[00:00:01]
[Roll Call]
2025, BEGINNING AT 4:01 P.M. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL.YES, OF COURSE. FIRST UP, MEMBER BARTLEBAUGH? REMOTE. THANK YOU. MEMBER CHANG? NO. MEMBER CLAXTON? NO. MEMBER DETJENS? PRESENT. THANK YOU. MEMBER DIETER? HERE. THANK YOU. MEMBER FARMER IS ABSENT. MEMBER HENRY? HERE. THANK YOU. MEMBER LOPEZ IS ABSENT. MEMBER MAHADEVAN.
ALSO ABSENT. MEMBER MENDOZA? HERE. THANK YOU.
MEMBER OBRINGER? I AM HERE AS WELL, PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
THANK YOU. MEMBER OMOLO. ABSENT. MEMBER PEOPLES? PRESENT. THANK YOU. MEMBER REED? PRESENT. MEMBER SIMMONS? HERE. THANK YOU. MEMBER SMITH? HERE. THANK YOU.
MEMBER VALENZUELA? HERE. THANK YOU. AND MEMBER WILLIAMS? NO, ABSENT. THANK YOU. I WILL NOW READ A NOTE ON THE BROWN ACT AND MEETING PROCEDURES.
TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE VIA REMOTE ATTENDANCE THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT'S VIRTUAL PLATFORM, ZOOM. THE PARK ADVISORY MEMBERS AND DESIGNATED STAFF WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE PARK DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS AT 2950 PERALTA OAKS COURT IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. OCCASIONALLY, MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY ATTEND REMOTELY PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT, AS AMENDED BY AB 2449 PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953, SUBDIVISION B.
PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER CARLYN OBRINGER WILL PARTICIPATE FROM 1950 PARKSIDE DRIVE IN CONCORD, CALIFORNIA. THIS NOTICE AND AGENDA WILL BE POSTED AT THE TELECONFERENCE LOCATION.
WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO IN PERSON OR LIVE VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL TO PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AT EBPARKS.ORG, OR LEAVING A VOICEMAIL AT (510) 544-2036.
THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA, AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IF YOU COULD ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT MEMBER OMOLO IS PRESENT.
AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, AND ON BEHALF OF THE PARK ADVISORY.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL OF THE LANDS WITHIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE EAST BAY, OHLONE, BAY MIWOK, AND THE NORTHERN VALLEY YAKUT.
WHO ARE POLITICALLY ORGANIZED AND REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OF TRIBES TODAY.
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 AND CULTURE.
THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR MENDOZA. ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY DUE TO AN EMERGENCY THAT WISH TO REQUEST THE BODY'S APPROVAL TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? AND IF YES, PLEASE BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY.
I'M PARTICIPATING REMOTELY FOR JUST CAUSE. I'M IN OHIO.
MY DAUGHTER HAS HAD THE BIRTH OF OUR SECOND GRANDDAUGHTER, AND I'M ASSISTING WITH FAMILY CARE.
CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE] CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE REMOTE PARTICIPATION FOR MEMBER BARTLEBAUGH, PLEASE. MEMBER VALENZUELA, I'LL BEAT YOU TO IT, AND SECONDED BY MEMBER DETJENS.
THANK YOU. OKAY. NOW WE WILL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
[00:05:07]
FIRST UP IS MEMBER BARTLEBAUGH. I'LL ABSTAIN.OKAY. NEXT IS MEMBER DETJENS. AYE. THANK YOU.
MEMBER DIETER. AYE. MEMBER HENRY. YES. MEMBER MENDOZA.
YES. THANK YOU. MEMBER OBRINGER. YES. MEMBER.
OMOLO. YES. MEMBER PEOPLES. YES. MEMBER REID.
YES. THANK YOU. MEMBER SIMMONS. YES. MEMBER SMITH.
YES. AND MEMBER VALENZUELA. YES. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES.
FOR MEMBERS WHO. THANK YOU. FOR MEMBERS WHO PREVIOUSLY NOTED THEIR REMOTE PARTICIPATION PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, WE WILL NOW CONFIRM IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS PRESENT AT YOUR LOCATION.
MEMBER OBRINGER IS APPEARING REMOTELY. PAC MEMBER OBRINGER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER THAT ARE, OR TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLAN TO BE PRESENT IN THE ROOM AT YOUR LOCATION? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME AND NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
THANK YOU. MEMBER OBRINGER. ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A MEMBER WHO WISHES TO MAKE A REVISION TO THE MINUTES.
MEMBER SIMMONS. YES. WITH REGARD TO COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO ME ON PAGE SEVEN OF THE MINUTES.
SO I WOULD LIKE THE FIRST SENTENCE TO READ. MEMBER BOB SIMMONS NOTED THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY PREFER JEWEL LAKE TO REMAIN AS A STANDING BODY OF WATER, BUT THAT HE PREFERRED A FLOWING CREEK.
AND THEN THE SECOND CHANGE WOULD BE IN THE SECOND SENTENCE, EXPLAINING THAT SOME OF HIS WORK TO DELETE THE WORDS, EXPAND RESEARCH ON AND SUBSTITUTE THE WORD IMPROVE.
THANK YOU, MEMBER SIMMONS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS WHO WISH TO MAKE REVISIONS? OKAY. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT MEMBER CHANG IS PRESENT.
YES, NOTED. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS REVISED?
[Approval of Minutes]
SO MOVED. MOVED BY PEOPLES. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MEMBER REED. CLERK COULD PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL? YES. FIRST UP. MEMBER BARTLEBAUGH. AYE. MEMBER CHANG.YES. MEMBER DETJENS. AYE. THANK YOU. MEMBER DIETER.
ABSTAIN. MEMBER HENRY. YES. MEMBER MENDOZA. YES.
MEMBER OBRINGER. YES. MEMBER OMOLO. YES. MEMBER PEOPLES.
YES. MEMBER REID. YES. MEMBER SIMMONS. YES. MEMBER SMITH.
YES. AND MEMBER VALENZUELA. YES. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YES. PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED ONE OF THREE WAYS 1.
VIA EMAIL TO PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AT EBPARKS.ORG, 2.
VIA VOICEMAIL AT (510) 544-2036, AND LEAVING A MESSAGE WHICH WILL THEN BE TRANSCRIBED AND GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE AND MADE A PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD OR 3. BY JOINING THE MEETING VIA ZOOM, WHICH IS LISTED ON THE AGENDA POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE. THE SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS WAS NOTICED ON THE AGENDA AND IN THE PARK ADVISORY PACKET POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
HAS THE CLERK RECEIVED ANY EMAILS OR SPEAKERS CARDS FROM THE PUBLIC FOR ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
NO, WE HAVE NOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.
AGAIN, WE WILL PROVIDE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ABOUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AT THE END OF EACH ITEM, BUT BEFORE PAC MEMBERS TO BEGIN. OUR FIRST ITEM OF THE NIGHT WILL BE WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS.
[00:10:01]
WE HAVE TWO INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, AND THEN WE ALSO WILL BE JOINED BY MEMBER SANWONG AFTER THE INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS.[Informational Items]
SO OUR FIRST PRESENTATION WILL BE FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY UPDATE.THERE WE GO. LOUD AND CLEAR. THANK YOU. ALL MEMBERS OF THE PAC, CHAIR.
AND I AM EXCITED HERE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE AN UPDATE AS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM ON KIND OF WHAT'S THE STRATEGIC WORK THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY HAS BEEN WORKING ON, IN TERMS OF AN OPERATING STATEMENT AND DRAFT EQUITY GOALS.
SO I'LL START BY KIND OF SHARING A LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF WHAT I HOPE TO COVER IN THESE FEW SLIDES.
PART OF THAT IS, IN CASE YOU HERE HAVE HEARD ANY REFERENCE TO A QUOTE UNQUOTE EQUITY PLAN.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FRAMEWORKS YOU'RE USING AND GROUNDED ON? WE CAN HAVE THAT. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROCESS? BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN PROCESS CENTRIC FOR VERY SPECIFIC REASONS.
SO A BIG ONE OF COURSE, IS THE DISTRICT PLAN AND HOW WE'RE CO-DEVELOPING THIS AS WE'RE GOING ALONG.
AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. BUT THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM, BUT YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK OF COURSE IS WELCOME.
SO TO START. KIND OF ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER ASKED ME WAS TO, IN A SENSE, LIKE, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON WHERE WE ARE? AND WANTED TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT WE WERE BOTH KICKING OFF THIS PROCESS WITH A BIT OF AN ASSESSMENT. BECOMING FAMILIAR, RIGHT, TO PARK DISTRICT STAFF AS A BRAND NEW OFFICE.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO UNDERTAKE ALL OF THIS IN ONE GO.
AND SO REALLY WE'RE TAKING IT AS A TYPE OF DIAGNOSTIC FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, KIND OF FANCY TERMS, JUST TO BE ABLE TO SAY IT'S KIND OF WHEN YOUR CHECK ENGINE LINE ON THE CAR COMES ON, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? LIKE, WHAT SHOULD YOU KIND OF START LOOKING FOR? AND WHAT DOES THIS INDICATE? AND SO WE'RE GROUNDING THIS BOTH BASED ON KIND OF OUR STAFF OBSERVATIONS, OUR EQUITY QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH I'LL DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT'S GOOD, WE HAVE THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP IN PLACE.
AND DEFINITELY IT'S AN EXCITING CHALLENGE, AND WE DEFINITELY STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT TO DO.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PROGRAMMATIC WORK.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND REC, YOU'VE NOTICED YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF DEEP STAFF ENGAGEMENT WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT CARE AND THEY WANT TO BE ACTIVE AROUND IT. WE ALSO HAVE SOME STARTING DATA IN PLACES LIKE HUMAN RESOURCES AND GIS.
SO THE GREAT THING IS NOT JUST THERE ISN'T A WHOLE VACUUM, BUT THERE'S BEEN A DEFINITELY MUCH MORE STRATEGIC NEED FOR COORDINATION AND COLLECTION OF THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO, LIKE, ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP.
SO LIKE IN RECRUITMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. AND THE MAIN THING REALLY IS THERE'S BEEN A LACK OF A DISTRICT WIDE, WHAT I CALL A DISTRICT WIDE STRUCTURED APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT ALL DIVISIONS, SO NOT JUST ONE DEPARTMENT OR MAYBE LIKE ONE DIVISION IS INTO IT, BUT THAT THEY FEEL ALIGNED TO COMMON GOALS AND THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTED ACCORDINGLY.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M SAYING, THE COORDINATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO WHEN PEOPLE ASK A DISTRICT, WHAT IS OUR STRATEGIC EQUITY WORK? HOW DO WE ANSWER THAT BEYOND JUST SAYING, HERE'S THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WE MIGHT HAVE DONE IN
[00:15:06]
THE PAST. SO THE KIND OF SUPER BIG ELEMENT OF THIS, IF NOT THE BIGGEST, IS THAT IT'S ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CHANGE.AND TO ME, THAT'S VERY DOABLE BECAUSE IT'S PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP INSTITUTIONS.
AND WHAT MAKES THAT REALLY, REALLY HARD IS THAT IT'S PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT IT CAN BE CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE MAY BE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT HABITS, DIFFERENT MENTAL MODELS, DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH PROCESSES WERE UNDERSTOOD.
AND THEN THE PROVERBIAL, YOU KNOW, CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST, SO WE CAN TRY TO DO ALL THE POLICY AND STRATEGIC WORK, AND WE ARE DOING THAT WHILE ALSO KNOWING IF WE'RE NOT KIND OF STAYING IN TUNE WITH CULTURALLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED FOR CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS IMPACTFUL WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE END UP DEVELOPING AND PUTTING IN PLACE.
BUT WE WILL HAVE THAT, SO LET'S KNOW THAT. SO HERE WE GO THEN.
WHAT'S BEEN FEEDING INTO THAT HAS BEEN SOME OF THE RESEARCH AND FRAMEWORKS. I'LL PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE, STAFF INPUT IN THE FORM OF AN EQUITY QUESTIONNAIRE.
IT WAS A VERY SHORT QUESTIONNAIRE. YOU'LL GET TO SEE THE QUESTIONS IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN EXISTING PROJECTS AND PROCESSES. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A REQUEST FROM A DEPARTMENT LIKE INTERPRETIVE REC SAYING, WE'D LOVE SOME SUPPORT ON THIS, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, THIS COULD BE A REALLY GOOD MINI KIND OF PILOT AND CASE STUDY TO SEE WHAT'S WORKING OR NOT AND NOT WORKING. AND THEN HOW DO WE FOLD THAT INTO WHAT WOULD BE OUR LARGEST STRATEGIC WORK? AND THEN AFTER THIS KIND OF THE NEXT PHASE WOULD BE, WHAT ARE THE METRICS AND OUTCOMES IN THE FORM OF TARGETED STRATEGIES TO DO THIS? SO THAT WHEN WE'RE BACK HERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BY NEXT YEAR AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, IS IT WORKING OR NOT WORKING, WE'D BE ABLE TO POINT AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT'S MOVING, THIS IS WHAT'S NOT MOVING.
AND WHEN WE'RE SAYING EQUITY PLAN IN SOME WAYS IS VERY SIMILAR TO A DISTRICT PLAN IN THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PROCESS, SO THERE IS NO PRE-WRITTEN PLAN THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED THAT THEN WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LIKE EDIT SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT CLEAR.
AND SO ONE OF THE PIECES OF PROCESS WAS BEING ABLE TO SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE GET A STARTING UNDERSTANDING OR WHERE STAFF MAY BE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT EQUITY? SO WE DEVELOPED A EQUITY QUESTIONNAIRE.
QUESTIONNAIRE WAS THREE QUESTIONS REALLY SIX.
IF YOU KIND OF LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WORKING NOT WORKING.
BUT ONE OF THE MODELS THAT WAS USED TO BOTH FRAME THE QUESTIONS, AND REALLY THE WAY WE'RE APPROACHING ASKING THIS IS THE SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTS FOR EFFECTIVENESS, SO SEE. IT IS BASED ON. IT USED TO BE CALLED THE REASONABLE PERSON MODEL AND WHAT THIS IS REALLY LOOKING AT IS TO SAY HOW DO WE AS PEOPLE CREATE ENVIRONMENTS THAT BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE COMPARED TO WHAT BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN PEOPLE? WE'RE REALLY GOOD ABOUT CREATING ENVIRONMENTS THAT BRING OUT THE WORST IN PEOPLE, BOTH PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS, LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND SO FORTH. BUT WHAT IS HELPFUL IS TO THINK ABOUT ELEMENTS.
AND IN THIS CASE, THERE'S THREE OF THEM THAT YOU CAN FRAME TO BOTH ASSESS BUT THINK ABOUT AND THEN LIKE HOW WOULD YOU ACT ON AN ENVIRONMENT THAT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE. THE THREE ENVIRONMENTS ARE MODEL BUILDING, BEING CAPABLE, AND MEANINGFUL ACTION.
MODEL BUILDING GETS AROUND, ESSENTIALLY, HOW ARE WE ALL SHARING A COMMON PICTURE? THERE'S MORE DETAIL TO THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE GIST OF IT. SO WHEN I SAY THIS, DO YOU GET A SIMILAR ENOUGH PICTURE OR TWO PICTURES THAT WORK TOGETHER, OR ARE YOU GETTING A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE THAT'S GOING TO GUIDE YOUR ACTIONS VERY DIFFERENTLY? AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO FRAMING THOSE AND CONNECTING THOSE.
BEING CAPABLE IS AROUND, DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE COMPETENT IN THE TASK AND THE ASK? ARE YOU IN THE RIGHT SPACE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, I'M GOING TO DO THIS AND IT'S GOING TO WORK.
SO TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, NO ONE LIKES TO FEEL INCOMPETENT, NO ONE LIKES TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE GIVING A TASK AND YOU'RE LIKE, GREAT, NOW I FEEL SILLY OR DUMB BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.
[00:20:03]
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS MEANINGFUL ACTION, WHICH IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE ALIGNED TO HAVING IT MEANS SOMETHING.
