[0:13] Okay,

[0:16] thank you. The first order of business is the opportunity for the public to address the board. So, there's anyone in the audience or online who would like to say something to the board. There'll be a three minute limit today. Any subject is not already on the agenda.

[0:38] If so, would you please come to the podium so we can hear you better.

[0:42] Thanks.

[0:50] I'm sorry.

[0:52] I'll leave one comment and concern about the fire.

[0:55] That was just notification.

[0:59] I was happy to be on the park premises myself.

[1:04] my wife was watching one of the properties across the creek. I was notified. They went

[1:15] through and notified all the larger residents on the south side of the creek. Nobody

[1:20] ever went up towards Alani. So my wife was never notified.

[1:26] I'm not here to complain about

[1:27] that or make a big deal about that. I just want to know why you guys to know it so that

[1:31] in the future. Somebody makes their way up that dirt road. A lot of it was lost. My wife

[1:37] was watching where Wes and Janice are staying at this point and were staying and she was

[1:45] not notified at all. So luckily I got in touch with her. We got her back over and we all got

[1:50] out of there safe obviously but that was just really all I wanted to say to the group is when you are

[1:56] looking at this whole thing and looking at how to do better. And I'm not saying anybody did

[2:01] horrible I didn't do anything wrong. I know they went through the neighborhood. They neglected that dirt road up that way.

[2:07] So some people can't really be in a risk and I just don't want to see anybody get hurt in the future.

[2:12] That's all I have. Thank you. Appreciate you coming in.

[2:15] And thank you to the community for all this.

[2:19] As we ran out with tennis shoes and the pair of pants and one crate. So I appreciate all the

[2:27] community coming forward and donating and everything that's happened that way. I thank

[2:31] everybody very much for that. Thank you. Thank you for being here to share that.

[2:34] I appreciate it.

[2:38] Okay. We do have some comments on Zoom. Andrea, you should be able to

[2:44] unmute yourself.

[2:47] Good morning all. Thank you so much for taking our comments early in the meeting.

[2:51] I really appreciate it. My comment is that I would like to see more

[3:00] organization of the ability for us to be able to contact each other easier and get the

[3:10] resources out easier. It seems like there's not one list that anybody has that we can put

[3:16] resources towards and have that distributed. It would be nice if there was an actual official

[3:22] list in which we could give our resources to the county and then the county could that way get it out.

[3:28] I want to thank the Chamber for taking the brunt of so much of the organization.

[3:35] They've done a really great job of doing a lot of that kind of stuff as well as our local community.

[3:39] And then the other thing that I had to say in public comment was I'm hoping that somehow the county

[3:44] can represent us in legal representation as we explore with the Forest Service, the extreme blunder.

[3:57] on their part that resulted in a huge fire.

[4:01] This could have been prevented.

[4:03] So I'm hoping that the county can help us

[4:05] as a legal representation.

[4:12] I appreciate your comments.

[4:13] Thank you for coming in today to talk, thank you.

[4:17] Katie, you should be able to unmute yourself.

[4:25] Hi, this is Katie Hernandez.

[4:26] We lost our house in the pack fire.

[4:30] I had some concerns, kind of mirroring what Andrea was saying

[4:34] There just isn't a centralized hub of information.

[4:38] I'm, you know, losing text messages and losing track of e-mails and Facebook links.

[4:44] And I just, it's just really hard to gather the resources that we have into one place.

[4:50] And then we also have neighbors collecting personal information of the other neighbors that were

[4:55] impacted.

[4:56] and that just doesn't seem like that should be their job at all.

[5:00] No one's reached out to us. No one, the county hasn't called to make sure that we're okay. It's just very concerning and especially for myself, my household, we would like to know where to go for mental house support. I heard about it one night and then I'm not sure where to turn for that.

[5:26] Okay. Thank you. Staff will be following up. I appreciate your comments.

[5:33] There's no other hands raised on Zoom.

[5:43] Hands raised on Zoom.

[5:44] Okay. All right.

[5:47] This morning, I'm number two.

[5:49] We have a recognition which was not official recognition,

[5:53] but we do have the High Sierra Energy Foundation celebration of their 20th anniversary,

[5:57] and I think we have Pam Bolter to talk to us about that.

[6:01] Welcome, Pam.

[6:03] Hi, welcome.

[6:14] Good morning, all.

[6:15] Thank you for the opportunity.

[6:17] Thank you, Jennifer.

[6:18] for sponsoring. And first of all, it feels just a little hard to have a celebration in

[6:25] the light of some of the, you know, most recent enough. We feel for our friends and neighbors

[6:30] for the Pacifier, so I just want to put that out there as well. So now we're in celebration

[6:39] mode. But you know, like 20 years is a nonprofit in a small region is definitely something to

[6:46] celebrate and so we wanted to take this opportunity, not just to acknowledge that but also to give you an update on some of our most recent work.

[6:57] So I wanted to also introduce.

[7:00] Good morning, Jess Blackwell. I've been working with Pam Bold and High Star Energy Foundation for about four years now.

[7:05] Have had the opportunity once in the past to present to the Mono County Board of Supervisors. So thank you for having us this morning.

[7:11] We also have a couple of other employees.

[7:13] If you've known me for a long time, you know that I was a bit of a lone wolf for a number

[7:17] of years.

[7:18] And it feels so nice to have really talented staff.

[7:21] We have another person, Jenna Rocheke, who lives in Independence, and an AmeriCorps fellow

[7:28] Civic Spark, if they're working climate or energy, they're called Civic Spark's, Ella Frances

[7:32] who just joined us and will be with us for the year.

[7:35] So we're excited to have more resources and ability to help our communities.

[7:39] Please, so you can go ahead and switch the slides please.

[7:44] So just an overview, I actually just do want to pick this one.

[7:48] Sure, I'd be happy to.

[7:49] So I think many in this room are familiar with our organization,

[7:52] Hi-Sair Energy Foundation.

[7:54] We are a non-profit.

[7:55] We're based here in Mammoth Lakes,

[7:57] and we serve mono and in-yo counties.

[7:59] Our focus is to promote the culture

[8:01] of energy efficiency and sustainability,

[8:04] and we do that in a number of different ways

[8:06] through a bunch of different programs.

[8:07] And as Pam mentioned, we are celebrating our 20-year anniversary, so we're found in 2005.

[8:14] Originally, we focused on creating a geothermal heat district for the town of Mamath Lakes.

[8:20] But of course, as many of you remember, in 2008, it was not really the time for

[8:24] innovative energy projects and our organization pivoted at that point to focus on

[8:29] local government partnerships through Southern California Edison and

[8:33] really leaned into the work of energy efficiency.

[8:35] And since then, we've expanded to include focusing on other areas of energy, including distributed energy resources and

[8:42] integrated demand side management and a number of different programs, as well as promoting electric vehicles through incentives.

[8:50] And we've really strived to connect community members, businesses, our local public agencies with resources that are going to benefit them.

[8:58] A lot of times these programs exist and many rural areas are left out because there's just not

[9:04] enough support in the program. There's not enough outreach. And so we strive to be that bridge to make sure that our community is getting those resources that we are already paying into.

[9:15] So if you could go to the next slide for us, I'll give just a very brief overview of where a funding largely comes from.

[9:23] Many of you may be familiar with public-purposed dollars already. All electricity and natural gas bills contain this public goods charge.

[9:31] And it's collected from ratepayers across the state and distributed through the California Public Utilities Commission.

[9:37] And the goal of this funding is to create energy efficiency programs that essentially reduce energy use across the state.

[9:44] So we can avoid investing in additional infrastructure, additional power plants that we don't need if we're able to all reduce our energy use a little bit.

[9:52] And then we work on what's called...

[10:00] Local regional energy networks. So the high-cier energy foundation is a founding member of the Central

[10:05] California rural rent, as well as a regional partner of Southern California Regional Energy

[10:10] Network. And rents are essentially a framework for local governments to access the CPC energy

[10:16] efficiency programs and funding. And they're designed to allow communities to really get involved

[10:22] and help design these innovative programs and do work that traditional energy programs can't.

[10:28] And this has led to us focusing through our Ren work to focusing very much on hard-to-reach

[10:34] customers, as well as disadvantaged and underserved communities.

[10:43] I assume a lot of years, kind of that time, when Rick helps a lot of you in the room, probably

[10:49] no Rick can give him kudos for, I took over for him about eight years ago.

[10:56] He was here to celebrate our 20th, a couple weeks ago, and he's now teaching up at Oregon

[11:03] in state and still in the energy world.

[11:05] So I just wanted to shout out to the foundation that he laid there.

[11:10] But what we really, over that potentially even like the last decade,

[11:15] when I've been with the organization, as we advocated for these rural communities

[11:19] through the CPC, through what was called the rural and hard to reach working group

[11:23] that was set up by the CPC for agencies and organizations and local governments

[11:28] to share best practices around how we can better get funding here and how we can better serve our communities.

[11:35] And so that has come together and what it's called the Central California Rule RIN.

[11:41] And we're super pleased we've been working with these agencies for a lot of years.

[11:47] Anne Bagg, which is the area of Monterey Bay governments, San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization.

[11:54] the county of Ventura, who just is in the ring and an advisory role, and then the county

[11:59] of San Luis, who is a bespoke, it administers this for us, and as you can imagine, you all

[12:06] know bureaucracy more than you'd probably like, but the CPC has a lot of requirements and

[12:13] regulations, and so we're happy to have the county of San Luis a bespoke, administer these

[12:19] funds for us and do all of the regulatory process.

[12:23] But so we were just approved in September of 2024, with a $36 million budget for four years.

[12:31] That serves 5.4 million customers over 14 counties, and almost 50,000 square miles at one point.

[12:40] Someone said, are you in central California?

[12:41] And I said, I don't care what they call us if they give us the money, we'll take it.

[12:45] So for this, we're called Central California, but we'll take it.

[12:50] And so I'm really proud of our group that just starting in September of 24,

[12:55] we have already begun five of the programs, five of six programs.

[13:00] The finance program will launch sometime in 2026.

[13:04] But this group has really just put our heads down.

[13:07] And we have a residential program that currently is just in the San Joaquin Valley.

[13:12] It is coupled with the workforce education and training where we take at-risk youth to learn how to do energy audits and go into homes.

[13:20] Some of those type of services may end up in our region at some point, but with the bulk of citizens and ratepayers there, we're focusing in improving ourselves in areas that we can get high impact.

[13:34] There's a commercial energy improvement program for small businesses, for no cost electrification projects.

[13:40] I'm happy to say that our implementer, Wildan, has hired and trained a person here locally.

[13:48] And she will be going out to community businesses and

[13:52] seeing if there's ways that we can provide no cost electrification services to them.

[13:57] Public is only in Monterey Bay because we do a public agency program through so

[14:04] And then, Jess and I are really pleased to be able to take the lead on the code to standards program,

[14:10] which provides education and resources for Title 24 Energy Code.

[14:17] So, we have virtual training classes.

[14:19] You can check out our website at ccrren.org.

[14:22] And we also have for anyone who has questions about energy code,

[14:28] whether it be building officials, plan reviewers, residents, builders,

[14:32] contractors, design professionals can call in for an energy code coach and they get

[14:37] expert response back within one to two days.

[14:41] We also hope with just our recent, it turns out that if you build an energy efficient

[14:46] building, you often have a pretty hard and building from fire as well.

[14:51] We hope to bring some of those resources at least in training or however we can to our community

[14:56] members who are going to be rebuilding.

[14:58] Next please.

[15:01] So the Southern California Regional Energy Network, I know some of you in the room has know of us working with them. It's administered by LA County and it brings resources to our public agencies. We're working, we're not currently working. Well, yeah, we actually did a multi-family project, the one in Bridgeport for your your workforce housing. We were happy to be able to provide that to production and make so there I know there was some energy retrofits at that building. We hope to do more with your public agency and public.

[15:32] Buildings, currently we are working with the town of Mammoth Lakes and Inyo County, Bishop Pauyu Tribe,

[15:36] help Creek, some of the other CSDs around, but in doing like facility equipment inventories and

[15:44] finding ways that we can save energy and provide incentives and finance.

[15:48] So that'll be something that we were capacity constrained and we didn't want to reach out to Mono County.

[15:53] Just because we didn't feel like we had the resources to do that in 2026, that is definitely our goal.

[15:58] and we'll hope to work with Paul or others to be able to do that.

[16:03] So, and there's, yeah, so there's many things that we can do on that front with SoCal

[16:08] rent.

[16:10] I'm excited, please.

[16:13] Now we just wanted to highlight a little bit, and I'll just take this first one and then

[16:17] I'll do the next one.

[16:18] So I think some of you in this room have actually participated in some of our Earth Month events

[16:23] series.

[16:23] We were lucky enough to partner with Mono County Library and put on two years worth of events through what's called the California Sustainable Library's grant funding.

[16:36] Our focus was very much on meeting the community where they're at, helping bring some incredible resources and education events to the community for free.

[16:45] So things that we focused on, including doing a tour at the geothermal plant, taking folks

[16:50] to a hydropower facility to teach them how we make energy from water.

[16:54] We hosted a sustainability fair at the library, which included EV test drives and partnership

[17:00] with Eastern Sierra Electric Vehicle Association.

[17:03] And we've also taken folks to take tour at the wastewater treatment plant facility.

[17:08] And if you have never been to a wastewater treatment plant facility, I highly recommend

[17:11] it.

[17:11] It's fascinating.

[17:11] you learn a lot, and it does not nearly smell like you would think it would.

[17:16] Other activities we've worked on, we are an education outreach partner for Southern California Edison,

[17:21] on other state public goods programs. We do a youth education program living-wise,

[17:28] and I think it's been 18 years that we've been doing that here at Mammoth Lake Salumentary.

[17:34] And then there's the Tribal Environmental Youth Camp down with the Lone Pine Pipe Shashoni,

[17:39] as well as many other local events we try to show up wherever we can to meet people where they are.

[17:45] The Eastern Sea or Green Business Program is another one of our projects.

[17:49] We have about 30 businesses that are certified across mammoth,

[17:53] monocounty, Bishop and Inyo.

[17:55] And then lastly, the California Department of Food and Agriculture had a healthy stores grant.

[17:59] We helped support business owners in requesting free energy efficient refrigeration for

[18:06] other businesses to help promote healthy food being sold locally.

[18:10] So, I have the next slide.

[18:14] So, specifically, contributions to Moana County.

[18:18] I mentioned the heat pump water heater in the employee county owned housing projects.

[18:23] Or, please, that over the last few years we've provided almost $20,000 of scholarships to students

[18:33] in Namath, Leibhane, and Colville for any student who is going into the traits that can impact our decarbonization goals or environmental, environmentally-focused students and we continue to do that and we have now named, we will be honoring Sam Walker who was one of our contributing founding board members with a Sam Walker scholarship that will be going forward for anyone in environmental or business.

[19:02] because he had to be Sam where he was and then we've also provided financial support to

[19:09] Mammoth High School construction and his traits program if you haven't met Mike VanWinkle

[19:13] and viewed what they're doing there you absolutely should and so they have done like solar

[19:19] charging stations we've provided funding for heat pumps to go into their tiny home or EDU

[19:26] that they're built and that one's kind of fun because we take, we volunteer at Blu-Za-Blu-Za

[19:32] and whatever money we just shift to them and so we're helping, you know, there's a lot of focus on

[19:38] trades and to get us where we need to go and we want to start making that more meaningful for students.

[19:48] So yeah, we're super excited to further collaborate with Mono County on energy projects

[19:54] and just on communication and letting people know of it.

[20:00] You know, we all have a role in this. So thank you for your time. Any questions? I'm happy to take any comments to. Just thank you for coming and going over your, really, your whole program of high Sierra Energy Foundation, because you've grown a lot and pivoted. And I think, you know, highlighting the, the Cal Ren program for us is great news. And I just, I do

[20:29] want to thank you for bringing in the water, the hot water pumps up in Bridgeport. I think

[20:41] there were four of them. And, you know, we're taking over another property, another building

[20:48] on that property. Maybe there's a chance to bring in a fifth. I know there's more, more

[20:54] that could be done up there on that property to make it energy efficient.

[21:00] I think it's a great partnership. So I want to thank you for that. I know you mentioned it, but

[21:06] yeah, it's great boots on the ground. I'd like to see that. Thank you.

[21:13] Yeah, thanks very much. You provided the introduction to leaveining and monocity fire to the

[21:20] self-generation incentive program and that enabled us to follow up and get wall batteries

[21:25] in two of our local fire stations that come on,

[21:29] every time the power goes out, which is often.

[21:32] So thanks.

[21:37] I just want to say thank you.

[21:40] I like hiding in plain sight.

[21:43] It's an organization because I know you've done work

[21:47] in Bridgeport specifically at the Bridgeport Inn,

[21:49] which we had which we came around years and years ago.

[21:52] But I would be happy to sponsor some kind of a book

[21:55] outreach, summer up in Bridgeport. I think getting more awareness out there, but I think

[22:04] I'd also love to follow up with you on Liberty and whatever we can do to address and affordability

[22:11] issues through advocacy, through the CQC. I definitely would love to connect with you on that.

[22:22] That's a different piece.

[22:31] I just want to mention that we are already, you know, we just started September 24th working

[22:36] on our business plan from 2028 to 2035.

[22:40] When they say what do you want to do in 2035, I say, I don't know, you can ask just what

[22:45] she wants me to do in 2035, but we hope to be bringing a lot more resources as well.

[22:51] You know, depending on where the tides turn with the CPUC funding, but we're definitely

[22:56] advocating for our communities.

[22:58] Thank you so much.

[22:59] We appreciate your time.

[23:01] Thank you so much.

[23:01] I had the pleasure of coming to the event, sort of, I think we're all there.

[23:09] And great fun was really good to see Rick and them and remember when the first time he came

[23:15] to aboard me, I think I had a little light bulb and like, this is what we're going to

[23:19] do.

[23:23] I want to stop for a second, we do have an emergency item to be added to the agenda.

[23:29] That will be item number 7a1 or what we do with, I want to read this.

[23:34] In the light of the fire last week, we have an advise that an item must be added to the

[23:39] agenda as there is a need for immediate action.

[23:41] This request requires a vote of the Board of Supervisors to add the item to the agenda regarding

[23:47] in a local health emergency declaration which is required to be ratified in seven days

[23:51] of the declaration.

[23:53] This action is authorized pursuant to government code section 54954.2 and the CB parenthesis

[24:01] 2.

[24:03] All right.

[24:03] Can we have a motion to add this item?

[24:07] It's all moved.

[24:08] Okay.

[24:08] We have motion to second.

[24:09] All in favor?

[24:10] Aye.

[24:11] Aye.

[24:11] Motion passes.

[24:12] Thank you very much.

[24:13] Okay. Let's move on. Then our next item on the agenda is the County Administrative Officer

[24:19] Report.

[24:20] Yes. Thank you board members and members of the public. Just a quick thank you to everyone

[24:26] who participated and responded to the PAC fire. We will have a hefty update later on this

[24:34] morning. We have someone from the Incident Management team that will be providing a full update

[24:39] on the fire itself, and we'll talk a little bit about the recovery.

[24:45] A note that we are putting together a local assistance center.

[24:48] It's got a lack in collaboration with Cal OES this Friday.

[24:53] November 21st, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

[24:56] That'll be at the Crowley Lake Community Center, so you'll get a full update on.

[25:00] On the pack fire shortly, but I just did want to provide a thank you to everyone who responded to the fire. We had mutually from all over the eastern Sierra, and it was very appreciated as we responded to the fire in our community. Also, thank you to everyone who attended the Veterans Day celebration last Tuesday in Bridgeport. We had a really good turnout, a really good celebration. It was great to take some time to recognize all of the veterans in our communities.

[25:29] And I think that we have some ideas for next year and some other celebrations that we'll

[25:34] be talking about at some point in the near future.

[25:36] So thank you for that, and that's all I have this morning.

[25:39] Thank you.

[25:40] Any questions?

[25:41] We'll see if.

[25:43] Seeing done.

[25:44] Okay.

[25:44] Let's move on.

[25:45] Next, we have any department or commission reports, a brief report on any of those from any

[25:52] of those departments.

[25:55] Machine to the podium.

[25:57] Okay.

[25:57] Morning, Kathy.

[25:58] Good morning, Kathy Peterson with Health and Human Services.

[26:03] And I wanted to let you all know that through the CalFresh Emergency Food Program, we served

[26:08] about 35 families through the prepaid card program and through the food pantry.

[26:15] And then we found out that the CalFresh benefits were starting to flow, so we backed off on

[26:20] that.

[26:21] But I want your board to know that people were incredibly grateful.

[26:24] They felt like you had their back just knowing that that resource was available to them people really appreciated it

[26:30] Now we have a full food pantry here in Bridgeport and in Walker the one that we have here

[26:39] Now we can use for people displaced by the fire if anybody needs any support there are office

[26:44] We've had a we've served a couple people

[26:47] They can certainly use that pantry

[26:49] There's lots of other resources out there as well

[26:51] but that pander is stalked, ready to go.

[26:54] Vons made some donations.

[26:56] We have some of that food available as well.

[26:59] We can help people with cal fresh replacement benefits,

[27:03] not just those displaced by the fire,

[27:05] but if you lose power and you're without power

[27:08] for four hours or more, you can come to our office.

[27:11] We'll replace those benefits,

[27:12] cal fresh benefits for you.

[27:15] We can also help, of course,

[27:17] any questions around MediCal,

[27:18] general assistance, the CaliRx program, the housing support program, so we're just

[27:24] encouraging people to reach out to us. I also want to say that I want to give a

[27:34] lot of things on the response. Our office, as you all know, is responsible for the

[27:40] temporary evacuation point set up once that's been called by Office of

[27:45] services, sheriff's department, once that is called, we work to get those things set up.

[27:51] And sheltering, and there's a lot of people involved to support that.

[27:54] We really want to thank Inyo County and the Tri-County Fairgrounds.

[27:58] They did a lot to support around that.

[28:00] Inyo County Health and Human Services Director showed up.

[28:03] She helped us with logistics, quite a bit of support.

[28:07] We did have individuals for the shelter, we had somebody stay overnight.

[28:12] We don't always have that, it's not the most comfortable.

[28:14] But we were very happy to support that and the Red Cross and somebody up from Southern California to help manage as well as local Red Cross volunteers.

[28:24] So lots of support, lots of thanks, mammoth unified school district, of course, supported the effort.

[28:30] They helped us with the mammoth, or mammoth middle school support, so thank you for that.

[28:36] There's a lot more to go, lots of recovery, I know, but I just want to mention all of those great supports.

[28:43] We'll now be turning our attention to SCA O Morbally mentioned.

[28:47] The local assistance center will be doing, we'll have five or more people that will attend

[28:52] that and bringing resources in coordination to help stand that up.

[29:00] It seems like there was one other thing I wanted to mention, but lots going in the brain

[29:04] these days.

[29:07] I think that is the list for this morning.

[29:12] Oh, I do know what it is.

[29:13] As I asked, Environmental Health, Jill to come up and talk with you.

[29:19] Jill Carney is our Environmental Health Program Manager.

[29:22] She has today some underground storage tank investigations are looking at them today.

[29:29] And so, before she leaves, I want to have her to talk about the Environmental Health aspect

[29:33] of recovery.

[29:35] I'm happy with the fire.

[29:36] Good morning.

[29:37] Chair Selsido, member of the board.

[29:39] I'm Jill Carney, Environmental Health Manager.

[29:40] I just wanted to make sure that the Board is aware that environmental health issue

[29:45] didn't advise to re-notes for as a result of the PAC fire.

[29:50] We want to make sure that anybody that was affected by the fire, their properties were affected by the fire.

[29:55] That there are hazardous materials present, probably with the property, the-

[30:01] And likely this soil is, is hazardous just due to all of the, you know, the materials in your home that you have bleached cleaning products, plastics, when that material burns, it becomes concentrated in the ash and the soil. So we recommend that people, you know, we understand that maybe people might wish to go to their properties, see if there's anything of value that survived the fire. We recommend that people don't do that just because of that. The potential for impacts to their health, their neighbor,

[30:31] But if people do decide that they want to do that, please protect themselves, wear long sleeves, wear long pants, wear gloves, and most importantly, have an N95 mask to protect yourself from inhaling any ash or debris that might be stirred up by that activity.

[30:49] The other thing that we wanted to make sure people know is for people who have not lost

[30:55] their homes, who are served by a private water well, we recommend that you disinfect your

[31:01] well before you use it for drinking, before you use it for cooking, disinfect your well

[31:06] and take a sample.

[31:07] If you need any help with that process, please call us.

[31:10] We can advise how to properly disinfect your well, and we can come and take a sample for

[31:14] you and have that analyzed free of charge.

[31:16] just please call our office, phone number 7609241830.

[31:24] Any questions for either

[31:26] Kathy or Jill? Really quickly. Thank you so much. Have you received a list of

[31:33] parties that have been impacted and directly contacted? I do not have that

[31:37] information yet. I think it's being compiled. I don't have it. I just think that one

[31:42] of the things that's going to be critical is that we are the active communicators

[31:46] that they're waiting for people to come to us.

[31:48] We reach out to our community, provide them what we can.

[31:52] Can folks also come into public health and pick up N95s and other PPE?

[31:56] And there are N95s available at the Health Department.

[32:00] We can provide this for your charge.

[32:02] That's upstairs here at the Civic Center, thank you.

[32:08] Thank you, this question is for I guess Kathy.

[32:11] The lack is not set up till Friday.

[32:13] Who do they get in touch with in the meantime?

[32:15] time, we've already heard public comment that there's, they're expecting an outreach,

[32:21] so maybe you could describe what is the best way to get questions answered in services

[32:27] while we're waiting for this to come forward.

[32:29] So, I want to look also to, to CAO Morbally, on that we, we are certainly, when we have

[32:36] that list, we can make contacts, contacts around the things that we just talked about.

[32:41] If you have any other direction that you'd like to provide.

[32:45] Yeah, I would say that having, we put together a list, we have all of the addresses that have been affected.

[32:52] And we don't have all of their phone numbers.

[32:55] We don't track all that information with the assessor, so the list comes from the assessor.

[32:58] So we're pulling that together this morning to reach out.

[33:02] And if anyone has any issues, they can reach out to Mono County.

[33:05] They can call my office and we can get them into the right spot, the right person.

[33:10] And Ready Mono is the place where I think we should be sending everyone who has questions.

[33:15] There's information there on the fire.

[33:17] And there's phone numbers, contact information there as well.

[33:20] We are working on updating that continuously.

[33:23] We're talking about updating it with the information that's provided right now.

[33:26] So if there's particular issues that people have, just let us know forward it to me.

[33:31] I'm happy to help get it to the right person, the right responder.

[33:35] There are a lot of resources, obviously we know there's people are collecting money.

[33:39] We have housing, lodging resources, food resources,

[33:43] so in the behavioral health.

[33:45] And so if there's any issues,

[33:48] just I would just say direct people to ready mono

[33:50] and they can use that information to kind of get

[33:53] to the right spot.

[33:54] But if there's particular issues, just let us know

[33:56] we're happy to help try to get these people

[33:57] to the right location.

[33:59] I think that one of our earlier callers suggested

[34:02] that we compile sort of a comprehensive information sheet

[34:07] if you will, with this kind of information on it, which could be posted in Spanish and

[34:12] the English on our website, as I think we could have, we need to do better in Spanish

[34:20] speaking as some of those people affected.

[34:24] And the fact that the sheriffs are probably, you know, down there and other responders still

[34:29] driving around and aware, making sure that they have at 95s in their car I think is a kind

[34:33] minimal kind of protection to have if they see a family who's on scene and you know

[34:38] poking around a little bit, it might be at least, well here at least put on, at least put on it in 95.

