[0:01] >> Before things get out of

[0:02] control, I'm going to call this

[0:03] meeting's order up here. Thank

[0:04] you all

[0:05] for joining us this morning.

[0:06] Our pledge and invocation will

[0:07] be led this morning by. Thank

[0:09] you, fifth District.

[0:10] >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I

[0:11] have the pleasure of honor

[0:12] of introducing Pastor Eric

[0:13] Strutz. Pastor Eric Schutz and

[0:15] his wife Brenda have called

[0:16] Colton home since December

[0:17] 1985. For more than 40 years,

[0:18] Pastor Strutz has served the

[0:20] community

[0:22] through his leadership

[0:23] through the Door Christian

[0:25] Fellowship, growing the

[0:26] congregation

[0:27] from four families into

[0:28] thriving multigenerational

[0:29] church. He has served as a

[0:30] chaplain for the Colton

[0:31] Police Department since 1992,

[0:33] where he has also supported

[0:34] local youth programs such as

[0:36] the Colton Youth, the CART

[0:37] program. Pastor Strutz is

[0:39] passionate about mentoring and

[0:40] encouraging young people and

[0:42] regularly speaks at schools and

[0:43] college career opportunities.

[0:45] Prior

[0:46] to becoming a full-time pastor,

[0:48] Pastor Strutz worked 15 years

[0:49] as an engineer and five years

[0:51] as a teacher. He holds an

[0:52] undergraduate in the mechanical

[0:53] engineering and graduate

[0:54] in business with an emphasis

[0:56] in risk management. He and

[0:57] Brenda continue

[0:58] to deeply be involved,

[1:00] serving the Colton community

[1:01] and supporting families

[1:02] throughout the region. It's

[1:03] always great to see Pastor

[1:05] Strutz throughout the Colton

[1:06] community. Please welcome

[1:07] Pastor Strutz.

[1:11] >> Thank you. I appreciate

[1:13] that. Yes, let's stand.

[1:14] Again, I would like

[1:15] to thank the Board of

[1:16] Supervisors

[1:18] for the invitation,

[1:19] the opportunity to pray, and we

[1:20] as a church oftentimes pray

[1:21] for our county,

[1:24] various cities. We have a

[1:25] burden for. We have members

[1:27] in our church where they live,

[1:29] and the challenges that we

[1:31] face. And so,

[1:33] as we agree together this

[1:35] morning, we ask your blessing

[1:37] upon our meeting and ask that

[1:38] you would work and move and

[1:40] minister in a gracious and a

[1:43] wonderful way. I'm reminded the

[1:45] scripture in Jeremiah 29. I

[1:47] know the thoughts that I think

[1:50] twice toward you. And yes,

[1:53] that's you and I as

[1:55] individuals, but I think it is

[1:56] much more than that, including

[1:58] cities and counties and people.

[2:00] I think toward you, says the

[2:03] Lord, thoughts

[2:05] of peace and not of evil, to

[2:10] give you a future and a hope.

[2:12] And you will call upon me and

[2:14] go and pray to me,

[2:16] and I will listen to you, and

[2:18] you will seek me and find me

[2:20] when you search for me

[2:22] with all of your heart. We do

[2:24] that this morning. We thank you

[2:26] for all that you're doing

[2:28] in our midst,

[2:31] all that you're doing in our

[2:33] county and the various cities

[2:35] and county areas. We ask your

[2:37] blessing upon our Board of

[2:39] Supervisors, their families,

[2:41] all that they would endeavor

[2:43] to do, all that they bring

[2:45] to the table,

[2:47] all that they provide for us

[2:48] in leadership, direction,

[2:50] wisdom and understanding. We

[2:51] ask your blessing here upon our

[2:53] county employees, the various

[2:55] departments represented here,

[2:57] management, staff,

[2:59] employees and their families,

[3:00] God's grace and blessing upon

[3:03] their lives. We commit this

[3:05] meeting into your hand Ask your

[3:07] blessing as we pray. In Jesus

[3:09] name. Amen. Join me in the

[3:11] pledge.

[3:13] >> I pledge allegiance

[3:18] to the flag of the United

[3:19] States of America and to the

[3:21] Republic for which it stands,

[3:23] one nation under God,

[3:25] indivisible liberty and justice

[3:27] for all.

[3:31] >> Thank you very much. We will

[3:38] now move on to our memorial

[3:39] adjournments. Vice Chair Baca

[3:40] >> Thank you,

[3:41] Madam Chair. I do have two

[3:42] memorial adjournments. The

[3:43] first one is Trinidad Trini

[3:44] Gomez. She was born May 8,

[3:46] 1925 and passed on August 14,

[3:47] 2026. She was 101 years old and

[3:49] she was a longtime family

[3:51] friend, friend

[3:53] of my father and mother

[3:55] for many, many years.

[3:57] But we acknowledge

[3:58] of the passing

[4:00] of another community icon,

[4:01] Trini Gomez, who died at 101

[4:02] in San Bernardino where she

[4:04] lived most of her life. She had

[4:05] worked for the San Rafael

[4:07] Railroad. She and her late

[4:09] husband, Graciano Gomez worked

[4:10] to establish the Inland

[4:11] Empire Hispanic newspaper which

[4:13] is very prominent

[4:15] in this community. They were

[4:16] both advocates for the

[4:18] underserved and true champions

[4:19] throughout the community. And

[4:20] her husband, Graciano Gomez,

[4:21] actually had a school named

[4:23] after him in the city of San

[4:25] Bernardino. He was actually the

[4:26] first Hispanic ever elected

[4:28] to the San Bernardino City

[4:29] Unified School District. She is

[4:31] survived

[4:32] by her three sisters,

[4:34] daughters, five grandchildren

[4:35] and five great grandchildren.

[4:37] And the second adjourned

[4:38] in memory is actually one

[4:40] of our county employees.

[4:41] Estelita Abby Haster of Colton

[4:43] was 56. So today we honor and

[4:45] remember Estelita Abby Hassler

[4:47] and the lasting impact she made

[4:48] through her work with her

[4:49] children and family services

[4:50] employment. Abby was more than

[4:53] a dedicated county employee.

[4:54] She was a caring colleague,

[4:56] mentor and a friend

[4:58] with whose kindness, faith and

[4:59] beautiful spirit touched many,

[5:02] many lives throughout our

[5:03] county. We recognize the

[5:05] tremendous loss of the family

[5:06] of our CFS colleagues and

[5:08] experiencing and our hearts

[5:09] with them during the incredibly

[5:11] difficult time. On behalf

[5:13] of the entire County Board of

[5:14] Supervisors. San Bernardino

[5:16] county, we extend our deepest

[5:18] condolences. Abby made a

[5:19] lasting difference and will

[5:21] deeply be missed and lovingly

[5:22] remembered. Thank you, Madam

[5:24] Chair.

[5:25] >> Thank you, Supervisor

[5:27] Cook, Supervisor Armendarez

[5:29] for adjourn in memory. I have

[5:30] two this morning. I would like

[5:33] to adjourn it in memory of

[5:35] Justice Marsha Slough, a

[5:37] resident of Redlands who served

[5:39] on California's 4th District

[5:40] Court of Appeals, who was a

[5:42] two-decade veteran

[5:43] of the state judiciary. We

[5:45] thank her for her service

[5:46] to the region and our pleasure

[5:48] with her family

[5:49] during this difficult time.

[5:50] And also, for Maria Ramirez

[5:52] Schul, who is the mother

[5:53] of my team member, Christina

[5:55] Garcia. Maria passed away

[5:56] at the age of 80 and is

[5:57] survived by her children and

[5:59] grandchildren. And Christina,

[6:00] you're in our thoughts.

[6:02] Thank you.

[6:04] We have three special

[6:05] presentations this morning.

[6:06] So, if my colleagues will join

[6:07] me in the well, can we ask

[6:34] Keith Ricker

[6:35] to join us please? Good

[6:45] morning. How are you? Are you

[6:49] excited?

[6:50] >> Yes, I am.

