Here’s what you need to know

  • The Tulare County Board of Supervisors met on September 13, 2022 and approved the fiscal year 2022/23 budget of $1.82 billion, an increase of $206.6 million. It included a 7% cost-of-living adjustment for the board of supervisors and some county elected officials. 
  • Several residents from Pixley spoke during the public hearing session of the budget hearings to ask for a 30-day review period and better water conditions. The 30-day period was not granted but the board asked staff to look into why some residents are not eligible for the water bottle program. 
  • County employers received updated social media guidelines. One of the major updates to these guidelines is allowing departments to maintain their own list of approved platforms. IT will then access if a platform is a security risk and blacklist it.

Follow-up questions

  • Could the board have had the budget hearings earlier to allow for a 30-day review period. Is this something they can do next year?
  • The agenda lists Item 44 as Record of Threat of Litigation, but the board was not required to read it out loud or take action on it, as informed by staff. Why was the item listed in the open session?

Board of Supervisors

  • Larry Micari, District One
  • Pete Vander Poel III, District Two
  • Amy Shuklian, District Three
  • Eddie Valero – Chairman, District Four
  • Dennis Townsend – Vice Chair, District Five
  • Jason T. Britt, County Administrative Officer
  • Jennifer M. Flores, County Council
  • Melinda Benton, Chief Clerk

The Scene

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting was held simultaneously both in-person and streamed via YouTube and Zoom at 9 a.m. on September 13, 2022. The meeting began with the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. 

