[00:00:03]
>> GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THIS CLOSED SESSION OF
[ROLL CALL]
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 11:05.MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
>> DIRECTOR ECHOLS. DIRECTOR WAESPI.
>> EVERYONE, ROLE HAS BEEN TAKEN.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE CLOSED SESSION ITEMS?
>> NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON CLOSED SESSION?
>> WE DO NOT. THEN WE WILL NOW ADJOURN TO A CLOSED SESSION.
[CLOSED SESSION ITEMS]
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THIS REGULAR BOARD MEETING OF[ROLL CALL]
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 1:10.WILL, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> HERE. DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT.
>> WILL DIRECTOR WAESPI PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE?
[LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]
WITH THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, PLEASE?>> YES. AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, WE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL OF THE LANDS WITHIN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ARE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF EAST BAY LONE, BAY ME WALK, AND NORTHERN VALLEY YOKUT WHO ARE POLITICALLY ORGANIZED AND REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OF TRIBES TODAY.
WE MAKE THIS RECOGNITION AS A WAY TO RESPECT AND HONOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO FIRST CULTIVATED AND INHABITED THIS LAND.
THE PARK DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING WAYS TO WORK AND CONSULT WITH EAST BAY TRIBES, AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR LAND AND CULTURE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBER THAT WOULD CARE TO ADJUST THE ORDER THE AGENDA.
HEARING NONE, MOVING ON TO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT IT'LL BE LATER.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA TODAY?
[PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]
>> YES, WE DO. ELLEN THOMPSON.
>> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ELLEN THOMPSON.
I OWN REDWOOD VALLEY RAILWAY COMPANY, THE STEAM TRAIN IN TILDEN.
WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 73 YEARS.
WE GET NO MONEY FROM THE DISTRICT, NO GRANTS, NO DONATIONS.
EVERYTHING THERE IS BUILT AND MAINTAINED WITH PRIVATE FUNDS.
IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE TRAINS, THE TRACK, AND THE BUILDINGS, WE MAINTAIN THE MAJOR DRAINAGE AND EROSION CONTROL, PROVIDE THE LANDSCAPING, INCLUDING THE REDWOOD TREES.
WE DO FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT, INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES REMOVAL, AND RARE SPECIES PROTECTION, ALL AT PRIVATE EXPENSE.
WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE STEAM TRAIN CAN OPERATE FOR MANY MORE YEARS INTO THE FUTURE AND MEET THE HUGELY INCREASING ATTENDANCE BY PARK PATRONS.
TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE MANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WHICH REQUIRE PERMITTING FROM THE COUNTY, BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT OUR DISTRICT LEASE.
BUT NOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RENEW OUR LEASE WITH THE DISTRICT FOR SEVEN YEARS WITH NO SUCCESS.
IN THAT SEVEN YEARS, THE STAFF PEOPLE WE TRY TO WORK WITH HAVE CHANGED 12 TIMES IN SEVEN YEARS.
IN RECENT WEEKS, THERE HAS BEEN A FLURRY OF EFFORT BY STAFF, BUT NOW WE'RE BEING ASKED TO ABANDON A LEASE DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN POLISHED AND PERFECTED FOR 73 YEARS IN FAVOR OF A NEW ONE THAT IS FULL OF AMBIGUOUS WORD SOLID AND LEGAL LAND MINES.
NOW WE'RE BEING TOLD, JUST SIGN THIS PART,
[00:05:04]
BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE MEETINGS WITHOUT YOU, AND THEN WE'LL ADD STUFF THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN YET AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY SIGNED.A GOOD WORKING DRAFT WAS CREATED SEVEN YEARS AGO, BUT NOW THE STAFF IS TRYING TO RENEG ON ITS PROVISIONS THAT THEY AGREED TO.
WE ALSO HAVE A LONG-TERM WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM THE DISTRICT REGARDING THE PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN FOLLOWED SCRUPULOUSLY, MUTUALLY FOR 60 YEARS, AND NOW THE STAFF IS CLAIMING THAT IT DOESN'T EXIST.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY, BUT ONLY THE ABILITY TO KEEP SERVING THE PUBLIC.
DUE TO MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FACILITY FROM PROBLEMS OUTSIDE THE PREMISES, FOR WHICH THE DISTRICT HAS ONLY PROVIDED BAND AID FIXES, WE'RE UP AGAINST CONDITIONS THAT WILL IMPACT BOTH OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC.
WITH NO LEGAL PROTECTION, WE MAY HAVE TO PICK UP EVERYTHING AND LEAVE.
IN THE PAST, CONCESSIONAIRES HAVE BEEN FORCED OUT OF THE PARK BY DISTRICT STAFF, SOMETIMES BY ILLEGAL MEANS.
I HOPED IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN TO US, BUT HERE WE ARE.
RECENTLY, THE BOARD HAS STATED THAT IT IS A PRIORITY FOR THEM TO PRESERVE CULTURAL AND NATURAL ASSETS.
AFTER 73 YEARS, I HOPE THAT THE TRAINS ARE THE CULTURAL ASSET THAT THE PUBLIC SEEMS TO THINK THEY ARE.
I NEED TO KNOW IF THE PRESENT SITUATION IS SOME LONG-TERM DISTRICT POLICY TO ELIMINATE THE REMAINING ATTRACTIONS IN TILDEN, IS IT PERSONAL AGENDA OR JUST NEGLIGENCE? WE'RE OUT OF TIME. I'M AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION AT ANY TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
>> WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO BY.
IF ATTENDING BY ZOOM, THEY MAY RAISE THEIR HAND AND THEIR NAME WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.
IF ATTENDING IN-PERSON, THEY MAY SUBMIT A SPEAKER'S CARD TO THE CLERK'S STAFF OR OTHERWISE INDICATE THEY WISH TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON A NON-AGENDA ITEM.
ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE OF 3:00 PM ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, 2025, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT COME IN AFTER THIS TIME WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD AND INCLUDED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS AFTER THE MEETING. KELLY BREW.
TODAY, I'LL SUMMARIZE THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION'S $200,000 GRANT FOR VARGAS PLATEAU.
YOUR BOARD ACCEPTED COMMISSION FUNDING FOR PLANNING SQA AND CONSTRUCTION WORK TO ESTABLISH VARGAS AS A KEY SEGMENT OF THE NORTH SOUTH BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL AND THE VARGAS SENOOL CONNECTION.
ALL THAT MONEY CAME IN IN 2013.
THE AWARD ALSO REQUIRED TANGIBLE COMMITMENTS TO INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND IT SUPPORTS SECURING EASEMENTS AND AGREEMENTS TO LINK VARGAS WITH NEIGHBORING PARKS.
IN SHORT, THE COASTAL COMMISSION FUNDING WAS INTENDED TO ENABLE THIS DISTRICT TO ADVANCE TRAIL CONTINUITY AND PUBLIC ACCESS FOR MAKING VARGAS PLATEAU A DURABLE, WELL MANAGED RIDGE TRAIL HUB.
YOU KNOW WHAT HAD BEEN DONE, WHAT YOUR BOARD DID IN 2012.
YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH A NEIGHBORING GRIFTTER.
THE GRIFFTER ASKED THAT YOUR PARK BE RESTRICTED IN ITS IMPROVEMENTS.
HE ALSO ASKED FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN GIVING AWAY A COUNTY PUBLIC ROAD, WHICH WAS BASICALLY PART OF THE VARGAS SEN TRAIL, GIVE IT AWAY, AND THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
THEY ERECTED A FENCE, A BARRIER AND GAVE AWAY NOT THE LAND, BUT THE RIGHT OF WAY TO THE GRIFTER.
BUT THIS IS A CHAIN OF GRIFTERS.
YOUR PARK DISTRICT KNEW THIS IN 2012, BUT IN 2013, WHEN YOU SIGNED THE CONTRACT WITH THE COASTAL COMMISSION, YOU TOOK THEIR MONEY UNDER THE PRETENSE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BUILD A BAY AREA R IDGE TRAIL.
YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WAS IN THE CONTRACT? YOU AGREED NOT TO OPEN UP ANY GATES IN THE PARK UNLESS YOU BUILT OR IMPROVED OR A COUPLE OF MILES OF ROAD.
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT TAKES TO WIDE ROAD THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR MILES FOR TWO OR THREE MILES, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
YOU AGREED TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS BEFORE YOU COULD OPEN UP ANY GATES TO THE NORTH, TO THE EAST, OR TO THE WEST.
THE ONLY GATES THAT ARE ALLOWED WITHOUT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ARE GATES IN THE SOUTH.
IN FACT, TODAY'S MAP OF THE BARRIER RIDGE TRAIL SHOWS A TRAIL GOING THROUGH THE PARK RUNNING NORTH SOUTH WITH A LEGAL BARRIER IN THE NORTH AND IN THE EAST.
[00:10:05]
THEN WHAT HAPPENED? A FEW MONTHS AGO, YOUR STAFF SENT A LETTER TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SAID, HEY, WE SUPPORT GIVING AWAY THIS ROAD.THAT'S NOT EVEN OUR ROAD, IT'S A CITY ROAD, HALF OF IT'S A CITY AND HALF OF IT'S THE COUNTY.
THIS CHAIN OF GRIFTERS, THIS BEHAVIOR STARTS AT THE TOP OF OUR COUNTRY AND COMES RIGHT DOWN TO HERE, WHERE THE GRIFTERS ARE TRYING TO GRAB PUBLIC ASSETS AND ARE COERCING PUBLIC AGENCIES LIKE THIS PARK DISTRICT, TO LIMIT YOUR OPENING OF GATES, TO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF CARS IN THE PARKING LOT, YOUR PARKING LOT WAS LIMITED FROM ORIGINAL PLAN WAS LIKE 75 CARS.
IT IS NOW 25 CARS, LAUGHABLY INADEQUATE FOR 1,200 ACRES TO GIVE AWAY SEGMENTS OF THE TRAIL GOING TO THE EAST.
ALL OF THIS YOU ARE PART OF THE GRIFTERS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M AN ECOLOGIST WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE ABILITY FOR STAFF TO TELEWORK.
I BELIEVE THAT A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE SUPPORTS THE GOALS OF THE PARK DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THE HEART OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ARGUMENTS AGAINST A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE IS THE LACK OF PRODUCTIVITY.
BUT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS A DROP IN PRODUCTIVITY OVER THE COURSE OF THE FOUR PLUS YEARS, THAT STAFF HAD A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE COMPARED TO WORKING IN THE OFFICE 100% OF THE TIME.
ON THE CONTRARY WITH THE HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE, I WAS ABLE TO DO ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS, SUCH AS WRITING FIELD REPORTS, DATA ENTRY, AND CREATING TRAINING MATERIAL IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE.
WHEN I WORK FROM HOME, I DO NOT HAVE TO COMMUTE TWO HOURS A DAY, AND IT HELPS ME AVOID THE INHERENT DISTRACTIONS THAT COME WITH ANY OFFICE SETTING.
WHEN I'M HOME, I HAVE A QUIET AND DISTRACTION FREE PLACE TO WORK.
BUT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY BENEFITS TO THE RETURN TO OFFICE MANDATE.
THERE HAVE BEEN TANGIBLE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS TO BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATION.
MANY OF OUR TALENTED COLLEAGUES LEFT FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A TELEWORK POLICY.
THEN THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL HIGHLY DESIRABLE CANDIDATES WHO WITHDREW AFTER LEARNING THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO WORK REMOTELY.
THIS ERODES OUR ABILITY TO KEEP UNIONIZED DISTRICT POSITIONS IN HOUSE INSTEAD OF HIRING CONSULTANTS TO FILL THAT NEED.
ALL THE WHILE, MOST OF US WHO ARE STILL HERE HAVE EXPERIENCED HARDSHIPS WITH THE ELIMINATION OF TELEWORK AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT IT OFFERS, LIMITING OUR ABILITY TO WORK EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
ALTHOUGH COMING TO WORK IN THE OFFICE WAS THE NORM BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
TRANSITIONING BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CURRENT AND FUTURE LANDSCAPE OF WORK WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES AND CONSULTANTS THAT WE WORK WITH.
HOW CAN WE ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAND STEWARDS IF WE AREN'T COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
THE STAFF OF THE DISTRICT ARE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO.
WE DO NOT VIEW HYBRID WORK AS A WAY TO DO LESS WORK.
WE VIEW IT AS A WAY TO GIVE 100% TO OUR JOBS WHILE MAINTAINING SOME SEMBLANCE OF A WORK LIFE BALANCE.
I URGE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO DIRECT THE GENERAL MANAGER TO RETURN TO STATUS QUO AND DEVELOP A TELEWORK POLICY THAT IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER BAY AREA PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCIES THAT OFFER TELEWORK. THANK YOU.
>> MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS NATALIE READER.
I'M A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST IN STEWARDSHIP, AND I'M HERE TO URGE THE BOARD TO DIRECT THE GENERAL MANAGER TO RETURN TO STATUS QUO AND DEVELOP A TELEWORK POLICY THAT IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER BAY AREA PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCIES.
THE RETURN TO OFFICE MANDATE DOES NOT GREATLY AFFECT ME PERSONALLY AS I LIVE CLOSE TO THE OFFICE.
BUT WHAT DOES AFFECT ME IS SEEING THE IMPACT IT HAS ON MY CO-WORKERS AND OUR STRENGTH AS AN ORGANIZATION.
IT AFFECTS ME SEEING MY COLLEAGUES SPEAKING IN THIS ROOM ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO THEIR LIVES AND TO THEIR FAITH IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
SOME ON THE VERGE OF TEARS AS THEY ARE FORCED OUT OF THEIR JOB BECAUSE OF THE HASTY RETURN TO OFFICE MANDATE.
RETURN TO OFFICE WAS ORDERED WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS NOTICE, NO RATIONALE OR EXPLANATION, AND NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT STAFF KEPT THE DISTRICT RUNNING SMOOTHLY WHILE FULLY REMOTE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AS WE LOSE EMPLOYEES TO THIS POLICY CHANGE,
[00:15:02]
WE ARE IN A WEAK POSITION TO HIRE REPLACEMENTS.MY COLLEAGUES AND I KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IN THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATE POOL IN OUR SMALL FIELDS OF WILDLIFE BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING, BUT WE CANNOT THINK OF ANYONE WHO WILL TAKE THESE NOW VACANT JOBS BECAUSE THEY ENJOY HYBRID WORK AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES.
YOU HAVE RECENTLY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN CREATING MORE INTERNAL POSITIONS RATHER THAN CONTRACTING OUT WORK, BUT THE RETURN TO OFFICE POLICY MAKES IT HARDER TO FILL ANY NEW POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE CREATED.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE WORK FROM OFFICE MANDATE ESSENTIALLY LIMITS OUR TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEE POOL TO ONLY THOSE WHO LIVE BETWEEN BERKELEY AND HAYWARD.
WE WILL HAVE AN EVEN HARDER TIME CONNECTING WITH AND SERVING COMMUNITIES IN THE REST OF THE EAST BAY WHO ALREADY OFTEN FEEL DISCONNECTED FROM AND IGNORED BY THEIR DISTRICT.
ALL OF THIS MAKES ME WONDER FOR A MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT REPEATEDLY CLAIMS TO CARE FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE DISTRICT.
WHY DON'T THEY CARE WHEN THEIR EMPLOYEES ARTICULATE THE PROBLEMS RETURN TO OFFICE HAS CAUSED AND WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE? I'M LEFT WONDERING WHAT IS MANAGEMENT'S VISION FOR THE DISTRICT AND HOW THE RETURN TO OFFICE MANDATE GETS US CLOSER TO THAT VISION.
I ASK YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES IF A TELEWORK POLICY WOULD HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR OWN VISIONS FOR THE DISTRICT, YOUR WARD, AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS BARBARA, AND I'M A VEGETATION ECOLOGIST WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
MY WORK HAS TAKEN ME TO NEARLY EVERY PARK IN THE DISTRICT, FROM THE GRASSLANDS OF SONOL DOWN TO THE ISLANDS OFF THE COAST OF PITTSBURGH, AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR OPERATIONS TEAM TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR PARKS.
OVER THE PAST FEW MEETINGS, YOU'VE HEARD MANY REASONS WHY RESTORING TELEWORK FLEXIBILITY IS A GOOD IDEA, RETAINING REALLY GREAT STAFF, REDUCING COMMUTE IMPACTS TO IMPROVING EFFICIENCY IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
TODAY, I WISH TO EXPAND ON ONE POINT IN PARTICULAR, EQUITY.
A BOARD MEMBER RECENTLY SHARED, THE CONCERN THAT ALLOWING SOME STAFF TO TELEWORK ISN'T EQUITABLE WHEN OTHERS MUST BE ON SITE.
I DEEPLY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE OUR OPERATIONS TEAM.
THEY MAKE OUR PARKS ACCESSIBLE, SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL FOR MILLIONS OF VISITORS EVERY DAY.
BUT EQUITY ISN'T ABOUT IDENTICAL CONDITIONS.
IT'S ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED, RECOGNIZING THE UNIQUE DEMANDS OF DIFFERENT ROLES.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EQUITY LOOKS DIFFERENT TO EVERYONE.
WE EACH EXPERIENCE OUR WORK, OUR TEAMS, OUR CHALLENGES IN UNIQUE WAYS.
WELL FEELS EQUITABLE TO ONE PERSON, MIGHT NOT TO ANOTHER, AND THAT'S OKAY.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT.
FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, TELEWORK IS THE CLEAREST WAY THAT THE DISTRICT CAN DEMONSTRATE TRUST, FLEXIBILITY, AND FAIRNESS TO THE EMPLOYEES WHOSE WORK ALLOWS IT.
IN LISTENING SESSIONS, DISTRICT PLAN SURVEYS, STAFF ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AROUND OUR EQUITY GOALS.
TELEWORK HAS CONSISTENTLY COME UP AS SOMETHING THAT STAFF NEED TO FEEL SUPPORTED AND VALUED.
FOR MANY OF US, IT REPRESENTS FAIRNESS AND A PRACTICAL WAY TO BALANCE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVER OUR BEST WORK.
WHEN TELEWORK WAS AN OPTION, IT DIDN'T MEAN WORKING LESS; IT MEANT WORKING SMARTER.
I COULD FINISH REPORTS, PROCESS FIELD DATA, AND PREPARED FIELD NOTES WITHOUT SPENDING HOURS COMMUTING OR COMPETING FOR LIMITED OFFICE SPACE.
THE REALITY IS THAT OUR FACILITIES CANNOT SUPPORT EVERYONE ON SITE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
ENFORCING THAT STRUCTURE DOESN'T MAKE ANYONE MORE PRODUCTIVE.
REMOVING TELEWORK HAS REAL COSTS.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN TALENTED COLLEAGUES LEAVE FOR OTHER AGENCIES THAT OFFER FLEXIBILITY, TAKING WITH THEM INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CONTINUITY THAT ARE HARD TO REPLACE.
THAT LOSS AFFECTS OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
OUR DISTRICT PLAN CALLS ON US TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND RETENTION OF WELL-TRAINED DEDICATED, AND PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES.
TELEWORK DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THAT GOAL.
LIKEWISE, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY CALLS ON THE DISTRICT TO RECRUIT, DEVELOP, RETAIN, AND PROMOTE A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
GIVEN THE SIZE AND DIVERSITY OF OUR REGION, FLEXIBILITY, INCLUDING TELEWORK, HELPS US LIVE UP TO THAT COMMITMENT.
TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WHO WORK REMOTE ARE OFTEN MORE EFFICIENT, RESPONSIVE, AND BETTER ABLE TO SUPPORT FIELD-BASED TEAMS THROUGH FASTER REQUESTS, PROCESSING, SCHEDULING, AND COORDINATION.
TAKING AWAY THAT FLEXIBILITY DOESN'T IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR FRONT-LINE WORKERS.
IT SIMPLY LIMITS THE CAPACITY OF THE REST OF THE TEAM.
IN SHORT, REMOVING TELEWORK DOESN'T MAKE US MORE EQUITABLE.
IT UNDERMINES BOTH OUR MISSION AND OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
I ASK, WHY HAS THE BOARD NOT DIRECTED THE GENERAL MANAGER TO RETURN TO STATUS QUO AND REINSTATE THE TELEWORK POLICY?
>> THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
MOVING ON TO ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[00:20:05]
NEXT IS THE CONSENT CALENDAR.[CONSENT CALENDAR]
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? YES.>> YES. I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A SEPARATE VOTE FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS 2 AND 8.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ITEM 6, AND THAT IS IT.
BUT NOT PULL SIX. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
>> OKAY. SO THERE'S A REQUEST.
WELL, I'LL TAKE THEM IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
ITEM 2 ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR IS CONSENT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER'S HIRING FOR THE POSITION OF CLERK OF THE BOARD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT?
>> PRESIDENT MERCURIO, DO YOU WANT TO.
>> TAKING IT LIKE IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM, IS THAT. RIGHT.
>> AFTER YOU TAKE BOARD COMMENTS AND PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN VOTE ON THE REST OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
I THINK YOU CAN MOVE TO THE QUESTION THAT DIRECTOR SANWONG HAS ON ITEM 6, BUT WE SHOULD DO THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND THEN SHE'S REMOVED ITEM 2 AND 8, THOSE WILL COME AFTER.
>> OKAY. GOT IT. [NOISE] SO WE HAVE THE REMAINDER.
WE HAVE THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AVAILABLE FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE?
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ON ITEM 6 ALSO.
>> OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT AFTER WE APPROVE THE REST OF THAT.
>> I THINK YOU'LL WANT TO HAVE THE BOARD QUESTIONS AND THEN PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR MOTION AND THEN DO AND HAVE THESE COMMENTS IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD PUBLIC COMMENT YET, SO YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO VOTE ON THIS YET.
>> OKAY. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> WE'LL DO ITEM 6 QUESTIONS AND QUESTIONS ON OTHER ITEMS REAL QUICK.
>> WELL, I MEAN, LET'S TAKE THEM IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
>> I WANTED TO JUST INCLUDE SIX WITH THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION ABOUT IT.
>> YEAH. I BELIEVE THIS WAS REVIEWED BY THE PAC, AND I WAS JUST WANTING TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST MONDAY IN REGARDS TO THEIR REVIEW OF OUR 2024 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.
>> SURE. HI. I'M DEB SPALDING AGM OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
YES, THIS ITEM WENT TO OUR BOARD FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THEN IT WENT TO THE PAC AS A FINANCE COMMITTEE AS WELL, SO I WENT TO THAT SMALLER BODY, AND WE HAD A VERY INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION THERE ON THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.
THEN IT CAME TO THE FULL PAC AND WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSION.
THEY ARE NOT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, SO THE ITEM WAS BROUGHT TO THEM NOT AS A RECOMMENDATION ITEM, JUST AS A INFORMATIONAL ITEM, BUT THEY DID HEAR THE ITEM. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
>> YES. THANK YOU FOR MINING TOO ABOUT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM MY FINANCE COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES WHEN THIS WAS REVIEWED AND JUST MAYBE SOME OF LIKE THREE BULLET POINTS, ONE TO THREE BULLET POINTS OF WHAT WAS DISCUSSED ON IT.
>> I'LL VOLUNTEER. I THINK I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY THE PROFESSIONAL OUTCOME OF THESE THINGS.
THEY DO AN AUDIT, TOTALLY THE AUDITOR CLAIMS WE'RE TOTALLY OPEN WITH EVERYTHING.
I MIGHT ADD THAT DIRECTOR COFFEY FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, SUGGESTED THAT DIDN'T SUGGEST ANYTHING, BUT TO MAKE EVERYTHING UPFRONT, GAVE THE BOARD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE AUDITORS WITHOUT ANY STAFF MEMBERS THERE, AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE CONTINUE TO WIN AWARDS BY GFOA FOR OUR AUDITS AND OUR PRACTICES.
I FOUND IT TO BE INCREDIBLY ONE COMPLICATED, BUT ALSO INCREDIBLY EXPLAINED REALLY WELL BY OUR STAFF.
I WON'T COMMENT ON OUR FINANCIAL STATUS, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING WAS DONE ABOVE BOARD AND IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER.
[00:25:01]
>> YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS REPORT AND THEN WE GET THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE AUDITOR AND THE AWARDS. THANK YOU.
I'M REAL QUICK. IF THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A PAC QUESTION AND I'LL MAKE THIS MORE OF A COMMENT, THEN I DO APPRECIATE HAVING THE PAC, THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION.
PERHAPS UTEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR WHEN WE DO THIS, I WOULD LIKE FOR US AS A BOARD TO RECONSIDER REINSTATING THAT.
I'LL LOOK TO, I GUESS, HAVE THIS SET OF FUTURE BOARD MEETING FOR US TO REVIEW, BUT I DO THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THESE DOCUMENTS.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S MY QUESTION.
I THINK DR. DESCHAMBAULT, ALSO HAD A QUESTION ON THE SAME ITEM 6.
>> INTERESTINGLY, IT WAS VERY SIMILAR.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT WHEN THE STAFF REPORTS DO REFERENCE INPUT FROM OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES.
I WAS AT THE PAC WHEN THEY REVIEWED THIS, AND I REALLY LIKED THE APPROACH THEY USE.
WHAT THEY HAD WAS THEIR PERSON OF THEIR FINANCE COMMITTEE, INTRODUCED THE ITEM AND THEN TURNED IT OVER TO STAFF.
SO THE COMMITTEE RIGHT UP FRONT, SAID, WE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS ON THIS.
WE REVIEW IT, WE SUPPORT IT, AND THEN HAD STAFF PRESENT IT.
THEY DID A THOROUGH JOB AT THE PAC AS WELL.
MY ONE QUESTION WAS, BESIDES THAT, THERE WAS SOME MENTION IN THERE ABOUT THE IT'S NOT FINALIZED UNTIL THE PARKS FOUNDATION BOOKS ARE FINALIZED.
COULD YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND BRIEFLY THE HISTORY ON THAT?
>> YEAH. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO INCLUDE THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION AS A COMPONENT UNIT IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
WE HAD NEW AUDITORS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, AND IN LOOKING AT OUR STATEMENTS, THEY SAID, HEY, YOU SHOULD BE INCLUDING THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION.
THAT DID THROW A BIT OF A WRINKLE INTO OUR PROCESS AND IT DID SLOW US DOWN A BIT.
HOPEFULLY. BUT NOW THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION HAS ISSUED THEIR AUDITED FINANCIALS.
WE THEN WERE ABLE TO ISSUE OUR AUDITED FINANCIALS.
I BELIEVE EARLIER TODAY YOU GUYS WERE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS BOOK.
I'M BOUND AND EVERYTHING SO YOU SHOULD HAVE IT.
NEXT YEAR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION TO GET THE TIMELINE SO THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN LOCKSTEP AND THIS DELAY WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY SOMETHING ON THE TOPIC OF THE PAC COMMENTS AND GETTING IT TO THE BOARD.
THE TIMING IS REALLY TRICKY BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING OUR REPORTS TURNED IN FOR THE BOARD VERY EARLY.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO MAKE THAT INPUT INTO THE REPORT ITSELF.
SORRY, IT'S NOT INCLUDED, BUT IT'S A TIMING ISSUE.
>> MORE QUESTION? SURE GO AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. MAYBE WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY.
MAYBE IT DOESN'T MAKE IT INTO THE REPORT, BUT WE COULD YOU HAVE AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION. WE CAN WORK ON IT FOR NEXT YEAR.
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD POINT.
SO THAT'S NUMBER 6 HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
SO WE CAN VOTE ON ALL THE ITEMS EXCEPT FOR TWO AND EIGHT, CORRECT? ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> [NOISE] NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, NO.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEMS 2 AND 8?
>> SECOND BY ECHOLS. ALL IN FAVOR.
>> OPPOSED? ABSTAIN? CARRIES. THANK YOU.
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER 2 FOR QUESTIONS.
[2. Consent to the General Manager’s Hiring for the Position of Clerk of the Board]
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DO HAVE A COMMENT I'LL MAKE WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEM NUMBER 2?
>> NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NUMBER 2.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO YOU CAN COMMENT ON THIS ONE NOW, YEAH.
>> YEAH, I JUST WANT TO THANK KELLY FOR MAKING TIME TO MEET WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS.
IT WAS NICE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
MY COMMENT IS I'M GOING TO CHOOSE TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROCESS.
>> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES.
>> YES. I ALSO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE AS FAR AS WITHIN THIS PROCESS,
[00:30:03]
HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT PRIOR TO THE CONSENT.I KNOW WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS A LOT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
I DID WANT TO CLARIFY WHEN WE WERE MAKING THE VOTE.
I WAS TRYING TO READ ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS ON MY PHONE ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE.
SO I DO WANT TO SAY THAT AS FAR AS THAT I WANT TO THANK YOLANDA, OUR FORMER CLERK FOR PROVIDING COMMENT AND JUST OUTLINING THE PROCESS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST, BECAUSE SHE DID LET US KNOW AS FAR AS THERE WAS A CONSULTING FIRM THAT WAS PART OF HER PROCESS.
BUT AS FAR AS WHAT REALLY LEFT ME QUESTIONING WHAT MY VOTE WAS AT THE LAST PART BECAUSE HERE WE HAD A PERSON BEFORE US THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN OFFERED A JOB AND HAD, AS FAR AS WAS ALREADY HAD PUT IN THE RESIGNATION, AND FOR ME, I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING MY VOTE A PROCESS WISE IS BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO CONSENT, YES OR NO.
IT'S THE CHOICE HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE, AND THERE WASN'T THAT, LIKE A TRUE CONSENT.
IT FELT LIKE MY CONSENT WAS RUBBER STAMPING.
BUT JUST AS FAR AS I'M A PERSON WHO STRONGLY BELIEVES IN PROCESS.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE EMPATHY PART OF HAVING SOMEONE IN THE ROOM AND HAVING THAT DISCUSSION THAT I NECESSARILY WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED TO HAVE WITH THEM IN THERE.
AT THE SAME TIME, I ALSO FELT THAT ELIZABETH BROUGHT UP SOME REALLY GOOD POINTS JUST AS FAR AS ABOUT THE OVERALL PROCESS.
FOR THIS, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THE SAME AS OLIVIA AND ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
>> I JUST WANTED TO WELCOME KELLY.
[LAUGHTER] I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU OVER HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I APPRECIATE AS WELL THE TIME WE GOT TO SPEND, AND I LEARNED OF YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR RESUME, WHERE YOU'VE LIVED, AND HOW YOU'VE INTERACTED WITH OUR PARKS, AND YOU ARE TRULY AN OUTSTANDING CANDIDATE AND SOMEONE THAT I THINK WE'LL BRING A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES AND BACKGROUNDS TO THIS BOARD AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT STAFF WENT TO TO SEEK OUT FINDING YOU, KELLY, AND JUST WANTED YOU TO FEEL WELCOME.
>> [NOISE] ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>> I WILL ECHO DIRECTOR COFFEY'S COMMENTS AS WELL.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SEEING A NEW FACE AND A NEW APPROACH AND JUST, YOUR UNIQUE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU BRING.
IT'S GREAT THAT I ALSO SHARE DIRECTOR COFFEY'S APPRECIATION FOR YOUR APPRECIATION OF THE PARK DISTRICT BECAUSE, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH THE OUTDOORS AND BEING OUT THERE IN OUR PARKS AND YOU'RE A LOCAL PERSON.
SO YOU'RE NOT A STRANGER TO WHAT GOES ON AROUND HERE.
>> WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE FINALLY HERE.
I KNOW YOU CAN START EXTREMELY SOON, I'M SURE.
YOU'RE GOING TO START VERY, VERY SOON.
WE'RE GLAD FOR ALL THAT. LET'S SEE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT THAT ALL COMMENTED UPON.
DID I ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ONE OR [OVERLAPPING].
>> THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY. GOOD. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM?
>> SECOND BY WAESPI. ALL IN FAVOR?
>> WE HAVE TO ABSTAIN. ALL RIGHT.
[00:35:01]
IT PASSES. THANK YOU. NOW GET TO WORK.ITEM NUMBER 8. THAT'S BEEN PULLED AS WELL.
[8. Authorization to Approve the addition of a New Classification titled Board Services Program Supervisor to the Park District’s salary plan]
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THAT ONE?>> I'LL ASK THE QUESTION SINCE I PULLED IT.
I HAVE IT IN HERE BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF OUR PRINTED PACKET.
IT SHOULD BE ONLINE THOUGH, THE UPDATED ITEM TO THE AGENDA.
THERE IS A STAFF REPORT, AND IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT BE PREPARED FOR A PRESENTATION ON THIS.
IT JUST MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION BECAUSE IT IS A NEW POSITION.
I SUPPOSE MY QUESTIONS ARE, AND IT IS OUTLINED IN THE STAFF REPORT, BUT WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS OF WHAT THIS POSITION WILL BE DOING AND ALSO WHERE WILL IT SIT IN THE ORGANIZATION? THE ARE TWO QUESTIONS. THIRD QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER POSITION?
>> HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, JES COME, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF HR.
YOU FIRST QUESTION WAS WHAT THEY WILL BE DOING.
WE DID PROVIDE THE DRAFT JOB SPECIFICATION TO THE BOARD.
WE DO NEED TO ASSIGN A SALARY TO IT, WHICH IS WHAT THIS ITEM IS BEFORE YOU BEFORE IT GETS POSTED ONLINE.
BUT THE POSITION ITSELF WOULD BE SUPPORTING THE BOARD, SUPPORTING AS OUTLINED IN THE STAFF REPORT, ENHANCING THE BOARD, CLERK OF THE BOARD, AND PROVIDING SUPPORT, KEEPING THE BOARD INFORMED AND COORDINATED REGARDING UPCOMING PUBLIC EVENTS, SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES, DISTRICT INITIATIVES, PROVIDING LEAD TIME TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR PREPARATION OF POLISHED HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS THAT REFLECT THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE PARK DISTRICT, INCREASING EFFICIENCY, OFFERING READY MADE APPROVED.
PRESENTATIONS AND MEDIA MATERIALS TO REDUCE REDUNDANT STAFF EFFORT AND IMPROVE RESPONSIVENESS.
STANDARDIZED COMMUNICATIONS TO ENSURE ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL PUBLIC FACING MATERIALS AND PRESENTATIONS, AND CENTRALIZED RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH A SINGLE SECURE HUB WHERE BOARD MEMBERS CAN EASILY ACCESS ALL ESSENTIAL MATERIALS AT ANY TIME.
I'M SORRY, WHAT WERE YOUR OTHER TWO QUESTIONS?
>> I THINK YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE SECOND QUESTION.
THE THIRD QUESTION WAS WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER POSITION AND FUNCTIONALITY?
>> THAT POSITION REMAINS, THAT IS STILL A CLASSIFICATION THAT WILL BE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IT WILL NOT BE FILLED AND IT WOULD NOT BE FUNDED AT THIS TIME.
>> THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THE CLASSIFICATION ITSELF, BUT THE FUNCTIONS WILL REMAIN IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS? THOSE DON'T GO ANYWHERE?
>> OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? YEAH.
>> I THINK I'M BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND, DESPITE VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS, I'M STILL A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON HOW THIS FITS IN WITH THE RE ORG.
BUT IF THE PERSON IS BEING MOVED TO BE MORE OF A DIRECT LIAISON TO HELP US, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE PIO POSITION BEFORE WAS, I IMAGINE AS BY ITS NAME, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.
I GUESS I'M STILL CONFUSED IN THE REORG.
WHO WILL HANDLE THE PUBLIC INFORMATION QUESTIONS OR WILL THIS PERSON JUST BE [OVERLAPPING].
>> THIS IS SEPARATE FROM ANY REORG.
THIS IS NOT PART OF A REORGANIZATION.
THOSE FUNCTIONS ARE STILL HANDLED OUT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
>> THERE JUST WON'T BE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO HANDLE IT? IT'LL BE SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE [OVERLAPPING].
>> POSITION IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER SUPERVISOR, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY, AND WE DO HAVE THE AGM OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TO SPEAK ON IT, BUT THAT POSITION IS NOT THE PIO FOR THE DISTRICT.
[00:40:01]
IT DOES HAVE OTHER FUNCTIONS HERE.>> AS ALLISON IS COMING UP, I CAN ALSO JUST SAY, WE HAVE THE DIVISION LEAD POSITION THAT TECHNICALLY DOES SERVE IN THE PIO FUNCTION AS WELL THAT IS CURRENTLY VACANT, AND WE ARE OUT RECRUITING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
ALL OF THOSE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MEDIA INQUIRIES AND ALL OF THAT STILL WILL COME INTO THE COMMUNICATION SHOP UNDER EXTERNAL [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE DO HAVE ANOTHER PIO POSITION THAT IS FILLED, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, KENDRA STRAY, WHO'S HERE AS WELL, WHO ALSO SERVES THAT FUNCTION.
I CAN SOMETIMES SERVE THAT FUNCTION.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS THAT ARE PROVIDING THOSE FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE DIVISION.
>> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
YEAH, I'M INTERESTED, I GUESS.
I'M STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS TODAY.
WHY THE BOARD NEEDS SOMEONE TO BE A COMMUNICATIONS CONDUIT TO THEM WHEN, I THINK, DIRECTOR DIABA MENTIONED IT.
THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT DOES THAT, AND WHY COULDN'T WE JUST GET INFORMATION FROM YOU FOLKS?
>> THIS SPECIFIC POSITION IS TO SERVE YOUR BUSY CALENDARS, YOUR SCHEDULES, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PRESENTATION NEEDS, NEEDS FOR INFORMATION, FACT SHEETS, POWERPOINTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TOPICS THAT YOU ASK FOR INFORMATION ON THAT WE SPEND AS STAFF, A LOT OF TIME ON SUPPORTING THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
THIS IS A DEDICATED STAFF PERSON.
TO CREATE AN ONLINE PRESENCE FOR YOU ALL WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A WEBSITE, ESSENTIALLY THAT IS GOING TO HOST A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL HAVE AT THE READY AND AVAILABLE TO YOU AT ANY TIME OF DAY.
WE WILL CREATE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS, WHETHER TOPICAL OR FOR EACH OF YOUR WARDS, THAT CAN BE ADAPTED AND ADJUSTED BASED ON THE PRESENTATION NEEDS YOU MAY HAVE.
WE WILL PAIR YOU WITH STAFF FOR CERTAIN PRESENTATIONS THAT MAY NEED A BOARD MEMBER AND A STAFF PERSON.
I THINK AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THIS IS THAT THE STAFF WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOU TO DESIGN THIS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT YOU NEED TO SERVE YOUR FUNCTION AS ELECTED EXTERNAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
THAT IS REALLY THE GOAL, IS TO REALLY CREATE DEDICATED STAFF.
THAT ALSO ALLOWS STAFF TO PERFORM OTHER FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION.
>> THIS IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR A POSITION LIKE THIS SO THIS HAS BEEN REALLY KIND OF YEARS IN THE WORKS AND SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> WILL THIS POSITION HANDLE THE CURRENT CONSTITUENT INQUIRIES THAT WE HAVE?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, DIRECTOR WAESPI, AND I THINK THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS TO REALLY CREATE THAT SYSTEM TO WHERE WE'RE FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHERE THOSE REQUESTS ARE GOING TO AND THEN HOW WE'RE THEN SHARING INFORMATION, DOING THE COORDINATED WORK NEEDED TO RESPOND TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT OVERNIGHT, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE A PROGRAM AND A SYSTEM THAT'S CONNECTING ALL THE DOTS FOR EVERYBODY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. DIRECTOR SAMAR.
>> YEAH. THE STAFF REPORT DOES ALSO MENTION ANOTHER POSITION IN THE BACKGROUND PORTION OF THE REPORT, BUT I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM WE'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO REVIEW THAT SECOND POSITION OR VOTE ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY VOTING ON TODAY, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YOU ARE ONLY VOTING ON THE BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR AND ASSIGNING A SALARY FOR THAT POSITION.
>> ALL RIGHT. YES. DOCTOR COFFEY.
>> I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I APPRECIATE THE CLASSIFICATION CHANGE AND THE BACKGROUND THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT WITH THE POSITION.
[00:45:08]
I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF IT, AND APPRECIATE IT.IT DOES REPRESENT YEARS IN THE MAKING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS BOARD ON NEED TO BEEF UP WHAT THIS POSITION AND RELATED POSITIONS DOES FOR US.
I THINK THAT'S THE DESIGN, AND I MUCH APPRECIATED, AND WELCOME IT.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ALL WILL HAVE GREAT IDEAS ON HOW YOU EXECUTE IT BECAUSE EXECUTION OF IT IS GOING TO BE THE KEY TO WHAT IT APPEARS TO BRING ON PAPER.
AGAIN, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR DOING IT AND SUPPORT THE NEW CLASSIFICATION AND ASKED TO BE INVOLVED A LITTLE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION. THANK YOU.
>> AS I MENTIONED TO THE BOARD, HAPPY TO MEET ONE ON ONE WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
>> ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS?
>> I SEE STRIKING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THIS EARLY ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE DOES WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
NOW, THE COUNTY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THIS DISTRICT BECAUSE IN THE COUNTY, THE BOARD YOU'RE THE BOARD, BUT THEIR BOARD HAS REAL POWER.
EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS POLITICAL STAFF, AND THEN OPERATING STAFF AND THEN POLITICAL OPERATIVES, EVERY KIND.
THEN THEY BRING IN THEIR OWN CONSULTANTS TO DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR THEIR DISTRICT.
SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT WILL BRING IN COMMUNICATIONS EXPERTS, PR EXPERTS TO DEVELOP A NEW BRANDING, A NEW IMAGE, A NEW THING FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT DID THAT RECENTLY.
THEN IF YOU GO AND ASK, WELL, WHERE'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN THE COUNTY? IT DOESN'T EXIST. NO ONE HAS PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
THEY'LL DO IT, BUT THEY DON'T OWN UP TO DOING IT, THEY ALL PRETEND IT'S ALL UNDER THE SURFACE, BUT IT'S THERE, BUT IT'S ALL UNDER THE SURFACE.
IT'S ALL SCATTERED ALL AROUND.
NOW IN THIS DISTRICT, OF COURSE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS GOT THESE LOW LEVEL PEOPLE FOR, I KNOW DISTRIBUTING REGIONAL IN NATURE OR WHATEVER.
THEN THERE'S THE LEGISLATIVE PEOPLE, HIGH POWERED PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE FINDING THOSE LEGISLATORS IN COMMUNICATING THE MESSAGE.
SOMETHING'S BURNING, GOING TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THE PR OR THE PUBLIC IN, THEY'RE NOT HERE.
THEN THE IDEA THAT YOU NEED STAFF.
NOW, THIS IS THE ITEM RIGHT HERE.
YOU NEED STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS.
WELL, IS BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT THERE, TAKING THE HEAT.
WHEN PEOPLE PICK UP INSTEAD OF PICKING UP THE PHONE, CALLING THE STAFF, THEY'RE CALLING YOU.
[LAUGHTER] COMPLAINING TO YOU.
I'M SURE, AND YOU'RE SICK OF THAT AND YOU WANT SOME SLY, YOU WANT SOMETHING.
I GUESS MY MESSAGE WOULD BE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, AND GETTING YOUR OWN PR, MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET SOME POWER, TOO, LIKE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THEY HAVE REAL POWER. THEY HIRE AND FIRE EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD DIRECTLY.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT POWER, SO PRETENDING LIKE YOU DO, AND THEN HIRING PR PEOPLE TO REPRESENT YOU AS IF YOU DID, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO REALLY CARRY TO REPRESENT YOURSELVES WITH THAT.
>> NO OTHER POP UP COMMENT, NO.
>> OKAY. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THIS?
I WILL BE VOTING NO ON THIS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE FACING A BUDGET THAT WE'RE TOLD IS STRUCTURALLY BALANCED, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT.
WE HAVE TO REVIEW THINGS WITH THE PREDICTED SHORTFALL OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUES IN THE FUTURE.
MY PERSONAL FEELING THAT ALL THIS PROBABLY COULD BE DONE AS IN THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
I JUST CAN'T SEE AND IF WE'RE ONLY HAVING A FEW POSITIONS AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE HIRING ANY FIELD POSITIONS WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO HIRE PEOPLE TO GET WORK DONE IN PARKS.
[00:50:01]
I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN A JOB DESCRIPTION, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS PERSON IS REALLY GOING TO DO. THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT.>> I'LL ALSO BE VOTING NO ON THIS.
I DON'T REALLY NEED A DEDICATED WEBSITE.
I'M ASSUMING IT WILL ALSO BE ON SHAREPOINT AND NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT IF I'M GOING OUT AND GIVING A PRESENTATION THAT MAY REQUIRE POWERPOINT SLIDES THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT FROM SOME OF THE POWERPOINT SLIDES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE FROM THESE BOARD MEETINGS, AND AS LONG AS I HAVE ACCESS TO THE POWERPOINT FILES, I CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FROM THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
YES, I WILL BE VOTING ON THIS.
>> YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT AS FAR AS THE PERSON WHO IS FILLING THIS ROLE CURRENTLY PROVIDES SERVICES FOR US IN HIS CURRENT ROLE, THAT'S MAKING POWERPOINTS, FOR US, HELPING US PRESS TALKING POINTS.
THERE ARE SOME CHANGES FROM HIS PI ROLE, BUT THAT CURRENT ROLE, THE TITLE IS GOING TO REMAIN.
THEN AS FAR AS THERE IS A LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN BOTH AS FAR AS MANAGEMENT AND THE UNION.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING KIND OF THOSE FACTS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED INTO THE OVERALL DECISION.
THEN WE DIDN'T PRIOR TO REQUESTING IT, WE HADN'T HAD THE JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT THEY DID JUST RECENTLY EMAIL US A JOB DESCRIPTION.
AS FAR AS IF WE NEED TO REVIEW THAT MORE FOR SOME CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING, WE DO HAVE THAT HERE.
>> EXCUSE ME. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE'LL UNDERSTAND IT AS WE WORK THROUGH IT? AS, THE PERSON COMES AND BEGINS TO INTERFACE WITH US.
WE WILL AND WE WORK WITH HIM, AND IT'LL BE SOMETHING POSITIVE, I THINK FOR US.
I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO HELP US OUT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A MOTION FOR AUTHORIZATION TO APPROVE THE ADDITION OF A NEW CLASSIFICATION TITLED BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM, SUPERVISOR TO THE PARK DISTRICTS SALARY PLAN.
>> WHAT'S THE COUNT? I THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL.
CAN YOU DO A ROLL CALL? THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS.
>> YOU COULDN'T HEAR EACH OTHER.
>> FIRST BY COFFEY, SECOND BY MERCURIO.
HOW DO YOU VOTE, DIRECTOR COFFEY?
THAT CONCLUDES OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, AND NOW WE MOVE ON TO, I GUESS WHAT WE WOULD CALL A FESTIVE EVENT NOW TO WELCOME, AM I GETTING THIS RIGHT.
IS THIS WHERE WE'RE DOING IT? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE REFRESHMENTS TO WELCOME KELLY TO US, AND WE'LL DO THAT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES OR SO.
THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD MEETING WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. WE'RE SIGNING OFF FOR NOW.
WE'RE BACK, AND WE ARE ON ITEM B1,
[FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION]
PRESENTATION BY PARK DISTRICT DIVISIONS REGARDING 2026 BUDGET PROPOSALS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.[00:55:01]
>> LET'S START US OFF HERE AS DEB IS COMING UP.
THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE HERE IN THE PARK DISTRICT BEFORE.
THIS IS TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO YOU ALL THAT YOU WANTED TO HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THE BUDGET PROPOSALS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO SESSIONS THAT WE SCHEDULED WITH YOU, SO WE HAVE THIS WEEK AND THEN WE HAVE AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS.
WE'VE DIVIDED UP THE DIVISIONS.
IT'S ABOUT HALF FOR EACH OF THEM.
FIRST, DEB IS GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW.
NO. SHE'S GOING TO TEE IT UP AND THEN ACTUALLY JESSICA IS GOING TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION AND CERTAINLY GET INTO THE CIP, WHICH I KNOW, DIRECTOR COFFEY WANTED TO HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS AROUND THE PROJECTS AND CERTAINLY HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY BEFORE WE STARTED, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS TODAY.
THERE'S NO VOTE THAT'S BEING TAKEN.
THIS IS REALLY JUST I WOULD THINK OF THIS AS THE START OF YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS.
SOMETHING NEW. WE'RE GOING TO TRY IT OUT, AND DEFINITELY WELCOME ANY FEEDBACK AFTER THAT. DEB, GO AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU, DEB SVALDING, AGMA FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
JUST RESTATING WHAT SABRINA JUST SAID.
WE HEARD FROM THE BOARD THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING MORE TIME TO DIGEST THE BUDGET AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
WE ACTUALLY STARTED OUR BUDGET PROCESS A MONTH EARLIER THIS YEAR, GETTING ALL THE REQUESTS IN AND TRYING TO SHUFFLE IT INTO ITS FINAL FORMAT SO THAT WE COULD BRING THE PROPOSALS TO YOU A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
BUT THIS IS JUST A CHANCE FOR YOU TO HEAR THE INFORMATION.
IT'S ALSO BEING PRESENTED DIFFERENTLY, SO WE'RE HAVING EACH DIVISION PRESENT ON THEIR PIECE OF IT BECAUSE USUALLY YOU HEAR FROM ME AND I GO INTO ALL THE NUMBERS OF THIS AMOUNT FOR GENERAL FUND, THIS AMOUNT FOR THIS FUND, BUT YOU MISS THE DETAIL OF WHAT'S INCLUDED.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO GIVE YOU THAT CHANCE TO HEAR WHAT'S INCLUDED AND THINK ABOUT IT IN IT AND THEN YOU HAVE DECEMBER 2ND IS THE FIRST TRUE BUDGET HEARING WHERE I WILL GET INTO ALL THE NUMBERS AND THE MORE DRY NITTY-GRITTY STUFF.
WE DID PUT IN YOUR PACKET A SUMMARY THAT GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT THE NUMBERS, BUT I WASN'T GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT TODAY BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ME TO TALK THROUGH.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JESSICA AND HERE WE GO.
>> LET ME ASK A PROCESS QUESTION, PLEASE? MAYBE FOR SABRINA.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND HOW THIS FITS IN.
AT ONE POINT, I THINK AT LEAST THREE OF US ASKED TO RECEIVE.
YOU GUYS CAN RELAX, I THINK WE SEE THE CIP AGAIN.
WE RAN OUT OF TIME ON OCTOBER 3RD.
WE GOT A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
IS THIS ITEM TODAY THE SECOND BULLET OR THE WAY THIS IS TITLED TO REPLACE THAT BECAUSE IT HELPED ME FIGURE OUT HOW TO POSE MY QUESTIONS TOO.
ARE WE STILL GOING TO HAVE THAT CIP DISCUSSION BEFORE WE SEE THE BUDGET? BECAUSE THIS SAYS IT'S INFORMATIONAL ONLY.
CAN YOU JUST HELP ME OR PRESIDENT OR WHOEVER HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS? SURE. I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO.
NO, IT'S RELATED TO DEB CAN ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION.
AT THE LAST MEETING, DIRECTOR COFFEY ASKED TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE CIP AND SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD AS PART OF THAT OCTOBER 3RD STUDY SESSION.
SO THIS WAS REALLY, AND YOU WANTED TO, I BELIEVE THE REQUEST WAS BEFORE THE BUDGET.
SO THIS REALLY IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAD TO QUICKLY GET SOMETHING IN THERE.
WE REPRINTED ALL OF THE MATERIAL FROM THE OCTOBER 3RD MEETING WHICH WAS IN YOUR PACKET.
WE'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER LOTS OF QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
BUT AGAIN, TODAY IS NOT TO TAKE A VOTE, THE CIP WILL BE VOTED ON ALONGSIDE THE BUDGET.
THAT'S JUST PART OF YOUR NORMAL ANNUAL PROCESS THAT WE NOW ARE DOING AS OF LAST YEAR. DO YOU WANT TO.
>> I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT SO TODAY.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR PRESENTATIONS FROM EACH AGM.
ON THEIR DIVISION. YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR FROM MAX ABOUT THE CIP.
THIS IS NOT THE DECISION MAKING MEETING.
THIS IS JUST MORE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT IT, DIGEST IT, ASK QUESTIONS.
THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU DECEMBER 2ND.
THAT'S OUR PUBLIC HEARING MEETING AS WELL AS THE TIME THAT YOU GET TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS AND GIVE YOUR INPUT.
THEN YOU VOTE ON THE BUDGET AT THE SECOND MEETING IN DECEMBER.
THAT'S WHEN ANY CHANGES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE WOULD GET REQUESTED OFFICIALLY.
IS THAT THE SECOND MEETING IN DECEMBER?
>> MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THAT IS WE DON'T NEED TO SEE EVERYTHING WE SAW ON OCTOBER 3RD AGAIN,
[01:00:01]
SO I'M IMAGINING THAT WE'LL GO INTO SOME MORE DEPTH TODAY.BUT I'D REALLY HATE TO SLOW DOWN THE BUDGET PROCESS ON DECEMBER 2ND IF WE RUN OUT OF TIME AGAIN TODAY TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS WHICH ARE SIGNIFICANT, I THINK THAT SOME OF US HAVE.
>> LET ME JUST OFFER THAT UP. ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, SEND THEM TO US.
YOU CAN ASK THEM ON THE RECORD.
AS WE GO THROUGH, WE HAVE THE NEXT SESSION AND THEN AS DEB SAYS, WE TECHNICALLY HAVE THREE MORE SESSIONS TO TRY TO ANSWER PUBLICLY ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY EMAIL YOU.
I KNOW MAX HAS OFFERED TO SIT DOWN AND IF YOU WANT TO DIG INTO ANY OF THE DETAILS, MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT IN PERSON.
>> I JUST ADD TO, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO VOTE TODAY, GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY AND DIRECTION IS HELPFUL BECAUSE I THINK THAT'LL HELP US BE PREPARED FOR THE BUDGET ITEM IN DECEMBER WHEN WE BRING IT TO YOUR BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIRECTION IS FROM YOUR BOARD.
>> MAX, I DID WANT TO MENTION JUST AS FAR AS WE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING ON WW.
SO I KNOW THAT AS FAR AS A BOARD, SOME OF THOSE CAME IN BEFORE THE DEADLINE, WE WERE ABLE TO DIGEST.
SOME OF THEM ARE STILL COMING IN RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE, AND I THINK SOME OF US FELT THAT THERE WERE SOME REALLY LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS ASKED.
THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO MORE SO AS FAR AS THAT WE KEEP THE WHOLE BUDGET PROCESS AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS MORE BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT SOME REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS CAME IN THIS MORNING.
WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT PUBLIC THAT'S INTERESTED IN THESE QUESTIONS AND ISSUES, AND THAT WE'RE ALL DOING AND USING THESE FUNDS THE BEST THAT WE CAN AND AS ATTENDED.
>> YES, AND YES. I WOULD SAY, I THINK THAT SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT CAME IN, I KNOW MAX AND THE WHOLE TEAM HAVE MET WITH MANY OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS, AND I THINK PROBABLY TODAY WE CAN PROBABLY ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP AND OTHERS THAT WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK ON, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK.
>> TO MOVE. GOOD AFTERNOON, JESSICA ROMEO, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
HERE TO PRESENT ON THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION FOR 2026.
I KNOW THE BOARD'S BEEN VERY EAGER TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION.
WE DEVELOPED THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 2026 BUDGET.
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE PROPOSAL, ITS STRUCTURE RATIONALE, AND FISCAL IMPACT.
AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR PROPOSED REORGANIZATION AND THESE CHANGES, WE WERE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW TO FIT THIS WITHIN THE BUDGET AND KEEP IT AS COST NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE.
THE FIRST SLIDE HERE PROVIDES A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION.
THE ITEMS IN RED THAT YOU SEE ARE THE CHANGES, THE MOVES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, AND YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE CORRESPONDING ITEMS CROSSED OUT.
THERE ARE TWO NEW DIVISIONS BEING PROPOSED FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
IN FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WE'RE MOVING INFORMATION SERVICES OUT OF THAT DIVISION INTO ITS OWN DIVISION AND RETITLING IT AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE PROPOSING MOVING BUSINESS SERVICES FROM OPERATIONS TO FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND UTILIZING A CURRENT VACANT POSITION TO CREATE A PROCUREMENT UNIT.
THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION IS BEING PROPOSED TO CREATE A NEW DIVISION AND THEN CONSOLIDATING ALL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING GIS, MOVING GIS FROM ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
OPERATIONS, WE'RE AGAIN PROPOSING TO MOVE BUSINESS SERVICES TO FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, AND WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO MOVE OUR MAINTENANCE AND SKILLED TRADES, ALSO KNOWN AS MAST INTO THE NEW DIVISION OF FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
FOR ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE PROPOSING A NAME CHANGE TO ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO MOVE IS THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION GROUP,
[01:05:01]
PROPOSING THAT TO MOVE TO FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.ALSO PROPOSING MOVING GIS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ADDING ARCHIVES FROM EXTERNAL AFFAIRS INTO ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING NOW.
THEN AGAIN, WE ARE PROPOSING A NEW DIVISION OF FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, CREATING IT NEW.
IT WOULD BE COMPOSED OF MASS DECO FACILITIES.
NO, I'M SORRY, BUSINESS SERVICES IS NOT GOING THERE.
SORRY, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT.
MAST IS GOING INTO FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, ALONG WITH THE WATER QUALITY.
THOSE ARE OPERATIONS FUNCTIONS, FACILITIES IS COMING FROM FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES INTO FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSOLIDATING ALL OF THOSE INTERNAL FUNCTIONS.
THEN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, WE WOULD BE REMOVING THE ARCHIVES AND ADDING IT TO THE RETITLED ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING.
WE ARE LOOKING AT RIGHT SIZING THE DISTRICT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
OVER 100 POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED.
ASK ME POSITIONS, 21 WERE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
THERE WERE A COUPLE CONFIDENTIAL POSITIONS AND A COUPLE PUBLIC SAFETY POSITIONS AS WELL, BUT ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE.
THERE ARE GROWING DEMANDS AND OPERATIONS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THIS IS LOOKING TO FIX.
THERE'S ALSO, WE'RE LOOKING TO ALIGN EXECUTIVE STAFF WITH ALL STAFF.
DISTRICT REORGANIZATION, THE PROPOSED CHANGES, IMPROVE THE EXECUTIVE TO EMPLOYEE RATIO.
RIGHT NOW IT'S 1:91 EMPLOYEES.
IT CHANGES TO THIS CHANGES IT TO 1:77, AND THAT'S WITH THE ADDITION OF THE TWO NEW AGMS FOR FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
WE DID A SURVEY OF BASICALLY ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE COULD FIND WITHIN CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTIES TO SEE WHAT THEIR RATIO WAS AND THE AVERAGE OF THOSE IS 1:40.
THERE'S ALSO ISSUES WITH SPAN OF CONTROL, ESPECIALLY FOR OPERATIONS.
RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE THE LARGEST DIVISION WITH 556 FTES.
MOVING MASS, MOVING BUSINESS SERVICES REDUCES THE SIZE TO STILL A VERY LARGE, 437, BUT A MORE MANAGEABLE, AND IT ALIGNS ALL THE FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE DIVISION.
THERE'S ALSO CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION, MAST AND DECO.
THEY WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER, THEY'RE INTERNAL ALONG WITH FACILITIES, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE.
BUSINESS SERVICES AND PROCUREMENT IN FINANCE.
AGAIN, WE ARE CREATING A PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE DIVISION AND USING EXISTING STAFF, AND SO BUSINESS SERVICES SOME OF BUSINESS SERVICES WILL BE UNDER THAT.
NOW WE GET INTO THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS FOR ALL OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES. THEN YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER.
THIS IS AGAIN, THE RETITLED ACQUISITION. THANK YOU.
YOU WILL SEE THE CHANGES IN RED.
IT DOES NOT HAVE WHAT WE'VE REMOVED.
IT ONLY HAS THE CHANGES THAT WILL REMAIN.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE ARCHIVES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR AND ADMIN SPECIALIST FROM THE ARCHIVES.
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IS NOW MOVED UNDER PLANNING.
THE PLANNER THERE IS NOT A NEW POSITION.
IT IS A CHANGED POSITION FROM A GIS POSITION TO A PLANNER.
FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE NEW DIVISION, AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIVISION LEAD OF MAINTENANCE AND ALL OF THOSE ARE MAJORITY FROM MAST.
SOME OF THEM ARE FROM FACILITIES FROM FINANCE.
THEN WE HAVE THE DECO GROUP ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> EVERYTHING'S READ BECAUSE IT IS A NEW DIVISION.
FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION THERE OR DEPARTMENT UNDER THE ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER THAT IS A CURRENT POSITION THAT IS UNFILLED.
[01:10:02]
THIS ALSO SHOWS THE BUSINESS SERVICES BEING MOVED, THE CONTRACTS AND ACCESS PERMIT SUPERVISOR, CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE UNION ON NEW TITLE FOR THAT, AND WE WOULD TAKE OUT PERMITS.IT WOULD JUST BE A CONTRACTS SUPERVISOR.
THIS WOULD BE THE NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, AND YOU CAN SEE THE THE GIS HAS BEEN ADDED, AND THEY WILL BE SPLITTING AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
YOU CAN SEE THE MARKETING AND MEDIA ANALYST THERE THAT AGAIN, IS NOT A NEW POSITION.
IT'S A NEW CLASSIFICATION, BUT A NEW POSITION.
WE ARE REPURPOSING ANOTHER POSITION OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS ONE ADDITION.
IT'S THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST AND THAT POSITION IS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, AND DEVELOPMENT.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE PROPOSED CHANGES, WE'RE ALSO IN THE BUDGET ABSORBING FOUNDATION STAFF.
YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ABSORBING A MANAGEMENT ANALYST.
THEY'RE MOVING TO PROCUREMENT.
WE HAVE ALREADY MOVED ONE PERSON TO PARK RANGER, AND THEN WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST 2 THAT WILL BE MOVING TO THE NEW PROPOSED FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SUPPORTING FLEET, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST, MOVING TO FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND TWO ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALISTS, THAT WOULD BE MOVING TO BUSINESS SERVICES.
THAT IS IT, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER, I'M SURE MANY QUESTIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT. WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST?
>> YEAH, I HAVE A BASIC QUESTION.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE ONE OF THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL MAPS THAT WE CAN HAVE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE HOW THE SHIFTS ARE MADE OR DO YOU HAVE A RED LINE OR DO YOU HAVE A RED LINE COPY?
I DO HAVE THE ORIGINALS, AND WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE.
I DON'T HAVE THEM ON A POWERPOINT.
>> THEN TWO, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW GIS IS BETTER SERVED BEING IN IT? I UNDERSTAND IT'S IT APPLICATION, BUT IT'S A MAPPING SOFTWARE.
A LOT OF THE MAPS ARE WITHIN THE PLANNING STEWARDSHIP.
JUST AS FAR AS HOW IS THAT A BETTER FIT IN IT?
>> I'M GOING TO ASK OUR DEPUTY MANAGER.
>> MAX CORT, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER.
I THINK WITH A LOT OF THESE CHANGES, THESE POSITIONS COULD BE IN MULTIPLE PLACES, AND WITH THE GIS TEAM, THEY SERVE OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
THEY DO SUPPORT ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH OPERATIONS TO HELP PROVIDE MORE STANDARDS AND SOPS AND THINGS FOR THE TEAMS THAT GIS CAN HELP WITH AND MAPPING REGULAR MOWING AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S REALLY AN INTERNAL SERVICE PROVIDER TEAM, AND MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT TEAM IS IN THE IT DIVISION.
THEY'LL STILL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL THE TEAMS IN THE PLANNING AND ACQUISITIONS AND STEWARDSHIP AND OPERATIONS TEAMS, BUT BY BEING IN THE IT DIVISION, THEY'RE ALIGNED WITH ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF IT THAT SERVE THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
>> REALLY QUICK THING ON THAT.
I MEAN, WE GLOSSED OVER, BUT THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT, REALLY LOOKING AT WAYS, A LOT OF WHAT THEY GET THEIR INTERNAL CUSTOMER REQUESTS AND WORK ORDER REQUESTS, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT IS OR IT RECEIVES NOW ON A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER APPLICATIONS.
REALLY, TRYING TO BRING THAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PRIORITIZATION APPROACH INTO THAT UNIT.
>> THEN THE LAST QUESTION WAS JUST ABOUT THE FOUNDATION.
I KNOW THAT WE WERE BRIEFED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT THERE WOULD BE CHANGES COMING TO THE FOUNDATION,
[01:15:02]
BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.AS FAR AS I KNOW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE MORE SEPARATE FROM THE PARK, I KNOW SOME EMPLOYEES ARE COMING OVER HERE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OVER THERE? ARE WE GOING TO BE BRIEFED ON THE NEW STRUCTURE OF THE PARKS FOUNDATION?
HAPPY TO JUST LIKE WE DID EARLIER MEET WITH ALL OF YOU TO PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF DETAIL, BUT IN A HIGH OVERHEAD LEVEL, THE FOUNDATION HAS GONE THROUGH ITS OWN STRATEGIC PLANNING, CONTINUES TO DO SO AND IS WORKING ON BECOMING A MORE FUNCTIONAL, BETTER ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT THE PARK DISTRICT, AND PART OF THAT IS LOOKING AT OTHER MODELS THAT HAVE A SEPARATE NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS THE PARK DISTRICT OR SUPPORTS THE PARK PARTNER.
WE'RE USING THAT MODEL AND THE FOUNDATION WILL HAVE ITS OWN EMPLOYEES.
THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CURRENTLY SERVING THE FOUNDATION, AS WAS MENTIONED BY JESSICA, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE WE WORKED WITH THEM CLOSELY TO IDENTIFY POSITIONS THAT ARE BOTH CONNECTED TO THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND ALSO CONNECTED TO THE BUSINESS INTERESTS OF THE DISTRICT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR THE FOUNDATION IS WE'RE WORKING ON UPDATE AT MOU, THAT'LL GO TO THE FOUNDATION BOARD AND THEN WE'LL COME TO YOUR BOARD.
WE'RE WORKING ON AN UPDATE OF THE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM AND THE ANNUAL PASS PROGRAM, AND WHAT THE COMMUNICATIONS WOULD BE.
WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP ON THAT.
THEN THEY'RE WORKING ON WHAT THEIR OWN STAFFING MODEL WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THIS CHANGE IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN JANUARY 1.
THIS JUST CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
>> THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY QUESTION THAT YOU STARTED LAST QUESTION AS YOU SPOKE IS HOW ARE THEY GOING TO STAFF THEIR FOUNDATION IF THE STAFF WAS MOVING OVER.
>> THEN TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION, ABSOLUTELY.
THIS WILL BE, YES, IT'S PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
I BELIEVE ON THE 18TH, WE'RE BRINGING MORE DETAILS ON THIS AS WELL.
I'M GETTING MIXED UP ON WHO'S GOING TODAY VERSUS ON THE 18TH, BUT YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT TO YOU ALL.
>> ACTUALLY, THIS MIGHT BE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL.
I DON'T ACTUALLY SEE THAT REORGANIZATION IS ON THE AGENDA ITEM, AND I JUST GOT THIS ON MY DESK TODAY.
ANY THOUGHTS ON WHETHER ADEQUATELY POSTED NOTICED?
>> WAS IT ON THE WEBSITE OR I JUST DIDN'T GET MY COPY TIL TODAY?
>> THIS IS A PRESENTATION, THE POWERPOINT.
IT WAS ADEQUATELY NOTICED ON THE AGENDA AS AN ITEM, AND IT'S PERMISSIBLE TO HAVE YOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS COME TO YOU AT THE MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I BELIEVE THE CLERK HAS ALREADY POSTED THIS ON THE WEBSITE.
I HAVEN'T CHECKED, BUT THAT WAS THEIR INTENTION TO DO SO.
>> I JUST HAVE IT AS PRESENTATIONS BY PARK DISTRICT DIVISIONS REGARDING THE 2026 BUDGET PROPOSALS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AND IT FITS IN THERE.
>> YEAH, IT'S PART OF THE BUDGET.
>> THIS IS WHERE THE BOARD WOULD WEIGH INTO THIS REORGANIZATION.
>> THANK YOU. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THIS WEEK TO PREPARE.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS LOOKING AT THE GIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
CLEARLY, AS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS AND AT EPA, GIS WAS CRITICAL.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME TO BE A GOOD FIT.
IT IS A LOT OF OTHER STUFF VERSUS OVERLAYS DISTRICT PLAN, NATURE CHECK, I NATURALISTS, GIS CORRIDORS, ACQUISITION CORRIDORS.
TO ME, IT SEEMS AND YOU MADE THE COMMENT, THAT THEY SERVE ALL THE OTHER DIVISIONS.
WELL, DEFINITELY STEWARDSHIP DOES THAT AS WELL.
I MEAN, I REALLY APPRECIATED A COMMENT THE OTHER DAY OF THE CONFERENCE I WENT TO THAT THEY TRYING TO GET OUT OF BEING CALLED THE DEPARTMENT OF NOT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOW.
I MEAN, REALLY, SINCE OUR MISSION IS DRIVEN BY ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS,
[01:20:02]
HOW WE DO THAT IS GUIDED BY OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM AND THEY WOULD SUPPORT AND INFORM EVERYTHING.TO ME, IT WOULD SEEM TO REMOVE OUT OF THAT AREA, SILOS IT UNNECESSARILY, WHERE IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO CONTINUE THAT TYPE OF WORK AND RAISE THEM UP HIGHER RATHER THAN MOVE THEM OUT AND SILO THEM.
