THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TODAY, [Roll Call] [00:00:08] WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4TH. WE'RE BEGINNING TODAY AT 1103. WELCOME TO EVERYONE. WE HAVE NO ONE HERE. REMOTE. WE'RE ALL PRESENT. SO RECORDING CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE ROLL CALL? DIRECTOR COFFEY HERE. DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT PRESENT. CHAIR WAESPI HERE. PARK DISTRICT STAFF COORDINATOR IN THIS MEETING INCLUDES ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL JASON ROSENBERG HERE. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT. STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY PROVIDING A COMMENT IN PERSON. JOINING LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE. THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES. WE WILL BEGIN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR FIRST ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 2ND, [Approval of Minutes] 2025 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ANYTHING FROM ANYONE ELSE? THE PUBLIC OR ANYONE ELSE? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION OR MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL MOVE NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA. MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? NO COMMENTS. NOT ON THE AGENDA. OKAY, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, ACTION ITEMS. [Action Items] AND THE RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT FEDERAL LEGISLATION. WELCOME, ERICH. HAVE A QUESTION? PROCESS. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM? PUBLIC. IT'S ALWAYS HARD FOR US TO KNOW. THERE'S NO EXCUSE ME? THERE'S NO PUBLIC. THERE ARE. YOU ARE IN THE ROOM, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CONSULTANTS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. ERICH PFUEHLER. WE HAVE A MODEST NUMBER OF FEDERAL BILLS TO CONSIDER TODAY. FIRST ONE IS THE AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ACT. SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL IN 2020, BEING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WHEN THE WHEN THE FIRST EDITION OF THIS BILL PASSED AND WAS ACTUALLY SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, THAT EXTENDED THE OVERALL BILL BACK, THEN EXTENDED THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND PERMANENTLY. BUT IT ALSO CREATED THE LAND LEGACY RESTORATION FUND. THAT FUND HAS EXPIRED OR WILL EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND THIS LEGISLATION WOULD EXTEND IT TO 2023 AND CONTINUE TO APPROPRIATE $2 BILLION IN FUNDING TO ANNUALLY TO ADDRESS THE FEDERAL THE MAINTENANCE BACKLOG FOR FEDERAL LANDS, PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT JUST AT THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY IN TERMS OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NATIONAL PARKS. THE SECOND BILL RESILIENT, RESILIENT COASTS AND ESTUARIES. THIS WOULD REAUTHORIZE THE ESTUARINE LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM, WHICH EXPIRED IN 2013 AND RAN IT OUT OF FUNDS IN 2017. THE BILL WOULD APPROPRIATE $47 MILLION ANNUALLY, AND THE PARK DISTRICT WOULD IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A SUB GRANT FOR FUNDING FOR ACQUISITION. AND THEN THE THIRD BILL IS THE COASTAL STATE CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS ACT. THIS WOULD ESTABLISH A COASTAL CLIMATE CHANGE. IT WOULD REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE TO ESTABLISH A COASTAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PROGRAM. CALIFORNIA HAS A CLIMATE ADAPTION OPTION STRATEGY, WHICH CONTAINS NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY ALONG OUR SHORELINES AND COASTS IN THE PARK DISTRICT, CAN PARTNER WITH THE STATE AND NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS ALONG OUR BAY AND DELTA SHORELINES. AND THOSE ARE OUR THREE BILLS FOR CONSIDERATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR PROPOSE A VOTE OF SUPPORT. THANK YOU, ERICH. ANY COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? I HAVE A QUESTION. YOU SAY THAT THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN WAS A VOCAL CRITIC OF THE ORIGINAL BILL. I'M JUST CURIOUS. IT SOUNDS LIKE A. AN EASY TO GET BEHIND BILL. IS THERE SOME OPPOSITION THAT I'M MISSING? IS THIS ON THE AMERICAN IN THE. OH, SORRY. THAT. SORRY. ERICH S 1547. YEAH. IN THE STAFF REPORT, IT JUST SAYS YOU KNOW, THAT IT HAS GARNERED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, BUT IT COULD FACE OPPOSITION FROM THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN MIKE LEE FROM UTAH, WHO WAS A VOCAL CRITIC. YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS. [00:05:02] YEAH, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT SENATORS AND HE IS ONE OF THEM. RAND PAUL IS ANOTHER ONE THAT OFTEN ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES FUNDING OFTEN EXPRESS OPPOSITION. BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE ROOT CAUSE, THE ROOT CONCERN THAT HE WAS EXPRESSING CRITICISM FOR, BUT HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT IF YOU WANT. NOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE REST OF THE STAFF REPORT IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THERE'S BOTH PARTIES CHAMPIONED OUTDOOR RECREATION. I'M HAPPY WITH ALL OF THEM. THANKS. THANK YOU. COLIN ANY I TOO. YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUESTION. SO I SEE ALL THESE BILLS, AND WE KEEP HEARING OF THREATS. HOW'S THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND GOING? IS THAT ANY THREAT TO THAT AT ALL OR. VERY, VERY GOOD QUESTION. THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND ITSELF, PARTICULARLY THE STATE SIDE ELEMENTS OF IT, WHICH THE PARK DISTRICT IS A RECIPIENT OF FUNDS FROM THAT PROGRAM IS OKAY. THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY REAL ATTEMPTS AT THAT WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME EFFORTS TO WITHDRAW FUNDS IS FROM THE OUTDOOR LEGACY RECREATION PROGRAM. AND THAT PARK DISTRICT HAS ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS FROM, FROM THAT THAT IS FUNDED BY THE SAME OFFSHORE OIL LEASE FEES THAT THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND IS FUNDED BY. SO THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS TO GO AT THAT PROGRAM. AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD ANECDOTALLY, AND I WOULD WELCOME YOU TO ASK THE QUESTION OF OUR FEDERAL ADVOCATES WHEN THEY COME ON LATER. BUT ANECDOTALLY, LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND PROJECTS THAT ARE IN CAPTURE, FISHING AND HUNTING ARE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZED IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS AND FORWARD IT TO THE FULL BOARD. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OR ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, ERICH. AND WE'LL NOW MOVE TO. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. THE INFORMATIONAL STATE UPDATE AGAIN. [Informational Items] ERICH PFUEHLER DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. WE WERE JOINED TODAY BY OUR STATE ADVOCATES. EEC, IN LIGHT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE ANTICIPATING A $12 BILLION BUDGET DEFICIT FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH HAS PROMPTED SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT USING SOME FUNDS FROM CAP AND TRADE, USING SOME FUNDS FROM THE RAINY DAY FUND, IN ADDITION TO SOME OTHER CUTS THAT I'M SURE YOU'VE READ ABOUT. BUT I WILL LET REID ADDIS, OUR CONSULTANT SPEAK TO THE OVERALL DEBATE GOING ON IN SACRAMENTO RIGHT NOW, IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE JUNE 15TH REQUIRED DATE FOR ADAPTATION OF THE BUDGET. PERFECT. THANKS, ERIC. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. I, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO SET UP THIS CONVERSATION IS TO EXPLAIN THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH ITS PROCESS, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY ARE DEEP IN BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE JULY 1ST FISCAL YEAR. AND AS ERIC MENTIONED, THERE IS A CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINE OF JUNE 15TH. BUT I'M GOING TO BE VERY CLEAR WHAT THAT DEADLINE IS. IT'S FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO SUBMIT A BUDGET TO THE GOVERNOR. IT'S NOT TO SAY THERE HAS TO BE AN ADOPTED PASSED BUDGET. THAT'S THE ACTUAL TRIGGER FOR JUNE 15TH. SO VERY SHORTLY, THE IDEA WOULD BE FOR THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE AND THE GOVERNOR TO AGREE TO A BUDGET, AND THEN THEY WOULD SEND THAT TO THE GOVERNOR BY THE 15TH. IT'S ALSO VERY LIKELY THAT THEY DON'T COME TO A FULL AGREEMENT. THE LEGISLATURE WILL SEND SOMETHING TO THE GOVERNOR, AND HE MAY OR MAY NOT SIGN IT. OR IF HE SIGNS IT, HE MAY FEEL THAT THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND THERE WILL BE SUBSEQUENT PIECES OF BUDGET LEGISLATION THAT COULD MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS BETWEEN JUNE 15TH AND ALL THE WAY, ACTUALLY UP TO THE END OF SESSION. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT AS IF ONE BILL WILL BE PASSED JUNE 15TH, THEN WE'LL BE DONE. IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL BILLS AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO. NOT ALL THE AGREEMENTS ARE MADE BY THAT JUNE 15TH. I WOULD ARGUE THERE'S THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF AND TRACKING AS IT RELATES TO HOW THAT BUDGET PROCESS IMPACTS YOUR POLICY INTEREST. ONE THERE, YES, IS NOT A GREAT BUDGET. ECONOMIC ESTIMATES AND THUS THE BUDGET PROJECTIONS ARE [00:10:01] LOW. THUS, THE ONE OF THE KEY DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS HOW TO MAKE CUTS TO THE BUDGET. MOST OF THOSE CUTS WILL PROBABLY COME OUTSIDE OF THE KIND OF NATURAL RESOURCES SPACE. ALSO, TO BE CLEAR, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY CLEAR, THE GENERAL FUND IS NOT IN ANY SHAPE FOR US TO BE MAKING ANY SPECIFIC ASKS OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT WOULD HAVE A HIGH CHANCE OF PASSING. THAT LEAVES TWO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'RE TRACKING WITHIN THIS PROCESS. ONE IS PROP FOUR THAT MANY OF YOU KNOW WELL, WE HAD THE GOVERNOR HAS USED SOME OF THAT PROP FOR MONEY, AND HAS PROPOSED BACKFILLING AND SOLVING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE BUDGET BY USING PROP FOUR IN WAYS THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH BACK ON THAT, BUT ALSO VERY SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH PROP FOUR MONEY AT THE AGENCIES YOU CARE ABOUT. WHEN THE FINAL BUDGET DEAL IS DONE. SO WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME PROP FOUR USED TO BACKFILL GENERAL FUND THAT WE'RE NOT SO APPRECIATIVE OF. WE ARE HOPING THERE'LL BE MORE MONEY AT SOME OF THE AGENCIES YOU CARE ABOUT. THAT THEN OBVIOUSLY WILL BENEFIT YOU AS YOU'RE GOING AFTER PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. THE THIRD PART OF THE BUDGET THAT MIGHT HAVE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO NEW MONEY, THAT COULD GO TO AGENCIES, THAT WOULD BE THAT COULD THEN BENEFIT YOU ON YOUR