[6:51] >> This morning we would like

[6:52] to present this special

[6:53] resolution in honor of Keith

[6:54] Ricker who's retiring after 36

[6:55] years with the county. Keith

[6:56] began his career

[6:57] with the county in 1990

[6:58] supporting systems

[6:59] in the human Resources

[7:01] department. He later advanced

[7:02] to managing critical IT

[7:03] infrastructure and customer

[7:04] facing systems within the

[7:06] Department of Public Works. He

[7:07] has played a vital role in

[7:09] modernizing operations and has

[7:10] had a lasting impact

[7:11] on technological advancement

[7:12] in the county. We thank you for

[7:14] your dedication and we wish you

[7:15] well in retirement.

[7:42] >> It's been an honor and a

[7:43] pleasure. A great opportunity

[7:44] to work for the county of San

[7:45] Bernardino. As long as I have a

[7:46] definite blessing

[7:47] to me and I just want

[7:49] to say thank you to all my

[7:52] colleagues who helped get me

[7:54] through this

[7:55] and it's a team effort and

[7:57] just appreciate all you guys.

[7:58] So, thank you very much.

[8:00] >> Would you like to bring up

[8:02] family

[8:03] or friends for photo

[8:04] >> Bringing my wife up there

[8:05] and bring up the whole crew.

[8:06] Reuben, Richard, Brad, come

[8:07] on up.

[8:08] >> Come on up here. I'm going

[8:10] to trade you. Come

[8:11] on up here.

[8:48] Congratulations.

[8:55] >> Thank you again.

[8:56] >> We have Yvonne Perez join

[8:58] us. Good morning. Welcome and

[9:18] congratulations. It is our

[9:20] honor to prevent to present

[9:21] Yvonne Perez this resolution.

[9:24] For 26 years with the county.

[9:26] She began her career in 1999 as

[9:28] a fiscal clerk with the

[9:31] Department of Human Services

[9:32] and later transferred to the

[9:33] Sheriff's Department where she

[9:34] served the rest

[9:35] of her career,

[9:36] retiring as a staff analyst.

[9:37] She's recognized

[9:38] by her professionalism,

[9:40] dependability and exemplary

[9:41] work ethic. She was even named

[9:42] 2025 Employee of the Year

[9:44] by the Sheriff's Department

[9:45] Bureau of Administration.

[9:46] Congratulations and we're

[9:48] excited for your retirement,

[9:49] but we're going

[9:51] to miss you so thank you.

[10:07] >> Would you like to say a few

[10:08] words? You don't have to do

[10:09] Anybody you want to bring up

[10:11] for a photo?

[10:12] >> Yes.

[10:15] >> Come on, dad.

[10:16] >> Come on.

[10:17] >> All right.

[10:18] >> Come on up. Come on,

[10:27] sister. Oh, really? Good

[10:29] morning.

[10:31] >> Come on up here.

[11:32] >> I would like to ask Brad

[11:33] Gates and the workforce

[11:34] development team

[11:35] to join us next.

[11:49] >> Good morning.

[12:07] >> How are you?

[12:08] >> Hi, Janet. Hey, good

[12:10] to see you.

[12:11] >> Good morning.

[12:12] >> The Board of Supervisors

[12:13] would like

[12:14] to recognize this the month

[12:15] of September as National

[12:16] Workforce Development Month.

[12:17] Our local Workforce development

[12:19] board and the county Workforce

[12:20] development board play a

[12:21] critical role

[12:22] in connecting job seekers with

[12:23] career opportunities and

[12:24] creating innovative ways to

[12:26] help residents develop skills

[12:27] needed to succeed in a rapidly

[12:28] changing labor market. We'd

[12:30] like to take this opportunity

[12:31] to recognize the work and thank

[12:33] you all for your economic

[12:34] advancement efforts. Thank you

[12:37] very much.

[12:53] >> Hi.

[13:40] >> Thank you all very much.

[13:46] Now we're going to ask Brad

[13:47] to give us a little

[13:48] presentation

[13:49] on workforce development. All

[14:12] right, Brad, you're up. You

[14:17] have to really lean

[14:18] into that one now.

[14:20] >> It's on. There we go. Good

[14:21] morning. Thank you. Thank you,

[14:22] Chair Rowe and members

[14:24] of the board. I'm Brad Gates,

[14:25] director of the Workforce

[14:26] Development Department, and I'm

[14:27] pleased

[14:28] to briefly share a presentation

[14:29] about the programs and services

[14:30] that we provide to assist the

[14:32] job seekers and businesses of

[14:34] San Bernardino County. I would

[14:36] also like to thank you for the

[14:39] proclamation that you just gave

[14:41] us recognizing the month of

[14:43] September officially as

[14:45] Workforce Development Month

[14:46] in San Bernardino County. This

[14:48] recognition helps

[14:49] to increase awareness of the

[14:51] programs that we provide and

[14:53] the impacts that we make

[14:54] in the community. Workforce

[14:56] development is really about

[14:58] bringing together federal,

[14:59] state and local resources

[15:00] to connect residents with

[15:02] employment opportunities and to

[15:04] help ensure that businesses

[15:06] have access to the skilled and

[15:07] trained workforce that they

[15:09] need to succeed. Ultimately,

[15:10] this work is

[15:12] about creating opportunity, so

[15:13] strengthening our businesses

[15:14] and our communities. A critical

[15:16] part of our mission is

[15:17] supporting the county's

[15:19] business community. Our

[15:21] business services team works

[15:23] directly with employers

[15:25] to help them recruit,

[15:26] train and retain employees.

[15:28] This includes customized

[15:29] recruitments, job fairs,

[15:31] business consulting, training

[15:33] programs, rapid response

[15:35] services when businesses are

[15:37] laying off or closing.

[15:39] In fiscal year 25-26, more than

[15:41] 2500 businesses were served

[15:44] through our programs,

[15:45] including 187

[15:46] on the job training contracts,

[15:47] resulting in over $900,000

[15:49] in wages reimbursed

[15:52] to employers. These programs

[15:55] allow us to simultaneously

[15:57] support the local business

[15:59] community while creating job

[16:01] opportunities

[16:03] for our residents.

[16:05] For our residents,

[16:07] we operate three America's

[16:09] Job Centers of California, or

[16:11] AJCCs, where customers can

[16:13] access career counseling, job

[16:15] referrals, employment

[16:16] preparation, training, funding,

[16:18] apprenticeships, work

[16:20] experience,

[16:22] and supportive services. Our

[16:24] goal is simply not

[16:25] to help someone find a job. We

[16:27] want to help residents gain the

[16:28] skills that they need so that

[16:29] they can move into sustainable

[16:30] employment and career pathways.

[16:32] In fiscal year 25-26, over 1800

[16:34] workforce innovation and

[16:36] Opportunity act customers

[16:38] received training services

[16:39] through our programs,

[16:40] and more than 2,800 individuals

[16:41] were employed generating tens

[16:44] of millions of dollars

[16:47] in earned wages in San

[16:48] Bernardino County. These

[16:50] outcomes represent residents

[16:52] gaining real skills, finding

[16:54] opportunity,

[16:56] and taking important steps

[16:57] toward economic stability.

[16:59] Another focus is our

[17:00] Opportunity Youth, those young

[17:02] adults ages 16 to 24 that we

[17:05] serve. Through seven youth

[17:06] service providers, we help

[17:08] young adults overcome barriers

[17:10] to education and employment,

[17:12] with particular emphasis

[17:13] on our foster,

[17:15] homeless and other youth

[17:16] with significant needs.

[17:18] Services include paid work

[17:20] experience, apprenticeships,

[17:22] education, occupational

[17:23] training, counseling,

[17:25] mentorship and supportive

[17:26] services. In fiscal year

[17:27] 2526, we serve more than 2000

[17:30] opportunity youth with over 70%

[17:32] achieving successful employment

[17:34] or placement

[17:36] in higher education outcomes.

[17:38] By investing in our youth,

[17:40] we are investing

[17:42] in the future workforce of

[17:44] San Bernardino county. And our

[17:45] Workforce Development Board is

[17:48] an essential partner

[17:49] in this work. I would like

[17:51] to take a moment

[17:52] to recognize several

[17:54] Workforce Board members who are

[17:55] present here with us today.

