[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:05] The agenda today. Yes. So, Chair Koneg, again, members of the board, on the regular agenda. There's a revision to item number 13. Attachment B, page a 87. Remove the words any of, which now reads the cannabis licensing official may set a larger cannabis cultivation area in CA zone districts subject to the following criteria.
[0:35] On item 14, attachment B, age 169, and attachment D, age 225, section F5, change the wording to read, supporting equipment, such as equipment shelters may be required to replace the underground, if required by the director, section G, point 1, change wording to read, all towers shall be designed.
[1:05] to be the shortest height, technically feasible.
[1:08] That concludes the corrections to today's agenda.
[1:11] Thank you.
[1:12] We'll proceed to item four.
[1:14] Are there any board members that would wish
[1:16] to remove something from the consent agenda
[1:18] to the regular agenda?
[1:22] I have both, sorry.
[1:23] I'll just make a comment one, one, one, one, and so.
[1:29] Supervisor Cadet will take comment on the consent agenda
[1:32] after public comment if you don't mind item six.
[1:35] All right, thank you.
[1:37] Well, I pursued to item five public comment, any person may address the board, speakers must not exceed two minutes in length, and individuals may speak only once during public comment.
[1:46] All public comments must be directed to an item listed on today's consent agenda, closed session agenda, yet to be heard on regular agenda or a topic not on the agenda, which is within the jurisdiction of the board.
[1:56] Or numbers will not take actions or respond immediately to any public communication presented regarding topics not on the agenda, but may choose to follow up later either individually or at subsequent or to supervisors agenda.
[2:09] But it's good morning.
[2:11] It's Sanctus County, California.
[2:13] It is May 10th, 2020.
[2:16] It's nice to have the civilization obliteration assistance.
[2:20] I contact, but I want to hold my breath on that.
[2:24] So, I'm one of the interesting documents.
[2:27] It's called Your City Government.
[2:29] This one was made by a city council member in Santa Cruz.
[2:33] It just goes into a fair amount of detail that our people that were publicly elected
[2:39] are city council members and also our supervisors are all under the control of the city
[2:44] and county managers so much so that if they deviate from what they're doing they can be charged
[2:52] with a misdemeanor, remove from our office or put in prison for six months.
[2:57] Just some interesting information.
[2:58] How about some humor?
[2:59] You know, a little girl comes to her mom and says, you know, Mom, our politicians
[3:04] made.
[3:05] She said, well, sweetie, when a circus clown and a serial killer meet and fall in love, you
[3:11] can make up the rest.
[3:13] So we've got a bunch of stuff going on with the World Economic Forum.
[3:16] Stuff that's been planned since 1992,
[3:19] where 179 countries came into this agreement with this agenda,
[3:23] 21 agenda, 2030 and agenda, 2050.
[3:28] It's an attempt to power grab.
[3:30] So that's 41 seconds, it's good.
[3:32] So I love to be proved wrong.
[3:35] I brought up a subject with a very close friend
[3:38] where 50 other people that were knowledgeable
[3:41] didn't dispute what I was saying.
[3:45] Treatings do not supersede the U.S. Constitution, and there's a lot of information about that.
[3:51] So unfortunately, most of our political leaders are captured.
[3:57] You know, I get that out of 14 seconds.
[3:59] You know, where are there the most Zionist IBM Nazis on the planet?
[4:06] I would say Washington, DC.
[4:08] You know, I'd say that Israel is a close second.
[4:12] Thank you, man.
[4:12] I would say Silicon Valley.
[4:19] Good morning. My name is Shalakabonis and I love Santa Cruz and I have the privilege of
[4:22] being chair of the Santa Cruz County Mental Health Advisory Board.
[4:28] I want to thank the supervisors for their service and cap it. He attends every meeting. He
[4:33] provides valuable leadership and insights very awesome. I want to thank Cassandra Salimi for
[4:38] all her work for supporting our community and wish her well as she becomes a director of behavioral health
[4:45] out the county. I want to support agenda item number 37 currently we don't have and we really need
[4:51] a youth crisis stabilization residential program. Youth currently are sent away from their families,
[4:57] loved ones, community and friends. We need to keep them here so that they can recover from behavior
[5:03] health needs. Please accept the grant for $7.5 million towards this residential stabilization
[5:11] program for youth. And finally, we submitted a letter and correspondence. We need a 24 hour
[5:16] seven mobile crisis response in Santa Cruz County, the edition of which would complement
[5:21] current resources. Mental health advisory board strongly recommends that the board of supervisors
[5:27] consider the criminal justice council report of 2021. Another past grand jury recommendations
[5:34] to take action to create a 24 hour seven non-lawn enforcement crisis response,
[5:40] with the component, the federal rollout of 988.
[5:44] Thank you very much, and again, thank you for your service.
[5:46] I love Santa Cruz.
[5:48] Thank you, Shawak.
[5:53] Good morning, gentlemen.
[5:55] Thank you for your service to our beloved community.
[5:58] I'm Jeffrey R.L., I'm a member of the Mental Health Advisory Board
[6:01] for District 5.
[6:03] The mental health of our community is fundamental
[6:05] to the decisions we make in this room.
[6:08] This letter has to do with the correspondence.
[6:11] it's why on the agenda, the letter of recommendation that can help reduce suffering and save lives.
[6:18] This letter of recommendation has to do with the taking meaningful action.
[6:24] The criminal justice council report 2021 that Shalak just mentioned, which says, among
[6:28] the jurisdictions that don't already have dedicated unit with sworn officers responding
[6:35] behavioral slash mental health calls, 100% are supportive of the creation of independent agency
[6:42] that would respond to these calls.
[6:45] The mental health advisory board of Santa Cruz County strongly recommends that Santa Cruz
[6:49] County Board of Supervisors consideration of the criminal justice council report and
[6:55] pass recommendations, including Santa Cruz County Grand jury reports, take meaningful
[7:00] action to create a 24 by 7 non-law enforcement crisis response service that provides, but
[7:06] not limited to mental health crisis-related crisis response, conflict resolution, welfare checks,
[7:15] suicide threats, and more.
[7:17] The Federal Legislation, HR-1319, American Recovery Plan Act passed in 2021, California AB-118,
[7:26] and the pending California AB 98, recommended.
[7:30] Blue funding for the 24-7 non-law enforcement response. The mental health advisory board strongly
[7:37] recommends that you take action on this. Again, thank you for your service. Thank you, Mr.
[7:43] Orles.
[7:50] Good morning. Good morning. You just pull the mic down. I'll close your mouth here.
[7:54] Good morning.
[7:57] My name is Stacey Smith. I'm here to advocate for creating a cohoops type program in
[8:04] and I'm grateful to be speaking to you during mental health awareness month.
[8:10] On Sunday, on a Sunday at 3.30 a.m. on October 16th, 2016, our son was shot to death by
[8:20] Santa Cruz law enforcement while he was in the midst of the mental health crisis. Individuals
[8:26] and families throughout our county would greatly benefit from the scope of services, just mentioned
[8:33] by Jeffrey, that the Kahoot model provides.
[8:36] Pressure can be taken off our first responders.
[8:39] Lives can be saved.
[8:41] Many communities throughout the state and country
[8:45] have or are developing this well proven best practices model
[8:50] for early intervention and crisis response.
[8:54] What is needed now is the will and commitment
[8:56] for allocating the funding to make these services available
[9:00] in our community.
[9:01] The time has come and the resources are available.
[9:06] The new 90-day call line becomes live in nine weeks on July 16th.
[9:10] It's critical that we have a 24-7 non-law enforcement that we have mobile teams
[9:17] of trained crisis interventionists available for our community members.
[9:22] I urge you to open your hearts and minds and please allocate funding
[9:26] and begin working with those who have the knowledge
[9:29] and plans to make this program happen for Santa Cruz County individuals, families, which will promote safety for all.
[9:39] I believe it is very likely that Sean would be alive today if a good high program had existed in our community in 2016.
[9:49] When he suffered a mental health crisis and neither he nor our family were able to get the help.
[9:55] We so desperately needed it.
[9:57] When we needed it, thank you for your service,
[10:01] start community.
[10:02] Thank you, Ms. Smith.
[10:18] Good morning. My name is Alexander Robertson.
[10:20] I'd like to start off with a prayer.
[10:22] Father God gave us strength and guidance and discernment.
[10:25] Let our walls come down so that we may receive your message clearly.
[10:29] I'm a Santa Cruz County resident of 34 years in a father of four.
[10:33] This is our home, much like most of us.
[10:35] I care deeply about its future.
[10:37] I show of hands how many of you have taken the oath of office to be in a position where you are now.
[10:44] Good, both of you.
[10:46] In that oath was a pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the California Constitution,
[10:52] also to represent with the people to the best of your ability.
[10:56] In assuming a leadership role you are the guardians of the constituents who have elected you.
[11:02] The last two years have awakened us, and we are now paying attention more than ever.
[11:07] We are examining those we have elected to serve us and protect our natural rights and shine in the Constitution.
[11:15] As a whole, this Board of Supervisors has allowed trespass upon the rights of we the people.
[11:20] We have seen zero pushback from our elected leaders, no questioning, no curiosity, and a lot of just following orders.
[11:28] Just following orders is not going to be acceptable any longer.
[11:32] With the people who hold our elective representatives accountable, we expect independent
[11:38] study, scientific data and open debate of information and regards to decisions that
[11:43] are made that affect us all.
[11:45] I'll tell you, I have done the Freedom of Information Act request for this information from the
[11:50] county and from the Health Officer and the Eleanor and the responses, we have no data,
[11:56] we have no independent study and we're just following orders. The good news is that today is a new day.
[12:03] We have the opportunity to correct our course and safeguard our future. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Robertson.
[12:24] Well, I can't say it much better than Mr. Robertson did. My name's Alyssa DeQaug. Also,
[12:29] a resident of Santa Cruz County. Mother of three, I also work in the mental health field.
[12:35] And to me that's the most important thing and I've just seen over the last two years suicides and overdoses and just more handling of the last two years.
[12:46] And I honestly hold you guys as co-centers to that. So I've according to California law, you're required to be bonded as Alex said to hold public office and in case you cause any harm while executing your duties.
[13:01] This is a notice of my intent to file a claim against your bond.
[13:04] If you do not resign in the next seven days, the paperwork I'm giving you will have all
[13:08] the details.
[13:09] Thank you.
[13:12] Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[13:18] Nice coach.
[13:19] You have anyway.
[13:21] Very Richard Arnold.
[13:24] I know that this county has been really stocied and you can tell by locks on every door.
[13:31] is basically a fortress that people can't get information as the person mentioned before.
[13:38] You've signed the UN United Nations agenda at 21 packet that was also signed by Sam Far.
[13:45] It was Bruce McPherson and Sam Far that had a future's conference in Monterey in which both
[13:51] Iranian and the times and afters, labeled the meeting basically a fascist, not like operation.
[14:02] They were taking brochures out of people's hands.
[14:06] They had the Delphi technique by breaking up the meeting and having so-called leaderships
[14:12] from various tables.
[14:13] This is developed by Tabastoq in the Rand Corporation.
[14:16] This is an intelligence operation to convert and change the self-government to a Soviet.
[14:23] That's what Ambegg is.
[14:24] Why is in community TV representing the 13 cities and pre-counties called Ambegg?
[14:31] Calcog.
[14:31] There's not a square inch in the state of California that is covered by a cog, the Council
[14:35] of Government, which is no more than a Soviet.
[14:39] And we don't know which one of you are supposed to be.
[14:42] You don't come back and report from those meetings either.
[14:44] This is the most unrepresentative government, the most strong pro-communist government.
[14:52] We got two plaques out there on the courthouse steps dedicated to Hudelacy, Chinese Communist
[14:58] by four different spy rings.
[15:00] Leon Panetta gave him military and policy information. You won't even take that now. It's outrageous. You're the enemy of the people and the sooner they find out, the better. You need to be replaced, no income, what's happening in the schools and in the city councils is under Panetta machine.
[15:21] Thank you, Mr. Arnold.
[15:27] Good morning, Chair Connick.
[15:29] Board members.
[15:30] My name is Matt Machado, and Deputy C.A.
[15:33] and Director of Community Development Infrastructure.
[15:35] This morning, I'd like to thank you for your proclamation.
[15:39] This is declaring the week of May 15th through May 21st as Public Works Week in Santa Cruz County.
[15:45] This is also a national event.
[15:47] And this year's poster is here.
[15:49] And the theme this year is ready and resilient.
[15:53] It does portray our Public Works professionals as heroes.
[15:58] Public Works professionals are always ready to serve their communities and resilience is
[16:02] ever in their abilities to pick themselves up when encountering challenges.
[16:06] And we have plenty of challenges here in our county.
[16:09] So I greatly appreciate your proclamation and awareness this week.
[16:14] I'd like to end by thanking our Public Works staff for their caring, their compassion and
[16:19] perseverance to do all the good work that they do. Thank you. Thank you, Director Mishado and to all our public works here us.
[16:28] All right, so you know on else here in the chambers is there anyone on zoom would like to comment.
[16:33] Yes, we do have speakers online as a reminder, it's star nine to raise your hand and star six to mute or unmute yourself.
[16:45] And BBM at cruzio.com, your microphone is available.
[16:50] Good morning. Can you hear me? Okay.
[16:52] Yes. Thank you. I'm Nancy Macy. I live in Boulder Creek where our children grew up as avid visitors and volunteers at the Boulder Creek Library.
[17:05] I was honored to be among the many participants who shared ideas and vision brought the library into being.
[17:12] Julie Mackie's ceramic art was recognized universally as remarkable, creative and beautifully
[17:19] realized. She was among those artists chosen to provide lasting creations to grace the
[17:25] new Boulder Creek Library. I shared vision of the community that was intimately involved in
[17:30] this design. Her six faces originally among those sketched over weeks of watching people,
[17:35] walking, talking, running errands, enjoying the stroll and downtown Boulder Creek.
[17:39] Julie loved people, honored humanity, married color, shapes, and cultures. She presented the young woman proud to wear her hand woven beetles as they address, not hiding that she was from Guatemala, not seeking to blend in.
[17:52] Black man confident in his work smiling with his cigar, symbolizing that he celebrated life, a young girl adorned in pictures, dress for a party or her picture day at school.
[18:03] A happy man with a large mustache eyes sprinkled from his smile, an elderly man, perhaps
[18:08] Shinto, expressing wisdom and thought, a smiling grandma in her blue cap.
[18:13] Julie's art was created as a display for the library and has been removed after being put
[18:19] there in February, being restored to its place.
[18:23] It would still be there, had the building been constructed well and not needed renovations.
[18:29] It is wonderful, however, having a library back, remodeled with fresh and new spaces.
[18:35] Please, return to Lizard, a rendering of the various faces and cultures of those living
[18:41] in our Mount Community, a unified work of art made just for that place, the Boulder Creek Community Library.
[18:49] Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
[18:53] Thank you, Ms. Messy.
[18:57] Jen Herrera, your microphone is available.
[19:01] Good morning.
[19:02] Can you hear me okay?
[19:03] Yes.
[19:04] Great.
[19:04] Thank you.
[19:04] My name is Good morning.
[19:06] Cherconig and board.
[19:08] My name is Jen Herrera.
[19:09] I'm one of the assistant directors at HSA.
[19:11] I'm here to thank you for this for the county's
[19:14] Proclamation celebrating National Nurses Week, which is officially
[19:16] from May 6th through 12.
[19:18] This year's theme is Nurses Make a Difference.
[19:21] As a fellow nurse, specializing in public health today,
[19:24] I am representing the Nurse Leadership Team at the Health Services Agency in particular,
[19:28] our directors of Nursing and a Sutton-Negiate Butterers in Rotoplank, and I do want to
[19:34] do a special shout out to our amazing nurses at Health Services Agency. Human Services Department
[19:40] are awesome volunteer medical reserve corps and our well-path partners. So as a nurse, I remember when
[19:47] was a nursing school. My professor shared a survey, a patient survey with us, asking the patients,
[19:56] what is their top quality that they want in a nurse. And at the time, as a nursing student,
[20:01] we all expected, oh, patients want us to be compassionate. But actually, the number one quality
[20:06] was competence. Patients want to competent nurse. And what I found over my career as a nurse is
[20:12] competence and compassion go hand-in-hand. And when I think about this past year, all the nurses
[20:18] in our community have done an amazing job providing direct care, competent and compassionate care
[20:24] in our vaccine clinics, home visits, hospitals, doing quality assurance and administration and
[20:29] working even at the policy level. And through that work, they really had made a difference.
[20:35] Also during nurses, we could also great time to celebrate that we are one part of an amazing health
[20:40] chair team, also want to appreciate all of the multidisciplinary team members, like social
[20:46] workers, health educators, our own patients that we partner with to do this work.
[20:51] So I'm closing thank you so much for this recognition, thank you to our colleagues who
[20:55] support nursing care.
[20:56] And thank you to all the nurses in Santa Cruz County.
[20:59] Thank you, Ms. Rara and all of the competent and compassionate nurses working for the county.
[21:06] Elden Charles, your microphone is available.
[21:08] Good morning.
[21:12] Am I being heard?
[21:13] Yes.
[21:15] Hello.
[21:15] My name is Ellen Charles.
[21:17] I used to be a resident of Santa Cruz County.
[21:22] I moved a few years ago.
[21:24] I do have children that live in that county.
[21:28] At least the key.
[21:29] I want to be a resident of spoke earlier.
[21:33] And I have children that attend school in that county.
[21:38] In 1998, I moved from the Caribbean very small island to the US and served in a military for 11 years and as far as, you know, countries go, I thought that the United States was the greatest country at that time.
[22:04] I'm starting to second guess those feelings because of what I've seen occur in this place over
[22:12] the last two years. This COVID mania and the response of otherwise irrational people has made
[22:22] very concerned for the future of my children. I reached out to the Board of Supervisors to express.
[22:30] Mike concerns in an email with some demands of some things that I wanted to see with some other parents,
[22:38] the mask and other children and so on. Got no response. Followed up that no response. So it seems like the
[22:44] only thing that is understood is force and litigious action. So this is a notice that you have
[22:54] seven days, all of you, including the health
[22:56] Zah over the Gil, New York to design,
[23:00] or I'm going to be taking action and finding a claim
[23:04] against your bond.
[23:06] Let's see how it goes from the end.
[23:08] I'm going to be finding a civil lawsuit, as well.
[23:12] Good day.
[23:14] Thank you, Mr. Charles.
[23:18] Do you want your microphone available?
[23:22] Thank you, Sheila Delaney.
[23:24] I live in Bonnie Dune, former resident of the
[23:28] I'm a Boulder Creek Library was designed through a community process nearly 40 years ago.
[23:35] Part of the design included works by local artists.
[23:39] The feature of our library has always been the six faces that welcome you
[23:44] from over the fireplace in the main room.
[23:47] The faces were created from composite images of people observed in downtown Boulder Creek
[23:52] and made into ceramic masks by Julie Mackie, the artist.
[23:58] The masks are members of our community.
[24:00] They should remain.
[24:02] Thank you.
[24:04] Thank you, Ms. Doye.
[24:12] Evening story?
[24:14] Your microphone is available.
[24:16] Good morning.
[24:17] I hope you all can hear me.
[24:20] Good morning, chair, and supervisors.
[24:23] I'm Helen Young's story from the Community Action Board
[24:25] of Santa Cruz County.
[24:26] As you know, cab is the county's designated community action agency tasked with eliminating poverty and creating social change through advocacy and essential services since 1965.
[24:38] We're also part of the national network of over a thousand community action agencies across the country who are celebrating community action months this month in May.
[24:47] Community Action Month is a time for us to reflect on our mission, our partnerships, our values of equity and inclusion, and the difference we make in the community.
[24:57] In 2021, this included serving over 10,000 low-income people, including providing rent assistance to nearly 2,000 people to avoid evictions, food assistance to over 1,000,
[25:09] job readiness support and placement assistance to over 500 youth and adults, COVID information
[25:15] to over 1300 people, including Indigenous language speakers, and impacting over 100 immigrants
[25:23] in their families with immigration legal, education, and advocacy services.
[25:28] And we sincerely thank the county for its partnership and its funding support in helping
[25:34] have this kind of impact in the community. To celebrate and raise awareness of community
[25:40] action month, campus co-sponsoring events, highlighting housing issues, immigrant voices and
[25:45] experiences, and claimant resilience in May, have also posted highlight of its work on social media
[25:52] on impact Wednesdays weekly during this month. For more information, we encourage everyone to follow
[25:58] have on social media, check out our website at cabing.org.
[26:03] Thank you so much.
[26:05] Thank you, Ms. Story.
[26:12] A person, your microphone is available.
[26:16] Hi, thank you.
[26:17] I am Dalyla Epperson, and I'm a constitutionalist,
[26:21] and anybody who has looked, even scanned the Constitution
[26:26] can see that the mandates that have been occurring
[26:29] for the past few years are unlawful.
[26:33] There are no laws for mandates, mask mandates, vaccination mandates, that's why these progressive policies, this legislation like SB 866 is trying to get pushed through so hard, especially this year.
[26:50] When we all know that there's a red white and blue wave coming your way.
[26:54] I love the other speakers who spoke to the bonds, which you guys are under, I really am looking forward to that because none of the incumbents, none of our representatives stepped forward and said no, the mandates are not right.
[27:16] So I want to let you know and I'm actually talking to the people who are listening not the board because I don't believe the board represents us or is listening to the people anymore.
[27:29] I want to let you know that I am running also for Congress District 19 and I am a constitutionalist.
[27:37] And I love what you guys have been saying against the mandates, against 871, and against AB 2223,
[27:48] which I wasn't Sacramento to oppose that.
[27:51] So God bless you.
[27:52] And I hope to hear from everybody soon.
[27:55] Thank you.
[27:57] Thank you, Ms. Everston.
[28:04] Joe, your microphone is available.
