Link

Social

Embed

Disable autoplay on embedded content?

Download

Download
Download Transcript

[00:00:03]

HEY GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024, BEGINNING AT EXACTLY 10:30, IS NOW OPEN.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL.

[Roll Call]

YULIE PADMORE RECORDING CLERK TAKING ROLL.

DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

HERE. DIRECTOR WAESPI.

HERE. CHAIR SANWONG.

HERE. PARK DISTRICT STAFF COORDINATORS IN THIS MEETING INCLUDE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER LISA GOORJIAN.

HERE. ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL ELIZABETH MACKENZIE.

HERE. GREAT.

THANK YOU. APOLOGIES.

TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.

STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL, LEAVING A VOICEMAIL, OR JOINING LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.

IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2024.

[Approval of Minutes]

DO WE HAVE ANY EDITS, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? MOTIONS TO APPROVE? MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ALL RIGHT. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANGE TO THE AGENDA.

SO FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR WE'RE GOING TO REORDER IT.

SO ITEM B WILL NOW BECOME A ITEM C WILL BECOME B.

AND THEN ITEM A WILL BECOME C.

SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO MOVE ITEM A TO THE THIRD SPOT ON AGENDA ITEM FOUR.

OKAY. YEAH.

NO I JUST WANT TO DO THE AGENDA ADJUSTMENT FIRST.

ALL RIGHT. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT THE SCRIPT SAYS.

AND WE CAN ALSO APPROVE THIS AGENDA IF WE'D LIKE OR NO.

[INAUDIBLE] RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR.

[Action Items]

IT'S LISTED AS 4B.

OUR AUTHORIZATION FOR THE AGRICULTURAL LICENSE WITH HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING AT COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS TIFFANY MARGULICI.

I'M THE BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER IN THE OPERATIONS DIVISION, AND I'LL BE PRESENTING THE COYOTE HILLS AGRICULTURAL LAND LICENSE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND A STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY, I WILL AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING AN AGRICULTURAL LICENSE WITH HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING AT COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK.

AND FOR THE PRESENTATION, I'LL GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHERE THIS IS LOCATED.

A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THE AREA, THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS AND TIMELINE, THE FISCAL IMPACT OR EXPECTED REVENUE.

AND THEN AGAIN RECAP THE RECOMMENDATION AND OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

SO THE LOCATION IS WITHIN COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK, WHICH IS IN THE CITY OF FREMONT.

IT'S A 45 ACRE AGRICULTURAL AREA WHICH HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE.

THE DEED RESTRICTION IN PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY ASKS THAT WE PRESERVE SOME PART OF THE PARK FOR AGRICULTURAL VALUES, AND WE'VE HAD RECENT PAST USES SUCH AS CROPS AND SOME GRAZING.

FROM 2017 TO AROUND 2019, THE LAND WAS FALLOWED AND THERE WAS A WELL REPLACEMENT PROJECT HAPPENING.

AND THEN FROM 2020 TO 2023, WE HAD AN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY USING THE AREA TO TEST THEIR AUTOMATED TRACTORS, SELF DRIVING TRACTORS, AND THEY WERE ALSO PUTTING IN A COVER CROP.

BRINGING US TO TODAY WE HAVE A NEW WELL AND IT'S SHARED WITH THE PARK DISTRICT FOR USE IN SOME OF THE NEW PLANTINGS AT THE PATTERSON RESTORATION PROJECT. WE HAVE STAFF HAS DONE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THIS AGRICULTURAL AREA THREE DIFFERENT TIMES SINCE THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY HAS LEFT AND AS I HAD SHARED WITH THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE EARLIER THIS YEAR, IN ORDER TO EXPAND OUR SCOPE AND HOPEFULLY ATTRACT SOME MORE APPLICANTS, WE BROADENED THE CRITERIA AND MADE IT A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE THIS ROUND FOR ANY

[00:05:10]

AGRICULTURAL RELATED USE, RATHER THAN IN THE PAST WE HAD BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, LOOKING FOR ROW CROPS OR HAVING OTHER RESTRICTIONS.

SO THE BASIC REQUIREMENT IS THAT SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF THREE YEARS FARMING OF AN EQUIVALENT SCALE AN SCOPE.

AND THIS IS JUST TO SHOW THE GENERAL PROCESS, ALL THE STEPS WE GO THROUGH FOR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.

AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT AS MANY APPLICANTS AS POSSIBLE AND PROVIDE FAIR INFORMATION TO EVERYBODY WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

WE MAILED TO 26 DIFFERENT ENTITIES.

WE HAD THREE ATTEND THE SITE VISIT AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING.

HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING IS A LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS, AND THEY HAVE 20 YEARS, OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE TRI CITIES AREA. THEY HAVE A LEASE WITH ANOTHER PUBLIC AGENCY NEARBY IN THE CITY OF UNION CITY, AND HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL, AND THEY HAVE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY WORKED WITH PARK STAFF AT ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM AND COYOTE HILLS ON CONTRACT TO DO HARVESTING AND PLANTING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND THE PLAN IS TO GROW HAY AND ALFALFA.

AND HERE'S A PICTURE OF HERMAN DEGADILLO, WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS.

THEY HAVE PROPOSED $500 A MONTH AND WILL BE A THREE YEAR INITIAL TERM WITH A TWO YEAR OPTION.

AND AGAIN, HERE'S SOME MORE PICTURES OF HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING IN ACTION.

AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVE AND RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD THE AUTHORIZATION OF HERMAN'S LANDSCAPING AS THE LICENSEE FOR THIS 45 ACRE AGRICULTURAL AREA.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE.

AND HERMAN DEGADILLO WAS POSSIBLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO JOIN US BY ZOOM.

I'M NOT SURE IF HE WAS ABLE TO JUST TO SAY HELLO.

AND ALSO WE HAVE THE PARK SUPERVISOR, KEVIN THOMPSON AVAILABLE IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT COYOTE HILLS PARK.

WONDERFUL. THANK YOU.

THAT'S A VERY INFORMATIVE OVERVIEW OF THIS RFP OF THIS WORK WITH THE LICENSEE.

YES. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO BOARD COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

DEE WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? THANK YOU. REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.

I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

ONE IS ALFALFA IS KIND OF A, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS USES A LOT OF WATER.

AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF THE WELL TO SUSTAIN THAT, THAT USE.

WITH THE SITE VISIT.

MR. DEGADILLO DID ATTEND THE SITE VISIT, AND WE REVIEWED THE WELL WITH THE PARK SUPERVISOR, AND AND HE SEEMED CONFIDENT THAT THAT WOULD SUIT THE NEEDS. AND ALSO, HE HAS THE EXPERIENCE HE HAS AT COYOTE HILLS PREVIOUSLY DOING CONTRACT WORK IS ALSO DOING DRY FARMING.

WHICH I LEARNED IS WITHOUT WATER, AS THE NAME SAYS.

AND SO I THINK HE'S FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF DOING HAY FOR HIS ANIMALS, OF HIS UNION CITY LOCATION.

SO THAT WOULD SUPPORT THOSE LIVESTOCK.

AND THEN ALSO IF THE ALFALFA BECOMES AN OPTION IN THE FUTURE, HE'S AWARE OF THE, WELL SITUATION.

AND THEN ALSO IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THIS FARM COULD USE SOME OF OUR BIOCHAR AS A SOIL AMENDMENT.

I WILL DEFINITELY CONNECT HIM AS HE'S GETTING SETTLED WITH OUR BIOCHAR TEAM.

GREAT. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT THAT OPTION.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF IT.

AND THEN ALSO IS THE HAY AND ALFALFA IS THAT EXPORTED OR IS IT DOMESTIC? I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER IN TERMS OF IS THE QUESTION IS THE SEED DOMESTIC? NO, NO. I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE PRODUCT THE ALFALFA IS, IS IT BEING EXPORTED TO OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY OR IS IT GOING TO BE USED IN THE US OR EVEN BECAUSE I THINK THERE COULD BE A NICE DEMAND FOR ALFALFA BECAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH STABLES AND GRAZING OPERATIONS THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A LOCAL ALFALFA SOURCE.

I KNOW, OH, YEAH.

MAYBE NATALIE CAN SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION IF SHE'S ON THE LINE.

[00:10:03]

[INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE BIT. YEAH.

HI [INAUDIBLE]. I HAVE JOINED ON THE ZOOM, BUT DAD IS ON THE CALL SINCE HE COULDN'T.

I'M NOT WITH HIM, BUT HE'S ON THE CALL.

HE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

GREAT. THANK YOU. CAN I TALK? YEAH, DAD. GO AHEAD.

OKAY, SO THE HAY IS NOT GOING TO BE EXPORTED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY OR ANOTHER STATE.

WE [INAUDIBLE] USE IT FOR OUR ANIMALS, FOR OUR LIVESTOCK, FOR OUR CATTLE AND OUR HORSES.

AND ABOUT THE ALFALFA.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GROW ALFALFA IN THAT SOIL, UNTIL I GET MORE INTEL ON THE SOIL AND THEN I'LL GET MORE IDEAS WE CAN GROW ALFALFA.

TO GROW ALFALFA REQUIRES A LOT OF MONEY TO GET STARTED.

AND [INAUDIBLE] WINTER CROP.

BUT WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES NEXT YEAR.

WE CAN BE ABLE TO SUPPLY ALL THE IRRIGATION FOR THE ALFALFA.

BUT FOR NOW, I THINK WE SHOULD GO FOR HAY.

DID YOU GUYS.

WERE YOU GUYS ABLE TO HEAR HIM? OKAY. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT SOUNDS GREAT. THANK YOU.

YOU BET. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, DENNIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YEAH. THANK YOU. I TOO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PROGRAM.

ALTHOUGH I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

OVER THE 26 ENTITIES THAT YOU REACHED OUT TO WAS ONE OF THEM THE ALAMEDA COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT? YES. YEAH.

GREAT. AND THEN WELL, I AGREE WITH DIRECTOR ROSARIO.

IF WE COULD DEPOSIT BIOCHAR THERE, IT WOULD BE A REAL BENEFIT TO US.

WE NEED A PLACE TO PUT BIOCHAR.

AND I THINK HOPEFULLY IT'S BEEN PROVEN TO BE A GOOD SOIL AMENDMENT.

AND THEN THE $500 A MONTH.

SO $500 A MONTH DOES THAT INCLUDE ALL THE WATER THEY NEED? ARE WE PROVIDING WATER FREE? NO. HOLD ON DAD.

YEAH. THERE IS A METER ON THE WELL.

AND SO THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WATER USAGE SEPARATE FROM THE PAYMENT TO THE DISTRICT.

OH, OKAY. GREAT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPERATION.

I THINK IT'S LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

WONDERFUL. AND COULD YOU JUST REVIEW? I THINK WE'VE GONE OVER THIS IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAD A MAYBE A MORE NARROW DEFINITION FOR THE ROW CROPS, I THINK MAYBE, LIKE TWO MONTHS AGO.

THREE MONTHS AGO. DIDN'T THIS COME BEFORE THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE? AND WE HAD DISCUSSED HOW IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND SOMEONE TO BE INTERESTED IN THIS, THIS AGRICULTURAL LEASE. COULD YOU JUST MAYBE PROVIDE, LIKE, ONE SENTENCE ALONG THOSE LINES? SURE. YEAH. I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF THIS AREA IS THAT IT'S EITHER SMALL OR LARGE, DEPENDING ON THE PERSPECTIVE. AND IT IS IN THE EAST BAY, WHICH IS NOW VERY URBANIZED.

AND SO IT MOST OF THE FARMING, HEAVY FARMING HAS, HAS MOVED OUTSIDE OF THE EAST BAY.

AND SO IN ORDER TO MAKE THE OPERATION REALLY VIABLE FOR LARGE SCALE FARMERS, IT'S A BIT SMALL AND MAYBE FOR LIKE COMMUNITY GARDEN TYPE OPERATIONS, IT WAS MAYBE A LITTLE BIG.

SO WE DID GO THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE FOUND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT HE HAS A LOCAL FARM AND LIVESTOCK SO SOME OF HIS HAY CAN SUPPORT THAT OPERATION WITHIN UNION CITY IS PRETTY EXCITING. YEAH, I THINK IT'S GREAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT THIS WAS PART OF THE I GUESS, OVERALL AGREEMENT AT COYOTE HILLS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG AGO, FREMONT WAS FULL OF FARMS AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

AND YES, IT HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST 80 YEARS.

AND SO I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AN ACTIVE FARM SITE.

AND I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

BUT THEN ALSO, IF THE LICENSEE HAD A FEW MORE WORDS THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO ALSO INVITE THEM TO SHARE THOSE REMARKS.

I THINK DAD HAS SOME QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE] ASKED.

I THINK IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN DEFINITELY WE COULD MAYBE HANDLE THOSE AFTER THE CALL AND I CAN CONNECT.

[00:15:01]

AND IF THERE'S ANY, I THINK WE'RE JUST IF THERE'S ANY MORE INFORMATION WE WANT TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMITTEE AT THIS TIME THAT'S MORE THE FOCUS.