[17:57] You saw them just

[17:58] in the well a moment ago,

[17:59] but I want

[18:00] to introduce officially our

[18:02] Board Chair, Shannon, our

[18:03] immediate past chair, Will

[18:05] Sterling. And then we also have

[18:06] Alfonso Jimenez, Tanya

[18:08] Rhodes, Hensley Lowell King and

[18:11] Thomas Ruiz here

[18:12] with us today. I'd like

[18:14] to appreciate them

[18:15] for being here today

[18:17] for this special recognition,

[18:18] but really for the work that

[18:19] our entire board does each and

[18:21] every day to support our

[18:22] efforts and really move the

[18:24] needle

[18:26] on workforce development,

[18:27] innovation and programs in

[18:29] San Bernardino County.

[18:30] Under the Workforce Innovation

[18:32] and opportunity act, or WIOA,

[18:33] the Board of Supervisor

[18:36] appointed 19 member Workforce

[18:37] Development Board. Yes, you

[18:39] heard that right, 19 members.

[18:41] We have six here today,

[18:42] but I have 19 that sit

[18:43] on the board and these,

[18:45] these individuals represent

[18:46] business, labor, industry,

[18:48] workforce partners that really

[18:49] collectively come together to

[18:51] bring a unique and interesting

[18:52] perspective into how we operate

[18:54] these programs. They provide

[18:56] oversight and policy direction

[18:59] of WIOA programs and bring

[19:01] together representatives

[19:04] of business, industry and other

[19:05] partners that really expand the

[19:08] perspectives that we need.

[19:09] They help us understand the

[19:11] changing needs of employers,

[19:13] expand the reach

[19:15] of our programs,

[19:17] and better connect our

[19:19] residents

[19:21] to those opportunities.

[19:22] Together, the Workforce

[19:24] Development Department and our

[19:25] Workforce Development Board are

[19:27] committed to our shared vision

[19:28] of transforming lives and

[19:30] strengthening business.

[19:31] In closing, I would just like

[19:32] to say that workforce

[19:34] development is

[19:35] about connecting people with

[19:37] opportunity and connecting

[19:38] businesses

[19:39] with the talent that they need

[19:41] to succeed. The programs and

[19:42] results that I've shared today,

[19:44] which is just a fraction

[19:45] of what I'm able to share

[19:46] with you

[19:48] in just a few short minutes,

[19:49] are really the result

[19:50] of the dedication

[19:52] of our amazing Workforce

[19:53] Development Department team who

[19:54] bring their passion and their

[19:56] drive to work each and every

[19:57] day and also to our Workforce

[20:00] Development Board for their

[20:01] commitment and the countless

[20:03] volunteer hours that they

[20:04] commit to this work.

[20:06] In addition

[20:08] to the many county departments,

[20:09] community partners and resource

[20:11] partners that we really rely

[20:13] on to do the work that we do.

[20:15] And of course you, our Board

[20:17] of Supervisors, who we could

[20:19] not do this work

[20:20] without your support. We

[20:22] appreciate again this

[20:23] recognition that you've given

[20:25] us today. The Opportunity

[20:27] to officially recognize

[20:28] September through 2020, 2031 as

[20:30] National Workforce

[20:31] Development, Workforce

[20:33] Development Month in San

[20:35] Bernardino County. Thank you

[20:38] and I'm happy

[20:41] to answer any questions.

[20:45] >> Thank you very much

[20:46] for that. Any questions Board?

[20:47] All right,

[20:49] great job and thank you all

[20:50] for coming today. It was a long

[20:52] drive for some of you. Thank

[20:53] you. All right, we will move

[21:00] on to reports

[21:01] from county council.

[21:04] >> Thank you, Madam Chair. The

[21:05] board met in closed session and

[21:06] considering item number five,

[21:08] the board voted 5-0

[21:09] to provide authorization

[21:11] to file litigation. The

[21:13] defendants and the particulars

[21:14] of that litigation will be made

[21:15] available upon request after

[21:16] the action is filed. I have

[21:18] nothing further

[21:19] to report.

[21:21] >> Thank you very much. And

[21:22] with that, we will move on

[21:23] to our individual board member.

[21:25] Comments. Vice Chair.

[21:27] >> Yeah, thank you, Madam

[21:28] Chair. Just want to thank the

[21:29] Sheriff's department for

[21:31] hosting a sheriff's blood

[21:32] drive,

[21:33] which is they do every quarter.

[21:34] Want to thank for all the

[21:35] participants. I know many of

[21:36] our deputies and support staff

[21:37] participated,

[21:39] had the opportunity

[21:40] to donate blood. So, I just

[21:41] want to thank them and their

[21:43] partnership with Livestream.

[21:44] So, thank you

[21:46] for the good work. Had the

[21:47] opportunity to participate

[21:48] with San Bernardino County Fire

[21:49] Department a wildfire

[21:50] prevention and fuel management

[21:52] tour. So, I want

[21:53] to thank the county fire

[21:55] for the great work they did,

[21:57] the opportunity to tour

[21:58] along the foothill base

[21:59] in the city of San Bernardino

[22:01] and just so impressed

[22:02] with the amount of mitigation

[22:04] that the county fire department

[22:06] has done to prevent or, you

[22:08] know, mitigate fires,

[22:09] especially with a lot

[22:10] of the homes that are

[22:11] along the foothills

[22:12] of the city of San Bernardino.

[22:13] I know they put in a lot

[22:14] of work. When I think the hand

[22:16] crews for the great work they

[22:17] do and everything, they do

[22:18] to protect our,

[22:19] our residents here

[22:20] in our county. Also had the

[22:21] opportunity to participate

[22:22] in a back-to-school visit with

[22:23] our preschool services

[22:24] department. Our county staff,

[22:25] along with myself, delivered,

[22:26] you know,

[22:27] backpacks and school supplies

[22:29] to all of our students

[22:30] in the fifth district. I want

[22:31] to thank, you know, PSD

[22:32] for the great work they're

[22:33] doing with our students as they

[22:34] begin their school year and

[22:35] just want

[22:37] to thank our department of

[22:38] Land Use for the Arrowhead

[22:39] Farms community cleanup. It was

[22:41] at the Our lady of Assumption

[22:42] in the city of San Bernardino

[22:44] area which is part of

[22:46] Arrowhead farms. There was

[22:47] 12.51 tons

[22:48] of trash picked up, 2.4 tons

[22:50] of tires. I want

[22:51] to thank code enforcement and

[22:52] Our lady of Assumption Church

[22:53] for their partnership and

[22:55] continuing

[22:56] to do this every year.

[22:58] Just a great program.

[23:00] I just want

[23:01] to highlight agenda items

[23:02] on the agenda. Item number

[23:03] five, this is a $300,000

[23:04] investment

[23:05] of discretionary money of the

[23:06] Fifth District, which will help

[23:08] San Bernardino Valley college

[23:09] baseball program

[23:10] with improvements

[23:12] on the baseball field,

[23:13] which will

[23:14] in turn give a bigger

[23:15] investment

[23:17] by the community college

[23:18] in this ball field. And it's

[23:19] personal for me because I had

[23:20] the opportunity to play

[23:21] on this field

[23:22] in junior college,

[23:23] but it's great to give back to

[23:24] the community and see things be

[23:25] improved. The other is item

[23:26] 33, which is $250,000

[23:27] in investment that the board of

[23:28] supervisors are making. I want

[23:30] to thank my colleagues

[23:32] for their investments and

[23:34] in the San Bernardino

[23:35] International Airport

[23:37] to make some improvements

[23:38] at the airport looking to try

[23:39] to grow the region and our

[23:40] San Bernardino International

[23:41] Airport, which is just so

[23:43] critical

[23:44] for economic development

[23:46] in our community. Also item

[23:47] 39, 8 youth set aside units

[23:48] at Echo Apartments in the city

[23:50] of San Bernardino. This is a

[23:51] big investment that will help

[23:52] housing for our youth that have

[23:54] challenges finding housing.

[23:55] So, I just want

[23:57] to thank county staff

[23:58] for that great work. Also item

[24:00] 40, expanding dental care

[24:01] for preschool students. One

[24:02] of the things that we take

[24:04] for granted because many

[24:05] of us do have dental care,

[24:06] but some

[24:08] of our students that are, you

[24:09] know,

[24:10] underserved need dental care.