[34:43] It's like, you know, to the minimum. So maybe the sheriff's and the public health could work together in.

[34:53] Absolutely.

[34:54] Okay. Any other comments from the board?

[34:57] Okay. See none. Thank you very much.

[34:59] Okay, perfect.

[35:07] I am not more important. Thank you, Liz. Liz says I'm more important. I am not more important. I'm just bigger than she is. Good morning, Board Chair. I will speak more when we have the emergency item, but just real quickly about our response. I need to publicly thank all of the other first responders who came and helped.

[35:30] The Mammoth Lakes Police Department was on the spot there so quickly.

[35:34] My own staff, of course, were there.

[35:36] Our search and rescue team on their way back from some training in Bishop, they jumped

[35:40] in and helped California Highway Patrol Bishop Police Department in New County Sheriff for

[35:44] a service law enforcement.

[35:46] Everybody that could be there to help with evacuations was there to help.

[35:50] Did we do it perfectly?

[35:51] No, we're never going to do it perfectly, but we're going to try.

[35:54] And we're always going to take the feedback from the public about what we could do better.

[35:58] and we can always do things better.

[36:01] Also, special thanks to CHP for staying on and holding the closures for days.

[36:06] They stayed and helped keep that community safe.

[36:08] We had Long Valley and McGee closed off for quite some time,

[36:12] as they made sure that those communities were safe and that the electricity could be restored.

[36:17] It was a rough time for everybody, but we, thankfully and amazingly,

[36:23] even though properties were lost, no lives were lost.

[36:26] and that is really remarkable considering how swiftly that fire moved.

[36:32] And as for the cause of the fire that's still under investigation, that's the only,

[36:36] it's being investigated by the Forest Service, it's on their land, so it's their investigation,

[36:40] we are supporting them in that.

[36:45] I can't have, I don't have any answers as to how the fire started,

[36:48] but it is under investigation and we are working with them on making that determination.

[36:52] the community meeting that was held was really a very good meeting and again the Crowley community

[37:00] for supporting one another as fast as that fire moved and as fast as we went door-to-door,

[37:07] communication amongst Crowley was faster in getting people out and calling each other and taking

[37:12] care of one another and making sure that everybody was safe and they continue to care for one another

[37:17] and the outpouring of money and clothing and food and goods has been spectacular.

[37:24] How much we can all pull together in care for our community.

[37:28] So thank you to everybody who has stepped up and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes.

[37:34] One of them is one of my own employees.

[37:37] I

[37:47] know how hard that is and we're in the county's taken care of Maggie and her family as best we can.

[37:53] And the community's taken care of all of the families.

[37:55] So, it's hard that something this horrible has to happen to remind us how much we have in common,

[38:04] but we do share more in common than we don't, and this brings it home and makes us a family.

[38:09] So,

[38:12] I'll take any questions.

[38:21] Thank you, Liz.

[38:24] We're meeting. I know today is a big day, and I'm long overdue for the Department of Head

[38:29] Update, so I just want to breeze through this really quickly. We've received 21 applications

[38:35] for our community grant programs and those will be reviewed and allocated tomorrow at our

[38:39] Economic Development Tourism and Film Commission meeting at 10 a.m. in Levining.

[38:44] That information's on our website if you also want to join via Zoom.

[38:48] Every year we print about six to eight thousand event calendars to distribute a consumer trade

[38:53] shows by mail. We're going to up our local distribution this year and get them out to more businesses.

[38:59] We include as many events as we can as space allows, but we include everything on our website events calendar, and so we're asking for folks to send us their 2026 event dates as soon as possible and for the calendar no later than December 5th to be included if space allows.

[39:17] Back in July, your board approved a temporary position for us.

[39:21] We hired Sarah Vardaro, and she started with us in September.

[39:25] She has been amazing, extremely adaptable, the position changed probably 10 times so

[39:30] she ended up sharing it with the Recreation Department.

[39:34] She did some data work with Marcel and Eric.

[39:37] She supported the Mona Basin Visitor Center and the June Lake Visitor Center, and

[39:41] then increased that support when the government shut down to allow the Mona Basin Visitor Center

[39:46] to stay open for four days a week, which was fantastic.

[39:49] Her last day with the rec department was last week on Friday, but with the budget we

[39:53] have left.

[39:54] She's going to stay on and help us a little bit.

[39:55] She's going to work full time for the mountain, but we're glad she'll have a few more hours

[39:59] with us.

[40:00] So, you know, over a period of time, she went to a couple of golden muscle meetings for us recently that we were double booked and couldn't go. So, she's filling in some some some great spots and we really appreciate that support right now. TOT, huge thanks to Ronnie Munia's and Matthew Hall in the auditor's office. They have been working short staff to pull those numbers together and kind of catch up and I appreciate their willingness to communicate and work with us on possibly updating the TOT process in the future to improve it for

[40:29] or both the operators and county staff

[40:32] and the public to get those updates

[40:33] and maybe collect some different information.

[40:36] But anyway, we're waiting on Q1 numbers.

[40:38] They're waiting on six operators to report.

[40:41] Then we need to do a little math

[40:42] with the 12 to 15% adjustment to see where we ended up.

[40:45] But I know we're anxious for those numbers, so we'll get back.

[40:48] And then finally, thank you.

[40:49] I know you received our economic development work plan

[40:52] report a couple of weeks ago.

[40:54] And I would love because I didn't get a much time

[40:57] to chat with you, so I'd love to revisit that.

[40:59] again in the future maybe in a meeting in January at some point we can kind of talk about a few

[41:03] of the other projects and some of the great meetings that have come from it already and hopefully

[41:07] some good work to come so I'll see you yes in 2026.

[41:14] Could you thank you for your update and I

[41:16] would enjoy you coming back and talking about things that come out and everything and how it's

[41:24] It's going to, again, kind of boots on the ground with it.

[41:27] But can you tell us, you said you had 21 applicants

[41:30] for the community, how oversubscribed is that?

[41:33] You know, they were just pulling that number together for me.

[41:36] So we have $64,000 available between the three programs.

[41:41] And we had almost $90,000 requested, $87,773.

[41:47] Okay, thank you.

[41:48] Appreciate it.

[41:48] Thank you.

[41:49] Thank you.

[41:50] Thank you very much.

[41:51] Thanks for having me.

[41:55] Good morning, Madam

[42:02] Chair, Board of Supervisors, Wendy Sigimero with the Community Development

[42:05] Department. I just want to let the board and the public know that there are a couple of

[42:11] plans that we have that are available for public comment right now. These are also going

[42:16] to all of the regional planning advisory committees, everything from like a longer presentation

[42:21] to a very short, just hey, if you're interested, take a look at these. But we are trying to

[42:26] get the word out through those avenues as well.

[42:28] So one is the regional transportation improvement program that is a transportation project funding

[42:36] cycle and that will be in front of the local transportation commission for a decision on

[42:41] December 8th.

[42:43] So if any public members are interested in that, you can submit comments to staff or come

[42:46] to the LTC meeting.

[42:48] There's a drought resilience plan that is also available for comment that will be coming

[42:54] back to the Board of Supervisors, probably at your third meeting in December.

[42:58] And so public comment up until that point is available as well.

[43:03] And then the last one is the Multidurstictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

[43:08] The Board is receiving a presentation on that today.

[43:11] And so I won't go into that any further, but just wanted to announce it here that that is open for public comment as well.

[43:16] We will cover it in the agenda item.

[43:20] But once this plan is submitted to KELOES and FEMA for comment, we cannot make any further changes to it.

[43:28] So unlike most planning projects where comments can be received and changes can be made up until the Board of Supervisors adopts it,

[43:35] our deadline for changes really is that's the middle to KELOES and FEMA, which happens before the Board adopts it.

[43:41] If we make changes after it has been submitted to KELOES and FEMA, we have to go back through that review process

[43:48] with them again and it just takes a lot of time and then I wanted to let the board know that we do have two building inspectors that have been hired and are on staff now.

[44:01] Of course our hearts go out to everyone who is impacted by the fire but fortunately we do have our building inspectors on staff and they can now fully participate in helping to inspect any impacted structures and assist with the rebuilding process.

[44:17] So there in the field, I don't know if we're

[44:21] when I'll be able to bring them in for a meeting

[44:23] to have them introduce to the board.

[44:26] We're prioritizing their field work right now,

[44:28] but if you do happen to see them around,

[44:30] please say hi to them.

[44:32] Their names are Matt, Rapel, and Joe Gadot.

[44:34] So thank you.

[44:36] That's great news.

[44:39] Someone's questions for me.

[44:41] Hey, that's what I do.

[44:42] Other department heads here in Mammoth.

[44:46] Anybody in line, please?

[44:49] Yes, but I do believe there is a report up in Bridgeport if Danielle LeBrun wanted to

[44:55] there for that person. Thank you.

[45:03] We are still muted in the Bridgeport room. There we go.

[45:14] Danielle, you should be able to speak now, I believe.

[45:24] Can you hear me now? Yes. Okay, beautiful. Good morning, everyone. I'm Danielle LeBrun, interim deputy director of the Public Health Division and Health and Human Services. I'm here for a follow-up update on our community flu clinics. We were able to get in the three mammoth unified schools this year, which we did not get into last year.

[45:42] so that was a great addition. It was a great success and we're working on some tweaks to continue

[45:49] to streamline the process with MAMF Unified for next year. Overall our community flu clinics

[45:54] were really successful and we were able to provide more flu shots this year than last year,

[45:59] a total of 703 in the community. And just a friendly reminder that the flu season is just beginning,

[46:05] so it's not too late to get your flu shot. We have them available at the Civic Center for

[46:09] walk-ins and appointments Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.

[46:13] Thanks.

[46:14] Okay.

[46:15] Danielle, thank you.

[46:15] Questions from the board?

[46:18] Okay.

[46:20] I'm glad you got in the schools this year.

[46:22] That was great.

[46:26] Anybody else in Bridgeport?

[46:28] No one else in Bridgeport, but I promoted Robin to provide her update.

[46:33] Morning, Robin.

[46:34] Hi.

[46:35] Good morning, board and community.

[46:38] So I want to dovetail first on what Sheriff Ron had to say about what it's like to be

[46:44] part of the fire. I was very likely not to lose my home, but I was also very impressed by the

[46:50] evacuation process that I got to be a part of and see. It was outstanding and really appreciative

[46:57] of that. These fires, because our communities are so small, are so personal, and I know that it's

[47:04] affecting first responders and supervisors and community members, and that there's overlap for all

[47:11] of us around how it feels. So what we're doing right now through the

[47:15] Behavioral Health Department is we are putting up on ready mono some information

[47:20] that will be useful to those who have lost their homes in terms of how to

[47:24] manage your mental health. Also to people who have not but are trying to figure

[47:29] out how to help people emotionally who have lost their homes and also to talk

[47:34] to each other kind of what to say and what not to say. We will be at the Friday

[47:40] meeting available to speak to anyone. We will make sure that there's resources available

[47:45] for folks throughout, whoever is affected by this, whether you're a first responder

[47:50] or a community member. So, I just wanted to make sure that's out there. We're in the process

[47:55] of getting that up in English and Spanish, of course. And if I, there's any questions about

[48:00] that, that you might have, I'm happy to answer them, or you can certainly just reach out to

[48:04] me personally. Okay, questions for

[48:13] you. Okay, Robin. Thank you for all the junior

[48:17] team are doing to support more of where to come. Yeah, absolutely more to come. Thank

[48:23] you.

[48:27] There are no other hands raised. All right. We'll go on then to the consent agenda.

[48:36] And I believe there's a there's a couple of items that we would like to call when I'd like

[48:45] Yes, I'd like to pull item 5E for consideration, along with item 7H.

[48:52] And hopefully we can, by the time that comes forward, we might, I'm requesting some total expenditure update too.

[49:01] There's nothing we want to push it to after item 7.

[49:04] Yes, I'll just pull it from the consent agenda altogether to be considered with item 7A, which is this the concepting.

[49:12] I think any other poster?

[49:16] Yeah, I was going to ask for E to be pulled as well.

[49:19] And maybe when we get to that point,

[49:21] we can get some real explanation as to who's doing what,

[49:26] in terms of this, and actually like there's nothing

[49:30] in item E that says where the money's coming from.

[49:35] All

[49:39] right, well let go ahead and then read the other items.

[49:43] Okay, we have item A, Board Minutes, item B, 2025, 26 Children's Medical Services Plan,

[49:50] item C, and Memmety Professional Services Agreement with Price, Page, and Company Certified

[49:55] Public Accountants.

[49:56] We have the ID.

[50:00] The authorization for public works director to sign purchase order, an item F agreement with Victoria Campbell for the provision of indigent defense services.

[50:12] We have a motion to approve these consent agenda. So moved. Second. Okay. We have a motion a second. All in favor. Hi. All right. On to correspondence received and sent and there was none. During the

[50:29] this period? All right, we are then going to do next the public health emergency item.

[50:39] So I would ask Dr. Boo, our public health officer, to speak for that.

[50:44] Good morning, Chair Socedo and members of the board. Dr. Tom Boo, Mono County Public Health

[50:50] Officer, over the weekend, our emergency management director, Chris McCrastic, asked me to issue

[50:58] a declaration of a local health emergency related to the PAC fire.

[51:02] He was thinking ahead to the aftermath of the fire and the toxic waste issues involved

[51:08] in cleanup that Jill Keirney referred to already.

[51:14] Chris was in the process of making a request to the state for emergency proclamation and

[51:19] the local declaration is part of that process.

[51:24] Yes, there are serious environmental hazards after structure fires, and it's my understanding

[51:34] that the declaration in addition to helping us get a state assistance will facilitate

[51:40] coordination with state agencies like Cal OES, Department of Talks of Substances and Control,

[51:46] and Cal Recycle if we do receive a state emergency declaration, it can also facilitate procurement

[51:54] and contracting which may be necessary.

[51:57] So I issued that declaration on Sunday, but as has been alluded to, you all have to

[52:05] ratify that declaration within seven days for it to remain in effect.

[52:12] I have an answer any questions?

[52:13] I guess I would also mention that typically historically, these declarations after fires are

[52:20] are accompanied by restrictions, legal restrictions on the ability of people, homeowners, et cetera,

[52:28] to enter their property and to remove debris.

[52:31] We opted not to try to issue any mandatory prohibitions but to advise people to be careful

[52:41] as Joel alluded to.

[52:42] And I think there's also, if people do remove debris before, it's been cleared to do so.

[52:48] If I experts, they may forfeit the right to have free state assistance with some of the

[52:54] later stages of debris removal.

[52:57] I'd be happy to answer any questions.

[53:00] Questions for Dr. Bill?

[53:01] Everyone has a copy of this declaration that the rate is about to go.

[53:08] I mean, I was just going to say that that last copy that we provided seems like quite the

[53:13] critical piece of information, has that been shared out directly to the impact of

[53:19] parties when we have a list?

[53:21] Well, I know it's in some of the material that we put together from CalMatters, that

[53:27] Jill and Chris McCrassic have been getting on the already mono website.

[53:32] Some of this has actually been posted or at least links and journal information in the

[53:38] area of the fire, but I'm not sure exactly how far we've gone in terms of disseminating

[53:45] this information to the affected people.

[53:47] Okay.

[53:48] Yeah, again, it seems to, rather than wait for people to come to us, we push these

[53:52] messages out as directly and in person as possible.

[53:56] Thank you.

[54:01] We're going to ratify this this morning, how to keep it in effect, and we have to read

[54:10] to do another renewal of it because I know there's time frames in place like just to make sure that we have meetings

[54:18] we know that we're going to keep this emergency effective that work again.

[54:26] Well, it's helpful because we also have this declaration and the emergency declaration.

[54:31] They're made with exigencies, we ratify them within seven days rather

[54:35] And then on a regular basis, every 60 days, we continue to extend them as necessary.

[54:41] So by having these together today, it makes the administrative process easier, but I think

[54:45] for the purpose of working with Cal OES and FEMA, it'll streamline that as well, because

[54:49] they'll both exist and terminate at the same time.

[54:56] So, I think we're being asked to both...

[55:01] There are a local health emergency and also ratified the proclamation of a local health emergency. Is that correct, Chris?

[55:12] We'll just do the resolution. We'll authorize it now, and then we'll come back with a resolution. We'll both ratify this effect as well. Does that make sense? So it's we'll issue it today. For all of those purposes, ratify it today. But then in our first renewal on the 60th date, we will denote the ratification how we've added to the agenda.

[55:31] Okay.

[55:32] We have a clear record.

[55:33] All right.

[55:34] Given that, can we have a motion to that effect, please?

[55:36] So moved.

[55:37] Second.

[55:38] We have motion to second all in favor.

[55:40] Aye.

[55:40] All right.

[55:41] That's what you namelessly.

[55:43] Thank you, Dr. Booth.

[55:44] Thank you also.

[55:44] Thank you all so much for being here for this.

[55:45] And I would just a small comment to the LAC as we open the LAC, that we have whatever is

[55:55] appropriate in your mind as far as disposable PPE or anything that you think would be

[56:01] useful to have available there so that people have some level of protection if you think that's wise.

[56:09] That's appropriate.

[56:12] All right. And then we had, I'm with that. We're ready to go on to the public hearing.

[56:21] So we'll go ahead and open the public hearing at 9.57. I'm sorry it was a bit late coming here today.

[56:31] But we have a public hearing which is a general plan amendment 25-1 and amendment tomorrow county code chapter 5.65

[56:38] Revising short-term rental policies and regulations. We're being asked number one to hold a public hearing on this item

[56:46] You see public comment deliberate in making desired changing and then following the public hearing and deliberation direct staff to

[56:54] incorporate any of these policies into a amendment to the general

[57:03] plan.

[57:05] And we're declaring that these amendments qualify as an exemption under SEPA 15301 existing facilities.

[57:15] I get that right, Wendy?

[57:16] Yes, hey.

[57:18] Thank you, Madam Chair, Board of Supervisors, Wendy Sugimura with the Community Development Department.

[57:23] Before we actually dive into the presentation,

[57:25] I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to a couple of people because this has been just such a huge policy lift and there have been so many

[57:34] staff and others involved who really should be recognized for their efforts. So I wanted to start with Aaron Washco who was a planner in

[57:42] community development and is now in the CAO's office and he did so much work on this policy effort and so much heavy lifting and did such a good job with organizing

[57:51] using all of the information and data that it was fairly easy to hand off to a new planner.

[57:56] So really just wanted to thank Aaron for all of his work on this.

[58:00] And then Olia, of course, who stepped in behind Aaron, it's a big project with a lot of data to just step into and

[58:06] fill those shoes and pick it up and work on it.

[58:09] And she just did a great job managing all of that information and data and being flexible and keeping it moving.

[58:15] So huge thanks to Olia.

[58:17] Of course, thank you to Emily Fox and the County Council's office.

[58:19] She's done a great job keeping us on track and helping us with all the legal issues and questions.

[58:25] And we really appreciate her guidance.

[58:27] And then the entire Community Development Department team.

[58:30] I know it's usually just me and Olya and Aaron previously who are typically in front of the board and decision makers.

[58:37] But we really have a whole staff team behind this.

[58:40] Our whole staff is watching this right now, I'm sure.

[58:44] When the board, for example, asks us, you know, very complicated and insightful data questions, for example, that Olia and I don't know off the top of our heads, right?

[58:59] Our staff and our department is looking that up and crunching the numbers so that we can get the answers back to you and just really appreciate their backup and support. So it is a whole team effort.

[59:07] Of course, I wanted to thank the Planning Commission.

[59:10] They did a lot of work digging through these policies to vet them and provide the board with a thoughtful recommendation and it took them, you know, a significant amount of time much more than their typical planning commissions taken so they definitely deserve recognition.

[59:26] And then we just had a lot of help in the background just in Capruso and other staff who helped us get the word out the regional planning advisory committees.

[59:33] of course weighing in on this and getting word out to their communities.

[59:37] And then lastly, just the public in general, definitely not the least important, right?

[59:42] Public comments, whether in support or against is so important to all of these development efforts.

[59:47] Even when there's controversy over a policy or an issue, that's not a bad thing, right?

[59:52] It provides a point of reflection and allows us to really critically evaluate what's being said in a policy.

[59:59] You're going to be able to see how much you're going to see the next.

[1:00:00] That's what is really meant and what's being accomplished and what is potentially being impacted. And those are important conversations to have. And then the changes that are made make the policy better. So I just really want to thank all of the public who has commented and provided their input. It's made this a better policy and a better product at the end of the day. So I just needed to get all of those thank yous and acknowledgments out of the way because I tend to forget them once we dive into the policy. And with that, I want to hand it over to Olia to start the presentation.

[1:00:29] presentation. Thank you.

[1:00:38] We've handed out copies of the, hard copies of the presentation.

[1:00:41] There are copies available in the back of the room. And then there was also some public

[1:00:44] comment received. Those have also been handed out to the board. And they're available in

[1:00:50] the back as well. Thank you. And they're posted on the website.

[1:01:04] All right. Good morning, Chair and members of the board. I'm back to walk us through General

[1:01:11] plan amendment 2501 and modifications to Mono County Code chapter 5.65 today for the public hearing.

[1:01:21] This slides move. All right. So here's our outline for today's presentation. It'll be a little

[1:01:28] bit shorter than the workshop we held in October. We'll touch on the process so far, the policy

[1:01:34] revisions since October and other required elements of the public hearing including findings.

[1:01:41] So, during the workshop on October 21, 2025, we described the purpose of the new policies

[1:01:48] provided and overmove the public involvement and research process, discuss the proposed

[1:01:53] policies, including some amendments, and presented the recommendation of the Plated Commission.

[1:01:59] And this more or less covers this roadmap on the slide.

[1:02:03] So moving into our policy revisions, out of all the proposed amendments, only the controversial

[1:02:12] policies were adjusted during the October workshop.

[1:02:16] No changes were requested on the non-controversial policies, so we'll focus on these four policy

[1:02:21] issues.

[1:02:24] So our first policy issue was to limit or decrease the number of existing short-term rentals.

[1:02:30] The word decrease was recommended to be removed by the Planning Commission because none of

[1:02:33] the policies would result in a reduction of the number of permits in any planning area.

[1:02:38] During the workshop, there was consensus to remove the word decrease from the policy

[1:02:42] issue wording. The Board also agreed with the recommendation

[1:02:46] of the Planning Commission to remove the numeric cap in June-Lake. Without a numeric cap,

[1:02:52] a system is no longer required to grant available permits, so the first come, first serve wait

[1:02:58] list was also removed as a result. During public comment, June-Lake realtors

[1:03:03] and property managers were opposed to the numeric cap, and one member of the public was

[1:03:07] in support of the policy. So if the board decides to move forward with this revision, we would

[1:03:14] need to make a few changes to the policy, so to action 1M, sorry, action 13, 1F, there's

[1:03:23] a little bit of red line in there, as well as a small section of Mono County code. I just have

[1:03:30] this flag, but we can also zoom in during deliberation if you guys would like to see your

[1:03:34] edit the policies further.

[1:03:38] Our third policy issue was to discourage business investment

[1:03:42] in or commodification of housing. During the workshop, the two-year permit waiting period

[1:03:48] was changed to a one-year permit waiting period after the sale of a unit and after new construction.

[1:03:54] Realters were in favor of the exemption recommended by the Planning Commission, but were generally

[1:03:58] opposed to the waiting period. And this is the

[1:04:02] exemption, the waiting period exemption. So you can see the

[1:04:06] straight through on item number four there. So the board

[1:04:10] agreed to include the waiting period exemption with the two

[1:04:13] revisions. So first to remove excess redwelling units, also

[1:04:17] known as ADUs, rented on a long-term basis, and second to

[1:04:21] remove the interlocking condos from the exemption list. So I

[1:04:23] meant to point out the blue highlighted was the October changes,

[1:04:26] but on the slide as well.

[1:04:32] So during deliberation, the board also requested information

[1:04:36] on the time required to process short-term rental permits

[1:04:39] to inform collecting a time period.

[1:04:41] Staff reviewed all permits from 2020

[1:04:43] to the present and eliminated applications

[1:04:46] processed under alternative methods during COVID,

[1:04:49] as well as requests in non-residential land use designations

[1:04:52] that did not require a 30-day noticing period.

[1:04:55] The average processing time from application to application

[1:04:58] acceptance to a public hearing.

[1:05:00] At the planning commission, was 74 days or about two and a half months. An additional month or so was required to process the short-term mental activity permit. So it would be reasonable to assume that it takes about three to four months to process permits under the proposed system, which includes a use permit and short-term mental activity permit.

[1:05:20] Our fourth policy issue was to preserve and encourage workforce housing units. The board supported the adoption of both policies on the screen, policy 1D9 and policy 1D10,

[1:05:29] Again, to support the development of an incentive program as recommended by the Planning Commission,

[1:05:36] no public comments were delivered on this topic.

[1:05:40] If this change is, or sorry, one staff recommendation is to revise and remove the reference to the

[1:05:51] numeric cap again under policy 1D9, so I have that on the screen, but we can again look

[1:05:56] get it a little bit more in detail on a word version they've needed.

[1:06:02] Our six policy issue was to create an equitable permitting process.

[1:06:06] The board agreed to adopt the recommendation of the Planning Commission, which if adopted,

[1:06:09] will standardize the permitting system for all short term rentals.

[1:06:14] Public comments were generally not opposed to a consolidated permitting system, but a few

[1:06:19] comments did touch on the interlock in condos.

[1:06:22] So, as a separate issue, the Board adopted resolution 25-08-5, making existing non-conforming

[1:06:29] findings to allow short-term rentals at the interlocking condos in Jude Lake.

[1:06:34] This resolution also sparked the request for a general plan amendment to change the

[1:06:39] land use designation of that parcel.

[1:06:42] So applications for, or applications at the interlocking are now being processed under a vacation

[1:06:47] and home rental permit, while the general plan amendment is underway.

[1:06:54] And lastly, there was board consensus on a few recommendations of the planning commission.

[1:06:59] First, to modify housing terminology for consistency.

[1:07:03] Second, to add a general exemption from standards and regulations provided specific findings can be met.

[1:07:08] And third, to add text to the general exemption, indicating it only applies if other exemptions have not already been provided.

[1:07:17] And I did want to provide a screenshot of the general exemption because it is different

[1:07:22] from the waiting period exemption, and I know there are a few questions about both.

[1:07:26] And again, if needed, we can zoom in to the exemption language during deliberation.

[1:07:35] So moving into the other requirements for the public hearing, general plan amendments required

[1:07:39] analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act.

[1:07:43] Community development finds that General Planning Amendment 20501 is consistent with a Class

[1:07:47] 1 categorical exemption under 15301.

[1:07:51] Class 1 consists of the Operation Repair Maintenance Permitting, leasing licensing or minor alteration

[1:07:58] of existing public or private structures involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former

[1:08:04] use.

[1:08:05] No new construction is associated with the approval process for short-term rentals, so General

[1:08:10] plan amendment 25-1 qualifies as an existing facility's exemption.

[1:08:15] And to adopt a general plan amendment, two findings under chapter 48 of the general plan

[1:08:20] must be made in the affirmative.

[1:08:23] We need development finds that the provisions are consistent with the general plan which encourage

[1:08:28] the retention and development of residential housing units and the adjustments to the area

[1:08:32] plans align terms and apply a countywide policy on safety infrastructure, which is specific to June

[1:08:38] lake.

[1:08:42] And lastly, general plan amendments are subject to noticing, and this project was

[1:08:46] noticed pursuant to state law. Eight public comments were received prior to the public hearing,

[1:08:52] which were provided to you today, and all that one letter was received from homeowners at the

[1:08:57] interlocking condos.

[1:09:01] So the first set of letters are mostly concerned with the ability to short-term

[1:09:06] rent at the interlocking condos. As mentioned, the resolution adopted in October allows units

[1:09:12] It's to be rented on a short-term basis through a vacation home rental permit while the general

[1:09:17] plan amendment is underway, so that component is taken care of.

