Oct 15, 2024 Board of Directors Meeting

[ROLL CALL]

[00:00:04]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

THIS IS THE CLOSED SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTR ICT ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2024, BEGINNING AT 11:03.

MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? YES, PRESIDENT. ECHOLS.

OKAY, AND, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEMS? NO, WE DO NOT, PRESIDENT. GREAT.

[CLOSED SESSION ITEMS]

THANKS.

WELCOME, EVERYONE.

[ROLL CALL]

MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? YES, PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

THANK YOU. THANKS, I'D LIKE TO ASK DIRECTOR SANWONG TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

[LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]

MANY PEOPLE USE THE TERM OHLONE TO DESCRIBE THE CULTURES AND HERITAGE OF PEOPLES ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT INDIGENOUS CULTURE IS NOT THE SAME ACROSS LANDS AND ECOSYSTEMS. EACH IS AS UNIQUE AS THE LAND ITSELF.

SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE OHLONE PEOPLES HAVE AND DO LIVE IN RECIPROCITY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCES FUNDAMENTAL FOR SURVIVAL, AND IMPORTANT TO CULTURAL PRACTICES, ALL WHILE PASSING DOWN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE OF READING AND TENDING TO THE NATURAL WORLD.

PLEASE STAND WITH ME IN EXTENDING GRATITUDE TO THE ANCESTORS, ELDERS AND RELATIVES OF THE LOCAL CHOCHENYO SPEAKING OHLONE PEOPLES AS WELL AS ALL INDEPENDENT FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES.

WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE THE LAND ITSELF, THE WILDLIFE LIVING WITHIN THIS LAND, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEWARDED IT SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR AGENDA.

[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

MOVED BY DIRECTOR ROSARIO AND SECONDED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

[SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]

WE HAVE HERE JON KAUFMAN AND LISA JACOBS FROM THE EAST BAY WILDFIRE COALITION OF GOVERNMENTS.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND JON FOR PRESENTING.

IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE COALITION IS DOING, AND THE BOARD VERY MUCH WANTED TO HEAR MORE.

SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANKS TO THE DISTRICT FOR INVITING US.

WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

LISA AND I ARE HERE AS VOLUNTEER STAFF PEOPLE BECAUSE OUR CHAIRPERSON, SUSAN WENGRAF, IS ALSO VICE MAYOR OF BERKELEY, AND THEY HAVE THEIR COUNCIL MEETING AT THE SAME TIME YOU DO.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM US RATHER THAN FROM HER, BUT I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'D BE GLAD TO ADDRESS THEM OR GET ANSWERS TO YOU.

LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON WHY WE EXIST, AND THE REASON WE EXIST IS THAT WHILE FIRE

[00:05:01]

BY THE WAY, THERE'S A WILDFIRE RED FLAG ALERT THAT WAS ISSUED TODAY FOR TOMORROW THROUGH FRIDAY, I THINK. SO THE TIMING OF THIS, WILDFIRE IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT IT'S A REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS THROUGHOUT THE EAST BAY HILLS AND WE'RE VERY GLAD TO BE WORKING WITH YOU, AND I'LL GET TO HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING IN A MINUTE, BUT THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO COORDINATE WITHIN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE EAST BAY HILLS, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, THE AREA THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON EXTENDS FROM PINOLE IN THE NORTH, DOWN THROUGH CASTRO VALLEY IN THE SOUTH.

WE ARE FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HILLS, BUT WE HAVE AN OPEN DOOR TO WORK WITH OTHERS IN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HILLS, TOO AS WELL AS WITH THE DISTRICT.

SO WE'RE VERY OPEN TO WORKING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY ON A REGIONAL BASIS TO HELP COORDINATE OUR EFFORTS AT WILDFIRE PREVENTION.

LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY OF, WHOOPS.

HERE WE ARE. WE BEGAN OUR WORK FOUR YEARS AGO PUTTING TOGETHER THIS COALITION.

THERE WERE FOUR OF US SITTING AROUND IN SUE PIPER'S LIVING ROOM.

ONE OF THE FOUR WAS JERRY KENT, WHO SOME OF YOU RECOGNIZE AS A FORMER ASSISTANT, OR RATHER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT.

SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO KNOW NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH AN ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER AN MOU.

WE ORIGINALLY WERE THINKING OF A JPA, BUT WISER HEADS PREVAILED AND WE NOW ARE OPERATING ON A MORE SIMPLE MOU STRUCTURE AND WE HAVE NINE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT HAVE SIGNED THE MOU AND AS OF APRIL WE ARE NOW HAVE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS.

SO WE ARE OFF AND RUNNING.

OUR INITIAL FUNDING CAME FROM A NUMBER OF CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, THE TWO COUNTIES, BUT ALSO WE GOT SOME INITIAL FUNDING FROM THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY DISTRICT, THE DONNER FAMILY FUND, THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC AND CSAA INSURANCE DIVISION, AND I WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE, BECAUSE THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS IN CRISIS, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT BECAUSE OUR OWN HOMEOWNER POLICIES OR RENTER POLICIES ARE ZOOMING UP IN TERMS OF RATE INCREASES, AND WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY ARE RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL COORDINATION SO THAT WE CAN EITHER PREVENT OR LIMIT THE DAMAGE THAT WILDFIRES MAY CAUSE. A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AS WELL PROVIDED FUNDING TO GET US OFF THE GROUND.

HERE, YOU SEE THE INITIAL OR THE NOT INITIAL, BUT THE NINE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE COALITION, THE TWO COUNTIES, THE CITY OF BERKELEY, THE CITY OF EL CERRITO, THE CITY OF HERCULES, OUR NEWEST MEMBER, THE CITY OF OAKLAND, THE CITY OF PINOLE, RICHMOND AND THE RODEO HERCULES FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TWO COUNTIES INVOLVED, WE ARE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WORK ON THE ENTIRE WEST SIDE OF THE HILLS FROM THE NORTH IN PINOLE, DOWN TO CASTRO VALLEY IN THE SOUTH AND IF YOU RECALL LOOKING AT THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO STREAMS OF THE HIGH WILDFIRE RISK ZONE IN THE EAST BAY HILLS.

SO WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN IN MOVING FORWARD AND DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A PROGRAM.

[00:10:02]

STRENGTHENING LOCAL BUILDINGS AND FIRE CODES.

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

EVACUATION WORK.

NEW FUNDING FOR REGIONAL PRIORITIES AND LOCAL AND STATE LEGISLATION TO PUT THOSE PROGRAMS INTO EFFECT.

THE TWO ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR OUR INITIAL WORK WILL BE HOME HARDENING AND DEFENSIBLE SPACE, THE AREAS IMMEDIATELY AROUND STRUCTURES AND VEGETATION AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IN THE ON THE LAND THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITIES AND THE TWO COUNTIES IN THE AREA, AND WORKING WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AS WELL, AND I'M PARTICULARLY GLAD TO BE MEETING WITH YOU, BECAUSE WE NEED WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, BUT IT'S THE REGIONAL AGENCIES, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING ON WILDFIRE PREVENTION, BUT WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU AS AN ADVISOR TO US, A TECHNICAL ADVISOR ON ISSUES RELATING TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND PARTICULAR THE OTHER REGIONAL ADVISORS THAT WE HAVE ARE THE UNIVERSITY, THE LAWRENCE BERKELEY LAB AND THE PARK AND THE WATER AGENCY, THE EAST BAY MUD, AND THE ALLIANCE OF FIRE SAFE COUNCILS.

THOSE ARE THE GROUPS OF RESIDENTS IN THE AREAS THAT WE SERVE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU AND OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING, AND IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY GROUPS WANT AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE FULCRUM OF THE ORGANIZATION, SO THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER POLITICALLY AS WELL AS ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THINGS.

SO THAT'S YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MYSELF AND LISA AND FOR SUSAN WENGRAF, OUR CHAIR, WILL BE GLAD TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS NOW, LISA AND I WILL BE GLAD TO ADDRESS THEM. JON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M GOING TO LET MY BOARD MEMBERS GO FIRST IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

I WENT TO ONE OF YOUR ORIGINAL MEETINGS, AND THERE WAS A QUESTION OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY AND YEAH, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR GRANTS AND HOW WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO BE LIKE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA YET? WELL, WE ARE WE ARE JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND WE'VE APPLIED FOR SOME INITIAL FUNDING.

WE GOT AN ORIGINAL GRANT BEFORE WE WERE AN ORGANIZATION.

REALLY JUST A START UP GRANT FROM THE AIR DISTRICT, AND WE'VE APPLIED TO THEM FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO IN ORDER TO COORDINATE, YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO DO THE WORK ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS AND THAT TAKES SOME MONEY TO PAY SOMEONE.

SO THAT'S OUR INITIAL PRIORITY IS TO RAISE MONEY.

WE HAVE A DUES STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE STARTING TO IMPLEMENT SO THAT THE MEMBER AGENCIES WILL MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS HARD UP THESE DAYS, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR GRANTS.

OH, YEAH. ONE OF LISA REMINDS ME WE ARE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WILL BE A FISCAL AGENT, A FISCAL SPONSOR, AND THAT ENTITY WILL SERVE AS OUR BANKING FUNCTION SO THAT WHETHER WE HAVEN'T YET DECIDED WHICH AGENCY IT WILL BE, BUT ONE OF OUR NUMBER WILL HAVE THAT ROLE SO THAT WE'LL WILL BE WILL BE KOSHER.

YEAH. ONE OF THE, JUST THINKING OF GRANTS, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT THIS MOU DOES FOR THE REGION IS THAT IF LET'S SAY EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS OR EAST BAY MUD OR EVEN ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS APPLIES FOR A GRANT, WE COULD SUBMIT A COMMUNITY LETTER OF SUPPORT AS ONE ENTITY.

[00:15:02]

YEAH, BECAUSE USUALLY THEY'RE ASKING FOR THAT NOW, THESE DAYS.

SO THAT'S ONE ADVANTAGE OF WELL, I WILL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

SURE. WELL THANK YOU, JON, I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS.

I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, AND IT WASN'T WAS NOT AN EASY DEAL, BUT YOU SEEM TO HAVE GOT FOLKS TOGETHER.

I GUESS MY COMMENT WOULD BE, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE GOT EVERYONE DIALED IN CITY WISE, AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF THESE CITIES ARE REPRESENTED BY CON FIRE OR ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE. WHAT HOW DOES YOUR AGENCY WORK WITH.

I MEAN, DO WE HAVE AUTOMATIC AGREEMENTS WITH ALL THESE OTHER AGENCIES OR.

I KNOW THEY'RE CALLED MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS, BUT EVEN MORE MORE INTIMATELY AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENTS.

LIKE IF THERE'S A FIRE THAT BREAKS OUT IN NORTH OAKLAND THERE'S AN AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENT.

I THINK THAT THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AUTOMATICALLY GETS DISPATCHED.

IS THAT GOING TO BE THROUGHOUT? I MEAN, DO THE FIRE AGENCIES TALK? THESE SEEM LIKE A GROUP OF POLITICIANS, WHICH SOUNDS GREAT, BUT DO THE FIRE AGENCIES WORK IN CONCERT WITH YOUR GROUP? I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT.

YES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR GROUP, AND THE FIRE CHIEFS DO COME TO OUR MEETINGS, SO WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.

THE MUTUAL AID IS REALLY ON THE SUPPRESSION SIDE OF THINGS.

IT'S NOT ON THE PREVENTION SIDE OF THINGS, AND ONE THING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS COORDINATION ON THE PREVENTION SIDE AS WELL, AND THAT'S REALLY A ROLE THAT WE SEE OURSELVES PLAYING, NOT TO MANAGE, BUT TO COORDINATE, AND JUST JUST A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION, DO YOU THINK PRESCRIBED BURNING HAS A ROLE IN THIS FIRE PREVENTION SIDE? I DO AND I DEFER TO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT THAT THAN I DO, BUT IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN USED SINCE ANCIENT TIMES WITH THE TRIBES, AND IT'S STILL A RECOMMENDED STRATEGY, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT DO WHOLE PRESENTATIONS ON THAT SUBJECT, BUT I DEFER TO THE EXPERTS.

RIGHT, AND I NOTICE YOU HAVE THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT BOARD ON BOARD WITH YOU FOLKS, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH THEM SO I THINK THAT'S THE KEY FACTOR.

THE AIR DISTRICT SUPPORTS US, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT WHILE YOU CAN CUT DOWN EMISSIONS WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BIG CAUSE OF AIR POLLUTION WHEN IT HAPPENS IS WILDFIRES.

SO THEY'RE VERY MUCH ON BOARD.

GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DIRECTOR SANWONG, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE THIS GROUP WORKING TOGETHER.

I THINK IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND YOU KNOW, I GUESS I CAN JUST SHARE, YOU KNOW, I MAY WANT YOUR HELP IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY.

I WAS JUST AT A MEETING ON FRIDAY WHERE I WAS MORE OR LESS TOLD THAT MANAGING WILDFIRE RISK IN OUR OPEN SPACES IN, YOU KNOW, THE EASTERN, UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY IS A BIT OF A RED HERRING WHEN MANAGING OPEN SPACE, THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE THIS PRIORITY.

WHICH MADE ME KIND OF UNHAPPY TO HEAR.

CONSIDERING THAT WE JUST RECENTLY, IN 2020, HAD THE FIFTH LARGEST WILDFIRE IN THAT AREA WITH THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX.

SO I THINK THAT THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IS SO IMPORTANT IN REGARDS TO HELPING TO BRING TOGETHER THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO, YOU KNOW, BE AWARE OF BOTH THE RISKS AND HOW WE CAN YOU KNOW, PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS AND ALSO BE ON BOARD WITH, YOU KNOW, THE COSTS AND THE PROJECTS ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, WHICH ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT.

SO REALLY, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COORDINATING THIS.

WELL, WELL, THANK YOU, AND I THINK YOU CAN EDUCATE US A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, ON THE FAR EASTERN END OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

OKAY, WELL, I, JON AND LISA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND CONGRATULATIONS.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY FIVE YEARS AGO OR NEARLY FIVE YEARS AGO, WHEN I FIRST GOT APPOINTED TO THE BOARD.

JON, YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO ME AND TALK WITH ME ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU WERE DOING UNDER A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME, WHICH IS NOW WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR PERSISTENCE AND YOUR HARD WORK, AND LISA'S AS WELL HAS REALLY

[00:20:01]

SO, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE, AND THANK YOU ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR WORK IN GETTING THIS OFF THE GROUND.

WELL THANK YOU. I REMEMBER THE INITIAL CONVERSATION, AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BUT WE'RE JUST AT THE BEGINNING.

SO YES, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR FIRE CHIEF, WHO'S BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT AND HELPFUL ADVISOR TO US.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

OH, AND GENERAL MANAGER.

YEAH. JUST REALLY QUICKLY, AND I'M GLAD YOU JUST YOU MENTIONED THAT I JUST WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR AGAIN.

I KNOW JON MENTIONED IT AT THE TOP OF HIS PRESENTATION ABOUT THE ROLE THAT WE'RE PLAYING HERE, AND WE WERE PART OF A LOT OF THE EARLY CONVERSATIONS AS THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS THING WOULD BE, AND KNOWING, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE PLAY A VERY CRITICAL ROLE IN THE REGION HERE AS NOT JUST THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNER, BUT ALSO THE LEADER IN THIS WORK AND SO ON THE GROUND.

YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY WELL, TRANSACTIONALLY WITH ALL OF THESE AGENCIES, AND AS THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT KIND OF WHAT THIS OTHER ENTITY IS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE.

WE'RE NOW OFFICIALLY SERVING AS TECHNICAL ADVISORS.

SO NOT SIGNATORIES TO THE MOU AS A PARK DISTRICT THAT DIDN'T QUITE FIT, BUT CERTAINLY MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE WITH CHIEF THIELE AND ALL OF HER STAFF.

STEWARDSHIP STAFF, AND EVERYONE IS ON BOARD WITH THE MISSION HERE AND WILL CONTINUE TO YOU KNOW, SHOW UP WHEN YOU NEED US, AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A SERIES OF TOURS AS WELL FOR A LOT OF THESE AGENCIES ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ON THE GROUND.

SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HOLD A REAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A LEADER IN THIS WORK.

SO REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AS VOLUNTEERS.

I'VE KNOWN YOU BOTH FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS THING TAKING OFF AND COMING TOGETHER WITH, WITH ALL OF YOUR PARTNER AGENCIES, BUT JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE OFFICIALLY SERVING AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR.

SO I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND NUDGING FROM A COUPLE OF YOU ON THAT.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT, AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO ADD THAT AND MAYBE SOMEONE ALREADY SAID THIS, BUT CHIEF THIELE AND HER TEAM HAVE BEEN COMING TO ALL OF THESE MEETINGS SINCE AT LEAST APRIL, IF NOT BEFORE, BUT CERTAINLY WHEN THIS GROUP BECAME MORE FORMALIZED AND THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS INFORMAL ADVISORS, AND SO WE'RE NOW TECHNICAL ADVISORS.

I DON'T THINK OUR ROLE IS NECESSARILY CHANGED THAT MUCH, BUT I'M GLAD TO PUT A NAME ON IT AND SORT OF MAKE IT MORE OFFICIAL AND WORK, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, WE'RE DOING ALL OF US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE DO LOOK TO THE PARK DISTRICT AND CHIEF THIELE AND HER STAFF AS REALLY A HELPFUL RESOURCE, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE LEADERS. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR THAT. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS, NOT ON THE AGENDA.

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]

YES, PRESIDENT ECHOLS.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL, LEAVING A VOICEMAIL, OR COMMENTING IN PERSON AT THE PODIUM. THE SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC.

EXCUSE ME? THE SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS WAS NOTICED ON THE AGENDA AND IN THE BOARD PACKET, WHICH WAS POSTED IN THE ON THE PARK DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.

ALL EMAILS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE OF MONDAY, OCTOBER THE 14TH HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE TEAM.

ANY EMAILS THAT HAVE COME IN AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD AFTER THIS MEETING, AND THERE WE HAVE ONE MEMBER HERE IN THE ROOM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I DO NOT SEE ANYONE ONLINE YET.

SO YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS RENEE PATTERSON, AND I WORK HERE AT PERALTA OAKS ON THE THIRD FLOOR AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST IN OPERATIONS FOR BUSINESS SERVICES. SO I CAME TODAY TO REMIND YOU, AS I TRY TO DO AT ALL THE BOARD MEETINGS, TO REMIND YOU THAT THE DISTRICT HAS OR AFSCME HAS FILED AN UNFAIR PRACTICE CHARGE.

[00:25:05]

SO OVER TWO YEARS AGO WAS FILED WITH THE PERBS, WHICH IS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BOARD, AND THE CHARGE WAS FOR BAD FAITH BARGAINING, INTERFERENCE, DIRECT DEALING, AND UNILATERAL IMPLEMENTATION.

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE TELECOMMUNICATION POLICY, AND LIKE I DO ALMOST EVERY BOARD MEETING, I TRY TO REMIND YOU OF IT BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS A SMALL PART OF ME THAT WAS HOPING THAT THIS WOULD, LIKE, GET TAKEN CARE OF OUTSIDE OF PERBS OR SOMETHING, BUT I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR PERBS TO SAY SOMETHING AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE SOON.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU RENEE. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS. SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER.

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND FORMALLY INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR NEW DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, WHO JUST STARTED LAST TUESDAY.

SO HE'S ALMOST OUT A WEEK.

I GUESS HE'S OFFICIALLY OUT A WEEK HERE, BUT, MAX GORTON, YOU WILL GET TO KNOW HIM VERY WELL AND YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH HIS BACKGROUND IN BIO, BUT I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND PUT A FACE TO THE NAME AND HAVE MAX HAVE A CHANCE TO JUST INTRODUCE HIMSELF FORMALLY TO THE BOARD. SO WELCOME, MAX.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS MAX GORTON, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING HERE.

I'M REALLY EXCITED.

YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP TEAM WHO'VE BEEN REALLY WARM IN WELCOMING ME, AND I'M JUST EXCITED TO GET TO WORK.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND YOU AND YOU WILL SEE HIM DEFINITELY OUT ON THE TRAILS.

I THINK HE HAS SEVEN DAYS IN.

I THINK HE'S ALREADY GETTING GETTING PRETTY ITCHY TO GET OUT THERE.

SO DEFINITELY FEEL FREE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO HIM.

I KNOW MR. MERCURIO MIGHT BE FIRST ON THE LIST.

YEAH, I CAN SEE IT, AND SO, YEAH, HE WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OF YOU AND, AND CERTAINLY TO GET TO KNOW YOUR WARDS.

WELL, WELCOME FROM ALL OF US, AND THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

COULD I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AGENDA? SO MOVED. SECOND.

OKAY. MOVED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND SECONDED BY DIRECTOR WAESPI.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT. SO I THINK WE'RE NOW READY FOR ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.

[ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION]

OKAY. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT ECHOLS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND GENERAL MANAGER LANDRETH JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TODAY. AS YOU ALL KNOW, HABITAT RESTORATION AND LAND STEWARDSHIP IS A KEY FOUNDATION OF THE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM AND THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT, AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO OF OUR KEY PROGRAM STAFF, DINA ROBERTSON, OUR WILDLAND VEGETATION PROGRAM MANAGER, AND ROSE SAMUELSON, AN ECOLOGIST IN STEWARDSHIP, PRESENT ON SOME OF OUR STEWARDSHIP HABITAT RESTORATION AND OUR POND RESTORATION PROGRAM.

JUST TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE OF THE PROGRAM IN GENERAL, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE WORK REGULARLY WITH COORDINATE WITH OPERATIONS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT VARIOUS PROJECTS, AND OVER THE LAST YEARS, SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE GOTTEN MORE AND MORE FUNDING TO DO SOME OF OUR OWN HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION PROJECTS, SOME SMALLER PROJECTS, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN SOME OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS WE DO, BUT REALLY, THIS LAND STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION IS REALLY PART OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS IN STEWARDSHIP, BUT WE'VE GOT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FOCUS ON IT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND DINA AND ROSE ARE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU, SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT WITH YOU NOW. SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AND JUST EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT SOME OF OUR STEWARDSHIP AND LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.

SO, DINA, TAKE IT AWAY.

THANK YOU, MATT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, PRESIDENT ECHOLS, GM LANDRETH.

OKAY, SO I'M DINA ROBERTSON, I'M THE WILDLAND VEGETATION PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.

[00:30:05]

VERY GOOD. FIVE YEARS I'M GOING TO BE CO-PRESENTING WITH ROSE SAMUELSON, ECOLOGIST IN THE WILDLAND VEGETATION PROGRAM.

OKAY. SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO BE WE ARE GOING TO BE DESCRIBING WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE, WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO AND HOW WE NEED WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THERE, AND HOW ALL OF YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS WORK, THIS INITIATIVE.

OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, THE STEWARDSHIP HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM THAT WAS STARTED IN ABOUT 2022, AND IT IS FUNDED THROUGH A ONE TIME BUDGET ALLOCATION FROM THE OPERATING BUDGET.

SO JUST ONE TIME AND THEN WE LEVERAGE THOSE FUNDS WITH GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, AND PRIMARILY RIGHT NOW THE STEWARDSHIP, HABITAT, HABITAT RESTORATION WORKGROUP IS COMPRISED OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN STEWARDSHIP WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HABITAT RESTORATION, WHICH IS MOST OF US, AND THE PROJECT MANAGERS THAT CARRY OUT THE WORK RIGHT NOW ARE ROSE.

KRISTEN VAN DAMME, MYSELF AND THEN IN IPM, PAM BATES AND BARBARA CAMACHO AND THE POND PROGRAM, WHICH I THINK WE'VE PRESENTED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.

SO THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE ABOUT 2020, AND WE MANAGE OVER 600 LIVESTOCK PONDS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, AND JUST TO RECAP, THOSE PONDS ARE CRITICAL FOR OUR ENDANGERED SPECIES.

WE CAN'T HAVE RED LEGGED FROGS AND TIGER SALAMANDER WITHOUT THE PONDS, AND ALSO FOR WATERING THE CATTLE, WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT.

THAT WAS THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED.

WE'VE BEEN KIND OF EKING ALONG THERE WITH ONE TIME BUDGET ALLOCATIONS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SO NO PERMANENT FUNDING FOR THAT ONE.

SO WE JUST PIECE IT TOGETHER TO KEEP IT GOING.

THE WORK GROUP IS WILDLAND VEG.

THIS IS AGAIN MAINLY STEWARDSHIP WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND THE PERMITTING GROUP AND THE STAFF WHO ACTUALLY CARRY OUT THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALISON ROFE AND DAVID RIENSCHE. SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GO OUT AND OVERSEE THE CONTRACTORS AND WORK WITH THE TENANTS TO GET THE WORK DONE.

OTHER PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THIS WORK, THERE ARE MANY.

SO VOLUNTEER SERVICES IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO JESSICA SLOAN AND HER TEAM HAVE BEEN GREAT IN SUPPORTING THIS HABITAT RESTORATION WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND OF COURSE, THE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHEN ROSE PRESENTS ON PROJECTS.

OUR GRAZING TENANTS AND CONTRACTORS, WE CAN'T DO THE WORK WITHOUT THEM, SO THEY'RE REALLY CRITICAL TO THE POND RESTORATION WORK.

PARK OPERATIONS.

WE ALWAYS WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH, URBAN TILTH TEAM AND POINT BLUE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RESTORE WATERSHEDS. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HELP PULL OFF ALL THIS WORK, AND JUST TO MENTION HERE THAT THE HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH, I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE YEAR PROCESS OF WORKING CROSS-DIVISIONALLY WITH OTHERS IN THE PARK DISTRICT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR TOP PRIORITIES WERE UNDER THE 30 BY 30 UMBRELLA, AND SO THE HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY PROJECT, AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANA ALVAREZ FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND HELPING US TO GET TO WORK CROSS-DIVISIONALLY SO SEAMLESSLY.

IT WAS REALLY AN EXCITING EFFORT AND COLLABORATION.

OKAY, SO WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO? SO WE HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALING THE LAND IN THE PARK DISTRICT.

SOME OF THESE PICTURES WILL BE FAMILIAR TO MANY OF YOU, BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN ALL OVER THE PARK DISTRICT.

WE HAVE CREEKS THAT ARE FALLING INTO RIVER SYSTEMS AND CREEKS VERY COMMON IN ALL OF OUR PARKS.

WE HAVE HILLSIDES COMING DOWN NOT ABLE TO HOLD WATER WHEN IT HITS THE LANDSCAPE, AND SO WE HAVE BIG EROSIONAL AREAS, WASHING OUT TRAILS AND OTHER THINGS.

WE HAVE PONDS THAT ARE BLOWING OUT ALSO FROM JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.

A LOT OF THESE PONDS WERE NEVER BUILT TO LAST FOR A WHOLE LOT OF TIME.

THEY NEED TO BE MAINTAINED.

SO YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU'RE OUT HIKING THAT WE HAVE PONDS THAT ARE FUNCTIONING AND MANY THAT ARE NOT.

WE HAVE INVASIVE PLANT INFESTATIONS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE.

VISITORS DON'T WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE, DON'T LIKE TO HAVE SPIKY THISTLES HITTING THEIR SHINS WHEN THEY'RE WALKING DOWN THE TRAILS.

THEY DON'T LIKE THE BLIGHT OF IT, AND NOT TO MENTION ALL THE BIOLOGICAL REASONS FOR BIODIVERSITY OF WHY THOSE THINGS ARE NOT GOOD.

THERE'S NOT A SINGLE CORNER OF THE PARK DISTRICT THAT HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS.

WE HAVE ALTERED THESE LANDSCAPES GREATLY BOTH BEFORE WE MANAGED THEM.

BEFORE THEY CAME TO THE PARK DISTRICT, THEY WERE USED FOR EXTRACTIVE USES.

THAT WAS JUST WHAT WE DID WITH THE LAND, AND SO NOW WE HAVE IT AND WE HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF EXTRACTIVE USE.

WE DO USE IT FOR RECREATION, WHICH IS A TYPE OF EXTRACTION A TYPE OF USE, AND A LOT OF THESE LANDSCAPES.

WE'RE JUST NOT MANAGING BECAUSE OF HOW, WELL, THERE'S JUST A LOT TO DO, A LOT TO TACKLE, BUT THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE'RE AT.

[00:35:07]

SOME OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND TOO, ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING SPECIES AND HABITAT FUNCTION.

ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I THINK, THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND ARE POLLINATORS.

SO I LOVE TOMATOES.

LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. I LOVE TOMATOES, WHICH MEANS I LOVE BUMBLEBEES BECAUSE THE BUMBLEBEES ARE WHAT POLLINATE OUR SOLANACEAE, OUR POTATO CROPS, WHICH TOMATOES ARE IN THAT FAMILY. SO IF WE DON'T HAVE BUMBLEBEES, WE CAN'T POLLINATE OUR CROPS.

SO THAT'S SORT OF A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN OUR LANDS THAT SUPPORT BUMBLEBEE POPULATIONS AND THE PLANTS ON THEM.

SO WE WANT WE WANT TO WE WANT TO KEEP THE BUMBLEBEES.

WE WANT OUR TOMATOES.

STORM WATER ATTENUATION FUNCTION IS ANOTHER THING THAT OUR LANDS CAN DO.

SO WE DON'T WANT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LOWER LEFT PICTURE THERE, ONE OF OUR NEWER LAND ACQUISITIONS HAPPENING, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF PAST LAND USE, AND THAT CAN BE FIXED IF WE MANAGE IT CORRECTLY.

MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I WON'T GET INTO WITH CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVEN LOSSES.

WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT SHIFTING BASELINE IS BASICALLY LIKE WE COME ONTO THE LANDSCAPE AS NEWCOMERS AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE LOST BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER SEEN WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE WHEN THERE WAS MORE BOUNTY.

OKAY, SO ENOUGH OF THAT.

WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO MANAGE FOR.

WHAT ARE THESE FLOURISHING LANDSCAPES THAT I'M PICTURING AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT VISITORS WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR RECREATIONISTS.

WE WANT TO SEE PONDS THAT ARE FULL OF SPECIES, THAT YOU WALK UP TO IT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE FROGS AND THE TOADS AND ALL OF THE NEWTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND IT'S A FLOURISHING HABITAT.

