I THINK WE'RE RECORDING, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START.
[00:00:06]
HELLO EVERYONE.[CALL TO ORDER]
DAY TO EVERYONE.MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE, CALL THE ROLL? AND IF I MAY, I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE JOSH HUBER.
SO THANKS, JOSH, FOR [INAUDIBLE].
[PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS ]
HERE. ESPANA.I'M TRYING TO AVOID THE SPREADING OF CONTAGION BY NOT JOINING YOU TODAY AND COUGHING ON YOU.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M JOINING REMOTELY.
I'M ILL. MEMBER IS REFERRING TO AB 2449.
WILLIAMS. 11 MEMBERS PRESENT. GREAT.
THANK YOU, AND SO OUR REGULAR ANNOUNCEMENT, TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT OR PARK DISTRICT INTENDS TO HOLD MEETINGS THROUGH A HYBRID PLATFORM OF IN PERSON AND REMOTE ATTENDANCE TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE VIA REMOTE ATTENDANCE THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT'S VIRTUAL PLATFORM, ZOOM.
THE PARK ADVISORY MEMBERS AND DESIGNATED STAFF WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE PARK DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, 2950 PERALTA OAKS COURT, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND OCCASIONALLY MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY ATTEND REMOTELY PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT, AS AMENDED BY AB 2449.
WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR VICE CHAIR FOR THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNCEDED LANDS OF THE OHLONE PEOPLE, AND THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HUCHIUN TERRITORY, WHICH IS OUR TRADITIONAL, ANCESTRAL AND SHARED HOME.
SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE OHLONE PEOPLE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN RECIPROCITY WITH NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCE FUNDAMENTAL FOR SURVIVAL, AND IMPORTANT TO CULTURAL PRACTICES, ALL WHILE PASSING DOWN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.
WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE THE LAND ITSELF, THE WILDLIFE LIVING IN THESE LANDS, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEWARDED SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY.
THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR ESPANA, AND WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM PAC MEMBER OBRINGER, BUT I NEED TO JUST CONFIRM AGAIN, ARE THERE MEMBERS PRESENT PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY DUE TO AN EMERGENCY THAT WISH TO REQUEST THE BODY'S APPROVAL TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? I KNOW THAT PAC MEMBER OBRINGER HAS ALREADY DESCRIBED THE NATURE OF HER PARTICIPATION.
AND SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE HER REMOTE ATTENDANCE.
[00:05:04]
SO MOVED. SO MOVED.MOVED BY PEOPLES. SECOND BY SKAREDOFF.
MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL? VOTE. SORRY.
PARDON. SAY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE.
COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF OBRINGER REMOTE ATTENDANCE? CLAXTON. YES.
A NICE AND UNANIMOUS MEMBER OBRINGER.
AS REMOTE ATTENDANCE IS APPROVED.
OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR UPDATES TO THOSE MINUTES? SEEING NONE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM LAST TIME AROUND.
SORRY, COULD WE TAKE A VOTE AGAIN FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? CLAXTON. YES.
OBRINGER. I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN, AS I DID NOT ATTEND THE MEETING LAST TIME.
GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYONE.
SO NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE IN PERSON WHO HAS PUBLIC COMMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. DO WE HAVE ANY REMOTE PARTICIPANTS? MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
OOPS. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ROOM, BUT SHE HAS NOT ASKED TO TALK. ONE SECOND.
IS THERE A HAND RAISED? YES. OKAY.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THE MEETING AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF THERE COME.
ANYONE RAISE THEIR HAND FOR AN ACTUAL COMMENT? THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THERE ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THEM OR WE OR WE DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THE MOMENT, IS IT? WE HAVE. SO WE HAVE THREE HANDS RAISED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERING THE TEXT TO ASK IF THEY WERE OKAY.
I WONDER IF THIS IS ENGAGED ON THE SIDE WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY RESPOND.
YEAH. IS IS THERE A COMMENT IN THE TEXT AT THE BOTTOM?
[00:10:02]
MAYBE. IS THERE SOMEONE WHO'S TRYING TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT.IN THE CHAT AT THE BOTTOM, I MEAN.
OKAY. DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, FRANCIS? NO. NO OTHER COMMENT OTHER THAN THAT.
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DENNISHA MARSH I SEE ALSO MEMBER OF THE PAC, BUT I'M NOT OFFICIALLY PARTICIPATING REMOTELY, BUT SO I WAS OFFICIALLY PARTICIPATING, I SENT IN A EMAIL ON A LETTER THAT SAID THAT I WOULDN'T BE IN PERSON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS BECAUSE I HAD HEART SURGERY.
OKAY, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY? NO ONE KNOWS THAT OR WHATEVER, BUT.
OKAY. I THINK MAYBE IT WAS APPROVED FOR A PREVIOUS MEETING AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS FOR THIS ONE AS WELL, BUT WE CAN BUT WE CAN TAKE A MOTION HERE AND VOTE ON YOUR REMOTE PARTICIPATION, JUST AS WE DID FOR MEMBER OBRINGER, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE FINE.
OKAY. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THEN FOR SO MOVED.
MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE VOTE ON THAT ONE AS WELL? CLAXTON. YES.
GREAT. THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND WELCOME PAC MEMBER MARSH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA? I THINK THERE WERE. OKAY.
GO AHEAD, KELLY. AYE. SEE KELLY ABREU.
MY NAME IS KELLY ABREU, AND FIRST OFF, ON THE WEBINAR CHAT FROM MR. HUBER, ASKING, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, IT SAYS CHAT DISABLED.
SO THE QUESTION IS MOOT BECAUSE YOU, YOU HAVE MUTED CHATS.
THE COMMENT ON TRAIL PLANNING AND TRAIL APPROVALS.
THERE IS A PUBLIC AGENCY, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY HAS PUT OUT A NOTICE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, REVIEW OR COMMENT PERIOD ENDING MAY 20TH FOR THE NILES CANYON TRAIL WESTERNMOST PORTION, WHICH INCLUDES THE SECRET SIDEWALK AND THE WESTERNMOST PART OF OF NILES CANYON BETWEEN NILES AND PALOMARES CANYON.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR COMMENTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES, AND I HOPE THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WILL PARTICIPATE, WILL SUBMIT COMMENTS, WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT, AND THIS PROJECT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UNIQUELY IMPORTANT FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE SECRET SIDEWALKS CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TO FREMONT AND NILES.
ANOTHER ONE IS THE UNIQUE LACK OF PUBLIC ACCESS, LACK OF PEDESTRIAN ACCESS BETWEEN FREMONT AND PLEASANTON.
THE HIGHWAY 84 NILES CANYON ROAD IS NOT OPEN TO PEDESTRIANS.
THERE IS NO WAY TO WALK FROM THE BAY AREA TO THE TRI VALLEY EXCEPT FOR GOING THROUGH I-580.
HIGHWAY 84 IS CLOSED TO PEDESTRIANS, AND THIS THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, TRAVESTY WAS PERPETRATED BY THE CALTRANS MANY YEARS AGO, AND THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO RIGHT THAT WRONG, AND THE PARK DISTRICT HAS MANY PROJECTS ONGOING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CALAVERAS RIDGE REGIONAL TRAIL, THE TASSAJARA CREEK TRAIL, MANY PROJECTS ARE OUT THERE.
THIS IS A VITAL CORRIDOR THAT HAS BEEN BEEN USED HISTORICALLY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND AS OF
[00:15:09]
TODAY, NEEDS TO BE RESTORED.SORRY. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I NEGLECTED TO ADDRESS ABOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION REMOTELY.
SO JOSH HAS TO MOVE ME OVER TO SOME OTHER ROOM, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S WORKING.
I UNDERSTAND HE'S WORKING ON IT, SO.
WE'LL TRY AND GET THAT WORKING THEN.
SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, OUR ACTION ITEMS, AND WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS TODAY, AND SO THEN WE MOVE ON TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, AND OUR FIRST SUB ITEM THERE IS WELCOMING DIRECTOR OLIVIA SANWONG AS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER TODAY.
SO WELCOME. PLEASE TELL US ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO AWESOME.
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK HAVING BEEN ON THE PAC FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE I JOINED THE BOARD.
SO NICE TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES AND SOME NEWER FACES.
THANKS SO MUCH TO EACH OF YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME AND BEING INVOLVED.
I KNOW THAT YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT. SO I WANTED TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS, AND WE HAVE THIS REALLY AWESOME NIFTY MUG THAT I THINK SOME OF YOU ALREADY DISCOVERED PRETTY QUICKLY.
IT'S INTERESTING HOW THAT INFORMATION SPREADS.
[1. QUARTERLY DEPARTMENT REPORTS]
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SANWONG.I KNOW I'VE MET SOME OF YOU, AND IF I HAVEN'T, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW ALL OF YOU AGAIN.
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS SUSAN SHIU FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL YEAR.
CERTAINLY THE EVENT, OUR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION COMING UP ON SATURDAY, MAY 11TH.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
IT WILL BE AT LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK ON MAY 11TH.
ALSO LION DANCE AND OTHER PERFORMERS, INCLUDING THE BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND REALLY THAT LOCAL FLAVOR AND A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF PERFORMERS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PUPPET SHOWS AND BUBBLES AND ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT PREPARED FOR ALL OF YOU AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
I GUESS OUR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, FRANCIS, WHO'S ONLINE HE AND I THIS PAST WEEKEND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE TO GO VIEW THE NEW FISH LADDER AT THE BART WEIR NEAR THE FREMONT BART STATION, AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND CERTAINLY THINKING ABOUT THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED THAT'S A PERSONAL PASSION AREA OF MINE, AND IT'S A VERY LARGE WATERSHED AREA OVER OR ABOUT 700MI².
IT STARTS, YOU KNOW AT MOUNT DIABLO, GOES OUT TO THE ALTAMONT PASS TO MOUNT HAMILTON, AND ALL THAT WATER COMES FLOWING THROUGH PLEASANTON AND THEN SUNOL AND THEN OUT NILES TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, AND SO WE HAVE HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE HANDOUT.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE THEM.
[00:20:01]
OF THIS HANDOUT THAT I THINK IS REALLY FASCINATING.YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATERSHED AND THE WILDLIFE AND YOU KNOW, BIODIVERSITY WITHIN THE WATERSHED, BUT THEN ALSO YOU'LL START TO SEE HERE ON THE BACK ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND ENTITIES THAT WERE INVOLVED IN PUTTING THIS HANDOUT TOGETHER, AND I THINK IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED YOU KNOW, THROUGH MY SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS ON THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND NOW THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS THAT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS WORKS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND AGENCIES. AND I THINK THAT THIS HANDOUT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO I HAVE THAT FOR EACH OF YOU.
SO IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW BASIC QUESTIONS I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
I USED TO RIDE MY BIKE FROM NEWARK TO NILES CANYON TO GO FISHING IN THE CREEK BACK WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I STILL REMEMBER OPENING DAY OF TROUT FISHING TROUT SEASON.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS SUBJECT YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT, THOUGH, RIGHT NOW ALONG ALAMEDA CREEK, FISHING IS ACTUALLY NOT ALLOWED.
SO I KNOW HISTORICALLY THERE HAD BEEN ACCESS TO FISHING, BUT NEARBY AT SHINN POND AND QUARRY LAKES WITH A PERMIT, A FISHING PERMIT THERE IS FISHING AVAILABLE.
THAT WAS A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME AGO.
GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE. I'LL BE AROUND FOR THE MEETING.
GREAT. THANKS SO MUCH. YOU BROUGHT ALL KINDS OF GOODIES TODAY.
OKAY, SO TODAY WE HAVE I WAS JUST WONDERING SO IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THE BOARD MEMBER COULD SHARE WITH US.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S SURPRISING OR, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE WANTED TO SHARE ABOUT ANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR ANYTHING IN THIS FIRST YEAR? ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED HER? I JUST WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE.
YES. I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS REALLY GETTING TO KNOW THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, I THINK THIS ALSO WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT'S SURPRISING.
I MEAN, ACROSS THE TWO COUNTIES, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, IT'S SUCH A LARGE AREA IN TERMS OF BOTH POPULATION AS WELL AS GEOGRAPHY, YOU KNOW, ARGUABLY TWO OF THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTIES IN NOT JUST CALIFORNIA, BUT IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BEST, WORK ACROSS SUCH A LARGE AREA AND POPULATION AND DIVERSE POPULATION, I THINK, HAS BEEN BOTH FEELING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, BUT THEN ALSO MAYBE NOT A SURPRISE, BUT I THINK THAT CHALLENGE OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ACROSS THE ENTIRE CONSTITUENCY I FIND THAT A TRAFFIC CAN REALLY BE A BIG YOU KNOW I GUESS BLOCKER IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO BE INVOLVED. I KNOW FOR ME SPECIFICALLY REPRESENTING WARD FIVE, I HAVE PARKS FROM STARTING AT COYOTE HILLS IN FREMONT ALL THE WAY TO DEL VALLE AND EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND IT'S INTERESTING, ACTUALLY TODAY'S THE YEAR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR ON EARTH DAY, WHICH WAS ON A SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND, I DID MAKE AN EFFORT TO GO TO THE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AT ALL THREE OF THE VISITOR CENTERS IN WARD FIVE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE SUNOL, REGIONAL, COYOTE HILLS AND DEL VALLE, AND I FOUND MYSELF TRYING TO DRIVE FROM COYOTE HILLS TO DEL VALLE ON A SATURDAY, AND IT TOOK ME A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR TO DO THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD RECOMMEND DOING THAT AGAIN, AND SO, SO THAT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE BEST REPRESENT BOTH OUR INDIVIDUAL AWARDS AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT? YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO FEEL STRONGLY IT'S ONE PARK DISTRICT.
[00:25:10]
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PINOLE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OAKLEY, AND TO ALSO HELP BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THAT, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A SURPRISE. BUT THEN SOMETIMES I CATCH MYSELF THINKING, OH, WELL, YES, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT, AND HERE IT COMES UP AGAIN.SO I THINK CONTINUING TO DO THAT AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF SHARING THIS SPECIFIC HANDOUT TODAY, JUST ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION HAS BEEN I FEEL LIKE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
CERTAINLY WHEN I LOOK AT ALL THE AGENCIES ON HERE, WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT LIAISON MEETINGS OR DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO A SURPRISE TO ME SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, WHEN EACH AGENCY MAYBE DOESN'T ALWAYS WANT TO WORK WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
IN FACT, I CAME FROM ONE OF THESE AGENCIES, ZONE SEVEN WATER AGENCY.
I WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THERE RIGHT BEFORE I JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH ZONE SEVEN ON, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE TRICKY THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE FOR ME.
GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBER SANWONG? OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. SO WE HAVE TWO OF THEM.
MY NAME IS KATY HORNBECK, THE GRANTS MANAGER FOR THE PARK DISTRICT, AND I'LL BE PROVIDING A OVERVIEW OF SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023, AND THEN SORT OF BROADLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN GRANTS AND HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
WE'RE ACTIVE IN APPLYING FOR, SECURING AND MANAGING THOSE GRANT CONTRACTS.
THE MAJORITY OF WHAT ME AND MY STAFF DO IS MANAGING THOSE GRANTS.
WE GET PAID FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WE COMPLETE, NOT THE GRANTS WERE AWARDED.
SO IT'S CRITICAL THAT AS WE ARE AWARDED THESE FUNDS, WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING THE WORK DONE.
SO VERY BRIEFLY, I'LL WALK THROUGH THE GRANT PROCESS.
SO THE GREAT TEAM IN GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, OUR BOARD, OUR GENERAL MANAGER THEY'RE WORKING AT THE POLICY LEVEL AND HELPING WHAT I SORT OF LIKE TO CALL THE BUCKETS OF MONEY.
THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT RAIN FOR US, AND THAT'S PASSING BONDS OR PROPOSITIONS TO CREATE THOSE POTS OF MONEY, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THOSE DOLLARS GET PUMPED INTO VARIOUS AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE OR IN FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT THOSE FUNDS MIGHT GO INTO EXISTING GRANT PROGRAMS, OR MAYBE THEY'LL DECIDE TO CREATE NEW GRANT PROGRAMS. AND DEPENDING ON WHICH THAT IS, THEN THEY'LL CREATE GUIDELINES, THE SORT OF RULEMAKING, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES, THE CRITERIAS.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT TO FUND? AND SPENDS A LOT OF TIME THERE, AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OR THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE ME AND MY TEAM JUMP IN AND DECIDE WHAT IS THE PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO BEST MEET THE CRITERIA THAT WILL BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE.
ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY OVERSUBSCRIBED, MEANING THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REQUESTS, AND THEY MAY ONLY HAVE $10 MILLION TO ALLOCATE.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO PUT OUR BEST PROJECT FORWARD.
THAT'S GOING TO CHECK AS MANY BOXES AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IF YOU MISS A BOX, YOU LOSE A POINT OR TWO.
YOU MAY IMMEDIATELY SORT OF GET KICKED OUT OF THAT TOP 10% OF WHAT WILL BE CONSIDERED.
SO WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING WHAT PROJECTS WE WANT TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR, WE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
[00:30:02]
AND WE KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION OF WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOST READY IN TERMS OF THE GRANT TIMELINE.ONCE WE GET TO THE AWARDED, THERE'S NORMALLY SEVERAL HOOPS WE HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK, WORK PROGRAMS. WHAT ARE THE DELIVERABLES? HOW ARE WE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY? AND THAT COULD TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS, SOMETIMES UP TO A YEAR, DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE GRANT, AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
SO ACTUALLY SPENDING THE MONEY AND DOING THE WORK AND ALL OF THAT RESTS WITH OUR AMAZING PROJECT MANAGERS AND TEAMS ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHO ARE REALLY SPENDING THE MONEY IN THE WAY THAT WE WANT THEM TO SPEND AND GETTING THOSE PROJECTS DONE, AND AT THE VERY END OF THAT, WE CAN STILL BE AUDITED UP TO 3 TO 5 YEARS LATER.
SO THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, GRANTS ARE RISKY AT EVERY SINGLE STEP.
NOTHING IS EVER TRULY SECURED OR FINALIZED.
SO WE IN MY TEAM ARE DILIGENT IN MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT, WE ARE GOING RIGHT DOWN TO THE PENNY THAT WE'RE SPENDING IT THE WAY WE SAID WE WERE, THAT WE GAVE THEM THE DELIVERABLES.
WE CHECKED THOSE BOXES SO WE CAN KEEP ALL OF THAT MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT DO WE GET GRANT FUNDING FOR? PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING.
THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF FUNDING WE'VE GOTTEN RECENTLY OR IN THE LAST YEAR, COVERING FROM RESTORATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, FUELS MANAGEMENT STUDIES, ACQUISITIONS, PROGRAMING SOME OCCASIONALLY MAINTENANCE, BUT NOT AS OFTEN STORM DAMAGE FROM FEMA.
SO ACROSS ALL THE DIVISIONS WE WILL WE HAVE GOTTEN USUALLY SOME KIND OF GRANT FUNDING.
ALL RIGHT. HERE'S THE OVERVIEW FROM 2023.
SO IN 2023 SUBMITTED 50 APPLICATIONS.
THIS IS DEFINITELY AN UPTICK FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
I LOOKED BACK THE LAST 5 TO 6 AND SORT OF ON AVERAGE WE'RE PROBABLY BETWEEN 35 AND 40 APPLICATIONS.
THERE WAS A BIG PUSH TO GET APPLICATIONS OUT LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY TO STATE AGENCIES LIKE THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD, BECAUSE OF THE 30 BY 30 STATEWIDE INITIATIVE AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS GETTING PUMPED INTO THOSE AGENCIES.
SO WE WANTED TO GET THOSE APPLICATIONS OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S FAIRLY TYPICAL ON AVERAGE, NORMALLY HOVERING AROUND 25 EACH YEAR, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FLUCTUATING, OBVIOUSLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE GRANT AWARD IS, A NO AWARD NOTIFICATION.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT PICKED UP FOR FUNDING IS 19.
OCCASIONALLY MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AFTER OR A YEAR LATER, THEY'LL SAY, HEY, SOMEBODY FELL THROUGH.
WE HAVE THIS FUNDING NOW. WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO TAKE IT? WE SAY, YES, OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY, AND THEN PAYMENTS RECEIVED 112.
SO WE HAVE ONE ACCOUNT TECHNICIAN WHO IS INCREDIBLE, WHO DOES ALL OF THIS INVOICING.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY EASY AND SOME OF THEM ARE INCREDIBLY COMPLEX, AND I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S ONE PERSON, BUT BECAUSE ALL THESE GRANTS WE RECEIVE ARE REIMBURSEMENT BASED.
SO THE PARK DISTRICT BROUGHT IN ABOUT 26 MILLION LAST YEAR THROUGH GRANTS.
A FEW PROJECTS TO HIGHLIGHT THAT RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING LAST YEAR.
WE WERE AWARDED 2.8 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING FROM CALFIRE FOR THE GRIZZLY PEAK STRATEGIC FUEL COLLABORATION PROJECT, SO THIS IS A REALLY NEAT PROJECT THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
WE HAD RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM CALFIRE THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN FUNDING A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE MORE COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE, REACHING ACROSS WITH DIFFERENT AGENCIES, AND SO OUR STAFF KIND OF PUT OUT A CALL AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE THINKING, WHO'S INTERESTED? AND WE'RE PARTNERING WITH UC BERKELEY, THE CITY OF BERKELEY AND EAST BAY MUD TO DO WORK IN THE GRIZZLY PEAK AREA IN TILDEN.
THE RESTORE WILDCAT CREEK PROJECT AT AT BROOK ROAD IN TILDEN, THE 1.25 MILLION THAT'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED AND 500,000 FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR, EXCUSE ME, STATE PARKS, AND THEN FINALLY 4.2 MILLION FOR THE MARTINEZ BAY TRAIL GAP CLOSURE PROJECT.
THIS IS ACCUMULATION OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT SORT OF ALL CAME IN AT THE SAME TIME.
WE WENT FROM LIKE, NO FUNDING, KEPT GETTING NO AWARD, NO AWARD, NO AWARD TO 3 OR 4 ALL IN A ROW.
[00:35:04]
ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S MY VERY SPEEDY OVERVIEW OF GRANTS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT BEFORE THAT, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A COUPLE THANK YOUS.ONE MENTIONED BEFORE TO THE PARK DISTRICT STAFF, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO GET THESE GRANT AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS TO SAY WE GOT 3 MILLION FOR THIS OR 2.8 MILLION FOR THAT, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER IF WE CAN'T GET THE WORK DONE, AND WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT STAFF DISTRICT WIDE WHO CAN GET THE WORK DONE, AND THEN THE TWO STAFF THAT I HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY THE WAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO AND DOING THE FOLLOW UP AND THE REPORTING AND ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE NEED THAT REALLY MAKE US THE APPLICANT, THAT THOSE AGENCIES CAN SAY, YES, YOU ARE DEPENDABLE.
THAT'S ALWAYS A QUESTION ON APPLICATIONS IS WHAT'S YOUR HISTORY AND WHAT'S YOUR CAPACITY, AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PASS THAT WITH FLYING COLORS, AND SO WE'RE A RELIABLE PARTNER TO THEM.
SO WITH THAT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS LAST YEAR OR GRANTS IN GENERAL.
SO MEMBER HENRY, DID I SEE YOUR HAND? THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAD THREE QUESTIONS PRETTY SHORT, HOPEFULLY.
SO JUST CURIOUS HOW THIS COMPARES TO PRIOR YEARS IN TERMS OF DOLLARS THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT WE DON'T GET THE MONEY UNLESS THE PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT PERCENTAGE ACTUALLY FALLS OUT, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS NOW THAT ARE AT RISK OF NOT BEING FUNDED BECAUSE WE CAN'T COMPLETE THEM? OKAY. SO LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION.
SO IT WAS HOW MUCH WE HAVE RECEIVED IN PRIOR YEARS, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
JUST GOING BACK THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, COVID YEARS, THINGS DEFINITELY SORT OF SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AS EVERYONE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM ALL PAPER TO DIGITAL AND THAT SORT OF PROCESS. SO BUT ON THE WHOLE, WE ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT IN WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING YEAR TO YEAR.
SO MY LIKE LITTLE CAVEAT THERE IS THAT WE WILL INVOICE ON A REGULAR BASIS, QUARTERLY OR EVEN MONTHLY SOMETIMES, AND SO WE WON'T GET THAT SORT OF FINAL RETENTION AT THE VERY END ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO THEY COULD CLAW IT BACK IF WE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T DO THE RESTORATION LIKE WE SAID WE WOULD OR SOMETHING, BUT THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY RARE AND ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS, AND THEN YOUR QUESTION WAS, ARE THERE ANY PROJECTS THAT ARE AT RISK FOR NOT GETTING DONE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING OR.
COME THROUGH AND SEE WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR, AND THEN GO TALK TO STAFF AND SAY, WHAT'S IN YOUR PIPELINE, WHAT'S READY AND WHAT NEEDS FUNDING AND WHAT'S THAT GAP, AND WE'LL STRATEGIZE TOGETHER ON, WELL, THIS AGENCY WILL WANT TO FUND THAT COMPONENT.
SO WE'LL ASK FOR THAT AND SORT OF PIECEMEAL IT TOGETHER.
SO STAFF WILL GO OUT TO BID FOR CONSTRUCTION ONCE WE'RE FULLY FUNDED OR REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO IT.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. THANKS. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T, ONCE WE GET THE MONEY, WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT MAKING SURE WE DO THE PROJECT SO WE DON'T LOSE IT.
THANK YOU, AND I THINK SOME OF THE MICROPHONES ARE A LOT MORE QUIET THAN OTHERS.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING INTO THE MICROPHONE.
IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ONE OF THE QUIET ONES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE BEFORE THIS PROCESS EVEN STARTS.
I'M SURE PARK DISTRICT STAFF LOOKS AT PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IF YOU SEE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS INVOLVED IN THAT AT ALL SHOULD THEY REACH OUT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO TELL THEM ABOUT A POSSIBLE PROJECT, OR SHOULD THEY CONTACT THE PARK DISTRICT DIRECTLY? I MEAN, DOES THIS EVER COME TO THE TO THE BOARD TO MAKE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS? THAT'S ONE QUESTION, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES.
YOU HAVE THE AMOUNT OF AWARDS THAT WERE SECURED AND THE PAYMENTS RECEIVED, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR, BUT ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, THERE'S PROJECTS LISTED THAT'S ONLY 10,000 AS OPPOSED TO 26,000 OR 27,000.
SO YOU KNOW, YOU LISTED THE SPECIFIC PLACES OF WHAT PROJECTS WERE DONE.
SO IT COULD BE JUST TERMINOLOGY.
I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY FROM THE FIRST SLIDE TO THE SECOND ONE.
[00:40:06]
LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN AND SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M TRACKING WITH YOU.OKAY. I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THING.
THE ONE THAT SAYS 2023 OVERVIEW, AND THEN THE 2023 HIGHLIGHTS.
ALL RIGHT. SO YOUR QUESTION IS THERE'S A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT WAS NOTED IN THE OVERVIEW UNDER WHAT COLUMN OR ROW? UNDER AWARDS ANNOUNCED AND SECURED.
IT'S ALMOST THE SAME THING PAYMENTS RECEIVED.
VERSUS THE HIGHLIGHTS ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS ONLY 10 MILLION.
I'M SORRY. YES. I DIDN'T LIST ALL OF THE ONES.
THIS WAS JUST SORT OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, SOME KEY OR SIGNIFICANT GRANT FUNDING AWARDS THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR THAT WERE OF PARTICULAR NOTE. OKAY.
SO THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST AT ALL.
SO THEN ABOUT THE BOARD'S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.
SO I'D SAY THAT THE BOARD EACH YEAR AND DIRECTOR SANWONG COULD PROBABLY JUMP IN AT ANY TIME.
THEY HAVE THEY HAVE SEVERAL SESSIONS OVER THE YEAR THAT'S DISCUSSING WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF THE BOARD ARE, AND THAT WILL HELP INFLUENCE OR INFORM WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, WORK PLANS ARE.
SO THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WORK PLAN ALREADY HAS A FEW DOZEN PROJECTS IN THEIR PIPELINE AT VARIOUS STAGES, AND SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY WHAT I'M LOOKING AT WHEN I'M APPLYING BECAUSE THOSE ARE WHAT WE WOULD SAY, LIKE ARE THE MOST READY.
THEY'RE CLOSE TO BREAKING GROUND OR THEY'RE CLOSE TO CLOSING THE FUNDING GAP, BUT CERTAINLY AT THE BOARD'S DIRECTION COULD SAY THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS CRITICAL OR IMPORTANT OR PRIORITIZED.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF COMMUNICATION I THINK GOING IN ALL DIRECTIONS, BUT I'M BEFORE I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, I'M REACHING OUT TO ALL THE DIVISIONS, THE DIFFERENT PROJECT MANAGERS SAYING WHAT ONES, WHAT THE UPDATE.
WHAT DO YOU NEED? HAS ANYTHING BEEN DELAYED? AND THEY'RE GETTING THEIR DIRECTION FROM THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND.
