Thread by @AndyHS

Down at Board of Supervisors October 8,2019! Among the items are 2% pay raises for CAO and other department heads;Release of Claims with The Dow Chemical Company and Shell Oil Company to settle the County’s claim related to 1,2,3-Trichloropropane groundwater; hiring lawyers for

General Plan/ Zoning Ordinance; Industrial Hemp Registration; Adjourn in memories of Clovis PD Officer Dan Sullivan; long time Employee Paul Freeburg and Sheriff Mounted Patrol horse “Fig”. Please “Heart” if you like these reports. Forgive any typos or mistakes!

Among the items on CONSENT CALENDAR: Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a specialized legal services Agreement with Best, Best and Krieger, LLP in connection with the County of Fresno’s comprehensive review of its General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, and the associated

environmental review, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year term and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $300,000; Retroactive Cooperative Agreement for the Industrial Hemp Cultivation Program & Registration;

Approve and authorize Chairman to execute a Settlement Agreement and Release of Claims with The Dow Chemical Company and Shell Oil Company to settle the County’s claim related to 1,2,3-Trichloropropane groundwater contamination by payment of $2,000,000 to the County for the

credit of County Service Area No. 14; Invocation by Mike Harris from Legion of Valor. Has history as police Officer and reserve officer. Brotherhood of the Badge that shipped ballistic gear to Iraqi Law Enforcement. Now involved in Veterans Museum. Motorcycle ride fundraiser

this Saturday for Flight of Valor. Presentation of Retirement Plaque to Tammy L. Edgell - Department of Social Services after 27 Years
of Service. Expert in Medical services. She says she was a drop out and single mother. She got a job and education thru Welfare to Work.

Proclaim the month of October 2019 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Fresno County by Supervisor Magisg. His grandmother suffered from the disease. Jenny Thompson from County Wellness says early detection is key. Today is Pink Day. Susan G Komen Jenna was diagnosed at age 28

Felt she needed to join the board to impact the community. Access to care is important. Walk this Saturday at Fresno State.

Consider and take action on request from the State Department of Finance by choosing one of the following three options: authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector to provide a $30,000 loan to the Mendota Designated Local Authority for the 2020 calendar year

for staff costs, as requested by the State Department of Finance; or, direct staff to prepare a resolution of the Board electing to have the County serve permanently as the successor agency of the former Mendota Redevelopment Agency and return to the Board with the proposed

resolution for approval, as alternatively proposed by the State Department of Finance; or, reject both options presented by the State Department of Finance and take no action. Oscar Garcia says Mendota elected not to be a successor agency of the former RDA. In 1st County would

not get paid back for many years as it would be subordinate to defaulted loans. 20-30 years to pay it back. Estimated $900,000 over that time from County. @LincolnSeward Magisg asks why they are choosing to stop paying now? Staff: Volunteer boards sitting since 2012. No staff

was provided by State when RDA was eliminated. They could barely pay debts as it was. Nothing in law that says these boards cannot fail and dissolve. Benefits to local government: debts could be paid off by 2024 and tax increments would then flow back to schools, Library etc.

If in default and goes into court wouldn’t the schools and libraries get paid then? asks @LincolnSeward Magisg. A: Yes but there will be lawyer fees etc also. CAO Rousseau asks if City of Mendota been approached? A: yes and has been walked thru facts. Mendota staff says City did

receive letter. City does pay $10,000 a year and perhaps that could be applied to $30,000. “City was rated worse in Country so we are strapped for resources”. @stevebrandau suggests the No Action choice. Supervisor Pacheco also thinks that is best. City made this decision and

need to pay it off. The State made the decision to dissolve and this is result. Passes 5-0. Next: Approval of the first recommended action will add one Senior District Attorney Investigator position to the Waste Tire Program in the District Attorney-Grants Adopted Budget for FY

2019-20. The new position will augment inspection, investigation and enforcement activities related to the Environmental Health Division of the Department of Public Health. This item is countywide. Approved 5-0 with little discussion. Item 10 regarding water contract in Millerton