OKAY. GOT IT. YEAH.

AND I SUPPOSE IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO STATE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ONE MOVE THIS TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND IT WILL BE THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT APPROVES THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT.

AND THEN TWO, WE CAN ALSO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

SO THIS ISN'T TECHNICALLY AN APPROVAL.

IT'S JUST THE FIRST STEP OF THE APPROVAL PROCESS.

GOT IT. THANK YOU.

OKAY, SO I'M FREE TO GO.

ALL RIGHT, I THINK IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.

AND THEN WE'LL ALSO SEE. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTED TO SHARE SOME REMARKS? MADAM CHAIR, I DO NOT SEE THAT WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.

NO ONE'S RAISED THEIR HAND, SO.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

AND SO THEN WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE BOTH MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ALSO RECOMMEND THIS AGREEMENT.

SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. OKAY. AND NO ONE'S OPPOSED.

SO THAT'S A UNANIMOUS APPROVAL TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND TO ALSO RECOMMEND THIS.

GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND THEN FOR OUR LICENSEE THAT MOST LIKELY BE AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING OR THE BOARD MEETING AFTER THAT.

WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE EXACT DATE, I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE WILL LET THEM KNOW. AND JUST TO ADD, WE ARE WORKING ON A CONTRACT BASIS SO THAT HERMAN'S MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING WAS ABLE TO GET OUT AND DISK THE FIELDS BEFORE THE RAINS, AND SO HE'S ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME WORK THERE UNDER THIS OTHER AGREEMENT.

WONDERFUL. OKAY, SO NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM ALSO IN THE CITY OF FREMONT, OUR SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT FOR THE PATTERSON HOUSE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I'M STILL TIFFANY MARGULICI, BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER.

AND THIS PRESENTATION IS ON THE SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF FREMONT FOR THE OPERATION OF THE PATTERSON HOUSE.

AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE WHO IS HERE WITH ME, RECREATION SUPERINTENDENT, IRENE JORDAHL, FROM THE CITY OF FREMONT.

TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND ALSO SUPERVISING NATURALIST TINA SCHWANDT WILL BE ALSO ON THE LINE.

AND WE'VE ALL WORKED TOGETHER IN PREPARING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO ENTER INTO A NEW SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT OR CONTINUED SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT FOR THE PATTERSON HOUSE, WHICH IS SHOWN HERE AS PART OF ARDENWOOD PARK.

LET'S SEE. JUST THERE WE GO.

AND SO TO PREVIEW WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WILL BE, IT'S TO EXECUTE THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF FREMONT.

AND I'LL BE EXPLAINING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THIS AGREEMENT, WHERE IT IS THE BACKGROUND, WHAT IS A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT AND ALL THE MAIN POINTS.

SO AS I MENTIONED, IT'S WITHIN THE CITY OF FREMONT AT ARDENWOOD, VERY CLOSELY LOCATED TO OUR LAST ITEM, AND THIS JUST SHOWS WHERE IT'S LOCATED WITHIN THE PARK. THE CITY OF FREMONT AND THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT HAVE HAD A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT FOR ARDENWOOD SINCE 1982, AND THE PARK DISTRICT OPERATES ARDENWOOD FARM EXCEPT FOR THE PATTERSON HOUSE.

WE USE A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS TO EXTEND OUR RECREATIONAL SERVICES OR INTERPRETIVE SERVICES.

SO THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW AS WE'VE SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WHAT A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT.

WHAT A SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT IS.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT 30 OF THEM.

THIS IS SHOWING THE AERIAL VIEW OF THE PATTERSON HOUSE, AS WELL AS THE COOK'S HOUSE, WHICH IS SERVES AS A CITY OF FREMONT STAFF OFFICE WITHIN ARDENWOOD.

THERE'S AN ADJACENT SERVICE PARKING.

AND THIS AGREEMENT REALLY ADDRESSES THE USE OF PATTERSON HOUSE AND THE OPERATIONS OF THE PATTERSON HOUSE AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAPPEN

[00:20:01]

WHEN THE CITY OF FREMONT CONDUCTS AT THE PARK, DAY CAMPS OR OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE NOT AT THE PATTERSON HOUSE ARE COVERED THROUGH OTHER TYPES OF PERMITS WITH RESERVATIONS DEPARTMENT.

AND WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY HAS FIVE OF THOSE AT NO COST PER YEAR WITH THIS AGREEMENT.

HERE'S SOME MORE PRETTY PICTURES.

THERE'S 16 ROOMS. WE DO TOURS. THE CITY DOES TOURS THERE.

AND SO THE CITY THERE IS A COMPENSATION TO THE CITY FOR THIS AGREEMENT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE.

THEY DO ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS AT THE HOUSE, THE DOCENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS EXTENSIVE, AND THEY DO THE HOUSE TOURS APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER AT A MINIMUM, WITH OFTEN ADDITIONAL TOURS.

AND REALLY, THEY'RE A PARTNER IN MARKETING AND SHARING AND GREETING WHEN PEOPLE ARE VISITING ARDENWOOD TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, HEY, THIS IS PART OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND THEY'RE A REALLY GREAT ENHANCEMENT TO OUR SERVICES AT ARDENWOOD.

AND IT'S A COMPLIMENT TO WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS DO, WHICH FOCUSES MORE ON THE FARM AND THE CITY, HAS OFFERED TO ABLE THEN TO FOCUS ON THE HOUSE.

I THINK THERE'S ALSO AN ARCHIVAL COMPONENT THAT THE CITY ALSO MAINTAINS ALL THE ARCHIVES AND HISTORY INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PATTERSON HOUSE, WHICH IS REALLY HELPFUL TOO.

HERE'S SOME MORE PICTURES.

I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO VISIT IF YOU HAVE NOT.

AND SO THE COST IS.

THIS IS THE COMPENSATION TO THE CITY.

IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT IT'S BEEN OVER THE PAST OVER AT LEAST OVER AROUND 15 YEARS.

AND WE GENERALLY DO AN ANNUAL INCREASE OF 2% TO ACCOUNT FOR SOME INFLATION.

SO THAT'S THE OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT RECOMMENDATION.

THE LAST ONE WAS FIVE YEARS AGO.

AND SO THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.

UNDER BASICALLY THE SAME TERMS AND OPERATIONS AS WE'VE BEEN DOING, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL.

OKAY. WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU. I REALLY ENJOY SEEING THE PHOTOS.

I KNOW ABOUT A YEAR AGO, ACTUALLY, WE HAD AN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND CITY OF FREMONT LIAISON MEETING AT ARDENWOOD AND PATTERSON HOUSE I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR OPENING UP THE HOUSE FOR A TOUR PRIOR TO THE MEETING, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAD NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON A HOUSE TOUR MYSELF, AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT.

AND IT WAS WONDERFUL BECAUSE OUR MEETING WAS SCHEDULED IN DECEMBER.

SO WE GOT TO TOUR THE HOUSE WITH ALL OF THE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS, AND IT'S SUCH A LOVELY TIME.

SO FOR ANYBODY WHO HASN'T BEEN YET, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMING UP ON THE HOLIDAY SEASON AGAIN, AND THIS MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, VISIT.

AND SO WITH THAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.

I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT ASSET FOR BOTH THE CITY OF FREMONT AND THE REGIONAL PARKS.

AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL.

AND IF YOU COULD LEAVE YOUR CARD, I'D LIKE TO HOOK YOU UP WITH THE MANAGER FOR THE STANFORD HOUSE IN OAKLAND.

YEAH. NO, COME ON UP.

YEAH. PLEASE.

SO I'M IRENE JORDAHL, RECREATION SUPERINTENDENT.

I'M SHORT, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO LIKE THIS.

IT'S GREAT. OH, LOOK AT I'M TALLER.

ALL RIGHT. THERE YOU GO. YOU MET RENA KIEHN.

SHE'S OUR RECREATION SUPERVISOR WHO ACTUALLY RUNS THE HOUSE.

SHE'S THE HOUSE MANAGER, AND SHE DOES AN AWESOME JOB.

THAT'S WHY SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY.

THEY'RE SETTING UP FOR CHRISTMAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

SO I DO INVITE YOU ALL TO TO COME OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE.

THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP.

IT'S I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY 24 YEARS.

WE'VE HAD. IT'S BEEN THAT LONG.

SO WE DO IT EVERY FIVE YEARS.

AND RENA WORKING WITH THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AS YOU WILL IF YOU WILL, AT THE PARK.

REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP.

AND WE IN OUR CAMP PROGRAM.

A LOT OF THE KIDS WHO COME HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE SITE BEFORE, SO THEY GET EXPOSURE TO ARDENWOOD AND THEN ALL THE OTHER PARKS.

SO YEAH.

SO. AND THEN RENA IS PART OF A WHOLE ORGANIZATION WITH THE HOUSE, SO SHE'S PROBABLY KNOWS THAT ONE.

BUT YES, WE'LL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANKS, TIFFANY.

DENNIS. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I SUPPORT THIS FULLY.

I LOVE THIS ORGANIZATION.

I TOUR THE MANSION EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.

AND IT'S A GREAT, GREAT TOUR, GREAT HISTORY.

THE DOCENTS ARE ALSO INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE.

AND THEY REALLY LIKE TALKING ABOUT THE PATTERSON.

AND YEAH, IT IS THEIR PASSION AND I APPRECIATE IT.

SO JUST A QUESTION. SO YOU MENTIONED ARE YOU DOING CHRISTMAS AT ARDENWOOD THIS YEAR?

[00:25:02]

WE ARE WE CAN I CAN GET THE FLIER TO TIFFANY.

BUT I CAN GET IT TO TIFFANY AND GET IT OUT TO ALL OF YOU.

GREAT. THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME. AND I GUESS THE PATTERSON HOUSE IS ON THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL REGISTER.

IS IT? I'M PRETTY SURE IT IS.

OKAY.

I THINK WE HAVE TWO THAT AND THE GREAT. AND DOES ANYBODY KNOW? IS THAT THE ONLY PLACE IN THE PARK DISTRICT WHERE YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THE HISTORICAL REGISTER? NATIONAL HISTORICAL REGISTER OR EVEN STATE HISTORICAL REGISTER? WE CAN CHECK. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. BE INTERESTING.

END OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE BACKGROUND.

IT SAYS. THANK YOU.

I THINK I REMEMBER A PRESENTATION ABOUT ALAMEDA AND ONE OF THE BUILDINGS ON A PROPERTY THAT WE ARE MANAGING AT ALAMEDA MIGHT ALSO BE ON THE HISTORIC REGISTER.

COULD BE THE GLORY OF THE SEA.

YES, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IT.

GLORY OF THE SEA MIGHT BE.

OKAY, YES. BUT REGARDLESS, IT'S VERY NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH A HISTORIC BUILDING.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, POINT OUT AND TO MENTION.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NO, I WOULD MOVE APPROVAL.

OKAY. OKAY.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND. YES.

AND ACTUALLY, TECHNICALLY, NO IT MOVED OVER TO WARD THREE.

I THINK ARDENWOOD FORMS THE BORDER BETWEEN WARD THREE AND WARD FIVE.

SO THAT'S A FUN FACT FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.

BUT REGARDLESS, I THINK DENNIS AND I TYPICALLY VIEW FREMONT THAT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON ALL THINGS FREMONT.

YEAH. I THINK THIS IS GREAT.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.

AND I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US TODAY.

IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE OUR PARTNERS HERE AT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.

SO WE HAVE A FIRST FROM A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FROM DIRECTOR WAESPI.

AND THEN I SECONDED.

AND SO ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE. ALL RIGHT. NO ONE'S OPPOSED.

SO THAT ALSO PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND MADAM CHAIR, I DO NOT SEE THAT WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.

YES. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

I'M USUALLY SO GOOD ABOUT THAT.

BUT I THINK WE GOT ALL EXCITED ABOUT HOLIDAY TOURS AT PATTERSON HOUSE.

I KNOW, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SO SOMETIMES WE FORGET THESE THINGS.

AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD.

AND THE FULL BOARD WILL STILL HAVE TO APPROVE IT TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL.

ALL RIGHT. SO THEN WE'RE GOING TO IF WE'RE READY, WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE THIS DOWN ON THE AGENDA AGAIN.

FOR ITEM WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA IS 4A IN REGARDS TO OUR HELICOPTERS.

SHOULD WE.

YOU'RE READY. OKAY.

LET'S GO FOR IT. I THINK CAPTAIN COTCHER WAS HOPING TO BE HERE, BUT HE'S TIED UP IN MEETINGS SO WE CAN PROCEED.

UP.

MIC] I'M SERGEANT FRED GREER, THE CHIEF PILOT OF OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

IT'S NICE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN.

THANKS FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE TIME TO PROPOSE THAT WE BE ALLOWED TO SPEND THE IDENTIFIED FUNDS WITHIN OUR BUDGET TO EXPAND THE MISSION OF THE AIR SUPPORT UNIT TO IMPROVE SEARCH AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES OF THE HELICOPTER UNIT.