AND SO A LOT OF THIS IS TO BE ABLE TO EXTEND, WHY DOES THIS HAS MEANING AND VALUE TO STAFF? SO OUR EQUITY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS FRAMED AROUND THESE THREE ELEMENTS.
WE HAVE THREE QUESTIONS, AROUND MODEL BUILDING IS ASKING STAFF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS EQUITY TO YOU AND WHAT IS IT NOT? HOW COULD PEOPLE DESCRIBE THAT? SO WE KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHAT PICTURE COMES INTO MIND.
OUR MEANINGFUL ACTION IS, WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE AROUND EQUITY AT THE DISTRICT, AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU? SO WE CAN TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF, WHY DOES THIS HAVE MEANING TO PEOPLE? AND THEN BEING CAPABLE IS UNDERSTANDING, WHAT WOULD HELP PEOPLE KNOWING THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THIS WELL? YOU KNOW, WHAT TELLS YOU WHAT'S WORKING AND NOT WORKING? AND SO WE DEVELOPED THE QUESTIONNAIRE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE GOING TO KIND OF GET QUALITATIVE INPUT IN TERMS OF STAFF RESPONSES SENT IT OUT VIA EMAIL.
WE DID A LOT OF IN-PERSON MEETINGS WHEREVER WE COULD, WHETHER IT'S WITH ALREADY EXISTING WORKING GROUP MEETINGS OPS FORUM, FOR EXAMPLE, TRY TO HAVE AS MANY OF THOSE TOUCHPOINTS AS POSSIBLE, KNOWING THAT IT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE TO TRY TO GET THE INFO OUT THERE.
BUT I THINK WE'VE STILL GOT A VERY GOOD RESPONSE.
BECAUSE THEN WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK ALL OF THESE RESPONSES.
AND THEN TWO OF OUR AMAZING MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS KIND OF TOOK A SOCIAL SCIENCE CODING APPROACH, WHICH MEANS YOU TAKE ALL THESE RESPONSES AND YOU LOOK FOR KIND OF KEY WORDS THAT REPEATEDLY SHOW UP.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU DO A WORD CLOUD AND YOU PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER. NOT THAT SIMPLE, BUT THE IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO SAY THEMATICALLY WHAT SEEMS TO GROUP, WHERE ARE STAFF SAYING THIS IS WHAT MATTERS TO US FOR THESE REASONS, THIS IS HOW WE COULD TELL IT'S WORKING FOR US.
AND SO THEN WE TOOK THAT AND THEN ENDED UP WITH A COUPLE OF THEMATIC CATEGORIES.
I'LL SHARE THOSE IN A MINUTE, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO TAKE THAT AND THEN SAY, HOW CAN WE TAKE THE PICTURE OF WHAT STAFF HAVE TOLD US EQUITY MEANS TO THEM. LOOK AT WHAT PEER AGENCIES MAYBE HAVE AS EQUITY STATEMENTS.
OF COURSE THERE'S ALSO HAVE BEEN FEDERAL AND STATE DEFINITIONS, BUT WE WANTED TO DRAFT A STATEMENT FROM THIS BECAUSE OUR GENERAL MANAGER SAID INSTEAD OF JUST ADOPTING A STATEMENT OR LIKE, LET'S COPY A PEER AGENCY, LET'S DO THIS TO VALUE THE STAFF TOUCHPOINTS IN THE PROCESS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN IT. AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHY IT'S TAKEN US A TIME VERSUS JUST ME DRAFTING SOMETHING AND HAVING IT FEEL IMPOSED ON STAFF.
SO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS THIS NODE OF EQUITY AT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT MEANS ACTIVELY IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO ENSURE THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE. EXCUSE ME. ALL RIGHT.
AND IN THIS, IT ALIGNS WITH WHAT A LOT OF AGENCIES MIGHT HAVE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO STILL HAVE AT ITS CORE IS REALLY LOOKING AT, WHAT ARE THE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS IN PLACE THAT WOULD PREVENT THOSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH FOR STAFF AND FOR THE PUBLIC? I CAN DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE NOT THE ERROR THAT SOMETIMES IS MADE IS THAT PEOPLE THINK IT'S ABOUT INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES, RIGHT? LIKE WHETHER YOU LIKE GOING TO PARKS OR NOT. THAT CAN BE TRUE.
REALLY WE WANT TO SAY IS THAT IF WE WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OF PARK ACCESS FOR EVERYONE, WHAT FACILITATES AND IMPEDES THAT STRUCTURALLY? AND THERE CAN BE A LOT OF THINGS. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE OUR FOCUS IS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND THEN WE ENDED UP WITH FIVE THEMES, AND I WAS TAKING ALL THE STAFF RESPONSES, THIS IS KIND OF HOW THEY ENDED UP GROUPED UP.
AND FOR THESE THEMES, WE DRAFTED THEM AS A UNIVERSAL GOAL.
BUT WE'RE GENERALLY LOOKING AT ONE AROUND ACCESS AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO SAY, WHAT DOES ACCESS MEAN IN TERMS OF, WHEN PEOPLE SOMETIMES THINK OF EQUITY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS.
[00:25:05]
WHICH IS HOW DO WE HAVE A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITY SERVED? KIND OF SIMPLE TO SAY, BUT A LOT OF WORK HAS TO GO INTO INSURANCE.WE HAVE RESPONSES TO THAT; WE'RE ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.
ENGAGEMENT IS BOTH LOOKING AT INSIDE AND OUT, WHICH IS HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION AND APPLICABLE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND PROGRAMS FOR STAFF? WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AT THE STAFF, WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DECISION MAKING.
AND SO THOSE ALL COME WITH THE SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY.
IT ISN'T JUST ONE WORD THAT DICTATES AND THEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN THAT WAY.
THE IDEA IS FOR APPROPRIATE STAFF TO OWN ALL OF THAT AGENCY.
BUT ALSO FOR ME, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES OR COLLABORATIVE WORKFORCE, THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT BE NORMAL, SO TO SPEAK.
AND SO PART OF THAT IS REALLY BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT STAFF WITH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, NOT CONFUSED WHEN SOMETHING IS OUTSIDE OF THEIR KIND OF SCOPE OF AGENCY, BUT ALSO SO THEY STILL HAVE VERY A LOT OF OWNERSHIP FOR THE ROLE THAT THEY'RE IN.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE CULTURE CHANGE IS COMING INTO PLAY.
AND THEN SPEAKING OF CULTURE WE HAVE THIS ONE AROUND KIND OF REALLY BEING CLEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE NORMING, SOMETIMES WE'LL USE THE TERM AN INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE OR INCLUSIVE CULTURE.
THIS IS OFTEN WHERE, I HAVE AN EXPRESSION THAT SAYS IT CAN BE COMMON SENSE, BUT NOT COMMONPLACE.
COMMON SENSE BECAUSE WE'RE LIKE, WELL, YEAH, IT'S EASY, JUST RESPECT EACH OTHER.
AND THERE GOES THAT MENTAL MODEL TO SAY, WELL, WHAT DOES RESPECT LOOK LIKE TO YOU IN THIS CONTEXT COMPARED TO RESPECT TO YOU IN THIS OTHER CONTEXT? SO, IT'S REALLY BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT ALL OF THE WORK THAT GOES INTO THAT, WHETHER IT'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MODELING AND PRACTICING, WHAT COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES AS MEETINGS LOOK LIKE? BUT ALSO EVEN JUST PROVIDING STRAIGHT UP DIRECT CONTENT SUPPORT WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT? AND SO THAT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE IT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN THEMATICALLY AROUND CONSERVATION, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T MEAN THAT CONSERVATION ISN'T IMPORTANT AT THE PARK DISTRICT, OF COURSE, BUT IT'S TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT AND SUPPORT HOW ONE FACET OF THE WORK AT THE PARK DISTRICT IS FOCUSING ON THE ACTUAL CARE AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND, ALONG WITH, OF COURSE, THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE PEOPLE FOR RECREATION.
ALL RIGHT. GETTING CLOSE TO THE END HERE. I SAID, THERE ARE UNIVERSAL GOALS.
AND SO THE FRAMEWORK FOR THESE IS TARGETED UNIVERSALISM, WHICH IS BODY OF WORK AND FRAMEWORK FROM THE OTHERING AND BELONGING INSTITUTE AT UC BERKELEY. SO THEY HAVE CASE STUDIES, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THEY'RE TESTING THE APPLICATION OF THIS, BUT IT'S FIVE STEPS. AND SO THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT IN TERMS OF TAKING THESE EQUITY GOALS.
THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE YOU ESTABLISH YOUR UNIVERSAL GOAL.
AND THAT'S FOR EXAMPLE, SAYING WE WANT EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS FOR EVERYBODY.
TWO WOULD BE ASSESSING WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION? MEANING EVERYBODY, ALL TWO COUNTIES. THREE, THEN WE'D BE IDENTIFYING.
IS THAT TRUE THOUGH, ACROSS ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OR ARE THERE INEQUITIES BASED ON SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, FOR EXAMPLE? AND SO THEN THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND SAY, WELL, HOW BIG IS THAT GAP? AND SO FOUR, THEN WE'D BE LOOKING AT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, ARE THERE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE FACILITATING OR IMPEDING BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY ATTAIN THE UNIVERSAL GOAL? AND SO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, ONE THAT FOR PEOPLE CAN BE VERY CLEAR, CAN BE ACTUAL PHYSICAL BARRIERS, RIGHT, TO PARK ACCESS.
AND SO, FOR THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING, IS THERE ACTUAL ACCESSIBILITY BASED ON IF WE WANT THIS PARK ACCESSIBLE? WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE? AND THEN FIVE IS THEN BE ABLE TO SAY, WHAT WOULD BE TARGETED STRATEGIES BASED ON WHAT SUPPORTS THOSE COMMUNITIES STRUCTURALLY TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THAT BARRIER? SO ONE EXAMPLE THERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF DISABILITY JUSTICE AND ACCESSIBILITY, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CURB CUT EFFECT, IT MEANS BEING ABLE TO SAY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SIDEWALK AND AT THE CURB BY NOW, IT'S PRETTY NORMAL, RIGHT, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THERE'S A CUT THERE FOR ACCESS, BUT THAT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.
[00:30:04]
IT TOOK OR, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO ORGANIZE, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US.AND EVEN THOUGH YOU COULD HAVE HAD A SPECIFIC ASK AND FOCUS TO SAY, WELL, THIS IS REALLY GOING TO HELP SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR, GUESS WHAT? IT HELPS EVERYBODY BECAUSE IT ALSO HELPS THE DELIVERY WORKER THAT MIGHT BE BRINGING IN SOMETHING, IT HELPS THEM ON WITH THE STROLLER. RIGHT? IT HELPS ANYBODY THAT MIGHT NEED THAT EXTRA SUPPORT.
AND SO, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE'RE SAYING THAT, WHEN WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THESE TARGETED STRATEGIES AND WORK, IT REALLY IS BENEFITING EVERYBODY. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO DISPEL SOME OF THOSE NARRATIVES THAT I THINK PEOPLE THINK WE'RE ONLY FOCUSING ON A GROUP WHEN IN REALITY WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE STRUCTURES THAT MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE KICKING OFF AN EQUITY COMMITTEE, DISTRICT WIDE EQUITY COMMITTEE.
AND SO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE AN ENGAGEMENT POINT FOR THIS TO KIND OF LIKE DO ANOTHER REVIEW ON HERE.
WE'VE HAD EXECUTIVE TEAM REVIEW ALREADY, AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO COME BACK TO THAT.
AND WE'VE JUST PRESENTED TO THE BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE ARE HERE AT THE PAC BEFORE WE GET TO ANY POINT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL BY THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THEN BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH THE ALL THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS AND KIND OF DIFFERENT DIVISION LEADERSHIP TO NOW START LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE TARGETED STRATEGIES TO WORK THROUGH THESE GOALS. AND SO, PART OF THAT IS WE'VE BEEN SENDING OUT THE INFORMATION ON THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER, WE'VE BEEN CHECKING WITH DIFFERENT TEAMS, WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN TEAM AS WELL.
BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THESE, AGAIN, ARE COMPLEMENTARY PARALLEL PROCESS.
IT'S NOT LIKE ONE THING IS JUST EXISTING ON ITS OWN, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS DETACHED.
AND THEN MY BILLY MAYS. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE.
THE FINAL ONE I TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON MOVING THAT BIG STRATEGIC PIECE, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ACTIVE IN WORKING ON, THE WAY THAT I FRAME IT IS, ONE OF THE FIRST DIRECTIONS THE GENERAL MANAGER GAVE TO ME WAS TO SAY, LET'S FOCUS INTERNALLY. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T DO EXTERNAL FACING WORK, WE ARE STILL DOING THAT.
BUT IT'S HELPFUL TO THINK ABOUT, FOR SOME OF OUR EXTERNAL FACING WORK TO BE BETTER.
HOW SHOULD WE BE ORGANIZED INTERNALLY, STRUCTURALLY FOR THAT TO BE SUSTAINED? AND SO THAT WE DON'T FALL INTO THE TRAP, THAT MAYBE AN AMAZING PROGRAM IS HAPPENING EXTERNALLY, BUT IT'S DEPENDENT ON ONE INDIVIDUAL. AND ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL LEAVES IT HASN'T BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT ANY SUCCESSES THAT COME FROM THAT TO BE SUSTAINABLE IN THAT WAY.
SO THAT HAS MEANT LOOKING, FOR EXAMPLE, A DISTRICT WIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.
SO WE'VE KICKED THAT OFF ALREADY WITH THE WORKING GROUP, AS WE'RE ALSO CO-DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP PILOT MODEL THAT WILL BE, IF ALL GOES WELL, LAUNCHING WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING SUPPORTING SPECIFIC PARK SITES.
SO, LIKE AT GARIN REGIONAL THERE WAS A USER GROUP, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT FLIES KITES THERE, BUT STRUCTURALLY THERE ISN'T SOMETHING IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO, LIKE, HELP DEPARTMENTS TALK TO EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT THE GROUP AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND LIKE HAVE IT ACTUALLY FLOW AS A VERY INTENTIONAL DESIGNATED DISTRICT PROCESS. BECAUSE IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, WHAT WE GET IS WHY DID THIS DEPARTMENT APPROVE THIS? AND NOW IT'S AFFECTING OUR WORK OVER HERE, OR WE DON'T KNOW IF AN AGREEMENT EXISTS WITH THIS USER GROUP.
OR MAYBE IT WAS A HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT 40 YEARS AGO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID ALL OF THAT AGAIN, TO REALLY SET STRUCTURES IN PLACES. AND THEN ALSO DEVELOPING A CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR EQUITY RELATED UPDATES AND RESOURCES.
SO AGAIN, THAT THERE'S A LOCATION. AND LASTLY, I'LL SAY THIS AGAIN, THAT FOR ME TO THE FIRST POINT, A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAS EXISTED WITH MANY AMAZING, CARING, PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS WITH THE WORK.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN FINDING, THOUGH, IS TO MAKE THAT SUSTAINABLE IS TO REALLY HAVE THE STRUCTURE IN PLACE SO THAT IT EXISTS BEYOND INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO ISN'T JUST ON INDIVIDUALS, BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, THAT MAKES IT HARDER.
BECAUSE ONE TEAM MIGHT FEEL WE'RE DOING IT FOR EVERYBODY OR WE DON'T GET THE ACTUAL CROSS,
[00:35:04]
THE DISTRICT WIDE BENEFIT. SO IF WE'RE DOING EXCELLENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT ONE PARKSIDE OR WITH ONE TEAM, HOW COULD OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS BENEFIT FOR THAT? FOR SOME OF THE PROCESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO NEED TO DO, AND THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE ONE COMMUNITY PARTNER THINKING, WHY AM I GETTING TEN DIFFERENT ASKS FROM LIKE TEN DIFFERENT POINTS? WHY ISN'T IT JUST ONE ASK ABOUT HOW I WORK WITH THE DISTRICT? AS AN EXAMPLE. SO, I WILL STOP THERE. AND OF COURSE WELCOME COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION. QUESTIONS.