[24:11] So, I want to thank Head Start

[24:13] for providing these services

[24:14] for our kids. Item 53 is no

[24:15] truck parking

[24:16] in several areas throughout the

[24:18] Bloomington community. It's one

[24:19] of our community concerns. I

[24:21] want to thank staff

[24:22] for bringing it to our

[24:23] attention and addressing it

[24:25] in the Bloomington community.

[24:26] Item 55, which is a big project

[24:27] for us in the Muscoy community,

[24:29] it's the widening of

[24:30] state-street and adding

[24:32] sidewalks. So, this is another

[24:33] step to try to complete that.

[24:34] And this is

[24:36] through measure I funds. And

[24:37] the last one is the commitment

[24:39] to the Colton Joint Unified

[24:40] School District partnership

[24:43] with TAD and Colton Joint

[24:44] Unified to make sure they

[24:46] provide services for many

[24:47] of our students at the Colton

[24:48] Joint Unified to make sure they

[24:50] have free and reduced lunch and

[24:51] also CALFRESH benefits. And

[24:52] that concludes my comments

[24:56] madam Chair.

[24:57] >> Thank you very much,

[24:58] Supervisor Cook?

[24:59] Supervisor Armendarez?

[25:00] >> Thank you, Chair. Thank you,

[25:01] Chair. A lot

[25:03] of exciting things happening

[25:04] in the second district. We just

[25:05] had our fourth annual open

[25:06] house where we had over 400

[25:07] people show up. Want

[25:08] to do a special thanks to our

[25:10] county departments who came

[25:11] out and shared what they do

[25:12] with our community. ROV, the

[25:16] OAS, DPH, DBH, the sheriff,

[25:18] the county fire. As we do a lot

[25:20] of these open houses and,

[25:21] and these outreaches that we.

[25:28] We've been doing

[25:29] through the second district,

[25:30] we try to remind people that

[25:31] the county is such a. A big

[25:32] machine and we have so many

[25:33] services

[25:35] out there that are available.

[25:37] So we want

[25:38] to make sure that the. The

[25:40] public knows who we are and

[25:41] what we do. And thank you all

[25:42] who participate

[25:44] in my open houses,

[25:45] my family fun days, all these

[25:46] little things that we put

[25:47] together to show the community

[25:49] what we. I want

[25:51] to just say thank you for all

[25:52] of you participating. We also

[25:54] had our family fun day

[25:56] on last Saturday where we had

[25:58] over 600 people show up. And I

[25:59] want

[26:00] to thank the firefighters,

[26:01] our parks and recreation

[26:03] for coming

[26:05] out and coordinating with us

[26:08] and making this a great day for

[26:13] our first annual family fun

[26:15] day. We also had our mobile

[26:17] office hours in the Mount

[26:18] Baldy area where we talked

[26:20] to constituents, where they

[26:23] are, where they live. And we

[26:25] actually toured the courthouse

[26:26] in Rancho Cucamonga yesterday.

[26:28] I want

[26:30] to do a little quick shout out

[26:33] to the presiding judge Cortez

[26:34] and all

[26:36] of his team and the sheriff for

[26:38] showing us the courthouse and

[26:40] how they function. And it was

[26:41] just. It was a great event.

[26:43] And I want to take a moment

[26:45] to say happy birthday

[26:46] to my beautiful wife. Also want

[26:47] to touch

[26:48] on a few other items. We have

[26:49] some items in the second

[26:50] district where we're continuing

[26:52] to move forward

[26:53] in helping our community with

[26:54] over $75,000

[26:55] in improvements and helping,

[26:57] whether it's behavioral health,

[26:58] our youth and our seniors, to

[26:59] make sure that they have their

[27:00] meals on wheels programs that

[27:02] continue so our seniors

[27:04] continue to get fed and helping

[27:05] our kids and our youth

[27:06] through their sports

[27:07] to get them out

[27:09] in the wide open and

[27:10] off their tablets, so

[27:11] to speak. And then I want to

[27:13] actually bring up one item that

[27:15] is item 27, our property tax

[27:17] rate. There's been some

[27:20] misinformation

[27:22] out there that I want

[27:24] to clarify to the public. You

[27:25] know, people will sit here and

[27:27] say we're raising taxes, and

[27:29] they're making assumptions that

[27:30] this money is the county's

[27:32] money. And this tax that we

[27:34] have to do is something we do

[27:35] every single year,

[27:37] and it's required

[27:38] by state law. This is not a tax

[27:39] that we as the county absorb

[27:41] all this money. And I feel

[27:43] like there's some

[27:45] misinformation on social media

[27:46] where they're trying to portray

[27:47] a story that is inaccurate.

[27:49] Less than 8%

[27:50] of it actually comes

[27:52] to county government. 1% goes

[27:54] to our libraries. We have

[27:57] over 38% goes to our schools.

[27:58] If we didn't do this,

[28:00] we would jeopardize everything

[28:02] from our public safety,

[28:04] our judicial systems,

[28:06] our public health, our human

[28:09] health,

[28:11] and essential county services.

[28:12] So, when someone goes out there

[28:14] and makes misinformation,

[28:15] I want

[28:17] to make sure we clear the air

[28:18] on that. So, when people are

[28:20] paying their tax, they

[28:21] understand this isn't a new

[28:23] tax. This is a yearly basically

[28:24] resolution of the tax that we

[28:26] currently have. And we will

[28:27] continue to deliver those

[28:29] services as we,

[28:31] as we move forward. If we

[28:32] approve it today and if we ever

[28:34] got

[28:35] to a point where we didn't, we

[28:36] would jeopardize those

[28:38] services. I want to be clear to

[28:39] understand that this is not

[28:40] something that just comes

[28:42] to the county. This is how our

[28:43] cities and all the other

[28:44] entities around us,

[28:46] all municipalities

[28:47] in the county of San

[28:49] Bernardino, are funded. So that

[28:50] concludes my comments.

[28:52] >> Thank you very much,

[28:55] Supervisor Hagman.

[28:56] >> Thank you, Madam Chair.

[28:57] Just a couple updates. SCAG is

[28:58] seeking input

[28:59] for the community hubs for

[29:01] Mega Events Needs Assessment

[29:02] Survey, a weird title. Learn

[29:03] how local jurisdictions are

[29:05] planning fan sites and

[29:06] community hubs for the 2028

[29:07] Summer Olympics and

[29:09] Paralympic Games. So, passing

[29:12] off their cities

[29:13] in the county,

[29:15] IHP is hosting this 2026

[29:16] Grand Sam Health Jam on

[29:18] September 5th beginning at

[29:19] Tower Buzzard Ontario Field.

[29:20] And speaking about the

[29:22] Ontario Buzzer Field, we want

[29:23] to congratulate the Tower

[29:25] Buzzers

[29:27] for making the playoffs

[29:28] in the inaugural season. The

[29:30] team recent night honoring

[29:31] Jackie the Eagle raised over

[29:32] $16,000 for friends at Big

[29:33] Bear Valley. And I encourage

[29:35] everyone, there's a storm

[29:37] coming up this weekend. It's a

[29:38] sign of the times, may or may

[29:40] not be our El Nino year.

[29:41] But you know,

[29:43] please be aware that's supposed

[29:45] to be one of the worst seasons

[29:48] in a long hundreds of years. I

[29:51] guess so many cities have

[29:53] emergency preparedness training

[29:54] or cert training. So, contact

[29:56] your city to learn more

[29:57] about getting prepared

[29:58] for the rainy season coming up.

[30:00] Thank you.

[30:02] >> Thank you very much. I'd

[30:03] like

[30:04] to highlight agenda item number

[30:05] 38

[30:06] on today's consent calendar,

[30:07] which is the acceptance

[30:08] of a donation of 149 individual

[30:09] works of art from Joshua Tree

[30:10] Highlands Artist Residency,

[30:12] which is a nonprofit artist

[30:13] residency program out in the

[30:15] Morongo Basin area that invites

[30:16] artists from around the world

[30:18] to create works inspired

[30:20] by the beauty

[30:21] of the national park. The

[30:22] artists will the artwork will

[30:23] be used in the county museum

[30:25] exhibits and interpretive

[30:26] programming as the museum

[30:28] continues

[30:29] to expand its art collection.