SO, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE SAFETY AND LIVES OF OUR PARK USERS.

[00:30:02]

AND I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT OUR HELICOPTERS ARE EXTREMELY CAPABLE IN THIS MANNER.

AND RIGHT NOW, I DO HAVE A VERY TALENTED PILOT, AND WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING.

SO WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN INITIATIVE TO START THIS PROGRESS, EVEN WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO EXTRACTION YET.

IN OUR NEW HOME AT LIVERMORE, WE HAVE A NEW SCANNING SYSTEM THAT WE CAN EASIER LISTEN TO CALLS FOR SERVICE, ESPECIALLY THE FIRE AND SEARCH AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES.

THIS ALLOWS US TO RESPOND IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICERS ARE UNDERGOING TRAINING AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS EMTS.

TWO OF THEM JUST GRADUATED A VERY INTENSIVE AND ACCELERATED COURSE.

SO OUR HELICOPTERS HAVE ALSO BEEN EQUIPPED WITH EMT LEVEL MEDICAL BAGS WITH AED DEFIBRILLATORS ON BOARD.

AND WE'VE ALREADY INITIATED EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN OUR NETWORK OF COOPERATION WITH THE COUNTIES OF CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA, WITH THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND, OF COURSE, OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE AN UPCOMING TASK FORCE MEETING WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FOR THEIR RESCUE UNITS SO THAT WE CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THEIR CALLS FOR SERVICE. AS WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR PARKLANDS ARE WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION.

AND WE RECENTLY COORDINATED AND TRAINED ON LANDINGS ON ALL OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL TRAUMA PADS, EDEN AND JOHN MUIR AND WASHINGTON HOSPITAL AND FREMONT JUST GOT A NEW TRAUMA PAD.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO TRAIN HELICOPTER LANDINGS ON EACH OF THOSE SITES.

SO. LET ME TAKE A MOMENT AND BREAK FROM THE PRESENTATION JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS HAS COME INTO PLAY JUST THIS SATURDAY AT ABOUT 9 A.M., WE WERE ABLE TO OVERHEAR A CALL FOR MEDICAL AID ON PLEASANTON RIDGE.

A PARK USER HAD TAKEN A REALLY BAD TUMBLE OFF A MOUNTAIN BIKE AND HAD SOME BROKEN BONES AND WAS IN EXTREME PAIN, SO MYSELF AND MY TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICER WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH FROM LIVERMORE AIRPORT.

AND FROM THE TIME WE HEARD THE CALL TO THE TIME WE LANDED ON SCENE WAS EIGHT MINUTES.

WE BEAT FIRE.

AND THE AMBULANCE THERE.

MY TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICER WAS ABLE TO RENDER THIS PERSON AID.

LUCKILY, THEY WERE AMBULATORY ENOUGH THAT WE WERE ABLE TO LOAD THEM ONTO THE HELICOPTER AND INSTEAD OF HAVING A VERY LONG MULE RIDE OUT ON A BUMPY ROAD WITH BROKEN COLLARBONE, THE POOR GUY WAS IN EXTREME PAIN.

WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE HIM A 32ND RIDE FROM THE POINT OF INJURY TO THE PARKING LOT WHERE THE AMBULANCE WAS.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THAT LEADS ME TO THE NEXT POINT, AND THAT IS IF I HADN'T HAVE HAD A SUITABLE LANDING ZONE TO EXTRACT THIS AMBULATORY PATIENT WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO EXTRACT HIM VIA LONG LINE OR HOIST.

AND CURRENTLY OUR HELICOPTER UNIT DOES NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY.

THE HELICOPTERS ARE VERY CAPABLE OF IT.

WE JUST NEED THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING.

AS WE HANDED OVER THIS INDIVIDUAL TO THE RESCUE PERSONNEL IN THE PARKING LOT.

CHP WHO HAD MONITORED THE CALL ARRIVED OVERHEAD, READY TO OFFER AID, BUT THEY WERE A HALF HOUR LATE.

WE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE.

THANK GOODNESS WE WERE ABLE TO TREAT THIS GUY SOONER.

BUT IN DOING THIS RESEARCH FOR THIS PROJECT, I DISCOVERED THAT SINCE JANUARY OF 2022, WE'VE HAD TO CALL THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OVER 80 TIMES INTO OUR PARKS TO EXTRACT PEOPLE FROM AREAS THAT DIDN'T HAVE SUITABLE LANDING ZONES BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HOIST SYSTEM ON THEIR HELICOPTER.

SAME HELICOPTER AS OURS, BY THE WAY.

SO I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THAT'S 80 RECORDED CALLS.

THERE ARE MANY UNRECORDED RESPONSES BY CHP BECAUSE THEY WERE CALLED BY, FOR EXAMPLE, SAN RAMON FIRE AND OUR DISPATCH DIDN'T BECOME AWARE OF IT.

THESE ARE JUST FOUR EXAMPLES OF EXTRACTIONS FROM AREAS EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH THE DEL VALLE RESCUE.

THAT JUST HAPPENED ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO, WHEN THE POOR LADY GOT STUCK ON AN OVERTURNED CAR IN A FLOODED AREA.

SHE SPENT THE NIGHT ON TOP OF THE CAR.

THE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS ON A LOT OF THESE RESCUES WE WERE ON SCENE IN EAGLE OVERHEAD, BUT UNABLE TO HELP BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN EXTRACTION PROTOCOL. SO WE END UP DOING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FOR CHP, CHP ALL THE WAY UP IN NAPA IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY COVER THE REST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ALSO.

BUT EVEN IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE, THEY'RE USUALLY A 40 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME.

WHEREAS ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED, WE'RE USUALLY ON SCENE WITHIN TEN MINUTES AND ABLE TO DO IT IF WE HAD THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING.

[00:35:08]

SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY IS THAT WITH THE IDENTIFIED BUDGET FUNDS THAT WE'VE FOUND, THAT WE ASK YOU TO RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO BUY THE BOOST HUMAN EXTERNAL CARGO SYSTEM.

NOW, THIS ISN'T A HOIST.

IT'S A LONG LINE SYSTEM MUCH LIKE SONOMA COUNTY USES TO EXTRACT PEOPLE.

THE REASON WE'RE NOT USING A HOIST AT THIS POINT IS MULTIFOLD IS ONE IS COST.

A HOIST IS MORE THAN TWICE THE COST OF THIS SYSTEM, BUT REALLY IT'S BECAUSE OF WEIGHT PENALTY.

WE ARE ALREADY EQUIPPED FOR FIREFIGHTING, WHICH IS A CRITICAL NEED.

THAT SAME DAY WE WENT OUT AND FOUGHT A FIRE.

BUT IF WE HAD ALL OUR FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD AND A HOIST, THEN WE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO HOIST ONE PERSON AT A TIME, PERHAPS MAYBE TWO. WITH THIS LONG LINE SYSTEM AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HELICOPTER, WE COULD ACTUALLY INSERT SEVERAL RESCUERS OR EXTRACT SEVERAL PEOPLE IN RESCUE SITUATIONS AT ONE TIME. YOU CAN PUT UP TO FIVE PEOPLE ON THIS HOIST OR THIS LONG LINE SYSTEM THAT IS RATED UP TO 1,100 POUNDS OF LIFT CAPABILITY. THE REASON WE'RE GOING WITH THE BOOST SYSTEM IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEEN FAA CERTIFIED WITH A SPECIAL TYPE CERTIFICATE, WHAT'S CALLED AN STC FOR OUR HELICOPTERS.

THEY MAKE OTHER SYSTEMS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER MODELS OF HELICOPTERS, LIKE BELLS FOR THE A-STAR THAT WE FLY THE BOOST SYSTEM IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY STC, AND AS YOU SEE, THEY HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF CLIENTS.

MOST OF THESE ARE ALL NORTH AMERICAN RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS, POLICE OR CONTRACTORS THAT USE THIS SYSTEM, INCLUDING SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

SO IF WE LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF, THIS IS HENRY ONE.

THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS TYPE OF RESCUING FOR DECADES, SAFELY EITHER INSERTING OR EXTRACTING INJURED PEOPLE OR INSERTING RESCUERS TO EXTRACT INJURED PEOPLE FROM INACCESSIBLE AREAS.

AND AS WE KNOW, OUR PARK LANDS ARE FULL OF WILDERNESS AREAS.

THE PLEASANTON RIDGE, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A LANDING SPOT, BUT AS YOU SAW IN THE EARLIER CLIPS, PLACES LIKE WILDCAT OR EVEN SUNOL OR OHLONE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LAND.

AND THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY TO LIFT PEOPLE OUT.

ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNITS INTIMATE GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PARK DISTRICT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE EASIER, QUICKER AND GET THEM OUT TO A HIGHER CARE IN A MUCH MORE TIMELY MANNER.

SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THEIR RESCUES.

SO THERE'S OTHER BENEFITS TO ACQUIRING THIS EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING BESIDES JUST MEDICAL AND SEARCH AND RESCUE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD INSERT OR EXTRACT FIREFIGHTERS INSERTION FOR HELITACK TO FIGHT FIRES AHEAD OF THE FIRE LINE, OR EXTRACTING FIREFIGHTERS FROM AREAS THAT HAVE BECOME TOO DANGEROUS FOR THEM TO BE IN.

THE OTHER NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS WITH THE PROPER TRAINING, WE CAN EXPAND OUR SERVICES TO THE DISTRICT TO UTILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, LIFTING TOWERS OR PLACING ANTENNAS IN REMOTE AREAS. RECENTLY, WE HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE A 4-WHEELER NEEDED TO BE EXTRACTED FROM A CANYON AND ENDED UP BEING A LONG WINCH RECOVERY FOR THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

AND WE COULD HAVE PLUCKED IT OUT OF THERE IN MINUTES WITH A SYSTEM LIKE THIS AND THE PROPER TRAINING.

SO WITH THIS SYSTEM FROM BOOST, IT INCLUDES ALL THE NEEDED HARDWARE FOR BOTH HELICOPTERS, ALL THE LINES, HARNESSES, CONNECTIONS AND EQUIPMENT.

THE FULL TRAINING PACKAGE FOR THE PILOTS AND TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICERS.

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE RESCUING ON THE LINE, OF COURSE NEED TO BE SPECIALLY TRAINED.

AND SINCE THE HELICOPTER AIRFRAME DOES NEED SOME REINFORCEMENT WITH THIS, THE INSTALLATION WOULD BE COMPLETED BY OUR PARTNERS AT ADVANCED HELICOPTER SERVICE.

THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THE DISTRICT WOULD BE FOR PAYING THE BOOST HUMAN EXTERNAL CARGO SYSTEM.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FUNDS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET FOR A TOTAL PROJECT AMOUNT OF $194,000 THAT WOULD EQUIP BOTH HELICOPTERS WITH ALL THE OTHER ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT I MENTIONED. SO PUBLIC SAFETY RECOMMENDS THE ADDITION OF TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT THAT WILL INCREASE THE LIFE SAVING CAPABILITIES FOR OUR PARK USERS AND ACT AS A LARGER RESOURCE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.

AND WE ASK THAT THE BOARD OPERATION COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD THE EXPENDITURE OF THE FUNDS.

SO THANKS FOR LISTENING AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

[00:40:04]

GREAT. THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY INFORMATIVE.

AND I KNOW I'M JUST LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WHILE THERE'S FOUR SEPARATE PARKS YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT OUR OHLONE WILDERNESS TRAIL, EITHER 28 OR 29 MILES, DEPENDING ON WHICH RESOURCE YOU LOOK AT.

BUT THAT GOES THROUGH A PRETTY LARGE AREA THAT WE MANAGE.

AND I'LL JUST SHARE SOME OF THESE STATISTICS.

SO, YOU KNOW, AT DEL VALLE, 4,395 ACRES.

OHLONE WILDERNESS REGIONAL PRESERVE, 9,737 ACRES.

SUNOL 6,859 ACRES.

MISSION PEAK 3,023 ACRES.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW PLEASANTON RIDGE NEARBY.

THAT'S ALSO OVER 9,000 ACRES.

AND THAT'S JUST WITHIN THAT VICINITY.

AND I DO KNOW THAT WE HAD A SITUATION AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST WHERE WE DID HAVE A LOST HIKER IN THE OHLONE WILDERNESS AREA, AND IT IS REALLY VALUABLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR HELICOPTERS TO YOU KNOW, BE AVAILABLE TO HELP SEARCH FOR, YOU KNOW, A MISSING HIKER OR A LOST HIKER, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE HAVE ALL THIS ACREAGE THAT WE MANAGE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ACREAGE THAT WE MANAGE WILL BE ALSO LARGE OPEN SPACE FOR EXAMPLE, OHLONE WILDERNESS AND SUNOL IS RIGHT UP AGAINST THE SAN FRANCISCO PUC AREA.

THAT'S OFF LIMITS FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE'S LOST COULD EASILY STUMBLE UPON THAT AREA.

AND I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT SITUATION IN AUGUST.

RIGHT? WE DID WE DID SEARCH FOR HER FOR THREE DAYS.

