALIFORNIA MAY HAVE EVEN IF NOT BUILT THE ORIGINAL KIOSK DEFINITELY MUST HAVE APPROVED THIS CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT ANY TIME WE DO ANYTHING AT DEL VALLE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS A PART OF OUR LEASE AGREEMENT.
[02:20:01]
WORKING AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND THEN ALSO IF YOU COULD JUST YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE KIOSK AND HOW WE DO HAVE TO WORK WITH THE STATE IN TERMS OF ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE.JUST AGAIN, WE'RE FEEL REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT HOW WE'RE OPERATING AND RECOGNIZING THAT ANY INTERACTION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE STATE WILL, WILL BE A PROCESS.
WE WORKED WITH THE STATE ON THE WATER TREATMENT THAT WAS RECENTLY REBUILT AND THE VISITOR CENTER THAT WAS RECENTLY REBUILT, AND SO THAT'S ANYTHING WE DO AT DEL VALLE WE WORK WITH THE STATE, AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE DO WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THEM.
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO IN THIS SHORT TIMELINE THIS SEASON, BUT WE CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE OR INITIATE AS PART OF, AS PART OF THIS SORT OF THE MOVING ON WITH THE PILOT IS SORT OF THAT NEXT STAGE IS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RETHINKING, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WANT TO UTILIZE THAT KIOSK, AND I DO YOU KNOW, IT IS IN A NICE LOCATION BECAUSE IT DOES THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION HAS SERVICE.
SO ANYTHING WE DO THERE WE'LL WANT TO THINK ABOUT SORT OF ALL THAT'S ENTAILED WITH THAT.
JUST FROM A VISITORS AND STAFF SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE DID WE'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS.
WE MET WITH THEM IN MARCH AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT WITH THEM SINCE APRIL.
WE DID HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM IN JUNE.
WE MET WITH THEM AND THAT WE, SELENEY AND I, MET WITH THEM ONLINE AND WITH THEIR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF, AND WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM SINCE THEN, ALTHOUGH WE SORT OF, WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.
WE HAD PROPOSED TO BRING A ITEM TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, AS SELENEY MENTIONED, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING A COST SHARE, AN MOA TO REALLY LOOK AT A TRAFFIC STUDY AND REALLY LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE I THINK AS DIRECTOR ROSARIO SAID, I THINK WE ALL HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT COULD BE HELPFUL, BUT REALLY THIS IS AN ENGINEERING EXERCISE, AND SO I'M NOT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, AND SO WHY DO WE HAVE ANY TRAFFIC ENGINEERS ON STAFF HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK? WE DO NOT; YEAH, WE DON'T.
SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE STILL OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT ANY SORT OF ENGINEERING EFFORT TAKES TIME, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY WANTED TO EMBRACE THIS PILOT OF WHAT COULD WE CONTROL NOW THAT WEREN'T THAT WERE OPERATIONAL CHANGES, NOT NECESSARILY STRUCTURAL CHANGES.
SO WE'RE STILL OPTIMISTIC AND-- HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THIS LETTER? YEAH THAT'S MY NEXT POINT.
SO I'M WOULD LIKE TO CERTAINLY WILL FOLLOW UP AND YEAH AND I WILL ALSO SHARE, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO BE IN THE LOOP OF WHERE WE LAND IN TERMS OF OUR RESPONSE.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH ME, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE GENERAL MANAGER'S, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A LETTER TO HER.
SO I'M SURE WE CAN LET HER KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO BE IN THE LOOP AND SEE HOW SHE WANTS TO RESPOND.
OKAY, AND THEN I ALSO WILL SHARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PILOT PROJECT THROUGH LABOR DAY, AND IN TERMS OF THE NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN COMING TO ME WITH A LOT OF THEIR FEEDBACK, AND IT'S BEEN UNCLEAR TO ME, ACTUALLY, LIKE WHERE TO SHARE THAT FEEDBACK, HOW TO SHARE THAT FEEDBACK, AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE CAN KIND OF, AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, REGROUP AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH ALL OF THAT INFORMATION FROM THE NEIGHBORS AND MAYBE WHAT COULD BE SOME I GUESS, POTENTIAL BEST PRACTICES FOR WORKING FOR WORKING WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY INSPIRED YESTERDAY TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE POINT MOLATE PROJECT AND HOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EFFORTS IN REGARDS TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND I REALLY LIKE TO SEE US HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF SPIRIT,
[02:25:03]
YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMMUNITY HERE AT DEL VALLE AND ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, SINCE WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PILOT PROJECT, TO DO SOME WORK AROUND THAT FRONT, AND I'LL ALSO SHARE, YOU KNOW, I VIEW EVERYTHING AS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE'VE TAKEN THIS FIRST STEP, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESSES, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TO THIS POINT, AND SO I THINK THAT WE COULD WE COULD VIEW THIS AS MAYBE THE 1.5 STEP TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, SO HOW DO WE INTEGRATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY'RE CLEARLY GOING TO THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE ON THE ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE AWARE OF THIS, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, REGROUP AND THINK ABOUT SOME OF THIS FEEDBACK AS PART OF THIS, YOU KNOW, STEP 1.5 IN THE PILOT PROJECTS THAT WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT AFTER LABOR DAY, WE CAN SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT AND SO THAT WOULD GIVE US A REALLY NICE YOU KNOW, IT'LL GIVE US A REALLY NICE END TO THE PROJECT SO THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR OR, YOU KNOW, THE UPCOMING LONGER TERM POTENTIAL CHANGES TO DEL VALLE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE KNOWN THAT WE'VE DONE ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND, AND REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN REGARDS TO THIS PARTICULAR PILOT PROJECT.OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU. SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS DID SHARE WITH ME THAT PRIOR TO MEMORIAL DAY, THEY SAW SOME NEED FOR THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC FLOW AROUND THE KIOSK FOR THE EASTER HOLIDAY AND MOTHER'S DAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I SHARE THAT AS WELL TODAY.
HOW MANY NEIGHBORS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THAT HAVE TO ACCESS THE PARK THROUGH THE PARK? I BELIEVE THERE'S 19 DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS AND FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE N3 PROPERTY.
IS THAT RIGHT, OLIVIA? YEAH, SO THERE'S PROBABLY 19 PROPERTY OWNERS, BUT THEN WITHIN EACH PROPERTY, THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PROPERTY SECTIONED OFF FOR OTHER, YOU KNOW, RESIDENCES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, AND AGAIN, I HAVE SO MANY NOTES, I'M GOING TO NEED TO PROBABLY WRITE THESE OUT.
I TRIED TO BE ORGANIZED TODAY, BUT I DID START TO WORK ON AN ESTIMATE BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE NEIGHBORS, AND EARLIER I DID ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CONCESSIONAIRE BECAUSE I HAD ALSO HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE CONCESSIONAIRE RESIDENTS.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME PARK DISTRICT RESIDENCES.
SO WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ACCESS THEIR HOMES DRIVING ON THIS ROAD THROUGH WHERE THE KIOSK IS.
OKAY, I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS OPEN UP AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
SO THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM WE DON'T HAVE ANY DECISIONS TO MAKE.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, AND IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER MAYBE DOING A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA TO CONSIDER.
IT'S TRUE BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY, THIS LETTER WE ONLY HEARD FROM ONE MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THEY ARE A FIVE MEMBER BOARD AND IT COULD BE HELPFUL.
