[00:00:03]
[ROLL CALL]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.IT IS MAY 12TH AND THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE MEETING FOR OUR BOARD STUDY SESSION ON BOARD PRIORITIES.
AND I NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 936 A.M.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU TO START WITH 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 YAKUT, 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 PEOPLE WHO FIRST CULTIVATED AND INHABITED THIS LAND.
THE PARK DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING WAYS TO WORK AND CONSULT WITH EAST BAY TRIBES AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE TRIBAL CITIZENS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR LAND AND THEIR CULTURE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL.
VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY IS NOT HERE AT THIS TIME.
[PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA]
HERE.SO THEN WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
THERE'S ONE HAND UP ONLINE, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL IN PERSON.
OKAY, SO I WILL START WITH RICHARD BANGERT, AND NOTE THAT VICE PRESIDENT COFFEY IS HERE.
I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND WILDLIFE AT ALAMEDA POINT.
I THOUGHT I WOULD COME TODAY AND TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A POTENTIAL LAND ACQUISITION AT ALAMEDA POINT.
ANOTHER POTENTIAL LAND ACQUISITION THAT I HAVE GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE YOU COULD ACQUIRE.
THIS PARCEL SITS ON THE SEAPLANE LAGOON.
DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO AN EXISTING WETLAND ON THE VA PROPERTY.
PART OF THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF ACQUIRING THIS PARCEL IS THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE CITY OF ALAMEDA HAS ALREADY DONE THAT.
THEY HAVE APPROVED A MASTER PLAN TO THE 30% DESIGN LEVEL FOR THIS POTENTIAL PARK, WHICH HAS A PLACEHOLDER NAME OF DEPAY PARK.
THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S CURRENTLY COVERED WITH CONCRETE AND A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS.
THE PLAN IS TO CONVERT IT TO A TIDAL WETLAND.
AND TO GIVE YOU, TO ILLUSTRATE JUST HOW GOOD THIS PROJECT IS, WHEN THE CITY TOOK THIS TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD OF THE BAY CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THEY WERE SO IMPRESSED.
THAT AT THE END OF THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, THE CHAIR SAID, YOU'RE DONE HERE.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK THAT HAPPENS AT THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD WHEN THEY NEVER TELL A PROJECT PROPONENT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD? THE PLAN IS TO DEPAVE AND REMOVE THIS CONCRETE, RECYCLE IT, TO HELP CONTOUR THE LAND.
AND THE GOAL IS TO CREATE WHAT IS CALLED ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION.
IT'S ADAPTED TO SEA LEVEL RISE.
A KEY DIFFERENCE OF THIS PARK FROM OTHER PARKS, IT'S NOT REALLY A PARK WITH WATER FEATURES.
IT'S A WETLAND WITH PUBLIC ACCESS.
SO, AGAIN, I HAVE GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE YOU COULD ACQUIRE THIS PARCEL, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT IT.
MY NAME IS AMELIA MARSHALL REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA STATE HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION REGION 5, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE BOARD PACKET FOR TODAY'S STUDY SESSION ON DISTRICT PRIORITIES.
BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO CURRENT CHALLENGES.
PRESIDENT SAN WONG'S FINANCIAL ANALYSIS IS PARTICULARLY ILLUMINATING AND HELPFUL.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE BOARD MEMBERS' PRIORITIES LISTED, NOT JUST FOR THE BOARD.
[00:05:02]
FOR THE DISTRICT OVERALL.WE APPRECIATE DIRECTOR DECHAMBEAU'S CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF PIEDMONT STABLES AND FOR THE FINE YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT JUDY MARTIN SPONSORS.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CSHA 5 IS MAKING TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DISTRICT PLAN COMMUNITY PARTNER ENGAGEMENT.
FIRST, CSHA WOULD LIKE TO SEE A NEW EMPHASIS ON HAVING HIKERS AND HORSES TRAILS.
IN KEY LOCATIONS, HORSES AND E-BIKES ARE INHERENTLY INCOMPATIBLE.
SECOND, THERE IS PRESENTLY NO SUITABLE HORSE CAMPING IN THE DISTRICT PARKS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
RODDY HOME RANCH IS IDEAL FOR HORSE CAMPING.
THERE ARE CORRALS, WATER, SHADE TREES, BATHROOMS, AND BARBECUE FACILITIES.
THERE'S A VIDEO YOU CAN SEE ON THE INTERNET PRODUCED BY THE CITY OF ANTIOCH ENTITLED JACK RODDY'S PHILANTHROPY.
IN IT, THE LATE JACK RODDY HIMSELF EXPLAINS THE DEAL HE MADE WITH THE PARK DISTRICT WHEN HE SOLD HIS LAND RATHER THAN THE ENTITLED HOUSING SUBDIVISION.
RODDY'S ON RECORD SAYING THAT HIS PERSONAL 40 ACRES ARE TO BE USED AS A PLACE FOR KIDS TO SEE ANIMALS AND FOR PEOPLE TO HIKE AND RIDE HORSES.
ALSO, THERE'S A NETWORK OF HISTORIC TRAILS BETWEEN ROUND VALLEY AND RODDY HOME RANCH.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE A GOOD TRAIL REACTIVATED FOR HIKERS AND HORSES ONLY.
IF CYCLISTS WANT ACCESS, BUILD THEM A SEPARATE TRAIL TO KEEP THEM AWAY FROM EVERYONE ELSE.
THIRD, SOME OF THE DIRECTORS HAVE SUGGESTED EXTENDING THE CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL TO CONCORD AND BEYOND.
THE STATEWIDE TRAIL WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF THE LATE GEORGE CARDINALE.
MY REVERED PREDECESSOR AS CSHA 5 TRAILS CHAIR.
I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FILL HIS BOOTS.
BUT LET ME REMIND EVERYONE, THE CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL WAS INVENTED FOR HORSEBACK RIDING, NOT E-BIKE RIDING.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL LOOK LIKE THE IRON HORSE TRAIL WITH CYCLISTS USING HIKERS AS BOLLARDS.
ANY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT GOING...
FORWARD SHOULD INCLUDE SAFE PLACES FOR EQUESTRIANS.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ADDRESSING AND HAVING THE PLEASURE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, SO IT'S NICE TO MEET ALL OF YOU AND SEE YOU IN PERSON.
I'M HERE TODAY WITH TWO OTHER MEMBERS FROM THE FRIENDS OF LAKE TAMASCOW.
AND OUR FOCUS AT FRIENDS OF LAKE TAMASKAL IS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE LAKE.
SO I HAVE A FEW POINTS TO SHARE.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON THE BILLBOARDS.
IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS, FRIENDS OF LAKE TAMASKAL HAS WORKED RELENTLESSLY TO STOP THE CITY COUNCIL OF OAKLAND PROPOSING THEIR PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
TO PLACE MASSIVE ELECTRONIC BILLBOARDS THAT WILL TOWER OVER LAKE TEMESCAL PARK.
AND THEY WOULD BE ONE ON HIGHWAY 24, ONE ON HIGHWAY 13.
AND THE VERY GREAT NEWS I BRING TODAY IS THAT THE RESOLUTION WAS WITHDRAWN LAST WEEK, AND THE BILLBOARDS ARE NOW, AT LEAST FOR NOW, ARE DEAD.
SO WE OWE A BIG THANKS TO THE ENGAGEMENT FROM ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE MAIN POINT THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS ABOUT LAKE TEMESCAL'S THREATENED FUTURE.
LAKE TEMESCAL IS ONE OF THREE ORIGINAL PARKS IN THE DISTRICT ESTABLISHED IN 1936.
THIS PARK IS UNIQUELY ENJOYED BY A HIGHLY DIVERSE POPULATION FROM ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
IT DESPERATELY NEEDS MAINTENANCE THAT WAS LONG AGO NEGLECTED BUT IS STILL VITAL.
THANKFULLY, PARK DISTRICT PLANS ARE MOVING FORWARD TO SAVE THE LAKE, BUT MUCH MORE HELP WILL BE NEEDED AS IT MUST BE DREDGED OR WILL QUICKLY BECOME AN URBAN SWAMP.
NOW, THOSE OF YOU WHO REPRESENT OTHER WARDS MAY THINK THIS IS NOT YOUR CONCERN.
YET, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT IT MAY ACTUALLY BE YOUR SALVATION.
THE WARDS THAT HAVE COASTAL LANDS ARE FACING RISING WATERS, AND THUS THEY HAVE YOU SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES THEY FACE AND THAT REQUIRES EXPENSIVE LANDFILL.
YOU NEED THAT BLACK GOLD THAT SITS DORMANT IN LAKE TEMESCAL.
[00:10:03]
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT TO ENGAGE, TEAM UP, TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE PARKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DISTRICT ARE PROTECTED, THEY'RE CARED FOR, THEY'RE MAINTAINED AND MANAGED AS THE VERY HIGHEST PRIORITY OF THE DISTRICT.AND NOW MY COLLEAGUE JEFF WILL COME UP.
JEFF, LAUREN? WELL, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK AND PRESENT TO THE BOARD AGAIN.
WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME, I SPOKE TO THE BIRDING ASPECTS OF LAKE TEMESCAL AND HOW IT WAS AN IMPORTANT E-BIRD HOTSPOT FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY.
BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SCORECARD FOR THIS PROJECT, THE TEMESCAL FEASIBILITY OF DREDGING.
AND I WAS SURPRISED TO LOOK AT THE SCORECARD FOR THE LAKE TEMESCAL PROJECT AND SEE WE GOT ZEROS IN SIX OUT OF THE TEN CRITERIA.
AND I WAS PUZZLED BECAUSE AT LEAST FIVE OF THESE, IT SEEMS TO ME, ARE WORTHY OF A SCORE.
THE FIRST WAS JUST MAINTAINING AND EXTENDING THE USEFUL LIFE OF A FACILITY.
I MEAN, THAT'S CLEARLY WHAT THIS PROJECT WOULD DO.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT GETS A ZERO.
THEY TALK ABOUT MULTI-BENEFICIAL USE, OKAY? WHAT DO WE DO AT LAKE TEMESCAL? WE SWIM, WE FISH, WE BIRD, WE PICNIC, RIGHT? SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MULTI-USE PARKS THAT WE HAVE.
THE OTHER IS CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS.
PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER THAT HELICOPTERS GOT WATER OUT OF LAKE TEMESCAL DURING THE 1991 HILLS FIRE.
IN FACT, THEY PRACTICALLY DRAINED THE LAKE TO HELP CONTROL THE FIRE IN THE HILLS.
SO IT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP TO HAVE A DEEPER LAKE IN THE EVENT OF A RECURRING NATURAL DISASTER LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THE THING THAT CONCERNED ME THE MOST WAS REALLY THE EQUITY SCORE AND THE IDEA THAT THE EQUITY SCORE WAS ZERO.
I CAN ONLY SAY IF YOU GAVE AN EQUITY SCORE OF ZERO TO LAKE TEMESCAL, YOU HAVEN'T SPENT TIME THERE.
YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED WHO'S PICNICKING THERE, WHO'S FISHING THERE, WHO'S WALKING THERE.
I WOULD ARGUE IT'S THE FACE OF OAKLAND.
ALL THE ETHNIC GROUPS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OAKLAND ARE REPRESENTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE NOT ALL THOSE FISHERMEN ARE QUOTE-UNQUOTE SPORTS FISHERMEN.
I THINK THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE CATCHING FISH FOR THEIR FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, THIS AUGMENTS THEIR FOOD, THEIR NUTRITION.
SO I REALLY THINK THE ISSUE OF EQUITY SHOULD BE REVISITED IN THIS SCORE FOR THE TEMESCAL PROJECT.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS PARTNERSHIP.
IT'S THE FRIENDS OF LAKE TEMESCAL.
WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT AND HELP YOU, YOU KNOW, RESUSCITATE LAKE TEMESCAL AS WE DID WITH THE BILLBOARDS.
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE BOARD TO MAKE IT A FINE PLACE TO BE.
ANYHOW, THANKS FOR YOUR LISTENING.
GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS RICH SOLAIS AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ADDRESSING THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I LIVE IN OAKLAND, RESIDING LESS THAN A MILE FROM LAKE TEMESCAL PARK, WHICH I FREQUENT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK.
AS AVID HIKERS, MY WIFE AND I HAVE ALSO VISITED MANY OF THE PARK DISTRICT'S 72 OTHER PARKS.
IT'S CLEAR FROM THESE VISITS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD HAS A REAL CHALLENGE TO EQUITY DISTRIBUTE CAPITAL PROJECT RESOURCES TO ALL WARDS AND ALL PARKS, NOT ONLY FOR DEVELOPING NEW AMENITIES.
BUT ALSO FOR MAINTAINING EXISTING ONES AS WELL.
THE PARK DISTRICT'S CAPITAL PROJECT GOALS OF COLLABORATION AND COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT WILL BE CRUCIAL IN ADDRESSING SYSTEM-WIDE NEEDS THAT WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE EAST BAY COMMUNITY.
BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD RISE ABOVE PAROCHIAL WARD BIASES AND ALLOCATE RESOURCES ACCORDING TO THE LARGEST URGENT NEED.
AS A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS OF LAKE TEMESCAL COMMUNITY GROUP, I AM HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECT RESOURCES.
CAPITAL PROJECT RESOURCES IS DEVOTED TO ADDRESSING THE WATER QUALITY ISSUES OF LAKE TEMESCAL.
AS ONE OF THE THREE ORIGINAL PARK DISTRICT PROPERTIES ESTABLISHED IN THE 1930S, LAKE TEMESCAL PARK HAS HAD SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN ITS SWIMMING FACILITIES AND AMENITIES, BUT THESE RESOURCES ARE LARGELY UNUSABLE FOR MUCH OF THE SUMMER MONTHS DUE TO ALGAL BLOOMS AND OTHER WATER QUALITY ISSUES.
LAKE TEMESCAL PARK HAS HISTORICALLY SERVED THE NEEDS OF THOUSANDS OF MINORITY AND UNDERSERVED RESIDENTS OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY, AND THE REST OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
[00:15:03]
IN THE LAST 40 YEARS, HOWEVER, PARK USAGE HAS DECLINED DRAMATICALLY, CORRELATING WITH THE RESTRICTIONS AND THE USE OF THE LAKE FOR SWIMMING.WHILE WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD 2026 CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING INCLUDES CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING FIRMS TO COME UP WITH LAKE TEMESCAL RESTORATION PLANS, WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY DO NOT INCLUDE.
SEDIMENT ANALYSIS FOR COMPOUNDS THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE DREDGED MATERIAL CAN BE USED FOR BENEFICIAL PURPOSES.
WITHOUT THAT CRUCIAL INFORMATION, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE TEMPEST SCALA RESTORATION PROJECT COULD DRAG ON FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS.
WE THINK THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD TO TEAM UP AND COLLABORATE, NOT ONLY WITH OTHER WARDS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, BUT A CHANCE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT TO PLAY THE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN LEVERAGING FUNDING AND ASSISTANCE.
FROM ALL OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE IN THE PAST COME TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
THERE'S NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON, SO WE WILL TAKE ONE HAND UP ONLINE.
LESLIE GOLDSTEIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I CAN SEE YOUR MICROPHONE'S MOVING.
OKAY, CAN YOU TRY AGAIN, LESLIE? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN.
GOOD MORNING, PRESIDENT SANUANG AND DIRECTORS.
THE PROPOSED MANUFACTURED BIKE PARK IN WILDCAT CANYON PARK UNDERMINES THE DISTRICT'S OWN GOALS AND THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN THE DISTRICT, AND THIS REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE HAS JUST BEGUN.
FIRST, THE PUBLIC'S TRUST AND STEWARDSHIP.
BY SELECTING A DESIGNATED NATURAL AREA FOR A MANUFACTURED BIKE PARK, THE DISTRICT HAS CHOSEN THE MOST LEGALLY VULNERABLE SITE POSSIBLE.
THE 1985 WILDCAT CANYON LAND USE PLAN, ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD, MANDATES THAT NATURAL AREAS REMAIN FREE FROM INTENSIVE RECREATION ACTIVITIES AND DEVOID OF ANY DEVELOPMENT.
A FLOW TRAIL ON DEVELOPED, LESS SENSITIVE LAND WOULD BE MORE DEFENSIBLE AGAINST A SEQUEL CHALLENGE.
BUT AS THE DISTRICT FACES PROJECTED DEFICITS, THE DEEPER QUESTION IS, WHY A FORCED FLOW TRAIL IS NEEDED AT ALL.
WHAT DATA SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR A FOURTH? SECOND, THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN SOUND DESIGN.
PROPONENTS ARGUE THE TRAIL WILL SEPARATE FAST BIKERS FROM FAMILIES TO REDUCE TRAIL CONFLICT.
HOWEVER, THE PROJECT'S OWN CIRCULATION DIAGRAMS, POINT STRATEGY SHEET TM1, SHOW THAT THE RETURN TRAILS FUNNEL HIGH VELOCITY RIDERS DIRECTLY BACK ONTO WILDCAT CREEK TRAIL, THE PARK'S BUSIEST MULTI-USE CORRIDOR.
RATHER THAN REDUCING USER CONFLICT, THIS DESIGN CONCENTRATES IT.
THIRD, THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN SAFETY.
THE PROPOSED SITE SITS IN WHAT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CALL A MEDICAL DEAD ZONE, TWO MILES FROM THE NEAREST STAGING AREA ACROSS NARROW, ERODING DIRT ROADS WITH THANK YOU.
POOR MOBILE RECEPTION, A TRAUMATIC BRAIN OR SPINAL INJURY THERE COULD REQUIRE A 60-MINUTE EXTRACTION OR LONGER.
THE GOLDEN HOUR, THE CRITICAL FIRST 60 MINUTES WHEN PROMPT INTERVENTION IS MOST LIKELY TO PREVENT PERMANENT INJURY OR DEATH, WOULD BE LOST IN TRANSIT.
FOR PARENTS AND YOUTH TEAM COACHES, THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL CONCERN AND A LIABILITY THAT FOLLOWS THE DISTRICT.
IS NO GUARANTEE OF REAL-WORLD VIABILITY.
THE SPRUCE GOOSE WAS AN OVERAMBITIOUS MARVEL THAT COULDN'T MEET THE DEMANDS OF ITS ENVIRONMENT.
THIS TRAIL IS A SPRUCE GOOSE FOR WILDCAT CANYON.
IT IS A DESIGN OF WHIMSY THAT IGNORES ITS ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S TIME TO GROUND IT AND REDIRECT THE DISTRICT'S RESOURCES TOWARD THE PARKS WE ALREADY HAVE AND NEED TO MAINTAIN.
THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO OUR AGENDA,
[BOARD PRIORITIES SESSION #2]
WHICH I JUST HAD IN FRONT OF ME.SO I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR AGENDA ITEM C, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM D, OUR BOARD PRIORITY SESSION NUMBER 2.
AND TO KICK THINGS OFF, I'M GOING TO LEAD OUR SECTION ON THE WORKING AGREEMENTS, WHICH YOU SEE THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF US.