[1:09:21] Three of the four points that were, or three of the four points mentioned in the public comment

[1:09:25] letters were also addressed by the board in October.

[1:09:29] The consensus, the one in bold here is, I guess, the most notable one, and

[1:09:35] the consensus in October was to remove the interlocking condos from the waiting period exemption

[1:09:39] list to apply the same standards to all condominium units once the designation of interlocking is changed to advance an equitable permitting process.

[1:09:50] And with that, I will pass it to Wendy to cover the last public comment from the MLA exporter realtors.

[1:10:03] Thank you, Olya. So consistent with our past presentations, we just wanted to cover the

[1:10:08] Mammoth Lakes Board of Realty, comment letter, point by point. They made a comment about

[1:10:15] the waiting period being inconsistent with private property rights, but as previously

[1:10:20] stated, short-term rentals are not a private property right. And there are temporary rental

[1:10:24] rights available at a property through the long-term model. That is not being taken away or

[1:10:30] affected. So properties can be rented on a temporary basis and this does not restrict

[1:10:35] anyone's property rights. And there's a comment about ambiguity in the exemption process

[1:10:40] that the findings that are required to really prevent non-hosted rentals from being able

[1:10:51] to qualify. And the findings really are not crafted to support or not support any particular

[1:10:56] type of project, they are based on the goals of this policy set, and so to the extent

[1:11:02] that those findings apply or don't apply to any particular project, you know, that's

[1:11:06] how a project qualifies for it, not because any sort of project is trying to be encouraged

[1:11:11] or discouraged under this policy set.

[1:11:14] It's really the goals that are the purpose in establishing those findings.

[1:11:18] And then there was a comment that under the waiting period exemption, saying that the

[1:11:29] exemptions apply to at least the following things made it unclear, that language had

[1:11:39] originally been in there, the at least part had been in there because the intention had

[1:11:44] been to allow for those exemptions to apply in addition to the general exemption.

[1:11:49] And if the board recalls at the last workshop, there were comments made by the realtors

[1:11:55] under the general exemption to make it very clear that the general exemption only applies

[1:12:00] when no other exemption applies and so that language change was made.

[1:12:05] So yes, the at least terminology could be eliminated.

[1:12:09] You know, the original intention of the language was to provide flexibility for all the exemptions to be able to apply if the property qualified for it, but at the request of the real terms, it's really been segmented at this point into, you know, just those exemptions for the waiting period and just the general exemption, so if a property, you know, could have had some flexibility and applying for both that doesn't apply anymore.

[1:12:33] I don't think it changes the meaning or the authority under the regulations because

[1:12:39] of the way the language reads right now, but if there's a desire to make it clear that

[1:12:44] at least language could be eliminated.

[1:12:49] Short-term rental inspection requirements rather than signing in affidavit, the new policies

[1:12:55] require the proposed policies require an inspection to be completed at the properties and the comment

[1:13:03] letter stated that there's an additional burden placed on homeowners in order to get these

[1:13:08] inspections done and that is true. There will be an expense, there will be a delay, there

[1:13:13] will be an additional step for homeowners to complete. I think that was, you know, the intention

[1:13:19] of these policies is to ensure that the homes are safe. There's actual, an actual record of the

[1:13:26] home being safe, not just a homeowner signing off on it, you know, potentially without really

[1:13:29] reading all of the requirements and so to have somebody actually look at it and that property owners

[1:13:36] demonstrate their ability to check all of these boxes and be a responsible renting party.

[1:13:42] That was part of the requirement, you know, the intention of the requirement and so yes,

[1:13:47] it does place an additional burden on the homeowners to demonstrate those things.

[1:13:52] But there will be inspectors available. This is the same process that the town currently follows.

[1:13:57] We have a checklist, a draft checklist that can be used, so there will be support and

[1:14:03] resources available for homeowners to take this on and complete it.

[1:14:06] It's not an impractical or unrealistic requirement.

[1:14:10] The question is simply, the board has given direction to include this, and so the question

[1:14:15] is simply to the board, do you wish to stand by that?

[1:14:20] Another comment under the inspection requirements was that the scope is too broad because it requires

[1:14:26] There's compliance with the general plan in its totality.

[1:14:30] It could be, that language could be revised to add compliance with Motel County General

[1:14:35] Plan Chapter 25 and be specific to Chapter 25, but under the use permit really compliance

[1:14:42] with the general plan is required also.

[1:14:45] So this is not different than any other requirements for the permitting process that we currently have

[1:14:50] in place.

[1:14:51] We could add that specificity if it helps clarify to people but it doesn't change the

[1:14:56] meaning. It doesn't change the meaning of what we would do, how we would process it.

[1:15:00] And what's required. Some internal inconsistencies were pointed out that the first section, I won't go through and read all the numbers and letters. The first section where the affidavit by the property owner was required in the past is no longer necessary because an inspection is required now. If it's the board's pleasure, we could remove the language requiring the affidavit. It also doesn't hurt to have it in there.

[1:15:28] to have the homeowner sign off on an affidavit that says they have verified that all of these things are met in their unit in addition to having the third party inspection.

[1:15:41] However, with the third party inspection, it could also be eliminated and it doesn't really change the nature of the provision.

[1:15:47] So I would say that's really just a processing question and at the board's pleasure whether to keep it or eliminate it.

[1:15:54] Um, it doesn't change a whole lot about the process or the permit.

[1:15:58] We need, yes.

[1:15:59] So this, the, the copy we have is different than what's on the slide.

[1:16:06] Um, apologies.

[1:16:08] We were working on this this morning because the comments came in at the last minute.

[1:16:11] So that may have just been an error on our part.

[1:16:14] So the correct language is in our hand or up there.

[1:16:20] You added a, uh, O for O point D.

[1:16:24] Are you looking at the slide show?

[1:16:27] I'm looking at that as opposed to what's in front of it.

[1:16:30] Yeah, the slide show copy.

[1:16:40] 0.65070D6 is the language requiring that the affidavit could be removed?

[1:16:49] Okay, never mind.

[1:16:50] Okay, and then the next one is?

[1:16:53] Yeah, 5.65070D6C.

[1:16:58] Okay, sorry.

[1:16:59] Yeah, that's all right.

[1:17:00] And then the common letter suggested this language change to this provision that if

[1:17:08] an adult relative of the property owner without a long term lease is the host, then the

[1:17:13] following provisions apply and that if that provides clarity that is fine to make that

[1:17:19] language change should the board want that.

[1:17:24] It just makes it clear if this one is related to the definition of a host and who can host a

[1:17:35] short-term rental and so currently it just reads if an adult relative without a long-term lease is

[1:17:41] a host, but if it's a long-term relative, the host has to be an adult long-term relative

[1:17:53] or someone who's actually renting the property, right?

[1:17:57] And so just to make it clear that the relative is a relative

[1:18:00] of the property owner, that language could be changed

[1:18:04] if desired.

[1:18:06] That's just a clarification, but again, I don't think it actually

[1:18:08] changes the intent of the regulation.

[1:18:16] And then the next section 5.65080D7, the comment

[1:18:25] One of the reasons that a permit could be denied is if there is an existing code enforcement case or notice a violation on the property.

[1:18:35] And the comment was to restrict that notice a violation or enforcement case to just issues related to short term rentals.

[1:18:42] But, you know, this actually goes back to the 2016 conversations that we had in the community about adding on more regulations and the ability of the county to enforce, and part of the philosophy behind all of these regulations that the county has is that it is very important

[1:19:03] and who is being permitted to rent, and that they demonstrate that they will be good neighbors,

[1:19:10] that they have the ability to comply with county regulations, and that they will be cooperative in complying with county regulations.

[1:19:16] Because as the board knows, and as the public knows, it is somewhat common to try to circumvent those regulations,

[1:19:26] and short-term rent without getting the proper permits, right?

[1:19:31] And so for us to have to chase people down, takes a lot of time, takes a lot of effort.

[1:19:38] The amount of and the type of evidence that we have to collect is a pretty high bar for the county.

[1:19:47] And so when we are granting permits, we want to make sure that the people that we are granting permits to are above board and

[1:19:53] responsible and comply and stay legal at all times with everything in order.

[1:20:00] I would like to demonstrate that responsibility and show that they would be good short-term rental owners. So that's really the idea behind this. You know, if the board wishes, you could restrict the scope more, but the thought behind it is that a responsible owner will generally comply with regulations overall.

[1:20:22] Section 5.65, 040D.

[1:20:25] The question was about being able to pass short-term rental permitting to LLCs, and that

[1:20:36] that should not trigger new ownership, and this language was specifically added, and

[1:20:41] this is where having Aaron Washco on the project with his legal background was really helpful.

[1:20:47] And then Emily weighed in on it as well.

[1:20:49] Well, you know, this, the language that's in there was specifically added to close this loophole, right?

[1:20:55] Because if it's an LLC and the membership changes in an LLC, it would be a completely new set of owners,

[1:21:02] but it would not trigger an ownership change on the property.

[1:21:05] And therefore, the, somebody could pass on a short-term rental essentially to a new set of people,

[1:21:10] without ever triggering that ownership change on the property,

[1:21:15] which would require the new owners and new people to go through a new permitting process, right?

[1:21:21] And so in order to close that loophole, the policies say that a natural person,

[1:21:27] so a corporation like an LLC cannot own the short-term rental permitting, it must be a natural person.

[1:21:34] As long as that person stays in the LLC, there's no issue, right?

[1:21:39] The other membership in the LLC or have whatever their financial arrangement is can continue.

[1:21:44] You know, it's that one person who owns the short-term rental, that must remain in place.

[1:21:49] And then, but if that person leaves and, you know, the LLC that is behind it, then

[1:21:57] wants to still own it, they have to have a new applicant for it, and it does trigger

[1:22:02] the change of ownership requirements and the permitting does not get passed on.

[1:22:06] So, I hope that makes sense, but it was intended to close the LLC loophole.

[1:22:12] It doesn't close it entirely, but it closes some of it.

[1:22:18] And then the letter requested delay in the adoption of these policies in order to engage the public furthermore and

[1:22:28] collaborate with Man with Lakes Board of Realtors and the Realty Community.

[1:22:33] I hope that we have demonstrated that there has been an extensive public engagement process from the survey to all of the meetings that were held.

[1:22:42] to workshops and field trip in June Lake, and there were invitations to the realtors to collaborate.

[1:22:49] Unfortunately, that didn't go as we had hoped, after that the realtor, the nameless exporter

[1:22:54] realty engaged in their own study and their own survey, and things kind of went in that direction.

[1:23:01] And so I think all of those opportunities have been explored to this point.

[1:23:04] There's been a lot of opportunity for public comment.

[1:23:06] and the changes and modifications to the policies,

[1:23:13] even from the last workshop to this point,

[1:23:15] have tried to respond to all of the public comments

[1:23:18] that are in keeping with the goals of the policy project

[1:23:22] and a lot of changes have been made in response to those.

[1:23:26] So the recommendation is to move forward

[1:23:29] with the adoption of the resolution and the ordinance.

[1:23:34] Okay.

[1:23:41] I just want to clarify one thing you mentioned

[1:23:43] on the inspection requirements, so that's currently required already by the town, so there are inspectors in place.

[1:23:54] Is there a cost to the town charges?

[1:24:01] There is a cost related to it and it's what the inspectors charge the homeowner, so it's a process kind of outside.

[1:24:08] So they have to get the inspection done in order to have a complete application to submit for the town to process, or in this case for the county to process.

[1:24:17] So it would be like work that they get done beforehand as part of putting together their application submittal and that's a private arrangement between them and the inspector.

[1:24:26] So I'm trying to ascertain so are those aspectors, town employees?

[1:24:30] No. So that's an independent inspector on our case.

[1:24:35] Do you have any idea what the cost is?

[1:24:37] I don't.

[1:24:53] Well, I don't have questions.

[1:24:55] I have some.

[1:24:57] Um, you know, on the waiting.

[1:25:02] I don't see a slide number, but issue three, waiting period exemptions, an exemption from the one-year waiting period after the sale of a unit or completion of construction shall be provided for at least the following circumstances. And there's three circumstances. And the first is that the short term rental has been properly permitted.

[1:25:29] and continuously operated for a minimum of the past two years.

[1:25:36] I struggle with this because it really makes that home a commodity,

[1:25:46] because it just rolls with it.

[1:25:48] When will it ever have an opportunity to not be a short term rental?

[1:25:54] if every time it sells, it doesn't have to wait. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but

[1:26:04] yeah, and to me, I think that's the wrong thing for us to do to our housing stock

[1:26:09] is to ensure that if you've been using it as a short-term rental for two years,

[1:26:15] the new owner can automatically keep using it as short-term rental.

[1:26:20] And I'd like to see us strike that so that we create an opportunity for somebody to buy it without it automatically being priced as a short term rental.

[1:26:40] What do you, I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. Supervisor McFarlane, I know this is in your district.

[1:26:53] It is a concern. I mean, because, and I follow your logic, basically the logic is once something gets into the short term rental program, it is permanently lost.

[1:27:01] long-term housing, you know, that being said where I fall perhaps is somewhere less than

[1:27:14] logical but definitely less than perfect and it's that this is an exemption that is

[1:27:23] born of compromise, but your logic is correct.

[1:27:30] Right, and I appreciate that we're making compromises here, but you know, we have an

[1:27:36] item later on our agenda I think it's seven age could be wrong. I don't want to miss people

[1:27:44] and I have a agenda right here in front of me. No, yeah, the housing. Yeah, the housing

[1:27:47] related to setting up update. You know, and we're losing people at a really striking and sad rate

[1:27:54] of our people here. 104 people a year in our community and our county. And Inno County isn't seeing

[1:28:01] that kind of loss. Actually, they're seeing a gain. And I have to think that part of it,

[1:28:06] I mean, nothing is there's no silver bullet or silver cause on all of this, but a lot of it

[1:28:11] is the cost of living. And they even say that in the report that we're going to hear later

[1:28:17] and cost of living is cost of shelter. And I'm really struggling that we by making these compromises

[1:28:27] were compromised in our population, were compromised in our community and the vitality

[1:28:32] and the sustainability of having communities. We certainly already have a

[1:28:37] a dearth of community members in district five, no not five three,

[1:28:48] and you know I just

[1:28:50] But what we're compromising, I feel like a way, the health and vitality of our community

[1:28:57] for the sake of a strong realtor body that's really pushing for sales for the use of

[1:29:05] short-term rental.

[1:29:07] And it just, it doesn't strike me as the right thing for us to be doing, but I understand

[1:29:12] that my colleagues don't agree, but that is my statement.

[1:29:17] Thank you.

[1:29:17] So

[1:29:27] this afternoon's presentation on housing is shocking.

[1:29:30] The numbers are frankly depressing and this isn't something for many of us that is theoretical.

[1:29:44] We live it.

[1:29:45] We work to fill in the blanks as much as we can.

[1:29:47] I think one thing that surprised me again when I read through the, and I

[1:30:00] And when you went through the area overviews of what the regulations are in different areas,

[1:30:08] Mono City, no short-term rentals, June Lake, a large amount of how, a very small amount

[1:30:18] of no. Long Valley, nope, Wheelercrest, nope, Paradise, no, Drive Valley, no, Antelope Valley

[1:30:28] Bridgeport I believe there may be one or two in Bridgeport so I think you know this does largely

[1:30:37] fall within one community but it also falls in another which is leaveining which is largely

[1:30:44] zone commercial and there are huge amount of gains and housing protection to come from this package

[1:30:52] which as presented by creating a single point of a single door to walk through a single

[1:31:00] permanent process, especially because it raises the bar for converting a single family

[1:31:07] home within commercial to a short-term rental.

[1:31:12] I was an advocate for issue three, the waiting period to ensure that the waiting period stayed

[1:31:18] We have that conversation last year because I think two years is an ample cooling off period for someone looking to commodify a private property.

[1:31:30] I feel that the continuous operating exemption while frustrating is part of a compromise and acknowledges some places that are already in the system.

[1:31:45] but, you know, I do also acknowledge that that equals permanent loss of housing units.

[1:31:57] I think I find myself exceedingly frustrated also with what I see is a lot of purposeful

[1:32:05] misinformation that has been directed, a failure to acknowledge the extensive work and

[1:32:14] back and forth that has gone into this, but at this point I'm done with this. We've done this

[1:32:21] for way too long. We have actual solutions to work on. We need to move on. I support the package

[1:32:28] as presented. Do I wish it was stronger? Yes, but we are where we are and I think we have other work

[1:32:36] that we need to focus on. It would support the current proposal.

[1:32:49] It's just the only thing that

[1:32:51] Maybe I can comment about, you're talking about the different areas that have short-term rental.

[1:32:59] A lot of that is based on the counties lack of infrastructure in those areas to support the things that people want to do.

[1:33:07] And especially in district two, but seeing that we're down to a mixed area of infrastructure supported in a way,

[1:33:20] but also desire to be there today and if you're happy with you're happy with this at this point

[1:33:30] I do think it's been refined and everything it's down to anymore or working on exceptions

[1:33:39] to the role there and trying to find ways to anticipate ways people

[1:33:50] may try to find, well, that doesn't really apply to me and I want to make going forward.

[1:33:55] I think this is probably the best that you could do.

[1:33:58] We've made for those that weren't aware and so on public comment that we have addressed

[1:34:05] the interlocking issue.

[1:34:07] And I think to, unless I interpret it wrong, totally possible in the last week, that we've

[1:34:18] accommodating those understanding that's there. That issue is unique. I agree to it. Will

[1:34:25] somebody come forward with an equally unique? Yes. Very concerned about the loss of long-term

[1:34:34] rentals and availability. Really concerned now for an area that what are we going to do in the meantime?

[1:34:44] But that's, you know, maybe anecdotal today may not be tomorrow.

[1:34:52] So I'm happy with the work that's gone into this.

[1:35:00] The immense amount of work that staff has done. And it seemed so easy in the beginning to do that, but realize we're not one size fits all. There. And the areas that it's addressing are allow economic growth and development in an area that we just don't have any more land. And this is what we have to work with. So I support it at this level.

[1:35:31] I'm sure there will be some other things that we didn't anticipate, somebody else will figure out.

[1:35:35] And that's what an amendment is for, and we'll be hearing that in the future, because every day is a new day.

[1:35:46] Does that appear?

[1:35:47] Yeah, I mean, it's a June-like issue.

[1:35:50] I think this addresses that.

[1:35:52] That, you know, I support Sylvester McFarlane's comments and bears frustration as well, but

[1:36:00] I support this really until something it's done in this town, a mammoth, to have the

[1:36:09] waiting period do something, to maybe open up three up some short-term rentals to the long-term

[1:36:14] market.

[1:36:16] We're not going to, the rest of the county is not impacted, but you can see the numbers.

[1:36:20] I mean, one here, one there, this is, that's the focus that maybe we can look at as how

[1:36:30] do we communicate to the town, you know, like you think that if you add some sort of

[1:36:38] regulation in place that maybe encourage people to long-term purchase from, you know, transition

[1:36:46] in a short term, the long term.

[1:36:48] But I think what we're doing here is addressing

[1:36:51] and compromising, or June like.

[1:36:54] And I think it's, I was presented.

[1:36:57] And I think we baited it in a meaningful way

[1:37:01] in our workshop.

[1:37:06] All right, thanks, everybody.

[1:37:10] That being said, let's ask,

[1:37:14] oh, we have a break?

[1:37:15] Absolutely.

[1:37:16] Let's see.

[1:37:16] Can I just respond?

[1:37:18] The town and jimber actually do have a program that they pay for people to long-term rent their homes if they've been short-term renting them to encourage long-term rentals to take short-term rentals off the books.

[1:37:36] They have a lot of programs, they're building a wealth of housing for all incomes, but

[1:37:43] primarily the income group that we see in our report on 7D that we need the most of

[1:37:51] is that 80% and below.

[1:37:53] And they have 80 units, there's another 174 coming online.

[1:37:58] They have four sale units that are de-restricted on Joaquin.

[1:38:02] They've got the access apartments, which are 80% and below, and they're all in here.

[1:38:08] So I don't want to say that the town is the reason June Lake has short-term rental.

[1:38:16] They have short-term rental because people want a short-term rent in June Lake.

[1:38:20] Because June Lake is June Lake, it's not mammoth lakes.

[1:38:23] If they wanted a short-term rent in the mammoth, there's plenty of them to short-term rent.

[1:38:28] It is a June Lake issue because June Lake is beautiful.

[1:38:34] It's got a lot of outdoor recreation and amenities people want to go there.

[1:38:41] It's on us to create the policy to protect the community.

[1:38:53] Madam Chair, before we take a break, our background team has been researching the question you

[1:38:59] ask about how much does an inspection cost and our understanding just based on anecdotal

[1:39:04] information being able to ask those in that private marketplace is that a private inspection

[1:39:09] is between 180 to $250 to get certified to submit your application.

[1:39:14] Thank you.

[1:39:15] All right.

[1:39:16] That being said, let's take a break.

[1:39:17] Let's return at 1050.

[1:54:00] And let's, sorry, we're a little late there, but we're back. Okay, let's then take, let's

[1:54:11] take it where we are here. So, public comment. Please come forward for public comment.

[1:54:26] June Lake, and here I'm going to be talking about something that I've already said several times, but doing this one year, two year, five year waiting period.

[1:54:36] It is at best naive to think this will create any additional workforce housing at all.

[1:54:44] Because June Lake, it will go back to the 1920s, and we'll have the same kind of people that are coming up.

[1:54:52] Then they'll come up now.

[1:54:54] These are wealthy people that are buying a place in June like a piece of their dream.

[1:54:59] you

[1:55:00] And we can extend this waiting period and all we're going to do is encourage that market. And we already see it. I'm not a realtor. And I like the way they say realtors there. We're also voters. And we're also, you know, we're also citizens involved in the community. And I'm not even a realtor. But we sit here and we're creating June Lake is unique. And it's not mammoth. I don't know if

[1:55:29] about the town of Mammoth. Mammoth has created a lot of workforce housing and there to be

[1:55:35] commended on it. But unless you guys take some actions to go forward and 10 years we're going to

[1:55:44] have the same discussions in the gap between long-term rentals and wealthy property owners is just

[1:55:52] going to get greater and greater. It's supply and demand. Wealthy people want places like

[1:56:01] to like. Wealthy people aren't moved and while I can't say that to Bridgeport, Bridgeport's

[1:56:07] tougher up there. So there's not as much demand for work for our for short term rules, but we're

[1:56:14] creating a mess and to think that these rules here all we're going to see is

[1:56:21] identify unintended consequences. And like right now we have a unit that

[1:56:27] sells and somebody else comes in and buy it they have a one year two year whatever

[1:56:33] heck you want. We'll have 30 or 40 or 50 reservations for that property for the

[1:56:41] next year. And these are people that come up every year, same property for a large percentage

[1:56:48] of them. And what are we going to do to them? And there are key to our economy too. That's it.

[1:56:55] I've said it all before. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[1:56:58] Thank you. You want to ask please?

[1:57:08] Honorable board members, my name is Heidi Vetter.

[1:57:18] I'm a real

[1:57:18] rather shallow to me to be discussing regulating shirt from rentals.

[1:57:23] However, today is the last opportunity that I have to address you on this issue,

[1:57:28] so I did want to make a statement.

[1:57:32] We find ourselves at the crux of three and a half years' effort to address affordable housing

[1:57:38] and establish reasonable regulations for short-term rentals.

[1:57:42] What saddens me, and frankly amazes me, is the amount of time, energy, and money that

[1:57:48] has been focused on attempting to regulate roughly 3% of the unincorporated area of

[1:57:54] monocowning, specifically doing makeup.

[1:57:58] I referenced 3% because the short tour and the toll market in June make had effectively

[1:58:03] become self-regulating following the extensive community work, collaboration, and agreements

[1:58:10] Since we developed in 2016-17, these proposed regulations affect approximately 125 properties

[1:58:21] previously eligible for short term rentals out of the 4,200 residential units in unincorporated

[1:58:29] Mono County.

[1:58:31] I have followed the Board of Supervisors very closely this last year, and the hundreds

[1:58:36] of individual contracts, partnerships and issues you guys manage each month is totally inconceivable.

[1:58:45] I have respect and appreciation for each one of you and thank you for what you do on behalf of our

[1:58:53] residents. Therefore, it's confounding to me that the county has chosen to devote so such extraordinary

[1:59:01] resources and time to regulate short-term rentals in June Lake, when a well-defined clear and

[1:59:09] streamlined approach would serve the county and its residents much more effectively.

[1:59:15] All of this, in certainty, will not end here. With the changes you're preparing to vote on,

[1:59:22] all short-term rental permits would be required to go through the Planning Commission,

[1:59:26] with any appeals going directly to the Board of Supervisors.

[1:59:31] This will only create more work, more process, and more strain on the county staff and time.

[1:59:39] I urge you not to vote on these resolutions, ordinances, and

[1:59:43] general plan changes that drastically alter the county's land use structure,

[1:59:48] until a more thoughtful, comprehensive, and clear approach can be developed.

[1:59:53] when that can be sustained in the long term and supports growth in all the communities you go.

[2:00:00] Thank you for hearing my thoughts. Thank you. Anyone else? I can speak to anyone online.

[2:00:11] There are no hands raised on Zoom.

[2:00:17] Any for the deliberation?

[2:00:24] I just wanted to let everyone know that during the break, I handed out a printout and I'll share it on the screen right now.

[2:00:38] of the proposed modifications in response to public comment and then the language to adopt

[2:00:46] just to make a complete recommendation, you know, provide the complete recommendation

[2:00:50] language for the board.

[2:00:53] Copies are available here in the board chambers for any members of the public who are interested

[2:00:58] and let me just pull this up.

[2:01:01] We need does that include the one-year waiting period on here?

[2:01:04] Is that one of the provisions?

[2:01:05] So, the one year waiting period is already part of the proposal package.

[2:01:10] These are just changes that are not part of the policy package as it was published in the Board's agenda.

[2:01:18] That are suggested because of the public comments.

[2:01:20] This is in addition to-

[2:01:22] Yeah, so this is in addition to the Board.

[2:01:25] If the Board wants to accept these modifications and

[2:01:28] the recommendation would be to make these three modifications, A, B and C, and

[2:01:33] and then adopt the resolution in ordinance.

[2:01:35] I just wanted to make sure that the recommended action

[2:01:38] is very clear on the points that we are approving.

[2:01:42] As listed here in agenda,

[2:01:46] it doesn't call out the waiting period and purchase them.

[2:01:54] I'm sorry.

[2:01:58] I know the waiting period has not been approved yet, right?

[2:02:01] It was direction given at the last workshop

[2:02:03] and it is in this policy package,

[2:02:06] The specific language showing the waiting period is an attachment to the joint resolution and ordinance.

[2:02:15] It's an exhibit.

[2:02:16] So by adopting the joint resolution and ordinance, the board is adopting the full red line package that was published in the board agenda, which includes the waiting period.

[2:02:25] We're going to put out of our agenda at what we were actually, because I want to be really clear, the public.

[2:02:32] Right.

[2:02:33] So do we want to amend this bill or change the wording and the recommended action at all to make it more clear bullet point into what we're actually voting on rather than kind of vaguely and then this modification.

[2:02:47] Is there a way to do that or is that?

[2:02:51] It's in the resolution.

[2:02:52] It's all resolution and we're approving number two is the resolution.

[2:02:57] Yeah, it's there.

[2:02:59] All there.

[2:03:00] That being

[2:03:07] said, everyone feels that's clear enough and what's in the resolution is clear enough.

[2:03:11] All right.

[2:03:12] We would then look at a recommended action.