THAT'S JUST MY $0.02 AS A SCIENTIST.
WE'RE NOT DOING GIS FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT PARKS AND STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING.
THAT'S, I GUESS, THE QUESTION.
CAN YOU CONVINCE ME? CAN'T GUARANTEE I'LL CONVINCE YOU, BUT I CAN SPEAK TO THE PURPOSE, AND I THINK THE PURPOSE OF THIS ISN'T TO SILO THIS GROUP.
IN FACT, I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE.
RIGHT NOW, THIS GROUP IS WITHIN THE PLANNING TEAM.
IT'S ONE TEAM WITHIN OUR PLANNING TEAM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH PLANNING.
AGAIN, THEY'RE PART OF THIS LARGER DIVISION OF ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, AND DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THEIR WORK IS DISTRICT WIDE. IT'S MUCH BROADER.
I THINK THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO REALLY ELEVATE THE WORK AND CONNECT IT INTO A MODEL WHERE THEY ARE WITH OTHER DISTRICT WIDE SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND WITH THIS OVERALL DISTRICT WIDE LENS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING GOOD SERVICE FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
IT CERTAINLY IS NOT MEANT TO DECREASE THE CONNECTION WITH OTHER TEAMS IN THAT ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP PLANNING DEVELOPMENT WORK GROUP.
IF ANYTHING, IT'S TO STRENGTHEN IT BECAUSE THERE'S A MORE SYSTEMATIC STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE WORK DISTRICT WIDE.
>> JUST AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE OTHER OPERATIONS PROJECTS THAT THEY WORK ON.
THEY ALSO WORK WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
>> ALSO, IF YOU COULD HELP ME.
ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I'VE REALLY STARTED TO APPRECIATE IS THE ARCHIVES THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CHANGE GOING ON.
WE'RE GROWTH SPURTS IN DOING THINGS.
BUT THE MORE I PEEL BACK THE LAYERS, I OFTEN FIND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
CLIMATE WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE THE OTHER DAY.
IT TURNED OUT WE HAD FOUR OR SIX POLICIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
I THINK THE ARCHIVES ARE SUPER IMPORTANT TO OUR HISTORY OF PARKS AND WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS DID, BUT I COULDN'T TELL BECAUSE YOU WENT THROUGH IT SO FAST.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ARCHIVES IN THIS MOVE?
>> GREAT QUESTION. ARCHIVES ARE MOVING INTO THE CULTURAL RESOURCES GROUP AND PLANNING.
PART OF IT IS THAT TEAM, WHICH IS REALLY AMAZING AND IS MANAGING A LOT OF HISTORIC CULTURAL RESOURCES FROM THE DISTRICT.
PART OF THE IDEA IS OUR CULTURAL RESOURCE TEAM IS IN CHARGE OF THESE CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND THIS ARCHIVES TEAM ALSO WORKS WITH THEM.
PAIRING THEM UP REALLY ALLOWS SOME REALLY EXCITING SYNERGIES WHERE THEY CAN GET SOME OF THE SUPPORT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CUSTODIANS OF CULTURAL RESOURCES, WHICH THEY'RE ALREADY DOING TO A HIGH DEGREE, BUT JUST MAKES THOSE TWO PORTIONS OF OUR WORK BETTER CONNECTED.
THEY'LL STILL BE CONNECTED WITH OUR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATION TEAM BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT THEY DO IS TELL THE STORIES OF THIS REALLY AMAZING HISTORY THAT WE HAVE.
BUT THEY'RE ALSO THE CUSTODIANS OF THOSE HISTORICAL ITEMS.
>> THANK YOU. ON THE FIRST PAGE, THE REORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW.
IS THERE A CHANCE I CAN GET A COPY OF THIS? I MEAN, I DON'T GET IT.
I GET HR, SO I ASSUME THAT'S AGM POSITION ACROSS THE LINE, THE SECOND LINE ARE ALL AGM POSITIONS, RIGHT?
>> IT'S CONFUSING TO ME. I DON'T SEE ANY DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS ON THIS CHART AT ALL.
>> I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME EITHER.
I'M SORRY, BUT THEY CAN LOOK FOR IT NOW.
IT'S AN ORG CHART SHOWING THE DIVISIONS, NOT THE POSITIONS.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ALL THE DEPUTIES AND THE DIVISION LEADS AND EVERYBODY IN THERE, SHOWING EACH OF THE DIVISIONS.
THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM LOOKING AT EACH OF THE POSITIONS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT EACH OF THE DIVISIONS HAS AN AGM.
[01:25:01]
>> MANAGEMENT SERVICES HAS DROPPED DOWN, BUT I ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE OF LACK OF SPACE, RIGHT?
>> THAT MOVES UP TO ANOTHER AGM SPOT?
>> NO. THAT STAYS WHERE IT IS NOW UNDER THE AGM OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
>> I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN I GET AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF THIS ORGANIZATION, AND CAN I GET A REORGANIZATIONAL CHART SO I CAN COMPARE AND CONTRAST?
>> CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN? I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE, BUT WE'VE ASKED FOR AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART A YEAR AGO, AND THEN AS RECENTLY AS TWO MONTHS AGO TO REMIND, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TOLD, YES, CAN I GET A DATE THAT I COULD GET A RE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART?
>> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT.
>> YES. IT WILL BE SENT TO EVERYONE.
>> GOOD. I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE GIS DEPARTMENT MOVING.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S PADDING CURRENT DEPARTMENT TO GET IT UP TO AN AGM LEVEL TO ME, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN THIS, SO I'D LIKE TO DO SOME ANALYSTS, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE OBVIOUSLY.
I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO BRING THAT UP AT SOME POINT.
>> I THINK I STARTED WITH SAYING THAT WE REALLY WORK TO MAKE THIS COST NEUTRAL.
THERE WOULD BE NO COST IN MOVING THE POSITIONS FROM ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT TO A NEW DIVISION.
UNLESS I'M MISUNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD GET TWO NEW AGMS WITHOUT INCURRING SOME COSTS.
UNLESS YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SPAN OF CONTROL AND THAT OPERATIONS HAS TONS OF MORE EMPLOYEES, I DON'T ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO LOWER.
>> NOT REMOVING ANY POSITIONS.
I WOULD DEFER TO OUR AGM OF FINANCE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE CHANGES ARE BEING MADE, BUT WE DID REPURPOSE OTHER POSITIONS.
THERE ARE 0.3 FTES AND WE'RE USING THOSE CHANGES WITH THE FOUNDATION, SOME OF THAT IS PAYING FOR IT.
THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES IN THERE THAT RESULT IN NO COST.
THAT IS WHY WE WANTED TO DEVELOP THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BUDGET SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT IT WAS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
>> I'M STILL CONFUSED. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MAKE TWO NEW AGMS WITHOUT INCURRING ANY COST.
MAYBE THAT'S JUST ME, BUT I'LL LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS, AND I HOPE I CAN GET SOME INFORMATION FROM YOU FOLKS. THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
>> JESSICA, WHEN I WAS A BABY LAWYER AND WORKED FOR ALL THOSE HOSPITALS. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER?
>> THEY ALL USED THE TERM RIGHT SIZE IN ORDER TO AVOID TALKING ABOUT LAYOFFS.
>> YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT TALKING ABOUT LAYOFFS.
>> THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO SO THAT PEOPLE MY AGE WHO GREW UP IN THE CORPORATE WORLD 20, 30 YEARS AGO, THAT WAS THE CATCH PHRASE, WERE RIGHT SIZING, AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY JUST EXERCISING LAYOFFS, AND THAT ISN'T OCCURRING HERE.
>> I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIOS, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND EXECUTIVE TO EMPLOYEE RATIO GOING 1-91 TO ONE TO 77 IS ONE EXECUTIVE PER 91 EMPLOYEES?
>> TO ONE EXECUTIVE PER 77 EMPLOYEES?
>> WE ARE IN A WHAT WOULD BE CALLED RIGHT SIZING MANAGEMENT TO EMPLOYEE RATIO.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IS ESCAPING SOME OF US IN TERMS OF THIS BEING BUDGET NEUTRAL.
WHEN YOU'RE CREATING MORE MANAGERS PER THE EVERYDAY WORKFORCE.
I CAN SEE IF YOU'RE MOVING THINGS AROUND AND BALANCING THINGS, SO I'M NOT TOTALLY INCREDULOUS AT THAT.
I JUST I THINK IT NEEDS BETTER EXPLANATION.
>> THERE IS A FOUNDATION POSITION THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO A AGM, AND THAT FUNDING IS GOING TO FUND ONE OF THOSE.
THEN THERE IS AN UPGRADE OF A CHIEF POSITION.
IT'S NOT CALLED A CHIEF ANYMORE, A DIVISION LEAD POSITION TO AN AGM, AND SO THE COST OF THAT IS MUCH LESS.
>> THE DIVISION LEAD POSITION IS NOT REMAINING.
[01:30:05]
IT'S NOT A NET ADD OF AN FTE WITHIN IS.>> THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THOUGH IN THE RATIO OF MANAGEMENT PER EMPLOYEE.
WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S THE MATH? IT'S 14% OR 14 PER EMPLOYEE CHANGE.
I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT.
I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF DEFERRING TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM WHEN IT COMES TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE DIVISIONS AND SUCH, AND THAT I PRETTY MUCH SEE MY ROLE AS OVERSEEING THE BUDGET INVOLVED.
THAT'S WHY WE DO HAVE THAT FOCUS.
BUT YOU FOLKS ARE MUCH CLOSER TO HOW THE DIVISIONS OPERATE, HOW EMPLOYEES PERFORM THEIR WORK, AND I'M ALL FOR YOU ALL FIGURING OUT HOW THAT IS BEST DONE WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION.
>> I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT SAME BULLET POINT IN TERMS OF RATIO OF EXECUTIVE STAFF.
FOR EXECUTIVE STAFF, YOU'RE COUNTING AGMS AND DEPUTY GMS AND GM.
>> GENERAL MANAGER, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS.
>> THERE'S ALSO OUR EQUITY OFFICER THAT WE COUNTED IN THERE AS WELL, AND OUR GENERAL COUNSEL.
>> ANY OTHERS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
>> I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON DIRECTOR WAESPI'S QUESTION ABOUT OUR DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS.
JUST TO GET A SENSE OF, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS AND THE REORGANIZATION? I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART IN FRONT OF US, BUT IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO HEAR AT A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS.
>> SURE. I'LL TAKE THAT. DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS HISTORICALLY IN ANY ORGANIZATION AND SAME THING HERE, SET UP TO REALLY BE MY SURROGATES.
WHEN YOU GET TO 1,100 EMPLOYEES, I MEAN, WHEN I GOT HERE, A LOT OF DIRECTOR REPORTS, NOT SUPER FUNCTIONAL FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF THIS SIZE.
IF YOU WANT REALLY TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY, I CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES.
REALLY TO SET US UP, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE DEPUTY HERE WHEN I STARTED AND WE WORKED TOGETHER AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR A SECOND DEPUTY, AND IT'S WORKED OUT, I THINK REALLY WELL.
WORKING THROUGH THESE PIECES AND HAD VACANCIES WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, THE TWO OF THEM ACTUALLY HAVEN'T QUITE BEEN ABLE TO JUST BE DEPUTIES QUITE YET, BECAUSE THEY EACH HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO ALSO SERVE AS ACTING AGMS OVER DIVISIONS AS WELL.
THAT IS NOT REALLY THE LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO THE ORGANIZATION.
REALLY, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN GET MAX TO HIS DAY JOB, LIKE WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH ALLISON WHEN SHE WAS CARRYING TWO HATS WITH HR.
BUT REALLY, THE DEPUTIES ARE HERE TO BE REALLY MY RIGHT HAND PEOPLE, BE SURROGATES, AND NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT THAT THE DREAM AGM TEAM HAS HERE AND REALLY ABLE TO DO HIGHER LEVEL, MUCH MORE EXTERNAL WORK AND THEN CAN SIT IN MY PLACE.
>> THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION, BUT GO AHEAD.
>> THIS JUST FOLLOWS ON TO THAT.
WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS JUST TO KNOW EITHER, BOTH NOW AND WHERE THE REORG IS GOING.
WHICH AGMS ARE REPORTING INTO WHICH DGMS VERSUS DIRECTLY TO SABRINA?
>> ALL AGMS REPORT DIRECTLY TO ME, JUST LIKE ALL THE TWO DEPUTIES REPORT DIRECTLY TO ME, AND THE EQUITY OFFICER ALSO REPORTS DIRECTLY TO ME.
ON A FUNCTIONAL ORG CHART, IT REALLY DEPENDS, AND THIS IS VERY STANDARD AN ORGANIZATION THAT GETS TO BE THIS SIDE.
IT REALLY IS PRETTY FLUID AND IT CAN DEPEND BASED OFF OF WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THAT YEAR, AND WHAT SKILL SET WE HAVE WITHIN THE TEAM.
IT'S ENVISIONED IN A BROAD SENSE AND THE WAY IT'S WORKED FOR ME IN OTHER PLACES, WHERE ONE OF THE DEPUTIES IS A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED ON THE INTERNAL SERVICES, AND THE OTHER DEPUTIES A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED ON THE EXTERNAL SERVICES.
BUT IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S WEADED AND EMBEDDED IN THE ORG CHART IN THAT WAY.
[01:35:04]
THAT'S REALLY MUCH MORE WHAT WE CALL THE FUNCTIONAL ORG CHART ON A DAY TO DAY.>> THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECT REPORTS.
I BELIEVE THEY MIGHT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT THAT THEY SHARE, AND AN ANALYST. YES.
>> YES. I HAVE A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS, NOT JUST ONE MORE.
REAL QUICK, ABOUT THE FOUNDATION POSITION THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF THE AGM POSITION AND THAT'S GOING TO BE REPOSITIONED.
I'M ASSUMING THAT GETS REPOSITIONED TO THE FACILITIES IN THIS PROPOSED REORGANIZATION THAT GETS REPOSITIONED TO THE FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AGM POSITION.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S IN THAT FOUNDATION POSITION?
>> GREAT QUESTION. WE'LL DIG MORE INTO THE FOUNDATION PROPOSAL.
LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S ON THE 18TH, BUT DON'T HOLD ME TO IT IF I GOT THAT WRONG MIX.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH WITH THE FOUNDATION IS THEY ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO ABSORB THAT POSITION AS THEIR FIRST OFFICIAL EMPLOYEE.
THE INCUMBENT LAUREN, WILL THEN BECOME AN EMPLOYEE OF THE REGIONAL PARK FOUNDATION.
WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THE MECHANICS OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, SO SHE'LL BE THEIR FIRST EMPLOYEE.
IT'S REALLY THE FUNDING FROM THAT IS FREED UP IN ORDER TO FUND ONE OF THESE NEW POSITIONS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
>> THEN WITH THAT AGM POSITION IN FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL THAT THEN GO THROUGH A RECRUITMENT PERIOD, OR HOW IS THAT NEW AGM POSITION GOING TO BE FILLED?
>> JUST TOTALLY CONSISTENT WITH EVERY OTHER ONE THAT I'VE HAD HERE, WHICH IS FULL EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT, NATIONAL RECRUITMENT.
ASSUMING IT GETS APPROVED IN THE BUDGET, THEN WE WILL HIRE I THINK WE'VE ALREADY TRIED TO GET OURSELVES READY TO GO SO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO STAFF THESE THINGS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT WE WON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE BUDGET GETS ADOPTED, BUT THEY'LL BE AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER AND FULL TRANSPARENCY AND DO THE PROCESS LIKE ALWAYS.
>> THEN MY FINAL QUESTION, I BELIEVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK, DO WE DO ANY LISTENING SESSIONS OR ASK FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE STAFF THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS REORG, MOVING TO DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, MAYBE WITH DIFFERENT MANAGERS, DIFFERENT AGMS. I'M JUST CURIOUS AT A HIGH LEVEL, WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM STAFF.
>> SURE. ALLISON COOK, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER.
YES, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS BEEN THINKING OF FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
IT STARTED OUT WITH A SMALL GROUP OF AGMS REALLY SITTING DOWN AND DISCUSSING THE COORDINATION OF WORK AND WHAT MAKES SENSE BASED ON HOW THE WORK HAS EVOLVED AT THE PARK DISTRICT.
THEN ONCE WE CAME UP WITH A FRAMEWORK, WE REALLY THEN DECIDED TO MEET OFFICIALLY WITH EVERY AGM, AND EVERY DIVISION LEAD, AND THEN THE DIVISION LEADS MET WITH THEIR MANAGERS, AND I BELIEVE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER MAX CORTON WAS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THOSE MANAGER MEETINGS.
WE REALLY DID TAKE THEIR FEEDBACK AND INPUT.
IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES WITH REORGANIZATIONS AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HEARD FROM THEM AND THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
IN FACT, FROM THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS, WE ACTUALLY DID MAKE CHANGES THAT IS PART OF OUR PROPOSAL HERE.
NOW, WITH RESPECT TO REPRESENTED STAFF, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE UNION PROCESS TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
WE REALLY WANTED TO RESPECT THAT PROCESS AND NOT DO ANY DIRECT DEALING, WHICH AS AGM ROMEO SAID, WE ARE PLANNING TO BE WITH THE UNION THIS WEEK, WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED SOME OF THEIR FEEDBACK.
I WOULD SAY, YES, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF THOSE.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO. AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> AS THIS IS ONE ITEM, I DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT SPECIFICALLY ON THE RE ORG, BUT THEN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET PORTION AFTER THAT, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE METRIC OR STANDARD FOR HEADCOUNT GROWTH OUGHT TO BE IN THESE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
[01:40:05]
BUT SINCE YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT REALLY SERVING ACREAGE, YOU'RE PROBABLY SERVING PEOPLE I WOULD IMAGINE, AND THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD BE BENCHMARKED TO THE POPULATION GROWTH RATE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, WHICH HAS BEEN SOMETHING LIKE 1.5% IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND YOUR GROWTH RATE OF YOUR HEAD COUNT HAS BEEN DOUBLE THAT, PROBABLY OR 2.5 TIMES THAT OF THE GROWTH RATE.THAT'S ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND.
JUST BECAUSE YOU HAD A CERTAIN GROWTH RATE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE RIGHT GROWTH RATE, MAYBE IT'S BEEN TOO HIGH.
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE LAST BUDGET SLIDE I SAW HAD A SLIGHT NEGATIVE.
WHAT IS IT NEGATIVE RUNNING IN THE RED SLIGHTLY.
SECONDLY, ON THE REORG, IF YOU'RE DOING FUNCTIONAL VERSUS A PROJECT ORIENTED AND YOU'RE SHIFTING OVER TO FUNCTIONAL, THE MANAGERS ARE ALWAYS BUILDING UP THE SKILLS AND THE FUNCTIONS THEY NEED TO GET SOMETHING DONE, AND THEN THEY BECOME REALLY GOOD.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, SOMEBODY COMES IN AND SAYS, WELL, THAT'S A FUNCTION RIGHT THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OUT AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN THE FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENT NOW.
I GUESS THAT'S A PROCESS THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME FOR EVERY BIG CORPORATION.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS, LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE EASY TO MEASURE, HOW FAST CAN THEY TYPE OR WHATEVER THEY DO.
OR HOW MANY YARDS OF CEMENT CAN THEY POUR IN A YEAR OR WHATEVER THE METRIC IS.
THE PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY A LOT EASIER TO MEASURE BECAUSE YOU EITHER DID THE STUFF RIGHT AND GOT THE PROJECT DONE ON TIME OR WITHIN BUDGET OR YOU DIDN'T.
METRICS ARE EASIER TO APPLY TO PROJECT DEPARTMENTS.
THEN FINALLY, ONCE YOU GET THESE THINGS ALL COMPLICATED LIKE THIS, LIKE ALL THE BUREAUCRACIES ARE.
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE CREATIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO LIKE THE CITY OF FREMONT, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
THEY CAME IN AND SAID, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO PUT IN ALL THESE INFORMATION GATHERING DEVICES, CAMERAS, SOMETHING, WHATEVER THEY WERE EVERYWHERE.
THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO PICK THE EQUIPMENT, WE'RE GOING TO RUN THE EQUIPMENT.
EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE UNDER OUR CONTROL FROM BEGINNING TO END AND OUR CONTRACTOR.
REMEMBER, THAT'S THE FUNCTIONING OF IT.
THEY SAID, WE WANT THE IT DEPARTMENT TO PAY FOR IT.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO HIDE COSTS.
>> NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE REORG PORTION.
WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE BUDGET PORTION.
>> ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS NOW ON THAT FIRST PORTION?
>> WELL, SURE. JUST A COMMENT.
I NOTED ALLISON'S COMMENT THAT THE MANAGEMENT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
THE UNION KNOWS ABOUT IT, THAT'S THE FIRST I HEARD ABOUT THIS REORG, AND NOW THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IT IS ON MY DESK AT ONE O'CLOCK TODAY.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, CAN WE COMMUNICATE BETTER? COULD WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED ALONG THE WAY? IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFUSION ON OUR DS HERE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR FAULT.
WE WEREN'T INCLUDED, AND SO WE SEE IT AT ONE O'CLOCK TODAY AND I'M TOLD YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW. I HOPE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AT SOME POINT.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>> I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING SOME OF THE MORE OF THE DETAILS LIKE WE'VE BEEN SAYING, I MEAN COMMUNICATION.
I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO DIGEST THIS, BUT I'M A QUICK LEARNER.
I'M COMING UP TO SPEED, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
I APPRECIATED THE EARLIER COMMENT THAT WE TRUST MANAGERS TO DO OUR WORK.
OUR ROLE IS TO OVERSEE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUDGET, BUT OUR ROLE IS ALSO TO UPHOLD THE MISSION OF THE AGENCY AND NOT SEEING THE PREVIOUS ORG CHART, NOT HAVING TIME TO DIGEST THIS.
MY REACTION IS THAT YOU LOOKING AT THE DEPUTIES, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT ADDS UP THAT YOU'VE GOT 12 REPORTS REPORTING TO YOU AS A GM, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH OVERALL.
ONE OF THEM, I REALLY LOVE, AND I THINK IT UPHOLDS OUR MISSION IS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY,
[01:45:01]
BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN BEFORE IS CLIMATE AND EQUITY OR CLIMATE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE GO TOGETHER IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT OR SUSTAINABILITY.I'VE OFTEN ALSO SEEN THAT IT WOULD FALL UNDER FACILITIES ESPECIALLY WE'VE JUST APPROVED A BUNCH OF NEW COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE GOING TO HELP RUN OUR FACILITIES.
BUT BACK TO MY COMMENTS, SO I'M RAMBLING A LITTLE BIT.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT STEWARDSHIP IS HAVING THINGS TAKEN AWAY FROM IT RATHER THAN BEING ELEVATED.
WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, I THOUGHT AND IMAGINED THAT ONE OF THE DEPUTIES WOULD BE OF STEWARDSHIP IN LAND MANAGEMENT BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO KEEPING A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, I THINK WE DO HAVE TO UPHOLD THE MISSION TO OUR VOTERS TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE.
AS I SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, THEY'RE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOW TO DO THAT.
HOW DO WE RAISE UP IN THIS NEW STRUCTURE THAT IMPORTANT PART OF MAKING SURE WE'RE LEADERS.
WE'RE THE LARGEST PARK DISTRICT IN THE NATION TO REALLY BE LEADERS ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, SAVING OUR LANDS, PROTECTING THINGS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS.
THOSE ARE ALL MY RAMBLED COMMENTS.
I THINK ONCE WE ACTUALLY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE COMPARING THIS TO AND A LITTLE BIT MORE AS I DIGEST, HOW IS IT BUDGET NEUTRAL.
I STILL WANT TO KEEP MAKING SURE WE'RE UPHOLDING OUR MISSION TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE FOR RECREATION, PRESERVATION, AND BEING DRIVEN BY ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS.
I JUST DON'T SEE THAT HERE IN OUR ORG CHART.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP HERE.
CAN I CALL A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK HERE AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THAT ONE. THANK YOU.
>> HI, THERE, I'M DEB SPALDING AGM OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
I'M GOING TO PRESENT THE OVERVIEW OF THE FMS PROPOSED BUDGET.
I TOLD THE OTHER AGMS, I'D GO FIRST SO THAT THEY HAD A SENSE OF WHAT WE WERE AIMING FOR SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE DOING IT.
AND I'LL JUST REITERATE BEFORE I BEGIN, THIS IS JUST A CHANGE FOR YOU GUYS.
HERE WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, NO DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AND I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
IT FEELS LIKE IT'S A LOT TO DIGEST.
IT'S OUR FIRST TIME DOING IT, WE'LL KEEP GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR, I HOPE. THAT'S THE PONT.
I'LL START OUT BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS IN FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
WE HAVE OUR FMS ADMINISTRATION, AND SO WE PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO THE DIVISION TO THE BOARD FINANCE COMMITTEE TO THE GM, AND TO ALL THE OTHER DIVISIONS.
THEN WE HAVE OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST TEAM WITHIN FMS. WE'VE GOT ALL OF YOUR TYPICAL FINANCE FUNCTIONS, BUDGET, PAYROLL ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, ACCOUNTING.
THE ONE THING THAT'S NOT IN HERE RIGHT NOW IS PROCUREMENT, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
MOVING ON INTO THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT.
YOU GUYS KNOW THAT SMALL TEAM OF THREE FTE, AND THEY WORK ON GETTING OUTSIDE FUNDING PREDOMINANTLY FOR PROJECTS, BUT A LITTLE BIT FOR OPERATING SO GRANTS OR OTHER FUNDING FROM OTHER AGENCIES.
A LOT OF WORK IN THAT AND DOING THE APPLICATION, REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL THE REQUIRED REPORTING SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT FUNDING.
THEN WE'VE GOT OUR INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT, IT'S A TEAM OF TWO, AND THEY PROVIDE INDEPENDENT OBJECTIVE ASSURANCE, REALLY LIKE A CONSULTING SERVICE WHERE THEY'LL LOOK AT OUR OUTSIDE CONCESSIONAIRES.
THEY'LL LOOK AT THE FUNCTIONS THAT WE PROVIDE WITHIN FINANCE OR WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND REPORT OUT ON HOW WE'RE DOING? DO WE HAVE GOOD INTERNAL CONTROLS? WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER? WE HAVE OUR IS DEPARTMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY PART OF FMS, AS YOU HEARD, THAT'S PROPOSED TO BE MOVED TO BE ITS OWN DIVISION.
THEN WE HAVE OFFICE SERVICES, FOR THE MOST OF OFFICE SERVICES, IS PROPOSED TO MOVE TO THE NEW F&I FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DIVISION, BUT A PORTION OF THOSE FOLKS WOULD STAY WITH FMS FOR THE RECEPTION STAFF.
THEN I'M VERY EXCITED THAT BUSINESS SERVICES WOULD BE COMING OVER TO OUR TEAM WITH THE PROPOSED REORG.
EVER SINCE I CAME HERE, 18 YEARS AGO, I FELT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO OVERSEE THE WHOLE FINANCES OF THE DISTRICT WITHOUT HAVING THAT REVENUE PIECE.
I FEEL THERE'S A LOT OF SYNERGY BY HAVING THEM MOVE OVER, IF IT'S APPROVED.
I'M NOW GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DID IN 2025.
OUR BIGGEST PROJECT WAS OUR ERP SOFTWARE SYSTEM.
[01:50:02]
YOU'LL NOTICE, IN MY PRESENTATION, I'M NOT TALKING AT ALL ABOUT ANY FUNDING THAT WE REQUESTED OR RECEIVING IN THE 2026 BUDGET.THAT'S BECAUSE WE ASKED FOR ALL OF IT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING AND SUPER GRATEFUL THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED THAT.
THAT WAS OUR BIG PROJECT THIS YEAR.
BUT WE DID OTHER STUFF AS WELL, WORKING IN TANGENT WITH THE GMS OFFICE AND LEGAL DIVISION TO IMPLEMENT SOME NEW PURCHASING PROCEDURES AND NEW CONTRACT TEMPLATES.
OUR GRANTS TEAM KEPT WORKING DOING THOSE APPLICATIONS.
42.76 MILLION IN GRANTS THAT THEY APPLIED FOR.
AS OF THE WRITING OF THIS POWERPOINT, 8.46 MILLION AWARDED, BUT THERE'S MORE THAT'S COME IN SINCE WE WROTE THIS.
IT CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE WE RECEIVE THE GRANTS THAT WE APPLY FOR.
WE WORKED ON IMPROVING GREEN PURCHASING THROUGH CENTRAL STORES AND IMPROVING PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR DECLARED DISASTERS.
THEN HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN 2026.
YOU GUYS JUST APPROVED THE FUNDING FOR OUR NEW ERP SYSTEM.
WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THAT IN THE COMING YEAR.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING STARTED NEXT WEEK.
THE FIRST PART IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT CHANGE MANAGEMENT.
WHEN I ASKED OUR TEAM, WHAT SHOULD OUR OBJECTIVES BE FOR THIS YEAR, KATIE, WHO'S RUNNING THE WORKDAY IMPLEMENTATION WAS LIKE, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST HAVE ONE OBJECTIVE AND THIS IS IT.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OTHERS, BUT THAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE THE MASSIVE WORK THAT OUR TEAM WILL BE DOING.
WE'LL ALSO BE AS MENTIONED TRANSITIONING TO THE CENTRALIZED PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND AS PART OF THAT LAUNCHING VENDOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
LOOKING AT ALL OF THE VENDORS WE USE DISTRICT WIDE AND FIGURING OUT, WHICH ONES DO WE WANT TO KEEP USING? ARE THERE SOME THAT WE SHOULD CENTRALIZE ON? ON THE BUDGET SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP HOLDING REGULAR BUDGET MEETINGS WITH OUR DIVISION LEADS AND ON THE GRANT SIDE, CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE NEW PROCUREMENT TEAM.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, EVERYTHING ELSE FINANCE-WIDE IS CENTRALIZED IN FINANCE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PROCUREMENT.
I THINK THAT DID MAKE SENSE WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS SMALLER, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE LOST WHEN EVERYBODY IS HAVING TO RUN THEIR OWN CONTRACT.
RIGHT NOW, MANY PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT HAVE A PURCHASE CARD.
THINGS ARE BOUGHT, NOT ALWAYS FOLLOWING LIKE OUR GREEN PURCHASING RULES, FOR EXAMPLE.
BY CENTRALIZING PROCUREMENT, WE CAN STANDARDIZE ON WHAT VENDORS WE'RE USING.
WE CAN GET BETTER PRICING, LEVERAGE BULK PURCHASING, DO BETTER VENDOR MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION, AND JUST REALLY SUPPORT THE DISTRICT BETTER.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TIRED OF DOING THEIR OWN CONTRACTS ARE EXCITED THAT THIS FUNCTION IS GOING TO GET CENTRALIZED.
AGAIN, ON THE TOPIC OF GREEN PURCHASING, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S A BOARD PRIORITY.
IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT, I THINK TO MAKE TOO MUCH HEADWAY ON THIS WITH EVERYTHING BEING SO DECENTRALIZED.
BY BRINGING CENTRAL STORES AND ALL PROCUREMENT INTO ONE HOUSE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING.
THE CENTRAL STORES UNIT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB, SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE NEW SUPPLIES THAT THEY'RE GETTING OUT THERE.
WE HAVE A DISTRICT-WIDE TRAINING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR ALL NEW STAFF.
WE'RE WORKING ON IT, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE WITH CENTRALIZED PROCUREMENT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S MORE OF A CASE STUDY EXAMPLE TYPE OF QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE PROCUREMENT TEAM.
I'M CURIOUS WHEN YOU SAY EVERYONE'S WRITING THEIR OWN CONTRACTS.
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN P CARD.
I'M THINKING ABOUT AT THE PARK LEVEL, THINKING ABOUT THE PARK SUPERVISOR.
MY SPECIFIC CASE STUDY EXAMPLE IS AT DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK.
WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF RANCHES AND RESIDENCES THAT ACCESS THEIR HOMES PAST OUR DEL VALLE KIOSK.
WITH THE RECENT STORM EVENTS AND OTHER SITUATIONS, WE DO HAVE SOME HOMES THAT ACTUALLY DRIVE ON SOME OF OUR TRAILS ON NATURAL SURFACE, DIRT ROAD TRAIL.
AFTER THE STORMS, THERE'S A NEED FOR A LARGE QUANTITY OF ROCKS TO BE DELIVERED TO HELP PREVENT EROSION AND HELP MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THAT ROAD.
IN THIS CASE THE EXAMPLE, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED THAT THE PARK SUPERVISOR AT DEL VALLE WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY GET THE ROCKS AND I THINK HAVE THEM WITHIN 24 HOURS OR LESS,
[01:55:05]
AND IT WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY THOSE NEIGHBORS.I'M JUST CURIOUS WITH THIS CENTRALIZED PURCHASING, WOULD THAT ADD LAYERS TO AN EXAMPLE SUCH AS THIS ONE?
>> AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CENTRALIZING PURCHASING, THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE IS THAT ABILITY TO BE NIMBLE AND THAT THAT IS A RISK WHEN YOU CENTRALIZE PROCUREMENT, THAT YOU'VE GOT A BOTTLENECK OF SOMEBODY WHO'S LIKE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
BUT WE DO NOT WANT TO DEVELOP ANYTHING THAT CAUSES A BOTTLENECK.
THERE'S TOTALLY A NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE.
I THINK THE IDEAL SITUATION WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE VENDORS THAT WE HAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS.
HEY, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE WANT TO PAY FOR ROCK, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY EXAMPLES OF WHERE THERE'S FLOODING OR A NEED TO BRING IN GRAVEL.
I SEE SO MANY PURCHASE ORDERS COME THROUGH FOR GRAVEL HERE, GRAVEL THERE.
WE WANT TO HAVE MAYBE A SEVERAL VENDORS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT WHERE WE HAVE A SET PRICE.
YOU CAN GO TO THAT VENDOR, GET YOUR GRAVEL.
YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR WORK DONE VERY QUICKLY.
>> THAT'S HELPFUL. I JUST WANT TO SAY I WAS JUST SO IMPRESSED HOW QUICKLY THIS WAS ABLE TO HAPPEN.
WHATEVER IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES OR BEHIND THE CURTAIN, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, BUT I GUESS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL ABLE TO DO WHAT WE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT NIMBLENESS.
WE WILL BE VERY CAREFUL TO TREAD CAREFULLY AS WE CREATE THIS.
>> DEBORAH, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE THERE IN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, RIGHT NOW?
>> I HATE TO GUESS. I BELIEVE IT'S 18, DAVID.
AND WHEN YOU REFER TO THE PROCUREMENT TEAM, YOU'LL HAVE THIS PERSON BE AN ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER, AND IT'S REVENUE NEUTRAL.
>> THAT'S MY OLD POSITION THAT I HAD NOT FILLED KNOWING THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION OF PROCUREMENT AND WAITING TILL THE TIME WAS RIGHT TO BRING THAT PERSON ON.