Motion passes. Next: 2. Approve adjustments (2%)to the salaries of the County Administrative Officer, Assistant County
Administrative Officers, and appointed Department Heads, effective October 7, 2019. Quintero asks why the two Assistant CAO are lumped in this? HR says state

rule states that it has to be in an open public venue like this. Quintero is concerned these two Assistant CAOs are paid more than some of our Department Heads and nearly as much as four other Heads. Quintero would like to see the study he requested last year. Makes motion but

withdrawing the two Assistants. No Second so it dies. SEIU Members wonder why 2% raises given to these County staff members that are already making six figures. What about us In Home Care Workers? Are voices are unheard. “This means you Buddy Mendes. You don’t represent the

community. Lack of investment in this program shows. Thank you. “. Head of SEIU “knows the County Heads are talented and need to be paid to retain them. The lowest workers are also in need. Any increase in health care hurts them. Need to be respected despite restraints the County

has. Thank you. “ CAO Jean Rousseau says we try to be fair but issues are complicated. We try to increase wages and benefits to compete with our neighbors. Other midlevel managers and assistants got a 2 % raise too. We chose to match that raise as well. Merced Assistant makes

more than any department head. These raises is consistent. We have 3-4 Department Heads that are being courted by other counties. SEIU In Hone Care Workers do a good job but they are not funded from General Fund like we are talking about today.” @BuddySupervisor makes Motion to

approve. @stevebrandau asks HR rep Paul about study? Senior Staff was studied excluding Department Heads. Internal Equities studied? Hard to tell if Department Heads from other counties have similar roles than our Heads. Assistant CAO get auto benefit. Otherwise they don’t get

other benefits the others didn’t get. Passes 4-0-1 with Quintero abstaining. Next : Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
Probation Department Salary Resolution Amendment

Helps reduce population in County Jail. Try to use GPS, employment , treatment and housing. SB 10 was signed by Governor Brown but enough signatures came to put it on 2020 Ballot to overturn. Magsig: how many homeless are on probation? A: they are a challenge to track. SB 10

would eliminate Cash Bail and increases the work of probation department. SEIU Rep: not everyone needs to be behind bars and SB 10 helps. Haynes: benefit from Pre-trial is immense. Mike Elliot: this is a priority of the Governor. We are getting ahead of the game with this.

Approved 5-0. Next: Conduct first hearing to amend the Fresno County Master Schedule of Fees, Charges and Recovered Costs Ordinance by amending Subsection 2609 of Section 2600 - Sheriff; This will keep Deputies salaries the same. Approved 5-0

Supervisors Reports. Magisg says Pacheco’s Brown Swiss cows were determined the best in USA . A heifer was named a Junior champion. Magisg says Pacheco has photos of both his family and his Brown Swiss cows in his wallet. @BuddySupervisor says Caruthers Fair is one of safest.

One of his granddaughters one an award.@stevebrandau Today in Modesto Transportation CTC is examining gas Tax projects. Widening 99 between Avenue 7 and Ave 12 has been removed and placed in rail project. Modesto is Far away from these projects. Wooukd like this meeting in the

area since it is close to these projects so citizens can attend easier. Can we send a letter requesting it happen in Fresno? Magisg: State of the County speech highlighted County Employees. Big Fresno Fair runs thru the 14th. Met with Japanese Counsel General. Trading of almonds

etc is a big deal for County. Unscheduled Public Comment: SEIU Workers “Thanks Supervisors for negotiating with us. Jokes it will keep her out of jail (she was one of those who got arrested during protest a few weeks ago with Dolores Huerta). She had breast cancer in past. Makes

her worry about what will happen to her daughter if something happens to her. “ next: widow of Iraqi Freedom soldier. Two of her sons in Army. They often have to help her with finances. We health workers need more pay. Supervisors get decent wages. Why not us? “ Next: wants to be

paid for work she has already done due to share of costs. She can’t be in union because she has no pay to have it deducted from” Next: Union provides translation for these meetings. Today: One of the security guards kicked the translator out for speaking too loud. We need to make

these meetings more accessible. thank you”. Next: “while we are waiting to negotiate people are dying. Law says County needs to provide translators.” Ends Public Comment period. Going to Closed Session. NEXT MEETINGS:
October 22, 2019 - 9:00 AM November 5, 2019 - 9:00 AM

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