[2:03:14] We have held the public hearing and we're following every all the deliberation and the closure of the public hearing.

[2:03:21] Ready to adopt the resolution ordinance.

[2:03:25] So do we have a motion?

[2:03:27] We'll make a motion to approve as amended with the items 1 and 2.

[2:03:38] Motion?

[2:03:39] Second.

[2:03:40] Motion is second.

[2:03:42] Let's do roll call, please.

[2:03:47] The resolution.

[2:03:48] Oh, yes, please.

[2:03:49] Thanks, President.

[2:03:51] We have formal reading in the resolution.

[2:03:54] All right.

[2:03:54] Let's do roll call.

[2:03:56] Supervisor Dugan, how do you vote?

[2:03:58] Yes.

[2:03:59] Supervisor Crites, how do you vote?

[2:04:01] No.

[2:04:01] Now, to Provisor McFarlane, how do you vote?

[2:04:05] Yes.

[2:04:07] Provisor Peters, how do you vote?

[2:04:08] Yes.

[2:04:09] And Chairs, I'll see how do you vote?

[2:04:11] Yes.

[2:04:11] We have four yeses, one no, motion passes.

[2:04:17] Okay.

[2:04:18] As inappropriate as it may feel at the moment,

[2:04:23] vote it on and approved.

[2:04:25] And then Madam Chair, just one procedural item.

[2:04:28] Thank you to County Council back

[2:04:29] for that ordinance language about waving the reading.

[2:04:32] And then we will have to bring it back

[2:04:33] for a second reading and adoption for the ordinance part of it, which is just

[2:04:38] procedural. So you'll see that on your consent agenda at the next meeting. Thank

[2:04:41] you very much. Okay, that will bring us then to the next public hearing, which is

[2:04:49] a community development block grant, CBDG application, and I think CEO more

[2:04:54] really is going to walk us through that. Yes, I will kick it off. As we do

[2:05:00] We have a consultant online as well, Queen, if you can promote them. So the state community development block grant was released in September of this year, and the CDBG is available for a broad number of improvements, community items, including housing, infrastructure, those types of things, all of those are listed, or a summary of those are listed in the staff report. And in order to apply for CDBG funding, we are required to go through this public hearing process. So we open this first public hearing,

[2:05:29] the intent is really just to let the community know that we are considering applying for

[2:05:34] CDBG funding and then to take public comments from members of the community on projects

[2:05:39] they would like us to consider. We will come back likely in January with a second public

[2:05:45] hearing letting the community know here's the things that we are going to pursue. So I do

[2:05:50] have, we have Jeff Lucas, who's our consultant online and Jeff, do you want to provide a little

[2:05:54] but more detail on this current proposal request.

[2:06:03] Can you hear us, Jeff?

[2:06:04] Hi, thank you for,

[2:06:08] we're breaking up just a little bit,

[2:06:10] but I want to thank you for the opportunity

[2:06:11] to speak to the Community Development Block Grant Program

[2:06:14] and kind of kick off this public discussion

[2:06:19] regarding the program, which is initiated

[2:06:22] because the state noticed all this jurisdiction,

[2:06:27] jurisdiction, small rural jurisdictions that their annual notice of funding availability was going to be released.

[2:06:38] And as part of that process, we want to make sure that we provide information about the community development block grant program, which is a federal program managed by the state of California for small jurisdictions.

[2:06:51] but these funds are available and background information on what they can and can't ease for the board to consider that staffs also looking at a variety of things that fit the program.

[2:07:03] So this is informational.

[2:07:05] I know some of the board members have background information and an understanding of CDPG and that's that's very, very good.

[2:07:13] There's probably some that don't.

[2:07:15] The program is flexible in what it can do and so our role today is just to provide you

[2:07:24] with information, answer any questions you may have and welcome any comments regarding

[2:07:29] the program.

[2:07:31] It's designed specifically the primary purpose of the funds are to expand economic opportunities

[2:07:44] for low and moderate income folks, and I want to give you an idea of sort of the target

[2:07:51] group for this program, for a family of four in your county, the extremely low range

[2:08:01] would be income for a family of $30,650. Well, the moderate level would be $81,700. So

[2:08:10] So that's quite a range of folks that the program is designed to help.

[2:08:15] The idea is to help raise up their income level through programs, for example, low interest

[2:08:23] business loan programs that would in turn help hire and create more jobs for folks.

[2:08:30] Also improve suitable living environment, and that can come in the way of nuisance abatement

[2:08:37] programs.

[2:08:40] As an example, also providing decent housing, this could be the first time home

[2:08:46] buyers program, which the county has experience with and has accumulated funds from that program,

[2:08:53] or housing rehab programs for situations where folks need to upgrade and improve their living

[2:09:04] arrangements. In addition to the low and moderate income folks that the programs

[2:09:12] started to assist seniors, veterans, disabled folks are also part of the folks

[2:09:20] that are targeted to receive assistance and to benefit from the program. So as I

[2:09:34] is a non entitlement jurisdiction, meaning that the state has set up a program so that

[2:09:41] rural jurisdictions can apply for these funds on an annual basis.

[2:09:47] Now that schedule moves around quite a bit by the state.

[2:09:51] In fact, application was originally going to be scheduled to be due in January.

[2:09:56] Now they've just recently as a guest today moved that to April.

[2:10:00] So, which is fine, it gives us more time to focus on what we want to do with the application for these funds and what kind of programs or projects will best benefit the county. So, this slide number four, regarding the national objectives, provides you with additional information on the national objective. And then number two is CDBG eligible activity.

[2:10:29] So in order to get at the national objective of assisting folks with with job creation or improving their housing or projects like improving a water system, a sewer system that serves a low moderate income neighborhood.

[2:10:50] Those are the kinds of things that we can do with these funds.

[2:10:56] So, we have to bear in mind what we're trying to do, the benefit, and then the eligible activities

[2:11:03] which are listed here.

[2:11:05] And I don't know if you, for example, under community development, public facilities,

[2:11:12] improvements, that would be systems that improve water systems or that kind of thing, ADA improvements

[2:11:22] for a public building, in some cases some of the older buildings being used need those barriers removed and you can use the funds for that.

[2:11:37] Let's see, you can use the funds also for loss of rental income for folks.

[2:11:42] I'm not sure if these CDBG funds will be made available to assist or if there is going to be a need.

[2:11:51] We probably have to follow up on that since your most recent fire, but if possible, I think that would be something to consider.

[2:12:00] And maybe as part of this conversation, we can reach out to state staff on that matter.

[2:12:12] We're based in Lake County, we've seen many, many fires and we know the impact of them and I'm sorry to see what occurred, but if it might be possible to utilize these funds for assisting folks.

[2:12:25] The problem is that it takes over a year from the point of application to actually being able to implement these programs, so bear that in mind as well.

[2:12:34] Well, you can provide funds for homeowner ownership assistance, which we discussed, housing

[2:12:41] services, and those kinds of things.

[2:12:47] On economic development, small businesses can receive technical assistance at no fee

[2:12:53] to help them expand.

[2:12:57] You can also use the funds, as I mentioned earlier, low interest business loans, forgivable loans.

[2:13:02] We did quite a bit of that with with with your county during the CD period with these funds. I think they're that was pretty helpful.

[2:13:12] So those are some of the things we can do with the funds and the target audience that we're trying to address and I think if we can go to the next slide.

[2:13:28] Right now that the county has a program income that's been accumulated from the first time home buyers program.

[2:13:35] and I think you can include those funds with the new funds that are being made available to compete for and apply for.

[2:13:46] Or you can separately apply for those funds to use for a different eligible program.

[2:13:56] It's a little bit confusing because it's really funds that you've already applied for.

[2:14:00] they're yours, they're in your accounts, but the state has recently, well about two years ago,

[2:14:07] made a change in how they approached that in the past. You can develop a plan and say,

[2:14:12] this is what we're going to use the funds for. Now you have to actually apply to use the funds

[2:14:18] that you've already received from them. So you have to go through this whole application process,

[2:14:24] which is cumbersome, not very efficient, but that's how they're doing it now.

[2:14:31] So you have those funds on hand,

[2:14:33] and then also with this new notice of funding availability for 2025,

[2:14:40] originally when we sent you this slide was applications opening in January.

[2:14:45] Well, they've moved that a little bit,

[2:14:48] So the applications won't be scheduled to we won't be able to submit an application until April now, which which actually is good. It gives us more time.

[2:15:00] And then finally, the state has allocated out how the total of $3.6 million which is available for its jurisdiction to apply for what kinds of things and programs and projects you can apply for the total. So, for example, infrastructure, a public facility, if you've got your engineering design work and budget work and other funding sources of

[2:15:29] available and ready to go, you can apply for up to 3.3 million for infrastructure improvement

[2:15:36] project that would benefit a low mod, a household in a neighborhood, for example.

[2:15:43] You can apply for up to 1.5 million for a housing program, like the first time home

[2:15:48] buyers program, or up to 1.5 million for economic development.

[2:15:52] Unfortunately, they're not allowing us to do both, and so it's an either or kind of

[2:15:59] decision that the board would need to make.

[2:16:04] Public services, which includes things like lunches, a senior services, those kinds of

[2:16:11] things.

[2:16:12] You can apply for up to $300,000, and then what they call planning and technical assistance,

[2:16:17] which is, let's see, for example,

[2:16:21] a planning and technical assistance grant application would be

[2:16:24] to determine, do the preliminary engineering and design work

[2:16:28] and figure out what the budget would be for the remodeling

[2:16:33] and rehabilitation of an older public building

[2:16:37] that could also house services for veterans and seniors

[2:16:42] that kind of thing for a community center type operation.

[2:16:46] So, that money can be used to determine what the cost will be for the improvements that

[2:16:53] will be necessary, determine what they are, and then the next cycle, the next year, you

[2:16:58] can use that information and apply for a specific amount of funds from CDBG to actually make

[2:17:06] those improvements.

[2:17:09] So, those are the sort of fundamentals of the CDBG program.

[2:17:14] We just wanted to make sure that we went over them with the board as well as through this process any folks in the community and the public that are participating.

[2:17:27] And of course answer any questions that you may have.

[2:17:39] For that presentation, anyone on the board have any questions on the presentation?

[2:17:53] I think we're all familiar with what the program is, but it's what I'm mostly interested

[2:18:03] in is what are the projects and what capacity do we have to engage in the program.

[2:18:13] We have anything like that now, or when would we see that?

[2:18:18] I mean, like infrastructure, we just got approved 900,000 for generator from

[2:18:29] something that

[2:18:30] we could couple some of these dollars with those dollars to do microgrid or generator

[2:18:37] somewhere, or like, how do we see it laid out, where are we going with this?

[2:18:43] So I think that this is the opportunity just to talk about ideas of how we could do it.

[2:18:48] So that's a good idea that we can kind of look at and see if it fits in the program and

[2:18:52] And then how would we couple it with our other infrastructure projects?

[2:18:55] I think Jeff also mentioned the Community Center upgrades, which is something we could,

[2:19:00] the planning for a Community Center upgrades, which is something we could consider.

[2:19:05] And some of the, we have talked about this with a housing ad hoc, and I know there will be a report later on.

[2:19:11] But one of the things that we've talked about internally, because CDBG is often used for housing is,

[2:19:17] is we talked with economic development

[2:19:19] about possibly using this for the business loan program,

[2:19:23] which is something that we've done previously,

[2:19:25] and has been really successful.

[2:19:27] And I think they are forgivable loans,

[2:19:29] which is great, the businesses really like

[2:19:32] to have those forgivable loans.

[2:19:33] And we worked with Jeff and his team at CDS

[2:19:36] to implement that.

[2:19:37] So if we think about capacity,

[2:19:39] we do have a consultant that we've worked with

[2:19:42] that can help us deploy the program.

[2:19:44] And I think that, you know, we have the staff to manage something like that.

[2:19:49] If we're looking for something, you know, beyond that or something different,

[2:19:53] I think we would want to come back to the board and let you know about capacity.

[2:19:57] So if you wanted us to start a whole new process.

[2:20:05] And then we can come back to you and let you know how we could deploy it, and how we could partner with, you know, other projects or programs that we're already doing or other departments are working on. I mean, I think there's already things identified in the CIP. I mean, like we were talking about yesterday, like preschool and Bridgeport, they need $150,000.

[2:20:36] I mean, there's so many things, but I think we need staff, public works, economic development,

[2:20:43] to reign in a realistic number of these things, 10 to 20, or whatever, and then we can discuss

[2:20:52] them in rank, so to speak, prioritize them, but I think we could sit here all day and talk

[2:20:58] about things that we wish we could have, but the purpose of the CIP is to lay that out

[2:21:07] for years, and know there's things programmed and funds already allocated for certain projects,

[2:21:15] but Liz has a great report now that I can all develop.

[2:21:21] Project report from Carl, I mean,

[2:21:25] is we identifying something out of that that he specifically recommended, you know, enhancing

[2:21:32] the ability, access to voting type thing, or that's what I feel like the next step could

[2:21:38] be for us to be able to then, you know, give you something to determine it, where is the

[2:21:46] capacity, even go forward with this because it's short-term, it's short-term, like it wasn't

[2:21:53] me January now it's April but that's still pretty short. The funds though like Jeff mentioned

[2:22:00] take a year or so to come out so yeah. That's fast to me in government here but so I don't know

[2:22:08] how the next step goes.

[2:22:12] I think that then another guiding document is the strategic plan and

[2:22:16] you know coupled with you know also looking at the capital improvement but the strategic plan really

[2:22:22] It does call out the major areas of most interest that we came up with at our last strategic

[2:22:29] planning session.

[2:22:30] A month ago, that I think is kind of a gutting document, but I think it's so vice

[2:22:34] of Peter said, we need a framework to operate within, and I think that the framework to operate

[2:22:39] this in going to staff.

[2:22:40] Yes.

[2:22:41] It staff brings kind of the way in which we're going to consider this comes from staff, because

[2:22:46] we could sit here all day like you said, and there's bounce ideas around it.

[2:22:50] I'm going to hear from some other supervisors from Ireland.

[2:22:55] I think there's, yes, thanks for that, I mean, we know we have large lists of things

[2:23:00] that we could just start picking off, but the question is, you know, who's going to administer

[2:23:03] them, who's going to do them, how are we going to ensure that money is effectively utilized.

[2:23:08] And Jeff, a question for you, CBG is targeted towards, when you do something on the community

[2:23:15] scale, like a community center, it has to be a designated low to moderate

[2:23:20] income community? Yes. Yes, or it can be that if it's a community facility services provided to

[2:23:34] seniors, services provided to veterans, that also meets the criteria for the benefit, those folks,

[2:23:46] it's to be competitive.

[2:23:49] And remember now these funds are pretty competitive.

[2:23:52] So we always think in terms of high,

[2:23:54] and you guys are considering that right now

[2:23:56] and your capacity and so on.

[2:23:57] But it's like, okay, if we're going to put all this work

[2:24:00] into the darn thing or what is our highest best chance

[2:24:03] to get and fund it.

[2:24:05] And so in a case like that, you would want the facility

[2:24:10] to be in a low moderate income census track area

[2:24:16] or community that you define and then you look that up and then also you're going to provide

[2:24:21] services to what they call the limited clientele being seniors and veterans disabled so that you're

[2:24:31] hitting all the points that you possibly can. And finally on that as an entity you want to think

[2:24:41] in terms of being competitive, relative to readiness and capacity.

[2:24:46] In other words, you're ready to move forward with the project within their time frame, because

[2:24:50] that's how the state always thinks not in our time frames.

[2:24:53] What's realistic to us, but for them.

[2:24:56] So, you're thinking in terms of can we get this darn thing done?

[2:25:00] And implemented within what they think in terms of a two-and-a-half year time frame, which is the length of the grant agreement between the state and the county. You just kind of think how they think a little bit. And so that means are you ready to go the minute they, you know, you've signed the agreement, not course on there and they take forever to get their work done, but they expect us to move forward and hustle real fast. So those are some of the things you kind of want to think about.

[2:25:28] And then also you're talking a little bit about, you know, your capacity and you don't want to get ahead of yourself, but wherever we can show capacity in house as well as through through a consulting group doesn't have to be us to be anybody.

[2:25:45] You want to demonstrate that they're on board, or that they're ready to implement as well for

[2:25:55] whether it's an infrastructure project, a housing project, or an economic development type project.

[2:26:01] I know that was a lot.

[2:26:02] Thank you for allowing me to.

[2:26:04] Okay.

[2:26:05] Thank you.

[2:26:05] Say all that.

[2:26:07] Thank

[2:26:12] you, Jeff.

[2:26:13] I have a clarifying question.

[2:26:14] and you had made a mention of, and I just

[2:26:19] think clarity on what you meant by this,

[2:26:21] is that you're choosing a particular lane

[2:26:24] that you can't switch back as far as an area.

[2:26:31] Could you clarify a little bit more

[2:26:32] what you were talking about there?

[2:26:35] Yeah, and I don't know why the state does things sometimes,

[2:26:41] But, or actually most of the time I guess, but the, in this case, what they've said is you can apply for funds up to 1.5 million for an economic development type activity.

[2:26:56] That could be helping micro enterprises, for example, doing these low interest forgivable loans that create jobs, for example.

[2:27:07] You can do that, or you can do a housing program.

[2:27:13] You can't do both, unfortunately.

[2:27:16] So that's the either or deal there.

[2:27:19] Okay, so to clarify that, should we decide to go,

[2:27:23] we can't say put this much to a housing,

[2:27:27] this much to infrastructure support,

[2:27:30] because our ass board, it's either all or nothing.

[2:27:36] on the housing, yes, or economic developments, one or the other.

[2:27:42] Now, and this is why you've got pretty good staff because they're thinking, well, okay,

[2:27:47] that's the case with this.

[2:27:48] This is their rules at the state level.

[2:27:50] Then we have this program income money that we've accrued that we've gained.

[2:27:55] We've payments have come back in.

[2:27:58] We're going to apply separately for that to keep that, you know, kind of get the housing program going again.

[2:28:04] because it worked pretty well, and we're going to keep that separate because of under the rules we can do that, rather than bundling it in to this notice of funding availability, which then restricts its use if I make in sense.

[2:28:22] Thank you.

[2:28:24] Okay, let's, uh, all the comments and stuff are done with the board of the state public comment.

[2:28:35] There are no yets raised on Zoom.

[2:28:36] No, wait, there's somebody in Bridgeport.

[2:28:45] All right,

[2:28:48] go ahead.

[2:28:49] Good morning.

[2:28:50] Good morning, Honorable Chair, board, members of the public.

[2:28:53] Molly, day by day here with first five today, asking you to consider a leveraging community

[2:29:01] development block grant funds for child care.

[2:29:04] Thank you, supervisor Peters, for bringing up the successful use of it for eight years

[2:29:09] in Bridgeport at a cost of about $100,000 a year. I think that cost price point has changed,

[2:29:18] but something that would still be feasible use of the funds. Bridgeport would still be,

[2:29:25] in my opinion, the highest priority for a child care operation. I believe there has been some

[2:29:33] consideration of a different model than was employed in the past perhaps purchasing a home

[2:29:40] to provide childcare from. As I said, I would also recommend in Bridgeport as well. It is an

[2:29:48] allowable activity under the public service category. Another consideration would be to use the planning

[2:29:57] category to plan.

[2:30:00] For a childcare facility, there have been thoughts of doing that in the past in COVID, which for infants and toddlers would be the highest priority in the county outside of the incorporated area.

[2:30:17] First vibes willing to partner has some staff time and expertise in leveraging CDBG funds and has not get invested in this application.

[2:30:28] and pending direction from the board and staff.

[2:30:33] Thank you.

[2:30:34] Thank you, and I would concur with that.

[2:30:38] Obviously, sitting on the first five mission board

[2:30:42] and on us on the childcare council,

[2:30:44] there's obviously that gap in the North County.

[2:30:47] And I think as Molly stated, being able to look at that

[2:30:51] in a perhaps a slightly different model,

[2:30:54] and we looked at in the past,

[2:30:55] I think would be a good exercise.

[2:31:01] Thank you, Chair Salsira.

[2:31:02] Everyone, but do you get back to this such a question

[2:31:06] that the process of which we would use to go forward,

[2:31:09] I think we would look to staff to bring forward some marine ideas

[2:31:14] if you will based on the documents

[2:31:16] and the work we've done in the past

[2:31:18] and then bring back to the board if that would be agreeable?

[2:31:22] Yes, that's the plan.

[2:31:24] Yes, so this is an opportunity for anything that you know like the members of the public might have and then we take all of that

[2:31:29] Information and then work with a consultant like Jeff mentioned looking at competitiveness and putting together a package that we think is

[2:31:36] Competitive meets the needs meets the needs of the community that we've heard

[2:31:40] And go from there. So that's the next step. We would be back with that. I think to like the young listeners your ad hoc

[2:31:47] communities that are meeting and talking to ideas to generate out a bit too, because we would

[2:31:54] like to make the application by when given the January open. Pushed it out to April.

[2:32:01] So we would likely come back in January. We'll coordinate internally. They just push the date out.

[2:32:07] So we might come back in February. It just kind of depends, because I think the April is a

[2:32:17] Or the consult on that, yeah.

[2:32:19] And certainly given our amendment to housing looking

[2:32:24] actively in that arena too, yes.

[2:32:29] Okay.

[2:32:30] Anybody?

[2:32:31] Yeah.

[2:32:32] It would be good too when you bring back the list

[2:32:34] to have the acknowledgment or the endorsement

[2:32:39] from like its economic development or public works,

[2:32:43] facilities, what was really successful

[2:32:46] doing up one program a while back, Joe Blanchard was facilities, and we're putting ADA into all

[2:32:55] kinds of already existing park projects. I mean, something like the paramedics, two housing,

[2:33:02] is that, you know, the freeze-up general fund dollars that, you know, always with the lens back to

[2:33:10] maybe that freeze-ups money that we can put into housing. That's how to be our top priority.

[2:33:19] I had a quick question for John, actually.

[2:33:22] Supervisor Peters.

[2:33:25] The child care you mentioned in Bridgeport,

[2:33:28] that was actually the preschool

[2:33:29] that was done in partnership

[2:33:30] with Eastern Sierra Unified, yes.

[2:33:32] Yeah.

[2:33:32] Okay, so that was a preschool program.

[2:33:34] Re-school program.

[2:33:35] I just met with the superintendent yesterday.

[2:33:37] Thank you.

[2:33:38] Brought this up and said, are you on board?

[2:33:41] And they absolutely are.

[2:33:44] are their former teacher is now a certificate to be a teacher because they have a program

[2:33:53] at the school district to grow from within, but they would fly the position, work with

[2:33:58] the office of ed, they have the facility, but it's the numbers now, Molly, like 150,000 because

[2:34:05] of the cost for the teacher and whatever the upgrades to the facility, but it's absolutely

[2:34:11] a preschool program. It's absolutely a need and

[2:34:14] rich support and so they would be engaged to do that.

[2:34:20] Yeah, you know if Eastern Syria Unified would entertain any interest in doing that at their other school sites?

[2:34:28] I'm guessing with the county office of Ed's support because they took over the IMACA.

[2:34:35] Yeah, it's a preschool program. So I mean I would hope I wouldn't have that discussion with.

[2:34:42] Okay, thank you, although we are committed to some other things over the school district.

[2:34:47] Yeah, regards to some other stuff, but thank you.

[2:34:52] All right, that being said, I think we can close the public hearing and talk about.

[2:34:59] So

[2:35:00] Direction, then, to staff. I think, have we given adequate direction, do you believe? Yes, thank you so much, yes. Okay, so we have what we need this. Okay, let's move on to the next item. We are

[2:35:16] on item of the regular agenda C, which is the 2026, delegate an alternate designations for rural county representatives of California, RCRC, the Golden State Finance Authority, GSFA, Golden State of

[2:35:32] Golden State Connect Authority, GSEA, and Real County's Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority, ESJPA, and I'm 20, I think you want me to say a couple of words with this.

[2:35:44] Sure, yeah. The description on the agenda is fairly straightforward. We're just seeking board action to appoint a supervisor as the 2025 RCRC, GSEA, GSEA, and ESJPA delegate, as well as a first alternate and second alternate.

[2:36:02] And a stated in the agenda currently, Supervisor Dugin is serving as the delegate and Supervisor

[2:36:09] Salcedo is the first alternate and Chief Senior Engineer and Public Works is the second alternate.

[2:36:17] Right, um, Supervisor Dugin, would you feel about this?

[2:36:27] Excuse me, it's been my pleasure to serve in the last couple of years, however I don't want to

[2:36:32] and deny anyone an opportunity to come in.

[2:36:36] And so if anyone would like to do this, you know, please express along with it it's a high level of engagement.

[2:36:45] But I also want to acknowledge that the work that the rural counties representing California does and especially through the Golden State.

[2:37:00] An act and finance 30 have put dollars into the community to do projects.

[2:37:09] And the only one I see that we directly get money from, so it's very important.

[2:37:14] And especially the area with expanding our ability to go through middle mile and

[2:37:21] last mile broadband, they brought those projects to us.

[2:37:24] There is no way that we would be able to move forward.

[2:37:27] They're also very supportive with the CPUC, with a lot of the issues that we are working

[2:37:32] with, with electrical issues going forward.

[2:37:36] And we seem to be quite involved still with the ESJPA, the Environmental Services Joint

[2:37:45] Powers Authority.

[2:37:47] And that is where a lot of programs that help support our transition with the closure of

[2:37:55] been crossing landfill and supporting other programs that help us make a lot of progress

[2:38:04] on rehabilitating our landfill but other programs that we do to address an issue that's kind

[2:38:10] of unique everything has to go outside the county. And that's not what we started with,

[2:38:14] what we'd like to do, but there are ways for us to get an exemption. So I'm happy to continue

[2:38:19] to serve, but that's at the pleasure of the board. I believe that Kat senior is still

[2:38:28] very interested in representing as an alternate along with the May delegate through ESJPA.

[2:38:38] He is on the meetings. I share the very thick packet with him. He's very silent but involved.

[2:38:47] So, his presence is always felt and we're trying to encourage, I'll return to make a presentation

[2:38:55] in December, hopefully of how to transition a landfill, you know, in a closer because

[2:39:03] he, I recall that he brought that presentation to us and was quite excited about how, this

[2:39:09] is what we learned how you do it there.

[2:39:11] So, and then those that would like to serve as an alternate, not only are we,

[2:39:17] the RCRC is very focused on economic development, wildfire resiliency, but we are moving into the areas through the rural advancement institute of looking at alternatives for emergency management services program and also rural health.

[2:39:40] We are very fortunate that some of the issues that other counties have not embraced us yet, but now we are at least my district, my neighbors, myself were in that small group that is growing of experiencing wildfire.

[2:40:00] This is another area of where directly they work, and encourage anybody that wants to learn

[2:40:05] more about it to express interest, because I don't have to do this forever, but I'm happy

[2:40:11] to continue. Will, I will say that as the assaulting it, that civil rights adouging carries

[2:40:20] the heavy load on this. I listen occasionally into the meetings, I'm not very well, but I would

[2:40:27] be happy to step in and help at a more dedicated level with that, I mean, this representation

[2:40:35] is a lot, and Supervisor Duke, and travels extensively because the RCRC, tirelessly.

[2:40:43] So I would be happy to continue as the alternate issue with me.

[2:40:51] That means once in a while, you get to go to set up.

[2:40:53] Absolutely.

[2:40:54] I would be happy to go.

[2:40:55] I would say non-weather related, but apparently I get everyone.

[2:41:04] You do, sorry, the story of the week is what you did.

[2:41:08] Yeah, where was the weather get cut this week open and so okay, so then any other comments

[2:41:13] on this?

[2:41:17] Just thank you so much for doing it.

[2:41:19] I know that you put a huge amount of time.

