[00:00:04]
[Roll Call]
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND. WE'RE BEGINNING TODAY AT 1102.WELCOME, EVERYONE. AND MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU READ THE ROLL, PLEASE? DIRECTOR COFFEY. DIRECTOR COFFEY HERE. DIRECTOR.
DESHAMBO HERE. CHAIR WAESPI HERE. ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL BOURGAULT HERE.
TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE. EXCUSE ME.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY PROVIDING A COMMENT IN PERSON, OR BY JOINING LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.
[Approval of Minutes]
MEETING. AND IF THERE ARE NO CORRECTIONS OR COMMENTS OR CHANGES, WE COULD APPROVE THESE BOTH TOGETHER.IF WE COULD DO THEM SEPARATE, I WILL ABSTAIN.
I WASN'T PRESENT AT THE FIRST ONE. OKAY. LET'S DO THEM SEPARATE ON THE DECEMBER 11TH.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO PASS OR APPROVE? SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. I ABSTAIN. GREAT. WE HAVE MOTION PASSES, 201.
NOW, THE APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 13TH COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME. OKAY, THEN WE'LL MOVE RIGHT TO THE ACTION ITEMS, WHICH ARE A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT STATE LEGISLATION.
[Action Items]
WELCOME, LISA. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. LISA BALDINGER, LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST.AND I'LL BE WALKING US THROUGH OUR STATE BILLS FOR RECOMMENDED SUPPORT.
SO OUR FIRST BILL, AB 454, THIS BILL ALIGNS WITH OUR ECOSYSTEM STEWARDSHIP ADVOCACY GOAL.
AND WHAT IT'S SEEKING TO DO IS CODIFY AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE FEDERAL MIGRATORY BIRD PROTECTION ACT.
AND SO IN 2019, THIS LEGISLATION WAS FIRST BROUGHT FORWARD, SPONSORED BY THE AUDUBON, WHEN THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT THE FEDERAL MIGRATORY BIRD ACT WAS KIND OF LOSING ITS, ITS IMPACT AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THOSE 1918 INITIATIVES WERE CONTINUED FORWARD. IT PASSED IN 2019, AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS PUT FORWARD WITH A SUNSET OF LET'S SEE, I BELIEVE THE SUNSET WAS JANUARY 20TH, 2025. AND SO IT HAS SUBSEQUENTLY SUNSET.
AND SO WHAT THIS BILL IS SEEKING TO DO IS CODIFY AGAIN, INDEFINITELY REMOVING THAT SUNSET, THE MIGRATORY BIRD ACT AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THIS IS A TREND THAT WE ARE EXPECTING TO SEE NOT ONLY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BUT OTHER STATES WHERE FEDERAL LAWS FOCUSED ON THE ENVIRONMENT ARE BROUGHT FORTH STATE CONSIDERATION TO MAKE THEM PERMANENT.
AND THIS WAS SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY.
AB 616 IS THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY. PARKS PASS.
THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM WHERE ANY RESIDENT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITH A LIBRARY CARD CAN GO TO PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES TO CHECK OUT, QUOTE UNQUOTE, A PARK PASS, WHERE THEY THEN GET FREE ENTRY AND PARKING FOR THEIR VEHICLE, THEIR FAMILY, THEIR FRIENDS THAT THEY'RE GOING WITH. THIS LIBRARY PASS CAN NOT ONLY BE CHECKED OUT IN PERSON, BUT ALSO NOW VIRTUALLY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A COOL FEATURE.
AND SO IN SUPPORT OF EXPANDED ACCESS TO PARKLANDS, WE'RE RECOMMENDING SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM.
GREAT. LET'S DO THAT. ANY QUESTIONS ON AB 454.
I WILL ASK A QUESTION. SO WAS IT THE SAME BILL NUMBER? I JUST DID A QUICK REVIEW AND IT SAID YOU KNOW THE CELEBRATION AB 54 PASS.
SO DID ODDLY 2019 SUNSET 2025 KEPT THE SAME NUMBER.
SO WITHIN THE ARTICLE, THEY UPDATED THE BILL NUMBER AND THE LINK.
[00:05:06]
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. HOW ABOUT ON AB 616? NOTHING, I GUESS.THANK YOU. OKAY. MOVING ON. AB 846. THIS IS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT'S REALLY SEEKING TO SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND USING THE VARIOUS NEW TOOLS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ADVANCE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
SO WHAT THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION DOES IS THE LEGISLATURE IS DIRECTING CDFW CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE ON A SPECIFIC TIMELINE FOR REVIEW OF PERMITS RELATED TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION WORK.
CDF THEN HAS 90 DAYS TO REVIEW, AND THEY ARE ALSO TO GIVE GUIDANCE TO THE LOCAL AGENCY REGARDING THE INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROPOSAL, AND RECOMMEND IF THAT PROPOSAL WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AND WORK WELL THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM, WHICH THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN UTILIZING SUCCESSFULLY.
IF AN INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT IS NEEDED, THERE'S THEN 45 DAYS TO REVIEW INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT, AND IT'S SEEKING TO MOVE THESE FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY.
I WILL SHARE THAT THIS LEGISLATION WAS PUT OUT PRIOR TO THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER, WHICH HAS A LOT OF CHANGES TO HOW VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL. BUT THIS BILL WOULD BE STATUTE, WHICH WOULD GO BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS WINDOW, WHICH WE'RE NOT TOTALLY SURE ON.
WITH THE WITH THE QUESTION. YEP. WITH A BILL LIKE THAT YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS CAUTIOUS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY REVIEW THEM ALONG THE WAY.
BUT ARE THERE ENDORSEMENTS OR PEOPLE BEHIND THIS? SOMETIMES I JUST WORRY WHEN THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YEAH, WELL, WE'LL DO A REVIEW AND YOU'LL JUST GET YOUR INCIDENTAL PERMIT AND MOVE FORWARD.
LIKE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT A GREENWASHING.
SO THERE AREN'T OTHERS THAT WE CAN YET POINT TO FOR SUPPORT.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO BRING BACK THAT INFORMATION TO THE BOARD WHEN THIS LEGISLATION GOES TO COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER, IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT OF THIS LEGISLATION, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE PROCESS OR REMOVE ANYONE FROM THE PERMITTING AND REGULATORY REVIEW PROCESS. IT JUST HOLDS THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE TO A SPECIFIC TIMETABLE THAT THEY DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE.
STAFF AND STEWARDSHIP ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THIS IS FUN TAKING QUESTIONS ACTIVELY. AB 1139 IS OUR PUBLIC ACCESS FOR NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION.
HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LEGISLATION, IT MAY LOOK VERY FAMILIAR TO YOU ALL BECAUSE IT IS THE EXISTING TRAILS FOR NATURE ACCESS BILL THAT THE PARK DISTRICT MOVED FORWARD LAST YEAR. SO SAME BILL, SAME CODE SECTION. WE WERE ABLE TO INTRODUCE HOWEVER, WITH ONE AMENDMENT WHICH IS SEEKING TO EXPAND THE QUALIFYING AUTHORITIES TO INCLUDE DEPENDENT COUNTY PARK DISTRICTS. SO THIS IS MOVING FORWARD BY OUR PARTNERS UP IN SONOMA.
AND SO WE'D, WE'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR EFFORTS.
ALL RIGHT. ACR 36 IS A SPECIAL DISTRICTS WEEK.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET THIS THROUGH IN SUPPORT IN ADVANCE OF MAY, WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, BUT IT WOULD PROCLAIM MAY 18TH TO 24TH, 2025, THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL DISTRICTS WEEK.
AND SO WE'VE SUPPORTED THIS LEGISLATION IN THE PAST.
IT BRINGS ATTENTION AND AWARENESS TO SPECIAL DISTRICTS LIKE THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SB 427, THIS IS THE HABITAT CONSERVATION FUND EXTENSION PROGRAM.
AND THE FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM PERMANENT, WITH NO CHANGES TO HOW IT'S ADMINISTERED.
SB 653, THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT BILL.
THIS LEGISLATION IS SEEKING TO PUT OUT A FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT? ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, PROVIDING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO AGENCIES LIKE OURS, AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO DO THIS WORK ACROSS THE STATE AND HAVING SOME CONSISTENCY.
[00:10:02]
SB 795. THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS SEEKING TO FURTHER CODIFY THE GOALS OF THE 30 BY 30 PROGRAM.SO, BY WAY OF REMINDER, 30 BY 30 IS PROTECTING 30% OF OUR LANDS AND WATERS BY THE YEAR 2030.
BUT IT ALSO HAS THREE CORE GOALS. ONE IS TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NATURE ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, TO INSPIRE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS OF OUR FUTURE AND PRESENT.
AND SO THOSE THREE GOALS, AS WELL AS THE GOALS OF PROTECTION, WHAT THIS LEGISLATION IS DOING IS IT'S SAYING FOR ALL CALIFORNIA STATE AGENCIES TO THINK ABOUT THOSE GOALS AS THEY'RE MOVING THEIR WORK PLANS, POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS FORWARD.
AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR STATE LEGISLATION. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE SHARED A MEMORANDUM WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS I BELIEVE EARLIER THIS WEEK OR LATE LAST REGARDING OUR PIECE OF LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE ARTICLE THREE, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FORMALIZE SOME LANGUAGE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE LIMITS SECTION RELATED TO EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS, AND THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD TO COMMITTEE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
GREAT. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DO THAT? COULD I HAVE A MOMENT OF DISCUSSION, PLEASE? YES, YES, YES. THIS IS A GREAT LIST. PARTICULARLY LIKE THE LAST ONE.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH 30 BY 30, AND I'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT ON OUR WEBSITE AND STUFF.
BUT AS WE ENDORSE THESE AND GET BEHIND THEM, WHICH I'M VERY HAPPY TO DO, IT'S JUST SUCH A GREAT POSITION TO BE IN, TO HAVE THAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY. AND I LIKE BEING ON THIS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO DO JUST THAT.
BUT HOW DOES THIS GET TO NOT ONLY TO THE BOARD, BUT ACTUALLY GETS IMPLEMENTED? BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME. SO THIS IS REQUIRING THE STATE TO INCORPORATE THE 30 BY 30 GOAL.
SO IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S VERY ROBUST, LIKE IN OUR SECOND SANCTUARY PLAN OR IN OUR WORK OR HERE AT THE AGENCY, I MEAN, WHAT'S KIND OF THE PROCESS? I'M STILL A LITTLE NEW TO THIS AND WE'VE DONE THIS, BUT WHAT'S NEXT TO GO TO THE BOARD OR GO TO STAFF? AND ACTUALLY AND EVEN THE ONE ON THE LIBRARY PASSES, LIKE, WHAT A COOL IDEA THAT IS, RIGHT? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'D EVER LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING WITH OUR OWN COUNTY LIBRARIES, AT OUR OWN PARKS, IN THE TWO COUNTIES WE SERVE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH SOME OF THESE WITH THE LOGISTICS ON THE GROUND, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE WITH THESE FUN THINGS? GREAT. SO I'M HEARING TWO QUESTIONS. SO ONE IS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WITH THESE BILLS AFTER THE BOARD TAKES A SUPPORT POSITION.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO OUR WORK HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT. SO FOR THE FIRST ONE THERE ARE SOME CONTEXT IN YOUR STAFF REPORT THAT BY YOU TAKING A SUPPORT POSITION, IT THEN EMPOWERS US AS STAFF TO ENGAGE ON THESE BILLS.
SO THAT MEANS WHEN THEY GO TO COMMITTEE WE PROVIDE SUPPORT POSITION, WE PROVIDE LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO THE AUTHORS, AND WE HOLD A DIALOG WITH THE AUTHOR TO ENSURE, AS IT GOES THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND AMENDMENTS ARE BROUGHT FORWARD.
OUR SUPPORT CONTINUES TO BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT ALIGNS WITH OUR INTERESTS.
THE SECOND QUESTION IN TERMS OF HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO WORK HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT? I THINK THAT'S YOUR ROLE AS THE BOARD MEMBER TO SET POLICY.
SO IF YOU'RE FEELING INSPIRED BY THIS LEGISLATION AND YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT REFLECTED HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO INITIATE POLICY HERE AT A LOCAL LEVEL THAT MIRRORS WHAT YOU'RE HEARING AT THE STATE.
BUT I WILL ALSO SHARE THAT BEING THAT WE ARE A LOCAL DISTRICT THAT WORKS SO OFTEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WE ARE OFTEN MIRRORING THEIR IMPACT AND INTENTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORK QUITE ORGANICALLY.
THANKS. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YEAH. THANK YOU.
I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT. I'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT LIBRARY PASS THAT YOU GET FOR STATE PARKS.
AND IT'S IT'S INTERESTING AND I ENGAGE THE LIBRARIAN OR WHOMEVER WAS WORKING THERE.
