[ 9:00 A.M. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:06] GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME. I AM CALLING THE MAY 5TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE YOLO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ORDER. WE'LL ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL THEN GO TO ROLL CALL. SUPERVISOR BARAJAS? HERE. SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS? HERE. SUPERVISOR FRERICHS? HERE. SUPERVISOR VICKSY-SANDY? HERE. SUPERVISOR ALLEN? ALL PRESENT. WE'LL MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MOVED BY SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS, SECONDED BY FRERICHS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. I'LL THEN TURN TO OUR COUNTY COUNCIL PHIL WHO WILL READ SOME MEETING GROUND RULES. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SO AS WE START TODAY'S MEETING, I'D LIKE TO REVIEW A FEW GUIDELINES THAT WILL HELP US ENSURE THE MEETING RUNS SMOOTHLY AND RESPECTFULLY. FIRST, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM APPLAUSE OR OTHER AUDIBLE EXPRESSIONS WHILE SOMEONE IS SPEAKING, EXCEPT FOR ITEMS SUCH AS HONORARY RESOLUTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS THAT ARE CELEBRATED BY ALL PRESENT. SECOND, PLEASE DO NOT OBSTRUCT THE VIEW OF THOSE AROUND YOU WITH SIGNS. PHONES OR OTHER OBJECTS AND WITH REGARD TO SIGNS WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE SIGNS BUT TODAY WE DO KEEP THEM AT YOUR CHIN OR BELOW IF YOU CAN IF YOU'RE SEATED IF YOU'RE IN THE BACK AND NOBODY'S BEHIND YOU IT DOESN'T MATTER SO MUCH BUT WE JUST DON'T WANT TO OBSTRUCT THE VIEW OF OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE THIRD THIS MEETING IS RECORDED AND POSTED ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY MAKE THEIR OWN RECORDINGS FROM THEIR SEATS PROVIDED THEY DO NOT OBSTRUCT VIEWS OR INTENTIONALLY INTERFERE WITH THE PARTICIPATION OR COMFORT OF OTHERS. A DESIGNATED FILMING AREA IS AVAILABLE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ROOM FOR THOSE WHO NEED MORE SPACE. RECORDING MAY NOT BE USED TO HARASS, INTIMIDATE, FOLLOW, OR TARGET ANY INDIVIDUAL. SUCH CONDUCT IS DISRUPTIVE AND MAY RESULT IN YOUR REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING. THEN FINALLY, FOR THOSE MAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY, SPEAKER CARDS SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND PLACED IN THE BASKET LOCATED AT THE END OF THE TABLE BEHIND THE BOARD CLERK JUST OVER THERE. CARDS ARE AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE ROOM AND ON THE TABLES IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE. COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS, CONSENT ITEMS, HONORARY RESOLUTIONS, AND CLOSED SESSION ITEMS MAY ONLY BE MADE DURING THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY. FOR ALL OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE TAKEN WHEN ANNOUNCED AND MUST BE LIMITED TO THAT ITEM. COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER PER ITEM AND SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD RATHER THAN THE AUDIENCE OR STAFF. THE TWO-MINUTE TIME LIMIT WILL BE ENFORCED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION IN HELPING US MAINTAIN A SAFE, ORDERLY, AND PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL THEN MOVE TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ITEMS INCLUDING CONSENT AND CLOSED SESSION AND HONORARY RESOLUTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, CHAIR. I HAVE 17 PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS. FOR THOSE MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS AMANDA SKIBBY. GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M HERE TODAY TO DELIVER A MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF MY DEDICATED MEMBERSHIP, YOUR DEDICATED WORKFORCE, AND THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE. THE COST OF LAYING OFF YOUR WORKERS IS FAR TOO HIGH. THE IMPACT WILL BE FELT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. LAYOFFS HURT EVERYONE INVOLVED BECAUSE CUTTING THE WORKERS IS A CUT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE EXPECTATION FOR THE REMAINING WORKFORCE IS TO MAKE IT WORK. THAT. THE SOLUTION. TO OPERATE WITH FEWER RESOURCES, HIGHER WORKLOAD, LESS TIME, FEWER COLLEAGUES, LOW MORALE. IT'S UNREALISTIC AND UNSUSTAINABLE. IN THE END, IT'S NOT JUST THE BYSTANDERS WHO FEEL THE EFFECTS. IT'S THE HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES, THE DRIVERS OF THIS OPERATION, WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THESE DECISIONS. CONSIDER THIS. WHILE I DON'T HAVE TIME TO EXHAUST THE FULL LIST OF POSITIONS BEING ELIMINATED, HOW WILL SOCIAL WORKERS, SOCIAL SERVICE ASSISTANTS, OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE ANALYSTS, EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SPECIALISTS, INTENSIVE CASE MANAGERS, PERMIT TECHNICIANS, ADMINISTRATIVE CLERKS, ASSESSOR-CLERK RECORDER ASSISTANTS, VITAL STATISTIC TECHNICIANS, AND CHILD WELFARE WORKERS? HOW WILL THEY BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE AND ATTENTION THAT YOUR COMMUNITY DESERVES AND EXPECTS WITH A REDUCED WORKFORCE? CUTTING THE WORKERS THREATENS THE VERY FABRIC OF THIS COMMUNITY. [00:05:01] I URGE YOU TO EXPLORE ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE ELIMINATING YOUR WORKFORCE. FURLOUGHS, FOR INSTANCE. THEY CAN PROVIDE IMMEDIATE LABOR COST REDUCTIONS WHILE PRESERVING ESSENTIAL POSITIONS. GOLDEN HANDSHAKES, ONE-TIME COST SOLUTION TO MITIGATE LAYOFFS. REMOTE WORK OPTIONS FOR NON-PUBLIC INTERACTIONS. AS WELL AS REDUCING OR ELIMINATING SERVICE CONTRACTS. THESE ARE ALL VIABLE PATHS FORWARD. LOOK AROUND YOU TODAY. THIS IS YOUR WORKFORCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. EACH INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTS A JOB, NOT JUST A JOB, BUT A COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NO CLAPPING. SORRY. YOU CAN DO THIS IF YOU WANTED. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. BARBARA CASTILLO. AND NEXT IS ANA LOZA. THANK YOU. PLEASE MOVE THE MICROPHONE SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHAIRS AND MEMBERS AND BOARD. MY NAME IS BARBARA CASTILLO, AND I'VE DEDICATED OVER 24 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THIS. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK REGARDING ON THE POTENTIAL ELIMINATION OF MY POSITION AS OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST STAFF AND ELIGIBILITY AND SERVICES DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT F. IT HAS A REAL CONSEQUENCE FOR PEOPLE BOTH WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. IF MY JOB IS ELIMINATED, THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT WILL FALL ON ALREADY OVERLOADED EMPLOYEES AT A HIGHER PAYING POSITION. THEY ARE ALREADY WORKING OVER CAPACITY AND SHIFTING MY RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO OTHER PERSONS AND ONTO OTHER PERSON WILL INCREASE THEIR WORKLOAD SIGNIFICANTLY. THIS DOESN'T STRAIN. THIS STRAIN DOESN'T JUST SLOW THINGS DOWN. IT LEADS TO BURNOUT AND MISTAKES. BUT THIS IS ONLY ABOUT INTERNAL OPERATION. BUT THIS ISN'T ONLY ABOUT INTERNAL OPERATION. MY WORK DIRECTLY SUPPORTS OUR CUSTOMERS, MANY OF WHOM ARE VULNERABLE SITUATIONS. I DON'T JUST CREATE AND MANAGE TICKETS FOR OUR ANALYSTS OUTSIDE OUR COUNTIES AND STAFF. I ALSO HELP RESOLVE URGENT ISSUES FOR INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO ACCESS MEDICAL CARE. THESE ARE PEOPLE WAITING FOR... A DOCTOR OR HAVING A SURGERY SCHEDULED OR TRYING TO GET ESSENTIAL MEDICATION AND IF THEY ARE OFTEN DENIED AND DELAYED BECAUSE OF INCORRECT INFORMATION IN THE MED SYSTEM SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A WRONG DATE OF BIRTH SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR TWO RECORDS CAN PREVENT THEM FROM SERVICE HAVING SERVICE WHEN THOSE ISSUES AREN'T QUICKLY RESOLVED CARE IS DELAYED MEDICATIONS OFTEN GO UNFILLED HEALTH OUTCOMES CAN WORSEN AND THANK YOU. WHAT I DO CAN HELP. THANK YOU. YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. NEXT IS ANA LOZA AND ANGELICA JEFES. IT'S AFTER THAT. YES. THANK YOU TO ALL THREE THAT CAME UP. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ANA LOZA AND I'M AN ELIGIBILITY WORKER AT THE WINTERS OFFICE. I'M SPEAKING URGENTLY TO ASK YOU NOT TO CLOSE OUR WINTER'S OFFICE AS PART OF YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS. THE WINTER SITE SERVES MORE THAN JUST 4% OF OUR COUNTY CASELOAD. IT'S A LIFELINE FOR RESIDENTS WHO LACK RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, ARE ELDERLY, ARE HOMEBOUND, OR CANNOT NAVIGATE LONG PHONE WAITS. WE PROVIDE IN-PERSON ACCESS TO CALFRESH, MEDI-CAL, WIC, IHSS, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES THAT MANY CLIENTS CANNOT REASONABLY ACCESS ANYWHERE ELSE. FOR THEM, A PHONE QUEUE ISN'T AN ALTERNATIVE. IT'S A BARRIER THAT LEADS TO MISSED BENEFITS, MISSED MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PERFECT STORM. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW COMPLEX FEDERAL HR1 REQUIREMENTS, WHICH SUPERVISOR FRERICHS NOTED, IS A NIGHTMARE FOR ELIGIBILITY, COUPLED WITH REDUCING PHYSICAL ACCESS POINTS. WHEN RULES GET MORE COMPLEX, CLIENTS NEED MORE FACE-TO-FACE HELP, NOT LESS. CLOSING THIS OFFICE NOW IS A RECIPE FOR CHURN WHERE ELIGIBLE FAMILIES LOSE BENEFITS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM BECAME TOO DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE ONLY SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED IS A SINGLE [00:10:02] OUTREACH STAFF PERSON RATHER THAN A FULL-SERVICE LOCATION. A SINGLE OUTREACH WORKER CANNOT REPLICATE THE COMPREHENSIVE, CONFIDENTIAL, SAME-DAY ASSISTANCE OUR WINTER SITE CURRENTLY PROVIDES. THAT APPROACH WOULD LEAVE MANY CLIENTS WITHOUT MEANINGFUL ACCESS. THE COUNTY PROJECTS ROUGHLY 77,000 IN ANNUAL SAVINGS FROM CLOSURE. THAT MODEST FISCAL GAIN DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE SUBSTANTIAL AND IMMEDIATE HUMAN COST TO WINTER'S FAMILIES. PLEASE EXPLORE LESS HARMFUL ALTERNATIVES THAT PRESERVE FACE TO FACE ACCESS. FOR EXAMPLE, TO GIVE UP THE LARGE UNDERUTILIZED MEETING ROOM THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PROTECTING ACCESS TO CRITICAL SERVICES. TO SOME OF OUR COUNTY'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. AND JUST IF WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU, JUST BY THE WAY, THE BUDGET IS ONE OF OUR ITEMS, BUT I'M ALLOWING THE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK. SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S HERE WHO IS GOING TO WAIT FOR THE BUDGET ITEM, BUT YOU WOULD RATHER SPEAK NOW, YOU MAY FILL OUT A CARD SO THAT WE CAN CALL YOU UP. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. ANGELICA YEPES, AND AFTER THAT, BRANDY HALL, PLEASE. AND, SORRY, WHEN MORE THAN ONE PERSON COMES UP, CAN YOU INTRODUCE WHO THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE SO THAT, FOR THE RECORD, WE KNOW WHO'S HERE, IF THEY ARE, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO. HI, MY NAME IS ANGELICA YEPES, AND I'M A PERMIT TECHNICIAN. AND... SULI, ONE OF THE... RANDY HALL, OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND YOU CAN START YOUR TIME NOW, JUST SINCE I MADE THAT REQUEST. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS ANGELICA YEPES, AND I'M A PERMIT TECHNICIAN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND VOICE MY CONCERN. I HAVE BEEN AN EMPLOYEE OF YOLO COUNTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS, AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A FINANCIAL DEFICIT IN YOLO COUNTY, LAYING OFF TWO POSITIONS IN OUR BUILDING DIVISION WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT ME, MY COWORKERS, OUR DIVISION, AND OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO AT A GREATER SCALE, SUCH AS OUR CONSTITUENTS AND BUILDERS, THUS AFFECTING HOUSING, DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY FURTHER AFFECT FUTURE BUILDING BUDGETS AND POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF LAYOFFS, HAVING A GREATER IMPACT. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE PERMIT TECHNICIAN TO DO THE JOB. OF FOUR PERMIT TECHNICIANS AND BE EXPECTED TO PROCESS PERMITS AND COLLECT THE FORECASTED REVENUE THAT OUR FOUR PERMIT TECHNICIANS WOULD ACHIEVE GIVEN THE VOLUME OF CURRENT PERMITS AND INQUIRIES PROCESSED REGULARLY. OUR PUBLIC CUSTOMERS WILL SUFFER AS WELL CAUSING DELAYS IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT THE ECONOMY IN YOLO COUNTY. THIS MAY ENCOURAGE CONTRACTORS AND HOMEOWNERS TO DO WORK YOU WITHOUT OBTAINING PERMITS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO AFFECT THE PUBLIC SAFETY. THE TURNAROUND TIME TO RESPOND TO CUSTOMERS WILL BE DELAYED, AFFECTING THEM AND CAUSING PUBLIC COMPLAINTS. IN 2008, THE COUNTY EXPERIENCED MANY LAYOFFS, AND WHILE I PERSONALLY WASN'T LAID OFF, THE WORKLOAD AND BURNOUT WAS REAL. MY COWORKERS THAT THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WERE EVENTUALLY LAID OFF TOO. PLEASE CONSIDER MY CONCERNS WHEN I SAY THIS IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. THIS IS A TEMPORARY BAND-AID TO A BIGGER ISSUE, AND LAYOFFS ARE GOING TO BRING GREATER FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS THAT WILL TAKE YEARS TO RECOVER. INSTEAD, PLEASE CONSIDER FURLOUGHS, GOLDEN HANDSHAKES, INCREASED BUILDING DIVISION PERMITS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. YOU CAN FINISH YOUR SENTENCE. GO AHEAD. REDUCE SERVICE CONTRACTS AND OFFER ALTERNATIVE SHORTER WORK WEEKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. I'M BRANDI HULL. OKAY, IS THAT OUR NEXT SPEAKER? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. GO AHEAD, BRANDI. BRANDI WITH OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST. CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE? OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST, SO HERE'S FOUR POSITIONS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO GET RID OF. I WOULD LIKE TO STAND HERE AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT WORK WILL BE DONE ONCE YOU CUT OUR POSITIONS. [00:16:25] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BRIANNA CRAFT, AND AFTER THAT, SHELBY HONEY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS BRIANNA KRAFT AND I'M A SUPERVISOR IN INTAKE, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND COURT SERVICES AND CHILD WELFARE. AND TODAY MARKS MY 21ST YEAR SERVING YOLO COUNTY. I WAS HERE DURING THE 2008 AND 2009 RECESSION WHEN WE LOST CRITICAL SUPPORT STAFF. THAT WAS DIFFICULT, BUT WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW COULD BE EVEN MORE DAMAGING. AT THE TIME OF THIS PROPOSAL ASSIGNMENT, WE HAD EIGHT VACANT SOCIAL WORKER POSITIONS AND SEVERAL SUPPORT STAFF VACANCIES. WE WERE ALREADY EXPERIENCING THE IMPACT. HIGH CASELOADS, INCREASED OVERTIME AND FAMILY TIME, INCREASED THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES, INCREASED THE NUMBER NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION THEY NEED. THIS PROPOSAL GOES EVEN FURTHER BY ELIMINATING THOSE VACANCIES ALONG WITH FIELD SUPPORT STAFF, A CHILD WELFARE WORKER, AND FIVE SOCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANT POSITIONS. THE WORK THESE ROLES PERFORM IS NOT OPTIONAL. SUPPORT STAFF HANDLE STATE AND FEDERALLY REQUIRED TASKS LIKE FAMILY FINDING, INDIAN CHILD WELFARE NOTICING, DUE DILIGENCE SEARCHES, AND COURT DOCUMENTATION. SOCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANTS SUPPORT COURT ORDERED QUALITY VISITATION, WHICH IS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR. OF SUCCESSFUL REUNIFICATION. IT'LL SHIFT TO SOCIAL WORKERS WHO ARE ALREADY OVER CAPACITY. THE RESULT WILL BE DELAYED AND MISSED WORK, DIFFICULTY MEETING COURT TIMELINES, INCOMPLETE ASSESSMENTS, AND REDUCED ABILITY TO PROVIDE REASONABLE SERVICES, WHICH ULTIMATELY WILL LEAD TO DELAYS IN PERMANENCY, POOR OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN, AND THE RISK OF LOST FEDERAL FUNDING AND SANCTIONS. IT WILL ALSO INCREASE OVERTIME, BURNOUT, AND TURNOVER. IMPORTANTLY WILL IMPACT CHILD SAFETY. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOAL OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN ENTERING CARE DISCUSSED BY CHAIRWOMAN AT THE LAST MEETING. OUR AGENCY HAS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN CARE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. IN 2018, THERE WERE 311 CHILDREN REMOVED. IN 2025, 116 CHILDREN WERE REMOVED, A 63% DECREASE. WE ACHIEVED THAT BECAUSE WE HAD SUFFICIENT STAFF TO SAFELY STABILIZE FAMILIES WITHOUT REMOVAL. IF STAFFING IS REDUCED, WE WILL LOSE THAT ABILITY. THAT MEANS MORE CHILDREN ENTERING IN CARE UNNECESSARILY OR REMAINING IN UNSAFE SITUATIONS. NEITHER IS ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. THANK YOU. NEXT IS SHELBY HANEY. HI. MY NAME IS SHELBY HANEY AND I'M A SOCIAL WORKER PRACTITIONER IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT OF CHILD WELFARE SERVICES. THIS MEANS I AM PART OF THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONDING TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CONCERNS, ASSESSING FOR AND ADDRESSING CHILD SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT CHILD WELFARE SERVICES DOES NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT THE TEAMWORK OF ALL POSITIONS. I STAND HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE CONCERN ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS TO OUR AGENCY AND ESPECIALLY THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SOCIAL WORKER AND SUPPORTIVE POSITIONS. MANY OF WHOM WHO COULD NOT ATTEND TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVIDING THESE VITAL SERVICES TO FAMILIES. ELIMINATION OF THESE POSITIONS WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE WORKLOAD. IN FACT, AS OUR COMMUNITY FACES INCREASED COSTS OF LIVING, LIFE STRESSORS, AND LOSS OF ACCESS TO SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, THE WORKLOAD WILL SURELY CONTINUE TO INCREASE. ELIMINATION OF THE PROPOSED VACANT AND FILLED POSITIONS WILL SHIFT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO REMAINING STAFF, INCREASING THE ALREADY DEMANDING CASELOADS, LEADING TO LONGER INVESTIGATION AND JUVENILE DEPENDENCY TIMELINES, [00:20:01] INCREASED BURNOUT, DECREASED MORALE, FURTHER STAFF DEPARTURES, AND ULTIMATELY INCREASED RISK TO SERVICE DELIVERY AND CHILD SAFETY. IN CHILD WELFARE SERVICES, WE MEET WITH FAMILIES ON WHAT IS POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE WORST DAYS OF THEIR LIVES. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE FAMILIES AS THEY GROW AND WORK AND HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD. OUR JOB IS DEMANDING, BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO AND WE WANT THE BEST. FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN YOLO COUNTY. THE HARDEST PART OF OUR JOB SHOULD BE THE JOB ITSELF. THE DIFFICULT AND EMOTIONAL CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE AND THE HARD DECISIONS WE SOMETIMES HAVE TO MAKE. IT SHOULD NOT BE THE INEVITABLE STRESS FROM AN UNMANAGEABLE WORKLOAD AND A LACK OF STAFF AND SUPPORT. EVERY ELIMINATED POSITION AND COMPOUNDED RESPONSIBILITY STEALS THE TIME WE HAVE TO DIRECTLY WORK WITH FAMILIES. CUTS TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES IS A THREAT TO CHILD SAFETY. SOCIAL WORKERS AND SUPPORT STAFF ARE INTEGRAL TO THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I STRONGLY URGE AND REQUEST THE BOARD TO PLEASE EXPLORE ALL ALTERNATIVES TO CUTTING THOSE WHO DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO PROTECTING THE CHILDREN OF YOLO COUNTY AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ELIZABETH GUERRA. GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH GUERRA AND I'VE WORKED AT YOLO COUNTY FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE ANALYST FOR THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM AND THE SERVICE CENTER, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE THAT WILL BE LAID OFF WITH THESE PROPOSED CHANGES. I WANTED YOU TO HAVE AT LEAST A FACE AND A NAME TO PUT TO THE POSITION YOU'RE CUTTING, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE MAKE AN IMPACT ON ME AND MY FAMILY. SORRY, I'M PREGNANT AND JUST CRYING. I FIRST OF ALL WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT I DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AS I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE THREE SENTENCES THAT WERE WRITTEN PROPERLY EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF WHAT I DO. ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THE STAFF HAVE QUESTIONS ON ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OR SYSTEM ISSUES SUCH AS NOT GRANTING THE CORRECT ELIGIBILITY. I WILL TROUBLESHOOT THESE ISSUES AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE OR POLICY CLARIFICATION ON THE VARIOUS MEDICAL PROGRAMS. WITH MY POSITION BEING CUT, THE WAIT TIMES FOR THESE ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED WILL GROW EXPONENTIALLY. THAT MEANS THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE THE DOCTOR OR WAIT TO GET THE MEDICATION THEY NEED. WITHOUT ME AND MY CO-WORKERS, THE COMMUNITY WILL BE WAITING LONGER FOR THEIR BENEFITS. SO CALWORKS, CALFRESH, AND MEDI-CAL. I REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS DOING A DISSERVICE TO YOUR RESIDENTS. THESE POSITIONS HELP THINGS RUN SMOOTHLY, AND THEY ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR BENEFITS TIMELY, CORRECTLY, AND WITHOUT DELAY. THINGS WILL BE MISSED AS THEIR POSITIONS ARE CONDENSED TO SUCH FEW PEOPLE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER FURLOUGHS OR THE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE. I KNOW BOTH WERE BROUGHT UP AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, AND I FELT LIKE THEY WERE DISMISSED. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO LAY PEOPLE OFF AND IN POOR TASTE IN MY POSITION TO LAY PEOPLE OFF IN FILLED POSITIONS WHILE LEAVING VACANT POSITIONS OPEN. I KNOW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO RETIRE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND BY OFFERING THAT GOLDEN HANDSHAKE IT ENSURES THAT PEOPLE YOU CURRENTLY HAVE WORKING AND HAVE THIS EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF VARIOUS NICHE PROGRAMS CAN CONTINUE TO STAY HERE AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. THIS KNOWLEDGE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT CAN BE LEARNED IN TWO WEEKS TIME AS YOU TRANSITION RESPONSIBILITIES TO OTHERS. THIS WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT YOUR COUNTY. THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING AND DOING IN WHAT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF THREE YEARS WORTH OF CUTS, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, AND STARTING OFF SO AGGRESSIVELY IS SETTING UP THE COUNTY AND YOUR RESIDENTS FOR FAILURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS LEAH SIONG. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BLAYA TSONG AND I AM THE CALWORKS ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST FOR OUR SERVICE CENTER. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND TIME TO PROVIDE MY CONCERNS AND I'M HOPING THAT THESE CONCERNS TODAY BROUGHT FORTH NOT JUST BY MYSELF BUT EVERYBODY BEHIND US ARE HEARD, UNDERSTOOD, AND CONSIDERED. IT WILL PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ROLE THAT WE HOLD HERE IN HHSA. MY CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET REDUCTION OPTIONS BROUGHT FORTH IN ATTACHMENT E AND F PROVIDES A SMALL SNIPPET OF WHAT THE IMPACTS OF ELIMINATING THE ANALYST POSITION WILL DO FOR OUR BRANCH. AND I WANT TO STRESS AND FOCUS THAT IT IS A VERY SMALL INSIGHT OF OUR JOB ROLES AND DOES NOT APPROPRIATELY REPRESENT US AS A WHOLE. THE ANALYSTS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE PROGRAMS AND NOT ONLY PROVIDES TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR OUR STAFF, BUT FOR OUR SUPERVISORS, THE PROGRAM COORDINATORS, AND MANAGERS. IT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO SERVE OUR YOLO COUNTY COMMUNITY. WE ALSO PROVIDE INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR OUR STAFF, AS I MENTIONED. WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, JUST MONTHLY, WE RECEIVED OVER 223 TICKETS, AND WE ARE ALREADY A SMALL TEAM, BUT EFFECTIVE. [00:25:02] AND YET, OUR POSITIONS ARE SELECTED FOR BEING REDUCED. STATING THAT THE PROGRAM COORDINATORS CAN ABSORB OUR ROLE IS SO DEVALUING. I BELIEVE WHEN WE CLOCK INTO WORK, WE ARE A VALUE TO THE PROGRAM. WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE, OUR EXPERTISE, OUR GUIDANCE, AND ABILITY TO PERFORM HIGHLY AND EFFECTIVELY, THE PROGRAM INFORMATION WOULD BE DELAYED IN REGULATIONS, INCONSISTENT, MISINTERPRETED, AND THIS IN TURN NOW WILL CAUSE BENEFITS TO BE ISSUED INCORRECTLY AND DELAYED IN SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN YOLO COUNTY. I'VE BEEN THE CALWORKS PROGRAM ANALYST FOR OVER SIX-PLUS YEARS, AND LIKE LIZ MENTIONED, THIS SKILL IS NOT LEARNED OVERNIGHT. I STARTED HERE AS A CALWORKS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SPECIALIST. I TAKE SO MUCH PRIDE IN MY WORK AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THESE REDUCTIONS BE REVIEWED IN DETAIL, AS I'M UNSURE IF THE TRANSPARENCY OF THESE REDUCTIONS CAN CAREFULLY AND HOPEFULLY THAT THESE ARE THE BEST AND ONLY DECISIONS THAT OUR UNIT CAN MAKE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT IS CRYSTAL DONATE ALVAREZ. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO GET MY NAME RIGHT. I APPRECIATE THAT. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL DONATE ALVAREZ. LAST MONTH... LAST MONTH YOLO COUNTY HAD OVER 50,000 ACTIVE MEDI-CAL MEMBERS. STARTING IN JANUARY ABOUT 21,000 OR 42% OF THOSE MEMBERS WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE WORK REQUIREMENTS AND SIX-MONTH RENEWALS. WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF OUR MEDICALLY INDIGENT PROGRAM CMSP WILL HAVE FUNDING OR COUNTY PARTICIPATION FEES. THESE PARTICIPANTS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS IMPACTED BY HR1 ARE UNPRECEDENTED. THEY WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT THEY NEED YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR THEM. ANALYSTS ARE POLICY AND SYSTEM EXPERTS BECAUSE WE ARE LOGICAL, ANALYTICAL, AND STRATEGIC. OUR KNOWLEDGE INCLUDES POLICY FROM 60 YEARS AGO AND NOW BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES ARE EXTENSIVE. THE COMBINED KNOWLEDGE OF ANALYSTS HELPS SUPPORT ELIGIBILITY STAFF WITH ENROLLMENT AND KEEPING MEMBERS ACTIVE. ANALYSTS ARE CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSING POLICY QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE ANALYST POSITION AFFORDS THE TIME IT REQUIRES TO OBTAIN SUCH KNOWLEDGE. LAST WEEK WE ASSISTED IN GETTING AN ELDERLY CLIENT SHARE OF COST FROM $4,000 TO NO SHARE OF COST BECAUSE WE RESEARCHED BOARD AND CARE DEDUCTIONS. THIS ALLOWED THE ELDERLY SPOUSE TO KEEP SOME OF THEIR INCOME. SINCE DECEMBER, THE ANALYST AND PROGRAM COORDINATOR WORKED TOGETHER TO TRAIN ALL ELIGIBILITY STAFF STAFF. ON TOPICS SUCH AS REINSTATEMENT OF ASSET LIMITS, UPCOMING HR1 PROVISIONS, MEDI-CAL EXPANSION FREEZE, RESIDENCY VERIFICATION, AND COMMON IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS. NEW ENROLLMENTS AND KEEPING INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IS AN UPHILL BATTLE WITH STAFF TURNAROUND AND CHANGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND STATE. WITH DIRECTOR MORALES' GOAL TO STAND UP MC BILLING TO GENERATE REVENUE, WE NEED MEMBERS. WITHOUT ANALYSTS AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE TROUBLESHOOTING WORKSHOPS OR TO HELP RESEARCH, FAIR HEARINGS CASE AND HELP PROPOSE SOLUTIONS WHAT WILL ENROLLMENT LOOK LIKE IF PROGRAM COORDINATORS ARE TASKED WITH ALL THE WORK YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY NEXT IS LESLIE GUERRA GOOD MORNING MY NAME IS LESLIE GUERRA AND I'M AN ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST I'M HERE TO ASK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH CUTS TO FIELD POSITIONS WITHIN THE SERVICE CENTER. I UNDERSTAND THE REALITY OF OUR STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND THE NEED FOR THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS. HOWEVER, I URGE YOU TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS SUCH AS OFFERING GOLDEN HANDSHAKES, IMPLEMENTING FURLOUGHS, CUTTING ALL VACANT POSITIONS, OR CONSIDERING REVENUE MEASURES LIKE A SALES TAX INCREASE BEFORE REDUCING POSITIONS THAT ARE ALREADY ACTIVELY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WORKING WITHIN HHSA, THE WORK WE DO IS NOT EASILY REDISTRIBUTED AND CANNOT BE OBSERVED AS EASILY AS HSA MAKES IT SEEM. WE ARE CONSTANTLY UNDERSTAFFED AND ALREADY HAVE A HIGH CASELOAD THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN A TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE WAY. NOW, ADDING THE INCREASE OF COST OF LIVING OR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, WHICH HAS GONE UP FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, BOTH WHICH WILL CAUSE A SPIKE IN APPLICATIONS. FURTHER REDUCTIONS TO FIELD POSITIONS MAY DEEPEN THESE CHALLENGES AND LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO SERVE RESIDENTS WHO RELY ON THESE BENEFITS TO SURVIVE. EACH DAY WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FACING URGENT AND OVERWHELMING CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN DELAYS PREVENT US FROM RESPONDING AS QUICKLY AS NEEDED, IT CAN HAVE A REAL AND IMMEDIATE IMPACT [00:30:01] ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. THESE ARE THE MOMENTS HIGHLIGHTED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE STAFF AND RESOURCES. HHA HAS SHARED THAT THESE DECISIONS ULTIMATELY REST WITH YOU, AND I ASK FOR CLARITY ON HOW BEST TO GUIDE THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY EXPRESS CONCERN OR FRUSTRATION ABOUT NOT RECEIVING ANY TIMELY ASSISTANCE. AS LEADERS, YOU CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING DECISIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT BOTH RESIDENTS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS WORKING TO SUPPORT THEM. MANY EMPLOYEES ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY, DEEPLY INVESTED IN XSS. WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ROLES CAN CHANGE AND PEOPLE CAN BE REPLACED, BUT THE IMPACT OF THESE DECISIONS ON REAL LIVES IS DAMAGING. AND TO EMPLOYEES, WHEN AN ORGANIZATION DOESN'T VALUE YOU, WHAT'S THE POINT IN STAYING? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WHITNEY MAXWELL, PLEASE. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ELIMINATED, ALSO KNOWN AS INTENSIVE CASE MANAGER ONE, THE ONLY PERSON IN THE COUNTY THAT HOLDS THAT POSITION. YOU SPEAK OF TRANSPARENCY, BUT NO ONE TOLD ME I WAS BEING RECOMMENDED. NO ONE. YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE PUT MY NAME THERE. WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A DOLLAR SIGN AND A NUMBER. WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A WAY OF FIXING YOUR MISTAKES. YOU ALSO ARE TEMPORARY AS WE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND THE MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY THAT VOTED YOU IN FOR US. WE ARE SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVORS. WE ARE DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS. WE WERE HOMELESS SURVIVORS. WE ARE THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE TO HELP. AND HOW CAN WE GO OUT THERE AND DO THAT WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE SECURITY OR THE MEANS OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY? YOU ARE SHOVING US BACK INTO HOMELESSNESS. YOU AND YOUR AUTHORITATIVE ABUSE ARE DOING THIS TO US. YOU NEED TO SEE HOW THIS AFFECTS US. I CAME IN DURING AN OUT-OF-COMPLIANCE PERIOD TO SAVE... WHATEVER MISTAKES WERE MADE AHEAD OF ME. AND PEOPLE WAITED SIX MONTHS TO GET THEIR BENEFITS. SIX MONTHS. IT'S GOING TO BE WORSE WITH ALL THESE CUTS. 50 MORE NEXT YEAR, 50 MORE THE YEAR AFTER THAT. I MIGHT HAVE PROTECTION THIS YEAR BY PUSHING OUT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME THAT DON'T DESERVE IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT NEXT YEAR. I RECERTIFY MY APARTMENT ON FRIDAY WITH INCOME I WILL NO LONGER HAVE. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER WHO IS TRYING TO... CHANGE GENERATIONAL POVERTY, AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWING THAT. YOU HAVE NON-PROFITS YOU ARE SUPPORTING THAT ARE ABLE TO FUNDRAISE. WE CANNOT FUNDRAISE. YOU BACK YOUR BABY, CHAIR ALLEN. I AM YOUR CONSTITUENT. I LIVE IN YOUR SECTOR. YOUR BABY OF THE CRISIS NURSERY, WHICH MY TEAM UTILIZES, AND YES, I BELIEVE IN. TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK. TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK. HAVE THEM FUNDRAISE THAT $20,000. AND I DON'T MAKE $119,000. THAT IS ALIGNED WITH MY POSITION. THAT IS NOT MY TAKE-HOME. SO PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT TO ME AND HOW YOU PUT UP SERVICE CENTER ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS ON APRIL 27TH TO HIRE WHEN WE ARE BEING ELIMINATED. THANK YOU. NEXT IS HILLARY SURLEY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS HILLARY AND I AM A PUBLIC ASSISTANT SPECIALIST FOR YOLO COUNTY STATIONED IN THE WINTERS HHSA OFFICE. I'M HERE TO URGE RECONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF THE WINTERS OFFICE. I UNDERSTAND THE COUNTY IS FACING A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT THAT HAS BEEN BUILDING OVER SEVERAL YEARS. HOWEVER, CLOSING THE WINTERS OFFICE REDUCES ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS WHO RELY ON IN-PERSON SERVICES FOR PROGRAMS LIKE MEDI-CAL AND CALFRESH. IN MY ROLE, I WORK DIRECTLY WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO FACE BARRIERS SUCH AS LIMITED TRANSPORTATION, LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS, AND DIFFICULTY NAVIGATING SYSTEMS INDEPENDENTLY. FOR MANY, THE WINTER'S OFFICE IS NOT A CONVENIENCE. IT IS THEIR PRIMARY ACCESS POINT TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES. CLOSING THIS OFFICE DOES NOT SIMPLY RELOCATE SERVICES. IT REDUCES ACCESS. I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT ALTERNATIVES IN WINTERS ARE BEING EXPLORED. RESPECTFULLY, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE. IF THE REASON FOR CLOSURE IS BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, HOW DOES PURSUING ANOTHER LOCATION MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE? WITHOUT CLEAR DETAILS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THIS AS A VIABLE SOLUTION, AND IT MAY UNINTENTIONALLY CREATE FALSE EXPECTATIONS FOR STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY. WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED PLAN, FUNDING APPROACH, AND TIMELINE, AND HOW WILL THOSE DETAILS BE COMMUNICATED TO STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY? BUDGET DECISIONS REFLECT PRIORITIES. I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW THOSE PRIORITIES ARE BEING SET AND WHETHER RESOURCES ARE BEING ALLOCATED IN A WAY THAT CONSISTENTLY PROTECTS ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES, LIKE THE WINNER'S OFFICE. I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER WHETHER THIS IS TRULY THE MOST EQUITABLE AND RESPONSIBLE PATH FORWARD AND TO FULLY EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES THAT PRESERVE ACCESS RATHER THAN REDUCE IT. BECAUSE ONCE THIS OFFICE IS GONE, THE IMPACT WILL NOT BE TEMPORARY AND THE PEOPLE AFFECTED WILL NOT HAVE AN EASY ALTERNATIVE. THIS DECISION REDUCES ACCESS FOR THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT. [00:35:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS MARIA VARGAS. HI, MY NAME IS MARIA VARGAS. I'M A PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WITH YOLO COUNTY. I'M SPEAKING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO CLOSE THE WINTERS HHSA OFFICE. THE WINTERS OFFICE MAY LOOK LIKE A LOCATION THAT THE COUNTY CAN AFFORD TO CLOSE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LOWEST FOOT TRAFFIC, BUT THE NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CRITICAL SERVICES WE PROVIDE. WE OFFER A FULL RANGE OF ELIGIBILITY SERVICES AT OUR OFFICE. WE PROCESS MEDI-CAL, CALFRESH, CALWORKS, GENERAL ASSISTANCE, AND HELP WITH IHSS APPLICATIONS. WE ISSUE ABT CARDS. WE ACCEPT PAYMENTS. WE ISSUE MEDICAL BIT CARDS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR OFFICE VISITS AND MEDICATIONS THAT ARE LIFE-SAVING AT TIMES. WE SERVE RESIDENTS WHO LACK RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, INTERNET ACCESS, OR ABILITY TO NAVIGATE ONLINE OR PHONE SERVICES. WE SERVE A LARGE POPULATION OF ELDERLY, AND THEY RELY HEAVILY ON FACE-TO-FACE SUPPORT, MANY OF WHICH ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH THE H.R. 1 BILL THAT CANNOT FOLLOW THE NEW REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. THESE PEOPLE MOSTLY LIVE ON FIXED INCOMES AND TRAVELING TO WOODLAND, DAVIS, OR WEST SACRAMENTO IS NOT FEASIBLE. THERE IS NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THE ROUTE 220 NO LONGER RUNS IN WINTERS AND HAS NOT RAN SINCE BEFORE COVID. THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY AT LEAST FOUR DOLLARS JUST TO LEAVE TOWN TO GET THESE SERVICES. THIS MATTERS EVEN MORE NOW DUE TO THE NEW FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. PUBLIC ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT IT EXPANDS CALFRESH WORK REQUIREMENTS AND NEW REPORTING VERIFICATION DEMANDS, BUT THIS IS ALSO GOING TO BE TRUE FOR MEDI-CAL IN 2027. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SIMILAR POLICIES IN OTHER STATES HAVE HAD PEOPLE LOSE THEIR BENEFITS, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE, BUT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT ACCESS THE SERVICES. THEY NEED HELP. WE ARE A LIFELINE. CLIENTS NEED MORE SUPPORT, NOT LESS. THEY WILL NEED ACCESS TO COMPUTERS, HELP UPLOADING DOCUMENTS, AND STAFF WHO CAN GUIDE THEM THE CORRECT WAY FOR THE NEW RULES. IF WINTERS CLOSES, THE VERY MOST PEOPLE AFFECTED BY H.R. 1 ARE LOSING THE ONLY ACCESSIBLE PLACE TO GET HELP. NO NONPROFIT OR CBO WILL... BE ABLE TO GIVE THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AT THIS OFFICE. CLOSING THE WINTERS OFFICE WILL CREATE A HARDSHIP AND CAUSE PEOPLE TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. I REALLY URGE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO PRESERVE THIS ESSENTIAL POINT OF SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT IS LARRAY SEAN MEDOSOS? OH, MEDOSOS. OKAY. GOOD MORNING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS LARRAY SHAW-MEADOWS. I HAVE DWELLED IN YOLO COUNTY FOR 31 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN AN EMPLOYEE OF YOLO COUNTY FOR OVER 28. I CURRENTLY LIVE IN DISTRICT MUCH OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID AND SO I'LL JUST LIFT UP A FEW THINGS. THIS BUDGET PLAN REGARDING HHSA IS FULL OF BIAS. THE BUDGET DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LOSS OF INCOME TO YOLO COUNTY AS WELL AS AS A WHOLE WITH THE LAYOFF OF THESE STAFF. THE HHSS BUDGET PROMOTES INEQUITY AND DIVISION. IT HAS ALREADY IMPACTED MORALE AND TRUST. THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN ABOUT WHAT ADMIN SERVICE ANALYSTS DO, THAT'S THE POSITION I AM IN, IS DISRESPECTFUL AND BELITTLING. WE DO SO MUCH MORE THAN THE LIMITED CHARACTER SPACE SUGGESTS. I WOULD CHALLENGE OUR COUNTY OFFICERS TO A BROADER VISION THAT PROMOTES EQUITY AND GREATER VISION, EXPLORING OPTIONS THAT MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED TO THEM BEFORE. THESE ARE THE FACES OF THE BUDGET CUTS. THESE ARE THE LIVES THAT YOU WILL IMPACT. THANK YOU. NEXT IS A STEVEN FETTLER. MORNING, MY NAME IS STEVEN FIEDLER, ADMIN SERVICES ANALYST AND YOLO COUNTY RESIDENT. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS AS ALL OF US WILL BE IMPACTED BY DECISION REDUCTIONS BECAUSE CUTTING WORKERS CUTS OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW YOU ALL CARE ABOUT DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING AND ACCURACY, SO I ASK YOU ALL TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE ACCURACY AND QUALITY OF DATA PROVIDED TO YOU. SOME NUMBERS MAY SEEM SMALL AT SCALE, BUT ACCURACY SHOULD BE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. I ASK YOU TO QUESTION THE THOROUGHNESS AND COHESION OF THE DATA PRESENTED. I ALSO ASK THAT YOU QUESTION WHETHER YOU SEE YOUR BUDGET PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES REPRESENTED BY WHAT DEPARTMENTS PROVIDED. QUESTION WHETHER VACANT POSITIONS REMAIN WHILE FILLED POSITIONS ARE UP FOR CUTS. WE SEE SOME DEPARTMENTS [00:40:01] PROVIDED DETAILED CONSIDERATIONS FOR REDUCING VACANT POSITIONS AND OTHERS APPEAR TO MINIMIZE OR UNDER-REPRESENT THE WORK OF FILLED POSITIONS. IN THE ORIGINAL ATTACHMENT E, THE TOTAL REDUCTION AMOUNT FOR THE HHSA ADMIN BRANCH IS SHORT $133,705. THE REDUCTION OF SERVICE CHART IS OFF BY ABOUT $5,882. THIS ISSUE ALSO ENDS UP IMPACTING THE FINAL HHSA GENERAL FUND REDUCTION TOTAL SINCE THERE IS AN ILL-EXPLAINED SUBTRACTION OF HHSA ADMIN ALLOCATION. IN THE CURRENT ATTACHMENT AA, SLIDE 9'S FTE TOTAL IS 9, NOT ONLY HALF AN FTE WAS REMOVED. SLIDE 10 TO 11 FTE TOTAL IS 35, NOT 33 IS LISTED. SLIDE 15 FTE'S TOTAL IS 29, NOT 30 IS LISTED. THESE ARE ONLY SOME OF THE ERRORS I'VE FOUND IN THESE DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ON. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXPLORE, INQUIRE, AND VERIFY THE NUMBERS IN THESE DOCUMENTS. THERE ARE OTHERS I HAVE NOT HIGHLIGHTED. THAT I HOPE YOU CAN FIND. ADDITIONALLY, MORALE IS ALREADY LOW, AND SOME OF THESE REDUCTION STATEMENTS, AS MENTIONED, ARE DISMISSIVE. ATTACHMENT F, ADMIN OPTION 7. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT PERSON, AND WHEN I READ, THERE WILL BE NO IMPACT ON THE AGENCY, HOWEVER INCUMBENT WILL BE AFFECTED, I FELT LIKE OUR JOBS WERE NOT VALUED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT IS LAUREN AYERS. ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC, BUT RELATED, MY NAME IS LAUREN AYERS AND I LIVE IN GWENDA. TO CONTINUE MY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT VITAMIN A, FROM LAST WEEK IN THE U.S., ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION SURVEY, TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS HAVE INTAKES BELOW THE ESTIMATED AVERAGE REQUIREMENT. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT VITAMIN A IS IMPORTANT FOR GOOD VISION. HOWEVER, FEW PEOPLE REALIZE THAT VITAMIN A IS CRUCIAL FOR STRONG IMMUNITY AGAINST ALL KINDS OF INFECTIONS, INCLUDING MEASLES AND OTHER CHILDHOOD DISEASES. VITAMIN A IS ALSO REQUIRED FOR PREVENTING ALLERGIES, FOR GOOD HORMONE BALANCE, AND FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION. NOWADAYS, DOCTORS ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO TAKE VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS, BUT THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT EVERY MOLECULE OF VITAMIN D REQUIRES A MOLECULE OF VITAMIN A IN ORDER TO BE UTILIZED. BY THE WAY, VEGETARIANS NEED TO KNOW THAT BETA-CAROTENE IS ONLY A PRECURSOR TO VITAMIN A, AND THE BODY NEEDS 12 MICROGRAMS OF BETA-CAROTENE TO MAKE 1 MICROGRAM OF VITAMIN A. GOOD SOURCES OF A ARE BEEF LIVER, CHICKEN LIVER, COD LIVER OIL, DAIRY PRODUCTS, AND EGGS. WHY DID THE FDA SET THE CURRENT RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE FOR ADULTS TO SO LOW, AT ONLY A TENTH OF WHAT WAS NORMAL IN THE AMERICAN DIET 75 YEARS AGO? BACK THEN, SEAFOOD WAS AFFORDABLE AND HOME-COOKED MEALS WERE THE NORM, SO PEOPLE GOT THREE TO SIX MICROGRAMS OF VITAMIN A EACH DAY. BUT NOW ADULTS GET LESS THAN HALF OF THAT, HALF OF A MILLIGRAM A DAY. ONE STUDY REVEALS THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAMIN A FOR CHILDREN. A GROUP OF NEW MOTHERS WERE SUPPLEMENTED AFTER DELIVERY WITH A VERY LARGE ONE-TIME DOSE OF 60,000 MICROGRAMS OF VITAMIN A, WHICH CAUSED THEIR BREASTFEEDING INFANTS TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER INCIDENCE OF RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS AND FEVER. GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN A IS A TRUE OUNCE OF PREVENTION, WHICH IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE. IN THESE FINANCIAL TIMES. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THE... WE NEED TO ASK OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THE WIDESPREAD DEFICIENCY OF VITAMIN A? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE LAST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS SINGH RAM. WELL, IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATIONS BY MANY PEOPLE. ONE MOMENT. WE HAVE A PORTABLE MIC, SO DOES THAT WORK? THAT'S FINE. OKAY, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO WHAT I'M SAYING THAT WHENEVER THE GOVERNMENT FALLS BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WE COME INTO THE PICTURE. WE ARE VOLUNTEERS. WE ARE NONPROFIT. SO WE STARTED THIS PROJECT. MR. BAJAR IS IN YOUR DISTRICT IN DUNNEGAN. DUNNEGAN DOES NOT HAVE ANY OFFICE JUST LIKE WINTER HAS. RECENTLY, SO IT SHOWS OUR IMPOTENCE THAT HEY, THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE BUDGET, CANNOT DO SOMETHING, LET'S HELP THEM. SO WE WANT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING MR. BAJARAS THAT THE MONICA IS ON LEAVE, SO NOBODY FROM YOUR OFFICE IS CONTACTING US, SO PLEASE ASK SOMEBODY TO CONTACT US OR WHATEVER IT IS. RECENTLY WHAT HAPPENED THAT... SOMETHING HAPPENED WHICH IS THE CONCERN OF WE NEVER EXPECTED WHAT HAPPENED. CONCERN OF EVERY COUNTY RESIDENT. [00:45:05] THE COUNTY CHARGE, I'M NOT THERE, BUT COUNTY ASSESSED $870 PER DAY FINE AGAINST US. WE ARE NOT THERE. SO IT HAS TO BE WORKED OUT. THOUGH THE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE WORKING WITH US. AND WE WILL INFORM THEM. BUT IT IS. IF IT IS ASSESSED AGAINST A HOMEOWNER, THERE IS NO WAY THEY CAN SURVIVE. ALL KINDS OF GRANTS ARE THERE, BUT NOBODY IS REFERRING THEM, NOBODY IS HELPING THEM, AND ANY PENALTY BECOMES AN OBSTACLE TO GET THE GRANT, BECAUSE THE GRANT PEOPLE, BEFORE GIVING THE GRANT, MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED. NOW, ANOTHER THING THAT CAME ALONG, THAT IF WE WANT TO APPEAL IT, WE CANNOT APPEAL IT. THE REASON IS IT REQUIRES THE PAYMENT OF ALL THE FINES AND $1,000. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. CAN I FINISH IT? THANK YOU. YOU CAN FINISH YOUR SENTENCE, AND THEN I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT STAFF IS WORKING WITH YOU. SO FINISH YOUR SENTENCE. YES. BUT THAT'S THE END OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WHAT I'M SAYING THAT THAT CANNOT FINISH. SO WE HAVE TO WORK A LOT MORE WITH THIS. AND I APPRECIATE MR. OLIVER AND OTHER STAFF HERE TO DISCUSS WITH ME, TO DO A TIME WITH ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS J.R. RAMIREZ. HI. I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN YOU GO TO— THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE, BECAUSE WE'RE RECORDED AND THEN WE CAN HEAR BETTER. THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WHAT I'M CONCERNED IS ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE HELP PEOPLE, LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO HUMAN RESOURCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THERE'S A COUPLE OF WORKERS THAT DO THEIR WORK, AND THEY WERE WORKING IN DAVIS. NOW THEY WORK IN WINTERS, AND IT'S VERY HARD FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS NO TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM, AND THEY WANTED TO CLOSE THAT HUMAN RESOURCES OUTREACH OR WHATEVER THEY HELP THE PEOPLE. AND IT MAKES, IT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND I'VE BEEN TO OTHERS WHERE THEY DON'T HELP YOU. THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL AND EVERYTHING AND I'M JUST SPEAKING OUT TO THEM OR FOR THEM THAT YOU SHOULDN'T CLOSE THAT PLACE BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY DO WORK. LIKE YOU GUYS ARE DOING WORK, EVERYBODY AROUND HERE, LIKE EVEN RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE CUTTING WORKERS. WHY IS THAT? IT MAKES NO SENSE. WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND DO THEIR JOB, KEEP THEM WORKING. KEEP THEM TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS IAN EVANS. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR ALLEN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND IAN EVANS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH YOLO COUNTY HOUSING. HERE TO TALK ABOUT A DIFFERENT ITEM. YOU'RE GOING TO BE RECOGNIZING A LONGTIME YOLO COUNTY EMPLOYEE. I WAS TOLD PUBLIC COMMENT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME TO COME UP AND SHARE THOUGHTS ON THAT. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH LORI HAAS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND SUPERVISING HER FOR A FEW YEARS. AND SHE IS THE EPITOME OF A PUBLIC SERVANT. SHE CARES ABOUT NOT JUST THE FOLKS SHE'S SERVING, BUT HER CO-WORKERS AS WELL. SHE HELPED A LOT OF LEADERSHIP FOLKS GET THROUGH COVID DURING TOUGH TIMES WHEN EVERYONE WAS STRUGGLING WITH THAT. SHE SHARED A STORY ABOUT HOW SHE JUST WENT OUT IN HER BACKYARD ONE DAY AND HOSED OFF HER ENTIRE SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS. AND FOR HER, THAT WAS A CLEANSING MOMENT DURING COVID. AND THAT GAVE RELIEF. YOU COULD SEE FOLKS' SHOULDERS DROPPING AND JUST RELIEF DURING THAT TOUGH TIME. THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF WHO SHE IS. SHE CARES ABOUT EVERYBODY SHE'S WORKING WITH AND SERVES. SHE ALSO HAS THIS AMAZING WAY OF REMEMBERING DETAILS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN'S OFFICE SERVES FROM CHILDHOOD ALL THE WAY UNTIL THEIR PASSING OR THEIR LAST DAY OF SERVING. AND SHE WOULD SHARE THAT WHEN PUBLIC GUARDIAN FOLKS HAD PASSED AWAY. AND, YOU KNOW, HEARING THAT SHE REMEMBERED THAT WHEN THIS PERSON WHO WAS 80 DIED, WHEN THEY WERE 25, THEY USED TO PLAY GUITAR AND WERE IN THIS BAND AND WENT ON ROAD SHOWS. AND JUST THE ABILITY TO KEEP THAT HUMAN AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT SHE DID. SHE SHARED THAT WITH HER TEAM. SHE ENSURED THAT HER TEAM TOOK THAT SAME APPROACH TO THE WORK. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COME HERE AND RECOGNIZE HER AMAZING WORK, MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO YOLO COUNTY, AND WE'RE ALL BETTER OFF FOR IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. [00:50:01] THE LAST SPEAKER IS KEARNEY SCOTT, PLEASE. HELLO, MY NAME IS COURTNEY AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM 29, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF FOUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SPECIALISTS WITHIN YOLO COUNTY SERVICE CENTER. I WANT TO RESPECTFULLY CLARIFY SOMETHING IMPORTANT. OUR ROLES GO FAR BEYOND ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE JUST PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. AT YOLO WORKS, WE SERVE THE BROADER YOLO COUNTY COMMUNITY. WE HELP JOB SEEKERS BUILD RESUMES, PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWS, AND CONNECT WITH EMPLOYERS. WE ORGANIZE AND STAFF JOB FAIRS AND BRING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TOGETHER. WE ADMINISTER WIOA FUNDING, WHICH HELPS INDIVIDUALS ACCESS EDUCATION, TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND CAREER PATHWAYS THAT LEAD TO LONG-TERM SELF-SUFFICIENCY. WHEN YOU ELIMINATE THESE ESS POSITIONS, YOU'RE NOT JUST REDUCING STAFF, YOU'RE REDUCING ACCESS. ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT, ACCESS TO TRAINING, ACCESS TO UPWARD MOBILITY FOR YOLO COUNTY'S ECONOMY. THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE WIOA, WE FUND TRAINING THAT LEADS DIRECTLY TO EMPLOYMENT. THE PEOPLE YOU SEE OUT THERE EVERY DAY, THE ONES PICKING UP YOUR TRASH FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT. WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY GOT THEIR CLASS A LICENSE? WHO DO YOU THINK HELPED THEM GET INTO THAT TRAINING PROGRAM AND INTO THAT JOB? WE DID. THE PERSON CHECKING YOU OUT AT THE GROCERY STORE, THE WORKER YOU PASS AT A JOB SITE, THE PARENT WHO CAN NOW PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY. THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE YOLO WORKS HAD THEIR HAND IN THAT. WHEN YOU ELIMINATE FOUR ESS POSITIONS, YOU'RE NOT JUST CUTTING STAFF, YOU'RE CUTTING THOSE CONNECTIONS. YOU'RE MAKING IT HARDER FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES TO HIRE. YOU'RE MAKING IT HARDER FOR RESIDENTS TO GAIN SKILLS, FIND WORK, AND BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT. THIS DOESN'T JUST IMPACT INDIVIDUALS, IT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE ECONOMY OF YOLO COUNTY. FEWER TRAINED WORKERS, FEWER SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENTS, MORE STRAIN ON SYSTEMS THAT ARE ALREADY STRETCHED. FOR THOSE OF US DOING THIS WORK, IT'S PERSONAL. WE DON'T JUST PROCESS PAPERWORK, WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. WE WATCH PEOPLE GO FROM STRUGGLING TO STABLE, FROM UNCERTAIN TO COMPETENT. CUTTING THESE POSITIONS MEANS FEWER OF THOSE STORIES, FEWER CHANCES FOR PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES. WHEN RESIDENTS ARE SUPPORTED IN FINDING STABLE, HIGHER-PAYING JOBS, THEY CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THE TAX BASE, RELY LESS ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND SPEND MORE ON LOCAL BUSINESSES. THANK YOU. DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND, COURTNEY, IT'S A GOOD REMINDER THAT MANY OF YOU ALSO SENT US LETTERS. SO I RECOGNIZED YOUR NAME AND YOUR MESSAGE, AND WE'VE READ THEM. I CAN'T SAY I READ THEM. I HAVEN'T CHECKED WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, AND THAT IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, AND BECAUSE OF THE BROWN ACT, WE ARE NOT GOING TO RESPOND AT THIS POINT, BUT WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM LATER ON, AND WE'LL BE TALKING THROUGH THINGS. AND I REALLY WISH THAT MORE OF THE WHOLE PUBLIC WAS LOOKING AT THIS, BECAUSE WHEN I RAN FOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR, PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WHAT DOES THE COUNTY DO ANYHOW? AND HERE IT IS. IS WHAT THE COUNTY DOES. [ CONSENT AGENDA] THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY, NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ITEMS 6 THROUGH 26. MOVE TO APPROVE. OKAY, MOVED BY SUPERVISOR BARAJA, SECONDED BY VILLEGAS, I HEARD FIRST. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. THANKS, JOHN. OUR CONSENT ITEM PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THAT. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO INTRODUCTIONS. ARE THERE ANY INTRODUCTIONS TODAY? SEEING NONE, WE WILL MOVE TO OUR HONORARY RESOLUTION. EXCUSE ME, CHAIR ALLEN. I DO BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE ONE INTRODUCTION. I JUST WANT TO LOOK TO SEE IF THEY'RE PRESENT. ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE NOT. TO MOVE FORWARD THANK YOU OKAY MISS LAURIE HAS AND I KNOW WHAT [ INTRODUCTIONS & HONORARY RESOLUTIONS] A HEARTFELT, COME IN CLOSER, WHAT A HEARTFELT PERSON YOU ARE, SO IT MUST BE HARD TO HEAR ALL OF THAT, AND THEN LIKE, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE LORI. SO I KNOW YOU WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT. BUT TO TAKE A PAUSE AND TO RECOGNIZE THE MANY, MANY YEARS, OH, I LEFT MY NOTES UP THERE. I'M JUST GOING TO TALK FROM THE HEART. THE ONLY THING I DON'T HAVE IS THE YEARS. LET'S SEE, HOW MANY, 37 YEARS. OKAY, FOR 37 YEARS, MS. LORI HAAS HAS BEEN A PART OF YOLO COUNTY. AND HAS WORKED IN MANY POSITIONS, MOSTLY IN PUBLIC GUARDIAN OR ALL THE WAY THROUGH PUBLIC GUARDIAN? I KNOW IT'S UP AND THROUGH. IT WAS MOSTLY WITH PUBLIC GUARDIAN, STARTED THERE, THEN TO IHSS, THEN BACK TO PUBLIC GUARDIAN AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES. YEAH, YEAH. SO REALLY AT THE HEART OF WHAT LORI DOES IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR WE TALK A LOT ABOUT MOST VULNERABLE. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, LIKE, IT'S THE CHILDREN, IT'S THE OLDER ADULTS, BUT YOU HAVE THAT HAD YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND AND YOUR FOCUS ON THE MOST VULNERABLE OF ALL OF THOSE POPULATIONS. AND I JUST WANT, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT SOMEBODY WHO LIKES TO LIKE STAND UP AND SAY, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME. [00:55:01] BUT TODAY I REALLY WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO YOLO COUNTY AND THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE HELPED OVER THE YEARS AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU PROVIDED, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALSO STATEWIDE. IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL. I'VE WORKED PRETTY CLOSELY WITH YOU BECAUSE WE WORK AT IT WHEN WORKING A LOT IN THE SAME SPACE SO LOVE HAVING YOU ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING AND ADULT SERVICES AND YOU CHAIRED SOME OF OUR VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMITTEES AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR OLDER JUST IN CASE YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE RIGHT AFTER THIS IN OUR OLDER ADULT RESOLUTION TODAY WE TALKED ABOUT A GREAT THING THAT OLDER ADULTS NOT THAT YOU ARE OLDER PEOPLE ARE SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT BUT YOU'RE OLDER THAN SOME, THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY. WHAT'S GREAT IS WHEN THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DECIDE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE THAT EXPERIENCE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED THAT AN APPLICATION CAME IN FOR YOU TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING AND ADULT SERVICES. I SAID, YES, ALL CAPS. SO MANY THANKS TO YOU. AND WE WERE TRYING TO DECIDE, WE'RE LIKE, YEAH, GIVE HER THE BIG ONE. SO HERE IS A RESOLUTION FOR YOU TO TAKE HOME AND PUT IT ON YOUR WALL OR OUT IN YOUR BARN OR WHEREVER YOU WANT TO HAVE IT. I DON'T CARE, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNEW THAT THE YOLO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WORKED WITH AND FOR ALL THOSE YEARS REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO? THANK YOU. IT'S VERY STRANGE FOR ME TO BE THINKING ABOUT TYING UP MY CAREER. I HAVE LIVED AND WORKED IN YOLO COUNTY SINCE 1984, I THINK IT WAS. I WENT TO UC DAVIS, AND THAT'S HOW I LANDED HERE. MY FIRST JOB WITH YOLO COUNTY WAS AS AN INTERN WITH MEDI-CAL AND CAME INTO THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN'S OFFICE IN AN ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION. I WAS THE FIRST EVER GUARDIAN TECHNICIAN IN YOLO COUNTY WHEN THAT POSITION WAS JUST CREATED. AND THAT PROGRAM STOLE MY HEART. I WAS VERY PROUD TO COME BACK TO IT AND REALLY BUILD IT, PUT THINGS TOGETHER. IT DOES BREAK MY HEART A LITTLE, BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING CUTS TO THAT PROGRAM AS I'M LEAVING. MY WHOLE LIFE REALLY HAS BEEN HERE IN YOLO COUNTY. I LIVE HERE. I RAISED MY FAMILY HERE, MY COLLEAGUES. I HAVE BEEN FAMILY. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN EXTREMELY GRACIOUS IN SHARING ME WITH THE COUNTY FOR A LOT OF HARD WORK. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS TAKE FULL DEDICATION FROM EVERYBODY IN LEADERSHIP DOWN TO THE PEOPLE DOING THIS DAY-TO-DAY, BOOTS-ON-THE-GROUND WORK. AND IT HAS TRULY BEEN MY HONOR TO WORK FOR THIS COUNTY, TO LIVE HERE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COUNTY WHERE I LIVE. AND IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE. TO KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE SERVED, TO HEAR THEIR STORIES, AND HOW THEY'VE TOUCHED MY LIFE. I WILL ALWAYS CARRY THAT WITH ME. IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO THINK ABOUT LEAVING THEM BEHIND, THE CLIENTS, BUT I KNOW I'M LEAVING THEM IN GOOD HANDS. I HAVE SOME AWESOME, AWESOME COLLEAGUES THAT ARE READY TO CARRY ON THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE MEANT SO MUCH TO ME. AND SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS REALLY TRIED TO INSTILL IN ALL OF MY STAFF THROUGH THE YEARS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I LEARNED BASED ON EXPERIENCES I HAD, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU, THE BOARD, WHILE YOU'RE MAKING VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS. ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SERVES. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE ARE NOT THEIR ILLNESS, THEY'RE NOT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE, THEY'RE NOT THEIR AGE, THEY ARE NOT WHAT WE SEE AND ARE TRYING TO TREAT AND SUPPORT IN THEM. THEY ARE FULL HUMAN BEINGS WITH RICH HISTORIES AND PASTS AND CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES. AND WE HAVE TO SEE THE WHOLE HUMAN TO TRULY SERVE THEM. AND THEY BRING SO MUCH. I CAN SAY HOW MUCH THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO ME IN MY LIFE. IT HAS BEEN WORTH EVERY STEP OF THE 37 YEARS. THANK YOU. [01:00:39] NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SUPERVISOR MARY VIXIE SANDY WILL HAVE A RESOLUTION HONORING MAY AS ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO INVITE PATRICE GRIFFITH FROM WEST SACRAMENTO, BRIAN AND FLOYD SHIMAMURA, FATHER AND SON FROM WOODLAND, AND NORB KUMAGAI FROM DAVIS TO JOIN ME HERE AT THE PODIUM. OKAY, IT IS A DISTINCT PLEASURE TO... I PRESENT THIS RESOLUTION TODAY AND OF COURSE I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. I THINK THERE'S SOME VERY IMPORTANT HISTORY AND INFORMATION IN HERE THAT WE SHOULD JUST GET INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD AGAIN. SO WHEREAS THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES JOINED TOGETHER EACH MAY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF GENERATIONS OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS WHO HAVE ENRICHED THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS THE ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY IS AN INHERENTLY DIVERSE POPULATION COMPOSED OF ALL OF THE ASIAN CONTINENT AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS OF MELANESIA, MICRONESIA, AND POLYNESIA. AND WHEREAS THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 25 MILLION RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO IDENTIFY AS ASIAN AND APPROXIMATELY 1.7 MILLION RESIDENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER WITH THE HIGHEST POPULATION CONCENTRATED IN HAWAII AND CALIFORNIA. AND WHEREAS THE MONTH OF MAY WAS SELECTED FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH BECAUSE THE FIRST JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES ON MAY 07, 1843, AND THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD WAS COMPLETED ON MAY 10, 1869, WITH SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND DIVERSITY OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND NATIVE AMERICANS, HAWAIIANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND THE SYSTEMATIC, EXCUSE ME, THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC JUSTICE, HEALTH EQUITY, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SAFETY EXPERIENCED BY MANY IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS IN 2022, LISA YEPSELINAS, A STRONG YOLO COUNTY ADVOCATE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS, ASKED FORMER SUPERVISOR GARY SANDY. TO PRESENT THE FIRST RESOLUTION HONORING THIS COMMUNITY TO BRING AWARENESS OF HARASSMENT LOCALLY AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICANS WHO WERE BEING ATTACKED UNDER THE MISGUIDED BELIEF THAT ASIAN AMERICANS WERE CONNECTED TO STARTING THE COVID PANDEMIC AND WHEREAS THE 2026 THEME FOR ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH IS POWER AND UNITY STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF LEVERAGING COLLECTIVE POWER. TELLING STORIES AND BEING BRIDGE BUILDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS YOLO COUNTY WILL WORK TO ENSURE THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THESE COMMUNITIES, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND, THE LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK, OR THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND EQUITY, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE YOLO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IN UNION WITH OUR YOLO COUNTY CITIES AND RESIDENTS, HEREBY RECOGNIZE MAY AS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. GOOD MORNING AND ALOHA KAHA HIAKA. MY NAME IS KIOHI OKALANI, PATRICE GRIFFITH, AND I ACTUALLY WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS ON THE WAY OVER HERE. I AM FIRST GENERATION HERE ON MY HAWAIIAN SIDE, AND I DO A LOT OF WORK WITH KIDS, AND WE TALK ABOUT FIRST GEN, REALIZING, YOU KNOW, I AM PART OF THAT. MY MOTHER WAS BORN IN THE ISLAND OF HAWAII WHEN IT WAS A TERRITORY. AND THAT JUST SPEAKS TO HOW RECENT ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE HISTORY BEHIND IT. [01:05:03] AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU SPEAK WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND YOU HEAR A PIECE OF THEIR STORY. AND WE ARE ALL A VERY BIG PART OF A VERY BIG STORY. AND SO I WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE THAT PART OF THAT STORY. I WANT TO CONTINUE TO HELP AND SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST. IF YOU HEARD SOME OF THE NUMBERS, 1.X MILLION PEOPLE ARE NATIVE HAWAIIAN. BEING PART OF THAT NUMBER IS EXTRAORDINARILY SPECIAL TO ME. IT IS SUCH A SMALL NUMBER, AND SO OUR VOICES NEED TO CARRY. WE NEED TO BE SEEN. WE NEED TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK, NOT JUST FOR THOSE PEOPLE, BUT ALL PEOPLE IN YOLO COUNTY, BECAUSE NOW I HAVE SETTLED HERE. DOING WONDERFUL THINGS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. IT IS VERY, VERY SPECIAL. I WILL NOT HANG IT IN MY BARN. I WILL PUT THIS IN MY OFFICE PROUDLY FOR OTHERS TO SEE AND RECOGNIZE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS FLOYD CHIMAMURA. MY GRANDFATHER CAME TO WINTERS IN 1906, AND AT THAT TIME, HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE, HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO OWN PROPERTY, HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO MARRY OUTSIDE OF HIS RACE UNDER CURRENT LAW AT THAT TIME. 1906 WAS A LONG TIME AGO. IT WAS EVEN TWO YEARS BEFORE. THE UNIVERSITY HAD A FARM OUT IN DAVIS, BUT TODAY 40% OF THE STUDENTS AT UC DAVIS ARE ASIAN AMERICANS, AND THAT'S OUT OF ABOUT 40,000 STUDENTS OVERALL. SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE FROM 1906 UNTIL TODAY, AND EVEN NOW... THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE THAT ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE IS STILL NOT SIGNIFICANT IN THE UNITED STATES, DESPITE THE NUMBERS. AND SO A LOT OF THIS PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE BY REALLY GOOD PEOPLE AND GOOD LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST 125 YEARS THAT HAVE HELPED US MAKE THIS PROGRESS. AND SO I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO... ESPECIALLY THIS SPORT HAS BEEN VERY GOOD. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU REPEALED THE RESOLUTIONS FROM WORLD WAR II CONCERNING JAPANESE AMERICANS RETURNING FROM THE CAMPS. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT I WAS JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, DESPITE ALL THE PROGRESS, I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE SO-CALLED ARC OF HISTORY DOESN'T ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD. AND I'M I'M AFRAID EVEN TODAY THAT WE MAY BE STARTING TO ENTER A NEW ERA. AND SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THIS BOARD TO BE DILIGENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BUDGET PROBLEMS NOW, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS, AND WE NEED TO HAVE LEADERSHIP HERE THAT'S GOING TO WEATHER THAT STORM AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING CHAIR ALLEN, SUPERVISORS, AND CEO MIKE WEBB. MY NAME IS NORBY KUMAGAI. MY WIFE DEBBIE MAYHEW AND I HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS OF YOLO COUNTY SINCE AUGUST OF 1969. I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A COMMENT THAT FLOYD JUST MADE. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO GO BACK AND ADDRESS THIS ABOUT SEVERAL DAYS AGO. WHEN THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNEES WERE RELEASED FROM CAMP AND THEY STARTED COMING BACK TO YELLOW COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY, THEY WERE ALSO AMERICAN CITIZENS, AND I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE AMERICAN CITIZENS. THEY WERE SEVERAL, MANY OF THEM WERE BORN HERE. AND WHEN THEY RETURNED TO THE CITY OF DAVIS, THE CITY IN ITS EFFLUENT WISDOM SAID, WE DON'T WANT THEM RETURNING. AND ACTUALLY PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITED THE JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNEES FROM RELOCATING HERE. THANKS TO SUPERVISOR, EXCUSE ME, MICHAEL YUBATA AND HE WAS ALSO ON THE SCHOOL BOARD [01:10:02] AT THE TIME, JIM PROVENZA. THEY FOUND THE ORDINANCE AND WORKED TO REPEAL THAT AND I'M THINKING THAT MIKE WEBB AS CITY MANAGER MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR THAT AS WELL, BUT LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANTED TO REHASH AND JUST RECALL THAT PERIOD OF TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE'LL HAVE SUPERVISOR BARAJAS WHO WILL BE DECLARING MAY 17TH TO THE 23RD AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. THANK YOU, CHAIR ALLEN. CAN I PLEASE HAVE THE AMAZING STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS. TODD RADIO, WHO IS ALSO OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MARISSA JEWELER, DIVISION DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION. ANY EMPLOYEES UP HERE THAT WANT TO CELEBRATE DECLARING NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK MAY 17TH THROUGH 23RD IS MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME UP. ALL RIGHT. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THIS IS A RESOLUTION THAT WE DO ANNUALLY HERE AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WE APPRECIATE, OBVIOUSLY, OUR EMPLOYEES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. AND INTEGRATED SERVICES AS WELL. WE HAVE AN AMAZING STAFF. AS A MATTER OF FACT, SOME OF THESE FACES I SAW LAST WEEK OUT IN ZAMORA LOOKING AT SOME ROADWORK, POSSIBLE ROADWORK IN ZAMORA. AND WE COLLABORATED WITH THE FIRE CHIEF OUT THERE FROM ZAMORA AS WELL. AND SO I KNOW THERE'S TONS OF PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE IN YOLO COUNTY THAT SOMETIMES GO UNHEARD. ALL OF THE HARD WORK. THE PLANNING AND COLLABORATION AND JUST REALLY GOING OUT THERE AND USING OUR LABOR TO REALLY HELP OUR COMMUNITY MEANS A LOT. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED TODAY. AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THIS IS FOR OBVIOUSLY DECLARING NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK, MAY 17TH THROUGH THE 23RD. AND THOSE THAT WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, TODD AND MARISSA, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TELL THEM HOW THEY CAN GET MORE INFORMATION. GOOD MORNING CHAIR ALLEN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU. THIS ANNUAL RECOGNITION REALLY MEANS A LOT TO US. AS YOU KNOW I LOVE MY JOB AT THE LANDFILL BUT WHAT I LOVE MOST IS OUR TEAM. IT IS INCREDIBLE TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT JUST ONE OF THE BEST LANDFILLS IN CALIFORNIA BUT ONE OF THE BEST LANDFILLS IN THE NATION. AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE FACES. AND SO I WANTED TO BRING SOME NEW FACES. I CHANGE IT UP EACH YEAR WITH WHO'S COMING TO MEET YOU. SO JOHN BORREGO IS OUR HYDROGEOLOGIST. WE HAVE MARY JONES, WHO'S OUR AIR AND WATER QUALITY SPECIALIST, AND PAMELA HEDRICK HERE, WHO IS OUR RECYCLING SUPERVISOR. THEY ALL PLAY A VERY CRITICAL ROLE IN PUBLIC WORKS AND IN KEEPING THE LANDFILL OPERATING. THE THINGS THAT GO ON DAY IN, DAY OUT, I THINK THERE WAS A MENTION TODAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIRING WASTE MANAGEMENT DRIVERS AND THAT TRASH JUST GETTING PICKED UP AND GOING AWAY. IT ALL GOES SOMEWHERE. AND THEN IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THAT TO THE HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD. AND SO I REALLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE STAFF FOR THAT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN. IT ISN'T JUST A PIT IN THE GROUND AND THE GARBAGE JUST GETS BURIED. I KNOW SOME FOLKS STILL CALL IT THE DUMP, RIGHT? BUT IT IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT HOW INNOVATIVE OUR LANDFILL IS AND TRULY TO THE HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS I KNOW FOR MARY THIS IS HER VERY FIRST BOARD MEETING AND SHE HAS BEEN [01:15:04] WITH US FOR YEARS PAM IS ACTUALLY TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM RETIREMENT AFTER 17 AND A HALF YEARS WITH US WE HAVE SO MUCH LONGEVITY JOHN IS OVER 20 YEARS NOW AND UM I JUST COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD AND I THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US THIS TIME TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO IN THIS SPACE. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT TO TODD, AND HE'S GOING TO GET HIS TURN. THANK YOU, CHAIR ELLEN AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, FOR THIS MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. IN ADDITION TO THE STATE-OF-THE-ART WORK THAT INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT TEAM IS DOING AT THE CENTRAL LANDFILL, THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES HAS A HARD-WORKING TEAM KNOWN AS THE ROAD CREW. AND THEY ACCOMPLISH A LOT ON OUR ROADS, GIVEN LIMITED RESOURCES AND TIME TO DO IT IN. AND ONE OF THEIR LEADERS IS HERE TODAY WITH ME, OUR MOST TENURED ROAD SUPERVISOR, MARCELINO AZEVEDO. MARCELINO. WE ALSO HAVE ROAD WORKERS MIZRAIM SALGADO, SERGIO GARCIA. AND THEN ALSO SENIOR ROAD MAINTENANCE WORKER, MIGUEL VASQUEZ. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. I'M APPRECIATIVE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THESE FOLKS DO DAILY, IN ADDITION TO THE GOOD WORK THAT OUR ROAD CREW DOES. WE HAVE OUR ENGINEERING, FISCAL, FLEET, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, LOTS OF FOLKS IN OUR DIVISION. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR RECOGNIZING THIS. THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC WORKS WEEK BARBECUE ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH. AND THE BOARD IS INVITED, CAO IS INVITED, AND I'LL CUSTOMARILY INVITE COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU ALL. IF WE CAN COME UP TO THE FRONT AND TAKE A PICTURE, BOARD. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. THANK YOU. I KNOW. SAME DAY. YEAH. OKAY, I TOOK ONE OUT OF ORDER, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT NOW I GET TO DO THE LAST TWO. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH RECOGNIZING MAY AS OLDER ADULTS MONTH IN YOLO COUNTY, AND I HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE GOING TO COME JOIN ME. WE HAVE NANCY, COME ON UP. NANCY GIFFORD FROM YOLA HEALTHY AGING ALLIANCE PROGRAM MANAGER. GAY BERGENON. DID I ALMOST DO IT? I'M WORKING ON IT. THERE WE GO. SHE IS OUR NEW REPRESENTATIVE WHO SERVES ON THE AREA 4 AGENCY ON AGING GOVERNING BOARD. WE ALSO HAVE JIM BOWEN WHO SERVES BOTH ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING AND AREA 4 ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ANNE-MARIE LUSSANT. SHE'S HERE, RIGHT? OH, HERE SHE COMES. GREAT. GREAT. SHE IS ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING AND ALSO HERE. COME ON. COME UP CLOSER. YOU'RE PART OF THE GANG. AND SHE IS ALSO THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR. SHE'S IN CHARGE OF THE YOLO ADULT DAY HEALTH CENTER. PATTY HOUSTON, AND WE'RE A MULTI-GENERATION. IS PATTY STILL HERE WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER? OH, THERE SHE IS. OKAY, GOOD. YEAH, IT'S ABOUT HEALTHY AGING ALL THROUGH THE LIFESPAN. SHE'S HEALTHY AGING ALSO. YEAH, COME ON UP CLOSER WITH THE YOLO HEALTHY AGING [01:20:01] ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND KATE LATTICE, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING. WE DON'T GET STARTED WITH SAYING WHAT HER BACKGROUND IS, BUT SHE'S ON THE COMMISSION ON AGING. SO, MAY, OH, I FORGOT, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TIRED. AND LORI HAAS, WHO'S BEEN A WONDERFUL COMMISSIONER FOR, WHAT, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS, NINE YEARS NOW. SO, YEAH, THANK YOU ALL. IS IAN STILL HERE? ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO COME STAND UP? EVERYBODY'S AGING IN HERE, SO WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS. WHEREAS THE THEME... FOR OLDER AMERICANS MONTH IS CHAMPION YOUR HEALTH FOR OLDER AMERICANS THAT'S GREAT ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONTRIBUTIONS RESILIENCE AND EXPERIENCES OF OLDER ADULTS IN YOLO COUNTY AND YOLO COUNTY RECOGNIZES THE LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES OF THE YOLO COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING AND ADULT SERVICES AND YOLO COUNTY IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHICH KATE LADISH IS THE CHAIR OF THAT ALSO IN THE ROLES ADVOCATING FOR THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS AND JUST A SIDE NOTE NOT THAT I HAVE... SPECIAL FAVORITES, BUT THOSE TWO COMMITTEES REALLY, AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THEY REALLY DIG IN AND GET THINGS DONE. I'M JUST OH SO PROUD TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND HAVE THEM HERE REPRESENTED TODAY. YOLO COUNTY PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES THROUGH THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THROUGH IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS, AND THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SERVE AN INTEGRAL ROLE FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS IN YOLO COUNTY, SUCH AS YOLO HEALTHY AGING ALLIANCE. YOLO MEALS ON WHEELS, DIGNITY HEALTH, ADULT DAY HEALTH PROGRAM, YOLO CARES GALILEO, ADULT DAY PROGRAM, AND MANY MORE THAT PROVIDE IMPORTANT SERVICES. AND AS I MENTIONED DURING LORI'S RETIREMENT THING, THAT OLDER ADULTS BRING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ARE VITAL VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMISSION. SO IF I EVER MEET SOMEBODY AND THEY SAY, I'M ABOUT TO RETIRE, WHERE DID THAT LADY FROM THE LANDFILL? SHE'S ABOUT TO RETIRE. WHAT COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION CAN WE GET YOU ON? SO WE REALLY WANT TO CELEBRATE MAY AS OLDER ADULTS, OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. SO WHO IS GOING TO BE... IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE STEELER RULES, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TWO PEOPLE, TWO MINUTES. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY TOLD YOU THAT. BUT WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? WE SHOULD HAVE SOMEBODY FROM YELLOW HEALTHY AGING SPEAK. COME ON. NANCY, COME ON UP. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYONE HERE. I'M GLAD I GOT TO LISTEN TO ALL OF THE COMMENTS EARLIER AT THE MEETING. I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY DEPENDENT ON ONE ANOTHER IN THE COMMUNITY AS NON-PROFITS AND EVEN PROFIT AGENCIES IN ORDER TO GET THE JOB DONE WITH ALL THESE CUTS. SO I JUST WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN OUR COLLABORATION COMMITTEE, WHICH WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH. AND IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED, JUST LET ME KNOW. BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY DEPEND ON EACH OTHER TO GET THE JOB DONE NOW. AND I THINK WE'RE DEDICATED AND WE ALL DO THIS BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY, REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. SO, THANK YOU. KATE TENDS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR ALLEN AND SUPERVISORS. KATE LADISH, SOME OF MY HATS ARE AS CHAIR OF THE YOLO COUNTY IHSS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE COUNTY'S VOTING ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I ALSO AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA IHSS CONSUMER ALLIANCE, AND I'D LIKE TO UNDERSCORE A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THAT THESE ARE, I COULD SAY CHALLENGING TIMES, BUT TIMES OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WHO HOPE TO BE OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. A LOT OF THE CUTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE LINE ARE POINTED RIGHT AT US. AND IT'S DEEPLY SCARY FOR PEOPLE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN YOLO COUNTY AND ABOUT YOLO COUNTY IS THE WAY THAT WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE YOLO WAY. SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STATE LEVEL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR IS A STAKEHOLDERS WORK GROUP FOR BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO ARE AFFECTED BY PROPOSED CUTS, SO NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT ACTUALLY LIKE THE IHSS CONSUMERS THAT ARE BEING TARGETED BY PROPOSED STATE CUTS. AND BRINGING US TOGETHER TO SAY, OH, OKAY, SO IF THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE SEEING AT THIS HIGH UP LEVEL, HEY, HOW CAN WE SOLVE THAT DOWN AT OUR LEVEL? AND BOY, DO WE HAVE SOME ENGAGED OLDER AMERICANS HERE IN THIS COUNTY WHO I'M SURE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF THAT. EXACTLY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THIS, AND THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING THIS MONTH. IF ANYBODY CHARGES THE MICROPHONE, I'LL LET ONE. OKAY. DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ADULT DAY HEALTH IN A WHILE. AND THEN WE'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF. I'M ANNE-MARIE LOUIS-SANT. I'M THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE IN YOLO COUNTY. WHAT DO YOU DO? I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I OVERSEE THE GERIATRIC POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF ENRICHING OUR OLDER FOLKS WHO COME TO OUR [01:25:02] CENTER. I MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE... SOCIAL SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES AND DIFFERENT KIND OF... RIGHT NOW I'M ACTUALLY LATE TO THE CENTER BECAUSE I'M HERE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. WE'RE CELEBRATING CINCO DE MAYO AND MAKING A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF OUR FINAL RESOLUTION THIS MORNING, AND THAT IS PROCLAIMING MAY 6TH TO THE 12TH AS NATIONAL NURSES WEEK. SO, DO WE HAVE SOME NURSES IN THE HOUSE BESIDES ME? YOU CAN COME UP. COME UP, NURSES. IF YOU ARE A NURSE OF SOME SHAPE OR FORM, COME ON UP HERE. I THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT NURSES SERVE THE COMMUNITY. THERE YOU GO, DON'T HIDE. SURROUND ME WITH YOUR SIMPLE NURSING SUPPORT. OKAY, SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO SAY THEIR NAME SO WE KNOW WHO'S THERE WITH US. I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I HAVE KATIE KAUS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND NURSING, ANN LARSON, DISASTER HEALTH, SHE'S NOT HERE, OKAY, MAYBE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. KATHY MIDDEN? OKAY, SO SHE'S THE CLINICAL FACULTY AT CSUS SCHOOL OF NURSING. OH, YES, I MET YOU BEFORE. HELLO. OKAY, WHEREAS NURSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ALL TYPES OF HEALTH CARE, PROVIDING COMPASSIONATE, EVIDENCE-BASED CARE TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS ALL SETTINGS. AND THE THEME FOR 2026 IS THE POWER OF NURSING CELEBRATES THE STRENGTH, COMPASSION, AND LEADERSHIP NURSES BRING TO HEALTH CARE AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND, UM, THERE ARE 16 REGISTERED NURSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES WHO CARRY OUT ESSENTIAL WORK IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THAT KEEP OUR COUNTY HEALTHY, SAFE, AND INFORMED. AND I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THE STATISTICS THAT NURSES PLAY AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ROLE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY, CONSISTENTLY BEING RANKED AS THE MOST TRUSTED PROFESSION BY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. SO WE HAVE TO HOLD THAT AND THANK THEM FOR THAT. AND THAT YOU... DON'T HAVE TO BE, AS MY MOM, SHE'S LIKE, WHY DIDN'T YOU GO BE A NURSE, SHEILA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? A NURSE BRINGS THEIR PERSPECTIVE TO MANY DIFFERENT ROLES, INCLUDING SITTING ON A DAIS AND MAKING VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS BECAUSE WE ASSESS THE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, AND HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT IS THE BEST INTERVENTION. SO ALL OF YOU AND ALL THE OTHER NURSES IN YOLO COUNTY AND AROUND THE NATION. I'M VERY HAPPY TO HELP CELEBRATE THEM TODAY. SO WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK FOR US? GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. OH, SORRY. MY NAME IS KATIE KELCH. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING FOR YOLO COUNTY, AND I JUST WANTED TO START BY GIVING SUPERVISOR ALLEN. THIS YEAR'S PIN AND THEN A CARD SIGNED BY OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES. THIS YEAR AS SUPERVISOR ALLEN WAS SAYING WE REALLY WANTED TO CELEBRATE ALL THE WAYS THAT NURSES SERVE THE COUNTY OF YOLO. SO THIS INCLUDES OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, OUR STAFF NURSES, LEADERSHIP ROLES SUCH AS ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND OUR ASSISTANT AGENCY DIRECTOR, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CAL STATE. SACRAMENTO SCHOOL OF NURSING, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM KATHY NEXT. AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE NURSES WHO SERVE AS VOLUNTEERS ON OUR MCH, OUR MATERNAL CHILD ADOLESCENT ADVISORY BOARD, THE HEALTH COUNCIL, OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE COMMITTEE, EMCC, AND THEN OUR DISASTER HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEERS. ANN LARSON IS A DISASTER HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER, AND SHE WAS GOING TO ATTEND, BUT SHE HAD A PLANE ISSUE. AND SO I'M GOING TO READ WHAT SHE WANTED TO SHARE. SO. SHE IS ONE OF OUR DISASTER HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER NURSES WHO PLANNED TO JOIN US BUT WAS UNABLE TO JOIN AND SO HERE ARE HER REMARKS. THANK YOU CHAIR ALLEN AND [01:30:03] MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ANNA IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR DISASTER HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEERS OR DHV. AS A VOLUNTEER FOR YOLO COUNTY SHE IS ONE OF 40,000 VOLUNTEERS REGISTERED IN THE CALIFORNIA DHV SYSTEM. WE PREPARE FOR AND CAN RESPOND TO SERVE IN CRITICAL HEALTH CARE AND NON HEALTH CARE POSITIONS WHEN A DISASTER STRIKES OUR STATE. ANNE BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH YOLO COUNTY DURING THE PANDEMIC, ADMINISTERING COVID VACCINES DURING VACCINATION CLINICS. SHE NOW PARTICIPATES IN MPODS, OR MEDICAL POINTS OF DISPENSING, CLINICS, WHICH FUNCTION BOTH TO VACCINATE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND ALLOW VOLUNTEERS AND PAID STAFF TO PRACTICE POTENTIALLY LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICATIONS IF NEEDED DURING A DISASTER. THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY HATS ANNE HAS WORN DURING HER NURSING CAREER. NURSES CAN APPLY OUR SKILLS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. HER PRIMARY WORK AS A NURSE WAS A BEDSIDE NURSE IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT SHE HAS BEEN AN EDUCATOR IN MANY FORMS TO FAMILIES IN CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION CLASSES, FOR OTHER NURSES, MIDWIVES, DOCTORS, AND TAKING COMPLETING CERTIFICATIONS AND AS A CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS DOING PUBLIC HEALTH AND OBSTETRIC ROTATIONS. MANAGEMENT POSITIONS IN BOTH OUTPATIENT AND INPATIENT SETTINGS WERE PART OF HER HISTORY, BUT WERE NOT HER FAVORITE PART. ANNE IS A VOLUNTEER WITH YOLO COUNTY AND SHE IS HONORED AND HOPES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HER COMMUNITY. AND NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KATHY MITTINGS WHO I WILL SAY WORKED FOR US BACK IN THE DAY AS A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE WHICH SHE MAY OR MAY NOT TALK ABOUT. SHE'S BEEN A FULL NURSE, SHE'S BEEN ON THE MCH ADVISORY BOARD AND RIGHT NOW SHE'S SERVING AS A CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR FOR CAL STATE SACRAMENTO. I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SPEECH PREPARED, BUT THANK YOU, CHAIR ALLEN, NURSE ALLEN, AND FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RECOGNITION THAT YOU'VE TAKEN, GIVEN TO US AS NURSES. THERE'S OVER 5 MILLION OF US IN THE COUNTRY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNT IS FOR YOLO COUNTY, BUT I KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO'S IN THERE, I MEAN, THIS IS A SMALL REPRESENTATION. I PUT OUT A MESSAGE TO GET ALL MY NURSING FRIENDS LOCALLY TO COME. THEY'RE WORKING. YOU KNOW, WE'RE EVERYWHERE. WE ARE EVERYWHERE. I WAS ALSO, YES, A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE COUNTY 30 YEARS AGO. I'VE BEEN WORKING AND LIVING HERE IN YOLO COUNTY FOR THAT LONG. AND IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO BE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I REALLY LOVE, LIKE SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER, ABOUT THE COLLABORATION THAT HAPPENS HERE ACROSS PROFESSIONS. AND IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY AN HONOR FOR ME, TOO, TO BE A PART OF THIS PROFESSION. BEING A NURSE ISN'T JUST YOUR JOB. IT'S WHO YOU ARE. IT'S WHO YOU BECOME. YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING THROUGH THAT LENS. AND I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALL THE NURSES WHEN I SAY THAT. YEAH? YEAH. SO ALSO, TOO, WE ARE, BESIDES IN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE'RE RIGHT NOW PATIENT CLINICS, BEDSIDE, OF COURSE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, WE WERE THERE. WE WERE THE ONES OUT IN THE PARKING LOTS. AND OUR NURSING STUDENTS, WHICH I HAVE, THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEHIND ME, ARE MY RECENT FORMER STUDENTS. THESE ARE UNDERGRADS WHO ARE GETTING READY TO HIRE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HERE IS HIRING NURSES, BUT THEY ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, GETTING READY TO EMBARK ON THIS CAREER. AND THEN I HAVE TWO OTHER SCHOOL NURSES HERE. WHO ARE WITH ME WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WHO JUST RECENTLY BECAME CREDENTIALED SCHOOL NURSES. WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OF SCHOOL NURSES. WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL THE CHILDREN HERE OF YOLO COUNTY. AND I KNOW, TOO, HEARING EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID EARLIER ABOUT A LOT OF THE CUTS. I MEAN, NURSES ARE ALWAYS ON THE FRONT LINES WHEN CUTS ARE HAPPENING, ET CETERA, TOO. SO I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL KIND OF JUST TAKE A STEP AND THINK ABOUT WHO'S WE'RE HERE FOR EVERYBODY. AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE IN LARGE NUMBERS. THANK YOU. [27. Receive annual update from Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District. (No general fund impact) (Gary Goodman) (Est. Staff Presentation: 10 min) ] OKAY, I'LL TALK SLOW. OH, WE HAVE OUR FIRST ITEM, NUMBER 27, IS TO RECEIVE ANNUAL UPDATE FROM THE SACRAMENTO YOLO MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL [01:35:02] DISTRICT. OH, HELLO. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME. HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME'S GARY GOODMAN. LET ME JUST, YEAH, I'LL JUST DO THIS. GARY GOODMAN, I'M THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR SACRALO MOSQUITO VECTOR CONTROL. WE COVER VECTOR CONTROL PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS AS IT RELATES TO ESSENTIALLY MOSQUITO-BORNE AND TICK-BORNE DISEASE THROUGHOUT ALL OF SACRAMENTO AND YOLO COUNTY. WE HAVE OUR MAIN OFFICES DOWN IN ELK GROVE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE THAT COVERS OUR YOLO COUNTY OPERATIONS OFF OF FORTNETTE AVENUE, JUST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WOODLAND THERE. BUT OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO PROVIDE VECTOR CONTROL, PROTECTION, AND REDUCE TRANSMISSION OF VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES SUCH AS WEST NILE VIRUS. THERE ARE OTHER DISEASES THAT ARE TRANSMITTED BY MOSQUITOES SPECIFICALLY, DENGUE, CHIKUNGUNYA, ZIKA VIRUS. MALARIA, WHICH HAS MADE BOTH DENGUE AND MALARIA HAVE MADE A RESURGENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS SO THOSE ARE LONGER-TERM CONCERNS FOR US. BUT THE ONE THAT WE HAVE MOST PREVALENT IN OUR AREA IS WEST NILE VIRUS AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED WITH AS WE HAVE ANNUAL CASES OF WEST NILE VIRUS IN BOTH SACRAMENTO AND YOLO COUNTY IN ADDITION TO CALIFORNIA AS A WHOLE. OUR SEASON HAS UPON US. WE'VE GOT WARM WEATHER. WE HAD SOME RAIN YESTERDAY, WHICH IS NOT OVERLY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US FROM A MOSQUITO STANDPOINT. MOSQUITOES NEED WATER TO BREED. THEY LAY THEIR EGGS IN THE WATER, THEN THEY HATCH OFF, BECOME ADULTS, TAKE A BLOOD MEAL, THEN LAY MORE EGGS AND CONTINUE THAT CYCLE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. SO AS THE WEATHER STARTS TO WARM UP, WE START TO SEE MORE VIRUS ACTIVITY. AND WE'VE HAD SOME STRANGE WEATHER THIS YEAR. WE HAD VERY WARM WEATHER IN FEBRUARY WHICH REALLY BROUGHT THE MOSQUITOES OUT. AND THEN WE HAVE THESE LITTLE INTERMITTENT RAINS THAT TEND TO FILL UP CONTAINERS OF WATER OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL AREAS. AS I WAS DRIVING OVER THE CAUSEWAY TODAY, LOTS OF LITTLE PUDDLES OUT THERE THAT OUR FOLKS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE WARY OF TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO INSPECT. WE LOOK FOR A LOT OF THINGS IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS VERY EASY FOR US TO SPOT. YOLO COUNTY, WE HAVE ABOUT 40, OVER 40,000 ACRES OF RICE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN. RICE BREEDS A LOT OF MOSQUITOES, WHICH THEN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES OF DAVIS AND WOODLAND AND WINTERS AND KNIGHTS LANDING, ALL OF THOSE PLACES THAT ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF FLIGHT RANGE OF WHERE THOSE MOSQUITOES WILL BREED. THE MORE DIFFICULT THING FOR US IS WHERE ARE THE MOSQUITOES BREEDING IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD? IT'S HARD FOR US TO SEE IN PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS. SO WE REALLY NEED THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY, ARE YOU BEING BOTHERED BY MOSQUITOES? ARE YOU SEEING MOSQUITOES? DO YOU HAVE JUST GENERAL QUESTIONS? TYPICALLY WE'LL SEND A TECHNICIAN OUT TO YOUR HOUSE WITHIN 24 HOURS IF NOT THE SAME DAY WE HAVE FOLKS THAT PATROL THE AREAS ON A REGULAR BASIS LOOKING FOR MOSQUITO BREEDING SOURCES AND TREATING THEM APPROPRIATELY BUT WE NEED THE PUBLIC'S HELP AND BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHERE MOSQUITO PROBLEMS MAY BE HAPPENING IF YOU KNOW THE NEIGHBOR WHO MAYBE ISN'T MAINTAINING THEIR POOL JUST GIVE US A CALL WE DON'T WE'RE NOT THERE TO ISSUE FINES WE'RE JUST THERE TO GET ACCESS TO IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE BY REDUCING THE MOSQUITO POPULATIONS. SO AGAIN, JUST PICTURES OF LOTS OF DIFFERENT BREEDING GROUNDS OF WHERE MOSQUITOES CAN BREED. MOSQUITOES NEED WATER, BUT ANYTHING THAT CAN HOLD WATER FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS TO A WEEK. SO DOG DISHES NEED TO BE CHANGED OUT, YOUR BIRD BATHS NEED TO BE CHANGED OUT, BUCKETS, TIRES THAT MIGHT BE IN THE BACKYARD, OLD TOYS. WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD MOSQUITOES BREEDING IN A POTATO CHIP BAG. THAT HAD WATER COLLECTED FROM IRRIGATION, WE FOUND MOSQUITOES BREEDING IN THAT. SO ANYTHING THAT CAN HOLD WATER FOR UP TO A WEEK WILL BREED MOSQUITOES. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ASK THE RESIDENTS TO LOOK IN THEIR BACKYARDS AND DRAIN ON A WEEKLY BASIS. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU'RE HAVING ISSUES, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL. WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME OUT AND TAKE CARE OF IT. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL INTEGRATED MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC INFORMATION. WE DO A LOT OF FAIRS AND EVENTS. WE HAVE A SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY SETTING TRAPS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. DISTRICT. WE MONITORED VARIOUS MOSQUITO POPULATIONS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. ARE THEY INCREASING, DECREASING? AND, OF COURSE, PART OF THAT SURVEILLANCE IS DOING TESTING TWICE A WEEK THAT WE DO FOR VIRUS ACTIVITY SPECIFICALLY. THEN WE HAVE OUR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM. THAT'S MOSQUITO FISH AT OUR FACILITY DOWN IN ELK GROVE. WE HAVE 23 PONDS DEDICATED TOWARDS BREEDING MOSQUITO FISH THAT WE'LL PLANT IN VARIOUS AREAS LIKE RICE FIELDS OR WETLANDS. HORSE TROUGHS, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF PLACES WHERE MOSQUITOES WILL BREED. WE'RE THE LARGEST MOSQUITO FISH BREEDING FACILITY IN THE COUNTRY. WE PLANT OVER 4,000 POUNDS OF FISH PER YEAR JUST IN SACRAMENTO AND YOLO COUNTY, SO VERY PROUD OF THAT PROGRAM. WE HAVE AN ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. THIS WORKS WITH NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, THE VIC FAZIO THAT'S RIGHT HERE ON THE BYPASS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BREEDING AS MANY MOSQUITOES AS WE WANT THEM TO, RIGHT, OR BREEDING LESS THAN WE WANT THEM TO. AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR CONTROL OPERATIONS. THAT'S GOING OUT, LOOKING FOR THESE BREEDING SOURCES, TREATING THEM IN THE WATER. BUT WHEN THEY BECOME ADULT MOSQUITOES, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO MORE AGGRESSIVE MEASURES. SO THAT INCLUDES BACKPACK, TRUCK, AIRPLANE. [01:40:02] WE EVEN DO DRONE APPLICATIONS NOW. AND, OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY THE LARGER CONCERN IS WHEN WE HAVE... ELEVATED LEVELS OF WEST NILE VIRUS ACTIVITY AND RISK OF TRANSMISSION TO THE HUMAN POPULATION THEN WE HAVE TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH AIRPLANES POTENTIALLY OVER TOWN BUT WE DO PROBABLY 600,000 ACRES BY AIRPLANE TREATMENT BUT MOST OF THAT IS IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS IT'S REALLY WHEN WE START TO GET ELEVATED LEVELS IN TOWN THAT WE MAY HAVE TO IMPLEMENT AN AIRPLANE OVER TOWN LAST YEAR, JUST A SNAPSHOT OF ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENED SPECIFICALLY WITHIN YOLO COUNTY, WE HAD 77 MOSQUITO SAMPLES THAT TESTED POSITIVE. MOST OF THOSE ACTUALLY FOCUSED IN AND AROUND THE DAVIS AREA. WOODLAND ACTUALLY WAS PRETTY LIGHT THIS PAST YEAR. WEST SACRAMENTO, FOR SOME REASON, ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE LIGHT. WE DO A LOT OF TRAPPING IN WEST SACRAMENTO, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE CAN'T SEEM TO FIND VIRUS ACTIVITY, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. BUT WE DO FIND IT SCATTERED THROUGHOUT. LAST YEAR IN CALIFORNIA THERE WERE 113 HUMAN CASES. THAT'S BEEN STEADILY GOING DOWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO TRY TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TYPICALLY THE HUMAN CASES THAT GET REPORTED ARE MORE SERIOUS NEUROINVASIVE FORMS OF THE DISEASE. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF WEST NILE VIRUS DISEASE. ONE IS WEST NILE FEVER, WHICH IS FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS AND CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM A WEEK TO A MONTH, SOMETIMES EVEN LONGER. BUT THEN THE MORE NEURO OR THE MORE SERIOUS FORM IS CALLED NEUROINVASIVE DISEASE, WHICH REQUIRES HOSPITALIZATION. THAT CAN LEAD TO PARALYSIS, BLINDNESS, AND OF COURSE EVEN DEATH. AND SO MOST OF THE CASES THAT GET REPORTED ARE ACTUALLY THE NEUROINVASIVE FORM OF THE DISEASE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE, IF THEY GET THE FLU, THEY MAY JUST STAY HOME. THEY NEVER GO TO THE DOCTOR. IT'S REALLY UNDIAGNOSED. SO CDC ESTIMATES THAT FOR EVERY NEUROINVASIVE FORM OF THE DISEASE, THERE ARE ANOTHER 30 TO 70 CASES THAT GO UNREPORTED. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE POTENTIALLY SUFFERING FROM WEST NILE VIRUS, THEY JUST DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S WEST NILE VIRUS. WE HAVE DETECTED WHAT WE CALL INVASIVE MOSQUITOES HERE IN THE AREA. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. WE FIRST FOUND THEM IN CITRUS HEIGHTS IN 2019 AND SINCE THEN THEY'VE SPREAD THROUGHOUT, NOT THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT OR THROUGHOUT THE COUNTIES THEMSELVES, BUT YOU CAN SEE POPULATIONS THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED IN WINTERS, WOODLAND AND DAVIS ITSELF. AND THE CONCERN WITH THESE PARTICULAR MOSQUITOES IS THAT IN OUR AREA WE HAVE 23 NATIVE SPECIES OF MOSQUITOES. NOT EVERY MOSQUITO TRANSMITS DISEASE. HOWEVER, THESE ARE MOSQUITOES, ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO AND YELLOW FEVER MOSQUITO, THAT TYPICALLY ARE FOUND IN MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND OF COURSE ASIA, THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY OVER AND BECOME ESTABLISHED IN CALIFORNIA. AND THE CONCERN WITH THIS PARTICULAR SPECIES IS THAT THESE ARE TRANSMITTERS OF THE MORE EXOTIC DISEASES LIKE DENGUE, ZIKA, CHIKUNGUNYA, SO DISEASES THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE HERE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THOSE DISEASES OUT OF OUR PARTICULAR AREA. BUT YOU CAN SEE WE FOUND THESE MOSQUITOES IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT YOLO COUNTY AND, OF COURSE, SACRAMENTO COUNTY AS WELL. LAST YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY, SPECIFICALLY CALLED STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE, AND THE CONCEPT BEHIND THIS WAS WE WORKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, WHO TOOK MALE MOSQUITOES AND ESSENTIALLY INFECTED MALE MOSQUITOES WITH A NATURAL BIOLOGICAL CALLED WOLBACHIA THAT IS NORMALLY FOUND IN INSECTS. IT'S A SOIL BACTERIA. AND ESSENTIALLY THEN WE RELEASED MALE MOSQUITOES INTO AN AREA. THOSE MALE MOSQUITOES THEN MATE WITH THE NATIVE FEMALE MOSQUITOES, BUT THE PROGENY IS NO GOOD. SO IT'S CALLED STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE. THIS TECHNIQUE'S BEEN USED EXTENSIVELY FROM USDA. THERE'S AN OUTBREAK CURRENTLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN TEXAS WITH SCREW WORM THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE FOR THAT. THEY'VE JUST NOW STARTED TO TRANSMIT OR TRANSLATE THIS INTO THE MOSQUITO POPULATION. SO WE WERE EXCITED TO TO IMPLEMENT THAT. WE DID THAT IN AN AREA OF NATOMAS LAST YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPANDING THAT THIS YEAR. I THINK NOT, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT AN AREA IN WINTERS THAT WE MIGHT IMPLEMENT IT SO WE'RE STILL IN THE PLANNING PHASES BUT WE WILL START DOING THOSE APPLICATIONS PROBABLY IN LATE JUNE. WE FOUND VERY GOOD RESULTS IN THE FACT THAT THE POPULATIONS CRASHED IN THE AREA OF NATOMAS THAT WE IMPLEMENTED THIS. AND THE NICE PART ABOUT RELEASING MALE MOSQUITOES IS MALE MOSQUITOES DON'T BITE. ONLY FEMALE MOSQUITOES BITE. SO YOU'RE JUST RELEASING THE MALES, THEY'RE MATING WITH THE FEMALES, AND THEN WHEN THE FEMALES LAY THE EGGS, THE EGGS DO NOT. DO NOT EMERGE. SO IT REALLY CAN CRASH A POPULATION. AND WE'VE SEEN VERY GOOD SUCCESS WITH THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IT'S NOW JUST A NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO HELP EXPAND IN OUR AREA TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PARTICULAR INVASIVE MOSQUITOES. SO AGAIN, MOVING FORWARD FOR US, EXPANDING OUR SIT AREA, CONTINUING OUR SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL EFFORTS, TRYING TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE GO TO A LOT OF FAIRS AND EVENTS IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PRESENT WITH OR SPEAK OUT. I THINK WE MENTIONED WE BUY THESE REPELLENT PACKETS BY THE PALLET. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE IT IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT, ESPECIALLY NOW AS WE'RE GETTING [01:45:01] INTO WARMER WEATHER AND YOU HAVE SUMMER EVENTS AND MOVIES IN THE PARK AND THOSE TYPES OF ASPECTS. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS ANOTHER BIG ONE FOR US. PLEASE CALL US. WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DELIVER THE REPELLENT. I WANT TO COMMEND THE COUNTY ITSELF AND SPECIFICALLY DR. SISSON HAS BEEN, WORKS COLLABORATIVELY VERY WELL WITH US. SHE PROVIDES THESE REPELLENT PACKETS IN HER VENDING MACHINES THAT SHE HAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT. BUT IN GENERAL, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A RISK OF DISEASE. SPECIFICALLY, THE DISEASE CAN BE VERY SERIOUS, BUT THERE'S VERY SIMPLE MEASURES THAT YOU CAN DO TO TRY TO HELP PREVENT THAT. ONE, DON'T BREED MOSQUITOES IN YOUR OWN YARD. TWO, PUT ON A GOOD REPELLENT. THREE, I WEAR LONG SLEEVES AND LONG PANTS. OF COURSE, I'M A GINGER, SO I DON'T LIKE THE SUN THAT MUCH ANYWAY. SO THAT MOSQUITOES CAN'T GET TO YOUR SKIN AND THEY DON'T BITE YOU. AND THEN, OF COURSE, CALL THE DISTRICT. IF YOU'RE BEING BOTHERED BY MOSQUITOES, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN THE AREA, JUST GIVE US A CALL. LET US GO OUT THERE AND TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND WE'LL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO. WITH THAT, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A BUSY AGENDA, AND I'LL TRY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND OBVIOUSLY THE ADMINISTRATOR AND DR. SISSON HAS BEEN AMAZING FOR US IN OUR COLLABORATIVE WORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM. IT'S JUST TO RECEIVE THE REPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. ARE THERE ANY BOARD QUESTIONS? YES, PLEASE. GARY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. ANNUALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. ONE POINT AND THEN A QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS JUST ARE YOU STILL GETTING THE SAME LEVEL OF COOPERATION FROM OWNERS AND FARMERS, PROPERTY OWNERS AS IN THE PAST? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S... YOU KNOW, SORT OF, THAT'S SO ESSENTIAL, RIGHT? THAT, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY, REALLY ESSENTIAL FOR, ESPECIALLY, IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US INDIVIDUALLY IN OUR YARDS, YOU KNOW, DUMPING OUT BUCKETS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AGRICULTURAL LANDS, CURIOUS ABOUT SORT OF THE SAME LEVEL OF COOPERATION AROUND SORT OF EITHER GROUND SPRAYING OR AERIAL SPRAYING, SO QUESTIONS THERE. AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM, JUST A REALLY QUICK POINT FOR YOU IS I, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CORRESPONDENCE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, A HOUSE WENT ON THE MARKET IN DAVIS WITH A POOL IN THE BACKYARD THAT WAS LESS THAN IDEAL, LET'S JUST SAY, IN TERMS OF ITS CONDITION. AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SENT THESE GUYS A NOTICE AND, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY IT WAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON, RESPONDED ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, CAME OUT MONDAY. YOU KNOW, ADDED SOME MOSQUITO FISH, I THINK, TO A VERY MOSQUITO-PRONE POOL AT THIS POINT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, VACATED. AND SO JUST REALLY WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A LOT OF KUDOS FOR SORT OF THE RESPONSIVENESS AND, YOU KNOW. HE SAID IT IN THE LAST SLIDE, MOVING FORWARD, ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TO REPORT DIFFERENT THINGS. I MEAN, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I KNOW I HAVE DONE, BUT ALSO OTHERS HAVE DONE, AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL REALLY RESPONSIVE, TOO. SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT THEN JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, AGAIN, LEVEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN OWNERS AND FARMERS AND OF PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE GET, FOR THE MOST PART, REALLY GOOD COOPERATION. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND SO ON LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS, AND SPECIFICALLY LIKE AGRICULTURE. THEY'VE SEEN US OUT THERE. WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM. WE LET THEM KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING WHEN WE'RE COMING OUT. TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WHATSOEVER. SOMETIMES THE RESIDENTS ARE A LITTLE LEERY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND. SOMEBODY'S COMING KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR AND ASKING ABOUT MOSQUITOES AND WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM. BUT TYPICALLY AS WE TRY TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO, AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE'RE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AROUND YOUR YARD FOR FIVE MINUTES AND WE'RE GONE. AND SO I THINK ONCE PEOPLE HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH US, IT'S USUALLY A VERY POSITIVE ONE. OCCASIONALLY, WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE A BIT MORE COMBATIVE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND THEN WE GO THROUGH OUR ABATEMENT PROCEEDINGS TO WHERE WE GET A WE ISSUE A WARRANT AND THEN WE BRING THE POLICE OUT AND THEN THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER ISSUE BUT THAT THAT'S A FEW AND FAR BETWEEN WE TRY TO AVOID THAT AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BECAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU KNOW IT'S A BENEFIT FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WHAT'S HAPPENING AT ONE RESIDENT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE FLIGHT RANGE OF THAT MOSQUITO WHICH IS CAN BE HALF A MILE SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF HUNDREDS OF HOMES AND ULTIMATELY I THINK WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM AND THAT THERE'S NO COST, THAT IT'S ALREADY ESSENTIALLY COVERED. WE'RE NOT CHARGING ANYBODY. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO COME AFTER ANYBODY. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE MOSQUITO POPULATION. AND ONCE WE DO THAT AND WE EDUCATE THEM, THEN MOST RESIDENTS ARE VERY WILLING TO ALLOW US TO COME BACK. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT CALL US ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TOO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GREAT. I JUST, A QUICK, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, A QUICK COMMENT THAT DRONES, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT. THAT'S A GOOD USE OF A DRONE. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND I WOULD THINK THAT THEN YOU COULD BE MORE FOCUSED WITH IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE CAUSEWAY, THE BYPASS IS MY AREA, AND I HAVE PEOPLE THAT ABUT THERE, AND THAT THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS OVER THERE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO. AND THE EDGES GET THE... YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THE DRONES ARE PRETTY PRECISE. [01:50:01] THEY HAVE A CURRENT PAYLOAD OF ABOUT 50 POUNDS, SO THEY CAN COVER UP TO ABOUT 10 ACRES AT A TIME. BUT THE FACT THAT IT JUST FLIES UP VERY METHODICAL IN TERMS OF HOW IT DOES IS A LOT BETTER THAN A PERSON EITHER RIDING AT ATV OR WALKING THROUGH THAT SAME 10 ACRES. SO IT GETS DONE MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY. SO WE'RE EXCITED. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE FAA, SPECIFICALLY ON OUR CERTIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY IN CALIFORNIA, REALLY JUST PUBLIC HEALTH OR VECTOR CONTROL ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE APPLICATIONS VIA DRONE. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. GREAT, GREAT. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS THAT I GET THE REGULAR E-MAILS THAT LET ME KNOW WHEN THERE WILL BE FLIGHTS AND IF THERE'S GOING TO BE APPLICATIONS. CAN YOU JUST LET THE PUBLIC KNOW HOW THEY CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THEY GO TO OUR WEBSITE, AND YOU CAN SIGN UP BY YOUR ZIP CODE. SO ANY TIME THAT WE'RE DOING ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL IN YOUR ZIP CODE, YOU'LL GET AN E-MAIL. OF THE ACTIVITY THERE WITH A LINK TO WHERE THE MAP IS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHETHER IT'S SPECIFICALLY IMPACTED. OBVIOUSLY, IF WE HAVE TO ELEVATE TO AN AIRPLANE OVER TOWN, WE DO A LOT OF PRESS RELEASES, A LOT MORE INFORMATION TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT YOU'LL STILL GET THOSE NOTICES FROM YOUR ZIP CODE IF YOU SIGN UP ON YOUR ZIP CODE. BUT IN THAT PROCESS, WE'LL BE REALLY POUNDING THE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER AVENUES TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO EDUCATE AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING AND WHEN WE'RE DOING IT. OKAY. GREAT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MADAM CHAIR, I DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WITH THAT, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? [28. Receive update from Revenue Generation Ad Hoc Subcommittee including the potential for a ballot measure to increase transient occupancy tax in the unincorporated area of Yolo County on the November 2026 ballot. (No general fund impact) (Webb/Tengolics) (Est. Staff Presentation: 10 min)] NO? OKAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, THEN WE WILL GO TO ITEM 28, RECEIVE UPDATE ON REVENUE GENERATION AD HOC, OR REVGEN, AS IT SAYS IN THE BRIEF TITLE. WELL, GOOD MORNING MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ALEX NGO, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE HERE TO PROVIDE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE REVENUE GENERATION AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE. SO AS THE BOARD WILL RECALL, THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WAS IMPANELED EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH THE FOCUS OF LOOKING AT DISCRETIONARY REVENUE ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS COUNTY OPERATIONS. AND HERE TODAY TO GIVE A QUICK INSIGHT INTO SOME OF THE NEARER TERM EFFORTS. SOME OF THE LONGER-TERM EFFORTS ALONG WITH SOME NEXT STEPS, WITH ONE OF THE PARTICULAR NEAR-TERM EFFORTS BEING A POTENTIAL INCREASE IN OUR TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX. SO AS I MENTIONED, THE INITIAL WORK OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON A COUPLE KEY AREAS. ONE, THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD LEVEL ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, IS A FIX TO OUR DISPROPORTIONATE ERAF BURDEN. THAT IS THE EDUCATIONAL REVENUE AUGMENTATION FUND. CURRENTLY YOLO COUNTY IS A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES THAT WE GENERATE LOCALLY ARE BEING REROUTED TO THE STATE IN EXCESS OF WHAT THEY SHOULD BE BASED UPON EVERY OTHER COUNTY'S FORMULA. WE'VE BEEN A LONGSTANDING ISSUE THAT WE HAVE SOME TRACTION ON. WE'RE WORKING WITH, IN PARTICULAR, SENATOR CABALDON'S OFFICE TO ADDRESS THIS TECHNICAL ISSUE, BUT HE IS CARRYING THIS ITEM AND HE HAS SUBMITTED A BUDGET POLICY REQUEST. ON IT. AND IF THAT WAS ADDRESSED, THAT WOULD LIKELY YIELD APPROXIMATELY $3 MILLION ANNUALLY IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE. ADDITIONALLY, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE OTHER AREAS IS A POTENTIAL INCREASE IN OUR TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, AS THE BOARD IS LIKELY AWARE. TOT IS A TAX ON LODGING NIGHTS, DAYS OF A DURATION OF 30 DAYS OR LESS, SO HOTEL NIGHTS DAYS AND AIRBNB STAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. CURRENTLY, OUR TAX RATE IN YOLO COUNTY IS 8%. UM... THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CITIES ARE AT 12, AS IS SACRAMENTO COUNTY. WOODLAND'S AT 10. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT DISCREPANCY, ONE OF THE IDEAS WOULD BE TO INCREASE OUR TOT RATE FROM 8% TO 12%. THAT COULD EVENTUALLY GENERATE ANOTHER $250,000 ANNUALLY. GENERALLY, THE TOT IS PASSED ON TO THE LODGER, AND IT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF THEIR TOTAL RATE. THIS WOULD REQUIRE A BALLOT MEASURE, AND WITH THE NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTION A COUPLE MONTHS AHEAD OF US, IF THAT WAS OF INTEREST TO THE BOARD, WE WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS WITH THE NECESSARY ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS TO GET THAT IN MOTION. WITH A FINAL ACTION NEEDED BY JUNE 23RD TO MAKE THE NOVEMBER BALLOT DEADLINE, THAT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE OF... OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA IF THAT WAS TO PROCEED. AND THEN FINALLY, STAFF IS ALSO LOOKING AT A REVIEW OF OUR RESTRICTED FUND BALANCES. SO GIVEN OUR CURRENT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, WE ARE CONDUCTING A DETAILED REVIEW OF ALL OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS. MANY OF THOSE RESTRICTED FUNDS ARE FOR VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSES, AND MANY OF WHICH ARE STATUTORY OR GRANT-RELATED, AND THERE'S [01:55:01] VERY LITTLE DISCRETION THAT THE BOARD COULD... POTENTIALLY HAVE AND HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE UTILIZED. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME FUNDS WHICH THERE MAY BE SOME MORE LEEWAY, AND SOME OF THOSE RESTRICTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO BOARD POLICY. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY THOSE AND BRING THOSE BACK FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION. WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK A REVIEW OF ALL RESTRICTED FUNDS, BUT WITH I THINK CALLING THE FOCUS ON ONES THAT WE BELIEVE MAY BE MORE RIPE FOR A POLICY DISCUSSION AT THE BOARD LEVEL. SOME OF OUR LONGER-TERM EFFORTS INCLUDE A POTENTIAL SALES TAX MEASURE. THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT THIS AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS. AS PREVIOUSLY SHARED, A 1% INCREASE. SO CURRENTLY IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF YOLO COUNTY, WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL LOCAL SALES TAX IMPOSED. WE ARE AT THE STATE MINIMUM OF 7.25%. THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY OF DAVIS AND THE... AND THE CITY OF WEST SACRAMENTO ARE CURRENTLY AT THE STATE CAP OF HAVING ANOTHER 2% LOCAL SALES TAX IMPLEMENTED, SO THEY'RE AT 9.25. BECAUSE OF THAT, IF WE WERE LOOKING TO DO A COUNTYWIDE INCREASE, SO A COUNTYWIDE INCREASE OF THE SALES TAX ACROSS THE COUNTY AND THE CITIES, THAT WOULD NECESSITATE SOME STATE LEGISLATION TO RAISE THAT CAP. THAT LEGISLATION IS NOT UNUSUAL, AND MANY JURISDICTIONS HAVE RAISED THEIR CAP, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER PROCEDURAL STEP AND WILL LIKELY INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS. IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT A 1% MEASURE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, THAT LEGISLATION WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY GIVEN THAT WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL LOCAL SALES TAX. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, A 1% INCREASE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WILL GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION VERSUS $40 TO $50 MILLION COUNTYWIDE. AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE PURELY ILLUSTRATIVE AND JUST MEANT TO GIVE THE BOARD AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE AS TO WHAT THAT REVENUE COULD LOOK LIKE. AND IT IS IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY SORT OF... SO, YOU KNOW, POLICY DISCUSSION THAT MAY COME WITH THAT DECISION. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT ANALYSIS OF OUR JUVENILE HALL POPULATION AND UTILIZATION. SO AS THE BOARD WILL RECALL, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF POLICY CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH YOUTH OFFENDERS AND WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS SECURE TRACK, WHICH WITH JUVENILE HALLS HOLDING YOUTH WHO HAVE BEEN SENTENCED FOR MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME, WE CURRENTLY SEND THOSE YOUTH OUT OF COUNTY. AND WE INCUR AN EXPENSE IN DOING SO AND HAVING TO PAY OTHER COUNTIES TO HOUSE THOSE YOUTHS IN THEIR FACILITIES. WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY BRINGING THOSE YOUTHS BACK AND THEN ADDITIONALLY COULD THE COUNTY ACTUALLY, COULD WE ALTER THAT PROGRAM AND THAT UTILIZATION TO ALLOW THE COUNTIES TO THEN POTENTIALLY BRING IN YOUTHS FROM OUT OF COUNTY AS WELL. THAT OF COURSE WOULD NOT ONLY BE A COST SAVINGS BUT POTENTIALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE REVENUE. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PROBATION CHIEF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT POSSIBILITY AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH SOME MORE DETAIL THERE. BUT THAT'S, WE'RE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THAT ANALYSIS BUT WANTED TO FLAG THAT FOR THE BOARD. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT MEDI-CAL BILLING AND OUR ABILITY TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE OUR MEDI-CAL BILLING RATES. WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING CLOSELY WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ON THAT ISSUE AND THEY'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH A SPECIFIC PRESENTATION ON THAT. HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE BUT WANTED JUST TO UM PARTICULARLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY FRONT OF MIND UM AS WE AS WE MOVE FORWARD SO YOU KNOW ONE OF THE KEY I THINK ONE OF THE KEY UH YOU KNOW PIECES OF FEEDBACK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS IS TO GET THE BOARD CENSUS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED UM WITH THE POTENTIAL UM INCREASE IN OUR TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX AGAIN THAT WILL REQUIRE A COUPLE DIFFERENT STEPS WE NEED TO COME BACK WITH THE AMENDED ORDINANCE UM THERE WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY BE NO FINAL ACTION ON THIS TODAY WE'RE JUST SEEKING BOARD GUIDANCE IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BRING BACK FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION AND IF SO WE WOULD WE WOULD AIM TO COME BACK AT THE AT THE SECOND MEETING IN MAY ON MAY 26TH SO THE BOARD COULD REVIEW THOSE POTENTIAL CHANGES AND THEN WE COULD CONTINUE WITH THAT GIVEN THE THE BALLOT DEADLINE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INCLUDED IN THE PACKET I DO WANT TO MENTION IS AN ANALYSIS OF THAT BALLOT TIMELINE ALONG WITH SOME GREATER DETAIL ABOUT OUR REGIONAL PEERS AND THEIR THEIR TOT RATES. SO WITH THAT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE. OKAY I THINK THAT WILL MAYBE START BY TURNING TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD. SUPERVISOR VEGAS DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU ALEX FOR THE UPDATE. SO I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THE LIST THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS BECAUSE BALANCING OUR BUDGET YEAR AFTER YEAR IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE. SO MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, [02:00:01] IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS BEING ASKED OF US TODAY, WHAT ALEX IS PROPOSING, UM, SO A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, I THINK I HEARD, I THINK WE ALL HEARD PRETTY PASSIONATE DISCOURSE AROUND THE CURRENT STATUS OF OUR BUDGET AND THE LAYOFFS AND THE POSITIONS. SO THE CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE ITERATIVE, AS I SAID, AND SO I SUSPECT I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND OUR BUDGET SHORTLY HERE. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY REVENUE GENERATING, BUT IT COULD BE AND COULD BE CERTAINLY SEEN AS SUCH. THE IDEA OF FURLOUGHS, AND I RAISED IT LAST TIME. I'D LIKE TO JUST PUT IT ON THE TABLE AND WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S PART OF THIS PACKAGE OR WHETHER IT'S A FURTHER CONVERSATION. OBVIOUSLY, THE LABOR GROUPS WOULD BE A PART OF IT, BUT I HEARD REPRESENTATION EARLIER THIS MORNING ON BEHALF OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE LABOR GROUPS. I KNOW THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN A VERY DIFFERENT SETTING. I CAN SEE OUR ATTORNEY GETTING NERVOUS. SO I'M GOING TO JUST PUT THAT ON THE TABLE AND HAVE STAFF TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT IT. AS A CONCEPT OR AN IDEA GOING FORWARD THE REASON I RAISE IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PASSION THAT WAS EXPRESSED THIS MORNING SO THAT'S ONE UH... THE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE IS ANOTHER AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE I CAN SEE OUR ATTORNEY GETTING NERVOUS AND THEN UH... THE THIRD ONE THAT I JUST WANTED TO SURFACE UH... AND THAT IS UH... TRADITIONALLY WE HAVE UH... IN OUR BUDGET CYCLE PROCESS WE HAVE DEPARTMENT HEADS COME FORWARD TO LEVEL SET THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY. IN OTHER WORDS, WE ASK ALL DEPARTMENTS WHO CAN GENERATE REVENUE AND ASSOCIATE A FEE WITH THEIR UNIT TO GET AN INCH CLOSER TO 100% COST RECOVERY. SO, AND THAT'S BEEN KIND OF A POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT WE USE TO INCREASE OUR FEES. I WOULD LIKE TO SURFACE AT LEAST TO THIS BODY AS A PART OF THE REVENUE GENERATING SUBCOMMITTEE OR AD HOC. THAT RATHER THAN CREATE THIS ARTIFICIAL LIMITATION WHERE AS WE PROJECT WHAT THE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE AND ONLY TRY TO CREATE A FEE THAT GETS US OR KEEPS US AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO 100%, THAT WHY DON'T WE, RATHER THAN DOING THAT OR MAYBE IN ADDITION TO DOING THAT, REALLY THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A COMPONENT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, WHICH WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE AT THE MOMENT IN YOLO COUNTY, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT OUR BUSINESSES THAT WE ARE ASKING TO PAY HIGHER AND HIGHER FEES, TO MAYBE THINK OF IT AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL AND ASK THEM. WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE HOLDING THEM BACK FROM GROWING AND EXPANDING AND CREATING A BROADER, WIDER, DEEPER TAX BASE IN YOLO COUNTY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ARE EXPLORING ALL OF OUR OPTIONS? RATHER THAN SIMPLY SAYING, WELL, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO GO TO INCREASE 10% TO THIS FEE TO GET TO 100% COST RECOVERY. HEAVEN FORBID THAT WE ACTUALLY SAY, WHY DON'T WE ASK THEM WHAT THEIR PROSPECTS ARE FOR GROWTH IN THE EVENT THAT THAT CREATES A BETTER TAX BASE AND THEN MAYBE WITHHOLD THE FEE FOR A YEAR OR TWO OR SUSPEND IT. OR FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT ECONOMIC TOOL THAT WE HAVE AS A LEVER MIGHT ADD VALUE TO BOTH PARTIES. SO I JUST WANT TO SURFACE THAT AS A WAY THAT WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, BECAUSE I THINK, ALEX, YOU PRESENTED AT LEAST ONE NEAR-TERM OPTION, WHICH IMMEDIATELY WE ARE BEING ASKED TO EXPLORE THE TOT OPTION, AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SURFACE THOSE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT CONTEXT, BUT I WANT TO. PUT THEM ON THE TABLE AS PART OF OUR ONGOING WORK. AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUE HAS SOME OTHER THINGS TO ADD AS WELL. THANK YOU. MIKE, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YOU'RE HOLDING YOUR MICROPHONE, WHICH I'LL FINISH. YEAH, HAPPY TO WEIGH IN. AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TIME FROM SUPERVISOR FRERICHS, THOUGH, ON THE AD HOC IF THERE'S FEEDBACK YOU WANTED TO PROVIDE FIRST. OTHERWISE, I CAN RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF TOPICS RAISED THERE. SO WITH RESPECT TO, AND THEN I'LL INVITE PHIL TO WEIGH IN AND ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THIS. WITH RESPECT TO DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT I WOULD REFER TO AS, YOU KNOW, THE MEASURES THAT YOU NOTED, FURLOUGHS, GOLDEN HANDSHAKES, ET CETERA, I THINK THAT WOULD BE CERTAINLY AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC TO DISCUSS DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION ITEM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THOSE ARE EXPENDITURE REDUCTION MEASURES, NOT REVENUE GENERATION MEASURES. SO I DOUBT IT'S SORT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SAME EQUATION. I TOTALLY GET THAT. I THINK IN TERMS OF TOPIC, WE'RE HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT. TO THE BOARD'S INTEREST AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THE BOARD'S INTEREST IN TALKING ABOUT THAT DURING THE BUDGET ITEM. THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION ON THAT. WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY... YOU KNOW, I THINK THE RESPONSE CERTAINLY FROM ME AND FROM OUR, DARE I SAY, OUR STAFF TEAM AS WELL WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THERE'S A STRONG INTEREST ON OUR PART IN UNDERTAKING WHAT I'LL REFER TO AS SORT OF A SWOT ANALYSIS. [02:05:02] STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, CONSTRAINTS, ANALYSIS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY. AND REALLY DUSTING OFF SOME WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. AROUND THAT, THE COUNTY HAD DONE WITH SOME CONSULTANT WORK IN YEARS PAST. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE THAT WAS LOOKED AT. SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO REINVENT THAT WHEEL, BUT TO DUST IT OFF, SO TO SPEAK, AND IDENTIFY WHERE DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINTS. ARE THEY FEE STRUCTURE CONSTRAINTS? ARE THEY THINGS LIKE UTILITY ACCESS TO UTILITY CONSTRAINTS, WHICH IS ONE THAT WE HEAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN. AND CERTAINLY WORK WITH, DOING WORK WITH THE REVENUE AD HOC, AT LEAST TO DO THAT HIGH-LEVEL LOOK, AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH A REPORT OUT, I THINK WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE UTILIZATION OF THE AD HOC. AND DID, OH, I WAS GOING TO LET, SEE IF PHIL WAS GOING TO WEIGH IN, OR WAS THAT? NO, IT WAS SIMPLY TO TOUCH ON THE POINT THAT MIKE MADE THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY HEARTBURN WITH DISCUSSING GOLDEN HANDSHAKES OR FURLOUGHS AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS AS PART OF THE NEXT ITEM. SO JUST THAT ITEM RATHER THAN THIS ONE. GREAT. AND THEN SUPERVISOR FRERICHS, DID YOU WANT TO, AS THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER, WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? I'LL ADD SOMETHING IN A LITTLE BIT. JUST GO AHEAD, SUPERVISOR BRAHAS. OKAY, SUPERVISOR BRAHAS. OKAY, YEAH, SO THANK YOU TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR JUST DIVING IN ON THE SUBJECT AND REALLY LOOKING THROUGH POTENTIAL OPTIONS. THE TOT TAX, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD EXPLORE AS SUPERVISORS AND TO MOVE FORWARD AND ASK THE VOTERS TO DECIDE. THE SALES TAX MEASURE, I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVERSATION. I LIKE THE CONCEPT. EVENTUALLY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT AND ASK OUR RESIDENTS, WOULD THEY BE IN SUPPORT OF SOME TYPE OF SALES TAX MEASURE? BUT ALSO A LOT OF SOME OF THE RESIDENTS ARE, THEY WANT COUNTY TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE LEAN, BECAUSE IT'S VERY SOMEWHAT, I WOULD SAY, SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE BUT ALSO CONSERVATIVE COUNTY IN TERMS OF THE VOTER BASE AND SO THE INFORMATION I'M GETTING WHEN SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE THE RESIDENTS IS IS THAT THEY WOULDN'T MIND HOWEVER THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND ROAD RESURFACING PROJECTS AND OTHER OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THEY VALUE, BUT ALSO THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY IS A LITTLE BIT MORE LEANER. SO IF THAT GETS ON THE BALLOT IN 2026, 2028, I THINK BY THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LEANER AS AN ORGANIZATION. I DO HAVE SOME IDEAS PERHAPS THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY EXPLORE IN CONCEPT. NOT THAT I WOULD BE SOMEWHAT IN FAVOR, BUT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING. THEY'RE LOOKING TO SOLAR FARMS ON NON-PRIME AG LAND. SO WE DO HAVE NON-PRIME AG LAND. THE QUESTION IS, WOULD ANY COMPANIES BE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING SOLAR FARMS ON NON-PRIME AG LAND, RIGHT? TWO IS WE'VE BEEN GETTING INQUIRIES ON GASOLINE STATIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING INTO YOLO COUNTY AND RURAL UNINCORPORATED AREAS. HOWEVER, THEIR INTEREST IS ALSO COMBINED WITH SELLING. TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT BASED ON OUR OUR NEED OF GENERATING REVENUE IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S WORTH EXPLORING AND HAVING A CONVERSATION IN AND THEN THERE'S BEEN ALWAYS A DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DUNAGAN NEAR THE I-5 THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT OF SOME TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA. I THINK WE HAVE TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK TO SEE WHAT ARE THE IMPEDIMENTS, WHAT ARE THE DESIRES, AND REALLY WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPERS COULD WE ATTRACT. I KNOW A FEW DEVELOPERS HAVE ACTUALLY COME TO COUNTY STAFF TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE CAN EXPLORE MORE THOROUGHLY. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT I ASK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE POTENTIALLY EXPLORE WITH STAFF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, SUPERVISOR FRICKS, ARE YOU READY NOW? YEAH, THANKS, SUPERVISOR BRAJAS. APPRECIATE JUST YOUR COMMENTS THERE. A COUPLE OF THINGS, I THINK. SO, YOU KNOW, ON THE ERAF ITEM, I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, GREATLY APPRECIATE. SENATOR CABALDON'S SORT OF WILLINGNESS TO SORT OF SUBMIT THAT AS A BUDGET REQUEST THIS YEAR. I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN, IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR OVER, AT THIS POINT, ABOUT 30 YEARS. SO, I MEAN, WE NEED TO, I MEAN, SEE SOME SORT [02:10:01] OF CORRECTION THERE. I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY $3 MILLION PER YEAR ONGOING ANNUALLY WOULD BE A MAJOR BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY. SO... I THINK THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A KEY PRIORITY, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING ON THAT THROUGHOUT WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE SESSION THIS YEAR. THE POTENTIAL INCREASE IN THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A HUGE AMOUNT, RIGHT? BUT AT THIS POINT, EVERY BIT IS ESSENTIAL. IT WOULD BE CHARGED UPON, YOU KNOW, A FEE CHARGED ON VISITORS TO THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY, NOT NECESSARILY COUNTY RESIDENTS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST THINK ABOUT EVEN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, HAD WE HAD THAT HIGHER AMOUNT THAT ALL THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING. WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WOULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, PLUS IN OUR COFFERS. SO I THINK IN WHICH WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE PUTTING TOWARDS THIS CHALLENGING BUDGET TIME. SO I THINK GRATEFUL TO HEAR SORT OF SUPPORT FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THIS. I THINK. IT OBVIOUSLY ALSO HAS TO GO BEFORE THE VOTERS OFFICIALLY, SO ACROSS THE COUNTY. BUT I THINK THAT IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. WE'VE BEEN SORT OF A LITTLE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL AS IT RELATES TO WHAT THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING. AND IT REALLY APPRECIATED STAFF GETTING THE LIST TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY, OF POTENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SORT OF ACCOMMODATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO IT. YOU KNOW, THE LION'S SHARE OF THE DOLLARS WOULD ACTUALLY COME FROM THE HOTEL AT UC DAVIS. SO OUT OF OUT OF ALL THE LIST OF AFFECTED PROPERTIES, A GOOD AMOUNT OF THAT IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM THE ONE SPECIFIC HOTEL. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, WE SHOULD ADVOCATE TO DO AND PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER OF TWENTY TWENTY SIX. A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. I TOTALLY AGREE. SUPERVISOR BRAJAS, YOU KNOW, ON THE ISSUE OF A POTENTIAL COUNTY WIDE SALES TAX. I MEAN, I THINK... I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO INTERNALLY HERE. I MEAN, AT THE COUNTY, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS. BUT BEFORE WE WOULD PUT SOMETHING BEFORE A COUNTYWIDE VOTE, IT FEELS LIKE WE NEED TO DO OUR WORK IN TERMS OF BEING MORE EFFICIENT. AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS IT'S ALSO, I THINK, TIMING, I THINK AT THIS POINT, MEANS AT A MINIMUM A KIND OF NOVEMBER 2028 KIND OF TIMELINE. I MEAN, A COUPLE YEARS AWAY. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE SORT OF AROUND EDUCATION OF RESIDENTS AROUND THE COUNTY TO SORT OF TEE SOMETHING UP FOR NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, PARTICULARLY SALES TAX INCREASE. I THINK THE OTHER POINT THAT WAS RAISED IN THE PRESENTATION, I APPRECIATE IT, WAS JUST THE ISSUE OF THAT WE HAVE TWO OF OUR CITIES THAT ARE ALREADY AT THE SALES TAX CAP. AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER STEP THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. THAT LEGISLATION HAS TO OCCUR. TO RAISE BOTH DAVIS AND WEST SACRAMENTO'S SALES TAX CAP. I THINK ALSO, I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE HEARD CERTAINLY OF THE EFFORTS UNDERWAY, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S OFFICIAL YET OR NOT, BUT THE CITY OF WOODLAND IS ALSO LOOKING AT POTENTIAL SALES TAX INCREASE FOR THIS NOVEMBER 2026. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE SORT OF PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERTAKE AROUND KIND OF SEQUENCING AND DOING THE WORK TO SORT OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A POTENTIAL SALES TAX INCREASE, BUT YET IT FEELS LIKE STILL A COUPLE YEARS OFF. THE OTHER, I ALSO APPRECIATE OF COURSE THE ITEMS DISCUSSED IN THE STAFF REPORT REGARDING IN THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AS A SUBCOMMITTEE AROUND POTENTIAL, THE PROBATION ITEM FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME POTENTIAL STRATEGIES AROUND ONGOING SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. SUPERVISOR BRAHAS TOUCHED ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S ALSO A POTENTIAL THERE FOR US. I WILL JUST RAISE AGAIN, AND I KNOW WE WERE GOING TO, AND IT WAS REFERENCED IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT WE WILL BE HAVING A BOARD UPDATE, MORE SPECIFIC PRESENTATION COMING TO THE BOARD IN THE COMING MONTHS. BUT I'M, YOU KNOW, I KNOW. I'VE BEEN SORT OF BEATING THIS DRUM, BUT THE MEDI-CAL BILLING REIMBURSEMENTS, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE BRINGING DOWN, CURRENTLY BRINGING BACK TO THEIR COUNTIES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CONCERTED EFFORT. AND THERE ARE STAFFING, OBVIOUSLY, OBLIGATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE THERE IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY BRING THOSE DOLLARS BACK TO YOLO COUNTY. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE TO YOLO COUNTY ARE BRINGING DOWN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR IN, WELL, JUST SAY REVENUE, RIGHT, REIMBURSEMENTS FOR MEDI-CAL. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE JUST HAVE NOT DONE A LOT OF. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, I THINK, KEEP THE EYE ON THE PRIZE MOVING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK. AND APPRECIATE SORT OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ALREADY AT HHSA TO SORT OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT. I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY, AND THEN LASTLY, I GUESS JUST TO SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS' COMMENTS AS WELL, TOO, [02:15:01] I DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM IT TAKES, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE, ARE COMPLETELY SORT OF, WE'VE NOT REALLY HAD A STRONG ENERGY OR EFFORT PUT BEHIND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. I MEAN, WE HAVE, OF COURSE THERE IS A VERY STRONG ETHOS IN THIS COUNTY ABOUT PRESERVATION OF AG LAND AND PRIME FARMLAND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BUT I THINK THAT THE COUNTY HAS FOR MANY YEARS SORT OF RELEGATED ITSELF TO YOU KNOW A BACKSEAT ROLE IN THE WORK AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SO LEAVING IT BASICALLY ALL TO THE FOUR CITIES AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM THAT TAKES IN THE FUTURE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE A MORE SORT OF FRONT SEAT ROLE IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR BRAHAS TALKED ABOUT DUNNIGAN, FOR EXAMPLE. YES, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AROUND THE COUNTY. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS EXPLICITLY DISCUSSED HERE TODAY IN THE EFFORTS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE STAFF REPORT. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LOVE TO KIND OF HEAR FROM OTHER SUPERVISORS. AS TO YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND WHAT THE COUNTY COULD OR SHOULD BE DOING, BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE'S MUCH MORE OF A ROLE FOR US TO BE PLAYING IN YOLO COUNTY AS IT RELATES TO REVENUE GENERATION VIS-À-VIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I'LL STOP THERE. THANKS SO MUCH. OKAY, GOOD. AND WE HAVEN'T DONE PUBLIC COMMENT YET. WE KIND OF SLID RIGHT INTO IDEAS FOR US, SO WE'LL GET A CHANCE, SECOND BITE AT THE APPLE, I THINK, AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT. BUT, MARY, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. I JUST HAD TWO ACTUAL QUESTIONS. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STEPS TO GET THE DARN ERAF THING FIXED? I UNDERSTAND SENATOR CABALDON HAS IT INTRODUCED, SO IT'S A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, SO IT HAS TO GO TO BOTH HOUSES. JUST TALK ME THROUGH HOW IT CAN BE FIXED AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE IT'S FIXED. YEAH, SO IN BRIEF, THIS WOULD BE SO IF THIS ISN'T A REQUEST FOR AN APPROPRIATION, IT WOULD BE BUDGET RELATED OR POLICY RELATED BUDGET LANGUAGE THAT WOULD LIKELY BE INCLUDED IN A BUDGET TRAILER BILL. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A POLICY CHANGE AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ALLOW US AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO CORRECT THIS INACCURACY IN THIS STATE FORMULA MORE OR LESS. SO SENATOR CABAL HAS SUBMITTED THAT REQUEST ON THE SENATE SIDE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SENATE BUDGET. WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH ASSEMBLYMEMBER AGUIAR-CURRY TO ALSO ADVOCATE WITH HER OFFICE TO, WITH THE HOPE THAT IT COULD ALSO BE INCLUDED ON THE ASSEMBLY SIDE. THAT WOULD BE IDEAL, AND THEN HOPEFULLY IT CAN COME TOGETHER IN THE COLLECTIVE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET. AND AT THAT POINT, LIKE WITH ANY BUDGET ITEM, IT'S A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE ADMINISTRATION AS TO WHAT THE FINAL BUDGET LOOKS LIKE. SO IN THEORY, IF BOTH SIDES WORK AND IT MAKES IT TO THE GOVERNOR, HE SIGNS IT, WHEN WOULD THAT MONEY BE REALIZED? I THINK IT WOULD LIKELY BE IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ADJUSTMENT WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR AS PART OF THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL. AND THE ASSESSMENT, IT WOULD LIKELY NOT BE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR IS MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR OUT, YEAH. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. BUT THERE'S SOME BIG HURDLES. YEAH, THERE ARE SOME BIG HURDLES, BUT I THINK THAT, I MEAN, IT'S $3 MILLION ANNUALLY, AND IT'S UNFAIR AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO OR PEOPLE CAN DO, LIKE THAT'S A REALLY GOOD FUNDRAISER. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT. AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS RELATED TO, I HAVE TOO MANY HIGHLIGHTS ON HERE. OH, JUST, I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY IT OUT LOUD BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE TOT, THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANT TAX. WE CAN ONLY DO IT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. WE CAN'T ASK TO ALSO BE ADDED ON TO THE CITIES, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY, BECAUSE I JUST SEE THE NUMBERS BETWEEN SALES TAX, UNINCORPORATED SALES TAX, EVERYONE. I WAS LIKE, WHEW, WHAT IF WE COULD ADD SOME ON IN THE CITIES WHERE ACTUALLY MOST OF IT IS, BUT THAT IS NOT AN OPTION OPEN TO US. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. ANYBODY ELSE? I THINK THAT IS ACCURATE, YES. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. TOO BAD. IT'S MEANT TO BE FOR THE VISITORS WHO ARE STAYING IN ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE UNINCORPORATED PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY, NOT STAYING IN HOTELS AND SUCH SITTING IN THE CITIES. RIGHT. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF MAYBE WE COULD GET AN EXCEPTION AND IF WE COULD WORK WITH THE CITIES AND BE ADDED ONTO THEIR TOT. THAT IS NOT AN OPTION OPEN TO US? WELL, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT THE COUNTY HAS NO AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE A TOT INCREASE UPON ANY OTHER JURISDICTION, ERGO THE FOUR CITIES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO SO VOLUNTARILY AND AMEND THEIR OWN ORDINANCES AND ALSO EFFECTUATE VARIOUS BALLOT MEASURES ACCORDINGLY THROUGH THEIR PROCESSES. I THINK THE PREMISE HERE REALLY IS TO BRING OUR UNINCORPORATED TOT UP TO THE SAME LEVEL THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS AT AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING TO EXCEED THAT, CERTAINLY AT LEAST AS AN INITIAL, YOU KNOW. TRANCH. OKAY. APPRECIATE THAT. I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS. I WANT [02:20:04] TO FIND ANY MONEY I CAN. SO, ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK UP FOR BOARD DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? I'M CHAIR. I DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WELL, THEN LET US GO BACK TO DISCUSSION. MARY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS NOW? I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE THE AD HOC HERE AND JUST PUTTING YOUR BEST EFFORT AND THOUGHTS INTO HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ADDRESS A $35 MILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT ONGOING. THAT'S A BIG HOLE TO FILL. I PRETTY MUCH WANT TO SAY ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT YOU PUT ON THE TABLE OUGHT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY UNDER SERIOUS CONDITION. THIS MORNING'S PRESENTATION FROM OUR STAFF WAS VERY COMPELLING AND COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. AND IT IS A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE SITUATION WITH THE LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDING, WITH SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS IN... HOW WE CAN USE STATE FUNDING, IT'S LIKE WE'RE LOADED INTO A CHUTE, AND THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO PUSH THROUGH SOME VERY HARD DECISIONS. AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN DO IT ON THE REVENUE FRONT, LET'S GET ON IT. I KNOW THAT'S WHERE WE ALL ARE. I'M SPEAKING THE OBVIOUS HERE, BUT I JUST HAD A NEED TO EXPRESS IT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND THE WORK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO IN THIS SPACE. OK, ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP COMMENTS. DID YOU? OKAY. BARRAJAS, PLEASE. YEAH. SO FOR ALEX, FOR ERAF, RIGHT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHAT ERAF IS? IT'S THE EDUCATIONAL REVENUE AUGMENTATION FUND. BUT THERE WAS A MISALLOCATION OF FUNDING FROM YOLO COUNTY BECAUSE IT KIND OF INTERCONNECTED WHEN WEST SACRAMENTO BECAME INCORPORATED IN 1987. SO... I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS TELL A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AROUND IT AND WILL THERE BE ANY WINNERS AND LOSERS IN REGARD TO IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THE LEGISLATION? WOULD THERE BE, FOR EXAMPLE, ANY MONEY TAKEN AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS? YEAH, NO, GREAT QUESTION, AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE ACRONYM FOR ME. BUT ERAF, YEAH, IS THE EDUCATIONAL REVENUE ENHANCEMENT FUND, AND IT IS A MECHANISM THAT CAME INTO PLACE. AT THE END OF THE 80S, WHICH BASICALLY IS A WAY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO SCHOOLS STATEWIDE. AND THAT STATEWIDE CHANGE HAPPENED CONTEMPORANEOUS TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WEST SACRAMENTO. SO MORE OR LESS WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT WHEN THE STATE DID THAT CALCULATION TO DETERMINE WHAT PORTION OF PROPERTY TAX IN YOLO COUNTY SHOULD BE REROUTED TO ERAF, THEY INCLUDED WEST SACRAMENTO AS AN ELEMENT OF THE COUNTY. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INCORPORATING. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT ESSENTIALLY YOLO COUNTY IS PAYING, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAXES BEING REDIRECTED FROM THE COUNTY TO THE STATE FOR A PORTION OF WHICH THE COUNTY DOESN'T RECEIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THE CITY DOES. THIS WOULD BE A STATE-LEVEL ADJUSTMENT AND WOULD NOT IMPACT LOCAL SCHOOLS. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. I THOUGHT I'D JUST WEIGH IN ON A COUPLE THINGS SINCE I DIDN'T THE FIRST TIME. SIMILAR TO WHAT SUPERVISOR VIXIE ZANDI SAID, I THINK IT WAS SOME VERY COMPELLING PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT WE HAD THIS MORNING. I WAS ALREADY THERE BUT BOY IT REALLY DROVE IT HOME WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE FACES AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE AND IMPACTS NOT TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK THIS AGENDA ITEM IS, WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN CUT OURSELVES OUT OF THIS LEVEL OF A WHOLE. WE REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP IT LEVEL. WE'LL CUT DOWN TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME REVENUE. WE NEED TO BE REALLY SERIOUSLY WORKING ON BOTH SIDES OF IT. I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE TO DO THE WORK REGARDING THE SALES TAX TO MAKE SURE THAT. THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS. MAYBE WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEND THEM THE VIDEO OF THIS MORNING, SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOSING. AND SO THIS IS WHAT'S AT STAKE. SO I REALLY HOPE WE DON'T WAIT TWO YEARS BECAUSE ANOTHER YEAR AFTER THAT UNTIL WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT THOSE FUNDS COME IN. WE HAVE AN IMBALANCE NOW THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. SO I'M WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES IN ORDER TO GET THAT SIDE OF THE EQUATION GOING. I THINK THAT I'LL BE HEARING A MOTION ABOUT THE TOT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY FOR ANY EFFORTS. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE, YOU [02:25:01] KNOW, THE QUARTERS AND THE COUCH, AS IT WERE, SO WE CAN MOVE THAT PIECE FORWARD. I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FOR EGF. I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT THE RESTRICTED FUND BALANCES. I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT. I UNDERSTAND THE WORK IS BEING DONE, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW. WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS, OUR BUDGET THROUGH TO MEET THE DEADLINE. BUT I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE BECAUSE IF THERE'S MONEY THAT BELONGS TO US AND IS SITTING THERE AND WE CAN USE IT IN ORDER TO SAVE POSITIONS AND SAVE THE PROGRAMS, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. THE YES TO THE JUVENILE HALL POPULATION UTILIZATION ANALYSIS. I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE HEAD OF PROBATION YESTERDAY, AND I'M LIKE, YEAH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA. KEEP OUR KIDS HERE AND HAVE OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS COME INTO THE JUVENILE HALL SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE. I ALWAYS FIND WHEN YOLO COUNTY DOES SOMETHING, IT'S VERY HIGH QUALITY. SO WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. AND THEN THE FINAL ONE THAT WAS ON THE LIST HERE IS THE MEDI-CAL BILLING. YES, LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO, YES. AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE TO MOVE THAT FORWARD. BUT SOMEBODY TELL ME IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW WITH OUR DECISIONS THAT'S GOING TO STOP THAT FROM MOVING FORWARD. THAT'S PART OF MY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS KIND OF THAT BALANCING THING THAT IF I'M LOSING PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING MONEY IN, THAT'S MAYBE NOT, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF ANALYSIS ALSO. AND THEN, SURE, SOLAR, YEAH. LOVE SOLAR, BUT NOT ON THE FARM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THERE'S PLENTY OF LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE IN YOLO COUNTY. AND WHEN I FIRST CAME ON BOARD, I'M LIKE, WHAT IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN? SOMEWHERE I READ, I'M LIKE, DO WE HAVE ONE? BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ONE. SO I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE, AND I KNOW SOMETIMES IT TAKES MONEY TO DO THAT, BUT THAT COULD BE, AGAIN, AN INVESTMENT THAT BRINGS MONEY FORWARD. THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE. I DESPERATELY WANT IT BECAUSE I SO MUCH LOVE. FINDING AND GETTING MONEY AND RAISING MONEY, THEN I LOVE CUTTING. I HATE THAT PART OF IT. SO THANK YOU TO THE TWO MEMBERS THAT ARE ON IT AND TO THE STAFF THAT ARE WORKING FORWARD ON THAT. SO WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO YEAH, GO AHEAD. NOW WE'RE STILL DOING OUR DISCUSSION PART. OKAY, SO I HEARD VIEGAS FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO SUPERVISOR BRAJAS. PLEASE. SO MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION FOR ALEX. SO THE SALES TAX DISCUSSION. IT'S LARGELY CENTERED AROUND COUNTYWIDE OR IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE NIGHT AND DAY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BASE IN OUR UNINCORPORATED, LOTS OF LAND, A LOT OF TAX BASE BY DESIGN. SO WE HAVE TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT AS AN OPTION, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE HAVE TO ENCOUNTER IS THE REALITIES OF THE CITIES AND WHAT THEIR TAX BASE ALREADY IS. AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO GO FOR ANOTHER INCREASE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ALREADY AT THE CAP AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAP REQUIRES LEGISLATIVE DISPENSATION. AND SO IT GETS SO COMPLICATED RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. SO I HAVE LESS FAITH IN THAT AS AN OPTION ANYTIME SOON FOR THE REASONS I JUST STATED. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IF WE ARE SINCERE IN OUR, NOT, LET ME RESTATE THAT, IF WE ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING SOMETHING TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A THERE THERE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER AND GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO EXPLORE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO SOMETHING IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT, BUT IT ALSO SIGNALS THAT WE ARE LEANING FORWARD ON THIS RATHER THAN GOING COUNTYWIDE AND ASKING THE CITIES TO TAX THEMSELVES AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND THEN ASK FOR SPECIAL LEGISLATION TO TAX THEMSELVES AGAIN. WE AS A COUNTY PROBABLY OUGHT TO OWN SOME OF THIS AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, WHETHER IT'S A QUARTER OR A HALF CENT. DID THE DOLLAR AMOUNT REPRESENT A FULL CENT? IS THAT WHAT THE YEAH, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ON THIS SLIDE REPRESENT A 1% INCREASE. I KNOW THIS ISN'T AN EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT. THIS IS JUST TO SHOW AS AN EXAMPLE. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME, EVEN IF WE DON'T PULL THE TRIGGER ON THIS... OPTION, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME AT THIS JUNCTURE, GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF OUR BUDGET, GIVEN THE TESTIMONY THAT WE HEARD THIS MORNING, GIVEN THE LIKELIHOOD THAT IF THINGS DON'T GET BETTER, IT CAN CONTINUE NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER. WE OUGHT TO AT LEAST PUSH ON THIS OPTION RIGHT NOW AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO DO IT AND AT LEAST HAVE STAFF GIVE US A TIMELINE THAT IS REALISTIC SO WE KNOW WHAT [02:30:01] AND WHEN WE NEED TO DO. I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO EXPLORE THAT ONE STARTING TODAY. YEAH, THE SALES TAX ON THE UNINCORPORATED, AT LEAST GIVE US A FLAVOR FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO DO. WE CAN ALWAYS DECIDE WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OF OUR OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. OTHERWISE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE KIND OF HEARINGS THAT WE HAD THIS MORNING. SO I THINK IN TERMS OF PROCESS, RIGHT, SO THE TOT, THE PROCESS TO INCREASE THE TOT AMOUNT AND THE PROCESS TO INCREASE THE SALES TAX IN A CORPORATE AREA ARE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY ANALOGOUS. IT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT, IT WOULD BE AN ORDINANCE, OR IN THE TOT CASE, AN AMENDMENT TO AN ORDINANCE. WE NEED TO GO TO THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE, AND IF IT WAS A GENERAL TAX, IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE. THE TIMELINE FOR THAT, FOR 20, THE TIMELINE FOR A TOT INCREASE IN 26. WOULD BE THE SAME AS A SALES TAX INCREASE IN 26. AND THAT SAME ROUGH TIMELINE WOULD BE THE SAME TIMELINE IN 28. SO CAN I MAYBE JUST ADD A FINAL POINT TO IT? SO MAYBE, AND I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES THINK, I MEAN, DOT SEEMS A BIT MORE CLEAR-CUT TO BE ABLE TO GET IT THROUGH IN 2026 THIS YEAR. MAYBE WE AT LEAST START TEEING UP THE CONVERSATION FOR 2028. SO THAT IT GIVES STAFF A LITTLE MORE TIME, US A LITTLE MORE TIME TO SORT OF PLAN, BECAUSE THAT ONE IS A BIGGER LIFT. NOT AS BIG AS THE COUNTYWIDE, BUT A BIGGER LIFT NONETHELESS. OKAY, SUPERVISOR BRAJAS. YES, THANK YOU. I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS REALLY GREAT TO HAVE AS ONGOING. IT'S REALLY ACTIVE. IT'S COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS. IT'S INVESTING STAFF TO REALLY ANALYZE AND LOOK AT THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. SO I IMPLORE THAT EVEN AFTER THIS BUDGET EXERCISE AND... IN VOTE THAT WE HAVE IN JUNE, IT JUST CONTINUES ON ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. GOING BACK TO WHAT SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS WAS SAYING, I THINK IN HIS LATTER STATEMENTS REGARDING HAVING STAFF IN THE COMMITTEE EXPLORE THE CONCEPT, IT'S NOT IN FAVOR, BUT JUST IN THE CONCEPT OF WHAT A POTENTIAL SALES TAX WILL LOOK LIKE FOR 2028. IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO HAVE A BETTER PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, HOW IS SOME OF THEIR NEEDS GOING TO ALLEVIATE THE GENERAL FUND IN TERMS OF DOLLAR AMOUNT, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT ALL OF THAT ANALYSIS WOULD BE GOOD TO REALLY WORK ON AND TO SEE IF THIS BOARD IS INTERESTED MAYBE IN 2027 TO PUT ON THE BALLOT FOR 2028. SO I DO LIKE THAT IDEA, GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. IN REGARDS TO THE REVIEW OF RESTRICTED FUND BALANCES, THERE'S AN IDEA THAT WAS... EARLIER STATED UP THERE, I DO SUPPORT THAT. REGARDING THE JUVENILE HALL POPULATION UTILIZATION ANALYSIS EXPANSION, IT'S GOOD TO GET INFORMATION, BUT ALSO FUNDAMENTALLY, PREVIOUS BOARD SUPERVISORS DID NOT WANT TO HAVE THAT, DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE HOUSING HERE IN YOLO COUNTY JUVENILES IN DETENTION. AND SO IF WE'RE THEN OPENING OUR DOORS FOR OTHER COUNTIES TO COME INTO YOLO COUNTY TO, AS A PERCEPTION OR REALITY IN THEIR MINDS, TO GENERATE REVENUE, I THINK THAT'S A TOPIC THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS AS A BOARD. DO WE WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE? SO THAT'S A POLICY QUESTION THAT WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING. THE INCREASED MEDICAL BILL BILLING, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD EXPLORE THAT. AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF LIKE MY FEEDBACK, BESIDES WHAT I'VE ALREADY STATED EARLIER. BUT IT'S A LOT. I MEAN, YOU HAVE A LOT TO WORK ON. AND I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, ALL THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR FUCHS. A COUPLE THINGS. I THINK, SO I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE CHALLENGES WITH, YOU KNOW, A POTENTIAL SALES TAX INCREASE COUNTYWIDE. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF THE TWO OF THE CITIES BEING AT THE CAP ALREADY AND HAVING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH DIFFERENT STEPS TO SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT IT MIGHT APPLY ACROSS THE COUNTY. I THINK ONE OF THE REAL CHALLENGES WITH POTENTIALLY ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A SALES TAX INCREASE IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS ONLY IS THAT PEOPLE COUNTYWIDE USE COUNTY SERVICES AND NOT JUST PEOPLE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. AND SO I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE, I MEAN, SO IT'S ONE THING FOR US TO PROCEED AND PUT SOMETHING ON A BALLOT, AND THEN IT OBVIOUSLY BECOMES A POLITICAL ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT TALKED ABOUT IN THIS ROOM ANYMORE, BUT TALKED ABOUT OUT IN THE GREATER COMMUNITY. [02:35:04] AND I THINK THAT ARGUMENT IS GOING TO BE THE ARGUMENT THAT POTENTIALLY COMES UP, WHICH IS JUST THAT, WELL, WHY WOULD THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, YOU KNOW, OF THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, BE VOTING YES ON A SALES TAX INCREASE ONLY IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS THAT, IS GOING TO HAVE THE FUNDS WILL BE USED ACROSS THE COUNTY BECAUSE EVERYBODY ACROSS THE COUNTY USES COUNTY SERVICES AND I I DON'T HAVE A GREAT RESPONSE TO THAT I MEAN AND I THINK I MEAN EXCEPT FOR THAT THEY'RE RIGHT I MEAN PEOPLE IN ACROSS THE OTHER COUNTY USE SERVICES OF THE COUNTY ACROSS THE OTHER COUNTY SO WHETHER YOU'RE IN URBAN OR RURAL AREAS EVERYBODY IS USING COUNTY SERVICES SO I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO SORT OF ON THOSE IN TERMS OF REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ULTIMATELY AROUND ANY KIND OF POTENTIAL SALES TAX INCREASE. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO SORT OF FIGURE THAT ALL OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN AGAIN ON THE SALES TAX PIECE OF IT. I WAS GOING TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT SUPERVISOR FRERICH SAID IS THAT IF I LOOK AT, FOR INSTANCE, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED TO US FOR CUTS NOW, IT'S THINGS THAT ARE THE WHOLE COUNTY AND AFFECT THE WHOLE COUNTY, AND SO I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MAKE A CASE TO THE WHOLE, BECAUSE WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IS COUNTYWIDE, IT'S NOT JUST IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. AND SO I THINK THAT IF WE DO OUR BACKGROUND AND WE ARE ABLE TO TALK TO THE VOTERS ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT, BECAUSE A SALES TAX COMES TO GENERAL FUND, CORRECT? IF IT WAS A GENERAL TAX, YES IT WOULD. IT WOULD COME TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO WE WOULDN'T BE, COULD WE FOCUS IT ON AND SAY IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE FOR ROADS? WELL, THAT GETS INTO THE GENERAL VERSUS SPECIAL TAX. IF IT'S A SPECIAL TAX, IT THEN HAS A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEN IT CAN BE USED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. YOU KNOW, I THINK THE GENERAL TAX, THOUGH, WOULD BE GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL REVENUE AND WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LOWER VOTE THRESHOLD. THE SUPERVISOR BARAJAS WAS SAYING THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT THEY'D LIKE A FOCUS ON ROADS AND POLICE COVERAGE. THAT GENERAL FUND IS, IF IT'S JUST GENERAL FUND, THEN IT'S 50%, BUT THEN IT IS ALL THE THINGS THAT ALL THE PEOPLE OF YOLO COUNTY HAVE ACCESS TO AND THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT I DON'T WANT TO SET ASIDE THE, ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT'S MORE COMPLICATED, BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT'S MORE COMPLICATED RIGHT NOW. I WOULD LIKE US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANALYZING BOTH. I DON'T MIND LOOKING AT THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, BUT WHERE THE REAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR BUDGET WOULD BE WOULD BE COUNTYWIDE AND BE HAPPY TO HELP WITH THE MESSAGING OUT THERE SO THAT IT COULD BE UNDERSTANDED BY THE PEOPLE WHAT IT WOULD PAY FOR. SO I'M HOPING TO NOT TAKE THAT OFF THE TABLE AT THIS POINT. ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE IS THAT I DO WONDER, JUST TO MY BOARD COLLEAGUES, ABOUT IF WE GO FORWARD WITH A TOT VOTE, WE'RE GOING TO BE UNINCORPORATED ONLY, AND THEN WE ALSO ARE ASKING ABOUT THE SALES TAX, EITHER AT THE SAME TIME OR INSTEAD. I JUST WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT PIECE OF IT, IS HOW MUCH OF THE BITE OF THE APPLE DO WE WANT TO HAVE? I THINK TOT WOULD BE EASIER, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S ONLY ALLOWED IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, BUT I DON'T WANT TO USE OUR POLITICAL... USE UP TOO MUCH OF OUR POLITICAL GOODWILL OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA FOR THIS SMALL AMOUNT. WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS, BECAUSE TOT COMES TO GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? YES. WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN OUR GENERAL FUND IS MUCH MORE, AND THAT WOULD BE SALES TAX FOR ME. SO KIND OF A BALANCING ACT. I THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, IN PART WHY THE PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERALLY IS TO SEQUENCE THEM, RIGHT? I MEAN, SO. NOT THE SAME TIME, BUT DO ONE IN NOVEMBER, IN 2026, AND THEN DO THE WORK THAT'S NEEDED TO POTENTIALLY DO SOMETHING IN 2028. YEAH. WHAT WE CAN DO, TOO, IS WHAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DO IS THEY GET A FEELING FOR WHAT THE BOARD IS LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF A SALES TAX, AND THEN THEY HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO A SURVEY TO DETERMINE WHAT OPTIONS. ARE BEST PALATABLE TO THE VOTERS AT THAT CURRENT TIME. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WE CAN MAKE. SO THIS SUBCOMMITTEE COULD EXPLORE WITH STAFF, GETS ELEVATED TO THE BOARD. IF THE BOARD SEES THAT WE SHOULD MOVE THROUGH WITH ANOTHER STEP, THAT STEP WOULD OBVIOUSLY WORK WITH THE BEST CONSULTANT THAT RFP WOULD ALLOW US TO WORK WITH. AND THEN YOU GO FROM THERE AND THEN COME BACK TO THE BOARD, REPORT BACK. [02:40:01] WE DECIDE WHETHER WE PUT ON THE BALLOT OR NOT. AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE IF WE DO. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S THE STEP. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN, TO GET THE CONSULTANT TO GET THE INFORMATION. I JUST WANT TO SAY, I REALLY THINK THAT'S NECESSARY. I MEAN, UP UNTIL OCTOBER OF 2023, I WAS A VOTING MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, SUPPORTIVE OF THE COUNTY, UNDERSTOOD AT A HIGH LEVEL WHAT THE COUNTY DOES. AND IN OCTOBER OF 2023, I BECAME A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD AND NOW RESPONSIBLE. WITH THE REST OF THIS BOARD FOR SOMETHING. THE PUBLIC CERTAINLY THINKS WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING AND THERE'S AMBIVALENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT IS, ABOUT WHETHER IT'S TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERIOUS SHRINKAGE TO GET 35 MILLION DOLLARS OUT OF OUR BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR GOING FORWARD AND SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO FEEL THAT DESPERATELY AND DIRECTLY AND THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY THE MOST VOCAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. OR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE ACCESS POINTS AND THE LEVERAGE TO MAKE THEIR NEEDS KNOWN. SO I THINK THERE'S A CRITICAL STEP IN THIS PROCESS IS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, THE LARGER VOTING POPULATION IN THIS COMMUNITY, ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY AT STAKE HERE AND FOR WHOM. AND FOR WHOM ARE WE GOING TO ADVOCATE IN ORDER FOR OUR COUNTY TO BE OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT. TO BE A STABILIZING INFLUENCE WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE? AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE DESTABILIZATION TO BE FELT BY A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO FIVE, SIX, SEVEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD SAY, OH, YEAH, MAYBE WE DO NEED A SALES TAX SO WE CAN GET OURSELVES OUT OF A HOLE THAT'S GOING TO BE EXPONENTIALLY HARDER TO GET OUT OF? I MEAN, THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN WHERE THE PUBLIC ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IF NOT THE WORLD, IS NOT CONVINCED THAT GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS DOING THINGS IN THE RIGHT WAY. BUT I'M HERE TO SAY, PUBLIC, THIS COMMUNITY AT THIS TABLE AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THIS BUILDING ARE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STABILIZE COUNTY SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE COMMUNITIES OF NEED WHO ARE GOING TO FEEL THIS THE MOST DIRECTLY. I THINK THAT REQUIRES US, WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT CUTS THAT ARE UNIMAGINABLE, WE MAY HAVE TO INVEST IN A CONSULTANT TO DO THE KIND OF DEEP COMMUNICATIONS WORK TO HELP THIS BECOME A WELL-UNDERSTOOD SITUATION WHERE THERE AREN'T EASY ANSWERS THAT AREN'T GOING TO BE PAINFUL. WHATEVER PATH WE TAKE, WHETHER IT'S A PERMANENT $35 MILLION REDUCTION TO OUR BUDGET AND WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE SERVICES ANYMORE, THAT'S GOING TO BE PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY. BUT SO WOULD A 1% SALES TAX BE A LITTLE BIT PAINFUL FOR MORE PEOPLE. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE HAVE GOT TO GET THIS GOING IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE SOONER THE BETTER, BECAUSE THE LONGER WE GO WITH FIXING A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT WITHOUT THE KINDS OF SIGNIFICANT REVENUES WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO FIX IT, THE HARDER IT'S GOING TO BE TO DO THE REBUILDING WE NEED TO DO. SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME OPINE ABOUT THIS. MAYBE THIS QUESTION IS FOR MAYBE TOM, IF HE'S HERE, OR EVIS, OR, YEAH, TOM. THE PUBLIC MIGHT BE ASKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS AND REDUCTIONS, RIGHT? AND WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT REVENUES IF WE'RE GOING THROUGH REDUCTIONS? AND, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE NEED FOR REVENUES? MAYBE... TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THREE YEARS FROM NOW, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WHY DO WE NEED REVENUES? AND I KIND OF KNOW THE ANSWER. I JUST WANT YOU AS THE CFO TO BE A NEUTRAL PARTY TO DESCRIBE WHY ARE WE NEEDING THE REVENUE IF WE'RE REDUCING OUR CURRENT BUDGET. YES, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR BORJAS, FOR THE QUESTION. TOM HAYNES, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. I THINK THE ANSWER REALLY BOILS DOWN TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DEFICIT THAT THE COUNTY IS FACING. IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE CAN'T CUT OUR WAY OUT OF IT. WE ALSO CAN'T RAISE REVENUE OUR WAY OUT OF IT. IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE ACTIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LEDGER. AND AS PART OF THE PLAN OF ACTION THAT THE BOARD APPROVED BACK IN JANUARY, THAT INITIAL STEP WAS TO START LOOKING AT BUDGET REDUCTIONS IN THE CURRENT YEAR TO BE VERY PROACTIVE ABOUT IT. BUT THAT'S IN PARALLEL WITH THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING AT THIS ITEM IN THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS STARTING TO EVALUATE NEW REVENUE SOURCES. SO I THINK REALLY THAT'S THE ANSWER IS WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION. WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ONE SIDE OF THE EQUATION. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, MAGNITUDE OF THE CHALLENGE IS JUST TOO LARGE. AND IN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IN 2036, YOU'RE COUNTING, I'M ASSUMING THE POPULATION IS [02:45:02] GOING TO INCREASE AS WELL. SERVICES ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED, RIGHT? THE POPULATION, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE IMPACTS, PLUS... WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING, THE COST OF EMPLOYEES, THE PENSIONS, AND THE BENEFITS, ETC., THEY DON'T GO DOWN, THEY INCREASE, CORRECT? SO AS THOSE FACTORS ARE COMING INTO PLAY, WE DO DEFINITELY NEED REVENUES. TO BE ABLE TO OFFSET SOME OF THOSE ANTICIPATED GROWTH INCREASES, CORRECT? YEAH, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YOU REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, AS I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU BEFORE, THERE BEING A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, HOW IS THAT DEFINED? THAT'S DEFINED WHERE OUR ONGOING COST, INCLUDING SALARIES AND BENEFITS, ARE INCREASING AT A FASTER PACE THAN OUR REVENUES, RIGHT? SO EVEN IF WE REDUCE EXPENSES TO BRING THINGS INTO ALIGNMENT, OVER TIME WE'RE GOING TO FIND THAT DIVERGENCE AGAIN. SO I THINK THAT ALSO UNDERSCORES THE POINT THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING THAT, THE NEED TO FIND NEW REVENUES IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH THOSE EXPENDITURES OVER TIME IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, KNOW, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS. WE ARE RANKED 57 OUT OF 58 COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA REGARDING, IS IT THE PROPERTY? PROPERTY TAX. PROPERTY TAX. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR BUDGET? YEAH, VERY, VERY BRIEFLY. STATE LAW, IN FACT THE STATE CONSTITUTION UNDER PROPOSITION 13, LIMITS PROPERTY TAX TO 1% OF A HOME'S VALUE. THAT 1% THEN NEEDS TO BE DIVIDED UP AMONG ALL TAXING AGENCIES WITHIN A COUNTY. THAT INCLUDES THE COUNTY, THE CITIES, SPECIAL DISTRICTS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND SO FORTH. YOLO COUNTY'S SHARE OF THAT 1% PROPERTY TAX, AS YOU NOTED, IS THE SECOND LOWEST OF ANY COUNTY IN THE STATE. WE RECEIVE OUT OF EVERY $1 IN PROPERTY TAX PAID. WE RECEIVE ABOUT EIGHT CENTS OF THAT THAT COMES TO THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND. OKAY, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE NEXT STEP SLIDE, IF YOU CAN GO TO THAT LAST ONE, WHICH ONLY HAS, IT'S REGARDING THE TOT, SO I WOULD LIKE US TO NOW TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS NEXT STEPS. I'VE HEARD SOME ADDITIONAL IDEAS COME FORWARD AND SOME INTEREST BEYOND. THE TOT MEASURE, SO I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO, SINCE WE AREN'T ALL ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE FULL BOARD DIRECTION SO THAT STAFF KNOW WHAT THEIR MOVING FORWARD INSTRUCTIONS ARE. YES. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS IS WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION, BUT IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION, I WOULD LEAVE IT TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT SERVE ALONG WITH OUR CURRENT STAFF. AND LET THEM FIGURE THAT OUT AND THEN ELEVATE IT TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC AFTER THAT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. THE BOARD AD HOC SERVES AT THE BOARD GIVES DIRECTION, AND THEN THE AD HOC DOES THE WORK. SO I WOULDN'T WANT TO WASH MY HANDS OF IT AND SAY, GO FIND THE BEST THING TO DO NOW. I WOULD LIKE THE GROUP AS A WHOLE TO SAY, HERE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, AND THEN STAFF WITH THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AD HOC THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. SO, WELL, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE. YES, I WOULD SAY THERE'S NOTHING ON THIS LIST THAT IS NOT A PRIORITY. I THINK WE'VE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD IN ANY AND EVERY PRODUCTIVE DIRECTION IF WE WANT TO STABILIZE. THAT'S MY VIEW. YEAH. MIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR US AT THIS MOMENT? WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEARD, I THINK, A GENERAL. SENSE OF SUPPORT FOR, AS SUPERVISOR VIXIE-SANDY JUST NOTED, OF LOOKING AND DIGGING FURTHER ON ALL OF THESE. I THINK I AM HEARING A GENERAL CONSENSUS OF COMING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO FORMALLY CONSIDER A TOT MEASURE FOR THIS NOVEMBER. NO DECISION BEING MADE TODAY ON THAT, BUT THOSE WOULD COME BACK TO YOU FOR FURTHER, MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION. I THINK WE HAVE SOME PROCEDURAL ELEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FILLING IN THE BLANKS ON AS WE COME BACK TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE VOTE AND THE BALLOTS AND SO FORTH. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A TOT MEASURE, THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND WHEN WE COULD ANTICIPATE REVENUE STREAMS TO COME IN IF SUCH A MEASURE WERE PUT FORWARD AND APPROVED BY THE VOTERS. MORE DETAILS THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH ALONG WITH THOSE DOCUMENTS. SO I THINK THAT'S AT LEAST WHAT I'M HEARING PRETTY CLEARLY IS THE BOARD WANTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DECISION LATER IN THE MONTH IN A TIMELINE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE BOARD TO PUT SOMETHING FORWARD FOR NOVEMBER, IF YOU SO CHOOSE. AS FAR AS THE OTHER IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT HERE, NOT HEARING ANY CONCERNS OR OBJECTIONS TO FURTHER EXPLORATION OF ANY OF THEM, HONESTLY. I AM HEARING A LITTLE BIT MORE NUANCED CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO... [02:50:06] SALES TAX MEASURE IDEAS AND OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHETHER UNINCORPORATED VERSUS, YOU KNOW, COUNTYWIDE INCLUSIVE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, THAT WILL REQUIRE, I THINK, SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION, CERTAINLY BETWEEN STAFF AND THE AD HOC, AND ULTIMATELY DEVELOP A PROPOSED STRATEGY AND TIMELINE TO RETURN TO YOU AS A FULL BOARD WITH AND TO HAVE THE FULL BOARD WEIGH IN ON, YOU KNOW, WHICH FORK IN THE ROAD THERE MIGHT BE. INTEREST IN PURSUING, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF REALLY IF THERE'S A SALES TAX MEASURE, YOU KNOW, EXPLORED FURTHER AND BROUGHT BACK TO YOU. IT'S MORE OF THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, TO PURSUE ON THAT. SO WE WOULD COME BACK WITH MORE DETAILS, MORE INFORMATION, TIMELINES, KEY STRATEGIC THINKING ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE INCORPORATED WITH ANY OF THOSE OPTIONS. AND ALSO AROUND BOTH THAT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MAY BE NEEDED IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE THOSE EFFORTS FROM NOT ONLY OUR OWN TEAM, BUT ANY POTENTIAL CONSULTANT RESOURCES THAT GET BROUGHT TO BEAR, AS MENTIONED EARLIER BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM ALL OF YOU. SO WE'D PUT SOME THOUGHTS DOWN WITH THAT, WORK WITH THE AD HOC TO DEVELOP THOSE NEXT STEPS, COME BACK TO THE BOARD. WITH MORE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES AND TIMELINES AND FOR THE BOARD TO DISCUSS AND GIVE THAT DIRECTION SO THAT'S THAT'S MY TAKEAWAY SUMMARY I THINK OF WHAT I'M HEARING HERE AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD AND PLEASE IF I MISCHARACTERIZE ANYTHING PLEASE CORRECT ME BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT CLEAR DIRECTION YEAH AS LONG AS WE AREN'T TAKING THINGS OFF THE TABLE AT THE AD HOC LEVEL I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE FOR THE ANALYSIS AND KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD AND REGULAR COMING BACK SO THAT WE CAN DO CHECK-INS SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABSOLUTELY I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION FOR HIM THEN I'LL GO TO YOU DO UM DO WE NEED TO TAKE ANY FORMAL ACTION IT JUST SAYS FEEDBACK AND RETURN WITH THE ORDINANCE AT THE NEXT MEETING SO YOU DON'T NEED A MOTION AT THIS POINT NOT AT THIS POINT NO YES AND PLEASE YEAH THANK YOU JUST FOR CLARITY SO THANK YOU I THINK THE UM THIS IS WORKING, RIGHT? SO BRINGING IT BACK, CONTINUE TO BRING IT BACK, REFINE IT, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A FRAMEWORK BY WHICH THE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE, BUT NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES LIKE TAKING THINGS OFF WITHOUT THE BOARD CONSENT. BY THE SAME TOKEN, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WE ENGAGE IN THIS WORK TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHETHER OR NOT, AND I'LL PUT MY TWO CENTS ON THE TABLE, IF WE ARE TO EXPLORE A SELF-TAX MEASURE, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE BASIS BY WHICH WE ARE PROCEEDING. IS IN PART BECAUSE WE ARE IN A DIFFICULT FINANCIAL SITUATION AND THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE DOESN'T LOOK ANY BETTER. I WOULD PREFER THAT THIS BOARD CHIME IN NOW ON THE STATUS OF OUR WORK AS IT RELATES TO ANY TAX MEASURE GOING FORWARD THAT WE DO NOT HAVE OUTSIDE PARTIES. INFLUENCING OR ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE OUR DECISIONS AROUND HOW AND WHAT THIS TAX MEASURE MAY LOOK LIKE. AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INTERESTS COUNTYWIDE ATTEMPTING TO GET A TAX MEASURE ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS, WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN HUGELY DETRIMENTAL TO OUR BOTTOM LINE AT THE COUNTY. HAD THE VOTERS BEEN, SHOULD THAT STILL HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW. SHOULD THAT GET IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS, THE WAY THESE KINDS OF BALLOT MEASURES GET CHARACTERIZED, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED, AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED FOR COULD BE HUGELY DETRIMENTAL TO ALL OF US SITTING HERE WHERE THE BUCK STOPS WHEN IT COMES TO BALANCING THE COUNTY'S FINANCES. I'LL JUST SAY THAT. SO AS A SUBCOMMITTEE, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF I HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM MY COLLEAGUES HERE. ON WE ARE PREDETERMINING HOW THE FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SPENT OUTSIDE OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY STATUTORILY OBLIGATED TO DO AS A COUNTY. SO WE HAVE A CLEAN SLATE WHEN WE COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND OUR MONEY THAT IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. I HATE TO BE SO RASH ABOUT THIS, BUT I JUST I WORRY THAT IN A COMMUNITY SUCH AS OURS, MINUTE WE START TALKING ABOUT A SALES TAX MEASURE THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION AND FEEL AS THOUGH THEY SHOULD BE A PART OF THE DISCUSSION. AND MAYBE THAT IS THE CASE, BUT THAT WOULD BE LATER DOWN THE ROAD. I WORRY IF WE'RE ALREADY, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH MONEY NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. SO I JUST, I WANT TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHERE THE BOARD IS AT RELATIVE TO THAT, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO MAKE OUR WORK REALLY DIFFICULT OTHERWISE. YEAH, NO, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GENERALLY COMING FROM, SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS. THAT'S WHY I'M IN SUPPORT JUST OF THE COMMITTEE REALLY WORKING WITH STAFF JUST TO HONE IN HOW [02:55:01] HOW SHAPE THE CONCEPTUAL SALES TAX. IF WE DO DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHIN OUR NEEDS AS AN ORGANIZATION AND THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND THEN ELEVATE THAT UP TO. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LIKE THIS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. NOW, IF THOSE GROUPS OR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WANT TO COME HERE AT PUBLIC HEARING, THEY HAVE MORE THAN THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. AND THEY SHOULD MAYBE HAVE THE CONVERSATION IN FRONT OF US HERE IF THEY'D LIKE TO DO THAT. BUT BECAUSE IT'S AN AD HOC. I THINK THE AD HOCS ARE MORE, THEY'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. I THINK THEY'RE JUST A STANDING WORK GROUP, CORRECT, A TEMPORARY STANDING WORK GROUP THAT IS COMPRISED OF THE TWO SUPERVISORS THAT WE'VE APPOINTED PLUS THE APPROPRIATE STAFF. AND I THINK THOSE DISCUSSIONS SHOULD BE THERE. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF ONLY CONTROLLING WHAT I CAN CONTROL. WHICH IS NOT MYSELF GOING OUT AND SOLICITING AND HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT INTEREST GROUPS, PROBABLY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. BUT IF THEY DO REACH OUT TO ME, I ALSO, I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY WHERE I DO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM JUST TO HEAR THEM OUT, BUT I WON'T COMMIT TO ANYTHING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S A WORKING SUBGROUP THAT IS WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH COUNTY STAFF TO THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR FURTHER DELIBERATION. SO THAT'S MY FRAMEWORK OF WHERE I'M THINKING OF GOING. DOES THAT ANSWER KIND OF YOUR QUESTION? OKAY, THERE YOU GO. SUPERVISOR FRERICHS, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER? NO, I THINK THAT WAS ADEQUATE. YEAH, HIS RESPONSE WAS GREAT. ALL RIGHT. SO STAFF, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD? WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. AND IT'S CLEAR FROM OUR CFO, FROM EVERYBODY UP HERE, FROM EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, THERE'S TWO SIDES TO THIS EQUATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK VERY DILIGENTLY ON THIS SIDE ALSO. I JUST WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD THOUGH THAT FOR THE PUBLIC THE WAY I'M VIEWING IT IT'S A CONCEPTUAL IDEA THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK TO THE BOARD WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA PLACE SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT YES OR NO SO I DON'T WANT THE NEWSPAPERS MEDIA COMING OUT SAYING THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT AND WE'RE DEFINITELY HEADED TO A SALES TAX MEASURE WE'RE EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF THAT OKAY. DIRECTED THE AD HOC AND STAFF TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND TO COME BACK WITH A REPORT ON TIMELINES AND SCOPE AND ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS. GREAT. OKAY. WITH THAT, THEN I JUST POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE HERE. I'VE ALWAYS KIND OF HATED HOW WE NEVER TAKE A BREAK HERE BECAUSE I NEED TO TAKE A BREAK, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING YOU'RE SAYING. CAN WE TAKE A TWO-MINUTE BREAK? WOULD THAT BE OKAY? YEAH. FIVE-MINUTE BREAK. OKAY, WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK SO THAT THE PEOPLE HERE CAN STAND UP AND... I WAS THINKING WHEN I WALKED [29. Receive Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget Development Update and provide direction to staff on 2026-27 budget development process and reduction options to address the County's structural budget deficits. (No general fund impact) (Haynes/Liddicoet) (Est. Staff Presentation: 20 min)] AWAY, I'M LIKE, OOH, I FORGOT TO BANG THE GAVEL AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO A BRIEF RECESS, BUT I AM NOW BRINGING US BACK FROM RECESS SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS ITEM, WHAT ARE WE ON, 29. RECEIVE FISCAL YEAR UPDATE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE, SORRY, PLEASE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING AGAIN. I BELIEVE IT'S GOOD AFTERNOON NOW, CHAIR ALLEN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ONCE AGAIN, TOM HAYNES, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. SO THIS ITEM TODAY IS A CONTINUATION OF THE 2026-27 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE THAT WE BEGAN AT THE LAST MEETING A WEEK AGO ON APRIL 28TH. AT THAT MEETING, WE PRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN REGARD TO POTENTIAL GENERAL FUND AND HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND REDUCTION OPTIONS AND LAID OUT A POTENTIAL BUDGET BALANCING SCENARIO. THE BOARD HAD A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK AND PROVIDED SOME VERY GOOD INITIAL FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION TO STAFF. THIS PRESENTATION TODAY WILL LARGELY FOCUS ON NEW INFORMATION THAT HAS COME INTO FOCUS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS AND ON RESPONDING TO THE BOARD'S INITIAL FEEDBACK. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS A LINK IN THE FULL BOARD PACKET IN THE STAFF REPORT, A LINK TO THE FULL PACKET FROM THE APRIL 28TH MEETING, AND THAT INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ONLINE. JUST AGAIN TO SET THE STAGE FOR TODAY'S DISCUSSION, AS MENTIONED, THE PRESENTATION IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING THE GENERAL FUND AND HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET. IT'S INTENDED TO CONTINUE HIGHLIGHTING THE REDUCTION OPTIONS, ADDRESS BOARD QUESTIONS, AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, ULTIMATELY RECEIVING BOARD DIRECTION. AND IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO UNDERSCORE AGAIN THAT NO FINAL DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE TODAY. THIS IS PURELY AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, RECEIVING BOARD FEEDBACK AND BOARD DISCUSSION. ULTIMATELY, WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK A RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION ON JUNE 9TH. I DID WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO REITERATE WHAT WE [03:00:01] BELIEVE WE HEARD FROM THE BOARD AT THE APRIL 28TH MEETING. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN INCLUDING SOME PLACEHOLDER FUNDING BETWEEN $250,000 AND $300,000 RELATED TO ACTIONS THE COUNTY MAY NEED TO TAKE IN RESPONSE TO THE OAKDALE INCIDENT. WE HEARD THE BOARD INDICATE A DESIRE TO CONSIDER PARTIAL REDUCTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES TO... FULLY REDUCING CONTRACTS WITH SEVERAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SPECIFICALLY THE VITA CONTRACT, EAT WELL YOLO AND YOLO CRISIS NURSERY, REALLY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS A LONGER RUNWAY. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS THE DESIRE TO REMOVE THE POTENTIAL ELIMINATION OF A LIBRARY ASSISTANT TWO IN THE ARCHIVES SECTION. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS INTEREST IN CONSIDERING OPTIONS TO REDUCE THE SECURITY CONTRACT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AS OPPOSED TO ELIMINATING THAT CONTRACT OUTRIGHT. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS INTEREST IN NOT CONSIDERING ELIMINATING THE WAIVER OF THE FEE WAIVER FOR THE TEMPORARY FOOD FACILITIES. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN RECEIVING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CHILD WELFARE SERVICES AND THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN. SERVICES IN HHSA AND ACTUALLY FOLLOWING MY PRESENTATION, HHSA HAS SOME SUPPLEMENTAL PRESENTATIONS ON THOSE TWO SPECIFIC ITEMS. WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS INTEREST IN STAFF CONTINUING TO ANALYZE THE IMPACTS TO THE COUNTY'S SUPPORT SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. AND FINALLY, WE HEARD THE BOARD EXPRESS INTEREST IN CONTINUING TO ANALYZE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OVERTIME USE BY COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. THE NEXT TWO SLIDES REALLY JUST SERVE TO REITERATE OUR STARTING POINT FOR THIS DISCUSSION. THIS SLIDE REFLECTS THE GENERAL FUND BASE BUDGET GAP THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD ON APRIL 28TH, SO BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES BASED ON BOARD DIRECTION. AND REALLY THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT WE HAVE A GENERAL FUND BASE BUDGET GAP OF APPROXIMATELY $35.7 MILLION. NOW, AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST MEETING, THIS GAP DOES INCLUDE A SOMEWHAT NEW ELEMENT FROM WHEN WE WERE BACK BEFORE YOU IN MARCH, WHICH IS A MILLION DOLLARS FOR LEGAL DEFENSE COSTS RELATED TO THE OAKDALE INCIDENT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT AND TURN TO COUNTY COUNCIL TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS REGARDING THE COUNTY'S OBLIGATION TO FUND THESE SERVICES. AS THE BOARD IS PROBABLY FAMILIAR, THE COUNTY HAS AN OBLIGATION UNDER THE STATE CONSTITUTION. TO FUND THE DEFENSE OF SOMEBODY WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN CRIMINAL DEFENSE. AND AFFORD IS RELATIVE. SO IN A MORE COMPLEX CASE, A COURT WILL TAKE A BROADER LOOK AT THEIR AVAILABLE RESOURCES. BUT IN A CASE LIKE OAKDALE FIRE, WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARILY COMPLEX IN TERMS OF THE VOLUME OF DISCOVERY, WITNESSES, OTHER INFORMATION, THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED OF A DEFENSE ATTORNEY, EVEN SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERED FAIRLY WELL OFF. MAY BE DEEMED UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR OWN DEFENSE. SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S TWO DEFENDANTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR OWN DEFENSE. ONE IS BEING REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, THE OTHER BY THE CONFLICT PANEL, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S HOW IT STAYS BECAUSE, AS I SAID, IT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION OF THE COUNTY. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE POTENTIAL BUDGET BALANCING SCENARIO THAT WE PRESENTED ON APRIL 28TH. AGAIN, THIS IS BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES BASED ON BOARD DIRECTION, SO ESSENTIALLY REPRESENTS THE STARTING POINT FOR THIS BUDGET UPDATE DISCUSSION. AS A REMINDER, I WANT TO POINT OUT AGAIN THAT THIS SCENARIO REFLECTS $13.7 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT REDUCTIONS THAT STAFF BELIEVE ARE LEGALLY AND TECHNICALLY VIABLE, AND $9 MILLION IN HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS. THIS SCENARIO ALSO INCLUDES $8.5 MILLION IN VARIOUS ONE-TIME SOLUTIONS THAT INCLUDES THE USE OF COUNTY RESERVES, POTENTIALLY INCLUDING THE PENSION TRUST AND THE GENERAL RESERVE. THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT EVEN WITH ASSUMING ALL OF THESE REDUCTIONS, AS WELL AS THE USE OF THE RESERVE FUNDS, WE STILL HAVE A REMAINING... BUDGET GAP OF A MILLION DOLLARS. BASED ON THE FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION THAT WE HEARD FROM THE BOARD AT THE LAST MEETING, THIS SLIDE SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REMAINING BUDGET GAP AS WE START MAKING SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE DISCUSSED. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE INCLUSION OF $350,000 FOR THE OAKDALE RESPONSE. WE HAVE BACKED OUT THE [03:05:01] REDUCTION OPTION OF THE FEE WAIVER FOR NONPROFITS. WE HAVE REFLECTED A REDUCTION IN THE CONTRACTS FOR THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS INSTEAD OF FULL ELIMINATION. FOR THIS SCENARIO, WE'RE ASSUMING A 50% REDUCTION IN CONTRACT FUNDING FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. AGAIN, THAT'S THE EAT WELL YOLO PROGRAM, THE VITA CONTRACT, AND THE CRISIS NURSERY. WE HAVE ALSO BACKED OUT OF THIS SCENARIO THE REDUCTION OF THE LIBRARY ASSISTANT POSITION. AS WELL AS BACKED OUT THE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECURITY CONTRACT ELIMINATION. NOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE STILL REVIEWING OPTIONS FOR POTENTIALLY REDUCING THE COST OF THAT CONTRACT, BUT FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SLIDE AND THIS SCENARIO, WE'VE TAKEN OUT THE ANTICIPATED SAVINGS IN ITS ENTIRETY. SO WITH THESE CHANGES, THE REMAINING BUDGET GAP WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1.9 MILLION. OVER THE PAST WEEK, WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED A FEW UPDATES TO THE LISTING OF POTENTIAL WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS. ON THE LIST OF GENERAL FUND VACANT POSITIONS, WE HAVE ADDED A DEPUTY COUNTY COUNCIL POSITION THAT WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OFF AT THE LAST MEETING. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF GENERAL FUND VACANT POSITIONS TO 52 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS, OR FTE. AS FAR AS THE WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF GENERAL FUND FILLED POSITIONS, AS I'VE NOTED PREVIOUSLY, WE'VE REMOVED THE .5 LIBRARY ASSISTANT BASED ON BOARD DIRECTION AT THE LAST MEETING. THAT REDUCES THE TOTAL WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF FILLED POSITIONS TO 9 FTE. THE SLIDE SHOWS 8 FTE. AS A COMMENTER MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE MEETING, WE DID HAVE AN ERROR IN THE TABULATION OF THE NUMBER THERE. IT IS 9. SIMILARLY, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW UPDATES IN TERMS OF THE HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS. WE HAVE ADDED ONE ADDITIONAL VACANT EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SPECIALIST THREE. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND VACANT POSITIONS TO 33. AND FOR THE WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF HHSA FILLED POSITIONS, WE HAVE ADDED FOUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SPECIALIST THREE. FOR A TOTAL WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND FILLED POSITIONS OF 30. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ADDITIONAL HHSA POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED BECAUSE AS STAFF CONTINUED TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE INITIAL REDUCTION OPTIONS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE REDUCTION OPTIONS THAT WAS SUBMITTED WOULD NOT ACTUALLY RESULT IN SAVINGS. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, SOME ADDITIONAL REDUCTION OPTIONS NEEDED TO BE IDENTIFIED TO MAKE UP FOR THOSE SAVINGS. WITH THOSE CHANGES INCORPORATED, THAT NOW BRINGS THE TOTAL WORKFORCE REDUCTION OF VACANT AND FILLED POSITIONS TO 124 FTE, OR APPROXIMATELY 6.9% OF BUDGETED POSITIONS. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THIS ONLY REFLECTS THE POSITION REDUCTIONS THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE VARIOUS BUDGET REDUCTION PROCESSES. THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE GENERAL FUND 15% REDUCTION, AS WELL AS THE HHSA NON-GENERAL FUND REDUCTION PROCESS. THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TO THE COUNTY'S BUDGET PROCESS, AND SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER POSITION REDUCTIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S SUBMITTED BUDGET REQUESTS. AND WE WANTED TO BRING THAT LISTING OF POSITIONS TO YOUR ATTENTION AS WELL, JUST OUT OF PURE TRANSPARENCY, SO WE CAN BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC ON THE FULL SCOPE OF POSITIONS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY BE REDUCED AS PART OF THE BUDGET. AND THESE POSITIONS ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE HERE. IT'S ACROSS A VARIETY OF DEPARTMENTS AND A VARIETY OF FUNDING SOURCES. AND THESE POSITIONS ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR REDUCTION BY THE DEPARTMENTS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. IN SOME CASES, IT'S TO ADDRESS FUNDING CONSTRAINTS. IN OTHER DEPARTMENT FUNDING SOURCES, IN SOME CASES, IT'S BECAUSE THERE WERE GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE ENDING. AND IN OTHER CASES, IT SIMPLY REFLECTS POSITION CLEANUP. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CASE WITH CHILD SUPPORT, THE REGIONAL CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY COMPLETED THE FIVE-YEAR REGIONALIZATION PROCESS AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE SOME UNNEEDED POSITIONS IN THEIR BUDGET, SO THOSE ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD FOR ELIMINATION. WE ALSO DO WANT TO NOTE IN THE SMALL FOOTNOTE AT THE BOTTOM THAT THERE ARE 13 VACANT POSITIONS THAT WERE UNFUNDED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. THOSE POSITIONS ARE ALSO SLATED FOR FORMAL REDUCTION IN 26-27. I DID WANT TO BRIEFLY REVISIT THIS SLIDE REALLY JUST TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE REDUCTIONS BEING CONTEMPLATED WILL HAVE [03:10:01] REAL AND MATERIAL IMPACTS TO COUNTY SERVICE LEVELS AS OPPOSED TO JUST SHIFTING WORK TO REMAINING STAFF. AS WE PRESENTED LAST TIME, SOME OF THOSE THEMATIC SERVICE IMPACTS WILL INCLUDE DELAYS IN SERVICES, LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR CUSTOMERS, CLOSURE OF SATELLITE OFFICES, REDUCTION IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, DELAYS IN REPORTING, GRANT WORK, LEGAL ADVISORY SERVICES, AND INCREASE IN CASELOADS. THE KEY POINT TO MAKE HERE IS THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, THE COUNTY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TODAY. I DID WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON SOME OF THE ONE-TIME FUNDING SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE CONTEMPLATING. THE BUDGET BALANCING SCENARIO THAT I SHARED A FEW MOMENTS AGO INCLUDED $4.1 MILLION IN THE USE OF MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES AND OTHER ONE-TIME FUNDING OPTIONS. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT AMOUNT, AGAIN, JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT INCLUDES ABOUT $1.4 MILLION IN REMAINING FUNDS IN OUR AUDIT DISALLOWANCE RESERVE. $780,000 IN COMMUNITY CORRECTION PARTNERSHIP FUNDING, $600,000 FROM OUR LIABILITY RESERVE, A LITTLE OVER $500,000 IN SURPLUS FUND BALANCE FROM OUR UNEMPLOYMENT INTERNAL SERVICES FUND. WE ARE ASSUMING, AGAIN, THE USE OF CANNABIS TAX FUNDS TO HELP BALANCE THE COUNTY'S BUDGET AS WELL AS THE LOCAL INNOVATION SUBACCOUNT, AND FINALLY THE POMONA FUND AT $225,000. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE STILL EVALUATING ALL OF THESE AS WELL AS OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER RESTRICTED FUNDS ACROSS THE COUNTY. SO IT IS POTENTIAL THAT SOME OF THESE OPTIONS MAY NOT PAN OUT. THERE'S ALSO THE POTENTIAL WE MAY IDENTIFY OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TO BRING TO THE TABLE. BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATING AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS. IN ADDITION TO THE LISTING OF ONE-TIME ITEMS, WE'RE ALSO CONTEMPLATING THE POTENTIAL USE OF EITHER THE PENSION TRUST OR THE GENERAL RESERVE, SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THOSE TWO SOURCES. AS I MENTIONED, THE BUDGET BALANCING SCENARIO INCLUDED $4.4 MILLION IN SOME COMBINATION OF THE PENSION TRUST AND GENERAL RESERVE, BUT THAT WAS BEFORE ADDRESSING ANY REMAINING BUDGET GAPS, SO THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS MAY BE LARGER THAN THAT. WITH REGARD TO THE PENSION TRUST, IT WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 2018 PURSUANT TO THE BOARD'S PENSION FUNDING POLICY. THE CURRENT AVAILABLE BALANCE IN THE PENSION TRUST IS APPROXIMATELY $20.8 MILLION. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRUST IS TO ENSURE THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO MAKE THE REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE MAKE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO CALPERS, AS WELL AS TO PAY DOWN THE COUNTY'S UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY MORE QUICKLY. THE TRUST WAS, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN OLD SLIDE. I INTENDED TO TAKE THAT ONE OUT. LET ME BACK UP JUST A MOMENT AND START AGAIN. THE CURRENT, AS I MENTIONED, CURRENT AVAILABLE BALANCE OF THE TRUST IS $28 MILLION. I MENTIONED THAT THE PURPOSE WAS TO ENSURE THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO MAKE OUR REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS TO CALPERS, AS WELL AS TO PAY DOWN THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY MORE QUICKLY. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRUST IS A BEST PRACTICE. IT IS A SOUND FINANCIAL PRACTICE, BUT IT IS NOT A LEGAL MANDATE TO HAVE THIS FUNDING SET ASIDE. THE PENSION TRUST WAS FUNDED INITIALLY BY SUPPLEMENTAL PAYROLL CHARGES THAT WERE CHARGED TO ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND FUNDS. THE SUPPLEMENTAL PENSION CHARGES STARTED AT 1% OF PAYROLL IN 2018-19. AND RAMPED UP OVER SEVERAL YEARS TO BE 2% BY FISCAL YEAR 23-24. WE DID, DUE TO THE COUNTY'S EMERGING BUDGET CHALLENGES, SUSPEND THE SUPPLEMENTAL PENSION CHARGE IN 2024-25, AGAIN DUE TO BUDGETARY CHALLENGES, AND IT REMAINS SUSPENDED TODAY. ONE OF THE KEY POINTS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT USING THE PENSION TRUST IS BECAUSE ALL DEPARTMENTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PENSION TRUST, THANK YOU. ANY USE OF THE PENSION TRUST TO BALANCE THE BUDGET WOULD PROVIDE SAVINGS TO ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, ROUGHLY IN PROPORTION TO WHICH THEY CONTRIBUTED. IN GENERAL, THE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 47% OF THE PENSION TRUST BALANCE. AND TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT, WHAT THAT MEANS, IN ORDER TO GENERATE $4 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND SAVINGS, WE WOULD NEED TO USE APPROXIMATELY $8.5 MILLION OF THE TRUST. AGAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN $4 MILLION AND $8.5 MILLION WOULD BE SAVINGS THAT WOULD ACCRUE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY, A LARGE PORTION OF WHICH, OF COURSE, WOULD BE OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY. [03:15:02] OF COURSE, THERE IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY COST TO USING THE PENSION TRUST TO BALANCE THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, AND THAT IS WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO CALPERS AND POTENTIALLY REDUCE THE COUNTY'S REQUIRED CONTRIBUTION OR REQUIRED PENSION RATES IN PERPETUITY. WE ARE ACTUALLY UNDERTAKING AN ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS THAT IS ONGOING RIGHT NOW TO GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS COULD BE IF WE WERE TO YOU UM CONTRIBUTE THAT UH PENSION TRUST BALANCE UH DIRECTLY TO CALPERS IN LIEU OF USING IT FOR OTHER PURPOSES AND THEN FINALLY UH THE PENSION TRUST JUST WANT TO NOTE DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY REPLENISH AS I MENTIONED WE DISCONTINUED THE SUPPLEMENTAL PENSION CHARGE A FEW YEARS AGO BUT IT DOES RECEIVE INTEREST EARNINGS SO IT DOES TEND TO GROW INCREMENTALLY OVER TIME TURNING TO THE GENERAL THE COUNTY'S GENERAL RESERVE THE CURRENT AVAILABLE BALANCE OF THE GENERAL RESERVE IS $23.9 MILLION. AT LAST SCORE, THAT STOOD AT 8% OF THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND AND PUBLIC SAFETY FUND, OUT OF THE COUNTY'S TARGET OF 10%. THE PURPOSE OF THE GENERAL RESERVE IS TO PROTECT ESSENTIAL COUNTY SERVICES FROM UNANTICIPATED EVENTS, SUCH AS SEVERE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, SEVERE FUNDING REDUCTIONS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES, SEVERE STATE BUDGET IMPACTS. OR DISASTERS RESULTING IN A DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE BOARD MAY UTILIZE THE GENERAL RESERVE IN EITHER THE RECOMMENDED OR THE ADOPTED BUDGET WITH A THREE-FIFTHS VOTE, BUT AFTER THE BUDGET IS ADOPTED, IT WOULD REQUIRE A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE AS WELL AS THE DECLARATION OF AN EMERGENCY. AND AGAIN, THE GENERAL RESERVE IS AVAILABLE FOR ONE-TIME USE, BUT IT DOES NOT REPLENISH AUTOMATICALLY, AND THERE IS NO MECHANISM FOR IT TO REPLENISH. CURRENTLY OTHER THAN A BOARD ACTION TO DIRECT MORE FUNDING BACK INTO THE RESERVE. SO TO WRAP UP, I WANTED TO JUST REITERATE THE REQUESTED ACTIONS. THESE ARE THE SAME ACTIONS THAT WE SHARED AT THE LAST MEETING. THE FIRST IS TO RECEIVE THE 26-27 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE. NUMBER TWO, PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON 26-27 BUDGET REDUCTION OPTIONS AND BOARD-DIRECTED AUGMENTATIONS. AND FINALLY, TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON POTENTIAL PATHWAYS TO BALANCING THE 26-27 RECOMMENDED BUDGET. FINALLY, JUST TO REITERATE OUR NEXT STEPS, FOLLOWING TODAY'S MEETING, WE WILL BE TAKING THE BOARD'S FEEDBACK AND CRAFTING A BALANCED BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON JUNE 9TH. WE WILL THEN BEGIN PREPARING THE 26-27 RECOMMENDED BUDGET BOOK AND STAFF REPORT, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE RELEASED ON JUNE 2ND. THE 26-27 RECOMMENDED BUDGET HEARING, AS MENTIONED, IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 9TH. AND THEN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT, THE SECOND PART OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET PROCESS, THE ADOPTED BUDGET HEARING, IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 22ND. FINALLY, I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TARGETED FOR FUTURE BOARD CONSIDERATION, THE FIRST BEING ONGOING ANALYSIS, AS MENTIONED, OF OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE THE IMPACTS OF THE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS. ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE COUNTY'S USE OF OVERTIME AND ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS AND EFFORT TOWARD HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR MEDI-CAL REIMBURSEMENT. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. AS I MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE SOME SUPPLEMENTAL PRESENTATIONS BY HHSA. AT THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, WE CAN EITHER TAKE QUESTIONS ON MY PART NOW OR CONTINUE ON WITH THE HHSA PRESENTATIONS BEFORE QUESTIONS. I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENTATIONS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD FOR THE RECORD MONICA MORALES HHSA DIRECTOR THESE ARE DEFINITELY TOUGH TIMES FOR US RIGHT NOW PROBABLY THE TOUGHEST THAT I'VE HAD TO NAVIGATE IN MY CAREER IN HEALTH I WANT TO LEVEL SET A LITTLE BIT FOR THE BOARD IN OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WE WILL HIGHLIGHT TODAY AROUND CHILD WELFARE AND ALSO OUR PUBLIC GUARDIAN, WE ARE IN VERY DIFFICULT TIMES RIGHT NOW IN HHSA, OVER $12.4 MILLION IN A DEFICIT. AND AS A REMINDER, THAT INCLUDES BOTH $1.75 IN GENERAL FUND AND ABOUT $10.7 MILLION IN NON-GENERAL FUND. SO THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO NAVIGATE. AND OUR STAFF CONTINUE TO ASK IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHY ARE WE IN THIS SITUATION? UNFORTUNATELY, THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE SPENDING A LOT MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN. THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO KIND [03:20:02] OF EXPLAIN IT. WE ARE OVER OBLIGATED IN EVERY BRANCH, BASICALLY IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. OUR ADULT AND AGING, WHICH IS WHERE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SITS, IS 1.7 IN THE DEFICIT. OUR PUBLIC HEALTH IS 207,000. OUR SERVICE CENTERS WHERE WE HAVE ELIGIBILITY LIKE CALFRESH AND MEDICAL IS $5.1 MILLION. AND OUR CHILD, YOUTH AND FAMILY, WHICH IS WHERE WE HAVE OUR CHILD WELFARE, IS $4.6 MILLION OVER-EXPENDED. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THE CONTEXT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE NOT INSIGNIFICANT DEFICITS. WE DON'T HAVE SOLUTIONS. OUR SAVINGS HAVE RAN OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S BEEN A HISTORY OF USING OUR SAVINGS TO TRY TO RETAIN. THE LEVEL OF EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE. SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS DEFICIT. IF WE DON'T, IT WILL GROW AND CONTINUE TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY, MAKING THE SITUATION WORSE FOR US IN THE LONG RUN. SO IT'S A VERY TOUGH POSITION TO BE IN. WE ARE HITTING WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'LL MAKE CUTS NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOTHING TO LEAN ON, WE SEE THE CUTS IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR AS WELL, AND THAT'S A VERY TOUGH PLACE TO BE IN. WE'RE NOT TAKING THIS LIGHTLY AT ALL. I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS AWARE OF THE PAIN THAT THIS IS CAUSING OUR STAFF. WE SEE THE BURDEN IN JUST WALKING DOWN THE HALL. WE SEE IT EVEN AMONGST EACH OTHER, AND IT'S DEVASTATING FOR US TO BE MANAGING THIS. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE ALL UP FOR THE TASK. WE HAVE A STRONG LEADERSHIP TEAM IN PLACE AND VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AND CLEAR WITH OUR TEAM ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. OUR TEAM IS MAKING VERY DIFFICULT, DISCIPLINED DECISIONS, BUT THEY'RE NOT CARELESS. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. WE DID NOT JUST SAY, OKAY, WE'RE TAKING FROM HERE AND TAKING FROM THERE. WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY MINDFUL TO ENSURE THAT WE RIGHT-SIZE THE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO PRESERVE OUR CORE PROGRAMS LONG-TERM. THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US. SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CHILD WELFARE, WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND PROTECT SERVICES, BUT WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, RIGHT? IT'S A MANDATE BY THE STATE. MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT. WE HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS AND BE MINDFUL ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE NEED TO PRESERVE. DIRECTOR MARISSA GREEN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HER MANAGEMENT TEAM, HAS MET COUNTLESS HOURS REALLY EXPLORING THIS IN DETAIL. AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING, BUT THEY'RE NOT CARELESS ONES. THE PRESENTATION TODAY THAT SHE WILL PROVIDE TO YOU AND THAT WE'RE COMING BACK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE CUTS, THE ROLE THAT OVERTIME PLAYS IN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE PRESERVING CHILD SAFETY. THAT IS OUR MISSION, AND THAT REMAINS A CORE ASPECT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. YOU WILL SEE, THOUGH, THAT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE PROPOSING TO CUT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MODERATE THE RISK. ANYTHING FURTHER, I WILL BE CLEAR, ANYTHING FURTHER BEYOND THIS WILL DEVASTATE THE SYSTEM OF CARE. SO WE'RE AWARE OF THAT. I WILL LEAN NOW AND PASS IT TO OUR CHILD WELFARE DIRECTOR, MARISSA GREEN, TO KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE DETAILS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARISSA GREEN. AND I AM THE SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR. I ALSO SERVE AS THE CHILD WELFARE DIRECTOR FOR YOLO COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON THE IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS TO CHILD WELFARE PRESENTED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING ON APRIL 28TH. TODAY IS MY INTENTION TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF CHILD WELFARE IN YOLO COUNTY, ADDRESS THE BUDGET GAPS AND THE BUDGET SUMMARY, PROVIDE A REALISTIC PICTURE OF WHAT THESE BUDGET IMPACTS MEAN FOR CHILD WELFARE MOVING FORWARD, SHARE THE PERFORMANCE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. SHARE OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS WHICH INCLUDES SOME OF THE LOWEST CASELOADS WE'VE EVER SEEN IN YOLO COUNTY EVER. SOME SIGNIFICANT QUALITY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS AND [03:25:01] SOME OVERALL SUCCESSES. THIS SLIDE HERE IS A VERY SIMPLIFIED IMAGE OF OUR CHILD WELFARE CONTINUUM. BEGINNING AT THE VERY TOP WITH OUR INTAKE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, THESE PROGRAMS ARE WHERE OUR CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM BEGINS. IN ER, THIS IS WHERE INVESTIGATIONS BEGIN FOLLOWING A REFERRAL TO OUR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT HOTLINE, ALSO REFERRED TO AS OUR INTAKE. IN MARCH, EMERGENCY RESPONSE HAD APPROXIMATELY 50 REFERRALS FOR INVESTIGATION. THE INTAKE AND INVESTIGATION UNIT HANDLES REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND OR NEGLECT. SOCIAL WORKERS DETERMINE IF A CHILD IS AT RISK, GENERALLY CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN 10 DAYS OR IMMEDIATELY IF NECESSARY. MOVING TO THE NEXT BOX, AFTER A CHILD IS DETAINED, A FAMILY MOVES THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS. THE COURT DETERMINES IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT SAFETY IN THE HOME FOR A FAMILY TO RECEIVE EITHER FAMILY MAINTENANCE OR FAMILY REUNIFICATION. AS OF MARCH, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 82 FAMILY MAINTENANCE CASES. THESE ARE CHILDREN WHO REMAIN IN THE HOME WITH THEIR MOTHER, FATHER, OR THEIR GUARDIAN AND WORK ON THEIR CASE PLANS. THESE SERVICES ARE TO PREVENT THE REMOVAL OF A CHILD FROM THEIR HOME. THESE CASE PLANS ARE INTENDED TO HELP THE FAMILY STAY TOGETHER WHILE ADDRESSING THE SAFETY RISKS. THE NEXT BOX REPRESENTS THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAM. WHICH SERVES CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT SAFE TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOME. THESE CHILDREN ARE IN FOSTER CARE. FAMILY REUNIFICATION SERVICES, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 109 OF THESE CASES IN MARCH. THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO PARENTS TO HELP THEM REGAIN CUSTODY UNTIL THEY CAN RETURN BACK FROM FOSTER CARE. MOVING TO THE NEXT BOX IS OUR PERMANENT PLACEMENT ADOPTIONS GUARDIANSHIP CASES. AS OF MARCH 2026, WE HAD 112 OF THESE CASES. THIS OCCURS WHEN A CHILD CANNOT SAFELY RETURN HOME. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON FINDING PERMANENT FAMILY THROUGH ADOPTION, LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP, OR ANOTHER PLANNED LIVING ARRANGEMENT. THE NEXT BOX IS OUR SUPPORTIVE TRANSITION, OR OUR AB12 PROGRAM. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 36 CASES AS OF MARCH. THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR A SMOOTHER TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD FOR FOSTER YOUTH BY ALLOWING THEM TO REMAIN IN FOSTER CARE, BY ALLOWING THEM TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. ACCESS SERVICES WHILE COMPLETING EDUCATION OR TRAINING. THE FINAL BOX IS OUR RESOURCE FAMILY APPROVAL UNIT. THIS OCCURS AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS WHERE A FAMILY IS IDENTIFIED FOR A CHILD TO TAKE PLACEMENT. THE RESOURCE FAMILY APPROVAL PROGRAM IS CALIFORNIA'S UNIFIED FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROCESS FOR APPROVING CAREGIVERS, RELATIVES, NON-RELATIVES, EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS, AND FOSTER PARENTS TO CARE FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. IT STREAMLINES LICENSING, RELATIVE APPROVAL, AND ADOPTION GUARDIANSHIP INTO ONE PROCESS, FOCUSING ON COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT, HOME SAFETY CHECKS, AND TRAINING. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 154 RFA YOLO COUNTY CERTIFIED HOMES, 42 OPEN RFA APPLICATIONS, AND 44 HOMES IN RECRUITMENT STATUS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE RFA YOLO COUNTY CERTIFIED HOMES. SPEAKS TO OUR CORE FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATES FOR CHILD WELFARE. EXCUSE ME, SO SORRY, MARISSA. YES. THERE'S A SPECIFIC QUESTION FROM A SUPERVISOR ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. COULD YOU GO BACK, PLEASE? YES. DO YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE END, OR DO YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS? SHE WAS COOKING FOR SLIDES FROM NOW, SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. SURE, GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY TO GO OUT OF PROCEDURAL COURSE. SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU JUST SHARED WITH US FOR FAMILY MAINTENANCE, FAMILY REUNIFICATION, PERMANENT PLACEMENT, ET CETERA, ARE THESE? POINT IN TIME. THESE ARE POINT IN TIME, SO THIS IS CUMULATIVE. IT'S NOT JUST WHAT CAME IN THIS YEAR. IT CAME IN FOR MARCH OF THIS YEAR, POINT IN TIME. SO THIS IS WHAT CAME IN AS OF MARCH, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THESE DIFFERENT BOXES FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. POINT IN TIME. THAT'S SUFFICIENT. THANK YOU. YES. THIS SLIDE SPEAKS TO SOME OF OUR CORE MANDATES FEDERALLY AND STATEWIDE. THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS AND POLICIES THAT GUIDE HOW STATES PREVENT AND RESPOND TO CHILD MALTREATMENT, SUPPORT FAMILIES, AND PROVIDE CARE WHEN CHILDREN CANNOT REMAIN SAFELY IN THEIR HOMES. THESE MANDATES ARE INTEGRATED INTO KEY PROGRAMS THAT MAKE UP THE CHILD WELFARE CONTINUUM ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. THERE IS A MANDATED ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES COUNTIES TO SUBMIT A COUNTY SELF-ASSESSMENT AND A FIVE-YEAR SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PLAN. THESE PLANS FOCUS ON SAFETY, PERMANENCY, AND WELL-BEING. IN FACT, CHILD WELFARE WILL RETURN AT THE END OF SUMMER TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THIS PLAN TO THE BOARD. THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES OUR 26-27 PROPOSED BUDGET AND GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE HAVE [03:30:02] ADDRESSED APPROXIMATELY OUR $3 MILLION BUDGET GAP IN REALIGNMENT FOR THE 26-27 YEAR. WE HAVE ALREADY REDUCED 21 POSITIONS, WE'VE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED CONTRACTS, AND WE CONTINUE TO REDUCE OVERTIME. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FOR LAST YEAR IN THE 25-26 BUDGET YEAR, CHILD WELFARE ALREADY REDUCED $1.56 MILLION BY ELIMINATING SIX FULL-TIME POSITIONS, MAKING CONTRACT REDUCTIONS, ELIMINATING EXTRA HELP, AND CUTTING OVERTIME EXPENSES. FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY, THERE ARE THREE MAIN AREAS IMPACTING CHILD WELFARE AND OUR BUDGET. THERE HAVE BEEN A RISING NUMBER OF ADOPTION CASES POST-2020. WE CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THESE CASES POST PERMANENCY UNTIL THE CHILD TURNS 18 AND IN MANY CASES UNTIL AGE 21. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CHILD IS REMOVED AS AN INFANT, WE WILL PAY FOR THOSE CHILDREN UNTIL 18 AND SOMETIMES UNTIL AGE 21. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CHILD IS REMOVED AS AN INFANT, WE'LL PAY FOR THE NEXT 18 TO 21 YEARS. THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS ARE ENTITLED TO THE RATE THE CHILD IS FOUND TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR BASED ON THEIR NEEDS. AND OR THEIR BEHAVIORS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 705 CHILDREN RECEIVING ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS FROM YOLO COUNTY. THE BASE RATE OR THE STARTING RATE IS $1,301 PER MONTH. THE SECOND BOX, THE TURQUOISE BOX, SPEAKS TO THE DECLINING FEDERAL REVENUE AND HOW CHILDREN ARE DETERMINED TO BE FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. CHILDREN ARE CONSIDERED TO BE FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE BY SEVERAL KEY CRITERIA. HOWEVER, ONE KEY CRITERIA WHICH IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT IN CALIFORNIA IS THE INCOME REQUIREMENT THAT STATES A CHILD'S FAMILY MEETS THE INCOME STANDARDS BASED ON THE OLD AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN, AFDC, FROM 1996. DUE TO CALIFORNIA'S LIVING WAGES AND OVERALL RISE IN INFLATION, THIS HAS MADE FEWER FAMILIES FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE, REQUIRING COUNTIES TO UTILIZE MORE REALIGNMENT TO FUND CHILD WELFARE PROGRAMMING. A FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE CHILD RECEIVES A 50-50 MATCH. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE COUNTY DOLLAR FOR ONE FEDERAL DOLLAR REIMBURSEMENT. A FEDERAL ELIGIBLE, SO, AND A FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT DOLLAR AS COMPARED TO THREE COUNTY DOLLARS TO DRAW DOWN ONE FEDERAL DOLLAR FOR A NON-FEDERAL. ELIGIBLE CHILD. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY, JUST MAKING SURE YOU'RE FOLLOWING ME. THE LAST BOX INDICATES THE CHILD. THERE WAS A QUESTION. OKAY, YEAH, GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO THE FIRST TWO BOXES, HOW DOES THAT TIE IN AND RELATE TO OUR GENERAL FUND DEFICIT? SO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE FIRST. SO OUR REALIGNMENT THAT WE GET, WE'RE GOING TO PAY OUR CLIENT AID OFF FIRST, RIGHT? AND THEN WHATEVER'S REMAINING GOES TO PROGRAMMING FOR OUR CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. SO IF THE BOARD, THIS WAS A POLICY DECISION A PREVIOUS BOARD MADE. SO IF THE BOARD WAS TO MOVE IN A DIFFERENT POLICY DIRECTION, IS THERE A COST SAVINGS AROUND THE GENERAL FUND? SO NORMALLY CHILD WELFARE DOESN'T TAP INTO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE GONE OVER OUR REALIGNMENT AND WE'VE HAD TO COME TO THE BOARD AND ASK FOR GENERAL FUND, BUT NORMALLY THAT HASN'T HAPPENED. I'M ABOUT TO GET INTO A SUMMARY WHERE IT'S GOING TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE. CAN I GET RIGHT THERE? OKAY, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR ROSS. THE LAST BOX INDICATES THAT CHILD WELFARE HAS UTILIZED ALL AVAILABLE REALIGNMENT FUNDING IN BOTH SOCIAL SERVICES AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES ACCOUNTS. IN SUMMARY, ALTHOUGH WE ARE SEEING REDUCED CASELOADS AND TOTAL CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE, WE ARE SEEING INCREASED OVERALL COSTS BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME THE COUNTY MUST CONTINUE TO FUND ADOPTION PAYMENTS FOR CHILDREN POST-PERMANENCY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, FEWER OF THESE CASES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FEDERAL MATCH. WHICH IS COMPOUNDING THE ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT OUR CURRENT PROGRAM COSTS THAT ARE DRIVING THIS BUDGET DEFICIT AT PRESENT. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GET MORE INTO IT. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE. OKAY. SO OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, DRIVERS OF CLIENT AID HAVE BEEN ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND [03:35:01] OUR FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS. THE ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OR AAP AS THEY REFER TO IT, CONTINUED TO RISE BEGINNING AROUND 2020. HOWEVER, IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS HAVE STARTED TO DECLINE AS DOES TOTAL CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE ALSO HAVE STARTED TO DECLINE. AT PRESENT, FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS AND AAP PAYMENTS ARE DETERMINED BY THE LEVEL OF CARE, WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE BASED ON THE NEED OF THE CHILD. THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ADOPTED WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE ADOPTION PAYMENTS UNTIL THEY REACH AGE 18 AND IN MANY CASES 21. THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PAYMENTS. THERE IS A PROPOSAL BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO MOVE TO A TIERED RATE STRUCTURE STARTING IN JUNE 2027, EXCUSE ME, JULY 2027, WHICH WILL INCREASE BOTH OUR AAP AND OUR FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS. THE GOVERNORS MAY REVISE WILL DETERMINE IF THAT MOVES FORWARD. IF APPROVED, COUNTIES CAN ANTICIPATE MORE RISING COSTS FOR BOTH ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE. SO MOST OF OUR ASSISTANCE COSTS DECREASE EXCEPT FOR ADOPTION PAYMENTS. THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT ADOPTION PAYMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY UNTIL A CHILD REACHES ADULTHOOD. AND FURTHERMORE, THE STATE IS PUTTING MORE PRESSURE ON COUNTIES. TO FUND THIS PROGRAM AT A HIGHER RATE. ON THIS CHART, THERE ARE THREE KEY DATA ELEMENTS THAT DEMONSTRATE CHILD WELFARE PERFORMANCE OVER THE LAST 10 PLUS YEARS TO INCLUDE CHILD ENTRIES TO CARE, TOTAL CHILDREN IN CARE, AND TOTAL OPEN CASES. THE DATA LINES DEMONSTRATE YOLO COUNTY HAD A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT INCREASES STARTING IN 2016. AND THEN STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A FALLING OFF PERIOD IN 2020. THE LEFT... HOLD ON, I MISSED A SLIDE HERE. ONE MOMENT. OH, THANK YOU. NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT EITHER. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. YEAH, THERE WE GO. THANK YOU, MONICA. HOLD ON. SORRY FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE. WELL, I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY HERE ANYWAYS. THIS IS THE CURRENT STAFFING RIGHT NOW AS WE HAVE IT. AS YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE, WE HAVE 121 STAFF. AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THESE ARE WHAT WE WOULD HAVE AFTER OUR PROPOSED REDUCTIONS. SO IT'S JUST A VISUAL FOR YOU TO SEE HOW MANY STAFF WE HAVE NOW AND HOW MANY STAFF WE WOULD HAVE AFTER OUR PROPOSED REDUCTIONS. THE KEY TAKEAWAY ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT WE ARE REALLY PROUD ABOUT ALL THE REDUCTIONS WE'VE HAD IN OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. SINCE 2020, THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM HAS BEEN A KEY PART OF OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. SYSTEM HAS DONE THE INCREDIBLY HARD WORK THAT PRIORITIZES CHILD SAFETY WHILE ALSO WORKING TO KEEP CHILDREN WITH THEIR FAMILY OF ORIGIN. IN THE LAST DECADE, THE CHILD WELFARE TEAM HAS BROUGHT THE AGENCY TO A PLACE OF REAL SUCCESS AND THIS COMMUNITY HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BLUE BOXES, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT DECREASES TO BOTH ENTRIES TO FOSTER CARE AND THE OVERALL NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. THERE HAS BEEN A 50.2% DECREASE IN CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN. THERE HAS BEEN A 50.2% DECREASE IN CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. TO DATE, THERE ARE LESS THAN HALF THE CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE AS COMPARED TO THOSE FROM JANUARY 2020. IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE IN YOLO COUNTY IS JUST SHY THE NUMBER IT WAS IN 2011. FROM JANUARY 2020 TO JANUARY 2026, CHILDREN SERVED BY ALL CHILD WELFARE PROGRAMS WAS REDUCED FROM 664 TO 358. FROM JULY 2020 TO JANUARY 2026, TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE WENT FROM 474 TO 246. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE HAVE TOTAL SOCIAL WORKER WORKFORCE AND CASELOADS. AND THE RELEVANCE OF THIS... SLIDE HERE IS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR AVERAGE CASELOAD [03:40:01] IS THE BEST IT'S EVER BEEN EVER FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS WHICH IS JUST AMAZING THIS ACCORDING TO OUR CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICA WE HAVE MET OR EXCEEDED THE BEST CASELOADS THAT WE'VE EVER EVER HAD WHICH IS JUST EXCEPTIONAL AND I'M I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT FOR SOME OF OUR CASELOADS AND JUST THINKING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? I MEAN, THIS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. THIS IS OUR CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES REVIEW, WHICH IS OUR STATE REQUIREMENTS HERE. AND IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE FOR 2018, WE WERE NOT MEETING MANY OF OUR CRITERIA. AND ON 2025, WE ARE NOW MEETING. THE STANDARDS ALMOST EXCEPTIONALLY. IT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL HOW THE PROGRESS, THE QUALITY, IT'S NOT JUST THE CASELOADS, IT'S NOT JUST WHERE WE ARE IN PERFORMANCE AND QUANTITY, IT'S ALSO THE QUALITY OF SERVICES THAT THIS TEAM IS DOING. YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF, AND THERE'S SOME OF THE SOCIAL WORKERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS IN THIS AUDIENCE TODAY, AND I'M JUST SO PROUD OF THEM. SO IN SUMMARY, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT NEVER STOPS. THEY'RE 24-7, RIGHT? THEY ARE REALLY WORKING ALL THE TIME. WE ARE ADDRESSING OUR STRUCTURAL DEFICITS BY PUTTING UP SOME REDUCTIONS, AND IF WE DON'T, WE WILL PUT THE PROGRAM AT RISK. WE HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DO ADDRESS THE BUDGET. THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ALTHOUGH, WILL REQUIRE US TO MAKE SOME ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES. AND WE ARE DOING THAT CURRENTLY. RIGHT NOW WE ARE REVIEWING THE NEED TO ADD SOCIAL WORKERS TO OUR FRONT-END GROUP AND INTO OUR BACK-END, WHAT WE CALL ER AND ONGOING, BASED OFF OF BUSINESS NEEDS. WE HAVE MERGED OUR COURT UNIT INTO OUR FRONT-END. WE'RE STRENGTHENING OUR FISCAL OVERSIGHT WITH OUR FISCAL LIAISON, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR OVERTIME. WE'RE MAXIMIZING ALL OUR FISCAL ALLOCATIONS AND OUR TIME STUDIES. WE'RE LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD EFFICIENCIES. WE'RE STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT HOSPITALS AND OUR SCHOOLS. AND WE'RE SHARING RESOURCES NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH. LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM AND TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. IT'LL BE EIGHT YEARS THIS MONTH THAT I'VE BEEN HERE TO SEE US GO FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE I AM NOW. AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF CHILD WELFARE. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MONICA FOR LAST THOUGHTS. I THINK THE ONLY ONE, UNFORTUNATELY... MICROPHONE, PLEASE. I THINK THE ONLY ONE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, MARISSA, THAT WE COVERED IS THE OVERTIME, SO YOU CAN KIND OF EXPLAIN THE SLIDE. APOLOGIES. YEAH, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SLIDE. SO THE OVERTIME ACTUALLY ALIGNS WITH ACTUALS, AND THAT'S WHY THIS SLIDE IS SO IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU SEE THE OVERTIME COMING FROM JULY OF LAST YEAR TO NOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MADE A REDUCTION OF $262,500 FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET OF MOVING FORWARD BASED OFF OF THE TRACKING THAT WE, WELL I'LL SAY WE, BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS DIRECTOR KILDARE STARTED BACK WHEN HE WAS THE DIRECTOR AND WE STARTED TO REALLY MONITOR OUR OVERTIME EXPENSES LOOKING AT IT FOR A POINT OF REDUCTION AND WHAT WE'VE OBSERVED IS WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IT AS AN ACTUAL EXPENSE. NOT A POTENTIAL, IT'S A REAL ACTUAL EXPENSE. SO WHEN WE PROPOSE IT AS A BUDGET REDUCTION, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GUESSING. I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE. I THINK YOU CAN TELL FROM THE WORK THAT THE TEAM HAS BEEN DOING THAT WE WANT TO PROTECT SERVICES AND AT THE SAME TIME BALANCING BEING REALISTIC ABOUT... THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. DECISIONS HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT, BUT THEY'RE NOT CARELESS DECISIONS. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO IT. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW AND REALLY OPEN UP FOR THE BOARD IN QUESTIONS. AND BEFORE I MADE TOM SAY THAT TO WAIT FOR QUESTIONS FOR HIM, BUT I THINK IN THIS CASE, SINCE THIS IS VERY PARTICULAR TO YOUR PRESENTATION, I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS AND NOT COMMENTS FOR THIS SECTION. YES, SUPERVISOR FUREX. YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH, MARISSA AND MONICA. I JUST, MY PRIMARY, I MEAN, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE DETAILS HERE. AND IT'S HEARTENING TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS. I JUST, MY PRIMARY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WITH PROPOSED CUTS [03:45:01] TO CHILD WELFARE STAFF, I MEAN, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF CHILD SAFETY? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, LIKE, YEAH, HOW WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS THERE. I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WHAT WE PUT FORWARD IS NOT GOING TO ADDRESS CHILD SAFETY. WE HAVE THE LOWEST CASE LOADS WE'VE EVER HAD ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS, AND THE OVERTIME IS THE BEST THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN IT. I WOULDN'T HAVE PUT THESE REDUCTIONS FORWARD WITHOUT THINKING THROUGH THAT VERY MINDFULLY. WE STILL HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS THAT WE CAN PLACE, AND WE'RE DOING ACTIVE RECRUITMENTS EVEN AS... AS WE SPEAK, SO I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YES, SUPERVISOR FIXEY-SANDY. SO SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND YOU TO BE SUGGESTING THAT OVERTIME IS NOT LIKELY TO GO UP BASED ON THE REDUCTIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED? I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE MONITORED OVERTIME NOW FOR OVER SEVERAL YEARS. AND I CAN'T PREDICT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT WILL NEVER GO UP. BUT, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND TO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO FOR CHILD SAFETY, SO I'M GOING TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK THAT OVER TIME, THE WAY WE'RE MONITORING IT, IT'S ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES. IT'S ONLY FOR STANDBY AND ON-CALL. AND OUR MANAGERS ARE NOW IN THAT LOOP, RIGHT, FOR APPROVALS. SO IT'S ADDED AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SUPPORT AND OVERSIGHT. SO THAT IS A NEW THING THAT I INSTITUTED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. SO THANK YOU, LADIES, FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MARISSA, FOR THE WORK. CONGRATULATIONS. IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE. GOOD INFORMATION COMING OUT OF CHILD WELFARE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE SHARED KIND OF BEAR THAT OUT SO THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF. I GUESS MY, YOU'RE ENTERTAINING QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION AND PROBABLY TO MONICA AT THE MOMENT IN TERMS OF THE BROADER BUDGET YOU KNOW WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH HHSA AND AND SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY, GIVEN ALL OF THE CONSTRAINTS AND THE CHALLENGES, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE TESTIMONY EARLIER TODAY, THAT THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE CONTEMPLATING AT THIS MOMENT KIND OF DOVETAILS? WITH THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD BUDGETING AS WELL. I THINK IT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION OF SORTS, BUT IT SOUNDS, BECAUSE WE ARE, WE JUST SUBMITTED THE NEWEST, OR THE FIRST EVER APPLICATION TO THE STATE, WE ARE AWAITING RESPONSE FROM THE STATE AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE'VE ALIGNED OUR PRIORITIES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS THAT COME ALONG WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT WHAT... HOW THIS BUDGET THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THE CHILD WELFARE CUTS AND ALL THE CUTS HHSA RELATED ARE GOING TO ALIGN WITH OR HOW DO THEY ALIGN WITH EVENTUALLY WHAT WILL BECOME AN ADOPTED BUDGET WITH THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD'S WORK? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN SO APOLOGIES TO OUR AUDIENCE AND COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT NOT FOLLOW THIS. WE ARE AN INTEGRATED AGENCY. AND SO WHAT I WAS OUTLINING EARLIER IS THAT WE HAVE A $12 MILLION DEFICIT RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CALL OUT EACH OF THE BRANCHES. SO IN WHAT WE CALL THE ADULT BRANCH, WE HAVE ABOUT $1.7 MILLION. THAT IS A PRIMARILY DEFICIT IN OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM. SO YOU ACTUALLY USE BHSA TO HELP US COVER SOME OF THE DEFICIT IN THE ENTIRE BRANCH. THAT WE STILL HAVE A REMAINING DEFICIT, RIGHT? SO TO YOUR POINT, BECAUSE WE ARE AN INTEGRATED MODEL, WE TRY TO HELP THE PROGRAMS OUT IF IT'S ALLOWABLE, RIGHT? WE CAN'T JUST MOVE FUNDING AROUND AND MOVE IT, BUT REALIGNMENT IS A KEY SOURCE OF THAT. THE BHSSA PLAN FOR US, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MONITOR IT, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW THE MANDATES, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALIGN WITH ALL THE CRITERIA THAT IT'S OUTLINING. AND SO IF YOU RECALL, FOR HOUSING INTERVENTION SPECIFICALLY, THERE'S ABOUT $4 MILLION THERE ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR HOUSING. OUT OF THOSE, IT BREAKS IT 50% FOR HOMELESSNESS, 50% FOR INDIVIDUALS FACING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS. AND THEN YOU HAVE WITHIN THAT YOUR CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT [03:50:01] ALLOCATION. YOU COULD ONLY USE 25% OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT. SO ALL TO COME BACK, SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS, IS THAT ALL OF THIS... PLAYS AN INTRICATE ROLE IN HOW WE SUBMIT THE PROPOSED BUDGET. TO THE STATE AND OBVIOUSLY TO DFS FIRST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL ALIGNING AND THAT WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET MOVING FORWARD. OKAY, THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL. AND I'LL JUST CUT TO THE CHASE, IN PART BECAUSE THERE'S A LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING TAKING PLACE TOMORROW. THERE IS A LETTER THAT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD TO CONSIDER. THESE ARE APPOINTEES OF OURS. WE APPOINT FOLKS TO HELP US GUIDE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD ACTIVITIES, PRIORITIES, AND HOW THEY FUND. THE LETTER ITSELF, AS PART OF THE AGENDA TOMORROW, IS... WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS. THE LETTER ITSELF ASKS FOR ESSENTIALLY $5 MILLION BE DEDICATED FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES. NOT ALL AT ONCE, I THINK IT'S GOING INTO THE FUTURE. BUT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD IS, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. THERE'S NO STAFF REPORT, SO IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT IS HAPPENING. OTHER THAN ON THE AGENDA, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS CONSIDERATION OF A LETTER THAT HAS BEEN SENT, I THINK, TO THE BOARD. CERTAINLY TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO SIGN ON IN SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT. AND SO I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT, AND MAYBE IT'S PREMATURE, SO IT'S MAYBE A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING. BUT MY FEAR IS THAT IF WHAT THIS LETTER PROPOSES TO DO, IT PREDETERMINES WHERE $5 MILLION WOULD BE DIRECTED, PRESUMABLY, IF THERE'S SUPPORT FOR IT. AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU, THAT'S, I'M GETTING BACK TO A QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S I WAS WAITING. YEAH, IS WOULD IT BE HELPFUL, IN YOUR OPINION, THAT WE AS A BOARD, GIVEN THAT WE, GIVEN THAT YOU JUST EXPLAINED THAT THE VERY CUTS THAT WE ARE MAKING HAVE TO ALIGN WITH WHAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE PROP 1 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MONEY TO HELP AUGMENT, SUPPORT THE STAFF, THE WORK, ALL THE PRIORITIES, THAT BEFORE WE START PREDETERMINING WHERE MONEY IS GOING TO GO, THAT WE SEND A LETTER TO THE BOARD TO NOT TAKE ACTION, CERTAINLY ON THIS DIRECTION, UNTIL WE GET RESPONSE BACK FROM THE STATE ON OUR VERY FIRST APPLICATION, UNTIL WE HEAR FROM YOU, THE PROFESSIONALS, AROUND WHERE WE NEED TO FILL THE VERY BUDGET GAPS THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING YOU HELP US MAKE THESE DECISIONS AS EASY AS WE CAN VERSUS FURTHER COMPLICATING IT BY PREDETERMINING. WHERE THIS MONEY GOES. AND LOOK, THE LETTER MAY LAY OUT GREAT OPTIONS WHERE THE MONEY MAY END UP GOING ANYHOW, BUT IT JUST SEEMS A BIT PREMATURE. I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION. I DO WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD, YOU TASKED US, RIGHT, ON A DRAFT CONCEPT UNDER HOUSING. AND AS A REMINDER, WHAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THAT THERE'S THE SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, IT'S $4.4 MILLION TOTAL JUST FOR HOUSING. WE HAVE TO CARVE 50% FOR HOMELESSNESS. AND THEN THE OTHER FOR CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS. SO HOUSING, EXCUSE ME, AND HOMELESSNESS. SO OUT OF THAT, TOO, WE ALSO SAID, HEY, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE SOME OF THE EXISTING EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE AND SOME OF THE MANDATED EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? WE ALSO SAID THAT PART OF THAT PROCESS OR PLAN WAS WE WERE GOING TO DO AN RFP, RIGHT? THAT'S THE MOST EQUITABLE WAY. AN ETHICAL WAY AND TRANSPARENT WAY FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE FROM PROPOSITION 1, BHS, AND THAT WE'RE BEING FAIR ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY. PART OF THE WAY THAT WE BROKE DOWN THE MONEY IS THAT ONLY 25% OF WHAT REMAINS IS USED FOR CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? THE LETTERS CALLING OUT FIXING OF EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT ARE DETERIORATING. BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU, WE CANNOT USE $5 MILLION. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE FIVE MILLION IN THAT BUCKET. WHAT REMAINS AS A POSSIBILITY IS ABOUT $1 MILLION, RIGHT? BUT EVEN WITHIN THAT, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, WE ARE STILL WAITING. I THINK THE FINAL KIND OF FEEDBACK FROM THE STATE CAME IN JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. WE'RE ASSESSING WHAT THEIR FEEDBACK IS. WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT, COME BACK TO THE BOARD, AND FLESH OUT THE FULL PLAN, INCLUDING THE TIMELINE FOR RFP. WHICH WE COMMITTED TO YOU, WE'RE HOPING IT COMES OUT LATE THIS SUMMER. I DO HAVE DIRECTOR KILDARE HERE WITH ME, TOO, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD. YEAH, I'M TONY CALDERA, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIRECTOR FOR EOLA COUNTY. SUPERVISOR VEGAS, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT, IT IS THE REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING. [03:55:01] SO WE SUBMIT THE PLAN. THIS THIRD DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. I CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD AROUND WHAT KIND OF DECISIONS WILL OR WON'T BE MADE, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THAT LOCAL HEARING. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE LETTER WITH WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S ALSO BEEN SET AS A SEPARATE AGENDA ITEM FOR THE AUTHOR OF THE LETTER TO PRESENT TO THE BEHAVIOR HEALTH BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION BUT AGAIN, THERE WILL BE NO DECISIONS NECESSARILY BEING MADE ABOUT WHAT TO FUND OR NOT TO FUND. GOING BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE $5 MILLION THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IN THE LETTER, THAT INCLUDES $3 MILLION, SO IT'S $1.1 MILLION PER YEAR IN THE HOUSING INTERVENTIONS CATEGORY, AND A REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY USE 25%. OF HOUSING INTERVENTION DOLLARS FOR CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. SO IN ORDER FOR IT TO DRAW DOWN AN ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE, WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT $8 MILLION OF THE FUND BALANCE INTO HOUSING INTERVENTIONS. AND WE ONLY HAVE $14.2 MILLION TO WORK WITH. THAT PART JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S GOING TO WORK OUT. FAIR ENOUGH, AND I APPRECIATE IT. I WOULD JUST CONCLUDE WE'RE HAVING A SERIOUS BUDGET CONVERSATION. I'M NOT ADVISING YOU TO DEPLETE YOUR FUND BALANCE. I'M PUTTING THAT IN PUBLIC. BE CAREFUL WITH THAT. OKAY, FAIR ENOUGH. THANK YOU, AND I DON'T WANT TO MANIPULATE THE REST OF THE TIME. I'LL JUST SIMPLY ASK. SO IN TERMS OF THE $5 MILLION, WHETHER IT'S $5 MILLION, $3 MILLION, $2 MILLION, IF IN FACT WHAT THE REQUEST IS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS, BUT YOU ASK FOR 10 TIMES WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, ASSUMING THAT THAT MIGHT BE... A STRATEGY OR AN ATTEMPT. WOULDN'T IT BE, WOULDN'T IT MAKE SENSE THAT WE JUST SIMPLY SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO PRE-COMMIT ANY OF THESE FUNDS UNTIL WE GET ALL OF THE RESPONSES TEASED OUT AND BETTERED OUT BY THE STATE SO THAT YOU CAN, AS PROFESSIONALS, GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS SO WE CAN WORK TOGETHER. TO MAXIMIZE AND LEVERAGE THESE DOLLARS. AND JUST A SIMPLE YES, I DON'T NEED A LONG... AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO OF US THAT ARE SITTING UP HERE THAT ARE CO-LIAISONS TO THIS ADVISORY BODY, AND UNIQUELY SITUATED, THIS ADVISORY BODY HAS A LOT OF AUTHORITY, UNLIKE OUR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY. SO I JUST WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL AROUND WHAT YOU THINK SO THAT WE CAN BE HELPFUL, SO THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER. IN SUMMARY, YES, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE YES. WE'RE STILL LEARNING A LOT. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HOUSING UNDER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH YET. WE'RE LITERALLY TRYING TO BUILD IT, SO YES. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST ADD VERY, VERY BRIEFLY TO WHAT DIRECTOR MORALES, TO HER AND TONY'S RESPONSE, WHICH IS TO SAY THE RFP PROCESS THAT WE'VE TALKED PREVIOUSLY WITH THIS BOARD ABOUT, WITH OUR BHSA PLAN THAT IS CURRENTLY DRAFT, SUBMITTED TO THE STATE, GOING THROUGH COMMENT PERIOD RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, OUR INTENTION IS TO ULTIMATELY BRING THAT DRAFT RFP WITH OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR YOUR AUTHORIZATION BEFORE WE RELEASE THAT RFP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH NOT ONLY THE LAW AS IT PERTAINS TO BHS FUNDING BUCKETS, BUT ALSO IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE BOARD PRIORITIES CONSISTENT WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS AS WELL. SO, IN SHORT, MORE TO COME ON ALL OF THAT AS WE PROGRESS INTO THE SUMMER. ALL ROADS LEAD TO BHSA. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT SO MUCH HERE. THANK YOU. IN TERMS OF THE CHILD WELFARE TOPIC, SLIDE 10. I JUST WANT TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 121 STAFF REDUCTIONS FOR THIS YEAR. WE'RE LOOKING AT 99. WE'RE LOOKING AT REDUCING FIELD POSITIONS OF 8%. VACANT POSITIONS OF 10% OF THE WORKFORCE FOR CHILD WELFARE. THERE'S NO REDUCTION IN A SOCIAL WORKER THAT'S CURRENTLY FILLED, BUT EIGHT SOCIAL WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY VACANT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND IT'S IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL, BOTH OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL OBSERVATION THAT THERE WON'T BE A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL AND ALSO... SERVICE-RELATED IMPACT TO CHILDREN WHO NEED THIS SERVICE. I'LL SAY IS THE WORKERS THAT ARE, WE MADE A DECISION AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM, AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, TO PRESERVE SOCIAL WORKERS. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS SOCIAL WORKERS CAN DO ALL THE DUTIES UNDER THE CHILD WELFARE KIND OF GUIDANCE, RIGHT? THEY CAN INVESTIGATE, THEY CAN GO TO COURT, THEY CAN REMOVE CHILDREN, RIGHT? AND THE OTHER, THE STAFF THAT [04:00:02] ARE PROPOSED FOR REDUCTION CANNOT DO THE FULL DUTIES. THAT WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING, RIGHT? SO THE PRESERVATION STRATEGY WAS TO PRESERVE THE SOCIAL WORKER PRACTITIONER. AND THAT IS WHAT WE HELD AS PARAMOUNT, BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING KIDS SAFE, WHEN WE NEED TO GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHEN WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE, WHEN WE NEED TO REMOVE, I HAVE TO HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER. OKAY, AND WE HAVE TO RELY, AS POLICYMAKERS, WE HAVE TO RELY ON OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF. TO GIVE US THE INSIGHT OF WHAT IS THE REQUIRED OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF OUR COUNTY. BUT THERE'S ALSO A DIFFERENT COIN, ANOTHER SIDE TO THAT COIN, WHICH IS WHAT THE EMPLOYEES PERCEIVE AND FEEL AS IMPACTS. SO I'M ASSUMING THE PROCESS IS THAT IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH DIRECTION, ACCORDING TO WHAT WE BELIEVE BY YOUR GUYS' EXPERTISE, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS AS IS. WE COULD BE ABLE TO REDUCE 22 POSITIONS, BUT THEN YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO A MEET AND CONFER TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS WITH THOSE ASSOCIATED BARGAINING UNITS. IS THAT CORRECT? LET ME, WE CAN NEVER CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS IN A HOUSEHOLD. WE CAN'T AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO, RIGHT? WE CANNOT TELL YOU. THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL THE REDUCTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO FEEL IT. HOW COULD YOU NOT, RIGHT? WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION CONSIDERING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DEFICIT IN THIS BRANCH. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT GENERAL FUND CAN COVER. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO COVER. SO WE'RE HAVING TO BASICALLY HAVE TRADE-OFFS. WE WILL SEE AN IMPACT. ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO ADD PRESSURE TO US. BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS OUR BEST JUDGMENT IS BASED ON THE MODEL. AND YOU'VE SEEN THE REDUCTION IN CASES. RIGHT. YOU'VE SEEN THE REDUCTION IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE CHANGE THE FRAMEWORK OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. BOTH TONY AND MARISSA ARE CHANGING THE FRAMEWORK ON REUNIFICATION AND REALLY FOCUSING THAT. SO YOU'VE SEEN THE DECREASES IN CASES. WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TELL YOU, NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL AN IMPACT. WE ARE. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST CHOICE CONSIDERING THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. CORRECT, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THE DEGREE OF IMPACT, RIGHT? YOU GUYS WOULDN'T BE PROPOSING 30 POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT'S TOO DEEP. SO THE SPECIFIC NUMBER OF 22 POSITIONS, YOU BELIEVE THAT THE OPERATIONS CAN CONTINUE AT A LEVEL THAT IS COMPLIANT TO LEGAL AND STATE REGULATIONS, CORRECT? ANYTHING LESS THAN THIS WILL BREAK THE SYSTEM OF CARE. OKAY. AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, OR STATEMENT AND QUESTION, WAS THAT IF WE MOVE FORWARD, THEN OBVIOUSLY THESE CHANGES AND THESE IMPACTS... GO TO THE EMPLOYEES. THE EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE TO, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WOULD HAVE TO MEET AND CONFER ON THOSE IMPACTS, CORRECT? I'LL DEFER THAT TO HR IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS. THAT WOULD BE DIRECTOR PANU. HE'S COMING. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD PANU. OKAY. SUPERVISOR, YOU ARE CORRECT. ONCE WE'VE INITIATED THE LAYOFF PROCESS, WE WOULD... HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MEET WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS TO DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS THAT THEY ARE SEEING WITH THEIR WORKFORCE MOVING FORWARD. CORRECT. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO REALLY PUT OUT BECAUSE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT IS A PROCESS, BUT WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS THE WORKFORCE SHRINKS AND PERHAPS THE SOCIAL WORKER NOW, IT'S WITHIN THEIR MAYBE CLASSIFICATION TO MAYBE ADD SOME, NOT ADD, BUT TO TRIGGER SOME OF THESE WORK DUTIES OR PERHAPS MAYBE THEY SEE IT AS ADDING WORK DUTIES TO THEIR PLATE. THEN THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE THOSE IMPACTS AND PERHAPS WE WOULD HEAR IN CLOSED SESSION NOT OUT HERE THOSE IMPACTS AND THAT'S WHEN WE AS BOARD CAN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIRECTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT IF NEEDED. THAT'S WHERE I THINK THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE KIND OF OPEN AND CLEAR AS TO THE DRIVERS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SMOOTH THE EDGES UNTIL WE GET EVERYTHING CORRECTLY, FLUID, BACK AGAIN, AND OPERATIONAL AT 110%. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS, CORRECT. [04:05:02] THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE... THE ITEM THAT WE HAVE. BEFORE US, CHILD WELFARE OVERVIEW. IT'S TIME TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT. I'LL JUST NOTE VERY BRIEFLY BEFORE WE TRANSITION TO THE FINAL PART OF THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM, WHICH IS PUBLIC GUARDIAN CONSERVATORSHIP PRESENTATION, WHICH IS A BIT SHORTER THAN THIS ONE. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN THIS ONE. BY THE WAY BUT UH SO IS UH JUST A REFRESHER IT UH MARISSA HIGHLIGHTED THIS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES BUT AS A REMINDER THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS THAT UH TOM HAYNES YOU KNOW PRESENTED EARLIER HAS ALREADY BUILT INTO IT AN ASSUMPTION OF 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS OF GENERAL FUND BACKFILL AS WELL TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY IN ADDITION TO THE 1.1 1 MILLION 1.1 MILLION TO BACKFILL CALFRESH. SO JUST BRINGING THAT BACK UP TO THE SURFACE, YOU KNOW, TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THERE IS STILL SOME SUPPLEMENTING HAPPENING HERE WITH THE GENERAL FUND TO KEEP IT EVEN AT THE LEVELS PROPOSED. SO JUST AS A REFRESHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND JUST, OKAY, GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, SINCE I ASKED FOR THIS LAST WEEK, I JUST REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE MONICA AND MARISSA. FOR BRINGING SUCH A CAREFUL ANALYSIS FORWARD, IT HAS HELPED ME TO PUT ALL OF THIS IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE DONE LAST WEEK. SO IT'S STILL GRIM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR SENSE AND YOUR REITERATION, MONICA, THAT ANYTHING LESS THAN WHAT THE STAFF WERE PROPOSING TO RETAIN BREAKS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE. AND THAT, FOR ME, IS WHERE I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW WHERE THAT RED LINE WAS. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY BEFORE WE MOVED ON TO THE NEXT ONE, JUST IN CASE WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO COME BACK. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A REALLY DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTH CARE THINGS, BUT THIS WAS A LITTLE OPAQUE TO ME, AND THIS HAS BEEN SO HELPFUL BECAUSE I KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE HISTORY, AND I WAS RUNNING AROUND WITH A LOT OF WORRY. I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW, LIKE, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE SYSTEM. SO TO SEE THE DATA HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK. IN THIS AREA. OKAY. WITH THAT, THEN WE WILL MOVE TO THE GO AHEAD. NOT WITH THE ITEM, BUT WE WERE GOING TO MOVE TO THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN PRESENTATION. CORRECT? AS YOU KNOW, I'M LORI HAAS. WELCOME BACK. I WANTED TO JUST POP UP REALLY QUICKLY AND INTRODUCE RACHEL LADD. SHE IS CURRENTLY THE INTERIM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGER WHO HAS BEEN SHADOWING WITH ME, SO WE CAN DO A WARM HANDOFF NEXT FRIDAY AFTER MY LAST DAY. SHE'LL BE STEPPING IN AS THE INTERIM AND IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO YOU ABOUT THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN. YEAH, WELCOME. WELCOME TO THE SHOW. YEAH, HERE WE GO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, LORI. AS LORI MENTIONED, MY NAME IS RACHEL LADD. I AM THE INTERIM MANAGER OVER THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES WITHIN THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY. THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN IS THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE AND COURT-APPOINTED DECISION-MAKER FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE ADULTS IN YOLO COUNTY. INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND BY THE SUPERIOR COURT TO LACK CAPACITY TO MANAGE THEIR OWN PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS, AND WHO HAVE NO REMAINING LESS RESTRICTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO CONSERVATORSHIP. THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN HAS DEPUTIZED STAFF TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES, DECISIONS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH YOLO COUNTY PUBLIC GUARDIAN CONSERVATEE, TAKING FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURING THAT THEIR NEEDS FOR FOOD, CLOTHING, THANK YOU. SHELTER, PERSONAL SAFETY, AND NECESSARY MEDICAL CARE ARE MET. AS A REMINDER, PUBLIC GUARDIAN SERVICES ARE STATE MANDATED BUT ARE ALSO UNFUNDED, SO WE RELY ON COUNTY GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAM. THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN IS AN APPOINTED POSITION BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. SO IN YOLO COUNTY, THIS APPOINTED POSITION IS HELD BY HHSA SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH DIRECTOR MARISSA GREEN. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE 10.5 FTE STAFF WHO OVERSEE OUR DAILY WORK. THE .5 POSITION IS THE MANAGER POSITION, WHICH IS SHARED HALF-TIME WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE A SMALL PROGRAM. WITH SIX CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICERS WHO ARE DEPUTIZED [04:10:02] TO CARRY OUT THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKLOAD AND DUTIES, DECISIONS, AND FULL RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH CONSERVATEE. ONE CHANGE IN THIS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FROM PRIOR CHARTS IN THE PAST IS THAT THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN DID LOSE TWO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CASE MANAGER POSITIONS IN 2024 WITH MHSA BUDGET REDUCTIONS. REMOVING EVEN ONE DEPUTIZED STAFF IMPACTS THE WORKLOAD AND THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THE COURT-MANDATED FUNCTIONS OF OUR PROGRAM. THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN FACES UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT RISKS FROM OTHER COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS DUE TO ITS HIGH LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY, COURT OVERSIGHT, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LIABILITY. LIMITED STAFFING CAN LEAD TO ERRORS IN ESTATE MANAGEMENT, AND THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN CURRENTLY MANAGES... MORE THAN TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN CONSERVATEES PERSONAL ASSETS IN ADDITION TO OUR PROGRAM BUDGET AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL FOR ERRORS IN OTHER CRUCIAL AREAS OF OUR WORK SUCH AS MAKING MEDICAL DECISIONS PLACING PEOPLE IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE SETTING APPROPRIATE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AND REVIEWING THE RESTORATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHTS WHEN THEY NO LONGER MEET CRITERIA FOR CONSERVATORSHIP OUR CURRENT PROGRAM BUDGET IS $2.5 MILLION, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH COMES FROM COUNTY GENERAL FUNDS, AND ALMOST 9% OF WHICH COMES FROM REVENUE GENERATED FROM TAKING COURT-ORDERED FEES THAT ARE APPROVED FOR EACH CONSERVATEE'S CASE. SINCE ADDING THREE CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICERS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN HAS INCREASED FEE REVENUE DUE TO MORE HOURS WORKED ON CASES. ALONG WITH INCREASING OUR FEE RATE FROM $102 PER HOUR TO $117 PER HOUR IN MAY OF 2025. SO OUR FEE REVENUE GREW FROM $172,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 23-24 TO OVER $200,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 24-25 AND HAS ALREADY SURPASSED $223,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 25-26 THROUGH MARCH. HAVING MORE STAFF DIRECTLY INCREASES THE ABILITY FOR OUR PROGRAM TO GENERATE REVENUE BY TAKING COURT-ORDERED FEES. AND HAVING FEWER STAFF WOULD MEAN LESS HOURS WORKED ON EACH CASE AND REDUCE OUR ABILITY TO TAKE REVENUE FROM FEES. AND AT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN PROGRAM IS ALSO PURSUING ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE GENERATION BY SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR ELIGIBLE LPS CONSERVATORSHIP ACTIVITIES. PER CALIFORNIA WELFARE AND INSTITUTION CODE 5352.5D, AND EXPLORING WAYS TO CHARGE FEES FOR CONSERVATORSHIP INVESTIGATIONS TO FURTHER OFFSET OUR GENERAL FUND COSTS. SINCE INCREASING TO SIX CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICERS, OUR TOTAL OPEN CASES HAVE DECLINED, AND OUR ACTIVE CASES HAVE LARGELY REMAINED STABLE. YOU DO SEE A DROP IN ACTIVE CASES FROM 2025 TO 2026, WHICH IS DUE TO TWO MAIN REASONS. WE DID HAVE MORE DEATHS AMONG SOME OF OUR OLDER POPULATION DUE TO THE SEVERE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WINTER. AND WE HAVE ALSO HAD MORE LPS CONSERVATEES WHO NO LONGER MEET CRITERIA FOR CONSERVATORSHIP. SO WITH ADEQUATE STAFFING, OUR OFFICERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLAN AHEAD MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF A CONSERVATORSHIP RENEWAL, MONITOR THE INDIVIDUAL'S PROGRESS, AND WORK VERY PROACTIVELY WITH COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO RESTORE INDIVIDUALS' RIGHTS AND RELEASE THEM FROM LPS CONSERVATORSHIP MORE QUICKLY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, A SMALL NUMBER OF NON-ACTIVE OPEN CASES, WE CALL THEM TRANSITION CASES, SO FOLKS WHO... ARE NO LONGER ON CONSERVATORSHIP DUE TO PASSING AWAY OR DUE TO COMING OFF OF CONSERVATORSHIP WILL ALWAYS REMAIN AS CONSERVATEES PASS AWAY OR ARE RELEASED FROM CONSERVATORSHIP. IN THE PAST, WHEN WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR ADDITIONAL DEPUTIZED STAFF, WE EMPHASIZED THAT WE HAD A BACKLOG OF THESE TRANSITION CASES THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND WE HAVE USED THE INCREASE IN STAFF TO ADDRESS THAT BACKLOG. SO THE GAP YOU SEE HERE OF TRANSITION CASES IS LARGELY THE AMOUNT THAT WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE AS WE HAVE TURNOVER WITH PEOPLE COMING OFF OF CONSERVATORSHIP. THAT NUMBER WILL NEVER BE REDUCED DOWN TO ZERO. SO OUR AVERAGE CASELOAD SIZE IS CURRENTLY AT 36 CASES PER CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICER. THIS IS RIGHT AT THE HIGH END OF THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT, WHICH IS BETWEEN 25 TO 35 [04:15:04] MAXIMUM. REDUCING TO FIVE CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICERS WOULD RAISE THE CASELOADS TO ABOUT 43 EACH, WHICH IS ALMOST TWICE OF THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT. AND WE DID HAVE THREE CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICER POSITIONS ADDED FOLLOWING CONCERNS FROM THE 2020 GRAND JURY REPORT REGARDING CASELOAD SIZE. AND THEY WERE HIRED BACK IN 2024. AND THOSE THREE WHO WERE HIRED IN 2024 ARE STILL COMPLETING THEIR TWO-YEAR TRAINING PERIOD. SO THEY'RE COMING RIGHT UP ON THE END OF THAT TRAINING PERIOD BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO FULLY TRAIN STAFF IN THE FULL RANGE OF WORK THAT WE DO. HAVING ADEQUATE STAFFING HELPS MITIGATE PROGRAM RISKS AND INSUFFICIENT STAFFING INCREASES RISK TO OUR CONSERVATEES SAFETY NEEDS AND ASSET PROTECTION AND JUST AS A REMINDER THE CASELOAD DOES DRIVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORKLOAD BUT THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THAT WORKLOAD THAT ARE NOT JUST CAPTURED IN A CASELOAD SUCH AS INVESTIGATIONS THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN MUST INVESTIGATE EACH REFERRAL THAT WE RECEIVE AND ON AVERAGE THOSE TAKE ABOUT BETWEEN 15 TO 25 HOURS TO INVESTIGATE AND THAT WOULD NOT BE CAPTURED IN THE ONGOING CASELOAD DATA. SO THE DEMAND FOR PUBLIC GUARDIAN SERVICES WILL CONTINUE INCREASING DUE TO A VARIETY OF REASONS. AND SOME OF THESE REASONS WERE ADDRESSED BACK WHEN WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR ADDITIONAL CONSERVATORSHIP OFFICER STAFF. SO I HAVE A FEW UPDATES ON THOSE SECTIONS. AS WELL AS SOME NEW INFORMATION ON AN UNANTICIPATED IMPACT THAT WE ARE FINDING IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING THE AMOUNT OF REFERRALS WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE SUPERIOR COURT. SO FIRST IS THE CARE ACT, THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE RECOVERY AND EMPOWERMENT ACT, WHICH IS A CIVIL COURT PROCESS, AND IT LAUNCHED LOCALLY IN DECEMBER OF 2024. IT'S ANOTHER AVENUE TO REFER FOR CONSERVATORSHIP IF CARE IS NOT SUCCESSFUL FOR THE CLIENT. AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT THE COURT IS... USUALLY NOT WAITING TO SEE IF THE CLIENT IS SUCCESSFUL IN CARECORP PRIOR TO ALSO REFERRING FOR CONSERVATORSHIP. SO WE'RE SEEING CONCURRENT REFERRALS TO CARECORP AND THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN SIMULTANEOUSLY. AND SO EVEN IF IN OUR PROCESS WE WOULD NEED TO BASICALLY DENY THE REFERRAL AND LET THE CARECORP PROCESS PLAY OUT IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS WILLING TO ENGAGE IN IT, WE STILL HAVE THE WORK OF INVESTIGATING ALL THE REFERRALS THAT WE RECEIVE. THE NEXT AREA OF IMPACT IS SENATE BILL 43. SB 43 WAS IMPLEMENTED LOCALLY IN JANUARY OF 2026, AND IT MAY IMPACT THE NUMBER OF CONSERVATORSHIP REFERRALS AND CASES THROUGH THE EXPANDED CRITERIA FOR GRAVE DISABILITY. BUT SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. WE'VE HAD ONE REFERRAL THAT WE'VE ACCEPTED UNDER THE NEW CRITERIA, BUT WE ARE ONLY FOUR MONTHS IN, SO I THINK WE'RE STILL WAITING TO KIND OF SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT. WE ALSO HAVE THE GROWTH OF YOLO COUNTY'S AGING POPULATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY BY 2060. IN 2020, THE AGING POPULATION WAS 41,541. BY 2060, THE AGING POPULATION IS PROJECTED TO BE 59,436, WHICH REPRESENTS A 43% INCREASE. AND THEN THE LAST IMPACT IS THE ONE THAT WAS UNANTICIPATED AT THE TIME OF OUR LAST REPORT. IT'S SENATE BILL 1323. SO THIS CAME INTO EFFECT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024 AND HAS RESULTED IN AN INCREASE OF REFERRALS DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN FROM THE SUPERIOR COURT. THIS BILL ALLOWS FOR THE COURT TO BYPASS ATTEMPTS AT COMPETENCY RESTORATION. IF TWO LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS OR PSYCHIATRISTS EVALUATE THE DEFENDANT AND DETERMINE THEY ARE INCOMPETENT AND UNLIKELY TO REGAIN COMPETENCY, THEN THE COURT CAN REFER THE DEFENDANT FOR DIVERSION OR... DIRECTLY FOR A CONSERVATORSHIP EVALUATION FOR THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN. SO EVEN IF WE DON'T ACCEPT THE REFERRAL, WE ARE REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE EACH REFERRAL THAT WE RECEIVE, WHICH AGAIN TAKES A MINIMUM OF 15 TO 25 HOURS DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CASE. AND THE REFERRALS WE'VE SEEN FROM THIS SENATE BILL DIRECTLY HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED OUR COURT-ORDERED REFERRALS BY 250% SINCE SEPTEMBER 2024. AND NOW THE COURT ORDERED REFERRALS MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE TOTAL REFERRALS THAT WE RECEIVE. [04:20:04] SO NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO DIRECTOR MORALES TO DISCUSS OUR FISCAL SUMMARY. I THINK IN SUMMARY, WE'RE JUST CONCLUDING THE SAME SIMILAR STORY, UNFORTUNATELY. WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR THIS POSITION. WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS. MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION OR IDENTIFY ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE. OBVIOUSLY, YOU SEE THE IMPACT AND THE NEED, SO I'LL LEAVE IT THERE FOR NOW AND WELCOME QUESTIONS. YES, THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO AS A WHAT SLIDE IS IT IS ON SLIDE FIVE. SO WE WERE DOWN TO THREE STAFFS PUBLIC GUARDIANS IN 2024 THE BOARD ENDED UP ADDING THREE MORE BUMPS UP TO SIX SO WE WENT FROM THREE TO SIX, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY AT SIX, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PERHAPS GOING DOWN TO FIVE. CORRECT. AND THOSE THREE THAT WERE ADDED ARE STILL IN TRAINING? CORRECT, YES. OKAY. THIS IS MY WORRY IF WE LET ONE GO BECAUSE IT TAKES SO LONG TO TRAIN, AND ALSO THIS IS ON A HILL. WE MADE THESE PROPER ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS. CORRECT. AND THE LIABILITY AND ALL OF THAT THAT COMES WITH IT. YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN AROUND THAT WOULD BE IF WE REDUCE. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS GET, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO REPRESENT, INCREASES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THEN WE TRY TO ADD SOMEBODY ON, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A GOOD TWO YEARS TO TRAIN UP, RIGHT? SO IN A WAY WE'RE TRENDING DOWNWARDS. IN A WAY, I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, I'M THINKING IF WE NEED TO EVENTUALLY CUT, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, WE'RE REDUCING THE CASELOAD. THE TREND IS GOING DOWNWARDS, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A THREE-YEAR BUDGET REDUCTION. SO MAYBE NOT THIS YEAR, BUT IF THERE'S A NEED TO REDUCE, IT WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE LATTER YEARS. I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING THAT WAY. I'M NOT SURE IF THE BOARD FEELS THAT WAY, BUT IF NOT, THEN I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. I WILL JUST ADD ONE THING TO YOUR POINT. YES, WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY ANTICIPATE AN IMPACT ON OUR STAFF AND THE TRAINING BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS NOT FULLY TRAINED THEN THEY'RE NOT FULLY AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE FULL RANGE OF THEIR DUTIES AND SO TASKS ARE STILL SHARED AMONGST THE REMAINING DEPUTIZED STAFF AND WE ARE TRYING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO BE VERY PROACTIVE WITH ANY WAY WE CAN LOOK AT ADJUSTING OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE POSITION THAT THE COUNTY IS IN AND WHAT WE ARE FACING POTENTIALLY. BUT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO PRESERVE WITHIN OUR OWN PROGRAM BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT AND TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN STAFFING IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OR EVEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE, AS YOU'VE SEEN TRENDING, THE REVENUE THAT WE CAN BRING BACK TO THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I WAS THE ONE THAT ASKED FOR THIS, AND IF WE CAN GO TO SLIDE SEVEN, PLEASE. BECAUSE THAT WAS MY BIG WORRY, IS LIKE WE NOT ONLY HAD ALL OF THE, FOR THE SLIDE THAT I JUST ASKED YOU TO MOVE AWAY FROM, BUT WE HAD ALL OF THOSE OPEN CASES AND THE GRAND JURY REPORT, BUT THAT THERE WAS THE CONCERN ABOUT ALL OF THESE CHANGES COMING ON AT ONCE THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE WORKLOAD. BUT IT HASN'T SO FAR, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LAST ONE OF THEM WAS ONLY FOUR MONTHS IN THE MAKING. BECAUSE IT TAKES TWO YEARS, THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS SUPERVISOR BARAJAS, THAT IS MY WORRY, IS THAT IF WE SAY, OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE ONE POSITION AND LET THAT PERSON GO, BUT THEN SUDDENLY THE THINGS TAKE EFFECT AND NOW WE'RE WAY UP, AND NOW IT'LL TAKE US TWO YEARS TO GET SOMEBODY UP AND GOING AGAIN. ARE YOU EVER ABLE TO HIRE SOMEBODY THAT... IS ALREADY TRAINED OR THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE FIELD TO BE ABLE TO? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. IT'S SUCH A UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE OF THE BREADTH OF RESPONSIBILITY, FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF ESTATE MANAGEMENT, WHICH CAN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY, NOT JUST APPLYING FOR OR MAINTAINING BENEFITS, LOOKING INTO STOCKS, PENSIONS. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD COME FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL YOU MIGHT SELECT OUT THERE ON THE STREET WHO IS FINDING THEMSELVES IN NEED OF THESE SERVICES. AND EVEN FOLKS WHO HAVE [04:25:01] EXPERIENCE MAYBE WITH, LIKE, OTHER PUBLIC GUARDIAN COUNTIES, THEY MIGHT HAVE A CONTEXT OF WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES, BUT COUNTY BY COUNTY THE IMPLEMENTATION IS VERY DIFFERENT. SO IT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING SOMEONE ON THAT WOULD HAVE ANY SORT OF A LEG UP OR BE CLOSER TO BEING FULLY TRAINED. THERE ARE... A LOT OF ANALYTICAL SKILLS AND THINGS THAT WILL TRANSLATE. BUT AS FAR AS THE SPECIFIC WORK THAT GOES BEHIND THE DECISION-MAKING, THE MEDICAL CONSENTS, THE ENDS-OF-LIFE DECISIONS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO INVEST THE TIME IN IN OUR TRAINING, WHICH IS WHY IT TAKES SO LONG. AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT LORI IS RETIRING. AND SO THERE WILL BE, IT'S SUCH A SMALL UNIT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE SOME SALARY SAVINGS BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, YOU HIRE SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T HAVE 37 YEARS, IS THAT WHAT WE SAID IN THE RESOLUTION? SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IF THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BACKFILL THE POSITION. WE REALLY NEED TO, OUR GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY RECRUIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE WILL MONITOR THAT AND SEE WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS. WE'LL COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH MORE INFORMATION. YEAH. SO I AM, I KNOW IT'S SUCH ALL VERY, VERY TERRIBLE DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE, CAN I SAVE SOMETHING? SO, FOR, I UNDERSTAND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WOULD IDENTIFY ANOTHER $129,000. I REALLY, I TRULY DON'T. BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S THAT SALARY SAVINGS, AND THEN ALSO YOU'RE LOOKING AT FEES THAT YOU MIGHT BE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT. I JUST WORRY ABOUT LOSING THE YEAR THAT WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN THE PERSON TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS JOB THAT THEN IS A YEAR LOST. SO, STILL WORKING THIS THROUGH IN MY HEAD. WE WANT TO VALIDATE HOW WE END IN QUARTER THREE AND FOUR IN TERMS OF BOTH THE REVENUE AND THE STAFFING CHANGES AND THE MAY REVISE THAT'S GOING TO DROP NEXT WEEK. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT THAT PERHAPS IN ADOPTED WILL COME TO THE BOARD WITH SOME CHANGES. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SORT OF THINKING. AND I KNOW THAT THE VERY FIRST SLIDE SAID WE'RE NOT MAKING A FINAL DECISION TODAY. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AND SO IT'S... MAYBE IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEFORE JUNE 1ST TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT. YEAH. IF I COULD, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THE CLOSEOUT ITEM. I THINK IT'S THE APPROPRIATE PLACE GIVEN THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ONGOING STRUCTURAL DEFICITS AS I WOULD KIND OF UNDERSCORE AT LEAST MY OPINION WE OUGHT TO EXPLORE FURTHER YOU OPTION OF FURLOUGHS AS WE CONTEMPLATE DEEPER CUTS. WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CFO'S RESPONSE LAST TIME THAT IT'S GENERALLY USED FOR TEMPORARY MEASURES, WE NEED ALL OF THE TOOLS ON THE TABLE, OR IN THE TOOL BELT, I SHOULD SAY, TO PULL OUT AS NEEDED. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE THAT WE PROBABLY WANT TO CONSIDER. AND THEN THE SECOND, I WOULD SAY, IS THE GOLDEN HANDSHAKES. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF THOUGHTFUL DISCOURSE THIS MORNING RELATIVE TO THAT ISSUE AND I THINK AS MUCH AS IT'S REAL AND OUR BUDGET REMAINS LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WE GET TO RESPOND TO IT WE NEED TO THINK DEEPER AROUND WHAT OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR COST SAVINGS IN A STRUCTURAL WAY. AND SO I THINK GOLDEN HANDSHAKES HAS TO BE ON THE TABLE AS WELL. SO I WOULD OFFER THOSE TWO FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I WASN'T PLANNING ON CLOSING OUT THE ITEM, JUST THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN ONE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK TOM ANY QUESTIONS, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD PUBLIC COMMENT. SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN THING, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE HOW MANY PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS DO YOU HAVE? TWO. TWO. OH, OKAY. THEN, YEAH. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE NUMBER WAS. YES, SUPERVISOR FERRER. YEAH, THANK YOU. JUST SO ON THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN ITEM, I THINK, I MEAN, I APPRECIATED SUPERVISOR ROSS, THE KIND OF THE OTHER SLIDE AROUND THE SORT OF STAFFING LEVELS AND THE CASE LEVELS, AND TOTALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SORT OF A CIVIL GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATION. BUT I ALSO THEN... AND I WAS LIKE IN MY HEAD LIKE, WELL, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT THEN I WAS LIKE, BUT I WAS ALSO LIKE SLIDE SEVEN, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR ALLEN, I APPRECIATE YOU RINGING UP. BECAUSE LIKE I THINK THAT'S THE NOT ONLY CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS, BUT THE COMING DOWN THE PIKE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS OR FUTURE STATE OF AFFAIRS. AND SO, I MEAN, WE MADE THAT DECISION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, OBVIOUSLY, IN TERMS OF THE INCREASED STAFFING. I THINK WHILE THE CASELOADS MAY BE PRETTY MANAGEABLE AT THE MOMENT, [04:30:01] I THINK THE FUTURE IS THIS. I MEAN, I THINK VERY MUCH SO. AND SO, I MEAN, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE KEEPING OF THE CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL. I THINK, YES, THAT MEANS ADDITIONAL SORT OF SHARPENING OF THE PENCILS AND FIGURING OUT THE $129,000. I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION OF THE INCREASED FEES. I MEAN, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE AND GROWING, BUT I THINK REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL HIGHLIGHTING THAT. AND YOU SAID EVEN AS OF THIS YEAR, IT'S ALREADY. 223, I THINK, WAS WHAT YOU HAD SAID, WHICH IS EVEN HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY NEVER GOING TO BE 100%, CERTAINLY BASED ON THE POPULATION AND CLIENTELE AND SUCH. BUT I THINK THAT I'M GRATEFUL, AGAIN, FOR JUST THAT EVEN SLIGHT INCREASE. EVERY BIT HELPS, CLEARLY. THAT'S BEEN THE THEME OF THE DAY. WE'VE BEEN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. AND JUST GRATEFUL, OF COURSE, FOR THE WORK THAT... FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN'S OFFICE DO OF COURSE CERTAINLY BUT I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY FOR ME LIKE CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL THERE I MEAN I THINK I YOU KNOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ALL ARE HATING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS UH WORK BUT I MEAN I THINK THE THE VALUE IS SHOWN AND PROVEN AND THAT THE NEED IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THERE SO I MEAN I'M HAPPY AND VERY CONTENT WITH THE CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL AND I WANT TO JUST VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THAT SO THANK YOU GREAT OKAY, AND THIS MORNING, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WEREN'T HERE, DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, I ALLOWED PEOPLE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE EVERYBODY, THE ROOM WAS MORE FULL AT THE TIME AND I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE ACCESS TO BE HEARD. AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST PUBLICLY SAY THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ALL HERE WERE HEARD AND I TOOK NOTES ON WHAT YOU SAID AND WE ALSO HAD MANY LETTERS THAT CAME IN, SOME OF WHICH WERE. POSTED BECAUSE THEY WERE RECEIVED EARLY ENOUGH SOME OF THEM OVERNIGHT SO VERY HEARTFELT AND THOSE WERE ALL ALL HEARD UM IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PERHAPS SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SPEAK NOW HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO IT IN GENERAL THAT IS NOT ALLOWED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE OPPORTUNITY AND I GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY EARLIER BUT BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY TWO OF THEM I'LL ALLOW IT SO LET'S DO THE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS IN THE FUTURE THOUGH IT'S ONE TIME THAT YOU GET TO SPEAK ABOUT AN ITEM SO PLEASE OKAY SURE ADDITIONALLY, WE RECEIVED WRITTEN COMMENTS FROM ANA LOZA, HILLARY SURLEY, ELISA JEFFREY, LETICIA VILLARREAL, HOLLY HASHIMOTO, JANET PALOMINO, OLIVIA EZRA, JESSICA HAYES, ZULEY, KEARNEY SCOTT, MARCOS ALCALA FLORES, ELIZABETH JIMENEZ, TERRY DUTTON, CITLALY INSUNZA SALAZAR, ELANI BONILLA, DANIEL JOHNSON, ANGELICA ZARAGOZA-YEPES, MARIA VARGAS, CHRISTINE HEMPEL. RACHEL PATUTAS, TANYA JACOBS, AND ADRIANNE REMOLDI, WHICH HAVE BEEN FORWARD TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AS PART OF YOUR CORRESPONDENTS AND WILL BE PLACED INTO THE RECORD. I DO HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS KATE LADISH. AS A REMINDER, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. AND AS KATE WORKS HER WAY UP. DID YOU RECEIVE THE HEALTH COUNCIL REQUEST ALSO? OKAY, JUST LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT THE CHAIR OF THE HEALTH COUNCIL HAD BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME. SHE'S A PHYSICIAN AND HAD PATIENTS TO SEE AT 1 O'CLOCK. SO I SAID I WOULD ALLOW KATE TO DO HER OWN PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN READ THE HEALTH COUNCIL THING. SO YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR YOURS AND THEN TWO MINUTES REPRESENTING THE PERSON FROM HEALTH COUNCIL. THANK YOU. WELCOME, KATE. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU, CHAIR ARLEN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M KATE LADISH, AND MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW ARE INFORMED BY, ALTHOUGH I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, BY BEING CHAIR OF THE YOLO COUNTY IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, A MEMBER OF THE YOLO COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING AND ADULT SERVICES, AND PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES CONSUMER ALLIANCE. AS YOU KNOW, IHSS IS A DEEPLY VITAL PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES, AS WELL AS OLDER ADULTS, TO LIVE SAFELY AT HOME RATHER THAN IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE. THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT JUST DRAWING RESOURCES. WE ALSO, WE'RE PART OF THE FABRIC OF THIS GREAT YOLO COUNTY COMMUNITY. THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ARE DIRE, NOT JUST AT THE COUNTY, BUT ALSO AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THERE ARE, THE GOVERNOR'S JANUARY PROPOSED BUDGET HAS THREE REALLY SPECIFIC, VERY SWEEPING CUTS GEARED RIGHT AT IHSS. AND SO I... WHILE WE'RE PUSHING BACK AGAINST THOSE AT THE STATE LEVEL, SOME OF THEM WOULD THEN REALLY DRAMATICALLY AFFECT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. ONE OF THEM IS TO GET RID OF WHAT'S CALLED THE IHSS RESIDUAL PROGRAM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING IF SOMEBODY LOSES THEIR MEDI-CAL, THEN THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY ALSO LOSE THEIR IHSS RATHER THAN HAVING A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME TO TRY TO CORRECT WHATEVER'S GOING ON WITH MEDI-CAL. THE RIPPLE EFFECT WITH THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUS BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE CARE FROM A FAMILY MEMBER, THAT [04:35:01] PERSON WOULD THEN ALSO LOSE THEIR INCOME. AND SO THAT JUST RIGHT THERE WOULD TREMENDOUSLY LEAD TO RISK OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION IS ALSO RISK OF HOMELESSNESS FOR FAMILIES. AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN STAFFING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. THE YOLO COUNTY IHSS ADVISORY COMMITTEE VOTED LAST MONTH. FOR TWO REQUESTS THAT YOU WOULD BE HEARING WHEN WE GIVE OUR PRESENTATION. THEY ARE TO ADVOCATE FOR IHSS, MEDI-CAL, AND MEDICAID AT STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS AND TO FUND VACANT IHSS POSITIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY BUDGET. SO THANK YOU. AND I WILL. I NOW READ COMMENTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF DR. ERICA ROSHANAVAN, WHO'S A FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE DAVIS COMMUNITY CLINIC AND CHAIR OF THE YOLO COUNTY HEALTH COUNCIL. SO SHE SAYS, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR ALLEN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M DR. ERICA ROSHANAVAN, A FAMILY PHYSICIAN, CHAIR OF THE YOLO COUNTY HEALTH COUNCIL. OUR COUNCIL REPRESENTS EACH OF YOUR SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICTS, OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, AND THE HEALTH CBOS. AT THIS MEETING LAST WEEK, HHSA SHOWED HOW THEY COULD CUT NEARLY $9 MILLION FROM THEIR NON-GENERAL FUNDS TO LIMIT THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT. THESE CUTS ARE ALREADY DEVASTATING. I'M HERE TO URGE THE BOARD TO EXCLUDE HHSA AND PUBLIC HEALTH FROM ANY ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND CUTS. IN OUR MARCH LETTER TO THIS BOARD, THE HEALTH COUNCIL ARGUED THAT HHSA FULFILLS NON-NEGOTIABLE NEEDS, FOOD, HOUSING, HEALTH ENROLLMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, DISABILITY SERVICES, CHILD WELFARE, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THESE CANNOT BE REPLICATED IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. FEDERAL HR1 MANDATES WILL DOUBLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN TO ENROLL AND KEEP RESIDENTS ON MEDI-CAL AND CALFRESH. WE CANNOT AUTOMATE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS, CUTTING STAFF WHILE THE WORKLOAD DOUBLES AS A RECIPE FOR FUNCTIONAL FAILURE. WHILE PEOPLE FALL OFF OF CALFRESH, THEY DON'T EAT ENOUGH. WHEN THEY LOSE MEDI-CAL, THEY FOREGO CARE UNTIL THEY LAND IN THE ER, OFTEN BECOMING DEPENDENT ON INDIGENT CARE, CMSP. THAT THE COUNTY IS MANDATED TO PAY FOR. IT IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO INVEST IN THE STAFF NEEDED TO PREVENT THESE EXPENSIVE AND IMMINENT DOWNSTREAM OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, THE PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS INCLUDE 22 POSITIONS FROM THE ENROLLMENT BRANCH. CRUCIALLY, 18 OF THESE ARE FILLED POSITIONS. THESE ARE NOT EMPTY DESKS, THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP YOLO COUNTY FED AND INSURED. TO LOSE STAFF CAPACITY WHILE HR1 DOUBLES THE WORKLOAD IS A FUNDAMENTAL THREAT TO OUR COUNTY SAFETY NET. HHSA HAS ALREADY SACRIFICED $9 MILLION TO ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT. FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS, THE HEALTH COUNCIL URGES YOU NOT TO CUT HHSA FURTHER FROM THE GENERAL FUND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF THOSE. PLEASURE. THANK YOU. NEXT. THE LAST SPEAKER IS SHELBY HANEY. HELLO AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR A SECOND TIME. I'M NEW, SO I'M JUST LEARNING THE PROCESS. AS I STATED EARLIER, MY NAME IS SHELBY HANEY. I'M AN INVESTIGATING SOCIAL WORKER WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES HERE IN YOLO COUNTY. I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR AGENCY IS IN A DIFFICULT PLACE, AND OUR LEADERSHIP MUST MAKE AN EQUALLY DIFFICULT DECISION. I APPRECIATE DIRECTOR GREEN'S BELIEF IN HER STAFF, BUT I COULD NOT LEAVE TODAY WITHOUT SHARING THAT MYSELF AND MY PEERS, WHO HAVE DONE THEIR BEST TO KEEP UP ONLINE AND FOLLOW ALONG AND MISS THEIR WORK TODAY, THAT WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT SHARE THE SAME SENSE OF SECURITY THAT'S BEEN EXPRESSED. PRIOR TO THESE PROPOSED CUTS, OUR AGENCY HAS ALREADY HAD STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED OUR WORKLOAD AND OUR WORKFORCE. IN INTAKE AND INVESTIGATIONS, WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPERIENCING AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF WORK, DECREASED STAFF MORALE, AND SUBSTANTIAL TURNOVER, AND NOT JUST IN OUR PART OF THE AGENCY. INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED TODAY SHOWING THE INCREDIBLE EFFORTS OUR FRONT-END TEAM HAS DONE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF KIDS TAKEN INTO CARE. THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN WE HAVE THE TIME AND ABILITY TO THOROUGHLY WORK WITH FAMILIES, ONE-ON-ONE WITH THEM. WITH A REDUCTION IN COUNTY PROGRAMS AND BENEFITS, NOT TO MENTION TIME TO ACCESS SERVICES AND RESOURCES DUE TO PROPOSED CUTS TO OUR SERVICE CENTERS, OUR TIME WITH FAMILIES WILL BECOME EVEN MORE INTEGRAL AS PREVENTATIVE SERVICES. AS I SAID EARLIER, ALL ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES STEAL OUR TIME TO WORK WITH FAMILIES. DIRECTOR GREEN NOTED SHE IS MAINTAINING AS MUCH OF MY POSITION, SOCIAL WORKER PRACTITIONER, AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE ARE QUALIFIED TO COMPLETE ALL TASKS. QUALIFICATION DOES NOT EQUAL AVAILABILITY. MY JOB WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PEERS AND ALL THE SUPPORT STAFF IN PLACE DOING INTEGRAL WORK WITH THE FAMILIES ON THE FRONT END AND BEHIND THE SCENES. I CANNOT DO MY JOB THOROUGHLY WITHOUT THEM. AS I STATED EARLIER, OUR AGENCY DOES NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT EVERYBODY. AND WE ALREADY FEEL AN IMPACT NOW BEFORE THESE CHANGES ARE EVEN IN PLACE. WE ARE ALL DEEPLY CONCERNED HOW THESE PROPOSED CUTS WOULD FURTHER THREATEN OUR ABILITY [04:40:01] TO DO OUR JOBS TO KEEP KIDS SAFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. THEN WE WILL RETURN TO THE PRESENTATION AS A WHOLE AND ALSO DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES PRESENTATION. UM, COMMENTS, QUESTION AND DIRECTION. JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE ARE NOT DECISIONS BEING MADE TODAY, BUT DIRECTION FROM BOARD IS BEING REQUESTED. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. HAYNES OR ANYBODY ELSE? IS THAT IT? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO JUST A QUESTION. SO WHAT I THINK I HEARD IS AT LEAST SOME HESITATION AROUND PUBLIC GUARDIAN POSITIONS TO THE TUNE OF $130,000, $40,000, $50,000. SO HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO STAFF COMES BACK WITH OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER? BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY AT THE $1.9 MILLION, I THINK IT WAS, RIGHT? A MILLION THAT WE NEED TO FIND BETWEEN NOW AND FINALIZATION. SO WE INCREMENTALLY ADD TO THAT, WE NEED TO GIVE SOME DIRECTION ON, SO THEN IF NOT THERE FROM WHERE, RIGHT? OR IS THAT, OKAY. YEP, THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANTED A LEVEL SET SO WE'RE ALL UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. YES. FINISHED? SUPERVISOR PERKS? WELL, I APPRECIATE SUPERVISOR VILLEGAS PREVIOUSLY ASKING IN THE OTHER PRESENTATION, AND THEN IT CAME UP AGAIN ALREADY IN THIS PRESENTATION, AROUND THE ISSUE OF EARLY RETIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE OF, I MEAN, JUST FURLOUGHS. I MEAN, I WOULD JUST KIND OF BRIEFLY TOUCHED UPON LAST WEEK. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE FROM YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, WHAT INVESTIGATION OF THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, WHY IT CAN'T BE IMPLEMENTED. THAT'S JUST ONE COMPONENT. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN CONCERN RAISED AROUND POTENTIAL CONTRACTING OUT, RIGHT? IF YOU REDUCE A BUNCH OF STAFF, LIKE, ARE WE JUST GOING TO BE DOING CONTRACTING OUT OF VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES? I THINK THERE IS A STATE LAW IN EFFECT THAT PROHIBITS THAT FROM OCCURRING. AT LEAST YOU HAVE TO KIND OF THERE HAS TO BE A CHECK-IN WITH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZED LABOR REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS, BASICALLY, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO OCCUR. SO I WANT TO JUST CHECK IN ON THAT AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE THE FIRST COUPLE QUESTIONS. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUICK. ADDITIONAL ONES MADAM CHAIR AFTER THAT BUT THOSE ARE THE FIRST ONES YEAH I CAN TAKE THOSE THE QUESTIONS ALEX TINGLE TO THE CAM MINISTRY'S OFFICE UM SO STARTING WITH THE WITH THE CONTRACTING OUT PIECE UM SO IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT THE BUDGETARY REDUCTIONS WOULD RESULT IN THE COMMENSURATE REDUCTION SERVICE PARTICULARLY IF THE POSITION IS FILLED SIMILARLY WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO REDUCE CONTRACTS ACROSS THE BOARD. BOTH IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND WE ALSO MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRACT REDUCTIONS IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR AS WELL. SO GIVEN THAT, I WOULD SAY THAT IT SHOULD NOT, THERE IS NO INTENT FROM STAFF OR AN ASSUMPTION THAT ANY OF THE REDUCED SERVICES WOULD THEN BE SUPPLANTED WITH CONTRACTING OUT. AND THEN AS YOU MENTIONED, SUPERVISOR FRERICHS, THE COUNTY COMPLIES WITH AB 339 AND THE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS TO LABOR. REGARDING THE CONTRACTING OUT OF CLASS OF DUTIES THAT MAY BE COVERED BY REPRESENTING CLASSIFICATIONS THANK YOU. JUST SO THAT ON THE EARLY RETIREMENTS ITEM AND OR FURLOUGHS. YEAH SO ON THE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE PIECE WE HAVE WE HAVE GIVEN THIS SOME INVESTIGATION SO GOLDEN HANDSHAKES ARE GOVERNED BY PERS WE CONTRACT WITH CALPERS FOR OUR RETIRE FOR OUR RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND WE'RE BOUND BY OUR CONTRACT WITH THEM SO FOR YOLO COUNTY WE'RE ABLE OR POTENTIALLY ABLE TO OFFER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND ARE AT MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE, POTENTIALLY OFFER ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS OF SERVICE CREDIT IF THEY WERE TO LEAVE EARLY, IF THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT THE BOARD CHOSE TO ENACT. THAT WOULD THEN COME WITH, WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE TO PERS THAT THAT RESULTED IN A NET REDUCTION IN FTE. AND WE WOULD ALSO, WE WOULD THEN ALSO HAVE AN ONGOING INCREASE IN OUR PENSION OBLIGATION GIVEN THAT WE'RE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS OF SERVICE CREDIT. THERE'S A COUPLE CHALLENGES THERE. ONE, THERE'S THE OBVIOUS DEFERRED COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. BUT EVEN IN THE NEAR TERM, WHILE THERE IS SOME OPTION TO TAILOR HOW THAT PROGRAM COULD BE OFFERED, IT IS NOT CERTAIN THAT THOSE WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE I'M NOT SURE. AND THOSE WHO WOULD TAKE THAT PROPOSAL WOULD ALIGN WITH THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND FUNDING STREAMS THAT ARE FACING THE CURRENT, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS [04:45:01] OF ANY SORT OF BUDGETARY REDUCTION. SO THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE OF MISALIGNMENT, POTENTIAL ISSUE OF MISALIGNMENT THERE, WHICH I THINK MAY LIMIT ITS APPLICABILITY AND LIMIT ITS... I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A, IT COULD FULLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES THERE IN IMPLEMENTING THAT AND ENSURING THAT IT MEETS THE NECESSARY, WE MEET OUR NECESSARY REDUCTION TARGETS. IN REGARDS, AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS YOU ASKED, SUPERVISOR? YES, THAT'S CORRECT, YEAH. OH, AND FURLOUGH. FURLOUGH. SO, YES, IN REGARDS TO THE FURLOUGH PIECE, I THINK AS OUR CFO MENTIONED LAST TIME, AND I THINK AS YOU NOTED IN YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS WITH THE FURLOUGH IS THAT YOU KNOW, FURLOUGH DOESN'T PROVIDE A PERMANENT REDUCTION EXPENDITURE, RIGHT? IT'S A SET REDUCTION EXPENDITURE FOR THE DURATION OF THE FURLOUGH. OUR BUDGETARY SITUATION IS WE FACE A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT. WE ANTICIPATE THAT GOING FORWARD OUR COSTS WILL EXCEED OUR AVAILABLE REVENUES. SO IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT A FURLOUGH, IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THAT FURLOUGH, RIGHT? IS THAT AN ONGOING FURLOUGH? HOW WOULD THAT BE IMPLEMENTED? AND THEN I THINK THAT'S A I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S NOT A TRADITIONAL APPLICATION OF HOW A FURLOUGH IS GENERALLY USED. USUALLY THAT'S TO ABRIDGE A KNOWN FUNDING CHALLENGE OR BUDGETARY CHALLENGE WHERE THERE IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME THE BUDGETARY CIRCUMSTANCE WILL CHANGE. I THINK IN OUR CASE WE'RE DEALING WITH A BIT OF A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC WHERE WE FACE AN ONGOING STRUCTURAL DEFICIT WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL OF AN ONGOING FURLOUGH. I THINK IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD CONCEPTUALLY, IF THE FURLOUGH WAS OF INTEREST TO THE BOARD, JUST LOOKING AT WITHIN THE GENERAL UNIT, UNIT. TO MEET THE REDUCTION TARGET ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, THAT WOULD RESULT POTENTIALLY IN ONE FURLOUGH DAY PER MONTH ACROSS THAT BARGAINING UNIT. NOW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S I THINK IS A VERY PRELIMINARY LOOK AT THAT DATA, BUT I OFFER THAT FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES. IS THAT AN OPERATIONAL ARRANGEMENT THAT MAKES SENSE GIVEN OUR ONGOING STRUCTURAL DEFICIT? THANK YOU, APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN I HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION, BUT IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT, THAT'S GREAT. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN BALANCE THE BUDGET SHORT-TERM, SAY A THREE-YEAR FURLOUGH. WE CAN DO THAT MAYBE ONE DAY, TWO DAYS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. BUT WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT AFTER THAT THIRD YEAR, THE END OF THE FURLOUGH PERIOD, THEN THAT OBLIGATION INCREASES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY THE INDIVIDUAL FIVE DAYS, 40-HOUR WORK WEEK. AND SO NOW WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT, YEAH, WE TRIMMED, BUT THEN AFTER THREE YEARS, IT JUMPS BACK UP, AND NOW WE'RE IN DEBT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A PERMANENT WAY TO REDUCE. YEAH, I THINK TO MAYBE RESTATE THAT, THAT AT THE END OF THAT PERIOD, WE'RE STILL FACED WITH THE SAME CHALLENGE THAT WE STARTED WITH. I'LL ADD JUST VERY BRIEFLY TO OKAY, GO AHEAD, MARY. IT COULD ALLOW US, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, AND THE PRIOR ITEM WENT INTO SOME POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR REVENUE GENERATION THAT COULD COVER THAT GAP IN THREE YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO COVER THAT GAP THIS YEAR. IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO COVER IT NEXT YEAR EITHER, BUT POSSIBLY IN THREE YEARS. YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER, WE DON'T HAVE TO FACE THE FULL EXTENT OF THESE CUTS TODAY. OR FOR THIS YEAR. I DON'T KNOW, AND I REALLY DO NEED TO HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER FURLOUGHS COULD BE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, NOT FOR THE FULL $35 MILLION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO RIGHT NOW IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT MAYBE FOR THE $2 MILLION THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE THE GAP AS OF NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW UNTIL THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT LEVEL OF FURLOUGH AND GOLDEN HANDSHAKE COULD BEGIN TO GIVE US SOME ABILITY TO BUY SOME TIME, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO MAKE ANY KIND OF DECISION OR JUDGMENT ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD DO NEXT. SO I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. EVEN IF THREE YEARS FROM NOW WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND VISIT THESE CUTS AGAIN, WE'VE DONE THE DRILL AND WE'VE MADE, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, JUST SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT. SINCE WE CAN WRAP UP THE FURLOUGH, IT'S A MULTI-YEAR APPROACH THAT WE WERE DOING TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING DEFICIT. SO I THINK THAT GETTING MORE INFORMATION IS GOOD FOR THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK WE STILL MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION FOR THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE STILL [04:50:01] GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS FURTHER. I THINK ANY OF THE WORK THAT WE CAN DO NOW, WE MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO IMPLEMENT IT FOR THIS YEAR, BUT MAYBE IT COULD BE PLANNING FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. I'LL JUST ADD THAT FOR PURPOSES OF THE CONVERSATION HERE, IF THE BOARD DOES EXPRESS INTEREST IN HAVING MORE DETAILED, MORE DEFINITIVE INFORMATION COMING BACK TO YOU, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THAT IS ALSO GOING TO BE AN OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICABILITY ACROSS VARIOUS MOUS, BECAUSE MOUS WITHIN THE COUNTY INCORPORATE LANGUAGE AROUND FURLOUGHS SPECIFICALLY. AND THERE'S... BASICALLY SOME SORT OF I'LL CALL IT RECIPROCITY LANGUAGE THAT'S INCORPORATED IN SOME OF THOSE MOUS THAT JUST TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF NOT SAYING IT SHOULD MAKE ANY DECISIONS OF THAT WHATSOEVER BUT IT DOES TRIGGER COMPONENTS OF MOUS THAT WE WANT TO JUST BE VERY EYES OPEN ABOUT AS WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AS A BOARD PRESENT WHAT YOU KNOW AGAIN FURLOUGHS ARE A TOOL RIGHT, AND THAT'S HOW I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT IS IT'S A TOOL TO HELP BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, IN A PERFECT WORLD, A VERY SHORT-TERM SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN SEE SORT OF THE NEXT STEP AHEAD OF YOU AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO COME OUT OF THE FURLOUGHS. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE BOARD AND CERTAINLY PRESENT, YOU KNOW, SOME POSSIBLE OPTIONS AND SO FORTH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. YEAH, THEN JUST TWO ADDITIONAL ITEMS, WHICH IS JUST, SO ONE QUESTION. WHICH IS JUST, SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF 85 VACANT POSITIONS, RIGHT? THAT'S ONE PIECE. OKAY, SO HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS WILL STILL BE ON THE BOOKS AFTER THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF THOSE 85 VACANT POSITIONS, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED SOME AMOUNT OF VACANCY THAT ARE POSITIONS AVAILABLE TO HELP FULLY BE ABLE TO STAFF THE LEINBERGER FACILITY, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE. WE'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT ALSO WE'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT ELSE EXISTS, RIGHT? SO 85 PROPOSED VACANT POSITIONS BEING ELIMINATED. THAT'S BEFORE US TODAY. I MEAN, NOT FOR A FINAL DECISION, BUT AS AN OPTION. SO I'M CURIOUS, AGAIN, HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS WILL STILL BE ON THE BOOKS AFTER THOSE PROPOSED VACANCY ELIMINATIONS? THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. LAURA LIDDICOAT, CHIEF BUDGET OFFICIAL. FORGIVE ME IF THESE FIGURES ARE SLIGHTLY OUTDATED. I PULLED THESE BEFORE THE 28TH BOARD MEETING. SO BEFORE THE 28TH BOARD MEETING, THERE WERE 267 VACANT AUTHORIZED POSITIONS. SO IF WE WERE TO DELETE 85 OF THEM AS OF THE MONDAY, SO APRIL 27TH, THAT WOULD LEAVE 182 VACANT POSITIONS COUNTYWIDE. THERE ARE CURRENT RECRUITMENTS HAPPENING AS WELL. I WANTED TO ADD ONE IMPORTANT PIECE OF CONTEXT, AND LAURA, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT IS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, ALL FUNDING SOURCES. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY REFLECTIVE OF JUST GENERAL FUND POSITIONS THAT WOULD PROVIDE SAVINGS. YEAH, UNDERSTOOD. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN THE LAST QUICK ITEM FOR ME JUST IS AROUND THIS ISSUE ON THE VERY SPECIFICALLY THE WINTERS HHSA SERVICE CENTER. I MEAN, I HAVE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS IN WINTERS COMMUNITY WEST PART OF THE COUNTY ABOUT THIS INCLUDING FOLKS WHO ARE HERE THIS MORNING I KNOW THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT FOLKS ARE EXCITED ABOUT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE ARE IN A DIRE SITUATION ACROSS NOT ONLY THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, BUT ACROSS ALL OUR SERVICE CENTERS. I AM BEGRUDGINGLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT EFFORT AND SAVINGS. IT IS JUST SHY OF $80,000 A YEAR IN TERMS OF A LEASE FOR THAT FACILITY. THAT DOES NOT MEAN, HOWEVER, THOUGH, THAT WE WILL STOP PROVIDING SERVICES IN WINTERS. I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH HHSA STAFF THAT THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. I THINK THE POINT, BECAUSE FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT IN PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING AROUND PEOPLE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO GO TO ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY TO HAVE IN-PERSON SERVICES, I THINK, I KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH HHSA STAFF AND SORT OF POTENTIAL OPTIONS IN THE WINTERS COMMUNITY, INCLUDING WITH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THE CITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE HAVE A COUNTY-OWNED LIBRARY THERE. I MEAN, THERE ARE MANY, YOU KNOW, WINTERS HEALTHCARE, THERE ARE LOTS OF, RISE INCORPORATED, THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS, I THINK. THAT ARE BEING EXPLORED AND I JUST WANT TO RAISE THIS ISSUE OF UH WHILE I ALSO AM SUPPORTIVE OF US RELINQUISHING THE LEASE UH TO THE COUNTY UH TO THE [04:55:01] SAVINGS I DO THINK THERE STILL NEEDS TO BE SERVICES PROVIDED AND SO BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SORT OF OBVIOUSLY TELL STAFF THAT, BUT ALSO JUST TELL THE BOARD AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. LET ME JUST CHECK IF MARY HAS SOMETHING, BECAUSE I THINK YOU ALREADY... NO, NO, NO. OH, ABOUT THAT? I DID A FOLLOW-UP. OKAY, YEAH, PERFECT. GO. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. MARY. ALL RIGHT. SO AS WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY, JUST REALLY JUST A CONVERSATION THAT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAD, WHICH IS A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES CAME TO THE DAIS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR POSITION AND HOW IT IMPACTS COUNTY SERVICES. AND, YOU KNOW, I IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE CLASSIFICATIONS. WE UNDERSTAND THE TYPE OF WORK THAT THEY DO. AND THEN WE RECEIVED. THE FEEDBACK FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO THEN GIVE IT TO OUR CAO WHO THEN BRIEF US ON, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD AND THE CAO'S BELIEF THAT THESE POSITIONS, IF THEY'RE REDUCED, WE'RE STILL BEING ABLE TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND COMPLY WITH LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND ANY TYPE OF LEGAL LIABILITY. BUT SOME OF THOSE CUTS ARE ALMOST BORDERLINE. THERE'S RED LINES, LIKE DIRECTOR MONICA MORALES SAID, THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN CHILD WELFARE, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE CUTS BEYOND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED. AND THAT INFORMATION, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION BACK TO THE BOARD IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DETERMINE WHERE WE SUPPORT CUTS AND WHERE WE DON'T SUPPORT CUTS. BUT ALSO, I'M NOT SURE IF MY COLLEAGUES... ARE AMENABLE TO KIND OF WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT ARE ON THE REDUCTION LIST THAT ACTUALLY GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY. THERE'S SOME POSITIONS THAT MIGHT BE REVENUE-GENERATING POSITIONS, AND ALSO SOME POSITIONS THAT HAVE LEGAL COMPLIANCE OR LEGAL LIABILITY THAT IS ATTACHED AND TIED TO YOU THERE ARE POSITIONS, AND ONE OF THEM IS OBVIOUSLY IN OUR COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE. I THINK LOOKING AT THOSE POSITIONS AND LOOKING AT OTHER POSITIONS THAT ARE TIED IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO REEVALUATE WHETHER THEY COME OFF THE CUT LIST OR NOT. THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT CAME TO THE PODIUM THAT TALKED ABOUT THE PERMITS, RIGHT, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND REDUCING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES NOW. JUST HAS ONE EMPLOYEE THERE RATHER THAN FOUR, AND THAT COULD HARM BASICALLY OUR REVENUE AND PROJECTS. AND WHAT IF THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT GETTING THE SERVICE I NEED FROM THE COUNTY. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY SITE, MY LOCATION, AND I'M GOING TO DO THINGS THAT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. THOSE ARE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE POSITIONS. AND HAVE STAFF COME BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND STAFF CAN COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT WE INVESTIGATED THOSE POSITIONS ARE OKAY ON THE CUT LIST OR YOU CAN COME BACK AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT WE DID SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATION. AND THIS COULD IMPACT OUR COUNTY'S COMPLIANCE AND OPERATIONS. AND WE THINK IT'S GOOD TO COME OFF THAT LIST. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS THAT I'M THINKING THAT THE BOARD IS AMENABLE TO HAVE COUNTY STAFF. TAKE A READ LOOK IN THOSE POSITIONS. CAN I JUST OUTRIGHT ASK THE QUESTION, WHEN THE ANALYSIS WAS DONE BY, I KNOW THAT THE FIRST CUT WAS, I HATE THE WORD CUT, THE FIRST LOOK WAS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES, I JUST LOOKED AT IT, DID THEY BRING IN REVENUE? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO. YOU KNOW SAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WHEN WE COULD BRING IN FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND YEAH YOU'RE CORRECT UH THAT WAS ONE OF THE THE BUDGET REDUCTION PRINCIPLES AND IN THE THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WENT OUT TO DEPARTMENTS PART OF THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WERE IF IF YOU YOU KNOW IF A DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO UM SUBMIT THE REDUCTION OF A POSITION THAT GENERATES REVENUE THEY NEED TO SCORE THAT SO THAT ONLY THE NET SAVINGS OF THAT IS BEING COUNTED NOT WE WERE BEING MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT SOME POSITIONS GENERATE REVENUE, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO MISCOUNT OR, SO TO SPEAK, MISSCORE THAT. SO WE HAVE BEEN BEING MINDFUL OF THAT IN OUR ATTEMPT TO ESSENTIALLY SCORE THE REDUCTIONS, THE SAVINGS FROM THE REDUCTIONS. YEAH, AND I'LL JUST ADD BRIEFLY TO WHAT TOM SAID. TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT IN TERMS OF THE INPUTS INTO THE PROCESS. ONE OF OUR CONCLUDING NOTES HERE IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS IS TO DO SORT OF A... [05:00:01] YOU KNOW, ANOTHER LOOK, ANOTHER DEEPER LOOK AT ANALYSIS OF WHAT I REFER TO AS THE SUPPORT SERVICE DEPARTMENT REDUCTIONS. THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE COUNTY COUNCIL, HR, DFS, SOME OF THESE PRIMARILY INTERNAL FACING CORE SERVICE FUNCTIONS, YOU KNOW, OF THE COUNTY. AND WITH THAT PROCESS, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY TAKE ANOTHER SWEEP, ANOTHER CAREFUL LOOK AT ANY REVENUE GENERATING, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS IN PARTICULAR. THAT HAVE EITHER, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT MAY HAVE A PARTICULARLY DIRECT IMPACT ON REVENUE GENERATION AND COLLECTION. AND AS PART OF THAT SAME PROCESS THAT WE'RE DESCRIBING THERE, IT'S THE FOURTH BULLET POINT DOWN, THE FIRST SUB-BULLET THAT'S ON THAT LIST. AND SO THAT'S THE INTENTION OF THAT EFFORT, IS TO JUST TAKE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN ALL THAT WE KNOW NOW AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION, AS WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A VERY EVOLVING PROCESS UH THAT'S THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SO GIVING THAT GIVING OURSELVES THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT YOU KNOW SORT OF SECOND YOU KNOW SECOND PASS AT THOSE TO SEE IF ANY OF OUR SUGGESTED OR RECOMMENDATIONS UH WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET YOU KNOW MIGHT DIFFER FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY AND SO THAT I WOULD SUGGEST BE PART OF PART OF THAT PROCESS INCLUDING THE THE PERMIT ASPECT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT YOU MENTIONED I THINK THAT'S PERFECT THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THANK YOU I JUST WANT TO ALSO PUT THIS BUDGET INTO PERSPECTIVE TOO AS WELL AND I KNOW EVERY EMPLOYEES VALUED THEY BRING SOMETHING TO TO YOLO COUNTY AND CONSTITUENTS AND IT'S TERRIBLE FOR ANY ORGANIZATION TO GO THROUGH BUDGET CUTS LIKE THIS, IT'S JUST HEARTBREAKING, IT'S TOUGH. BUT IF WE DON'T MAKE THESE TOUGH DECISIONS, WHAT HAPPENS, TOM? I MEAN, LET'S JUST SAY NO CUTS, NO CUTS AT ALL. WHAT HAPPENS IN THREE, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? I SUSPECT IT WOULD NOT TAKE THREE TO FIVE YEARS. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THAT... WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE WOULD BE FORCED TO BURN THROUGH OUR RESERVES, AND WE WOULD PROBABLY DO THAT OVER THE NEXT ONE TO TWO YEARS, AND THEN AFTER THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE RESERVES AS A SAFETY NET OR THAT WE COULD USE STRATEGICALLY. WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE WOULD BE FORCED TO CUT IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. AND IT'S TOUGH. WE'RE IN A HARD PLACE, BUT WE'RE HERE TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS AND REALLY BE PRECISE. ON THOSE REDUCTION PROPOSALS. SO WHEN, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, FOR THE RECORD HERE, WHEN I SAW YOUR PRESENTATION, IT SEEMS LIKE THE PROPOSALS TO REDUCE 85 CURRENT VACANT POSITIONS OUT OF 1,793 POSITIONS, WHICH EQUATES TO 4.7% OF THE WORKFORCE. VACANT POSITIONS. AND THEN FOR FILLED POSITIONS, IT'S 38 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT FTE POSITIONS OUT OF 1,793 POSITIONS, WHICH IS 2.2 PERCENT OF OUR WORKFORCE. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT SOUNDS CORRECT. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN QUITE THAT WAY, BUT THERE IS A SLIDE HERE THAT SUMMARIZES ALL THE POSITION REDUCTIONS, BOTH FILLED AND VACANT. BUT IF WE BREAK THAT DOWN. 6.92, WHICH I THINK IS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE, THE SUM OF THE TWO PERCENTAGES THAT YOU WERE INDICATING. AND THAT, TOO, TELLS A STORY OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO CUT ANY POSITION, BUT THAT ALSO TELLS A STORY OF, IN TERMS OF THESE REDUCTIONS, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT COUNTYWIDE IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE'RE TAKING. I AGREE. THANK YOU. WELL, AT SOME POINT IN THE MEETING, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS PART, THAT I'M FEELING A LOT OF... 2008 PTSD. AT THE TIME I WAS, I HAD A POSITION IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND MY PROGRAM AND ME AND ALL MY STAFF WENT AWAY BECAUSE OF 2008. SO I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SEE YOUR POSITION AND YOU KNOW YOUR NAME IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT. IT'S AWFUL. YEAH, AND KNOW THAT IT'S GOING AWAY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I WAS CHAIR OF THE DAVIS SCHOOL BOARD IN 2008, AND I WAS SITTING UP HERE WITH PEOPLE WITH SIGNS OUT THERE WANTING TO BE HEARD, WANTING [05:05:01] TO SAVE THEIR JOBS. SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF EMPATHY. TEARS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IT'S REALLY HARD AND I KNOW I SO KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT EVERYONE DOES, EVERYBODY, WHETHER YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT OR TRYING TO DEAL WITH WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR PAYCHECK, ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND IT AND I'M SORRY AND I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO WORK THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THE PEOPLE OF YOLO COUNTY DESERVE. AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE WAYS THAT WE CAN EVEN THAT OUT SO THAT OUR REVENUES ACTUALLY MATCH THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO DID YOU NEED JUST ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SAY, CAO WEBB? YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE I THINK YOU CAME BACK AND GAVE US THE COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO YEAH, I THINK I COULD PROVIDE A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF MY NOTES AS FAR AS SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM YOUR INPUT TODAY. AGAIN. WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT NO FINAL DECISION IS BEING MADE HERE, BUT THE DIRECTION IS NECESSARY FOR US TO COME BACK WITH A THOUGHTFUL, RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR YOU IN JUNE. SO ONE IS, I THINK WE HEARD AN INTEREST IN RETAINING THE CURRENT PUBLIC GUARDIAN POSITION THAT IS OTHERWISE ON THE CUT LIST, AND COMING BACK WITH... WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES AND OPTIONS, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL REVENUE GENERATION OR FEE GENERATION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT POSITION VERSUS THE REDUCTION OF THAT POSITION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION IN JUNE? AS I MENTIONED JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO, THE ANALYSIS OF THE SUPPORT SERVICE DEPARTMENT'S REDUCTIONS IN REVENUE GENERATING POSITIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PERMITTING FUNCTIONS. AND COMING BACK WITH ANY POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS TO RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED AFTER THAT FURTHER FURTHER DIVE COMING BACK WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON FURLOUGHS AND INTEL ON THAT AND SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS AND OPTIONS TO BE ABLE TO PUT BEFORE YOU AND SEE AND ALSO, I THINK JUST, YOU KNOW, REINFORCING AND REITERATING SOMETHING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, SUPERVISOR FRERICHS, WHICH IS IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS, TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IS AND ISN'T BEING EXPLORED FOR WINTERS AND SERVICES AND WINTERS WITH OUR SERVICE CENTERS AND HHSA. I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO HONE THAT MESSAGING AND ENSURE THAT THERE'S PROPER AND CORRECT INFORMATION OUT THERE. I THINK THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I THINK SOME MISINFORMATION DID GET PROMULGATED, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS TO HELP QUELL SOME OF THAT INITIALLY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE SOME MORE WORK TO DO THERE AS WE EXPLORE OUR OPTIONS WITH THAT LOCATION. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE IN MY NOTATIONS HERE. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT REFLECTS THE INTEREST OF THE BOARD. CAPTURES IT? CAN I JUST ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SUPERVISOR VIGAS? SO, JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND. SO, WITH THE LAST PORTION OF DIRECTION, AND THAT IS POSITIONS THAT GENERATE REVENUE, SO THE ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS TO EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE UNITS WAS A 15% CUT. SO, IF YOU ARE, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING. SO. WHAT WE'RE NOW DOING, THIS SECOND LEVEL OF SCRUB, IS WE ARE DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE TABLE ARE REVENUE GENERATING. AND IF WE'RE DETERMINED THAT THEY MEET THE CATEGORY OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE REVENUE GENERATING, WE'RE GOING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE REVENUE GENERATING. WHETHER IT'S REVENUE GENERATING AS IT'S DEFINED, THEN THAT POSITION GETS SET ASIDE, BUT THEN THE OBLIGATION TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT POSITION THAT IS NOT IS STILL ON THE TABLE FOR THEM TO MEET THE 15%, OR HOW ARE WE APPROACHING THAT? BECAUSE MY FEAR IS WE ARE OPENING UP A POTENTIAL CAN OF WORMS BECAUSE THE WAY WE DEFINE REVENUE GENERATING... IF NOT TIGHTLY DEFINED, THERE'S REVENUE GENERATING THAT YOU CAN SCORE THAT REVENUE AND MOVE IT. THERE'S REVENUE THAT COMES IN TO SCORE FOR THAT POSITION SO IT PAYS FOR ITSELF. THERE'S COST AVOIDANCE, SO YOU COULD HAVE A POSITION THAT IN ITS OPERATIONS HELPS AVOID OTHER COSTS. SO TECHNICALLY IT'S GENERATING REVENUE. I WORRY THAT IF WE AREN'T CLEAR, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH CREATING IT. A BIGGER MESS THAN WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, AT THE RISK OF ASKING, IT'S 2.15, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT SENDING STAFF OUT TO COME BACK WITH A BIGGER MESS. THAT'S ALL. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THIS IS A FUNCTION OF DOING A SECOND OR EVEN THIRD TIER SCRUB OF THINGS, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, [05:10:02] AS TOM DESCRIBED EARLIER, THE WHOLE INITIAL PROCESS OF WHAT WAS PUT TO DEPARTMENT HEADS TO COME BACK WITH, YOU KNOW, HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH THAT FIRST SCRUB TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE POSITIONS, THOSE PROGRAMS, THOSE SERVICES, WHERE IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE FINANCIALLY UPSIDE DOWN, WE'D BE GIVING AWAY MORE REVENUE THAN WE'D BE GAINING IN REDUCTIONS. YOU KNOW, THE ASSUMPTION HERE IS THAT THOSE HAVE ALREADY COME OFF THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK, IN TERMS OF PROPOSED REDUCTIONS. SO THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO TAKE A VERY PRECISE, VERY SURGICAL, SECONDARY, YOU KNOW, EVEN THIRD-TIER LOOK AND TO REALLY UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON REVENUE GENERATION, HOW DIRECT OR INDIRECT IS THAT REVENUE GENERATION? IN OTHER WORDS, IF THERE'S A POSITION THAT'S ON THE REDUCTION LIST THAT TOUCHES REVENUE GENERATION IN SOME WAY, DOES IT REALLY RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN REVENUES, OR DOES IT RESULT IN, SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, A DELAY IN RECEIVING REVENUES, THE SAME REVENUES? AND SO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A VERY PRECISE, VERY SURGICAL LOOK AT WHAT IS ULTIMATELY, I THINK, GOING TO BE A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE ON THE LIST WITHOUT GETTING INTO A LOT OF SPECIFICS JUST YET. BUT I DON'T WANT TO FENCE IT IN TOO TIGHTLY AND CONSTRAIN OUR STAFF IN TAKING THAT LOOK. BUT THAT'S THE IDEA. I THINK 99% OF WHAT IS ON THE TABLE NOW HAS ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THAT FIRST SCRUB AND PASSES THAT TEST. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE OURSELVES THAT OPPORTUNITY TO NOT INADVERTENTLY HARM OUR REVENUE GENERATION POTENTIAL IN SOME WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T YET ANTICIPATED. I'LL SEE IF YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT. NO, I THINK MIKE CAPTURED IT. I GUESS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IT WAS. DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, KIND OF AS HE INDICATED, TAKING ANOTHER LOOK, MAKING SURE WE DIDN'T INADVERTENTLY MISS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAVE SOME RAMIFICATIONS ON THE BACK END THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE. YOU KNOW, IF WE DO DETECT THAT, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT I WOULD SHARE MIKE'S SENTIMENT THAT I THINK THE WORK AND THE ANALYSIS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE HAS ALREADY, BY AND LARGE, CAPTURED THOSE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SET OFF TO THE SIDE AND NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CONSIDERATION AT THIS TIME. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SUPERVISOR BIXIE SANDY. SAY AGAIN, I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT VERY SOLID THINKING AND ANALYSIS TO THIS WORK THUS FAR, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GO THE NEXT MILE. I THINK THE MOMENT KIND OF DEMANDS THAT. THIS IS BIG STRUCTURAL CHANGE POTENTIALLY FOR US, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE... THE CARE WITH WHICH YOU'RE DOING THIS, AND THE BELT AND SUSPENDERS APPROACH TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING DIRECT OR EVEN ANCILLARY IN TERMS OF MAYBE ELIMINATING THIS POSITION IS NOT A REVENUE GENERATOR, BUT MAYBE THE WORKLOAD SHIFTING TO SOMEBODY ELSE HAS A REVENUE IMPACT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE [30. Introduce by title only, waive first reading, receive public comment on ordinance amending Title 6, Chapter 18 of the Yolo County Code to add public health protections from smoking in and around multiunit residences, and continue the item to the May 26, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting for a second reading and adoption. (No general fund impact) (Morales) (Est. Staff Presentation: 5 min)] WORK. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ROUND. OKAY, WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND IN OTHER WORLDS, I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DEFER THE NEXT THING, BUT BECAUSE WE SHOULD DO A LITTLE BIT OF POLICY TODAY, AND STEVE JENSEN KNOWS HOW TO TALK FAST, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE SMOKE-FREE MULTI-UNIT HOUSING POLICY AGENDA ITEM, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, AND THIS IS JUST A FIRST READING. STEVE, COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE BEFORE YOU RETIRE. WHO'S GOING TO DO THE PRESENTATION? HE'S NEARLY RETIRING, THAT'S WHY. NO, I JUST WANT TO HAVE HIM COME UP. STEVE, I THINK THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO GO THROUGH YOUR WHOLE PRESENTATION. COULD YOU GIVE US THE THREE-SENTENCE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE? THREE SENTENCES, GO. WHICH SLIDE DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST SAY HERE? JUST SAY WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? OKAY. OSCAR GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS AND I NEEDED TO TELL HIM THAT WE WENT OUT AND DID THOSE THINGS. OKAY, WE DID WHAT YOU ASKED US TO DO. EVERYTHING'S GREAT. EVERYBODY LOVED THE THREE APARTMENT COMPLEX MANAGER SAID, SUPER BRING IT ON, WE WOULD WELCOME A POLICY THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE SMOKE-FREE COMMON AREAS BECAUSE THE INDOORS ARE ALREADY SMOKE-FREE FOR THEM. THE ENFORCEMENT IS IN PLACE, THE POLICY DOES DESIGNATE [05:15:01] SMOKING AREAS OUTSIDE. THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT YOU ASKED FOR. SO IF A PARTICULAR APARTMENT WANTS TO DO, HAS DESIGNATED SMOKING AREAS 25 FEET AWAY, THEY CAN DO THAT TOO. SO THAT'S IN THERE, AND THEN ENFORCEMENT IS JUST COMPLAINT-DRIVEN, THREE WRITTEN WARNINGS, IT'S ALL GOOD. OKAY, PERFECT. THAT WAS MORE THAN THREE SENTENCES, BUT I'LL ALLOW IT. OKAY, SO YOUR FINAL SLIDE SAYS IF YOU WANT TO SLIDE TO THAT IS YOUR ASK TODAY IS TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING AND DIRECT STAFF TO RETURN WITH THE ORDINANCE FOR THE SECOND READING AND ADOPTION AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING. CORRECT. MOTION? OKAY. OKAY. MOVED BY VIXIE SANDY, SECONDED, THANK YOU, BY... OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT. YEAH, I'M GOING TO. I'M JUST GOING TO, AS LONG AS WE'RE GOING TO FINISH THIS ON THE... OKAY, BY FRERICHS. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, CHAIR, I HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT CARD. EXCELLENT. THAT WILL BE KATE LADISH. ALL RIGHT. AND IF WHAT YOU SAY, WE DECIDE TO PULL THAT MOTION, BUT I BET YOU IT'S NOT. AS A REMINDER, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I AM STILL KATE LADISH. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. AND I'M HERE JUST TO EXPRESS MY DEEP ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS TOPIC. I LIVE IN... IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS 2007, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 2008, WAS PART OF A COUNTY PROGRAM TO ADVOCATE FOR SMOKE-FREE, LOW-INCOME HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES WENT FOR IT. MINE DIDN'T, BUT IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHEN THERE'S NOT SMOKING HAPPENING RIGHT WITHIN A PROPERTY AND WHEN, IF THERE IS GOING TO BE AN OUTDOOR SMOKING AREA, WHEN IT'S SITED APPROPRIATELY SO THAT IT IS. SO THAT THE SMOKE THEN DOESN'T JUST BLOW ALL RIGHT INTO THE APARTMENTS. BACK WHEN MY BUILDING ALLOWED PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SMOKE IN THEIR APARTMENTS AS WELL AS RIGHT ON THEIR BALCONIES, ACTUALLY I HAD TO START TAKING MEDICINE TO DEAL WITH RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS THAT WERE TRIGGERED SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE SECONDHAND SMOKE. YOU COULD SEE THE SMOKE IN THE INDOOR HALLWAYS. A YELLOW PALL WOULD START FORMING IN THE AIR. AND EVEN IF... MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR AT ONE POINT WOULD GO SMOKE IN HIS BATHROOM, AND SO THEN I ACTUALLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE MY BATHROOM SOMETIMES BECAUSE IT WAS SO FULL OF SECONDHAND SMOKE. SO WHEN A PROPERTY GOES SMOKE-FREE, IT MAKES A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE, AND SO I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS COUNTY IS TAKING LEADERSHIP WITH THAT. I APPRECIATE STEVE WITH HIS ONGOING WORK FOR THIS, AND I APPRECIATE THE BOARD'S SUPPORT OF IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND SINCE HE DIDN'T GET TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T LET HIM, THE WE HOPE THAT THE COUNTY'S LEADERSHIP, LIKE IN OTHER KIND OF HEALTH POLICIES, WILL THEN MOVE TO THE CITY WHERE THEY HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE KIND OF CHANGES. SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. THERE IS A [31. Action items and reports from members of the Board of Supervisors, including announcements, questions to be referred to staff and reports on various 2x2s and meetings with other agencies. (Board of Supervisors) Cannabis Ad Hoc Subcommittee update. (Supervisors Allen and Barajas)Revenue Generation Ad Hoc Subcommittee update. (Supervisors Villegas and Frerichs)Yolo Bypass Ad Hoc Subcommittee update. (Supervisors Villegas and Allen)] SECOND. DID YOU GET THE MOTION AND THE SECOND? THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. EVERYBODY, THAT WAS A UNANIMOUS AYE. GREAT. THANK YOU, STEVE. DON'T GO ANYWHERE YET. OKAY, THEN THAT TAKES US TO OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS. FIRST IS CANNABIS AD HOC. BURHAJ, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT? WE MET. YES. GO AHEAD. YES. CHAIR, ALAN AND I MET WITH APPROPRIATE STAFF REGARDING THE CANNABIS SUBCOMMITTEE, AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE. SO WE DID. THERE IS A TAX AUDIT, 17 REVENUE REVIEWS AND 10 ARE COMPLETED TO HAVE UNDERPAYMENTS. ONE CUP HAVE BEEN REVOKED AND ONE GOING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO BE REVOKED. SO FAR, THE COST TO HAVE THE AUDITOR GO THROUGH THIS AUDIT WITH CULTIVATORS, WE'VE PAID $153,000 AND WE'VE COLLECTED OUT OF THAT $153,000, $114,000 FROM CANNABIS OPERATORS, MEANING THAT $44,000 IS STILL... OUTSTANDING IN ORDER, WELL IT'S STILL CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING, THAT WE'RE HOPING TO COLLECT BY SOME OF THE OPERATORS. WE HAVE, AS OF APRIL, WE HAVE 15 CULTIVATORS FOR THE 2026 SEASON. WE'RE HOPING TO GET MORE. MOST OF THE CULTIVATORS ARE DOING ONE ACRE. THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO DO UP TO TWO ACRES. THERE'S THOUGHT THAT FROM STAFF THAT THREE TO FIVE WILL MAYBE... MOVE UP TO TWO ACRES. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE REPORT. OKAY, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS ALSO DON'T COUNT ON CANNABIS TO SAVE OUR BUDGET PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT THE PANACEA WE THOUGHT, BUT IT IS BRINGING IN SOMETHING, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, [05:20:01] NEXT IS REVENUE GENERATION AD HOC. WE'VE GOT THAT BASE TODAY. YEAH, WE'VE THOROUGHLY VETTED THAT ONE. OKAY. BYPASS AD HOC. I HAVE SOME NOTES HERE. IT'S OSCAR AND MYSELF. WE DISCUSSED THE YOLO BYPASS CASH SLEW MASTER PLAN FINAL REPORT, WHICH WAS RELEASED IN APRIL. WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABOUT THEIR CHANGE FROM BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, THEIR NEW APPROACH ABOUT BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT PAPERWORK. AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OF RAPID PLANNING RATHER THAN SMART. SO TAKE THAT AS YOU WANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THEY'RE MOVING FROM SMART TO RAPID. YIPPEE. SO WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT. ALSO DISCUSSED WITH THE YOLO [32. Long Range Planning Calendar - recurring opportunity for Board members to discuss and as needed, direct staff regarding future Board agenda items. (Board of Supervisors)] BYPASS COMPREHENSIVE STUDY AND UPPER YOLO BYPASS PLAN UPDATE AND WHAT NEXT STEPS WILL INCLUDE CONTACTING THE SACRAMENTO AREA FLOOD CONTROL [33. Action items and reports from the County Administrator. (Webb) Presidential Executive Order Tracker 2026 Legislative Cycle Bill Position Summary] AGENCY AT THE STAFF AND LEADERSHIP LEVELS. ANYTHING ELSE? OKIE DOKIE. THAT BRINGS US TO LONG-RANGE PLANNING CALENDAR. ANYTHING IN THAT AREA? SEEING NONE, THEN TO OUR CAO. NOTHING NEW TO REPORT IN TERMS OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER TRACKER OR OUR LEGISLATIVE BILL POSITION SUMMARY. YOU HEARD EARLIER TODAY REGARDING THE ERAF INTRODUCTION BY SENATOR CABALDON, SO I WON'T REPEAT THAT. SO OTHERWISE, NOTHING NEW TO REPORT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER GENERAL REPORT FROM THE CAO? JUST THAT WE HAD A REALLY POSITIVE EVENT EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH THE BRIDGE GRAND OPENING KICKOFF FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. AND GREAT TURNOUT, VERY POSITIVE, I THINK, MOMENT FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR VICE CHAIR BARAJAS AND THE WORDS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO SHARE. WITH ALL THE HISTORY LEADING UP TO THAT PROJECT. SO SOME GOOD COVERAGE AROUND THAT. AGAIN, CELEBRATING THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT ARE AND DO STILL HAPPEN IN THE COUNTY DESPITE THE DIFFICULT BUDGETARY DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE. AND WE'LL BE REDOUBLING OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POSITIVE THINGS STAY AT THE FOREFRONT AND DON'T GET LOST ON US AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES. JUST APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WORK THAT WENT TO PULL THAT TOGETHER AND TO CELEBRATE THAT MOMENT. GREAT. AND IT WAS THE RUMSEY BRIDGE. CORRECT. OKAY. WITH THAT THEN CLOSED SESSION. ANYTHING THAT WE'LL BE REPORTING OUT? NO REPORT OUT TODAY. OKAY. WITH THAT THEN WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 2 30. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.