[2:41:20] So that's appreciated.

[2:41:21] I think we get something from it.

[2:41:23] Yeah.

[2:41:25] Yeah, I would just like to say that what's really critical, there's some members that

[2:41:31] are on RCRC from other counties more extreme sort of approach to it.

[2:41:39] I think it's critical to have a balanced approach, which the Professor Dugan does, the

[2:41:46] We really need that balanced approach, and I also wanted to say RCRC has a reach that is a little bit more appropriate for a small county like us where they go and participate for things that are rural or CSEC doesn't do that.

[2:42:15] And fortunately now, CSAC and RCRCR are kind of

[2:42:20] homingling together, so there's some bleed over there.

[2:42:24] But just like this week, RCRCRC will send a staff person

[2:42:30] and a board member to this WGA in Arizona

[2:42:34] to present on the Farm Bill, which is critical for us.

[2:42:38] And it means food programs.

[2:42:41] It's a lot of things rural.

[2:42:43] and they participate more, you know, things like W.I.R. and other NACO things, so

[2:42:50] that's really critical to have a person like Supervisor Dugan to continue doing

[2:42:57] this or somebody who would be able to step into those large shoes in the future,

[2:43:02] but I thank you for all that you do. And being there is a critical piece.

[2:43:07] You got to go, you got to be there and have a voice at the table and I think you've got a great job representing Mono County, our regional interests and, you know, the state is as well at the national level, so thank you.

[2:43:24] I think a motion to have you two keep going.

[2:43:27] Second.

[2:43:28] All right, we have a motion to the second, all right, all right, so there would be your

[2:43:35] notification.

[2:43:36] While we're on that topic, I was looking through some emails, there's a C-SAC in the

[2:43:42] office.

[2:43:43] You need to send that, even though it didn't change.

[2:43:47] Yes, we've confirmed with, you have.

[2:43:48] We'll send it, okay.

[2:43:49] We have let them know.

[2:43:50] So we're all done with that.

[2:43:51] We don't need to take any action.

[2:43:53] Okay.

[2:43:53] Because it's just robots automatically.

[2:43:55] Okay.

[2:43:56] All right.

[2:43:56] Thank you. Thank you very much.

[2:43:58] And thank you very much.

[2:44:00] It is, yeah, I think it is interesting because it's been quite a year for RCRC and I've

[2:44:13] always strived to represent and to be an effective advocate for us and anyone that we're

[2:44:21] working together, and we do not always agree.

[2:44:24] It's been quite contentious lately,

[2:44:27] but know that I'm willing to present and work with anybody

[2:44:32] and get there.

[2:44:34] And yeah, I have some great stories

[2:44:36] that traveling in the middle of the night

[2:44:37] on close freeways to get to an RCRC function.

[2:44:42] And I think it's a joke for them.

[2:44:45] Right now, it's on the, yeah.

[2:44:48] Because yeah, I think it was good luck with my story.

[2:44:50] But the fact that advocacy that we are building and the relationships that no matter who it represented.

[2:45:02] We have a place at the table, and we are the fourth smallest county, but we have a very loud voice. I inherited that position from a supervisor corolless, and I'm not about to let that go. So, we may be small mining, but we have every issue that anybody's had, we've had it too. So that helps us relate. And I appreciate the back up from.

[2:45:29] Public Works from Chair Salcedo, and there's plenty of room to get involved in plenty of issues.

[2:45:39] Let's get the broadband in here and move on to the biomass support.

[2:45:47] Okay, so let's talk about the schedule here for a second what we're doing.

[2:45:52] Right now we're going to go into the Housing Needs Assessment Update,

[2:45:56] which was a skittles for 40 minutes, but I can see that being the conversation.

[2:46:03] At some point we need to break into close session and lunch, and I think if we can get close to that

[2:46:12] after this next item, I think we'll take a break after that.

[2:46:19] Yeah, I think the consultant for the housing needs assessment is online and ready to present.

[2:46:26] And we have representatives from the Incident Management team who are on their way here.

[2:46:31] They're going to be here in person to present on the PAC fire.

[2:46:34] So my recommendation would be to take that item first after a lunch.

[2:46:38] And then we can kind of catch up with all the other items.

[2:46:41] But I would, yeah, housing needs assessment now.

[2:46:43] And then maybe break for a lunch and closed session.

[2:46:45] And then PAC fire update and the other emergency declaration that we need to come back.

[2:46:50] I'm going to figure out what else we need.

[2:46:52] And we'll roll in the up-cris update within the emergency preparedness.

[2:46:59] I think there are two separate items.

[2:47:01] We'll do it in the same zone.

[2:47:03] Yes.

[2:47:04] Okay.

[2:47:05] Let's move on then to the housing needs assessment update.

[2:47:09] And I think Aaron is here.

[2:47:11] Good afternoon or good late morning Aaron.

[2:47:14] Thanks for being here.

[2:47:15] I'll just briefly introduce the item before Aaron starts Aaron.

[2:47:19] And I think you're all familiar and have received presentations from Erin in the past.

[2:47:24] BAE has worked closely with Mono County over a couple of different years on a couple of different projects.

[2:47:30] And this is basically the culmination of maybe we're calling it like phase one of the housing needs study.

[2:47:37] And this is the first time that we've come together as a region, our four agencies I think since 2005.

[2:47:44] So this is a really great opportunity to come together to talk about what makes us similar,

[2:47:51] but then also be able to break out what makes us different because obviously the next

[2:47:54] step is how we deploy, how we implement housing solutions and it's not going to be one size

[2:48:00] fits all.

[2:48:01] We're all going to have different solutions, but Aaron's been great to work with, has a lot

[2:48:06] of good information and I think I'll just, with that, I'll hand it over to Aaron to go

[2:48:10] ahead and do your presentation.

[2:48:12] Thank you, Aaron.

[2:48:13] Wonderful.

[2:48:13] Well thank you for having me again. My name is Aaron Nusain. I'm a principal with BAE urban economics. I've had the privilege of working with Mono County before most recently on your short term rental study in 2024.

[2:48:27] And I was very pleased to be invited to work with the collective housing committee on the housing needs study for the eastern Sierra.

[2:48:36] So the work that we're doing is being done on behalf of a coalition that includes both

[2:48:41] Inno and Motocownies, the Town of Man with Lake, City of Bishop, and the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments.

[2:48:47] We're also receiving some support from another consulting firm called SMR Development, which I'm sure you're familiar with due to their work for Motocownies.

[2:48:56] And the really the purpose of this presentation is to summarize the work done to date where wrapping up the initial phase of the research.

[2:49:05] Before we transition into the action planning process, we wanted to report out on some of our key findings, collect a little bit of input and then prepare everyone for what's coming next moving into 2026.

[2:49:18] So the purpose of this presentation will cover our generalized approach,

[2:49:22] we'll summarize some key findings and then we'll talk about the next steps.

[2:49:28] So this work was scoped as a two-phase process.

[2:49:32] So the first phase, as Sonder mentioned, is a regional needs assessment,

[2:49:36] where we collect the available data from a broad assortment of data sources.

[2:49:41] We evaluate that information.

[2:49:44] We combine it with primary data that we collected through two different survey efforts

[2:49:49] and we'll go over that in a little bit more detail later on, and then we coalesce that information

[2:49:54] into a quantitative model of regional housing needs that really expresses

[2:50:00] This is the order of magnitude of unmet housing needs within the region. And then we've gone through a process of three different workshop series where we've presented out on information collected input from the community. And that's where we are today is the third of the series of three. And this is to, again, report that on key findings before moving into phase two of the process, which will be moving through in 2026, which is to evaluate and prioritize housing needs and then identify specific concrete actions

[2:50:29] for implementation both at the local jurisdictional level as well as regionally.

[2:50:35] So I'm going to go through the key findings fairly quickly here just in the interest of time.

[2:50:40] Again, we're doing this research for the True County region which also includes the two incorporated

[2:50:44] jurisdictions and seven federally recognized tribal entities. One of the key findings that we identified

[2:50:51] early on in the process is that according to the California Department of Finance as well as the

[2:50:56] US Census Bureau, the region as a whole is lost population households over the last decade.

[2:51:03] That's quite significant in terms of thinking about housing needs moving forward,

[2:51:07] and also it's backing the question as to what's driving those population changes.

[2:51:12] In terms of the distribution of the population across the region,

[2:51:15] when specifically looking at Mono County, the town is really the main population center

[2:51:21] with a minority of the population being dispersed through the unincorporated county.

[2:51:26] The California Department of Finance, when thinking about population growth moving forward is expecting both in you and Mono County to continue losing population over the next decade or so.

[2:51:37] Interestingly, the rate of change in Inu County is relatively slow.

[2:51:42] The rate of change in Mono County is much more exaggerated and is forecasted to accelerate over time.

[2:51:48] So that really begs the question of what's driving this population change?

[2:51:52] You know, what are some of the key factors that are influencing individual and household

[2:51:57] decisions in terms of where they live and work?

[2:52:00] And as we've as we'll describe a little bit later, the comprehensive data that we've

[2:52:05] collected is suggesting that housing availability and affordability is likely one contributing

[2:52:11] factor for that decision making.

[2:52:14] So there's a lot to unpack on this slide.

[2:52:17] We won't get into all of it, but I'll direct you to the bottom right graph.

[2:52:21] This is essentially showing change in number of households by tenure between 2010 and the 2019-2023 American community survey.

[2:52:31] And by tenure, we mean owner households and renter households.

[2:52:34] And one key distinction that we see here is that accounting for this somewhat newer data that covers the pandemic and post-pandemic period.

[2:52:43] It looks as though the region has lost more renter households and then has gained utter households over the same period of time.

[2:52:52] So the first question we ask is this just renters transitioning into home ownership.

[2:52:57] The data that we've evaluated seems to suggest that that may not be the primary driver and that there may be other factors that play more related to population household migration.

[2:53:13] So, one of the data sources we looked at to try and get a better sense of what those

[2:53:17] households and resident flows looked like was the U.S. Postal Service change of address

[2:53:22] data.

[2:53:23] And you've seen this information before, because I presented it as part of the short-term

[2:53:27] rental study in 2024, and unfortunately, more recent data is not currently available.

[2:53:32] The data source that we've previously been able to get this information from is no longer

[2:53:36] making it available, and the alternatives have significantly increased costs that really

[2:53:41] that puts it out of the range

[2:53:42] of what would be reasonable for this project.

[2:53:44] But really, the significant takeaway that we have

[2:53:47] from this data is looking at the order of magnitude shift

[2:53:51] between 2019 and 2020 in terms

[2:53:53] of the change of address request activity.

[2:53:56] So more than double the rate of people moving out

[2:53:59] and moving into the county over the course of a single year

[2:54:03] with that rate of change and movement

[2:54:06] remaining elevated through 2022.

[2:54:08] to the net effect of that seems to be a significant outflow

[2:54:13] of residents at households from Mono County

[2:54:15] over that time frame.

[2:54:17] And it would be great to look at more recent data.

[2:54:20] And again, unfortunate, that's just not available.

[2:54:22] But it does seem to indicate that there may have been

[2:54:25] some type of change over in the population

[2:54:27] during that pandemic and immediately post-pendemic period

[2:54:31] that is likely influencing some of these demographics

[2:54:33] that we're looking at in terms of tenure household income

[2:54:36] and some similar characteristics.

[2:54:40] Erin, can I guess this is a supervisor criteria?

[2:54:43] Just on this slide, can you confirm

[2:54:45] that this data is for the unincorporated county

[2:54:50] only or does this include the incorporated town?

[2:54:53] I believe this is unincorporated only.

[2:54:55] I'd have to double check.

[2:54:56] We did pull separate data sets for the town.

[2:55:03] I can confirm that for you.

[2:55:10] So, then one of the reasons that this population and household loss in this changeover of resident population is significant is because the data seems to suggest that the two county eastern Sierra region is heavily dependent on a resident workforce for workforce availability. Looking at the commute float data, there doesn't seem to be a significant inflow of workers from outside the city.

[2:55:34] side of the two county region, which makes a lot of sense recognizing the geography of

[2:55:39] your region and your proximity to alternative large population centers.

[2:55:43] There is a significant cross commute within the region between Inyo County and Mono County

[2:55:48] and Vice Versa, so the county functions are the region functions as its own cohesive

[2:55:54] labor market with a significant cross commute between the two major population centers within

[2:55:59] the region.

[2:56:00] Can I ask a question here? Did you not look at who commutes from Nevada?

[2:56:06] We did look at people commuting in from Nevada. It was we looked at anybody commuting in

[2:56:12] from anywhere outside of the two county region. And generally, we were seeing that for people

[2:56:18] commuting into Mono County, only about 5% of workers were coming in from out of the two

[2:56:23] county region. And that would include people coming in from the neighborhood.

[2:56:28] 5% of county, Mono County workers, not 5% of workers, like state, that would be 5% of workers in people commuting to jobs located in Mono County.

[2:56:43] I think that that number is pretty low.

[2:56:46] I mean, I see them on the road.

[2:56:49] But anyway, so thank you.

[2:56:50] Is that 5% of 6,285?

[2:56:57] So the 6,285 is people that both live and work in Mono County.

[2:57:03] So that would be the 6,285 plus the 915.

[2:57:08] So 915 people commute from outside the county or Mono and Inyo County.

[2:57:14] So those are people maybe coming in from Nevada.

[2:57:17] Yeah, so the 915 includes anybody commuting into Mono County that includes

[2:57:24] 543 that are commuting from Inno into Mono. So there's a lot of complicated

[2:57:30] math involved in this. This was the simplest way we could think of to illustrate

[2:57:33] this graphically. It was like 300 something coming from perhaps Nevada 300

[2:57:38] something. Right, right, and we do have detail on where workers are coming from

[2:57:43] specifically. Okay and then can you say so

[2:57:49] I guess I'd have to do the math I mean

[2:57:54] you could just say how many folks are working in Mono County we see that we've got 6,285

[2:58:02] that work and live in the county and then we've got 545 that commute in so we're pushing 7,000

[2:58:12] workers in Mono County? That's correct. So you'd have about 7,200 workers and people that are

[2:58:19] employed in Mono County based on this census transportation planning package data set.

[2:58:26] Okay. And then it covers a period for 2017 to 2021. That's a pretty large percentage of our workforce

[2:58:32] than that actually live in our county. Correct. Do you know that percentage? Or do I need to run it myself?

[2:58:39] I can do that math really quick just one moment that must include the town then to yes I think it has yeah that would that would include the town as well so that's about 87% of the work people that are employed anywhere in Mono County including in the town also live in Mono County and that's really the key conclusion I were trying to emphasize here is that the region is highly dependent on a resident workforce which makes available workforce

[2:59:08] of course, housing a critical issue for the community in terms of economic development?

[2:59:14] I'm sorry, but I'm going to, I'm sure I'm going out of Q here.

[2:59:17] But did you look at how many vacant jobs we have?

[2:59:20] So if we have 7,200 people that are filling positions, and many of them filling, and

[2:59:26] maybe this is here somewhere you're going to get to it, what percentage of them are filling multiple jobs?

[2:59:33] And what is the vacancy rate that we're looking at?

[2:59:36] and how many more jobs people do we need to fill jobs?

[2:59:39] Is that good or is that good?

[2:59:42] Yeah, so those are great questions.

[2:59:43] And we will cover some of that.

[2:59:45] Admittedly, getting a good sense of how many jobs are

[2:59:48] going unfilled is a difficult question to answer.

[2:59:52] The data is not particularly robust.

[2:59:54] We did ask those questions as part of the employer survey.

[2:59:58] And we'll talk about that a little bit.

[3:00:02] You know what percentage of people are filling multiple jobs of those 7,200? How many are, because I think I saw somewhere, many people work multiple jobs. Yes. So as part of the resident worker survey, we did ask questions about the number of jobs that respondents are filling. And I want to say it was around maybe 30% or so. We're working more than one job off the top of my head. I want to say maybe

[3:00:32] 13% or so had I think 3 or more. Thank you there and appreciate your patience with me.

[3:00:40] Yeah, no, happy to. And I do like taking questions on the fly like this. I think I'm happy to,

[3:00:45] you know, respond to your questions as they come up.

[3:00:49] So switching gears just a little bit talking

[3:00:51] about housing stock characteristics. The region as a whole, as we see in most rural communities,

[3:00:58] is heavily dependent on the tax single-family housing. In Mono County and Town of Man with Lakes,

[3:01:04] we see a larger share of multi-family housing units really that's dominated by the inventory

[3:01:10] located within the town of mammoth lakes with a little bit of multi-family around mammoth in the

[3:01:15] unincorporated county and in Jude Lake largely speaking the multi-family inventory in the region

[3:01:20] is comprised of a lot of for sale condominium units which are mainly oriented towards the second

[3:01:27] home market and less so multi-family rental units so generally speaking we're observing and

[3:01:33] I like the under supply of dedicated multi-family rental apartments throughout the region,

[3:01:38] not just Mono County, but also in New York as well.

[3:01:44] So just speaking to housing vacancy briefly, it's one of the really important metrics

[3:01:49] that we look at, particularly in rural resort communities, like Mono County and the Town of

[3:01:55] Man with Lakes.

[3:01:56] So we can see here that in Mono County, the total vacancy rate is quite elevated, county-wide,

[3:02:02] including the town, your vacancy rate is about 60% of your housing stock that is vacant for

[3:02:08] for some purpose or another. That vacancy rate is much lower in your county at about 15%,

[3:02:14] which we would still consider elevated, but not nearly to the degree that we see in Mono County.

[3:02:20] When looking at the components of that vacancy, one thing that we like to really focus in on is

[3:02:27] seasonal vacancy. And these are units that are held vacant for what's called seasonal or occasional

[3:02:31] use. That really includes your second homes, your short-term rentals, and those types of units.

[3:02:37] So what you can see in MAMA, if the seasonal vacancy rates about 60% for Mono County is a whole,

[3:02:42] it's about 50%, and then for the rest of the region it drops off quite significantly.

[3:02:48] One thing that we, yes. Sorry, just a quick question looking at your

[3:02:52] your legend, the seasonal housing vacancy rate, and the color for 81%. Is your map showing that

[3:03:01] June Lake basically all the way down to mammoth is at that 81%.

[3:03:07] So it would be sort of in that range.

[3:03:09] So this is by census tract, I believe,

[3:03:12] and so we're looking at much more concentrated areas,

[3:03:14] but yes, the vacancy rate in June Lake is quite elevated,

[3:03:18] much more comparable to mammoth lakes

[3:03:20] in terms of overall levels of vacancy.

[3:03:23] Yeah, you have two different census tracks there,

[3:03:25] mammoth lakes is its own census track,

[3:03:27] census track two at the 61 to 80,

[3:03:30] but then June is up in the 81. Thanks. It's good to see it large like this.

[3:03:36] Sure.

[3:03:39] So then just speaking briefly about for sale housing costs, we broke down single-family

[3:03:45] home sales for calendar year 2024 by jurisdiction as well as condominium sales and really focusing

[3:03:53] on the median sale price I think is quite illustrative. Within, you know, Mono County as a whole,

[3:03:59] we can see in the unincorporated area, the single-family and condominium prices are fairly

[3:04:05] similar when you look at the unincorporated area of mediums at around 500,000.

[3:04:11] Now, we would expect to see significant variation in housing price across the unincorporated

[3:04:16] county. So, the condominium sale price in particular is really influenced by those units close to

[3:04:21] and in June Lake, where the single family median price

[3:04:25] for the unincorporated county includes units sold

[3:04:29] throughout the remainder of the county.

[3:04:30] Hence, we don't see a lot of variation there.

[3:04:33] But then if we compare to mammoth lakes, for example,

[3:04:35] we can see that detached single family housing

[3:04:37] in the town is considerably more expensive

[3:04:39] with a median price of closer 1.3 million

[3:04:42] for a single family unit, 700,000 per unit

[3:04:45] for a condominium.

[3:04:46] So clearly we can see significant variation

[3:04:49] in a housing cross across the region.

[3:04:52] Erin, can I have one more question on that slide?

[3:04:56] Sure.

[3:04:57] Just to confirm that with...

[3:05:00] In the unincorporated county and the mammoth lakes, you weren't including any single family home on for service, lease land. That I would have to double check. I'm not sure that was one of the screening criteria we were using, but that's something we could revisit. Yeah, it's important because you can't live in that year round. And a lot of times are

[3:05:29] older, maybe they cost a little bit less. I just would want to make sure that they're not

[3:05:35] influencing that data. Thanks. Sure. We can double check that and we'll see if there's

[3:05:40] a good way to try and identify those properties and screen them out. That's a thank you for that.

[3:05:48] So looking at long-term rental rates throughout the region, this is a little bit tricky,

[3:05:53] particularly when looking at the unincorporated areas because there aren't that many larger apartment

[3:05:59] complexes. Most of the data sources we use to pull long-term trends data for the multi-family

[3:06:04] rental market really focus on larger properties and so their coverage of more rural lowered density

[3:06:12] communities is not as good. So what we tend to do in these contexts is screen a variety of different

[3:06:19] publications for private rental listings. So that's looking at Zillow and Craigslist, looking at

[3:06:24] the local newspapers, the sheet, man-of-times, and your register, etc. looking for those private

[3:06:31] rental listings over some defined period of time. Based on that approach, we can get a snapshot

[3:06:37] of what housing costs are, but unfortunately it doesn't give us as good of a perspective on the

[3:06:43] change in housing costs over time within the rental market or vacancy rates. What we did identify

[3:06:50] My is that rental housing costs are much higher in town with lakes with a weighted average

[3:06:55] among those listings we identified about $3,200 per month for unincorporated mono-county

[3:07:01] that was much lower at close to $2,400 a month.

[3:07:04] Now unincorporated mono-rental rates were noticeably higher than we were seeing in Inyo County

[3:07:09] as well.

[3:07:10] So we do see some variation across the region as a whole.

[3:07:15] Now, the kind of industry standard approach for trying to, you know, align incomes with

[3:07:22] housing costs is to compare the State Department of Housing and Community Development's income

[3:07:29] limits with estimated housing costs.

[3:07:35] Now one thing we see in ruralers or communities is that oftentimes there's a significant mismatch

[3:07:40] between the income needed to afford market rate housing and the income limits that are published by

[3:07:45] HCD. So what we've done is prepare an alternative set of income limits that better illustrates that

[3:07:51] alignment. So the specific for Mono County and this would be for the county as a whole. On the top

[3:08:00] we can see the statutory income limits published by HCD. On the bottom we can see these alternative

[3:08:05] thresholds at BAE calculated. One small point of detail, you'll see the term MFI in this figure

[3:08:12] that's essentially comparable to AMI or area median income. There's a slight technical difference,

[3:08:17] but they're not allergic. So when we look at market rate rental costs

[3:08:22] throughout Mono County, we can see that market rate rentals in the unincorporated county generally

[3:08:27] required income of about 120% of AMI in order to comfortably afford that

[3:08:32] standard affordability criteria such as 30% of income. For market rate rentals and

[3:08:38] ton of mammoth lakes, the required income is notably higher at closer to 150%

[3:08:42] of AMI.

[3:08:45] When looking at the for sale market, a median-priced for sale home in the

[3:08:51] uncorporated county would generally be affordable at around 150% of AMI. If you're

[3:08:56] looking at affordability for ton of mammoth lakes, that threshold is significant

[3:09:01] and we hire in the single family market, it goes up to 350% of AMI, just to illustrate the gap

[3:09:08] between housing costs and affordability.

[3:09:13] So I'd just like to take a minute and talk about the survey

[3:09:16] results. So we administered two survey tools between June and August of this year. We had both English

[3:09:23] and Spanish versions, both of the online survey tool, and we had some printable versions,

[3:09:28] and we conducted outreach across a wide variety of channels. And I really want to give Sandra and her

[3:09:33] team a lot of credit for preparing the press releases for doing all the social media posts

[3:09:39] and really helping to push out notifications and outreach for the two survey tools.

[3:09:46] And generally speaking, I think we got a fairly robust response overall.

[3:09:50] So we got 993 total responses to the resident workforce survey and that's across the two county

[3:09:56] region. We had just under 200 total responses to the

[3:10:00] Employer survey. We were generally looking for a response rate of about 3 to 10%. And for the purposes of this evaluation, we're comparing our responses to total households across the region, because generally that's the kind of relationship we were trying to approximate, although we didn't specifically limit respondents to one per household. From Mono County as a whole, we were seeing a response rate of about 7.7% of households.

[3:10:30] As you might expect, we got

[3:10:31] the most responses from the larger incorporated jurisdictions where the majority of households

[3:10:37] and residents are concentrated and then we got lower response rates across the

[3:10:41] incorporated communities in those small census designated places.

[3:10:47] Now here's some of the questions

[3:10:48] that I think you were you were looking to see earlier. So when asking worker respondents about their

[3:10:56] working conditions, again about a third indicated that they had more than one job and I got the next

[3:11:02] statistic in correct, which is 7% said they had three or more jobs. I quoted 13 earlier

[3:11:07] that was incorrect. I apologize. 90% of worker respondents are employed full-time,

[3:11:13] and about 70% indicated that they're generally satisfied with their current housing situation.

[3:11:19] Now, despite that, about a third indicated that they're actively looking for a new place to live,

[3:11:25] and about that same percentage said that they were concerned or very concerned about being able to

[3:11:30] find and secure adequate housing. A little bit over half indicated that they're

[3:11:35] overpaying for housing, so that they're paying 30% of their income to housing

[3:11:39] costs, and about 13% said that they're paying 50% per

[3:11:43] more.

[3:11:46] We also asked worker respondents about their general housing preferences, so

[3:11:50] what type of housing would they most ideally be able to occupy? And generally

[3:11:55] speaking, we got the kind of results we would expect when asking preference

[3:11:59] type questions. So 90% indicated that they would prefer to own their own home, but interestingly,

[3:12:06] about 10% indicated that they would prefer to rent a home as a lifestyle choice.

[3:12:11] In terms of housing type, we saw a strong preference for detached single-family homes,

[3:12:16] but there was also an appetite or interest in things like apartments, duplexes, and townhomes

[3:12:21] as well as mobile home units. In terms of location, proximity to major employment centers like

[3:12:27] Mammoth and City of Bishop was identified as a priority in terms of the characteristics

[3:12:32] of new units as well as the neighborhoods where they're situated. We got a lot of the

[3:12:36] responses that you would expect in terms of amenities that a unit would have.

[3:12:40] The one thing I'll specifically highlight here is very consistently we saw an indication that

[3:12:47] workers number one priority was general affordability in terms of the main characteristic they were

[3:12:53] looking for in a new place to live.

[3:12:57] We also surveyed employers to get a sense of their general

[3:13:03] business conditions as well as the extent to which they believe that their business is being

[3:13:09] impacted by the availability or lack thereof of workforce housing. So 80% of employer respondents

[3:13:16] were in the greater bishop and mammoth areas. Sixty-three of those respondents indicated that they had

[3:13:22] jobs go unfilled during the most recent peak season. Of those 63 that indicated they had jobs

[3:13:29] that went unfilled, they had an average per employer of 15 full-time positions and eight part-time

[3:13:36] positions that were going unfilled, which I think is a fairly surprising and stark statistic.

[3:13:45] 68 indicated that they have year-round employees that they expect to retire some time over the next

[3:13:50] five years with an average of about eight retirements per responded to employer.

[3:13:57] And of those respondents that indicated that they had turnover over the last year,

[3:14:02] the average amount of turnover was about 25%, which I think is quite significant,

[3:14:07] but also speaks to the seasonal major of a lot of the jobs and employers that are in operation

[3:14:14] throughout the region. In terms of outlook over the next five years, there was a bit of a mixed

[3:14:20] response, but about 55% of employer respondents indicated that they expected their business to

[3:14:26] be able to grow even more than currently forecasted if more workforce housing were made available.