I SAID, HEY, I WORK FOR THE PARK DISTRICT. DO YOU WANT TO TRY TO DO THIS? SHE SAID SHE'D LOVE TO ENGAGE US IN THAT SOMETIME. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS. YOU KNOW, IT'S USUALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR US, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR THAT. STATE PARKS. IT'S JUST USUALLY ENTRANCE AND PARKING.
BUT WHERE WE HAVE THAT, THAT'S THAT WOULD BE IT'D BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY WERE VERY HAPPY AND ENGAGED WITH IT. AND LIKE THE DOCUMENT SAYS, WE'VE GOT THREE STATE PARKS, WHICH I GUESS THEY'RE EXCLUDING DEL VALLE, RIGHT.
STILL A GREAT IDEA THOUGH, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE FOLKS AND THE LIBRARIES.
[00:15:07]
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WOULD I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION.I MOVE TO APPROVE OUR WHAT ARE WE CALLING IT? OUR LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT LIST. ALL RIGHT. STATE LEGISLATION LIST.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
ERIC FULLER. CHIEF. I'M SORRY. DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
HERE TO PRESENT ON FEDERAL LEGISLATION TODAY.
RECOMMENDED FOR SUPPORT. YOU'LL NOTICE THERE'S A LOT OF BILLS RELATED TO WILDFIRE AND A LOT OF BILLS RELATED TO WILDFIRE, SPONSORED BY CALIFORNIA MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
I BELIEVE IT AUTHORIZES 20 OF THEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT WITHIN THE LEGISLATION IS A PRESCRIBED BURN TRAINING FACILITY TO BE LOCATED IN THE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. THERE ARE $50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR COMMUNITY GRANTS SUPPORTING LAND STEWARDSHIP.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A PROGRAM FOR HOME HARDENING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY THAT AUTHORIZES UP TO $13,000 IN GRANT FUNDING PER HOUSEHOLD FOR HOME HARDENING WORK. S 453, ALSO BY SENATOR PADILLA, CREATES A WILD FIRE INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
THE CENTER IS A COMBINATION OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR TO COORDINATE FEDERAL WILDFIRE RESPONSE, AND IT IS DESIGNED TO COORDINATE AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING SPECIAL PARK DISTRICTS.
S602. ALSO, SENATOR PADILLA THE WILDFIRE RESILIENCE THROUGH GRAZING RESEARCH ACT.
PRETTY COOL LEGISLATION ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING OR REVIEWING SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT THE PARK DISTRICT ALREADY DOES TO USE GRAZING FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND GRASSLANDS.
THIS LEGISLATION JOINTLY AUTHORED BY A SENATOR AND A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND, WOULD CREATE A NEW UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT THURGOOD MARSHALL THURGOOD MARSHALL'S PUBLIC SCHOOL 103, WHERE HE WENT TO GRADE SCHOOL IN WEST BALTIMORE.
THIS FACILITY, ALONG WITH POTENTIALLY THE VISITOR CENTER OUT AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50, WOULD KIND OF BE A WEST COAST EAST COAST PARALLEL IN TERMS OF INTERPRETING SOME OF THE GREAT LEGACY OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE MARSHALL. S 811 WOULD EXTEND THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS FUNDING.
THIS PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013. AND THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL, IT DOES RECEIVE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND IS USED FOR RECREATIONAL TRAIL PURPOSES. THE FUNDING HAS NOT INCREASED SINCE THE 2013 LEVEL.
AND HAD IT KEPT UP WITH COST OF LIVING AND ADJUSTMENTS, IT WOULD BE UP TO 281 MILLION.
RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY AT 84 MILLION. SO THIS LEGISLATION WOULD AUTHORIZE IT AND HAVE IT CONTINUE TO ACCRUE AS COST OF LIVING AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE INCREASE. S 949 IS MORE, MORE OR LESS A A SENSE OF CONGRESS LEGISLATION THAT CALLS ON THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO BE FULLY STAFFED AND FULLY FUNDED.
[00:20:02]
BUDGET FOR PRE-DISASTER FIRE MITIGATION, FROM 6% TO 15%.WE HAVE RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING ABOUT 6 MILLION, A LITTLE OVER $6 MILLION IN PRE-DISASTER MITIGATION FUNDING THROUGH THE PROGRAM, IN ADDITION TO ANOTHER 7.3 FROM THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM.
AND THE LAST BILL IS BY REPRESENTATIVE CHU. THE FIRE INFORMATION REACTION AND ENHANCEMENT ACT CALLS ON NOAA, THE NATIONAL ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, OCEAN AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE A PROGRAM TO BASICALLY MONITOR WILDFIRE FORECASTING AND DETECTION SO THAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE WHEN WILDFIRES COULD THE CONDITIONS FOR WILDFIRE COULD OCCUR AND GIVE US SOME ADVANCED NOTIFICATION IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR IT. AND THOSE ARE OUR BILLS FROM THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION SIDE.
ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? HEARING NONE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO MOVED. AND A SECOND. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
SIGNIFY. LET'S VOTE ON IT. SIGNIFY BY SAYING I, I OPPOSED.
HEARING NONE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. THANK YOU.
[Informational Items]
AND WE'LL MOVE NOW TO THE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, WHICH INCLUDE AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE PARK DISTRICTS GRANTS FROM DECEMBER 16TH, 2024 THROUGH MARCH 11TH, 2025.ERIC FILLER, DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
OUR GRANTS MANAGER IS NOT IN ATTENDANCE YET, SO IF THE CHAIR WOULD PERMIT, WE WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY UPDATE AS THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS AND THEN REVISIT THE GRANT PIECE WHEN STAFF IS AVAILABLE.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT IDEA. PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD.
IF DAVID AND EMMA WOULD PLEASE OPEN UP AUDIO AND VIDEO AND SHARE WHEN YOU'RE READY.
AND OH, I'M GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE PREAMBLE. IF THANK YOU, DAVID AND EMMA.
SO HELLO. LISA BOLLINGER, LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST.
AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT THIS SURVEY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT.
SO COMMUNITY SURVEYS HAVE RECENTLY BECOME A PART OF OUR WORK PLAN.
AND THEY'RE SURVEYS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE EAST BAY POPULATION AND NOT SPECIFICALLY THE VOTER DEMOGRAPHIC, WHICH GIVES US OPPORTUNITY TO TEST DIFFERENT THEMES RELATED TO SERVICE PROGRAM DELIVERY AND NOT SPECIFIC TO REVENUE OR FUNDING CHANGES.
AND SO WITH THAT THEME, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR COLLEAGUES FROM INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION, THE EQUITY OFFICE, BUSINESS SERVICES IN RELATION TO OUR CONCESSIONS PROGRAM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT NOT ONLY WERE THEY ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON THE SURVEY, BUT ALSO COMING OUT OF THE SURVEY, THESE TEAMS ARE ABLE TO PULL AND TAKE FROM IT WHAT BENEFITS THEIR PROGRAM SO THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS NOT JUST SUPPORTING OUR ADVOCACY AND OUR POLICY VOICE AS AN AGENCY, BUT ALSO OUR SERVICES AND OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO YOU'LL BE HEARING THE DATA HERE TODAY, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY, WE'LL BE PRESENTING IT INTERNALLY TO A VARIETY OF STAFF TEAMS WHO WILL BE USING IT TO EXPAND AND SUPPORT AND ADJUST THEIR SERVICE DELIVERY BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT TO DAVID TO WALK US THROUGH THE DATA.
THANKS, LISA. IS EVERYONE SEEING AND HEARING ME ALL RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SO I'M DAVID MURMAN, A PARTNER AT LAKE RESEARCH PARTNERS.
WE DO PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT I LIVE IN BERKELEY AND BASED IN THE EAST BAY AND A FREQUENT USER OF THE EAST BAY PARKS.
AND ALWAYS EXCITING TO BE WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON THIS IMPORTANT RESEARCH.
I WILL DO THE PRESENTATION, AND IF I HAVE ANY AUDIO VIDEO PROBLEMS, THEN IT WILL BACK ME UP.
AND ALSO NIKOLAI SCHREIBER, AN ANALYST ON OUR TEAM, ALSO WORKED ON THE DATA AND RESEARCH.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS AN OVERVIEW.
THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF DATA UNDERNEATH. AND, YOU KNOW, BIG BOOK OF CROSSTABS AND LOTS OF SUBGROUPS AND THINGS TO LOOK AT AND ANALYZE, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING ON. BUT IN INTEREST OF TIME, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THIS LARGE
[00:25:07]
COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED IN THE EAST BAY IN THE IN THE DISTRICT JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.SO I'LL PUT THIS UP ON THE SCREEN AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH THAT AS EVERYONE SEEING THAT? ALL RIGHT. YEP. I'M GOING TO ASSUME YES. SO THIS WAS CONDUCTED.
WE WERE IN THE FIELD IN DECEMBER. THIS IS A SURVEY OF ADULTS.
AND WE SURVEYED 880 ADULTS RESIDING IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES AT THAT TIME.
AND IT IS A A COMBINATION OF MODES IN THE SURVEY.
WE DO THIS THROUGH LIVE TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS AND ALSO TEXT TO ONLINE INTERVIEWS, AND THAT HELPS US CAPTURE THE FULL DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE OLDER AND YOUNGER ADULTS WHO COMMUNICATE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT THIS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES ENGLISH, SPANISH, MANDARIN AND CANTONESE. AND AND IT'S A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE FROM A DATABASE OF RESIDENTS IN THE IN THE TWO COUNTIES, STRATIFIED AND WEIGHTED BY SOME KEY DEMOGRAPHIC MEASURES TO MAKE SURE IT'S FULLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SOME OTHER LANGUAGE MINORITIES AND OTHERS WHO WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING IN THE SURVEY. BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS IN THE IN THE EAST BAY WERE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. AND WE DID GET A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE WITH A MARGIN OF ERROR OF PLUS OR -3.3% FOR THESE TOTALS.
THIS IS JUST THE DEMOGRAPHICS. THESE ARE THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS REFLECTIVE OF THE POPULATION.
THIS IS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE DATA.
AND AND OF COURSE, WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THESE VARIATIONS IN THE DATA ACROSS THESE DEMOGRAPHICS.
AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ARE IN A MORE DETAILED, REPORT THAT'S ACCESSIBLE, BUT WE JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THE SORT OF OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS HERE. SO WE THE SURVEY THAT WE DID REALLY COVERED A RANGE OF TOPICS.
BUT WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO TRACK KIND OF AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR AND VALUE THE DEGREE TO WHICH PEOPLE VALUE THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. WE WANTED TO LOOK INTO THEIR HABITS IN TERMS OF VISITING THE PARKS INCLUDING WHAT ACTIVITIES THEY PARTICIPATE IN.
WE HAD SOME NAMED LISTS OF ACTIVITIES AND BOTH AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN THOSE AS WELL AS LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE THINGS PEOPLE WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY PARTICIPATING IN IF THEY WEREN'T ALREADY. WE ALSO COVERED SOME TOPICS RELATING TO SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE PARKS.
SO STARTING WITH THAT BROADER TOPIC OF AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE, OF THE DISTRICT THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS IN THE EAST BAY ARE AWARE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
IT IS YOU KNOW, 87% ESSENTIALLY. SO, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO NINE OUT OF TEN HAVE AT LEAST HEARD OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND A MAJORITY WITHIN THAT, 56% SAY THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE, OF THE DISTRICT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THEY'VE ACTUALLY NOTICED, YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION TO AND THINK ABOUT BUT IT'S ONLY 11% WHO SAY, NO, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS. SO THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF THE DISTRICT.
PARDON ME. AND EVEN. PARDON ME. DAVID, CAN WE INTERRUPT YOU AND ASK QUESTIONS AT EACH SLIDE? YOU COULD, BUT YOU RUN THE RISK OF THIS GOING A LOT LONGER.
I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT, THOUGH, IF YOU'D LIKE. WELL, YEAH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO WHAT'S THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? WERE YOU TALKING TO SOMEONE ON A TELEPHONE OR TEXTING THEM? HOW DO YOU SAY ARE YOU AWARE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT? AND I LOOK AT JOAQUIN MILLER PARK AND I SAY, HECK YEAH, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK. I LOVE IT OR RIGHT, OR I'M IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I GO, HECK YEAH, YOU GUYS GOT BEAUTIFUL PARKS.
DO YOU, DO YOU INVESTIGATE OR DO YOU I MEAN, SO SO THE GENERAL ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VERY PRECISE WORDING OF EACH QUESTION.
