March 14, 2023 — Madera County Board of Supervisors

Documented by Josef Sibala

Here’s what you need to know 

  • During its meeting on March 14, 2023, the Madera County Board of Supervisors approved the Transfer of Appropriations No. 22-133 for $50,000 from Maintenance District 24 Water – Appropriations for Contingency to Buildings and Improvements fiscal year 2022-2023.
  • Sheriff Tyson Pogue said residents would receive an online survey (maderadamagereport.com) in which they can report damage to their homes and personal property. 
  • Faustina Washburn from Madera urges an update of the O’Neals Area Plan. Several O’Neal’s area citizens are interested in being on the advisory committee to review and recommend updating the O’Neals Area Plan.

Follow-up questions

  • What are the next steps for residents who have reported property damage?
  • How will the O’Neals Area Plan revision affect residents?
  • How will health services be expanded in the county?

The Scene

According to its website, the Madera County 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 on the first three Tuesdays of each month and occasionally on Mondays in the board chambers of the County Government Center in Madera. On Tuesday, March. 14 the meeting was held at 9 a.m. 

Madera County Board of Supervisors members present:

  • Chairman David Rogers (District 2)
  • Chairman Pro Tem Robert Poythress (District 3)
  • Jordan Wamhoff (District 1)
  • Leticia Gonzalez (District 44)
  • Robert Macaulay (District #5)

Others Present:

  • Chief Clerk Karen Scrivner
  • County Counsel Regina Garza 
  • County Administrative Officer Jay Varney 
  • Susan Carter from Human Resources
  • Faustina Washburn
  • Nadiha Asha
  • Public Health Director Sara Bosse
  • Jared Carter from the Public Works Department
  • Sheriff Tyson Pogue
  • Sue O’Connor
  • Dan Metz
  • Roman Noriega from Human Resources

Discussions/Actions

Faustina Washburn from Madera urged the county to update the O’Neals Area Plan. 

Several O’Neals-area citizens are interested in being on the advisory committee to review and recommend updating the O’Neals Area Plan.

She asked the board to appoint members of the O’Neals Citizens Advisory Committee as follows:

  • Faustina Washburn, Barbara Bigelow, Bart Topin, Tim Roach, George Stepford, Betsy Cardosa, John Splain, Rick Samons, Neil McDougall, Ray Craust, Monique Taylor, Chris Hamilton, and Howard Ward

She asked the board to allocate sufficient funds to complete the review.

Nadiha Asha asked Macaulay and Rogers why they voted against funding the Madera Community Hospital. 

Public Health Director Sara Bosse announced that the Madera County Department of Public Health had been nationally accredited. 

Jared Carter from Public Works said their department held a free dump day at North Fork in February and last weekend at Fairmead.

North Fork received 208 vehicles and 95 tons of materials, 45 percent of it municipal solid waste. Fairmead received  289 vehicles and 180 tons of materials. The Clean California partnership with CalTrans funded the program. 

He asked the public to be patient amidst road closures and repairs on Highway 99 and Avenue 12. 

Sheriff Tyson Pogue stated there are no significant issues caused by the storm in the county. The Sheriff’s Office is focused on mudslide issues, he said. 

Thirty cooperating agencies, department heads and community leaders are working with the Equal Opportunity Commission. 

He said that residents would receive an online survey (maderadamagereport.com)

In which they can report damage to their homes and personal properties. 

The board (5-0) unanimously approved items A to K from the consent agenda:

A. 9261: The board approved the Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue No. 22-125 in the amount of $63,000, derived from Animal Services Spay/NeuterMadera Animal Shelter Grants to Special Departmental Expense for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. 4 votes required 

B. 9328: The board appointed Michael Estrada to fill the vacancy left by Tom Hurst to the Madera County Planning Commission and Airport Land Use Commission for a four-year term ending March 14, 2027. 

C. 9330: The board entered into an agreement with the Eastern Madera County Fire Safe Council about work to be carried out under the 2022 CAL FIRE Evacuation Route Planning and Development Grant for the Madera County Evacuation Route Identification, Assessment, and Fuels Treatment project for a term ending Feb. 29, 2024.

D. 9299: California Personal Responsibility Education Program. 

1. The board adopted a resolution approving and authorizing the execution of State Agreement No. 22-10113 with the California Department of Public Health to fund the California Personal Responsibility Education Program. 

2. The board approved an agreement  with the California Department of Public Health (State Agreement No. 22-10113) in the amount of $484,489.41 for services to reduce California Adolescent rates of births and sexually transmitted infections for fiscal years 2022-2025.

E. 9312: The board OK’d an agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services to Permit the Local Governmental Agency to participate in County-based Medi-Cal Administration Activities under California’s Medi-Cal program.