>> BUT IT'S GOING TO INCUR MORE MONEY.
>> WELL, IT'S AN EXISTING BUDGETED POSITION THAT'S BEEN VACANT FOR TWO YEARS OR HOWEVER LONG I'VE BEEN DOING MY JOB.
>> IT HAS BE BUDGETED EVERY YEAR?
>> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, WHICH IS THE SAME DEAL.
>> I THINK THAT ONE IS DIFFERENT.
>> NO, THAT'S JUST A TRANSFER OF AN EXISTING POSITION THAT GETS RENAMED, BOARD CLASSIFICATION OR BOARD SUPPORT SERVICES.
THAT'S ALSO BUDGET NEUTRAL, AND THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS REORGANIZATION.
>> I KNOW IT'S NOT. I WAS JUST THINKING, IS IT THE SAME TYPE OF DEAL, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SAY WELL, WE HAD A PIO POSITION FOR YEARS. IT'S BEEN VACANT.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HIRE SOMEBODY THERE BECAUSE WE NEED SOMEBODY AND THEN IT BECOMES REVENUE NEUTRAL WHEN IN FACT YOU'RE FOR A NEW POSITION.
>> TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIS POSITION IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
IT JUST HAS NEVER BEEN FILLED.
IT'S BEEN IN THE BUDGET FOR EVER, AND SHE'S BEEN DOING MANY JOBS.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT.
I'M USED TO ORGANIZATIONS HAVING A WHOLE PROCUREMENT TEAM.
I KNOW SOMETIMES THAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE FIELD THAT THEY'VE HAD TO SPEND A LOT MORE TIME DOING THE RISK MANAGEMENT, LIKE THE LEGAL SIDE, DOING THE CONTRACTS.
DO YOU SEE AS FAR AS THIS, EVEN THOUGH WE NEED NIMBLENESS, IS THIS GOING TO REDUCE SOME OF THE WORK WITHIN THOSE DEPARTMENTS SO THEY'RE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME OUT IN THE FIELD, MANAGING THEIR TEAMS? HOW DID YOU MAKE THE CHOICE WHAT TYPE OF FUNCTIONS TO MOVE?
I THINK RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE SPENDING, ESPECIALLY AIRFIELD STAFF SPENDING A LOT OF TIME DOING PAPERWORK AND CONTRACT WORK, WHETHER THAT'S GETTING THE INSURANCE OR GETTING THE APPROVAL ON THINGS.
FIGURING OUT WHICH CONTRACTS WE'RE GOING TO CENTRALIZE.
THE TREE CONTRACT IS THE ONE I OFTEN USE AS THE EXAMPLE.
RIGHT NOW, EVERY PARK IS RUNNING THEIR OWN TREE CONTRACT.
[02:00:02]
WE'VE STARTED CENTRALIZING THAT THERE'S SOME MORE TREE CONTRACTS THAT ARE INTENDED TO BE USED BY MULTIPLE PARKS.BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO HAVE ONE CONTRACT SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GET YOUR HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVED, YOU JUST HAVE THAT VENDOR DO A PO AND YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO DO THE WHOLE CONTRACT YOURSELF.
>> BASICALLY, YOU'D HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY SET UP IN THE PO THAT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS COULD CHARGE AGAIN ONCE THEY GET THIS AS FAR AS [OVERLAPPING].
>> THIS IS GOING TO BE A TECHNICAL, BUT IT'S CALLED A BLANKET PO.
YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY DISTRICT-WIDE TO SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT MONEY IN THEIR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT BLANKET AUTHORITY.
BUT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO RUN A CONTRACT.
>> YOU TOTALLY GET IT. I THINK THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHEN YOU GET TO BE THIS LARGE.
I THINK LISA CAN SPEAK TO THIS.
BUT WHEN WE STARTED TO TALK TO OPERATION STAFF ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION FINALLY OF A PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, I THINK IT WAS MET WITH A LOT OF CHEERS BECAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS MUCH MORE ON THE PARK SERVICES.
>> THEN THE BUDGET SIDE, ASSUMING SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS ARE GOING TO BE VERY LARGE IN DOLLAR AMOUNT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT AS FAR AS THOSE BLANKET POS, IS THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMES TO THE BOARD AND WE HAVE SIGN OFF ON?
>> YEAH. YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE COME THROUGH RECENTLY WHERE WE'RE DOING ON CALL CONTRACTS FOR VARIOUS SERVICES.
IT WOULD BE LIKE THAT. IT WOULD COME TO THE BOARD.
YOU GIVE US AN AUTHORITY FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
MAYBE WE'D HAVE SEVERAL VENDORS SINCE THERE'S A NEED TO SERVE ACROSS TWO COUNTIES.
BUT FOR TREE CONTRACTS OR GRAVEL OR WHATEVER EXAMPLE, WE WOULD HAVE THAT BLANKET AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR.
THAT WOULD COME TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
ANYTHING OVER 50,000 WOULD COME TO THE BOARD.
>> THEY HAVE SOME WORK AHEAD OF THEM.
>> YEAH, NO IN NOT CREATING THAT BOTTLE NECK IS I THINK JUST REALLY TREADING VERY GENTLY, WHAT WE CENTRALIZE AND HOW WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO WHATEVER EMERGENCY COMES UP.
>> EXCUSE ME. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
>> ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING, THE INCREASE IN $51,000 FOR PURCHASING GREEN ITEMS IS NOT EXACTLY A GOOD MEASUREMENT VERSUS WHAT ARE OUR POUNDS OF WASTE PER CAPITA PER EMPLOYEE OR CHEMICALS PER PERSON.
WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENTIAL PURCHASING PLAN.
JUST CURIOUS IF THAT IS FOCUSED JUST INTERNALLY BECAUSE I WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF CITIES IN THE COUNTY IN CONTRA COSTA, AND MOST OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING PROGRAMS WERE UPDATED TO INCLUDE HOW THEY SELECT CONTRACTORS.
A CONTRACTOR, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE THAT YOU USE, ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES OR YOU USE CERTIFIED WOOD OR THAT TYPE OF THING.
WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR NUMBER THREE, THAT WE HAD $42.7 MILLION SPENT VERSUS YOUR OTHER NUMBER ONE, THAT 51,000 WITH THAT AND THIS ORGAN MIND AND EVERYTHING THAT'S RUNNING IN MY HEAD TODAY AND HOW THIS WORKS, I'M NOT SURE WHAT MY QUESTION IS EXACTLY, BUT HOW DO WE GET TO THAT 42.7 MILLION IN CONTRACTS? HOW DO WE GET TO REALLY REDUCING OUR FOOTPRINT? NOT JUST WE'RE SPENDING 51,000 MORE ON GREEN PRODUCTS.
IT DOESN'T REALLY TELL US HOW WE ARE DOING OUT THERE.
THEN I'LL ADD TO THAT QUESTION TO SOMETIME EARLIER IN THE YEAR, I KNOW AT LEAST ON THE EEC AND TILDEN AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THERE WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE SOLAR READY, BUT COULDN'T BE SOLAR.
I'M TYING THESE TOGETHER BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOT TO DO WITH CONTRACTING, AND THEY WERE SAID THAT'S IN DECO, THAT'S OVER HERE, THAT'S OVER THERE.
WHAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY UPHOLD OUR MISSION, LOWER OUR FOOTPRINT? HOW DO YOU SEE US GOING FORWARD IMPROVING THOSE TWO AREAS THAT I MENTIONED? I'LL ADD ONE MORE.
I ALSO THINK I ASKED YOU ONCE BEFORE ABOUT DOING WHAT'S CALLED POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS.
BASICALLY, WE RENT OUR ROOFS OUT TO SOLAR COMPANIES.
THEY PAY US TO PUT SOLAR ON OUR BUILDINGS.
WHERE'S OUR CHANCE TO GET CREATIVE WITH THESE GREAT THINGS YOU DID DO IN 2025, AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THOSE NUMBERS GOING FORWARD TO MEET OUR MISSION?
>> YES. I MAYBE TOUCHED ON IT LIGHTLY IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE INTENDED BENEFITS OF MOVING TO CENTRALIZED PURCHASING IS THAT RIGHT NOW THE WAY WE ARE SO DECENTRALIZED, IT'S HARD TO GET MUCH TRACTION.
[02:05:01]
WE CAN TEACH PEOPLE WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.BUT THE ONLY PLACE WE'RE CENTRALIZED RIGHT NOW IN OUR PURCHASING IS IN CENTRAL STORES.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THIS ATTEMPT TO MEASURE, ARE WE MOVING GREENER IN OUR PURCHASING? OUR WAY OF MEASURING IT IS TO LOOK AT WHAT PRODUCTS ARE COMING THROUGH CENTRAL STORES, AND THAT'S A VERY WEAK MEASURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
WHEN WE CENTRALIZE PURCHASING, THEN WE'LL HAVE A SINGLE PERSON WHO WILL BE THAT ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF PURCHASING; WHEN THEY'RE GOING OUT TO GET BIDS, THEY'RE PUTTING IT IN THEIR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
THESE ARE THE DISTRICT'S REQUIREMENTS.
THEN WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO DRIVE GREEN PURCHASING IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYBODY DOING THEIR OWN THING.
THAT'S THE INTENT WITH PURCHASING, AND TO THE QUESTION OF BIGGER WASTE DISPOSAL ISSUES AND POWER PURCHASING AND SOLAR, I DON'T SEE THAT AS BEING PART OF THE PROCUREMENT GREEN FUNCTION.
BUT ANOTHER THING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THINGS, IS A POSITION TO FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS THAT.
YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET. YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT LATER.
>> I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THAT.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTS ON STAFF TO DO THAT.
>> WE DEFINITELY DO, AND, YES [OVERLAPPING].
>> I WANT TO ASK QUESTION, MAYBE LISA CAN EVEN ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
THIS CENTRALIZED BLANKET CONTRACT THING, WILL THAT HELP SOLVE ISSUES LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT PIEDMONT STABLES, THUMBS UP, WHERE WE LOST A CONTRACTOR, AND IT DRAGGED OUT.
THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THAT PROCESS FASTER.
>> THERE ARE TWO ISSUES THERE.
>> IT DOES HELP THIS SITUATION, THOUGH.
I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO THE REASONS FOR THAT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WOULD HELP. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PART OF IT?
>> AMELIA, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME, OR DID YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL THE PRESENTATION IS [OVERLAPPING] THE FULL PRESENTATION. YOU AS WELL?
>> ANY COMMENTS NOW? EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT PROCUREMENT, SO I'LL JUMP ON TO.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT MOVE THAT THE CENTRALIZATION TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU'RE DOING IT.
I KNOW IT COULD BE EVEN MORE THAN THAT, BUT I LIKE THE STEP THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARD THAT.
IT MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE. GLAD TO SEE THAT.
>> I JUST CONCUR WITH JOHN THERE AS FAR AS HAVING A CENTRALIZED PURCHASING.
>> READY? NEXT ONE, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER.
I'M GOING TO PRESENT ABOUT ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, AND DEVELOPMENT.
I'M GOING TO BE FAST BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A DESIRE FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE CIP AND REALLOCATION OF WW FUNDS, AND I WANT TO MAKE A PLACE FOR THAT.
OUR TEAM, MUCH APPRECIATED, IS HERE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECTS OR FUNDING, THOSE THINGS.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS STUFF.
WHY IS IT NOT GOING FORWARD? CAN YOU HELP ME? THANK YOU.
LET'S SEE. HOW DID WE GET HERE?
>> I'LL JUST SAY, I'M GOING TO GIVE A SUPER BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT WORK THAT THIS TEAM IS WORKING ON NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU. PERFECT. THERE WE GO. NO WORRIES. YOU'RE GOOD.
GREAT. ON LAND ACQUISITION, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WITH THE HABITAT CONSERVANCY OF THE HCP AND EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, ADVANCING ACQUISITIONS ALONG THE SHORELINE, FOCUSING ON KEY TRAIL CONNECTIONS, AND THIS TEAM IS VERY BUSY.
OF COURSE, TO NOTE THAT ALSO, LOTS OF AGREEMENTS, LEASES,
[02:10:02]
AND PERMITS, A LARGE BODY OF WORK.ALLISON AND MYSELF, ALONG WITH REALLY OUR ENTIRE FOLKS FROM ALL OF OUR DIVISIONS, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DISTRICT-WIDE.
THERE'S BEEN TONS OF WORK FROM OPERATIONS FROM FIRE, FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS ON THIS OVER TIME, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TO PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER INTO A COHESIVE STRATEGY, AND WE'LL BE SHARING THAT WITH YOUR BOARD IN THE COMING YEAR.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS FROM PAST USES THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON THE COMING YEAR, JUDGE JOHN SUTTER SHORELINE, POINT ISABEL, THE CHABOT GUN RANGE, WE'RE WORKING ON ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESTORING CREEKS, LAKES, AND SHORELINES.
HAYWARD MARSH IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
LAKE TEMESCAL, THE STOCK POND RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT OUR GRAZING TEAM LEADS.
WE'RE WORKING ON OPENING NEW PARKS.
THE DISTRICT HAS ACQUIRED A LOT OF NEW LAND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY EXCITING PLANS FOR NEW PARK OPENINGS.
SOME OF THOSE WILL BE IN THE PLANNING STAGES NEXT YEAR, AND SOME OF THEM WILL BE IN THE CONSTRUCTION IMPLEMENTATION STAGES.
WE HAVE A TON OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON OUR FIRE ROADS AND OUR WATER SYSTEMS AND OUR SEWERS.
THERE ARE POTENTIAL PROJECTS, ANTHONY CHABOT.
THE ROBERTS POOL NEEDS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SEWER SYSTEM.
THE LAS TRAMPASS WATER SYSTEM NEEDS UPGRADES.
THE CONTRA LOMA SWIMMING FACILITY NEEDS TO BE REBUILT, AND THE SHADE STRUCTURE ALSO NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AT BIG BREAK.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REALLY EXCITING TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE BUILDING ON PLANNING THAT'S BEEN ONGOING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
OF COURSE, THE PLANNING TEAM IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON THE DISTRICT PLAN ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER TEAMS FROM THROUGHOUT OUR STAFF AND YOUR BOARD.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. SUPER QUICK.
I REALLY WANTED TO JUST MAKE SPACE TO TALK ABOUT THE CIP AND ABOUT THE MEASURE WW REALLOCATION.
WE PROVIDED ALL THE BOARD MATERIALS THAT WERE FROM THE STUDY SESSION.
I KNOW THERE WAS A DESIRE TO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER.
ONE THING THAT WAS ALSO EMAILED TO YOUR BOARD, AND MAYBE WE HAVE COPIES TOO, WAS THE ORIGINAL PROJECT LIST, ALSO IN SOME MORE INFORMATION FROM 2008 WHEN THE WW WAS PROPOSED TO VOTERS.
WE HAVE THE MAP AND THE DESCRIPTIONS THAT WENT OUT TO VOTERS.
THAT WAY, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WAS PROMISED OR WHAT WERE THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THOSE DIRECTLY.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOUR BOARD FOR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS, AND WE'RE ALL HERE TO HELP ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> NO. THAT DOCUMENT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT HAD THE ORIGINAL.
IT HAS SOME TALKING POINTS, SOME BULLETS IN THE BEGINNING.
THEN AT THE END, IT INCLUDES THE MAP AND DESCRIPTION OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS.
DID I MISS YOU? DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> NO. AMANDA EMAILED THIS TO US [INAUDIBLE]
>> YES. I THINK AS WE GOT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND REALIZED THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT [OVERLAPPING].
>> I UNDERSTAND. I'M ON THE ROAD BY THEN.
>> DO WE HAVE HARD COPIES OF THAT?
>> WE CAN PROVIDE HARD COPIES.
>> WE'LL GET YOU ALL HARD COPIES RIGHT NOW.
>> MAX, CAN YOU ALSO PROVIDE HARD COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED PROJECTS [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. GOOD. THANK YOU.
>> THAT'S WHAT WAS ON MY PHONE.
>> I'M GOING TO ASK ONE QUESTION RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN I MAY ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS DEPENDING ON HOW THIS DISCUSSION GOES.
BUT MY ONE QUESTION, OUR 2026 LAND ACQUISITION GOALS.
I KNOW I'VE MENTIONED THIS QUITE A BIT, BUT I ALSO KNOW A LOT HAS HAPPENED RECENTLY IN SACRAMENTO IN TERMS OF RECOGNIZING AND DISCUSSING THE DIABLO RANGE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE THAT MIGHT FIT INTO THIS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AND WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVANCY.
[02:15:01]
HOWEVER, I KNOW WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WITH EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, A LOT OF AVAILABLE FUNDS ARE A PART OF THE ALTAMONT LANDFILL OPEN SPACE.I KNOW MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LAND ACQUISITION AND THESE OPPORTUNITIES, I DO TRY TO MAKE A POINT OF BRINGING UP THE ALTAMONT LANDFILL OPEN SPACE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT MIGHT FIT INTO THE 2026 GOALS FOR ACQUISITION AND ALSO THIS CONVERSATION IN REGARDS TO OUR 2026 BUDGET.
>> SURE. I WOULD JUST HIGHLIGHT, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE HCP AND IN THE EAST PART OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
OUR TEAM IS OBVIOUSLY DISTRICT WIDE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND BRINGING THEM TO YOUR BOARD WHEN THAT TIME IS RIGHT.
>> ONE THING I'D MENTION AROUND THE LEGISLATION AND THE DIABLO RANGE IS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO INVITE SAVE MOUNT DIABLO AND POTENTIALLY OTHER PARTNERS TO THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE TO HELP PROVIDE INFORMATION TO YOUR BOARD TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS GOING ON THERE AND THE VISION FOR THE DIABLO RANGE AS A WHOLE.
>> YES, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK AT NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.
MAYBE I DIDN'T THINK TO MENTION ULTIMONT LANDFILL OPEN SPACE FUND, BUT THAT MIGHT BE GOOD TO MAYBE PAIR WITH THE DIABLO RANGE CONVERSATION.
BUT IN MY BRAIN WHEN I THINK ABOUT OUR MAP AND OUR GEOGRAPHY, I CONSIDER THE ALTIMON LANDFILL OPEN SPACE FUND SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVANCY.
VERY DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, OF COURSE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT IS A MECHANISM IN REGARDS TO PROTECTING OPEN SPACE IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
>> FOR THE CIPS, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED WITH US, COMMENTS TODAY, QUESTIONS, DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK, ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF FUNDS ARE COMING OUT OF MY AREA WARD.
I KNOW WE'RE ALL ON EAST BAY PARKS, BUT I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED.
AS FAR AS IF CERTAIN FUNDS ARE THAT BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S COMING UP IS THE CIPS, WE DON'T VOTE ON THEM ALL AT ONCE.
IT'S WHEN THE PROJECTS COME UP.
JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT CLEAR TRANSPARENT DIALOGUE AND MAYBE ENGAGING SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT AS FAR AS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AND THEN DISCUSS MORE WHY SOME OF THOSE MOVES MIGHT BE MADE, AND THEN OTHERS, MAYBE THERE'S SOME WE MIGHT WANT TO RECONSIDER, SO LEAVING THAT DIALOGUE A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN.
I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SAYING THESE DIFFERENT FUNDS, THAT THERE'S OTHER GRANTS, THERE'S OTHER STUFF UNDER THE WAY.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE DIFFERENT CONCERNS SO THAT WE ALL ARE SO POSITIONED WELL WE GO BECAUSE I MEAN, WE WILL BE NEEDING TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS.
I THINK AS FAR AS I'LL HAVE TO MEET A LITTLE BIT MORE ONE ON ONE FOR SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LOOK OVER THE DOCUMENT THAT AMANDA SENT, I WASN'T I WAS ALIVE, BUT I WASN'T BACK HERE WHEN ALL OF THAT THAT HAPPENED.
IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN MORE PREVALENT IN THEIR COMMENTS, BUT I WANT TO JUST ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO SOME OF THOSE UNDER-SERVED COMMUNITIES WHO MAYBE AS FAR AS ON THE ORIGINAL SPOKE OUT, THAT AREN'T SENDING IN COMMENTS, WHO MIGHT BE SOME OF THE HISTORICAL COMMUNITIES AS FAR AS THAT ARE WITHIN THE MARTIN LUTHER KING SHORE LINE PARK.
THEN I THINK ALSO, I KNOW WE HAD THE DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT SOME OF THESE WE RECEIVED MONEY THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO BE ON THE PLATE FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
REALLY PROVIDING EVEN IF IT'S LIKE MAP OR SOME TYPE OF INFO LIKE FOR A PARTICULAR WARD,
[02:20:04]
WHY THERE MIGHT NOT BE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE ANY MORE LAND OR THE PROJECT.THAT I THINK THERE'S A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING THE SIZE IS UNPRECEDENTED JUST AS FAR AS THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE JUST SHARING THAT INFORMATION, PROVIDING THE RESOURCES, AND THEN IF THERE'S AREAS WHERE WE MIGHT NEED TO PAUSE PROVIDING THAT MOMENT FOR PAUSE.
I DO FEEL LIKE SOME OF THEM ARE SOME GOOD PROJECTS, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SET UP TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS TO ASK FOR SOME OF THIS, NOT JUST ACQUISITION, BUT JUST THAT MAINTENANCE THAT IT'S HARDER TO GET GRANT MONEY AND OTHER TYPE OF FUNDS FOR.
>> I JUST CLARIFY YOUR BOARD WILL VOTE IN DECEMBER WHEN YOU VOTE ON THE BUDGET, IF THIS PROPOSAL AROUND THE REALLOCATION OF WW FUNDS, IF YOUR BOARD STILL WANTS THAT IN THE BUDGET, YOU WOULD BE REALLOCATING THAT TO THOSE PROJECTS.
THE PROJECTS WOULD STILL, WHEN WE PUT THEM OUT FOR CONTRACT, THEN IT WOULD IDENTIFY THE SOURCES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THESE REALLOCATIONS.
JUST TO CLARIFY THAT AS PROPOSED, YOU WOULD BE VOTING ON MOVING THESE FUNDS.
>> THEN I GUESS HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE CONCERNS, PROVIDE INFORMATION, AND RE LOOK AT THESE IN A WAY JUST AS FAR AS WE CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE MAKING CERTAIN TRANSFER DECISIONS, AND THEN ALSO THAT THE PUBLIC HAS FELT THAT WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS? IN THAT TIME PERIOD, WHICH IS SHORT.
>> WELL, I THINK WE'VE CREATED A LONGER BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR.
PARTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO YOUR BOARD'S REQUEST TO DO SO AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
IN THE PAST, A LOT OF THIS PROCESS WASN'T THERE.
THERE IS SOME CONSTRAINTS TO IT, BUT IT'S MORE THAN THERE'S BEEN IN THE PAST.
THE THING I'D ADD ABOUT IT IS THAT WE REALLY TRIED TO BOTH HAVE A BALANCED APPROACH TO THIS, WHERE WE ARE LEAVING, I THINK, OVER $111 MILLION IN WW FOUR POTENTIAL ACQUISITIONS, IN ADDITION TO OTHER RESERVES THAT YOUR BOARD HAS ACCESS TO FOR ACQUISITIONS.
BUT ALSO IN A YEAR WHERE WE DON'T HAVE GENERAL FUND MONEY FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOUR BOARD HAS IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES.
IF WE DON'T FUND THOSE PROJECTS, WE ARE NOT USING THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE.
>> THAT I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND AND EVERYTHING.
BUT I THINK AS FAR AS THE PERCEPTION THAT I'M GETTING FROM THE COMMENTS ARE THAT WE'RE TAKING MONEY ON A SHORT TERM TO PAY FOR SOMETHING, I UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S STILL SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MOVE OVER TO GET TO SOME TYPE OF UNDERSTANDING.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'VE PRESENTED THIS AS A WHOLE PACKAGE WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF 42 MILLION THAT KEEPS GETTING REF-ED.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF, KATIE DIGNAN ASSISTANT FINANCE OFFICER OF FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
WE'VE PRESENTED THIS AS A WHOLE PACKAGE.
LAST YEAR WHEN WE CAME TO THE BOARD IN 2025 FOR THE 2025 BUDGET, WE HAD THE BRAND NEW CIP DOCUMENT THAT OUTLINED THAT WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO COME IN 2026 AND NEED OVER 80 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAD IN OUR PORTFOLIO.
NOW AS PART OF THIS BUDGET, WE'VE BROUGHT TO YOU SAY, HERE'S THE PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD, HERE'S THE CURRENT ESTIMATES OF THOSE, HERE'S THE BEST SOLUTIONS AND POSSIBLE FUNDING THAT YOU CAN USE TO FUND THOSE TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS FORWARD.
IT'S UP TO YOU AS THE BOARD TO LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND SAY, YES, WE APPROVE THIS MOVING FORWARD AND YOU CAN TAKE THOSE AS ONE OFF BY PROJECT OR AS THE GROUP.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU JUST NEED TO SAY, ALL OF THESE ARE APPROVED.
IF ONE OF THEM IS NOT AND YOU SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROPOSED FUNDING, THEN WE WOULD REMOVE THAT FROM THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
I THINK TO YOUR POINT OF, WHEN WE COME BACK AND PRESENT THE BUDGET, WE'LL HAVE EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT, I THINK WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM.
AGAIN, YOU CAN TELL US YOUR FEEDBACK NOW AND YOUR CONCERNS.
BUT IN TERMS OF HOW WE IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING, IT WAS,
[02:25:02]
THIS IS BASED ON ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IN THE PIPELINE, WHERE THEY'RE AT, WHAT'S ACTIVE, WHAT WE'VE SPENT MONEY ON IN THE PAST, THESE ARE THE BEST RECOMMENDATIONS WE'VE COME FORWARD FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER.>> DEFINITELY. I'M VERY CLEAR ON THAT PROCESS.
I WAS CLEAR ON THE PRESENTATION, THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
BUT JUST AS FAR AS I FEEL LIKE AS THIS HAS BEEN SHARED MORE THROUGH THAT TRANSPARENT PROCESS, THAT THERE'S JUST BEEN MORE QUESTIONS.
WHAT I JUST NEED TO DO IS TAKE SOME TIME ONE ON ONE TO SORT THROUGH THOSE BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT I WILL NEED TO SPEAK TO OR THE PARK WILL NEED TO SPEAK TO.
JUST AS MAKING SURE THAT THE MESSAGING IS OUT THERE TOO ON WHY THIS IS NECESSARY OR JUST PROVIDING IT SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST THE SHRIKE NUMBERS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE WHOLE STORY IS NECESSARILY COMING ACROSS.
>> THANK YOU. WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, I REMEMBER I ACTUALLY HAD TO APPLY FOR THE JOB BECAUSE THERE WAS A VACANCY, I SAID, WHAT REALLY ATTRACTS ME TO BEING A MEMBER OF THE BOARD IS HAVING A LOT OF HISTORY WITH THE ORGANIZATION, MINE GOING BACK 20 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS HOW GOOD IT WAS, HOW SKILLED IT WAS AT BALANCING THE COMPETING NEEDS FOR OUR RESOURCES.
FREQUENTLY, CONSERVATION AND OPEN SPACE AND HABITAT VERSUS HUMAN ACCESS, HUMAN RECREATION, THAT IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE.
WE DISAPPOINT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES AND WE TRY TO DISAPPOINT AS FEW AS POSSIBLE WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS.
THAT'S WHY I THINK AS WE AS A BOARD GREW DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO IT AND STARTED LOOKING AT EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON, ALONG WITH SOMEWHAT DELAYED FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, SOME OF OUR ACTIVISTS, IN TERMS OF THE WAY THIS WAS PRESENTED AND BECAME PUBLIC.
PURSUING THAT BALANCE AND THE BALANCE WE HAVE TO DO HERE, I DEFINE IT LOOSELY AND ROUGHLY AS WE NEED TO BALANCE THE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS WHEN THESE FUNDS ARE EXHAUSTED OR NEAR EXHAUSTED AND HOLD UP THE MAP THAT WE DID IN 2008 AND SAY PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT.
WE ALSO NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY.
THAT IS PERHAPS A COMPETING NEED, BUT I SAY THAT IN TERMS OF IF WE SIT ON FUNDS THAT AREN'T GETTING SPENT, THEN WE ARE NOT ACCOMPLISHING WHAT PEOPLE WANTED WHEN THEY GAVE US THIS GENERAL MANDATE TO ADD TO OUR FACILITIES, ADD TO OUR LAND.
THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPETING FACTORS HERE.
I'M COUNTERBALANCING AS YOU SEE IN THAT AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THAT IS A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WERE INVOLVED BACK IN 2008, AS I WAS, HAD PARTICULAR INTERESTS.
I WAS ON THE PACK AND I LOOKED AT THE MAP AND TOLD MIKE ANDERSON AT THE TIME, WE REALLY NEED MONEY AVAILABLE OUT OF WW TO DEVELOP CAMPGROUNDS AND CONTRA COSTA SOME DAY.
THAT EARNED A LITTLE IMPACT. IT WAS EXCITING.
THAT EARNED A LITTLE STAR ON JERSEY ISLAND AND A LITTLE PIECE OF MONEY THAT WENT WITH IT.
ROBERT CHASEY HAS EXAMPLES OF REALLY BIG THINGS THAT GOT INTO BIG THINGS BEING LOTS OF MONEY THAT GOT INTO WW ON THE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE HIGHLY NEEDED AND AVAILABLE AND CREATE A GREAT PUBLIC GOOD ALONG THE OAKLAND SHORELINE, AT EAST BAY SHORE LINE AND SUCH.
THERE ARE THOSE FOLKS WHO HAD SPECIFIC INTERESTS AT THE TIME AS TO WHY THEY GOT THE LITTLE STARS AND MONEY ALLOCATED ON THAT MAP.
[02:30:01]
I'M CONFRONTED WITH A BUNCH OF COMPETING INTERESTS HERE, IT'S MADE ME THINK A LOT AND TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS.I'M WONDERING IN GENERAL, MAX, THAT I'VE POSED THIS TO YOU.
TO THOSE WHO ARE REALLY INTERESTED EITHER BACK IN 2008 OR TODAY IN SPECIFIC FUNDING, AND I JUST PICKED ONE OUT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT OAKLAND SHORELINE AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, BOTH OF WHICH WERE DIVERTING ACQUISITION, WW ACQUISITION MONEY TO OTHER USES, KELLER BEACH AND RICHMOND, POINT ISABELLE, AND RICHMOND, AND RATHER LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.
IF YOU TAKE THE OAKLAND SHORE LINE AND MARTIN LUTHER KING FUNDING FOR SPECIFICALLY WW ACQUISITION FUNDING THAT'S SHIFTING AWAY TO PROJECTS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
MY UNDERSTANDING LISTENING TO YOU FOLKS AND BECKY AT THE WORKSHOP WAS THAT, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THERE WON'T BE MONEY THERE FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING OR THE OAKLAND SHORELINE.
BUT HOW DO YOU CONVINCE SOMEBODY THAT WE MAKE THESE TRANSFERS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, UNBEKNOWNST TO US, SOME LAND THAT IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD HABITAT TO ADD TO MARTIN LUTHER KING SHORELINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE DON'T HAVE THE WW FUNDS AVAILABLE ANYMORE TO LEVERAGE FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY.
THAT'S I THINK THE KEY QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN RAISED HERE.
>> I MEAN, I GUESS A FEW THOUGHTS ON IT, ONE IS A BOND IS DIFFERENT THAN LIKE AN ENDOWMENT.
IT'S LIKE THE IDEA IS, YOU'RE BORROWING MONEY NOW TO GET A PROJECT DONE AND YOU'RE PAYING IT OFF OVER TIME.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE SAVING UP FOR A LONG TIME TO CONTINUE A BODY OF WORK.
ADDITIONALLY, FOR INSTANCE, FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING SHORELINE.
THE DESCRIPTION THAT WAS IN THE PROJECT LIST FOR MEASURE WW IN 2008 WAS 12.3 MILLION TO EXPAND EXISTING PUBLIC USE, SHORELINE ACCESS, AND BAY TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS AT THE TIDEWATER AND SHORELINE CENTER AREAS OF MLK JUNIOR SHORELINE.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
YOU WENT OUT AND VISITED SOME OF THE SITE, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THERE IS ADDITIONAL TIDEWATER WORK THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING THAT TO GO OUT TO BID SOON IN THE NEW YEAR.
THERE'S SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THOSE PLACES.
I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THESE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE ARE BEING KEPT IN THIS AREA.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE AREN'T ACQUISITION PROSPECTS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IN THAT AREA.
I THINK IF SOMETHING CAME UP, I THINK THERE'S ADDITIONAL RESERVES THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO ACT ON IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A PLACE WHERE IF SOMETHING CAME UP, THAT WAS A PRIORITY FOR YOUR BOARD, THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE.
>> BECAUSE IF WE HAVEN'T FULFILLED THE PROMISE OF WW AND SHIFT THESE FUNDS AWAY, AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LAND ACQUISITION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THESE FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED FOR COMES UP.
I'M ASSUMING THIS IS LAND THAT HAS LONG BEEN TARGETED, BUT THAT WE CURRENTLY FEEL WON'T BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, SO WE'RE COMFORTABLE SENDING MONEY UP TO THE ROBERTS PROJECT.
TO ME, THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE COMFORT IN THAT IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PROSPECTS FOR ACQUIRING LAND IN MLK OR THE SHORELINE WITHIN 5, 6, 7, 8.
WE JUST DON'T FORESEE IT HAPPENING.
THAT'S ONE PREMISE TO WHERE OUR TRUST HAS TO BE IN WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
THE SECOND ITEM OF TRUST WILL BE THAT IF SOME VERY VALUABLE LAND THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR A LONG TIME SUDDENLY BECOMES AVAILABLE TO GET THE WORDS OUT.
THE MONEY COULD BE FOUND IN OTHER RESERVES UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCES.
[02:35:06]
WE HAD A WHOLE SESSION ON THOSE EARLIER THIS YEAR AT FINANCE, WHICH WAS IMPORTANT TO LEARN.THAT'S THE OTHER TRUST WE HAVE TO HAVE IS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT PRIME LAND, NOT LAND OFF SOMEWHERE THAT WE WOULDN'T BE GOING FOR WITH WW ACQUISITION FUNDS.
YOU'RE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN PROJECTS COME UP, WE CAN FIND 1, 2, $3 MILLION TO LEVERAGE AGAINST STATE FEDERAL PUT A HOLD ON FEDERAL NONPROFIT, WHATEVER FUNDING OUT THERE CAN BE THERE.
WE WILL STILL BE IN A POSITION TO LEVERAGE FUNDS, BE THEY WW FUNDS THAT ARE BEEN MOVED, WE MOVE SOMETHING BACK, OR WE LOOK FOR NEW FUNDS AND AND USE IT TO LEVERAGE FOR ACQUISITION ALONG THE OAKLAND SHORELINE OR MLK.