MEMBER LOPEZ. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M SO HAPPY. I HAVE TO SAY, I'M VERY. I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS DISTRICT FOR JUST BEING SO, I GUESS PROGRESSIVE AND FORWARD THINKING AND REALLY SETTING THE BAR HIGHER.
AND AS LOVELY AS THE EAST BAY IS AND AS PROGRESSIVE AS THE EAST BAY IS.
BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE REALLY IN A GOOD PLACE HERE.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, REGARDING ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND, IF YOU'RE SORT OF DOING THIS IN A STEPWISE PROCESS WITH, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN INTERNAL LOOK AND THEN LOOKING, YOU KNOW, THEN USING THAT AS A PLATFORM TO DO, YOU KNOW, MORE WORK EXTERNALLY. SO I WOULD SUGGEST, BECAUSE I THINK THIS COULD PERVADE A NUMBER OF THESE BOXES HERE. YOU KNOW, WORKFORCE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND ENGAGEMENT AND CULTURE ETC., IS REALLY AROUND TRAINING ON AN IMPLICIT BIAS.
IN THE INTERIM AND IMMEDIATELY IMPLICIT BIAS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A REQUISITE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, ALL VOLUNTEERS. BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES BETTER SO THAT STRIVING FOR RESPECT AND MUTUAL RESPECT CAN BE ATTAINED. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO AND SAY THINGS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW CAN BE HARMFUL OR HURTFUL. AND YOU KNOW, I WEAR A NUMBER OF HATS, BUT I'VE HAD IT DONE TO ME ENOUGH TIMES IN MY LIFE THAT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS IT'S VERY TRIGGERING AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO ME WHEN I'M LISTENING, THIS PERSON AND I SHUT DOWN, BECAUSE I JUST, LIKE, OH, THIS IS LIKE THE 10TH TIME I'VE HEARD THIS AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AND IT'S VERY, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET PAST THIS? AND I THINK JUST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW. THEY DON'T MEAN TO BE HURTFUL.
AND REALLY JUST HAVING TRAVELED QUITE A BIT AND TRAVELED RECENTLY TO ANOTHER STATE AND HAVING SPENT A COUPLE MONTHS THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE ARE VERY, VERY AWARE AND HAVE A LOT OF SELF-AWARENESS. SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY EVOLVE THAT AND HOPE THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
THE OTHER THING TOO, I WOULD SAY, AND YOU KNOW, AND IT'S HAPPENING TO SOME EXTENT, BUT FOR ACCESSIBILITY, YOU KNOW MONEY IS A BARRIER, YOU KNOW AND LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER.
I HAVE FOUND IN GENERAL JUST ACCESSING PUBLIC SERVICES OVERALL.
SO THOSE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORRECTION OR FOR REFLECTION.
AND THEN I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY THAT IF YOU ARE DOING A WORKING GROUP OR A SUBCOMMITTEE, AND WHEN YOU GET TO THAT, MAYBE THAT PHASE OR EVEN WHILE YOU'RE DOING THE INTERNAL LOOK, BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE EXTERNAL LOOK, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO TAP INTO THIS GROUP AS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE GROUP.
SO THIS GROUP HAS A, YOU KNOW, SUBCOMMITTEE OF A FINANCE GROUP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE HERE, THAT CAN REALLY HELP EDIFY YOUR EFFORTS AND ACCELERATE THEM AND ALSO MAKE THEM EXPONENTIAL.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST TO, YOU KNOW, DRAW ON THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, WHICH WE REPRESENT.
SO, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.
[00:40:02]
APPRECIATE THEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M NOTING THAT YOU JUST FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH THE WHOLE PCA ASSESSMENT. SO THAT'S PERFECT. MEMBER VALENZUELA. AND THEN MEMBER OBRINGER. YES, I AGREE WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE ASPECT OF THAT.I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENT THAT'S ON THIS BOARD HERE.
AND YEAH, AS FAR AS MY OWN QUESTION IS, DOES THE PUBLIC THINK WE'RE CHANGING? DO WE HAVE IN OUR SURVEYS? DO THEY THINK THAT WE'RE CHANGING TO FIT THEIR NEEDS TO MIRROR WHAT OUR PUBLIC LOOKS LIKE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I WILL ONLY PARTIALLY ANSWER IT.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE I KNOW GOVERNEDGE HAS BEEN DOING A SERIES OF COMMUNITY SURVEYS THAT I THINK HAVE SOME OF THOSE RESPONSES, A LOT OF POSITIVE AFFILIATION. AND I KNOW WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE'VE ENGAGED, WE'VE GOTTEN THE BOTH-AND WHICH IS POSITIVE. IT'S DIFFERENT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY ENGAGING DIFFERENTLY. REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
AND WE'VE HAD GROUPS WHO FRANKLY HAVE SAID, FINALLY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIKE FOR THE PAST FIVE PLUS YEARS? SO TO ME, BOTH ARE GOOD BECAUSE GETTING THE FEEDBACK OF WHO IS RESONATING WITH AND WHO IT ISN'T IS BETTER THAN HAVING NO FEEDBACK AT ALL. GOOD, SECOND QUESTION. I WORK OVER AT BIG BREAK, AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST WHEELCHAIR PERSON THAT'S WORKING THERE, SHE'S A VOLUNTEER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WE WERE PRETTY GOOD WITH ACCESS AND THAT WE WERE PRETTY GOOD WITH BEING ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR. AND I MEAN, IN THE FIRST HOUR THAT SHE WAS WORKING, WE SAW ALL OF THESE OBSTACLES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE AND FILL IN NEEDS AND FILL IN TO MIRROR WHAT WE SEE IN THE PUBLIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE CHANGED A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE ALREADY IN THE SHORT TIME THAT SHE'S BEEN THERE, AND SHE'S GIVEN US A LOT OF IDEAS ON HOW TO IMPROVE HER ACCESS TO THE PARK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, I MEAN, MY EYES WERE OPENED A LOT AND I'VE WORKED THERE FOR 14 YEARS JUST SEEING THAT.
THE VERY LAST PART OF THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN MIRRORING WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS ASKED FOR AND WHAT THEY'RE SURPRISED SOMETIMES THAT WE OFFER AND REALLY HAPPY THAT WE OFFERED. I WAS ON A HIKE ON SATURDAY AT BLACK DIAMOND MINE, SO IT WAS AN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE HIKE 20 PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT WE OFFERED AN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE HIKE WITH INTERPRETERS. AND IT WAS A VERY NICE THING TO SEE.
I AM CURRENTLY LEARNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE MYSELF, BUT THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES THAT THEY WERE INCLUDED AND THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THEM, AND THEY ENJOYED THE PARK, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND ENGAGE, THAT WAS REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE.
SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
YEAH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT, LIKE I SAID, THAT FEELING. IT WAS. YOU MIGHT SAY IT'S A FEELING, BUT IT'S A VERY REAL, IMPACTFUL, MEANINGFUL EFFECT THAT IT HAS IN PEOPLE AND SOME OF THE WAYS TO QUANTIFY THAT.
BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO PROVIDE THE SPACES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, PERIOD.
YES. THANK YOU. MEMBER OBRINGER. THANK YOU. SO I CAN SEE THAT YOU'RE DOING REALLY EXCITING, AMAZING WORK. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO CHECK IN, THOUGH, BECAUSE I LITERALLY JUST GOT HOME FROM THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS IN TAMPA, AND THERE IS A SERIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT A LOT OF GRANT FUNDING THAT CITIES RECEIVE.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE PARK DISTRICTS RECEIVES, BUT IT'S VERY SERIOUS.
I MEAN, THINGS LIKE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ARE GETTING PULLED OUT.
AND SO THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE TABLE WAS, DO JURISDICTIONS ENTITIES LOOK AT CONTINUING WITH THEIR INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY GOALS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY UTILIZING WORDS THAT, YOU KNOW THE DOGE AI MACHINE CAN PULL OUT, YOU KNOW, VERY EASILY. SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IS THERE ANY CONVERSATION AROUND THAT? BECAUSE I'M NOT SUGGESTING AT ALL TO CHANGE THE COURSE.
IT WAS JUST, IT WAS A DEBATE ABOUT, HOW DO YOU STAY ON TRACK WITHOUT BECOMING, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME KIND OF TARGET FOR LOSS OF FUNDING OR WORSE?
[00:45:04]
SO, JUST WONDERING WHAT CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING. OR MAYBE THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING STREAMS THE PARK DISTRICT RECEIVES.YES, A LITTLE BIT OF ALL. AND SO WHAT I CAN SAY AND I'LL START WITH TWO THINGS.
ONE IS A LOT OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO THE BOARD BECAUSE I THINK THE BOARD HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR IN THEIR SUPPORT, INCLUDING THE ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION KIND OF RESTATING WE WANT SAFE, INCLUSIVE PARKS FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT BOTH REMINDED OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR STAFF IN TERMS OF, SPECIFICALLY FOR MY POSITION, NOTHING'S CHANGING, AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE APPROACHING OUR WORK.
ALSO, THERE IS NO CHANGE AND WE HAVE LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.
THE CONVERSATION, OF COURSE, HAS COME UP BECAUSE IT IS IN THE AIR SPACE.
BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF BOTH LEADERSHIP SUPPORT AND OPERATIONALLY, HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THE WORK AND HOW THAT'S FINANCIALLY IMPACT, IT'S NOT CURRENTLY AN ISSUE FOR US. GOOD TO HEAR.
THANK YOU. MEMBER DETJENS. WELL, MEMBER OBRINGER ASKED MY MAIN QUESTION, AND I THINK YOU PHRASED IT BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I MAY DO HAVE ONE OTHER SMALLER QUESTION, WHICH IS, IN THE EQUITY THEMES THAT WE HAVE ON IN YOUR PRESENTATION IN TERMS OF ACCESS IT SAYS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WILL INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND USE OF PARK DISTRICT RESOURCES.
SO WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN WHEN THE PARK DISTRICT WILL INCREASE USE OF PARK DISTRICT RESOURCES? TO ME, THAT JUST FEELS LIKE A EUPHEMISM. LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING WITHOUT SAYING SOMETHING.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS? YEAH, I THINK IN A COUPLE OF PIECES AROUND ACCESS FIRST, SOMETIMES THE QUESTION COMES UP AROUND WHETHER WE CAN GUARANTEE KIND OF EQUALITY OF OUTCOME VERSUS EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND WE CAN'T, IT'S THE WHOLE PREFERENCE ELEMENT TO SAY, I CAN'T. I'M NOT HERE TO GUARANTEE YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE CAMPING OR BE OUTDOORSY, BUT IF YOU DO, THAT WHEN YOU GO, YOU FEEL THE SENSE OF WELCOME, OF BELONGING AND WHATNOT.
AND THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS CONNECT NECESSARILY WITH THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN WITH INTERP AND RECREATION, IS FOR THEM TO REALLY LOOK AT, WE HAVE ALL THESE PROGRAMS, WHERE ARE THEY HAPPENING? HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THE STAFF TIME? HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE AROUND THAT? THAT ISN'T JUST REACTIVE. AND BECAUSE THE RESOURCES ARE THE PARKS, PERIOD.
BUT ALSO I THINK THE STAFF EXPERTISE AND AVAILABILITY IS ALSO THERE.
AND WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING THAT AND PARTNERING THAT WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE THEIR OWN RESPECTIVE EXPERTISE, BECAUSE THE PARK DISTRICT DOESN'T NEED TO BE DOING EVERYTHING.
AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT'S A BETTER PARTNER TO BE ABLE TO HELP FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. SO HOPE THAT WASN'T, SOUNDED WAY TOO AIRY, BUT IT'S JUST TO BE ABLE TO REALLY GET AT, WHERE ARE WE, OTHER THAN PHYSICALLY, SAYING WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THE PEOPLE TO THE PARKS? WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY USING OUR PARK RESOURCES TO MAKE THAT ACCESS AND CONNECTION HAPPEN? NO, THAT ACTUALLY WAS A VERY EXCELLENT ANSWER.
AND AS I ORIGINALLY READ IT, IT JUST SOUNDED LIKE THROW SOME MONEY AT SOMETHING.
USE OF RESOURCES. BUT. AS YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO SAY THIS, JUST THE MONEY.
BUT YOU'VE CLARIFIED THAT THERE'S A MUCH MORE NUANCE AND MUCH MORE DEPTH TO THAT.
AND FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR MENDOZA.
THANK YOU, OFFICER GONZALEZ. I WAS WAITING TO SAY THAT IN A FORMAL SETTING [LAUGHTER] BUT I REALLY WANTED TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR OFFICE AND ALSO THE LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS PUBLIC FACING FOLKS FOR REALLY PUTTING THIS AS A PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FEDERAL LANDSCAPE.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU, ACTUALLY YOU AND I HAVE FACILITATED ON IN SEVERAL WORKSHOPS AND LOOKING AT THE METHODOLOGY OF THE WAY THAT YOU HAD INTERVIEWED STAFF HOW MANY STAFF, WHAT LEVELS WHETHER IT'S LEADERSHIP OR PUBLIC FACING.
AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS A NATURALIST THERE WAS A TRAINING WITH YOUTH OUTSIDE, JUSTICE OUTSIDE NOW, AND IT WAS JUST SO GREAT. RIGHT? IMPLICIT BIAS, EVERYTHING.
WE SHOULD ALL BE LEARNING THIS. IT WAS A ONE DAY TRAINING WITH ALL THE INTERP AND REC STAFF.
[00:50:06]
AND THEN THE LEAD AT THE TIME SAID, WELL, IT'S SO GREAT, LET'S INCLUDE THE AQUATICS AND LIFEGUARDS FOR THE SECOND DAY TRAINING ALONG WITH INTERP AND REC. AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A CAULDRON OF STEAMING, YOU KNOW, STUFF - PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCES JUST DIDN'T MESH TOGETHER WELL. SO THAT'S AN INSTANCE OF METHODOLOGY GOING WRONG, RIGHT? MAYBE A GLIMPSE ON HOW YOU INTERVIEWED FOLKS AND A GROUP SETTING.ALSO LIKE A GOOD SAMPLE SIZE OR EVERYBODY IN THE DISTRICT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE ANOTHER DOVETAIL TO MEMBER VALENZUELA WHO'S TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC FACING PLAN AND HOW THE DISTRICT SURVEYS GOING OUT NOW, MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMPLEMENT THAT, AS YOU SAID, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER HAS SORT OF SAID, YOU DO EXTERNAL FACING AND INTERNAL SEPARATELY, BUT MAYBE BEING ABLE TO COMPLEMENT THAT INTO THE FUTURE.
ABSOLUTELY. AND LIKE I SAID, I'LL RE-STATE THAT PIECE AROUND.
SO IT DOESN'T MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE STOPPED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, LET'S SUPPOSE WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THIS COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT. WHAT PROCESS WOULD WE NEED TO RUN THEM THROUGH, LIKE INTERNAL DISTRICT PROCESS, TO LIKE MAKE THAT HAPPEN? AND IS THAT THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE WANT? THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO. BUT PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE INTERNALLY WE MIGHT BE BEST SUITED FOR VENDORS, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN A COMMUNITY NONPROFIT.
AND SO THOSE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN SAY, WELL, WE STILL, AS A DISTRICT, ARE GOING TO NEED ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE. BUT WHAT PATHWAYS CAN NOW EXIST? HENCE THE DISTRICT RESOURCE RIGHT, TO BE ABLE TO SAY NOW WE CAN BE GOOD PARTNERS.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WITH TRIBES IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE APPROACH, I AGREE WITH YOU. THERE'S BOTH THE ELEMENT.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE IS ACTUALLY A DISTRICT WIDE IMPLICIT BIAS KIND OF SESSION FOR ALL STAFF.
SO THAT'S A WAY IN WHICH WE WANT ALL STAFF TO HAVE IT.
AND WE KNOW THAT DIFFERENT GROUPS WILL NEED KIND OF DIFFERENT POINTS OF FURTHER ENGAGEMENT AROUND THAT, WHETHER IT'S CONTENT FACILITATION, ONE ON ONE THAT'S NOW INTEGRATED INTO KIND OF THE SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS TRAINING, THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER INSTITUTED.
SO EVERYBODY THAT'S KIND OF RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING A GROUP IS GETTING THAT.
