Jan 14, 2025 Board of Directors Meeting

[00:00:07]

YOU CAN BE HEARD. ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE CLOSED SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR JANUARY 14TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 11:11. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU

[ROLL CALL]

DON'T YOU HAVE MORE TO SAY ON THIS? NO. YOU'RE GOING TO ASK ME.

DO WE HAVE WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEM ON ANY CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEM. OKAY. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL AND LEAVING A VOICEMAIL OR COMMENTING IN PERSON HERE, AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCEDURES, WE CAN BEGIN THE CLOSED SESSION AND WE WILL MOVE TO THE OTHER ROOM FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.

[CLOSED SESSION ITEMS]

WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE THAT DIRECTOR ECHOLS, PRESIDENT ECHOLS IS SICK, AND PER DOCTOR'S ORDERS. SHE'S GOING TO BE RESTING, SO SHE'S NOT ATTENDING THIS MEETING.

SO DIRECTOR MERCURIO HERE WILL BE CHAIRING THIS MEETING IN HER STEAD, AND SO HAVING SAID THAT, I JUST WANT TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS A REGULAR BOARD MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR JANUARY 14TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 1:14 P.M.. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL?

[ROLL CALL]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE NOW.

WOULD DIRECTOR ESPAÑA CARE TO LEAD US?

[LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]

SO AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, WE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL THE LANDS WITHIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE EAST BAY, OHLONE, BAY MIWOK, AND THE NORTHERN VALLEY YAKUT.

THEY ARE POLITICALLY ORGANIZED AND REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OF TRIBES.

TODAY WE MAKE THIS RECOGNITION AS A WAY TO RESPECT AND HONOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO FIRST CULTIVATED AND INHABITED THIS LAND. THE PARK DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING WAYS TO WORK AND CONSULT WITH EAST BAY TRIBES, AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR LAND TO THEIR CULTURE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE THE FAVORITE PART OF THIS MEETING.

IT'S GOING TO BE DOWNHILL FROM HERE, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE A GOOD MEETING, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WE ARE GOING TO SWEAR IN TO OUR TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS.

AS I SAID ELIZABETH ECHOLS, WHO WAS REELECTED, WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS, BUT SHE CAN'T MAKE IT TODAY.

SO WE HAVE LINDA AND LUANA. ARE THEY GOING TO STAND OUT HERE? YEAH. YOU'LL BE GOING OUT HERE TO THE. WE'RE GOING TO GO IN NUMERICAL ORDER.

[00:05:04]

DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT HAS HER OWN OATH OF OFFICE THAT SHE'S CREATED.

THANK YOU, JESSE. YEAH. THAT'S AWESOME. SHOULD I RAISE MY RIGHT HAND? I CAN DO IT. SO WE COULD BOTH USE IT. HOW ABOUT THAT? OKAY. YEAH. YOU HOLD IT. ALL RIGHT, AND THEN PUT IT TO MY MOUTH.

I'LL DO IT. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND REPEAT AFTER ME.

I, LINDA DESCHAMBAULT. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR. I, LINDA DESCHAMBAULT.

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

THAT I WILL DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BOTH CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THAT I WILL CONVEY SCIENTIFIC AND SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES AND POLICYMAKING.

THAT I WILL CONVEY SCIENTIFIC AND SUSTAINABLE POLICYMAKING.

I WILL SEEK TO INCREASE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING.

I WILL SEEK TO INCREASE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING.

I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE LIVING FORCES WITHIN AND UPON THE LAND, WATER AND AIR.

I ACKNOWLEDGE THE LIVING FORCES UPON THE LAND, WATER AND AIR.

I WILL RESPECT ALL LIVING BEINGS. I WILL RESPECT ALL LIVING BEINGS AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ON WHICH THEY DEPEND, AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT UPON WHICH THEY DEPEND, SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS MAY FIND PEACE AND SOLACE IN THESE SAME PLACES, SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS MAY FIND PEACE AND SOLACE IN THESE SAME PLACES.

I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY. I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER. I WILL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ESPAÑA.

COACH PHIL WYLER. HE WAS MY CROSS COUNTRY COACH, BUT MOST IMPORTANT.

HE WAS MY CROSS COUNTRY COACH BUT MORE IMPORTANT, HE WAS MY AP US HISTORY TEACHER, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. HAND HER HER MICROPHONE. NO, NEVER MIND.

HE'S GOT ONE OVER THERE.

PRESS IT. OKAY. WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

PLEASE REPEAT AFTER ME. I LUANA ESPAÑA. I, LUANA ESPAÑA.

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND.

THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AGAINST ALL ENEMIES.

AGAINST ALL ENEMIES. FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.

THAT I WILL BEAR. THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE.

TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY,

[00:10:08]

DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER, UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO GIVE OUR TWO NEW DIRECTORS A FEW MINUTES TO MAKE A STATEMENT.

YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THEIR TIME. THE FIRST STATEMENTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE MAKING.

SO LINDA, DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? SURE. I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.

I'M SO HAPPY TO JOIN THIS TEAM UP HERE AND THIS AGENCY.

I MEAN, THROUGH THE CAMPAIGN, YOU TALK ABOUT IT BEING THE LARGEST PARK DISTRICT IN THE NATION, AND NOW TO BE SITTING UP HERE WITH ALL THESE FABULOUS FUNCTIONAL PEOPLE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF THINGS DONE, AND WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERING OUR TIME TO THE PRESERVATION OF THESE GREAT LANDS, AND I WANTED TO BE SWORN IN BY SOMEONE WHO WAS WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRIBE, BUT SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE IT TODAY, BUT IN MY CANDIDATE STATEMENT AND GOING FORWARD, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT LIVING IN RECIPROCITY WITH THE LAND WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND SCIENCE, AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO BRING THAT, AND SOME OF IT ALREADY EXISTS HERE ON THE BOARD TO JOIN THAT AND JOIN WITH OTHERS, AND I JUST WANTED TO STATE ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES OF OF MY LIFE, I THINK, REALLY FITS WELL WITH THE REASON I WANTED TO BE HERE, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WHO SUPPORTED ME.

TO GET ME HERE REALLY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. I MEAN, THIS IS JUST REALLY A LIFETIME MOMENT FOR ME.

I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN MY LIFE'S WORK, BUT I LOVE THIS QUOTE THAT I WANTED TO READ.

IT SAYS IN THE END, WE WILL CONSERVE ONLY WHAT WE LOVE.

WE WILL LOVE ONLY WHAT WE UNDERSTAND WE WILL UNDERSTAND ONLY WHAT WE ARE TAUGHT, AND I THINK A BIG PART OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AT THE CORE OF CONSERVATION AND AS AN AGENCY, PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES AND HOLDING TRUE AND THINKING THROUGH AN INDIGENOUS PRINCIPLE IS THAT IN OUR DELIBERATION, EVERY DELIBERATION WE MAKE AND I'LL BE MAKING AND ALL MY PEOPLE UP HERE SUPPORT ME, I'M SURE, IN CONSIDERING HOW OUR DECISIONS ARE GOING TO IMPACT THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS.

WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING UP HERE IN THIS ROOM FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS? AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT THESE LANDS? WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE OUR COUNTRY, OUR NATION IS FACING, BUT THIS IS A SILVER LINING. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

WE HAVE AMAZING STAFF AND LEADERSHIP AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO WORK.

SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR ESPAÑA. SO I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO STAND UP WHO HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.

OKAY. SO THIS IS NOT ONLY A MOMENT THAT HAS CHANGED HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT THIS IS A MOMENT THAT EACH OF YOU IN YOUR CAPACITY HAS HELPED ME TO ACHIEVE AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO IS HERE IS FROM A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN MY LIFE, AND IT'S THAT LOVE AND THAT ENCOURAGEMENT AND THAT SUPPORT AND SOMETIMES THAT PUSH THAT'S HELPED ME TO DREAM OF SOMETHING BIGGER, TO DREAM OF SERVICE AND A DREAM OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE I WAS BORN.

YOU ALL MAY SIT DOWN, BUT TODAY I WANTED TO SAY.

I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU. YEAH.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS BOARD, AND I'M EXCITED JUST AS FAR AS TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU IN THIS ROOM,

[00:15:09]

I WANT MY LEADERSHIP TO BE MARKED BY WORKING TOGETHER AND CONSENSUS TO DO WHAT'S NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR ONE GROUP, BUT TO DO WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS PARK DISTRICT AND FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND I HOPE THAT EACH OF YOU TODAY WILL JOIN ME IN THAT EFFORT.

TWO, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE HERE.

I HAVE THE BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL. I HAVE ISAAC REED IN THE CORNER, AND I HAVE MANY PARK STAFF, SO AS ROBERT SPENCER, SUZANNE WILSON, JESSICA DUNCAN AND MANY MORE--YULIE--WHO ARE HERE.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO REPRESENT THE ROTARY CLUB. WHO INSTILLED WITH ME AS FAR AS THAT, IT'S SERVICE ABOVE SELF. WE ALSO HAVE HARD DISTRICT AND.

THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT TRAIL PLANNERS THAT, AS FAR AS THAT, INSPIRE ME WITH BIG DREAMS. FROM THE RIDGE TRAIL TO THE SAN LORENZO CREEK WAY TO THE BAY TRAIL, THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED.

THEN I ALSO WANT TO JUST AS FAR AS MY COWORKERS OR FORMER COWORKERS ARE HERE.

SO THANK YOU AS FAR AS FOR ATTENDING, AND THEN ALSO TO ALL OF THOSE SAN LEANDRO RESIDENTS, I SEE YOU IN FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, DEBORAH, AND AS FAR AS CARINA LOPEZ, WHO GAVE ME SO MUCH SUPPORT AS A FIRST TIME CANDIDATE, AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT YOU, AND AS FAR AS KATHY NILL AND HARRIET, WHO GAVE ME VOICE AND CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK FROM HEART AND TO SOME OF MY AS FAR AS COWORKERS, AND I'M LOOKING AT YOU, GAIL, IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO I HAVEN'T MENTIONED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. OH, AND PHIL WASHMILL AND STUFF.

AS FAR AS THANK YOU, HE WAS MY AS FAR AS LEADER AS FAR AS MY FINAL CAPSTONE PROJECT AT THE GOLDMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THE DIFFERENT ISSUES AS FAR AS THAT, I HIGHLIGHTED IN MY CAMPAIGN, CLIMATE RESILIENCY EQUITY, AND JUST AS FAR AS WORKING ON OTHER ISSUES AS FAR AS PROMOTING THE ACQUISITION OF NEW PARKLANDS.

SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE NOW GOING TO BREAK FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO FOR CAKE AND PICTURES.

SO LET'S DO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL GET BACK TO THE REST OF THE STUFF ON OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.

YOU CAN BE HEARD. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE BACK, AND THE NEXT ITEM FOR US IS THE ANNUAL ROTATION OF OFFICERS. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE DONE IT, SINCE ONE OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED ISN'T HERE. SO I'VE COME UP WITH A WAY TO DO THIS.

PRESIDENT ECHOLS IS NOT HERE. THE THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO ASSUME THE PRESIDENT IS ME.

SO I'M FILLING IN FOR HER. SO I'M GOING TO PASS THE GAVEL TO MYSELF, AND NOW I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OFFICIALLY, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO, TO DO THIS. I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE ON THE BOARD FOR TWO YEARS, SO I NEVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED SO SOON, BUT WE LOST.

WE LOST ELLEN CORBETT AND THAT KIND OF SPEEDED THINGS UP, AND IT CHANGED THE WAY WE WOULD NORMALLY WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

SO ANYWAY, I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS FOR A YEAR. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU KNOW, THE HAPPIEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS THE DAY YOU ASSUME THE PRESIDENCY.

THE NEXT HAPPIEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE IS THE DAY YOU PASS IT OFF TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

SO ANYWAY, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. SO WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE

[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

[00:20:02]

IS THAT RIGHT? OR WAS IT WAS IT ALREADY WASN'T THERE AN ITEM? ITEM SEVEN. WE'RE GOING TO BE PULLING THAT OKAY.

YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO BE PULLING ITEM SEVEN ON THE AGENDA AND DEALING WITH IT AT ANOTHER TIME.

RIGHT. YEAH. IT JUST NEEDS A LITTLE MORE. A LITTLE MORE TWEAKING.

ALL RIGHT, SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER CHANGES TO THE AGENDA, ARE THERE? JUST A COMMENT. SURE. TWO, THREE AND FOUR, IF I MAY.

YES. YEAH. OH, OKAY. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE APPROVAL OF APPOINTING PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT AND THANK MY TWO APPOINTEES, SUSIE CLAXTON AND DEB MAHADEVAN.

THEY'RE BEING REAPPOINTED. THEY'VE BEEN ON THE PAC FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.

THEY'RE GREAT ACTIVE, ENTHUSIASTIC AND VERY, VERY SMART MEMBERS, AND I APPRECIATE THEM ACCEPTING MY APPOINTMENT, AND THEN MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE HAYWARD AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT TO PROVIDE AQUATIC AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, AND I'LL INCLUDE ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS THE AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE HAYWARD AREA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE AQUATIC AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.

I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT, GREAT COLLABORATION.

THIS IS WHAT WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME. SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE HAVING WITH OUR AQUATIC FACILITIES, WITH BLUE-GREEN ALGAE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WE'RE OUR AQUATIC STAFF IS PIVOTING AND DOING, GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, DOING GOOD WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO SWIM, TEACHING PEOPLE HOW NOT TO DROWN, TEACHING PEOPLE WATER AWARENESS AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO WHERE WE CAN TEACH KIDS NOT ONLY HOW TO SWIM, BUT THEN TEACH THEM HOW TO BE LIFEGUARDS. TEACH THEM HOW TO GET JOBS IN THE PARK DISTRICT, AND JUST ANECDOTALLY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AN INCIDENT TODAY, AND I WAS REMEMBERING AN OLD POLICE CHIEF OF THIS REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AGM OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, NORM LAPERA, AND NORM WAS A LIFEGUARD FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.

HE GOT HIMSELF A CAREER AS A POLICE OFFICER AND SAW A PERSON DROWNING AT LAKE CHABOT OR IN DISTRESS AT LAKE CHABOT, AND TOOK OFF HIS UNIFORM, TOOK OFF HIS GUN, TOOK OFF HIS BADGE.

EVERYTHING ELSE LOCKED IT IN HIS TRUNK. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DOVE IN AND SAVED THIS GUY, AND WE CAN PROVIDE JOBS LIKE THAT.

SO PETE AND ALL OF THE HARD. OH, GEEZ, ALL THE HARD CONTINGENT LEFT.

I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT. THEY WERE ALL HERE TO SEE LUANA, BUT THERE WERE A BUNCH OF FOLKS FROM HAYWARD AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT HERE TODAY, AS WELL AS SARAH LYNNE AND COUNCIL MEMBER OR DIRECTOR FROM HARD, AND FORMER COUNCILMEMBER HAYWARD.

THIS IS A GREAT COLLABORATION AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS FROM OUR STAFF AND HARD AND HAYWARD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EFFORTS, AND THAT'S IT. OKAY. DIRECTOR COFFEY. JUST A NOTE ON ITEM TWO.

I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE SCOTT BARTLEBAUGH, WHO IS HERE.

IS JAMES HERE? ANYWAY, ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS OF THE PAC.

I AM REALLY ENTHUSED ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP AND THE NEW MEMBERSHIP OF BOTH SCOTT AND PAUL DETCHENS.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FABULOUS GROUP OF PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE PAC, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE LOST ON NONE OF US THAT DIRECTOR WAESPI IS NOW SURROUNDED BY ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, FIVE GRADUATES FROM THE PACK.

NO OFFENSE. YOU HAVE OUTSTANDING QUALIFICATIONS FOR BEING HERE, BUT I AM PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE THERE'S FIVE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD THAT COME DIRECTLY OFF THE PACK. IT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE GREAT CARE IN WHO WE APPOINT AND WHO WE HELP GET APPOINTED TO THE PACK, GIVEN THAT THEY'RE PRIME CANDIDATES FOR OUR OWN OFFICES.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SURE. I'LL SECOND.

OKAY. SO MOVED BY WAESPI. SECONDED BY DESCHAMBAULT.

ALL IN FAVOR? ARE YOU GOING TO CALL THE ROLL? OKAY.

GO AHEAD. NO? YES? I WASN'T GOING TO, BUT I WILL.

I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT--IT SAYS ROLL CALL HERE.

I KNOW WE MISSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT. PARDON ME? WE MISSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WE CAN GO AHEAD CALL THE ROLL.

I THINK YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND APPROVE. YEAH.

APPROVE THE AGENDA AND THEN MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

[00:25:03]

THE NEXT ITEM ACTUALLY IS SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, AND THERE ARE NONE.

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]

DO WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE? YES, WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS.

FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE AMELIA MARSHALL. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS AMELIA MARSHALL, REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA STATE HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION, REGION FIVE, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES.

WITH A NEW YEAR AND A NEW BOARD, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE DIRECTORS DESCHAMBAULT AND LUANA ESPAÑA ON THEIR ELECTION AND SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO THE CURRENT DIRECTORS AND THE PAST DIRECTORS FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND SERVICE.

COMING RIGHT OUT THE GATE, CSHA WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR A COUPLE OF GLOBAL THINGS.

THE FIRST ONE IS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCREASED TRANSPARENCY IN THE DISTRICT WEBSITE UP TO THROUGH THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE TRAIL USERS WORKING GROUP, IT WAS MUCH MORE EASY TO NAVIGATE TO SEE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PAGES THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON, AND WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN IS BEING DEVELOPED IN THE YEARS TO COME. SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR IS REGARDING THE WONDERFUL NEW GARIN TO PLEASANTON RIDGE TRAIL, AND WE WOULD PRESUME THAT THE WONDERFUL TRAILS TEAM, LED BY SEAN DOUGAN, SEAN CONNOLLY, WILL BE DEPLOYING THEIR SUTTER 300 NARROW GAUGE BULLDOZER TO DESIGN A SINGLE TRACK TRAIL FOR THAT, AND IF THAT IS INDEED THE CASE, WE WOULD URGE THE DISTRICT TO CONSIDER PUTTING IN A DUAL TRACK, WHEREVER FEASIBLE, IN ORDER TO HAVE A TRACK THAT WOULD BE FOR BICYCLES AND A TRACK THAT WOULD BE FOR HIKERS AND HORSES.

IF IT'S JUST ONE NARROW TRAIL, IT WILL SOON JUST BECOME A BICYCLE TRAIL, AND HIKERS AND HORSES MIGHT EASILY FEEL UNWELCOME OR ENDANGERED BY THAT SITUATION. SO THOSE ARE OUR TWO BIG ASKS, AND I WILL TAKE OFF MY OFFICIAL HAT AND SAY THAT I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A FUNICULAR RAILWAY TO TAKE.

THAT'S RIGHT. THIS IS DIRECTOR WAESPI CONCEPT TO TAKE HIKERS FROM THE STAGING AREAS UP TO THE TOP OF PLEASANTON RIDGE, SO THAT IT WOULD BE A HECK OF A LOT EASIER TO GET UP THERE AND ENJOY HIKING, AND I WON'T RECOMMEND THAT EQUESTRIANS BE ALLOWED TO USE SUCH A THING, BECAUSE THAT'D BE CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, BUT THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BARISHA SPRIGGS.

DID SHE? OKAY, THEN OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM HOUGH.

OKAY.

I WAS WAITING FOR THE THREE MINUTES TO TURN AT 2:59, BUT I'LL JUST START NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, GENERAL MANA GER. MY NAME IS WILLIAM DANIEL HOUGH.

I'M A RESIDENT OF BERKELEY. I'M A FIREFIGHTER, AND I'M PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 2428.

I'M STANDING BEFORE YOU SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERS. FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL DURING YOUR TENURE, AND I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO POLICE CHIEF FILICE, DGM COOK AND GENERAL MANA GER LANDRETH FOR SPEAKING WITH US OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS REGARDING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE GIVEN THE FIREFIGHTING STAFF THE BELIEF THAT WE ARE MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR APPROVING THE FIVE NEW POSITIONS FOR THE UPCOMING FIRE SEASON.

HOWEVER, YOUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN.

HOWEVER, YOUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT THE CURRENT STAFFING MODEL. UNLIKE EVERY OTHER PROFESSIONAL FULL TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT IN CALIFORNIA, WE ARE CLOSED AT NIGHT. WE LOVE OUR JOB. WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WE LOVE OUR PARKS, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE ASKING YOU TO ACT IN ADVANCE OF THIS FIRE SEASON AND MOVE URGENTLY TO STAFF OUR STATION AROUND THE CLOCK. THIS MONTH, THE OAKLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT IS BROWNING OUT TWO OF THEIR HILL STATIONS, STATION 28 AND STATION 25. OUR PARK VISITORS AND OUR NEIGHBORS ABUTTING OUR PARKS WILL BE AFFECTED AND IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT BEHIND THOSE HOMES ON OUR

[00:30:07]

THE FIRES IN LA ARE A GRIM REMINDER OF HOW QUICKLY FIRE CAN SPREAD THROUGH COMMUNITIES.

IN 2022, WE IDENTIFIED OUR SCHEDULE AS A MAJOR BARRIER IN BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS RAPIDLY AND FULFILL OUR MUTUAL AID OBLIGATIONS.

IN 2023, WE WROTE A PROPOSAL TO THE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE TO A 24 HOUR MODEL, WHICH IS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PERMANENT FIREFIGHTERS.

UNANIMOUSLY BELIEVE THAT OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OF WORKING FROM 7 A.M.

TO 5 P.M. IS NO LONGER VIABLE. IT DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY.

FIRE AND WIND DO NOT SLEEP. FOUR OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE CURRENTLY IN LOS ANGELES.

WE DO NOT WANT THAT DEVASTATION AND TRAGEDY TO VISIT ANY COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT OUR BEST SHOT AT PROTECTING THESE TWO COUNTIES, WHICH WE CALL OUR HOME. THAT'S WHY WE PUT ON THE UNIFORM, AND THAT IS WHY WE TOOK OUR OATH WHILE FIGHTING FIRES IN 2020, I LOST ALL OF MY BELONGINGS TO A SEPARATE FIRE, AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO HAVE TO SIFT THROUGH ASHES TO FIND MEMORIES.

WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, AND WE ARE ASKING ALL OF YOU TO WORK WITH US SO WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR PUBLIC, AND THAT YOU WORK WITH AFSCME 2428 SO WE CAN SERVE THAT PUBLIC 24 HOURS A DAY.

PLEASE. IT WILL HELP MAKE THE PLACES AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVE SAFER.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS.

PRESIDENT, DO WE HAVE ANY? SPEAKERS REQUEST NOT PRESENT.

THERE'S ONLY.

I'M TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMEONE WITH THEIR HAND RAISED, BUT I CANNOT SEE.

DEBORAH, CAN YOU? YES. OH, MR. NICHOLS, I SEE HIM NOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT, SO I CAN LET HIM IN AND SEE. I CAN'T TELL . WELL, WE CAN WE CAN WE CAN DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S FOR SOMETHING NOT ON THE AGENDA.

YEAH. YEAH. HE'S SAYING I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT.

HE JUST SENT ME A TEXT. HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. ARE YOU. ARE YOU SPEAKING ON AN ITEM? NOT ON THE AGENDA? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND GENERAL MANA GER LANDRETH.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS SAM NICHOLS, AND MY CONNECTION TO THE DISTRICT BEGAN AT BIRTH IN 1981.

THAT MAY DAY, MY FATHER, BILL NICHOLS, WAS MOWING THE LAWN AS A RANGER AT CONTRA LOMA WHEN HIS SUPERVISOR TOLD HIM IT WAS TIME TO HEAD HOME.

MY MOTHER WAS IN LABOR. THIS STORY REFLECTS MY FATHER'S LIFELONG DEDICATION TO BOTH HIS FAMILY AND THE PARKS THAT HE LOVED.

THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S MISSION AND VISION EMPHASIZE PRESERVING A RICH HERITAGE OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, WHILE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.

MY FATHER EMBODIED THESE VALUES THROUGHOUT HIS 34 YEAR CAREER.

GUIDED BY A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC, PRIORITIZING THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND A PASSION FOR STEWARDSHIP, HIS JOURNEY WITH THE DISTRICT BEGAN IN THE EARLY 1980S WHEN A WHEN A PARK SUPERVISOR HANDED HIM A JOB APPLICATION AS HE WORKED FOR A LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR INSTALLING TURF AND SPRINKLERS AT THE MARTINEZ MARINA. HE BECAME A RANGER AT CONTRA LOMA IN BRIONES, JOINED THE DISTRICT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 1982, EVENTUALLY EARNING THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT, AND LATER SERVED AS A SUPERVISOR OF THE THEN NAMED MARTINEZ SHORELINE.

HE SUPERVISED NUMEROUS REGIONAL PARKS, INCLUDING ANTIOCH, OAKLEY, BAY POINT, BIG BREAK, BROWNS ISLAND, CARQUINEZ STRAIT, CROCKETT HILLS, WATER BIRD, AND THE AND THE SHORELINE.

SHORELINE. NOW NAMED FOR TED AND KATHY RADKE IN THE MID 1980S.

OUR FAMILY WOULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING IN ONE OF THE DISTRICT RESIDENTS IN BRIONES PARK DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.

MY DAD WAS NEVER OFF DUTY FROM THE DISTRICT, AT HOME OR AT WORK.

THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEY EVENTS THAT REFLECT THE DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING OPEN SPACE AND BALANCING CONSERVATION WITH RECREATION, SUCH AS LEADING THE RESTORATION EFFORTS OF THE MARTINEZ SHORELINE AFTER THE FLOODS OF THE 1980S.

COORDINATING THE DISTRICT'S RESPONSE TO THE 1988 OIL SPILL.

SAFEGUARDING SENSITIVE SHORELINE ENVIRONMENTS.

RESPONDING TO THE 91 OAKLAND HILLS FIRE AS PART OF THE DISTRICT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT.

MORE ON THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.

ADVOCATING FOR RESPONSIBLE EXPANSION AND LAND ACQUISITION TO PROTECT VALUABLE PARKLAND.

PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCOVERY AND PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARTIFACTS AT BIG BREAK IN 2001, MY FATHER APPROACHED HIS WORK WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND A JOYFUL SENSE OF STEWARDSHIP.