DIRECTOR SANWONG, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? SURE. SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER AREAS IN TERMS OF GRANTS, I BELIEVE WE WOULD INCLUDE YOU KNOW, THE STATE LEGISLATOR AND THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S AWARDED IN THE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS ALSO AS PART OF OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
CORRECT. SO I KNOW WE JUST CAME OUT WITH A REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL, ACTUALLY, WHO WAS ABLE TO AND MAYBE WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, TOO, IN OUR SECOND INFORMATIONAL ITEM WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
BUT CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL WAS ABLE TO SECURE, WAS IT 1.6 MILLION IN THE LATEST FEDERAL BILL FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION? 1.381. 38 I ROUNDED IT UP, YES.
SO PEOPLE LIKE CONGRESSMAN ERIC SWALWELL AS WELL AS GO TO SACRAMENTO AND MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN SACRAMENTO, AND PART OF THAT EFFORT IS TO ALSO YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WE'RE DOING AND TRYING TO ALIGN THAT WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING, THOUGH, THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE, YOU KNOW, FUNDING IN THAT THROUGH THAT ROUTE, AND THEN COMING UP, I THINK IT'S JUNE, JULY WE HAVE TWO BOARD WORKSHOPS.
THEY ARE OUR BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOPS.
SO WE'LL HAVE WORKSHOP ONE, WORKSHOP TWO, AND A LOT OF THAT WORKSHOP, I BELIEVE DOES FEED INTO THEN THE WORK OF THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT AND WHERE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK STAFF WILL PRIORITIZE FOCUS AND TRYING TO ALIGN THOSE PRIORITIES WITH THE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AROUND THAT TIME FRAME, AND THEN THE THIRD AREA I WANTED TO MENTION, TOO, IS SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE SOME GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROJECTS WHERE YOU KNOW, WE AT THE PARK DISTRICT MAY CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE THE LEAD ON AND THEN AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, ALSO KEEP MY EYE ON THAT PROJECT.
SO A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE IN WARD FIVE IS THE IRON HORSE TRAIL BRIDGE.
IT'S THE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE BRIDGE THAT'S GOING TO THAT.
[00:45:01]
TOOK THE LEAD IN REGARDS TO THAT GRANT FUNDING.I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SECOND C IS.
FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME OTHERWISE, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY LARGE PROJECT, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE IRON HORSE TRAIL, AND IT MAKES SENSE IN THAT CASE FOR CITY OF DUBLIN TO REALLY BE THE LEAD AGENCY ON THE BRIDGE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE IRON HORSE TRAIL THAT IS MANAGED BY EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, THEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD ACTUALLY LOBBY THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR CERTAIN IDEAS FOR GRANT FUNDING.
YES. SO TO ANSWER THAT PART OF THE QUESTION, I THINK THAT THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE OF MY BEST RECOMMENDATION IS A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC COMMENT DURING OUR BOARD MEETINGS WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, AND WE HAVE EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE.
SO EVEN WITH THE PRIORITIES WORKSHOP SESSION COMING UP, THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AT PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE ALSO DO RECEIVE EMAILS LEADING UP TO THESE MEETINGS, AND SO I DO RECOMMEND ACTUALLY BOTH APPROACHES, BOTH SENDING AN EMAIL AND PUBLIC COMMENT, BECAUSE IN THE EMAIL YOU CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, MAYBE SOME DATA, MAYBE A PHOTOGRAPH, AND THEN DURING PUBLIC COMMENT IT JUST REITERATES YOUR POINT, AND CERTAINLY FOR AND I THINK MAYBE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TOTALLY APPLIES TO GRANTS, BUT I'M JUST THINKING OF THE WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL FOR THE MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAMS AT BERKELEY AND ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, THOSE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD IN REGARDS TO BEING INVOLVED DURING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND I THINK THEY HAVE ALSO PARTICIPATED HERE AT THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HERE AS WELL, AND I THINK IT'S JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE OF MAKING SURE THAT PROJECT STAYS TOP OF MIND AND GETS TO BE A PART OF THE MIX.
WE HEARD SOME APPROPRIATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, CONGRESS.
ARE THERE ANY PHILANTHROPIC GRANTS OR MAYBE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT [INAUDIBLE] LIST.
GREAT QUESTION. BETWEEN 70 AND 80% OF OUR GRANT FUNDS ARE STATE.
A VERY SMALL PORTION OF OUR GRANTS ARE PRIVATE OR FROM A SO LIKE THE NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, WE GET A FEW GRANTS FROM THEM EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S VERY SMALLER DOLLAR AMOUNTS, AND THEN A SMALL PORTION OF GRANTS COMING FROM LOCAL AGENCIES, AND SO WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT LIKE ACTC OR CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
SO AGAIN, AGAIN, HEADLINE IS A MAJORITY OF OUR GRANTS ARE STATE FUNDING, AND THAT'S COMING FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, PARKS AND RECREATION THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD, CALFIRE.
THOSE WOULD BE THE BIG ONES THAT WE GET A LOT OF OUR FUNDING FROM, AND THEN FEDERAL MOST OF OUR FEDERAL IS COMING FROM FEMA, AND THEN WE GET THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST ONE GRANT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AS WELL.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS DIRECTOR OR COMMITTEE MEMBER REID AND I GOT TO GO ON THE BOARD TOUR ON FRIDAY OUT TO THE PORT COSTA STAGING AREA, WHICH WAS THE SCENE OR THE SITE OF THE SCENIC FIRE AND THE RECOVERY EFFORT THERE, AND WE JUST BASICALLY GOT TO SEE A GRANT IN ACTION.
OR IT'S A GRANT BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD, IF I HAVE THAT CORRECTLY.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, AS THEY'RE RECOVERING FROM THE FIRE, THEY KNEW THAT WHAT WAS EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC WAS THE EUCALYPTUS AND THEY'RE REPLANTING OAKS.
THEY HAD A WHOLE, LIKE, VERY THOROUGH, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
THE OAK ACORNS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ANOTHER SITE WITHIN THE PARK DISTRICT JUST A FEW MILES AWAY.
[00:50:04]
INTO THE RECOVERY AND THEN SEEKING THESE GRANTS AND WISH YOU THE BEST IN GETTING THOSE BECAUSE GREAT PROJECT.MY QUESTION IS PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE FOCUSED AND NARROWER HORIZON.
YOU MENTIONED THE TRAIL GAP CLOSURE FOR THE GEORGE MILLER TRAIL.
THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART, AND I WAS WONDERING A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THAT.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AND HOW FAR IT'S ADVANCING? WHAT KIND OF WHAT'S THE TIMELINE LIKE FOR IT, AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FUNDING THAT IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE NEEDED FOR IT? DO WE HAVE ON HAND? YEAH. OKAY. I'LL DO MY BEST.
SO THE. THAT PROJECT IS CURRENTLY STILL IN DESIGN.
WE'RE WORKING TO GET TO 100% DESIGN.
THEIR DESIGN HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, WHICH JUST TAKES A VERY LONG TIME.
SO WE SORT OF FOR THE RAILROAD, THEY SORT OF SEE IT AS 0% DESIGN UNTIL THEY'VE APPROVED IT.
SO FOR US, WE PROBABLY SEE IT MORE AS LIKE WE'RE CLOSER TO MAYBE 60% DESIGN.
WE HAVE WE'RE NOT QUITE FULLY FUNDED, BUT ONCE WE GET TO FULL DESIGN, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATED COST ESTIMATE AND WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE FUNDING DEFICIT IS, BUT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WITHOUT HAVING LOOKED AT THE BUDGET RECENTLY, WE'RE MAYBE ABOUT A MILLION, MILLION AND A HALF SHORT.
HOW BIG THIS PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
THEY APPLIED FOR A FEDERAL GRANT THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR.
THEY HAD AN ENTIRE PACKAGE WITH SEVERAL PROJECTS, THIS BEING ONE OF THEM.
THE DRAWBACK IS THAT AS THE LEAD APPLICANT, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT.
SO THEY'LL BE RUNNING POINT ON YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND EVEN COMPLETING DESIGN WILL STILL BE AT THE TABLE SITTING DOWN AND LOOKING AT DESIGN AND APPROVING IT, BUT THEY'RE THE LEAD ENTITY WHO WILL RUN THOSE BIDS AND PAY THE BILLS ESSENTIALLY, AND THEN WE'LL REIMBURSE THEM WITH OUR GRANT FUNDS.
I THINK NEXT YEAR WOULD BE OPTIMISTIC IN SAYING CONSTRUCTION WOULD BREAK GROUND, BUT THAT WOULD BE VERY OPTIMISTIC, BUT I'M NOT THE TRAILS PROGRAM MANAGER. SO HOPEFULLY HE'S NOT GETTING MAD AT ME RIGHT NOW.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
THE OLDER I GET THE SHORTER MY TIMELINE IS FOR TRYING TO SEE THESE THINGS DONE.
I KNOW WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
HOPE TO SEE IT WHILE I'M STILL HERE.
[LAUGHTER] YEAH, AND I'LL WEIGH IN.
YOU KNOW, THE EXAMPLE I USED EARLIER ABOUT THE IRON HORSE TRAIL BRIDGE? YOU KNOW, THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION TRAILS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS A PRIORITY HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, BUT IT'S TRUE.
THERE'S MANY CASES WHERE WE MAY NOT BE THE LEAD AGENCY OR ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS, BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE INVOLVED BECAUSE WE DO SEE THAT IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE ACTIVE TRANSIT, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND HELPING PEOPLE GET TO PLACES LIKE A BART STATION OR TO THEIR JOBS OR TO YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO DO AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION BESIDES AUTOMOBILES.
OKAY, LET'S GO TO MEMBER OBRINGER.
I KNOW SHE'S HAD HER HAND UP FOR A WHILE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S FLEXIBILITY.
I THINK MAYBE THIS QUESTION IS MORE FOR OUR BOARD DIRECTOR WHO'S HERE TODAY.
I APPRECIATED YOUR COMMENT EARLIER WHERE YOU SAID YOU REPRESENT WARD FIVE, BUT YOU ALSO LOOK OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE WHOLE PARK DISTRICT, AND SO CAN YOU TALK WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS? YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, LET'S SAY THERE'S A PROJECT THAT A DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FUNDING ALLOCATED TOWARD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S LIMITED FUNDS.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ENGAGE IN AS WELL? IS IT STRICTLY BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING AVAILABLE AND WHICHEVER AREA HAS THE GREATEST NEED OR, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING MORE POLITICAL THAT'S INVOLVED? I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT.
I'LL SHARE, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAGES AS WELL IN TERMS OF IN TERMS OF WHERE THE WORK HAPPENS.
[00:55:07]
WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK STAFF MEMBER.YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S URGENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAN WAIT A FEW YEARS IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT AND TO ALIGN THAT WITH THE GRANTS TEAMS WORK PLAN? I THINK IT'S VERY SIMILAR AT THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, EARLIER I'LL SHARE, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT THAT I'M PERSONALLY REALLY TRYING TO WORK ON, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY IS SOMEWHAT EARLY STAGE, AND I THINK ALL OF MOST OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU, HAVE SOME LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT IN WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PUBLIC AGENCIES AND KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN REALLY SLOW AND THEN THEY CAN HAPPEN REALLY FAST DEPENDING ON WHEN THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE AND WHO'S TALKING TO WHO WHEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I WAS KIND OF REFERENCING EARLIER BUT DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LONG TERM, RELIABLE SOLUTION FOR WATER AT SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE, AND I GUESS IN TERMS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, TO THE EARLIER QUESTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET WATER IN SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE IN 2023.
YOU KNOW, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST HALF OF MY YOU KNOW, FIRST TERM HERE ON THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD, BUT IT'S NOT A LONG TERM RELIABLE SOLUTION, AND I KNOW AT ZONE SEVEN, AND I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON THE ZONE SEVEN BOARD, I VOTED TO HELP FUND YOU KNOW, STARTING THAT PROJECT.
IT'S CALLED THE CHAIN OF LAKES PIPELINE TO HELP BRING WATER FROM LAKE DEL VALLE TO THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREA, WHICH IS YOU KNOW, THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREAS, ALL THE LAKES ALONG STANLEY BOULEVARD, WHICH SHADOW CLIFFS IS A PART OF, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE A TURNOUT ON THIS PIPELINE INTO SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE WITH MY PREVIOUS AGENCY, ZONE SEVEN, ON THIS, AND MY POINT HERE IS THAT I WOULD CLASSIFY THIS PROJECT AS ONE WHERE I'M TRYING TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION, TRYING TO KEEP THIS TOP OF MIND FOR YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREA OF THE TRI-VALLEY.
BUT IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, I MIGHT MENTION IT WHEN I CAN OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M HERE WITH YOU MENTIONING IT HERE, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I KNOW KATY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS WORKING ON BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY ANYWHERE CLOSE TO HAVING THIS, YOU KNOW, PROJECT PLAN IN PLACE OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS TURNOUT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND SO YOU KNOW, THAT POINT I MADE SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN REALLY SLOW UNTIL THEY HAPPEN REALLY FAST.
IT MIGHT STILL BE IN THIS, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION TYPE OF PHASE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT HELPS ANSWER, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS, I GUESS, TO THE OTHER POINT OF THAT IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT SO THAT I CAN BE ON TOP OF THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WHEN THINGS ARE MOVING FROM THAT HAPPENING SLOW TO HAPPENING FAST, I'VE GOT THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
I'M READY TO JUMP IN WITH THAT INFORMATION, AND IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF GIVING THEM ALSO THAT BENEFIT IF THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THEIR WARDS THAT THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ALSO START TO MOBILIZE AND, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME PRIORITIZATION AROUND. SO I THINK IT'S A TEAM EFFORT ACROSS SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
YES. MEMBER PEOPLES? YEAH. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE'S I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD CALL IT AN OPPORTUNISTIC ELEMENT OF GRANTS WHERE THEY KIND OF POP UP THE AVAILABILITY OF THEM.
DO YOU HAVE A CAPABILITY TO QUICKLY ADDRESS SOMETHING WHEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT KIND OF POPS UP? YEAH, SOMETIMES AND FOR THE MOST PART, THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT ONLY BE A 30 DAY WINDOW FOR AN APPLICATION.
THERE ARE ON OCCASION WELL, JUST FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR, THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD REACHED OUT AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR APPORTIONMENT FROM THE LAND WATER CONSERVATION FUND.
DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT? THE APPLICATION IS DUE TOMORROW.
