May 06, 2025 Board of Directors Meeting

[00:00:05]

WELL, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THIS CLOSED SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR MAY 6TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 11:03. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?

[ROLL CALL]

THANK YOU. DO WE. DO WE HAVE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO OFFER PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE CLOSED SESSION? CLOSED SESSION? AGENDA ITEMS? NO, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE.

OKAY, THEN. IF WE DO NOT HAVE ANY, THEN WE SHALL ADJOURN TO THE CLOSED SESSION AT THIS POINT.

[CLOSED SESSION ITEMS]

[ROLL CALL]

WILL DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT, PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. DIRECTOR SANWONG, PLEASE.

[LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]

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 CULTURE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, AND NEXT IS MODIFICATION OF THE AGENDA.

[MODIFICATION OF AGENDA]

SO THAT WOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT SECTION FROM THIS, RIGHT? OKAY. SO UNDER LET'S SEE. PUBLIC COMMENTS. NOT ON ON. WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT DURING THIS IN THIS SECTION.

WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IT AFTER CONSENT. SO AFTER CONSENT IS COMPLETED.

SO WE HAVE ANY DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA?

[PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]

YES, COMMENTS ARE ON THE DESK. YES, AND WE ALSO HAVE YES, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM AMELIA MARSHALL.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.

YES. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. MY NAME IS AMELIA MARSHALL, REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA STATE HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION, REGION FIVE, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES. RECENTLY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS APPROACHED US, CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPER PROTECTION OF ONE OF THE PARK DISTRICT'S CULTURAL HERITAGE TREASURES PIEDMONT STABLES.

15 YEARS AGO, PIEDMONT STABLES WAS PART OF A HISTORIC DISTRICT ALONG REDWOOD ROAD.

AROUND 30 YEARS AGO, THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONED A HISTORIC EVALUATION OVERSEEN BY MAXINE TURNER OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, BUT THE CONSULTANT'S REPORT FROM THAT HAS EVIDENTLY VANISHED FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FILES, AND IT'S NOT IN THE ARCHIVES, EITHER. MAXINE TURNER TOLD ME THAT SHE DID NOT KEEP A COPY WHEN SHE RETIRED FROM THE DISTRICT.

SINCE THEN, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS ACQUIRED AND DEMOLISHED FIRST THE REDWOOD INN, THEN THE MUELLER HOUSE, THEN THE YUCCA HOUSE, THE GRÜNFELD HOUSE. ALL THAT IS LEFT NOW IS THE ALBANY LISA HOUSE.

THE DISTRICT POLICY HAS FOR MANY YEARS BEEN TO DEMOLISH STRUCTURES ON LANDS THAT IT ACQUIRES, UNLESS THE STRUCTURES ARE SUITABLE FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE.

THIS PAST WEEK, MOVERS WERE SEEN CLEARING OUT THE STAFF OFFICES FROM THE ALBANY LISA HOUSE.

[00:05:04]

THE ALBANY LISA HOUSE IS THE MOST PROMINENT REMNANT OF THE REDWOOD ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT.

NOW, IF THE DISTRICT DEMOLISHES THE ALBANY LISA HOUSE, PIEDMONT STABLES WILL BE ISOLATED AND VULNERABLE TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

THE VALUE OF PIEDMONT STABLES IS NOT SIMPLY HISTORIC.

JUDY MARTIN CONDUCTS WRITING AND EQUINE THERAPY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES THERE.

IT'S THE BARN THAT CATERS TO TRAIL RIDERS. DISTRICT NATURALISTS HAVE PRESENTED PROGRAMS FOR US AT THE VOLUNTEER TRAIL SAFETY PATROL ON THE OWL SPECIES AND THE BATS THAT NEST IN THE BARN AT PIEDMONT STABLES.

SINCE THE INTERIOR OF THE BARN WAS REFURBISHED AND PAINTED LAST YEAR, THE BATS HAVE RETURNED.

ISN'T IT TIME FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER PROTECTION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES? RECENTLY ACQUIRED PARKLANDS HAVE TREASURES LIKE THE CHOUINARD WINERY, THE JACK RODDY HOME RANCH, THE BURRELL WALNUT FARM, FERRY POINT AT MILLER KNOX AND SOON THERE WILL BE WINEHAVEN AT POINT MOLATE.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL TURNOVER IN PARK STAFF.

CLEARLY, MUCH INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY HAS BEEN LOST.

THIS POSES A RISK TO HISTORIC RESOURCES BECAUSE THE NEW STAFF ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE VALUE.

A RECENT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS AT POINT PINOLE, WHERE SOMEONE JACK HAMMERED OUT THE CONCRETE EMPLACEMENT WHERE THE SAFE FOR THE ATLAS POWER COMPANY ONCE STOOD. IN CONCLUSION, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE BOARD REVIEW DISTRICT STRICT POLICY ON PROTECTING HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS. THANK YOU. CAN I JUST I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION.

YES OR NO? WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET WITH STAFF ON THIS ITEM? SURE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INVOLVE OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT. COULD SOMEONE CONTACT MISS MARSHALL TO LOOK INTO THIS? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA? JUST LET ME TAKE A QUICK LOOK IN THE ZOOM ROOM.

I DON'T THINK SO. I DID NEGLECT TO READ THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON HOW TO DO A PUBLIC COMMENT.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO THAT? YES. YEAH. OKAY, AND I DO NOT SEE ANYONE IN THERE.

OKAY. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO.

IF ATTENDING BY ZOOM, THEY MAY RAISE THEIR HAND THEIR NAME WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.

IF ATTENDING IN PERSON, THEY MAY SUBMIT A SPEAKER'S CARD TO THE CLERK'S STAFF OR OTHERWISE INDICATE THEY WISH TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON A NON AGENDA ITEM.

ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE WHICH WAS YESTERDAY, MAY THE 5TH, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND POSTED HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT COME IN AFTER THIS TIME WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD, AND INCLUDED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS AFTER THE MEETING.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND THERE ARE THERE ARE NO FURTHER ONES.

OKAY. THAT MOVES US ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND I HAVE ONE, AND THEN I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER HAS ONE AS WELL.

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE GENERATIONS OF ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS WHO HAVE ENRICHED AMERICA'S HISTORY AND ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN ITS FUTURE SUCCESS. PLEASE JOIN US IN CONTINUING OUR COMMITMENT TO HONOR OUR COUNTRY'S STATES AND REGION'S RICH HERITAGE AND CELEBRATE THE VIBRANT CULTURES THAT SHAPE WHO WE ARE? THOUGH THROUGH THESE COMMEMORATIVE MONTHS, WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT CONNECT AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES.

A MONTH HELPS EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE JOY AND RESILIENCE OF AANHPI IDENTITIES.

IT IS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT THEY ARE SHAPED NOT ONLY BY PERSEVERANCE, BUT BY MOMENTS OF LAUGHTER, COMMUNITY, AND DEEP CULTURAL PRIDE. WE CELEBRATE THESE AND MANY OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS, AS WELL AS THE DIVERSE, THRIVING COMMUNITIES OF ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS YEAR, THE PARK DISTRICT IS SUPPORTING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH SUCH AS GYOTAKU, FISH PRINTS, PAINTING AT DEL VALLE, AND ART OF [INAUDIBLE], HIKING AND CRAFTS AT SUNOL.

FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THESE EVENTS CAN BE FOUND ON THE PARK DISTRICT'S WEBSITE, AND I WANT TO OFFER SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR STAFF THAT SUPPORT THIS PROGRAMING THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, AND A DEEP APPRECIATION TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THIS WORK.

[00:10:04]

YEAH. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT MERCURIO. I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE TWO OF OUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS TO OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM.

FIRST OFF, WE HAVE JESSICA ROMEO, WHO JOINED US AS OUR NEW ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER IN HUMAN RESOURCES.

ABSOLUTELY THRILLED TO HAVE HER JOIN US. CAME IN FROM THE CITY OF ALAMEDA.

SO WELCOME, JESSICA, AND SHE'LL GET TO KNOW YOU.

MAYBE ON FRIDAY, I THINK, AT THE SITE TOUR, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE CHRIS WYCKOFF WHO IS THE NEW DIVISION LEAD IN MAST, AND CHRIS, I THINK JUST STARTED ON MONDAY AS WELL.

SO I'M GOING TO INVITE MAYBE JESSICA, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND MAYBE JUST SAY A QUICK HELLO AND THEN WE'LL LET CHRIS DO THE SAME.

HI. THANK YOU. HI, I'M JESSICA ROMEO. I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.

I GREW UP OUT IN CLAYTON, GOING TO MANY OF THE PARKS.

SO VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE PARK.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELCOME ABOARD. THANK YOU.

HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHRIS WYCKOFF.

SO MY FIRST DAY WAS LAST MONDAY. I'M COMING HERE FROM MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ACTUALLY.

SO BRAND NEW TO THE AREA. I'VE BEEN IN CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

I CAME UP AS A CARPENTER. ORIGINALLY I TAUGHT BUILDING TRADES AND CARPENTRY IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WORKED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN IN MUNICIPAL PUBLIC WORKS, MANAGING CONSTRUCTION, CAPITAL PROJECTS, FLEET FACILITIES, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS FOR MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS.

RELOCATING HERE. VERY EXCITED ABOUT BEING HERE AND VERY EXCITED TO DO GOOD WORK FOR THE PARK.

SO THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU AS WELL, AND WELCOME ABOARD TO YOU ALSO.

ALL RIGHT. SO NO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS. NEXT IS BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD, WHICH FIRST IS THE CONSENT

[BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD]

I KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS. IT'S THE CALAVERAS RIDGE TRAIL ONE.

SURE. OKAY. YEAH. THE ITEM THAT IT'S GOING TO BE, WE'VE RECEIVED AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PULLING ITEM 7A7. DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THAT FOR YOU, MAX? YES. ADOPTION OF A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE CALAVERAS RIDGE TRAIL PROJECT, AND APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT CALAVERAS RIDGE TRAIL, AND WE'LL BE.

WE'LL BRING IT BACK SOON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

SO NOW, NOW THE REST OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS OR OR REQUESTS

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

I HAVE TWO ITEMS I'D LIKE TO PULL. I THINK THEY COULD BE QUICK, AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, I JUST WANT TO SAY YAY AND HOORAY. SOME OF THESE THINGS WE PUT ON CONSENT, BUT APPROVING TWO NEW PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY BROUGHT, I DON'T THINK EITHER OF THEM JOINED US TODAY, BUT I JUST WANTED THE MINUTES TO REFLECT.

WE'RE JUST SO LUCKY AS AN AGENCY TO HAVE ALL THESE VOLUNTEERS, AND THE COMMENTS IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR SHOW HOW DEDICATED OUR TWO NEW PARKS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS ARE GOING TO BE. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE NOT YOU DON'T WANT A SEPARATE VOTE ON THAT. I JUST HAD TO SAY A SHOUT OUT AND A HELLO AND A COMMENT. I HAVE A COMMENT ALSO SIMILAR ON 18 FOR STAFF.

I MEAN, $2.6 MILLION OF GRANT MONEY TO SLIP SOME OF THESE THROUGH ON CONSENT WITHOUT A CHANCE TO JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

I JUST THINK THIS AGENCY DOES SOME REALLY AMAZING THINGS AND AMAZING PEOPLE.

SO THOSE ARE TWO COMMENTS, AND THEN I AM INTERESTED IN PULLING ITEM NUMBER FIVE FOR A SHORT DISCUSSION AND OF ONE OF THE ITEMS LISTED ON THE STATE LEGISLATION AND ITEM NUMBER 19. IS ACTUALLY MAYBE WE CAN HANDLE ITEM 19 JUST QUICKLY FROM STAFF, AND MAYBE THIS IS A SURPRISE OR WE NEED TO BRING IT BACK.

I DON'T KNOW WHO I SHOULD ASK ITEM IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ASK MY QUESTION ON IT?

[00:15:01]

THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING. IT JUST ENDS WITH THAT IT IS FUNCTIONAL THAT THE INTERNAL AUDIT WORK PLAN AT THE END ENDING SENTENCE SINCE IT IS FUNCTIONAL BUT SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED AND IT JUST SORT OF HUNG OUT THERE, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS TO US BEFORE WE APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEM, IF THAT'S COMING BACK TO US OR WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, DEB SPAULDING AGM OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

SO THAT SENTENCE IS IS THERE AS A PLACEHOLDER? IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION. OUR AUDIT MANAGER IS IS HERE AND, YOU KNOW, BRINGS ITEMS TO THE BOARD ANNUALLY FOR APPROVAL.

JUST LOOKING FOR TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF HOW THE CONTROLS ARE DOING, AND SO THIS IS JUST SAYING THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS. I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BY THE WAY.

I MEAN, IF SOMETHING COULD COME BACK LATER I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

I JUST FELT LIKE IT DID LEAVE IT HANGING A LITTLE BIT, SO.

OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAYBE SHOULD GO ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM OR NEXT TIME WE SEE THE AUDIT.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT CLARIFIED. YEAH, WE CAN DIG INTO THAT.

SO THIS IS JUST MORE OF THE KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD.

IT'S JUST KIND OF A GENERAL STATEMENT, AND WHEN WE BRING THE AUDIT RESULTS, WHICH THIS BOARD DOES SEE, WE CAN DIG INTO THE SPECIFICS AROUND THAT. SO THIS WAS JUST KIND OF A GENERAL STATEMENT.

INTERNAL CONTROLS CAN ALWAYS BE STRENGTHENED.

YEAH. WELL I APPRECIATE THAT. SO I DIDN'T REALLY I CAN APPROVE THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM FIVE.

I HAVE A QUESTION AND A COMMENT. I THINK IF WE COULD I GUESS I COULD MOTION TO MOVE THE REST OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

EXCEPT FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE AND THEN, AND WHICH ONE COULD YOU STATE WHAT FIVE IS JUST FOR THE APPROVAL? A RESOLUTION, I'M SORRY. NUMBER. YEAH. NUMBER FIVE RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT STATE LEGISLATION.

I HAVE A QUESTION A COMMENT, AND I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH AB 1139, AND I CAN, IF WE PULL IT, DISCUSS THAT. OKAY. VERY GOOD.

OKAY. SO YOU'RE MAKING YOU'RE MOVING TO APPROVE THE REST OF THE EXCEPT FOR THE REST OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, EXCEPT FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE, AND THEN IF WE COULD HAVE A QUICK DISCUSSION SEPARATE.

OKAY. OKAY. DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND? I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.

YEAH, WE'RE VOTING ON EVERYTHING EXCEPT ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

SO I NEED A SECOND. SO MOVED AND SECONDED. WE HAVE A SECOND.

SECONDED. ALL IN. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ABSTAIN. WHICH ONE WAS IT? ON THE ENTIRE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THAT ONE.

OKAY, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO 1139. FIRST WE'RE VOTING TO APPROVE EVERYTHING BUT ITEM NUMBER FIVE, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT ITEM NUMBER FIVE. YEAH.

YEAH. EXACTLY. OKAY. SO I THINK WE JUST VOTED UNANIMOUSLY BASED ON WHAT I COULD TELL.

CAN I JUST CAN I JUST CLARIFY THAT WE ARE LYNDA DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT MOVED AND DIRECTOR WAESPI SECONDED APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT ITEM. EXCUSE ME. APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT STATE LEGISLATION. THAT IS THE INTENT.

YES. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE HAVE APPROVED THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT COULD YOU LEAD OFF WITH WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE?

[5. Resolution to Support State Legislation]

JUST FOR THE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHAT WE OFTEN GET IS A RESOLUTION OF TYPES OF STATE LEGISLATION THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT AS AN AGENCY, AND I LOVE THESE, AND I USUALLY DO A LITTLE BIT ASIDE HOMEWORK ON THEM, AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE AND LIKE ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT I WANTED TO HAVE A SHORT DISCUSSION ON AB 1139.

BECAUSE I DID DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AND I CAN READ HERE ANYTIME WE TOUCH THE SEQUA OR EXEMPTIONS FROM SEQUA, I GET A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE, AND EXEMPTIONS.

DOESN'T MEAN WELL, I'LL READ THIS ONE COMMENT THAT I GOT HERE THAT I FOUND OVERALL.

SO THE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE, PCL AND SEVERAL CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE THIS BILL.

1139, WHICH IS PUT FORWARD BY ROGERS OUT OF SONOMA COUNTY AND SANTA ROSA.

THE PCL ARGUES THE PASSAGE OF THIS BILL WOULD LEAD TO NEGATIVE AND IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS ON CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE AND SENSITIVE LANDS.

REQUIRING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A BAN ON PUBLIC ACCESS, AND THE ELIMINATION OF CEQA REVIEW AS PROPOSED BY THIS BILL IS

[00:20:03]

PCL ASSERTS THAT NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION HAS IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE THAT WILL NOT BE REVIEWED IF THIS BILL PASSES, AND THIS BILL ALLOWS AN EXPANSION OF A RECENTLY CREATED EXEMPTION BEFORE THE IMPACT OF THE NEW EXEMPTION HAS EVEN BEEN ASSESSED.

PCL ASSERTS THAT THE EXISTING EXEMPTION SHOULD ONLY APPLY IN VERY, VERY NARROW INSTANCES WHERE THE LEAD AGENCY HAS A PLAN FOR MANAGING THE PROPERTY AND THAT ACCESS IS ALREADY GRANTED TO AND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES CAN CARRY OUT.

SO BASICALLY, I PERSONALLY AND I DON'T KNOW IF OTHERS WOULD SHARE THAT, BUT I IF WE CAN VOTE ON THIS ONE SEPARATELY OR ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM STAFF, BUT I WOULD AT THIS POINT BE OPPOSED TO SUPPORTING THE STATE LEGISLATION, ASSEMBLY BILL 1139, CALLED PUBLIC ACCESS FOR NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION.

FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ON AB 1139. THIS IS A REINTRODUCTION OF A PARK DISTRICT SPONSORED BILL FROM 2024.

SO LAST YEAR, EAST BAY PARKS MOVED FORWARD, WHICH WAS AB 2091, SPONSORED BY THEN ASSEMBLY MEMBER TIM GRAYSON.

IT WAS THE EXISTING TRAILS FOR NATURE ACCESS BILL THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.

WE DID ENGAGE THE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE IN CONVERSATION AROUND PROVIDING THIS ACCESS TO EXISTING TRAILS, PATHWAYS AND DISTURBED SURFACES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARKS AND RECREATION.

THE BILL WAS NARROWED THROUGH THOSE DISCUSSIONS FOR PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE 5500 AGENCIES WHICH INCLUDE OURSELVES MIDPEN REGIONAL OPEN SPACE AUTHORITY FROM THE SOUTHERN BAY AREA, MONTEREY AND NAPA. UNDER THAT CODE SECTION OUR PARTNERS AT SONOMA OPEN SPACE ARE BEHIND THIS REINTRODUCTION OF THE LEGISLATION, WHICH WOULD EXPAND IT FOR DEPENDENT PARK DISTRICTS.

SO A SIMILAR MISSION, SIMILAR PURPOSE, BUT THEY ARE THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN NEXUS TO THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS.

SO THAT'S THE ONE CHANGE TO THE LEGISLATION. WE DID LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OPPOSITION FROM PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ENGAGE.

WE HOPE THEY'RE IN CONVERSATIONS NOW. WE CAN CHECK IN ON THE STATUS OF THAT.

HOWEVER, IN PARTNERSHIP AND IN SUPPORT IS WHY WE PROPOSE THIS LEGISLATION FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD.

APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION, AND I DIDN'T AGAIN, DIDN'T I? CATCHING UP ON EMAILS. YOU GUYS, I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT ON THAT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH OTHER AVENUES OF CEQA TO DO THAT, AND I JUST OVERALL, EVEN WITH THE CHANGES YOU MENTIONED, GIVEN WE ARE A RESOURCE AGENCY, GIVEN WE ARE GUIDED BY ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS IN ALL OUR DECISION MAKING, I PERSONALLY THAT'S MY SO WE CAN VOTE SEPARATELY ON THAT IF OTHERS HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS.

SO I WOULD VOTE AGAINST THAT. JUST TO BE CLEAR THOUGH, THIS IS WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE ROCESS RIGHT NOW, AND IT COULD CHANGE ANY NUMBER OF WAYS AS IT WINDS ITS WAY THROUGH THE SERPENTINE PROCESS IN SACRAMENTO.

CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. SO IT IS GOING THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, OF WHICH THERE ARE YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED AMENDMENTS WILL OCCUR, AND SO THIS LIKELY WENT THROUGH ITS FIRST COMMITTEE, AND WE CAN GET A STATUS UPDATE ON THAT TO THE BOARD AS WELL.

OKAY. GREAT, AND WE HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT HERE.

WHAT GROUPS OPPOSED OUR BILL THAT BUT ASSEMBLY MEMBER, THEN ASSEMBLY MEMBER GRAYSON, I REMEMBER WE HAD SOME OPPOSITION.

THAT'S CORRECT. SO WE DID HAVE OPPOSITION PLACED FROM PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE. WE ENGAGED THEM IN CONVERSATION AND THEY SHIFTED TO A NEUTRAL POSITION, AND SIERRA CLUB, I BELIEVE SIERRA CLUB DID OPPOSE IT AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE, BUT THEY SUBSEQUENTLY DID NOT CONTINUE.

OKAY. SO WE SPONSORED IT. WE'RE COVERED ALREADY.

CORRECT. THIS IS EXTENDING IT TO PARTNER AGENCIES.

SO A BENEFIT IN SOLIDARITY WITH. CORRECT. SO IT'S IN SOLIDARITY, BUT ADDITIONALLY, THE BILL THAT THE PARK DISTRICT SPONSORED IN 2024 HAD A SUNSET IN 2030, AND SO HAVING OUR PARTNERS AT DEPENDENT COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ALSO RECEIVING THIS BENEFIT WOULD INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPPORT SHOULD WE SEEK EXTENSION TO THAT SUNSET. SO MY POSITION IS ALMOST POLAR OPPOSITE TO YOURS IN THAT AND I WAS JUST TALKING TO THE GENERAL MANAGER ABOUT IT, THAT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD, FOR PERMITTING PROCESSES, BE TREATED LIKE THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS AN ARM OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CEQA SIMPLY DOESN'T APPLY TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD APPLY TO US. SO I'M KIND OF LIKE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT AND VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE BILL GRAYSON CARRIED FOR US, BECAUSE IT ESSENTIALLY LETS US OPEN TRAILS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND READY TO BE USED.

SO IT ISN'T A DRAMATIC EXEMPTION THAT WE'VE CREATED FOR OURSELVES AND NOW SUPPORTING FOR OUR SISTER AGENCY.

SO ANY OTHER. I'M SORRY. I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF.

ANY OTHER ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT.

[00:25:07]

SECONDED. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COFFEY SECOND BY ESPAÑA.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. ABSTAIN.

OKAY. IT CARRIES. THAT'S APPROPRIATE. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO HANDLE THAT.

YEAH. APPRECIATE APPRECIATE DOING THAT. YOU'RE DOING THAT.

SO NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS SOMETHING WE DON'T GET TO DO VERY

[PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION]

THAT'S IN ANOTHER MILLENNIUM THAT YOU STARTED.

SHE WORKED SHE WAS MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT THE WHEN WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS AT THE TRUDEAU OFFICE THERE.

SHE WAS CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY TO ROSEMARY CAMERON, DAVE COLLINS AND DEBRA AUKER AND THE GENERAL MANAGER.

SHE HAS BEEN IN THE CLERK OF THE BOARD DEPARTMENT HERE FOR 25 YEARS.

SHE IS A NOTARY PUBLIC. IN IN 2000, SHE WAS ASSISTANT TO THE CLERK OF THE BOARD TO CLERKS SHARON MARSHALL AND ALLEN PULIDO, AND IN 2015, SHE STARTED IN HER PRESENT POSITION AS CLERK OF THE BOARD.

NEXT IS DEBORAH FULLER, ASSISTANT.

SEE, THAT'S WHY THIS IS SO GOOD TO DO. DEBORAH FULLER, ASSISTANT CLERK OF THE BOARD.

SHE HAS NINE YEARS WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT STARTING IN MAY 2016.

SHE HAS WORKED AND SHE STARTED OFF IN INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION IN 2017.

LATER WORKED AT DEL VALLE, AND SHE WAS CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY FOR LEGAL THE LEGAL RISK SECTION, AND THEN SHE JOINED THE CLERK OF THE BOARD'S OFFICE THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.

SHE'S ALSO A NOTARY PUBLIC, AND IN JANUARY 2022, BECAME ASSISTANT CLERK OF THE BOARD.

SO THAT'S DEBORAH FULLER. YULIE PADMORE HAS 15 YEARS WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT STARTING IN MAY OF 2010.

SHE HAS A A VERY DIVERSE HISTORY WITH THE DISTRICT.

SHE WAS AN ANALYST FROM 2010 IN THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT.

SHE WAS IN FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT AS A CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY.

SHE WAS A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT. GENERAL MANAGER'S CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY GENERAL MANAGER'S GENERAL MANAGER'S CONFIDENTIAL, SECRETARY OF GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR, AND ALSO THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT OF GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.

SHE JOINED THE CLERK OF THE BOARD DEPARTMENT IN SEPTEMBER 2023 AS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.