[00:35:05]

JOHN MUIR, WHO LIVED IN MARTINEZ, INSPIRED CONSERVATION EFFORTS.

JOSEPH WALKER, LEGENDARY MOUNTAIN MAN BURIED NEARBY ABOVE THE SHORELINE.

US GRANT, STATIONED ACROSS THE SHORELINE AT THE BENICIA ARSENAL.

JACK LONDON, WHO WROTE ABOUT OYSTER PIRATES ON THE BAY.

JOE DIMAGGIO, BORN IN MARTINEZ FROM A FAMILY OF FISHERMEN AND PLAYED BASEBALL.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF HIM. FRANK NORRIS, AUTHOR OF THE OCTOPUS THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, THE LAND'S ORIGINAL STEWARDS, AND THE DISTRICT'S VISION. YOUR TIME IS UP, SIR.

IF YOU COULD SEND THE REST OF YOUR STATEMENT TO ME IN AN EMAIL, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

I WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR TELLING US ABOUT YOUR FATHER.

CAN I JUST ADD THAT I, SAM, THAT ALL OF US ARE GREATLY MISSING BILL'S INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR EVERY SINGLE DAY ON FACEBOOK? AND JUST AN ADDED MEMORY THAT WE ALL MISS.

YEAH. YES, AND , SAM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, AND THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR DAD'S STORY WITH US.

YOU DIDN'T SHARE YOUR STORY, THOUGH. YOU STARTED HERE AS A FIREFIGHTER FOR THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND NOW I HEAR, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT PROMOTION TO BAT' CHIEF AT CON' FIRE. ALL RIGHT, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANY OTHERS? OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY REQUESTS FROM THE BOARD FOR ITEMS TO BE SCHEDULED INTO OPEN SESSION? THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DIRECTORS TO PLACE ITEMS ON OPEN SESSION.

I ASSUME THERE ARE NONE. SO I GUESS NOW WE MOVE TO CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

JUST AS A CLARIFICATION DIRECTOR MERCURIO WE'RE APPROVING THAT REMOVING ITEM A7, WE'RE APPROVING THE CONSENT CALENDAR, I NCLUDING THE EXCLUSION. YES, YES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.

YES. DID YOU HAVE A OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED OKAY. THAT CARRIES.

[GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE]

HELLO, JOSE.

APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS SET UP. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN.

NEWLY PRESIDENT MERCURIO AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AS WELL AS OUR NEW BOARD DIRECTORS.

SO HERE. THANK YOU. I'VE GOT A RELATIVELY BRIEF PRESENTATION, AND AGAIN, JUST KNOWING THAT WE'LL BE GOING A LITTLE BIT INTO A BIT OF THE WHAT, BUT ALSO THE PROCESS, KNOWING THERE WILL BE MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO KIND OF CONTINUE ENGAGEMENT.

SO WHERE WE'RE STARTING ALSO IS I WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO ANNAMARIE GUERRERO, WHO'S RIGHT HERE AS WELL, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT FOR OUR PLANNING TRAILS, CULTURAL RESOURCES AND GIS.

JUST KIND OF BOTH COLLEAGUE, PARTNER, BUT REALLY ONE OF THE LEADS THAT'S HELPING US AND WORKING WITH THE REVISED LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND THE PROCESS AROUND THAT.

SO I'LL START BY KIND OF A BIT OF THE BACKGROUND.

[00:40:03]

WHERE DID THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT COME FROM? LIKE WHAT'S THE INTENTION AND PURPOSE? AND WE REALLY WANT TO BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY AND PROCESS TO THAT.

BASED ON REVIEW, KIND OF FROM PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE'VE KIND OF NOTICED THAT THE BOARD REALLY BEGAN USAGE OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN 2021 IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT SINCE THEN, WE HADN'T REALLY DONE A FORMAL REVISION OR KIND OF ASSESS HOW IT WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED SINCE KIND OF THAT USAGE.

SO APPROVAL IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD THERE, BUT USAGE RESULTING IN SOME INCONSISTENT ADAPTATION USES IN CONTENT, AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF ADDRESS BOTH QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP AT DIFFERENT STAGES IN DECISION MAKING FOR A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S ALSO IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR BROADER ENGAGEMENT AND WE BEGIN THAT WORK, AND AS WE ARE UNDERTAKING THAT WORK, WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT NOVEMBER 5TH, 2020 FOR THAT BOARD MEETING LAST YEAR WHERE WE HAD ANDY GALVAN, CHAIR FROM THE OHLONE INDIAN TRIBE, KIND OF ALSO COMMENT ON THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

SO THAT LINED UP REALLY WELL FOR US TO KIND OF ADVANCE THE PROCESS AND THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND SAY, HERE'S WHERE KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT COULD WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, AND IT'S WHAT I USE IN TERMS THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR DISTRICT WIDE MEETINGS, AND THEN THE BIGGEST THING, OF COURSE, WAS WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR STAFF IN TERMS OF WHAT WE KIND OF SAY, POWER USERS AS DEPARTMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, I&R INTERP AND RECREATION SERVICES FOR WHEN THEY'RE DOING PROGRAMMING, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY WANT SOME GUIDANCE ALONG THE USE OF A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AS WELL AS, OF COURSE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND OTHER DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS WERE APPLICABLE, AND SO OUR WORK IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GROUNDED ON BOTH CURRENT RESEARCH AND INPUT, AS APPLICABLE AND PERTINENT.

SO WE KIND OF HAVE THIS THESE AS AN EXAMPLE, IT INCLUDES REGIONAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GUIDANCE AND BEST PRACTICES TO KIND OF PROVIDE A FOUNDATION, BUT THEN OF COURSE WHAT'S KEY FOR THE DISTRICT IS COORDINATION KIND OF WITH OUR TRIBAL LIAISON.

AGAIN, THAT IS OUR PRINCIPAL PLANNER, ANNAMARIE GUERRERO, WHO'S THE LEAD FOR THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT AND WHO HAS ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THERE, IS MANAGING THE RELATIONSHIPS AND FEEDBACK WITH TRIBAL POINTS OF CONTACT, SPECIFICALLY FOR CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS AND THEY'RE ONE OF THE KIND OF SPECIAL VALUE IN TERMS OF THE RESOURCES IS THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMISSION, WHICH KIND OF SERVES AS ONE OF THE KEY STATE RESOURCES THAT'S ALIGNED, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH KIND OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS SUCH AS LIKE SB 18 , AND THEN I THINK YOU WERE ALL PROVIDED OR WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS MAP BROCHURE.

SO I WANT TO POINT THIS OUT AS KIND OF ONE OF THESE EXAMPLES, VERY TANGIBLE EXAMPLE THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS IN RELATION TO THIS WORK.

SO IT'S THE NATIVE PEOPLES OF THE EAST BAY, PAST AND PRESENT, MAP AND BROCHURE.

SO THIS IS HELPFUL TO KIND OF BOTH PROVIDE A GUIDING ORIENTATION FOR BOTH THE HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY NATIVE PRESENCE IN THE EAST BAY, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE CONTEXT AND NUANCE THAT SOMETIMES REDUCE OR MISUNDERSTOOD.

SO WE'VE OFTEN SAID, LIKE, WE LIKE THE MAP, MAKE SURE YOU LIKE READ EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THERE IN THE MAP SO YOU UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT KIND OF WENT IN THERE.

FOR THIS PRODUCT, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT 'S WHY YOU'LL SEE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF VARIATIONS OF THIS, BOTH NOT JUST HERE, BUT HOW IT'S SHARED ONLINE IN TERMS OF WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ANCESTRAL CONNECTIONS OF NATIVE PEOPLES TO THE EAST BAY AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH A MODERN AERIAL. SO THIS MAP CAN BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF SEE BOTH THE HISTORICAL ETHNOGRAPHIC VILLAGES.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THOSE NAMES THAT YOU SEE ON THERE OVERLAID AGAINST KIND OF THIS MODERN AERIAL, AND YET HERE, OF COURSE, EVEN THE NUANCE IN CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT.

SO WHEN YOU KIND OF GET INTO IT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE PROVIDE THE REMINDER EVEN THIS IS A WESTERN ACADEMIC RECONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH ON PRE-CONTACT AND CONTACT VILLAGES GIVEN, OF COURSE, THE HISTORY OF COLONIZATION. LIKE WHAT DO WE KNOW? HOW DO WE KNOW IT? WHAT SURVIVED, IN WHAT WAYS, AND HOW IS THIS ADAPTING AND EVOLVING AS WE'RE BOTH FINDING MORE? BUT THAT ENGAGEMENT IS HAPPENING. SO WE HAVE THESE AS REMINDERS AND THAT THE VILLAGE IS CAPITALIZED ARE THE LARGE POPULATION SITES, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL THINK, OH, THESE ARE ALL THE NAMES OF ALL THE TRIBES, AND THERE'S MORE LAYER AND NUANCE AROUND THAT.

WHERE THIS GETS FOR US NOW IS WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF SAYING, THIS IS WHAT YOU READ EARLIER, AND SO PUN INTENDED, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE LANDED ON.

KIND OF AFTER THIS ITERATIVE PROCESS, BOTH INTERNALLY BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT,

[00:45:01]

NOW, DISCUSSION WITH TRIBES AROUND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS GOING TO BE A CONTINUING CONVERSATION.

THAT'S PART OF THAT, THE ITERATIVE PROCESS, AND KNOWING THAT PART OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THEM IS, HOW CAN THIS BE A LIVING DOCUMENT? WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE AROUND THAT, AND SO THIS STATEMENT RIGHT HERE INCORPORATES OUR CORE STATEMENT WHICH I'LL SHOW ON THE NEXT SLIDE, AND IT'S A WAY THAT WE REALLY ARE OFFERING TO BOTH BE ACCURATE ENOUGH AND NOT TOO LIMITING OR AS IF YOU LISTEN TO ONE OF ANDY'S COMMENT AT THAT LAST BOARD MEETING, KIND OF SAYING, HOW CAN YOU BE INCLUSIVE AND EXCLUSIVE? IN OTHER WORDS, MAKING SURE YOU'RE SPECIFIC ENOUGH IN WHAT YOU'RE NAMING? BUT DON'T BE TOO GENERALIZED AS WELL, BECAUSE OUR CORE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'LL USE AS THE BASE FOR ANY FUTURE ADAPTATIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS OR SOME OTHER COMMUNICATIONS.

IT'S THIS ONE WHICH REALLY IS INTENDED TO CAPTURE THE ANCESTRAL CONNECTION AS WELL AS THE CONTEMPORARY, LIKE WE ARE STILL HERE, AND THAT THEY MAY BE ORGANIZED AROUND DIFFERENT POLITICAL IDENTITIES, WHICH IS NOT UPON THE DISTRICT TO RECOGNIZE, JUST TO BE STRESSED.

THAT IS NOT OUR ROLE AND SO WITH THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, THE ADAPTATIONS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN BOTH ON THE SPECIFICITY OF LOCATION. SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IN A BIT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPEAKER AND RELEVANCE OF THE EVENT.

SO WHEN WE PRESENTED THIS ONE, IT'S KIND OF A, I DON'T WANT TO SAY SAFE, BUT RATHER IT'S A HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TERMS THAT YOU CAN USE THIS AS ANY DISTRICT EVENT, AND YET, IF WE WANT TO BE SPECIFIC, DEPENDING ON THE SITE THAT WE'RE ARE OR SOMETHING ELSE, THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE ADAPTATIONS MAY BE APPROPRIATE. SO THE ADAPTATIONS YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROVIDING ACTUALLY WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR STAFF. SO THEY'RE BOTH SUPPORTED WITH THE ADAPTATIONS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE OF THEIR EXPERTISE AND ABILITY. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE EXPERTISE ACROSS DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE WANT THEM TO KIND OF BOTH BE SUPPORTED AND KNOW, LIKE YOU CAN APPLY THAT WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, AND ALSO, IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, IT'S ALSO TOTALLY OKAY.

WE'RE NOT EXPECTING EVERYBODY TO HAVE EXPERTISE AROUND THIS AND SAY, AM I GOING TO SAY THE RIGHT WORD OR SAY THE WRONG WORD OR WHATNOT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, AT SPECIFIC PARKS SUCH AS TILDEN, IF THE SPEAKER FEELS COMFORTABLE IDENTIFYING A SHARED TERRITORY BOUNDARY THAT MAY BE APPLICABLE AT A SPECIFIC PARK WHERE THE LANGUAGE AND ETHNOGRAPHIC KIND OF VILLAGE ARE KNOWN, SUCH AS COYOTE HILLS. SO IT MAY SOUND. IT MAY SOUND SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL THE LANDS WITHIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE EAST BAY OHLONE, BAY MIWOK AND THE NORTHERN VALLEY YOKUT. SPECIFICALLY, HERE WE ARE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CHOCHENYO OHLONE SPEAKING TUBEN, LOCATED WITHIN THE VICINITY OF WHAT IS NOW NEWARK FREMONT.

TODAY, THE OHLONE SPEAKERS ARE POLITICALLY ORGANIZED AND REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OF TRIBES.

THE MEMBERS OF THESE TRIBES ARE HERE AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS.

WE CONTINUE TO ENABLE ACCESS FOR THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS AT COYOTE HILLS, AND SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE PROGRAMMATICALLY IS HAPPENING, HAS BEEN HAPPENING, WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, SUCH AS THE GATHERING OF LONELY PEOPLES AT COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK, AND EVEN AS WE'RE DOING THAT, THOUGH, THE IDEA IS WE'RE NOT DOING IT THE SAME WAY WE DID IT FIVE YEARS AGO.

BECAUSE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE MUCH MORE BETTER RESOURCED AS WELL AS HAVE THE FRAMEWORKS TO DO THIS WORK IN A WAY THAT IS ALSO MORE CONSIDERATE, NOT JUST OF WHO THE NATIVE, YOU KNOW, GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES ARE AT COYOTE HILLS, BUT ANCESTRALLY, WHO HAS BEEN THERE, WHO'S INVITED FOR WHAT REASONS, AND HOW THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT COORDINATE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE THIS ARE BOTH TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE FROM PUBLIC SAFETY TO PARK OPS TO STEWARDSHIP AS WELL AS PLANNING. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE ORIENTING AROUND THAT.

NOW, TO CLOSE YOU HEARD ME SAY THIS AND I'LL KIND OF SAY IT AGAIN.

THE WORK IS ITERATIVE. SO THAT IS PART OF THE FEEDBACK.

AGAIN, WE RECEIVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE A LIVING DOCUMENT AND PROCESS, AND THIS IS ALSO JUST ONE PIECE.

IDEALLY THIS IS ORIENTED AROUND ACTION, WHICH THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP.

PART OF THAT IS THE BUILD UP OF THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT AND A MORE STRATEGIC COORDINATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON WHAT THAT FRAMEWORK LOOKS LIKE FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT THAT'S REALLY ALIGNED TO DISTRICT WIDE WORK AND DOESN'T JUST RESIDE ON ONE PERSON, ON ONE UNIT, ON ONE TEAM, FOR EXAMPLE, INDEPENDENT IN THAT WAY, AND IT CAN FEEL SOME MAYBE

[00:50:01]

SO PART OF THE CHANGES HAPPEN WITH THAT, AND , YOU KNOW, EVEN INTERNALLY, WE MAY GET FEEDBACK WITH TRIBAL MEMBERS THAT MAY PREFER ONE VERSION OVER ANOTHER, AND YOU MIGHT GET FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF PREFERRING NO LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AT ALL.

THAT IS ALL. OKAY. THE VALUE HERE, AND I THINK WHAT WE KEEP CENTERING ON IS THE PROCESS OF INTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH TRIBES AND TRIBAL CITIZENS.

IT IS THIS QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP, AND I THINK WE HEARD THAT COME UP AT ANDY'S PUBLIC COMMENT LAST BOARD MEETING.

RIGHT. THAT APPRECIATION AND NOTICING THAT DIFFERENCE.

SO THIS BETWEEN EITHER INDIVIDUAL STAFF MEMBERS, THE PARK DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, WITH TRIBES, WHERE WE FIND KIND OF THE ULTIMATE VALUE AND I THINK IT'S REALLY AROUND THESE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE PARK, DISTRICT AND TRIBES PROGRESSING TOWARDS THAT KIND OF MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FUTURE THAT IT'S THERE IN THE ASPIRATION, BUT WE'VE BEEN REALLY DOING A LOT OF THE RESOURCING AND KIND OF STRATEGIC STRUCTURING AND APPROACH TO DO THIS WELL.

BECAUSE IT DOES SHOW UP AT THE END. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE IT THERE AND SAY THANK YOU.

IT IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM. THERE IS NO REQUEST FROM THE BOARD.

NO BOARD ACTION. ALL RIGHT. INFORMATIONAL ONLY.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? SURE, OLIVIA. SURE.

YEAH. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION.

I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT. I'M REALLY GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO INCORPORATE SOME OF ANDY'S COMMENTS AT OUR BOARD MEETING FROM NOVEMBER.

AS AS WE ALSO DISCUSSED AT THE NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING, ANDY, IT WAS THE POINT PERSON FOR THE RECENT CHANGES MADE TO THE ACTUAL MISSION, MISSION SAN JOSE AND FREMONT THEIR MUSEUM EXHIBITS, AND I BELIEVE THAT OPENED THE NEW EXHIBITS OPENED MID-DECEMBER, AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY GREAT IF WE CAN SOMEHOW COORDINATE, YOU KNOW, A TIME TO GO AND SEE WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO AT MISSION SAN JOSE.

I BELIEVE THAT HE HELPED LEAD SOME CHANGES TO MAKE IT VERY YOU KNOW, TO HELP PRESENT THE HISTORY FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES, NOT JUST THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HE IS ALSO CATHOLIC.

SO I THINK THAT HE IS A VERY GOOD PERSON TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES.

I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE DO HAVE THE COYOTE HILLS EXHIBIT CHANGES LISTED, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH IN REGARDS TO OUR 2025 BUDGET, AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION IT WAS IN 2022 THAT THE TRAIL MARKERS AT COYOTE HILLS WERE CREATED TO ALSO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE ON THE TRAIL MARKERS, AND I THINK THAT 'S SUCH A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I WANT TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, SO FIRST OF ALL, THINKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL MISSION, MISSION SAN JOSE, THAT'S WHAT MISSION PEAK. THE MISSION PEAK IS NAMED AFTER, AND I THINK REALLY TRYING TO BETTER PRESENT THAT HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA MISSIONS IS SO IMPORTANT, AND IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT NEAR MISSION SAN JOSE, WE HAVE WE HAVE OHLONE COLLEGE AS WELL AS THE OHLONE COLLEGE PARKING STRUCTURE, WHICH WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND OHLONE COLLEGE, WHICH PROVIDES ACCESS AND A TRAIL TO MISSION PEAK AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR SECOND OPTION ON THE WEEKENDS. IN REGARDS TO THE STANFORD STAGING AREA BECOMING CROWDED.

SO I THINK THAT 'S REALLY WONDERFUL, AND THE FINAL POINT I WANT TO MAKE, AND I THINK THIS ALSO CAME UP AT THE NOVEMBER 2024 BOARD MEETING WITH ANDY WHEN HE WAS HERE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR SUNOL HERITAGE FESTIVAL, WHICH HAD ORIGINALLY STARTED OFF, I BELIEVE, AS THE SUNOL HOOTENANNY FESTIVAL, REALLY CELEBRATING COWBOY CULTURE, AND AT SOME POINT WE DECIDED TO EVOLVE THAT TO CELEBRATE THE HERITAGE OF SUNOL AND TO CELEBRATE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD DECISION BY THE PARK DISTRICT TO DO THAT, BECAUSE AT THE 2024 FESTIVAL, ANDY DID SHARE HIS STORY ABOUT HOW SUNOL SPECIFICALLY WHERE AND NEAR SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS THAT ENDED UP BECOMING A VERY IMPORTANT PLACE FOR HIS ANCESTORS TO.

HIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CALIFORNIA MISSION SYSTEM AND THE BOARDING SCHOOLS.

THAT HAPPENED NEAR MISSION SAN JOSE, AND I THINK THAT 'S A REALLY IMPORTANT STORY.

TO CONSIDER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AREA OF SUNOL REGIONAL.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. IS IT JUST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS POINT.

I MEAN I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T WANT TO FALL ON MY SWORD ON THIS TOPIC IS NOT THAT CRITICAL IMPORTANT, BUT JUST A PERSPECTIVE. I ACTUALLY COME FROM 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT THE FEDERAL AGENCY,

[00:55:03]

SO I'M JUST I COME JUST WITH THESE QUESTIONS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CAUTION OR CARE, BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HEARD THE TERM CHAIR OF THE OHLONE BEFORE, AND I HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE OTHER TRIBES AND WORKING LOCALLY AS A FORMER MAYOR IN MORAGA, THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE WORKED CLOSELY WITH GARRETT AND KARINA GOULD TO BRING NEW NOMENCLATURE TO MOUNT DIABLO BOULEVARD AND THEN WE HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE REMATRIATION THAT'S GONE ON IN OAKLAND, AND THE NAMES CONFUSE THE HECK OUT OF ME, AND SO I A LITTLE I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW THOROUGH AND HAS LEGAL REVIEWED THIS? BECAUSE IN MY WORK AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE COULDN'T EVEN SPEAK TO A TRIBAL MEMBER WITHOUT A LAWYER ALONGSIDE US, IN ALL HONESTY, AND WE HAD TRAINING EVERY YEAR.

SO I BRING THIS SORT OF SENSITIVITY ON PROCESS.

SO THAT'S SORT OF MY FIRST QUESTION, AND THE OTHER IS MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL OR A CONNECTION OF STEPPING BACK BECAUSE NOT JUST THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE, BUT WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IS THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD WITH THE LAND BRINGING THAT FORWARD.

EVEN IN THE STATEMENT I MADE EARLIER ABOUT THE CONSERVATION OF OUR LANDS.

SO I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS A REASON THAT WE REMOVED ONE LINE IN PARTICULAR THAT I LOVED AND WHY I'M HERE TODAY AND GOT SWORN IN TODAY. WAS THAT TO LIVE IN RECIPROCITY, IN RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE? SO THAT WAS IN THE EARLIER ONE. SO IT'S KIND OF A QUESTION AND A COMMENT.

I JUST WANT TO USE CARE. THERE'S OTHERS BESIDES KARINA GOULD THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH, VINCENT MEDINA, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT ABOUT SOVEREIGN FIGHTING WITH THE MUWEKMA.

SORRY IF I'M SAYING THAT WRONG, AS WELL AS THE CONFEDERATE VILLAGES OF LISJAN .

JOHN. SO I DON'T KNOW, JUST IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON ON THE VETTING OF THE LEGAL OF THIS THAT WE'RE NOT OFFENDING ANYONE, INCLUDING PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE, AND THEN MY COMMENT OF WAS THERE A REASON TO LEAVE OFF SORT OF THE MORE CONNECTION WITH THE LAND THESE FIRST PEOPLE'S STEWARDS OF THE LAND? SO WON'T BE MY ROLE TO COMMENT ON, LEGAL OR SPEAK FOR, AND I CAN'T SAY THAT CULTURAL RESOURCES DEFINITELY COORDINATES WITH LEGAL AND SO THAT SO THAT'S THERE, AND HAVING SAID THAT, PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN THE EAST BAY. WHICH TO YOUR POINT THEN, THAT BRINGS IN VERY SPECIFIC PROCESSING GUIDELINES.

SO WE HAVE BUT THEN SPEAKING IN TERMS OF NON-FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES, SAME THING.

THIS IS WHY I MENTIONED KIND OF OUR ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT STATE GUIDANCE IS.

WE'RE ALSO A SPECIAL DISTRICT, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, THEN FACTORS INTO SOME OF THOSE PROCESSING GUIDELINES.

SO HAVING SAID THAT, THAT'S ALSO WHY I MENTIONED THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF ONE OF THE ENTITIES THAT'S IDENTIFIED AT THE STATE LEVEL IN TERMS OF HAVING THAT PROCESS WITHOUT NECESSARILY GRANTING LIKE STATE RECOGNITION AND AGAIN, WHY WE THE DISTRICT IS NOT THE ONE THAT BESTOWS RECOGNITION.

SO THE ATTENTIVENESS AND CARE IS DEFINITELY THERE, AND , YOU KNOW, IF ANNAMARIE WANTS TO SPEAK TO THAT, I WELCOME, BUT JUST LET ME KNOW THAT IS DEFINITELY THERE.

IT'S PART OF WHY THIS PROCESS CLARIFYING WHILE YOU'RE THERE. SO HAS THE STATE RECOGNIZED THIS PERSON AS CHAIR OF OHLONE? THEY ARE LISTED THROUGH THERE, AND SO THE 3 TO 4, CURRENTLY THE 3 TO 4 CONTEMPORARY.

YEAH, PLEASE GO FOR IT. I WAS SORRY. HI, I'M ANNAMARIE.

I'M THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT.

I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE CONFUSION.

SO WHEN WE GET THE LIST FROM THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMISSION.

FOR WHAT? TRIBES. THANK YOU. ARE ON THE ON THE LIST.

SO WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONFEDERATED VILLAGES OF LISJAN NATION AND THEIR CHAIRPERSON IS KARINA GOULD.

THEN THERE WOULD BE THE MUWEKMA TRIBE, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER TRIBE THAT'S CALLED THE OHLONE INDIAN TRIBE, AND SO THAT IS THE TRIBE THAT ANDREW GALVAN LIKE THAT'S THE NAME HE BESTOWED UPON HIS TRIBE.

SO WHEN HE SO HE HAS SPECIFIC MEMBERS THAT ARE A PART OF THE OHLONE INDIAN TRIBE, AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THERE ALSO ARE NOT EAST BAY OHLONE MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THE MUWEKMA AND THE CONFEDERATED VILLAGES OF LISJAN NATION.

SO HE'S NOT SO HE'S JUST SAYING THAT HE'S CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRIBE, THAT HE'S POLITICALLY IDENTIFIED AS THE INDIAN TRIBE.

DOES THAT HELP A LITTLE BIT? WELL, DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND CULTURAL TEAM IS GOING TO GET A WHOLE

[01:00:01]

I JUST, LIKE I SAID, KIND OF WANTED TO. I HAVE NO DOUBT IN STAFF TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION OR CARE AND LEGAL TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT.

