[00:00:01] YES. ALL RIGHT, RETURNING [CALL TO ORDER] FROM RECESS. WELCOME. ALL 5 BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT, AND FROM THE CLERK OF THE BOARD'S OFFICE, WE HAVE STEPHANIE BLANKENSHIP AND CEO DAVE RICKERT. TODAY'S BUDGET HEARINGS ARE STARTING OUT WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR KELSTRA, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. CHRISTY COLEMAN, HHS AGENCY DIRECTOR. OKAY, TURNING THIS ON. THERE WE GO. OKAY, GOOD MORNING, CHAIR KELSTROM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. KRISTI COLEMAN, HHSA AGENCY DIRECTOR, HERE TODAY FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 26-27 BUDGET PRESENTATION. TODAY I'LL BE JUST DISCUSSING A VARIETY OF TOPICS, AGENCY-WIDE STAFFING CHANGES HSSA APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUES, HSSA FUND BALANCES, GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS, GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR EACH BRANCH, AS WELL AS INFORMATION RELATED TO THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND AND HR1. THIS IS A PRETTY LENGTHY AGENDA. I WILL PAUSE IN BETWEEN TOPICS FOR QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE WE CAN REVISIT ANY SLIDES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE SECTION BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT. STAFFING CHANGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27. THIS BUDGET REQUEST APPROVAL IS FOR 1,008 FULL-TIME POSITIONS. THIS INCLUDES THE DELETION OF 26 POSITIONS. WE HAVE 172 VACANCIES, OR A 17.1% VACANCY RATE ACROSS THE AGENCY. VACANCIES AND HIRING QUALIFIED APPLICANTS IN CRITICAL AREAS CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF OUR GREATEST CHALLENGES. DESPITE THIS, OUR DEDICATED STAFF CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER OVER 100 PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF NEEDS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL POSITIONS WE ARE PROPOSING TO DELETE ARE CURRENTLY VACANT. WITH THIS BUDGET REQUEST, WE ARE REQUESTING TO ADD ONE POSITION, A SENIOR PSYCHIATRIST. RECRUITING AN INTERNAL SENIOR PSYCHIATRIST COULD MEAN MORE AVAILABILITY FOR PSYCHIATRIC VISITS FOR CLIENTS AND A REDUCTION IN COSTS FOR THE COUNTY FOR PSYCH FOR CONTRACTED PSYCHIATRIC CARE. THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT SHOWS POSITION LEVELS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, IN THE FISCAL YEARS 2022-23 AND 2023-24, THERE ARE AROUND 1,200 FULL-TIME POSITIONS IN HHSA WITH OVER 200 VACANCIES. UH, IN 23-24, OVER 150 POSITIONS WERE DELETED. ALL POSITIONS WERE VACANT, AND MANY HAD BEEN VACANT FOR OVER 12 MONTHS. MOST RECENTLY, IN FISCAL YEAR 25-26, THERE WERE 1,000 FULL-TIME POSITIONS AND 154 VACANCIES. BEFORE WE DIG INTO OUR BRANCHES, WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE AGENCY FINANCES. HHSA ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT $300 MILLION OF THE COUNTY'S OVERALL BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF OF THE COUNTY BUDGET. THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS APPROPRIATIONS FOR HHSA. THE VAST MAJORITY OF APPROPRIATIONS GOES TO HELPING CLIENTS, EITHER THROUGH STAFF SERVING THOSE CLIENTS, SUCH AS SOCIAL, SOCIAL WORKERS ENSURING KIDS ARE SAFE, OR THROUGH ACTUAL SERVICES FOR CLIENTS, SUCH AS PLACEMENTS IN A CARE FACILITY. 70% OF HHSA APPROPRIATIONS INCLUDE SALARIES AND BENEFITS, OTHER CHARGES, WHICH INCLUDE COST PLAN CHARGES OR FUNDS PAID TO OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS FOR SERVICES PROVIDED, SUPPORT AND CARE COSTS, WHICH ARE SERVICES PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO CLIENTS IN ONE, ONE OR MORE OF OUR PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE OTHER CHARGES SPENDING CATEGORY INCLUDES PUBLIC ASSISTANCE COSTS, IHSS COSTS, AND GENERAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS, TO NAME A FEW. WHILE THE SALARY AND BENEFITS, SERVICE AND SUPPLIES, AND OTHER CHARGES ARE DECREASING, OVERALL AGENCY APPROPRIATIONS ARE SLIGHTLY INCREASING IN THE FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 BY ABOUT $1.9 MILLION. THIS IS DUE TO A SLIGHT INCREASE IN CAPITAL ASSETS AND DUE TO LESS INTER-FUND TRANSFERS AND AN INCREASE IN OTHER FINANCING USES. THE TOTAL COST PLAN CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 ARE $5,197,310, WHICH IS $1,469,637 LESS THAN FISCAL YEAR '25-'26. HHSA REVENUE. THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS HHSA REVENUE, WHICH COMES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES. THE LARGEST PRESENT PERCENTAGE, 98%, [00:05:01] IS INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE. WHICH INCLUDES VARIOUS ALLOCATIONS FOR, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAMS, 1991 AND 2011 REALIGNMENT, FEDERAL MEDI-CAL, AS WELL AS GRANTS. FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27, HHSA HAS BUDGETED TO RECEIVE $6,904,286 IN GENERAL FUND, MEANING ONLY 2.5% OF HHSA REVENUE COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE DECREASED OUR GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION BY $683,672 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR '25-'26. THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION THAT WILL BE RECEIVED IN FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 ARE FOR THE ASSISTANCE COST AND GENERAL ASSISTANCE AND PUBLIC GUARDIAN, AND FOR WHAT'S CALLED THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT REQUIREMENTS THAT ALLOWS FOR HSA TO DRAW DOWN MUCH OF THE INTERNAL GOVERNMENTAL REVENUE WE RECEIVE. WE'RE NOW GOING TO GO OVER THE FUND BALANCE SLIDES. THE FOLLOWING SLIDES WILL SHOW FUND BALANCES FOR FISCAL YEAR '23 THROUGH '27. FUND 80 IS THE MENTAL HEALTH FUND AND REPRESENTS THE FUND BALANCES FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET, BUDGET UNIT 410, ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROGRAMS, BUDGET UNIT 422, AND PERINATAL AND WOMEN'S RESILIENCY, BUDGET UNIT 425. DUE TO COST-SAVING EFFORTS IN THIS BUDGET UNIT, PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $3.1 MILLION MORE THAN FISCAL UNIT '26'S ADOPTED BUDGET. FUND 81 IS THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT, OR MHSA, SOON TO BE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT, OR BHSA. BUDGET UNIT 404. IT IS NOTABLE THAT PROJECTIONS RESULTING IN THE FISCAL YEAR '27 PROJECTIONS INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH COSTS THAT HAVE BEEN SHIFTED OVER TO BHSA FUNDING, SPECIFICALLY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITIES, TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH FUND. THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $5.5 MILLION MORE THAN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET. THE IHSS PUBLIC AUTHORITY FUND PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $60,000 MORE THAN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET. FUND 140, SOCIAL SERVICES, INCLUDES SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, BUDGET UNIT 501, HSA ADMINISTRATION, BUDGET UNIT 502, AND WELFARE AND CASH AID PAYMENTS, BUDGET UNIT 541. WE WILL DIG MORE INTO SOCIAL SERVICES LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT RELATED TO FUND BALANCES. IN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET, IT WAS PROJECTED THAT THE REMAINING FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE AROUND $6 MILLION. THE ENDING FUND BALANCE PROJECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR '26, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IS $12.7 MILLION. IN FISCAL YEAR '27, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON COST-SAVING INITIATIVES WITH THE GOAL OF MAINTAINING FUND BALANCE RESERVES. THE PUBLIC HEALTH FUND, FUND 196, INCLUDES THE PUBLIC HEALTH BUDGET UNIT 411, COUNTY HEALTH BUDGET UNIT 412, AND CALIFORNIA CHILDREN'S SERVICES, CCS, BUDGET UNIT 417. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE REDUCTIONS WE ARE SEEING IN FISCAL YEAR '26 AND FISCAL YEAR '27 IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SHIFTS OF SOCIAL SERVICES REALIGNMENT FUNDING BACK TO SOCIAL SERVICES. CCS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC HEALTH REALIGNMENT GOING FORWARD. DUE TO COST SAVINGS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $2.5 MILLION MORE THAN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET. THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WILL REFLECT FUND BALANCES IN THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY ACTION BUDGET UNITS. THE PHA HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND BALANCE IS RESTRICTED FUNDS THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER-RELATED ACTIVITIES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT MANY FUND BALANCES IN THE HOUSING AREAS TRACK NOTES RECEIVABLE, WHICH INCLUDE HOUSING AND REHAB LOANS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED. THIS DOES NOT EQUATE TO CASH ON HAND PROJECTED REVENUE, AS THERE ARE VARYING TIMEFRAMES FOR LOAN REPAYMENTS, LOAN FORGIVENESS, ETC. HOUSING HOME IPP, OR HOME, REFLECTS ABOUT $2.3 MILLION IN NOTES RECEIVABLE AND ABOUT $500,000 IN PROGRAM INCOME THAT CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES AND LOANS FOR OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB PROJECTS OR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE LOANS. PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE [00:10:01] FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $50,000 MORE THAN FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET. CAL HOME SHOWS ABOUT $770,000 IN NOTES RECEIVABLE AND HAS A PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 THAT IS ABOUT $160,000 MORE THAN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET. REHAB FUND BALANCE IS OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, OR CDBG, LOAN PROGRAM AND INCLUDES $5.9 MILLION IN NOTES RECEIVABLE. PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26 IS ABOUT $3.3 MILLION MORE THAN IN FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET, PRIMARILY DUE TO A CORRECTION TO FUND BALANCE TO INCLUDE THE BERNIE COMMONS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE NOTES RECEIVABLE ACCOUNT. AS YOU SAW FROM THE FUND BALANCE SLIDE, THERE HAVE BEEN COST-SAVING EFFORTS UNDERWAY ACROSS THE AGENCY THAT HAVE MATERIALIZED INTO SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS IN MULTIPLE AREAS. THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO GENERAL FUND COSTS, INCLUDING COUNTY INDIGENT GENERAL ASSISTANCE COSTS AND PUBLIC GUARDIAN. THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY IS A GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT BUT DOES NOT DRAW GENERAL FUND. OTHER GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TO SOCIAL SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH, COUNTY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH, ARE MEANS OF EFFORT COSTS TO DRAW DOWN OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND TO HHSA IN FISCAL YEAR '27 IS $6,904,286. THIS IS A DECREASE OF 11.1% WHICH IS PRIMARILY RELATED TO SAVINGS IN THE COUNTY INDIGENCE GENERAL ASSISTANCE BUDGET UNIT 542 AND PUBLIC GUARDIAN BUDGET UNIT 292 DUE TO INCREASE IN COUNTY MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES, CMAA, REVENUE. IN APRIL OF '26, THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAD A REDUCTION IN AID AMOUNT AND WE IMPLEMENTED A SPECIALIZED UNIT THAT ONLY HANDLES GENERAL ASSISTANCE CASES. PROJECTED SAVINGS WERE CONSERVATIVELY INCORPORATED INTO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, AND ADDITIONAL SAVINGS MAY BE REALIZED AS NEW APPLICANTS ARE BROUGHT ON TO THE, TO THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THOUGH A GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION OF $7.7 MILLION WAS INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET, ACTUALS ARE PROJECTED TO BE $7 MILLION. THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO DECREASES IN BUDGET UNIT 542, BUDGET UNIT 292, AND A REDUCTION IN THE CMS P PROVIDER PAYMENT UNIT BUDGET UNIT 412. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE NEXT SECTION, I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT WE HAVE COVERED SO FAR. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY IN QUEUE. SO, I GUESS THERE'S NO QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT WE WILL DISCUSS BRANCH-SPECIFIC MISSION AND PURPOSE, AS WELL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS. BEFORE WE DIG INTO BRANCH-SPECIFIC TOPICS, I WANT TO SHARE THE AGENCY-WIDE MISSION AND CORE VALUES. HHSA'S MISSION STATEMENT: ENGAGING INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. OUR CORE VALUES ARE COLLABORATION, ADAPTABILITY, RESPECT, AND EXCELLENCE. FIRST UP IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH. THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH IS TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO ALL HHS BRANCHES. THIS INCLUDES FISCAL, ASSET MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL BILLING AND COLLECTIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS, SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY, AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS. THE STAFF IN THE ADMINISTRATION BRANCH ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR NUMEROUS CRITICAL TASKS IN SUPPORT OF THE AGENCY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET, AS WELL AS BUDGET MONITORING AND AMENDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, PAYROLL PROCESSING AND INVOICE PAYMENT, COLLECTIONS AND OVERPAYMENT OF MEDI-CAL BILLING, CONTRACTS, HHSA TECHNOLOGY, MANAGING AGENCY ASSETS, FACILITATING MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, ENSURING CLEAR AND CONSISTENT PUBLIC MESSAGING, MANAGING SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE FOR THE AGENCY, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS. A MAJOR CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR '26 WAS THE TRANSITION OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE AND COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, OR CQI, FROM BHSS TO ADMINISTRATION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS UNIT WAS PREVIOUSLY IN THE FORMER BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES BRANCH. UNDER THE BSS BRANCH DIRECTOR AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES AS PART OF A 2023 REORGANIZATION. [00:15:02] IT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE YEAR THAT THIS UNIT SHOULD REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER. FISCAL YEAR '26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT UTILIZATION MANAGED QUALITY ASSURANCE AND COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FROM BHSS TO ADMINISTRATION, INITIATED MAJOR SPACE REDUCTION MOVE TO REDUCE LEASE SPACE FOR COST SAVINGS. PRIVACY TEAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY SHIFTED TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE, AND A NEW LOW-CODE, NO-CODE CONTRACT DATABASE ROLLED OUT IN AUGUST 2025 WITH SUPPORT FROM SHASTA COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. GOALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27 INCLUDE COMPLETION OF AN AGENCY-WIDE OFFICE MOVE TO CONSOLIDATE LEASE SPACE AND INCREASE COST SAVINGS IN FISCAL YEAR '27, HHSA WILL VACATE ITS CALIFORNIA STREET LOCATION, WHICH WILL SAVE AN APPROXIMATE $200,000 IN FISCAL YEAR '27 AND OVER $400,000 IN FISCAL YEAR '28. HHSA OPERATIONS WILL REMAIN THE SAME WITH STAFF WORKING OUT OF OTHER HHSA LOCATIONS AND SOME WORKING HYBRID REMOTE SCHEDULES. CENTRALIZED SURPLUS EQUIPMENT INCLUDING BOTH TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, AS WELL AS ASSETS. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE FURNITURE. AND DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY TRACKING SYSTEM. CONTINUE COST-SAVING EFFORTS RELATED TO SURPLUS SUPPLIES AND UNUSED OR UNDERUSED EQUIPMENT. EFFORTS INCLUDE REDUCING VOICEOVER IP PHONES, WHICH HAVE BEEN DETERMINED TO BE AN UNDERUTILIZED AND COSTLY RESOURCE, WITH MORE COST-EFFECTIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE. SUCH AS COUNTY-ISSUED CELL PHONES FOR STAFF WORKING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OR HYBRID REMOTE SCHEDULES, AS WELL AS GREATER USAGE OF MICROSOFT TEAMS FOR INTER-COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS. THIS EFFORT WILL REQUIRE COLLABORATION WITH SHASTA COUNTY IT AND POTENTIALLY OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS DUE TO THE MAGNITUDE OF HSA'S CURRENT USAGE AND COST-SAVING GOALS. NEXT IS OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH. THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH MISSION AND PURPOSE IS TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH INTEGRATED SERVICES. OVER THE LAST YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW PROGRAM CHANGES. SB 43 WAS IMPLEMENTED ON JANUARY 1ST, MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE DEFINITION OF GRAVE DISABILITY IN THE LANTERN PETRA SHORT ACT. ROLLOUT OF PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSITION FROM MHSA TO BHSA, AND PROP 36 IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN THE COMMUNITY ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS IN SHASTA COUNTY PROBATION, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, PUBLIC DEFENDER, AS WELL AS THE SHASTA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT. ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FISCAL YEARS 25-26 INCLUDE CHILD WELFARE EXPANDED MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS FOR ONGOING CRITICAL CASES, WHICH CREATE EFFICIENT AND COMPREHENSIVE DECISION-MAKING FOR YOUTH SERVICES. SECURED AND OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING TO STAFF TO STRENGTHEN, TO STRENGTHEN CRITICAL PRACTICE. PUBLIC GUARDIAN COMPLETED 389 CLIENT VISITS, COMPLETED 40 INVESTIGATIONS, AND FILED 66 ANNUAL REAPPOINTMENTS FOR CONSERVATORSHIP. PUBLIC GUARDIAN FOCUSED ON COMPLETING PRESENTATIONS WITH COUNTY PARTNERS SUCH AS MERCY MEDICAL, AND MAHADAB TO INCREASE COMMUNITY OUTREACH. IHSS COMPLETED THEIR STATE AUDIT, WHICH DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND RECEIVED AN OVERALL COMPLIANCE RATING OF 91.51%. IHSS ACCOMPLISHED 100% COMPLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE OPTION, CFCO, REASSESSMENTS PRIOR TO THE NEW STATE MANDATE, AND 100% COMPLIANCE FOR APPLICATION PROCESSED WITHIN 90 DAYS. ACHIEVING NUMBER 1 IN STATE RANKING FOR FISCAL YEAR 24-25. PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVES PILOT PROJECT ELECTRONIC PLATFORM WENT LIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COMPLETE A PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVE. 46 REFERRALS FOR PROPOSITION 36 WERE RECEIVED, ASSESSED, AND LEVEL OF CARE WAS DETERMINED, COORDINATED, AND ACCESS TO TREATMENT WAS PROVIDED. ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROGRAM RECOVERY COACHES SUPPORTED 40 REFERRALS WITH 26 INDIVIDUALS BECOMING ACTIVE CLIENTS. THE PERINATAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR PREGNANT AND PARENTING WOMEN SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED WITH 24 MOTHERS, 12 OF THOSE ADMITTED INTO TREATMENT. PUBLIC AUTHORITY HAS COMPLETED A NEXUS ENROLLMENT MANAGER TRAINING WHERE THEY COLLABORATED WITH OTHER COUNTIES AND LEARNED WAYS TO STREAMLINE NEW PROVIDER ORIENTATION. THE CRISIS RESIDENTIAL AND RECOVERY CENTER, THE CRRC, SERVED 124 CLIENTS, WHICH IS A 3% INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, WITH AN AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY OF 23 BED NIGHTS. THE CRRC [00:20:02] FOCUSED ON COMPLETING PRESENTATIONS WITH COUNTY PARTNERS SUCH AS HILL COUNTRY, THE SUICIDE PREVENTION COLLABORATE COALITION, NEW LIFE DISCOVERY, THE HADZAB, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES TO INCREASE COMMUNITY OUTREACH. ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, APS, HAS CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED 100% COMPLIANCE ACROSS ALL STATE PERFORMANCE METRICS. NOTABLY, THIS PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN ITS MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM EFFORTS AND MANAGED TO SUSTAIN SERVICE DEMAND ON AVERAGE, APPROXIMATELY 250 INCOMING CASES PER MONTH, AND SUCCESSFULLY CLOSING ON AVERAGE 207 CASES PER MONTH. GOALS FOR 26-27 INCLUDE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTING THE NEW CASE SYSTEM FOR CHILD WELFARE, PURSUING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POSITIONS, SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT OF POSITIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND REDUCE COSTS AS SERVICE FOR SERVICES THAT ARE CONTRACTED OUT, EXPAND ACCESS FOR SERVICES TO OUR VETERANS THROUGH RECRUITMENT OF A FULL-TIME ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELOR. LAUNCH A COORDINATED ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH INITIATIVE WITH STREET MEDICINE PARTNERS WITH AN EXPECTED 20% INCREASE OF COMPLETED SUD INTAKES FROM ENCAMPMENTS. ESTABLISH A DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION TO EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE FOR MOTHERS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. INCREASE OUTREACH AND ASSIST THOSE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE IN CREATING A PSYCHIATRIC ASSISTED DIRECTIVE. INCREASE FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS WITH SHASTA COUNTY MEDICAL CLIENTS AFTER HOSPITALIZATION. NEXT UP IS ECONOMIC MOBILITY. THE ECONOMIC MOBILITY BRANCH'S MISSION AND PURPOSE IS TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO TO TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL STATUS, INCREASE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND DISRUPT POVERTY. ECONOMIC MOBILITY PROVIDES A MULTITUDE OF SERVICES INCLUDING CALFRESH, MEDI-CAL, CALWORKS, GENERAL ASSISTANCE, CMSP, JOB READINESS PROGRAMS DELIVERED BY OUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TEAM, AND VARIOUS HOUSING PROGRAMS FROM VOUCHERS TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE. SERVICES ARE OFFERED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY INCLUDING 4 OFFICES LOCATED IN REDDING, AS WELL AS OFFICES IN ANDERSON AND BURNEY. ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY IN FISCAL YEARS '25-'26 ARE CALWORKS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ISSUED $501,099 IN SUPPORT SERVICES AND HELPED 203 CLIENTS FIND EMPLOYMENT. OFFICE ASSISTANTS IMAGED NEARLY 1 MILLION DOCUMENTS INTO OUR AUTOMATED SYSTEM. ECONOMIC MOBILITY OFFICES HAD 89,304 WALK-IN LOBBY VISITS, ISSUED AN AVERAGE OF $5.6 MILLION PER MONTH IN CALFRESH BENEFITS. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER RECEIVED 113,107 CALLS ON AVERAGE AND RECEIVED A SURVEY RATING OF 91% SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED. OUR HOUSING TEAMS HELPED 225 CLIENTS MOVE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND 855 CLIENTS INTO TEMPORARY HOUSING. OUR ANALYST TEAMS REVIEWED AND PROCESSED 128 STATE LETTERS WHILE FIELDING NEARLY 1,000 QUESTIONS BY STAFF. OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATES HAD 04,325 CLIENT CONTACTS, INCLUDING ASSISTING WITH OVER 02,800 APPLICATIONS. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY RECEIVED A SECTION 8 MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM SCORE OF 96%, MAKING THEM A HIGH-PERFORMING HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR. OUR HOUSING TEAM SERVED A TOTAL OF 6,790 HOUSEHOLDS WITH THEIR HOUSING NEEDS, AND THE HOUSING TEAM ACHIEVED 100% OCCUPANCY AT THE CASCADE VILLAGE APARTMENTS. GOALS FOR 26-27: ACCURATELY AND TIMELY IMPLEMENT THE HR1 PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES FOR PROGRAMS, WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS GREATER IN GREATER DETAIL IN A LATER SLIDE, AND IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN HOUSING WITH A FOCUS ON REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR MOBILE HOMEOWNERS, SERVICES FOR HOMEOWNERS IN THE AGING POPULATION, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. NEXT IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH BRANCH. CHAMPIONS OF PREVENTION AND EDUCATION. PUBLIC HEALTH BRANCH MISSION AND PURPOSE IS TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE HEALTH FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS AND TO PROMOTE INTERVENTIONS THAT PREVENT DISEASE AND INJURY BEFORE THEY OCCUR, PROTECTING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH AND CONTROLLING COMMUNICABLE DISEASE. PUBLIC HEALTH'S FOCUS [00:25:01] ON PREVENTION, THE NEED TO PREPARE FOR ALL TYPES OF EMERGENCIES, AND THE GROWING IMPACT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, ADDICTION RATES, AND CHRONIC DISEASES WITHIN OUR POPULATION. PUBLIC HEALTH DEVELOPS SYSTEMS AND POLICIES THAT SUPPORT HEALTH BEHAVIORS, PROMOTES NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, HEALTH AGING, WORKSITE WELLNESS, AND EDUCATION ATTAINMENT. PUBLIC HEALTH ALSO MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT WHICH SUPPORTS LOCAL HOSPITALS, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, SHELTERS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS IN PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. PART OF THIS INCLUDES THE MEDICAL HEALTH OPERATIONAL AREA COORDINATION, OR MOAC, WHICH SUPPORTS ADEQUATE REGIONAL AND LOCAL RESPONSES TO DISASTERS FOR MEDICAL SYSTEM NEEDS. FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAMS RESPONDED TO THE LOCAL OUTBREAK OF MEASLES. THROUGH COOPERATION OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND WITH SUPPORT FROM STATE RESOURCES, THE OUTBREAK WAS FAIRLY MILD AND RESOLVED WITHOUT HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATHS. THE CALIFORNIA CHILDREN'S SERVICES TEAM SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE PROCESS TO MOVE FROM BEING A DEPENDENT COUNTY TO AN INDEPENDENT COUNTY. THIS HAS HELPED US EXPEDITE REFERRALS AND TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN NEEDING OUR MEDICAL THERAPY UNIT SERVICES. THE LOCAL ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED EDUCATION AND ORAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS TO OVER 01,500 CHILDREN IN SHASTA COUNTY. THE TEAM VISITED APPROXIMATELY 45 SCHOOLS, AND THE CASE MANAGERS ARE ASSISTING WITH ABOUT 90 URGENT REFERRALS TO DENTAL CARE. THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TEAM WITH THE MASS CARE AND SHELTER TEAM AND HELP FROM HSA STAFF SUPPORTED THE COMMUNITY AND OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS THROUGH MULTIPLE EMERGENCIES, EXTREME WEATHER, AND PG&E PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS. THE PUBLIC HEALTH TOBACCO TEAM HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF REDDING ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES INCLUDING NITROUS OXIDE, KRATOM, AND A LOCAL RETAIL ORDINANCE. OUR LOCAL BREASTFEEDING PEER COUNSELOR TEAM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A BEST PRACTICE RESOURCE FOR OTHER COUNTY PROGRAMS. AND COUNTY-BASED MEDI-CAL ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES, CMAA, CLAIMING OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH AND HAS HELPED GENERATE OVER $500,000 FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. GOALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27: MAXIMIZE THE USE OF CMAH BY ADDING TEAMS TO THE TIME STUDY PROCESS, CONTINUE THE JOURNEY TO PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT REACCREDITATION BY FINALIZING DOCUMENT SUBMISSION AND PREPARING FOR THE SITE VISIT AND REVIEW, LABORATORY STAFFING AND REVITALIZING LABORATORY SERVICE WILL BE A CONTINUED FOCUS FOR THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, WITH A GOAL OF REESTABLISHING WATER TESTING SERVICES BY DECEMBER OF 2026. PUBLIC HEALTH TO SUPPORT BHSS WITH THEIR COURT-ORDERED DRUG TESTING REQUIREMENTS. CONTINUE TO PURSUE, PURSUE GRANT FUNDING AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING TO ASSIST IN CLOSING THE GAPS LEFT BY HR 1 MSHA TO BHSS CHANGES. AND OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDING SHIFTS AS FEDERAL AND STATE PRIORITIES EMERGE. THAT ENDS THE BRANCH-SPECIFIC UPDATES. BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. YES, THANK YOU, KRISTI. THIS IS HELPFUL TO GO THROUGH, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE. I'M TRYING TO KIND OF ORGANIZE ORGANIZED MY QUESTIONS IN WAYS THAT FIT THE, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW. BUT THE SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO ADDRESS LATER, FEEL FREE TO DEFER IT. UM, THE SOME SPECIFIC AND I KIND OF HAVE IT ORGANIZED BY BUDGET UNIT IN TERMS OF HOW I LOOK THROUGH IT. SO THE FIRST ONE IS RELATED TO THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN PROGRAM. AND IN THE NARRATIVE IT SAID BHSS IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC GOVERNING AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS TO REDUCE INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENTS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING THERE. YOU WANT PROGRAM-SPECIFIC PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS? YEAH, JUST A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THAT. I'LL INVITE PROGRAM UP FOR PROGRAM DETAILS. I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE SAYING PREVENTATIVE, IT'S KIND OF BOTH WAYS BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS EVALUATING WHEN WE HAVE CLIENTS, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE LOWEST LEVEL OF CARE. AND SO IN PREVIOUS YEARS, OR KIND OF WHEN I FIRST CAME ON, IT'S KIND OF STAGNANT OR PEOPLE WERE STAYING IN CARE LONG, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE ACTIVE EFFORTS TO HOW CAN WE BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO HAVE LOWEST LEVEL [00:30:03] OF CARE, BUT ACTUALLY BEING VERY STRATEGIC IN HOW WE'RE DOING IT. MDTS, CASE PLANNINGS, WORKING TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT. AND IN FACT, LIKE FRIDAY, WE HAVE SOMEONE COMING OFF CONSERVATORSHIP GOING INTO THE CRIC, FOR AN EXAMPLE. AND SO WE'RE BEING VERY PURPOSEFUL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CLIENTS. OKAY. AND THEN ONE MORE THING PREVENTATIVE, OUR APS MDT, WE HAVE THAT AND THAT INCLUDES LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDICAL PROVIDERS, BANKS, MENTAL HEALTH, SHASMI HEALTH CENTER, AND THAT GROUP IS SET THERE TO GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS ACTIONS ON THE CLIENTS AND WHAT WE CAN DO IN GETTING LIKE NOTES INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND BEING STRATEGIC AS A GROUP INSTEAD OF ISOLATED DECISION-MAKING. GREAT. I DID SEE THE MENTION OF THE PROGRAM OF COORDINATING WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ON THE FREQUENT CALLERS THERE. I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CREATED SOME CONTROVERSY AT THE CITY OF REDDING IN TERMS OF CHARGING FOR THAT. ARE WE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF REDDING FIRE DEPARTMENT, OR IS THAT A COUNTY FIRE, OR YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE TO GET MORE DETAILS ON THAT, BUT I KNOW, UM, DENNIS VILLANUEVA, WHICH WE CAN REACH OUT TO HIM RIGHT NOW, UM, HE'S WE'RE VERY ACTIVE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AND TYPICALLY EVEN WHEN WHICH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FLAG PLANTING NEXT WEEK FOR ELDER ABUSE, AND TYPICALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO. BUT I CAN GET MORE DETAILS FOR YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU. YES, SORRY, THANK YOU. ONE THING I ALSO FORGOT, THE STAR TEAM, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING, UM, UH, PUBLIC GUARDIAN OR PEOPLE OUT OF CONSERVATORSHIP. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING OUT IN THE FIELD THERE EVERY DAY. I MEAN, THEY HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST ACUITY CASES. SO THEIR WHOLE JOB IS ALSO TO OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN, KRISTI, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVE PROGRAM THERE. I WAS CURIOUS HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED ON TO DO THE DIRECTIVE SO FAR. I MENTIONED THAT TO IHSS, OR NOT IHSS, PSA2, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING WORK AROUND A MEDICAL ADVANCE DIRECTIVE. AND SO DIDN'T KNOW, AND IT WAS ENCOURAGING, IF PEOPLE ARE SIGNING A MEDICAL ADVANCE DIRECTIVE, CAN THEY, YOU KNOW, FILL THAT OUT AT THE SAME TIME? YEAH, SO IDEALLY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FILL THAT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THEY'RE SEPARATE SYSTEMS RIGHT NOW. THE PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVE EXISTS, AND SO WHAT IS NEW ABOUT IT IS THAT IT'S ELECTRONIC.. IT IS CURRENTLY A VERY LONG PAPER DOCUMENT THAT HAS TO BE STORED IN FILE CABINETS. SO THAT'S THE SHIFT THAT WE'RE MAKING. UM, WE'RE WORKING TO ROLL OUT OUR TRAININGS RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING WITH PILOT GROUPS WITHIN HHSA. UM, SO THAT HASN'T STARTED. WE'VE STARTED THE TRAINING. WE HAVE NOT STARTED DOCUMENTING OR COUNTING HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENROLLED. UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH, UH, THE HOSPITALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AS WELL. SO WE WILL BE HAVING SOME, SOME DATA POINTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW. OKAY, THANK YOU. WHEN IT COMES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT BUDGET UNIT, I KNOW WITH THE TRANSITION EXCUSE ME TO BHA, THE 30% FOR HOUSING. SO I WAS TRYING TO IN MY HEAD KIND OF MAP THAT AND I KNOW WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE BHSA INTEGRATED PLAN, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THAT 30% WILL GO TO ROOM AND BOARD, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF IN THE BUDGET IF THAT IS REPRESENTED BY ADULT RESIDENTIAL IN THERE. AND BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THERE, I WAS SEEING A 1.5 OR 1.7 MILLION FOR ADULT RESIDENTIAL. AND SO I WASN'T I WAS TRYING TO LIKE MAP THOSE TWO TOGETHER AND SEEING IF THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS CORRELATING TO OR IF THERE'S OTHER HOUSING-RELATED EXPENSES IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT BUDGET UNIT THAT CORRESPONDS TO THAT. SO LET'S SEE, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO FIND THEM IN I'M GOING TO ASSUME THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN AARON, PROBABLY CORRECT ME YOU'RE GOING TO FIND PROFESSIONAL SPECIAL SERVICES. YOU HAVE CONTRACTS IN THERE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ADULT RESIDENTIAL. DO [00:35:16] YOU KNOW WHERE ELSE WE'LL SIT AARON OFFHAND? OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE COST APPLIED. WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT TOO IF, IF WANT TO LOOK INTO IT. AND THEN YEAH, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TOO TO LOOK AT THE 410 BUDGET TO SEE IF IT'S A COST APPLIED FROM THERE. ANOTHER QUESTION, UH, RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND I DON'T MAYBE YOU MENTIONED IT AND I WAS DURING YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT THE LAB, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN TALKS OF BRINGING THAT BACK ONLINE, WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT FOR THAT. ARE WE EXPECTING THAT TO BE OPERATIONAL IN THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR? AND IF SO, I WAS LOOKING TO SEE IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE REVENUE, BECAUSE LOOKING BACK YOU CAN SEE, OKAY, THERE'S SOME LAB-RELATED REVENUE FOR THAT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT IN THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR. SO I WAS CURIOUS IF IT'S BECOMING OPERATIONAL, AND THEN IF WE EXPECT REVENUE TO COME FROM THAT. RECRUITMENTS HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN CHALLENGING. WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS APPLY, HAVEN'T HAD SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENTS. IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A FOCUS OF TRYING TO GET THE LAB UP AND RUNNING. AND SO THAT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A FOCUS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, OF TRYING TO GET THAT BACK UP AND RUNNING TO GET REVENUE STARTED BACK UP FOR THE LAB IN A MORE, MORE FOCUSED WAY. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOCUS ON. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON RECRUITMENTS, KATIE. SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, WHAT, LIKE 2 WEEKS AGO? GOOD MORNING, KATIE CASSIDY, PUBLIC HEALTH BRANCH DIRECTOR. YES, WE HAVE A MICROBIOLOGIST IN BACKGROUND PROCESS NOW. SHE SHOULD BE STARTING IN THE COMING WEEKS. WE HAVE INTERVIEWS FOR ASSISTANT LAB DIRECTOR HAPPENING IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. GOOD. PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE POSITIONS NOW, WHICH IS LOVELY FOR US. IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO GET THE LAB OPERATIONAL. IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN JUST HAVE SOMEBODY WALK RIGHT IN. THEY HAVE TO DO PROFICIENCY TESTING, ENSURE ALL THE EQUIPMENT ARE UP TO SPEED. REPLACE ALL THE SUPPLIES THAT HAVE BEEN LINGERING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEN WE HAVE TO RESET OUR FEE SCHEDULE. SO IT'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE WATER TESTING STARTING AGAIN BY THE END OF DECEMBER, AND THEN ALL OF THE CLINICAL AND MICROBIOLOGY TESTING HAPPENING BY NEXT YEAR SOMETIME. AND WHEN, WHEN THAT'S OPERATIONAL, WE'LL SERVE A BROADER REGION, AND SO WE SHOULD SEE SOME REVENUE ATTACHED TO THAT AS WELL. OKAY, WOULD YOU MIND PASSING THE PHONE OVER HERE? YEAH, DO YOU WANT I JUST THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. I WANTED JUST TO MAKE SURE, INSTEAD OF BRINGING YOU BACK UP, SO THIS LAB, WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT ASSURANCES, UH, IS THE BOARD GOING TO HAVE? BECAUSE THE REASON IT WAS SHUT DOWN WAS SHASTA COUNTY WAS PAYING FOR THAT LAB FOR MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN WELL OVER A YEAR AND SOMETHING, WITH NO CONTRACTS. IT WAS HEMORRHAGING MONEY. ALL THE EQUIPMENT WAS RUN DOWN. IT WAS LIKE A SCENE FROM JURASSIC PARK AFTER THE CATASTROPHE. AND WE ALL I KNOW WE'RE NODDING, BUT WE'RE ALL ON THAT SAME PAGE. SO WHAT SAFEGUARDS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE THAT THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN? AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THE ANSWER, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU AS A PLUMBER, IT SHOULD COME BACK. IT'S NEEDED, BUT IT HAS TO BE RAN WELL. AND THAT WASN'T UNDER YOU, THAT WAS THE PAST DIRECTOR. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT BECAUSE THE THE REASON WE SHUT IT DOWN WAS IT WAS A HEMORRHAGE OF CAPITAL. SO GO AHEAD. AND THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR PLUMMER, FOR LETTING ME ASK THAT. YEAH, I CAN'T SAY THAT WE'VE, IT'S BEEN NOT OPERATIONAL. THE THING IS WITH THE LAB, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A LAB SERVICES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. AND SO WE'VE HAD LAB SERVICES TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR REQUIREMENTS MET FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. AND SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING OUR REQUIREMENTS. OUR HOPE IS TO HAVE THOSE SERVICES BACK IN OUR OWN LAB AND NOT CONTRACTED OUT WITH OTHER LABS. CONSENT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. AND SO WE WOULD HOPE TO HAVE THAT BACK. OUR CHALLENGES HAS BEEN TRYING TO HIRE FOR THOSE POSITIONS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WE'VE HAD RECRUITMENTS OUT WHERE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HIRE ANYBODY. KATIE'S BEEN HAVING INTERVIEWS WHERE WE HAVE NOT HAD CANDIDATES. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE INTERVIEWED AND POTENTIALLY PEOPLE COME, AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HIRE ANYBODY SUCCESSFULLY. AND SO WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY TRYING TO, AND WE JUST HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE HEADWAY ON THAT. HOPEFULLY NOW WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME HEADWAY ON THAT AND GET SOME PEOPLE INTO THOSE POSITIONS SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE LAB BACK UP AND RUNNING IN A WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE OPERATING. THANK YOU. UH, QUESTION REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROGRAM. I THINK SHE HAS SOME ANSWERS FOR WANT TO GO BACK TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION REGARDING, UM, THE MHSA ADULT RESIDENTIAL. THAT IS OUR, UH, BOARD AND CARE CONTRACTS. WHERE DO THEY I THINK HE WANTS TO KNOW WHERE THEY SIT, WHERE HE CAN FIND THEM IN THE BUDGET. IT'S THE $1.7 MILLION THAT YOU POINTED OUT, SO IT'S GOING TO BE IN, UM, [00:40:03] 404, AND IT WILL BE THE SUPPORT AND CARE ADULT RESIDENTIAL. THAT'S ACCOUNT NUMBER 052015. AND IS THAT BECAUSE THE MATH I WAS TRYING TO DO IN MY HEAD IS TAKE THE TOTAL MHSA BUDGET, WHICH I THINK IS FROM MAYBE $15 TO $17 MILLION, IS THAT AND THEN TAKE 30% OF THAT, WHICH IS AROUND $5 MILLION, AND THEN COMPARE OKAY, $5 MILLION IS HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE TO HOUSING IN BHSA. HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THAT $1.7 NUMBER? AND IF THERE'S SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS TRYING TO MAP THOSE TWO, AND I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS ACTUALLY COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES ON THAT. YEAH, I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK CLOSER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF BAILEY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED IN THE BHSA PLANNING THAN I WAS, BUT, UM, YEAH, I WOULD WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC BUDGET DOCUMENTS. THERE IS POSSIBILITY THAT WE ALSO, AS PART OF THAT FUNDING BUCKET, THAT THEIR SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THERE AS WELL. AS WELL. SO THAT 30%, UM, OF THAT BUCKET AND THAT FUNDING MAY NOT JUST BE SPECIFIC TO THE HOUSING COSTS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL PIECES IN THERE. I WOULD NEED TO GO LOOK AT THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH, ALCOHOL, AND DRUG PROGRAMS, AND HERE I WAS MY SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS PARTNERSHIP OVERSEES HISTORICALLY AND CURRENTLY, UM, THE DMC/ODS PROGRAM. AND SO I WAS TRYING TO IS THAT WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT BUDGET IS UNDER PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES, WHICH IS ABOUT $11 MILLION. IS THAT US PAYING PARTNERSHIP TO ADMINISTER THE DMC/ODS PROGRAM ON OUR BEHALF? CORRECT. OKAY. AND HOW MUCH AND I KNOW THAT'S EVOLVING, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT HOW MUCH CONTROL DO WE HAVE OVER THAT? LIKE, HOW DOES THAT WORK? IS THAT SOMETHING WHERE THEY SUBMIT CLAIMS BASED ON NUMBER OF SERVICES PROVIDED AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THEM FOR THOSE CLAIMS, OR BAILEY'S BEEN MORE INVOLVED IN THAT THAN I HAVE. I GUESS THEY WEREN'T KIDDING. UM, SO YES, SO IT'S KIND OF TWOFOLD BECAUSE WE ALSO ACT AS A PROVIDER FOR PARTNERSHIP, AND SO WE ARE CONTRACTED WITH THEM AS WELL. SO PART OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM THOSE SERVICES THAT WE BILL OUT TO PARTNERSHIP, UM, AND IT GOES BACK TO THAT PER MEMBER PER MONTH WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT PARTNERSHIP IS BILLING US FOR. SO WE GET AN INVOICE FROM PARTNERSHIP, WE PAY THAT OUT, AND THEN THERE'S AN EFFORT TO GET THAT REIMBURSED FROM DHCS. SO THAT'S A PER-MEMBER-PER-MONTH RATE, AND THAT IS SET BY THE STATE OR BY OUR AGREEMENT WITH PARTNERSHIP, OR THAT WAS THROUGH THE ORIGINAL PROCESS OF, UM, THE REGIONAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT WAS THAT PER-USER-PER-MONTH, UM, RATE WAS SET FOR THAT. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP THROUGH THIS TRANSITION WITH THE REGIONAL MODEL IS THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN REVISITED, UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED AS WE'RE LOOKING INTO OUR NEXT ITERATION OF THE REGIONAL MODEL. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN, UM, QUESTION ON THE PERINATAL PROGRAM. OKAY, SO THERE AND ONE THING THAT I'VE LOOKED AT AND TALK TO, I DON'T THINK SO MUCH THE MENTAL HEALTH TEAM, BUT MORE THE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM, IS THE NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME PIECE, WHICH IS A PIECE OF, IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH PREGNANT WOMEN WHO POTENTIALLY ARE USING SUBSTANCES. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE THE, IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF WOMEN ADMITTED TO TREATMENT, THAT HISTORICALLY THAT WAS ABOVE 30, AND THEN IN, BASED ON THAT INFOGRAPHIC THERE. AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR '25-'26, IT SAYS THE PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED WITH 24 MOTHERS, 12 OF THOSE WERE ADMITTED TO TREATMENT. SO I DIDN'T KNOW, BASICALLY, I'M WONDERING, AS WE, AS THAT FEELS LIKE A PRIORITY, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, BECAUSE WE'RE 6 TO 7 TIMES THE STATE AVERAGE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE NUMBER IS GOING DOWN IN TERMS OF THE WOMEN THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADMIT TO TREATMENT THIS PAST YEAR. WHAT AND I THINK IT SAID THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE. SO AS IS. SO I WAS CURIOUS KIND OF WHAT WE CAN BE DOING ON THAT PARTICULAR TO ADDRESS THAT CHALLENGE. THAT'S BAILEY'S PROGRAM. ME [00:45:01] AGAIN. YEAH. SO THAT PROGRAM HAS HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES SINCE COVID AND BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH CLIENTS TO THE CAPACITY THAT WE DID PRIOR TO THAT. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT SINCE THEN. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO REBUILD THAT. WE'VE ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT STAFFING SHORTAGES THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD WORK TO DO WAS ADDITIONAL ADVERTISING. AND SO WE HISTORICALLY HAD ADVERTISEMENT IN THE PARENT MAGAZINE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO SO THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO MADE A SHIFT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THAT WAS, BUT IT WENT FROM PERINATAL IN THE TERMS OF JUST PREGNANT WOMEN TO NOW IT'S ALL WOMEN WITH CHILDREN. AND SO THAT WILL HOPEFULLY HELP US REACH ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AS WELL. SO THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO BE PREGNANT TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EFFORTS. WE, YOU KNOW, MORE ENGAGEMENT, MORE OUTREACH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS. BUT A BIG BARRIER HAS BEEN THAT STAFFING AS WELL. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THE END OF LAST YEAR THAT RETIRED. SO WITH THAT, IT JUST, IT MAKES IT CHALLENGING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. IT'S AN INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM, AND SO CLIENTS ARE COMING 4 DAYS A WEEK TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, AND THEN THEY HAVE GROUP CAPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL. SO WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO SERVE SO MANY PEOPLE. PEOPLE IN THOSE GROUPS AT A TIME. SO IT'S LIMITING IN THAT WAY AS WELL. AND IN THERE IT REFERENCES CHILDCARE. ARE WE PROVIDING CHILDCARE DIRECTLY OR ARE WE FACILITATING THEIR CONNECTION TO THAT? YES, WE PROVIDE IT DIRECTLY. WE RUN A CO-OP, AND SO WE HAVE THAT STAFFED AS WELL SO THAT WHEN, WHEN THE MOMS COME IN, THEY HAVE THEIR KIDS RIGHT THERE. WE ALSO DO THINGS TO HELP WITH YOUNG INFANTS. WE HAVE THEY'RE CALLED BABY BOXES SO THAT'S THERE AS WELL, SO THEY CAN HAVE THEIR INFANTS IN THE ROOM WITH THEM, SO THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT ALSO TO HELP, YOU KNOW, JUST REDUCE SOME OF THE BARRIERS AND STIGMA AROUND SOME OF THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. I MIGHT HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL LET SUPERVISOR LONG ASK SOME WHILE I LOOK AT MY NOTES HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. KRISTI, YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE THINGS IN YOUR SLIDE AND I WANTED TO GO OVER THEM. PROP 36 AND THE IMPLICATIONS WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS. WHAT I'VE HEARD IN SOME OF THE CONFERENCES I'VE BEEN TO IS THAT IS THE THAT'S THE, THE BREAK IN THE SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT THE DAS ARE WILLING TO DEFER WE DON'T HAVE THE PROPER STAFFING ON THAT. SO I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT, AND IF YOU'RE GONNA COVER THAT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, GREAT. IF NOT, THEN MAYBE YOU CAN JUST LET US KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO RECRUIT THOSE PERSONNEL, AND HOW THAT LOOKS. YEAH, WE'VE BEEN HAVING COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS WITH THE ENTITIES THAT I MENTIONED IN THAT SLIDE ONGOING, KIND OF OVER THE PAST FISCAL YEAR, AND I KNOW WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE MEETINGS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FORMS KIND OF COLLABORATIVELY AS A GROUP. WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE MEETINGS GOING FORWARD TO FULLY IMPLEMENT IT IN, IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW PART OF THESE FOLKS HERE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO THROW ANY MORE INFORMATION IN, BUT AS WE, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE MEETINGS GOING FORWARD TO FULLY IMPLEMENT IT. BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT IS IN THE WORKS. YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE ONE OF THE NOT US THAT WILL HIRE THE ATTORNEYS, RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL PART OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARENA, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? AND IT'S, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S A CHINK IN THE ARMOR RIGHT NOW WITH THE HHS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, SOME OF THE PERSONNEL AND SPECIALISTS THAT CAN TAKE THESE DIVERSION CASES FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. AND IF THAT ISN'T ABLE TO, TO MEET THAT STAFFING, THEN WE, IT FALLS APART. WELL, SO I'LL LET MAYBE JANELLE KIND OF SPEAK TO HOW WE WOULD POTENTIALLY DO IT ON OUR END AS HHSA. BUT AS FAR AS LIKE THE IT'S BAILEY. SO SAY BAILEY. OKAY, I HAVE THOUGHTS AROUND IT. OKAY, ALL RIGHT, BAILEY, SORRY, YOU'RE UP. I WAS TRYING TO THROW JANELLE IN THE MIX, BUT BAILEY, YOU'RE UP. YOU'RE BACK. YOU SHOULD JUST STAY UP HERE, RIGHT? I KNOW, I SAT IN THE FRONT ROW, LIKE, SORRY, START STEPPING OVER STAFF. UM, SO WHEN WE'RE, YEAH, LOOKING AT PROP 36 IN TERMS OF TREATMENT, WE DID RECENTLY JUST HIRE A DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELOR. AND SO THAT HAD BEEN A POSITION THAT HAD BEEN VACANT FOR GOING ON ALMOST 3 YEARS. SO IT'S BEEN A HARD TO FILL POSITION, BUT WE WERE RECENTLY ABLE TO FILL THAT. THAT PERSON IS DEDICATED TO MEETING WITH THE CLIENTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH FOR THE SUBSTANCE USE DIVERSION PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM QUICKLY, GET THEM ASSESSED FOR LEVEL [00:50:01] OF CARE, AND THEN HELP PROVIDE WARM HANDOFFS. THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT IS THAT WE ARE FINALLY FULLY STAFFED IN OUR RECOVERY COACH TEAM. SO THAT, THAT TEAM IS THEIR PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS WITH RECOVERY EXPERIENCE. SO WE'RE ABLE BETWEEN THOSE TWO POSITIONS, WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY WRAP AROUND THAT PERSON AND GET THEM CONNECTED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION OR THANK YOU. YOU MIGHT WANT TO STAY UP HERE. NO, JUST KIDDING. CHRISTINE, THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, YOU MENTIONED HR1 IN YOUR PRESENTATION. ARE YOU GOING TO COVER THAT IN MORE DETAIL? YEAH, THAT'S THE LAST SECTION OF MY PRESENTATION, SO I WILL COVER THAT IN THE LAST SECTION. OKAY, I'M DONE WITH MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER, PART 2. YEAH, UM, SO WITHIN THE SOCIAL SERVICES ADMIN BUDGET, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO THE FINANCIAL PIECE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT, BUT THE QUESTION I HAD WAS REGARDING THE IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. I BELIEVE IT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING TO 100% COMPLIANCE, AND THEN ELSEWHERE IT TALKED ABOUT THE 91.51 COMPLIANCE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR '24-'25. I WASN'T SURE IF THAT WAS THE SAME IN TERMS OF WE'RE AT 91 RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO GET TO 100? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MY SLIDE OF WHAT I SAID? I THINK IT WAS ON YOUR SLIDE. IT ALSO IN THE BUDGET NARRATIVE, IT SAYS THE CDSS QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT WITH A 91.51% COMPLIANCE RATE. YEAH. AND THEN ELSEWHERE I THINK IT SAID WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE GOAL THEN TO GET TO 100%. SO, HERE. AND I WASN'T SURE IF THOSE WERE THE SAME, IF THE 91 MAPPED TO THE 100 AND WE NEED TO IMPROVE THAT MUCH, OR IF THOSE WERE DIFFERENT, REFERRING TO DIFFERENT THINGS. SO IHSS COMPLETED THEIR STATE AUDIT, WHICH DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND RECEIVED AN OVERALL COMPLIANCE RATING OF 91.51%. AND THEN IHSS ACCOMPLISHED 100% COMPLIANCE FOR ARE THE COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE OPTION, CFCO CASES. SO THOSE ARE DIFFERENT CASES, THOSE ARE FEDERAL CASES. AND SO THOSE ARE CFCO CASES WHICH ARE RATED DIFFERENTLY. THOSE ARE THE 100% COMPLIANCE CASES VERSUS THE 91% COMPLIANCE CASES. OKAY, THANK YOU. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT, CHRISTINA? OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN, I KNOW WITHIN, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACTING SOFTWARE, WITHIN HHS ADMIN. YESTERDAY WE HEARD ABOUT A PLAN FOR KIND OF A COUNTYWIDE CONTRACTING SOFTWARE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. I'M CURIOUS HOW THOSE WITH THE ONE THAT YOU JUST PUT TOGETHER, HOW THAT WILL INTERACT WITH WHAT THE COUNTY IS PLANNING, AND ARE THOSE GOING TO INTEGRATE? HOW YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT TOO. WE, UM, ABSOLUTELY REALLY LOVE OUR LOW-CODE, NO-CODE CONTRACTING DATABASE. WE JUST INCORPORATED LIKE OUR FISCAL ASPECT INTO OUR CONTRACTING DATABASE, AND SO WE'RE REALLY KIND OF INTEGRATING ONE SOLUTION INTO IT. AND SO WE CAN REALLY SEE KIND OF HOW MUCH HAS BEEN PAID ON A CONTRACT AND REALLY KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT WITH ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS AND REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTING DOCUMENTS TIED TO A CONTRACTING DATABASE INSTEAD OF GOING INTO A SHARED DRIVE AND REALLY KIND OF SEARCHING AS TO WHERE IS THIS THING AT, YOU KNOW. AND SO HAVING IT IN ONE LOCATION AND SO WE I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT. AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO INTEGRATE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE REALLY WORKED FOR TO GET THIS INTO OUR AGENCY, INTO THAT. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS ANOTHER THING, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY A WHOLE OTHER AMOUNT OF MONEY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. OKAY. YEAH, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FUNCTIONALITY, WHICH IS AWESOME TO HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, UP TO DATE IN REAL TIME SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE FINANCIALS ARE ON A PARTICULAR CONTRACT. I'LL JUST ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT ONTO THAT. SO WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVEN'T HAD A DEMO YET, BUT WE JUST HAD A DISCUSSION WITH OUR COUNTY COUNCIL, TODD ENDRESS AND BRYCE. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT COUNTY COUNCIL'S NEW SYSTEM. THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY SEPARATE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL EVENTUALLY WORK TOWARDS HAVING THEM INTEGRATED. OUR SYSTEM IS MORE FOR MANAGING LIKE ALL OF THE STEPS THAT GO INTO OUR 700-PLUS CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN HHSA. SO THEY WILL BE SEPARATE AND APART FROM ONE ANOTHER, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE BENEFIT THAT HHSA SEES FROM THE CLM AS WELL. OKAY, GREAT. YEAH, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE, AS YOU'RE SAYING, THAT IF THERE'S A WAY TO BENEFIT FROM THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNTYWIDE EFFORT AND NOT DUPLICATE EFFORTS, THAT THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE. WITHIN THE WELFARE CASH AID PAYMENTS BUDGET NARRATIVE, YOU MENTIONED THE CALWORKS MAXIMUM AID PAYMENT WILL [00:55:02] INCREASE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2026. AND SO DOES THAT MEAN AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY AROUND EXACTLY HOW THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT THAT WOULD WOULD THAT MEAN THAT OUR WE WOULD EXPECT THAT OUR WELFARE CASH AID PAYMENTS AS IT RELATES TO CALWORKS WILL POTENTIALLY GO UP? YES. YEAH, IF THE MAXIMUM AID IF IT INCREASES, THEN OUR PAYMENT WOULD GO UP TOO. OKAY. AND THEN IN THE COUNTY INDIGENT CASES GENERAL FUND, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GENERAL ASSISTANCE, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THERE'S BEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. HOWEVER, THE CASELOAD HAS REMAINED STEADY. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, ONE, BECAUSE IN THE INFOGRAPHIC IT DOESN'T OBVIOUSLY HAVE '25-'26 ON THERE, BUT IT HAS FROM '21-'22 ALL THE WAY THROUGH '24-'25, IT'S GOING UP PRETTY CONSIDERABLY. AND SO I WAS INTERESTED TO HEAR IF THAT MEANS THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY LEVELED OFF NOW IN THIS YEAR, OR IF, IF THAT'S CONTINUING TO GO UP. I'M GONNA HAVE JOHN COME UP. HE HAS THE MOST RECENT DATA ON GENERAL ASSISTANCE CASES, AND WITH THE CHANGE THAT WE JUST MADE, HE'LL HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. OKAY, AND KIND OF THE, THE SIDE QUESTION THERE WOULD BE, IF APPLICATIONS ARE GOING UP BUT THE CASELOADS ARE STAYING CONSTANT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE REJECTING MORE, OR THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE ARE APPLYING, OR YEAH. SO, UH, GOOD MORNING. JOHN TAYLOR, BRANCH DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY. AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ARE WE ARE GETTING INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS, AS YOU, AS YOU NOTED, BUT OUR CASELOAD IS REMAINING THE SAME. AND THAT COULD BE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS PEOPLE APPLY AND THEN JUST DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH OR SUBMIT MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS. AND A LOT OF THAT IS WHAT WE SEE BECAUSE THERE'S MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS TO GET THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS. AND THEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO FALL OFF, YOU KNOW, WHO GET DISCONTINUED AND THEN COME ON. ALSO, OUR EMPLOYABLE PROGRAM'S 3 MONTHS, SO WE ALWAYS SEE TURNOVER THERE. OKAY, SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THAT, THAT AFTER A COUPLE YEARS OF INCREASING, THAT'S KIND OF LEVELING OFF NOW. UM, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE DATA SHOWS, AND I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY THERE, I NOTICED THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ADDING MONEY TO THE RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING, AND, UH, OR AT LEAST ARE THIS YEAR. IT'S A LITTLE BIT, BUT AND THEN LAST YEAR, AND I WAS CURIOUS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO TO THAT FUND BALANCE, WHAT THAT CAN BE USED FOR. BEING ON THE I'M ON THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL, UH, AND SO CURIOUS FROM THAT STANDPOINT, WHICH, WHICH BUDGET UNIT? THIS IS THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY. SO 590, 590, YEAH. SO 590, UM, IS, IS, UH, CSBG THAT CAN JUST BE USED FOR THE COMMUNITY ACTION CSBG PROGRAM, SO THE CAB BOARD. THIS IS PROBABLY PLHA FUNDS. THEY PROBABLY GOT ANOTHER DISBURSEMENT OF PLHA. OKAY. SO THE WORKFORCE HOUSING. YEP. OKAY. AND THEN RELATED TO CDBG, THE YOU MENTIONED THE $4.4 MILLION LOAN PORTFOLIO. AND I WAS CURIOUS, SO WE ARE LOANING THAT OUT TO INDIVIDUALS TO DO WORK ON THEIR HOMES OR TO DO I GUESS DOWN PAYMENT? SO PART OF THE CDBG IS CDBG-DR FOR THE APARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT, CASCADE VILLAGE, BURNEY COMMONS, SO THAT'S PART OF THE BIG PAYMENTS. AND THEN PART OF IT IS FOR THE OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB AND SOME OF IT IS DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THAT HAVE BEEN LOANED OUT FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. THAT IS PART OF IT AS WELL. AND THEN PART OF IT IS USED FOR PROGRAM INCOME TO SUPPORT THE SALARY AND BENEFITS TO RUN THE PROGRAMS. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING, THAT FUNDING ATTACHED TO CASCADE VILLAGE OR BURNEY COMMONS, WHAT IS IT PAYING FOR? IT'S NOT PAYING FOR THE VOUCHERS, THEMSELVES, OR IS IT? NO, NO, NO. SO THE, UM, IT'S CDBG-DR FUNDING. SO THE THEY RECEIVED, UH, BASICALLY A LOAN FROM HCD. SO THIS IS LIKE ALMOST LIKE A GRANT WHERE THEY GAVE IT TO THEY AWARDED IT OUT TO CASCADE VILLAGE AND BERNIE COMMONS, AND THEY NOW HAVE IT SITTING IN THEIR NOTES RECEIVABLE. THE DEVELOPER? SO K LIKE K2 IN THIS CASE? YEAH. OKAY. AND, UM, HOUSING COMMUNITY ACTION AND SO HAVE IT SITTING THERE. WE HAVE TO DO SOME LOAN MONITORING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. AND SO THEY HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU SEE IN THERE AS A NOTES RECEIVABLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE KIND OF HOW THAT HAS GROWN SO MUCH. IT'S NOT THE OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB OR DAP THAT HAS GROWN SO MUCH. THAT'S WHAT'S MADE IT GROW SO MUCH IS THOSE BIG PAYMENTS FOR THOSE PROJECTS. SO THE DEVELOPER WILL ACTUALLY PAY THAT BACK TO THE COUNTY OVER TIME. OKAY, INTERESTING. THAT'S HELPFUL. ONE LAST QUESTION WITHIN THE IHSS PUBLIC AUTHORITY BUDGET UNIT, THERE WE [01:00:04] TALK ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS LISTED AS A GOAL OF INCREASING PROVIDER REGISTRY CAPACITY FROM 273 TO 500, WHICH WILL INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY MATCH RECIPIENTS WITH PROVIDERS. I KNOW, AND ERIN AND I, ERIN WATTS AND I HAD KIND OF GONE BACK AND FORTH ON SOME OF THE DATA. I KNOW WE HAD A LOT MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE APPLYING FOR THAT THAN WE WERE CURRENTLY SERVING. IS THIS SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD MORE PROVIDERS AND THEN MATCH MORE PEOPLE. AND SO THE NUMBER OF THE CASELOAD, SO TO SPEAK, WILL GO UP CONSIDERABLY. I MEAN, 'CAUSE 273 TO 500 WOULD BE ALMOST DOUBLING. YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF CHRISTINA CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION, BUT LIKE WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE PROVIDERS YEAR OVER YEAR. AND SO BASED ON THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE TEAM, WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND 4,400 PROVIDERS, I BELIEVE, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. AND SO WE DO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THAT WOULD STOP. I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY INCLUDED IN THE MAY REVISE WHICH COULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS, HAVING TO DO WITH LIKE MEDI-CAL TERMINATION AND IHSS ALIGNING WITH THAT. WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH, BUT I THINK ON OUR CURRENT TRAJECTORY, YES, WE DO CONTINUE TO EXPECT TO SEE KIND OF THAT STEADY INCREASE. CHRISTINA'S NODDING HER HEAD, SO OKAY. AND JUST TO BECAUSE THE 4,400, THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CURRENT PROVIDERS. SO THE PROVIDER REGISTRY HERE, THESE THE 273, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE HOW DO I THINK ABOUT THOSE TWO NUMBERS SEPARATELY? JUST ONE SECOND. WE'RE LOOKING FOR I'M LOOKING BACK AT THE TEAMS MESSAGE YOU SENT ME WHICH TALKED ABOUT MATCH NUMBERS FOR PRIOR YEARS, WHICH WAS AROUND 452 IN '24-'25. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT THIS IS A REFERENCE TO. OKAY, OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT, I SEE NO MORE IN QUEUE, SO IF YOU WOULD CONTINUE, DIRECTOR COLEMAN. ALL RIGHT, LET ME GET BACK TO MY PRESENTATION. IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME A MINUTE. YES, IT'LL JUST TAKE ME A SECOND TO FLIP BACK. OKAY, ALL RIGHT, SOCIAL SERVICES FUND. SO THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WILL REFLECT EXTENSIVE DATA RELATED TO THE ONGOING CHALLENGES WITHIN SOCIAL SERVICES THE GENERAL SERVICE FUND, WHICH, AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, HAS BEEN THE MAIN FOCUS WITHIN HSA FOR THE LAST YEAR. I WANT THE BOARD TO KNOW THAT THE COST-SAVING EFFORTS UNDERWAY ARE NOT JUST HAPPENING IN SOCIAL SERVICES. COST-SAVING EFFORTS ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE AGENCY. THE REFLECTION OF THE EFFORTS CAN REALLY BE SEEN IN THE REDUCTION IN FUND BALANCE USAGE THAT WE SHARED EARLIER. I'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT EXPENDITURES ARE OUTPACING REVENUE. AND ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE REVENUE WILL INCREASE AS COST INCREASES DUE TO HIGHER CLAIMS. THE COUNTY SHARE OF COSTS WILL ALSO INCREASE. WE COVER THE COUNTY SHARE OF COSTS THROUGH REALIGNMENT REVENUE AND GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE GROWTH TREND OF REALIGNMENT DOES NOT MATCH THE GROWTH WE SEE IN EXPENDITURES. IT'S NOTABLE THAT FROM 2021 TO 2025, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT A 7% INCREASE IN REALIGNMENT REVENUE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND, 8.8% IN THE BUDGET UNIT 541, THE ASSISTANCE SIDE. AND FOR THE SAME TIME, THERE'S BEEN AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 27% IN EXPENDITURES. AS A REMINDER, REALIGNMENT IS FUNDED THROUGH VEHICLE LICENSE FEES AND SALES TAX REVENUE. ADDITIONALLY, THE HEALTH OF THIS REVENUE IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY. REALIGNMENT REVENUE WILL RECEIVE WILL RECEIVE GROWTH WHEN THE ECONOMY IS GOOD AND CASELOAD IS UP. IF ONE OR BOTH DOES NOT HAPPEN, [01:05:01] COUNTIES CAN BE HELD AT WHAT'S CALLED BASE REVENUE. EVEN THOUGH YOUR EXPENSES ARE INCREASING, THE STATE ISN'T PAYING YOU GROWTH DOLLARS TO MATCH THAT INCREASE. THE COUNTY IS THEN RESPONSIBLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COVER THE GAP IN REVENUE. SOME COUNTIES NEGOTIATE FOR A HIGHER GENERAL FUND AMOUNT EACH YEAR. OUR GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN HELD FLAT FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS. OVERALL, IN THE LAST 3 FISCAL YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN ABOUT A $19 MILLION DEFICIT IN SOCIAL SERVICES, WHICH HAS GREATLY IMPACTED THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND AND IS THE PRIMARY REASON AS TO WHY WE ARE SEEING THE CASH FLOW CONCERNS IN SOCIAL SERVICES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2017, WE SEE REVENUE THAT ALIGNS WITH EXPENDITURES. THE STATE AND FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS, ALONG WITH REALIGNMENT AND GENERAL FUND REVENUE, ALLOWED FOR A BUDGET SURPLUS IN THE BUDGET YEAR. THIS TREND CONTINUED CONSISTENTLY THROUGH 2022. I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE AT THIS TIME OUR RESOURCES, OUR REVENUE, MEET THE COST DEMAND. THIS ALLOWED FOR A HEALTHY GROWTH IN SOCIAL SERVICES. FISCAL YEAR 2023, WE START TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT, A 10% INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR '22 AND FISCAL YEAR '23. A 3% DECREASE IN STATE AND FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS, A 7% INCREASE IN REALIGNMENT, WHICH COMBINED EQUALS A 1% INCREASE IN REVENUE. SO THAT YEAR WE HAD A DEFICIT OF $9.4 MILLION. A MAJOR PORTION OF THIS DEFICIT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MEDI-CAL ADMINISTRATION SETTLEMENT, WHICH TRUES UP THE PRIOR ALLOCATION WITH ACTUAL EXPENDITURES. THE FISCAL YEAR '23 THE SETTLEMENT WAS $3.5 MILLION. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY REASON, PRIMARILY DUE TO MEDI-CAL CLIENTS NOT BEING REQUIRED TO RECERTIFY THEIR BENEFITS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. OTHER ITEMS TO NOTE IN FISCAL YEAR '23: THE CALAIM NO WRONG DOOR APPROACH WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING. PAYMENT REFORM WENT INTO EFFECT IN JULY OF '23, WHICH IMPACTED MENTAL HEALTH REIMBURSEMENT RATES. THIS IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH MORE THAN SOCIAL SERVICES. HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT AS SOCIAL SERVICES DOES ELIGIBILITY PIECE FOR MEDI-CAL APPLICATIONS. THE EXPANSION IN MEDI-CAL COVERAGE FOR ADULTS OLDER THAN 50 RESULTED IN HIGHER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, CHANGES TO THE MAXIMUM PAYMENT FOR CALWORKS AND INCOME LIMITS CAUSING A HIGHER INCREASE IN ASSISTANCE COST. CALFRESH WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE COLLEGE STUDENTS. INCLUDING REQUIRING THE DESIGNATION OF COUNTY STAFF LIAISONS FOR PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS LOCATED WITHIN THE COUNTY, WHICH RESULTED IN HIGHER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. CALWORKS TIMELINE CHANGED FROM 48 MONTHS TO 60 MONTHS, INCREASING ASSISTANCE COSTS. ADOPTIONS ASSISTANCE NUMBERS INCREASED, COSTING MORE IN ASSISTANCE COSTS. CARE COURT COMMUNITY IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING STARTED, AND THE CALAIM INVOLVED JUSTICE PLANNING STARTED TAKING SHAPE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS REPRESENTS THE GROWTH IN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND FOR THE PERIOD OF 2017 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2025. AGAIN, HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS REVENUE SLIGHTLY EXCEEDED EXPENDITURES, WHICH RESULTED IN STRONG GROWTH IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE AND CASH FLOW. IN 2021, THERE WAS A $6.8 MILLION SURPLUS WHICH GREW THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND BALANCE TO OVER $30 MILLION. IN 2022, REVENUE SLIGHTLY EXCEEDED EXPENDITURES, BUT IN 2023, WE START TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN TRENDS. EXPENDITURES EXCEEDED REVENUE BY ABOUT 4 BY, BY, BY, BY, OH, BY ABOVE $9.4 MILLION. WE SAW SIMILAR TRENDS IN 2025 AS WELL. IT IS NOTABLE THAT WHY SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION EXPENDITURES HAVE INCREASED AND DID HAVE A DEFICIT IN '23 AND '25, THE BULK OF THE DEFICIT HAS OCCURRED IN THE WELFARE AND CASH AID PAYMENT BUDGET, BUDGET UNIT 541, WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF $18 MILLION FROM FISCAL YEAR '21 TO FISCAL YEAR '25. FOR THE SAME PERIOD, SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BUDGET, 501, HAD A SURPLUS OF $5.9 MILLION. THE 541 BUDGET IS THE BUDGET UNIT FOR ASSISTANCE CLAIMS, FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS, ADOPTIONS ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS. THIS IS THE BUDGET UNIT WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE AND HAD A LOSS OF $18 MILLION. THE BUDGET UNIT WHERE WE HAD CONTROL TO REDUCE SOME HAD A SURPLUS OF $5.9 MILLION. WHEN YOU HEAR US COME TO THE BOARD AND TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND, THE FUND IS A COMBINATION OF THE WELFARE AND CASH AID BUDGET 541, THE ONE WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE, AND THE SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BUDGET 501, THE [01:10:01] ONE WE HAVE SOME AUTHORITY TO REDUCE. FROM FISCAL YEAR '21 TO FISCAL YEAR '25, BUDGET UNIT 541 HAD A DEFICIT OF $18 MILLION AND 501 HAD A SURPLUS OF $5. $9 MILLION. NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BUDGET, 501, ON ITS OWN. WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OF COSTS IN THIS AREA AND WHERE MUCH OF OUR CURRENT COST SAVINGS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED HARD AND SOFT HIRING FREEZES, REDUCING COSTS FOR TRAVEL, TRAINING, AND OFFICE SUPPLIES. THIS IS ALSO HISTORICALLY WHERE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REALIZE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND CASH FLOW GROWTH, WHICH IS EVIDENT IN FISCAL YEAR '17 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR '22. 2. THIS IS THE BUDGET UNIT WE HAVE DONE SIGNIFICANT WORK IN TO REDUCE COSTS IN FISCAL YEAR '26. AS REPRESENTED IN THE GRAPH ABOVE, THE REVENUE EXCEEDS THE EXPENSES IN FISCAL YEAR '26. THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND WELFARE AND CASH AID PAYMENTS BUDGET UNIT IS WHERE PAYMENTS GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR MANDATED SERVICES THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE THE REVENUE SHOWN IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE MANDATED MANDATES BEING PROVIDED. THE WELFARE AND CASH AID BUDGET 541 SHOWS A DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT PICTURE. FROM FISCAL YEAR 2017 TO FISCAL YEAR '21, WE SEE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES TREND MUCH CLOSER ON THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE. AND IN FISCAL YEAR '22, EXPENDITURES BEGAN TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEED REVENUE, A TREND WHICH HAS CONTINUE TO STEADILY GROW OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT COSTS THAT GO INTO THE BUDGET UNIT 541. IN ADDITION TO IHSS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFIT COSTS, THE THIS BUDGET UNIT ALSO SUPPORTS FOSTER CARE, MINORS AND WARDS, AND ADOPTIONS, AND CONTRIBUTES $1.3 MILLION ANNUALLY TO THE JUVENILE PROBATION RIVERS ACADEMY. THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF STATE REVENUE IN BLUE, FEDERAL REVENUE IN ORANGE, AND COUNTY SHARE OF COST IN GREEN FOR THESE PROGRAMS. THESE COSTS ARE PRIMARILY MADE UP OF MANDATED SERVICES DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY. OVER THE YEARS, THE COUNTY SHARE OF COST HAS INCREASED, AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE GREEN, AND RANGES FROM ABOUT 50 TO 60% OF THE OVERALL COST. COUNTY SHARE OF COST IS COVERED BY THE GENERAL FUND ABOUT $2 MILLION, $2.9 MILLION ANNUALLY IN BUDGET UNIT 541, AND REALIGNMENT, WHICH HAS ONLY MINIMALLY INCREASED OVER THE YEARS AND TENDS TO RANGE BETWEEN $31 AND $34 MILLION IN THIS BUDGET UNIT. THE REMAINDER OF SOCIAL SERVICES REALIGNMENT IS USED TO SUPPORT COUNTY SHARE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. COUNTY SHARE OF COSTS INCREASED 16.6% BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR '21 FISCAL YEAR '25. REALIGNMENT IN BUDGET UNIT 541 INCREASED BY 8.8% BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR '21 AND FISCAL YEAR '25. OVERALL, SOCIAL SERVICES REALIGNMENT HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT 7% BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR '21 AND FISCAL YEAR '25. I'M SORRY, HANG ON, I GOT A LITTLE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE. IN THIS BUDGET UNIT, NET COUNTY COSTS OR FUND BALANCE USE HAS INCREASED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS FROM $121,000 IN FISCAL YEAR '21 TO $7.5 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR '25, A TOTAL OF $18 MILLION OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME. THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WILL FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM COST GROWTH IN IHSS SUPPORT AND CARE ADULTS, ADOPTION SUPPORT AND CARE MINORS AND WARDS, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, EBT COSTS, AND FOSTER CARE. THE IHSS MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, OR MOE, IS THE COUNTY'S SHARE OF COSTS FOR IHSS PROVIDERS AND HAS AN ANNUAL INFLATION INCREASE OF 4%, AS WELL AS INCREASES OVER THE YEARS DUE TO WAGE SUPPLEMENT INCREASES. WHILE THE COUNTY IS ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT 17.5% OF THE OVERALL COST IT IS STILL SIGNIFICANT IS STILL SIGNIFICANT COST, WHICH HAS DOUBLED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AND BY ABOUT 27.5% FROM FISCAL YEAR '21 TO FISCAL YEAR '25. OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF IHSS PROVIDERS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF IHSS HOURS. IN CALENDAR YEAR 2019, TOTAL, TOTAL APPROVED HOURS WERE AROUND 4.2 MILLION HOURS, AND THERE ARE AROUND 3,200 PROVIDERS. IN CALENDAR YEAR '25, THERE WERE NEARLY 6 MILLION APPROVED HOURS AND AN AVERAGE OF 4,150 PROVIDERS. WE ARE ON TRACK TO EXCEED 6.4 MILLION APPROVED HOURS AND NEARLY [01:15:02] 04,400 APPROVED PROVIDERS IN FISCAL YEAR $1.6 MILLION. ANOTHER AREA OF SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ARE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE EBT CLAIMS, WHICH ARE THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS PAID DIRECTLY TO CLIENTS. THIS IS ANOTHER AREA WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY TO REDUCE. IN FISCAL YEAR '21, THE COST WAS AROUND $14 MILLION, AND IN FISCAL YEAR '25, WE SAW THIS COST GROW TO JUST OVER $20 MILLION, ABOUT A 45% INCREASE. THIS INCREASE IS DUE TO NOT ONLY THE INCREASE DUE TO INCREASING CASELOAD SIZES, BUT ALSO DUE TO BENEFIT AMOUNT INCREASES. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2017, THE MAXIMUM CASH AID PAYMENT FOR A FAMILY OF 4 WAS JUST UNDER $900 PER MONTH. IT IS NOW NEARLY $1,500 PER MONTH. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE ALSO SEEN CASELOAD GROWTH IN THE CALWORKS PROGRAM BY ABOUT 11.3%. WE CAN WE PROJECT CONTINUED GROWTH IN THIS AREA IN THE COMING YEARS. THOUGH THE ANNUAL COST DOES NOT THOUGH THE ANNUAL COST DOES SEEM TO BE LEVELING OUT, WE KNOW THAT ECONOMIC DOWNTRENDS ARE LIKELY TO IMPACT CASELOAD SIZE AND THE LOCAL NEED. ANOTHER AREA THAT HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IS THE SUPPORT AND CARE MINORS AND WARDS ACCOUNT. WHICH LARGELY CONSISTS OF ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS AND PLACEMENT COSTS FOR MINORS IN WARRANTS. THESE COSTS INCREASED BY 42.3% BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR '21 AND FISCAL YEAR '25. THESE COSTS CAN VARY SIGNIFICANTLY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING FAMILY NEED FOR ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS AND NUMBER OF PLACEMENTS WITHIN THE CASELOAD, BUT OVERALL HAS SEEN A STEADY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE INCREASE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. FOSTER CARE COSTS INCREASED BY 8% FROM FISCAL YEAR '21 TO FISCAL YEAR '25. BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED COSTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, CASH FLOW HAS BECOME A MORE PRESSING AND CONCERNING ISSUE. HHSA FIRST CAME TO THE BOARD TO REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE GENERAL FUND LOAN IN 2024. $5 MILLION, WHICH IS ISSUED AND PAID ON A REVOLVING BASIS AND CURRENTLY SHALL NOT EXCEED $10 MILLION AT ANY ONE TIME. WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT INCREASING COSTS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, CASH FLOW HAS BEEN ON A DOWNWARD TREND DURING THIS TIME. AS EXPENSES HAVE CONTINUED TO OUTPACE REVENUE, CASH ON HAND TOOK A DOWNWARD TURN. EARLIER I MENTIONED THAT RESERVES REACHED A HIGH IN FISCAL YEAR '22 OF AROUND $30 MILLION. THIS IS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD WHERE WE START TO SEE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES, AND BY THE SAME TIME IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, FISCAL YEAR '23, THE BALANCE HAS DECREASED BY MORE THAN $9 MILLION, A TRENCH WE SEE AGAIN IN FISCAL YEAR '24 AND WHICH HAS CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT. THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS CASH FLOW TRENDS IN FISCAL YEAR '26, WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE IS ON AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY UNTIL WE GET TO APRIL, WHICH IS WHERE WE SEE A SIGNIFICANT DIP, WHICH IS THE IHSS MOE. WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT COST-SAVING EFFORTS OVER THE LAST YEAR. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE COST-SAVING MEASURES THUS FAR. BETWEEN OCTOBER OF '25 AND FEBRUARY OF '26, WE SAW APPROXIMATELY $7 MILLION IN SAVINGS, OR AN AVERAGE OF $1.4 MILLION PER MONTH. WE MAINTAIN THIS TREND UNTIL APRIL, WHEN THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE IHSS MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT WAS PAID. TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT, THE MOE INVOICE IS RECEIVED THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE FISCAL FISCAL YEAR AND INCLUDES THE FIRST 7 TO 9 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. THIS YEAR, THE FIRST PAYMENT WAS JUST A LITTLE OVER $8 MILLION FOR THE MONTHS OF JULY 25 THROUGH MARCH OF '26, AND APPROXIMATELY $891,000 PER MONTH FOR APRIL THROUGH JUNE. MAY EXPENDITURES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AS REMAINING IHSS PAYMENTS, APPROXIMATELY $2.6 MILLION, ARE CURRENTLY PENDING PAYMENT. AND THESE COSTS WILL POST IN JUNE. THE TAKEAWAY WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT COST-SAVING EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE HIRING FREEZE, REDUCTION IN TRAVEL AND TRAINING, OFFICE SUPPLIES, HAVE RESULTED IN MATERIAL SAVINGS WHICH WE WILL EXPECT TO CONTINUE IN FISCAL YEAR '27. AS A REMINDER, HERE'S A LIST OF CURRENT COST-SAVING MEASURES. HARD HIRING FREEZE RESULTED IN APPROXIMATELY $5.3 MILLION IN ANNUAL SAVINGS. IN FISCAL YEAR '26 IN THE [01:20:01] SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET. THIS INCLUDED BOTH SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND HHSA ADMINISTRATION. ADDITIONALLY, 3 ANALYSTS WERE SHIFTED FROM BUDGET UNIT 502, HHSA ADMINISTRATION, TO BUDGET UNIT 410 TO SUPPORT THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT UNIT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET UNIT. IN FISCAL YEAR '26 ADOPTED BUDGET, $22 MILLION WAS BUDGETED FOR SERVICES AND SUPPLIES IN SOCIAL SERVICES. WE ARE PROJECTING $19.3 MILLION IN THIS AREA, A REDUCTION OF $2.7 MILLION. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY $650 FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET TO YEAR-END PROJECTIONS. WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS REDUCING THE SPACE AND ESTIMATE ABOUT $200,000 IN SAVINGS IN FISCAL YEAR '27 AND AT LEAST $400,000 IN FISCAL YEAR '28. ADDITIONALLY, WE TRANSFERRED AN ADDITIONAL $1.1 MILLION IN PUBLIC HEALTH REALIGNMENT TO SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES. FINALLY, 3 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS HAVE BEEN HELD VACANT, 2 DEPUTY BRANCH DIRECTOR POSITIONS OR DELETED, AND ASSISTANT AGENCY DIRECTOR, FOR A TOTAL SAVINGS OF $914,000. BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SECTION, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I MEAN, I'M, I'M FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW YOU'VE SQUEEZED EVERY DROP OUT OF THAT TURNIP YOU POSSIBLY CAN AND CUT EVERY POSSIBLE PLACE YOU CAN, BUT I MEAN, LOOKING AT THOSE GRAPHS, IT'S VERY ALARMING. I MEAN, WHERE ALONG THE LINE ARE I MEAN, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CUT THESE BENEFITS, BUT I MEAN, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO. WE CAN'T BANKRUPT THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE'RE COMMITTED TO HAVING TO PAY FOR THE FOOD STAMPS AND THE WIC AND THE CASH AID AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I MEAN, AND AND WE DON'T GET REFUNDED ANY OF THAT MONEY. I MEAN, IT'S YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY A BALANCING ACT, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY CUT ADMIN SO FAR BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ADMIN STAFF TO PROCESS ALL THE APPLICATIONS. RIGHT. AND SO YOU CUT DOWN ADMIN SO MUCH, YOU WON'T HAVE THOSE ADMIN STAFF TO DO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU NEED FOR THE INCREASE IN WORKLOAD. AND SO THAT'S PART OF LIKE THE CHALLENGE WITH HR1 TOO THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT. AND YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE THE BULK OF THE INFORMATION FOR HR1 BECAUSE OF THE STATE BUDGET HASN'T BEEN PASSED FULLY, SO WE DON'T KNOW FULLY YET WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS WILL BE. BUT THAT IS THE CHALLENGE. AND SO KIND OF KNOWING TOO, THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN INCREASING OVER THE YEARS AND KIND OF HOW IT'S BEEN GROWING OVER THE YEARS, WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LEFT IN THIS, JUST KIND OF PICKING UP THE PIECES AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MOVE ON AND WHAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW. TO KIND OF PLUG THE HOLE AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO KEEP THE AGENCY MOVING ON. AND SO IT'S AN AGENCY-WIDE EFFORT. IT'S NOT JUST A SOCIAL SERVICES EFFORT, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE CAN HAVE AN AGENCY-WIDE COST-SAVING EFFORT, REALIGNMENT IS THE COMMON THREAD THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY. AND SO IF WE HAVE SAVINGS IN OTHER AREAS, WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE REALIGNMENT INTO SOCIAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE BIG AND PROBABLY MY STAFF ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING ME SAY, THIS IS AN AGENCY-WIDE EFFORT. LIKE, WE'RE SAVING MONEY EVERYWHERE WE CAN BECAUSE WE CAN THEN TRANSFER MONEY TO OUR MANDATED SERVICES IN SOCIAL SERVICES. BECAUSE THIS IS FOSTER CARE, THESE ARE ADOPTIONS, THIS IS CHILD WELFARE, THIS IS APS, THIS IS CASH AID, THIS IS FOOD STAMPS, THIS IS MEDI-CAL. LIKE, THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN'T LET FALL. ARE WE PAYING MORE THAN SURROUNDING COUNTIES? I MEAN, ARE WE MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR TO GET PEOPLE HERE FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES? I MEAN, NO, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS WITH THESE. SO THESE ARE STATE, YOU KNOW, THE STATE SETS THESE LIMITS. DEHOMA COUNTY AND SISKIYOU COUNTY AND MODOC COUNTY ARE ALL PAYING THE SAME AS WE ARE. YEAH, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT, I'M GOING TO LOOK TO THESE GUYS TO SAY THAT I'M CORRECT IN SAYING THAT, RIGHT? OKAY, YES. OKAY, ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WISH I WOULD COME UP WITH A MAGIC SILVER BULLET, BUT SUPERVISOR LONG. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, KRISTI, FOR THIS INFORMATION. UM, AT SOME POINT, MY OPINION AND CONVERSATION, JUST A CONTINUATION OF HIS CONVERSATION, ACROSS ALL COUNTIES WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT THE UNFUNDED MANDATES AND WHICH ONES WE CAN START TO NOT DO. BUT WE HAVE TO COLLECTIVELY PROBABLY DO THAT BECAUSE IF WE STAND ALONE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO INVITE THE WRATH. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NOT UNFUNDED MANDATES IN SOCIAL SERVICES. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ELSEWHERE IN THE AGENCY. AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE SAY THIS IS AN AGENCY-WIDE PROBLEM, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AGENCY-WIDE COLLECTIVELY, LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY? AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE APPROACHED THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THIS IS NOT JUST SOCIAL SERVICES. THIS IS NOT JUST MENTAL HEALTH. THIS IS NOT JUST PUBLIC HEALTH. THIS IS, WE'RE A WHOLE. WE'RE ONE BIG WHOLE FAMILY HERE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS ON AS ONE BIG PROBLEM. AND WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THAT'S HOW WE'VE APPROACHED THIS. RIGHT, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED AND I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE, THE PROBLEMS FOCUSED IN THE [01:25:03] SOCIAL SERVICES AND NOT LET THEM BLEED TO ALL THE OTHERS SURROUNDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES SO THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH, THAT'S WHY IF YOU TAKE THE AGENCY APPROACH, WE'RE DOING ALL THE COST-SAVING MEASURES SO WE DON'T HAVE THIS TRICKLE EFFECT HAPPEN EVERYWHERE ELSE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE LOOK AT THE CONTRACTS IN MENTAL HEALTH, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S BEEN A BIG FOCUS IN OUR MENTAL HEALTH AREA OF MAKING SURE WHEN WE'RE DOING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, WE'RE REALLY DOING THOSE MINDFULLY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, GIVING THESE MASSIVE INCREASES, OR WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM TO BE REALLY MINDFUL IN HOW WE ARE NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS AND GETTING THE CONTRACTS THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED. AND IF WE CAN DO INTERNAL PROVIDERS, LIKE, LET'S LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HIRE INTERNAL PROVIDERS INSTEAD OF MAYBE DOING OUTSIDE PROVIDERS ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY TO REDUCE OUR COSTS? OKAY, OKAY. AND THE QUESTION I HAD WAS, I THINK I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT THIS, MAYBE YOU CAN ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, BUT THE STATE SHIFTING THE BURDEN BACK TO COUNTIES FOR IHSS FUNDING. AND SO YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOURS HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY WITH THESE PROVIDERS. AND I WOULD ASSUME, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN CLARIFY THIS, THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT IHSS WORKERS PUT IN FOR. AND ALSO, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT WHAT THAT SHIFTING BURDEN FROM THE STATE BACK TO COUNTIES WILL LOOK LIKE, AND WHAT ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT? YEAH, SO AS FAR AS I, I UNDERSTAND WITH IHSS, I'M GOING TO LOOK TO CHRISTINA TO CORRECT ME IF I SAY THIS WRONG, SO WHEN SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IHSS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A NUMBER OF HOURS, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A NUMBER OF HOURS. WITH HR 1, THERE IS SOMETHING IN HR 1 THAT POTENTIALLY COULD SHIFT MORE COST TO COUNTIES THAT IN THE STATE BUDGET COULD POTENTIALLY NOT SHIFT THE COST TO COUNTIES. AND SO WE'RE KIND OF WAITING FOR TO SEE IF THAT WILL NOT BE THE COST SHIFT SHIFTED TO COUNTIES OR IF IT WILL BE. AND IT'S KIND OF UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW WHERE THAT COST WILL LAND. IF IT WILL BE SHIFTED TO COUNTIES, IT COULD BE SIGNIFICANT. WE DON'T KNOW. THAT'S THE HARD THING ABOUT H.R. 1, RIGHT? SO LIKE, THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWNS RIGHT NOW WITH THE STATE BUDGET OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE CAME DOWN AND IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT GOOD. AND THEN EVERYTHING CAME OUT WITH SUBCOMMITTEES AND LEGISLATURES AND THINGS ARE PASSING AND GOING THROUGH AND THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROPOSALS COMING UP, ALL THE ASSOCIATIONS KIND OF CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, COUNTIES ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS, LIKE THIS IS REALLY BAD. AND SO THINGS HAVE COME UP AND THEY SAID, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, THE COUNTIES CANNOT SUSTAIN THIS. AND SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY COME TO COUNTIES TO HELP. I THINK THE QUESTION IS, IS IT ONE-TIME FUNDING OR IS IT ONGOING FUNDING? YOU KNOW, ARE THESE EXEMPTIONS ARE THEY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS PUT IN PLACE TO WHERE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN? AND SO THOSE ARE THE BIG QUESTIONS THAT WE STILL HAVE OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE STATE BUDGET GETS PASSED. OKAY, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. YES, THANK YOU, KRISTI, FOR THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION. SUPER HELPFUL TO KIND OF TRACE THE STORY BACK AND EXPLAIN HOW WE GOT HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PAINT THE PICTURE OF WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE GOING FORWARD. THE ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD, AND THEN KIND OF WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, AS YOU SAID, THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THESE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE INTERDEPENDENT, AND SO AS ONE GOES DOWN, THEN IT COULD INFLUENCE THE OTHERS. AND SO BUT THE QUESTION I HAD WAS, SO IN THIS, IN THE 501 BUDGET UNIT, WHEN IT SAYS THE NET COUNTY COSTS, WHICH IS COVERED ENTIRELY BY THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND, IS REQUESTED AT $838,000, AN INCREASE OF $2.9 MILLION. THAT, WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING, AND, AND I WAS ASKING AARON BERTIN THIS, UH, BUT THAT IS A COMPARISON TO THE ADJUSTED BUDGET WITH THE SAVINGS THAT WERE ACHIEVED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO END. WE'RE TALKING CURRENT, CURRENT BUDGET YEAR, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. YEAH, THIS BUDGET YEAR, BUT IT AND IT SAYS IT'S AN INCREASE OF $2.9 MILLION COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR '25, 2025. CORRECT. CAN YOU SAY WHAT BUDGET UNIT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? UH, THIS, THIS IS THE, THE 501. 501. OKAY. I THINK HE'S LOOKING RIGHT HERE. IT'S ON YEAH, THAT 320, PAGE 322 AT THE TOP THERE. UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOR '25-'26, IT'S ENDING IN A SURPLUS. YES, IT'S A $3.9 [01:30:02] MILLION SURPLUS IN 501. UM, I'M NOT TOTALLY CLEAR ON WHAT THE QUESTION IS. I'M SO SORRY. SO I WAS BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE HAVING AN INCREASE OF THE I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. SO I MIGHT BE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT SPOT THAN WHAT YOU'RE READING. I'M AT THE TOP OF PAGE 322. IT SAYS THE NET COUNTY COSTS IS REQUESTED AT $838,000 AND CHANGE, AN INCREASE OF 2.9%. OH, SO THAT'S ADOPTED BUDGET LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. SO WE ALWAYS COMPARE WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR NARRATIVE WHAT WE HAD IN OUR BUDGET BOOK FOR THE PRIOR YEAR TO THE CURRENT BUDGET BOOK. SO RECOMMENDED AND ADOPTED BUDGETS. SO IF I TRANSLATE THAT INTO NORMAL LANGUAGE OUTSIDE OF BUDGET BOOKS, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE'RE EXPECTING THAT OUR COST, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR REVENUE AND EXPENSES, ARE IS GOING TO GO UP ALMOST $3 MILLION FOR THIS FUND RELATIVE TO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE LAST YEAR? SO IF WE SAVE I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY. SO WHERE WE'RE ENDING THE YEAR THIS YEAR, AND SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE COST-SAVING INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED, ESPECIALLY IN SOCIAL SERVICES. WE NOW HAVE IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGET PROJECTED A $3.9 MILLION SURPLUS FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26, THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, OUR BUDGET HAS A $838,000 DEFICIT. OKAY, SO THAT'S THE AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE SIMILAR SAVINGS MATERIALIZE ALSO IN THE NEXT YEAR. SO WE'RE HOPING THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE SEEING A SURPLUS WHEN WE'RE BRINGING OUR FINAL PROJECTIONS. OKAY, I THINK THAT SO YOU'RE SAYING WE SAVE MONEY IN '25-'26 YES. IF WE DO THIS BUDGET EXACTLY, WE WILL LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, CORRECT? WHICH WILL BE ALMOST $3 MILLION DIFFERENT FROM THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE SAVED MONEY, CORRECT? OKAY. YEAH. AND THEN, UH, THE SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE TRANSFERRING $4.7 MILLION FROM MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT BUDGET UNIT TO MENTAL HEALTH AND THAT THERE IS A I'M FORGETTING THE NUMBER, LET ME SEE HERE. SO THERE, THE NET COUNTY COST IS REQUESTED AT $5.7 MILLION, AND THAT'S WITH THE TRANSFER FROM MHSA. THAT'S CORRECT. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT IF WE HADN'T TRANSFERRED THE $4.7 MILLION FROM MHSA TO MENTAL HEALTH, THAT ACTUALLY THAT WOULD BE A NET COUNTY COST OF ALMOST $10 MILLION. OKAY, WHICH THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET FUND BALANCE IS PROJECTED TO BE $7.2 MILLION BASED ON THE, UM, INCLUDING THE MHSA CARRYING UP OVER SOME OF THOSE COSTS. SO IF THERE, IF THERE WASN'T THAT TRANSFER, IT WOULD BE AROUND $2.5 MILLION. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE AT $2 MILLION, UH, WE'LL RUN INTO CASH FLOW PROBLEMS THERE. WHAT ARE THE RULES, IF ANY, IN TERMS OF TAKING MHSA FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS STILL PRETTY HEALTHY, AND TRANSFERRING IT TO LIKE, HOW ARE WE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE $4.7? ACTUALLY HAVE TO FIT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN JUST SAY WE WANT TO WE HAVE TO BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT WE TRANSFER OVER. AND SO WE ENGAGED WITH OUR FISCAL LEAD OVER MHSA TO REALLY IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING WITHIN THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR MHSA. BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE 5-YEAR REVERSION WITH MHSA FUNDING. WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT MANY CLAWED BACK EVENTUALLY. NOT THAT THAT IS A RISK, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET CYCLE, BUT WE DO WANT TO USE THOSE RESOURCES ANY WAY THAT WE CAN SO WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, LOSE MONEY. AND SO IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT SOME OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR MENTAL HEALTH INTO THE MHSA OR BHSA BUDGET UNIT. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE TO BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT WE DO THAT WHERE WE DO THAT BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE TO QUALIFY UNDER THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT. AND DOES THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY GIVEN TO US UNDER THE UNDER MHSA, AS WE'RE TRANSITIONING [01:35:01] TO BHSA, DOES IT HAVE TO DOES THE FUND BALANCE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF MHSA OR BHSA? I IT HAS TO FOLLOW BHSA. SO NEXT FISCAL YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, ANY FUND BALANCE, WE'LL HAVE TO ALLOCATE IT IN WAYS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE NEW, MORE RESTRICTIVE GUIDANCE OF BHSA. AND ALSO, WE'LL, BECAUSE THE STATE'S HOLDING MORE OF THE BHSA MONEY BACK, WE SHOULD EXPECT OUR MHSA FUNDING REVENUE TO GO DOWN RELATIVE TO HOW IT HAS BEEN. OKAY. AND THEN, THE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE USING, UM, $1.3 MILLION FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO PAY FOR RIVER'S EDGE ACADEMY. YES, WE ARE PLANNING TO USE THAT. IS ACTUALLY A SPECIFIC FUNDING SOURCE, IT'S, UM, IGT. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE RESEARCHED AND DETERMINED THAT WE CAN, UM, KIND OF HELP SOCIAL SERVICES IN THAT REGARD, UM, AND LIMIT THE IMPACT ON SOCIAL SERVICES. RIGHT NOW, RIVER'S EDGE HAS HISTORICALLY COME OUT OF SOCIAL SERVICES REALIGNMENT. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO CHECK. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CASE, BUT I WASN'T SURE. AND THEN I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST THE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH TRANSFERRING SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS GETTING KIND OF LOW TOO, BUT TRANSFERRING SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE OVER THERE. THERE I SAW IT UNDER I THINK IT'S LIKE C I FORGET WHAT IT STANDS FOR C/A, AND THEN OF $2.1 MILLION FROM PUBLIC HEALTH TO SOCIAL SERVICES. IS THAT AND IT'S IN A DIFFERENT SPOT THAN THE TRANSFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THAT ACTUALLY PROBABLY IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE SOCIAL SERVICES. OKAY. SO THAT'S THEY'RE BEING REIMBURSED ESSENTIALLY BY SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT THEY CAN CLAIM LIKE ON THE SOCIAL SERVICES CLAIM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE NURSES WITHIN OUR SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET. SO THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND INVOICE THAT OVER TO SOCIAL SERVICES. OKAY. AND THEN I KNOW WE, WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE COUNTY LEVEL VACANCIES ON MONDAY, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE, WITH SOCIAL, THE SOCIAL SERVICES ADMIN BUDGET UNIT, THAT THERE'S ABOUT 100 VACANCIES OR SO IN OUT OF LIKE 500 AND CHANGE TOTAL. THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT FOR SOCIAL SERVICES. I DON'T HAVE MONICA'S PRESENTATION RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT IS WE BROKE IT DOWN BY BRANCH IN OURS. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, YOU HAD IT IN THERE. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF WE HAVE 100 VACANCIES, ONE I KNOW WE HAVE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE DONE SOME WORK TO WELL, WE HAVE A HARD HIRING FREEZE IN PLACE, BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE DONE SOME WORK TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT, AND I SAW SOME OF THAT IN THE BUDGET NARRATIVE AS WELL. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW LONG MOST OF THOSE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN UNFILLED? SO AS A GENERAL RULE, WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR FOR 12 MONTHS OR MORE FOR POSSIBLE DELETION. NOW, THERE ARE SOME WHAT I'LL CALL SPECIALTY POSITIONS WITHIN HHSA, LIKE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS, CHIEF OF PSYCHIATRY, THAT ARE JUST HISTORICALLY DIFFICULT TO FILL. SO THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD VACANT BACK TO LIKE 2023, AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR LACK OF TRYING. IT'S JUST THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY LIKE, UM, PEOPLE WHO MEET THE CRITERIA TO COME ON BOARD IN THOSE ROLES. YEAH, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY HARD TO FILL. BUT THAT WE DO FOLLOW THE SAME PARAMETERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OUR POSITIONS, UM, AT THAT 12-MONTH MARK TO IDENTIFY, LIKE, DO WE NEED TO KEEP THESE VACANT? CAN WE DELETE THEM? UM, YOU KNOW, AND TRYING TO BE CRITICAL ABOUT, ABOUT THOSE VACANT POSITIONS. OKAY. AND I KNOW YOU PROPOSED A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL STAFFING-RELATED SOLUTIONS MAY THAT ARE THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING SOME ANALYSIS AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT. I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT IF FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN PARTICULAR, GIVEN THE CURRENT SITUATION, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HR1 TOO, IF WE SAID, WELL, WHAT IF WE LOOKED AT 6 MONTHS, YOU KNOW, OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR 6 MONTHS AND SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT POTENTIAL SAVINGS THAT WOULD BE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF WE CAN NOT IMPACT EXISTING STAFF. AND, AND I KNOW EVENTUALLY THAT IF THOSE AREN'T FILLED, THAT ACCRUES TO US IN SALARY SAVINGS ANYWAY. SO IT HELPS OUR BUDGET, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HELP OUR CASH BALANCE. BUT THAT MIGHT BE [01:40:01] SOMETHING INTERESTING TO LOOK AT AS WELL. THANK YOU. SURPRISE CRY. I JUST SAID I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT, AND THIS IS I THINK IT WAS MAYBE 45 MINUTES AGO, SO THE, UH, THE OTHER COUNTIES WHEN SUPERVISOR LONG MADE A GOOD POINT ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO START LOOKING TO CUT ESSENTIAL AND MANDATORY SERVICES, I MEAN, WE ALREADY I MEAN, WE THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THERE'S LIKE OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES THAT ARE ALREADY CUTTING THINGS, AND JUST ON THE STATE, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT. SO HAVE YOU GUYS ALREADY STARTED TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD? I MEAN, HOPEFULLY THIS COUNTY GOING FORWARD ISN'T GOING TO BE IN THAT BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB AS PREVIOUS BOARD AND THIS BOARD OF NOT PUTTING US IN THAT SITUATION. BUT HAVE YOU GUYS WHEN DOES THAT CONTINGENCY PLAN I GUESS I SHOULD LOOK AT ALL OF YOU AS WELL. WHEN DOES THAT I SEE YOU GUYS NODDING. WHEN DOES THAT PLAN ACTUALLY START TO GET PUT INTO PLACE? AND WHEN DOES THE BOARD WHEN IS THE BOARD NOTIFIED OF SAYING, LIKE, HEY, IF THIS REALLY HITS THE FAN, HERE'S OUR LINE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GONNA SAVE THIS BOARD AND ANY OTHER BOARD GOING FORWARD. IT'LL HELP YOU GUYS, AND IT'LL HELP EVERYONE UP HERE NOT FEEL RUSHED. SO, AND IT'S HARD TO SAY, LIKE, IF YOU HAVE ALL THE KIDS IN THE CAR AND SAY, IF IT GETS BAD, WE'RE GONNA LIKE ELIMINATE YOU FIRST AND YOU SECOND. BUT NO, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SO MANY DISCUSSIONS INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, AND DONE ALL THE COST SAVINGS THAT WE CAN DO INTERNALLY. THAT'S KIND OF WHEN WE CAME TO THE BOARD WITH OUR $10 MILLION GENERAL FUND LOAN REQUEST. AND WHEN THE STATE DOES THEIR BUDGET PASS OR NOT PASS OR WHATEVER THEY DO, AND WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO SHAKE OUT WITH HR1, AND WE REALLY KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING WITH THAT, WE'LL KNOW KIND OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE'LL KNOW WHAT, WHAT KIND OF WE ARE GOING TO NEED AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED. AND AFTER WE HAVE MEETINGS TOO WITH KIND OF THE UNIONS, WITH DIRECTION THAT WE GOT FROM THE BOARD LAST TIME, TIME WE'LL KNOW MORE OF WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON. AND SO AT THAT TIME WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD, I'M SURE, AND SAYING THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT. YEAH, I KNOW THAT. I KNOW. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF CAN BE WASTED TIME, THOUGHT, AND ENERGY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT STUFF AND YOU START TO PLAY OUT THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, BUT YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE VOTE. BUT HOW FAST WOULD YOU SEE THOSE DECISIONS LIKE COMING OUT OF THE GATE? AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TIME. I MEAN, IT'S HARD UNTIL THAT PASSES, UNTIL YOU KNOW. I CAN SAY THIS, LIKE WE'VE ALREADY, WE ALREADY WORK ON EFFICIENCIES LIKE EVERY DAY, AND THESE GUYS ARE PROBABLY LIKE TIRED OF HEARING ME TALK ABOUT EFFICIENCIES AND LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING AND WHAT KIND OF COST SAVINGS ARE WE, YOU KNOW, DOING, GETTING MY EMAILS CONSTANTLY ABOUT COST SAVING MEASURES. AND, YOU KNOW, IT GOES ACROSS THE AGENCY AND RIGHT, I GET EMAILS ALL THE TIME FROM STAFF ABOUT COST SAVING MEASURES AND THEN ASKING THEM OF HOW WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS. AND SO WE DO COST SAVINGS EVERY DAY AND EFFICIENCIES. AND SO WE'RE CONTINUALLY DOING IT. IT'S AN ONGOING THING THAT WE DO IN THE AGENCY. AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS STOPPED. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUALLY DO. AND IT HAPPENS WITH POSITIONS TOO, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT. AND IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO OUT AND FILL THEM IF, SAY, WE GET, YOU KNOW, MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT TOMORROW. WE'RE GOING TO SAY, BUT DO WE REALLY NEED IT? AND IF THEY SAY YES, I'M GOING TO BE, BUT TELL ME WHY. TELL ME THE REASONS WHY. AND I NEED THE GOOD JUSTIFICATION AS TO THE WHYS, RIGHT? I'M GONNA BE LIKE, OKAY, BUT TELL ME IF WE NEED THIS, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF WE DON'T FILL IT? AND SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE ARE DOING THESE AND THAT'S HOW WE CREATE EFFICIENCIES TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING THE THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO AND NOT THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO. BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING RIGHT NOW TO DO THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO. WE HAVE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO AND ARE MANDATED TO DO RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THOSE THINGS ALREADY. AND I'M SURE THEY'RE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING ME SAY THAT. WELL, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THE SHAPE WE'RE IN. YEAH. AND OTHER COUNTIES. YEAH, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE. OR EVEN CITY JURISDICTIONS. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS EVEN AUDITOR COMPTROLLER NOLTE SHORT WAS VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF YOUR OFFICE'S WILLINGNESS AND OPENNESS TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE. OH YEAH, WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT, WE DON'T CLOSE ANYTHING FROM ANYBODY. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TAKEN ADVICE FROM ANYONE AND EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, AND AND IF YOU GUYS WANT TO COME IN AND TALK TO US, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SIT DOWN. AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, WE LOOK AT THESE THINGS EVERY SINGLE DAY. OH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I JUST I'M THANKFUL. AND, YOU KNOW, MOST EXPENSIVE THING TO OWN IS A CLOSED MIND. OH, YEAH. THANK YOU, GUYS. SUPERVISOR HARMON. SO THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE INTO WHERE I WANT TO GO WITH THIS. AND IT'S NOT REALLY PICKING ON THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK EVERYBODY DOES. AND BUT OH, WE'RE NOT DONE. OH, I KNOW, I KNOW. OKAY, BUT I, BUT I, I WANT TO SAY, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING, OKAY, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT, WHAT CAN YOU DO? WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SAVE COSTS? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU? WELL, DON'T ATTRACT ANY MORE CUSTOMERS. WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? AND I DON'T WANT [01:45:02] TO SOUND YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO TAKE THAT ONE. I KNOW, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I DON'T CARE. I CAN, I CAN TAKE IT. BUT THE, UH, AND I THINK EVERYBODY HERE HAS PROBABLY HEARD, HEARD THE RUMORS ABOUT I THINK IT'S MORE THAN A RUMOR BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE DIRECTLY THAT SEE THE BUSES PULL UP, UH, THAT UNLOAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM SOME OTHER CITY. AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS YOU KNOW, WENT OUT AND INTERVIEWED THE HOMELESS PEOPLE. BUT I WANT TO ASK A SPECIFIC QUESTION. DO YOU SEE SURGES AT ANY TIME OF NEW CUSTOMERS COMING THROUGH THE DOOR? BECAUSE DO YOU GUYS SEE SURGES? I MEAN, I GUESS MAYBE AROUND LIKE THE FIRST OF THE MONTH OR END OF THE MONTH OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? LIKE, OF PEOPLE COMING FROM OUT OF THE AREA IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. OUT OF THE AREA. PEOPLE COMING FROM OUT OF THE AREA MENTAL HEALTH-WISE, THAT THE COMMENT FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES IS GO TO SHASTA. THEY HAVE MORE CAN YOU STEP UP TO THE PODIUM? THIS NEEDS TO BE ON RECORD. SORRY, JANELLE, YOU'RE ON THE SPOT NOW. THAT'S OKAY. I'VE BEEN WANTING TO HEAR YOU TALK ANYWAYS BECAUSE I CAN SEE BY LOOKING AT YOUR FACE THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION. I LIKE TO KEEP IT TO MYSELF THOUGH BECAUSE I COULD BE WRONG AT ANY MOMENT. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, AND EVERY DAY I LEARN THAT I DON'T KNOW. I WOULDN'T SAY WE WE COULDN'T WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA TO SAY WE SEE SURGES AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT THE WORD ON THE STREET HAS BEEN THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH. GO TO SHASTA COUNTY, THEY HAVE MORE RESOURCES. WE HAVE HEARD WITH SEVERAL INTERVIEWS AND WHATNOT WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, WE MAKE IT EASY FOR FOLKS TO BE HOMELESS AT CERTAIN TIMES BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO GET A HOT NICOT, THEY KNOW WHERE TO GET FRESH CLOTHES, AND THEY CAN STAY LOW LEVEL ON THE MEDICATIONS OR THE DRUGS THAT THEY NEED AND JUST JUST KIND OF HANG OUT. WE HAVE HEARD THAT SYSTEMICALLY, I WOULD SAY. BUT YES, WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE BROUGHT TO THE GOOD NEWS RESCUE MISSION AND DROPPED OFF FROM OTHER COUNTIES WHO END UP IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE ALSO HAVE THAT WITH CRIMINALITY. SO WE HAVE FOLKS WHO MAY BE COMING THROUGH SHASTA COUNTY, COMMIT A CRIME HERE, AND NOW THEY'RE OURS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. SO WE DO SEE THAT, RIGHT? AS FAR AS DATA NUMBERS, I DON'T HAVE THAT. SO WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. AND YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW ARE WE FOLLOWING OTHER COUNTIES' LEAD ON HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO CUT COSTS. AND IF WE'RE AND I'M GOING TO SAY, IF WE'RE NOT, IF WE'RE THE LAST ONE IN LINE FOR CUTTING COSTS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, OH, THEY QUIT DOING THAT HERE, UH, SEND THEM, SEND THEM UP THERE, AND WE'RE GOING UP THERE BECAUSE THEY GOT SO WITH THAT, WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP IS LIKE PARAMOUNT TO HELP AND SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS, RIGHT? BUT THOSE, THOSE STORIES I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE BUSES UNLOADING PEOPLE AND THEN THE HOTELS THAT ARE DOWN BY CYPRESS AND I-5 WERE HOUSING THEM. THOSE AREN'T JUST RUMORS, AND THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COSTING THE COUNTY MORE MONEY. AND I'M NOT ABOUT WALKING AWAY FROM OUR RESPONSIBILITIES OR HELPING PEOPLE. PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT, 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT MY OBJECTIVE. BUT MY OBJECTIVE IS WE CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS. SO IF YOU'RE NOT FROM HERE, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO GO BACK HOME AND LET THAT COUNTY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, OR OTHER STATE FOR ALL THAT MATTER. SO I THINK THAT THE WAY TO HELP, ONE OF THE WAYS TO HELP THIS, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT, WHEN I THINK YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. BUT IF WE KEEP UNLOADING MORE, RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEN WE'RE NOT HELPING AT ALL. OKAY, I'M DONE. I'M, I'M OFF MY IS THAT GOOD? YES, GET OUT OF QUEUE. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER, ANY CHANCE OF LETTING, UM, DIRECTOR COLEMAN FINISH HER PRESENTATION? YEAH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION, UH, JUST TO GO BACK TO THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET THERE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE NET COUNTY COST IS ABOUT $5.7 MILLION. MY QUESTION IS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE LAST FEW YEARS THERE'S BEEN A NET COUNTY COST FOR THAT WHERE EXPENSES EXCEED REVENUE. THEN IF YOU GO BACK FURTHER, IT FLIPS IN THE REVENUE. I'M CURIOUS KIND OF WHY LOOKING AT THAT BUDGET THAT OUR EXPENSES ARE EXCEEDING OUR REVENUE. IF WE WELL. UM, THAT MIGHT BE A MORE INVOLVED DISCUSSION, BUT YEAH, ERIN, YOU WANT TO I WOULD SAY THAT'S A PRETTY INVOLVED QUESTION. I MEAN, I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES, THAT'S WHERE WE SEE A LOT [01:50:02] OF THOSE FALL. UM, SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, GETTING RESOURCES FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS TEAM HAS HAD A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE LANDED ON THEIR PLATES THAT WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SEEING EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR. YEAH, AND TO SUPPORT THOSE THINGS. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES, THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE TRACKING WHAT THOSE ARE SO THAT IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLAIM SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT SORRY. UM, THAT'S WHERE WE WILL WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING THAT INFORMATION. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND ONE THING THAT WE ARE HEARING TOO IS PAYMENT REFORM THAT CAME INTO EFFECT JULY OF '23, UM, IS THAT IT'S THE REIMBURSEMENT RATES ARE LESS THAN WHAT THEY WERE PRIOR TO '23, AND SO WE ARE DOING MORE SERVICES THAN WHAT THEY WERE PRIOR AND WE ARE GETTING LESS FUNDING. AND STAFFING, OF COURSE, WE WANT TO HIRE MORE INTERNAL, SO WE ARE HAVING LESS EXTERNAL CONTRACTS. AND SO THAT IS ONE BIG FOCUS I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. AND SO THAT IS GOING TO BE A MAIN FOCUS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT'S THE CRITICAL PART. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THE, UH, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PART AND ALL OF THAT, IT'S $5 MILLION. AND THE STATE SAYS WE HAVE TO DO IT. SO AT SOME POINT, THIS BOARD OR ANYONE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS IS GONNA HAVE TO DRAW THAT LINE IN THE SAND AND TELL THE STATE, WELL, WE'RE NOT DOING IT. AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA SCREAM AT PEOPLE AND SAY, WELL, YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS GROUP AND YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT GROUP. WHO'S PAYING FOR IT? AND IT'S, YOU KNOW. THERE ARE A COUPLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WHICH IS AN EXCITING THING. AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION BONUSES TO ATTRACT INTERNAL PROVIDERS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND SO WE CAN POTENTIALLY HAVE INTERNAL PROVIDERS INSTEAD OF EXTERNAL, WHICH WILL HELP REDUCE CONTRACTS IN MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH WILL REDUCE OUR COSTS. AND SOME OF THOSE ARE EXCITING, BUT WHEN YOU START TO GO DEEPER INTO THOSE, ALL THE OTHER ANCILLARY THINGS THEY WANT YOU TO PACK AROUND THAT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ARE ALL NODDING AS IF LIKE WE'RE DOING A SYMPHONY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT YOU GUYS LIVE IT AND SEE IT EVERY DAY, RIGHT? WE SIT UP HERE AND HEAR IT IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS GROUP OR THAT GROUP. BUT HEY, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, GOOD MISSIONS, BUT WHO'S PAYING FOR IT? I MEAN, IT'S JUST YES, SAY I LOVE YOU. THERE'S A LOT WE HAVE TO DO WITH A LITTLE AMOUNT OF MONEY. OH YEAH, IT'S LOAVES AND FISHES. THANKS. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR HARMON, SHE'S NOT DONE YET, BUT GO AHEAD. I KNOW, I JUST WANT TO I JUST I'M KIND OF A SLOW BURN SOMETIMES, SO YEAH, NO, YOU'RE FINE. AND I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, LIKE MY CLOSING COMMENT. MY CLOSING COMMENTS ARE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO HELP PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP, CORRECT? AND, AND, AND I CARE ABOUT THAT. BUT IF WE'RE NOT PROTECTING, UH, AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME, IF WE'RE NOT PROTECTING THOSE FUNDS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE FUNDS TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY NEED THE HELP THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD BE HELPING. OKAY, THE OTHER THING TOO I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET IS THAT WE HAVE PLACEMENT COSTS BUILT INTO THE BUDGET. AND SO WHEN WE HAVE TO PLACE CLIENTS, WE HAVE TO HAVE A COST BUILT IN THERE BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE A CLIENT WAIT FOR US TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO HAVE BUDGET TO PLACE THE CLIENT. AND SO WE DO HAVE A HIGH BUDGET AMENDMENT BUDGET IN THERE, BUDGET AUTHORITY IN THE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WHICH WILL BE REDUCED AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR NOT USING THAT. BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE THE PLACEMENT AUTHORITY IN THERE IN CASE WE HAVE PLACEMENT COME. WE CAN'T HAVE THE CLIENTS SITTING IN THE ERS OR EVERYWHERE ELSE WAITING FOR US TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND BRING IT TO YOU GUYS. IT JUST DOES IT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS. ALL RIGHT, MOVE IT. OKAY, I THINK WE'RE IN THE LAST SECTION, SO AND IT'S NOT VERY LONG. OKAY, IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY SHORT, UM, AND IT'S HR 1. OKAY, SO HR 1, WE ACTUALLY I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME HERE BECAUSE WE'LL BE BACK PROBABLY IN AUGUST WITH A MORE ROBUST PRESENTATION. TODAY I WILL BE SHARING ABOUT SOME CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE INTO THAT ARE COMING, AND WE'LL END WITH SOME HOPEFUL NEWS TODAY. JUNE OF 2026, ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITH DEPENDENTS WAIVER ENDED ON JUNE 1ST FOR CALFRESH. THE POTENTIAL IMPACT IS 6,000 CALFRESH RECIPIENTS IN SHASTA COUNTY. THIS WILL RESULT IN MORE TASKS FOR STAFF, WITH AN ESTIMATE OF AN ADDITIONAL 5 ELIGIBILITY SPECIALISTS NEEDED FOR THE INCREASE IN WORKLOAD. OCTOBER OF 2026, THE INCREASE [01:55:01] IN COUNTY SHARE FOR CALFRESH ADMINISTRATION COSTS AS FEDERAL SUPPORT IS CUT. CURRENTLY, COUNTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 30% OF THE NON-FEDERAL SHARE. THE IMPACT IS A REDUCTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, INCREASING THE ADMINISTRATIVE SHARE FOR SHASTA COUNTY BY APPROXIMATELY $1.2 MILLION. JANUARY OF 2027, MEDI-CAL WILL RECEIVE WILL SEE REDETERMINATION PERIODS REDUCED FROM 12 MONTHS TO 6 MONTHS. FOR CHILDLESS ADULTS AGES 19 TO 64, WITH ESTIMATES OF IMPACTS TO ABOUT 32% OF SHASTA COUNTY'S MEDI-CAL POPULATION, OR APPROXIMATELY 17,200 INDIVIDUALS. ADDITIONALLY, NEW WORK REQUIREMENTS WILL GO INTO EFFECT REQUIRING ABLE-BODIED ADULT ABLE-BODIED WORKING-AGED ADULTS 19 TO 64 TO WORK OR PARTICIPATE IN OTHER QUALIFYING ACTIVITIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR MEDI-CAL COVERAGE. INITIAL ESTIMATES ARE THAT 5,676 MEDI-CAL BENEFICIARIES WILL BE SUBJECT TO THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS. AN ESTIMATE OF 7 ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY SPECIALISTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE INCREASED WORKLOAD RELATED TO MEDI-CAL CHANGES. THERE ARE ALSO FINANCIAL PENALTIES INCLUDED IN HR 1 FOR STATES WITH HIGHER ERROR RATES IN SNAP ADMINISTRATION. UP TO 15%. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THE STATE WILL SPREAD THE ADDITIONAL COSTS AMONGST COUNTIES. IT IS NOTABLE THAT OVERALL THE STATE'S ERROR RATE IS 11.3%. IF THE ERROR RATE STAYS THE SAME, THE STATE WOULD HAVE THE 15% FISCAL PENALTY AS A STATE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE PASSED ON TO COUNTIES. AS ERIN BERTANE MENTIONED YESTERDAY, THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISED OFFERED LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE IMPACTS OF HR 1. PROPOSED CUTS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THE AGING AND DISABLED ADULT POPULATIONS, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL IHSS COSTS PASSED ON TO COUNTIES, ALIGNING TERMINATION OF IHSS BENEFITS WITH MEDI-CAL TERMINATIONS, AND ELIMINATING THE APS EXPANSION POPULATION, WHICH INCLUDES ADULTS AGES 60, 60 TO 64. ADDITIONALLY, HR 1 COULD INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE COUNTY-FUNDED CMSP PROGRAM. CMSP USED TO BE FUNDED THROUGH REALIGNMENT. HOWEVER, THROUGH AB 85, THESE FUNDS WERE REDIRECTED TO CALWORKS. CURRENTLY, CMSP ISN'T HIGHLY USED. GOING FORWARD, THAT COULD CHANGE AND COULD BECOME A LARGE EXPENDITURE FOR THE COUNTY. THERE'S PROPOSED THERE'S A PROPOSED ITEM TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP FOR 2 YEARS FOR COUNTIES FOR INDIGENT HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PAC PROPOSAL IS MAKING ITS WAY WITH THE STATE BUDGET. AT THIS TIME, WE DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH SHASTA COUNTY COULD POTENTIALLY RECEIVE FOR THIS FUNDING. NOTABLY, ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ARE UNDERWAY AT THE STATE LEVEL WITHIN THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND THE ASSEMBLY. EXTENSIVE ADVOCACY HAS TAKEN PLACE AT MANY LEVELS, AND WE ARE BEGINNING TO HEAR POSITIVE NEWS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL AND MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT FOR THESE VITAL PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE HAS REJECTED THE ELIMINATION OF THE APS EXPANSION POPULATION AND THE ADDITIONAL IHSS COST SHIFT, AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT FOR THE CALFRESH ADMIN WAIVER, WHICH WOULD POTENTIALLY EQUATE TO AN ADDITIONAL $1.2 MILLION IN REVENUE, AND ADDITIONAL MEDI-CAL ADMINISTRATION FUNDING. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THESE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WILL RESULT IN AT LEAST SOME ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR INFORMATION COMING OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION. THAT ENDS MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. FANTASTIC JOB, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO TIGHTEN THAT BELT. AND I KNOW IT'S PAINFUL, BUT WE ALL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. UM, THE ONE THING ON YOUR SLIDER THAT KIND OF CONCERNED ME WAS THE INCREASED STATE AND COUNTY SHARE OF CALFRESH BECAUSE BECAUSE, UH, IF WE'RE RELYING ON THIS STATE TO REIMBURSE US OR HELP US OUT, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. I MEAN, IS THAT, IS THAT POSSIBLY A PROGRAM WHERE WE JUST SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO, TO USE IT ANYMORE IF WE DON'T GET THE FUNDING FROM THE FEDS? WELL, IT IS A MANDATE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A BOARD DECISION. IF YOU GUYS DECIDE NOT TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE YOUR DECISION. BUT THAT IS A STATE-MANDATED PROGRAM, AND I WOULD HONESTLY HAVE TALK TO COUNTY COUNCIL ABOUT GOING DOWN THAT ROAD BEFORE YOU AND IT WOULD POSSIBLY BE ONE MORE OF MANY, MANY, MANY STATE UNFUNDED MANDATES. YEAH, IT WOULDN'T BE TOTALLY UNFUNDED. IT IS A $1.2 MILLION INCREASE TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY. IT'S NOT A TOTAL UNFUNDED THING, BUT IT IS A $1.2 MILLION INCREASE TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SHARE. NOW THAT IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE IS A WAIVER TO THAT IN 2027. ADD ONE THING I DO WANT TO ADD IS BECAUSE THIS IS A PIECE THAT WE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF, UM, VERY EARLY IN, IN THIS PROCESS, WE DID BUILD THIS $1.2 MILLION COST INTO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, UM, THAT ALSO DOES INCREASE THE STATE'S SHARE OF COST. SO [02:00:02] ESSENTIALLY THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PORTION OF THE ADMIN FUNDING, AND SO THE STATE IS ALREADY TAKING ON SOME OF THAT. THE $1.2 MILLION IS OUR ADDITIONAL PROPOSED COST. AND SO WE DID INCLUDE THAT IN THIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET. OKAY, SO HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE TO PAY THAT AND WE CAN PUT THAT TOWARDS A $10 MILLION LOAN. RESULTS IN ADDITIONAL $1.2 MILLION IN REVENUE. YEAH, AND IT'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL $1.2 MILLION BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN OUR BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO PAY. SO IT'LL JUST BE IN OUR BUDGET AGAIN. AWESOME. SUPERVISOR CRAIG, YOU JUST MADE A GREAT POINT. THAT'S A GOOD, UH, I GUESS, UH, ANALYSIS, SUPERVISOR CALHOUN. BUT WHEN YOU JUST MENTIONED ABOUT GETTING COUNTY COUNCIL INVOLVED, AND THAT'S KIND OF MY POINT, BECAUSE COUNTY COUNCIL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, I MEAN, THIS BOARD AND THE PRIOR BOARD AND ANY BOARD GOING WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THE PAST BOARD AND THIS BOARD IN TERMS OF PUSHING ON THE STATE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THIS IS EXTREMELY REAL, AND I THINK WHAT YOU JUST SAID, THERE'S A GREAT COMPONENT AS WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING THAT LIST TOGETHER OF WHAT WE CUT THAT NEEDS TO GET OVER TO COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE YEAH. I WOULD RECOMMEND LOOKING AT THE LEAST IMPACTFUL MANDATED PROGRAMS IF WE DECIDE TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE. AND WHEN YOU SAY LEAST IMPACTFUL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCIALLY OR SOCIALLY? BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-WISE. I WOULD LOOK AT IT BOTH, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO KIND OF TAKE THE WHOLE PICTURE INTO ACCOUNT. AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. AND FOR ME, I, MOST OF MY PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, PRIVATE LIFE IS 06, 12, 24 MONTHS OUT. SO I'VE, WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION EVEN AFTER THE SWITCH IN OUR, IN THE PRESIDENCY AND WHERE THAT WOULD GO AND HR, I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW WHAT'S COMING. I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, BECAUSE REALLY HARD DECISIONS ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE MADE. YEAH. AND WE DO STRATEGIZE WITH OTHER COUNTIES ON IT. OH YEAH. WELL, I MEAN, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY THEY JUST CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FISCALLY PREPARE FOR IT LIKE THIS BOARD HAS DONE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. YEAH, AND I JUST WANT TO OFFER MY OPINION KIND OF ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SUPERVISOR KELSTROM. I DON'T THINK WE WOULD SO FIRST, AS YOU, AS KRISTI CLARIFIED THIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE $1.5 MILLION ADDITION ON THE ADMIN SIDE, NOT ON THE CASH WELFARE AID SIDE. AND I THINK PROBABLY IF WE IF WE THINK ABOUT KIND OF IF WE NEEDED TO, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE LIKE, LET'S CUT A PROGRAM ENTIRELY. IT WOULD BE, OKAY, WE DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT ADMIN RESOURCES TO ADMINISTER AT THE CURRENT RATE AND HIT ALL THE COMPLIANCE MEASURES. SO WE'LL JUST BE HALF AS FAST AT PROCESSING THE CASELOAD AS THEY COME IN. SO THE BENEFITS WILL STILL GO OUT, BUT WE JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO ADMINISTER IT AT THE SAME LEVEL. LEVEL OF EXPEDIENCY, ESSENTIALLY, IS AT LEAST HOW I WOULD THINK ABOUT THE FIRST STEP VERSUS LIKE CUTTING A BENEFIT. IT WOULD JUST BE, OKAY, IT'S GOING TO TAKE MUCH LONGER TO GET THROUGH THE CASELOAD. YEAH, IT COULD MEAN YOU'RE GETTING CAPS, OR, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU HAVE TO OUTWEIGH WOULD A FISCAL PENALTY BE LESS THAN DOING SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING DOWN THAT ROUTE FIRST OTHER THAN JUST CUTTING A WHOLE PROGRAM? AND LIKE YOU SAID BEFORE, I THINK IF WE CAN TAKE COLLECTIVE ACTION WITH OTHER COUNTIES, THEN THE STATE IS LESS LIKELY TO SINGLE US OUT AND TRY TO PUNISH US FOR THIS. SO THAT'S WHERE THE STRATEGIZING WITH OTHER COUNTIES COMES IN AND REALLY KIND OF HAVING THAT COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH OTHER COUNTIES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING THIS MONTH AND KIND OF WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AND WHAT APPROACH ARE YOU TAKING IS GOING TO BE REALLY BENEFICIAL AS WE GET MORE INTO THIS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IF THE STATE FOR SOME REASON DOESN'T PASS, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE BEING REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF HAVING THAT COLLECTIVE APPROACH AS COUNTIES GOING, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING? YEAH, SUPERVISOR CRAIG. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER, I, I AGREE WITH THAT IN PART. WHAT I WON'T DO IS I WON'T LIKE, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHAT COUNTIES THOSE ARE BECAUSE THOSE AREN'T REALLY LIKE THOSE SUPERVISORS AREN'T REALLY PROUD THAT THEY'RE CUTTING ESSENTIAL MANDATORY SERVICES, AND THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO FLY UNDER THE RADAR AS BEST THEY CAN. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY GOING FORWARD WITH SOME OF THIS STUFF IS THERE'S SO MANY DEPARTMENTS, AND I BELIEVE IF WE'RE IF WE BECOME THE JACK OF MANY OR MEDIOCRE AT BEST AT MANY, AND NOT BECAUSE THE EFFORTS OF THE STAFF YOU GUYS LIKE DO A TON WITH VERY LITTLE AND SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE BUT I THINK THERE'S THERE IS GOING TO COME A POINT, MY OPINION, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PROTECT THE MOST ESSENTIAL THINGS. FOR ME, THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN, YOUNG FAMILIES, AND THEN WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO OTHER STUFF, BUT THERE'S NO WAY I'M JUST SAYING THIS NOW FOR EVERYBODY UP HERE THERE IS NO WAY IF THIS IS THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAVE EVERYTHING. THERE'S JUST NO WAY. AND BY YOUR GUYS' HEAD SHAKES, SO THOSE ARE THE TOUGH DECISIONS PEOPLE NEED TO PREPARE FOR NOW. AND IT DOESN'T BECOME A HEARTSTRINGS THING IN 6 MONTHS WHEN PEOPLE GROUPS COME [02:05:02] IN HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, SAVE THE CHILDREN. WHAT ABOUT THE PETS? HOW ABOUT THE HOMELESS? AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO COME DOWN TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TASKED TO DO. AND IT'S NOT EASY, BUT CORKY, I KNOW YOU AND I LIVE THIS EVERY DAY. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU, CHAIR. SUPERVISOR LONG. THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND THE THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT CONVERSATION, AND I BELIEVE THIS FIRMLY, IS THAT WE NEED TO STAND COLLECTIVELY. YES. WITH OTHER COUNTIES SO THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE IF WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE OUTLIER. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE THE OUTLIER BECAUSE THAT INVITES MASSIVE SCRUTINY. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT COLLECTIVE CONVERSATION. THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS ON THE ADMIN SIDE, NOT THE CASH AID SIDE. WE HAD HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT VOLUNTARY FURLOUGHS. IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THAT CONVERSATION? I KNOW WHAT THAT'S THAT INVOLVES UNIONS, IT INVOLVES STAFF, IT INVOLVES A LOT OF THINGS. CAN I SHARE, OR CAN YOU SHARE? CAN I SHARE LIKE WE HAVE A DATE? WE HAVE A MEETING DATE NEXT TUESDAY TO START THE CONVERSATION WITH THE UNIONS. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY, SO IT'S STILL MOVING ALONG. IT'S STILL MOVING ALONG. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN QUEUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR COLEMAN AND HER WHOLE TEAM. APPRECIATE YOU ALL. AND I THINK WE WILL RECESS UNTIL LUNCH, AND WE'LL GET 1 O'CLOCK, AND WE'LL GET TO THE AG COMMISSIONER AND FARM ADVISOR AFTER 1 O'CLOCK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, RETURNING FROM LUNCH AND BACK TO BUDGET HEARINGS. WE ARE ON THE AG COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. MR. INGRAM, TAKE IT FROM THERE. YEAH, WE'LL NEED SLIDES AND A MICROPHONE, BUT THAT'S GREAT. MICROPHONE'S ON. HELLO EVERYONE, JOHN INGRAM, AG COMMISSIONER, SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. THANKS FOR MAKING TIME FOR ME TODAY. I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS QUICK AND TIMELY. I KNOW AFTER LUNCH IT'S ALWAYS A HARD CROWD. STEPHANIE GETS THE SLIDES UP, I'LL START READING MY DEPARTMENT MISSION AND PURPOSE. READ IT NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT JUST IN CASE THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM THAT MAY NOT BE FULLY AWARE, THE SHASTA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IS ENTRUSTED WITH THE MISSION OF PROMOTING AND PROTECTING THE COUNTY'S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY WHILE MAINTAINING THE HEALTH AND BEAUTY OF OUR COUNTY'S ENVIRONMENT AND ENSURING FOR THE HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF THIS COUNTY'S CITIZENS. THE DEPARTMENT STRIVES TO FOSTER CONFIDENCE AND AND EQUITY IN THE MARKETPLACE THROUGH EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THROUGH THE FAIR AND UNIFORM ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND ORDINANCES THAT HAVE BEEN ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE COUNTY OF SHASTA. STAFFING CHANGES ARE THEY SEEING? OKAY. TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW. SO REGARDING THE STAFFING CHANGES, DUE TO SOME OF THE CDFA REDUCTIONS. AS YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN FROM NUMEROUS OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE STATE'S HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR BUDGETS. CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IS ALSO SEEING CUTBACKS. ONE OF THOSE HAS AFFECTED OUR HIGH-RISK PEST EXCLUSION. IT USED TO BE OVER $100,000. NOW THEY'RE PROJECTING $26,000. BACK IN THE DAY, PAUL JOST, AG COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME, WHEN THAT CONTRACT SPIKED TO THAT LEVEL AND WAS GOING TO SUSTAIN THOSE LEVELS, WE ADDED A POSITION TO IN ORDER TO ALLOW A STAFF MEMBER TO GO OUT TO UPS, FEDEX, AND THE DIFFERENT POSTAL SERVICES TO DO THOSE INSPECTIONS. AS THOSE CONTRACTS HAVE STARTED CUTTING BACK, WE STARTED TO REEVALUATE. LIKE, ULTIMATELY, THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT POTENTIALLY A PERSON IN OUR OFFICE. LUCKILY, WE HAD A PROMOTION WITH THE DOMINO EFFECT OF RICK LEAVING AND ME PROMOTING AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, MOVING UP. IT CREATED A VACANCY. INTO THE DEPUTY SLOT. WE PROMOTED THAT, AND THEN I HELD THAT POSITION OPEN. AND AFTER CHATTING WITH BRYCE IN THE CEO'S OFFICE, WE ALL AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE DECREASING CONTRACTS, WE'RE GOING TO DELETE THAT POSITION FOR THE TIME BEING. STAFF IS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT'S NEEDED, AND SO FAR I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY BACKLASH ON THAT. SO DELETING THAT POSITION FOR THE TIME BEING. IF THOSE CONTRACTS DO END UP COMING BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, WE'LL LOOK AT IT ADDING THAT POSITION BACK. BUT IT WORKED OUT AND DIDN'T HAVE TO LET ANYBODY GO, WHICH WAS REALLY NICE BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO BE IN THAT POSITION. WE WERE ACTUALLY JUST ABLE TO DELETE IT. NO WORRIES. OKAY. WELL, I DON'T NEED I COULD KEEP GOING. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE MY SLIDES OR IF YOU YOU HAVE THEM? OKAY, LET'S I'LL JUST KEEP ROLLING. I DON'T WANT TO WAIT, HOLD YOU GUYS UP. SO PROGRAM CHANGES. ULTIMATELY, THE ONE THAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS THE HIGH-RISK PEST EXCLUSION, LIKE I JUST MENTIONED. THERE IS HOPES THAT IT WILL COME BACK [02:10:02] BECAUSE HIGH-RISK PEST EXCLUSION IS OBVIOUSLY A PRETTY BIG FACTOR IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE, KEEPING THE PESTS OUT BEFORE THEY GET ESTABLISHED. BUT THAT WILL BE UP TO CDFA TO FIND THE FUNDS. OBVIOUSLY, CACASA, THE COUNTY AG COMMISSIONER AND SEALERS ASSOCIATION, THEY LOBBY HARD WITH CDFA IN SACRAMENTO TO TRY TO GET THOSE FUNDS REINSTATED. CREATED, BUT UNTIL THEN, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE. MOVING TO MY FISCAL YEAR 2025 OH, THANK YOU, STEPHANIE 2025-26 ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AS YOU ARE ALL PROBABLY FULLY AWARE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS CURRENTLY TO CONTINUE TO CONSOLIDATE 3 LOCATIONS INTO 1 LOCATION AT REDWOOD BOULEVARD. WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LAB SPACE FROM BRESLAUER TO REDWOOD BOULEVARD. OVER THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW, 4 MONTHS. AND IT IS NOW IT WAS CERTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MEASUREMENT STANDARDS, SO IT PASSED THOSE TESTS, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY HUGE. LET'S SEE HERE. I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY GET OUR DEPARTMENT UP TO FULLY STAFFED, WHICH IS NOW I'M ONE OF 13. SO DROPPING THAT, WE WERE AT 14 POSITIONS, DROPPED THE ONE. WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE AN ADMIN SECRETARY THAT SEEMS TO ENJOY THE POSITION AND WE HOPE THAT SHE STAYS. AND THEN RIGHT NOW AND '25-'26, INCREASED DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES. YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE OF THE 18 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN WITH THE AG DEPARTMENT, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN THOSE 3 LOCATIONS. SO IT'S, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM OUR SHOP ON CHARLENE DRIVE TO OUR LAB SPACE ON BRESLAUER. NOW TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE INTO ONE LOCATION LOCATION. THE EFFICIENCIES AND THE SAVINGS, I CAN'T EVEN CAPTURE THAT FIGURE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT IS SO HARD WITH YOU HAVE STAFF DRIVING ALL THE TIME GOING TO THESE LOCATIONS. THEY HAVE TO, THAT'S PART OF THEIR JOB. BUT NOW HAVING IT, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME SPOT WHEN PEOPLE DROP OFF THEIR METERS FOR TESTING, WE JUST ROLL IT INTO THE LAB NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LOAD THEM UP AND DRIVE THEM TO BRESLAUER. SO ALL OF THOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. LET'S SEE HERE. THANK YOU. OKAY, GOALS FOR '26-'27. SO TO COMPLETE THE CONSOLIDATION EFFORT BY RELOCATING THE FINAL OFF-SITE OPERATION, WHICH IS OUR CHARLENE DRIVE SHOP. SO PRIMARILY WHERE OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES EQUIPMENT AND NOXIOUS WEED ERADICATION EQUIPMENT IS STORED. SO YOU GUYS, I'VE EMAILED YOU PICTURES OF THE PROCESS OF WHICH WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. IT IS QUITE THE STATE OF DISARRAY, BUT WE ARE ON THE UPSWING NOW TALKING TO CONSTRUCTION OUTFIT. THEY ARE BUILDING BACK STARTING NEXT WEEK, IT SOUNDS LIKE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE MAX DESTRUCTION HAS ENDED. NOW WE BUILD BACK, AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING THING TO SEE COME OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR. ONE OF THOSE ASPECTS THAT'S GETTING BUILT INTO REDWOOD BOULEVARD IS A NEW CONFERENCE ROOM. SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF THE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE ONLY HAD A 20-PERSON CONFERENCE ROOM AT MAX AT THE BOCELLI LANE OFFICE. AT REDWOOD BOULEVARD, WE'LL HAVE A CAPACITY OF UPWARDS OF 50 PEOPLE. WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOST TRAININGS. ALL OF I CALL IT A TRAINING HUB OF THE NORTH STATE. ULTIMATELY, THESE AG COMMISSIONERS SISKIYOU, MODOC, TRINITY, LASSEN, THEY ALL HAVE EXTREMELY SMALL AG DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HOST MEETINGS SUCH AS THIS. TEHAMA COUNTY HAS A NICE CONFERENCE ROOM, SO OFTEN WHEN WE NEED A MEETING, WE WOULD SCHEDULE IT IN TEHAMA COUNTY. BUT IT'S PRETTY AWESOME TO HAVE PRIDE IN MY DEPARTMENT AND BE ABLE TO HOST THOSE MEETINGS. IT'S AN EASY DRIVE FOR DPR, CDFA FROM SACRAMENTO, BUZZ UP THE ROAD, AND WE CAN HOLD MEETINGS IN THE SHASTA COUNTY AG OFFICE FOR BOTH STATE PARTNERS, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS LIKE FARM BUREAU, CATTLEMEN'S. I'D LOVE TO HOST THOSE STYLE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, IF THE NEED ARISES. I THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY AWESOME THING TO SHOWCASE THE AG DEPARTMENT. AND THEN CONTINUING LEVERAGING STATE FUNDING TO ENHANCE THE DEPARTMENT FACILITY AND IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES. I'M CONSTANTLY WATCHING THE DIFFERENT FUNDING LEVELS, GRANTS ASPECTS. DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FUNDS THAT ARE OFFERED TO THE AG COMMISSIONER'S SYSTEM FOR ANY ENHANCEMENTS TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE AG COMMISSIONER THAT ENGAGES THE PUBLIC, THE REGULATED PUBLIC. SO THERE'S MONIES THERE. I'M CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT NEW WAYS TO GET THAT FUNDING. AND THEN CROSS-TRAINING STAFF TO ENSURE EFFICIENCY THAT'S MY BIG ONE. I REALLY WANT MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING. THERE'S BEEN TIMES THAT SOMEBODY'S OUT OF THE OFFICE AND WE'RE KIND KIND OF LEFT SCRAMBLING, ESPECIALLY IN A DEPARTMENT MY SIZE. SO HAVING SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MULTITASKING AND DOUBLING UP IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING. OKAY, GETTING TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS HERE. FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 EXPENSE BREAKDOWN. SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, MY SALARIES AND BENEFITS, $1.9 MILLION, AND IT [02:15:03] STAYS RELATIVELY THE SAME PREVIOUS YEARS. SERVICES AND SUPPLIES, $772,451. OTHER CHARGES, $66,000. THE CAPITAL ASSETS IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO BE THE TRIGGER HERE, $2.2 MILLION. THAT IS THE BUILDING REMODEL. A COUPLE SMALL OTHER FINANCING USES, BUT FOR TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF $5,035,000. I WAS TELLING AARON IT WASN'T TOO EXCITING TO SEE THE AG DEPARTMENT ON THE ON THE TOP OF HER LIST THE OTHER DAY AS INCREASED, YOU KNOW, PERCENT INCREASE. BUT GIVEN THAT THIS IS A ONE-TIME EXPENDITURE, AND LUCKILY I'LL GET TO IT AT THE BACK OF MY SLIDES, BUT UNCLAIMED GAS TAX, YEAH, THOSE FUNDS, THE MORE YOU UTILIZE THEM AND THE MORE YOU SPEND ON AG-RELATED INCIDENTS IN YOUR COUNTY, THE MORE UNCLAIMED GAS TAX THAT YOU'LL GET. AND WE'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN A MINUTE. REVENUE BREAKDOWN, SO LICENSES AND PERMITS, $228,700. FINES AND FORFEITURES, PENALTIES, $1,500. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES, $1.2 MILLION. SO THAT'S OUR AND THAT ENCOMPASSES OUR UGT AND MILL ASSESSMENTS FROM DPR. CHARGES FOR SERVICE, $226,000. OTHER FINANCING SOURCES, $1.2 MILLION. THAT'S THE CAPITAL ACCUMULATED OUTLAY TO GO TOWARDS THIS REMODEL. AND THEN SO TOTAL REVENUES IS UPWARDS TO $2.9 MILLION. SO I THREW THIS SLIDE TOGETHER. I WANTED YOU GUYS TO SEE THE 5-YEAR NET COUNTY COST TRENDS. I THINK IT KIND OF SHOWCASES IT NICELY. OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE, YOU KNOW, A STEADY INCREASE. I'M HOPING AFTER MY REMODEL, I WILL GET TO START SHOWING THE GRAPH GO THE OTHER DIRECTION. I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THAT ONCE THAT'S IN PLACE, WE'LL HAVE ONLY MINIMAL NEEDS AT THE DEPARTMENT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN JUST YOUR REGULAR DAY-TO-DAY. BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE COO RECOMMENDS THIS IS THE NET COUNTY COST OF $2 MILLION, JUST, JUST OVER $2 MILLION. THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS $1.5 MILLION. BUT YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THE NET COUNTY COST BUDGETED BUT NOT SPENT, ESPECIALLY ON THAT CHART ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE. THE AG DEPARTMENT, WHEN WE GET OUR UGT, IT COMES IN IN LATE APRIL-ISH, APRIL, MAY, AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDS AT THE END OF JUNE. SO WE HAVE TO REALLY HAVE ALL OUR ITEMS IN ORDER IN ORDER TO UTILIZE THAT MONEY TO ITS FULLEST CAPACITY. AND YOU'LL NOTICE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THOSE MONIES COME IN, THE CEO'S OFFICE, WE TRY TO BUDGET AND ESTIMATE WHAT THAT UGT IS GONNA LOOK LIKE. BUT IT'S WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. I DON'T WANT TO OVERESTIMATE. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THE BUDGETED BUT NOT SPENT. AND OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN BUDGETED BUT DID NOT SPEND ON AVERAGE $337,000 A YEAR. AND SO THAT'S MONEY THAT'S GOING BACK INTO THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND. AND OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS, IF YOU ADD THAT ALL UP, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING AT ROUGHLY $1.6, ALMOST $1.7 MILLION THAT WAS BUDGETED BUDGETED TO THE AG DEPARTMENT, BUT WE DIDN'T SPEND IT. IT GOES BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND, PRIMARILY DUE TO THOSE UNFORESEEN REVENUES RIGHT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. AND BUT WE ARE YOU TRY TO UTILIZE IT. LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT, BUT YOU STILL SEE, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNTS, IT CAN BE AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT, AND THEN THAT MONEY JUST GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO WITH THAT, THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION ISN'T NECESSARILY A CONTRIBUTION, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. WE ARE DRAWING ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR '26-'27, A PROJECTED $2,045,000. NOW, JUST AS I MENTIONED IN THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE, IT'S GONNA BE UPWARDS TO, I WOULD ESTIMATE, UPWARDS TO $300,000 LESS THAN WHAT WAS PROJECTED THERE. IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE, DEPENDING ON UGT AND THE WAY WE GET SPENT. SPEND THAT, THOSE FUNDS. SO THE CHANGE PRIOR YEAR IS AN INCREASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS YEAR OF 25-26 ADOPTED BUDGET OF $288,868. IN ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THAT AMOUNT, YES, IT'S AN INCREASE, BUT IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AT REDWOOD AND THEN THE REVENUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN NOT ONLY THIS YEAR BUT THE FUTURE YEARS, BECAUSE WITH WITH THOSE INCREASED EXPENDITURES THIS YEAR AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO FINISH OUR CONSTRUCTION. YOU'LL SEE ON THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER THERE, THE TWO ASTERISKS, THE '25 AND '26 AND '26 AND '27. THOSE ARE THE PROJECTED UGT DISBURSEMENTS BASED OFF OF OUR CURRENT AG EXPENDITURES. SO WE'RE GONNA SEE A CONTINUAL INCREASE IN UGT IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS BASED OFF OF OUR EXPENDITURES. SO THE EFFORTS TO REDUCE GENERAL FUND IMPACT FOR '25-'26 AND '26-'27, IT CONTINUES, LIKE CONSTANT BUDGET REVIEW. I KNOW BRYCE AND I ARE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATING MY BUDGET AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO. I WAS PART OF NOLDA'S COST STUDY, [02:20:02] SO THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF HOURLY RATES. THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RATES ARE YOU'RE CAPTURING WHAT IT'S COSTING YOU AND YOUR STAFF TO GO OUT THERE AND NOTHING MORE. ULTIMATELY, CONTINUED FOCUS ON THE CONSOLIDATION EFFORT. FOR THOSE LOCATIONS TO INCREASE THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND EXPLORE NEW REVENUE SOURCES. THERE'S DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT BECOME AVAILABLE. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A CDFA NOXIOUS WEED ERADICATION GRANT FOR THE SHASTA WEED MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. THE FALL RIVER RCD AND THE SHASTA COUNTY AG DEPARTMENT WENT IN TOGETHER ON THAT GRANT AND WE'RE GETTING UPWARDS TO, WHAT IS THAT, SEE, LIKE RIGHT AROUND $40,000 A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS. I KNOW IT'S SMALL MONIES COMPARED TO SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT'S AWESOME THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE FUNDS ROLLING IN TO ERADICATE NOXIOUS WEEDS IN THE FALL RIVER VALLEY. SO IT'S THAT'S NICE. THE SCOTCH THISTLE IS STARTING TO REALLY TAKE HOLD, AND WE'RE ABLE TO COMBAT THAT WITH THOSE FUNDS. AND THEN APPLYING FOR ELIGIBLE GRANTS. SO MONITORS THE SECOND BULLET POINT HERE MONITOR TIME SPENT COMPLETING TASKS TO ENSURE AG-RELATED ITEMS ARE MAXIMIZED. IT GOES BACK TO ANYTHING WE CALL IT ABOVE THE LINE, BELOW THE LINE, ANYTHING WE CAN STACK ABOVE THE LINE, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS THERE, THOSE FUNDS BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR UGT REIMBURSEMENT, WHICH IS HUGE. AND THEN DUE TO THE INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILDING REMODEL FOR FY 25-26 AND 2026-27, THE DEPARTMENT ANTICIPATES HIGHER UGT DISBURSEMENT TO BE RECEIVED, AND THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE FUTURE 2027 AND 2028. SO THEN WE WILL LOOK, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE CEO'S OFFICE WHEN WE GET THOSE ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN REVENUES AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO BEST UTILIZE THOSE FOR THE COUNTY. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. SURE, I'VE GOT ONE FOR YOU, JOHN. UM, SO I WHEN I WAS IN RCRC LAST WEEK, UH, THEY PULLED UP OUR COUNTY, AND IT WAS A SHASTA COUNTY MANDATE REIMBURSEMENT SUMMARY, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW ON HERE THAT ARE ZEROS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR. AND THE ONE THAT FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT WAS, UH, PESTICIDE USE REPORTS. SO APPARENTLY THE STATE REQUIRES YOU TO DO PESTICIDE USE REPORTS, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY FUNDING OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OR NOT. I AM AWARE OF THAT, AND I IT HAS TO MEET A CERTAIN THRESHOLD. I COULD DEFINITELY REEVALUATE. I KNOW PREVIOUS AG COMMISSIONERS LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT, IT WAS, UH, IT'S LIKE A QUANTITY, UH, REVIEW. SO YOU HAVE TO MEET A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OF USE REPORTS COMING IN. AND WE, WHILE WE ARE A LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL COUNTY, AGRICULTURE REMAINS RELATIVELY SMALL, ESPECIALLY IN THE PESTICIDE USE REPORTS COMPARED TO LIKE, SAY, TULARE COUNTY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THEY HAVE A HUGE INFLUX OF USE REPORTS FOR THEIR STAFF TO INPUT. SO I HAVE A FEELING, UM, I COULD DEFINITELY REEVALUATE. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT, BUT I THINK THAT AND THAT WAS ONE OF THEM. THEY SAID IT WAS A KIND OF A BURDENSOME REPORT TO DO. AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING, THE TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER AG COMMISSIONERS. I REMEMBER AT A CACASA MEETING, SOME OF THE AG COMMISSIONERS SAID THE TIME THAT IT TOOK TO FILL THAT OUT WORTH THE AMOUNT YOU GOT BACK OKAY, $5 THAT YOU GOT BACK. SO I JUST WANTED YOU AWARE OF IT. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S EXCELLENT. SUPERVISOR HARMON. THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION. HE'S GONNA GO WOLVES, I CAN TELL. YEAH. I WASN'T ACTUALLY, I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM ABOUT, SO THAT, BUT WE CAN GO TO THAT. YEAH, WE CAN GO THERE. NO, THE NOXIOUS WEEDS, FALL RIVER VALLEY. YES. IS SOME OF THAT AQUATIC WEEDS? CURRENTLY, I MEAN, IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY. AND THE FALL RIVER RCD IS TARGETING PRIMARILY SCOTCH THISTLE IN THE MACARTHUR SWAMP, AND THEY'RE DOING AERIAL APPLICATIONS, SO THEY'RE ABLE UTILIZE SOME OF THAT WMA MONIES TOWARDS THAT. THE AG DEPARTMENT, WE'RE PRIMARILY TRYING TO COMBAT THE SCOTCH THISTLE ON THE DIFFERENT RANCHES. SO IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC WAS THAT WEED A SCOTCH THISTLE? YEAH, SUPER INVASIVE. THE THISTLE CAN GET 7 FEET TALL. I MEAN, IT'S AWFUL. THAT'S WHAT I'VE HAD IT SHOW UP IN PALCEDO. YOU COULD THAT COULD BE ALSO A MUSK THISTLE. THEY LOOK SOMEWHAT SIMILAR. BLESSED MILK THISTLE. THERE'S A COUPLE THISTLES THAT LOOK LIKE SCOTCH THISTLE. TYPICALLY SCOTCH THISTLE DOESN'T THRIVE IN THIS HOT OF A CLIMATE. IT TAKES THE COOLER MOUNTAIN CLIMATES. BUT IF ANYBODY'S DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 299 BETWEEN FALL RIVER MILLS AND ALTURAS, YOU CAN ALMOST HIT SOME ON THE SIDE MIRRORS BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTEN SO OUT OF CONTROL UP THERE. AND I'M TRYING MY DARNDEST TO KEEP IT WAY BELOW THOSE LEVELS IN SHASTA COUNTY. AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO COMBAT THAT. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT REMAIN STANDING EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DEAD AND DRY? OK, YEAH, YEAH, THEY LOOK I MEAN, THEY'RE TREES. IT'S SO BAD. LOOK LIKE YOU NEED A CHAINSAW. YEAH, WEED EATER IS NOT GOING TO GET IT. NO, NO, THEY'RE AWFUL. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR WONG. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANKS, JOHN, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT NOXIOUS WEED. I USED TO HAVE A PLACE UP IN FALL RIVER. YES, AND I'M CURIOUS WHETHER THAT BECAUSE THE MILFOIL WAS TAKING OVER BIG TIME. SO IS THIS JUST, [02:25:02] UH, THE, THE DRY LAND? YEAH, DRY LAND. YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WATERWAYS? NOT CURRENTLY. UH, I KNOW THE WATER PERMITS THAT YOU HAVE TO GET TO BE MAKE ANY APPLICATIONS TO FLOWING WATER, ESPECIALLY SOMETHING THAT FLOWS EVENTUALLY INTO THE SACRAMENTO RIVER. I KNOW THERE'S LIKE SUPER HIGH LEVEL OF PERMITS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO TREAT THAT. AND THEN THE LEVEL OF INFESTATION, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, UH, SCOTCH THISTLE IS AN A-RATED WEED. I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT MILFOIL IS, BUT WE'RE TARGETING, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY A-RATED WEEDS, WEEDS NOT KNOWN TO EXIST IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH THEY DO EXIST, BUT THERE'S STILL A CHANCE THAT WE COULD ERADICATE THEM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TARGETING IN THAT INSTANCE, UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY TO TRY TO GET RID OF OR KEEP AT BAY SCOTCH THISTLE. BUT THE MILFOIL, I COULD GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT AND SEE. IT'D BE INTERESTING BECAUSE PG&E DOES A LOT OF MECHANICAL GRINDING. YEP. THEY'LL TAKE THE CHURN AND THEY'LL CHURN THE MILFOIL INTO THE GRINDERS, BUT I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU HAD THE NOXIOUS WEED MATERIAL THAT WAS GOING TOWARD THE WATERWAY. YEAH, NO, NOTHING TOWARDS THE WATERWAY CURRENTLY. THE ONLY THING THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY TARGET IS THE PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE THAT'S NEAR THE EDGE OF THE WATERWAY. YOU'LL IN THE FALL RIVER VALLEY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT BEAUTIFUL PURPLE FLOWER OUT IN GLENBURN AND IT LINES THE ROADS. IT'S INVASIVE TOO. IT'S NOT AN A-RATED WEED TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I THINK IT'S A B-RATED WEED. WE'LL TARGET THOSE FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S NEAR WATER AND WE'RE NOT MAKING APPLICATIONS INTO THE WATER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT. AND I ALSO HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU ABOUT THAT GLASSY WING. OH. TELL US WHAT THE UPDATE ON THAT IS. IS THAT A PROBLEM? THAT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE A SEVERE ISSUE FOR SHASTA COUNTY. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER GOT SO WIDESPREAD FROM THAT NURSERY IN FRESNO COUNTY. I WAS JUST ON A MEETING BEFORE THIS MEETING TODAY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE COSTCO'S GOING TO RELEASE A LIST OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF THOSE THAT PURCHASED THOSE GRAPE PLANTS. SO THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM AND IF ANYTHING, GO OUT AND INSPECT THEIR PLANTS AND/OR PUT OUT TRAPS, YOU KNOW, TO DO SOME TRAPPING SURVEILLANCE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THOSE YARDS THAT PEOPLE BOUGHT THEM FROM. WE DID, YOU PROBABLY SAW THE RECENT PRESS RELEASE, WE DID FIND ONE LIFE STAGE OF GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER. SO THAT'S, IT'S NOT GOOD. LUCKILY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOT A LOT OF CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC EITHER SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY BOUGHT THE PLANT AND ONLY ABOUT 20% OF OUR 240 PLANTS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THIS POINT IN TIME. RIGHT, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BAG THEM UP. YEP. AND CONTAIN THEM AND THEN CALL YOU FOR DISPOSAL. AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED. NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT IT SHOULD BE. AND IF YOU LISTEN AND TALK TO ALL THE AG COMMISSIONERS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, IT'S THE SAME STORY. YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO KEEP THEIR GRAPES, WHICH, MM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THAT PEST IS GOING TO BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN, ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW, IN THOSE INCREASED AG COUNTIES. I MEAN, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD AG COUNTY HERE, OBVIOUSLY. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO OUT IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY WHERE IT CAN AFFECT, YOU KNOW, STONE FRUITS OR PISTACHIOS, ALFALFA, OBVIOUSLY WINE GRAPES. YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU GO TO THOSE HUBS WHERE THEY HAVE MORE OF THOSE COMMODITIES, IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL. AND A LOT OF THESE COUNTIES HAVE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, WORKED TO AND/OR HAVE ERADICATED GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER. I USE THE EXAMPLE OF EL DORADO COUNTY. THEY SPENT UPWARDS OF $4 MILLION TO ERADICATE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER. AND THEN HERE WE GO, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A SPRINKLING OF WHO KNOWS HOW MANY PLANTS ALL OVER THEIR COUNTRYSIDE NOW THAT HAVE DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES OF GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER. SO THAT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE. AND AS A WINE GROWER, YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE SUPER CONCERNED. I KNOW THERE'S VARIETALS OF SOME OF THOSE GRAPES THAT ARE LESS INCLINED TO GET PIERCE'S DISEASE, BUT SOME OF THE OLDER, OLDER VARIETIES VARIETIES, UM, ABSOLUTELY IT COULD BE IT CAN WIPE YOU OUT. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. I APPRECIATE THAT, HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAD WAS, UM, AM I CORRECT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THE INCREASES IN THE, THE BUDGET AND THE REVENUES, THE EXPENDITURES AND THE REVENUES, IS KIND OF ONE-TIME RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION? YES. AND BUT SO THIS SHOULD NORMALIZE NEXT YEAR. UM, SO AFTER, YEAH, FISCAL YEAR '26-'27, THAT IS. SO THIS, UH, THIS PROJECT GOT BROKE OVER '25-'26, '26-'27. SO WE SHOULD SEE AT THE AG DEPARTMENT A NORMALIZING OF OUR I GUESS IT WOULD BE '27-'28 BUDGET. SO NEXT YEAR, A YEAR FROM NOW WHEN WE'RE STANDING HERE, MY BUDGET WILL, UH, YEAH, IT'S A ONE-TIME EXPENDITURE FOR THOSE RELATED COSTS, AND WE WON'T HAVE TO SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES THAT I'M AWARE OF UNLESS SOMETHING DRASTICALLY CHANGES. CHANGES. BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YES, THOSE ARE ALL ONE-TIME COSTS. AND THEN HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE THOSE INCREASES IN UGT. THOSE WERE ESTIMATES. THEY MAY EVEN BE HIGHER, MAYBE LOWER, BUT I, I DON'T FORESEE THEM BEING LOWER BASED OFF MY CALCULATION. GOT IT. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. SUPERVISOR [02:30:01] PLUMMER. YES, THANK YOU, JOHN. AND 3 QUICK QUESTIONS. THE ONE IS JUST TO KIND OF BUILD ON THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS FOR THIS YEAR IS ABOUT $2.2 MILLION. AND THE TRANSFER IN FROM THE ACCUMULATED CAPITAL OUTLAY IS ABOUT, I THINK, $1.2 MILLION. RIGHT. SO I'M CURIOUS, HOW IS THAT $1 MILLION BEING FUNDED? SO THE GAP BETWEEN OUR UGT, UNCLAIMED GAS TAX, BASED OFF OF OUR ESTIMATES, WE SHOULD EASILY OBTAIN $1 MILLION IN UNCLAIMED GAS TAX FOR THE '26-'27 SEASON. SEASON BASED OFF OF OUR '25-'26 EXPENDITURES. SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP FEED INTO THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM I SAW FOR PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES, IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE LAST YEAR IT, UH, WE HAD BEEN AROUND $100,000 TO $150,000, AND THEN LAST YEAR IT JUMPED TO $650,000. I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS RELATED TO SOME OF THAT PROJECT OVERALL. THE $150,000 HAS BEEN OUR USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR TRAPPER WILDLIFE SPECIALIST. AND THEN THAT SPIKE IN INCREASES, WE HAD TO ALLOCATE MONEY TO THAT LINE ITEM TO HAVE SOME OF THE FUNDS EXPENDED FOR THE PROJECT AT REDWOOD BOULEVARD. SO IT WAS JUST A WEIRD WAY THAT WE HAD TO PAY IT OUT, ESSENTIALLY, OUT OF THE DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS AND THOSE ACCOUNTS. AND THEN WE HAD TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT, PUT MONEY INTO THAT ACCOUNT. OKAY, YEAH, THAT'S RELATED TO THE, THE BUILD. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION, JUST A CLARIFICATION ON THE SLIDE WHERE YOU SHOWED THE UGT DISBURSEMENT. YES. I WAS WONDERING, SO I SEE IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THE LET'S SEE WHERE IT IS HERE, UM, I BELIEVE I WAS LOOKING AT OH YEAH, STATE UNCLAIMED GAS TAXES, AND THAT HAS IT FOR THIS YEAR FOR $1 MILLION. YES. IT LOOKS LIKE IN IN THIS CHART THAT IT'S ESTIMATED AT $1.7 MILLION. SO I WAS WONDERING IF I'M NOT COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES THERE, OR IF THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO THE UGT IS BASED OFF OF THIS CURRENT YEAR EXPENDITURE. SO FOR '25-'26, WE WOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE $1.1 MILLION NEXT YEAR. I GUESS IT WOULD BE IN APRIL OF 2027. SO THEN IN APRIL APRIL OF 2028, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THAT $1.7 MILLION, BUT IT'S BASED OFF OF THE '26-'27 FISCAL YEAR. SO THAT OKAY, I LINE IT UP WITH THE ACTUAL YEAR THAT IT WAS ACCRUED, BUT IT DOESN'T GET PAID OUT UNTIL SO FAR LATER. AND IT'S KIND OF A CONVOLUTED THING. AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, MY BUDGET THERE'S BEEN TALKS OF TRYING TO GET THAT UGT PAYMENT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FISCAL OR CHANGE THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE CYCLE REALLY AFFECTS OUR DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT THAT'S HOW THAT LINES UP. SO OUR ESTIMATE FOR '26-'27 IS $1 MILLION. MY PROJECTION ON THE '25-'26, BASED OFF OF '25-'26 EXPENDITURES, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE AROUND $1.1 MILLION. OKAY, WHAT WE'LL ACTUALLY RECEIVE. OKAY, THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HARMON. I WAS JUST JUMPING FORWARD TO SEE IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT IF EITHER ONE OF EITHER ONE OF YOU, CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORLD SCREW WORM WHILE WE'RE HERE AND SEE? YEAH, THAT'S GET AN IDEA WHAT WE THINK'S COMING SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND. LARRY'D PROBABLY BE WELL MORE VERSED ON THAT FROM WHAT I GATHER. I MEAN, IT COULD ABSOLUTELY GET TO SOME LEVELS OF CALIFORNIA. I DON'T KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I THINK IT'S IN NEW MEXICO. I THINK I READ CLAIMS THAT TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO, IT'S AN OBVIOUS ISSUE. YOU LOOK AT THE CATTLE SUPPLY, IT'S AFFECTING A LOT OF OUR RANCHERS, YOU KNOW. AND LUCKILY WE DON'T HAVE THE FEEDLOTS LIKE TEXAS DOES. SOME OF THOSE TEXAS FEEDLOTS ARE GOING BANKRUPT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, BUY THE HIGHER INFLATED CATTLE TO FEED OUT AND THEN TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THAT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S HUGE AND SUPER DETRIMENTAL DOWN THERE. SOME OF OUR CATTLE RANCHERS ARE BENEFITING BY SELLING THE COWS AT THESE SUPER HIGH PRICES, BUT YOU CAN ONLY SELL SO MANY COWS IF YOU'RE GONNA STAY IN THE BUSINESS, RIGHT? SO ULTIMATELY, YES, THEY'RE CAPTURING SOME OF THOSE INCREASED MONIES, BUT IT'S I THINK IN THE LONG RUN, IT'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SUPPLY OF CATTLE CONTINUES TO DECREASE. AND IF AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY WHEN IT COMES TO CALIFORNIA, BECAUSE IF YOU READ ABOUT IT, AND LARRY MAY KNOW MORE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN THRIVE IN CERTAIN AREAS AREAS. IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE IT CAN NECESSARILY THRIVE THIS FAR NORTH. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NECESSARILY SEE IT IN THE REDDING OR SHASTA COUNTY AREA. BUT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, I ABSOLUTELY THINK IT COULD BE AN ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW, BLAIR, DO YOU WANT TO CHIME IN? I THINK THE OTHER PIECE OF FERRERO, CAN YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM SO THIS IS ON RECORD? THANK YOU. I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF PIECES THAT I'VE BEEN KIND OF RUNNING AROUND IN MY IN MY HEAD. ONE IS WHAT'S IT GOING TO DO [02:35:01] TO OUR EXPORT MARKET? YEAH. YOU KNOW, HOW'S THAT GOING TO AFFECT FOLKS THAT ARE TRYING TO EXPORT CATTLE? AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE. JOHN TOUCHED ON SUPPLY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, LOW NUMBERS OF MOTHER COWS, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME FEEDER CATTLE, FINISHED CATTLE, AND THEN IN THE GROCERY STORE. SO ARE WE GOING TO SEE MORE INCREASE IN COST OF BEEF AT THE RETAIL LEVEL, I THINK THAT'S LIKELY GOING TO BE THE CASE AS WELL. I WAS ACTUALLY, WE DO A JOINT FARM BUREAU CATTLEMEN'S MEETING IN MR. CHAIRMAN, I TRIED TO GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM BUDGET AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD PUT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA. FARM ADVISOR IS THE NEXT ONE, SO LET'S SO I CAN BE DONE. BUT I DO THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, I'M GOING TO ASK A COUPLE FOLKS TO SPEAK ON THOSE TWO ISSUES. ONE IS, ONE IS MARKET, AND THE OTHER IS, IS, UH, SCREWWORM, AND, AND WHAT KIND OF, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WE MIGHT, WE MIGHT SEE, AND WHAT FOLKS NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT. I'LL SIT DOWN. THANK YOU, LARRY. ALL RIGHT, BACK TO, UH, WAITS, SEALS AND WAITS. YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, SUPERVISOR CRAIG. NO, I THINK WE'RE DONE, JOHN. OKAY. AND ARE YOU DOING THE FARM ADVISOR? IS THAT YOU, LARRY? YOU KNOW, LARRY'S YEAH, EXACTLY. HEY, JOHN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. OH, THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF ALL THE FARMS IN DISTRICT 01, WE THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU. YEAH, ALL OF THOSE FARMS. YEAH, AND I STILL NEED TO GET OUT THERE, SO YES, I WILL HIT YOU UP IF YOU WANT TO COME CHECK IT OUT NEXT WEEK. I'M GOING TO BE AROUND TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SO WE'LL MAKE SOMETHING. TELL LORI HI FOR ME. OH, WILL DO, WILL DO. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU, JOHN. LARRY, YOU'RE UP. OKAY, DO WE HOPEFULLY I WON'T HAVE THE SAME TECHNICAL CHALLENGES JOHN HAD. DID YOU FIND MY SLIDES, OR DID THEY NOT SHOW UP FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.? SO, AND I SAY THAT A LITTLE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK. LAST YEAR, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT RECALL THAT AARON BERTANE DID THE PRESENTATION FOR FARM ADVISOR BECAUSE I WAS IN ITALY WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND MY WIFE. AND LAST WEEK I WAS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER, SO I THOUGHT I'D BETTER SHOW UP TODAY. MISSION OF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION: SERVE CALIFORNIA THROUGH DEVELOPMENT, APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE IN AG, NATURAL, AND HUMAN RESOURCES. SO STAFFING CHANGES, YOU KNOW, COUNTY PROVIDES 2 FTE OF CLERICAL PLUS SOME EXTRA HELP. AND SO IT IS A BIG DEAL. I CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT A NAME AND OUR CLERK TYPIST 3, MARY, RETIRED ON JUNE 1, 2026, AND SHE HANDLED ALL OF THE CLERICAL STUFF ASSOCIATED WITH THE 4-H PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, TREMENDOUS PERSON, WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, HARDWORKING. THIS JOB WAS HER, THAT'S THE JOB I WANT TO RETIRE FROM. SHE LEFT THE CITY OF REDDING, TOOK A PAY CUT TO COME TO WORK FOR US BECAUSE SHE SAID, I WANT TO HAVE A JOB THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. SHE'S DONE JUST A GREAT JOB. WE WERE SORRY TO SEE HER GO. AND I PUT THOSE DATES UP THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. JUNE 1ST, 2026, SHE RETIRED. WE HIRED KINSEY BURROW ON MAY 18TH, 2026. AND I REALLY WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO SUPPORT SERVICES SHOP FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO WORK BACKWARDS THROUGH THE CALENDAR. WE WANTED ENOUGH TIME THAT MARY COULD TRAIN KINSEY. PRETTY BIG PROJECT, AND FOR US, IT'S 50% OF OUR COUNTY STAFF. SO AGAIN, GOT NOTHING BUT GOOD TO SAY ABOUT SUPPORT SERVICES IN WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND MAKING IT HAPPEN. I SHARED WITH YOU, OR ERIN SHARED WITH YOU A YEAR AGO, THAT WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO RECRUIT AND FILL THE LIVESTOCK NATURAL RESOURCE ADVISOR POSITION, WHICH IS A UC, IT'S A UC-PAID POSITION, AS WELL AS A FORESTRY NATURAL RESOURCE ADVISOR POSITION. POSITION. I'M REALLY, REALLY PLEASED TO REPORT WE HIRED JUSTIN VIGIL LAST SUMMER. HE'S BEEN GREAT. HE WAS RAISED IN WESTERN LASSEN COUNTY, WENT TO SCHOOL IN FALL RIVER. GRADUATE OF HE'S GRADUATE IN ECONOMICS FROM CAL STATE EAST BAY AND AGRICULTURE FROM CSU CHICO. CAMILLA'S BEEN REALLY FUN, OUR FOREST NATURAL RESOURCE ADVISOR. SHE, UH, UH, BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN FORESTRY FROM UC BERKELEY, WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY, MANAGED REVEGETATION ON FORESTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND THEN SAID, "I WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW THE MONEY WORKS." SHE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, HAS A DEGREE IN FOREST BUSINESS FROM GEORGIA. HAVE HIRED HER. SHE IS JUST, BOTH THOSE, JUST GREAT AND A GOOD COMPLEMENT TO THE EXISTING STAFF. PROGRAM CHANGES, THIS WAS KIND OF TOUGH FALL ON US LAST YEAR. WE HAD TO CLOSE OUT THE CALFRESH NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FUNDING. AND SO THAT GRANT SUNSET I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PROGRAM MANAGER, JANESSA HARTMAN, TO CLOSE THAT OUT BECAUSE WE HAD A LARGE STAFF OF FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE [02:40:02] PROCESS LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THERE WAS NO MORE WORK. WE HAD OFFICES THAT WERE WE PAYING RENT GRANT-FUNDED THAT WERE LEASES. WE HAD TO WIND THOSE DOWN. ALL OF THAT ON THE UC SIDE. BUT IT WAS A HUGE PROJECT TO WORK THROUGH AND THEN A BIG LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY IN NOT HAVING THOSE PROGRAMS ANYMORE. JUST KIND OF STUCK THAT OFF ON THE RIGHT, THE '24-'25 UC SUPPORT. SO THAT'S THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA STAFF IN OUR OFFICE THAT ARE PAID FOR BY THE DIVISION OF AG AND NATURAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS AS THE, UH, THE SUPPORT TO US WAS ABOUT $870,000. GRANTS, BIG CHUNK OF THAT WAS THE CALFRESH PROGRAM, WAS $1.5 MILLION. COUNTY PROVIDES, UH, PROVIDED $314,000 FOR A TOTAL OF, OF ABOUT $2.7 MILLION. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT $314,000 HAS BEEN PRETTY WELL LEVERAGED THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. SO AT '25-'26, UM, YOU KNOW, DID A LOT OF STUFF, AND YOU GET TO, OKAY, HOW CAN YOU GET IT DOWN INTO A COUPLE OF COUPLE OF BULLETS. AND I THINK THE PROVIDED THAT NUTRITION EDUCATION TO 4,700 CHILDREN, 17 SCHOOLS AND PRESCHOOLS, AND 270 ADULTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH 12 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. 4-H PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL LARGE PROGRAM. IF YOU, YOU KNOW, RECALL SHASTA OR HOPEFULLY DON'T RECALL, DON'T FORGET SHASTA DISTRICT FAIR STARTS ON WEDNESDAY. AND SO WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF 4-H FAMILIES GETTING ORGANIZED. OH, THANKS CORKY, FOR GETTING ORGANIZED AND READY FOR THAT. AND AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN BOTH EASTERN COUNTY AS WELL AS HERE IN VALLEY. LOTS OF RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECTS DELIVERED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FORESTRY, WATER, RANGELAND, AND CATTLE. AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO OFFER THE MASTER FOOD PRESERVER AND MASTER GARDENER PROGRAMS. SO THIS WAS THE SLIDE I STRUGGLED WITH, WAS, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS YEAR? SO '26, '27, ONE PIECE IS OUR OFFICE IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, TO , THROUGH THE LUNCH HOUR, AND AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR QUESTIONS EXCEPT FOR HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS. AND SO WE REALLY DO TRY TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. AND WE DO GET A LOT OF CALLS AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF EMAILS THAT WE RESPOND TO, EACH OF US THAT HAVE PROGRAMMATIC EXPERTISE. SO SOME THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON THIS YEAR AND HAVE ALMOST COMPLETED. CAMILLA, I MENTIONED, OUR FORESTER, SHE HAS TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS BACKGROUND IN PRODUCTION FORESTRY, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AS WELL AS THE ECONOMICS. AND ONE PIECE WE'RE ALL ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY AWARE OF IS THE BUILDUP OF FUELS IN OUR FORESTS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, YEAH, WELL, YOU NEED TO BRING A CHIPPER IN, YOU NEED TO GET IT CHIPPED, YOU GOTTA HAUL THE CHIPS, AND THERE'S ALL THE PIECES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. REALLY, WE COULD FIND NO CLEAR COST STUDY THAT REALLY GETS AT WHAT'S IT COST TO GET THOSE CHIPS, TO GET THAT DEBRIS CHIPPED, WHAT'S IT COST TO GET IT HAULED, WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL WHEN YOU SELL IT COGEN PLANT. SHE'S JUST ABOUT COMPLETED THAT. IN FACT, IT'S ON MY DESK TO REVIEW TOMORROW MORNING, AND THEN IT'LL GO TO UC DAVIS AND FINE-TUNED AND THEN PUBLISHED. AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A HUGE PIECE. SHE'S ALSO WORKING ON SOME, SOME BRUSH CONTROL TRIALS. AND THIS IS, THIS IS SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN WITH US LESS THAN A YEAR. ON 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SIDE, OUR 4-H ADVISOR AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS OUR PARAPROFESSIONAL LOOKING AT CTE OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE OUT THERE, WHERE CAN WE GET SOME FOLKS KIND OF THINKING ABOUT, SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT CAREERS. THE OTHER THING THAT NATE CATON, WHO MANAGES OUR 4-H PROGRAM LOCALLY, HE IS, I'M GONNA HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT TITLE IS, HE'S ONE OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ADVISORS WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHOOTING SPORTS PROGRAM. IN THE STATE. AND I THINK THAT'S A HUGE, THAT'S A HUGE PIECE, AND KUDOS TO HIM BECAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, SAFE, SAFE USE OF FIREARMS IN, IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ADULT LEADER WHO'S BEEN TRAINED. AND THEN HE'S ALSO REALLY ACTIVE WITH OUTDOOR EDUCATION. JUSTIN, I MENTIONED, LIVESTOCK NATURAL RESOURCES, HE'S FINISHING UP A COW-CALF COST STUDY. THEY'VE BEEN OUTDATED WITH THE CURRENT, WITH THE CURRENT MARKET AS IT IS. I THINK IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT FOLKS FOLKS HAVE CURRENT INFORMATION MATCHED UP WITH A CURRENT, CURRENT MARKET INFORMATION MATCHED UP WITH CURRENT EXPENSES. AND THEN HE'S DOING SOME, SOME FORAGE PRODUCTION AND SOME METHANE WORK. AND JANESSA HARTMAN MANAGES OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH NUTRITION PROGRAM, CONTINUING TO WORK WITH FIRST FIVE SHASTA AND ON FARM TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROJECT AS WELL AS MASTER FOOD PRESERVER PROGRAM. SO GENERAL FUND USAGE, YOU, [02:45:01] YOU CAN SEE IT'S BY OBJECT LEVEL. SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS THE BIGGEST CHUNK, YOU KNOW, $240,000. SERVICE AND SUPPLIES, YOU KNOW, ABOUT $100,000 WITH A CHUNK OF THAT BEING VEHICLES. OTHER CHARGES, AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT $2,000 REVENUE CHARGES FOR SERVICE, MOST OF THE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, ALL OF OUR, ALL THE FOLKS, UNIVERSITY STAFF HAVE ASSIGNMENTS IN OTHER COUNTIES. AND WHEN WE DO WORK IN OTHER COUNTIES, IS, YOU KNOW, ONCE A MONTH WE SEND THEM A BILL FOR MILEAGE AND THEY PAY THAT. AND THOSE FUNDS COME BACK TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SEEM REASONABLE THAT SHASTA COUNTY TAXPAYERS PAID FOR TRANSPORTATION TO, YOU KNOW, TRINITY COUNTY. GENERAL FUND USAGE IS JUST GOING BACK '22-'23. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE '22-'23 ABOUT $280,000. YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR THE CEO RECOMMENDED BUDGET IS JUST UNDER $350,000. SO GENERAL FUND REQUEST THIS YEAR IS $347,000. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $5,400. AND I SAW YESTERDAY IN ONE OF AARON'S SLIDES, THAT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 1.9%. WE DO REALLY TRY TO THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE REDUCE OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES. IN SPITE OF RISING PERSONNEL COSTS AND JUST INCREASES IN SERVICE AND SUPPLIES. SO OUR MISSION AND PURPOSE PROVIDES SAFE, RELIABLE, COST-EFFECTIVE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND OH WAIT, THIS IS JOHN. YOU WANNA GIVE THIS, JOHN? YOU WANT ME TO? YEAH, GO AHEAD, KEEP LARRY. I COULD DO THIS. LET ME SHOW YOU THE STAFFING OF 140. SO HAVE YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? YEAH, ONE QUICK QUESTION, LARRY. SO I NOTICED IN THE 4-H ENROLLMENT, '22-'23, '23, IT WAS QUITE A BIT HIGHER. IT DROPPED IN '24 OR '23-'24 AND THEN '24-'25. IS THAT THE INFAMOUS GOAT POSSIBLY? OH, I WOULDN'T TOUCH THAT WITH A 10-FOOT POLE. OKAY. DO YOU KNOW, IS 4-H ENROLLMENT CONTINUE? LAST YEAR, WAS IT CONTINUING TO GO DOWN? YOU KNOW, IT'S WE SEE EBBS AND FLOWS IN ENROLLMENT. AND ONE PIECE IS THERE ARE THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR LEADERS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE BACKGROUND CHECK, IT IS, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL TRAININGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO ONLINE. SO I THINK SOME FOLKS CAN LOOK AT THAT AND GO, YOU KNOW WHAT, I JUST DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THIS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO. I WISH I HAD REVIEWED THIS BECAUSE EVERY YEAR AFTER THE FAIR, I GO THROUGH AND I GO, OKAY, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF THESE, HOW MANY OF THESE KIDS THAT OF THE ANIMALS THAT SOLD WERE 4-H MEMBERS, HOW MANY WERE FFA, AND HOW MANY WERE INDEPENDENTS. AND SO THEY CAN, THROUGH THE FAIR, A YOUTH CAN MARKET AN ANIMAL AS AN INDEPENDENT AND NOT HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER 4-H, FFA, OR WE GET A FEW THAT SHOW AND SELL GRANGE. AND SO I THINK LIKELY WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE IN THE INDEPENDENT FOLKS THAT ARE SAYING, OKAY, I'M JUST GOING TO DO THIS OUTSIDE OF ONE OF THESE ORGANIZED YOUTH PROGRAMS. SUPERVISOR CRAIG, YOU GOOD? OKAY, UH, NOT SO MUCH A BUDGET THING, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HIGHLIGHT, UH, I'M SO GLAD YOU GUYS ARE STILL PUSHING INTO TRAP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING, SHOOTING CLUBS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I MEAN, AS AN ANDERSON GRAD, I WASN'T ONE OF THEM, BUT WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, AND OF COURSE MANY OF THESE GUYS HERE HAD, YOU KNOW, SHOTGUNS IN THE RACKS OF THEIR TRUCKS OUT IN THE PARKING LOT UNLOCKED. SO I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE EVERY YEAR THAT YOU'RE STILL DOING THAT STUFF, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SUCH A KEY, KEY PROGRAM, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE STILL SUPPORTING IT. SO THANK YOU. NO, I THINK, I THINK AGAIN, YOU KNOW, DO WE, DO WE WANT TO DO THIS IN A, IN A, IN A SAFE AND INSTRUCTED ENVIRONMENT? AND I THINK THAT, I MEAN, IF PEOPLE DON'T LEARN HOW TO USE FIREARMS, KNIVES, AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, THEY GOT TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT SOMEDAY. OR THEY CAN COME TO DISTRICT 1 AND FIND ABOUT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE STREET THAT'LL SHOW 'EM. SO ANYWAY, THANKS. OH NO, YOU'RE WELCOME. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, THANK YOU, LARRY, FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WITH THAT FORESTER FROM UC BERKELEY. I DIDN'T CATCH HER NAME. OH, CAMILLA. CAMILLA? YEAH. AND SO I SIT ON THE SHASTA COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL BOARD. AND THEY HAVE A CHIPPING GRANT WITH THAT'S FUNDED UP, AND I THINK IT JUST GOT RENEWED. SO THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN THE CHIPPING GRANT. AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO COME TO US BECAUSE FUELS REDUCTION IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTY. AND I'M REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT. AND SO CHIPPING IS PART OF IT, AND IT'S A FREE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE RESIDENTS SUCH THAT [02:50:02] THEY HAVE TO DO THE CLEARING THEMSELVES. THEY TAKE IT TO ROADSIDE, CURBSIDE, AND THEN IT GETS CHIPPED AND SPREAD. IT'S NOT GOING TO A REGEN FACILITY, BUT IT'S SPREAD ON SITE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING. HAS SHE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE FIRE SAFE COUNCIL? SHE HAS, SHE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH FIRE SAFE COUNCIL. THE PARTICULAR FOCUS OF THIS CHIP AND HAUL COST STUDY THAT SHE'S JUST FINISHING UP HAS NOT BEEN NECESSARILY DIRECTED AT LANDOWNER, AT RESIDENTIAL OWNERS, BUT KIND OF STEPPING UP TO SMALL FOREST LANDOWNERS. SO IN THAT 40-ACRE RANGE, I THINK, WAS THE BASIS OF HER COST STUDY, WHERE IT'S POTENTIALLY, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GROW SOME TREES AND MANAGE THIS AS A FOREST, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALL OF THIS, ALL THIS MATERIAL TO GET RID OF. YEAH, I THINK SHE WOULD BE HAS SHE BEEN IN TOUCH? SO I'M THE LIAISON WITH SIERRA NEVADA CONSERVANCY ALSO, WHICH DOES A LOT OF WILDFIRE FUELS, HEALTH OF FOREST, THOSE KINDS OF MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. HAS SHE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM AT ALL? I CAN'T SAY FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA CONSERVANCY, BUT LOCAL FIRE SAFE, YES. AND I'LL LIKELY SEE HER TODAY. TODAY OR TOMORROW AND ASK HER. YEAH, IT, YOU KNOW, IF SHE DOESN'T MIND REACHING OUT TO ME, UM, JUST EMAIL ME, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HAVE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND TRYING TO REDUCE THE FUELS AND CHIPPING. AND SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE LARGER PARCEL MANAGEMENT TYPE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL KIND OF CONSUMER, BUT BUT YEAH, I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. THANK YOU, LARRY. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. YES, THANK YOU, LARRY, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WAS CURIOUS AND WANTED TO JUST ASK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES A BIT MORE. YOU MENTIONED THE OFFICE IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CALLING IN? OR IS I DON'T KNOW IF THAT INFORMATION IS TRACKED, OR NUMBER OF VISITS, OR THAT TYPE OF THING. WE DON'T TRACK IT, WE DON'T DO ANY KIND OF SIGN-UP SHEET, AND BECAUSE THERE'S 4 DISTINCT PROGRAMS THAT OPERATE OUT OF THAT COUNTY, OUT OF THAT OFFICE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE JUST DEAL WITH IT, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH WHAT COMES IN THEMSELVES, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE A TRANSFER PHONE CALL TO THEM OR RESPOND TO AN EMAIL. SO WE DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT, BUT IT'S THIS TIME OF YEAR, YEAR IT'S PRETTY BUSY. OKAY, AND THEN WITH THE STUDIES, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETE? I MEAN, WHERE ARE THEY PUBLISHED AND THEN HOW ARE THEY USED? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I'VE OBVIOUSLY FAILED COMPLETELY IN MY DISCUSSION TODAY BECAUSE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION REALLY IS THE LINK BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, AND IT'S A FLOW OF INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND NEEDS FEEDS THAT GOES BOTH WAYS. AND SO WHAT OUR INTENT LOCALLY IS TO WORK ON ISSUES OF LOCAL IMPORTANCE, CONDUCT APPLIED RESEARCH. EVENTUALLY IT'S GOT TO FIND ITS WAY INTO A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL, A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL. BUT, YOU KNOW, MY PUBLICATION RECORD, I CAN SAFELY SAY ED BOSWORTH IN CATON VALLEY HAS NEVER EVER READ ANYTHING THAT I PUBLISHED IN A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL. BUT THE SCIENTIFIC THE WORK PUBLISHED IN A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OR PRESENTED AT A SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE VALIDATES THE WORK YOU DID, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY ON THE EXTENSION SIDE TO MAKE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE PRODUCER. AND SO THAT WORK ENDS UP TYPICALLY IN TRADE JOURNALS, LOCAL NEWSLETTERS, AND IT'S PUT IN A FORM THAT A PRODUCER CAN USE. IS THAT HELPFUL? YES, YEAH, THAT HELPS. AND THEN I'M CURIOUS ON THE NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM, AMAN FIRSH FIVE SHASTA COMMUNITY. COMMISSION AND HEARD ABOUT FIRST FIVE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THAT PROGRAM. WHAT INVOLVEMENT DID YOUR OFFICE HAVE IN THAT PROGRAM? WELL, IN FIRST FIVE, IN, WELL, HEALTHY SHASTA JANESSA'S THE CHAIR. IN TERMS OF THE CALFRESH NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WE SOLELY MANAGE THAT PROGRAM AND THAT GRANT. SO FIRST FIVE, I KNOW SHE SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN YOU MENTIONED, UH, WHICH I WASN'T ENTIRELY CLEAR ON, WHEN YOU SAID WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTIES, THE YOU BILL THOSE OTHER COUNTIES FOR THE MILEAGE? YES. AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTIES, THOSE ARE PAID FOR BY THE UC SYSTEM? SO OUR, UH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COVERS [02:55:02] ALL THEIR SALARIES, BENEFITS, AND SO THEIR TIME THEIR TIME IS COVERED, BUT THE VARIABLE COSTS LIKE TRAVEL ARE NOT. OKAY, SO THE FOLKS WHO ARE BEING PAID FOR BY SHASTA COUNTY ARE NOT THE ONES WHO ARE TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTIES? YES, THEY ARE NOT. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SEEING NO MORE QUESTIONS, THANK YOU, LARRY, APPRECIATE IT. GOOD PRESENTATION. UP NEXT IS PUBLIC WORKS, MR. HEATH. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN KALLSTROM AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. JOHN HEATH, INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED 26-27 BUDGET. UM, REGARDING THE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION AND PURPOSE, WE PROVIDE 9 CORE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES TO THE COUNTY: ROADS AND BRIDGES ENGINEERING, ROADS AND BRIDGES MAINTENANCE, MANAGEMENT OF WASTE SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. WE ACT AS THE COUNTY SURVEYOR, AND WE MANAGE DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE. WE MANAGE CAPITAL PROJECTS, ENGINEERING, AND PROJECT DELIVERY. WE ALSO ARE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND FLEET MANAGEMENT, AND WE PROVIDE WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES. WITHIN EACH ONE OF THESE CORE SERVICES, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE SAFE, RELIABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND COUNTY CITIZENS. A FEW MORE, A FEW MORE NUMBERS TO THROW AT YOU. THE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 1,100 MILES OF ROAD, OVER 300 BRIDGES. OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS, WE'LL BE DELIVERING ABOUT $17 MILLION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR THE COUNTY. WE MAINTAIN OVER 100 COUNTY BUILDINGS. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENGINEERING AND PLANNING OF THE REGIONAL LANDFILL, WHICH WHICH IS NOT ONLY SERVES UNINCORPORATED COUNTY BUT ALSO SERVES EVERY ONE OF THE INCORPORATED CITIES. WE MAINTAIN THE COUNTY'S FLEET OF OVER 550 VEHICLES, INCLUDING 4 READY-TO-ROLL CONSTRUCTION FLEETS ON THE ROAD MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THINGS. WE MAINTAIN 3 PARKS, AN AIRPORT, 3 VETERANS HALLS, AND 8 INDIVIDUAL WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS WHICH SERVE OVER 2,500 CUSTOMERS. WE DO ALL THAT WITH THE STAFF OF 143. LOOKING AT, LOOKING AT STAFFING, WE ARE PROPOSING REDUCTION OF ONE POSITION THIS YEAR. THAT IS A CURRENTLY VACANT CUSTODIAL POSITION THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO REMOVE FROM THE BOOKS THIS YEAR. EVERYTHING ELSE, IS GOING TO STAY THE SAME. WE HAVE, UH, NO PROGRAM CHANGES PLANNED. LOOKING BACK AT '25-'26, UM, I'LL HIGHLIGHT A FEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS. UM, WITHIN WATER, SEWER, AND SOLID WASTE, WE HAD ABOUT $3 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS LAST YEAR. ACTUALLY, WELL, THIS YEAR. CSA NUMBER 6 HAD 2 PROJECTS. WE UPGRADED THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND ALSO ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE GENERATOR. CSA NUMBER 3 IN CASTELLA ALSO RECEIVED WATER TREATMENT UPGRADES. AND THEN WE DID A CLEAN-OUT PROJECT AT THE REDDING REGIONAL SEPTAGE IMPOUNDMENTS. YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT THOSE SEPTAGE PROJECTS, BUT THE ONE THING I'LL JUST THROW A NUMBER AT YOU, THAT FACILITY TAKES IN ABOUT 5 MILLION GALLONS OF SEPTIC TANK PUMPINGS PER YEAR. WE'RE A PRETTY UNIQUE FACILITY, AND REALLY THOSE THAT SERVICE IS RELIED ON BY MANY COUNTIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COME TO OUR FACILITY. SO LOOKING BACK ON ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE COMPLETED THE CORONER'S REMODEL. WE DID ROOF AND HVAC REPLACEMENTS AT 1880 SHASTA STREET AND AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAB. AND THEN WE HAD ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECTS AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, AND ALSO I BELIEVE AT THE DA'S OFFICE. NOT TO MENTION WE HAVE A WHOLE SLEW OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING. GOING. WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE IN A MINUTE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMING GOALS. ON THE ROADSIDE, WE COMPLETED THE COVID ROAD SLIDE REPAIR. THAT WAS A [03:00:02] PROJECT THAT WENT BACK TO 2017. WE HAD ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF SECTION OF ROAD THAT HAD 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT SLIDES IN IT. WE DID A VARIETY OF TREATMENTS ON THERE TO FIX THOSE SLIDES. ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES MAINTENANCE STAFF. WE HAD TWO MAJOR STORM EVENTS LAST YEAR, BOTH OF WHICH WERE DECLARED STATE DISASTERS. DURING THOSE PROJECTS, OUR CREWS REPAIRED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF STORM DAMAGE. THIS PICTURE THE PICTURE ON YOUR LOWER LEFT THERE SHOWS THAT'S OLD 44 WHERE WATER'S OVERTOPPED THE ROAD AND REALLY TOOK OUT ABOUT HALF THE ROAD. OUR CREWS HAD THAT BACK UP AND OPERATING WITHIN A MATTER OF DAYS. ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT BRIDGE MAINTENANCE. THE PICTURE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT THERE IS ACTUALLY A BRIDGE UP IN LAKEHEAD. THAT'S LAKE SHORE DRIVE AT CHARLIE CREEK. WE HAD AN INSPECTION CAME BACK EARLIER THIS YEAR INDICATING SOME STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THAT BRIDGE. WE HIRED AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO ADVISE US ON A REPAIR. THEY GAVE US A SET OF PLANS AND TOLD US WHAT TO DO. THE ONLY THING IS THEY DIDN'T TELL US HOW TO DO IT. SO, SO OFTEN THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS CAN USUALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO, BUT THEY CAN'T ALWAYS FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF. YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE THERE, THEY'RE GETTING READY TO ACTUALLY CAPTURE THAT BEAM AS BEING LOWERED DOWN TO THEM. IT'S A 30-FOOT-LONG I-BEAM. IT'S BEING LOWERED DOWN TO THEM. THEY'RE GOING TO CAPTURE THAT, PULL IT UNDER THE BRIDGE, AND THEN HOIST IT UP, JACK THE BRIDGE UP, AND SLIP THAT STEEL GIRDER IN UNDERNEATH WHILE THEY HAVE THE BRIDGE JACKED UP. AND THEY DID THAT 22 TIMES ON THAT BRIDGE. SO I REALLY CANNOT GIVE OUR ROADS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF ENOUGH KUDOS. LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS COMING YEAR, AGAIN, WITHIN WATER, SEWER, AND SOLID WASTE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT LANDFILL PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING OUT.. WE'RE DOING A SHOP IMPROVEMENT OUT THERE, AND THEN WE'RE BUILDING A NEW WASTE MANAGEMENT CELL OUT THERE. ON THE WATER SIDE, LOOKING AT CSA NUMBER 13, WHICH IS IN SHINGLETOWN, THEY'VE GOT A FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ON THEIR COMMUNITY LEACH FIELD. THAT'S A GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT. LOOKING AT ROADS, WE HOPE TO BE DOING THE BIG BEND ROAD SLIDE REPAIR THIS YEAR. THAT'S ANOTHER ONGOING PROJECT. WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE STATE TO GET CLEARANCE TO PROCEED WITH THAT. WE HAVE THE 2026 PAVEMENT REHABILITATION. WE HAVE A CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT. WE'RE GOING TO DO PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ON KNIGHTON ROAD, AND THEN WE HAVE A PRD MAINTENANCE CONTRACT COMING OUT. ON THE CAPITAL PROJECT SIDE OF THINGS, MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THESE PROJECTS MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM ARE PROJECTS PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY THAT WE HOPE TO COMPLETE THIS YEAR. HIGHLIGHT THERE AT THE TOP, THE CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION CAMPUS, CCRC PROCESS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. THE COURTHOUSE DEMOLITION PROJECT, WHICH SHOULD GO AND BECOME UNDERWAY THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR. EXPANSION OF THE OEC FACILITY ON LOCKHEED, THAT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. WE'VE GOT THE JAIL PROJECT CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR. COURTHOUSE DATA CABLE RELOCATION. JOHN MENTIONED THE AGRI MODEL. THAT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY AND GOING SMOOTHLY. WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT AT FALL RIVER MILLS AIRPORT, TAXIWAY REHABILITATION, AGAIN, A GRANT-FUNDED PROJECT, AND THEN FIRE STATION 50 IMPROVEMENTS. FIRE STATION 50 IS THE FIRE FIRE STATION IN, UM, IN IGOE. WE GOT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS OUT THERE TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT FIRE STATION AND IMPROVE THE FIRE READINESS FOR THAT COMMUNITY. WELL, THAT WAS THE FUN PART. NOW WE CAN DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS. I'M GOING TO START WITH THE ROADS BUDGET, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILS ON HERE. I THINK MY STRATEGY IS TO JUST MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE TOP CATEGORIES IN EACH, IN EACH, AND REALLY JUST KIND OF TALK BROADLY ABOUT THESE. SO WITHIN ROADS, WE'VE GOT PROJECTING $25.6 MILLION IN EXPENSES AND $25.3 MILLION IN REVENUE. ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, THE BIGGEST CATEGORIES ARE SALARIES AND THEN SERVICES AND SUPPLIES. [03:05:01] WITHIN THAT SERVICES AND SUPPLIES CATEGORY WOULD BE ALL OF OUR ROAD CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND ALL OF OUR ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. REVENUE, I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN ON WHERE ROADS, THE ROADS DIVISION GETS ITS MONEY FOR USE ON ROADS. SO THERE'S GAS TAX, THERE'S PRIMARILY TWO FORMS OF GAS TAX THAT COMES IN, IS THE HIGHWAY USER TAX ACCOUNT AND THE SB1 MONEY. UM, BETWEEN THE TWO OF THOSE, THOSE COUNT FOR ABOUT $16.5 MILLION. UM, IT'S ABOUT $2.5 MILLION IN STATE, UM, UH, SALES TAX THAT COMES IN THROUGH LOCAL TRANSPORTATION FUND, OR THE LTF AS WE CALL IT. UM, THERE'S ABOUT $4 MILLION IN FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDS THAT COME TO SHASTA COUNTY, AND THEN THE REMAINING $2 MILLION IN THE CURRENT REVENUE THAT'S GOING TO BE STORM-RELATED FOR THOSE DISASTERS THAT I TALKED ABOUT GETTING REIMBURSED EITHER BY THE STATE OR FEDERAL PARTIALLY REIMBURSED. WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE ROADS FUND DOES HAVE AN INFLUX OF GENERAL FUND MONEY COMING THIS YEAR. THAT'S $580,000. THAT IS MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE FROM THE ZOG ZOGG FIRE PG&E SETTLEMENT SET ASIDE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE ZOGG FIRE IMPACT AREA. WE HAVE A CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT THAT WE HOPE TO DO IN THAT REGION WITH THAT MONEY. MOVING OVER NOW TO FACILITIES MANAGEMENT. AGAIN, I'M GONNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DOES AND GIVE YOU GUYS SOME PERSPECTIVE. SO THIS IS A DEPARTMENT OF 37 PEOPLE. THIS YEAR, THEY HAVE COMPLETED 81 BUILDING MAINTENANCE PROJECTS WITH AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF $2.9 MILLION. THEY ALSO, IN THE MIDST OF THAT, THEY RESPONDED TO 4,400 SERVICE CALLS. THIS IS ON OVER 100 COUNTY BUILDINGS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO LOOKING AT EXPENSES ARE EARMARKED AT JUST UNDER $10 MILLION. REVENUE IS EARMARKED AT JUST OVER $10 MILLION. ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, SALARIES AND BENEFITS, AGAIN, NUMBER ONE COST, AND THEN SERVICES AND SUPPLIES WOULD BE COST FOR MATERIALS AND FOR PROJECTS. ON THE REVENUE, THE ONLY REVENUE THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES IS THE THEIR CHARGES FOR SERVICES. SO THEY CHARGE EVERY DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. MOVING ON TO FLEET. AGAIN, TELL YOU A FEW THINGS ABOUT FLEET MANAGEMENT. AND THIS IS A STAFF OF 6 AT FLEET MANAGEMENT. THIS YEAR THEY'VE COMPLETED 1,550 SERVICE CALLS. THEY'VE INSTALLED OVER 600 TIRES, WHICH THE TIRE REPLACEMENT PROJECT IS NEW FOR FLEET THIS YEAR. WE USED TO CONTRACT THAT OUT, AND THIS IS THEIR FIRST FULL YEAR DOING IT, AND IT'S GOING VERY WELL FOR THEM. UM, WE HAD THE ROLLOUT OF THE TELEMATICS PROGRAM. THEY INSTALLED TELEMATICS ON OVER 500 COUNTY VEHICLES, AND THEN THEY ALSO DEPLOYED 17 NEW SHERIFF'S VEHICLES. WE OUTFIT ALL OF THE SHERIFF'S VEHICLES IN-HOUSE IN THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. WE BUY THE ROLLING CHASSIS AND THEN PUT ALL THE ACCESSORIES ON IN-HOUSE. LOOKING AT NUMBERS, TOTAL EXPENSES ABOUT $2.8 MILLION, REVENUE $1.6 MILLION. LET'S SEE, I WILL POINT OUT THAT ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, THERE'S A CATEGORY THAT IS FLAGGED AS OTHER CHARGES, WHICH IS OVER $1 MILLION. THAT'S A DEPRECIATION EXPENSE. THE OTHER TWO MAJOR EXPENSES, THEY ARE SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND SERVICES AND SUPPLIES. AGAIN, SERVICES AND SUPPLIES REFLECTS OUR COST, YOU KNOW, TO PURCHASE MATERIALS AND TO WORK ON THE VEHICLES. THEY GET ALL OF THEIR REVENUE FROM THE DEPARTMENTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE FLEET PROGRAM, AND THAT REVENUE CAME IN AT $1.6 MILLION. UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ON. THEY ALSO MANAGE THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, AND SO I HAVE A SLIDE THAT KIND OF SHOWS THAT. MOVING ON TO SOLID WASTE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S SOLID WASTE DIVISION IS EXPECTING EXPENSES ABOUT, UH, JUST OVER $7 MILLION THIS YEAR, COMING YEAR, AND, UH, REVENUE OF $4.5 MILLION, ROUND NUMBERS. LOOKING AT EXPENSES, I THINK THAT YOU'LL SEE THE LET'S SEE, OTHER CHARGES, THEY HAVE ABOUT A IS THAT ABOUT A $500,000 DEPRECIATION ITEM THERE? AND THEN UNDER SERVICES [03:10:02] AND SUPPLIES AND CAPITAL I'M SORRY, THERE IS A DEPRECIATION SHOWN THERE, IT'S $900,000, MY APOLOGIES. SERVICES AND SUPPLIES AND CAPITAL ASSETS, ASSETS THAT RELATES TO, UM, PROJECT-RELATED COSTS THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING THIS YEAR. ON THE REVENUE SIDE, UH, WE GET REVENUE SOURCES KIND OF FROM TWO PLACES. UM, THE CHARGES FOR SERVICES, WHICH IS ABOUT $1.4 MILLION THAT IS FEES THAT THE COUNTY RECOUPS THROUGH WASTE SERVICES AND ALSO WASTE DISPOSAL FEES, INCLUDING SEPTAGE AND MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE. THE OTHER FINANCING, THE TRANSFER-IN, THERE ARE SEVERAL FUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATION OF THE LANDFILL THAT PROVIDE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND CLOSURE LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR THE LANDFILL. SO THOSE TRANSFER-IN PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED. MOVING ON TO THE COUNTY SERVICE AREAS. SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE OVERALL COUNTY SERVICE AREA ADMINISTRATION. SO WITHIN THIS, I MENTIONED WE OPERATE 8 COUNTY SERVICE AREAS. ALL OF THEIR EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMIN FLOW THROUGH, FLOW THROUGH THIS, THIS CSA FUND. TOTAL EXPENSES EXPENSES PROJECTED COMING YEAR, $1.2 MILLION. TOTAL REVENUE, $1.2 MILLION. THE CSAS ARE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, SO THEY ARE STRICTLY FUNDED BY USER FEES, AND SO REVENUE MATCHES EXPENSES. SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS THE BIGGEST COMPONENT THERE ON THE EXPENSES. SERVICES AND SUPPLIES WOULD REFLECT OUR COSTS, FOR ADMINISTRATION, AND THEN, UH, ALSO VARIOUS MATERIALS FOR THE CSAS. MOVING ON TO THE AIRPORT, UM, FALL RIVER MILLS AIRPORT. TOTAL EXPENSES THIS COMING YEAR, $450,000. UH, TOTAL REVENUE, UH, JUST OVER $220,000. UM, ON EXPENSES AGAIN, I'LL NOTE THERE'S A $250,000 DEPRECIATION ITEM IN THERE. UM, THEN I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A TAXIWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT SCHEDULED FOR THIS YEAR. SO, UM, THOSE EXPENSE NUMBERS AND REVENUE NUMBERS ARE, UM, THOSE ARE ESCALATED BECAUSE OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO REVENUE AT THE AIRPORT, UM, REALLY THERE ARE TWO SOURCES. UM, ONE IS, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT MONEY. IT'S ACTUALLY NOT EVEN GRANT MONEY, IT'S ENTITLEMENT MONEY. AND THEN THERE IS ALSO REVENUE FOR HANGAR LEASES, TIE-DOWN FEES AT THE FACILITY. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GROUND LEASES THAT WE LEASE SPACE TO VARIOUS COMPANIES AT THE FACILITY. AND THE SLICE OF THE PIE SHOWN IN RED THERE, THE $65,000, THAT WOULD BE AN INFLUX FROM THE GENERAL FUND. WE ARE ASKING FOR $65,000 IN GENERAL FUND MONEY THIS YEAR. I THINK I'LL NOTE ON THE AIRPORT, THERE'S SOME BIGGER DISCUSSIONS TO BE HAD ABOUT THE AIRPORT. UM, LOOKING LONG TERM, THE AIRPORT IS FACING SOME MAINTENANCE COSTS THAT IS GOING TO EXCEED THE REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE, EVEN INCLUDING THE ENTITLEMENTS WE GET FROM THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO IT'LL IT WILL PLAY PROMINENTLY IN THE COMING YEARS, THE NEXT 5 YEARS, SOME PRETTY SERIOUS EXPENSES TO BE INCURRED AT THE AIRPORT. I BELIEVE THAT IS THE LAST OF THE INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS. I'M GOING TO TRANSITION NOW IN TO SHOW YOU KIND OF TRENDS IN FUND BALANCES. I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY. SO THE WILDLIFE FUND THAT IS SHOWN THERE, THAT IS MONEY THAT THE DEPARTMENT GETS FROM FISH AND GAME. IT'S A PORTION OF FEES AND FINES THAT ARE COLLECTED FROM FISH AND GAME. THERE'S A STATE PROGRAM WHERE THAT MONEY COMES, PORTION OF THAT MONEY COMES TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WE ACCUMULATE IT UNTIL THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY TO DO A CALL FOR PROJECTS. AND THAT MONEY IS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT TYPE OF PROJECTS, HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE PROBABLY $55,000, $57,000 IN THERE. SO I IMAGINE THAT WE WILL BE DOING A CALL FOR PROJECTS THIS YEAR FOR THAT WILDLIFE MONEY. I THINK THE LAST TIME WE DID A CALL FOR PROJECTS WAS 2010. NEXT, [03:15:03] NEXT GRAPH OVER WOULD BE THE FALL RIVER MILLS AIRPORT. IT'S NOT REALLY VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF ANYTHING. GENERALLY, THE FALL RIVER MILLS AIRPORT IS OUR GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO BE ZERO. BUT WHEN WE HAVE PROJECTS COME AND GO, WE GET, WE GET, YOU KNOW, INFLUXES OF GRANT MONEY OR ENTITLEMENT MONEY. AND THEN WE HAVE PROJECTS WHERE WE GO NEGATIVE. ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY REIMBURSEMENT PROJECTS, SO THERE'S A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN WE GO NEGATIVE. SO THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS THE EXTREMES ON THE AIRPORT THERE. FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, OVER TIME THEY ARE TRENDING UP. THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE A, A CAPITAL OPERATING BALANCE THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN. AGAIN, THEY OPERATE ON A REIMBURSEMENT STRUCTURE, SO THEY NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORKING CAPITAL IN ORDER TO PAY THEIR BILLS WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR REIMBURSEMENT. SO, UM, AND THEN THE LAST ON THIS CHART WOULD BE THE ROADS DEPARTMENT, UM, SOMEWHERE NORTH OF $6 MILLION. BUDGET HAS GONE OUR FUND BALANCE HAS GONE UP AND DOWN A A LITTLE BIT IN THERE. AGAIN, WE RELY ON A LOT OF REIMBURSEMENT. WE'RE DUE PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, $3 OR $4 MILLION REIMBURSEMENT ON TOP OF THAT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BASED ON STORM DAMAGE. THEY CAN SOMETIMES BE SLOW TO PAY. MOVING OVER TO SOLID WASTE. AGAIN, THE SOLID THE TREND IN THE SOLID WASTE BUDGET GENERALLY REFLECTS, THAT ARE CONDUCTING VARIOUS PROJECTS. SO YOU CAN SEE WE'RE TAKING A DIP THIS YEAR. THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LARGE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT. UM, THE OTHER TWO FEES ARE FUNDS THAT ARE SHOWN HERE. WEST CENTRAL LANDFILL REPLACEMENT IMPROVEMENT, THAT IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR THE LANDFILL. AND THE LAST ONE THERE IS THE WEST CENTRAL LANDFILL CLOSURE FUND. WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A FUND WITH ADEQUATE REVENUE TO COVER 30 YEARS' WORTH OF POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES. SO THIS FUND GROWS OVER TIME. IT GETS INFLATED EVERY YEAR. IT'S FUNDED THROUGH TIPPING FEES AT THE LANDFILL, AND THAT IS TO HANDLE THE, YOU KNOW, 30-YEAR MAINTENANCE AND LIABILITIES FOR OWNING A LANDFILL WHEN THAT LANDFILL GOES TO CLOSE. MOVING ON, DUST MITIGATION. THE DUST MITIGATION FUND IS TARGETED AT TARGETED AT PROPERTIES UNDER 01,000 FEET THAT ARE NOT PAVED, THAT ARE NOT SERVED BY A PAVED ROAD. SINCE 1984, THE COUNTY STANDARD HAS BEEN THAT THAT ALL DEVELOPED LOTS IN THE COUNTY UNDER 1,000 FEET BE SERVED BY A PAVED ROAD. I THINK WHEN THAT WAS ADOPTED, IT WAS AN AIR POLLUTION CONCERN. SO IF YOU COME IN, IF YOU HAVE AN UNDEVELOPED LOT AND YOU'RE UNDER 1,000 FEET AND YOU'RE ON A GRAVEL ROAD AND YOU COME IN TO GET A BUILDING PERMIT, THERE IS A FEE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PAY YOU. WELL, YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS. YOU CAN EITHER PAVE YOUR GRAVEL ROAD OR YOU CAN PAY AN $800 MITIGATION FEE. WE GENERALLY SEE THAT THAT REVENUE OVER TIME IS GOING DOWN. THERE JUST ARE NOT THAT MANY UNDEVELOPED LOTS ON GRAVEL ROADS UNDER 1,000 FEET. SO YOU SEE THE FUND BALANCE IS GOING DOWN. WE DO INCUR ADMINISTRATION COSTS WITHIN THAT. AND SO WE GET SO FEW, SO MUCH, SO FEW REVENUE THAT WE'RE PROJECTING IT COSTS COST EXCEED REVENUE THIS YEAR. ONE THING I'LL NOTE ABOUT THAT MONEY IS OVER TIME, THAT MONEY IS AVAILABLE TO PRIVATE ROADS THAT HAVE A GRAVEL ROAD AND THEY WANT TO FORM A PRD AND PAVE THEIR ROAD. THE DEPARTMENT WILL USE THAT MONEY ESSENTIALLY AS A LOAN BANK FORM THE PRD, YOU PAY THE PRD ASSESSMENT, IT PAYS THE DUST MITIGATION BANK BACK FOR THE COST OF PAVING YOUR ROAD. MOVING TO THE NEXT CATEGORY UNDER ROADS, THESE ARE A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES HERE. TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES ARE CAPTURED HERE. ACTUALLY, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU SEE TRENDING THERE IS ABOUT $46,000 OR $47,000 IN TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES. THE OTHER TWO CATEGORIES, ANDERSON LANDFILL ROAD MITIGATION AND ILLEGAL DUMPING, THOSE TWO CATEGORIES, THEY DON'T CARRY ANY FUND BALANCE. WE EXPEND THOSE FUNDS EVERY YEAR. AND FOR ANDERSON LANDFILL ROAD MITIGATION IS AN IMPACT FEE THAT THE ANDERSON LANDFILL PAYS. THEY BRING WASTE IN FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY AND THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON ROADS. [03:20:02] THAT FEE DATES BACK TO ANDERSON LANDFILL'S INCEPTION WITHIN THE COUNTY, I BELIEVE IN THE '80S. AND THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, I THINK WE GET $10,000 A YEAR FROM THE DA'S OFFICE TO HELP COMBAT ILLEGAL DUMPING. TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES, I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS REAL QUICK. ESSENTIALLY, WE 2 THERE WE'RE TRACKING 2 DIFFERENT FUNDS UNDER THAT TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE. THERE IS ONE THAT HAS ABOUT A $16,000 BALANCE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH DESCHUTES ROAD AT INTERSTATE 5. SO THIS WOULD BE DOWN IN ANDERSON AT THE, AT THE EXIT WHERE THE, THE OUTLET MALL IS AT GOING BACK INTO I THINK IT PROBABLY DATES BACK INTO THE '90S. AND I'M SORRY, IT DOES NOT. IT DATES BACK INTO THE EARLY 2000S. CALTRANS HAD IDENTIFIED IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE NEEDED TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT THAT INTERCHANGE, AND OTHERWISE THEY WERE, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT USING THAT INTERCHANGE. SO AT THAT POINT, THE COUNTY IMPLEMENTED A TRAFFIC IMPACT IMPACT FEE THAT WAS EARMARKED FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT INTERSECTION. UM, THEN WHAT SUBSEQUENTLY HAPPENED WAS THAT CALTRANS FUNDED THE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES. SO THE COUNTY COLLECTED ABOUT $16,000 OF IMPACT FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROJECT. UM, WE ARE LOOKING INTO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE EARMARKED FOR THAT INTERSECTION. UM, THERE ARE NO CURRENT IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED THERE. WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE PROCEDURE TO REFUND THOSE IMPACT FEES. DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE YET, BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT CATEGORY, FEDERAL TITLE III. THIS IS, THIS IS TIMBER RECEIPT MONEY, SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS MONEY. COMES IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FLAVORS. THERE'S TITLE I MONEY, WHICH IS MONEY THAT GOES TO ROADS AND IT GOES TO SCHOOLS. UH, THE TITLE III MONEY IS EARMARKED FOR, UM, UH, FIREWISE COMMUNITIES, UH, FIREWISE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN ALSO, UM, UH, COUNTY FIRE AND, AND, AND COUNTY, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT. UM, THE, THE FUND BALANCES THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE, THOSE ARE RESIDUALS FOR PROJECTS THAT WE PUT THAT WE AWARDED, UM, I THINK BACK IN 2023. SO THE COUNTY, AGAIN, WE, WE GET I THINK WE GET ABOUT $140,000 A YEAR. IF YOU RECALL, THERE WAS A THERE WAS ABOUT A YEAR WHERE IT WAS NOT ALLOCATED AGAIN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THAT IS JUST I THINK IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR THEY DECIDED TO REALLOCATE IT. WE GOT THE ALLOCATION FOR, UM, LAST YEAR AND THE COMING YEAR. WE NOW HAVE A BALANCE OF ABOUT $450,000 IN TITLE III MONEY. SO AGAIN, WE'LL BE DOING A CALL FOR PROJECTS AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH FIREWISE COMMUNITIES OR FIREWISE ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS. UH, LAST FUND. THERE IS THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND. AGAIN, EVERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT THAT UTILIZES THE FLEET MANAGEMENT SERVICES, THEY PAY INTO VEHICLE REPLACEMENT. ESSENTIALLY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THE COST OF A VEHICLE, WE AMORTIZE IT OVER ITS LIFE CYCLE, WE CHARGE THE DEPARTMENT THERE, THEY PAY THAT. KIND OF, IT'S LIKE AN ONGOING CAR PAYMENT THAT THEY HAVE. AND THEN IF THEY ONCE THEIR VEHICLE MEETS ITS LIFE CYCLE, THE VEHICLE IS AUTOMATICALLY REPLACED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE DEPARTMENT. SO THAT FUND IS TRACKING DOWN A LITTLE BIT. I THINK WE'VE BEEN PURCHASING LESS VEHICLES, BUT WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT THE VEHICLE COSTS HAVE INCREASED, PARTICULARLY SINCE COVID I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THOSE INCREASES. MOVING FORWARD, PROPOSED GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS. UM, UH, 1 POINT, UM, JUST UNDER $1.2 MILLION ARE PROPOSED FOR PUBLIC WORKS. UM, UM, VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF THAT. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE SEE $147,000 EARMARKED FOR THE LANDS, BUILDINGS, AND IMPROVEMENT FUND. THAT IS A CAPITAL PROJECT FUND THAT THE DEPARTMENT USES TO PRETTY MUCH MOVE A CAPITAL PROJECT FROM AN IDEA INTO A FULL-ON PROJECT. SO IT'S [03:25:01] KIND OF OUR SCRATCH PAD. WE START THERE. WE CAN CHARGE AGAINST THAT ACCOUNT WHILE WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATING THE PROJECT, DOING PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, THAT TYPE OF THING. THE COUNTY SURVEYOR. UM, THE DEPARTMENT IS THE COUNTY SURVEYOR. WE DO VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AS DEFINED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS ACT, EVERYTHING FROM RECORDING MAPS TO CHECKING MAPS, CHECKING CORNER RECORDS. WE'RE FOR THE MOST PART FEE DEPENDENT, SO WE CHARGE FEES FOR THOSE SERVICES. THERE ARE SOME SERVICES IS THAT THE FEE IS CAPPED WITHIN STATE LAW, SO WE CAN'T CHARGE MORE THAN THE CAP, AND OUR EXPENSES EXCEED THE CAP ON THE CURRENT FEES. SO WE DO REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF GENERAL FUND MONEY. NEXT ON THE LIST WOULD BE THE ZOGGFIRE CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT. I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, JUST UNDER $580,000 OF PG&E SETTLEMENT MONEY TO REPLACE CULVERTS IN THAT ZOGG FIRE IMPACT AREA. PARKS SO PARKS ARE COMPLETELY GENERAL FUNDS SUPPORTED. WE HAVE 3 PARKS. THERE IS A PARK IN FRENCH GULCH. THERE IS THE HAT CREEK PARK. AND THEN THERE IS THE BALLS FERRY BOAT RAMP. EXPENSES EXPENDITURES COMING YEAR, $102,000 TO MAINTAIN THOSE PARKS. NEXT WOULD BE VETERANS HALLS. WE HAVE 3 VETERANS HALLS THAT, THAT WE TAKE CARE OF EXPENSES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THOSE FACILITIES, AS WELL AS JUST MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, IS EARMARKED AT $285,000 FOR THE COMING YEAR. AND THEN I MENTIONED ALREADY THE FALL RIVER MILLS AIRPORT IS SEEKING A $65,000 INFLUX OF GENERAL FUND MONEY. OVERALL, THIS IS A DECREASE OF OVER $33,000 FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET LAST YEAR. I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFORTS WE'VE MADE TO REDUCE THOSE FUNDS, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE PARKS AND THE AIRPORT. WE HAVE WE'RE TRANSITIONING OUR CUSTODIAL SERVICE IN THE EAST COUNTY FROM A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE TO TO ACTUALLY 2 EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES. SO THAT SHOULD REDUCE CUSTODIAL COSTS BY ABOUT HALF. WILL ALSO BE A BENEFIT TO HHSA AND THE SHERIFF WHO ALSO UTILIZE CUSTODIAL SERVICES IN EAST COUNTY. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. LEAVE THAT SLIDE UP THERE FOR ONE SECOND. UH, NOPE, THAT'S ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. THE PARKS I MEAN, AS FAR AS BULLS FERRY PARK, THAT MUST BE WHERE THE $33 IS GOING BECAUSE I DON'T SEE I MEAN, THE GATES ARE LOCKED, THE BATHROOMS DON'T WORK THERE, NOBODY EVER GOES THERE. IT'S JUST, IT'S UP ON TOP OF THE HILL. I THINK A HOMELESS PERSON ABOUT EVERY 6 OR 8 MONTHS FINDS IT AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. SO YEAH, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE PARK ON TOP OF THE HILL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BULLS FERRY BOAT RAMP. OH, THE BOAT RAMP. THE BOAT RAMP ITSELF. YES. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. SO, WELL THEN, GOTCHA. WE AND WE DO, WE HEAR PLENTY OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE BALLS FERRY BOAT RAMP. IT'S A VERY POPULAR OKAY, I THOUGHT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARK ON THE HILL. I WAS LIKE, NOTHING IS BEING SPENT UP THERE. I DON'T KNOW. THAT IS CORRECT. AND THE BOAT RAMP NEEDS TO BE DREDGED OUT, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT IS ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, US FISH AND GAME. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, YEAH, I WAS IT'S DOABLE. I MEAN, WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE. WE CAN CERTAINLY OBTAIN THE PERMITS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE FUNDING FOR IT. RIGHT, RIGHT. AND IT'S, IT'S NOT CHEAP. IT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, I THINK. THEN A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, JOHN. KNIGHTON ROAD PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT? NOBODY WALKS ON KNIGHTON ROAD. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IS I WOULD ACTUALLY BEG TO DIFFER WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT. SO KNIGHTON ROAD CONNECTS RIVERLAND DRIVE, RIVERLAND DRIVE, WHICH PARALLELS THE WEST SIDE OF INTERSTATE 5. THE OTHER SIDE, THERE ARE ARE A NUMBER OF MOBILE HOME PARKS AND RV PARKS UP AND DOWN THAT, UP AND DOWN RIVERLAND DRIVE. YOU'RE RIGHT, I WAS THINKING THE OTHER SIDE. I'M LIKE, YEAH, WE WALKED ON THE OTHER SIDE. AND THERE IS AN ATTRACTIVE REASON TO WALK OVER THE OVERPASS. THERE IS THE TRUCK STOP, WHICH HAS A RESTAURANT AND A CONVENIENCE STORE. THERE'S ALSO A SCHOOL THERE. SO IT'S A WORTHWHILE PROJECT THERE. THERE'S A BRIDGE, WELL, THE BRIDGE OVER I-5 HAS GOT SIDEWALK ON IT. THERE ARE NO APPROACH SIDEWALKS ON EITHER SIDE. SO CALTRANS JUST BUILT A SIDEWALK ON THE BRIDGE BUT DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANYTHING. SO THAT $1.4 MILLION PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE SIDEWALKS ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT BRIDGE TO CONNECT TO THE SIDEWALK THAT'S ALREADY THERE AT THE TRUCK STOP AND THAT LEADS TO THE SCHOOL. OKAY, MY MISTAKE. I FORGOT ABOUT THE WEST SIDE. AND THEN THE SB1 FUNDS THAT WE GET FOR OUR ROADS, DO THOSE HAVE A LOT OF STRINGS ATTACHED TO THEM? [03:30:01] BECAUSE I MEAN, I KNOW WHEN WE DEAL WITH THEM ON CERTA, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT WALKING TRAILS OR BIKE PATHS, MULTIPURPOSE PATHS, YOU GOT ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD YOU WANT. BUT TO FIX A PATCH OF POTHOLE, FORGET IT. NO, FORTUNATELY FOR THE COUNTY, THIS FLAVOR OF SB1 MONEY REALLY COMES WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED OTHER THAN WE SPEND IT ON ROAD MAINTENANCE. BUT THAT ALSO COULD INCLUDE BIKE AND PED PROJECTS AS WELL. BUT IT FUNDS OUR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, IT FUNDS SALARIES, IT FUNDS PROJECTS, SO YEAH. DON'T DO ANY BIKE AND PED PROJECTS. WE CAN GET PLENTY OF THOSE IF WE WANT THOSE FROM CERDA. WE DON'T WANT THOSE IN COTTONWOOD, BY THE WAY. WE FOUND THAT OUT. AND THEN THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, $10,000 INTO ILLEGAL DUMPING. I MEAN, I WISH THAT COMES FROM THE DISTRICT ACCOUNTANT. ATTORNEY'S BUDGET, WHICH OBVIOUSLY SHE'S NOT FLUSH WITH FUNDS, BUT I WE COULD GET A MILLION DOLLARS IN ILLEGAL DUMPING AND PROBABLY STILL NOT COVER OUR COSTS. WHICH, BY THE WAY, I THINK I EMAILED, TEXTED BOTH OF YOU. UM, YEAH, THE TRAILER NOW ON PANORAMA NOW, NO, HAS NO TIRES OR RIMS ON IT. YEAH, IS IT STILL THERE? WELL, I DIDN'T I KIND OF LOST TRACK OF IT. JUST A COUPLE DAYS I DID DRIVE BY IT AGAIN. NOW THERE'S A MATTRESS THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAME OUT OF THE TRAILER OR SOMEBODY'S NOW STARTING TO DUMP MORE STUFF THERE. I DON'T KNOW. BUT YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, WELL THE DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS SOME OTHER FUNDS. WE HAVE A SET ASIDE FROM OUR WASTE HAULING CONTRACT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT. THERE'S A SET ASIDE IN THERE THAT GIVES US SOME MONEY TO COMBAT ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALIZE, I MEAN, CERTAINLY IS A BLIGHT, LITERALLY A BLIGHT. AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HELP COMBAT IT THE BEST WE CAN. YEAH, I TALKED WITH THE SHERIFF IN JUST PERSONAL CONVERSATION, TOLD HIM, AND NOW THEY'VE TAKEN THE RIMS AND TIRES OFF, AND HE'S LIKE, WELL, I JUST TRIPLED THE PRICE TO GET RID OF IT. SO, ALL RIGHT, UH, SUPERVISOR LONG. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UH, JOHN, GREAT PRESENTATION, APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION. UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE MAVERICK, OR THE, UH, THE KNIGHT AND ROAD. MAVERICK HAS PULLED OUT, CORRECT? SO ALL THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AT THAT FIRST INTERSECTION OFF PARALLEL TO I-5. MM-HMM. THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I WOULD YEAH, CORRECT. THEY WERE GOING TO END UP HAVING TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS AT CHURN CREEK. THAT'S TO WHERE CHURN CREEK INTERSECTS KNIGHTON ROAD ON THE EAST SIDE OF I-5 THERE. YEAH, CORRECT, CORRECT. OUR PEDESTRIAN PROJECT WILL SPILL DOWN THERE A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AT THE INTERSECTION DOWN THERE. BUT NO, YOU'RE CORRECT, I MAVERICK IS NOT GOING TO BE DEVELOPING THAT LOT. YEAH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED AFTER ALL THAT DISCUSSION. APPARENTLY IT HAD TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE TRUCKS COMING OFF THE FREEWAY, MAYBE DIDN'T HAVE THE ACCESS THAT THEY WOULD'VE. IT WAS SOMETHING WITH TRAFFIC RELATED WITH THE BIG RIGS COMING OFF. WELL, THERE'S ALSO A BIG ONE IN TEHAMA COUNTY THAT JUST GOT APPROVED, SO THAT MIGHT HAVE PLAYED A PART IN IT ALSO. OH, I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT THAT. AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE, IT'S NOT A TRUCK STOP, THERE'S ONE JUST LITERALLY AN EXIT AWAY. BUT YEAH, THEY DID HAVE THEY DID HAVE SOME ACCESS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRUCKS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WAS GOING TO MAKE THEIR COSTS HIGHER TO DEVELOP THAT LINE. CORRECT. CORRECT. WHAT I WANTED TO DO, JOHN, WAS KIND OF DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE I'LL BACK UP A LITTLE BIT IN THE ROADS DEPARTMENT. IT LOOKS LIKE BUDGET REQUESTS DROPPED $18.9 MILLION. AND REVENUES DROPPED $16 MILLION. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A NET POSITIVE TO THE ROADS DEPARTMENT FOR BUDGET. AM I READING THAT RIGHT? NOT NECESSARILY. I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY WOULD BE RELYING ON FUND BALANCE, SO THE FUND BALANCE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, EBBING AND FLOWING WITH THAT. AND GENERALLY, WHEN WE'VE GOT THOSE KINDS OF SWINGS, THEY'RE PROJECT-RELATED, RIGHT? SO WE ARE INCURRING COSTS FOR PROJECTS. OFTENTIMES, WE MIGHT BE GETTING FEDERAL OR STATE REIMBURSEMENT FOR PROJECTS. AND SO AS WE UNDERTAKE THOSE PROJECTS, REVENUES WILL INCREASE AND DECREASE. RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU SAID THE GENERAL FUND DEMAND FOR ALL OF PUBLIC WORKS IS ONLY LIKE 1 POINT. 1, 79, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT IS CORRECT. YEAH, SO I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE PROBABLY FEDERAL GRANTS AND ALL KINDS OF GRANTS ACTIVITY IN THERE. AND THE REASON I'M GOING WITH THE ROADS IS I NOTICED THAT, UH, THAT PLATINA WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT PLATINA ROAD OUT THERE, OR EAST OF PLATINA, UH, WHAT IS THAT, UH, NOT CLEAR CREEK, BUT, UH, PLATINA ROAD. PLATINA ROAD, SURE. YEAH, PLATINA ROAD WITH THAT SLOUGH. YES. I NOTICED THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE PROJECT LIST FOR REPAIR. IS THAT WELL, IT'S STILL ON OUR RADAR. SO I WILL TELL YOU, THE CHEAPEST AND EASIEST THING FOR US TO DO IS LITERALLY TO MOVE THE ROAD IN ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL. SO IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THERE'S AN AREA DOWN THERE WHERE WE HAVE ONE LANE [03:35:01] OF TRAFFIC FOR WE'VE HAD THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE SLOPE IS FAILING. AND AND THE OUTSIDE SLOPE IS MOVING DOWN THE HILL. SO THE EASIEST THING FOR US TO DO IS TO MOVE INBOARD ON THAT PROPERTY, THE VACANT PROPERTY NEXT DOOR, NEXT TO THE ROAD THERE. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER. IT'S AN OUT-OF-AREA TRUST FUND OWNS THAT PROPERTY. OKAY. AND SO WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED I THINK WE MIGHT BE DOING GETTING AN ASSESSED VALUE ON THAT PROPERTY OR WHAT THE PORTION OF THAT PROPERTY WE NEED. BUT OUR INTENTION IS TO PURCHASE RIGHT AWAY FROM THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TO MOVE THAT ROAD INBOARD. SO EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE REFLECTED IN A PROJECT LIST, AS SOON AS WE GET THE GO-AHEAD ON THAT, WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT. DO YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY ANTICIPATED TIME ON THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAD TALKED AND TO BENCH IT IN PROPERLY WAS GOING TO BE $250,000 OR SOMETHING RIDICULOUS. SO MOVING IT IN BECAUSE IT'S A FIRE ISSUE FOR AND O'NO AND IGO ARE VERY CONCERNED. ABSOLUTELY. ABOUT THAT AND GETTING THAT RESTORED TO 2 LANES VERSUS THE 1 LANE. SO ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO PUSH THAT ALONG, I WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE. ABSOLUTELY. LIKE I SAID, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER. ONCE WE GET A CLEARANCE FROM THEM, OUR INTENTION IS TO DO THAT PROJECT WITH OUR OWN FORCES. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WE CAN MAKE HAPPEN PRETTY QUICKLY. EXCELLENT. AND YOU MENTIONED ONE OTHER THING, TITLE I FUNDING FOR FIREWISE COMMUNITIES. MM-HMM. TITLE III, ACTUALLY. YES. TITLE III FUNDING FOR FIREWISE COMMUNITIES. AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF FIREWISE COMMUNITIES BOTH IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, ACTUALLY, NOW. HOW DOES THAT WORK AND HOW DO WE ACCESS THE FUNDS FOR FIREWISE COMMUNITIES? YEAH. SO HERE OVER THE COMING YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT WILL COME TO THE BOARD FOR PERMISSION TO DO A CALL FOR PROJECTS. AND WE ADVERTISE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE LOGISTICS, BUT PROBABLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, WE WILL ADVERTISE THE CALL FOR PROJECTS. IT'LL BE HERE AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WE'LL MAKE IT KNOWN. AND ELIGIBLE AGENCIES CAN SUBMIT SUBMIT A PROJECT REQUEST. THOSE PROJECT REQUESTS THEN GET THEY GET SENT TO THE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION OF THE FOREST SERVICE, ACTUALLY. AND THEY GET WEIGHED FOR MERIT BY THE FOREST SERVICE, BY THE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THEY WILL THEN SEND A RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE COUNTY, WHICH WE WILL THEN BRING TO THE BOARD FOR PERMISSION TO AWARD THOSE TITLE III FUNDS TO TO THE SELECTED PROJECTS. OKAY, SO IN THE TITLE III FUNDS, WOULD THEY BE FUELS REDUCTIONS, OR WHAT WOULD THEY COVER? I BELIEVE SO. I BELIEVE SO. PARTICULARLY IF IT WAS ANY I THINK ANYTHING THAT A FIREWISE ORGANIZATION WOULD DO TO SUPPORT FIRE SUPPRESSION, I BELIEVE, IS AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT. OKAY, I'D LOVE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HUGE. AND THAT TITLE III FUNDING IS AVAILABLE ALREADY, OR ARE WE ANTICIPATING GETTING THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO THE BOARD WITH PROJECTS? YEP, I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT NOW, SO IT REALLY JUST WILL BE THE LOGISTICS FOR US TO ORGANIZE THE CALL FOR PROJECTS AND TO GET BACK HERE. SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE CAN GET THAT BACK BEFORE US. AND THEN THE THE LAST THING I WAS GONNA ASK YOU WAS ABOUT, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE BUDGET, BUT THERE IS A SET ASIDE FOR BRUSH CLEARANCE ALONG PUBLIC ROADWAYS. DID THAT STAY IN THE BUDGET THIS TIME? I DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT MAYBE I'M NOT FINDING IT. YEAH, SO I WOULDN'T SAY THERE'S A SET ASIDE FOR IT, BUT IT'S A GOAL. IT'S ALWAYS A GOAL FOR US.. AND I, WHEN YOU AND I TALKED BEFORE, I HAD HIGHLIGHTED OUR STRATEGY. CERTAINLY WE DO AS MUCH BRUSH CLEARING ALONG THE ROADS AS WE CAN DO WITH OUR COUNTY FORCES, BUT ONE GREAT TOOL THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE IS THE CONSERVATION CAMPS. SO THERE'S A CONSERVATION CAMP IN SUGAR PINE, WHICH IS JUST OUTSIDE OF BELLA VISTA, AND THERE'S ALSO ONE IN TRINITY COUNTY THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH. THEY WILL COME ON ONTO OUR ROADS OR EVEN OTHER COUNTY PROPERTIES. WE'VE USED THEM AT THE LANDFILL, AND THEY WILL DO BRUSH CLEARING AND FUELS MITIGATION STRATEGIES. SO LAST I HEARD, WE HAD, UM, WE HAD THE SUGAR PINE CONSERVATION CAMP WORKING ON PHILLIPS ROAD. SO WE HAVE A LIST, UH, THAT, UH, THAT COUNTY FIRE DEVELOPED OF KIND OF HIGH-PRIORITY ROADS. AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT LIST AND TARGETING THOSE AREAS. RIGHT. SEAN, SEAN O'HARA WAS, WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, HIRING OUT THOSE CREWS FOR ABOUT $400 A DAY. YEAH, IT'S A GREAT BARGAIN. REALLY, WE WOULD USE THEM EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR IF WE COULD. [03:40:01] THEY'RE IN DEMAND THOUGH, RIGHT? THAT, THAT IS A BARGAIN FOR $400 A DAY TO RUN A CREW. UM, SO, OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR LONG. BEFORE I GET TO YOU, SUPERVISOR PLUMMER, I JUST WANT TO SO I DON'T FORGET. TROY GAVE ME THE RETIREMENT GIFT ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR AND PAVED THE ROAD THERE BETWEEN THE COTTONWOOD POST OFFICE AND LEGION HALL. SO I THANKED HIM. I WANT TO THANK YOU AND ESPECIALLY THE WHOLE CREW, THE ROAD CREW. THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB AND VERY IMPRESSED. SUPERVISOR COLEMAN. YES, THANK YOU, JOHN. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DATA HERE AND THE CHARTS. REGARDING BRIDGE REPLACEMENT, I'VE HEARD THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FEDERAL MONEY RIGHT NOW AROUND FEDERAL BRIDGES, AND I SAW THAT LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WE HAD ABOUT $12.5 MILLION. THE ACTUAL CAME IN AT $600,000. YEAH. AND THEN THIS YEAR IT'S MUCH LESS. IT'S ABOUT $3 MILLION. YEAH. I'M CURIOUS IF WE'RE LEVERAGING ANY OF THAT FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT AND I DON'T I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THE SPECIFICS, BUT I'VE JUST BEEN HEARING SOME OF THAT, THAT THERE'S THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT A GOOD BIT OF MONEY. WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT TO COME DOWN THE PIKE. OKAY. WE HAVE GOT WE'VE GOT A BACKLOG OF BRIDGES IN THE FEDERAL BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. BUT, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE PARTICULARS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GUMMED UP AT THE STATE OR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT, UM, THERE'S A WAITLIST TO DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS. UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT GOT SO BAD ON THAT WAITLIST, UM, THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS WERE EXPIRING. I MEAN, YOU'D WAIT IN QUEUE FOR 3 TO 5 YEARS AND THEN YOU'D GO TO BUILD YOUR PROJECT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FEDS WOULD TELL YOU, OH, BY THE WAY, YOUR, YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION HAS EXPIRED, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL. SO I'VE HEARD THAT SAME THING, THAT THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE. WE'VE YET TO SEE IT, YOU KNOW, COME SHOW UP AT THE TAP, SO TO SPEAK. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN ON THE FALL RIVER AIRPORT, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE LEVERAGING $230,000 IN THE FUND BALANCE AND THEN ASKING FOR $65,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY ZERO OUT OUR FUND BALANCE, OR PRETTY CLOSE. YEAH, UH, THE IT AND THEN YOU MENTIONED ON TOP OF THAT THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF MAINTENANCE-RELATED COSTS. IT LOOKS LIKE OUR LEASE THAT I'M ASSUMING WE'RE CHARGING WHOEVER IS OPERATING THAT IS ABOUT $19,000 A YEAR. UM, I THINK WE GET ABOUT $45,000 IN LEASE PAYMENTS. WE HAVE 3 GROUND LEASES, AND THEN WE LEASE HANGARS AS WELL. HANGAR OCCUPANCY I THINK WE HAVE 9 HANGARS. MAYBE RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT HALF FULL. THAT HANGAR OCCUPANCY HAS GONE UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THERE IS A FIXED BASE OPERATOR THAT'S SET UP AT THE SITE AND WILL BE OFFERING FUEL SALES SOON, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL INCREASE THE BUSINESS THERE AT THE AIRPORT. AIRPORT. DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY FLIGHTS GO OUT OF THAT AIRPORT PER YEAR? I, I DO NOT, AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE DO. IT'S AN UNMANNED FACILITY, UM, SO I, I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I MEAN, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, WHETHER EVEN IF YOU TIE DOWN UP THERE, IT'S, IT'S BASED ON THE HONOR SYSTEM. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FLIGHTS ARE GOING IN AND OUT OF THERE. AND IF WE PUT MAINTENANCE COSTS ASIDE FOR A SECOND, DO WE THINK SO GOING INTO NEXT YEAR WITH NO FUND BALANCE AND ABOUT THIS YEAR ABOUT HALF OF THAT, THE EXPENSES BEING COVERED BY FUND BALANCE, DO WE EXPECT THAT THAT WILL THEN HAVE TO PULL FROM THE GENERAL FUND? I DON'T SEE THE SITUATION AT FALL RIVER IMPROVING. LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE COSTS UP THERE BY SWITCHING TO EXTRA HELP CUSTODIAL. BUT THE THING WITH AIRPORTS IS THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REQUIRED MAINTENANCE THAT WE HAVE TO DO. SO THERE'S A FIXED OBLIGATION UP THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, REVENUE VARIES WITH THE LEASES OR WITH THE HANGAR LEASES ANYWAYS. THE GROUND LEASES ARE LONG-TERM LEASES, SO THAT'S STEADY INCOME. BUT I, YOU KNOW, EXPENSES, AS WE ALL KNOW, EXPENSES ARE RISING CONTINUALLY. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT REVENUE IS IS PACING THE SAME WAY. OKAY. AND THEN WITH THE WATER AGENCY, I OFTEN SEE THAT WITH THE CSAS WHERE THERE'S MONEY FROM THE WATER AGENCY BEING USED TO COVER SHORTFALLS IN BASICALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OPERATIONAL COSTS AND THE RATES. YES, SIR. HOW AND I THINK I'VE HEARD SOME OF THIS BEFORE, BUT HOW IS THAT WATER AGENCY I KNOW THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A FEE OR AN ASSESSMENT THAT'S CHARGED, AND IS THAT CHARGED TO EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY OR JUST FOLKS IN CERTAIN AREAS. YEAH, IT IS. IT'S ACTUALLY A PORTION OF PROPERTY TAX, AND I'VE TALKED TO NOLDA ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU START TALKING ABOUT TAXES, FOR ME, I GET LOST. BUT IT DATES BACK, I BELIEVE, TO THE LATE '70S, EARLY '80S, AND A COUPLE OF STATE PROPOSITIONS THAT WENT INTO PLAY. AND [03:45:02] AT THE TIME THOSE WENT INTO PLAY, CERTAIN AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY WATER AGENCIES, WERE ALLOTTED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. AND SO THAT IS HOW THE WATER AGENCY IS FUNDED, IS THROUGH THAT TAX REVENUE. I'LL NOTE THAT CSA 23, WHICH I THINK IS CRAIGVIEW, CRAIGVIEW GETS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT PROPERTY TAX MONEY AS WELL. THE BIG ONE THAT I ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT, AND IT'S A BIT FRUSTRATING AS A WATER OPERATOR BECAUSE BELLA VISTA GETS ABOUT $1 MILLION OF THAT TAX REVENUE EVERY YEAR. AND WE'RE OFTEN COMPARED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OFTEN ASKED TO COMPARE OUR RATES FOR OUR CSAS WITH BELLA VISTA WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING THEY'RE NOT THEY'VE GOT REVENUE BEYOND JUST THEIR USER FEES. SO, UM, YEAH, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? WELL, AND I THINK MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE CHARGING EVERYONE FOR THE WATER AGENCY, WE'RE CHARGING EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY, BUT THEN IT'S GOING TO SERVE SPECIFIC CSAS THAT ARE PEOPLE IN A SPECIFIC REGION. SO EVERYONE'S PAYING FOR WHAT IS AND THAT'S BEING OPERATING COSTS, BECAUSE IN MOST CASES THE RATES AREN'T AND I KNOW WE'RE DOING RATE STUDIES ON A NUMBER OF THOSE, BUT THE RATES ARE NOT SET TO COVER THE OPERATIONAL COSTS. AND SO IT FEELS A LITTLE OFF TO ME TO BE CHARGING EVERYONE FOR WATER THAT'S BEING DELIVERED TO ONLY A SELECT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY. YEAH, YEAH. AND I, I CAN CERTAINLY SEE THAT PERSPECTIVE. AT SOME POINT IN TIME, HISTORICALLY, BEFORE MY INVOLVEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY DETERMINED THAT ASSISTING THOSE CSAS WAS WITHIN, WITHIN THE CHARTER OF THE WATER AGENCY, WHICH IS TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE THE BENEFICIAL USES OF THE COUNTY'S WATERS. OKAY. ON FACILITIES, AND YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR CHART WITH FTES, THERE WAS A BIG JUMP FROM 37 TO 50, AND NOW I'VE SEEN IT'S GONE DOWN TO 47. YEAH. WHAT HAPPENED THERE? WHY DID YEAH, THAT WAS THE DISSOLUTION OF THE OPPORTUNITY CENTER. SO WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE TOOK OVER CUSTODIAL FOR A NUMBER OF FACILITIES. WE BROUGHT OPPORTUNITY CENTER EMPLOYEES FROM THE OPPORTUNITY CENTER. WE BROUGHT THEM ON AS STAFF AT FACILITIES MAINTENANCE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, SORRY. OKAY, AND SO MOST OF THOSE WE'VE RETAINED NOW FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS? YEAH, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE THAT WE'VE I THINK WE'VE HAD MAYBE 3 POSITIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IF YOU RECALL, FACILITIES WAS RUNNING THE SHREDDING PROGRAM FOR A WHILE. WHEN THAT ENDED, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF POSITIONS THAT WENT AWAY WITH THAT. THIS IS THE LAST REMAINING POSITION THAT KIND OF CAME OVER FROM THE OPPORTUNITY CENTER THAT HAS BEEN UNFILLED AND NOW GOING AWAY. OKAY, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION WAS AROUND THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FUND. AND THERE, ONE WAS LOOKING AT THE PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY. IS THAT RELATED TO SOME OF THE CAPITAL PROJECT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THERE? YEAH, EXACTLY. SO THAT WORK, THAT SOLID WASTE WORK, IS A PRETTY WELL-DEFINED NICHE. AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE GENERAL EXPERTISE, BUT WE OFTENTIMES REQUIRE EXPERT CONSULTANTS. SO THAT WOULD BE CONSULTING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOT PLANNED. OKAY. AND THEN IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE THIS YEAR WE, REQUESTED ABOUT $2.6 MILLION IN NET COUNTY COSTS, WHICH IS BEING COVERED BY THAT FUND, WHICH NOW IS GOING TO BE I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE, AT LEAST FROM THE CHART, LIKE IT'LL BE UNDER $500,000 LEFT IN THERE. DO WE EXPECT THAT NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE THAT SAME DRAW? BECAUSE THEN I'M ASSUMING THAT WOULD PULL FROM BEYOND WE'D GO PAST WHAT'S IN THAT FUND AVAILABLE. SURE, YEAH. NO, THE SOLID WASTE FUND IS DEFINITELY SUSTAINABLE WE GET ABOUT, YOU KNOW, $1.5 MILLION IN REVENUE THERE EVERY YEAR. WE DON'T ALWAYS THE EXPERTS' COSTS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THOSE ARE GENERALLY COVERED BY TRANSFERS IN FROM SOME OF THE OTHER LANDFILL BUDGETS, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, THE R&I FUND, OR EVEN THE CLOSURE FUND. SO I DON'T EXPECT THAT WE WILL RUN INTO ANY ISSUES WITH THAT SOLID WASTE BUDGET. IT APPEARS TO BE WELL FUNDED. OKAY, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR KROY. ALL RIGHT, QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. UM, UNDER THE COST PLAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE STUFF IN EAST COUNTY, AND I GET THAT. UM, IS THERE ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SEE WHERE IT'S LIKE A FINE LINE WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO USE EXTRA HELP TO ALLEVIATE THAT OVERALL NUMBER FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ON THE COST PLAN? WELL, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS IS NOT THE CUSTODIAN OF THE COST PLAN FOR SURE. BUT SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHARGES FROM PUBLIC WORKS [03:50:02] TO OTHER COUNTY FACILITIES, THOSE WOULD FLOW THROUGH FLEET PROBABLY OR THROUGH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT. NOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE TRY TO USE EXTRA HELP AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND I WILL TELL YOU, EVEN THE EXTRA HELP CUSTODIAL FOR THE EAST COUNTY HAS BEEN A HIT AND MISS WITH THIS OVER THE YEARS. WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND IT WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE WHEN WE DID IT BEFORE. WE ENDED UP WITH POOR, UNRELIABLE CANDIDATES. AND SO WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO REDUCE THOSE COSTS, WE'VE GONE BACK TO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR. SO HOPEFULLY IT PANS BETTER FOR US THIS YEAR. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXTRA HELP, I'M TRYING TO THINK A LOT OF THE SERVICES THAT THOSE DIVISIONS ARE PROVIDING ARE SPECIALIZED SERVICES. THESE ARE AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS, THESE ARE CRAFTSPEOPLE, THEY'RE HVAC TECHNICIANS, THEY'RE ELECTRICIANS. I DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTRA HELP WITHIN THOSE POSITIONS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR HARMON, UM, I GAVE YOU A LITTLE WARNING. YES, YES, YOU DID. I'VE, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU. I KNOW, BUT IT'S SO AND I, AND I LOSE TRACK OF TIME. UM, MR., MR. RICKER, WHAT? YOU HAD YOUR TIME. BE QUIET, YOU'RE INTERRUPTING ME. UH, BUT WE, BUT WE BROUGHT UP THE AND I FORGET WHAT THEY CALL THE NIGHTTIME FOG. INSTRUMENT LANDING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. FOR THE AIRPORT. AND IT WAS, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, $100,000 PROJECT. BUT THERE WAS GRANTS AVAILABLE. IT WAS GOING TO COST US ABOUT 5%. AND IT WAS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY UP THERE. AND I THOUGHT WE WERE WORKING ON IT. YEAH. ANYBODY KNOW WHERE THAT IS? WHAT HAPPENED TO IT? I SURE DO. LET ME, LET ME GRAB MY NOTES HERE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I WILL ADMIT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR DURING BUDGET HEARINGS. TROY WAS IN THIS SPOT AND YOU ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION AND I CHIMED IN WITH SOME INFORMATION. AND I THINK I GAVE YOU INACCURATE INFORMATION AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AND I FOLLOWED UP WITH YOU SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT INSTRUMENT LANDING, IT'S A LITTLE BIT FARTHER OUT ON THE FORECAST THAN WHAT I INDICATED LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR. NOW IT IS IN OUR AIRPORT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. I THINK IT'S GOT A, I THINK IT'S GOT A DATE OF LIKE MAYBE 2035, AND WHICH, 10 YEARS OUT, RIGHT? THAT'S A LONG TIME. AND I WILL TELL YOU, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED. THERE IS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT. YES, IT CAN GET, IT CAN BE FUNDED WITH SOME OF OUR ENTITLEMENT MONEY. THERE STILL BE A LOCAL MATCH, STILL PROBABLY COST THE COUNTY, I THINK, MAYBE $100,000. UM, THE PROBLEM THAT WE RUN INTO IS THAT THE ENTITLEMENT MONEY THAT WE GET FROM FAA AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA UP THERE, THEY, THEY DICTATE WHEN AND HOW WE CAN USE THAT MONEY. UM, SO BECAUSE IT'S ENTITLEMENT MONEY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, UM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET US WHATEVER YOU KNOW, BUY A KEURIG FOR THE PILOT'S LOUNGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY'RE ALSO NOT GOING TO LET US IMPROVE A FACILITY THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE IMPROVED, RIGHT? SO WE CAN'T GO OUT AND PAVE THE RUNWAY OR RE-STRIPE THE RUNWAY EVERY YEAR JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO. WE HAVE TO SHOW A DEMAND AND A NEED FOR IT. AND IN ORDER TO DO THE INSTRUMENT LANDING AND IT ACTUALLY WOULD BE A GPS LANDING IS REALLY WHAT IT ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S AIRPORT GIS LANDING IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THERE'S A STUDY THAT'S NEEDED CALLED AN AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN. AND I KNOW I'M GETTING IN THE WEEDS HERE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A $400,000 STUDY THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. FAA WILL NOT FUND THAT STUDY UNTIL, NUMBER ONE, EITHER THE OLD STUDY EXPIRES, WHICH IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD NOW, BUT IT'S PROBABLY A 20-YEAR STUDY, OR THERE'S A MATERIAL CHANGE AT THE FACILITY. SO WE'RE KIND OF AT THE FAA'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY DECIDE THAT IT'S WARRANTED TO DO THAT PLAN, WE CAN THEN LEVERAGE THAT TO DO THE GIS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING TO COME UP BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THAT POINT IS PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT UP THERE. WE HAVE FAA MONEY COMING IN THIS YEAR, I THINK TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $120,000. I BELIEVE PART OF THE $65,000 THAT THE GENERAL FUND IS CONTRIBUTING IS GOING TO COVER A LOCAL MATCH. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PAVEMENT ANALYZED AT THE AIRFIELD. YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AIRPORTS, UNLIKE ROADS, AIRPORTS, THE PAVEMENT CRITERIA ARE VERY HIGH. FAA REQUIRES REGULAR [03:55:02] INSPECTIONS. THEY FUND THOSE INSPECTIONS, OR PART OF IT, BUT THEY DO REQUIRE THOSE. WHAT WE'RE FEARING, AND THIS IS WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO EARLIER, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT PAVEMENT INSPECTION, AND THE PAVEMENTS UP THERE NOW WERE I THINK THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED IN 2007. SO BY ALL ACCOUNTS, WE HAVE PROBABLY EXCEEDED OR MET THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF AN AIRFIELD PAVEMENT. SO WHAT OUR FEAR IS, IS THAT THE FAA IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO REPLACE THE PAVING UP THERE. NOW, THEY WILL FUND ABOUT 90% OF THAT, BUT IT'S STILL AN EXPENSIVE TICKET, PROBABLY TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT A $500,000 COST TO THE COUNTY. I KNOW I GOT OFF TRACK A LITTLE BIT THERE. NONE OF THAT SOUNDS GOOD. SO WHAT I CAN TELL YOU LET ME TIE I'LL TIE IT ALL TOGETHER. IF WE DO THE AIRPORT, THAT WE DO THE PAVEMENT STUDY THIS YEAR AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PAVEMENTS ARE OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE FAA IF WE CAN REORDER OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND MOVE THAT AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN TO MAYBE 2028 VERSUS 2035. SO IF THEY, IF THE PAVEMENTS COME OUT BAD, WE HAVE TO DO THE PAVEMENT PROJECTS BEFORE THEY'LL LET US DO THE LAYOUT PROJECT. SO YEAH, SO, SO IT'S, IT'S A SAFETY IT REALLY IS A SAFETY PROJECT. UM, I'M, I'M IN FAVOR. I'M IN FAVOR, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE AIRPORT. UM, IT WOULD INCREASE USAGE AT THE AIRPORT. UM, I KNOW THAT MYERS MEMORIAL FIRE USES IT, ALL THE THINGS. UM, SO I'M IN FAVOR, AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE IT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN, WE WILL DO THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, FAA AA IS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AS FAR AS WHEN WE CAN SPEND THAT ENTITLEMENT MONEY AND HOW WE CAN SPEND IT. YEAH, THAT'S NOT A GOOD REPORT. IT'S GOING BACK RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET BUT I THOUGHT THIS I THOUGHT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR THE GRANT. YEAH, NO, I APOLOGIZE. THAT'S MY MISTAKE FROM LAST YEAR WHEN I GAVE YOU SOME INACCURATE INFORMATION. NOTHING'S EVER EASY, PARKING, RIGHT? WELL, AND HERE WE ARE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE GOT EMPTY HANGARS, WE'RE GETTING FUEL. THAT'S GOING TO HELP A LOT BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S STOPPING A LOT OF TRAFFIC FROM COMING THROUGH THERE. ABSOLUTELY. IF WE HAVE EMERGENCIES, IT'S NIGHTTIME OR IT'S, UH, FIRES, SMOKE, UH, CAN'T SEE, THAT, THAT AIRPORT CAN'T GET USED. YEAH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY IS A IF THE COUNTY FELT IT WAS A WORTHWHILE PROJECT, THEY COULD COMMIT GENERAL FUND RESOURCES AND WE COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN ANYTIME THEN. BUT WHEN WE'RE RELYING ON THE FAA ENTITLEMENT MONEY, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THEIR RULES. AND THEN I HAVE TO ASK YOU ONE MORE THING THAT I'M GOING TO SPRING THIS ONE ON YOU, BUT IT'S ON YOU AND I HAD A LITTLE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, BUT AND IT'S THE ROUNDABOUT OUT ON 44, SILVER BRIDGE AND STATE ROUTE 44. YEAH, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF THAT'S MY DISTRICT, AND SHINGLETOWN IS CHAIR KALLSTROM'S DISTRICT, AND WE'RE BOTH STARTING TO GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK. IS THAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT FEEDBACK OR COMPLAINTS? BUT ABOUT BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN PUBLICLY, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT. YEAH. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, CHAIR KALLSTROM'S AWARE OF IT, BUT IT'D BE KIND OF NICE IF WE WOULD, BECAUSE, AND I'VE ACTUALLY ADVOCATED FOR A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I'VE EVEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH CHAIR KALLSTROM BECAUSE 99 AND WOODSON BRIDGE. YEAH, IS A PRETTY IS ABOUT AS SIMILAR AS I FOR AROUND HERE. YEAH, SUPERVISOR HARMON, AS I CAN TELL PEOPLE, IT'S NOT BUT WHAT SUPERVISOR, WE'RE GETTING IN THE WEEDS. YEAH, SO WE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. ONE MORE THING, JUST REAL QUICK. SO, BUT IF YOU TIE IT TO THE BUDGET, IT'S OKAY? SO YOUR AIRPORT ONE, IT WAS DRIFTING, BUT IT WAS ACCEPTABLE. THIS ONE IS THERE'S NO QUESTION AT THE WHICH ARE WE SPENDING ANY MONEY ON THE ROUNDABOUT? WE ARE NOT. IS THAT BUDGET IS IT BUDGET-RELATED? NOPE. WOW. I GET YOUR MESSAGE. IT'S A CALTRANS PROJECT. I'LL PUT THE WORD OUT. YEAH, WHAT PEOPLE VISUALIZE IS A ROUNDABOUT AT WALMART, AND IT'S LIKE, OH MY GOSH, NO, THAT'S NOT IT. SORRY. SO TWO THINGS BEFORE I LET YOU GO, JOHN. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE VFW. I SEE WE'RE FINISHING THE ROOF AT THE VFW IN ANDERSON. WE DID THE MAJORITY OF IT 3 YEARS AGO, BUT THERE'S I THINK OVER THE OFFICES WAS WHERE WE WERE MISSING. AND THEN IS THIS BUDGET? IT IS BUDGET-RELATED. IT'S IN THE BUDGET. DID YOU READ HAVE YOU READ YOUR BUDGET? YOU WOULD KNOW THAT. AND THEN CSA 13, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. HAVE WE SOLVED OUR PROBLEM UP THERE OR WE'RE JUST MOVING FORWARD? WE'RE JUST MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE HOPE TO BUY SOME GOODWILL. I MENTIONED WE'RE DOING THE FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT UP THERE. EVERYBODY IS IN FAVOR OF THAT. THAT'S [04:00:02] ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY THERE. WE HOPE TO BUILD CONSENSUS ON THAT SOUTH WITH THAT PROJECT ON THE SOUTH SIDE BY BY HARDENING THE SYSTEM ON THE NORTH SIDE AS WELL. OKAY, SO ALL RIGHT, I'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE DIPLOMACY UP THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, SO ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, JOHN, APPRECIATE YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR TEAM TOO. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. HAVE I HEARD ABOUT THIS DEPARTMENT BEFORE? I THINK I HAVE, SOUNDS FAMILIAR. YEAH. THERE YOU SEE THE BUDGET. IN THE BUDGET, THAT'S NEXT ON THE BUDGET HEARINGS. I TRIED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THIS SHORTER, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT MUCH SHORTER. SO, UM, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR KALLSTROM AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. SEAN EWING, DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE BUDGET FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27. SO I'LL START WITH THE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVES AS SHASTA COUNTY'S KEY AGENCY FOR COORDINATING DEVELOPMENT, PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, AND ENSURING THE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP FOR OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES. WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AS THEY NAVIGATE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE PERMITTING AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, GUIDED BY THE EXPERTISE OF OUR BUILDING, PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DIVISIONS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM. UH, CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT HAS 58 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS WITH 21 IN THE BUILDING DIVISION, 20 IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION, 11 IN PLANNING, AND 6 IN AIR QUALITY. FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27, THE DEPARTMENT REQUESTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM 3 TO 4, WHICH ARE FUNDED FROM THE BUILDING DIVISION BUDGET, UH, AND THE PLANNING, UH, PLANNING DIVISION, THE DEPARTMENT REQUESTED TO CREATE A PRINCIPAL PLANNER POSITION FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF ADVANCED LONG-RANGE PLANNING EFFORTS. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO REQUESTED AN OFFICE ASSISTANT POSITION WITHIN THE PLANNING DIVISION TO BE ASSIGNED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DIGITIZING RECORDS. THESE REQUESTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE RECENTLY ADOPTED COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITY REGARDING BUILDING AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT. THE CAO RECOMMENDATION IS TO DENY THESE 3 ADDITIONAL POSITION REQUESTS AND ELIMINATE FUNDING FOR 3 EXISTING POSITIONS WITHIN THE BUILDING DIVISION BUDGET UNIT. THE CAO RECOMMENDATION IS SPECIFICALLY TO REDUCE PERMITS PERMIT CENTER COUNTER STAFF FROM 5 TO 3 AND CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM 3 TO 2. BASED ON THIS RECOMMENDATION, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS WOULD REMAIN AT 58. 8, UH, BUT 55 WOULD BE FUNDED. THE CAO RECOMMENDED BUDGET WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE ONGOING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE BUILDING DIVISION IS THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WE SERVE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS OPEN 9 HOURS A DAY, EACH DAY OF THE STANDARD MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WORK WEEK. WEEK. WE MAINTAIN STAFFING LEVELS TO ENSURE SOMEONE IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ONE MIGHT HAVE REGARDING THE PERMIT PERMITTING OR CODE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, NO MATTER HOW COMPLEX THE QUESTION. WE STRIVE FOR PROMPT IN-PERSON SERVICE AS WELL AS TIMELY RESPONSES TO EMAILS AND PHONE MESSAGES. THIS COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED REGARDLESS OF STAFF VACATIONS AND UNPLANNED LEAVES OF ABSENCE. THE DEPARTMENT STAFF WORK COOPERATIVELY COOPERATIVELY TO TEMPORARILY SHIFT ASSIGNMENTS TO ACHIEVE THE EXPECTED LEVEL OF SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THIS COMMITMENT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE AS STAFFING LEVELS HAVE CONTINUED TO BE REDUCED AND UNFUNDED. SOME SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE AND HAS TAKEN 8 CASES TO NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARINGS THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITH 3 PROPERTY ABATEMENTS FOR TOTAL CLEANUP COSTS FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF $108,375. ONE ADDITIONAL CLEANUP IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 4. THE COST OF THE HEARING OFFICERS HAVE TOTALED APPROXIMATELY $38,925, WITH ONE FINAL INVOICE THAT'S YET TO BE RECEIVED. TOTAL COST AWARDED FOR THESE CASES ARE $659,000. $499,133, AND THE TOTAL FINES ARE AWARDED AT $421,920. THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING TOWARDS BRINGING UNPAID COSTS AND FINES TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION OF ASSESSMENTS AND LIENS AGAINST THESE PROPERTIES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CAO BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE, INCLUDE A REDUCTION IN FUNDING FOR NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARING OFFICER COSTS. THAT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO HEARING TO AN ESTIMATED ESTIMATE OF 3 [04:05:01] TO 5, DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CASES. IN ADDITION, THE RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATIONS REDUCE THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT CLEANUP FUNDS FROM THE TYPICAL $150,000 TO ONLY $65,000. THIS WOULD LIKELY MEAN THAT ONLY 1 TO 3 CASES CAN BE TAKEN TO COULD BE TAKEN TO HEARING COULD BE ABATED BY THE COUNTY. UH, IN ADDITION, 10 PROPERTIES WERE CLEANED UNDER THE ARPA VOLUNTARY NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAM FOR A TOTAL COST OF $317,698. WE HAVE APPROVED ESTIMATES FOR 2 ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO BE TESTED FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PRIOR TO CLEANUPS BEING PERFORMED. AT THIS POINT, WE'RE EXPECTING ACTUAL CLEANUP TO OCCUR DURING FISCAL YEAR. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALLOCATED $750,000 TO THE ARPA VOLUNTARY NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAM. $549,500 HAS BEEN EXPENDED TO DATE, WITH $116,107, UH, OF APPROVED ESTIMATES, LEAVING APPROXIMATELY $84,393 REMAINING. AT THE TIME OF BUDGET PREPARATION, IT WAS THE DEPARTMENT'S GOAL TO FULLY EXPEND THE ARPA FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR '25-'26, SO NO FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY ALLOCATED FOR THIS PROGRAM IN THE FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 BUDGET. THE DEPARTMENT WILL NEED TO SUBMIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THESE ARPA FUNDS FOR THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BALANCE OF THE ARPA FUNDS MUST BE EXPENDED BY DECEMBER OF 2026. THE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE NO ISSUES IN ACCOMPLISHING THIS. ONE ADDITIONAL PARCEL WAS ABATED USING THE CALRECYCLE NUISANCE ABATEMENT AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY CLEANUP GRANT FOR A COST OF $38,944. THE FUNDS AWARDED AS PART OF THIS INITIAL GRANT PROGRAM WERE NOT FULLY EXPENDED IN FISCAL YEAR '25-'26, AND THE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY APPROVALS TO EXTEND THE USE OF THESE FUNDS INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO AWARDED ADDITIONAL FUNDS UNDER THE NEW CYCLE OF THIS GRANT PROGRAM, BRINGING THE TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO $356,432. AGAIN, AT THE TIME OF BUDGET PREPARATION, IT WAS NOT KNOWN THAT THESE FUNDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE, SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE BUDGET AMENDMENT SO WE CAN, SO WE CAN UTILIZE THEM. THROUGH THESE VARIOUS PROGRAMS, 14 PROPERTIES IN TOTAL WERE CLEANED UP THROUGH THE COUNTY FOR A TOTAL COST OF $465,017. THE BUILDING DIVISION HAS ALSO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL-TIME ROOFTOP SOLAR PERMITTING UTILIZING SYMBIUM SOFTWARE THAT CAN BE ACCESSED ON THE BUILDING DIVISION WEBSITE. BUILDING DIVISION STAFF HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH COUNTY COUNCIL TO IMPROVE THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM AND TAKE MORE CASES TO HEARING AS WE HAD HOPED. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE CONTINUED TO BE PROVIDED PROVIDED TO STAFF, TO STAFF TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE NECESSARY CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED UNDER STATE LAW AND MANDATED BY THE COUNTY FOR THE POSITIONS THEY HOLD. DIVISION MANAGEMENT HAS PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPERS AND OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WITHIN THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION. BUILDING DIVISION STAFF ALSO PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEES FORMED IN THE PREPARATION OF THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS. THE PLANNING DIVISION HAS COMPLETED, UH, 874 ZONE PLAN REVIEWS AS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND 197 PLANNING PROJECT APPLICATIONS OF VARIOUS TYPES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND PROCESSED IN FISCAL YEAR '25-'26. PLANNING STAFF COMPLETED A REQUEST, UH, FOR INFORMATION THROUGH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO COLLECT INFORMATION REGARDING A COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING PLAN UPDATE FOR THE COUNTY. AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION ORDINANCE WAS PASSED TO MEET STATE REQUIREMENTS, AND A DRAFT, A DRAFT ACCESSORY DWELLING ORDINANCE WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD FOR ITS CONSIDERATION. DIVISION MANAGEMENT HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPERS, OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. PLANNING DIVISION STAFF ALSO PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEES FOR THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, AND THE PLANNING DIVISION HAS COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE TIME ACCOUNTING SYSTEM OR I SHOULD SAY IMPLEMENTED A COMPREHENSIVE TIME ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND WILL BE WORKING TO ANALYZE THE DATA COLLECTED OVER THE PAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS. THIS DATA WILL BE HELPFUL TO IDENTIFY WHERE EFFICIENCY AND SERVICES MAY BE GAINED AND ENSURE PROPER COST RECOVERY IS OCCURRING. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, DIVISION CONTINUES TO PERMIT AND INSPECT NUMEROUS FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, INCLUDING WITHIN THE INCORPORATED CITIES. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR HAS CONTINUED TO COORDINATE WITH AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL VENDORS FOR THE NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MANAGE ALL PERMITTING, [04:10:01] INSPECTIONS, AND INVOICING. IT WAS WE ANTICIPATED THAT A VENDOR WOULD BE IN CONTRACT BEFORE THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THE PROCESS HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN EXPECTED AND WILL OCCUR IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM HELD ONE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION EVENT, COLLECTED OVER 5 TONS OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FROM RESIDENTS, HELD 2 WASTE TIRE COLLECTION EVENTS FOR A TOTAL COLLECTION OF 09,796 TIRES. TIRES AND FACILITATED OVER 421 WASTE TIRES FROM, UH, TWO PROPERTIES, PROVIDED SEVEN, UH, LITTER REDUCTION AND BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING, UH, PRESENTATION TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, INSTALLED ONE WATER BOTTLE REFILLING STATIONS AT ANDERSON NEW TECH, AND HANDED OUT OVER 146 OIL RECYCLING KITS. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION COMPLETED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DROUGHT RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM WITH THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM AT $2,219,235. THE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT CONTINUES TO MONITOR AMBIENT AIR QUALITY WITHIN THE COUNTY AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY OVERSIGHT OF PERMITTED SOURCES WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION. VARIOUS GRANT PROGRAMS, UH, CONTINUE TO BE ADMINISTERED TO HELP IMPROVE THE AMBIENT AIR AIR QUALITY OF SHASTA COUNTY. IN FISCAL YEAR 26-27, THE BUILDING DIVISION WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR AT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND ITS ONLINE PERMITTING CAPABILITIES IN SUPPORT OF ITS EFFORT TO WORK TOWARDS PROVIDING A FULL ELECTRONIC PERMITTING APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ALL PERMITTING TYPES. BUILDING DIVISION STAFF WILL WORK WITH APPLICANTS TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED REAL-TIME, UH,, ROOFTOP RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PERMITTING FEATURE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO WORK WITH COUNTY COUNCIL IN DEVELOPING AN IMPROVED ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE TO BRING TO THE BOARD FOR ITS CONSIDERATION. THE PLANNING DIVISION'S GOALS ARE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS COMPLETION OF THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENTS PROGRAMS, UH, FOCUSED ON REMOVING CONSTRAINTS TO HOUSING PRODUCTION, RETAINING CONSULTANT SERVICES IN PREPARATION OF THE 7TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, AND RETAIN CONSULTANT SERVICES TO ASSIST IN THE GENERAL PLAN SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE. PLANNING STAFF WILL ALSO BE REVIEWING AND PROPOSING A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO THE COUNTY'S ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCEDURES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE INITIALLY ADOPTED IN 1994. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GOALS ARE TO CONTAIN CONTINUE WORKING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MANAGE ALL FACILITY PERMITTING, INSPECTIONS, AND INVOICING. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION ALSO INTENDS TO PREPARE MINOR UPDATES TO THE COUNTY'S ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM ORDINANCE AND LOCAL AGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE GOALS FOR THE AIR DISTRICT ARE TO CONTINUE THE EFFORTS TO REPLACE AGING AMBIENT AIR MONITORING EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF EPA IRA GRANTS AND TO CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GRANT PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE AIR QUALITY IN SHASTA COUNTY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. THESE NEXT SLIDES ARE THESE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDES HAVE CHARTS DEPICTING REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES FOR EACH BUDGET UNIT SHOWN AS A TOTAL AS WELL AS BROKEN OUT BY OBJECT CODE. THE GAPS BETWEEN TOTAL REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES ARE IDENTIFIED AS NET COUNTY COSTS THAT ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED BY THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND OR FUND BALANCES WHERE AVAILABLE. IF REVENUE COMES IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD THEN BE REDUCED. THE COMMON TREND THAT CAN BE SEEN ACROSS THE BUDGET UNITS IS THAT SALARIES AND BENEFITS MAKE UP THE, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE EXPENDITURES. THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS A BUILDING DIVISION UNIT, UH, BUDGET UNIT THAT INCLUDES CODE ENFORCEMENT. THE CAO RECOMMENDED BUDGET RESULTS IN APPROXIMATELY $900,000 BEING ALLOCATED TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM PROVIDES A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY BY HELPING TO IMPROVE PROPERTY VALUES DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, WHICH IN TURN HELPS TO MAINTAIN PROPERTY TAXES THAT THE COUNTY SERVICES ARE DEPENDENT UPON. EFFECTIVE, EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS THROUGH COUNTY ALSO HELP THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ALSO HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE TAX COLLECTION TAX COLLECTORS ARE RECOVERING THE PROPER TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX THAT IS OWED TO THE COUNTY. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER ITS COSTS AND FINES DIRECTLY THROUGH THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARING PROCESS. HOWEVER, RECOVERY OFTEN TAKES MULTIPLE YEARS. THROUGH THE CONSISTENT SUPPORT TO FUND THE PROGRAM AND WITH PROPER OVERSIGHT, COST RECOVERY IS LIKELY TO STABILIZE AND BECOME EASIER TO ESTIMATE OVER TIME AS PART OF THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, WHICH IN TURN WOULD REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION. CONTRIBUTION BEING PROPOSED AT THE TIME OF BUDGET PREPARATION. AND THEN OF COURSE, BUILDING DIVISION FEES ARE REVIEWED ANNUALLY AND ADJUSTED AS NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH COST RECOVERY. [04:15:04] THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE PLANNING DIVISION BUDGET UNIT. PLANNING PROGRAMS OFTEN PROVIDE MORE OF A GENERAL GOVERNANCE ROLE FOR AGENCIES WITH FEWER COSTS BEING RECOVERABLE. AS NOTED IN A PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE PLANNING DIVISION HAS IMPLEMENTED A NEW TIME ACCOUNTING PROCESS AND HAS BEEN IN THE DATA COLLECTION PHASE FOR THE PAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS. WE'LL BE WORKING TO ANALYZE THIS DATA IN THE FIRST HALF OF FISCAL YEAR 26-27 TO BETTER EVALUATE THE PLANNING DIVISION'S COST RECOVERY EFFORTS AND EFFICIENCY OF SERVICES PROVIDED. IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT WE WILL FIND A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF STAFF TIME IS PROVIDED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ANSWERING UNLIMITED QUESTIONS AT NO COST. THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE REVIEWING THE FINDINGS AND WILL LIKELY RECOMMEND POLICY CHANGES TO ENSURE WE ARE PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES IN A WAY THAT'S FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION HAS SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ANNUAL PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANNUAL PERMITS HELP TO PROVIDE STABILITY IN THE FUNDING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION AS A WHOLE, COMPARATIVELY TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT RELATED PERMITS OF THE BUILDING AND PLANNING DIVISIONS. THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION ALSO RESPONDS TO PROGRAM-SPECIFIC COMPLAINTS AND POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS WHERE THOSE SERVICES ARE NOT ALWAYS, UH, DIRECTLY COST RECOVERABLE AND WOULD BE RELYING UPON THE GENERAL FUND. BUDGET APPROVAL FOR THE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS THROUGH THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD BUT CONTINUES TO BE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE COUNTY'S OVERALL ADOPTED BUDGET. UH, A SMALL PORTION OF THE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UH, BUDGET IS FUNDED FROM THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE THAT. THESE NEXT SLIDES ARE PROVIDED TO DEMONSTRATE THE ENDING FUND BALANCES FOR THE ACCOUNTS THAT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING. THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON ACTUAL ENDING FUND BALANCES FOR FISCAL YEARS 21-22 THROUGH 24-25, PROJECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 25-26, AND REQUESTED FOR 26-27. THERE ARE SEVERAL FUND BALANCES THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS. I'LL TRY TO BE SOMEWHAT BRIEF ON THEM, BUT CERTAINLY CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE. THE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE BUDGET UNIT 157 CONSISTS OF 9 FUND BALANCES FOR FEES COLLECTED PRIOR TO THE BOARD'S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' DECISION TO SUSPEND THE COLLECTION OF DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES. THE ANIMAL CONTROL BUDGET FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN MOSTLY EXPENDED, WITH THE PROJECTED BALANCE JUST SLIGHTLY OVER $2,500. FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26, THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FIRE PROTECTION IS AT $105,067, WITH THE FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 REQUESTED BUDGET LEAVING IT AT $28,294. THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE, UH, $8,304. WITH THE LIBRARY ENDING FUND BALANCE AT $1,373. THE PUBLIC HEALTH ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS $798,727, WITH AN ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 AT $10,596. THE PUBLIC PROTECTION PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS $39,178 WITH NO ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27. THE SHERIFF PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS $8,448 WITH NO ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27. THE TRAFFIC PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25-26 IS $1,436,000 OR I'M SORRY, $436,662. AND THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27 IS AT $1,398,239. THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN RESERVED FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES REGARDING THE LEGAL, LEGALLY MANDATED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES. THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IS ESTIMATED AT $49,273. UH, THE, THE HATCHET COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT FUND WAS CREATED IN 2008 AS PART OF THE HATCHET RIDGE PROJECT. THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS $84,971, AND FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IS ESTIMATED AT $61,056. THE CASP CERTIFICATION TRAINING ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS PROJECTED AT $91,377 AND ESTIMATED TO BE AT $102,877 FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27. THE [04:20:06] PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR THE SURFACE MINING AND RECLAMATION ACT, REFERRED TO AS SMARA, IS PROJECTED TO BE $19,423 WITH NO ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27. THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25-26 IS $476,596. AND, UH, WITH THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURES, WE'LL HAVE AN ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27, UH, $410,066. THE SOLID WASTE SURCHARGE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FISCAL YEAR, UH, '25-'26 PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE IS $421,469, AND IN THE AND THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IS ESTIMATED AT $287,669. THE FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION SOLID WASTE FUND IS $220,096, AND THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IS ESTIMATED AT JUST OVER OR JUST UNDER $182,000. THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR UNDERGROUND TANK PENALTIES FOR FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 IS $382,000. $372,742 WITH AN ESTIMATED INCREASE TO $383,242. SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE FUND BALANCES FOR THE AB FOR THE AIR QUALITY AB 2766 MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE AS WELL AS A FUND BALANCE FOR CARL MOYER PROGRAM. THE AB 2766 ENDING FUND BALANCE IS ESTIMATED TO BE REDUCED TO $2,825, AND THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR CARL MOYER IS $26,052. THE WOOD SMOKE, UH, PROGRAM IS A LIMITED DURATION GRANT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPEND THOSE, UH, BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THE EPA IRA GRANT IS, UH, IS, IS A LIMITED DURATION GRANT TO REPLACE SOME EQUIPMENT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST CONTINUE TO REDUCE THAT, AS, AS WE'RE ABLE TO. THE GENERAL PURPOSE RESTRICTED FUND, UH, THEIR QUALITY IS ESSENTIALLY THE GENERAL FUND, UH, FOR THE DISTRICT. THE GENERAL PURPOSE RESTRICTED, UH, ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 IS $135,389. THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR THIS, UH, GENERAL PURPOSE RESTRICTED FUND TO GROW SINCE WE'RE NOW, UH, RELYING UPON THE, UH, GENERAL FUND FROM THE, FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS $5,264,270. THIS IS A 3.16% REDUCTION FROM FISCAL YEAR '25-'26 BUDGET ADOPTED BUDGET, I SHOULD SAY. WHAT IS PRESENTED ON THE SLIDE IS THE CAO RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES INCLUDES THE DENIAL OF THE MULTIPLE REQUESTS MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS REDUCTION FOR THE IN FUNDING FOR THE 3 POSITIONS. THE DEPARTMENT HAS FORMALLY FILED AN APPEAL TO THE CAO RECOMMENDATIONS AND WILL OUTLINE THE BASIS OF THE APPEAL ON A LATER SLIDE. THE DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VERY MUCH UNDERSTANDS THE BUDGETARY CHALLENGES OF THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND REVENUE NOT KEEPING UP WITH WITH THE RAPIDLY INCREASING OPERATIONAL COST OF THE COUNTY. WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS FOCUSING INTERNALLY TO EVALUATE THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE ITS RELIANCE ON THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND, OR, OR AT LEAST AT A MINIMUM, FIND WAYS TO OFFSET THE INCREASE IN COSTS THAT ARE BURDEN TO THE GENERAL FUND. UH, PROVIDED ON THIS SLIDE IS A, IS A GENERAL LIST OF EFFORTS THE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING TO REDUCE ITS GENERAL FUND IMPACT. THE KEY COMPONENT IS TO EVALUATE HOW OUR TIME IS SPENT, ENSURING THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, ENSURING THAT WE'RE FULLY RECOVERING COSTS WHERE ALLOWED BY STATE LAWS MANDATED BY COUNTY POLICY, AND POTENTIALLY ELIMINATING OR REDUCING SERVICES THAT ARE UNFUNDED AND NON-MANDATORY. KNOWING THAT SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE THE GREATEST COST TO THE COUNTY, I, UH, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST ASKED THE CEO AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO TAKE A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION ON INVESTING IN SOFTWARE THAT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A HIGH-QUALITY LEVEL OF SERVICE, BUT ALSO MIGHT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON STAFF TIME. SIMPLY CUTTING THE BUDGET AND TRYING TO DO LESS WITH MORE IS OR THE POTENTIAL OF RAISING FEES TO AN UNSUSTAINABLE LEVEL ONLY HAS A THE EFFECT OF REDUCING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE AND, UH, REALLY ISN'T A LONG-TERM SOLUTION IN MY OPINION. THE FOCUS SHOULD BE TO IDENTIFY WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO INVEST IN, UH, THAT HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE [04:25:02] COST-BENEFIT RATIO. DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT STAFF HAVE RESEARCHED MULTIPLE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT I BELIEVE TO BE WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THOSE AT ANY POINT. UH, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUESTED FOR THE BUILDING DIVISION BUDGET UNIT UNDER THIS APPEAL IS $717,538. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF APPEAL IS SPREAD OUT OVER 14 SEPARATE ACCOUNTS, WITH THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE REQUEST OF $476,888 BEING FOR 4 ACCOUNTS THAT FUND THE DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST TO ADD 1 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER POSITION, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 4 FOR AND CONTINUING TO FUND THE 3 EXISTING POSITIONS THAT THE CAO IS RECOMMENDING TO REMOVE FUNDING FOR. THE POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO REMOVE FUNDING FOR ARE 2 PERMIT SPECIALISTS AND 1 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE $250,000 THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE APPEAL AT $240,650 ARE FUNDS REQUESTED TO BE BUDGETED IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL CLEANUP SERVICES, AND PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES ACCOUNTS. THE CAO RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE FUNDING IN THESE SERVICES ACCOUNTS WILL REDUCE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR HEARING OFFICER COSTS NECESSARY FOR NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARINGS FROM $40,000 TO $25,000, WILL, UH, WILL ELIMINATE THE $50,000 REQUESTED FOR PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO ASSISTS IN UPDATING THE COUNTY'S ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCES, REDUCES PROFESSIONAL CLEANUP SERVICES FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT FROM THE TYPICAL $150,000 TO ONLY $65,000, AND REDUCES THIRD-PARTY PLAN REVIEW CONSULTANT SERVICES FROM $150,000 TO $75,000, ELIMINATES THE $2,650 FUNDING FOR THE UPDATE TO THE COUNTY'S HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, AND LASTLY ELIMINATES FUNDING FOR SOFTWARE THAT IS CRITICAL FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS OPERATING WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PERMITS AND POTENTIALLY OPERATING WITHOUT PROVIDING THE TAX COLLECTOR WITH THE APPROPRIATE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX THAT ARE OWED TO THE COUNTY. AS NOTED IN MY APPEAL MEMO, THESE RECOMMENDED REDUCTIONS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE DEPARTMENT'S QUALITY OF SERVICE IT PROVIDES TO THE COMMUNITY. THE COUNTY'S CONSOLIDATED PERMIT CENTER IS STAFFED BY A PERMIT SPECIALIST AND IS OPEN 9 HOURS A DAY EACH REGULAR COUNTY BUSINESS DAY. ONE PERMIT SPECIALIST IS ASSIGNED TO THE COUNTER INITIALLY TO GREET ALL CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE IMMEDIATE HELP WHERE POSSIBLE FOR SIMPLE ITEMS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY WAIT TIMES. UH, THE REMAINING 4 PERMIT SPECIALISTS ARE RESPONDING TO PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUESTS, SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS AND WALK-IN CUSTOMERS. THEIR PRIORITY IS TO GREET CUSTOMERS WITH AS LITTLE WAITING TIME AS POSSIBLE AND WALK THEM THROUGH THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND IN SOME CASES, ACTUALLY, UH, VERY MUCH HELPING THEM FILL OUT THE APPLICATION PACKAGE, UH, FOR THE INEXPERIENCED, UH, CUSTOMER. THE PROPOSED REDUCTION IN STAFFING FOR THE PERMIT SPECIALIST POSITION WOULD CREATE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND WITH VACATIONS AND AND/OR UNPLANNED LEAVES MAY RESULT IN THIS CRITICAL POSITION BEING UNSTAFFED. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF A MAJORITY OF A PERMIT SPECIALIST'S TIME IS SPENT DIRECTLY WITH CUSTOMERS DUE TO INADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS, THEY HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH THEIR PROCESSING OF PERMITS OR REPLY TO PHONE, PHONE AND EMAIL MESSAGES. ELIMINATING, ELIMINATING FUNDING FOR THESE POSITIONS WOULD MOVE THE COUNTY FURTHER FROM ITS STRATEGIC PRIORITY TO IMPROVE AND STREAMLINE THE THE BUILDING AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. IN ADDITION, THE REDUCTION IN FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THIRD-PARTY PLAN REVIEW SERVICES MAY RESULT IN DELAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO COMPLETE A BUDGET AMENDMENT PRIOR TO SENDING A PROJECT FOR PLAN REVIEW. IN REGARDS TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, THE CAO RECOMMENDED REDUCTIONS WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT RESPONSE TIMES TO INITIAL CODE ENFORCEMENT CLAIMS, UH, COMPLAINTS, BUT WILL ALSO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CASES TAKEN TO HEARING, AS WELL AS FURTHER LIMITING THE NUMBER OF NUISANCE ABATEMENTS THAT ACTUALLY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE HEARINGS. THE COUNTY'S CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT LIMITS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM'S ABILITY TO RECOVER COSTS AND ASSESS FINES THROUGH NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARINGS. THE CAO'S OFFICE HAS EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM TO RECOVER COSTS THROUGH ENFORCEMENT. HOWEVER, THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS LIMITING FUNDING FOR HEARINGS DIRECTLY REDUCES OPPORTUNITY FOR COST RECOVERY FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM. FOR 7 OF THE 8 CASES TAKEN TO HEARING FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE TOTAL COSTS AWARDED WERE AGAIN $600 OVER $659,000, AND THE TOTAL FINES WERE NEARLY $422,000. THESE COSTS AND FINES OWED THE [04:30:01] WORKLOAD THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT MAY TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS TO RECOVER, BUT WITH CONSISTENCY, WE WILL EVENTUALLY SEE STABILIZED ANNUAL REVENUE THROUGH DIRECT COST RECOVERY. CODE ENFORCEMENT NOT ONLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR, UM, OTHER INDIRECT SAVINGS SUCH AS REDUCING VAGRANT PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT MAY BE A BURDEN TO OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. OTHER INDIRECT BENEFIT ANOTHER INDIRECT BENEFIT LIKELY TO BE REALIZED IS THROUGH THE COUNTY'S TAX REVENUE. BY REDUCING NUISANCE PROPERTIES, WE'RE IMPROVING BOTH THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY BEING ABATED AS WELL AS THE VALUE OF THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES. THESE TAX REVENUES ARE ESSENTIAL IN FUNDING THE COUNTY SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY. AN ADDITIONAL ASPECT OF THIS APPEAL IS A CAO RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE FUNDING FOR THE NECESSARY SOFTWARE THAT IS USED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT TO IDENTIFY SHORT-TERM RENTALS OPERATING WITHOUT THE NECESSARY PERMITS AND POSSIBLY WITHOUT PAYING THE NECESSARY TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAXES. THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS INCLUDES REVIEW FOR LIFE AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS OF RENTING A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR COMMERCIAL USE, BUT, BUT IT IS ALSO THE MEANS IN WHICH COUNTY VERIFIES TOT CERTIFICATION. HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM THE COUNTY'S TAX COLLECTOR. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 63 ACTIVE SHORT-TERM RENTALS PERMITTED WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED PORTION OF THE COUNTY, YET THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UTILIZED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT INDICATES THAT NEARLY 500 ARE ADVERTISED JUST ON ONE FACILITATOR SITE. IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THOSE WOULD BE IN FACT, UH, IN VIOLATION, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR TO PRIORITIZE ENFORCEMENT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN A HIGHER VOLUME, BUT THE ELIMINATION OF, UH, FOR FUNDING OF THE SOFTWARE NECESSARY TO DO THIS, UH, WILL BRING THIS EFFORT TO A NEAR STOP. THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, I HAVE GENERALLY DEMONSTRATED THE HIGH COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TAKING CASES TO NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARINGS. INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S APPEAL IS A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPMENT OF AN OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION ORDINANCE THAT WOULD GIVE AN ADDITIONAL TOOL TO THE COUNTY'S ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS BY ALLOWING THE ISSUANCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS WITH A FINE PRIOR TO TAKING CASES TO HEARING. THIS WILL ALSO HELP TO ADDRESS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S PUT INTO VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FOR LESS EGREGIOUS CASE CASES THAT MAY OTHERWISE NOT BE ELEVATED TO THE LEVEL OF HEARING. THIS IS A MUCH LIGHTER APPROACH. THEN, UH, THAT WOULD LIKELY HELP TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE AT A LOWER COST TO THE COUNTY. THE FINES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE RECOVERED MORE PROMPTLY, WHICH WOULD HELP TO OFFSET COSTS OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM THAT IS OTHERWISE PRIMARILY FUNDED FROM THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND. IT IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED THAT THE BOARD SUPPORT THE FUNDING REQUESTED, UH, IN THIS APPEAL THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE THE PROGRESS IT HAS MADE WITH IMPROVING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WITHIN THE COUNTY, ALONG WITH THE SUCCESS IT HAS HAD THAT HAS BEEN HAD BY THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM. FOR THE PLANNING APPEAL, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUESTED FOR THE PLANNING DIVISION BUDGET UNIT UNDER THIS APPEAL IS $1,302,492. THIS TOTAL AMOUNT OF APPEAL IS SPREAD OUT OVER 20 SEPARATE ACCOUNTS. ACCOUNTS WITH THE LARGEST PART OF THE REQUEST AT $1,000,000. UH, $1,265,000, UH, IS WITHIN THE ACCOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES. $1 MILLION OF THE REQUEST WITHIN THIS ACCOUNT IS TO INITIATE THE PROCESS OF HIRING A CONSULTANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN AND ZONE PLAN UPDATE THAT HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE 1984. A GENERAL PLAN IS A JURISDICTION'S OVERARCHING GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S LONG-RANGE VISION, VISION FOR THE FUTURE. GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65300 REQUIRES ALL CITIES AND COUNTIES MUST ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM GENERAL PLAN FOR THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR JURISDICTION. THE OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH RECOMMENDS UPDATING A JURISDICTION'S GENERAL PLAN EVERY 10 TO 15 YEARS IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING CONDITIONS LAWS. THE COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN WAS ADOPTED MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO, AND THE COUNTY IS STRUGGLING TO ADDRESS PROPOSED LAND USES THAT WERE NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO 1984 DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF THE CURRENT GENERAL PLAN. THE CONSTANT FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE COUNTY'S OWN PLAN AND GENERAL PLAN IT IS BASED ON IS LIMITING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY. THE ADDED COST AND UNCERTAINTY IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WITHIN SHASTA COUNTY IS LIKELY WHAT DETERS DEVELOPERS FROM INVESTING HERE. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STAFF IS EQUALLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE ISSUES BUT ARE OFTEN THE ONES TO RECEIVE THE BLAME. UH, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO LOOK TO DEVELOP A GENERAL PLAN THAT PROVIDES MORE PRESCRIPTIVE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES OUTRIGHT WITHOUT THE NEED FOR [04:35:02] COSTLY DISCRETIONARY PERMITS. NOT ONLY WOULD THIS SPEED UP THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND REDUCE DIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO CREATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS BUT EFFICIENCIES BY ALLOWING COUNTY STAFF TO FOCUS ON THE MORE COMPLEX PROJECTS WHERE NECESSARY, AS WELL AS FOCUSING ON THE INTENDED ADVANCED LONG-RANGE PLANNING EFFORTS THAT ARE OFTEN NEGLECTED DUE TO STAFFING LEVELS AND CUSTOMER PROJECT PRIORITIZATION. THE OTHER $2,650 WITHIN THAT, UH, WITHIN THE ACCOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND SPECIAL SERVICES BEING APPEALED IS AN UPDATE TO THE COUNTY'S HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS UPDATE IS REQUIRED AND BEING OVERSEEN BY THE, UH, BY PUBLIC WORKS. I'M NOT CERTAIN OF THE, OF WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT THIS WOULD HAVE ON DENYING THOSE FUNDS. THE REMAINING $299,842 REQUESTED UNDER APPEAL ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADDED POSITION REQUEST FOR A PRINCIPAL PLANNER, AS WELL AS OFFICE ASSISTANT 3 POSITION. IT IS COMMON OCCURRENCE TO PRIORITIZE CURRENT PLANNING PROJECTS OVER ADVANCED LONG-RANGE PLANNING, AND AS BUDGETED AS BUDGETS ARE REDUCED, LONG-RANGE PLANNING IS ELIMINATED, WHICH RESULTS IN OUTDATED ORDINANCES THAT CREATE INEFFICIENCIES AND IN SOME CASES CONFLICTS WITH STATE LAWS, PUTTING THE JURISDICTION AT LEGAL RISK. AS TIME GOES ON, PLANNING AGENCIES STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE EVER-CHANGING LAWS AND DEMAND FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE HAS OCCURRED IN SHASTA COUNTY AND WHY I'M REQUESTING A PRINCIPAL PLANNER POSITION TO BE APPROVED IN THE FISCAL YEAR '26-'27 BUDGET. THE COUNTY NEEDS TO BE FORWARD-THINKING IN THIS REGARD, AND WE HOPE TO SEE BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES THRIVE UNDER A DEVELOPMENT-FRIENDLY LEADERSHIP. IN REGARD TO THE OFFICE ASSISTANT 3 POSITION, SIMILAR TO THE CLERK OF THE BOARD, THE PLANNING DIVISION PLANNING DIVISION HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO RETAIN RECORDS OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES. THE PLANNING DIVISION CONTINUES TO OPERATE USING PAPER FILES AS IT ALWAYS HAS. THIS RESULTS IN MUCH OF THE DEPARTMENT'S BUILDING SPACE TO BE OCCUPIED BY FILE CABINETS AND FILE BOXES. THE PLANNING DIVISION HAS A STORAGE UNIT THAT IS AT CAPACITY. PAPER FILES ARE INEFFICIENT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS AND ARE A LIABILITY. I'M REQUESTING FUNDING FOR AN OFFICE ASSISTANT 3 POSITION TO BE ASSIGNED WITH WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECORDS RETENTION AND DIGITIZING THE PLANNING DIVISION RECORDS. THERE'S NO OTHER STAFFING POSITION TO ASSIGN THIS TASK TO IN THE PLANNING DIVISION. OTHERWISE, I'D CERTAINLY BE PURSUING THAT. I REALIZE THIS IS A LARGE REQUEST, BUT I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT YOU'LL CHOOSE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT, ONCE COMPLETED, WILL HAVE SUCH A POSITIVE RESULT ON OUR FUTURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF WHAT WE DO AT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. CONSIDERATION ON THESE APPEALS. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, SEAN. UM, FIRST COMMENT IS NOT A QUESTION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT YOUR APPEAL HERE AND THE, THE NUMBER OF NUISANCE ABATEMENT HEARINGS AND, UH, THE, THE, AND THE NUMBER OF NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROPERTY CLEANUPS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO YOU, YOUR WHOLE TEAM, AS WELL AS COUNTY COUNSEL'S OFFICE. WHEN WE WERE DOING THOSE LIEN HEARINGS LAST YEAR. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D DONE LIEN HEARINGS, AND WE'RE LISTENING TO CASES FROM 2017, 2018. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS, AND THAT WAS A FAILURE ON THE PREVIOUS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TEAM AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS COUNTY COUNCIL'S TEAM. BECAUSE TO BE LISTENING TO PROPERTIES THAT WERE 8 YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAD BEEN WORKED ON FOR 8 YEARS AGO AND NOBODY EVER BROUGHT THAT TO A LIEN HEARING OR, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN THE BATEMAN HEARING. SO SO WHEN I'M LOOKING AT YOURS, YOU HAD 13 OF THEM LAST YEAR AND 10 OF THEM THE YEAR BEFORE COMPARED TO 1 THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, BEFORE YOUR TIME. AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOUR TEAM VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU, COUNTY COUNSEL'S OFFICE, FOR, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET US CAUGHT BACK UP. EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU HAD MENTIONED A GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE, AND THERE'S ABOUT $410,000 IN THAT. COULD THAT BE USED FOR THIS GENERAL PLAN UPDATE THAT YOU WANT TO DO? I MEAN, A MILLION-DOLLAR CONSULTANT IS PRETTY STIFF THERE, BUT COULD THAT MONEY BE USED FOR THAT GENERAL PLAN? SO I SHOULD PROBABLY CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS. IS, UH, WE INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE STRATEGIES IN THE, IN THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN IS FOR A GENERAL PLAN, UH, A COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, RIGHT? AND WE, WE ESTIMATE THAT TO BE ANYWHERE FROM $5 $6 MILLION AND PROBABLY WOULD TAKE 5 TO 6 YEARS AT LEAST. AND SO THIS INITIAL REQUEST OF $1 MILLION IS SIMPLY JUST ATTEMPTING TO GET A COMMITMENT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT INITIATIVE. IT'S LONG OVERDUE, AND WE'RE JUST I'M REALLY TRYING TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT SO WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE BEHIND ON. SO THE ANSWER OF THE GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE, THE COUNTY COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY TOWARDS THAT EFFORT. CURRENTLY, WE'RE JUST USING [04:40:02] THOSE FUNDS TO MAKE THE PERIODIC UPDATES THAT ARE MANDATED BY STATE LAW, SUCH AS A HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE. SO IF THE COUNTY WERE IF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WERE TO DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE WANTING TO INCLUDE PART OF THAT AS REVIEWING THAT GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE THIS FUND AND HOW TO TRY TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, WE COULD BE LOOKING AT THAT TO SEE HOW TO HELP TRY TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS. I MEAN, FROM YOUR CHART, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF MONEY IN THAT FOR QUITE A WHILE. I MEAN, FOR A FEW YEARS, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU USE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY OUT OF THAT. THAT'S I MEAN, COULD WE TAKE $250,000 OUT OF THAT? IT WAS $410,000, I BELIEVE YOU SAID WAS IN THERE. COULD WE TAKE $250,000 OUT OF THAT AND START THE GENERAL GET A CONSULTANT TO START THE GENERAL PLAN ROLLING FORWARD? I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING OF THAT SORT. MY ONLY CAUTION IS JUST SIMPLY MAKING SURE THAT AS WE WE'RE STILL HAVING TO MOVE THROUGH THE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATES IN THE MEANTIME. AND SO AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT SPREADING OURSELVES TOO THIN, THE NICE THING ABOUT THAT GENERAL FUND, GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FUND, IS HAVING IT AS A BUFFER SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO PULL ON THE GENERAL FUND EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. IF WE WERE TO PULL A QUARTER MILLION OUT, THAT'S TO LEAVE YOU $160 MILLION. $60,000. I KNOW, I'M, I'M AGREEING. I, I'M IN AGREEMENT. SO, OKAY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW THAT I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT. I MEAN, IF, IF I COULD, I WOULD. UM, THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, SOFTWARE, YOU SAID THERE'S YOU THINK THERE'S ABOUT 500 PROPERTIES OUT THERE, OR ON ONE WEBSITE THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 500 PROPERTIES, AND YOU DON'T KNOW OF THOSE HOW MUCH WE ARE COLLECTING TOT TAX ON NOW OR NOT? YES. SO THE WAY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS IS WHEN THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED ORIGINALLY. ENFORCEMENT WAS A LITTLE BIT LACKING AS FAR AS HAVING A REALLY AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM ON ENFORCEMENT OF THAT. AT THE CEO'S REQUEST IN THE RECENT PAST, WE'VE MET AND DISCUSSED THE VALUE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COLLECTING THE TOTS ON THOSE. AND SO WE HAD TAKEN OUR FIRST SHORT-TERM RENTAL CASE TO HEARING AND WE'RE SUCCESSFUL. IT IS BEING APPEALED. BUT, UM, SO LONG ANSWER, OF COURSE. WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORT ON THAT, AND THE, UH, AND WITHOUT THAT SOFTWARE, IT, IT MAKES IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO. JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT WAS THE TOT TAX ON THAT PROPERTY THAT YOU TOOK TO HEARING? UH, YOU'RE ASKING WHAT ARE THE TOT TAXES? WHAT WERE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF THAT? UH, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE TOTS WOULD BE. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT AWARDED AS FAR AS COST RECOVERY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES WAS $22,000. IT'S NOT OUR HOPE TO HAVE TO TAKE EVERYONE TO HEARING. WE JUST WANT TO HAVE SOME TEETH TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO COMPLY. BUT THE $22,000, MOST OF THAT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE WORKING ON IT. WE HAD TO TAKE IT TO HEARING. I MEAN, SO WHAT I'M I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WE GOT A BED AND BREAKFAST UP IN SHINGLETOWN AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TOT TAX ON THAT? IN OTHER WORDS, IS IT DOES IT PAY FOR THE SOFTWARE? DOES IT PAY FOR ITSELF? I THINK THE COLLECTION THE SOFTWARE ITSELF IS APPROXIMATELY, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY I THINK WE'RE PAYING LIKE $14,000 ANNUALLY. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO CONTRACT TO EITHER RENEW THAT OR LOOK AT ANOTHER VENDOR. SO WE'RE NOT TALKING A SIGNIFICANT SUM OF MONEY IN MY OPINION. WE'RE TALKING $15,000, $16,000 MAYBE. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT THE SIGNIFICANT WHAT THE REVENUE IS. I MEAN, MR. CHAIRMAN, SO I CAN, I CAN HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, SO TYPICALLY THESE PROPERTIES ARE NOT BEING COMPLIANT WITH REPORTING THEIR STAYS, AND BECAUSE THEY DON'T REPORT THEIR STAYS AND HOW OFTEN THEY'RE LEASED UP, WE DON'T KNOW THE TYPICALLY KNOW THE VALUE OF EACH ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES. SO, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THEY'RE LEASED UP MOST OF THE YEAR, IT COULD BE A PRETTY LARGE NUMBER. ASSUMING THEY ONLY LEASE THEM UP, YOU KNOW, 6 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY'RE LIVING IN ARIZONA AND COME BACK, THEN, THEN THEY MAY NOT BE AS SIGNIFICANT FOR SOME OF THE PROPERTY. ISN'T THE TOT JUST LIKE A COUPLE DOLLARS A NIGHT? WELL, I THINK THE WAY TO MAYBE THINK ABOUT IT IS CURRENTLY I BELIEVE WE COLLECT ABOUT $1.6 MILLION IN TOT PER YEAR. AND I THINK YOU SAID 500 PROPERTIES WERE IDENTIFIED, BUT WE ONLY CURRENTLY HAVE 63. IS THAT I BELIEVE SO. YEAH. SO EVEN IF WE WERE TO GET 50% MORE OF TOT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $800,000 A YEAR. THAT WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF. 500 IS A LOT MORE THAN 63 PROPERTIES. SO, YEAH, AND SO NOT THAT ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, WOULD COMPLY OR KEEP DOING IT, BUT THE MOST RECENT I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T I'M MISSING MY SPREADSHEET, BUT THE MOST RECENT ATTEMPT TO TAKE CASES TO HEARING WERE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION FOR SOME TIME. WE HAD CONTACTED THEM AND, AND THEY WERE NON-RESPONSIVE. ONCE WE SENT OUT THE NOTICE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TAKING INTO HEARING, OR AT LEAST GIVING THEM, UH, RE-NOTICING THEM OF THE VIOLATION, UH, MAJORITY OF THEM, UH, DROPPED OFF. THEY EITHER PULLED THEIR LISTING, SOME OF THEM DID COME INTO COMPLIANCE, AND THEN THE ONE THAT WE HAD TAKEN WAS, [04:45:02] WAS BASICALLY NON-RESPONSIVE. SO WE EXPECT THAT A PORTION OF THEM WILL COME INTO COMPLIANCE BY DROPPING THEIR LISTINGS, AND THEN THE OTHERS WILL HOPEFULLY GO THROUGH THE PROPER PROCESS AND NOT REQUIRE HEARING. UM, SO, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, I UNDERSTOOD ABOUT A MONTH AGO WE WERE DOWN TO ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLEX, UH, BUT I'LL EXPLAIN IT. SO WE'VE HAD THREE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER POSITIONS FUNDED, UH, WITH ONE MANAGER. WE HAD, UH, A PROMOTION OF ONE OF THOSE OFF ONE OF THOSE 3 OFFICERS, WHICH CREATED A VACANCY. WE RECRUITED FOR THAT POSITION, WE MADE AN OFFER, AND WE HAD SOMEONE STARTED, READY TO START WHEN WE RECEIVED THE CAO RECOMMENDATION TO HOLD THAT POSITION OPEN. BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAD 2 OF OUR EXISTING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, ONE RETIRED FOR PERSONAL REASONS, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WENT TO THE CITY OF CHASSELL LAKE SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, WE CURRENTLY TECHNICALLY HAVE 2 VACANCIES IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE HAVE A BUILDING INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO PERMANENTLY MOVE HIM TO THAT. SO THE ANSWER IS, IS WE HAVE 2 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WITH 1 VACANCY THAT, IF I HAVE APPROVAL, I WILL FILL AS QUICKLY AS I'M ABLE TO. OKAY, SO WE HAVE 2 CURRENTLY, 2 CURRENTLY THAT ARE, THAT ARE ACTIVE. WASN'T, WASN'T IT THE NEW POSITION THAT WAS TOLD TOLD TO FREEZE, OR A CURRENT POSITION? I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT'S THAT? WASN'T IT A NEW POSITION THAT WAS TOLD THAT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE CEO'S BUDGET? YES. SO, SO THE CAO RECOMMENDATION IS TO ELIMINATE FUNDING FOR ONE POSITION, WHICH WOULD STILL LEAVE US THREE, WHICH WOULD LEAVE US TWO AND A MANAGER. I, I REQUESTED TO ADD ONE, PUTTING IT AT FOUR, AND THAT ADDED REQUEST WAS DENIED, AND THEN IT WAS ALSO FOLLOWED UP WITH THE REMOVAL OF FUNDING FOR ONE OF THEM. SO IF, IF MY APPEAL IS DENIED IN ITS ENTIRETY, I WILL ONLY HAVE TWO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND ONE MANAGER. AND THE MANAGER IS NOT FILLED AT THIS TIME? THE MANAGER IS FILLED, AND HE'S ABLE TO TAKE ON SOME CASELOAD. BUT WHAT I WOULD CAUTION IS THAT IF HE'S ONLY WORKING CASES, HE'S NOT HELPING ME DEVELOP THE PROGRAM, HE'S NOT HELPING ME TAKE CASES TO HEARING. AND SO AT THAT POINT, IT REALLY BECOMES JUST, UH, RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS AND HOPE FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. ALL RIGHT, SUPERVISOR LONG. THANK YOU, UM, SEAN. I KNOW THE CITY OF REDDING, UH, GETTING TO THE TOT, BECAUSE THAT IS AN ISSUE FOR ME, IN THE SOFTWARE COST, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WOULD INCREASE FOR EFFICIENCY THE CITY OF REDDING IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ABOUT 90% COLLECTION, AND THAT IS DIFFERENT. AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBERS, MAYBE YOU CAN CORRECT ME, BUT WERE WE MORE LIKE 40%? I THINK WE'RE WELL UNDER THAT. I THINK YOU'RE SAYING COMPLIANCE RATIO PROBABLY IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. RIGHT. YEAH, I THINK THEIR RATE OF COMPLIANCE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND, AROUND 90. YEAH, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY MUCH LOWER IF THERE'S SEVERAL THAT ARE ADVERTISED AND, UH, AND IF WE ONLY HAVE 63. SO, SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS, UH, KIND OF, UM, ON A MACRO LEVEL. SO YOU WERE AND I UNDERSTAND THE, THE FULL EXPLANATION, YOU AND I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS, UM, WITH THE CURRENT POSITIONS AND THE, THE TWO THAT ARE TWO THAT LEFT YOU HIRED THE ONE, OR WERE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING, TRAINING THAT ONE. JOHNNY HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO MANAGER. SO IF HE'S ONE OF THE LINE STAFF, THEN HE'S NOT GONNA BE DOING THE MANAGERIAL DUTIES AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION. SO, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE TOTALITY OF THIS, WHICH ARE THE NUMBER OF ABATEMENT HEARINGS AND, AND PROVIDING THAT, THAT THREAT, IF YOU WILL, TO GAIN COMPLIANCE. BECAUSE THE GOAL IS VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IN MOST CASES, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO TAKE EVERYONE TO A FULL HEARING. BUT HAVING A PROCESS AND KNOWING THAT THE HEARING PROCESS THIS IS A POSSIBILITY, THEN PEOPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN START COMPLYING WITH IT. SO THE WAY, THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD YOUR BUDGET REQUEST WAS THAT YOU HAD THE 4 POSITIONS ALLOCATED, YOU WERE ASKING FOR A 5TH, INCLUDING THE MANAGER, AND THEN NOT ONLY DID YOU STAY AT THE 4, BUT THEN YOU WERE REDUCED ONE, WHICH WOULD BRING YOU DOWN TO 3 INCLUDING THE MANAGER POSITION. YEAH, INCLUDING THE MANAGER POSITION, [04:50:01] WE CURRENTLY WOULD HAVE ONLY 3. OKAY. AND PART OF WHAT I'M WONDERING TOO IS IF WE INVEST $15,000, $16,000 FOR THIS TOT SOFTWARE, WOULD THE IF WE MAINTAIN THE STAFF AS IT IS, SO NO REDUCTIONS, BUT YOU WOULDN'T GET THAT EXTRA BODY THAT YOU WERE ASKING FOR, BUT YOU JUST STAY STATUS QUO. WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT EXTRA POSITION NOT EVEN EXTRA POSITION, BUT WITH THE CURRENT LEVEL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PARTIALLY THE INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TOT TAXES? SO WOULD YOUR STAFF BE ABLE TO PICK THAT DUTY UP IF YOU HAD THE PROPER SOFTWARE? WE COULD LOOK AT THE ASSIGNMENT IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENTLY BUDGETED, UH, UH, POSITIONS, WE COULD LOOK AT TRYING TO ABSORB THAT IN ONE OF THE ASSIGNMENTS AND, AND BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH IT. UM, IN THE PAST IT HAS, UH, FELL TO THE WAYSIDE DUE TO, DUE TO STAFFING LEVELS AND SUCH. SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS I THINK WE COULD, UH, WE COULD BE MORE, UM, EFFECTIVE WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UH, IF WE WERE AT LEAST ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS. AND DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY AN ESTIMATE THIS IS A TOUGH QUESTION BECAUSE YOU WON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS, I DON'T THINK BUT AN ESTIMATE OF IF WE INVEST $15,000, $16,000 INTO THE SOFTWARE, WHAT COULD OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT BE AS FAR AS INCREASED COLLECTION OF TOTS? SO WHAT WE HAD DONE, AND I APOLOGIZE, I THINK I MISSED MY I FORGOT TO BRING MY SPREADSHEET. WHAT WE HAD DONE IS IS WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH LORI SCOTT AND LORETTA TO GET A TOTAL FOR TOTS COLLECTED ON RENTAL OF HOUSING UNITS. WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THAT DATA PROVIDED TO US IN TIME BEFORE THIS BUDGET HEARING. SO WE HAD LOOKED AT, TRIED TO KIND OF GUESSTIMATE WHAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF PERCENTAGE, HOW MANY UNITS MIGHT COME IN. I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT IT WAS REALLY AN ESTIMATE. OKAY. AND THE I, I THINK I COULD SPEAK FOR MY DISTRICT ANYWAY. CODE ENFORCEMENT IS THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT THAT I GET AS A SUPERVISOR. I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT THE LEVEL OF BLIGHT. DO YOU FIND IS THAT ACCURATE ACROSS ALL OF THE DISTRICTS, OR IS THAT JUST MY, MY PERSONAL ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE? WHAT I CAN SAY IS, UH, MY TIME AT THE COUNTY I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW. WHEN I FIRST STARTED, THE NUMBER THE I RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS OF FRUSTRATION REGARDING, UH, SCHEDULING OF PERMITS, BUILDING REVIEW, BUILDING INSPECTORS. I DON'T GET THOSE ANYMORE. REALLY, THE PRIMARY CALLS THAT I GET ARE CODE ENFORCEMENT RELATED AND THE DESIRE TO SEE US TAKE A MORE STRONGER APPROACH TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO CURRENTLY, OVER THE PAST PROBABLY YEAR AND A HALF, MOST OF THE CALLS I RECEIVE ARE CODE ENFORCEMENT AS DIRECTOR IS CODE ENFORCEMENT RELATED. OKAY, THAT'S, THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE ANYWAY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING ACROSS THE COUNTY. I THINK IT'S HUGE. IT'S BEEN, IT'S IDENTIFIED AS A HUGE PRIORITY IN OUR STRATEGIC VISION PLANNING. AND SO TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT. AND YOU AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATION AS WELL ABOUT TRYING TO REDUCE THE COST OF THE ABATEMENT HEARINGS TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING THOSE DOWN, BECAUSE THEY CAN BE QUITE EXPENSIVE. THE, THE EFFORTS THAT I'M, I'M ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THE, FOR THE COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A DEPARTMENT ORDINANCE UPDATE. BUT A COUPLE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I JUST, I PERSONALLY HAVE A HARD TIME DEDICATING THE TIME NECESSARY TO DO IT, BUT, AND THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO HIRE PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES. BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION PROCESS BECAUSE CURRENTLY THERE'S TWO THINGS. IS CURRENTLY IF WE RECEIVE A COMPLAINT AND WE WILL ATTEMPT TO GAIN VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, LOTS OF VISITS, LOTS OF INTERACTIONS, NO COST RECOVERY, LIMITED COST RECOVERY, I SHOULD SAY. BUT THEN, AND THEN IN SOME CASES, WE RECORD A NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE AGAINST A PROPERTY AND WE WALK AWAY AND THE PUBLIC IS STILL UPSET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH. AND THEN THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS WE SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TAKING EVERY CASE TO HEARING. SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THAT MEDIUM TOOL, MID-RANGE TOOL THAT COULD BE A CITATION THAT MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE MORE TEETH THAN JUST, IN A WAY, DOING NOTHING. BUT NOT SO MUCH WHERE WE'RE TAKING [04:55:01] EVERY CASE TO HEARING. SO THAT'S ONE WAY TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL COMPLIANCE WITHOUT THROWING THE BOOK AT PEOPLE AND JUST THROWING AWAY GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. BUT THEN THE, WHAT I I MEAN BY THROWING AWAY, I MEAN NOT RECOVERING. BUT THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THE HEARING OFFICER COSTS. THEY'RE CONTRACTED THROUGH THE CLERK OF THE BOARD, AND MOST HEARING OFFICER OR MOST HEARINGS FOR A CASE IS ANYWHERE FROM $3,000 TO $10,000 PER HEARING, AND THAT'S JUST EXTREMELY COSTLY FOR THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT TAKES TIME TO RECOVER THOSE FUNDS. RIGHT, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT'S NOT A HARD THING TO DO TO RUN INTO THAT $8,000 FOR A HEARING COST, AND THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. AND SO I THINK THE ISSUE ALSO IS COST RECOVERY WHENEVER POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT THEN FUNDS OPERATION GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? SO IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU, DO YOU SEE A WINDOW TO START RECOVERING INCREASED COSTS TO, AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? YEAH, SO WHAT IT TAKES IS, YOU KNOW, ONE, IF WE GET THE CITATION PROCESS, THAT'S GOING TO HELP RECOVER COSTS. IF WE GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, WE HAVE SOME, A SPECIAL INSPECTION PERMIT THAT HELPS RECOVER COSTS. AND THEN WE HAVE THE HEARINGS THAT IF THEY DON'T IF THE IF WE'RE AWARDED COSTS AND FINES, IT TAKES TIME TO RECOVER. BUT WE HAVE TO GET THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE HAVE TO APPLY THEM AS LIENS AND ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN IT TAKES TIME TO START SEEING THOSE ROLL IN PERIODICALLY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. AND THEN ALSO, COUNTY COUNCIL HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR TO EXPEDITE TAKING PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN VIOLATION TO TAX SALE. SO THE ANSWER IS, IS I THINK WITH, WITH CONTINUED INVESTMENT AND MY DEDICATION TO THE PROGRAM, I THINK WE WILL START SEEING REVENUES CONTINUE TO INCREASE OVER TIME. THAT'S JUST NOT ALWAYS DIRECTLY WITHIN THE SAME FISCAL YEAR. OKAY, THANK YOU. IT'S DIFFICULT TO PROJECT WHAT THAT RECOVERY WOULD BE IN A FISCAL YEAR. BUT WITH A SERIES OF YEARS OF RETURNS, I THINK AT THAT POINT WE'D HAVE AN EASIER TIME NEGOTIATING WITH THE CAO AND HAVING A REAL ESTIMATE OF WHAT THOSE WOULD BE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOUR TEAM HAS DONE WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE ABATEMENT HEARINGS AND EVERYTHING. AND I'VE BEEN TO A NUMBER THIS YEAR, AND IT'S, IT'S IT'S AWESOME WHAT YOUR TEAM'S DOING WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES. SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR PLUMMER. YES. THANKS, SHAWN. TWO QUESTIONS AND THEN ONE KIND OF THOUGHT. THE SO I NOTICE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION-RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEM BENEFICIAL. I'M CURIOUS THOUGH, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COST SAVINGS THERE WHERE WE COULD REALLOCATE SOMEONE FROM THAT DIVISION OVER TO BUILDING OR PLANNING TO HAVE IT BE KIND OF A NEUTRAL FOR THE OVERALL DEPARTMENT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE, WHAT WE'VE DONE ON THIS BUDGET IS TRADITIONALLY THAT POSITION PRIMARILY WAS ABLE TO BE OFFSET WITH THE USE OF GRANT FUNDS AND, AND SOME FUND BALANCES. AND WITH THAT POSITION NOT BEING FUNDED OUT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I HAD A HARD TIME RELYING ON IT TO BE ABLE TO HELP US IN OTHER WAYS. AND SO WHAT WE WORKED WITH THE CAO'S OFFICE ON IS TO SPREAD THAT THE COST OF THAT POSITION OVER THE OTHER DIVISIONS. AND SO WE COULD LEGITIMATELY UTILIZE THOSE TO HELP THOSE DIVISIONS. AND THEN FUND THE SECOND POSITION THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAD IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION TO PRIMARILY FOCUS ON THOSE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE TRADITIONALLY IN THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE AND TIRE COLLECTION TYPE THINGS. SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, WE'VE DONE THAT UNDER THIS BUDGET. AND THE PERSON THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IN TERMS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE, THAT'S BEING FUNDED, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT I SAW THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC FUND BALANCE CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY EDUCATION. SO THAT'S BEING FUNDED BY CERTAIN RESTRICTED FUNDS, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE ANSWER IS, IS THAT POSITION IS OFTEN, THE COST OF THAT POSITION ARE OFFSET, GENERALLY OFFSET BY GRANTS AND THOSE RESTRICTED FUNDS. RESTRICTED FUNDS. OKAY. AND THEN TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING, IN TERMS OF REVENUE-GENERATING INVESTMENTS, I'LL SAY, [05:00:04] OBVIOUSLY THE SOFTWARE FOR THE TOT COULD POTENTIALLY BE THAT. WERE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, OR THAT, UH, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE IN TERMS OF THAT, WHETHER THAT'S THE RIGHT AMOUNT, BUT ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE WHERE IF WE INVESTED SOME, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE AN INCREASE IN REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? I THINK THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. IT'S, IT'S NOT A DIRECT REVENUE. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S OTHER INDIRECT AS FAR AS IMPORT, UH, INVESTING IN CODE ENFORCEMENT. FROM A BUILDING PERMIT SIDE AND DEVELOPMENT SIDE, I THINK WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS SOME SORT OF INVESTMENT IN SOFTWARE THAT ACTUALLY HOPEFULLY MAKES BETTER TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. IT MIGHT NOT INCREASE REVENUE. IT MIGHT MAKE IT MORE BUILDER-FRIENDLY, DEVELOPER-FRIENDLY. BUT IT WOULD HOPEFULLY ALSO OFFSET THE RELIANCE ON STAFF TIME. SO AS WE'RE SHRINKING BECAUSE REVENUES ARE DECREASING, WE'RE AT LEAST FINDING WAYS TO STILL MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE. THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS START HAVING TO REDUCE OUR COUNTER TIME HOURS OPEN AND SUCH BECAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE WORKLOAD. SO I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD DEFINITIVELY SAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE A REVENUE STREAM PER SE, OTHER THAN JUST HOPING TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND DEVELOPER-FRIENDLY. WITH THE IT LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR CHART OF THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION THAT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO REDUCE YOUR GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION BY $172,000. MY QUESTION IS, IF WE WERE TO SAY, HEY, JUST KEEP YOUR GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION EQUAL TO LAST YEAR, YOU GET THE $172,000, WHAT WOULD BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY USE OF THAT FUNDS? ASSUMING THAT WE COULD ALSO, TO SUPERVISOR KALLSTROM'S POINT, USE SOME OF THE GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE TO GET STARTED ON THAT WORK. I GUESS TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION IS IF I WAS GIVEN THE IF THE DEPARTMENT WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SIMPLY KEEP A FLAT BUDGET WITH NO REDUCTION WHATSOEVER, IT WOULD REALLY BE JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO TRY TO SEE HOW WE COULD SPREAD THAT OUT. I THINK MY PRIMARY FOCUS WOULD BE LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAINTAIN COUNTER STAFFING IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT. AND I THINK WHICH IS THE PERMIT SPECIALIST? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEN THE TOTAL INVESTMENT THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE TOT REVENUE I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE $15,000 OR SO FOR THE SOFTWARE. IS THAT IT THAT WE WOULD NEED? WELL, THERE'S TWO PARTS IN THAT REGARD. AS FAR AS THE SOFTWARE ITSELF IS APPROXIMATELY $15,000 ANNUALLY, AND, UH, BUT THEN YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT POSITION THAT THE CAO RECOMMENDED, UH, REMOVING FUNDING FOR. IF WE'RE OPERATING WITH ONLY TWO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, I THINK I'D REALLY HAVE A HARD TIME ALLOCATING STAFF TIME TO, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS. SO, SO I, I DON'T DEFINITIVELY KNOW, UH, WHAT THAT, UM, WHAT THAT POSITION WOULD ENTAIL. I WOULD GUESSTIMATE PROBABLY AROUND $200,000, UH, OR SO. UH, THAT'S GENERALLY KIND OF A PLUS OR MINUS OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH IT. OKAY, THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR CRYER, REALLY QUICK, GREAT JOB. UM, I'M JUST I KNOW WE'LL HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TOMORROW OR FRIDAY, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT REALLY SUPER OPPOSED TO THE TOT SOFTWARE. I UNDERSTAND THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THAT, SOMETIMES TAKING THAT HALF A STEP BACKWARD TO GO 10 FORWARD. I, I GET THAT. SO I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, ONE QUICK QUESTION BEFORE I GET SUPERVISOR LONG. UM, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I I'M WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND THIS CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO LAST YEAR, LAST FISCAL YEAR, YOU HAD, UH, 4 POSITIONS FUNDED A MANAGER AND 3 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, AND WE HIRED A MANAGER AND IT DIDN'T WORK OUT, SO WE HAD THE 3 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AND NOW WE'VE LOST 2 OF THOSE, AND WE PROMOTED WITH THE ONE THAT'S LEFT TO THE MANAGER, AND THEN WE WERE HIRING, AND WE HIRED A SECOND ONE. SO WE HAVE ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER. WE HAVE ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT LET ME TRY TO SAY IT CLEARLY. YOU ARE CORRECT. IT'S ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER POSITION AND ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER. BUT WE DID A RECRUITMENT FOR AN INTERNAL RECRUITMENT TO POTENTIALLY MOVE A BUILDING INSPECTOR TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PHYSICAL SIDE OF THAT ASSOCIATED WITH SOME SPECIAL STUFF WITH THE CERTIFICATIONS AND SUCH. SO, SO, SO IF POSSIBLE, WE'LL HAVE 2 POSITIONS IN THERE. THE LAST FISCAL YEAR YOU HAD A MANAGER AND 3 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THAT'S RIGHT. THIS FISCAL YEAR YOU WERE TRYING TO GET A 4TH CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND KEEP THE MANAGER, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE BASICALLY 5. BUT OUR CAO RECOMMENDED THAT NOT ONLY WE KEEP THE MANAGER AND ONLY 2 [05:05:02] CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND KEEP THE OTHER ONE FROZEN. OKAY, SO I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GO BACKWARDS, AND WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOT SOFTWARE. WHAT'S THE POINT IN TOT SOFTWARE IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY OUT TO GO OUT THERE AND ENFORCE IT? SO I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO GO BACKWARDS FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. SO I WOULD BE I'M OPPOSED TO FREEZING THAT POSITION OUT, AND I WANT YOU TO GET BACK TO THAT SPOT. WHETHER WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET THE FOURTH ONE FUNDED OR NOT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER DAY. THE OTHER ONE IN THE PLANNING, LIKE I SAY, THAT MILLION DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL PLAN, I MEAN, YOU AND I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE GENERAL PLAN IS. MOST PEOPLE UP HERE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE GENERAL PLAN IS. BUT I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THE VAST MAJORITY OF CITIZENS HAVE NO IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THE GENERAL PLAN IS. AND I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT THE HOTTEST ITEM ON THE THEY WOULD MUCH RATHER HIRE ANOTHER COP ON THE STREET OR, YOU KNOW, SO THAT ONE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE HARDER FOR ME. BUT I THINK THAT AT LEAST YOU COULD PROBABLY MOVE FORWARD IF YOU WERE ABLE TO AND MAYBE MS. BERTAIN CAN ANSWER ME THAT, THAT GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE, IF WE COULD USE THAT TO HIRE IN A CONSULTANT TO SEE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WHERE WE NEED TO GO, YOU KNOW, AND HIRE THE PLANNER THERE. I MEAN, MAYBE THINGS WILL BE BETTER NEXT YEAR, AND I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, THE OTHER OPTION IS, AS FAR AS GOING OUT, WE WENT TO AN RFI JUST TO KIND OF SEE IF OUR ESTIMATES WERE ON TRACK. AND I MEAN, IF WE REALLY WANTED TO, WE CAN DO AN RFP I'M ALWAYS HESITANT TO WASTE CONSULTANTS' TIME TO PUT TOGETHER THE PROCESS OF AN RFP. SO I MEAN, WE COULD DO THAT, AND IT WOULDN'T BE ANY INITIAL COST FOR US OTHER THAN JUST THE TIME IT TAKES TO DO IT. I WOULD JUST, I WOULD REALLY BE HOPING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF UNOFFICIAL COMMITMENT THAT IT'S OF VALUE. I MEAN, WE ATTEMPTED TO POACH THE OTHER ONE FROM THE OTHER COUNTY. DID IT AT THAT COUNTY UP THERE, BUT THAT WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THERE. MS. BERTAIN, DID YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO MY GENERAL PLAN MAINTENANCE FEE BUDGET? WELL, YES, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SAY, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT THAT WE COULD USE THAT FUNDING FOR THAT. THOUGH, I MEAN, I WOULD LEAVE KIND OF THE DETAILS OF THAT TO SHAWN, AS I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THAT. BUT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT HAS BEEN UNFUNDED, THE THEORY WITH THAT IS AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF CONSISTENTLY FUNDED ADDITIONAL POSITIONS EVERY YEAR IN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN THE RESULTS FROM THAT. WE UNFUNDED IT WITH THE IDEA THAT IF REVENUE STARTS COMING IN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THEN THAT POSITION COULD BE FUNDED. THEY COULD FILL IT. WE'RE NOT DELETING THE POSITION. IT COULD BE FUNDED AS WE SEE THE REVENUE COMING IN. AND THEN JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TOT, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS WHEN WE LOOK AT, OKAY, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 500 SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND ONLY 63 ARE REGISTERED, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONLY 63 ARE PAYING TOT. THAT JUST MEANS 63 ARE REGISTERED. IF THEY'RE REGISTERED, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE PAYING TOT, AND SO THAT'S HOW WE GUARANTEE IT. BUT REALLY, I THINK THE INFORMATION IS THAT IS IMPORTANT. AND WE DID TALK TO THE TREASURER TAX COLLECTOR ABOUT THAT IS IDENTIFYING THE PROPERTIES THAT, UM, THEY'VE IDENTIFIED SO FAR AND DETERMINING IF THEY WERE OR WERE NOT PAYING TOT BEFORE. THEY CAN'T GIVE US DETAILS ON HOW MUCH THEY WERE PAYING. THERE'S SOME SERIOUS CONFIDENTIALITY ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT THEY DID CONFIRM THEY COULD TELL US YES, THEY WERE PAYING, OR NO, THEY WEREN'T PAYING BEFORE. BECAUSE IF THEY WERE PAYING BEFORE, THEN GETTING THEM REGISTERED AND IDENTIFYING THOSE PROPERTIES ISN'T ACTUALLY RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE EITHER TO THE GENERAL I MEAN, THAT REVENUE DOESN'T GO DIRECTLY TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, BUT IT DOES GO TO THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO IDENTIFYING THAT WOULD BE WHERE YOU WOULD DETERMINE IF IT ACTUALLY INCREASES COUNTY REVENUE OR IF IT JUST INCREASES REGISTRATIONS. AND, UM, WELL, THIS IS A RARE INSTANCE WHERE I MAY DIFFER WITH YOU. UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER HAPPENED BEFORE, BUT, UM, AS FAR AS CODE ENFORCEMENT GOING AND NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE, I MEAN, WE WENT FROM FROM 23, 24 TO 1 ABATEMENT HEARING, AND WE WERE AT 8 LAST YEAR. WE WENT FROM 1 NUISANCE ABATEMENT CLEANUP 2 YEARS AGO TO 3 LAST YEAR. SO I MEAN, TOTAL PROPERTIES ABATED WERE 13, THE YEAR BEFORE 10, AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT 1. SO I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE MADE A LITTLE BIT OF A I THINK WE HAVE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SHOW FOR OUR MONEY THERE. YEAH, SO I'M NOT SAYING THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY WORK DONE, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY ACTUAL LIKE MONEY COMING BACK REALIZED, AND THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE CONVERSATION REALLY WITH EVERY YEAR FOR LIKE 3 YEARS RUNNING, THAT WE COULD ADD THESE POSITIONS AND THEY WOULD GET THINGS CLEANED UP AND THERE WOULD BE REVENUE COME BACK TO PAY FOR THE COSTS OF THAT. AND THAT JUST SIMPLY HASN'T HAPPENED YET. AND SO IT'S BEEN LIKE, THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN LIKE 3 YEARS RUNNING, UM, RELATED TO THAT. AND SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT KEEPING THE GENERAL FUND LIKE FLAT, WHICH IS THE DIRECTION THAT WE GAVE ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WAS THE AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT. WE DID HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT DID GIVE [05:10:01] US SOME AREAS WHERE THEY COULD CUT, AND THEN WE IDENTIFIED THAT AS ANOTHER AREA WITH THE THOUGHT THAT SHOULD WE START REALIZING REALLY THE REVENUE OFFSET FOR THIS, THAT'S WHAT REALLY ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO ADD MORE ENFORCEMENT. AND WE'VE DONE THAT PROACTIVELY AND HAVEN'T SEEN THAT REVENUE OFFSET. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT GENERAL FUND USE, THOSE. WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT JUST YET. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAME IN WITH A, YOU KNOW, NET ZERO GENERAL FUND AS WE WERE DIRECTED. AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE NO MONEY. UM, AND SO IF MONEY STARTS COMING IN, THEN WE HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THAT. SO, BUT WE REALIZE THOSE MONIES AFTER A LIEN HEARING FOR THE MOST PART. ARE WE, ARE WE TALKING FINES ALSO? JUST IF THEY JUST PAY A FINE? I MEAN, OR ARE WE TALKING A LIEN HEARING? BECAUSE AGAIN, I EXPLAINED THAT EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE DROPPED THE BALL ON THE LIEN HEARINGS UNTIL JUST RECENTLY. BUT ISN'T THAT HOW WE REALIZE MOST OF THE MONEY, THROUGH A LIEN HEARING? MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN I, CAN I HELP WITH SOMETHING HERE? SO ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS, YES, YOU HAVE FINES, AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY PAID WHEN THEY'RE PAID, RIGHT? AND THEN IF THEY'RE NOT PAID, THEY CAN BECOME LIENS. THEN YOU HAVE ABATEMENT COSTS THAT ACTUALLY BECOME ASSESSMENTS. AND SO WHEN THESE PROPERTIES GO TAX SALE. YOU'RE TYPICALLY YOUR LIENS AND YOUR ASSESSMENTS, THAT'S WHEN THEY COME, IS FROM TAX SALES. RIGHT NOW THAT'S ON A 5-YEAR CYCLE. SO IF YOU IMPROVE YOUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THE RETURNS FROM THAT TYPICALLY UNTIL 5 YEARS. THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT LIENS THAT YOU CAN SHORTEN THAT TO 3 YEARS, AND, AND WE'RE WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION. OKAY. AND AS FAR AS THE FINES GO, I MEAN, IF, IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, SEE SOMEBODY, WHATEVER, LIVING IN A CAMP TRAILER, I MEAN, WE DON'T JUST FIND THEM ON THE SPOT THERE. WE USUALLY GIVE THEM A WARNING, TELL THEM THEY NEED TO SO TYPICALLY THEY'RE AND SEAN ALLUDED TO IT THEIR PROCESS IS TO TRY TO GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, UH, WITH MULTIPLE VISITS BEFORE THEY MOVE INTO THE FINDING PROCESS, RIGHT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I JUST ASKED AARON, CAN I SEE A CLARIFYING QUESTION? BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE STATUS QUO BUDGET. IT LOOKS LIKE, AT LEAST IN THE CHART, THAT WAS SHARED THAT THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO GO DOWN $172,000 FROM WHAT THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION WAS THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. YEAH, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION, I LOOK AT, AT EACH BUDGET UNIT, AND THE BUDGET UNIT THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING REDUCED IS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND A PORTION OF THAT WAS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET TO START WITH, AND THE REMAINDER THAT WAS REDUCED WAS A REQUEST FOR A RECLASSIFICATION ESSENTIALLY OF POSITIONS THAT THEY HAD EXISTING THAT WE DECLINED JUST AS A PRINCIPLE. WE DON'T GENERALLY DO LIKE WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE A POSITION FROM JUST A REGULAR POSITION TO A 1-2 TO GIVE PEOPLE RAISES FOR DOING THE SAME JOB THAT THEY ARE DOING. WE TRY TO KEEP THAT PRINCIPLE KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD. SO THAT REDUCTION WAS REALLY IN THE 402 BUDGET. BUDGETS REQUESTED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. NOT TO SAY THAT THERE COULDN'T BE A BALANCE, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, WE LOOK AT EACH BUDGET UNIT AND HOW IT WAS REQUESTED LAST YEAR, NOT EVERY BUDGET UNIT THE DEPARTMENT IS IN CHARGE OF. AND THE IT SOUNDS LIKE THOSE FURTHER REDUCTIONS WERE MORE OF A REJECTION ON THE BASIS OF THE VIRTUE OF THAT PARTICULAR ASK VERSUS THE, THE BALANCING OF IT. SO THEORETICALLY, IF, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF WE ARE SHOOTING TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO, THERE COULD BE ROOM TO ADD, BASED ON THE REJECTION OF THOSE REQUESTS, THERE COULD BE ROOM TO ADD THAT $172, WHICH I REALIZE DOESN'T HELP THE OVERALL PICTURE OF THE FINANCES, BUT IN TERMS OF IF THE GOAL WAS TO MAINTAIN A STATUS QUO BUDGET, WE COULD THEORETICALLY FIND PLACES TO ADD THAT $172 BACK. WE COULD. AND IT WOULD JUST AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE GENERAL FUND. REALLY WAS WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. AND CERTAINLY, I MEAN, WE ARE ALL HERE SO THAT THE BOARD CAN MAKE DECISIONS. WE JUST MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON KIND OF SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES. THANK YOU. MR. REZULON. THANK YOU. A COUPLE POINTS TO CLARIFY, SHAWN. THE TOT ENFORCEMENT WOULD NOT OCCUPY THE FULL-TIME OF ONE POSITION. AND I, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBERS, BUT I THINK I'VE BEEN TOLD SOMETHING LIKE MAYBE 40% OF THAT POSITION COULD BE ALLOCATED. THEY WOULD STILL BE FREED UP 60%. YEAH, I WOULDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE A FULL-TIME, UH, UH, OKAY. AND I, AND I THINK, I THINK AN IMPORTANT POINT TO NOTE ALSO IS IF WE CUT DOWN THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET AS MANY THINGS TO AND WE CUT DOWN THE FUNDING FOR THE HEARINGS THEMSELVES, HOWEVER THAT ENDS UP LOOKING, THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET AS MANY CASES THROUGH THE ABATEMENT PROCESS TO RESULT IN FINES AND ASSESSMENTS. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE COST RECOVERY DOWN THE ROAD. IS THAT A FAIR [05:15:01] STATEMENT? I BELIEVE SO. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE TYING OUR HANDS FOR OPPORTUNITY. OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOVER COSTS AS, AS DIRECTED. OKAY. AND, AND I'LL JUST SAY, I'LL SHARE THIS WITH THE BOARD. UM, SOMETIMES IT'S AND AARON, PLUG YOUR EARS PLEASE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST 100% ABOUT COST RECOVERY. WE PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND MAYBE IT'S A NET LOSING FACTOR WHEN, WHEN IT'S A GENERAL FUND DRAW. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES HERE. AND I BELIEVE THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS A HUGE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. IT'S THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT I GET. SO I'LL LEAVE THE DISCUSSION FOR ON THIS FOR TOMORROW. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD ENTIRELY EXPECT CODE TO GENERATE DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR RECOVERY AND REIMBURSEMENT. BECAUSE THERE IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, AND SOMETIMES THE GENERAL FUND HAS TO PAY FOR THAT QUALITY OF LIFE. SO, LONG WAY OF SAYING THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON THE POSITION THAT WE CAN INCREASE TOT EFFICIENCY AND COLLECTIONS. AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE, ERIN, WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE BEING REGISTERED IS NOT THE SAME AS REVENUE COLLECTION. AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, THEY DON'T TAKE THE STEP TO REGISTER, BUT THEY'RE STILL PAYING THEIR NIGHTLY TOT TAXES. AND I AND, AND SO IT'S, IT'S HARD, HARD TO REALLY SORT THROUGH THE WEEDS HERE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WOULD GET. AND IF YOU, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THAT TO US THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL RECOVERY WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT. I MET WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR LAST WEEK, AND, UH, WE HAD REQUESTED UPDATED INFORMATION. THE LATEST INFORMATION WE HAD WAS BACK FROM 2018, AND I WAS HOPING TO HAVE IT BEFORE TODAY'S MEETING, AND I JUST I WASN'T ABLE IT WASN'T PROVIDED. SO, OKAY, THAT WOULD HAVE AT LEAST GIVEN ME A TOTAL OF WHAT'S COLLECTED FOR, UH, VACATION HOME, UH, RENTALS. I JUST I APOLOGIZE, I JUST NO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S COOL. YOU GOT A LOT, A LOT ON YOUR MIND. OKAY, UM, THE, THE ALL I WAS GOING TO SAY IS BASED OFF OF WHAT YOU HAD SAID, THE VERY NICE THING ABOUT CODE ENFORCEMENT, UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY, IS, IS THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER COST. IT JUST DOESN'T ISN'T ALWAYS REALIZED IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE FOR THE LATEST, UH, UM, UH, ACCOUNT, UH, IS THAT WE COLLECTED APPROXIMATELY $240,000, I THINK, THIS YEAR IN NUISANCE ABATEMENT RECOVERY COST. I, I DON'T SPECIFICALLY KNOW WHEN THOSE WERE ASSESSED OR PLACED ON THE PROPERTY, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT IT FLUCTUATES WHERE AT THE TIME OF BUDGET PREPARATION IT WAS MUCH LOWER, AND NOW WE'RE AT, YOU KNOW, LIKE $240,000 I BELIEVE IS WHAT IT IS IN TOTAL, RIGHT? AND PROPERTIES, PROPERTIES THEMSELVES HAVE RESTRICTIONS. SO I JUST LEARNED THAT MY SYLVIA LANE ABATEMENT, UM, AND I KNOW IT WAS ZONED COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL, I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'LL SELL FOR $160,000. THAT'S A VALUABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT I'M BEING TOLD NOW THAT IT'S KIND OF THERE'S SOME KIND OF RESTRICTION ON IT AND IT WON'T EVER HIT THE ROLLS TO RECOVER THE COSTS. AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. TO BE DETERMINED. BUT I'M NOT SURE ON THE DETAILS ON THAT, BUT THE BUT I WOULD JUST FINISH UP BY SAYING THAT, UH, WHAT, UM, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO WORK TOWARDS THAT SAME COMMON GOAL OF HAVING EFFICIENT CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR TO TRY TO GET PROPERTIES THAT ARE DEFAULT TO GET THEM SOLD. WE'RE WORKING WITH COUNTY COUNCIL TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT ON OUR PROGRAM AND LOOK FOR OTHER WAYS. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IS WE'RE, WE'RE ALL MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP MY PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVEMENT CONTINUE, THAT PROGRESS CONTINUE. AND I WOULD TOO. THANK YOU. CEO RICKERT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE URGED SEAN TO GO FORWARD AND BRING THIS TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION, BECAUSE IT INVOLVES MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, IT INVOLVES LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THIS TO BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION SO YOU COULD WEIGH IN, BECAUSE WE KNOW, AT LEAST WITH SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS A KEY INTEREST YOU HAVE. AND IT'S A BALANCING ACT BECAUSE WE COULD REALLY BEEF UP CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE DIRECTION THE BOARD WANTS. SO WE WANTED THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD AND PROVIDE US DIRECTIONS SO WE CAN BETTER SERVE NOT ONLY THE BOARD BUT OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, CEO RICKERT. BRING US HOME, SUPERVISOR CRAIG. YEAH, SEAN, I JUST WANT TO SAY, LIKE, AND I'M NOT FRUSTRATED WITH YOU, I'M FRUSTRATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THIS TAKES. AND I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR LONG ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE COMMUNITY. THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU AS A DEPARTMENT HAVEN'T DELIVERED. I MEAN, SINCE YOU CAME IN AND SUPERVISOR KELSER AND I, ALONG WITH THE BOARD AT THAT TIME GOT ALL KINDS OF FLACK FOR BRINGING YOU IN. YOU DID EXACTLY WHAT WE KNEW YOU COULD DO. YOU COULD YOU BROUGHT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY APPROACH TO THE GOD-AWFUL LAST OUNCE OF KETCHUP IN A BOTTLE PACE [05:20:03] OF NORMAL GOVERNMENT, AND YOU'VE DELIVERED. I MEAN, I THINK YOU MADE A GREAT PRESENTATION. I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOUR ASKS. I AGREE WITH SUPERVISOR LONG. I MEAN, BLIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY RECOVER THAT MONEY ENTIRELY. BUT WHAT IF WE DON'T DO SOME OF THAT STUFF AND YOU'RE ONLY ASKING FOR MARGINAL AMOUNTS? WHEN OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS COME IN AND ASK FOR THINGS, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO STACK THEIR NUMBERS UP NEXT TO YOURS. AND I KNOW SUPERVISOR NOT SUPERVISOR COUNCILOR LARMOR, WITH HIS EXPERIENCE IN CODE ENFORCEMENT IN OTHER COUNTIES, WHEN HE BROUGHT THIS, THE SHERIFF AND I, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I MEAN, YOU'VE HIT THE GAS AND GONE. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, BRING US HOME, CHAIRMAN. I SEE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, SEAN, AND THANK YOU, MS. BERTAINE, TOO, AND YOUR WHOLE TEAM. AND WE WILL RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.