Documenter: Josef Sibala
Here’s what you need to know:
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The Department of Water and Natural Resources has launched the Prop 68 grant agreements, which total $4.2 million in the Madera Subbasin and $4.2 million in the Chowchilla Subbasin for recharge projects.
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Madera County Public Health Officer Dr. Simon Paul said that COVID cases are declining, with 60% of the previous surge in the winter.
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Staff recommended the Board use the 2010 Supervisorial District boundaries as the starting point for the 2020 Redistricting Plan.
The Scene
According to its website, The Madera Board of Supervisors is the legislative and executive governing body of the Madera County government. Each of the five supervisorial districts of the County elects one supervisor.
Within limits prescribed by State law, the Board enacts ordinances and rules, determines County policy, supervises the activities of County departments, adopts an annual budget, and fixes salaries.
The Board meets regularly the first three Tuesdays of each month and occasionally on Mondays in the Board Chambers of the County Government Center in Madera. The meeting was on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at 9:00 am.
Madera County Board of Supervisors Members present:
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Brett Frazier (District #1)
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David Rogers (District #2)
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Robert Poythress (District #3)
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Letizia Gonzalez (District #4)
Others Present:
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Director of Water and Natural Resources Stephanie Anagnoson
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Deputy County Council Mike Linden
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Regional Policy Manager Madeline Harris from Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability
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Madera County Farm Bureau Executive Director Christina Beckstead
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Senior Planner Jamie Dax and Sam from the Community and Economic Development-Planning Division in Madera County
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City Planner Trevor Stearns
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Human Resources Manager Susan Carter
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Madera County Public Health Officer Dr. Simon Paul
Discussions/Actions
In the consent agenda, the Board unanimously approved items the following:
A. Regular Meeting Minutes for October 5, 2021.
B. 7744: Agreement with Denham Resources in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00 for employment and placement services for individuals working as Community Service Liaisons through the Mental Health Services Act for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
C. 7826: Agreement with Peggy Showalter, Pharm.D. in an amount not to exceed $14,000.00 for the provision of medication monitoring and clinical liaison services with Behavioral Health Services client’s primary physical health care providers for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
D. 7818: Former Courthouse Modular Units.
1. Amendment to MCC No. 10678B-C2018 with the Judicial Council of California to transfer ownership of modular units at the former Courthouse to the County.
2. Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue No. 21- 024 for $135,000.00 derived from Oakhurst Satellite Government Center – Cash Payments to Buildings & Improvements for Multiple Fiscal Years. 4 Votes Required
E. 7591: Agreement with State Center Community College District for professional training courses for current employees and instructor incentives for Madera County Fire class coordinators for Fiscal Years 2021-2024.
F. 7796: Amendment to MCC No. 9911F-C-2020 with the City of Firebaugh amending compensation for the Automatic and Mutual Aid Agreement for Calendar Year 2021.
G. 7828: Legislative Management Platform.
1. Agreement with PrimeGov for $38,247.00 for the Annual Service Fee (subject to a 3% increase per year after that) for a Legislative Management Solution and one-time costs for $5,537.00 for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
2. Consideration of approval of Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue No. 21- 033 for $25,000.00 derived from General Fund – Fund Balance to Information Technology – Software Maintenance/Modification for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
H. 7820: Amendment to MCC No. 11948-2021 with Workforce Investment Corporation for $25,000.00 amending the Term and Scope of Services for re-entry population for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
I. 7774: Amendment to MCC No. 8871C-C-2019 with Goodfellow Occupational Therapy Services, Inc. for an Assignment and Assumption Agreement by New Life Physical Therapy Services, P.C., an affiliate of HealthPRO Pediatrics, LLC to provide occupational therapy services.
J. 7788: Agreement with the California Department of Public Health for System Data Use and Disclosure for the use of California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE).
K. 7810: Master List of On-Call Consultants.
1. Resolution approving and updating a Master List of qualified On-Call Consultants for real property appraisal services and right-of-way services and approving agreements.