THIS IS JUST A TOPIC. I'VE WORKED WITH THE WASHOE COMMUNITY FOR A COUPLE DECADES, AND IT'S JUST TRUE TO MY HEART, AND I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE, AND WHAT ABOUT MY SECOND COMMENT ABOUT ADDING BACK IN SOME RECOGNITION OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND, THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN THERE BEFORE, LIKE JOSE WAS SAYING, THIS IS DEFINITELY A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING WE'RE IN CONSTANT CONVERSATION WITH TRIBES.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO THEM. WE ALWAYS GET FEEDBACK AND CHANGE AND, YOU KNOW, TWEAK THINGS. SO THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, A VERSION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME UP WITH TOGETHER THAT WE'VE ALL TENTATIVELY AGREED ON. SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT WON'T EVER CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. YEAH, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK IT SPEAKS TO CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE AND HOW WE'LL BE SUPPORTING STAFF. SO WHEN WE SAY OHLONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE MIGHT HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT IN THIS BROAD TERM, BUT IT CAN MEAN THESE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS IN TERMS OF THE ANCESTRAL CONNECTION AS WELL AS HOW THEY ARE CONTEMPORARILY POLITICALLY ORGANIZED.

SO YEAH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE, AND THERE'LL DEFINITELY BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER WAYS FOR BOARD ENGAGEMENT.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OUT THERE ON THIS? NO WE DON'T, PRESIDENT MERCURIO. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO THANK THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK.

UNFORTUNATELY, I MISSED THAT MEETING. I WAS I WAS AWAY, AND THE ONE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF NOVEMBER.

YEAH, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT THE BOARD HAS DONE AND YOU'VE DONE.

I ALSO REALLY LIKE THE LIST THAT YOU CAME UP WITH.

USEFUL INFO AND RESOURCES. I MEAN, AS AN AMATEUR HISTORIAN, I MEAN, I WOULD JUST LOOK AT THAT JUST FOR A WHOLE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S THOSE ARE GREAT LINKS INTO TREMENDOUS EDUCATIONAL DATABASES OR WHATEVER.

YEAH, NO, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. THAT WAS PART OF THE INTENTION SO THAT AS YOU HAD MORE INTEREST, IT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD DIG IN DEEPER. YEAH.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE I NEED TO TEAR THAT PAGE OUT AND KEEP IT SOMEWHERE.

SO WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OR QUESTIONS AND WE DON'T NEED A MOTION, SO I GUESS WE'RE FINISHED WITH THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH. I CAN'T PRONOUNCE THAT NAME DENHAM CARR AND REID IN THE AMOUNT OF $156,000 FOR GENERAL FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONSULTING SERVICES, AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO TELL ME HOW THAT NAME IS PRONOUNCED THAT STARTS WITH A K.

SURE. ERICH PFUEHLER DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.

WE ARE HERE BEFORE YOU WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH KOUNTOUPES DENHAM CARR AND REID .

AN RFP WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 30TH OF 2024 FOR FEDERAL ADVOCACY SERVICES, GENERAL SERVICES, AND IT WAS EXTENDED TO OCTOBER. OCTOBER 11TH.

THREE PROPOSALS WERE RECEIVED. KOUNTOUPES DENHAM CARR AND REID, CAPRI AND CLAY, AND FAIROX.

THEY WERE INTERVIEWED WITH THE EXACT EXACT IDENTICAL QUESTIONS, AND OUR STAFF, GENERAL MANA GER AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH KDCR. THEY ARE A VERY DIVERSIFIED FIRM. THEY'RE BICAMERAL, BIPARTISAN.

THEY HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH ADMINISTRATIONS, AND THEY'RE ALSO MULTIGENERATIONAL, AND THEY DO HAVE A FAIR BIT OF STAFF CAPACITY WITH A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE THAT COULD FURTHER ADVANCE THE DISTRICT'S MISSION.

LISA KOUNTOUPES--WHO IS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS TODAY, IF THERE ARE ANY--IS WAS THE FOUNDER OF KDCR IN 2007. SHE PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AS A LIAISON TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SHE ALSO WORKED ON THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE WITH THEN FORMER CHAIRMAN JOHN DINGELL, AND HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THE DC SPACE FOR QUITE, QUITE A LONG TIME, BUT SHE DOES HAVE EAST BAY FAMILY CONNECTIONS AND KNOWS THE PARK

[01:05:06]

THEY THEIR CONTRACT SCOPE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING WOULD INCLUDE CONTINUED WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE U.S.

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, IN ADDITION TO OUR REGULAR WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.

WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECTS WILL CONTINUE.

THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEW CONGRESS IN THEIR RULEMAKING PROCESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO ELIMINATE THOSE, AND THEY DID NOT. SO WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE, AND ALSO, GIVEN THE NARROW MAJORITIES, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF OUR DELEGATION TO BE ACTIVE ON CERTAIN PARTICULAR ISSUES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE COMMITTEES THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, KNOWLEDGE, E2 STRATEGIES, AND PETER UMHOEFER. THERE HAS BEEN A LONG HISTORY WITH HIM, BOTH ME PERSONALLY, BUT ALSO WITH THE DISTRICT. HIS WORK WHEN HE CAME TO US IN 2010, 2009 ON TIGER TWO, SECURING THAT GRANT, AND HIS ONGOING WORK WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR.

PETER CHOSE NOT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL. HE THEN ALSO COMMUNICATED TO STAFF THAT HE IS WORKING ON A MORE SPECIALIZED PORTFOLIO, AND GENERAL SERVICES WEREN'T EXACTLY IN THAT PORTFOLIO.

SO I DO WANT TO THANK, RECOGNIZE AND THANK HIM FOR HIS WORK, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM SHOULD WE HAVE A NEED FOR A SPECIALIZED PROJECT, AND HE'S CERTAINLY OPEN TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO WITH THAT, WE ARE SEEKING APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT FOR KDCR FOR 2025 GENERAL ADVOCACY SERVICES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ERIC, AND AS MENTIONED LISA IS AVAILABLE ONLINE IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT HER FIRM.

OKAY. VERY GOOD. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? DO YOU WANT TO GO? OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING THIS, AND YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT STRIKES ME, I SEE THAT WE ARE EMPHASIZING THE BIPARTISAN ASPECT OF THIS FIRM AND I KNOW PRESIDENT MERCURIO AND I HAD A VERY NICE WALK AND TALK IN SHADOW CLIFFS OVER I GUESS AT THE START OF THE NEW YEAR, AND I HAD SHARED WITH HIM A STORY ABOUT MY NEIGHBOR, WHO IS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN REGARDS TO BRINGING THE GOLDEN GATE FIELDS HORSE RACES TO THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN PLEASANTON IN THE FALL, WHICH QUICK SIDE NOTE, THOSE HORSE RACES HAVE NOW PERMANENTLY MOVED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SO THEY WILL NOT BE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS, BUT THE FAIR CIRCUIT WILL STILL BE IN PLACE, AND I MENTIONED THIS BECAUSE I SEE AMELIA STILL HERE, AND I THINK THAT WE MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN REGARDS TO WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR CHAMPIONS WITHIN THE EQUESTRIAN SPACE, AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS MY NEIGHBOR WHO IS VERY INTO HORSE RACING.

HE OVER THE HOLIDAYS WAS INVITED TO MAR-A-LAGO AND WAS VERY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH ME HIS PHOTOS WITH OUR INCOMING PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS VISIT TO MAR-A-LAGO, AND I WANT TO SHARE THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE SOMETIMES IS AN ASSUMPTION AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH INTO POLITICS IN THIS COMMENT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION IS THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT, YOU KNOW, BOTH OUR COUNTIES, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA, MAYBE AREN'T AS BIPARTISAN AS THE REST OF THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT 'S ENTIRELY TRUE AND I CAN USE MY OWN PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF MY NEIGHBOR WHO WENT TO MAR-A-LAGO FOR THIS SPECIAL HOLIDAY EVENT BACK IN DECEMBER, AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE RANCHERS THAT I SPEAK TO IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE LOCATED NEAR OUR PARKS, SUCH AS DEL VALLE, OHLONE WILDERNESS,

[01:10:01]

CERTAINLY. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE SENATE AND HOW EACH STATE HAS TWO SENATORS, THERE ARE SOME STATES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE RANCHING COMMUNITY AND THE EQUESTRIAN LIFESTYLE IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

I THINK THE FACT THAT WE BRING THIS TO THE EAST BAY IS AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR US TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BIPARTISAN ASPECT.

SO I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTION HERE. I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN LEVERAGE SOME OF THIS WITHIN YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER I GUESS MORE OF OUR TALKING POINTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.. CERTAINLY, WE WILL TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION, AND WE'LL OBVIOUSLY BE WORKING WITH KDCR TO FINALIZE THOSE KIND OF MESSAGING STRATEGIES.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? JUST HAVE A COMMENT. SURE. YEAH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT, ERICH.

YOU KNOW, FROM THE LEG' COMMITTEE, I ASKED TO BE PUT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND LOOK INTO THE BACKGROUND OF THE FIRMS AND THE OUTCOME, AND I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY MENTION I'M GOING TO BE VOTING NO ON THIS CONTRACT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR IT'S NOT A REFLECTION ON THE FIRM THAT WE'RE HIRING.

I'VE GOT VERY GOOD FEEDBACK ON THAT FIRM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM, BUT I SIMPLY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED AN OUTCOME.

I'M CONFIDENT WE COULD HAVE HAD AN OUTCOME IN WHICH PETER UMHOEFER REMAINED OUR CHIEF FEDERAL ADVOCATE.

OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I WAS WONDERING, SO WE'RE GOING TO THE PROPOSAL IS TO PAY KATY 156,000. WHAT WAS PETER OR E2 STRATEGIES CONTRACT? HOW MUCH DO WE PAY THEM IN 2024? I'M NOT RECALLING THE EXACT AMOUNT, BUT IT IS WITHIN THE SAME GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, AND THEN IT'S IN THE TEXT OF THE REPORT HERE.

IT SAYS IT'S ALSO EXPECTED THE TEAM WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE BOARD AND STAFF DURING THE PROPOSED 2025 ADVOCACY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. CAN YOU SHARE ANY HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT THAT MEANS OR WHAT THEIR LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION WILL BE? SURE. WELL, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THAT PARTICULAR CONFERENCE, A LOT OF WORK FROM OUR INTERNAL STAFF IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING THE MEETINGS AND MAKING AND ORGANIZING THE TALKING POINTS AND ALL THE BACKGROUND MATERIAL.

WE DO BELIEVE THAT KDCR DOES HAVE CAPACITY TO HELP WITH BOTH SCHEDULING AND ALSO SOME OF THE LOGISTICS WHILE WE WERE THERE.

WE WILL CERTAINLY WORK WITH YOU ALL AND WITH THE FIRM IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING MESSAGING STRATEGY AND TALKING POINTS.

SO THEY HAVE CAPACITY TO HELP US WITH THAT WORK IN A, AS DIRECTOR SANWONG MENTIONED, IN A MORE BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL FASHION. SO WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE STRATEGY, ENGAGEMENT FROM THEM ON SOME OF THOSE REFINED TALKING POINTS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, AND THEN, WITH THE SAME FEELINGS THAT DIRECTOR COFFEY HAD, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH KDCR, BUT I WILL VOTE NO ON THIS. BASED ON PETER'S GREAT RECORD WITH US AND GREAT PERFORMANCE WITH US.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GO AHEAD.

HAVE A QUESTION. YES YOU CAN. YES. ASK A QUESTION.

SURE. PHRASE MY QUESTION. AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, I'M NOT SURE I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE I'M UNCLEAR WITH DIRECTOR COFFEY AND WAESPI COMMENTS. IF THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED TODAY WITH THE PETER, AND THEN MY QUESTION IS THIS AN IN-HOUSE STAFF POSITION VERSUS A CONSULTANT? IS THERE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I'M MISSING? I'M NOT SURE I'M COMPLETELY, 100% UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION.

ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS THAT AREN'T PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT WITH THIS OTHER CONSULTANT REFERENCED, OR OPTIONS THAT I'M MISSING OR MISUNDERSTANDING?

[01:15:05]

IS THAT RIGHT? THREE. THREE FIRMS THAT RESPONDED.

OUR PREVIOUS CONSULTANT DID NOT PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL, AND SO WE CHOSE ONE OF THOSE THREE FIRMS. DOES THAT DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NOT COMPLETELY, BUT I GUESS WE CAN MOVE ON. JUST IS THIS FOR CONSULTING OR IN-HOUSE FTE? THIS IS FOR CONSULTING. OUTSIDE CONSULTING? YES, WE IT WAS PREVIOUSLY.

THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THAT. CORRECT. IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS.

YES. I WILL JUST COMMENT THAT THIS IS A ONE YEAR CONTRACT.

CORRECT? YES, AND THEN THERE'S AN OPTION TO EXTEND.

RIGHT? YES. SO YOU KNOW, I HAD THE SAME KIND OF CONCERNS THAT MY COLLEAGUES, DIRECTORS COFFEY AND WAESPI HAD. I KNOW PETER UMHOEFER AND I KNOW OF HIS WORK.

I WAS ONLY ON THE BOARD FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS WHILE HE WAS WORKING FOR US, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT HE DID GREAT WORK. HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN SAID HE DID NOT.

HE DID NOT APPLY. NOW WE REALLY CAN'T GET INTO WHY HE DIDN'T APPLY BUT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THERE.

YEAH, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THERE THAT'S BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT I'D BE IN FAVOR OF THIS, BUT TAKING A REAL CLOSE LOOK AT YOU KNOW, HOW THIS FIRM PERFORMS AND IF THEY, AND IT'S FOR A YEAR I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO PROVE HOW THE CONNECTIONS SOUND.

IT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO THINGS.

THERE'S HOW THINGS LOOK ON PAPER AND HOW THEY REALLY DO, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY LOOK GREAT ON PAPER.

LET'S SEE HOW THEY DO. SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN SUPPORT THIS, BUT , YOU KNOW, I DO RESPECT THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THIS ALL HOW THIS HOW THIS ALL WENT DOWN.

HAPPY TO TALK OFFLINE, TOO, ABOUT OUR PROCESS FOR SELECTING THE FIRM AND ANY CONCERNS OR JUST GOALS OF THE PROGRAM IN GENERAL.

YEAH, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE OPTION TO ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE TOO.

SO IF THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT THAT IS THAT IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.

SO IT IS OUR TASK TO APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE THIS.

SO AT THIS POINT, I AM LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THIS CONTRACT.

PRESIDENT MERCURIO, WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE DO HAVE THAT. YES, WE DO HAVE A COMMENT. YOU DO BRING UP A VALID POINT, AND SHE'S RIGHT HERE.

SHE'S RIGHT HERE. THREE MINUTES. HI. AMELIA MARSHALL FROM CALIFORNIA STATE HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION, REGION FIVE. IF I UNDERSTAND DIRECTOR SANWONG'S INQUIRY CORRECTLY, YOU ARE WONDERING WHETHER EQUESTRIANS IN THE DISTRICT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JOINING FORCES WITH THIS FIRM THAT MAY BE HIRED TO FOR MESSAGING. IS THAT CORRECT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION? YES, I CAN CLARIFY. I THINK THAT WE CAN WHEN WE GO TO WASHINGTON, D.C., I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO TO INCORPORATE THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH EQUESTRIANS AND THE WORK THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO WITH EQUESTRIANS, AND I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, AND I KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN AND FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO SO, YEAH, WE'D BE HAPPY TO WORK.

AS FAR AS EQUESTRIAN INTERESTS ALIGN WITH PARK DISTRICT POLICIES.

I WILL SAY THAT THE EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY IS FAMOUS FOR NOT BEING A MONOLITH WHEN IT COMES TO SHARED OPINIONS, AND WE'VE GOT SOME COWBOYS WHO ARE STONE RIGHT WINGERS AND WOULD BE QUITE HAPPY TO GO TO MAR-A-LAGO, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WOULD NOT BE SEEN, YOU KNOW, DEAD THERE, AND I'M ONE OF ONE OF THEM.

SO, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT ON ANY PARTICULARS RELATED TO THIS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FOLKS WANTING TO COMMENT ON THIS? NO WE DON'T, PRESIDENT MERCURIO. OKAY, BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER.

DIRECTOR ESPAÑA. HI. SO AS FAR AS IN THE CONVERSATION, I HEAR THAT THERE'S A PRESENT, THERE'S A PREFERENCE FOR SOMEONE WHO THE BOARD HAS WORKED WITH IN THE PAST, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S PROBABLY AN OUTSIDE CONVERSATION,

[01:20:07]

SO IF WE DON'T MAKE A DECISION ON A GROUP TODAY, THEN WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND HAVE AN RFP PROCESS.

SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION TO MAYBE HAVE OFFLINE, AND THAT'S IF THERE'S A PREFERENCE FOR THIS ONE ORGANIZATION, THEN TALKING ABOUT THAT DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROCESS, BUT THEN RIGHT NOW HERE, IF WE DIDN'T MAKE A DECISION ABOUT ONE OF THESE TWO, THEN THAT'S DELAYING US ON OUR ADVOCACY AND PUTTING US BEHIND FOR THE YEAR BECAUSE THIS IS A ONE YEAR CONTRACT.

SO EVEN THOUGH I'M NEWER, I'M KIND OF MORE ON THE SIDE OF JUST AS FAR AS EVALUATING WHAT IS PRESENT IN FRONT OF US AND THEN ALSO GOING INTO THAT PROCESS WHERE WE DISCUSS HOW THERE'S A DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE FOR THE FUTURE AS FAR AS WHAT THAT WOULD BE, BUT THEN ALSO GIVING THIS ORGANIZATION THE GRACE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AND SEE, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING ELSE THAT DOES NEED TO BE DISCUSSED, BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KIND OF LOOK AT IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED, WE MIGHT BE DOING OURSELVES A DISSERVICE. OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN? YES. OKAY. GO AHEAD AND SPEAK AGAIN. JUST CLARIFYING ON WHAT LUANA JUST RAISED.

WHAT WILL BE WHAT WOULD STAFF LOSE? WHAT? HOW URGENT IS THIS? SO IF WE DON'T IF YOUR BOARD DOES NOT APPROVE THIS CONTRACT, THEN WE WOULD NOT HAVE A FEDERAL LOBBYIST UNTIL YOUR BOARD DOES TAKE ACTION. IS THAT CORRECT? JUST TO ADD TO THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S MID-JANUARY AND ACTIVITY IS ALREADY OCCURRING AND GIVEN THE PROCESS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT PROBABLY NOT HAVING A CONSULTANT RETAINED UNTIL MARCH AT THE EARLIEST, GIVEN THE COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE HEARING, AND THEN ALSO BRINGING SOMETHING BEFORE THE BOARD AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE'D NEED TO LEAVE THE RFP OPEN.

SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE BEHIND FOR THE YEAR.

IF I MAY, FOR JUST CONTEXT, ON OUR RFP PROCESS IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, WE TYPICALLY POST BRING ATTENTION TO THAT POST.

IT'S ONLINE FOR ABOUT A MONTH'S TIME. THEN THE REVIEW, EVALUATION AND REVIEW PROCESS OR INTERVIEW PROCESS TAKES ABOUT ANOTHER MONTH.

WE WOULD THEN BRING THE RFP PROPOSAL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION AND THEN THE FULL BOARD, AND SO MARCH IS A NICE TIMELINE, BUT I DO WANT TO CAUTION THE BOARD.

IT MAY TAKE US INTO CLOSER TO MAY, WHICH WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR FEDERAL ADVOCACY VISIT.

SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT CONTEXT OF THE TYPICAL TIMELINE FOR AN RFP PROCESS.

IF WE WANT TO GO OUT AND DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE YET AGAIN WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD.

YES. JUST TO CLARIFY, I'M WONDERING WHY WE CONTINUALLY GET PUT IN THIS POSITION WHERE, GEEZ, IF YOU DON'T VOTE FOR IT TODAY, WE'RE DOWN THE TUBES.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE OR IS THERE ANY DRAWBACK OR IS THERE ANYTHING WOULD BE LESS VALUABLE IF WE HELD THE RFP PROCESS IN SEPTEMBER SO THAT WE COULD MAYBE TALK ABOUT IT IN DECEMBER AND THEN NOT BE PUT IN THESE POSITIONS OF, YOU GOT TO VOTE FOR IT TODAY, OR WE'RE DOWN THE TUBES FOR UNTIL MID-YEAR OR WHATEVER THE WHATEVER PEOPLE ARE SAYING HERE.

I THINK WE'D ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS. WE WERE GOING TO BRING THIS EARLIER AND YOUR BOARD REQUESTED WE PUSH IT OUT.

SO OR THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE? YEAH. SO WE'D ACTUALLY HOPE TO HOPE TO BRING IT WITH SOME MORE TIME.

THANK YOU, AND THEN JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS RFP WAS POSTED IN SEPTEMBER.

IT WAS UP FOR ONE MONTH'S TIME. WE RECEIVED ONLY ONE RESPONSE.

BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WANTED TO HAVE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.

SO WE EXTENDED IT THROUGH OCTOBER. SO THAT WAS ONE DELAY.

THEN WE DID BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY FROM THAT CONVERSATION THAT IT GOT PUSHED OUT TO TODAY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS, BUT I THINK THERE'S JUST KIND OF LOOK AT HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

[01:25:03]

I MEAN, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT THE PRODUCT IS WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, NOT WHO DOES IT.

SO WE WANT TO SEE SOME RESULTS. SO AT THIS POINT OKAY, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS. THEN I WILL ASK FOR A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THIS CONTRACT. MOVE. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THIS CONTRACT. IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND IT.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO A ROLL CALL.

OKAY. YEAH.

SO IT'S TWO NOES, ONE ABSTAIN, AND THREE YESES.

SO IT PASSES. SO IT PASSES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. SO NOW MOVING ALONG, WE HAVE ERICH AGAIN, I GUESS.

THE INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE 2025 SACRAMENTO ADVOCACY CONFERENCE COMING UP SOON.

THANK YOU. ERICH PFUEHLER DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, AND JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED STATE ADVOCACY CONFERENCE IN SACRAMENTO, SEPTEMBER 20TH. I'M SORRY, JANUARY 28TH, 2025.

JUST AN OVERVIEW OF LOGISTICS. WE WILL BE GATHERING AT OUR CONSULTANTS SPACE IN SACRAMENTO ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING. TIME IS TO BE DETERMINED IN THE MORNING, BUT WE'LL PROBABLY BE ON THE RELATIVELY EARLIER SIDE TEN ISH, 9 TO 10. SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME. THERE ARE HOTEL RESERVATIONS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE NIGHT BEFORE, SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY AND GET MOVING EARLY IN THE MORNING OR EARLIER.

WE DO HAVE EIGHT, EIGHT OUT OF OUR 12 ELECTED OFFICES SCHEDULED FOR MEETINGS.

THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE WITH THE ELECTEDS THEMSELVES, AND THERE MAY BE SOME OVERLAP AS WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE ALL THESE MEETINGS IN ONE DAY.

SO SOME BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE SPLIT UP ON THE DAIS, I BELIEVE, OR THE BOOKLET AND ONE PAGERS, POLICY PAPERS AND ONE PAGERS FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BOARD MEMBER DECHAMBEAU.

WE DID SPEAK WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT PARTICULAR PROJECTS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DISCUSS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE BUDGET AND PROP FOUR.

SO THOSE ARE REFLECTED IN THE ONE PAGE SUMMARIES FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS, AND EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL GET A FULL SUITE OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE INTENDING TO DISCUSS. WE ARE GUIDED IN THIS WORK BY THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ENACTED BY THE BOARD IN DECEMBER.

THAT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM HAS OVERARCHING GOALS, BUT ALSO HAS SEVEN SPECIFIC GOALS THAT HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT.

WE HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT OF THE OF THE NAMING OF THEM, BUT NOT THE SUBSTANCE.

SO SEA LEVEL RISE PREPAREDNESS IS EXTREME WEATHER PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH IS NOW TERMED EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS.

[01:30:09]

ALSO WORKING ON PRIORITIZE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH IS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE PROP FOUR IMPLEMENTATION AND STATE BUDGET PROJECT.

PROJECT INFORMATION THAT WE'LL BE SHARING, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WILDFIRE RESILIENCE FUNDING AND ALSO DISCUSSING THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IN THE EAST BAY ON THAT EFFORT. ON THE OVERVIEW, WE OBVIOUSLY, AS WE MENTIONED, WE WILL BE KICKING OFF THE MEETINGS WITH DISCUSSION OF PROP FOUR IN THE BUDGET, AND THERE WILL BE A SLIDE LATER EXPLAINING WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROP FOUR, BUT THAT WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THEIR WARD OR IN THE DISTRICTS OF THE MEMBERS THAT WE'RE MEETING WITH.

WE ARE SEEKING SUPPORT FOR EAST BAY HILLS SPONSORED OR EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT SPONSORED LEGISLATION RECOGNIZING THE EAST BAY HILLS AS AN AREA OF STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE AND THEN WE ARE PROPOSING TO WORK ON MODERNIZING OUR IMPLEMENTATION CODE, PUBLIC RESOURCES, CODE ARTICLE THREE. SO WHERE WE ARE WITH PROPOSITION FOUR, AND I WILL ALSO BE CALLING ON LISA BALDINGER TO CONTINUE THROUGH SOME OF THE BILL LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, BUT WE WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THIS SPACE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WORKING BOTH ON THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY SIDE TO WORK ON LANGUAGE FAVORABLE TO THE PARK DISTRICT INTO SB 837, WHICH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW. WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOME MORE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT DID NOT MAKE IT, BUT WE DID GET A NUMBER OF AREAS WHICH WE'LL GO INTO IN A LITTLE BIT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE PARK DISTRICT OF THE AS IT STATES IN THE BOTTOM HERE, OF THE $10 BILLION AND THE TOTAL BOND, ONE POINT ABOUT ALMOST 2 BILLION OF IT IS OUR PROGRAMS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT.

TRADITIONALLY AND HISTORICALLY HAS COMPETED FOR WELL, WE WERE PART OF A COALITION THAT DID WORK ON GETTING THIS ON THE BALLOT.