WE WANT TO SEE NATIVE WILDFLOWERS ON THE LANDSCAPE THAT THE LITTLE BEES CAN USE, AND THE BIRDS CAN USE THAT, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

WE LOVE TO SEE WILDFLOWER BLOOMS. PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER TO SEE SUPER BLOOMS, AND WE CAN DO THIS THROUGH RESTORATION.

A LOT OF THESE LANDSCAPES THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THESE FLOURISHING LANDSCAPES CAN'T.

WE CAN GET THERE WITH RESTORATION, WITH THE RIGHT ATTENTION AND WORK.

OH, THERE WE GO.

OKAY. WHAT ELSE DO WE WANT TO SEE? WE WANT TO SEE STREAMS THAT ARE RUNNING CLEAR THAT SUPPORT SPECIES, THAT YOU CAN LOOK INTO IT AND YOU CAN SEE A TURTLE, YOU CAN SEE FISH.

THESE ARE FUNCTIONING CREEKS THAT ARE NOT FULL OF SILT FROM EROSION, FROM THE LANDSCAPE, EROSION ON A CONSTANT BASIS.

WE CAN SEE WILDFLOWER BLOOMS ON THE LANDSCAPE LIKE THESE LUPINES AND THE OHLONE WILDERNESS, AND THEN ANOTHER PICTURE HERE IS A RESTORATION WE'RE DOING AT PLEASANTON RIDGE, WHICH WILL HELP WITH THAT CREEK FUNCTION.

IT'S JUST UPSTREAM OF SINBAD CREEK THAT WILL HELP TO TRAP AND DEPOSIT THE SEDIMENT BEFORE IT GETS DOWN INTO THE CREEKS.

OKAY. OKAY.

SO HOW DO WE GET THERE? SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SHIFT HOW WE DO THE WORK RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE EXTREMELY REACTIVE.

THAT IS HOW WE OPERATE.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE GO, OH GOSH, WE GOT TO FIX THIS AND THEN WE RUN OUT AND WE TRY TO FIX THAT.

WE DO PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPERMANENT, THAT ARE MORE PERSON VERY SPECIFIC TO A PERSON BASE, LIKE, OH, THEY LIKE TO RESTORE THIS FRENCH BROOM HERE, AND IT'S GREAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THEN THE PERSON THAT CHAMPIONED IT IS GONE, AND THEN THAT PROJECT JUST DOESN'T GO FORWARD.

SO IT'S VERY IMPERMANENT.

THERE'S IN A LOT OF THE WORK WE DO, NOT EVERYTHING, BUT A LOT OF THE WORK WE DO, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

SO WE DO A LOT OF AD HOC FUNDING OF THINGS.

SO THERE'S NO PERMANENT FUNDING TO KEEP TO KEEP A PROGRAM GOING AND TO ACTUALLY MAINTAIN A SITE ONCE WE'VE DONE SOME KIND OF RESTORATION WORK.

SO WE WANT TO SHIFT OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HERE OF WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE, WE WANT TO HAVE DURABLE PROJECTS, AND WE WANT TO HAVE A DO OUR PROJECTS BASED ON A PRIORITIZATION AND PROGRAMMATIC BASIS.

OKAY. SO WE WANT TO JUST A RECAP OF WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THIS HABITAT AND POND RESTORATION PROGRAM.

WE WANT TO SHIFT FROM WHAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR PRIMARILY EXTRACTIVE USE OF OUR LANDSCAPE, AND THIS IS HISTORICAL SINCE IT WAS COLONIZED TO HEALING AND VALUING THE RESOURCES WE WANT TO BRING OUR COMMUNITIES IN THAT SURROUND ALL OF OUR PARKS.

PEOPLE ARE SO EAGER TO BE A PART OF HEALING THE LANDSCAPE WE HAVE.

IF YOU TALK TO VOLUNTEER SERVICES AND YOU TALK TO ANY OF US, EVERYONE'S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT THEIR HANDS IN THE DIRT, AND HONESTLY, I THINK TO GIVE THEM HOPE IN THESE VERY BLEAK TIMES.

STEWARDSHIP CAN LEAD THE PARK DISTRICT IN HEALING THE LAND.

WE ARE MORE THAN A REGULATORY GROUP.

WE DON'T. YOU KNOW, WE DO MUCH MORE THAN GIVE A PERMIT TO GET A PROJECT DONE.

SO EMPOWERING US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK WILL GO A REALLY LONG WAYS.

WE ARE GOOD PARTNERS IN THIS WORK.

ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

DOING ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MEANS YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY MONITOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO BE ABLE TO FEED INTO YOUR PROCESS.

DID THIS WORK? DID IT NOT WORK?

[00:40:01]

SO MAKING SURE THAT WE AREN'T DOING MORE HARM, THAT WE'RE NOT CAUSING OURSELVES MORE WORK.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HISTORICALLY THAT HAS JUST HAPPENED A LOT.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO DIG INTO THOSE THINGS, TO BREAK THE CYCLE AND KIND OF GET AT NOT MAKING MORE WORK FOR OURSELVES.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND THE INVESTMENT IN JOBS AND FUNDING THAT SUPPORT THE LIFTING OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, AND I THINK WITH THAT IS WHERE I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ROSE TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECT, JUST A FEW OF THE PROJECTS, EXAMPLES OF THESE PROGRAMS. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, DINA.

YES. SO I'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE SAMPLING PLATTER FOR YOU HERE OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED AND ARE IN PROGRESS, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW WE CAN BUILD OFF OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO DINA MENTIONED RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS, WHERE WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF EROSION AND WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP WITH THAT ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PROJECT HERE IN THE WILDCAT TRIBUTARY WHERE WE'VE PUT IN WILLOW FASCINES, THEY'RE STAKING WILLOW CUTTINGS INTO THE GROUND.

ONCE THOSE WILLOWS ROOT, THEY HELP SLOW DOWN THE WATER FLOW, CATCH THAT SEDIMENT, AND HELP THAT WATER PERCOLATE INTO THE GROUND RATHER THAN SHEET OFF AND CAUSE MORE EROSION DOWNSTREAM, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY QUICK PROCESS.

SO HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE SAME TYPE OF PROJECT A LITTLE FURTHER UPSTREAM IN TILDEN, BUT THE SAME WILDCAT CREEK, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW QUICKLY THOSE WILLOWS CAN PROGRESS.

SO THESE TWO COMPLETED PROJECTS HERE IN THE WILDCAT CREEK WATERSHED.

DINA MENTIONED WE HAVE OVER 600 PONDS IN THE PARK DISTRICT AND THAT THEY NEED.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.

THEY WEREN'T MEANT TO LAST FOREVER.

THIS IS A POND IN PLEASANTON RIDGE THAT SUPPORTS RED LEGGED FROG.

WE'VE SEEN THEM IN SURVEYS.

THE POND WAS NO LONGER HOLDING WATER.

IT WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING.

SO ALLYSON ROFE AND OUR CATTLE TENANT, RONNIE SIEVERS, WORKED TOGETHER TO DO THIS PROJECT AND REHABILITATE THIS POND AND IN CURRENT SURVEYS, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN FINDING RED LEGGED FROG IN THIS POND.

AT SIBLEY, OUR FINE SCALE GRASSLAND MAPPING, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A REMNANT GRASSLAND IN SIBLEY THAT HAS A HIGH DENSITY OF NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBS.

HOWEVER, IT WAS BEING ENCROACHED ON BY COYOTE BRUSH THROUGH LACK OF MANAGEMENT AND JUST LOW GRAZING PRESSURE.

LACK OF NATURAL FIRE REGIMES ON THE LANDSCAPE, THIS COYOTE BRUSH WAS ENCROACHING.

SO WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER.

THIS ONE, WE'VE PULLED IN A LOT OF PARTNERS.

PARK STAFF WAS AMAZING.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO TREAT THE INVASIVE SPECIES THAT WERE ENCROACHING INTO THAT GRASSLAND TO TREAT THEM.

WE HAVE CONTRACTORS COME IN TO CUT THAT COYOTE BRUSH BACK.

WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING IN AND BURNING THAT COYOTE BRUSH MATERIAL, AND HOPEFULLY THAT FIRE WILL STIMULATE SOME GERMINATION, AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH OUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, JESSICA SLOAN AND HER GROUP TO HOST WONDERFUL VOLUNTEER EVENTS.

SINCE APRIL. WE'VE DONE MONTHLY VOLUNTEER EVENTS OUT HERE TO PULL THATCH, INVASIVE PLANTS, AND THIS PAST MONTH, WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS, GLEN SCHNEIDER FROM SKYLINE GARDENS, HE HELPED US TO COLLECT SOME SEEDS AND SHOW THESE VOLUNTEERS HOW TO PLANT THEM.

SO THIS PAST MONTH, THESE NATIVE SEEDS WENT IN THE GROUND AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD THIS SPRING TO SEEING THOSE BLOOM WITH THE OTHER GRASSES AND NATIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

SO WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY HERE.

ANOTHER PROJECT I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ARE FAMILIAR WITH.

SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN OUT THERE IN PERSON IS THE SCENIC FIRE RECOVERY.

SO FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THE BACKSTORY HERE, WE HAD A FIRE IN JUNE OF 2022, THE SCENIC FIRE THAT BURNED 120 ACRES AT HIGH SEVERITY, CAUSING A HIGH DEAL OF MORTALITY TO THIS EUCALYPTUS STAND.

IT ALMOST REACHED THE TOWN OF PORT COSTA, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT THE FIRST, BUT SECOND TIME THAT THIS STAND HAD BURNED IN THIS MANNER.

SO WITH HELP FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE REMOVAL OF THOSE DEAD EUCALYPTUS TREES, AND WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH PARK STAFF AND CONTRACTORS TO REPLANT SEED HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM THE LOCAL AREA.

SEVERAL DIFFERENT OAK SPECIES, AS WELL AS UNDERSTORY, GRASSLAND FORBS AND I REALLY ENJOYED THIS PROJECT, GETTING TO KNOW THE LOCALS WHO GO OUT THERE, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN OUT THERE VERY FREQUENTLY AND IT'S BEEN REALLY FULFILLING.

[00:45:04]

SO THAT WILL BE FUNDING OUR RESTORATION EFFORTS THROUGH 2025.

ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS PARK IS I MET SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO WAS THERE TO SPECIFICALLY TO POST AND VERIFY THINGS THAT THEY HAD SEEN ON INATURALIST.

SO I SAID LET ME LOOK AT THE MAP FOR THIS RESTORATION AREA.

POINT PINOLE AND YOU CAN ALMOST OUTLINE OUR PARK BOUNDARY BY THE POSTS ON INATURALIST.

SO THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT FOLKS ARE COMING OUT HERE TO SEE A RANGE OF SPECIES, TO LOOK AT THE BIODIVERSITY ON THE LANDSCAPE, AND THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE WITH THAT ASPECT OF OUR PARKS AS A RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, AND SINCE THE PROJECT BEGAN IN 2023, THERE HAS BEEN HUNDREDS OF OBSERVATIONS RECORDED OUT HERE AT POINT PINOLE.

SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT THERE TO LOOK AT BIODIVERSITY.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT BACK TO DINA TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE CAN GO FROM HERE.

THANKS, ROSE. OKAY, SO IN RECAP WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR RECREATION.

SO ROSE SHOWED THE INATURALIST MAP FOR CARQUINEZ STRAIT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PARK DISTRICT, THERE'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF POINTS ALL OVER THE PARK DISTRICT WHERE PEOPLE ARE THERE TO GET EXERCISE, TO RECREATE AND TO LOOK FOR SPECIES.

THEY WANT TO SEE DIFFERENT PLANTS AND BUGS.

I MEAN, THERE'S A TON OF THINGS ON JUST BUGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE OBSERVED IN OUR PARKS.

SO IT'S PRETTY COOL.

WE WANT TO INCREASE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND LAND STEWARDSHIP GREATLY.

THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR IT.

I HAD MENTIONED THAT BEFORE, AND WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGED MORE WITH THE LANDSCAPE.

SO TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY, TO HELP PLANT THE SEEDS AND SEE IT AND SEE THE FRUITS OF THE LABOR OF THE WORK THAT WE PUT IN AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE, WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THAT.

WE WANT TO HELP DRIVE OPERATIONAL CHANGES TO SUPPORT PROACTIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP.

SO ONE EXAMPLE WOULD BE WHEN WE ACQUIRE A PIECE OF LAND, WHEN WE PUT MONEY ASIDE OR GET MONEY FOR ACQUISITION, THAT WE ALSO HAVE FUNDING FOR STEWARDING THE LAND. SO WE DON'T GO INTO IT WITH JUST HERE'S SOME LAND WITH A BACKLOG OF THINGS TO DO WITH NO FUNDING, BUT ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDING IN TO SUPPORT LAND STEWARDSHIP.

FOR EVERY CAPITAL PROJECT WE PROPOSE OR NEW TRAIL, WE INCLUDE A LIFT TO THE RESOURCES.

SO YOU BUILD A NEW TRAIL, YOU DO SOME HABITAT RESTORATION THAT'S GOING TO LIFT INSTEAD OF JUST A NEGATIVE ON THE LANDSCAPE.

WE'RE PUTTING A POSITIVE. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT MISSION OF OF BALANCING CONSERVATION AND RECREATION TOGETHER.

SO EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING ON THE LANDSCAPE THAT IS THAT IS AN IMPACT, LIFT IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.

LIKE I SAID, EVERY CORNER OF THE PARK DISTRICT, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.

WE WANT TO BUILD OUR TOOLBOX.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THERE; PRESCRIBED FIRE IS ONE OF THEM.

PRESCRIBED FIRE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO BE ABLE TO DO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

IT'S WE'VE HAD IT IN THE PAST AND WE CAN HAVE IT AGAIN, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN.

THE NEED WE HAVE FOR GROWING THIS PROGRAM INTO SOMETHING REALLY SOLID IS ADDITIONAL BASE FUNDING THAT WE CAN USE TO LEVERAGE OUTSIDE FUNDS, AND ALSO TO HELP MAINTAIN OUR INVESTMENT.

SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE ON THE LANDSCAPE, THIS, THIS LANDSCAPE THAT WE'RE ON, IT'S A IT'S ADAPTED TO, IT'S DISTURBANCE DRIVEN.

SO WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN A PLACE WITH VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPE THAT NEED DISTURBANCE TO BE BALANCED AND HEALTHY, AND WE HAVE TAKEN THE DISTURBANCE OUT OF OUR LANDSCAPE.

SO WE'RE KIND OF WE HAVE PROXIES WE CAN USE.

WE CAN DO LIKE WHAT ROSE IS DOING WITH SCRUB REMOVAL, YOU KNOW, MANUALLY TAKING THEM OUT, AND WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT WITH MORE TOOLS, WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, AND WE WANT TO INCREASE THE RESOURCES AND EXPAND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH VOLUNTEERS.

THE SIBLEY PROJECT IS SO EXCITING.

IF YOU CAN COME OUT SOMETIME TO VOLUNTEER, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, WHAT, THREE HOURS IN THE MORNING ON A SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, BUT IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND THEY'RE JUST REALLY FUN PEOPLE, TOO.