[00:30:06]

SHE HAS THREE YEARS WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT STARTING IN MAY OF 2022.

SHE HAS SERVED AS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IN FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND WAS ACTING ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST IN 2023, AND SHE CAME TO THE CLERK OF THE BOARD IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR AS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. SO I KNOW I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW HER A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BECAUSE I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD MUCH OF A CHANCE, BUT I'M SURE WE WILL GET BETTER ACQUAINTED. SO, SHANNON RICE, AND WE HAVE A FEW TOKENS OF OUR APPRECIATION. THEY'VE BEEN DISTRIBUTED, AND SOME CARDS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE OBVIOUSLY, EVERYTHING THAT'S WE'VE BEEN ALL THE GIFTS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN BY THIS TEAM FROM THE CLERK OF THE BOARD.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY DOES. DO ANY OF YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? BECAUSE NOW IS THE TIME.

THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO HAVE THE HAVE THE FLOOR.

I GUESS I SHOULD I DON'T. WELL, I THINK YOLANDA MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING.

NO. GO AHEAD. I JUST REALLY WANTED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I AM SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THE MY COWORKERS, DEBRA, YULIE AND SHANNON. I COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT THEM.

WE'VE BECOME LIKE A FAMILY. SO, AND THAT'S GOOD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT, BUT WE ALWAYS MANAGE TO GET IT DONE, AND SO I REALLY WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT, AS WE HAVE NAVIGATED A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHANGES, AND THERE WILL BE MORE TO COME, BUT WE ARE READY FOR THE CHALLENGE. I WANT TO THANK THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THE GENERAL COUNSEL FOR ALWAYS HELPING US AS WE GO THROUGH DIFFERENT CHALLENGES, AND ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE, I MEAN, THE PUBLIC.

YES. I WANT TO THANK AMELIA. SHE'S ALWAYS SO SWEET, BUT I REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF.

I MEAN, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CHANGES. I SHOULDN'T SAY STAFF, COWORKERS, MY COWORKERS.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CHANGES GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT, AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS ALWAYS ASKING YOU GUYS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND YOU ALWAYS DO, AND SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS SERVICE FOR THE NEXT GOO GOBS OF YEARS. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, TOO. SO NOW ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

THE FIRST ONE IS ON THAT IS REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE OF 2024 DONATIONS BY THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION.

WE HAVE A PRESENTATION HERE ON THAT ONE. SO JUST REMINDING WE'LL DO QUESTIONS PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THEN BOARD COMMENTS.

SHOULD HAVE WAITED. I WASN'T PATIENT ENOUGH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'M HOLLY POTTER, I'M PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION, AND I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH OUR STAFF TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE 2024 WORK OF THE FOUNDATION AND OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DISTRICT. WE'RE PLEASED TO PROVIDE THIS REPORT TO ENSURE THAT THE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE FULL TRANSPARENCY INTO THE WORK THE FOUNDATION DOES. FIRST I OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT IS CRITICAL.

BOTH WORKING WITH THE STAFF AND ALL OF THE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS IS WHAT MAKES OUR PARTNERSHIP POSSIBLE, AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO SAY HELLO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH DIRECTOR ESPAÑA AND DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT,

[00:35:06]

IT'S PROBABLY APPROPRIATE, THINKING ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP TO START OUR 2024 ANNUAL REPORT WITH A REMINDER ABOUT PARK FEST.

PARK FEST WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE FOUNDATION, AND IT DEMONSTRATES THE CLOSE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE SHARE, AND DURING PARK FEST. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE SECURED SPONSORSHIPS FOR THE EVENT.

WE PARTNERED WITH DRAKE'S BREWING TO CREATE AN ANNIVERSARY BEER, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE THERE, WE HOSTED A FUNDRAISER IN A BEER GARDEN FOR THE FOUNDATION.

OVER THE SUMMER, WE ALSO HOSTED LAKESIDE LEAPS, WHICH WAS OUR FIRST RACE AT AT LAKE CHABOT, AND AT THIS EVENT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE FUNDS AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO DIRECTOR WAESPI AS WELL AS EQUITY OFFICER JOSE GONZALEZ, WHO BOTH PARTICIPATED IN THE RACE, AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO WAS ABLE TO BE THERE FOR THE EVENT OR TO SUPPORT IT IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. REINFORCING OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER FOR OUR STAFF AND OUR BOARDS TO SHARE SOME TIME TOGETHER AT ROBERTS REGIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA AS A SOCIAL EVENT.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS OVER TIME AND CONTINUE THE WORK THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, AND THEN IN NOVEMBER, MANY OF YOU WERE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR A PLANNING SESSION AT THE BRAZILIAN ROOM, AND THIS EVENT WAS REALLY CRITICAL IN HELPING US UNDERSTAND BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE OF THE FOUNDATION.

AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT FURTHER IN THIS REPORT AND IN THE MONTHS TO COME, WE ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE FOUNDATION CAN BECOME OVER THE NEXT TEN, 20 YEARS, AND YOUR INPUT AT THAT EVENT WAS REALLY CRITICAL FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THINKING THROUGH THAT PLAN OVERALL, AND THEN FINALLY, ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE WE MANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS JOINED THE HOLIDAY PARTY WITH LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TO CELEBRATE A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR BOTH THE DISTRICT AND THE FOUNDATION.

IN 2024, WE EXCEEDED OUR REVENUE GOALS. WE COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE MEMBERSHIP STUDY.

WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT SINCE 2026, AND THAT MEMBERSHIP SURVEY HELPED US REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FOUNDATION MEMBERS ARE LOOKING FOR AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME STRONGER CHAMPIONS FOR THE DISTRICT. WE LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT, WITH POTRERO GROUP, TO REALLY EXAMINE HOW WE COULD STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT AND ALSO STRENGTHEN THE OPERATIONS OF THE FOUNDATION OVERALL.

WE IMPLEMENTED OUR FIRST DIGITAL FUNDRAISING PROGRAM, AND I'M SURE LAUREN WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAD WITH THAT.

WE SEE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANDING THAT OPPORTUNITY.

WE COMPLETED DATABASE IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE REALLY CRITICAL FOR REACHING OUT TO POTENTIAL DONORS AND OUR EXISTING MEMBERS, AND THOUGH IT MAY SOUND BORING, WE DID TRANSFER OUR ORGANIZATIONAL FILES ONTO SHAREPOINT TO ENSURE EASE OF USE AMONGST THE STAFF. TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS OVERALL, OUR ANNUAL GRANT MAKING PROCESS HAS BEEN DIGITIZED AND WE ALSO ONBOARDED THREE NEW FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS, AND THAT'S BEEN A REALLY REWARDING TO SEE THEM ENGAGED.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE MET OUR BOARD, WE'RE A HIGHLY ENGAGED BOARD AND DEFINITELY A ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES TYPE OF GROUP TO ENGAGE ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS. WITH THAT, I'D LOVE TO TURN IT OVER TO LAUREN.

WHO CAN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PAST YEAR? THANK YOU. HOLLY. SO HAPPY YOU COULD BE HERE TODAY.

YEAH, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO OVER OUR FUNDRAISING AND THEN OUR GRANT MAKING.

THIS IS WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT 2024. THE SE ARE OUR FOUR CATEGORIES OF FUNDRAISING.

WE HAVE A MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM RAISES CLOSE TO 1.1 MILLION.

OUR INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISING, WHICH IS PRIVATE DONATIONS, BIG AND SMALL WAS ABOUT 740,000, WHICH WAS BECAUSE OF, AS HOLLY MENTIONED, OUR DIGITAL FUNDRAISING PROGRAM LAUNCH. IT WAS $100,000 MORE THAN LAST YEAR.

SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH INCREASED OUTREACH AND OUR GRANTS, AND CORPORATE WAS ABOUT 450,000 AND THEN BEQUESTS 100,

[00:40:07]

SO WE'RE JUST REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE THIS, THIS BASE OF SUPPORT.

SO OUR FUND, WE RAISED ABOUT $2.4 MILLION IN 2024, WHICH EXCEEDED OUR GOAL.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE VOLUME, WE HAVE ABOUT OVER 16,000 GIFTS THAT WE'RE PROCESSING THING EVERY YEAR, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 13,000 DONORS, WHICH INCLUDES OUR MEMBERS, AND THIS NUMBER EXCLUDES ANY OF THE ENDOWMENT, AND WE ALSO ARE FISCAL SPONSOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE BOT' GARDEN.

SO OUR TOTAL REVENUE WAS ABOUT 5 MILLION WITH ALL OF THAT AND IT INCLUDED OUR INTEREST.

SO I JUST WANTED THE 2.4 MILLION IS REALLY HOW MUCH WE'RE FUNDRAISING EVERY YEAR, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT WITHOUT SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES, AND JUST TO GET INTO SOME OF OUR DIGITAL FUNDRAISING AND APPEALS, WE SEND OUT TO MAILED APPEALS, WHICH IS PRETTY STANDARD NONPROFIT OPERATIONS, AND THEN WE ADDED IN MULTI-CHANNEL CAMPAIGNING NOT TO GET TOO I CAN NERD OUT ON FUNDRAISING, BUT JUST THE OVERALL HEADLINE IS THAT IT WAS A SUCCESS.

WE DID REALLY WELL AS WE INCREASE OUR OUR DIGITAL OUTREACH, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO RESPONDED TO THESE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE A MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES, I'M GIVING A LITTLE MORE DETAIL BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUPLE NEW BOARD MEMBERS. SO WE HAVE AN ANNUAL PASS PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM. SO THEY GET CERTAIN BENEFITS, INCLUDING FREE PARKING TO THE PARKS. WE HAVE ABOUT 12,600 MEMBERS, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HAVE DONOR CIRCLE MEMBERS.

SO THESE ARE MEMBERS WHO GIVE ABOVE AND BEYOND KIND OF THE FEE OR THE PRICE OF THE PASS TO SUPPORT US PHILANTHROPICALLY EVEN MORE, AND THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP, MAYBE FOR MOTHER'S DAY OR SOMETHING ELSE, AND THEN WE HAVE A REALLY HIGH RENEWAL RATE AT 83%.

SO WE DO SEND OUT RENEWAL REMINDERS, AND WE GET A LOT OF FOLKS RESPONDING TO THAT.

MOST PEOPLE WANT TO RENEW THEIR MEMBERSHIP YEAR AFTER YEAR.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM CORPORATE DONORS PG& E KAISER, CARGILL, REI, FREMONT BANK. SO WE WANT TO THANK OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE BIG STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IS KIND OF LOOKING FOR THESE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS. WE ALSO TWO THINGS HAPPEN WITH OUR BEQUESTS AND ESTATE PLANNING.

SO ONE IS JUST THAT WE RECEIVE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

LIKE PEOPLE ARE SO ATTACHED TO OUR PARK AND WANT TO LEAVE THEIR LEGACY BEHIND, AND SO EVERY YEAR WE'RE RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM DIFFERENT PARK USERS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND RELY ON THAT, AND THEN WE ALSO ARE REALLY PROUD TO OFFER ESTATE PLANNING SEMINARS TO THE PUBLIC.

SO THIS IS MORE OF A PUBLIC SERVICE WHERE WE HAVE A GROUP OF FINANCIAL AND, AND ATTORNEYS WHO CAN GIVE GENERAL EDUCATION, NOT LEGAL ADVICE, BUT GENERAL EDUCATION ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING, WHICH WE'RE PROUD TO OFFER, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THAT'S HARD TO ACCESS FOR PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S A PUBLIC SERVICE THAT WE DO, AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL KIND OF THINK OF REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION WHEN THEY'RE CREATING THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN WILLS OR TRUSTS, ANOTHER FUNCTION OF THE FOUNDATION IS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE EAST CONTRA COSTA HABITAT CONSERVANCY ENDOWMENT FUND. SO FOR NEW, NEW BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE PART OF THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS PARTNERSHIP SO FAR, BUT WE PARTNER ON THE ENDOWMENT SIDE. SO WE'RE THE RECEIVER AND INVESTOR OF THE ENDOWMENT FUNDS, AND SO THOSE HAVE PRIOR TO THIS YEAR, BEEN DOING REALLY, REALLY WELL IN THE MARKET, AND SO WE HAD AN 18% INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE, AND SO THIS COMES FROM CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEVELOPER FEES THAT THE CHC THEN GIVES TO US, AND THEN WE WORK ON THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO, AND THAT'S THE ONLY PART THAT THE FOUNDATION IS INVOLVED IN.

OKAY. SO THIS IS THE FUN PART. THIS IS WHERE WE GET TO GIVE THE MONEY AWAY.

ALL THIS FUNDRAISING KIND OF RESULTS IN US BEING ABLE TO MAKE A REALLY NICE IMPACT FOR THE DISTRICT, AND SO WE WERE PROUD TO GIVE AWAY 2.5, ALMOST $2.6 MILLION LAST YEAR IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

SO WE HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT THAT WE GIVE TO THE DISTRICT.

SPECIAL PROJECTS SUPPORT, OPERATING PROGRAM SUPPORT, WHICH IS OR SPECIAL.

I'LL JUST SAY SPECIAL PROJECT SUPPORT ARE THINGS LIKE BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS, RESTRICTED FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT PARKS.

THERE MIGHT BE TO REDWOOD OR TILDEN OR TO ROBERTS POOL, THINGS LIKE THAT.

OUR OPERATING PROGRAM SUPPORT IS A LOT OF OUR ANNUAL GRANTS THAT GO TO MOSTLY INR, AND THEN WE'RE STARTING TO PICK UP A STEWARDSHIP PORTFOLIO AS WELL,

[00:45:05]

I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS IS KIND OF A PIECE OF THE PIE. YOU CAN SEE THIS YEAR.

THIS CHART IS A LITTLE SKEWED BECAUSE WE DID HAVE $1 MILLION TRANSFER TO THE DISTRICT FOR ROBERT'S POOL, BUT WHEN THAT'S NOT THERE, USUALLY OUR UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT IS THE LARGEST, AND THEN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS THE SECOND LARGEST.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE POOL ALREADY. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU. TO OUR DONOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY WILL START HEARING MORE ABOUT.

I KNOW, PETE, I SAW PETE DOWN HERE. WE DO A LOT TO AQUATICS TO INR, WE DO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PROGRAMS THAT CHARGE FEES, AND THEN ALSO THE WATERSHED RESTORATION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS A REALLY COOL PROGRAM, AND THEN CAMP ARROYO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS.

WE FUND PROGRAMS LIKE PARKS PRESCRIPTION PROGRAM, WHERE DOCTORS CAN PRESCRIBE TIME OUT IN NATURE TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AS PART OF A PRESCRIPTION ALL ABILITIES DAY, WHICH HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT DELTA VETERANS, BACKPACS TO PARKS, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN WE ALSO FUND THE JUNIOR LIFEGUARDS, BOATING AND FISHING SCHOLARSHIPS, AND THEN THE PARKING AT DAY CAMP, WHICH IS A SUMMER DAY CAMP.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE FOUNDATION IS STARTING TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. THINGS THAT WE FUNDED IN 2024 INCLUDED THE WESTERN POND TURTLE MONITORING POND RESTORATION AND BLACK DIAMOND LIZARD DIET GENETIC STUDY, THINGS LIKE THAT, TREE PLANTINGS AND RESTORATIONS, AND THEN FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY, WE SUPPORTED THE PROP FOUR CLIMATE BOND.

WE ALSO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS LIKE WORLD RANGER DAY, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, PORT CHICAGO WEEKEND, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE, AND DIFFERENT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

WE ACTUALLY GOT A RESCUE UTILITY VEHICLE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID A NICE TOUR FOR OUR FOR FREMONT BANK FOUNDATION, AND THEN WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE DISTRICT ON THE TRAILS CHALLENGE, THANKS TO KAISER.

THERE'S SOME OTHER PROJECTS LIKE BIKE BELLS FOR BRIONES AND UNIFORMS FOR VOLUNTEER TRAIL SAFETY PATROL, AND THEN IN THE MEDIA, WE PUBLISH 1 TO 2 COMPASS MAGAZINES PER YEAR, WHICH GET MAILED TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS, AND WE ALSO HAD A LITTLE BIT OF PRESS AROUND OUR SUMMER EVENTS, LAKESIDE LAPS AND PARK FEST, AND THEN WE PUT OUT AN IMPACT REPORT EVERY YEAR AS WELL, WHICH YOU'LL BE RECEIVING THIS WEEK.

ALL RIGHT. I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO HOLLY. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE A VOLUNTEER BOARD, AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY MY BOARD, THE FULL BOARD AND ALL OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORGANIZATION AND TO THE DISTRICT.

I WOULD NOTE THAT AS THIS NOTES, THIS IS THE 2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I'M VERY HONORED THAT THIS IS NOW MY SECOND YEAR AS PRESIDENT.

BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION DID MAKE SOME DECISIONS TO REALLY RETHINK THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION.

OUR ENTIRE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STAYED ON AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THE ORGANIZATION FOR A SECOND YEAR.

SO YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SEE US AROUND THIS YEAR? WE ALSO HAVE SOME VERY STRONG GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR.

OUR REVENUE GENERATION GOAL IS OVER 2.5 MILLION, AND OUR FUNDRAISING CAPACITY IS REALLY CRITICAL TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND OVER THE COMING YEARS AS WE LOOK TO EXPAND OUR OVERALL FUNDRAISING AND ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE DISTRICTS IMPACT. OUR ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY IS CRITICAL, AND GOING TOWARDS THE IDEA OF CHANGING THE FACE OF THE FOUNDATION OVER THE COMING YEARS AND REALLY STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING OUR FUNDRAISING CAPACITY.

WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND THAT WILL INCLUDE NOT ONLY PROVIDING $2 MILLION IN FUNDRAISING SUPPORT TO THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS DISTRICT, BUT ALSO REMAPPING THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE FOUNDATION AND THE DISTRICT TO REALLY MORE FULLY CODIFY WHAT OUR PARTNERSHIP IS AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER GOING FORWARD,

[00:50:01]

WE HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE DEFINING LONG TERM VISION AND PARTNERSHIP STAGE.

WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD SCAFFOLDING IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THIS YEAR, PARTICULARLY OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WILL REALLY BE LOOKING TO SOLIDIFY THE LEGAL STRUCTURE BETWEEN THE FOUNDATION AND THE DISTRICT.

THAT WILL PUT US IN A POSITION TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, REFRESH OUR BRAND MESSAGING AND STRATEGY, AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WE THINK WE CAN REALLY START TO SCALE FUNDRAISING AND HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF IMPACT WITH THE DISTRICT OVERALL.

SO WITH THAT, ALL OF WHAT UNDERPINS ALL OF THIS IS OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY.

SO I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO ANA, OUR MANAGER OF FINANCE, TO TALK US THROUGH OUR FINANCES.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ANNA HUANG, FOUNDATION FINANCE MANAGER.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE 2024 COMMITMENT MADE TO THE DISTRICT AND TRANSFER TO THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR.

SO ACCORDING TO EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT PROCEDURE 5.4 REGIONAL PARK FOUNDATION DONATION BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS FOR ANY BUDGET OR FUND TRANSFER OVER TO THE DISTRICT, UP TO $50,000 IS AUTHORIZED BY THE CFO AND BUDGET MANAGER TO MAKE THE AMENDMENT TO THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES ADJUSTMENT GREATER THAN $50,000 HAS TO GO THROUGH BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SEPARATE APPROVAL AND RESOLUTIONS, AND THEN THAT'S ALSO INCLUDING AN ANNUAL REPORT, INCLUDING DONATION PRESENTED TO THE DISTRICT PROVIDED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR AND ALSO THE FINANCE COMMITTEES.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF COMMITMENT AND FUND FUNDING TRANSFER TO THE DISTRICT.

THE VERY FIRST ONE IS UNRESTRICTED OPERATING AND PROGRAM SUPPORTS.

THAT'S INCLUDING ANNUAL THAT'S INCLUDING ANNUAL GRANT MAKING TO THE DISTRICT, PLUS AD HOC FUNDING REQUESTS FROM DIFFERENT PARKS. SO THAT SUPPORT IS $761,000 LAST YEAR, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER TYPE OF TRANSFER, WHICH IS THE ANY FUNDING GREATER THAN $50,000.

LAST YEAR WE HAVE ONE THAT IS $1 MILLION THROUGH BOARD THROUGH SEPARATE BOARD RESOLUTION, WHICH IS $1.1 MILLION SUPPORT TO THE RENOVATION OF THE ROBERTS POOL AT REDWOOD, AND ANOTHER TYPE OF SUPPORT IS EXTERNAL VENDOR PAYMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT TO SUPPORT PART IN PROGRAMS, AND THAT IS $213, 118, AND LASTLY, $661,000 UNRESTRICTED GRANTS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICT TO THE FOUNDATION, AND ALL THIS SUPPORT COME TO A TOTAL OF $2.5 MILLION, AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN WE WHEN WE SENT OVER THE QUEST TO THE DISTRICT.

THE REQUEST IS BEING REVIEWED BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF STAFF MANAGEMENT AND ALSO THE AGM.

FOR FOR CERTAIN MONETARY OVER CERTAIN AMOUNTS.

SO THE PAYMENT THAT ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW ARE ARE DISPERSED TO THE DISTRICT DURING 2024, AND THEY WERE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT, AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR YOUR OVERSIGHT OF THE FOUNDATION FINANCE AND PROGRAMS AND THAT'S CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.

[00:55:03]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, AND THERE IS AN ACTION FOR THAT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. HI, DEB SPAULDING, AGM OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

I JUST WANT TO THANK THE FOUNDATION. WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT, AND .

YEAH, JUST SINCE THESE FUNDS ARE COMING TO THE DISTRICT, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT TO REQUEST THE APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM.

THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY LAST CALL FOR QUESTIONS? FROM THE BOARD. YES. DIRECTOR WAESPI. YEAH. I FIRST OFF, I'LL MAKE MY COMMENTS LATER, BUT GREAT WORK, YOU GUYS. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO. IT'S REALLY GREAT BOARD, AND I LOVE WATCHING YOU GUYS WORK.

I WAS WONDERING, WE TALKED ABOUT A GIANT FUNDRAISER IN THE FUTURE FOR THE EEC REHAB OR.

I DON'T WANT TO BRING UP ANYTHING UNTOWARD, BUT WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THAT? YEAH, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT ON THAT.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF STRATEGIC CHANGES, AND PART OF IT WAS KIND OF FUELED BY BEING ABLE TO FUND AND PARTICIPATE IN FUNDRAISING FOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON WHAT IS THE BEST PROJECT TO PARTNER ON AND WHAT CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS DOES THE DISTRICT WANT US TO PARTNER ON? SO IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF STRATEGIC WORK TO GET THROUGH BEFORE WE WOULD BE IN A PLACE LIKE BUILDING THE SCAFFOLDING AND EVERYTHING IS WHAT WE NEED READINESS FOR.

BEFORE WE CAN EVEN PICK A PROJECT. GREAT, AND JUST ANOTHER.

I THINK MAX HAS ONE COMMENT ON THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.

I CAN JUST SORRY. MAX KORTEN AND DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, JUST GOING TO ADD THAT WE HAVE A BOARD ITEM COMING TO YOUR BOARD ABOUT THAT PROJECT.

I THINK AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING OR ONE AFTER.

SO THAT'LL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GIVE YOUR BOARD SORT OF A MORE GENERAL UPDATE ABOUT THAT PROJECT AND THE FUNDRAISING AND SORT OF WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THERE ARE. GREAT. THANK YOU, AND JUST A COMMENT THAT THE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT THE I THINK IT WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA TO SELL PARK FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIPS YOU KNOW, BUYING A PASS AND GETTING ALL THOSE GREAT BENEFITS.

I DIDN'T KNOW THE RENEWAL RATE WAS 83%. THAT'S AMAZING.

THAT'S . I HOPE WE CAN REALLY WORK ON THAT ONE, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE.

WHO WOULD TURN IT DOWN ONCE THEY FIND OUT ALL THE GREAT STUFF THEY GET? I THINK IT'S YOU'D BE A FOOL TO NOT DO IT EVERY YEAR FOREVER.

YEAH, I MEAN, THE DISTRICT OF THE FOUNDATION THAT BASE OF SUPPORT OF 12,000 PEOPLE IS REALLY A TESTAMENT TO OUR PARKS.

YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

OH, QUESTION. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE TIMELINE.

ONE THAT YOU HAD THE STEPS ONE THROUGH SEVEN.

SO WHAT'S THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE STRATEGIC CHANGES THAT YOU ANTICIPATE MAKING? IS IT ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, ANOTHER YEAR? SO I GUESS WE'RE KIND OF AT STEP THREE, RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY. YES. WE'VE MOVED. WE HAD TO TURN IN THIS REPORT.

THE HIKER WASN'T THAT STEP THREE YET, BUT NOW THE LITTLE RED HIKERS SHOULD BE AT STEP THREE, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING. YEAH. SO WE'RE GOING TO I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO AT THE PACE OF OUR, YOU KNOW, AT THE DISTRICT AND OUR PARK PARTNERS.

SO WE WANT TO DEVELOP THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN LINE WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN, TOO. THAT FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND SO WE'RE KIND OF DOING OUR BACK END WORK AND PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS.