SO THAT'S ALLOWING US TO SLOWLY MAKE IT EVEN MUCH MORE, PERMEATE EVERYTHING VERSUS JUST HERE'S A LITTLE MODULE THAT SURPRISE, HERE IT COMES KIND OF THING. BUT ALSO FINALLY ON THIS PIECE FOR THE QUESTIONNAIRE AS EXAMPLES OF KIND OF FACETS OF THE DISTRICT THAT WE TOUCHED ON.
WE ALSO HAD THE WHOLE EXEC LEADERSHIP TEAM DO THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND AS PART OF THAT, ALSO PROVIDING PRESENTATIONS AS TO WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE AND KIND OF GET THEIR TAKE ON IT TOO. WE ALSO DID SPECIALIZED FOCUS GROUPS WHERE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MUCH, WOULD BE HELPFUL TO REALLY TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FOR THAT UNIT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID A FOCUS GROUP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF, IT'S HELPFUL TO DO WITH THAT UNIT VERSUS TRYING TO THROW EVERYBODY IN.
AND YOU NEED TO SUPPORT AND FACILITATE FOR THAT.
SO THERE ARE WAYS HAVE IT BEEN VERY HELPFUL, LIKE I SAID, TO NOT JUST THINK WE'RE FOCUSING ON ONE PART OF THE DISTRICT, BUT WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE FOR A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY MAY NOT HAVE ALWAYS FELT LIKE THEY WERE EITHER INVITED OR COULD BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION OR, YOU KNOW, FELT THAT THEY COULDN'T BE. MEMBER PEOPLES.
I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THE AREA AND NEW TO THE EAST BAY PARKS DISTRICT AND WHATNOT, BUT I HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG SENSE THAT THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF EFFORT CURRENTLY DEVOTED, AND IT'S WIDELY DISPERSED WITHIN THE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
[00:55:04]
AND THAT'S JUST MY SENSE, AND MY CONTACTS I'VE HAD ON THIS.I LIKE THE IDEA OF TALKING ABOUT INCLUSIVENESS AND EQUITY WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE THEY'RE PART OF THE DISTRICT AND THEY CAN USE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE FOCUS ON YOUR RESEARCH AND WHATNOT HAS BEEN ON STAFF AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE ALMOST A PARALLEL EFFORT THAT LOOKS AT WHAT THE COMMUNITY, HOW THE COMMUNITY SEES THE DISTRICT AND WHERE THE ISSUES ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THOSE PROBLEMS, SO THEY, IN TURN, CAN HELP US MAKE US AWARE OF WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEMS AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO KIND OF FOCUS ON THE LAST POINT YOU HAD ON YOUR LAST SLIDE THERE ABOUT DEVELOPING, YOU SAID CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR EQUITY RELATED UPDATES AND RESOURCES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW ORGANIZATIONALLY YOU FIT THAT IN, WHETHER IT'S CENTRALIZED OR HOW THAT'S HANDLED, BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM IS NOT A ONE AND DONE SITUATION IS GOING TO NEED TO BE ONGOING, CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND MONITORING AND THEN REAL CHANGES BASED ON THAT MONITORING AND THAT FEEDBACK THAT WE GET AS WE MOVE FORWARD. YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENED AND REPORTING OUT THAT INFORMATION, SO IT'S SHARED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. AND, YOU KNOW, BE PREPARED TO CALL OUT PROBLEMS WHEN THEY EXIST, EVEN THOUGH SOME FOLKS MIGHT NOT LIKE TO HEAR THAT, BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE KINDS OF EFFORTS. THANK YOU. MEMBER OMOLO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. TO START OFF WITH, I WAS JUST KIND OF THINKING, I'VE BEEN THROUGH WORK THROUGH A FEW OF THESE PROCESSES, HAVE GONE TO THE END OF AN EQUITY DOCUMENT OF ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A TWO PARTER. BUT WHY DID THE GENERAL MANAGER INITIALLY EMBARK ON THIS WORK FOR DEVELOPING THIS EQUITY PROGRAM? AND THEN WHAT WILL SUCCESS LOOK LIKE AT THE END? LIKE WHAT IS THE GOAL IS PROBABLY SOME SORT OF DOCUMENT, BUT LIKE, HOW WILL WE KNOW THAT THIS IS WORKING? GREAT QUESTION. WHAT I CAN SPEAK TO IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL MANAGER AND KIND OF WHAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, ONE CORE ELEMENT THAT KICKED OFF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY BEING CREATED IN THE POSITION, YOU HAVE BOARD RESOLUTIONS THAT KIND OF STATED, RIGHT, THIS IS HOW WE ARE SHOWING SUPPORT, NOT FOR VARIETY. SO A LOT OF WHAT CAME OUT AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH, AS WELL AS A LOT OF ANTI-ASIAN DISCRIMINATION.
AND ALSO, I KNOW THROUGH MY MEETINGS WITH GENERAL MANAGER, I WOULD DESCRIBE HER, SHE'S A VERY PRACTICAL, REAL BELIEVER IN THIS WORK, IN THE SENSE OF LIKE IT'S DOABLE.
AND SO THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT.
IT'S KIND OF THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND ALSO IT'S PART OF WORKPLACE CULTURE.
SO IT'S NOT THIS PLATYPUS THING THAT'S JUST KIND OF EXISTS IN AN ORGANIZATION.
SO TO ME, THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE I THINK OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THAT. AND THEN ALSO, IT SUPPORTS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF HAVING STAFF HAVE A SENSE OF AGENCY AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITIES.
AND PART OF THE EQUITY BASED WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS TO SUPPORT THAT, BE COLLABORATIVE, INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE, PLACE, CULTURE THAT DOES THAT. AND THEN RELATED TO THAT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SUCCESS.
A COUPLE PIECES. ONE OF THEM, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR TARGETED STRATEGIES, WHICH IS TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO USE, FOR EXAMPLE, CENSUS DATA, OR WE'RE GOING TO USE THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, OR WE'RE GOING TO USE THE INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUPS THAT SAID THIS.
AND NOW, WHAT CAN WE SHOW THAT THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THAT? SO AROUND RETENTION, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION TO SAY WE ARE ACTUALLY DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE, OUR WORKFORCE IS DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE. AS ONE EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DONE OUR SURVEYS, AND 90% OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACTUALLY FEEL WE'RE ON THE
[01:00:06]
RIGHT TRACK. PERSONALLY, FOR ME, IT'S KIND OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZER MOTTO, WHICH IS WORK MYSELF OUT OF A JOB, RIGHT? IF IT'S DONE WELL, THEN I DON'T NEED TO BE HERE.BUT ALSO IF I'M NOT HERE, THAT THE WORK CONTINUES.
SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG METRIC OF SUCCESS AS OPPOSED TO THAT.
IF FOR WHATEVER REASON, I'M NOT HERE AND THEN JUST KIND OF LIKE WORK STOPS.
MEMBER SMITH. OH, SORRY. MEMBER OMOLO. ONE SECOND.
SOMETHING ELSE? YEAH, I JUST HAD A COUPLE MORE, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. AND SO, WOULD THAT LOOK, LIKE CHANGING IN THE HIRING PROCESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GET THAT CULTURAL CHANGE, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S PRETTY AMORPHOUS TO SAY CULTURAL CHANGE IS THE GOAL.
AND SO, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE LEVERS OR WHERE WOULD THESE KIND OF THINGS BE IN? SO I CAN USE THAT EXAMPLE AND HOPE HR ISN'T LISTENING IN AND THINK I MIGHT REPRESENT THEM NOW, BUT ALSO WE ARE A PARTNER TO HR. AND SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE FIRST STARTED, THEY WERE KIND OF OUR MAIN WORK AND THOUGHT PARTNER.
AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE BY HAVING MEETINGS TO BE ABLE TO SAY IF WE GET THESE QUESTIONS, HOW DO WE ANSWER THEM? SO FOR EXAMPLE, IS OUR INPUT, ALL OF OUR APPLICANT POOL PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR A POSITION, IS THAT REPRESENTATIVE? AND, HOW DO WE KNOW? AND SO THAT MEANS LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM WE HAVE IN PLACE, NEOGOV, TO SAY WHAT INPUT IS COMING IN AND THEN, CAN WE ANALYZE THAT? AND IF WE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, IT SAYS, YEAH, IT LOOKS PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE OR NO. AND THEN DO WE HAVE A REASON FOR THAT THAT WE CAN ACT ON THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO. AND IF WE CAN SAY, YES, THEY DO.
BUT NOW THEY PROCEED AND WE KNOW THERE'S A DROP OFF POINT BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, IT'S THIS INTERVIEW OR IT'S THIS TEST AND THEN WHATNOT.
WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, IS IT REALLY JUST AGAIN, PREFERENCE SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS OR STRUCTURALLY SOMETHING WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT AND CHANGE. BECAUSE THE MORE WE CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND HAVE CONFIDENCE TO SAY BY THE TIME WE HAVE AN ACTUAL JOB OFFER, YES, OF COURSE, ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T BE THERE.
BUT ALSO THAT WHOLE PATHWAY WAS AS REPRESENTATIVE AS POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR.
YEAH. WHICH AGAIN, IS DOABLE. AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICIT BIAS AROUND A PARTICULAR REQUIREMENT, OR STRUCTURALLY WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE IN WHICH APPLICANTS END UP DROPPING OFF.
MEMBER SMITH. REALLY GREAT WORK AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS HAPPENING.
I'M A LITTLE CURIOUS BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT YOU'VE STARTED WITH STAFF, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT YOUR DISABILITY REPRESENTATION IS ON STAFF, BECAUSE I WOULD ASSUME IT'S PROBABLY NOT GREAT.
AND SO THEN, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE REPRESENTING AND INCLUDING DISABILITY IN THIS? I'VE BEEN DISABLED FOR 47 YEARS, AND I'VE SEEN DISABILITY GET LEFT OUT OF MULTICULTURALISM IN THE 80S AND 90S, DIVERSITY IN THE 90S AND 2000, INCLUSION, YOU KNOW, AND IT STILL DOES.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IS I DID AN EAST BAY PARKS VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND IN THE SENSITIVITY SECTION, ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF DISABILITY THROUGH THAT ENTIRE TRAINING.
AND AS SOMEBODY WHO IS DISABLED AND REALLY WANTED TO VOLUNTEER, I WAS COMPLETELY TURNED OFF.
AND THIS IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO.
SO THAT'S MY, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, HOW THEN DO YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NEED, KNOWING THAT THERE IS A HUGE RANGE OF DISABILITY? IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY ON STAFF THAT YOU KNOW REPRESENTS THAT.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A MENTION THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST WHEELCHAIR USING STAFF PERSON, OR VOLUNTEER? VOLUNTEER. OUT AT BIG BREAK. AND I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT EVEN FOR ME, BEING IN THIS BUILDING THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME CHALLENGES.
SO HOW DO YOU GET THAT INFORMATION? YEAH. AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO INCORPORATE IT? SO INTERNALLY IN TERMS OF STAFF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF WHICH WHAT WE'LL HAVE WILL BE SELF-REPORTED BECAUSE WE CAN'T ASK, LEGALLY SPEAKING, RIGHT? YOU KNOW. AND HAVING SAID THAT, THOUGH WE WERE JUST HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK WEEK OR TWO AGO IN TERMS OF TAKING IN COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE HAVE WORKED WITH WHAT THAT HISTORY HAS TO LOOK LIKE,
[01:05:08]
WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACT ON AND SAY, HAS THIS MOVED OR NOT? WHAT'S, I KEEP USING THE WORD STRUCTURALLY BECAUSE WHAT I REALLY WANT IS IT NOT TO BE JUST A TRANSACTIONAL TOUCHPOINT.THEY SAY, WELL, WE REACHED OUT AND GOT YOUR INFO. NOW, HOW ARE YOU CONSISTENTLY WITH US ON THE PATH? THEY SAY, I BROUGHT THIS UP FIVE YEARS AGO. IT'S GOOD TO NOW ACTUALLY SEE IT IMPLEMENTED AS A POLICY OR WHATNOT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO OWN IS WE DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED, FOR EXAMPLE, DISABILITY COORDINATOR AT THE DISTRICT, YET. I SAY YET BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE WHERE THAT WOULD BE AN IDENTIFIED POINT.
AND SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WORK HASN'T HAPPENED OR THAT ENGAGEMENT OR PLANNING STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE CONSISTENTLY WORKED. I KNOW IN BOARD THIS OFTEN GETS BROUGHT UP A LOT, BUT I THINK BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ACTIVE IN THE SPACE, BUT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THINGS FALLING IN THE GAPS.
SO PART OF MY JOB IS TO AGAIN, BE COORDINATING ALL OF THIS SO THAT IF WE HAVE A STRUCTURAL NEED AND WE SAY THIS HAS KIND OF PERSISTED A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG, THEN WE EITHER OWN THAT PERSISTENCE OR THEN CAN KIND OF ACT ON IT.
AND THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT IT IS, WHAT'S DOABLE WITHIN THE YEAR VERSUS THE TWO YEARS VERSUS THE FIVE YEARS? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE CAN HIRE SOMEONE RIGHT AWAY, BUT OTHER TIMES WE NEED TO START WITH LIKE PIECE ONE, TWO, THREE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT AS AN ACTUAL ASK.
YEAH. THE OTHER EXAMPLE I WAS GOING TO GIVE IS THAT IF YOU AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMPLAINT ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, THERE'S NOT AN ACCESSIBILITY PERSON.
IT GOES TO THE LEGAL OFFICE, WHICH IS BASICALLY A REACTIVE PROCESS, NOT RESPONSIVE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THING THAT EAST BAY PARKS COULD REALLY WORK ON IS TO TAKE THAT ACCESSIBILITY COMPONENT OUT OF, OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO BE SUED DEPARTMENT.
YEAH. AND I'LL FINISH THAT PIECE BY SAYING, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE WE REMIND BOTH STAFF AND COMMUNITY, OFFICE OF EQUITY, FOR EXAMPLE, ISN'T HERE TO REPLACE OR TO DO THE WORK OF HUMAN RESOURCES OR LEGAL AND WHATNOT, BECAUSE THERE ARE SPECIFIC PROCESSES ALREADY IN PLACE FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.
RIGHT? AND HAVING SAID THAT, SOMETIMES BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THAT PATHWAY, YOU WANT TO ASK YOURSELF, WERE THERE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE BEFORE THIS BEING THE ONLY WAY THAT WE COULD ADDRESS IT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WAS REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THE QUESTION ABOUT SUCCESS. IT SUCKS TO BE IN CHAIR BECAUSE YOU WAIT AND YOU STOLE MY QUESTION [LAUGHTER] BUT NOTHING WE DO IS EASY, RIGHT? BUT AT LEAST WHEN YOU OPEN A PARK OR YOU OPEN A TRAIL OR RESTORATION PROJECT.
YOU CAN SEE IT, AND YOUR WORK IS A LOT HARDER THAN THAT BECAUSE IT CAN BE HARD TO SEE SOMETIMES.
SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE MEASURING SUCCESS AND THANK YOU.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL [APPLAUSE] APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH. SO NEXT UP WE HAVE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN OVERVIEW. OKAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON. DIRECTOR SANWONG, MEMBERS OF THE PAC.
MY NAME IS NEOMA LAVALLE. I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
I'M JOINED HERE WITH ABBY FROM THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVANCY.
OKAY, GO. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT AN UPDATE AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONSERVANCY.
AND GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THE CLAYTON RANCH REGIONAL PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND THE KNIGHTSEN WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT, ALONG WITH SOME REALLY INTERESTING PHOTOS FROM THE VASCO ROAD UNDER CROSSING MONITORING PROJECT.
ABBY. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE.
[01:10:01]
WE ARE AN AGENCY FOCUSED IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, SO NOT IN EVERYBODY'S JURISDICTION.MY AGENCY IS A JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY. INCLUDES THE CITY OF BRENTWOOD, CLAYTON, OAKLEY, PITTSBURGH AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. SORRY. AND THOSE ARE THE LOCAL LAND USE AUTHORITIES WITHIN OUR REGION.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IS PART OF THE CONSERVANCY.
