Thread by @AndyHS

Board of Supervisors meeting March 12, 2019! Among the items is a proposal to switch to the Voters Choice Act: less expensive and more days to vote but will take education of voters to get used to doing. 64% of Fresno County voters currently vote by mail so the remaining will

need to be informed.

Pastor Stewart Jones of Caruthers Nazarene Church with the invocation. @BuddySupervisor says agenda item on Southeast Asian Groundwater wasn’t vetted correctly. Should’ve have gone thru Public
Adopt Proclamation recognizing March 10 – 16, 2019 as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Week and

and proclaim March 30, 2019, as Walk MS Day in Fresno County.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects over 800 citizens and their families in Fresno County and nearly one million in the United States. Multiple Sclerosis is a unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous

that interrupts the flow of information within the brain. and between the brain and body
March 10 - 16, 2019, has been designated as Multiple Sclerosis Week, with a Walk MS event scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2019, at Woodward Park in Fresno, California; @BuddySupervisor had

an aunt who suffered with MS in the 1950’s when medications were not as good as today.

Supervisor Pacheco Proclaims March 10-16, 2019 as AmeriCorps Week in Fresno County. Lighthouse for Children group helps support thru AmeriCorps

5. Proclaim March 17 through 23, 2019 as National Safe Place Week in Fresno County
W
Fresno EOC’s Sanctuary Youth Shelter is an emergency shelter for runaway, homeless or at-risk youth ages 12-18. The Sanctuary Youth Shelter is the only self-referral emergency shelter within a

15,000 square mile radius and is open 24 hours-a- day, 7 days a week with emergency assistance to approximately 300 youth annually; a
In California, nearly 300,000 youth up to age 18 experience homelessness. of Fresno reports approximately 350 missing persons/runaway cases of

per month while the Department of Justice reports in 2017, 4,030 children were reported as missing in Fresno County. There are approximately 4,848 children homeless or at-risk of homelessness attending school in the County of Fresno. A former homeless youth speaks on his

experience and being saved. He plans on attending Stanford in Computer Science.

1. Receive presentation on Southeast Asian Groundwater and Sustainability Advocacy and Outreach
Program
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was passed in 2014. This gave an opportunity for the local agencies to form a Groundwater Sustainable Agency (GSA). By 2020

plan would be layout and implemented; by 2040, each region is to reach a groundwater sustainability level. If the local agencies are not successful, then the state will come and take over the process. “Over 99% of all the SEA farmers we spoke to have not heard or is aware of SGMA

It is predicted that over one-million acres will be fallowed once the new plan is implemented”. The questions posed, “what can we do to mitigate the negative impact on our local small SEA farmers?” Many of our SEA small farmers live in the city sphere but may farm in the County

. In addition, most of the SEA small farmers are leasing, not landowner Some are elderly, with little-to-no schooling, and rely solely on their farm to feed their family; and to send their children to college. “ Former Fresno City Councilman Blong Xiong with the Presentation

Provide direction to the County Clerk to: Option 1: Implement the Voter’s Choice Act Model; or Option 2: Continue with the current precinct model and take the steps to acquire the necessary equipment to continue using this model, and consider an additional service to the precinct

model adding three satellite election offices. VCA will allow easier voter registration ,being open on weekends leading up to election, 30 drop off boxes which can save postage costs/ mail delays. The five counties that used this model in 2018 will continue in 2020. Los Angeles

will do so in 2020. County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Brandi Orth recommends transitioning to the VCA model. The current voting machines need to be replaced either way. VCA will use less machines with $1.6 million savings. State and Federal funds can be used to purchase new ones.

@LincolnSeward Magsig asks if Brandi Orth can get VCA up and running by March 2020. She does. She also says the almost complete lack of provisional ballots with VCA will save lots of staff costs. Quicker voter results at 8:05 pm than with current model. Going to public comments.

Public asks for assurance that adequate resources are provided to educate voters if VCA is used. Counties that used VCA in 2018 costs for education is due soon. Secretary of State hopes to have funding for the education of voters like it did in 2018. 37% in Latino voting with

VCA model v counties who did not use it. Another says some feel County is short changing working voters if they go to VCA who can’t drive to fewer voter centers. “More regulations to buy Sudafed than to vote. Those who pay the bulk of taxes in North Fresno did not have a info-

-mational education on VCA in their region hurting republicans.” Next public says all ballot machines can be hacked. Diebold,Sequoia etc machines are hackable. Will VCA machines be owned by foreign companies? Is there a paper trail? Vote no” Disability advocate says VCA in Madera

says distance between voter centers with VCA is difficult but the ease to vote at the voting centers of VCA is more important for those with disabilities. A larger increase in voter participation with VCA. “ Another VCA opponent says the electronic machine is hard for Seniors.

Another feels current voting machines are adequate. ( despite parts being hard to find as they are so old) another thought the informational meetings were poorly advertised. The learning curve will be hard for low income and those electronically phobic. Doesn’t want people to

forced to vote by mail or drive longer distances. “. Chuck Krugman (blond) has concerns either way as he has to use blind readers to vote by mail and is a cost to him. Also having to take public transit. Advantages to early voting and getting people participating in voting.