Actions

  • Board of Supervisors matters
    • Supervisor Vander Poel
      • Last week was the 9/11 memorial blood drive. 
      • Upcoming is a Retirement Board meeting, Tulare County Employee Investment Committee meeting, Tulare County Fair Annual Quilt of Honor Ceremony, Day of Celebration for park investment in Allensworth, Greater Kaweah GSA meeting, TCAG, Once Upon A Time Night at the Tulare Public Library, Grandma’s House fundraiser where the founder will retire, and a Multi-GSA Kaweah Basin meeting. The East Tulare Villas will receive about $1 million in grant funds and will construct an above ground water storage tank and two booster pumps. 
    • Supervisor Shuklian
      • Last week Child Welfare Services handed out backpacks, she attended the Tegas Ranch Reunion, she approved murals for Mooney’s Grove Park, and she spoke at the Tulare County Fire Dept. and Sheriffs Dept. 
      • Upcoming is an RCRC Conference, Air Board meeting, California  Retirement Teachers Association, TCAG, and a Task Force on Homelesssness meeting.
    • Supervisor Micari
      • Last week HHSA helped homeless students, he met with constituents, attended a LAFCO meeting, spoke at Foothill Rotary, attended various 9/11 events, and attended the Proteus Gala.
      • Upcoming is the RCRC Conference, TCAG, Sister Hope Fundraiser, Good News Jail banquet, AG advisory, and the Kaweah Subbasin meeting.
    • Supervisor Townsend
      • Last week he attended Senator Shannon Grove’s event, various 9/11 events, spoke at Belle’s Across America, and received an update from Brooke Sisk.
      • Upcoming RCRC meeting, Sisters’ Hope ALSP fundraiser, and he will be going to San Joaquin Valley Voice D.C. trip where he will also represent the County in meetings with their lobbyist.
    • Supervisor Valero
      • He thanked emergency services for helping last week with the summer cooling stations and supervisors staff for helping with cell issues. He had his first dance practice, attended the unveiling of the 9/11 memorial, Monson-Sultana’s new gym groundbreaking, presented a proclamation at the Proteus Gala, judged at the Miss Dinuba pageant, new roundabout ribbon cutting in Dinuba, law library meeting, Step Up meeting, 
      • Upcoming is the RCRC Conference.
  • Received a Presentation by the Tulare County Farm Bureau Youth Leadership Program for the Year of the Youth Presentation Series.
    • Tricia Stever-Blatller, Tulare County Farm Bureau executive director, gave a presentation.
    • They are a non-governmental organization that began in 1917. They are the #1 dairy county in the nation. 
    • The Youth Leadership program’s goal is to inform students of government, agriculture, and opportunities available to them. Each year one student is selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship. Some of the seminars are the Community Services Project, Advocacy and Public Speaking, and a visit to the State’s Capitol.
    • The program’s anticipated cost is $19,000 and they are inviting donors. For more information, visit www.tulcofb.org.
  • Presented a proclamation recognizing Proteus for its 55th Emerald Anniversary.
    • Supervisor Valero presented the proclamation. Proteus CEO Michelle Engal-Silva accepted the proclamation. Engal-Silva has been working with Proteus for 27 years and said they will “move forward and continue on”. The board took pictures with the CEO.
  • The consent calendar was approved (Items 6-40)
    • Supervisor Vander Poel highlighted item 27, the approval of the health insurance plans for county employees. 
      • There is a 5% increase “but the trend in the industry is anywhere from ten to twenty percent” according to Vander Poel. 
    • He also thanked the County Council for item 11, regarding special training for basic functions of special districts
    • Supervisor Townsend commented on Item 9. He said Jim Crew was very excited about his reappointment to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
    • Some of the approved items include an agreement with Kaweah Delta Health Care District to provide short-term inpatient psychiatric services (Item 15), reaffirming the Proclamation of a Local Emergency due to drought and tree mortality (Items 23 & 24), and accepting a grant for probation supervision for high-risk felony and repeat DUI offenders (Item 30).
  • (Approved) Request from the Board of Supervisors’ staff to approve a new Administrative Regulation No. 48 regarding Social Media to establish updated rules and procedures regarding county protocols, procedures, and standards, effective September 14, 2022.
    • Tammy Weyker-Adkins, Chief of Staff, and Joe Halford gave the presentation. 
    • Goals
      • Collaborate with subsets of the county and update the original policy (adopted in 2012). It applies to county employees who use social media to represent the county.
    • Approved Platforms
      • Departments will maintain their own list of approved platforms. IT will access if a platform is a security risk and blacklist it.
    • Public Comment Policy
      • Information is owned by the poster or they have permission to post. It is intended for public view and is subject to public disclosure.
    • Approved
  • (Approved) Request from the Human Resources and Development Department to approve a 5% salary increase for the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency Executive Director from $144,705.80 to $151,941.09 retroactive from August 28, 2022, as approved and adopted by the Board of Directors of the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency in Resolution 2022-022.
    • Lupe Garza presented the request. The Human Resources and Development Department met on August 15 and the Board of Directors approved it on August 24. 
    • Supervisor Vander Poel noted that this was not a decision made by the board of supervisors, it was made by the RTA Board. It is passed to the board of supervisors for formal approval. 
    • Supervisor Shuklian asked if the 7% increase of the cost of living for county employees is included in this. Garza said she does not believe so.
    • Approved
  • (Approved) Item 5 2022/23 Budget Public Hearings
    • Jason Britt presented the 2022/23 budget. 
    • The 2021/22 general fund ended with an unassigned fund balance of $68.1 million. The total California budget was $307.9 billion. The state will allocate $3.4 billion towards homlessness funding over three years, $2 billion toward affordable housing over four years, and $30 million for wildfire investments. 
    • Total County Budget is $1.82 billion ($206.6 million increase)
      • General Fund ($1.1 billion)
        • Drought response $1 million, Capital improvements $7, SQF abatement & grant matching $3 million, IT projects $1.5 million, Miscellaneous criminal justice $1.5 million, PARS 115 Trust increase $1 million, Jail medical $5 million, Natural resources $2.5 million, Elections $3 million, Disaster management $1 million, Equipment & Vehicle replacement $2 million, Litigation $4 million, Fire equipment & vehicles $1.4 million