[28:10] Good morning.
[28:11] I'm Joseph Kuchera, a former member of your board.
[28:14] I was the board's representative to the Library of JPA when the Boulder Creek Library was designed by the community and also selected the local artwork to be permanently integrated into the building.
[28:28] One of the artists selected was Julie Mackie who created six ceramic sculptures of local Boulder Creek residents that have been installed since 1984 and then reinstalled this February as part of the recent renovation.
[28:43] I'm here today representing the Mackie family and local community to inform you of the
[28:49] unilateral and precipitous actions of the newly hired Santa Cruz Library's director
[28:55] to censor and remove the Mackie sculptures just four days before the library's grand reopening.
[29:03] A solely on her representation of a supposed anonymous comment by library staff that the sculptures
[29:10] We're cultural appropriation, racial stereotyping, and offensive.
[29:16] Therefore I urge you to take action to have the Mackie sculptures reinstalled in their
[29:21] home of 37 years for the following reasons.
[29:25] The censorship is a slippery slope.
[29:27] Your district's libraries and other public facilities may be next to suffer the acts of
[29:33] an accountable censorship.
[29:35] The county is exposed to liability for damages incurred by this censorship without any
[29:42] due process or public awareness and lastly to investigate the unprofessional conduct of
[29:48] the library director's actions, done in the shadows to unilaterally censor and remove artwork
[29:55] from public places.
[29:57] Thank you for this opportunity to address you.
[30:00] Thank you, Mr. Konshara.
[30:07] Call in user 3, your microphone is available.
[30:20] The scenic Santa Cruz is by the gate.
[30:23] Ocean and I'm going to read something called cell tower is on the ocean floor.
[30:31] This is by our third first member of cell phones.
[30:39] The author of the book, the invisible rainbow.
[30:42] history of electricity and life. It starts out. One blue sky above us, one ocean
[30:53] lapping all our shores, one earth, so green and round. Who could ask for more?
[31:05] 2018 on
[31:26] governments, research laboratories, and commercial and military interests
[31:32] were collaborating on plans to create smart ocean
[31:40] or water things, they did not come
[31:56] as hanging by a threat. If the rate and population decline continues, there will be almost no fish
[32:05] mountain
[32:15] that is also the
[32:19] soon production has been burning, but more than one percent.
[32:27] There are no further speakers.
[32:28] And then we'll move on to item six, action on the consent agenda.
[32:34] Any member of the board, which to speak to any member on any item on the consent agenda?
[32:39] I'll be very brief.
[32:41] Thank you just on three quick items on item 28, just to welcome to Samantha Hartfaren, an outstanding
[32:47] local community member who's going to be joining us on the Women's Commission, appreciate
[32:50] her willingness to serve.
[32:52] On item 37, I was up as was brought up by the speaker on the Chaffa Grant, an enormous
[32:58] need, an enormous opportunity for this county to start investing in the exactly this.
[33:04] So appreciation for those that South the Grant and appreciation for the board for moving
[33:08] that item forward. And the last is on item 48, something an area green valley that I share with
[33:15] supervisor Capit, an area that both supervisor Capit and I have prioritized for pedestrian safety over
[33:21] last few years, including using some of our measure D and other funding in order to improve
[33:26] some of the walkways down there. It's used by disadvantaged community members, used by
[33:30] farm workers from as a transport and recreational standpoint, and to have public works apply for
[33:37] and successfully obtain a competitive grant to improve pedestrian access in that area for that community
[33:42] is really outstanding and appreciation for the CAO's office for their willingness to help
[33:48] on the local match that's required as part of this,
[33:51] but this is a improving pedestrian safety
[33:53] in the South County,
[33:54] we'll throughout the county as obviously a priority,
[33:57] but to have this access point and green value
[33:58] moving forward is visually wonderful,
[34:01] so thank you, Mr. Chair.
[34:02] Thank you, sir, please provide your friend.
[34:04] Supervisor Capit.
[34:06] Yeah, thank you.
[34:08] Well, I would have 30, I'd like to welcome
[34:11] Caesar de Santos as an appointed
[34:15] to the Latino Affairs Commission.
[34:18] And also on 9.31, I recognize the great work of the Aztecs.
[34:26] I use the soccer academy that is helping a lot of the youths in the South
[34:32] County.
[34:34] The last layup was already mentioned in 37, the grant for $7.6 million for the
[34:46] health facility on Freedom Boulevard.
[34:48] Watch and we're just going to be a great project and I'm looking forward to saying the work begins.
[34:57] Thank you.
[34:57] Thank you.
[34:58] Supervisor Capit.
[34:59] Do you recognize the clarity?
[35:01] Sure.
[35:01] Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[35:03] On item number 29, I want to thank the chair for joining me and for staff for their work and putting the
[35:10] applying for the putting task as to work incubator to get some exciting opportunity for us to build on some of the work we've already done and figure out a way to meet the needs of community and generate more resources for the county as institution.
[35:25] Item number 31. I want to also thank the Santa Cruz Community Foundation for their support
[35:30] of the Aztec Azacra program, such a tremendous program, and it's a great partnership.
[35:37] Item number 36, which is providing and creating an evaluation of integrated behavior health services
[35:42] and their effectiveness. I just want to add additional direction that whatever the
[35:48] evaluation is that it should come back to the board so that we can see the evaluation for ourselves and set policy accordingly.
[36:00] And finally, I'd remember 39. I want to thank the Health Services Agency for applying for additional funds for Medicaid assisted treatment.
[36:09] that is just critical in addressing the crises that we're seeing on our streets every day.
[36:17] And I want to appreciate the efforts to grow and expand the program that this important program
[36:23] will provide in our community.
[36:26] Thank you, Supervisor Kennedy.
[36:28] Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[36:31] I wanted to address a couple of issues.
[36:34] I don't know, 27, the traffic demand management issue.
[36:38] This is a good step toward providing additional incentives for billish to do small and medium
[36:43] of size housing projects along transit corridors.
[36:46] I look forward to seeing the next iteration of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County planned
[36:52] and have a deeper discussion about the TDM measures included in the draft plan.
[36:58] And while always told, one who would dress what some of our speakers did on items 367, the behavioral health investments, thank you for the staff for both of these items for consideration.
[37:12] They, they really do represent a better critical effort for, to provide behavioral health services and track our outcomes to a higher degree better addressing behavioral health.
[37:23] and this county is a critical component to addressing homelessness in our community.
[37:29] And I'd like to...
[37:30] A question, I don't know if it could be answered right now, but I'd like more information about the nexus between these two items and our overall housing for health strategic plan.
[37:41] Specifically, could somebody say some more about the outreach than how they outreach will work for us to reach our participation goals. I think that's going to be important.
[37:51] I don't know that it could be answered right now, but would like to take a deeper dive into that.
[37:56] In the same vein, item 39, as the behavioral health basis, I'd like this important issue to address one of the most difficult challenges we're facing in Santa Cruz County and really statewide.
[38:10] I'm very supportive of doing what we can to expand our treatment options for those folks who are struggling with opioid and other addictions.
[38:20] Again, this is a major contributing factor on our homeless problem here, and especially throughout
[38:27] the state.
[38:28] And it's really co-occurring with the mental health issues that we're facing as well.
[38:34] On item 41, the Encampment Management item, I want to acknowledge the county's role in trying
[38:41] to address better sheltering options for people experiencing homelessness in our community.
[38:46] There are real public health and safety issues that risks that are posed by the bench
[38:51] lands and in-campment just outside the county center here, as well as environmental damage
[38:57] next to the critical natural resource of the Center and the River.
[39:01] I want to thank the City and County staff who have been working on resolving in
[39:06] the campus along the River, and still there's a lot of work to do as we all know.
[39:12] One question that I do have on that as well as the resources the grant is expected to
[39:18] help at least 65 individuals and I just wonder how do you arrive at that number and
[39:24] is it based on an average cost per person for assistance?
[39:29] It's a very costly item that we're going to have to address if we want to
[39:42] on some of that. Yes, I'm sure going to get we do have staff available to respond to the questions
[39:47] if you'd like to do that right now or I think that's okay with chair. I'm just like
[39:52] funding me. Yes. Yeah. The first one on three to the behavioral health investments. You know the
[39:59] the next is the overall housing for health strategic plan. Is there anybody to answer some questions
[40:05] on that question. Yeah, we have Dr. Ratner, Robert Ratner, if you could elevate him so that he can respond.
[40:14] He's on line. Great.
[40:20] He's been promoted.
[40:27] Good morning. Supervisors and supervisor McPherson.
[40:30] Thank you for your question. I'm Dr. Robert Ratner. I'm the Director of the Housing Health Division
[40:34] and the Human Services Department of the County. And I think your first question was around how the
[40:39] health related interventions fitting with our overall approach to addressing homelessness
[40:44] and accounting. And our strategic framework really outlines a couple of things that are related
[40:50] to what's before the board today. One is that we identify health as a major and health challenges
[40:56] as a major contributor to housing stability and challenges that people have getting back into housing.
[41:01] So substance use and health issues can really interfere with people's ability to
[41:06] to manage the tasks that are required to get into and keep housing.
[41:10] So, pain your bills, be in a good neighbor, managing utilities, keeping your room safe and clean.
[41:18] Those are all things that require people to have the kind of health support to be successful.
[41:23] So, from our perspective and housing for health,
[41:26] kind of housing plus the health care services are really critical.
[41:30] And the behavioral health supports are outlined in some of the measures today.
[41:33] our part of that process. For example, some of the crisis intervention resources when someone has a crisis,
[41:40] and they may need to temporary relocate from housing, if there's a facility they can go to and get more
[41:45] stability and make so much more likely that they would be able to keep the housing in the absence of those
[41:50] kinds of facilities and people are struggling. We see people who lose their housing as a result of
[41:56] I'm unable to pay rent or behavioral issues that can interfere with their tendency.
[42:02] I think your second question was related to the cost of the interventions, and I think
[42:09] it is surprising to a lot of members of the public how expensive some of the housing-related
[42:13] interventions are for folks experiencing homelessness in California, and that's really a
[42:19] byproduct of how expensive it is to live in our communities, so the fair market rent for
[42:24] studio apartment in Santa Cruz County, which is ahead of established standard is over $2,000
[42:31] a month. So when you're trying to help people get back into housing with temporary sensitivities
[42:36] or ongoing sensitivities, just eight months of rental support in the studio, it could be up to $16,000.
[42:44] And then that cost of services is also something that I think a lot of people are not aware of,
[42:49] I appreciate that you're raising it, but to have integrated in field based services where we're paying staff reasonable wages so they can afford to live in our community and as well be really effective and supported in their work with folks who are struggling with behavioral issues we need to pay people adequately.
[43:09] So I think that overall cost and the proposal reflects that doing this work requires deep ongoing investments to really make changes.
[43:18] One thing I would say is that we're partnering with the Behavioral Health Department,
[43:24] we're going to human services department,
[43:25] and they're healing the streets grant as well as with the Central California Alliance for Health,
[43:30] on their Medicare reform.
[43:32] So I think with our Enchiment, Resolution, Proposal,
[43:35] I'm hoping we can direct more of them many towards some of those housing-related costs.
[43:39] They will help people get back into housing,
[43:41] and we can use some of those other sources for some of the services cost.
[43:47] And I don't know if that answers your question, but not be to clarify.
[43:51] Yeah, I think it does, just the complexity and the costly nature of trying to resolve
[43:58] the homeless problem here and throughout the state and throughout the nation is just unbelievable
[44:05] and some of the eyes of many and myself included.
[44:08] But I think that the fact that we do have a strategic plan and we're trying to get there
[44:13] quickly as we can to address the homeless situation in our county. I do thank you for your
[44:21] explanation. It's a tough problem to resolve at very quickly and it's going to be very costly
[44:28] and I think that gives a better explanation of just how we're moving on it and how costly it really
[44:34] is and Santa Cruz County in particular. So thank you Mr. Redner. Thank you.
[44:49] I'll just make a couple brief comments on item 27.
[44:52] I want to thank Supervisor McSirif Pearson and the planning department for discussing potential additional amendments for the transportation demand managed.
[45:00] The program is sustainability update. The environmental impact report, the draft that has come out identified vehicle miles traveled is the most significant potential impact of the sustainability update and hopefully these improvements to the transportation and management program, adding additional incentives and creating a funding program for Metro will help to address that. So afford to the next draft on that.
[45:24] I'm 29. I also want to thank supervisor Kennedy for bringing this to my attention and I think this application for putting assets to work the incubator program.
[45:32] We really help us leverage our county real estate assets to build the housing that is so desperately needed in our community as Dr. Rattner was just saying and I think we're well positioned to receive to be accepted into the program.
[45:46] Thanks to the long-range facilities plan that we prepared with Gensler and approved last year.
[45:54] Also, I'm certainly, I agree with item 37 that this 7.6 million for construction of the children's crisis
[46:00] civilization program at the Freedom Health Campus is going to be a huge win for our community.
[46:04] I'm aware that they recently did this in Monterey and it's working incredibly well.
[46:07] The challenge is that they still don't have enough room and hopefully also the support of an adult crisis
[46:14] Center at Harbor Vet Building. Well, I help to address the issues.
[46:19] Well, on item 41, I want to thank
[46:22] the Human Services Department and Housing for Health Division for quickly applying for
[46:27] the state resources, and it's fantastic that we've received 2.37 million dollars for a
[46:33] campaign cleanup. Hopefully working with the City of Santa Cruz, we can be good partners on this,
[46:38] and leveraging all the funds for various parts of addressing homelessness and campaign cleanup as
[46:44] Dr. Rattner, just explained.
[46:47] Also item 43, approving $350,000 for new modular building
[46:52] for the sobering center.
[46:54] This is much needed resource in our community.
[46:56] And it'll be good to get that back.
[46:59] And finally, on item 51, proving road closure
[47:02] for the pleasure point street fair on June 25th,
[47:04] it's just a great to see more in-person events coming back
[47:07] and hope to see you all at the street fair on June 25th.
[47:11] Thank you.
[47:12] Are there, is there a motion on the consent agenda?
[47:16] We'll remove we approve the extended agenda.
[47:19] We'll also look at, and that's as amended, correct?
[47:25] Correct, yes.
[47:26] A motion by supervisor McShererson.
[47:28] There's definitely consent agenda with amendments
[47:31] proposed by supervisor punerty and seconded by supervisor
[47:34] capa, any further discussion?
[47:38] Seeing none, we'll call that, please.
[47:39] Supervisor Friend.
[47:40] Aye.
[47:42] Coonerty?
[47:43] Aye.
[47:44] Rapid?
[47:45] Aye.
[47:46] McPherson?
[47:47] Aye.
[47:48] Coonerty?
[47:48] Aye.
[47:49] That item passes unanimously.
[47:51] Right.
[47:51] The consent agenda of being passed with amendments will proceed to item 7, presentation
[47:56] by Brian Largay, the Land Trust Director of Conservation.
[48:00] On plans for community harvest trails at Watsonville's Blue Farm,
[48:03] as outlined in memorandum with the County Minister of Officer.
[48:06] Mr. Largay?
[48:07] Thank you very much, Chair Connick, and thank you Board of Supervisors for allowing me to speak with you today.
[48:14] I just do whatever mark that I am so grateful for your service seeing the consent agenda
[48:22] reminds me what critical matters you're addressing, and I'm grateful for your leadership, so thank you.
[48:31] I'm here today to speak about the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and some of our programs,
[48:35] And I have a slide presentation and I'll just say next slide is we make our way through it if that sounds good.
[48:42] Thank you.
[48:44] Next slide.
[48:46] The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County was established in 1978.
[48:49] We're a nonprofit organization serving all of Santa Cruz County.
[48:53] And our mission is to protect care for and connect people with the places that make this area special.
[48:59] And Santa Cruz County is a spectacular area.
[49:02] that we are so blessed to live here.
[49:06] We'll be talking today about the Watsonville slew farms
[49:09] down in the Placro Valley,
[49:10] which is the top left picture here.
[49:13] Bottom left is from the Glenwood Preserve,
[49:15] where in Scotts Valley we manage endangered species
[49:19] habitat, cattle grazing and recreational trails.
[49:23] The bottom center images of the Santa Cruz Sand Hills,
[49:26] which we manage for groundwater recharge
[49:28] in dangerous species habitat and sustainable fire management projects.
[49:35] And the bottom right is our burn, milion forest in Coralitos where we manage watershed protection,
[49:42] sustainable timber harvest and recreational trails.
[49:46] Next slide, please.
[49:48] Our toolkit is that we protect and manage land and by protect that means we engage in real estate
[49:54] transactions and put in conferences such as conservation easements on land that prevent further
[50:02] development. We're involved in about 16,000 acres around Santa Cruz County and a couple
[50:08] may bring counties. And we also accomplish what we do through partnerships. We collaborate extensively
[50:14] with agencies at the state federal and local level regional level as well as other non-profits
[50:22] and businesses in the area.
[50:24] Next slide.
[50:27] Recently, some of our work has included the highway 17 tunnel construction of that.
[50:32] Just got underway a couple weeks ago.
[50:35] We're building trails at San Vicente Redwoods, which should open this fall up in Bonnie
[50:40] Dune.
[50:41] Our trails at Glenwood are full of recreational visitors.
[50:44] We have about 100,000 people a year hiking on those trails.
[50:48] The wildflowers are still blooming.
[50:50] if you need some exercise up there, and we're a fundraising champion for the rail trail trying
[50:58] to get that built as soon as possible, and we're launching a new initiative down a long
[51:03] highway 101 to connect the Santa Cruz Mountains with the rest of the state of California
[51:08] with a wildlife crossing over highway 101. Next slide.
[51:15] So today I'm here to introduce a new project to you at the Watsonville SLU farm.
[51:21] We're calling the Project Community Harvest and this is an invitation to the community to
[51:26] harvest and joy healthy food together while learning about agriculture and nature thriving
[51:31] side by side. And this is gets at one of our key themes where we try to make land, manage land,
[51:40] protect land to achieve multiple benefits, and in this case, it's vibrant habitat and healthy
[51:48] food next to each other next slide.
[51:52] So this property is located up Highway 1 between the City of Watsonville and Monterey Bay.
[52:00] It's quite close to the Pocro Valley school.
[52:04] Here in the slide, it's encompassed in a white line in circling where you can see are
[52:10] farm fields and then some wetlands lining through the middle of the property next up.
[52:17] This property produces vegetables and berries on 240 acres.
[52:23] The Parkrow Valley farmland is astonishingly productive this week.
[52:30] On property produces 90,000 servings of vegetables and berries a day, that's thinking a little bit.
[52:41] The value of that produces $3 million a year. It supports about 100 jobs.
[52:47] It also has extensive habitat areas. It's 248 acres of wetlands and grasslands, 200 species of birds have been observed there.
[52:55] listed that is special status for odds and turtles, secure on the property, and one of the
[53:00] exciting things is that this property does both together. It's not one or the other. Next slide,
[53:13] please.
[53:20] The project was the result of an extensive partnership involving 11 different agencies
[53:25] and organizations shown here in 2011, it received a Presidential Award for Coastal Partnerships,
[53:32] And we're grateful to our all of our partners, we collaborate with them still to get the work done there.
[53:40] Next slide.
[53:43] The Community Harvest Project is the result of extensive outreach to the community.
[53:47] We had about 24 different tours of the property, several webinars.
[53:52] We posted flyers and notices in all the local grocery stores and beauty salons.
[53:58] that neighborhood churches around the project area, we reached out to Pocro Valley High School
[54:03] and surrounding areas. And we are focused on food because what we discovered is a great
[54:11] interest in the farm production there and access to healthy food. About 90% of Pocro Valley
[54:17] High School families suffer from food insecurity. And with the upcoming construction of the
[54:27] down to this property. It's about a half mile from the city. Next slide, please.
[54:37] So the goals
[54:38] are to provide public access to healthy food at Watsonville, Slu Farm to predict the
[54:43] vibrant agricultural operations there and the natural resources and involve the community
[54:48] in planning. Next slide, please. Here's a close-up of the Lee Road entrance. That's Lee Road
[54:57] in the foreground, and you can see a finger of the slew surrounded by these are woodshifts
[55:02] we laid down to suppress weeds.
[55:05] This photo is taken about a year ago, and the idea is to have a gateway at this entrance
[55:12] that will provide consumer harvest facilities and demonstration of sustainable agriculture
[55:19] in action.
[55:20] Next slide.
[55:23] It was by community harvest we need food.
[55:26] There will be harvest areas where people can pick produce.
[55:29] It will be free.
[55:31] We anticipate partnerships and subsidies from our least revenue to pay for the production.
[55:38] There will be technical areas in restaurants to enjoy the food.
[55:42] Stations to wash and prep produce.
[55:44] We're currently collaborating with Esperanza community farms.
[55:47] of a prominent local nonprofit that produces CSA community supported agriculture boxes for
[55:54] limited resource families in the area. They operate land on site and this is an example
[55:59] of their recent harvest. I will also have a farm stand where growers who operate on our
[56:05] property could sell their produce if they so choose. Next slide.
[56:11] We're also looking at demonstrating
[56:12] thriving nature side by side with agriculture, including the trails, boardwalks and
[56:18] forms and remodel of our barn, which we just started looking at recently.
[56:23] Next slide, please.
[56:25] The current status of the project is that we're still in the design phase.
[56:28] We haven't yet submitted to the county.
[56:32] The property is zone commercial agriculture.
[56:34] The regulatory compliance approach, with regard to that zoning.
[56:38] It will be considered that consumer harvest is a principle permitted use.
[56:44] And the goal is to establish a concept design
[56:48] up the next couple of months and submit
[56:50] for regulatory review this summer.
[56:54] Next slide, please.
[56:56] The timeline is that we hope to go into construction next year
[56:59] in 2023, open to the public in 2024.
[57:04] We anticipate operating costs of about $100,000 a year.