IS THAT FAIR FOR ME TO ASSUME AND IN FIVE YEARS, I'M NOT GOING TO BE BURNED IF I ASSUME THAT?
>> YES. WE HAVE EIGHT MILLION IN RESERVES IN OUR FUND BALANCE SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR LAND ACQUISITION THAT COULD BE TAPPED INTO.
AFTER WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, THERE'S STILL 11 MILLION IN CONTINGENCY OF WW FUNDS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE, AND THEN ALSO FUTURE FUND BALANCES THAT WE HAVE FROM THE PREVIOUS SHARE WE COULD TAP INTO TOO.
THERE'S OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS IF AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF.
>> CAN I JUST ADD ONE QUICK THING ON THAT? WE ALSO ARE NOT A STATIC ORGANIZATION NOR IS YOUR BUDGET.
LET'S SAY YOU PASS SOMETHING IN DECEMBER AND COME JANUARY, A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY COMES UP THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME BACK HERE AND ASK FOR SOME ADJUSTMENT TO THE BUDGET.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT LIKE, GOSH, IF SOMETHING FLEW DOWN, WE WOULDN'T BE CREATIVE AND COME BACK AND TRY TO ALLOCATE SOME OF THESE THINGS OR RECOMMEND THAT.
I WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE BEEN OPERATING FOR A VERY LONG TIME HERE.
>> I SEE IT WITH SOME OF THE OFFERS.
I CAN'T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY, RIGHT? BUT I CAN LOOK AT BECKY.
WE'VE MADE OFFERS ON SOME RANCHES IN MINE OR NEARBY WARDS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TAKEN BY THE OWNER, IN OTHER WORDS, AND THE OWNERS STILL TESTING, LOOKING AT THE MARKET OUT THERE.
FRANKLY, THERE'S SOME MONEY BEING REALLOCATED HERE THAT COULD BE USED FOR PROPERTIES WE'VE ALREADY MADE OFFERS ON.
THAT LEADS ME TO WONDER, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE PROPERTIES NOW THE OWNER TURNS AROUND AND COMES BACK.
I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF FUNDS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, FOR INSTANCE, HYPOTHETICALLY, IN THE CLAYTON RANCH FUND, THE CLAYTON RANCH FUND IS BEING EXHAUSTED FROM WW ACQUISITIONS AVAILABLE BY PUSHING IT OVER TO [INAUDIBLE] RANCH, WHICH I FAVOR ENTIRELY, BUT THEN I BECOME WORRIED ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT WE'VE ALREADY MADE OFFERS ON SOME LAND? MAYBE I'VE JOINED LUANA AND MAYBE I NEED TO GO OVER THIS SO THAT I CAN TALK ABOUT CLAYTON RANCH, AND THE FACT THAT BLACK DIAMOND IS EXHAUSTED AND OTHER WAYS AND HOW WILL WE IN FACT FILL GAPS EITHER BECAUSE WE'RE TRANSFERRING WW ACQUISITION MONEY OR WE'VE ALREADY USED IT UP.
PART OF IT IN MY WARD IS CLEARLY THE HABITAT CONSERVANCY IS FILLING THAT ROLE AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT DELTA ACCESS FUNDS ARE BEING EXHAUSTED HERE FOR SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR A LONG TIME.
THE SHADE STRUCTURES IT AT BIG BREAK, WHICH I APPRECIATE, AND THEY'RE REALLY NEEDED FOR DELTA RECREATION, DELTA ACCESS TO HAVE THAT SHADE IN THERE SO THAT WE CAN USE THESE FACILITIES YEAR ROUND.
BUT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY IN FIVE YEARS OR SO THAT THE LONG STANDING PROPOSAL WE HAVE HAD TO DEVELOP CAMPGROUNDS ON JERSEY ISLAND ACTUALLY BECOMES A REALITY.
WITH THIS, THAT LITTLE STAR THAT WE GOT UP ON JERSEY ISLAND IN 2007 OR EIGHT ISN'T THERE ANYMORE.
MAYBE LUANA WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER SOME OF THOSE WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO GET A GOOD GRASP OF THOSE AREAS OF TRUST IN THAT CERTAIN ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES AREN'T GOING TO ARISE,
[02:40:04]
OR IF THEY DO, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO GO AFTER THEM AND LEVERAGE.PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS WE'VE LEVERAGED PROBLEM HERE IN SPENDING DOWN WWS, WE'VE LEVERAGED MUCH MORE SUCCESSFULLY THAN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD IN 2008.
I APPRECIATE THAT. ALL OF THAT COMES OUT WITH ME WANTING TO MOVE IN THESE DIRECTIONS, BUT I NEED SOME REASSURANCE, MAYBE ON A HANDFUL OF OUTWARD TRANSFERS THAT ARE GOING ON IN PROPERTIES IMPACTING MY WARD, AND I'LL STOP WITH ALL THAT.
>> JUST BECAUSE CALLING YOU SOMETHING FROM MY WARD AS AN EXAMPLE.
THERE'S TRADE OFFS AND EVERYTHING.
JUST AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO TELL THE STORY OR IF LIKE THE PUBLIC WAS LOOKING AT THIS, THEY'D GO, I UNDERSTAND WHY THE PARK IS MAKING THIS TRANSFER TO THESE OTHER TWO AREAS BASED ON THIS CRITERIA.
I THINK AS FAR AS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD HELP TO ANSWER, SOME OF THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
THEN IF THERE'S SPECIFIC GROUPS AS FAR AS THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK TO AND MAYBE IF WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHY.
THAT'S MORE MY CONCERN BECAUSE I KNOW AS FAR AS FROM LOOKING AT THE LIST THAT YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN VERY DILIGENT AND EVERYTHING AND WHAT THEY'VE PRODUCED, BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK THAT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL.
NOT SAYING LIKE EVERY SINGLE PROJECT, BUT IF THERE'S SPECIFIC AREAS, SPECIFIC GROUP SPECIFIC PROJECT WHERE YOU MIGHT NEED THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING OR DIALOGUE OR PHONE CALLS, THAT AS FAR AS PROVIDING THAT TO GIVE REASSURANCE, AS FAR AS WHY CERTAIN MONEY IS BEING TRANSFERRED.
THEN ALSO I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN SOME STUFF FROM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TO ABOUT PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO ELEVATE IT SO MORE PEOPLE CAN SEE IT ON THE WEBSITE OR JUST AS FAR AS OR IF I'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE MATERIALS PROVIDED, BUT MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A LITTLE BIT MORE STORY THERE TOO, SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WE HAVE THESE FUNDS. I'M FINISHED, SORRY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC ON THEIR QUESTIONS?
COLIN RAISED A LOT OF POINTS THAT WERE BEYOND QUESTIONS, BUT VERY GOOD COMMENTS OR WHATEVER.
THE THING I'M REALLY STRUGGLING.
I'M SO PROUD AND HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE AND HAVING BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE HERE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M LOOKING AHEAD I WANT TO FIGURE OUT, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS TODAY, BUT I'VE BEEN WORRIED ALL ALONG FROM WHEN WE RAN OUT OF TIME ON OCTOBER 3RD, THAT WE HAVE THIS LINE ITEM OF $42 MILLION THAT'S COMING BEFORE US IN A BUDGET.
NOW, I KNOW AS A FORMER PUBLIC OFFICIAL, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR TO HAVE A 7, 0 VOTE TO SUPPORT OUR BUDGET.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LINE ITEM IN THERE THAT WE'RE HEARING, WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS, MY QUESTION IS IN THE PROCESS, HOW DO WE GET THERE? I HAVE A VERY INTERESTING REPORT THAT ARRIVED ABOUT THE TIME I WAS SIGNING IN AT THE FRONT DESK HERE AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
I COULD ASK A WHOLE BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND STAFF HAS OVER AND OVER SAID, I'LL MEET WITH YOU ONE ON ONE, BUT THIS IS A BIG DECISION FOR THE BOARD TO MAKE A DECISION WITH THE PUBLIC'S MONEY.
I KEEP HEARING PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT.
I APPRECIATE THIS, EVEN THOUGH I JUST GOT IT MOMENTS AGO.
I JUST WANT TO READ A SENTENCE.
ON OAKLAND SHORELINE FOR EXISTENCE, AS WAS RAISED THAT IN MLK.
WE'RE TALKING, $11 MILLION WORTH OF MONEY.
BUT IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY IN THE DESCRIPTION THAT THIS IS TO JOIN WITH OAKLAND TO DEVELOP NEW ACCESS, AND LATER IT SAYS TO ASSIST WITH THE CITY'S ESTUARY PLAN.
I CAN GO THROUGH EVERY PROJECT, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, I HAVE STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS THAT ARE VERY VALID AND IMPORTANT,
[02:45:03]
BUT I ALSO DON'T HEAR FROM THE CITY OF OAKLAND, WHO SPECIFICALLY, THESE WERE POPULATION BASED NUMBERS AND PROJECTS THAT THEY FEEL OKAY WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.WE DON'T HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, WE'RE THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND I FEEL A GREAT BURDEN TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
I'VE GOT MY EYE ON THIS BUDGET THAT I DON'T WANT TO GO KATYWAMPUS BECAUSE WE KEEP RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT CIP PROJECTS.
I FEEL LIKE WE COULD TALK FOR TWO MORE HOURS OUT HERE AND KEEP BRING UP THESE TOPICS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT THIS FAR OUT THE GATE, AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE GATE AHEAD OF ME.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY.
YOU CAN ANSWER THESE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
THE OTHER ONE I HAVE IS, HOW DID THE CPP SCORES ROLL UP? BECAUSE SOME OF THE ONES PROPOSED HERE.
I FEEL LIKE I NEED THIS AND THIS, I NEED A 2*4 PANEL IN FRONT OF ME THAT SHOWS, THIS IS WHAT WE PROMISED THE PEOPLE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PUTTING ON IT.THIS IS WHAT WE'VE SPENT SO FAR.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE TEASED OUT SOME MONEY ALREADY BEFORE THIS.
WE DO HAVE OAKLAND ON BOARD WITH THIS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU THINK YOU CAN PULL US ALL TOGETHER WITH MY EYE ON THE BUDGET.
THE $42 MILLION AND I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS, AND A TWO HOUR WORK STUDY SESSION IS NEEDED IN ALL HONESTY.
IT'S A QUESTION AND HOW DO YOU SEE THIS GOING FORWARD?
>> SABRINA [INAUDIBLE] I JUST SAY, THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK FOR YOUR BOARD.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POLICY DECISION IN THE BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND FOR YOU TO DISCUSS AMONGST YOURSELVES AS BOARD MEMBERS.
WE'VE CREATED A LOT MORE PROCESS IN THIS BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO WRESTLE WITH THESE REALLY CHALLENGING ISSUES.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CREATING HERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT WORK.
>> ARE WE GOING TO STAY HERE FOR TWO AND A HALF MORE HOURS AND GO THROUGH EVERY PROJECT QUESTION I HAVE? I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
>> WELL, STAFF HAS PRESENTED THIS IN THE BEST WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN HOPEFUL TO TRY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT YOU NEED.
IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FROM US, I KNOW, AGAIN, MAX HAS BEEN ANSWERING A LOT OF EMAILS ON THAT.
WE CAN SIT DOWN DO ONE ON ONE MEETINGS.
WE CAN DIG INTO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
WITHIN THAT, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU FROM THE OCTOBER 3RD PACKET.
KATIE AND TEAM DID INCLUDE IN THERE ALL OF THE DATA AROUND THE BALANCES.
THIS IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO PROVIDE A SPACE.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THE DISTRICT'S DONE BEFORE.
THIS IS HARD. THESE ARE TRADE OFFS. THESE ARE HARD QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE HARD THINGS TO TRY TO WRESTLE THROUGH.
I CAN'T ANSWER WHAT ELSE YOU NEED.
YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER THAT FOR YOURSELVES.
WE TRIED OUR BEST TO BE RESPONSIVE HERE AND WE'RE CONTINUED TO BE AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE THIS AS A AVAILABLE AGENDA ITEM, I THINK FOR THE NEXT THREE MEETINGS.
>> JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, I'LL JUST ASK ANOTHER WELL, ONE QUESTION THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING OVER AND OVER, SORRY, MAX, I THINK, AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES.
IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHERE IS THE INDIAN VALLEY MONEY FOR MORAGA? I HAVEN'T GOT A STRAIGHT ANSWER FOR THAT AND I CAN'T TELL, I BELIEVE IT'S ITEM 58 OR SOMETHING.
I'LL ASK THAT SIMPLE QUESTION.
>> I SENT YOU AN E MAIL ABOUT THIS MORNING.
SO DID YOU. AND IT DESCRIBES IT IN DETAIL.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BECKY AND A BUNCH OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO TRACK DOWN THE PIECES OF IT.
THERE'S FUNDING THAT'S A SETTLEMENT FROM A LAWSUIT THAT WENT TO THE REGIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU'D ASKED MEASURE WW MONEY FOR THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING SPECIFIC IN THE MEASURE THAT MENTIONS INDIAN VALLEY, BUT THERE IS YOU HAD MENTIONED THE SIBLEY FUNDING IN MEASURE WW.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE 5.9 MILLION ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE SOUTH OF SIBLEY REGIONAL PRESERVE BETWEEN OAKLAND ARANDA AND MORAGA, EXPAND TRAILS, INCLUDING CONNECTIONS TO LAKE TEMESCAL, CONSTRUCT NEW TRAILHEAD, DEVELOP NEW CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE'S I THINK ABOUT 232.3 MILLION LEFT IN THAT FUND.
WE'RE PROPOSING TO MOVE 150,000 FOR
[02:50:03]
COMPLETING A TRAIL PROJECT THAT WAS PART OF THE MCCOSCA RESTORATION PROJECT.I THINK WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND I ASK ABOUT THAT AND WANT TO SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WE GOT AND ONE OF THE WATCHDOG, I LIKE TO CALL THEM OR ADVOCATE GROUPS, HAVE BEEN AROUND, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE SINCE THE 1930S, THE RPA WAS SET UP TO PROTECT OR THEIR INTEREST, AND WE DON'T HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PER SAY, BUT WE HAVE THESE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE GOT QUITE A SCATHING LETTER FROM THEM, AND THERE'S SOME REAL MOVERS AND SHAKERS ON THAT RPA, WHO'VE BEEN AROUND DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS.
THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SMALL PIECE.
YOU SAY IT'S WHAT DO YOU SAY 150,000.
BUT THE COMMENT MADE EARLIER WHEN SOMETHING COMES UP AND THEY NEED IT, IS IT GOING TO BE THERE FOR THEM? THESE THINGS TAKE DECADES TO WORK WITH YOU KNOW, FAMILIES, KEY LAND OWNERS IN THESE ARANDA OAKLAND MORAGA HILLS.
I WOULD FEEL SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF I KNEW OAKLAND IN THEIR ESTUARY PROGRAM WHO'D BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MONEY, WERE ON BOARD.
I KNEW THE RPA WHO HAD THEIR EYE ON THIS.
OUR FORMER OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE PARK, WE GET AN E-MAIL FROM OUR FORMER GENERAL MANAGER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOT SOME HEARTBURN OVER THE DISTRICT.
I HAVE THIS SENTENCE I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
MAYBE I BETTER WAIT. I'M STILL ON QUESTIONS.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS.. WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE RPA.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM OAKLAND ON THE OAKLAND SHORELINE MONEY, EVEN THOUGH THIS ITEM SAYS WE WERE GOING TO JOIN WITH THEM.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY BECAUSE THAT'S 9 MILLION.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT A PROJECT.
AGAIN, I THINK IT'S I DON'T WANT TO JUST KEEP GOING ON AND ON AND WE'RE NOT IN OUR OWN CHANNELS, BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN THERE'S SEVEN OF US FOR A REASON.
I LOOKED AT THE POINT ISABEL REPAIR, AND MY WHOLE BACKGROUND IN HISTORY IS ON CAPS AND REPAIRS.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE FOR A LIVING FOR 37 YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUND ON IT.
I HAVE HEARD VERBALLY THAT WE AGREED TO SOME SORT OF 50 50 AGREEMENT TO PAY FOR THAT CAP REPAIR.
BUT THAT'S LIKE, OH MY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE TAKING ON THESE CONTAMINATED LANDS, BECAUSE IF THAT'S TRUE, AND THE PUBLIC WE GOT COMMENTS ON IT, AND THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE THAT PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT I GOT FROM STAFF NOR DO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT WE SIGNED.
IT'S A LEGAL AGREEMENT. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PICK UP 50% OF THAT CAP.
WELL, THAT WAS LIKE, OH WOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW AND WE CAN BUILD THEM IN.
BUT ALSO, I WENT ONLINE YESTERDAY AND TWO WEEKS AGO, THE SQA COMMENT PERIOD JUST ENDED ON THE POINT ISABEL CAP.
SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS MONEY WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE, HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE WE MISSING AGAIN HERE? THIS IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE TAKING AWAY FROM OAKLAND THAT'S POPULATION BASED.
WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING US, AND I WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS GOING TO BE THERE WHEN WE NEED IT.
BUT WHAT DID WE REALLY DO WITH THAT AGREEMENT, LIKE, OH, MY GOD, AND DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS, OR IS IT JUST BECAUSE MAYBE WE COULD THROW SOME GRAVEL OUT THERE.
CAP REPAIR IS USUALLY DONE AS PART OF A CLEANUP PROCESS THAT YOU DO A FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR, 20 YEAR REVIEW.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT MY OTHER PROJECTS.
BUT THAT'S JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OVER THIS HURDLE AND FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH A 42 MILLION MOVEMENT OF PROJECTS THAT I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN A LITTLE LEFT OUT OF, AND I DON'T FEEL THERE'S A NEXUS THAT OAKLAND WOULD LOVE? MAYBE POINT ISABEL WOULD LOVE? MAYBE WE'D ALL LOVE IT.
WE ALL LOVE POINT ISABEL, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE COULD STAY HERE FOR THREE MORE HOURS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
I GUESS THAT'S STILL A QUESTION, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE POINT ISABELLE IS MOVING FORWARD.
SO IF THAT SUDDENLY BECOMES IT IS AN E ON YOUR LIST, SO THE CPP NUMBERS, LIKE, OH MY GOD, IT'S EMERGENCY.
WE MADE A MISTAKE. WE SIGNED A 50 50 AGREEMENT.
LINDA, JUST GET IT AND WE WERE OUT OF MONEY, BUT IS THIS THE PLACE TO TAKE IT FROM? I'M SORRY. I'M RAMBLING.
>> IF I MAY, I'M JUST GOING TO RESPOND TO MAYBE THE POINT ISABEL ONE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S MAYBE AN EASIER ONE TO KNOCK OUT.
THAT ACTUALLY IS THAT PROJECT IS REQUIRED BASED OFF OF AN ORDER FROM THE REGULATORY AGENCIES.
THE SPLIT THERE WAS A VERY HEAVY NEGOTIATED DEAL WITH THE STATE.
[02:55:05]
HAPPY TO PROVIDE PROBABLY SOME MORE DETAILS FOR YOU OFFLINE BECAUSE I THINK THAT SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT, PREDATE YOUR TIME HERE, I BELIEVE.BUT I DON'T THINK WE PROBABLY WANT TO GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT [INAUDIBLE] BUT HAPPY TO GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ONE.
>> SO THEN IS OAKLAND OKAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE SOME OF THEIR SHORELINE MONEY TO MEET OUR REQUIREMENT?
>> SORRY. CAN YOU SAY IT AGAIN?
>> THEN I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT HOW SHOVEL READY IS IT? HOW FAR HAVE WE LOOKED? HOW DOES OAKLAND FEEL ABOUT TAKING THEIR SHORELINE MONEY TO FIX A CAP? MAYBE IT WAS SAID EARLIER, I THINK MAYBE DIRECTOR ESPANA.
MAYBE IF IT WERE PRESENTED IN A WAY THAT WE COULD SELL IT.
I'D FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE SELLING IT.
BUT WHEN I HAVE SURPRISES LIKE, OH, WE JUST SQA COMMENT PERIOD JUST ENDED 10 DAYS AGO, AND OAKLAND ISN'T HERE IN THE ROOM, AND THIS IS JUST ONE.
WE'VE GOT $42 MILLION OF PROJECTS IN FRONT OF ME.
>> I GUESS I'D SHARE SQA, THE FUNDING PIECE FOR PROJECTS IN SQA IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT TRACKS.
SQA IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE PIECE TO PLANNING THAT INFORMS DECISION MAKING.
WE HAVE MANY PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH DIFFERENT STAGES ALL THE TIME, AND FOR NEGATIVE DECLARATIONS LIKE THIS ONE, THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT WE TYPICALLY BRING TO YOUR BOARD ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT IN YOUR WARD.
WE WOULD IF SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN YOUR WARD, WE'RE TYPICALLY MAKING SURE THAT BOARD MEMBER IS AWARE OF THE PROJECT THAT'S IN THEIR AWARD AND THE PLANNING PROCESS.
BUT THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE FUNDING PIECE, AND THEN I GUESS, LIKE ON THE SIDE OF WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO FUND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS.
THAT PROJECT IS GETTING CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
THAT'S WHY WE TAG THIS ONE AS ONE THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO FUND THROUGH THIS BUDGET.
IN TERMS OF THE OAKLAND SHORELINE, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BECKY AND I ARE HAVING TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH EACH OF YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS OF LIKE WHAT MIGHT MAYBE PAST IDEAS FOR ACQUISITIONS THERE WERE IN PLACES, WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE AT, WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE, AND HAPPY TO LIKE, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
>> I'M AWARE THAT THERE'S LESS OPPORTUNITY IN OAKLAND FOR ANY TYPE OF ACQUISITION, AND THE REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IS OVER AT ALAMEDA POINT.
MY CONCERN MORE WAS AS FAR AS AS COLIN HAD MENTIONED, THE DIFFERENT TRADE OFFS AND MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDERSTAND AND WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF SHOW MORE WHY WE MIGHT BE MAKING CERTAIN DECISIONS AND THEN JUST BE OPEN TO THE FACT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT PAUSE ON.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
I'M NOT AGAINST THEM, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS BECAUSE MY AREA KEEPS ON COMING UP IN EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS, EVEN THE ONES THERE THAT'S WHY I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSITIVE TO MAKE SURE THE MESSAGINGS GETTING OUT ABOUT THIS AND THEN BEING ABLE TO SHOW WHERE WE MET THE DIFFERENT PROMISES BECAUSE WE'VE MET A LOT AND THEN HELPING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE 42, SOME OF IT AS FAR AS WE'RE MOVING LARGER SUMS THAN IN THE PAST, AND THEN ALSO THE MOVING ACROSS WARDS AND I THINK THAT'S BRINGING A LOT OF CONCERN.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF US LOOKING OVER WHAT'S COME IN AND THEN JUST AS FAR AS HAVING SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS.
I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF INFORMATION HAS COME IN.
I UNDERSTAND, FROM YOUR TEAM, WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED AND ALL OF THE THOUGHT THAT'S GONE INTO THAT.
BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT AS EASY TO MAKE A MOVE WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY VESTED PARTNERS, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT AS FAR AS WHERE WE MIGHT NEED TO, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP ON, WHERE WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WE HAD.
[03:00:03]
THAT'S KIND OF THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.>> I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION IF I MAY FINISH MY QUESTION.
CAN I JUST ASK ONE MORE QUESTION OR ONE MORE PROJECT?
>> I CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> QUESTION I HAVE IS ANOTHER PROJECT, SIMILAR TRYING TO GET OUT THERE AND LITERALLY GOOGLE SEARCHING.
BUT ANOTHER ONE THAT'S AN E. I MEAN, I WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE BOARD, AND WE JUST HAVE TO I THINK YOU'RE HEARING FROM LANA AND OTHERS.
CAN WE REALLY JUSTIFY THIS? BUT ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS AN EMERGENCY IS THE ROBERT SEPTIC REPAIR, ALSO MONEY TO COME OUT OF THE OAKLAND SHORELINE.
WHEN I FOUND IT ONLINE, IT SEEMED THAT WE'VE ALREADY USED OUR CONTINGENCY ON THAT PROJECT.
THE PROJECT AS PROJECTS DO, WE'RE WELL OVER BUDGET.
BUT I ALSO FOUND THAT WE ALREADY ADDED ANOTHER 900,000 TO THAT PROJECT.
SPECIFICALLY, IT SAID FOR APPROVED SEPTIC UPGRADES THAT WAS DONE ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2023 BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE.
HERE WE ARE, AGAIN, LOOKING TO TAKE SOME MONEY TO CONTINUE TO BALANCE THAT PROJECT.
CAN YOU TELL ME ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THAT? AGAIN, YOU SAY WE CAN TALK ONE ON ONE, BUT I THINK WE AS A BOARD TO THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT I THINK I PUT VALUE IN THE CPP NUMBERS AND THIS WAS LISTED AS E AS AN EMERGENCY.
CAN YOU TO ANSWER A LITTLE BIT MORE OR SHARE WITH THE BOARD? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT ONE? IT'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY THAT'S ALREADY HAD CHUNKS OF MONEY. YES.
>> CARBON RASMUS CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGER IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, AND ROBERTS POOL IS ONE OF MY UNITS PROJECTS.
THE PROJECT INITIALLY ADDRESSED THE SEPTIC SYSTEM, BUT THE ISSUE IS THAT EMD REQUIRES US TO UPGRADE THE FACILITY AND IT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SCOPE OF PROJECT.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROJECT THAT ADDRESSES THE SEWER LINE FROM ROBERTS POOL AND CONNECTS INTO THE MUNICIPAL LINE, WHICH IS THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE AWAY.
THAT'S WHY THE COSTS ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR THAT PROJECT.
WE'VE DONE A FEASIBILITY STUDY ALREADY AND SO WE'VE ANALYZED SEVERAL OPTIONS, AND THIS WAS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE.
IT'S GOING TO BE AT GRAVITY FED LINE.
>> WERE YOU ALWAYS PLANNING TO GET THE MONEY FROM WW? WHERE WAS THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM?
>> WHAT'S THAT? YEAH, I THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ANTICIPATED THE NEED TO CONNECT TO THE SEWER INITIALLY WHEN WE WERE PLANNING THE PROJECT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN ON SEPTIC.
BUT THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT FROM EAST BAY MUD THAT CAME UP AS WE WERE ALREADY INTO DOING THE PROJECT.
>> I'M HOPING MINE CAN STAY MORE LIKE HIGHER LEVEL, NO, NOT BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT JUST HEARING ALL THIS AND ALSO, 42 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY FROM MEASURE WW, AND IT COULD BE I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS MOVES FORWARD.
THIS GOES BACK TO THE EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT HOW THIS IS A BIG DECISION AND HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD AND IT FEELS LIKE WE MIGHT NEED TO BE GOING PROJECT BY PROJECT BECAUSE EACH PROJECT HAS VERY COMPLICATED POTENTIALLY VERY COMPLICATED DYNAMICS THAT DO DESERVE THESE TYPES OF Q&A AND UNDERSTANDING ACROSS THE ENTIRE BOARD THAT CAN GET LOST IN THE ONE TO ONE SESSIONS, AND BIG PICTURE.
WHAT IF, LET'S THINK OF THIS AS A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
I DON'T WANT TO PRESUME HOW MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT DECIDE ON THIS, BUT LET'S JUST SAY WHAT IF THE BOARD DECIDED THAT WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE 42 MILLION FROM MEASURE WW? WHEN WOULD WE NEED TO MAKE THAT DECISION IN REGARDS TO THIS BUDGET PROCESS? BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
>> THE BUDGET AT THE BUDGET BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER.
THAT FIRST DECEMBER BOARD MEETING IS WHEN SORRY [OVERLAPPING]
>> SORRY, THE SECOND DECEMBER MEETING.
BUT AGAIN, YOU COULD DO THIS IN PIECES.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO SAY ALL 42 MILLION.
WE COULD TAKE IT PROJECT BY PROJECT.
IF YOU WANTED TO PROPOSE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT THIS PROJECT NOT BE FUNDED, THEN WE COULD AMEND THE RESOLUTION TO DO THAT ACTION.
YOU DON'T NEED TO JUST SAY, NONE OF THIS 42 MILLION CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WE COULD SAY THERE'S THIS PROJECT, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING MOVE FORWARD, OR WE'RE ONLY RECOMMENDING THIS AMOUNT MOVE FORWARD.
YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CAN ADD INTO THE RESOLUTION.
[03:05:01]
>> BUT I DO WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR ON THE FACT THAT THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY OR ARE SHOVEL READY PROJECTS.
>> I JUST WANT TO CARMEN'S NODDING HERE.
WE WANT TO ALSO JUST BE TOTALLY TRANSPARENT AROUND THE FACT THAT IF THE FUNDING IS NOT APPROVED OR THE DECISION IS DELAYED, IT WILL IMPACT SOME OF THE PROJECT DELIVERY.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TOO, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE TOTALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT.
>> I GUESS TO CLARIFY SO PROJECT BY PROJECT, WHAT THAT MEANS IS LIKE, IF YOUR BOARD DECIDED, HEY, WE WANT TO APPROVE THE BUDGET WITH REALLOCATING 30 MILLION AND THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN AND THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE OUT.
THAT'S A CHOICE THAT YOU COULD MAKE.
ONE OF THE OTHER DOWNSIDES TO NOT BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS IS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE MATCHING FUNDS, AND THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY HURT OUR CHANCES OF GETTING FUNDING FOR OTHER PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
>> THANK YOU. THIS IS HELPFUL TO HEAR BUT I THINK THIS THUS GO BACK TO DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT'S STATEMENT LIKE HOW WE WANT ALL FOUR THINGS TOGETHER, AND BEING ABLE TO DRAW THOSE CONNECTIONS, I GUESS I CAN SEE IT A LITTLE BIT IN MY BRAIN BECAUSE THAT MY BRAIN WORKS IN THINKING ABOUT MATRICES.
BUT THINKING IN A MATRIX FORM, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT VISUAL AND I KNOW NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT BRAIN.
THE SECOND QUESTION AND, POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE IN REGARDS TO MEASURE WW IS THAT WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE A DESIGNATED CITIZEN OVERSIGHT BODY.
IT'S OUR PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I AM ACTUALLY ON OUR MEASURE WW WEB PAGE RIGHT NOW ON OUR WEBSITE FOR EBPARK.ORG/GOVERNMENT-AFFAIRS/MEASURES/WW AND IT DOES SAY SPECIFICALLY, THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROVIDES CITIZEN OVERSIGHT TO MONITOR ALL BOND EXPENDITURES AND THAT INCLUDES MEASURE WW.
WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL TO ME HERE ON THE BOARD TO HEAR FROM THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, BUT ALSO IN REGARDS TO THEIR CITIZEN OVERSIGHT ROLE OF MEASURE WW.
I REALLY HOPE THAT IT CAN BE TAKEN AS AN ACTION ITEM WHERE THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS ABLE TO REVIEW THE MATERIAL, AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY CAN VOTE ON BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, RECENTLY A LOT OF ITEMS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THEM AS INFORMATION, AND I THINK THAT IN REGARDS TO THEIR CITIZEN OVERSIGHT ROLE, AND THEIR DUTY TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I THINK THIS COULD BE A REALLY HELPFUL AVENUE TO RECEIVE THAT CITIZEN OVERSIGHT OF MEASURE WW.
>> WE ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH THE PARK ADVISORY FIRST, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON 19 NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE FULL PACK ON THE 24TH.
THAT IS PART OF THE BUDGET SCHEDULE.
THEN ALSO, I WANTED TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR GUYS TO SEE.
WE SHOULD HAVE THE BUDGET BOOKS POSTED BY FRIDAY IN PREPARATION TO GOING TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
IN THE PROJECTS, AND PROGRAMS BOOK, EACH PROJECT THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FUNDING FOR AND ALL OF THE 82 PROJECTS IN THE CIP, HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL PAGE, WHICH SHOWS YOU ALL THE CURRENT FUNDING, WHERE THE SOURCES ARE COMING FROM, WHAT THE ESTIMATED COST IS, THE PROJECT SCOPE.
IT SHOULD ANSWER THE CPP SCORES.
A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD BE THERE.
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT INDIVIDUALLY BY PROJECT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL CONNECT SOME OF THESE DOTS THAT YOU'RE MISSING OF LIKE, WHERE'S ALL THE OTHER FUNDING COMING FROM? WHAT'S THE CPP SCORE? HOPEFULLY, THAT'LL HELP AND WE SHOULD HAVE THAT POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND WE'LL ALERT ALL OF YOU AS SOON AS IT'S POSTED BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
>> KATIE, THE ITEM COMING TO THE PAC IS AN ACTION ITEM.
>> [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING.
>> I HAVE A REQUEST THAT I THINK WOULD REALLY HELP THIS PROCESS A LOT.
WE HAVE LOTS OF NUMBERS, WE HAVE PROJECTS.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE IT ALL, YOU'VE PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
BUT FOR ME, I WAS GOING OFF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
IT'S NOT ARRANGED PROPERLY FOR ME TO REALLY GET A GRIP ON IT.
FORTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS IS MADE UP OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT TRANSFERS, AND DIFFERENT FUNDS AND PROJECT.
EACH PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE MONEY OUT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE IT'S GOING TO AND WHY IT'S OKAY TO TAKE IT OUT OF WHAT YOU'RE TAKING IT OUT OF? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT WOULD REPLACE THAT IF WE NEEDED TO USE IT? I'M NOT GETTING THIS OUT RIGHT.
DOWN THE LINE, EACH ONE OF THOSE TIMES YOU'RE TAKING SOMETHING OUT.
WHY ARE WE ABLE TO DO IT? THAT'S THE ONE I'M MISSING. WHY ARE WE ABLE TO DO THIS? WELL, IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
THAT COULD BE THAT ONE OR WE ALREADY DID IT WITH OTHER MONEY.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE.
[03:10:02]
THEN WHERE IT'S GOING.YOU COULD DO IT ALL ON ONE PAGE PROBABLY.
BECAUSE THE BUDGET BOOK IS GREAT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO FLIP BACK, AND FORTH AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP YOU? IF WE COULD SEE EACH PLACE WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED OUT OF WW.
WHY IT'S OKAY TO DO THAT? WHY YOU THINK IT'S OKAY.
IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WE HAVE CONTINGENCY THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.
BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE LATER END OF MEASURE WW, AND I KNOW WE WOULDN'T WANT TO USE THE CONTINGENCY 15 YEARS AGO, IT'S TOO SOON.
BUT NOW WE'RE GETTING DOWN NEAR THE END.
I ADVOCATE OF THAT AS A LAST RESORT.
IF THAT'S THE SOURCE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE, IF WE NEEDED THE MONEY BECAUSE DIRECTOR COFFEY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT CLAYTON RANCH, AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MONEY FOR IT.
IF I'M NOT REALLY MAKING TOTAL SENSE, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS SEPARATELY, AND WORK THROUGH SOMETHING BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THERE'S A WAY TO PRESENT THIS IN A WAY THAT'S DIGESTIBLE.
BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME.