RIGHT? AND WE TRY TO DESIGN THEM TO BE AS CLEAR AND ACCURATE AND ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE,
[00:30:02]
YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ASKING AND CAN EASILY ANSWER. AND YOU'LL SEE ON THESE SLIDES, IT'S IN VERY SMALL TEXT AT THE BOTTOM HERE, THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED.SO IN THIS CASE WE, WE TOLD PEOPLE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS A DISTRICT IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
COUNTIES. OPERATING SYSTEM. PARKS. WE GAVE THEM A LITTLE BIT. JUST ONE SENTENCE BACKGROUND AND JUST SAID, HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT BEFORE? HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT? AND YOU KNOW HOW AND THEN WOULD YOU? AND THEN WE ASKED THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS, AND 56% WERE HIGHLY AWARE AND 87% IN TOTAL SAID, YES, I'VE HEARD OF THE DISTRICT. SO THIS IS NOT WHETHER YOU'VE HEARD OF A PARK.
THIS IS WHETHER YOU'VE HEARD OF THE OF THE PARK DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY.
AND JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT OF HOW THIS QUESTION IS HELPFUL TO US.
SO THIS IS BENEFICIAL TO US IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
SO IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND THINKING OF JUST NAME AWARENESS ALONE.
AND SO YES, SOMEONE MAY BE ENVISIONING JOAQUIN MILLER, BUT IF THEY'RE ASSOCIATING THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WITH THOSE REGIONAL PARKS IN THEIR BACKYARD AND THEY'RE AWARE OF IT, THAT'S WHAT FEELS POSITIVE.
BUT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY TESTING SPECIFICALLY.
CAN YOU SAY WHAT OUR FIRST THREE PARKS WERE? CAN YOU WIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK TRIVIA, WHICH I'M SURE DIRECTOR WAESPI. YOU COULD AND THIS HAS BEEN INTERESTING OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE IN PERSON INTERCEPT SURVEYS IN THE PARKS WHERE PEOPLE ARE AT DEL VALLE VISITOR CENTER, FILLING OUT THE SURVEY, AND THEY HAVE ANSWERED THAT THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. AND SO THE NAME RECOGNITION HAS JUST BEEN A BENEFICIAL SORT OF LONGITUDINAL TEST FOR US.
THANK YOU. AND THIS IS THIS IS I WOULD SAY COMPARE.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, ASK SIMILAR QUESTIONS IN OTHER KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS AND RECREATION AREAS AROUND THE, AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND THIS IS, THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL FOR JUST THE NAME OF A DISTRICT FOR HOW THAT LEVEL OF AWARENESS.
SO THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. EVEN MORE THOUGH.
SO THAT LEVEL OF AWARENESS IS 87%. WE ASK THAT THEN MORE OF A VALUES QUESTION.
AND THIS IS AFTER GIVING THEM SOME MORE INFORMATION.
SO THE PREVIOUS ONE WAS ONE SENTENCE, JUST HERE'S WHAT THE DISTRICT IS.
THIS IS A COUPLE OF SENTENCES SAYING HERE'S WHAT THE DISTRICT IS.
IT COVERS 73 REGIONAL PARKS. PROVIDES TRAILS.
GIVES A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES SO PEOPLE WOULD RECOGNIZE IT.
AND THEN WE SO JUST SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SO THAT WE CAN THEN ASK, THEN ASK THIS QUESTION. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT? THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE.
AND THE UNANIMOUS ANSWER IS YES. THAT EVERYONE IN THE EAST BAY ESSENTIALLY BELIEVES THAT THE PARK DISTRICT, ONCE THEY HEAR THAT DESCRIPTION, IS A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE, 95% AGREE, 79% AGREE STRONGLY, AND ESSENTIALLY NOBODY ONE OUT OF 100 THAT ONE OUT OF 100 BELIEVES A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT THAT'S THIS IS ESSENTIALLY UNANIMOUS FINDING THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT AND VALUE PARKS.
THE WE WANTED THEN TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT VALUABLE TO PEOPLE.
AND HERE THIS IS THIS IS A QUESTION WHERE WE IT WAS OPEN ENDED AND THEN WE CODED WHAT PEOPLE HAD RESPONDED SO THAT INTO CATEGORIES SO WE COULD SEE WHAT IT IS IN THEIR MINDS THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT WHEN THEY SAY THIS IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE.
AND THE CORE MOST POPULAR ANSWER AND PEOPLE EXPRESS THIS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THEY REVOLVED AROUND THIS IDEA OF, I GET I HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE, TO OPEN SPACE, TO THE OUTDOORS, THROUGH THE PARKS. IS SOMETHING PEOPLE VALUE HIGHLY, AND IT'S WHAT THEY THINK OF WHEN THEY THINK OF THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
47% SAY THAT'S WHY IT'S VALUABLE TO ME, SOME VERSION OF THAT.
I HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE AND OPEN SPACE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED SOME SPECIFIC THINGS HIKING AND WALKING AND TRAILS GENERALLY AS A TYPE OF ACTIVITY AND A THING THAT THEY VALUE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION.
THE FACT THAT THERE THE PERCEPTION THAT THESE ARE GOOD, YOU KNOW, HIGH QUALITY PARKS THAT ARE CLEAN MAINTAINED WELL, THE ACCESS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. SO ALL OF THOSE NINE, TEN, 12, 13%, THOSE ARE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE SAYING MENTIONING THOSE THINGS IN AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION, THAT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THEY CARE ABOUT MOST RELATING TO THE PARKS.
AND THEN DOWN BELOW THAT SEVERAL OTHER THINGS. AGAIN, THESE ARE SMALL PERCENTAGES, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A OBVIOUSLY VERY POPULOUS AND LARGE DISTRICT, LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE MENTIONING THINGS LIKE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, RECREATION ACTIVITIES, JUST THE BEAUTY OF THE PARKS, THE VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE PART AND PARCEL OF WHAT MAKES UP THIS, THIS FEELING OF OF VALUE THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND THEIR BELIEF THAT THE PARKS ARE REALLY VALUABLE.
WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT VISITATION AND GO AHEAD PLEASE.
SLIDE, PLEASE. THE MISCELLANEOUS IS KIND OF BIG.
[00:35:01]
DO YOU HAVE JUST A BIG PICTURE IDEA? YEAH, IT'S JUST IT.WHEN YOU HAVE 880 RESPONDENTS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL SAY QUIRKY THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT YOU JUST IT DOESN'T FIT TOGETHER WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER FOLKS.
AND SO THERE IS A FULL LIST OF LITERALLY THE VERBATIM COMMENTS THAT'S IN THE THE VERY COMPLETE VERSION OF THIS REPORT THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WELCOME TO READ, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT DIDN'T AGGREGATE INTO ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES. AND THIS, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF THINGS IN THERE, BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S 1 OR 2 PEOPLE.
THEY DIDN'T AGGREGATE INTO THEIR OWN CATEGORY, RIGHT? THEY WERE NOT THEY JUST NOT ENOUGH OF THEM FIT TOGETHER.
THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, QUIRKY INDIVIDUAL THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY.
BUT WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO GROUP THEM TOGETHER, THESE WERE THE MAJOR CATEGORIES WE GOT.
TO THE EAST BAY PARKS, 52% OF EAST BAY ADULTS SAY I FREQUENTLY VISIT, AND THIS WAS DEFINED ON THEIR OWN TERMS. WE DIDN'T TRY TO QUANTIFY HERE. WE JUST ASKED, ARE YOU A FREQUENT VISITOR OR INFREQUENT, OR DO YOU NOT VISIT THE EAST BAY PARKS? ONLY 8% SAY. I SAID I DO NOT VISIT THE PARKS.
2% WEREN'T SURE TO ANSWER. THEY DIDN'T KNOW, BUT THE REMAINING 90% ARE PARK VISITORS.
INCLUDING 52% WHO SAY I'M A FREQUENT VISITOR TO THE PARKS.
YOU DO SEE SOME VARIATIONS. THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT HERE IS JUST SOME OF THAT BREAKDOWN.
IT'S A SIMPLIFIED VERSION. AGAIN, THERE'S A MUCH BIGGER SET OF BREAKOUTS IN THE IN THE FULL DATA.
BUT WE SEE SOME THINGS JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT STRONG PATTERNS.
YOU KNOW, EVERY GROUP HAS, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVELS OF VISITATION.
BUT FOR INSTANCE, A GROUP LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAKING MANDARIN AT HOME, RELATIVELY LOWER COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE POPULATION, PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTERS A LITTLE BIT LESS FREQUENT VISITORS THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMEOWNERS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THESE ARE NOT HUGE VARIATIONS, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN WHEN WE DO LOOK AT WHO IS THE SORT OF MOST FREQUENT.
JUST TO GET A SENSE OF THAT, THOSE DIFFERENCES DEMOGRAPHICALLY, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO SAY, I AM FREQUENTLY GOING TO THE EAST BAY PARKS THEY TEND TO BE WHITE, COLLEGE EDUCATED YOUNGER COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN LATINOS, BUT IN THEIR CASE YOUNGER AS WELL. AND PEOPLE IN WEST CONTRA COSTA AS A REGION ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VISITORS, THE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKELY TO SAY THEY'RE INFREQUENT.
SO THEY'RE STILL VISITING THE PARKS, BUT THEY SAY I DON'T GO QUITE AS OFTEN INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS PEOPLE WHO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT EAST CONTRA COSTA AS A REGION, A LITTLE BIT LOWER LEVEL OF FREQUENT VISITORS AND RENTERS, GENERALLY A LITTLE BIT LOWER, AS I MENTIONED. AND THEN THE NON VISITORS THAT STAND OUT THERE WAS AGAIN A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP, BUT FOLKS WHO SPEAK MANDARIN IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD AT CHINESE AMERICANS, GENERALLY IN SOUTHWEST ALAMEDA AGAIN.
BUT THOSE ARE STILL MAJORITIES. EVEN IN THOSE GROUPS.
THE ONE THING WE DID AND WE SOME OF YOU KNOW, WE DID A INVESTIGATION OF KIND OF A LIT REVIEW OF SOME OF THE OTHER RESEARCH THAT IS RELATING TO PARK USAGE AND PARKING, PARKS AND RECREATION OF OTHER KINDS OF RESEARCH THAT HAVE BEEN DONE RECENTLY WAS NOT COMPREHENSIVE, BUT WE WE COVERED WHAT WAS WHAT WAS EASILY AVAILABLE TO LOOK AT.
AND SO THAT'S A SORT OF KEY ELEMENT OF TURNING SOMEONE INTO SOMEONE WHO LOVES AND USES PARTS.
AND SO WE WE JUST ASKED A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND WE ASKED IN THE EAST BAY, HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO NATURE? AND THE TWO KEY ANSWERS HERE ARE THROUGH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
SO THAT SOCIAL ASPECT OF WITH YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD, YOUR OWN FAMILY, BUT OTHERS, YOU KNOW DOING THAT TOGETHER IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF HOW PEOPLE GET INTRODUCED TO NATURE AND THEN SPECIFICALLY AS CHILDREN, REMEMBERING BEING OUTSIDE, PLAYING OUTSIDE. SO THOSE ARE JUST SORT OF THEMATIC THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT HOW WE KIND OF BUILD CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE.
AND AND PRETTY CENTRAL TO THEIR IDEA OF WHY OUTDOORS ARE IMPORTANT, MORE SO THAN SORT OF PROGRAMS LIKE SCHOOL TRIPS, CAMPING. SOME PEOPLE MENTION THOSE THINGS, BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN INFORMAL FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND PLAYING OUTSIDE.
AND ONE THING I WANT TO CLARIFY HERE, AND THIS IS A LIST.
[00:40:07]
INTERACT WITH THE PARKS IS THEY THEY WALK THEY GO HIKING AND WALKING BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A PROGRAM PER SE, JUST PEOPLE GOING ON THEIR OWN TO WALK. WE DIDN'T ASK IT IN THIS LIST OF ACTIVITIES, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WHEN WE LOOK UNDERNEATH THE DATA THAT THAT IS IN FACT, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT PEOPLE DO IN THE PARKS.THE NUMBER ONE THE LIST OF RESPONSES THAT WE GAVE WAS BIKING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DO GO BIKING IN THE PARKS, BUT WE ALSO HAD 17% WHO, UNPROMPTED, EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT HAVE THIS AS AN OPTION, SAID, WELL, I JUST GO HIKING AND WALKING AND WE IT'S CLEAR FROM THE OTHER RESPONSES.
IT'S A LOT MORE THAN THAT. YOU KNOW, VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE PARK USERS DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.
BUT AMONG THE MORE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT WE LISTED HERE.
BIKING IS THE NUMBER ONE THAT PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN 19% SPECIAL EVENTS.
15% SAY I PARTICIPATE IN FESTIVALS OR VISITOR CENTER ACTIVITIES GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS, WHICH WAS LISTED BECAUSE THAT'S AN ACTUAL PROGRAM. 12% SAID I DO THAT, 11% MENTIONED FISHING, 11% OVERNIGHT CAMPING, 10% FAMILY PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS A CASE WHERE PEOPLE GIVING US JUST ONE THING.