[57:08] The land trust secures about $300,000 a year
[57:12] from the least revenue of the agricultural operations on the property.
[57:18] And so achieving that operating cost is that should be within our means.
[57:26] We hope to add boardwalks and extra wildlife engagement,
[57:30] the viewing platforms and whatnot in 2025,
[57:33] and then perhaps at the barn remodel if we go there in 2028.
[57:38] Next slide.
[57:40] So our next steps are to finalize the concept design, launch county review, continue to advocate and support and so far as we can by securing funding for the Leerode Trail, which is this connection between the city of Watsonville and goes right by the property.
[57:58] We hope the bridge part of the Lero Trail may eventually be supported that would connect the property and property high school all the way to downtown, which was be fantastic.
[58:10] And we're doing a lot of grant writing.
[58:13] We actually have a tour in just two weeks with the state parks.
[58:18] There you've we've made the next round for a $3 million grant for funding, which we're optimistic about.
[58:25] Next slide, please.
[58:28] So, excuse me, that's it. Yes, your questions and comments that you have, we're open to suggestions.
[58:35] I'd love to get insight into how to do this better, but we're also happy to answer questions.
[58:43] Thank you, Director Lager. Are there questions or comments from members of the board?
[58:46] Yes, I appreciate the opportunity, and I appreciate the board's willingness to have this presentation.
[58:52] I'd ask the land trust to daylight this because, I mean, let me first say that if you haven't
[58:58] been to the property, it is one of the most stunning properties in all Santa Cruz County in
[59:03] an absolute hidden gem in South County to be able to open it up for access for the South County
[59:09] community, both with its heritage on the agricultural side but to have nature within walking distance
[59:16] to have that extent of open space and unspoiled open space. This will quickly become a real
[59:22] treasure in South County, especially given the lack of accessible parks and open spaces throughout
[59:29] the South County area.
[59:30] I think that this is going to feel an enormous need and also present a life lab and learning
[59:37] opportunity for members of the community.
[59:39] I had the privilege of touring at last year with Mr. Blasioz as well and members of my staff.
[59:48] We are fully supportive of the application as it comes forward to the county.
[59:51] And I know that Mr. Plastios has also been working on this all the way since measure you
[59:57] of 20 years ago.
[59:59] Mr. Plastios.
[1:00:00] Imagine you have a few words you'd like to say as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr.
[1:00:03] Laura Gay. This is a very, very exciting project.
[1:00:06] Thank you, Supervisor Friend.
[1:00:09] Yes. Thank you, Jack Honig, members of the board. Just want to give a little bit
[1:00:12] of history on this project. This project is a famous type property. Of course, if you go back,
[1:00:20] it was actually slated for development in the 1994 Watsonville General Plan.
[1:00:25] And there were, it was proposed for housing and other other things.
[1:00:30] And there was a big, lots of fighting over that.
[1:00:33] The fighting was resolved in 2002
[1:00:35] with the passage of measure you and other negotiations regarding
[1:00:40] the establishment of part of high school.
[1:00:44] So at that time, the city of Watsonville,
[1:00:46] the County of Santa Cruz and the Coastal Commission entered
[1:00:52] into a historic agreement to set aside this property
[1:00:54] from development to protect it from development as open space.
[1:00:59] So that is 2002, and the promise was made at that time to the city and the county that
[1:01:05] the land would be made available to the public for open space and for recreation and other
[1:01:11] things.
[1:01:11] So this is a great moment for us and we really appreciate it.
[1:01:15] Thank you to the land trust and we really want to be supportive because I know the community
[1:01:20] needs open space and in the whole county, but especially in South County, there's a
[1:01:24] of open space, the lack of trails, the lack of recreation areas, and so the ability to see this
[1:01:30] and stunning and beautiful property that has been preserved for future generations.
[1:01:34] But to take advantage of it for hiking and learning about environmental issues is all
[1:01:40] very, very important. And so we really support it. And thank you for the interest. And we are here
[1:01:44] to support you in any way to make this happen. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,
[1:01:53] I want to thank you, Brian, for your presentation, and thank Carlos Policios and Supervisor
[1:02:01] Friend for all the work they've done.
[1:02:06] It's exciting to see more open space and the public able to go in there and use it for South
[1:02:13] County.
[1:02:15] It's just a wonderful project.
[1:02:17] Thank you.
[1:02:18] Thank you, Supervisor Capit.
[1:02:20] Supervisor McPherson.
[1:02:21] I just want to acknowledge, and I agree with everything that's
[1:02:25] who provides just friend and capit of said, I just want to say
[1:02:29] to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
[1:02:32] Thank heavens you got here 44 years ago.
[1:02:35] Because what you have done the past 44 years is amazing,
[1:02:38] not the least of which recently was just the
[1:02:40] participate in very heavily in the wildlife crossing
[1:02:42] in the Highway 17 at the Laurel Curve.
[1:02:46] What you have done throughout this county is
[1:02:49] It makes it better for everyone and every segment of this county.
[1:02:53] So thank you for everything you've done in the past and as you can see in your presentation at the public and see these things take time.
[1:03:02] And you have years of 20,000 to 25 and 28,000, but that's what's needed to get these things done.
[1:03:08] It takes time, but you've had you've had tremendous success in the past and have a great vision for the future.
[1:03:14] So I really thanks the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. Thank you.
[1:03:19] And I just want to add my voice to the sport of the land trust and Mr. Lorgay is specifically in their ability to work with communities and make sure that their good neighbors in building these projects all the projects that the land trust and Mr. Lorgay have been involved with in my district.
[1:03:41] a fantastic job of reaching out and hearing concerns, building, addressing them, building them into the
[1:03:49] park process and making sure that we keep accessibility and preservation of our environment at the
[1:03:56] forefront. And so this is just another example that I want to just take a moment to appreciate that particular
[1:04:02] skill, which is often not recognized but incredibly important on projects like this. Thank you,
[1:04:10] provider community. I'll just have that I had one opportunity to go off to the
[1:04:15] Sloofarm property. It is truly breathtaking. And yet I had no idea that it was as large
[1:04:20] as it is. So looking forward to it being open to the general public and to being explore
[1:04:25] not all 480 acres because I know a lot of that is slew at least more of it. So thank you very much.
[1:04:32] I'll open it to members of the public. If anyone here in the chambers would wish to address this on
[1:04:37] I see none.
[1:04:40] Is there anyone on Zoom who wishes to.
[1:04:42] Because we do have one speaker.
[1:05:13] Call a user three.
[1:05:14] Your microphone is available.
[1:05:22] Thank you for the presentation.
[1:05:25] Having lived in the county for 40 years.
[1:05:29] And 20 of those years.
[1:05:31] Being a public school teacher.
[1:05:34] And Watsonville.
[1:05:36] Farming is very.
[1:05:39] Near to my heart.
[1:05:40] especially organic farming and ecological farming and make a brief statement and I have
[1:05:49] a we had a group of teachers and community members parents called farm without farm because
[1:06:01] we advocated for
[1:06:15] lives are not used and there's organic and ecological farming. I would have
[1:06:21] to take my children in from the playground and
[1:06:54] in the house
[1:07:11] to the
[1:07:16] public.
[1:07:30] Speaker for this item. Thank you. Then I'll return to the board and this is an informational item only.
[1:07:37] So if there's enough for their comments, so one more, thank you, Dr. Largé, for the presentation today.
[1:07:43] Right. Well, thank you very much. It's an honor to present before you. And thank you for all the kind words.
[1:07:50] In case it wasn't clear that the farm in question, the Watsonville sleigh farm is an organic farm image.
[1:07:55] As long as people stay away from the tractors, it should be quite safe for visitors.
[1:08:01] Thank you.
[1:08:02] Fantastic.
[1:08:02] Thank you very much.
[1:08:05] Flenoppercy to item eight, a presentation on the county's online budget platform.
[1:08:11] To accept in file the 2022 2023 county proposed budget to be considered during budget hearings.
[1:08:17] Except the tentative budget hearing schedule schedule June 21, 2022 as the date of the budget hearings will begin.
[1:08:23] Schedule a public hearing on June 28th, 2022 to consider amendments to the county's unified
[1:08:29] fees schedule and take related actions as outlined in a memorandum of the county administrative
[1:08:33] officer. The first presentation, we have our county budget director, Marcus Pimentel, and Sven's
[1:08:38] Stafford. I believe your microphone is off there, Mr. Pimentel.
[1:08:46] But you're the first presenter.
[1:08:50] Thank you, Min.
[1:08:52] a good morning, Chair Cohen, a good Board of Supervisors, annually, my Air.
[1:09:01] I am proud to present to you today our new online budget for the county's hand
[1:09:07] careers proposed 2223.
[1:09:11] But before I jump into that, today's presentation is about navigating through the budget itself.
[1:09:17] included in the board packet are more details about the proposed budget that will be
[1:09:23] conducted in deep and spirited budget hearings in later in June. So today we just want to
[1:09:30] navigate you and orientate the public about our online budget. Before jumping into that, I am here
[1:09:36] with our Principal Administrative Analyst, a send staffer who really led this project and did a
[1:09:42] beautiful job and envisioning how we can integrate the county's budget with our strategic plan to
[1:09:48] align our decision-making and what we fund to how we get it done. This project wouldn't have
[1:09:54] been as successful as it already is, also without the partnership of many county players,
[1:10:00] county council, many members of our CO team, but in particular our ISD department, Tammy Weigold,
[1:10:07] who's here today is our ISD director, and two of their staff, Tom Milkelnian, and John
[1:10:14] Young were instrumental in designing this, custom designing this to fit our needs, and when
[1:10:20] we envision what an online budget could be, we far surpassed that already in your one of
[1:10:25] this first versions, so we're really excited about that. The goal of this project was to unite
[1:10:31] our budget policy, how we fund things to our strategic plan, but it's also to build trust,
[1:10:36] confidence and accountability into the budget process, being able to see within a department's budget,
[1:10:42] they're emerging issues, their links to their strategic plan, their commitments to the operational
[1:10:46] objectives, and they're just simplified the counties budget process, moving from a proposed document
[1:10:53] to a supplemental document, to a concluding document, to a adopted document that really does
[1:11:00] It does ingest us into having a process that's clear and articulate in one space you can see the whole decision process.
[1:11:09] So this year we do have a small print of version. We have a budget and brief that is meant to be a transitional document.
[1:11:15] It's a download a PDF, 318 pages that offers the ability to see the key components of the budget in a printable downloadable form with that.
[1:11:26] I want to jump over to our website.
[1:11:28] Thank you, and this is our proposed 2223 budget website.
[1:11:34] It lives within this strategic plan that's Vision Santa Cruz County,
[1:11:45] and within the budget
[1:11:46] website it begins with, how do I use this website?
[1:11:50] So we thought we'd put prominently right below the header, the header, some navigation tips,
[1:11:55] including an instructional video on key elements to better understand and move quickly around
[1:12:03] website and get the key content our community needs. We also have navigation tips. We have reference
[1:12:09] manuals. We have glossaries. Government is fearful of a lot of large words and often complicated
[1:12:18] information. So we have a very in-depth glossary to help orientate any of our users to that.
[1:12:25] I want to move over into our economic outlook and financial summary section of the website.
[1:12:29] But that's grouped into some main components and this is a great starting spot for anybody in our community.
[1:12:37] We've offered a more robust economic outlook for that recaps our national economy, our state economy and what's going on here locally.
[1:12:47] We've been able to, we've referred to our data-share Santa Cruz content that's also rich out there in the communities.
[1:12:53] we're trying to bring in all these data sources and resources into one site and allow them to be
[1:12:58] interconnected. Within this section is also our financial summary. This is specific to the county
[1:13:03] Santa Cruz. This is about our proposed budget and it offers the users a glimpse of our forecast for
[1:13:10] the coming year. Some major highlights of our funding status by funds and more resources about our
[1:13:16] spending trends or revenue trends is just a meant to be a really nice convinced way to get
[1:13:22] a quick summary of what's going on in our budget. There's also much more information in
[1:13:27] there about a personnel. You can see our line out in detail of our proposed budget and a
[1:13:32] very interactive desk that we're scheduled where you can click a particular debt issue and
[1:13:37] understand how long it is and when it when it would be paid off. There's also a wonderful
[1:13:42] section we're very excited about in what the county does. So within the section there's five different options,
[1:13:49] and one of them is your tax dollars at work. Thank you, Sven. So we begin with the section,
[1:13:56] illustrating a narrative of when we drill down late into 2021 and really looked at our funding structure.
[1:14:04] We noticed a trend in that our particular county is very unique in the sense that we're systematically
[1:14:10] underfunded as compared to our county peers and peers across the state.
[1:14:14] What this chart illustrates is, in the top left quadrant of Santa Clara County, they receive
[1:14:19] the highest per capita sales tax and property tax in the state and serve the lowest population
[1:14:25] in the state.
[1:14:26] They serve about 4% of the county population contrast that with the Santa Cruz County, we serve
[1:14:31] half of our population, 50% and that are much reduced rate when we look at our peers, we're
[1:14:38] 10th of our funding on property tax with our peers and about half of our property tax
[1:14:44] ourselves tax with our peers. So we're just systematically underfunded. It's a nature of
[1:14:49] how property taxes were allocated in the 1970 property and many of the changes that have
[1:14:56] and over the last five decades, there's also a tool.
[1:15:00] And how to seek property tax, we've often thought about, or talked about how few dollars we get out of
[1:15:06] a property tax, we get about 13% of every property tax to all pay. And what we now have is a ability to feel deeper into that.
[1:15:13] And for one example, you can look in this chart and you see of every thousand dollars in property tax, five hundred sixty eight,
[1:15:19] those to our local county schools, which is fantastic. Now you have the ability to drill into that and see those allegations within those schools,
[1:15:25] to see how it's spread throughout the county by schools.
[1:15:28] Those just weren't trying to offer more rich content
[1:15:30] wherever we can.
[1:15:31] And this for a very first online website with that.
[1:15:38] I want to turn it over to Sven, who will talk a little bit
[1:15:41] about county services.
[1:15:43] And then I'll come back with some concluding comments,
[1:15:46] and we'll be available for questions.
[1:15:49] Thank you, Monica.
[1:15:50] This is Good Morning, Board.
[1:15:52] As Marcus said, we provide some educational tools, some narratives for how to start thinking about how we spend a billion dollars every year at the county.
[1:16:05] One of the nice features in this website is our new county services page.
[1:16:12] Again, in partnership with ISD and specifically our GIS team, we are able to build this county services page.
[1:16:21] So you can users can search for their address, if they use our current location.
[1:16:33] Now, really, what do you mind, type in in 701 Ocean Street?
[1:16:37] So we
[1:16:45] can use our current location, and it will bring up a link to the supervisor, which
[1:16:53] will be supervisor coonerty, and also a link to the jurisdiction that provides municipal
[1:16:59] services.
[1:17:00] So in this case, it would be the city of Santa Cruz, and so we provide that information,
[1:17:07] And there are other links and access to services that are provided on that view.
[1:17:17] And so there are just a lot of different things that people can look up and find out about
[1:17:21] how services are provided where they live.
[1:17:27] And so the other piece that we've tried to do is we provide a narrative, but if people want
[1:17:34] find out, you know, the specific things that they care about, they can find that within the
[1:17:42] department budgets and I'll just provide a brief example of how we've done this by looking at
[1:17:49] our newly combined community development and infrastructure department.
[1:17:55] And so as Mark has said,
[1:17:56] one of the things we were really trying to do with this new website was link the budgets and
[1:18:06] strategic and operational plans, which really means connecting the budget to the county's major
[1:18:12] work and connecting the budget to the impact that we're trying to have in people's lives to
[1:18:19] make them better. And so for each department, we've provided a mission statement department.
[1:18:26] In this case, we've provided a overview for the new department and org chart. It has, you know,
[1:18:34] general information about the total expenses revenues, general fund contribution and staffing.
[1:18:41] And then it provides a basic sort of organizational chart of how the department is organized.
[1:18:50] So we can see we have transportation, and I'm going to focus a little on community planning.
[1:18:56] I apologize for that.
[1:18:57] So within our Permit Center, you can see we have expenses of $7.8 million, funded staffing
[1:19:05] of $47.5 staff, and then operational plan objectives related to the creation of a
[1:19:13] permit dashboard, the creation of a green lining pilot, and then the creation of the unified
[1:19:24] objectives designed to improve people's experience in the planning permit center. You can see,
[1:19:34] if you click into the service, it provides a brief overview of what it does and some of the
[1:19:38] emerging issues around the creation of the permit center staff support to improve services.
[1:19:47] And then again, I'll link to the planning dashboard that was created and presented to the board
[1:19:53] in January,
[1:19:57] you can also put into these objectives and see their progress, their length
[1:20:04] from the operational plan site.
[1:20:07] And so as you flip through the different services, the objectives come in and out, and
[1:20:13] you get in different views of each service for those that want to dive even deeper, their
[1:20:21] options up here in budget dashboards,
[1:20:23] detailed budget details, and personnel details,
[1:20:27] and the budget dashboards.
[1:20:29] You can see that we've provided a view of expenses by service.
[1:20:34] So again, if we wanted to look at within community planning,
[1:20:38] which is about 7.8% of the total department,
[1:20:42] we can see that here, the permit center is about 47%
[1:20:46] of that department of that services or that division's expenditures, so it gives you a little
[1:20:54] bit of a view into how that money is allocated. You can also see those views over time by switching
[1:21:01] to a bar graph or to a line graph or if you want to see it in our transparency portal, you can
[1:21:09] create all these use or all the way down to the object code
[1:21:15] of our budget for folks who are a little more traditional
[1:21:21] and want just the numbers.
[1:21:24] We do provide that as well in the budget detail.
[1:21:27] Here again, you can sort by division.
[1:21:31] So if we wanted to look at community planning
[1:21:33] and then just the Permit Center, we can do that.
[1:21:37] We can see the expenditures in a traditional three-year layout with actuals, the current year budget, and the proposed budget, and then also the changes.
[1:21:47] And so you can see that there are expenditures, revenues, the fund contributions, and then at the bottom the description of changes, where we talk about staffing changes, changes to contract changes to fees, et cetera.
[1:22:04] And
[1:22:07] we also provide personnel details for each department and here again you can see
[1:22:15] staffing and so if we click just into the Permit Center, we can see that 47.5 proposed
[1:22:22] funds funded staffing and you can see exactly what those classifications are and so what
[1:22:30] People are doing what staff are actually providing the service. So that's a brief, it's a brief tour. I would
[1:22:37] encourage folks to use the help pages. There's also an option to email us at budget that Santa
[1:22:45] Cruz County.us for folks that want to provide additional feedback and help us make the site better.
[1:22:51] We're really open to that as Marcus said, this is our first attempt at doing a really, you know, a really developed online budget. And so, you know, we hope to, we hope to be able to build office and improve as we go forward. And I'll turn it back to Marcus. Thank you.
[1:23:13] I'll conclude with, I showed before,
[1:23:17] our prior versions of the budget are downloadable PDF of our budget and brief.
[1:23:22] This website is now interactive across all devices,
[1:23:25] I'll platform so you can view it on your mobile phone.
[1:23:28] It navigates very seamlessly, easily would drop down menus.
[1:23:32] That's been mentioned.
[1:23:33] There's a contact us on the website or any mobile device or any device
[1:23:38] of all, and you can engage your information, your name, and that comes to us to a routing
[1:23:42] treat.
[1:23:42] So we're pretty more ways to interact with the public and really understand the questions
[1:23:46] that they have.
[1:23:48] We plan some to do some community outreach in the summer and fall and prep for next
[1:23:54] year's proposed 2324 budget.
[1:23:57] And so we can consider the revisions and updates we might do to the website based on community
[1:24:01] feedback.
[1:24:02] And I want to come back to a couple of points, it was nice not having to think about printing documents that are stored in storage lockers and cabinets all throughout the county.
[1:24:14] I don't know how many years go back in different departments at different offices, but if we stack up every county budget that is on the county property right now somewhere, probably pretty high.
[1:24:22] So we're pretty excited about not being a no longer producing that level of content.
[1:24:27] That's really not very used from a historical perspective.
[1:24:31] We're producing our environmental impact, which we're really excited about.
[1:24:34] And we're creating a dynamic tool that we hope can really go beyond the power users that have used a budget in the
[1:24:40] class and be able to make this community communication device.
[1:24:44] And I want to come back to you thanking Carl Sposius or CAO.
[1:24:47] We've really had a division in push to say we can do better and we should do better.
[1:24:52] And we start thinking about how we link this to our strategic plan.
[1:24:55] Think of the board, yourselves, for your support and feedback through this process.
[1:25:01] I think a lot of county staff who we had focus groups, your board, yourselves, your board
[1:25:05] analysts who gave us a lot of feedback from December to our launch on April 29th, and we
[1:25:11] are literally making changes that we've before based on that feedback, and it was really
[1:25:15] appreciate that.
[1:25:16] And I want to come back to thinking our ASD team, they were phenomenal in the work that
[1:25:21] they've done in the creativity spending leading the project.
[1:25:25] We had a lot of staff in the CEO's office, Eric Friedwick,
[1:25:27] who's here with us today, we've had a capital project
[1:25:30] element of this, and we've built a really strong platform
[1:25:33] that we're seeing a lot of possibilities in the future
[1:25:36] of using this new platform.
[1:25:38] And I think it opened up for their partnership.
[1:25:39] They were a really great company to work with,
[1:25:41] and provided us a really rich diverse content
[1:25:43] that we can now play around with,
[1:25:45] and really do some wonderful data analysis.
[1:25:48] So with that, I conclude my comments and I go back
[1:25:50] to our recommended actions. Again, this is not a budget hearing. This is setting in place
[1:25:55] the, to accept and file the 2223 budget, to accept the budget hearing schedule for June 21,
[1:26:02] through 23rd, and our last day on June 28th, the set of June 21st, budget hearings of the
[1:26:08] first day of our budget hearings and set June 28, 2022, as a date of all of our public hearing.