SO WE LUCKILY HAD A FEW THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN OPTION, AND, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY REACH OUT TO PROJECT MANAGER AND SUSS OUT WHAT DO WE NEED, AND IS THIS THE RIGHT DOLLAR AMOUNT. IS THIS DOABLE.
SO WE ARE VERY FLEXIBLE AND CAN BE VERY NIMBLE.
[01:00:01]
FOR, WHAT'S READY, WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE, WHAT'S GOING ON? SO WHEN I DO GET THOSE CALLS OR SEE THAT EMAIL, IT'S USUALLY PRETTY EASY TO QUICKLY MAKE A DETERMINATION OF, YES, WE DO HAVE A PROJECT FOR THAT'S GOING TO FIT THE BILL.I DON'T SEE ANY MORE HANDS FOR QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE.
THERE'S SO MANY GREAT PROJECTS GOING ON.
CAN I JUST? YES. I JUST WANTED TO ADD, I KNOW, KATY, THAT YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF MORE REQUESTS FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN GRANT APPLICATIONS AND JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK PAC MEMBERS FOR PROVIDING LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
IT'S REALLY HELPFUL, AND THEN ALSO COMING TO SITE VISITS.
I THINK POSSIBLY IGOR ATTENDED ONE OF THE SITE VISITS FOR THE MARTINEZ PROJECT.
SO THAT'S ALSO VERY HELPFUL, AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT TO SECURE GRANTS.
THEY'VE GIVEN INPUT ON DESIGN, AND FOR THE MOST PART, THAT'S BEEN A SHIFT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BEFORE IT COULD BE WE WOULD GIVE A FEW LETTERS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SENATOR OR A CONGRESS MEMBER, BUT NOW AGENCIES ARE WANTING TO SEE THE NEIGHBOR, THE RESIDENT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AROUND THAT PROJECT AREA.
SO JUST TO DITTO ERICH, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE PROVIDED THOSE LETTERS OR HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOUR CONTACTS IN THE COMMUNITIES, IT DOES GO A SIGNIFICANT WAY IN THESE PROJECTS. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
SO WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY HERE AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC.
GREAT. SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
OKAY. NEXT UP, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAM.
COOL SCREENSAVER. [CHUCKLING].
IT'S RARE THAT WE TAKE A RESTROOM BREAK.
I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
DON'T WANT TO BLOW YOUR EARS OUT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO I HAVEN'T MET, I AM THE FIRE CHIEF OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION ON ON THE INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE HAVE MET SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARKS FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT AND FUELS REDUCTION.
SO WITH THAT, OKAY, THE TITLE IS LEADING THE WAY ON WILDFIRE PROTECTION WITH INNOVATION MODELS FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT. SO I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU BACK AND KIND OF GIVE YOU A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW KIND OF THE JOURNEY THAT WE'VE HAD HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT WITH REGARDS TO FUELS MANAGEMENT, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT SINCE THE 1960S, SOMETIMES WITH GREAT EFFECT AND SOMETIMES WITH NOT SO GREAT EFFECT. SO WE'VE GONE IN AND WE'VE DONE FUELS MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE LEARNED AND THEN WE'VE COME BACK AND DONE BETTER.
SO IN 2010 WE PASSED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PASSED A VOTE FOR A PLAN.
IT'S CALLED THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO YOU MAY HEAR US CALL IT THE WHRRMP.
SO WHILE IMPLEMENTING THAT VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT IT TOOK US EIGHT YEARS TO GET ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING ON, WE NOTICED IN 2020 ACTUALLY, OUR STAFF NOTICED THAT WE HAD AN ACCELERATED DECLINE OF A LOT OF TREES.
THEY WERE DEAD AND DYING, AND IN LARGE AREAS, LARGE GROUPS OF TREES, LOTS OF ACREAGE, AND THEN IT WASN'T JUST A PARK DISTRICT PROBLEM, AND IT WASN'T JUST A REGIONAL PROBLEM, IT WAS A STATE PROBLEM.
SO BECAUSE OF OUR DEDICATED STAFF THAT WERE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND THAT WERE OUT THERE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THEM THEY WERE WORKING IN, THIS OBSERVATION WAS MADE.
THE ALARM WAS KIND OF SOUNDED, IF YOU WILL AND SO THE DISTRICT STARTED TO REALLY KIND OF ANALYZE WHERE THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS WERE.
NOW WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THEM.
IT'S IN SEVERAL OF OUR PARKS, BUT REALLY THE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS KIND OF THE BIGGEST CHUNKS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, WERE IN ANTHONY CHABOT AND TILDEN PARK. SO RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
[01:05:02]
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW, THE TERM WE USE IS WUI.SO IN 2021-2022 WE SOUNDED THE ALARM WITH GRANTS AND WE SOUNDED THE ALARM WITH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, TOOK THEM OUT, ACTUALLY GAVE THEM KIND OF A TOUR.
ERICH SAID, OH MY GOD, AND WOW, AND REALLY, WE ALL KIND OF BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST A FUELS MANAGEMENT ISSUE, A RESOURCE ISSUE, BUT KIND OF A PUBLIC EMERGENCY, AND WE ALREADY HAD OUR PARK DISTRICT'S FUELS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN PLACE.
WE ALREADY HAVE OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE OUR OWN STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
SO ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO SOUND THE ALARM, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WENT UP THE CHAIN TO SACRAMENTO.
WE ENDED UP GETTING SOME HELP IN THE WAY OF MONEY.
SO IN 2023 IS WHERE PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST PUSH TOOK PLACE.
WE HAD 7.5 MILLION FOR THE ANTHONY CHABOT STATE FUNDED PROJECT, WHICH BEGAN IN MAY OF 2022, AND THAT WAS A BIG SUCCESS, AND WHY A PILOT PROJECT WHEN WE'VE BEEN DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT FOR YEARS, BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO USE A VERY INNOVATIVE WAY THAT WAS THAT BOTH SEQUESTERED CARBON.
IT WAS THE MOST FINANCIALLY MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT IT WAS A REACH AND KHARI WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.
SO THE PILOT PROJECT WENT EXTREMELY WELL.
IT EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND THEN IN MAY OF 2022, WE COMPLETED 365 ACRES.
I'M SORRY. WE STARTED 365 ACRES THAT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2024.
THE OTHER REALLY COOL THING THAT HAPPENED IS I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT COVERED A VERY LARGE AREA IN THE PARK DISTRICT, ABOUT 3000 ACRES DIRECTLY IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, ALL THE WAY FROM POINT PINOLE DOWN TO LAKE CHABOT, BUT IT DIDN'T CAPTURE EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED, AND IT CERTAINLY DID NOT CAPTURE SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE NOTICED THIS, THIS ACCELERATED DECLINE OF SOME OF OUR TREES.
SO BACK TO THE WHRRMP, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IF YOU LOOK, IT'S KIND OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED ALL THE WAY UP FROM POINT PINOLE, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LAKE CHABOT, AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COLORS THERE.
ONE IS MAINTENANCE AND ONE IS INITIAL ENTRY. SO THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT IN THE WHRRMP THAT WE HAD NOT EVER GONE INTO BEFORE AND SOME THAT WE HAD BEEN MAINTAINING, AND HERE'S KIND OF A BREAKDOWN.
IT'S PRIMARILY A VERY PROACTIVE FIRE PREVENTION.
MODE. THERE'S 130 TREATMENT AREAS, AND THEY VARIED IN SIZE FROM ONE ACRE TO 98 OR MORE.
IT COVERS 3000 ACRES, AND IT INVOLVES NINE REGIONAL PARKS.
THE CALVTP, WHAT THAT DOES FOR US IS IT ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE THOSE TREES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THAT WE IDENTIFIED IN TILDEN PARK SPECIFICALLY, ALSO IN SOME OTHER AREAS, AND IT ALLOWS US TO ADD ANOTHER 2400+ ACRES TO THE AREA THAT WE CAN MANAGE.
[2. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO THE DECATUR MAIN STREET PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARD BYLAWS.]
COVERS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT SO THAT WE CAN BE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN HOW WE DO FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK, AND SO RIGHT NOW WE COVER FIVE REGIONAL PARKS, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THAT.ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT REAL QUICK BEFORE I INTRODUCE KHARI IS THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF TOOLS, AND CARRIE WILL TOUCH ON THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN USING AS TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX. ONE OF THEM IS A FUELS CREW THAT WE DEVELOPED.
WE WERE THE FIRST. I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'M TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRAG ABOUT IT.
THEREFORE, ACROSS OVER AT MOUNT TAMALPAIS IN MARIN COUNTY, WE HAVE THE DIABLOS.
[Items 3 & 4]
IT WAS A GREAT WAY FOR THE DISTRICT TO HAVE A BEGINNER, ENTRY LEVEL POSITION.[01:10:10]
EFFECTIVE IN COMING INTO AREAS LIKE THIS THAT YOU SEE IN THE BEFORE, WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF GROUNDWORK, MAYBE DIFFICULT FOR MACHINERY TO GET IN, WHICH IS ANOTHER TOOL WE USE IN THE TOOLBOX, AND YOU SEE THE AFTER RESULTS.GOOD AFTERNOON, PAC MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR SANWONG.
MY NAME IS KHARI HELAE, ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.
I'M IN CHARGE OF THE FUELS MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
THE PROJECT THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A PROJECT UP IN TILDEN PARK.
IT'S ACTUALLY ADJACENT FROM THE GOLF COURSE.
IT'S IN AN AREA THAT WE HAD A FIRE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO CALLED THE AJAX FIRE.
SO ON ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS THAT AS FIREFIGHTERS, WE DON'T WANT A FIRE TO OCCUR.
RESOURCES LOCALLY WERE SCATTERED, DEPLOYED TO FIRES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA.
SO IT WAS ONE OF THOSE YEARS AND WE BROKE A FIRE ON DISTRICT LAND, AND IT HAPPENED TO BE IN ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE WERE DOING FUELS WORK IN THE AREA THAT WE HAVE A FUEL BREAK AND THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT FUEL BREAK.
IT'S LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ADJACENT FROM THE GOLF COURSE, KIND OF WHERE THE ENTRANCE OF THE GOLF COURSE ACROSS THE STREET, ABOUT 200FT FROM SOME HOMES OF THE CITY OF BERKELEY, AND SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WORK FUNDED BY A PG&E GRANT AND THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUNDS, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BEFORE AND AFTER.
IT'S A PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING UP IN THAT AREA LIKE I SAID, 200FT WITHIN HOMES, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PICTURE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THAT PROJECT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THERE'S LOTS OF DOWNED TREES AND TREES THAT NEED TO BE LIMBED, AND NOW THOSE TREES ARE LIMBED, AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT WORK NOT TRYING TO REMOVE ALL THE VEGETATION.
[5. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE GRANTING AN EASEMENT FOR OVERHEAD AND/OR UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SUPPLY AND COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES TO ONCOR ELECTRIC DELIVERY COMPANY LLC.]
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REMOVE ALL THE FUEL.THOSE ARE FLAME LANES AS FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE CAN SUPPRESS AND IDEALLY SUPPRESS QUICKLY, AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TYPE OF WORK THAT YOU SEE HERE. LET ME SHOW YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
SOME WORK THIS IS SOME ROADSIDE WORK THAT WE DID IN SIBLEY.
ROADSIDE WORK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF FIRES START ON THE SIDE OF ROADS.
SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT WHEN CARS PULL OVER ON HOT DAYS BECAUSE THEY OVERHEATED, OR THEY HAVE A HOT EXHAUST PIPE WITH A CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT TOUCHES A BLADE OF GRASS, THAT'S AN EASY WAY TO IGNITE A FIRE.
SO WE DO LOTS OF WORK ADJACENT TO ROADS SO THAT IF THAT DOES OCCUR, THE DISTRICT'S LAND IS IS NOT GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC WITH AN IGNITION LIKE THAT. THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, NOT ONLY WERE WE TAKING CARE OF THE LIGHT, FLASHY FUELS, BUT WE'RE ALSO REMOVING SOME OF THE DEAD TREES THAT WERE AFFECTED FROM THE TREE MORTALITY THAT'S AFFECTING MANY OF OUR PARKS.
EARLIER, CHIEF THIELE SPOKE ABOUT OUR FUELS CREW.
[6. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE THE NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT FOR THE PALOMA TRAILS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FROM TWS LAND TO PALOMA TRAILS DEVELOPMENT.]
FUELS CREW IS IT CAN BE DEPLOYED WITHIN ONE HOUR.WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
OBVIOUSLY WE DO CONTRACTS, RFPS WHICH TAKE A LONG TIME TO DEVELOP AND GET MOBILIZED.
WE HAVE TASK ORDERS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NIMBLE PROCESS FOR US, WHERE WE CAN GET CONTRACTORS OUT WITHIN A WEEK BUT WHEN WE HAVE OUR OWN EMPLOYEES, FULL TIME EMPLOYEES IN A FUELS CREW THAT'S VERSATILE.
WE CAN LITERALLY MOBILIZE THIS GROUP WITHIN AN HOUR, AND THEY CAN DO WE CAN MOBILIZE THEM FOR FUELS, WORK, FOR INITIAL TREATMENT, FOR MAINTENANCE, AND WHERE THEY ARE A SPECIALTY IS THAT THERE'S AREAS WHERE MECHANICAL WORK IS NOT IDEAL BECAUSE THERE'S SENSITIVE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES IN THE AREA, AND THAT'S WHERE HAVING A FUELS CREW IS BENEFICIAL, AND BY HAVING A DISTRICT'S FUELS CREW, THEY'RE TRAINED IN PLANT ID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT AS A PARK DISTRICT.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS SOME OF THE WORK THAT OUR FUELS CREW PERFORMS, AND ON THAT LEFT PICTURE OF THE BEFORE CAN'T REALLY SEE IT, BUT THERE'S A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S KIND OF HIDDEN THERE, AND THAT IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT CALLED A GREEN CLIMBER, AND IT CAN REMOVE BRUSH THAT'S PRETTY THICK, AND IT'S A LITTLE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR US IN OUR FUELS CREW.
IT'S A GREAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE'RE WORKING AND FUELS ARE NOT DESIRABLE.
[01:15:03]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POISON OAK THAT CAN BE FIVE FEET TALL, AND THEY'RE EXPECTED TO GO THROUGH A CHAINSAWS AND REMOVE POISON OAK.WELL, WE NOW HAVE OTHER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT CAN MAKE THAT WORK A LITTLE BIT SAFER AND EASIER FOR THEM BY HAVING THE GREEN CLIMBER DO THAT TYPE OF WORK AND USING THE FUELS CREW ONLY WHEN WE HAVE TO, WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING IN THOSE TYPE OF FUELS.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THEIR WORK.
