Thread by @AndyHS

Fresno County Board of Supervisors August 17, 2020 ! Second look at limiting the campaign contributions to $30,000 (down from unlimited but up from state law $3000); CARES Act dollars for farmworkers housing retention as well as grants for minority female owned small businesses;

policy changes regarding Encroachments on County Right of Way; CONSENT CALENDAR
18. Adjourn in Memory of John "Jack" Woolf, a 102 year old Fresno County farming pioneer who played a major role in development of farming on the west side of the Valley and was founder of Woolf Farms

*19. Adjourn in Memory of Manjit Singh who sacrificed his life on the Kings River to save three children from drowning

20. *Adjourn in Memory of Nicolas Frank Pantaleo, local business entrepreneur Attachments: Certificate

21. *Adjourn in Memory of Peter Hanoian III (Junior), local business owner. Full disclosure: I played Babe Ruth Baseball for Hanoian’s Market back in early 80’s.

28 Second hearing to proposed Amendment to Campaign Contribution Limits Ordinance In 2019, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 571 which provided that the limit on contributions to candidates for local governmental offices would be the same as those set for

state-wide office in California Government Code § 83501 unless the governing body of the local government set different limits on campaign contributions prior to January 1, 2021 pursuant to the authority granted in Government Code § 85702.5. The state-wide limit contained in

in Government Code § 85301 is three thousand dollars ($3,000) per election cycle. There are some exceptions to the state-wide limit for certain donors such as “small contributor committees” or “political party committees.” The proposed County Ordinance amendment would set the

contribution limit for candidates for County elected officers to thirty thousand ($30,000) for individuals and all types of entities.

37 Adopt Resolution accepting and expressing gratitude for a monetary donation of $500,000 from CalViva Health to the County of Fresno, Department of Public Health to support COVID19 activities aimed at outreach and promoting access to testing in underserved communities.

38

*HOME Agreement with Habitat for Humanity Fresno, Inc. for the Country Meadows II Project in the unincorporated community of Riverdale, California

**Board Agenda Item 39

Amendment of the Fresno County Ordinance Code to Modify the Chapter on Speed Limits

Board Agenda Item 42

Request by City of Fresno to Obtain Water Line and Road EasementsApprove City of Fresno’s request to acquire a water line easement and a public road easement on a parcel of land owned by County of Fresno at the University Medical Center

campus and intersection of E. Kings Canyon Road and S. Chance Avenue, as needed for a preexisting City water line and road;

You can watch today's 9 AM meeting Live at fresnocounty.granicus.com/player/event/7…

Meeting getting close to beginning

Meeting begins at 9:02 and Pledge of Allegiance and then Invocation (reverse of usual order). Item 4 was deleted. Sal Quintero attending via phone. @stevebrandau pulls items #25 and 46 from consent.
3.0 *Presentation of Retirement Plaque to Della Damian - Department of Social

Services - 20 Years of
Service. Worked for Red Cross and transitional housing and lead in Count in time efforts. She hopes she made a difference for Homelsess.

Item #25 Brandau wants to know what has happened with Mental Health Systems and this program regarding permanent housing. 25 units with RH Properties. Have expanded to 75 units but it became apparent that it wasn’t sustainable. Pandemic furthered the issue. This was scattered

Housing around the area. Just morphed. Brandau makes motion to approve. #46 Rehab a hotel into permanent housing. Brandau says Councilmember @esparza_nelson would like to speak on it. Uses both CARES and State dollars. Staff: we wanted to secure the dollars as a placeholder with

8 other counties. If approved it will come back to this board. This is old Smugglers Inn on Blackstone. Magisg: were City Councilmembers notified of this? Staff: with Housing Authority and listed potential locations which included Smugglers Inn. City would support Parkway and