[3:14:33] In terms of the type of housing that employers seem to think would best suit the needs of their

[3:14:39] employees that generally indicated both year round and seasonal rental housing, both apartment

[3:14:45] and detached single family would go the furthest to meet their needs.

[3:14:53] So then I want to touch

[3:14:54] briefly on the workforce housing needs model. So this is where we really coalesced a variety of data

[3:15:00] I would like to ask the Board of Trustees to estimate the order of magnitude of unmet housing needs across the region. I specifically want to, on a juxtapose, this housing needs model exercise with the state HCD regional housing needs allocation process, which is a very different statutorily mandated process that jurisdictions have to go through as part of their housing element compliance.

[3:15:26] Now, the Vienna allocation is generally speaking a mostly forward looking calculation, really trying to anticipate housing needs moving forward into the future.

[3:15:37] There's a little bit of an adjustment made for some unmet housing needs.

[3:15:42] And the approach that is taken can vary based on the jurisdiction, based on who's actually doing the calculation if it's HCD or if it's a regional council of government.

[3:15:52] For the purposes of this housing needs model estimation, we looked at four main cohorts.

[3:15:58] So we looked at full-time resident workforce households.

[3:16:02] We looked at in-commuter workforce households.

[3:16:05] So these are households that don't live in the region, but contain workers that commute

[3:16:10] into the region on an ongoing basis.

[3:16:13] And then we have seasonal worker households that are here, at least part of the time, are

[3:16:17] working on less than a full-time basis.

[3:16:19] and then we have additional homeless housing needs

[3:16:24] based on the regional point in time count.

[3:16:28] So regionally, we estimated there's about 3,200 households

[3:16:31] across the two counties that exhibit unmet housing needs.

[3:16:36] That includes about 2,200 resident workers,

[3:16:40] about 600 seasonal worker households,

[3:16:43] just under 300 in-commeter households,

[3:16:45] and then 124 homeless individuals.

[3:16:48] When we look specifically at unincorporated motocally, we're seeing about 700 households

[3:16:54] exhibiting unmet housing needs.

[3:16:56] As noted earlier, the majority of that need about 400 households or a little under 400 households

[3:17:03] is among households earning 80% of the area median income and below, so significantly less

[3:17:08] than what's required to afford market rate housing, but within the income range that could

[3:17:13] be served through tax credit affordable housing development. So there are resources available,

[3:17:18] for example, CDBG described earlier, that can be used to try and help meet the needs of households

[3:17:25] within that income range. Now between 80 and 120 percent of AMI with 120 percent being the threshold

[3:17:32] required to comfortably afford market rental housing in the unincorporated county is about 250 households

[3:17:38] existing unmet need. And then between 120 and 150% of AMI, we really have households that

[3:17:45] should be able to comfortably afford market rate rental housing, but might be otherwise locked

[3:17:51] out of the for sale market. And so we've got about 60 units that fall into that housing income bracket.

[3:17:58] Aaron, at the top of your graph there, it says unincorporated Mono County. So that's 699 households

[3:18:05] hold needs in unincorporated Monocounty excluding the town.

[3:18:10] That is correct.

[3:18:11] Okay, because then on the left hand side,

[3:18:14] there's a bunch of town stuff.

[3:18:16] Yeah, just agree.

[3:18:18] Yeah, mainly the information on the left is there to try and compare the identified need

[3:18:26] with the pipeline of new development that's underway.

[3:18:31] specific to Mono County as a whole, recognizing that the majority of the new housing production,

[3:18:37] particularly at those lower income levels, is occurring within the town of Mammoth Lakes.

[3:18:41] So they are making substrides to help meet those needs and those projects that are already

[3:18:46] either built or under construction have already been to those units have been deducted from the

[3:18:52] needs amount for the town, but not necessarily for the uncorporated county.

[3:18:59] Now there are at least a few units that the county has recently put under contract

[3:19:06] to make available for workforce housing, and those have been deducted from these needs

[3:19:10] tools.

[3:19:11] Yeah, thanks very much.

[3:19:13] I just wanted to understand that graph not to, I'm not attempting to make a point that

[3:19:19] the town and the county are different. I view it all as one model family and our benefits are universal when they're created. So thanks.

[3:19:28] Aaron, this is supervisor crates again on that.

[3:19:32] The 699 total housing units necessary needed in the unincorporated county of Mono is that as of today.

[3:19:42] So it's based on a variety of data sources, but we have adjusted these to 2025.

[3:19:52] So these are our best guests as of a 2025 calendar year estimate.

[3:19:57] and can we anticipate any kind of...

[3:20:08] So that's a great question, and it's a little bit tricky. We do have some language in the scope of work to potentially look at doing a forecast. I think particularly within this context, recognizing that the historical population and household loss and the projected future population household loss, I would actually probably discourage that.

[3:20:29] you from doing a forecast at the moment and really focus on these needs as an order of magnitude,

[3:20:36] point in time estimate and then think about ways to try and influence new housing supply and

[3:20:43] new housing programs to address this need as is and then base your progress based off of the

[3:20:49] number of new units you can put in service and or the number of households that you can serve through

[3:20:54] other, you know, non-supply oriented programs.

[3:20:58] Thank you.

[3:21:01] And I think that does bring up an important point that I had mentioned earlier, which is

[3:21:06] this need doesn't necessarily represent the number of units that need to be produced.

[3:21:11] That is one strategy you could take. You could try and address all this need through new housing production.

[3:21:17] You could also do it through a combination of approaches, some of which could include new supply,

[3:21:22] Some of which could include other strategies aimed at addressing different types of housing

[3:21:28] need.

[3:21:28] For example, I'm sure you've heard of the program called Placement that I think the town

[3:21:35] is working with, but a lot of other jurisdictions that I work with as well have worked with Placement

[3:21:38] where they provide cash grants to property owners to make housing units available for long-term

[3:21:44] occupancy.

[3:21:45] And in some cases, that includes a buy-down of the rental rate to a certain affordability

[3:21:50] level.

[3:21:51] And so those types of programs can also be deployed to try and improve affordability with

[3:21:56] an existing housing unit, for example.

[3:22:01] So just quickly looking at the need broken down across income level and with some detail

[3:22:06] by jurisdiction, we can see that the need regionally really drops off at that 150% of AMI level.

[3:22:13] And that's because we're really discounting estimated housing needs for among households that

[3:22:19] that are earning income sufficient

[3:22:21] to afford market rate housing throughout the region,

[3:22:24] and we're breaking that down by jurisdiction,

[3:22:28] kind of using that same approach you saw me describe

[3:22:29] earlier with regard to the income limits.

[3:22:33] Looking at estimated housing need by unit size,

[3:22:35] so we do have some good detail with regard to household size,

[3:22:39] we convert that to unit size using a definition

[3:22:41] of one person per household, sorry,

[3:22:44] one person per bedroom plus one,

[3:22:46] that's kind of a standard definition,

[3:22:47] There's a few different definitions of appropriately sized units that we could have chosen from.

[3:22:55] Generally speaking, we're seeing the need really concentrated mostly among that studio and one bedroom category.

[3:23:02] And this I think is really emphasizing the mismatch between the characteristics of the existing housing stock, which skews larger with a lot of two and three bedroom units compared to household sizes, particularly at those lower income levels, where they really only need maybe a studio or one bedroom unit.

[3:23:17] And so if they're in a situation where the only thing available is much larger that puts them in a position to overpay for housing and over consume housing because there's really nothing that suitably sized for them.

[3:23:29] So next I just like to touch very briefly on next steps.

[3:23:33] So we are in the process of wrapping up the draft report. We're hoping to get that to the collective housing committee within the next week or two for review and consideration.

[3:23:43] and then that'll be made public for public review and consumption and then moving into winter and spring of 2026.

[3:23:52] We'll start moving into that action planning process. The first step of which is to continue talking about the key findings from the needs assessment component and what that means in terms of potential action steps for the jurisdictions, as well as the region of the whole as a whole to consider.

[3:24:09] So we look forward to bringing this back to you then.

[3:24:11] Thank

[3:24:21] you very much Aaron, great presentation, really good job.

[3:24:26] Let's stop for a second here and see if there's any questions, comments from the board.

[3:24:36] Your winter spring, 2026, you've got three workshops listed.

[3:24:41] Are those workshops at each governing entity that are part of this regional?

[3:24:47] Are they at SCOG?

[3:24:49] Are they outside of regular board presentations?

[3:24:52] questions. What are you envision for those?

[3:24:54] That is a great question. That is something the Collective Housing Committee that again

[3:24:58] comprises representatives.

[3:25:00] We're talking about the ordinance from each of the jurisdictions and the COG has yet to really unpack and decide how they want to approach that. So we're scoped to do four workshop sessions, which generally would include maybe a one or two hour meeting. In one location where we would have public participation and participation by decision makers. We're open to modifying that approach to really meet the needs and preferences of decision makers.

[3:25:29] in the public. So I think the one of the first action items that the collective housing committee

[3:25:36] will have when moving into early next year will be to discuss and finalize exactly how we want

[3:25:42] to approach that outreach process. Okay, thanks. However, we do it. I mean, housing for many,

[3:25:48] it's a universal, but it's also a very personal issue. So how we capture, you know, individual

[3:25:57] families and locals experience I think is going to be important. We're talking about solutions and we don't have to figure that out now. I just think it's something we need to be mindful of is how we capture that. Thank you.

[3:26:11] Is there any public comment?

[3:26:16] There are no hands raised on Zoom.

[3:26:20] Any particular guidance or input to staff on this topic?

[3:26:29] I think that kind of came to my mind.

[3:26:31] It was perfectly timed with the CBDG grant.

[3:26:35] Looking at everything sort of at one time.

[3:26:39] So, the next time we will hear from this group will be workshops then, or spring, winter

[3:26:47] spring 26.

[3:26:48] Yeah, and as Erin noted, they're putting together the report, and it's a pretty hefty

[3:26:53] report.

[3:26:54] Some are between Adder and 50 or 300 pages with the penises.

[3:26:59] So, the next time I think you hear from us on this will be forwarding on that report.

[3:27:03] So, at least you have a copy of it.

[3:27:05] We'll push that off to the public, and that should be here in the next month or so.

[3:27:09] It might be after the first of the year, these errands going to provide the draft report to this group here.

[3:27:15] We'll review it and we'll go back and forth and then really sit to the public, but so we'll provide that.

[3:27:21] And then as we go into 2026, we can look at schedules as Aaron mentioned, and we can talk maybe to the housing ad hoc about this as well.

[3:27:29] is do we want to see this similar kind of coming to every single board, would we want and maybe we,

[3:27:37] maybe some workshops are different than others depending on the information that's presented,

[3:27:41] maybe the final workshop warrants coming to every single board, but maybe the two,

[3:27:46] so previous workshops before the final one is a community workshop like we did in July,

[3:27:52] we had one here in Ameth and then one in Bishop. So we can talk through that with Erin and the team.

[3:27:59] And then the action plan is that part of the report or is that separate from the 300, 150 to 300 page document?

[3:28:08] Yeah, the action plan I think will be separate.

[3:28:10] So the report that we're trying to finalize right now is the report that includes all of this data, the housing needs assessment data.

[3:28:18] And then the actual, the action plan will be a second piece.

[3:28:21] And I'm not quite sure Aaron if they'll come together as a package or if they'll be two separate documents that I don't think we've talked about that.

[3:28:28] Yeah, that's something we can consider and make a final decision on a little bit later

[3:28:33] down the line. My general expectation is that they will probably end up being two separate

[3:28:39] documents, just because the action plan is much more of a readily accessible kind of guiding

[3:28:46] documents where the needs assessment is just is a very thorough review of data which might go

[3:28:53] well beyond what you know the average you know resident might be interested in

[3:28:58] waiting through so generally I would recommend maybe keeping them separate but

[3:29:02] also making them both available probably on the same platform on the same

[3:29:06] webpage for example. Sure yeah I mean I think as as one leader I think the action

[3:29:14] plans going to be hugely important in driving decisions like the ones we make

[3:29:21] today and at every meeting and so is there a timeline for the action plan?

[3:29:31] So we'll need to be updating our project schedule for following this process once we get the draft

[3:29:36] report out for review by the CHC. But we are expecting to wrap up that action planning process

[3:29:43] probably in the spring of this next year. So really this data collection process oftentimes

[3:29:48] takes the longest because it just requires a lot of effort to collect that

[3:29:54] information, review it thoroughly, summarize it succinctly, and then the action

[3:29:58] planning process hopefully.

[3:30:00] We can move forward efficiently. Okay, that's great. I mean, I think one of the things for me that struck me for the county and it makes sense if you think about our housing stock is the need for studios and one bedrooms and, you know, we drive people towards single-family homes. We do it with our condominiums and June

[3:30:29] like for example and saying that they're not adequate, they're not appropriate for residents

[3:30:34] and they're probably what we actually need because they're smaller than single-family homes generally.

[3:30:41] And then I think about like the condo or the apartments we bought in

[3:30:47] Bridgeport and those are two bedrooms and so I think as we start to look at the leaf-ining property

[3:30:52] we should be considering studios and one bedrooms there and not two bedrooms and three

[3:30:59] bedrooms, et cetera, to complement what we already know, we have a

[3:31:04] dearth of our plenty of because we have so many single-family

[3:31:09] residences in that incorporated county.

[3:31:12] And one of the other things that strikes me is that income

[3:31:17] level that the rentals are affordable to are so high.

[3:31:22] It's like 150% of the AMI can afford market rate rents.

[3:31:28] But one of the things I think we see a lot is that the rental units aren't of the quality

[3:31:35] that 150% AMI units are, 150% AMI households would really want.

[3:31:42] I mean, they're dilapidated and not up-capped and not current.

[3:31:48] And so there's really is a great, I mean, beyond just the size but just the quality,

[3:31:53] there's a great mismatch between affordability and the market that they are affordable to,

[3:32:02] so just some commentary. But I do thank you so much Erin and the whole team that's been working on

[3:32:08] this tirelessly. Thank you to you all as well.

[3:32:14] So the public, I'm sorry, what I'm saying. Okay,

[3:32:19] So Aaron, thank you. We're going to end this up now and appreciate your being here.

[3:32:26] Thank you.

[3:32:27] All right. So we now are going to go into closed session.

[3:32:31] That's a lunch. I think there's somebody out here from the IMT.

[3:32:36] I'll be here around one.

[3:32:38] Yeah. So they're here.

[3:32:39] Oh, there are.

[3:32:39] Yeah.

[3:32:41] Okay.

[3:32:44] So maybe we can chat with him.

[3:32:46] They know I had let them know that it would be around one, so I think they got here a little early, so we'll sign with that.

[3:32:53] Okay.

[3:32:56] Somebody from the incident management team helped with the...

[3:33:08] It didn't exist, and we should give them all the time.

[3:33:12] Yes, yes.

[3:33:13] And if there's something else on this agenda that should be moved, that discussion should be happening like the

[3:33:22] chair and...

[3:33:23] Yes.

[3:33:24] We've been chatting about what we could push if we need to.

[3:33:29] Yeah, if we just, yeah.

[3:33:34] So can I just clarify because like you said, it's not on the agenda and there's a lot

[3:33:39] of public comment that is waiting that don't know that this is on the agenda.

[3:33:44] So, I'm seeing that item 7F is going to incorporate the PAC fire discussion.

[3:33:56] Public comment will be available.

[3:33:59] We will have some representatives from Incident Command, there, and that would be the appropriate

[3:34:05] time.

[3:34:06] It's going to be sometime after 1 o'clock, that gives people time that want to come in person.

[3:34:11] or the consume, is that how I'm telling you now?

[3:34:16] Yes, to do that.

[3:34:17] Okay, and the sheriff will also present as well.

[3:34:20] We'll be available again, too.

[3:34:42] After one, we're thinking, yeah.

[3:34:46] We're hoping to submit the hazard mitigation plan

[3:34:49] to Cal OES and FEMA as soon as possible

[3:34:52] because we don't know what that timeline is like,

[3:34:54] especially with the federal government having just shut down

[3:34:58] and we don't know what they're reviewed.

[3:35:00] The timeline is like, so we just wanted to get it in their queue. Having said that, the timeline is under the board's control. Right, and I can't remember off the top of my head when our grant contract expires, but just the further we push it back the June of next year, I think, okay, thank you, Paul.

[3:35:23] We could bring it back the first meeting in December, if that's the board's pleasure.

[3:35:29] That would be the 9th December 9th because the number 90 is cancelled.

[3:35:39] We could push that item.

[3:35:42] We could push the housing program update if you'd like to December.

[4:31:56] How long is that, the

[4:32:00] question? Okay, we're going to get back to the regular agenda in the afternoon here trying to wait until some people show up here. So we're going to do item number d, d, d, d. Yes, d, agreement regarding terms and conditions of employment, public agenda. And Chris, you walk us through this. Yes, thank you, chair. See, providers, Christopher, that county council before you is an agreement regarding the terms and conditions.

[4:32:28] I'm employment for the public defender from Mono County.

[4:32:31] The candidate proposed selected by the board is Attorney Jeremy Ibrahim.

[4:32:36] I know he intended to be here today.

[4:32:37] He may be on Zoom.

[4:32:39] I know he had a one o'clock appearance in Inyo County, and he is actually just confirmed he's still in court in Inyo County.

[4:32:46] So he otherwise wanted to be here but is unable, it's an out-will contract.

[4:32:52] And the position will report to the board of supervisors as required by the California government code.

[4:32:57] Bill, for any questions?

[4:32:59] Any questions?

[4:33:03] I was just going to say thank you.

[4:33:10] Okay.

[4:33:11] Let me read the fiscal impact on this one, please.

[4:33:16] It is the estimated cost of this position for the remainder of the fiscal year is $106,913.

[4:33:22] Over $68,430 is salary and $38,483 is benefits.

[4:33:28] It's a total cost of salary and benefits for an entire fiscal year, $314,519 of which $205,924 is salary and $108,595 is benefits.

[4:33:42] This is included in the public defenders fiscal year 2025-26 adopted budget.

[4:33:48] So I'd entertain a motion, please.

[4:33:50] Move.

[4:33:50] Second.

[4:33:51] Give a motion, a second, all in favor.

[4:33:53] All right.

[4:33:54] Motion passes unanimously.

[4:33:56] Thank you very much, please.

[4:33:57] Thank you. I appreciate it.

[4:33:59] What about 10-8?

[4:34:02] More bridge.

[4:34:04] No, that's.

[4:34:07] We could do that one or we could do the ratification of the local emergency, which is really

[4:34:11] able to do that.

[4:34:15] And Wendy Sikamura told me that we can push the multigerestictional hazard mitigation plan

[4:34:19] to December 9th.

[4:34:21] Okay. We'll do that.

[4:34:23] Okay. What number is that one?

[4:34:27] A-G. I can see seven.

[4:34:28] Seven-G. G. page seven.

[4:34:32] Okay. Let's do the ratification proclamation of local emergencies, PAC fire, and who's

[4:34:38] going to take that?

[4:34:39] I can introduce the one in Chris is also here to assist us.

[4:34:44] So as you're aware, the PAC fire broke out last Thursday.

[4:34:48] We issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency that is required to be ratified by the board within seven days.

[4:34:57] So we're here asking the board to ratify.

[4:35:00] That proclamation of local emergency, it's attached in your packet. And if this is the same thing Chris talked about earlier, so this will be on the same, provided the board ratifies it. It will be on the same schedule as the local health emergency. So it's that 60 day timeline when we come back to continue it if needed. So so this is really a formal, just a formal ratification of that. And this is the resolution, the proclamation that was issued last Thursday on November 13th.

[4:35:30] I'm not happy to answer any questions or questions or questions.

[4:35:35] Okay, this is a proposed action of adopting the proposed resolution ratifying

[4:35:40] proclamation of local emergency related to the pack fire made by director of emergency services on the

[4:35:45] 11th, 13th, 2025. So I have a motion to approve.

[4:35:50] Motion to approve. Second. We have a motion to second. All in favor.

[4:35:55] We should pass this unanimously.

[4:36:04] Senator, do you want to try to take the courberage?

[4:36:08] Yeah, let me pull it up.

[4:36:11] 10A.

[4:36:25] Okay, so we'll move on, I guess, to item 10A, which is approval of amendments to the trust

[4:36:30] agreements with courberage financial to allow employer-directed transfer of plan assets.

[4:36:36] This item was before the board, back in July, and the board continued the item, and the staff

[4:36:42] has put together the package that you see attached here. The item that you'll see that wasn't

[4:36:48] included in the previous packet was the response to comments raised on July 8th. So staff went through,

[4:36:54] listen to the items that were raised by Mr. Kailer, provided responses to those, and we're back here

[4:37:00] before you asking to move forward with the transfer of poor bridge. So as you recall, in December of last

[4:37:08] year the board approved transferring all of our 457 and 401A assets to a company called

[4:37:14] Empower. And when we did that, we realized after the fact that this company corporate

[4:37:21] requires a more, they require a different requirement from the board. They require the board

[4:37:26] to ask for this transfer. So it wasn't as simple as the other assets that we transferred.

[4:37:31] So this is really kind of the last piece of the puzzle for this transfer. And we do have

[4:37:36] a fiduciary that we've hired independent of and empower and her name is Maribel. I believe

[4:37:43] she's available online if there's any questions about it. I'm happy to take questions that you

[4:37:48] have. If they're real detailed questions, we may need to continue and come back. It just really

[4:37:51] depends on the questions or concerns that are raised today. But with that I'll turn it over to

[4:37:57] questions and if I don't know if Maribel is on, no, okay, I did tell her to a clock because I thought

[4:38:01] but we were going to have the PAC fire update first, so, but if there's any questions, I'm happy to take them and come back, otherwise, we would recommend that the Board approve this and provide direction to the chair to sign the agreements so that we can move forward with this last piece of the transfer.

[4:38:20] Questions?

[4:38:22] So this is the last piece then.

[4:38:24] As far as we know, yes, with the issue, I don't know if you want to talk a little about

[4:38:28] Corbridge.

[4:38:28] They require that we ask them to go through this process, and then there could be something

[4:38:33] else that they require from us, so we're trying to start this process with Corbridge, and

[4:38:38] this is the first piece.

[4:38:39] We could be back with some other document that they require that you adopt, but as far as

[4:38:44] we know, this is the last piece of it, unless something, if it comes up from Corbridge.

[4:38:50] We don't expect.

[4:38:51] Yeah.

[4:38:51] But after this is done, all employees will be transferred to a power.

[4:38:55] And then as I noted in the staff report, it's best practice to go through this every three to five years.

[4:39:00] It'll be a much lighter lift because we've just gone through this heavy lift, which I don't think we had done comprehensively in over 20 years.

[4:39:10] Okay, so then this would be the approval and authorize the chair to sign the attached first amendments to the trust agreements with corporate financial.

[4:39:17] both the 401 and the 457 allowing employer direct transfers of plan assets.

[4:39:24] Our trust company LLC is authorized for the Board of Directors, the Board in

[4:39:29] December of 24. So this was just one more piece of that same action.

[4:39:33] Yes.

[4:39:34] All right, motion.

[4:39:36] Some moved.

[4:39:37] Second.

[4:39:38] Okay.

[4:39:39] All in favor?

[4:39:40] All right.

[4:39:41] Motion passed.

[4:39:42] This 5-0.

[4:39:43] The public comment.

[4:39:45] Oh, thank you. It was already probably coming in there.

[4:39:52] There are no hands raised on Zoom.

[4:39:57] Sorry, chairsel Sido. There are no hands raised on Zoom.

[4:40:23] Thank you for a public comment. Thank you.

[4:40:27] We'll stand there. That's fine. Well, okay. All right. All right. Let's go ahead and do the Chris update. Kirk. Hi there.

[4:40:38] Good morning, chair.

[4:40:40] It's not morning anymore. Is it?

[4:40:43] Good afternoon.

[4:40:46] So, um, thanks for having me. It's actually been a productive couple weeks since we were last before the board.

[4:40:53] And so to update you on what's happening, the most exciting piece is that the June

[4:41:02] Shale Radio site is now fully online. And so we have three out of the five grant

[4:41:10] funded sites fully online. We're only lacking two to get us to the 100% point for the

[4:41:18] state sites that would be Mammoth Lakes Fire Station 1 is online, Lincoln Mountain is online,

[4:41:27] and now June Shelley is online. So we're pretty excited about that.

[4:41:35] I'm trying to, sorry,

[4:41:37] I'm fiddling with my computer, trying to make sure I have my notes in the video up at the same time.

[4:41:44] The remaining sites, Antelope Valley Fire Station in Coville, Lockert Region is one of

[4:41:51] the remaining ones that's continuing to move forward.

[4:41:54] We're in the final stages of the permitting process, and so it's moving along a little

[4:42:01] slower than we liked, but it's still working good, community development, and our team have

[4:42:06] been working hand in hand with that.

[4:42:10] The shelter has been completed and it's been awaiting delivery for quite some time and

[4:42:15] it's looking right now that it's going to be delivered sometime in the month of December.

[4:42:20] So, all of L.A. Fire site is continuing to move forward and I don't have any updates regarding

[4:42:29] the last site, which is the AT&T site overlooking Benton, other than that, I'm continuing to reach out to make more context and exert a little more pressure with both CaloyS and AT&T to make sure that what we can do is done to get that site moving forward.

[4:42:51] We have a radio work group of in-county and regional folks, first responders.

[4:42:59] We met on November 6th, where I presented where the paramedics, the county administration,

[4:43:07] sheriff's department, sheriff's dispatch, the county search and rescue, town and health

[4:43:11] lakes administration, police department, hospital and allot-value fire, and it was just mostly

[4:43:18] a status update this time, as well as a demonstration of the actual Chris system working.

[4:43:24] We had a staff member in Bridgeport on a handheld talking on Chris, a staff member in

[4:43:29] Mammoth Lakes on a handheld talk and on Chris so they could hear each other.

[4:43:33] Back and forth is a successful radio exchange just from handheld and tell the radio, so it's

[4:43:39] pretty cool to see it working. I met on the county communications team did met with California

[4:43:48] the OES Public Safety Communications teams back on the 30th of October with several requests,

[4:43:57] they have some new staff who are responsible for customer relations,

[4:44:00] so it's good to make acquaintance with the new staff, bring them up this feed on

[4:44:04] where we're at with the project and what needs to happen from Mono County's perspective.

[4:44:09] The key thing we were talking about was the way our dispatch channels are going to work on the

[4:44:15] system and we're still in negotiations about that. They have some concerns about capacity on the

[4:44:22] system and we have some concerns about availability and functionality for our first responders and

[4:44:28] so we're kind of in negotiations on that. And then the other big point of conversation is the new jail

[4:44:37] and the potential for a Chris site at the New Jail.

[4:44:42] And so, we were discussing that and we'll have continued conversations

[4:44:46] about how that's going to work.

[4:44:48] But, we're at least starting that conversation with the Calo ES team.

[4:44:54] Sticking with Calo ES, they have a public safety radio strategic.

[4:45:00] Planning committee, P-S-R-S-P-C and they use those initials because everyone knows what that means.

[4:45:08] They have quarterly meetings discussing what the state of California is doing strategically for communications. They actually just had their meeting this morning to go over their agenda and large on it was the Chris radio system. So I attended the meeting, listened to what they had to say.

[4:45:29] Monocounty was mentioned, and its status was discussed, I believe, as a gentleman from

[4:45:35] fishing game, wanted to make sure you could communicate with Monocounty in our area.

[4:45:40] And we're continuing to engage with the state at the highest levels and monitor what they're

[4:45:46] doing and what they're thinking and what their challenges are.

[4:45:50] They're facing at the statewide level and how that relates to Chris.

[4:45:54] I also reached out to Nevada County, which is one of the other counties that is partnering

[4:46:02] with Chris to use Chris as their public safety system.