PROJECTS, WOULD BE THE CLIMATE FUNDING. SOMETIMES YOU HEAR IT REFERRED TO AS THE GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND. THAT IS PART OF THE STATE'S CLIMATE PROGRAM. THE STATE IS CURRENTLY THE LEGISLATURE, AND THE GOVERNOR ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO NEGOTIATE EXTENDING THAT PROGRAM, PROBABLY TO 2045. IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS, THEY ARE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY. THAT MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE CLIMATE PROGRAM. THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WILL NOT BE RESOLVED BY JUNE 15TH, AND MOST LIKELY, THOSE DISCUSSIONS WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR ALL THE WAY UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER. AND WE ARE WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR THINK THROUGH THE EXPENDITURES OF THOSE DOLLARS, THEY ARE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS AND PARKLANDS AND WAYS IN WHICH AGENCIES LIKE YOURS CAN BENEFIT BY HAVING SOME OF THOSE MONIES IN THE BUDGET AND HOPEFULLY HAVING THOSE MONIES IN THE BUDGET IN A MULTIYEAR WAY. SO YOU'LL HEAR A LOT FROM ERICH AND HIS TEAM OVER THE ENSUING WEEKS AND MONTHS ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING. SO I'LL JUST CLOSE OUT BY SAYING NO GOOD NEWS ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE OF THE EQUATION IN THE BUDGET. PROP FOUR. HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET SOME GOOD NEWS FROM US, FROM US SOON, THAT THERE'S AT LEAST ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE AGENCIES THAT YOU BENEFIT FROM. AND THEN THIRD, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR LOTS OF UPDATES FROM US BETWEEN NOW AND MID-SEPTEMBER ON WHETHER WE'RE MAKING ENOUGH PROGRESS TO GET IN THE MIX ON THIS GRF MONEY. SO I'LL STOP THERE. ERICH HOPEFULLY THAT WAS HELPFUL. YEAH. THANK YOU. REID AND JUST TO ADD TO THE CAP AND TRADE OR CAP AND INVEST EFFORT READS FIRM HAS WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN SUPPORT OF A LETTER CALLING FOR 15% OF THE CAP AND TRADE FUNDING TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARD NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS. AND WE ARE COSIGNER. THE PARK DISTRICT IS A COSIGNER ON THAT LETTER AND THAT EFFORT. AND WILL BE CONTINUING TO WORK ON SPECIFYING WHAT FUNDING WHAT WE COULD USE SOME OF THAT FUNDING FOR AS AN AGENCY. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, EITHER READ OR I CAN TAKE A STAB AT ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS COMMENTS TO REID? ERICH. WHEN WE DO A LETTER LIKE THAT OR WE SIGN ON IS IT COMMON OR IS IT POSSIBLE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO SEE COPIES OF IT? BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT THE GOVERNOR USING THOSE PROPOSED PROP FOR FUNDS, AND EVERYBODY'S ASKING ME. I GOT ASKED TWICE THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH FUNDING? IS THE PARK DISTRICT IMPACTED BY THAT? AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD SOME GENERAL UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT PROP FOR BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT IN PROCESS. I MEAN, I IMAGINE IT'S A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. DO WE GET COPIES? YEAH, IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND ACTUALLY MAY BE IDENTIFYING SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT WHEN WE SEND A LETTER FROM THE AGENCY INDEPENDENTLY. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE ALWAYS CC'D AND YOU SHOULD BE GETTING ELECTRONIC COPY OF THAT. WHEN WE DO A SIGN ON LETTER. I KNOW WE RECEIVE A COPY FOR OUR FILES, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE ALWAYS DISTRIBUTE IT. SO SOMETHING TO NOTE FOR THE FUTURE. IT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING ON THIS PARTICULAR LETTER. THERE WAS ONE VERSION THAT HAS BEEN SORT OF RELEASED, BUT THERE'S CONTINUING. THEY'RE CONTINUING TO GATHER ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES. [00:15:02] SO THERE'LL BE A MORE FINAL VERSION IN THE COMING DAYS. AND REID, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I DON'T HAVE THAT CORRECT. NO, YOU ARE CORRECT. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SIGNATURES THAT WERE ON THE LETTER AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THAT THAT LETTER GOT SUBMITTED SO LEGISLATORS COULD SEE THAT. BUT WE ARE IN FACT TRYING TO ADD SIGNATURES, YOU KNOW, SHOW A BROADER COALITION. AND SO THAT LETTER IS BEING UPDATED ON OCCASION AND TO THE POINT YOU JUST MADE AND THE ERICH. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING THAT UPDATED LETTER PERIODICALLY AS THERE'S MORE SIGNATURES ON IT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK REID ERICH THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL DOING ON OUR BEHALF TO KEEP OUR PARKS SOUND FUNDED. THANK YOU. ERICH DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO UPDATE THE PROP FOUR SUMMARY YOU DID FOR US? I WANT TO GUESS SIX MONTHS AGO OR SO. I MY IMPRESSION IS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED MORE THAT ISSUES WITH PROP FOUR FUNDING ARE BEING SUSSED OUT, SOMEWHAT IN THE LEGISLATURE AND WITH THE GOVERNOR, AND MAYBE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO UPDATE THAT. YEAH. THAT'S A EXCELLENT POINT. AND OUR, OUR FINANCE AND GRANTS TEAM HAVE PUT TOGETHER A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROP FOUR ALLOCATIONS AND WHAT PROJECTS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF PRIORITIZING WHAT SPECIFIC PROJECTS SOME OF THAT FUNDING COULD GO TO, SO WE CAN ASK THEM, PERHAPS AT OUR NEXT MEETING, TO JOIN AND PROVIDE A PRESENTATION ON THAT. THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT. REID HOW IS THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND OTHER CONSERVANCIES GENERALLY FARING IN BOTH THE STATE BUDGET AND PROP FOUR INTRIGUE? YEAH, IT'S I'M GOING TO GENERICALLY AND THEN SPECIFICALLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SO THE GENERIC QUESTION IS GENERALLY THINGS ARE GOING WELL AS IT RELATES TO PROP FOUR AND MONEY FLOWING TO AGENCIES FOR THIS FIRST YEAR. MY, MY EXPECTATION IS WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT PROP FOUR EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT 4 OR 5 YEARS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALLOCATING ALL THE MONEY YEAR ONE. EACH YEAR THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ALLOCATION OF THE PROP $4 UNTIL THERE'S NO MORE MONEY. AND IN THIS YEAR ONE, IT'S LOOKING OKAY. SO THE TWO ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. ONE, THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED BACKFILLING GENERAL FUND WITH PROP FOUR. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS MENTIONING, THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. WE DON'T THINK THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE VOTERS WANTED. BUT WE ARE IN A TOUGH BUDGET YEAR, SO IT IS POSSIBLE WE WILL LOSE ON THAT ONE ISSUE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO USE SOME PROP FOUR TO BACK OUT GENERAL FUND. THE OTHER THING, THOUGH, IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL FOR THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY IS LOWER THAN THAN WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THEM TO MEET THE VARIOUS PROJECTS, YOURS AND OTHERS, FOR THIS NEXT YEAR. SO THE ADVOCACY VERY SPECIFICALLY AROUND PROP FOUR AND THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY IS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY WILL GET THIS FIRST YEAR, AND I'M GETTING POSITIVE SIGNALS THERE, BUT WE MAY NOT KNOW FOR A WEEK OR TWO OR MAYBE A COUPLE MORE WEEKS WHETHER WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO GET MORE MONEY TO THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY. AND REID JUST TO ADD TO THAT I BELIEVE THERE WAS 31 MILLION IN EARLY BUDGET ACTION FUNDING PROVIDED TO THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY SPECIFICALLY TO FIRE AND FIRE MITIGATION. SO I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE IS THAT THAT'S ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD PROPOSED IN HIS ORIGINAL BUDGET OVERALL FOR COASTAL CONSERVANCY. AND SO WE'RE SEEKING AN ADDITIONAL 31 MILLION TO BE ADDED IN FOR COASTAL RESILIENCE, IN ADDITION TO THE 31 MILLION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED THROUGH THE EARLY BUDGET ACTION FOR FIRE. THANK YOU. AND REID, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO OFFER SOME INSIGHT ON THIS MAYBE. I JUST YESTERDAY I WAS ARGUING A POINT AND I USED THE I WAS REFERRING TO THE CALIFORNIA'S BUDGET DEFICIT FOR 25-26. AND I LOOKED UP THE LIO'S OFFICE, THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE, WHOM I'M TOLD IS A NONPARTISAN PERSON WHO'S PRETTY SMART AND HAS A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE TO DO WORK FOR HIM. AND I CAME AWAY WITH A NUMBER OF $73 BILLION DEFICIT FOR THIS COMING YEAR, AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT I DIDN'T DO IS THINK THAT IT WAS FEBRUARY. AND I SAID, WELL, THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH, ISN'T IT? [00:20:02] WELL, AND THEN TODAY I LOOKED AND IT'S 2 BILLION. AND IN OUR DOCUMENTS WE HERE WE HAVE 12 BILLION. AND I ASSUME THE 12 BILLION IS WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS SUGGESTING IT'S GOING TO BE. IS ARE PEOPLE THROWING DARTS OR IS THERE ANY REAL RHYME OR REASON TO ANY OF THIS? IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION AND I'M GOING TO ANSWER OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF MY MOUTH BY SAYING, I THINK THERE IS SOME DART THROWING, AND THERE ALSO IS SOME ANALYSIS GOING ON. PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, AND I'M ASSUMING THIS IS HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL, YOU'RE TRYING TO DECIDE. SO THE STATE'S TRYING TO DECIDE ON A BUDGET FOR THIS NEXT YEAR OFF PROJECTIONS OF WHERE THE TAX RATE'S GOING TO BE. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THE STATE HAS IS THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX IS ONE OF THOSE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF OUR TAX BASE THAT CAN FLUCTUATE HEAVILY. AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ESPECIALLY RELATED TO NATIONAL POLITICS AND NATIONAL POLICY, OF HOW THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTING STOCK MARKET, MIGHT BE IMPACTING ULTIMATELY CAPITAL GAINS. AND THEN DOES THAT CREATE ISSUES WITH THOSE PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR? SO IN ADDITION TO A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT THOSE PROJECTIONS. YOU ARE ALSO CORRECT. THERE'S THERE'S TWO MAIN AGENCIES OR ENTITIES THAT ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO ALL OF US HERE AND IN PARTICULAR TO THE LEGISLATURE. ONE IS THE GOVERNOR HAS HIS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE WHO HAS A NUMBER, AND TWO, THERE'S THE LAO, WHICH, AS YOU SAID, IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MORE NEUTRAL PARTY FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO RELY ON. USUALLY THOSE NUMBERS ARE NEVER THE SAME. I'M SURE THERE'S SOME POLITICS FOR BOTH OF THEIR NUMBERS. AND ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO GRAPPLE WITH, WHICH IS WHAT NUMBER DO THEY WANT TO USE, AND HOW DO THEY WANT TO TAKE THAT NUMBER INTO ACCOUNT AS THEY ARE BALANCING THEIR BUDGET? THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON THIS IS TYPICALLY THE GOVERNOR'S DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE IS GOING TO BE SUGGESTING A BUDGET DEFICIT THAT IS LESS THAN WHAT THE LAO PROPOSES. AND THAT'S A DYNAMIC WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH. THE FINAL THING I'LL SAY IS, BECAUSE IT IS A BUDGET THAT IS BASED ON PROJECTIONS ON OCCASION, IF THEY ARE WAY OFF THEY WILL HAVE TO COME IN LATER AND DO SOME CORRECTION BUDGET TO ADDRESS THAT. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S 12 TO 16 BILLION ARE THE NUMBERS THAT I THINK ARE MOSTLY BEING USED WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OF A DEFICIT. AND, OR AT LEAST CUTS THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED TO MAKE. SO IN THAT 12 TO $16 BILLION RANGE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THEN FINALLY SO AMONGST ALL OF THIS WHAT'S THE STATUS OF 30 BY 30? AND IS THAT A BIG I MEAN, THAT IS A BIG DEAL FOR THE GOVERNOR AND EVERYBODY IN HIS, HIS GROUP. SO HOW IS THAT AFFECTED OR IS IT AFFECTED? WELL, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT'S EXCELLENT THAT YOU AND MANY OTHERS HAVE THE VISION TO SAY WE NEED TO PASS A CLIMATE OR NATURAL RESOURCES BOND, I.E. PROP FOUR, TO PROVIDE FUNDING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND. BECAUSE IF WE DID NOT HAVE PROP FOUR, THERE WOULD BE ZERO AND MAYBE EVEN NEGATIVE SUPPORT FOR A 30 BY 30 EFFORT. BUT PROP FOUR IN GENERAL PROVIDES THOSE EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE STATE AND THE RESOURCE AGENCIES TO CONTINUE WORKING. AND AS YOU HEARD US MENTION A MOMENT AGO, THIS CAP AND TRADE MONEY, OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT FUNDING, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AND WE CAN GET THAT TO BE PART OF THEIR PLAN, THAT WILL ALSO BOLSTER AND BENEFIT THE 30 BY 30 EFFORTS. IF WE JUST CLOSE OUT BY SAYING IF WE WERE IN FACT RELIANT ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR 30 BY 30, IT WOULD BE DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. BUT PROP FOUR, AND HOPEFULLY THE CLIMATE MONEY WILL, WILL GIVE IT A BOOST IN A SHOT IN THE ARM THAT IT NEEDS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYTHING ELSE REID. NOT FROM MY END. UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE ERICH YOU WANTED ME TO TOUCH BASE ON. IN OUR STAFF REPORT, WE HAVE SB 315. RIGHT, YEAH, I NEGLECTED TO SHARE THAT I THINK, WITH YOU REID. THE BOARD HAD ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON THE QUIMBY ACT, LEGISLATION THAT SENATOR GRAYSON WAS CARRYING. AND I BELIEVE ABIGAIL WAS PREPARED TO SPEAK TO THAT. BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT BILL IS ON THE SUSPENSE FILE AND WILL NOT BE ADVANCING THIS YEAR. [00:25:01] THAT IS CORRECT. AND IT IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO GIVE YOU A PRECISE ANSWER ON WHY A MEASURE WAS HELD ON APPROPRIATIONS ON THE SUSPENSE CALENDAR. UNLIKE OTHER POLICY COMMITTEES WHERE YOU GET TO DEBATE SOMETHING AND PRESENT A BILL, AND YOU GET TO SEE HOW LEGISLATORS ARE GOING TO VOTE ON IT, AND THUS IF YOU LOSE, YOU CAN SEE WHO YOU LOST, WHAT VOTES YOU LOST. AND YOU MAY KNOW EXACTLY WHY A MEASURE DIDN'T PROCEED. APPROPRIATIONS ISN'T TRANSPARENT THAT WAY. THERE ISN'T A MAJOR HEARING. THERE ISN'T AN ABILITY TO SEE THE VOTES. YOU JUST KNOW ONE DAY WHEN THEY MEET THEIR DEADLINE, WHETHER YOUR BILL IS LEAVING THAT COMMITTEE OR NOT. AND THIS BILL DIDN'T GET TO LEAVE THAT COMMITTEE. I MEAN, A GENERIC ANSWER WOULD BE THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BILL WAS ONE THAT THE LEGISLATURE JUST FELT WAS A PROBLEM GIVEN THE RESOURCE CONSTRAINED BUDGET WE HAVE THIS YEAR. BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER REASONS. AND WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO DO RESEARCH TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A MORE ACCURATE TAKE ON WHY. BUT EVEN THEN, JUST KNOW WE WILL NEVER HAVE A PROBABLY A DEFINITIVE ANSWER FOR YOU ON PRECISELY WHAT THAT BILL GOT HELPED. WAS THERE ANY FORMAL OPPOSITION? I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT I UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T BRING MY DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF ME, I DON'T KNOW. ERIC, DO YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? I BELIEVE CHAIR WAESPI DOESN'T [INAUDBILE]. OBVIOUSLY THE RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT AGENCIES, BUT I DIDN'T I DON'T KNOW HOW DO I SAY THIS? I WONDERED ABOUT THEIR CLOUT. I THINK THEY NEEDED SOMEBODY ELSE, IN MY OPINION. AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER OPPOSITION FROM GOSH, I DON'T KNOW WHO, BUT YEAH, CARP LED THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS ONE. AND I THINK CSDA ALSO WAS OPPOSED. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE. SO. BUT I WE COULD FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND GIVE YOU THE OFFICIAL LIST OF THE MOST RECENT OPPOSITION. I WILL GET THAT TO ERIC SO WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU AFTER THIS CALL. GREAT. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. SO THE STAFF REPORT AND LITTLE RESEARCH I DID WAS THAT THEY'VE TURNED IT TO A TWO YEAR BILL AND EXPECT IT TO COME BACK IN JANUARY. IF THAT COMES BACK, WOULD WE HEAR FROM THIS IN THIS BODY, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A POSITION OR OPINE ON THAT? I CAN GENERICALLY ANSWER AND THEN ERIC CAN SPECIFICALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. SO YES, ON OCCASION AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE THEY DIDN'T PUT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN. THEY SAID THAT, IN FACT, THIS BILL COULD BE A TWO YEAR BILL, WHICH THEN ALLOWS THE AUTHOR TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH ISSUES. AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT THEN CREATES A TIMELINE WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THAT BILL OFF THE HOUSE OF ORIGIN IN DEADLINE OR OUT OF THE HOUSE OF ORIGIN IN JANUARY. THE, SO THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO QUEUE THAT UP PROBABLY IN DECEMBER. HEARINGS. WHICH MEANS IN NOVEMBER. PUBLICLY, YOU MIGHT KNOW WHETHER THE AUTHOR FEELS THEY'VE WORKED THROUGH SOME ISSUES AND WHETHER THEY'RE TRYING TO QUEUE UP THAT BILL FOR THE VARIOUS HEARINGS AND THE FLOOR VOTE THAT WOULD OCCUR IN JANUARY. AND THEN SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO GO GET INTEL FROM THE AUTHOR'S OFFICE AND OTHERS ABOUT THOSE DISCUSSIONS. BUT ERICH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A MORE SPECIFIC WAY YOU WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHEN AND HOW WE MIGHT BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THIS GROUP. YEAH. THE PARK DISTRICT DOES NOT RECEIVE QUIMBY FEES AS COMPENSATION. SO AS SUCH, GIVEN SENATOR GRAYSON HAS BEEN WONDERFUL CHAMPION FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, WE TOOK A NEUTRAL POSITION SO FAR. IF THE COMMITTEE WANTS A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT NEXT YEAR. WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING IT BACK FORWARD. THANK YOU. YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD IDEA WHEN IT COMES BACK UP TO DISCUSS IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC HEARING? NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REID. AND THANK YOU ERICH. YES THANK YOU, VERY HELPFUL REID. WE'LL MOVE NOW TO THE INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING. GOOD AFTERNOON. LISA BALDINGER LEGISLATIVE POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND I CAN CONFIRM FOR THE COMMITTEE THAT THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION DID FORMALLY OPPOSE AND ENGAGE ON THE QUIMBY ACT LEGISLATION. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'M PLEASED TO BE BRINGING THIS UPDATE BEFORE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AS YOU KNOW, IN APRIL OF 2025, OUR FISCAL YEAR 25 COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS THAT WERE BEING MOVED FORWARD AND ADVANCED BY OUR [00:30:07] DELEGATION DID NOT GET MOVED FORWARD, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS. WE WERE UNSURE IF THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH OUR DELEGATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED THIS MARCH WHEN APPLICATIONS BEGAN COMING ONLINE. AND SO I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE TO THIS COMMITTEE JUST TO LOOP YOU IN SO YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUEST PROCESS. SO MANY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT THOUGH THEY OPEN THEIR PORTAL FOR NEW REQUESTS, THEY OPTED TO TAKE THE REQUESTS THAT WERE STILL SEEKING FUNDING FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED TO AND MOVE THOSE FORWARD WITHIN FISCAL YEAR 26. SOME OFFICES NEVER ASKED FOR NEW PROJECTS. REPRESENTATIVE DESAULNIER'S OFFICE, WHICH IS ONE THAT WE TYPICALLY ENGAGE WITH, DID NOT ASK FOR NEW PROJECTS THIS YEAR. OTHER OFFICES, LIKE REPRESENTATIVE GARAMENDI DID ASK FOR NEW PROJECTS, BUT THEY SHARED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP THOSE FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. HOWEVER, IN DOING SO, THEY CREATED OPPORTUNITIES. IF THERE WERE PROJECTS THAT HAD BECOME FULLY FUNDED THAT NO LONGER NEEDED THEIR FISCAL YEAR 25 FUNDING, THAT THEY COULD SELECT NEW PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. AND SO THE PARK DISTRICT WAS VERY LUCKY IN THAT SENSE, BECAUSE REPRESENTATIVE DESAULNIER PICKED OUR PROJECT TO BE A NEW REQUEST IN FISCAL YEAR 26 SO COMPREHENSIVELY. THE PARK DISTRICT HAS THREE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE PROCESS. THOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE BOARD THAT THIS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND THIS WILL GO WELL THIS YEAR, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. IT COULD BE THE VERY SAME PROCESS AS WE WENT THROUGH IN 25, BUT WE ARE PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD WITH THE OFFICE OF SORRY WITH THE OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE GARAMENDI. I BELIEVE SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO SAT WITH HIM IN WASHINGTON, D.C. A FEW YEARS BACK RECALL HIM SAYING, I AM COMMITTED TO YOUR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND TO PROVIDING THOSE CONNECTIONS. AND SO HIS OFFICE ACTUALLY GAVE ME A CALL IN MARCH AND SAID, HEY, YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AGAIN? AND SO IT WAS THE EASIEST GRANT I'VE EVER DONE. AND THEY'LL BE MOVING FORWARD. OUR $1.5 MILLION APPLICATION FOR THE RICHMOND BAY TRAIL GAP CLOSURE PROJECT. OUR FUNDING REQUEST IS 1.5 MILLION. AND WE RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM SENATOR ARAGON, ASSEMBLYMEMBER BUFFY WICKS, CONTRA COSTA SUPERVISOR JOHN JULIA AND THE RICHMOND MAYOR EDUARDO MARTINEZ. SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD. THE