AND WHEN SHE WAS FOUND, WE WERE THE ONES THAT EXTRACTED HER OUT TO RESCUERS.

YEAH. YEP.

AND I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT THIS.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE YOU KNOW, STRONGEST, I WOULD CALL IT ONE OF THE STRONGEST VALUE PROPOSITIONS OF WHAT WE OFFER AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS SAFE ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE. AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM, INCLUDING OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT WITH OUR TWO HELICOPTERS, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS, REALLY HELPS US TO ACHIEVE THAT SAFE ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE.

SO IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO, YOU KNOW, HEAR THIS PRESENTATION, HEAR ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY IN REGARDS TO THE BOOST SYSTEM.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I'D LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP TO MY COLLEAGUES.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS DEE? I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THIS BEFORE US TODAY.

THERE ARE VERY FEW VOTES THAT I REGRETTED IN MY CAREER AS ON MY EIGHT YEARS ON THE BOARD.

AND THIS WAS ONE OF THEM WAS WHEN WE VOTED TO DISCONTINUE THE RESCUE PORTION OF THE HELICOPTER UNIT.

AND I'M VERY, VERY GLAD THAT WE'RE BACK.

WE'RE GETTING IT BACK.

IT JUST HAS A BACK THEN IT WAS PRE-PANDEMIC.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE DATA SUPPORTED POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, DISCONTINUING THE USE.

BUT EVEN AT A LOW PERCENTAGE, ALL OF THESE RESCUES ARE HIGH PROFILE.

AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT WE HAVE A HELICOPTER WITH THE CAPABILITIES, BUT NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THE ACTUAL RESCUE.

AND IT WOULD ALSO FREE UP RESOURCES.

ALAMEDA COUNTY AND STATE, IF WE HAVE THAT ABILITY, THEY WON'T HAVE TO COME.

AND IT FREES THEM UP FOR SERVICES ELSEWHERE.

SO I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS BACK, AND I'M GLAD THAT OUR HELICOPTERS HAVE THE CAPABILITY.

AND ALSO REGARDING THE TRAINING IS WE'RE WHEN WE ONBOARD PILOTS NOW WILL THEY WILL WE TRAIN THEM ON THE JOB FOR THE EMT OR WILL THAT BE A PREREQUISITE TO BEING HIRED FOR NEW PILOTS.

OH FOR NEW PILOTS.

THE NEW PILOTS WILL HAVE TO UNDERGO THIS TRAINING WHEN THEY COME ON BOARD.

THE EMT PROGRAM THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING IS ACTUALLY PROVIDED AT NO COST BY A LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ORGANIZATION. IT'S JUST VERY INTENSIVE TRAINING, SO WE HAVE TO ALLOW THEM THE TIME TO GO TO THAT.

BUT THE LONG LINE TRAINING, WE WILL HAVE TO SEND THEM PROBABLY TO HEALTHSTREAM DOWN IN SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, AS WE ACQUIRE NEW PILOTS.

AND OF COURSE, THAT WILL REQUIRE YEARLY RECURRENCY TRAINING SO THAT WE CAN STAY SHARP ON OUR SKILLS.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT'S A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED OPERATION.

YEAH. YEAH, YEAH.

AND THE PILOT SKILLS ARE REALLY THEY'RE PRETTY DEMANDING.

AND IT IS INTERESTING THE DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT PEOPLE BRING.

FOR EXAMPLE, OUR NEW PILOT THAT'S IN POLICE ACADEMY RIGHT NOW, SHE'S DOING QUITE WELL.

DOES NOT HAVE THIS BACKGROUND, BUT AS A MATTER OF FACT, VERY SOON WE'RE INTERVIEWING ANOTHER GENTLEMAN THAT HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THIS LINE, SO HOPEFULLY HE MAY COME ON

[00:45:02]

BOARD. SO GREAT.

GREAT. SO I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.

JUST A LITTLE STORY.

I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE FEW EMPLOYEES THAT GOT A RIDE IN THE ORIGINAL HELICOPTER WAS THE BELL HELICOPTER.

I HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH A TRUCK EARLY ON IN MY CAREER, AND I GOT PUT ON THE SKID.

I GOT A RIDE ON THE SKID, SO ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE YOU KNOW, JUST THE ROTOR, BUT.

WE'LL PUT YOU INSIDE.

YEAH, WE'LL LET YOU RIDE INSIDE NOW.

[LAUGHTER] I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO RIDE AS A FIRE OFFICER, TOO, BUT YEAH, THAT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FULLY CAPABLE.

SO THANK YOU. WE HAVE FURTHER PLANS TO IMPROVE OUR SEARCH AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES FOR LOCATING LOST HIKERS AND SUCH.

WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE SOME NEW ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT THAT CAN TRACK BETTER.

WE HAVE LARGE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO HELP OUR PARK USERS, SO THANK YOU.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. DEE DENNIS.

WELL THANK YOU. SO I NEED TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING I SUPPORT EVERYTHING THAT THE ASU DOES.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE RESCUES THAT WE DO, BUT I'M SKEPTICAL ABOUT HANGING PEOPLE OUT OF A HELICOPTER AND PICKING THEM UP AND TRANSPORTING THEM.

I THINK THERE'S AN INSURANCE LIABILITY THAT WILL BE INCREDIBLE WITH THIS.

AND WHEN YOU REFER TO SAYING WE CAN PUT FIVE PEOPLE IN A BASKET, I GET WORRIED ABOUT, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALL HEROES.

WHEN I WAS A FIREFIGHTER, I THOUGHT I COULD PUT FIVE PEOPLE ON MY SHOULDERS AND CARRY THEM UP A HILL AND PULL THEM OUT OF BURNING BUILDINGS.

BUT AS I'M AFRAID OF THIS, THIS IS SCARY.

AND IT SUGGESTS WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING TOWERS AROUND AND HAULING EQUIPMENT.

TELL SOMEBODY, TELL ME WHAT THE INSURANCE LIABILITY IS GOING TO BE ON THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK FOR INSURANCE, BUT I CAN SPEAK THAT THIS IS AN INDUSTRY STANDARD AMONGST ALL PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE, EITHER THROUGH LONG LINE RESCUE, AS HENRY ONE'S BEEN DOING FOR DECADES, OR CHP HAS BEEN DOING STATEWIDE FOR DECADES WITH THEIR HOIST.

A HOIST WOULD BE PREFERABLE SO THAT YOU COULD BRING THEM DIRECTLY INTO THE HELICOPTER.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO THE CRAWL, WALK, RUN.

SO WE'LL TRY TO PROGRESS OVER OUR FUTURE INTO GETTING THERE.

BUT AS FAR AS PUTTING, THAT'S WHY IT IS A SPECIALIZED TRAINING.

THAT'S WHY WE MUST BE CERTIFICATED TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO DO THESE OPERATIONS.

LUCKILY, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED PILOTS AND CAPABLE EQUIPMENT THAT IT CAN BE ADDED ON TO.

BUT I KNOW THAT MANY OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES ENGAGE IN THIS PRACTICE ROUTINELY.

AS FAR AS ANSWERING FOR INSURANCE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHECK INTO THAT WITH RISK AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

OKAY. SO ANOTHER FOLLOW UP IS.

SO IF IT'S SUCH A POPULAR THING, HOW COME WE ARE THE ONLY AGENCY THAT CAN DO IT I WOULD ASSUME.

I MEAN, WE SAY THERE'S ONLY ONE HELICOPTER AND IT'S UP IN.

WHERE DO YOU SAY IT WAS? NAPA. NAPA CHP.

THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES. IF THERE'S A NEED, WHY DON'T WE HAVE MORE OF THESE? WELL, SONOMA COUNTY DOES IT.

SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES IT, BUT SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THEIR JURISDICTION.

CHP, OF COURSE, IS STATEWIDE.

THEY WILL RESPOND.

THEY LIKE TO HELP.

WE APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT.

THEY'RE JUST DISTANT AND MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WHEN WE ARE CAPABLE OF DOING ALL THE SAME THINGS THEY ARE DOING.

OKAY. AND YOU MENTIONED 80 INCIDENTS IN THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.

YES, SIR. THAT'S JUST WHAT OUR DISPATCH HAS RECORDED.

AND THESE WERE HOISTS.

THEY WERE RESCUE OPERATIONS AT CHP CAME TO OUR PARKS FOR.

YES, SIR. OKAY, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING.

I WISH YOU STILL HAD THE EMT PROGRAM ON YOUR HELICOPTERS? HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION.

WILL THE HELICOPTERS YOU HAVE CURRENTLY TRANSPORT PATIENTS TO HOSPITALS? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. I'M GLAD YOU ASKED IT.

CURRENTLY, WE CAN ONLY TRANSPORT AMBULATORY PATIENTS TO HIGHER CARE.

EMT ONLY PROVIDES BASIC LIFE SAVING SERVICES, WHICH AT THE VERY MINIMUM, WE WANT TO HAVE ON OUR HELICOPTERS.

AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PUTTING ALL OUR TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICERS THROUGH THOSE TRAINING.

IN THE FUTURE OUR HOPE IS TO EXPAND THIS TO A PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, HOPEFULLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

BUT I'M ALREADY IN TALKS WITH LIVERMORE-PLEASANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF WE CAN ACCESS THEIR PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.

ONCE YOU HAVE PARAMEDICS ON BOARD OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, AND OUR HOPE IS TO MOVE TO A SLIGHTLY LARGER, CAPABLE HELICOPTER IN THE FUTURE, THEN WE COULD DO FULL MEDEVAC STRAIGHT TO THE TRAUMA PADS.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD QUESTION.

SO DOES OUR CURRENT HELICOPTER SUITE THE TWO OF THEM ARE THEY ABLE TO DO THAT? COULD YOU RAMP UP TO DOING THAT TRANSPORT THAT YOU EXPECT TO DO HAVE A PARAMEDIC IN THE BACK.

WOULD YOU HAVE A HELICOPTER PILOT.

[00:50:02]

DO YOU STILL HAVE A FLIGHT OBSERVER.

POLICE OFFICER OBSERVER.

THE PROBLEM IS THE CONFIGURATION OF THE HELICOPTER AND THE SIZE IN THE CABIN.

IT CAN BE DONE.

IT'S EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.

IT IS NOT IDEAL.

AND IT WOULD REQUIRE US PULLING SEATS OUT ON THE SCENE, WHICH WOULD JUST EXTEND THE RESCUE TIME WHEN IN THAT CASE, YOU COULD PROBABLY WAIT FOR REACH AIR SERVICE MEDICAL AIR SERVICES TO ARRIVE ON SCENE.

BUT IF WE HAD THE HOPE IS TO MOVE TO A MORE CAPABLE HELICOPTER, THEN.

YES, THE CURRENT ONES.

IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING.

AND THAT'S NOT OUR CURRENT PLAN TO START TRANSPORTING DIRECTLY TO TRAUMA PADS WE DON'T WANT TO OVEREXTEND OUR CAPABILITIES WITH OUR CURRENT EQUIPMENT.

WELL, THEN THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT WE'D NEED A THIRD HELICOPTER, RIGHT? IF WE WANTED TO GO FULFILL YOUR DREAM OF HAVING PARAMEDICS AND TRANSPORTING TO HOSPITAL BASES, THAT WOULD ENTAIL ANOTHER HELICOPTER.

I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE FUTURE PLANS FOR ADDING A THIRD HELICOPTER, BUT WE DO HAVE EAGLE SEVEN COMING UP FOR RETIREMENT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT ONE'S GOING TO NEED TO BE REPLACED OR, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TALK ABOUT EXPANDING SERVICES, BUT IF EAGLE SEVEN DOES GO AND WE REPLACE IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MORE CAPABLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT.

OKAY. ONCE AGAIN, I LIKE THE IDEA.

I'M VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT WE DO, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND THEN WE'RE OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE A BIGGER PLACE TO STORE THE HELICOPTERS.

WELL, IF WE GO TO THREE.

WELL, IF WE GO TO THREE.

YEAH. YEAH. SO I'M JUST VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SCENARIOS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DESCRIBED, I SUGGEST THAT IF YOU'RE HIKING FROM THE OHLONE WILDERNESS AND YOU GET LOST.

HECK, YEAH. I WANT YOU TO SAVE ME.

I WANT YOU TO SAVE ME. BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HOIST ME.

YOU'RE GOING TO LAND, AND YOU'RE GOING TO PICK ME UP AND TAKE ME SOMEPLACE.

AND I WOULD GUARANTEE, AND I WOULD BET.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE STATS THAT PEOPLE IN OUR PARK DISTRICT GET LOST.

THEY BREAK THEIR LEG.

THEY DO IT ON A TRAIL.

I MEAN OKAY.

BUT CYCLIST THEY USUALLY DO IT ON A TRAIL SO YOU CAN GET TO THEM.

YOU CAN LAND THE HELICOPTER.

I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE HELICOPTER PROGRAM.

I JUST THINK THAT LIFTING PEOPLE UP IS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE STATS THAT REALLY SHOW US LIFTING PEOPLE IN THE AIR, BECAUSE EVERY OTHER PLACE, IF IT'S HAPPENED 80 TIMES IN THREE YEARS HERE, YOU PICK UP A CHICKEN OUT IN SOME PLACE WITH SONOMA COUNTY FIRE AND IT'S ON TV.