I MEAN, SIMILAR TO US, YOU KNOW, THEY OR EVEN JUST HAVE A PRIVATE SESSION WITH THE SUPERVISOR.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION TODAY, BUT I REALLY LIKE THAT SUGGESTION.
IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO A COMMUNITY SESSION OUT AT THE PARK LIKE WE DID WITH THE BRIONES, AS AN UPDATE ON THE PILOT OUT THERE? WE CERTAINLY CAN.
WE DID SHARE YOU KNOW, BACK IN MAY BEFORE WE BEGAN THE PILOT.
SO THIS COULD BE AN INTERIM CHECK-IN.
WE CERTAINLY CAN LOOK AT SOME SORT OF OUTREACH.
I MEAN, WE'RE DOING TABLING OUT THERE.
I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL SUGGESTION.
OKAY. WELL, THEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT HERE.
[02:30:04]
SO IT REALLY IS KIND OF NICE TO HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
OKAY, SO I BELIEVE WE NOW HAVE OUR FINAL INFORMATIONAL ITEM, FIVE BE THE DISTRICTWIDE FEE STUDY.
DO WE ARE WE GOOD TO GO THROUGH THIS OR DO WE OKAY WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE A BREAK. LET'S GO.
OH NO. YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK? NO. SHE WANTS TO DO.
GO FOR IT NOW IF YOU'D LIKE OR IF YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL RUBY IS READY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN, AND YEAH, JUST AN EXTRA SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE STAFF WHO WERE HERE TODAY.
JUST REALLY WANT TO ON THE PREVIOUS ITEM, SO, THANK YOU.
I DID WANT TO GIVE AN INTRODUCTION BEFORE, AS RUBY IS GETTING SET UP.
LAST YEAR, AS PART OF OUR WORK PLAN, WE DID A FEE STUDY TO REALLY LOOK AT HAVE WE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT OUR FEES, AND SO THIS SO RUBY'S GOING TO GO OVER THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS PART OF THAT WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WOULD BE SEVERAL EFFORTS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT, AND SO THIS FIRST EFFORT IS LOOKING AT WHAT WE LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR'S FEE STUDY AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT TO REALLY DO SOME FEE CONSOLIDATION, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO HAVE THE DEL VALLE PILOT GO FIRST OR BE BEFORE THIS WAS REALLY TO LOOK AT THIS FIRST STEP OF WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEES THAT WE'RE CHARGING AND REALLY TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THEM AND SO AS PART OF THE PILOT, THAT'S WHAT WE DID AT DEL VALLE IS WE CONSOLIDATED LIKE SIX DIFFERENT FEES INTO ONE, AND SO WE'VE HEARD VERY WE'VE HEARD POSITIVE WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THESE THESE TWO ITEMS ARE CONNECTED IN THAT WAY.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT FEES ARE THERE'S A LOT OF LOT OF ASPECTS TO THEM, AND SO WHAT THIS NEXT ITEM IS SORT OF THE NEXT STEP ABOUT LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN CONSOLIDATE FEES.
IT IS NOT ABOUT WHERE WE CHARGE FEES.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER PHASE, WHICH IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE EVEN MORE ROBUST.
SO I JUST WANT TO SET THAT STAGE FOR YOU THAT THERE'S SORT OF YEAH, DARN.
THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE ANOTHER PHASE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT FEES PROBABLY EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WITH THAT, I DID WANT TO JUST SET THAT EXPECTATION, AND NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RUBY.
YES. THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
BEFORE I BEGIN, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, I THINK AGM GOORJIAN COVERED A LOT OF THIS.
LAST YEAR, WE CONDUCTED OUR FEE STUDY WITH THE HELP OF MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP.
THEY HELPED US DO THE ENTIRE FEE STUDY AND COST ALLOCATION PLAN, AND FOR MOST OF THIS COMMITTEE, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE BROUGHT THE FINDINGS OF THAT REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND WE ALSO BROUGHT OUR FINDINGS TO THE PAC IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR, AND ONE THING I WANT TO REALLY MAKE CLEAR IS, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE FRAMING A LOT OF THE THINGS TODAY AS RECOMMENDATIONS OR POSSIBLE AVENUES THAT WE CAN EXPLORE, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY SEEKING A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS GARNER YOUR INPUT BEFORE WE COME BACK IN THE FALL WITH OUR FORMAL 2025 PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE, WHICH NO WONDER IT DOES, HE'S RIGHT HERE AND ALSO AS AGM GOORJIAN MENTIONED, THIS IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO ALL HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
THE FIRST PHASE WAS THE EVALUATION, THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, AS SUMMARIZED IN THE REPORT WHICH IS APPENDED TO YOUR MEMO, AND CURRENTLY WE'RE IN PHASE TWO, WHICH IS WE WANT TO WORK ON INCORPORATING SOME OF THESE CHANGES INTO OUR UPCOMING FEE SCHEDULE, AND THEN PHASE THREE AND FUTURE PHASES WILL BE AN EXPANSION OF LOOKING AT WHY WE CHARGE WHERE WE DO, POTENTIALLY ELIMINATING SOME PLACES, MAYBE EVEN ADDING MORE.
FOR THIS STUDY, THIS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE.
[02:35:06]
THEY LOOKED AT ALL OF THE STAFF COSTS ASSOCIATED, THE FULLY BURDENED RATE, MEANING THEY THEY ANALYZE THE TIME IT TAKES TO PROCESS A FEE, REVIEW A PERMIT, EVERYONE THAT'S INDIRECTLY OR EXCUSE ME, DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH MAKING ALL THE BACKGROUND STUFF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE FEE AND THIS IS SALARIES BENEFITS, PRODUCTIVE HOURS, ALL ALL OF THOSE FUN THINGS.THEY ALSO LOOKED AT OVERHEAD TIME, WHICH IS THE INDIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FEE.
SO MAYBE SOMEONE LIKE GENERAL COUNSEL MIGHT NOT BE GENERALLY INVOLVED WITH EVERY INDIVIDUAL PERMIT, BUT THERE IS A PORTION OF LEGAL'S TIME THAT GOES INTO THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE, ALONG WITH AN HR, IT DEPARTMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT, SORT OF THE OVERHEAD ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS.
THEY ALSO LOOKED AT MATERIAL COSTS.
THAT'S EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE PAPER THAT WE BUY, THE FISH THAT WE USE TO STOCK OUR LAKES AND THE COST OF THE LAND THAT WE MANAGE, JUST GENERAL EXPENDITURES, AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY, THEY ANALYZED FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH IS A CALENDAR YEAR FOR US, AS YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS USED TO FORMULATE THE REPORT LAST YEAR.
BEAR WITH ME. I REALIZE THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIT OF A SIMPLIFICATION AND A SUMMARIZATION, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT WERE THUS MATRIX SOLUTION FOUND THAT WE WERE UNDER RECOVERING FROM THE FEES THAT WE LEVY TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT UNDER THAT AMOUNT THAT WE RECOVER IS ABOUT 36%, MEANING THAT WE UNDER RECOVER OUR TOTAL COSTS BY ABOUT $10.4 MILLION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT THAT STRANGE.
MOST PUBLIC AGENCIES RECOVER BETWEEN 20 AND 50% FOR THEIR FEES.
THE REPORT ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE UPDATE OUR FEES WITH MORE REGULARITY.
CURRENTLY, WE BRING FORWARD FEE UPDATES EVERY FALL TO THIS COMMITTEE AND THEN TO THE FULL BOARD, BUT THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING MORE COMPREHENSIVELY, MORE ROUTINELY.
THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE DEVELOP A SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES FROM WHICH WE BASE SOME OF OUR COST RECOVERY FROM, AND THEY ALSO THINK THAT A COMPREHENSIVE FEED UPDATE, SUCH AS THE ONE WE DID LAST YEAR, SHOULD BE CONDUCTED MORE OFTEN, MAYBE AT A 5 TO 7 YEAR CADENCE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD EVER CONDUCTED A FEE STUDY IN OUR 90 YEAR HISTORY.
SO 5 TO 7 YEARS SEEMS SEEMS APPROPRIATE, AND THEY ALSO SUGGESTED DOING MARKET COMPARISONS FROM OTHER AGENCIES OR SISTER ADMINISTRATIVE GROUPS, SUCH AS OURS, TO DO COMPARISONS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EMPLOY.
YOU WILL FIND THIS TABLE IN YOUR REPORT.
IT IS A SUMMARIZATION OF SOME OF THE BIG FEES THAT WE CHARGE AND THE REVENUE THAT WE OBTAIN FROM THE FEE COLLECTION, AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL COST BEHIND THAT FEE.
SO THAT DIFFERENCE IS WHAT RESULTS IN THE COST RECOVERY NUMBER, AND WHEN YOU CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THAT 36% NUMBER. ANOTHER THING THAT THE REPORT OUTLINED WAS THIS CONCEPT OF A COST RECOVERY PYRAMID, AND THIS CAN REALLY SERVE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR OUR COMMITTEE AS WELL AS OUR AGENCY TO CREATE A PHILOSOPHY AROUND OUR FEES FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
WE TYPICALLY SEE THE COST RECOVERY POLICY DEVELOPED AT THE SERVICE TYPE OR COMMUNITY BENEFIT FACTOR.
THIS MEANS THAT THINGS THAT BENEFIT THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE PUBLIC, THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID, ARE THINGS THAT THE AGENCY SHOULD SUBSIDIZE THE MOST, BUT THINGS THAT HAVE A HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED BENEFIT.
THEREFORE, WE SHOULD CHARGE MORE AND SUBSIDIZE LESS.
SO KIND OF THIS INVERSE MODEL, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE GENERAL MANAGER, AS WELL AS THE FINDINGS OF THE REPORT, SUGGESTED THAT WE CREATE A SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR A TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK AROUND OUR FEES.
WE INCORPORATED ASPECTS OF THE COST RECOVERY PYRAMID WITHIN THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, BUT WE ALSO INCORPORATED VARIOUS OTHER IDEALS THAT WE HAVE. CONCEPTS SUCH AS EQUITY, FAIRNESS, AND TRANSPARENCY, WHILE ALSO GIVING CONSIDERATION TO COST RECOVERY, WHICH WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT.
SO THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED.
[02:40:02]
PUBLIC BENEFIT CONSIDER THE BROADER PUBLIC INTEREST AND BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY FEES.LEGAL COMPLIANCE, OF COURSE, ENSURE THAT THE FEE POLICY ALIGNS WITH RELEVANT LAWS, REGULATIONS AND STATUTES, AND TRANSPARENCY, AND MAKING SURE THAT FEE STRUCTURES AND CALCULATIONS ARE TRANSPARENT AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND THESE ARE CONTINUED HERE.
NUMBER SIX, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
HENCE, WE ARE HERE TODAY AT A PUBLIC MEETING.
GET UP WITH THE TIMES AND PERIODIC REPORTING.
PROVIDE REGULAR REPORTS TO THE PUBLIC AND RELEVANT OVERSIGHT BODIES ON OUR FEES, AS WELL AS SENSITIVITY TO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, BEING MINDFUL OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS OR OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY AFFECT THE FEE PAYERS ABILITY TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATION, AND AS WE DISCUSSED THE FEES TODAY, YOU WILL HEAR ME REFERRING TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS SORT OF THE FRAMEWORK.
SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE BROUGHT THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY, THE CURRENT CONDITIONS TO THE BOC AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND WE ALSO WANTED TO GET PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND WE BROUGHT THE STUDY TO THEM IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, AND WE POLLED THEM ON A LOT OF GENERAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO FEES AT THE PUBLIC, AND I WANTED TO BRIEFLY SHARE SOME OF THEIR INPUT.
WHEN WE TOLD THEM ABOUT THEIR SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH CURRENT FEES ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5, WITH FIVE BEING THE MOST SATISFIED, THE PAC SCORED AT AN AVERAGE RATING OF 3.53, MEANING THAT THEY HAD A NEUTRAL TO GENERALLY POSITIVE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION.
THE PACK MEMBERS WERE ALSO ASKED TO RATE THEIR IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZATION OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, ALSO ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5, WITH FIVE BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT. THEY RATED IT AT 4.07, MEANING THAT THEY ARE LARGELY SUPPORTIVE OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZATION.
80% OF THE PAC MEMBERS WERE RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA OF THE COST RECOVERY PYRAMID MODEL, AS OUTLINED IN THE REPORT, THAT THE THEORY BEHIND THE MODEL IS THAT PROGRAMS OR OPPORTUNITY WITH THE GREATEST PUBLIC BENEFIT SHOULD COST THE LEAST, AND THOSE WITH THE LEAST PUBLIC BENEFIT SHOULD COST THE MOST.
EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY FEE SHOULD BE SET THROUGH A LENS OF EQUITY AND ACCESS, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT COSTS, MEANING THAT FEES SHOULD REFLECT THE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP NEEDED TO KEEP A PARK INFRASTRUCTURE.
FEE SHOULD SERVE AS A MEANS TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, AND THAT'S REALLY TO EXHIBIT THAT.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY YOU WOULD SET A FEE.
THERE'S A VARIETY OF FACTORS THAT YOU ARE REALLY TRYING TO BALANCE, AND OF THE CATEGORIES I JUST MENTIONED, THE PAC MEMBERS RANKED EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY, AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT COSTS AS THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT SURVEY, WHICH IS KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE THEY THEY SEEM LIKE SORT OF OPPOSING THINGS.
THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT FEES GO INTO MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEN ALSO HAVE THIS LENS OF EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY, AND THE THING THAT THEY OVERALL RANKED OF THE LEAST IMPORTANCE WAS MARKET COMPARISONS AND MARKET RATE.
[02:45:06]
WANT TO LOOK AT MORE DEEPLY, AND ONCE AGAIN, I WILL BE FRAMING THINGS AS SORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR IDEAS, BUT WE ARE NOT SEEKING A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TODAY. WE SELECTED THESE FOR MYRIAD OF FACTORS.FIRSTLY, WE WANTED A MANAGEABLE SELECTION.
WE WEREN'T GOING TO DO ALL OF THE FEES, AND WE ALSO WANTED TO PUT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN INTO EFFECT, AND WE LOOKED AT THESE WITH THAT LENS, AND WE ALSO FOUND THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT DEEPLY, THERE'S MANY OF THESE ARE FEES THAT WE ARE UNDER RECOVERING THE MOST FROM.
SO THEY THEY ARE THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE IN THAT IN THAT BREAKDOWN.
SO ONE THING THAT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO EXPLORE IS PARKING AT THE DISTRICT.
IT IT VARIES, AND I KNOW A NATURAL QUESTION THAT'S GOING TO ARISE HERE IS WHY IS THAT? AND I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER FOR YOU TODAY.
THEIR REASONS ARE HISTORIC AND VARIED, AND THAT'S KIND OF A PHASE THREE THING.