SO IT DOES FEEL LIKE A LITTLE BIT LIKE WE NEED TO BE IN LINE WITH THAT, BECAUSE WHATEVER THAT COMES OUT OF THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW TO PLUG THE FOUNDATION IN, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S JUST SO MANY WAYS THAT WE CAN KIND OF STRENGTHEN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND FIGURING OUT WHAT PROJECTS TO PARTNER ON.

WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER AND ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS AND DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS ALL THE TIME ABOUT ESPECIALLY AS OPPORTUNITIES ARISE, WE'RE ABLE, WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO GET TOGETHER AS A WORKING GROUP THAT WE'VE CREATED THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO ANALYZE THEM.

SO PART OF IT IS WAITING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE DISTRICT PLAN PROCESS, BUT PART OF IT IS ANALYZING OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY COME UP, AND THEN THERE ARE JUST THINGS THAT, AS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT, THAT THERE'S A LEVEL OF STRATEGY THAT OUR BOARD JUST ALSO NEEDS TO KIND OF DECIDE INDEPENDENTLY. SO I WOULD SAY THERE'S KIND OF THREE PARTS TO IT.

YEAH, AND I WOULD JUST SAY AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WERE AT SHADOW CLIFFS.

THERE'S THE THREE VALLEYS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION THAT I KNOW HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK AT BRINGING NONPROFITS TOGETHER IN THE AMADOR VALLEY,

[01:00:01]

I THINK THAT THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION TO THE 9 TO 5 AREA CODE AND THE THREE VALLEYS FOUNDATION.

THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO CONSIDER AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE MIGHT BE ABOUT A YEAR AWAY FROM HAVING THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

YEAH, I WOULD SAY, LIKE, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONNECTION SO FAR TO THAT? BECAUSE I HAVE ATTENDED A COUPLE OF TRI-VALLEY EVENTS BECAUSE OF KIND OF YOU BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION.

SO I ACTUALLY DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, AND ALSO I KNOW YOU'VE ALSO INVITED ME ON, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN EVENTS TO NETWORK IN THAT AREA. SO I'LL JUST SAY I WELCOME THAT.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO KIND OF START GETTING INVOLVED IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY.

SO YEAH, I THINK LIKE EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING WON'T BE ALL SET RIGHT NOW, IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO KIND OF START WORKING ON THIS STUFF AND GETTING OUT THERE.

ANYTHING. OKAY. IS THAT IT? OKAY, GREAT. SO, MADAM CLERK, ANY ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ONE? OH, I THOUGHT YOU'RE GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THEN.

WE'LL DO COMMENTS. YEAH. NO, PRESIDENT MERCURIO.

NO. OKAY, SO THERE'S YOUR CUE. SORRY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON AGAIN EXCEEDING YOUR FUNDRAISING GOALS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE STRATEGIC WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO BUILD FUNDRAISING CAPACITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND YOU KNOW, AS YOU AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I JUST SO ENJOYED LAST YEAR WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR BOARD BECAUSE YOU JUST YOU'RE JUST SO YOU GUYS ARE SO ON IT AND JUST SUCH AN EXCITING BOARD AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DEEP THINKING AROUND THE EQUITY ISSUES AS WELL AS GROWING THE FOUNDATION.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I'M JUST IMPRESSED.

JUST ALL THE THREE 60 I MEAN, ALL THE STUFF YOU FOLKS ARE DOING, IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE, BUT WHAT REALLY STUCK, STUCK OUT TO ME WHEN LOOKING UP ON THAT LIST THERE OF ALL THOSE GRANTS THAT YOU GAVE.

IT'S A LOT OF GRANTS OF ALL DIFFERENT SIZES, DOWN TO, LIKE 1200 BUCKS OR SOMETHING, SOMETHING PRETTY SMALL, BUT IT'S PROBABLY A REALLY BIG DEAL TO WHOEVER GOT IT RIGHT.

SO I REALLY, AND WHAT IT DOES IS SORT OF ANCILLARY THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO DO, BUT YOU REALLY MAKE THEM HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE CAMPS, ALL THOSE THINGS FOR CHILDREN ARE REALLY GREAT.

SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO YOU KNOW, I SHARE DIRECTOR WAESPI'S LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR BIG TIME WHAT YOUR BIG TIME FUNDRAISING ASPIRATIONS ARE, AND I KNOW THAT PUTTING IN THIS TIME WITH THE POTRERO GROUP TO SORT OF DEVELOP A STRUCTURE IS REALLY GOING TO PAY OFF FOR US AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME GREAT RESULTS.

SO THANKS AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THIS IS IS THIS A WE'RE SUPPOSED TO RECOMMEND THIS RIGHT.

OKAY. SO LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO RECOMMEND TO THE OKAY WE HAVE A WE HAVE A SECOND.

I WASN'T LOOKING MOTION AND SECOND. OKAY. ECHOLS AND DESCHAMBAULT DESCHAMBAULT.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. CARRIES. UNANIMOUSLY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE

[GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE]

[01:05:01]

WALK US THROUGH THE SURVEY, AND AFTER THE PRESENTATION, I CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF COMMENTS ABOUT HOW STAFF WILL BE INTEGRATING THESE FINDINGS INTO OUR DAY TO DAY WORK. SO THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR JOINING US.

MY PLEASURE AND GREAT TO BE TALKING WITH MANY OF YOU.

AGAIN. I KNOW MANY ON THE BOARD AND THE STAFF HAVE SEEN THESE FINDINGS, BUT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T, WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO AT A REALLY A REMARKABLY HIGH LEVEL IN TERMS OF THE SCALE AND SIZE OF THE SAMPLE AND THEREFORE THE ACCURACY AND THE INTRICACY OF THE RESULTS, WHICH I THINK WILL BE BOTH EXCITING AND USEFUL TO THE BOARD AND TO EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT.

SO AND LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUE EMMA SCOTTY, A SENIOR ANALYST ON THE TEAM HERE AT LAKE RESEARCH, HAS HELPED PREPARE THE FINDINGS, AND SORRY I COULDN'T BE WITH YOU IN PERSON.

I AM NORMALLY IN THE EAST BAY, BUT THIS WEEK I'M TRAVELING AGAIN, SO I'LL BE PRESENTING REMOTELY, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME TIME CONSTRAINT HERE, SO I'LL RUN THROUGH FAIRLY RAPIDLY.

THE KEY FINDINGS, THESE ARE REALLY HIGHLIGHTS OF A FAIRLY LONG AND INTENSE LONG AND WELL-DEVELOPED SURVEY, BUT HAPPY TO REVISIT AND GO BACK TO ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS, ANY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THE FINDINGS.

SO I WILL PUT THIS ON THE SCREEN AND PLEASE ALERT ME IF ANYONE IS NOT ABLE TO SEE THAT, AND I ASSUME, YES, AND AS NOTED, THIS IS A SURVEY. WE WERE IN THE FIELD IN DECEMBER OF 2024.

WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT A BASE SAMPLE HERE OF 880 ADULTS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES, AND THIS IS OF COURSE, THERE'S BEEN SOME SURVEY RESEARCH THAT'S DONE AMONG VOTERS WHEN YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THINGS THAT ARE ON THE BALLOT.

THIS IS BROADER THAN THAT. THIS IS ALL ADULTS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOW THEY USE THE PARKS, HOW THEY PERCEIVE THE EAST BAY PARKS AND THE DISTRICT AND WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS IN THIS SURVEY ON THE KINDS OF SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF, THE ONES THAT THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN TERMS OF PROGRAMING AND WHAT THEY'RE MOST INTERESTED IN, POTENTIALLY PARTICIPATE MORE AND BE MORE FREQUENT USERS OF THE PARKS.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE SURVEY IN FOUR LANGUAGES ENGLISH, SPANISH, MANDARIN AND CANTONESE.

THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL THE LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN, BUT THAT DOES GIVE US A GREATER REPRESENTATION AMONG LATINO AND CHINESE AMERICAN RESIDENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AND WITH THE SAMPLE SIZE, WE HAVE A NICE ROBUST MARGIN OF ERROR PLUS OR -3.3% ON THESE TOTAL FINDINGS AMONG ALL EAST BAY RESIDENTS AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS ARE THERE, AND ALL OF THESE ARE BROKEN OUT IN VERY DETAILED CROSSTABS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE TO THE BOARD, AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK UP ANY OF THESE SUBGROUPS IN TERMS OF THEIR ATTITUDES AND RESPONSES ON DIFFERENT TOPICS.

SO AS I NOTED THAT THE SURVEY WAS REALLY HAD SEVERAL GOALS.

WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW RESIDENTS THINK ABOUT AND USE THE EAST BAY PARKS, THEIR AWARENESS OF AND THE VALUE THAT THEY PERCEIVE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT THEIR HABITS IN TERMS OF VISITING INCLUDING THEIR TRANSPORTATION, HOW THEY GET TO AND FROM THE PARKS AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LEVEL OF INTEREST, AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THOSE ACTIVITIES, THEIR VIEWS ON SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE PARKS, AND ALSO SOME QUESTIONS ON THE INFORMATION COMMUNICATION THEY RECEIVE ABOUT AND FROM THE DISTRICT.

SO IN TERMS OF GENERAL AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS, THERE'S SOME REALLY REMARKABLE FINDINGS HERE IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE RESPONSE AND HOW HIGH THESE NUMBERS ARE. THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS REMARKABLE, GIVEN AGAIN, IT'S A VERY DIVERSE DISTRICT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN AND DIDN'T NECESSARILY GROW UP IN THE EAST BAY.

NONETHELESS, ACROSS THE BOARD, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE EAST BAY ARE AWARE OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.

[01:10:04]

HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT? AND NOT ONLY HAD NEARLY NINE OUT OF TEN, 87% OF ADULTS HAD HEARD OF THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT 56% DESCRIBED THEMSELVES AS VERY AWARE THAT THEY ARE HIGHLY AWARE AND VERY THINK THEY KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE EAST BAY PARKS.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO IN THE DISTRICT. EVEN MORE STRIKING, THOUGH, IS THE LEVEL TO WHICH PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE EAST BAY PARKS ARE A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE, OR IN THIS CASE, THAT THE DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY IS A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE.

SO AGAIN, WE GAVE PEOPLE A LITTLE DESCRIPTION.

SO THE FIRST ONE WAS JUST THE NAME. ARE YOU AWARE OF IT? YES, VAST MAJORITY ARE AWARE. THIS IS MORE OF A DESCRIPTION SAYING JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE IT'S WHICH COVERS TWO COUNTIES, HAS 73 REGIONAL PARKS. GIVES A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.

VERY SIMPLE STATEMENT BUT JUST JUST REMINDING PEOPLE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS, AND THEN WE SIMPLY ASK, DO YOU AGREE OR NOT, THAT THIS IS A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE? AND THIS IS A NEAR UNANIMOUS FINDING, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A SURVEY WHERE YOU GET 1% OR LESS DISAGREEING WITH SOMETHING.

IN THIS CASE, ONLY 1% DISAGREE, THE OTHER EVERYBODY ELSE.

09,095% OF THE ADULTS IN EAST BAY AGREE THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE, AND 79% OVER THREE QUARTERS STRONGLY AGREE. SO THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF BOTH SUPPORT AND AWARENESS OF THE PARK DISTRICT ACROSS THE REGION.

WHEN WE ASKED, THIS IS JUST AMONG THOSE WHO FIND THESE PARKS VALUABLE, WHICH IS ALMOST EVERYBODY WHAT MAKES IT A VALUABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE.

THIS IS AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION, AND WE HAVE A FULL COMPILATION VERBATIMS OF ALL THESE RESULTS, BUT WE ALSO CATEGORIZE THEM TO LOOK FOR THE THEMES AND THE KIND OF SPECIFIC AREAS THAT PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THE MOST, AND THOSE INCLUDE GENERALLY, ACCESS TO NATURE, OPEN SPACE IN THE OUTDOORS IS WHAT THEY VALUE THE MOST, AND 47% MENTIONED SOME ASPECT OF THAT AS THE REASON THEY VALUE PARK DISTRICT.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE CORE BELIEF OR THE CORE OF FINDING IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE VALUE, AND THEN SOME MORE SPECIFIC THINGS HIKING, WALKING TRAILS CAME UP. PRESERVATION COMES SERVING THE ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVING WILDLIFE.

THE PEOPLE APPRECIATING THE CLEANLINESS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PARKS THAT IT SERVICES FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, RECREATION, LOTS AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND ASPECTS THAT PEOPLE VALUE, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, MOST IMPORTANTLY, JUST THE GENERAL ACCESS TO NATURE AND OPEN SPACE THAT THE PARKS PARK DISTRICT MAKES AVAILABLE MOST RESIDENTS OF THE EAST BAY. THIS MASSIVE, DIVERSE REGION SAY THAT THEY ARE FREQUENT VISITORS TO OTHER REGIONAL PARKS IN THE EAST BAY.

52% DESCRIBED THEMSELVES AS FREQUENT VISITORS AND ANOTHER 39% SAY THEY ARE VISITORS, ALTHOUGH NOT AS FREQUENTLY.

SO AGAIN, ADDING UP TO A MASSIVE MAJORITY OVER EIGHT OVER NINE OUT OF TEN RESIDENTS OF EAST BAY SAY THEY VISIT THE EAST BAY.

EAST BAY PARKS, AT LEAST OCCASIONALLY. MAJORITY FREQUENTLY, THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN THE TABLE ON THE SLIDE HERE.

I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE BECAUSE WE HAVE WAY TOO MANY TO SHOW ACROSS THESE MANY QUESTIONS, BUT WE DO SEE SOME INTERESTING VARIATIONS IN A COUPLE OF CASES WHERE THERE ARE FOLKS A LITTLE BIT LESS LIKELY TO VISIT, SUCH AS PEOPLE WHO SPEAK CHINESE LANGUAGE AT HOME, A LITTLE BIT LESS LIKELY TO VISIT PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTERS, A LITTLE BIT LESS FREQUENT VISITORS THAN HOMEOWNERS.

SOME OF THOSE VARIATIONS AND THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, THINGS WE KEEP AN EYE ON ARE REPORTED IN MORE DETAIL TO THE STAFF AND THE BOARD TOO FOR ACTION, BUT OVERWHELMINGLY THIS IS A VERY POSITIVE FINDING AND PEOPLE DO VISIT THE PARKS VERY FREQUENTLY.

THOSE WHO ARE MOST FREQUENT VISITORS, MOST LIKELY TO BE FREQUENT VISITORS OF THE PARKS INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER WHITE RESIDENTS, COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN, LATINO RESIDENTS AND A CASE OF LATINOS.

IT'S ACTUALLY YOUNGER RESIDENTS MORE LIKELY TO VISIT US, AND THEN, AS NOTED, A COUPLE OF FOLKS ARE A LITTLE BIT LOWER IN TERMS OF ALL THESE GROUPS OVERWHELMINGLY ARE VISITORS TO THE PARKS, BUT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER ON THE PEOPLE SAYING THEY'RE NOT NOT VISITORS.

SENIORS CHINESE AMERICANS, PEOPLE WHO SPEAK CHINESE AT HOME, BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE RELATIVELY STILL A SMALL GROUP SAYING THEY DON'T VISIT, OVERWHELMINGLY, MOST PEOPLE DO. EAST BAY RESIDENTS HOW WERE YOU INTRODUCED TO NATURE? AND THIS IS A QUESTION COMING OUT OF THE LIT REVIEW THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT BEING INTRODUCED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

JUST THE IDEA OF PLAYING OUTSIDE AS A CHILD, MUCH MORE SO THAN FORMAL THINGS SUCH AS SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS OR PROGRAMS. IT'S THE GENERAL CONNECTION THAT PEOPLE FEEL THROUGH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND PLAYING OUTDOORS THAT CONNECT THEM TO NATURE, AND SO WE JUST SEE THAT AS AN INSIGHT INTO HOW TO REMIND PEOPLE HOW TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM ABOUT THE PARKS IS CALLING ON THOSE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND WHAT FIRST INTRODUCED THEM. SO WE GOT INTO SOME VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED IN THE PARKS,

[01:15:07]

WE'LL GO THROUGH EVERYTHING IN DETAIL BUT WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BIG PATTERNS. ONE THING TO NOTE HERE, WE ASKED ABOUT A SET OF ACTIVITIES, AND WE HAD A LIST BECAUSE WE KNEW THESE WERE PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES THAT THE DISTRICT ACTUALLY OFFERS.

NOT ON THAT LIST WAS JUST THE GENERAL IDEA OF GOING HIKING AND WALKING, WHICH, AS WE KNOW FROM OTHER RESEARCH AND YOU ALL KNOW I'M SURE, IS THAT ACTUALLY THE MOST COMMON WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THE PARKS WHEN THEY VISIT IS JUST TO GO AND TAKE A WALK OR GO HIKING? SO EVEN THOUGH THAT WASN'T LISTED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A PROGRAM, IT IS NONETHELESS THE NUMBER CLOSE TO THE NUMBER ONE THING PEOPLE MENTIONED.

THEY VOLUNTEERED IT EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T ON THE LIST, SAYING, THAT'S THE THING I MOST OFTEN DO, BUT OF THE PROGRAMS LISTED, WE ALSO HAD QUITE A FEW SAYING THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN BIKING IN THE PARKS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

15% MENTIONED PARTICIPATING IN SPECIAL EVENTS, GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS.

12% MENTIONED THAT FISHING, OVERNIGHT CAMPING, FAMILY PROGRAMS, ALL THOSE IN DOUBLE DIGITS PERCENTAGES SAYING THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN THAT. SO REALLY A WIDE VARIETY ACROSS THE BOARD OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE DO PARTICIPATE IN, AND THERE ARE SOME, AS IN THE OTHER QUESTIONS, SOME DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS, SOME INTERESTING DIFFERENCES ABOUT THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN. THINGS LIKE FISHING, WHICH IS A ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR ACTIVITIES.

MUCH MORE POPULAR AMONG MEN AMONG BLACK AND LATINO VISITORS.

THE PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN 50 ARE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN OVERNIGHT CAMPING.

ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE NON-COLLEGE EDUCATED ARE MORE LIKELY TO DO OVERNIGHT CAMPING.

SO SOME INTERESTING AND NOT ALWAYS EXPECTED VARIATIONS BY DEMOGRAPHICS.

ON MANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES, BUT YOU KNOW, THE TOP LINE FINDINGS ARE STILL VERY CLEAR THAT THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN ACROSS THE PARKS SEPARATELY FROM WHAT YOU DO PARTICIPATE IN. WE ALSO ASKED, WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN AND THIS IS A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE.

WE ASKED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE WE WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, OVER HALF REMEMBER OF RESIDENTS ARE FREQUENT VISITORS TO THE PARKS.

WE WERE CURIOUS AMONG THOSE WHO ARE LESS FREQUENT OR NON VISITORS, WHICH IS LESS THAN HALF, BUT STILL, IF YOU INCLUDE THE INFREQUENT VISITORS, STILL A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER.

WHAT YOU WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN AND MIGHT IN FACT DRAW YOU TO COME VISIT THE PARKS OR PARTICIPATE MORE OFTEN, AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS IS NOT QUITE THE SAME LIST IN TERMS OF PRIORITY AS WE SAW IN THE THINGS PEOPLE ALREADY PARTICIPATE IN.

MORE MENTIONS OF OVERNIGHT CAMPING, GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS.

STILL HIGH FISHING, STILL HIGH PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, WHICH WAS NOT ONE OF THE MOST COMMON THINGS PEOPLE DO PARTICIPATE IN, WAS ONE OF THE THINGS MOST COMMONLY PICKED AS SOMETHING THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, AND OF COURSE, THERE WERE MORE SENIORS IN THE NON VISITORS AS WELL.

SO THAT SUGGESTS AN OPENING THERE IN AN AREA THAT COULD BRING MORE PEOPLE IN.

BIKING IS ALSO HIGH TRAVEL SPORTS, AQUATIC SPORTS, INTERESTINGLY SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CAMPFIRES OR MOVIE NIGHTS. SO THOSE ARE SOME INTERESTING DIRECTIONS IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL PROGRAM THAT MIGHT BE OFFERED THAT MIGHT ENTICE MORE PEOPLE TO BE MORE FREQUENT VISITORS AND AGAIN, WE BROKE DOWN. SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE HERE, BUT THINGS LIKE FAMILY PROGRAMS BEING OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO LATINO RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS YOUNGER WOMEN, ASIAN AMERICANS WHO HAD A LITTLE BIT LOWER VISITATION RATES, BEING QUITE INTERESTED IN THE AQUATIC SPORTS.

PARENTS GENERALLY ALSO BEING INTERESTED IN THOSE OVERNIGHT CAMPING BEING A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST AMONG RESIDENTS OF COLOR, AMONG WHOM WE WANT TO INCREASE USE OF THE PARKS.

SO ALL OF THOSE ARE INTERESTING DIFFERENCES AND SOME, SOME THINGS YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT NECESSARILY TO HIGHLIGHT FOR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS IN THE DISTRICT WE ASKED ABOUT AWARENESS, REMEMBER. SO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION WAS WHAT WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN.

THIS IS ARE YOU EVEN AWARE THAT THIS EXISTS AS A PROGRAM OR AN ACTIVITY THAT'S OFFERED IN THE EAST BAY PARKS AND A WIDE RANGE HERE? AGAIN, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DO VISIT. THE MOST COMMON THINGS THEY DO ARE JUST TAKING A WALK ON THEIR OWN, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN.

THEIR AWARENESS, THOUGH, VARIES QUITE A BIT. SO CERTAIN THINGS BIKING, FISHING, SWIMMING PROGRAMS FOR KIDS.

MOST EAST BAY RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE EAST BAY PARKS.

NOT EVERYONE, BUT OVER TWO THIRDS OR MORE ARE AWARE OF THOSE THINGS, BUT THEN YOU GET DOWN TO THINGS LIKE FAMILY PROGRAMS, OUTDOOR COOKING, GUIDED WALKS AND HIKES. IT'S MORE LIKE HALF, AND THEN YOU GET DOWN TO SOME SOME OF THE LOWER END ITEMS HERE THAT FEWER PEOPLE, LESS THAN HALF OF RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF P ROGRAMS FOR SENIORS.

AGAIN, WHEN PEOPLE WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, BUT LESS THAN 40% ARE AWARE THAT EXISTS IN THE PARKS.

CAMPFIRES AND MOVIE NIGHTS. SEMINARS AND DISCUSSION.

HORSEBACK RIDING. LESS THAN HALF OR LESS THAN A MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF THOSE PROGRAMS IN THE EAST BAY PARKS,

[01:20:03]

WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE CASES WHERE WE DID SEE SOME LOWER AWARENESS.

JUST TO NOTE OVERALL AVERAGE AWARENESS IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AMONG SOME GROUPS AND OTHERS.

NOW, THESE ARE NOT HUGE WIDE VARIATIONS, BUT IT DOES SUGGEST THAT THERE COULD BE AN EFFORT TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES AMONG SOME OF THESE GROUPS, SUCH AS BLACK AND ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS. A LITTLE BIT LESS LIKELY TO BE AWARE ACROSS THE BOARD OF THE ACTIVITIES, AND OF COURSE, PEOPLE WHO VISIT LESS FREQUENTLY TEND TO BE LESS AWARE.

THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE, BUT JUST NOTING A COUPLE OF THOSE DIFFERENCES, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE DEMOGRAPHICS INTO SMALLER SUBGROUPS, WE DO SEE HIGH AWARENESS IN THIS CASE AMONG WHITE, NON-COLLEGE EDUCATED RESIDENTS EVEN THOUGH COLLEGE EDUCATED RESIDENTS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKELY TO VISIT, NON-COLLEGE RESIDENTS ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AWARENESS OF THE ACTIVITIES OLDER LATINO RESIDENTS, PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF KIDS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLDS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE AWARE, WHEREAS ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT TENDED TO HAVE LOWER AWARENESS. SO THERE'S SOME INTERESTING DIFFERENCES IN THAT AS WELL.

WHOOPS. EXCUSE ME, AND WE SORT OF PLOTTED THIS OUT BECAUSE BECAUSE THESE, THESE SCALES VARIED IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN TERMS OF AWARENESS VERSUS WHAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN. WE SORT OF PLOTTED THAT OUT FOR YOU ON THIS GRAPH AND WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME AREAS OF SORT OF CORE STRENGTHS, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT ARE BOTH HIGH INTEREST AND HIGH AWARENESS.

MOST PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S BIKING, THAT YOU CAN BIKE IN THE EAST BAY PARKS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THAT AS WELL.

SO THAT'S SEEN AS AN AREA OF STRENGTH. FISHING SHOWS UP THERE OVERNIGHT.

CAMPING SHOWS UP THERE, PADDLE SPORTS NOT QUITE AS HIGH, BUT STILL PRETTY HIGH AWARENESS.

THEN BELOW THAT ON THE RIGHT HERE, YOU SEE SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, BUT NOT AS HIGH AWARENESS.