IT'S A I KNOW IT'S EXCITING, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, IT'S WONDERFUL.

BUT HOW COME WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS ON TV? I KNOW THEY SHOWED THE WOMAN SITTING ON TOP OF THE CAR IN DEL VALLE, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I'VE SEEN.

THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY ONE. YEAH, THAT'S.

THAT'S BECAUSE SHE WAS OUT THERE SO LONG, IT GAVE THE NEWS TIME TO RESPOND.

WELL, ONCE AGAIN, I AM PROUD OF THE WORK YOU GUYS DO.

I'M JUST VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS.

I THINK WE NEED SOME MORE STATS.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY OF THIS GROUP OF 80 HOW MANY WERE HOISTED.

THE HOIST I SUPPORT A PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.

I SUPPORT TRANSPORTING PUTTING PEOPLE ON TETHERS AND PULLING THEM OUT IS DRAMATIC ON TV, BUT IT'S ALSO LIABILITY WISE I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE.

WELL, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS AND I APPRECIATE THEM AND YES.

AND I WOULD NEVER BE DOING IT IF I THOUGHT IT PUT MY COLLEAGUES AT RISK EITHER.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL CALLS HERE MYSELF WHERE THE PERSON WASN'T EVEN INJURED, BUT THEY WERE IN AN AREA THAT THEY COULDN'T EXTRACT THEMSELVES.

ONE WAS UP ON LAS TRAMPAS.

THEY GOT DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL INTO THAT HIGH BRUSH, AND THEY LITERALLY COULD NOT EXTRACT THEMSELVES.

SO THAT WAS A EXACT RECIPE FOR BEING ABLE TO GET THEM OFF OF THAT HILL WITHOUT INCURRING FURTHER INJURY.

THEY HAD TO ACTUALLY, BECAUSE CHP WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THAT ONE TO HOIST THEM OUT.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SPENT THE BETTER PART OF A DAY HACKING THROUGH THE BRUSH TO GET TO THEM.

SO IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT IT'S BEING DONE SAFELY, ROUTINELY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.

YEAH. ON THE MICROPHONE FIRST.

HI. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY HELPFUL CONVERSATION.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT NEXT STEPS.

SO TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT MOVING THIS POTENTIALLY MOVING THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

AND WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TODAY.

WHEN THIS DOES GO TO THE FULL BOARD, WILL THIS MOST LIKELY BE ON CONSENT CALENDAR OR MIGHT IT BE A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OR.

IT DEPENDS. I WOULD LEAVE THAT TO YOU.

OKAY. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF I PERSONALLY HAVE AN ANSWER QUITE YET, BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS IN REGARDS TO THIS.

[00:55:03]

SO, YOU KNOW, LATELY I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO REPORTS.

AND BACK IN THE SPRING, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PUBLISHED MARCH 2024.

THERE WAS AN ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO REPORT ON EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND FIRE SERVICES.

AND IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE.

AND IT DOES INCLUDE QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THIS NICE TABLE THAT SHOWS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITIES AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY.

I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE DO OPERATE A TWO COUNTY PARK DISTRICT.

I AM LESS FAMILIAR WITH CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LAFCO AND ALSO THE I GUESS THE HELICOPTER RESPONSE OPTIONS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE MAY BE 1 OR 2 HELICOPTERS OPERATED BY CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S, AND THAT COULD BE HELPFUL INFORMATION TO HEAR.

SO SHOULD THIS BE A PRESENTATION TO THE FULL BOARD? FULL BOARD, WHETHER IT'S FOR THIS ITEM OR MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNITS ACROSS THE TWO COUNTIES, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO KNOW. BUT I CAN ALSO SHARE LOOKING AT THIS TABLE THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THIS REPORT BY ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO, WHICH IS THE LOCAL AREA FORMATION COMMISSION.

THERE IS IN TERMS OF HELICOPTER SERVICES AND FIRE SUPPRESSION.

EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS LISTED AS THE ONLY HELICOPTER SERVICES FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.

ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT, IN REGARDS TO AIR AMBULANCE TRANSPORT HELICOPTER SERVICES, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC ENTITIES LISTED IN THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO REPORT THAT OFFERS AIR AMBULANCE TRANSPORT HELICOPTER SERVICES.

SO THERE'S NO ONE THAT PROVIDES THIS ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC AGENCIES THAT ALAMEDA COUNTY, LAFCO STUDIED IN REGARDS TO HELICOPTER LANDING FACILITIES ON SITE. EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S LISTED IN IN TERMS OF HAVING HELICOPTER LANDING FACILITIES ON SITE.

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE MORE I THOUGHT I SAW HELICOPTER.

OKAY, SO THERE'S ANOTHER ONE ON RESCUE SERVICES.

HELICOPTER SHORT/LONG HAUL RESCUE CAPABILITIES.

NONE OF THE PUBLIC AGENCY ENTITIES LISTED IN THIS REPORT OFFER THIS TYPE OF CAPABILITY.

SO THERE'S THIS POTENTIAL THAT SHOULD THIS YOU KNOW, BE APPROVED BY THE FULL BOARD.

SO WE'RE NOT APPROVING IT TODAY. WE WOULD JUST MOVE IT FORWARD FOR THE FULL BOARD TO APPROVE THAT.

YOU KNOW, ONCE THIS IF THIS IS APPROVED AND THEN INTEGRATED INTO OUR AIR SAFETY UNIT, WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC AGENCY ENTITIES IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AT LEAST THAT WOULD BE OFFERING THESE CAPABILITIES.

I CAN ADD JUST A COUPLE POINTS TO THAT FOR CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY USED TO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY HELICOPTER FOR MEDEVAC.

THEY'VE LOST THAT PROGRAM.

IT'S GONE NOW. SO NOW IT'S JUST PRIVATE COMPANY REACH.

THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HELICOPTER IS EQUIPPED FOR THIS EXACT SAME TYPE OF RESCUE.

SO THEY DO LONG LINE RESCUE.

ALSO, THEY USE A DIFFERENT SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BELL HELICOPTER.

BUT IT'S THE SAME THING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING PEOPLE ON A LINE AND EITHER INSERTING THEM OR EXTRACTING THEM.

AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR AT LEAST A DECADE NOW THAT I KNOW OF.

AND SO WHEN WE HAVE AN INCIDENT IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.

HOW OFTEN DOES CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S ARE THEY WILLING TO COME HERE, OR IS IT MORE LIKELY THAT WE SEE CHP? I'M SURE THEY WOULD IF WE ASKED THEM.

THE PROBLEM IS, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ONLY HAS ONE PILOT AND THEY RARELY ARE AVAILABLE, AND THEY USUALLY ONLY ARE WORKING AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SO USUALLY NOT WHEN THE PARKS ARE OPEN, BUT I'M SURE THEY WOULD COME IF WE ASKED THEM.

THEY'RE VERY COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION WITH US.

WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUT DEFINITELY NOT A STAFFING IDEAL.

AND AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THEY DO HAVE TWO HELICOPTERS, BUT ONLY ONE IS FLYING RIGHT NOW.

OKAY, THAT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER AREA THAT I'D BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT.

AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS ONE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM MIGHT BE PRESENTED TO THE FULL BOARD, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, I IMAGINE WE'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT OUR AIR SUPPORT.

I HOPE YOU DON'T GET TIRED OF ME.

YES. [LAUGHTER] SERVICES.

I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR, AND I HAVE A FEELING I MIGHT KNOW SOME OF THESE ANSWERS JUST FROM GUESSING.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS.

SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AT MOUNT DIABLO, I'M ASSUMING CHP IS SET UP.

JUST LAST WEEK THEY DID.

OKAY. JUST LAST WEEK THEY HOISTED A PERSON OFF OF MOUNT DIABLO.

YEP. OKAY.

[01:00:02]

AND THEN IT'D BE ALSO INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LA COUNTY PARKS, SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARKS.

AGAIN, THESE ARE BOTH LARGE PARK DISTRICT SYSTEMS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO US BUT ARE RUN WITHIN THE COUNTY STRUCTURE.

SO I WOULD IMAGINE THEIR SHERIFFS ORGANIZATIONS ARE PROBABLY SET UP.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY ARE PROBABLY THE LEADERS IN THIS TYPE OF AREA OF SEARCH RESCUE.

LA COUNTY ALSO IT'S INTERESTING YOU MENTIONED CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS.

THEY ACTUALLY JUST CAME AND RODE WITH US BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOW DEVELOPING AN AIR UNIT, AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT GUIDANCE ON EQUIPMENT AND SUCH.

SO WE USUALLY WHEN CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS NEEDS MISSIONS ON MOUNT DIABLO, THEY USUALLY ASK OUR AIR UNIT TO SUPPORT THEM AND WE FLY THEM.

SO CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS ACTUALLY DOESN'T THEY ONLY HAVE ONE HELICOPTER IN THE WHOLE STATE.

OH, WOW. AND WHERE IS THAT? DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT MIGHT BE? SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, DOWN IN THE MOJAVE DESERT FOR THOSE VAST AREAS.

YEAH. YEP, YEP.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALSO THINKING, YOU KNOW, HEARING ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE LISTED HERE ON THE BOOST SYSTEMS SLIDE.

I COULDN'T GO THROUGH ALL OF IT, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OR INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL PARKS AS WELL.

THINKING ABOUT YOSEMITE SINCE WE ARE SO CLOSE TO YOSEMITE.

YOSEMITE DOESN'T HAVE A HELICOPTER.

NATIONAL. MOST NATIONAL PARK HELICOPTERS ARE EAST COAST, BUT I COULD CHECK.

IT'S JUST. I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT COMPARISON.

I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT'S NECESSARY IN TERMS OF US MAKING THIS DECISION EITHER, BUT IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW OTHER ENTITIES ARE.

ACTUALLY, I TAKE THAT BACK. NATIONAL PARKS DOES HAVE A GRAND CANYON HELICOPTER.

IT'S A CONTRACT HELICOPTER WITH PAPILLON HELICOPTERS, AND THEY ARE EQUIPPED WITH THIS SYSTEM SO I COULD CHECK WITH THEM.

OKAY. YES. AND THAT MAKES SENSE WITH THE GRAND CANYON.

CERTAINLY. BUT I THINK THIS IS HELPFUL TO HEAR BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, A VALUE PROPOSITION OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SAFE ACCESS TO OPEN SPACES, I BELIEVE THAT THIS YOU KNOW, THIS SERVICE AND ALSO JUST SEEING ALSO HOW WE LACK IT, AT LEAST WE HAVE A LACK OF THESE SERVICES WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE LAFCO REPORT.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO YOU KNOW, BE AWARE OF THIS AND ALSO CONTINUE TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

WE JUST WANT TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES AND MISSION AND HELP.

YEP. YEP. THAT'S GREAT.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME REMARKS.

MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. SO I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD IF WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OR ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE MOTION.

I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION.

JUST ONE MORE ANECDOTAL TO DIRECTOR WAESPI'S POINT.

IN A PREVIOUS REITERATION OF THE PROGRAM, THEY DID HAVE LINE CAPABILITIES WHERE THEY BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED IN ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE HAD A MOUNTAIN BIKE ACCIDENT ON WEST RIDGE, AND BECAUSE OF THE TREE COVER, THEY COULDN'T LAND.

AND SO THEY DID.

WE THE GUY HAD A BROKEN HIP AND A BROKEN FEMUR, AND SO PUT HIM IN A STOKES BASKET, AND THEY LIFTED HIM UP AND THEY DROPPED HIM OFF AT THE NEAREST PARKING LOT.

SO YEAH.

SO THEY HAD THAT CAPABILITY BEFORE.

I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE THAT. AND WITH THAT, I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE TO RECOMMEND THIS TO THE FULL BOARD.

YOU BETTER MAKE A SECOND. OKAY.

I'M GOING TO MAKE THE SECOND.

AND SO THEN WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED? I'LL BE OPPOSED. BUT. AND YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT I NEED MORE INFORMATION.

YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR CURIOSITY.

I'M CURIOUS TOO I MEAN, IF THERE ARE NO HELICOPTERS AROUND HERE THAT DO IT, THIS IS THE BIGGEST POPULATED AREA IN THE WORLD.

WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S THE REASON? I ASSUME IT'S A LIABILITY, I ASSUME.

OR THE OTHER FACTOR IS YOU DON'T NEED IT.

IT'S TOO MUCH MONEY FOR WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? RESCUE 2 OR 3 PEOPLE A YEAR? I'D REALLY BE INTERESTED.

AND, FRED, I KNOW YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, AND I KNOW THE ANSWER ALREADY.

IF WE GET IT.

AND LIKE YOU SAY, WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN TOWN.

MUTUAL AID.

EVERYBODY'S GOING TO CALL US.

WE'RE GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE ELSE.