WE ALSO HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL BOARD, THE FOAM BOARD PRINTED HERE WITH OUR WORKING AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING.
[00:20:01]
OUR BOARD RETREAT AND WE SAW THIS A FEW WEEKS AGO ON MAY 1ST WHEN WE HAD OUR CAPITAL STUDIES WORKSHOP.I JUST WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS FOR US TO LOOK AT THESE AGREEMENTS AND YOU KNOW THINK ABOUT WHICH AGREEMENTS FEEL THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU TODAY AND THE ONES YOU WANT TO HOLD ON TO IN THIS ROOM.
YOU KNOW IF ANY FELLOW DIRECTORS WANT TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE SEE UP HERE WE HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO DISCUSS THESE WORKING AGREEMENTS.
I LIKE THE FIRST ONE, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BOARD BEING ASKED TO WEIGH IN ON, DECIDE, OR DIRECT, AND THAT WE ENGAGE.
I GUESS I WOULD ASK, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE REALLY GREAT SESSIONS.
I GUESS IT'S A QUESTION OR A COMMENT.
I'M HOPING TO SORT OF SEE THOSE.
WRITTEN OR SUMMARIZED SOMEWHERE AT SOME POINT THAT I THINK IT'S EXCITING.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING TO ENGAGE, AND HERE WE ARE.
AND HOW DO THOSE SORT OF GET INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COME BACK TO US AND THEN ACTUALLY FOLLOWED UP ON? BUT I LIKE THAT FIRST ONE A LOT, THAT AGREEMENT.
IT FEELS LIKE A NICE SHIFT IN WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR.
I REALLY LIKE NUMBER FIVE, COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION.
YOU KNOW, AT THE RETREAT IN JANUARY, WE PRACTICE THIS, YOU KNOW, FIND WHAT'S WORTH BUILDING ON, EVEN IF IT'S JUST 10%, YOU KNOW, WHEN PERSPECTIVES ARE VALIDATED, PEOPLE STAY ENGAGED AND BETTER IDEAS EMERGE.
AND SO I JUST LIKE TO ASK THAT WE CONSIDER THIS, YOU KNOW, AS WE WORK TOGETHER TODAY AND AT, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE REST OF OUR TIME TOGETHER AT BOARD MEETINGS, EVEN.
I LIKE NUMBER TWO, AND I JUST...
ONE REASON WHY I LIKE IT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE REMINDED THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, EVERYBODY, THE AUDIENCE, PEOPLE LISTENING, OUR STAFF, THE BOARD, REALLY CARES A LOT ABOUT PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS PROVIDING SAFE RECREATION FOR PEOPLE, AND WE ALL COME FROM THAT PLACE, SO WE MAY HAVE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES ABOUT HOW BEST TO ACHIEVE THAT BALANCE, BUT ALL OF US HAVE OUR HEART IN THE SAME PLACE, AND I THINK IF WE KEEP THAT IN MIND AND, YOU KNOW, LISTENING WITH YOU.
CURIOSITY AND LOOK FOR THE BEST IN PEOPLE THAT THAT WILL THAT WILL HELP OUR DELIBERATIONS GREAT THANK YOU ANY OTHER DIRECTORS WANT TO GO AHEAD WELL JUST SHORTLY I THINK NUMBER EIGHT BRINGING A DISTRICT-WIDE MINDSET THANK YOU OKAY AND THEN ONE MORE TOOL I'D LIKE TO REMIND US OF IS OUR PARKING LOT, WHICH WE HAVE OVER HERE IN THE CORNER.
AND EACH OF US SHOULD HAVE OUR OWN COLORED POST-IT NOTES WHERE YOU CAN WRITE DOWN ITEMS IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TALK ABOUT A TOPIC OR MAYBE IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IDEAS AND ISSUES AND TOPICS UP OVER ON THE PARKING LOT.
AND SO I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO HELP KEEP US ON TIME TODAY WITH OUR CLERK OF THE BOARD, KELLY.
MAX WILL BE OUR FACILITATOR, AND KAREN'S GOING TO HELP US TAKING NOTES.
AND SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED.
AND SO REAL QUICK, WHAT I WANT TO MENTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS SERIES OF STUDY SESSIONS AND BOARD WORKSHOPS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE STARTED IN JANUARY WITH THE BOARD RETREAT WHERE WE HAD THAT COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION EXERCISE.
THAT'S ALSO WHERE WE LEARNED THAT WE'RE A PRIDE OF LIONS.
FEBRUARY 6TH, WE HAD OUR LAND ACQUISITION STUDY SESSION.
MARCH 6TH, THE TRAIL STUDY SESSION.
AND THEN MAY 1ST, OUR CAPITAL PROJECT STUDY SESSION.
TODAY SHOULD ACTUALLY BE BOARD PRIORITY STUDY SESSION ONE.
WE CAN ALSO CALL IT STUDY SESSION TWO.
WE DID TRY TO PLAN ALL THREE OF THESE MAY ONES IN A SERIES, SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT NUMBERING CAME FROM.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AGAIN TOGETHER NEXT TUESDAY AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT CAPITAL PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY, AS WELL AS BOARD PRIORITIES.
AND WE HAVE A LONGER DAY SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY TO REALLY TRY TO BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
OKAY, SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN THIS OVER TO OUR ACTING GENERAL MANAGER, MAX CORTON, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FRAMING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR SAN WONG.
SO THIS SESSION'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
MEGAN'S TAKING A TRIP TO HAWAII, WHICH IS AWESOME, AND I'M GOING TO HELP BE IN THE FACILITATOR ROLE, AND KAREN'S GOING
[00:25:01]
TO TAKE NOTES.I JUST WANT TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING WE TOOK A LOT OF REALLY GREAT NOTES AND APPRECIATE YOUR BOARD FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON THE FIRST, AND OUR TEAM, KAREN, MEGAN, OUR ENTIRE LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON REFINING THOSE, AND WE WILL SHARE BACK ON THE 19TH IN THE BOARD PACKET WHAT WE HEARD.
AND THEN THAT WILL FRAME UP SORT OF ACTUAL PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WE'LL BRING BACK TO YOUR BOARD PROBABLY IN THE FALL.
SO I WANT TO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO.
WORK ON DEVELOPING BOARD PRIORITIES, MEMBER PRIORITIES, AND SENDING THEM TO US IN ADVANCE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEST USING THIS TIME AND FOR YOU ALL.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FEW MINUTES, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FIVE MINUTES FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER TO SHARE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES THE ANSWERS TO THOSE FRAMING QUESTIONS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE STRAIGHTFORWARD FOR THE DISTRICT TO FUND AND ALIGN ON AND WHY? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE HARDER TO GET ALIGNMENT ON? AND I THINK WE PLAN FOR OLIVIA TO KEEP TIME.
WE COULD HAVE KELLY KEEP TIME IF THAT'S BETTER.
SO WE'LL HAVE KELLY KEEP TIME, AND WE CAN GIVE YOU A WARNING WHEN WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST SAY, LIKE, I THINK WHILE TODAY STAFFS, LISTENING.
WE HAVE FOLKS HERE AND LISTENING ONLINE.
THIS IS REALLY ALSO FOR YOU ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS TO SPEAK AND HEAR FROM EACH OTHER.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIMES WHERE WE'RE TALKING REALLY BROADLY ABOUT PRIORITIES AND GOALS AND YOU GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH EACH OTHER AND FIND OUT WHERE DO YOU HAVE ALIGNMENT? WHERE ARE THERE CHALLENGES? AND THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO BUILD TOWARDS OUR DISCUSSION ON THE 19TH AND TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION TO STAFF.
AND I'LL JUST SAY I REALLY HAVE APPRECIATED READING THROUGH WHAT YOU ALREADY PUT TOGETHER AND HOW SOME OF THE IDEAS ARE REALLY BROAD AND BIG AND SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY SPECIFIC AND THAT ALL OF THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
AND THEN SO WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH EACH.
PERSON GETTING A CHANCE TO TALK AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT BACK AND SORT OF HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT YOU KNOW REACTIONS AND WHAT YOU ALL THINK SO WE'LL JUST GIVE EACH PERSON A MOMENT TO PRESENT FIRST AND LET'S SEE, HOW DO WE WANT TO DO IT? DO WE WANT TO GO AROUND THE ROOM OR JUST HAVE FOLKS VOLUNTEER TO GO FIRST SECOND THIRD, UM, I CAN ACTUALLY START MAYBE THAT MIGHT HELP KICK THINGS OFF.
PLUS, I'M PROBABLY THE MOST PROLIFIC ON THE BOARD, TOO, SO BY KEEPING IT TO FIVE MINUTES, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES RIGHT NOW.
I'LL TRY TO USE THIS CLOCK UP HERE.
BUT THEN REAL QUICK, MAC, CAN YOU JUST GO BACK ONE SLIDE WITH THE SCHEDULE FOR TODAY? OR MAYBE TWO SLIDES, IT'S FINE.
SO ONE THING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR TODAY'S SESSION THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS AFTER OUR BREAK, SO THAT 11.10 TO 12.15 TIME PERIOD IS WHERE WE CAN START TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHER AND TRY TO FIND ALIGNMENT AND HARD CALLS.
I BELIEVE IN THE PAST WE WOULD EACH JUST SPEAK, AND THERE WOULDN'T BE THIS CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHER TO REALLY TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND REALLY THIS IS JUST THE FIRST OF, I THINK, A MUCH LARGER CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ON THE MAY 19TH AND THAT'S WHY WE SCHEDULED THIS THREE-PART SERIES SO WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO SOLVE EVERYTHING IN THIS ONE HOUR THAT WE HAVE ALLOTTED TODAY IT'S REALLY JUST THE STARTING POINT AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK TOGETHER IN ONE WEEK FROM TODAY THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO ALSO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION ALL RIGHT SO I'LL START YEAH AND I KNOW I SUBMITTED A FAIRLY LONG DOCUMENT THAT LISTS A LOT OF THINGS AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS MORE TO BUILD UPON THAT, AND I MAY NOT GET TO EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE DOCUMENT THAT I SHARED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY TRYING TO TAKE A BIG PICTURE LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
AND I SORT OF CAME UP WITH A, I GUESS, A METAPHOR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO DIFFERENT TRAINS THAT LEFT FROM THE SAME STATION FIVE YEARS AGO.
WHERE TRAIN 1 IS HEADED TOWARDS OUR MISSION, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE DIRECTOR ECHOLS POINTING OUT THAT WE ALL COME HERE TODAY WITH OUR HEART IN THE SAME PLACE.
WE CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO RECREATION ACCESS, AND THAT'S WHERE I REALLY VIEW TRAIN 1.
[00:30:01]
IT'S THE PARKS, THE TRAILS, THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, AND THE PARTNERSHIPS WE DEPEND ON.AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, TRAIN 1 REALLY CARRIES THE PLANNING FOUNDATION THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS BUILT OVER GENERATIONS.
SO IN THAT I INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, THE MASTER PLANS FROM ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1973 TO THE 2013 MASTER PLAN, OUR PARK-SPECIFIC LAND USE PLANS, AND MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING AND OTHER AGREEMENTS THAT REPRESENT DECADES OF COMMUNITY TRUST.
AND THEN I VIEW TRAIN 2 AS HEADING SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND I BELIEVE IT'S MORE ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND MORE INTERNAL.
COMPLEXITY AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE PAST FIVE YEARS YOU KNOW ONE REASON I WANT TO ANALYZE OUR BUDGET OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS I FOUND AN ALARMING TREND ABOUT GROWING MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS YOU KNOW FROM 13.8 TO 19.0 PERCENT OF ALL AUTHORIZED STAFF YOU KNOW WE INVESTED IN A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING WE'VE BEEN COMMISSIONING CONSULTANT STUDIES AND STRATEGIC PLANS PRIMARILY THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN I BELIEVE IF WE INCLUDE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS, THAT'S GETTING CLOSE TO $2 MILLION.
AND I'M CONCERNED THAT SOME OF OUR RESOURCES AND OUR ATTENTION AND OUR DECISION-MAKING HAVE BEEN BOARDING THIS SECOND TRAIN AND NOT TRAIN ONE, WHERE PARKS, TRAILS, COMMUNITIES, AND PARTNERS WHO DEPEND ON US HAVE BEEN REALLY WAITING AT THAT STATION FOR THE FIRST TRAIN.
AND I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE OBSERVED.
I'M A SYSTEMS THINKER, AND SO I DON'T...
SEE LIKE A COLLECTION OF ISOLATED DECISIONS.
AND I THINK THAT INDIVIDUALLY, THESE HAVE ALL BEEN REASONABLE DECISIONS, BUT COLLECTIVELY, THEY CAN ADD UP TO A DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES THAN THE ONES THAT WE STARTED WITH.
AND SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US GET BACK TO BEING A MISSION-DRIVEN PUBLIC AGENCY.
AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT I HAD SUBMITTED REALLY FEEDS INTO THAT.
AND IN THE DOCUMENT THAT I PROVIDED, I HAD FIVE OF THE ITEMS IN THERE, THERE'S FIVE EXAMPLES THAT I THINK REALLY DEMONSTRATE THIS PATTERN I'VE OBSERVED WHERE EACH OF THE MANAGEMENT, EACH OF WHICH LIKE MANAGEMENT WOULD CHARACTERIZE AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, BOARD INVOLVEMENT WHEN I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE MORE BOARD OF DIRECTORS INVOLVEMENT AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MISSION AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE A PUBLIC AGENCY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE THAT REALLY SIGNALED THIS ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION SITUATION IS THE PHOTO THAT I SHARED OF THE KILCARE WOODS GATE FROM LAST SUMMER IN JUNE AND JULY OF 2025, AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE RESIDENTS OF KILCARE WOODS, YOU KNOW, THEY SPENT DECADES AS STEWARDS OF PLEASANTON RIDGE, PART OF A CITIZENS MOVEMENT THAT GATHERED 52,000 SIGNATURES IN 30 DAYS IN 1982 TO PROTECT THE LAND.
AND I JUST FOUND THAT THAT SIGN THAT WAS POSTED AT THE GATE WAS VERY ADVERSARIAL.
IT'S FULL OF LEGALESE, AND I THINK IT WAS REALLY OFF-PUTTING TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT NOT ONLY HELPED PROTECT THE PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK, OR WHAT'S TODAY PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK, BUT REALLY I VIEW AS OUR PARTNERS IN STEWARDSHIP.
THE SECOND EXAMPLE I WOULD PUT UNDER THIS IS THE DELVAL KIOSK, AND I THINK I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO I'M GOING TO GO QUICKLY.
THE THIRD IS THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE CONFIRMING WHETHER OR NOT IT'S GOING TO CHANGE OUR MISSION AND VISION THAT WE HAVE RELIED UPON FOR DECADES.
AND I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS THAT THIS DISTRICT PLAN MIGHT RENDER THE 2013 PLAN OBSOLETE AND OR MAKE LAND USE PLANS AND MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDINGS IRRELEVANT.
AND THE FOURTH EXAMPLE I'LL HIGHLIGHT AS MY TIME'S ABOUT TO RUN OUT IS OUR 2016 MOU AT THE CITY OF PLEASANTON-LONGARM STAGING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A 2016.
AGREEMENT THAT WAS SUPERSEDED BY A 2022 CAPITAL PROJECTS PRIORITIZATION SCORING FRAMEWORK.
AND I FIND THAT THAT SCORING TO BE PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION.
AND I DO THINK THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED.
DIRECTOR SAN JUAN, LET'S SEE, WHO DO WE HAVE WHO WANTS TO GO NEXT? A QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT STRAIGHTFORWARD MEANS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALIGNMENT MEANS.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, AND WE CAN ORGANIZE THIS HOWEVER YOU WANT, IS SORT OF TRYING TO CREATE A WAY TO ORGANIZE IDEAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO THINK THROUGH WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE YOUR BOARD HAS IDENTIFIED SORT OF BROAD AGREEMENT OR...
YOU KNOW, GENERAL, WHAT SEEMED LIKE SORT OF EASY WINS OR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN THE HARDER SORT OF
[00:35:02]
LIKE PLACES WHERE THERE MAY BE DISAGREEMENT OR MAYBE IT'S A CHALLENGING ISSUE TO ADDRESS OR A PLACE THAT'S DIFFICULT.SO IT'S JUST ONE WAY OF SORT OF ORGANIZING PRIORITIES, BUT...
SO STRAIGHTFORWARD MEANS AMONGST THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT ARE EASY, THAT WE ALL ARE GOING TO AGREE WITH, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE THAT WE WON'T BE ALIGNED ON, MEANING WE WON'T ALL AGREE ON? WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S...
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? NOT NECESSARILY.
SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY LATER TODAY AND THIS MORNING TO LIKE...
TALK ABOUT WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT OR NOT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE ALIGNED.
THAT'S PART OF THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY IS TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I THINK THE EASY, WHAT MAKES SOMETHING EASY COULD BE THAT, LIKE, IT DOESN'T COST A LOT OF MONEY OR THERE'S EXISTING FUNDING FOR IT, OR IT COULD BE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ALIGNMENT OR THERE'S COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR IT, OR THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S ALREADY STAFF CAPACITY FOR OR THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OTHER AGENCIES THAT WANT TO PARTNER WITH US ON.
WHAT MAKES SOMETHING HARD IS WHERE...
MAYBE THERE'S PUSHBACK FROM THE PUBLIC OR IT'S LIKE THERE'S COMPETING PRIORITIES THAT MAKE SOMETHING DIFFICULT TO ADDRESS OR THERE'S OTHER AGENCIES THAT OPPOSE IT.
BUT IT ALSO COULD BE THAT THERE'S DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN YOUR BOARD, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
CAN I JUST GET CLARIFICATION ON THE ASSIGNMENT? I REALLY THOUGHT THIS ASSIGNMENT THAT WE HAD WAS AROUND LOOKING AT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND LOOKING AT WHICH PROJECTS THAT WERE KIND OF IN EITHER THE PUBLIC ACCESS RESOURCE PROTECTION OR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND LOOKING AT AS FAR AS WHAT PROJECTS WERE OUR PRIORITIES THAT WE THOUGHT WAS A PRIORITY DISTRICT-WIDE.
AND THEN WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE PRIORITIES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, AND THEN LOOKING AT IF WE WERE GOING TO BE SHIFTING THESE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES BASED ON EITHER FUNDING OR FUTURE COSTS ONCE A PROJECT IS COMPLETE.
SO A PROJECT MIGHT BE FULLY FUNDED NOW, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE A HIGHER KIND OF OPERATION COST AND VICE VERSA.
AND KIND OF LOOKING AT SOME TYPE OF CRITERIA FOR THE FUTURE ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO ANALYZE THESE SO BECAUSE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAT I SAW WHEN I READ THROUGH THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES WERE KIND OF ONE THAT MIGHT BE LIKE DISTRICT-WIDE WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING OR A SUGGESTION TO DO IT BUT NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO THE EXERCISE.
SO I JUST NEED CLARIFICATION FOR WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GIVING FOR A PRIORITY BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE I APPROACHED IT IN THE SAME WAY AS OTHER DIRECTORS.