WE THINK THAT THE COST OF PARKING SHOULD BE THE SAME IN EVERY PARK.
IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, TRAINING PERSONNEL AND FOR CONTINUITY WE SHOULD FLATTEN THE FEES SO THEY, THEY ARE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT, IF YOU WERE TO CHARGE FEES IN ACCORDANCE TO THE ACTUAL TRUE COST BEHIND THEM, THEY WOULD BE AROUND $20 FOR ENTRY, AND CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
OR THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO SAY, EXCUSE ME, BUT I DON'T SUSPECT WE'RE DOING THAT.
HOWEVER, WE DO THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER A COST INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE RISING COSTS RELATED TO MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ALSO A LOT OF THIS IS HEAVILY CONTINGENT ON STAFFING LEVELS.
SO WHETHER OR NOT WE CHARGE IS ALSO DEEPLY IMPACTED OF WHAT DEEPLY IMPACTED ON WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO BE IN THE KIOSK, AND ONCE AGAIN, GOING BACK TO OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT PARKING FEES IN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
THE LAST TIME WE DID A PARKING REVISION WAS FOR BRIONES, POINT PINOLE AND ROUND VALLEY IN 2008.
SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT EVALUATE THINGS WITH A MORE REGULAR CADENCE.
ANOTHER FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM STAFF WAS THERE.
THERE WAS THIS DESIRE TO CONSOLIDATE FEES AND AS WE WERE DEVELOPING THIS, THERE WAS ALSO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEL VAL PILOT PROGRAM.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A VERY, VERY SMALL SUBSET OF THE POPULATION, AND THUS FAR IT'S BEEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECEPTIVE TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF A LOT OF FEES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT CONSOLIDATING BOAT LAUNCH FEES, TRAILERING FEES, MANY OTHER FEES IN THE PARKS, BUT WE DECIDED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON DOG FEES FOR RIGHT NOW FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SO ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS IF WE DO PURSUE THE OPTION OF INCREASING OUR PARK ENTRY FEES, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AS A CONSOLIDATION WITH THE DOG FEE AND ADDING THOSE TOGETHER.
OR WE CAN BE KIND OF GLASS HALF FULL AND SAY, OH, WE'RE ELIMINATING DOG FEES ALTOGETHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES PRESENTED WITH HOW WE COLLECT DOG FEES, AND IN ONE CASE STUDY EXAMPLE THAT COMES TO MIND A LOT IS LAKE CHABOT, WHICH TO PARK IN THE MAIN PARKING LOT.
YOU PAY A DOG FEE FOR EVERY DOG THAT YOU HAVE, BUT THERE'S MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS INTO THE PARK WHERE YOU COULD JUST SIMPLY WALK IN WITH YOUR DOG AND NOT BE CHARGED A FEE, AND THERE'S MYRIAD OTHER EXAMPLES LIKE THAT.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE APPLIED EQUITABLY THROUGH TO EVERYONE ENTERING THE PARK, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING IN FROM FAR AWAY TO ENTER THE PARK, PAYING A FEE AND PERHAPS PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEXT DOOR NOT PAYING THE FEE.
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, ABOUT 44.6% OF AMERICANS OWN DOGS, AND THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. I DON'T WANT TO WAGER TO GUESS THAT IT'S HIGHER IN THE BAY AREA, BUT IT COULD BE.
SO SHOULD WE ELIMINATE THIS FEE? IT DOES IMPACT A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THEY IT'S NOT A FEE THAT'S IF WE WRAP IT INTO PARKING, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, I DON'T HAVE A BOAT TRAILER.
[02:50:07]
THIS DOESN'T IMPACT ME.THIS MAP SHOWS WHERE WE CHARGE FOR PARKING AND DOG FEES, AND YOU WILL SEE IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME PLACES BECAUSE WE DO SO WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO.
ALL RIGHT, AND ARE THEY ELECTRONIC OR ARE THEY LIKE IF THEY ARE POINT OF SALE.
SO THIS IS EVERYWHERE WHERE WE CHARGE FOR ENTRY, BUT THERE'S NO DIFFERENTIATION IN THE MAP OF WHETHER IT'S POINT OF SALE OR CASH, BUT I AS AN ASIDE THAT'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN A LONG DISTRICT PROJECT WHICH IS TRYING TO CONVERT KIOSKS TO HAVE POINT OF SALE OR CASHLESS ENTRY AND I THINK THERE MAY BE ANOTHER REPORT OR COMING FOR THAT IN THE FUTURE.
SO BASED ON STAFF INPUT, ANOTHER AREA THAT WE WANTED TO WORK ON WAS SWIMMING FEES, AND THE CURRENT PRICING IS A LITTLE WONKY.
IF I WERE PUTTING IN MY PERSONAL OPINION FOR AGES 16 TO 61, IT'S 3 TO $4.
IT VARIES BASED ON THE LOCATION FOR SENIORS OVER 62 AND THOSE THAT ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED, IT'S $2 AND CHILDREN 1 TO 15 IT'S TWO, AND THEN CHILDREN UNDER ONE ARE FREE.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN AT CULL CANYON ON A HOT DAY AND THERE'S A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE DIFFICULTY THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH PARSING OUT ALL OF THESE, THESE DIFFERENT FEES AND ASKING FOR PERHAPS IDENTIFICATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WE REALLY WERE PROPONENTS OF SIMPLIFYING, AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THESE FEES, A VERY INITIAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT WE WERE BELOW MARKET COMPARABLES FOR PUBLIC POOLS IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND CERTAINLY, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE BRING FORWARD IN THE FALL, WE'LL DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THAT MARKET ANALYSIS.
THE LAST TIME WE CHANGED THE FEES, WHICH WAS NOT AT ALL OF OUR SWIM AREAS, IT WAS JUST A HANDFUL.
SOME OF THEM CHARGED NOT TO THE WHOLE DOLLAR.
SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, $2.50, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE RAISED IT TO THE WHOLE DOLLAR AND THAT WAS 2021, AND BASED ON THE FEE STUDY, IF WE WERE EVER TO CHARGE THE FULL COST IT TAKES TO RUN A POOL, I MEAN, THINK OF THE STAFFING, THE CHEMICALS, THE ENERGY, ETC., THE FULL COST TO CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC WOULD BE $28, AND WE FOUND THAT THE IMPACT TO THE POOL IS RATHER COMPARABLE.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE LIFEGUARD LIFEGUARDS, YOU KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED.
IT'S PRETTY COMPARABLE REGARDLESS OF AGE, AND THE INPUT THAT WE GOT FROM POLLING INTERNAL STAFF IS WE WANTED TO STREAMLINE THE PRICING OR MAKE IT JUST A LITTLE BIT EASIER, AND ONE THING THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING OR WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER IS INCREASING THE PRICES JUST A LITTLE BIT TO ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, MARKET CONDITIONS AND MAKE IT 18 AND OVER AND THEN 18 AND YOUNGER MINORS AND HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PRICE STRUCTURES THERE, AND THEN HAVE THE SENIOR AND PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES THAT WILL STAY THE SAME, AND THEN CHILDREN UNDER ONE YEARS OF AGE WILL CONTINUE TO BE FREE.
SO ONE POTENTIAL STRUCTURE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IS FOR ADULTS 18 AND OVER, $5 FOR ENTRY, CHILDREN UNDER 18, $3 AND THEN KEEP THE BOTTOM TWO THE SAME AS THEY ARE.