IT'S NOT WHAT, I MEAN I KNEW PEOPLE WERE COOL, BUT I REALLY HAVE A GOOD TIME OUT THERE WITH THEM.

THE CONVERSATIONS ARE GREAT AND WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING A LOT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO ARE ADVOCATE FOR THIS WORK.

COME AND VOLUNTEER, LIKE I MENTIONED, AND I DO THINK THAT THIS IS SUCH A GOOD TIME TO PROVIDE BOTH EXAMPLES AND

[00:50:04]

IT WILL GIVE YOU HOPE INSTEAD OF JUST LIKE DESPAIRING OVER THE HORRIBLE NEWS AND THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, YOU CAN ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

SO THIS KIND OF WORK WILL HELP PEOPLE HAVE MORE HOPE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

YES. SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE COMING AND KEEPING US POSTED ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO.

I MEAN, THAT'S JUST YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD NOTION OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE, BUT NOW WE KNOW, REALLY KNOW BY SEEING THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OUT THERE, AND WHAT IMPRESSES ME IS IT'S LIKE YOU MADE A REFERENCE TO CERTAIN CASES IN THE PAST WHERE SOMEONE HAD A LITTLE THING THEY WANTED A LITTLE AREA.

THEY JUST THOUGHT, WELL, MAN, THAT'S REALLY BOTHERING ME.

I'M GOING TO GO DO IT, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF A PROGRAM, AND THEN MAYBE THE BENEFITS KIND OF GET ERODED OVER TIME.

YOU HAVE WHAT IS A PLANNED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT PROGRAM ALONG WITH A PROCESS FOR IMPLEMENTING THAT AND KEEPING IT GOING. SO WE I THINK WE ALL PROBABLY I'M SURE THAT WE ALL FEEL LIKE THIS ALL COSTS MONEY.

IT COSTS TIME, BUT IT'S DONE BEING DONE INTELLIGENTLY, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN GOING FORWARD AND DOING MORE OF THIS.

SO I THINK YOU PROBABLY KNOW I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE WORK THAT YOU FOLKS DO, AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP DOING IT.

I ALSO AM A BIG SUPPORTER OF VOLUNTEERS, HAVING BEEN ONE FOR DECADES ON DIFFERENT THINGS.

MORE MOST RECENTLY ON A FEW OF THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND SO I KNOW I CAN I CAN VOUCH THAT THE SATISFACTION LEVEL IS AT LEAST AS GREAT AS BUILDING A TRAIL SOMEWHERE.

JUST A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR ME.

YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS GREAT TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE THINGS.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE IN THESE PROJECTS.

IS THAT IS THAT CORRECT? YES, AND TO DO THAT, WE NEED STAFFING AND FUNDING.

RIGHT. YOU NEED YOU CAN'T JUST TURN 35 PEOPLE LOOSE IN A PRAIRIE SOMEWHERE.

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU NEED ANY CREW CHIEFS AND BUT YOU KNOW THE VOLUNTEERS CAN BE THE SERVE THAT FUNCTION AS WELL, AND SO WE HAVE SOME VOLUNTEERS.

I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY TRAINING TRAINING THE VOLUNTEERS RIGHT TO YEAH.

OKAY. THE OTHER THING I REALLY LIKE THE WHOLE MESSAGE YOU HAVE HERE OF BALANCE, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RESOURCE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE USERS OUT THERE ALL AROUND THAT, THAT WANT TO RECREATE IN OUR PARKS, AND SO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT, AND YOU AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF BY LOOKING AT ALL THAT DATA THAT'S BEEN GATHERED BY JUST FOLKS GOING. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THAT, BY THE WAY, THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

YOU KNOW, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

SO IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE BENEFITS OF RECREATION AND ACCESS TO THE EXTENT THAT THE RESOURCE CAN SUPPORT IT.

RIGHT, AND YOU FOLKS KNOW WHERE IT CAN BE SUPPORTED AND WHERE IT CAN'T BE, AND WE TRUST YOU THAT YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A DO NOT ENTER SIGN, THERE'S A REASON FOR IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNERS AT EAST BAY MUD, GLENN SCHNEIDER THERE.

DEE AND I BOTH KNOW HIM, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE ON THEIR LAND.

I MEAN, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY DO ONE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER BECAUSE WE'RE ALL INTERMINGLED, RIGHT? WE'RE ALL TOGETHER AND SO I SAW HIM IN THE PICTURE THERE.

GLENN SCHNEIDER THE PIED PIPER OF RESTORATION.

HE'S GOT A LOT OF FOLLOWERS, AND NOW I'M REALLY HAPPY.

BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE FIRST, WHEN DEE AND I FIRST MET HIM, THERE WAS NOT THAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT NOW THERE IS.

I COULD BE WRONG THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'VE DONE IT OVER THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF US NOT TRYING TO, LIKE, FUMBLE AROUND AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.

THEY KNOW HOW TO HE AND HIS CREW KNOW HOW TO DO IT, AND I THINK SOUNDS LIKE IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT KNOWLEDGE IS BEING PASSED FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME.

IT'S THE SAME HABITAT, IT'S THE SAME LAND, AND SO I REALLY COMMEND YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDDIES OVER THERE AT THE WATER DISTRICT, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, KEEP GOING.

IT'S GREAT WORK.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR SANWONG.

YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

I THINK IT'S TIMELY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS BOARD PRIORITIES, AND BACK IN JUNE WHEN WE DID THE BOARD PRIORITIES, I HAD JUST COMPLETED OR WAS ABOUT TO COMPLETE,

[00:55:03]

IT'S A TRAINING PROGRAM ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, RUN THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND FROM IT, YOU END UP HAVING A TRAINED VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT WANTS TO BE WORKING ON THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS AND I DO THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK INTO THIS PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME FAMILIARITY ALREADY WITHIN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN REGARDS TO THIS ORGANIZATION, AND I HAD MENTIONED BACK IN JUNE AT THE PRIORITY SESSION, OAKLAND ZOO RUNS THIS PROGRAM, THE TRAINING PROGRAM, AS DOES SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARK.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT ALSO JUST WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND FIND OUT MAYBE THEIR THEIR FUNDING SOURCES, THEIR STAFFING PROTOCOLS.

IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OAKLAND ZOO BEING SO CLOSE TO US HERE BUT THEN I ALSO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY AND SANTA CLARA COUNTY. I MEAN, YOU CAN ACCESS MISSION PEAK FROM SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARKS.

SO THERE MIGHT ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY DOWN ON THAT FRONT, AND, AND IT IS A WHOLE VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT'S ALREADY TRAINED IN NATURALIST PRINCIPLES AND READY TO WORK ON THESE PROJECTS.

I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY THERE TO THINK ABOUT, AND THAT ALSO MIGHT BYPASS, YOU KNOW, OUR NEED TO RECREATE SOME SORT OF TRAINING PROGRAM.

THERE'S ALREADY ONE THAT EXISTS, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE OF POINT PINOLE WITH THE INATURALIST, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE DID EVERY WEEKEND.

WE'D GO OUT INTO THE PARKS AND WE'D USE THE INATURALIST APP TO MARK SPECIES THAT WE WERE VIEWING.

ONE OF MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I GUESS AT THE LAST BOARD WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO, COLIN WAS USING THE PHRASE PET PROJECTS, AND I GUESS IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S RESONATED WITH ME.

I KNOW I PERSONALLY HAVE MY OWN PET PROJECT ALONG THIS LINE, AND I JUST WANT TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHEN THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE STEWARDSHIP RESTORATION PROGRAMS, HOW MUCH DO WE LOOK AT NATURAL AND NATIVE HISTORY AND THINKING ABOUT THESE PROJECTS? AND LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF MY PERSONAL PET PROJECT.

YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY EAGER TO LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NATIVE MUSSELS AND NATIVE CLAM SPECIES SPECIFICALLY ALONG THE LOWER ALAMEDA CREEK AREA.

I HAVE THIS HYPOTHESIS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY HELP WITH NATURAL FILTRATION AND WATER QUALITY, WHICH IS CERTAINLY A STRUGGLE WITH ANY WATERWAYS ACROSS THE EAST BAY, BUT ALSO SPECIFICALLY WITHIN ALAMEDA CREEK, AND, YOU KNOW, I ALSO KNOW WITHIN OUR NATIVE HISTORY, SHELL MOUNDS ARE SUCH A BIG PART OF YOU KNOW, THAT THE HISTORY THERE, AND I THINK THAT HAS TO BE SHELL MOUNDS BASED ON SOME OF THESE NATIVE MUSSELS AND NATIVE CLAMS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE FRESHWATER VERSUS NOT FRESHWATER WOULD BE INTERESTING, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OF THIS NATURAL HISTORY, NATIVE HISTORY STUDY PRIOR TO GOING INTO SOME OF THESE RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT'S INCORPORATED OR HAS THAT HAPPENED YET? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

IT'S ONE THAT I THINK IF YOU TALKED TO OUR TEAM, THEY WOULD GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HISTORICAL ECOLOGY.

SO THERE ARE THERE IS INFORMATION OUT THERE.

IT'S OFTEN HARD TO COME BY, ESPECIALLY PRE-COLONIZATION OF WHAT CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPES USED TO LOOK LIKE.

SO THERE WE ARE, LOOKING INTO DOING A HISTORICAL ECOLOGY STUDY TO INFORM HABITAT RESTORATION.

WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING OR MAKES IT ECOLOGY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT'S SO MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, BUT WE'VE ALTERED OUR SYSTEM SO MUCH THAT A LOT OF WHAT USED TO OCCUR, WHAT GROUPINGS OF VEGETATION OR WILDLIFE THEY USED TO BE IN A HABITAT THAT NO LONGER CAN BE SUPPORTED BASED ON WHAT WE'VE DONE TO THE LANDSCAPE.

SO THERE'S THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THAT LIKE, OKAY, LET'S KIND OF RESTORE BACK TO A FUNCTIONING HABITAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE IT DID.

PRE-COLONIZATION. SO IT'S A WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR INFORMATION.

I WAS JUST ONLINE LOOKING AT THIS 1800S VEGETATION DATA SET THAT THEY HAVE POINTS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, OAK WOODLANDS USED TO LOOK LIKE IN THE UNDERSTORY BECAUSE WE'RE DOING RESTORATION, WE'RE PLANTING BUT DON'T EXACTLY KNOW OUR REFERENCE SITES ARE SO ALTERED.

SO WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? WHERE ARE WE TRYING TO GO TOWARDS? I THINK WITH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAVE VERY YOUNG RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TRIBES AROUND THE RESTORATION PROGRAM.

SO WE ARE BRINGING THEM IN TO THE SEVERAL PROJECT SITES AND SEEING HOW THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED AND GETTING PLANTS INTO THE PALETTE THAT THEY USE FOR CEREMONIAL OR MEDICINAL PURPOSES.

SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A VISION AND THEY HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE, AND SOME OF THOSE SPECIES THAT WERE AROUND THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF.

SO THAT'S I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

IT'S COMPLICATED YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

YOU LOOK AT THE SPANISH WHEN THEY CAME HERE, AND THEY HAVE THESE DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT THE LANDSCAPE LOOKED LIKE THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT WHAT

[01:00:02]

YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T GO THAT FAR BACK.

SO YOU HAVE TO FIND OTHER WAYS.

YEAH. THAT'S GREAT, AND THEN I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION IS, YOU HOW TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK TOGETHER, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, MY INTEREST IN THIS.

CERTAINLY THERE'S NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH IN THE PAST, SUCH AS THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE.

THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF PROJECT, AND, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT NOT SOLVE IT TODAY AT THIS MEETING, BUT CERTAINLY I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM PERSONALLY VERY INTERESTED IN THIS IDEA, AND IF THERE'S SOME WAY WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH A NONPROFIT PARTNER AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS WHOLE VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT'S BEEN TRAINED THROUGH CALIFORNIA NATURALIST PROGRAM AND THAT'S VERY INTERESTED IN THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.

YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE MAYBE A PILOT GROUP FOR TRYING TO TEST OUT SOME OF THESE IDEAS, AND CERTAINLY IT DOES INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S A FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALTERED LANDSCAPES, YOU KNOW, ALAMEDA CREEK NATURALLY ACTUALLY FLOWED INTO THE BAY WHERE RIGHT NOW, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE HAVE EDEN LANDING, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN DUMBARTON BRIDGE AND, THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE.

THAT'S THE NATURAL OUTFLOW OR INFLOW, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DEFINE IT, OF ALAMEDA CREEK.

IT'S NOT AT COYOTE HILLS, BUT BECAUSE OF FLOOD CONTROL.

IT'S CURRENTLY AT COYOTE HILLS.

SO IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION, AND ONE THAT I THINK THERE IS ACTUALLY A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST IN, INCLUDING FROM MYSELF.

I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT.

I DEFINITELY THINK HAVING NATURALISTS WHO INTERPRET WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO THERE'S THE DOING AND THEN THERE'S THE INTERPRETING.

THOSE ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

GREAT. THIS IS A GREAT PRESENTATION, AND WORK THAT'S REALLY DEAR TO MY DEAR TO MY HEART ANYWAY, AND I JUST WANTED TO REALLY STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO INCORPORATE THE PARK CREWS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE BECAUSE NOT ONLY WHEN YOU GET BUY IN FROM THE PARK CREW.

THEY WILL ADOPT IT AND THEY WILL GIVE THEM MORE VALUE TO THEIR WORK AS PARK RANGERS, AND ALSO, I MEAN, THAT'S ONE OF MY REASONS FOR ADVOCATING FOR A PARK RANGER/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR TO EXPAND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESTORATION AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT RESTORATION HAS TO DO WITH JUST, JUST INVASIVE PLANT REMOVALS, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I INCORPORATED WHEN I WAS AT WHEN I WAS A SUPERVISOR AT REINHARDT REDWOOD YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THE BROOM CREEK RESTORATION THERE, AND THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE VOLUNTEERS WERE A HUGE CORE OF THAT EFFORT, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TAKE ON THOSE VOLUNTEERS, IT TAKES EXTRA TIME, AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT CONCEPT OF A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR IS STILL IN MY HEAD, AND I'M STILL ADVOCATING FOR IT, BUT IT WOULD IT WOULD EXPAND THE PROGRAM AND EXPAND YOUR EFFORTS.

IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS HELP, I THINK, IN TERMS OF GETTING THESE PROJECTS STARTED AND DONE, AND IF YOU GET ADOPTION FROM THE CREWS THERE TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THAT, IT'LL CARRY ON BECAUSE THESE THESE RESTORATION PROJECTS ARE GENERATIONAL, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT SOMEHOW IF YOU GO AWAY, BUT THE CREWS REMEMBER HEY YEAH WE USED TO DO THIS AND IT'LL STAY IN THE CULTURE, AND SO I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VERY IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. I CAN'T WAIT TILL WE BURN THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE AGAIN.

ME, TOO.

YEAH, WE DID IT IN 1994 WAS THE LAST TIME WE DID IT, AND STEVE EDWARDS, WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN AT THE TIME, WE HAD FIVE YEARS OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE BLOOMS, FIVE YEARS FOLLOWING THAT BURN IN ITS HISTORY.