DIRECTOR SAN JUAN. YEAH, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THIS AT THE LAST WORKSHOP BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING TO COMBINE CAPITAL STUDIES WORKSHOP WITH OUR BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP.
AND I TRIED MY BEST TO CLARIFY THAT.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A THREE-PART SERIES JUST ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, THAT IT DOES INCLUDE EVERYTHING.
BUT CERTAINLY CAPITAL PROJECTS BEING SUCH A HUGE COMPONENT OF OUR BUDGET AND ALSO REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THIS CONNECTION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, BOARD PRIORITIES AND GOALS AND OUR BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OPAQUE, THAT CONNECTION, AND REALLY TRYING TO ITERATE UPON THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE 2026 BUDGET PROCESS WAS REALLY THE GOAL OF THIS.
THREE-PART SERIES THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS MONTH.
YEAH, I'D SAY, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE RETREAT, AND LIKE JOSE ALWAYS DOES A GOOD JOB OF SAYING IS YES AND.
IT'S SUPER HELPFUL TO, I THINK, DIRECTOR ESPANA, AS YOU WERE MENTIONING, LIKE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND ABOUT WHAT CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE, YOU KNOW, VALUABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND WHICH ONES MIGHT NOT BE AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES ARE PRIORITIES FOR YOU.
TOTALLY A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN ALSO IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS BEYOND CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE A PRIORITY, THIS CAN ALSO BE A VENUE FOR THAT.
THERE'S PLENTY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THIS.
SO, BUT THAT'S ONE OPPORTUNITY TODAY.
[00:40:02]
DID I MISS ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED ME TO CAPTURE FOR THE CHARTS RELATIVE TO THESE TWO LANES OR BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL? I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 2013, SO I GUESS WITH DISTRICT PLAN, THE 2013 MASTER PLAN, PARK-SPECIFIC LAND USE PLANS.AND THEN MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING.
AND THEN WITH THAT, WITH THE MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING, A SPECIFIC ONE IS A 2016 MOU WITH THE CITY OF PLEASANTON IN REGARDS TO GARM STAGING.
AND THEN I RAN OUT OF TIME, BUT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING MOU WITH THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION.
SO THAT WOULD ALSO FIT UNDER MOUS, IF YOU WANT TO PUT THE FOUNDATION THERE.
CAN WE ALSO PUT THE FOUNDATION? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I RAN OUT OF TIME.
ALL RIGHT, WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT? I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO COLD CALL.
I THINK I'M GOING TO ASK DIRECTOR WASPIE TO GO NEXT.
FIGURE OUT A PHYSICAL AILMENT I COULD HAVE.
CHEST PAINS, CAN WE CALL? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
SO YOU WANT STRAIGHTFORWARD, EASY THINGS WE CAN DO TO GET DONE VERY EASILY AS A PRIORITY? I'D SAY IF YOU WANT TO JUST DESCRIBE YOUR PRIORITIES, AND WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO PUT THEM INTO THOSE CATEGORIES, OR YOU CAN CALL THEM OUT YOURSELF.
I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY FOR YOU, SO I DON'T WANT IT TO FEEL OVERLY CONSTRAINED.
OKAY, I'LL GO FOR THE EASY WIN.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST A TOPIC OF GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING.
KEEPING OUR HOUSE IN ORDER AND IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS CAN WE GET 300 BUCKS AND GET A DISHWASHER IN THERE WE'VE TRIED TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS I'M TOLD BY EVERYBODY THAT'S NOT A DARN DISHWASHER SO WE'RE ALL HAND WASHING OUR DISHES I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM EFFICIENT IT WOULD SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BE A VICTORY EASY VICTORY OUR STAFF CAN PUT IT IN PAIN WE'LL PAY FOR IT AND I'LL INSTALL IT IF YOU WANT ME TO, BUT JUST A SIMPLE VICTORY.
THEN MORE DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY ADDRESS AND THINK ABOUT THE NEW GM THAT WE'RE GOING TO HIRE SOON.
I MEAN, I HOPE WE DON'T HIRE AND JUST GO, WELL, WE DID THAT.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO, ARE WE GOING TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE TO THE NEW GM? ARE WE GOING TO? EXPLAIN WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AND I'M TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE SESSION WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AND THAT'S A STANDALONE ISSUE IN MY OPINION WE SHOULD PROBABLY SET UP DATES WHERE WE WILL EVALUATE THE GENERAL MANAGER WE SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW UP ON EVALUATING EVERY ONE OF OUR DIRECT REPORTS INCLUDING THE COUNCIL WHO SEEM TO RUN OVER EVERY YEAR SO LET'S LET'S SET THAT IN STONE.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF LAND USE PLANS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE LIKE WHAT, TABLETS ON SOME ANCIENT SCROLLS THAT ARE INVIOLATE, OR ARE WE GOING TO CHANGE THEM AT WILL? I MEAN, I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OF A ROLE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE BUDGET.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW YOU GUYS MAKE THE SAUSAGE AT THE MANAGEMENT LEVEL.
MAYBE LETTING US SIT IN OR SEE IT OR PARTICIPATE AT SOME LEVEL.
WE'RE CONTINUALLY TOLD AND THINGS ARE POINTING IN THAT DIRECTION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MUCH MONEY, DISCRETIONARY MONEY, AS WE'VE HAD BEFORE AND EVEN IN THIS SESSION WE'RE ASKED TO, YOU KNOW, PROPOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE SO GOOD THAT WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT THEM BUT IN FACT IF
[00:45:02]
IT'S A DOLLAR FIGURE WHERE ARE WE GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM? I HATE TO SAY THIS BUT I THINK WE REALLY OUGHT TO LOOK AT STAFF.IF, WHAT IS IT, 86% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS SALARIES AND BENEFITS, WE CAN'T NOT LOOK AT THAT.
GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, PUBLIC OUTREACH, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THAT.
BUT THE ORMONA CO'S PROJECTS, WHICH YOU WOULD GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR SPECIFIC.
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES, IT WAS IN MY MIND AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE STOPPED IT.
HEALTHY PARKS, HEALTHY PEOPLE, COLLABORATIONS WITH HOSPITALS AND ALL THE PROGRAMS WE HAD OR HAVE OR WERE BRINGING BACK.
SHINE, STAY HEALTHY IN NATURE EVERY DAY, PARK PRESCRIPTIONS.
ALL OF THAT CONNECTION WITH HEALTH AND WELLNESS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN PARKS.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE EVALUATE EVERYTHING, PURCHASING LAND, OUR GRADING SYSTEMS FOR OUR...
CAPITAL PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BROUGHT UP TODAY BY ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
IF YOU'RE NOT A 20, YOU'RE A ZERO.
OR IF YOU'RE NOT A 15, YOU'RE A ZERO.
I THINK WE NEED TO RE-LOOK AT THAT.
AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD, CHEAP, EASY.
WE CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS BECAUSE, AS IN THE PAST, I'M NOT CRITICIZING THE PROGRAM.
AND EVERY PROGRAM WE DO COULD BE RE-EVALUATED.
AND WE SHOULD BE RE-EVALUATING EVERY YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW.
DO I HAVE A TIME LIMIT? AM I? I SHOW THREE MINUTES.
OH, FIVE MINUTES? I'LL GET IT IN LATER.
DIRECTOR ECHOLS, ARE YOU READY TO GO? SURE, I'LL GO.
ALL RIGHT, SO STARTING WITH THE DISTRICT-WIDE PRIORITIES, AND THESE ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT THAN ONES I'VE HAD IN THE PAST, BUT CERTAINLY CONTINUING TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, WILDFIRES, SEA LEVEL RISE, LANDSLIDES, FLOODING, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
VERY PROUD OF THE WORK WE DO IN THIS AREA AND WANT TO CONTINUE PARTICULARLY ON THE THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND ALSO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS WORK YOU KNOW I THINK PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE OUR NEIGHBORS ALONG THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE WOULD BE REALLY HAPPY FOR US TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE AS OF NOW THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY NERVOUS DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION GOALS WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING HARD IN THIS AREA THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, JOSE, FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
BUT THERE'S STILL, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF REALLY MAKING OUR PARKS, PROGRAM SERVICES WELCOMING AND SAFE AND SOMEPLACE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS THEY BELONG, AND ALSO CONTINUING TO WORK SO THAT OUR WORKFORCE LOOKS LIKE OUR COMMUNITY.
LONG-TERM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING IF WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
SO, YES, I'M GLAD WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND REALLY REALIZING OUR CONSTRAINTS AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE ARE TOUGH CHOICES.
I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE A STRATEGY AND MESSAGING FOR BALLOT MEASURES AND INCLUDE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DONE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
A LOT OF IT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE FOR AND ALSO HOW WE'RE DESCRIBING IT.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME WORK TO DO THERE.
AND ALSO, OF COURSE, THE TIMING IS CRITICAL.
ALSO, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
WE'VE DONE A LOT IN TERMS OF CLEAN ENERGY, WATER RECYCLING.
[00:50:01]
WATER CONSERVATION, OUR PURCHASING POLICIES AROUND VEHICLES AND EVERYTHING AND OTHER THINGS DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE TO PUSH IN THAT DIRECTION.ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERY CHILD IN ALAMEDA COUNTY AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TO GET ACCESS TO OUR PROGRAMS EVEN IF AT A STARTING POINT IF WE COULD SET A GOAL THAT SAY EVERY FOURTH GRADER GETS TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS SOMEWHERE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT MORE THAN THAT, BUT SOME MEASURABLE GOAL TO START.
WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT WATER SAFETY AND SWIM ACCESS, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND THE SWIM CLASSES AND FIRST AID TRAINING.
IN TERMS OF ACCESS, DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS ON LAKE TEMESCAU AND ALSO ON THE SCHOOL.
SCORING SO JEFF I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT HE HAD TO SAY AND IT IS VERY SURPRISING THAT THAT SCORING REALLY DOESN'T MATCH LAKE TEMESCAL I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS ON EQUITY AND SOME OF THE OTHER SCORING AND I THINK THAT THAT REALLY POINTS AT PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT EVEN IF WE HAD A PERFECT SCORING SYSTEM IT'S STILL HOW IT'S IMPLEMENTED AT THE END OF THE DAY SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON FOR SURE SO, OKAY, I'VE GOT TO GO FAST NOW, SO THESE OTHER ONES.
HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE? OH, YIKES.
SO, ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'LL LET YOU GUYS READ.
WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT, LOVE CIVIC CORPS, KEEP GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.
GLAD THAT WE'VE GOT THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH LABOR UNDERWAY, AND I WOULD LIKE, WE STARTED NEGOTIATIONS ON A PROJECT LATE.
AGREEMENT A COUPLE YEARS AGO WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT GOING AGAIN.
OKAY, PRIORITIES, GOLDEN GATE FIELDS, POINT MALATE ARE THE TOP TWO.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING ON BOTH OF THEM.
POINT PINALTA, POINT WILSON, YEAH, THAT IS ONE THAT, AS COLIN SAID LAST TIME, IT HAS HUGE BENEFIT IF WE CAN GET THAT DONE.
WE HAVE TO GET THAT DONE, NOT IF WE CAN GET THAT DONE BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MONEY FOR THAT, SO WE JUST NEED TO GET THE REST OF IT AND GET THAT DONE.
I MENTIONED THE TILDEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER.
ABSOLUTELY, THAT IS A PRIORITY OF MINE, ALTHOUGH I DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO RAISE ABOUT $30 MILLION TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT, SO IT'S NOT REALISTIC TO THINK THAT WE CAN START THAT NEXT YEAR OR PROBABLY IN THE FOLLOWING COUPLE YEARS.
I JUST WANT TO BE REAL ABOUT THAT, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT IS STILL A PRIORITY OF MINE, AND I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
JUST WANT TO JUMP IN AND SAY YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO DISTILL ALL OF THE PRIORITIES INTO FIVE MINUTES, SO THANK YOU.
I HOPE YOU APPRECIATE THAT I'M KEEPING YOU FROM MAKING ASSIGNMENTS.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHY WE'RE DOING THIS THIS WAY.
THIS PROCESS IS NOT CLEAR TO ME.
SO I'M JUST TRUSTING THAT I'LL GET IT AS WE GO THROUGH BECAUSE WE ALREADY PUT ALL THIS STUFF DOWN.
BUT I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS TO DISTILL IT DOWN EVEN FURTHER.
DISTRICT WIDE PRIORITIES CONTINUE WITH LAND ACQUISITION.
WE ALL AGREED AT OUR WORKSHOP IN AUGUST, OCTOBER, WHENEVER IT WAS.
MANAGE THE URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE TO REDUCE FIRE DANGER.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I WANT TO SAY IT AGAIN.
ADDRESS MORE AGGRESSIVELY SPEEDING AND UNSAFE RIDING ON PAVED REGIONAL TRAILS THROUGH EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT.
WE NEED TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
I KNOW WE'RE DOING IT, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE OF IT.
I ARRIVE AT AN AGREEMENT WITH LARPD AND COMPLETE THE DISTRICT PLAN.
AND I'VE TRIED TO MAKE THESE REALLY THINGS THAT WE CAN START IN THE NEXT YEAR START IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND I AM VERY TROUBLED WITH PRESIDENT SAN WONG'S STATEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE THIS IS THE CASE, BUT THE MISSION AND VISION OF THE DISTRICT CHANGING SOMEHOW.
I'D RATHER HEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT IS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER IN THE PROCESS.
IF THAT'S EITHER TELL US IT'S A RUMOR, IT'S NOT TRUE, OR TELL US WHAT IT IS AND WHY
[00:55:01]
IT'S BEING PROPOSED.BECAUSE THAT'S A SACRED DOCUMENT TO ME, AND TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT IS A MAJOR BIG THING.
WE GOT A COMMENT ON THIS HERE THIS MORNING.
AND THE WAY I WROTE IT, THE WAY I DESCRIBE IT IS CREATE A PROJECT TO EXTEND THE CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL SOUTH TOWARD MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK VIA LIME RIDGE OPEN SPACE.
AND I SAY CREATE BECAUSE I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING.
WE JUST NEED TO CREATE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE CIP.
I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR FOUR YEARS, THREE YEARS.
JUST GET IT IN THERE, UNFUNDED IF THERE IS NO FUNDING, AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
THEN WE CAN START LOOKING FOR FUNDING, BUT WHEN YOU DON'T PUT IT IN THERE, IT HAS NO CHANCE WHATSOEVER.
ANOTHER CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL ONE IS CREATE A PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE CALIFORNIA RIDING AND HIKING TRAIL OVER LIME RIDGE SO THAT PAVEMENT IS ADDED IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND THE GRADE REDUCED AND A CONNECTION IS MADE BETWEEN CONCORD AND WALNUT CREEK THAT'S ALL WEATHER FOR ALL USERS TO THE CONTRA COSTA CANAL TRAIL.
IN OTHER WORDS, CONCORD TO WALNUT CREEK TO THE CANAL, FEEDER INTO THE CONTRA COSTA CANAL TRAIL, WHICH ALSO...
ENABLES YOU TO CONNECT WITH THE IRON HORSE TRAIL AND THE PLEASANT HILL BART STATION.
AND THERE'S FUNDING OUT THERE, BUT IF IT'S NOT IN THE CIP, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET THE FUNDING.
THERE'S FUNDING, THERE'S TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THROUGH CCTA.
AND THEN CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF CONCORD TO DEVELOP SAFE BIKE PAD ACCESS TO AND ACROSS THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50 SOUTH OF BAILEY PORTION.
THERE'S STUFF THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, AND THERE'S STUFF THE CITY OF CONCORD NEEDS TO DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, FOCUS ON TRYING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THE PARK OPENS.
I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU WANT ME TO ADD THERE? YOU HAD ASKED A COMMENT ABOUT NEEDING A CLARIFICATION.
PERHAPS ON WHAT MS. SAN WONG SAID.
I THINK YOU WERE ASKING, DIRECTOR MERCURIO, YOU WERE ASKING IF DIRECTOR SAN WONG WAS SAYING THAT THERE WAS SOME MOVE AFOOT TO CHANGE OUR MISSION AND VISION.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT DIRECTOR SAN WONG WAS SAYING.
I THINK YOU WERE REFERRING TO...
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN NOT BEING ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION.
SO MINE LOOK A LOT LIKE THE PRIORITY SHEET I PUBLISHED LAST YEAR, SO MAYBE I WON'T JUST GO THROUGH THE LIST.
WHAT I'VE DONE PHILOSOPHICALLY IS...
REFINE MY LIST OVER THE YEARS TO MORE REFLECT PRIORITIES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASSERT TODAY AS DOABLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, I NO LONGER PUT EVERY YEAR PINOLE VISITOR CENTER.
AS ELIZABETH KNOWS, IN MY FIRST YEARS ON THIS BOARD, I WAS STRESSING THAT.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT...
WE'RE GOING TO BE ALIGNED, IS ALIGNED THE WORD? WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO OR PURSUE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
I'VE TAKEN OFF ITEMS WHERE I THINK THERE IS ALIGNMENT.
IF I PUT ALL MY PRIORITIES ON A PIECE OF PAPER, IT WOULD BE SEVERAL PAGES.
BUT I'VE DECIDED I WOULD TAKE OFF ITEMS WHERE I THINK THE BOARD...
FOR INSTANCE, ON THE PRIORITIZATION OF WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREVENTION.
WE'RE ALL ALIGNED ON THAT, SO I DON'T JUST LIST IT EVERY YEAR.
[01:00:02]
WHERE I THINK MANAGEMENT IS PURSUING THE ISSUE AND THE BOARD IS PURSUING THE ISSUE.I DON'T HAVE CONTRALOMA HERE BECAUSE, AND BY THE WAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT MY COLLEAGUES, MANY OF YOU LISTED CONTRALOMA AS A PRIORITY.
I TOOK IT OFF BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT MANAGEMENT IS PURSUING THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND A PROCESS THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED TO REPLACE THE LAGOON, AND THE TIMING OF THAT IS GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO FUNDING.
SO I SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T NEED TO LIST.
CONTRALOMI HERE, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT OTHERS DID.
I TOOK OFF MONA'S WELLNESS WALKS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT THEY'RE BEING REINSTITUTED.
BUT IN THE PAST, I'VE INCLUDED THE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT MONA WAS REACHING OUT TO WITH THOSE WELLNESS WALKS, BUT I TOOK IT OFF.
I PRIORITIZED DOOLIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THIS ONE I TOOK OFF BECAUSE I'M SATISFIED THAT MANAGEMENT IS AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING DOOLIN AND THE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO OPENING THAT TRAIL.
BUT THAT'S THEN THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND WHAT I'VE LISTED HERE AND WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
CONTRA COSTA FAMILY CAMPGROUNDS.
THE RODEO COMMUNITY INTEREST IN EXPANDING LONE TREE.
THE BLACK DIAMOND, I TALKED ABOUT IT LAST SESSION, THE BLACK DIAMOND TIMBER PROJECT BEING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ISSUE.