SO THAT IS A POTENTIAL CONSIDERATION, AND THIS IS JUST BRIEFLY A LOOK AT WHERE WE HAVE OUR SWIM FACILITIES.
ANOTHER AREA THAT WE GOT A LOT OF INPUT FROM STAFF WAS SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS.
THESE ARE RELATIVELY RESOURCE INTENSIVE, AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT OUR RECOVERY PYRAMID MODEL, SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS ARE SOMETHING THAT IMPACT OR BENEFIT A RATHER SMALLER SUBSET OF THE POPULATION, NAMELY PEOPLE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING OR, EXCUSE ME, ORGANIZING THE SPECIAL EVENT. OUR CURRENT PRICING STRUCTURE IS BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT, ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO $500.
[02:55:07]
AS THERE'S DEPOSITS AS WELL, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT, AND IF WE LOOKED AT THE PERMIT FULL COST AS BASED ON THE FINDINGS FROM MATRIX, IT'S ABOUT 1200 TO 4 GRAND, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN WHAT WE CHARGE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER IS INCREASING THE REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT THAT IS PAID RIGHT NOW, THAT IS BETWEEN 50 AND $250, AND I THINK ANYONE WHO'S WORKED IN A PARK DISTRICT, IF THERE IS ANY DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN ACCRUED FROM A LARGE EVENT, 50 TO $250 IS NOT GOING TO DO MUCH.SO WE'D LIKE TO INCREASE THAT IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE IS RECEPTIVE TO.
RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT PRICING STRUCTURE IS JUST BASED SOLELY ON A SINGULAR PARK, BUT THERE ARE OFTEN EVENTS THAT TRAVERSE MULTIPLE PARKS, SUCH AS A RACE, AND IT'LL GO THROUGH MULTIPLE PARKS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY PAYING A SINGULAR FEE, AND WE FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THE IMPACT ON THE ADDITIONAL PARK.
THE STAFF THERE, AS WELL AS THE IMPACT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE RANGERS.
IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE SUPERVISORS.
SO THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL FEE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE, AND THIS WAS ANOTHER CONCEPT ACTUALLY WE PULLED AT THE PAC, WHICH WAS THE IDEA OF A PRICE DIFFERENTIAL FOR THOSE THAT LIVE WITHIN DISTRICT AND THOSE THAT LIVE OUT OF DISTRICT.
SO THAT WOULD BE ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY RESIDENTS, AND THE COMMITTEE WAS ACTUALLY RECEPTIVE TO THAT SORT OF PRICING STRUCTURE, AND SO WE THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER A PRICE DIFFERENTIAL FOR THOSE THAT LIVE IN COUNTY AND THOSE THAT LIVE OUT OF COUNTY, AND PERHAPS HAVE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER FEE FOR THOSE OUT OF COUNTY, AND THIS IS NOT A FOREIGN CONCEPT TO US.
WE ALREADY EMPLOY THAT WHEN WE DO RESERVABLE FACILITIES, WE DO THAT FOR PICNICS.
SO THAT COULD THAT COULD ALSO BE INCORPORATED HERE, AND THEN OUR FINAL TWO AREAS WE WE'D LIKE TO POTENTIALLY CONSIDER FOR CHANGE THIS FALL IS OUR DAY CAMPS AND OUTDOOR PROGRAMS, AND ONCE AGAIN, HARKENING BACK TO OUR COST RECOVERY PYRAMID MODEL.
IT'S A $100 PERMIT, AND THEN THERE'S ADDITIONAL FEES BASED ON BOTH CAPACITY, AND THERE'S ALSO DIFFERENT TIERS OF COST RELATED TO NONPROFIT, FOR PROFIT AND PUBLIC AGENCY GROUPS, AND IF WE LOOKED AT THE FULL COST BEHIND A DAY CAMP, IF WE SMOOTHED OUT THAT COST, IT'S ABOUT $3,400, WHICH ONCE AGAIN IS CONSIDERABLY LESS. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE AN INCREASE IN THE PERMIT COST, AND IF NOT FOR ALL OF THEM, AT LEAST FOR THE FOR PROFIT GROUPS, BECAUSE THEY THEY PASS ON THOSE COSTS TO THOSE CUSTOMERS SO THEY COULD SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF A HIGHER FEE.
WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE HERE AS WELL THE COST OF THE REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT.
JUST BECAUSE THESE THESE CAMPS CAN HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN AND PEOPLE IN THEM, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER ANY DAMAGE THAT IS INFLICTED TO A PARK OR A PARK AREA, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ARENA THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER A PRICE DIFFERENTIAL FOR IN COUNTY AND OUT OF COUNTY RESIDENTS, AND THEN SIMILARLY TO YOUR RIGHT FOR THE OUTDOOR PROGRAMS, THIS IS THE SISTER PROGRAM.
GENERALLY, THOSE ARE $400 IS WHAT WE CHARGE, AND THE FULL COST BEHIND THEM IS CLOSE TO $3,200, AND WE'D ALSO LIKE TO CONSIDER A HIGHER COST FOR FOR PROFIT GROUPS IN THIS ARENA AS AS WELL AS A PRICE DIFFERENTIAL FOR ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA, CONTRA COSTA IN- COUNTY RESIDENTS VERSUS OUT-OF-COUNTY RESIDENTS.
I REALIZE THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TODAY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE WE ARE NOT SEEKING A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION HERE, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR APPETITE FOR POSSIBLE FEE CHANGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, AND WE'D LIKE TO INCORPORATE YOUR FEEDBACK WHEN WE COME BACK THIS FALL.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
SORRY. I JUST REALIZED YOU WERE PROBABLY DONE, AND I'M STILL WRITING A NOTE TO MYSELF.
[03:00:07]
EFFORT IN DIFFERENT PHASES, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SUMMARIZATION YOU'RE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER IN THE SLIDES.DO MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO START? OKAY. GO AHEAD, DEE. I THANK YOU.
THIS IS A GREAT A GREAT STUDY, VERY EXHAUSTIVE, AND I APPRECIATE THE AMOUNT OF DETAIL AND HANDS OFF.
SHOUT OUT TO THE CONSULTANT; 'DID A GREAT JOB.
SO REGARDING PARKING, I THINK IN A LOT OF IF YOU, IF YOU SIT IN ON PANELS WHERE PEOPLE OF LOWER INCOME HAVE A SAY IN WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO GETTING SERVICES OR ACCESSING PARKS, FEES IS ONE OF THEM, PARKING FEES AND SO I WOULD REFER YEAH, I AGREE, I THINK ALL THE PARKS HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT, AND THEN BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF RELIEF FOR SO THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE WITH A LOWER ECONOMIC STATUS AVAILABLE TO GET TO OUR PARKS AND NOT BE OVERBURDENING THEM.
ON THE WEEKENDS, AND THAT HELPED.
THAT HELPS AS A KIND OF CONTROL.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU'D SEE CARS PARKED, I MEAN, CARS COMING IN WITH FAMILIES ALL PACKED, AND THEN YOU'D SEE REALLY EXPENSIVE CARS OUTSIDE, PEOPLE WALKING IN, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE MASERATIS AND THE WELL, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, I'M NOW I'M DATING MYSELF SHOULD BE A TESLA OR SOMETHING, BUT SO YEAH, I THINK AND THEN ALSO JUST BECAUSE OF BEING IN THE KIOSK IF WE DO, I'M ADVOCATING FOR JUST STAYING AT $5 BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE LIKE ANYTHING LESS OR MORE, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE CHANGE, AND TRYING TO TRYING TO SCRAMBLE FOR DOLLAR BILLS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY WEEKEND IS TOUGH.
YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN TO SAFEWAY AND CHANGE $50.
SO AND THEN AS FAR AS DOGS, I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY WE CHARGE FOR DOGS, EVER.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WERE I WAS USING THAT MONEY.
I WAS USING MY TRAIL MONEY, WHICH WAS THE LLD MONEY FOR THE TRAILS AND STAGING WE GOT TO USE THOSE TO OFFSET COSTS ON FOR TRAIL PROJECTS.
RIGHT, BUT I ENDED UP USING THAT MONEY FOR DOGGY BAGS.
SIX GRAND A YEAR, JUST, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE TIME WE HAD A VENDOR OFFERED AT POINT ISABEL TO GIVE THE BAGS FOR FREE AS LONG AS THEY GOT TO ADVERTISE THEIR BAG.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN LAST TWO MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK POINT ISABEL AT THAT TIME WAS SPENDING ALMOST $100,000 ON DOGGIE BAGS.
SO, AND THAT'S WHEN SOMEBODY IN THE PARK DEVELOPED THOSE LITTLE CONTAINERS WITH THE PVC, AND WE PUT IN A, ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO BRING IN PLASTIC BAGS AND USE THOSE, AND THAT'S HOW I GOT RID OF THE DOG BAGS AT REDWOOD, BUT SO I'M IN FAVOR OF NOT OF NOT CHARGING FOR DOGS.
DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME, AND THEN AND THEN AS FAR AS ALSO PARKING, I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY CHARGE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF COUNTY OR OUT OF THE DISTRICT MORE BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE IN DISTRICT, THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING WITH THEIR TAXES AND, AND THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY FAIR THING TO DO IN ALL THOSE CATEGORIES AND SWIMMING, I WOULD INSTEAD OF HAVING THREE CATEGORIES, I WOULD CONSOLIDATE THE CHILDREN ALONG WITH THE SENIORS AND DISABLED. OKAY.
[03:05:01]
INSTEAD OF HAVING THREE CATEGORIES, JUST HAVE TWO, AND THEN SPECIAL EVENTS.YEAH. THAT'S HAVING GONE THROUGH THOSE.
THEY I'LL LEAVE THAT ONE AT THAT.
OH, SECURITY DEPOSITS FOR ANYTHING LIKE PICNICS, SPECIAL EVENTS.
I THINK THOSE I THINK WHEN WE START INSTITUTING THOSE FOR SOME OF THE PICNIC AREAS THAT WERE OVER 50, I THINK THIS WAS BACK IN THE 2000, I THINK HELPED TREMENDOUSLY.
SO MAY I ASK, ARE YOU A PROPONENT OF INCREASING THAT SECURITY DEPOSIT AMOUNT? YES. OKAY.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE GOOD, THEY GET IT BACK.
CERTAINLY. YEAH, I THINK I THINK I AGREE WITH MOST OF MOST OF THE THINGS YOU'VE GOTTEN WITH THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SPECIAL EVENTS ARE THEY'RE REALLY LABOR INTENSIVE.
I KNOW, JUST JUST THE PROCESS TAKES A LOT OF TIME FROM THE SUPERVISOR AND STAFF, AND THEN IF YOU'RE IF IT'S A RACE, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO HELP THEM TAG AND SET EVERYTHING UP, AND THEN SO IT'S YEAH, IT'S I AGREE THERE AND THEN AND THEN THERE'S WE JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE NON-PROFITS.
I WAS JUST THINKING OF FRANK MULLEN AND HIS RACE AT LAKE CHABOT, BUT YEAH, THAT TRIANGLE IS VERY HELPFUL.
I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, I THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD SERVICE.
WE'RE ADDRESSING ACCESS ISSUES AND ALSO YOU KNOW, GETTING A FAIR AMOUNT OF A LITTLE BIT BACK.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER GET 100%, AND WE SHOULDN'T WE'RE PROVIDING A PUBLIC SERVICE, AND YEAH, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR PARKS.
COLIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? RUBY, YOUR FIRST SLIDE HAD A PICTURE OF THE MISSION PEAK POLE.
YES. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A FEE FOR PHOTO OPS? [CHUCKLING] YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD COVER OPERATING COSTS OF THIS DISTRICT FOR A MONTH.
WE COULD PUT IT. IT COULD BE A CONSIDERATION.
SO MIGHT BE A DIRECTION WE'RE HEADED IN.
I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO MY COLLEAGUE'S THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS, OTHER THAN TO JUST OFFER THAT I FREQUENTLY ATTEND BLACK DIAMOND CONTRA LOMA BROWNIES AT BEAR CREEK AND ALHAMBRA.
I THINK I'VE BEEN CHARGED A PARKING FEE ONCE AT CONTRA LOMA.
SO MY COMMENT IS THAT IT SEEMS TO ME, AS A FREQUENT VISITOR TO THESE PARKS, THAT WE AREN'T CHARGING PARKING FEES AND IT'S GOTTEN POINTED TO WITH ME WHERE I JUST ASSUME I'M DRIVING THROUGH THE KIOSKS.
SO I THINK IF WE EVER SOLVE THE ISSUE OF STAFFING THOSE KIOSKS IN THOSE PARKS AND ACTUALLY DO CHARGE FEES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KIND OF LET PEOPLE KNOW BECAUSE IT'S JUST SPORADIC.
NOW IT'S I AS A BOARD MEMBER, I YOU KNOW, I PEOPLE ASK WELL WHAT WHEN DO WE CHARGE FEES AT THESE PARKS, AND I HAVE TO ALWAYS SHRUG MY SHOULDERS.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I SHARE DIRECTOR ROSARIO'S VIEW THAT IS THE MOST REGRESSIVE OF OUR FEES IN TERMS OF THE PYRAMID, AND IF, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW WE
[03:10:09]
DO A LOT OF WORK ON PARKING LOTS, AND THOSE FEES GO TOWARD PARKING AND HELPING STAFF THE PARKS.SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS OTHER THAN IT'S ALMOST NONEXISTENT IN MY EXPERIENCE, AND THEREFORE WE SHOULD JUST TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE FOR THESE PARKS WHERE WE'RE MOST OF THE TIME NOT CHARGING FEES.
THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
THAT IS DEFINITELY LIKE AN ANCILLARY BODY OF WORK HERE.
PERHAPS WHAT WE LOOK INTO IN PHASE THREE BUT IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE TO IN ORDER TO CHARGE FEES.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE COLLECTING THAT FEE.
WE DO HAVE THE VIN TECHS AT SOME OF OUR PARKING.
SOMETIMES THEY WERE CALLED IRON RANGERS WHERE, YOU KNOW, SO SO SOME PARKS DO HAVE THOSE WHERE WE STOPPED LIKE AT CROWN BEACH, WE'VE RECENTLY SWITCHED OVER TO THOSE VERSUS COLLECTING IN THE KIOSK THAT JUST HAPPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT WHAT ARE THOSE ELECTRONIC MACHINES? MM HMM. BECAUSE I KNOW STATE PARKS HAS THOSE.
YES. I GO UP I PUT MY CARD IN AND THEN GO PUT THE RECEIPT BACK ON THE DASH.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING LIKE AT DEL VALLE I THINK YESTERDAY YOU GUYS APPROVED A CONTRACT TO INCREASE WITH A CONNECTIVITY AT DEL VALLE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE TO COLLECT AT THE KIOSK IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE CONNECTIVITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE THOSE MACHINES, THOSE AUTOMATIC MACHINES IN THE PARKING AREAS.