IT WAS A NUMBER OF ADVOCACY GROUPS AND LAND TRUSTS AND OTHER ENTITIES THAT WE DID WORK WITH ON MOVING THE LEGISLATION INTO LAW AND THEN ALSO ULTIMATELY ONTO THE BALLOT, WHICH EVENTUALLY DID PASS, AND I WILL HAVE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT. THANK YOU, AND I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT STATE MY NAME FOR THE RECORD EARLIER.

LISA BALDINGER, LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND I'M PLEASED TO CONTINUE THE HIGHLIGHT OF PROPOSED SACRAMENTO TALKING POINTS.

SO ON CLIMATE BOND PROPOSITION FOR WHERE WE ARE IS THAT THE STATE IS GOING AND MAKING A PROPOSAL ON WHICH OF THE FUNDS WITHIN PROPOSITION FOUR SHOULD RECEIVE FUNDING THIS YEAR. SO THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT FORWARD AN INITIAL PROPOSAL.

WE EXPECT TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE BY THE LEGISLATURE, AND AROUND MID-YEAR THOSE FUNDS WILL TURN INTO COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS, AND SO THE INTERESTS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE FUNDS THAT WE COMPETE WELL FOR, FUNDED EARLY SO WE CAN COMPETE FOR THEM EARLY, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING AS PART OF OUR MEETINGS IN SACRAMENTO, IS ENCOURAGING OUR DELEGATION TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF FOR THE COMPETITIVE FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT OUR PROJECTS, SERVICES AND INITIATIVES TO RECEIVE THAT EARLY FUNDING.

ONCE THE FUNDING GOES INTO COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS, WE PASS THE BATON OVER TO OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT, AND THEY PUT FORWARD COMPETITIVE GRANT APPLICATIONS ON THE PARK DISTRICT'S BEHALF.

WE GATHER SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY IT LEADS TO PROGRAM AND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION.

SO THAT'S THE IDEAL AVENUE, AND REALLY WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS IS ENCOURAGING THE LEGISLATOR TO HELP DRIVE THIS COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS FORWARD.

SO IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY ASKING OF OUR DELEGATION, AND YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A POLICY REPORT IN THE FOLDER YOU RECEIVED EARLIER TODAY THAT DIVES INTO A BIT MORE DETAIL ON EACH OF THESE, BUT WE HIGHLIGHTED SOME GRANT PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON WATERSHED HEALTH WILDFIRE RESILIENCY IN THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY. THESE ARE ORGANIZED BY CHAPTER, NOT BY PRIORITY.

I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, AND ALSO WITHIN YOUR PACKET WE GAVE SOME EXAMPLE PROJECTS THAT WOULD COMPETE WELL FOR THESE THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO YOU ALL AND SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO OUR DELEGATION. SO STARTING WITH WATERSHED HEALTH, WHICH IS CHAPTER TWO, SOME GRANT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE COULD COMPETE WELL FOR ARE THE REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECTS GRANT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE URBAN STREAMS RESTORATION PROGRAM.

SOME PROJECTS THAT WE PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND MATERIAL FOR YOU ALL ON INCLUDE LAKE TEMESCAL, LAKE ANZA AND LAKE DEL VALLE UNDER WILDFIRE RESILIENCY GRANT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY COMPETED WELL FOR, AND WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD. GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR AGAIN INCLUDE THE REGIONAL FOREST AND FIRE CAPACITY PROGRAM, THE FOREST HEALTH PROGRAM UNDER CAL FIRE, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM.

[01:35:01]

SO GREAT EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK OUT THERE AND THEN THE THIRD CATEGORY IS THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY.

THERE'S TWO PROGRAMS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT COMPETES WELL FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION AUTHORITY ACT AND THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CONSERVANCY PROGRAM.

THE VARIATION BETWEEN THESE TWO PROGRAMS IS THAT THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION AUTHORITY ACT FUNDS SHORELINE PROJECTS, WHEREAS THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CONSERVANCY PROGRAM CAN FUND BOTH SHORELAND AND UPLAND PROJECTS.

IN TERMS OF WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD, THOUGH, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE ON THE SHORELINE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50, WHICH WOULD COMPETE BETTER UNDER THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY CONSERVANCY PROGRAM, BUT THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE PREPARED SOME DOCUMENTATION FOR YOU ON INCLUDE OYSTER BAY, MLK JR SHORELINE, THE TIDEWATER PROJECT, BIG BREAK RESTORATION, HAYWARD MARSH, AND COYOTE HILLS.

SO WITHIN THESE MEETINGS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO USE THE BULK OF THE TIME, OR THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, TO REALLY DISCUSS THOSE PRIORITY PROJECTS AND SHARE WHY THE CLIMATE BOND AND PRIORITIZING THESE CATEGORIES IS IMPORTANT TO THE WORK OF THE PARK DISTRICT, AND OUR SERVICE DELIVERY SHOULD TIME ALLOW. WE DO HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE WANTED TO RECOMMEND.

THE FIRST ONE IS THE EAST BAY HILLS CONSERVATION PROGRAM.

THIS IS A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL THAT'S VERY MUCH INSPIRED BY WORK OF THE SANTA.

EXCUSE ME, SANTA CLARA VALLEY OPEN SPACE AUTHORITY IN 2019, THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY OPEN SPACE AUTHORITY MOVED FORWARD A SIMILAR PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT RECOGNIZED AND CODIFIED THE COYOTE VALLEY AS AN AREA OF STATE IMPORTANCE FOR CONSERVATION.

THAT RECOGNITION WAS OF NO COST TO THE STATE.

HOWEVER, THEY WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT RECOGNITION IN THE BOND PACKAGE TO RECEIVE 25 MILLION OF DIRECT FUNDING FOR THE COYOTE VALLEY.

GOING FORWARD, AS ADDITIONAL BONDS ARE DISCUSSED IN THE FUTURE, WE CANNOT USE THIS FOR THE CLIMATE BOND PROPOSITION FOUR, BUT IN FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS IN COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS, HAVING THIS STATE RECOGNITION WOULD MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE.

IT WOULDN'T IMPACT HOW WE OPERATE OR MANAGE OUR PARKS, AND IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY FOR THE STATE TO REALLY RECOGNIZE AND HEAR FROM US ABOUT THE EAST BAY HILLS, OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION WORK, THE NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL THAT TRAVERSES THOSE HILLS, AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SERVED BY THOSE HILL PARKS, JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION FOR THE EAST BAY HILLS.

AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL, IT IS EXCLUSIVELY EAST BAY PARK PROPERTY.

SO WE'RE NOT ASKING TO INCLUDE JOAQUIN MILLER OR OTHER PROPERTIES, BUT ONLY EAST BAY PARKS, AND THESE INCLUDE THE SOBRANTE RIDGE REGIONAL PRESERVE, THE KENNEDY GROVE REGIONAL RECREATION AREA, THE CHARLES LEE TILDEN REGIONAL PARK. THE TILDEN NATURE AREA.

THE CLAREMONT CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. THE TEMESCAL REGIONAL RECREATION AREA.

SIBLEY VOLCANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE. HUCKLEBERRY BOTANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE.

DOCTOR AURELIA REINHARDT REDWOOD REGIONAL PARK.

ROBERTS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA. LEONA CANYON OPEN SPACE REGIONAL PRESERVE AND ANTHONY CHABOT REGIONAL PARK.

SO THOSE ARE LISTED WITHIN THE POLICY REPORT THAT YOU RECEIVED EARLIER TODAY, AND THEY ARE CONTIGUOUS OR ADJACENT TO THE EAST BAY HILLS IN OUR ORIGINAL PARKLANDS, AND THEN THIRD AGAIN, SHOULD TIME ALLOW, AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, WE ARE PROPOSING A CONVERSATION AROUND OUR PUBLIC RESOURCE CODE ARTICLE THREE MODERNIZATION LEGISLATION. THIS IS A BILL PROPOSAL WE'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS WITH EACH OF YOU IN DEPTH.

IT DOES HAVE 13 PROPOSED SECTIONS, AND SO YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME ON THE TOPIC.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT REALLY, AT A HIGH LEVEL, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS ARE SOME CLEANUP LEGISLATION AND SOME STREAMLINING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES.

SO TO BEGIN, THERE ARE SOME SECTIONS WITHIN THIS CODE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT THAT ARE NO LONGER UTILIZED DUE TO THE SPECIFICITY OF THE CONTEXT OF THAT CODE SECTION, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE SUNSETTED AND ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT.

SO WE ARE PROPOSING TO REMOVE THOSE FROM THE CODE SECTION TO ALLOW FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONS IN THE CODE SECTION GOING FORWARD.

THIS ALSO INCLUDES A PROPOSAL TO ALIGN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE LIMIT WITH THOSE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS OF A SIMILAR POPULATION SIZE.

SO WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT CODE, COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION OF 200,000 OR MORE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE LIMIT WITH BOARD APPROVAL, CAN BE UP TO 200,000. OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE LIMIT IS 50,000, AND SO IT WOULD ALIGN US WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENTS OF OUR SIZE.

THERE IS A PROPOSAL AROUND SHIFTING FROM ADMINISTRATIVELY BURDENSOME CALCULATIONS AROUND BOARD COMPENSATION TO A MONTHLY STIPEND WITH AN AUTOMATIC INCREASE.

THIS WOULD BE AN EFFORT TO STREAMLINE HOW THE BOARD IS SUPPORTED IN THEIR WORK.

IT WOULDN'T BE A SALARY OR AN INCREASE, BUT RATHER TAKING THE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND CHANGING HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED TO SMOOTH OUT THE PROCESS,

[01:40:04]

SOME PLACES IT SAYS HE ONLY, SOME PLACES HE, SHE, AND WE'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT IT SAY THEY THEM THEIRS THROUGHOUT.

THERE ARE A FEW MORE, AND AGAIN HAPPY TO HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL ON THOSE 13 CODE SECTIONS, AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO ERIC. JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE DELEGATION.

THE CURRENT DELEGATION AND JERRY MCNERNEY WAS ELECTED TO THE TRI VALLEY SEAT, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

IMPORTANTLY, HE WILL BE SERVING ON THE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE TWO RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT.

HE'S ALSO HIRED FORMER STAFF PERSON FOR NANCY SKINNER FROM NANCY SKINNER'S OFFICE TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF.

SENATOR WAHAB IS THE ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER.

SENATOR CABALDON WILL BE ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE AND WE DID.

WE'VE ALREADY ENGAGED WITH HIS STAFF AND THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.

FORMER ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND NOW SENATOR TIM GRAYSON IS THE ASSISTANT MAJORITY WHIP AND CONTINUES TO EXPRESS STRONG INTEREST IN WORKING WITH THE PARK DISTRICT AND THEN SENATOR JESSE ARREGUIN IS ALSO ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE, AND HE'LL BE OUR NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT SEVEN IN THE ASSEMBLY. JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW THAT ASSEMBLY MEMBER WILSON IS ON THE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE, FOR WHICH WORKS ON CLIMATE AND NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER BUFFY WICKS IS THE CHAIR OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. VERY IMPORTANT, POWERFUL POSITION IN THE ASSEMBLY, AND THEN ALSO ASSEMBLY MEMBER BAUER-KAHAN WILL BE SERVING ON THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.

ASSEMBLYMEMBER, BONTA ON THE WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE, AND THEN BOTH ASSEMBLMEMBER ORTEGA AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER LEE ARE BOTH ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEES. SO WE DO HAVE VERY GOOD REPRESENTATION FOR THE EAST BAY WITH OUR NEW DELEGATION, AND WITH THAT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

PRESIDENT MERCURIO, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE SENTENCE.

YES. THANK YOU, ERICH. WE PRINTED THIS PACKET ACTUALLY BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET ALSO CAME OUT.

SO WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THAT.

SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT BEFORE WE GO TO SACRAMENTO, IF THERE'S ANY HIGHLIGHTS OR LOWLIGHTS THERE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT WE WILL WE WILL INCLUDE THOSE. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

CERTAINLY WITH THE FIRES AND WITH THE SPECIAL SESSIONS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS CALLED, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO ALSO JUST HAVE SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FLUID, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY IT'S KIND OF GOING TO CHANGE.

SO WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION BEFORE WE GO. OKAY.

GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF.

ANY COMMENTS. YEAH. GO AHEAD. JUST A COMMENT.

I THINK THAT GENERAL MANA GER LANDRETH JUST SUGGESTED IT.

YOU KNOW, WITH THE MAY REVISE IS WILL BE THERE BEFORE THE MAY REVISE, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT YESTERDAY, THE POSSIBILITY OF SUGGESTING THAT THE GOVERNOR WHO, OH, GOD, I CAN'T REMEMBER THIS.

OF THE $10 BILLION CLIMATE BOND, HE'S GOING TO RELEASE 2.7 BILLION THIS YEAR.

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WITH WILDFIRES AND PLENTY OF VEGETATION LEFT TO BURN, HE REALLY OUGHT TO SPEND SOME MONEY QUICKLY.

I WOULDN'T WAIT AROUND TO FOR ALL OF THESE CLIMATE ISSUES, WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE REALLY BASED ON FIRE AND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.

I THINK THIS IS A KEY TIME TO JUMP ON THIS RIGHT AWAY, AND THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR KEY PRIORITIES IN MY OPINION.

YEAH. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WE DID. I NEGLECTED TO MENTION WE NEGLECTED TO MENTION IT EARLIER, THAT THE BUDGET, THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET INCLUDES $2.7 BILLION IN CLIMATE BOND INVESTMENTS. CURRENTLY, THE BUDGET THAT WAS ANNOUNCED ON THE 10TH, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE SOME OF THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR SOME OF THE PROGRAMS. I DO KNOW THAT OUT OF THAT 2.7, 1.5 BILLION WAS FOR FIRE, SO THEY MAY HAVE REACHED CLOSE TO WHAT WAS AUTHORIZED IN THE BOND, BUT I'M SURE THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A OBVIOUSLY A CONTINUING NEED, AND SO WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR GREAT WORK IN THAT SPACE AND ALSO WORKING TO INCREASE SOME OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

OKAY, AND ANY OTHERS? YOU DO? YEAH. OKAY. GO AHEAD.

THANKS SO MUCH. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT OVERVIEW.

IN REGARDS TO THE SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

IN REGARDS TO THE EAST BAY HILLS AREA OF STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE LEGISLATION, AND YOU MENTIONED SANTA CLARA COUNTY AND COYOTE

[01:45:08]

I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR THE DIABLO RANGE.

HAS THAT SIMILAR EFFORT BEEN MADE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND IS IT RECOGNIZED AT THE STATE LEVEL, OR IS THAT STILL ALSO IN A SIMILAR STATUS AS THE EAST BAY HILLS DESIGNATION? I'M NOT SURE HOW ACTIVE THE FEDERAL EFFORT HAS BEEN, BUT THEY CERTAINLY SAY MOUNT DIABLO HAS TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT THEY ARE REALLY LOOKING AT IS ARE AREAS MORE SPECIFIC IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF PART OF THE RANGE IN TERMS OF ACTUAL FEDERAL DESIGNATION.

WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE MORE NORTHERN PART OF THE RANGE, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN ACTIVE PROPOSAL, BUT CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK AT BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A SENTIMENT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AREN'T HOW DO I BEST SAY THIS, THAT WE AREN'T REALLY CONSIDERING SOME OF THE EASTERN PARTS OF BOTH CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTY AND I SEE THAT WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORTS TO THE EAST BAY HILLS, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAMS, BUT I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE IN 2020, I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW IT'S STILL CONSIDERED THE FIFTH LARGEST IN TERMS OF AREA, AND GRANTED, YES, IT SPANS MULTIPLE COUNTIES, NOT JUST CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTY, BUT CERTAINLY IT WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND AND PERHAPS THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAYBE TIGHTEN UP OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, WILDFIRE MITIGATION IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY.

CERTAINLY. I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE MOVED OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT, ALTHOUGH IT'S A SHORT TERM LEASE THROUGH MAY TO THE LIVERMORE AIRPORT.

SO IT'S LOCATED NEARBY, AND THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE TALKING POINTS, BUT I DO THINK THAT 'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO PREPARE, ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW, WHEN I START TO THINK ABOUT HOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE MEET WITH OUR NEW SENATOR MCNERNEY AND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT LAKE DEL VALLE.

I KNOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE REALLY TRAGIC SITUATION IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA.

YES, THERE'S TALKS ABOUT WILDFIRE MITIGATION, BUT THE OTHER TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IS WATER CONVEYANCE, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

BECAUSE THAT IS ALMOST JUST AS IMPORTANT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK DEL VALLE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PLACE IN REGARDS TO WATER CONSERVATION AS A PART OF THE STATE WATER PROJECT, AND ALSO TO BE MINDFUL THAT RIGHT NOW YOU KNOW, THE LAKE DEL VALLE IS AT A LOW LEVEL, AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING IN. WE'RE PREPARING TO GO TO SACRAMENTO TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET IT RIGHT OF THE DREDGING AND EROSION CONTROL, EROSION CONTROL AND SEDIMENT REMOVAL PROJECT, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS MAYBE ALSO EVEN MODIFIED FOR WHEN WE HAVE LOW LAKE LEVELS TO BE READY TO MAYBE POTENTIALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LOWER LAKE LEVELS.

I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, HALF THE LAKE, PARTICULARLY IN FRONT OF WHERE OUR VISITOR CENTER IS LOCATED, THERE'S NO WATER THERE, AND SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO THINK ABOUT THIS TYPE OF PROJECT, AND SO I GUESS JUST TO BE PREPARED BECAUSE IT FEELS STRANGE TO GO INTO TALK ABOUT THIS AND THEN KNOWING THAT WE'RE ALREADY AT LOW LAKE LEVELS RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT'S ONE POINT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A QUESTION IN THAT AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, I BELIEVE SENATOR MCNERNEY HAS ALL OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY AS PART OF HIS SENATE DISTRICT, AND I DO KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY MIGHT WORK IN CONTRA COSTA OR ALAMEDA COUNTY AND OR RECREATE, PARTICULARLY AT PARKS LIKE DEL VALLE, BIG BREAK, SHADOW CLIFFS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE GET SOME DATA ON YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE MOST LIKELY COME FROM WHEN THEY VISIT OUR PARKS.

SO IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME OF THAT SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY DATA AVAILABLE WHEN WE MEET WITH HIM, JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, DEL VALLE, IT IS A PARK OR BIG BREAK, ARE BOTH PARKS THAT ARE THAT ARE WIDELY USED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.

SO THAT 'S A REQUEST FOR SOME DATA FOR WHEN WE MEET WITH HIM SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEN ALSO, I KNOW ONE OF THE BIG PROJECTS THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, IS THE VALLEY LINK PROJECT THAT CONNECTS SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY TO THE DUBLIN PLEASANTON BART STATION, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO BE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. PLUS, ONE OF THE STOPS RIGHT NOW IN THE PROPOSED MAP WOULD BE RIGHT NEXT TO DOOLAN CANYON,

[01:50:07]

THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER REBECCA BAUER-KAHAN ABOUT OPENING THIS UP AS A TRAIL FOR RECREATION, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH HER.

I BELIEVE SHE HAS ALL OF THE LIVERMORE AREA, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF DUBLIN AND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PLEASANTON AS A PART OF ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 16. SO I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT A NOTE IN ON THAT TOPIC AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INPUT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE ARTICLE THREE MODERNIZATION.

IF I GOT THAT RIGHT IDEA. I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S KIND OF A THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY IN THERE.

KIND OF A THING, BUT YET IT'S INCLUSIVE. SO I LIKE THAT IDEA, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I'M NOT QUITE CLEAR ABOUT IS I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY LOOK THROUGH THIS BOOKLET, BUT WERE YOU SAYING THAT WE'VE BEEN ASSIGNED WE HAVE ASSIGNMENTS TO CERTAIN LEGISLATORS ALREADY OR.

WELL, WE WILL TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO MATCH THE FOLKS THAT SERVE YOUR WARD OR REPRESENT YOUR WARDS IN THE ASSEMBLY.

IN SENATE, BUT FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY ASSEMBLY OR SENATE MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT BOTH WARD SEVEN AND DIRECTOR COFFEY'S WARD OR, I'M SORRY, WARD FIVE AND WARD SEVEN.

SO THERE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE A NEED FOR BOTH OF THOSE MEMBERS TO BE IN THE SAME BOARD MEMBERS, TO BE IN THE SAME MEETING. WELL, I WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING WHERE I'M GOING.

LIKE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ABSOLUTELY. WE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FINALIZE.

AS I MENTIONED, THE LAST FOUR APPOINTMENTS, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT FINALIZED, WE'LL HAVE THE SCHEDULE. YOU WILL DEFINITELY HAVE IT AHEAD OF TIME. OKAY.

THAT'S GOOD. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC? OH, I JUST ASK THE QUESTION, HOW MANY BOARD MEMBERS ARE GOING? ASK FOR A SHOW OF HANDS. SO EVERYBODY'S GOING, I GUESS. HOPEFULLY ELIZABETH WILL. GREAT.

OKAY. YES, WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC. WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.

ALL RIGHT. SORRY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

IT'LL BE SHORTER THAN THAT. THANK YOU. HI. WILLIAM HOUGH, PRESIDENT.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. HI. WILLIAM HOUGH, PRESIDENT AFSCME 2428 AGAIN.

WE ARE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF A LOT OF WHAT WE READ WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING THAT, WE THINK MUCH OF WHAT IS PUT FORWARD IS INCREDIBLY REASONABLE.

WE DO HAVE SOME SLIGHT CONCERNS WITH INCREASING THE PURCHASING THRESHOLD, JUST AS FAR AS THAT COULD APPLY TO CONTRACTING OUT WORK.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT WAS SHORT.

[CHUCKLING] YEAH. OKAY. WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION FOR WHO? I GUESS JUST BASED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT. MADE ME THINK OF SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE REVIEWED THIS PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE RECOMMENDATIONS? I KNOW THAT THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE, BUT CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

DIRECTOR, YOU HAVE AN INVITATION IN YOUR INBOX FOR A SIT DOWN REVIEW MEETING, AND I DO WANT TO MAKE THE CLARIFICATION THAT THIS INCREASE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE LIMIT WILL NOT IMPACT OUR BIDDING PROCESS OR OUR PUBLIC BIDDING THRESHOLD OF $50,000, BUT WE'LL DIVE IN DIVE IN DEEPER WITH EACH OF YOU AS WE WORK THROUGH THE LANGUAGE.

IT WAS REVIEWED YESTERDAY AT LEDGE. OKAY. YES, YES, I THINK I HAD HEARD THAT, AND I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION IS, I BELIEVE TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT TO SACRAMENTO, I THINK WE ADVOCATED FOR THIS, THE SAME INCREASING OF THE THRESHOLD, AND THEN AND I BELIEVE ASSEMBLYMEMBER BONTA HAD AGREED TO SPONSOR THAT, AND THEN IT ENDED FOR SOME REASON, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A CONCERN THAT RISK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO AND WE TRY TO ASK SOMEONE TO SPONSOR THIS THAT IT COULD FOLLOW THE SAME FATE THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO.

[01:55:04]

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NO OTHER. NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT.

OKAY, SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO OH, THIS IS INFORMATIONAL.

THAT'S ALL. YEAH. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, THOUGH, THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHOSE TO APPROVE THE HILLS CONSERVATION PROGRAM PLAN AND CHOSE NOT TO APPROVE THE PRC MODERNIZATION PROPOSAL AS IT STANDS NOW.

RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. SO, BUT , I MEAN, IT'S A SORT OF A CONTINUUM OF ELEMENTS TO IT.

THAT COULD BE IT COULD BE ADJUSTED TO ARR IVE AT A YEAH, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO SACRAMENTO ADVOCATING FOR A PAY RAISE OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR ME. RIGHT. SO SO I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE IT NEEDS A LITTLE MORE A LITTLE MORE INPUT FROM FROM US, WHICH IS I THINK YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT, AND WE CAN HONE IT DOWN TO SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY OR JUST ABOUT ALL OF US CAN AGREE ON.

YEAH. PRESIDENT MERCURIO, WE'RE NOT SEEKING ACTION.

THIS WAS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM. AS AS LISA MENTIONED, IN TERMS OF THE ONE ITEM OF LEGISLATION, WE'RE IN CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS AND OTHER FOLKS THAT MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST, BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE AN OPEN INVITATION TO EACH ONE OF YOU TO WALK THROUGH LINE BY LINE THE CHANGES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED.

OKAY. SO STAY TUNED. YEAH, BUT IN TERMS OF SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S AT LEAST 2 OR 3 DIRECTORS WHO ARE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THAT DON'T SUPPORT THIS.

SO SHOULDN'T WE HAVE SOME SORT OF DECISION AND WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER BOARD MEETING BEFORE WE GO TO SACRAMENTO, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, DOES THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD SUPPORT THIS OR NOT? I MEAN, BEFORE WE GO UP AND ADVOCATE FOR THIS, I DON'T THINK IT'S READY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SACRAMENTO TRIP.

I MEAN, THAT'S NOT CORRECT. THAT WAS N'T YOUR INTENTION, WAS IT? PRESIDENT MERCURIO, IF I MEAN, THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO TAKE A VOTE OR AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT WASN'T AGENDIZED FOR ACTION.

NO, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE TAKE A VOTE. I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT THE INTENTION, WHAT HIS INTENTION WAS FOR MENTIONING. I WAS JUST RESPONDING TO DIRECTOR SANWONG'S QUESTION.

OUR INTENTION IS TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING BEFORE WE GO TO SACRAMENTO.

WE'LL CERTAINLY PROVIDING YOU THE WRITTEN MATERIAL.

WE WILL HAVE HOPEFULLY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH EACH OF YOU, BUT THIS IS REALLY JUST A PREPARATION EFFORT IN ADVANCE OF THE TRIP, AND WE'VE HISTORICALLY HAVE DONE THAT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE'VE GONE UP TO THE ADVOCACY CONFERENCES IN THE PAST.