THE EQUESTRIAN PROGRAMS, THE CAMPFIRES, SENIOR PROGRAMS, AS WE MENTIONED, THE GUIDED HIKES AND WALKS, A LITTLE BIT LOWER AWARENESS ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ARE QUITE INTERESTED IN THEM. WE ALSO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION DIFFERENT AREAS TO, TO LOOK AT AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF AND WHAT THEY, WHAT MIGHT BE AREAS TO, TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF IMPROVING, EVEN REACHING EVEN HIGHER LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE DISTRICT.

SO IN TERMS OF REACHING THE PARKS, MOST PEOPLE DO ARRIVE BY CAR.

THEY'RE SELF-REPORTED ON THIS IS THAT 81% ARE THE MOST COMMON WAY I WOULD GET TO THE EAST BAY PARK IS THROUGH IS BY CAR.

8% THEY TEND TO WALK, 7% WILL BIKE, AND THEN MUCH SMALLER PROPORTION SAY THEY EITHER RIDESHARE OR TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT, TWO AND ONE PERCENT. ON THE RIGHT. HERE WE SEE THAT WHAT THEIR PREFERRED TRAVEL METHOD IS, AND THAT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THERE'S STILL MOST PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY PREFER TO ARE HAPPY TO GO BY CAR, BUT THAT'S TWO THIRDS AS COMPARED TO 81% WHO ACTUALLY GO BY CAR, AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE HIGHER PERCENTAGES WHO WOULD LIKE TO REACH THE PARKS BY WALKING, BIKING, AND NOTABLY PUBLIC TRANSIT. 7%. WHILE IT'S NOT A HUGE PROPORTION, IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN THE 1% WHO ACTUALLY DO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT, USUALLY TO THE PARKS. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.

AGAIN, IF THERE WERE BETTER AWARENESS AND PERHAPS BETTER ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSIT FOR SOME RESIDENTS, THEY'D BE MORE LIKELY AND CERTAINLY ARE INTERESTED IN USING THAT METHOD TO GET TO THE PARKS.

AGAIN, SOME VARIANCE BY DEMOGRAPHICS. THESE WERE NOT AS SURPRISING BECAUSE THEY TENDED TO BE REGIONAL BASED ON ACCESSIBILITY TO THINGS LIKE PUBLIC TRANSIT.

NOT SURPRISINGLY IN TERMS OF FEES THE MOST THE VAST MAJORITY OF EAST BAY RESIDENTS DO NOT SEE FEES AS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO ENJOYING THE EAST BAY PARKS.

THE 84% SAY NO FEES ARE NOT REALLY A BARRIER FOR ME.

YOU DO HAVE ABOUT 1 IN 6, 16% SAY YES. I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT COST OR FEES, AND WHEN WE ASKED, WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT COST IN THE EAST BAY PARKS, THEY MENTIONED THE AQUATIC BOATING, CANOEING AND WATER SPORTS, OTHER KINDS OF RECREATION AND SPORTS.

HANDFULS MENTIONED PARKING FEES FOR SWIMMING AS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT COST THEM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE VAST MAJORITY THINKING THAT FEES ARE NOT REALLY A BARRIER A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, THOUGH IN A FEW DEMOGRAPHICS, YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT HERE AGAIN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, PEOPLE OF LOWER INCOMES, NOT SURPRISINGLY, A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT FEES RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE POPULATION, AND IN GENERAL, WE ASK YOU FIND THAT THE PARKS, THE EAST BAY PARKS ARE ACCESSIBLE AND THE AGAIN, THE VAST MAJORITY REALLY REMARKABLY HIGH NUMBER, 90% SAY YES.

[01:25:03]

90% SAID YES, THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE, 54% SAID THEY ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE, AND THEN THE REMAINDER.

THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE. ONLY 5% SAY NO.

THEY DON'T FEEL VERY ACCESSIBLE TO ME. SO THAT'S REALLY A TINY HANDFUL THAT DO NOT FIND THE PARKS ACCESSIBLE.

THOSE WHO DO, THOUGH, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IN TERMS OF VERY ACCESSIBLE AMONG WHITE AND AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS AND A LITTLE BIT LOWER IN TERMS OF SAYING SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE AMONG LATINO AND ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS.

SO THERE IS AN INTERESTING GAP THERE AND SOMETHING TO ADDRESS OR PAY ATTENTION TO IN TERMS OF INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY FOR SOME OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE EAST BAY, AND WHEN WE ASK PEOPLE WHAT WERE THOSE BARRIERS, ARE THERE THINGS THAT IN FACT GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR ACCESSING THE PARKS? SEVERAL THINGS ROSE TO THE TOP HERE. THE NUMBER ONE AND TWO BY FAR ARE GENERAL LACK OF AWARENESS OR LACK OF TIME.

SO EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ARE HIGHLY AWARE, THEY EXPRESS THAT THERE MAY BE THINGS THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF OR AT LEAST ASPECTS OF THE PARKS THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT AS BEING SOMETHING THAT IS PERHAPS KEEPING THEM FROM ACCESSING THE PARKS AS MUCH, AND THEN GENERALLY FEELING LIKE THEY'RE BUSY.

THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, AND THEN TWO OTHER THINGS THAT ROSE TO AT LEAST 20% MENTIONING THEM.

THE DISTANCE FROM THE PARKS, 26% SAY, WELL, THEY'RE FAR AWAY FROM ME.

OF COURSE, THAT VARIES A LOT BASED ON WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, AND THEN NOT HAVING TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS MORE CONCENTRATED AMONG THOSE WHO DON'T TRAVEL BY CAR OR DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSIT.

MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT TRANSPORTATION WAS AN ISSUE BUT AWARENESS TIME, DISTANCE AND LACK OF TRANSPORTATION THEN SMALLER BUT STILL SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE MENTIONED SAFETY ISSUES, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND HERE, AND AS NOTED EARLIER, THERE'S SOME CONCERN ABOUT COST.

THESE ALSO VARY BY DEMOGRAPHICS. THE LACK OF AWARENESS WAS THE TOP BARRIER ACROSS MOST, BUT LACK OF TIME TENDED TO BE MENTIONED BY YOUNGER RESIDENTS, BY WHITE RESIDENTS. THE DISTANCE TENDED TO BE, AS I MENTIONED, SOME OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES BUT ALSO YOUNGER WOMEN AND INTERESTINGLY, ASIAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS MORE LIKELY TO MENTION DISTANCE AS AN ISSUE.

LACK OF TRANSPORTATION, MORE LIKELY TO BE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS, AND ALSO THOSE IN THE URBAN NORTHWEST ALAMEDA PART OF THE DISTRICT.

WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF DISABILITY.

OVERALL, MOST RESIDENTS SAY I DO NOT HAVE ANY ACCESS.

I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES, NOR DO PEOPLE IN MY HOUSEHOLD.

ONLY 11% SAID THEY DO. 84% SAID NO. I DO NOT HAVE SUCH CHALLENGES ACCESSING THE PARKS, BUT AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE ANY KIND OF DISABILITY IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, WHICH IS MORE THAN 1 IN 5 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE EAST BAY SAID THEY DO HAVE SOMEONE DISABLED IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.

WITHIN THAT GROUP, IT IS MORE THAN A THIRD 37% WHO SAY YES, THAT IS THAT IS A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY ACCESSING THE PARKS.

NOW, EVEN A MAJORITY OF THOSE 54% OF 4% OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES SAY I CAN ACCESS THE PARKS.

IT'S NOT REALLY A CHALLENGE, BUT YOU DO HAVE A SUBGROUP THERE WITHIN THE DISABLED THAT DO SAY IT'S A IT'S A CHALLENGE.

11% OVERALL, 37% OF THOSE WITH A DISABILITY IN THE HOUSEHOLD SAY IT'S A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO THE PARKS.

LANGUAGE NOT A HUGE BARRIER ACROSS THE BOARD, AND WE ONLY ASK THIS QUESTION AMONG PEOPLE WHO SAID, I SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN MY HOUSEHOLD.

NOW THAT IS A LARGE PORTION, RIGHT? THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DIVERSE AREA.

WELL OVER A THIRD OF HOUSEHOLDS HAVE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING AT HOME.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT PROFICIENT IN ENGLISH, BUT THEY JUST THEY ALSO HAVE ANOTHER LANGUAGE THERE AMONG THAT GROUP.

AMONG THAT 38%, WE ASK, IS LANGUAGE A BARRIER? NOW, KEEPING IN MIND WE WERE ONLY ASKING THE SURVEY IN FOUR LANGUAGES AND ESSENTIALLY THREE LANGUAGES CHINESE, SPANISH AND ENGLISH, BUT AMONG THAT GROUP AND AMONG THE GROUP WHO WERE TAKING THE SURVEY AND WHO DON'T SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT HOME.

ONLY 9% SAID LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER. SO THAT'S A NICE LOW NUMBER, AND AMONG THOSE WHO SPEAK SPANISH AT HOME, IT'S ONLY 9%. AMONG THOSE WHO SPEAK MANDARIN AT HOME, IT'S ONLY 10%.

SO THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOME PEOPLE FOR WHOM LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER, AND OF COURSE, SOME PEOPLE WE COULDN'T REACH WITH THE SURVEY, BUT IT IS A RELATIVELY SMALL MINORITY THAT ARE HAVING THAT CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE.

THE SAFETY ALSO IS IT'S A CONCERN FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT IS NOT A REALLY INTENSE CONCERN.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS BELIEVE THAT THE PARKS ARE SAFE, BUT MOST OF THOSE SAY THEY ARE SOMEWHAT SAFE.

IT'S 43% WHO SAY I FEEL VERY SAFE IN THE PARKS.

SO YOU DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SOMEWHAT CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY.

[01:30:03]

JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF SAFETY.

WE ASKED, WHAT ARE YOU REFERRING TO IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY IN THE PARKS.

THE NUMBER ONE RESPONSE IS CAR BREAK INS, AND OF COURSE MOST PEOPLE ARE ACCESSING BY CAR.

SO YOU DO HAVE ABOUT A THIRD MENTIONING CAR BREAK-INS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT. 22% AT LEAST HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.

THAT IS NOT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'VE EXPERIENCED.

IT JUST MEANS THAT'S A LEVEL THAT AT LEAST ARE AWARE OR PAYING ATTENTION AND HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT THAT.

ABOUT 18% SANITATION CONCERNS, 17% WILDFIRES, 15% LIGHTING, 15% FALLS OR ACCIDENTS, 14% WILD ANIMALS.

SO A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS. LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, BUT THE NUMBER ONE IS REALLY OTHER HUMANS AS COMPARED TO NATURE.

IT'S CAR BREAK INS AND POTENTIALLY AT LEAST SOME WORRY ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.

SO IT'S SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF SAFETY, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF MOST PEOPLE SAYING, I GO TO THE PARKS, I DO FEEL SAFE. IT'S NOT A HUGE CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY.

CAR BREAK-INS IS NUMBER ONE PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR SAFETY CONCERNS ARE, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER ON VIOLENT CRIME IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE DISTRICT, SUCH AS NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST ALAMEDA AS WELL AS EAST CONTRA COSTA, AND THEN FINALLY WE ASKED ABOUT INFORMATION WHERE PEOPLE GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKS IN THE EAST BAY.

THE NUMBER ONE RESPONSE BY FAR WAS FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

SO THAT WORD OF MOUTH IS STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR PEOPLE, JUST THEIR CONVERSATIONS THEY'RE HAVING WITHIN THEIR HOUSEHOLDS AND OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, HOW THEY'RE GETTING OUT AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES, AND THEY'RE GETTING INFORMATION THAT WAY.

YOU DO HAVE, THOUGH, 25% WHO SAY, I DO USE THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE.

SO THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE POPULATION WHO ARE DOING THAT.

ALSO ROUGHLY A QUARTER USING SEARCH ENGINES AS A WAY OF GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKS 20% MENTIONING OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, ETC, AND 15% SAYING I ACTUALLY SEE THAT NEWSLETTER, WHETHER IT'S IN PRINT OR ONLINE.

THEY DO RECOGNIZE THE REGIONAL AND NATURE NEWSLETTER, SOMETHING THEY THEY'VE SEEN AND PAY ATTENTION TO AS WELL.

13% SAY, I DON'T GET ANY INFORMATION. 5% WHO DON'T KNOW.

SO SOME FOLKS ARE NOT BEING REACHED HERE, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY ARE, BUT IT IS THE INFORMAL NETWORKS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO MOST PEOPLE, AND AGAIN, SOME VARIATIONS AND SOME DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WHERE WE MIGHT INCREASE AWARENESS THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT MEDIA.

SO STOP THERE. LOTS OF DATA, LOTS OF DATA UNDERNEATH THAT DIDN'T GET TO IN DETAIL, BUT HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS, AND THANKS TO THE TEAM HERE FOR PREPPING THE FINDINGS AND THE DATA.

THANK YOU DAVID, AND THEN JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO OUR BOARD OF WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.

SO THIS PRESENTATION, IT'S COME BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND YOU ALL TODAY, BUT WE'RE ALSO SHARING IT BROADLY INTERNALLY AT A STAFF LEVEL.

WE'VE SHARED IT WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM. OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM WILL BE ATTENDING A FUTURE INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION WORKSHOP.

WE'VE SHARED IT WITH OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO SHARE IT BROADLY ACROSS OUR NATURALISTS TO INTEGRATE THIS INFORMATION INTO THEIR PROGRAM PLANNING, AND THEN VERY IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS BEING INTEGRATED AS PART OF OUR DISTRICT PLAN DEVELOPMENT.

SO WHERE WE FOUND LOW AWARENESS OR LOW INFORMATION, WE'RE MAKING SURE TO DO THAT ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AS PART OF THE DISTRICT PLAN PLANNING PROCESS, AND HAVING THIS INFORMATION HELP TO GUIDE SOME OF THAT WORK.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR YOUR PATIENCE ON THE ROBUST SLIDE DECK.

ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? YEAH, I HAD ONE QUESTION T OWARDS THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE USE THE PARK AND, AND THEN YOU SAID THAT WALKING WAS NOT LISTED AS AN ACTIVITY. ALTHOUGH FISHING AND BIKING WERE. I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT THE REASONING AROUND THAT IS GREAT.

SO THIS LIST WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH A STAFF TEAM, AND THE OPTIONS THAT WE PUT PROACTIVELY ON THE SURVEY ARE ONES THAT THE PARK DISTRICT SUPPORTS THROUGH A PROGRAMMATIC FORMAT, AND SO BIKING AND FISHING AND SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR RECREATION TEAM.

HORSEBACK RIDING IS SUPPORTED BY SOME OF OUR CONCESSIONAIRES, AND GUIDED HIKES ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR NATURALIST TEAM, BUT HIKING ALONE IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT TAKES PARK DISTRICT'S TIME AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ACTIVELY.

OF COURSE, THERE'S TIME AND RESOURCES TO MAKE THOSE TRAILS NICE AND ACCESSIBLE, BUT THERE'S NOT AN ACTIVE STAFF PRESENCE, AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WE DIDN'T PROACTIVELY INCLUDE IT ON THE LIST.

[01:35:02]

I CAN CONNECT WITH MIKE MORAN. I KNOW SOME COME OUT OF OUR HIGH WATER RECREATION FACILITY HAS A BIKE FLEET THAT PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO GET FOLKS OUT ON THE TRAIL, AND SO INR WOULD BE BEST TO SPEAK TO THAT. YEAH, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT.

I MEAN, I KNOW PEOPLE COULD PROACTIVELY ADD IT, BUT IT IT IT FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT SORT OF SKEW THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE USING THE PARK.

SO THAT'S ALL. THAT'S WHY I RAISE IT. I YEAH, AND I THINK MAYBE FOR FEEDBACK IN THE FUTURE IS WE COULD PROACTIVELY CLARIFY THAT WALKING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT INVOLVE STAFF PRESENCE AND THAT RATHER THAN THE WALKING AND HIKING, BUT. WELL, I GUESS IF YOU DIAL IT BACK ONE MORE STEP.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION? I MEAN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHY PEOPLE ARE USING THE PARKS, WHY WOULD IT ONLY BE IF IT'S GUIDED BY STAFF? GREAT. SO WE'RE WE'RE INTERESTED TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO GUIDE STAFF'S TIME AND RESOURCES THROUGH PROGRAMS, AND SO PROGRAMING WAS THE OVERARCHING FOCUS OF THIS SURVEY.

I SEE. OKAY. THAT MAKES MORE SENSE. OKAY. THANK YOU.

OF COURSE. YEAH. IN TERMS OF SO PROGRAMING BEING THE OVERARCHING FOCUS OF THE SURVEY IN TERMS OF REACHING OUT ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE DON'T SEGMENT OUR EMAIL DATABASE.

SO WHEN WE SEND OUT AN EMAIL ABOUT PROGRAMS, IT GETS COMPILED FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT ACROSS BOTH COUNTIES AND WITH THAT, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET TO A LEVEL OF DETAIL ON ALL THE PROGRAMS. WE SELECT THE, YOU KNOW, TOP PROGRAMS THAT WE WANT TO PROMOTE IN THAT DISTRICT WIDE EMAIL.

SO RATHER THAN SEGMENT THE DATABASE TO SAY, HEY, THIS WEEKEND, YOU KNOW DEL VALLE IS HAVING, YOU KNOW, THIS AMAZING PROGRAM, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SENT OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE SELECTED THAT THEY WANT TO BE ON SOME SORT OF EMAIL LIST ABOUT DEL VALLE PROGRAMS. IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING, TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE? TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, YES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE COME ACROSS THROUGH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, WHERE CITIES ARE INTERESTED IN INCORPORATING INTO THEIR NEWSLETTERS, LOCATION SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH CITIES LIKE NEWARK AND SAN LEANDRO TO SPECIFY THE PROGRAMS IN THEIR AREAS FOR THEM TO PROMOTE THROUGH THEIR RESOURCES, AND ALSO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO USE THE SEARCH ENGINE ON OUR WEBSITE TO SPECIFY LOCATION OR PARK OF INTEREST.

HOWEVER, TO YOUR POINT, THIS SURVEY DOES HIGHLIGHT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PARK DISTRICT TO EXPAND OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN IT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN TERMS OF OUR VISITOR CENTERS, THEY'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE VISITOR CENTER, BUT NOT AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT FOR THE VISITOR CENTER.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH? TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THEN, IN TERMS OF PROMOTING THE PROGRAMS? WE'RE LIMITED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH FROM THE VISITOR CENTER AND PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE.

I DO NOT HOLD DEEP KNOWLEDGE IN THAT AREA. SO IF THAT'S BEEN YOUR OBSERVATION, I WOULD I WOULD TRUST IN THAT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO BECAUSE ACTUALLY I DON'T HAVE CONFIRMATION EITHER. I HAVEN'T REALLY DUG INTO THAT. I'VE JUST OBSERVED THIS IN MY OWN SOCIAL MEDIA OBSERVATION.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PARK DISTRICT POLICY OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO, BUT I THINK THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POINT MADE ON FRIDAY AT OUR BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP THAT MAYBE SOME OF OUR OUTREACH TO YOUNGER FAMILIES COULD BE REVIEWED, AND IT MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS IS ONE HYPOTHESIS TO EXPLORE, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS WITH THE WEBSITE, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY GREAT DATA THAT WE HAVE.

SO THANK YOU FOR COLLECTING THAT. I THINK OVERALL, I THINK OUR WEBSITE IS AMAZING.

WE HAVE SO MUCH GREAT INFORMATION. I THINK THE MAPS THAT WE CREATE AND THAT WE PROVIDE ONLINE ARE SO HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE, BUT I ALWAYS THINK THAT THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE WE CAN MAYBE INVEST SOME EXTRA ENERGY, AND I THINK I MENTIONED THIS MAYBE ON FRIDAY AT THE BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP WITH TRANSIT, IF NOT ON FRIDAY.

RECENTLY, I KNOW I MENTIONED IT. WE DO HAVE A TRANSIT PAGE, EB PARKS, PUBLIC TRANSIT, AND IT IS COMPREHENSIVE, BUT YOU HAVE TO KIND OF USE THE LINKS, THE TRANSIT 511 LINK, FOR EXAMPLE, OR YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SCHEDULE AND ROUTE FINDER ON HERE, BUT THEN WE DO HIGHLIGHT AC TRANSIT, WHICH IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PARTNER FOR US, BUT WE DON'T HIGHLIGHT ANY OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES IN THE EAST BAY, AND SO I THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HIGHLIGHTING OTHER TRANSIT PARTNERS ACROSS THE EAST BAY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK CAN ALWAYS BE HELPFUL WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS IS TO PROFILE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PARKS,

[01:40:03]

HE RECENTLY WROTE A BOOK ABOUT OUTDOOR WILDLIFE, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY WELL RECEIVED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND BART ACTUALLY SELECTED THAT AS THEIR BOOK OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR AND HAS A LOT OF PROGRAMMING AROUND THAT BOOK AND ABOUT PARKS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE BY BART, AND I THINK IT'D BE GREAT FOR US AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING THAT THIS BOOK WAS SELECTED AS BOOK OF THE YEAR BY BART.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING EXACTLY THAT. THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF THESE SURVEY TOOLS IS THAT THIS IS QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT IS INTENDED TO SPARK THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

PROVIDE THAT DATA. YEAH. REALLY I JUST WANTED TO I DON'T KNOW.

WAS HE TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING? SORRY. I'M SORRY.

JUST JUST CHIMING IN, BUT I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THE DATA PROMPTING THIS CONVERSATIONS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THE COMMENT THAT DIRECTOR SANWONG WAS MENTIONING ABOUT HAVING MORE RESOURCES TO DIFFERENT PARENTS, THAT WAS FROM OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING WITH SAN LEANDRO, WHERE THEY WERE IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT SPACES WE WEREN'T IN FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ESPECIALLY DIFFERENT SPACES THAT PARENTS WERE, AND I KNOW THAT THEY PROVIDED YOU WITH A LIST OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES, AND THEN THEY ALSO HAD SPOKEN ABOUT JUST AS FAR AS HOW WE CAN CONNECT BETTER WITH THEIR RECREATION SERVICES, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THAT WITHIN THE POPULATION THERE THAT INDIVIDUALS MIGHT NOT KNOW WHERE A PARK ENDS OR BEGINS OR THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS MORE SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAMING AND OTHER STUFF THAT WAS AT OUR PARKS. SO I KNOW THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW, THAT YOU WERE EXPLORING THOSE DIFFERENT AVENUES, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT COMMENT DURING THE PRIORITIES CAME FROM AND IT JUST SHOWS LIKE THE POWER OF THOSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS AND THEN TAKING THAT LIKE DATA WITHIN THESE DIFFERENT REPORTS AND TEASING IT OUT.

FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT. ABSOLUTELY.

WE SET UP THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS INTENDING TO BE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH THAT COULD COMPLEMENT OUR FINDINGS, AND SO JUST LIKE THIS HAS GONE TO THE DISTRICT PLAN CONSULTANTS, ALL OF THE NOTES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS HAVE GONE BOTH TO THE CONSULTANTS BUT ALSO TO THE STAFF TEAMS, THAT INFORMATION CAN BENEFIT THEIR WORK TODAY AND NOT NECESSARILY WAIT ON THE PLAN TO BE DEVELOPED.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR WAESPI.

OKAY. THANK YOU. DAVID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS SURVEY.

I FIND THESE FASCINATING. I ENJOY THE ONES THAT ARE MORE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, BUT THIS COMMUNITY SURVEY IS INTERESTING.

IT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU. IT'S A LITTLE SCHIZOPHRENIC. I'M LOOKING AT AND MAYBE WAYS WE CAN DEAL WITH THIS.

I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DESPERATELY TRY TO GET EVERYONE TO LOVE US ALL THE TIME, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE METHODS WE COULD DO AND IT WOULD BE EASILY DONE, IS WHEN I LOOK AT THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO COMING INTO OUR PARKS IN THE TOP FIVE, IT SAYS SAFETY ISSUES, AND THEN I GO TO SAY, DAVID, SOME OF YOUR WORK THAT SAYS ALMOST 9 IN 10 RESIDENTS FEEL THAT THE PARK DISTRICTS ARE SAFE AND THEN I LOOK UP TO THOSE SAFETY IS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN OVERALL.

THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN IS CAR BREAK INS. SO I'M LOOKING AND I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN ANSWER THIS, IF WE CAN SEND A NEWSLETTER OUT TO FOLKS OR INCLUDE IT IN OUR RENT OR ANYTHING, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD DO IT, BUT, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT THERE'S GOT TO BE A NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH CAR BREAK INS, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD SAY THAT, AND CAR BREAK INS, I BET IS A BIG ONE, BUT VIOLENT CRIMES, IT'S 126,000 ACRES.

IT'S 73 PARKS IN SORT OF NEXT TO CITIES IN COMPARISON TO ANYBODY ELSE.

I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IN THE BAY AREA, OR AT LEAST IN THE TWO COUNTIES, AND WE CAN QUANTIFY THAT. I MEAN, IF PEOPLE FEAR THE YOUR BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN IS A WILDFIRE IN A PARK.

WE'VE GOT STATISTICS ON THAT, TOO, THAT YOU'RE PRETTY SAFE, AND YOU KNOW, WILD ANIMALS.