[30:30] So, thank you very much

[30:32] for that generous art donation.

[30:33] And with that, we'll move on

[30:35] to changes to today's agenda.

[30:38] Lynna.

[30:40] >> Good morning, Madam Chair. I

[30:42] do not have any changes today.

[30:43] Thank you.

[30:44] >> Very good. If we have any

[30:45] board members wishing

[30:46] to disclose a conflict

[30:47] of interest,

[30:48] now would be the time

[30:49] to do so. All right. Seeing

[30:51] none, our consent calendar

[30:52] today consists

[30:53] of items number two through

[30:54] 68, do we have any board

[30:55] members wishing

[30:57] to pull an item? Discuss

[30:58] briefly an item. Agman Moose 2

[30:59] through 68. I have a motion and

[31:00] a second. And

[31:02] for clarification,

[31:04] we do not have any speakers

[31:05] on today's consent calendar.

[31:06] Is that correct? Okay, thank

[31:08] you. And just a comment,

[31:10] Supervisor Hagman,

[31:12] on item number six, seven.

[31:15] I believe I had a little

[31:16] sticky note that I've lost it.

[31:17] Is the air quality report out?

[31:19] Could we do a report either

[31:20] from your office or

[31:22] through the CAO on anything air

[31:23] quality that that item is

[31:24] bringing forward that might be

[31:25] of interest to the county?

[31:31] It's a staff.

[31:33] >> So just,

[31:35] Yeah, the letter brain knows

[31:36] when you're on AQMD,

[31:38] you get a staff allowance for

[31:39] all the boards and committees

[31:40] that you're on. I'm

[31:41] on probably every committee

[31:43] on there, so my staff has

[31:44] to go through all those

[31:45] different things. Instead

[31:46] of getting paid directly

[31:48] from AQMD,

[31:49] they reimburse the county. The

[31:50] county pays my team for that.

[31:52] That's what item seven is.

[31:54] >> And in years past, sometimes

[31:55] it's been a CAO analyst. Right

[31:57] now,

[31:58] it's a board staff analyst

[32:00] for your team. Just if they

[32:01] could act in the function of a

[32:03] CAO analyst and provide a

[32:04] report out to the full board

[32:05] through Peter's office,

[32:07] that would be great.

[32:08] >> Thank you.

[32:10] >> Thank you. All right,

[32:11] so I have a motion to second.

[32:13] All those in favor?

[32:14] Aye.

[32:15] Any abstentions? Any

[32:16] opposition?

[32:18] >> Thank you, Madam Chair.

[32:19] With that, the consent calendar

[32:20] passes unanimously.

[32:21] >> Thank you very much. And

[32:22] with that, we will move on

[32:23] to our discussion calendar,

[32:26] beginning with item number 69.

[32:27] And this is an item that

[32:29] recommends approval

[32:31] of an employment contract

[32:32] with Cindy Faulkner, the

[32:34] Executive Director of Children

[32:35] and Family Services Commission

[32:36] for San Bernardino county,

[32:37] pursuant to Government Code

[32:39] Section 54953D3. I will read

[32:40] the terms of the contract

[32:45] into the record. The new

[32:47] contract is effective

[32:48] September 5, 2026. The hourly

[32:49] pay rate is initially set at

[32:52] $81.68

[32:56] with an estimated annual salary

[32:57] of $169,894 which is set step

[33:00] 8 of range 81B in the exempt

[33:02] Group Working Conditions

[33:03] Ordinance. The annual cost

[33:05] for benefits is $57,764. The

[33:06] benefits are noted

[33:08] in the contract and pursuant

[33:11] to exempt group B, terms

[33:14] of the county ordinance. And I

[33:16] will now turn it over to

[33:18] Gilbert Ramos

[33:20] for presentation.

[33:23] >> Good morning, Chair Rowe.

[33:24] Members of the board,

[33:25] my name is Gilbert Ramos,

[33:26] Human Services Assistant

[33:27] Executive Officer.

[33:29] Recommendation

[33:30] before you today is to approve

[33:31] an employment contract with

[33:32] Cindy Faulkner to serve as the

[33:33] executive director for the

[33:34] Children and Families

[33:35] Commission for San Bernardino

[33:36] county, also known as First

[33:37] Five San Bernardino with a

[33:38] salary and benefits as reported

[33:39] by the Chair. The proposed

[33:40] contract is for the period of

[33:42] September 5, 2026 through

[33:43] August 31, 2029,

[33:45] with the option to extend

[33:47] for a maximum of three

[33:49] successive one year periods.

[33:51] On July 8, 2026, the Children

[33:52] and Families Commission

[33:54] appointed Cindy Faulkner as his

[33:55] Executive Director as subject

[33:58] employment contract being

[33:59] reached regarding the terms and

[34:00] condition of employment.

[34:02] Cindy Faulkner brings more than

[34:03] 20 years of experience with

[34:06] First 5 San Bernardino, having

[34:07] joined the organization in

[34:09] 2004. During her tenure she

[34:10] served as assistant director

[34:11] for 11 years and most recently

[34:14] as the interim Executive

[34:15] Director for Children and

[34:17] Families Commission pursuant

[34:18] to an employment contract, the

[34:20] recommended contract employment

[34:21] contract will supersede her

[34:22] existing employment contract.

[34:24] Throughout her time with

[34:25] First Five, Cindy has gained

[34:27] extensive experience

[34:28] in strategic planning, fiscal

[34:30] oversight, contracts and

[34:31] grants, personnel, program

[34:32] operations and community

[34:34] partnership. Her experience and

[34:35] long-standing knowledge of the

[34:37] organization will provide

[34:38] continuity and strong

[34:39] leadership with S. First Five

[34:40] continues this work on behalf

[34:41] of young children and children

[34:43] throughout San Bernardino

[34:45] County. With that, I

[34:47] respectfully recommend approval

[34:48] of the employment contract

[34:50] with Cindy Faulkner as the

[34:52] Executive Director of First

[34:54] Vice Chairman.

[34:56] Thank you.

[34:57] >> Thank you very much

[34:58] for the presentation. Any

[34:59] public comment? I don't see any

[35:00] on my side. No, None. I have a

[35:01] motion from Supervisor Hagman

[35:03] and a second from.

[35:04] >> I'll second it if I can make

[35:05] a comment.

[35:06] >> Vice Chair Baca.

[35:07] >> Thank you. Yeah, you know I

[35:09] serve on the first 5

[35:10] commission. Had the opportunity

[35:11] to serve with Cindy for the

[35:12] last six years as the

[35:14] underling. So, I just want

[35:15] to thank her

[35:16] for the great work,

[35:17] looking forward to her vision

[35:18] and continue great work

[35:19] to serve our county of San

[35:20] Bernardino. So,

[35:21] congratulations.

[35:22] >> Thank you very much. Any

[35:23] other comments, questions? All

[35:24] those in favor? Aye. Any

[35:25] opposed? Any abstentions?

[35:26] >> Thank you, Madam chair.

[35:28] Item number 69 passes

[35:30] unanimously.

[35:31] >> Thank you very much. Thank

[35:32] you, Gilbert. Welcome aboard.

[35:35] Congratulations. Good morning,

[35:41] gentlemen. Item number 70 is a

[35:42] public hearing

[35:43] to consider project number

[35:44] 2022-00200 consider

[35:47] of a zoning amendment for 5

[35:49] acre parcel and a conditional

[35:51] use permit for a 10 acre site

[35:52] for the Lonely Dove Motel being

[35:54] presented this morning by

[35:56] Paul Gonzalez. I will open the

[35:58] public hearing.

[35:59] >> Good morning, Chair Rowe.

[36:01] And good morning, Supervisors.