BEFORE THAT, WE WERE WORKING FOR ABOUT A DECADE TO DEVELOP THIS PLAN.
AND SO THIS HAS BEEN DECADES IN THE MAKING. OUR AGENCY IS FOCUSED ON CONSERVING HABITAT TO BENEFIT THE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY OF ENDANGERED SPECIES IN OUR REGION.
WE HAVE 28 SPECIES THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
AND WE DO THAT THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. ONE IS WE ISSUE PERMITS. WE HAVE TAKEN U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE AND CDFW AUTHORITY TO ISSUE PERMITS FOR OUR REGION.
AND WE LEVERAGE PUBLIC FUNDS, SO WE HAVE MITIGATION FUNDS AND PUBLIC FUNDS THAT WE LEVERAGE TOGETHER IN THIS REGION TO ACQUIRE LAND, BUILD RESTORATION PROJECTS AND DO SCIENCE. SO THOUGH OUR AGENCY SOUNDS LIKE A CONSERVATION PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY, WE ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY THAT, WE ALSO ISSUE PERMITS IN OUR REGION THROUGH OUR LOCAL LAND USE AUTHORITY PARTNERS.
WE HAVE A LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO THE PARTNERSHIP.
NOT ONLY ARE WE HELPING BUY LAND AND MANAGE LAND.
AND WE WORK WITH THEM TO MANAGE THAT ENDOWMENT SO THAT THE WORK IS DURABLE BEYOND OUR LIFETIME.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY.
I'M GOING TO HAND IT BACK TO NEOMA TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE LARGE SCALE PLANNING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEN I'LL COME TALK TO YOU AGAIN ABOUT SOME OF THE RESTORATION WORK AND SCIENCE THAT WE'RE DOING. YEAH.
THANK YOU ABBY. SO THE FIRST BIG PARK WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, AND THIS IS LIKELY GOING TO BE THE FIRST PARK IN THIS SYSTEM FROM THE MAP FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE YOU KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY IN THE ORANGE AND DEER VALLEY IS RIGHT HERE, IN GREEN. SO DEER VALLEY REGIONAL PRESERVE, IT'S A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3700 ACRES.
EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY THAT MAKES UP THIS PRESERVE WAS JOINTLY ACQUIRED WITH THE CONSERVANCY AND IS SUBJECT TO THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS KIND OF GUIDELINES AND GOALS. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO PUBLIC ACCESS, WE'RE TAKING IN MIND KIND OF THOSE POINTS THAT ABBY MADE ABOUT THE CONSERVATION OF THE COVERED SPECIES, THE RESTORATION AND THE PROTECTION OF THAT HABITAT.
THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL TO NOT JUST THOSE SPECIES, BUT JUST IN GENERAL.
IT'S CURRENTLY CLOSED TO PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON A RESTORATION PROJECT OF A GOLF COURSE, AND IT WILL BE ABOUT 230 ACRES, WHEN IT WILL INITIALLY BE OPENED, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AHEAD TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF WHAT ELSE, WHAT OTHER CONNECTIONS WE CAN MAKE, EITHER WITHIN THE PARK OR TO THE ADJACENT PARKS IN THAT AREA, INCLUDING BLACK DIAMOND MINES. SO THE RODDY RANCH GOLF COURSE RESTORATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT, REALLY THE RESTORATION GOALS OF THAT PROJECT IS TO ENHANCE AND RESTORE LANDSCAPE FOR THE SENSITIVE SPECIES AND HABITAT CREATION, REALLY TAKING AN AREA THAT WAS HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE GOLF COURSE AND SEEING HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE IT BACK INTO THE REST OF THE PARKLAND, AND THEN IMPROVE THE FUNCTION OF THE GRASSLAND HABITAT AND THEN CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS MEETING THE HCP RESTORATION GOALS.
THE GOALS ARE NOT JUST TO ACQUIRE LAND, LIKE ABBY MENTIONED.
THERE'S ALSO A HIGH RESTORATION COMPONENT AS PART OF THE GOALS OF THE PLAN.
AND THEN WE REALLY SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A LOT OF EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION ON THE ECOLOGICAL VALUE OF THE PRESERVED LANDS, AS WELL AS THE HISTORY OF, OF EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
[01:15:09]
YOU KNOW, CAN PROVIDE AND HOW THE PARK AND THE HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE VITAL ROLE THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS REALLY PLAYING IN THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF THIS AREA. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN, PERMITTING AND FUNDING.WE'RE AT ABOUT 90% IN TERMS OF OUR CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE.
WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF OUR PERMITS. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH SOME FINAL DETAILS.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR COST ESTIMATES AND REALLY REFINING WHERE WE'RE GOING.
WE EXPECT PROJECT CONSTRUCTION TO HAPPEN IN 2027, WHICH WILL BE FOCUSED INITIALLY ON PUTTING IN ALL THE PUBLIC ACCESS FEATURES IN PLACE, INCLUDING THE TRAILS, THE STAGING AREA OF THE PAVILION AND THE INITIAL HABITAT RESTORATION. BUT REALLY, THE HABITAT RESTORATION IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN JUST A YEAR.
IT'LL TAKE. YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE A PHASED APPROACH AND THERE'LL BE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE GO ALONG.
SO THAT WILL HAPPEN CONTINUE TO HAPPEN EVEN AFTER IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, HOPEFULLY IN 2028.
AND AS WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD TO THAT PUBLIC OPENING, WE'RE LOOKING AT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION STAFF TO DEVELOP NATURALIST PROGRAMS ABOUT THE PRESERVE SYSTEM.
KIND OF. HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO ABIDE BY THE PASSIVE RECREATION GUIDELINES, SOME OF WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, DOGS WILL HAVE TO BE ON LEASH, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR PARKLANDS, THAT'S SORT OF A DIFFERENCE. AND THERE'S NO OFF TRAIL USE ON THE HCP PRESERVE LAND.
SO THAT'S KIND OF ANOTHER THING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, WHAT THE IMPORTANCE IS OF STAYING ON TRAIL AT ALL TIMES.
ET CETERA. AND THEN THERE'S, OBVIOUSLY AS PEOPLE ARE RECREATING, THERE'S ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND ENGAGE FOLKS IN THE HABITAT RESTORATION, SUBSEQUENT PHASES AFTER OPENING.
SO WE REALLY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH WELCOME THE WELCOME PEOPLE TO THIS NEW PARKLAND AREA, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CONTINUING TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT ITSELF.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP SOME BRANDING THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR THE PRESERVED LANDS.
WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP INTERNALLY THAT'S FOCUSED ON PUBLIC ACCESS ON THE HCP PRESERVED LANDS.
WE THOUGHT THAT SOME SPECIFIC BRANDING FOR THESE CONSERVATION LANDS COULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT AS A WAY TO KIND OF SIGNAL TO FOLKS THAT, HEY, YOU'RE SOMEWHERE JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
LET'S TAKE NOTE OF THAT. WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU KNOW WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PLACE? SO THE BRANDING WILL HIGHLIGHT THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE HCP.
WE HAVEN'T FULLY BAKED OUT EVERYTHING, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR STANDARD SIGNAGE PLAN AND PACKAGE IS, BUT IT'S JUST DIFFERENT ENOUGH TO KIND OF SIGNAL JUST A LITTLE BIT TO FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ARRIVED AT A PARKLAND THAT MIGHT PROVIDE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN THE BRANDING WILL FOCUS ON CONSERVATION AND HABITAT, SPECIES AND PROTECTION.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING ADMINISTRATIVELY, KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET READY FOR THE NEW PARK.
SO IT WILL BE A COMPLETELY SEPARATE PARK UNIT, IS THE CURRENT PLAN WITH DEDICATED STAFF.
SO IT WON'T JUST BE. SOMETIMES WHEN WE OPEN UP NEW PARKLANDS, IT MIGHT BE AN ADDITION TO AN EXISTING PARK UNIT WITH OUR WITH AN EXISTING YOU KNOW, STAFF. THE RANGER STAFF WILL THEN, YOU KNOW, SERVE THE NEW PARK, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY JUST DEDICATED TO THAT PARK.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH DEER VALLEY AS ITS OWN SEPARATE PARK.
CURRENTLY, ITS STAFF ARE RUN OUT OF BLACK DIAMOND MINES AS IT'S IN LAND BANK STATUS.
SO WE HAVE A STAFFING PLAN IN PLACE, A FACILITIES PLAN.
SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT PART OF OUR PUBLIC ACCESS PLANNING.
THIS IS CLAYTON RANCH. THIS IS A VIEW OF MOUNT DIABLO FROM THE NORTH.
[01:20:02]
3000 OF WHICH WERE ACQUIRED WITH THE CONSERVANCY AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE HCP.SO IT'S ABOUT 75% OF THE OF THE PROPERTY, OF THE PARK.
AND IT'S ALSO ADJACENT TO THE CLAYTON COMMUNITY PARK, AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THIS IS THE COMMUNITY OF CLAYTON AND THEN CONCORD FURTHER ON TO THE NORTHWEST.
CURRENTLY, EVERYTHING IN ORANGE IS ALSO CLOSED TO PUBLIC ACCESS, AND WE ARE WORKING ON A PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THIS AREA TO THE PUBLIC ACCESS. THIS IS THE DRAFT PLAN FOR PUBLIC ACCESS, AND IT'S REALLY ENVISIONING CONCENTRATING THE ACCESS IN THE BEGINNING HERE IN THE NORTHWEST AREA OF THE PARKLAND AREA.
AND THE YELLOW IS OUR SERVICE ROADS. THAT WOULD JUST BE FOR STAFF ONLY.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF REASONS OF WHY THAT IS.
WE ALSO ARE ANTICIPATING SOME CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TRAILS TO KIND OF COMPLETE LOOPS.
AND THEN THIS PARTICULAR TRAIL NETWORK WILL NOT ACTUALLY CONNECT TO AN EXISTING ROAD NETWORK.
YOU'LL HAVE TO WALK IN FROM EITHER THE CLAYTON ROAD HERE AT THIS TRAILHEAD ALONG THE REGIONAL TRAIL OR FROM THE COMMUNITY PARK ENTRANCE THERE, WHERE THE PARKING IS. AS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY PARK, WE'VE BEEN ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF CLAYTON TO UTILIZE THEIR COMMUNITY PARK AS THE PRIMARY STAGING TO BEGIN WITH.
AND WOULD ALLOW ACCESS THROUGH THE THE CITY'S PEACOCK CREEK TRAIL.
AND FOR SOME REASON, THE TRAILS DIDN'T POP UP HERE.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON A PARKING AS WELL AS TRAIL LICENSES WITH THE CITY OF CLAYTON AND THE GHAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE TO OFFER PUBLIC ACCESS THROUGH THIS PROPERTY TO THEN OUR PARK HERE.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CONSERVANCY TO DRAFT AND FINALIZE THE PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND WE EXPECT THAT TIMELINE TO BE MORE IN THE NEXT 2 TO 3 YEARS TO DRAFT THE PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THEN HOPEFULLY OPENING UP THIS AREA A LITTLE AFTER WE WOULD OPEN UP THE DEER VALLEY. SO. OH, THERE WE GO. IT WAS ANIMATED.
THANKS, NEOMA. AND REALLY, I WORK WITH NEOMA AND HER TEAM AND OTHER FOLKS AROUND THE PARK DISTRICT ON SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU'RE REALLY JUST GETTING A LITTLE SNIPPET OF WHAT WE DO. THESE ARE ALL EXCITING THINGS, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THIS IS IT, BECAUSE REALLY, I THINK IT'S QUITE ASTOUNDING THE BREADTH OF WORK THAT'S THAT'S HAPPENING IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS RESTORATION WORK.
WE DO RESTORATION WORK THROUGHOUT THE EAST COUNTY REGION.
I THINK PERHAPS THE LARGEST PROJECT THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING.
THIS IS ADJACENT TO THE COMMUNITY OF KNIGHTSEN WHICH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A MAP HERE SHOWING WHERE KNIGHTSEN IS, BUT IT IS. NEAR VEALE TRACT. IT IS NEAR BRENTWOOD.
EAST OF BRENTWOOD. EAST OF BRENTWOOD. I'M TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME GEOGRAPHIC HINTS.
NORTH OF DISCOVERY BAY. SOUTH OF ROCK SLOUGH.
THERE YOU GO. IT'S VERY FAR EAST. IT'S CLOSE TO THE COUNTY BORDER.
AND IT'S DELTA ADJACENT. SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM TILDEN PARK, EAST BAY HILLS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLAT AGRICULTURAL LAND IN AREAS NEAR THE AG CORE, VERY LESS POPULATED THAN THE URBAN CENTERS THAT A LOT OF OTHER PARKS ARE ADJACENT TO. SO THE KNIGHTSEN WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT IS TAKING PLACE ON A 645 ACRE PROPERTY.
IT WAS FORMERLY USED FOR IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE, AND WE'RE IN A PROCESS OF CONVERTING THIS, AS PART OF MOVING TOWARDS RESTORATION, IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE HAS MOVED OFF OF THE PROPERTY AND IS CURRENTLY BEING GRAZED.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN THIS TRANSFORMATION.
THE NEXT STEP WILL BE ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTING THE PROJECT.
THE GOAL IS TO RESTORE A MOSAIC OF HABITATS ACROSS THE PROPERTY.
THIS INCLUDES DELTA TIDAL FRESHWATER TIDAL WETLANDS, JUST FRESHWATER WETLANDS, ALKALI WETLANDS,
[01:25:07]
GRASSLAND, OAK SAVANNA, AND INTERIOR SAND DUNE, WHICH WE HAVE A REMNANT OF ON THIS PROPERTY.SO A WHOLE SUITE OF HABITATS IN THE 645 ACRES.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. HERE IS A MAP OF THE PROPERTY.
TO THE NORTH IS AN 80 ACRE PROPERTY, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE MOST OF OUR REMNANT INTERIOR DUNE.
AND THE SOUTHERN PARCEL WAS MOSTLY IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE.
AND THE EAST SIDE OF IT WILL BE SEASONAL WETLANDS, OAK SAVANNA AND GRASSLAND.
THE FAR EAST QUADRANT. CAN I POINT WITH THIS? OH, CAN YOU SEE? THIS IS THE FAR EAST QUADRANT.
THIS AREA WILL BE FRESHWATER TIDAL. THIS RIGHT HERE IS NO NAME SLEW.
AND WE WILL BE ABLE, I THINK, THE VERY LAST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION.
I'M LOOKING A LITTLE BIT AT PAUL BECAUSE HE DID A PROJECT LIKE THIS FOR CONTRA COSTA FLOOD CONTROL.
BUT THE VERY LAST ISH PART IS CONNECTING TO THE DELTA, SO EVERYTHING ELSE WILL HAPPEN FIRST, AND THEN WATER WILL ENTER THE SITE FROM THERE.
SO THIS IS A MULTI-PHASE PROJECT, WITH THE FIRST PHASE STARTING NEXT YEAR BEING THIS CHUNK, THE NORTHERN PART OF IT. WE ARE IN THE INTERIM STARTING EXPERIMENTAL DUNE PLANTING THIS YEAR.
YOU CAN PLANT THEM AND YOU CAN WATER THEM. YOU CAN'T REALLY WATER THINGS ON A SAND DUNE.
SO WE'RE DOING SOME EXPERIMENTAL PLANTING STARTING THIS FALL, WHICH WILL THEN CONTINUE PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT 5 OR 10 YEARS, DEPENDING ON HOW IT GOES. BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESTORE THESE DUNES.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE CATTLE AND GOATS OUT THERE.
IT SAYS EIGHT MEETINGS HERE, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY OVER EIGHT MEETINGS BETWEEN 2018 AND 2024.
SO PHASE ONE IS ALMOST AT 90, BUT THE FULL 645 IS ALSO SNEAKING UP ON 90% DESIGN.
SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
THE FULL COST OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS CLOSE TO $38 MILLION, WHICH IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY RAISED ABOUT $10.3 MILLION FOR PHASE ONE.