BY THE WAY, I DON'T REALLY WANT THIS MEETING TO GO TOO MUCH LONGER EITHER.
I THINK WE'RE PUSHING OUR LUCK HERE WITH ATTENTION SPINS.
MY QUESTION IS, CAN I GET A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH YOU ON WHAT I HAVE IN MIND?
>> YES. I PUT AN ATTACHMENT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT THAT BROKE OUT BY PROJECT LIKE WHAT THE CURRENT BALANCES ARE FOR THAT FUNDING SOURCE, AND WHAT THEY WOULD BE AFTER WE MOVE IT.
BY PROJECT. [OVERLAPPING] I'VE GOT SOMETHING ATTACHED TO THE REPORTS RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE CAN SEE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR. [OVERLAPPING]
>> LIKE I SAID YOU'VE DONE GREAT JOB OF LOOKING INTO ALL THESE SOURCES.
I KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY, THERE WERE CONSIDERATIONS GIVEN BEFORE THESE WERE RECOMMENDED TO US.
BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DEFENSIBLE POSITION. I ALWAYS SAY THAT.
YOU CAN GIVE US THAT BY EXPLAINING TO US, AND EVERYBODY ELSE HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK IN A COMPACT WAY THAT TYPICAL PERSON CAN UNDERSTAND.
THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO INTO THE NEXT STAFF REPORT.
THAT COULD GO OUT TO US ANY TIME.
THAT WOULD BE WITH MY PREFERENCE.
SOUNDS LIKE I'M GETTING A YES.
ANY OTHER LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> JUST THAT I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE HAVE MOST OF THAT INFORMATION IN THE CHARTS YOU PRESENTED, EXCEPT FOR WHY WE CHOSE OAKLAND SHORE LINE OR MLK.
I'M SORRY TO KEEP PICKING THAT.
WE DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE CHARTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, AND IT IS A LOT OF EFFORT.
BUT THE ONLY THING I THINK THEN IT'S MISSING IS WHY WE CHOSE THIS SOURCE OF FUNDING, AND WENT THIS WAY.
THIS FIGURE WE'RE THROWING AROUND A $42 MILLION.
I THINK IT'S DERIVATIVE FROM MONEY MOVING FROM WW ACQUISITION TO DEVELOPMENT.
>> I QUICKLY WENT THROUGH THAT, AND SOME OF IT, FRANKLY, WOULDN'T BE CONTROVERSIAL BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED THAT WW ACQUISITION FUNDS OF 8,500,000 BEING MOVED FROM THURGOOD MARSHALL, BEING MOVED INTO THURGOOD MARSHALL DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECTS IN SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD.
I THINK WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT'S WORTHY BECAUSE WE GOT THAT PROPERTY FREE.
THE $8 MILLION THAT'S BEING APPROPRIATED FROM CONCORD NAVAL WEAPONS STATIONS, WW ACQUISITION, GOING INTO SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD OR THAT OUGHT TO BE, WE ALL IMMEDIATELY IN OUR HEAD, SHOULD TAKE THAT OUT OF THAT $42 MILLION BECAUSE THAT'S A COMPLETELY LOGICAL USE.
>> THAT WOULD BE A NOTE THAT WOULD BE IN THIS TABLE THAT WOULD SAY, WE DON'T NEED IT BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE PAID FOR IT BASICALLY.
>> I JUST WENT THROUGH QUICKLY AND I THINK, OKAY, IF I REMOVE ACQUISITION TRANSFERS LIKE THAT, SAME PART, SAME PARK, YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER TO $25 MILLION THAT IS BEING TRANSFERRED OUT.
BUT I DO THINK ALSO THE QUESTION TO LEAVE YOU WITH, IF WE SAY OF THAT 25 MILLION, THAT APPEARS MAYBE HARMFUL TO THE ORIGINAL INTEREST OF WW.
WHY ARE WE DOING THAT? IF WE DECIDE NOT TO,
[03:15:03]
ARE WE GOING TO LOOK HARD FOR OTHER WAYS TO FUND THOSE PROJECTS? I THINK, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TOLD AS WELL.I'M SORRY, I'LL BE. THANK YOU.
>> IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS?
>> NOT AT THIS TIME. DO YOU WANT TO GIVE A COMMENT NOW?.
I AM REPRESENTING THE REGIONAL PARK ASSOCIATION, A WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION.
THIS IS OUR AGREED UPON PREPARED STATEMENT.
MANY ITEMS IN THE PROPOSED 2026 CAPITAL BUDGET ARE BUILT ON IMPROPER, AND POSSIBLY ILLEGAL DIVERSIONS OF MEASURE WW FUNDS, THEREBY BREAKING PROMISES MADE TO THE VOTERS.
UP TO $42 MILLION FROM VOTER APPROVED PARK ACQUISITION FUNDS ARE PROPOSED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS USUALLY UNRELATED TO THE STATED WW INTENSE.
THIS COMES AT A TIME WHEN ACQUIRING GOLDEN GATE FIELDS IS A HOT TOPIC.
THE PEOPLE WHO DRAFTED MEASURE WW, AND ITS PREDECESSOR MEASURE A, SPECIFIED THAT 75% OF THE FUNDS EARNED WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO PARKLAND ACQUISITION.
DEVELOPMENT FUNDS WERE LIMITED TO 25% OF PARK DISTRICT PROJECTS.
FIRST IN ITEM 26, IT LOOKS LIKE THE DISTRICT IS PLUNDERING THE MONEY THAT WAS RAISED FOR THE ACQUISITION OF INDIAN VALLEY, SIESTA VALLEY.
THIS IS AN ENORMOUS INSULT TO THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN A 30 YEAR GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN.
INDIAN VALLEY IS A KEY OPEN SPACE CORRIDOR, AND AN ESSENTIAL FIRE EVACUATION ROUTE.
THERE SHOULD BE $4.5 MILLION LEFT IN THE ACQUISITION FUND.
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ACCOUNTING TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE MISSING MONEY.
SECOND, IN ITEMS THREE, FOUR, SIX AND 11, IT'S PROPOSED TO DIVERT $15 MILLION FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND OAKLAND SHORE LINE PARKS.
THE VOTERS INTENDED MEASURE WW, TO BENEFIT THE OAKLAND FLAT LANDS.
HOW DOES TAKING THE MONEY FROM THERE TO REPAIR THE SEWER AT ROBERTS ALIGN WITH THE DISTRICT'S STATED GOALS AROUND EQUITY AND INCLUSION? THIRD, IN ITEM 6, AND 22, ACQUISITION IS BEING PROPOSED FOR CROWN BEACH, AND POINT ISABEL ON LAND WHERE THERE IS STATE RESPONSIBILITY.
FOURTH, ITEM 7,11 AND 27 TOGETHER, DIVERT $10 MILLION TO PRIMARILY BENEFIT MOUNTAIN BIKE RECREATION.
MOUNTAIN BIKERS CONSTITUTE LESS THAN 10% OF TRAILER USERS.
THE DISTRICT SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING THAT KIND OF MONEY TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE VOTERS INTENDED.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS A LAPSE IN FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND A BREACH OF THE PUBLIC TRUST.
WE URGE YOU TO RETHINK IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME [INAUDIBLE]
>> BOARD PRESIDENT, BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M ROBERT CHASEY, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CITIZENS FOR EAST SHORE PARKS.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, ACTUALLY, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE DISCUSSION THAT'S GOING ON HERE BECAUSE WE DO NEED AN IN DEPTH REVIEW OF A ALLOCATION OF $42 MILLION SHIFTED FROM ACQUISITION TO DEVELOPMENT, TO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I COULD GO THROUGH THE LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT WOULD RAISE OBJECTIONS TO DOING THIS.
WHAT I'D RATHER DO RIGHT NOW IS TO ADOPT, AND ENDORSE THE LETTER THAT BOB DOLE WROTE AND THAT NORMAN LA FORCE WROTE AS PART OF MY COMMENTS.
NORMAN, FOR EXAMPLE, ASKS CRITICAL QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH YOU HAVE RAISED AS WELL.
BOB POINTS OUT THE HISTORY OF THIS PROCESS, AND MOST OF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED AS LONG AS SOME OF US, AND WHEN SOMEBODY SAID THE 1930S, I THOUGHT, OKAY, THAT'S EVEN BEFORE MY TIME.
WE'RE LIVING IN UNUSUAL AND VERY STRANGE TIMES.
NEVER BEFORE HAS THE PUBLIC SO ABANDON BELIEF IN GOVERNMENT,
[03:20:04]
IN POLITICIANS, IN THE MEDIA, IN THE PROMISES MADE, AND PROMISES BROKEN.WE HAVE A TIME OF CRISIS WHERE IN OUR DEMOCRACY, PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE IN YOUR POSITIONS, AND I DON'T MEAN TO PICK ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I LOVE THIS BOARD.
YOU'RE NOT GRIFTERS, AS I HEARD EARLIER FROM ONE OF THE COMPLAINERS.
BUT YOU GUYS DO GREAT WORK AND YOU DO IMPORTANT WORK.
AS AN ADVOCACY GROUP, WE CANNOT DO WHAT WE WANT, AND GET WHAT WE WANT WITHOUT YOU.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR US.
BUT I'LL SAY THIS, YOU NEED TO KEEP FAITH WITH THE VOTERS.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHAT MEASURE AA WAS ABOUT, AND THEN MEASURE AA MORPHED INTO MEASURE WW.
TO SHIFT THE MONEY, IT OPENS THE WHOLE PROCESS UP TO THE ACCUSATION THAT THERE THEY GO AGAIN.
THEY PROMISE US ONE THING AND THEY DO SOMETHING ELSE.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THESE GOALS, AND PROJECTS ARE NOT WORTHY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PROJECT.
IF I WERE ON THE BOARD, I WOULD WANT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THEM FUNDED AND GET THEM DONE.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE THE MONEY FROM MEASURE WW.
PERHAPS THURGOOD MARSHALL MIGHT BE ONE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THERE ARE LIMITED INSTANCES WHERE YOU CAN SHIFT THE MONEY WHERE IT WOULD NOT BE SEEN AS EGREGIOUS OR A BREACH OF GOOD FAITH.
I WOULD JUST SAY, THINK VERY CAREFULLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS NOW.
YOU CAN SPREAD THIS OUT AND TALK ABOUT PROJECT BY PROJECT AS YOU GO FORWARD.
THANK YOU. I'LL CALL YOU UP ALL INDIVIDUALLY TONIGHT AT TWO IN THE MORNING.
>> MR. HANSON, WE'RE PROMOTING YOU.
YOU CAN UNMUTE. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M JIM HANSON [INAUDIBLE].
>> MR. HANSON, CAN YOU EITHER MOVE CLOSER TO THE MIC OR SOMETHING, WELL, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU VERY WELL.
>> I HOPE THIS WORKS. IS THIS BETTER?
>> I'LL TRY TO SPEAK LOUDLY, AND VERY BRIEFLY.
I HOPE WHEN THIS HAS BEEN A VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING, IT'S A LOT TO GRASP.
I HOPE THAT ALSO WE CAN GET A LARGER PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT I WOULD CALL NATURAL CAPITAL.
THERE'S THE PAGE IN THE DOCUMENT THAT TALKS ABOUT SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
ACTUALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS HERE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW THOUSANDS THERE.
I HOPE THAT THE LARGER PICTURE OF WHAT WE'LL BE COMMITTING TOWARDS WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED THE VALUABLE ASSETS OF MAINTAINING ACTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE NATURAL LIFE, AND LANDSCAPES OF THE PARKS AS PART OF STEWARDSHIP, CAN BE PUT IN CONTEXT OF SPENDING FOR A LOT OF IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TOO.
I HOPE THAT CAN BE ELABORATED ON IN THE FOLLOWING BUDGET MEETINGS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THAT WOULD BE IT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
>> ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD?
>> YOU'RE GOING TO [INAUDIBLE]
>> THANK YOU. MY ONLY COMMENT WOULD BE I'M COMING AT THIS AS A PERSON WHO IS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, AND MY FUTURE IN THIS PARK DISTRICT IS 2028 AND A PARCEL TAX IN 2028.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I COULD BE WRONG, THAT THIS PARK DISTRICT WAS FOUNDED AND FOR YEARS AND YEARS UNTIL MEASURE AA, WE'D GET A GENERAL FUND.
WE'D GET PROPERTY TAX, THE GENERAL FUND PAID FOR EVERYTHING.
IT PAID FOR ALL EVERYBODY'S WAGES.
I THINK THEY PAID THAT FIRST, PROBABLY, PAID ALL ALL OF OUR RENTS AND LEASES AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND ALL THE OBLIGATIONS WE HAD AND THEN BOUGHT LAND, AND THAT WAS AWFUL THAT WE HAD TO DO THAT.
[03:25:01]
WE WENT TO THE VOTERS, AND WE WENT TO THE VOTERS AND WE SAID, LISTEN, WE CAN'T JUST LIVE LIKE THIS.WE NEED THE GENERAL FUNDS FOR THE GENERAL FUND STUFF, BUT WE WANT TO PURCHASE LAND.
YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IT. WE'RE GOING TO PROMISE YOU THINGS.
IT'S VERY STRATEGIC AND I HOPE WE HAVE SOMEBODY COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF MEASURE AA AND MEASURE WW BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW THE HISTORY.
THE METRO AREAS, WHICH I JUST FIND FOUND SILLY.
THE TERM EQUITY WAS USED WAY BACK THEN, AS FAR AS SPENDING YOUR MONEY EQUITABLY IN THE THINGS YOU WANT IN THE THINGS WE'VE PROMISED YOU.
I JUST THINK THAT WE NOW THAT WE HAD THAT, AND WE PROMISED PEOPLE WE WOULD BUY LAND, AND WE TOLD THEM THAT, AND IF WE FOUND SOME LOOPHOLE THAT SAYS WE CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, I'M JUST LOOKING AT AS A VOTER OR WHATEVER.
PEOPLE VOTED FOR MEASURE AA AND MEASURE WW BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET LAND.
THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE GOING TO GET LAND.
IT'S SPECIFIED WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET.
TO THINK THAT, EVERYBODY KNOWS NOBODY'S GOING TO HOLD AN ELECTION AND SAY, GIVE US A BOND MEASURE, GIVE US SOME PARTIAL TAX.
WE WOULD DO GOOD WITH YOUR MONEY, WE PROMISE.
THEN WE FIND OUT THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY GETS A RAISE IN SALARIES.
WE HAD TO SAY IT'S GOING FOR LAND ACQUISITION, EXACTLY WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO TO, SO I THINK WE MADE THAT PROMISE.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP IT.
I THINK WE'RE HEARING FROM PARTNERS, THE REGIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION, SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, FORMER EMPLOYEES.
ALL OF OUR TRADITIONAL PARTNERS ARE GOING, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? THIS ISN'T THE PARK DISTRICT THAT PROMISED THESE THINGS AND KEPT THEIR PROMISES FOR ALL THESE YEARS. WHAT'S HAPPENING? THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS.
WHO IS GOING TO BY WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
LET'S MOVE THIS AROUND AND IT SAYS, WE CAN GET AWAY WITH DOING THIS AND DO THIS.
BUT TO WHAT END, WE'RE MOVING STUFF FROM HERE TO THERE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
IF I'M A VOTER, I'M GOING TO LOOK AT IT AND GO, NOW, WAIT A MINUTE.
IT SAID RIGHT HERE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO PURCHASE LAND ON THE OAKLAND SHORELINE, AND NOW YOU'RE MOVING IT UP TO ROBERT.
NOBODY TRUSTS GOVERNMENT ANYMORE, AND WE NEED THEM TO TRUST US IN 2028.
IT'S MY OPINION. I DON'T KNOW THAT IF WE STILL HAVE MONEY IN ACQUISITION.
WHAT DID WE SPEND OUR GENERAL FUND? IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE YOUR BENEFACTOR, YOUR FATHER, OR WHATEVER, WHEN YOU WERE A KID AND SAID, HEY, HERE'S 100 BUCKS TO PAY FOR YOUR RENT.
YOU TOOK THAT MONEY AND YOU SAID, I SPENT IT ALL.
I NEED TO TAKE SOME OTHER MONEY OR JUST MOVING THE MONEY AROUND, AND WE PROMISE THESE FOLKS THAT STUFF.
IF I WERE A VOTER, I'D SAY, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN YOUR GENERAL FUND? THEN I'D LOOK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, AND I THINK AS A VOTE, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'VE SPENT THE 15% CONTINGENCY, AND NOW WE JUST APPROPRIATED ANOTHER $9 MILLION LAST WEEK OR SOMETHING, AND NOW WE'RE OVER $100 MILLION FOR A BUILDING.
NOW WE'VE GOT A REORG THAT CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT.
WE'VE GOT TWO NEW AGMS, AND IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGERS.
IF YOU'RE A VOTER, WHAT'S THE DEAL HERE? COME ON.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING THAT.
I REALLY HOPE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUY INTO COLLINS ARGUMENT.
IT'S MONEY SPENT THERE. WE CAN'T BUY ANYMORE.
IT WAS GIVEN TO US, SO WE CAN JUSTIFY THAT.
BUT MOVING MONEY OUT OF THE METRO AREAS, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE SO WILD, AND THEN THE INTEREST.
THE INTEREST WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED EQUITABLY, AND THE CONTINGENCY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED EQUITABLY.
BUT NOW WE'RE SIPHONING IT ALL OFF INTO OUR LITTLE SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND I DON'T THINK ANYTHING GOOD IS GOING TO COME TO THIS UNLESS WE BUCKLE UNDER AND SAY, LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN NOW.
PREPARE, KEEP BUYING LAND, KEEP OUR PROMISES, KEEP DOING WHAT WE CAN AND SAY WHEN PEOPLE COME BACK TO US AND SAY, YOU GOT TOO MUCH LAND IN LAND BANK.
WE PROMISED WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS. WE'VE DONE IT.
[03:30:03]
NOW, PLEASE VOTE FOR US IN 2028 IN A PARCEL TAX SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THESE BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND ALL THE CAPITAL PROJECTS WE NEED.BUT TO DO THIS IT'S UNWISE, IN MY OPINION.
WE TALKED ABOUT, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP GOING ON TOO LONG, BUT THINK OF THE OPPOSITION, WHAT THEY WOULD SAY.
I THINK WE WILL GET SUED OVER THIS.
EVEN IF IT LOSES, A LAWSUIT OVER THAT WHEN YOU TRY TO GO TO THE VOTERS.
I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THESE, THE BOND MEASURE WE LOST, IT WAS VERY TINY STUFF THE WAY WE LOST, AND IT WAS DEVASTATING BECAUSE IT WAS A MAINTENANCE BOND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
ANYWAY, ONCE AGAIN, AND I THINK WE GOT THESE JOBS TO PRESERVE LAND, TO PROVIDE OPEN SPACE, AND RECREATION AND PROTECT WILDLIFE AND WE'RE NOT DOING THAT IN MY OPINION. THAT'S IT.
>> I'M NOTICING THAT THE BATTERIES ARE BEATEN US.
>> [LAUGHTER] I THINK OUR MICROPHONES ARE TRYING.
>> THE BATTERIES ARE TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING HERE, AND I DON'T KNOW I'M GETTING A LOT OF GOOD HELP OVER THERE, BUT HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE REALLY US WITH HERE?
>> A A DENNIS, AND I THINK WW WERE BOTH ADVERTISED AS 20 YEAR BONDS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULD ISSUE BONDS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, AA, WE DID 2088 TO 2008.
THEN THERE'S SOME LEFTOVER, NOT A LOT.
IT'S 2028, AND WE'RE OUT FOR MORE MONEY UNDER THAT SCENARIO, AND WHAT DO VOTERS SAY IF WE STILL HAVE $100 MILLION? THAT PRESUMES WE SPEND $45 MILLION OF WW FUNDS NEXT YEAR IN 27TH.
IS THERE AN ELECTORAL PROBLEM WITH HAVING ISSUED A BOND THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BE USED OVER 20 YEARS TO ACQUIRE CAPITAL AND WE'RE 20 YEARS INTO IT IN 2028, AND WE STILL HAVE $100 MILLION LEFT.
I'M JUST PULLING THAT OUT OF THE AIR.
THAT WOULD BE AGGRESSIVE, SO I'M WONDERING.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL ABOUT BALANCING CONSIDERATIONS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BALANCE.
>> ARE YOU PIVOTING TO A QUESTION THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED?
>> NO. I WAS RESPONDING TO DENNIS.
I THINK IT WAS NESTING, I'M SORRY.
>> [LAUGHTER] IT'S A QUANDARY.
>> I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH DENNIS.
>> OR A QUESTION. WHAT THE HECK?
>> [LAUGHTER] I WANT TO BE DOWN HERE [OVERLAPPING]
>> I COULD SEE US HERE FOR THREE HOURS, BUT I WANT TO QUOTE SOME WORDS THAT I WAS VERY COMFORTABLE OR WELL SAID THAT SPEAK FOR ME IN ONE OF OUR LETTERS, AND IT'S MEASURE WW WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A SLUSH FUND FOR PROJECT SHORTFALLS.
WHILE THE BOARD DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CAREFUL ABOUT KEEPING OUR PROMISES.
IF THE DISTRICT STARTS TO STRAY TOO FAR FROM WHAT IT'S PROMISED IN MEASURE WW, W IT MAY DO SO AT THE RISK OF LOSING FUTURE SUPPORT, AKA VOTERS.
SOME PROJECTS MAY BE IDEAL FOR OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING, AND SOME MAY HAVE TO WAIT, OR MAYBE THEY CAN BE SCALED BACK.
THESE ARE HARD DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE, BUT THEY MUST BE FURTHER STUDIED AND DEBATED, AND IT IS THE BOARD'S DUTY TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
UNDER MY WATCH, I STAY BY PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE ONE PAGE EACH ON THE REPORTS.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING I COULD REALLY START TO GET MY HANDS AROUND.
I DO ENVISION A TWO FOOT BY THREE FOOT POSTER CHART IN FRONT OF ME OF SOME, SO I AGREE AND I'VE SAID IT ABOUT OTHER TOPICS.
THIS AGENCY, THE MORE I LOOK, THE MORE I PEEL BACK, I DO END UP EVENTUALLY FINDING THE ANSWERS I WANT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF ME YET.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS HUGE AND I'M WORRIED IT IS GOING TO HOLD UP MY VOTE ON THE BUDGET IF IT DOESN'T GET ADDRESSED, AND I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
I SEE THIS TWO BY THREE FOOT CHART, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT MIGHT NOT BE IN ALL THE VARIOUS PIECES AS I'VE ROLLED BACK AND PULLED BACK THE CURTAIN IS THE STAKEHOLDERS PIECE OF THIS.
I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN SCALE BACK,
[03:35:02]
CHANGE, MOVE THINGS AROUND, MAYBE TAKE SOME OFF.IS THERE A COMPROMISE? WHY AND WHERE ARE THE VOTERS OKAY ON SOME PROJECTS? EVEN ME.
I HAD A KNEE JERK REACTION WHEN I LOOKED AT SOME OF THEM.
THIRD GOOD MARSHAL GOES THE THIRD GOOD MARSHALS.
I FEEL LIKE I NEED STAFF TO HELP GIVE US MORE ALTERNATIVES, HELP US.
YOU SAID, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SOME OF THEM.
I DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL, BUT I WOULD LOOK FOR SOME GUIDANCE IN THIS NEXT ITERATION HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE BUDGET COMES BEFORE ME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE TAKE OFF, IF ANYTHING, CONVINCE ME ON THE ONES THAT STAY AND IS THERE MONEY? HOW SOLID ARE THESE? THERE ARE SOME GREAT QUESTIONS FROM NORMAN LA FORCE, HOW SOLID ARE THESE MONEY? GREAT QUESTIONS FROM RPA, GREAT QUESTIONS FROM SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, BOB DOYLE.
I WANT TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THOSE.
>> THANK YOU. I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH THIS ITEM.
WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER SECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN ITEM B1, CORRECT? IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TELL. IT'S LIKE TWO MORE, THREE MORE? LET'S MOVE THROUGH ONE MORE AND WE'LL SEE HOW WE GO.
>> WE'LL DO ONE MORE ON THIS ITEM.
>> HELLO. I'M ALISON BROOKES, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, SOME OF THIS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT TODAY, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THIS.
>> AWESOME. GREAT, SO WHAT'S IN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS? WE HAVE THE CLERK OF THE BOARD, GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, CREATIVE DESIGN GROUP, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT ARCHIVES.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAT ARCHIVES MAY BE MOVING TO PLANNING, BUT WE STILL ANTICIPATE WORKING WITH ARCHIVES EXTENSIVELY.
THE ONE THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT OUR TEAM IS WE ARE EXTERNAL FACING.
WE ARE, AND I THINK WE VIEW OURSELVES AS ALL SERVING THE ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT, AND I REALLY ENCOURAGING ALL OF US TO BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE TOUGH DECISIONS AND HAVE THESE GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND THINK ABOUT THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE AND VOTERS THAT LIVE ACROSS ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
A LOT HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND CONTINUES TO CHANGE.
[BACKGROUND] I'M GOING TO TALK QUICKLY ABOUT SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026, AND WE'LL START WITH THE CLERK OF THE BOARD.
INTEGRATE NEW AND FORTHCOMING LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAD SOME BILLS THAT WERE PASSED THAT WILL NEED TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE WORK WE'RE DOING, RELATED TO THE BROWN ACT AND OUR MEETINGS.
THEN OF COURSE, ADDITIONAL MEASURES THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED IN FUTURE LEGISLATION.
THEN SOME OF OUR GOALS AROUND MODERNIZING HOW WE'RE DOING THE WORK MORE SUSTAINABLY, REDUCING PAPER, IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY TO THE BOARD.
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, REALLY HELPING YOU IN YOUR ROLE AS EXTERNAL LEADERS AND SPOKESPEOPLE ON BEHALF OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
YOU PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE AND WE VIEW THAT AS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP YOU HAVE ALL THE DATA AND INFORMATION YOU NEED AS YOU MAKE DECISIONS AND ALSO SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC.
THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM IS, WE'RE THINKING A LOT ABOUT THE DISTRICT PLAN AND HOW WE'RE BUILDING OUR CONSTITUENCIES ACROSS ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PARK DISTRICT, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, AS RELATED TO OUR FUTURE AND WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE PARK DISTRICT AND ALL THAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING AND SERVING OUR PUBLIC.
[03:40:08]
WE WILL BE DOING SURVEYS, CONTINUE STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POPULATION WANTS FROM THE PARK DISTRICT.WE HAVE WHAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS OUR TRADITIONAL STAKEHOLDERS.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF NEW STAKEHOLDERS OR UNDERREPRESENTED STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY WHO HAVE AN INTEREST AND WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT THEIR INTERESTS IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
I MENTIONED THE SURVEY AND RESEARCH PROJECT AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING OUT INTO EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF ALAMEDA AND COSTA COSTA COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HEARING FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT AND WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY, INFORMATION WE'LL BE SHARING WITH YOU AS THAT COMES IN.
THESE ARE SOMETHING WE'LL BRING FORWARD IN NOVEMBER IN OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
BOTH BRINGING ON SOME SUPPORT TO HELP US REALLY THINK THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE BEST TOOLS AND MEDIA, AND MESSAGING TO REACH THOSE AUDIENCES EFFECTIVELY AND HELP INFLUENCE AND INFORM THE DISTRICT PLAN THROUGH WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE CREATIVE DESIGN GROUP IS ANOTHER PART OF THE TEAM.
THEY'RE THE SIGN TEAM, AND SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES AROUND IMPROVING THE TILDEN VISITOR CENTER.
CONTINUALLY CREATING WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE SIGNS AND ENGAGING VISITOR EXPERIENCES, AND REALLY FOCUSED ON PROMOTING AND PROTECTING OUR BRAND IDENTITY.
NOW I'M GOING WELL, I'M ALL DONE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW DO YOU GO BACK? I WANTED THE PRESENTATION.
I WASN'T DONE WITH THEM. THAT'S HOW DO YOU GO BACK? SORRY ABOUT THIS. NOW THAT'S WORKING.
IT'S NOT SHARING IT ON THE SCREEN.
IT'S WITH OUR SIGNS, WE THINK WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON BEING REALLY SYSTEMATIC ON HOW WE'RE REPLACING SIGNS, UPDATING SIGNS, FIGURING OUT OUR CRITERIA FOR WHICH PARTS NEED TO GET UPDATED AND THEIR WAYSIDE SIGNS, WE WANT TO START MEASURING OUR PROGRESS AND ACCOMPLISHING THAT GOAL.
ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION IS ALL OF OUR PROJECTS WORK ACROSS DIVISIONS.
WE REALLY FOCUS ON WORKING WITH STAFF TEAMS IN AN INTER DIVISIONAL FOCUS.
THIS IS CERTAINLY AN AREA WHERE WE WORK ACROSS DIVISIONS WITH OPERATIONS WITH PLANNING.
WE'RE EXCITED TO REALLY MOVE THAT FORWARD.
WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS, WE WILL AGAIN BE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE DOING OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, MAKING SURE WE'RE UPDATING OUR TOOLS, USING DIGITAL MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA MORE EFFECTIVELY TO REACH OUT PARTICULARLY TO YOUNGER AUDIENCES AND OTHER AUDIENCES THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN HEARING FROM AS AS WE NEED TO, SO WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING THOSE TOOLS FURTHER AND OPTIMIZING THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
[03:45:08]
CREATING AND UPDATING OUR WEBSITE, WHICH AGAIN, YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT A SUPPORT CONTRACT FOR BRINGING ON A FIRM TO HELP US AUDIT AND EVALUATE OUR WEBSITE AND UPDATE IT TO MAKE IT MORE FOCUSED ON THE USER.THEN I JUST WANTED TO CLOSE OUT WITH ARCHIVES BECAUSE I WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT.
I APPRECIATED DIRECTOR DI SHAMBA SHOWING HER APPRECIATION FOR ARCHIVES BECAUSE I THINK THEY'VE DONE SOME GREAT WORK THIS YEAR.
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE THE HISTORY OF THE LOS CHARROS AT CONTRA LOMA EXHIBIT, WHICH WAS GREAT.
THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO THEIR ORAL HISTORIES PROGRAM AND TALKING TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I THINK WE CONTINUE TO RELY ON THEM FOR RESOURCES AND OUR EVENTS AND IN OUR MATERIALS.
SORRY ABOUT THE HITCH IN THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO CHIEF OLICHE.
HERE WE GO. I WILL CHANNEL CHIEF OLICHE. SORRY.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO QUESTIONS ON THIS, WHILE YOU'RE THERE.
>> I'M GOING TO ASK FOR BRIEF AND SUCCINCT TO THE POINT QUESTIONS GIVEN THE TIME AND THEN WE'LL DO COMMENTS THAT ARE ALSO BRIEF AND TO THE POINT.
BECAUSE I WANT TO FINISH OUT THIS ITEM, AND THEN I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING MORE TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO FINISH OUT B1.
DIRECT RECORD, YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> GREAT. FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE THESE OBJECTIVES.
I SUPPORT ALL OF THESE OBJECTIVES.
I WAS CURIOUS THOUGH IN THE GOVERNMENT AND LEDGE AFFAIRS.
I DID NOT SEE THE STATE AND FEDERAL ADVOCACY, AND I KNOW WE ARE DOING THAT.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, IS THERE A REASON WHY IT'S NOT IN HERE OR WAS THIS ONLY SOME OBJECTIVES?
>> SOME OF OUR OBJECTIVES WAS A SNAPSHOT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE ABSOLUTELY.
YOU JUST SAW THE INVITATION FOR THE DATES THAT WE'VE SET ASIDE SO ABSOLUTELY IT'S A PRIORITY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE.
AN ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBABLY NOT.
ANY COMMENTS? I DON'T HAVE A COMMENT EITHER, AND I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE TO GO.
>> WE'LL DO THAT, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE END OF OUR MEETING AFTER THE CHIEF GETS DON IT'S TIME FOR BED.
>> EVENING, ROBERTO [INAUDIBLE], GM OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
I GOT WITH ME, CAPTAIN CHAVEZ, OVERSEES THE UNIT THAT PUTS TOGETHER THE BUDGET, SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HIM AND LET HIM WALK US TO OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION.
>> IF YOU WANT TO JOG THROUGH IT, THAT'S OKAY TOO.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT MERCURIO, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, GENERAL MANAGER LANDRETH, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS PRESENT.
GEORGIO CHAVEZ, CAPTAIN FOR YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPORT SERVICES.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE 2026 PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION BUDGET REQUEST, AND THIS BUDGET SUPPORTS OUR MISSION TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY ACROSS THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. PERFECT. THANK YOU.
INTRODUCTION, AS YOU KNOW, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION PROTECTS 126,000 ACRES OF LAND, 55 MILES OF SHORELINE, AND OVER 1,300 MILES OF TRAILS.
WE SERVE MORE THAN 25 MILLION VISITORS ANNUALLY.
BETWEEN POLICE FIRE AND LIFEGUARD DEPARTMENTS, EACH OF US PLAY KEY ROLES IN MAINTAINING THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
OUR 2025 PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2025, WE REACHED FULL SWORN POLICE STAFFING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 18 YEARS, WHICH YOU WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU ALL A COUPLE OF BOARD SESSIONS AGO.
THIS MILESTONE STRENGTHENS PATROL COVERAGE,
[03:50:03]
RESPONSE CAPABILITY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.WE ALSO EXPANDED OUR DRONE PROGRAM, TRACK THE PROGRESS OF OUR TRACKING CANINE, ADVANCE OUR TREE DIE BACK PLAN ACROSS 1,500 ACRES OF THE EAST BAY HILLS, AND CERTIFIED OVER 4,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CPR AND FIRST AID.
WITH THAT FOUNDATION, WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD TO CONTINUE STRATEGIC GROWTH IN 2026.
OUR 2026 PERFORMANCE GOALS FOCUS ON MAINTAINING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, EXPANDING CAPACITY, AND LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY.
OUR GOALS ARE CONNECTED TO OUTCOMES, WHICH IS IMPROVING SAFETY, ENHANCING SERVICE DELIVERY, AND SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
THIS INCLUDES THE STRATEGIC INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS, REVITALIZING AND FULLY STAFFING OUR POLICE SPECIALTY UNITS, TREATING 21 ACRES OF ANTHONY SHABA AND MAINTAINING 667 ACRES OF LAND THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY TREATED, REDUCING FUELS ON 43 ACRES OF TILDEN, MANAGING 900 ACRES OF VEGETATION USING GOATS, AND EXPANDING THE TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM BY CONTINUING TO TEACH CPR TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
EACH OF THESE GOALS ALIGN WITH OUR CORE MISSION OF PROTECTING PEOPLE, PROPERTY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
OUR 2026 BUDGET PRIORITIES OVERVIEW.
WE WANT TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESSES OF THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF STRATEGIC STAFFING, TECHNOLOGY, MODERNIZATION, AND EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS.
WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE RISK REDUCTION AND IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGH SMART INVESTMENTS.
FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE ONE STAFFING REQUESTS.
IT'S FOR ONE FTE FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATOR.
THE FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATOR, WHICH IS GRANT FUNDED WITH 10.9 MILLION THROUGH 2026, WILL MANAGE CONTRACTORS AND RESOURCES AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ZONES TO ENSURE PROJECT COMPLETION.
WHAT THEY WILL DO IS OVERSEE CONTRACTORS, MANAGE RESOURCES, AND ENSURE PROJECT COMPLETION AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ONES, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND VITAL TO EXPANDING OUR WILDFIRE PREVENTION CAPACITY AND ENSURING WE DELIVER ON RECENT GRANT COMMITMENTS.
ONE TIME BUDGET REQUESTS INCLUDE TARGETED INVESTMENTS AND SIGN TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE OPERATIONAL AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE EXPANSION OF OUR ALPR CAMERA NETWORK.
WE WANT TO ADD 15 MORE APR CAMERAS TO HELP US WITH THE DETECTION OF STOLEN VEHICLES, IMPROVE PATROL AWARENESS, AS WELL AS SUPPORT CRIME INTERNCE AND INVESTIGATIONS ACROSS OUR PARK LANS.
WE'RE ALSO WORK ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEREGRINE TECHNOLOGIES PLATFORM, WHICH WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY.
ADDITIONALLY, OUR REQUESTS INCLUDE VET AND ANIMAL SERVICES DUE TO THE INCREASE OF THE NEEDS OF OUR ANIMALS TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF OUR HORSE OFFICERS.
LASTLY, WE WANT TO ADD FUNDS TO OUR END OF LIFE RADIO EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR STAFF.
FUNDING IS REQUESTED TO REPLACE CRITICAL COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT THAT HAS REACHED END OF LIFE.
IT IS NO LONGER SUPPORTED BY THE MANUFACTURER.
FOR THE ONE TIME BUDGET REQUEST UNDER $50,000, WE HAVE THE CANINE POLICE VEHICLE SETUP FOR OUR CANINE, WHICH WE ARE HOPING TO RECEIVE EARLY IN THE SPRING NEXT YEAR, FUELS CAPTAIN VEHICLE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT SETUP, LIFEGUARD UTILITY TRAILER, AS WELL AS A FUELS CAPTAIN VEHICLE CAMPER SHELL.
OUR ONGOING BUDGET REQUESTS ARE RECURRING NEEDS, ESSENTIAL FOR SUSTAINED OPERATIONS.
AS YOU SEE, WE ARE LOOKING IN OUR REQUESTS TO INCREASE OUR ASU FUEL BUDGET.
AGAIN, INCREASE OUR BET ANIMAL SERVICES.
OUR ARC RADIO SUBSCRIBER FEES ARE INCREASING AS WELL, AND DUAL CELL SERVICE FOR OUR CRADLE POINTS.
IN THE SUMMARY OF OUR BUDGET REQUESTS, THESE ARE KEY IMPACTS THAT ARE STRENGTHENING SUPERVISION AND STAFFING AND POLICE, FIRE, AND LIFEGUARD DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S IMPROVED COMMUNICATION AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES, IT'S ENHANCED EFFICIENCY AND REDUCED RISK ACROSS 73 PARKS AND EXTENSIVE PARK LANDS.
TOGETHER, THESE REQUESTS ENSURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO MEET GROWING VISITOR DEMAND WHILE MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONTINUED SUPPORT.
THESE INVESTMENTS ENABLE US TO BETTER PROTECT OUR PARK LANDS AND SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SO HIGHLY HOLD UP AND WHO ALWAYS SUPPORT US.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
>> YOU COULD ALSO TELL THEM THAT THAT'S OKAY. OKAY GOT ONE.
[03:55:01]
>> WE'RE LOSING BATTERY HERE, SO LET'S KEEP IT BRIEF.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY?
>> ONE QUICK QUESTION, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAD A QUESTION ON THE ONE FT FUELS REDUCTION COORDINATOR, SO FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THAT, THE MORE THE BETTER, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, I SEE THAT IT'S GRANT FUNDED THROUGH 2026.
ARE WE THINKING OF WAYS TO KEEP THAT PERSON ON LONGER BEYOND 2026 OR WHAT IS THE PLAN?
>> CORRECT. THAT'S THE OBJECTIVE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING A LOT MORE ON WILD LAND MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THE COORDINATOR IS GOING TO HELP US DO, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR ALSO FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE THAT.
BUT REGARDLESS OF THE GRANTS, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE HAVING THAT POSITION BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT VERY BENEFICIAL.
>> IT'S NOT A TEMPORARY POSITION.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO TO S INTO 2027.
THAT WAS THE SAME QUESTION I WAS GOING TO HAVE.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE IN VERY REASONABLE REQUESTS, BUT WHEN WE SEE THIS BUDGET ON DECEMBER 2ND, HOW WILL THE FULL STAFFING HAVE AFFECTED THE SALARY AND FULLY LOADED FTE FOR OUR BUDGET? ARE WE GOING TO SEE A BIG JUMP.
>> IT DOES NOT. THOSE ARE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE ALREADY BUDGETED FOR.
WE WERE UNABLE TO HIRE THE PEOPLE.
NOW THANKS TO THE CAPTAIN AND HIS TEAM, THE RECRUITING TEAM, WE'RE NOT FULLY STAFFED, BUT IT'S ALL STUFF, IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ANY CHANGE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
>> HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT OUR DOG AND TRAINING.
NOT SURE WHAT HIS OR HER NAME IS.
>> WE DON'T KNOW YET. THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO TELL US.
>> GOOD. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE BACK FILL AND OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR OFFICER GUINNESS.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THERE.
OUR AMOUNTED POLICE ARE SO WELL LOVED.
>> YES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BY BEING FULLY STAFFED, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M LOOKING AT IS TO AUGMENT OUR EQUESTRIAN TEAM.
THAT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES BECAUSE WE KNOW THE PUBLIC LOVES THE HORSES.
VERY BENEFICIAL TO US, OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY TO POSITION, SO YES, IT'S PART OF THE LONG TERM STRATEGY. YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THIS ONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> GIVEN THE LATE HOUR, IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN TABLEING C1 AND C2 FOR A FUTURE MEETING OR DO YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING?
>> HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, I'M GOING TO KEEP GOING.
[GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE]
2026 SPECIAL INTEREST MONTHS AND OBSERVANCE CALENDAR AND DESIGNATION PROCESS.IN THAT CASE, LET'S ROCK AND ROLL.
>> GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I THINK I ANTICIPATE THIS BEING RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND YET, I THINK SHOULD NOT BE TOO SURPRISING OR NEW.
THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR RETURNING WITH I'M JUST GOING TO SHORTHANDED AS OBSERVANCES CALENDAR.
ALSO TO TRY TO AVOID ACRONYMS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'RE RETURNING WITH YOU, AND IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW AND ADAPTIVE PROCESS, SO WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE TIGHTER WITH IT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN BOARD FEEDBACK ON THIS.
JUST AS A REMINDER AND ACTUALLY, LET ME PAUSE AGAIN.
FOR ALSO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, JOSE GONZALEZ, I'M THE EQUITY OFFICER FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND THE GENERAL MANAGERS OFFICE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.
I'M RETURNING TO ALL THE OFFICE OF EQUITY HAS KICK STARTED THIS PROCESS AND HAS BEEN STEWARDING IT AS WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE WORKING WITH OTHER DIVISIONS AT WHERE.
[04:00:02]
THIS IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO LIVE AS AN ONGOING PROCESS.THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A RELATIVE AND COMPARATIVELY SMALL POTATOES, SO TO SPEAK, BUT IT IS STILL IMPORTANT AND THERE IS A KEY ROLE IN YOU ALL POLICYMAKERS.
IT'S WHAT A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS ALSO PLAY A ROLE ON THIS.
A REMINDER IN TERMS OF OBSERVANCES IS WE HAVE TYPES OF SERVICES, LIKE SPECIAL INTEREST MONTHS SUCH AS HERITAGE MONTHS AND OBSERVANCES THAT MIGHT BE WEEKS THAT MIGHT BE DAYS.
THIS IS NOT NEW TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
AN EXAMPLE OF A HERITAGE MONTH IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, AN EXAMPLE OF AN AWARENESS MONTH IS LIKE DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH.
AN EXAMPLE OF AN OBSERVANCE IS LIKE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE.
SERVICES OF THE PARK DISTRICT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC FACING, YOU COULD GO TO THE WEBSITE TO WHERE WE CELEBRATE AND SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE MONTHS.
AT THE SAME TIME, THERE HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN A COORDINATED APPROACH TO SAY, IS EVERYTHING WE CELEBRATE ON THAT PAGE, AND THEN HOW DOES THAT GET DECIDED? IN 2024, STAFF REQUESTED THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT REALLY PROVIDES POLICY DIRECTION THAT'S COMING FROM THE BOARD, AGAIN, IN YOUR ROLE AS POLICYMAKERS AND REALLY ALLOWS FOR CORRESPONDING PRIORITIZATION AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE FOR THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AROUND THAT.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT HAS AND STILL LOOKS LIKE AT THE WEBSITE.
WHAT WE CAME BACK TO THE BOARD IS REALLY PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON THE GUIDELINES, RULES AND PROCESS, AND WE'RE RETURNING WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY AND TIGHTNESS.
IN TERMS OF THE BOARD, IT WOULD STILL THIS IS WHY WE'RE COMING TO YOU.
IT'S A STATEMENT AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SAY FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
THIS IS WHAT WE OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE ALSO GO TO THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHERE THEY PROVIDE REVIEW AND ALSO COMMENT AND FEEDBACK.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU ALL RECEIVE A COPY WHAT SOME OF THOSE NOTES MIGHT BE OR THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
REALLY ON THE STAFF SIDE, WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER IS JUST ENSURING THAT THESE ARE IMPLEMENTED AND RESOURCED ACCORDINGLY, AND PARK DISTRICT DIVISIONS REALLY PARTICIPATE AND DEVELOP THE PROGRAMMING ACCORDINGLY.
SOME OF THAT YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE ALL ABILITIES STAY.
IN TERMS OF CONTINUING WITH THIS, ALSO CLARIFYING THAT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEY ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE TO PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICES PROGRAMS. THEY'LL SEE THESE NOT JUST ON THE WEBSITE, BUT AT VISITOR CENTERS AND THROUGH THE NEWS LETTERS, YOU NAME IT.
IN PART OF WHAT THE BOARD LAST TIME ASKED AND ALSO PAC HAS COMMENTED IS, WELL, IS THERE A ROLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION? WE DO HAVE SOME PATHWAYS IN THAT, WHICH CAN INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, A FORM ON THE WEBSITE THAT THE PUBLIC CAN GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT, AND THEN STAFF WOULD BE PLAYING A ROLE IN COORDINATING THOSE AND REVIEWING THEM IN TERMS OF HOW THEY MIGHT ALIGN WITH RECOMMENDED CRITERIA.
THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE COMING TO YOU ALL BECAUSE LAST TIME AS THE BOARD, YOU ASKED HOW DO WE DECIDE AS A BOARD? WHAT COULD WE CONSIDER? CAN THE STAFF COME BACK WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS? THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU? AGAIN, THIS IS ADAPTIVE.
SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT IS QUESTIONS AROUND, WELL, WHAT ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC? THESE ARE JUST, I'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH THESE.
ONE CRITERIA IS MISSION ALIGNMENT.
DOES THIS OBSERVE IN ALIGN WITH THE MISSION VISION AND VALUES OF THE DISTRICT? THAT'S WHERE WE CAN BE ABLE TO SAY THAT INCLUDES AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC.
EQUITY IN TERMS OF OUR NEW PARK DISTRICT GUIDING EQUITY STATEMENT THEMES AND GOALS.
I KNOW THAT TERM COMES UP OFTEN.
THIS IS A WAY TO REALLY BE ABLE TO ANCHOR IT ON THAT LANGUAGE.
COMMUNITY RELEVANCE, WHO IS REQUESTING THE OBSERVANCE AND WHAT RATIONALE MIGHT THEY BE PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL IMPACT, ESPECIALLY, OF COURSE, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE VALUE OF THESE OBSERVANCES ARE IN THE EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT THAT THEY PROVIDE AND HOW STAFF PROVIDE PROGRAMMING FOR THAT.
RESOURCE IMPACTS AND SUSTAINABILITY, OF COURSE, THIS IS REALLY LOOKING AT, WE CAN'T DO THE SAME TYPE OF PROGRAMMING FOR ALL OBSERVANCES, ALL OF THE TIME.
BUT WE CAN, OF COURSE, STILL RECOGNIZE THEM AND KNOW THAT HOW CAN THESE BE SUSTAINED FOR THE LONG TERM? EXISTING OBSERVANCES IS IF WE MIGHT ALREADY HAVE ONE OR TWO OTHER SIMILAR OBSERVANCES, DO WE ADD ADDITIONAL ONES TO THAT BECAUSE SOMETHING'S MISSING OR DO WE CONSOLIDATE? HOW DO WE DECIDE AND PRIORITIZE? THEN ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER AGENCIES BECAUSE NO SURPRISE, WE MIGHT EITHER HAVE PEER AGENCIES IN THE AREA THAT ALSO OBSERVE THE SAME THING OR WE'RE GETTING SIMILAR DIRECTION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
[04:05:01]
OUR PROPOSED REVIEW AND APPROVAL TIMELINE THAT WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT, OF COURSE, IS THAT IN AUGUST, WE'RE REALLY TIGHTEN THIS UP, GETTING ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC FROM STAFF AS WELL AS THE BOARD.WE PACKAGE TOGETHER AND IN THE FALL COME TO YOU ALL TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR SO THAT BY JANUARY, IT'S READY TO ROLL, AND BOTH THE PUBLIC AND STAFF REALLY HAVE CLARITY AROUND THAT.
THIS IS THAT PROPOSED CALENDAR WITH ONE NOTE AND CAVEAT BECAUSE WE'RE COMING TO YOU WITH THE PROCESS.
WE KNOW THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, I HAD SOME IDEAS.
CAN I EMAIL THEM AND WHATNOT? I KNOW SOME OF THAT HAPPENED, BUT REALLY IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT PROCESS, IT WAS BOARD DIRECTORS, YOU BRING IT UP TO EACH OTHER AT A DISCUSSION LIKE THIS.
BUT I WILL MAKE THAT NOTE BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME UP OFTEN IS HOW DO WE INCORPORATE MORE OR NON ANTHROPOCENTRIC TYPES OF SERVICES.
ONE EXAMPLE THAT HAS CONSISTENTLY COME UP IS INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY, WHICH IS A UN CELEBRATED ONE.
IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN HERE, BUT THAT COULD BE AN EXAMPLE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, DIRECTOR SHAMBHU CAN REQUEST OF THE BOARD AND SAY, CAN THAT BE INCLUDED IN THERE? NOTING THAT WE'RE ALSO TESTING THIS RECOMMENDED CRITERIA AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT THE ASK OF THE BOARD IS APPROVAL OF THIS CALENDAR, AND OF COURSE, ANY FEEDBACK AS WELL ON THE PROCESS ITSELF OR ANY CLARITY THAT I CAN PROVIDE ON THAT.
THAT IS NOW BRING IT BACK TO YOU FOR DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS, AND VOTE.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOSE?
>> IN INTEREST OF TIME, DO YOU JUST WANT TO HEAR QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'RE DOING A COMMENT SECTION TOO?
>> ARE WE GOING TO BE HAVING BOTH A QUESTION AND COMMENT TIME?
>> YES. THANK YOU FOR ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THE EARLIER REQUEST.
I GUESS IS THE WAY FOR THE BOARD, IT SAYS HERE IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT BOARD MEMBERS, IF FOR EXAMPLE, I STILL WANT TO HAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY, THEN I NEED TO FILL OUT THIS FORM, OR CAN WE DISCUSS THAT NOW?
>> IN TERMS OF RIGHT NOW, YES, YOU CAN DISCUSS THIS NOW, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, THE LIST OF SERVICES LIKE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT MONTH, ARBOR DAY, NATIONAL BIRD DAY, AND SO FORTH, YOU CAN SUBMIT VIA THE REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS YOU HAVE WITH STAFF, BUT NOW WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO COLLECT THAT AND JUST SIMILAR TO THE SPONSORSHIP PROCESS.
IN ADVANCE OF NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD BE COORDINATING WITH THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND SAY, THESE ARE ALL THE SUBMISSION FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND CONCERNS BEFORE WE FORMALLY INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROPOSED CALENDAR. WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THAT.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE DID GET IN OUR EARLIER REQUESTS FOR ARBOR DAY AND AWARENESS OF OUR SAFETY TEAM.
BUT I STILL HAVE EVERYTHING FROM NATIONAL BIRD DAY, WETLANDS DAY, ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY, WORLD WATER DAY.
I'M LOOKING AT AN EMAIL I SENT BACK ON FEBRUARY 3.
WORLD WATER DAY, WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY.
INTERNATIONAL DAY, YOU ADDED THAT ONE BIODIVERSITY.
WE HAVE TWO BIRD COUNTS, GLOBAL BIG DAY AND OCTOBER BIG DAY.
WE HAVE A BACK DOWN COUNT BIRD DAY IN FEBRUARY, AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR OFFICER GUINNESS.
WE ALSO HAVE AN EQUESTRIAN DAY THAT INTERNATIONAL ON DECEMBER 13.
HOW DO I GET THOSE BEFORE THE BOARD TO SEE IF THEY LIKE ANY OF THESE IDEAS OF MINE? I PUT THEM BEFORE THE BOARD AND I HAD A HANDOUT OUT HERE ON THE THIRD AND WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS COMING BACK TO US.
I'M JUST READING FROM MY FEBRUARY EMAIL.
>> I WOULD SAY IDEALLY, WE WOULD HAVE A BIT MORE TIME FOR DISCUSSION, BUT ALSO THE BOARD COULD, SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THE NINE OR 11 SUGGESTIONS FROM DIRECTOR SHAMBHU.
THESE WOULD HAVE NO FINANCIAL IMPACT AT THE MOMENT.
IT WOULD JUST BE A STATEMENT AND THEN STAFF COULD JUST ASSESS HOW TO RESOURCE AND PROGRAM ACCORDINGLY.
>> I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW IN A FORM OF MOTION OR ANYTHING.
I JUST LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR. I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL.
THE CALENDAR IS SUCH A GREAT CALENDAR.
I THINK IT'S BECOME NOW THAT WE'VE GOT SO MANY OF THESE DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE.
[04:10:01]
LIKE THE FAR SIDE CALENDAR.I DON'T LIKE THE FAR SIDE CALENDAR, BUT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL GO, HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW TODAY WAS ARBOR DAY OR I DIDN'T KNOW TODAY WAS NATIONAL LIFEGUARDS DAY.
IT'S GOOD INFORMATION. THE MORE WE CAN PUT IN, THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN SUPPORT, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I DO HAVE A FEW, SO I'LL TRY TO MOVE THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.
IT'S JUST LIKE THIS ONE ACTUALLY WAS A LITTLE BIT BIG FOR ME, AND THIS WAS JUST WORD CHOICE, THE SWITCHING BETWEEN MARGINAL LIES GROUPS AND UNREPRESENTED GROUPS.
THAT ONE JUST AS FAR AS MARGINALIZED GROUPS IS A TERM THAT'S BEEN MOVED AWAY FROM.
BUT LATER ON WITH OBSERVANCES, YOU HAD MORE OF A QUESTION ABOUT HOW ARE YOU PRIORITIZING DECISION MAKING FOR THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THIS CALENDAR SUPPORTS THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT ADS THAT WE'D LIKE TO ADD ON IT.
BUT BY HAVING IT ON THIS PARTICULAR CALENDAR GIVES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE VALUE, THEN WHAT IS THAT PROCESS FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION? I GUESS DO ALL DIVISIONS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THESE HOLIDAYS OR DOES THAT FUNDING GO THROUGH A CERTAIN DIVISION?
>> YES. THAT'S HENCE THE INTENTION FOR THESE TO BE DISTRICT WIDE.
IT ALSO REMOVES THE PERCEPTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MAYBE ONLY INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES, LOOK TO THESE OR MAYBE ONLY EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
IT REALLY DOES PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY AND SOMETIMES MIGHT BE RELATIVELY NEW, SO I'LL PROVIDE ONE EXAMPLE, OUR BUSINESS SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
NOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO REFERENCE AND SAY AS A BOARD APPROVED OF SERVICES CALENDARS, WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND FOR OUR RESERVABLE FOR FACILITIES IN THE PAST, WE'VE TENDED TO INVITE VENDORS, BUT THEY TENDED TO BE WEDDING CENTRIC.
OF COURSE, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT BECAUSE IT'S A HIGHLY VALUABLE SERVICE.
BUT NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO SAY, WHAT IF WE GO AHEAD AND PILOT AND TEST OUT SOME HERITAGE MONTH REQUEST OUT? IN RELATION TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH, LET'S REACH OUT TO VENDORS THAT GO AHEAD AND ADVERTISE AND SAY, WE REALLY ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, A BLACK LIT CATERING SERVICE AND GO AHEAD AND INVITE THE PUBLIC TO ONE OF THESE OPEN HOUSES.
>> IS THERE A BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR THAT? DOES IT LIVE SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE BUDGET?
>> WITH RESPECTIVE DIVISIONS, YES.
IT'S WITH THE RESOURCES THEY ALREADY HAVE.
>> THEY HAVE TO DECIDE IT'S IMPORTANT WITHIN THEIR DIVISION AND THEN ALLOCATED RESOURCES.
JUST AS FAR AS RESOURCE ALLOCATION, THERE'S NOT A PARTICULAR BUDGET?
>> THERE IS NOT ONE DISTRICT ALLOCATED FUND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE OFF SERVICES CALENDARS.
THE OTHER PART WHERE IT SAYS BOARD MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE WARDS TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THESE DIFFERENT MONTHS, AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS WILL COORDINATE WITH AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO BOARD ACCORDINGLY.
IS THIS A NEW PROCESS? NECESSARILY, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS AN OPTION.
IS THERE A PROCESS OR A TIME OF YEAR BEFORE THESE EVENTS HAPPEN WHERE YOU MIGHT REACH OUT TO US AND SAY, IS THERE ANYONE FROM YOUR WARD THAT YOU DEEM SHOULD BE REPRESENTED FOR THIS? HOW DID WE ENGAGE WITH YOUR OFFICE?
>> ANSWER IS, YES, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
IT'S NOT NEW THAT THE BOARD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY AND ABILITY TO DO BOTH PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIAL RECOGNITIONS.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF STRUCTURE TO THAT AND ACTUALLY GIVE YOU SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT BOARD TO DO.
>> WILL THERE BE CRITERIA FOR THAT? BECAUSE I THINK WE MIGHT ALL THINK CERTAIN PEOPLE OR ORGS ARE IMPORTANT.
BUT IS THERE CRITERIA THAT WOULD GO ALONG WITH DECIDING THAT WE SHOULD HONOR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO WORK ON.
SOMETHING THAT JOSE AND I DEFINITELY HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS SPECIFICALLY IN THESE MEETINGS.
[04:15:02]
WE'VE DONE THEM IN FITS AND STARTS WHEN SOMEONE HAS BROUGHT A RESOLUTION FORWARD AND WANTS TO [INAUDIBLE]>> WE'RE GETTING OUR STEPS IN.
>> BUT YES, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HONORING, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX A LITTLE BIT AND BEYOND JUST THE PROCLAMATIONS AND MAYBE DOING SOME CEREMONIAL ITEMS IN HERE, BUT WE'D LIKE TO DO BOTH.
>> I HAVE MAYBE THREE MORE QUESTIONS.
I'M SORRY, GUYS, I'M MOVING THROUGH.
THE RECOMMENDED CRITERIA FOR OBSERVANCE APPROVAL.
I THINK I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO SEE SOME TYPE OF REPORT FOR THIS BECAUSE THESE ARE IMPORTANT CRITERIAS, BUT SOME OF THESE, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER AS A BOARD MEMBER.
RESOURCE IMPACTS AND SUSTAINABILITY.
I COULD SUGGEST THREE MORE HOLIDAYS OR OBSERVANCES, BUT I DON'T HAVE A REAL FILL OF THAT IMPACT TO THE ORGANIZATION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S DISCRETIONARY FUNDS AMONG THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SOME OF THESE, I WOULD NEED YOUR DEPARTMENT TO DO SOME TYPE OF REPORT LOOKING AT THOSE DIFFERENT HOLIDAYS.
>> OVERALL, I THINK THEY ARE GOOD CRITERIA.
I JUST WOULDN'T KNOW IF IT HAD AN EDUCATIONAL IMPACT, ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'S JUST ALL STUFF THAT WOULD TAKE A REPORT.
THEN IF SOMEONE WAS DOING A REPORT LIKE THAT, WHAT IS THE VALUE IN HAVING THAT REPORT? IS IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE IF WE'RE ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
THAT PART, I THOUGHT WAS BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT STILL I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME MORE DISCUSSION OF HOW WE ACTUALLY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. OF COURSE, STAFF CAN ALWAYS COME BACK WITH ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL CAN HELP WITH ANY OF THE DECISION-MAKING, AS WELL AS I SAID, IT'S ADAPTIVE.
>> THESE ARE MY LAST TWO I PROMISE, SO I SEE AS FAR AS THERE'S FEEDBACK FROM THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF THE BOARD HAS PASSED RESOLUTION ONE YEAR FOR BIKING MONTH OR EQUESTRIAN MONTH? I GUESS WOULDN'T THOSE JUST BE AUTOMATICALLY ADDED TO THE CALENDAR? BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SEEM TO COME UP EACH YEAR, OR WE DEDICATE THAT MONTH.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT PART MIGHT NEED SOME TYPE OF PROCESS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE GROUPS, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS, JUST LIKE, HOW DO WE INTEGRATE THAT RESOLUTION PROCESS AND THEN DECIDE IF SOME OF ORGANIZATIONS OR I GUESS SOME OF THOSE MONTHS, HOW DO THEY ACTUALLY BECOME PERMANENT?
>> THE BOARD CAN DO THAT NOW AND JUST MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE THREE VIA PUBLIC COMMENT, I BELIEVE YOU RECEIVED ONE FOR MOUNTAIN BICYCLES AND FOR QUESTION.
AGAIN, THAT STILL DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM DOING A INDIVIDUAL PROCLAMATION DURING THAT MONTH.
THIS NOW PUTS IT IN THE CALENDAR AND THERE'S NO SURPRISES OR QUESTIONS, WHETHER HOW DO WE GET IT, IN THE RESPECTIVE MONTH?
>> THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION SLASH ADS.
FOR THE DIFFERENT MONTHS, IT'S JUST THAT YOU COULD SPELL OUT THE ABBREVIATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOME PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT AANHPI IS? I DO.
THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS IT'S MLK JUNIOR DAY, OR SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY MLK JUNIOR DAY OF SERVICE, BUT MLK SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT.
I KNOW ON CALENDARS AND OTHER SPACE, WE GO WITH THE ABBREVIATION.
BUT WITH ASSUMPTION THAT NOT EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHO MLK JUNIOR IS.
THEN I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER THESE HOLIDAYS.
DIWALI WAS JUST RECOGNIZED AS A STATE HOLIDAY AND WILL BECOME A HOLIDAY IN 2026,
[04:20:03]
IN THE OF CALIFORNIA.IN SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS, I KNOW AS FAR AS DENNIS, THERE'S STRONG.
THIS DISTRICT IS WIDELY CELEBRATED, THERE WERE SOME CELEBRATIONS IN OAKLAND THIS YEAR.
CESAR CHAVEZ DAY, I WAS SURPRISED IT WASN'T ON THE CALENDAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I MISSED THAT ONE LAST YEAR.
THEN THERE'S ONE WHERE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL IT'S UNDER MAY.
BUT THIS MONTH IS FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY.
WELL, OCTOBER WAS A FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
THEN TWO WITH THIS OBSERVANCES IS SOME TYPE OF INTEGRATION INTO OUR MEETINGS.
I KNOW WE'VE DONE THAT ON AND OFF WHERE THERE'S SOME MONTHS WE MIGHT SAY IN THE IN THE PAC SCRIPT OR THE BOARD SCRIPT IS JUST RECOGNIZED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WITHIN OUR BOARD MEETING, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE OBSERVED.
EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE MONTHS AND OBSERVANCES, I THINK THERE ALSO HAS TO BE SOME STANDARD PRACTICE, AND THAT'S IT.
DO YOU EVER THINK WE'LL MOVE TO A POINT OR THERE'S A VALUE OF HAVING A SEPARATE BUDGET ALLOCATION.
INSTEAD OF HAVING EACH GROUP, DOES IT MERIT PULLING THAT MONEY IN ONE POT TO SEE HOW IT'S USED ACROSS ORGANIZATION.
THAT'S IT, I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT, I'M SORRY, GUYS.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
>> I CAN BE VERY QUICK ON SOME OF THESE.
ONE IS TOTALLY FAIR AND ACCURATE AND EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF THE ABBREVIATION, SO THAT'S COMPLETE OVERSIGHT AND WE'LL OWN THAT.
THEN INTEGRATION, ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S PART OF OUR PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S JUST PART OF THE STANDARD PROCESS OF BOARD MEETINGS BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THIS AS PLANNED FOR THE YEAR.
IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, I THINK MY SHORT ANSWER WOULD BE YES, KNOWING THAT THE DISCUSSION WOULD BE THAT THIS IS PART OF WHAT THE BOARD CAN GO AHEAD AND EXPRESS TO SAY, WE PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING, AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, THIS HAS COME AS A RECOMMENDATION AND WE WANT TO ALLOCATE ACCORDINGLY.
>> PULLING MONEY THAT'S ALREADY BEING USED.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CREATE RIGHT NOW ANY EXTRA EXPENSE.
>> I AGREE YOU HAVE ANSWERED ME.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> I JUST HAVE A PROCESS QUESTIONS.
>> COMMENTS WE'RE MAKING NOW, ARE THESE GOING INTO CONSIDERATION FOR 2026 OR 2027? I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT THAT ASPECT OF THE PROCESS, BECAUSE YOU ASKED US TO APPROVE WHAT'S HERE.
>> BOARD COULD MAKE A MOTION TO SAY APPROVE THE CALENDAR WITH THE ADDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE RESPECTIVE BOARD MEMBERS.
>> IF WE DO THAT, THEN I WILL PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE READ THAT MOTION BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED, SO I JUST WOULDN'T BE SURE WHAT I'M VOTING ON AT THIS POINT.
>> IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAYBE VOTE ON THE CURRENT CALENDAR AND THEN BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT THAT WAS GIVEN, AND THEN ARE WE ABLE TO VOTE ON THE ADDITIONS AT THE NEXT MEETING, SO GIVING US SOME TIME TO LOSE BECAUSE YOUR LIST HAD 11, MY LIST HAD FOUR AND PEOPLE MIGHT NEED SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HAVING ALL OF THOSE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE'S IN AGREEMENT ADDING ALL THESE.
>> I WOULD SUGGEST EACH PERSON WHO WANTS TO ADD ONE, JUST READ THEM OFF, AND THEY SHOULD BE RECORDED.
THAT WILL BE ACCEPTED INTO THE RECORD AS THE WAY IT WAS APPROVED.
>> DO YOU WANT PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST?
>> COMMENT. BOARD COMMENT OVER THERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. YOU WERE WAVING THAT AROUND AND IT DIDN'T REGISTER IN MY MIND.
GO AHEAD. WE DO HAVE A COMMENT HERE?
>> JUST READ YOUR NOTES. GOOD AFTERNOON.
[04:25:02]
MY NAME IS META DARCY, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING AFSCME LOCAL 2428.I THINK THIS IS WONDERFUL AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS BEING BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT SOME OF THE DAYS I NOTICE, A LOT OF THESE CAME FROM OUR INTERPRET REC STAFF.
OUR EMPLOYEES WERE ACTUALLY DOING A LOT OF THESE ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE DISTRICT STARTED DOING IT.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY STARTED PUSHING OUT IN THEIR ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS ON INSTAGRAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO CHECK IN WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY MIGHT THINK SHOULD BE ADDED.
I DID TAKE A LOOK AT THE THE OLD STATE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.
THEY HAD A COUPLE THAT I THINK WILL BE VALUABLE TO ADD TO THIS LIST.
ONE OF THEM IS ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, ANOTHER JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, MILITARY APPRECIATION AND NATIONAL VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES MONTH, CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH AND WORLD REFUGEE DAY.
ALSO LOOSELY, I THINK, WHAT'S CELEBRATED AROUND HERE IS ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY.
ALSO ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE BRING UP IS BRING YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY, SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REALLY WANTED TO SEE, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING REALLY GREAT.
I KNOW A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES HAVE A REALLY COOL DAY WHERE THE KIDS COME AND THEY GET TO SEE DIFFERENT JOBS AND THEY GET TO SEE WHAT A RANGER DOES OR SEE WHAT ADMINISTRATORS DO.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT ONES THAT WE CAN ADD, I THINK LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ARAB AMERICANS OUT THERE.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CARIBBEAN AMERICANS.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS, JEWISH AMERICANS, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAVE UP THERE.
THAT'S WHAT MATT WANTED ME TO TELL EVERYBODY.
>> DO YOU THINK AS FAR AS COULD WE TRY YOUR NEW PROCESS WITH THESE LIKE, AS FAR AS WITH WHAT WE'VE SUGGESTED, TAKE THEM THROUGH THE CRITERIA.
BECAUSE SOME, LET'S JUST SAY, FILIPINO AMERICAN MONTH, I KNOW, MIGHT SEE SIMILARITIES WITH AANHPI HERITAGE MONTH.
WHAT WE'VE SUGGESTED NOW, TAKING THEM THROUGH THE CRITERIA.
>> QUICKLY RETURNED. WE COULD, LOOK AT THIS CALENDAR NOW AND JUST SAY, LIKE THIS, AND THEN THE OTHER ONES, WE COULD JUST RETURN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE THINK OF.
>> I WAS WONDERING HOW WE WOULD INCORPORATE SOMETHING THAT WAS THAT CAME FROM A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WASN'T REALLY SURE ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT WE GET ONE MORE CRACK AT THIS WITH ALL THESE THINGS INCLUDED THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED?
>> WE DON'T VOTE ON IT NOW, WE PUT IT OFF AND WE LOOK AT IT AGAIN IN ITS COMPLETE FORM?
I THINK I WAS SUGGESTING IF WE NEEDED TO VOTE ON THE CURRENT CALENDAR.