[36:03] I'm Paul Gonzalez, Planning

[36:04] Chief and I'm accompanied today

[36:05] by Paul Toomey, Planning

[36:07] Manager who will be assisting

[36:08] as well. The following project

[36:09] is an application for a zoning

[36:10] amendment and a conditional use

[36:11] permit

[36:13] for the use and expansion

[36:14] of the Lonely Dove Motel

[36:16] in the Landers community. The

[36:17] application is was submitted

[36:19] in 2022 and the applicant is

[36:22] Rod Rigol who is also

[36:23] in attendance today. The

[36:25] applicant has requested the

[36:27] phase expansion

[36:29] of the eight-unit Lonely Dove

[36:30] Motel with 33 additional units

[36:31] plus a caretaker's residence

[36:35] for a total of 42 units. The

[36:36] expansion features a one

[36:38] Futura home as well as a pool,

[36:40] spa facilities, miniature golf

[36:43] and two full-service

[36:45] restaurants. On June 4, 2026,

[36:48] the Planning Commission held a

[36:51] public hearing for the proposed

[36:54] project and a notice

[36:56] of hearing was published

[36:57] in the newspaper and mailed

[36:59] to the surrounding 14 property

[37:01] owners

[37:03] within a 300-foot radius. An

[37:04] additional 23 recipients

[37:07] from the Planning notification

[37:10] list were also requested to be

[37:12] notified and they were as well.

[37:14] No comments were received prior

[37:15] to the Planning Commission

[37:17] hearing. The project site is

[37:19] located on Womago Trail east

[37:22] of Highway 247 and comprised

[37:25] of two parcels. One of the

[37:28] existing one is the existing

[37:31] structure where the existing

[37:34] motel is on the west parcel and

[37:36] the east parcel is the one

[37:38] where requested

[37:39] for the expansion. To the west

[37:40] across from the existing motel

[37:43] is a truck and adjacent vacant

[37:45] parcel, RV storage facility and

[37:47] decorative landscape business,

[37:50] to the north and south are

[37:52] existing single family

[37:54] dwellings and

[37:56] to the east is a vacant parcel.

[37:57] The project site is currently

[37:59] Zone Rural Living Land Use

[38:01] category and Homestead Valley

[38:04] Special Development,

[38:06] Commercial and Homestead

[38:08] Valley Rural Living zoning

[38:10] districts. Land use district

[38:12] map shows the project site

[38:14] encompassing both zones,

[38:15] creating a situation where you

[38:17] have two different types

[38:18] of zoning.

[38:20] With the zoning amendment,

[38:21] the project site will continue

[38:24] to be within the Rural living

[38:26] land use category within the

[38:28] Homestead Valley Special

[38:30] Development Commercial use.

[38:40] The first phase of the motel

[38:41] expansion would encompass 12

[38:42] new guest buildings shown

[38:43] in the middle of the site plan

[38:45] with four buildings constructed

[38:46] in the second phase

[38:47] with each building consisting

[38:49] of two units. The first phase

[38:50] includes restoration of the

[38:52] existing motel and the

[38:53] caretakers unit shown as

[38:55] buildings 1 and 2

[38:56] on the bottom left,

[38:58] both accessed from Wamego

[39:00] Trail along

[39:02] with the west boundary. The

[39:04] restaurants are located

[39:06] in the upper middle

[39:08] of the site as shown and the

[39:10] Futuro home is number 10 on the

[39:12] upper right as shown as a

[39:13] circle. Also next

[39:15] to the futuro home

[39:18] to the right labeled as number

[39:20] 13 is a proposed golf miniature

[39:22] golf center before you use the

[39:24] front elevation of the existing

[39:27] and refurbished eight-unit

[39:30] motel at the top. In the middle

[39:33] is the typical two-unit motel

[39:35] building design with a Quonset

[39:37] hut style and the caretaker's

[39:38] unit on the bottom is the

[39:40] proposed future home Futuro

[39:43] home that would also be rented

[39:45] as a motel use as well. The

[39:46] following elevations depict the

[39:49] motel amenities with restaurant

[39:52] design as a warehouse hangar

[39:53] at the top to the right you can

[39:55] see the three silos which will

[39:57] be the spa and on the bottom is

[39:59] a restaurant warehouse type

[40:01] building

[40:03] for the restaurant number two.

[40:09] The project is consistent with

[40:10] a county wide policy plan

[40:12] relating to compatibility with

[40:13] existing uses and the land use

[40:14] map consistency. The site

[40:16] design and development features

[40:18] for the motel expansion comply

[40:19] with the standards

[40:21] of the development code. The

[40:22] zoning amendment allows the

[40:24] extension of the special

[40:25] development commercial zone

[40:26] designation

[40:28] on the expansion site

[40:29] to the east which allow for the

[40:30] proposed use and be consistent

[40:32] with the zoning map. The

[40:33] project also supports the

[40:35] countywide business and

[40:37] employment group policies

[40:38] by adding 40 new additional

[40:39] jobs for local residents and

[40:41] promoting the tourist industry

[40:42] with accommodations

[40:43] for visitors to the various

[40:46] desert communities.

[40:47] With the zone amendment, the

[40:52] proposed project would be

[40:54] consistent with all the

[40:55] county's development code

[40:57] standards for the Homestead

[40:59] Valley Special Development

[41:00] Commercial Zoning District

[41:02] within the Desert region

[41:04] meeting all or exceeding all

[41:06] development requirements.

[41:09] Initial study was prepared and

[41:11] mitigation measures

[41:13] to reduce impacts to make this

[41:15] a less than significant impact

[41:18] for projects. The circulation

[41:20] period ended on March 6, 2026.

[41:22] Comments were received from

[41:23] California Highway Patrol

[41:24] regarding construction safety

[41:26] and from the California Water

[41:27] Board regarding potential

[41:28] for contamination of

[41:30] groundwater and were addressed

[41:31] in the response to comments

[41:32] in the CEQA document. On

[41:34] August 7, 37 notices were

[41:36] mailed to property owners

[41:39] within a 300-foot radius,

[41:41] interested parties requesting

[41:43] notification and applicable

[41:44] entities

[41:46] of the county's referral list.

[41:47] To date no responses have been

[41:49] received. That concludes the

[41:53] presentation. Staff and the

[41:54] applicant are available

[41:56] to answer any questions.

[41:58] >> Thank you very much. I do

[41:59] not have any request

[42:00] to speak. Is that correct?

[42:01] Okay, I just had one comment.

[42:02] Thank you very much

[42:04] for all this. As we look to

[42:06] technology and how we implement

[42:10] it in the future,

[42:11] we have a lot of desert

[42:13] residents that are interested

[42:14] in future development and the

[42:16] problems that rural living as

[42:17] we've discussed

[42:19] in previous projects has

[42:21] created with sort

[42:22] of that catch all. And so,

[42:23] we do zone change and they

[42:24] like the notification. As we

[42:26] look at our ARCGIS capabilities

[42:29] and things like that,

[42:30] it'd be great to see if we

[42:32] could micro target some

[42:34] of the areas. So, we have

[42:36] Landers, we have Joshua Tree,

[42:38] we have Wonder Valley, we have

[42:39] the North Desert, the South

[42:41] Desert. Depending upon if

[42:42] you're the fire district and

[42:43] the nomenclature there,

[42:45] it's a little bit different

[42:47] than in land use. Our residents

[42:48] sign up in the Morongo Basin,

[42:49] but they're getting Needles,

[42:51] they're getting Newberry

[42:53] Springs. It'd be great to see

[42:55] if we could implement some

[42:57] technology moving forward

[42:59] for desert notifications

[43:00] for projects

[43:01] like this and then I just Had a

[43:02] question for you

[43:03] on the initial. And I.

[43:04] Initially it was noticed that

[43:05] it was a commercial

[43:06] designation, the zone plane,

[43:08] the zone change. And then that

[43:09] was changed.

[43:11] >> That's correct. So earlier

[43:12] on in the process,

[43:15] when they were going through it

[43:16] and the initial study was being

[43:18] processed, that was mistakenly

[43:20] put as a commercial. Excuse me,

[43:22] as a residential instead

[43:23] of commercial. We caught it and

[43:25] over time,

[43:27] when we noticed the project.

[43:29] So the last notice

[43:31] for planning commission and for

[43:33] the board today were both

[43:34] noticed correctly with the

[43:36] correct information.