GOD, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME A WILD ANIMAL HAS TAKEN ANYBODY DOWN IN THE PARK? AND DOGS IS A PROBLEM, AN ISSUE, AND I THINK IT'S A VALID ONE, BUT I THINK IF WE SHOWED STATISTICS, WE COULD DO THAT, AND , YOU KNOW, GRAZING ANIMALS. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME A COW ATE ANYBODY IN THE PARK DISTRICT?

[01:45:01]

THANK YOU. I WOULD GENERALLY OBSERVE IN SURVEY RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, FEAR IS NOT A PARTICULARLY RATIONAL EMOTION.

RIGHT. IT'S DRIVEN BY, YOU KNOW, MISPERCEPTIONS AND THINGS PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT AND THEY GET EXAGGERATED AND SO ON.

SO AND FRANKLY, THE NUMBERS WE SEE HERE DO NOT INDICATE THAT YOU HAVE A MAJOR PERCEPTION PROBLEM IN TERMS OF SAFETY.

CERTAINLY, COMPARED TO A LOT OF OTHER PLACES, IT SEEMS PRETTY BENIGN.

HAVING SAID THAT, YEAH, PEOPLE HAVE SOME CONCERNS, SOME WORRIES, AND YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE FEELS VERY SAFE, SO THEY FEEL PRETTY SAFE. SO THEN IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT? WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN SORT OF ADDRESS THAT IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING AND ALSO PROVIDING WHAT FEELS LIKE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH CLEARLY YOU DO, SINCE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE USE AND ENJOY THE PARKS ACROSS THESE, BUT DIRECTOR COFFEY, HOW FAR ALONG SABRINA ARE WE WITH THE LICENSE PLATE READERS? THAT WAS ONE APPROACH TO THE CAR BREAK INS. YEAH, YOU ALL APPROVED.

I THINK IT WAS 14. AS PART OF THE PILOT, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK CAPTAIN COTCHER ACTUALLY MAY HAVE STEPPED OUT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET YOU ALL SOME DATA AROUND THAT, BUT THIS ALSO KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THE FACT THAT, AS YOU KNOW, CHIEF FILICE WORKED ON ALSO PUBLISH, AND WE NOW ARE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR CRIME DATA, OUR CRIME STATS FOR THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE EVERYTHING ON OUR WEBSITE, AND TO YOUR POINT, DIRECTOR WAESPI, AND , YOU KNOW, KIND OF I THINK TO THE TO THE QUESTION THAT DIRECTOR COFFEY IS POINTING OUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY TELLING OUR STORY AROUND THESE, THESE PARKS AND HOW SAFE THEY REALLY ARE.

SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EFFORTS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AND REALLY WELCOME THE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON THAT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE EXACTLY THE INSTALL AND ALL THE PLATE READERS, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU.

I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE, BUT YOU DID APPROVE.

I THINK IT WAS 14 AS PART OF THE PILOT. I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.

I RECALL THAT IN THERE, AND GENERALLY I THINK WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS. I GAVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE PRESENTATION, AND I'LL ASK THE SAME HERE IN COMPARISON TO PRIOR SURVEYS, THIS PARTICULAR SET OF DATA.

WHAT IS TRENDING BETWEEN SURVEYS? WHAT'S STANDING OUT FOR YOU AS SOMEONE WHO EXAMINES THESE CAREFULLY YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR? GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO WE DO SURVEYS ANNUALLY, AND SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS ARE INTENDED TO BE LONGITUDINAL, AND SO BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, THE VALUE OF THE PARK DISTRICT THE VALUE OF US AS A PUBLIC AMENITY, THAT'S BEEN CONSISTENTLY IN THE 90S SINCE I STARTED HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND I'M GOING ON NINE YEARS. SO THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE IN THAT AREA, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY IN AT 95, THAT'S HIGHER THAN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHICH WERE 93 AND 94.

NAME RECOGNITION HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN RECENT YEARS, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE BECAUSE TO DIRECTOR WAESPI POINT, WE ALSO COMPLEMENT THESE SURVEYS WITH VOTER SURVEYS THAT ARE INTENDED TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL FOR REVENUE MEASURES, AND THAT NAME RECOGNITION IS VERY IMPORTANT BOTH TO THAT BUT ALSO TO OUR PUBLIC SERVICE BROADLY.

YEAH, AND . THERE IS STILL, ANECDOTALLY, THE ISSUE OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW OF THIS PARK SYSTEM AND ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS PARK SYSTEM, BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS OR IS ABOUT, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT I THINK WE ARE APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSING.

I KNOW IT'S IN ALMOST EVERY PROGRAM THAT NATURALISTS PUT ON THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THEY TALK ABOUT IS THE PARK DISTRICT AND WHAT WE ARE WITH AN ELECTED BODY AND SUCH.

SO WHAT STANDS OUT FOR ME HERE AND IS COMPLIMENTARY OF THE WORKSHOP LAST WEEK, AT LEAST FOR ME, IS THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED IN TERMS OF, I WOULDN'T QUITE CALL IT DESPERATE, DENNIS, THE PURSUIT OF POPULARITY. IT IS PERSISTENT AND IT IS AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS AWARE OF HOW IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD INCREASE REVENUES.

SO WE DO STRIVE FOR POPULARITY, BUT IT'S STRIVING TO BE USER FRIENDLY SAFETY AND ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCES AND WHAT POPS OUT FOR ME IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITY AND AGAIN, COMPLEMENTARY TO WHAT I WAS SAYING AT THE WORKSHOP IS THE LACK OF FAMILY CAMPING

[01:50:02]

IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SOMETHING WE LACK. WE'VE HAD A VERY STRONG, AND WHAT THE SURVEY DISPLAYS IS A VERY POPULAR OVERNIGHT FAMILY CAMPING PROGRAMS. PLURAL IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY IN CONTRA COSTA, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THESE YEARS, WE DO HAVE TWO SITES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FUTURE FAMILY CAMPGROUNDS IN CONTRA COSTA FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.

WE SAW ON THAT CHART, IT'S LIKE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF BOTH POPULARITY AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO DON'T USE THE PARKS, WHAT WOULD DRAW THEM TO THE PARKS OVERNIGHT CAMPING.

IT ALSO HAD AN INTERESTING DEMOGRAPHIC ABOUT IT.

JERSEY ISLAND THE PORT COSTA BRICKYARD. YOU ALL KNOW JERSEY ISLAND, AND IT'S ACCESSIBLE AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PUBLIC ROAD THROUGH IT. THERE. THE BRICKYARD IS THAT HISTORIC? IT WAS A BRICKYARD WITH A QUARRY NEXT DOOR. IT IS RIGHT AT THE FOOT ON THE PORT COSTA SIDE OF THE GEORGE MILLER TRAIL, AND AGAIN WITH A RANGER. I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

THERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAND BANKED AREAS WHERE MAYBE WE COULD DO SOME PROGRAMING, THAT SPOT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL.

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE BAYFRONT PART OF THE BRICKYARD.

SO IT'S 200 ACRES AND LONG AGO IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL FAMILY CAMPGROUND PROGRAM.

SO THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME HERE. IT'S IT WOULD BE A WIN FOR US IN TERMS OF THE POPULARITY WITH WHICH IT WOULD BE MET IF WE COULD DO THAT AS LONG PLANNED FOR MY COUNTY.

THANK YOU. YEAH. IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, US YOU KNOW, PROMOTING STATISTICS OR INFORMATION ABOUT CAR BREAK INS SPECIFICALLY AND HOW WE DO A DECENT JOB OF THAT ON OUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.

ONE THING I'VE NOTICED IS I DO REMEMBER A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE HAD BEEN A CAR BREAK IN AT FOOTHILL STAGING AREA AND THE INDIVIDUAL WHOSE CAR WAS BROKEN INTO, AND THAT'S FOOTHILL STAGING AREA AT PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK.

THEY POSTED ON NEXTDOOR, AND IT WAS THE TYPE OF POST THAT GOT A LOT OF RESPONSES, AND I NOTICED THAT NO ONE FROM THE PARK DISTRICT JUMPED INTO THAT CONVERSATION, AND IT MAY BE THAT SOME OF THE COMMENTS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ACCURATE AND OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE HAD SOMEONE FROM THE PARK DISTRICT PARTICIPATE IN THAT TYPE OF EXCHANGE. SO MY POINT IS, IS THAT WHILE WE MIGHT BE REALLY GOOD AT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER SOME INFORMATION AND POSTING IT AND GETTING IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC, WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ENGAGING IN SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT START TO, YOU KNOW, GAIN SOME MOMENTUM IN REGARDS TO THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND THERE ALSO COULD BE A NEED FOR THE PARK DISTRICT TO CONSIDER.

YOU KNOW WHEN TO, YOU KNOW, JUMP INTO THAT CONVERSATION.

CONVERSATION TO MAYBE TO CORRECT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE EVEN DISCUSSED THAT INTERNALLY AS A PROCESS.

I KNOW I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS CONVERSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.

IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK MAYBE AS YOU'RE TAKING THE RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY BACK TO OUR INTERNAL TEAMS, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ALSO TO DISCUSS. DEFINITELY, I CAN SHARE THAT FEEDBACK.

I HAVEN'T USED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS FOR YEARS, SO I'M NOT SUPER FAMILIAR, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A POLICY THAT GUIDES HOW AND WHEN WE ENGAGE, AND SO PERHAPS IT'S TIME TO WE CAN REVIEW THAT POLICY AND SEE IF ANY UPDATES ARE NEEDED, AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PUBLIC AGENCY THAT DOES A VERY GOOD JOB WITH THIS, I WOULD SAY DSRSD, DUBLIN SAN RAMON SERVICES DISTRICT, THEY ARE ALWAYS ON TOP OF ANY POSTS.

THAT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DSRSD ACTIVITY. SO THERE ARE SOME AGENCIES IN THE AREA THAT I'VE JUST NOTICED THAT DO GET VERY INVOLVED.

GREAT. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ESPAÑA. YEAH. ARE WE ABLE TO BREAK? I'M ASSUMING SINCE YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT ZIP CODES.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO AWARD REPORT AND THEN HAVE IT AS FAR AS WITH THE DIFFERENT KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC CROSSTABS? BECAUSE IN SOME OF THESE WHERE WE BREAK IT DOWN, LET'S EVEN EVEN IF WE GO BY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, IT MIGHT BE VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT PARKS AND WHAT PART OF THE WARD B ECAUSE THE PARKS AS FAR IN THE PARTICULAR WARD THAT I'M IN ARE

[01:55:03]

SO KIND OF TO REALLY KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENT CONCERNS WITHIN THE WARD THAT I'M IN.

I'M ALSO TAKING NOT JUST THAT WARD APPROACH, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT RESOURCES DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE LOOKING FOR, BECAUSE IT'S STILL KIND OF OVER GENERALIZES BECAUSE SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT EVEN ABOUT SAFETY, IS IT SAFETY WITHIN ALL THE PARKS, OR MAYBE THERE'S JUST A CONCENTRATION AMONG PEOPLE, CONCERN AND BREAK-INS WHERE IT'S OVERREPRESENTED IN A PARTICULAR WARD OR PARTICULAR AREA.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE KIND OF THE DETAILS IN A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR AND THEN BREAKING IT OUT FROM THE TO MY SPECIFIC WARD. GREAT. WE CAN WORK WITH LAKE RESEARCH PARTNER ON INDIVIDUAL WARD REPORTS.

THE ONE CAUTION I WILL GIVE IS SO THIS IS A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.

SO 800 REPRESENTING OUR POPULATION, AND SO AS WE BREAK THE DATA DOWN SMALLER THE MARGIN OF ERROR DOES INCREASE, AND SO JUST AS WE GIVE YOU WARD REPORTS, PLEASE TAKE THEM WITHIN THAT CONTEXT THAT IT IS A HIGHER MARGIN OF ERROR THAN THE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT WIDE SAMPLE, AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LIKE SAY WHAT THE MARGIN OF ERROR.

YEAH. YEAH. JUST TO PUT A NUMBER ON THAT LIKE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT, THE BASE SAMPLE BEING 800 PLUS, RIGHT, THEN IF YOU HAVE ONE, MAYBE YOU KNOW, AN AREA THAT'S 12% OF THE WHOLE POPULATION THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 100 INTERVIEWS IN OUR DATA.

THAT'S STILL A FAIRLY RELIABLE GROUP TO BREAK OUT, BUT YOU GET SMALLER THAN THAT.

YOU GET DOWN TO LESS THAN 10% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, OR 5% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION.

THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT LESS THAN 50 INTERVIEWS, AND THEN IT'S NOT.

IT JUST ISN'T ENOUGH TO BE A RELIABLE DATA POINT.

IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE STATISTICALLY OF THE POPULATION, AND SO YOU MIGHT GET MISLEADING CONCLUSIONS IF YOU TRY TO BREAK IT OUT TOO MUCH.

SO WE'LL WE'LL BREAK IT. WE CAN AND DO BREAK IT DOWN, AND THERE'S A BIG BANNER BOOK WITH HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF ALL THE TABS AND YOU CAN PULL UP, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM SMALLER, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A POINT BEYOND WHICH YOU JUST WE SORT OF DON'T REPORT IT BECAUSE IT GETS TOO SMALL.

SO THAT WILL BE THAT 'S THE CONTROLLING FACTOR IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN PRODUCE ON THIS.

OKAY. WE'LL WORK WITH LISA AND TEAM ON GETTING THOSE, YOU KNOW, GETTING ANY PARTICULAR GROUP AND JUST TELL YOU HOW BIG THAT SAMPLE IS, AND IF IT'S BIG ENOUGH TO LOOK AT AND WHAT THE MARGIN OF ERROR IS.

YEAH, AND DEFINITELY I MEAN PUTTING THE MARGIN OF ERROR, THE NUMBER, THE SAMPLE, ALL THOSE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF METRICS THAT DEFINITELY CAN UNDERSTAND LOOK AT THOSE DIFFERENT LIMITATIONS, BUT THERE ARE A FEW CONCERNS I HAVE FOR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT RESPONSES THEY HAVE IN THERE THAT LIKE IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION TO ASK MORE, AND I FEEL LIKE I COULD SEE THE RESULTS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

IT WOULD HELP ME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICULAR CONCERN.

GREAT. WE'LL GET THOSE GOING. YEAH. YEAH. IF I COULD JUST QUICKLY FOLLOW ON TO THAT BECAUSE, YEAH. FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH DIRECTOR ESPAÑA.

ABOUT THAT. I'D LOVE TO SEE THE DATA AS WELL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM FIRST THAT WHEN YOU ALL DID THE SURVEY, YOU HAVE A REPRESENTATIONAL INTERVIEWS IN EACH DISTRICT, SO ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF INTERVIEWS IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS, SO THAT WHEN WE BREAK IT DOWN, IT WON'T BE SKEWED IN THAT WAY.

THAT IS THAT IS CORRECT. IT'S THE ENTIRE EAST BAY, BUT BECAUSE YOUR DISTRICTS ARE BALANCED BY POPULATION AND IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EAST BAY CENSUS POPULATION, IT'LL BE BALANCED BY WARD.

GREAT. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW, SORT OF POINT OF ORDER.

I'M NOT SURE. I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL JUST ON QUESTIONS, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN THE INTENTION WAS TO DO ONLY QUESTIONS, BUT IT KIND OF WENT BEYOND THAT. I THINK WE'VE GONE BEYOND JUST TRY TO STICK TO QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL DO COMMENTS AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN THEIR COMMENTS, BUT I HAVE JUST I HAVE A PROCESS QUESTION.

YEAH. NOT ONLY THE PROCESS OF WHAT WE'RE HANDLING--LET'S JUST TRY TO DO QUESTIONS.

SO MY QUESTION IN THE STAFF REPORT IS SORT OF A REQUEST.

PARTLY BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON AND WE HAVE SO MANY COMMITTEES.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SAW THIS ALREADY.

WHAT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME IN THE BACKGROUND, HONESTLY, IS IF I HAD THE DATE, IT WENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SO I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY OWN NOTES. IDEALLY THE COMMENTS, IF WE KEEP MINUTES ATTACHED, AND I THINK WE'VE BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE LIKE THE HOW THIS WORKS, HOW WE COMMUNICATE UP TO US, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.

[02:00:01]

SO AS OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THEM AND MAKE THAT PART OF THE STAFF REPORT, AND I GUESS I WILL MAYBE HOLD MY COMMENTS. YEAH, WE'LL HAVE IT.

YEAH, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO DO MORE COMMENTS.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.

MADAM CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE SO.

MR. HANSEN HAS RAISED HIS HANDS, HIS HAND. SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN PROMOTE HIM TO PANELIST.

SEE IF HE HAS A QUESTION.

HELLO, MR. HANSON, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.

THANK YOU. CHAIR MERCURIO, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT ON THE ANNUAL SURVEY.

I THINK THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL. I DO WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON A BOARD MEMBER'S ECHOLS COMMENT ABOUT THE DATA COLLECTED ONLY ON PROGRAMS, KIND OF PROGRAMED ACTIVITIES AND THE BECAUSE IN THE PAST, LONGITUDINALLY I KNOW THAT THE SURVEYS HAVE INCLUDED USE DEMOGRAPHICS CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW ACCESS DATA AND VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY INFORMATIONAL.

BUT GIVEN THE LACK OF ANY CHART ON DEMOGRAPHIC USE, UNLESS IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED YET, I THINK MR. MERRIAM'S COMMENT REALLY SHOULD BE A FOOTNOTE TO THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE, AND THAT ANY KIND OF REPORT THE HIKING POPULATION ON BOTH A HIKER AND A BICYCLIST, BUT PRIMARILY HIKER REALLY IS NOT REALLY IN A WAY COVERED EXCEPT THROUGH GUIDED WALKS, WHICH, FRANKLY, VERY FEW OF US DO. YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO HIT THE OPEN ROAD, AND THAT'S LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEKEND.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT THE REPORT, IF THAT DATA IS NOT AVAILABLE, THAT BE INCLUDED, A FOOTNOTE ON THAT SLIDE, SO THAT WE DO HAVE A SENSE THAT THERE'S A HIKING POPULATION, PARTICULARLY REGARDING GUIDANCE, AND THIS IS A SECOND QUICK POINT. I NOTICED THERE WAS, I THINK, IN THE PAST, QUESTIONS OR PEOPLE THAT WOULD COMMENT ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE DISTRICT, AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF WANTS.

I KNOW THINGS LIKE WELL DIFFERENT THINGS HAVE COME UP BOARD MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED, AND WE'VE BROUGHT TO YOU SOME OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE TRAILS.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS A LARGE HIKING POPULATION WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

SO WE HOPE IN FUTURE REPORTS THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED, AND ALSO THAT THE HIKING POPULATION WOULD BE NOTED AS A LARGE GROUP IF THE DATA IS NOT GOING TO BE PROVIDED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PRESIDENT.

OKAY. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD AT THIS POINT? YEAH. GO AHEAD. I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE COMMENTS, LIKE I SAID, WE DID RAISE THESE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT THE PUBLIC JUST MENTIONED, THAT THE SURVEY LOOKING MORE AT THE ACTUAL USE AS WELL AS JUST THE PROGRAMS. BUT I THINK OVERALL FOR ME, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE DISTRICT PLAN, NOT ONLY IS THIS GOOD FOR MAKING SURE WE'RE REACHING OUT TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THE DISTRICT PLAN INSTITUTIONALIZES SOME POLICIES TO FIX IT. IN MY WARD TWO IN PARTICULAR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IS THAT OAKLAND IN PARTICULAR HAS AN API COMMUNITY THAT IS A PLURALITY, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR PARKS REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.

SO THE, THE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT POPS OUT HERE ON THE MANDARIN SPEAKING COMMUNITY TO ME SHOWS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEM TO THE DISTRICT, PLAN MEETINGS AND TO GET THAT INTO THE POLICY GOING FORWARD.

THE SAME WITH SENIOR PROGRAMS AND THE SAME WITH TRANSPORTATION, AND I DID KIND OF DIG INTO THE DATA AND FELT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON EQUESTRIAN AWARENESS, BUT I THINK IT'S, AGAIN, BREAKING OUT WHAT WAS A PROGRAM VERSUS WHO'S USING THE PARK.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE DISCONNECT THERE.

I JUST SEE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN IN THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS.

[02:05:02]

I DO THINK THAT THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS I DON'T GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO FIND IT, I GOOGLE IT. SO OUR OUR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK TEAM, ON THEIR SEO, ON THEIR SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, IS DOING A GREAT JOB BECAUSE I CAN GO TO I WILL GO TO GOOGLE TO FIND WHAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT IF I GO TO OUR WEBSITE, I CAN'T FIND IT. SO I DO THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR WEBSITE INTERFACE, USABILITY AND IT'S OWN SEARCH ABILITY SO THAT WE GET SOME MORE GOOD PUBLIC USE AND KNOWLEDGE AND OUTREACH IN ALL OF THESE, THESE AREAS, AND PARTICULARLY I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE SURVEYS.

THIS FOR ME, THE MANDARIN SPEAKING PIECE IS IS A BIG IMPORTANT PART FOR ME WITH OAKLAND HAVING SO MANY RESIDENTS THAT WE REPRESENT AND GETTING THEM TO THE TABLE IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FOR ME AND FOR US, FOR OUR FOR THAT COMMUNITY.

YEAH. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN, I THINK THIS IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE THIS DATA AND THAT IT'S BEING SHARED WITH THAT EFFORT.

I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF MENTIONING THIS AT THE BEGINNING, BUT JUST TO CONTINUE TO HOW EACH SURVEY IS GOING TO BE KIND OF A DIFFERENT SEGMENT.

SO THIS ONE WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON PROGRAMING AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.

THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL OF OUR PARK USERS, RIGHT.

SO AS JIM HANSON MENTIONED, AND THANK YOU, JIM, FOR MENTIONING THIS.

YOU KNOW, WITH HIKERS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUITE A LARGE HIKER POPULATION THAT MAYBE TYPICALLY ISN'T AS INVOLVED IN OUR PROGRAMING ACTIVITIES.

ALSO, WE HAVE A LOT OF PARK USERS COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AS WELL, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM THOSE PARK USERS WHO MIGHT BE COMING FROM SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OR SANTA CLARA COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND SO THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE PARKS ARE ALSO NOT REFLECTED IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM FOCUSED SURVEY, AND THEN, AS YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THIS OR MENTION THIS AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, WITH THE VOTER SURVEY, CERTAINLY NOT ALL MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE VOTERS, AND SO IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, AND HOW THEY'RE USING THE PARKS, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE A VOTER.

THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS ALSO IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK WHEN WE START TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN SOME SORT OF REPORT, WHICH WE DO HAVE THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN COMING UP.

BUT JUST IN GENERAL, AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT FEEDBACK, JUST TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEGMENTS.

THANK YOU, AND IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE WE PROVIDED THE LAST THREE YEARS OF COMMUNITY SURVEYS THAT WERE REPRESENTATIVE EAST BAY POPULATIONS TO THE DISTRICT PLAN CONSULTANTS, AND EACH SURVEY HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PROGRAM FOCUS.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THIS ONE INFORMING, BUT WE HAVE A MULTI-YEAR INFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR THEM, AND I GUESS THE OTHER POINT I'LL MAKE, I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ATTEND OUR PROGRAMS WHO DO NOT LIVE IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THIS IS A LOT OF A LOT OF REALLY GREAT INFORMATION. A LOT OF INSIGHTS CAN BE GAINED FROM THIS.

I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I'M THE ONE WHO CAN GAIN THOSE INSIGHTS.

SO I REALLY LOOK FOR YOU FOLKS AND DAVID OVER THERE TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, SAY, WHAT ARE THE CONCLUSIONS? WHAT ARE THE TRENDS? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I CAN I CAN MAKE MY OWN LIMITED BASED ON MY BIASES AND MY EXPERIENCES, BUT , I MEAN, THERE'S A BROADER THING, YOU KNOW, CAN WE BOIL IT DOWN TO TEN POINTS? YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.

I LOVE DATA A LOT, AND IT'S, IT'S ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL TO LOOK AT IT.

I JUST WANT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF IT THAT I CAN.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WOULD, LOOK FOR, AND THEN THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE TRANSIT STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN I CAN TELL YOU THAT BASED ON SOME CONVERSATIONS I'VE BEEN HAVING INFORMALLY WITH THE DIRECTOR AND I GUESS THE GENERAL MANAGER

[02:10:01]

THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT THE BUSSES CAN GET PEOPLE TO THE HIKES AND MAKE POINT TO POINT HIKES WITH A BUS RIDE BACK.

THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I WAS SUGGESTING TO THEM.

I THINK THEY'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING, BUT I'M NOT SURE WITH WITH WHO YET, BUT I THINK THAT'S A LOT THAT'S A HUGE BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO PAY ATTENTION TO TRANSIT MIGHT BE NOT PAYING SO MUCH ATTENTION TO GOING ON A HIKE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WOULD DO IT, BUT IF WE COULD COME UP WITH SOME, SOME SCENARIOS LIKE HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE BUS TO ALAMO, WALKED ON THE LAS TRAMPAS DOWN TO DUBLIN AND TAKE THE BUS.

I MEAN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT BECAUSE I DID ALSO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN THIS SURVEY.

I DID NOTICE THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT, AND I THINK WE DO TOO.

SO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE OR ANYTHING ON THAT, BUT THANK YOU TO ALL AND ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS.