GETTING HAZEL ATLAS MINE OPEN.
THE SHADE STRUCTURE AT BIG BREAK IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR MY WARD.
AND THE MASTER PLAN ISSUE THAT DIRECTOR SAN WONG HAS ADDRESSED, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH HER CONCERNS ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
AND PART OF THAT PROCESS, I WANT TO INCORPORATE A VISION FOR EAST CONTRA COSTA, INCLUDING JERSEY ISLAND, DUTCH SALOON PROJECT.
JOHN MARSH STATE HISTORIC PARK.
I THINK ALL OF THAT GOES TO MASTER PLANNING AND SUCCESSFULLY SEEKING ADDITIONAL TAX FUNDING FROM EAST CONTRA COSTA, WHERE WE DON'T GET ANY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE PROP 13 EFFECT ON THE ANNEXATION OF EAST CONTRA COSTA.
SO THOSE ARE THE ISSUES I CONTINUE TO BE STRESSING AND I THINK ARE IMMEDIATE AND I THINK, I GUESS, IN THE NATURE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
DO YOU WANT TO FLIP A COIN? YOU GO AHEAD.
OKAY, GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR DECIMBO.
DIRECTOR ESPANA'S CONFUSION OF THE CIP GOALS VERSUS PRIORITY GOALS VERSUS CART BEFORE THE HORSE, AND THE COMMENT MADE EARLIER, I'M GOING TO GO WITH THE FLOW TO SEE IF THE OUTCOME IS THE OUTCOME WE'RE ALL HEADED FOR.
FIRST OF ALL, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY.
I DIDN'T SUBMIT MINE ON TIME, AND IT WASN'T IN MY PACKET FOR ALL OF YOU TO SEE, AND VICE VERSA.
I'D LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY'S AT SOME POINT.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY PRINTED THOSE OUT FOR TODAY.
TODAY'S PACKET IS WHERE? DID I NOT PICK IT UP AT THE DOOR? IT SHOULD BE IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO GOING WITH ALL THAT, DOABLE NEAR FUTURE, I ACTUALLY WOULD PUT ON BOTH SIDES.
IT SEEMS TO ME IT SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
I WOULD ADD THE LAST SENTENCE OF THAT MISSION STATEMENT IS THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS WILL GATHER, WILL GUIDE.
SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE STRUGGLING WITH RECREATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A BIG STRUGGLE.
I THINK, AS DIRECTOR ECHOLS SAID, IT'S A WONDERFUL THING THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE'RE FIGHTING OVER RECREATION AND RESTORATION.
I THINK BOTH, WE WANT BOTH, ALL OF US.
BUT I DO PARTICULARLY LIKE THE LAST SENTENCE WAS
[01:05:02]
PUT IN THERE INTENTIONALLY.TO GUIDE THE FIRST FEW SENTENCES.
AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS IS DOING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT IT DOES AT TIMES SEEM WE'RE IN CONFLICT, AND IT'S REALLY UPSETTING THAT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE OFTEN AT ODDS WITH US BECAUSE THAT JUST SEEMS SO BACKWARDS.
SO ON THE ONE HAND, WHAT SEEMS SO DOABLE AND CLEAR IS FOLLOW OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT SEEMS AT TIMES THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH HOW TO DO THAT.
AND UNDER ALL OF THAT, THE BIGGEST THING TO ME IS THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN, ALSO CALLED THE DISTRICT PLAN, ALSO CALLED THE MASTER PLAN.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE EVEN OUR OWN GOOD MARKETING OR NAME FOR IT INTERNALLY.
AND I HAVE GREAT CONCERN RECENTLY.
WAS TOLD BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WHEN THEY WENT UP TO OUR DISTRICT PLAN BOOTH OR OUR MASTER PLAN BOOTH OR SECOND CENTURY PLAN BOOTH, THEY WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE STARTING ALL OVER.
AND LITERALLY THE TERM WAS USED, WE'RE THROWING OUT THE LAST PLAN.
AND SURELY THAT'S NOT THE WORD THEY USED.
AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE USED THE SAME TERM.
DIRECTOR COFFEY AND SAN WONG, WHERE WE HEADED FOR A MILLION DOLLARS, THE OLD, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
SO TO ME, IT SEEMS VERY DOABLE, IS OUR MASTER PLAN.
IT FOLLOWS OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS IS OUR GUIDE.
SO ON THE EASY SIDE, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
THINGS BESIDES THROWING IT OUT, I'VE BEEN HEARING THINGS LIKE, OH, WE DON'T REALLY FOLLOW THE LITTLE L-U-P OR THE CAPITAL L, CAPITAL U, CAPITAL P, OR, OH, THOSE NOMENCLATURES FOR PRESERVES VERSUS WILDERNESS AREAS VERSUS PARKS ARE FLEXIBLE.
TO ME, IT SEEMS THAT WHAT'S EASY SHOULD BE OUR MASTER PLAN AND TO CONTINUE IT.
AND THEN WHAT'S HARD MAYBE IS TO...
GET CLARITY ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OR MEANS FOR SOME REASON.
I CONSIDER THEM SACRED FOUNDATIONS.
TO ME, A DISTRICT PLAN UPDATE SHOULD BE AN EASY THING.
WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 90 YEARS.
I MEAN, I'M GLAD WE'RE ENGAGING THE PUBLIC.
ABSOLUTELY, IT SEEMS WE'RE DOING IT.
IF NOTHING ELSE, WE'RE RESPONSIVE.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS HERE TO STAY.
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, FIRE, WILDFIRE, DROUGHT, DYING TREES.
SO ABSOLUTELY, CLIMATE IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A MUST.
THESE ARE THINGS, COLIN, I AGREE.
LIKE, DO WE RESTATE THESE OR ASSUME THEY'RE GIVEN? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE PROCESS, BUT I'LL RESTATE THAT THAT'S IN THERE.
I THINK A NO-BRAINER IS A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT THEN THE DIFFICULTY IS THE TRADEOFFS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
AND THEN A COUPLE OTHER, TO ME, IS KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
THESE ARE THEIR PARKS, THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THEM.
SO THAT PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATION BECAUSE THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE THESE PARKS TO CARE FOR.
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID I I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THOSE THAT YOU'RE WRITING NICELY NOW IN PURPLE SO BESIDES THE MASTER PLAN I FEEL LIKE ALL OF THOSE I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I DON'T THINK MY BOARD SHARES THEM BUT TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE ALL OF THOSE SHOULD BE IN EVERY STAFF REPORT THAT'S MY TIME UP SO ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE IN THE MASTER PLAN, AND ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE IN THE STAFF REPORT, AND ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE MISSION-DRIVEN.
THAT'S SORT OF MY VISION OF THE FOOD PYRAMID, THAT THEY SHOULD ALL GO TO THE MISSION, IT SHOULD BE IN THE MASTER PLAN, AND EVERY STAFF REPORT SHOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THE CLIMATE IMPACTS, THE EQUITY IMPACTS, THE BALANCED BUDGET, THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
AND FROM THAT, ALL THE REST OF THIS IS GOING TO FLOW.
AND THEN IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE NO-BRAINER IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, I THINK, IN THE NEXT SESSION IS THESE CPP SCORES.
TAKING ALL THESE THINGS, GIVING EACH OF THEM, IS IT IN THE MASTER PLAN, IS IT IN THE MISSION, IS IT CLIMATE CHANGE, IS IT EQUITY, DO WE HAVE THE MONEY, SHOULD HELP DRIVE OUR SCORES FOR US IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
SO I'M GLAD THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND I WOULD PUT THAT AS MY LAST CPP. I HOPE THAT WE HAVE A VERY DELIVERABLE OUTCOME FROM THESE THREE MEETINGS WITH A NEW CPP SCORE THAT RANKS ALL OF THESE THINGS, GOES BACK TO OUR MASTER PLAN, GOES BACK TO OUR MISSION.
[01:10:01]
I'M NOT SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT AT THE END OF MAY 19TH, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO AIM HIGH.I'LL SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE SCORE ON MAY 19TH. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT FOR THE NEW SCORING.
BUT WE WILL HAVE A REPORT ON WHAT WE HEARD, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A PLAN TO DEVELOP IT.
I KNOW WE HAVE DIRECTOR ESPANA STILL TO GO.
JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE BOTH FOLKS BRINGING NEW THINGS TO THE CONVERSATION AND REITERATING EXISTING.
ITEMS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO GUIDE THIS WORK TO KNOW SORT OF WHAT ARE THE BIGGER THEMES THAT ARE ONGOING AND WHAT ARE SOME NEW THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP.
I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FOLLOWING THE RULES OR IF YOU WANTED ME TO GET MORE INTO PROJECTS AND SPECIFICS LIKE SOME OF YOU HAVE DONE.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AND I'M DOING MY BEST.
IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO BOIL EVERYTHING DOWN INTO FIVE MINUTES.
SO I THINK THIS IS MORE OF JUST A...
I SEE THIS AS A WARM-UP BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS BOTH, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR BREAK AND THEN ON MAY 19TH.
SO THIS IS JUST REALLY A WARM-UP.
ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT DIRECTOR BOLOGNA NEXT.
ONE, I'D LIKE TO REVISIT BOARD OPERATING GUIDELINES AND FINISH UPDATING THOSE.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THE BOARD BE CLEAR ON WHAT IS BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES AND WHAT AREN'T OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
I SEE A LOT OF BOARD CREEP IN THIS DISCUSSION.
THEN I ALSO SEE SOME ITEMS THAT ARE 100% IN OUR PURVIEW TO EXECUTE.
WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON SETTING OURSELVES UP.
WE ALSO NEED TO THINK A LITTLE BIT LESS OF THIS OVERALL KIND OF VIEW AND KIND OF REALLY START FOCUSING ON WHAT DIFFICULT CHOICES WE'RE GOING TO MAKE TO REDUCE THE $20 MILLION.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE APPROACHING THAT AND REALLY HAVING THAT ROBUST DISCUSSION.
SO I'M HOPING THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING OUR NEXT MEETING.
AS FAR AS DISTRICT PLAN, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO I'M AS FAR AS WHATEVER EFFORTS IT TAKES TO COMPLETE IT AND NOT INCUR ADDITIONAL COSTS AND SOME OF THE CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR OTHER FUNCTIONS.
I LOOK AT THAT AS AN EXTENSION OF THE COST TOWARDS THE MASTER PLAN, THE DISTRICT PLAN.
I WANT TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITHIN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS FINANCE, LOOKING AT WORKDAY AND WAYS THAT WE CAN APPROVE OUR DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT, JUST AS FAR AS EFFORTS IN PURCHASING, ALL OF THOSE MAKE US STRONGER AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AND THEN JUST AS FAR AS OTHER STREAMLINING OF PROGRAMS, DEFINITELY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, CONTINUING THOSE EFFORTS THERE.
I'M SEEING A LOT OF GREAT PROGRESS WITHIN AS FAR AS WORK THAT'S HAPPENING NOW AND ONE OF THOSE INITIATIVES IS THE HERITAGE GATHERING AND THOSE EVENTS DONE BY ALISON BROOKS AND YULI PADMORE AND BRENDA HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE BECAUSE THOSE ARE BRINGING DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, REACHING OUT TO THEM, LETTING THEM SEE THAT THE PARKS ARE FOR EVERYONE.
SO I THINK THOSE HERITAGE EVENTS ARE IN THE SPIRIT.
OF PAST EVENTS THAT MONA PUT ON, THERE'S STILL DEFINITELY ALL BOARD MEMBERS WANT THE WELLNESS WALKS BACK, BUT WE DO HAVE TO SEE THAT WE NEED TO, AS FAR AS BRING THESE PROGRAMS BACK, BUT THEN ALSO HAVE SOME OF THEM EVOLVE FOR CURRENT NEEDS.
[01:15:01]
ANOTHER POSITIVE I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND WAS THE RESOURCE FAIR.AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS FAR AS I SEE AS WE'RE STARTING TO BRING BACK SOME OF THAT PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THESE ARE THINGS TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE.
OF COURSE, DEI, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN IN THE OTHER AREA, SEA LEVEL RISE AND WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
I KIND OF SAW THIS EXERCISE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO, AS DIRECTOR OF PRIORITIES, LOOK AT DISTRICT-WIDE PROGRAMS THAT I THOUGHT REALLY PROMOTED US AS A DISTRICT, AND THAT WAS THURGOOD MARSHALL, MILLER KNOX, AND WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AT MLK.
AND THOSE ARE PROGRAMS, THOSE ARE DIFFERENT CAPITAL PROJECTS DISTRICT-WISE I BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT.
I TALKED ABOUT THE PRIORITIES FOR MY DISTRICT.
AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE JUST COMPLETING THE PROJECTS.
IN ROBERT CROWN BEACH, WE WANT TO FINISH THE RESTROOMS THAT HAVE BEEN STARTED, AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC REASONS WHY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN COMPLETED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SINCE YOU WERE ASKING US TO LOOK HARDER, WHAT COULD WE CUT BACK? I'D LOVE ALL THE BATHROOMS RENOVATED IN CROWN BEACH.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO START CUTTING DOLLARS, MAYBE WE LOOK AT NOT RENOVATING ALL OF THEM, BUT COMPLETING THE ONES THAT ARE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO THOSE ARE WHERE I DID TRADE-OFFS.
THEY MIGHT NOT BE TRADE-OFFS THAT I WANT TO MAKE.
LIKE, I PERSONALLY WANT THE WHOLE BIKE SKILLS BUILT OUT.
BUT IF WE HAVE TO PHASE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR IF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT NOT BRINGING 100% OF THE PROGRAMMINGS, EVEN THOUGH WE RENOVATE TIDEWATER, THEN THOSE ARE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.
AND JUST THE LAST THING THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR MY DISTRICT IS ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, AND THAT'S REALLY LOOKING HOW DIFFERENT UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES LIKE EAST OAKLAND, WE MIGHT HAVE A PARK OR WE'RE BUILDING TIDEWATER, BUT THE ACTUAL ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PATHWAYS TO THE PARK MAY BE THERE'S DIFFERENT DIFFICULTIES.
SO I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THAT MIGHT NOT BE WITHIN THE EAST.
BAY PARKS JURISDICTION, BUT MAKING SURE WE'RE PART OF THE CONVERSATION SO PEOPLE CAN SAFELY GET TO OUR PARKS.
GUESS WHAT? WE ARE ON TIME AND EVEN A LITTLE BIT EARLY.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE OUR BREAK, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND WE CAN DISCUSS ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE BREAK, I DO WANT TO MENTION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AFTER THE NEXT SECTION ON OUR SCHEDULE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THIS WILL BE THE ONLY PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, ASIDE FROM THE ONE THAT WE HAD EARLIER.
SO THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, WE HOPE TO START AROUND 1215.
WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE, TO OUR SECOND PART OF THIS MORNING'S BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOP.
AS WE'RE GETTING SETTLED, I DID WANT TO SHARE THAT DIRECTOR WASPIE AND I WERE ABLE TO BRING HOME THE BRONZE AT AN AXE-THROWING CONTEST WHERE WE CAME IN THIRD PLACE.
WE REPRESENTED EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
IN OUR THIRD PLACE ACHIEVEMENT, WE BEAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF, ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE.
ALL RIGHT, AND I GOT TO BE THERE TO BE THE CHEERLEADER THEY DID GREAT.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THAT PLAQUE, WE'LL DISPLAY IT PROUDLY HERE IN THE BOARDROOM.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THEIR SECOND PORTION.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO START BY APPRECIATING ALL OF YOU.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT TASK AND I THINK ONE OF THEM WHERE WE'VE TRIED TO BE SORT OF ADAPTIVE IN THIS PROCESS.
WE HEARD AS WE WERE SORT OF PUTTING TOGETHER MAYBE A MORE STRUCTURED PROCESS AND INTEREST IN HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE, THINK MORE BROADLY, TO HEAR YOUR PRIORITIES IN A MORE GENERAL WAY.
AND SO WE'VE CREATED THIS PROCESS TO TRY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THAT AND TO HEAR THAT.
BUT SAYING THAT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT ALL OF THIS INTO SORT OF A SHORT FIVE-MINUTE PRESENTATION, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING.
THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO GIVE YOU SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEXT PARTS OF THIS PROCESS AND MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
SO WHAT I WAS PLANNING TO DO NEXT WAS TO SORT OF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH OF YOU IN A YOU KNOW, A FEW MINUTES JUST TO LIKE SHARE SOME OBSERVATIONS AS
[01:20:01]
YOU LISTEN TO YOUR COLLEAGUES.YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHERE DO YOU SEE ALIGNMENT? WHERE DO YOU SEE CHALLENGES? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT STICK OUT TO YOU FROM LISTENING TO YOUR COLLEAGUES? AND THEN, AND THEN THE NEXT PART THAT WE WERE GOING TO JUMP INTO WAS TO FOCUS EVEN MORE ON WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT, WHERE THERE ARE ISSUES OR PROJECTS OR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THERE'S MORE THAN ONE OF YOU THAT'S SORT OF FOCUSED ON OR INTERESTED IN IT.
AND, AGAIN, KAREN'S GOING TO KIND OF CAPTURE THIS.
AND THEN THE LAST BIT WAS TO KIND OF FOCUS ON WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING HERE AND, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU SEEING THOSE CHALLENGES.
SO DOES THAT SOUND GOOD? ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED? I HAVE A QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHICH PROJECTS OR PRIORITIES WE ARE ALIGNED ON BECAUSE OF HOW THIS WAS HOW WE HAVE THE FORM SAID BROAD DISTRICT WIDE AND THERE'S A LOT OF ALIGNMENT ON THE BROAD DISTRICT WIDE BUT MOST OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE ARE IN OUR DISTRICTS AND SO I MEAN ACTUALLY DIRECTOR ESPANA IS THE EXCEPTION.
SHE DID A LOT OF DIFFERENT WARDS, BUT MOST OF US JUST HAD OUR OWN WARDS, PARTLY BECAUSE IT SAID DISTRICT PRIORITY, MEANING THE WARD PRIORITIES.
I WANT TO SUPPORT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR PROJECTS, AND THERE ARE SOME WHERE I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I DO.
BUT SOME OF THEM I'M LESS FAMILIAR WITH, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND.
HERE'S WHAT I'M WONDERING IN RESPONSE TO THAT.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO, WHAT I'M HEARING IS MAYBE FOR SOME FOLKS WE DIDN'T HEAR EVERYBODY, LIKE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY THAT ARE, IN OTHER WORDS, BESIDES YOUR OWN, THAT YOU THINK ARE REALLY HIGH PRIORITIES FOR THE DISTRICT AND THAT THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL? I HEARD DIRECTOR ESPANA KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT.
WOULD THAT BE A HELPFUL EXERCISE FOR THIS GROUP TO KIND OF GO AROUND AND JUST SPEND A COUPLE MINUTES SORT OF NAMING THOSE THINGS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT? THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING FROM DIRECTOR ECHOLS, I THINK.
THAT COULD BE KIND OF FUN AND INTERESTING AND MAYBE MAKE IT A LIGHTNING ROUND.
YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE, I HATE TO SAY IT THIS WAY, BUT EASIER TO DO IS IF THEY'RE ALL ON A BOARD AND WE HAD DOTS AND WE CAN JUST PUT THEM UP THERE.
WE COULD DO THAT AT OUR NEXT SESSION.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE THING ALL AT ONCE.
IN YOUR MIND, YOU CAN THINK, OKAY, THAT ONE'S AHEAD OF THAT ONE, AND THAT ONE'S AHEAD, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
WE COULD DO THAT AT OUR NEXT SESSION.
WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE, AND I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK PEOPLE KIND OF GOT INTO IT THAT WAY.
BUT IF YOU DO THE DOT, SOME TYPE OF, LIKE, POINT VALUE OR...
SO JUST AS FAR AS THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR LIKE THE FIVE TOP PROJECTS OR FIVE, SIX PROJECTS OR PROJECTS THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD PAUSE ON.
SO HAVE SOMETHING MAYBE MOVE FORWARD, TAKING THE CRITERIA THAT YOU HAVE HERE, LIKE PAUSE OR IS THERE A TRADE-OFF, BUILDING IN THAT TYPE OF CRITERIA.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATIVE THAN JUST WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE AGREEMENT WITH.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS AS WE BUILD OUT FOR THE NEXT SESSION, OR IT COULD BE A FUTURE SESSION, BUT I THINK PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT SESSION WE COULD DO THIS, IS WORK IN AN EXERCISE WHERE WE COULD HAVE ALL THE CAPITAL PROJECTS LISTED, AND IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A DOT.
MAYBE IT'S LIKE A GREEN DOT ON PROJECTS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE MOVE FORWARD.
MAYBE IT'S A YELLOW DOT ON PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE PAUSED AND A RED DOT ON PROJECTS THAT YOU RECOMMEND MIGHT BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WELL, I'M KIND OF LOOKING SPECIFICALLY MORE ON THE PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECTS BECAUSE I THINK THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE EMERGENCY OR HAVE A HIGHER SCORE, THERE'S SPECIFIC REASONS.
SO I FEEL LIKE THOSE PROJECTS, AND I MEAN I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT JUST AS FAR AS...
THAT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION VERSUS THE ONES THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THAT WILL RESULT INTO ADDITIONAL STAFF AND STAFFING OR PROGRAMMING.
JUST THE ONES THAT WE, WE ALL PICK THE ONES THAT GO UP THERE ON THE BOARD TO PUT THE DOTS ON.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO HERE, NOT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.WELL, I THINK WE CAN CAPTURE SOME OF THESE IDEAS, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF LIKE SEE HOW WE CAN.
YEAH, AND IF THE TURNAROUND, I MEAN, WE HAVE SEVEN DAYS UNTIL THE NEXT WORKSHOP.
IF IT FEELS LIKE WE GET TO A POINT TODAY WHERE MAYBE THIS IDEA MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE EXECUTED IN SEVEN DAYS, WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT A TIME WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO DO IT.
YEAH, BRING IT APART AS A REGULAR.
THAT IT BE PROJECTS THAT NEED INVESTMENT AS OPPOSED TO PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE CAPITAL PROJECT LIST.
BECAUSE WHEN I WAS PLAYING AROUND WITH THAT TOOL, I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW MANY AREN'T ACTUALLY ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS LIST.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, I ASSUME WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS OPPOSED TO NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S A QUESTION.
WE CAN DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING MORE THAN ONE YEAR OUT.
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
WILL, IS THAT BRINGING SOMETHING ELSE UP? BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE LOOKING AHEAD IN NEXT YEAR THAT WE WERE NOT ADDING NEW PROJECTS.
SO THAT WASN'T, LIKE, PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO, I MEAN, IS THAT A CONSTRAINT OR IS IT NOT A CONSTRAINT? AND THEN IF THERE'S PROJECTS THAT WE STILL FEEL NEED TO HAPPEN, IS THAT SOME TYPE OF SEPARATE LIST THAT WE'RE COLLECTING BUT WE'RE JUST NOT ADDING ON TO THIS LIST? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF CONSTRAINTS IF WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, DECREASE THINGS BY $20 MILLION.
COLIN, I SAW YOU WERE WANTING TO SPEAK TO HIM.
WELL, I WANTED TO KIND OF RIFF ON WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND ONE OF THE ASKS BEFORE THIS MEETING WAS, WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE SLOWED DOWN OR CUT? I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR LAST MEETING, WHERE WE WERE ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION.
AND I KEEP COMING BACK TO MY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GOVERNANCE WORKS, IS THAT I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SAY, WE OUGHT TO CUT THAT, OR WE OUGHT TO SLOW DOWN ON THAT, WITHOUT A HELL OF A LOT OF STAFF INPUT.
TALKING TO JOHN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOK WHAT BART IS GOING THROUGH.
YOU KNOW, BART, IF THE MEASURE DOESN'T PASS, HAS TO CLOSE STATIONS AND CUT SERVICES AND A LOT.
YOU DON'T THINK THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BART IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
IT'S STAFF'S OBLIGATION TO BRING OPTIONS.
WE PROBABLY SHOULD SHUT THIS STATION BECAUSE OF THE VOLUMES AND THE REVENUE IMPACTS.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE KIND OF EXERCISES BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT TO CUT.
I FEEL LIKE I'M IN NO POSITION TO SAY, LET'S CUT THIS, LET'S SLOW DOWN THAT, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT OR THE CONTEXT OF IT.
AND I'VE BEEN AN OBSERVER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR DECADES, AND I'VE NEVER KNOWN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT PUTS IT IN THE HANDS OF THE GOVERNANCE.
THE BOARD, THE COUNCIL, TO SPECULATE ON CUTTING THINGS.
AND SO I JUST DIDN'T BUY INTO THAT PART OF THIS PROCESS.
I'M VERY CAPABLE OF SUGGESTING WHAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED, BUT NOT WHAT SHOULD BE CUT.
DIRECTOR COFFEY, I THINK SO ON THE 19TH, WE'RE GOING TO TALK GENERALLY ABOUT AREAS WHERE WE COULD MAKE REDUCTIONS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I DON'T THINK...
STAFF'S LOOKING TO YOUR BOARD TO SAY CUT THIS EXACT THING, BUT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR POTENTIAL COMFORT LEVEL WITH STAFF INVESTIGATING REDUCTIONS IN THOSE AREAS.
I THINK JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON TRACK HERE, AND DIRECTOR WASPIE, I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING IS A DESIRE TO DO A DOT EXERCISE AROUND CAPITAL PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY.
I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON IT.
THIS CAN INFORM EITHER SOMETHING WE BRING ON THE 19TH OR IF IT NEEDS MORE WORK, SOMETHING WE BRING BACK FURTHER IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING ON THE 19TH AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
SO WE'RE NOT EXPECTING YOU TO.
IN OUR MATERIALS IN PREPARATION FOR THESE MEETINGS
[01:30:02]
ON CONSTRAINTS, BUDGET, MONEY, AS LUANA PUT IT, IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY, I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE STRESS OF THAT, AS I DID IN THE DISTRICT PLAN DISCUSSION AT FERN COTTAGE, IS THAT THESE SESSIONS SHOULD BE VISIONARY AND TALKING ABOUT VISION PRIORITIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE UNREALISTIC BUT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.TO BE PUT OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS AGENCY HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD AT, LONG-TERM VISION.
AND, YOU KNOW, EMPHASIZING TODAY'S BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT I WOULD DO FOR SESSIONS LIKE THIS THAT SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON VISION.
YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAVE THESE CONSTRAINTS, BUT NOT SUCH A GREAT EMPHASIS THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO THESE MATERIALS.
IT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE IN TERMS OF HOW THIS SESSION IS SET UP, BECAUSE I HAVE LOTS OF VISION THAT IS CONSTRAINED KNOWINGLY BY ACTUAL FISCAL AND FUNDING ISSUES.
BUT I STILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT A PINOLE VISITOR CENTER SOMEDAY, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ENVISIONED FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES NOW AND AREN'T PURSUING, BUT I WANT TO KEEP IT OUT THERE AND KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND IF IT'S STRESS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR, I KNOW THAT.
I KNOW THAT TODAY, BUT I STILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND SO THAT'S SOME MORE INPUT ON THE BACKGROUND TO THIS SESSION.
OKAY, DENNIS, I THINK, AND THEN...
WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO GET TOO DEEP IN THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE A DEAL.
BUT, I MEAN, COLIN, I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THE BOARD CAN DO.
I MEAN, THERE'S SOMETHING I WILL CUT RIGHT NOW, AND IT WOULD BE THE CROWLEY PROPERTY.
WHY ARE WE PAYING RENT ON THE CROWLEY PROPERTY? AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE DEAL, BUT THAT'S CRAZY TO ME BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING RENT.
IT'S NOT MUCH MONEY, BUT IT'S CRAZY.
THERE'S NO FUTURE IN THAT PLACE.
THERE'S NO FUTURE IN THAT UP THERE.
WE WERE SOLD A LANDFILL AND NOT TOLD ABOUT IT, SO WE CAN'T BUILD A TRAIL THERE.
EVEN IF IT'S SMALL MONEY OR TAKING A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME, LET'S DIRECT IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THAT WAS MY ONLY STATEMENT, BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE SOME VALUE IN OUR INPUT.
ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND I PUT THIS IN MY NOTES, IT'S ON MY SLIDE OR MY FORM RATHER, THAT IN ADDITION TO UNDERSTANDING THAT...
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHERE STAFF THINKS WE'RE MOST LIKELY TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR GRANTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT ALSO, LIKE, IF WE CAN FOCUS ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, THAT MIGHT ALLEVIATE PRESSURE FOR OTHERS IN TERMS OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT.
I GUESS MAYBE IT'S THE SCIENTIST IN ME OR THE DELIVERABLE OUTCOMES.
I THINK ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR ME AND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT BRINGING BACK WITH THE DOTS, TO ME WE NEED TO HEAR FROM STAFF AND THE CPP AS GOOD AS IT IS OR IF IT CONTINUES TO GET BETTER AS A STARTING SPOT.
LIKE WITH CROWLEY, IT WAS ON FORMER DIRECTOR DEE ROSARIOS FOR DECADES, AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IT WAS A NEVER TOUCH IT.
SUTTER FAMILY, OH MY GOD, GEORGE.
JOHN SUTTER'S DREAM AND FAMILY MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR THAT, AND THEN THERE'S SOME TALK, WELL, STAFF'S TALKED WITH THE FAMILY AND CAN MOVE IT AROUND AT THEIR AGREEMENT, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
SO I FEEL LIKE BOTH WHAT DIRECTOR COFFEY'S SAYING, LIKE WE NEED TO HEAR AND TRUST STAFF ON SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE MAYBE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND THAT COULD BE REFLECTED, I THINK, IN THE CPP SCORE.
AND THEN WE COULD STILL, LIKE, WITH THAT STARTING POINT FROM STAFF UNDERSTANDING, PUT OUR OWN DOTS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF, LIKE, THERE'S SOME EXTRA POINT SOMEWHERE THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD REVISIT THAT, EITHER THAT WE KNOW, LIKE I'VE HEARD FROM THE FORMER DIRECTOR, ROSARIO, VERSUS OTHERS, AND HELP CHANGE OUR MINDS, LIKE HELP US WITH THIS.
AND SEPARATE FROM ALL OF THAT, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT WAS RAISED IN PRESIDENT SAN JUAN'S IDEA OF SOME TYPE OF BUDGET ENHANCEMENT OR A BUDGET REVIEW, WHEN WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE MAKING THE BUDGET WHEN I WAS THE MAYOR OF MORAGA, WE CALLED IT A REVENUE ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE WHERE WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND
[01:35:01]
BRAINSTORMED IDEAS OF HOW TO, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER, WHAT DID THE PUBLIC SEE, WHAT DID STAFF SEE, WHAT DID THE ELECTED SEE OF HOW WE COULD BALANCE A CLEARLY HEADED IN THE WRONG WAY BUDGET.IT JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S SOME OTHER MEASURABLE...
THINGS LIKE THAT THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M MISSING AS A BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBER TO DO MY JOB.
I HAVE ONE THING, BUT GO AHEAD FIRST.
I JUST SAY I THINK THIS IS HELPFUL.
I FEEL LIKE I'M HEARING MORE ABOUT SORT OF A DIRECTION AROUND BEING ABLE TO SCORE, BRING BACK TO YOUR BOARD MAYBE BOTH THE CPP SCORING AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP.
PROVIDE PRIORITIZATION THROUGH A DOT EXERCISE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THEY WOULD INFORM EACH OTHER IN ESSENCE.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU SAID, OH, WE WON'T REVISE THE CPP SCORE UNTIL THE FALL, BUT WE HAVE SOME SCORES, AND IT HAS HELPED GUIDE THE CONVERSATION.
LIKE, WHY IS THAT ONE WITH A 46 IN THE WW TRANSFER MONEY? AND I'VE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I UNDERSTOOD THAT AT THE END.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THAT FAR APART.
I THINK WE COULD USE BOTH TOOLS AND CONTINUE TO REFINE BOTH TOOLS WITH SOME OUTSIDE LOOK FROM STAFF, FROM THE COMMUNITY, PERHAPS EVEN ON HOW DO WE GET CREATIVE.
RATHER THAN JUST SAY, OH, WELL, I WANT TO PUT ALL MY MONEY INTO POINT MALADE.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED IS, WELL, COULD THAT HAVE BEEN A GRAVEL TRAIL? DID IT HAVE TO BE A PAVED TRAIL? OR, OH, WE WANT TO DO A BMX.
OR A PUBLIC SKILL, THAT'S GREAT, BUT COULD MAYBE THAT HAVE BEEN A CONCESSIONAIRE OR SOMETHING ELSE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALTERNATIVES THAT COULD HELP GUIDE US TO SAVE MONEY, NOT JUST PROJECT YES OR NO.
MAYBE IT'S SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
MAYBE THE CPP SCORE, MAYBE THE INPUT, MAYBE OUR YELLOW DOTS MIGHT SAY, YEAH, WE REALLY DO NEED TO KEEP GOING WITH POINT MALADE, BUT MAYBE WE COULD...
DO IT WITH A GRAVEL TRAIL OR YOU TELL ME NO THAT'S RIDICULOUS YOU EITHER DO IT ALL PAVED RIGHT NOW OR YOU DON'T DO IT AT ALL LIKE I DON'T HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING TO HELP MAKE THOSE DECISIONS WE NEED STAFF WHICH I THINK IS WHAT DIRECTOR COFFEE WAS SAYING ALONG WITH OTHER COMMENTS ANYWAY I'LL STOP THERE AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD YOU KNOW NOT EVERYTHING SO WHEN DIRECTOR COFFEE BRINGS UP YOU KNOW VISION IN THESE SESSIONS I I GUESS AND ALSO REMOVING ITEMS FROM THE LIST NOT EVERYTHING IS IS IS THE CAPITAL PROJECT NOT EVERYTHING IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS EVALUATED I KNOW THE PAST THREE YEARS I COME TO THIS SESSION AND I ALWAYS WOULD TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW RECOGNIZING THE EXTENSION OF THE IRON HORSE TRAIL INTO LIVERMORE BECAUSE PRIOR TO JOINING THIS BOARD SO I JOINED THIS BOARD IN JANUARY OF 2023 IN MAY 2022 WE AT ZONE 7 IN CITY OF LIVERMORE WE CELEBRATED THE IRON HORSE TRAIL EXTENSION IN LIVERMORE OPENING ZONE 7 LARGELY FUNDED IT AND CITY OF LIVERMORE OPERATES AND MAINTAINS IT.
AND I'VE COME TO THIS SESSION THREE YEARS AND IT'S NEVER MADE IT ON ANY LIST OR ANY PRIORITIZATION.
I DON'T THINK IT'S EVEN BEEN REALLY EVALUATED BY STAFF.
AND SO I REMOVED IT FROM THE PRIORITIZATION THIS YEAR.
SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T NEED TO THAT WE CAN SLOW DOWN OR MAKE IT LOWER PRIORITY I THINK THAT YOU KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE EAST BAY PARK DOESN'T HAVE A COPYRIGHT ON IRON HORSE TRAIL AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PARTNERS IN THE LIVERMORE AREA THAT ARE WORKING ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL EXTENSION INTO LIVERMORE AND QUITE FRANKLY THEY DON'T NEED EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE DEPRIORITIZING SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF MINE AND CERTAINLY I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO COME HERE AND REALLY HELP YOU KNOW BRIDGE THAT HAVING BEEN A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT HELPED FUND THAT BUT I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S A PRIORITY FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DEPRIORITIZED.
WELL WHY DON'T WE TURN THAT AROUND WHY DON'T WE JUST AS A BOARD DECIDE THAT THAT'S LOW-HANGING FRUIT AND EASY TO DO AND JUST YOU KNOW ASK STAFF TO DO IT YOU KNOW IT'S I JOHN AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND WE'RE GETTING REALLY INTO THE WEEDS HERE, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BOARDS SHOULDN'T DO THAT, AND SOMETIMES BOARDS SHOULD.
BUT JOHN KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE BROCHURES WE HAVE DOWN IN THE WELL HERE.
WE SHOULD HAVE A BROCHURE THAT IS IRON HORSE TRAIL, NOT CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA TRAILS OR EASTERN ALAMEDA TRAILS, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE...
A BROCHURE THAT IS IRON HORSE TRAIL THAT INCLUDES LIVERMORE. WE USED TO.
SO THAT WOULD BE A SIMPLE SOLUTION, AND WE CAN TALK TO EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ABOUT CREATING THAT BROCHURE.
I'VE ADVOCATED FOR A BAY TRAIL BROCHURE BECAUSE IT'S IMMENSELY POPULAR, AND MTC OR ABAC,
[01:40:03]
THEY DON'T DO IT ANYMORE.THEY DON'T MAKE A BAY TRAIL BROCHURE.
WE CAN MAKE A BAY TRAIL OF THE EAST BAY.
SO THERE ARE IDEAS THAT WE AS...
BOARD MEMBERS CAN BRING AND PURSUE THAT ARE REALLY OPERATIONAL, BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
AND YOU'RE POINTING OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INCORPORATING THE LIVERMORE EXTENSION INTO WHAT WE MARKET AS THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
YEAH, I THINK THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOUR BOARD IS, A, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE.
TOGETHER ON PRIORITIZING CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGH A DOT EXERCISE? B, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT AREN'T CAPITAL PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT AND MAYBE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM EACH OTHER AND WHERE DO YOU HAVE ALIGNMENT? WHERE DO THOSE THINGS COME TOGETHER LIKE YOU SAID TO CREATE A LOW-HANGING FRUIT THAT STAFF CAN CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD IN THE NEXT YEAR WHERE WE CAN KIND OF HEAR SOME SHARED PRIORITIES? SO I'M WONDERING, WE HAVE ABOUT 45 MINUTES LEFT.
IS THAT A USEFUL USE OF THIS TIME, HELPFUL USE OF THIS TIME FOR YOU ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT SEPARATE FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS AROUND STAFF WORK IN THE COMING YEAR? I GOT ONE.