ALL RIGHT. MY CONCERN, DIRECTOR, IS THAT THERE'S SOME VAGARY HERE ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO SACRAMENTO WITH THE PRC MODERNIZATION PROPOSAL AND MY MEMORY FROM OUR COMMITTEE WAS CLEARLY IT WAS THE THOUGHT OF THAT COMMITTEE THAT WE WEREN'T PREPARED TO SUPPORT BRINGING THE PRC MODERNIZATION PROPOSAL WITH US TO SACRAMENTO.

OKAY. SO I'M NOT REFLECTING ANYTHING MORE THAN MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMITTEE ACTIVELY NOT APPROVING THAT COMPONENT OF WHAT WE WERE PRESENTED. OKAY, BECAUSE I WILL APOLOGIZE.

WE DID ASK THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE YESTERDAY IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ITEM REMOVED AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD HEARD, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE IF WE HEARD INCORRECTLY, WAS THAT THE BOARD WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING A LONGER DIALOG SEEING THE LANGUAGE AND LEARNING MORE, BUT THAT WE WEREN'T QUITE READY TO PULL IT FROM THE SACRAMENTO AGENDA.

OUR GOAL WITH SACRAMENTO IS TO SUPPORT YOU ALL IN A SUCCESSFUL AND ENGAGING TRIP.

THAT'S THE FULL GOAL, AND SO IF YOU ALL DON'T FEEL THAT, IT WOULD BE IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO BRING THIS ITEM FORWARD, WE'RE HAPPY TO REMOVE IT. WE'RE HAPPY TO ADD A DIFFERENT ITEM. SO WE'RE REALLY FLEXIBLE TO YOUR DIRECTION.

WE JUST WANTED TO PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT WE THOUGHT COULD BE THE MOST STRATEGIC, GIVING THE WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITIES AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO HAVE THOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE, BUT AGAIN, WE FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTION FOR THIS VISIT. SO SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE IT AND I BELIEVE THAT JUST TO DOUBLE DOWN, I BELIEVE, ERICH, YOU ALL HAVE PUT AN OPEN INVITATION OUT TO EACH BOARD MEMBER TO WALK IT THROUGH, BECAUSE I DO AGREE. I MEAN, IT IS A LITTLE BIT VAGUE OR CONFUSING ABOUT WHAT EACH OF THE ITEMS,

[02:00:04]

SO I DO RECOMMEND I THINK ONCE YOU GUYS ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THEM AND SEE KIND OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING THERE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING CONTROVERSIAL, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE BEFORE WE WOULD PUT IT FORWARD.

SO JUST ENCOURAGE YOU. WE'RE HERE. MAX HAS WAS PART OF THAT AS WELL.

HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH MEET WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

I GUESS I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM THAT CAUSES IT TO THAT TRIGGER.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS GOING TO BE THAT SAY, OKAY, WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS IN SACRAMENTO? I MEAN, WE'RE NOT VOTING ON ANYTHING. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE JUST A BUNCH OF, WE'RE JUST A BUNCH OF SEVEN PEOPLE TALKING TO YOU, AND THEN WHAT? SO WHILE WE DON'T DO SERIAL MEETINGS WE DEFINITELY ARE GOOD AT LISTENING.

SO I CAN ASSURE YOU, AS WE DO THE BRIEFINGS WITH YOU ALL, IT WILL BECOME VERY CLEAR IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE IN MOVING THIS FORWARD AND WE WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE CONVERSATION WITH YOU BEFORE WE GO TO SACRAMENTO ABOUT THAT.

THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE THAT WE WOULD SHOVE THIS FORWARD.

THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO DO THAT, AND DO YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? YEAH, THE SACRAMENTO MEETINGS ARE YOUR MEETINGS.

WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU, TO TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.

WE MET WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT PROP FOUR PROJECTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PROJECTS YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, SO THAT WE COULD HELP DEVELOP MATERIALS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.

THIS TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT, AND , YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MEET WITH YOU ABOUT THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CODE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. HEAR FROM YOU, YOUR IDEAS THAT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT IS MEANINGFUL FOR THE DISTRICT AND FOR YOUR BOARD, AND IF IT'S NOT READY BY THE TIME THAT WE GO TO SACRAMENTO, THAT'S TOTALLY OKAY.

THERE'S A TON OF VALUE JUST IN CONNECTING AND TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT THE TEAM'S WORKING ON.

SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. IT'S SUPER HELPFUL.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL A MEETING AND HAVE US VOTE, DO SO.

I DON'T THINK WE NEED THAT, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.

WELL, THE PROBLEM IS, IT'S SO NEBULOUS. I MEAN, THE PROBLEM IS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SAID, NO, WE'RE NOT TAKING THAT TO SACRAMENTO WAS THE, AND THE REASON WAS, I'LL BE VERY FRANK, IS WE WEREN'T PRESENTED WITH THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE. THERE WAS IT WAS WE ARE SPONSORING A BILL OR GETTING AN ASSEMBLYMEMBER TO SPONSOR A BILL, AND WE DID NOT HAVE THE LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF US.

I, FOR ONE, HEARD THAT WE WERE GOING TO CREATE A SALARY FOR OURSELVES OF $1,000 A MONTH, AND I JUST FLATLY OPPOSE THAT AND WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT IN TERMS OF ADVOCACY IN SACRAMENTO OR WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS OR, YOU KNOW, WITH MY IDEOLOGY THAT WE DON'T GIVE OURSELVES PAY RAISES BEYOND WHAT WE'RE GIVING OUR LABOR UNIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS, I WAS HESITANT TO SUPPORT THIS.

THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE. I THINK WE ALL SAID THIS DOESN'T GO TO SACRAMENTO, AND I THINK IF YOU WANT IT TO GO TO SACRAMENTO, THEN YES, MEET WITH US AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A MEETING.

SO THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WENT TO YOUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.

ONE WAS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM ABOUT THE SACRAMENTO TRIP, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS ABOUT TWO PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT OUR TEAM WAS LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE ON MOVING FORWARD, AND YOUR TEAM AND YOUR COMMITTEE DID GIVE US GUIDANCE TO MOVE FORWARD ON DEVELOPING THE SECOND PIECE OF LEGISLATION, BUT THE FIRST PIECE, WHICH WAS THE PRC, WHAT WE HEARD WAS THAT YOU WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT AT ITS CURRENT STATE AND THAT WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS OUR TEAM TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU, TO SORT OF DIG INTO IT MORE BEFORE WE MOVED IT FORWARD.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAD PLANNED TO DO, WAS TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU TO KIND OF PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT, HEAR BACK, RESPONSE AROUND THE SACRAMENTO TRIP.

IF THERE'S A LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT, WE WILL FOR SURE PULL THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CODE UPDATE FROM ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SACRAMENTO CONFERENCE PLANNING, AND SO WE'VE HEARD THAT DIRECTION FROM YOUR BOARD.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. JUST GO AHEAD. JUST A PROCESS QUESTION.

SO IF YOU TALK TO INDIVIDUALS WHAT WILL COME OF THAT? I MEAN I WOULD SUSPECT IT'S A VOTE. I MEAN, I THINK DIRECTOR COFFEY YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED AND IT WASN'T FOR OUR INPUT.

IT WAS THE GENERAL MANA GER RECOMMENDS THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVAL AND SUPPORT TO EXTEND SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION, AND HERE IT IS. WE GOT TWO PARAGRAPHS AND TO DIRECTOR COFFEY'S POINT, IT HAS A BUNCH OF STUFF IN IT,

[02:05:08]

COULD YOU GIVE ME A RAISE? SO THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO ME BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING IN HERE.

NOW WE'RE HEARING TODAY, TODAY THAT IT'S $1,000 AND WHATEVER, BUT NONE OF THIS STUFF WAS IT'S GIVEN TO US YESTERDAY AND WE WERE ASKED TO RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD SUPPORT OF THIS.

SO I DON'T GET IT, AND IT'S VERY KIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO ALL INDIVIDUALLY SO THEY'RE TOGETHER BUT GIVE OUR OPINIONS AND THEN WILL THERE BE A VOTE OR. YES THERE WOULD. SO IT WAS TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WENT TO YOUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.

ONE WAS ABOUT THE SACRAMENTO TRIP. THE OTHER ONE WAS ABOUT MOVING FORWARD ON THE LEGISLATION.

BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD ON THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CODE, LEGISLATION WILL COME BACK TO YOUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO GET A GET A RECOMMENDATION THAN TO GO TO THE FULL BOARD, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO. IT MAKES SENSE. EXCEPT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN SACRAMENTO, AND THIS WAS LISTED IN YESTERDAY'S DOCUMENTS AS THE NUMBER ONE LIST THAT WE WOULD ASK EVERY SINGLE LEGISLATOR.

IT WAS THE THERE WERE THREE THINGS WE WERE GOING TO ASK FOR.

IT WAS THE TOP ONE, AND I DON'T IT WASN'T IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER FOR SURE.

SO I'M WONDERING SO WE CAN GO TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AGAIN, BUT THAT'S NEXT MONTH.

YES. WE'RE GOING TO MEET IN A WEEK. WE'LL TAKE IT UP.

WE'RE TAKING IT OFF. IT'S OFF THE AGENDA FOR THE SACRAMENTO CONFERENCE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM WILL WORK ON WITH EACH OF YOU TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND YOUR IDEAS ABOUT IT AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, DO ANY OTHER WORK TO BRING IT TO YOUR FULL BOARD, AND TO BE CLEAR, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

IT IS 90 YEARS OLD. JUST I NEED SOME INFORMATION PERSONALLY, JUST JUST TO ALSO BE JUST ON ONE POINT THAT DIRECTOR WAESPI JUST MADE. JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS PACKET GETS PRINTED BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.

SO TO THE POINT ABOUT IT'S STILL IN THERE. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T INCORPORATE THE FEEDBACK REAL TIME INTO THE PRINTED PACKET.

SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU. SURE. THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.

ALL RIGHT. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE SACRAMENTO.

PRESENTATIONS, AND WE'LL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.

OKAY. SO THIS IS A INFORMATIONAL ONLY ITEM, AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE QUITE A WHILE, AND WE HAVE WE HAVE A LONG ITEM AHEAD I BELIEVE ON NUMBER FOUR.

SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK HERE AND WE'LL GET BACK TO THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES.

YES, EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE SEEN AND HEARD. APPROVAL OF THE NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF ...

TAKE TWO. APPROVAL OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PUT OVER FROM THE LAST MEETING, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT THIS TIME. GREAT. GOOD AFTERNOON.

BOARD DIRECTORS AMANDA GALLO, ASSISTANT TO THE GENERAL MANA GER AND SO, AS JUST MENTIONED, THE ITEM BEFORE, YOU ARE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO YOUR BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES.

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND. THIS HAS KIND OF BEEN A PROCESS, AS YOU KNOW, BUT THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES WERE LAST APPROVED AT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN NOVEMBER, AND FROM THAT, WE'VE MET WITH MOST OF YOU AND TOOK THE TIME TO KIND OF GO OVER SOME OF THESE CHANGES, WHICH A LOT ARE CLEANUP AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BECOMING CURRENT WITH SOME OF OUR PRACTICES, THE WAY THAT WE ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND THEN THERE WERE FURTHER REVISIONS THAT WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT FROM SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS WITH YOU ALL.

SO IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE ATTACHMENT A, WHICH PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THOSE CHANGES WHICH YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO REFER TO THE SECTIONS, AND THEN IN ATTACHMENT B IS THE ACTUAL RED LINE OF THE DOCUMENT.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE OR SUGGESTIONS. I HAD SOME QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. OKAY.

SO ON PAGE 108, I JUST WANTED TO.

JUST SUPPORT THAT. THE REVIEW OF THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DATA MONITORING PROGRESS ANNUALLY.

[02:10:07]

I DO SUPPORT IT BEING REMOVED FROM THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SECTION, BUT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF KNOW AS FAR AS WHERE THAT WILL BE HOUSED IN THE FUTURE.

BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN AS FAR AS CHANGES WITHIN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND THEN AS FAR AS SOME OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND FAIRS.

MOVING OVER TO RECREATION, AND JUST AS FAR AS I KIND OF WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD LIVE IN THE FUTURE, AND BECAUSE I WOULD STILL AS FAR AS LIKE TO SEE.

WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON? YES, IT WAS 111, AND THE PACKET, IT'S 111.

SO IT'S SECTION 317. BOARD ROLE IN MAINTAINING GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, AND THEN IT WAS E.

SO WHICH ONE? E, REVIEW AND ACCESS THE DISTRICT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND TECHNIQUES. SO WHAT I WAS SAYING, I WAS IN AGREEMENT THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, BUT I NECESSARILY WASN'T IN AGREEMENT THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED 100% FROM BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES.

SO JUST AS FAR AS I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD BE HOUSED IN THE FUTURE, AND THEN JUST AS FAR AS I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION REVIEWED AND EVALUATED AND PRESENTED TO THE BOARD. OKAY. SO BEFORE WE GO TOO FAR, SO ON ONE PAGE 108.

YES. IN REGARDS, AND THANK YOU FOR NOTING THAT STRIKE THROUGH OF THE REVIEW DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT IS IS SHOULD BE BACK INTO. SO THAT'S A MISTAKE. SO IGNORE THAT STRIKETHROUGH.

WE DID HEAR FROM A LOT OF YOU WHEN HAVING YOUR DEDICATED MEETINGS THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN THERE.

SO WANTED TO NOTE THAT, AND THEN ON PAGE 111.

SO SHE'S REFERRING OR DIRECTOR ESPAÑA'S REFERRING TO ON PAGE 111, THE REMOVAL OF SECTION E, AND LIKE YOU SAID THIS, THIS IS SOME OF CLEANUP THAT SHOULD NOT BE IN THAT SECTION.

HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT IS REALLY PLACING A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND IS WORKING TOWARDS DEVELOPING A HIGHER LEVEL STRATEGY.

SOME OF WHAT IS KICKING OFF THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN, AND SO THAT IS SOME WORK THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD A MORE DISTRICT WIDE STRATEGY ON, AND I BELIEVE IT WILL LIE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND BE DRIVEN THROUGH THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. YEAH. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS STRANGE BECAUSE IT HAS EXPLICIT ITEMS IN THERE, AND SO I THINK SOME FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD THE PROPOSED STRIKETHROUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE SAYING, NO, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.

WE'RE JUST TAKING IT OUT OF THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S SO ODD.

YOU CAN'T LIST EVERY SINGLE ITEM THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF IT.

I THINK IT WAS PART OF OUR IDEA HERE IS JUST TO HAVE THIS BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A GENERIC DOCUMENT INSTEAD OF BEING SO PRESCRIBED, BECAUSE OF COURSE, THE BOARD AS A WHOLE IS GOING TO BE CONSTANTLY INVOLVED AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION TECHNIQUES AND FEEDBACK.

SO I THINK THE IDEA HERE WAS TO TAKE LIKE THIS WAS JUST VERY IT'S OUT.

IT'S THIS IS OLD LANGUAGE. WE DON'T KNOW DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S HERE, BUT IT'S NOT TO MAKE THE IMPRESSION.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE DEI LANGUAGE. IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.

SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A FUNKY PROCESS HERE BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH CLEANUP AND WE'RE BUT IT APPEARS TO BE LIKE A POLICY STATEMENT TO TAKE IT OUT.

[02:15:02]

I WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME TYPE OF KIND OF CONTEXT TO THAT BECAUSE IMMEDIATE ACTION ISN'T DEFINED. SO AS FAR AS MAYBE SOME SUGGESTED TYPE OF LANGUAGE IMMEDIATE ACTION BASED ON APPROVED LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, BUT I'M JUST KIND OF WHEN THE PHRASE IS ARE JUST BLANK WITH THAT WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF DEFINITION, JUST HAVING SOMETHING WHERE IT GIVES THE ORGANIZATION THE ABILITY TO ACT, BUT THEN ALSO SOME CRITERIA FOR THAT ACTION AND SOME CONTEXT.

THAT'S GOOD. ERICH, DID YOU WANT TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT, MAYBE.

YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SOONER THAN THE NEXT BOARD MEETING MIGHT BE, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU DIRECTOR ESPAÑA.

THE INTENT OF THE LANGUAGE IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY ACTION THAT WE ARE TAKING FOLLOWS THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM THAT THE BOARD ADOPTS.

SO IT WOULDN'T BE ACTION THAT WOULD BE BEYOND THAT SCOPE, BUT AS YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS OF LEGISLATION AND THE PROCESS IN SACRAMENTO, SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY, AND GIVEN OUR AGENDA PLANNING PROCESS, SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET, LET'S SAY, A BILL FROM LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL SO THAT WE CAN BE AUTHORIZED TO TAKE ACTION. SO THIS IS JUST IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE THERE MAY BE A REQUIRED ACTION BY THE AGENCY THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE AGENCY THAT FITS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, BUT THAT HASN'T SPECIFICALLY BEEN THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC BOARD RESOLUTION AT THE TIME, BUT THERE WILL BE EVENTUALLY WHEN WE COME BACK AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS WHEN SB 867 PASSED THAT PUT PROP FOUR ON THE BALLOT, BUT WE HAD NOT TAKEN A POSITION FORMALLY ON PROP FOUR, WHICH WE EVENTUALLY DID, BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE BOARD WAS TO SUPPORT THAT.

YEAH. SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING, WE COULD PUT SOME PARAMETERS AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT, YOU KNOW, THERE ISN'T SUFFICIENT TIME TO COME TO THE FULL BOARD OR TO THE COMMITTEE AND THE FULL BOARD, AND I WOULD SUGGEST ALSO SORRY TO ALSO PUT SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE, BUT THAT WE WOULD WE WOULD INFORM THE BOARD VIA A MEMO SO THAT YOU'RE NOT IN THE DARK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO DO, IF THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE REASON IT WOULD BE GOING THIS WAY IS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET TO THE BOARD IN TIME. SO, YEAH, YOU SHOULD TELL, YOU SHOULD STATE THAT IN THERE.

YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S A GOOD CHANGE. IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING AS FAR AS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE IN THIS, SO THEY MIGHT BE A GROUP TO W EIGH IN SOME, AND THEN JUST THERE ARE SOME OTHERS AND I KNOW SOME OF THESE. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF MY TOP ONES.

SO THE LAST ONE THAT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS ON PAGE 113 AND THAT WAS E AND THAT WAS AFTER PUBLIC REVIEW APPROVE ILUDPS, LUDPS, CEQA COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTS. I UNDERSTAND JUST AS FAR AS THERE'S WANTING TO REDUCE REDUNDANCY.

SO AS FAR AS IF THAT'S THE CASE, I COULD UNDERSTAND, LIKE STRIKING OUT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, BUT STRIKING OUT THAT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD TO BE REQUIRED.

I WAS JUST WONDERING. I KNOW IT'S IMPLIED THAT IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE BOARD FOR RESOLUTION ON THESE DIFFERENT ITEMS, BUT IT WAS KIND OF THAT SAME THING AS FAR AS WHEN YOU STRIKE IT OUT, IT LOOKS LIKE A POLICY STATEMENT.

[02:20:08]

I DO HAVE SOME MORE, BUT SINCE AS FAR AS I'M NEWER, I THINK IT'S HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE BACKGROUND BEHIND THEM, BUT THOSE ARE A FEW THAT I WAS ABLE TO DISCUSS PRIOR AND GET A GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT AND STILL FELT THAT WERE RELEVANT. ALL RIGHT, AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE. I'M JUST TRYING TO PULL IT UP RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, I BELIEVE THAT ONE CAME FROM THE PLANNING STAFF FROM BRIAN HOLT, BECAUSE IT'S JUST TO BE CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT PRACTICE.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.

SORRY, WE'RE TRYING TO CONFORM TO CURRENT PRACTICE OF WHAT STAFF IS DOING.

SO I THINK THEY'RE STILL BRINGING IT TO THE BOARD. IT'S JUST NOT DOING THAT STEP THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

OH, AND I WAS OKAY WITH REMOVING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

IT WAS JUST AS FAR AS BECAUSE THAT WAS A REDUNDANCY, BECAUSE YOU BRING IT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THEN THE BOARD, BUT ON THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, SIDE, IT SAYS RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD REQUIRED.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT'S CROSSING OUT BOTH, EVEN THOUGH I GUESS, DO YOU KIND OF SEE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS JUST CROSSING OUT THE PROCESS COMPLETELY, BUT AS FAR AS I WAS SUPPORTING TAKING IT OUT JUST AS FAR AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, BUT JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL GOING TO THE BOARD.

OKAY, AND THAT'S ONE WE COULD ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT IS STILL THE CORRECT THE PRACTICE OF THE RESOLUTION TO THE BOARD.

SO YEAH, JUST SAY YEAH ANYTHING THAT'S REQUIRED THAT WE'RE BOARD APPROVAL IS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE CEQA PROCESS.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO COME TO THE BOARD. YES. OKAY.

YEAH, AGAIN YOU'RE CATCHING THIS AS THE OPTICS ON IT ARE VERY WEIRD TO TAKE IT OUT AND IT LOOKS LIKE, OH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BRING THE ITEMS FORWARD TO THE BOARD.

JUST TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT PRACTICE WITH THE COMMITTEE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANTED TO ASK AND CLARIFY.

OKAY. THAT'S IT. WHO'S NEXT? DO YOU WANT TO GO, LINDA? SURE. I'LL GO NEXT. I'LL BE HONEST. IT'S OVERWHELMING.

I CONSIDER OPERATING GUIDELINES TO BE ALMOST MORE OF A I THINK THE TERM WAS USED BEFORE BYLAWS, AND ANY CHANGES MAKE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. I'M WONDERING WHAT THEIR INTENT OR IMPLICATIONS ARE.

CERTAINLY THE TWO MY FELLOW DIRECTOR, ESPAÑA, BROUGHT UP WERE ON MY LIST, SO WE'RE IN AGREEMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IN CERTAINLY RESPONSIBILITY GIVEN YOU KNOW, EVEN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LAWS AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

THE 3.1.5 G THAT WE WOULD KEEP THE HIGH LEVEL REVIEW OF EQUITY AND THE SAME COMMENT I CAME UP WITH.

SIMILAR WAS ALSO LEAVE IN THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PIECE.

IN THE 3.1.7 E IT SEEMS MAKING THAT CHANGE IS SIGNIFICANT AND LEAVING IT IN AT THIS POINT MAKES SENSE, SINCE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ALSO IS, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED AND OPEN TRANSPARENCY.

AN INTERESTING POINT ON 3.1.7 E, WHICH I THINK LET ME SWITCH BACK AND FORTH.

I THINK THAT'S ON PAGE 111. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST A TYPO.

SECTION B ACTUALLY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS GENERAL MANA GER IS NOT LISTED IN THE SECOND COLUMN.

I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY AN OVERSIGHT. IT WOULD BE GENERAL MANA GER WITH THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS PROGRAM.

SINCE OUR ONLY REPORT IS THE GENERAL MANA GER, IT SEEMS TO BE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THESE OPERATING GUIDELINES THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION COLUMN WILL ALWAYS INCLUDE GENERAL MANA GER WITH HER OR HIS STAFF, IF THAT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AM I TRACKING THAT RIGHT? ON PAGE 111, ITEM B 3.1.7 MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS, AND THEN THE NEXT COLUMN SAYS THAT IT WOULD BE HANDLED BY GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.

YOU'RE SAYING TO ADD? IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD ADD THE GENERAL MANA GER.

[02:25:02]

I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE GENERAL MANA GER NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THAT SECTION.

IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE TRACK ON ALL THE OTHER COMMITTEES, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES, ALL THE OTHERS SAY THAT OUR COMMITTEES WILL LATER, THE METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT WE COME UP WITH IN OUR COMMITTEES IS TO GO THROUGH THE GENERAL, WHICH IS OUR ONLY. I MEAN, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS CLEANING THIS UP AND CLARIFYING THAT OUR ONLY REPORT IS THE GENERAL MANA GER.

SO TO NOT HAVE THE GENERAL MANA GER IN THAT SECTION AT ALL SEEMS REMISS TO ME, UNLESS I'M MISSING SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU'RE IN ALL THE OTHER SECTIONS.

YEAH. FOR CONSISTENCY. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WAS THE ONE COMMITTEE THAT DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY CHANGES, SO WE DIDN'T ADD IT IN THERE, BUT FOR YOUR POINT, FOR CONSISTENCY, WE CAN ADD THAT IN THERE. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD CATCH.

SO AND I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S JUST SO MANY OTHER SMALL ITEMS ALONG THE WAY THAT I'M A LITTLE OVERWHELMED AND WONDERING YOU KNOW, IF I'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME. IT'S 100 PAGES TO REALLY LOOK THROUGH THIS.

I EITHER BENEFIT FROM MORE TIME OR DON'T FEEL ADEQUATELY READY.

THERE'S ANOTHER SECTION THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME.

WHERE IS IT? IT'S AN ABSOLUTE YES. THAT IN NO WAY SHOULD THE DIRECTORS BE CONTACTING, YOU KNOW, STAFF DIRECTLY, BUT THERE ARE TIMES OR THERE'S A PROCESS UNDERNEATH THAT OF WHEN THAT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN, OR YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE LAWYER OR THE STEWARDSHIP TEAM AND THAT ENTIRE SECTION IS STRIKED OUT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER SECTION SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT LAYS OUT HOW WE WOULD DO THAT.

IS THERE A OTHER PLACE LIKE IT BEFORE IT CLARIFIED, YOU KNOW, CONTACTED YOU, AND THEN YOU'LL HELP US, YOU KNOW, GET THE INFORMATION WE NEED, AND INSTEAD IT'S JUST REDLINED OUT NOW.

SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT THAT PROCESS IS OR WHERE THAT IS WRITTEN, BUT THE 3.4 SECTION, LIKE I SAY, I MEAN, I GET IT, I'VE BEEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND I KNOW THE YOU KNOW WHERE TO BE CAREFUL SO THAT IT'S JUST WONDERS, WELL, WHERE WOULD THAT GO AND I JUST HAVE TO ADD IN ALSO, I REALLY THE 3.2 SECTION CERTAINLY ON SEQUA AND OTHER DOCUMENTS, AN EIR DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MENTIONED, BUT WE REALLY I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT STAY IN THAT THE BOARD IS THE ONE WHO REVIEWS OR APPROVES BY RESOLUTION THE FINAL CEQA EIR THAT'S IN SECTION 3.2.