[7. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, TEXAS, ACCEPTING A PETITION SEEKING THE CREATION OF THE PALOMA TRAILS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WITHIN THE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY AND CALLING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL’S MAY 13, 2024 MEETING. RESOLUTION R2024-04-06]
AROUND SEPTEMBER WHERE EVERYTHING'S DRY AND BRITTLE, HOT, AND THE FIRE WOULD IGNITE.THAT FIRE WOULD BE EXTREMELY HAPPY AND IT'S GOING TO BURN.
SO WE CREATE THEM DURING EARLIER PARTS OF THE YEAR, AND THEN DURING WINTER WE BURN THOSE PILES, AND NOW IF A FIRE WAS TO START IN THIS CANYON, IT'S GOING TO BE A FIRE THAT WE CAN MITIGATE WITH OUR SUPPRESSION RESOURCES, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE MAIN GOALS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE, AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AS A PARK DISTRICT AND WHY WE ARE DOING.
WELL, YOU ALWAYS HEAR US TALKING ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAVE A PROJECT OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT.
WE SAID EARLIER WE STARTED WITH A PILOT PROJECT OF 80 ACRES, AND WE DID ANOTHER PROJECT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN RIGHT NOW, 365 ACRES FOR 7.5 MILLION OF THE EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION OUT THERE, IT'S ABOUT 90% COMPLETE.
THIS PROJECT IS SO INNOVATIVE AND IT GRABS SO MUCH ATTENTION THAT WE'VE LITERALLY DONE 40 TOURS WITH STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL ENTITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE WANTED TO COME OUT AND SEE THE WORK THAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING WHEN IT COMES TO FUELS MANAGEMENT, TREE THINNING AND BIOMASS PROCESSING UTILIZING THE CARBONATOR OR CARBONIZER, WHICH HAS BEEN REBRANDED TO PROCESS BIOMASS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE EXAMPLES
[8. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO ACCEPT THE DECATUR PUBLIC SAFETY SPLASH PAD QUOTE AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT AND APPROVE EXPENDITURE OF THE PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $644,115.88.]
OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE.SO JUST REAL QUICK, I WANT TO PAUSE.
THAT PREVIOUS FOOTAGE WAS TAKEN BY OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
WE PUT TOGETHER A PIECE FOR THE MEDIA.
THEY HAVE A DRONE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DEPLOY ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND TAKE FOOTAGE FROM THE AIR, AND THIS FOOTAGE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT, FIGURE OUT WHAT AREAS HAVE BEEN THINNED TO OUR EXPECTATIONS, WHAT AREAS ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH REGROWTH, BUT ALSO IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE PROJECT FROM THE AIR, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE BROWN SPOTS WITHIN THE TREES.
IT WOULD BE LIKE WALKING THROUGH A PICKET FENCE.
[9. CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF TWO VEHICLES FOR USE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT]
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT, AND SO NOW YOU CAN SEE THE WORK AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BEEN THINNED, AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH, WITH HUNDREDS OF ACRES OVER AT ANTHONY CHABOT.THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 90% THROUGH OR COMPLETED THAT PROJECT WAS OR IS THE LARGEST FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT IN PARK DISTRICT HISTORY AND THE LARGEST IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY PROUD OF THE TEAM AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING HERE, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE REUSING BIOCHAR, AND SO SOME OF THE FUN FACTS, IF YOU LOOK HERE ON OUR PROJECT, YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE TREE THINNING AND BIOCHAR AND CARBONIZER AND CARBON SEQUESTERING, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD ABOUT IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITIES OF CASTRO VALLEY AND OAKLAND.
PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF DEAD STANDING TREES, AND I KNOW WHEN PEOPLE WOULD HIKE THROUGH THESE PARKS, I WOULD GET PERSONALLY GET EMAILS OF PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEAD STANDING TREES AND WHEN WE WERE GOING TO DO WORK THERE TO MITIGATE THAT.
WE DID AN 80 ACRE PILOT PROJECT OF $2 MILLION.
WE'RE DOING A $7.5 MILLION PROJECT RIGHT NOW OF 365 ACRES, AND WE ARE PLANNING TO DO MORE IN THE FUTURE IF YOU ALL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER, A COUPLE SLIDES DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
[01:20:01]
ONE OF THE INTERESTING FACTS, THE TONS OF BIOMASS THAT WE ARE PROCESSING, 12,775 TONS OF BIOMASS, WE'RE ABLE TO PROCESS WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD.SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AIR QUALITY NORMALLY ONLY PERMITS BURNING DURING 10 A.M, AND 3 P.M..
WE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAVE ONE OF THE STRICTEST AIR DISTRICTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR IN THE BAY AREA, THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WE'RE USING BURNS SO CLEAN THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET PERMITTED FOR 24 HOUR USE, AND SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT, AND WE WERE THE FIRST AGENCY TO GET THIS PERMITTED. SO WHEN I SAY THAT WE'RE DOING COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL ENTITIES AND THE 40 TOURS THAT WE'VE DONE, WE'RE SHARING THE WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE DOING, PROCESS BIOMASS AND A CLEANER WAY THAT'S ALSO SAFER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE BIOCHAR PRODUCING IS ABOUT 1277 TONS.
THAT'S ABOUT A 10% BIOCHAR RESULT.
SO 90% OF THE BIOMASS IS REDUCED AND IT'S 10% REMAINING, WHICH IS THE BIOCHAR, AND WE'RE ABLE TO REUTILIZE 100% OF THE BIOCHAR ON DISTRICT LAND, AND WHERE IS ALL THIS BIOCHAR GOING AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE BIOCHAR? WHEN WE PRESENTED A WHILE AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE ANSWERS YET BECAUSE THIS WAS SO NEW.
THEY HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, AND WE TRULY WERE JUST PAVING THE WAY AND TELLING OURSELVES WE WERE GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN THE TEAM THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS, THE DISTRICT HAS AND ALL THE ENTITIES AND RESOURCES, WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND HAVE 100% OF THE
[10. CONSIDER FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 2010-04-07 DEALING WITH TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLES PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF A NEW ARTICLE VI TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO VEHICLE TOWING, AMENDING THE FEE SCHEUDLE, AND PROVIDING FOR CERTAIN PENALTIES. ORDINANCE 2024-05-10]
BIOCHAR REUTILIZED ON PARK DISTRICT LAND.IT HAS ENDED UP AT DIFFERENT PARKS.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS IN SUNOL.
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS WHERE THE TOP RIGHT IS, WHERE THAT PROJECT IS JUST A PICTURE OF THE PROJECT WHERE THE BIOCHAR IS BEING USED TO FILTER WATER FOR A WATER SYSTEM THERE.
THE PICTURE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS IN WILDCAT CANYON, WHERE WE HAD A LANDSLIDE FROM THE STORMS EARLIER IN THE YEAR, AND BIOCHAR WAS MIXED WITH THE SOIL TO HELP REGENERATE THE VEGETATION SO IT CAN GROW FASTER.
WE USE IT IN VARIOUS PROJECTS FOR RESTORATION WORK AND PLANTING DISTRICT WIDE.
NOW WE'VE PROCESSED THE BIOMASS ON SITE, WE'VE CAPTURED CARBON.
WE'VE TAKEN AS MUCH AS TEN SEMI-TRUCKS AND THE POLLUTANTS THAT THEY WOULD CAUSE OFF THE ROAD
[11. CONSIDER SECOND READING AND TAKE ACTION REGARDING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND APPENDIX “B,” “ZONING” OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, TEXAS TO GRANT A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A RESTAURANT IN A C-1, RESTRICTED BUSINESS ZONING DISTRICT, ON APPROXIMATELY 0.675 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 603 W. MAIN STREET. (SPECIFIC USE PERMIT APPLICATION 2024-03—MS. SHARON HERNANDEZ, ON BEHALF OF CHERRY PIE AND COMPANY) (THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL, 4-0, COMMISSIONERS HICKS AND WOODRUFF ABSENT.) SUP2024-03 ORDINANCE 2024-04-08]
AND WE'VE REUTILIZED THE BIOCHAR FOR BENEFICIAL USES WITHIN THE DISTRICT,.FUNDING. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT OUR FUNDING AND WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS TEAM HERE AT THE DISTRICT. YOU SAW KATY HORNBECK PRESENT EARLIER.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WAS ABLE TO SECURE A $10 MILLION DIRECT FUNDING FOR US FOR TREE MORTALITY MITIGATION, AND ABOUT 4.5 MILLION OF THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE SPENT THIS YEAR, AND MOST OF IT'S GOING TO ANTHONY CHABOT, AND ABOUT 700,000 IS GOING TO BE GOING TO TILDEN, WHERE WE'LL BE DOING A TREE MORTALITY PROJECT UTILIZING OUR NEWLY PERMITTED CALVTP PROJECT, AND I WANT TO SAY
[12. CONSIDER SECOND READING AND TAKE ACTION REGARDING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND APPENDIX “B,” “ZONING” OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, TEXAS TO GRANT A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A VETERINARIAN CLINIC WITH INDOOR PENS ONLY IN A C-1, RESTRICTED BUSINESS ZONING DISTRICT, ON APPROXIMATELY 0.462 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 700 W. WALNUT STREET. (SPECIFIC USE PERMIT APPLICATION 2024-04—DR. AMY BRENT DVM, ON BEHALF OF PROPERTY OWNERS MIGUEL SUAREZ AND JUDY FOX) (THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL, 4-0, COMMISSIONERS HICKS AND WOODRUFF ABSENT.) SUP2024-04 ORDINANCE 2024-04-09]
THE PROJECT IS ABOUT 52 ACRES, AND IT'S GOING AFTER DEAD STANDING TREES IN THE BERKELEY HILLS OFF OF SOUTH PARK DRIVE.WE HAVE ABOUT 700,000 FROM MEASURE FF AND ANOTHER 2 MILLION THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM FEMA FUNDING.
[01:25:02]
THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, AND THEN WE KATY SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT THE GRIZZLY PEAK GRANT THAT WE DID COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM, WHERE WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, CITY OF BERKELEY, EAST BAY MUD AND UC BERKELEY AND WE WERE THE LEAD AGENCY TO GO IN WITH A GRANT, UTILIZE OUR GRANTS TEAM TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT, AND THE DISTRICT IS THE ONE DISPERSING THE FUNDS AND RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING THE REPORTS FROM THE OTHER AGENCIES, BUT JUST AN EXAMPLE OF[13. DISCUSSION REGARDING CITY COUNCIL MEETING START TIMES AND RECEIPT OF GUIDANCE FROM MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.]
THE COLLABORATIVE WORK THAT WE DO WITH WITH OTHER AGENCIES.NEXT DOOR WAS EAST BAY MUD, AND AFTER THAT WAS CITY OF BERKELEY, AND AROUND THE CORNER WAS UC BERKELEY, AND IT'S ONE CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK IN THE BERKELEY HILLS, BUT $1.1 MILLION IS GOING TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE ALSO SO IN GENERAL, IT'S ABOUT $12.9 MILLION JUST IN 2024 FOR FUELS MITIGATION JUST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT WIDE, JUST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, ONLY 3.2, I SHOULDN'T SAY ONLY, BUT 3.2 MILLION WAS GENERAL FUNDS AND THE REST WAS WORK FROM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT THAT IS, IS JUST APPLICATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND FOR EXAMPLE, WE GOT INFORMATION THIS WEEK THAT WORK THAT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DID WITH REPRESENTATIVE SWALWELL'S FUNDING OF 1.4 MILLION IS GOING TO SHOW UP, AND SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHEN WE SAY 28.2 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS. AT ANY MOMENT THAT MONEY COULD ARRIVE, AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL, BUT WE ALWAYS ARE READY TO PUT THE MONEY TO WORK WHEN IT DOES SHOW UP, AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR, SO WE'RE NOT DONE.
WHEN WE DID THIS RFP IN ANTHONY CHABOT WAS 666 ACRES.
SO FAR WE DID 80 ACRES OF A PILOT.
WE DID ANOTHER 365 OF THE CURRENT PROJECT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 90% COMPLETE, AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEEK APPROVAL IN MAY FOR A $5 MILLION PROJECT OF THE LAST 221 ACRES OF THIS PARTICULAR RFP.
THE GOAL IS NOT ONLY TO THIN THE EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT, BUT TO MAINTAIN IT SO THAT IT'S FOREVER TAKEN CARE OF AND IT CAN BE TRULY ENJOYED FOR WHAT IT IS, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL TREES AND ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE PROTECTION FOR THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE WITHIN ANTHONY CHABOT.
THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'D LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS THIS ISSUE AS SORT OF THE TOP OF MIND THING THAT THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE, YOU KNOW, ADJACENT TO OUR REGIONAL PARKS, AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE THIS ONE OF THE OTHER HATS THAT I WEAR IS MANAGING ABOUT 25,000 ACRES OF UC BERKELEY FIELD STATION AND EXPERIMENTAL FOREST IN THE SIERRA NEVADA, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THERE WITH DEAD AND DYING TREES AND BUILT UP FUELS FOR, YOU KNOW, 150 YEARS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THE WAY WE HANDLE IT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF MECHANICAL THINNING.
WE COME IN FIRST. WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOGGING AND MECHANICAL THINNING, BUT THEN WE COME IN LATER ON AFTER THAT WITH LOW INTENSITY UNDERSTORY BURNS, PRESCRIBED FIRE, AND I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE A ROLE FOR THAT HERE IN THE REGIONAL PARKS OR BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE WUI AND WE HAVE RECREATIONAL USERS OF THE PARKLANDS, OR MAYBE THE AIR QUALITY ISSUES THAT YOU MENTIONED, THAT'S MAYBE THOSE ARE CONSTRAINTS? IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF USING PRESCRIBED FIRE OR IS IT JUST TOO LIMITING HERE? SO WE [INAUDIBLE] IT'S BEEN I AM REBUILDING THE PROGRAM.
WE ARE REBUILDING THE PROGRAM.
THE PARK DISTRICT HAS DONE PRESCRIBED BURNS FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE IDEA ABOUT PRESCRIBED BURNS WAS NOT RECEIVED WELL BECAUSE, FRANKLY, SOME HAD BEEN MISMANAGED NEW MEXICO, OTHER PLACES, AND WITH SOME PRETTY CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.
[01:30:03]
SO CALIFORNIA KIND OF AS A WHOLE, PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A HOLD ON IT FOR A WHILE, AND THEN CHANGE THE ACCREDITATION OR THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR THAT.QUESTIONS FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PAC? YES, VICE CHAIR ESPAÑA? SO I KIND OF HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID FOR ANTHONY CHABOT, ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS WAS MAINTAINING THIS TYPE OF PROCESS.