SO IT WAS IT WAS QUITE REWARDING, BUT YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT DONE AGAIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR WAESPI. YES.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT ALL.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

I THINK THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT HAS THE MOST EXCITING AND SOME OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL WORK WE DO IN THE PARK DISTRICT.

I WANT TO ECHO DIRECTOR ROSARIO'S STATEMENTS.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TO SUGGEST STAFFING AND FUNDING IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING.

WE HEAR THAT FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT, AND I CAN HEAR THAT FROM EVERY WALK IN MY LIFE, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS ARE CREATIVE ENOUGH, AND I HOPE YOU ARE TO SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE. I'M LOOKING AT YOUR STEWARDSHIP HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM IN 2022.

IT WAS A WORK GROUP OF COLLEAGUES FROM STEWARDSHIP.

[01:05:03]

THERE'S PLENTY OF SMART PEOPLE, PARK RANGERS.

THERE'S LOTS OF THEM THAT I TALK TO ALL THE TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF REALLY WOULD LOVE TO WORK IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, AND THE PEOPLE THAT GET TO ACT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT LOVE IT. IT'S LIKE DEE SAYS, IT JUST MAKES YOUR JOB SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL.

YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS AREN'T AS EASY AS STAFFING, AND FUNDING IS EASY TO SAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO THINK OF THINGS LIKE, I'M THINKING, HOW COULD IT WORK? HOW COULD A PARK RANGER WORK AND HAVE THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON SOME OF YOUR GREAT PROJECTS? WHAT ABOUT SABBATICALS? I MEAN, WE CAN'T OFFER PARK RANGERS SABBATICALS AND SAY, YOU CAN GO HOME AND STUDY SOMETHING AND WE'RE GOING TO PAY YOU, BUT WE SURELY COULD MAYBE SAY, TAKE SIX MONTHS OFF AND WORK WITH THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.

MAYBE LIGHT DUTY, I DON'T KNOW, WE DO LIGHT DUTY ANYMORE, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS DO LOTS OF PAPERWORK, STUDIES, RECORDING THINGS.

IF YOU CAN WORK A PENCIL AND YOU CAN GET OUTDOORS RATHER THAN STAYING HOME.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE THAT TYPE OF WORK.

YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES KEEP THEM ON IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO DO IT.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF VOLUNTEERS.

I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE BALANCE BETWEEN UNION WORK, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND SERVICE GROUPS.

I THINK WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO STUDY IN OUR PARKS.

WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO OFFER.

I JUST THINK THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, AND YOU TOUCHED ON PROPAGATION OF SEEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND I KNOW THAT WE TALK ABOUT OCCASIONALLY AND SOME PRIORITIES AND SOME HOPES IN THE FUTURE OF HAVING A DISTRICT NURSERY TO WHERE WE COULD DO THAT AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE OUR OWN TREES AND CREATE THOSE AND GROW THOSE.

I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, AND I THINK I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

OH, AND IS THERE A WAY? I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I EXPERIENCE AND THAT ARE THAT WOULD LIKE TO DO WORK IN THE PARK DISTRICT.

I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO A GUY THAT I KNOW IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT JUST GOES OUT IN THE PARKS AND IS IN HIS HANDS AND KNEES CUTTING OUT THISTLE, AND IS THERE A METHOD FOR DOING THAT? CAN YOU GO THROUGH THE VOLUNTEER? CAN YOU GET A PERMIT TO GO OUT ON YOUR OWN? I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER, BUT CAN CAN YOU GET A PERMIT AND SAY, SURE, YOU CAN GO OUT IN THE PARKS AND MAYBE GO OFF TRAIL IF YOU'RE IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE SPECIES YOU'RE CUTTING OUT AND DISPOSING OF IT PROPERLY.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

NO. NO TO GOING OUT ON YOUR OWN, BUT VOLUNTEER SERVICES IS ABSOLUTELY THE FIRST PLACE TO GO TO GET IN TOUCH WITH WITH JESSICA AND HER TEAM.

BECAUSE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT.

NOT NOT A TON OF THEM, BUT THERE'S QUITE A FEW AND SO THEY CAN TIE IN WITH THOSE, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO WORK CLOSELY WITH VOLUNTEERS.

WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANY HARM.

WE'VE ALREADY WE WANT TO WE WANT TO LIFT THE ENVIRONMENT, LIFT THE LAND, AND SOMETIMES OUR BEST INTENTIONS RESULT IN NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES AND SO WE WANT TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TO GIVE GUIDANCE TO THE VOLUNTEERS WHEN THEY'RE WORKING IN THE PARKS, BUT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US.

I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE SUGGESTION ABOUT WORKING WITH OPERATIONS.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S THE DREAM TO ME.

THE RANGERS, SUPERVISORS, THEY'RE ON THE GROUND.

THEY'RE IN THE PARKS ALL THE TIME, AND WE DO TRY TO WORK AS CLOSELY AS WE CAN AND TRY TO GET THEM INVOLVED.

THEIR TIME IS VERY LIMITED.

IT'S VERY, VERY LIMITED, AND THERE ARE SOME PARKS WHERE WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THE RANGERS AND OTHERS THAT THERE JUST IS.

NO, THERE'S NO OPENING FOR THAT.

WE HAVE LOTS OF THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH, RANGERS.

I MEAN, THINGS LIKE DOING CATTLE INFRASTRUCTURE INVENTORY AT YOUR OWN PARK.

LIKE, HERE'S A TROUGH. PUT IT ON THE GPS.

LIKE, EVEN THAT IS TOO MUCH SOMETIMES FOR FOR THE TEAM, FOR THE FOR OPERATIONS, AND SO WE TEMPER THAT LIKE, WE LIKE THE IDEA AND WE'VE TRIED IT BUT WE THEY'RE JUST PEOPLE ARE BUSY, AND THAT'S THE I GET THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BUSYNESS IN THE PARKS.

RANGERS ARE TRYING TO COVER A LOT OF GROUND, A LOT OF GARBAGE, A LOT OF PICNICS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK COME FIRST, AND THEN IF THEY HAVE A LITTLE SPARE TIME, THEN THEY CAN SUPPORT US ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS BUT THAT IS THAT'S MORE OF AN EXCEPTION THAN A RULE.

SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO CULTURALLY IF WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INVESTMENT OF OPERATIONS TIME WHEN THEY HAVE IT, KNOWING THAT THEY'RE VERY BUSY TO SUPPORT THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS.

THANK YOU. VERY OPEN TO IT.

VERY, VERY WELL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION VERY, VERY INTERESTING, REALLY, I SHARE YOUR PASSION OF WANTING TO LIFT UP AND

[01:10:04]

I'M SORRY, PROACTIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY PRODUCTIVE, BUT BE MORE PROACTIVE, YOU KNOW, DURABLE AND PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO AND THERE'S SO LITTLE FEW PEOPLE TO DO IT ALL.

IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE STRATEGIC, AND I APPRECIATE YOU THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES, AND I ALSO YOU KNOW, I LIKE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE RESTORATION WORK AND HOW THAT CAN GIVE HOPE TO THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OUTDOORS FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND, AND I THINK WHEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE NOT JUST WALKING THROUGH THE LAND, BUT YOU'RE ACTUALLY HELPING TO HEAL SOMETHING AND HELP IT GROW AND MAKE IT EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAT WOULD BE VERY SATISFYING.

SO I, YEAH, AND YOU KNOW, I ALSO JUST WANT TO SECOND WHAT DEE WAS SAYING ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS SO BUSY AND WE DO NEED VOLUNTEERS, AND VOLUNTEERS WANT TO HELP, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, FIRST PRINCIPLE, DO NO HARM AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO DO THINGS AND TO BE SUPERVISED AS WELL, AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO FULLY MAXIMIZE MORE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP DO THIS WORK, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THAT AS WELL, BUT REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING.

IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT.

IT'S REALLY AT THE HEART OF SO MUCH FOR WHAT WE STAND FOR, AND JUST YOU'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

I'M GOING TO PROMOTE THEM INTO.

LINDA, I'M PROMOTING YOU TO PANELIST.

THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING.

DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS REPORT? MISS DESCHAMBAULT? MS. DESCHAMBAULT, DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS REPORT? YES, I DO, THANK YOU.

OKAY, GREAT. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

CAN YOU SEE MY FACE ON THE SCREEN? NO I CAN'T.

JUST SHOUT OUT WHEN I GOT TO BE QUIET.

OKAY, I'M GOING TO SEND YOU A REQUEST TO START YOUR VIDEO SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK.

THERE YOU GO.

I'M GOING TO DISAPPEAR, AND WHEN YOU SEE ME AGAIN, IT'LL BE 30S.

OKAY. OKAY, GREAT.

THANKS. YEAH I JUST IT'S SO REFRESHING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY YESTERDAY, I WAS GOING TO SPEAK BRIEFLY AT PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT THAT OPTION WAS ELIMINATED, AND SO THIS SEEMS LIKE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. I JUST AM EXCITED ABOUT ENGAGING THE OHLONE PEOPLE, THE RECOGNITION OF OUR COUNTRY, OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DAY, TAKING THE TIME TO BRING IN THE TRIBES INTO THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE SUSTAINED AND ENGAGED.

I MYSELF HAVE BEEN AN HERBALIST, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST.

I WORK WITH THE WASHOE TRIBE FOR LIKE SEVEN YEARS.

IT TOOK THE FIRST TWO JUST TO BUILD THEIR TRUST, TO HELP US KNOW WHAT WAS THERE AND WHAT CAME BEFORE US, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT TONIGHT THAT STAFF MENTIONS THAT HUMAN USE IS AN EXTRACTIVE USE THAT IS JUST REALLY SITS, AND I THINK WE SHOULD SIT WITH THAT FOR A BIT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST PREVENTATIVE, BUT THAT WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE.

SO I'D LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BASELINE INVENTORIES IN THE PARK.

AS A PARKS ADVISORY COMMISSIONER, WHEN ASKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE TRAILS WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH, I WAS TOLD THAT EAGLES FLY AND PLANTS DIE AND THAT BASELINE RESOURCE INVENTORIES AREN'T POSSIBLE, AND OUR DECISION MAKING AND AS A SCIENTIST AT THE EPA, THAT'S SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I LOVE THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY IS BEFORE US.

RATHER THAN MENTION IT AS A PROJECT OR A PILOT OR A PROGRAM TO BE FUNDED.

THIS IS THE SECRET SAUCE.

THIS IS OUR WHAT WE DO.

WE MANAGE A NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY.

I HAD LUNCH WITH BOB DOYLE, AND HE REMINDED ME THAT THE OTHER DAY, AND TO KEEP THAT ALWAYS, AND I WOULD ASK THAT IN OUR STAFF REPORTS MAYBE CONSIDER NOT ONLY FISCAL IMPACT, BUT ALWAYS CONSIDER A SECTION ON ECOLOGICAL AND CLIMATE IMPACT IN EVERY DELIBERATION, WHICH IS WHAT THE NATIVE AMERICANS SAY, THAT IN EVERY DELIBERATION WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS.

SO WHETHER WE'RE PUTTING IN A BENCH OR PUTTING IN A NEW TRAIL OR WHAT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT RESTORING A POND, I HOPE THAT THE AGENCY WILL PUT THIS FRONT AND CENTER AND A PRIORITY AND

[01:15:05]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND IT IS A IT IS AN HONOR.

IT DOES GIVE ME GREAT HOPE AS A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY? ONE OF THE REASONS I'VE OPTED TO RUN FOR THIS POSITION IS IT GIVES ME GREAT HOPE WHEN I HEAR PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS.

SO I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR FOR TODAY'S OPPORTUNITY.

IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME AND TO THE PARK DISTRICT.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE MEMBERS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SO THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST TO HAVE A SHORT BREAK.

WE'LL DO A SHORT TEN MINUTE BREAK BEFORE GOING ON TO THE NEXT TO OUR NEXT ITEM, SO THANKS.

OKAY. ARE WE READY TO PROCEED? THANK YOU ALL.

SO WE'RE GOING TO START NOW WITH THE NEXT PRESENTATION FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE.

[GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMANDA.

GREAT. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

AMANDA GALLO, ASSISTANT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER.

SO THE ITEM BEFORE YOU TODAY, AS MENTIONED, IS AN UPDATE ON THE INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES YOU ALL SHARED AT THE JUNE 7TH STUDY SESSION, AND SO TODAY IS REALLY AN OPTION OR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT ANALYSIS OF THOSE PRIORITIES, AND AS YOU'RE AWARE, THESE PRIORITIES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE'RE KICKING OFF.

SO JUST TO REITERATE THE PROCESS, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR THAT THE BOARD HAS GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

BACK IN MAY, THE AGMS PROVIDED YOU THEIR SPECIFIC DIVISION PRIORITIES, WHICH REALLY HELPED SET THE STAGE OF WHAT THEY WERE WORKING ON OR HOPING TO WORK ON IN 2025 AND THEN IN JUNE, WE HEARD FROM EACH OF YOU ABOUT YOUR INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES IN WHICH STAFF RECORDED THE PRIORITIES, AND TODAY WE WILL BE PRESENTING AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE HEARD.

YOU WILL ALSO BE RECEIVING, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET, AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THOSE PRIORITIES.

SO IF THERE'RE SPECIFIC PROJECTS WHERE THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE ON A WORK PLAN IF THEY'RE ON HOLD OR WHATEVER STATUS THEY ARE OF AS OF TODAY, AND THEN, AS MENTIONED, THIS FEEDBACK WILL BE INCORPORATED THROUGHOUT THE END OF THE YEAR AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

SO IN JUNE WE HEARD FROM EACH OF YOU AND THAT TOTALED 71 PRIORITIES.

THE CHART ON I THINK IT'S YOUR LEFT AS WELL SHOWS WHICH PRIORITIES WERE NEW AND WHICH WERE CARRYOVER THIS YEAR DIFFERED FROM LAST YEAR.

LAST YEAR WAS MORE OF A 50/50 SPLIT.

THIS YEAR WE'RE SHOWING ABOUT A QUARTER NEW PRIORITIES OF THOSE 71, AND THEN ABOUT THREE FOURTHS WERE CARRIED OVER FROM LAST YEAR.

THE OTHER PIE CHART ON YOUR RIGHT SHOWS WHICH DIVISION IS LEADING THE SPECIFIC PRIORITIES, AND OF COURSE A LOT OF THESE ARE SPANNING ACROSS ALL DIVISIONS.

FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS THEY ARE LED BY CERTAIN DIVISIONS.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR ACQUISITION, ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT HAS A BIG BULK OF OUR PRIORITIES THIS YEAR AT 55%, WITH OPERATIONS IN SECOND AT 21%, AND BEFORE I GO ON, I DO WANT TO REALLY THANK STAFF ACROSS THE DIVISIONS WHO HAVE WORKED REALLY ON THIS EFFORT TO PROVIDE YOU UPDATES TO THE 71 PRIORITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.

IT WAS A REALLY INTERDIVISIONAL PROJECT TO GET THOSE UPDATES.

SO THEN THE REST OF THE PRIORITIES SPAN ACROSS THE REST OF OUR DIVISIONS LISTED HERE.

FOR THIS NEXT SLIDE YOU DO HAVE A PRINT OUT.