I GUESS HERE'S THE. WOW, HERE'S THE DESIGN [LAUGHTER] WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
IN THE UPPER PARCEL YOU CAN SEE SOME LIGHT DEMARCATIONS.
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THOSE. THOSE ARE THE REMNANT DUNES THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S ABOUT 38 ACRES OF A REMNANT DUNE UP THERE THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH.
LOWER IN THE PROPERTY YOU CAN SEE SOME SEASONAL WETLANDS.
AS YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH THAT IS ACTUALLY HIGHER GROUND, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE OAK SAVANNA AND SOME MORE, LIKE STORMWATER TYPE DRAINAGE, FUNCTIONAL WETLANDS THAT WILL WORK, NOT ONLY TO DRAIN WATER OUT OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT CAPTURE WATER FROM ON SITE, AND ALL THAT WATER THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PROPERTY WILL DRAIN TO THE RIGHT, OUT TO THE DELTA. INTO THAT LARGER PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN SEE HAS THE DENDRITIC CHANNELS THAT ARE VERY TYPICAL OF DELTA RESTORATION PROJECTS IN DELTA HYDROLOGY. I USUALLY STOP THERE FOR QUESTIONS, SO I GUESS I'M GOING TO KEEP GOING. SAVE YOUR QUESTIONS. SO IN ADDITION TO RESTORATION AND LAND ACQUISITION AND PLANNING AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO WITH REGIONAL PARKS, WE ALSO DO SCIENCE WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND A LOT OF IT'S REALLY FUN STUFF.
WE GET TO EXPLORE THINGS, TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE ARE DOING WITH NOMAD ECOLOGY, ONE OF OUR BIOLOGICAL CONSULTING FIRMS THAT WE WORK WITH, WHICH IS WE HAVE THIS GIANT PRESERVE SYSTEM IN THE BYRON VASCO AREA, AND WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF ACRES ON BOTH SIDES OF VASCO ROAD.
[01:30:03]
THERE ARE TUNNELS AND UNDER CROSSINGS THAT GO UNDERNEATH THE ROAD.ARE THEY FUNCTIONAL? DO THEY WORK FOR ANIMALS? DO THEY WORK FOR DRAINAGE? HOW ARE THEY MAINTAINED? ARE THERE ANIMALS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IN THE REST OF THE PRESERVE THAT WE CAN CATCH MOVING THROUGH THESE PINCH POINTS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IN OTHER PLACES OF THE PRESERVE? SO WE'VE PUT UP CAMERAS. WE'VE DONE THIS OVER A SERIES OF YEARS.
I THINK WE OWN CLOSE TO 20 UNDER CROSSINGS UNDER VASCO ROAD.
SO WORKING WITH COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS, WE'VE PUT UP CAMERAS TO SEE WHO'S USING WHO'S USING THESE.
SO, WE'RE IN YEAR THREE, I THINK THESE ARE ACTUALLY PHOTOS FROM YEAR ONE.
YEAH, FROM 2023, WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST EIGHT UNDER CROSSINGS CAPTURED.
YOU MIGHT NOT BE EXCITED TO SEE THE GROUND SQUIRREL.
MAMMALS EAT IT. IT DIGS BURROWS FOR BURROWING OWLS, FOR FROGS AND SALAMANDERS TO USE.
THEY MADE THEIR APPEARANCE IN OUR STUDY. EXCUSE ME.
SO WHAT DID THESE STATIONS LOOK LIKE? THESE ARE SOME SAMPLE CAMERA STATIONS FROM THE FIRST YEAR.
THEY'RE PRETTY UNOBTRUSIVE. BUT WE STILL HAD TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM TO DOWNLOAD DATA.
MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT STOLEN. MAKE SURE COWS DON'T USE THEM AS SCRATCH POSTS.
ALL SORTS OF STRATEGIES WERE WE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS.
AND PUTTING THIS UP. BUT WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
W HICH SOUNDS BORING, BUT THEY ARE REALLY CHARISMATIC.
I MEAN, THINKING THROUGH, SORTING THROUGH 110,000 PHOTOS.
I MEAN, YOU JUST GO THROUGH YOUR PHONE, YOU CAN GET BORED. BUT THESE REALLY KEPT FOLKS BUSY.
SO GROUND SQUIRRELS TOOK UP A LOT OF DATA STORAGE FOR US, AND AT LEAST THEY PUT ON A SHOW.
WE ALSO DID HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF OTHER ANIMALS MAKE APPEARANCES, AND SOME WERE LISTED CRITTERS LIKE BURROWING OWLS, BUT WE DID GET A LOT OF BOBCATS, AND WE CONTINUE TO GET A LOT OF BOBCATS.
WE DID GET QUITE A FEW BADGERS. AND WE ACTUALLY DO.
AND IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS, I APOLOGIZE. A SERIES OF A COYOTE AND A BOBCAT WORKING TOGETHER, GOING THROUGH THE TUNNELS, COMING BACK, LOOKING FOR EACH OTHER AND COMING BACK AROUND. SO YOU HEAR THE STORY ABOUT BOBCAT.
I MEAN, SORRY, COYOTES AND BADGERS WORKING TOGETHER.
WE HAVE IT ON CAMERA, OF THEM LOOKING FOR EACH OTHER THROUGH THE TUNNELS AND SORT OF PLAYING AROUND.
SO THAT WAS SUPER FUN. AND RABBITS. ONE THING THAT WE DID FIND THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT TO FIND ON THE CAMERA TRAPS IS CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER. WE KNOW WE HAVE THEM OUT THERE.
THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT AN UNKNOWN. WE JUST DID NOT EXPECT TO CATCH BIRDS EATING THEM.
A TREAT FOR THEM TO EAT, A TREAT FOR US TO FIND.
HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T EAT THEM ALL. SO WE'VE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THIS CAMERA TRAP STUDY.
WE ARE ULTIMATELY HOPING TO FIND A KIT FOX, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR COVERED SPECIES IN THE AREA, HASN'T BEEN FOUND IN THE AREA FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME, BUT THE HOPE WAS THAT LOOKING AT PINCH POINTS AND CROSSINGS, THAT WOULD BE OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR HAVING A CHANCE TO SEE A KIT FOX.
SO WE HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF STUDIES GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND HOPEFULLY OVER THE THREE YEAR PERIOD WE'LL HAVE COVERED ALL OF THE UNDER CROSSINGS ON VASCO ROAD. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE SNIPPET OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, THAT THE PARK DISTRICT IS DOING, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THAT WAS A LOT THAT JUST CAME AT YOU.
SO [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU SO MUCH, MEMBER LOPEZ.
A QUICK COMMENT ON THE LAST PRESENTATION. THAT'S VERY AMBITIOUS AND AMAZING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO HEAR AS IT GOES.
AND THOSE PHOTOS ARE A LOT OF FUN, THANK YOU FOR THOSE, TOO.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS REGARDING THE PRESERVE AREA, IS THERE A CULTURAL SITE IN ANY OF THIS PLACE, AND IS IT ACKNOWLEDGED AT ALL? DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT IT WOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE SIGNAGE? IN THE SIGN. OKAY.
AND YES, WE'RE APPROPRIATE, AND AFTER CONSULTATION, WE'LL CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGE.
[01:35:01]
AS WELL. AS PART OF MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FOR THE HCP.THANK YOU. YEAH. I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT I THINK, AS YOU COULD EXPECT, YOU KNOW, HAVING CULTURAL RESOURCES LIKE VASCO CAVES AND BRUSHY PEAK IN THE AREA, THERE LIKELY ARE OTHER AREAS.
BUT SIGNAGE AND EDUCATION AND HOW WE MANAGE THOSE RESOURCES, I THINK IS IN REGIONAL PARK'S COURT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBER DETJENS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A LONG BACKGROUND WITH THE CONSERVANCY.
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE KNIGHTSEN.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE PARKS LIKE THE CLAYTON RANCH AND THE DEER VALLEY.
THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE PRIMARILY ACQUIRED VIA THE CONSERVANCY.
AND THEN THE LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP IS WITH THE ENDOWMENT AND BY EACH REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT KNOWING THAT THE CONSERVANCY IS SOMEWHAT OF A TEMPORAL ORGANIZATION, HOW IS THE BRANDING FOR THE LONG TERM FOR THAT? ARE THEY JOINTLY BRANDED AS CONSERVANCY PROPERTIES, AS MANAGED BY THE PARK DISTRICT WITH AN ASTERISK, OR ARE THEY EXCLUSIVELY EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT? HOW ARE YOU NAVIGATING THE NUANCES OF THAT? [INAUNDIBLE] YEAH.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY A FOREVER AGENCY.
WE HAVE A PERMIT TERM AND WE'RE OPERATING UNDER THAT.
I THINK THE WHO HAS DIBS ON WHAT TYPE THING HASN'T REALLY REARED ITS HEAD IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THAT TOUCH OF SPECIES COME FIRST.
THE CONSERVANCY WAS A PARTNER IN, IN FUNDING THESE AND HELPS FUND THE LONG TERM MANAGEMENT OF IT.
BUT WE'RE NOT THE ACTIVE PARTNER IN MANAGING THE PUBLIC ACCESS OR THE SIGNAGE OR THE EDUCATION THAT'S REALLY IN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S COURT AS THEY BRING PUBLIC ONTO THE PROPERTY.
AND CERTAINLY THE CONSERVANCY WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF THAT STORY, ALONG WITH CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, YOU KNOW, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD.
I MEAN, THERE IS A WHOLE STORY THERE OF MANY PARTNERS.
AND SO THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE ACKNOWLEDGED. YEAH.
VICE CHAIR MENDOZA. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SORT OF DOVETAILING ON WHAT MEMBER LOPEZ HAD ASKED ABOUT CULTURAL RESOURCES.
THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR SAY DIRECTOR SANWONG OR TO BRYAN, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER.
BUT, HOW DID Y'ALL LAND ON DEER VALLEY AS THE NAME OF THE PARK? YOU KNOW, SORT OF A GENERIC NAME AND POSSIBLY AN OPPORTUNITY MAYBE TO NAME, LIKE, THERE'S BEEN A TREND OF CALLING PLACES LATELY AFTER THEIR NATIVE NAME, FOR EXAMPLE, MUWEKMA OHLONE, ULISTAK NATURAL AREA.
IT'S ALSO SUE-MEG STATE PARK UP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
MAYBE CHUPCAN OR BAY MIWOK MIGHT BE A NAME, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR SOMEONE ELSE, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE SECOND PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
I LET A LOT OF THE VASCO CAVES TOUR WHEN I WAS A NATURALIST, AND ANECDOTALLY, WE WOULD SEE REMNANTS OF MOUNTAIN LIONS AND NOT SEEING ANYTHING ON THE BAR GRAPH. IS THAT A PROBLEMATIC SORT OF, YOU KNOW, RESULT OF THAT STUDY THAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING MOUNTAIN LIONS.
I KNOW YOU CAN GET, I MEAN, COYOTES ARE PRETTY BIG, SO MAYBE THERE'S JUST A HINDRANCE THAT COUGARS ARE NOT WANTING TO GO UNDERNEATH THE WILDLIFE AND CROSSING. BUT IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE SOME STUDIES THAT YOU'VE LEARNED OR DONE OF ROADKILL, OF COUGARS AND MOUNTAIN LIONS THAT SORT OF SUPPLANTS THAT FACT THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT USING.
[01:40:07]
WELL. YOU SPEAK UP FIRST. I'LL JUST ADDRESS THE FIRST ONE.SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED AND DISCUSSED. DEER VALLEY IS THE PLACE NAME, AS CURRENTLY, I THINK, IN THE USGS FOR THE CHADBOURNE ROAD AREA THAT WAS FIRST ACQUIRED.
SO IT'S DEER VALLEY AND THAT WAS KIND OF THE NAME THAT WAS GIVEN IT.
WE HAVE TALKED WITH OUR CULTURAL SERVICES COORDINATOR, ANNAMARIE GUERRERO, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP THAT PROCESS OF THE NAMING. AND SHE HAS REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A KIND OF DISTRICT WIDE APPROACH FOR NAMING RATHER THAN TRYING TO DO A ONE OFF. SO SHE HAS HELD OFF ON THAT.
THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE WOULDN'T DO IT IN THE FUTURE. WE CERTAINLY HAVE GONE BACK TO NAME, YOU KNOW, REDWOOD AND TO A KNOWLEDGE DR. AURELIA REINHARDT REDWOOD REGIONAL PARK.
BUT SHE HAS FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT SHE WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A REALLY WELL LAID OUT PROCESS THAT REALLY ENGAGES KIND OF HOLISTICALLY WITH THE, WITH THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. SO HOPEFULLY THAT ADDRESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD VERY WELL BE COMING IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO DIVE INTO IT FOR THIS PARTICULAR SPACE.
DID YOU WANT TO? YEAH. JUST REAL QUICK. I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF THINKING ABOUT NAMING OF PARKS.
AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER WHO DOES, SO I THINK I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS UP. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE ON OUR AGENDA AND WORK PLAN. MEMBER MOUNTAIN LIONS. WHY DON'T WE TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT MOUNTAIN LIONS? THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP. WE ACTUALLY HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF THAT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY AREN'T THERE. I DO THINK WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS, AND WE'VE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS LYLE AND THE GRAZING TEAM WHO ARE OUT IN THE VASCO AREA ABOUT FENCING AROUND THE CULVERTS.
SO THE FENCING IS SET UP SO THAT COWS CAN'T GET THROUGH.
RIGHT? BUT IF A COW CAN'T GET THROUGH, WHAT ELSE CAN'T GET THROUGH? A DEER PROBABLY CAN'T GET THROUGH. MAYBE A MOUNTAIN LION CAN'T GET THROUGH.
I MEAN, SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITS TO, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS LIKE, ARE WE LIMITING WHAT WE'RE CAPTURING BY HAVING CAMERAS AT THESE CULVERTS? EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE A PINCH POINT WE'RE GETTING A TON OF INFORMATION.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION, BECAUSE NOT EVERY CRITTER IS GOING TO WANT TO USE THESE TUNNELS. AND THESE TUNNELS REALLY RANGE FROM THIS BIG TO CAR SIZED. BUT THEY ARE FENCED, OBVIOUSLY, SO CATTLE DON'T GET THROUGH AND WE CERTAINLY CAN'T RISK HAVING CATTLE GET UP ON VASCO ROAD. SO THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES AND CERTAINLY SOME SELF-SELECTION, I GUESS, OF ANIMALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE USING THOSE PASSAGEWAYS. SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. DO YOU COMPARE THE CAMERA TRACK INFORMATION WITH ROADKILL INFORMATION TO SEE IF IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE? THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. WE DON'T COLLECT ROADKILL INFORMATION RIGHT NOW ON THE ROADS.
MAYBE PUBLIC WORKS SAYS, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY DO.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DESIGN THESE UNDER CROSSINGS. BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH A BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AN EXISTING ROAD. WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN FROM THE INFORMATION.
MEMBER VALENZUELA. YES, TO BE HONEST, I WAS PRETTY EXCITED WHEN THIS TOPIC CAME UP [LAUGHTER] WHEN I LOOKED AHEAD BECAUSE I'M FROM THE EAST COUNTY AND I PROBABLY COULD DO THE ROADKILL STUDY ON VASCO ROAD [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE I'M ON IT ALL THE TIME.
FIRST FOR DEER VALLEY. HAVE WE IDENTIFIED WHAT SPECIES THAT ARE BEING PROTECTED FROM THE PARK, THAT'S PLANNED YET? SO WE DO HAVE SURVEYS FOR WHAT IS CURRENTLY ON SITE ON THE GOLF COURSE AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREA.
SO, THERE'S A RANGE OF SPECIES, USE THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT EXPECT IN THIS AREA, RANGING FROM VERNAL POOL FAIRY SHRIMP TO BOBCATS TO EAGLES. AND SO WE DO HAVE NESTING RAPTORS ON SITE.
WE DO HAVE AMPHIBIANS BREEDING ON SITE, AND WE DO HAVE CRUSTACEANS OCCUPYING POOLS IN THE AREA.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY BIG SWATH OF LISTED OR COVERED SPECIES IN THE AREA.
AND THEN THE PASSIVE USE OF THE LAND, IS THAT A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF TRAILS AT FIRST?