IF IN FACT, THERE'S SO MANY CALLS AND WE'LL BE CALLING OUT OF COUNTY AND PLACES WHERE PEOPLE HELICOPTERS ARE REALLY NEEDED, IN MY OPINION, I CAN EASILY SEE HOISTING SOMEONE IF THEY'RE ON A CLIFF IN SAN MATEO COUNTY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOT ON A TRAIL IN THE REGIONAL PARKS.

I THINK HE SAID, WELL, WE WOULDN'T BE WANDERING FAR BECAUSE CHP IS NORTH, BUT THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE.

REMEMBER, YOU JUST SAID THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE.

THEY MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE.

OKAY. NO, THEY'RE ACTIVE.

THEY JUST MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME.

OKAY. THERE AGAIN WE WOULD BE CALLED IN WHEN THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE I ASSUME BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY NO TO ANYBODY WITH A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT.

[01:05:05]

IT ABSOLUTELY IS A POSSIBILITY.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR POINT ABOUT THE DATA.

AND ALSO IT SOUNDS LIKE STAFFING CAN ALSO BE, YOU KNOW, ONE DATA POINT, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S AND THEIR STAFFING.

AND WHEN I SAY STAFFING, ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO'S TRAINED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF TRAINING.

AND AND THERE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THAT AVAILABILITY.

SO I THINK YOUR POINT IS A VERY GOOD ONE, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE SHARING THAT.

AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER.

SO I GUESS WE JUST VOTED 2 TO 1 TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.

BUT IT'S REALLY THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT WILL APPROVE THIS.

SO IT MAY BE THAT WE MIGHT NOT WANT THIS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, THAT WE MAY WANT IT AS AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.

IN WHICH CASE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY MAYBE TO PREPARE YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER DATA POINTS, RIGHT? AS DIRECTOR WAESPI BROUGHT UP AS WELL AS MAYBE INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, A SUMMARY OF THE LAFCO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO REPORT.

AND IF THERE'S AN EQUIVALENT ONE IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY THAT COULD ALSO BE INTERESTING FOR THE FULL BOARD TO SEE.

YEAH, IF I MIGHT ADD. I MEAN, IF WE CAN GET SOME REAL, REAL DATA, I MEAN, IF THERE WERE 80 INCIDENTS IN THREE YEARS, CAN WE GET THE REPORTS? BECAUSE I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW.

I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT HELICOPTERS COME IN, LAND, PICK UP PEOPLE AND HELP THEM AWAY.

I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO BE PULLED UP WITH A WIRE HANGING IN THE AIR.

AND OF THOSE 80, HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE THAT AND HOW MANY HAVE WE DONE IN THE PARK DISTRICT? I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE INJURIES ARE, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN, YOU KNOW.

WELL NEVER MIND. I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW THE NUMBER OF HOIST INCIDENTS OR RESCUES AND THE INJURIES THAT WERE INCURRED.

I WILL DO MY BEST.

MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THE TIME THAT IT MAY TAKE TO ACQUIRE ALL THAT INFORMATION AND STILL BE ABLE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE THIRD BOARD TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS UNDER THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

OF COURSE. SO THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN, BUT I'LL DO MY BEST.

AND FEEL FREE TO MENTION THAT IF WE DO HAVE THIS PRESENTED TO THE FULL BOARD.

AND MY ONLY OTHER POINT IS I THINK WE'RE RIGHT NOW AT THE MIDPOINT OF OUR SHORT TERM LEASE AGREEMENT WITH FIVE RIVERS AVIATION AT LIVERMORE AIRPORT.

SO THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO JUST HAVE, YOU KNOW, A MIDDLE OF THE SHORT TERM LEASE CHECK IN IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN REGARDS TO OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT.

SO I THINK THAT THIS COULD BE GOOD TIMING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.

OKAY. I THINK WE VOTED.

SO WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE BOARD MEETING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR TIME.

THANKS GUYS I APPRECIATE IT.

THANKS. ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S THE END OF OUR AGENDA ITEM FOR ACTION ITEMS. SO NOW WE GET TO HAVE OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, AGENDA ITEM FIVE.

[Informational Items]

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS ONE.

OUR ANNUAL UPDATE ON THE TIDEWATER SPECIAL USE AGREEMENT WITH OAKLAND STROKES.

WELCOME BACK. I KNOW YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR.

GREAT. GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE JOINING US HERE AND ON ZOOM. MY NAME IS MIKE MORAN.

I'M ONE OF OUR INTERPRETIVE RECREATION SERVICES REGIONAL MANAGERS.

I'M IN THE NORTHWEST REGION, AND THAT INCLUDES MY TEAM OVER AT THE TIDEWATER BOATING CENTER.

TODAY, WE'LL BE HEARING AN ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE OAKLAND STROKES.

OAKLAND STROKES IS A ROWING CLUB THAT OFFERS COMPETITIVE ROWING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND THEY ALSO DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH. AND THAT'S WHAT OUR REPORT IS ABOUT TODAY.

THE STROKES HAVE SIGNED A LONG TERM LEASE WITH US AT THE TIDEWATER BOATING CENTER THEY'RE IN BUILDING TWO.

AND AS PART OF THAT LEASE, THERE'S A PROVISION FOR THEM TO PROVIDE THIS YEARLY UPDATE ON THEIR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AND TODAY, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANA HOOPER AND HEAD OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS CARLA JORDAN TO PROVIDE THAT UPDATE.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

I DIDN'T BRING IT UP YET. YEAH.

CAN YOU HELP? PARDON ME WHILE WE JUST BRING THE PRESENTATION UP.

OH, I'M NOT SEEING IT.

CAN YOU HELP ME THERE?

[01:10:01]

ON THE DESKTOP. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE, FOLKS. BRINGING THE PROGRAM UP HERE.

MIC] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.

AS MIKE SAID, MY NAME IS.

MY NAME IS DANA HOOPER. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OAKLAND STROKES.

WITH ME IS CARLA JORDAN, SHE IS OUR HEAD OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. SHE TOOK ON THAT ROLE IN JANUARY OF 2024.

SO SHE'S NEW TO THIS EXPERIENCE.

LET'S SEE HOW DO I MAKE THIS GO FORWARD? APPARENTLY I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO RUN A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.

DON'T FEEL BAD. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO. SO IT WILL BE THIS ONE NOW.

ALL RIGHT. SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED TALKING ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS, WE JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WONDERFUL WORKING ENVIRONMENT DOWN AT TIDEWATER AQUATIC CENTER.

CALL OUT ESPECIALLY.

KELSEY HAS JUST GROWN A WONDERFUL STAFF DOWN THERE.

AND IT'S A REALLY COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S A NICE PLACE TO BE.

IT'S JUST NICE TO SAY HI AND HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS.

SO I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT KELSEY AND HER TEAM.

SO WHO ARE THE OAKLAND STROKES? SO THE OAKLAND STROKES WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1974.

SO WE ARE 50 YEARS OLD.

WE'RE A YOUTH ROWING PROGRAM WITH PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

WE SERVE ABOUT 220 ATHLETES FROM THE EAST BAY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

WE ARE A NO CUT TEAM, AND WE HAVE A ROBUST FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM THAT ENSURES THAT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP IS NEVER A BARRIER TO ROWING.

SO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME DOWN TO THE BOATHOUSE THAT IS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN JOIN THE TEAM, AND WE WILL WORK WITH THEM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT WHERE NECESSARY.

WE DRAW FROM A PRETTY LARGE AREA FROM AS FAR AS EL CERRITO AND PLEASANT HILL IN THE NORTH, AND FREMONT AND PLEASANTON DOWN IN THE SOUTH.

SO WE HAVE ATHLETES COMING FROM QUITE A LONG DISTANCE TO DOWN TO TIDEWATER.

WE HAVE A HISTORY OF SUCCESS.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 23 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, INCLUDING ONE THAT WAS WON IN THE SPRING OF 2024 WITH OUR MEN'S FOUR AND LOTS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MEDAL WINNING BOATS AS WELL.

AND A LOT OF OUR ATHLETES MOVE ON TO ROWING COLLEGE.

WON'T SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT OUR MISSION, BUT BASICALLY OUR MISSION IS TO GET YOUNG ATHLETES ON THE WATER TO TAKE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER ROWED BEFORE, TEACH THEM HOW TO ROW, SUPPORT THEM IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT AND LET THEIR PASSION AND TALENTS LET THEM SUCCEED.

THIS SLIDE SHOWS.

SO OUR LEASE FOR THE TIDEWATER AQUATIC CENTER HAS A SERVICE AREA DEFINED IN THE LEASE, AND THE SERVICE AREA IS DEFINED AS THE DRAW AREAS FOR FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL AND CASTLEMONT HIGH SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S THE SHADED AREA UP ON THE MAP.

WHICH I ALWAYS GET A CHUCKLE BECAUSE IT INCLUDES THE RUNWAY AT OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

AND THEN ON THAT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SEVERAL OF THE, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH TO PROVIDE PROGRAMING TO THE FRUITVALE AND EAST OAKLAND NEIGHBORHOODS.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TODAY ARE THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. SO WE HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL ROWING TEAM.

WE HAVE A MIDDLE SCHOOL ROWING PROGRAM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY ROWING PROGRAMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO BRING ATHLETES FROM OAKLAND INTO THOSE SORT OF CORE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS. AND WE THINK ABOUT RUNNING THIS PROGRAM IN KIND OF TWO THINGS.

ONE IS OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

THIS IS MORE EDUCATION.

SO WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE THERE.

AND SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EVENTS WE GO TO.

AND THEN WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT OUR LEARN TO ROW PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY LIKE A ONE DAY THING.

WE MIGHT GO TO A MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DO A ONE DAY PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF OUR MORE PROMINENT PARTICIPATORY PROGRAMS.

[01:15:04]

SO WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE EITHER, YOU KNOW, RUN OVER A FULL WEEK OR A SEMESTER OR EVEN A FULL SCHOOL YEAR AND GET REALLY SORT OF DEEP ENGAGEMENT WITH ATHLETES TO GET THEM DOWN AND REALLY TURN THEM INTO ROWERS.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO CARLA, AND SHE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

HI. ONCE AGAIN MY NAME IS CARLA JORDAN AND I'M HEAD OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AS DANA MENTIONED, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS.

ONE IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ARE THE SHORTER TERM EVENTS WHERE WE GO TO EVENTS THAT HAVE EITHER BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY SOMEONE ELSE OR THINGS THAT WE ARRANGE OURSELVES.

WE TRY TO HAVE A BROAD REACH WITH REGARD TO OAKLAND, BUT WE HAVE A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED KIDS.

A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE ATTEND ARE SPECIFIC TO EAST OAKLAND, BECAUSE THAT IS OUR SERVICE AREA, AS DANA MENTIONED.

AND WE DO WANT TO ALERT PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE TO THIS AMAZING RESOURCE RIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARD.

MOST OF THE KIDS WHO I TALKED TO DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE ESTUARY AND THE SHORELINE IS AVAILABLE TO THEM, SO THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE CLOSE TO IT, FOR ONE THING, AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO GO AND EXPLORE.

OOPS, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

SO THESE EVENTS ARE AIMED AT LIKE IMMEDIATE ENGAGEMENT, GETTING KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT THE FUN OF ROWING AND WHAT ROWING CAN OFFER YOU AT ANY AGE, FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN.

YES, OLDER PEOPLE DO ROW TOO.

OOPS. ACTUALLY, SO THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER OURSELVES, WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH A FEW DIFFERENT PARTNERS.

THIS SPRING, WE PARTNERED WITH OAKLAND ATHLETIC LEAGUE, WHICH RUNS A RECREATION FOR OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, TO COME UP WITH A FITNESS PROGRAM THAT WOULD ENGAGE KIDS IN A WAY THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING ENGAGED RIGHT NOW.

SO THEY WE PUT TOGETHER LIKE AN ERG INSTRUCTION WITH SOME FUN FITNESS GAMES, AND THEN CAME UP WITH WAYS FOR THEM TO TEAM, BUILD AND LEARN TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER, TO KEEP MOVING WHILE WE WERE TEACHING THEM ABOUT THIS ERG SO THEY WERE ERGING, BUT THEY WERE ALSO LEARNING HOW TO DO OTHER THINGS, LIKE WE PUT TOGETHER A GIANT TIC TAC TOE GAME WHERE THEY HAD TO COLLABORATE AND TEAM BUILD AND STRATEGIZE WITH THEIR PEERS.

THIS TOOK PLACE AT THREE DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN OAKLAND.

WE HAD A REACH OF ABOUT 110 KIDS OVER THOSE THREE SCHOOLS SINGLE DAY EVENTS, SO ABOUT TWO HOURS AT EACH SCHOOL IN AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. COULD YOU DEFINE FOR EVERYONE WHAT AN ERG IS? I'M SORRY. THAT'S RIGHT, I FORGET.

FOR THE NON ROWERS OUT THERE, AN ERG MACHINE IS SOMETHING THAT SIMULATES ROWING.

SO IT'S A TOOL THAT ROWERS USE.

BUT OTHER SPORTS USE IT TOO.

IT'S A FULL BODY EXERCISE.