WE WERE SAYING, WHICH ONE OF THESE DO YOU MOST OFTEN PARTICIPATE IN? 1 TO 2 RESPONSES. WE WERE TAKING ON THIS QUESTION.
SO YOU HAVE THE BIKING, THE SPECIAL EVENTS, THE GUIDED HIKES, FISHING, CAMPING, FAMILY PROGRAMS IN THE MORE THAN 10% NAMING THEM, AND THEN THAT UNGUIDED HIKING WALKING, WHICH WE VOLUNTEERED. BUT CLEARLY A BIG ACTIVITY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE DID SEE SOME DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHICS IN THESE.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE, BUT JUST SOME OF THE INTERESTING PATTERNS.
AND I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE IN DETAIL, BUT JUST NOTING SOME FOLKS LIKE YOUNGER WOMEN HAVING DISTINCTIVE PATTERNS, MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN THINGS LIKE FESTIVALS AND OPEN HOUSES, MORE LIKELY TO SWIMMING, GO SWIMMING PEOPLE OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY LATINO RESIDENTS, MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN FAMILY PROGRAMS OUTDOOR COOKING.
ALSO MORE COMMON ACTIVITY AMONG BOTH BLACK, LATINO AND ASIAN AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS.
AND SOME OTHER THINGS VERY AGE CODED SOME OF THE MORE, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE THINGS LIKE OVERNIGHT CAMPING AND SO FORTH, MORE POPULAR AMONG YOUNGER VOTERS, YOUNGER RESIDENTS THAN OLDER ONES ETC..
NOW, WE ASKED A SEPARATE. SO THIS WAS AMONG PEOPLE WHO SAY I VISIT THE PARKS, WHICH IS ALMOST EVERYONE, RIGHT? WE HAD A DIFFERENT QUESTION AND WE ASKED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SUBSET ABOUT THIS, WHICH IS WE IN THIS FOR THIS QUESTION, WE ACTUALLY DID NOT ASK THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY SAID, I'M A FREQUENT VISITOR, RIGHT? THEY'RE CLEARLY ALREADY INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. WE WERE CURIOUS WHAT MIGHT WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES MIGHT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME MORE FREQUENT VISITORS.
SO IN THIS CASE, IT'S ASKED OF ROUGHLY HALF THE SAMPLE.
IT'S ONLY THOSE WHO SAID I'M EITHER AN INFREQUENT VISITOR OR I DON'T VISIT AT ALL.
AND AMONG THAT GROUP COMBINED, WE SAID, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE MOST INTERESTED IN GIVEN THIS LIST OF ACTIVITIES? WE BASICALLY TOLD THEM, HERE ARE SOME ACTIVITIES THAT YOU KNOW CAN OR DO HAPPEN IN THE EAST BAY PARKS.
WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN THESE AND ASK THEM WHICH 1 OR 2 AGAIN, WHICH YOU WOULD YOU BE MOST LIKELY TO BE INTERESTED IN? AND NOTABLY HERE WE GOT A WIDE RANGE AGAIN, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN RANK ORDER THAN THE LIST OF THE CURRENT FREQUENT USERS.
RIGHT. SO THE CURRENT FREQUENT USERS WE HAD BIKING AT THE TOP AND THE WALKING ON YOUR OWN, WHICH THEY VOLUNTEERED. AND BUT HERE WE ACTUALLY SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTEREST IN THINGS LIKE OVERNIGHT CAMPING GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS AT THE TOP FISHING, 12% SAYING I'D BE INTERESTED IN THAT.
11% PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, 11%. BIKING, 11%. AQUATIC PADDLE SPORTS, 11%.
CAMPERS OR MOVIE NIGHTS, 10%. PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS.
SO THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES THAT SOME OF THE INFREQUENT VISITORS, THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMING ALL, ALL THE TIME, ARE SAYING, I MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTED IN DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS.
IF I HEARD, YOU KNOW, IF I KNEW MORE ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S NOTABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO PERHAPS BUILD MORE PARTICIPATION.
AND WE SAW THAT AGAIN, SOME DEMOGRAPHIC VARIETY IN THESE OVERNIGHT CAMPING, THE ONE THAT POPPED UP NEAR THE TOP THERE PARTICULARLY HIGH FOR YOUNGER MEN FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, FOR NON-COLLEGE EDUCATED RESIDENTS,
[00:45:02]
PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN. SO THESE SOME OF THESE ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS WHO ARE ALSO THE NOT QUITE AS FREQUENT PARKGOERS.ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS, WHO WE NOTED ALSO HAD A LITTLE BIT LOWER VISITATION RATE, WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN AQUATIC PADDLE SPORTS, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PARENTS ACROSS THE BOARD, ALSO INTERESTED IN THOSE LATINO RESIDENTS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN FAMILY PROGRAMS. OLDER RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN WHO ARE INFREQUENT VISITORS, TALKED ABOUT PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS.
SO THAT'S INTERESTING. I'D BE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO A GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS MORE ALSO OF INTEREST TO OLDER PEOPLE.
THE WE ASKED ABOUT AWARENESS. SO THE PREVIOUS WAS WHAT WHAT DO YOU DO ALREADY.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN? THIS QUESTION WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EACH OF THESE ACTIVITIES.
ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS ACTIVITY OR NOT? YOU KNOW, HAD YOU HEARD BEFORE YOU TOOK THIS SURVEY THAT THIS EXISTED IN THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT? AND WE SEE QUITE A WIDE RANGE HERE? YOU'LL YOU'LL NOTICE THERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS AT THE BOTTOM.
WE HAVE YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AWARE OF THEM, BUT QUITE A, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN HALF, YOU KNOW, MUCH LESS THAN A MAJORITY ARE AWARE THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE PARK DISTRICT, CRAFTS AND NATURE JOURNALING PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, CAMPFIRES AND MOVIE NIGHTS, SEMINARS ABOUT NATURE, HORSEBACK RIDING. NOW, NOT EVERYONE IS INTERESTED IN ALL OF THOSE, BUT SOME OF THOSE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF INTEREST, BUT YOU HAVE LESS THAN HALF OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE AWARE THAT THOSE ARE AVAILABLE.
AND NOTABLY THE GUIDED WALKS AND HIKES, WHICH ARE PRETTY POPULAR, PRETTY ENTICING TO PEOPLE WHO SAID, I'D BE INTERESTED IN THAT. IT'S ONLY ABOUT HALF WHO ARE AWARE THAT THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE.
THINGS PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AWARE THAT THEY CAN DO IN THE PARKS INCLUDE BIKING, FISHING, SWIMMING, YOU KNOW, THINGS YOU CAN DO SORT OF ON YOUR OWN.
AS WELL AS CHILDREN AND TEENS PROGRAMS, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AWARENESS OF THOSE THAN FOR ADULTS.
OVERNIGHT CAMPING, PADDLE SPORTS, SPECIAL EVENTS.
AGAIN, IN A IN A CROWD THAT'S 90% AWARE OF THE DISTRICT, YOU HAVE LOWER PERCENTAGES, AWARE OF MANY OF THE PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT PEOPLE COULD BE INFORMED ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
WE DID AGAIN, SEE SOME DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES AND NOT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT A COUPLE OF INTERESTING THINGS. AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS A LITTLE LESS LIKELY TO BE AWARE OF OVERNIGHT CAMPING AND FAMILY PROGRAMS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THOSE ASIAN AMERICANS HAD INTEREST IN PADDLE SPORTS, WHICH IS INTERESTING, BUT THEY WEREN'T AS AWARE THAT THEY EXIST ALREADY.
SO THERE'S, AGAIN, A BIT OF A GAP THERE GENERALLY SOME LOWER AWARENESS IN NORTHWEST ALAMEDA COUNTY WHICH IS THE URBAN, YOU KNOW OAKLAND, BERKELEY, PART OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY A LITTLE BIT LOWER AWARENESS, INTERESTINGLY, IN THAT IN THE THAT PART OF THE DISTRICT COMPARED TO OTHERS.
AND AND, YOU KNOW, SOME DIFFERENCES, NOT A COUPLE THAT ARE LESS SURPRISING, LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOWER INCOME OR SPEAK LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH, GENERALLY HAVING LOWER AWARENESS. NOT SURPRISING, BUT OBVIOUSLY A TARGET FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND SPANISH SPEAKING HOUSEHOLDS ALSO STANDING OUT LOWER ON SOME THINGS, BUT ACTUALLY HIGHER ON SOME THINGS AS WELL, WHICH WAS INTERESTING, LIKE SWIMMING AND OUTDOOR COOKING.
SO THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE BREAKDOWN. AGAIN, THERE ARE MUCH BIGGER TABLES WITH ALL OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS BROKEN OUT ON THESE, BUT THIS IS THE AVERAGE WHERE WE TOOK OF THAT WHOLE LIST OF ACTIVITIES AND JUST AVERAGED OUT HOW AWARE PEOPLE WERE ACROSS THE WHOLE GAMUT.
AND WE DO SEE A COUPLE OF PATTERNS HERE WHERE AGAIN, THE LOWER INCOME AFRICAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS A LITTLE BIT LIKELY TO HAVE SOMEWHAT LOWER AWARENESS OF INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE WE WE ZEROED IN ON THE VERY SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO HAD THE HIGHEST AWARENESS. AND THIS WAS A SURPRISE AND INTERESTING THAT IT WAS OLDER LATINO RESIDENTS WHO WERE THE MOST LIKELY TO BE AWARE OF VERY THE WHOLE RANGE OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES. PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF KIDS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD ALSO MORE AWARE AND INTERESTINGLY, NON-COLLEGE WHITE AND LATINO RESIDENTS ALSO HIGHER AWARENESS, LOWER AWARENESS AMONG ASIAN AMERICANS, PARTICULARLY NON-COLLEGE CHINESE AMERICANS BLACK NON-COLLEGE EDUCATED AND THOSE WHO SPEAK MANDARIN IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD,
[00:50:03]
ALL WITH SOMEWHAT LOWER AWARENESS, AND PEOPLE WHO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT ALSO A LITTLE BIT LOWER AWARENESS.SO WE WE GRAPHED THIS SO JUST TO SHOW KIND OF THE INTERACTION AND TO NOTE THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE, THAT BEING MORE AWARE MEANS THAT YOU'RE ALSO MORE INTERESTED.
IT IS TRUE FOR SOME THINGS. SO THINGS LIKE BIKING FISHING HAD BOTH HIGH AWARENESS AND HIGH INTEREST.
AND THEN BUT YOU DO SEE SOME, SOME THINGS IN PARTICULARLY IN THIS LOWER RIGHT.
SO THE TOP RIGHT WOULD BE WE WOULD SAY CORE STRENGTHS LIKE PEOPLE YOU KNOW ARE AWARE THEY LIKE, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BIKING, FISHING, CAMPING, WATER SPORTS YOU KNOW, HIKING TOGETHER. ALL OF THOSE ARE THINGS THAT PEOPLE TEND TO BE FAIRLY AWARE OF AND ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN.
BUT ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, YOU SEE SOME THINGS WHERE THERE'S HIGH INTEREST BUT LOWER AWARENESS.
AND THAT INCLUDED THE SENIOR PROGRAMS THAT WE MENTIONED OVERNIGHT CAMP, THE CAMPING AND CAMPFIRE ACTIVITIES EQUESTRIAN, INTERESTINGLY, KIND OF MEDIUM HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST, BUT MEDIUM LOW LEVEL OF AWARENESS.
TWO OTHER MAJOR AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT. ONE WAS ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION, LOOKING AT HOW PEOPLE CAN AND DO GET TO THE PARKS AND ALSO HOW THEY GET INFORMATION.
AND IT IS NOT SURPRISINGLY, OVERWHELMINGLY CAR IT'S THE MOST COMMON WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET THERE.
81% SAY THAT IS MY MOST FREQUENT METHOD OF GOING.
WE ALSO HAVE 8% WHO SAY I USUALLY WILL WALK. OBVIOUSLY BEING LOCATED SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN WALK TO A PARK AND BIKING IS THE OTHER, MORE COMMON. BUT THOSE ARE THE TOP THREE, INTERESTINGLY, VERY, VERY FEW SAYING THEY'RE USING PUBLIC TRANSIT OR RIDESHARE TO GET TO THE PARKS.
BUT WE ASKED ABOUT THEIR PREFERRED TRAVEL METHOD.
AND IT'S INTERESTING. IT'S DIFFERENT IN INTERESTING WAYS. IT IS STILL CAR NUMBER ONE.
PEOPLE DO THINK OF THIS AS SOMETHING THEY, BY AND LARGE, USE A CAR TO GET TO.