County would support Snugglers in. That location would vett prospective families to move in. Magisg: we didn’t hide the ball with City? Brandau: Governor allows City and County to convert to housing. Only allowed a month to find a seller and come up with plan. More willing hotel

sellers due to pandemic. @esparza_nelson H Spees was main representative at City but he represented Mayor’s Office and not councilmembers. Esparza has concerns about lack of transparency at this smugglers location. Businesses, adjoining school nor neighbors notified. There is

a robust redevelopment along Blackstone as well as PBID. Directly across the street is Manchester and Fort Miller Middle School. Poverty readjusting from spread of city’s Development over the year. The rush prevented normal notification of businesses and residents. Please re-

consider and pull the item for this meeting. @MayorLeeBrand agrees to pull the project. City does agree with Parkway. @LincolnSeward Magsig asks about what community engagement with Parkway project? Esparza: that wasn’t in my district so I don’t know. Magsig: same process was

used for both but he agrees more outreach is needed. He does like Esparza is here this morning. Esparza: leaves paperwork that shows distinction between Smugglers and Parkway projects. Quintero: middle school will be impacted and number of police calls to that area is already

high. FIRM also has Better Blackstone project and he doesn’t know if they have been consulted. Revitalization of Manchester Center too. Staff: have tried to be good partners with city. Need to keep ball rolling at State level. It is a very competitive grant. He feels outreach

was adequate and he hopes both projects would be funded. Over 100 applicants now. Smugglers is closest to “turnkey”. Brandau: Supervisors are just accepting this today but we could vote it down at second step of the process. Housing Authority’s Preston Prince says we support

this and opportunity to fund two projects. Good neighbor outreach is needed. @PressedTinP Magisg: $79,000 a door to build this seems a very good deal compared to building new. Tax credits require expenses like Green elements that this doesn’t need that. Magsig: I would like to

move forward and still have opportunity to end it. Pacheco: Esparza is not in support. @esparza_nelson Esparza: my understanding has evolved from what I had first heard about this project. I am still uncomfortable. Resident input may ease my concern. He has represented the area

since 2017. Pacheco:can we move it forward today and vote against it later ? If you are strongly opposed I am in favor of ending it now. Esparza: once it is awarded it may be hard for Supervisors to say No when it is granted. I don’t know if my thoughts will change once residence

input is heard. Approved 3-2 with Pacheco and Quintero voting NO.

****5.0 Review, Discuss, and Provide Direction Regarding Proposals and Possible Contracts for CARES Act Initiatives Review, discuss, and provide direction to staff regarding a proposal and possible contract with Centro La Familia for a housing retention program with an emphasis

on essential agriculture workers, total not to exceed $250,000. 1.
2. Review, discuss, and provide direction to staff regarding a proposal and possible contract with the Fresno-Area Hispanic Foundation for grants for small businesses with an emphasis on minority and women owned

small businesses, total not to exceed $250,000. Pacheco : City proposed $5 milion for similar item recently. $250,000 is too low but it is a good starting point. $1 million is goal. We have been criticized for not spending it quick enough. He knows we don’t have near enough money

for our need. Mendes agrees $250,000 is too low.

Fresno Hispanic Foundation Dora Westerlund speaks : 16 years of experience with small businesses. They have been hardest hit by pandemic.Need to bridge gap until they can be fully open. Only 45,000 businesses would be helped with $250,000. City’s $5 million was very helpful.

$1 million from City and targeted to minority businesses where this proposal is technically open to all but will focus on minority businesses. It is a lottery system. Pacheco: we have some constraints that the City doesn’t have but will focus on HUB program. Magisg: concerns

are we have spent $50 million of CARES and we may be out by November. Testing , contact tracing and PPE is our main focus. May want to go into a holding pattern and nothing to do with Frenso Hispanic Foundation. Westerlund: small businesses are our economic engine

Margarita Rocha of Centol la Familia says $140,000 small grants but exhausted it in three weeks. @CentroLaFamilia The County residents were not being helped. Our work is intervention and prevention. We have history of compliance of federal , state and local and we are qualified

We have a Kerman office , highway City and reach rural residents. We have mobile devices available. I could send $500,000 in three months if available. Essential Ag workers focused: lost job, pandemic effected and resident of County. Pacheco: county island residents were left

out from City’s efforts. Leslie Martinez @LCJandA says this is a good program for our low income rural residents. People are having a tough time paying rent and lack of testing. We need to allocate $5 million to keep families home is worth it for farm workers. Handymen and house

cleaners should also be elegible. @Soypedroh4 Pedro Hernandez who grew up in Riverdale says rural families are calling his mother for resources. His own mother contracted Covid. Statewide policies around eviction is in talks. Once that occurs perhaps Supervisors can revisit this

Kerman City Councilmember Espi Sandoval thanks Pacheco for coming up with solutions. Is there more we can do ? He apologizes for saying Supervisors May be disconnected from rural families at last meeting. Even he is disconnected now that he is in education and not in fields.