JUST GOING THROUGH A BROCHURE COULD...
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO AVOID.
CAN I JUST JUMP IN? BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I DEPRIORITIZED IT.
BUT I'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS UP FOR THREE YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF TIME TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND THAT IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT STAFF WANTED TO PRIORITIZE.
SO I KNOW WE THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE EASY TO DO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S EASY TO DO, BUT I'VE RECEIVED SO MUCH PUSHBACK ON THIS THAT...
WELL, I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT WE AS A BOARD PURSUE IT.
ANOTHER ONE IS, AND THIS IS...
GETTING IN THE WEEDS, THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY, AN ISSUE THAT REALLY IS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AND PRETTY MUCH OURS PREDOMINANTLY.
AND THAT I'VE HEARD THIS MORNING, AND TALKING ABOUT ALIGNMENT AND WHERE THERE'S MORE THAN ONE DIRECTOR'S SUPPORT, I'VE HEARD THIS MORNING THAT A NUMBER OF US ARE CONCERNED WITH THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS.
THIS HAS COME UP REPEATEDLY, RIGHT? AND MY SENSE AS I'M LISTENING TO THIS IS THAT THE BOARD WASN'T SATISFIED WITH TWO OR THREE HOURS THAT WE SPENT AT FERN COTTAGE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, WHERE THE BOARD HAD INPUT ON THE MASTER PLAN AND THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS.
AND WE ALL CAME WITH ISSUES THAT DID NOT GET ADDRESSED.
SO MY LOW-HANGING FRUIT IS THAT THIS BOARD INSERT ITSELF INTO ROUND TWO.
ROUND TWO IS, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
I'VE ATTENDED A COUPLE OF THE ZOOM MEETINGS OF ACCOMPANYING ROUND TWO.
ROUND TWO DIDN'T INCLUDE A BOARD MEETING, AND SO I WANT TO SUGGEST TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE INSERT OURSELVES INTO ROUND TWO AND THAT THERE BE A BOARD.
AGAIN, TALK ABOUT CREATING WORK FOR STAFF, AND I'M HESITANT TO DO THAT, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE A WORKSHOP.
ON THE MASTER PLAN, NOW, INSERT OURSELVES INTO ROUND TWO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING, AND I WANT TO SUGGEST IT, BECAUSE THERE ARE TABLE OF CONTENTS ISSUES IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE ALL LANDING ON, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF STARTING, IT'S LIKE ZERO-BASED BUDGETING.
THAT'S WHAT STAFF HAS IN MIND.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA, ACTUALLY.
THERE ARE PARTS OF THE BUDGET FROM 2013 IN THAT MASTER PLAN THAT I WANT TO BE REALLY SURE ARE IN OUR NEW MASTER PLAN.
AND SO I THINK RATHER THAN ALLOWING THE PROCESS TO KEEP GOING WITHOUT A BOARD MEETING, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING AND INSERT OURSELVES IN THAT PROCESS.
THAT IS WHERE I THINK THERE'S ALIGNMENT AMONG THIS BOARD, AND IT'S EASY TO DO OTHER THAN SCHEDULING.
SO THAT'S A CONTRIBUTION TO THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROJECTS OR PRIORITIES WHERE WE MIGHT SEE SOME ALIGNMENT?
[01:45:03]
I THINK OVERALL I AM REALLY UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE WW PROCESS MORE, AND AS WE GO TO WASHINGTON AND SACRAMENTO, THAT THEY'RE GOOD MARSHALL PROJECTS.I'M GETTING AGAIN CONFUSED BETWEEN WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON CIP PROJECTS OR IT SETS UP THEIR PRIORITIES.
SO I DO THINK A PRIORITY I WOULD DEFINITELY BE MORE THAN ONE DIRECTOR AND AGREE WE'RE ALL HEARING OVER AND OVER WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DISTRICT PLAN OR THE SECOND CENTURY PLAN OR THE MASTER PLAN.
I CAN'T EVEN AGREE ON THE NAME FOR IT AND THEN ON THE ALIGNMENT ON CERTAIN PROJECTS.
I'M HEARING A LOT OF THERE'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES OUT AT THURGOOD MARSHALL.
THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOGNIZING THE...
YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS ON THE EQUITY AND COMMUNITY AND HISTORIC HISTORY.
ANOTHER PRIORITY, BECAUSE WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS, I WOULD ADD, OR ASK THE GROUP.
I COULD SAY THURGOOD MARSHALL.
IT'S NOT IN MY WARD, BUT TEMESCAL.
I THINK WE JUST ALL AGREED TO 800.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S ONE OF OUR FIRST THREE PARKS, I THINK.
THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON THAT WITH MORE THAN ONE DIRECTOR'S SUPPORT.
I ADDED IT, THOUGH, AFTER I SUBMITTED.
THERE'S THINGS THAT WERE OUT THE GATE ON, LIKE, TIDEWATER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GOTTEN SOME GOOD PRESS.
TILDEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, I MEAN THAT'S JUST FABULOUS.
I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THAT SINCE I WAS ON THE PAC AND YET IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S LOW ON THE LIST BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OR IS THERE ALIGNMENT WITH MORE THAN ONE DIRECTOR.
I MEAN THAT'S AGAIN ONE OF OUR FIRST PARTS, ONE OF OUR FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW I SEE SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I'LL THROW THOSE OUT AS A FEW MORE.
I'M TRYING NOT TO BE WARD-CENTRIC ON SOME OF THOSE.
AND I THINK LET'S MAKE LARPD, LET'S MAKE GARMS, LET'S MAKE THAT ALL GO AWAY.
AND SO I WOULD ADD THAT ON THERE ALSO.
WE NEED TO GIVE THAT AREA SOME ATTENTION AND GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
SPECIFIC PRIORITIES OUTSIDE OF THE WARD 5 BOUNDARIES.
MAYBE THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO FIND SOME ALIGNMENT.
I THINK EARLIER, IT SOUNDED LIKE SEVERAL PEOPLE MENTIONED CONTRALOMA, AND I KNOW IT'S ON TRACK AND IT'S BEING WORKED ON, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THINGS ARE ON TRACK AND BEING WORKED ON AND DON'T ALWAYS GET FINISHED.
SOMETIMES IT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR FROM THE BOARD THAT THAT'S A PRIORITY TO FINISH.
VARGAS PLATEAU IN TERMS OF ACQUISITIONS, PLANNING, CONNECTING TRAILS.
OYSTER BAY BIKE SKILLS, DRY CREEK MYERS ESTATE, AND THEN THERE'S TWO THAT I ADDED SINCE I SUBMITTED, STEAM TRAINS AT TILDEN, AND THEN LAKE TEMESCAL.
WHAT ELSE? DO OTHERS HAVE, AS YOU'RE LISTENING TO YOUR COLLEAGUES, LIKE SORT OF DISTRICT-WIDE, OUTSIDE OF YOUR WARD, PRIORITIES THAT THEY COULD BE CAPITAL PROJECTS OR MAYBE THEY'RE SEPARATE FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS? YEAH, A FEW THAT I WOULD BE, I THINK WE SHOULD OPEN DOOLIN CANYON AND NOT JUST AS WHAT WE'RE PUBLICIZING, BUT MORE PLANNED.
GARMS, I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
GOSH, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW WE, THE MORE I READ ABOUT THE OBLIGATION WE HAD TO THE MYERS FAMILY WHO DONATED 1,500 ACRES OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND WHAT WE PROMISED AND HOW WE'VE LET THEM DOWN FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW.
AND IT CAN BE EASILY OPENED UP AGAIN.
INSTALLING VAULT TOILETS AT STANFORD AVENUE IS A MONEY SAVER FOR US, I THINK.
LAND AT VARGAS PLATEAU TO COMPLETE OR TO CONNECT SOME VITAL LINKS OF THE RIDGE TRAIL ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
[01:50:10]
SHOOT, I LOST IT.I'M SURE THERE'S SOMEWHERE FORGETTING WHERE THAT SORT OF DOT AND LIST IN CPP WOULD HELP ME.
I FEEL LIKE I'M JUST SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
WELL, I THINK YOU'RE, SO YOU HAVE BOTH YOUR LISTS, RIGHT, PRINTED OUT IN YOUR PACKET FROM EACH OF YOU, AND YOU HAVE WHAT WE'VE WRITTEN HERE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING FROM TODAY.
UNDERSTAND WE CAN DO THIS DOT EXERCISE WILL BE HELPFUL.
BUT I WILL JUST SAY THIS IS VERY HELPFUL TO ME AND TO OUR TEAM.
I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS, LIKE, WE HAVE A BIG DISTRICT AND A LOT TO MANAGE, A LOT OF PROJECTS, A LOT OF PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR BOARD, WHERE DO YOU HAVE ALIGNMENT, WHERE CAN I TELL OUR TEAM OR I CAN TELL THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS A DISTRICT PRIORITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
OUR TEAM WORKS AT THE DIRECTION OF YOUR BOARD, SO THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL, SO THANK YOU.
WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED ACROSS FROM DIRECTORS, THOUGH I APPRECIATE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING VOICED AND UNDERSTAND WHY COMMUNITIES ARE VOICING THEM, I STILL FEEL LIKE A LOT OF WHAT...
IS SUGGESTED ARE JUST THE LOUDEST VOICES IN THE ROOM AND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BECOMING UP THERE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT COME TO THE MEETINGS THE MOST.
WE DEFINE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
IF WE GO ENVIRONMENTAL, EQUESTRIAN, WE'RE NOT NAMING EVERYBODY.
WE'RE NAMING CERTAIN PEOPLE EITHER THAT'S SAID OR NOT SAID.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND AREAS, THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE LOUDEST VOICES.
BECAUSE IF I BRING UP JUST AS FAR AS KELLER BEACH, LIKE THAT WHOLE AREA WHERE PEOPLE COME TO PICNIC RIGHT NEAR RICHMOND, THEY'RE NOT COMING TO OUR MEETINGS.
A PROJECT OUT THERE IN CERTAIN AREAS JUST AS FAR AS IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE OVERALL COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE I FEEL LIKE IN THIS PROCESS, I LOOKED AT IT MORE AS LIKE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IS IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO PUT DOWN ALL THE LIST OF DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT I WOULD NEED TO KNOW OR TO MAKE A BETTER DECISION ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
EVERYTHING FROM IT WAS EVERYTHING FROM DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, STATUS OF PERMIT, STATUS OF GRANT DOLLARS, ET CETERA, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE, THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE FROM THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ANALYSIS OF THE STAFF.
AND I JUST HOPE, LIKE, AS WE KIND OF GO FORWARD AS A BOARD, THAT WE'RE JUST NOT USING TERMS LIKE, WHENEVER I HEAR THE WORD EQUITY, I WANT TO SAY EQUITY WHO.
WHEN WE, SOME POIS'S PROJECTS ARE VOICED, I'M LIKE, BUT DID PEOPLE ACTUALLY VOTE ON FOR THAT PROJECT? AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, BUT.
IT'S CLEAR THAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT.
SO I JUST HAVE A REAL QUESTION WITH THESE PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
WHO ARE WE REALLY SPEAKING FOR IN THIS PARK? AND THAT'S MOST OF MY LISTS ARE DIFFERENT STUFF I'VE ALREADY KIND OF SAID EARLIER, BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF THIS, BECAUSE I KIND OF FEEL LIKE THIS OVERALL DISCUSSION WHERE WE ALL PUT FORWARD OUR PROJECTS.
IT'S LIKE WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET TO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE ANALYTICAL, THAT HELPS US MEASURE STUFF IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WHERE MAYBE SOME OF THAT COMMUNITY FACTOR IS GOING INTO IT, MAYBE SOME OF THAT STUFF THAT WE FEEL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IS MEASURED INTO THERE, BUT THEN FOR A
[01:55:02]
WAY WHERE WE'RE REALLY BEING ABLE TO GET TO...THE MERITS OF THE PROJECT ARE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAINTAIN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I UNDERSTAND WE ALWAYS WANT TO ACQUIRE MORE LAND.
BUT, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY GETTING AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
AND I JUST HOPE THIS PROCESS WILL GET US TO THAT POINT.
CAN I PIGGYBACK ON THAT? I THINK, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED KELLER BEACH, I THINK A REALLY, REALLY EFFECTIVE PROCESS THAT WE...
WENT THROUGH, WAS IT EARLIER THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR, WAS THE WW ALLOCATIONS.
AND WHAT WAS QUITE EFFECTIVE ABOUT THAT PROCESS WAS MAX AND STAFF INVOLVED IN THOSE VARIOUS PROJECTS.
OAKLAND SHORELINE, KELLER BEACH, RODDY RANCH, SAT DOWN WITH EACH OF US WITH MAPS.
AND WITH DATA AND WITH ALL, WE PUT HOURS INTO THAT DECISION MAKING THAT RESULTED IN OUR ALLOCATING MONEY TO KELLER BEACH.
AND REGARDLESS OF HOW EACH OF US ENDED UP ON THAT VOTE, THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH MADE IT, ALLOWED US TO BE REALLY, REALLY WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THE ABILITY TO USE MONEY NOW AND GET MONEY BACK.
SO AS A MODEL OF A WAY TO GET US ON BOARD WITH MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS FOR...
AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE CUT IT BACK A LOT FROM THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS AND IMPORTANT.
WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T GO WELL OR RIGHT.
THAT ONE WENT REALLY WELL, AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT, AND YOU REMINDED ME OF THAT.
I HAVE ONE THAT I SUGGESTED WE CONSIDER SLOWING DOWN, AND THAT'S PURSUING A PARCEL TAX.
AND I'LL SHARE TO START OFF THIS CONVERSATION.
I THINK THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT NEEDS TO REBUILD SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND A PARCEL TAX CAMPAIGN IS EXPENSIVE, IT'S TIME-CONSUMING, AND IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT ON A BROAD COALITION OF SUPPORT.
IN MY ASSESSMENT, WE'RE NOT YET IN A POSITION WITH OUR PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.
I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SAY WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT.
SO, OKAY, I'M GOING TO JUMP IN.
SO REALLY QUICKLY ON THE DISTRICT PLAN, I ALSO HAD THAT ON MY LIST.
WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF DIRECTORS THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN IN THE PAST AND WHAT WE'RE CARRYING ON INTO THE FUTURE.
SO I WON'T BELABOR THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ALREADY, AND I LIKE COLIN'S SUGGESTION OF ACTUALLY DOING A SESSION ON THAT.
AND THEN THURGOOD MARSHALL, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE I HAD ON MY INTERNAL LIST IN TERMS OF REALLY ITS IMPORTANCE DISTRICT-WIDE, BOTH OPENING SOUTH OF BAILEY ROAD, WHICH IS SORT OF THE LOWER HANGING FRUIT, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE VISITOR CENTER THERE AS WELL.
THE WATER QUALITY SWIM ACCESS, THAT'S AN ISSUE IN SEVERAL PLACES.
CERTAINLY CONTRALOMA, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IS MOVING, AND THANK YOU FOR UPDATING US ON THAT, COLIN.
AND LAKE TEMESCAL, ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD DEFINITELY THROW MY SUPPORT BEHIND THAT AS A DISTRICT-WIDE PRIORITY.
OKAY FOR NOW, BUT YOU WANT TO KEEP IT ON THE RADAR BECAUSE ALL OF THESE FACILITIES ARE REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE THAN POOLS OR OTHER PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SWIM AND SAFER FOR THAT MATTER TOO, BECAUSE ALL OF THESE HAVE LIFEGUARDS AND AND OTHER SWIM SUPPORT.
THE DELVAL KIOSK, PLEASE LET'S JUST TAKE CARE OF THAT.
THAT JUST KEEPS COMING UP AND IT'S NOT A HUGE INVESTMENT.
SO CAN WE JUST FIX THAT ISSUE AND FIX THE CONGESTION PROBLEM? I THINK THAT'S REALLY IRRITATING FOR THE NEIGHBORS AND OTHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET IN THERE.
SO I AGREE WITH WHAT DIRECTOR ESPANA WAS SAYING ABOUT MILLER-KNOX.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT DONE, I BELIEVE, SO THAT IS MOVING ALONG.
[02:00:04]
AND, YES, IN TERMS OF THE VISITORS THERE, IT IS A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE USING BOTH KELLER BEACH AND MILLERNOX MORE BROADLY.AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT MATTER, YEAH, I ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT MLK REGIONAL PARK AND THE TIDEWATER DAY USE AREA THAT IS MOVING AND SO YEAH LET'S KEEP THAT MOVING KEEP THAT TRAIN RUNNING UM THE THE POINT PENULTA POINT WILSON I THINK THERE'S AT LEAST ONE OTHER BOARD MEMBER IN IN SUPPORT OF THAT SO WANT TO KEEP THAT ON THE LIST AND AND I DO ALSO WANT TO UM CERTAINLY BOTH POINT MALATE AND GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ARE HUGE REALLY YOU KNOW GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE SHORELINE, OBVIOUSLY BOTH OF THEM ARE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF MONEY.
THE BOARD HAS BEEN SUPPORTING BOTH POINT MALATE AND THE EXPANSION OF GOLDEN GATE FIELDS FOR SOME 20 YEARS AND I REALLY HOPE THAT THAT SUPPORT IS STILL HERE.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO NEED, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF MONEY.
I'M HOPING THAT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE EXCITEMENT AROUND GOLDEN GATE FIELDS, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET OUTSIDE GRANT MONEY AND SUPPORT.
POINT MALATE IS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT SO MUCH BEFORE, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IS IT CLOSE TO SOME OF THE LOWEST INCOME AREAS IN BOTH COUNTIES, BUT IT ALSO HAS INCREDIBLE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT NEED TO BE PRESERVED.
LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DID I HAVE? I MIGHT HAVE COVERED EVERYTHING.
CAN I COMMENT ON THAT, OLIVIA? NEITHER POINT MILADI OR GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ARE WITHIN MY WARD, AND THE IDEA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED AND DEMAND LOTS OF FUNDING DOESN'T BOTHER ME AS SUCKING UP FUNDING THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT GO TO SOMETHING IN MY WARD.
AND THE REASON FOR THIS, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN WITH POINT MALATI, I THINK THE VERY FIRST, BEFORE YOU WERE ON THE BOARD, WHEN WE HAD, BEFORE ELIZABETH WAS ON THE BOARD, WHEN WE HAD CLOSED SESSIONS, REAL ESTATE SESSIONS TO DISCUSS POINT MALATI, I HAD TO TALK TO MY COLLEAGUES AND SAY, THIS IS A SINGULARITY, A SINGULARITY BEING SOMETHING THAT WILL ATTRACT.
OF FUNDING ON ITS OWN THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE GOING TO US NECESSARILY.
SOME OF IT DOES, SOME OF IT DOESN'T.
BUT POINT MALADY AND GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ARE GOING TO BE SINGULARITIES.
THEY'RE GOING TO, GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ALREADY IS, RIGHT? A $155 MILLION ASSET BEING GIVEN TO US BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THAT'S A SINGULARITY.