[01:45:07]
YEAH, IT'LL BE MORE LIMITED TRAILS. AND ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, THE GOLF COURSE ITSELF WILL HAVE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF TRAILS JUST BECAUSE OF HOW THE RESTORATION PROJECT IS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE LOOP TRAILS, ETC..BUT THEN ONCE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGER AREA WE HAVE BEEN, IT HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY THE RESOURCE AGENCIES TO REALLY YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING TRAILS GO EVERYWHERE TO HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ARE REALLY KIND OF MEANT FOR THE SPECIES AND DON'T HAVE TO BE IMPACTED AS MUCH BY HUMAN PRESENCE.
AND THE PASSIVE RECREATION IS REALLY MEANT TO, YOU KNOW, BIKING WILL BE ALLOWED IN MOST AREAS HIKING, EQUESTRIAN USE. IT'S REALLY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING LIKE A HIGH END, LIKE WE WON'T HAVE A STEAM TRAIN OR THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF, OR A SWIMMING POOL OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF A MORE HIGH INTENSITY RECREATION USE.
THE STAFF GOALS, ARE THOSE GOING TO BE HOUSED IN THE RANCH PROPERTIES ITSELF, WHERE THE HOUSE WAS AND THE BARN AND CORRALS AND ALL THAT? FOR LIKE STAFF FACILITIES? YEAH. YEAH. TO BEGIN WITH, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO BE REUSING EXISTING FACILITIES THAT ARE ON SITE, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE INTERIM STAFFING FACILITIES PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT EVENTUALLY WORK TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT'S MORE PURPOSE BUILT, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A BIGGER PROJECT WITH OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION.
YEAH. BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WHERE THE HOUSE IS.
IT'S LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF A DISTANCE AWAY. WHERE THE CHADBOURNE ROAD AREA IS ACTUALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, UNDER LIKE TWO MILES FROM THE STAGING AREA AND ACTUALLY MUCH CLOSER IF YOU USE A, THERE IS AN EXISTING RANCH ROAD WHERE THEY COULD TAKE ATVS UP QUICKLY TO THE STAGING AREA, SO. OKAY. IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S PRETTY REASONABLY DISTANCED. WE HAVE MUCH LARGER DISTANCES SOMETIMES BETWEEN OUR STAFF FACILITIES AND OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES.
SECOND AREA, THE KNIGHTSEND AREA. ARE WE GOING TO.
I SAW THE PLAN AND VERY AMBITIOUS. I LOVE IT, I LOVE THE WETLANDS LOOK OF IT.
ARE THERE GOING TO BE ANY FLOODED AREAS TO ATTRACT SANDHILL CRANES? BECAUSE RIGHT DOWN DELTA ROAD FROM THERE, RIGHT DOWN, THE ROAD BEFORE IT GOES INTO HOLLAND TRACK.
SANDHILL CRANES ARE THERE EVERY YEAR. YEAH. WE HAVE SANDHILL CRANES ON THE PROPERTY NOW, OCCASIONALLY, IN HIGH WATER YEARS. YEAH. WE'VE BEEN OUT SURVEYING AND LOOKED UP, AND WE'RE NOT GOING OVER THERE NOW.
SO IS THERE A PLAN TO HAVE A PERMIT FLOODED AREA OR ALTERNATIVE FLOODING AREA, ESPECIALLY WHEN SENTINEL CRANES ARE THERE FOR PART OF THE YEAR? YEAH, THE IDEA IS THAT THE WETLANDS WILL BE SEASONAL.
SO WHEN IT RAINS IN THOSE SEASONAL WETLANDS, IT WILL POND WATER AND HOLD WATER.
AND IN THE EASTERN AREA, IT'S A DELTA. IT'LL BE OPEN TO THE DELTA.
SO THAT WILL BE PERMANENTLY WET, BUT INFLUENCED BY THE TIDE.
SO IS THERE CERTAIN AREAS THAT WILL HAVE ACCESS? I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF ROADS AROUND THERE. AND REALLY, UNLESS IT'S STRUCTURED CORRECTLY FOR THE ACCESS TO BE IN CERTAIN AREAS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING TO PARK AND WALK IN.
RIGHT, THAT'S A THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THERE'S A REQUEST FROM THE COMMUNITY TO AT LEAST INITIALLY, NOT HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS OUT THERE. AND THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THAT IF AND WHEN THE COMMUNITY DECIDES OR THE PARK DISTRICT DECIDES TO HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS THAT WILL GO THROUGH ANOTHER PLANNING PROCESS WITH OUTREACH.
THE PROJECT IS NOT BEING BUILT WITH TRAILS, BUT IT IS NOT BEING BUILT TO PRECLUDE PUBLIC ACCESS.
SO THERE ARE ACCESS ROADS. FOR STAFF, FOR MANAGEMENT.
THAT COULD BE CONVERTED AT SOME POINT TO PUBLIC ACCESS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, PUBLIC ACCESS IS NOT PART OF THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T SEE ANY OBSERVATION PLATFORMS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD CORRAL GROUPS INTO CERTAIN AREAS RATHER THAN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS? RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT THOSE WILL BE THINGS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PARK DISTRICT INVOLVEMENT IN KNIGHTSEN.
AND WHAT FOLKS REALLY SEE AS BIG BREAK AND WHAT THEY SAID WAS BIG, BIG BREAK IS GOOD, BUT OVER THERE, WE DON'T WANT BIG BREAK HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT READY FOR THAT YET. AND SO WE'RE TAKING IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.
[01:50:01]
AND I THINK THEY'LL BE MORE INTEREST IN MOVING THAT SECOND PROCESS FORWARD.YEAH. THERE'S TONS OF MEMBERS THAT ARE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
YEAH. AND WE EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID THEY DID NOT WANT PUBLIC ACCESS, THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT HERE AND SAID, BUT MAYBE I COULD COME OUT HERE IN THE EVENINGS.
SO JUST ASK IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING BEYOND THAT.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE BE SUCCINCT, AND MEMBER OBRINGER.
THANK YOU. I'LL BE REALLY FAST. I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE THE ENDANGERED TIGER SALAMANDER ALIVE.
WELL, NOT EXACTLY ALIVE, OR WELL. BUT AT LEAST THERE'S EVIDENCE OF EXISTENCE AS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING AND PRESERVING THAT SPECIES, AS WELL AS AT THE FORMER CONCORD NAVAL WEAPON STATION.
AND I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO BALANCING CONSERVATION USES AS WELL AS RECREATION.
SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, IS THIS ONE OF THE FIRST MODELS OF THIS KIND OF THING? BECAUSE I KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S LIKE A REEVALUATION THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO US ABOUT OF ALL THE PARK DISTRICT PROPERTIES AND TRYING TO HAVE THAT BALANCE.
SO IS THIS. IS THIS LIKE A NEW MODEL THAT MAYBE YOU'LL BE APPLYING TO SOME OF THE OTHER OLDER PARKS? THAT'S MY QUESTION. YEAH, I CAN, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT EVALUATION OF LOOKING AT OUR PARKLANDS HOLISTICALLY AND SEEING IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT RISE AS VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR RECREATION OR FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES IS SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, ONE WE DO IN ANY SORT OF PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE ARE UNDERTAKING, BUT CERTAINLY IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENSITIVE TO, THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS WE DO OUR RESOURCE EVALUATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IMPACTING OR WE'RE TRYING TO DIMINISH OUR IMPACTS AS WE DEVELOP PUBLIC RECREATION, OR POTENTIALLY NOT BEING AS EXPANSIVE IN A TRAIL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AS WE COULD BE, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CONSERVATION GOALS OF THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO I THINK CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AREAS WHERE RECREATION IS POTENTIAL IS MORE INTENSE.
WHILE WE MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY REPLICATE, YOU KNOW, THIS EXACT PARTNERSHIP IN OTHER PLACES.
I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING WE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO IT, BUT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NOT OTHER HCP THAT ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT CURRENTLY IN THE EAST BAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL UPDATE ON THOSE PROJECTS IN HCP PROPERTIES THANK YOU. TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. HOPEFULLY. I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCES ARE FOR THE CONSERVANCY AND THE LAND ACQUISITIONS AND WHAT FRACTION OF THOSE COME FROM TAX MEASURES? GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. SO ONE POT OF MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE IS FEE REVENUE.
AND SO WE ARE ISSUING PERMITS. AND SO THAT MONEY COMES FROM APPLICANTS THROUGH THE CITIES.
SO IF THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, IT IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH OUR PLAN.
FISH AND WILDLIFE AND CDFW. INSTEAD THEY GET THEM THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S THE DEVELOPER FUNDED ELEMENT AND THE MITIGATION FUNDED ELEMENT OF OUR PROGRAM.
WE DO GET SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE THROUGH PROP 4, PROP, ALL THE DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONS FROM THE PAST DECADE PLUS. WE ALSO DO GET FEDERAL MONEY FOR LAND ACQUISITION AS WELL.
LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION. LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION.
WHAT'S THE THING THAT TRUMP PASSED RIGHT BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE THAT FUNDED OKAY SO I DON'T KNOW THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN FEDERAL, STATE AND FEE REVENUE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THOSE ARE OUR REVENUE SOURCES, WITH THE MAJORITY OF IT REALLY BEING STATE AND FEDERAL AND THE LOCAL
[01:55:04]
DEVELOPER FEE IS PROBABLY THE SMALLEST PORTION OF OUR FUNDING RIGHT NOW.SEPARATE FROM THAT, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT HAS MONEY FROM VARIOUS TAX REVENUE.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO NEOMA. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, ESPECIALLY IN EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, A LOT OF OUR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS ACQUISITIONS IS MEASURED W-W, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES AS WELL THAT COME INTO THAT. THERE'S LEASE REVENUE. THERE'S A POT OF ACQUISITION FUNDING FROM LEASE REVENUE FROM DIFFERENT TELECOM AND WIND LEASES THAT ARE ON SOME PROPERTIES OUT THERE.
SO THERE'S KIND OF A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING SOURCES, BUT CERTAINLY YEAH, WE CONTRIBUTE IN NOT JUST THE ACQUISITION BUT ALSO THE LAND MANAGEMENT SIDE OF THE FUNDING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SECOND QUESTION.
THE HCP ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLEXITY IN PLANNING AND OPENING UP LAND BANK PROPERTIES.
DO YOU SEE THAT PROJECT CYCLE TIME DECREASING OVER TIME AS PROPERTIES GET OPENED, AND THERE'S MORE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THE HCP? AND WHAT DO YOU SEE FUTURE CYCLE TIMES LOOKING LIKE? WELL FUTURE CYCLE TIMES. THAT'S AN AMBITIOUS ONE TO ANSWER.
I DO THINK ONCE WE GET THE FIRST ONE UNDER OUR BELT, WE'LL HAVE A TEMPLATE TO WORK FROM, AND WE'LL HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW TO WORK TOGETHER ON SOME OF THESE THINGS, AS WELL AS PULLING IN U.S.
FISH AND WILDLIFE AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. THEY'RE ALSO SIGNATORIES TO ALL OF OUR MANAGEMENT PLANS, WHICH WOULD THEN ALLOW US TO OPEN UP PROPERTIES.
OH, GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF EARLIER, I APOLOGIZE.
SO I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, CYCLE TIMES. I MEAN, WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE AMBITIOUS IN SAYING THREE YEARS.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS, AND I THINK SOME PROPERTIES, AND YOU GUYS HAVE ALL TALKED ABOUT LAND BANK PROPERTIES MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN I HAVE, BUT AT LEAST WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS WANTING TO OPEN UP CHUNKS OF LAND OR SYSTEMS OF LAND.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD A COMPLETE UNIT THAT WE COULD OPEN, RATHER THAN DOING IT PIECEMEAL SO THAT WE COULD REALLY UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAD AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAD. SO I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME DELAY AROUND THAT, WANTING TO HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH PIECE OF LAND TO REALLY DO THE PROPER PLANNING AROUND.
WHEN IT'S DONE. WELL, IT'S NOT SEEN AT ALL WHEN IT'S DONE BADLY.
AND I THINK THE FIRST TIME WE DO IT IS CLEARLY TAKING LONGER.
BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT TIMELINE DOWN. THANK YOU.
GUYS MAYBE ONE MORE QUESTION AND WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE ON.
MR. PEOPLES? YES. JUST A QUICK ONE. IS ADDITIONAL ACQUISITION BEING PLANNED? YES. WE'VE CURRENTLY ACQUIRED ABOUT 14,000 ACRES, AND OUR GOAL IS TO ACQUIRE ABOUT 30,000 ACRES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REGIONAL PARKS AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THAT'S GOING TO BE NORTH AND EAST OF THURGOOD MARSHALL PARK? NOT NORTH. NOT NORTH, BUT EAST. SO. ADJACENT? IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF IT COULD BE ADJACENT.
THE HCP BOUNDARY DOESN'T QUITE TOUCH THURGOOD MARSHALL.
OH NO, IT DOES. IT'S ON THE BORDER. IT IS ON THE BORDER, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH. SO YES, THAT IS POSSIBLE. BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE OTHER FOLKS WE WORK WITH WILLING SELLERS.
THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU [APPLAUSE] DIRECTOR SANWONG. YES. HI, EVERYONE.
I'M OLIVIA SANWONG. I'M THE EAST BAY PARKS DIRECTOR FOR WARD FIVE, WHICH INCLUDES THE CITIES OF LIVERMORE, DUBLIN, PLEASANTON, THE COMMUNITY OF SONOMA, HALF OF FREMONT AND NEWARK.
[02:00:04]
SO THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE WE'RE COMING UP ON TIME. I'D LIKE TO REPORT, AND THIS IS A GOOD CONNECTION TO THE PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED.
LAST TUESDAY, WE HAD OUR ANNUAL BOARD MEETING AT BIG BREAK.
AND IT'S ALWAYS SUCH A JOY FOR ME TO HAVE THAT MEETING AT BIG BREAK. AND WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR WHEN WE APPROVE FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 1, WHICH IS WHAT WAS MENTIONED IN THIS PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WHICH HELPS PROVIDE FUNDING FOR STAFFING IN THE EASTERN CONTRA COSTA AREA.
AND SO WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO HAVE THAT MEETING AT BIG BREAK. AND BIG BREAKS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE WARD THAT I REPRESENT, I'D SAY 99.5% OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WARD FIVE DO RECEIVE WATER SUPPLY FROM THE SACRAMENTO SAN JOAQUIN DELTA.
SO IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION TO THE DELTA.
AND THEN WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S COMING UP THIS WEEK HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. ON WEDNESDAY, WE HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HERE AT PERALTA OAKS AT 11 A.M..
AND REAL QUICK, THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA ARE THE 2026 BOARD CALENDAR.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE BOARD STAFF REPORT TEMPLATE, AN UPDATE ON THE PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT AT PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK, AS WELL AS A BOREL PROJECT UPDATE, WHICH IS A GREAT TRANSITION TO FRIDAY, WHICH IS OUR BOARD SITE, I HOPE MANY OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US. WE WILL START THE MORNING AT BOREL IN DANVILLE, RIGHT NEAR THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, AND THEN THE AFTERNOON WILL BE AT SHADOW CLIFFS IN PLEASANTON, ALSO ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL. AND I DID PREPARE SOME QUICK SLIDES.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN BRING UP THE SLIDES ON SHADOW CLIFFS.
THIS IS PERHAPS NOT ONLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT AT THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT REALLY, PART OF THE MOTIVATION FOR ME WANTING TO JOIN OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU I HAVEN'T MET BEFORE, I WAS ON THE PAC FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.
AND THEN JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN JANUARY OF 2023.
AND WITH SHADOW CLIFFS. WHAT I REALLY ENJOY TALKING ABOUT IS THINKING ABOUT THE OVERALL.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT SYSTEMS AND PARKS AND THE OVERALL ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST WATERSHEDS THAT DRAINS INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.
CERTAINLY THE LARGEST WATERSHED IN THE SOUTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA.
YOU KNOW, IT STARTS AT MOUNT DIABLO, GOES OUT TO THE ALTAMONT, DOWN TO MOUNT HAMILTON IN SAN JOSE.