BUT YOU DO HAVE 10% SAY, WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO WALK IF I COULD, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE PERCENT WHO ACTUALLY DO THAT BIKING ALSO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER 10%, AND NOTABLY PUBLIC TRANSIT 7% SAY, WELL, I'D REALLY LIKE TO GO BY PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT ONLY 1% SAY I AM, AND THAT DOES SUGGEST A GAP THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE FILLED WITH SOME PERHAPS EXISTING SERVICE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MAKING MAKING THAT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
THAT'S A NOTABLE SORT OF GAP IN THE WAY PEOPLE COULD BE VISITING THE PARKS IS USING MORE TRANSIT.
THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THESE AGAIN. CAR IS THE MOST COMMON METHOD ACROSS ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT THAT'S PARTICULARLY TRUE IN EAST CONTRA COSTA.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, A MORE CAR ORIENTED AREA OF THE DISTRICT PEOPLE IN THE EAST AND SOUTHWEST ALAMEDA SAY THEY'RE MOST LIKELY TO WALK ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDENTS WHO ARE CLOSER TO THE PARKS IN THOSE AREAS.
PUBLIC TRANSIT. INTERESTINGLY, THE IS PEOPLE ARE MORE INTERESTED IN IT AMONG COLLEGE EDUCATED RESIDENTS, WHICH WAS NOT EXPECTED, BUT ALSO AMONG RENTERS AND NOTABLY THE MANDARIN SPEAKING HOUSEHOLDS WHO WE NOTED AS STOOD OUT AS LESS FREQUENT USERS ALSO INTERESTED IN PUBLIC TRANSIT AND GENERALLY INTERESTED IN MORE NON-CAR OPTIONS FOR GETTING TO THE PARKS.
WE ASKED ABOUT OTHER ABOUT KINDS OF BARRIERS, THINGS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE OBSTACLES TO PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITIES OR VISITING THE PARKS. 84% SAID, NO, I DO NOT SEE FEES AS A BARRIER.
SO IT'S ABOUT ONE OUT OF SIX ADULT RESIDENTS.
THAT PERCEPTION THAT FEES COULD BE A BARRIER IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AMONG PEOPLE OF COLOR.
IT'S HIGHER AMONG WOMEN, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN.
AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT PEOPLE THINK OF AS, AS RELATING TO FEES, WHICH AGAIN, THIS IS A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP THAT EVEN IS AWARE OF OR CONCERNED ABOUT FEES. BUT THEY MENTIONED THE THE BOATING AND KAYAKING, CANOEING THAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS COSTS INVOLVED IN THOSE ACTIVITIES.
OTHER RECREATION. A COUPLE PEOPLE MENTIONED, A FEW HANDFUL MENTIONED PARKING OR ENTRANCE FEES, WHICH I UNDERSTAND APPLIES IN ONLY ONE PARK. AND SWIMMING IS SOMETHING THEY THOUGHT ALSO MIGHT MIGHT REQUIRE A FEE.
[00:55:06]
SO. BUT IT'S PRETTY SMALL HANDFUL ACROSS THE BOARD.THEY ALSO MORE BROADLY. SO THAT WAS A SPECIFIC QUESTION.
OUR FEES A BARRIER. THEN WE ASKED MORE BROADLY, DO YOU THINK THE PART THE EAST BAY PARKS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR COMMUNITY? AND WE USE THAT WORD ADVISEDLY BECAUSE WE WANTED PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE THEY KNOW. AND WHETHER IT WAS THEY GENERALLY THOUGHT THAT PARKS WERE ACCESSIBLE.
90% SAY YES. I BROADLY FIND BELIEVE THE EAST BAY PARKS ARE ACCESSIBLE.
54% WITHIN THAT SAID THAT THEY ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE.
BUT YOU DO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER SAYING, WELL, SOMEWHAT.
AND THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VERY AND THE SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE, ONLY A SMALL HANDFUL SAID, NO, THEY'RE REALLY NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE. THAT WAS A PRETTY SMALL GROUP. BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VARIANCE SOMEWHAT.
AGAIN, WE SEE AN AGE DIFFERENCE. AND NOTABLY THIS IS PERHAPS SURPRISING.
THE YOUNGER PEOPLE UNDER AGE 50 WERE MORE LIKELY TO SAY, WELL, THEY'RE SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE.
EAST ALAMEDA AND CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA MORE LIKELY TO SAY IT WAS VERY ACCESSIBLE.
NORTHWEST ALAMEDA AGAIN, MORE URBAN OAKLAND. BERKELEY AREA MORE LIKELY TO SAY ONLY SOMEWHAT.
AND THEN A DIFFERENCE BY RACE. PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WITH BOTH WHITE AND IN THIS CASE, AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS SAYING THE PARKS ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE LATINO AND ASIAN RESIDENTS, THOUGH QUITE A BIT MORE LIKELY TO SAY, WELL, SOMEWHAT.
SO THERE IS AN INTERESTING DIFFERENCE TO LOOK AT THERE. AND THEN THE LANGUAGE ALSO BEING A FACTOR THERE, WHICH RELATES OBVIOUSLY TO THE ETHNIC DIFFERENCE, BUT THOSE WHO SPEAK SPANISH AND MANDARIN AT HOME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO SAY, WELL, THEY'RE SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY MAY RELATE TO LANGUAGE AS PART OF THE ACCESSIBILITY.
BUT LANGUAGE WAS NOT ACTUALLY THE THING THAT PEOPLE MENTIONED WHEN WE ASKED, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS? AND WE HAD A LIST. THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT REALLY ROSE TO THE TOP AS BEING THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE BARRIERS FOR THEMSELVES AND PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND THOSE WERE LACK OF AWARENESS, LACK OF TIME AND DISTANCE FROM THE PARKS.
SO IT'S LIKE FACTORS IN THEIR OWN LIVES EITHER NOT BEING AWARE OR LACKING THE TIME OR ABILITY TO GET TO THE PARKS, OR JUST THAT IT'S IT'S A HASSLE TO GET THERE IN TERMS OF THEIR PERCEIVED DISTANCE.
WE DID HAVE 21% WHO MENTIONED LACK OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
SO THAT IS AN ISSUE FOR A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY OF RESIDENTS.
SAFETY ISSUES WERE A FACTOR FOR 15%. SO IT'S NOT THE TOP CONCERN BUT IT'S NOT NOTHING.
THEY'RE NOT WELCOMING TO ME THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS.
THOSE ARE CONCERNS OF REALLY QUITE SMALL PORTIONS OF THE RESIDENTS.
BEING MUCH MORE HIGHER ON THE LIST OF, BARRIERS COMPARED TO THINGS LIKE FEELING UNWELCOME OR THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S NOT INTERESTING. SO AND WE DID SEE SOME AGAIN, DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES HERE LACK OF AWARENESS KIND OF BEING ACROSS THE BOARD, LACK OF TIME, THOUGH, BEING MENTIONED MORE BY YOUNGER AND ALSO WHITE RESIDENTS DISTANCE BEING MENTIONED BY YOUNGER WOMEN, BY ASIAN AMERICANS, BY NORTHWEST ALAMEDA AS BEING A BIGGER ISSUE FOR THEM.
LACK OF TRANSPORTATION MORE FREQUENTLY, ALSO NORTHWEST ALAMEDA AND ALSO BLACK RESIDENTS.
SO SOME INTERESTING VARIATIONS IN THOSE. AND THEN IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES, WE WANTED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY RELATED TO RELATED TO DISABILITY, ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD ENCOUNTERED ANY CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF HAVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC SPACES OR FACILITIES IN THE EAST BAY PARKS? MOST RESIDENTS, 84% SAID NO, HAVEN'T HAD ANY KIND OF ISSUE WITH THAT.
BUT WE DO HAVE 11% OF ALL RESIDENTS WHO SAY, YEAH, SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD WOULD HAVE A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF ACCESSING YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE THE SPACES OR FACILITIES IN THE EAST BAY PARKS AND AMONG THE GROUP.
[01:00:05]
MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE IN MY HOUSEHOLD HAS A DISABILITY.AMONG THAT GROUP, NOTABLY, STILL LESS THAN HALF SAY.
WELL, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME KIND OF CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF ACCESSING THE PARKS, BUT IT IS 37% OF THE THOSE WITH A DISABILITY IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
SO IT'S AGAIN, IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF THE OVERALL POPULATION, BUT IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES WHO SAY, YEAH, THERE IS AT LEAST SOME ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGE FOR ME OR FOR SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD.
SO THAT'S ONE AREA. OBVIOUSLY, YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT LANGUAGE AS A BARRIER.
AND WE AGAIN, AMONG THIS WAS A QUESTION WE ONLY ASKED AMONG PEOPLE WHO SAID, I SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT HOME, WHICH IS, BY THE WAY, A VERY LARGE PORTION. RIGHT? SO IT WAS A FAIRLY SMALL PORTION OF THE INTERVIEWS WE CONDUCTED IN, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, BUT WE ALSO JUST ASKED INCLUDING ENGLISH SPEAKERS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE AT HOME? AND IT IS 38% OF THE POPULATION WHO SAID, YES, I SPEAK SOME OTHER LANGUAGE IN MY HOUSE, IN MY HOME.
AMONG THAT GROUP, ONLY 9%, THOUGH, ACTUALLY SAID THAT THAT LANGUAGE IS SOME KIND OF BARRIER IN RELATION TO THE PARK DISTRICT OR EAST BAY PARKS. THAT IS A PRETTY SMALL PORTION. IT'S NOT NOBODY, OBVIOUSLY, AND YOU DO WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE REACHING OUT AND IMPROVING ACCESS.
BUT EVEN AMONG THOSE WHO SAID SPECIFICALLY I SPEAK SPANISH AT HOME, OR THOSE WHO SAID I SPEAK MANDARIN AT HOME, IT IS ONLY 9 OR 10% OF THAT POPULATION SAYING, YEAH, LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER, SO IT'S NOT AS BIG POTENTIALLY AS WE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS. HAVING SAID THAT, WE DID SEE IN SOME OF THE OTHER DATA THAT THOSE WHO ARE SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGES HAD A LITTLE BIT LESS AWARENESS AND LESS PARTICIPATION IN SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES. WE THEN ASKED THE OTHER LAST MAJOR TOPIC HERE WAS SAFETY.
AND WE WANTED TO KNOW, DO PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN THE IN THE PARKS IN THE EAST BAY? 87% SAID LARGELY I FEEL SAFE. BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THERE BETWEEN VERY SAFE, WHICH WAS 43% OF RESIDENTS AND SOMEWHAT SAFE WHICH IS ANOTHER 44%.
BUT THAT NOT SAFE AT ALL. A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AMONG THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
AND THEN THE SOMEWHAT SAFE. SO, YEAH, PRETTY SAFE, BUT MAYBE HAVE SOME CONCERNS TENDED TO BE CONCENTRATED MORE AMONG LOWER INCOME NON-COLLEGE-EDUCATED AMONG LATINOS AND AMONG OLDER RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY OLDER MEN.
INTERESTINGLY AND THEN WE ASKED ABOUT WHAT WERE YOUR SAFETY CONCERNS? ONE THING CLEARLY ROSE TO THE TOP HERE. AND WE AGAIN, WE LISTED THESE, AND THEN WE HAD A COUPLE OPEN ENDED PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED SOME RESPONSES AT THE BOTTOM THERE, BUT CAR BREAK INS IS BY FAR THE NUMBER ONE THING PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY.
22% AND THAT PEOPLE COULD GIVE US MULTIPLE RESPONSES HERE.
SO THESE ADD UP TO A LOT MORE THAN 100. BUT VIOLENT CRIME, 22% SAID THAT WAS A CONCERN FOR THEM.
SANITATION CONCERNS, WILDFIRES, LACK OF LIGHTING GENERALLY PEOPLE MORE AFRAID OF THEIR FELLOW HUMANS THAN THEY ARE OF THE THINGS LIKE WILD ANIMALS OR ACTS OF NATURE. BUT BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT AS WELL.
SO DIFFERENT KINDS OF SAFETY. BUT REALLY, IT'S THE CAR BREAK INS THAT STANDS OUT HERE.
AND THEN SOME CONCERN ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME AS WELL.
CAR BREAK INS, NUMBER ONE, ACROSS ALL THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE LOOKED AT.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME VARIATIONS IN TERMS OF A LITTLE BIT MORE VIOLENT CRIME CONCERNS IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE DISTRICT WILDFIRES, ETC. MORE TO YOUNGER WOMEN AND TO OTHER RESIDENTS.
THE WE ASKED ABOUT INFORMATION WHERE PEOPLE GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKS.
NUMBER ONE SOURCE IS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. OUT OF ALL THE THINGS WE OFFERED HERE SO THERE'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO BE PROMPTING AND ENCOURAGING THE CONVERSATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT THE PARKS.
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE WAY TO TO BUILD OR, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THAT VERY STRONG POSITIVE VALUE AND PARTICIPATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE WEBSITE, WHICH IS A CLEARLY A RESOURCE.