IT'S NOT SUCKING UP MONEY FROM OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE.
IT'S GAINING THAT $155 MILLION BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE STATUS, AND THE FACT THAT IT DOES THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING AT EVERY LEVEL OF STATE GOVERNMENT THEY WANTED TO DO, AND THEY JUST DECIDED IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO...
GIVE IT TO EAST BAY PARKS TO OPERATE.
SO THAT DIDN'T DETRACT FROM ANY OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT COMMENT, BECAUSE THAT IS CERTAINLY OTHER AGENCIES WORRY ABOUT IT, AND PROP 4 MONEY AND ALL, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF GOLDEN GATE FIELDS.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK MAYBE WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THIS QUITE A BIT.
BUT, A, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS A CHALLENGING DISCUSSION TO HAVE.
BUT I THINK YOU ALL ARE JUMPING INTO SOME CHALLENGING TERRITORY, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
YES, I APPRECIATE THE WILLINGNESS TO DO SO.
SO I JUST WANT TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AROUND THIS.
THIS IS SORT OF THE LAST ITEM WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA IS.
GIVEN OUR LIMITED CAPACITY, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WHERE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THESE TRADE-OFFS,
[02:05:02]
AND WHERE DO YOU SEE SORT OF THE MOST CHALLENGING DECISIONS COMING UP? EVERYTHING'S GOING GREAT.WELL, I MENTIONED ONE WITH THE PARCEL TAX PROPOSAL.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS WILL BE INFORMED BY THE SURVEY.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT A SUMMARY OF IT, AND SOME OF IT WAS EYE-OPENING, AND I THINK...
IT'S GOING TO HELP INFORM US ON THESE ISSUES AND CERTAINLY THE MASTER PLAN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL ECHOED, WE KNOW WHAT, ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT EAST ALAMEDA IS BORNE OUT TO BE TRUE.
THAT WE'VE TAKEN SOME HITS THERE AND IT'S IN NEED OF REPAIRING.
AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT IS LEFT TO BE SEEN.
I DO THINK THAT A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF THAT SURVEY, THAT WE TOOK A POLL, AND WE HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT PEOPLE SUPPORT AND WHAT THEY DON'T, AND WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE REGIONAL FAVORABILITY RATINGS WE HAVE.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, FROM THAT SURVEY, VERY GOOD NEWS, IS THE FAVORABILITY RATE WAS VERY, VERY HIGH.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, 80% PLUS, AND THERE ARE VERY FEW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT GET THAT LEVEL OF FAVORABILITY RATINGS.
THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR NEW PARKS, NEW TRAILS, NEW PROGRAMMING IS THERE, BUT IT'S ALSO, AS YOU POINTED OUT, IT'S REGIONAL, AND COMMUNITIES...
THAT ARE LESS TOUCHED BY OUR PARKS, ARE LESS WILLING TO PAY MORE MONEY IN TAXES.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF MASTER PLANNING IMPLICATIONS FROM THAT SURVEY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THESE TENSIONS THAT EXIST OVER REGIONAL APPROACHES TO THINGS.
BUT DIRECTOR SAN JUAN, YOU KNOW, THAT...
REALLY VINDICATES WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT YOUR WARD IS IN THAT SURVEY.
AND I TAKE THAT TO HEART AND THAT WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE ALL READ THAT AND WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOOLIN AND GARMS AS ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE PURSUED.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I THINK THAT SURVEY IS IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS AS WE'RE DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES HERE.
I THINK THE POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF YES AND, BECAUSE I 100% AGREE THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO A LOT ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND ESPECIALLY IN EAST ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TERMS OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO AND WE ALSO NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND FUTURE LAND ACQUISITIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, 2028 WOULD BE, I BELIEVE, A REALLY GOOD TIME TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON THE BALLOT FOR A LOT OF REASONS, WHICH WE CAN GET INTO AT ANOTHER TIME.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CHANCE FOR US TO RAISE THE MONEY.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT TRINA THOUGHT, SOMEONE ELSE CAN TALK AND I'LL COME BACK.
WELL, I CAN JUST, I MEAN, I WAS...
OH, I'M SORRY, I REMEMBER, YEAH.
SO I WANTED TO REALLY FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE NEXUS OF OUR DISTRICT PLAN AND HOW THAT POTENTIALLY RELATES TO THE POTENTIAL BOND MEASURE BECAUSE...
CERTAINLY IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE GONE OUT FOR A MEASURE, WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ALL WANT,
[02:10:01]
AND VERY SPECIFIC AND VERY AT A GRANULAR LEVEL IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC PROJECTS.AND SO IT FEELS LIKE SOME OF THAT SHOULD ALSO BE REFLECTED IN OUR DISTRICT PLAN, AND WE SHOULD BE REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT.
SO IF WE ARE GOING OUT FOR A MEASURE IN 2028, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME.
I MEAN, WE ALREADY HAVE OUR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL.
SO WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT WORK AROUND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE PLAN FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND IN THE MEASURE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT BECAUSE WE'RE LATE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT IN 2028.
I THINK MAYBE IF I CAN JUST SORT OF REFLECT ON WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY, UNLESS FOLKS HAVE MORE SORT OF COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
SO I THINK, A, THIS IS SUPER USEFUL.
I KNOW THIS IS A CHALLENGING DISCUSSION.
IT'S A HUGE, SUPER BROAD TOPIC.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS LIKE AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THESE SESSIONS, LIKE I KNOW FOR MYSELF AND DIRECTOR SAN WONG AND MEGAN WHO'S AND KAREN AS FACILITATING IS LISTENING TO EACH OF YOU AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING ADAPTIVE TO HAVE YOU KNOW REFLECT WHAT YOUR BOARD IS LOOKING FOR IN BEING ENGAGED IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS FOR OUR BUDGET AND MORE GENERALLY THE PRIORITIES FOR THE DISTRICT I JUST WANTED TO SORT OF HIGHLIGHT SOME NEXT STEPS TODAY.
SO ONE IS WE'RE COMING BACK ON THE 19TH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH DEEPER PRESENTATION FROM KATIE ABOUT OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET AND SORT OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE, BUT REALLY GENERAL DIRECTION AROUND HOW WE'RE PLANNING TO ADAPT TO THAT, TO OUR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THE CPP SCORING BECAUSE THAT DISCUSSION FELT A LITTLE BIT RUSHED AT THE END AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM YOUR BOARD ABOUT IT AND CAPTURE EVERYTHING AND SO THAT AS STAFF WORKS TO COME BACK WITH A POTENTIAL UPDATED VERSION OF THAT THAT WE REALLY ARE REFLECTING THE IDEAS AND CONCERNS FROM YOUR BOARD.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS THE POTENTIAL BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
WITH OUR CONSTRAINTS, THERE'S NOT LIKELY MUCH CHANGES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ONE-TIME FUNDING OR FUNDING INCREASES THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE NOT LIKELY GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL PROJECTS UNLESS THERE'S SOME NEW SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT OR PROGRAMS. UNLESS WE REDUCE OTHER PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THESE HARD CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR HELP AND DIRECTION AROUND THAT BUDGET.
IN THE LONGER TERM, I'M HEARING A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE DISTRICT PLAN, AND THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME TO KNOW, AS I THINK ABOUT WITH OUR TEAM, HOW DO WE SERVE YOUR BOARD AND KEEP YOU ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, DELIVER THE KIND OF ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN THAT PLANNING.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M HEARING, AND YOUR INPUT'S REALLY USEFUL AROUND THAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I HEARD, I THINK, FROM DIRECTOR WASPIE IS AS YOU'RE HIRING A GENERAL MANAGER, THIS SAME KIND OF INPUT IS VERY HELPFUL THERE TOO BECAUSE YOU'RE CAPTURING YOUR BROAD PRIORITIES THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY HELP DEVELOP YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR PRIORITIES FOR A GENERAL MANAGER.
WHETHER THAT'S AS YOU HIRE THAT PERSON AND THEN DO EVALUATIONS AND HELP DEVELOP THEIR WORK PLAN.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL JUST SAY THIS IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ME IN MY ROLE.
ONE THING I'M DOING IS MEETING WITH CITIES AND TOWNS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
I'M TALKING TO REPORTERS ON STORIES, AND THEY'RE ASKING ME, IS X, Y, AND Z A PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT? AND AS I HEAR FROM YOUR BOARD, IT HELPS ME KNOW.
YES, THIS IS A PRIORITY, OR NO, I CAN'T REALLY REPRESENT THIS OTHER THING AS A PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND SO THESE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS ARE SUPER HELPFUL FOR ME DOING MY JOB EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO THIS SESSION FOR THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE I'M MISSING AS WE'RE SORT OF WRAPPING UP? I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ALL REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR.
I GUESS, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO SHARE IN REGARDS TO THE HARD CALLS WHILE WE'RE ON THE SLIDE? ON THE LAST ONE, GIVEN
[02:15:01]
LIMITED DISCUSSIONARY FUNDING AND POTENTIAL BUDGETARY SHORTFALL, WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO KNOW TO FEEL CONFIDENT MAKING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THESE PROJECTS? I THINK IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WHAT WOULD REALLY HELP ME IS SORT OF A BUSINESS MODEL, I DON'T KNOW, WE USED TO CALL IT LEAN OR ISO 9000 OR EMS, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESS TERMS, AND I MENTIONED EARLIER OPPORTUNITY FOR LIKE A REVENUE ENHANCEMENT, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT STAFF HAS DONE TO CONSIDER EVERYTHING, EVEN SOME OF THE TOUGH CALLS.WHEN EPA WAS GOING DOWN, WE HAD FRIDAY FURLOUGHS, WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD TAKE FRIDAYS OFF, LEAVE WITHOUT PAYING.
IT WAS AMAZING, THE BUDGET CUT THAT THAT WOULD PROVIDE, ESPECIALLY FOR MANAGEMENT AND THINGS, OR HIRING FREEZES ARE TEMPORARY.
AND DEFINITELY WE WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE THE UNION, BUT GET CREATIVE IN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OF FURLOUGHS OR CUTS OR FIVE-YEAR CONCERNS OR REALLY HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BUDGET.
I THINK PRESIDENT SAN JUAN WENT INTO A LOT OF HER OWN DETAILS THAT MADE ME THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WOULDN'T MIND MORE SPECIFICS ON, WHAT HAS REALLY BEEN ALREADY THOUGHT THROUGH, AND YOU SAID YOU'RE MEETING WITH STAFF.
AND SO HEARING MORE OF THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE NEED GOING FORWARD.
AND THE OTHER ONE THAT'S ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND LATELY, AND IT'S COME UP A COUPLE TIMES IS THIS WHOLE INVENTORY AND UNDERSTANDING OF CONTAMINATED LANDS.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE FIVE-YEAR REVIEWS AND ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE SURPRISES AND LEAKS.
I WORKED FOR 24 YEARS AND 47 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY AND IT JUST HAPPENS OVER TIME THOSE CHEMICALS COME BACK OUT AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THOSE PERSONALLY.
THAT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL MORE CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD FOR POTENTIAL O&M COSTS ON THAT.
WE'RE ALL UP HERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT US AND OUR DOTS AND OUR CPP, BUT IT WOULD MAKE ME MORE CONFIDENT TO KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME OF THOSE OTHER HARD CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, 10% CUT ACROSS ALL EXPENSES OR SOME OF THOSE DIFFICULT, VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE.
AND UNION, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I WOULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT CONSULTING CONFER, BUT DEFINITELY THAT WOULD GIVE ME MORE CONFIDENCE AND JUST KEEP FOCUSING ON CIP.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE QUEUING UP OUR MEETING ON THE 19TH PERFECTLY.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS DIVE DEEP INTO THE BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE IDEAS THAT WERE OUT THERE, AND MY HOPE FROM YOUR BOARD IS TO GET YOUR COMFORT LEVEL WITH SOME OF THOSE IDEAS JUST AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
YEAH, AND IN PREPARING FOR TODAY, I WROTE A LOT ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT POSITIONS.
IN MANAGEMENT, A LOT OF THEM ARE UNREPRESENTED.
AND I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE POSITIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY MAKE SENSE TO KEEP IN OUR, YOU KNOW, IN OUR BUDGET AND ON OUR, YOU KNOW, LIST, OUR SALARY SCHEDULE.
SO I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WORKFORCE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY SAVINGS FROM EMPLOYEE VACANCIES.
BUT TO HEAR, AS A UNIONIZED EMPLOYEE, TO HEAR THE WORD FURLOUGHS JUST MENTIONED SO CASUALLY, TO HEAR 10% CUTS MENTIONED SO CASUALLY, WE NEED TO DO THE WORK AT THE BOARD AND LOOK AT IF THERE'S DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT CAN BE AS FAR AS SLOWED DOWN, WHAT OTHER MEASURES WE CAN BE THE MOST EFFICIENT AGENCY, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE DIVORCE.
YOU DON'T MENTION DIVORCE IN AN ARGUMENT WITH YOUR PARTNER EVER UNLESS YOU WANT TO START GOING DOWN THE ROAD OF DIVORCE.
IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, I KNOW WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE AGENCY, BUT OUR STAFF IS OUR NUMBER ONE RESOURCE.
AND AS FAR AS COMING FROM AN EMPLOYER WHO HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE OVER TIME, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE, IN MY DAY-TO-DAY JOB, THAT AS FAR AS IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST MENTIONED, EVEN IN THESE TOUGH TIMES.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING AS AN AGENCY TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE GO ON THESE DISCUSSIONS, YES, WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE DIFFERENT WORKFORCE SAVINGS, MAYBE NOT BY FILLING CERTAIN JOBS.
[02:20:03]
YES, THOSE ARE ALL DISCUSSIONS, BUT LET'S NOT START BRINGING IN THE WORD FURLOUGH CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD.I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, THE WAY WE DID IT, I WAS ACTUALLY THE STEWARD ON THE UNION WHEN WE DID IT.
IT WAS ALL VOLUNTARY, SO I CHOSE TO TAKE EVERY OTHER FRIDAY OFF BECAUSE I WANTED TO.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLORE ACROSS THE BOARD.
FURLOUGHS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE PROCESS THAT I PERSONALLY WENT THROUGH, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY OFFERED TO EMPLOYEES AS A PERK THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME TIME OFF OR GO TO A FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
MY APOLOGIES IF I MADE IT SOUND LIKE IT WAS SORT OF A FIRST, WHICH A LOT OF CITIES AND GOVERNMENTS WENT THROUGH.
SO I AGREE THAT PROBABLY SOUNDED ODD THE WAY I SAID IT VERSUS JUST CLARIFICATION.
YEAH, IT'S NOT A PERK WHEN YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN MY PAYCHECK.
SO THIS WAS YEAH, THIS IS JUST LET'S NOT GO DOWN THIS ROAD.
SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS OFFERED TO US AS UNION MEMBERS IF WE WANTED TO TAKE THAT ADDITIONAL TIME OFF THAT WAS OFFERED TO US IN THAT MANNER.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I AGREE 100% WITH WHAT DIRECTOR ESPANA JUST SAID, AND THANK YOU FOR EXPRESSING THAT SO ELOQUENTLY.
WE HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES UNTIL WE ARE GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, I GUESS I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO CLARIFY, I DO THINK THAT WE CAN FIND SOME COST SAVINGS IN REGARDS TO VACANT, UNREPRESENTED MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY REVIEW THAT, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CAN TAKE UP TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE UNREPRESENTED, VACANT MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO HAVE ON OUR SALARY SCHEDULE A SECOND DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, SO THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE VACANT, UNREPRESENTED MANAGEMENT POSITIONS THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND BEING REVIEWED.
WELL, I JUST, IN SUMMATION, I GUESS I'M LOOKING FOR, I SEE THAT STAR WHICH SAYS GUIDANCE TO STAFF.
AND THINKING ABOUT THE LONG TERM, AND I THINK WE NEED MONEY.
I THINK WE NEED A MAINTENANCE.
WE'VE NEEDED A MAINTENANCE PARCEL TAX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE NEED TO STAFF SOME OF THESE AREAS TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
AND WE NEED MONEY TO DEVELOP THESE PARKS.
AND LOOKING TOWARDS A PARCEL MEASURE, I AGREE WITH EVERYONE WHO'S SORT OF ARTICULATED THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET STARTED A LONG TIME AGO.
WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED A TIME AGO.
ONE THING WE CAN DO IS SOLVE SOME OF THE ISSUES NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WON'T HARP ON IT TOO MUCH, BUT GARMS, DOOLIN CANYON, THAT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE HARDER.
BUT THE SIMPLEST THING I THINK WE COULD DO IS...
WE CAN'T DEAL WITHOUT THE STEAM TRAIN.
TO HEAR, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF ENTERTAINING TO HEAR THAT GUY TELL POEMS EVERY DAY, BUT KEEPS BRINGING US UP AND CRITICIZING US THROUGH POEMS. HE'S GOING TO BRING A BAND HERE PRETTY SOON, AND HE'S GOING TO START SINGING.
I THINK AT SOME POINT, SOLVE IT.
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LOSS IS GOING TO BE, AND POLITICALLY OR IN OUR COMMUNITY, LACK OF TRUST.
WE'VE GOT TO SOLVE THAT ONE IN MY OPINION.
WELL, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, YES, SOLVE, BUT ALSO TO MAYBE ONCE AGAIN GET SOME MESSAGING OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT'S ACCURATE AND WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE AND I THINK OUR POSITION IS PRINCIPLED.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING.
WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING, AND YES, WE DO ALSO NEED TO GET IT DONE.
THE STEAM TRAIN? YEAH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STEAM TRAIN, YEAH.
YEAH, I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IS THE OWNER'S UNWILLINGNESS TO AGREE TO SOME TERMS THAT ARE FUNDAMENTAL.
AND WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR A LEASE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A SUCCESSION CLAUSE.
BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THAT BUSINESS AND IT'S THREATENED TO GO AWAY, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO ACQUIRE IT.
THAT IS WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS.
THEY WANT A LONG-TERM ASSURANCE THAT THE STEAM TRAIN WILL EXIST.
AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THAT LONG-TERM GUARANTEE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP OR IT GOES OUT OF BUSINESS.
[02:25:02]
NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR A LEASE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT CLAUSE.I THINK THE PUBLIC MAYBE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND.
I THINK IN THE PAST I APPRECIATE THAT OUR ACTING GM AND OUR ACTING AGM OF PUBLIC SERVICE DID PUT MESSAGING OUT THERE, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE.
WE CAN MAYBE PUT A FINER POINT ON IT.
BUT I THINK, ONE, WE ARE VERY CLOSE, AND TWO, THE ISSUES THAT AREN'T RESOLVED ARE ONES THAT I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC WOULD BE SYMPATHETIC BECAUSE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE LONGEVITY OF THE RESOURCES.
NOBODY HERE WANTS THE STEAM TRAIN TO GO AWAY.
NOBODY IN THIS ENTIRE PARK DISTRICT.
AND WE'RE VERY WILLING TO MAKE A DEAL, ONE THAT PRESERVES THE ENTITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND WE HAVE THE LEGAL ABILITY TO ASSURE THAT AS A PUBLIC AGENCY.