SO BUT THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS WE'LL THAT'S PHASE THREE, BUT YEAH YOU KNOW JUST GETTING RID OF THE KIOSKS ALONE WOULD BE A BIG IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE CONFUSING AND THEY'RE UGLY.
CAN I ADD TO THAT ONE THING ABOUT KIOSKS, AND IF THEY'RE STAFFED, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE GET INFORMATION. YEAH, AND IF YOU GET IF YOU GET SOMEONE WHO'S KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE THEY DEPEND ON THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE, YOU KNOW, SO YOU GOT TO DIRECT THEM TO AND FROM AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO I THINK THAT STAFFED KIOSKS ARE VALUABLE.
YEAH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO I KNOW STAFFING IS A PROBLEM AND I THINK SEASONALS.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE OUTREACH WITH SENIORS.
I KNOW AT ANTHONY CHABOT SOME OF OUR MOST RELIABLE KIOSK ATTENDANTS, THERE HAVE BEEN SENIORS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OVER 50 AND SAME AT REDWOOD AS WELL.
OH, AND SPEAKING OF THOSE VIN TECHS.
I HAD A VIN TECH INSTALLED AT REINHARDT REDWOOD.
OH MY GOD, THE PHONE CALLS THAT CAME TO THE MAIN OFFICE WERE JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS ABOUT REINHARDT REDWOOD, BUT PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE IT AT ALL.
WAS IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WORK OR? NO, THEY WORKED.
I HAD ONE OF THE FIRST SOLAR ONES, AND EVEN IN THAT SHADE AT THE ENTRANCE THERE, IT WORKED FINE BUT THE PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE IT, AND SO I HAD TO TAKE IT OUT.
ALL RIGHT. YEAH, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD.
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT COMMENTS.
IT'S DEFINITELY GIVING ME A LOT TO THINK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, AS WE STARTED HEARING THIS PRESENTATION, ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES OUR MAP LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE COLLECT THESE FEES? YOU KNOW, ARE THERE SOME PARKS WHERE WE'RE COLLECTING MORE THAN OTHERS? AND I KNOW YOU HAD GIVEN US A CAVEAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT WHERE WE CHANGE FEES OR THE LOCATION.
I TEND TO GO TO A LOT OF PARKS ALSO THAT WILL HAVE FEES AND IT'LL BE DIFFERENT.
[03:15:03]
ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING, I MEAN, WE DO NEED THE KIOSK AND WE DO NEED TO COLLECT FEES IN TERMS OF DEMAND MANAGEMENT.SO THERE COULD ALSO BE VARIABILITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, I GUESS IN THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE WITH SUNOL, BUT EVEN IF I COMPARE, YOU KNOW, SHADOW CLIFFS TO DEL VALLE, I THINK IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFERENT RESULT.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, WELL ORGANIZED.
SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK, YEAH, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT WEEKDAY VERSUS WEEKEND OR CONSIDERING THAT, AND IT MAY ALSO BE A PARK BY PARK SITUATION. AT SOME PARKS MIGHT ALSO CONTINUE TO BE POPULAR DURING THE WEEK WHEREAS OTHERS ARE MORE ON THE WEEKEND. SO AGAIN, THIS WILL BE THAT NEXT PHASE IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT LOCATION, BUT I HAVE I HAVE A SENSE THAT COULD BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THINKING ABOUT THE YOU KNOW, HOW PARKINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE PYRAMID, ARE IS KIND OF OUR MOST REGRESSIVE OF FEES.
I'M THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THE FOUNDATION, I GUESS AT SOME POINT IN THESE PHASES, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF JOINT PRESENTATION OR STACK IT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE FEES FIRST AND THEN ALSO HEAR FROM THE FOUNDATION.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GREAT.
PROGRAM THAT I BELIEVE WAS RUN THROUGH THE FOUNDATION.
YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF ACCESS THE CLIPPER CARDS.
NOW, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED CLIPPER START WHERE YOU KNOW, BASED ON SOME DIFFERENT FACTORS, YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR REDUCED TRANSIT FEES, AND I WONDER IF THAT COULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO PROVIDE ACCESS IF SOMEONE HAS A CLIPPER START CARD , MAYBE THAT CAN BE USED TO REDUCE FEES OR HAVE A NO FEE SITUATION.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, AND THEN I ALSO KNOW IN TALKING TO THE DEL VALLE NEIGHBORS, I THINK IF YOU GO TO SFO, YOU CAN USE YOUR FAST TRACK TO ENTER THE PARKING GARAGE OR EXIT THE PARKING GARAGE GARAGE, AND THEN IT CHARGES YOUR FAST TRACK ACCOUNT, AND THERE WAS A SUGGESTION.
CAN WE JUST HAVE A FAST TRACK LINE AT DEL VALLE? I'M NOT SURE IF THAT CAN REALLY, TRULY HAPPEN, BUT, I MEAN, MY POINT IS, IS THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES OUT THERE.
SO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S FAST TRACK, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST SOME THINGS FOR US TO KNOW HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED AND TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS POTENTIALLY, AND THEN NO, IT'S OVER HERE.
YEAH. YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO. YOU'RE JUST. I'M THE SAME WAY.
THIS IS THE ONE I WANTED TO GO TO.
THIS IS THE DEL VALLE DAY, YOU GUYS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A REALLY WELL PUBLICIZED SPECIAL EVENT HIKE FOR HOPE.
IT WAS PART OF A NONPROFIT GROUP, HOPE FOR HOSPICE, REALLY, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE, IT'S SUCH A MARQUEE EVENT, AND IT REALLY GETS A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT TO DEL VALLE WHO MAYBE DON'T GO AS REGULARLY.
IT'S JUST SO AMAZING AND JUST REALLY GOOD.
LIKE POSITIVE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, BUT THE ONE THING I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, ON DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON, ON MAIN STREET, WE HAVE OUR PLEASANTON ARCH WHERE THERE'S A BANNER UNDERNEATH AND THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT HIKE FOR HOPE SAID AT LAKE DEL VALLE.
YOU KNOW, THE FARTHER AWAY WE ARE FROM EITHER PERALTA, OAKS OR TILDEN, I FIND THAT LESS FEWER PEOPLE SEEM TO BE AWARE OF WHO WE ARE OR WHAT WE DO, AND HAVE MORE OF AN ASSOCIATION WITH THEIR LOCAL PARKS OR THE PARK NAME, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, DEL VALLE, SUNOL OR PLEASANTON RIDGE AS EXAMPLES, AND , YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS, SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WITH NONPROFITS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN START TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO WE CAN OFFER THIS REDUCED RATE.
[03:20:07]
CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR PARK NAMES AND OUR DISTRICT ORGANIZATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR PARKS, AND IT IS A GREAT WAY TO HELP PEOPLE CONNECT.YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION, SO WE'RE NOT THIS UNKNOWN ENTITY, AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TEAM TO THINK ABOUT AND TO KIND OF RUN THAT THROUGH, BUT AGAIN, AND THIS MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A PHASE THREE, PHASE FOUR SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD, BUT THINKING ABOUT THESE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY TO PUT A VALUE IN REGARDS TO THESE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND HOW AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT GETS MENTIONED ALONGSIDE WITH THE PARK'S NAME, I THINK IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE IN TERMS OF COMMENTS.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN. I GUESS WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC STILL WITH US OR EVEN JOINING US THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM UP HERE? I KNOW THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO I JUST GO FOR IT CAME UP AS ENCROACHMENT PERMITS.