YEAH. IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO ADDRESS THAT. BRIAN HOLT, WHO'S THE CHIEF OF PLANNING OR THE DIVISION LEAD FOR PLANNING HAS BEEN RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE THIS LANGUAGE OUT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR BECAUSE IT'S JUST VERY OUTDATED.

THE BOARD DOESN'T ISN'T PRESENTED WITH THESE LUDP.

ANY TIME THE BOARD IS REQUIRED TO GIVE APPROVAL TO A CEQA DOCUMENT, THAT HAS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD.

SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM PUTTING LANGUAGE IN HERE, WHERE AS A MATTER OF LAW, WE WILL BE BRINGING YOU THINGS, BUT THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT IN HERE DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE IT, AND TAKING THIS LANGUAGE OUT IS JUST BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE WAY HE PLANNING HAS NOT BEEN BRINGING THESE ITEMS TO THE BOARD FOR MANY YEARS, AND THIS IS JUST VERY ARCHAIC LANGUAGE AT THIS POINT.

SO IF WE HAD IF WE HAD TO PUT EVERYTHING IN HERE THAT WE REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, TO DO IT, WE REALLY NEED TO BE ADDING IN MUCH MORE LANGUAGE? BUT THIS IS MEANT TO JUST KIND OF GUIDE YOUR GENERAL PRACTICES IN TERMS OF YOUR COMMITTEES AND THE BOARD, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LANGUAGE IN HERE STILL THAT COULD BE TAKEN OUT BECAUSE IT'S LEGALLY REQUIRED AND THE BOARD IS AWARE OF IT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SOME SENSE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ITEMS IN HERE THAT ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED THAT ARE IN.

SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE TRYING TO GET MY HANDS AROUND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS,

[02:30:02]

YES, AND I MEAN, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T OR WHO JUST JOINED THE BOARD, THERE WAS A PROCESS.

PREVIOUSLY WHEN I FIRST STARTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD AND GENERAL COUNSEL WAS SET UP, AND WE HAD TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO WENT THROUGH AND WE MADE SOME CHANGES, BUT THIS HAS REALLY BEEN LIKE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.

IT'S WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO ATTACK THE WHOLE THING AT ONCE, BUT AS YOU SEE, YOU'RE KIND OF OVERWHELMED EVEN HERE BY THE AMOUNT OF CHANGES.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF ATTACK, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THAT? IT'S BEEN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, AND IT WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE WE COULD, FOR INSTANCE, TAKE ALL THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE BROWN ACT OUT OF HERE.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE BROWN ACT GOES AWAY.

IT JUST MEANS THAT WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE IT IN THIS DOCUMENT? YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS. WE TRAIN YOU ON IT. WHY IS IT IN HERE? AND THEN WE COULD IT WOULD BE EASIER TO ACTUALLY FIND THINGS AND FOLLOW IT IF IT WAS ACTUALLY NOT QUITE SO LONG AND CUMBERSOME, BUT TO YOUR POINT, YES, THERE ARE STILL THINGS IN HERE THAT WE DON'T NEED.

THE DIRECTOR O F PLANNING DID ASK OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE DOING THE AD HOC COMMITTEE PROCESS, THAT WE TAKE THESE ITEMS AND TAKE THEM OUT AND AGAIN THERE WERE JUST CERTAIN MEMBERS THERE WERE BOARD MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WERE LIKE, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH FOR NOW. CAN WE WAIT AND DO THAT LATER? SO NOW THIS IS LATER. BEING BRAND NEW, IT FEELS LIKE I'M NOT READY TO DO THAT, AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE REMOVING SEEM SUPER IMPORTANT, LIKE EQUITY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEES AND CEQA AND THE EIR.

SO FOR ME, I'M LIKE, OH, WOAH, THAT'S KIND OF A BIG DELETE.

YEAH, I MEAN, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I JUST IT'S A LOT, AND I WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME MORE INFORMATION, AND I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER COMMENTS THAT I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO RIGHT NOW.

YEAH, AND I JUST AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND CERTAINLY YOU KNOW, IT'S THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS CARRIED FORWARD FROM LAST YEAR AND VERY SYMPATHETIC. YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE BRAND NEW.

IT WAS YOUR VERY FIRST MEETING. YOU JUST GOT SWORN IN. SO BY NO MEANS THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S URGENT ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS. AMANDA'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR, I THINK, OVER A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO.

CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WANT TO THIS IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.

AS LYNNE MENTIONED, IT'S A BIT OF A FRANKENSTEIN DOCUMENT.

I MEAN, IF WE WERE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN, IT WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE THIS.

SO IT IS NOT IDEAL, AND WE'D BE LIKE OUR PREFERENCE IS LIKE, WE'D LOVE TO START THIS THING OVER AGAIN AND HAVE IT LOOK MORE LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WHICH IS A LOT SHORTER AND A LOT MORE GENERIC BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE WORKING OFF OF FROM THE BOARD, FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE. SO CERTAINLY WELCOME THE DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE AND AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.

I MEAN, IT'S A LOT TO TRY TO GO THROUGH. THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S IN HERE AGAIN THAT'S URGENT.

THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE REALLY MEANT TO JUST KIND OF STREAMLINE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THINGS.

FOR EXAMPLE, BEING ABLE TO INSTEAD OF HAVING YOU ALL HAVE TO SUBMIT YOUR MILEAGE EVERY TIME YOU DO A MEETING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE MONTHLY AUTO ALLOWANCES INCLUDED IN HERE WHICH I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING.

SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT , YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO DO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, BUT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO CERTAINLY JAM YOU UP AND GET YOU TO DO SOMETHING HERE.

WE'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO EACH OF YOU ABOUT WHAT IS IN HERE, WHAT YOUR CONCERNS MAY BE OR QUESTIONS MAY BE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE THAT DIRECTOR YOU JUST BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE CONTACTING STAFF OR COMMUNICATION WITH THE GENERAL MANA GER, THE AS IT WAS WRITTEN AS WE INHERITED, IT WAS AGAIN OVER- PRESCRIBED AND INSTEAD WE HAVE A SEPARATE PROCESS WHICH WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR ORIENTATION ON THURSDAY, TODAY WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT DICTATES IT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS DOCUMENT, AGAIN, ISN'T JUST BASED OFF OF AN INDIVIDUAL GENERAL MANA GER OR AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD'S PREFERENCES FOR COMMUNICATION.

SO THAT WAS THE EFFORT THERE OF JUST TRYING TO MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE GENERIC.

BY NO MEANS ARE WE ARE WE TRYING TO USE THIS DOCUMENT AS THE ONLY THING THAT WE USE IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION AND HOW WE ALL WORK TOGETHER? SO ANYWAYS, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT THERE, BUT ABSOLUTELY HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT HERE TO TRY TO TRY TO TACKLE.

YEAH. LYNNE CAN I JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AS FAR AS WHAT IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY THE CEQA ONE, I WAS LIKE, OH, WAIT A MINUTE.

THAT AS FAR AS THOSE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE IN HERE, AND THEN JUST A CONTEXT OF HOW IT WAS REQUESTED BY

[02:35:05]

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? GO AHEAD. JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, AND I HAVE SOME SPECIFIC PROPOSALS ON THE DRAFT CONSENT CALENDAR LANGUAGE OR THE REVISION OF OUR CONSENT CALENDAR LANGUAGE, SOME OF WHICH VETERANS HERE HAVE HEARD BEFORE FROM ME. DIRECTOR COFFEY JUST INDICATE WHAT PAGE YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

I'M NOT. OH, YOU'RE NOT? OKAY. AT THE MOMENT, I'M JUST RANDOMLY SPEAKING AS I HAVE A HABIT OF DOING AT THE MOMENT.

I WANTED TO THANK AMANDA FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS, NOT JUST THE VOLUME OF WORK, BUT THE WAY YOU HAVE DEVISED PRESENTATIONS OF REVISIONS, FORMATTING THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN REGULARLY AND ESPECIALLY IN RESPONSE TO OUR OWN COMMENTS, AND SO THAT WAS VERY WELL DONE, PRESENTED TO US VERY WELL, AND THAT IS VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

SO THANK YOU. THE COMMENT A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

NOW I'LL GET TO THE PAGE IF I GET IT RIGHT. 114, AND IT IS 3.2I IT'S THE LINED OUT LANGUAGE RIGHT ABOVE 3.3 ON 114 PAGE 114. WE HAVE NOW PROVIDED IN THE IN THE REVISIONS THAT THE BOARD RETAINS ITS OVERSIGHT OF THE HIRING AND DISMISSAL OF THE CFO.

ALL RIGHT. SO THAT WAS A PROVISION THAT WAS LINED OUT.

NOW IT'S BACK IN WITH SOME REVISIONS REFLECTING STATUTORY SCHEMES THAT I DON'T PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND, AND WE DO NOW RETAIN THE CLEARLY THAT OVERSIGHT OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, WHICH I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT JUST IN GENERAL IN THE.

YEAH, IT'S IN THE BOARD PACKET; IT IS LINED OUT.

WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING? JUST ABOVE 3.3. I YEAH.

SO THAT IS THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW.

SO I DON'T KNOW THE LANGUAGE WHERE THE BOARD HAS THE ACTUAL OVERSIGHT OF HIRING AND DISMISSALS.

SOMEWHERE ELSE. THAT'S RIGHT, DIRECTOR COFFEY.

COULD YOU BRING THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE CLOSER, LYNNE? THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. I BELIEVE THAT'S ON 107 OF WHAT HE'S REFERRING TO.

3.1.5, PAGE 107. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, SO THAT LANGUAGE IS BACK IN REFERRING TO THE CFO AND OUR OVERSIGHT OF HIRING FIRING. ON THAT PAGE THAT WAS JUST REFERENCED, AND I MIGHT JUST GO AHEAD AND ADD FOR THE BENEFIT. I'M GLAD YOU ARE RAISING THIS, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW MEMBERS, THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE IDENTIFIES TWO POSITIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR.

FOR HAVING AND THAT'S THE GENERAL MANA GER AND THE CONTROLLER, AND HERE THE CFO.

DOES THE CONTROLLER FUNCTION? SO WE HAVE CONTROLLER CFO HERE, BUT THOSE TWO POSITIONS ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED, BUT THE WHAT'S REQUIRED IS THAT THE CONTROLLER NOT BE HIRED OR FIRED WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.

SO IN THE LAST, THE LAST TIME A CONTROLLER WAS HIRED THAT WENT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL FOR BASICALLY CONSENT, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE ACTUAL HIRING OF THE GENERAL MANA GER OR THE GENERAL COUNSEL , WHERE YOU ACTUALLY MAKE THE DECISION AND DO THE INTERVIEWING AND WHATNOT.

SO THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THAT, AND THAT'S WHY THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CAME OUT, BUT IT STAYS IN THIS SECTION IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

OKAY. LET ME GET BACK TO THAT. I JUST WANT, DIRECTOR SANWONG IS RAISING THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE LANGUAGE IS TRULY KEEPING THE

[02:40:04]

WHERE IS THAT? OH, IT'S IN THE SAME SECTION. IT'S BEEN COMPLETELY WRITTEN OUT OF THE BOARD.

YEAH, I SUPPORT THAT. I THINK THE WE SHOULD BE OVERSEEING THE OFFICE THAT DIRECTLY PROVIDES FOR OUR ADMINISTRATION. YEAH. SO I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.

THE POINT I WAS MAKING AND WHAT COUNCIL WAS ADDRESSING IS IF WE ARE OVERSEEING THE HIRING AND DISCHARGE OF THESE POSITIONS, THERE SHOULD BE SOME MECHANISM BY WHICH THE BOARD IS GETTING FEEDBACK ON PERFORMANCE.

RIGHT, AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAS LOOKING AT THE LINE OUT OF PROVIDE PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANA GER, OR AT LEAST CFO AND CLERK OF THE BOARD RELATIVE TO ESTABLISHED OBJECTIVES, PLANS AND POLICIES, IF WE'RE LINING THAT OUT, I WANTED TO SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A MECHANISM WITH THOSE TWO POSITIONS FOR THE BOARD NOT TO JUST HAVE HIRING AND DISMISSAL OVERSIGHT, BUT ALSO TO HAVE AT LEAST FEEDBACK ON IF THE BOARD'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW, IF WE ARE TO HAVE A ROLE IN HIRING AND DISCHARGE, WE OUGHT TO BE GETTING ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FEEDBACK FROM THE GENERAL MANA GER. PERHAPS AS PART OF THE GENERAL MANA GER'S EVALUATION, THE GENERAL MANA GER COULD JUST MAKE A POINT OF TELLING US HOW THE CFO IS DOING AND HOW THE CLERK OF THE BOARD IS DOING, AND THAT'S JUST THE CONCEPT I HAVE, AND I'M LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THAT PROVISION ON PAGE 114 ABOVE 3.3. OKAY, THAT 'S JUST A THOUGHT, AND TO ADD TO THAT THOUGH WITH THE GENERAL MANA GER REVIEW THAT SECTION 3.3 ON PAGE 114 IN THE BOARD PACKET. THERE'S QUITE A FEW CHANGES THERE AS WELL, AND SO WE WANT TO ADD WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IN TERMS OF THE CFO AND CLERK, BUT THEN ALSO POINT OUT, I MEAN WE DIDN'T HAVE A GENERAL MANA GER REVIEW IN 2024 EITHER.

SO I THINK THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.

OKAY. I JUST MENTIONED IN THAT WHAT YOU WERE, WHAT I PULLED OUT EARLIER IS THE LANGUAGE, BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE FOR GENERAL MANA GER DOESN'T SAY PERFORMANCE REVIEW. IT SAYS MONITOR, AND I FELT THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN SAYING PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND THEN THERE WAS DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW BASED ON PREVIOUSLY AGREED GOALS.

SO IT DIDN'T JUST MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS AS SOMETHING THAT WAS A STANDARD PROCESS WITH STANDARD CRITERIA THAT EVERYONE KNEW WHAT THE CRITERIA WAS BEING MEASURED ON, OR IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BASED ON THE CONTRACT.

SO MAYBE BASED ON THE CONTRACT, WHEN YOU GUYS SIGNED THAT, YOU DECIDED WHAT THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA WOULD BE.

SO IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME BECAUSE MONITOR VERSUS I GUESS YOU'RE RAISING VERY GOOD POINT OF VIEW QUESTIONS. SO ON 3.3, I JUST ASSUMED THAT WE ARE WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS LINED OUT OF THE BOARD, WORKING WITH THE GENERAL MANA GER TO ESTABLISH DIRECTIONS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE GENERAL MANA GER, I JUST ASSUMED THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONTRACTUAL, THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE DO IN CONNECTION WITH AN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND ESPECIALLY COMPENSATION REVIEW THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AGREED UPON OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S DONE.

[02:45:01]

I THINK THAT'S WHY WE TRIED TO KIND OF CLARIFY WHAT THIS LANGUAGE IS.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT'S HEALTHY IN THE RELATIONSHIP CONTRACTUALLY AND OTHERWISE, JUST PROFESSIONALLY WITH BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE GENERAL MANA GER TO HAVE AGREED UPON OBJECTIVES AND GOALS AND TO HAVE SOME STANDARDS OUT THERE THAT WE ALL HAVE DEVELOPED TOGETHER AND WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND SHOULD IN THE FUTURE.

I'M NOT ALL THAT CONCERNED EXACTLY ABOUT THE WRITING OR WHEN IT'S DONE.

IT'S JUST I WOULD URGE US TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NEW EYES THAT LOOK AT THIS AND MAYBE SEE THE LINE OUT AS REMOVING THAT FACET OF WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN CONTRACTUALLY BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE GENERAL MANA GER. SO THAT'S IN 3.3. I THINK. THE DIRECTOR WAS POINTING OUT THOSE LINE OUTS.

DON'T SUGGEST A REPLACEMENT. I THINK IT'S CONTRACTUAL, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAYBE WE CAN ELABORATE ON THAT AT SOME POINT. YEAH. THERE IS THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE CONTRACT, AND AGAIN, I JUST I'M SORRY.

I'M JUST TRYING TO REAL TIME. THERE'S LOTS OF STUFF GOING ON AS I'M TRYING TO READ THIS.

SO I THINK THIS, THIS ATTEMPT IN GENERAL COUNSEL CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WAS JUST MEANT TO BE, AGAIN, JUST GENERIC AND ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE PRC SAYS.

SO YEAH, AGAIN, IT'S OPTICS AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

OKAY. YOU'RE REMOVING THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT AT ALL WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY.

SO WHEN YOU SAY CONTRACTUAL, YOU MEAN THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE CONTRACT THAT .

YEAH, IT'S IN THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT. CORRECT, COUNSEL, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT WITH THE GENERAL MANA GER FOR PERFORMANCE REVIEWS AND I DON'T RECALL I THINK THAT INCLUDES THE CONCEPT OF MUTUAL OBJECTIVES AND GOALS OR GOALS AND WHATEVER WE CAN MAKE.

I THINK WE COULD MAKE REFERENCE TO AS OUTLINED IN THE CONTRACT OR EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YEAH. SO I THE ANSWER IS WHEN I SAW THIS LANGUAGE, I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO WHAT WAS SPOKEN TO EARLIER, REMOVING LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT BE SUPERFLUOUS BECAUSE IT'S ADDRESSED ELSEWHERE, BUT IF NOT, I JUST RELY ON YOU FOLKS TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

IF I COULD THEN LET ME MOVE TO BECAUSE I HAVE SOME SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS WITH THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND THE CONSENT CALENDAR LANGUAGE AS REVISED IS ON 122. RIGHT AT THE TOP, AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF LANGUAGE LINED OUT WHICH REFLECTS THE EXISTING LANGUAGE IN OUR OPERATING GUIDELINES GOVERNING THE USE OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PROVISION, THERE IS UNDERLINED NEW LANGUAGE AND MUCH OF THAT NEW LANGUAGE I SUGGESTED IN TERMS OF FAMILIARITY WITH BASIC PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE CONCEPTS OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, WHICH INCLUDE THAT THEY THEY THE THE CONSENT CALENDAR IS NOT USED.

IF ISSUES ARE IN THE NATURE OF THERE'S A NEED FOR DEBATE, DISCUSSION, RECITALS OF THEM, INQUIRIES INTO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ISSUES AND MATTERS THAT ARE NOT IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF DISTRICT BUSINESS.

THOSE DON'T BELONG ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND IT'S JUST TAKING EXISTING LANGUAGE AND EXPANDING IT A LITTLE TO REFLECT THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.

BY THE WAY, THE LEGISLATURE HAS AT TIMES ATTEMPTED TO CREATE LANGUAGE STATUTORILY THAT WOULD GUIDE LOCAL AGENCIES AND THE USE OF CONSENT CALENDARS, AND EVERY TIME THEY'VE TRIED IT, THEY'VE BEEN CONFRONTED WITH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE 5000 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ALL OF WHOM HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE FOR CONSENT CALENDARS, AND SO EVERY TIME THE LEGISLATURE WOULD WANT TO, FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER, DRAFT IT. IT JUST IT DOESN'T WORK.

SO THEY LEAVE IT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ITSELF TO PROVIDE FOR CONSENT CALENDARS WITHIN OUR OWN BOARD LEVEL GUIDELINES, BYLAWS, HOWEVER YOU DESCRIBE THEM.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DEALING WITH IT, AND WE HAVE TO WORDSMITH IT.

[02:50:04]

IT COMPELS AT LEAST SOME SEMBLANCE OF DELIBERATION ON AN ISSUE.

SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE NOT THAT WE DELETE THAT COMPLETELY, WHICH IS IN THE PRESENT DRAFT LANGUAGE HERE, BUT THAT WE REPLACE THE LANGUAGE TO REFLECT A HIGHER THRESHOLD, BECAUSE GIVEN THE BUDGET THAT THIS ORGANIZATION HAS AND THE EVOLUTION OF THAT BUDGET SINCE THE TIME THIS WAS FIRST DRAFTED AND THE HALF MILLION DOLLAR THRESHOLD WAS CREATED. I WOULD JUST PROPOSE THAT WE KEEP THE THRESHOLD, BUT THAT IT BE $1 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES RATHER THAN $500,000 AND DEBT OVER HALF A MILLION RATHER THAN $100,000.

SO I'M THROWING THAT OUT THERE FOR MY COLLEAGUE'S CONSIDERATION.

THE OTHER ADD THAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR IS A RESULT OF SPENDING YEARS HERE OBSERVING OUR UTILIZATION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND VIEWING MATTERS THAT WE HAVE ROUTINELY, HISTORICALLY PUT ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR THAT ARE JUST AS ROUTINELY HISTORICALLY REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR IN ORDER TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR DELIBERATION ON THEM AND THE LANGUAGE I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT WE ADD ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WILL JUST SIMPLY NOT BE ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND IT REFLECTS MY OBSERVATION OF THE FOLLOWING, THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT NO MATTERS INVOLVING DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT OR COMPENSATION THAT GO ON OUR OPEN AGENDA BE PLACED ON A CONSENT CALENDAR, BECAUSE WE HAVE AGAIN, HISTORICALLY PLACED OUR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS WITH THOSE THAT WE DIRECTLY EMPLOY, THE GENERAL MANA GER COUNSEL, AND WE PUT THE NEGOTIATED LABOR AGREEMENTS AND THEN FOLLOWING OUR NEGOTIATED LABOR AGREEMENTS, ARE OUR ACTIONS ON THE UNREPRESENTED THAT GENERALLY REFLECT AT LEAST BALLPARK WHAT THE COMPENSATION ISSUES WE ARRIVE AT WITH THE UNION.

SO IN ANY EVENT UNION MEMBERSHIP, OUR UNION AGREEMENTS ARE COMPENSATION TO UNREPRESENTED, AND OUR EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN PUT ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE, AND AT ONE POINT, WE HAD ALL OF THEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, EXCEPT FOR THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S REPRESENTING THE MAJORITY OF OUR--LET ME FINISH, AND THEN YOU JUMP ALL OVER WHAT I'M SAYING. FEEL FREE.

WHERE IS THAT? OKAY, SO THOSE AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

WE ROUTINELY PULLED THEM OFF THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

I THINK WE SHOULD OWN THEM. OUR EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS.

WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR COMPENSATION FOR ARE REPRESENTED AND UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES AND OUR DIRECT HIRES.

THAT'S JUST MY PHILOSOPHY. I ALSO RAN SOME LANGUAGE PAST ALLYSON COOK, BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE ARE CLASSIFICATION ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ROUTINELY PLACED WITHIN OUR CONSENT CALENDAR THAT REALLY DON'T REFLECT THE DEGREE OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE SHOULD APPLY TO COMPENSATION.

SO I HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE. ALLYSON SAID IT WAS OKAY.

[02:55:04]

I WANTED TO COVER THAT. THE OTHER SUGGESTION I HAVE IS THAT NO MATTER AUTHORIZING OUTSOURCING OF EXISTING WORKFORCE FUNCTIONS OR CAPACITY SHALL BE PLACED ON A CONSENT CALENDAR.

THIS I DERIVE FROM OBSERVING FOR YEARS THAT WE PLACE ON OCCASION, OUTSOURCING CONTRACTS IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR. OUR UNION REP COMES TO US AND ROUTINELY WANTS TO DISCUSS THEM, AND WE JUST AS ROUTINELY TAKE THEM OFF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, BECAUSE OUTSOURCING OF MATTERS THAT OFTEN ACTUALLY DON'T IMPACT OUR EXISTING WORKFORCE SOMETIMES DO IMPACT OUR EXISTING WORKFORCE, BUT , YOU KNOW, WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH LABOR, MAYBE IT'S ACTUALLY NOT A BIG DEAL.

SOMETIMES IT IS A BIG DEAL, AND MY OBSERVATION IS THAT NONETHELESS, WHATEVER THE ACTUAL IMPLICATIONS, THAT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUTSOURCING FUNCTIONS THAT ARE EXISTING WORKFORCE ARE ENGAGED IN THAT.

WE JUST NOT PUT THOSE ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND DEAL WITH THAT DANCE OF TAKING IT OFF AND DEALING WITH IT.

SO I HAVE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE I DRAFTED TO ADDRESS THOSE TWO MATTERS AND THE MONETARY THRESHOLDS.

IF MY COLLEAGUES ARE INTERESTED IN THOSE, I CAN SHARE THEM AND WE CAN PURSUE THEM, BUT THOSE WOULD BE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONS TO THE DRAFT REVISIONS WE HAVE BEFORE US.

I WILL STOP. DIRECTOR COFFEY I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION RELATED TO PUTTING CONTRACTS RELATED TO COMPENSATION. I THINK PUTTING CONTRACTS, THE NEW NEW CONTRACTS QUITE FREQUENTLY HR BRINGS ITEMS THAT ARE JUST TO JUST TO IMPLEMENT AN EXISTING CONTRACT FOR CALPERS PURPOSES THAT WE HAVE TO REVISE THE SALARY SCHEDULE AND I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE CLEAR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS LANGUAGE, IF WE IF WE SAY ALL ITEMS RELATED TO COMPENSATION, FOR INSTANCE, OR WAGES, IT WOULD PROBABLY CAPTURE THAT, AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THOSE ITEMS IS JUST IMPLEMENTING, FOR INSTANCE, THE BIANNUAL RAISES OR WHATEVER THAT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED, AND IT'S JUST GETTING THE SALARY SCHEDULE.

YEAH, ALLYSON CAN ADDRESS THIS, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE OVERLY PRESCRIPTIVE IF POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA.

COULD YOU PASS THIS DOWN? DIRECTOR COFFEY, ALLYSON COOK, DEPUTY GENERAL MANA GER AND ASSISTANT GENERAL MANA GER OF HR.

I THINK WHAT GENERAL COUNSEL IS REFERRING TO IS THE SALARY SCHEDULE UPDATES THAT'S REQUIRED BY CALPERS TO CALCULATE PENSION AND FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES, THE BOARD WILL HAVE ALREADY AUTHORIZED WAGE INCREASES WHEN THEY RATIFY A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT OR EXTEND WAGE INCREASES TO UNREPRESENTED OR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, AND THOSE SALARY SCHEDULE UPDATES, WHICH USUALLY PRECEDE A ROUTINE SALARY INCREASE THAT YOU ALREADY APPROVED, IS TYPICALLY ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR BECAUSE IT IS NON-CONTROVERSIAL AND ROUTINE BECAUSE YOU ALREADY APPROVED IT.