IF THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ELSE, NOW'S THE TIME THAT I HAD ALLOTTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE WILL BE COMING BACK ONE WEEK FROM TODAY TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR PARTICIPATING.
I THINK THIS WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY HELPFUL DISCUSSION.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS.
SO I WILL START WITH SCOTT BARTLEBAUGH.
OH, WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN HANDS UP ONLINE NOW.
HELLO PRESIDENT SANUONG, DIRECTORS AND STAFF.
COULD YOU PLEASE TURN THE TIMER SO I CAN SEE IT, MADAM CLERK? I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT ABILITY RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT IN THE PRE-WORK AND THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO THE WORKSHOP TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MOVING THAT.
I THINK SOME KEY ITEMS THAT I HEARD, I THINK THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION ABOUT FUNDING, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE DETAIL TO BE STRUCK ON KIND OF THREE MAIN AREAS, ACQUISITION, DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
I HEARD BOTH BOND MEASURE BROUGHT UP AND PARCEL TAX BROUGHT UP.
AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT BUCKETS THAT GO INTO THOSE THREE DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND COMBINED WITH THAT IS THE IDEA OF KIND OF SCOPE SCHEDULE.
AND MAKING THOSE HARD DECISIONS ON WHAT WILL BE PURSUED AND WHAT WILL NOT BE PURSUED AND THEY'RE ALL INTERTWINED OTHER INTERTWINING WITH THAT IS THE DISTRICT PLAN SO IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR THAT DISCUSSION I THINK THE IDEA OF A WORKSHOP IS GOOD WHICH ALSO PLAYS INTO I THINK THE THE BOARD STRUGGLES WITH ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH MANAGEMENT AND STAFF ON THE THE CLARITY OF ROLES AND I THOUGHT DIRECTOR ESPANA BROUGHT THAT UP WELL WITH THE BOARD GUIDELINES AND I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY AN AREA TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT WOULD IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES BETWEEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOARD AND STAFF.
THERE ARE AT TIMES IT SEEMS LIKE THE BOARD GETS TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS BUT AGAIN THERE ARE THOSE ISSUES THAT THE BOARD WILL WANT TO DO THAT AND IT IS APPROPRIATE.
SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS THAT ARE EASY FOR STAFF TO GO DO BECOME A STAFF CAPACITY ISSUE AND GET IN THE WAY OF SOME OF THOSE HIGHER MISSION-DRIVEN PRIORITY PROJECTS.
BRINGING SOME OF THIS BACK, WRAPPING IT TOGETHER, I DIDN'T HEAR A LOT ABOUT BIKE ACCESS ON SINGLETRACK.
IT WAS MENTIONED BY SOME BOARD MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE WRITTEN PRE-WORK.
IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT, BUT IT WASN'T BROADLY ACROSS THERE.
I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HITS A VARIETY OF ISSUES.
DIRECTOR DESCHAMBAULT WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME CATEGORIES.
THE STATUS QUO AND NOT HAVING ACCESS IS LEADING TO NEGATIVE IMPACT WHEN USERS TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
AND IT PERTAINS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC, GUIDING EVERYTHING THE DISTRICT DOES.
NOT ADDRESSING THAT LEADS TO MORE ISSUES.
SO I APPRECIATED THE COMMENTS ABOUT MORE THAN THE LOUDEST VOICES.
WHO ARE WE SPEAKING FOR? AND IT'S A SMALL FRACTION OF US THAT SHOW UP AND MAKE COMMENT AND PARTICIPATE.
NORMAN LAFORSE, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
NORMAN LAFORSE, I'M JUST GOING TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THREE TOPICS.
FIRST, WITH REGARD TO THE PROPOSED WORKSHOP ON THE MASTER PLAN, I THINK THAT'S FINE, BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO AGENDIZE WHETHER THE BOARD IS
[02:30:01]
GOING TO STAND BY ITS MASTER PLAN AND LAND USE PLANS AS BEING LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS OR SIMPLY VISIONARY.STATEMENTS THAT CAN BE IGNORED WHENEVER YOU WANT IT.
SECONDLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN AGENDIZED ITEM FOR FULL DISCLOSURE WITH FULL TRANSPARENCY OF THE WEALTHY DONORS DONATION FOR THE FLOW TRAIL AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE THE PARK DISTRICT TO APPROVE THAT TRAIL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE CONDITIONS? AND THIS NEEDS FULL DISCLOSURE.
OTHERWISE, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IS WEALTHY DONORS ARE BUYING ACCESS FOR THEIR PRIVATE PROJECTS ON PUBLIC LAND.
LASTLY, I REALLY THINK TO MAKE THIS WORK, THE PARK DISTRICT SHOULD AGENDIZE NOT GOING FORWARD WITH THE FLOW TRAIL IN THE NATURAL AREA OF ALCAT CANYON PARK FOR THESE WEALTHY DONORS, BUT AGREE TO HAVE A FULLY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN PROCESS WITH ALL INTERESTED PROPERTIES PARTIES WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND ANOTHER LOCATION FOR THE PROPOSED FLOW TRAIL.
AS I SAID BEFORE, I'M WILLING TO WORK ON THAT.
ABSENT THESE ACTIONS, THE PARK DISTRICT, I BELIEVE, IS GUARANTEED TO LOSE THE TRUST OF THE VOTERS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF ANY FUTURE TAX MEASURE OR THAT IT WILL SHOW THAT THEY ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE PARK DISTRICT ON MASTER PLAN AND LAND USE PLANS AND THEY WILL NOT SPEND TAX DOLLARS ON PROJECTS FOR WEALTHY DONORS WHO MAKE CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE FULL APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT BEFORE ANY THEY WILL GIVE THE MONEY THANK YOU THANK YOU BOB PEOPLES, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I SEE THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE COME TO KNOW IT, AS A VERY VIBRANT TREASURE, WHICH CAN BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO THE EAST BAY AND EVEN THE BROADER COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS AND ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED AND ADDRESSED.
BAITING ON THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING AND PREVIOUSLY AND MY OWN RECENT AND PAST EXPERIENCE, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST AT LEAST FIVE BROAD POLICY AREAS THAT THE DISTRICT SHOULD FOCUS ON, IN THE NEAR TERM AT LEAST.
NUMBER ONE, AND UNSURPRISINGLY, SINCE I'M SPEAKING ON THIS, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON LAND ACQUISITION.
AS A CO-EQUAL EMPHASIS WITH STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING LAND.
AND THAT SHOULD INCLUDE IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL AREAS, GENERAL AREAS WHERE ACQUISITION CAN OCCUR.
IN OTHER WORDS, PROVIDE A VISION FOR LAND ACQUISITION IN THE FUTURE.
SECONDLY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMPLETE THE SECOND CENTURY DISTRICT PLAN THAT BUILDS UPON AGREED ON MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE CONSISTENT OR DERIVED FROM PAST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MISSION IS.
I THINK VERY CENTRAL TO ALL OF THIS, PROPOSED PLANS AND PROJECTS THAT THE DISTRICT LOOKS AT NEED TO FIT INTO FUNDING NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
AND IN THAT CONTEXT, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE DISTRICT TO PRIORITIZE EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING, INCLUDING PERHAPS A SPECIAL BOND MEASURE OR A PARCEL TAX, YOU KNOW, SEEKING OUT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO FUND.
WE'RE PUTTING MORE EMPHASIS ON THAT OR SOME COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IT WILL TAKE TIME.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RUSHED INTO.
AND I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN THAT ASSESSMENT AS TO WHAT TO GO FORWARD WITH.
BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
ALTHOUGH NOT ADDRESSED DIRECTLY, THE IDEA OF A WILDLAND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH INVOLVES CURRENTLY MANY EXISTING DISTRICT ACTIVITIES.
YOU KNOW, THOSE EXISTING ACTIVITIES ALSO INVOLVE SUBSTANTIAL COSTS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AREA FOR THE DISTRICT WILL FACE MASSIVE COSTS.
LESLIE GOLDSTEIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
[02:35:01]
IT WAS HELPFUL LISTENING THIS MORNING TO YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES AND ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES.AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A POEM I'VE WRITTEN REGARDING A STATED PRIORITY OF THE BOARD, NATURAL AREA.
THIS AREA SHALL BE FREE FROM INTENSIVE RECREATION ACTIVITIES DEVOID OF ANY DEVELOPMENT.
WE MEANT THE GRASSES, THE CHAPARRAL, THE SEASONAL CREEK THAT EMPTIES INTO THE BAY.
WE MEANT THE WHIP SNAKE BASKING ON THE DUST OF MEZOWAY TRAIL, THE GRASSHOPPER SPARROW NESTING IN COASTAL GRASS, THE STEELHEAD RETURNING TO A CREEK WE OURSELVES REPOPULATED IN 1983.
WE MEANT THE TAR PLANT HOLDING ITS RARE GROUND.
WE MEANT THE BOBCAT PASSING AT DAWN.
THEN, SOMEWHERE LATER, IN A ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS, SOMEONE PROPOSED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR A DOWNHILL COURSE.
KICKER RAMPS, LADDER DROPS, PRE-FAB BERMS, ORDERED FROM A FACTORY IN MISSOURI, TO BE INSTALLED IN THE QUIETEST PART OF THE PARK.
A STAFF MEMBER WROTE TO THE DONORS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, PLEASE KEEP THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BETWEEN YOU AND I.
THE PROMISE WE ADOPTED, SUDDENLY AN INCONVENIENCE.
THE NATURAL AREA, SUDDENLY A SIGHT.
WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR SIDE, THE STATE AGENCY THAT FILED A LETTER, THE BIOLOGIST WHO WROTE THE ASSESSMENT, THE LAND USE PLAN IN OUR OWN HANDWRITING, MORE THAN A THOUSAND NEIGHBORS CONTRIBUTING PETITION SIGNATURES AND LETTERS, THOUGH THERE IS STILL THE MAJORITY WHO HAVE NOT YET LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
THE PROMISE WE WROTE WITH OUR OWN HAND IS NOT GONE.
WE ARE STILL STANDING IN A PLACE A BOARD ONCE CALLED NATURAL AREA, ASKING THE BOARD TO REMEMBER WHAT IT WROTE.
JIM HANSEN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
JIM HANSEN, CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY, EAST BAY CHAPTER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK TODAY.
IT'S BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE AND IT'S DIFFICULT.
IT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST THING THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE TO DO.
AND SO AN APPRECIATION FOR THAT.
I WANT TO JUST BRIEFLY BRING UP THE NATURAL CAPITAL OF THE PARKS, BECAUSE I THINK SO OFTEN WE GET CALLS ABOUT A PARK PARKING LOT AND THIS IS IT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT AND NEW DREAMS AND WE'VE GOT TO BE WITH THE THREATS TO THE DIVERSITY WORLDWIDE BUT HERE WHAT DO WE BE DOING WITH OUR PLANNING GOING FORWARD I'LL ADDRESS THE DISTRICT PLAN IN THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T START OUT WITH THE MISSION WHAT DO WE THE PEOPLE THINK SHOULD BE HAPPENING AROUND OUR MISSION AND I THINK IT WAS WAY TOO WIDE OPEN.
I THINK SIMPLY AMENDING THE EXISTING PLAN COULD HELP US MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO.
WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE, TRAILS, AND BIODIVERSITY THREATS.
AND THERE'S A FOUNDATION TO WORK FROM THAT COULD CUT A LOT OF TIME AND BEING SPREAD TOO THIN.
AND I THINK LASTLY, I'LL SAY THAT I THINK JUST SOMETIMES KNOWING WHEN SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT WW WAS BY REALLY DOUBLING FROM 30, 40,000 TO 72, I MEAN, MILLION TO 72 MILLION.
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW ANY ORGANIZATION CAN ACHIEVE THAT MUCH, PARTICULARLY WHEN THESE ARE MOSTLY PLANS AND PERMITS WITHOUT THE FUNDING FOR IT.
I DO ASK YOU TO HAVE ACTIVE MANAGEMENT.
FOR OUR PLANTS, OUR STREAMS, THE TROUT, THE WILDFLOWER AREAS THAT DISAPPEAR WITHOUT ACTIVE MANAGEMENT AS PART OF THE REGULAR PART OF YOUR DISCUSSION HEAD.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TODAY.
PAM STELLO, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE WRITTEN BY THE ALMSTEAD BROTHERS AND ANSEL HALL IN DECEMBER 1930 AT THE DISTRICT'S CONCEPTION.
IT'S TITLED, PURPOSE AND ROLE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
I QUOTE, THE NEED IS A VITAL ONE.
THE CHARM OF THE REGION AS A PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE WILL DEPEND LARGELY UPON NATURAL
[02:40:01]
CONDITIONS THAT ARE DESTINED TO DISAPPEAR UNLESS PROPERLY PROTECTED FOR THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL.IF APPROVED, THE WILDCAT CANYON RECREATION FACILITY WILL IRREPARABLY DAMAGE THE NATURAL CONDITIONS, OUR SHARED NATURAL HERITAGE IN THE CANYON, COUNTER TO THE DISTRICT'S PUBLIC MANDATE TO PROVIDE SAFE, I QUOTE, SAFE, HEALTHY, AND ACCESSIBLE RECREATION WHILE PRESERVING THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE EAST BAY.
DESTRUCTION WILL BE WELL BEYOND THE TRAIL AS HUNDREDS ARE INTENDED TO ATTEND TOURNAMENTS.
ANIMALS WILL BE DRIVEN AWAY IN A FEW YEARS AS NATURAL AREAS BECOME INCREASINGLY RARE AND VALUABLE.
THE DEMAND OF THE MOUNTAIN BIKING INTEREST GROUP WILL BE FOR SOMETHING BIGGER AND BETTER, THE NEXT BEST THING, WHERE THE RIDERS WILL GO ELSEWHERE.
WILL THE PUBLIC BEAR THE COST, OR WILL THE NEXT $2 OR $3 MILLION DONATION DETERMINE THE BIGGER AND BETTER FACILITY AND FUTURE OF THE SITE? IF APPROVED, THE FACILITY WILL REPRESENT A WATERSHED CHANGE IN THE PURPOSE AND ROLE OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND AS A PUBLIC AGENCY.
PUBLIC AGENCIES TAKE THE LONG VIEW THAT OLMSTED AND HALL IDENTIFIED, DEFINED BY RELATIONAL DECISION-MAKING CHARACTERIZED BY VISION, PUBLIC INTEREST, AND TRUST.
TO DATE, DECISION-MAKING FOR THE FACILITY HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONS, CHARACTERISTIC OF A PRIVATE AGENCY, SHORT-TERM THINKING FOR SHORT-TERM GAINS OF VARIOUS FORMS OF PROFIT, SUCH AS PRIVATE MONEY, INTEREST GROUP ALLEGIANCES, OR DUE TO INSIDER ALLEGIANCE TO A GROUP, VISION, OR IDEA THAT UNDERMINES THE PUBLIC MANDATE AND LONG-TERM VISION OF THE AGENCY. VOTING DOWN THE PROPOSED RECREATION FACILITY IS A POLICY DECISION. IT'S VOTING AGAINST PRIVATE, BEHIND-CLOSED-DOORS NEGOTIATIONS AND THE POWER OF WEALTHY DONORS TO DRIVE THE DESIGN AND SITING OF PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS ONE IN A DESIGNATED NATURE AREA ON PUBLIC LAND. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO RESTART THE PROJECT APPROVAL PROCESS. CITING LOCATIONS THAT DO NOT DESTROY OUR SHARED NATURAL HERITAGE, AND HONORING PUBLIC AGENCY DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AND LAND USE PLANS, AND THEREBY MAINTAIN THE DISTRICT'S FOUNDING MANDATE AND PRESCIENT VISION UPON WHICH THE DISTRICT'S PUBLIC LEGITIMACY AND PUBLIC TRUST DEPEND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
SALLY TOBIN, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF. THANK YOU. SALLY TOBIN, FRIENDS OF WILDCAT CANYON PARK. CLAIMS REGARDING CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUND THESE DAYS, SO LET'S LOOK AT AN ACTUAL CONSPIRACY.
PARK DISTRICT STAFF UNDER PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT SEEMED TO BE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT LAND USE REGARDING THE FLOW THRILL TRAIL. THEY KNEW IT WAS A CONSPIRACY BECAUSE THEY URGED THEIR FELLOW CONSPIRATORS TO KEEP IT A SECRET. AND THEN THERE WAS THE OFFER OF THE $1 MILLION DONATION, WHICH LOOKS LIKE PRIVATIZATION OF A PUBLIC ASSET WITH THE ADDED CONDITIONS THAT THE DONATION WAS CONTINGENT ON A PARTICULAR LOCATION AND ON CERTIFICATION OF AN EIR.
THIS IS A DONATION WITH MAJOR STRINGS ATTACHED.
WE DON'T KNOW THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE DONATION, THOUGH THE SAME AMOUNT APPEARS IN THE BUDGET PASSED BY THE PARK DISTRICT IN 2.
IN 2025. PERHAPS SOME BOARD MEMBERS ARE BANKING ON THE REPUTATION OF THE PARK DISTRICT AS A PUBLIC AGENCY THAT IS ABOVE REPROACH AS THEY CONTEMPLATE A BOND MEASURE. BUT PERSONALLY, I WOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE LEVEL OF BETRAYAL THAT PEOPLE MAY FEEL WHEN UNSAVORY BEHAVIOR BY A VIRTUOUS ICON IS REVEALED. SO HOW CAN THIS SITUATION BE MADE RIGHT? MY SUGGESTIONS ARE ONE, REFER THE STAFF ACTIONS TO HR.
TWO, RELEASE ALL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DONATION, INCLUDING CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE PARKS FOUNDATION, TO THE PUBLIC. THREE, ENCOURAGE THE PARKS FOUNDATION TO SCREEN DONATIONS FOR THOSE THAT IMPLY A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. PERHAPS THE CURRENT DONORS COULD BE PERSUADED TO SPECIFY RESTORATION OF THE GRASSLANDS AT WILDCAT CANYON OR STUDIES.
DAMAGING TRAIL BEHAVIORS BY ALL USERS. FOUR, CANCEL EFFORTS TO LOCATE THE THRILL FLOW TRAIL AT WILDCAT CANYON BECAUSE IT WAS A BAD IDEA FROM DAY ONE.
WILD PLACES NEAR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE URBAN AREAS SHOULD BE TREASURED AND RESTORED. FIVE, PRIORITIZE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH TO LOOK AT USER NEEDS FOR THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. AND THEN BEGIN A PUBLIC PROCESS TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WHERE ANY NEW FACILITIES MIGHT BE LOCATED. THEN, NUMBER SIX, GO TO THE VOTERS WITH A NEW BOND MEASURE.
[02:45:01]
YOU. WE HAVE NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT. GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, WE'RE AT THE END OF THIS SESSION. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO... RECOMMEND IS THAT WE ADJOURN AND WE HAVE A BREAK FOR LUNCH BEFORE WE HEAD INTO CLOSED SESSION AT ONE O'CLOCK. ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.THANKS EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.