IT'S INCREDIBLE, BUT DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THE MORTALITY STABILIZES AND WE'RE NOT HAVING THE SAME TYPE OF TREE DEATH? DO WE HAVE TO PLANT NEW VEGETATION? LIKE, IS THERE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAINTAIN TREE HEALTH BESIDES THE THINNING AND ALSO PREVENTING THAT KIND OF FIRE PROTECTION AND ARE WE RETHINKING WHAT OUR DIFFERENT PARKS AND LANDSCAPES MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? SO I GUESS, HOW IS THAT TREE MORTALITY ALSO SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE OR NOT CONTINUE OVER TIME? YEAH, SO IT'S TWOFOLD.
SO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HAS TWO BENEFITS.
SO WHEN WE HAD IN 2020 DIFFERENT RESOURCES FROM SCIENTISTS TO FORESTERS COME OUT TO OBSERVE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH OUR TREE HEALTH, THE SHORT VERSION OF THE PRESCRIPTION THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO TREAT THE TREE MORTALITY WAS TO THIN THE FOREST.
SO BY THINNING THE TREES, IMAGINE THE ANALOGY OF STRAWS IN THE GROUND.
TREES ARE STRAWS IN THE GROUND TAKING UP RESOURCES.
SO BY THINNING THESE TREES AND GETTING RID OF THE DEAD TREES, WE CHOOSE TO KEEP THE HEALTHY TREES AND IT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURVIVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE RESOURCES NOW, THEY'LL HAVE MORE SUNLIGHT, THEY'LL HAVE MORE WATER, NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL, AND SO THAT IS THE TREATMENT, AND THAT WAS BASED OFF FORESTERS AND SCIENTISTS WHO CAME OUT TO HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TREATMENT WOULD BE BUT IT ALSO HAS THE DUAL EFFECT OF FIRE MITIGATION.
HAVING LESS TREES MEANS THAT WHEN A FIRE DOES BURN, INSTEAD OF IT BEING A CATASTROPHIC EVENT, IT MEANS THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MANAGE AS FIREFIGHTERS AND SUPPRESS, AND THEN YOUR LAST QUESTION WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, I THINK, OVERALL PLAN DISTRICTWIDE, BUT I KNOW THERE WAS A TOUR. I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEKEND OVER AT CARQUINEZ SCENIC.
IN OTHER AREAS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO PLANT THE TREES THAT WE WANT TO SEE THERE, AND SO WHAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK ON YOUR TOUR IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE FUTURE OF TYPE OF WORK THAT WILL BE DOING.
IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT, TO KHARI.
SO THE IDEA THERE IS AND THIS IS NOW A PROGRAM IN CAL FIRE IS TO REFOREST OR REPLANT WITH MORE DROUGHT TOLERANT AND FIRE RESILIENT VEGETATION SO THAT THE RISK OF A FIRE OR THE RISK OF DIE OFF IS REDUCED.
[14. **CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, TEXAS AND PALOMA TRAILS, LLC FOR DEVELOPER PAYMENT OF NECESSARY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO CREATION OF THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, ISSUANCE OF RELATED BONDS, TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE PALOMA TRAILS DEVELOPMENT.]
GREAT. THANK YOU. MAYBE I'LL MOVE TO MEMBER OBRINGER REMOTELY.SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS I WAS TAKING NOTE OF THE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WERE QUITE A FEW IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND SO I WAS CURIOUS, WHAT KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS DO YOU HAVE WITH THE CITIES OF ORINDA, MORAGA AND LAFAYETTE, SINCE I KNOW THAT THEY ALSO
[01:35:05]
FACE, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR CHALLENGES WITH TRYING TO YOU KNOW, ADDRESS SOME OF THE OVERGROWTH AND SO FORTH.SO DO YOU HAVE SIMILAR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM REGARDING THE PARKS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THOSE JURISDICTIONS? WE DO OUR AGENCIES WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER.
WE'RE ACTUALLY I BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING.
IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEDNESDAY.
WE HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH MOFD WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME FUELS REDUCTION WORK OVER IN TILDEN, OFF OF NIMITZ TRAIL, AND WHERE SOME OF THEIR RESOURCES AND OUR RESOURCES HAVE BEEN THINNING A EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION UP THERE, AND THIS WEDNESDAY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PILE BURNING WITH THE ORINDA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND ADDITION, ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO COME OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT WHERE WE'RE UNIQUE IS THAT MOST AGENCIES JUST WORK WITH A ADJACENT NEIGHBOR.
WE ARE IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES AND WE TOUCH EVERY SINGLE CITY.
SO WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
THANK YOU, AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
[15. CONSENT AGENDA]
SO I NOTICED YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BIOCHAR.I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE ALSO ANY TIMBER THAT'S PRODUCED THAT COULD BE REPROCESSED AND USED AS MASS TIMBER FOR CONSTRUCTION? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE LOOKED INTO AT ALL OR ANYBODY HAS EXPRESSED ANY INTEREST AS YOU'RE DOING THE THINNING? YEAH, I ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL.
I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK OR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, BUT SOMEBODY WHO WAS INTERESTED IN REPURPOSING SOME OF THE LUMBER, TYPICALLY IN THE PAST, EUCALYPTUS TREES WERE NOT GOOD FOR THOSE PURPOSES, BUT THERE WAS A PERSON WHO WAS INTERESTED IN DOING THAT, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE PUT THEM IN CONTACT WITH OUR FUELS TEAM TO EXPLORE THAT IDEA MORE, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEBODY PLAYING SOME EUCALYPTUS LUMBER THAT'S AT ONE OF OUR SITES, AND LIKE I SAID, IN THE PAST, I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE BELIEF THAT EUCALYPTUS WAS NOT GOOD WOOD FOR THOSE PURPOSES, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND CUTTING IT FROM DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF THE WOOD, IT MIGHT HAVE SOME POSSIBILITIES.
THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
MEMBER HENRY. DOES GRAZING FALL UNDERNEATH THIS? BECAUSE IT'S IMPRESSIVE HOW THE SHEEP TOTALLY TEAR DOWN ALL THE GRASS IN AN AREA FASTER THAN A WORK CREW COULD DO, BUT I'M ASSUMING THE DISTRICT GETS REVENUE OFF THAT.
SO IS THE GRAZING A PIECE OF THIS, OR IS THAT MANAGED SEPARATELY BECAUSE IT'S REVENUE? SO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT GRAZING THAT WE DO AT THE DISTRICT.
I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S UNDER WHAT I DO.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR GOAT PROGRAM.
WE WORK WITH THREE DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
WE ARE WE'RE TOUCHING 13 DIFFERENT PARKS WITH OUR GRAZING PROGRAM.
IMAGINE MANAGING AND MITIGATING THE FUELS FOR THE DISTRICT, AND WHAT A CHALLENGE THAT IS AND HOW MANY DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE RESOURCES, AND THE GOATS ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT PRETTY EFFECTIVELY AND ACTUALLY IN AT A VERY COST EFFICIENT COST FOR THE PUBLIC, AND SO IT'S GREAT FOR THOSE PURPOSES I KNOW EVERYONE IS NOT ALWAYS A FAN OF THE GOATS, BUT THEY DO HAVE VERY GOOD BENEFITS WHEN IT COMES TO LOWERING THE FUELS, THE LIGHT, FLASHY +FUELS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE.
SO I'M WONDERING WHY THE CATTLE PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT, AND CAN YOU PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE SOMEBODY REALLY MAD? CAN YOU REPLACE THE CATTLE WITH THE SHEEP? BECAUSE, I MEAN, THE SHEEP ARE GREAT.
THE CATTLE, THEY BOTH DO A LOT OF DAMAGE ON THE TRAIL, BUT THE CATTLE DO WAY MORE DAMAGE, AND THEN JUST AS WE'RE LOOKING TO REDUCE POLLUTION, JUST THE SCAT FROM THE CATTLE, I MEAN, THE SHEEP ISN'T GREAT, BUT THE CATTLE IS EXPONENTIALLY WORSE AND AGAIN, THE TRAIL DAMAGE FROM THE CATTLE IS WAY MORE THAN THE SHEEP.
I'VE GOT A BIT OF A BACKGROUND IN BIOLOGY.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT GRAZERS REALLY.
CATTLE WILL EAT, THEY'RE BROWSERS, THEY MOVE AROUND.
GOATS ARE OBVIOUSLY AS WELL, NOT AS VERY SELECTIVE.
SHEEP ARE HIGHLY SELECTIVE, AND SO THERE ARE PLACES IN THE VASCO CAVES CORRIDOR WE'VE GOT WHERE WE'VE GOT SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN WITH REGARDS TO CERTAIN KIND OF PLANTS, AND WE'LL USE SHEEP FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY BROWSE.
[01:40:05]
THEY DON'T BROWSE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE NUB.CATTLE ARE KIND OF THE SAME THING.
SO IF YOU ARE GRAZING AN AREA WHERE YOU'VE GOT KIND OF WHAT WE CALL THE NOXIOUS, THE INVASIVE PLANTS, AND THE PLANT IS IN A SPECIFIC PHONOLOGY. SO IT'S GROWN TO A CERTAIN STAGE WHERE IT'S ABOUT READY TO DISPERSE OR IS ALREADY STARTING TO DISPERSE THE SEEDS OF THE PLANT YOU DON'T WANT, THEY HAVE TO BE MANAGED AFTER THAT IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE SPREADING YOUR PROBLEM.
GOATS, I MEAN CATTLE, IT DOESN'T FUNCTION QUITE LIKE THAT.
GOATS ARE VERY GOOD AT DOING THAT.
IN FACT, THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE NEW ISLAND KONA, I'M SORRY, ON HAWAII, THE BIG ISLAND, THEY USE GOATS TO HELP CREATE SOIL AND TO HELP ACTUALLY PLANT THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO EFFECTIVE AT IT.
SO I DON'T THINK THE DISTRICT WILL EVER STOP USING THE THREE DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THEY ALL THREE GRAZE DIFFERENTLY, AND SO THEY'RE USED DIFFERENTLY. THANKS.
MEMBER FARMER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO I'M CONNECTING THEM SOME REALLY GREAT VIDEOS ON YOUR YOUTUBE PAGE THAT EXPLAIN IT, AND ALSO A REALLY GREAT PROJECT HAPPENING IN SIBLEY TO REPLACE EUCALYPTUS WITH REDWOODS, WHICH ARE THE BEST SPECIES FOR CAPTURING CARBON.
SO THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I WANTED TO RAISE MAYBE A NICHE ISSUE.
WE'VE GONE ON THE GRAZING CONVERSATION, BUT I'VE HEARD FROM SOME DOG OWNERS THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ALWAYS ABOUT FOXTAILS AND THE IMPACT FOR DOGS, AND THEY BASICALLY WERE ASSESSING THAT THE GOATS ARE NOT EATING THE FOXTAILS OR THEY'RE SOMEHOW FERTILIZING AND CREATING MORE FOXTAILS AT OTHER PARTS OF THE YEAR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SORT OF A CAUSATION CORRELATION ISSUE, BUT IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ILLUMINATE WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU. EVERY MORNING WHEN I COME TO WORK, I TELL HIM I HAVE TO GO IN THE BISCUIT MONEY.
THE FOXTAILS I CAN SEE WHY THEY WOULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION.
FOXTAILS HAVE SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE IN VERY, VERY URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IT HASN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GOATS, AND IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING UP THERE CALLED GOAT BARB GRASS BARBED GOATGRASS, BARBED GOATGRASS, AND IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE.
THE OTHER THING THAT JUST WENT COMPLETELY OUT OF MY HEAD FOXTAILS, BUT IT'S NOT, AND SO THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, EVEN MEDUSAHEAD, WHICH IS ANOTHER INVASIVE PLANT, THOSE CAN ALL BE GRAZED, BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T JUST THROW GOATS AND SHEEP OUT THERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
RIGHT? EVEN WHEN WE DO PRESCRIBED FIRE, WE HAVE TO PICK OUR TIMING, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A RESOURCE BURN, BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE. SO THE TIMING HAS TO BE RIGHT FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I GUESS THE CONNECTION IS NOT NECESSARILY A SOLID CONNECTION THAT THE GOATS ARE SPREADING.
THE BARBED GOATGRASS OR THE MEDUSAHEAD OR THE FOXTAILS, THOSE HAVE KIND OF NATURALLY, BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THE WIND, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE REALIZED THAT WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE IN WIND EVENTS QUITE A BIT.
THOSE ARE MORE THE THINGS THAT THE DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN SPREADING THOSE PARTICULAR SEEDS ARE DESIGNED TO STICK TO YOUR CLOTHES, STICK TO THE DOG'S FUR, STICK TO THE GOATS FIRST STICK YOU KNOW THEY'RE MADE TO TRAVEL AND REPOPULATE OR POPULATE AREAS BUT THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY TIMES WHEN YOU CAN PUT GOAT, GOATS AND SHEEP ON CERTAIN PLANTS THAT MAY NOT BE NORMALLY WHAT THEY'D GO AFTER AND THEY WILL EAT IT, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S NOT A LOT ELSE FOR THEM TO EAT.
[01:45:01]
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.THE GRIZZLY PEAK PROJECT WAS MENTIONED BOTH IN YOURS AND THE GRANTS.
COULD YOU JUST DESCRIBE KIND OF SOME TOP 2 OR 3 THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS FIRE BREAK? IS IT BECAUSE OF A WILDFIRE RISK AND HOW DO YOU DO IT? CUT DOWN TREES? [CHUCKLING] PRETTY MUCH.
JUST TEASING YOU. SO IT'S YEAH WE'RE THINNING TREES OFF OF SOUTH PARK AND GRIZZLY PEAK AREA, BUT WHERE I WOULD SAY THIS PROJECT IS DIFFERENT IS USUALLY AGENCIES HAVE GOT THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THEIR OWN PROJECTS.
SO US WE HAVE ALL THE LAND THAT WE'RE MANAGING, AND I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT EAST BAY MUD OR BERKELEY OR ANYBODY ELSE'S PROJECTS BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL OF THEIR OWN PROJECTS BUT BECAUSE OF THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM AND THE GROUP THAT WE'RE ALL PART OF, WE'RE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND GO, HEY, LET'S APPLY FOR THIS GRANT TOGETHER, AND LET'S STRATEGICALLY PICK AREAS THAT TIE IN ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY SO THAT WE CAN THIN ALL THESE AREAS TOGETHER.
SO IT'S NOT PATCHWORK WHERE THE PARK DISTRICT DID THEIR PORTION, BUT MAYBE ANOTHER AGENCY HASN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THEIR PORTION, AND SO IT ALSO FORCES THE AGENCIES TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTED AREAS OF PRIORITY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND DO THAT, AND IT WAS A HEAVY OR A BIG PROJECT FOR THE DISTRICT BECAUSE WE WERE THE LEAD AGENCY.