[1:26:13] I mean, I mean, five feet schedule and directed for the clerk of the board to publish all
[1:26:17] official notices. So with that, it concludes every report. Thank you very much, Marcus.
[1:26:22] And spend other questions or comments from members of the board.
[1:26:27] Mr. Chair, I'll just briefly say it's really great to see this come full circle from
[1:26:33] some years back. Supervisor Coonerty.
[1:26:36] Had me sit in a small.
[1:26:38] Prius at the time we drove all around the state when we were going county the county before we hired
[1:26:43] CL, Plastios, to look at the ways that other counties were doing various things,
[1:26:49] the way that the CIOs interacted, the way that they provided transparent information
[1:26:53] to community.
[1:26:54] We learned a lot of best practices, which I know the Supervisor community continues
[1:26:59] actually with the work that he does now.
[1:27:02] And this type of idea was one that was brought back at the time from that, but it was
[1:27:08] not as extensive or clear or transparent as what you have accomplished here.
[1:27:13] This is a really remarkable tool for the community to learn about the budget.
[1:27:19] I mean, county budgets, government budgets, although always available to the community,
[1:27:24] always seem opaque to the community.
[1:27:27] And this really takes away that opaqueness and provides clarity and transparency and
[1:27:32] the ability to drill down in a way that we've never been able to provide in this community before.
[1:27:38] And no other city or no other county within our region is doing it.
[1:27:41] So it's a great, it's a testament to the innovation of the leadership here in the county,
[1:27:46] but most importantly, it's a legacy moving forward and an expectation of transparency and
[1:27:51] availability of information in particular about the most important thing we do, which is the budget.
[1:27:55] And I appreciate that this is an iterative process.
[1:27:58] I know that there will be that the feedback from the community.
[1:28:01] Now that this is out and from the county staff will make it continue to evolve.
[1:28:05] I know that as we continue to drill down and show that we things a little discover that need to be modified.
[1:28:09] which is having this opportunity as a significant shift in appreciation to Mr. Prometell and also Mr.
[1:28:16] Stafford on your work on this project.
[1:28:18] Thank you, Supervisor Friend.
[1:28:21] Supervisor Kennedy?
[1:28:23] Sure.
[1:28:24] I tacko.
[1:28:26] Supervisor Friend's comments.
[1:28:27] You know, I think when we towards what we've heard were the best operating counties around California.
[1:28:34] And we saw that there were some areas that our county was accelerating in, but there
[1:28:40] were a bunch of areas and transparency and setting about comes strategic plans online
[1:28:47] documents was an area that we were pretty far behind.
[1:28:50] And I want to commend the staff for developing this.
[1:28:54] This is actually, as far exceeds, any expectation I have in the fact that you were able
[1:28:58] to do it in-house with the existing talent we have in the county is really great.
[1:29:05] I think it is a great communication tool, it's great for transparency.
[1:29:10] My one question was, within the county, how are we planning to deploy this so that your
[1:29:17] average line level staff, your mid managers and managers are using this tool as a way to focus
[1:29:26] on, you know, when we have a lot of competing needs and demands on people's times, how are they
[1:29:31] focusing on using this tool as a way to set those needs and priority and expectations within their
[1:29:40] departments?
[1:29:46] We'll question something we've been given a lot of thought to.
[1:29:49] One thing I didn't mention, this is we're phase two of a three-prong project here, we've done
[1:29:55] a sprint project where we went live with capital projects, we've now gone live with our online
[1:29:59] budget.
[1:29:59] Good.
[1:30:00] And in the fall, we started our last component that was actually integrating this whole system into an operational budget. So what we're going to see next is giving our departments more tools. We've started with a, let's let's satisfy the public demand and then come into the fall with providing those resources for the for our county operations. So what we expect is in the development of next year's budget staff will have more capability and a lot more efficiency in the development of next year's budget cycle.
[1:30:29] And once we're live with the fully integrated system, there'll be a lot more.
[1:30:33] I mentioned that we're opportunity. There's a lot of opportunity.
[1:30:36] We've already started sketching out the vision plan of many different ways we can use this system.
[1:30:40] Not only website, but the power behind it. So we're really excited about that.
[1:30:44] So it allows us to still be in the iterative process to try to listen and see what the needs are from that operational perspective.
[1:30:50] And try to really understand how we can use this to better seek the supos needs.
[1:30:57] Great. Thank you.
[1:30:58] I look forward to hearing about, thank you, Supervisor Kennedy, Supervisor Capit,
[1:31:06] that you're on me, it's Supervisor Capit.
[1:31:12] There we go.
[1:31:13] Thank you very much for the report.
[1:31:16] I guess what I like about it, it's clear, it's reasonable, it's concise and it's transparent.
[1:31:25] And I look forward, actually, to say how it works and what we get together on the end of June.
[1:31:35] And we looked at the budget and hopefully we're able to balance our business.
[1:31:41] Okay.
[1:31:41] Thank you.
[1:31:43] Thank you, surprise captain.
[1:31:45] Yeah.
[1:31:45] I'll reiterate the comments and thank you as supervisors, friend and community for taking
[1:31:50] the state to the state trail and finding out how we can improve our budget processes.
[1:31:55] But at that time, I think we saw that we were doing a pretty good job.
[1:32:00] When they were making that tour a couple of several years ago,
[1:32:03] I want to thank the CEO and the Ms. Pintel,
[1:32:07] Alfred, Alfred, Alfred, Alfred, and Alfred look.
[1:32:11] You know, but just to get down to some of the things we face,
[1:32:15] like no other county in essence, in the past two years, of course,
[1:32:20] it's COVID's been with us all, but the season you fire.
[1:32:24] And this will allow us transparency to see how we can react to this.
[1:32:29] And we need to go into this budget session, realizing that we
[1:32:33] We'd like to have more from some other agencies if we could.
[1:32:37] We have a great many COVID expenses that we may not be in reimburse for.
[1:32:43] The road challenges going day back to 2016, 17, and the recent fires that we've had.
[1:32:51] And both of these are really disappointing.
[1:32:53] And collectively, they represent about $20 to $25 million.
[1:32:58] And we need, we're trying to see how a budget can work.
[1:33:03] It's not, they can't fix that without the money.
[1:33:05] Those, those issues.
[1:33:07] And it's also worth noting that our, as was stated, our kind of receives a very low share of property and sales tax revenues comparatively.
[1:33:16] And as Senator Claire County has 4% of its population in the unincorporated area.
[1:33:21] We have about half of our population in the unincorporated area.
[1:33:24] And that's a structural challenge to not to those who presented the budget to us, but what we can do with what we have.
[1:33:35] And it requires a great deal of thoughtful planning in a request.
[1:33:38] And I think this really points what we're doing to make that transparent to the general public.
[1:33:46] And we're planning requests because of some of those limitations of what's coming in.
[1:33:52] And what we have is a population to serve in this county, and so we're going to go for some more locally generated tax revenues that are needed.
[1:34:04] The proposed transit occupancy tax increase that will still put us at at or below those of many other counties throughout the state and the single use cup fee.
[1:34:15] We, one thing that is a concern to our reserves that we did as such a tremendous job in getting up to 10% are now down about the 7% level.
[1:34:26] And that's a concern if we should have another disaster of how we can accommodate something immediately.
[1:34:32] So I'm with all that said, we face challenges that are just part of our budget, that we have, that we have, that we have with the sales act, the revenues we get.
[1:34:46] And I just think this is going to help us a lot and letting the public know what we're doing with the limited resources we have and the declining resources we have.
[1:34:55] some instances, this is a great presentation
[1:34:57] and I think the public will be very appreciative
[1:35:00] of their ability to wine through the budget process
[1:35:04] as we go into it at the end of June.
[1:35:06] So thank you very much.
[1:35:09] Thank you, Supervisor McPherson.
[1:35:11] I'll just add, yes, there's a really fantastic win.
[1:35:14] Both in terms of transparency and efficiency,
[1:35:17] we don't have to continue building a tower of budget books
[1:35:21] to the moon and hopefully it'll be a lot easier
[1:35:23] to prepare the budget going forward.
[1:35:25] And certainly, that's easier for my office
[1:35:27] to feel the questions about the budget.
[1:35:29] And it's really a pleasure to explore this talk.
[1:35:31] So thank you to you both in the whole project team.
[1:35:35] Are there questions from members or sorry,
[1:35:38] comments from members of the public?
[1:35:40] I think none here in chambers.
[1:35:41] Is there anyone on Zoom who would like to comment on this item?
[1:35:44] We do have one speaker.
[1:35:56] A morning cover Alice.
[1:35:58] Your microphone is available.
[1:35:59] I'll
[1:36:10] apologize to you because that was an error.
[1:36:14] Thank you Monica.
[1:36:16] All right.
[1:36:17] Well, if there are no other numbers of the publicers to come on, I'll have
[1:36:19] turned into the board for action.
[1:36:24] Move the recommended actions.
[1:36:25] Second.
[1:36:27] Motion by supervisor.
[1:36:29] Second by supervisor friend for to adopt the
[1:36:31] recommended actions.
[1:36:32] Any further discussion?
[1:36:34] Seeing none.
[1:36:35] Clerk will call.
[1:36:36] Please.
[1:36:37] Your supervisor friend.
[1:36:39] All right.
[1:36:40] Comedаний.
[1:36:42] TAPPED.
[1:36:43] Make person.
[1:36:45] And Cooneq.
[1:36:46] That I'm possez unanimously.
[1:36:49] Thank you.
[1:36:50] That the pose of budget being accepted, and attempted it to choose,
[1:36:54] budget hearing.
[1:36:54] The angel for June 21st, 23rd and June 28th, we will now proceed to item nine, which is a public
[1:37:04] hearing to consider resolution confirming a proposed fiscal year 2022, 2023 benefit
[1:37:09] assessment rate and service charge reports for county service areas, number 53, number 53N,
[1:37:16] and number 53S for mosquito abatement and disease control as outlined in the memorandum of the
[1:37:21] agricultural commissioner. And for a presentation, we have Amanda Pulse and and Wanda Dalga.
[1:37:30] Members of the Board is a pleasure to be here, and today with me, it's our Assistant Viktor Kondromanager,
[1:37:36] and she's going to be introducing to the site.
[1:37:45] Good morning. I'm Amanda Paulson, the assistant manager
[1:37:49] for the mosquito and back to control division of the agricultural commissioner's office.
[1:37:53] The county service area, CSA-53, was established in 1993 and then expanded in 2004 and 2005 for
[1:38:02] south and north county, respectively, to provide mosquito control and public health services to
[1:38:07] Santa Cruz County.
[1:38:09] These services are funded by a benefits assessment and rates are adjusted each year to account
[1:38:14] for inflation.
[1:38:16] On April 12, 2022, the board set today may 10th as the public hearing date on the proposed
[1:38:22] benefit assessment and rate reports that will provide operational funding for mosquito
[1:38:27] federal government control in 2023.
[1:38:30] The CSA rates presented have previously been approved by the board in our outlined in the
[1:38:35] rates attachment, and either remain at the same level as in 2021 and 22, or have rates
[1:38:41] in a consumer price index increase of 3% as approved in previous elections.
[1:38:48] These rates have been posted in the local newspaper, and have made available to the public
[1:38:52] at the Clerk of the Board and Mosquito Impact Control website prior to today's hearing.
[1:38:57] If approved, rate reports will be forwarded to the auditor controller by August 10th
[1:39:02] to be included in the 2223 property tax assessment role. We recommend that the board
[1:39:09] open the public hearing to hear objections or protests to the proposed three assessment rate reports
[1:39:15] for CSA-53, which include the North and the South in the original.
[1:39:20] Then please close the public hearing and consider adoption of resolution, confirming the benefit assessment rate reports for the fiscal year 2022 to 2023.
[1:39:31] Thank you for your support.
[1:39:34] Thank you.
[1:39:35] Officially open the public hearing.
[1:39:38] Are there any comments or questions from members of the board?
[1:39:44] Seeing none.
[1:39:46] We'll open it to the public or anyone here in the chambers wish to comment on this item.
[1:39:50] seeing none. It's anyone on Zoom that was to come in. We do not have any speakers for this item.
[1:39:56] All right. Then I'll return to the board for action.
[1:39:58] You know, Mr. Chair, just one brief comment of appreciation. I know that we try and ever
[1:40:02] year to acknowledge that this we're very fortunate in our community to have those that are working
[1:40:07] on this issue work on this issue. It's a very small cost for each community member to really
[1:40:14] prevent what could be a very serious outbreak, which we've seen across the world in other situations.
[1:40:18] and so I just want to appreciate the staff that they do this work behind the scenes and I'll move
[1:40:23] the recommendations. Second, thank you. So we have a motion. I should provide a friend.
[1:40:29] That next second, I should supervise your make sure.
[1:40:31] Before the discussion. Seeing none, clerk will call vote please.
[1:40:36] Supervisor Friend. Hi. Coonerty.
[1:40:41] Capit.
[1:40:44] Supervisor Capit.
[1:40:49] Do you want to make first in? Hi.
[1:40:52] Thank you.
[1:40:54] That passes unanimously.
[1:40:55] Thank you.
[1:40:56] That resolution being adopted for the benefit assessment rate reports for service areas.
[1:41:02] We will now close the public hearing.
[1:41:06] And proceed to item 10.
[1:41:09] To consider adopting resolution, improving the Santa Cruz County active transportation plan,
[1:41:13] which identifies projects to reduce barriers to walking and biking,
[1:41:17] as outlined in the memorandum of the deputy CAO,
[1:41:19] Director of Community Development and Infrastructure for presentation on this item we have Russell
[1:41:25] Chen and Amelia Conlin. Welcome.
[1:41:40] I don't think so.
[1:41:41] Go ahead and press the gray button on the base of microphone.
[1:41:46] Thank you.
[1:41:56] Slide's presentation.
[1:41:58] Good
[1:42:12] morning, Chair Coneg.
[1:42:13] The members of the board.
[1:42:15] My name is Russell Chen and with Community Development and Infrastructure.
[1:42:19] And I have here with me Amelia Conlin with the College of Action.
[1:42:22] And we're here to present the Santa Cruz County Active Transportation Plan.
[1:42:27] Next slide, please.
[1:42:32] This is what we'll cover.
[1:42:35] We'll go over the plan overview and timeline.
[1:42:38] Public outreach, process and findings.
[1:42:41] Recommendation process and overview.
[1:42:45] Project evaluation and plan implementation.
[1:42:52] Before we get into the plan,
[1:42:53] I'd like to acknowledge that this was a collaborative effort.
[1:42:57] We partnered with Planning, Health Service Agency,
[1:43:01] Call G-Action, Bixana Cruz County, and we also had a stakeholder committee
[1:43:07] that was made up of residents, local business owners, and other agencies, and they provided
[1:43:14] valuable input. Can you next slide, please?
[1:43:21] The active transportation plan,
[1:43:22] The vision is to create a network of biking and walking routes that connect key destinations
[1:43:30] within the county and are safe, comfortable, and accessible for community members of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
[1:43:40] The plan is for the unincorporated county.
[1:43:43] It doesn't include the cities, the cities have their own plan.
[1:43:46] The plan is focused on the urbanized areas of the county.
[1:43:53] It updates the 2011 bicycle transportation plan.
[1:44:00] It is also the first comprehensive plan for future pedestrian facilities.
[1:44:07] The plan would help to prioritize projects, especially because of limited funding.
[1:44:15] It would help identify most competitive projects for grant funding opportunities.
[1:44:22] It also includes connections to the coast rail trail, but does not address trail design.
[1:44:30] With that, I'll turn it over to Amelia.
[1:44:34] Thank you, Russell.
[1:44:35] Next slide.
[1:44:37] So I will, my name is Amelia Conland.
[1:44:39] I'm a planner with a college action and we were happy to partner with the county on this plan.
[1:44:43] And I'll talk about the project timeline and the public outreach process.
[1:44:49] This was about a two-year process to develop the active transportation plan and our timeline was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
[1:44:56] We had originally planned on starting public outreach in spring of 2020.
[1:45:00] But that was pushed to fall 2020. And then we spent most of last year developing the draft recommendations that you see in the plan.
[1:45:07] We also held two temporary demonstration projects to test out some of the draft recommendations from the plan. And I'll talk a little bit more about those in a few slides.
[1:45:16] We developed the draft plan in fall of 2021 and release the draft plan for public comment this spring and we're here before you to present the final plan. Next slide.
[1:45:27] So here's an overview of the public outreach that was conducted during this planning process.
[1:45:32] We did again have to shift our outreach strategies due to COVID-19 away from in-person events
[1:45:38] and towards social media and digital outreach.
[1:45:42] We held three virtual public meetings and in shifting away from outreach to them person events.
[1:45:49] We ended up doing some in-person tabling in parks and neighborhoods trying to reach people where they were already walking and biking.
[1:45:55] And that ended up being an effective strategy and allowed us to reach people in different parts of the county that were not reached through our online outreach.
[1:46:04] We also held the two temporary demonstration events to test out some of the draft recommendations from the plan.
[1:46:10] We developed a project website with an interactive map where people could leave comments on the barriers to walking and biking and the types of projects that they would like to see in the future.
[1:46:18] and we received 342 comments through that mapping tool.
[1:46:22] We received 600 responses to an online survey and reached about 4,500 people through social media.
[1:46:29] And we had a great group of partners helping to share those social media posts and get the word out there.
[1:46:35] As Russell mentioned, we pulled together a stakeholder committee at the beginning of a planning process that included
[1:46:40] residents from around the county, local business owners, and staff of partner agencies and organizations
[1:46:46] and they advised us throughout the planning process.
[1:46:50] We also held eight neighborhoods stakeholder group meetings.
[1:46:54] And this was a really a way to slash out the comments that we received during the first phase of public outreach
[1:47:00] and make sure that we were hearing from folks from across the and incorporated county.
[1:47:05] And so we held small group meetings with stakeholders from Davenport
[1:47:08] from each of the communities in the San Lorenzo Valley from Santa Cruz Gardens,
[1:47:12] the investing neighborhood and the college road neighborhood outside of Watsonville.
[1:47:17] And that really helped to give us a clear picture about the barriers and constraints
[1:47:20] to walking and biking in those areas.
[1:47:23] And then finally we presented to the Regional Transportation Commission's Advisory
[1:47:27] Committees, both the Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Elderly and Disabled
[1:47:31] Transportation Advisory Committee as well as the Community Traffic Safety Coalition
[1:47:36] throughout the planning process. Next slide.
[1:47:40] And here's just a very high level overview of what we heard throughout all of that public outreach.
[1:47:47] We heard from the majority of survey responses that respondents that they would like to be walking or biking more for their daily trips to school to work and for errands.
[1:47:58] So there was a lot of interest shown in safe walking and biking.
[1:48:03] We ask people about the top barriers or the top concerns that they have about walking and biking now in the unincorporated county and the top response probably not surprisingly was missing sidewalks followed by unsafe intersections aggressive drivers and high traffic speeds.
[1:48:21] And when we ask people at the public meetings what types of projects they would like to see going forward.
[1:48:26] Separation from motor vehicle traffic was a theme that came up.
[1:48:30] We heard about a desire for more separated bikeways that have a barrier between people walking or people biking and moving traffic.
[1:48:38] Of course, we heard a lot of support for the coastal rail trail support for more sidewalks and more off street paths.
[1:48:44] So really a lot of interest in walking and biking and hearing that more separation is going to help people feel safe doing that.
[1:48:52] Next slide.
[1:48:54] We also hosted two temporary installations as part of the planning process and this is something new for Santa Cruz County. The goal here was to test out some of the draft recommendations from the plan on a temporary basis as a way to get feedback from the community here, whether they thought that these projects should be made permanent.
[1:49:14] It's also a way to test how the designs work in practice.
[1:49:18] So really a trial before the county moves forward with a permanent project.
[1:49:23] And our first project was a class one separated path on green valley road between a messy road
[1:49:29] and Pinto Lake Road, connecting a messy elementary and Pinto Lake City Park.
[1:49:34] And we heard that this stretch was really a priority, especially for the school community.
[1:49:39] And we heard a lot of positive feedback from the public on this project, and the county has actually moved forward and successfully applied for a clean California grant and been awarded $5 million for a two mile 10 foot wide separated paths along with bus stop improvements and landscaping and education programming at a messy elementary.
[1:50:02] So, this is exactly what we're hoping to see from the type of project we want to demonstrate that it works and it has community support and then move forward with grant applications.
[1:50:12] Excellent.
[1:50:15] Our next installation project was on Portola Drive.
[1:50:19] Between 41st Avenue and 36th Avenue and the design for this project was based on the Portola Drive streetscape study that was completed a few years back and had a lot of community input.
[1:50:31] For this project, we temporarily changed the roadway from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane.
[1:50:40] And that allowed us to install temporary class four separated bikeways on each side of the street.
[1:50:45] We also added some intersection improvements.
[1:50:48] And the feedback on this project was much more mixed.
[1:50:51] We did hear some support from cyclists who liked the changes.
[1:50:55] But we heard a lot of frustration from community members about this lower travel times.
[1:50:59] going through this corridor. And so the recommendations for Portola Drive were revised as a result
[1:51:04] of that feedback from Class 4 separated by Quizz to Class 2 enhanced bike lanes.
[1:51:10] There's some more work that the county is doing to study future changes on Portola Drive and
[1:51:15] there will be more community process before any major changes are made on this corridor.
[1:51:21] Next slide. And then the final stage of the public outreach process was releasing the draft plan
[1:51:27] for public comment that went live on our project website at the end of February and was up
[1:51:33] for a month.
[1:51:34] We received 67 comments from the public and that resulted in 16 new or revised projects
[1:51:40] in our project list and 42 changes overall to plan content to text or maps within the
[1:51:46] point.
[1:51:48] Next slide.