Sue O’Connor said she hopes that health services will be extended to Oakhurst and outlying communities beyond WIC and water testing. She said that should include confidential STI testing in the area.

Public Health Director Sara Bosse stated they are expanding clinical service through their mobile services program, providing wellness checks and STD testing.

The locations and schedules of the vans will be on the Madera County Public Health Department website. 

F. 9365: The board adopted a resolution proclaiming the termination of the local health emergency (Creek Fire) declared by the county health officer and ratified and reinstated by the Board of Supervisors of Madera County.  

G. 9322: The board adopted a resolution to accept work and authorize the filing of the Notice of Completion for MCC No. 11764A-21 with Agee Construction Co. to complete the 2020 Countywide Pavement Rehabilitation and Overlay project in Madera County (Road 222 and Road 426). 

H. 9335: The board adopted a resolution proclaiming the termination of the local emergency declared in response to the Mono Windstorm Event under Resolution No. 2021-015. 

I. 9336: The board adopted a resolution for the designation of the applicant’s agent for nonstate agencies for state disaster funding. 

J. 9334: The board adopted a resolution authorizing the Department of Social Services to apply for grant funds from the State Department of Aging, Local Aging & Disability Action Planning grant program for fiscal years 2022-2025. 

K. 9333: The board approved the Transfer of Appropriations No. 22-133 for $50,000.00 from Maintenance District 24 Water – Appropriations for Contingency to Buildings and Improvements for fiscal year 2022-2023.

Maintenance District 24, Teaford Meadows (MD24), is finalizing the planning phase of a water system improvement project. The purpose of the project was to address water system deficiencies and to come up with a design to improve the system. 

The project consisted of drilling a test well, which will later be converted into a production well. 

It also included the design of a water treatment system, a pilot study for potential treatment systems, plan drawings and specifications and the completion of environmental documents. 

Once the planning phase is complete, the county will apply for a construction funding grant through the State Water Resources Control Board. 

This grant will cover the expense of converting the test well to a production well, building the water treatment system and installing pipes to transfer water from existing wells to the new treatment system. 

The transfer of appropriations of $50,000 will allow for final payments to be made to consultants and contractors who have worked in the project’s planning phase.

Discussion items consist of the following:

6.a. 9296: Presentation of Madera County Department of Public Health’s Mobile Health Units. 

The item is moved to the March 21 meeting. 

6.b. 9259: The board (5-0) authorized the Department of Human Resources to amend the Position Allocation within the Sheriff’s Office as follows: 

Pogue said the positions are related to public safety records.

1. Flexibly staff six FTE Program Assistant I/II classifications up to the Public Safety Records Specialist classification. 

2. Flexibly staff two FTE Senior Program Assistant classifications up to the Public Safety Records Specialist classification. 

3. Flexibly staff one FTE Program Assistant I/II/Senior Program Assistant classification up to the Public Safety Records Specialist classification. 

4. Flexibly staff one FTE Program Assistant I/II or Legal Secretary I/II classification up to the Public Safety Records Specialist classification. 

The Public Safety Records Specialist classification was created during the Peace Officer and Related Classification and Compensation Study in 2022. 

The incumbents in this classification perform various responsible and specialized clerical tasks associated with preparing and maintaining various legal documents and criminal history files and records in the Sheriff’s Office. 

Adding additional Public Safety Records Specialist classifications will allow flexible coverage as needed among the various divisions of the Sheriff’s Office in response to an operational need.

Supervisors and staff reports are as follows: 

8.a. 9360: The board authorized a letter of support for the Mono County application for a small-scale bioenergy facility. 

8.b. 9364: The board authorized a letter of support for Senate Bill 37 – The Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Housing Stability Act of 2023.

Closed sessions are as follows:

2.a. 9315: Request for a closed session: Government Code Section 54957.6 

Conference with labor negotiators 

Agency-designated representatives: Roman Noriega, human resources director; Joel Bugay, deputy county administrative officer-finance; and Susan Carter, human resources manager Employee Organization: All units

Unrepresented Employees: All Classifications (Excluding Elected Officials) 

2.b. 9362: Request for a closed session: Government Code Section 54956.9 

Conference with legal counsel – anticipated litigation 

Initiation of Litigation Under Paragraph (4) of Subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9 (Deciding Whether to Initiate Litigation) One case

The meeting lasted until 2 p.m. The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, March. 21 at 9 a.m. 

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

Support our nonprofit journalism.

$
$
$

Your contribution is appreciated.

The Fresno Documenters are a group of local residents who are trained and paid to attend and take notes at local public meetings where officials decide how to spend public money and make important decisions...