[01:05:06]
IN THE PARKS. 20% MENTIONING SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS PERHAPS LOWER THAN WE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT, BUT OBVIOUSLY SIGNIFICANT. AND THEN 15% MENTIONING THE SPECIFICALLY THE NEWSLETTER, WHICH AGAIN WAS ON THE LIST, BUT ONCE THEY SAW IT, 15% SAID, YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING I LOOK AT.SO AND AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT OF VARIATION HERE, BUT FRIENDS AND FAMILY, NUMBER ONE ACROSS THE BOARD ON ACROSS THE DEMOGRAPHICS THE WEBSITE A LITTLE HIGHER IN EAST ALAMEDA AS WELL AS AMONG WHITE AND COLLEGE EDUCATED RESIDENTS, YOUNGER RESIDENTS MORE LIKELY TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH WE NOT A SURPRISE THERE. AND AGAIN, THE ASIAN AMERICANS STANDING OUT A LITTLE BIT LESS LIKELY IN THIS CASE, AFRICAN AMERICANS ALSO A LITTLE BIT LESS LIKELY TO SAY THAT THEY'RE GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKS FROM THESE SOURCES.
AND THERE'S THE TEAM THAT WORKED ON THIS DATA.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? YEAH. COLIN GO RIGHT AHEAD. ERIC, WE DIDN'T USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TEST PARCEL TAXES. SO TO RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION ON BEHALF OF ERIC THIS WAS A COMMUNITY SURVEY WHERE WE FOCUSED ON PROGRAMING AS PART OF OUR WORK PLAN.
WE DO A SECOND SURVEY THAT'S A VOTER SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY THAT WILL BE FOCUSED ON PARCEL TAX.
SO THIS IS IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE SURVEY.
CORRECT. I ALWAYS ASK YOU FOLKS WHAT TRENDS YOU'RE NOTICING.
ANY ANYTHING NOTABLE? I THINK IN TERMS OF NOTABLE RESPONSES THAT WE'VE HAD, ASK THE PUBLIC TRANSIT QUESTION PREVIOUSLY, WE WE WORKED WITH LAKE RESEARCH, AND I THINK WE IMPROVED OUR FRAMING ON THAT QUESTION. AND SO THAT WAS ONE WHERE INCREASED INTEREST IN PUBLIC TRANSIT STOOD OUT TO US.
ADDITIONALLY, WALKING AND HIKING, THAT'S A PRETTY CONSISTENT TREND.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME IN THE SURVEY WAS ON THE QUESTION OF, WHAT DO YOU VALUE ABOUT EAST BAY PARKS? THAT TOP RESPONSE OF THE PARKS AND THE OPEN SPACE? I SEE THAT AS SORT OF OUR LIFE AND LIBERTY. IT'S THE THING THAT WE DO AND FINDING THAT SORT OF EVERYONE APPRECIATES THAT ASPECT, THAT SORT OF SHARED VISION OF THE PARK DISTRICT, RATHER THAN PITTING TWO DIFFERENT USER GROUPS AGAINST EACH OTHER, REALLY STOOD OUT IN THIS SURVEY. OKAY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE NAME RECOGNITION OF QUESTION, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, THAT WE USED TO HAVE A LEVEL OF LACK OF NAME RECOGNITION, AROUND 20% THAT SEEMS TO HAVE DECREASED IN THIS SURVEY.
IS IS THAT TRUE? THAT'S CORRECT. SO NAME RECOGNITION HAS INCREASED.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WHAT'S GREAT TO SEE IS THAT THE VALUE OF OUR SERVICES, WHICH IS A QUESTION THAT COMES AFTER A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ON WHO WE ARE, CONTINUES TO BE IN THE MID TO HIGH 90S. SO WE CHARACTERIZE OUR GENERAL APPROVAL RATE AS THE EQUIVALENT OF DO YOU VALUE OUR SERVICES? SO IT'S STILL AROUND 90%? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THAT COVERS MINE. I JUST I DEFINITELY SEE NOT A SURPRISE, BUT A GAP IN THE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND SEPARATING OUT API VERSUS MANDARIN SPEAKING, WHATEVER. BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, PARTICULARLY, IT SEEMS, WITH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND NO SURPRISE, TRANSPORTATION. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, IN SOME SENSE THIS IS AN 800 SOMETHING PEOPLE IS PRETTY SMALL.
I MEAN, IN MY WARD, ONLY THERE'S 268,000 PEOPLE IN WARD TWO.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW REPRESENTATIVE THAT IS.
SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF A FIRST, FIRST QUESTION.
ALTHOUGH EVEN I CAN SPEAK EVEN IN THIS SMALL REPRESENTING AMOUNT.
I MEAN, IT'S CLEAR THE TRENDS WERE NOT SURPRISED.
AND I GUESS THE SECOND QUESTION I'LL ASK AND YOU CAN ANSWER BOTH OF THEM PARTICULARLY, I THINK I HAVE A NOTE HERE ON PAGE 73 WHY YOU CHOSE NOT TO SEPARATE THE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES FROM STRONGLY AGREE TO SOMEWHAT AGREE, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM, WHEN I KIND OF RE PENCILED THEM OUT, ARE ALSO PRETTY INTERESTING. LIKE ON SAFETY SOMEWHAT ENDS UP BEING HIGHER THAN EXCEEDS.
[01:10:01]
WHICH IS INFORMATIVE, JUST TO BE CLEAR. QUESTIONS.YEAH, YEAH. SO THAT BREAKOUT IS TO ADDRESS THE SECOND ONE FIRST IS AVAILABLE IN THE FULL DATA SET.
AND IT'S ALL THERE, WHICH IS FOR SIMPLICITY AND PRESENTATION.
WE WE, YOU KNOW, MERGE THEM TOGETHER IN THAT GRAPH, BUT THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY GROUP YOU LIKE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE DUG INTO IT SOME, WHICH IS GREAT. AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE SURVEY, THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY LARGE SURVEY SAMPLE.
IT'S WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH RESOURCE AND BUDGET DEVOTED TO THIS TO DO A SIZE OF A SAMPLE SIZE OF 800 AND, AND WITH THE FOUR LANGUAGES AND, YOU KNOW, BEING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE QUITE CAREFUL AND RIGOROUS ABOUT MAKING SURE EVERY POPULATION HAD WAS REPRESENTED. AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE TAKEN AN ACCURATE RANDOM SAMPLE OF 800 PEOPLE IN A, IN A LARGE IN A PLACE WITH A LARGE POPULATION LIKE THE EAST BAY, YOU DO IN FACT HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE DATA THAT IS ACCURATE TO WITHIN PLUS OR -3.3%. SO THAT IS YOU KNOW PRETTY GOOD TO GET IT DOWN TO 2%.
YOU'D HAVE TO GET THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE.
SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, USUALLY NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO GO A LOT BIGGER THAN THAT.
BUT WE'RE FORTUNATE HERE THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY QUITE, QUITE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE ACCURACY OF THE, OF THE SAMPLE AND THEREFORE THE NUMBERS. SO IT'S YOU KNOW, IS IT PERFECT? NO, THERE'S SOME, SOME SAMPLING ERROR AND ANY, ANY RANDOM SAMPLE, BUT IT'S AS REPRESENTATIVE AS WE COULD MAKE IT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN IN THE DATA.
THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S PRETTY THOROUGH ON ON ALL OF THAT DETAIL.
JUST ONE OTHER IF YOU COULD COMMENT. I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED ON HOW THE QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT BIKING AND HIKING, OR YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T ASK ABOUT HIKING OR WALKING, AND THEN THE HIKING AND WALKING WAS ASKED AS GUIDED HIKING, GUIDED WALKING, GUIDED CAMPING VERSUS I'M LIKE, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
I JUST WENT YESTERDAY OFF HIKING. AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT BIKING, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FAMILY WIDE TRAIL, FIRE TRAIL, BICYCLISTS VERSUS MOUNTAIN BIKING, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS GAINING A LOT OF POPULARITY.
SO JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON BREAKING OUT THOSE CATEGORIES, IF THAT, MAYBE IN THE NEXT ROUND.
IT SEEMED THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP THERE OF OF MISSING THE THE WANDERERS, THE ZEN HIKERS VERSUS BREAKING OUT THE HOW PEOPLE DEFINE BIKING THESE DAYS. SO I CAN GO AHEAD AND GIVE A RESPONSE TO THAT.
SO THE WAY THE SURVEY WAS DEVELOPED WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER DIVISIONS.
INTERPRETATION. THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR GUIDED WALK, YOUR INTERPRETIVE TOURS, ETC..
AND THEN BIKING WAS PART OF OUR RECREATION SERVICES PROGRAMS WHERE WE DO THOSE ORGANIZED BIKING.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, THAT'S WHY WE HAD GUIDED WALKS, BECAUSE, AS DAVID NOTED DURING THE PRESENTATION, IT'S A PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH. HOWEVER, WITH THE SORT OF OPEN ENDED QUESTION WHERE THE PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO GIVE ANY ANSWER THEY WANTED, THEY SELF-SELECTED AS A NON-GUIDED WALKER. AND SO IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE DONE SORT OF RECREATION GENERALLY TO REFLECT A DIRECTOR COFFEY QUESTION, HIKING AND WALKING FAR AWAY, TOP RESPONSE WHEN IT'S JUST SORT OF ANYTHING YOU CAN DO IN THE PARKS.
AND EVEN BETWEEN THOSE TWO, WE FIND THAT WALKING TYPICALLY GETS MORE THAN HIKING, BECAUSE PEOPLE ASSOCIATE HIKING WITH A BIT MORE ENDURANCE, MORE GEAR, ETC. WALKING FEELS VERY APPROACHABLE.
SO IN OUR LANGUAGE WE TRY TO BE VERY SENSITIVE.
LEARNING FROM THESE SURVEYS TO USE, WALKING WHEN WE'RE INVITING FOLKS TO EVENTS, ETC..
IN TERMS OF THE SECOND QUESTION OF DRILLING INTO THE TRAIL RELATED DATA, THAT'S OUR INTENT.
AND OUR HOPE FOR OUR NEXT COMMUNITY SURVEY IS TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON TRAIL AND TRAIL USE.
AND SO, AS DAVID NOTED, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO EACH SURVEY.
AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO PULL EACH STRING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTIONS FOR NOW, OTHER THAN MAYBE COMMENTS LATER.
ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND EVERYTHING. I GUESS A COUPLE QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BIGGEST BARRIERS AND I KNOW THE NEXT SESSION WILL BE DRILLED DOWN, BUT WHEN PEOPLE SAY SAFETY ISSUES AND PARKS, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST DEAL, BUT CAN WE. AND WE DID DRILL DOWN SORT OF HERE.
BUT I MEAN. THERE'S NO WAY OF FIGURING OUT WHETHER THIS IS PERCEIVED.
I MEAN, DO YOU PERCEIVE YOU'RE GOING TO BE CHASED BY A COW ON A PARK OR.
AND THEN HOW DO YOU RELATE TO THAT? I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A FOCUS GROUP, I GUESS. BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT PEOPLE CONSIDER A BARRIER TO THE PARK KIND OF IT SCREAMS WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT IT'S NOT A SCARY PLACE.
[01:15:05]
IT'S A WELCOMING PLACE AND A GOOD PLACE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT.I JUST NOTED THAT ALSO AND I FOUND IT INTERESTING, ALONG WITH THE BARRIERS, WHICH I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN, AND WE KIND OF NASH ARTESIAN TEETH AND REND OUR GARMENTS OVER THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T GET EVERYBODY.
PARKS DON'T DON'T INTEREST PEOPLE LIKE ME. AND AT SOME POINT I THINK WE NEED TO EITHER SAY, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU LIKE, WHETHER THAT'S YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE A LONG TIME AGO THAT USED TO LOVE TARGET SHOOTING AND THE GUN RANGE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO. SO I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALSO.
AND THEN I CAME AWAY REALLY INTERESTED WITH THE HORSEBACK RIDING ISSUE, WHICH DAVID HIGHLIGHTED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN THAT AND THAT WE KIND OF LACKED THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS THAT.
AND TO SUGGEST THAT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THAT, WOULD WE BUY THEM $60,000 PICKUP TRUCKS AND $25,000 TRAILERS AND GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH A HORSE COST NOWADAYS. I, I MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED OR OR THAT IT'S NOT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT USED TO BE DONE IN TILDEN WHEN I WAS A KID. OH, YEAH. IT USED TO BE DONE. TILDEN WAS DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S JUST BACK RIDING LIABILITY WISE.
IT'S SCARY. AND I DON'T KNOW. THESE ARE ALL GREAT COMMENTS.