[4:46:07] And it was mostly just a relationship building and kind of collaborating on what efforts

[4:46:14] we can at the county level work together to move these projects forward.

[4:46:20] Nevada County's project is a little more ambitious than ours. They're actually looking for 18 total sites that they're trying to put in.

[4:46:29] They were originally hoping to be live in the fall of 2025 and they're running into challenges on getting the sites online is just taking longer.

[4:46:40] But they're still moving forward with the project and doing what they can to give their

[4:46:47] new sites that they're working on purchasing online.

[4:46:53] Let's see, just two more things and I'll shut up.

[4:46:56] We completed dispatch.

[4:47:00] We completed preparations for getting dispatch all fully online functioning on the Chris system.

[4:47:06] I actually have it scheduled for tomorrow that we're putting in the updated dispatch

[4:47:11] Councils with the Chris functionality configured, and so the dispatch will be 100% functional on the Chris system once that changes in place.

[4:47:21] I'm also working with the dispatch staff and making sure that the recording of the dispatch channels for the Chris system is online and functioning the way that they want it to be.

[4:47:31] And then last point, the vehicle installations were continuing to move forward with that.

[4:47:37] Our next batch is going to begin on December 2nd.

[4:47:42] And then not on my notes, but I understood that this morning there were some questions

[4:47:46] about a serial electronics contract and how that related to Chris.

[4:47:51] And I think there may be, I know, I think Mike was planning on addressing it, or I can

[4:47:57] And answer questions if you have something specific.

[4:48:00] Brought it up, literally to that topic.

[4:48:03] Morning, Chairman, I was on the board.

[4:48:04] To that item that Kirk just mentioned, this area electronics contract that was in front of you today is through fleets and public works.

[4:48:11] And that's for their normal outfitting of vehicles, it's not related to the Chris installs.

[4:48:16] So it's one is the Chris installs are a major project.

[4:48:20] The other is their operational cost to bring a car into service.

[4:48:26] Thank you for the clarification.

[4:48:29] Sorry if I missed that in the report.

[4:48:31] Not a problem.

[4:48:32] Thank you.

[4:48:33] Thank you very much, Kirk.

[4:48:34] Thank you, Mike, for being here.

[4:48:36] We'll go ahead and give an action.

[4:48:38] Yeah, there's an action item on the contract.

[4:48:42] So let's go ahead and clean that up then.

[4:48:45] Yes, please.

[4:48:47] Before we go to that.

[4:48:49] Kirk, what department in Nevada County

[4:48:51] is overseeing Chris in Nevada County, it's going to be their law enforcement agency and I was

[4:49:01] speaking to a captain in their sheriff's department. I believe he's actually over their

[4:49:06] their jail division at this point in time but he's been moved around in Chris was his project when

[4:49:14] he started and so he's continued to keep that but it would be Nevada County sheriff's department

[4:49:22] I'm not the fire, not the fire districts.

[4:49:27] No, I don't believe the fire, just the law enforcement, so the police department,

[4:49:33] and the local police departments in the county and the sheriff.

[4:49:37] You know what role IT has in the project in Nevada County?

[4:49:43] It sounded like the sheriff's department was championing it. That's the gentleman I spoke with.

[4:49:48] I don't know all the other departments that are involved, but I know he has done some

[4:49:52] work with IT.

[4:49:54] Thanks.

[4:49:56] This is a contract with

[4:49:58] very

[4:50:00] Enter prizes.

[4:50:08] Okay, so we don't need to do that. Okay. Okay. All right. Let's move on then to the, sorry. We're to see preparedness update, which we have on the agenda every week meeting. And so today, obviously, there's a different tone to it, given the experience over the last week. So, um,

[4:50:32] So who would you like to open this topic?

[4:50:36] Yes, we briefly mentioned it during my department head or CAO report.

[4:50:41] Obviously, we are so thankful to our partners who have stepped up to help us with this.

[4:50:46] So we've invited the incident management team, staff from there to talk about the fire,

[4:50:51] basically kind of how it started or not how it started, but kind of where it started in the progress.

[4:50:55] And then we also have the sheriff to provide comments and then the local log file as well.

[4:50:59] So I'll hand it over to the incident commander or incident management team to maybe start the discussion.

[4:51:14] Thank you all for being here also.

[4:51:38] You guys got me now. All right. Well anyway, so once again, good afternoon. Thanks for having me here.

[4:51:43] Name's Jason Wingard. I'm the work for the International Forest

[4:51:47] here out of the Manflakes Ranger District where I'm the District Fire Management Officer.

[4:51:52] I was the initial incident commander of the PAC incident and then transferred into the PAC incident management team as one of the unified incident commanders.

[4:52:08] Good afternoon board, my name is Todd Hopkins.

[4:52:12] I am the incident commander for the Riverside County all hazard and incident management team.

[4:52:18] We were brought up here from Chief Littlefield from the San Bernardino Cal Fire Unit as a request

[4:52:27] to come help and manage this incident.

[4:52:31] So we brought in Unified Command with our Forest Service Agency and then also BLM and

[4:52:37] our Sheriff's as the Unified IECs for the incident.

[4:52:42] What I'll do is we have what we have going on the fire right now, I just passed out to you

[4:52:47] and it's in fact sheet and I'll just quickly go through that so currently the

[4:52:54] fire is at 1,974 acres and we have it at 83% contained. We're expecting full

[4:53:00] containment by November 21st although we are having some issues with the

[4:53:06] recent snowfall of getting the full containment on the fire but the snowfall

[4:53:12] is that me obviously helping with with some of that. Structures destroyed is still at 31 structures

[4:53:19] we did and five of them damaged. That 31 as far as structures it's is 30 of the homes and the

[4:53:27] one extra that is on there is the large water tank that was up there that we had identified as a

[4:53:33] structure. All of our evacuations have been lifted so all the evacuation warnings and orders have

[4:53:40] been dropped in the area, which took away also all the traffic control points that are

[4:53:46] on there.

[4:53:47] Although there is a Monocanny Health and Human Services Public Health Division, did

[4:53:52] you clear a local health emergency due to the hazardous conditions in the fire area, and

[4:53:55] that's the potential hazmat areas of the homes that have burned down and until they get

[4:54:02] someone in there to take a look at that, it's not safe for the residents.

[4:54:07] Currently, the instant management team will go out of Unified Command tonight, Cal Fire

[4:54:13] and the Forest Service at 1800 tonight, and the instant management team will be leaving

[4:54:18] and it will be turned back over to the local units.

[4:54:21] So just because the instant management team is leaving, this is what happens on every incident.

[4:54:26] We turn it back to either the local forest or the local unit, and then they will still have

[4:54:30] resources that are going to be going out and finishing up what needs to be finished.

[4:54:39] As far as evacuation centers, all the evacuation centers have been closed.

[4:54:43] All animal evacuations, evacuation centers have also be closed.

[4:54:47] And as of today, we have, today, 423 personnel that are still on the incident.

[4:54:54] Many of them are, what we call them, the demob process, so they're going through their process

[4:54:58] of skin and older equipment.

[4:55:00] And then they'll be heading home either sometime today, and then like I said, some of us tomorrow. You also see at the bottom of the sheet, who all the cooperating agencies are on there. And we would like to recognize and thank Long Valley. Far Department, they were in Unified Command with us initially, and then became an agency rep during that second day, but it's been great working with their local fire district, as well as all the other volunteers or volunteer organizations that were around during the initial attack.

[4:55:29] If the fire would like to recognize all their tremendous help that they did during this firefight and then also the career firefighters that or

[4:55:37] paid staff that were up here, the Forest Service, BLM and Cal Fire and other local governments.

[4:55:42] So thank you for this time and if you have any questions, we can show for you.

[4:55:51] Questions, comments?

[4:55:55] Yeah, just a further update coming from the Forest Service.

[4:55:59] I talked about all the evacuation warnings in the orders have been lifted.

[4:56:05] Now if there still is a forest order that went through with a fire area closure just on the south of south side of the incident on the Forest Service Land,

[4:56:16] that closure should stay in place through the majority of the wind up.

[4:56:24] Thank you. Just a couple of questions they may not be for you.

[4:56:28] I understand that, but at this point, where who is heading up the investigation of the cause?

[4:56:35] If it's not, what do you guys?

[4:56:38] By the United States for sources, heading up the investigation.

[4:56:41] There are multiple investigators working on that, and it's still ongoing.

[4:56:48] Thank you.

[4:56:54] I could probably comment on this.

[4:57:01] There are no hands raised on Zoom at this time.

[4:57:03] There are hands raised, or there are not.

[4:57:05] Thank you.

[4:57:07] Thank you.

[4:57:08] Thank you very much.

[4:57:09] Appreciate it.

[4:57:13] Could we ask to speak now?

[4:57:28] I have a few minutes for it.

[4:57:29] Sheriff Amber Braun.

[4:57:31] In the absence of Christmaw Cross that I believe is ill today, I am, I statue the acting director

[4:57:38] of emergency management.

[4:57:39] So I am woefully unprepared to answer questions as to what he did.

[4:57:45] But I can talk about what the sheriff's office did and the response that we had in dispatch

[4:57:49] and how that all took place.

[4:57:53] It was a very fast moving fire.

[4:57:55] I think you actually have chief McWire comes up here with me.

[4:57:58] He can probably explain more about the fire behavior.

[4:58:00] He was on scene and directed many and resources.

[4:58:04] Scott, why don't you go ahead?

[4:58:07] The fire was originally noticed by residents in the area.

[4:58:10] They communicated out to the fire district and notified 911

[4:58:14] from the time that the fire districts were notified

[4:58:16] until we were up in the canyon along with law enforcement

[4:58:19] and the Forest Service Agents over there approximately 10 minutes evacuations began right off the bat.

[4:58:25] As we saw that the fire was moving into the campground, the CHP officers that heard the call initiated evacuations on their own.

[4:58:32] They were joined by Sheriff that quickly went through the midi area, that then escalated to a region wide evacuation.

[4:58:38] At that point in time, other resources have been called.

[4:58:41] Forest Service Cal Fire, other voluntary agencies coming in, the fire had moved from the canyon up above where the campground was

[4:58:48] into the Greek, I'd estimate, winds were north of 50 miles an hour. At that point in time,

[4:58:54] the decision was made to focus on structural protection in the McGee area. Under

[4:59:01] Forest Services Command, the Cal Fire teams ended up taking over the structural protection group,

[4:59:07] which was then split into a couple of groups to focus on. In fact, the American way,

[4:59:12] A McGee Road in Gregory was pretty obvious within moments that the firestorm that was coming through was not going to be something that was defensible or that anyone was going to be able to stand.

[4:59:24] So some units were able to remain in pockets but most units moved outside of that initial wave of fire that came through and returned to attack the fire.

[4:59:34] I had estimated that time that probably 70% of the community of McGee was fully engulfed.

[4:59:44] And then over the next couple of hours, the focus was really on, you know, the fire

[4:59:49] front that was moving.

[4:59:50] I was in McGee at that point in time, but other agencies went and took care of defending

[4:59:54] Long Valley as the fire moved that direction.

[4:59:56] and we had a practice that set up down by the campground where there was a-

[5:00:00] There's a natural road break in case the wind shifts and start to move it towards Crowley. And the focus was really on trying to see what we could save in the McGee area. At this point in time there are six homes that are standing, of which I believe only three are habitable.

[5:00:18] Could you details some of the surrounding area came in to assist by districts? Pretty remarkable response. I think everything in Mono County, every fire district, every special it was remarkable.

[5:00:34] were showing, same with INIO, I know that I saw an INIO task force that came through

[5:00:40] and we saw, I saw a bishop, I saw a big pine, an independent Sloan pine.

[5:00:44] They were instrumental, I believe, in the protection of a Long Valley and the community in Long

[5:00:49] Valley.

[5:00:50] But I don't, you have to mind, I don't think there was a single fire district in Anywhere

[5:00:56] Mono County that did not arrive.

[5:01:00] In those situations, timing is a little tricky, but I remember being cognizant

[5:01:04] sent of seeing a lone pi engine coming through and thinking there was no way it could have been

[5:01:10] an hour and a half since they got paged out. So they either flew through time or time stopped,

[5:01:15] but really grateful for the incredible resources it showed up. And also I think it's worth the way

[5:01:23] the Forest Service Cal Fire, I think when incident came in, when Unified first came up, there was a

[5:01:27] talk that they can be able to, it's a unified command, it's not a Forest Service response,

[5:01:34] not a

[5:01:34] as the different agencies everyone work together really quickly.

[5:01:38] It was, that was a really good showing for a pretty miserable outcome.

[5:01:52] The only thing I want to ask is that just the tremendous debt of gratitude to the Sheriff's Department and

[5:01:56] the law enforcement officers and the ability to community to help each other.

[5:02:01] The fact that we had no loss of life with the speed at which that fire entered that community.

[5:02:05] People with hearing issues, people with transportation issues, people that were not inside their homes and

[5:02:11] phone drain, it's really remarkable and I think it's really a testament to law enforcement

[5:02:15] and how diligent they were trying to get everybody out there that we had no loss of life.

[5:02:23] Thank you.

[5:02:24] We heard some public comment this morning about communications and notifications that they

[5:02:31] were at best inconsistent.

[5:02:33] I did experience the very same thing that I particularly got mornings on both of my phones, was signed

[5:02:40] up for systems my husband was as well and did not get any warnings so and we're hearing

[5:02:46] that so we are addressing the communication gaps and figuring out where it was also the

[5:02:53] systems that it was brought to our attention at one of the meetings and I believe most

[5:02:58] of this representatives were there that the systems that we're using now the change from

[5:03:04] code red to genesis and systems rely on electricity and cell phone services operating and this is a particular area where they don't operate normally with no emergency so that's something that I'm really looking for opportunities for redundancies and how to notify when everything is down and that's in these particular areas that we're finding is the very same thing.

[5:03:34] So, we know about communication, is there something else that we should be looking at immediately to address,

[5:03:42] to have a favorable outcome in the future?

[5:03:47] If you're talking about the initial communication, I am no stranger to coming to you to complain about county technology.

[5:03:55] I would say that the concerns you have there are probably less about batteries and

[5:04:00] cell phones and more about the implementation of that system and how it's deployed and how

[5:04:04] the community is educated.

[5:04:06] So I think if you're going to try and fix it, focus there first, I don't think there

[5:04:11] was a technology challenge on the outside of that.

[5:04:14] On the other side of communication, what I would ask in the future is that I know we have

[5:04:19] a lack meeting, I think it's rather appropriately titled, coming up on Friday.

[5:04:25] When we have instances like this, I know Supervisor McFarland's gone through this with the

[5:04:29] in fire, and however this moves forward, there needs to be a plan that says, who does what

[5:04:37] when within the first 24 hours, 72 hours, seven days, 30 days, and I think that the community

[5:04:45] would really appreciate if there's an incident that happens. There's just a dashboard that says,

[5:04:49] this is what you can expect in 24 hours. And then people aren't expecting fire reports in 24 hours,

[5:04:55] because the first fire report won't come for 72 so then no one's asking for it and I think

[5:05:00] The more we have a response that has really clear expectations of, this is what we're going to do when. It allows people to march towards that and deliverable, and it's going to help the community understand. This is when it's going to happen, right? So, I think most of us in this space would know that you're probably not going to get real clarity on state funding for cleanups for at least seven days. So if you know that, then no one has to wonder if that it says, you expect that in seven to 21 days. So moving forward, I think a good learning lesson for us after we're

[5:05:29] words, but how do we just tell people not only what they need to know now, but an expectation

[5:05:34] of when they should get it so that we don't have questions coming up of the lack of communication

[5:05:42] breeds contempt.

[5:05:43] Some of you have seen that from me, but I think the more that you can create a way for people

[5:05:47] to easily see it.

[5:05:49] I think a lot of people aren't familiar with the ready.monocyte, and I think the utilization

[5:05:53] of the ready monocyte with links to their places works, but the communication without being

[5:05:59] the resource more and more, if that's going to be the county's direction, just needs

[5:06:01] to be better managed.

[5:06:03] Thank you.

[5:06:04] If I may, from the sheriff's office perspective, this is a lesson learned for us and also

[5:06:09] learned during the infire that, really, the genesis notification was in the hands of one

[5:06:13] person, and when the infire broke out, that one person was on vacation, scheduled vacation

[5:06:18] and I was notified to being charged.

[5:06:20] I wasn't in my office at my desk in the afternoon when that broke out, so I had to hurry home

[5:06:26] and figure out how to use genesis.

[5:06:27] we need to build redundancies in and have that come back to the sheriff's office where we always

[5:06:33] have somebody there, we're dispatches there and then they can get that out and say we need this

[5:06:38] to be our boundaries and have a better understanding of how genesis works because when we transitioned

[5:06:43] from emergency management being an ancillary duty in the sheriff's office to being a fully funded

[5:06:47] position as it should be, we lost a lot of that knowledge in the sheriff's office and we also

[5:06:53] transition from code red to genesis at the same time. So, Sheriff's Office, we don't really know how

[5:06:59] to use genesis as well as we should. We're part of the planning of breaking out the different

[5:07:04] locations, but how do we break up the, so that was a learning lesson for me when I had to do it.

[5:07:09] Like, how do I break this into two different, because I don't want this whole big thing to be in

[5:07:13] evacuation. So, there's a lot of lessons for us to learn on this one, and I'm going to ask or

[5:07:22] Let's take it back to the Sheriff's Office and have Genesis come back into the Sheriff's Office and be one of our functions when we go into an emergency situation.

[5:07:31] They are feeling far between for us, fortunately, in Mono County that we don't have this all day every day.

[5:07:37] But when it does happen, we need to be prepared for it and that's something we will be.

[5:07:44] I know the Dilma from Cal Fire wanted to join, just one comment, I think the opportunity for us here, the unified command that was here, one of them was an instant commander at the Infire, one was at the Palisade's Fire, they had offered during this incident to connect us with the emergency management in other counties, I don't believe that connection happened, but I think going forward a real opportunity for us to go through and go to Ventura County, go to Santa Barbara County, go to the place that had done this and said, okay, what is the best

[5:08:12] practice. We don't need to reinvent the wheel here. There are other counties that have gone through

[5:08:17] this over and over again, and there's an opportunity for us to be able to go learn from them.

[5:08:21] I appreciate that we don't do it very often, but we have had a handful of county-wide

[5:08:27] disruptive events in the last few years, and with things in climate, with the amount of traffic

[5:08:33] coming through here, the likelihood that this is going to happen again is just a matter of when.

[5:08:40] I was reminded that when I first moved into McGee 17 years ago that my first paranoia was

[5:08:45] Talking long before I was in the fire service that some day we were going to have a fire up in that canyon

[5:08:49] It was going to blow down that canyon. I think there are a lot of places around this camp county where people look around say

[5:08:54] This is the thing I'm scared of are we prepared for it and we just need to start chipping away at those with good systems

[5:08:59] So

[5:09:05] I'm going to speak about something else about how you can get prepared

[5:09:08] One of the big pushes nowadays is community risk reduction

[5:09:12] So things like becoming a fire wise community where the communities can go on fire wise, USA, they can sign up for that.

[5:09:20] They can go to the Cal Fire site with our community risk reduction.

[5:09:24] And there's things at the homeowners and the communities can do to prepare themselves to make them a more resilient to wildland fires.

[5:09:33] So I would encourage that type of information gets pushed to the different communities.

[5:09:39] and I don't know if you have someone up there, but I'm sure that they can reach out to the BDU unit and if they need guidance on where to gather that information, they can point them in the right direction and help them out for that.

[5:09:57] We do have a very...

[5:10:00] We have a group of us, well, well, far prepared community, but also, I think to your point, is working with our other agencies, like BLM, Department of DWP because it's not all of our land and access to that, and things, to keeping up with things after the winter of 23. We've just seen an explosion of agitation and we're taking care of these communities, a lot of fire

[5:10:29] our wise communities are now deploying, but our neighbor, which is a federal or state

[5:10:37] agency are not, and this requires that so we'll probably be reaching out to look for some

[5:10:45] context, for some support to get in there and help us protect not only our personal assets

[5:10:51] and businesses, but their asset as well because we are the keeper of so many of the resources

[5:10:59] that support are the rest of the community, Southern California, the water, and things there.

[5:11:07] So, working together is, sir.

[5:11:09] 100% and I know we have deputy chief John Tune who is the agency administrator from San Bernardino.

[5:11:16] And I keep saying San Bernardino Cal Fire, but it is the San Bernardino and Yamono units.

[5:11:21] So, it's not just San Bernardino County right down there.

[5:11:25] So, I know a chief little field, you know, would also support having a, you know,

[5:11:32] winnating help that you all needed to get information on different things.

[5:11:37] So, please reach out if you need something.

[5:11:39] Thank you.

[5:11:40] Yeah, thank you very much.

[5:11:42] I think we also do need to acknowledge that there are some fires that particularly win driven

[5:11:49] with this topography that no amount of fuel's reduction is going to potentially change an outcome.

[5:11:55] You look at aerial photos of where this fire occurred.

[5:11:59] There were a number of fuel reduction projects

[5:12:01] that have been put in place years ago, both on McGee Creek

[5:12:06] itself by the BLM as well as linear fuel breaks around

[5:12:10] places.

[5:12:12] And so we don't need one strategy.

[5:12:15] We need many.

[5:12:17] But one of the strategies we keep dropping is a minute

[5:12:21] that after the fire starts, what are we doing?

[5:12:25] We need that playbook that we can pick up

[5:12:27] toward everyone knows their role

[5:12:30] and that the community is not waiting to be informed,

[5:12:33] that we, all of us, the collective we

[5:12:36] that are working on these things,

[5:12:38] are reaching directly out to them

[5:12:40] so that they know when they're gonna find out,

[5:12:42] what's the timeline gonna be when you're gonna find out

[5:12:45] if you can go back to your home?

[5:12:46] Who do you call to test your well?

[5:12:48] You know, that all of those things are happening, and we shrink the time to as small as possible,

[5:12:55] where we are lifting up and wrapping around people who are impacted immediately, so they

[5:13:02] know where to go.

[5:13:04] Yes, these don't happen every day, but they happen often enough that we need to be good at

[5:13:09] it.

[5:13:09] This is something that we should hit a home run on every time, as local government.

[5:13:14] And I believe we can because we have super strong communities that know one another and

[5:13:22] immediately care for one another.

[5:13:25] I know there's been a lot of frustration expressed outside this room a lot of it hasn't

[5:13:30] come forward.

[5:13:32] I think that it's okay for people to express their frustration but let's ensure that as we

[5:13:38] move through these next steps we're looking at how are we going to get better.

[5:13:42] what are we going to do? You know, you mentioned that I live through the

[5:13:48] infire a lot of this feels like Groundhog Day, feeling exceedingly alone,

[5:13:52] making stuff up as you're going, things you expected to be in place, not being

[5:13:56] there.

[5:14:00] To folks who are watching online, to folks that have lived through that, many of

[5:14:04] us have lived through this as well. And I want to express my heartfelt empathy but

[5:14:11] But also an apology that we don't have all those tools in place yet and how are we going

[5:14:19] to get there.

[5:14:19] We can't be having this conversation again.

[5:14:23] So thank you for bringing that forward.

[5:14:26] Thank you guys for being here.

[5:14:27] Everybody always comes forward with so much help and something like this happens.

[5:14:32] One of the things we need to do after this event is remember that we don't need to come together

[5:14:37] during just because of one of these events, we need to do this all the time as our

[5:14:42] normal way of being a Mono County community. And so we can do that, we show at

[5:14:49] time and time again, get these things in place for our community safe and

[5:14:56] hold, get people back in, don't.

[5:15:00] Thank you, Paul.

[5:15:03] Yes.

[5:15:06] Just curious.

[5:15:10] So, is this event that could be an FMAG declaration of an FMAG, and if is or why it isn't, I've been on different incidents over the years and heard. You know, you've got to get it, you know, get this to play like. And what role we submitted the paperwork for the FMAG on Thursday night? And it was, and it was tonight. Like hello, yes.

[5:15:34] So but that application went in while the event was still active actually the application was submitted

[5:15:40] I believe before unified command even came into place. We found out this tonight, you know why, size and scale dollars dollars and size and scales for my understanding.

[5:15:50] You know the mountain view fire happened almost identical time of year, same.

[5:15:59] I just name exact time, there was a fire happening in Reno, a small neighborhood with very expensive

[5:16:05] homes that got enough mag, but it really impacts, I mean, I'm preaching fire here about

[5:16:11] this, but the recovery and all of that, but I'd really like to know later, like maybe Sharebron

[5:16:17] or Chris McCrassa can get us the reasons because, is it because that sort of amount of money

[5:16:25] It's already been allocated through Cal OES, or it's a mystery to me still why not.

[5:16:33] And then how are you guys going to recoup, lost equipment, different things that FMAGs would provide for

[5:16:40] for prior districts that came on to, like how are we getting made to hold out of the best ability to be made to hold without an FMAG?

[5:16:53] I call it yes, at that time we'll tell.

[5:16:56] And I will do research on that.

[5:16:59] I do, it's my understanding that it would be better.

[5:17:03] Maybe we talked a little bit just like to heard about this.

[5:17:05] If it were presented to widespread, because to scale,

[5:17:09] this is a palisate fire, to scale.

[5:17:13] To our population and the amount that was lost to scale

[5:17:16] is the equivalent of a palisate fire.

[5:17:18] But to be encounters, it's not.

[5:17:22] because there are only counting so many beans, we only have 30 beans here and we have thousands of

[5:17:26] beans over here. So, and maybe that's an argument that we make or we fight for that, for that change to

[5:17:32] come about, that it needs to be to scale to the population. We are a big county with very few people,

[5:17:38] so when we lose this much, we only have so many people, it's huge. This is a policy inspire from

[5:17:43] Mono County, but how do we get them to see that? And so that's that's something that we need to follow

[5:17:48] on and see if there's a way to change that. I don't know if there's a way to change it because it is street up being counting position.

[5:17:58] It's just a handful of beans.

[5:18:00] Five years, nothing's changed.

[5:18:02] I don't, I don't, and I

[5:18:04] Longer than that.

[5:18:05] Yeah, it's the amount.

[5:18:06] Yeah, and I don't know that it will change forever.

[5:18:08] However, yeah, Fred can love there's something we can do politically like legislatively.

[5:18:15] I think it's good to have as much information about why is we have to know because I've

[5:18:21] already missed two calls for Madame shift and he's asking me what do you need I need to

[5:18:27] know what he means.

[5:18:28] It's not your job to figure out how to fix that that's actually what we can do but we have

[5:18:36] have the communication and know that you've been denied because my question is is this big

[5:18:41] enough to get that finding out it's not but you are absolutely right this is a significant

[5:18:47] amount of our community that was affected so please reach out and we will coordinate in making

[5:18:56] sure that if there's a will to get reimbursement that we will get it and we won't stop because I

[5:19:05] I can't, I no longer will just tell my community we're working on it.

[5:19:11] I want to get it done before somebody, it's hurt.

[5:19:15] Again, and we lose, and it can't catastrophic, because it's a matter of time.

[5:19:20] 2015,

[5:19:23] FMAG was submitted for the roundfire, was denied.

[5:19:28] There were fires earlier than that, particularly in and around the world basin.

[5:19:33] FMAGs were submitted, and we were denied.

[5:19:35] It was always the same reason that Scott expressed the idea of scaling it to the population

[5:19:45] and the values is something to advocate for.

[5:19:50] And I know going back to Chief Harper and the fire in I had many discussions back then.

[5:20:01] The administration is involved, and the uniqueness of a county such as this volunteer entities that exist within it, and the limits of the resource capacity of each of those entities, which directly relates to the ability to respond to this stuff, and I did want to say a complete change of social, I've sat for a year sitting through two of these events.