Howard Watkins says less than half of citizens who could’ve voted did not and 2018 wasn’t a poorly advertised election. Anything that gets people to vote is important. Harvesting votes need to have a paper trail too. He was surprised those at Senior Center would be opposed.

Voters can correct mistakes they made before depositing ballots. Public would like pre-stamped ballots if voting by mail. Staff will be better trained with the VCA model as they will be getting more hours and an hourly wage. League of Women Voters rep says VCA is a paper based

model and the League would step up to help in any way to help educate voters with VCA. Another person was concerned about how Registrar knows who is actually voting ? Closing with Public Comments. Supervisors will have their comments now. Pacheco asks about postage ? Current law

now requires County to pay postage. He likes lack of provisional ballots. He had requested a side by side comparison. (It is provided by Orth) and saves $15,000 if special election for District 2 that just occurred. Orth says more days for staff and more nailed ballots is needed

for VCA. Pacheco thinks for those in rural voters may be cumbersome even though they may have more days to vote. What is value of Voting Centers? Orth says if Ballot spoiled or torn , not registered , allows more flexibility Pacheco asks how hard is it to vote by mail? What

about those who want to go into voting booth? Is it worth the 2% in extra voters? He is in favor of we postponing to 2021 election to educate voters better. Pacheco thinks current machines are adequate for another election. @LincolnSeward says we have to buy new machines by next

election so we can’t wait until 2022 to buy machines. @BuddySupervisor says State is famous for “clean up” but adding more items at the same time. Mendes says people forget that 1776 1/3 of voters didn’t care to vote either so nothing has changed that way. Mendes says if people

vote in person the County saves 60 cents by not having to be mailed. Mendes says people wait to turn in ballots until last day as it is. Mendes likes to vote in person. He remembers voting for Reagan for Governor! Supervisor Quintero says VCA is going to happen anyway. Senior

Center has a voting booth. Will this be effected? Orth says siting if Voting Centers is important. The committee is important in deciding where they are located. Perhaps Senior Center can keep that site but may be open 3-10 days rather than one. All have to be ADA compliant.

Quintero says it sounds like VCA will happen anyway. @LincolnSeward asks about voter education. Do we have to send two postcards to each voter just this first VCA election? Or will it have to be every election? Orth says State says it will be every election at least until voters

become more used to the VCA model. Magsig says State May require VCA to all 58 counties eventually and if we have already bought new equipment for current model. @BuddySupervisor says precincts have already been combined so many of those combined centers will most likely be a

choice for a Voting Center anyway. Orth says VCA wants these centers to be close to where people shop etc and so it makes sense to be in the same location anyway. @LincolnSeward wonders about those in mountains ? Mendota? Will each of those communities get a Voting Center ? Orth

says Shaver and Hume Lake voters vote by mail currently. New machines have to meet higher requirements. Only 3 vendors meet those ( one Los Angeles developed). She says machines are under lock and key. On Election Day they are surrounded by staff. Data side can be hacked. Diff-

erent than Machine. Orth says she needs internet connectivity so it can connect to Downtown so they can tell if someone has not previously voted somewhere else. It is still a paper ballot. That won’t change. Security is very important to Orth. Magsig makes motion to approve. No

second from Pacheco or Mendes. Magsig says State will go Forward anyway with VCA and we will be stuck with new machines that are unusable in a few years. Magisg makes motion. Mendes @BuddySupervisor votes yes with Pacheco voting NO passes 3-1 to go with VCA

Social Services proposing Substantial Amendments. No public comments were received. Passs 4-0. On to Supervisors Reports: Quintero adjourn in Carlos Torres of Lowell Jefferson who had Torres Accounting Services. Fought in Battle of the Bulge. Passed away in his 90’s.

@BuddySupervisor flood release started on the Kings River. Will be used for recharge. Delta has 4% of its water is being pumped. Rest goes to ocean. Pacheco wished to one day to be as eloquent as Magsig. Magisg says SJ River Conservancy has gone a different direction to River

View Dr. He will happily pass on his role to @stevebrandau when he is sworn in on Supervisors. Magisg says he and Mendes went to DC and met with Senator Feinstein and our Congresspersons. Spoke on tree mortality among other items. Appears there won’t be a runoff in District 2

He also congratulates Clovis Council incumbents who won. Mendes adds four to Commissions/Boards. Magsig adds two. Going to Publoc Comments. SEIU Member speaks on wage increase. Recession hit Fresno hard. Depression, diabetes etc hit her family. She had to take care of them. She

developed a heart to take care of those in poor medical shape. She takes care of two clients. She would like more wages for the largest part of County’s services by taking care of elderly and others that are sick. Squaw Valley resident doesn’t want Dollar General because they

says County’s largest sector needs a wage increase to adequately take care of the elderly. Squaw Valley resident is against Dollar General store that targets rural regions driving out local stores who will take a 40% reduction in sales. Another says it will bring fast food as

well to their mountain community. Petitions are beginning although permit has already happened. At least make store look rustic?? Another says it is mostly a snack store where we need a grocery store. Most citizens had no idea it was being built. Dollar General is a “ghetto type”

store and this is what passerbys will Be see as they drive by. Another public says local businesses should be honored and promoted. SEIU Representative finishes up previous SEIU comments who ran out of time. Going to Closed Session now. .

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