THANKS. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY

[PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION]

I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. HELLO? MIND GIVING US, LIKE, TEN MINUTES FOR A FOR A QUICK BREAK, WE'VE BEEN GOING HERE FOR OVER TWO HOURS, SO YEAH. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LET'S COME BACK AT FOUR.

I'M NOT GOING TO REREAD THE TITLE, BUT I WILL JUST JUST SAY THAT THIS IS AN ITEM REGARDING SPECIALTY ON CALL FUELS REDUCTION SERVICES. SO TAKE IT AWAY.

THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON PRESIDENT MERCURIO.

GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT MERCURIO AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MY NAME IS KHARI HELAE I'M THE ACTING FIRE CHIEF, AND I'M PRESENTING HERE TODAY WITH THE ACTING ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF PATRICK MCINTYRE, AND YES, TODAY WE'RE HERE TO REQUEST APPROVAL FOR AN INCREASE FOR OUR ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT SERVICES.

SO OUR STORY BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024, WHERE THE BOARD APPROVED FIVE CONTRACTORS FOR $600,000 EACH FOR ON CALL CONTRACTING SPECIALIST SERVICES.

THE CONTRACTORS ARE COMMUNITY TREE EXPERT T REE MOUNTAIN ENTERPRISE.

THE PROFESSIONAL TREE CARE COMPANY AND SKYVIEW TREES SERVICE OR EXCUSE ME, SKYVIEW TREE EXPERTS.

THESE CONTRACTORS IN THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO WORK EFFICIENTLY, GETTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FIELD WORK DONE IN ONE GIVEN YEAR.

HERE'S WHERE THIS STORY GETS INTERESTING AND VERY EXCITING.

SO TODAY WE ARE WE'RE SEEKING AN INCREASE TO DOUBLE OUR CAPACITY OF OUR ON CALL CONTRACT SPECIALTY SERVICES.

SO FROM $600,000 PER CONTRACTOR TO $1.2 MILLION PER CONTRACTOR FOR A TOTAL OF $6 MILLION IN A IN ONE ANNUAL YEAR, AND FOR THE THREE YEARS OF THE CONTRACT, IT WOULD BE A COMBINED OF $18 MILLION A YEAR.

WHY IS THIS INTERESTING AND EXCITING? LET ME EXPLAIN THE WHY.

SO WE HAVE DELIBERATELY APPLIED FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GRANTS.

CLEAR DIRECTION TO PUT US IN A POSITION TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FUNDING TO IMPACT THE PUBLIC IN A POSITIVE WAY.

LITERALLY $32 MILLION OF GRANT APPLICATIONS HAS BEEN DIRECTED BY OUR DEPARTMENT SO THAT WE CAN BE IN THIS POSITION THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.

[02:15:08]

A LOT OF HOURS PUT IN BY NOT JUST OUR TEAM, BUT GRANTS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TO GET US IN THIS POSITION.

SO IN SEPTEMBER 3RD OF 24 DURING THAT TIME, OUR BUDGET WAS ROUGHLY $3.2 MILLION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GENERAL FUND. WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL $4.5 MILLION FROM CAL RECYCLE, WHICH WAS THE DIRECT FUNDING FROM THE CAL RECYCLE.

IT'S NOT A GRANT, BUT DIRECT FUNDING, AND WE ALSO HAD $700,000 IN MEASURE FF, AND AT THAT TIME WE HAD ROUGHLY ABOUT $559,000 FROM OUR CAL FIRE GRIZZLY PEAK GRANT, WHICH IS A COLLABORATIVE GRANT WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES INCLUDING EAST BAY MUD, UC BERKELEY AND BERKELEY FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I SAID THAT WE HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY.

SO WHEN YOU APPLY FOR GRANTS, IT'S DEFINITELY A NUMBERS GAME, AND WHEN YOU ALLOW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GRANTS TO BE APPLIED, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF WHAT GRANTS ARE GOING TO BE AWARDED AND HOW QUICKLY OR HOW MANY WILL COME IN AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

SO WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. SO IF WE DID RECEIVE TOO MANY GRANTS PAST OUR CURRENT CAPACITY THAT WE COULD PUT IN MOTION, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF YOU, WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

SO IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, WE RECEIVED A LITTLE OVER $8 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING, MAJORITY OF IT FROM FEMA.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY WHY FEMA SENT US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GRANTS AT ONCE, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I'LL LET YOU ALL FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT STORY IS BEHIND THAT, BUT REGARDLESS, WE ARE THE LUCKY RECIPIENTS OF THOSE GRANTS, AND THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER $2.5 MILLION IN DIRECT FUNDING FROM THE DISTRICT.

THERE'S A TOTAL OF A LITTLE UNDER $11 MILLION OF FUNDING IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE TO IMPACT MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO FUELS MITIGATION, NOT JUST ADJACENT TO THEIR HOMES, BUT ALSO TO MAKE OUR LAND FIRE RESILIENT.

THERE IS NO OTHER AGENCY WHO IS IN A POSITION THAT WE ARE HERE, AND THAT WAS NOT BECAUSE WE STUMBLED ACROSS IT.

IT WAS DELIBERATE DIRECTION AND A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM OUR TEAM.

SO WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP IS PART OF THE PLAN THAT WE WANT TO PUT IN MOTION, BECAUSE WE DID RECEIVE TOO MANY, TOO MUCH MONEY AT ONCE. WE WERE GOING TO COME BACK TO OUR BOARD TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF OUR ON CALL CONTRACT SPECIALTY SERVICES, AND THE REASON WHY IT ALLOWS US TO BE NIMBLE AND EFFICIENT WITH A SMALL DEPARTMENT.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS PROCESS, IT WOULD TAKE US TWO TO THREE MONTHS PER RFP TO GET THIS WORK DONE.

INSTEAD, IT CAN TAKE US TO THE THREE DAYS TO GET A CONTRACTOR ON SITE SO WE CAN IMMEDIATELY GET THIS WORK DONE.

THESE GRANTS HAVE A SUNSET OR AN END DATE ROUGHLY ABOUT 2.5 YEARS.

IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, A LOT OF WORK TO GET DONE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

SO THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS DONE, ALONG WITH SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN MOTION, BUT THIS IS PART OF IT. I'M NOW GOING TO PASS TO ACTING ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF PATRICK MCINTYRE, WHO'S GOING TO GO INTO SOME FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT.

THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO PRESENT ON THIS THIS TOPIC.

SO OUR ON CALL FUELS MANAGEMENT SPECIALTY CONTRACTS BRING WITH THEM SPECIAL CAPABILITIES THAT WE DON'T ULTIMATELY HAVE IN-HOUSE TO DO SOME OF THIS WORK, AND THEY HELP US TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THROUGH AND CARRY OUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FUELS PLAN THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING OFF OF FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AS WELL AS THE CALIFORNIA VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM, PROJECT EIR, THAT WE RECENTLY PUT IN TO PLACE FOR A LARGE AREA WITHIN THE EAST BAY HILLS.

THOSE AREAS ARE WITHIN PROXIMITY TO HOMES WITHIN 200FT OF HOMES.

[02:20:05]

SOME EUCALYPTUS STANDS, EUCALYPTUS FORESTS AS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN, BUT SOME OF THOSE IN AREAS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO GET TO.

A LOT OF TIMES VERY COMPLEX, HIGH COMPLEXITY WORK THAT REQUIRES THE CAPABILITIES OF THESE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE, REMOVE THE TREES PROCESS THAT MATERIAL AND DO IT IN A SAFE FASHION AND FORM AS WELL, TOO, WHILE STILL PROTECTING OUR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE AREAS THAT THEY ARE DOING THE WORK.

WE ALSO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE THEM FOR WORK ON THE STRATEGIC FIRE ACCESS ROUTES AND TO KEEP THOSE OPEN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EMERGENCY ACCESS AT ALL TIMES THROUGH SOME OF THESE STRATEGIC FIRE ACCESS ROUTES, SOME OF WHICH ARE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GO INTO SOME OF THE PARKS, THOSE STRATEGIC FIRE ACCESS ROUTES ARE ACTUALLY OUR ROAD SYSTEM, WHICH MAY REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC CONTROL OR SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR DISTRICT FACILITIES, WE'VE ALSO USED THEM AT TIMES TO DO WORK IN AND AROUND THE DISTRICT FACILITIES WHERE THERE'S LARGER TREES THAT WE CAN'T JUST RUN REGULAR, SIMPLE CONTRACTS, OR IT MIGHT BE OF AN EMERGENCY TYPE SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO REALLY GET THOSE TREES OUT IN A MORE RAPID FASHION TO HELP TO GET DEFENSIBLE SPACE IN AROUND SOME OF THE STRUCTURES UP IN OUR IN OUR PARKS AS WELL TOO.

I DO WANT TO SAY AS WELL TOO, THAT THESE CONTRACTORS WORK PRIMARILY WITH OUR FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATORS.

AS YOU ALL ALL KNOW, WE HAVE FOUR FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATORS THAT REALLY ARE OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING THESE CONTRACTS, AND THEY HELP TO ORGANIZE AND KEEP THIS ALL MOVING ALONG.

SO THEY HAVE PLAYED A LARGE PART IN THIS, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON SITE DAY TO DAY OUT, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, HELPING TO PLAN THE PROJECTS FROM INCEPTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO COMPLETION AND THEY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THESE CONTRACTORS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE IMPLEMENTED AND A CONSISTENT FORM AND FASHION WITH OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN AND OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR PERMITTING, ALONG WITH THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE PUT AHEAD OF US OR PUT FORWARD FOR US IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING OUR THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WITH THESE CONTRACTORS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, ANY AVOIDANCE OR MITIGATION MEASURES THAT MIGHT BE IN PLACE, AND NOW, AS WE KIND OF MOVE INTO THE CALIFORNIA VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM, ANY PROJECT SPECIFIC OR SPR SPECIFIC PROJECT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR THESE DIFFERENT VEGETATION TYPES THAT WE DO CARRY OUR WORK OUT IN.

THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING SIDE BY SIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT AS WELL TOO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD COMPLIANCE WITH THESE CONTRACTORS WORKING THROUGH THESE AREAS. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.

SO SO WE CALL THIS CATEGORY A IN THE OVERALL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR IN THE OVERALL CONTRACT, WHICH IS CATEGORIZED IN THAT WAY IS OUR BOROUGH CULTURAL HIGH VOLUME TREE REMOVAL.

SO THESE CONTRACTORS CAN DO VERY SPECIALIZED WORK, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AT TIMES REQUIRES AS IT'S PHOTOED HERE, YOU KNOW, LARGE CRANES, TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE WORK HERE, YOU SEE, AND YOU'LL SEE IN SOME OF THE OTHER SLIDES IS STUFF THAT'S DONE ALONG ROADSIDES AND ROADWAYS WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT WITH THESE SPECIALIZED PIECES OF EQUIPMENT WHERE THEY CAN MINIMIZE THEIR DISTURBANCE ON THE GROUND, LIKE THE GROUND DISTURBANCE, AS WELL AS THEY'RE ABLE TO REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, DO THE WORK IN A, IN A WAY, IN A FORM AND FASHION THAT IS FAR SAFER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW, A LOT OF ROADSIDE WORK, THERE'S POWER LINES THAT RUN ALONG A LOT OF THE ROADS AND THE ROADS THROUGHOUT OUR PARKS, SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY PERFORM THE WORK IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ISN'T GOING TO JEOPARDIZE ANY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS THEY CAN CARRY IT OUT IN A SAFE MANNER.

A LOT OF THE WORK THEY DO IS THE, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION OF LADDER FUELS, SURFACE FUELS.

THE WHOLE RFP IS BUILT IN A WAY THAT WE HAVE THEM BUILT IN, ALL THE TASKS BUILT INTO THAT THE, THE CONTRACTS. SO WE CAN GET VERY SPECIFIC, AND AS I MENTIONED, THE FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATORS WILL GO THROUGH AN INVENTORY EVERYTHING.

MARK WHAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. MARK WHAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE REMOVED.

WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR BIO MONITORS AND STEWARDSHIP FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SENSITIVE RESOURCES OR SPECIES ARE BEING PROTECTED, AS WELL AS ANY AREAS THAT ARE YOU KNOW, DO NOT ENTER SLASH, YOU KNOW, AVOIDANCE ZONES OR, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CONTRACTORS ARE KEPT OUT OF THOSE OR WE, YOU KNOW, PRACTICE YOU KNOW, THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GIVEN THE VEGETATION TYPE.

[02:25:05]

SO OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE FIGURED THIS TO BE A VERY WELL PAIRED DYNAMIC THAT ACTUALLY BENEFITS BOTH THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS WE'RE ABLE TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVES. OKAY. SO HERE ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE LARGEST THINGS THAT I KIND OF DO AS FAR AS MY ROLE, IS TO HELP KEEP THE WORK PLAN GOING WITH, WITH CHIEF AND WITH THE FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATORS, AND THAT IN TURN, REALLY MOVES THINGS ALONG AND HELPS TO KEEP US ON TRACK TO MEET THESE OBJECTIVES THAT WE SET FOR OURSELVES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, MULTIYEAR BASIS, AS WELL AS TO BE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME AND MEET THE TIMELINES AND DEADLINES WITH THESE GRANTS. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE 11 DIFFERENT PARKS THAT WE HAVE FUELS TREATMENT PLANS.

FUELS TREATMENT WORK PLANNED IN OVER THE COMING YEAR, AND THAT'S REALLY GOING TO ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND AS WE KIND OF KEEP MOVING THROUGH THESE GRANTS, BUT PRIMARILY IN THE AREAS WHERE WE DO HAVE OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN IN PLACE, AS WELL AS THE CALIFORNIA VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S THESE DIFFERENT PARKS LINED OUT, ALL 11 OF THEM. THERE ARE MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THESE PARKS FOR THE MOST PART AND PRIMARILY ALL INITIAL TREATMENT WORK IS WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE GRANTS, FEMA REALLY DOES FUND THE INITIAL TREATMENT WORK, AND THEN WE REALLY HAVE TO CARRY THINGS ALONG AND DO THE MAINTENANCE AND END OF THINGS.

AND AS CHIEF MENTIONED AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THEY, THEY DO COME WITH WE CAN, WE CAN KIND OF MOBILIZE THEM KIND OF RAPIDLY FOR THESE PROJECTS. SOMETIMES THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT COME UP IN THESE RECOMMENDED TREATMENT AREAS THAT KIND OF COME ON US PRETTY QUICK, AND MAYBE WE WEREN'T AWARE OF IT. OR, YOU KNOW, A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC LETS US KNOW THAT SOMETHING TOOK PLACE OR THE PARK OPERATIONS MIGHT LET US KNOW. WE CAN ACTUALLY MOBILIZE THESE CREWS AT TIMES VERY QUICK TO REALLY JUST KIND OF HANDLE SOME OF THE FUELS MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AT HAND.

SO HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WORK THAT WAS COMPLETED LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK STRATEGIC RIDGELINE FUEL BREAK PROJECT THAT IS PART OF THE CAL FIRE, THE CAL FIRE PREVENTION GRANT, THE COLLABORATIVE GRANT.

SO AS YOU SEE HERE, THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE'LL HAVE THEM DO AND IN THE PICTURE TO THE LEFT.

YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL THERE'S POWER LINES RUNNING THROUGH THAT SECTION REALLY.

SO AS FAR AS THIS WORK, IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, HIGH PRIORITY FOR US, AND THIS IS PART OF THE WHOLE IDEA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OPEN UP THAT ROAD SYSTEM UP UNTIL THEN, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD EGRESS EVACUATION ROUTES.

THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE BENEFITS TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING OUR FIRE, OUR, OUR ROAD SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE FIRE STARTS HAPPEN AS WELL TOO OR OCCUR. SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GO IN THERE AND DO THIS WORK WITH VERY MINIMAL IMPACT, UTILIZING THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY RUN THE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT CALLED GRAPPLE TRUCKS, THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY REACH OVER AND JUST GRAB THE MATERIAL, GRAB THE TREE, AND THEN JUST KIND OF TAKE IT AND MOVE IT OFF OFF TO THE SIDE AND, AND PROCESS IT AS WELL AS WE HAVE IT BUILT IN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM PROVIDE TRAFFIC CONTROLS AS THEY'RE DOING THIS.

SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEIR TRAFFIC CONTROLS IN PLACE AND THEY DO A GOOD JOB AT IT.

THIS IS THE KIND OF WORK THEY DO ON YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY, AND I REALLY DO HAVE TO SAY, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY WORK WITH THESE CONTRACTORS, IMPROVE THEIR CAPABILITIES AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF FUELS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM REALLY WEREN'T IN THIS TYPE OF WORK PRIOR.

AND WE'VE REALLY USED OUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE AS AN AGENCY TO HELP TO KIND OF BUILD THEIR CAPACITIES, THEIR ABILITIES, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY STARTING TO BENEFIT THE OVERALL REGION IN A WAY, BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF WORK JUST KEEPS ON EXPANDING.

THE NEED FOR IT IS VERY WELL KNOWN AS WE'RE ALL VERY WELL AWARE, AND HERE YOU HAVE A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE.

THIS IS AT A LOCATION THAT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL UP IN THE OAKLAND HILLS.

THE AREA HAD NOT YET EVER HAD ANY FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK AS FAR AS WE WERE AWARE OF, AND THIS WAS ONE OF OUR FINAL KIND OF FEMA GRANT PROJECTS FROM OUR PREVIOUS FEMA GRANT.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A LARGE AMOUNT OF VEGETATION LADDER FUELS THE CONTINUITIES THERE,

[02:30:06]

SO THIS HERE AREA REALLY DOES SHOW EXACTLY WHAT WHAT THEY CAN DO, AND THEN IS REALLY KIND OF INTERESTING TO GO AND LOOK AT THIS AREA AFTER, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE THIS WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED, AND , YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS KIND OF FAIRLY, FAIRLY CLEAR AND OPEN IN THIS PHOTO, BUT IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK UP THERE NOW, YOU'D SEE THAT A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT VEGETATION IS ACTUALLY BOUNCING BACK UP AND IN AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HAS A SURFACE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S SURFACE FUELS. THERE'S A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT NATIVES THAT WE LIKE TO PROTECT OR THAT WE LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE, YOU KNOW, THRIVE IN A LOT LESS NATIVE NON-NATIVE WEEDS AS WELL TOO, IN THERE.

SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO THE TREATMENT WORK AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS DIFFERENT TREES THAT WE NEED TO LEAVE OR WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, AVOID, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTRACTORS ARE WELL AWARE AND WE USE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION METHODS WITH THEM, LIKE FLAGGING THE TREES OR PAINTING THE TREES AND ALL THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY STAFF'S BEEN UP THERE JUST RECENTLY AND THEY SAID THAT NOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, HEUCHERA COMING IN COFFEEBERRY WE HAVE BLACKBERRY, SWORD, FERNS, COW PARSNIPS, THERE'S BUNCH GRASSES, BUSH MONKEY FLOWER, AND IT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE OVER THERE ON THE BEFORE PICTURE.

BUT NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TREATMENT THERE'S SOME DISTURBANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, TAKES PLACE, AND NOW IT'S BOUNCED BACK UP AND IN.

SO AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'LL BE GOING BACK AND INTO THAT AREA OVER TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE NOXIOUS WEEDS THAT WE DO END UP WITH IN THESE AREAS, THEY'RE ALREADY PRESENT PRIOR TO OUR GOING IN AND DOING WORK IN THERE, AND THEN WE GO BACK AND WE MONITOR WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP FOLKS, POST ASSESSMENT REPORTS, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, RECOVERING WHATNOT AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE STILL MAINTAINED, A LOW FIRE HAZARD, LOW FIRE RISK, BECAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS IN THESE AREAS.

AND JUST ONE MORE OF A ROADSIDE EXAMPLE HERE THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF THE STRATEGIC ACCESS ROUTES, AND , YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE OF THE AREAS THAT REALLY GIVES AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE CONTRACTORS CAN DO AROUND POWER LINES, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ACTUALLY DO WORK AROUND POWER LINES OR AROUND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL, TOO, AND IT'S A SAFE METHOD, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING TO PUT OUR STAFF OUT IN SOME OF THESE, THESE SITUATIONS AS WELL TOO.

SO, AND I BELIEVE THAT SETTLES. LAST SLIDE. THANK YOU.

SO WE STARTED THE PRESENTATION TALKING ABOUT OUR STORY STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024, AND THIS IS JUST ONE CHAPTER. LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE DELIBERATE ACTION TO GET US IN THIS POSITION, TO HAVE FUNDING TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES IN A POSITIVE WAY.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE ARE TRYING TO WIN WINNING DEFINED AS WHO CAN PROVIDE THE MOST FUNDING AND WORK TO PROTECT OUR ADJACENT COMMUNITIES AND MAKE OUR LAND FIRE RESILIENT. FOR US TO DO THAT, WE ARE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL TO PUT THIS PLAN IN PLACE, WHICH IS INCREASING OUR ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT SERVICES $1.2 MILLION PER CONTRACTOR, A TOTAL OF FIVE CONTRACTORS FOR $6 MILLION IN ONE YEAR, A TOTAL OF $18 MILLION IN ONE YEAR.

READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS? AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. GOOD.

GOOD. I LIKE THAT APPROACH. IT SHOWS US EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHY IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND ALL THAT.

SO APPRECIATE THAT. SO AT THIS POINT, WE CAN DO QUESTIONS TO THE.

YEAH. GO AHEAD. YEAH. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT GRANTS AND SEQUENCING AND FUNDING.

SO I SEE THAT SO WE MENTIONED THAT WE ACCEPTED $8.1 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AND WE RECEIVED THOSE THAT AMOUNT.

SO WE HAVE THAT NOW SO WE'RE NOT WAITING ON ANY PORTION OF THAT $8.1 MILLION, IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE RECEIVED AWARD LETTERS, AND IN SOME OF THOSE, NO, ALL THOSE GRANTS, BECAUSE WE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED THE APPROVAL FOR THE

[02:35:09]

YEAH. YES, WE'VE FOR ALL THOSE GRANTS, WE'VE BEEN THEY'VE ALL BEEN OBLIGATED TO US, AND SOME OF THEM ARE REIMBURSEMENT.

THEY COME BACK TO US. SO WE INVOICE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS BASED ON OUR PROGRESS.

OKAY, AND THEN SO THE ANNUAL MAXIMUM IS $6 MILLION, BUT THE COMBINED MAXIMUM OVER THREE YEARS IS $18 MILLION.

SO THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE $18 AND THE $8 MILLION IS THAT COMING FROM OTHER GRANTS THAT WE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED? I KNOW WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF GRANTS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR ARE WE HOPING TO MAYBE POTENTIALLY GET ADDITIONAL GRANTS IN YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE THAT MIGHT COVER THAT APPROXIMATELY WHAT, $12 MILLION DIFFERENCE? YEAH. SO WE EARLIER WE TALKED ABOUT THE APPROVAL ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024. WE HAD ROUGHLY ABOUT $8 MILLION OF FUNDING, VARIOUS SOURCES, AND THEN THE LAST THREE MONTHS RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $8 MILLION, AND WITH THE DISTRICT MATCH ANOTHER $2 MILLION THERE WITH A TOTAL UNDER $11 MILLION.

SO BECAUSE OF THAT INFLUX OF FUNDING, WE NEED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE USE OF ALL THAT FUNDING WITHIN THE TWO AND A HALF YEAR TIMELINE SO THAT WE DON'T LEAVE ONE SINGLE DOLLAR ON THE TABLE AND HAVE TO GIVE IT BACK.

NOW, WE OVERALL HAD APPROVED FOR OR APPLIED FOR $32 MILLION OF GRANTS.

I'M NOT GOING TO DO THE MATH RIGHT NOW OF WHAT WE RECEIVED TODAY, BUT WE STILL HAVE GRANTS THAT COULD SHOW UP, RIGHT? WE I WAS TALKING TO KATIE DICKMAN AND FEMA.

THERE WAS ANOTHER FEMA GRANT OUT THERE, AND THEY HAD CONTACTED THE DISTRICT ABOUT SOME QUESTIONS, AND TYPICALLY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT MEANS THAT THERE'S ANOTHER AWARD COMING.

SO FOR US, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN.

SO IF WE DO HAVE THIS RARE SITUATION WHERE TOO MUCH FUNDING IS RECEIVED AT ONCE, THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE WOULD PUT IN MOTION TO INCREASE OUR ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT, SO WE CAN GET THIS FUNDING TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND NOT LEAVE $1 ON THE TABLE.

YES, BUT IF WE DON'T GET ANY OTHER GRANTS, ARE WE LOOKING AT $10 MILLION THEN THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE UP IF WE APPROVE THIS TODAY? OH, THERE'S A SO THERE'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SLIDE THAT I PROBABLY DIDN'T SPEAK TO.

SO THESE CONTRACTORS, WE CAN SPEND $0 WITH THEM.

I DID SEE THAT. YEAH. OR $1.2 MILLION WITH THEM.

SO THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THIS THIS TOOL THAT WE'VE CREATED FOR OURSELVES.