[5:20:30] when in my district or the Johns the application to the governor is important to

[5:20:38] make and I would encourage if you're not already doing it advocacy.

[5:20:45] Senator Schiff is contacting supervisor Duggan. Senator Schiff had that as

[5:20:49] access to the governor.

[5:20:52] The Round Valley incident, the Round Fire, consumed 36

[5:20:56] House. So the scale of that one, which was approved, and the scale of this one are virtually identical.

[5:21:05] And the way to get it to happen is through advocacy to the governor's office. Governor Brown

[5:21:12] and the round fire, can you remember if Governor Newsom was not going to be fired or not? I can't,

[5:21:20] I don't remember, but continued advocacy, we can't just rely on Chris McCrassick submitted a form.

[5:21:29] That's insufficient, it's great that he submits the form, but it takes continued advocacy.

[5:21:36] So that, hopefully, that's happening. During the roundfire, it was the CIO, it was our state

[5:21:46] It was our federal, I remember during that fire being contacted by Senator Feinstein's office.

[5:21:52] What do you need?

[5:21:53] We need an emergency declaration.

[5:21:55] Can the senator call the governor?

[5:21:57] Ask for this.

[5:21:59] And it helped.

[5:22:00] It all helped.

[5:22:01] It finally rolled through.

[5:22:03] And we may have that special community meeting after that fire.

[5:22:08] And the cow people were there with their signs and their stickers and their explanations

[5:22:12] of how the process works from hazardous materials to being allowed to rebuild.

[5:22:18] It was very instructive for the community, it took time, it was very instructive for the community.

[5:22:24] And then the cost factor knowing what I learned at that time is that there's no place in

[5:22:30] Inua or Mono that can take this construction debris.

[5:22:32] It has to go to Lancaster.

[5:22:34] His Lancaster is aligned landfill and although stuff is going to be stuck here and there because that's what people do.

[5:22:46] The cost of that I believe that just hauling the debris away was ten times what the estimate was.

[5:22:55] And diesel has only got more expensive since then.

[5:23:04] I also did, this is my community, that they're a long time in the county even longer.

[5:23:16] I never wanted, I worked for those people over there for 30 years.

[5:23:21] Cal Fire, people know the force of his people, not to slay you, but this broke my heart.

[5:23:30] Every volunteer in our department is affected and impacted, it broke our hearts to see

[5:23:37] our own community burden.

[5:23:39] And I do want to give grades, give the Sheriff's Department an a grade, I want to give the

[5:23:51] did. This may not happen a lot but they jumped in. Each could do what they could do

[5:23:58] and they jumped in. But I am a little disappointed in some of the other

[5:24:03] outreach. Posting things on websites is insufficient. You heard this morning

[5:24:09] from behavioral health how she's posting something. That doesn't work because

[5:24:15] that's a passive action that requires any assertive aggressive action by the

[5:24:21] quote unquote, victim to go find the information. That's not the way it's supposed to float. Now,

[5:24:27] maybe that's the best that can happen at the moment. I don't know. But I'm disappointed in that.

[5:24:32] It doesn't outreach to the people that are hurting and there are people down there that are hurting.

[5:24:37] Unfortunately, we have a chaplain, certified chaplain on our department and he has been acting

[5:24:44] as a chapter. Ever since he was able to get off of firefighting duty. And one of

[5:24:52] the things he did when we were escorting people into the site is he would take

[5:24:57] And it wasn't just, I'm taking you, I'm here.

[5:25:00] There is the chaplain. Let's chat as we drive down. Let's chat if you want to, as we drive back. So there are ways to accomplish this. So whatever you can do to improve that side of the information sharing, I would encourage. Because websites are wonderful. Emails are wonderful texts. I mean, I didn't get any emergency texts. And before I came here today, I confirmed I'm active with Genesis. I am. No emergency texts.

[5:25:27] In the AT&T site and the Verizon site, closest to the FireHap generators, the sites were

[5:25:34] up.

[5:25:35] They had power.

[5:25:36] Now, whether the tower is necessary to communicate with each other, could or couldn't.

[5:25:41] But, you know, that's not the sole excuse for this.

[5:25:45] I think Ingrid nailed it when you can't just have one person available to cover because

[5:25:51] Others, this happened on a Thursday, right around noon.

[5:25:56] But if it's Sunday, right around noon, everybody has a right to go home, take a day off, go on vacation.

[5:26:05] Thank you, I appreciate that, thank you very much.

[5:26:09] To revisit the contacting part in two parts, as it's happening, we're always going to go door to door.

[5:26:17] We need that, we're done, we can't rely on, well, they got a text.

[5:26:21] We're still going to go house by house and check house by house and let people know and tell them that get out, get out now, get out soon, get prepared, that's we're always going to do that and thank the good Lord for all of our partners that came up in helpless with this.

[5:26:35] I spoke about this this morning, but Mammoth Lake's police department was instrumental.

[5:26:41] Chief Kasebian was Johnny on the spot, and he took the lead because our people were busy

[5:26:46] all over the place. I happened to be out of town, caring for my father. So he really stepped up.

[5:26:51] I owe him a debt of gratitude. CHP, Bishop Pee, Inno, Forest Service, everybody that was there,

[5:26:59] my own search and rescue on their way back from a training. Everybody jumped in and did what they

[5:27:04] needed to do. We're always going to do that. The communication part afterwards, reaching out,

[5:27:10] I agree we need to do active contacting. In chief McGuire and I sat down and we went through

[5:27:15] the assessors, I pulled up the parcel now and we went property by property and identified the people.

[5:27:23] He has their phone numbers for creating a database. And I think it's just for those of us who are

[5:27:34] everybody's email and phone number.

[5:27:36] If government does not know everything about everybody,

[5:27:38] which is a good thing, if you want to share that information

[5:27:40] with that, it's great.

[5:27:41] But we don't have ways of reaching out to everybody,

[5:27:44] sort of going to their door or sending them a piece of mail.

[5:27:46] So it's good that we have these community connections

[5:27:49] that we can build on and reach out to people.

[5:27:51] So we're building that database now to make sure

[5:27:53] that everybody who is impacted by the fire,

[5:27:55] whether they lost their property or not,

[5:27:57] but everybody in McGee knows about the opportunity

[5:28:00] to be on Friday to get assistance.

[5:28:02] come to the Crowley Lake Community Center and talk to animal services, talk to public health, find other things that you need to find out what are my next steps.

[5:28:11] So, I agree, we need to actively reach out to people. So, contacting during the incident, yes, we can work on that.

[5:28:18] There are definitely ways we can improve that. And then afterwards, we're building on that too.

[5:28:25] I'll ask him on that and this kind of goes back to what Fred said and I'm going to look

[5:28:28] to you here and to our CAO.

[5:28:32] When we have incidents in the county, I've watched sheriff's officers pick up wild land

[5:28:37] houses and spray water.

[5:28:38] I've watched firefighters, staff road closures, I've watched the road team try and find tenders

[5:28:43] for people.

[5:28:44] There's a culture that something's happening and we need to do everything we possibly can

[5:28:48] right now in this minute.

[5:28:51] And I think my expectation in disasters going forward is that same culture exists within

[5:28:55] all areas of the county, internal and external.

[5:28:59] Because outside in the moment, people are really good about doing what's right.

[5:29:06] But if I told you that I had to wait to find out what my reimbursement strategy was, before

[5:29:11] I sent my engine out on a fire call, and I'm going to show up at your house in eight days.

[5:29:16] It would call for my head.

[5:29:19] But as a county, when people are hurting, they don't have clarity of what's going on.

[5:29:23] Some of them don't have computers to even check emails at this point in time or websites.

[5:29:27] And to think that they're going to wait eight days for a lack.

[5:29:30] And there've already been two community meetings.

[5:29:32] When there's a community center people can be sitting at, it's unacceptable.

[5:29:36] Our community constituents deserve better from the county.

[5:29:40] And they're going to find out again in three, six, nine, 12 months when something else

[5:29:45] happens.

[5:29:45] another snowmageddon, another MCI car crash, another fire, another flood of whether something happened or not.

[5:29:53] So you guys get to sit here today and say we know it was like this at the end fire.

[5:29:57] We know this was like this at the walker fire.

[5:29:59] we know

[5:30:00] We know this was like this during snowmageddon. We know this is how we operated during COVID. And you get to choose. Do you either sit here in a year from now, say, look at what we did better, or, yep, we're in the same place we were after the last four or five big instances. And that rests with you. Thank you.

[5:30:35] we can do better. We will.

[5:30:45] We're lucky we live where we live and we can find people's

[5:30:49] numbers out because we have communities that are tied enough to know that and that we're

[5:30:53] really blessed to have that. It's after I remember that.

[5:31:00] I guess a question for our CAO, so this, the last center is opening on Friday. I think

[5:31:08] would be helpful if people knew what to expect before then of what services are there and

[5:31:15] things that are not so we can fill in. One of the remarkable things is while the fire was

[5:31:23] happening and people were preparing to leave or just discovering it because the line of sight

[5:31:29] for the entire community, some people didn't know it was on fire. But nobody waited for somebody

[5:31:38] to tell them what to do, they knew what to do, and they frankly, the people who Crowley, Longbelly, and McGee, they moved a lot faster than anybody in the county did.

[5:31:50] And I'm in the assumption that people are doing things that they need to do, but there's no real evidence of that, is that's something that we can fix.

[5:32:02] And that communication, but right now it feels that Friday is too far away for a lot of people and there's a lot of questions, and we need to make sure that somebody's available.

[5:32:17] I'm happy to just go and sit and figure out what the question of the day is because I think internally we assume that we know what people are going to ask.

[5:32:31] But we don't and we have to think like a somebody that's affected and what questions you have, I have a million questions that I need to find the right person to ask.

[5:32:45] I don't want to set fear among anybody that is where it's not warranted but imagine being in that situation.

[5:32:54] and we heard today that nobody on Elani Lane was able that they didn't know it was happening

[5:33:03] and I immediately thought, according to the map, I only see one egress in and out is that true

[5:33:09] and I don't know that and I know people got to there but it was, I know the situation

[5:33:16] if you weren't in the right place at the right time, you wouldn't have known

[5:33:21] And those are the things that we can actually address here and not waiting for somebody to tell us to do the right thing.

[5:33:29] And I remember working with Supervisor McFarland and the infire is every one of us should know and have confidence that these things are in place and know what are places.

[5:33:44] There's nothing more frustrating.

[5:33:46] ready to be deployed and nobody to tell you to polite.

[5:33:50] So I figured out where all the food came from.

[5:33:53] You know, nobody knew all this food was there,

[5:33:56] where it came from because nobody communicated

[5:33:58] the resending food to us.

[5:34:00] If I had just gone by figuring somebody's going to,

[5:34:03] you know, need my help and drag my husband along with me,

[5:34:07] I could have sat there for two days and would have been wasted

[5:34:10] and we ended up able to turn it around.

[5:34:13] There's so many resources and everybody wants to be part of it and they are not going

[5:34:19] to wait for us to get our act together, they're going to go out and do it because you

[5:34:25] haven't had contractors and doctors and families that have lost their property, they're

[5:34:30] not going to wait on us.

[5:34:31] And telling them well you should or you shouldn't go out and do this, can I take care of yourself,

[5:34:37] we can do that fine.

[5:34:40] They're used to having to do for themselves.

[5:34:42] We can do better for them and supply that so if we're not having, you know, the effect

[5:34:49] was denied, that's the first thing somebody should call me because if the only thing I can

[5:34:56] do is call people and tell them I'm going to call you until we get it.

[5:35:03] I don't want to get in the way. I want to help them. And I think they expect me to be out there. I expect me to be out there. So those are the things that I don't know what services I've heard talk of, what services I've heard talk of.

[5:35:30] on Friday, but I suspect there's agencies getting people, but they need to know if they

[5:35:36] have it, what to bring with them and things because I remember from the last time we

[5:35:41] were in here and what it was needed, but that needs to be communicated and I know that

[5:35:47] it is not driven like Google, that people don't ask that, it has they, we can't just go and

[5:35:53] assume that, but we can get messages out that are reliable because there was an awful

[5:36:00] lot of wrong information available to that could have cost somebody their life.

[5:36:05] And that's what we can stop and that's what I expect we start tomorrow to do because

[5:36:13] we may be here all day, but tomorrow gather what we need to do to make sure the next time

[5:36:20] this happens that we've learned something.

[5:36:28] Thank you, Amanda.

[5:36:29] We have a point person for long-term re-housing.

[5:36:35] People that have been displaced and are a program.

[5:36:39] Well, we had short-term obviously through hotels,

[5:36:42] and I've seen kind of, I think it's kind of a community

[5:36:45] what I've heard from the community.

[5:36:47] It's really, we don't have a person who's trying

[5:36:49] to help find people long-term housing,

[5:36:52] but when I've talked to some of the people

[5:36:54] We've been affected by the fire as some of these communities have said that they've been working kind of internally with each other.

[5:37:00] So we don't have that point person now, but we certainly couldn't pull that information together.

[5:37:05] And I can talk a little bit about the Friday, the resources that we're going to have.

[5:37:11] We're obviously going to have a suite of county services, including animal services.

[5:37:15] We'll have assessor behavioral health, the building divisions that they can talk about permitting and on those types of things.

[5:37:22] is in just a caveat on permitting.

[5:37:24] We did do this for the in-fire.

[5:37:25] We waved the permit fees.

[5:37:26] We'll bring that back to the board probably next month

[5:37:29] to allow you to consider waving permit fees

[5:37:32] for new homes in the fire area.

[5:37:35] We'll have environmental health who can talk about

[5:37:38] also the health impacts,

[5:37:40] wells, those types of things.

[5:37:42] We'll have public health and social services

[5:37:45] and in solid ways.

[5:37:46] I know that there's obviously,

[5:37:48] there was a comment about where the debris needs to go

[5:37:51] and we can have someone speak to that.

[5:37:53] And then the reason why it's taking a little longer

[5:37:56] is just we're working with our state partners

[5:37:59] to bring in resources from the state,

[5:38:02] including the Contractor State Licensing Board,

[5:38:05] the Department of Insurance, the DMV,

[5:38:08] and the Employment Development Department ADD as well.

[5:38:13] So we're working with state agencies

[5:38:14] to bring them in as well,

[5:38:16] to provide services.

[5:38:17] We're also working with local nonprofits,

[5:38:19] It's, you know, like Eastern Sierra Community

[5:38:21] housing is offered to help and help with some of the,

[5:38:24] they may be able to help with these long-term rehoming.

[5:38:27] So there is some other resources,

[5:38:29] but it's taken, just takes time to compile all that group.

[5:38:32] We wanna, we wanna provide that all as kind of

[5:38:36] in a one-stop shop as possible.

[5:38:38] And we met, you know, we've been meeting on this obviously

[5:38:40] trying to make sure that we can make this experience

[5:38:42] as seamless as possible for the, you know, the victims

[5:38:46] as they come in and trying to kind of help improve our service there.

[5:38:50] So that's why it is taking a little longer because it's not just county.

[5:38:54] It's also community partners and state and nonprofits.

[5:38:58] Understood.

[5:39:01] There was something that I've asked several people.

[5:39:04] Nobody knows the answer to this and I don't remember.

[5:39:08] I'm sorry, but we discussed a few weeks ago at a meeting regarding some of

[5:39:15] the supplies that we had for the walker fire,

[5:39:17] that there were some trailers that were in question

[5:39:22] of what we were doing with them.

[5:39:24] I hopefully, I think that we have them,

[5:39:27] and I don't know if they're inhabitable trailers,

[5:39:30] but they could be staging trailers.

[5:39:32] If we did have that, and hopefully we didn't move so quickly

[5:39:36] that we got rid of them, which we'd had them for so long,

[5:39:41] but that's entirely possible.

[5:39:43] But even though those things are, they could be used as assets and staging down in those areas.

[5:39:52] But looking for those resources that we had at the time, we know that we have to replace repair, but possible.

[5:40:00] Hopefully replace the water tender that was damaged. And those particular, I don't want the pursuit of the perfect, which we never can get to slow this down because, wait till Friday, wait till Friday, if I have to be able to say, wait till Friday because that resource will be available in the meantime, because this is happening still for them right now. The fire's not even out, correct? Okay.

[5:40:29] Okay, there you go, because that is, you know, the impression of what it is, you can still

[5:40:36] smell it down there.

[5:40:37] You can't see it, but you can smell it, you know.

[5:40:40] So you know it's there, and what happens when you smell it.

[5:40:43] So what can we keep it doing to where people know that we still, we know you have needs.

[5:40:51] And thank you to Church on the Mountain.

[5:40:53] It has the best sound system around, go down and check it out, the largest area and people

[5:41:01] that are continuing to help out, and they are, you know, a communication, they've become

[5:41:08] part of the communication framework and let's not leave those out because that's very important

[5:41:14] because they were on the front line and immediately helped, and that's, we want to continue to

[5:41:20] do that.

[5:41:20] Okay, I will follow up on the trailers, yeah a couple

[5:41:31] of like suggestions. One United

[5:41:35] policyholders who came and participated the Mountain View Fire they should be here they

[5:41:43] I'm sure they'd be willing to be here almost on a you know days notice. I would also contact

[5:41:50] Mary Boomer as soon as possible and get a comprehensive list from her of what

[5:41:57] out external resources came in, not just initially, but I think also what

[5:42:04] I'm hearing, what the community wants, is they want this information, it's

[5:42:10] already longer than it would have liked it to be. So like if we can make the

[5:42:15] commitment that like 24 hours from now, by tomorrow, we'll have to the everything we know

[5:42:22] about what's going to be there on Friday and not just posted on the website but working

[5:42:28] with Sheriff Ron and Chief McGuire who are compiling a list of contact information for

[5:42:36] the 31 folks or more to just get that information all to them before the end of tomorrow.

[5:42:44] like if we're telling if we can make that commitment and I think that's the best next step

[5:42:51] that we can do. I don't know if that's possible to get all that information, but we have

[5:42:57] social services and behavioral health to work in concert to make this happen. That at least

[5:43:04] gives 48 hours or so notice to the impacted people.

[5:43:12] That would be my suggestion.

[5:43:16] Right. Now we will do that.

[5:43:21] Lots of ideas, lots of ways to implement. I think often speed

[5:43:25] is of importance because asking somebody to wait from Thursday to Friday to have a place

[5:43:32] to go for a vacation is a very long time. I think that standing that up and this is where

[5:43:38] the county I think steps in, county steps in and says we're going to get that center

[5:43:43] open on Tuesday or Wednesday and we're going to just get people down there we're going

[5:43:47] to start putting that out I think that would probably be helpful and bilingual because

[5:43:51] some of the people who lost homes were also bilingual Spanish speaking and we have not

[5:43:56] really stepped into that piece of it. I called Mary for yesterday and put her in touch

[5:44:02] with gentlemen who owns the campground,

[5:44:07] they're not the campground, the trailer park property.

[5:44:11] And what we have to also realize is that those lots

[5:44:14] have to be clean, those lots have to be walk across clean

[5:44:18] before you can plop something else down on them.

[5:44:20] So that is going to never hampered by weather and winter

[5:44:24] and the fact that you can't just get out there and do them.

[5:44:27] My understanding is that most of the trailers

[5:44:29] have either been moved out or are probably not habitable.

[5:44:34] There is other options here that's not the first,

[5:44:37] you know, people that have had to be looking for this.

[5:44:40] The self-determination of somebody telling me

[5:44:43] for a Saturday night after they get together,

[5:44:46] they're going to take their loader down there tomorrow,

[5:44:48] they're going to start cleaning out the,

[5:44:49] they're like, okay, maybe we should talk about that.

[5:44:53] But that is what will happen,

[5:44:54] because people will move themselves quickly if you don't.

[5:45:00] We have available availability for them to have other options. It's just like a very bad cause our county assessor came to that meeting and said, I have the form with me, I have that form you can fill out and get off the tax roll immediately. So you're going to have to pay your taxes because you don't have a house anymore. That's the kind of immediacy. I think the people are looking for someone who is standing there ready to hand you the form, explain to you, do that.

[5:45:27] And so yeah, I think we should stand it up as quickly as we can because it's like, you

[5:45:33] know, I understand the intent behind making all of that area, hazmat area, we know making

[5:45:38] hybris, but at the end of the day we know this, people need to see their property.

[5:45:43] They need to look at it and go, oh, it's gone.

[5:45:48] There's that grief, you know, process that you have to think about right away.

[5:45:51] You can't keep them out of there for two weeks because you might get some, sorry, terrible.

[5:45:57] Because you don't want to get that stuff on you, people need to see.

[5:46:02] People need to touch it, perhaps, and need to look.

[5:46:06] So there's a lot of things I think we need to better.

[5:46:07] And we can embed that into a response plan.

[5:46:11] You should be embedded. They shouldn't have to be made up every time.

[5:46:14] You should be able to drill an exercise app before the case.

[5:46:18] You should be able to step up into it on the day of.

[5:46:20] and you should be able to know which your directions are.

[5:46:23] So that I think is one of our big first goals to make sure is in place.

[5:46:27] And we have been asking for that for a while, so it needs to be prioritized.

[5:46:33] One comment going back 10 years to the round fire is the assistant center.

[5:46:39] Was it, again, at the Crowley community center, it wasn't confined to one day.

[5:46:44] It was a multi-day operation, as people came up from

[5:46:50] swamados and paradise. It was a multi-day operation. Again,

[5:46:55] necessitated by the fact that that was a February fire. And whether it came in and out,

[5:47:04] not everybody could be where they needed to be because of that. But it was very helpful

[5:47:13] to have it there as a multi-day operation. And there were days that not many people came.

[5:47:20] it didn't close for almost two weeks. It didn't. And the coffee pot was on. The cookies were there. The

[5:47:25] sounders were there. Absolutely. Somebody was there. Was there to do it. So, you know, I'm hoping that

[5:47:32] that's the vision that you're beginning to to adopt that this will be an extra more extended than a

[5:47:40] one off come if you didn't come you missed it.

[5:47:47] COVID complicated things with the mountain view fire

[5:47:52] horribly but you know I my impression and I left office that January so I wasn't there for a

[5:47:59] lot of the follow up but my impression is that a lot of that same activity occurred up in Walker

[5:48:05] and it should have, you know, as that was a horrible, horrible incident and so

[5:48:11] and unfortunately on that one there was a fatality and fortunately on this

[5:48:16] one.

[5:48:18] Thank you. I appreciate it. Okay. Any other comments? Questions? Anybody

[5:48:24] online? We need that once to speak? Okay. Yes, please. Oh,

[5:48:31] you don't have to. That's

[5:48:32] Okay, Scott Walker.

[5:48:35] I built two of the three surviving houses.

[5:48:42] The whole process for building those houses

[5:48:44] was excruciating painful on the campus side.

[5:48:49] I was, it was very difficult to get permits.

[5:48:56] It was very difficult to excursion and get inspections.

[5:49:00] I was treated like a dumb hillbilly.

[5:49:03] I was, it was, it was, it was tough, it was, the county could not be things easy

[5:49:09] first to build those houses, especially with such a housing shortage.

[5:49:17] I'm not saying, you know, just let anybody throw anything up but,

[5:49:22] just the obstructionism, the roadblocking of a lot of the county procedures,

[5:49:31] There's these to be changed.

[5:49:34] So in the months and years going forward, please take that into consideration.

[5:49:40] Not only for the people who lost their homes, but for the county in general, because it's

[5:49:45] tough.

[5:49:45] It's tough to get through these policies and procedures.

[5:49:51] There really has to be something.

[5:49:55] Thank you.

[5:49:56] Thank you for saying that.

[5:49:57] you

[5:50:03] Christine Mushard, Assistant CAO. I want to let you guys know that we have been working. I've been working closely with HHS and behavioral health and Dr. Boo. And we are working on individually reaching out to people, not just through social media. That is eight backup. So we have a list of people. We don't, we are still trying to get phone numbers. I'm going to meet with Scott after this and hopefully we can get all the numbers that we need. But we are working

[5:50:33] through the phone lines too, not just through social media.

[5:50:38] It's a plan to clarify that.

[5:50:41] Thanks, Piston.

[5:50:44] Okay, everybody else on e-commerce.

[5:50:50] We are down to thank you all for showing up here.

[5:50:53] Thank you for helping us walk through this.

[5:50:55] Thank you for your ideas and your support.

[5:50:57] And it's a management team always appreciated.

[5:51:01] We didn't have snow for you this time, but we had something else.

[5:51:05] So, I like it when you're in town, when you're in the region, so I think.

[5:51:10] The local responders, the words, the words to thank everybody for what they did,

[5:51:15] and their own friends and family were being threatened and everybody shows up

[5:51:18] and that's what they do, so it can be more lucky in that way, not perfect.

[5:51:24] I always get better at it, so I think we're gonna get there.

[5:51:27] So, let's take it to a minute break.

[6:05:09] This was on consent. It was the item that was pulled, item 6e. Contract amendment with barry enterprises back on here. We're going to do a couple of little things and then probably be done for the day. But we have item number e, which was pulled off the consent agenda. Contract amendment with barry enterprises, Inc. DBA, Sierra, Electronics, and as Mike spoke to us, Senator, you want to clear that up a little bit.

[6:05:39] Sorry.

[6:05:40] Well, Mike Martinez just said that this is an item that is only about between public works

[6:05:46] in this company to finish some work that they've been doing, so we really only have to

[6:05:53] do that.

[6:05:53] That's the upbringing of the vehicles.

[6:05:58] Yes.

[6:05:58] Upsetting of the vehicles and the funding comes from fleet.

[6:06:02] So I did confirm that with care and spare.

[6:06:03] So the fiscal impact is just a 75,000 area, which has actually been increased $100,000 not to exceed

[6:06:10] for doing that work on the behalf of the county with new vehicles, so questions, comments, discussion.

[6:06:18] Motion to approve. Second.

[6:06:21] Second. Okay, on paper. Hi. Okay, so that is passed. Thank you. Okay, so let me look through here.

[6:06:28] I can just go ahead and talk about so we discussed pushing several items to the next board meeting, which is December 9th.

[6:06:38] That would include items 7E, which is the 2025, DRAC, Mono County, and Town of Memphis.

[6:06:45] Multi-dress Dictionary Hazard Mitigation Plan.

[6:06:47] We will also move items 10B and C, which is the housing update and the strategic plan update.

[6:06:55] We will move those all to December 9th.

[6:06:59] Okay.

[6:07:00] Have nobody has any exceptions to that?

[6:07:02] Does anyone want to do board reports today?

[6:07:05] We're just going to ask, do we also have a board meeting on the 16th?

[6:07:08] We do.

[6:07:09] Yes.

[6:07:10] Okay.

[6:07:11] The 16th of December.

[6:07:12] December.

[6:07:14] Good.

[6:07:15] I would just add that if I know on board reports I don't need to do it.

[6:07:19] If we need another meeting between the 9th and between that week of the meeting,

[6:07:25] meeting that's the 9th and the 16th to address issues with the fire or other things, and we should just have us, you know, maybe get a date that everybody can agree on now it's a special meeting because that first meeting would be in Bridgeport.

[6:07:44] You might need a meeting that week here or even an adjourn meeting in the community center or something to address specifically where we're at.

[6:07:54] But what we're doing and what the expectations are might be helpful.

[6:07:59] Okay.

[6:08:00] Thank you.

[6:08:02] All right, everybody.

[6:08:05] Good work today.

[6:08:06] A lot of information.

[6:08:08] Everybody really did a great job.

[6:08:11] So thank you all.

[6:08:12] And we stand adjourned until the 9th of December.

[6:08:18] Okay, everyone.

[6:08:19] Have a good Thanksgiving.

[6:08:19] Thank you very much.

Board of Supervisors Meeting

Agenda

Transcript