[1:51:51] So I'll talk a little bit about how we developed the recommendations in this plan and
[1:51:55] then turn it over to Russell.
[1:51:57] We had a two-pronged approach here.
[1:52:01] Our first step to develop these recommendations was working with the consultant.
[1:52:05] Copenhagenized Design Company.
[1:52:07] And they conducted a data analysis of all county roadways based on existing by
[1:52:12] competitor facilities, collision data, disadvantaged communities data,
[1:52:16] and the number of public comments that we received around each corridor.
[1:52:20] And they used that data analysis to score each roadway in the county
[1:52:24] and then selected the top 30 top scoring streets to develop court.
[1:52:30] Or recommendations that impact the entire court or entire length of a street. We also added to that list all of the projects or all of the corridors that are prioritized for bike and pedestrian use in the general plan sustainability update. So making sure that all of the streets classified as active to connectors and main streets were also included on the list to have court or recommendations developed.
[1:52:54] And then Copenhagenized developed a typology system that
[1:52:59] Russell will go into in a moment and assign each of those top-scoring streets a typology
[1:53:04] recommendation.
[1:53:06] We also fleshed out that recommendations list by looking at public comments.
[1:53:12] So all of the public comments that we received during public outreach were reviewed and all
[1:53:16] of the ones that related to a specific location or that could be addressed through an infrastructure
[1:53:21] change were reviewed with the project team. And we really took a deep dive into all of these
[1:53:28] comments and had a conversation about what a possible recommendation could be to address the
[1:53:33] issue that was brought up in the public comment. And so that process resulted in 136 recommendations
[1:53:38] for new sidewalks for intersection improvements and other spot treatment recommendations throughout
[1:53:44] the county. And then finally we added recommendations from previous planning efforts for new
[1:53:50] and pedestrian projects to this plan in order to give the county a comprehensive list of
[1:53:55] bike and pedestrian projects going forward. And so recommendations for county roadways from
[1:54:00] the Highway 9 Complete Streets Courdors Plan are in this list. Projects from the Complete Streets
[1:54:06] the School of Plan, which was completed a few years back. And then the segments of the Monterey
[1:54:10] Bay thanks for receiving trail in the Unincorporated County are added to the project list as well.
[1:54:17] And with that, it will turn it over to Dressel.
[1:54:19] Thanks, Amelia.
[1:54:21] So I'm going to go over to some of the recommendations and the quarter typologies.
[1:54:30] These recommendations and the plan address entire roadways and long stretches of roadways.
[1:54:36] The picture on your left there is a long distance rule route.
[1:54:40] rural roadways that are that are too narrow for other types of bike infrastructures like on
[1:54:46] Yurek Canyon, Glenwood Drive and treatments may include signage striping to alert drivers to
[1:54:53] watch for cyclists. And then the two pictures in the middle there are traffic calm residential
[1:55:00] streets. These are low volume, low speed residential streets. Treatments may include curb extensions,
[1:55:10] And then that picture to your right is a class two bike lane.
[1:55:16] These are typically reserved for roads without large number of destinations.
[1:55:21] These are painted lines along the shoulders with at least five feet with for cyclists.
[1:55:28] Next slide please.
[1:55:32] The two pictures on your left there are a class two enhanced bicycle lanes.
[1:55:36] These are recommended for existing class two bike lanes with large number of destinations.
[1:55:43] They include striped buffers, green conflict markings, and protected intersection treatments.
[1:55:51] And then the picture in the middle there is a class one shared use path.
[1:55:55] These are typically on rural roads that connect important destinations for people walking and biking.
[1:56:02] They're a paved path that is completely separated from the street.
[1:56:08] And then last we have on your picture on the right,
[1:56:10] is a class for separated bikeway.
[1:56:13] These are our medium to high volume urban streets,
[1:56:16] such as Soquel Drive.
[1:56:19] Is it on street bike paths that is separated from the motor vehicle,
[1:56:23] by a vertical element?
[1:56:26] Next slide please.
[1:56:28] This map kind of shows an overview of all the improvements,
[1:56:34] a quarter improvements, recommendations, and these are the short-term ones.
[1:56:40] Next slide, please.
[1:56:43] Sidewalking intersection recommendations, these are sidewalks and
[1:56:47] spot treatment type recommendations.
[1:56:49] There are a number of recommendations in this plan, so I'll just highlight a few of those.
[1:56:55] We have green conflict markings for bike lanes.
[1:56:59] These are typically at our intersections where our highest conflicts are.
[1:57:04] We also have high visibility pedestrian crossings.
[1:57:08] So, typical crosswalks standard crosswalks are two parallel lines.
[1:57:14] And the high visibilities are the ladder and the piano-style crosswalks.
[1:57:20] And then leading pedestrian intervals.
[1:57:22] This is at the signalized intersection and with the signals change, this will give the pedestrians a head start.
[1:57:35] And then to take advantage of some of our routine maintenance, we're already incorporating some of these recommendations as part of our resurfacing projects.
[1:57:50] So, our general plan update will include a draft, vision zero policy, and then planning on the planning on the, we're also planning on the design criteria updates to support bike and pedestrian facilities.
[1:58:07] And as part of our active transportation grants, we have, and we will continue to have education
[1:58:16] and encouragement programs associated with infrastructure improvements.
[1:58:21] And then as part of the plan recommendations, we'll be looking to develop bike parking
[1:58:27] with that.
[1:58:28] I'll turn it over to back over to Amelia.
[1:58:33] Thank you.
[1:58:35] So next I'll talk just a little bit about the evaluation criteria.
[1:58:38] And so the next step of the planning process was to score each of the infrastructure projects,
[1:58:43] included in the plan, based on the criteria that you see on this slide.
[1:58:48] And I want to provide some context about the purpose of this exercise.
[1:58:51] We're not trying to determine the order in which the county constructs projects or say which projects will be constructed in which one's
[1:58:58] We're really trying to provide a tool here that you as decision makers and county staff can use to match these projects to the best possible print funding source and to prioritize between projects knowing that there's never enough funding to go around to construct all of these.
[1:59:16] So just wanted to provide that context, and so each of the projects was scored based on
[1:59:22] five criteria starting with safety.
[1:59:25] This was the most heavily weighted criteria, and so we're looking at proximity to buy
[1:59:29] combidestering collisions here.
[1:59:30] This is something that grant-sunders look at in your grant applications.
[1:59:36] And we know that this is not a perfect metric.
[1:59:38] We know that there are some corridors in the Unincorporated County where people don't feel
[1:59:43] safe enough to walk or bike now. And so we don't see bike in pedestrian collisions. But this is the best available data that we have to work with. And it is something that Grant funders look at. So this was this was the way that we have to use to create the safety metric. We also.
[2:00:00] Awarded points to projects if they close a gap in the existing bicycle of pedestrian network or if they
[2:00:05] install new infrastructure for people with disabilities. And so this was primarily new sidewalk projects
[2:00:12] or new bike facility projects where there are no bike facilities now. We also awarded points to projects
[2:00:19] that are low in cost or complexity. And the goal here was to provide the county with a list of
[2:00:26] projects that may be relatively easier to install, so projects that are not the multi-million
[2:00:32] dollar multi-use path, but projects that involve mainly signage and striping and may be able
[2:00:38] to be constructed using local funds. We also looked at equity and awarded points to projects
[2:00:45] that serve disadvantaged communities as defined by the regional transportation plan. And again,
[2:00:51] this is something that grant funders look for.
[2:00:54] And finally, we awarded points to projects
[2:00:56] that were identified in community comments.
[2:00:59] So if a project came up frequently
[2:01:01] and had five or more comments around that location,
[2:01:04] it received five points.
[2:01:06] If a project was identified by two or more community comments,
[2:01:09] it received five points.
[2:01:12] Next slide.
[2:01:14] So after we had completed that scoring exercise,
[2:01:17] we developed a top priority project list
[2:01:20] for each of the districts.
[2:01:22] Again, this is not necessarily,
[2:01:24] it's not necessarily the only projects
[2:01:25] that will be constructed in these districts,
[2:01:27] but this is meant as a tool for you to be able to see
[2:01:30] which projects score highly using this criteria.
[2:01:34] And we were aiming for a top five top priority project list,
[2:01:38] which ended up being very tricky,
[2:01:41] because many of the projects were tied for the number one
[2:01:43] or the number two spot.
[2:01:45] So you should see here the top eight priority project list
[2:01:48] for District 1. I think we have 20 something projects on the District 2 list. Again, that doesn't
[2:01:55] mean more projects will be constructed more quickly in District 2. It's really meant as a tool.
[2:02:01] Thanks, slide. And I'll turn it back over to Russell.
[2:02:05] Thanks, really.
[2:02:09] So plan implementation. We have a large list of projects with limited funding, as you know.
[2:02:16] So, for large projects, we'll need to leverage local funding with grant funding and then we'll also look to incorporate some of these projects as part of development.
[2:02:29] And we'll also take advantage of ongoing maintenance projects as I mentioned earlier to incorporate bike and pedestrian improvements.
[2:02:37] We have done this in the past and we'll continue to do this.
[2:02:42] Next slide,
[2:02:45] the recommended action is to adopt the resolution, approving the Santa Cruz County Active Transportation Plan.
[2:02:53] With that?
[2:02:54] Is there any questions?
[2:02:56] Thank you, Mr. Chan.
[2:02:57] Thank you, Ms. Conlon.
[2:02:58] Questions or comments from members of the board?
[2:03:01] Yeah, I really appreciate this.
[2:03:05] Me and board member of the Regional Transportation Commission as well as Metro.
[2:03:08] There are really essential, probably as many comments
[2:03:12] if any subject I get is on transportation,
[2:03:15] not only of those two agencies,
[2:03:17] but throughout my visits in the county.
[2:03:20] And I just want to congratulate the Public Works team
[2:03:23] for this effort, and especially you, Mr. Chan,
[2:03:25] and the Ecology Action and this comment.
[2:03:29] And for me, as much as such a small county,
[2:03:31] we really have enormous challenges with that
[2:03:34] we have and so forth if our transportation systems and I it's terrific that we do have this transportation plan. We really needed it as a footprint to say which way we want to go, excuse the pun.
[2:03:48] But I just really do appreciate you're getting forward moving forward.
[2:03:53] You're correct there's a lot of projects at little funding we haven't heard of that dilemma before, but in the meantime, if I could just encourage every motorist as you said,
[2:04:03] We could make everybody as motorists and drivers.
[2:04:09] If we just toned it down and not be so aggressive in our driving,
[2:04:13] and just slow it down a little, just toned it down.
[2:04:15] I think we could do that in every part of our society throughout this county.
[2:04:20] But this is really something we desperately need.
[2:04:24] And I think it's a good, good, as I footprint again to get us started and going somewhere.
[2:04:30] and they're taking a lot of time to get here and you'll talk to take a lot of time to implement this,
[2:04:35] but it's desperately needed and people really wanted it in Santa Cruz County, so I appreciate all of your efforts
[2:04:40] and everybody else who participated in this effort. Thank you.
[2:04:44] Thank you, Supervisor McPherson.
[2:04:47] Thank you for joining us.
[2:04:49] I'll add on to that appreciation, but also note that, you know, our county has one of the highest incidents
[2:04:54] of vehicle versus pedestrian and vehicle versus bicycle incidents in the state of California
[2:04:59] depending upon the year. Sometimes we have some of the highest levels of fatality and injuries
[2:05:03] associated with it and it's been that way for quite some time. Having a planning document
[2:05:10] like this position ourselves for better funding, moving through the state, as was evidenced by
[2:05:15] Ms. Conlon, the work that was recently done on Green Valley Road, is the first step of future improvements
[2:05:21] that will erase that issue within our community from a safety standpoint. It's not just
[2:05:27] affording people and alternative needs of transportation. It's also affording them as safe
[2:05:33] method to do alternative methods of transportation. And I think that this document is an important
[2:05:40] marker to accomplish that because ultimately we're going to need the funding for these improvements
[2:05:44] throughout the county. So I just want to add that appreciation and also the recognition
[2:05:48] as through a seismic person that noted that we have challenges in our community and those challenges
[2:05:54] represented yearly in the switters data through
[2:05:57] California Office of Traffic Safety that do show that we
[2:06:00] have a disproportionate number of issues here that face pedestrians and
[2:06:05] bicyclists and hopefully a document like this can position ourselves to
[2:06:08] make those improvements moving forward.
[2:06:10] Thank you.
[2:06:11] Thank you, Supervisor Friend.
[2:06:15] Yes, certainly we face enormous challenges in terms of safety here on our roads.
[2:06:20] And we know that members of the public as you're as the plan shows
[2:06:23] want to change modes, want to do more walking and biking and so it's fantastic to have this.
[2:06:28] It was to project, it will help them to do that. I know as Supervisor McPherson said,
[2:06:33] we do receive lots of comments about potential safety improvements on our roads,
[2:06:38] whether it's more sidewalks or safer intersections. And I throughout the course of creating this
[2:06:43] plan I forwarded into a lot of those over to you and it's great to see all of those represented
[2:06:47] in the plan. I've had lots of opportunity to provide comments myself on this plan. Those are also
[2:06:53] represented here, so it is a very comprehensive plan, and hopefully we can execute as much
[2:06:58] of it as possible. And I'll just say, also with the pop-up projects, we really both
[2:07:04] are incredibly valuable. I don't think we can expect everything that we conceive of on paper
[2:07:10] to ultimately be successful. And I think that most importantly, we realized just how important this
[2:07:16] build measure-learn process is and hopefully we can continue to do more similar projects going
[2:07:21] on some of the more significant changes being reviewed here.
[2:07:27] That's right.
[2:07:28] To provide the capital, anything that you want.
[2:07:30] Just thank you for the report. I think it's, it's great for the committee. Thank you. Thank you. All right. I'll open it for public comment. Does anyone add a public to this or comment on this item? We have no one here in the chambers, we're going to speak if anyone on Zoom. We do have one speaker.
[2:07:50] and apologies
[2:07:56] when they have two speakers.
[2:08:00] Call in user three.
[2:08:02] Your microphone is now available.
[2:08:15] The friend I just asked, I don't mean
[2:08:17] for a part of this, but I have a question.
[2:08:20] What is eSign mean?
[2:08:23] And also, we're talking about safety and walking and driving.
[2:08:33] And we've read our signs, aren't not safe.
[2:08:37] They're highly dangerous.
[2:08:38] So they're working my way for radiation.
[2:08:42] I have a painful reaction in my body every time I go by one.
[2:08:48] And there are signs that could be put up about crosswalks
[2:08:51] that just show a person walking across.
[2:08:54] It's not like you're getting exact.
[2:08:58] So my question is what part of this involves wireless.
[2:09:23] I'm sorry, Teresa Roderson, your microphone is available.
[2:09:28] Thank you.
[2:09:29] Hi.
[2:09:29] This is Teresa.
[2:09:30] I just want to say that it was in a lot of meetings.
[2:09:37] I would have had a year or so with Russell and Amelia.
[2:09:41] I just wanted to commend them both on their leadership in this project.
[2:09:45] It was very challenging to do outreach, especially during the pandemic.
[2:09:49] But we found creative ways to do that and not only connected with the communities in the
[2:09:58] end incorporated area, but also made some connections within our agencies.
[2:10:05] We were working side by side with the road crews and that sort of thing.
[2:10:11] So it was a really, you know, like you were saying earlier, it was a really educational process
[2:10:18] to go through. And we hope it was the same for the community members that were engaged in it with us.
[2:10:24] And just wanted to say thank you to Amelia and Russell for their leadership.
[2:10:31] Thank you.
[2:10:34] We have no additional speakers.
[2:10:36] All right, been all our turn into the board for action.
[2:10:42] Move the recommended actions.
[2:10:44] Second motion by supervisor.
[2:10:46] First and second by supervisor friend.
[2:10:48] Any further discussion?
[2:10:50] Seeing none, clerk, we'll call the police.
[2:10:52] Supervisor friend.
[2:10:53] All right.
[2:10:55] Coonerty?
[2:10:55] Aye.
[2:10:57] Capit?
[2:10:57] Aye.
[2:10:58] McPherson?
[2:10:59] And Coenic.
[2:11:00] Aye.
[2:11:01] Thank you.
[2:11:01] That item passes unanimously.
[2:11:03] Thank you.
[2:11:04] The Senate Cruz County Act of Transportation Plan being approved.
[2:11:07] Thank you.
[2:11:08] Again, both Mr. Chan and Ms. Conlin.
[2:11:11] We will proceed to item 11.
[2:11:15] Item 11 is the Board of Directors of the Davenport County Sanitation District.
[2:11:19] of a public hearing to consider ordinance
[2:11:21] amendment title three of the district code
[2:11:23] establishing 222223 water service charges
[2:11:27] and ordinance amendment title four of
[2:11:29] the district code establishing 222223
[2:11:31] sewer service charges for the
[2:11:34] damport County sanitation district
[2:11:35] correct the clerk of the board to place the
[2:11:37] ordinance on the May 24 2022 agenda
[2:11:39] for final adoption set Tuesday June 28 2022
[2:11:43] at 9 a.m. or thereafter as the date
[2:11:45] and time for a public hearing on the
[2:11:48] there was charge reports and take related
[2:11:50] the actions is outlined in the memorandum
[2:11:52] of the district engineer.
[2:11:54] Officially open the public hearing and for a presentation
[2:11:57] on the side of we have Ashley Trujillo.
[2:11:59] Thank you.
[2:12:00] Thank you, board.
[2:12:02] So we are here today to talk.
[2:12:03] We'll just check your mic, please.
[2:12:09] Is that work?
[2:12:10] Thanks, I'll be yes, thanks.
[2:12:12] Good morning, Board of Directors.
[2:12:14] This is Ashley Trujillo, senior engineer
[2:12:16] for the Daubinport County Sanitation District.
[2:12:19] Today was set as the date for the public hearing to consider the ordinance establishing charges
[2:12:25] to the sewer service, and for the sewer service charges for the district that will be effective
[2:12:31] as July 1, 2022. These charges have been developed by the district's revenue consultant
[2:12:37] hornberger engineering and are set to be in proportion with the cost of service for each customer
[2:12:43] classification. The water service charge is proposed with a 9, 4.9% increase with a 5.1%
[2:12:53] individual maximum. The proposed sewarts service charges of generating $100,000 to cover the
[2:13:00] district share towards approximately $2.8 million in grant-funded projects. The remaining funds
[2:13:07] generated by the increase are necessary to meet projected operation and maintenance requirements
[2:13:13] of the water system for the town of Dalton Port. With the district required to set aside capital
[2:13:20] to move forward with the grant-funded water projects and take into account recent completed sewer projects.
[2:13:27] The capital budget for the sewer system has been reduced to $14,000 for this fiscal year.
[2:13:33] The reduction results in a proposed sewer service charge decrease of 3.5% overall with a 2.7%
[2:13:42] individual minimum decrease. Therefore, we recommend that the board hold the public hearing
[2:13:50] and upon its conclusion consider approval and concept of the ordinances amending district
[2:13:55] co-title 3 chapter 3.08 article 3 section 3.08163033.08180 for water service charges and district
[2:14:06] Code Title 4, Chapter 4.0A, Article 3, Section 4.0A, 1, 6, 0, 3, 4.0A, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8, 0, for
[2:14:14] a sewer service charges for the Daven Park County Sanitation District.
[2:14:19] Also, Director Clerk of the Board to place the ordinances on the May 24, 2022 agenda for final
[2:14:25] adoption.
[2:14:27] Set Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 9 a.m., where thereafter is the day in time for the public
[2:14:32] hearing on the sewer service charge reports and direct the clerk of the board to publish
[2:14:36] the notice of public hearing once a week for two weeks before the hearing and a newspaper
[2:14:40] of General Circulation. I'm available up for questions.
[2:14:44] Thank you, Ms. Trujillo. There are any questions or comments from members of the board.
[2:14:49] The other comment I have is, as well now, that Davenport folks pay some of the highest water and
[2:14:55] rates in the state, in the country, because there's just some
[2:15:00] All district and the costs are spread among a small number of users. I want to think a moment to thank Ashley and the public work staff for doing everything they can to keep those rates low, but also ensure that we're meeting the water quality standards and the other requirements and keeping a system functional and it's always delicate balance. But I appreciate over my time on the board. The work that's got to balance those competing needs.
[2:15:29] Thank you.
[2:15:30] Thank you.
[2:15:31] Supervisor Kennedy.
[2:15:33] Before the comments or questions,
[2:15:34] Seeing none.
[2:15:35] Open it for public comment.
[2:15:36] Is there anyone on zoom?
[2:15:38] Motion to comment on this item.
[2:15:39] We have no speaker's views in.
[2:15:41] Right.
[2:15:41] And I'll return it to the board for action.
[2:15:44] I'll move the recommended actions.
[2:15:47] Second.
[2:15:48] Motion by supervisor.
[2:15:49] Kennedy.
[2:15:49] Second by supervisor friend.
[2:15:51] Any further discussion?
[2:15:53] Seeing none.
[2:15:54] Clerk will call vote.
[2:15:55] Please.
[2:15:56] Supervisor friend.
[2:15:57] Aye.
[2:15:57] Good. Good.
[2:15:59] Good.
[2:15:59] Good.
[2:16:00] Big person.
[2:16:02] I.
[2:16:02] And go.
[2:16:03] I.
[2:16:04] Thank you.
[2:16:04] That's.
[2:16:04] Thank you.
[2:16:06] Those ordinances being adopted in concept.
[2:16:09] The ordinance will be placed on the Jennifer final adoption on May 24th.
[2:16:13] And the rate changes replaced on our June 28 agenda for public hearing.
[2:16:18] Officially close the public hearing on that item.
[2:16:21] And we will proceed to item 12.