AND SO I THINK THE DIFFERENT REFLECTIONS YOU HAD THERE DIRECTOR WAESPI AROUND PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY RELATED TO WILDLIFE, THAT'S A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AROUND WHAT SERVICES DO WE OFFER IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT THE PUBLIC INTERESTS ARE.
THAT'S A POLICY SETTING AND ALSO ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDANCE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. HAS THERE'S BEEN CONSISTENCY IN THESE SURVEYS OF A LACK OF AWARENESS AMONG SENIORS ABOUT SENIOR PROGRAMING. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT THE CONVERSATION YEAH, WHAT THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN AROUND THAT IN WITH THE FOLKS YOU TALKED TO IN INTERPRETATION, FOR INSTANCE.
THAT'S A THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THEY ARE INTERPRETATION IS AWARE OF THAT FINDING.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE JOINING THEIR QUARTERLY MEETING WHERE WE'LL BE DOING A BREAKOUT SESSION AND BRAINSTORMING ON THE FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE TOPICS. SO I DON'T HAVE A CURRENT RESPONSE TO YOU, BUT I WILL SHARE.
THEY PLAN TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND USE IT TO APPLY TO THEIR FUTURE PROGRAMING.
YEAH, IT'S A HUGE DEMOGRAPHIC. IT IS. US. CAN I BUILD ON DENNIS'S EARLIER QUESTION? IS IT TRUE THAT WE DO NOT OFFER HORSES? I THOUGHT AT PIEDMONT STABLES THEY DO HAVE PONY RIDES, LESSONS, CLASSES. IT'S RUN BY A CONCESSIONAIRE, AND IT'S ONLY ONE THIRD FULL BECAUSE THE FACILITY IS LACKING.
THEY CAN'T GET MORE HORSES, BUT THERE IS A COMMUNITY OUT THERE THAT I SAW AND SAW PICTURES OF.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, I WAS, I, I INTERPRETED IT WRONG.
I THOUGHT, YOU CAN COME TO THE PARK AS A JUST NORMAL PERSON.
SAY, I'D LIKE TO RIDE A HORSE FOR THE DAY. THAT'S WHAT I CONSIDER HORSEBACK RIDING. BUT NO, WE HAVE MANY PROGRAMS. NOT ONLY PIEDMONT STABLES, BUT. WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF. I DON'T KNOW IF SKYLINE.
OH, YEAH, THEY DO. THEY HAVE A BIG RING, SO YOU CAN.
I WAS THINKING MORE OF NATURE HORSEBACK RIDING, BUT IT'S VERY TRUE.
WE DO. WE STILL DO THAT? PARTIALLY. I MEAN, THERE'S A HIGH INTEREST IN HORSES.
OH, YEAH, WITHOUT A DOUBT. THANK YOU. LISA. AND GOOD ADVICE.
AND WELL, I FIND THIS VERY VALUABLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO VOTE, THOUGH, AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK THEM SOME REAL PERTINENT QUESTIONS LIKE, ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR US OR PARCEL TAXES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? PUBLIC COMMENT. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF NOT, DAVID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THIS.
PLEASURE TO BE HERE. AND THANK YOU ALL. YEAH.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LISA. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE CAN DO OUR INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE PARK DISTRICT GRANTS. WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON.
[01:20:09]
GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.I'M HERE TODAY. KATIE DEGNAN, ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, TO PRESENT OUR GRANTS REPORT FOR MARCH. AS OF MARCH 11TH, 2025 I HAD SUBMITTED A REVISION.
SO THE FIRST ITEM UNDER APPLIED FOR RANCHO PINOLE, WE HAVE THE AWARENESS ACQUISITION.
IN FEBRUARY, THE PARK DISTRICT REQUESTED A MILLION IN FUNDING FROM STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND COMMITTED TO CONTRIBUTING 500,000 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF THE 154 ACRE AWARENESS PROPERTY LOCATED OFF MCCAREY RANCH ROAD IN UNINCORPORATED CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, SO THAT AMOUNT WAS UPDATED TO 1 MILLION IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY REQUESTED. IN JANUARY, WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO CAL FIRE AND THE AMOUNT OF 7 MILLION FOR ENHANCING FOREST HEALTH THROUGH FUELS REDUCTION IN IN THE SAN LEANDRO WATERSHED. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD ON RECENT FUELS WORK IN REDWOOD LAKE, CHABOT AND ANTHONY CHABOT REGIONAL PARKS WITH OVER 2230 ACRES PERMITTED FOR FOREST HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS.
THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCE WILDLAND RESILIENCE AT A SCALE THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE WATERSHED.
A PLANNED WORK INCLUDES INITIAL TREATMENTS, REENTRY INTO PREVIOUSLY TREATED AREAS AND FOREST HABITAT RESTORATION, ENSURING LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND ECOSYSTEM.
OUR NEXT APPLICATION WAS IN JANUARY AS PART OF THE CONTRACT RENEWAL PROCESS FOR THE GRANT THE PARK DISTRICTS HAS WITH CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES FOR THE AQUATIC ADVENTURE CAMPS WE SUBMITTED FOR 42,009 84.
THIS REQUEST WOULD FUND SIX FIVE DAY SESSIONS FOR SUMMER 2025 TO 2027.
AND THEN THE LAST SUBMISSION WAS AT THE END OF JANUARY.
WE SUBMITTED A GRANT APPLICATION FOR 575,000.
THAT IS WAS ORIGINALLY REFLECTED AS 500,000. SO THAT'S THE CHANGE MADE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BOATING AND WATERWAYS SHORELINE EROSION CONTROL GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE KELLER BEACH AT MILLER KNOX SHORELINE. AND THEN, AS WE MOVE TO THE AWARDED IN FEBRUARY, THE PARK DISTRICT WAS AWARDED 500,000 OF MEASURE J FUNDING FROM CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO REHABILITATE TWO SECTIONS OF THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
THE FIRST IS CONCORD AVENUE TO DIMOND BOULEVARD AND THEN WALDEN ROAD TO IGNACIO VALLEY ROAD.
AND THIS IS FOR SITE PREPARATION AND PROTECTION ACTIVITIES FOR THE HAYWARD MARSH PROJECT.
THIS WORK INCLUDES VEGETATION CLEARING, FENCE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE, STORMWATER BMPS, VEGETATION CLEARING AND BIO MONITORING. AND THEN LASTLY, IN FEBRUARY, WE WERE AWARDED 3,000,203 820 FROM CAL OES OF FEMA HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING TO CONDUCT SPECIALIZED FUELS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN 324 AND OVER 324 HIGH PRIORITY ACRES OF TILDEN REGIONAL PARK IN CLAREMONT CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE, ALONG THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND AND BERKELEY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS. COMMENTS.
THIS IS VERY ALWAYS VERY EXCITING TO SEE MONEY COMING IN FOR OUR GOOD WORK.
ON THE THE FUELS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT'S JUST SUCH A HOT ITEM IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU HAVE MORE MONEY COMING IN? ARE YOU APPLYING FOR MONEY? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT THEIR URBAN INTERFACE? SO THAT'S A NICE CHUNK THERE. THE 3 MILLION? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A GRANT QUESTION FOR YOU OR STAFF IN GENERAL, BUT AT SOME POINT, LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING SOME PUBLIC SPEAKING, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE. I THINK ON ONE VIDEO I SAW A YOUTUBE VIDEO, I WAS LIKE, WE'RE PUTTING $9.4 MILLION INTO FIRE FOR 2025.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DOLLAR AMOUNT. AND CONGRATS.
YES. BUT IN THAT AREA IN PARTICULAR, WHEN SOMEONE'S SAYING, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE FOR FIRE? HOW MUCH ARE YOU COMMITTING? HOW DO WE KEEP THIS RUNNING RATE OF THIS GREAT NEWS YOU'RE SHARING WITH US? YEAH. AND I THINK AS WE'VE BEEN AWARDED A NUMBER OF GRANTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND SO.
[01:25:03]
SO I THINK IT'D BE GOOD AND I'LL WORK WITH. I KNOW THAT CHIEF HALEY IS SCHEDULED TO COME TO TALK ABOUT AN AMENDMENT TO ONE OF THE CONTRACTS.SO I THINK AT THAT TO THE BOARD. SO AT THAT MEETING, I'LL GIVE THEM A HEADS UP THAT TO KIND OF GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE FUNDING WE HAVE AND THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND HOLISTIC BASED ON EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATED TO DATE WITH THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
I MEAN, THIS IS A GREAT NEWS STORY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT AND IT'S FEMA MONEY.
I GUESS THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE, IS IT AT RISK AT ALL BECAUSE IT'S FEDERAL MONEY OR IS IT IN OUR POCKETS? IT'S NOT IN OUR POCKETS. IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
SO WITH ALL THE FEMA GRANTS, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE JUST MOVING FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM AND THEN SUBMITTING THE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE ONES WE'VE JUST BEEN AWARDED WERE SUBMITTING OUR FIRST REIMBURSEMENTS PROBABLY THIS MONTH, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT FUNDING FLOWS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN NOTIFIED THAT OUR FUNDING IS AT RISK OR IS ON PAUSE.
BUT WE DON'T 100% KNOW BECAUSE THESE HMP PROJECTS, AS WELL AS THE PDM GRANTS WE'VE RECEIVED, WERE LISTED IN THE ORIGINAL NOTIFICATIONS OF GRANTS THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED.
BUT CALLAWAY HAS NOT INFORMED US THAT THERE IS.
WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO WORK AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR PROGRESS REPORTS.
IS IT POSSIBLE WE'LL DO THE WORK AND SEND THE RECEIPTS AND WE WON'T GET PAID? THAT THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY. WOW. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, WE WE DO QUANTIFY THOSE THINGS AND HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON ON FIRE MITIGATION, NOT SUPPRESSION. WE'VE HAD FIRE SUPPRESSION FOR 100 YEARS OR 90 YEARS HERE.
BUT THE SUPPRESSION ASPECT HAS BEEN AMAZING AND IT STARTED AT THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE.
THAT'S IT TOOK YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. WE CAME UP WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL DOCUMENT.
WE GOT SUED BY TWO AGENCIES. ONE SAID YOU WEREN'T DOING ENOUGH.
ONE CITY WERE DOING TOO MUCH. SO ONCE THE LAWSUITS WERE SETTLED, IT WAS LIKE 2017.
AND I THINK IT WAS EVEN WELL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 2017 BECAUSE I REMEMBER MY DEAR COLLEAGUE JOHN SUTTER SITTING RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE SITTING SAYING, MY GOD, THIS PARK DISTRICT IS NOW COMMITTING $2 MILLION TO DO FUELS REDUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, AND THIS WILL BE DOING THIS IN PERPETUITY, 2 MILLION EVERY YEAR.
AND YOU LOOK AT IT AS WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS FOREVER.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL BARRIER AND THIS THESE FUEL BREAKS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
WHEN YOU TRIM TREES UP TO 15FT HIGH OR EIGHT FEET HIGH AND YOU SEPARATE THEM AND THEY'RE 35FT APART, AND THEY'RE ONLY LARGE ONES, NOT ALL THESE EUCALYPTUS SUCKERS.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE, AND EVERYBODY EXPECTS YOU TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
SO THE MAINTENANCE, IT'S IT'S IN PERPETUITY. AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A REAL COMMITMENT THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND RECREATION. NO. WE'RE WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRE MITIGATORS.
ALSO, IT'S A BIG, BIG PORTION OF OUR OPERATION.
SO AND I'M SURE IT'S THE LARGEST COMMITMENT OF ANY THERE WAS THIS VIDEO FROM THAT WAS GIVEN AT OUR KIWANIS MEETING THAT THAT EAST BAY PARKS PRESENTED, AND I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S QUOTED $9.4 MILLION DOLLARS.
SO IT'S A LONG CRY FROM THE 2 MILLION. AND IF THIS.
AND IT'S ONLY GETTING MORE IF WE GET THESE GRANTS AND AS YOU SAW THAT.
YES. AND WE AND WE DO DO AN ANNUAL RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF 5 MILLION THAT COMES AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS THAT GOES RIGHT TOWARDS FUEL MANAGEMENT, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR FUELS CREW AND AND OTHER MAINTENANCE, OUR GO GRAZING AND OTHER ITEMS WE HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TO.
SO YES, IT'S ON TOP OF IT. IT WOULD IT WOULD BE NICE IF IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO QUANTIFY THAT, MAYBE I'M SURE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO BECAUSE I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THAT. WE'RE COMMITTING, WHAT, FOUR, $450,000 A YEAR FOR GRAZING? WE'VE GOT FOUR DIFFERENT GRAZING COMPANIES NOW.
YEAH, THERE'S I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER DIRECTLY OFF MY HEAD, SO I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE, BUT YES, THERE IS THERE'S AN AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION FOR GRAZING.
THEN WE HAVE OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT CREW. THEN WE HAVE OTHER OTHER MAINTENANCE ITEMS WE HAVE.