2. Agreements with the following On-Call Consultants for Real Property Appraisal Services and authorize the Chief of Development Services to sign:
a. The Dore Group
b. Real Property Analysts
3. Agreements with the following On-Call Consultants for Right-of-Way Consultant Services:
a. Beacon Integrated Profession Resources, Inc. dba Hamner, Jewell & Associates
b. The Row Company
c. Paragon Partners Consultants, LLC
d. Overland, Pacific & Cutler, LLC
e. Universal Field Services, Inc.
f. Clark Land Resources, Inc.
g. Bender Rosenthal, Inc
L. 7837: Freeway Agreement for State Route 41 in Madera.
1. Resolution approving a Freeway Agreement with the California Department of Transportation about State Route 41 from Fresno-Madera County line to a point 1.0 miles north of State Route 145 superseding Resolution No. 2021-24 adopted March 2, 2021.
2. Agreement with California Department of Transportation for a new Freeway Agreement for State Route 41 from the Fresno-Madera County line to 1.0 mile north of State Route 145 (Post Mile 0.0 to Post Mile 10.3) superseding MCC No. 5488-C-95 approved May 23, 1995, and MCC No. 11848-21 approved March 2, 2021.
M. 7834: Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue No. 21-027 for $75,000.00 derived from Social Services Administration – State Administration Social Services to Professional and Specialized Services for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
N. 7831: Agreement with KNN Public Finance, LLC for $30,000.00 for municipal advisory services for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
The Board discussed the following:
6.d. 7860: Sideletter of Agreement with the Professional Bargaining Unit regarding a 4/10 alternative work schedule for employees within the Coroner’s Division of the Sheriff’s Department.
Human Resources Manager Susan Carter said that the agreement allows flexibility for employees and the sheriff. Afterward, the board unanimously (4-0) voted for the side letter of the agreement.
6.e. 7875: Resolution recognizing and determining meeting risks under the Covid-19 proclaimed the State of Emergency under Assembly Bill 361 related to statutory Brown Act exemptions. Likewise, the board unanimously (4-0) voted for the resolution.
6.f. 7847: Update on COVID-19 and current vaccination administration status for Madera County residents.
Madera County Public Health Officer Dr. Simon Paul said that cases are declining, with 60% of the previous surge in the winter.
The case rate is below 29.9 per 100,000. Hospitals are full, but numbers of cases have stabilized.
Monoclonal antibody treatment is available for high risk. About 25% of Madera residents are at risk for COVID-19.
He anticipates small changes in the variants in the second year.
The boosters are available for those who received the Pfizer vaccine.
For the next couple of weeks, they are looking at boosters for those who took Moderna and Johnson&Johnson, and eligibility for younger age groups.
Now, the Health Department is offering a flu vaccine.
6.g. 7835: Resolution determining that special tax shall cease to be levied and approving and authorizing related documents and actions. The board unanimously (4-0) voted for the resolution.
6.h. 7836: Community Facilities District Formation No. 2021-1 (Tesoro Viejo II) No. 1 & 2. the board unanimously (4-0) voted for the item.
1. Resolution of Intention to establish Community Facilities District No. 2021-1 (Tesoro Viejo II) Improvement Area No. 1 & 2 and designate a future Annexation Area and authorize the levy of Special Taxes therein, and to set the Public Hearing for November 16, 2021, at 5:30 P.M.
2. Resolution of Intention to Incur Bonded Indebtedness for Community Facilities District No. 2021-1 (Tesoro Viejo II) Improvement Area No. 1 & 2 and set the Public Hearing for November 16, 2021, at 5:30 P.M.
3. Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue No. 21-025 for $150,000.00 derived from Special Payments – Miscellaneous Revenue to Professional & Specialized Services for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
On GSA reports, the Board discussed the following:
7.a. 7824: Presentation and update on Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
Director of Water and Natural Resources Stephanie Anagnoson stated that the department is working hard for allocations for eligible parcels to be “up and running” and on Irriwatch so that people can track their allocations.
Anyone eligible for parcels paying the GSA administrative fee will automatically receive their sustainable yield (SY) and transition water (TW). Meanwhile, the department is updating acreage.