Steve Cida of Fresno PACE for low income residents. This will help businesses adversely effected. Seniors don’t have access to Covid dollars. Home delivery of meals, medications , wellness calls etc are being done. These seniors are your constituents as well. PACE is minorty and

women owned business but are left out of these CARES dollars. Mendes cuts his time off. Next: Mendota resident mainly in Spanish. Translation provided : Mendota families need help as they don’t know where to go. Some need to get to dialysis and can’t. Speaking for all families

who can’t get here. Hopefully her supervisor Pacheco can work with other entities to help. Next: Luis Sentana of Reading and Beyond. This project will help. Those in rural county islands need help. Next Maria Cervantes: please come and see what farmworkers and don’t worry if

Supervisors shoes get dirty as you need to see what farmworkers are going thru. Lack of internet is hurting school kids. Pacheco has forgotten of these areas. We supported Jose Ornelas when he ran against Pacheco as he understood. Farmworkers don’t speak English and don’t come

here to speak. Thanks Supervisors for their time. @BuddySupervisor says you wouldn’t have recognized me two hours ago because I looked like a farmworker. @LCJandA rep felt Mendes was rude. Mendes thinks $500,000 is appropriate. Magisg thinks we need to focus on Testing , tracing

and PPE. A billion dollars could be spent and we still wouldn’t effect housing. @stevebrandau last speaker said Pacheco and Mendes doesn’t get what is happening to farmworkers is “the stupidest thing o have heard as a public servant” This County has done tremendous amount for

rural. His philosophy that got him elected that women and minorities should not be separated out. If this was “rural residents” then that it is not separating. It is not that he doesn’t empathizes. I blame government agencies for over reacting to pandemic and caused more issues

This is a money game and there isn’t enough money. I get that Quintero has concerns for county islands. Going forward he will have issues with these type of issues. Quintero: Brandau worries about money dumped on table but we need to “help the least of our brethren”. Pacheco

thanks Brandeau for his comments. You have to have a thick skin. Makes motion to approve $250,000. Approved 3-2 with Brandau and Magisg voting No. on second item he addresses Magisg that we have spent millions on testing , tracing and will spend millions more. If you don’t have

a home to Come home to it doesn’t matter. Pacheco doubles the amount from $250,000 to $500,000 for rural housing retention. Approved 3-2 with Magisg and Brandau voting No.

6.0 Policy on Encroachments in the County Right-of-Way
Approval of the recommended action will memorialize and standardize the methodology and steps the Department of Public Works and Planning ("Department") will take when dealing with encroachments in the County Right-of Way

ROW"). This item is countywide.
The proposed policy document is intended to address encroachments on a countywide basis. The proposed policy document balances the risk of forfeiture by the property owner with public safety and gives the adequate discretion to the Department to

Department resources on the most serious encroachments.
The proposed policy document provides for a seven-step process that ensures property owners know what to expect from the County in the process of: 1. Identifying the encroachment,

2.Determining whether their encroachment

2. poses an obstruction or safety hazard,

3. Determining whether the encroachment can be permitted,

4. Determining whether the encroachment can be licensed,

5. Determining whether the ROW can be vacated,

6. If necessary, removing the encroachment shifting costs of

6. of removal to property owner, and

7. Documenting the steps taken and resolution of the case.

7. Presentation by Public Health, Behavioral Health and Department of Social Services Regarding COVID-19 Response

@BuddySupervisor says this mess was caused by past board of Supervisors. Rural roads were not always in right of way. Approved 5-0

6. CARES Dollars : 21000 cases and 203 deaths. Plasma donations can be used from those that have successfully passed the cycle

In late June there was an uptick in hospitalizations. Has plateaued but not gone down either. Going into winter we need to get these numbers down. Hospitals are still struggling. Dr. says any actions we take will effect numbers about two weeks afterwards. Lag of opening and

Closing will effect two week lag. People still getting together also has a large effect.

ICU beds are full with both Covid and non-Covid patients. We need to reduce that to reopen. Flooding at Public Health Building is being repaired.