THERE IS NO COMMITMENT. IT'S TRULY BASED OFF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, AND IF WE GET OURSELVES IN A LESS FORTUNATE POSITION WHERE WE HAVE AN INFLUX OF FUNDING, WE CAN ADAPT AND PUT THAT FUNDING TO WORK, AND IF WE'RE IN A MODEST YEAR AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS THAT WOULD PUT US IN CONTRACT WITH NEEDING TO PAY CONTRACTORS FOR SERVICES.

OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE. THAT'S MORE OR LESS MY QUESTION, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE SO I SEE THAT THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE EAST BAY HILLS AREA WHERE WE DO HAVE A NEED IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, A LARGE NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, TREES THAT ARE DEAD THAT, THAT NEED THIS TYPE OF WORK.

WHEREAS SOME OF THE OTHER PARKS THAT ARE NOT IN THE EAST BAY HILLS AREA TEND TO BE MORE RANGELAND, WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE MORE GRAZING PROGRAMS. IS THERE A NEED THOUGH, HOWEVER, FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK OUTSIDE OF THE EAST BAY HILLS? OR ARE WE COULD WE POTENTIALLY BE USING THIS SERVICE OUTSIDE OF THAT REGION? YES, WE CAN USE THE SERVICE DOESN'T PREVENT US FROM USING IT ANYWHERE IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.

THE INCREASE IN ON CALL SPECIALTY CONTRACT THOUGH IS IS FOR THE WE HAD TO DO IT FOR THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED, AND THOSE GRANTS ARE IN PARTICULAR PARKS, ANTHONY, SHALLOW LAKE, TILDEN, CLAREMONT CANYON, WILDCAT CANYON, OFF TOP OF MY HEAD, AND SO WE PLAN TO DO WORK IN THOSE AREAS, AND THE REASON THOSE PARKS ARE JUST TARGETED, JUST FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW OUR OUR FUELS PLAN TARGETED THOSE AREAS, AND WE HAVE NEPA AND CEQA CLEARANCE IN THOSE AREAS,

[02:40:01]

WE ARE ONE OF THE RARE AGENCIES THAT HAVE NEPA PERMITTING TO BE ABLE TO APPLY AND RECEIVE FEMA GRANT APPLICATIONS, AND THE REASON WHY THOSE RIDGELINE PARKS IS BECAUSE THOSE PARKS ALIGN, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE DIABLO WINDS, AND THAT'S WHY HISTORICALLY, THERE ARE MAJOR DEVASTATING FIRES THAT HAPPEN EVER SINCE THE 1800S IN THOSE AREAS.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE OUR WORK FOCUSED IN THOSE AREAS FREQUENTLY.

THEN I GUESS I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY PUBLISHING A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT.

I THINK WE'VE RECEIVED ONE FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR LIFEGUARD DEPARTMENT, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S STILL IN PROGRESS, AND THEN MORE SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW WITH THE RELEASE OF THE MAPS FROM CAL FIRE IN REGARDS TO THE LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREAS, THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS DOING ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, AND I THINK THIS THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE EAST BAY HILLS IS SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S SO INCREDIBLE, BUT THERE IS SO MANY OTHER GREAT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE DISTRICT. I KNOW I BRIEFLY MENTIONED WITHIN A LOT OF OUR RANGE LANDS, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD GRAZING PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I THINK THAT 'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IN THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING STILL BEING WORKED ON AND SOMETHING WE MIGHT SEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'LL BE REALLY HELPFUL AS THERE'S ALL THIS CONVERSATION IN REGARDS TO THE CAL FIRE LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBILITY AREA MAPS.

THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT. I'LL ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION FIRST ABOUT THE ANNUAL REPORT.

SO WE HAVE FINISHED OUR ANNUAL REPORT AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IN TALKS WITH OUR CONTRACTOR, FIGURING OUT WE'RE ACTUALLY WAITING FOR A PROOF OF THE FIRST PRINTED COPY SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, AND THEN WE WILL BE ON THE CALENDAR EVENTUALLY TO PRESENT TO ALL OF YOU THE WONDERFUL WORK OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING.

THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION WAS JUST ABOUT DISTRICT-WIDE WORK, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE'RE PRESENTING ABOUT FUELS MANAGEMENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S DOING, BUT FUELS MANAGEMENT IS HAPPENING THROUGH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS IN THE DISTRICT, FROM PARK OPERATIONS TO STEWARDSHIP, ROADS AND TRAILS. ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT, AND SO AT SOME POINT, I'M SURE WE'LL BE IN FRONT OF YOU PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY'S WORK, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT.

IT'S LITERALLY ALL THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT.

YES, I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT, AND I KNOW WE KEEP ON SAYING, OH, THAT'D BE GREAT FOR THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS IS A REALLY TOP CONCERN FOR SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.

AND I GUESS I ALWAYS USE GRAZING AS THE EXAMPLE, BUT GRAZING IS SO IMPORTANT IN OUR RANGELANDS, AND I GUESS THAT'S NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERSEES, BUT IT'S STILL WITHIN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT OVERSIGHT.

SO THANK YOU. YEP. ANY OTHERS? YEAH. GO AHEAD.

OH, ARE WE ABLE? I SEE THAT THESE ARE FOR CONTRACTORS AND TO INCREASE CERTAIN TYPE OF WORK WE MIGHT NOT WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO DO OR THAT THESE CONTRACTORS HAVE INCREASED SKILL LEVEL OVER TIME FROM WORKING WITH US.

ARE WE ABLE TO USE ANY OF THE GRANT MONEY TO EITHER ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, HIRE MORE FTES OR HAVE AN ADDITIONAL YOU KNOW PARK EMPLOYEES LEAD MORE CIVIL COURTS OR CONSERVATION COURTS MEMBERS OR IN THESE CONTRACTS BUILD SKILLS OF EMPLOYEES.

SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME OF THIS WORK ON THE LONG TIME THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO MORE OF.

YEAH. SO I'LL JUMP IN ON THAT. SO THIS IS JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW OF DOING WORKING WITH OUR, OUR CONSULTANT ON KIND OF ALL THINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE ASSESSMENT, AND AS PART OF THAT THERE WILL BE, I IMAGINE, ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T SEEN THE REPORT, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND IN-HOUSE STAFFING AROUND OUR FUELS WORK.

SO WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE? I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT LIKELY YOU WILL SEE SOMETHING AS PART OF YOUR UPCOMING BUDGET.

WE DID HAVE THE BOARD APPROVE SOME PLACEHOLDERS LAST YEAR OF OF ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL FTES WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THOSE WERE MEANT TO BE PLACEHOLDERS PENDING THE OUTCOME FROM THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT.

SO I MEAN, YES, IS THE QUICK ANSWER WHERE WE'D LIKE TO GO KNOWING THIS WORK IS NOT GOING TO LET UP, IF ANYTHING, IT'S JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND EXACTLY WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.

[02:45:03]

YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR WAESPI. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST OFF CHIEF, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BEING WELL PLACED.

YOU MENTIONED LUCK BEFORE, BUT I THINK BEING WELL POSITIONED AND DOING GREAT WORK, I THINK FEMA IS HAPPY TO GIVE US GRANTS BECAUSE WE DO SUCH GREAT PRODUCE, SUCH GREAT RESULTS. I'M WONDERING, SO I GOT CONFUSED WITH ALL THE MONEY IN GRANTS.

SO YOU'RE DOUBLING DOWN. THAT'S INCREDIBLE. I'M INCREDIBLY HAPPY FOR YOU, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING, BUT IT'S STILL GOING TO BE IN THREE YEARS, RIGHT? WE'RE GOING TO COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS IN THREE YEARS.

WE'RE GOING TO COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE.

BUT I KNOW YOU CAN GET CONTRACTORS OUT THERE AND I WELL, LET ME LET ME ASK THAT QUESTION TOO.

ARE THESE FIVE CONTRACTORS WE'RE HIRING, HAVE YOU DONE WORK WITH THEM BEFORE OR HAVE THEY DONE WORK WITH US BEFORE? YES. THEY. YEAH, AND THERE'S AT LEAST ONE CONTRACTOR THAT'S NEW, AND EVERY SO OFTEN WE DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN BROADEN THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE WORK WITH, BUT MAJORITY OF THESE CONTRACTORS OR CONTRACTORS WE'VE WORKED WITH BEFORE.

GREAT. SO ARE PERMITS IN PLACE BECAUSE I ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO DOUBLE THE WORK.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT THEORETICALLY DOUBLE THE WORK FOR DOUBLE THE MONEY.

I KNOW SOME AREAS ARE HARDER TO GET TO AND MORE DIFFICULT, BUT IF WE DOUBLE THE WORK ARE PERMITS IN PLACE, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT? ARE WE GOING TO HOW'S SITE PREP GOING TO GO? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BIOLOGICAL MONITORS OUT THERE TO DO ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES INTO THAT, THE SITE, PREP EVERYTHING ELSE? AND THEN THIRDLY, WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY? I THINK I LOVE THE FACT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND I KNOW ALL MY FRIENDS AT CASTRO VALLEY FIRE PROTECTION FOLKS LOVE THAT.

I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE FREAKED OUT WHEN WE SEE HOW GOOD WE'RE DOING. I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO DO A LOT OF ALTERING OF THE NATURE OF MY TRAIL, ESSENTIALLY, AND EVERY ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS WHO CLAIMS IT'S THEIR TRAIL, TOO, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LOT, OF LOT OF ALTERING OF THE TERRAIN. ARE WE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THAT? YES, WITH ALL OF IT. ON A ON A SERIOUS NOTE, WE'RE SAY EVERYTHING'S PERMITTED.

WE'RE READY TO GO. IT'S JUST LITERALLY PUTTING THE PLAN INTO MOTION.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. IT'S ALREADY BEEN THOUGHT OUT.

WE'RE WE'RE READY. SO SORRY. AS PART OF THAT, TOO, I JUST WANT TO JUMP IN.

EXCUSE ME. IS IT REALLY CARRYING THE MESSAGE SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, FINDING OUT ABOUT IT YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SEE THE WORK OUT THERE HAPPENING. SO THERE'S A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PRE MESSAGING COMPONENT TO THIS AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT, AND IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THE CARBONISER? I MEAN I IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WORTH IT TO MAKE STEMS UP IN TILDEN PARK AND HAUL THEM TO ANTHONY CHABOT, BUT I'M BETTING A LOT OF THIS WORK IS GOING TO BE IN ANTHONY CHABOT AND LAKE CHABOT.

CAN WE IS THAT A POSSIBILITY TO USE BOTH, OR IS THAT.

YEAH. SO TOO MUCH STUFF. YEAH. SO ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE, IT'S A FEMA GRANTS, A PDM WITH THE DISTRICT MATCH, IT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION. THAT PARTICULAR GRANT, THE ONE IT SHOULD SAY ANTHONY CHABOT ON ONE OF THE SLIDES.

IF I, IF I'M CORRECT THAT ONE WE WOULD BE USING THE CARBONATOR BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY CARBONISER BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN PLACE AT ANTHONY CHABOT.

THOSE OTHER PROJECTS WILL NOT BE UTILIZING THE CARBONISER, BUT THE PROJECT ANTHONY CHABOT WILL.

EXCELLENT. OH, AND PARDON ME ONE MORE TIME. ANYTHING RELATE TO NO, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T, BUT GOATS, THAT'S A WHOLE? GOATS ARE PART OF OUR MAINTENANCE, AND AT LEAST THOUGH ONE OF THE FEMA'S.

YEAH WHY DON'T YOU TALK. YEAH, YEAH. THANK YOU CHIEF.

YEAH. VERY GOOD QUESTION, AND WE ARE BEING MORE AGGRESSIVE IN PURSUING DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT HELP US TO MAINTAIN THE AREAS THAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY TREATED.

SO THE CALIFORNIA FIRE SAFE COUNCIL HAS A GRANT PROGRAM THAT IT'S A FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ON.

THIS WILL BE OUR SECOND TIME GOING IN A TWO YEAR GRANT CYCLE WITH THEM, AND THAT IS GOING TO HELP GRAZE AN AREA DOWN IN WILDCAT CANYON, THE IN THE ALVARADO AREA IN THERE FOR TWO YEARS, ALONG WITH THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT THAT WE HAVE THAT HAS A PORTION OF IT IDENTIFIED IN THE ANTHONY CHABOT PILOT PROJECT AREA.

YOU MIGHT REMEMBER FROM A FEW YEARS AGO, BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE ENTIRETY OF THE ANTHONY CHABOT, YOU KNOW, 667 ACRES WHATNOT PROJECT WHICH WILL ALSO HELP FUND GOAT GRAZING OUT IN THAT PART OF THE PROJECT.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF REALLY TRYING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, USE OUR, OUR ALREADY EXISTING PROGRAM IN ALL THESE GREAT,

[02:50:05]

GREAT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE WITH A QUESTION? SURE. WILL THIS MONEY ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BUILD OUR CAPACITY TO PERHAPS BUY A CARBONISER TWO? I MEAN, I'VE TALKED WITH SOME FIRE DEPARTMENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE CAPACITY OF THAT EQUIPMENT, AND ALONG THAT, WOULD IT PERHAPS ALSO GIVE US A CHANCE TO FULLY REMOVE EUCALYPTUS GROVES RATHER THAN THIN THEM, WHICH I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE THAT AS A VERY AGGRESSIVE AND SCARY THREAT, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THE THINNING IS FOR LACK OF MONEY OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

WOULD IT ALSO PERHAPS ALSO BUILD CAPACITY FOR LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE SEEDING WHEN WE'RE DONE? I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THAT WHEN YOU DISTURB GROUND, THE FIRST ONES TO COME IN ARE THE EXOTIC INVASIVES TO TAKE OVER.

IF WE REALLY I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT IN SOME AREAS, NATIVES AND MAYBE EVEN CAPACITY FOR THE UNION, UNION, JOBS, UNION TRAINING, STEWARDSHIP TEAM, STEWARDSHIP, OVERSIGHT OF OF THESE JOBS, AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BUILDING CAPACITY IN THOSE AREAS I MENTIONED FOR THE WITH THIS MONEY, OR WOULD IT BE MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH LIKE THE PHOTOS YOU SHOWED? YES, A LOT OF QUESTIONS. YES IT IS. YES. NO. YES YES I'M TEASING.

SO YOUR YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT EQUIPMENT AND THE CARBONISER.

ONE OF THE GRANTS, THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT, WHICH IS AWESOME ABOUT THAT GRANT. THEY ARE A REALLY COOL GRANTOR BECAUSE YOU CAN PITCH THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT TO BE FUNDED FOR.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH THAT PARTICULAR GRANT, AND PART OF THAT PITCH WE DID WAS TO REQUEST EQUIPMENT FOR OUR FUELS CREW.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT, $600,000 OF EQUIPMENT.

THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFICIENT. SO NOW WE'LL HAVE OUR FUELS CREW, ALONG WITH THE $600,000 OF EQUIPMENT, AND THE EQUIPMENT IS GOING TO BE USED ON THE PROJECT THAT THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY FUNDED, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE IN TILDEN AT TILDEN NATURE CENTER AND AT LAKE CHABOT ON THE THANK YOU, TILDEN HILLS TRAIL, AND SO THAT'S A VERY EXCITING PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S NEW MEANING WE HAD TO DO WORK THROUGH THE CAL FTP JUST TO GET THE EXTENSION PORTION OF THAT TRAIL PERMITTED, AND NOW WE GOT THE FUNDING, AND WE'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT ALL THAT TO WORK.

THE OTHER YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMIND ME THERE'S? IS THERE AN OPTION FOR A CARBONISER TWO? THERE THERE'S AN OPTION, BUT FOR NOW, BECAUSE OF THE, THE POSITIONS REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE CARBONISER, I MEAN, THERE'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT REQUIRED.

IT'S MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO CONTRACT THAT OUT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IN THE FUTURE WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO ALL THAT IN HOUSE, AND YOU HAD ANOTHER. THERE'S A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.

MOVING VERSUS THINNING. YES. SO THAT WAS THE UNFORTUNATELY THE NO IN MY RESPONSE, AND THERE'S MORE TO IT.

SO EVEN IF WE HAD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FUNDING TO REMOVE ALL THE EUCALYPTUS, WE WOULDN'T REMOVE ALL THE EUCALYPTUS EUCALYPTUS AT ONCE, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IT WOULD INCREASE OF BRUSH.

WE WOULD JUST CREATE ANOTHER PROBLEM. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE THIN THE AREAS AND WE THIN IT SO THAT OUR TECHNIQUES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR NATIVE TREES, BAYS, OAKS THAT ARE THERE, AND THEN LONG TERM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO THIN THE EUCALYPTUS TREES, AND AS THE NATIVE TREES BECOME MORE MATURE, THEY'LL BE THE FOREST OF THE FUTURE, BUT IF YOU WERE TO GO IN AND DO ALL OF THAT AT ONCE, YOU WOULD CREATE A WHOLE NOTHER PROBLEM.

I DO REMEMBER YOUR LAST QUESTION, IT WAS ABOUT SEEDING.

ACTIVELY SEEDING. YEAH, AND WE DO THAT, AND PART OF THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY GRANT, WHERE WE DID REMOVE A LOT OF DEAD TREES FROM A FIRE OVER IN CARQUINAS. PART OF THAT PROJECT IS THAT WE'RE DOING RESTORATION WORK, PLANTING OAKS AND THE GRANTS FUNDING THAT OAK PLANTING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT PROJECT.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. JUST RESPOND.

[02:55:03]

I DID IT WITH ONE OF OUR BIOLOGISTS WHO WAS PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN THE PLANTINGS OUT THERE, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. SOMETHING YOU COULD DO.

I JUST A QUICK QUESTION. COULD YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE ON WHAT THE INITIAL ENTRY IS? I MEAN, THE PARKS HERE THAT OBVIOUSLY HAVE HAD YEARS OF FUEL MANAGEMENT GOING ON.

SO WHAT IS NEW AND DIFFERENT ABOUT THE INITIAL ENTRY INTO PRIORITY PROJECT AREAS? YEAH. SO INITIAL ENTRY. SO WE ORIGINALLY HAD FEMA FUNDING, I THINK IT WAS ROUGHLY TEN YEARS AGO, AND THAT FUNDING WE DID WORK OF INITIAL TREATMENTS THAT MEANS BRAND NEW PROJECTS HAD NOT HAD LARGE TREE REMOVAL, AND PART OF THE FEMA GRANT WHEN THE NEW FEMA GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED, THEY FUND, THEY WON'T FUND THE SAME AREAS.

THEY HAVE TO BE BRAND NEW AREAS. SO ALL THE MONEY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO FEMA, THOSE ARE NEW INITIAL TREATMENT AREAS. SO THOSE RECOMMENDED TREATMENT AREAS THERE'S RECOMMENDED TREATMENT AREAS THAT WERE FUNDED BY THE FIRST PHASE OF FEMA GRANTS, AND NOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED TREATMENT AREAS THAT FEMA FUNDED THAT ARE AREAS THAT WEREN'T TREATED PRIOR. SO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WORK IS HAPPENING IN AREAS LARGE TREE AND FUEL REMOVAL IN AREAS THAT WEREN'T PREVIOUSLY HAD WORK DONE, AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THESE GRANTS.

OKAY. THAT MAKES SENSE. I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE BRIONES AND [INAUDIBLE] ON THE LIST, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE AROUND BRIONES.

THERE'S A LOT OF POPULATION THERE, AND THE SAME OF THE MARTINEZ HILLS.

SO THOSE ARE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THEY'RE BEING TREATED MUCH AS THE EAST BAY HILLS ARE, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES.

SO THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF GETTING ANOTHER CARBONISER UP A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH, OR IS THAT NOT NOT NOT ENOUGH ECONOMY OF SCALE TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE OR? OH, IT'S POSSIBLE. IT'S I THINK IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS.

I MEAN, IF YOU REMEMBER THE, THE JOURNEY WE STARTED WITH AN 80 ACRE PILOT.

WE WEREN'T EVEN SURE IF THIS WAS EVEN GOING TO WORK, AND IT DID WORK, AND IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, AND WE'RE WE'VE TREATED 400 AND WE WILL TREAT 467 ACRES OF EUCALYPTUS OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT UTILIZING THE CARBONISER, BUT IT'S ONE TOOL THAT WE HAVE WITH MULTIPLE TOOLS THAT WE USE TO DO FUELS WORK, BUT TO BE TRANSPARENT, IT'S WE'RE NOT ACTIVELY TRYING TO PURCHASE A CARBONISER RIGHT NOW.

FOR NOW, WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING IT WHERE IT MAKES SENSE AND WHY IT MADE SENSE AT ANTHONY CHABOT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS A SMALL ROAD WHERE CAMPERS AND CITIZENS TRAVELED, AND WE DIDN'T WANT NINE SEMI TRUCKS AT ALL TIMES OF DAY, TRAVELING LARGE LOGS ON THAT ROAD.

THE POLLUTION AND THE RISK TO THE PUBLIC WE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO OCCUR, AND SO WE THIS IDEA CAME ABOUT AND IT TURNED OUT IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? WE DO NOT. ALL RIGHT. SO THEN I'LL BRING IT BACK FOR COMMENTS FROM FROM THE YEAH.

GO AHEAD. I WAS PATIENTLY WAITING FOR COMMENTS SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SO I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN HERE.

SO SO FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEARLY $11 MILLION OF GRANTS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

THAT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. SO REALLY APPRECIATE AND REALLY BELIEVE IT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK AND LEADERSHIP IN THIS AREA, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THAT, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU MADE A VERY COMPELLING CASE FOR WHY WE NEED THESE ON CALL CONTRACTS. THIS IS NOT WORK THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE STAFF TO DO, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIALIZED THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED, AS YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, AND SO I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND I WILL DO ONE CORRECTION BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN FINANCE WORKING REALLY HARD TO FIND US THE $2 MILLION IN DISTRICT

[03:00:04]

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GRANTS DON'T GET ALL THAT CREDIT WHEN THERE'S PEOPLE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET US THOSE GRANT MATCHES.

RIGHT YES AND YES. WELL, THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN THE $2.5 MILLION FROM THE DISTRICT TOO IS NOTABLE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD GIVE YOU THAT MONEY IF YOU DIDN'T DIDN'T REALLY NEED IT, AND OF COURSE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ACTUAL GRANT MATCHES.

SO THANK YOU. SURE. GO AHEAD. JUST A GENERAL COMMENT.

I MEAN, THIS IS FIRE IS A QUESTION. THE ONLY NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKING ABOUT.

SO IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT YOU'VE REALLY SHOWN, WELL, GOOD USE OF THAT MONEY, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD TESTAMENT TO OUR, OUR PARKS, TO YOUR WORK, AND IT'S CRITICAL. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HARD TO SAY NO TO.

I MEAN, AS LONG AS THERE'S SOME CAPACITY BUILDING AND MONITORING OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES GOING FORWARD.

I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO PROTECTING HUMAN HEALTH? I THE STATE HAS DECLARED, I THINK, THREE CORRIDORS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OF HIGH RISK, AND THIS IS IT. WE ARE ONE OF THEM. WE JUST MET WITH THE CITY OF ORINDA THERE THE OTHER DAY.

THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, AND SO THE ABILITY TO TAKE THAT NEED AND STILL BALANCE IT OUT.

WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY THE WAY THESE THIS AGENCY AND OUR PARTNERS, THE FOUNDATION ARE RAISING MONEY IS JUST PHENOMENAL.

I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR FOR DOING THAT, AND THEN JUST THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE SIDE OF ME IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, DON'T FORGET MOTHER NATURE AND THE DUSKY WOODRATS OUT THERE AND HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE PASSED THROUGH THIS DISASTER.

I MEAN, THE FIRES ARE IN A MATTER OF IF IT'S A MATTER OF WHEN, THAT WE STILL HAVE PARKS AND CORRIDORS AND WILDLIFE, WHICH IS THE WHOLE REASON WE SET THESE PARKS ASIDE TO BEGIN WITH, IS TO PROTECT THAT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.

BUT AT THIS TIME, AT THIS CRISIS, I MEAN, THIS IS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU, AND FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T LISTENED TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE DID, I THINK IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO WITH THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

WE HAD A PRESENTATION FOCUSED ON NOT JUST THE FUELS MITIGATION, BUT OUR OUR STEWARDSHIP WORK THAT WE DO IN OUR STYLE OF FUELS MANAGEMENT AND HOW WE ENHANCE OUR ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES THROUGH OUR WORK.

WHERE WAS THAT? WHERE IS THAT PRESENTATION? IT SHOULD BE ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.

IT'S THE LAST PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE, BUT I WANT TO SAY IT WAS, I THINK A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO OR A WEEK AGO.

THANK YOU. YOU TRIGGERED MY LAST THOUGHT, SO THANK YOU.

YOU MENTIONED LOTS OF STAFF WORKED ON THIS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL STAFF THAT WORKED ON IT, AND YOU KNOW I LIKE THE IDEA AND I DON'T WANT TO ADDRESS IT NOW BECAUSE YOU KIND OF JUST SPOKE ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK WE GET THESE GRANTS IN PART ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MORE UP, AND I CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT I KNOW THAT THE R IS RESTORATION, AND I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T FORGOT IT, AND I KNOW I HOPE IT'S A BIG PART OF THIS, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DOUBLE DOWN, I HOPE WE CAN DOUBLE DOWN ON THE RESTORATION AND REALLY DO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT THAT OTHER AGENCIES HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.