IS THAT THE ONE WE DO ANNUALLY? THAT THEN IS FORWARDED TO THE STATE CONTROLLER? YOU DO IT SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE ONE COMING IN FEBRUARY BECAUSE THE POLICE ASSOCIATION, YOU ALREADY APPROVED A 1% WAGE INCREASE BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2022 WHEN YOU RATIFIED THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT.

SO THOSE ARE ROUTINE ITEMS THAT ARE JUST IMPLEMENTING AND COMPLYING WITH CALPERS REGULATIONS THAT REQUIRE US TO HAVE AN UPDATED SALARY SCHEDULE THAT'S RATIFIED AND AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD. SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.

YEAH, I GUESS I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH IT. I GENERALLY JUST WROTE EVERYTHING INVOLVING COMPENSATION ON FOR THE PURPOSE OF CAPTURING EVERYTHING, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO NECESSARILY HAVE IT APPLY TO AN ANNUAL ANNUAL STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE JUST TO LIST CURRENT SALARIES SO THAT I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE EXCLUDING THAT, BUT THAT PRESUMES THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT TO START WITH.

[03:00:06]

SO I'M CURIOUS WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR TODAY THEN, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED, AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW SOME OF THOSE CHANGES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS, AND I ALSO WONDER, SO THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, I BELIEVE THIS IS STAFF RECOMMENDED CHANGES.

WE HAVE NOT HAD AN AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT CONSISTED OF BOARD MEMBERS TO PUT FORWARD ANY PROPOSED EDITS OR CHANGES OR REVISIONS.

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST CONVERSATION TOGETHER, ACTUALLY, ON THIS TOPIC, AND I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME THERE WAS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, IT WAS BEFORE FOUR OF US WERE ON THE BOARD BECAUSE IT PREDATES ME AS WELL, AND JOHN, AND SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

YEAH, AND IT WAS DEE AND ELLEN WHO WERE THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.

SO I WONDER IF WE DO WANT TO MAYBE CONSIDER AS A BOARD SOME PROCESS HERE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES HERE AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, AND EVEN JUST TO HEAR LIKE, THANK YOU FOR DRAFTING THIS, COLIN.

IT'S HELPFUL TO SEE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN EVEN, LIKE, READ THIS AND MAKE A DECISION TODAY.

ALSO, I KNOW I'M RUNNING ON A DEADLINE. I THINK I CAN PROBABLY STAY HERE UNTIL MAYBE, LIKE, 05:40, BUT THEN I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE, AND SO THAT 'S ALSO SOMETHING ELSE, AND ALSO WE DON'T HAVE ELIZABETH HERE TODAY AS WELL.

SO SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. HERE, AND THEN IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS NOW I'M TRYING TO I HAD A COMMENT EARLIER BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION, AND NOW I'M KIND OF NOT REALLY REMEMBERING WHAT IT WAS, BUT I GUESS WHAT I CAN DO LET ME GO INTO THE ONES THAT I ALSO WAS READY TO TALK ABOUT.

SO I GUESS SINCE COLIN JUST MENTIONED 122, I'LL GO TO 123.

I HAD SOME COMMENTS HERE. SO ONE OF THEM SO ON 123 AND ACTUALLY JUST TODAY IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT THIS ITEM I THAT'S CROSSED OUT THE BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS.

YOU KNOW, I ALMOST WONDER IF WE WANT TO CONSIDER ALMOST A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE.

I'VE SEEN OTHER LOCAL AGENCY BOARD MEETINGS WHERE THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ACTUALLY GIVES A VERBAL REPORT DURING THE MEETING, AND I KNOW EVEN JUST TODAY WE HAD AN EXAMPLE ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED A COMMITTEE REPORT FROM THE CHAIR AND TO HAVE SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE IN PLACE IN REGARDS TO OUR AGENDA FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY, AND HERE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE TAKING IT COMPLETELY OUT, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER HERE, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE RIGHT ABOVE IT IN THE GENERAL MANAGER COMMENTS AND GENERAL MANA GER'S COMMUNICATIONS.

THERE'S SOMETHING HERE THAT'S BEEN KIND OF AN INTERESTING SITUATION IN REGARDS TO THE LIVERMORE AREA AND RECREATION PARK DISTRICT SITUATION. LAST THURSDAY THERE WAS ANOTHER ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO MEETING WHERE THE GENERAL MANA GER OF LARPD CAME UP AND SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN REQUESTING A MEETING WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND SO THEN I FOLLOWED UP HIS COMMENTS AND SAID, NO ONE'S EVER REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT THAT, AND THEN ONE OF THE DIRECTORS ON LARPD CAME UP AND SAID THAT I WAS LYING, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE ACCUSING EACH OTHER OF NOT TELLING THE TRUTH AND I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER THAT MEETING JUST TO ASK ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND THERE'S A CLAIM THAT LARPD HAD REACHED OUT TO US ASKING FOR A MEETING, AND I JUST HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT REQUEST, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF IF THAT DID HAPPEN, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW, BUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT LETTERS OR THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE RECEIVING THROUGH THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE BOARD TO SEE SOME OF THAT CORRESPONDENCE.

BECAUSE IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN I GUESS I DID MAYBE NOT TELL THE TRUTH AT THE MEETING, AND ON THAT SAME VEIN, I ALSO JUST WANT TO MENTION IF WE GO, IF WE SKIP AHEAD TO THE SECTION ON IN THE APPENDIX ON PAGE 151 IN OUR PACKET.

[03:05:06]

SO, SO RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE WE'RE UNDER A PILOT PROGRAM IN TERMS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM.

I THINK IT'S ONLY BEEN IN PLACE FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND SO NOW THE PROPOSAL IS FOR US TO UPDATE THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES TO GO AHEAD AND CODIFY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, AND THEN TO REMOVE ALL OF OUR LIAISON COMMITTEES FROM OUR BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES, AND I WOULD ADVOCATE MAYBE THIS ISN'T A GREAT IDEA, SINCE I JUST ON THURSDAY, GOT INTO THIS CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE AGENCIES THAT'S LISTED ON HERE, THE LIVERMORE AREA PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT.

I KNOW, AT LEAST FOR THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, SINCE THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE CAME OUT IN AUGUST, I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR US TO HAVE A LIAISON MEETING, AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS, AND I DID RECEIVE SOME CORRESPONDENCE YESTERDAY FROM OUR GENERAL MANA GER THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LIAISON MEETING, WHICH I THINK IS IS A POSITIVE STEP, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT ON HERE LISTED IS CITY OF CITY OF PLEASANTON, WHICH I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR LIAISON MEETING EVER SINCE I STARTED ON THIS BOARD. I KNOW THEY SENT A LETTER PRIOR TO ME STARTING ON THIS BOARD IN AROUND SEPTEMBER OF 2022.

WE HAVE YET TO HAVE THAT LIAISON MEETING WITH THE CITY OF PLEASANTON, AND I KNOW THERE IS SOME PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK WE CAN DO ON THIS FRONT, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO THROW OUT THIS LIST QUITE YET, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE REPLACING IT WITH A PILOT PROJECT.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER. THAT'S BEFORE US TODAY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE EARLIER CONVERSATION, I APPRECIATE HEARING WAS IT THE 3.31? I KNOW I MARKED IT ON HERE.

LET'S SEE. MAYBE IT WASN'T 3.3. 3.1.7 ON PAGE 110, WHERE WE REPLACE COMMUNITY AGENCY RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.

I THINK THE POINT ABOUT WHERE DOES THE COMMUNITY AGENCY RELATIONS GO IS A VERY GOOD ONE, AND I DON'T I THINK THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO BE CAREFUL HERE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH. YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT SAVE MOUNT DIABLO OR TRI-VALLEY CONSERVANCY OR JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST OR ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE, OR, YOU KNOW, THE EQUESTRIAN GROUPS. THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS THAT WE WORK WITH AND SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND IT'S MY EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT YOU KNOW, THE BOARD REALLY ISN'T INVOLVED IN THIS, AND WHEN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE DON'T REALLY GET THE SUPPORT FROM STAFF ON THIS FRONT, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT, AND THEN THE FINAL POINT I WANTED TO JUST CIRCLE BACK ON IS IT LOOKS LIKE ANY MENTION OF THE CLERK OF THE BOARD HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM HERE, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, WITH THE STRIKEOUTS, AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO A COMMENT WHERE THERE HAD BEEN A MISTAKE, I THINK, ON THE 3.1.5 F THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO STRIKE OUT THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DATA AND MONITOR PROGRESS ANNUALLY. SO AGAIN, THAT WOULD ALSO JUST UNDERSCORE THE POINT THAT MAYBE TODAY IS NOT THE DAY TO BE TAKING A FULL VOTE ON THIS, BECAUSE I THINK WE DO NEED TO KIND OF WORK TO SEE WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON, OR MAYBE WE MIGHT NEED TO DO THIS IN A PIECEMEAL MANNER, BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE A LOT ALL AT ONCE. SO MAYBE YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER COMING BACK, WE COULD GO MAYBE SECTION BY SECTION OR HAVE AN HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO DO A LOT ALL AT ONCE.

THAT'S MY FINAL COMMENT. I THINK MERCURIO, IF I COULD JUST JUMP IN ON ONE ONE QUICK THING ON THAT QUESTION.

SO THERE ARE I WANT TO TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID ABOUT THERE'S NO URGENCY ON ANYTHING THAT IS TRUE.

THERE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT WE DON'T THINK ARE CONTROVERSIAL, WHICH WE ACTUALLY WOULD.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS IN A PIECE. ONE IS TO GO AHEAD AND REMOVE, I BELIEVE IT IS APPENDIX E, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, LYNNE? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY, AND JUST SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ON OUR PURCHASING PROCESSES.

YEAH. SO APPENDIX E, I THINK THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MET THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET INDIVIDUALLY WITH US.

WE EXPLAINED THAT APPENDIX E IS REALLY OUR POLICY FOR PURCHASING AND PROCUREMENT, AND

[03:10:01]

IT'S GUIDANCE FOR STAFF ON HOW TO DO THEIR WORK IN THAT REGARD.

THE BOARD COULD CERTAINLY BE AWARE OF WHAT HOW IT WORKS, BUT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH STAFF, WITH UPDATES TO OUR CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO REALLY IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND JUST ONCE WE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS ESTABLISH A FINANCE POLICY THAT WILL BASICALLY TAKE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN APPENDIX E THAT ACTUALLY PERTAINS TO STAFF AND, AND TURN IT INTO A FINANCE POLICY.

WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THE CONTRACTS AND TEMPLATES THEMSELVES, AND WE WANT TO START TRAINING STAFF.

WE WANT TO THIS HAS BEEN LIKE A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ALL LAST YEAR, THAT WE REALLY HOPE TO AT LEAST GET THIS FIRST INITIAL PART OF IT DONE IN THE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR AND THEN WORK ON PROCUREMENT KIND OF MORE WRIT LARGE.

SO APPENDIX E HAS SOME REVISIONS. WHAT WE'VE KEPT IN THERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY PERTAIN TO THE BOARD, WHICH IS THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY OF WHEN ITEMS NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD, AND THEN HOW YOU DO IT WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO OUT FOR A FORMAL BID VERSUS AN INFORMAL BID.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT GUIDE HOW STAFF DOES THEIR WORK.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OLD E, NEW D, RIGHT? YES.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YES. OKAY. YES. SO THAT WAS ONE I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, AND THEN THE OTHER IS THIS IS A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, BUT I JUST I WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF THAT HAS TO DO IT, WHICH IS ON YOUR MILEAGE.

SO I JUST JUST THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH US ABOUT THIS, THE PROPOSAL THERE, INSTEAD OF YOU HAVING TO SUBMIT INDIVIDUALLY EVERY TIME YOU GO TO A PARK DISTRICT MEETING RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT YOUR REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST WITH MILEAGE AND YOLANDA AND HER STAFF HAVE TO GO THROUGH GOOGLE AND FIGURE OUT THE ACTUAL DISTANCE AND ALL OF THAT.

INSTEAD, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS JUST TO MODERNIZE THIS LIKE OTHER AGENCIES DO, WHICH IS TO HAVE YOU GET AN ANNUAL AUTO ALLOWANCE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT PRETTY BURDENSOME PROCESS ON BOTH THE BOARD'S PART AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED THERE IS, BASED OFF OF HISTORICAL ACTUALS, THAT THE BOARDS HAVE HAVE SUBMITTED REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS FOR.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE A PITCH FOR THAT ONE. I DON'T THINK IT'S CONTROVERSIAL, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF THAT HAS TO PROCESS THIS AND FRANKLY, ON YOUR BEHALF, THAT IT IS ADMINISTRATIVELY FAIRLY BURDENSOME, AND WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR ON THAT ONE.

SO I WOULD JUST PITCH IF THERE WERE TWO THAT WE COULD TAKE ACTION ON.

THOSE WOULD BE MY TWO SECTIONS THAT AMANDA, DO YOU HAVE THAT? YES. SO THE VEHICLE ALLOWANCE IS ON ONE PAGE 139.

OF YOUR POCKET. OH, YES. SORRY. DO YOU WANT TO SAY THAT? AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AS TO WHY, ON PAGE 139, THERE'S SO MUCH RED ON THAT PAGE.

THERE'S A TRAVEL POLICY THAT APPLIES TO ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND SO THE REVISIONS TO THIS PAGE MAKE CLEAR THAT POLICY IS WHICH WHAT GUIDES ANY KIND OF TRAVEL THAT YOU DO, AND , AND THEN THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT IS BEING REPLACED WITH THIS MONTHLY AMOUNT OF CAR ALLOWANCE, AND DIRECTOR MERCURIO POINTED OUT EARLIER THAT IF YOU'RE DOING TRAVEL, THAT'S YOU KNOW, OF SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE. FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU WENT TO TAHOE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THE CAR ALLOWANCE MIGHT NOT BE SUFFICIENT. SO THERE'S AN EXCEPTION FOR IF YOU'RE 150 MILES OR MORE, THEN YOU ACTUALLY DO SUBMIT YOUR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE RED LINES I GUESS WE WOULD BE ASKING THAT THE CHANGES UNDER 6.3 IN ITS ENTIRETY BE ADOPTED. CAN YOU POINT OUT WHERE IT SAYS IT MAKES A REFERENCE TO THE TRAVEL POLICY HERE? I COULDN'T QUITE FIND THAT. IT'S UNDER TWO TRANSPORTATION.

THE LAST SENTENCE. OKAY.

I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE UPFRONT AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE SOME NEW DIRECTOR MIGHT BE TRYING TO WIND THEIR WAY THROUGH ALL THIS, AND THEN THEY FIND THAT AT THE END OF A SECTION, IF IT WAS MORE LIKE UPFRONT SAYING, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT THE TRAVEL POLICY IS WHAT GOVERNS THIS,

[03:15:09]

YEAH, AND THEN WE KNOW THAT. OKAY. OKAY. FOR MY QUESTION.

FORGET THIS. GO LOOK THERE FIRST. IT'S EASIER TO FIND IT.

OKAY. ALSO, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THIS UNTIL JUST VERY, VERY RECENTLY THAT WE CAN GET REIMBURSED FOR MILEAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A COMPENSABLE MEETING.

YES. OKAY. WHERE'S THAT WRITTEN? YOU CAN. I THINK THAT WOULD BE IN THE TRAVEL GUIDELINES.

THE TRAVEL GUIDELINES ARE INDEPENDENT OF COMPENSABLE MEETING.

YES. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S ON ME, THEN? I DIDN'T SEE IT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S ALSO A IT'S AN AREA OF THAT WE OBSERVERS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN ATTEST TO THAT. IT'S FREQUENTLY CAUSING ISSUES FOR ELECTEDS WHO OVERUSE THAT.

IN OTHER WORDS, PUT IN FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR ACTIVITIES THAT AREN'T REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEFINITELY PARAMETERS TO IT, BUT YEAH.

YEAH. I'M JUST I F WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ISSUE, I'D JUST LIKE TO CAUTION US TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN HOW YOU USE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE ELECTEDS WHO HAVE GOTTEN INTO SIGNIFICANT TROUBLE.

YEAH, AND SO IMPLEMENTING A CAR ALLOWANCE WOULD REALLY TAKE CARE OF KIND OF THAT BECAUSE THE CAR ALLOWANCE WAS DESIGNED TO KIND OF LOOK BY LOOKING AT THE STATISTICS OF HOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING AND HOW OFTEN THEY'RE TRAVELING TO COMPENSATE EVERYONE FAIRLY FOR THE KIND OF DRIVING THAT THEY'RE DOING. THAT'S RIGHT. SO IT WOULD TAKE AWAY THIS WEATHER THAT WAS REALLY A POLITICAL EVENT OR A GOVERNMENT EVENT THAT YOU WENT TO.

IT REMOVES THAT ISSUE. WELL, THAT'S TRUE. YEAH, EXACTLY.

SO THAT'S A GOOD POINT. YEAH. SURE. SO WITH THIS FORMERLY APPENDIX E, NOW APPENDIX D ON PAGE 162.

SO YOU MENTIONED THAT WE DO HAVE ALREADY DRAFTED THE FINANCE POLICIES THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY REPLACE THIS.

I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE POLICIES BEFORE VOTING ON THIS, JUST TO BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE'RE REPLACING.

THAT'S IN THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES. I DO TRUST THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD MAKE THINGS MORE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT, BUT IT'D BE HELPFUL JUST TO SEE THE TWO SIDE BY SIDE.

I WOULD BE HAPPY TO I DON'T I'M NOT IT'S THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH LEGAL, SO I DON'T HAVE IT AT MY FINGERTIPS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IT'S PRIMARILY EXACTLY WHAT YOU SEE IN APPENDIX E, WITH JUST UPDATES TO THE EXTENT NEEDED TO CONFORM WITH LAW, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.

THAT IS WHAT WE CONSIDER AN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL.

IF WE DECIDE TO CONTINUE THIS AND WORK ON IT SOME MORE, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE A CLEAN COPY OF THIS WITH THE CHANGES ALREADY WORKED INTO IT. JUST ALL BLACK, AND THEN ALSO THIS OTHER SECTION THAT WE CAN REFER TO THIS BECAUSE I'M HAVING A HARD TIME READING THROUGH THIS.

IT'S JUST THAT'S MY LIMITATION. I APOLOGIZE, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME VALUE TO THAT AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO NOT LOOK AT THAT, THEY NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, THEY HAVE THAT OPTION, BUT FOR ME TO COMPREHEND THIS IN A MORE FULLY A BETTER MANNER, I WOULD REQUEST THAT IF WE DECIDE TO GO AND CONTINUE THIS VERY, VERY EASY.

I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AMANDA, BUT YEAH, VERY EASY FOR US TO INCLUDE A CLEAN COPY WITHOUT THE RED.

YEAH, YEAH, AND WE HAD ANOTHER COMMENT. I THINK DIRECTOR SANWONG ALMOST ADDRESSED IT.

IT WAS VERY SIMILAR THAT IF WE'RE IT SEEMS LIKE STAFF HAS THESE SORT OF TWO THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THEM IF WE COULD LEAVE IN I HAVE I LIKE THE SUPPORT AND THE REFERENCE TO A GUIDELINES PROCEDURE SPECIFIC 8.23, BUT SIMILAR TO THAT, IF THERE'S THIS GUIDANCE THAT SOMEHOW HAS A NUMBER TO IT TO IT THAT'S IN APPENDIX E THAT WOULD THEN BE REFERENCED SOMEWHERE IN HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SECTION THAT WOULD BE, BUT VERY SIMILAR THAT IT WOULD SAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PURCHASING GUIDELINES PROCEDURE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WHATEVER, SO THAT AND THAT MIGHT EVEN ADDRESS SOME ISSUES, OTHER COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THIS EVENING.

[03:20:05]

YEAH, I THINK DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE IS TO ADD.

TO THE NEW APPENDIX D, SOMETHING THAT REFERENCES THE FACT THAT THE PURCHASING AND PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES OR PROCEDURES ARE FOUND IN FINANCE POLICY X, YOU KNOW, BLAH BLAH, BLAH. OR EVEN SIMPLER THAN THAT, THERE WOULD BE NO APPENDIX E SOMEWHERE IN THIS TEXT.

WE MUST REFERENCE APPENDIX E INSTEAD. JUST REFERENCE THE NEW PURCHASE AND POLICY GUIDELINES.

WE ACTUALLY THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES DON'T REFERENCE APPENDIX E, IT JUST HAD IT HANGING UP.

IT WAS JUST KIND OF HANGING OUT THERE. WELL MAYBE WE COULD PUT IT IN SOMEWHERE.

YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.

YES. TO PRESIDENT MERCURIO'S POINT, TOO, ABOUT A CLEAN COPY.

ONE THING I NOTICED, LIKE I WAS ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG, BUT THE I THINK THE LAST APPROVED COPY OF THE BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES, GUIDELINES, WHICH I ACTUALLY BRING WITH ME TO EVERY MEETING FROM FEBRUARY 9TH, 2023.

THE PAGE NUMBERS IN HERE ACTUALLY DON'T CORRESPOND TO THE PAGE NUMBERS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HERE.

IT'S FINE. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG BECAUSE OF THE HEADINGS, BUT IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PAGE NUMBERS LINE UP .

SO LIKE IF I LOOK AT PAGE 53, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE FEBRUARY 2023 VERSION, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY LINE UP WITH PAGE 53 IN HERE, BUT THAT'S OKAY. IT'S VERY MINOR, BUT IT MIGHT BE THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT ROUND WHERE WE'RE PRESENTED WITH A CLEAN COPY, THAT WE DO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING THE PAGE NUMBERS FROM THE LAST APPROVED VERSION.

WE CAN TRY TO DO THAT. I THINK SOME OF THE DELETIONS AND ADDITIONS PUSH THINGS DOWN AND TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE.

SO WE'LL DO OUR BEST. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS INPUT. I ALREADY I FEEL LIKE I ALREADY DID MY GREATEST ABILITY IN THIS PRINT P RIOR TO THIS. SO YOU KNOW, I'M OKAY IN PASSING ON ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. SO WE HAVE AN ISSUE HERE NOW WHERE WE CAN WE CAN CONTINUE, CONTINUE, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR NOTHER PERIOD OF TIME AND GET THIS TO THE END, OR WE CAN PEEL OFF THOSE TWO ITEMS AND CONSIDER THOSE AND THEN CONSIDER THE REST OF THIS AT A FUTURE DATE.

SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST. IF THERE'S A MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT APPROACH I WOULD, I WOULD LOOK FOR THAT IF I MAY, PRESIDENT MERCURIO, I THINK THAT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AMANDA.

I WOULD RECOMMEND IF THAT IS GOING TO BE THE MOTION THAT'S MADE THAT WE NOT PUT A DATE CERTAIN ON WHEN THIS WOULD COME BACK YET, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO COME, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH KIND OF A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE PROCESS.

SO THAT WE DON'T END UP KIND OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHICH IS THIS JUST GOT CONTINUED FROM THE LAST BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER AUTOMATICALLY IS JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, FUTURE DATE. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, BUT WE DO HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS.

OKAY. BRING THEM IN. YES. WILLIAM HOUGH, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND FOLLOWED BY NORM LA FORCE WHO'S ON THE LINE.

THANKS. HELLO. WILLIAM HOUGH, AFSCME 2428 PRESIDENT. TO THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, NORMALLY IT'S NOT THIS LONG.

YOU GUYS ARE DOING GREAT. DIRECTOR MERCURIO I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER.

I AS SOMEONE WITH DYSLEXIA, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THIS DOCUMENT, AND ALSO GENERAL MANA GER AND GENERAL COUNSEL .

THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS MADE AT THE BEGINNING; IT WAS REALLY CLARIFYING. I ALSO MISUNDERSTOOD SOME OF THE DOCUMENT AT THE BEGINNING. I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY SAID, BUT WE AGREED WITH POINTS WERE BROUGHT UP REGARDING 3.1.5 REGARDING MONITORING THE DEI, AS WELL AS ON PAGE 110, SECTION 3.1.7. THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS.

[03:25:08]

IF THE BOARD HAS OVERSIGHT, THEN THE PEOPLE HAVE OVERSIGHT.

GOING DOWN TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR ON PAGE 122 .

IT ALLOWS MORE MONEY IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND TO BE PASSED THROUGH THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND WE FEEL LIKE ONCE YOU REACH THAT THRESHOLD OF $500,000, IT'S PROBABLY WORTHY OF DEBATE.

ALSO, DIRECTOR COFFEY, I AGREE WITH YOU REGARDING REMOVING ANYTHING THAT OUTSOURCES LABOR FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A STAND THAT I DISAGREE WITH OUTSOURCING LABOR PERIOD, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.

ON PAGE 132 IT REMOVES BOARD OVERSIGHT OF LARGE BUDGET TRANSFERS, OR THAT'S HOW I PERCEIVED IT, AND ON PAGE 125, REGARDING THE MINUTES.

THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL ONLY REPORT THE ACTIONS TAKEN, NOT THE DISCUSSIONS TAKEN BY THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND AGAIN, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF OVERSIGHT, I FEEL IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE MAINTAINED SO THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN READ THEM.

OH, MAN, 1 34. 5.8 AND 5.9, IT SEEMS TO REMOVE BOARD OVERSIGHT OF LARGE GRANTS AND ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES. OH, MAN, 40 SECONDS. ALL RIGHT. APPENDIX D PARENTHESES E IT APPEARS TO ME TO BE LOWERING THE BARRIER OF ENTRY FOR CONTRACTING, AND WE WORRY THIS WILL FURTHER ENCROACH ON AFSCME WORK.

THE PART ABOUT DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO THE GENERAL MANA GER CAN DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO SPEND CERTAIN FUNDS.

I WORRY, WOULD MAKE THE SYSTEM A LITTLE OPAQUE.

I'M NOT. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE DONE ON PURPOSE, BUT IT COULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT AND WHERE IT'S BEING SPENT, AND LASTLY, ON PAGE 167 THERE IS THE DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY PURCHASES, WHICH THEN GETS IT STRUCK OUT, AND THEN THERE IS A NEW DEFINITION FOR IT ON 171, AND ONE OF THE CHANGES IS THEY HAVE LISTED PART OF THE DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY AS QUOTE OTHER OCCURRENCE, WHICH COULD BE, YOU KNOW, LABOR ISSUES.