[43:37] >> So everything is done. I see

[43:39] Paul waving a finger. Just a

[43:41] second. I want to make sure

[43:42] we're not coming back again

[43:43] with changes that need

[43:45] to be made. Have we done

[43:46] everything correctly

[43:47] for today's hearing?

[43:49] >> We have. Just want to.

[43:50] In addition to what Paul

[43:51] described. And that was the

[43:52] initial study project

[43:53] description. I think what

[43:54] you're referring to is the

[43:55] initial project notice.

[43:56] >> Correct.

[43:58] >> In 2023 project we get. We

[43:59] send everybody out on notice.

[44:00] Here's what's happening

[44:02] in this case. At the time it

[44:03] was decided that a commercial

[44:05] designation was the appropriate

[44:06] way

[44:07] to change the general plan. We

[44:08] discovered later it wasn't

[44:09] necessary to do that. The SD

[44:10] designation is implementing

[44:11] zone in any general plan

[44:14] designation. And so, this is a

[44:15] more efficient way to.

[44:17] >> I'm all for that. That's

[44:21] great. I just want to make sure

[44:22] that we're not having

[44:23] to come back and redo.

[44:25] >> Right.

[44:26] >> Okay. Very well. Thank you

[44:28] very much. I will close the

[44:29] public hearing if we have no

[44:31] other comments or questions.

[44:32] Thank you. Vice Chair

[44:34] for the motion and Supervisor

[44:35] Hagman for the second. All

[44:36] those in favor? Aye. Any

[44:38] opposed? Any abstentions?

[44:39] >> Item number 70 passes

[44:41] unanimously.

[44:42] >> Thank you very much. I will

[44:44] now move on to our reports.

[44:45] Oh, wait. We're going to do

[44:47] Luther CEO reports

[44:48] after public comment.

[44:49] Supervisor Armendarez, you want

[44:52] to step away? Supervisor

[44:54] Armendarez is going

[44:55] to leave the meeting

[44:57] for a previous engagement.

[44:58] Thank you very much,

[44:59] Supervisor. And we will now

[45:01] move on to our public comments

[45:02] of items not

[45:03] on today's agenda. We're going

[45:05] to start remote with Letitia

[45:06] Howard, followed by Delina

[45:08] Mario. And then we'll come back

[45:09] here with Carolina and then

[45:11] Jane Hunt Ruble. So, Leticia

[45:12] Howard.

[45:25] >> Madam Chair, I don't believe

[45:26] that Leticia Howard is

[45:29] connected on the call.

[45:30] >> All right. Delina Morello

[45:31] from Murillo.

[45:55] >> Good morning. I'm here today

[45:56] because we need to stop

[45:57] treating these problems as

[45:59] isolated family disputes and

[46:00] start looking

[46:01] at the larger system

[46:02] responsible for protecting

[46:03] children and families in San

[46:04] Bernardino County. I have stood

[46:06] before this board and watched

[46:07] families come to this

[46:08] Microphone time,

[46:10] time and time again. Can you

[46:11] hear me?

[46:12] >> Yes.

[46:17] >> Oh, sorry. Okay. We. I stood

[46:18] before this board and watch

[46:21] families. Come to this mom.

[46:23] Come to this microphone. Time

[46:24] and time again,

[46:26] we tell you what is happening.

[46:27] We tell you

[46:28] about feathers and services,

[46:30] visitation, communication,

[46:32] accountability and decisions

[46:33] affecting our children,

[46:34] and then we leave. But how can

[46:35] board members sit here,

[46:37] hear these stories repeatedly,

[46:38] and continue acting as though

[46:39] they do not know what is

[46:41] happening? The people connected

[46:42] to these systems are not

[46:43] operating

[46:44] on separate islands. They meet,

[46:45] they communicate,

[46:46] they participate in councils

[46:48] and committees discussing

[46:49] children's services, county

[46:50] policies, agencies,

[46:51] and systematic problems. The

[46:52] families should not have

[46:53] to become investigators just

[46:54] to discover who is connected

[46:56] to whom and who is responsible.

[46:57] Oversight means then means more

[46:58] than sitting here and

[47:00] listening. It means asking what

[47:01] is being done

[47:03] with what you are hearing. It

[47:04] means following the problem

[47:06] upstream, identifying

[47:07] responsibility and demanding

[47:09] accountability. I'm not asking

[47:10] you to discuss anyone's

[47:12] confidential case. I'm asking

[47:13] to address the system. Look

[47:14] at the policies, look

[47:16] at the relationships, look

[47:17] at the safeguards, look at why

[47:18] families continue reporting the

[47:19] same failures while nothing

[47:21] changes. We are documenting

[47:22] what is happening. We are

[47:24] informing other families,

[47:25] and we are paying attention.

[47:27] So please,

[47:28] do not just hear us act

[47:29] on what you hear. Look

[47:30] at the system,

[47:31] follow the connections. Demand

[47:33] accountability. Because if

[47:34] these systems are working,

[47:35] transparency, transparency

[47:36] should not be a threat. Thank

[47:38] you.

[47:39] >> Thank you very much,

[47:41] Carolina. Followed by Jane

[47:42] Hunt, Ruble. And our speaking

[47:49] podiums and chambers are up

[47:50] at the top on either side.

[47:51] Right or left? Thank you.

[47:53] Right up there to the right.

[47:55] That's fine. When the light

[48:00] flashes yellow, you'll have 30

[48:01] seconds left.

[48:04] >> Where's the light up?

[48:05] >> It'll come on in front

[48:06] of you, to your left,

[48:07] right up the top

[48:08] of the podium. Okay.

[48:09] >> What did. How long did you

[48:10] say you'll have?

[48:12] >> Three minutes. And when it

[48:13] flashes orange, you'll have 30

[48:14] seconds.

[48:16] >> All right, I'll try

[48:17] to focus on that. Okay. So, I

[48:22] can just start?

[48:23] >> Anytime.

[48:25] Okay, great. So, good morning to

[48:26] everybody. I'm here

[48:27] representing the Devore

[48:28] Networkers. It's a vital system

[48:31] your shelter relies on daily

[48:42] to manage overcrowding. Sorry.

[48:49] I am here

[48:50] to expose a systematic

[48:51] violation of California law.

[48:52] State law. At Devore Animal

[48:55] Shelter, Management has

[48:59] implemented an arbitrary 630

[49:01] cutoff for rescue. Pull. The

[49:04] Hayden act specifically states

[49:05] that a dog must be allowed

[49:07] to be adopted, fostered,

[49:15] or rescued up until the moment

[49:16] the animal is set

[49:17] to be killed. Yet Devore

[49:21] rejects legally binding rescue

[49:22] requests submitted after.

[49:24] Submitted at 7pm, 10pm or

[49:26] midnight, even though the dog

[49:29] is still alive all night. This

[49:34] is Truly a direct violation

[49:36] of California's Hayden Act.

[49:38] Food and agriculture code

[49:40] sections 31108 and 32001. The

[49:50] law explicitly mandates that a

[49:51] public shelter must release an

[49:52] adoptable and treatable animal

[49:53] scheduled for euthanasia if a

[49:54] qualified rescue group requests

[49:55] it. An internal office schedule

[49:56] or clerical workflow cannot

[49:59] legally override a California

[50:00] state statute. On August 27,

[50:03] 2026 at I personally asked

[50:07] Assistant director Jennifer

[50:11] Osorio, I had a phone call with

[50:15] her whether this board was

[50:18] aware of this new policy. Her

[50:20] exact words were it's

[50:23] in the process. I am behind

[50:28] on emails. This. That means

[50:30] that you were never notified.

[50:32] Someone inside the shelter

[50:33] system bypassed your authority,

[50:35] skipped mandatory oversight and

[50:36] executed a deadly policy

[50:38] without approval. A policy that

[50:39] has already taken over 69 lives

[50:42] within one week in the shelter

[50:49] in Devore Animal Shelter.

[50:50] >> 30 seconds.

[50:52] >> Animals who had rescue

[50:53] commitments. 70, 69 animals who

[50:55] could have walked out alive.