Lab should be adequate for next 20-30 years. Contact tracing is focusing on correctional , resident facilities and large employees. Cal Vivia donates $500,000 to help with tracing.

Media tool kit online that can be shared.

Magisg: Reedley and Clovis has similar amounts Covid rates despite different populations. Staff: Zip codes , testing and positive rates are being analyzed. Dr. Went to grape picking areas to meet and see what is being done to help prevent contraction. Bandana that helps transmit

Necessary message to each other as they see it on each fellow worker. Indoor Ag workers are worse off than outdoor Ag workers as are us meeting in this room. Next : public homeless effort we moved to telehealth on a dime and purchase of equipment headphones , laptops etc.

Warmline to help answer emotional health of residents. Social isolation is a real issue. Encouraging people to take breaks and limit media consumption. Telehealth works for seniors but for some residents with large families often have problems with finding a private places.

Increase in mental health since pandemic began. Dip is mainly from lag of claims coming in. Suicide rates has led to uptick in calls as well as rescues of those at high risk. Funding will be effected due to being tied to tax revenue but as economy declines that is when mental

health issues occur. Sonja says number of beds have been added for homeless with near capacity. Selma and Sanger are most popular and allows families.

Shelters are tested for Covid. Telehealth and medical personnel are sent to shelter. State shares the County is dong well and have referred other counties to learn from them. Social services run the beds. City has spent some emergency funding to help.

Of the 1500 clients about 9% have a safe exit. No Safe Like Home will come online this fall and hopefully some can transition then. Community has helped provide units as well as getting PPE. supplies. Two day turnaround for getting clients into hotel beds. Poverello has been

very helpful. Continum of Care has been set up 20 years ago and was essential to this support. @stevebrandau mental impact problems that keep hospitals full include domestic violence and fear. Staff: Decline in referrals to children have occurred possibly due to schools being

Closed where abuse may be detected. People are grieving due to pandemic due to lack of vacations , going out to eat, attending weddings and funerals. Point of time count: HUD pushed deadline to June and should come out next Tuesday. Delfino : serving 450,000 pre pandemic but was

All progress was wiped out in two weeks. Were not prepared for new technology requirements either. $44 million more for Cal Fresh. Courts shut down but made it hard to deal with child welfare operations. We usually exited kids at same rate as they come in but now only accepted.

Families didn’t always get kids released as usual or adoptions completed. We rely on Tax base for funding. Are in talks with state and federal governments still. Proud We have stayed open throughout pandemic. We run 12 programs that are overcapacity in each. CAO Jean Rousseau

Appreciates the team’s work. RH builders have done lots in community and we need more like them. DA moving into new building. Social Services into Pelco. Public : Leslie Martinez @LCJandA this information as helped. Commend staff for their hard work. 51% of cases effect Latinos

And what can we do to reduce that with testing. Some free testing required email address and some rural residents don’t have emails. Rural unincorporated areas are effected. Pacheco: schools have come to the focus. Special Ed students sitting in front of a computer screen and not

always practical. Perhaps a waiver for them to open? Staff : hopefully some small populations can be brought back. Variance process has to get case rate below 200 per 100,000. Dr says exceptions may be made for hot spots where there ar cool spots but it was just an off the cuff

Remark by Governor. Pommervile: small pieces like special needs may be possible to get a waiver. Assessment of special needs has to be done in person. Pacheco: someone needs to push State and special needs to be upfront. Mendes: 3-4 year old age is key time for them to learn to

be bilingual. Unscheduled Public Comments : as a physician he says we are in illegal false emergency order by Newsom saying he can spend money as he pleases. This emergency order expired at end of May. Mendes says he has 30 seconds to finish. “Not going to happen” Mendes ends

his time anyway. Mendes says “he was speaking to the choir”. CLOSED SESSION
16.1 Conference with Real Property Negotiators - Government Code, Section 54957(a); UMC Campus located at the corner of South Cedar Avenue and East Kings Canyon Road, Fresno, CA; County Negotiator: Jean

M. Rousseau or designee. Negotiating Parties: CMG, Inc. Under negotiations: Instructions to County's negotiator may concern sale, lease and escrow terms and conditions including price

NEXT MEETINGS:
September 1, 2020 - 9:00 AM
Budget Hearings September 14 - 18, 2020 September 22, 2020 - 9:00 AM

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