IT'S A MACHINE WHERE YOU SIT ON IT.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE SLIDE THERE, YOU SIT ON IT, THERE'S A HANDLE AND IT SIMULATES THE ROWING STROKE.

SO WE INSTRUCT KIDS ON HOW YOU WOULD ACTUALLY ROW IN A BOAT ON THESE MACHINES.

OKAY. AS I SAID, THE REACH WAS PRETTY BIG OVER THE THREE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

AND FROM THOSE THREE THE THREE THINGS THAT WE DID, WE ACTUALLY GOT TWO OF THE CHILDREN THAT PARTICIPATED INTO OUR REGULAR PARTICIPATORY PROGRAMS. ALL RIGHT. SPEAKING OF PARTICIPATORY PROGRAMS, ARISE HIGH SCHOOL IS A CHARTER SCHOOL THAT WE'VE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH SINCE 2021. AND THEY OFFER A WEEKLY ENRICHMENT CLASS TO THEIR STUDENTS.

SO THESE KIDS ARE ABLE TO COME DOWN ROW WITH THEIR OWN COHORT.

LEARN TO ROW.

LEARN TO TEAM BUILD ALL OF THOSE THINGS WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO INTEGRATE INTO A FULLY EXISTING PROGRAM.

SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE, FOR THEM TO LEARN AND GROW IN THE SPORT IN THIS WAY.

AND THEN WE DO, YOU KNOW, TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING INTO OUR BROADER PROGRAMS IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.

SO WE ABSOLUTELY HELP SHEPHERD THEM IN IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO.

THIS PROGRAM OFFERS 25 WEEKS OF PROGRAMING, ABOUT 50 HOURS OF ROWING INSTRUCTION.

AND WE SERVE ABOUT 15 STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THAT YEAR.

AND THIS PROGRAM IS FREE.

OUR SECONDARY PROGRAM ACTUALLY NOT SECONDARY BECAUSE THIS IS EQUALLY BIG IN MY EYES IS OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM.

AND IT'S A STEM. IT'S CALLED STEM TO STERN.

AND IT'S A NATIONAL MODEL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FOR THE ENTIRE ATHLETE.

SO WE PROVIDE THINGS THAT ARE A USUAL BARRIER TO ROWING FOR A LOT OF KIDS, WHICH IS TRANSPORTATION, NUTRITION AND STEM EDUCATION OR

[01:20:08]

TUTORING. A LOT OF KIDS NEED HELP WITH THEIR HOMEWORK, SO THE KIDS THAT ARE IN THIS PROGRAM ARE SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATED INTO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM.

THEY, THE OTHER KIDS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL SUBSET OF THEIR TEAM.

BUT THESE KIDS DO GET RIDES, THEY GET SNACKS, THEY GET THE INSTRUCTION, THE YOU KNOW, IT'S BEHIND THE SCENES.

THE COST OF THIS PROGRAM IS VERY MINIMAL.

THE ACTUAL COST IS FREE.

BUT WE OFFER WE DO HAVE THEM PAY A REGISTRATION FEE.

WE FIND THAT KIDS SHOW UP WHEN THEY HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SKIN IN THE GAME.

OTHER THAN THAT, THEY LOVE IT.

FROM THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THE KIDS INTO OUR OTHER PARTICIPATORY PROGRAMS. SO FROM THAT PROGRAM, WHICH IS FULLY FUNDED BY STROKES, WE'VE MOVED THEM INTO THE COMP TEAM AND THEN FURTHER INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM.

OH, LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

THIS PROGRAM SERVES.

WE HAVE ABOUT 20 WEEKS OF PROGRAMING, 80 HOURS OF ROWING INSTRUCTION OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, TEN HOURS OF SWIMMING INSTRUCTION AND TEN HOURS OF STEM INSTRUCTION.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE BETWEEN 10 TO 13 ATHLETES.

AND THEN RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY ONE ALUMNI IN THE COMP PROGRAM AND THEN ONE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.

OKAY. PICTURES OF OUR LOVELY KIDS.

OH, BEFORE I MOVE ON FROM THAT, THE STEM TO STERN.

ONE OF THE STEM LESSONS THEY HAD WAS BOAT BUILDING.

SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LITTLE, LITTLE PICTURE UP TOP, THE KIDS WORKED TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A DESIGN TO BUILD A BOAT OUT OF CARDBOARD AND DUCT TAPE, WHICH WE THEN FLOATED IN THE WATER.

I'M HAPPY TO SAY, BECAUSE I WAS A CRASH TEST DUMMY IT DID FLOAT.

COULDN'T PADDLE IT.

BUT THE ACTUAL STEM, THE SCIENCE PART OF IT ACTUALLY WORKED.

NEXT UP IS OUR PILOT PROGRAM, AND THIS IS A MOUTHFUL.

SUMMER CAMP, ROWING WATER COMPETENCY PILOT PROGRAM.

SAY THAT FIVE TIMES FAST.

THIS WAS A PROGRAM CONCEIVED KIND OF BASED ON THE STEM TO STERN MODEL.

WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A CAMP, A FULL DAY OF CAMP FOR KIDS TO LEARN HOW TO ROW AND BUT WITH WATER INSECURITY.

AND WE DID SOME OUTREACH LOOKING FOR SWIM PARTNERS AND AT THE SUGGESTION OF THIS BOARD, REACHED OUT TO YOUR WATER SAFETY DIVISION AND SPOKE WITH PETE DEQUINCY AND CAME UP WITH THIS MODEL OF WATER SAFETY VERSUS SWIMMING, WHICH TURNED OUT TO REALLY BE A HUGE BOON FOR THE KIDS IN THIS CLASS.

THE ROWING INSTRUCTION FIRST OF ALL, SINCE IT WAS SO CONCENTRATED, CATAPULTED THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO GO INTO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM TO OUR COMP PROGRAM, THEY LEARN SO MUCH JUST OVER THE COURSE OF THAT WEEK.

LIKEWISE WITH THE WATER SAFETY.

THESE KIDS WENT FROM BEING AFRAID OF PUTTING THEIR FACES IN THE WATER TO JUMPING INTO THE ESTUARY AT THE END OF THE CAMP AND LEARNING RESCUE TECHNIQUES.

NOT ONLY FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR THEIR TEAMMATES.

OVER THE COURSE OF 15 HOURS OF ROWING INSTRUCTION AND 7.5 HOURS OF WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTION, THESE KIDS, THEY WENT FROM COMPLETE NOVICES TO COMPETITIVE ATHLETES.

THIS IS ALSO A NO COST PROGRAM WITH A SMALL FEE.

KIDS WERE GIVEN TRANSPORTATION, ROWING INSTRUCTION, WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTION, AND FREE LUNCH.

AND LET'S SEE.

OH, YEAH. THIS IS SLIDES OF THE LAST DAY WHERE THEY SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AT TIDEWATER PRACTICING THEIR SKILLS.

YOU WANT ME TALK TO THIS? SO OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF OPERATING EXPENSES, INDIVIDUAL DONORS AND GRANTS.

THE TOP SLIDE SHOWS OUR STAFFING HOURS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF RUNNING THIS PROGRAM.

YOU CAN SEE THE FURTHEST LEFT WOULD BE 2020, 2021, WHICH WAS THE COVID YEAR.

THERE WAS A LOT OF VOLUNTEER HOURS DONE BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE MOVED INTO PAYING STAFF TO DO THE WORK.

YOU SEE, THERE'S A LITTLE DIP IN HOURS THIS YEAR THAT REFLECTS SORT OF WE'VE MOVED FROM THROWING EVERYTHING AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT STICKS TO A MORE EFFICIENT MODEL WHERE WE'RE SPENDING OUR HOURS WHERE WE KNOW WE CAN FIND SUCCESS.

THE BOTTOM GRAPH SHOWS OUR SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID TO ATHLETES FROM OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S GROWN OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

[01:25:05]

SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF WHAT WE FEEL ARE SUCCESS STORIES.

SO THIS IS A STUDENT HIGHLIGHT.

THIS IS GIO.

GIO WAS IN OUR ORIGINAL STEM TO STERN CLASS.

HE THEN GRADUATED FROM THAT CLASS ROWED WITH OUR ADVANCED MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM OUR COMP MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND THEN LAST YEAR ROWED WITH OUR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.

SO HE WAS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL.

HE WORKED SUPER HARD, QUALIFIED TO BE IN THE TOP UNDER 16 BOAT FOR THE STROKES, WHICH QUALIFIED TO GO TO THE YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

SO THERE'S GIO IS IN THE TOP PICTURE, SWEATING IN FLORIDA AS WE ALL WERE.

HE'S THE SECOND ROWER FROM THE RIGHT.

SO IT GOES COACH, ROWER, AND THEN GIO.

AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM THIS IS HIS BOAT.

THEY'RE COMPETING IN THE PETITE FINAL, WINNING THE PETITE FINAL TO FINISH NINTH IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIO IS THE SECOND ROWER FROM THE LEFT IN THAT BOAT.

SO YOU WILL NOT FIND A PERSON DOWN AT THE BOATHOUSE THAT'S MORE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT ROWING THAN GIO.

HE'S JUST A JOY TO HAVE ON THE TEAM, I THINK.

YEAH, HE GIVES ME A RUN FOR THE MONEY.

IF HE COULD BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE THIS, HE WOULD.

AND LAST WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A COMMUNITY PARTNER.

SO TODAY IS A SCHOOL THAT WE STARTED WORKING WITH ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

2 OR 3 YEARS. YEAH, TWO YEARS AGO.

AND WE AND WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE CONCENTRATION OF KIDS WHO, WHO ROW WITH US FROM THAT SCHOOL, MANY OF WHOM ACTUALLY ALL OF WHOM ARE BLACK. AND SO WE HAVE HAD TO LIKE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE STEM TO STERN MODEL.

ALL OF THEM HAVE BENEFITED FROM LEARNING HOW TO SWIM FROM THE EXTRA STEM INSTRUCTION.

THE SCHOOL IS VERY HIGHLY FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY DID APPRECIATE AND LOVE.

I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE TEACHERS TO ASK HER IF SHE WOULD GIVE A TESTIMONIAL, AND IT'S PRETTY LONG, BUT BASICALLY SHE'S SAYING THAT SHE LOVES THE IDEA OF THIS, ESPECIALLY FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

A LOT OF THESE KIDS DON'T HAVE THINGS THAT SPEAK TO THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

SHE LOVES THIS PROGRAM SO MUCH THAT SHE HAS PUT HER DAUGHTER IN OUR HANDS.

SO THIS IS HER DAUGHTER, MARLEY.

AND MARLEY IS A GRADUATE OF THE STEM TO STERN PROGRAM, AND NOW IS ON THE ADVANCED MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM WITH AN EYE TOWARDS ROWING IN HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND.

WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

THIS SCHOOL IS VERY, LIKE I SAID, FOCUSED ON ACADEMICS.

AND SO THESE KIDS HAVE ALREADY STARTED IDENTIFYING COLLEGES THAT THEY WANT TO GO TO.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO VERY PROUD PARENT VERY PROUD ROWER.

AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED FOR WHERE THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO GO FROM HERE.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

SO THANK YOU. SO WE WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. THIS WAS SUCH A NICE OVERVIEW OF YOUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND THE PROGRAMS AND WORKING WITH YOU KNOW, YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY WONDERFUL TO HEAR.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AS WELL.

IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

I REALLY LIKE GETTING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS LIKE YOURS.

SO WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS OPEN UP TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

DEE OUR OAKLANDER? NO QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU.

I THINK YOU'RE YOU'VE REALLY UPPED YOUR GAME IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AND I THANK FORMER DIRECTOR, OUR LATE, OUR LATE DIRECTOR, ELLEN CORBETT WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE, TOO.

SHE WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR GETTING ALL THE KIDS INVOLVED.

SO I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE DIRECTION YOU GUYS ARE GOING, AND I REALLY LIKE TO AGAIN CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR EFFORTS. AND IT'S BEARING FRUIT AND I'M HAPPY FOR YOU AND THE COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT.

DENNIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THIS IS A VERY EXCITING PROGRAM.

I'VE FOLLOWED IT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

AND A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO HOW MANY HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS HAVE EMBRACED ROWING IN THE BAY AREA OR SO? SO MOST ROWING IN THE WEST COAST IS DONE THROUGH ROWING CLUBS SUCH AS THE OAKLAND STROKES.

SO THERE'S IN THE BAY AREA, THERE'S BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL HAS A PROGRAM, SAN IGNATIUS HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND SERRA HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN MATEO, I BELIEVE, ARE THE SCHOOLS.

AND THEN THE REST OF THE ROWING IS DONE THROUGH CLUBS SUCH AS OURS THAT ARE COMMUNITY BASED CLUBS.

ANY JUNIOR COLLEGES OR COLLEGES YEAH. CAL HAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL TEAM.

STANFORD HAS AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL TEAM, SAINT MARY'S.

SO YES, THERE'S NATIONAL PROMINENCE.

SANTA CLARA. YEAH.

GREAT, I LIKE THIS I ALWAYS I THINK THIS IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM AND IT DOES CHANGE LIVES.