I THINK A LOT OF THESE WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH, BUT, LIKE, THE ADDITIONS TAKE THEM THROUGH THE NEW CRITERIA FOR OBSERVANCE APPROVAL.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT MISSION ALIGNED, EQUITY, COMMUNITY RELEVANCE, WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL TO TAKE IT THROUGH THAT PROCESS? BECAUSE I'M SURE IT WOULD, HAVE YOUR TEAM.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST SUGGESTING BASED ON WHAT I'M SEEING HERE AND TRYING TO TAKE WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WE'RE RECOMMENDING RATHER THAN THAT, THAT YOU'VE RECOMMENDED RATHER THAN OVERRIDING IT BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALL FEEL THESE ARE SPECIAL, BUT IT'S A LOT TO ADD TO THE CALENDAR ALL OVER.
>> I'LL JUST SAY WE DEFINITELY WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK IF THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON THE ONES THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED HERE TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE ACTION ON OUR RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WE CAN START TO WORK TOWARDS INSTITUTIONALIZING THIS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THEN IF THERE ARE OTHERS, THAT CAN BE PART OF A MOTION THAT YOU MAKE HERE AND THEN HAVE US RUN THROUGH THE TEST CASE WITH THE ANALYSIS AND WE CAN COME BACK AND HAVE THE BOARD DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON ANY OF THOSE WITH A RECOMMENDATION. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
>> THAT WOULD BE ALL THE ONES THAT WERE SUGGESTED THAT ARE NOT ON HERE. GREAT.
>> STAFF WE CAN COLLECT THOSE NOW.
>> I WOULD BE GREAT TO GET THOSE AS PART OF THE MOTION. SORRY.
>> EVERYBODY HAS THAT. THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO ABOUT TO MAKE THE MOTION KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY?
[04:30:01]
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK DO WE HAVE TO MENTION EACH ONE?
>> WHY DON'T WE MAKE A MOTION DR. SWAN CAN START AND ADD HER FOUR AND THEN ALAMEDA MAYBE CAN GIVE HERS, AND THEN WE CAN GET NONE-AMEND, JUST JUST ADD TO THE LIST RATHER THAN HAVE IT.
>> IT'S LIKE A TAG TEAM THING.
>> I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
>> THE MOTION JUST TO BE CLEAR.
I LIKE YOUR SUGGESTION IS TO HAVE STAFF LOOK AT THESE AND RUN THEM THROUGH THE CRITERIA AND THEN COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ONES THAT MEDO SUGGESTED ARE IN THERE AS WELL.
I GUESS SHE PROBABLY CAN'T JUST JUMP IN.
>> ONE OF YOU WILL HAVE TO DO.
>> YOU CAN INCLUDE YOURS PLUS HERS.
LET'S START OVER HERE WITH DIRECTOR RESPONSE.
>> CESAR CHAVEZ DAY, DIWALI, FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
THEN FROM THE PAC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I MIGHT NEED HELP ON THIS ONE.
THE THREE THAT WERE RECOGNIZED WITH THE RESOLUTION.
I BELIEVE IT WAS MOUNTAIN BIKING MONTH.
>> INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY.
>> INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY.
>> ONE OTHER FROM THE PAC THAT WAS RECOGNIZING YOUTH.
I HAVE AUGUST 12TH AS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY.
THE REST OF THE PAC RECOMMENDED, I BELIEVE ARE CAPTURED IN MY LIST, WHICH I WILL READ AGAIN, OF JANUARY 5TH, NATIONAL BIRD DAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, RAMS OR WETLANDS DAY, MAY 17TH, ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY.
MAY 2ND WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY.
MAY 2ND INTERNATIONAL DAY OF BIODIVERSITY, YOU'VE ALREADY CAUGHT SOMEWHERE ELSE. THANK YOU.
JUNE 5TH, WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, SECOND WEEK OF JUNE POLLINATOR WEEK, SEPTEMBER 6, WORLD SHORELINE BIRD DAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, GLOBAL DAY OF CLIMATE JUSTICE.
GREAT BIRD DAY COUNT IS IN MAY 10TH AND ALSO ON OCTOBER 11TH, THEY HAVE TWO GREAT BIG DAY, THEY CALL IT.
THE BACK YARD BIRD COUNT IS FEBRUARY 13TH, AND EQUESTRIAN DAY IS DECEMBER 13TH.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT I ALSO AM ADDING THESE AS LONG AS THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT FISCAL IMPACT, SIMILAR TO WHAT DIRECTOR WAESPI SAID, JUST TO HAVE THEM ON OUR CALENDAR AT THIS POINT UNLESS WE DECIDE LATER THAT WE WANT TO, I'M NOT INTENDING THIS LIST TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN PUT THEM IN THE CALENDAR FOR RECOGNITION.
I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED A PROCESS PERHAPS TO OPEN AND CLOSE OUR MEETINGS TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THESE.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT.
>> I ALSO WANT TO ADD. I WROTE THEM DOWN.
ONE WAS FOR ARAB RECOGNITION, JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH, MILITARY RECOGNITION, CARIBBEAN, IMMIGRANTS.
WHAT WAS THE WORD FOR IMMIGRANT WHAT? IS THERE JUST IMMIGRANT RECOGNITION? REFUGE. IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.
I HADN'T NOTE THERE WAS A PLUS THERE.
ADMIN DAY, BRING YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY.
>> MOVE TO ADD SECOND, TO ADD.
[BACKGROUND] WELL, I'M JUST RECOGNIZING [OVERLAPPING].
THE OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, THAT ONE CARRIES.
THAT'S THE FULL LIST AS IT IS.
I APPRECIATE THE UNDERSTANDING AND FACILITY OF THE BOARD.
[04:35:03]
>> WELL, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS, TOO.
>> AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ASSESSMENT, PLANNING, AND SELECTION TO BAKER TILLY ADVISORS LP IN THE AMOUNT OF $95,000.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN, BOARD PRESIDENT AND BOARD.
AGAIN, ALSO OUR SALES EQUITY OFFICER IN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY.
THIS, I ANTICIPATE, SHOULD ALSO BE RELATIVELY QUICK.
NORMALLY, YOU MIGHT SEE THIS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
BUT WE INITIALLY WANTED TO TAKE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW HOW SOME OF THESE THIS PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IS PART OF THE LARGER WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE, IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WE KNOW HAS COME UP AS HIGH INTEREST AND VALUE AND PRIORITY OF THE BOARD.
I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF THAT.
KNOWING THERE'S A LOT MORE WE CAN COME BACK WITH.
WE, OF COURSE, WILL COME BACK WITH ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, DATA, INFO, AND ANYTHING THAT THE BOARD NEEDS ON THAT POINT.
ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I'M USING THE PUZZLE PIECES BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES THAT'S A FAMILIAR PICTURE AROUND THAT.
WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE AS PART OF THE PARK DISTRICT, WE'VE HAD A LOT.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE PERIOD.
WHEN WE SAY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S BROADLY SPEAKING EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC OUTREACH TO DEEP PARTNERSHIPS THAT SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD.
THERE'S BEEN NO LACK OF TASK AND ACTIVITIES.
IT'S NOT LIKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS A WHOLE IS NET OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
WHAT HAS BEEN MISSING THOUGH IS REALLY A MUCH MORE COORDINATED SYSTEMATIC APPROACH WHERE WE REALLY INSTITUTIONALIZE IT AND WE MAKE SURE THAT SOME PIECES AREN'T LEFT PURELY ON INDIVIDUALS, AND THEN IF THAT INDIVIDUAL LEAVES, AN ACTIVITY OF A PROGRAM, IT DOESN'T REALLY LIVE ANYWHERE ANYMORE, BUT ALSO AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH BIG INITIATIVES AND PROCESSES LIKE THE DISTRICT PLAN, AS WELL AS REALLY BEING ABLE TO HONOR WHAT SOME OF THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS, WHICH IS LIKE TRUST-BASED RELATIONSHIP-BASED PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR ANY THAT DON'T HAVE A HISTORY OR LEGACY WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
WHEN WE SAY TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, AND WE WANT THEIR INPUT, WE DON'T WANT TO BE GOING TO THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEN HAVING THEM BE LIKE, "OH, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" OR LIKE, "YOU'RE THE FIFTH PERSON THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE PARK DISTRICT, ARE YOU NOT COORDINATED ON THIS?" WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THIS IS, WHAT'S OUR FRAMEWORK WITH THE VISION, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND ASSESSMENT NEEDS? WHAT ARE OUR ROLES, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, AND THEN WHAT ARE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES? THE ASK OF THIS ITEM IS GOING TO ESPECIALLY FALL UNDER THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES.
THE OFFICE OF EQUITY WAS INVOLVED BECAUSE, AGAIN, STAFF REQUEST THE OFFICE OF EQUITY DOESN'T ON ITS OWN, JUST GO OUT AND TRY TO LOOK FOR WORK TO DO.
BUT WE REALLY ARE LOOKING FOR ESPECIALLY WITH STAFF IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN DIFFERENT DIVISIONS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
WE NEED SOME OF THAT CROSS DIVISIONAL SUPPORT THAT OUR OFFICE CAN PROVIDE, AS WELL, OF COURSE, WITH THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS WE KICKED OFF WITH ONE OF THESE BIG CROSS-VISIONING SESSIONS, A BIG MEETING THAT THE GENERAL MANAGER OPENED UP TO REALLY SET THE STAGE AND REALLY SAY, "THIS IS WHY AND HOW THIS IS IMPORTANT." THAT ALLOWED US TO GET ON THE FIRST COMMON PAGE AND GET SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS WORKING, NOT WORKING, OPPORTUNITIES.
SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM STAFF AT THAT MEETING, ESPECIALLY IN OUR INTERP AND REP DEPARTMENT SAY, "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME." AN ABILITY TO ACTUALLY REALLY SIT TOGETHER WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST IN ONE DEPARTMENT THAT MAYBE HAS THE TRADITION OF BEING EXTERNAL FACING.
THAT KICKED OFF ALSO A CROSS DIVISIONAL STAFF WORKING GROUP THAT REALLY DID SOME OF THE EVEN DEEPER HARDER WORK TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK.
HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NOT JUST LET'S DO THIS AND IF INTERP AND REP WANTED TO DO IT, BUT MAYBE THE IMPACT ON OPERATIONS AND WHAT'S THE PERSPECTIVE AND FEEDBACK FROM THE OPS TEAM TO BE ABLE TO SAY, "THAT'S AWESOME.
ARE YOU READY FOR OUR INPUT IN TERMS OF HOW WE WANT TO BALANCE THAT?" IT ALSO INCLUDED, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT, OF COURSE, THEY'RE OUT THERE ALL THE DAY ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC, BUT WHAT ARE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO ALSO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE AN ACTUAL PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES? THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE REALLY HELPFUL TO REALLY ACTUALLY CREATE A DISTRICT WIDE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK.
[04:40:02]
IN ADDITION TO AS WE WERE ROLLING THROUGH THAT, WE ALREADY KNEW, BUT IT REINFORCED IT AND BECAME CLEAR THAT THE NEED FOR SOMETHING LIKE A CRM, WHICH IS A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TOOL.IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE TEXT PEAK, IT'S THE APPLICATION, THE PLATFORM, WHERE YOU CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS AND IT HOLDS THE DATA THAT HELPS ANSWER THAT.
HERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT PLANNING IS NOW WANTS TO GO AND ENGAGE WITH WITH A PLANNING PROCESS.
HAVE THEY INTERACTED WITH THE DISTRICT IN DIFFERENT WAYS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS? WE COULD SEMI ANSWER THAT WITH THE CURRENT PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S JUST OPERATIONAL AND CAPACITY-WISE, WE WEREN'T QUITE THERE.
IT WOULD MEAN PLANNING WOULD HAVE TO GO TO INTERP AND REC AND SAY, "HEY, WHAT'S YOUR LIST? CAN YOU SHARE THE LIST OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS?" WE NEEDED TO HAVE A PROCESS TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE WITH THIS TOOL IS NOW BE ABLE TO NOT SURPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS BY HAVING THEM FEEL LIKE WE'RE ASKING THE SAME ORGANIZATION TEN DIFFERENT TIMES FROM 10 DIFFERENT UNITS, BUT ALSO LEAN INTO THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED.
THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE PILOT CASE STUDIES AND PROJECTS ALSO BEGIN TO FEED INTO THAT PROCESS.
IF PLANNING, FOR EXAMPLE, IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB ON ONE PROJECT, HOW DOES THAT ACTUALLY FEED INTO LESSONS LEARNED FOR THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE? FOR EXAMPLE, CREDIT TO OUR DECOR TEAM, THEY JUST PAD AN AWARD WINNING PROCESS AND PROJECT WITH THE NEW VOICES COHORT IN THE NORTH BASE AND STRIP.
DOES THAT BECOME JUST AN ISOLATED OUTLIER TYPE OF INCIDENT OR CAN THAT BE REPEATED ACROSS DIFFERENT PROJECTS ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THOSE TYPES OF DATA POINTS CAN NOW LIVE IN THE CRM.
THIS WOULD BE, THEN, AN OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE TOOL FOR ONE DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST FOR ONE TEAM, IT'D BE DISTRICT-WIDE, FOR MULTIPLE PROCESSES.
REALLY, THE CRM IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT A DISTRICT-WIDE, INTER-DIVISIONAL COORDINATED, IS A STATE SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND INFORM RELATIONSHIPS.
THAT'S A LOT OF WORDS FOR SAYING WE NOW HAVE ONE PLACE WHERE IT LIVES FOR THE WHOLE PARK DISTRICT THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS CAN ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH IT AND GET INFORMATION THAT'S NOT JUST USEFUL AND VALUABLE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT ACTUALLY IS ALSO BENEFICIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS BECAUSE TOO OFTEN, I KNOW SOME OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, WE'VE LEFT THEM HANGING.
FOLLOWING A BEST PRACTICE WITH SUPPORT FROM OUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS TEAM IS REALLY WELL, WE KNOW WE NEED THIS, BUT WE NEED A BEST PRACTICE PROCESS IN TERMS OF WHAT'S THE ASSESSMENT TO ENSURE IT'S THE ALIGNMENT, WE'RE ASKING THE BEST QUESTIONS FOR THE BEST FIT, AND IT IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED AND USE.
VERY CRUDE ANALOGY, BUT IT'S LIKE FIGURING OUT YOU MAYBE NEED A CAR BUT YOU DON'T JUST GO AND BUY A CAR, YOU HAVE TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT DO I NEED IT FOR, WHAT DO I INTEND TO USE IT MORE OFTEN, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL? THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USING IT FOR JUST COMMUTING VERSUS IF YOU'RE GOING TO INTEND A LOT OF OFF-ROADING.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT BEST PRACTICE, MUCH, MUCH SMALLER SCALE, BUT SIMILAR TO HOW FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD TO GO THROUGH THEIR ERP.
WE'RE TAKING THAT BOTH GUIDANCE AND RECOMMENDATION FROM INFORMATION SERVICES, AND THAT'S WHAT LED US TO GO AHEAD AND PUT OUT AN RFP TO BASICALLY SAY, "WE NEED HELP WITH THIS AS A PROCESS AND GET THIS TYPE OF SCOPE OF WORK OUT THERE, SYSTEM ASSESSMENT SELECTION OF SERVICES, PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT, AND THEN GETTING THE ACTUAL, WHAT IS OUR PLATFORM AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PLATFORM." IT ISN'T JUST WE [INAUDIBLE] JUST GET SALES FORCE.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE NEED AND HOW WE WOULD USE IT.
THAT'S WHAT LED TO US, AS PART OF A STAFF PROCESS, WE WENT THROUGH THE RFP, WE SELECTED A CONSULTANT WHO SUPPORTED US WITH THIS PROCESS.
THEY ARE BAKER AND TILLY ADVISORS, WHICH IS NOT UNKNOWN TO SOME OF OUR TEAM.IN OTHER WORDS, THEY COME WITH BOTH EXPERIENCE AND HISTORY IN THE FIELD, AND THEN THE FUNDING IS ALREADY CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.
WE'RE COMING TO THE BOARD FOR THE REQUEST AND APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT.
WE ASK THE BOARD, PLEASE, TO BE ABLE TO AUTHORIZE THE AWARD AND EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT FOR CONSULTING SERVICES TO BAKER AND TILLY ADVISORS IN THIS AMOUNT FOR THE CRM SYSTEM ASSESSMENT.
I KNOW I WENT RELATIVELY QUICKLY, BUT OF COURSE, WELCOME QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHO'S GOT A QUESTION?
[04:45:04]
>> WHERE WILL THIS BE HOUSED? IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU'RE PRESENTING FROM OFFICE OF EQUITY, BUT WHO'S GOING TO HOUSE LIST? THAT'S WHERE IT'LL BE?
I WANT TO JUST SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH SOMETHING LIKE SALES FORCE, WHERE THIS WOULD BE TYPICAL.
TELL ME IF THIS IS HOW THIS MIGHT GO, WHERE LET'S SAY ONE OF YOUR DIVISIONS TALKS TO THE VICE MAYOR OF MORAGA VERSUS YOUR GM TALKS TO THE MAYOR OF MORAGA VERSUS SOMEONE ELSE TALKS TO PRESERVE LA MARINDA VERSUS, BUT THEN YOU COULD GO IN AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEARCH BY MORAGA OR SEARCH BY LAS TROPUS SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN NORTH LAS TROPUS, SOUTH LOS TROPUS, YOU'D SEE SEVEN PEOPLE HAVE TALKED TO SEVEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE, AND YOU'D ALSO HAVE THE MAILING LIST SO THEN WHEN IT COMES UP ON OUR AGENDA, YOU COULD SHOOT OUT AN EMAIL INSTANTLY TO EVERYONE WHO'S EVER ASKED A SINGLE WORD ABOUT MORAGA OR LAS TROPUS.
WOULD IT BE USED IN THAT MANNER?
>> OKAY. WHICH I LOVE. THANK YOU.
I DIDN'T GET THAT FULLY, BUT I'VE USED THAT BEFORE, AND WHAT A GREAT TOOL THAT WOULD BE FOR SO I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
>> IN OLDER LIFETIME, I WORKED IN A CALL CENTER.
I SEE THAT THE 95,000 IS FOR YOUR CONTRACT WITH THEM, BUT SHOULD WE BE EXPECTING ADDITIONAL COST JUST AS FAR AS FOR TRAINING ONCE WE IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM AND THE ONGOING EXPENSE OF THE COST OF THE SYSTEM, OR ARE WE ABLE TO GUESS ON SOME OF THOSE OR WILL THAT REALLY BE DEFINED BY THIS PROCESS WE'RE GOING TO? I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE FIRST PIECE OF THE FUNDING THAT'S NEEDED, SO DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA JUST AS FAR AS LONG TERM COSTS FOR THIS? I DO THINK AS FAR AS A CR SYSTEM IS DEFINITELY GREAT.
A CAREFUL THOUGHT OF THE INTAKE INFORMATION GOING INTO THESE SYSTEMS BECAUSE THE WORST THING IS BEING A COMMUNITY PARTNER AND HAVING TO RE ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS, HAVING TO RE GIVE INFO, YEAH, THAT IMPLEMENTATION, COST AND TRAINING?
FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE THIS WILL HELP ANSWER MORE OF THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY, LIKE, "WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO COST THIS MUCH, COMPARED TO SOMETHING THAT COST THIS MUCH." IT STILL GIVES US WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO REALLY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, AND WE DO HAVE THE INITIAL FUNDING ALREADY IN TERMS OF A PROJECT CODE WITH EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
>> YOU HAVE INITIAL FUNDING FOR A FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION?
>> YES. WELL, KNOWING WHAT EXACTLY THE EXACT APPLICATION AND PLATFORM WE WOULD END UP WITH.
>> OKAY. YEAH. WE HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THIS REQUEST, BUT WE DO NOT YET, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE BASED OFF OF THE SCOPING, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR THAT YET.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME IN FUTURE REQUEST OR LOOKING AT EXISTING FUNDING TO DO THAT.
>> I'LL ADD THAT NOTE THAT AGAIN, PART OF WHY WE'RE REALLY BEING DELIVERED WITH THIS BEST PRACTICE APPROACH BECAUSE I'M LOOKING OUR INFORMATION SERVICES.
THE LAST THING WE NEED IS JUST ANOTHER THING TO ADD ON TO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT, HOW THEY SHOULD ALL LIVE TOGETHER.
SIMILAR TO THE ERPS, WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THOSE QUESTIONS YOU SAY, "HOW DOES THIS PLUG INTO 16 PROCESSES," AND NOT JUST GET EXCITED ABOUT GOING FOR SOMETHING NEW AND THEN GETTING IN.
>> IT REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE PLUGGED IN THE PROCESSES BECAUSE IF YOU CALL AT&T, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR SERVICE HISTORY, HAVE YOU CALL FOR REPAIR, WHAT TECHNOLOGIES CAN WE UP-SELL YOU ON? HAVING A REAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OPERATE AND THEN WHAT INTAKE INFORMATION YOU NEED THAT STANDARD, AND THEN THE SPECIAL INTAKE INFORMATION THAT WILL POP UP BASED UP I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHT TO GO INTO IT.
I THINK THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME YOUR RESOURCES ARE IN THAT PERSON WHO'S DOING THE EXTERNAL? ABSOLUTELY. PART OF THE REASON WHY WE KEEP OUR JOBS [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE YOU'RE AS VALUABLE AS YOUR RESOURCES.
MOVING AWAY SO THAT INFORMATION ISN'T WITHIN THE PERSON,
[04:50:01]
I THINK IS GREAT.AS AN EMPLOYEE, I WOULD LOVE THIS, TO KNOW HOW WE'VE BEEN INTERACTED AND TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP ON THAT RELATIONSHIP.
>> WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN?
>> WELL, I'M LOOKING AT OUR TEAM, AND I'M IDEALISTIC WHILE KNOWING WE'RE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHETHER WE CAN PULL IT OFF FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN.
IT'S GOING TO MOVE COMPLIMENTARY TO IT.
THE DISTRICT PLAN REALLY HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST ALL THESE MUSCLES AND BE ABLE TO SAY WHERE WE NEED MORE SUPPORT WITH IT.
I'M EXCITED THOUGH BY THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND MOVING ALL OF THESE THAT JUST NEED TO BE MOVED, KNOWING THAT AT TIMES, IDEALLY, YOU'D HAVE HAD THE A BEFORE THE B, THE C, AND SO FORTH, BUT WE'RE STILL MOVING EVERYTHING FORWARD.
>> DO YOU STILL HAVE ANOTHER PROCESS IN PLACE IN THE MEANTIME, MIKE?
>> HUNDRED CONTACTS, AND THOSE ARE ALL SOMEWHERE TO CHECK THAT YOU ALREADY UP?
>> YEAH. STAY TUNED. ABSOLUTELY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF THIS, BUT ALSO JUST REALLY THINK ABOUT THE REPORTS IT CAN PRODUCE AND HOW WE'RE PUTTING NOT ONLY THE INFORMATION WE'RE PUTTING IN THE SYSTEM, BUT HOW IS THIS SYSTEM GOING TO ALLOW US TO PULL THE REPORTS WE NEED TO DO OUR WORK.
SO IF IT'S PULLING OUT WHAT TYPE OF NON PROFITS ARE THESE, WE CAN PULL VOLUNTEERS FROM OR WHOSE POTENTIAL DONORS? REALLY BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IN THE END, IT'S NOT JUST THOSE CONTACTS AND PUTTING THE INFORMATION, BUT BEING ABLE TO PULL THE INFO TO.
>> CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE [OVERLAPPING].
>> NO. BECAUSE I HAVE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
>> SORRY MR. PRESIDENT.MY APOLOGY.
>> VERY ANXIOUS. THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
>> MY COMMENT IS, I LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN IT'S IMPLEMENTED BEING INFORMED AS TO HOW THE BOARD CAN UTILIZE IT.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WAYS THAT IT WILL HELP US? ASSUMING THAT IT'S MEANT TO HELP THE BOARD AT ALL, AND I THINK IT IS.
>> YOU ARE PART OF THE DISTRICT?
>> I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE $95,000 TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT CRM SYSTEM ASSESSMENT.
>> SECOND. SECOND BY ECCLES. ALL IN FAVOR.
AYE. OPPOSED. ABSTAIN. CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS, ANY?
[GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS]
>> I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF TODAY.
THIS WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO ALL OF THESE STAFF REPORTS, ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, ALL OF THE ANALYSIS, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS.
INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK, AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.
>> YES. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION? NONE. PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
[PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS.>> DO THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO REITERATE.
I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD SEE CIP SOMETIME BEFORE DECEMBER 2 SO WE CAN APPROVE A BUDGET.
>> AS I SAID EARLIER THAT YOU HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET MEETING COMING UP ON NOVEMBER 18.
YOU'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY THEN AND THEN YOU HAVE THREE MORE MEETINGS COMING UP.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY, AND WE HAVE OFFERED MADE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO DO MEETINGS WITH ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE THEM.
>> I WANT TO TAKE THEM UP ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY TO GET INTO THE DETAIL TO GIVE AND TAKE.
TO TALK ABOUT PROPERTIES THAT WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT PUBLICLY AND THEIR STATUS, I THINK I NEED TO DO IT ONE ON ONE.
BUT I DON'T OPPOSE HAVING ANOTHER STUDY SESSION.
>> WELL, I THINK IF WE CAN GET THE DOCUMENT THAT PEOPLE WERE IMAGINING THAT TRACES FROM THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR EACH OF THESE ACQUISITIONS, AND THEN WHAT'S BEEN TAKEN OUT, AND THEN WHAT'S, WHAT'S LEFT AND SO ON AND SO FORTH,
[04:55:02]
AND THEN THE COLUMN ABOUT WHY WE CAN DO THIS.I THINK IF WE COULD HAVE THAT IT'S MASSIVE.
IT'S GOING TO BE A MASSIVE CHART AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT MOST OF THAT WORK IS ALREADY DONE.
BUT IF IT COULD BE COMBINED IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN TRACE EVERYTHING THROUGH, FOR ME, AT LEAST, THAT WOULD ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
>> I AGREE SINCE I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY WANTED TO SEE THAT.
THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED.
[BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED]
>> SINCE I WROTE IT OUT, I WILL VERY QUICKLY.
AT THE 26 OCTOBER I DID A JOINT CELEBRATION FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF POINT ISABEL AND THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF POINT ISABEL DOG OWNERS AND FRIENDS.
ALSO SERVED AS A JUDGE ALONG WITH SUPERVISOR JOHN JOY AND THE OCTOBER FEST. VERY FINE.
>> THE VERY BEST COSTUME WAS IT WAS PIRATES AND PARROTS.
THERE WERE TWO HUMANS WHO WERE PIRATES AND TWO DOGS WHO WERE PARROTS.
IT WAS VERY CUTE, VERY IMAGINATIVE.
>> ON THE 28TH MET WITH THE FOLKS FROM THE CITY OF PANOP ON OUR DISTRICT PLAN, 29TH HEAD BY MET AND GREY WITH KELLY CLANCY.
ALSO ON THE 29TH, HAD ATTENDED THE WORKFORCE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE.
ALSO ON THE 29TH, I GAVE OPENING REMARKS AT THE BERKELEY JOINT FIRE WISE COUNCIL MEETING WITH ACTING ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF PATRICK MCNIRE AND CAPTAIN JUSTIN NEVILLE.
THEN I GUESS I'LL A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT THAT'S ENOUGH.
>> ON OCTOBER 23, I WENT TO THE LIBERO LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING.
I WAS FIRST IN A LONG TIME, BUT IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE.
ON THE 29TH, I WENT TO THE STEWARDSHIP SEMINAR.
LOTS OF WONDERFUL, GREAT EXPRESSIONS OF THE WORK OF THE STEWARDSHIP DIVISION, AND JUST A WONDERFUL EVENT.
ON 21ST AT A ZOOM MEETING WITH KELLY.
ON OCTOBER 27, I ATTENDED CHAT PUJA.
THE EVENT THAT WE HEAR ABOUT QUITE A BIT DOWN AT COYOTE HILLS WHERE REVEREND FOLKS GET IN THE WATER AND HAVE TO BE IN THE WATER AT SUNSET AND HAVE TO BE IN THE WATER AT SUNRISE.
THEY USE CORY LAKES TO DO THAT.
THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT, AND I THANK LISA AND TIFFANY MART LISI FOR SHOWING UP ALONG WITH [INAUDIBLE].
A BEAUTIFUL EVENT. WE VERY WELCOME THERE.
>> ON 10.25, I WAS A PANELIST FOR AAPA 2025 POWER LEADERSHIP SUMMIT.
THEN 10.29 ATTENDED STATE OF THE ESTUARY CONFERENCE ELECTED OFFICIALS BREAKFAST, AND THEN 10.31 THE KELLY CLANCY MEET AND GREET.
>> I'LL JUST COVER A FEW THINGS.
YESTERDAY, WE HAD OUR LEISER MEETING WITH SUPERVISOR SCHNEL SCALES PRESTON, ROBERT MARTINEZ.
SATURDAY, I ATTENDED AN ANTIOCH EVENT AT THE HISTORIC HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN ANTIOCH CELEBRATING THE RESTORATION OF A PROMINENT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES UNITY, WHAT THEY CALL THE UNITY BELL IN ANTIOCH, ATTENDED BY ALL THE ANTIOCH LEADERSHIP AND BOTH SUPERVISORS BERGS AND SCHNEL SCALES PRESTON, AND I WAS HAPPY TO REPRESENT THE PARK DISTRICT.
I ALSO DURING THE WEEK HAD MY MEETING WITH KELLY, AND IT WENT VERY WELL, I THOUGHT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T QUITE REMEMBER THE DATE, BUT THREE OF US, LINDA, JOHN AND I ATTENDED AN ANNUAL AWARD CEREMONY CONDUCTED BY THE MARTINEZ GROUP KNOWN AS THOUSAND FRIENDS OF MARTINEZ.
IT WAS THE 26, AND A GREAT TURNOUT FOR THAT GROUP.
I'VE BEEN TO A NUMBER OF THOSE EVENTS, AND THIS ONE WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.
AGAIN, WITH A LOT OF THE MARTINEZ ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP. THAT'LL COVER IT.
>> THIS ISN'T A MEETING THAT I ATTENDED.
[05:00:02]
I WAS AT WORK, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY AS I WAS GOING TO MY WORK BOOTH THAT I SAW THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AT DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND THE FRUIT LL.AND IT WAS A POWERFUL TESTAMENT FOR US ALL TO BE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THESE TIMES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS WHOLE AREA IN COMMUNITY'S BEEN HEAVILY IMPACTED BY OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND THAT AS FAR AS WE REALLY HAD TO REASSURE PEOPLE THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE OKAY AND SAFE TO BE THERE AND TO HAVE THE PARK DISTRICT THERE.
WHEN YOU WALKED DOWN, IT WAS ON THE FIRST BLOCK. IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT YOU SAW BESIDES THE ALTAR.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING OUR INTERPRETIVE TEAM OUT AT THAT EVENT.
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE MY TIME AFTER ALL ON TWO ITEMS. THANK YOU, LUANA.
>> ON 1025, THERE WAS A FABULOUS CLIMATE JUSTICE YOUTH SUMMIT IN BERKELEY THAT I ATTENDED.
I DO WANT TO REPORT OUT ON 10.27 THAT I WENT TO THE PAC AND THERE WAS A TOPIC ON THERE THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR US.
I MENTIONED EARLIER, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GREAT THE WAY THEY RAN THE MEETING WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTING OUT.
BUT ONE OF THE AGENDAS THAT EVENING WAS LOOKING AT A REORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF THE PAC, AND I PERSONALLY AS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND AS MY ADVISORY BOARD, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
I HAD TO LEAVE, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO DO A CRETE, AND IT SEEMED LIKE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HOW THEY DO THEIR AGENDAS AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE.
>> ON OCTOBER 21, I ATTENDED THE BOARD MEETING.
ON OCTOBER 23 AT TILDEN, I ATTENDED THE RIDGE TRAIL GRATITUDE GATHERING.
[LAUGHTER] OTHERS WERE THERE AS WELL.
I THINK FOR ALL OF US, IT WAS A A HOMECOMING THING.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE THESE PEOPLE WE HADN'T SEEN IN A LONG TIME THAT WE KNOW FROM THE RIDGE TRAIL.
PEOPLE GOING BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING BEYOND THE BEGINNING, EVEN, IS GREAT.
AS USUAL, BRAZIL ROOM IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO HAVE ANYTHING AT ALL.
THEN ON THE 24TH, 25TH, THE PARK DISTRICT HOSTED THE ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL SOCIETY AT TREAUX, AND THE PARK DISTRICT WAS A SPONSOR, VERY GENEROUS SPONSOR.
THE CONNECTION WE HAVE WITH THE AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL, IT IS A TRAIL THAT EXISTS TODAY, NOT A FUTURE THING THAT EXTENDS BETWEEN DELAWARE BAY AND POINT RACE.
IT GOES THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE HOSTED ON OUR TRAILS AND IN OUR PARKS, AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO OUR FOLKS BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WALK ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, YOU CAN WALK ACROSS CALIFORNIA.
ON THE 26TH, I WAS WITH DIRECTOR COFFEY AT THE THOUSAND FRIENDS OF MARTINEZ.
ON THE 27TH THROUGH THE 29TH, I WAS IN CLEVELAND AT THE TRAIL NATIONS SUMMIT TRAILS CONFERENCE, PUT ON BY RAILS TO TRAILS CONSERVANCY.
ON THE FIRST, I WAS INVITED TO SPEAK BY THE MOUNT DIABLO VILLAGE GROUP.
IT'S CALLED MOUNT DIABLO VILLAGE.
IT'S A NEW GROUP GAUGE SENIORS IN ACTIVITIES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY LIKE TO DO IS TO BE OUTSIDE TOGETHER, AND ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE IS GO FOR A HIKES.
THEY REALLY WANTED TO KNOW, WHERE SHOULD WE GO FOR A HIKE? I TOLD THEM, SHOWED THEM, IT WAS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT HAVE A TIME LIMIT AND JUST GO ON AND ON AND ON. I LOVED IT.
THEN YESTERDAY, I MET WITH SAN ROMA MARK ARMSTRONG, AND WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF GREAT THINGS, COMMON THINGS THAT WE AND SAN ROMONE HAVE IN COMMON, INCLUDING THAT FABULOUS NEW BRIDGE THAT THEY BUILT OVER BOLLINGER CANYON ROAD, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ONE THAT'S COMING NEXT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ACROSS CROYON ROAD.
THEN LATER THAT DAY, I ATTENDED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S INTRODUCTION AND SWEARING IN CEREMONY WHERE I BELIEVE IT WAS SEVEN OFFICERS GOT THEIR BADGES.
[05:05:02]
ANYWAY, IT WAS REALLY GREAT. THE LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION, AND I CAN'T BEGIN TO EVEN EXPRESS MY THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR GETTING THIS CALENDAR OUT TO US SO SOON.I THINK I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET THIS TO EVERYBODY I WANT TO GET IT TO.
THERE'S BOXES OVER THERE FOR ALL OF YOU, DON'T FORGET THEM, BUT EVERYBODY OUT THERE, YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THIS.
WITH THAT, I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 6:45.
>> IS THAT ON RECORD?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.