SO WE HAD TO WE'RE THE ONES THAT APPLIED FOR THE GRANTS AND UTILIZED OUR RESOURCES TO DO ALL THAT WORK, AND FORTUNATELY FOR ALL THE AGENCIES, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT GRANT AWARDED, AND NOW WE HAVE DIFFERENT MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE COORDINATING HOW THE WORK IS BEING DONE QUARTERLY CHECKS, WHERE WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES, MAKING SURE THAT THE PORTIONS ARE GOING AS EXPECTED, AND BUT IN SHORT, WE'RE THINNING TREES ADJACENT TO ROADS CREATING ONE CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK BETWEEN CITY OF BERKELEY, EAST BAY MUD, AND UC BERKELEY.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT.
NICE AND THINNED OUT SO THAT WHEN IT HITS THAT RIDGE TOP, IT KEEPS THE FIRE ON THE GROUND.
KEEPING IT IN THE GROUND IS CRITICAL TO THAT BECAUSE IF IT CAN CAST EMBERS, WE LOSE OUR BOX.
I'VE GOT TO ADMIT, I'VE BEEN A FAN OF BIOCHAR FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT IT IN CONNECTION WITH RICE FARMING, WHERE THEY WERE USING IT TO BURN THE RICE STRAW, AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF PROMOTION THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS A WAY TO GET RID OF THIS MATERIAL, BUT IT ALSO PRODUCES SOME USEFUL THINGS THAT CAN BE CAPTURED FROM THE EXHAUST AND USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND THAT ALSO THE HEAT THAT'S GENERATED COULD BE USED TO PRODUCE ENERGY.
SO I'M WONDERING, ARE THOSE ASPECTS BEING INCORPORATED OR LOOKED AT AS FAR AS BEING PART OF THE MECHANISM FOR ACTUALLY HAVING BIOCHAR HAPPEN? LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE YOU DOING ALL THIS GOOD STUFF FOR THE FOREST, BUT YOU COULD BE MAYBE CRANKING OUT SOME KILOWATTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE FUTURE IS TRULY ENDLESS, BUT IF WE WERE TO STEP BACK WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT, IT TRULY WAS IN A CONCEPT, AN IDEA.
THERE WAS NO PROOF THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
THE TEAM WAS TRULY JUST GOING FOR IT AND THEY MADE IT HAPPEN.
I'M JUST EVEN MORE PROUD OF THE GROUP THAT THEY FIGURED IT OUT.
IT'S ONE THING TAKING AN IDEA THAT SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY DID AND FOLLOWING IT LIKE A TEMPLATE.
WE PUT IN THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND ALLOCATED PEOPLE SO WE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAY THE USES OF ARDENWOOD AND WATER FILTRATION AND PLANT ENRICHMENT AND RESTORATION, NONE OF THAT HAD BEEN DONE LITERALLY WITHIN THIS YEAR.
[01:50:03]
THIS IS ALL BRAND NEW STUFF, AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY FIXATED ON WHAT WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED, BUT THE FUTURE IS IS ENDLESS.I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE WORK THAT THE WHOLE TEAM HAS WORKED ON TODAY, HOPEFULLY TEN YEARS FROM NOW, THERE'S CONTINUATION AND THEY'RE JUST BUILDING OFF THE SUCCESSES THAT THIS GROUP HAS HAD.
WELL, THIS TIMBER IS A RESOURCE AND IF WE EXTRACT AS MUCH BENEFICIAL USE OUT OF IT THAT WE CAN WOULD BE GOOD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE? I'M THINKING, WELL, YOU'VE GOT THIS ONE BIOCHAR UNIT.
HOW COMPLICATED, HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT TO REPLICATE AND HAVE 12 OF THEM WORKING SOMEWHERE? WE CURRENTLY DO NOT OWN THE CARBONIZER.
THE COST OF THE CARBONIZER IS ABOUT $1 MILLION.
WE, FOR NOW, HAVE FOUND IT MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE TO CONTRACT THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, AND MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER HAD SEEN IT AND USED IT.
SO WE WANTED TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH OUR TECHNIQUES THAT WE WERE UTILIZING, AND THEN WE REALIZED IT WAS IT WAS A WINNER, AND WE DID THE 365 ACRE, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER 221 ACRE PROJECT IF IT GETS AWARDED, BUT IT'S IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE CARBON ISN'T JUST THE NEWEST, ISN'T JUST THE ONLY PIECE OF INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT WE'RE USING.
WE HAD FOUR CONTRACTORS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO FORM A CORPORATION.
THREE, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE THE THREE CONTRACTORS UNDER FALK FORESTRY.
FALK FORESTRY IS THE LEAD, BUT THEN THERE'S ASCENT FORESTRY AND THERE'S EARTH FOUNDRIES, BUT THE PROJECT WAS SO LARGE THAT THREE LARGE CONTRACTORS HAD TO JOIN TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THIS WORK, AND THEY ALL BROUGHT A PIECE TO IT. SO, FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE OTHER SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENTS THAT ARE ON THESE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
ONE IS A PROTOTYPE FROM GERMANY WHERE THEY ACTUALLY FLEW OUT.
THE GERMAN ENGINEERS ACTUALLY FLEW OUT TO SEE HOW IT WAS WORKING AND MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, BECAUSE IT HAS A UNIQUE ABILITY TO NOT UPSET THE GROUND TOO MUCH WHEN IT'S ON THE GROUND, BUT IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE EUCALYPTUS.
SO SO THESE FOLKS CAME OUT TO KIND OF FINE TUNE IT.
SOMETHING CRAZY LIKE THAT. MASTICATOR? MASTICATOR. YEAH. SO WE ARE BUSY.
JUST KIND OF TRYING TO STEER THIS AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
YEAH. IT'S ALSO A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS.
THERE IS THERE ARE SAFETY TOURS THAT ARE DONE ANYTIME ANYBODY COMES OUT THERE.
IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR US TO MANAGE.
IS THERE ANY WHAT'S THE PROSPECT THEN, OF HARNESSING THIS GROWTH OR PROMOTING THE POTENTIAL GROWTH THAT'S OUT THERE? WHAT'S THE LIMITATION? WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT WE ARE DOING THERE ARE SOME STUDIES THAT ARE BEING DONE.
WE ARE GATHERING AS MUCH DATA FROM THIS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WE HAD OUR BIOCHAR WAS EVALUATED BECAUSE BIOCHAR UTILIZATION STUDY.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE WORK WITH UNIVERSITIES TO HAVE PUBLISHED JOURNALS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIOCHAR. WE PRIOR TO EVEN GETTING THIS STARTED, WE FORMED A BIOCHAR UTILIZATION COMMITTEE WITH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DISTRICT RESOURCES, AND THE US FOREST SERVICE, WHO HAD BEEN UTILIZING BIOCHAR FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS.
WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEIR SOIL SCIENTISTS TO COME OUT AND KIND OF GIVE US A PRESENTATION OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, WHICH HELPED TO GIVE US INFORMATION SO THAT WE COULD KIND OF SPEED UP THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE WANTED TO DO, BUT WE ARE DOING LOTS OF COLLABORATION WORK AND WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
LIKE, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
[01:55:06]
AND I GUESS, ARE YOU FEELING LIKE YOU'RE GETTING SUFFICIENT ATTENTION AND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO REALLY GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN, OR IS THERE ANYTHING HOLDING YOU BACK? I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE DIRECTOR SANWONG IS HERE, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER IN ADDITION TO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE OF I MEAN, KHARI AND I HAD TO GO IN, SIT DOWN WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER, WHO WAS FAIRLY NEW, AND SAY, WE WANT TO PUT A GREAT BIG BOX THAT BURNS SUPER, SUPER HOT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF DEAD TREES.WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, GREAT IDEA.
HIS JAW DROPPED OPEN WHEN SHE SAID, OKAY, AND WE WERE LIKE, OH GOD, NOW WE HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT BUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN OUT THERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIABILITY IF, YOU KNOW, KHARI HAS MADE IT THE PRESENTATION IN AN EFFORT TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND FOR BREVITY PURPOSES, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE DID IT IT WAS DONE IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL, VERY METHODICAL WAY.
OTHERWISE, NONE OF THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
YEAH, AND IT JUST GOES TO THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, THE GENERAL MANAGER, LANDRETH.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP WANTING YOU TO BE INNOVATIVE, TAKE CHANCES AND DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, IT MAKES IT, IT ENCOURAGES YOU TO DO THAT TYPE OF THING. SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE NEXT LEVEL, THE NEXT STEP NOW? WELL, SO YOU'RE STILL YEAH WE SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE TRULY IN THE TRENCHES WITH THE CURRENT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND SO YOU GOT TO LOOK UP OUT OF THE TRENCH AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING NEXT.
IT'S YOU'RE THE PROJECTS AND THE THINGS THAT WE SAID THAT WE'RE DOING, THIS IS SO NEW THAT 5-10 YEARS FROM NOW WE WILL TRULY SEE THE BENEFICIAL, YEAH BENEFITS FROM IT.
BUT YEAH, BE ABLE TO DO TWEAKS OF USE AND PRESCRIPTIONS AND THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED, BUT RIGHT NOW WE TRULY WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING PHASE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
YEAH. HE'S GOT HIS HANDS FULL.
I CAN DREAM BIG. SO MY--HE'S ONLY GOT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN THOUGH.
[CHUCKLING] WELL, YEAH THERE'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY AND HE'S GREAT AT HIS JOB AND I APPRECIATE HIM EVERY DAY, BUT WE'RE HAVING WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE I'M STARTING TO HAVE FIRE CHIEFS FROM FIRE CHIEFS FROM OREGON, WASHINGTON, CANADA CALL US BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING THEM SOONER THAN WAS PREDICTED, AND SO THEY ARE WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO.
SO I HAVE LONG CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S WE'RE ALL NOT CREATED EQUAL.
I THINK WE'VE SET OURSELVES UP TO HAVE A GOOD PATH FORWARD WELL INTO THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING, THE FACT THAT WE'RE LEADING THE WAY AND GETTING PERMITS AND THINGS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN GOTTEN BEFORE.
SO HOPEFULLY IF SOME OTHER AGENCY THAT'S ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING AGENCIES GOES TO YOU KNOW, BAY AREA AIR QUALITY CONTROL AND SAYS, HEY, CAN WE GET A PERMIT? IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
SO WE'RE SHARING ALL THE DATA IN THE INFORMATION WITH THE ACADEMIC WORLD, WITH OTHER FIRE ENTITIES, WITH NATIONAL FORESTERS GROUP, ONCE WE'VE GOT KIND OF A GOOD GATHERING OF ALL THAT AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I THINK OUR PATH WILL BE FAIRLY CLEAR RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST GOT OUR NOSE KIND OF DOWN TO THE GRINDSTONE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS STUFF DONE UNDERSTANDING THAT NOW WE'VE DONE IT AND WE CAN KIND OF HOLD ON TO THAT AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
I'M SURE WE CAN COME UP WITH OTHERS.
YEAH, AND IF THIS I KNOW ALL ANALOGIES DON'T LAND, BUT IF I WAS TO USE A SPORTS ANALOGY, LET'S SAY FOOTBALL, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR THE END ZONE. SO NO ONE'S DOING ANY TOUCHDOWN DANCES, AND WE'RE WE TRULY ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD BEFORE WE START THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING
[02:00:04]
ELSE AND END UP DROPPING THE BALL.YOU KNOW, THE I GUESS I LOVE THIS PROJECT, IF NOTHING ELSE, BECAUSE OF THE CHEMISTRY THIS PROCESS DOES NOT RELEASE CO2. IT BURNS THE HYDROGEN PART OF THE ORGANIC MOLECULE, BUT NOT THE CARBON PART, AND THAT'S WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND, AND SO YOU CAN HAVE ALL THIS STUFF HAPPENING WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL WARMING.
WE JUST FOUND OUR SCIENCE GEEK OF THE GROUP.
I THINK WE DID AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE, THAT'LL GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION SOME OF THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT PATRICK MCINTYRE IS THE CAPTAIN HE SUPERVISES FOUR FRCS. ONE OF THEM IS PABLO, WHO WAS THE PERSON THAT WE PUT ON THE BIOCHAR PORTION OF IT TO FIGURE IT OUT.
HE HAS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD TALK WITH HIM ABOUT.
JAVON WAS ONE OF OUR IN-HOUSE FORESTERS, BUT SHE IS THE PERSON RUNNING THE PROJECT, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER, STEVE, YOU MENTIONED THE GOATS EARLIER.
HE RUNS THE GOATS PROGRAM AND OUR OTHER TEAM MEMBER, COLIN, HE'S THE ONE THAT'S BEEN DOING ALL THE WORK OVER IN TILDEN PARK AND CLAREMONT CANYON, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER CAPTAIN THAT RUNS OUR FUELS CREW NEVILLE AND THE LIEUTENANTS THERE, BUT TRULY, THE TEAM OF EXPERTS WE HAVE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE DOING ALL THE HARD WORK, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE CHIEFS, WE REPRESENT THEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO SHARE ALL THEIR HARD WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY TRULY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING ALL THIS DONE.
YOU'RE EASY. [CHUCKLING] YEAH.
YES. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THIS TOPIC WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ALSO WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, TOP NEWS STORIES RIGHT NOW, AND I'M SURE ALL OF US LIVING IN HERE IN CALIFORNIA ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE SITUATION HERE IN OUR STATE AND I KNOW THERE ARE EFFORTS IN SACRAMENTO RIGHT NOW TO MAKE WORK, LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, COUNT TOWARDS YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REDUCING THAT INSURANCE RISK IN TERMS OF HOW THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE CALCULATING THEIR RISK MODELS, AND SO I THINK WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RIGHT HERE ON THIS LEADING EDGE IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT HOW TO BEST MITIGATE RISK WITHIN OUR STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY, FOR YOU AS THE PAC, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, STAY ON TOP OF THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A REALLY BIG ISSUE AS PEOPLE ARE LOSING, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE AND INSURANCE PROVIDERS ARE LEADING THE STATE, AND I FEEL VERY ENCOURAGED AND YOU KNOW, PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT IT'S WE STILL NEED TO CONNECT THAT TO THIS INSURANCE RISK, AND I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN A COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE NEXT TO OUR PARK DISTRICT LANDS ALSO HAVING CONCERNS, AND I THINK THIS REALLY BECAME A BIG ONE.