NEXT ONE THAT IS ADVANCING ALSO FROM LAST YEAR IS OUR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR REGIONAL SHORELINE PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT. WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THAT LAST YEAR THEN-SENATOR BUTLER AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE WERE THE ONES WHO COMMITTED TO MOVING IT FORWARD. WHEN REPRESENTATIVE SIMON CAME INTO OFFICE, SHE COMMITTED TO MOVING FORWARD THE FUNDING REQUEST OF REPRESENTATIVE LEE. AND SO THE $2 MILLION REQUEST FOR WHAT WE ANECDOTALLY CALL OUR TIDEWATER PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD THROUGH EPA FUNDING. SIMILARLY, THIS PROJECT HAS SUPPORT FROM THE STATE, REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL. AND THEN FINALLY, A PROJECT. OUR BOARD IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THIS IS A NEW REQUEST FOR A REPRESENTATIVE DESAULNIER'S OFFICE. AS OUR BOARD MEMBERS RECALL A FEW YEARS BACK, REPRESENTATIVE DESAULNIER PROVIDED THE FOUNDATIONAL $3 MILLION FOR OUR VISITOR CENTER AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THAT. THIS IS $2 MILLION FOR THE SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD PROJECT, WHICH WILL COMPLEMENT THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THEN ASSEMBLY MEMBER TIM GRAYSON. SO FOR THIS ONE, AND CREDIT GOES TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PORT CHICAGO ALLIANCE, ULI PADMORE, FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT. YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMMUNITY AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAME FORWARD WITH LETTERS, SO THAT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY THIS UNIQUE REQUEST WAS ADDED INTO THE PORTFOLIO THIS YEAR FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. AND SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE PROCESS AND THESE PROJECTS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? LISA. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PROJECT A TIMELINE FOR WHAT WE NOW REFER TO AS COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDING? IT WAS TIED, WASN'T IT, TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET GETTING DONE. AND I DON'T RECALL HEARING ABOUT THIS. DID THIS JUST NOT HAPPEN THIS YEAR? AND SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR. SO IN FISCAL YEAR 25 SO LAST YEAR. SO TYPICALLY WE'RE EXPECTING THESE REQUESTS THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME ONLINE IN MARCH. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IT VARIES BY OFFICE. THEY HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION IN HOW THEY REQUEST THE INFORMATION AND WHAT INFORMATION THEY REQUEST. AND THEN IN APRIL, THE OFFICES PACKAGE IT UP AND BRING IT FORWARD FOR COMMITTEE. [00:35:04] AND SO LAST YEAR WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE TYPICAL MOTIONS AND ACTIONS WITH SENATOR BUTLER, REPRESENTATIVE LEE AND REPRESENTATIVE GARAMENDI'S OFFICE FOR OUR PROJECTS. THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION, BUT THEN THEY WERE PULLED IN APRIL OF 2025 AND ESSENTIALLY PUT ON ICE. AND SO FROM THAT REASON, WE WEREN'T TOTALLY SURE WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THIS YEAR AND IF OUR PROJECTS WOULD MOVE FORWARD. AND SO WE WERE PLEASED THAT THEY DID SO. IN TERMS OF IF THERE'S A PREDICTABLE TIMELINE, IT IS AROUND MARCH THAT WE BEGIN ENGAGING OUR MEMBERS. BUT WHEN THAT TRANSITIONS INTO GRANT FUNDING, IT'S IT'S HARDER TO PREDICT. AND THEN EVEN ONCE THE BILL MOVES FORWARD, IT CAN STILL BE QUITE A BIT OF DELAY IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THE GRANTING AGENCIES AND ENCUMBERING THAT FUNDING. SO CONGRESS COLLECTIVELY DECIDED NOT TO DO IT FOR FISCAL 2025. THAT'S CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. AND THE PROJECTIONS ARE THAT THEY MAY. THE NEXT TIME. EXACTLY. ON THE THEORY THAT THESE ARE POPULAR VEHICLES FOR CONGRESS MEMBERS FROM BOTH PARTIES. OKAY. AND IT REMAINS THAT. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. YES. NO. GREAT. GOOD LUCK. I HOPE WE GET IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE. ERICH PFUEHLER, DIVISION LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. AND JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON TO YOUR QUESTION, DIRECTOR COFFEY. THE QUOTE UNQUOTE NORMAL PROCESS FOR FEDERAL FUNDING IS ALL 12 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS. WELL, THERE'S A BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL THAT IS PASSED EARLY IN THE BUDGET, A BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT IS PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS. THEY GO TO WORK THE 12 APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES TO PASS INDIVIDUAL SPENDING BILLS. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THERE'S A BUDGET RECONCILIATION PROCESS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO ESSENTIALLY APPROPRIATE ALL THE FUNDING, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE COMMUNITY BUDGET OR COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECTS. THAT PROCESS HASN'T REALLY BEEN FOLLOWED FOR PROBABLY SINCE BILL CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE TIME IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND LISA LINDSAY CAN SPEAK TO THAT AND, AND HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS. BUT JUST IN TERMS OF TIMING, ROUGHLY OCTOBER WOULD BE THE NORMAL TIME TO EXPECT A DECISION ON THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS. AND AS NOTED, WE ARE JOINED BY OUR FEDERAL ADVOCATES, KDCR. IT'S A BUSY TIME IN WASHINGTON WITH THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BEING CONSIDERED. NARROWLY PASSED THE HOUSE BY TWO VOTES, AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW. THERE IS PRESSURE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO PASS IT BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY. AND SO JUST TO COMMENT ON SOME OF THOSE PROCEEDINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES OCCURRING IN WASHINGTON, WE'VE INVITED LISA AND LINDSAY TO PRESENT TO THE TO THE BOARD TODAY. THANK YOU, ERIC. AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR HAVING US BACK TO VISIT WITH YOU TODAY. I'M LISA CANTOR, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF KDCR PARTNERS. I'M EXCITED TODAY TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE A NEW TEAM MEMBER WHO JUST JOINED US. IN BETWEEN YOUR MEETINGS LINDSEY GARCIA, SHE HAS A TREMENDOUS BACKGROUND IN BUDGET AND TAX MATTERS. AND SO IT WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO US AND ALSO TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH EAST BAY. SHE'S COMING TO US FROM THE SENATE, WHERE SHE WAS A SENIOR STAFFER HANDLING ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS FOR THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS CHAIR COLLINS FROM MAINE. SHE COMES FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE DAIS. AND BEFORE WORKING WITH SENATOR COLLINS ON APPROPRIATIONS AND HELPING TO RUN THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES GET THEIR ANNUAL BUDGETS AND MANAGING EARMARK REQUESTS. FROM THE SENATE SIDE, SHE WORKED IN SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP AS THE POLICY DIRECTOR, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON REALLY EVERYTHING BUT A SPECIAL FOCUS ON APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX AND RECONCILIATION MATTERS. AND BEFORE THAT, SHE WORKED FOR A KEY REPUBLICAN LEADER IN THE SENATE FROM TENNESSEE, LAMAR ALEXANDER, WHERE SHE WAS HIS LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR AND COUNSEL AND HELPED ON A LOT OF THE MATTERS, ACTUALLY, THAT WE'RE EVEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY, THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND BEING MADE PERMANENT FUNDING. [00:40:02] AND THE INITIAL LEGISLATION THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ON THE PARKS MAINTENANCE. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO WELCOME HER HERE TODAY. SHE KNOWS A LOT, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THAT KNOWLEDGE AND HAS REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IN OUR WORK WITH YOU ALL, AND PARTICULARLY ON THE APPROACH FRONT. SO I'M GOING TO TURN TO HER NOW TO GIVE A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET. AND PLEASE, I WOULD REALLY INVITE YOU ALL. AS ERICH MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND SO WE ARE MINDFUL THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PIECES. SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT HER OR ME AT ANY TIME. THANKS, LISA. BEFORE I JUMP IN ON THE FEDERAL BUDGET AND REAL QUICK, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ACT. LIKE LISA SAID, WHEN I WORKED FOR SENATOR ALEXANDER WE WROTE THE ORIGINAL PARK MAINTENANCE PIECE OF WHAT BECAME THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED. SENATOR LEE, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, HIS BIGGEST OPPOSITION TO LWCF AND THEN BY EXTENSION THE PARKS IS FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION. SO THAT WHEN THOSE TWO PIECES WERE PAIRED TOGETHER, IT WAS NEW FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION. THAT'S WHAT HE HAS HAD A CONTINUOUS OBJECTION TO DURING HIS ENTIRE CAREER. AND SO THAT HAS BLED OVER INTO A LOT OF THESE THINGS. SO THERE'S THE LIKE ERIC SAID HE'S ALSO A STRONG FISCAL CONSERVATIVE DOESN'T SUPPORT NEW MANDATORY FUNDING. INCREASED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION PIECE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND BUDGET REQUEST BY THIS ADMINISTRATION LIKE ERICH MENTIONED, IT IS MUCH IT'LL BE MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON THE MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THINGS. THE FISH, WILDLIFE, HUNTING ACCESS THINGS, THE FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION PIECE OF THAT WILL GO DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE REPUBLICANS ARE IN CHARGE. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLOSE THAT LOOP HERE AT THE BEGINNING. BUT ON THE APPROPRIATIONS SIDE LIKE LISA JUST MENTIONED WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE AT THE. YEAH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS. SO PRESIDENT WOULD SUBMIT HIS BUDGET. THE HOUSE AND SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES ARE HAVING THEIR HEARINGS ON THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET. THEY GOT ALL OF THEIR MEMBER OFFICE'S REQUESTS. SO ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT LISA WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, THOSE GUYS SUBMITTED, THEY DID A GREAT JOB SUBMITTING THOSE TO THE OFFICES. THE OFFICES THEN SUBMIT THOSE TO THE COMMITTEES. AND NOW, IN JUNE AND JULY, THE HOUSE AND SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES WILL BE WRITING THEIR BILLS. AND THAT'S WHEN THEIR BILLS COME OUT THAT TELL THE AGENCIES HOW TO SPEND ALL THEIR MONEY. THAT'S WHEN WE'LL KNOW WHETHER THESE PROJECTS ARE ADVANCED IN THE FIRST STAGE OF THE PROCESS. SO THE RELEVANT BILLS FOR THE PROJECTS THAT YOU GUYS CARE ABOUT AND THE OVERALL PROGRAMS THAT YOU CARE ABOUT ARE THE INTERIOR EPA BILL, INTERIOR SQUARE, FISH AND WILDLIFE, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, ALL OF THAT'S FUNDED. AND THEN EPA THOSE BILLS WILL BE RELEASED AT THE END OF JUNE. SO JUNE 23RD. AND THEN THEY'LL GO TO IN THE HOUSE. IN THE HOUSE WILL BE RELEASED JUNE 23RD. THE WEEK THAT WEEK. AND THEN THE TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT BILL. THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE GRANTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASKED FOR, FOR PROJECTS ARE FUNDED. THAT IS THE WEEK OF JULY 7TH AT THE HOUSE. SO WE'LL SEE AT THAT JUNCTURE IF THOSE PROJECTS MOVED FORWARD IN THE PROCESS. THE SENATE HAS NOT YET ANNOUNCED WHEN THEY WILL BE RELEASING THEIR BILLS. BUT I ANTICIPATE THEM TO BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEHIND THE HOUSE, WHICH IS HOW IT TYPICALLY WORKS. ONE THING I WANTED TO FLAG IS WITH COMPLETE REPUBLICAN CONTROL ESPECIALLY IN THE HOUSE, THE HOUSE FUNDS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE REPUBLICAN PROJECTS THAN DEMOCRAT PROJECTS. THEY DON'T OR IT'S THE MAJORITY/ MINORITY. IT WAS THE SAME WHEN DEMOCRATS WERE IN CHARGE. SO IT'S NOT A 50/50 SPLIT. SO YOU'LL SOMETIMES SEE 80% GO TO MAJORITY PROJECTS AND ONLY 20% GO TO MINORITY PROJECTS. IN THE SENATE, IT IS MUCH CLOSER TO A 50/50 SPLIT. SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THESE BILLS GET RELEASED. YOU KNOW, YOU YOUR DELEGATION IS YOUR DELEGATION AND THAT'S THE REALISTIC THING THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT JUST PUTTING THAT ON, ON EVERYONE'S RADAR. [00:45:01] SO THIS SUMMER, THE COMMITTEES WILL APPROVE THEIR BILLS, HOUSE AND SENATE. AND THEN THE ERICH MENTIONED THE SEPTEMBER 30TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR FUNDING. I DO NOT ANTICIPATE WE WILL HAVE FULL YEAR BILLS PASSED INTO LAW YET. SO NONE OF THESE PROJECTS WILL RECEIVE FUNDING UNTIL THEY ARE PASSED INTO LAW? BUT WE DIDN'T DO THAT LAST YEAR. WE DID A FULL YEAR CR, THAT'S A CONTINUING RESOLUTION. THAT'S WHY NONE OF THESE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD LAST YEAR. SO I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF EFFORT AND ENERGY PUT IN TO MAKING SURE THAT WE PASS FULL YEAR BILLS INTO LAW THIS YEAR SO THAT THESE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE A LOT OF A BIG PRIORITY TO A LOT OF MEMBERS AND A LOT OF REPUBLICAN MEMBERS. RIGHT. LOTS OF REPUBLICAN MEMBERS REQUEST SPECIFIC PROJECTS FOR THE STATE. WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. SO I THINK ON TIMING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, DECEMBER IS DECEMBER, POSSIBLY BLEEDING INTO JANUARY, FEBRUARY IS A MUCH MORE LIKELY TIMING FOR THIS FINAL DECISION TO BE MADE THAN A SEPTEMBER OCTOBER DEADLINE. THE ONE JUST ONE MORE THING ON APPROPRIATIONS IS I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS PRESIDENT TRUMP RELEASED HIS BUDGET THIS PAST WEEK. THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE PROPOSED CUTS ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND WHILE I DO ALSO THINK THAT HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICANS WILL HAVE REDUCED SPENDING THAT THEY'VE HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THEY WON'T THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET IS JUST A BENCHMARK THAT'S PUT OUT THERE. THEY THEN WRITE THEIR OWN APPROPRIATIONS BILLS. AND THEY'RE DIFFERENT. AND SO YOU WILL SEE SOME OF PARTICULARLY THESE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING PASS THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSED TO ELIMINATE THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE AND SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HAVE ALREADY ASKED THEIR MEMBERS TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. SO I ANTICIPATE THAT FUNDING BEING RETURNED, WHETHER IT'S AT THE EXACT LEVELS OF PREVIOUS YEARS, IS DIFFERENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST CAUTION THAT IF YOU SEE SOME BIG PROGRAM CUTS, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL OF THEM WILL BE ENACTED THAT WAY, BUT IT WILL BE GENERALLY MORE CONSERVATIVE RESPONSE. AND YOU ASKED WE HAD BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS RELEASED SOME BUDGET INFORMATION, BUT NOT THE DETAILED PROGRAMMATIC LEVEL THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT. TO SEE WHERE SOME OF YOUR PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE EXISTING FUNDING FOR OR ARE LOOKING FOR FUTURE FUNDING. WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION YET FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. AND SO I THINK WE'RE POISED TO DO THAT ANALYSIS WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE, BUT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED OR I'M MISSING ANYTHING ON THAT FRONT LINDSEY? NO, WE'RE STILL AT THE VERY TOP LEVEL STAGES OF THE BUDGET. SO WE HAVE SOME BIG OVERALL FUNDING POTS, BUT NOT DRILLING DOWN INTO THE VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT THAT YOU ALL CARE ABOUT. BUT WHEN WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL PROVIDE IT TO THE TEAM ON WHERE THE PROPOSED FUNDING LEVELS AND CERTAINLY WHEN THE BILLS START TO COME OUT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS WHERE THE REAL ACTION IS ON WHAT ON WHAT THE IMPACTS COULD BE. ANOTHER THING THAT WE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT REAL QUICK SOME WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. UP HERE, TRACKING UP HERE IS THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION. SO THIS IS KNOWN AS THE HIGHWAY BILL. BUT IT DOES A LOT MORE THAN THAT. IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY EXPIRE UNTIL NEXT SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 2026. WE CONGRESS TYPICALLY DOES FIVE YEAR AUTHORIZATIONS FOR THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL. BUT THE PARTICULARLY THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN AND IT'S A VERY BIPARTISAN PROCESS WITH SAM GRAVES AND RICK LARSEN ARE WORKING FORWARD TO TRY TO GATHER PROPOSALS NOW AND SO EAST BAY SUBMITTED SOME PRIORITIES FOR THAT TO YOUR DELEGATION. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING THE LAST SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL, THE IIJA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT, WAS A VERY LARGE BILL. IT INCLUDED A LOT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE THAT THIS BILL WILL HAVE THAT ROBUST FUNDING. SO IT'S REALLY FOCUSING ON THE CORE PROJECTS AND CORE PIECES. AND SO YOU KNOW, A REAL FOCUS ON SAFETY AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND HARD INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A PROGRAM THAT'S CALLED THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL PROGRAM. BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY WORKING THROUGH FINDING PLACES WHERE THIS MAJORITY REPUBLICAN MAJORITY ALIGNS WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND HOW TO WORK THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES AT A TIME WHERE THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE AS MUCH MONEY IN THE SURFACE, [00:50:08] BILL, THERE AREN'T GOING TO BE AS MANY NEW PROGRAMS. BUT JUST CONTINUING TO TRACK THAT AS THEY'RE TRYING TO WRITE A BILL IN THE COMING MONTHS AND START TO MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO BE READY BEFORE IT EXPIRES. SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER THING THAT THAT WE'RE TRACKING HERE. THANK YOU, LINDSEY. THE PARK DISTRICT IS SUBMITTING A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE FUNDING FOR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL. IT'S ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS, AS LINDSEY REFERRED TO, THAT WAS PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT AS POTENTIAL FOR CUTTING OR ELIMINATING. BUT WE'VE SPOKEN WITH OUR PARTNERS AT CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION AND THE ALAMEDA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AS WELL AS THE TWO COUNTIES LEGISLATIVE STAFFS. AND THEY'RE ALL SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IN TERMS OF POTENTIALLY PROVIDING MORE SAFE CROSSINGS FOR OUR PURPOSES, FOR TRAIL CROSSINGS LIKE THE IRON HORSE TRAIL. CONTRA COSTA CANAL TRAIL. AND IT COULD ALSO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OVER CROSSINGS, WHICH WOULD BE ALSO A SAFE CROSSING. SO THAT WAS THE AREA THAT WE IDENTIFIED UNDER THIS CONGRESS AND THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT WE WOULD PUT OUR SUPPORT IN. THE LETTER WOULD BE GOING TO REPRESENTATIVES TO SOLNEY AND GARAMENDI, WHO SERVE ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. AND THEN WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO WEIGH IN WITH OUR TWO SENATORS, WHO ARE ALSO ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, WHICH HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THIS BILL IN THE SENATE. AND I THINK WE'RE PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS. BUT LISA AND LINDSEY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT THE CURRENT DEBATE IN THE SENATE ON THE TAX CUTS AND THAT OVERALL PACKAGE THAT NARROWLY PASSED THE HOUSE. HAPPY TO DO THAT. I CAN I CAN DO THAT. OR LET ME ASK LINDSEY, SINCE SHE'S RECENTLY LEFT THAT AND HAS A FRONT ROW SEAT TO JUST LAY THAT OUT NICELY. SO RECONCILIATION, AS YOU'VE HEARD IN THE NEWS, ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, THE TAX CUTS, TRUMP TAX CUTS FROM TRUMP 45. THAT PASSED THE HOUSE JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO NOW. AND IS IN THE SENATE. THE SENATE IS UNDER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SENATE. REPUBLICANS ARE UNDER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO TRY TO PASS THE RECONCILIATION BILL BY THE 4TH OF JULY RECESS. AND SO THAT IS CERTAINLY WHAT IS TAKING UP ALL OF THE OXYGEN IN THE SENATE AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, ALL OF WASHINGTON, DC RIGHT NOW. SO THE VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY TO EXTEND THE TRUMP TAX CUTS, PLAYS IN A LOT OF OTHER SPACES. NOT PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO YOU. BUT THERE ARE SOME ENERGY TAX CREDITS AND SOME OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND SOME ADJACENT INDUSTRIES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED. BUT THE SENATE REPUBLICANS RIGHT NOW ARE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THEIR MATH. THEY HAVE A GROUP OF MEMBERS THREE, POSSIBLY MORE, THAT SAY THAT THEY WON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES TO MEDICAID. BUT THAT THEN YOU HAVE A GROUP OF CONSERVATIVES THAT WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE COST SAVINGS IN THIS PROCESS. AND REALLY, THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT, TO OFFSET THE COST OF EXTENDING THE TAX CREDITS IS BY CHANGES TO MEDICAID, CHANGES TO SOME OF THESE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT TAX CREDITS AND OTHERS. RECONCILIATION IS A SPECIAL MECHANISM THAT WE HAVE IN CONGRESS. THAT IS THE ONLY TYPE OF LEGISLATION THAT CAN BE PASSED IN THE SENATE BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY. SO IT CAN ONLY BE PASSED WITH REPUBLICAN BILLS. WHEN THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED ALL THREE CHAMBERS FOUR YEARS AGO, SO THEY PASSED TWO RECONCILIATION BILLS. ONE WAS IN RESPONSE TO COVID, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, AND THEN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. THOSE WERE ALL PASSED WITH ONLY DEMOCRATIC VOTES. SO THIS WOULD BE THAT SAME PROCESS. THIS WAS HOW THE TRACK THE TAX TRUMP TAX CUTS GOT ORIGINALLY PASSED. BACK IN TRUMP 45. AND SO THAT THAT WOULD BE THEIR GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET IT PASSED BY JULY 4TH. THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DIALS, THE DIFFERENT DIALS TO TURN, TO TRY TO GET ALL OF THOSE VOTES. AND IT WILL MAKE IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRODUCT THAT PASSED THE HOUSE. SO GET THE VOTES IN THE SENATE, BUT ALSO THAT THEN PRESERVE THE VOTES THAT THEY NEED BACK IN THE HOUSE. IN A DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL TIMES, THE MARGINS IN THE HOUSE ARE ACTUALLY SLIMMER THAN THE MARGINS IN THE SENATE. [00:55:09] AND SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE EVERY BASICALLY EVERY REPUBLICAN THAT'S WILLING TO VOTE FOR THIS. SO THAT WOULD BE THE BIG FOCUS, BILLS IN THE SENATE, WHICH IS TO MY EARLIER POINT, PART OF WHAT MIGHT SLOW DOWN THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS IN THE SENATE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THIS? SURE. OKAY. SO WHERE TO BEGIN? I THINK I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF I'M AT ALL INCORRECT TO BASICALLY BELIEVE IN PLAN, THAT OTHER THAN CONGRESSIONAL GENERATED FUNDING THAT MAY COME THROUGH WHAT WE USED TO CALL EARMARKS, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING OUT OF THIS GOVERNMENT. OTHER THAN MAYBE THE WHAT'S THE FUND? I KEEP FORGETTING THE WILDLIFE. LAND AND WILDLIFE. LAND AND WILDLIFE, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A FIXED ALLOCATION, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DOUBLE WHAMMY IN THAT OUR DELEGATION IS ENTIRELY DEMOCRATIC. OUR REGION IS ENTIRELY DEMOCRATIC. OUR SENATORS ARE ENTIRELY DEMOCRATIC, AND WE'RE IN CALIFORNIA AND WE'RE TARGETED. WE WERE DOING WELL, RELATIVELY WELL UNDER THE BIDEN INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY. THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, THE CLIMATE MONEY THAT BIDEN CAME UP WITH, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S GOING TO GO AWAY. I KNOW JUST FROM MY EIGHT YEARS HERE THAT WE'VE DONE WELL WITH ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FEMA, SIGNIFICANT FEMA FUNDING. WHAT ELSE AM I MISSING? HUD. AND, OF COURSE, JUST THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND NATIONAL PARKS. PASS THROUGH FUNDING SO THAT ERICH, IN A NUTSHELL, IS WHERE WE'VE DONE DECENTLY IN TERMS OF FEDERAL FUNDING. AND I'M JUST ASSUMING ALL OF THAT GOES AWAY. WHERE AM I INCORRECT IN THAT ASSUMPTION? WELL, I WOULD JUST I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM LISA AND LINDSAY, BUT I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING PROCESS FOR FROM DC IS ALWAYS SECULAR. AND EACH ADMINISTRATION YOU KNOW, LOOKS AT IT DIFFERENTLY. AND SO AND EACH YOU KNOW, HOUSE AND SENATE EVERY TWO YEARS POTENTIALLY CHANGE. SO I THINK WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PARK DISTRICT AND CONTINUE TO LET OUR FOLKS KNOW THAT WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, DIRECTOR COFFEY AND JUST KEEP ON THE RADAR. AS YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THINGS CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. BUT FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, YES, IT LOOKS WELL, I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE WE WILL SEE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECT FUNDING ADVANCE. BUT SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS ARE GOING TO BE YOU KNOW, THERE'S UNCERTAINTY IN ALL OF THEM, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. AND I DEFINITELY WELCOME LINDSAY'S INSIGHTS ON THIS. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, YOU ALL JUST APPROVED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETINGS. SUPPORT FOR THREE BIPARTISAN MEASURES. YOU KNOW, WE ALL WHO HAVE WORKED IN AND AROUND WASHINGTON FOR YEARS ARE HOPEFUL THAT ONCE THIS RECONCILIATION PROCESS IS COMPLETED, THAT CONGRESS WILL TURN TO DOING THE WORK THAT IT CAN DO THAT IS BIPARTISAN. AND I THINK IN ADDITION TO THE THREE BILLS THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO TRACKING VERY CLOSELY TO YOUR POINT THE FEMA MONEY AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CURRENT GRANTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED AS A PART OF FEMA WORK IN THE PAST THROUGH THE STATE, AND SO FAR THOSE SEEM TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. SO I THINK WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT SOME OF THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED BEFORE WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW. AND I THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND LOOK AROUND THE CORNERS FOR PLACES WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN. AS LINDSAY AND ERICH WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SAFE STREETS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE OUT IN FRONT OF IDENTIFYING THAT PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT DEMOCRATS IN OUR FOOTPRINT AND OUR, OUR CHAMPIONS WILL TRY TO KEEP STABLE THROUGHOUT THIS NEXT TWO YEAR PROCESS. [01:00:03] AND THAT BILL IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE BIPARTISAN. SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET SUPPORT FROM DEMOCRATS TO PASS THAT BILL. SO I THINK WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BE STRATEGIC AND PROTECT AND AUGMENT IN ANY AREA THAT WE THINK IS POSSIBLE WORKING WITH YOU ALL. BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS A DIFFERENT TIME AND IT IS PRETTY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US WORKING HERE AND ALSO FOR YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN USED TO THE GOVERNMENT WORKING IN A SPECIFIC WAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE JUST HOPING THAT WE CAN KIND OF NOT LOSE A TON OF GROUND AFTER, YOU KNOW, ROBUST COUPLE OF YEARS OF INVESTMENT. YEAH, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING LISA SAID. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S IT'S A DIFFERENT TIME. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE COMBINATION OF THE THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT WITH THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, WHERE A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU CARE ABOUT, A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN THE ENERGY ENVIRONMENT SPACE GOT BILLIONS IN BACK TO BACK, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NOW. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT BASE PROGRAMS AND WE WILL DIG THROUGH THE BUDGET TO SEE WHERE THOSE ARE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN THE BILLS COME OUT ULTIMATELY, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THIS THROUGH A NORMAL PROCESS AND IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE DONE IN RECONCILIATION, THE TO BECOME LAW, IT HAS TO PASS IN THE SENATE WITH 60 VOTES. SO THE ULTIMATE APPROPRIATIONS PROJECT HAS TO BE BIPARTISAN. DEMOCRATS ARE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT. NOT TRYING TO BE NAIVE. BUT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PREVENT A TREMENDOUS BACKSLIDING. YOU KNOW, AND SO I THINK EVEN WHEN WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT BASE REGULAR PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED WITH APPROPRIATIONS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO GARNER 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO GET AT LEAST SEVEN DEMOCRATIC VOTES. AND TO GET THOSE ACROSS THE LINE. SAME WITH THE TRANSPORTATION. THE SERVICE REAUTHORIZATION BILL THAT WILL HAVE TO HAVE 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS TO BECOME LAW WILL HAVE TO BE BIPARTISAN. SO THAT IS THE THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE BIPARTISAN PRIORITIES AND PUSH THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. WELL, I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT US TO CONTINUE THE ADVOCACY AND THE WORK AND GRANT WRITING AND APPLYING. KEEP THAT ALL UP, BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW, SOMETIMES IT TAKES FOUR YEARS. AND OUR MY PERSONAL HOPE, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE HAVE A BRAND NEW GOVERNMENT IN FOUR YEARS. SO WE SHOULD KEEP WORKING AND WORKING TOWARD THAT. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HURT. EVEN IF THE TAP KIND OF SHUTS CLOSED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT, YOU KNOW, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF ALL THIS IS THAT WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT MANY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND CERTAINLY SENATORS, ARE VERY FOND OF PARKS, AND THEY'RE VERY FOND OF TRAILS AND YOU KNOW, SO HOPEFULLY THAT WORKS TO OUR BENEFIT IN A BIPARTISAN SENSE. SO I THINK YOU TWO ARE EXPRESSING SOME HOPE WHERE I HAD NONE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON DIRECTOR COFFEY'S COMMENTS. AND ALSO, TO QUOTE LINDSEY, I THINK YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WE NEED TO FIND SOME PATHS TO WHERE WE AGREE WITH REPUBLICAN STUFF, AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANY RIGHT NOW, BUT OTHER THAN WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND SUPPRESSION AND I'M WONDERING YOU KNOW, WILDFIRES AREN'T GETTING ANY SMALLER AND THEY'RE BECOMING A GREATER AND GREATER CONCERN. AND I KNOW, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY THERE WITH THE CONFIGURATION OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THIS POINT? SHOULD BE. YEAH. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. I DO THINK ANYTHING PERMITTING REFORM, A BIG WILDFIRE PACKAGE, PREPARATIONS, ANYTHING IS JUST HONESTLY ON PAUSE UNTIL REPUBLICANS FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH RECONCILIATION. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ALL JUST FOCUSED ON. BUT THERE IS A LOT OF BIPARTISAN INTEREST IN WILDFIRE THERE. IT'S NOT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, PARTIZAN DIFFERENCES, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST. AND SO I DO THINK THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THROUGH THAT AND WORK THERE. I ALSO YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY NAIVE TO THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WE WON'T HAVE A SITUATION WHERE CONGRESS IS HAVING TO PASS ANOTHER DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL, WHETHER IT BE FOR WILDFIRES OR HURRICANE OR, YOU KNOW THINGS. AND THAT IS A BIG FOCUS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ALIGNMENT. A LOT OF FISCAL SCHOOL CONSERVATIVES SAY THEY DON'T WANT TO JUST PASS MORE MONEY WITHOUT LOOKING AT EITHER MITIGATION TECHNIQUES OR REFORMS OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. [01:05:04] AND SO IF WE ARE WORKING FOR TOWARDS SOME SORT OF EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL, THAT'S A PLACE WHERE WE COULD ALSO WORK ON THE MITIGATION SIDE IN THAT BIPARTISAN MANNER. SO, YES, I THINK AND AND OF COURSE, WILDFIRES IS ONE SUBSET. BUT THE DISASTER PORTFOLIO IS ONLY GROWING. RIGHT. IT'S ONLY BECOMING WORSE. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT ONCE CONGRESS IS ABLE TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON THIS, HOPEFULLY JUST ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL AND WE CAN MOVE ON FROM RECONCILIATION, THAT THAT'S A PLACE THAT WE COULD WORK ON A BIPARTISAN PROJECT. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW. I'M KIND OF WITH COLIN ON THE DOWN DOWNER SIDE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I MEAN, I FEEL JUST SO BLESSED TO BE PART OF AN AGENCY THAT'S THIS LARGE TO HAVE FEDERAL ADVOCACIES LIKE YOU. I MEAN, THAT WE CAN DO THIS OR DO THIS WORK AND SOMEHOW TOGETHER GET THROUGH THIS, THESE TROUBLED TIMES AS A FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, THE CUTS HISTORICALLY ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. FOR MORE FEDERAL EXPERIENCED COLLEAGUES, INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY RETIRED THIS WEEK. AND SO EVEN THE CUTS, YOU KNOW, IT JUST REVERBERATES ALL THE WAY DOWN. BUT BACK TO THE POSITIVE IS THAT AS IT'S REVERBERATING DOWN, IT ALSO REVERBERATES UP. I REMEMBER YOU KNOW, OFTEN THAT THIS AGENCY WAS FORMED DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THAT THAT JUST REMINDS ME MORE AND MORE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING LOCALLY TO KEEP BUILDING OUR BASE AND GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY CORNER WE CAN FIND, TO KEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND STAY ON THE GOOD, GOOD SIDES. BECAUSE, I MEAN, THIS IS YOU KNOW, THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL. BUT YOU KNOW, THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, YOU KNOW, HAVING YOU AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL YOU KNOW, I EPA BACK IN THE 1970S, WE KNEW THESE THINGS WERE COMING. AND HERE THEY ARE, THE STORMS, ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS. I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT OUR PARKS AND THE HEAT. WE'RE ONLY WE'RE NOT EVEN IN JULY YET. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND SO CONTINUING TO HAVE YOU ADVOCATE FOR US IN KEEPING THE, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY WELLNESS, THE FEMA MONEY, THE GRANT MONEY AND ALL OF THAT, AND THEN FOCUSING LOCALLY. SO, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK WE'RE A SOLID GROUP, A SOLID TEAM. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE SOMETHING LOCAL AND POSITIVE TO FOCUS ON. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS FOR US FEDERALLY, AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS. WELL THANK YOU. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT, WELL, IN THAT CASE, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INFORMATIONAL, VERY, VERY INFORMATIONAL REPORT. AND GOOD LUCK BACK THERE. THANK YOU. WE NEED IT. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE REGARDING EARLY BUDGET ACTIONS. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS. FANTASTIC TO SEE YOU. LAURA CHONTOSH, LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT. I WILL KICK US OFF WITH OUR OVERVIEW OF RECENT EVENTS AND SITE VISITS THAT TOOK PLACE IN BOTH APRIL AND MAY. I WILL COVER OUR FEDERAL AND STATE FOCUSED EVENTS, AND THEN HAND OFF TO MY COLLEAGUE ELSA, WHO WILL FOCUS ON OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOCUSED EVENTS. ONE MOMENT PLEASE, WHILE I SCREEN SHARE. AND THEN WE CAN END. END ON A HIGH NOTE. ON THE STRENGTH OF OUR STRENGTH. OF OUR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. OKAY, SO WE'LL START BACK IN APRIL AND MOVE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE LAST WEEK WITH ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT EVENTS IN APRIL. APRIL 3RD. SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50. WE CELEBRATED THIS YEAR'S RADKE CHAMPIONING ADVOCACY AWARD RECIPIENT, SENATOR TIM GRAYSON FOR HIS WORK BACK IN THE ASSEMBLY. THE OUR BOARD PRESIDENT JOINED DIRECTOR ESPAÑA WAS THERE PC MEMBER. DENNISHA MARSH CELEBRATED WITH US AS WELL. THE GM AND SEVERAL STAFF WERE PRESENT FOR THIS JOYFUL EVENT. THERE WERE SOME REMARKS AND IT WAS JUST A CHANCE FOR A GOOD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, A REALLY IDEAL WEATHER CONDITION. DAY AT THURGOOD MARSHALL. MOVING ON TO MID-APRIL, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50. THIS. THIS SITE VISIT WAS REQUESTED BY STAFF FROM US SENATOR ALEX PADILLA OFFICE. THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN THE AREA. ASKED TO GO SEE THIS SITE. [01:10:03] I BELIEVE THEY HAD NOT YET BEEN ON ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, NORTH OR SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD. AND SENATOR SCHIFF, ADAM SCHIFF STAFF WAS ALSO INVITED TO ATTEND, AND SINCE THEY ARE NEW, IT WAS A GREAT CHANCE TO SHOW THEM TWO OF THEIR STAFF ATTENDED. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, PARK DISTRICT PLANNING AND DESIGN STAFF HAD SOME RENDERINGS. THEY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TIMELINE, AND WE SAW THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH SIDES OF OF BAILEY ROAD. TWO DAYS LATER, WE HAD THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF FOUR SITE VISITS GEARED TO FOCUS ON STAFF FROM ELECTED OFFICES. THIS ONE STARTED AT BAY POINT REGIONAL SHORELINE. WE HAD ABOUT TEN OFFICES, REPRESENTED A NICE MIX OF FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL FOLKS. AND THIS WAS STAFF LEVEL INFORMATION ABOUT SOME OF THE RESTORATION WORK, THEIR SPECIES RECOVERY PERMITTING, THAT HAPPENED AT THIS SITE. AND FOR ALMOST EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE FROM THE ELECTED OFFICES, IT WAS THEIR FIRST TIME AT BAY POINT REGIONAL SHORELINE. SO A REALLY NICE CHANCE TO SHOWCASE THIS THIS SITE AND THIS PARK. MOVING TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL, WE WERE AT TILDEN REGIONAL PARK WITH STAFF FROM ASSEMBLY MEMBER BUFFY WICKS OFFICE. THEY REACHED OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR TO LEARN ABOUT OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION WORK, OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WORK, AND ASKED FOR A SITE VISIT JUST TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS IN A IN A PARK DISTRICT LOCATION. WE WENT TO TILDEN REGIONAL PARK WITH SOME FIRE DISTRICT STAFF AND WALK THROUGH SOME SITES WHERE IT COULD REALLY BE DEMONSTRATED WHAT A BEFORE AND AFTER FOREST HEALTHY FOREST MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND THEY WERE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE TO HAVE THIS CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON SITE. AND AGAIN, THAT WAS A REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THEIR OFFICE PROACTIVELY EARLY MAY. WE WERE AT MCLAUGHLIN EASTSHORE STATE PARK AT THE NORTH BASIN STRIP PROJECT SITE. A GROUP CALLED OUTDOOR ALLIANCE REACHED OUT TO OUR TEAM. THEY HAD A BERKELEY BASED EVENT TO CELEBRATE SOME 30 BY 30 PROGRESS. TALK ABOUT PUBLIC ACCESS AND CONSERVATION GOALS. THEY ARE A. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, THEY ARE A NATIONAL OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST GROUP AND PULLED TOGETHER. THEY HAD PULLED TOGETHER SOME FOLKS FOR A DAY ON MAY 6TH, AND REACHED OUT TO US TO SEE IF THERE WAS A SITE NEARBY TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC ACCESS AND CONSERVATION. AND SO OUR TEAM SUGGESTED MCLAUGHLIN AND TO FOCUS IN SPECIFICALLY ON THE NORTH BASIN STRIP PROJECT. AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A REALLY, REALLY NICE DOVETAIL WITH THE THE MEETING FOCUS AND THEIR MEETING GOALS. THERE WERE ATTENDEES FROM THE SENIOR LEVELS OF THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY. SOME STAFF FROM OUTDOOR ALLIANCE ATTENDED AS WELL. HISPANIC ACCESS FOUNDATION AND BICYCLE TRAILS COUNCIL OF THE EAST BAY. AND SO WE HAD THE CHANCE TO WALK PART OF THE SITE AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH, WITH PLANNING AND DESIGN STAFF AND OPERATIONS TEAM WHO WERE ON SITE. AND AGAIN, JUST A REALLY FANTASTIC DAY TO BE TO BE OUTSIDE IN THE FIELD. MOVING ALONG TO LAST WEEK, JUST ON FRIDAY, A CELEBRATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. THIS WAS A COMMUNITY GATHERING ON FRIDAY AT DOOLAN CANYON, HOSTED BY DIRECTOR OLIVIA SANWONG AND SOME LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS. IT WAS A. THESE ARE SOME NEWER PHOTOS WE WANTED TO SHARE FROM THE EVENT. ATTENDEES WERE WELCOMED AND WE INVITED THEM TO WALK ABOUT A ONE MILE WALK THROUGH THE CANYON TO LOOK AT THE SITE'S CONSERVATION STORY AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ABOUT THE LOCATION. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, QUITE WELL ATTENDED. WE HAD FOLKS FROM THROUGHOUT THE TRI-VALLEY AND FROM NEAR AND FAR. AND SO I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I HAND OFF TO MY COLLEAGUE ELSA GRANDVOINET. BUT THESE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS NOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO. WE WILL RETURN TO THIS COMMITTEE IN ABOUT 2 OR 3 MONTHS TO SHARE ANOTHER UPDATE AS THE EVENT SEASON CONTINUES. THANK YOU, FLORA. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SURE. ON OCCASION OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WITH REGARD TO THESE LEGISLATIVE AID SITE VISITS. I USED TO GET INVITED TO THEM WHEN THEY WERE IN MY WARD. SOMETIMES I'D GO, SOMETIMES I WOULDN'T IF I HAD A CONFLICT. I UNDERSTAND THE EMPHASIS ON IT BEING A STAFF LEVEL. STAFF TO STAFF AND THAT KIND OF OUTING. I MY EXPERIENCE WAS WHEN I WOULD ATTEND THOSE IN THE PAST, [01:15:08] THAT THE STAFF APPRECIATED HAVING A BOARD MEMBER THERE AS SORT OF A SIGN OF RESPECT FOR THEM, AS OPPOSED TO JUST THEIR BOSSES. AND I JUST THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME BENEFIT TO DOING THAT. SO THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN, AT SOME POINT, SOME ACTIVE DECISION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION NOT TO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS AT THESE VISITS. I DON'T THINK IT'S YOUR ISSUE AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ERICH AND HIS BOSS. ACTUALLY, YOU'RE HERE NOW, SO I CAN ADDRESS THIS TO ALISON. YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK ENTIRELY. I JUST GLANCED OVER THERE, SO THERE MAY HAVE BEEN WITHIN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, WHATEVER DECISION THAT THESE SHOULD BE STAFF LEVEL. AND I JUST MY PERSONAL SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT YOU CONSIDER HAVING THE BOARD MEMBER WHO COVERS THE PLACE BEING VISITED BY STAFF ATTEND BECAUSE MY, MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WAS THAT IT WAS A BENEFIT TO THOSE STAFFERS WHO KIND OF LIKED THE FACT THAT AN ELECTED WAS THERE WITH THEM. SO JUST A THOUGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DO APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. NO, I DITTO THAT COMMENT. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS HAD THE EXPERIENCE WITH MY OTHER, WHETHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WAS IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE ELECTED OFFICIALS THERE, THEN HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS THERE. SO MAYBE THAT'S KIND OF A DIVIDER BETWEEN THE TWO THAT THERE'S PEER TO PEER KIND OF OPPORTUNITY. AND I WOULD LOVE THAT TO GET OUT AND MEET SOME PEOPLE. AND AS I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY HAVE TO BE LOOKING LOCALLY FOR SUPPORT HERE IN THE UNLESS WE GET SOME REALLY GOOD VOTER TURNOUT AND OPPORTUNITY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST CAUGHT ME, I LOVED THE MCLAUGHLIN EASTSHORE STATE PARK. THERE WERE NAMES IN THERE. I JUST FOUND THEM AND FOLLOWED THEM ON FACEBOOK. THE OUTDOOR ALLIANCE, THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY, THE HISPANIC ACCESS FOUNDATION, ALL OF THESE ARE GREAT PARTNERS FOR THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN. SO I LOVE THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS IN MATERIALS AND NOT JUST GIVING THEM SORT OF THE INDIRECT ERECT BOOKMARK. TAKE OUR SURVEY. BUT KEEPING THE SILOS, TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER, ADDING THOSE NAMES TO OUR CONVERSATION WE JUST HAD YESTERDAY OF WHERE'S OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIST? THERE'S JUST SOME REALLY GOOD WORK HERE. AND BUILDING ON THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN IS REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY. SO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE EVENTS. AND I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THE ONES UPCOMING. YES. THANKS, LAURA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I WOULD COMMENT. I ALSO AGREE, I WOULD LOVE TO BE INVITED TO SOME OF THESE EVENTS AS A BOARD MEMBER. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THAT WILL CLOSE OUT STATE AND FEDERAL AND WE WILL MOVE ALONG TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. OH, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON FROM IN PROGRESS, MY NEW SUPERVISOR WAS WANTING SOMETHING LIKE HALF A DOZEN WALKING DOGS. SHE WAS OVERLY AMBITIOUS ABOUT IT. BUT ARE WE WORKING? YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW? YEAH. THOSE WILL BE INCLUDED AT THE END OF MY. ALL RIGHT. I TALKED TOO SOON. SORRY. NO. NO PROBLEM. HELLO? ELSA GRANDVOINET. I'M A LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT WITH GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. SO FIRST OFF, I'M HAPPY TO BE SHARING SOME OF THE LOCAL EVENTS WE'VE COORDINATED. WE'VE COORDINATED RECENTLY. THESE HAVE EACH BEEN A BIG SUCCESS WITH STEADY AND PRETTY HIGH LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE. AND REALLY AMAZING PRESENTATIONS FROM OUR STAFF PARTNERS, NATURALISTS TEAM AND OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO HAVE CO-HOSTED THESE EVENTS WITH US. SO FIRST OFF, WE COORDINATED A WALK AND TALK CO-HOSTED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND THE CONCORD MAYOR, AS WELL AS PAC MEMBER CARLYN OBRINGER. WE WERE JOINED BY ROUGHLY 60 ATTENDEES. SO THAT WAS VERY EXCITING AND SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR NATURALIST STAFF. YOU CAN SEE THEM PRESENTING THEIR TO OUR VERY LARGE GROUP AND PARK OPS AND ALL STAFF WHO CONTRIBUTED. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY THIS IMPORTANT AND EXCITING PART OF THE PARK DISTRICT, AS WELL AS HEAR MORE ABOUT PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PARK. AND YOU CAN SEE WE ACTUALLY MADE IT UP TO THE PEAK OF THAT HILL, AND IT WAS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL VIEW OVER THE AREA. [01:20:02] NEXT WE TRAVELED TO MORGAN TERRITORY JUST THIS LAST FRIDAY ON POSSIBLY THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, I HOPE, BUT PROBABLY NOT. FOR AN ELECTED OFFICE STAFF SITE VISIT THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM AGAIN IS HOSTING FOUR OF THESE EVENTS. SO THIS WAS OUR SECOND EVENT IN THAT SERIES. AGAIN, THESE ARE AIMED AT WELCOMING STAFF AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL OFFICES TO A PARK TO LEARN ABOUT OUR WORK AND CREATE A LASTING MEMORY, AS WELL AS FOSTER FUTURE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. OUR TRIP TO MORGAN TERRITORY INCLUDED SOME REALLY GREAT PRESENTATIONS FROM OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM. THEY ACTUALLY COLLECTED LIVE SAMPLES ON SITE FROM OUR PONDS TO SHOWCASE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT SPECIES THAT ARE BENEFITING FROM THE POND RESTORATION WORK THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT THIS SITE. WE SAW SOME RED LEGGED FROGS, A LOT OF TADPOLES WESTERN POND TURTLES. WE DIDN'T QUITE GET A CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER. THEY WERE MAYBE BURROWING, BUT MAYBE NEXT TIME. AND THANK YOU TO STEWARDSHIP, PARK OPS AND ALL STAFF. AND VERY SPECIAL. THANK YOU ALSO TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER. WE HAD DOCTOR SHERRY BRIGGS AND LAURA HELLER FROM UC SANTA BARBARA, WHO ARE PARTNER RESEARCHERS WITH THE DISTRICT WHO PROVIDED SOME EXPERTISE ON. YOU CAN SEE THERE MAYBE SOME FUNGI AND AS WELL AS PARASITE IMPACTS ON THESE SPECIES. SO THAT WAS REALLY AN EXCITING DAY. OKAY. AND FOR UPCOMING EVENTS, WE HAVE CONFIRMED A WALK AND TALK WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT SUPERVISOR ELISA MARQUEZ. THIS WILL BE HELD AT COYOTE HILLS ON JULY 12TH. THE EVENT BEGINS AT 9 A.M. AND WE WILL BE JOINED BY OUR NATURALIST, AARON BLACKWOOD. WE ARE NOW COLLECTING RSVP SO YOU CAN EMAIL GOVAFFAIRS@EBPARKS.ORG TO JOIN US. OKAY. AND NOW IN PROGRESS. THE FIRST EVENT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS I JUST SPOKE ABOUT. SO SCRATCH THAT FIRST ONE. BUT THE NEXT WILL BE A SERIES OF WALK AND TALKS. CURRENTLY UNDER PLANNING HOSTED BY CONTRA COSTA COUNTY DISTRICT SUPERVISOR CHANEL PRESTON, AS COLIN MENTIONED, AND ANTIOCH COUNCIL MEMBER MONICA WILSON, AS WELL AS CLAYTON MAYOR KIM TRUPIANO. SO MORE TO COME. WE'RE EXCITED TO PLAN THESE AND GET THEM ON THE BOOKS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY ROBUST SCHEDULE AND THANKS. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT. I HONESTLY I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, TWO TELEPHONES AND FOUR LIVES THAT I'M JUGGLING. YOU KNOW. BUT WHAT HELPS FOR ME FOR THESE IS I'M TRYING TO PUT THEM IN ALL MY CALENDARS, BUT I REALLY LIKE THE IF THEY COULD BE CALENDAR INVITES TO US AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS SO THAT WE COULD SEE THEM AND RSVP THERE, BECAUSE HONESTLY, I GET A LITTLE CONFUSED SOMETIMES. LIKE, OH, I'LL RSVP WHEN I GET BACK TO MY PARK DISTRICT EMAIL VERSUS IF IT POPS IN THERE AS A CALENDAR EVENT, IT TELLS ME I HAVEN'T RSVP'D YET. OR MAYBE OR YES. AND BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS THESE OPPORTUNITIES. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE INVITED TO ALL THE WALK AND TALKS. YES, YES, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE INVITES. ARE YOU COVERING SWALWELL? NO. I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN FOR SWALWELL, SO I LUANA WILL BE THERE, BUT. OH, GOOD. EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD COME. IT'S GREAT. AND IF I CAN COMMENT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THESE WALK AND TALKS I THINK ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IF I WERE, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE IN THEIR POLITICAL SHOES, I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE AT A PARK THAN A SCHOOL OR, YOU KNOW, GYMNASIUM AND GET STUFF THROWN AT ME IN A CLOSE QUARTERS WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE PARK. IT'S JUST, WELL, YOU KNOW, PARKS MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. EVERYBODY FEELS BETTER AND ERICH DOES THE BEST JOB OF IT. HE GETS LOTS OF HE'S VERY GOOD AT IT. HE HE REALLY CAN WORK THE CROWD REALLY, REALLY WELL. HE ALSO GETS HECKLERS. WELL THAT'S HE'S ON THE POINT. BUT I MEAN HE STILL COMES BACK. HE YOU KNOW HE I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN HE CAME WHEN HE WAS FIRST ELECTED HE CAME AND HE, HE WAS DOING JOBS FOR A DAY. AND HE CAME AND WAS A PARK RANGER FOR A DAY AT LAKE PARK. SO HE WORKS AT REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW THESE THINGS WORK, THIS IS A GOOD ONE TO COME TO THIS SATURDAY AT LAKE CHABOT. THAT'S AN INTERESTING COMMENT. WHAT ABOUT YOU KNOW, MY COUNTY SUPERVISOR AND RATHER THESE ARE ALL VERY MUCH PARK SUPPORTERS. NOT THAT MINE ISN'T, BUT MORE PROACTIVE TO BE DETERMINED. [01:25:03] BUT I'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO CANDACE ANDERSON AND SET UP A WALK AND TALK WITH HER THAT I COULD CO-HOST AT A PLACE THAT SHE ENJOYS VISITING, BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM AND US AND I'D LOVE TO DO SOMETHING. THERE'S A NICE LIST GROWING, BUT I'M NOT ON THERE. MY SUPERVISOR IS NOT ON THERE YET. I'D LOVE TO. YOUR HELP GETTING HER ON THERE. EVENTUALLY WE WILL GET TO ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU. WE'RE HAPPY TO. APPRECIATE THAT. I REALLY DO. THANK YOU. HELLO. LISA BALDINGER, LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND I JUST WANT TO JUMP IN AND EXPRESS ACCOLADES TO FLORA AND ELSA. YOU SEE A LOT OF EVENTS TODAY. THESE ARE OUR TWO LEAD EVENT COORDINATORS. SO YES, WE ARE HOPING TO COMMIT AND SUPPORT WALK AND TALKS WITH AS MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE EAST BAY. AND WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT OUR STAFF CAPACITY. SO THOSE THAT YOU WANT TO GET ONLINE, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE'LL WORK WITH THEIR OFFICE. BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THE 2020 CALENDAR YEAR. THANK YOU. I THINK I REFERRED SOMEBODY TO OUR NEW ASSEMBLY MEMBER STAFF. YES. FLORA IS AN ACTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR OFFICE. SHE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN DOING ONE. AND JUST A HISTORICAL NOTE. I THINK ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF THIS PROGRAM WAS OUR VERY OWN ELLEN CORBETT, WHO AS A STATE SENATOR, REALLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM AND REALLY WORKED IT WELL TO. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE AND NOTHING FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS ONE. NOPE. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. STILL NO PUBLIC. JUST TO REALLY THANK YOU FOLKS FOR ALL THIS EFFORT. WE KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. [Announcements] DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? HEARING NONE. HOPE YOU ALL COME TO THE SWALWELL EVENT TOMORROW OR SATURDAY AT LAKESHORE PARK. YOU HAVE TO RSVP, THOUGH. ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER FROM ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC STILL REMAINS ANONYMOUS. GREAT. THANK YOU. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 12:29. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.