SORRY FOR GOING A SECOND OVER. NO THANK YOU. IT WOULD BE NICE, MAYBE IF YOU WOULD SEND THAT TO US AN EMAIL.

I'LL TYPE IT UP SO IT LOOKS A LITTLE BETTER. NOT LIKE THAT.

[CHUCKLING] OH, THAT'LL WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE NORM LA FORCE WHO HAS BEEN HANGING IN THERE.

WE APPRECIATE YOU, NORM. I AM GOING TO PROMOTE YOU TO PANELISTS.

PLEASE ACCEPT THAT, AND THEN YOU MAY SPEAK.

OKAY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, AS YOU KNOW. THERE YOU GO.

YEAH. SO JUST ME, JUST MYSELF. I'M GLAD THAT THE BOARD'S GOING TO PUT THIS OVER.

I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE PUT OVER. THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES HERE.

FRANKLY, WHEN I READ THE STAFF REPORT, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY IT IS THAT YOU REALLY NEEDED TO DO ALL THESE DELETIONS AND CHANGES.

THERE WAS NO GOOD EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THAT WAS BEING DONE.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR SOME 40 SOME ODD YEARS WITH THE PARK DISTRICT AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK OKAY.

MAYBE THERE WERE SOME ISSUES ABOUT WHY SOME CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM SHOULD BE CONSENT OR NOT, BUT HEY, YOU KNOW YOU DEALT WITH IT, SO I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED WHY ALL THESE CHANGES NEEDED TO BE DONE.

I FULLY AGREE WITH WHAT DIRECTOR ESPAÑA AND DESCHAMBAULT PUT FORWARD ABOUT ISSUES OF REAL CONCERN HERE.

ONE OF THOSE IS THE DEI DELETIONS. I THINK THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS.

THIS BODY IS SIMPLY CAVING IN TO THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION. I THINK THAT'S A WRONG THING TO DO, AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THIS, THAT I THINK THAT THE THESE ARE RULES THAT AFFECT THAT GOVERN THE ORGANIZATION.

THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION. ONCE THE RULES ARE DELETED, THEN I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO COME BACK WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, WHY DID YOU DO THIS? OR WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THIS? AND IT'S GOING TO BE WELL, IS IT IN THE RULES? OH, IT'S NOT THERE. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.

THIS IS BUREAUCRACY 101. SO RULES ARE THERE FOR A REASON.

THEY'RE THERE FOR THE PROCESS AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC INPUT, AND FOR MAKING SURE THAT A PUBLIC ENTITY DOES THINGS RIGHT AND ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES I WANT TO STRESS IS THAT THERE'S A PROPOSAL TO DELETE ALL THE LIAISON COMMITTEES, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY WRONG, AND IN PARTICULAR, I THINK IT'S VERY WRONG TO DELETE ANY KIND OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE WITH THE LIVERMORE AREA RECREATION

[03:30:08]

THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. YOU NEED TO HAVE MEETINGS CONSISTENTLY WITH THEM ON THAT ISSUE.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT WAS IT.

ALL RIGHT. SO WHERE ARE WE HERE? WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PARTIALLY APPROVE THIS AND CONTINUE THE REST ON.

DO YOU HAVE ANY BRAVE SOULS THAT WOULD LIKE TO WORD SOMETHING? DIDN'T YOU JUST DO THAT A FEW MOMENTS AGO? WELL, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT I SAID, SAY IT AGAIN. THEN I'LL MAKE IT SO. SO, WE'RE LOOKING TO TABLE THIS TO NOT A DATE CERTAIN BUT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PURCHASING APPENDIX E AND THE BOARD.

SECTION 6.3 TRAVEL. YES, ESTABLISHING THE $350.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.

QUESTION. YES. SO ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WAS IN REGARDS TO THE EMERGENCY PURCHASES, THAT IS A PART OF APPENDIX E DEE, AND , AND ALSO THEN WITH THE TRAVEL ONE, I THINK WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A FEW WORDSMITH EDITS TO TRY TO REFERENCE THE TRAVEL POLICY.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE EVEN READY TO VOTE ON THIS TODAY.

IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE EDITS.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SANWONG. IF I CAN TRY TO CLARIFY, I'LL START WITH THE SECOND THING YOU MENTIONED FIRST, AND THAT IS I AGREE THAT THE MOTION SHOULD INCLUDE THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT LAST SENTENCE UP TO THE TOP SO THAT IT ESTABLISHES IN THE ORDER OF THAT PARAGRAPH, FIRST, THAT DIRECTORS ARE SUBJECT TO THE TRAVEL GUIDELINES.

SO WE WOULD DO THAT E DIT. OKAY, AND THEN REGARDING THE EMERGENCY LANGUAGE ALTHOUGH I CAN SEE HOW SOMEBODY MIGHT THINK THAT THERE WAS NEW LANGUAGE ADDED OR SOMETHING, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE EXACT SAME LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY IN APPENDIX E, IT'S JUST THAT IT USED TO LIVE IN THE DEFINITION SECTION.

SO IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 162 OF YOUR BOARD PACKET, YOU'LL SEE THAT UNDER DEFINITIONS SECTION C THREE THERE'S A DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY, AND THAT SO THAT LANGUAGE, IT'S JUST THAT WE TOOK THE LANGUAGE THAT IS ALREADY DEFINED THERE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY, AND WHAT'S TRYING TO BE COMMUNICATED HERE IS ESSENTIALLY THAT THE GENERAL MANA GER ALREADY HAS AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS THAT ARE UP TO $50,000. SO THAT'S NOT A CHANGE. IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AND IT MEETS THAT DEFINITION, STAFF IS AUTHORIZED TO GO AHEAD AND DEAL WITH THE EMERGENCY AND THEN COME BACK AND GET THAT CONTRACT RATIFIED BY THE BOARD WITHIN 30 DAYS.

SO ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHY IT LOOKS DIFFERENT, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT CHANGING ANYTHING.

THANK YOU. OKAY, IF THAT CLARIFIES YOUR

[03:35:05]

IT DOES IT A LITTLE BIT. ALTHOUGH I THINK Y EAH WE MAY NOT ALL BE FULLY AND I MIGHT HAVE TO GO SOON, TOO. SO YEAH, THAT'S WHY I AM TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.

YEAH. YEAH CLARIFICATION . SO REAL QUICK, I CAN JUST SHOW YOU.

SO WHAT GENERAL COUNSEL IS TALKING ABOUT IS ON PAGE 162.

SO THAT DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY, THAT LANGUAGE IS JUST LIFTED EXACTLY AS WRITTEN THERE.

NUMBER THREE. YES. OKAY, AND IT'S INCLUDED IN NUMBER THREE ON PAGE 171, AND THEN THE NEXT CLAUSE THERE WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE AGREEMENTS OR CONTRACTS SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD FOR RATIFICATION WITHIN 30 DAYS.

THAT IS LANGUAGE THAT IS LIFTED FROM PAGE 165.

THERE'S THE PARAGRAPH RIGHT UNDER NUMBER THREE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT THE GENERAL MANA GER HAS TO COME TO THE BOARD.

SO I JUST WANTED TO, THAT'S WHAT LYNNE WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT THE LANGUAGE IS JUST WORD FOR WORD.

SO WE'VE TAKEN A FEW CRITICAL THINGS IN THERE THAT DON'T WANT TO GET THROWN OUT.

NOTHING CHANGES WITH THE CURRENT PROCESS. A NEW SECTION, WHICH IS VERY, VERY SMALL COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.

YEAH, AND AGAIN, NO CHANGE TO THE CURRENT PROCESS IS WHAT I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE.

OKAY. SO DOES THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? I DON'T THINK I'M READY TO VOTE YES ON THIS.

I MEAN, IF IT COMES TO A VOTE, I'LL VOTE NO. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S GO ON. WHAT ELSE? CAN YOU BRING IT OUT? SO I WASN'T 100% SURE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK THE EXAMPLE OF THE EMERGENCY IN, LIKE, THIS CURRENT BOARD AGENDA ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR. WOULD THAT BE AN EXAMPLE OF IT? FIVE THE RATIFICATION OF THE CONTRACT WITH VULCAN MATERIALS IN THE AMOUNT OF $6500, I'M SORRY, $65,000 FOR EMERGENCY REPAIR MATERIALS A T ROBERT W CROWN MEMORIAL STATE BEACH.

EXACTLY THAT. SO THAT'S THE CURRENT PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW.

NOW. WE HAD THE EMERGENCY OVER THE BREAK WE WENT.

I ENTERED INTO THE EMERGENCY CONTRACTS AND HERE YOU ARE GETTING IT WITHIN 30 DAYS.

SO I'M GLAD. GREAT REAL TIME EXAMPLE OF THAT.

THIS LANGUAGE JUST CONTINUES THAT EXACT SAME PROCESS.

BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT BECAUSE SINCE WE CAN SEND IT ON THAT, THAT SHOWS THAT KIND OF WE WERE OKAY WITH THE USE OF EMERGENCY FUNDS AND THAT TYPE OF CONTEXT. SO I'M LOOKING FOR THE MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE PROVISIONS AS ARTICULATED BY PRESIDENT MERCURIO A FEW MOMENTS AGO.

RIGHT. OKAY. SO THAT IS THE MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

THAT IS THE MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? OKAY, SO MOTION MADE BY COFFEY AND SECONDED BY ESPAÑA.

ALL RIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED.

OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. WE WANTED TO TEST THAT, AND THIS DOES.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS DOES INCLUDE THE ALLOWANCE THING.

THAT'S CORRECT. WHICH GREATLY STREAMLINES THE STAFF OF THE CLERK CLERK'S OFFICE IN PROCESSING ALL THOSE MAPS AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DRAW TO GET REIMBURSED AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THEM EITHER, SO THEY APPRECIATE YOU. YAY! ALL RIGHT. JUST A POINT OF ORDER.

WHERE WILL WE GET THIS PURCHASING CONTRACTING AGREEMENT POLICY OR POLICY NUMBER? SO WE'VE LEFT IT. WE'VE LEFT IT. WE SEE WHERE EMERGENCY IS.

WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE REFERENCED SOMEWHERE.

IS THERE A DOCUMENT THAT I WILL SEE OR BE GIVEN A COPY OF.

YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU. LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEING PREPARED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE WITH THE AGM OF FINANCE THAT WE GET YOU A COPY, AND IF EVERYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN SEEING IT, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE ENTIRE BOARD.

SO IT DOESN'T EXIST YET? WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY A DRAFT BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR THIS STEP TO HAPPEN, BUT NOW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IT'S JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE STEP FOR THEM TO ADOPT THE POLICY.

SO TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T DRAG OUT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, IS THERE SOME DATE CERTAIN OF THAT BECAUSE THE REST OF THIS IS LEFT OPEN, BUT I DEFINITELY SINCE WE JUST DELETED APPENDIX, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE THAT'S COMING IN SOME KNOWN TIME.

IT IS, AND ALSO, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU ASSURANCES THAT EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A FINANCE POLICY,

[03:40:04]

IT'S NOT LIKE NOT HAVING THIS IN APPENDIX E MEANS THAT ALL OF THE WHEELS ARE GOING TO COME OFF THE BUS.

THEY ARE NOT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU THAT VERY, VERY, VERY WITHIN 30, 90 DAYS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. LET ME FIND MY AGENDA NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DONE YET. LET'S SEE. GENERAL MANA GER'S COMMENTS.

[GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS]

I'M SURE YOU'RE STILL AWARE OF THIS, BUT ALSO TO ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

WE DO STILL HAVE FOUR OF OUR FIRE PERSONNEL DOWN AT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES.

THEY HAVE. THEY ARE ON A 14 DAY DEPLOYMENT. THEY HAVE NOT THEY ARE NOT ON THE LINE TODAY, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PUT INTO THE QUEUE TO DEMOBILIZE YET.

SO WE KNOW WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE DAY ON THE FRONT LINES.

THEY'RE STAYING SAFE, BUT PLEASE THINK ABOUT THEM.

IT IS ONE, LIEUTENANT AND THREE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS WITH ONE OF OUR ENGINES DOWN THERE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

GREAT. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'RE PART OF A GIANT CORPS OF OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT ARE GOING DOWN THERE TO HELP OUT.

SO THAT'S GREAT. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION.

NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS?

[PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

I WOULD LIKE TO RESURRECT AT LEAST, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ANNUAL TRADITIONAL CLOSED SESSION THAT THIS BOARD HAS MAINTAINED IN CONNECTION WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION WORKSHOP, WHICH IS COMING UP ON FEBRUARY 7TH.

SO WHAT I, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TIME ARTICULATING A POSITION ON THIS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT SESSION SINCE 23.

SO 23, WE DIDN'T HAVE A 24, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT, AND 22 WAS THE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAD THAT CLOSED SESSION WITH 27 ITEMS 27 INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES THAT LEGAL COUNSEL HAD OKAYED AS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCUSSION IN A CLOSED SESSION. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ASK THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD CONFER WITH THE GENERAL MANA GER, AS CONTEMPLATED IN AGENDA SETTING. UNDER OUR OPERATING AGREEMENTS, THE OPERATING GUIDELINES WHICH ARE IN FRONT OF US UNDER AGENDA, CREATION OF AGENDA. SO I YOU KNOW, I COULD JUST SUBMIT IT IN WRITING AND ASK SOMEONE TO SECOND IT AND COMPEL IT.

I JUST MUCH RATHER THAT STAFF BE INVOLVED IN DEVISING SUCH A CLOSED SESSION AGENDA, ALONG WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, AND , YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE ARE FIVE PROPERTIES THAT IN WARD SEVEN, I'M JUST DYING TO DISCUSS WITH ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY OUR NEW MEMBERS, SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN WARD SEVEN.

WE DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE OTHER THAN A CLOSED SESSION UNDER REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATIONS, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN TWO YEARS.

SO I'D LIKE TO RESURRECT SOME OF THAT, AND I'LL DEFER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND THE GENERAL MANA GER TO DEVISE SUCH AN AGENDA.

PRESIDENT MERCURY, IF I MAY THIS IS SUPER TIMELY.

ACTUALLY, KEN JUST RAN OUT OF HERE FOR THE NIGHT, BUT AS PART OF THAT LAND STUDY SESSION, YOU WILL SEE ON THERE PART OF OUR PROPOSAL, AND WE'VE WORKED THIS OUT WITH NOT A FISTFIGHT, BUT WE'RE FRIENDLY. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PROPOSING THAT YOU HAVE TWO STANDING CLOSED SESSION SESSIONS ON LAND EVERY YEAR AND BASICALLY CODIFY THAT. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PROPOSAL.

I THINK YOU'LL BE HAPPY ABOUT IT, AND WE'VE WORKED OUT KIND OF WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE, AND I REALLY DO THINK IT'S GOING TO, I THINK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MEET WITH YOU OFFLINE AND ACTUALLY, ALL OF YOU, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE STUDY SESSION.

FORMAT THAT SHOULD SATISFY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO WE ACTUALLY JUST MET ABOUT IT EARLY THIS MORNING, AND SO YOU WILL SEE THAT AS PART OF THE PROPOSAL.

TERRIFIC TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT IT. TERRIFIC. I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, AND I'M SURE TO DO MY HAPPY DANCE ONLY IN PRIVATE.

NOT HERE AND LYNNE DOESN'T BREW. [CHUCKLING] IN THE PROCESS FOR FOR SELECTING WHAT INDIVIDUAL

[03:45:09]

IT IS, AND BECKY'S GOT A REALLY GREAT PROPOSAL ALONGSIDE THAT, SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING ENOUGH TO SATISFY WHAT THE BOARD WANTS AND YOU EACH HAVE SOME INPUT AND THEN IT'S LEGAL. OKAY.

TERRIFIC. YEAH. THAT'S MINE. OKAY. SO THAT WAS PROPOSED FUTURE ITEMS.

[BOARD COMMENTS]

I THINK DIRECTOR SANWONG AT THIS POINT HAS TO LEAVE FOR A PRIOR ENGAGEMENT.

DO WE WANT TO PUT THAT OFF OR CUT IT OUT AND DO THAT? I THINK IT'LL BE FAST, AS THERE'S A COUPLE NEW ONES OF US.

YES. THAT'S TRUE. OKAY. I HAVE JUST, LIKE, FOUR THINGS.

THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. WE'RE GOING TO COLIN, WE'LL START WITH YOU, AND WE'LL COME DOWN THIS WAY.

SO THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER IN THE FINAL REVISIONS TO OUR OPERATING GUIDELINES.

IT'S PROPOSED THAT WE NOW LIMIT THESE COMMENTS JUST TO COMPENSABLE MEETINGS, WHICH WILL CUT THAT HALF HOUR HOUR DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY.

I'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT FIRST CAME UP AT A BOARD RETREAT, MAINLY FROM STAFF, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND I FELT VERY SYMPATHETIC TO IT BECAUSE ALL THESE FOLKS WERE FORCED TO STAY LONGER, BECAUSE WE ALL LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS WE'VE DONE PURSUING AND ADVANCE, PURSUING THE INTERESTS OF THE DISTRICT, BUT I'M LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT NOW BECAUSE OUR STAFF FEELS FREE TO LEAVE, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO ABSOLUTELY JUST CAN'T, ONE, TWO THREE, AND I STILL SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM, BUT ANYWAY, I'D ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GIVE A LOT OF THOUGHT TO THAT I COULD LIVE WITH THAT LIMITATION. AT THE SAME TIME, I'VE COME TO APPRECIATE HEARING WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN DOING IN THEIR BOARD DIRECTOR ROLES THAT GO BEYOND COMPENSABLE MEETINGS.

SO THERE'S A GIVE AND TAKE IN THAT, BUT THAT'S I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT DURING THE DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED REVISIONS.

OKAY. ANYWAY, MY REPORT WOULD BE THAT SIMPLY THAT I ATTENDED THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AS IN DECEMBER LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, FINANCE IN JANUARY.

I JUST ATTENDED THE CONTRA COSTA MAYORS CONFERENCE.

I GUESS LAST THURSDAY AND THAT PROVED FRUITFUL IN DISCUSSING PENDING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH BRENTWOOD AND OAKLEY.

THE LAST NOTE IS I WAS INVITED AND ATTENDED THE ANNUAL CONTRA COSTA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION MEETING WHICH WAS JUST REALLY INTERESTING TO BE THERE, AND THE ENTIRE CONTRA COSTA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WAS THERE TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING AGENDA THAT THE COUNTY HAS PERTAINING TO OUR CONTRA COSTA INDUSTRIAL BASE. SO THAT 'S IT. OKAY. IF YOU'RE NOT READY, LUANA, WE CAN JUMP ACROSS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW. YES. SO I HAD A FEW MEETINGS, AND MOST OF THE MEETINGS THAT I'M HAVING NOW ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GET TO KNOW ME AND THEN ALSO TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE AND HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. SO I MET WITH BIKE EAST BAY AND DISCUSSED ISSUES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM.

BICYCLE TRAILS COUNCIL OF THE EAST BAY, AND THEN I ALSO MET WITH ONE OF OUR THAT WAS WITH SCOTT BARTLEBAUGH AND HIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP, AND THEN I MET WITH ONE OF MY FELLOW PAC MEMBERS, IRENE DIETER, AND SHE, AS FAR AS WAS GIVING ME BASELINE INFORMATION, MORE ABOUT ALAMEDA POINT. AIN'T WHAT USED TO BE A BREAKWATER BEACH, AND WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IS TO BICYCLE UP AND DOWN ALAMEDA TO AS FAR AS GET A FIRSTHAND VIEW OF THE DIFFERENT COASTLINE.

[03:50:04]

SO ON THE BOARD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

OH. THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST OFF, WELCOME TO MY NEW COLLEAGUES.

I'M HAPPY YOU'RE HERE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.

ON JANUARY 1ST, IT WASN'T COMPENSABLE MEETING, BUT I MET WITH A COUPLE THOUSAND OF MY OF MY CONSTITUENTS ON TOP OF MISSION PEAK.

IT'S A GORGEOUS DAY, AND EVERYBODY ELSE THOUGHT IT WAS A GORGEOUS DAY TOO, BECAUSE THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE UP THERE. ON THE 7TH OF JANUARY, I MET WITH PAMELA MILLER FOR OUR ZOOM MEETING TO DISCUSS ITEMS ON THE RETREAT COMING UP ON JANUARY 8TH, I ATTENDED THE ALAMEDA COUNTY SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION MEETING.

GREAT TALK. RYAN CLAWSON HAS SERVED THE MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT BOARD, TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT LITTLE TINY DISTRICT THAT GETS ON EVERYTHING AND HE POINTED OUT AND OLIVIA MENTIONED IT, THAT THEY MOVED ALL THE HORSES OUT OF GOLDEN GATE FIELDS AND BROUGHT THEM TO PLEASANTON FOR A WHILE FOR, FOR WHATEVER THEY WERE STORING THERE, BOARDING THEM THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE RACING AT ALL, BUT THEY BROUGHT FROM WHERE ALL THESE HORSES COME FROM IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND ALL OVER THE STATE.

THEY BROUGHT IN A NEW MOSQUITO THAT WAS GOING TO BE DEVASTATING.

IT WAS A MOSQUITO THAT I THINK IT WAS. I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A BUNCH OF HIM AND RYAN GETS ALL INTO IT, BUT THERE'S ONE THAT STAYS OUT IN THE IN THE DAYTIME DOESN'T BITE YOU JUST AT NIGHT, SO IT'LL NAIL YOU ALL THE TIME, AND THEY WERE IT WAS I THINK IT WAS BRINGING DENGUE FEVER, AND SO THESE GUYS PANICKED AND HAD IN 18 HOURS, THEY GOT EVERY MEMBER OF THEIR STAFF OUT THERE AND JUST POISONED THE HECK OUT OF IT, BUT GOT RID OF THAT MOSQUITO GROUP THAT WAS STARTING TO GO ON OUT THERE.

IT WAS REAL INTERESTING. AS ALL THOSE MEETINGS ARE WITH SPECIAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION.

I ALSO ATTENDED THAT DAY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. ON THE NINTH, I MET WITH ALISA MARQUEZ AND STAFF WHO WAS THE DISTRICT SUPERVISOR, DISTRICT TWO, IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. YESTERDAY. WE HAD THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR THE GREAT PARTY WE HELD TODAY.

IT WAS A GREAT RECEPTION FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, AND GREAT TO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOW UP AND SHOW THEIR SUPPORT OF ALL THE NEW FOLKS, AND I HOPE TONIGHT I HOPE I'M NOT STEALING YOUR THUNDER, BUT I HOPE WE CAN ADJOURN THE MEETING IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF DOUG SIDEN.

WELL, I PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE GUIDANCE ON WHAT'S COMPENSABLE AND WHAT'S WORRY ABOUT THAT.

SO I'LL JUST GENERALLY COMMENT, THOUGH, THAT I APPRECIATE HEARING WHAT OTHERS ARE UP TO AND KNOWING WHO FOLKS ARE TALKING TO.

I WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE OF US USING OUR OWN JUDGMENT AND TO SPEAKING BEYOND COMPENSABLE AT TIMES.

THE ONLY MAIN MEETING WAS JANUARY 13TH WAS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, BUT I ALSO LIKE EVERYBODY AND THEIR BROTHER AND COUSIN WANTS TO TALK TO US QUICKLY, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND I'VE ENJOYED SOME COMMUNITY WALKS IN CLAREMONT CANYON.

I GOT TO WALK THE BAY TRAIL FROM ALBANY, DOWN PAST GOLDEN GATE FIELDS AND SEE WHAT HAD ACTUALLY FLOODED OVER THERE DURING THE RECENT KING TIDES, AND GOT SOME TIME IN REDWOOD ALSO. SO JUST ENJOYING OUR PARKS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COME UP TO SPEED WITH ALL OF YOU GURUS AND ALL THIS INFORMATION.

IT'S A LOT FOR ME, I'M SURE, FOR DIRECTOR ESPAÑA AS WELL.

WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO CATCH UP WITH YOU PROS AND YOU WILL.

ALL RIGHT. I'LL FINISH IT OFF HERE ON THE BOARD MEETING ON DECEMBER 17TH.

ON THE 19TH, I MET WITH PAMELA MILLER TO DO SOME RETREAT BOARD RETREAT PLANNING, AND ON THAT SAME DAY, I ALSO MET WITH LEGISLATIVE STAFF. THESE ARE ALL ZOOM MEETINGS TO CHECK IN ABOUT PROP FOUR AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WITH THAT.

ON THE DECEMBER 27TH, WE HAD ANOTHER ONLINE MEETING TO TALK ABOUT 2024 BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH YOU ALL NOW HAVE. ON DECEMBER 30TH, I MET WITH PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BOB SIMMONS, MY ONE OF MY APPOINTED APPOINTEES, AND HE HAD SOME THINGS HE WANTED TO TELL ME ABOUT REGARDING CREEKS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ME AS A DIRECTOR.

ON JANUARY 5TH, DIRECTOR SANWONG MADE A REFERENCE TO THIS.

WE MET IN PLEASANTON IN HER WARD AND WALKED FROM.

[03:55:04]

SO THAT WAS REALLY COOL TO DO THAT, AND THEN ANOTHER, ANOTHER RUN ON JANUARY 7TH AT BOARD RETREAT PLANNING WITH PAMELA MILLER.

SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS UP TO, AND OUR LAST ITEM IS, IS ADJOURNMENT, AND AS WAS SUGGESTED. I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING IN MEMORY OF DOUG SIDEN.

GOSH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNEW HIM, TOO, AND HE WAS A BOARD MEMBER FOR A WHOLE BIG, LONG TIME WHEN I WAS FIRST ON THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE. A HUMBLE GUY, A SMART GUY. HE TALKED TO EVERYBODY.

ANYBODY, AND I ALWAYS FELT LIKE THAT HE VALUED MY VIEWS BECAUSE HE WOULD.

HE WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? ANYWAY, I'M SURE WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT HIM IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING IN MEMORY OF HIM AT 5:52.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANKS TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, JOHN.

GOOD FIRST.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.