I KNOW I WAS UP ON THE PLEASANTON RIDGE, I THINK, A WEEK AFTER THE MAUI WILDFIRES AND HEARD ABOUT YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE SOME HOMEOWNERS WHO LIVE NEXT TO EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, LAND UP ON PLEASANTON RIDGE AND AFTER THE MAUI FIRES NOT ONLY DID THEY GET PHONE CALLS THAT THEIR INSURANCE RATES HAD GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT ALSO CONCERNS BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ROADS ARE VERY WINDY AND NARROW AND CAN BE DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THEIR PROPERTIES IN THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE DISTRICT, AND SO I THINK PART OF OUR CHALLENGE IS HOW WE CAN BEST WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND THINK ABOUT ALSO REDUCING THE RISK AND HOW IT'S HELPFUL TO THEM, AND THE ONLY OTHER POINT I WAS GOING TO MAKE IS EITHER SUMMER OF 2015 OR SUMMER OF 2016, WHEN I WAS HERE ON THE PACK AND WE HAD A MEETING, I REMEMBER AT TILDEN EEC, THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK WE WERE DOING NEAR TILDEN IN REGARDS TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND REMOVING EUCALYPTUS TREES, AND WE HAD A PRETTY LARGE CROWD THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE THAT SUMMER THAT ACTUALLY WERE AGAINST THE PROJECT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT ANY OF THE TREES TO BE CUT DOWN AND WERE ADVOCATING ADVOCATING TO KEEP THOSE TREES UP, AND I THINK IT'S VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS 2017, 2018 WERE THE FIRST YEARS, FIRST SUMMERS WHERE WE REALLY HAD YOU KNOW, WILDFIRES IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE SMOKE IMPACTED ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE BAY AREA, AND I THINK THAT EACH OF US EXPERIENCING THAT WHO'VE LIVED HERE SINCE THEN, I THINK IT'S SHIFTED SOME OF THE PUBLIC OPINION, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYBODY SPEAKING UP EITHER HERE AT THIS MEETING OR AT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS AGAINST THESE PROJECTS.
[02:05:05]
KHARI SAYS, YOU KNOW, HIS HIS FOOTBALL ANALOGY.SO IT WAS 2018 AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DRUG ME UP AS AN SME TO SACRAMENTO TO TESTIFY BECAUSE WE HAD 13 OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY DAYS ON THE PLANET IN THE BAY AREA, AND MY ANALOGY IS NOT SPORTS.
IT'S A ROCK CONCERT WHERE FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE BAY AREA, THE FIRES WERE OUT THERE RIGHT THERE WAS THE RIM FIRE, THERE WAS THE CEDAR FIRE, AND WE HAD THE NOSEBLEED SEATS RIGHT, AND WE COULD RELATE.
IT WAS HORRIBLE AND IT TOUCHED US, BUT IT WASN'T IN OUR FACE RIGHT.
2018, YOU HAD THE CAMPFIRE, YOU HAD THE COFFEY PARK FIRE, YOU HAD THE TUBBS FIRE.
THAT WAS A LOT CLOSER TO US, AND THEN IN 2020, WE HAD THE 2020 SIEGE, LIGHTNING STRIKE SIEGE.
SO NOW WE'RE IN THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT, AND WE'RE GETTING SOME OF THE SWEAT OFF THE ROCK STAR.
NOW PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION, AND I THINK THEY TRULY STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TREE IT IS, IT'S ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FUEL IT IS, BECAUSE IT'S ALL FUEL, AND SO WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT AND SO I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND NOW IT WAS THE SAME THING WITH THE PRESCRIBED FIRE.
WOULD YOU RATHER PUT A LITTLE FIRE ON THE GROUND WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE CERTIFIED TO DO A NICE BROADCAST BURN THAT BURNS OUT THE UNDERSTORY UNDER A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE THAT COMES IN AND ANNIHILATES EVERYTHING? SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EDUCATION, AND I THINK WE ALL GOT ONE.
YEAH. IF I COULD YOU GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE IT'S PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME A LOT MORE LATER, AND IT'S A CLASSIC SITUATION, I THINK, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WILDFIRE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT AND IN TERMS OF THE ISSUE OF NEIGHBORS AND WHATNOT, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A, I THINK, A BIG EFFORT TO PRIORITIZE WHERE THE WORK IS GOING TO GO ON IN THE FUTURE, AND THE BOUNDARY OF THE PARKS TENDS TO BE THE URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE, AND IN OTHER AREAS, I KNOW THEY FOCUSED THE ATTENTION OF THE FOREST HEALTH EFFORTS IN THOSE INTERFACE AREAS TO REDUCE THE THREAT TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE MORE YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING 126,000 ACRES, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE A LOT, BUT THE JOB IS VERY, VERY LARGE, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT OVER A LONG TIME.
YEAH, AND I'LL JUST ADD MY FINAL POINT.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER AREA THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS REALLY BEEN WORKING ON IS YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ADD I GUESS YOU COULD SAY WORKERS TO OUR EFFORTS AND SO I KNOW I THINK SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE EVEN BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US FOR THE TOUR AT IN SAN RAMON THINKING ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS, AND FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN, ERICH, ON THIS, BUT I KNOW WHEN WE GO TO SACRAMENTO IN THIS PAST JANUARY, WE WENT TO THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING SOME TEAMS HERE TO THE EAST BAY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE BASED IN IS IT VALLEJO? SOLANO COUNTY. SOLANO COUNTY, YES, AND SO WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE TEAMS CURRENTLY LOCATED HERE IN THE EAST BAY, AND THEN I KNOW WE'RE LEAVING IN A FEW WEEKS TO GO TO WASHINGTON, D.C., AND THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT ACTUALLY, BY PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION IN REGARDS TO THE CLIMATE CORPS AND AMERICORPS AND THAT PROGRAMING, AND WE WILL ALSO BE MEETING WITH THEM TO ADVOCATE TO BRING IN YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE JOBS AND TRAINING FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE T O GET INTO THIS FIELD MANAGEMENT WORK AND REALLY HAVING THOSE GROUPS BASED HERE IN THE EAST BAY TO HELP US AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, BUT THEN ALSO OUR NEIGHBORS.
OKAY, WE'LL GO TO MEMBER DIETER, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I SEE FRANCIS HAS HIS HAND UP.
HI. I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER THAT THE GOATS AND SHEEP FALL UNDER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PURVIEW, BUT THE CATTLE DO NOT.
IN TERMS OF FIRE PREVENTION, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN THAT THEY BECAME, THAT CATTLE WOULDN'T FALL UNDER YOU GUYS? BEFORE MY TIME. [CHUCKLING] SO WE'VE HAD A RANGELAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE PARK DISTRICT FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME, DECADES AND DECADES AND DECADES, AND THE WAY THOSE CONTRACTS ARE MANAGED ARE QUITE DIFFERENT.
THE CATTLE AREN'T AS EXPENSIVE AS GOATS AND SHEEP, AND THERE
[02:10:06]
THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PULSE, GRAZE GOATS AND SHEEP BECAUSE I WAS TELLING YOU THAT TIMING IS SUPER IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE GOT TO GET THEM IN THERE, HAVE THEM GRAZE THINGS DOWN AND GET THEM OUT SOMETIMES IN 3 OR 4 DAYS, AND SO STEWARDSHIP, OUR STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS RUN OUR GRAZING PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE DON'T JUST GRAZE FOR FIRE MITIGATION.THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER REASONS WHY THE CATTLE GRAZING GOES ON, AND SO THEY'VE MANAGED THAT FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN WHEN WE STARTED REALLY PICKING UP ON OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK, WE STARTED USING GOATS.
IT WAS REALLY ONLY US AND THE OAKLAND ZOO FOR MANY YEARS THAT USED GOATS .
AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE STARTED FIGURING OUT KIND OF HOW CHEAP, UN-CRANKY AND WILLING THAT WORKFORCE WAS IT REALLY KIND OF TOOK OFF, AND SO WE HAD MORE GOAT HERDERS.
OUR INITIAL GOAT HERD GROUPS WERE FROM WATSONVILLE SANTA CRUZ, WAY UP NORTH IN THE MOUNTAINS.
THERE WASN'T ANY AROUND HERE, AND SO IT COST A BIT TO GET THEM HERE, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WE END UP USING A LOT OF OUR GRANT MONEY THAT WE GET FOR GOAT AND SHEEP.
SO BASICALLY THE CATTLE IS IS UNDER STEWARDSHIP BECAUSE IT COVERS A BROADER UMBRELLA FOR MORE THAN FIRE HAZARDS.
OKAY, FRANCIS, I SEE YOUR HAND IS UP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
IT REALLY HARKENS BACK TO MY WORK AS A NATURALIST, ESPECIALLY DOING TOURS UP TO VASCO CAVES AND SEEING THE SHEEP UP THERE, AND THE LONG HISTORY OF BASQUE SHEPHERDS BEING UP THERE AS WELL, BUT I ALSO LOVE SEEING ALL THE GOATS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL SEE THIS DURING EVENTS AND HIKES, BUT ANYTIME THE GOATS ARE OUT AND PEOPLE ARE HIKING, IT'S ALWAYS A WONDERFUL PHOTO OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS OF GETTING RID OF YELLOW STAR THISTLE AND POISON OAK AND THE MILK THISTLE THAT GROWS TO SIX FEET TALL IS SO BENEFICIAL.
I WANT [INAUDIBLE] ON THE HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND HOW WE HAVE HAD A LONG RUNNING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OHLONE PEOPLE AND HOW THAT'S BECOME SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A WAY TO BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND DO FIRE MITIGATION IN THE IN THE FORM OF CULTURAL CEREMONIAL BURNING. THE AMAH MUTSUN HAVE DONE IT FOR A LONG TIME.
MAYBE WITH SOGOREA TE LAND TRUST OR MUWEKMA OHLONE FOUNDATION AS WELL.
YEAH. WE CURRENTLY SO WE DO GET ASKED THAT QUESTION PRETTY FREQUENTLY, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE WORK WE JUST RECENTLY DID, WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WE HOSTED A CARX PRESCRIBED BURN CLASS, AND PART OF THAT CLASS IS THE COMPANY RUNNING IT WANTED TO HAVE A TRIBAL PERSON DO A PRESENTATION TO BE ABLE TO TEACH ABOUT CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND SO WE WORK WITH OUR CULTURAL RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GET A TRIBAL MEMBER TO REPRESENT AND SPEAK DURING THAT COURSE, AND WE ALSO HAVE JUST REGULAR MEETINGS WHERE THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN.
LIKE CHIEF SAID EARLIER, WE'RE STILL IN THE BUILDING PHASE OF OUR PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAM, BUT AS WE'RE BUILDING THAT PROGRAM, WE ALREADY HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS OF WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIPS WE COULD HAVE WITH TRIBAL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S A WONDERFUL TO HEAR ABOUT IT AND LOOK FORWARD.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE A LOT OF THESE EXCITING NEW THINGS ARE GOING TO.
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. [APPLAUSE] OKAY. NEXT UP WE HAVE REPORT FROM THE CHAIR AND I DO NOT HAVE A REPORT.
ANYTHING TO REPORT THIS WEEK? THIS MONTH? ANNOUNCEMENTS.
ARE THERE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM ANY OF THE PAC MEMBERS? YES. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A PROJECT OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE THE REFUGE.
IT'S A WETLANDS PROTECTION, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A PROJECT RIGHT NOW IN THE EAST BAY TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE CITY OF NEWARK TO NOT GO THROUGH WITH SOME IDEAS THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE COME UP WITH SCHEMES TO MAKE SOME MONEY, AND
[02:15:10]
SO ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP WAS WE'RE CURRENTLY PETITIONING AT THE NEWARK LIBRARY TALKING TO CITIZENS AS THEY WALK IN AND ALSO THE REFUGE, DAWN EDWARDS, AND IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME TEAMS AT THE COYOTE HILLS? HOW DO WE GET PERMISSION TO JUST HAVE A FEW, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S USUALLY BEEN 2 OR 3 OF US JUST COLLECTING, LIKE, IN THE PARKING LOT, AND WE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT PART OF THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT.SO YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHO TO CONTACT ABOUT THAT KNOWS THE QUESTION.
I DON'T WE DON'T KNOW WHO TO ASK.
I WOULD SAY PROBABLY RESERVATIONS OR OPERATIONS.
SO LISA GOORJIAN, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER, WOULD BE A GOOD FIRST POINT OF CONTACT.
OKAY, AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE THE REFUGE ONLINE, YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION. GREAT.
IS THAT A HAND? THAT WAS A HAND.
NEXT MONDAY THERE IS A TOUR OF THE MCCOSKER CREEK RESTORATION SITE THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND LISA DAMEREL.
THERE ARE A FEW SPACES STILL AVAILABLE.
MATT GRAUL, I THINK IS GOING TO BE GIVING THE TOUR.
SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS OF INTEREST, LET ME KNOW AND I CAN GET YOU LISA'S CONTACT INFORMATION AND YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ARRANGEMENT TO VISIT THAT REALLY PHENOMENAL PROJECT, AND WHAT WAS THE DAY AND TIME ON THAT AGAIN? NEXT MONDAY, THE 29TH AT STARTING AT 9 A.M..
OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OH, YEAH. MEMBER OBRINGER.
THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH FOLKS THAT THE CITY OF CONCORD IS GOING TO BE, WELL, IT'S NOT THE CITY OF CONCORD, BUT IN THE CITY OF CONCORD, I SHOULD SAY, IS IT'S GOING TO BE OUR JUNETEENTH EVENT ON SUNDAY, JUNE 23RD, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE SPONSORING AGAIN BUT WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE INVITED THE PARK DISTRICT EMPLOYEE BLACK COLLECTIVE, BLACK EMPLOYEE, COLLECTIVE TO TABLE. SO YULIE PADMORE, I APPRECIATE HER BEING THERE AGAIN, AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A FOCUS ON THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PORT CHICAGO EXPLOSION AND THE EFFORTS TO EXONERATE THE PORT CHICAGO 50.
SO JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW TO SAVE THE DATE.
YOU CAN GET TO THE PLAZA WITHIN TWO BLOCKS FROM THE DOWNTOWN CONCORD BART STATION.
SO JUST WANTED TO INVITE FOLKS TO ATTEND.
IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED LAST YEAR, AND THERE IS A PARK DISTRICT CONNECTION AS WELL.
THANK YOU. IN JUNE 23RD, YOU SAID, RIGHT? YES. SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ON JUNETEENTH.
THANK YOU. ANY? YES. MEMBERS SKAREDOFF.
I JUST HAVE A REPORT ON AN EVENT THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.
JOHN MUIR'S CHANNELER, IF YOU WILL, WAS THERE.
ANYWAY, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT, AND I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED.
OKAY. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING NONE.
THEN I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6:23 P.M..
HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYBODY, AND SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.