Base Sustainable Yield (B-SY) is the quantity of sustainable groundwater yield shared equally at 6 in/acre/year.
Re-allocated Sustainable Yield (Re-SY) is the Base Sustainable Yield remaining when considering GSA parcels chosen to opt-out. The quantity is divided and shared equally among the remaining opt-in parcels and added to the Base Sustainable Yield, estimated at 3 in/acre/year.
Transition Water (TW) is the annual quantity available to irrigated and non-irrigated lands. This quantity will decrease annually until zero. “Never-irrigated” lands are not eligible for Transition Water.
The department is developing a process to opt-in for people accessing sustainable yield on the never irrigated lands.
Hence, the department will be sending public notice and letters to people with “never irrigated” parcels.
On the Rate Study, the department is refining and finalizing costs for the first board meeting in December.
The department has launched the Prop 68 grant agreements, which total $4.2 million in the Madera Subbasin and $4.2 million in the Chowchilla Subbasin for recharge projects.
On the monitoring network, the department is focused on Representative Monitoring Sites (RMS) at Well Reads for well levels and water quality.
Regarding Outreach, the department has completed a guide for Irriwatch on the measurement page at the Madera Water website.
Director Anagnoson has attended meetings at Red Top and with Clayton Water District to walk through allocations and Irriwatch.
The department is working for a small farmer group with Madera Ag Water Association (MAWA) and Farm Bureau.
The department is planning for a rate study workshop at the end of November.
In the public comment, Regional Policy Manager Madeline Harris asked for the updates to the monitoring well data with the monitoring data from the Groundwater Sustainability Plan to be publicly released.
In response, Director Anagnoson stated that the information is available and would incur additional effort in providing the annual report data.
Madera County Farm Bureau Executive Director Christina Beckstead asked whether the Sustainable Yield will be in effect if 80% or more of the parcel is irrigated in the system.
Deputy County Counsel Michael Linden clarified that it would depend on the need and parcel-based observation.
The public hearings centered on the following:
8.a. 7833: Second hearing to provide a comparative analysis regarding the redistricting Census data from 2010 and the current 2020 Census data and an opportunity for public comment to participate in the redistricting process for Supervisorial Boundary Redistricting under Elections Code 21627.1(a)(1).
According to the Census Bureau, City Planner Trevor Stearns stated that Madera had seen a 20% change in total population from 2010 to 2020.
With a 7.1% deviation between large and smaller districts deemed unacceptable, the Board approved new district boundaries in 2011.
In the 2020 redistricting process, if district boundaries do not change, there would be a 17.5% deviation between the highest (District #3) and lowest (District #5), which exceeds the 10% threshold.
The process excludes the incarcerated population given the California Elections Code.
Other criteria for redistricting plans are preserving communities of Interest, compactness, contiguous, respecting existing legislative boundaries and incumbency, and packing and cracking avoidance.
Staff recommended the Board use the 2010 Supervisorial District boundaries as the starting point for the 2020 Redistricting Plan.
By using the precedent set during the 2010 Redistricting process, which was deemed acceptable to the previous Board of Supervisors, the most recent Supervisorial Redistricting Plan can use a similar methodology based on the previous precedent.
The Board of Supervisors will be allowed to use the previously approved Redistricting methodology for the 2020 Redistricting Plan.
The Board will adjust to rectifying new census blocks separated by the existing district boundaries and adjusting boundaries to reach the substantially equal ideal population figure.
District 5 has been consistently on the lower end of the total population count for many years. District 5 will need to be revised to address its low population. Staff will provide at least 3 draft maps that would address this deviation.
During the closed session, the Board discussed the following item:
2.a. 7846: Request for Closed Session: Government Code Section 54957.6
Conference With Labor Negotiations
Agency designated representatives: Elba Gomez, Director of Human Resources and Susan Carter, Human Resources Manager
Employee Organization: All Units
The meeting lasted until 11 am. The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at 9:00 am.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at Documenters-admin@thefresnoland.com with “Correction Request” in the subject line.