AND YOU BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT, DIRECTOR WAESPI, AS WE GET THIS FEMA FUNDING AND THE OTHER FUNDING.
SO THAT FALLS IN INTO THE THE NORMAL CRUISE MAINTENANCE ROUND.
SO WE HAVE WEB PAGES. AT EB PARKS.ORG DEVOTED TO THE FUELS
[01:30:09]
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. AND WE HAVE A WEB PAGE DEVOTED TO WILDFIRE DANGER AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS. THEIR NUMBERS DON'T SEEM TO BE CURRENT, SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SIMPLY FOR US TO GIVE A LINK TO PEOPLE CONSTITUENTS. I JUST GOT ONE YESTERDAY. CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED WHO LIVE ON THE BORDERS OF LARGE PARKS.THESE LINKS WOULD BE GOOD TO GIVE TO THOSE PEOPLE, BUT THEY SHOULD BE UPDATED FOR THOSE NUMBERS.
THEY HAVE OLD NUMBERS FROM WHAT I'M SEEING HERE.
THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. THERE MAY BE A FACEBOOK PAGE ON THIS STUFF TOO.
ANYWAY. JUST WHAT I WAS ABLE TO LOOK UP. OKAY.
THANK YOU. DIRECTOR COFFEY. I'LL WORK WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE UPDATED NUMBERS FROM ALL THE RECENT GRANT OBLIGATIONS. WE DO HAVE THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, A A LINK TO IT. AND WE HAVE A FEMA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PORTION HERE.
SO THERE'S SOME GOOD RESOURCES HERE. AND JUST A GOOD I MEAN THIS IS A GOOD PRESS RELEASE.
THIS IS THIS $3 MILLION A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THE WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK.
BUT TO TO YEAH, MY GUESS IS WE'RE OVER 10 MILLION THIS YEAR IN 25 INCLUDING GRANTS.
YEAH. YEAH, I'M SURE WITHOUT A DOUBT, THAT'S A GOOD STORY TO PUSH OUT THERE, BECAUSE WHEN WE DO THE PRESS RELEASES, I SHARE THEM ON NEXTDOOR. I SHARE THEM EVERYWHERE.
I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT, WHICH GOES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY'S IMPRESSION OF US, OUR EARLIER PRESENTATION TO GET THAT DATA OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE REALLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND YOU GUYS SURE KNOW HOW TO GET GRANTS DONE AND GET THEM IN.
IT'S A GOOD THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OR ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
OKAY. THAT IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO THE INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON EVENTS AND SITE VISITS.
ERIC. ERIC MUELLER, DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
I WANTED TO THANK KATIE FOR WAITING TO DO HER PRESENTATION.
GREAT JOB. AND I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE OUR TWO LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANTS, WHO WILL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES AND WORKING RELATIONSHIP EVENTS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
SO WITH THAT, FLORA. AND ALSO, COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP AND ARE JOINTLY PRESENTING.
SORRY. JUST LOCATING THE PRESENTATION HERE.
NO, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE WRONG ONE. YEAH. THAT WAS THE FIRST ITEM.
SO, LIKE ERIC SAID, WE'LL BE GIVING A SHORT PRESENTATION.
SO OUR FIRST RECENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENT, DIRECTOR COFFEY JOINED US FOR THIS EVENT.
THIS WAS THE BIG BREAK. RESTORATION AND ACCESS PLAN.
VISIONING WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO. THIS TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 8TH.
THIS WAS HELD AT BIG BREAK REGIONAL SHORELINE IN OAKLEY, CALIFORNIA.
WE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION AND A TOUR OF BIG BREAK.
THE PRESENTATION WAS ON VARIOUS PLANNING OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING PROJECT.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE PRESENTATION SPEAKERS FROM EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
[01:35:01]
THERE WAS SUPERVISING NATURALIST WYATT MOORE.YOU CAN SEE HIM IN THE MIDDLE PHOTO THERE. AND THEN CIVIL ENGINEER SCOTT STOLLER, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR AND EMILY TRISHA MCKENNA AND PLACEWORKS CONSULTANTS SPENCE KOHLER AND JOE SISON, AS WELL AS H.T.
HARVEY AND ASSOCIATES SENIOR RESTORATION ECOLOGIST KATE DRAKE.
YOU CAN SEE HER IN THE FIRST PHOTO. SHE'S A LITTLE SMALL, BUT SHE'S POINTING TO ONE OF THE BOARDS THERE, AS WELL AS MOFFAT AND NICHOLL SENIOR COASTAL ENGINEER MADS JORGENSEN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS TEAM FOR ORGANIZING AND FACILITATING THE EVENT.
IN TERMS OF THE RESTORATION PROJECT ITSELF THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON IMPROVING WATER ACCESS AS WELL AS PROTECTIONS FROM SEA LEVEL RISE. SPECIFICALLY, SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDED IN ACCESSIBILITY PATHWAY THAT WOULD LEAD FROM THE PARKING LOT DIRECTLY TO THE PIER. IF YOU'VE BEEN TO BIG BREAK, THERE'S KIND OF A WINDING, LONGER PATH THAT'S BOTH PAVED, AND IT INCLUDES A BIT OF MORE GRAVELLY DIRT PATHWAY.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION INCLUDED PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS THROUGHOUT THE MARSHLAND AREA TO SUPPORT HABITAT CONNECTIVITY, SPECIFICALLY FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE THE WESTERN POND TURTLE.
WE SAW QUITE A FEW OF THEM HANGING AROUND ON THAT DAY.
ANOTHER INTERESTING SUGGESTION INCLUDED CRAFTING OBSERVATION TOWERS YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE PHOTO.
THE TULIPS AND OTHER VEGETATION GETS UP PRETTY HIGH, SO THE OBSERVATION TOWERS WOULD PROVIDE AN EASIER VANTAGE POINT OVER THE BUSH BUSH AREA. AND COULD ALSO INCLUDE INTERPRETIVE PANELING AND MORE INFORMATION FOR VISITORS.
THE LAST SUGGESTION WAS BUILDING MORE SUSTAINABLE SHADING STRUCTURES.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE MORE PERMANENT, LIKE ROOFED STRUCTURES, BUT THEN THEY HAVE ALSO TRIED MORE OF LIKE A TARP LIKE STRUCTURE. BUT WITH THE WINDS THAT COMES THROUGH, THOSE TEND TO TURN INTO SAILS AND COULD BECOME DANGEROUS.
SO CRAFTING MORE SUSTAINABLE SHADING STRUCTURES WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FOR THIS PARK.
IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE PROJECT TEAM AND INVITE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT IN THE PLANNING PROCESS. THAT DAY, WE WERE ACTUALLY JOINED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE NEARBY AND CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ACCESS GLORIA SANDOVAL, AS WELL AS STAFF FROM THE OFFICES OF US CONGRESSMAN MARK DESAULNIER AND CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY MEMBER LORI WILSON. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT ONLINE THE PROJECT HAS A WEBSITE BIG BREAK CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN. AND THERE'S STILL THE COMMUNITY SURVEY IS LINKED THERE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE INPUT FOR.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR UPDATES ON THE PROJECT IF IF DESIRED.
ON TO OUR UPCOMING LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENTS. WE HAVE TWO WALK IN TALKS THAT ARE PLANNED RIGHT NOW.
THE FIRST WILL BE CO-HOSTED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND THE CONCORD MAYOR, CARLYN OBRINGER.
THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50, ON APRIL 12TH.
CHICAGO 50. YOU CAN RSVP BEFORE APRIL 5TH AND YOU CAN SEE THE FLIER THERE.
JUST EMAIL. GOV AFFAIRS AT EB PARKS. AND THEN THE SECOND WALK AND TALK WILL BE HOSTED BY ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT SUPERVISOR ELISA MARQUEZ. MARQUEZ REPRESENTS DISTRICT TWO OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, WHICH ENCOMPASSES BOTH WARD THREE AND WARD FIVE, OR PARTS OF EACH. THIS DOES SAY THAT IT WILL BE AT QUARRY LAKES, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.
IT WILL ACTUALLY BE AT COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME.
[01:40:05]
IT WILL BE ON JULY 12TH. AND THIS ONE STARTS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AT 9 A.M., AND A FLIER WILL GO OUT CLOSER TO THE EVENT.BUT IT'S IN JULY. SO YEAH. OKAY. WITH THAT I'LL PASS IT OVER TO LAURA.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO. COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
LAURA CHONTOSH, LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT. VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE ELSA.
PIVOTING NOW TO STATE AND FEDERAL EVENTS THAT WE HAVE JOINED RECENTLY.
I'LL START WITH THE MORE RECENT ONE THAT TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 6TH.
THIS WAS AN IN-DISTRICT EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN MARTINEZ.
A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS ATTENDED. IT WAS VERY JOYFUL.
THERE WERE A LOT OF LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS OF NOTE.
SENATOR TIM GRAYSON WAS ALSO THERE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, ROBERT RIVAS, WAS ALSO THERE IN PERSON TO SWEAR. THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER IN BOTH OF THEM ARE PICTURED HERE IN THE PHOTO.
HER WHOLE STAFF WAS PRESENT, SO IT WAS A GREAT CHANCE TO ALSO MEET ON A STAFF TO STAFF LEVEL GOING BACK A LITTLE FURTHER TO DECEMBER, MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM MET WITH STAFF FROM THE FIRST PARTNER'S OFFICE.
THIS WAS SORT OF A VIRTUAL MEET AND GREET TO JUST SHARE SOME OF THE PARK DISTRICT PRIORITIES AND EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THE FIRST PARTNER TO COME TO PARK DISTRICT EVENTS THAT MIGHT INTEREST HER. WE FOLLOWED UP WITH A LETTER THAT DETAILED SOME OF THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE AROUND THE PARK DISTRICTS, AND THEY CONFIRMED THEY RECEIVED THE EVENTS AND WERE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE FOCUS ON EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS AND ALL THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
SO IF THERE'S ANY ATTRACTION ON THAT, WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED.
SHOULD INVITE HER HUSBAND TO IF SHE COULD INVITE HER HUSBAND TOO.
AND COMING UP IN ABOUT 24 HOURS, ALMOST EXACTLY WILL BE THE RADTKE THE ANNUAL RADTKE CHAMPIONING ADVOCACY AWARD CEREMONY. A RATHER QUICK TURNAROUND AROUND WITH THE SENATOR'S BUSY SCHEDULE.
THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50.
THIS IS TO THANK MR. GRAYSON FOR HIS WORK BACK WHEN HE WAS ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
I CAN PULL THIS DOWN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW WHO TO ASK THIS OF.
THIS IS THE THIRD MEETING. WE HAVEN'T HAD A SAGE REPORT.
SO EITHER THE GRANT STAFF OR THE SAGE STAFF WOULD ATTEND A COMMITTEE MEETING.
OKAY. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THEY WERE MORE FREQUENT THAN THAT, BUT I THINK AT LEAST EVERY TWO MONTHS, EVERY THREE MONTHS. AND I IF MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE NEXT MONTH IS WHEN THE SAGE FOLKS WILL BE BACK.
WE DO ENJOY THOSE. GOOD, THANKS. DO I? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR STAFF TO PUT THESE ON OUR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT CALENDAR SO THAT, LIKE, I'M JUST JUGGLING, LIKE, THIS PHONE, THIS PHONE, THAT LAPTOP.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN OPTION FOR YOU TO SEND US A CALENDAR INVITE ON OUR OFFICIAL CALENDARS.
THAT WOULD HELP ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE I CAN ALWAYS SAY NO, RIGHT? BUT SO I JUST WOULD FIND THAT REALLY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THESE. 1 OR 2 I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
THINGS WILL BE REALLY EXCITING THROUGH MAY, JUNE, JULY.
A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS STOPPING BY FROM THE LOCAL LEVEL.
[01:45:04]
WE MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO REACH OUT BY EMAIL, AND WE SHARE THESE ALSO IN A SHARED CALENDAR.SO THANK YOU. I CAN I CAN INCORPORATE THAT. HELP ME.
YEAH. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. I THINK THESE.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THESE WALK AND TALKS WITH LEGISLATORS ARE TAKING OFF.
AND EVEN ASSEMBLY MEMBER AVILA FARIAS HAS DECIDED TO DO A SWEARING IN IN OUR PARKS.
I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL. I THINK THE MORE THE BETTER AND I, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT LEARN ABOUT THIS, THE ABILITY TO HAVE OUR STAFF TAKE OVER AND HAVE A GREAT TIME WHILE THEY GET TO MEET WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS IS REALLY GREAT, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE EXPANDING IT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. WELL, WE ARE AT THAT TIME WHERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ANY OF THIS, WE ARE AT THAT TIME WHEN WE GO TO ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, DO ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER? HEARING NONE.
ANYTHING FROM THE STAFF? OKAY. IN THAT CASE, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.