AND ALL OF THAT WATER CONNECTS IN SUNOL, AT THE SUNOL WATER TEMPLE, WHICH IS MANAGED BY SAN FRANCISCO PUC, AND THEN HEADS OUT THROUGH NILES CANYON AND INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY THROUGH THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL AT COYOTE HILLS, SO A LOT OF OUR PARKS ARE INCLUDED. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT WAS THIS REALLY NICE BROCHURE FROM 2004.
SO PLEASE COME SEE ME IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A COPY OR A COUPLE OF COPIES.
AND I'LL QUICKLY SHARE ALSO THAT THESE SLIDES I ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE CALIFORNIA NATURALIST PROGRAM, WHICH FRANCIS AND I DID TOGETHER WITH THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO, AND THEY WILL BE HAVING ANOTHER CLASS IN THE FALL, THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE. BUT MANY ORGANIZATIONS SIMILAR TO ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE RUN THE CAL NATURALIST PROGRAM.
AND FRANCIS IS AN EXPERT ON THIS. SO IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, PLEASE ASK HIM.
SO WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE REAL QUICK.
AND THEN SHADOW CLIFFS IS REALLY A PART OF THIS.
AND IT'S CONSIDERED A SUB WATERSHED OF A SUB WATERSHED OF THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED.
SO THE NEXT SLIDES SHOW US SOME QUICK MAPS. SO THIS IS, SHADOW CLIFFS IS HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET UP HERE.
I CAN'T DO THIS OTHERWISE. SO SHADOW CLIFFS IS HERE AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT BELOW STANLEY BOULEVARD.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE FRIDAY. AND THEN ABOVE IT, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER LAKES. SO THIS REGION IS KNOWN AS THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREA. EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ONLY OWNS AND MANAGES SHADOW CLIFFS, THE OTHER LAKES AND CHAIN OF LAKES.
SOME OF THEM ARE MANAGED BY ZONE 7 WATER AGENCY, WHICH I WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RIGHT BEFORE JOINING THE EAST BAY PARKS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND THEN SOME OF THE LAKES AND CHAIN OF LAKES ARE STILL PRIVATELY MANAGED BY THE MINING COMPANIES IN THIS AREA.
[02:05:02]
AND WHEN YOU COME VISIT SHADOW CLIFFS ON FRIDAY WITH US, OR ANY TIME, YOU'LL DEFINITELY SEE THE MINING COMPANIES IN THAT AREA.AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS JUST A ZOOMED OUT PORTION OF THE ENTIRE ARROYO VALLEY SUB WATERSHED.
AND THAT WATER IN THE ARROYO DEL VALLE IS BEING RELEASED FROM THE DEL VALLE DAM AT DEL VALLE.
SO THIS IS A VERY CONNECTED AREA. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE.
AND IT IS OF INTEREST WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE.
THIS IS THE DEEPEST PART OF OUR GROUNDWATER BASIN.
AND THIS IS A NICE CHART THAT SHOWS THE WATER LEVELS OF THE GROUNDWATER BASIN FROM ZONE 7.
SO ZONE 7 IS ALSO THE GROUNDWATER BASIN MANAGER.
AND THIS IS RIGHT ACROSS STANLEY BOULEVARD. SO SHADOW CLIFFS IS ON ONE SIDE.
AND THEN THE CHAIN OF LAKES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND SO NOW THE LAKE DEL VALLE WATER IS USED TO YOU KNOW, ARTIFICIALLY SUBSIDIZE OR ARTIFICIALLY INCREASE THE WATER SUPPLY OF THE GROUNDWATER BASIN. SO IT'S A REALLY CRITICAL AREA WHERE SHADOW CLIFFS IS LOCATED. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU KNOW, WHEN I THIS IS WHEN I WAS ON THE ZONE 7 BOARD IN 2020, WE DID A CHAIN OF LAKE STUDY.
IT'S A 150 PAGE REPORT, BUT THIS IS ONE I THINK THAT'S OF INTEREST HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION OF RECREATION AT CHAIN OF LAKES. PEOPLE LOOK AT THESE LAKES AND THEY THINK THAT THEY WANT TO GO OUT ON THEIR KAYAK, GO BIRDWATCHING, GO HIKING. AND SO AS PART OF THE CHAIN OF LAKE STUDY AT ZONE 7, RECREATION WAS EXPLORED.
THINKING ABOUT RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SLIDE IS THE LAST SLIDE.
AND SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE HAD VERY LOW WATER LEVELS THAT WERE VERY NOTICEABLE.
AND IT WAS A REALLY BIG CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT THAT IS A MAJOR STORM WITH A LOT OF WATER.
AND YET AT THAT SAME TIME, SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE REMAINED AT THE LOW LEVELS.
AND THIS WAS A HUGE CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHY IS SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE NOT FILLING UP WITH WATER, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE HAVING ALL THESE MAJOR STORMS? SO MY FIRST MONTH ON THE BOARD, I WROTE THIS GUEST OPINION ABOUT SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE AND THE LOW LEVELS.
AND THE REASON FOR IT IS SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE. RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT MECHANISM TO FILL SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE IS A SIPHON THAT IS USED AND VERY MONITORED, VERY MEASURED. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY OR THE ABILITY TO TAKE IN ANY OF THE FLOOD WATERS OF THE MAJOR STORM.
AND SO THAT ARTICLE IS LINKED HERE. I'D BE HAPPY TO ALSO MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET A LINK TO IT.
IT'S PUBLISHED THROUGH EMBARCADERO MEDIA AND PLEASANTON WEEKLY, BUT IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE WE HAVE THIS LAKE AND IT WASN'T FILLING UP DURING THESE MAJOR STORMS YET ROADS IN PLEASANTON WERE FLOODING.
SO JUST REAL QUICK, A FEW MORE THINGS ABOUT SHADOW CLIFFS THAT I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT. YOU KNOW, SHADOW CLIFFS WAS DONATED BY HENRY J. KAISER, THE SAME KAISER BEHIND KAISER PERMANENTE.
IN FACT, WHEN SHADOW CLIFFS WAS DONATED TO THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
AS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY, THE PARK DISTRICT COULDN'T RECEIVE DONATED PRIVATE LAND.
EARLIER I MENTIONED, EXCUSE ME, THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
I'M TRYING TO TALK FAST. THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, WHICH STARTS IN CONCORD AND GOES TO LIVERMORE WITH SHADOW CLIFFS ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, AND THEN THERE IS A SHADOW CLIFFS, A DEL VALLE TRAIL, WHICH REALLY THE FINAL COMPONENT RIGHT NOW, CITY OF LIVERMORE HAS A PROJECT THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP FINALIZE THAT SHADOW CLIFFS TO DEL VALLE CONNECTION, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING. BUT ONCE THAT ALL HAPPENS, THAT MEANS YOU COULD TECHNICALLY GO FROM CONCORD TO MISSION PEAK ON REGIONAL TRAILS, BECAUSE AT DEL VALLE, DEL VALLE IS ONE OF THE GATEWAYS TO THE OHLONE WILDERNESS TRAIL, WHICH IS A 28 MILE TRAIL THAT GOES FROM DEL VALLE THROUGH THE OHLONE WILDERNESS CHANNEL REGIONAL AND MISSION PEAK.
SO THAT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE THAT SHADOW CLIFFS IS GOING TO SIT AT THIS HUB OF TWO MAJOR REGIONAL TRAILS, SO I HOPE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO JOIN US FRIDAY. IF NOT, IT'S IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARKS TO TAKE PEOPLE TO.
[02:10:01]
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO ON A WALK WITH ME TO SHADOW CLIFFS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AND I'LL PROBABLY BE OFFERING A PUBLIC TOUR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PLEASANTON MUSEUM ON MAINE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AS WELL, THAT YOU WILL BE WELCOME TO JOIN ME ON.OKAY, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE PREPARED, AND I THINK I DID THAT PRETTY QUICK.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. MAYBE AFTER THE MEETING. OKAY.
WE'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. I'LL LET THE CHAIR DECIDE. QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DIRECTOR SANWONG. QUESTIONS? DO WE HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR FRIDAY? SO YEAH, I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SHARE REPORT.
IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING, EVERYONE SHOULD BE GETTING AN EMAIL ABOUT THIS.
AND ACTUALLY IF YOU'RE ATTENDING FRIDAY YOUR RSVP IS DUE TOMORROW.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE EMAIL, PLEASE SEE ELSA.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT THE ONE WHO SENDS THOSE, BUT I KNOW YOU CAN GET THEM ON. THAT.
I KIND OF SPED IT. SORRY. I SPED UP SO WE WOULD HAVE TIME, SO PLEASE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE ASK. I DON'T WANT TO CUT THAT OFF.
THE FIRST PART IS TO USE AN EXAMPLE AND REINFORCE WHAT PAC MEMBER MENDOZA SAID.
AND YOU ALSO AFFIRMED IT WITH REGARD TO HOW YOU NAME THINGS.
AND PAUL HAS TO BE QUIET HERE. BUT EARLY ON, I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WHO WOULD EVER NAME A CREEK THE CLAYTON DRAIN? AND CAN'T WE RENAME IT? AND OF COURSE, I GOT A TON OF REASONS WHY WE COULDN'T RENAME IT, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT THE ESSENCE OF MY POINT IS.
AND THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE NAME THAT REPRESENTED ANY OF THE FIRST PEOPLES IN THIS AREA.
AND IT WASN'T CLEAR UNTIL SOMEBODY ASKED THE QUESTION THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE DEER VALLEY REGIONAL PRESERVE, THAT IT WAS JUST A NAME HOLDER, AND THAT JUST REALLY WASN'T A PLACEHOLDER.
THAT JUST WASN'T CLEAR TO ME. YOU'D BE BETTER OFF IF YOU'RE OPEN TO DOING IT, TO JUST SAY THIS IS THE UNNAMED AND START THE SAME PROCESS THAT YOU DID FOR THURGOOD MARSHALL. THAT WAS A FANTASTIC RESULT.
AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE. BUT ONCE YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT NAME BECOMES FIRMLY PLACED IN PEOPLE'S MIND, IT'S GOING TO BE A REAL STRUGGLE. SO THAT'S MORE OR LESS A COMMENT.
MY OTHER COMMENT IS I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE 370 MEMBER HIKING CLUB IN THE BAY AREA.
WE DO 110 HIKES A YEAR. THIS IS A COMMENT. I UNDERSTAND ALL THE ISSUES, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO LOOK AT OLD RANCH ROADS AS YOU'RE DRIVING ALONG MARSH CREEK DRIVE TO, YOU KNOW, MITCHELL CANYON OR TO MORGAN TERRITORY, ALL THESE OTHER PLACES THAT WE LIKE TO HIKE.
AND NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO OPEN UP A RANCH ROAD FOR PEOPLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EXCITEMENT ABOUT SHADOW CLIFFS.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON FRIDAY.
GREAT. THANK YOU. AND I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. AND YOU KNOW ABOUT CHANGING PLACE NAMES.
HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD OF LITTLE YOSEMITE? IT'S AN OLD REGIONAL.
YEAH, IT'S A PRETTY WELL-KNOWN NAME. I THINK IT STILL GETS REFERRED TO AS LITTLE SOMEBODY.
WE'VE ACTUALLY RENAMED IT THE ALAMEDA CREEK OVERVIEW, OR THE ALAMEDA CREEK VIEW.
AND THAT NAME UNFORTUNATELY ISN'T NECESSARILY TAKING PLACE, AND PEOPLE STILL LIKE TO REFER TO IT AS LITTLE YOSEMITE, CERTAINLY AS AN ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED ENTHUSIAST, I LIKE THAT IT'S THE ALAMEDA CREEK OVERVIEW.
BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO CHANGE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR SANWONG? OKAY.
ANY PUBLIC REQUESTS? PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO. OKAY.
REPORT FROM CHAIR. NEXT WEEK YOU SHOULD BE GETTING AN EMAIL FROM STAFF REGARDING THE PAC SITE TOUR, WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 12TH. IT'S GOING TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR PREFERENCES, AVAILABILITY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK MEMBER PEOPLES. WHEN THE FIRST EMAIL CAME OUT, IT LISTED THREE OPTIONS FOR US, ASKED US TO RANK AND SAID IF THERE'S OTHER IDEAS, PLEASE SUBMIT THEM AND MEMBER PEOPLES SUBMITTED A VERY THOROUGH, DETAILED RECOMMENDATION. AND I SHOULDN'T SAY THIS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR.
IT'S JUST IT. I LIKED IT BECAUSE IT TIES TO PRESERVATION AND NEW ACCESS.
SO I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION SOMETIMES.
[02:15:02]
SO THANK YOU. ALSO, HOPEFULLY NOT TOO LATE, IT PROBABLY IS, BUT IF YOU HAD ANOTHER LIKE REALLY GOOD IDEA FOR THAT PAC SITE TOUR ON THE 12TH I GUESS GET IT TO ELSA. BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE'LL BE GETTING AN EMAIL NEXT WEEK.AND AGAIN, IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING THESE EMAILS, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CONTACT ELSA.
THAT'S IT FROM THE. YES, MEMBER LOPEZ? YES. QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR.
SO WE WERE GIVEN THREE CHOICES. WHICH ONE ROSE TO THE TOP, OR ARE WE DOING ALL THREE OR SO? WE WOULDN'T DO ALL THREE, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MADAM CLERK. THE PURPOSE OF THE EMAIL NEXT WEEK IS TO REFINE AND SEE WHAT THE CHOICE IS GOING TO BE, PERHAPS. WE INITIALLY PROPOSED THREE OPTIONS AND HAD YOU ALL RANK THEM.
THANK YOU. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM MEMBERS? MEMBER PEOPLES.
[Announcements]
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT MOUNT DIABLO SPONSORED THE DIABLO RANGE CONVENING IN SAN JUAN BAUTISTA BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS JUNE 5TH. VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE.AND IT'S A REALLY GREAT BEGINNING FOR THAT INITIATIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEING DEFINED AS, THE DIABLO RANGE IS BEING DEFINED AS EVERYTHING FROM THE CARQUINEZ STRAITS ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO BASICALLY PASO ROBLES, 200 MILES AND, YOU KNOW, 3.7 MILLION ACRES.
ANY OTHER MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS? MEMBER DETJENS.
AND NOT EVERY AGENCY WOULD HAVE CUPCAKES, GLUTEN FREE CUPCAKES AND VEGAN CUPCAKES.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT [LAUGHTER] IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, IT WAS REALLY WELL RUN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET ON OUR CALENDARS FOR PEOPLE TO DO.
I'LL JUST BE AT THE BASE WITH WATER, MAYBE. NO CUPCAKES? YEAH, RIGHT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? VICE CHAIR MENDOZA.
REAL QUICK FOR THE BOARD SIDE TOUR. THE FIRST PLACE THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO IS THE BURRELL PROPERTY, WHICH IS IN DANVILLE. FORMER WALNUT ORCHARD. BUT I WENT THERE BACK WHEN I WAS A NATURALIST, AND THEY HAVE POMEGRANATES THERE AS WELL. SO IF YOU WANT TO GET SOME POMEGRANATES OFF THE TREE BRING A BAG WITH YOU.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS THERE'S THIS BOOK THAT MY FRIEND PUT OUT CALLED ALL HUMANS OUTSIDE.
VERY IN KEEPING WITH THE FIRST PRESENTATION WE HAD.
SO HAD THE HONOR OF BEING A PART OF IT IN UNIFORM, BUT [APPLAUSE] OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
SHE WAS THE BACK OF THE COVER. SO YOU CAN COME TO ME LATER ON FOR, YOU KNOW, MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS.
YOU CAN ALSO GET IT ON AMAZON, BUT ALSO FOR THE UC CAL NAT PROGRAM.
FEEL FREE TO COME UP TO ME. I CAN TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THAT AS WELL. CAN I GET YOU TO SIGH IT? THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. SEEING NONE, THE MEETING OF JUNE 23RD, 2025 IS NOW ADJOURNED AT 6:20 P.M..
THE NEXT PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON AUGUST 25TH, 2025 AT 4 P.M..
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.