[50:56] Many

[50:57] of these dogs were healthy,

[50:58] adoptable and had no

[50:59] life-threatening conditions.

[51:00] The only lawful justification

[51:01] for euthanasia is that and I

[51:02] need to ask this board how does

[51:04] killing two dogs

[51:07] in one kennel and leaving one

[51:09] behind make space when you're

[51:10] killing for space?

[51:12] For example. 884-9604.

[51:19] >> That's time.

[51:24] >> Continue for 30 more

[51:25] seconds. It just changed yellow

[51:26] up there.

[51:27] >> Okay. There was a dog named

[51:29] Lieutenant Dan Friendly,

[51:30] adoptable, great

[51:32] with other dogs. It's still

[51:33] sitting alone

[51:34] in his kennel today but his

[51:35] kennel mate was killed. I'm

[51:41] gonna just go towards the end.

[51:44] Many of these dogs were healthy

[51:45] and adoptable. Okay.

[51:47] This is a financial. This is

[51:48] financially reckless

[51:49] to all the taxpayers of San

[51:50] Bernardino County. I don't

[51:51] understand how this can

[51:52] actually. How Jennifer Osorio

[51:54] had actually told me that she'd

[51:56] never. That you guys had never

[51:58] approved this policy

[51:59] of euthanizing animals after

[52:00] animals don't get a rescue tag.

[52:01] Aren't allowed a rescue tag

[52:03] after 630. I want. And that

[52:04] needs to be fixed. That needs

[52:08] to be rectified, that needs

[52:10] to come

[52:13] to a complete halt.

[52:19] >> Thank you very much

[52:20] for your comments. We

[52:21] appreciate that. The next

[52:23] request

[52:24] to speak that I have is Jane

[52:25] Hunt. Ruble and Jane, you might

[52:26] have to ignore the lights. I

[52:27] don't think they're working

[52:28] today.

[52:29] >> We. I believe we. Okay.

[52:30] Resolved it. Thank you.

[52:31] >> I can't see him anyway.

[52:32] >> Good morning. Boy, this is

[52:35] going to be a short meeting.

[52:36] Yeah. I'm here today

[52:38] to talk about. Well a week ago

[52:44] some friends of mine that live

[52:46] on First Avenue that aren't

[52:47] slated for sidewalks. They live

[52:50] between June street and

[52:54] Duffy. And they asked me what's

[52:56] going on the corner of Duffy

[52:59] and first Avenue. And I said,

[53:03] well, I don't know because I

[53:04] drive that way. And I was

[53:08] questioning it. Instead

[53:09] of going down second Avenue now

[53:11] I usually go out to Cajon on

[53:12] First Avenue because it's

[53:16] gotten ridiculous reckless

[53:18] driving on second Avenue. And

[53:19] so I went by there and I

[53:22] noticed they have marked off

[53:25] on each corner of Duffy and

[53:28] First Avenue for ADA's.

[53:34] But I was going. So I went

[53:36] directly to public works

[53:40] department and I showed him

[53:42] this map and I said, well,

[53:44] that's not part

[53:45] of the current. Well, as we

[53:47] speak they're doing it

[53:48] in front of my house now,

[53:49] putting in the sidewalk.

[53:50] But I said that was never

[53:51] on this. This map is. I don't

[53:54] know where they came up

[53:56] with this. And I asked the lady

[53:57] at public work,

[53:59] I said this was not supposed

[54:00] to be included because

[54:01] Duffy-street is not slated

[54:02] for sidewalks. And she couldn't

[54:04] give me a real answer. So I was

[54:07] going, well, I Resort the

[54:10] 202324 budget for the county

[54:14] and infrastructure under

[54:16] infrastructure making our

[54:18] unincorporated areas safe and

[54:19] livable and investing

[54:21] in infrastructure to spur

[54:22] economic growth and improve the

[54:23] delivery of county services is

[54:25] a high priority. So anyway,

[54:26] it states in that safer

[54:28] neighborhoods as well as road

[54:31] improvement enhancement,

[54:34] the key county owned assets.

[54:35] Additional conversion

[54:37] from septic to sewer service,

[54:38] a necessity

[54:39] for businesses seeking

[54:41] to locate their services

[54:42] within our unincorporated area.

[54:44] And I asked the lady, I said,

[54:45] well, I know about. Some of my

[54:47] neighbors are getting concerned

[54:49] that it might happen out here

[54:51] if this getting is our

[54:54] community ready for

[54:56] like warehouses? That's what it

[54:58] appears to be. And so I was

[55:01] just stunned that they.

[55:05] >> 30 seconds.

[55:06] >> Thank you very much. Bye.

[55:09] >> Thank you very much. That is

[55:10] the last request

[55:11] to speak that I have. We will

[55:12] now move on to our reports

[55:13] from our CEO.

[55:14] >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Two

[55:15] quick things. One is just I

[55:17] wanted to thank our Workforce

[55:18] development board

[55:19] for being here. Lowell, thanks

[55:20] for hanging out. Brad. You and

[55:22] your team do amazing work.

[55:24] Really appreciate the board

[55:26] giving Brad an opportunity

[55:27] to highlight Workforce

[55:29] Development Month. As we have

[55:31] three years in this role now

[55:33] and as I have looked at ways

[55:36] to try

[55:38] to improve this county, one

[55:40] of the best ways to do it is

[55:43] to employ people

[55:45] with livable wage jobs. That is

[55:47] a key. If someone is able

[55:48] to take care

[55:49] of themselves financially,

[55:50] they're able to take care of

[55:52] themselves and their families

[55:53] physically. So much of that

[55:55] work that they do helps people

[55:57] do it. So, if you're a business

[55:59] out there and you are not

[56:01] working

[56:02] with workforce development,

[56:03] please Reach out

[56:05] to them and work for them. If

[56:06] you are a job seeker

[56:07] out there and you are looking

[56:09] for help and resources,

[56:10] please reach out to our

[56:11] workforce development

[56:13] department. They can help.

[56:14] They're looking forward

[56:15] to helping. And this aligns

[56:16] in 2027. I'm really focused

[56:18] on making 2027 the year of the

[56:21] job where we as a county will

[56:23] focus, will collaborate, will

[56:25] convene, will bring together

[56:27] stakeholders, working with our

[56:29] workforce development

[56:31] department and workforce

[56:32] development board

[56:34] to really convene job seekers,

[56:37] employers, stakeholders,

[56:38] educators across the region

[56:40] to get their input, to look

[56:43] at how we can continue

[56:45] to move the needle

[56:46] like we never have before.

[56:47] Really bringing together the

[56:49] best minds, all sorts

[56:51] of different perspectives

[56:53] to really focus on that. Our

[56:54] workforce development

[56:55] department is ready for it.

[56:57] They're up for the task.

[56:58] In fact, we have two different

[56:59] tracks we're working on. Jobs

[57:00] and people. Brad wants

[57:01] to be part of both of them.

[57:03] He's like diving in

[57:04] with both feet. So, appreciate

[57:05] Brad, his team, our workforce

[57:07] development board. Great things

[57:09] have been done and great things

[57:10] to come. So thank you. One

[57:13] other thing, as was mentioned,

[57:15] this winter we stand to face

[57:16] some pretty tough weather,

[57:19] potentially with a super El

[57:21] Nino on its way. Our Office

[57:23] of Emergency Services, as well

[57:25] as the county administrative

[57:27] office, in partnership

[57:29] with public works, Sheriff,

[57:31] Fire, we're going to have

[57:32] Office of Emergency Services

[57:33] come and present to our board

[57:35] at a future board meeting ahead

[57:36] of the time to talk

[57:37] about what we're doing

[57:39] to prepare and

[57:40] to remind the public

[57:42] of what they can be doing

[57:43] to prepare. So this, this will

[57:44] be an important discussion

[57:46] that'll be done

[57:48] in the next two months. So that

[57:49] concludes my report. Thank you.

[57:50] >> Thank you very much. And

[57:53] with that, we are adjourned.

[57:54] Our next meeting will be here

[57:55] in Chambers at 10am on

[57:57] September 22nd. Thank you.

Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting on 2026-09-01 10:00 AM

Agenda

Transcript