[2:16:26] As the Board of Directors of the Freedom Counties Sanitation District, public hearing to consider
[2:16:31] ordinance amending Title 3 of the district code establishing 2022-23 sewer service charges
[2:16:37] for the Freedom Counties Sanitation District, direct the clerk of the board to place the
[2:16:41] ordinance on the May 24th, 2022-age, end of the final adoption set Tuesday, June 28, 2022-9am
[2:16:47] or their actor is the date and time for a public hearing on the service charge reports and
[2:16:51] take related actions as outlined in the
[2:16:53] Miranda of the district engineer.
[2:16:55] And for a report on this item, we have once again,
[2:16:57] Ashley for you.
[2:16:58] Thank you very much.
[2:17:00] And I will officially open the public hearing.
[2:17:03] On March 8, 2020, the board said today is the date
[2:17:07] for the public hearing to consider the ordinance
[2:17:10] establishing charges to the sewer service charges
[2:17:12] for the Freedom County's sanitation district.
[2:17:15] It will be effective as of July 1, 2020, too.
[2:17:18] The proposed service charges reflect an overall increase of 7.4% with a 9.4% individual maximum.
[2:17:27] These increases are necessary to adequately find the district's treatment, maintenance,
[2:17:33] and operational costs as well as fund capital improvements for the district's aging sewer system.
[2:17:39] We therefore recommend that the board hold the public hearing and apply its conclusion
[2:17:43] consider approval and concept of the ordinance and many district code title 3,
[2:17:48] adopted 3.0 a article 3 section 3.0 a establishing the 2020-2223 sewer service charges for
[2:17:55] the Freedom County Sanitation of District. Direct the clerk of the board to place the ordinance
[2:18:00] on the May 24th, 2020 agenda for final adoption. Set Tuesday, July 28, 2022 at 9 a.m. or
[2:18:08] after as the date and time for a public hearing on the sewer on the service
[2:18:13] tribes reports and direct the click of the board to publish the notice of
[2:18:16] public hearing once a week for two weeks before the hearing in a newspaper
[2:18:20] of general circulation available for questions.
[2:18:23] Thank you, Mr. Io. Any comments or questions for members of the board?
[2:18:28] Seeing none, are there any members of the public wishing to comment on this item?
[2:18:33] I think we have no speakers for this item.
[2:18:35] Right, then I'll return to the board for action.
[2:18:39] I will for approval.
[2:18:42] Second, motion my supervisor cap.
[2:18:45] Second, my supervisor friend.
[2:18:47] Any further discussion?
[2:18:48] Seeing none.
[2:18:49] Clerk roll call out please.
[2:18:50] Supervisor friend.
[2:18:52] Aye.
[2:18:53] Coonerty.
[2:18:54] Capit.
[2:18:55] Aye.
[2:18:56] McPherson.
[2:18:58] Enconic.
[2:18:59] I.
[2:18:59] Sidenpasses unanimously.
[2:19:01] Thank you.
[2:19:01] That ordinance being adopted in concept.
[2:19:03] or turn to our final hearing on May 24th and the rate charges will return for public hearing on June 28th.
[2:19:12] Now, thank you, Mr. Hill.
[2:19:14] We'll now proceed to item 13.
[2:19:17] A public hearing, if you consider, I'm sorry, I will close the public hearing for item 12.
[2:19:22] We'll move to item 13, public hearing to consider in concept ordinances of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz Mending Chapter 7.128
[2:19:31] And 13.10 of the Santa Cruz County Code for proposed modifications to setbacks for commercial cannabis cultivation in the commercial agricultural zone district and technical amendments and make findings of exemption from the California environmental quality act schedule the ordinance is for second reading and final adoption on May 24 2022 and take related actions as recommended by the planning commission and as outlined in the memorandum of the county administrative officer and for officers to open the public hearing.
[2:20:00] If we report on this item, we have our canvas licensing officer, Sam, we're 40.
[2:20:05] Thank you.
[2:20:06] Supervisor Coneck.
[2:20:07] Could I have the presentation?
[2:20:16] Mr. or just double check that your microphone is on.
[2:20:36] This is.
[2:20:37] Yeah, 13.
[2:20:53] Yeah.
[2:20:53] One moment.
[2:20:54] Sam.
[2:20:54] I just need to share it via zoom.
[2:20:56] One moment.
[2:21:07] Good morning board members.
[2:21:09] I'm here today to present ordinance amendments as recommended by this board and the planning commission.
[2:21:14] for context, the board has not been unanimous with regard to these amendments.
[2:21:22] I just want to give a quick review of how we got here.
[2:21:25] At the August 24th meeting, a board member identified an elevated community concerns surrounding
[2:21:30] cannabis cultivation in the CA zone adjacent to residential uses.
[2:21:35] The board directed staff to evaluate those concerns at a future meeting on October 19th,
[2:21:40] staff presented an analysis of those concerns in a variety of options for the board
[2:21:45] to consider moving forward.
[2:21:49] On October 19th, the board motion that was
[2:21:53] past stated revised setbacks in the CA to align with the original code approved.
[2:21:58] This includes a 400-foot setback from residences to outdoor grow areas,
[2:22:03] which is twice the setback of then allowed in other agricultural operations.
[2:22:08] The original code also allowed for setbacks down to 100 feet,
[2:22:11] subject to a level five use permit as a load as allowed in all other zone districts.
[2:22:16] and to further define setbacks for indoor cultivation to be 100 feet from residences to cultivation area and 50 feet from nursery operations to residences.
[2:22:29] Staff presented the code.
[2:22:30] Modifications to the Planning Commission at their February 9th hearing, at which time the Planning Commission
[2:22:34] recommended the board approve the proposed amendments and the determination. For clarity, the
[2:22:41] CEQA determination the Planning Commission reviewed was only applicable to Chapter 1310 modifications,
[2:22:48] and the CEQA determination presented for the board has been revised for county council to address
[2:22:53] changes to both chapters 13, 10 and 7.128.
[2:22:59] The proposed setback modifications will line the CA zone with all other zone districts
[2:23:04] for outdoor cultivation by increasing setbacks to 400 feet from adjacent residential structures.
[2:23:11] This was the originally approved setback until it was modified in June 2020.
[2:23:16] Setbacks for indoor cultivation are proposed to remain the same.
[2:23:19] setbacks for nursery operations are proposed to decrease to 50 feet. This is due to the nature of
[2:23:26] nurseries being similar to other commercial agricultural nurseries. The plants that these nurseries
[2:23:31] cannot flower, or there should not be any odor associated with these operations.
[2:23:39] Additional modifications to code are all minor in nature. They include clarifying some
[2:23:44] language to meet the original intention of code, removing some redundancy in paperwork,
[2:23:48] shifting the responsibility to county staff and allowing the CLO to designate responsibility
[2:23:54] to staff and formalizing the security plan approval process.
[2:24:01] Lastly, I'd like to answer any questions the board may have on the proposed ordinance
[2:24:04] modifications and say thank you for your time today.
[2:24:08] Thank you, Arthur.
[2:24:08] So before the questions or comments from members of the board,
[2:24:14] Mr. Chair, I don't have any
[2:24:15] questions.
[2:24:16] I do have some brief comments.
[2:24:18] I don't have any questions.
[2:24:20] I do have some brief comments.
[2:24:22] this process has gone over the last few years and it really only impacts two districts within
[2:24:28] the county. In fact, the board over time functionally wrote out some zones that would have impacted
[2:24:36] other districts, but yet here we are with all the impacts occurring within two districts. Those are
[2:24:41] the two districts are arguing for greater setbacks in lack of conflict with residential areas,
[2:24:48] but haven't been able to find a board majority and support.
[2:24:52] I mean, just a bit of this in perspective, a large part of this discussion over the last few
[2:24:57] years has been based on what ended up becoming a false premise of a sense of economic
[2:25:03] windfall and economic development and generation of possibilities associated with an industry
[2:25:08] that's in total freefall and economic collapse right now, none of the tax numbers that were
[2:25:14] estimated from the CLO's office or the CAO's office over the last few years have come to fruition.
[2:25:21] Many of the cultivators are seeking to not renew their licenses because of a difficult market.
[2:25:25] But yet, the way that this board is responding is saying the way that we're going to deal with that is by expanding the possibility into a market
[2:25:34] that isn't even possible to do it in areas that can create conflict as opposed to limiting it in areas that they would never be able to fill any way in areas
[2:25:42] that wouldn't create conflict. It doesn't make any policy sense. It doesn't make any reasonable
[2:25:47] sense. And there isn't a board member here that would actually vote to put this next to their
[2:25:51] house, but yet they're doing exactly that right now. And just to give a sense, I'm sort of
[2:25:56] what these set set backs are. I mean, just to put into perspective, I mean, most of these are
[2:26:00] smaller, right now I'm coaching my son's apt-ass little leg team, one of the coaches on a team.
[2:26:06] And now the team all fields are actually larger than the set back proposals that we're having here.
[2:26:12] where somebody is going to be literally living with a bedroom window, 100 feet in some situations
[2:26:16] or 50 feet if it's a nursery, such as a pitching mound, a distance. I mean, these are exceptionally
[2:26:22] small setbacks that are being proposed and we're celebrating them as though that there's some
[2:26:27] sort of expansion, but they're not really an expansion that has any true meaning for any of my constituents
[2:26:32] or supervisor capots constituents. I still think that since a lot of this was sold on a bill of goods
[2:26:38] on economic development that didn't have been reality.
[2:26:40] And I've heard my colleagues on the board bring it up.
[2:26:43] I'm going to, I'm going to, it was a key emphasis point
[2:26:45] of you at the last meeting, because the numbers were provided
[2:26:48] by the kind of a licensing officer about the quote
[2:26:51] unquote theoretical tax that would be lost.
[2:26:53] Should we do the restrictions that were from personal line
[2:26:57] that would only allow for 800 parcels
[2:27:01] to be grown as opposed to 1,400 parcels?
[2:27:04] You know, those numbers are even coming anywhere
[2:27:05] in your reality.
[2:27:06] and so why in the world when we're basing it off of that is a concept that we continue to expand and
[2:27:11] create these conflicts of residential zone districts. It's just been a disappointing process all together.
[2:27:17] It continues to be disappointing and I hope that the board would still consider the opportunity to
[2:27:21] move back to what we discussed which is to provide greater protection specifically against residential
[2:27:28] zone parcels. By the way, this still puts nearly all of the growing in my district. It still puts
[2:27:34] generally in a small portion and supervisor cap is district, it wouldn't extend it into any other district.
[2:27:40] As you know, there are absolutely no sites within supervisor Kennedy district, and there are at least as of now as one site and supervisor McPherson's district.
[2:27:48] So you think that there would be some sort of understanding or deference to those that are representing the area and the things that we believe to be issues,
[2:27:54] still allowing the entire industry to occur within our district, but instead trying to find a balance between that and the residential areas.
[2:28:02] So, I'm not going to be supportive of, I mean, just like I was last time with what's being proposed today, I'd welcome the thoughts of my colleagues on this in regards to whether there's a way to continue to make this better, the planning commission was was equally divided on a three two with the exact same concerns.
[2:28:17] And so that's, I do have a appreciation for all the work that Mr.
[2:28:21] Authority has done over the last few years in Mr. Reno in particular.
[2:28:24] I mean, it's an evolving and difficult industry with a lot of challenges associated with it.
[2:28:29] I just think that county staff that we need to challenge ourselves that when we make
[2:28:33] fact-based statements that help influence public policy.
[2:28:37] When those statements don't end up bearing fruit over time,
[2:28:40] you need to come back and actually acknowledge the board in the community that they're wrong.
[2:28:43] because policy makers make decisions based on these estimates and this information.
[2:28:48] So we have an equal responsibility to come back and say,
[2:28:50] look, you passed all these ordinances based on a promise that didn't end up being true.
[2:28:54] Should the board consider maybe revisions as a result of it?
[2:28:56] I've never seen that happen. Still waiting for it to happen.
[2:28:59] And I think that that's part of what's let us down the path of where we are today.
[2:29:04] Take a Mr. Chair.
[2:29:05] Thank you, Supervisor Friend.
[2:29:10] Any other comments?
[2:29:11] Members of the board?
[2:29:13] Supervisor Cabot.
[2:29:14] Thank you. I will repeat, I agree with Supervisor Friend, this directly affects residents
[2:29:29] and people in District 4, which is my district, and also Supervisor Friend's district.
[2:29:39] I guess what I'm getting out here is I almost always say I can't remember going contrary to
[2:29:48] something that is very personal to somebody some other supervisor's district.
[2:29:57] I figure they know they're ready to better this.
[2:30:00] I do, so I usually go along with the recommendation. In this case, district four, and the supervisor, friends, district are we have to deal with the green majority of most of all of the, you know, kind of kind of a setbacks.
[2:30:20] So, I found it difficult to understand why three out of the five would actually support this change.
[2:30:34] But anyway, if one of the other supervisors, reconsider and vote along with myself and voting no on this, but it's kind of like the game, right?
[2:30:50] Thank
[2:30:53] you, Supervisor Caba.
[2:30:58] All right, seeing no further questions or comments.
[2:30:59] Do any members of the public question to speak to this item?
[2:31:03] We do have one speaker, Vism.
[2:31:13] Vicky Shepherd, your microphone is available.
[2:31:18] Thank you.
[2:31:19] Supervisors, I want to give a special thanks to
[2:31:22] Supervisor Friend and Supervisor Caba for again,
[2:31:26] challenging the other three supervisors to
[2:31:29] consider how this would feel if it was in your backyard.
[2:31:32] And I am so, so disappointed with the way that vote came down if the last Board of Supervisors
[2:31:39] meeting.
[2:31:40] As I am directly affected to the one-ten Chris neighborhood, I spoke with others across
[2:31:46] the county in South County that are terrified about the fact that these setbacks are now even
[2:31:52] smaller to cultivation projects than you would even have at a cannabis shop in downtown
[2:32:02] Sacramento and downtown Santa Cruz. Now the Plan for Commission vote is that these proposed
[2:32:08] changes are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act Sequo, but is our understanding
[2:32:14] of Sequo that the county has responsibility to provide evidence to support its claim that these
[2:32:22] changes are exempt from sequela. And this has not been provided. Common sense would dictate
[2:32:29] that reducing the setbacks from what was previously proposed for indoor green houses in
[2:32:35] our industries would more likely negatively impact neighborhoods and the ambient environment
[2:32:42] as it will always. And we had so many neighbors show up. So many people from the county show up
[2:32:50] asking you to take this into consideration, and what my perspective in many others was that this was a pre-ordained decision by the other three county members and I am extremely disappointed.
[2:33:09] Thank you, Mr. Shepherd.
[2:33:11] Thank you.
[2:33:13] I have no further speakers for this item.
[2:33:17] All right, then I'll return to the board for action.
[2:33:22] With Cheryl, I'll make the recommended action.
[2:33:25] I'll just let me just preference because it's a great
[2:33:28] friend asked for input and I'll miss these dialogues
[2:33:32] that we have had over this issue for all these years.
[2:33:37] I'm sympathetic and I understand the frustration.
[2:33:41] I think the big difference is that this is an area that's
[2:33:45] on commercial agriculture, which means that it's the place where commercial
[2:33:50] agriculture will occur in our county.
[2:33:53] My district has a place that's known for college and education use,
[2:33:59] and it has big impacts.
[2:34:02] And sometimes the board has been supportive of trying to mitigate
[2:34:06] some of those impacts and sometimes they haven't.
[2:34:08] And we also are the place where almost all the county services, the jail, as well as all the services are provided and I would.
[2:34:21] I have neighbors every day asking me to move those services out of the city and into the unincorporated areas of the county.
[2:34:30] So each of us has specific impacts that are felt in our district that are different than other districts.
[2:34:35] We have to try to make the best policy a point out again that in these greenhouses, you can have hemp with no, no, essentially regulations or setbacks that have the same odor impacts that would have.
[2:34:52] You could have flowers being grown using pesticides. You could have all kinds of commercial iguses if you treat cannabis as a crop.
[2:35:01] This is the most regulated crop that we allow in our community and we're trying to find a balance between allowing it to be an industry, but while also creating setbacks and impacts because of the
[2:35:24] industrial hemp where there will be virtually no will be no county regulation or subbacks
[2:35:32] and say you could have similar impacts, more impacts if we don't create a way for the cannabis
[2:35:39] growers to operate this county. So I'll move the recommended action.
[2:35:47] Motion by supervisor
[2:35:48] Kennedy, second by supervisor McPherson, any further discussion? Supervisor Caput.
[2:35:53] Yeah, one, if county council can explain one more time why this is the ordinance does not require a four fifths vote rather than just simple majority.
[2:36:16] Because the law allows for for this ordinance to be adopted by three fifths, a zoning ordinance doesn't have to be adopted by four fifths.
[2:36:27] for
[2:36:31] the discussion.
[2:36:32] Mr. Chair, I appreciate it.
[2:36:33] I appreciate it.
[2:36:34] I appreciate it.
[2:36:34] I think that maybe then this border of future boards should consider on future updates that
[2:36:40] we, since these, it appears as though people feel that this is already related and non-impactful
[2:36:47] industry that we expand this into maybe timber production zones or other zones are within
[2:36:52] third and fifth district so that we can at least share that responsibility across the county
[2:36:56] and give more opportunities for the Canada
[2:36:58] to send a street to be throughout the county.
[2:37:01] Because historically we've moved it into one specific area
[2:37:04] for maybe that would actually be an interesting discussion
[2:37:09] for this board to have is ways that it can move
[2:37:12] into other agricultural andcillary zone districts.
[2:37:15] As you know, those are agricultural and zone districts
[2:37:18] that the board specifically precluded and perhaps
[2:37:22] moving forward that would be a discussion
[2:37:24] to have, I appreciate Supervisor Corneree's comments and that'll be voting now on the item.
[2:37:30] Thank you, supervisor friend. Seeing you for the discussion, clerk will call the police.
[2:37:37] Supervisor friend? No.
[2:37:39] Coonerty? Aye.
[2:37:42] Capit?
[2:37:43] No.
[2:37:44] McPherson?
[2:37:46] Aye.
[2:37:46] Coning?
[2:37:47] Aye.
[2:37:48] That item passes three to two.
[2:37:54] Thank you.
[2:37:55] That ordinance being approved in concept or turned our May 24th meeting for final adoption.
[2:38:01] No close public hearing.
[2:38:05] Right. We have remaining on our regular agenda today, a 130 item. So we'll now move into closed session. Take a 10 minute break and convenient closed session at 1150 and we'll see you back here for open session at 130. And there are no reportable items from closed session. Okay. Thank you very much.
[2:38:30] Thank you.
[2:38:42] We'll now resume the regular meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors with our schedule the item and I'm 14 before we do that though.
[2:38:52] Clerk, we please call the roll to make sure we have a room present.
[2:38:55] Absolutely. Supervisor, friend.
[2:38:57] Here.
[2:38:58] Coonerty.
[2:39:00] Capit.
[2:39:01] Here.
[2:39:02] McPherson.
[2:39:03] Enconic.
[2:39:04] Here.
[2:39:05] Thank you, Chair.
[2:39:05] You have a call.
[2:39:06] Thank you.
[2:39:07] So we will proceed with item 14, a public hearing to consider in concept accordance to the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz repealing Santa Cruz County Code section 13, 1066313, 10664 and a pending section 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 10, 13, 13, 13, 10, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 13, 13, 13, 14, 13, 13, 14.
[2:39:37] So regarding wireless communication facilities,
[2:39:40] a dock resolution of Fermi Amendments
[2:39:42] are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act,
[2:39:45] skimdly ordinance for final adoption on May 24th, 2022,
[2:39:48] and peak relay of actions is outlined
[2:39:49] in the memorandum of the inform director of planning.
[2:39:52] And for a report on a side of them,
[2:39:53] we have David Carlson, Senior Resource Planner.
[2:39:56] Thank you, Chair Coneck.
[2:39:58] The side and would overhaul the county's wireless facilities
[2:40:01] regulations by repealing and replacing the existing wireless
[2:40:05] regulations on December 7th, the Board conducted a study session on the proposed ordinance and on March 9th of 2022, the Planning Commission held the public hearing on the proposed ordinance and recommended approval by the Board of Supervisors.
[2:40:24] Could you bring up the slides, please?
[2:40:40] Thank you.
[2:40:44] Okay, so I'll start with some background information on regulation of wireless communication facilities and then explain why our local regulations need to be updated.
[2:40:54] I'll also include some images later in the presentation demonstrating some of the changes.
[2:41:02] The Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to promote competition and reduce
[2:41:08] regulation and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies.
[2:41:14] The Federal Law preserves local zoning authority over placement, construction and
[2:41:19] modification of wireless facilities, but with certain limitations.
[2:41:23] The county can't discriminate among providers or effectively prohibit personal wireless service.
[2:41:30] The county must act on permit applications within certain timelines and may not regulate based on the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions.
[2:41:40] Therefore, our local zoning authority can address issues such as citing, design, and operational impacts of wireless facilities, including designating zone districts where they are allowed.
[2:41:51] height limits, screening, and camouflaging standards, and address some physical impacts of placement and operation of wireless facilities, such as vegetation modification, grading, lighting, and noise.
[2:42:08] The county's existing wireless ordinances over 20 years old, and over that time various additional federal and state regulations and legal rulings have been issued to keep up with technology and streamline the local permit process.
[2:42:20] The first two limitations on local zoning authority that the county can't discriminate among providers and can't prohibit wireless service have been interpreted by the FCC and the federal courts to mean that the county must allow our wireless service provider to substantially reduce the significant gap in service, even if service is available in the same area by a different provider.
[2:42:39] However, the county retains the ability to require the gap, be reduced in the least intrusive manner and that has typically been determined through extensive alternative analysis and on certain applications by applying certain aesthetic requirements.
[2:42:55] Regarding permit processing timelines, the FCC has mandated shot clocks, which are very aggressive timelines for communities to act on certain types of wireless facility applications.
