[00:00:01] GREAT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET [CALL TO ORDER] STARTED. WELCOME TO THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT MEETING. I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. SO WE'RE READY TO GO. OKAY, COOL. I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER ON THIS DAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026. AND WE ARE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 1259 PM. LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR ECCLES IS ABSENT. DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU. HERE. DIRECTOR ESPANA. PRESENT. DIRECTOR MERCURIO. HERE. DIRECTOR WASPEE. HERE. VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY. HERE. PRESIDENT SAN JUAN. HERE. THANK YOU. GREAT, THANK YOU. OKAY, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. DIRECTOR COFFEY, VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY IS GOING TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, GREAT. AND NOW DIRECTOR MERCURIO IS GOING TO LEAD US IN THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 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 OHLONE, BAY MIWOK, AND THE 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 THE EAST BAY TRIBES AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR LAND AND CULTURE. GREAT, THANK YOU. AND I HAVE A SPECIAL MESSAGE I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE TODAY FOR FEBRUARY BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND OTHER OBSERVANCES. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD IN THE PARK DISTRICT, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE FEBRUARY AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH. THIS YEAR MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FIRST PROPOSED BY SCHOLAR CARTER G. WOODSON IN 1926. WE PAY HOMAGE TO THE RICH HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK AMERICANS WHO HAVE SHAPED OUR REGION, STATE, AND NATION IN COUNTLESS WAYS THROUGH CENTURIES OF STRUGGLE AND TRIUMPH. BLACK HISTORY MONTH LIFTS UP THE BLACK EXPERIENCE AS PART OF A FULLER AND RICHER TELLING OF AMERICA'S STORY, FROM ARTS, SCIENCES, TO PUBLIC AND CIVIC SERVICE, AND SO MUCH MORE. WE INVITE ALL TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON OUR SHARED HISTORY AND DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE PROGRESS MADE AS WE CONTINUE TOGETHER ON THE PATH TOWARD EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AND LIVE UP TO THE MISSION AND VISION OF THE PARK DISTRICT. ALONGSIDE OUR BLACK HISTORY MONTH RECOGNITION, WE RECOGNIZE AND VALUE CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY OBSERVANCES. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS WEEKEND WE WILL BE CELEBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO BE CHANGING FROM THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE TO THE YEAR OF THE HORSE. I BELIEVE I SAW AMELIA MARSHALL OUT THERE, SO I'M SURE SHE'S VERY EXCITED FOR YEAR OF THE HORSE TO START THIS WEEKEND. WE ALSO HAVE RAMADAN COMING UP AND LENT. OKAY, SO WITH THAT WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE MODIFICATION OF THE AGENDA PORTION OF OUR AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT ANYONE PROPOSES ON THE BOARD TO OUR AGENDA TODAY? OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANY [SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS] PROPOSALS, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF YOU JOINING US TODAY FOR TODAY'S SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THESE GREAT AWARDS AND HONORS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR AFFORDING US THE TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR EMPLOYEES. WE ALL KNOW THE CHALLENGES TIME THAT WE'RE FACING NATIONWIDE FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE NOW. WE LOVE THE FACT THAT WE'RE HERE TO PROPOSE TO YOU A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT WE OFFER TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHEN THEY COME TO OUR PARKS, DONE BY THE WONDERFUL MEN AND WOMEN OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. WE'RE PROUD OF EVERYTHING THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS THAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN CARRY OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'M NOT GOING TO WASTE ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME WITH ME YABBERING UP HERE, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY CAPTAIN, WHO'S GOT ALL THE SECRETS AS TO WHY THESE PEOPLE GET THESE AWARDS. CAPTAIN CHAVEZ. THANK YOU, CHIEF. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, GENERAL MANAGER MAX CORTON, COLLEAGUES, LOVED ONES, AND FAMILY. TODAY, IT IS [00:05:01] MY HONOR TO PRESENT SEVERAL WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITIONS ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION. THESE AWARDS HIGHLIGHT THE PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION, AND SERVICE THAT OUR PERSONNEL PROVIDE TO THE DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY EVERY DAY. FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, WHICH IS GOING TO GO TO DETECTIVE DAVID HARROW. WE'RE PROUD TO PRESENT THIS MEDAL TO HIM, AND IT'S THE DEPARTMENT'S THIRD HIGHEST HONOR. IT IS AWARDED TO SWORN PERSONNEL WHO DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES THROUGH AN OUTSTANDING SINGLE ACT OR A SERIES OF EXCEPTIONAL ACTIONS OVER TIME. THIS MEDAL RECOGNIZES SERVICE THAT GOES BEYOND NORMAL EXPECTATIONS, DEMONSTRATE AND SUSTAIN EXCELLENCE, AND MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS. THE AWARD IS SYMBOLIZED BY A SILVER MEDAL WITH A GREEN RIBBON AND REPRESENTS A LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT ABOVE A COMMENDATION. DETECTIVE HARROW IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR FOUR YEARS OF EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE IN THE INVESTIGATIONS UNIT. DURING THIS TIME, HE HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED SUPERIOR INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS, PROFESSIONALISM, AND DEEP COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING BOTH DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE AND INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIPS. BEYOND INDIVIDUAL CASES, DETECTIVE HARROW HAS ALSO BEEN A MENTOR AND A TRAINER, SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HELPING ELEVATE THE PERFORMANCE OF FELLOW OFFICERS. HIS WORK REFLECTS NOT ONLY OUTSTANDING RESULTS, BUT A CONSISTENT COMMITMENT TO THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT. DETECTIVE HARROW'S PROFESSIONALISM, INVESTIGATIVE EXCELLENCE, AND DEDICATION TO SERVICE EXEMPLIFY THE VERY SPIRIT OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. DETECTIVE DAVID HARROW, IF YOU CAN PLEASE JOIN US UP HERE. ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT DETECTIVE HARROW, BEING THE GQ LOOK THAT YOU SEE UP HERE, HE'S NORMALLY VERY SHY ABOUT HIS WORK, BUT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, HE'S THE ONE THAT PUT TOGETHER A TWO-COUNTY-WIDE MEETING THAT INVOLVES ALL THE PROPERTY DETECTIVES. HE'S BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT QUARTERLY NOW. SO WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 70 DETECTIVES THAT COME TO THAT MEETING, THEY SHARE INFORMATION, THEY SHARE CASES, THEY SHARE ACTUALLY LEADS ON CASES THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, AND HAS BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR THE RESOLUTION OF MANY OF THE PROPERTY CRIMES THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT AND OTHER COUNTIES. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. OF THE PROPERTY CRIMES THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT AND OTHER COUNTIES, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. LET ME COME AROUND THIS WAY. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO PHOTOS AFTER, I BELIEVE? YES. YES. OKAY, PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BUDDY. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP IS THE POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR, JAY DOWKEY. EACH YEAR, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION PARTICIPATE IN A STAFF SURVEY TO NOMINATE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE PERFORMANCE STANDS OUT AMONG PEERS. OFFICER OF THE YEAR IS SELECTED BASED ON EXCELLENCE IN POLICE SERVICEABILITY, EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE OF DUTY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND ONGOING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. OFFICER DOWKEY'S SELECTION REFLECTS HIS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY, HIS CONSISTENT PROFESSIONALISM, AND COMMITMENT TO SERVING BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND HIS FELLOW OFFICERS. HIS WORK, ETHIC, LEADERSHIP, AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC MAKE HIM A MODEL REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS DEPARTMENT. OFFICER DOWKEY? ALL RIGHT, NEXT, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT DISPATCHER OF THE YEAR, GLENN THORNELL. WE ARE ALSO HONORED TO RECOGNIZE OUR DISPATCHER, WHO HAS BEEN HERE A FEW YEARS AND IS ABLE TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON HIS PEERS. THIS AWARD ACKNOWLEDGES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND EXCEPTIONAL DUTY PERFORMANCE. DISPATCHERS ARE THE CRITICAL LINK BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEIR CALM DECISION-MAKING DIRECTLY IMPACTS OFFICER AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. GLENN THORNELL IS KNOWN FOR HIS STEADY LEADERSHIP, RELIABILITY UNDER PRESSURE, AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF FIELD PERSONNEL. HIS PROFESSIONALISM AND COMPOSURE HELP ENSURE THAT OFFICERS HAVE THE INFORMATION AND COORDINATION THEY NEED TO RESPOND SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY. GLENN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE JOIN US UP HERE? CONGRATULATIONS. WELL DONE. ALL RIGHT, NEXT, IT'S MY HONOR TO ANNOUNCE OUR FIRST ANNUAL CIVILIAN PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR EVER, WHICH IS GOING TO GO TO JAMIE PARENTEAU. WE NOW RECOGNIZE THE CIVILIAN PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR, JAMIE PARENTEAU, OUR SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST AT PUBLIC SAFETY. [00:10:01] THIS AWARD HONORS A CIVILIAN TEAM MEMBER WHOSE WORK IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE OF DUTY SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION. JAMIE'S CONTRIBUTIONS EXEMPLIFY THE VITAL ROLE CIVILIAN PROFESSIONALS PLAY IN PUBLIC SAFETY EVERY DAY. HER DEDICATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TEAMWORK HELP ENSURE OUR OPERATIONS RUN SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY EVERY SINGLE DAY. JAMIE, IF YOU COULD PLEASE JOIN US UP HERE? CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT, IN CLOSING, THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS REPRESENT THE VERY BEST OF OUR ORGANIZATION. THEIR COMMITMENT TO TEAMWORK, SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND COMMUNITY REFLECTS THE CORE VALUES OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOARD TO JOIN US IN FRONT FOR SOME PHOTOS. WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK FOR PHOTOS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW AS WE'RE COMING BACK [PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA] TOGETHER FOR OUR MEETING, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND READ ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT. SO, KELLY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THE MESSAGE THAT YOU SHARE EACH MEETING ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, I WILL. THANK YOU. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT EITHER IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM. THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON SHALL SUBMIT A SPEAKER CARD TO THE CLERK STAFF OR OTHERWISE INDICATE THEIR DESIRE TO SPEAK ON A NON-AGENDA ITEM. THOSE ATTENDING VIA ZOOM MAY USE THE RAISE YOUR HAND FEATURE. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE PROVIDED UP TO THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. A COUNTDOWN TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED FOR THE SPEAKER'S CONVENIENCE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NINE SPEAKER CARDS IN PERSON AND TWO HANDS UP ONLINE. OKAY. WONDERFUL. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. THANK YOU. MAGNOLIA MORRIS. HELLO. OKAY. HI, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PRESIDENT SAN JUAN. MY NAME IS MAGNOLIA MORRIS AND MAYBE YOU REMEMBER ME. I'M A FIELD OFFICE SURVEYOR HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DIRECTING MANAGEMENT TO WORK WITH THE UNION ON RESTORING OUR TELEWORK POLICY. IT'S MADE A HUGE IMPACT AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THE RELIEF THAT I'VE NOTICED IN THE BUILDING ALREADY. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. AND ESPECIALLY THANKS TO MAX FOR HELPING MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND ALLISON, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT HERE ANYMORE. BUT YEAH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. AND I KNOW I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AT LEAST MYSELF AND SAYING THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT. IT MEANS A LOT. THANKS. THANK YOU. ELLEN THOMPSON. MY NAME IS ELLEN THOMPSON. I OWN REDWOOD VALLEY RAILWAY COMPANY, THE STEAM TRAIN IN TILDEN. WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 74 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. AND 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 AND A HALF YEARS WITH ONLY LIMITED SUCCESS. IN THAT TIME, THE STAFF PEOPLE WE TRY TO WORK WITH HAVE CHANGED 12 TIMES IN SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS. A GOOD WORKING DRAFT WAS CREATED SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO, BUT NOW THE STAFF WANT TO IGNORE IT. IN RECENT WEEKS, THERE HAS BEEN A FLURRY OF EFFORT BY STAFF, BUT IT WILL JUST REQUIRE US TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE FACILITY WITH NO GUARANTEE OF ANY LEASE IN THE FUTURE. NOW WE'RE BEING ASKED TO ABANDON THE LEASE DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN POLISHED AND PERFECTED FOR 74 YEARS IN FAVOR OF A NEW ONE THAT IS WRITTEN WITH NO EXPERIENCE OF OUR SITUATION. NEGOTIATIONS ARE DIFFICULT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT EVEN EXISTING WRITTEN, SIGNED DOCUMENTS MAY NOT BE RESPECTED. EVERY DRAFT CONTAINS REVERSALS OF ISSUES THAT WERE SETTLED DECADES AGO. FACTS ARE LOST IN TRANSLATION BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS WITH ALL THE INTERESTED PARTIES. THE STAFF IS DEMANDING SIGNATURES ON UNFINISHED DOCUMENTS AS A CONDITION OF MOVING FORWARD. NO. IN PAST, CONCESSIONAIRES HAVE BEEN FORCED OUT OF THE PARKS, [00:15:02] SOMETIMES BY ILLEGAL MEANS. WE'VE ALREADY LOST HALF A DOZEN ATTRACTIONS THAT USED TO BE IN TILDEN. I HOPED IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO US, BUT HERE WE ARE. RECENTLY, THE BOARD HAS STATED THAT IT'S A PRIORITY FOR THEM TO PRESERVE CULTURAL AND NATURAL ASSETS. AFTER 74 YEARS, I HOPE THAT THE TRAINS ARE THE CULTURAL ASSET THAT THE PUBLIC SEEMS TO THINK THEY ARE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY, BUT ONLY THE ABILITY TO KEEP SERVING THE PUBLIC. WITH NO LEGAL PROTECTION, WE WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP EVERYTHING AND LEAVE. IF YOU'RE GETTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR FREE, WHY WOULD YOU THROW IT AWAY? I NEED TO KNOW IF THE PRESENT SITUATION HAS BEEN SOME KIND OF LONG-TERM DISTRICT POLICY TO ELIMINATE THE REMAINING ATTRACTIONS IN TILDEN. IS IT A PERSONAL AGENDA, OR JUST NEGLIGENCE? WE'RE OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CRAIG NOBLE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CRAIG NOBLE. I'VE LIVED AT THE RIFLE RANGE ROAD TRAILHEAD INTO WILDCAT CANYON FOR NEARLY A QUARTER CENTURY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THRILL AND SPILL BIKE TRAIL PROPOSED FOR THIS PRECIOUS PLACE THAT'S DESIGNATED A NATURAL AREA IN THE 1985 MASTER LAND USE PLAN. MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND INCLUDES NEARLY A DECADE AS SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, WHERE I WORKED WITH SCIENTISTS, ATTORNEYS, AND POLICY ANALYSTS TO SAFEGUARD THE EARTH, INCLUDING PUBLIC LANDS AND NATIVE FISHERIES. I SERVED AS A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AT THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION DURING DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST PLANNED BAY AREA. DURING THAT THREE-YEAR PROCESS, I WORKED AND ORGANIZED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MEETINGS IN ALL NINE BAY AREA COUNTIES. I PERSONALLY MANAGED THE GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIONS WITH SOVEREIGN NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES. I DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE HERE IN THE RAIN TODAY, BUT LAST WEEK I WAS DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT THE BIKE TRAIL EIR SCOPING MEETING. IN FACT, MY ENTIRE COMMUNITY WAS SILENCED. AS A PROFESSIONAL, I KNOW WHAT REAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION LOOKS LIKE. LAST WEEK'S BLACK BOX ZOOM MEETING, WHERE THE PUBLIC WAS HIDDEN FROM ITSELF, WAS A FARCE. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE A VOICE. INSTEAD, WE WERE FORCED TO PASTE OUR PREPARED COMMENTS INTO A BOX FOR DISTRICT STAFF TO CHERRY PICK WHICHEVER QUESTIONS THEY WANTED TO ANSWER. I AM FILING A FORMAL NOTICE. I HAVE FILED A FORMAL NOTICE OF PROCEDURAL DEFICIENCY BECAUSE THAT MEETING BETRAYED THE TRANSPARENCY. YOU OWE THE COMMUNITY. I WILL SAVE MY FORMAL COMMENTS ON RESTORING NATIVE FISHERIES, EROSION, LAND USE PLAN INCONSISTENCY, AND ALL THE OTHER ISSUES FOR THE WRITTEN RECORD. TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S FUTURE. FOR 25 YEARS, I VOTED FOR EVERY SINGLE PARK BOND MEASURE BECAUSE I BELIEVED YOU WERE STEWARDS OF THE LAND AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC. THIS PROJECT HAS SHATTERED THAT TRUST. WHEN YOU BYPASS A 40-YEAR-OLD MASTER PLAN FOR A HIGH-INTENSITY BIKE TRAIL FUNDED BY A $1 MILLION PRIVATE DONATION, YOU'RE TELLING VOTERS OUR NATURAL AREAS ARE FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. I READ THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUEST EVIDENCE. SO MUCH THAT TROUBLES ME. BUT ONE THING I CAN'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD IS THE APRIL 21, 22 EMAIL FROM THE DISTRICT'S TRAILS PROGRAM MANAGER WHO GIVES THE SPECIAL INTEREST BIKE TRAIL ADVOCATES INSIDE INFORMATION NOT DISCLOSED TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. THE EMAIL SAYS, QUOTE, PLEASE KEEP THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BETWEEN YOU AND I, UNQUOTE. IN 2028, THIS DISTRICT MAY ASK VOTERS FOR A NEW BOND MEASURE. IF THIS PROJECT IS RAMMED THROUGH BY SILENCING THE COMMUNITY, I, AND MANY LIKE ME, WILL NEVER VOTE FOR ANOTHER PARKS BOND AGAIN. WHY SHOULD WE? IF YOU CAN BE BOUGHT AND SOLD BY WEALTHY PRIVATE DONORS WHILE BASIC MAINTENANCE LIKE THE 2016 LANDSLIDE AT MY TRAILHEAD GOES UNFUNDED FOR A DECADE, YOU NO LONGER NEED OUR TAX DOLLARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NORMAN LAFORCE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M NORMAN LAFORCE. I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SPRAWL DEAF. MICROPHONE. OH. SORRY. GOT IT. AND I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SPRAWL DEAF. LAST WEEK, I SENT A LETTER TO YOU REGARDING ISSUES OF CREDIBILITY OF THE PARK DISTRICT. I WILL FOCUS TODAY ON THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY CONCERNING THE MILLION-DOLLAR DONATION FOR THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL. AT THE LAST NOP MEETING, BRIAN HOLT STATED THAT IN REGARD TO THE TRAIL, THE PARK DISTRICT WOULD BE FULLY TRANSPARENT. WE DON'T HAVE TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THAT DONATION. WE KNOW FROM THE PUBLIC RECORDS DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PRODUCED AND AS REPORTED IN BERKELEYSIDE AND EAST BAY EXPRESS, TWO WEALTHY DONORS HAVE OFFERED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLOW TRAIL. A DRAFT AGREEMENT SET AS CONDITIONS FOR THAT DONATION THAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAD TO APPROVE THE TRAIL AND CERTIFY THE EIR FOR THIS TRAIL. CERTIFICATION OF AN EIR MEANS THAT NO MATTER WHAT [00:20:01] ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS HAVE BEEN FOUND, THE BOARD HAS TO CERTIFY THE EIR TO GET THIS MONEY. WE KNOW THAT REPUTABLE OBSERVERS HAVE CITED THE WILLOW FLYCATCHER IN THE AREA DESIGNATED BY THE PARK DISTRICT FOR THIS TRAIL. THIS IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. SO THE DRAFT CONDITIONS MEAN THAT EVEN IF THERE IS A HARM DONE TO THIS BIRD, THE BOARD HAS TO CERTIFY THAT EIR TO GET THAT MILLION DOLLARS. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THE DONORS HAVE NOT SIGNED ANY AGREEMENT. JUST WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SET FOR THE MILLION DOLLARS IS UNKNOWN. THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW WHAT THOSE CONDITIONS ARE IF THE PARK DISTRICT IS TRANSPARENT AND WANTS TO PRESERVE ITS CREDIBILITY AS THE PREMIER PUBLIC AGENCY CREATED TO PRESERVE LANDS OF THE EAST BAY FOR WILDLIFE AND HABITAT. THIS TRAIL CAN AND SHOULD BE BUILT IN A DESIGNATED RECREATIONAL AREA OF THE PARK DISTRICT. BUT WITH OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTICIPATE, THE BOARD SHOULD PULL THE PLUG ON THIS EIR PROCESS IF IT WANTS TO PRESERVE THE CREDIBILITY FOR THE PUBLIC AS YOU JUST HEARD FROM MR. NOBLE. TOO MUCH IS AT STAKE TO SIMPLY FULFILL THE DESIRES OF WEALTHY DONORS FOR SPECIAL ACCESS TO OUR PARKS. AND THIS, AS THE FIRST SPEAKER STATED, IS THIS IS GOING TO HAUNT THE PARK DISTRICT WHEN IT WANTS TO GO OUT FOR A BOND MEASURE OR TAX MEASURE IN THE FUTURE. YOU ARE LOSING CREDIBILITY TO THE VOTERS BY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS FLOW TRAIL. THANK YOU. AMELIA MARSHALL. HELLO, EVERYONE, AND HAPPY MARDI GRAS. MY NAME IS AMELIA MARSHALL, SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL AS A 27-YEAR VOLUNTEER FOR THE DISTRICT. TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR TIRELESS SERVICE. AS A CLOSE OBSERVER OF THE DISTRICT FOR MANY YEARS, I CAN SAY THAT THIS IS THE BEST, MOST DEDICATED, ENGAGED, AND INTELLIGENT BOARD I HAVE SEEN. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO PAST GENERAL MANAGER ROBERT DOYLE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT DURING HIS TENURE. HE SAVED A LOT OF OPEN SPACE, KEPT THE BUDGET BALANCE, AND HE ALSO HIRED MANY GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT PEOPLE. THERE'S A LETTER IN CIRCULATION FROM 18 WOMEN WHO SAY THAT WORKING FOR BOB DOYLE WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM. SINCE IT'S BEEN AN EVENTFUL COUPLE OF WEEKS, I HAVE A FEW TAKEAWAYS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BOARD. FIRST, SPEAKING AS A WHITE PERSON TO OTHER WHITE PEOPLE, IT'S NOT OKAY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT RACE OR MAKE JOKES ABOUT RACE AND GENDER. NO MATTER HOW PURE OUR HEARTS AND NO MATTER HOW INNOCENT OUR INTENTIONS, IT'S TOO EASY TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD. SECOND, IN SELECTING A NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR THIS AGENCY, PLEASE LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS EMPATHY AND COMPASSION FOR OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. THIS IS AS IMPORTANT AS FINANCIAL COMPETENCE. A JOB THAT PAYS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR COMES WITH POWER THAT TENDS TO CORRUPT. THE HIRING PROCESS SHOULD INCLUDE A PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSION. THIRD, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IT APPEARS THAT ALL THE ATTORNEYS IN THE DISTRICT COUNSEL'S OFFICE HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN MATTERS RELATED TO THE LITIGIOUS FORMER GENERAL MANAGER AFTER THEIR YEARS OF WORKING WITH HER. BECAUSE OF THIS APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY, I WOULD EXPECT THESE ATTORNEYS TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM THESE LEGAL MATTERS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO TO PRESERVE OUR PARKS AND OUR CULTURAL HISTORY. THANK YOU. ELEANOR BLAKE. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN I TURN THIS DOWN SO I CAN SEE YOU? HI. I'M SO SHORT. MY NAME IS ELEANOR BLAKE. I'VE ALWAYS CHAMPIONED THE DISTRICT WITH MY VOTE AND AS A DOCENT AT THE TILDEN, THEY'RE GIVING ME A STEP. THANK YOU. I'VE ALWAYS CHAMPIONED THE DISTRICT WITH MY VOTE AND ALSO AS A DOCENT AT THE TILDEN BOTANIC GARDEN. I LIVE NEAR TO AND HIKE IN WILDCAT CANYON PARK AND I'M HERE ABOUT THE PROPOSED BIKE TRAIL AND THE LACK OF PUBLIC NOTICE AND INVOLVEMENT REGARDING THIS SADLY MISGUIDED PROJECT. I SUPPORT THE WRITTEN AND VERBAL COMMENTS OTHERS HAVE SUBMITTED IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED TRAIL'S LOCATION REGARDING HARM TO PLANTS, WILDLIFE, CREEK PRESERVATION AND MORE INCLUDING THOSE OF OTHER PEOPLE TODAY. I CAN SEE NO JUSTIFICATION FOR [00:25:01] CITING ANY BIKE TRAIL TWO MILES FROM THE MAIN PARK ENTRIES EXCEPT FOR THE NARROW AND STEEP ENTRY AT RIFLE RANGE. EVERY SINGLE BIKER WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL FOUR MILES ON TRAILS WIDELY USED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT BIKERS, WALKERS INCLUDING ELDERLY WALKERS, HIKERS, JOGGERS, DOG WALKERS, HORSEBACK RIDERS. MANY, MANY CHILDREN ARE ON THE TRAIL, CHILDREN IN STROLLERS, CHILDREN BEING CARRIED AND OF COURSE SMALL CHILDREN OFTEN RUNNING AHEAD OF THEIR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS. ANY BIKE TRAIL ESPECIALLY ONE THAT WILL ATTRACT BIKERS FROM EVERYWHERE SHOULD BE PLACED WHERE BIKERS CAN GET TO AND FROM IT WITHOUT BEING PUT IN CONFLICT WITH THE GREAT MAJORITY OF OTHER PARK USERS. THIS SEEMS SO OBVIOUS AND WHEN I MENTIONED IT WHEN I SPOKE WITH BIKERS WHO HAPPENED TO BE WALKING WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM, EVEN THEY MENTIONED THIS ISSUE FOR THEM. WHAT IS THE DISTRICT'S LOCATION SELECTION CRITERIA? I'VE ATTENDED DISTRICT PRESENTATIONS AT THE TWO MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COUNCILS AND THE RECENT SILLY ZOOM MEETING. DISTRICT STAFF TOUTED THE OUTREACH THEY'VE DONE ABOUT THIS PROJECT BUT IT'S ANGRY PUBLIC DEMAND THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, NOT STAFF ASKING TO COME TO INFORM THE PUBLIC. UNTIL THE EIR CONTRACT WENT ON YOUR AGENDA, VIRTUALLY NO PUBLIC OUTREACH WAS DONE FOR YEARS EXCEPT WITH BIKE ADVOCATES. TALKING AT THE PARK WITH WILDCAT USERS EVEN NOW ALMOST NO ONE HAS HEARD ABOUT THE TRAIL. THE RECENTLY PLACED ANNOUNCEMENT NEAR THE ALVARADO ENTRY IS EFFECTIVELY INVISIBLE TO PARK USERS EVEN WHEN I POINT TO IT. IT IS INSULTING TO HEAR DISTRICT STAFF CROW ABOUT TOTALLY INADEQUATE PUBLIC OUTREACH. I'VE SPOKEN WITH DOZENS OF PEOPLE WALKING OR JOGGING IN WILDCAT. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. SETH ADAMS. CHAIR SAM WONG, MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD, IT WAS GREAT TO COME ON A RAINY DAY. MY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TED CLEMENT WHO'S HERE AND WHO SUBMITTED A LETTER EARLIER TODAY CAME FROM THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS LAND TRUST WHICH WAS GORGEOUS AND LUSH ON HIS FIRST DAY AT MOUNT DIABLO. THE WEEKEND BEFORE THEY WENT UP TO THE TOP, IT WAS PART OF A THREE-YEAR DROUGHT. IT LOOKED LIKE HELL. IT WAS DESOLATE AND HE TALKED, WHAT HAVE WE DONE? AND HIS FIRST DAY OF WORK AT SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, IT STARTED RAINING. SO IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE COME OUT OF A LONG, DRY FIVE, SIX-YEAR DRY SPELL DROUGHT AND IT'S TIME FOR THE DISTRICT TO REGAIN SOME SENSE OF ITSELF. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. JERRY KENT SENT OUT A 49-SLIDE POWERPOINT TO A BUNCH OF US AS WELL AS KIND OF A SET OF ATTRIBUTES OF HOW THE DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT THAN A CITY SCALED UP OR A PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. IF YOU'VE HEARD ME SPEAK VERY MUCH, I'M SETH ADAMS, THE LAND CONSERVATION DIRECTOR FOR SAVE MOUNT DIABLO AND I WAS THE FIRST STAFF PERSON 39 YEARS AGO HIRED BY BOB DOYLE WHO HAD BEEN A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW THAT I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT WE'RE IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WHEN IT'S HAD ITS MOST GROWTH, ITS MOST SUCCESS AND 30 YEARS OF THAT WAS UNDER THE TWO MOST CONSEQUENTIAL PARK DISTRICT GENERAL MANAGERS OF ALL TIME, PAT O'BRIEN AND BOB DOYLE. SO WE'RE IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF EAST BAY CONSERVATION. THE QUESTION IS SIMPLY, WILL IT CONTINUE? DO YOU HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO SO OR ARE WE COMING TO THE END OF IT LIKE STATE PARKS DID FOR 20 YEARS? WE STILL HAVE WW, WE'VE GOT PROP 4 AND BOB DOYLE HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL LEADER OVER THE LAST 45 YEARS AT THE PARK DISTRICT. WE DID A VIDEO ABOUT HIM, IT'S CALLED ROBERT DOYLE, THE LONG GAME, HOW ROBERT DOYLE SHAPED THE EAST BAY. HE WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTALIST DURING HIS ENTIRE CAREER WHETHER IT'S ACQUISITION OR LAND USE, BARRING NONE IN THE EAST BAY. JOHN MUIR'S WORK WAS MOSTLY ELSEWHERE, RIGHT? BUT WE'VE HAD A FORGETTABLE GENERAL MANAGER FOR THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS AND SHE SEEMED TO HOLLOW OUT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE TOOK FOR GRANTED AND THAT WERE SO IMPORTANT TO US, THE ACQUISITION PROGRAM, THE LAND USE LEADERSHIP, USING CONDEMNATION ON THINGS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT. [00:30:01] AND THIS BOARD SEEMED TO BECOME TIMID VERSUS COURAGEOUS. RECENTLY YOU GUYS HAD A REALLY GOOD IDEA, BRING BOB DOYLE BACK TO HELP WITH THIS LEADERSHIP TRANSITION. HE'S A KNOWN QUANTITY, HE'S ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED, AWARDED PARK DISTRICT PROFESSIONALS IN THE WORLD, CERTAINLY IN THE NATION. AND WE KNOW EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BOB DOYLE. YOU GOT SOME SORT OF LEGAL ANALYSIS? THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. WE GOT SOME SORT OF LEGAL ANALYSIS ABOUT ALL OF THIS AND I'M TELLING YOU THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, YOU KNOW WHO BOB DOYLE IS, YOU SHOULD TAKE HIS LEADERSHIP. WILLIAM HUFF? GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRESIDENT SAN JUAN, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER KORTEN. MY NAME IS WILLIAM DANIEL HUFF. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF AFSCME LOCAL 2428. I'VE BEEN THE PRESIDENT FOR JUST OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AND I WAS VICE PRESIDENT BEFORE THAT. AND THERE WAS A THROUGH LINE FROM THE START UNTIL JUST LAST WEEK, WHICH WAS TELECOMMUTE. THE CONSTANT DISCOURSE THAT WE WERE HAVING AT THE UNION AND ALSO WITH MANAGEMENT. AND I CANNOT THANK ALL OF YOU ENOUGH FOR ASSISTING AND ENSURING THAT WE RECEIVED A TELECOMMUTE POLICY THAT NOT ONLY MADE OUR MEMBERS HAPPY, BUT IT DIDN'T JUST MAKE THE MEMBERS THAT TELECOMMUTED HAPPY, BUT IT MADE THE MEMBERS THAT DIDN'T. BECAUSE IT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF PROGRESS AND OF GOOD GOVERNANCE. THERE WAS COMPROMISE ON BOTH SIDES AND THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATION OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE TELECOMMUTE POLICY COULD COME OUT IN A MANNER THAT WOULD APPEAL TO EVERYONE WAS OUTSTANDING. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK. FIRST OFF, THE ENTIRE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR MEMBERS THAT CAME TO SPEAK TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR GIVING CREDENCE TO WHAT THEY SAID. ACTING GENERAL MANAGER KORTEN, THANK YOU FOR, I MEAN, I'VE MET WITH YOU MORE IN THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF THAN I HAVE MET WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER SINCE MY TIME AS PRESIDENT OR VICE PRESIDENT, AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE VERY USEFUL FOR HASHING EVERYTHING OUT. ALSO ALLISON COOK, WHO'S NO LONGER HERE. AND WHEN THE POLICY WAS IMPLEMENTED, OBVIOUSLY THINGS LIKE THIS TAKE TIME, YOU HAVE TO IRON OUT THE KINKS, BUT THERE WERE A FEW ISSUES THAT CAME UP IN LIKE THE FIRST 24 HOURS, AND I CANNOT THANK, WELL, WE CANNOT THANK AGM OF HUMAN RESOURCES, JESSICA ROMEO, ENOUGH FOR HOW RAPIDLY SHE ASSISTED OUR MEMBERS AND HELPED US UNDERSTAND SOME OF, OR HELPED ME ACTUALLY, UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE NUANCES OF HOW THE ROLLOUT WOULD WORK. MEADOW AND EVERYONE ELSE ALREADY KNEW, BECAUSE THEY'RE SMARTER, BUT THIS POLICY AND THE LEAD UP TO IT, SPECIFICALLY THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF, IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF HOW LABOR AND MANAGEMENT AND THE BOARD CAN WORK TOGETHER. SO I CANNOT SING EVERYONE'S PRAISES ENOUGH FOR ALL OF THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT, BUT I AND MY MEMBERS ARE RELATED AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT IN THE FUTURE IN AREAS WHERE WE OVERLAP. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. ALSO UNRELATED, JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT REALLY QUICK. CHIEF FELICE, WHEN HE SPOKE LAST WEEK, I WALKED OUT OF HERE FEELING VERY EXCITED THAT HE IS THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THAT I WORK FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE PARK DISTRICT. THAT'S UNRELATED TO THE AFSCME THING, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. BOB DOYLE. KELLY, I'D LIKE TO USE THE CHAIR'S RULES IN OUR BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES TO GIVE OUR GENERAL MANAGER, MEREDITH, AN EXTRA MINUTE, UP TO FOUR MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. PRESIDENT SONG WONG, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY. THE TITLE IS STORMY WEATHER. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS TIME TO SPEAK. FOR 45 YEARS, NOT 42, 45, I'VE HAD A GREAT CAREER AT THE PARK DISTRICT, DEVELOPING REGIONAL TRAILS, ACQUIRING OVER 60,000 ACRES, AND BEING A RANGER IN THE DISTRICT'S PARKS. AS GM, I SUPPORTED POLICIES TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND DIVERSITY, AND THE DISTRICT BOARD HAD 100% SUPPORT OF THOSE INITIATIVES. I SUPPORTED AND PROMOTED TALENTED WOMEN TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, INCLUDING FIVE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS. I WANT TO SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD TODAY AND THANK THE FORMER WOMEN EMPLOYEES WHO SENT A LETTER TO THE BOARD DETAILING MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MY CHARACTER, [00:35:01] AND THEIR EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH ME. I AM GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED ME. I HAVE ALSO BEEN CONTACTED BY CURRENT EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT. MANY OF THOSE SAME EQUITY OUTREACH AND DIVERSITY PROGRAMS I CHAMPIONED WERE ELIMINATED WHEN I RETIRED. THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I HAVE MADE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE A FOCUS, PUSHING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO NATURE FOR EVERYONE, RESTORING URBAN SHORELINES, CREATING MANY NEW URBAN PARKS, WITH NOW MORE THAN 50 MILES OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY SHORELINE ACCESSIBLE, AND ESTABLISHING OUR NEWEST REGIONAL PARK, THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK IN CONCORD. UNFORTUNATELY, A FLAWED, POORLY HANDLED INVESTIGATION OF ACCUSATIONS MADE BY A FORMER MANAGER WHO MADE CLAIMS AGAINST SEVERAL MANAGERS WAS LEAKED TO THE PRESS. IN MANY CASES, IT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY NOTICE TO ME AT ALL. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THESE FINDINGS UNTIL THEY WERE LEAKED ILLEGALLY FOUR YEARS LATER. I AM PRETTY SURE I KNOW WHO LEAKED THOSE AND WHAT THE MOTIVATION WAS. AS GM, I ALWAYS SUPPORTED MORE RESTROOMS IN OUR REGIONAL PARKS, MORE FUNDING FOR RESTROOMS AND RESTROOM IMPROVEMENT IN OUR PARKS. YET THERE ARE MANY MILES OF TRAILS AND THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF PARKS WITH NO RESTROOMS ANYWHERE NEARBY. ANYONE WITH PARK HIKING EXPERIENCE KNOWS THAT SOMETIMES IT'S A TRAIL EMERGENCY TO RUN AND FIND A DISCREET WAY TO RELIEVE YOURSELF. I ONLY RAISE THAT BECAUSE IT WAS RAISED. TO SUGGEST THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO THAT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ANYONE IS NOT ONLY WRONG, IT'S RIDICULOUS. HOW IS SUPPORTING DIVERSITY, PROMOTING WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS ANY MISCONDUCT? ANYONE CAN MAKE CLAIMS AND ASSERTIONS, BUT WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION? WHAT WAS THE PRIOR RECORD OF THE ACCUSER? WAS THERE ANY HISTORY OF LEAVING OTHER POSITIONS UNDER CONTROVERSIAL CIRCUMSTANCES? WE SHOULD ALL BE UNITED IN REJECTING SUCH NEGATIVE TACTICS AND TREAT ALL PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND FAIRNESS. LEADERS AND DECISION MAKERS WILL ALWAYS HAVE A TARGET ON THEIR BACKS. BIG CHALLENGES REQUIRE COURAGE TO DEFEND WHAT IS RIGHT AND REJECT WHAT IS WRONG. THE DISTRICT HAS A GREAT REPUTATION AND PROVIDES SO MANY WONDERFUL BENEFITS TO THE PUBLIC. IT IS A PLACE OF BOTH HOPE AND REFUGE. THERE ARE SO MANY BAD THINGS HAPPENING TODAY. PARKS DO MAKE LIFE BETTER. THE DISTRICT MUST CONTINUE TO LEAD FROM A MORAL AND COURAGEOUS CENTER BECAUSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CHALLENGES IN POLITICS. YOU SHOULD REJECT AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST CHARACTER ASSASSINATIONS SO EASILY AMPLIFIED NOW THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. WE LIVE IN A TIME OF NATIONAL POLITICS THAT SAYS IT'S OKAY TO ATTACK SOMEONE'S CHARACTER TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS. IT IS NOT OKAY. IT IS HYPOCRITICAL, IT IS UNPROFESSIONAL, AND IT IS MEAN-SPIRITED. WE SHOULD ALL REJECT THOSE TACTICS. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW GO ONLINE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. KATHY, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS KATHY BLYER AND I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL IN WILDCAT PARK, WILDCAT CANYON PARK AFFECTING THE MEZZU TRAIL, HILLSIDE, HAVEY CANYON, WILDCAT CREEK. I'M AN EL CERRITO RESIDENT. I BIKED AND HIKED THE AREA IN LOOP MANY TIMES. I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF THE GOLDEN GATE BIRD ALLIANCE AND A MEMBER OF THE WILDCAT SAN PABLO CREEK WATERSHED COUNCIL. MY COMMENTS TODAY ARE MY OWN. GOLDEN GATE BIRD ALLIANCE WILL BE SUBMITTING FORMAL COMMENTS. I WANTED TO START BY TALKING ABOUT HOW DISAPPOINTED I HAVE BEEN IN THE CLOSED PROCESS THAT EAST BAY PARKS DISTRICT HAS USED IN DEVELOPING THIS PROPOSAL, BUT SINCE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS DID A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING THOSE ISSUES, I'LL JUST FOCUS ON THE PROJECT THAT CAME OUT OF THAT PROCESS. I BELIEVE THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION IS COMPLETELY MISLEADING. [00:40:01] I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE A SINGLE DIRECTIONAL TRAIL PROJECT. WHAT COMES DOWN MUST HAVE GONE UP AND WHILE THE CONCEPT DESIGN INCLUDES THE ACCURATE GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF THE FULL PROJECT AREA, THE DRAFT BIOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION DO NOT. THEY EXCLUDE HAVEY CANYON, A RIPARIAN CORRIDOR WHOSE CREEK EMPTIES INTO WILDCAT CREEK AND WHICH BY ALL ACCOUNTS IS THE MOST POPULAR UPHILL ACCESS TO MEZZU. CLAIMS THAT THERE WILL BE NO RIPARIAN OR CREEK IMPACTS IN THE PROJECT ARE JUST NOT CREDIBLE. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE DOCUMENTED PRESENCE OF BREEDING GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, CALIFORNIA SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN. THE ORIGINAL BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT DIDN'T EVEN MENTION IT, THOUGH GRASSLANDS ARE THE MOST THREATENED BIRD HABITATS NATIONWIDE AND THIS SPECIES HAS BEEN LISTED SINCE 2013. THE UPDATED REPORT DOES INCLUDE IT, BUT THE ORIGINAL OMISSION REALLY DECREASED MY CONFIDENCE. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT WILL NOT DESTROY HABITAT AND POSSIBLY BREEDING BIRDS THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY IF DONE IN THE SPRING, NOR HOW YOU WOULD BEGIN TO MITIGATE A FUTURE BIG ZIGZAGGING TRAIL WITH INCREASED TRAFFIC. I HOPE THE BOARD WILL DIRECT STAFF TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE ALTERNATIVES, PROVIDE PROJECTIONS OF INCREASED AND CONCENTRATED USE, AND EVALUATE ECOLOGICAL AND SAFETY IMPACTS, AND FOR THE LATTER, PARTICULARLY HAVEY CANYON, WHICH IS NARROW, MUDDY, AND I CAN ANTICIPATE ALL SORTS OF CONFLICTS ARISING THERE WITH INCREASED USE. ON A PERSONAL FINAL NOTE, I HAVE SUPPORTED EVERY PARK BOND MEASURE THAT HAS EVER COME ACROSS MY DESK FOR DECADES, BUT I WILL BE REALLY RELUCTANT TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE UNLESS THIS PROJECT MOVES FORWARD IN A REVISED AND MORE RESPONSIBLE MANNER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. JANET FLINT, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JANET FLINT. I LIVE IN RICHMOND. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THE WILDCAT BIKE TRAIL AND EIR. THE SCOPE OF THE EIR SHOULD INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF FEATURES AND THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF NEW USERS. AT THE FEBRUARY 10TH MEETING IN SAN PABLO, DISTRICT STAFF SAID THAT THE SCOPE OF THE EIR WILL ASSESS IMPACTS, AND I QUOTE, UNDER CURRENT USER CONDITIONS. WHO HONESTLY THINKS THIS HIGHLY ENGINEERED ATTRACTION WOULD NOT DRAW SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF NEW RIDERS FROM EVERY COUNTY? THIS ISN'T A SIMPLE DOWNHILL TRAIL THAT SAYS BIKES ONLY. THE DESIGN HAS MANY BUILT FEATURES DESIGNED TO MEET NICA COMPETITION STANDARDS. A VISUAL COUNT OF THE FEATURES SHOWN IN THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN SHOWS THAT AT LEAST 36 HORIZONTAL BANK TURNS AND AT LEAST 36 ROLLERS OR JUMPS. ON PAGE FM1, IT SAYS IT COULD HAVE UP TO 10 JUMP FEATURES AND 30 ROLLER FEATURES IN ONE SECTION THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF THE TRAIL. A FEATURES INVENTORY WOULD DEFINE THE PROJECT AS REQUIRED BY AN EIR. THIS WOULD BE A STEP FORWARD TOWARD TRANSPARENCY WITH THE PUBLIC. INSTEAD, IT SEEMS THAT BY NOT DEFINING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FEATURES, THE DISTRICT IS OBSCURING THE FACTS AND SCALE OF THE PROJECT. SO WHAT USER NUMBERS WOULD THE BIKE PARK POTENTIALLY ATTRACT? A TYPICAL NICA RACE HAS 200 OR MORE STUDENT RIDERS PLUS SUPPORT PEOPLE THAT COULD BE OVER 300 VISITORS ON A WEEKEND DAY. THE SOQUEL TRAIL IN SANTA CRUZ SEES A DAILY AVERAGE OF 133 TRIPS AND 400 TO 500 TRIPS ON A WEEKEND DAY. DOWNEY HILL NEAR LAKE TAHOE SEES 700 WEEKEND RIDES. WHEN BIKE USERS SHOW UP IN THESE NUMBERS, HIKERS AND WALKERS WILL HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT TRAIL EXPERIENCE. HIKERS COULD EXPERIENCE BLOCKED DRIVEWAYS AND REDUCED EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS. USER NUMBERS IMPACT BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES, GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY, EXISTING RECREATION, TRAFFIC AND PARKING. IMPACTS WILL BE EVIDENT THROUGHOUT THE PARK, NOT JUST INSIDE THE FLOW TRAIL ENCLOSURE. ALL TRAILS WILL SEE INCREASED USE, NOT JUST THE REDESIGNED MEZZOU TRAIL. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE TOP OF THIS DOWNHILL COURSE, MOUNTAIN BIKERS WILL USE EVERY PERMITTED TRAIL IN THE PARK. INCREASED HUMAN NOISE AND MOVEMENT SCARE AWAY SMALL ANIMALS THAT LARGER WILDLIFE DEPEND ON LIKE MEADOWLARKS, OWLS, HAWKS AND BOBCATS. PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP PROTECT WILDLIFE IN OUR PARKS ARE INVITED TO VISIT THE SITE PROTECTWILDCATCANYON.ORG. TO THE STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE INCLUDE IN THE SCOPE OF THE EIR SPECIFIC FEATURE INVENTORY COUNTS INCLUDING MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM FOR EACH TYPE OF FEATURE AS WELL AS PROJECTED HIGH, [00:45:03] LOW AND MEDIAN USER NUMBERS. THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE TECHNICAL DRAWINGS OF EACH FEATURE, JUST A SIMPLE INVENTORY OF THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FEATURES THAT COULD BE BUILT HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TED CLEMENT, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT SAN JUAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ACTING GENERAL MANAGER KORTEN. MY NAME IS TED CLEMENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE MOUNT DIABLO. THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS NEGATIVE STORIES IN THE MEDIA RECENTLY REGARDING EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. I SPEAK TODAY TO HELP MAKE SURE THE OVERALL GREAT WORK OF THE PARK DISTRICT, ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF ARE NOT OVERSHADOWED. SAVE MOUNT DIABLO WITH HEADQUARTERS IN WALNUT CREEK IS A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED NONPROFIT LAND TRUST FOUNDED IN 1971 WITH A LAND CONSERVATION MISSION TO PROTECT MOUNT DIABLO AND ITS DIABLO RANGE. SINCE OUR FOUNDING ABOUT 55 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT PARTNERS WITH THE PARK DISTRICT, TOGETHER LEVERAGING OUR RELATIONSHIP TO PROTECT MORE NATURE AND CREATE MORE PUBLIC GOOD. TOGETHER, WE HAVE HELPED ADVANCE STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION PROJECTS, EFFORTS TO CREATE MORE PARKS AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO NATURE, LAND STEWARDSHIP COLLABORATIONS, MAJOR FUNDING INITIATIVES, THE PURSUIT OF SCIENCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR NATURAL WORLD, ADVOCACY INITIATIVES AND OTHER MEANINGFUL COLLABORATIONS. ONE OF SAVE MOUNT DIABLO'S FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS WAS ROBERT DOYLE, WHO WOULD GO ON TO BECOME A WIDELY RESPECTED GENERAL MANAGER AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. MR. DOYLE'S GREAT SERVICE TO THE PARK DISTRICT, SAVE MOUNT DIABLO AND CONSERVATION IN GENERAL WAS SO SIGNIFICANT THAT HE WAS ELECTED TO SAVE MOUNT DIABLO'S ADVISORY COUNCIL IN 2025. WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE LEGENDARY FORMER PARK DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER, BEVERLY LANE SERVE ON OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL. EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT HAS ARGUABLY BECOME THE LARGEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITH A SYSTEM OF MAGNIFICENT REGIONAL PARKS WITHIN ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY POPULATED AREAS IN OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS THE RESULT OF DECADES OF HARD WORK BY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE PARK DISTRICT'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PARK DISTRICT STAFF, PARTNER CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEERS, PARK ADVOCATES, TAXPAYERS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHERS. I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND SUPPORT FOR THE PARK DISTRICT'S CONTINUED EFFORTS ON STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITIONS, INCLUDING YOUR CURRENT PUSH TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE MORE STRATEGIC LAND IN THE DOOLIN CANYON AREA. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF DIRECTLY WORKING WITH MANY MEMBERS ON YOUR CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JOHN MERCURIO, COLIN COFFEY, DENNIS WASPEY, LINDA DESCHAMBAULT, ETC., AND STAFF, INCLUDING ACTING GENERAL MANAGER, KORTEN. I HAVE FOUND THEIR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO THE PARK DISTRICT AND PARTNERS LIKE SAVE MOUNT DIABLO TO BE INSPIRING. ON BEHALF OF SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, I WANT TO THANK THE CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF FOR YOUR GREAT SERVICE IN ADVANCING THE MISSION OF THE PARK DISTRICT BY PROTECTING OUR NATURAL WORLD AND HELPING CONNECT OUR COMMUNITIES TO NATURE. SAVE MOUNT DIABLO PROUDLY STANDS AS A LONG-TIME PARTNER WITH THE PARK DISTRICT. THANK YOU. KELLY A., YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. THANK YOU. YEAH, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT RECENTLY, AND I'VE NOT SEEN THIS KIND OF CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED POLITICAL SMEAR CAMPAIGN BEFORE. AND OFTENTIMES, AS IN THIS CASE, IT FITS INTO A PATTERN OF A STEREOTYPICAL AND TRITE STORYLINE ABOUT, IN THIS CASE, SEXISM OR HR ISSUES OR WHATEVER. AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU GET INTO THAT, OF COURSE, THE NATURAL SOLUTION IS WE JUST FIRE A FEW PEOPLE OR WHATEVER, THIS IS A CLEAN HOUSE, WHATEVER THE SOLUTION IS. BUT IN THIS CASE, I'D SAY THAT THE ISSUES GO BACK A LOT FARTHER, AND THEY'RE NOT SIMPLE HR ISSUES. THE DISTRICT HAS A LOT [00:50:02] OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, AND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, A LOT OF THE GROUPS IN THIS DISTRICT HAVE BEEN DISSATISFIED. WE JUST HEARD FROM THE UNION LEADER WHO IS NOW VERY HAPPY AFTER MANY YEARS OF DEEP DISSATISFACTION WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS. AND THAT'S HAPPENING WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN VERY UNHAPPY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO BE DONE. AND GETTING SIDETRACKED WITH THESE KIND OF ISSUES, IF OTHER AGENCIES HAVE THESE SAME ISSUES, NOT THE SAME ISSUES, THEY HAVE REAL ISSUES. YOU LOOK AT THEIR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE RIGHT OUT THERE OUT IN THE OPEN, AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY SUSPICIOUS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH MISOGYNY, IT'S RIDICULOUS, IT'S RIGHT THERE ON TAPE, ON VIDEO, AND EVERYONE SAYS, OH, YEAH, BOYS WILL BE BOYS, THIS IS WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS. BUT THIS IS WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS WITH CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS. THIS DISTRICT IS NOT PART OF THAT. THIS DISTRICT HAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GET DISTRACTED WITH FAKE ISSUES AND FAKE NEWS STORIES. THANK YOU. MS. GOTTLIEB THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. MS.BENTON OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, PLEASE. FEEL FREE TO. MR. GOTTLIEB GOOD. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY, PERSONALLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOB, AND YOUR SUPPORTERS FOR BEING HERE, AND YOUR FAMILIES. THIS WAS THE ONLY FORUM YOU WERE OFFERED TO DEFEND YOURSELF, AND I'M VERY ASHAMED OF THAT. YOU'VE HAD TO DEFEND YOUR INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENTS OVER 45 YEARS RIGHT HERE. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'VE BEEN IN ELECTED OFFICE FOR 27 YEARS. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE. IT'S THE DIRTIEST THING I'VE EVER BEEN IN. I THINK IT'S DESPICABLE WHAT WE PUT YOU THROUGH, AND I'M JUST SORRY AND ASHAMED THAT WE HANDLED IT THIS WAY. [GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS] ALL RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, OUR GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS, ITEM E. MR. MCKINNEY THANKS SO MUCH, DIRECTORS. KELLY, IF WE COULD PUT UP THE SLIDES REAL QUICK. I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AT THE BEGINNING TO APPRECIATE OUR LABOR PARTNERS WITH ASK ME 2428. JUST REALLY APPRECIATE GETTING TO WORK TOGETHER, AND LIKE WILLIAM MENTIONED, I THINK IT REALLY TOOK CREATIVE THINKING AND FOLKS FROM BOTH PARTIES TO SIT DOWN AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S BETTER FOR OUR WHOLE TEAM. SO THANK YOU. I'M GLAD THAT GOT RESOLVED. AND THEN I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW PHOTOS. SO WE HAVE A PRETTY EXCITING STORM GOING ON TODAY, AND WE'VE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT STORM EVENTS. WE HAD A BIG DRY PERIOD. SOME OF THEM REALLY OVERLAPPED WITH KING TIDES THIS YEAR. AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW PICTURES FROM CROWN BEACH AND APPRECIATE OUR TEAM WHO JUMPED OUT ON THIS REALLY QUICKLY. SO THIS FIRST PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS SOME SIGNIFICANT EROSION. THIS IS THE BAY TRAIL RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE PARK. IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THERE WE GO. YOU CAN SEE THAT SOME TREES, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE PICNIC AREA, THEIR ROOTS ARE EXPOSED THERE. IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR TEAMS CAME TOGETHER REALLY QUICKLY TO RESPOND HERE. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MEANS OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM, OUR PLANNING TEAM, OUR OPERATIONS TEAM, AND THE FOLKS FROM OUR MAINTENANCE AND SKILLED TRADES TEAM, AND FROM OUR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM ALL HAD TO GET TOGETHER QUICKLY TO SAVE THIS KEY TRAIL SECTION OUT AT CROWN BEACH, WHICH IS OUR MOST VISITED PARK IN THE PARK DISTRICT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE ALL THOSE FOLKS FOR WORKING TOGETHER SO QUICKLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS REPAIRED. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE MORE STORMS TODAY. AND WE CAN GET RID OF THE SLIDES NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KELLY. I WANTED TO ALSO TAKE A MINUTE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS JOINED A WALK AT HAYWARD REGIONAL SHORELINE WITH OUR INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION FOLKS, A CONVERSATION FOCUSING ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF BLACK ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS. THIS WEEKEND, WE ALSO HELD WALKS, OR THIS LAST WEEKEND, CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50 THAT WERE ATTENDED BY 66 [00:55:02] COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND I BELIEVE SOME OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS WERE THERE. LATER IN THE MONTH, WE'LL BE HOSTING A STORY TIME, HIGHLIGHTING BLACK VOICES AND EXPERIENCES. AND ON FEBRUARY 27TH, FROM 2 TO 5, WE'LL BE HOSTING A BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT THE TRUDEAU CENTER. AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK LAUREN AND ULI FROM OUR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TEAM WHO ARE HELPING TO PILOT SORT OF A NEW APPROACH TO OUR HERITAGE AND HISTORY MONTHS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY OF THE REGION. I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD THAT, JUST TO TELL A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORY OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON. OUR STEWARDSHIP, OPERATIONS, AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH STAFF FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, SAVE THE BAY, AND THE INVASIVE SPARTINA PROJECT TO PLAN RESTORATION WORK IN THE SAN LEANDRO BAY, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOUR BOARD ABOUT THAT WORK. IT'S VERY EXCITING. DINA ROBERTSON FROM OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM AND MYSELF, ALONG WITH STAFF FROM THE JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST, WENT ON A SITE VISIT WITH A MAJOR DONOR IN SIBLEY PARK RECENTLY, WHO'S INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE EAST BAY STEWARDSHIP NETWORK AND OUR SHARED WORK AROUND TAKING CARE OF THE LANDS IN THE EAST BAY. AND SO THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE PHILANTHROPIC INTEREST IN SUPPORTING OUR SHARED WORK. AND SPEAKING OF STEWARDSHIP, WE RECENTLY HAD A CONVENING, OUR FIRST EVER CONVENING OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAMS OF THE EAST BAY STEWARDSHIP NETWORK, WITH EXECUTIVES FROM SAVE MOUNT DIABLO, JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST, THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, LOCAL WATER DISTRICTS, STATE PARKS, AND NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND IT WAS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR SHARED GOALS AROUND RESTORATION, CONSERVATION, AND STEWARDSHIP. AND THEN JUST LAST FRIDAY, OUR STAFF MET WITH THE MAYOR AND LEADERSHIP TEAM AT THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD KEY PROJECTS THERE, INCLUDING ONE THAT'S ON THE BOARD CALENDAR TODAY. AND THEN I WANT TO ANNOUNCE WE HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING AT PATTERSON RANCH IN COYOTE HILLS ON MARCH 7TH, SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING YOUR BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THAT PROJECT, AND HUGE APPRECIATION TO REN BACK THERE AND THE WHOLE TEAM THAT WORKED ON COMPLETING THAT PROJECT. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO REITERATE, AS I MENTIONED LAST MEETING, OUR COMMITMENT TO WORKING TO KEEP THE STEAM TRAINS IN TILDEN PARK. I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN TIME AND WE'VE HAD STAFF CHANGES, BUT OUR STAFF IS REALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANTED TO REITERATE OUR COMMITMENT TO AN OPEN PROCESS FOR PLANNING THE WILDCAT BIKE TRAIL. EVERYTHING WE DO IS A LEARNING PROCESS FOR OUR TEAM. THIS PROCESS, WE'VE REALLY BEEN LOOKING TO HAVE THAT BE AS TRANSPARENT AND PARTICIPATORY AS POSSIBLE. IN THE SCOPING PERIOD FOR THE EIR, WE HAD A FIRST MEETING AT THE SAN PABLO COMMUNITY CENTER. WE HEARD INTEREST IN AN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY MEETING, SO WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL ZOOM MEETING. WE HEARD INTEREST FOR A LONGER TIME TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, AND SO WE EXTENDED THE COMMENT PERIOD. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO ADAPT AS WE HEAR FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THAT PROCESS THE BEST IT CAN BE, AND HAPPY TO TALK WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS OR THE POTENTIAL PROJECT. LET'S SEE. I THINK THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING ALL OF THAT. YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT WE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE UP THE GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING SO THAT WE COULD GIVE AND SHARE THESE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RECAPS AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR BOARD MEETING. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU THINK TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WE'RE TRYING SOME DIFFERENT THINGS OUT THIS YEAR. OKAY. I JUST HEARD IT'S GREAT. AND BY THE WAY, I WANTED TO SHARE, AS YOU WERE SHOWING SOME PHOTOGRAPHS, COLIN TURNED TO ME AND ASKED ME WHAT PARK THIS IS AT, AND RIGHT ON CUE, YOU ANSWERED CROWN BEACH. SO SOMEHOW YOU HEARD US OVER HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PARK, AND YOU ANSWERED IT RIGHT AWAY, SO THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. GREAT TIMING. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND NOW MOVE ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. ITEM F, DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I THINK WE KIND OF COVERED SOME OF THOSE IN THE GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS, BUT ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS [CONSENT CALENDAR] FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? I DON'T SEE ANY. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, OUR CONSENT CALENDAR. SO WITH THE CONSENT CALENDAR, BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND OR, YOU KNOW, REMOVE OR AMEND ITEMS ON THIS CONSENT CALENDAR. SO LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND SEE IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WANT TO REMOVE ITEMS FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL DO SOME QUESTIONS IF NO ONE WANTS TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. I'M THINKING, I WOULD LIKE [01:00:01] TO REMOVE ITEM SIX, THE CONTRACT FOR SPECIALTY SERVICES WITH AVIAT NETWORK, SO WE'LL MAKE THAT SEPARATE. SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ITEMS ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE. AND IF NOBODY WANTS TO REMOVE THAT, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE ITEMS. AND THIS IS NOW AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE EIGHT ITEMS, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, NO, NOT SIX, FIVE, SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THOSE ITEMS. GO AHEAD. QUESTION ON NUMBER FOUR, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR $273,000 FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH FOR THE SWIM FACILITY AT CONTRA LOMA REGIONAL PARK. I KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF OPTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, GET A NEW SWIM LAGOON, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. HAS ANYONE, I RECALL WHEN WE USED TO SWIM IN THE LAKE UP UNTIL 2002, I GUESS IT WAS, AND 24 YEARS HAVE PASSED, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN CHARGE OF GOVERNANCE FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT MAY HAVE CHANGED THEIR TUNES, I DON'T KNOW, WATER QUALITY STANDARDS MAY HAVE CHANGED. THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN MORE STRINGENT, BUT I BET THERE'S WAYS OF DOING THIS. MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED THE ALTERNATIVE OF GOING BACK INTO THE LAKE, AS WE'VE DONE SINCE THEN WITH QUARRY LAKES AND PLACES LIKE THAT? I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT, DIRECTOR WASPE. THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE QUESTION. I THINK WE ASKED THE EXACT SAME QUESTION AS STAFF. MY FIRST QUESTION WAS LIKE, WOULD IT BE MUCH SIMPLER TO SWIM IN THE LAKE? AND SO I WANT TO APPRECIATE THE CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT TEAM. THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH ME KIND OF TALKING THROUGH THAT, THE POSSIBILITIES. WHAT THEY SHARED WITH ME IS THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO SWIM IN THE RESERVOIR ITSELF. AND THERE'S SORT OF A COUPLE OF MAIN REASONS BEHIND THAT. ONE IS THAT THAT RESERVOIR IS CONSIDERED A DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR. AND SO BODY CONTACT IS GENERALLY NOT ALLOWED IN DRINKING WATER RESERVOIRS. IN A FEW CASES, IN REALLY BIG RESERVOIRS, SOMETIMES BODY CONTACT IS ALLOWED BECAUSE IT'S SO DILUTED OVER THE SIZE OF THE RESERVOIR. WHAT THEY SHARED WITH ME ABOUT CONTRALOMA IS IT'S SO SMALL IN ITS SIZE THAT BODY CONTACT, THE POTENTIAL PATHOGENS THAT COULD COME FROM SOMEBODY SWIMMING IN THE LAKE, COULD SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISE THE DRINKING WATER FOR THE AREA. AND SO THAT WAS WHY THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE THAT SWIMMING IS NOT ALLOWED AT THE RESERVOIR. BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF DOVE INTO THAT QUESTION BEFORE. WE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPROACH THIS. AND SO THIS IS SAYING, OK, WE REALIZE THAT CAN'T WORK. WE KNOW THAT SWIMMING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT FIXING THE EXISTING FACILITY WOULD COST ABOUT $14 MILLION. SO BEFORE WE JUMP STRAIGHT INTO FIXING THAT FACILITY, LET'S MAKE SURE WE CHECK IN WITH THIS REALLY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A SUSTAINABLE OPERATION WOULD LOOK LIKE SO THAT WE DON'T JUST REBUILD THE SAME THING AND NOT HAVE IT BE THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE LOCATION OF THE COMMUNITY. GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER? YES, GO AHEAD. YEAH, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON DIRECTOR WASPEY'S QUESTION AND COMMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S EVER BEEN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY THAT WOULD MEASURE THE RISK OF THIS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN AND SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. BECAUSE IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS SORT OF A KNEE JERK. I HATE TO SAY IT THAT WAY. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEIR DECISION TO SAY NO TO THE SWIMMING IS REAL. WHERE'S THE DATA? I THINK WE OWE IT. I KNOW WE OWE IT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO AT LEAST PURSUE THAT POSSIBILITY. BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT $10 TO $14 MILLION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS. IT'S MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND IF WE CAN AVOID THAT, JUST THINK WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO WITH THAT FUNDING. SO I THINK MY RESPONSIBILITY AS A BOARD MEMBER IS TO ASK THAT QUESTION AND SEE WHAT COMES UP. YEAH, I CAN SHARE. I FELT THE SAME WAY. AND I LITERALLY SPENT MONTHS BUGGING THE CCWD STAFF TO CHASE THAT DOWN. AND THIS RESERVOIR IS VERY SMALL IN SIZE COMPARED TO OTHER BIGGER RESERVOIRS. AND WE KIND OF LIKE, WE TALKED THROUGH LOTS OF SCENARIOS. TO ME, WE CAN ALWAYS REVISIT THIS MORE. BUT I FEEL LIKE IT WASN'T JUST WE ASKED AND THEY SAID NO. WE PUSHED THEM. WE MET WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES. WE TALKED THROUGH DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. AND [01:05:01] FROM ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT SEEMED EXTREMELY UNLIKELY THAT THERE WAS ANY PATH TO HAVING FOLKS SWIM IN THAT RESERVOIR. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT ONE OTHER FACT. THE FACT IS THAT THE WATER, IF IT WAS USED OUT OF THAT RESERVOIR, WOULD HAVE TO TRANSFER THROUGH THE CONTRA COSTA CANAL, WHICH IS, I DON'T KNOW, 10 TO 20 MILES LONG. THINK OF THE DILUTION THAT GOES ON AT THAT DISTANCE BEFORE IT EVEN GETS TO THE TREATMENT PLANT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE TOURED THAT PLANT. IT'S A VERY, VERY HIGH-TECH AND STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY. I HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, AND I JUST INTUITIVELY – I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE INTUITIVE ON THIS, BUT THERE'S TWO SIDES OF THIS, RIGHT? THE CANAL IS – LIKE, IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE A BIGGER BODY OF WATER THAN WHAT THEY'RE CHARACTERIZING IT AS. SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE PUT INTO THE EQUATION AS WELL. OLIVIA, IF I COULD. WHAT YOU'RE PIGGYBACKING ON IS THE FACT THAT THIS ISN'T EVEN DRINKING WATER. IT'S EMERGENCY-USE DRINKING WATER. IT'S – WELL, THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF IT, TOO. WHAT I'VE HEARD IS IT'S NEVER BEEN USED. YEAH. AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAID RISK. YOU KNOW, THE RISK IS WATER QUALITY NUMBERS PLUS TIME SPAN. YOU KNOW, AND THAT RESULTS IN – CAN'T HELP BUT RESULT IN A VERY, VERY LOW RISK THAT'S OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO CREATE THIS SEPARATE FACILITY. I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE CCWC STAFF. ONE THING THAT WE COULD ALWAYS DO, TOO, IS ASK THEM TO PRESENT TO EITHER YOUR BOARD OR A COMMITTEE OF YOUR BOARD TO SORT OF DESCRIBE WHY THEIR – YOU KNOW, THAT THEIR DECISION IS – YOU KNOW, FOLLOWS THAT LINE OF THINKING. BUT HAPPY TO KIND OF, LIKE, EXPLORE IF THERE'S OTHER WORK THAT YOUR BOARD WISHES US TO DO AROUND THAT. I THINK WE SHOULD FOCUS THESE THOUGHTS AT THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL. THIS IS – DENNIS JUST SUGGESTED THAT – WHAT'S THAT? AT THE LIAISON LEVEL. OH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH GOVERNANCE TO GOVERNANCE. YEAH. NO, AND I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT AND APPRECIATION, AND I LOVE THOSE FOLKS. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A GREAT BOARD, AND THEY HAVE A VERY DEDICATED STAFF. BUT I'M JUST PUSHING A LITTLE BIT HERE, JUST CHALLENGING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY THROUGH. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE PUSH THE SAME BECAUSE WE SAID, HEY, MAYBE THIS DECISION WAS MADE DURING A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE FEELING ONE WAY, AND MAYBE WE CAN GO TO THE STATE AND ADVOCATE AND GET AN EXCEPTION TO THIS. RIGHT. ALL THOSE PATHS DID NOT LEAD TO BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE IT FOR SWIMMING. BUT AGAIN, LIKE, HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOUR BOARD TO CONVENE, LIKE, A LIAISON MEETING OR ANOTHER AVENUE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEIR BOARD AND OTHERS. I CAN SAY, FOR ME, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, EVEN IF IT WAS JUST A ONE-PAGER, TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER COMPARISON DATA. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS RESERVOIR COMPARED TO OTHERS, SO I KNOW DELVAL IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST RESERVOIRS, SO THAT IN TERMS OF VISUALIZATION, I CAN THINK ABOUT THAT. BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF STATE-OF-THE-ART WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES, I KNOW ZONE 7, WE HAVE OUR FACILITY, THE DELVAL WATER TREATMENT FACILITY, RIGHT NEXT TO LAKE DELVAL FOR THAT VERY REASON. AND IT DOES – YOU KNOW, DELVAL, WE HAVE BOATING AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED OUT OF THE WATER SYSTEM BEFORE IT GETS PUT INTO THE DRINKING WATER NETWORK. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF CONTRA LOMA, I'M THINKING, OH, IS IT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME AS OR SMALLER THAN SHADOW CLIFFS? ALSO, HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO QUARRY LAKES, WHERE AT QUARRY LAKES, WE DO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, COULD THAT SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT BE POTENTIAL HERE AT CONTRA LOMA? SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO JUST PUT TOGETHER A ONE-PAGE COMPARISON OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE ACROSS EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TO JUST HELP US AS – BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY WHO ARE ON OUR LIAISON COMMITTEE WITH CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE WHEN THAT CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING WITH THE CONTRA COSTA WATER DISTRICT LIAISON COMMITTEE MEMBERS. YEAH, WE CAN PUT THAT – THAT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. WE'LL PUT THAT TOGETHER. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. THIS WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION. I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WITH ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW? YES. GO AHEAD. WELL, ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, I JUST WANT TO REPORT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW PAC. I'M WANTING A SUCCESSION PLAN, WANTING SOME YOUTH, WANTING SOME YOUTHFUL VOICES. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT IN SPADES ALONG WITH A PARTNERSHIP. HE'S AN EMPLOYEE OVER AT SAVE [01:10:01] MOUNT DIABLO. STEVEN DESPATULES. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO – HE CAN PRACTICE SAYING MY LAST NAME AND I'LL PRACTICE SAYING HIS, BUT HE DIDN'T MAKE IT TODAY, BUT HE'LL BE JOINING THE PAC AT THEIR UPCOMING MEETING, AND I'M JUST REALLY HAPPY TO GET A NEW VOICE ON THERE. SO JUST THOUGHT I'D MAKE THAT COMMENT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WE MIGHT HAVE ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY. I JUST WANT TO SEE IF WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE, SEVEN, EIGHT, OR NINE. WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL OPEN AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AS THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. ANY FINAL COMMENTS? OTHERWISE, I AM LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE EIGHT ITEMS, ONE THROUGH FIVE, SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE. SO MOVED. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY DIRECTOR WASPIE. SECOND. SECONDED BY DIRECTOR MERCURIO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. [6. Authorization to Execute a Contract for Specialty Services with Aviat Networks, Inc. in the Amount of $385,627 for the Improve Peralta Oaks North Project: 2955 Peralta Oaks Court  CEQA Determination: Exempt per 14 Cal Code Regs §15301, §15302, §15061(b)(3)] OKAY. SO FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR – EXCUSE ME – ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS THE AVIAT NETWORKS ITEM, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND I'LL JUST SHARE SOME CONCERNS. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF A PRETTY LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT THAT TYPICALLY I HAVE NOT VOTED IN FAVOR OF AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED AS A SEPARATE ITEM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE REN AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. YEAH, YEAH, I THINK IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND, I MEAN, WE CAN, REN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK SUPER BRIEFLY TO LIKE GENERALLY WHAT THIS IS, WHAT THE CONTRACT IS FOR. YEP, GLADLY. REN BATES, DIVISION LEAD OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. TO MAX'S COMMENT, THIS CONTRACT IS SEPARATE FROM THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR'S CONTRACT. AVIOT PROVIDES SERVICE FOR OUR POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY IN TERMS OF OUR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. THOSE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ARE VERY SPECIFIC. THEY'RE NOT TIED TO CELLULAR TOWERS. THEY'RE BASICALLY ON TOWERS WHERE THERE'S VISUAL SITES FROM RADAR, LIKE FROM RADAR DISKS BASICALLY. SO WHAT THIS PROVIDES FOR IS CAPACITY FOR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TO HAPPEN WHEN INTER, LIKE CELLULAR SERVICE GOES DOWN AND WHATNOT. AVIOT HAS BEEN PROVIDING SERVICE TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOR MANY YEARS. THEY'RE KIND OF THE ONLY GO-TO IN TOWN TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE. THIS CONTRACT IS SEPARATE, AGAIN, BECAUSE IT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING. IT'S FOR COMMUNICATIONS, AND SO TO THAT END, THIS CONTRACT WILL PROVIDE THE, WE WILL BE PURCHASING THE EQUIPMENT, SO ALL OF THE RADIO TOWER EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BE UTILIZED TO PROVIDE SERVICE FOR THIS FACILITY, THIS NEW FACILITY HERE FOR THE DISPATCH, AND AGAIN, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, AND THEN IT WILL DO THE INSTALL. AND THAT INSTALL IS VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT, TO THE APPURTENANCES AND THE, ALL OF THE GOODS THAT WE'RE BUYING. SO ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED ONTO THE TOWER. SO THAT'S THE IMPETUS OF THIS CONTRACT. OKAY. AND MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE, SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED TODAY? WILL WE THEN HAVE THREE TOWERS WITHIN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT? OR IS, AND WILL WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN ALL THREE TOWERS? OR IS THERE CONVERSATION THAT WE MAY GO BACK DOWN TO TWO TOWERS? WE WILL NEED ALL THE TOWERS. THERE ARE TOWERS THROUGHOUT, AND WE WILL NEED ALL THE TOWERS. THIS IS A NEW TOWER BECAUSE IT'S A NEW FACILITY, AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN ALL OF THEM. AND THEN THOSE TOWERS ACT AS A FULL SYSTEM, SO THERE WON'T BE ANY REDUCTION IN TOWERS. THIS IS A NEW TOWER THAT'S ADDED TO THE SYSTEM SO THAT IT MAKES IT FUNCTIONAL, AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS HERE AT THIS BUILDING. SO THEN WE WOULD HAVE SAN LEANDRO HILLS, COYOTE HILLS, AND THEN THIS BUILDING. SO THOSE WOULD BE OUR THREE TOWERS? I BELIEVE. I DON'T, I'M NOT, YES. THAT'S WHAT I SEE IN THE REPORT. SO I BELIEVE THAT'S. I WOULD DOUBLE CHECK ON ALL THE LOCATIONS. I'M NOT. YEP. AND OUR INTENTION WOULD BE TO KEEP ALL THREE. CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S HELPFUL. OKAY. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. ARE THERE, YES, GO AHEAD. SO WOULD, ARE ALL THE, IS ALL THE HARDWARE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE'RE BUYING WITH THIS, AT THIS LOCATION, AT THIS BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. BUT IT'S FOR A WHOLE SYSTEM, AND SO SOME OF IT IS LIKE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE SYSTEM THEN IS WHOLE. SO PART OF THE SERVICES ARE INSTALLED HERE, BUT THEN IN TERMS OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING ARE TO ENSURE THAT IT WILL ALL FUNCTION SO THAT WE HAVE A COMPLETE SYSTEM. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I GUESS TO FURTHER THAT ANSWER IS THAT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO THIS BUILDING. IT'S, THERE'S PART OF IT FOR THIS BUILDING. SO TO THE, TO YOUR QUESTION, CHAIR SAN JUAN, IS THAT SOME OF IT IS FOR THE BUILDING, BUT OTHERWISE SOME OF THESE SERVICES ARE DISTRICT-WIDE, AND THAT ENCOMPASSES THE WHOLE RADIO NETWORK FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY. THANK YOU. AND THAT SORT OF TIES INTO MY QUESTION, WHICH MAY NOW BE MORE OF A COMMENT, [01:15:01] BUT THE WAY IT PRESENTED TO US HERE, YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING HAD AN $87 MILLION BUDGET, AND IT'S PRESENTED HERE AS A PORTION OF THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANCE THAT A LOT OF THINGS ARE PULLING FROM THAT BUDGET, NOT THIS, AND I THINK WE HAVE A LARGER PROBLEM LOOMING WITH A BALANCE OF ONLY $72,000 OVER THERE AT THE PERALTA OAKS BUILDING. THAT'S SORT OF A GENERAL COMMENT. BUT WHAT I'D BE INTERESTED IS MORE OF A HOLISTIC BUDGET REVIEW SINCE THIS IS PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY, SORT OF FOR MAX, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE OTHER BUCKETS, IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK ABOUT. THROUGH THIS WHOLE YEAR, I'M FEELING, KICKING OFF BEING VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, YOU KNOW, MAKE MORE MONEY, SPEND LESS MONEY. SO I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR I WOULD NEVER BE OPPOSED TO WANTING TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNICATION TOWERS ARE IN PLACE, BUT JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THE LONGER TERM OF HOW WE BUDGET OR PULL FROM BUCKETS. AND THEN OVERALL, IF THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY TO USE FINES, FEES FOR GETTING THESE THINGS COMPLETED ON A TIMEFRAME, THIS BUILDING IS REALLY DRAGGING OUT WHAT I'VE SEEN THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS REALLY PUTTING SOME STRICT REQUIREMENTS TO GET THESE DONE BY SUCH AND SUCH A DATE OR $50,000 A DAY PENALTIES. LET'S GET THIS DONE. WE CAN'T SAY NO TO THIS, BUT HOW DO WE SPEED THIS UP AND STOP THE SLOW BLEED? AND THEN FINALLY, IS THERE SOME OPPORTUNITY HERE? I MEAN, HOW DID WE NOT KNOW WE NEEDED THESE TWO TOWERS UP FRONT? IS THERE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR PENALTIES GOING FORWARD, BUT MAKE SURE THAT OUR GENERAL CONTRACTORS ARE CATCHING THESE OR REIMBURSING? THERE'S JUST SOMETHING WRONG HERE. I WASN'T HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL BUILDING APPROVAL, BUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE CREEPING UP, AND I THINK IT'S COMING BACK TO US AGAIN, AND I JUST CAN'T HELP BUT MAKE THOSE SORT OF, I GUESS THEY'RE COMMENTS OR MAX'S NODDING. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A QUESTION OR A RESPONSE IN THERE, BUT I MEAN, I'M IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THIS, BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE, SOMETHING HAS TO STOP. YEAH, I CAN SHARE. I MEAN, I THINK I WANT TO APPRECIATE OUR TEAM THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THE PROJECT. FOR SURE. THEY ARE ON SCHEDULE, AND SO I THINK WE ARE ANTICIPATING COMPLETING, YOU KNOW, THIS FALL, UNLESS REN TELLS ME OTHERWISE. AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THIS HAS COST MORE THAN WE WERE EXPECTING, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR SURE, FOR OUR TEAM, THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE GAVE YOU A HEADS UP, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING, AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN PULL FROM OTHER PROJECT FUNDING OR RESERVES TO FUND THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS, AND JUST KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR REVENUES AND OUR BUDGET IS TIGHT RIGHT NOW, AND THAT EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM REN'S TEAM IS THEY'RE BEING VERY CAUTIOUS MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, MAKING SURE WE'RE ONLY, YOU KNOW, FUNDING THE THINGS THAT REALLY NEED TO HAPPEN TO MOVE FORWARD TO GET THIS DONE, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, AS WE LOOK BACK, ARE THERE ANY LESSONS LEARNED, AND THEN LASTLY, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING CONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS ACCOUNTABLE, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOUP MONEY, WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CHECK IN ON PUBLIC COMMENT AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO MAKE, NOPE. THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY, SO WE'LL OPEN AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. COMING BACK TO THE FINAL BOARD FOR, BOARD MEMBERS FOR COMMENT, I'LL SHARE. I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS AND HAVING THIS AS A SEPARATE ITEM. I DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE OVERALL COST OF THE IMPROVED PERALTA OAKS NORTH BUILDING, AND I DO AGREE THAT AT SOME POINT, IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO DO A HOLISTIC BUDGET REVIEW AND ALSO THINK ABOUT, WHEN WE DO THAT HOLISTIC BUDGET REVIEW, THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A DIVISION LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOW WE MIGHT REVIEW THAT BUDGET THAT'S NOT FOR TODAY OR ON TODAY'S AGENDA. BUT I AM HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY. I'LL SHARE. OTHERWISE, LET'S SEE IF WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER SIX. OKAY, VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY HAS MADE THE MOTION. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND? THAT MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR WASBY SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? [ACTION ITEMS] I DON'T THINK SO. ANYONE ABSTAIN? NO. SO THAT'S SIX ZERO. GREAT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING. ACTION ITEM ONE, I1, THE UNIVERSAL BUILDING SERVICES FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES. [01:20:22] GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRESIDENT SAN JUAN AND ACTING GENERAL MANAGER MAX CORTON. MY NAME IS JUANCHO FLORES, FACILITIES MANAGER FROM THE FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DIVISION. I'M HERE TO SEEK AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD CONTRACT WITH UNIVERSAL BUILDING SERVICES FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. JUST AS A BACKGROUND, WE CURRENTLY RECEIVE SERVICES FROM UNIVERSAL SERVICE BUILDING SERVICES CURRENTLY IN THESE LOCATIONS, PERALTA OAKS, PERALTA TRUDEAU, PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS, TILDEN PARK, AND ALSO WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY, WELL, NOT POTENTIALLY, WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE HAVING SERVICE FOR THE PERALTA OAKS NORTH LOCATION. SO JUST GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE WENT OUT TO RFP ON DECEMBER AND GAVE EVERYONE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF WEEKS TO RESPOND BACK WITH BIDS. SO DECEMBER 29, WE RECEIVED BIDS FROM FOUR VENDORS. FROM THERE, WE WENT AHEAD AND REVIEWED THE BIDS, ALSO FOLLOWING UP ON REFERRALS AND EACH VENDOR'S CAPACITY TO SERVICE. WENT THROUGH QUALIFICATIONS AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH BID REVIEW THAT INCLUDED FROM THAT TEAM OF REVIEWERS WOULD BE OUR ACTING AGM, KATIE DIGNAN AND OUR, WHAT DO YOU CALL, SORRY, OUR, I'M SORRY, I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS HERE. I'M NOT IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS ALL THE TIME, SO I APOLOGIZE. YOU'RE DOING GREAT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SO YEAH, SO WE, MYSELF, KATE DIGNAN AND CHRIS WYCKOFF SAT DOWN AND REVIEWED EVERYONE'S QUALIFICATIONS. WE REVIEWED BASICALLY, LIKE I SAID, THEIR CAPACITY TO SERVICE, THEIR REFERENCES. WE FOLLOWED UP ON REFERENCES AND PAST PERFORMANCES FROM EACH ONE OF THEIR CURRENT CUSTOMERS. WE LOOKED AT THEIR COST PROPOSALS AND ALSO THEIR EQUITY POSITIONS, HOW THEY ARE DEALING WITH EQUITY WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENT, THEIR COMPANY. SO IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT. BASICALLY, IT'S GOING TO BE A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT FOR THOSE SET LOCATIONS AND AN OPTION TO EXTEND IT TO ADDITIONAL TWO-YEAR CONTRACTS. SO THE FIRST YEAR, WE'RE NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THEM. WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN. AND IF WE ARE, WE'LL CONTINUE FORWARD. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SORRY, I'VE GOT THE SLIDES IN THERE. IT'S ALL GOOD. THIS WAS GREAT. OKAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION AND FOR PREPARING THIS REPORT, VERY INFORMATIVE. LET'S GO AHEAD AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ON THIS ITEM. IS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE WORKING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION OR HAVE WE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM PREVIOUSLY? WE ARE CURRENTLY, WE WERE IN CONTRACT WITH UNIVERSAL BUILDING SERVICES TO MANAGE, TO SERVICE THIS BUILDING, PROVIDE US WITH NICE, CLEAN RESTROOMS AND FACILITIES. AND WE'D LIKE TO DO THE SAME IN OTHER LOCATIONS. IN THE PAST, EACH LOCATIONS CREATED THEIR OWN CONTRACT AND GOT INTO CONTRACT WITH JANITORIAL SERVICE. WE WANT TO CENTRALIZE AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO REDUCE THE REDUNDANCY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT, SEE IF WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO'D WISH TO. THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. SO THEN WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, BRING IT BACK FOR ANY FINAL BOARD COMMENTS. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. I WANT YOU TO, SO IS, ANYWHERE IS IT MEMORIALIZED IN THIS CONTRACT THAT THE FOLKS WOULD DO THREE-STREAM RECYCLING? AND I KNOW THEY DO HERE, BUT IS IT IN ALL OF OUR AREAS? IT IS. IT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE. I GUESS IT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE THAT WE DO THREE-STREAM RECYCLING HERE IN ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT THEY SERVICE. WHERE WE HAVE KITCHENS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE THREE-STREAM [01:25:01] RECYCLING. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ALSO, JUST AS A SIDE LIGHT, AS A GOVERNANCE DEAL, I THINK IT WOULD BE PROBABLY, FOR ME ANYWAY, IT WOULD BE BETTER, WE SAY WE, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT AN RFP, THERE WERE FOUR BIDDERS. THESE GUYS WERE THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE RESPONSE OF BIDDERS. BUT CAN YOU, WE USED TO LIST THE BIDDERS. I MEAN, I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING IT'S TRUE, BUT IF THESE GUYS WERE WAY OFF IN THEIR BID OR WAY HIGH IN THEIR BID OR WAY LOW IN THEIR BID IN COMPARISON, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE THE LOWEST. BUT I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE LIST OF BIDDERS AND WHAT THEY BID IF WE COULD DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. SURE. WE CAN PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU. OKAY. THANKS. YEAH. IT'S, THEY WERE THE LOWEST BID, QUALIFIED BID OUT OF THE FOUR BIDDERS. RIGHT. I BELIEVE YOU AND I, BUT I REALLY, I THINK IT'S GOOD GOVERNANCE TO SHOW THAT OTHER PEOPLE BID AND THIS IS WHAT THEY BID AND IT'D BE HELPFUL TO ME. OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO GO OVER THE VENDORS? NO, NO, NO, NOT YOU SPECIFICALLY. I'M TALKING OVERALL IN THE PARK DISTRICT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WAS IN THIS BUSINESS TOO AND WE, YOU GET A BIDDER AND THEY ALWAYS BID LOW. AND THEN THEY, THEY SEE A PUBLIC BID AND THEY GO, HOLY SMOKE, WE UNDERBID THIS THING. AND THEN CHANGE ORDER IT BACK UP TO WHERE THEY'RE BACK IN THE BALLPARK. AND I'VE NEVER SUGGESTED THAT WOULD OCCUR, BUT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, BUT IT'S JUST NICE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD GOVERNANCE IN MY OPINION. WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT GOING FORWARD IS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE, WHEN WE PUT OUR RPS, I'D SAY TOO, THE OTHER THING IS LIKE TYPICALLY FOR THESE BIDS, THERE'S NOT REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE ORDER. IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOCKED INTO LIKE A TIME OF MATERIALS RATE. SO IT'S, IT'S LIKE THE, IT SHOULDN'T BE, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WHERE THEY BID ON IT. THEY'RE LOCKED INTO WHATEVER THE RATE IS THAT THEY BID AND THEN THEY HAVE TO STICK TO IT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND I AGREE WITH THE PROCESS. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD FOR US TO SEE ALTERNATIVES MORE FOR STAFF THAN FOR YOU. I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON ANY, YOU'RE LOOKING NERVOUS UP THERE ENOUGH ALREADY. JUST, THE, WHAT ALSO IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ME SOMETIMES IS TO SEE THE HISTORY. I HAVE NO IDEA IF, YOU KNOW, $1.6 MILLION IS TYPICAL FOR AN AGENCY OF OUR SIZE. SORT OF BEING THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, THIS IS ALL INCLUSIVE. IF THAT'S NORMAL OR ARE WE SEEING THESE PRICES GOING UP WITH INFLATION OVER TIME? THE LOWEST BIDDER, WAS IT STILL WITHIN A RANGE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, FOR INSTANCE? IT'S, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD CONCEPT OF THAT. SO, IT'S KIND OF A GENERAL, I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO TELL ME THE NUMBER OFF HERE. YEAH, IT'S OKAY FOR TODAY, I THINK. I THINK IT'S FINE. RIGHT. AND THEN THE OTHER COMMENT ABOUT THREE STREAM RECYCLING, ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, WE HAD THIS ISSUE WHEN I WORKED AT EPA. WE HAD 19 FLOORS AND JANITORIAL SERVICES MADE A REAL BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENTIAL PURCHASING PROGRAM WHEN WE CHANGED OUT THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE USED FOR CLEANING THE BUILDING. ONE THING THAT WAS INTERESTING IS THERE WAS A FALSE ASSUMPTION THAT SIMPLE GREEN, BECAUSE OF ITS NAME, WAS A GOOD PRODUCT. BUT IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST TOXIC CLEANERS OUT THERE, FULL OF ETHYLENE GLYCOLS. AND SO, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S CENTRALIZED AND DECENTRALIZED, TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND EXPOSURE AS AN AGENCY. BUT THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. IF I CAN PARAPHRASE SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MAYBE FOR MAX TO WORK WITH US SO THAT MAYBE WHEN WE HAVE THESE REPORTS COMING THROUGH, THERE'S JUST SOME REVIEW TO INCLUDE WHAT THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE BIDDERS WERE. AND THEN ALSO MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE HISTORY TO SEE ARE WE SEEING, IN THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, JANITORIAL SERVICES INCREASING, KIND OF STAYING IN A PLATEAU, JUST SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A SENSE OF JUST PREVIOUS COUPLE OF YEARS. YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND TO APPLY IT TO OTHER REPORTS. SO, NOT JUST JANITORIAL SERVICES, BUT OTHER REPORTS THAT WE'LL BE SEEING IN THE FUTURE. UNDERSTOOD, AND I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE, ESPECIALLY WITH REGULAR SORT OF ONGOING BODIES OF WORK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE HAVE PAST EXPERIENCE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT AND HELPS INFORM YOUR BOARD, GIVES YOU A BIGGER PICTURE OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING. SO, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. AND THEN DENNIS. YEAH, DON'T BE NERVOUS. SINCE I'VE MET YOU AND SINCE YOU'VE COME HERE, THIS PLACE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY GOOD. EVERYTHING'S GREAT AROUND HERE. IT'S AMAZING HOW YOU'VE ACCOMMODATED EVERYBODY AND YOU'RE ALWAYS SO ACCOMMODATING. AND I THINK THIS PLACE HAS RUN EXCELLENTLY. I JUST, TO PIGGYBACK ON DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU'S QUESTION, IT IS, DO WE, ANOTHER THING, DID WE WRITE INTO THE CONTRACT THAT THEY WOULD ADHERE TO OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERRED PURCHASING PROCESS? I MEAN, THEY DON'T USE OIL OR... SO, WITHOUT GETTING TOO MUCH INTO THE WEEDS, THAT'S PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS, IS THAT THEY USE ANY EQUIPMENT AND [01:30:04] SUPPLIES THAT WE APPROVE, PRIZE THEM USING. AND IT ALL, I USED TO REPORT TO YOU THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING POLICY. AND FOR SURE, RIGHT ON TOP OF IT, THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND SERVICE IN THAT WAY, SO. GREAT. THANKS VERY MUCH. CAN I TAKE ONE MINUTE TO JUST SHOUT OUT WANCHO? SO, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CHALLENGE OF PARKING AROUND HERE SINCE THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT HAS GOTTEN SO BUSY. AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THE COUNTY WAS GOING TO ADD SOLAR PANELS IN THE PARKING LOT OVER ACROSS THE STREET. AND SO, WE KNEW THAT THE PARKING SITUATION WAS GOING TO GET EVEN WORSE. AND SO, WANCHO AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE AVOID, LIKE, HAVING PEOPLE PARK ON, I DON'T KNOW, SOMEWHERE REALLY FAR AWAY. YEAH. AND HE CAME UP WITH A REALLY, YOU KNOW, SMART, I THINK, SOLUTION, WHICH IS MOVING OUR DISTRICT VEHICLES ON THE STREET SO THAT IT TAKES UP WHERE SOME OF WHERE THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, SO WE'RE KIND OF PUSHING THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FURTHER. APOLOGIES TO THEM. BUT IT FREES UP MORE OF OUR ACTUAL PARKING LOTS FOR STAFF AND FOR YOU ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS. AND SO, IT'S ALLOWED OUR STAFF NOT TO HAVE TO PARK AS FAR AWAY AND ACCOMMODATE THE PROCESS. AND SO, I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE WANCHO FOR, A, COMING UP WITH THAT SOLUTION. IT MEANS MOVING THE VEHICLES ON WEEKENDS BACK INTO THE LOT, ON WEEKDAYS OUT OF THE LOT. AND SO, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. WELL. WONDERFUL. THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT. AND THEN, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT AGAIN, MAX, JUST, YOU KNOW, HEARING THIS CONVERSATION, THINKING ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, PREFERENCE, PURCHASE POLICY, I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT STAFF REPORTS, I KNOW DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU AND I HAVE BEEN REALLY EAGER FOR THERE TO BE A SECTION IN THE TEMPLATE ON ENVIRONMENTAL, IF NOT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, BUT JUST SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENT SINCE OUR MISSION STATEMENT DOES SAY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC GUIDES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND THIS WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE, THIS REPORT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE COULD HAVE HAD A SECTION THAT WOULD JUST MENTION THAT WE HAVE REQUIRED THE PREFERENCE POLICY TO BE A PART OF EACH OF THE CONTRACTS. SO, THAT'S SOMETHING JUST TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR STAFF REPORTING. GREAT. AND I THINK I HEARD THAT AND THAT ONE THING I'VE TALKED TO A FEW OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD INCLUDE A SECTION LIKE THAT. AND THE OTHER SECTION I'VE HEARD ABOUT IS SORT OF AN EQUITY IMPACT OR STATEMENT SECTION. AND SO, OUR INTERNAL EQUITY COMMITTEE, WE'VE ASKED JOSE TO WORK WITH THEM ON SORT OF THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT STRUCTURE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN ALSO TALKING TO OUR TEAM ABOUT SORT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION AND HOW WE CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER. SO, THANK YOU. THAT'S ON MY LIST AND OUR TEAM'S LIST IN TERMS OF HOW TO TELL THAT PART OF THE STORY. THAT'S GREAT. AND I KNOW WE'LL GET THERE EVENTUALLY, BUT JUST HELPFUL WITH THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT DISCUSSION HERE TO HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL. SO, THANK YOU. WE ALREADY DID PUBLIC COMMENT, SO WE'RE READY IF NO ONE HAS. OKAY, WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT. ONE MORE COMMENT. I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE YOUR NEW APPROACH TO CONSOLIDATING ALL THOSE NIGHTMARISH ARRAY OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTS TO HAVE TO MANAGE INTO ONE WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE TRUST AND ALSO TO KIND OF LIKE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A FAIL-SAFE THING IN THERE BY HAVING IT ONLY FOR ONE YEAR JUST TO BE SURE EVERYTHING'S GOOD, RIGHT? BUT THEN AFTER THAT, ONCE THEY PROVE THEMSELVES, THEN THEY GET TWO YEARS. SO, THAT'S MOTIVATION FOR THEM TOO AS WELL. SO, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THAT APPROACH. YEAH. SO, THIS IS FOR MAX, AND IT DOESN'T INVOLVE THIS CONTRACT. BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING WHAT THE DYNAMICS ARE OF THE NATURE OF THE ORGANIZATION, ITS SIZE, ITS SCALE OF FACILITIES TO THE EFFECT OF AT SOME POINT, SOMEDAY CONSIDERING JANITORIAL BEING MORE IN-HOUSE. I'M JUST WONDERING, I'M IGNORANT OF THAT DYNAMIC. AND SO, THIS IS A SOMEDAY TYPE OF REFERRAL TO YOU. OKAY. SO, WE ARE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE CAN THINK ABOUT A MOTION ON THIS ITEM, THIS ACTION ITEM. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? ALL RIGHT. WE GOT A MOTION FROM DIRECTOR WASPIE. ANYONE LIKE TO SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OH, I THINK DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU WAS FIRST. OKAY. THERE WE GO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. [01:35:01] I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S OPPOSED, BUT ANYONE OPPOSED OR ABSTAINED? NO. SO, IT'S SIX-ZERO. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE TAKE... THANK YOU SO MUCH, BY THE WAY. SO, THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL AND REALLY HELPED FOSTER AN EVEN BROADER DISCUSSION OF STAFF REPORTS. SO, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT AND HELPING US. I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE WE TAKE A QUICK 10-MINUTE BREAK SINCE IT'S BEEN ABOUT 90 MINUTES THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE. AND I'VE BEEN WANTING US TO BE ABLE TO GET UP AND STRETCH OUR LEGS. SO, WE'LL COME BACK AT, LET'S SAY, 2.47. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND NOW MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM, I-2, THE AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE FOR THE PURCHASE OF 4.53 ACRES IN DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOT TO GET SITUATED, GET THE OLD LADY GLASSES GOING. NOTICE THE CAT EYE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT SAN JUAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER MAX CORTON. I'M SARAH RIECK, SENIOR REAL PROPERTY SPECIALIST IN THE LAND ACQUISITION DEPARTMENT. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY SEEKING AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE FOR PURCHASE OF 4.53 ACRES OF PROPERTY FOR $200,000 AND AUTHORIZATION TO TRANSFER AND APPROPRIATE $434,000 TO COMPLETE THE ACQUISITION. AS ALWAYS, I'LL START WITH SOME MAPS SO THAT WE CAN ORIENT OURSELVES. THE MAP ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE ACQUISITION PROPERTY IN GREEN. IT IS A 4.53 ACRE PORTION OF A LARGER, APPROXIMATELY 138 ACRE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, AND IT'S LOCATED OFF OF DOOLIN ROAD. AN UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY NORTH OF THE CITY OF LIVERMORE. DOOLIN ROAD IS A PUBLIC ROAD, AND IT'S ABOUT 2.5 MILES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 580. LET'S SEE. THE CITY PLANS TO RETAIN THE REMAINING 134-ISH ACRES AND WILL SELL A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO TRUMARK HOMES OVER THE PROPERTY AS MITIGATION FOR TRUMARK HOMES EAST RANCH PROJECT IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN. IT'S A DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY NEED TO MITIGATE FOR CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG, CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER. THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, WHICH IS IN PURPLE AND VERY HARD TO SEE, BUT IT SHOWS THAT IT IS APPROXIMATELY A HALF A MILE SOUTH OF DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. AS YOU KNOW, THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE CITY HAVE PARTNERED FOR MANY YEARS TO PROTECT DOOLIN CANYON FROM DEVELOPMENT, AND THE PARTIES HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LARGER 138-ACRE PROPERTY SINCE ABOUT 2017 WITH THE IDEA THAT THE PARK DISTRICT COULD POTENTIALLY USE THE FLAT, ROUGHLY FIVE-ACRE PORTION FOR STAGING, ACCESS, INTERPRETIVE USE, RECREATION USE ASSOCIATED WITH DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. LET'S SEE. OH, AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT THE ACQUISITION PROPERTY INCLUDES AN APPROXIMATELY 30-FOOT WIDE BY 50-FOOT LONG FINGER IN ITS NORTHEASTERN CORNER THERE, AND THAT COULD POSSIBLY SERVE AS THE FIRST SEGMENT OF A PUBLIC TRAIL UP TO DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. THE CITY WILL RETAIN AN APPROXIMATELY 130-FOOT LONG ACCESS EASEMENT FROM DOOLIN ROAD THROUGH THE ACQUISITION PROPERTY TO THEIR RETAINED PROPERTY. YOU CAN SEE THE GENERAL TRAJECTORY ON THESE TWO IMAGES IN ORANGE. THE LANGUAGE IN THE GRANT DEED ALLOWS FOR THIS ACCESS EASEMENT TO BE REALIGNED IN THE FUTURE AS NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE THE PARK DISTRICT'S FUTURE USE PLANS. YOU CAN SEE IN THE OVERHEAD AERIAL IMAGE IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER THAT THE PROPERTY INCLUDES A LARGE BARN AND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS IN THE PROPERTY'S SOUTHEASTERN CORNER. ALL OF THE BUILDINGS ARE IN DISREPAIR. THE PROPERTY HAS TWO CONCRETE SEPTIC TANKS OF UNKNOWN CONDITION AND ELECTRICITY AT THE STREET, BUT DOES NOT HAVE WATER OR SEPTIC. HOWEVER, WATER IS AVAILABLE ON THE PROPERTY THAT THE CITY PLANS TO RETAIN. THERE ARE TWO CISTERNS, ONE FED BY A SPRING AND ONE THAT FILLS UP DURING THE WINTERTIME, AND IN THIS IMAGE YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE TWO WATER TANKS, A PUMP, AND A WELL. THE WELL PRODUCES RIGHT NOW APPROXIMATELY 12 GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE. THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THAT [01:40:02] THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE CITY WILL EXECUTE PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF ESCROW WILL MEMORIALIZE THE PARTY'S POST-CLOSING COMMITMENT TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS SHARING UTILITIES AND ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE IN THE FUTURE. THE PROPERTY IS POPULATED WITH RED ROLL GRASSES AND SOME ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS THAT WERE PLANTED BY PREVIOUS OWNERS. THE ACQUISITION PROPERTY IS ALSO SURROUNDED BY ROLLING GRASSLANDS AS PART OF THE ARROYO LAS POSITAS WATERSHED AND CONTAINS MANY SEEPS AND SPRINGS ASSOCIATED WITH COTTONWOOD CREEK. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE TERMS OF THE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT. THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT IS $200,000. THE CITY OF LIVERMORE PURCHASED THE LARGER 138-ACRE PORTION IN 2018 FOR $1,775,000 WITH A $1 MILLION GRANT FROM THE ULTIMATE LANDFILL OPEN SPACE FUND. SO THE PARK DISTRICT'S $200,000 PURCHASE PRICE IS EQUIVALENT TO THE AMOUNT OF CITY FUNDS THAT WERE SPENT ON THE LARGER 138-ACRE PARCEL. THE PARTIES HAVE AGREED TO SPLIT A PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT. THE ACQUISITION PROPERTY AND THE CITY'S PROPERTY WILL BE SPLIT AT THE CLOSE OF ESCROW WITH THE RECORDING OF A NEW LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND PLAT MAP. AND THE GRANT DEED WILL RESERVE BACK THAT ACCESS EASEMENT TO THE CITY THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE. CITY STAFF PLAN TO GO TO THEIR CITY COUNCIL TO SEEK AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE THESE TWO AGREEMENTS IN APRIL. AND WE'LL HAVE 30 DAYS TO CLOSE THEREAFTER. THE PARK DISTRICT IS USING A MIXTURE OF FUNDS TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. WE'RE USING MEASURE AA CONSOLIDATED SOUTH METRO FUNDS, MEASURE WW ACQUISITION FUNDS FROM THE DOOLIN-TASSAJARA ALLOCATION AREA, AND SOME FUNDS FROM THE LAND EXCHANGE ACCOUNT. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT $451,480. TO RECAP, THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU TODAY IS TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE FOR PURCHASE OF THEIR 4.53-ACRE PROPERTY FOR $200,000, AND TO TRANSFER AN APPROPRIATE $434,000 NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE ACQUISITION. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN THIS UP. PARDON ME, I HAVE A LITTLE DUST IN MY THROAT. I'D LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS. DOES ANYONE HAVE, OKAY, ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT STAFF REPORT PRESENTATION. I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING ABOUT THIS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIVERMORE GETTING A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OVER THEIR REMAINDER PARCEL. WOULD THAT BE NEVER OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR USE? SO THE CITY OF, SORRY, THE CITY IS SELLING A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO TRUE MARK HOMES OVER THE PROPERTY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN RECORDED YET, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT WILL NOT ALLOW FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. OKAY, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, HAVE WE GOTTEN INTO IT ENOUGH, I ASSUME THAT ALL OR MOST OF THOSE BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO BE ELIMINATED? THAT'S THE THINKING AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE DONE AN ACQUISITION EVALUATION WITH PLANNING STAFF. DRAKE IS HERE FROM PLANNING, AND HE LED THAT EFFORT. THUS FAR, STAFF IS THINKING THAT MOST OF THE BUILDINGS HAVE NO UTILITY FOR US, AND THEY'RE JUST IN DISREPAIR, SO WE WOULD LIKELY DEMOLISH THEM. OUR CULTURAL, I CAN'T THINK OF ANNA MARIA'S TITLE, BUT OUR CULTURAL GAL HAS SEEN THE PROPERTIES, THE PROPERTY AND THE BUILDINGS, AND SHE DOES NOT FEEL THAT THEY'RE OF HISTORIC. SO I WOULD OFFER AS A SUGGESTION, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, WHEN YOU HAVE BUILDINGS LIKE THAT, YOU LIGHT THEM ON FIRE, AND IT'S AN EXERCISE. IT'S AN EXERCISE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? DO WE DO THAT? YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO GET EXPERIENCE WITH STRUCTURE FIRES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT TOO SOMETIMES. SO JUST AN IDEA. THROW IT OUT THERE. NOTED. YOU KNOW? YEAH. AND COMPLETELY NOT UP TO ME AT ALL, BUT I WILL PASS IT ON. I KNOW. I KNOW IT'S NOT, BUT I'M – IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING. WE'LL LET YOU ALL KNOW WHEN WE DO IT SO YOU CAN COME HELP OUT [01:45:01] WITH IT. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO MUCH OF A THING, BUT SURE. OH, AND YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GO ON, I REALIZE THAT I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MAP ON THE RIGHT. IT SHOWS THAT THE PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY ALMOST COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY OTHER PROPERTIES THAT ARE PROTECTED BY CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD BY OTHER ENTITIES. SO I JUST THINK IT'S KIND OF AN IMPORTANT MAP TO SHOW HOW MUCH PROPERTY IS PROTECTED IN THAT AREA. YOU DID INDICATE, THOUGH, I THINK, THAT THIS ACQUISITION PROPERTY IS GOING TO BE – MICROPHONE, PLEASE. – IS GOING TO BE UTILIZED AS PART OF A PROPOSED TRAIL? WELL, THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, DURING THE LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS. THAT'S NOT MY PURVIEW. DRAKE CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE KNOW AT THIS TIME. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP, ACQUISITION. I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE – I CAN SHARE. SO WE'RE COMING – WE CAME TO YOUR BOARD DURING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR DOOLIN CANYON OVERALL AROUND PUBLIC ACCESS. YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD. DRAKE AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING ON BRINGING THAT – PUTTING TOGETHER A STAFF ITEM TO BRING TO THE FULL BOARD, I THINK, LIKE, APRIL 5TH. IS THAT RIGHT, DRAKE? I THINK IT'S – APRIL 7TH, I THINK. APRIL 7TH. OKAY, COOL. THANK YOU. THAT'D BE WONDERFUL. SO THAT'LL COME TO YOUR BOARD ON APRIL 7TH, AND THAT'S TO GIVE – YOUR BOARD TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF AROUND WHICH OF THOSE OPTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN THIS PARCEL COULD PLAY A ROLE IN MANY OF THOSE. SO EITHER, LIKE, AS A STAGING AREA WHERE PEOPLE WOULD PARK AND THEN ACCESS THE PROPERTY, OR AS A STAGING AREA WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT PARK AND THEN, LIKE, GO ON GUIDED TOURS OF THE PROPERTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN ANY OF THOSE – OR IT COULD JUST BE ITS OWN THING BY ITSELF. SO IN ANY OF THOSE SCENARIOS, THIS PARCEL WOULD HAVE A BENEFIT. SO I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE FACT THAT IT'S SURROUNDED BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. AND SO I WAS CONCERNED THAT THAT WOULD INHIBIT OUR ABILITY TO DO – TO INCORPORATE THAT PARCEL INTO THE GREATER DOOLIN CANYON PARKLANDS. YES. SO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY LIMITED ON HOW YOU WOULD GET BETWEEN THIS AND THE REST OF DOOLIN CANYON. SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT – IT'S STILL, LIKE, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED OUT. OKAY, THAT'S FAIR. BUT WE HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO – HOW THEY WOULD BE POTENTIALLY CONNECTED. GREAT. THANK YOU. ON THIS, CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THE MAP ITSELF? SO, YES, THERE'S A LOT ON THE RIGHT – THE MAP ON THE RIGHT WHERE IT SHOWS THE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, BUT WHERE IT SAYS DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE, AND THERE'S NO DIAGONAL LINES, THAT IS NOT UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENT. IS THAT CORRECT? AND THAT'S ABOUT, WHAT, 311 ACRES? THE GREEN AREA? THE GREEN. THE GREEN AREA. OUR PARK? YES. YES, OUR RESERVE. YES. IS THAT 300 – APPROXIMATELY 311 ACRES, I THINK? YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS 260, SO IT WOULD LEAVE … DRAKE HEBERT, SENIOR PLANNER. THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS APPROXIMATELY 211 ACRES, AND I BELIEVE THE FULL PARK IS AROUND 500. SO ABOUT 300, NOT UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENT. RIGHT. SO 300 WOULD BE AVAILABLE, POTENTIALLY, FOR RECREATION ACCESS. ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR DETRIAMBO, I BELIEVE YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, LAST WEEKEND I WAS OUT AT HUCKLEBERRY, AND IT ALSO IS NAMED A PRESERVE, AS THIS ONE IS AS WELL. SO IT'S INTERESTING TO ME TO LEARN MORE WHAT THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT MEANS VERSUS OUR DESIGNATION OF IT AS A PRESERVE VERSUS A REGIONAL PARK. I'M SURE THAT WILL COME UP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT DECISION WAS MADE BY STAFF OR BY US HISTORICALLY, BUT THAT IT'S DOOLIN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. AND I'LL TELL YOU, I WAS IN HUCKLEBERRY LAST WEEKEND, AND THE FACT THAT THAT'S A PRESERVE, IT FEELS SO MUCH DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THERE. YOU CAN REALLY TELL THE OPPORTUNITY. THE TRAILS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED WITH NATIVE GRASSES. THERE'S GREAT EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY AND SIGNS ALONG THE WAY. IT JUST HAS A REALLY DIFFERENT FEEL THAN WALKING THROUGH REDWOOD OR WALKING THROUGH OTHER PARKS. SO I THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM IS WITH A LOT OF INVASIVE PLANTS, AND I ACTUALLY PICKED UP THE PHONE AND CALLED SOME OF MY FRIENDS AT THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY AND THE INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL, AND SPRAYING PESTICIDES IN A PRESERVE OR NEAR CONSERVATION AREAS HAD ME KIND OF EYEBROWS RAISED OR WHATEVER, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE REQUIRES. WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE WE JUST HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE SOME CHEMICALS TO KILL THE INVASIVE PLANTS TO GIVE A PLACE TO REALLY BE A PRESERVE. AND SO HOW WE KEEP DOING THAT AND BALANCING THAT AND THE MITIGATION, IT SOUNDS REALLY – THAT'S THE KIND OF SHOVEL-READY WE CAN BE READY FOR. [01:50:01] I WAS JUST CURIOUS, ONE QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF – I GUESS MATT'S OVER HERE, BUT IT WAS – DID YOU SAY IT WAS FOR RED-LEGGED FROGS? CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG AND TIGER SALAMANDER. AND ACTUALLY, THE CITY HAS ALREADY DONE SOME RIPARIAN RESTORATION, AND THEY'RE SEEING BOTH. OH, THEY ARE? YEAH. EGG MASSES OR ADULTS OR – OH, I'M SORRY. I DON'T RECALL. SO THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THAT. AND MY OTHER – I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, BECAUSE I DOUBT THOSE FARMS HAVE ANYTHING TOXIC THERE, BUT YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. SOMETIMES TRACTOR OILS, PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS, BUT HOW WE PURCHASE, WHETHER WE USE THE BUILDING FOR A FIRE EXERCISE, WHETHER WE FIND SOME HYDROCARBONS THERE, WHATEVER WE FIND, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE LONG TERM ABOUT HOW WE'RE PURCHASING THESE PROJECTS SO THAT WE DON'T GET LADEN WITH THE O&M OF THEM OR THE COST OF TAKING THAT BUILDING DOWN OR THE COST OF IF WE FIND A SMALL TANK OF HAZARDOUS WASTE. SO THE SEQUENCE OF WHAT WE'RE APPROVING NOW AND THEN HOW TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GETTING OURSELVES INTO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO COST US MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WE'RE APPROVING TODAY. YEAH, THE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT DOES HAVE A CLAUSE THAT THE PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT NEEDS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO US IN ORDER FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. YEAH, EXACTLY. AND WHAT ABOUT, LIKE, THE BUILDINGS? I MEAN, LIKE, WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOUSE, LIKE, I'M NOT BUYING IT UNTIL YOU FIX THE ROOF. LIKE, WOULD IT BE WE'RE NOT BUYING IT UNTIL YOU DEMO THE BARN, OR IS THAT – I'LL SHARE IT. THANKS. WE DO TRY TO DO THAT WHEN THAT OPTION – WHEN WE CAN. SO I'D SAY THERE'S MANY OCCASIONS WHERE OUR ACQUISITION TEAM WORKS REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS BEFOREHAND, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PARTY THAT WE'RE ACQUIRING A LAND FROM IS MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE TO COMPLETE A DECOMMISSION OR A DEMOLITION IN A TIMELY MANNER THAN WHAT WE WOULD GO THROUGH. BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, SO IT REALLY IS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS TEAM WORKS REALLY HARD ON THE FRONT END TO KIND OF ASSESS WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES FOR THE PROPERTY. I KNOW WE TALK TO YOUR BOARD FIRST IN CLOSED SESSION, THEN OPEN SESSION, SOMETIMES ABOUT CHALLENGES WITH THE PROPERTY FOR CONSIDERATION. WE TRY TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, WHETHER THAT'S SIZING A PROPERTY AROUND THE – TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE CHALLENGES OR TAKING CARE OF THE CHALLENGES BEFORE WE BUY IT. BUT THEN OTHER CASES, WE ARE TAKING ON CHALLENGES, AND WE JUST WANT TO BE OPEN ABOUT THAT FACT. CAN I HEAR ANY MORE ABOUT THE EQUITY IN THE AREA? WILL THIS ACCESS? AND THEN ALSO ON THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'VE HEARD THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE PARKS OF OUR 75 PARKS THAT WE HAVE, THAT THE BIODIVERSITY HERE IS OVER THE TOP. I MEAN, IS THAT – WELL, I COULD SHARE A LITTLE BIT, AND MAYBE SARAH COULD. DIRECTOR SANTWONG MAY ALSO HAVE COMMENTS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE COMMUNITY IN YOUR WARD, AND I KNOW WE WERE JUST MEETING WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, AND THEY WERE TELLING US HOW THERE'S – YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REALLY GROWING AREA. THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS AREA, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN IMPORTANT AREA FOR US TO SERVE, AND IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE'VE SEEN LOWER PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN SOME OF OUR PARK AREAS. SO IT'S AN AREA THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON. AND THEN, IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCES, YOU CAN SEE WITH THE AMOUNT OF MITIGATION LANDS AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN THIS AREA, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A REALLY HIGH NATURAL RESOURCE VALUE HERE, AND THAT ALSO THESE LANDSCAPES ARE BEING IMPACTED ELSEWHERE BY DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT'S WHY THIS AREA IS BEING PROTECTED, BECAUSE THAT'S MITIGATING THAT DEVELOPMENT. SO I DON'T KNOW, SARAH. DID I MISS? NOPE. DID A GREAT JOB. THANKS. IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL JUST TO HEAR THE VOICEOVER COMPARISON OF A REGIONAL PRESERVE VERSUS A REGIONAL PARK. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD COMMENT DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU MADE, AND IT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL TO HEAR THAT COMPARISON. THAT MIGHT BE, LIKE, MORE OF A PLANNING – LIKE, AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE, LIKE, A BRIAN CONVERSATION IN THE FUTURE. I THINK – I DON'T KNOW THAT, LIKE, I AM PREPARED OR OUR TEAM IS PREPARED TO, LIKE – THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S A VERY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IN THE MASTER PLAN. THE 2013 MASTER PLAN. AND I THINK I'VE READ THAT DESCRIPTION PREVIOUSLY AND SEEN IT ON THE WEBSITE, BUT, YEAH, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ON ANOTHER DAY. AND I GUESS MAYBE APRIL 7TH, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO BE READY TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE DOOLING CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE. I KNOW TODAY WHAT'S AGENDIZED IS THIS PARCEL, SO. YEAH. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY. COOL. OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? [01:55:01] I GUESS I'LL ANSWER A LITTLE BIT MORE OF DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU'S QUESTION ABOUT THE AREA. YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WANT TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, DOOLING CANYON IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF LIVERMORE, DUBLIN, SAN RAMON, AND PLEASANTON. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FOUR COMMUNITIES THAT DEFINITELY HAVE HIGH GROWTH. IN TERMS OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2026-2031 CYCLE, THAT'S THE RHNA CYCLE, I DID ANALYSIS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH OUR CAPITAL PROJECT PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY AND THAT IT DOES NOT REALLY INCLUDE HOUSING AND TRANSIT. AND SO I WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOUSING AND HOUSING GROWTH AND PROPOSED FUTURE HOUSING GROWTH. AND I LOOKED AT ALL 33 CITIES ACROSS BOTH ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, AND NINE OF OUR 33 CITIES HAVE A POPULATION OF 80,000 AND ABOVE. AND THOSE NINE CITIES WITH A POPULATION OF 80,000 AND ABOVE ARE ALSO ABOVE THE MEAN GROWTH RATE ACROSS THE TWO COUNTIES THAT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT SERVES, WHICH I THINK WAS AROUND 12%. I DON'T HAVE THE DATA DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. SO OF THOSE NINE CITIES THAT HAVE A MINIMUM OF 80,000 POPULATION AND ARE ABOVE THE MEAN GROWTH RATE OF 12% BASED ON THE RHNA CYCLE, SO THAT'S THE ONE DATA POINT THAT I WAS USING, FOUR OF THOSE CITIES INCLUDE LIVERMORE, DUBLIN, SAN RAMON, AND PLEASANTON. SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT DOES REALLY HAVE HIGH GROWTH PRESSURE. AND I THINK PEOPLE DO WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO OUTDOOR SPACE AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY NATURE. I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE PARTICULAR PARCEL THAT'S ON THE LEFT OF THE MAP, BUT ON THE RIGHT OF THE MAP, JUST REAL QUICK, AGAIN, I GUESS THIS WILL COME FORWARD IN APRIL, THE JULIAN CANYON REGIONAL PRESERVE, THAT DASHED LINE YOU SEE GOING THROUGH OUR PROPERTY, THAT'S THE COUNTY LINE. SO THAT MEANS EVERYTHING NORTH OF THAT IS CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, EVERYTHING SOUTH IS ALAMEDA COUNTY. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE PARK DISTRICT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ACQUISITION HERE THAT'S RIGHT NEAR THE COUNTY LINE. AND WHEN WE COME BACK IN APRIL, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT A PARCEL THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDES BOTH COUNTIES. IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS, THE OTHER ONE THAT I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITIES OF WARD 5 IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THREE CITIES THAT ARE MAJORITY ASIAN AMERICAN CITIES, AND THOSE THREE CITIES INCLUDE THE CITY OF DUBLIN, AS WELL AS FREMONT AND UNION CITY. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO AN IMPORTANT ITEM OF NOTE. AND MY FINAL POINT WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HERE, I THINK IN REGARDS TO LIVERMORE SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP IN LIVERMORE WITH OUR 1992 TAX SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE LIVERMORE AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT, LARPD. AND IN THAT VERY UNIQUE, IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT EXISTS WITHIN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WHERE WE HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH ANOTHER ENTITY TO SHARE PROPERTY TAXES. WE DID MAKE A PROMISE AND COMMITMENT TO THAT COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO NEW PARKS AND NEW TRAILS. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, WHICH IS A SEPARATE ENTITY, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY ALSO HELPING US TO, YOU KNOW, FULFILL THE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR REALLY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH LARPD. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE BARN. I DO SEE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION AND ALSO SOME OF THE BUDGET THAT'S HERE IN THE PROPOSAL IS TO, YOU KNOW, DEMOLISH THE BARN. IS THERE ANY POTENTIAL JUST FOR MAYBE A SECOND REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO? THERE MAY BE A FEW, I GUESS, DIRECTOR WASBY, YOU WERE TELLING ME YOU HAVE A FRIEND THAT'S INTERESTED IN HISTORIC BARNS AND LIKES TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. AND IS THERE AN EFFORT TO, OR COULD THERE BE AN EFFORT TO MAYBE REACH OUT JUST ONE LAST TIME BEFORE IT'S DEMOLISHED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO? WELL, TO BE CLEAR, ALL WE'RE BRINGING IS THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY. I THINK WE'RE JUST SPECULATING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE BARN. AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS LIKE, EVERY TIME WE ACQUIRE IT, WE LOOK AT LIKE, WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL THINGS WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE FUNDING FOR DEALING WITH THOSE THINGS. BUT THE PLANS FOR THOSE ACTIONS ARE NOT BEING DECIDED AT THIS TIME. AND SO JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT AND APPRECIATE BOTH THE IDEA FROM DIRECTOR MERCURIO ABOUT TALKING TO OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FROM YOU, DIRECTOR SANJUANG, THAT WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDER ANY OTHER IDEAS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS BASED ON THAT. SO APPRECIATE THAT, AND THAT CAN INFORM WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE. SO JUST TO CLARIFY, SO I KNOW WITH THE BUDGET TODAY, SO WE ARE APPROVING, IT LOOKS [02:00:02] LIKE THE ACQUISITION COST ESTIMATE IS $233,000. AND THEN UNDER THE COST ESTIMATE FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY, $218,000. WITHIN THAT IS $170,000 TOWARDS ABATEMENT AND DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS. SO THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE FOR US TO HAVE AS A PROJECT BUDGET, BUT WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION TODAY IN REGARDS TO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT ADDITIONAL STUDY. YEAH, CORRECT. OK, THAT'S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I WASN'T ACTUALLY SURE. AND I'LL SHARE, TOO, BEFORE WE DO ANY DECOMMISSION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE WORK WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANY ANIMALS OR ISSUES OR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ANY MATERIALS IN THERE WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF. AND THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH TO EVALUATE THOSE THINGS. I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BALANCE. TYPICALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS AND BE AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE AROUND BUILDINGS THAT ARE CLOSE TO FALLING APART, AND AT THE SAME TIME, BALANCING THAT WITH THE DESIRE OF THE COMMUNITY TO RETAIN HISTORIC STRUCTURES. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BALANCE. AND JUST REAL QUICK, IN TERMS OF OUR GOVERNANCE PROCESSES, SO IF WE APPROVE THE $170,000 ALLOCATION TOWARDS JUST AS A HOLD IN THE BUDGET FOR ABATEMENT AND DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS AND SEPTIC SYSTEM, WILL THAT DECISION OF WHAT TO DO COME TO THE BOARD? OR IS THAT GOING TO THEN BE A STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION? I'M NOT SURE, BUT WE CAN JUST KEEP YOU, SINCE IT'S YOUR WARD, IN THE LOOP IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD. AND AS WE SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE, WE CAN JUST BE IN TOUCH IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO MINIMUM, EVEN WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING. YEAH. OK, THAT'S FAIR. ALL RIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST I JUST WANT TO ADD TO MY BARN BURNER COMMENT. AND WHAT I WANT TO ADD IS, AND I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TRADITION HERE OF REUSING MATERIALS IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. THE PIECES THEREOF CAN SOMETIMES BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS, LIKE MAYBE TRAIL BRIDGES OR FENCES OR SOMETHING. SO I WANT TO THROW THAT IN THERE, TOO. JUST THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE THE DESTROYER OF BARNS. I WANT TO BE THE REUSER PERSON. BECAUSE REUSING IS HIGHER THAN RECYCLING. IT'S BETTER THAN RECYCLING. SO ANYWAY, I ASSUME I DON'T HAVE TO SAY THAT, THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT ANYWAY IF WE DIDN'T BURN THE BARN. OK. LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS, YES, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SARAH, FOR YOUR THOROUGH REPORT. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS. GOSH, IT WASN'T THAT HARD, WAS IT, THIS WHOLE PURCHASE? BUT CAN I ASK A QUESTION? WE TALK ABOUT THE ALTAMONT LANDFILL, AND I – PARDON MY IGNORANCE, BUT I KNOW THAT MUCH. DO THEY JUST GIVE YOU MONEY FOR OPEN SPACE PURCHASES AND PRESERVATIONS, OR DO THEY GIVE MONEY FOR DEVELOPMENT ALSO? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I'M TRYING TO RECOLLECT. I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO THINK. WE BUY SOME LAND. WE HAVE A BIG 300 ACRES OF LAND THAT WE COULD OPEN YOU UP TO – NATURE, OPEN SPACE. BUT WE NEED A TRAIL. WE NEED CERTAIN AMENITIES. AND – WELL, I'LL LOOK INTO THAT MYSELF, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNEW OFFHAND IF THEY DO ANYTHING FOR DEVELOPMENT. YEAH. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY DON'T FUND – BUT I'LL CHECK IT OUT, AND WE CAN CHECK IT OUT TOGETHER AND CHAT. GREAT. THANKS VERY MUCH. AND THEN, AGAIN, THE HISTORICAL – YOU KNOW, THE BARNS, WHICH, OF COURSE, I LOVE, BASED ON DIRECTOR SANJUANG'S SUGGESTING. I'M TIED UP WITH A COUNTY SUPERVISOR'S STAFF MEMBER AND A WOMAN WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME WHO HAS DONE A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY OF ALL THE HISTORIC BARNS IN THE BAY AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S AT THE HAYWARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY. IT'S GOTTEN GREAT REVIEWS. AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF OUR BARNS ARE DEPICTED IN THAT. THEY WOULD HAVE A REAL BIG – YOU KNOW, THEY OBVIOUSLY WANT TO PRESERVE IT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT A BARN LOOKS LIKE. THAT BARN IS NOT AN AMENITY TO SOME PEOPLE. TO PARK PLANNERS, IT'S NOT AN AMENITY. I LOVE THE IDEA OF BURNING IT DOWN. WE'D ALL BE DEAD WITHIN FIVE MINUTES. THAT WHOLE WEATHERED WOOD, LIGHT THAT THING UP, AND IT WOULD COLLAPSE RIGHT ON TOP OF US. AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY OUT OF THE QUESTION. HOUSES MAKE GOOD BURNING DEALS. BUT I JUST – YOU KNOW, YOU MADE A COMMENT, [02:05:01] AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MANY, MANY QUALIFIED PEOPLE ON STAFF, BUT YOU SUGGESTED A STAFF MEMBER SAID THERE'S NO HISTORICAL VALUE. PRELIMINARILY, I KNOW. BUT I HOPE – AND WE HAVEN'T IN THE PAST – BUT I HOPE IN THE FUTURE, IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION AND THIS HOPEFULLY WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES COOPERATIVELY, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS. AND ANY BUILDING OVER 50 YEARS OLD HAS TO GO THROUGH A HISTORIC REVIEW, WHICH IS EVERY HOUSE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY ALMOST. IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY RULE. I WAS ON THE COMMISSION, AND IT WAS EMBARRASSING THAT SOME POOR GUY WANTED TO KNOCK HIS HOUSE DOWN AND BUILD ANOTHER ONE, AND IT HAPPENED TO BE 51 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS NEW, ESSENTIALLY, FOR HOUSES AROUND HERE. THEY'D HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FROM US. BUT THEY – YOU DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, AND THERE HAS TO BE A HISTORICAL ARCHITECT INVOLVED. AND SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE NOT JUST THAT IT'S A BEAT-UP OLD BARN. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE – MAYBE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT THERE ARE THREE CRITERIA FOR HAVING SOMETHING BE HISTORICAL, WHETHER OR NOT WHAT – IF A PERSON – SOMETHING HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT OCCURRED THERE, IF THEY SIGNED THE TREATY OF APPOMATTOX THERE AND LINCOLN WAS THERE OR SLEPT THERE OR SOMETHING, THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY PUT IT ON THE DEAL IF IT WAS A HISTORICAL – ANYTHING HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT THAT OCCURRED THERE. SO I HOPE WE DON'T JUST CAVALIERLY KNOCK IT DOWN AND SAY IT WON'T SERVICE OUR NEEDS AS A STAGING AREA. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING HISTORICAL OUT THERE MYSELF, BUT I HOPE WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS. AND I HOPE WE GIVE MY FRIEND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPH IT BEFORE WE KNOCK IT DOWN AND THEN HAVE IT SOMEWHERE ON SOME – YOU KNOW, KEPT FOR HISTORY. WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE A NOTE OF THAT REQUEST. AND I'LL SAY THAT I'M NOT A PLANNER, AND I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT ANNA MARIE GOES THROUGH, BUT WE HAVE DONE HISTORICAL SITE ASSESSMENTS IN THE PAST WHEN SHE RECOMMENDS THEM. IN THIS CASE, SHE DIDN'T RECOMMEND THEM. AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY SHE DIDN'T RECOMMEND THAT ASSESSMENT, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT SHE'S SATISFIED THAT IT'S NOT OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE FEDERAL SENSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S OF SIGNIFICANCE, OF COURSE, TO THE COMMUNITY AND OTHERS. I CAN SHARE, TOO, FOR THE NEXT NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE ANNA MARIE PRESENT ON HOW SHE APPROACHES POTENTIALLY HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND HOW WE DO THAT AS A DISTRICT. SO THAT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. ALSO, JUST TO SHARE, THE ALTAMONT LANDFILL FUND IS ONLY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF OPEN SPACE PROPERTIES. ITS FIRST PRIORITY IS ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT VALUE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF NATIVE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. AND THE SECOND PRIORITY IS FOR ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES THAT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT VALUE FOR THE VISUAL CHARACTER AND OR FOR NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION. ALTHOUGH I DO RECALL READING IN ONE OF THE LOCAL PAPERS, I THINK A LOCAL LIVERMORE NEWSPAPER, THAT THEY ARE DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF IT CAN BE USED FOR DEVELOPMENT. SO WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GONE THROUGH OR IF IT'S JUST MORE OF A CONCEPTUAL CONVERSATION, I DO KNOW THAT THAT HAS COME UP, AT LEAST AS IT'S BEEN REPORTED IN THE LOCAL LIVERMORE PAPERS. OKAY, COOL. OKAY, GREAT. WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A MOMENT TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY FINAL COMMENTS. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE. DAVID LUNN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. YEAH. YEAH, HELLO, THIS IS DAVID LUNN FROM LIVERMORE. YOU KNOW, ONE OF, I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THESE DIFFERENT MEETINGS, AND WHEN YOU SHOW THESE MAPS, THERE SEEMS TO BE ONE FEATURE THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 10 YEARS THAT YOU NEVER SHOW ON YOUR MAPS, AND THAT IS THE CONNECTION FROM DOOLIN CANYON TO COLLIER CANYON. AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER THERE TO PROVIDE THAT, AND I KNOW THE CITY OF LIVERMORE CALLS THAT A HIGH-PRIORITY CONNECTION. BUT EVERY TIME YOU SHOW THESE MAPS, YOU NEVER SHOW THE LOCATION OF THAT CONNECTION. AND IT COMES FROM COLLIER CANYON RIGHT OVER TO DOOLIN CANYON RIGHT THERE. AND IT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST A LIE OF OMISSION. AND HERE'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, AND YOU COULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT A MONTH AGO, BUT YOU NEVER SHOW IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A TRUTHFUL WAY FOR AN AGENCY, AS GREAT AS EAST BAY IS, BECAUSE YOU'RE A WONDERFUL AGENCY, FOR YOU NOT TO SHOW THAT OPTION. SO I WISH YOU WOULD SHOW THAT OPTION. THEN THE OTHER THING, I KNOW THAT OUR HIKING GROUP, [02:10:01] YOU KNOW, WE WENT OUT AT THE, YOU KNOW, OVER A DECADE AGO AND COMMENTED ABOUT TESLA PARK AND DOOLIN CANYON AND BRUSHY PEAK TO LOS VAQUEROS, SO WE MADE ALL THESE COMMENTS IN 2013. AND THEN AGAIN, WE WROTE A LETTER SAYING, COULDN'T WE JUST GET ACCESS? IS THERE SOME WAY WE CAN WALK ON THAT PROPERTY? AND THEN I THINK BACK IN SEPTEMBER, YOU DID FINALLY HAVE ONE TOUR, AND WE WERE COMING BACK FROM A HIKE, AND 10 OF US WENT OUT THERE. CAN'T WE JUST WALK ON THE PROPERTY? SO I'M HOPING THAT THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO OPEN THE PARK, SO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO LIKE TO GO HIKING WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIKE IN THAT AREA. AND I DO KNOW THAT CONNECTING OVER TO COLLIER CANYON WOULD BE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, AND IT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO DO A WHOLE LOOP ON A BICYCLE OR SOMETHING. SO I JUST WISH YOU'D SHOW THAT SORT OF OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU'RE PRESENTING THESE MAPS. ANYWAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE MORE HAND UP ONLINE. OH, NO, I THINK WE HAVE TWO. WE HAVE TWO. LARRY GOSLIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR TAKING MY TESTIMONY. I AM THAT PROPERTY OWNER WITH THE CONNECTION FROM COLLIER CANYON TO DOLAN PRESERVE, SO I'LL ADDRESS THAT QUICKLY. RECOGNIZE THAT THE MATTER BEFORE THE BOARD IS THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY AND NOT THE OTHER ISSUES, BUT THE DOOR'S KIND OF BEEN OPENED WITH THIS WIDE-RANGING, VERY ENGAGING CONVERSATION AT THE BOARD. SO THAT BEING SAID, YES, THE CONNECTION IS THERE FROM COLLIER CANYON TO DOLAN PRESERVE. IT'S NEARLY COMPLETELY DONE. IT ALSO HAS A STAGING AREA. THE CONTRACT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN EXECUTED. IT'S JUST NOT AN OPTION OR IT'S NOT A DREAM. IT'S BEEN EXECUTED WITH $250,000 SITTING IN ESCROW. THAT $250,000 WAS FUNDED 50% BY THE PARK DISTRICT. 50% OF THE FUNDING CAME FROM THE ATAMONT LANDFILL AND OPEN SPACE FUND. SO THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION REGARDING WHAT THE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR. THERE IS SOME REMAINING WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. THAT WORK WAS PROGRESSING UNTIL IT WAS NOTIFIED THAT STAFF HAD LOST INTEREST OR NO LONGER WANTED TO WORK ON THE TRAIL. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY EXECUTED THE CONTRACT. SO THAT BEING SAID, THAT DOES HAVE A LOT OF POTENTIAL. PRETTY WELL KNOWN IN THE AREA. I'M KNOWN FOR MY COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT I MAKE. I BELIEVE THE PROPERTY RETURNING TO DOLAN ROAD, THE PROPERTY ON DOLAN ROAD COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE CONCEPT OF A LOOP TRAIL. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ITS PARKING COULD BE ENHANCED QUITE A BIT IF THE FRONT FENCE WAS SET BACK FROM THE ROAD SO THAT THERE COULD BE DIAGONAL PARKING IN THE AREA. WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED BY LAS POSITAS COLLEGE AND THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING IN THE AREA IS THE FACT THAT THERE CAN BE ONE OF THESE LOOP TRAILS THAT INCLUDES DOLAN PRESERVE AS WELL AS THE 4.5-ACRE PARCEL IN A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. NOW, ALAMEDA COUNTY DOES HAVE A GENERAL PLAN PURPOSE THAT CALLS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL LAND USE. THAT BEING SAID, THIS PURCHASE, I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE CONDITIONED WITH THERE BEING A DEVELOPMENT OF AN AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT PLAN, A CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND THEN A RECREATION MANAGEMENT PLAN. THOSE THREE USES ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR GENERAL PLAN AND MEASURE D, AND ALTHOUGH I RECOGNIZE THAT A PARK DISTRICT OPERATES UNDER THEIR OWN GENERAL PLAN, THAT BEING SAID, GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY OUT THERE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE ENTAILS THAT WE COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER. I'M VERY RESPECTFUL OF THE FACT THAT THE ETHNIC MAKEUP AND SOCIAL MAKEUP OF OUR COMMUNITY IS CHANGING, AND I'VE DISCOVERED THAT RURAL LAND USE IS THE THING THAT BRIDGES SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GROUPS. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE RECREATION OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTS IN THIS AREA BECAUSE THAT IS THE PARK THAT EXISTS IN THE MURRAY TOWNSHIP UNTRAILED ZONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KELLY A., YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. THANK YOU. THE LAND ACQUISITION KIND OF PUTS US BACK IN HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF COOPERATING WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, AND THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM. AS DIRECTOR SAN JUAN NOTED, THERE'S THE NEED TO COOPERATE WITH SOME OF THESE EAST COUNTY [02:15:02] JURISDICTIONS, AND THERE'S BEEN A POLITICAL PROBLEM OF PEOPLE FEELING LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH COOPERATION. THIS IS WHAT… I THINK WE LOST THE PUBLIC SPEAKER. I'M HERE. I'M HERE. LET'S SEE. MAYBE IT'S MY CELL PHONE, BUT IT MIGHT COME BACK. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, IT REMINDS ME OF THE NOTION OF ENTITLEMENT IN SOME CITIES OUT THERE WHERE THEY THINK THAT EQUITY MEANS ENTITLEMENT, AND THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PAVE OVER EVERYTHING AND BUILD HOUSING AND ROADS AND MORE ROADS AND MORE HOUSING, AND THAT'S THEIR NOTION OF EQUITY IS THE ABILITY TO EXPAND URBANIZATION. BUT THIS IS IN KEEPING WITH ALL THE PLANS, THE LONG-HELD URBAN GROWTH LIMITS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, SO THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE, AND GOOD FOR THE PARK DISTRICT TO REINSTATE COOPERATION WITH SOME OF THESE EAST COUNTY ENTITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. SO I WILL NOW BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY FINAL COMMENTS, AND I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO START WITH MY FINAL COMMENT AND SHARE THAT THIS ACQUISITION SPECIFICALLY WAS A TOP PRIORITY FOR MY PREDECESSOR, ANN WIESKAMP, AND I KNOW ONE OF THE LAST THINGS SHE DID IN TERMS OF THE HANDOFF FROM HER SERVICE HERE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT TO MYSELF OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER OF 2022 WHEN SHE, ANN WIESKAMP, ORGANIZED A SITE VISIT TO THIS PROPERTY TO MAKE SURE THAT I WOULD SEE THIS AND SEE HOW IMPORTANT THIS ACQUISITION IS TODAY, AND I'LL ALSO SHARE, YOU KNOW, I DO, IN FACT, EVERY YEAR ANN REALLY LIKES TO RECEIVE AT LEAST 50 OF OUR CALENDARS TO GIVE OUT TO ALL OF HER FRIENDS AND CONTACTS AND THE PEOPLE AT HER OPTOMETRIST'S OFFICE, SO I GET TO SEE ANN AT A MINIMUM, IF NOT MORE FREQUENTLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE DECEMBER TIMEFRAME TO DROP OFF THE CALENDARS, AND I NOTICED THIS PAST DECEMBER WHEN I BROUGHT HER THE 50 EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT CALENDARS, I NOTICED THAT RIGHT WHEN YOU WALK INTO ANN'S HOUSE, SHE HAS A PHOTO OF DOOLING CANYON DISPLAYED PROMINENTLY, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HER, AND I REALLY CELEBRATE THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY FOR US TO VOTE FOR THIS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD DIRECTORS? IF NOT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION FOR APPROVAL. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A SECOND FROM DIRECTOR WASPIE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? ABSTENTIONS? NO, SO THAT'S 6-0. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VERY EXCITING. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS SCHEDULED, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM [PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] CLOSED SESSION. I BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT DO YOU JUST WANT TO STATE IT FOR THE RECORD? NO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION. OKAY, SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY BOARD MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? GO AHEAD. MAX, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THE EAST BAY STEWARDSHIP NETWORK. I THINK THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT IT, AND YOU AND I AT ONE POINT TALKED ABOUT PUTTING IT BEFORE NATURAL RESOURCES FOR PRESENTATION, BUT I'M COMING BACK TO IF WE HAVE A LIGHTER AGENDA AT SOME POINT. I THINK IT WORTHY OF A FULL BOARD PRESENTATION. I'M RECALLING BACK TO OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AT WHICH POINT THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE WEREN'T ALLOCATING ENOUGH OF OUR RESOURCES TOWARDS STEWARDSHIP, AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES AREN'T PUBLIC. THEY'RE JUST NOT PRESENTED AS PART OF THE BUDGET, SO I FOUND THAT AN INACCURATE SUGGESTION, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES A COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP THAT IS VERY INNOVATIVE AND WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE WORK OF DINA AS WELL AS JAMES WILSON AT JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST. THEIR [02:20:01] DESCRIPTION OF IT IS IT'S AWESOME, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO CREATE MORE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, AND I'D LIKE THE FULL BOARD TO GET A PRESENTATION FROM THOSE FOLKS AT SOME POINT. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY ON THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE'S WORK PLAN, AND YEAH. THANKS, ROBERT. COULD I JUST ADD ON TO THAT? I WAS ON A HIKE WITH A CONSTITUENT OF MINE, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS HE ASKED ME, THERE WAS A WHOLE SERIES. IT WAS A HIKE, AND IT WAS LIKE A WALK AND TALK. HE HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS. ONE OF THEM WAS, DOES THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT EVER COLLABORATE, OR WHAT'S THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE OTHER AGENCIES, AND THIS IS IT, YOU KNOW, AND I DIDN'T ANSWER IT VERY WELL, BUT THIS WILL HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, AND IN THE FUTURE I'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER ANSWER THAT AND KIND OF PRESENT THAT AS WE'RE NOT AN ISLAND. WE'RE ALWAYS WITH OTHERS. OKAY, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I HAVE ANOTHER. I THINK IT'S 2009 WHEN WE DID OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENTIAL PLAN, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT UPDATES WE'VE HAD, BUT IF IT HASN'T BEEN IN A WHILE, I WOULD REQUEST THAT FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE REVISIT THAT. I THINK THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR SURE IS 2009. THE EPP MAY HAVE BEEN UPDATED, BUT I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO GET AN OVERALL PICTURE OF THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. I COULD BE WRONG, AND DEB WILL TELL US, BUT WE UPDATED THE ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERRED PURCHASING POLICY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, I THINK. OH, DID YOU? TWO TO THREE, YEAH. WE DID IT WHILE I WAS ON THIS BOARD. SIGNIFICANT DEBATE, AND A GOOD PRODUCT. I THINK THAT'S WHY IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING, SO THEN I GUESS MY REQUESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IS TO MAYBE REVISIT THE 2009 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. THANK YOU. [BOARD REPORTS ON MEETINGS ATTENDED] ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE? ALL RIGHT, GREAT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND THEN NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD REPORTS. WHO WOULD LIKE TO START? OKAY, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO ON FEBRUARY 3RD, I HAD THE BOARD MEETING. ON FEBRUARY 4TH, I MET WITH CHRIS REED TO TALK ABOUT POINT MALATE PLANNING AND HOW THAT'S ALL GOING, AND ON FEBRUARY 5TH, I WENT TO THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MAYOR'S CONFERENCE. ON FEBRUARY 6TH, WE HAD THE STUDY SESSION ON LAND ACQUISITION. ON FEBRUARY 7TH, THERE WAS A BLACK HISTORY WALK AT THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50, AND I GAVE A LITTLE WELCOME TALK THERE TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT GATHERED, AND I THINK THERE WAS 40 OR 50 PEOPLE THERE AT THAT, AND MANY PEOPLE HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME HAPPY THAT THEY'RE MAKING IT OUT THERE, AND THEN ON FEBRUARY 11TH, WE HAD THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND I ALSO HAD THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE RIGHT AFTER THAT, AND THEN ON FEBRUARY 13TH, ASSEMBLYMEMBER BAUER-CAHAN HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL IN WALNUT CREEK TO ANNOUNCE SOME LEGISLATION THAT SHE HAD JUST INTRODUCED THAT DAY TO REQUIRE LICENSES FOR E-BIKES, SO FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT AND SEEING WHAT KIND OF A POSITION WE'LL MAKE, BUT TAKE ON THAT, BUT I HOPE WE'RE IN ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT GOING IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND NOT ALL THE WAYS THAT IT MIGHT GO WOULD BE GREAT TO THE USER GROUP, SO I HOPE WE'RE INVOLVED IN FORMING THAT LEGISLATION, AND THEN ALSO ON THE 13TH, FEBRUARY 13TH, I MET WITH COUNCILMEMBER OBRINGER FROM CITY OF CONCORD AS WELL AS GUY BJERKE REGARDING IMPROVING THE POTENTIAL BIKE PED ACCESS TO THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO [02:25:02] 50, HOW THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT MIGHT COOPERATE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. GREAT, THANK YOU. WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT? WE DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY GO IN ORDER, SO WOULD SOMEONE ELSE LIKE TO GO NEXT? OH, COME ON, LET'S GO IN ORDER. OKAY, WE'LL GO IN ORDER. THERE WE GO. ACTUALLY, I LIKE ASYMMETRY. AT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, I WRAPPED UP ALL THOSE INTERVIEWS FOR THE OPEN PAC SEAT. I WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOOK UP YOUR OWN WARD BY ADDRESS BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY A COUPLE OF MY APPLICANTS WEREN'T IN MY WARD, SO THAT WAS INTERESTING, BUT I URGE YOU TO CHECK OUT THE LOOK UP YOUR OWN, WHAT WARD YOU'RE IN, AND YOU HEARD EARLIER WHO I APPOINTED. I HAD A CALL WITH SOME FRIENDS OF LAKE TEMESCALA, JUST A HEADS UP, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO PUT UP SOME BILLBOARDS AROUND OAKLAND, AND ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVE SITES IS THE PG&E LOT ADJACENT TO LAKE TEMESCALA, AND THERE'S A LOT OF HOOPLA AND CONCERN ABOUT THE AESTHETICS AND THE IMPACT OF LIGHTS. IT'S CLEARLY A LOCAL OAKLAND ISSUE AND A CITY COUNCIL ISSUE, BUT I'VE RAISED IT TO STAFF, AND I'M HOPING WE STAY ON TOP OF THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE NATURAL NATURE FEELING AND THE DARK SKIES INITIATIVE OF LAKE TEMESCALA. I ATTENDED ON THE 5TH ALSO THE CONTRA COSTA MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, AND THEN ON THE 11TH THEY ATTENDED THE ALAMEDA MAYOR'S CONFERENCE. INTERESTING WARD I HAVE WITH TWO COUNTIES AND TWO BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS TO WORK WITH, BUT BOTH WERE QUITE INTERESTING. I WORKED WITH, ON THE 11TH, LISA GORDIAN TO GET AN UPDATE ON NOT ONLY OPERATIONS, BUT I'M PRETTY INTERESTED IN THIS YEAR OF THE HORSE, TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EQUESTRIAN RESOURCES AND CONCESSIONS WE HAD, SO SHE WAS REALLY HELPFUL WALKING ME THROUGH SOME OF THAT. ON THE 12TH I HAD A WALK AND TALK AT LAKE MERRITT WITH OAKLAND'S OPRF, OAKLAND PARKS AND REC FOUNDATION. THEY'RE JUST INTERESTED IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERING WITH US MORE. TOLD HER I'D CONNECT HER WITH STAFF ONCE SHE WAS READY FOR THAT, AND THE FOUNDATION. I HAD SOME GREAT HIKES. I'M LIKE ALL OUT BORED WITH THE TRAILS CHALLENGE THIS YEAR, YOU GUYS. I'VE DONE FOUR OF THEM, AND I'M ON A ROLL. BLACK DIAMOND MINES WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING THE OTHER DAY, THE GREEN AND THE HILLS, AND THEY LEFT ME FAR BEHIND. I HIKED WITH THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT OUR SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, THEY HAVE CRITERIA THAT YOU HAVE TO CARRY 20 POUNDS OF WEIGHT AND HIKE TWO MILES PER HOUR. WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS IN THE BACK WITH WHAT THEY CALL THE SWEEP, SO I WAS SWEPT BY LARRY FONG OF THE RESCUE. HE PATIENTLY MADE SURE THE DIRECTOR MADE IT HOME SAFELY, BUT THAT'S AN INTERESTING, VERY FORMAL PROCESS. I THINK I WAS CONFUSING A LITTLE BIT WITH THE TRAIL SAFETY PATROL AND THE ACTUAL SEARCH AND RESCUE AND THE CRITERIA THOSE GUYS GO THROUGH, AND I REMEMBER WE USED TO HAVE A VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION PARTY. THAT'S HOW I FIRST MET LARRY FONG AND HIS FRIDAY HIKERS. ANYWAY, IT WAS JUST FABULOUS, AND REALLY, BOY, THEY WERE ROUGH ON ME, AND I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE. THANKS. HI. ON 2-26, ATTENDED THE LAND ACQUISITION MEETING REMOTELY, AND ON 2-26, 2-27, I ATTENDED THE SECOND WELL SESSION. WE WERE DOWN IN SAN DIEGO AND WAS AT THE TIJUANA ESTUARY AND LEARNED ABOUT DIFFERENT WATER POLLUTION ISSUES AND MARSHLAND, AND ON 2-17 THIS MORNING, I HAD MY ONE-ON-ONE WITH MAX. OKAY, GREAT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? SURE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ON 2-24, I HAD A LENGTHY MEETING WITH OUR ACTING GENERAL MANAGER TO DISCUSS WARD 7. ON 2-26, I ATTENDED THE LAND ACQUISITION STUDY SESSION. ON 2-27, I ATTENDED WITH YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, A BOARD MEETING PREPARATION SESSION, AND OF NOTE, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSMAN DESAULNIERS ON THE 12TH TO COVER SOME OF HIS ONGOING EFFORTS TO FIND FUNDING FOR THURGOOD MARSHALL, WHICH WAS A VERY NICE DISCUSSION TO HAVE. LASTLY, ON THE 13TH, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH JOHN MUIR LAND TRUST REPRESENTATIVES CONCERNING THEIR AND POTENTIAL PARK DISTRICT INTEREST IN HERCULES AREA PROPERTIES. DENNIS? THANK YOU. ON FEBRUARY 6TH, I ATTENDED THE LAND ACQUISITION SESSION HERE. ON FEBRUARY 9TH, I MET WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER CORTON AND THE FIRE CHIEF RAY IVERSON TO TALK ABOUT SOME FIRE ISSUES. [02:30:01] ON FEBRUARY 11TH, I ATTENDED THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, AND IT WAS INTERESTING. THEY'RE ALWAYS INTERESTING, BUT THE ONE THING I FOUND VERY INTERESTING WAS WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR INVESTMENT POLICY, OUR QUARTERLY INVESTMENT POLICY, WE HAVE THESE ACCOUNTANTS COME IN AND THESE PROFESSIONALS, AND THERE'S A GENTLEMAN NAMED, I THINK IT'S JUSTIN, A REALLY GOOD GUY, COMES IN ALL THE TIME, BUT HE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT, HE GIVES THESE TACTICAL REPORTS THAT KIND OF MAKE ALL OF OUR HEADS SPIN, I THINK. BUT HE ALWAYS COMMENTS UPON, I LOVE COMING TO THE BAY AREA, I LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, I LOVE COMING OVER TO THIS SIDE, AND I ALWAYS HIKE IN A PARK, AND HE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT HIS HIKING IN THE PARK. SO WE WERE ABLE TO PRESENT HIM WHEN HE LEFT WITH A TRAILS CHALLENGE, AND HE WAS OVERJOYED WITH THAT. HE JUST SAID, THIS IS GREAT, I'LL DO THIS. HE LOVED THAT. SO, COMMENTS OR COMPLIMENTS TO THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOLKS, AND WHOEVER PREPARES THAT, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF MATERIAL THAT YOU SEND OUT. THEY'RE JUST GREAT PUBLICATIONS AND GREAT TOOLS TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE PARK. ON VALENTINE'S DAY, I TOOK MY WIFE FOR A COUPLE OF HIKES, AND HAD A REALLY WONDERFUL TIME, AND WE WERE UP IN TILDEN, REMINISCING ABOUT THE DAYS WE LIVED AND MET EACH OTHER IN TILDEN PARK AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, BUT I SAID, HEY, WANT TO GO FOR A RIDE IN THE STEAM TRAINS LIKE WE USED TO TAKE OUR KIDS BACK IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS? SHE SAID, SURE. I DROVE BY THE STEAM TRAINS, THE PARKING LOT WAS FILLED, THERE WERE A MILLION PEOPLE IN LINE, AND WE JUST COULDN'T GET IN. THAT'S A VERY, VERY POPULAR PLACE. AND THAT WAS IT. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, WHAT? TODAY, IT WAS REALLY GREAT. I HOPE, I DON'T KNOW, I HOPE EVERYBODY FINDS VALUE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMING IN AND HONORING THEIR PERSONNEL. I THINK IT'S AN INCREDIBLE DEAL. I THINK, WELL, THERE'S NOBODY FROM THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HERE, BUT WE COULD DO THAT. THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT REALLY DOES GREAT STUFF, TOO. AND SO DOES THE INTERPRETIVE, SO DOES EVERY DEPARTMENT. SO I WOULD WELCOME YOU TO COME IN AND HONOR SOME OF YOUR FOLKS FOR SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THEY DO. AND WHAT A TESTAMENT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, I HOPE YOU ALL NOTICED THEY HAD ALL THEIR FOLKS HERE, THEY HAD ALL THEIR RELATIVES HERE, AND DAVE PHELPS AND ANTHONY SEGATA, RETIRED GUYS, SHOWED UP ON THEIR OWN TO SUPPORT THEIR PEOPLE. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND REALLY SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT. GREAT, THANK YOU. SO I'LL JUST RECAP A FEW ITEMS. ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, I ATTENDED THE FIRST REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION BOARD MEETING, AND IT WAS A REALLY GREAT MEETING TO BE A PART OF. I BELIEVE EACH YEAR, WHOEVER SERVES AS BOARD PRESIDENT IS ALSO INCLUDED IN EACH OF THE FOUNDATION BOARD MEETINGS. AND WHEN I INTRODUCED MYSELF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID TALK ABOUT IS OUR ERP PROGRAM, OUR PROJECT THAT WE HAVE INITIATED WITH WORKDAY, AND HOW I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE AND OR WORK WITH OUR REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION BOARD TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH WORKDAY, WHICH IS HEADQUARTERED IN PLEASANTON NEAR THE 580-680 INTERCHANGE, AND MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME VOLUNTEER WORK THAT WE COULD DO. AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER CORPORATE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. I KNOW FOR MYSELF, IN TERMS OF CORPORATE TEAMS, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO GET TOGETHER AND GET OUTSIDE AND GO TO A PARK, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH OUR ERP PROJECT, AND ALSO WORKING WITH THE FOUNDATION BOARD TO POTENTIALLY PARTNER WITH THAT COMPANY SPECIFICALLY. SO, YES, AT THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION BOARD MEETING, WE REVIEWED THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, AS WELL AS THE MOU, THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH MY BOARD COLLEAGUES, THAT THESE ARE SOME TOPICS THAT WE CAN SEE COMING FORWARD TO US IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IN FACT, TOMORROW, AT THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, WE DO HAVE THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION ON THE AGENDA. IN TERMS OF OTHER THINGS, SO, YES, WITH THE LAND ACQUISITION SESSION ON FEBRUARY 6TH, AND THEN I MET WITH OUR ACTING GENERAL MANAGER AFTER THAT FOR A CHECK-IN, AND THEN WE HAD ON FEBRUARY 10TH, DIRECTOR WASPIE AND I HAD AN INTERNAL CHECK-IN WITH SOME MEMBERS OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD. SO, YES, WE DID HAVE A MEETING ON SOME OF THE EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY TOPICS, INCLUDING THE DELVAL KIOSK, AS WELL AS VARGAS PLATEAU, AND I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD, INFORMATIVE MEETING, AND I WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW, MAX AND THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM AND OUR OPERATIONS TEAM, LISA GORGON WAS ALSO A PART OF THAT, FOR REALLY PUTTING TOGETHER SOME INFORMATION ON SOME TOPICS THAT I BELIEVE TO BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US [02:35:02] TO BE DISCUSSING, SO THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL, THANK YOU. AND, YES, WE HAD OUR BOARD MEETING PREPPED THE NEXT DAY ON THE 11TH, VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY AND MYSELF, AND THEN FRIDAY THE 13TH OF FEBRUARY WAS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE, IT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE AND INCREDIBLE DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WE REALLY COVERED A LOT OF GROUND IN REGARDS TO THINGS HAPPENING IN THE LIVERMORE AREA, AND, YOU KNOW, TO OF NOTE, I DID BRING UP THE LIVERMORE AREA, AND I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION, AND I WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW, MAX AND THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM, LISA GORGON WAS ALSO A PART OF THAT, FOR REALLY PUTTING TOGETHER SOME INFORMATION ON SOME TOPICS THAT I BELIEVE TO BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US TO BE DISCUSSING, SO THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL, THANK YOU. AND, YES, WE DID LAND AT THE LIVERMORE AIRPORT, AND WE DID RECEIVE CONFIRMATION THAT LADY GAGA'S, HER PRIVATE JET DID LAND AT THE LIVERMORE AIRPORT FOR THE SUPER BOWL, SO THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING FOR LIVERMORE TO MAKE THAT CLAIM, AND THAT IS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT, SO IT IS RELEVANT TO EAST BAY PARKS, THAT'S WHY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVERMORE AIRPORT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE OUR HELICOPTERS ARE BASED OUT OF. I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, I DIDN'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER EITHER, THE OTHER ONE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, DURING LUNCH TODAY, WE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, AND I DID WANT TO MENTION IT TODAY IN MY REPORT ON MEETINGS ATTENDED, WE TALKED TODAY OVER LUNCH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SHADOW CLIFFS TO DELVAL TRAIL, AND HOW THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD COLLABORATIVE WORK AND CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING ABOUT THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S ONE KEY PARCEL THAT IS WITHIN, THAT'S OUTSIDE THE CITY OF LIVERMORE BOUNDARIES, SO IT'S UNINCORPORATED, ALAMEDA COUNTY, THAT REALLY WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT ONE PARCEL IN TERMS OF GETTING AN EASEMENT FOR A TRAIL, WHAT IT DOES IS IT THEN ULTIMATELY WILL HELP US GET THAT SHADOW CLIFFS TO DELVAL CONNECTION, AND WE SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF TIME DURING LUNCH LOOKING AT THE MAP OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT THAT'S IN OUR LUNCH CLOSED SESSION BOARDROOM, AND IF WE CAN CONNECT THAT SHADOW CLIFFS TO DELVAL TRAIL, YOU, WE THEN CONNECT MISSION PEAK, SUNOL, OHLONE WILDERNESS, DELVAL TO THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, BECAUSE IRON HORSE TRAIL DOES GO BY SHADOW CLIFFS. ONCE YOU'RE ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, THE IRON HORSE TRAIL CONNECTS BOTH OF OUR COUNTIES, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES, AND IT ALSO CONNECTS TO OTHER REGIONAL TRAILS ALONG THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY REGIONAL TRAILS THAT INTERSECT THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, SO IT'S FASCINATING TO ME THAT THERE'S THIS ONE PARCEL, AND SO I REALLY WANT TO MENTION THIS, I HAVE THIS GREAT MAP THAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, AND I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AS A BOARD ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS SHADOW CLIFFS TO DELVAL TRAIL IS, BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US ULTIMATELY TO CONNECT MISSION PEAK TO CONCORD, AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE, AND ALSO MOUNT DIABLO, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY INCREDIBLE FOR US TO ACHIEVE, AND IT'S THIS ONE PARCEL THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT ON THIS SHADOW CLIFFS TO DELVAL TRAIL. MY FINAL MEETING THAT I WANT TO JUST QUICKLY MENTION, YESTERDAY I DID HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH CURRENT BOARD PRESIDENT OF ZONE 7, KATHY NARAM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION, AND SHE'S JUST VERY HELPFUL IN REGARDS TO BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE ONE FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE AGENDA FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK PREVIOUSLY, DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY, SO WE'LL CLOSE. OKAY, AND WE HAVE ONE LAST ONE FROM VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY, SO PLEASE GO AHEAD REAL QUICK. YEAH, I HAD A NOTE TO SELF THAT I MISSED EARLIER, BUT I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT AND CONGRATULATE ALL THE FOLKS INVOLVED IN RESOLVING THE REMOTE WORK ISSUE. I MEAN, THAT'S HUGE. IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULTY FOR YEARS NOW, AND THESE FOLKS RESOLVED IT, THE UNION LEADERSHIP, AND ESPECIALLY MAX, AND CHALK UP A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT ALREADY, AND JESSICA, AND ALLISON, AND ALLISON'S GONE, SO I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, OR WE HAVEN'T, TO CONGRATULATE HER AND THANK HER FOR HER WORK ON THAT. IT WAS INCREDIBLE WORK THAT SHE DID, SO PLEASE LET HER KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THAT, AND HER WORK GENERALLY FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOW. YES, THANK YOU, ALLISON COOK, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK WITH THE RECENT TELECOMMUTE POLICY AND ALL OF YOUR WORK HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. I'M EXCITED FOR YOUR FUTURE, BUT I'M SAD TO SEE THAT SHE'S NO LONGER WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, SO THANK YOU, ALLISON COOK. ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADJOURN THE MEETING? OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANY, SO THEN THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.