SOME OF THE NUMBERS ARE REFLECTED A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

THAT'S WHAT IS ON THIS SLIDE, BUT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IS IN THE STAFF REPORT.

SO WE ALSO GROUPED THE PRIORITIES BASED ON THE TYPE OF PRIORITY.

HERE WE'RE SEPARATING THEM BY BUDGET WHICH IS REALLY STAFFING AND FUNDING ITEMS CLASSIFIED THERE, AND THOSE ARE AT 6%.

LAND ACQUISITION REFERS TO THOSE PRIORITIES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE ACT OF ACQUIRING LAND, AND THAT'S AT 8%.

[01:20:08]

IT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT TO WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS THAT THE PROJECTS WERE AT 52% OF YOUR PRIORITIES.

WE ALSO GROUPED YOUR PRIORITIES IN YOUR IN THE TABLE AS YOU KNOW WHAT STATUS THEY'RE AT.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN PROGRESS IN ONGOING PRIORITIES MAKE UP OF 86%.

SO WE'RE PRETTY SPOT ON OF THINGS THAT YOU ARE REQUESTING.

STAFF IS EITHER WORKING ON THEM OR THEY'RE ONGOING PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED YEAR OVER YEAR.

THE 3% THAT ARE ON HOLD ARE PROJECTS THAT WERE EITHER STARTED BUT HAVE BEEN HALTED DUE TO THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT'S CONTROL, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH A DIFFERENT PUBLIC AGENCY OR SOME OTHER REGULATORY ITEM THAT IS CAUSING THE PROJECT TO BE ON HOLD, AND THEN LASTLY, 11% ARE NOT ON A WORK PLAN.

OTHER WAYS WE LOOKED AT THE 71 PRIORITIES YOU LISTED WERE REALLY TO FIND KEY THEMES OF WHAT YOU EXPRESS.

SO THIS IS SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR.

IT'S A CONSISTENT TREND THAT THE PRIORITIES YOU SHARED REALLY WANT TO ADDRESS WELCOMING FACILITIES.

SO THESE ARE THINGS LIKE IMPROVEMENT TO MAINTENANCE INFRASTRUCTURE AT OUR PARKS, AND FOLLOWED BY TRAILS.

THIS IS EITHER NEW CONNECTIONS CREATING NEW TRAILS, AND THAT'S AT 20%.

ACCESS AT 15% IS DEFINED BY LAND ACQUISITION.

A NEW PARK.

A NEW TRAIL, AND THEN KEEP AS WE GO DOWN CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

SOME OF THE WORK THAT YOU JUST HEARD HERE.

SOME STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS ADDRESSING SEA LEVEL RISE, WHILE OF COURSE, OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AT 8%, REALLY LOOKING TO TRAIN AND BUILD UP OUR WORKFORCE AS WELL AS CREATE DIVERSITY IN OUR RECRUITMENT, GOVERNANCE AND INTERNAL POLICY AND ADDRESSES THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE INTERNALLY AND OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AT 6% IS ALSO THINGS LIKE SIGNAGE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO REACH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND LASTLY, FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIPS AT 5% SPEAKS TO OUR THE PRIORITIES THAT ADDRESS GRANT FUNDING OR OUR REQUEST TO HAVE A LARGER OR INCREASED LARGER LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE ARE INCREASING OUR PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

SO THESE REALLY JUST CALL OUT KEY THEMES THAT WERE SHARED IN YOUR PRIORITIES OF THOSE 71 THAT ARE LISTED IN YOUR CHART, AND JUST TO REITERATE THE NEXT STEPS, AS THESE PRIORITIES REALLY INFLUENCE THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS, YOU WILL BE HEARING A BUDGET REVIEW AT THE NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THEN THAT BUDGET WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE FULL BOARD WITH TWO MEETINGS IN DECEMBER FOR YOUR ADOPTION, IN WHICH THESE PRIORITIES, OF COURSE, WILL BE INCLUDED IN THAT PROCESS, AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TIME, OF COURSE, AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN STAFF WILL BE TAKING THESE PRIORITIES INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS FURTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS, PLANNING THESE PRIORITIES AND THIS LIST WILL BE CONTINUING TO CARRY OVER IN OUR VARIOUS DIVISIONS WORKS, PLANS.

SO I THINK THAT'S IT.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS WE CAN TAKE THEM NOW.

I WILL SAY FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS ON THAT LIST, WE'RE HOPING IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU VIA EMAIL OR HOWEVER AFTER THE MEETING.

THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

[01:25:01]

OKAY. NO, THIS IS THIS IS GREAT.

I MEAN, IT'S GOOD TO SEE WHERE OUR WHERE OUR REQUESTS ARE GOING AND HOW IT'S BEING ORGANIZED.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF WE NEED TO MAKE AMENDMENTS, WE JUST CONTACT YOU.

YES. A LOT OF WORK AND APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR WAESPI.

ARE YOU READY? YOU LOOK READY.

OKAY. DIRECTOR MERCURIO, THEN? MINE IS VERY BRIEF, YOU KNOW.

AS USUAL.

I DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT BECAUSE HE ALREADY SAID IT, BUT I'LL JUST SAY I THINK MINE.

THERE MAY BE A FEW THINGS THAT I DIDN'T MAKE CLEAR ENOUGH.

I'M LOOKING AT IT AND GOING, GOD, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE DOING IS REPORTING WHAT I SAID, AND IT PROBABLY WASN'T SAID RIGHT.

SO I MIGHT PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE ELABORATION ON SOME OF THIS STUFF, AND THAT'S AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.

I'M VERY IMPRESSED WHEN I READ THIS, HOW HOW HOW I LIKE MY LIST.

GOOD. DIRECTOR SANWONG.

YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT REPORT OUT FROM WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN JUNE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

I MEAN, 71 SOUNDS LIKE A LARGE NUMBER.

SO HOPEFULLY OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, AS WE DEVELOP THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN AND THINK MORE ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANNING IN GENERAL, IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT PROCESS.

SO I THINK THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW UNTIL WE START TO PUT TOGETHER A MORE COMPREHENSIVE TYPE OF STRATEGIC PLAN, AND SO I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB JUST GIVEN THE CURRENT PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO SEE, AND I SUPPOSE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG ONE THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND IT IS RELATED, YOU KNOW, WHEN I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTWIDE GOALS AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND I GUESS BIGGER PICTURE, YOU KNOW WHAT IF SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS WORKSHOP IN JUNE AND SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN THAT MIGHT BECOME AN EVEN BIGGER PRIORITY, AND I'LL SPECIFICALLY SPEAK ABOUT THE LIVERMORE SITUATION.

I MEAN, WE DO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, LIVERMORE AND THE MURRAY TOWNSHIP.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S TALK OF LEAVING THE PARK DISTRICT, AND TO ME, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY BIG PRIORITY, BUT IT ALSO MAY NOT BE A BIG PRIORITY LIKE WE AS A BOARD HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THIS CONVERSATION.

SO, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MY COLLEAGUES ARE OKAY WITH LIVERMORE LEAVING THE PARK DISTRICT, AND SO HOW HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE SITUATIONS THAT MAYBE ARISE AFTER WE DO OUR PRIORITY SETTING? SO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT ISSUE SPECIFICALLY.

I'M JUST USING IT AS AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT GET FOLDED IN? DO I HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT JUNE FOR THIS TO COME UP AS A BOARD, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT ADDRESS TOGETHER AS A BOARD? AND THAT MIGHT BE MORE OF A RHETORICAL QUESTION, BUT I GUESS ALSO IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT YOU KNOW, LAST FRIDAY I WENT TO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO MEETING AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT CAN TAKE MANY FORMS, AND SITTING THROUGH THAT MEETING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG MESSAGES IN THEIR PRESENTATION ON THEIR MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEW WAS THAT IN AUGUST, THE CONSULTANT FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY, LAFCO, IN REGARDS TO THIS MSR CLAIM TO HAVE REACHED OUT TO US AND THAT WE WERE UNRESPONSIVE TO THAT OUTREACH, AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS PRESENTED.

YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF THE LAFCO COMMISSION AND IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I ALSO HAVE HEARD RECENTLY AND I KNOW THAT WE MIGHT AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE DECIDED AS A BOARD IN TERMS OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUT I JUST GET THE IMPRESSION THAT FOR SOME REASON, THERE'S SOME POLICY THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IN REGARDS TO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUT I GUESS WE DIDN'T RENEW OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP WITH LIVERMORE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND SO IT'S JUST I JUST SEE ALL THESE, LIKE, DIFFERENT PIECES WHERE WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH AND THINKING ABOUT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND HOW LONG WE'RE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THIS.

SO SOME THINGS FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE URGENT THAN OTHERS, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

I KNOW SOME OF THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, LONGER TERM PIE IN THE SKY IDEAS, LIKE AN AERIAL TRAMWAY TO TYLER RANCH, WHICH IS SUCH A GREAT IDEA, BUT MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONVERSATION THAN YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW IN THE IMMEDIATE MOMENT.

[01:30:07]

I KNOW YOU SAID SOME OF THOSE WERE RHETORICAL, BUT I THINK THERE WERE QUESTIONS.

SO I HEARD THE MOST QUESTIONS.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.

I THINK I MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME WE PRESENTED THIS.

I MEAN, BY NO MEANS DOES THIS LIST REPRESENT THE FULL UNIVERSE OF THE WORK THAT THE AGENCY IS WORKING ON? RIGHT, AND THESE ARE JUST THINGS THAT I'VE TALKED TO EACH OF YOU ABOUT.

LIKE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD WAS KIND OF ALREADY HAPPENING, DO YOU NEED TO SAY IT AGAIN? RIGHT. THAT IT'S STILL A PRIORITY, RIGHT? NOT NECESSARILY. IT'S ALREADY KIND OF ON OUR WORK PLANS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED THE BOARD TO HAVE ON A LIST. WE KNOW INHERENTLY THESE ARE PRIORITIES OF THE DISTRICT.

JUST THEY'RE INHERENT TO THE MISSION OR SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A WHILE.

THIS HELPS US JUST AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND BRINGING KIND OF NEW ITEMS TO YOU TO HELP PRIORITIZE, BUT AS AMANDA SAID, THAT A LOT OF THIS IS LEADING US INTO THE PROCESS AROUND THE NEW DISTRICT PLAN OR THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN.

HOWEVER, WE WANT TO WANT TO KEEP BRANDING THAT, AND SO LOTS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO START TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF WHAT IS THAT STRATEGIC WORK PLAN, AND THIS PROCESS MAY CHANGE.

THIS IS THIS IS REALLY WE TRIED IT THREE YEARS AGO AS SOMETHING VERY NEW, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME DISCOMFORT HERE ABOUT DOING IT, AND I JUST ASKED LIKE, CAN WE JUST TRY SOMETHING? AND SO WE'RE TOTALLY OPEN TO TWEAKING THIS AS WE GO THROUGH IT, AND CERTAINLY ON THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE STAFF LEVEL AROUND KIND OF THE KICKOFF WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN THAT WILL START IN JANUARY.

I'M NOT AWARE OF THE ISSUES AROUND THE CHAMBER.

WE CAN LOOK INTO THE MEMBERSHIP ON THAT.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHERE THAT SITS FOR US.

WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU DIRECTLY ON THAT.

I MEAN, I'VE SPOKEN AT THAT CHAMBER BEFORE.

SO HAPPY THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ON THE LONG LIST OF OUR STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS, AND THEN LASTLY, THE ISSUE AROUND KIND OF LIKE AS ACUTE THINGS COME UP, HOW DO THEY GET ON THE PRIORITY LIST? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME, AND SO, YOU KNOW, LARPD IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE ON HERE FOR US TO KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, NEED TO ADDRESS AND TO TALK TO THE FULL BOARD ABOUT.

SO I WOULD JUST SAY THIS IS NOT A STATIC DOCUMENT.

IT DOESN'T ENCOMPASS BY ANY MEANS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I DON'T SEE IT AS ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON YOUR LIST EITHER.

YOU KNOW, WE MEET, THINGS COME UP, YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, AMANDA SERVES AS YOUR KIND OF SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT AROUND CONSTITUENT ISSUES THAT COME UP.

SOME THINGS VERY LARGE, SOME THINGS BIG, BUT I DON'T SEE THIS DOCUMENT AS KIND OF THE END ALL.

HEY, THIS IS IT.

IT'S FROZEN IN TIME.

WE'LL SEE IT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS.

THAT'S FAIR. I SORT OF EXPECTED THAT STATEMENT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ALSO BRING THAT UP AS WELL BECAUSE JUST SO THAT WE'RE NOT BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET A LITTLE BIT AS AN ORGANIZATION, STUCK ON WHATEVER DOCUMENTS WE HAVE AND YOU KNOW, OH, IT'S NOT ON THE PRIORITY LIST, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADDRESS IT.

COULD BE A STATEMENT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S BEEN SAID TO ME.

I'M SAYING THAT I COULD SEE POTENTIALLY THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COMES UP.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.

DIRECTOR WAESPI I'M STILL NOT PREPARED.

NO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR COMPILING THIS AND KEEPING THIS.

SO I GUESS, WELL, WHAT I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THE STATUS OF SOME OF THESE THINGS.

I'M ALWAYS THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT I CONSIDER A VERY HIGH PRIORITY, AND THAT'S ME PERSONALLY.

I LIKE TO SEE THAT THEY'RE INCLUDED HERE, AND I GUESS WHEN I SEE THEY'RE IN PROGRESS, I CAN HAVE SOME GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR SOMETHING TO OCCUR.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE BEFORE I'M NOT ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE? I GUESS I COULD SIT IN BEFORE NOVEMBER 15TH TO FIND OUT IF SOME OF THE THINGS I PRIORITIZED ARE GOING TO BE BUDGETED, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY OBVIOUS IF IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OR NOT. IS THAT DO WE GET A, AND THEN I GUESS THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, SO WHAT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT INCLUDED.

DO I CRY ON NOVEMBER 15TH OR IS THERE ANY APPEALS PROCESS AT THAT POINT PAST THERE? I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ABOUT CRYING, BUT YOU COULD, FREE COUNTRY.

I MEAN, WE ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON SOMETHING, SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A FRUSTRATION, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK TO ANY OF US ABOUT THAT OR IF IT'S SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S MORE CONTEXT TO IT THAT WE NEED TO GIVE YOU.

SO CERTAINLY HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OFFLINE ABOUT INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT WERE MAYBE WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THE FULL STORY IN THIS DOCUMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHY IT'S ON

[01:35:05]

THERE MAY JUST BE SOME SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.

SO ALWAYS HAPPY TO GIVE THAT TO YOU.

YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BUDGET IS A RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM US, AND YOU ALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND IT IN ANY WAY THAT YOU SEE FIT.

WHAT WAS THE LAST PIECE? OH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

THAT WILL BE THE DOCUMENT GETS PUBLISHED.

I'M LOOKING AT DEB SPAULDING MID-NOVEMBER.

THEY'LL HAVE A COPY OF IT.

OKAY. FINGERS CROSSED FOR THE AUDIENCES, BUT DEB SPAULDING IS DOING FOR MID-NOVEMBER, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO PREVIEW SOME OF THESE THINGS WITH YOU ALL AS WELL.

I MEAN, JUST TO FORESHADOW IT, I THINK WE'VE TALKED TO YOU.

THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO BE LEANER THAN IT HAS BEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

IN TERMS OF THE NEW THINGS AND NEW FTES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO AFFORD ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

IT JUST IS THE REALITY OF THINGS.

WE ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSING ADDITIONAL STAFF AND ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT LEANER THAN THAN YOU'VE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A MATTER OF TRADE-OFFS IF WE GOT IT WRONG, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD SAYS NO, THAT'S REALLY NOT SOMETHING WE THINK WE SHOULD BE ADDING.

INSTEAD, WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS.

THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU.

SO DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO WEIGH IN OFFLINE AND CERTAINLY ON THE RECORD.

MAY I WEIGH IN? WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TIME.

YOU CAN ALWAYS COME FIND US.

THERE'S ALWAYS A COMPLICATION, AND IF I CAN INDULGE YOU.

SO IT HAS BEEN MY, AND I HOPE A COUPLE MORE BOARD MEMBERS TO GET BACK IN THE SADDLE WITH BAY AREA BACKROADS OR BACKROADS WITH DOUG MCCONNELL.

WE DROPPED THE BALL ON THAT.

THERE WERE SOME IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE WOULD GET BACK IN.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.

I HAVE NO IDEA IF IT IS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT DOUG OR HIS GROUP SCHEDULES THE 2025 YEAR SHOW SCHEDULE RUN OF SHOW IN NOVEMBER.

IF IT'S NOT IN THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT IN THERE NOW, WE'RE GOING TO MISS ANOTHER YEAR, AND YOU KNOW I'M PERFECTLY OKAY WITH THAT BUT WHAT WOULD THE PROCEDURE BE.

BECAUSE AS I WAS LOOKING AT TODAY'S CONSENT CALENDAR, I HATE TO SAY THIS OUT LOUD, BUT THE BOARD HAS $391,000 THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT ON CONTINGENCY MONEY.

I KNOW IT'S FOR PENCILS AND PAPER AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BURN THROUGH THAT MUCH MONEY, AND I THINK DOUG'S ABOUT $30,000.

SO IS THERE ANY HOW WOULD ONE ME GO ABOUT FINDING OUT IF IN FACT, IT'S BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR AND IF, IN FACT, IF WE DON'T PASS THE BUDGET TILL DECEMBER, HOW CAN WE GET IN THE QUEUE WITH DOUG THIS YEAR? CAN WE TAKE BOARD CONTINGENCY MONEY AND LOAN IT TO DOUG AND THEN USE IT OUT OF THE BUDGET, OR DOES IT MATTER? I MEAN, CAN WE JUST USE CONTINGENCY MONEY FOR THAT TO GET US BACK IN THE SADDLE.

YEAH, SO I'D HAVE TO FOLLOW UP.

I KNOW LAST YEAR WE, I DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF THE SHOW.

SO IF YOU ALL HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN WE DO.

I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.

IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.

IT REALLY HAD ADOPTED A VERY DIFFERENT MODEL WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM EARLY THIS YEAR.

SO THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SOME PROGRAMING DOLLARS FROM US, BUT THINGS MAY HAVE CHANGED.

SO HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT.

YOU DO HAVE CONTINGENCY DOLLARS AND WE DO HAVE THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.

SO I WOULD SAY WITHOUT I DON'T KNOW, EVERY LINE ITEM THAT'S IN THE BUDGET AT THIS POINT.

IT HAS NOT BEEN FINALIZED.

WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH A LOT OF THE PIECES THAT THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS HAVE HAVE ASKED FOR, AND KIND OF LOOKING AT HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD THIS YEAR, BUT ON THIS, THIS WOULD THIS REQUEST FALLS SQUARELY WITHIN THE, I THINK, ADVERTISING BUDGET OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

SO WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT TO SEE KIND OF WHAT, HOW MUCH THEY'VE BEEN SPENDING THERE AND HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE, AND THEN KIND OF WHAT THE REQUEST FROM BAY AREA BACKWARDS OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED NOW WHAT THEIR REQUEST IS, AND I CAN I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU DIRECTLY OFFLINE.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

DIRECTOR SANWONG. YEAH.

ABOUT THE BOARD. CONTINGENCY FUND.

HOW IS THAT USED? AND WHAT ARE, AND THEN WHAT'S THE MECHANISM FOR US TO BRING FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE BOARD TO MAKE PROPOSALS SUCH AS USING THE CONTINGENCY FUND FOR BAY AREA BACKROADS OR FOR SOME OTHER TYPES OF PROGRAMS? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

IT'S WITHIN THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT LANGUAGE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT.

THERE HAS BEEN A ROLLOVER OF THOSE FUNDS.

IT HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN USED, I THINK EVERY YEAR, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING I THINK, DEB, YOU WE DID A LITTLE SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE MAYBE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

SO MAYBE WE CAN BEEF THAT UP WITH THE LATEST DATA AND SEND IT AROUND TO THE BOARD IN AN INFO MEMO.

[01:40:04]

HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN.

WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING SOME AMENDMENTS TO THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES OUR HOPE IN NOVEMBER.

SO IF THERE ARE SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE IN THERE.

I'M HAPPY TO LOOK AT THOSE.

AMANDA IS LEADING THAT STAFF REPORT.

SO IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS HAPPY TO TRY TO LOOK AT THOSE, AND THEN WE CAN GIVE YOU AN INFO MEMO.

HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT AND WHERE OVER THE YEARS.

IT'S I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN LESS NEEDED IN THE, I KNOW IN THE LAST YEAR AT LEAST, BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, A LOT OF THAT WAS GOING TOWARDS SPONSORSHIPS AND WE INSTEAD DECIDED TO PUT SOME OF THOSE RECURRING SPONSORSHIPS THAT EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS END UP HAVING YOU ALL MAKE THE REQUEST FOR AND WE ALWAYS SAY YES TO, AND SO THOSE ARE ACTUALLY ALL NOW LISTED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

SO AND NOT COMING OUT OF THE BOARD CONTINGENCY.

SO I THINK THERE'S BEEN LESS NEED TO USE SOME OF THOSE CONTINGENCY DOLLARS, BUT YEAH.

HAPPY TO. HAPPY TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOME SOME REPORTS OUT ON THAT.

BECAUSE I GUESS GOING BACK TO THE POINT ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, I MEAN, I HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE AVENUE FOR SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IDEAS I HAVE.

YEAH, YEAH, WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.

OKAY. AMANDA, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.

I REALLY THINK THIS IS JUST AN AMAZING PIECE OF WORK TO TAKE.

YOU KNOW, A DAY LONG MEETING AND 71 PRIORITIES AND TO TRACK THE PROGRESS ON ALL OF THEM AND PUT IT INTO THIS NICE, NEAT DOCUMENT.

SO I'M VERY IMPRESSED AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

IT MAKES IT, IT MAKES IT REALLY AT LEAST FEEL MORE MANAGEABLE, WHETHER IT ACTUALLY IS OR ISN'T.

SO I, I ONLY HAD A FEW LITTLE, LITTLE THINGS WHICH I WILL JUST SEND TO YOU DIRECTLY.

QUESTIONS OR EDITS OR WHATEVER, BUT YEAH, I'M GLAD TO I LIKE YOUR YOUR CHARTS, TOO.

I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT AT LEAST 80% OF OUR PRIORITIES ARE EITHER IN PROGRESS OR ONGOING.

SO I THINK THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS POSITIVE JUST IN TERMS OF OF THERE BEING A LOT OF ALIGNMENT, AND, AND THEN WHEN YOU THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE ALL THOSE OTHER PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES THAT WE DIDN'T SAY BECAUSE THEY AREN'T BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THEY'RE ONGOING.

SO THAT'S GOOD.

SO YEAH, AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK.

I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL WHEN YOU HAVE PRIORITIES, AND ESPECIALLY AS MANY AS WE DO, TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT DOCUMENTED AND TRACK IT AND HAVE US BE ABLE TO SEE YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE THINGS ARE.

SO REALLY JUST THANK YOU.

DENNIS. YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD ANOTHER COMMENT.

NO. OH, NO. OH, OKAY.

JUST TALKING TO MYSELF.

OH, OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO I GUESS IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE ON THEN.

THANK YOU. THANKS AGAIN.

GREAT JOB. ALL RIGHT.

SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS.

[GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS]

OKAY. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION.

[ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION]

PRESIDENT ECHOLS, I HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO A DECISION THAT THE BOARD MADE IN CLOSED SESSION IN MAY.

THAT WAS ULTIMATELY JUST RECENTLY FINALIZED.

SO I'D LIKE TO READ OUT THE SETTLEMENT THAT WAS AGREED TO IN THE CASE OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT VERSUS VILLA VISTA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. ALONG WITH THE CITIES OF RICHMOND AND THE CITY OF EL CERRITO.

THE DEFENDANTS IN THAT CASE HAVE AGREED TO PAY THE PARK DISTRICT A TOTAL OF $3,450,000.

EL CERRITO HAS ADDITIONALLY COMMITTED IN ITS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE TO REPAIR ITS BROKEN STORMWATER ENERGY DISSIPATOR AND RICHMOND HAS AGREED FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS TO REGULAR INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF ITS STORM WATER DRAIN INLETS ON RIFLE RANGE ROAD. SO THAT'S WHAT THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT ARE.

THERE ARE A FEW ADDITIONAL, MORE LEGAL PROVISIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT UPDATE.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S A GREAT UPDATE AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THAT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD SETTLEMENT.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

NOW WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO SUGGEST FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.

[PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

[01:45:01]

NO. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

OKAY. YEAH.

I THINK WE DO NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON LARPD AND LIVERMORE AS A BOARD BECAUSE I DO HEAR SOME COMMENTS FROM FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS THAT YOU KNOW IT. THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ALIGNED WITH KEEPING LIVERMORE IN THE PARK DISTRICT.

SO. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME CLARITY ON, AND THEN ALSO AS A FOLLOW UP FROM LAST FRIDAY'S ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO MEETING, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE OF THE STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS, WAS FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND LARPD TO MEET AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, AND SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE AS A BOARD WANT TO PUT EFFORT TOWARDS KEEPING LIVERMORE IN THE PARK DISTRICT? I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR US TO CONSIDER HAVING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO PREPARE FOR THAT, AND I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO ELIZABETH AND DENNIS ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK BECAUSE IT DOES THERE IS A LOT THAT HAS TO DO WITH UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY.

I THINK DENNIS IS REALLY WELL INFORMED AND ALSO CONNECTED ON THOSE TOPICS.

SO I THINK DENNIS WOULD BE A GOOD AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBER TO HELP WORK ON SOME OF THESE UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY CONVERSATIONS.

OKAY. SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING TO BRING THAT UP AT A FUTURE THAT WHOLE PACKAGE UP AT THE FUTURE.

GOOD. YEAH, I SUPPORT THAT.

NOT THAT I NEED TO, BUT THANK YOU.

I SUPPOSE I WOULD LEAVE IT UP TO MANAGEMENT WHETHER IT WOULD BE CLOSED OR OPEN SESSION CONVERSATION.

OH, OKAY.

OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? WELL ALONG THOSE LINES.

I MEAN, I THINK STRATEGY-WISE, FIGURING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE IN LIVERMORE AND WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE, AND THEN AMONGST OURSELVES, AND THEN MAYBE HAVING A LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LIAISON COMMITTEE AND I WOULDN'T MIND OR WE COULD GET JUST A REPORT ON WHAT'S GOING ON. IF LOS VOCARES IS THEIR CAPUT, AS THEY CALL IT AND THEY'RE LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF LAKE DEL VALLE.

I HOPE WE HAVE A STRATEGY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRATEGY IS, BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ONE OR TRY TO GET ONE GOING BEFORE WE'RE BLINDSIDED, AND THE NEXT THING THEY SUGGEST ONCE AGAIN, THAT DEL VALLE GETS SIX MORE FEET OF WATER, WHICH WOULD PUT US ALL OUT OF BUSINESS.

RIGHT? SO THAT'S OUR WE HAVE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT LIAISON MEETING COMING UP IN MID-NOVEMBER, SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALSO HAVE A CONVERSATION AS A BOARD, AND IT'S RELATED TO SOME SOMEWHAT RELATED OR VERY RELATED TO LIVERMORE BUT CERTAINLY THIS IS THE BIG TOPIC.

I'M SURE THAT WILL COME UP WHEN WE MEET WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT, AND JUST FOR REFERENCE.

ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT SERVICES FREMONT, NEWARK, UNION CITY, AND THEY DO USE DEL VALLE FOR STORAGE.

THEY'RE PART OF THE SOUTH BAY AQUEDUCT.

SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS RELEVANT.

YEAH, A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION, AND I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO NEED TO FOCUS ON AND, AND UNDERSTAND HAVE A STRATEGY AROUND FOR SURE. THANK YOU.

OKAY. WELL, NOW, FAVORITE PART OF THE MEETING?

[BOARD COMMENTS]

I'M GOING TO START DOWN HERE WITH DEE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. SINCE THE LAST BOARD MEETING ON 10/02, I ATTENDED THE SAFETY FAIR AT CASTLE ROCK REGIONAL PARK.

THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT EVENT.

REALLY ENJOYED SEEING THE EMPLOYEES HAVING A GOOD TIME AND GOT TO MEET UP WITH A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES MYSELF.

VERY WELL DONE, AND THEN ON 10/04 ATTENDED THE BOARD STUDY SESSION CAPITAL PROJECTS.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BEST SESSIONS AROUND CAPITAL PROJECTS TO DATE.

SO, AND THEN ON 10/06 I ATTENDED THE GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES AT COYOTE HILLS.

AGAIN, A WONDERFUL EVENT.

VERY WELL ATTENDED.

YEAH, I COULD I COULD SEE THAT THING.

I MEAN, ONCE OUR FACILITIES GET BIGGER, THAT WILL BE A HUGE AN EVEN BIGGER EVENT AND THEN ON 10/07, I HAD MY ONE ON ONE WITH THE ASD, AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE ASD STAFF FOR COLLABORATION ALL THESE YEARS, AND WE HAD A REALLY GOOD MEETING, AND THEN ON 10/08, WE HAD OUR LEGISLATIVE MEETING WITH THE CITY OF MORAGA, AND THAT WAS THAT WAS VERY WELL DONE, VERY FORMAL.

WE HAD REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS, AND ACTUALLY A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION WAS MORE ABOUT HOW WE COULD COLLABORATE ON

[01:50:02]

WHICH KIND OF DOVETAILS INTO MY LAST MEETING OF THE 1011 WITH CANYON MIDDLE CANYON SCHOOL IN CANYON.

THEY HAVE A NEW NEW PRINCIPAL THERE JASON ARENAS, AND HE WAS TRYING TO SEE HOW HE COULD ACCESS PARK DISTRICT PROGRAMS AS WELL.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF ENTITIES WANTING WANTING OUR TO BE WANTING TO PARTICIPATE WITH OR COLLABORATE WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.

SO IT'S GOOD.

IT'S A GOOD THING. GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF BANDWIDTH, AND THEN ON TEN, EIGHT RIGHT AFTER THE CITY OF MORAGA MEETING, I HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH LISA GOORJIAN AND ABOUT OPERATIONS.