YES. I THINK THOSE ARE PARTICULARLY LOW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES TO ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THOSE ENCROACHMENT PERMITS.
SO THERE'S A THERE'S A TIPPING POINT THERE WHERE IT'S TOO HIGH.
PEOPLE WON'T EVEN BOTHER APPLYING FOR ENCROACHMENT, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE WAY TOO LOW.
THANK YOU. MAY I, I JUST WANT TO ADD ON TO THAT AFTER WE SUBMITTED OUR INFORMATION FOR THIS PRESENTATION, I HAVE BEEN IN A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH REGARD TO SOME MAYBE USUAL SUSPECT AGENCIES THAT APPLY FOR PERMITS.
SO I'LL JUST USE PG&E AS ONE EXAMPLE, WHERE WE DO A LOT OF ACCESS PERMITS AND THEN TEMPORARY ACCESS PERMITS AND THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME THAT GOES INTO WORKING ON EVALUATING THE IMPACTS, IN PARTICULAR WITH PG&E PROJECTS IS HUGE, AND SO THAT WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
IT WAS IT'S SORT OF A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERMIT THAN THE COST RECOVERY PERMIT PYRAMID THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE MAY BRING IN IN THE FALL AS WELL.
JUST RECOGNIZING THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT STAFF THAT OF THE I MEAN, IT'S REALLY LIKE AT THIS POINT A FULL TIME JOB FOR ONE OF OUR LAND FOLKS AND LAND AND THEN JUST THE AMOUNT OF STEWARDSHIP STAFF AND THE PARK APP STAFF IS IT'S HUGE, AND SO JUST RECOGNIZING ANY TIME WHEN THESE DIFFERENT YOU KNOW, AGENCIES OR OR OR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES OR, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONES, YOU KNOW, JUST ALL OF THESE THAT ARE COMING IN AND OUT DOING WORK.
THE FEES ASSOCIATED ARE I THINK NEED TO BE REVISITED.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'RE WAITING FOR US TO MENTION? NO. WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS MID-YEAR.
I THINK WE NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M NEW HERE, BUT I THINK WE NORMALLY JUST BRING YOU A BUNCH OF PROPOSALS IN THE FALL THAT THEN GET ADOPTED IN NOVEMBER, AND SO JUST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, TO SHARE IT WITH YOU AS A PREVIEW AND GET YOUR INPUT HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
WELL THEN I THINK THAT ENDS OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATIONS.
EVERYONE WHO'S STILL HERE WITH US.
SO WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.
[Announcements]
ANNOUNCEMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I THINK THERE MIGHT BE AT LEAST ONE ANNOUNCEMENT COLIN WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT THIS SATURDAY AND ALSO TODAY.YES. YEAH, THAT'S WORTHY OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT, AND YES, I THINK SO.
THANK YOU. I THINK ALL OF US HERE ARE YOU KNOW, AT ONCE SURPRISED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THE RESISTANCE WAS SUCH THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, AT LEAST AT THIS ANNIVERSARY, BUT, YOU KNOW, 80 YEARS, IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARY.
THE DEGREE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50 AND BOTH
[03:25:09]
THE TRAGEDY OF THE EXPLOSION IN 1944 AND THE MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.WITH THE SO-CALLED MUTINY TRIALS AND CONVICTIONS.
WAS SUCH THAT I GUESS THE NAVY AND IT WAS THE NAVY.
IT WASN'T THE WHITE HOUSE, IT WASN'T THE CONGRESS, IT WAS THE NAVY, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CONGRATULATE FOR ITS EFFORTS, OUR BLACK EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE, WHICH TERMS OF OUR, YOU KNOW, JUST PICK OUT YULIE IN PARTICULAR, YOLANDE, AND MAKING IT THEIR CAUSES, AND THE ALLIANCE THEY ARRANGED MAYBE A SMALL PART IN IT WITH MY BAR ASSOCIATION WITH CONTRA COSTA.
YOU HAD A BUNCH OF LAWYERS WHO, YOU KNOW, WORKED ON THE LEGAL SIDE AND THE LEGAL INDUSTRY TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE ISSUE. CERTAINLY.
THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO BACK TO ALL THE FOLKS WHO ENGAGED WITH THE PARK DISTRICT TO SUPPORT OUR NAMING A PARK A HUGE, YOU KNOW, BRAND NEW REGIONAL PARK IN THIS URBAN SETTING UNIQUE.
JUST GIVEN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT WAS NAMED THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50, AND I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT EFFORT AND THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT IS IN PART A LED TO THIS RESULT AS WELL.
SO YEAH, I'M ECSTATIC, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A RESULT THAT WILL BE PARTICULARLY RESONATING, I THINK, AT THE CEREMONY SATURDAY MORNING, AND SO I'M ALL THE MORE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WE KNEW MAYBE SOMETHING WAS UP WHEN THEY TOLD US THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WAS COMING TO THE CEREMONY THIS YEAR, STAYING FOR THE RECEPTION AND THE PARTIES YOU KNOW, AND SO IT'S NOT A COMPLETE SURPRISE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS I THOUGHT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY IT'D BE AN EXPUNGEMENT OF THE RECORD, BECAUSE THE MILITARY SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THAT MODEL IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO, WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVING INJUSTICES.
I'VE BEEN READING THE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE AND OTHER.
JUST A COMPLETE WHAT'S THE WORD? IT'S A COMPLETE IT'S VACATING THE CONVICTIONS.
AS IF THEY HAD NEVER HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE AS OPPOSED TO EXPUNGEMENT.
SO THERE ISN'T ANY IMPLICATION OF ANY GUILT FOR ANYTHING IN INVOLVING THE MUTINY CHARGES SO THAT'S A PARTICULAR RESULT THAT IS JUST REALLY RESONATES, I THINK, WITH ALL OF US AND THE ACTIVISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE PARK DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SATURDAY.
I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YULIE AND THE GROUP THAT HAVE ORGANIZED AND PUT TOGETHER PORT CHICAGO WEEKEND EVENTS HAPPENING.
I WON'T RECITE IT, BUT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING.
I APPRECIATE THAT, DEBORAH. I'D LIKE TO ADD RECOGNITION OF THE WORK OF CONGRESSMAN DESAULNIER.
HE'S BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THIS FOR SO LONG, AND ALSO BARBARA LEE AND ALL OF OUR ELECTEDS.
GARAMENDI'S STAFF, GARAMENDI AND HIS STAFF PUT IN TIME ON THIS JUST THE AND THEN THIS BOARD.
SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, I'VE BEEN GOING TO DC.
WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING IT FOR EVERY YEAR, AND SO YEAH.
IT'S BEEN. THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO END OUR OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS AFTER THAT ONE? YEAH. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ONE LISA GOORJIAN, BECAUSE I GOT TO READ THIS REMARKABLE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAVE
[03:30:08]
CONCERNING HER APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY PARKS AND REC.HIGHEST FORM OF RECOGNITION, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT, IS WHEN YOUR PEERS ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR WORK, AND THIS IS YOUR PEERS WHO HAVE ELEVATED YOU TO THIS BOARD THAT IS OF NATIONAL SCOPE, AND SO THAT IS A TERRIFIC RECOGNITION FOR YOU, AND I YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO TAKE PRIDE IN THE REFLECTION ON THIS PARK DISTRICT AS WELL, WHEN FOLKS LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN SUCH RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. SO NO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND I BELIEVE WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.