[2:43:06] And technical logical advances in experience with wireless facility installations have led to new definitions and requirements in federal and state law for small wireless facilities, modifications to existing facilities and installations in the public right away
[2:43:27] comparing the existing and proposed new ordinance is detailed in the crosswalk document attached to the board memo and some of the major changes are highlighted on this slide.
[2:43:36] Currently, co-location is only encouraged in the existing ordinance and in the new ordinance it would be required unless there is no existing facility that would provide substantially similar coverage.
[2:43:48] The list of prohibited zone districts would remain the same, but there would be some additional exceptions listed including small self facilities, co-locations and modifications of existing facilities.
[2:44:00] exceptions to prohibited zone districts would be considered based on an alternative analysis
[2:44:06] that documents a substantial reduction of a significant gap in the least intrusive manner.
[2:44:11] The new ordinance includes height standards with a requirement to minimize height and allow us
[2:44:17] for exceptions to height based on the same exception criteria.
[2:44:22] Whereas the existing ordinance requires processing all new wireless facilities permits at the
[2:44:28] The new ordinance proposes different permit types based on the type of facility.
[2:44:35] Basically, a discretionary permit, including standard public noticing, would continue to be required for new, non-correlated,
[2:44:42] co-located wireless facilities.
[2:44:44] But other common types of facilities would be processes building permits or encroachment permits.
[2:44:50] And the new ordinance includes new sections addressing facilities in the public right away and modifications of existing facilities.
[2:45:01] The difference short clock timelines reflect the nature of certain types of wireless facilities,
[2:45:08] collocation of wireless facilities and eligible modifications of existing wireless facilities.
[2:45:15] For example, have the shortest timeline for the county to act on the application of 60 days.
[2:45:21] By definition, these types of facilities can generally be constructed with minimal to no visual or operational impacts subject to certain criteria.
[2:45:30] The key criteria and the proposed ordinance for co-located facilities is not defeating any concealment elements of the existing wireless facility.
[2:45:40] Or adding concealment elements to the to the co-location that would render the facility completely nonvisible or architecturally integrated with the building or surrounding environment using screening or camouflaging techniques.
[2:45:54] So essentially the facility looks like a normal part of the building or surrounding environment.
[2:45:59] Additionally, the new ordinance would allow ministerial processing of new wireless facilities
[2:46:04] on existing commercial, industrial, or public facilities, including schools.
[2:46:10] The key criteria for these types of wireless communication facilities is either complete
[2:46:14] concealment, so if the facility is not visible at all, or are potentially integrated
[2:46:19] by previously described.
[2:46:24] And by the way, this image is of the Wilson-Tire facility,
[2:46:30] a structure in downtown SoCal, and there's a couple of
[2:46:32] wire facilities on the roof of this building.
[2:46:35] The antennas appear to be to look like stove pipes,
[2:46:40] and then the equipment enclosure looks like a normal,
[2:46:45] maybe air conditioning unit,
[2:46:47] enclosure that you would see on the top of a commercial building.
[2:46:51] And then this is an image of a public storage facility on Portola Drive and there is an existing wireless facility on the roof of this building behind that parapet in the back.
[2:47:05] So that would be completely concealed.
[2:47:18] It's also becoming increasingly common to construct small wireless facilities on existing infrastructure in the public right away.
[2:47:25] And the new ordinance includes a section specifically addressing these types of applications.
[2:47:30] They would generally be processed as ministerial encroachment permits by the community development infrastructure department.
[2:47:39] Provided they meet the definition of a small wireless facility or represent modifications of an existing wireless facility that qualify as an eligible facilities request.
[2:47:48] and that they need a specific criteria and the ordinance.
[2:47:53] Request for other types of wireless facilities in the public right away would not be processed
[2:47:57] as encroachment permits only, but would first require discretionary conditionally use permit
[2:48:03] processed by the community development and infrastructure department prior to obtaining
[2:48:09] an encroachment permit. The new ordinance includes objective criteria for review of wireless
[2:48:15] facilities in the public right away. They're qualified for an encroachment permit. Only to minimize impacts of these facilities in the right away.
[2:48:24] The criteria include a list of prohibited locations, specific criteria for wood utility poles and metal street light poles.
[2:48:31] Uh, dimensional criteria, including height and volume of antennas and equipment are the same as the definition and federal law of a small wireless facility.
[2:48:42] Additional criteria for wood facility poles include elements designed to minimize the visual clutter on the pole, including shrouding the antenna, concealing the cabling and equipment enclosures flush mounted and no wider than the pole.
[2:48:57] And from metal poles, the criteria is meant to achieve the same goal to minimize clutter, but they have an advantage that they are hollow and can house the wireless equipment internally or
[2:49:10] or separate ground-mounted equipment boxes.
[2:49:19] And here's a couple of images of wireless facilities on would utility poles in the right away. The image on the left is actually a simulation.
[2:49:29] And then you can see the wireless equipment and you're the bottom of the pool below the transmission lines and you can see the antenna on the top of the pool above the transmission lines.
[2:49:40] And then on the right, you can see the antenna below the transmission lines and below the street light.
[2:49:48] They're on the side of the pole and then you can see the equipment, you know, the bottom of the pole.
[2:50:01] And then here's an example from the manufacturer's brochure of a metal street light pole that is designed to house all the equipment internally to the pole with the antenna above the light standards.
[2:50:18] And there's an image on ocean street with the county building in the background and the Starbucks on the corner and that is a wireless antenna on top of that street light pole in the median and the equipment cabinet is in the background to the left and to that tree on the side of the road.
[2:50:47] The new ordinance includes a section specifically addressing modifications of existing wireless facilities to fully and accurately reflect the provisions of federal law, the spectrum act of 2012 that apply to these types of projects.
[2:51:01] These installations are called eligible facilities requests, which is defined as a modification that doesn't represent a substantial change to the tower base station.
[2:51:10] There's detail criteria in the ordinance defining a substantial change and again the key criteria is that the proposed modification must be limited and dimension and must not defeat the existing concealment elements of the existing tower or base station.
[2:51:27] These would be processed as ministerial building permits for encroachment permits depending on their location.
[2:51:32] And in this image, there is an existing facility in this tower on top of the Ben Lomond Fire Station.
[2:51:40] And so that eligible facilities request here that is within that same enclosure, meaning it does not defeat the existing concealment elements would be processed as a building permit only.
[2:51:54] And I'll show a couple of other examples of eligible facilities request that can include additional equipment or modifications of equipment on a tower,
[2:52:04] such as this as long as it meets certain dimensional criteria in terms of height and width.
[2:52:13] And then I wanted to show, finally, a couple of images of this is a monopole tree tower
[2:52:21] and aptoss and this would be a, you know, this was originally a new wireless facilities and so that would be processed.
[2:52:30] There's a discretionary permit, but also an eligible facility is request on this current installation. Could potentially be processes to build in permit.
[2:52:43] And then here's another image of a monopole disguises as a tree at the Positimpo Exit Offifyway 17.
[2:52:52] I don't know if you can notice it, but there is a tree in there that has antennas on it, or the fake tree in there that has antennas on it.
[2:53:03] And so, overall, the budget changes in the new ordinance generally consist of clarifying language, removal of repetition, and overhaul of the overall structure, meant to facilitate more efficient administration of the ordinance.
[2:53:16] There's new provisions for ministerial encroachment permits that will provide more efficient process to comply with the shortcut clock timelines in federal law.
[2:53:25] Certainly there remains many discretionary aspects of some of these types of applications and an effort was made in the new ordinance to provide language that will also facilitate more efficient processing of discretionary applications for wireless facilities.
[2:53:39] In addition, because the existing ordinance supplies both inside and outside the coastal zone.
[2:53:44] Staffers recommending repealing and replacing two identical versions of the ordinance, one inside and one outside the coastal zone.
[2:53:50] And so in this way, the existing ordinance will remain in effect inside the coastal zone until certification of the new ordinance by the coastal commission.
[2:54:00] And so staff is recommending that the Board of Supervisors conduct the public hearing to consider the proposed amendments to the Santa Cruz County code and local coastal program that modify regulations related to wireless communication facilities adopt the attached resolution finding the proposed amendments are consistent with the general plan and local coastal program.
[2:54:20] an exempt from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act
[2:54:25] and direct staff to file the CEQA notice of the exemption and submit the local coastal
[2:54:30] program amendments to the California Coastal Commission for Certification.
[2:54:35] Approve in concept and ordinance repealings and occurs county code sections 1310 660 through
[2:54:42] 1616, adding sections 1316, 0-664,
[2:54:48] a Mending section 1310.312,
[2:54:52] 3233, 32342, 352,
[2:54:55] 372,
[2:54:57] 372,
[2:54:58] regarding wireless communications facilities outside the Coastal Zone,
[2:55:02] approving concept in order to
[2:55:04] accomplishing the same thing regarding wireless communication facilities,
[2:55:08] inside the Coastal Zone,
[2:55:09] Schedule both ordinances for second reading and final adoption on May 24, 2022, and direct staff to implement the amendments outside the Coastal Zone 30 days after adoption and inside the Coastal Zone upon final certification by the California Coastal Commission, and that concludes my presentation.
[2:55:29] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Carlson. Officially open the public hearing. And are there questions from members of the board for Mr. Carlson? Supervisor Fred. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just have more of a comments and questions of appreciation from Mr. Carlson for all of his work that he's done throughout this process, the community outreach, the work with Coastal Commission, etc. leading up to today.
[2:55:51] There's really no question in my mind, especially given the amount of outreach diversity
[2:55:57] from the community requesting these modifications over the course of the years, or just improvements
[2:56:03] to sell coverage in general, but this is really one of the most important investments that
[2:56:09] we can make toward both equity, safety, and environmental issues in our community on the
[2:56:21] of my district and some of the other districts that are disadvantaged, young residents, local residents
[2:56:27] of color disproportionately use and rely on wireless communications for their entire Internet
[2:56:33] of access. It is to disadvantage those communities by having poor access just continues to propagate
[2:56:41] the inequities that we have an ability here to solve and we also saw highlighted during the pandemic,
[2:56:46] the essential need on it. On the safety side, there's no question of the tragedy that we had at
[2:56:53] out class high school, many people attempting to call 911 that we're unable to. In fact, 80% of
[2:56:59] calls are a local 911 center come in from cell phones and not landlines. The many rural areas where
[2:57:06] there's car accidents, accidents involving pedestrians or bikes, there's an inability to call
[2:57:11] for help. As you know, every second counts in situations like that in the tragic fires that occurred
[2:57:16] and the Supervisor McPherson and Supervisor Coonerty's districts, we were pushing out alerts to people on phones that they weren't getting as a result of having inadequate cell coverage and people were also trying to call other loved ones that were unable to because of lack of coverage, so from a safety standpoint, there's no question.
[2:57:32] And even on the environmental side, as we've seen an increase in people working from home and not having to commute, this provides an opportunity on the economic and environmental side to really do to help improve those things.
[2:57:45] I mean, you would think based on the coverage
[2:57:48] compared to the coverage and capacity we have in our county
[2:57:50] that we're living in an exceptionally rural area
[2:57:52] and we're not, we're right in the shadow of the Silicon Valley
[2:57:55] and one of the greatest economic engine generators
[2:57:57] in the history of time, yet we have coverage
[2:58:00] and make you think that we are somewhat completely different
[2:58:04] than that.
[2:58:05] So I do support these changes, I think,
[2:58:08] to the absolutely important for the reasons
[2:58:10] that I outlined and I'd like to see our continued investment
[2:58:13] inequity, recognize that many people are relying on these for both a life safety, economic
[2:58:19] component. And for just their access, the outside world be the internet and we're not doing enough
[2:58:25] so far and I think today will be the first day and starting to change that and ensuring that they
[2:58:29] have that access. Thanks Mr. Chair. Thank you, Supervisor Friend.
[2:58:36] I totally agree with Survisor Friend. There's two words, safety and equity. Now, we just really
[2:58:44] experience that and we're able to respond, we did as well as we could, we did very well
[2:58:50] with what we had. But I think as Mr. Carlson said, this has been a long time in the making,
[2:58:55] this hasn't been updated to this extent in 20 years, and Lord knows how much our capabilities have
[2:59:03] increased in that period of time. I'd just say it's about time. I look forward, and I think
[2:59:09] the course commissioner staff or submitting its comments, but and I'm I look forward to working
[2:59:14] out the differences that we have with them, but I'm this can't come soon enough under the circumstances,
[2:59:21] and we we have another fire fire season, Sharon's in the face right now and we we can't do this
[2:59:28] fast enough for the safety and the equity in our community. So thank you for putting so much time
[2:59:34] this and great presentation, it's much needed, it has been for a long time and it's about time.
[2:59:42] Thank you supervisor McPherson. Yeah, I'm glad I got a question. Okay.
[2:59:49] Thank you. With the status quo of the way it is right now,
[2:59:54] The change would be making it faster and easier.
[3:00:00] We're in more streamlined right to put in the facilities. So what I'm getting at is technically today with the way we're doing it.
[3:00:12] We still can put in salt hours if we did it to a certain area.
[3:00:19] But what is this big rush to the future right now as we go forward?
[3:00:26] Is it because we want to streamline it, make it easier and have less input from the public or is it because we have some other agenda, can you answer that?
[3:00:42] I think that the main answer to your question and one of the main drivers here is the FCC's rulings over time and legal rulings over time that have sort of outrun our ordinance
[3:00:56] and we need to keep up with the new shot clocks, the FCC orders on small cell facilities
[3:01:06] and eligible facilities requests. Those are all putting strict timelines on the county
[3:01:12] to act on some of these applications. And so we're trying to facilitate that in the updated
[3:01:17] work that's okay, that's going to affect the short parts. We'll affect the time limit
[3:01:24] that the public would have for input, just like corrects though.
[3:01:30] For an application that requires a public hearing, there would be no change in the opportunity
[3:01:36] for the public to have input in those situations. There would be standard public noticing
[3:01:41] and public hearings to take that input into consideration.
[3:01:45] the deadline for the public, but would be a shorter time, a time line.
[3:01:54] No, there would be no shorter timelines applicable to the public.
[3:01:57] The shorter timelines are applicable to the county to act.
[3:02:02] And what we have, the way that we've been trying to work around with that,
[3:02:07] currently is by working with providers to what's called toll of the
[3:02:13] shock clocks and come to an agreement with the applicant to actually
[3:02:19] allow us to go through the public hearing process, but that is not required by
[3:02:27] federal law. It's something that we have implemented in order to work around
[3:02:35] existing short clocks in our existing ordinance, but we're proposing to fix that in the
[3:02:39] with the in part with the updated ordinance.
[3:02:44] Good.
[3:02:45] When I hear the words, equity and all that, those words, how is that affecting, I guess, a real
[3:02:58] quick question would be, and then the safety concern, and after a high school, do they have
[3:03:07] a shelter facility that are right now, and they had one before the Orblance took place
[3:03:17] a year ago?
[3:03:19] They dance like question, they know they don't, and there's one proposed kind of a highway
[3:03:27] one that would help address this issue moving forward for next year. But of course, it's taken
[3:03:32] a long time to get through the permitting process because of our blanks, the permitting process,
[3:03:37] but no, there's no tower there. And in fact, there's no ability. I mean, functionally there was no
[3:03:45] ability for many of the students to be able to call 911 as a result of that. And as you may recollect
[3:03:52] Surveillance or capital, the last hearing we had on this, there was a parent that had called in, just talk about their inability to get a hold of their own kids at aptile size result of the inability to text or call them during this incident. And that's because of this lack of service and then this ordinance, while it doesn't actually create new cell phone capabilities, it provides the framework by which the carriers can can increase throughout the community.
[3:04:21] so we can anticipate that it'll do that as a result.
[3:04:24] And that's why that's why we heard from the sheriff last time
[3:04:26] advocating for the ordinance and the parents
[3:04:28] who had testified at the same time from a safety perspective.
[3:04:32] Right.
[3:04:32] The safety perspective, I find it hard to comprehend the fact
[3:04:39] that they couldn't call 911 for about 12 times before.
[3:04:44] That doesn't make any sense to be able.
[3:04:46] It's from a wireless line.
[3:04:48] There's very limited coverage and capacity.
[3:04:51] So it's very easy to overwhelm the capacity that's there with so many people having wireless devices.
[3:04:59] It's very easy to overwhelm and slow down the system and call as a result.
[3:05:04] But by the way, you know, even our own reverse 911s are done to cell phones, a larger text of that way.
[3:05:10] And if you don't receive it, you don't receive it as a super cosmic person.
[3:05:13] who was our country knows, that's what happened during the fires. Even some of the PG&E
[3:05:17] Blackouts in advance of them happening, this is how a lot of notices are sent out and without the
[3:05:22] coverage people aren't getting it. But, yeah, I mean, look, I know that I've seen, I know you drive
[3:05:27] down freedom, you're well aware of the large gaps and coverage and different parts of freedom.
[3:05:32] There are some sections that have some distributed antenna systems around there, but the area
[3:05:35] right on, F.S. High and up into that hillside does not have coverage.
[3:05:40] Okay, and then I guess super-wise or my first, you can answer this.
[3:05:46] When the fires took place, the lighting fires, how many self towers actually burn down along
[3:05:55] with fire?
[3:05:57] Do we have any idea?
[3:05:59] Because self towers will burn down also where the poles only go about for the communications.
[3:06:08] I'm sure I don't have the answer to that.
[3:06:14] I don't have the answer to that.
[3:06:21] It's over by the cabinet.
[3:06:23] I don't think I heard it.
[3:06:24] Do attempt to answer to that answer?
[3:06:26] I don't have, I don't know.
[3:06:29] I don't know that we have that.
[3:06:30] He's self-thouurs up there at all.
[3:06:32] So I'm just, I don't know how to answer them.
[3:06:34] Yes, I'd rather have the attempt to answer the nature of your question.
[3:06:38] And I think we probably, I don't know the exact if any cell towers were destroyed or in the
[3:06:43] fire, but I think the issue, the Supervisor McPherson was raising of many of his constituents
[3:06:48] not receiving reverse 911 notifications were being unable to text out or call out during
[3:06:55] the emergency was really in relation to the current conditions, the current level of service
[3:07:02] in the Santa Cruz Mountains, rather than any specific cell towers being destroyed.
[3:07:07] But I think it's just that there's not very many of them out there today.
[3:07:16] I guess I agree from the third district, thousands and thousands of telephone poles burned.
[3:07:25] And so there was no landline coverage and now most of my residents.
[3:07:30] The changes in state laws can't get landlines. So unless they have adequate access to cell phones, they
[3:07:37] essentially have no communications ability to call emergency services or to be notified of emergencies.
[3:07:46] Okay. The other would be under the status quo that we have.
[3:07:51] We were able to put individual cell towers in those areas so before.
[3:07:59] So what I'm getting at is the rush to the future here is a shorter shot
[3:08:07] clocks and less restrictions and more streamlining to put in cell towers.
[3:08:14] So, I mean, we had years of, under the status quo, putting in salt hours in certain areas.
[3:08:24] So, the big changes are rushed to do this, right?
[3:08:29] Well, no, I think we can, I think we can still have the rush.
[3:08:34] Well, the conventional toll phone polls are so forth.
[3:08:37] They're not part of the future.
[3:08:38] We're not going to go back to the future on that one.
[3:08:41] I mean, this is we're going to have to live with the communications network that we're going to have it in the future and this is going to provide it to more people more quickly and it's I just think it's about time we do it as I stated before.
[3:08:56] Yeah, but my point is we're able to do it in this short-shadow scroll that we have now, but we're getting salt hours and those areas.
[3:09:08] I would say supervisor Capit, it's not so much a rush to the future is keeping up with what has been happening at the federal level and in the courts.
[3:09:19] And that's what we're trying to do with these updated regulations is bring them up to date.
[3:09:27] Yeah, I guess what I'm going to get is two, and it's all the money that is on the side of Verizon and that team mobile and all that.
[3:09:38] You know, the little red dots on the map. They're all competing and they have a lot of money.
[3:09:44] And I'm getting out there a part of this rush also, they're going to benefit from it.
[3:09:52] And then you have the public, you have certain people that do have concerns with it.
[3:09:59] And when you have all the money on one side, then you have individual people on the other side.
[3:10:07] you, it's like PG&A, and what is that movie that brought to me, but you know, it's trying
[3:10:22] to stand up and say that there is a problem in a certain area, whatever, and that's what makes
[3:10:32] a little Larry on. When I see a big change coming, money selling us one thing and the other side
[3:10:42] saying, well, what about, you know, what about the voice of this?
[3:10:49] Thank you, Supervisor Capit. Any further questions or comments from members of the board? Seeing
[3:10:56] none, I'll open it for public comment. So everyone here in the board chambers, there was
[3:11:00] just to address this on this item. Please approach the podium.
[3:11:02] My
[3:11:11] name is James doing Whitman, wow, two years ago to 16 years ago, this room would be full.
[3:11:19] Let's see, on today's information page 241, 14D, 13.10.664.
[3:11:29] This number 14, I believe, has only 157 pages, I, it's a lot of stuff to print up tonight.
[3:11:35] So, this has to do with the indemnification of individuals, members in this community that are making these policy decisions.
[3:11:48] You know, I guess we have a lot of things to thank Mr. Clinton for, besides his 1996 signing end of what is at the FCC 702.
[3:11:58] So, the military's greatest silent weapons to control their enemies since before 1959 or frequencies.
[3:12:09] The first through fourth generation, that's only 35 different frequencies.
[3:12:13] That's generally zero-hurt through six-hurt, very useful military weapons.
[3:12:18] What people call the fifth generation, it's over 3000 frequencies.
[3:12:22] So it should go 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, and 97.
[3:12:25] And that's overlapped from two gigahertz to over 300 gigahertz.
[3:12:33] You know, you can do your own research by the 1994, the Rwandan genocide.
[3:12:38] That was done through frequencies.
[3:12:39] There's a lot of information out about that.
[3:12:43] And I moved into this county, 1993.