I HAVE TO TELL A HISTORICAL THING BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF FUNNY.

I HAD A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, WHO WORKED WITH ME AT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND HIS KID WAS GROWING UP.

[01:30:06]

HIS KIDS WERE GROWING UP LEAVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND HE WAS FRIGHTENED OF WHERE HE WAS LIVING AT THE TIME, SAID, I GOT TO NOT HAVE MY KIDS IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND I SAID, HEY, COME TO CASTRO VALLEY, PRETTY GOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU'LL LOVE IT.

AND HE CAME TO CASTRO VALLEY, MOVED THERE AND HIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SON GOT BUSTED FOR POT ABOUT A MONTH INTO THE DEAL, [LAUGHTER] AND IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS A IT WAS ILLEGAL AT THAT TIME. IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS A CAUSE OF CONSTERNATION FOR THIS GUY.

AND IT WAS GREAT.

SO HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM DOWN TO THE OAKLAND STROKES.

AND THIS KID NOT ONLY WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT HE GOT I DON'T KNOW THAT HE GOT A SCHOLARSHIP, BUT HE RODE FOR WASHINGTON AND I DON'T THINK THEY WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT THEY USUALLY DO, RIGHT? IF CAL DOESN'T. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON.

SO HE WAS IN THAT PROGRAM AND HE GOT ON THE WHAT DO YOU CALL IT WHEN YOU'RE NOT YOUR SIZE.

BECAUSE USUALLY. LIGHTWEIGHT.

ROWERS. YEAH. LIGHTWEIGHTS.

AND HE WAS A JUST A NORMAL SIZE GUY.

IF YOU EVER SEE ROWERS, THERE.

IS THIS LUCAS. IS IT LUCAS? WE'RE SORRY LUCAS.

SORRY, LUCAS. [LAUGHTER] WHOOPS.

WELL, AS LONG AS YOU SAID IT, NOT ME, BUT.

YEAH, YOU KNOW. OH, I LOVE LUCAS.

IS A GREAT GUY. I REALLY LOVE LUCAS.

OH, HE'S A WONDERFUL GUY.

AND WELL, WE'RE NOT NAMING NAMES, BUT HIS SISTER GOT TOTALLY INTO IT, TOO, AND SHE WENT TO MICHIGAN STATE.

SO IT CHANGED HIS LIVES.

YES. YEAH. YEAH.

AS MAKING A POOR DECISION TO MOVE TO CASTRO VALLEY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IT'S EDITORIALIZING.

BUT ANYWAY, I THE PROGRAMS ARE GREAT I AND HISTORY WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.

YOU KNOW WE DID WHEN IN I THINK IT WAS 2000 AROUND THAT AREA.

WE HAD A REGATTA AT LAKE CHABOT, AND A FRIEND OF MINE ORGANIZED THAT.

HE WAS A ROWER AT CAL, AND HE ORGANIZED THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SCHOOLS WERE THERE, BUT IT WAS AMAZING.

FOUR? YEAH, HE HAD SO MANY CONNECTIONS AND HAVING THOSE GIANT EIGHT MAN BOATS ON LAKE CHABOT WAS PRETTY AND BEAUTIFUL.

AND IT'S IF YOU EVER PLAN ON EXPANDING AND I HOPE YOU DO CONSIDER LAKE SHEBOYGAN, I THINK IT MIGHT BE YOU'D PROBABLY GET A BETTER RESULT THIS TIME.

OKAY. AND WHAT ELSE? OH, I APPRECIATE YOU REACHING OUT TO OUR AQUATICS DEPARTMENT.

I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING, BECAUSE, LIKE YOU SAY, IF YOU'RE APPEALING TO INNER CITY FOLKS, SOME OF THE TRADITIONS OF NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO HAVE SWIMMING FACILITIES AVAILABLE AND LEARNING NOT TO DROWN PROGRAMS AND SWIMMING PROGRAMS IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR AREAS WHERE WE CAN HELP OUT. SO IT'S DEFINITELY A GAME CHANGER.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

YES. I'M SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT.

YOU'RE WORKING WITH OUR AQUATICS DEPARTMENT AND WITH PETE DEQUINCY.

AND, YOU KNOW I GUESS YOU HAVE TWO FORMER LIFEGUARDS HERE.

AND I KNOW WHEN I WORKED AS A LIFEGUARD, I ALSO WORKED AS A SWIM INSTRUCTOR.

AND WHEN I WOULD WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WERE AFRAID TO GO UNDERWATER, THAT WAS REALLY SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO TRY TO TEACH MOSTLY YOUNGER CHILDREN.

BUT I ALSO DID WORK WITH ADULTS AT THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO GO UNDERWATER AND I GUESS WITH THE YOUNG KIDS, I ALWAYS SAY TRY TO BLOW BUBBLES.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT TO YOU KNOW, GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL COMFORTABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE SHORELINE AND LIVE NEAR WATER.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DEGREE OF YOU KNOW, WATER SAFETY SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT THINGS FROM HAPPENING.

AND YEAH, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THIS PRESENTATION, I KNOW OUR COLLEAGUE ELLEN CORBETT HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE BOTH THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR.

AND I KNOW WHEN YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR, SHE HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION.

I THINK SHE'D BE VERY PROUD OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION.

SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN US HERE.

AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT, I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT WE WORK WITH RIGHT NEAR OAKLAND AIRPORT AT OYSTER BAY REGIONAL SHORELINE, WE HAVE OUR DISC GOLF GROUP, AND I KNOW THAT THEY CAME AND PRESENTED TO US AT SOME POINT IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.

AND YOU KNOW, IT'S WHEN DIRECTOR CORBETT WAS STILL WITH US AND SHE WAS VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DISC GOLF GROUP WORKING WITH THE SAN LEANDRO BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OR OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

SO I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED PARTNERSHIPS AT ONE POINT.

I DON'T THINK THIS WAS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR STEM TO STERN MODEL.

BUT MAYBE IF WE CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, CONNECT OUR DISC GOLF GROUP WITH THIS GROUP BECAUSE I THINK THE DISC GOLF GROUP MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT IN THE EARLY

[01:35:01]

STAGES IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REACH OUT TO THE SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY AND THE NEARBY COMMUNITY, WHICH REALLY IS THE SAME AS YOUR COMMUNITY.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OAKLAND AIRPORT, THEY'RE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT.

I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME POTENTIAL TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF YOUR SUCCESSES SO THAT THEY CAN ALSO YOU KNOW, WORK WITH SOME OTHER GROUPS THAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, BE INTERESTED IN THE DISC GOLF EXPERIENCE.

I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT I KNOW YOU PRESENTED DATA TO US GOING BACK TO 2021, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE OAKLAND STROKES HAS BEEN AROUND A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

AND I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THIS LAST YEAR, BUT COULD YOU JUST SHARE WITH ME AGAIN HOW LONG OAKLAND STROKES HAS BEEN WHEN YOU WERE FOUNDED? SURE. SO WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1974, AND THEN WE WERE IN A BASICALLY A CONDEMNED BUILDING FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS OR SO.

AND THEN WE MOVED INTO THE CITY OF OAKLAND FACILITY AT THE JACQUELINE AQUATIC CENTER.

AND THEN WE WERE STARTING TO OUTGROW THAT FACILITY, AND WE WERE LOOKING AROUND FOR A NEW PLACE TO GO AND DISCOVERED TIDEWATER, WHICH AT THAT POINT WAS JUST A GRASSY FIELD NEXT TO THE ESTUARY AND WORKED WITH THE PARK DISTRICT TO DEVELOP PLANS.

ULTIMATELY, THE PARK DISTRICT FOUND A GRANT THROUGH BOATING AND WATERWAYS, I THINK TO BUILD THAT AQUATIC CENTER.

AND WE MOVED IN IN 2011.

SO WE'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THAT PROGRAM.

THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU.

IT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR THAT HISTORY FOR ME BECAUSE WHILE I DID APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER.

AND I LIKE KNOWING THAT HISTORY AND I BELIEVE SO.

I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE STUDENTS THAT ARE PART OF YOUR GROUP.

I BELIEVE ONE OF THE STUDENTS THEIR FATHER MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN ELECTED TO PLEASANTON CITY COUNCIL AND WILL BE STARTING IN A FEW WEEKS.

[INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, I KNOW THAT NAME.

YEAH, YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT KIND OF CONNECTIONS MIGHT EXIST IN THE WORLD.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EXCITING ONE.

THERE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS MENTION THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD OUR MOUNTAIN BIKING GROUP HERE AND OUR EQUESTRIAN GROUP HERE, YOU KNOW, I ALSO JUST WANT TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, ROWING IS ALSO AN OLYMPIC SPORT.

AND I KNOW I PERSONALLY AM VERY PROUD THAT CALIFORNIA IS GOING TO BE HOSTING THE NEXT SUMMER OLYMPICS IN 2028, IN LOS ANGELES.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOME THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR YOU TO ALSO INCORPORATE THINKING ABOUT THE OLYMPICS INTO SOME OF YOUR PROGRAMING AND JUST GETTING PEOPLE EXCITED.

I THINK IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL THAT CALIFORNIA WILL BE HOSTING IN FOUR YEARS.

I THINK THAT THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO SAY AND TO ASK ABOUT ABOUT THIS.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, AND WE MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE IN THE ROOM, TOO, AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.

AND SO, YEAH, THIS IS DAN HERBERT, HE'S THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATED THE RELATIONSHIP OVER THE YEARS.

I WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE WATER AND GETTING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE WATER.

WE PARTNERED WITH TWO UNIVERSITIES, ONE IN ENGLAND AND ONE, ACTUALLY TWO UNIVERSITY OF MERCED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND WE CONSTRUCT AND A WONDERFUL ARTIST IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

WE IDENTIFIED ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS AS PEOPLES COMING TO THE WATER AS SOME ESSENTIAL FEAR OF THE WATER, AND THAT THEY DON'T BELONG TO THE WATER.

PEOPLE OF COLOR DON'T BELONG THERE.

SO THEY, THE SCHOLARS THAT WE CONNECTED WITH TOOK THAT, TOOK EXCEPTION TO THAT AND DEVELOPED THIS THING.

IT'S CALLED THE OPEN WATER PROJECT, AND WE'D LOVE TO, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BRING IT TO YOU TO SHOW IT.

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S A PUZZLE THAT OVER TIME, FROM THE 1500S TO PRESENT DAY, OF HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE MORE THAN, I WOULD SAY, PARTICIPANTS IN THE WATER OR AROUND THE WATER.

THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT AND THRIVED IN IT.

AND YOU PICK OFF EACH PUZZLE PIECE AND IT HAS THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

SO IT'S DESIGNED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE'D LOVE TO SHOW IT TO YOU.

BRING IT DOWN, PUT IT OVER HERE THAT YOU LET YOU FOLKS PLAY WITH IT TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

SO WE'RE TRYING LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS AND REDUCE THE CONSTRAINTS TO BRINGING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE WATER.

SO THANKS VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

AND I KNOW THAT WE USUALLY HAVE A YEAH.

AND WE USUALLY HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT FROM OUR LIFEGUARD SERVICES GROUP.

SO MAYBE IF THERE'S A WAY.

THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE THIS AS WELL.

YES. I THINK IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL LIFEGUARD SERVICE, IT'S LARGE AND IT'S HEAVY, BUT IT'S WONDERFUL.

YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT REPORTS GIVEN TO THE FULL BOARD.

SO THEN THAT WAY THE FULL BOARD WOULD BE.

THAT'D BE GREAT. JUST LET US KNOW AND WE'LL ARRANGE TO HAVE IT HERE AND SET IT UP SO PEOPLE CAN PLAY WITH IT.

YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

APPRECIATE IT. THANKS.

DID YOU DO A BOARD.

OR A BOARD SITE TOUR? WOULD ALSO BE NICE TO DO ONE OF THE TWO.

[01:40:01]

ONE OF THE TWO OPTIONS I THINK WOULD BE GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I KNOW YOU HAVE TO RUSH OUT.

OKAY. ANY OTHER POTENTIAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A COMMENT? THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY FINAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? I KNOW THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO VOTE ON.

BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT'S ALWAYS SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR ABOUT OUR YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT AND YOURS IS REALLY SUCH A GREAT ONE. AND LIKE I SAID, I HOPE WE CAN ALSO MAYBE HELP CONNECT YOU WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT I KNOW ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE EARLY STAGE IN THIS PROCESS.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

AND I'VE NOW LOST MY AGENDA, BUT I THINK WE'RE.

OH, HERE WE GO. I FOUND IT. NICE.

OKAY. I KNOW WE'RE COMING UP ON THE END.

[Announcements]

SO WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS AS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.

ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY.

WE HAVE ONE MORE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE IN DECEMBER.

DEE. I THINK DEE WAS TRYING TO SKIP OUR FINAL ONE, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET HIM DO THAT.

OKAY, OKAY. YES.

WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING FOR THAT MEETING.

SO IF THERE AREN'T ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND I GUESS WE MOVE ON TO ADJOURNMENT.

SO THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.