      • Outside Funds
        • County fire grant funded tools & supplies $148,800
        • Road fund county transportation improvement program $37.3 million
        • Solid waste for Woodville Landfill expansion $8 million, and $3.6 million for heavy equipment replacement.
        • County transit, five new CNG buses $1.7 million
      • Some Capital Projects
        • Sequoia Field Program Facility $44.9 million
        • Energy Efficient Improvements $5.5 million
        • Terra Bella Fire Station remodel $4 million
      • County Long-Term Obligations
        • Total long term debt $242.5 million ($11.1 million decrease)
      • $36 million of the strategic reserve, similar to the State’s rainy day fund.
        • Supervisor Vander Poel asked what GFOA recommends for a sustainable reserve balance. Britt said GFOA recommends about $50 million.
      • $38 million is recommended for the Proposition 172 public safety one-half cent sales tax. 2021/22’s year-end actual revenue was $63 million.
      • Local Assessed Value & Property Taxation
        • Assessed valuation growth without exemptions $44.7 million
        • Assessed valuation growth with exemptions $43.2 billion
      • General County Revenues
        • Increase security property taxes (11.11%), motor vehicle fees (5.73%), local sales tax (19.05%), Prop 172 sales tax (18.02%), and all others (10.81%). 
      • Top 5 increases to the internal service funds (39.38% increase)
        • General liability, accounting system upgrade, utility fund, workers compensation, and fleet services
    • 45% of full-time County Staff positions are in Health & Human Services and 34% in public safety.
      • 48% of the budget goes to Health & Human services
    • Covid-19 Pandemic recovery
      • On July 26, 2022 the County approved the final ARPA Recovery Plan. As of June 30, 2022 the County has used over $28 million of the ARPA fund. The 2022/23 budget uses about $37 million of ARPA final recovery plan spending.
    • Economic Uncertainty
      • The economic outlook of both the State and the County is uncertain. They will try to minimize costs to the General Fund.
    • (Approved) Adjourn as the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and convene as the Terra Bella Sewer Maintenance District
      • Conduct a Public Hearing on the FY 2022/23 Recommended Budget and adopt the FY 2022/23 Final Budget for the Terra Bella Sewer Maintenance District as modified during the hearings. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to make necessary minor adjustments to bring the FY 2022/23 Budget into final balance.
        • Britt explained that enterprise funds are used to account for activity for which a fee is charged to users for goods and services.
        • Approved
    • (Approved) Adjourn as the Terra Bella Sewer Maintenance District and convene as the Tulare County Flood Control District.
      • Conduct a Public Hearing on the FY 2022/23 Recommended Budget and adopt the FY 2022/23 Final Budget for the Tulare County Flood Control District as modified during the hearings. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to make necessary minor adjustments to bring the FY 2022/23 Budget into final balance.
        • Approved
    • Adjourn as the Tulare County Flood Control District and reconvene as the Tulare County Board of Supervisors
      • 1. Conduct a Public Hearing on the FY 2022/23 Recommended Budget and adopt the FY 2022/23 Final Budgets for all funds and activities as modified during the hearings for the Enterprise and Assessment District Funds, County Service Areas #1 and #2, Special Districts, Internal Service Funds, Operating Funds, and the General Fund.
      • 2. Amend the Personnel Class Specifications, Class Designations, and Compensation Changes subject to meet and confer. 
      • 3. Amend the Position Allocation List reflecting adds, deletes, amends, and reclassifications subject to meet and confer.
      • 4. Approve the Capital Asset Purchase List.
      • 5. Approve a 1% cost-of-living adjustment and a 7% supplemental cost-of-living adjustment for the following county elected officials: Sheriff-Coroner, District Attorney, County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder, and Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, effective at the adoption of the Annual Budget for FY 2022/23
      • 6. Approve a 1% cost-of-living adjustment and a 7% supplemental cost-of-living adjustment for the Board of Supervisors, effective sixty (60) days after the adoption of the Annual Budget for FY 2022/23
        • Supervisor Vander Poel asked if these percentages are additional to what employees received this year. Britt said these percentages are what the Board authorized for staff, they have already received it. The Board just receives theirs at a different time, it is not an additional percentage. 
      • 7. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to make necessary minor adjustments to bring the FY 2022/23 Budget into final balance.
      • Public Hearing
        • Elvia Olea of Leadership Counsel asked for the budget to add money to unincorporated communities as well as a 30-day review period before adopting the budget. She asked for funding for residents affected by drought, parks in low-income communities, and residents affected by pollution.
        • Maria Arevalo, resident of Pixley, asked for a 30-day review period. She also asked for an expansion to the bottle water program and water filters. 
        • Alejandrina Cervantes, resident of Pixley, asked for a 30-day review period. She is also asking for better water conditions.
        • Alena Saldovar, resident of Pixley, asked for more support for low-income residents. She wants expanded daycare, more lights, and better water.
        • Benjamin requested a 30-day review period as well as installing more sidewalks and street lights.
      • Britt said the budget is posted 10 days prior to the hearing. The state law does not allow the board to adopt a budget after October 2, so a 30-day review period is not possible. 
      • Supervisor Micari asked Britt how much money they invested in water in Pixley. Supervisor Vander Poel said they received $2 million for water improvement projects. 
      • Supervisor Shuklian asked why some residents do not qualify for the water bottle program. Britt said he will follow up with Denise England, the Water Resources Manager.
      • Approved 
  • There were no board matter requests
  • Record of Threat of Litigation – Disability Rights Findings Letter dated August 11, 2022.
    • No actions were made on this item during the open session.

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

The meeting adjourned to a closed session. There is no meeting next week, September 20, 2022. The next meeting will be September 27, 2022.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters-admin@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

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