[3:12:47] I never had good cell phone service there.
[3:12:49] That's probably one of the reasons why I'm so healthy.
[3:12:52] But, or that's questionable.
[3:12:53] anyway, so we used a landline. Landlines are virtually disappearing. You can't find a payphone anywhere.
[3:13:00] So you guys are really practicing a Hygeli and Dialect. You're creating a problem in making solutions
[3:13:07] where I actually wrote down some pretty unpleasant notes here that I'm just not going to say,
[3:13:13] but I wish this isn't the end of this, it's just at the beginning. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Weapon.
[3:13:20] I think you know when else you're in the chambers, we'll take it to Zoom.
[3:13:23] Is anyone on Zoom who we're just coming on the side of?
[3:13:25] Yes, we do have five speakers on Zoom.
[3:13:30] You're real Strauss.
[3:13:31] Your microphone is available.
[3:13:33] Thank you. Good afternoon.
[3:13:35] My name is Mark McKinney and clear.
[3:13:38] Thank you.
[3:13:38] My name is Ariel Bowes.
[3:13:40] I'm an attorney with Green Fire Law and Berkeley, California.
[3:13:43] And I am represent number of residents in Honour Corporate Sanctuary County.
[3:13:47] And I want to start by pointing out that I believe a statement Mr. Carlson made regarding no change to the zones that are subject to the various restrictions and policies of this new ordinance is incorrect.
[3:14:00] The new ordinance moves the world as a denture on a row of agricultural zones in 1310-6604 from restricted zones.
[3:14:13] In terms of those zones or no longer subject to discretionary zoning process,
[3:14:21] I also want to point out that the primary motivation for these changes is our changes in federal law
[3:14:29] applied to the public right of way and to small cells. However, the changes that you're proposing
[3:14:37] are also being applied to macro cells that under the ordinance be 75 feet tall,
[3:14:44] generally built on private property, and the visual impacts of those are very significant.
[3:14:50] And it's very important that you have public input because of my experience representing clients
[3:14:55] to pass the county through this process, to the public input process, to the size of
[3:15:00] Dematically improved. And the federal shot clock, in which is also imposed by the state, is 150 days, which is a
[3:15:08] reasonable amount of time to get through with the public process. So I think it's very important that the
[3:15:13] needful changes and irrelevant changes not be pushed through alongside changes that really are not
[3:15:20] in the benefit of the public. And particularly those are changes to the macro cells on private property
[3:15:25] And particularly, it changes to eliminate the world with the potential and royal cultural zones
[3:15:29] from restricted zones that would subject them to discretionary process.
[3:15:34] I also want to point out the weakening of the comparison analysis with Mr. Carlson,
[3:15:37] very correctly pointed out to something that the county can demand and in the past has the
[3:15:41] mandate, and the change has been from conclusively demonstrating requiring the applicants
[3:15:46] to increase the demonstrate.
[3:15:48] I think this was drafts will only having a substantial evidence.
[3:15:56] Matthew Kaufman, your microphone is available?
[3:16:03] Yes.
[3:16:05] Yeah, I want to address the 15, 10, 6, 60, D exemption section.
[3:16:13] It currently has proposed its intended survey.
[3:16:18] It exempts those intended for personal, non-commercial uses, such as short-way radio.
[3:16:23] This is a substantial reduction in the extent exemptions, language that currently exists.
[3:16:30] And there's a couple of things that concern me particularly.
[3:16:32] One is the exemption only applies for the first part of this for occupants on the site where facilities are located.
[3:16:41] So that would prevent things like a business owner from putting a ham radio or business antenna on their facility.
[3:16:46] It prevents remotely controlled amateur radio stations, and it also prevents repeater stations,
[3:16:53] which might be located for use in emergencies, for instance, that might be located on a business
[3:16:59] building, or might be located on private property, which is not where the repeater licensing
[3:17:05] lives.
[3:17:06] The other part is that the end of this, as wireless communications facilities on,
[3:17:12] on property, used solely for public or quasi-public use, for example. It's not clear to me whether that
[3:17:18] used solely is meant to modify property or meant to modify the facilities. If it only
[3:17:25] modifies property then that's again a substantial reduction. I think given that these ordinances only
[3:17:31] get passed every 20 years, we have this opportunity to fix more than just the FCC requirements.
[3:17:36] So I would I would put that in there. I would also like to see that exempt facilities like amateur radio and public safety antennas are actually eliminated from all permitting requirements when collocated on other structures and deer to me is that we have an opportunity here, but are not taking it to put in language that allows us to expedite disaster rebuild and in kinder placement.
[3:18:01] Right now I'm trying to do a disaster rebuild of a tower and it's very slow and the county's part of that.
[3:18:10] Thank you.
[3:18:10] Thank you, Mr. Koppin.
[3:18:14] Call in, user five, your microphone is available.
[3:18:26] Maryland, Arizona, and what we need is a reliable safe landline.
[3:18:34] This is a depth technology of microwave radiation from beginning to end.
[3:18:41] The key problem, I see, is the dictatorship of the corporate state.
[3:18:46] Big oil, big pharma, big telecom, including Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, space-sax and more.
[3:18:55] They were right the laws, it paid policies, and polluted the planet.
[3:19:02] You didn't include any of the pollution in your report, did you?
[3:19:06] The result was marriage ever when corporations get in bed with government.
[3:19:33] For here, dead birds and start to go hundreds of thousands, if not millions of birds died
[3:19:39] during 2020 US Air Force 5G exercise.
[3:19:44] you have received over the years
[3:20:01] who have sent international health, compelling evidence for
[3:20:05] eight distinct times of great harm caused by a electromagnetic field exposure and the mechanism
[3:20:12] that causes a Martin Paul P.A. L.L. at WSU.edu. This is a document from 19th
[3:20:29] century.
[3:20:29] Thank you, Ms. Harris.
[3:20:30] time to letter and I will just clarify that as expected in this item we don't as a county
[3:20:38] have jurisdiction to regulate environmental health impacts or other health impacts for miles
[3:20:43] communications. So if you have an issue with anyone that does have an issue with those elements
[3:20:47] of this should really talk to their state representatives or federal representatives. Thank you.
[3:20:56] Cooler ending in one, one, nine, two, your microphone is now available.
[3:21:07] Hi, this is Gail, and I just want to say that any law that is on constitutional,
[3:21:13] such as threatening the lives and health and safety of people,
[3:21:16] is people have a duty to resist that law.
[3:21:20] So, I have a manual here from Rome Laboratory Air Force Base in New York,
[3:21:26] 1994, and it's titled Radio Frequency Microwave Radiation Biological Effects and Safety Standards review.
[3:21:35] One of the title of Pathological Reports, so the investigators claim that the central nervous system is highly sensitive to radio frequency and microwave radiation.
[3:21:45] The NIOSH technical report summarized the results of the pathological study published by A.A.
[3:21:53] Ledivet and Z.V. Gordon in the 1960.
[3:21:58] The researchers reported that several CNFs related disorders were discovered among 525
[3:22:03] workers exposed to RF microwave radiation.
[3:22:07] The symptoms were listed as high-potentions, slower than normal heart rates,
[3:22:11] an increase in the instrument content of the blood, and increase in the activity of the thyroid
[3:22:15] gland, disruption of the indecrinal and indecrine hormonal process, alterations in the sensitivity
[3:22:21] to smell, headaches, irritability, and increased fatigue. Other researchers have acknowledged
[3:22:27] is similar biological sex.
[3:22:31] EMF field show alterations in the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex and disruption of the activities of neurons.
[3:22:39] Just skipping around here, exposure to microwave radiation has been observed to cause a disruption in the behavior of animals.
[3:22:48] Research is indicate that behavior may be the most sensitive biological component of microwave radiation.
[3:22:54] This is an equal opportunity, destroyer of health.
[3:22:58] Even if you believe this is safe, these effects are still happening to you.
[3:23:03] Cadillac in humans is another subject, exposure to microwave radiation is known to cause
[3:23:08] Cadillac in July.
[3:23:17] And they get in 7, 6, 1, 7, your microphone is now available.
[3:23:25] This is one of the different Thomas.
[3:23:26] I'm so glad that you're so up on FCC regulations that when they tell you to go to Germany
[3:23:31] and dying it in one of the other with Auschwitz that you're going to be so happy to do that.
[3:23:37] Because somebody tells you to do something does not mean it's right. Last in the FC it has been
[3:23:42] legally court case saying that the FCC, there are no safety limits. The safety limits that they said
[3:23:49] they had, they're not proven. There are no safety limits. If you really care about those foods at high school
[3:23:56] or the black people or anybody, you'll take away their cell phones and put in land lines.
[3:24:00] My colleagues are unsafe, you know it, and you are eating to the dance hall of humankind.
[3:24:07] Those kids at an apples high school, how many of them are on any depresence and AVD drugs?
[3:24:12] Because they can't tell the wireless and they don't even know which wrong with them.
[3:24:18] Senator Supervisor Kevin has a lot of great points, and this bit about the wireless being more important, wrong.
[3:24:25] If you look at the history of safety, the fires, the earthquakes, the problems we've had across the nation, it has been good old land lives, which are more dependable.
[3:24:36] There's so many problems here. There's so many things you said, which are just so sad, you should be demanding land lines.
[3:24:43] Good copper land lines are more dependable, more reliable, and they don't hurt people.
[3:24:49] Good God.
[3:24:51] Thank you.
[3:24:51] And
[3:24:59] seven, eight, eight, seven, your microphone is now available.
[3:25:08] Hello.
[3:25:08] This is Andrea Baron.
[3:25:09] Can you hear me?
[3:25:11] Yes.
[3:25:12] Yes.
[3:25:12] Thank you so much.
[3:25:14] So I've lived in Santa Cruz County 46 years.
[3:25:17] I'm talking to you on a plugged in, a copper land line.
[3:25:21] I could speak auto afternoon.
[3:25:23] I want to address the health issues.
[3:25:25] I know what you've been talking about.
[3:25:27] I listened to Mr. Carl from the presentation.
[3:25:29] and everything, and in present law about it being concealed,
[3:25:37] architecturally integrated, et cetera, et cetera,
[3:25:40] disguised as a treat as their conditioners.
[3:25:43] I want to address the health issues, and I could speak to you all afternoon.
[3:25:48] This is not hearing about the health issues,
[3:25:50] that you'll have to go to your state legislators.
[3:25:52] You know what? I need to talk.
[3:25:55] I am in Jackson District and I've lived here 46 years and was a court reporter, my entire life.
[3:26:04] You folks, please educate yourself about the health issues. I know you're going forward
[3:26:11] looking at all the, this is not deputy, safety, or environmental issues that Mr. Friend has said
[3:26:20] involved in coverage.
[3:26:24] So, in September 2019, a few months ago, we have heard about COVID, the International EMS conference
[3:26:32] was replaced in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County, and it was chosen by doctors all
[3:26:39] of the world that came here to Santa Cruz, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of presenters,
[3:26:44] doctors, physicists, microbiologists, people, but treat people with EMF sensitivity, and many
[3:26:55] doctors came from, and I was there for four days from eight in the morning until 10
[3:27:00] at night listening to not only the presenters, but doctors came from all over the world
[3:27:07] to understand when their patients are in
[3:27:15] Brett Wolham, your microphone is available.
[3:27:20] Thank you.
[3:27:20] Are there a connery?
[3:27:22] Yes.
[3:27:23] Great.
[3:27:24] I just wanted to, I guess, balance out.
[3:27:26] We have going on here.
[3:27:27] I'm not here to complain about health impacts of wireless.
[3:27:30] I think there's a significant utility for wireless services in our society.
[3:27:35] And thanks to the supervisors for considering this issue.
[3:27:37] Anything you can do to make broadband service inside of a service, you know, more reliable and readily available is great.
[3:27:43] One concern I did have was definition number 28, the actual definition for wireless communication
[3:27:49] facility.
[3:27:51] I would like clarification from the supervisors as to whether or not the county intends
[3:27:55] to have other types of systems that are non-cellular fall under this.
[3:28:01] That is, you know, ham radio systems as was brought up earlier, business repeater systems,
[3:28:05] other technologies, or is this ordinance specific to cellular?
[3:28:10] whether it be macro, tower, or small cell, or other.
[3:28:14] I would hope it would be the latter, and this wouldn't apply to Ham Radio, and other community-based services like that.
[3:28:20] But that is not clear at this point in the way that the ordinance is written.
[3:28:25] Something else I'd like to add is that I don't necessarily agree with the broad discriminatory
[3:28:28] nature of the ordinance. I think that it would be great to have to lean more on
[3:28:33] and management permits and administrative permits and definitions allowing
[3:28:37] the carriers to come and do the work without having to go through long
[3:28:41] sets of periods of discretionary review.
[3:28:45] As a business and as a telecom company, if I go into a community,
[3:28:49] I want to know what the rules are.
[3:28:51] And we also invest in that community and not have discretionary permitting it
[3:28:55] in my way because that can really drag out and increase the cost.
[3:28:58] I don't think it's all process and increase the cost.
[3:29:00] that make it community not viable for new technologies.
[3:29:04] That's all I'm asking out.
[3:29:05] Thank you so much.
[3:29:07] Thank you, Mr. Willem.
[3:29:14] David, we're Kowski.
[3:29:15] Your microphone is available.
[3:29:17] Thank you.
[3:29:18] You can hear me okay?
[3:29:20] Yes.
[3:29:20] Thank you.
[3:29:22] So I'd like to thank the supervisors for their work on this topic.
[3:29:26] And also to staff for the time that they've put into this.
[3:29:29] I know it's a complex topic.
[3:29:30] And I know that there are many moving parts in this.
[3:29:35] I wanted to talk about the social aspects of this.
[3:29:40] I'm a resident of District 2.
[3:29:42] And speaking specifically about the social economics on this topic,
[3:29:47] wireless is by far the choice technology for people in 2022.
[3:29:54] Nationwide we have over 60% of the population has moved to wireless technology.
[3:30:00] Allege, they've given up their landlines. In speaking nationally, again, approximately 82 percent of
[3:30:07] renters are wireless only, meaning they do not have landlines. People who live in poverty,
[3:30:12] 7 out of 10 people who live in poverty are likely to be wireless only. And for some of the supervisors
[3:30:17] in this district that have high Hispanic populations, I would remind you that 77 percent of Hispanics
[3:30:23] wireless only. People under the age of 34 who are just starting out the careers over 86 percent
[3:30:30] of them or wireless only. And as supervisor friend pointed out, 80 percent of calls to 911 come
[3:30:35] from wireless phones. When we put this in the aggregate, we have to remind ourselves that by failing
[3:30:41] to build these networks, we are putting portions of the population who rely on this technology at risk.
[3:30:48] landlines were a technology that were a hundred years ago viable. Currently in today's
[3:30:53] world, they are not viable. And I don't think that it's reasonable to expect people
[3:30:58] who are in, for example, transitional housing circumstances to constantly relocate their
[3:31:03] landlines to let's be thoughtful about what we're doing here today. And I'll yield the balance
[3:31:08] of my time back. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Wackoski.
[3:31:15] We have no further speakers for this item.
[3:31:17] Thank you.
[3:31:18] Then I'll return to the board for action.
[3:31:20] I'm so sorry.
[3:31:20] One more person.
[3:31:21] Just put their hand up.
[3:31:22] All right.
[3:31:28] Michael Centron.
[3:31:30] You're there.
[3:31:30] Is there anything to hear me?
[3:31:32] Yes.
[3:31:33] Excellent.
[3:31:33] Hi.
[3:31:34] My name is Michael Centron.
[3:31:35] I'm the Permanent Manager for Crown Castles small wireless facilities in Northern California.
[3:31:40] Crown Castles and Nations largest telecommunication infrastructure provider.
[3:31:43] owning over 40,000 cellular towers, 80,000 route miles of fiber off the cable, and 60,000 small wireless
[3:31:50] facilities built on the contract field.
[3:31:54] That's reliable connectivity.
[3:31:55] Everywhere in all the time is essential to modern day life.
[3:31:58] I applaud the county for its efforts to update modernized wireless code.
[3:32:03] To find the right balance in its code to allow for the deployment of these services to the community.
[3:32:08] I'll have our additional reviews needed on this newly proposed code and designed guidelines.
[3:32:12] I'm here today to ask the board to delay the adoption of this code and these design guidelines.
[3:32:17] As currently written, these guidelines would violate state and federal law, as well as the state utility pole standards that govern the placement of the Court amount utility poles general order of 95.
[3:32:27] For example, section 13.10.662C4B4 needs to be changed to be in compliance with GO95 rule 94E as the minimum distance from the center line to the maximum.
[3:32:40] An additional item in non-compliance with state law section 13.10.662C4C7 and C4B, which prohibit
[3:32:51] co-invance.
[3:32:53] Crown Cows will comply with the applicable existing county noise ordinances that are not
[3:32:58] more restrictive than required of any other entity.
[3:33:01] Co-invance cannot be outright prohibited if this is left in place it appears to be discriminatory
[3:33:06] against wireless communication facilities,
[3:33:08] as other utility providers utilize cooling fans
[3:33:11] for their equipment, a violation of BUC 7901.1.
[3:33:14] This section must be deleted to allow
[3:33:16] for the best and most recent technology
[3:33:18] to be deployed in your communities
[3:33:19] as the most recent generation of radios
[3:33:21] and equipment have cooling fans.
[3:33:24] This is a non-exhaust list of items
[3:33:26] that are conflict with law
[3:33:27] that we provided and glory to look at.
[3:33:30] And we ask you that you delay the adoption of this code
[3:33:33] and these guidelines to allow for further input discussion
[3:33:36] to allow for thank you, Mr. Centron.
[3:33:39] We
[3:33:42] have no additional speakers, Chair.
[3:33:45] All right, thank you all.
[3:33:46] We're turning to the board for action then.
[3:33:48] Before I entertain a motion,
[3:33:50] I did a couple of questions came up or I thought
[3:33:53] Valley comments during public comment.
[3:33:55] The first was from Mr. Kaufman.
[3:33:57] And it was that could buy Mr. Will.
[3:33:59] Am I believe about how this ordinance would potentially
[3:34:02] restrict camera use or other amateur radio.
[3:34:07] But wondering if Mr. Carlson, you can respond to that.
[3:34:09] if you see that this ordinance would restrict that or if there's opportunities to prove that.
[3:34:14] Yes, this ordinance is intended to narrowly apply to personal wireless services such as that provided by
[3:34:20] Crown Castle Verizon, AT&T, etc. And it's narrowly focused on that. And that exception is also narrowly
[3:34:29] focused on that. And so those other types of facilities are not regulated by this ordinance.
[3:34:40] Okay, thank you. And then the other point brought by Mr. Sintron about actual violations
[3:34:46] that utility pole standards are allowing for cooling fans. I understand what he's saying,
[3:34:55] And those standards are the criteria for qualifying for a ministerial building permit or
[3:35:04] encroachment permit.
[3:35:05] It's not a prohibition on those types of facilities that he mentioned.
[3:35:10] It just means that if you are proposing a facility that does not conform to those criteria
[3:35:15] into the category of needing a conditional use permit and then a encroachment permit
[3:35:20] or building permit wants you to do that process.
[3:35:22] So we're not, it's not a prohibition, it's just a categorization of different types of facilities
[3:35:28] based on their criteria.
[3:35:31] Got it.
[3:35:31] So they're still allowed to have a higher level of review.
[3:35:34] All right.
[3:35:34] Thank you.
[3:35:36] All right.
[3:35:37] All in a kind of motion.
[3:35:38] Supervisor Cabot.
[3:35:40] You've got, let me, one more question, actually it's going back a few years, but whatever
[3:35:48] What happened to the observation towers that a Ranger would be in the tower 24 hours a day,
[3:36:00] and if they saw a fire break out somewhere in the forest, that they were able to use radio,
[3:36:07] transistor radio, and I'd like to public that way.
[3:36:11] I mean, what, what do we totally don't have that anymore at all?
[3:36:19] We don't, nobody else can even, maybe else an answer to that.
[3:36:25] Supervisor Capit, I have a, it's sort of unrelated, but I have spoken with Cal Fire about that kind of a solution about early warning for fires, and I think it's simply that it become cost prohibitive to man look out towers with folks at this time.
[3:36:40] So that was the answer I have from Cal Fire about why we're no longer using people and look out.
[3:36:45] hours, but we do have a number of cameras positioned throughout the county that fulfill very much
[3:36:51] the same purpose. We have four in our county today, three more being installed, including one
[3:36:56] at the Watsonville Airport, with a good view of the mountains that have provided early detection
[3:37:02] of wildfires, and there's additional, I think it gets up to about 20 cameras when you consider
[3:37:15] process we have now, when it worked in the past to prevent what maybe some people had a problem
[3:37:24] with in the past and I think it's a current process as it's good as the proposal.
[3:37:30] All right, Mr. Chair, I'll move the recommended actions.
[3:37:38] Motion by supervisor friends, second by supervisor, make sure to send any further discussion.
[3:37:45] Seeing none, clerk, roll call, please.
[3:37:47] Supervisor friend.
[3:37:51] Coonerty.
[3:37:52] Aye.
[3:37:52] Appet.
[3:37:53] No.
[3:37:55] Experson.
[3:37:55] Aye.
[3:37:56] And friend.
[3:37:58] I'm so sorry. And codeic.
[3:38:00] Aye.
[3:38:01] This item passes 41.
[3:38:04] Thank you.
[3:38:06] Those ordinances being approved in concept.
[3:38:08] They'll return to our May 24th agenda for final adoption.
[3:38:13] That concludes our regular agenda today.
[3:38:16] Next meeting of this anchor's County Board of Supervisors will be 9 a.m.
[3:38:20] On May 24th.
[3:38:22] Thank you all.
[3:38:23] Meeting adjourned.
[3:38:24] Thank you.
[3:38:25] See you all.
[3:38:26] Bye.