LET'S JUST CUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND MAKE A FUEL BREAK AIRSTRIP, BUT THE RESTORATION COMPONENT I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I'M GLAD YOU RECOGNIZE THAT.

YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING HERE TODAY PRESENTING ALL THIS.

I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT IN THE EAST BAY HILLS.

I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I LOOK AT THIS FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN A PART OF THE DISTRICT WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF SCRUTINY OF OUR OUR BUDGET AND OUR SPENDING, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY THINGS LIKE PRIORITY PROJECT AREA I THINK THERE IS A NEED TO TELL THAT WHOLE STORY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN REGARDS TO YOU KNOW, MITIGATING FIRE RISK, AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I ALSO LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE OUR TWO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, OUR TWO BIGGEST WILDFIRES, SEU WILDFIRE AND THEN LAST YEAR'S CREEK WILDFIRE IN SUNOL ARE IN THAT AREA, AND SO I THINK BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT MESSAGE ABOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT IS IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITH FUELS MANAGEMENT BY I JUST SEE SO MUCH OF OUR SO MUCH OF OUR MESSAGING IS REALLY CENTERED AROUND THIS REALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT AND ALL THE REALLY INCREDIBLE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

[03:05:01]

I AGREE, AND THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK. I JUST WANT TO GIVE THE FINAL THANK YOU TO ALL YOU FOLKS.

I DON'T MY MY WARD IS NOT ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE ONES, LIKE SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE THAT URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE, AND I DON'T GET THIS QUESTION SO MUCH, BUT I ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.

I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH YOU FOLKS. THE WORK THAT WAS DONE ON FISH RANCH ROAD LAST YEAR WAS THAT OUR DID WE DO THAT? FISH THAT WAS ACTUALLY OUR PARTNERS. EAST BAY MUD.

EAST BAY MUD. FISH RANCH ROAD. YEAH. YEAH, AND BUT THAT WAS PART OF OUR COLLABORATIVE GRANT, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REALLY NEAT THINGS ABOUT THAT GRANT.

IT WASN'T JUST THE PARK DISTRICT DOING OUR WORK ON OUR PORTION OF THE LAND.

WE PULLED IN EAST BAY MUD, UC BERKELEY, OURSELVES, ALL THE LANDOWNERS, AND THEN WE WORKED WITH BERKELEY FIRE, WHO WAS ABLE NOW TO DO THE HOME HARDENING ASPECT, WHICH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT BECAUSE PARK DISTRICT WE'RE DOING OUR PART ON OUR PORTION OF THE LAND, BUT IT ALSO TAKES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, WHICH INVOLVES THE HOME HARDENING, AND SO THAT GRANT WAS COLLABORATIVE, WHERE WE'RE HITTING ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO DO TO KEEP OUR SELVES SAFE FROM WILDFIRE.

WELL, WHAT I, WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MIGHT SEE BECAUSE WE DO ALL THIS WORK AND IT'S JUST NOT VISIBLE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE STUCK IN ONE WAY TRAFFIC THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR A WEEK AT A TIME, BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING ALL THAT WORK.

PEOPLE NOTICE THAT AND THEY REMEMBER IT. SO I CAN SAY, DID YOU SEE WHAT THEY DID ON FISH RANCH ROAD? NOW, IF YOU DIDN'T GO DRIVE THROUGH THERE AND NOW SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THAT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT I CAN GIVE, AND I KEEP THAT IN MY BACK POCKET.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING. WELL, THERE'S ONE AND 50 OTHER ONES, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT TO MAKE AND THEN WE'LL GET A MOTION.

OKAY. YEAH. I JUST I'M SORRY. MY BRAIN SO MUCH IS HAPPENING TODAY.

I MENTIONED THE CREEK FIRE AND SNOW LAST YEAR. JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK ALSO DONE BY OUR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT IN REGARDS TO THE, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I GET THE TERMINOLOGY WRONG, BUT THE HOSING WORK IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GO UPHILL AND BRING THE HOSES TO, TO, TO FIGHT THIS LARGE FIRE IN SUNOL, AND , YOU KNOW, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT PREPARATION FOR THIS POSSIBILITY YOU KNOW, IT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN A BIGGER FIRE THAN WHAT IT WAS, AND I THINK THAT 'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE STORY THAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALSO START TO INTEGRATE INTO OUR MESSAGING IS THAT, YES, THE FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK IS SO IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO THE PREPARATION FOR WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE FIRES AND THE WORK THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS DOING TO PREPARE, PREPARE FOR THOSE, I THINK IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCLUDE.

YEAH, I AGREE. YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES SOME AMAZING SERVICES, NOT JUST FUELS MITIGATION AND THE PREVENTATIVE WORK, BUT THE SUPPRESSION WORK, AND EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A SMALL FIRE THAT WE PUT OUT, I CONSIDER THAT A WIN BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER LARGE, DEVASTATING FIRE, AND WE PROVIDE THOSE SAME SERVICES ON WATER.

SO WE'RE DOING IT ON LAND ON WATER MITIGATION AND RESCUE.

ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. MOVED AND SECONDED.

ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. OPPOSED CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT.

MOVING AHEAD TO GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS. NONE FOR TODAY.

ALL RIGHT. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION.

NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION.

WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE HERE. PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.

[PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

19, AND WOULD THAT BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO FOLLOW UP, OR IS THAT COMING TO US ANYWAY, THE INTERNAL AUDIT FOLLOW UP ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN.

IS THAT JUST A GIVEN OR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? YEAH. NO. THAT COMES TO YOU AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL CYCLE OF STAFF REPORTS.

SO WE'LL HAVE THAT. DOES IT NEED TO BE REQUESTED IN GENERAL? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET. I'M LOSING TRACK OF ALL THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WE'VE ASKED FOR.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A LIST OF THINGS YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THE NEXT 6 TO 12 MONTHS?

[03:10:03]

I WANT TO TAKE THAT TOUR. OKAY. THANKS. ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON TO BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED.

[BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED]

SHE'S GOT TO GO. OH, YEAH. OKAY, GO AHEAD THEN, AND THEN WE'LL HEAD OVER TO DIRECTOR COFFEY BECAUSE HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SHORT.

I ATTENDED THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ON 4/16, 4/17.

I MET WITH MLK JUNIOR FREEDOM CENTER ON 4/22.

WELL, MULTIPLE DAYS I ATTENDED THE CALIFORNIA TRAILS AND GREENWAYS CONFERENCE IN POMONA.

ON 4/ 25 MET WITH THE WILDCAT COMPOSITE MTB TEAM YOUTH ADVOCATES.

4/ 30 MET WITH DAVE MATTSON TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PAC AND PRESENTATION.

5/2 MEETING ON BOARD PRIORITIES. 5/3 ATTENDED THE SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE'S TAKE ME TO THE TREES, AND 5/4 MET WITH FORMER DIRECTOR DEE ROSARIO AND WALKED LAKE CHABOT.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR COFFEY.

YES. I WAS IN KOREA FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF APRIL VISITING FAMILY.

I DID DO SOME RESEARCH, HOWEVER, I SHARED WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER, THE KOREANS COVER MANY OF THEIR DIRT HIKER ONLY TRAILS WITH BURLAP. I HAVE A PICTURE OF IT HERE.

IT'S A VERY INTERESTING TECHNIQUE THEY USE TO TURN DIRT TRAILS INTO YEAR ROUND TRAILS AND PREVENT EROSION, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IDEA CAME FROM, BUT I'M GOING TO CHECK IT OUT WITH WITH SHAWN.

IT IT WAS ALSO NICE TO STEP ON, AND WHENEVER IT WEARS DOWN, THEY JUST PUT ANOTHER LAYER ON IT.

IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING TECHNIQUE. ANYWAY, I HAVE A PICTURE HERE TO SHARE. JUST BEFORE GOING TO KOREA TO DO SUCH RESEARCH I MET WITH THE I THINK WE'VE ALL MET BY ZOOM WITH THE MOUNTAIN BIKE GROUP THAT ARE INTERESTED IN CONVERTING CURRENT HIKER ONLY TRAILS IN WILDCAT OR AND OR TILDEN.

THEY HAVE SOME SPECIFICS IN MIND. I WAS IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL TO CHAT WITH THAT GROUP, AND I'M INTENDING TO GO LOOK AT THE TRAILS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED. I DID TELL THEM THAT IS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT THING TO PURSUE WITH THIS PARK DISTRICT, BUT I'M PLEASED THAT IT'S A VERY ACTIVE GROUP AND IN THEIR APPROACH, AND WE HAVE YET ANOTHER EMAIL COMMENT SUBMITTED BY ONE OF THEIR LEADERS ABOUT THEIR PLANS.

I ALSO THAT WAS THE 16TH I ALSO ATTENDED YET ANOTHER ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF THE MARSH CREEK WATERSHED COUNCIL GROUP IN ORGANIZATION. THE NEXT STEP THERE IS THERE IS A MEANING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE WITH TWO MEMBERS OF THE CONTRA COSTA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND JOHN AND MYSELF AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE WATERSHED, ESSENTIALLY WITHIN OUR WARDS OF THE PARK DISTRICT. SO I THINK THAT'S HAPPENING, THOUGH A DATE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO SECURE.

I ATTENDED THE PRIORITIES WORKSHOP WITH ALL OF YOU FOLKS ON THE 2ND.

ON THE 3RD PRESIDENT MERCURIO AND I ATTENDED THE PACHECO MARSH GRAND OPENING THE LOWER WALNUT CREEK PROJECT OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, WHERE THE JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST WAS THE RECIPIENT OF GRANTS TO BASICALLY CREATE ACCESS.

THAT IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL SITE AND NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OFF OF WATERFRONT ROAD IN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF MARTINEZ. AND YESTERDAY I HAD MY ONE ON ONE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATED HER TIME AND IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING FOR ME. THAT'S IT.

OKAY. DIRECTOR WAESPI. THANK YOU. TAKE IT FROM HERE.

ON APRIL 16TH, I ATTENDED THE BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.

[03:15:03]

IT WAS A GREAT CONFERENCE. WELL ATTENDED. HAD A LOT OF PARK FOLKS THERE.

I THINK WE ALL LEARNED A LOT OF STUFF, THINGS, AND I'D LIKE TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO [INAUDIBLE] KEELEY FROM OUR TRAILS DEPARTMENT, WHO DID A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION ON THE BRIONES PROJECT PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE DID UP THERE, AND THERE WAS MUCH INTEREST, ATTENDANCE AND QUESTIONING.

ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE THE LEADERS AND EVERYTHING, AND [INAUDIBLE] DID A GREAT JOB OF TELLING OUR STORY.

ON MAY 2ND, I ATTENDED THE BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP.

ON THE 4TH I ATTENDED THE DANVILLE OR DANVILLE INTERFAITH EARTH FEST EVENT.

IT WAS AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION. PRESIDENT MERCURIO AND I WERE THERE, HAD LOTS OF GREAT QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS IN DANVILLE AND A LOT OF GREAT INPUT ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND ON FRIDAY, I'M GOING TO BE ATTENDING AN EVENT.

IT'S BIG TIME FOR CASTRO VALLEY. IT'S THE ROWELL RANCH RODEO EVENT, AND WE ALL TRY TO BE COWBOYS IN CASTRO VALLEY FOR A DAY OR TWO.

SO THE REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WILL BE THERE, AND I WILL BE ATTENDING.

I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF IT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING IN THE TITLE IS AXES, BREWS AND BARBEQUE AND SO THERE'LL BE, SOUNDS LIKE BEER AND SOUNDS LIKE AXES AND AX THROWING, AND I HAVE A TEAM.

WE'LL REPRESENT YOU WELL. PARK DISTRICT. WELL, I HOPE LES LYNNE WOULD TALK TO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT LIABILITY WISE.

YOU ARE INSURED? I THINK SO, BUT THEN THERE'S THE ROWELL RANCH RODEO PARADE IS ON SATURDAY, SO HOPE YOU ALL COME OUT ALL RIGHT. NEXT. JUST REAL QUICK.

AT THE END OF THE MONTH, WE'RE TRYING TO ORGANIZE A A WALK AT DOOLAN CANYON.

I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED YET, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT WILL GET OUT TO EVERYONE AS SOON AS IT'S CONFIRMED. YOUR PLEASANTON MEETING YOU SHOULD MENTION IT. THE PLEASANTON MEETING. OH, YEAH, YOU SHOULD MENTION THAT.

I MENTIONED IT EARLIER. YEAH, THERE WAS A PLEASANTON MEETING A WEEK AGO A LIAISON MEETING THAT I ATTENDED, AND OUR CHAIR OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE BRUCE HENRY, ALSO ATTENDED, AND IT WAS WITH TWO MEMBERS OF THE PLEASANTON CITY COUNCIL WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO BE OUR LIAISONS. OKAY, I'M GOING TO REPORT BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF.

OH. OH, THAT'S THE BABYSITTER. OH, GOD. OKAY.

SORRY. OKAY, I'LL BE QUICK HERE. SO LET'S SEE.

SO STARTING, I'M GOING TO JUST QUICKLY START AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL SINCE I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING AND REPORT.

SO ON THE 3RD OF APRIL I HAD MY ONE ON ONE WITH GENERAL COUNSEL BOURGAULT HAD A GOOD LENGTHY MEETING ON MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. ON THE 3RD, I ALSO HAD MY FEDERAL ADVOCACY CHECK IN WITH THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF.

ON THE 8TH, I MET WITH THE WILDCAT CANYON YOUTH ADVOCATES, THE 12 YOUNG LEADERS WHO MOUNTAIN BIKERS WHO HAVE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE THEM SO, SO ACTIVELY ENGAGED.

I APPRECIATE THEIR THEIR INPUT AND ENTHUSIASM AND THEIR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

ON THE 11TH, I ATTENDED BOARD PRIORITIES ONE WORKSHOP AND ON THE 16TH BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.

ALSO ON THE 16TH, I MET WITH BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BRANT BLACKABY REGARDING THE PARK DISTRICT'S FUEL REDUCTION WORK AND CITY OF BERKELEY'S EMBER PROPOSAL. ON THE 23RD OF APRIL, I ATTENDED THE FIRST SERVICE AWARDS OF THE YEAR AT KENNEDY MEADOWS. IT WAS A REALLY IT WAS VERY COLD THAT MORNING, BUT IT WAS A FABULOUS EVENT, REALLY, REALLY VERY ENJOYABLE. ON THE 28TH PARTICIPATED IN THE RIBBON CUTTING OF THE I-80 GILMAN INTERCHANGE AND OVERCROSSING. I'M I'M HAPPY ABOUT THE INTERCHANGE UPDATES, BUT I'M ESPECIALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OVERCROSSING BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL WALK AND BIKE BRIDGE FROM WEST BERKELEY OVER TO THE BAY TRAIL AND TOM BATES SPORTS COMPLEX AND THAT WHOLE AREA OVER THERE ON THE SHORELINE.

SO THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL. ON THE 28TH, I ATTENDED THE PAC MEETING AND AS YOU HEARD KHARI HELAE WAS THERE TO

[03:20:02]

SO IT WAS REALLY GOOD SESSION. SO CHECK IT OUT ONLINE IF YOU WANT.

ON THE 30TH OF APRIL ATTENDED THE BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ON THE 2ND OF MAY, THE BOARD PRIORITIES TWO WORKSHOP.

THANKS. PRETTY BRIEF. ON MAY 4TH, I RAN INTO TED CLEMENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OVER AT SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, AND FOUND OUT HE THEY HAVE A HOUSE BAND. I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY STAFF OR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT MEMBERS THAT CAN TAKE ON A JAM FOR THE PLANET, BUT THEY HAD SOME AMAZING ENVIRONMENTAL, EDUCATIONAL, MUSIC AND SONGS. SOME OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THEM, I HAD NOT.

I WAS LUCKY TO SEE THEM OUT AT A MUSIC EVENT THAT WE USED TO HOST IN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, BUT HAPPY TO REPORT THEY'RE STILL DOING THE EVENT IN THE ALAMEDA DIABLO FOOTHILLS DIABLO RANGE.

SO THAT WAS COOL, AND I DID HAVE A WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH THE CITY OF ORINDA ON MAY 5TH.

THE MAYOR HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE AND JUST PART OF THE GOVERNMENT LIAISON MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HOLDING.

THAT WAS MY FIRST THAT I'VE HAD WITH ONE OF MY CITIES.

I THOUGHT IT WENT VERY WELL AND APPRECIATED STAFF COMING ALONG FOR THAT AND PREPARING FOR THAT, AND THEN I'VE WORKED OFF AND ON THIS PAST MONTH WITH DAVE MASON, I JUST WANT TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT AGAIN.

I HAVE A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING THAT I'M GIVING AT SUSTAINABLE ROSSMOOR, WHO ASKED ME TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THE PARK IS DOING TO ADDRESS CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING. AND I ALSO HAVE A PRESENTATION SIMILAR WITH THE MORAGA VALLEY KIWANIS, AND DAVE MASON ON STAFF JUST REALLY HAS HELPED ME WITH PUT TOGETHER POWERPOINT, AND HE'S ACTUALLY DONE SOME DOWNRIGHT RESEARCH FOR ME ON IDENTIFYING EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, KILOWATT HOURS OF SOLAR INSTALLED. I THINK HE'S WRITTEN OUR PARTIAL OUTLINE FOR OUR NEXT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IN THE DISTRICT PLAN.

I JUST CAN'T SHOUT OUT ENOUGH OF THE HE REALLY HAS DONE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW OR HOW MUCH WORK HE'S DONE BACK AND FORTH WITH ME PREPARING SLIDES.

I ACTUALLY HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE GOT TOGETHER AND GIVING OUT I CAN SHARE WITH THE REST OF YOU THAT YOU MIGHT USE THOSE SLIDES IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS AS WELL, BUT EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHAT WE'VE DONE.

I HOPE WE INSTITUTIONALIZE SOME OF THAT IN THE DISTRICT PLAN, BUT THAT'S KEPT ME PRETTY BUSY THE OFF AND ON THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT, AND FINISHING UP HERE.

THE BOARD MEETING ON FOR ON APRIL 15TH. THAT EVENING, ALSO ON THE 15TH, I MET WITH THOSE THOSE SAME STUDENT BIKERS THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED HERE BEFORE, THE MOUNTAIN BIKERS, AND IT'S A TOUGH IT'S A TOUGH THING TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE THEY WANT SOMETHING IN THEIR LIFETIME. THEY WANT SOMETHING IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, TIME, AND YOU CAN NEVER PROMISE THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN YOU CAN CONGRATULATE THEM ON THEIR CIVIC MINDEDNESS AND THEIR ABILITY TO THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COME AND MEET WITH WITH TRYING TO MEET WITH MANY OF US, YOU KNOW, AND SO I HOPE THAT MESSAGE GOT THROUGH.

I HOPE THAT MESSAGE GOT THROUGH, BUT YEAH, WE NEED WE CAN LOOK INTO SOME THINGS THAT THEY WERE THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN DOING INVOLVING NARROW TRAILS.

THEN ON THE 17TH I MET WHAT'S CALLED THE QUARTERLY PARTNER MEETING OF THE ANZA TRAIL, THE FEDERAL ANZA TRAIL, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RUNS THE HAS A NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL, WHICH WHICH GOES FROM THE BORDER WITH MEXICO ALL THE WAY UP TO HERE.

IT'S A HISTORICAL ROUTE, AND I KNOW WHERE WE WE'RE INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL.

WE HAVE VARIOUS INTERPRETIVE OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN THE DISTRICT TO, TO TO, TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT BECAUSE NEXT YEAR IS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT EXPEDITION COMING UP INTO THE BAY AREA.

SO I, I'M HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT WITH ALL OF THEM.

AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, ON THE 17TH, I MET WITH WITH WITH MAX TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT THE YOUNG MOUNTAIN BIKERS HAD BROUGHT UP AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO HELP THEM.

ON THE 18TH, I HAD MY REGULAR MEETING WITH THE EAST BAY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, THAT BOARD MEETING, AND THEN I TOO WENT TO THE CALIFORNIA TRAILS AND GREENWAYS CONFERENCE DOWN IN POMONA FROM THE 22ND THROUGH THE 24TH.

ALWAYS. IT'S ALWAYS A WORTHWHILE TRIP FOR ME, GLAD TO SHARE IT WITH DIRECTOR ESPAÑA AND DIRECTOR WAESPI, AND I WAS ALSO IN THE AUDIENCE LISTENING TO O'ROURKE GIVE HIS PRESENTATION AND YES, A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE GROUP ON WHAT WE'RE

[03:25:08]

IT'S GREAT HAVING THEM THERE BECAUSE IT'S A FERTILE GROUP OF PEOPLE.

IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE JOHN MUIR. RIGHT. ANYTIME YOU CAN GET ON JOHN MUIR'S COATTAILS, YOU SHOULD JUST JUMP RIGHT ON, AND HE'S LOOKING PRETTY GOOD, TOO. THAT'S RIGHT.

HE WAS THERE. YES, HE WAS THERE. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM WAS THERE.

ON THE 28TH, I HAD KIND OF A, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT A GOODBYE BREAKFAST WITH AGM WYSOCKI, AND WE HAD A I THINK WE TALKED FOR 2.5 HOURS AT BREAKFAST AND IT WAS VERY, VERY GOT SOME GOOD INSIGHT VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

AND THEN ON THE 30TH WAS THE BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND THEN ON MAY 1ST, THE CONTRA COSTA MAYORS CONFERENCE IN PLEASANT HILL IN, IN THE NEWISH LIBRARIES WHERE THEY HELD IT.

ALWAYS A GOOD USE OF MY TIME. SPOKE TO SOME PEOPLE.

I LEARNED A FEW THINGS. THEN THAT'S THE GOAL.

I WAS AT THE PRIOR BOARD PRIORITIES PART TWO MEETING ON THE SECOND.

ALSO ON THE SECOND, RIGHT AFTER THAT WAS THE PRE BOARD MEETING FOR THIS ONE.

I ALSO WAS AT THE PACHECO MARSH RIBBON CUTTING, AND AS DIRECTOR COFFEY SAID, IT'S A WONDERFUL NEW PARK, BASICALLY AND 3 OR 4 MILES OF NEW TRAIL PROVIDED, AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO HILLS, THAT'S THE PLACE TO GO.

ALSO WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I WENT THERE IS THEY HAVE THEY SAID THERE WERE TWO.

I SAW ONE KAYAK CANOE LAUNCHES. BEAUTIFUL. THEY HAVE A LITTLE SLEW COMING IN AND YOU CAN LAUNCH AND GO OUT INTO THE STRAIGHT.

SO I HOPE, AND THERE WERE ALREADY TWO GUYS THAT WENT THERE AND USED IT ON THE OPENING DAY.

AND THEN ON THE 4TH AS DIRECTOR WAESPI SAID, WE WERE TABLING FOR THE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION IN DANVILLE, AND WE GOT SO MANY INTERESTED PEOPLE AND SO MANY GOOD QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH WERE HARD, MOST OF WHICH WEREN'T HARD, BUT , YOU KNOW JUST A LOT OF A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF REAFFIRMATION THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S REALLY GREAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID, AND BEFORE WE GO ONE MORE TIME, IT'S MUNICIPAL CLERK RECOGNITION.

I FORGET THE EXACT TITLE WEEK, ALL THIS WEEK.

YOU KNOW AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE TIME THANK YOU TO OUR, OUR OUR CLERK.

THANK YOU, AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY PUBLICLY ON THE RECORD THAT I TOTALLY FORGOT TO MENTION AMIR AZIZ, EVEN THOUGH AMIR IS NOT A HE'S NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, HE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST ASSETS FOR THE CLERK'S DEPARTMENT, AND WE SO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT HE DOES.

WELL, YEAH. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A LOT OF TITLES, BUT ONE OF THEM IS THE FIXER.

GARDEN, AND IF YOU SEE SHARON CLAY IN THE BEGINNING, SHE NOW IN THE FRONT AS THE PREVIOUS ASSISTANT CLERK.

WE WENT AND MET WITH HER FOR ONE OF OUR CLERK MEETINGS, AND SHE VOLUNTEERS THERE TWICE A WEEK.

SO IF YOU EVER WANT TO GO THERE, SHARON IS THERE.

WHAT IS THAT PLACE? IT'S THE IRIS GARDEN. OH, YES.

YES, YES. WE WENT THERE THAT FIRST DAY. I HAVE BEEN THERE.

SHE LOVES IT SO. YEAH. YEAH, WELL, GREAT. GREAT SHARON.

CLAY. PARDON ME. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO HOME, BUT ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS I'VE EVER ATTENDED IN THE PARK DISTRICT WAS DEMETRIUS MCFADDEN'S RETIREMENT PARTY YESTERDAY, HOSTED BY OUR CLERKS AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOVED DEMETRIUS SO MUCH. IT WAS A LOVE FEST.

IT WAS WONDERFUL. IT WAS INSPIRATIONAL, AND DEMETRIUS DID 31 YEARS HERE, I THINK 38 YEARS.

WHAT A GUY. WE'LL MISS HIM. ALL RIGHT. WELL, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN AT 5:18.

[03:30:05]