HOW IT USED TO BE IN THE PAST, AND THEN AND THEN ON 10/09, I ATTENDED THE ALAMEDA COUNTY MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, AND KUDOS TO DIRECTOR ECHOLS AND EILEEN THIELE AND KHARI HELAE.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB PRESENTING THE FUEL MITIGATION EFFORTS THAT WE WERE SO PROUD OF THEIR EFFORTS THERE.

IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND THEN ON 10/10 ATTENDED THE ALBANY FILM FESTIVAL AT THE RIALTO THEATER.

IT WAS GREAT TO SEE A LOT OF THE OLD TIMERS THERE FROM THE PARK DISTRICT, AND THEN ALSO THERE WERE SOME GREAT FILMS. OH MY GOD, AND ONE OF THEM WAS ON ON WILDFIRE.

WOMEN IN WILDFIRE.

IT WAS ABOUT SHE WAS IN SHE WAS OPERATING IN THE BAY AREA.

SHE'S IN NAPA, AND SO HER GROWTH FROM BEING ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEGREE PERSON AND GETTING INTO FIRE AND BECOMING A BURN BOSS, AND THEN THERE WAS A GREAT FILM ON THE DIABLO RANGE.

IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY DONE.

SO UNTIL TOLD A REALLY GOOD STORY, AND THEN MY LAST MEETING WAS WITH JASON ARENAS AT THE CANYON SCHOOL, AND LIKE I SAID, THEY ARE HOPING TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET A PROGRAM OR TWO OUT THERE AND COLLABORATE WITH US IN THAT WAY.

SO COOL.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR MERCURIO.

YES. OKAY, SO ON OCTOBER 1ST, I WAS AT THE BOARD MEETING.

ON OCTOBER 2ND, I HAD A MEETING WITH A CONSTITUENT, KEVIN BURKE, WHO HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE IRON HORSE TRAIL WITH CONGESTION, AND I THINK HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT SPEEDING AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND ON ON UNAPPROVED DEVICES BEING USED ON IT, AND HE HAD SOME IDEAS.

ON THE THIRD, I WENT TO THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE AND ALSO IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME FIRE THING FROM OUR FIRE FOLKS.

THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD, AND I THINK IT WAS WELL RECEIVED ALSO IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY IN POINT RICHMOND, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY THE CAPITAL PROJECT BOARD STUDY SESSION.

ON OCTOBER 5TH I ATTENDED THE JON MUIR LAND TRUST'S BIG ANNUAL GALA FUNDRAISER, THE FRESH AIR AFFAIR.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE MOONLIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN, ONLY IT'S MOONLIGHT AT THE JON MUIR HOME IN MARTINEZ, AND THEY HAVE A GREAT EVENT THERE.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, AND THEY HAD AN INTERESTING FEATURE OF THAT WHICH THEY DON'T HAVE AT MOONLIGHT ON A MOUNTAIN.

THEY HAVE AUCTION ITEMS, BUT THEN, THEN THEY JUST GO AROUND.

AFTER THAT'S DONE, THEY JUST GO AROUND AND SAY, WHO WANTS TO GIVE $100,000? WHO WANTS TO GIVE 50,000? WHO WANTS IT? NOT 100,000, SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT, BUT IN MY MIND, I'M DOING THE MATH AS THEY'RE GOING ALONG AND THEY KEEP LOWERING IT AND THEY GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE DONATING. IT ADDED UP TO LIKE $100,000 JUST ASKING FOR MONEY.

SO VERY INTERESTING FUNDRAISING MODEL, I THINK THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IT WAS JUST IT'S JUST FREE MONEY, YOU KNOW, JUST YOU GET YOU GET PEOPLE THERE THAT ARE THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE CAUSE AND YOU KNOW, THEY GET GENEROUS.

LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA, AND

[01:55:04]

SO I'LL BE PASSING THAT ALONG.

YESTERDAY I WAS WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER AND LISA BOLLINGER.

MEETING WITH THE CITY OF CLAYTON IN THEIR AT THEIR CITY HALL TO TALK ABOUT SOME C OOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WE COULD DO WITH THEM, MOST NOTABLY HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH THEM TO PROVIDE A STAGING AREA TO GET INTO THE CLAYTON RANCH PROPERTY WHEN WE OPENED THAT UP IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE, AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT WAS THE PRE-BOARD MEETING FOR THIS ONE.

SO ANYWAY.

OKAY. DIRECTOR WAESPI.

THANK YOU. I TOO ATTENDED THE SAFETY FAIR AND IT WAS JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FUN, GREAT FELLOWSHIP, GREAT FOOD.

GREAT DAY. IT WAS PRETTY HOT, BUT WHAT A WHAT A NICE WAY TO GET TO KNOW YOUR YOUR FELLOW FELLOW FELLOWS FROM THE PARK DISTRICT.

I ATTENDED THE CAPITAL PROJECTS STUDY SESSION AND ALSO THE GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES.

GREAT EVENT.

WELL DONE, WELL ATTENDED.

I THINK IT'S GETTING RESURGENCE, IN FACT, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

I ATTENDED THE HASPA MEETING ON THE 10TH, AND WE'RE GOING GREAT GUNS AT HASBRO.

WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS.

WE'VE GOT A HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO GET ALAMEDA COUNTY TO JOIN FAIRLY QUICKLY AND GOT LOTS OF GREAT PLANS AND WE PASSED OUR BUDGET AND WE'RE READY TO GO, GREAT GUNS.

I VISITED MISSION PEAK WITH ALLISON ROFE AND MATT GRAUL LAST WEEK WITH DIRECTOR COFFEY HAD A LOT OF THINGS CLEARED UP ABOUT DRY FORAGE MATTER AND SOME OF THE WELL, JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WERE MADE VERY, VERY UNDERSTANDABLE, AND IT'S AMAZING.

I THINK OUR PEOPLE DO REALLY, REALLY GOOD WORK, AND I CAME AWAY VERY, VERY SATISFIED WITH HOW EVERYTHING'S GOING, AND SO DID COLIN.

I ALSO ATTENDED LAST WEEK THE HARVEST FESTIVAL AT ARDENWOOD.

WOW. JIMINY CHRISTMAS.

YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT WE'RE NOT PROVIDING OR WE'RE NOT WELCOMING OR ANY OF THE OTHER STUFF WE GNASH OUR TEETH AND REND OUR GARMENTS OVER.

JUST GO TO THE HARVEST FESTIVAL.

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

EVERYBODY WAS HAVING FUN.

IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL, AND SO MANY PEOPLE I COULDN'T GET OVER.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ENJOYING A GREAT DAY IN THE PARK.

A GREAT TWO DAYS IN THE PARK.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO STAFF.

I KNOW THEY WORKED REALLY HARD AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE EVENTS WHERE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, BUT THEY ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF THESE THINGS.

JUST PARKING CARS OUT THERE IS A MONUMENTAL TASK, AND THEN GETTING PEOPLE IN AND GETTING PEOPLE OUT AND MAKING THEM, YOU KNOW, DIRECTING THEM TO ALL THE GREAT EVENTS WE DO.

IT'S A GREAT COMBINED EFFORT FROM EVERYBODY, ALL STAFFS.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ARDENWOOD STAFF AND THE ENTIRE PARK STAFF FOR DOING THAT.

IT WAS GREAT, AND THAT WAS IT.

DIRECTOR SANWONG. YES.

SO OCTOBER 4TH, CAPITAL PROJECT STUDY SESSION.

OCTOBER 6TH, GATHERING OF THE OHLONE PEOPLES AT COYOTE HILLS.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THAT IN REGARDS TO HOW WELL COORDINATED THE EVENT WAS AND HOW MUCH WORK OUR STAFF PUT INTO IT.

I KNOW IT WAS AN EXTREMELY HOT DAY AND THAT WASN'T EXPECTED.

WHEN YOU SCHEDULED AN EVENT LIKE THIS ON THE FIRST SUNDAY IN OCTOBER, AND SO I THINK THAT THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.

OUR STAFF DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM.

I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT, AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL DAY TO BE AT COYOTE HILLS, DESPITE THE HEAT F OR THIS PROGRAM, AND I DID THIS TIME, I DID YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SHUTTLE BECAUSE I WANT TO EXPERIENCE WITH THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM WAS LIKE, AND I THINK THAT WAS ALSO REALLY WELL EXECUTED, AND OUR STAFF DID SUCH A GOOD JOB IN REGARDS TO DIRECTING CARS TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PARK, TO THEN BOARD THE SHUTTLE, AND THE SHUTTLE WAS PRETTY WELL TIMED THAT YOU RARELY HAD TO WAIT B OTH, YOU KNOW, PICK UP FROM THE PARKING LOT AS WELL AS PICK UP FROM THE VISITOR CENTER TO GO BACK TO YOUR CAR AND ESPECIALLY ON SUCH A HOT DAY, I WANTED TO WALK BACK TO MY CAR, BUT BY THE TIME THAT I WAS WAITING, IT WAS ALREADY 100 DEGREES, AND I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO HOT FOR ME

[02:00:08]

SO TO ME, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A SIGN TO TAKE THE SHUTTLE.

SO SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT, AND I AND I HOPE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR THESE EVENTS, AND THEN LAST WEEK I WANT TO THANK LYNNE, DEBORAH SPAULDING AND SABRINA FOR HELP PREPARING FOR THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO MEETING ON OCTOBER 11TH.

ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, I THINK I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A PRETTY INFORMATIVE AND DETAILED EMAIL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO BOARD, AND THEN I WENT IN PERSON TO PROVIDE IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I THINK IT TURNED OUT PRETTY WELL, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE SHARED WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO SHARE THAT WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

JUST TO SEE WHAT HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO THAT COMMISSION, AND THEN I'LL JUST SHARE SOMETHING FUN OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND ON THE 11TH AND 12TH.

YOU KNOW, I DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK WITH MY LOCAL MUSEUM ON MAIN IN DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON, AND WE HAVE OUR DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON GHOST WALK AND SO I DID THE INTRODUCTION FOR ALL THE TOURS ON BOTH NIGHTS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE MUSEUM ON MAIN.

SO THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE MUSEUM ON MAIN HAS HAD A PRETTY STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SUNOL VISITOR CENTER, WHERE BOTH THE MUSEUM AND THE VISITOR CENTER WILL WILL HELP SUPPORT EACH OTHER'S PROGRAMS, AND I KNOW THAT BACK IN AUGUST, WE HAD THE MOBILE VISITOR CENTER ON MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM ON MAIN, AND WE HAD STAFF FROM OUR SUNOL VISITOR CENTER OUT THERE, AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A DREAM OF MINE, TO HAVE THE SUNOL VISITOR CENTER AT SOME OF OUR DOWNTOWN PLEASANTON EVENTS.

SO IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I KNOW WE'RE COMING UP THIS SATURDAY.

WE HAVE THE SUNOL HERITAGE FESTIVAL, AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD DID RECEIVE THAT.

NOTICE THAT IT WILL BE THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH FROM 11 A.M.

TO 3 P.M., SO I THINK IT'LL BE A REALLY NICE TIME.

YOU KNOW, TO CELEBRATE SUNOL.

THANK YOU. SO I WILL CLOSE THIS OUT WITH MY COMMENTS.

ON OCTOBER 2ND, WE MET WITH CITY OF RICHMOND MAYOR EDUARDO MARTINEZ AND HIS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.

THIS IS PART OF OUR OUTREACH FOR THE NEXT CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN, OR WHATEVER IS THE EXACT NAME IS RIGHT NOW, AND THEN THAT EVENING I DID THE INTRODUCTION FOR OUR VERY IMPRESSIVE CHIEF THIELE AND ASSISTANT CHIEF HELAE.

REALLY, THAT PRESENTATION JUST WAS.

IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THEM PRESENT A LOT, BUT THE ONE THAT THEY DID ON ON THAT WEDNESDAY AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK AT ALAMEDA COUNTY WAS REALLY JUST REALLY FABULOUS.

I JUST FELT I WAS JUST BEAMING WITH PRIDE.

SO I THANK THEM FOR DOING A GREAT JOB AS ALWAYS.

ON THE FOURTH ATTENDED THE CAPITAL PROJECTS STUDY SESSION.

ON THE EIGHTH HAD A MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS REGARDING EVALUATIONS, AND ON THE NINTH, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD THE ALAMEDA COUNTY MAYOR'S CONFERENCE.

AGAIN, DOING THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION ON FIRE PREVENTION, AND THIS PAST WEEKEND, I GOT TO SPEND UP ON NEAR THE TOP OF MOUNT DIABLO WITH MY DAUGHTER AND HER GIRL SCOUT TROOP ON A CAMPING TRIP.

IT WAS IT WAS FABULOUS.

IT WAS FABULOUS, AND I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES, I WENT TO BED AT 9:00.

SO AWESOME.

SO AWESOME.

OH, YEAH, AND THEN YESTERDAY WE HAD A PRE-BOARD MEETING, AND THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY.

YES. I JUST WANT TO ELABORATE ON ONE, ONE ITEM WHEN I WAS COMING BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA.

THE PLANE LANDED ON TERMINAL ONE, AND I HAD TO GO TO TERMINAL TWO TO GET MY LUGGAGE, AND SO THERE'S A CONNECTOR BETWEEN THOSE TWO TERMINALS.

OH, YEAH. OUR EXHIBIT IS THERE, AND IT'S I'M WALKING ALONG AND, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO GET YOUR LUGGAGE AND YOU JUST WANT TO GET THERE, AND I HAD TO STOP AND GO BACK AND GO, IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS? ALL THOSE THREE BIG THINGS.

THE ONE THING IT KIND OF IS THAT.

IS THAT A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION? YEAH. THE ONE THING IS IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING, ANY BIG TITLE.

SO YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW IS THAT THERE'S THE KIND OF STAMPED IN LOGO ON THE I GUESS IT'S ON WOOD.

[02:05:01]

SO, BUT ANYWAY, OTHER THAN THAT, OF COURSE IT'S A GREAT IT'S A GREAT EXHIBIT.

THAT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR IT, TOO.

YEAH, LOTS OF EYEBALLS AND YEAH, STAFF WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD ON THAT PARTNERSHIP.

I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE IT.

IS THAT THE ONE THAT WAS THE SAME EXHIBITS THAT WERE AT DVC? SO IT MOVED. I MISSED IT.

TRAVELING EXHIBIT. OKAY, AND THEN AS JUST A REMINDER, WE HAVE OUR PARK DISTRICT T-SHIRTS FOR SALE AT THE OAKLANDISH SHOP.

SO YOU CAN ALSO DIRECT PEOPLE THERE AS WELL? YEAH. OH, GOOD.

I GET COMPLIMENTS EVERY TIME I WEAR THAT SHIRT AND PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO GET THEM.

SO NOW THEY CAN BUY THEM ONLINE, BUT THEY ALSO AND I THINK THEY'VE GOT THE DOWNTOWN STORE, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE IT AT THE OAKLAND AIRPORT FOR SURE.

EVERY TIME I'M THERE, I DO A LITTLE INVENTORY CHECK.

VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY. SO I THINK THAT BRINGS ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER, SO TO SPEAK.

ALL RIGHT. SO I THINK WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED AND THE TIME IS 3:45.

WOW, RECORD.

THANK YOU. THANKS, EVERYBODY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.