Documented by Kristina Mansfield
Here’s what you need to know
- The board adopted a resolution to approve five new positions within the Probation Department, including three new deputy sheriffs, one district attorney investigator and one sheriff sergeant.
- Community and Economic Development Deputy Director Jamie Bax recommended the board adopt a resolution to permit establishment of agricultural preserves of less than 100 acres; the board unanimously agreed.
- The board approved a conditional use permit allowing the installation of a mobile home to be placed on a property located on the southeast corner of Avenue 22½ and Hickory Street in Chowchilla.
Follow-up questions
- Supervisor Robert Poythress led the Invocation after the scheduled pastor wasn’t available. Is it typical to always start these meetings with a prayer? What if some residents aren’t Christian?
The Scene
The regular meeting of the Madera Board of Supervisors took place Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 200 W. Fourth St. in Madera. Meetings usually occur at 9 a.m. on the first three Tuesdays of each month. Members of the public are encouraged to participate and can do so by attending in person or via Zoom (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86818699229 Meeting ID: 868 1869 9229). Meetings are also accessible via WebEx. You can also watch the meeting on YouTube.
Supervisors in attendance were:
Jordan Wamhoff, District 1
David Rogers, District 2
Robert Poythress, District 3
Leticia Gonzalez, District 4
Robert Macaulay, District 5
CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting was called to order at 9 a.m.
Agenda item 1 – Additions to the Agenda:
There were no items added to the agenda.
Agenda Item 2 – Closed Session:
After reading the related items into the public record the board retired to the closed session portion of the meeting. The supervisors returned from closed session at 10:05 a.m.
OPEN AND CLOSE MEETING IN MEMORY OF
Wamhoff and Rogers both had dedications, Wamhoff to personal friend and business partner Christopher Dodson and Rogers to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
- “I have a longtime friend and business partner who died on Saturday,” said Wamhoff of Chris Dodson, his partner at SolarQuote. “He hired me when I was 19 years old and we’ve been close friends ever since. In 2014 we co-founded a solar construction company and we’ve been business partners up until the very last day.”
- Rogers on Feinstein’s death: “United States Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away last week. Even though we were on opposite sides of the aisle in terms of politics, she was a good friend of mine. She always listened, she was an effective politician. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re sitting on, you have to recognize success and effectiveness within a colleague.”
Agenda Item 3 – Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance:
Supervisor Robert Poythress led the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda item 4 – Public Comments:
Next was the public comment section of the meeting. The first 15 minutes of each regular session are set aside for members of the public to address the board on any matter under its jurisdiction but not appearing on the agenda. Each speaker has three minutes to speak.
The first to give public comment was Tania Say, chief information Officer.
- “October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for members of the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security,” said Say, noting that her department plans to bring bits of information to the board and public throughout the month about what they can do to protect themselves online. “Data is considered the new oil.”
- In addition to the financial costs of a data or ransomware attack, Say listed additional consequences of lax cybersecurity as potentially including “extended downtime, a tarnished reputation and loss of critical infrastructure like interrupted government services” such as electricity and water. “It can take weeks, and sometimes months, to get back up and running in the case of some of these cyber attacks.”
Next to comment was Brian Rohde, deputy chief information officer, network and security of Madera County.
- Continuing the cybersecurity theme, Rohde offered insight into the mindset of a hacker. “Ultimately, we really want to understand why hackers do what they do. Mostly, it’s for financial gain,” he said.
- According to Rohde, 68% of hackers are motivated by financial gain, 30% by cyber warfare/espionage and 2% by revenge/ideology. Typical hacker behavior follows a pattern: social engineering and reconnaissance, snoop, exploit and persistence, and finally the hacking itself. He said best practices could include practicing SHIELD: Strong passwords, Healthy downloads, Install updates, Educate yourself, Limit sharing and Doublecheck links. “Following this will greatly limit your risk.”
Chris Childers, chief probation officer at Madera, along with members from three law enforcement agencies, spoke of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
- “Your three county law enforcement agencies are involved in the Pink Patch Project, and each of the agencies — the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office and Probation Office — are selling uniform patches, badge holders, keychains and such and the fundraising goes to patients being treated at the breast cancer center [Radin] at Clovis Community,” he said.
- District Attorney Sally Moreno, the chief law enforcement official in Madera County, spoke next. “As a department head, I’m going to encourage our staff to wear our county-sponsored Pink Patch Project attire during casual Friday,” she said. Moreno showcased one of this year’s designs, a black shirt with a pink flag on the back. Those wishing to place orders for the Pink Patch Project can do so via email at marta@madera.gov.
- Madera Sheriff’s Department Community Service Officer Carena Valdez spoke about the department’s plans. “We’ve been a part of the Pink Patch Project for five years,” she said. “This year, the Sheriff’s Department will offer a patch, star and coaster for $40.”
There were no public comments online.
Agenda Item 5 – Consent Calendar:
Items 5-J and 5-O were removed.
- Motion by Wamhoff to approve.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
Agenda item 6 – Discussion Items:
6.a. 10032: HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT/PROBATION DEPARTMENT
- Adopted resolution to amend the fiscal year 2023-24 position allocation within the Probation Department to approve five new positions within the Probation Department, including three new deputy sheriffs, one district attorney investigator and one sheriff sergeant. Director of Human Resources Roman Noriega noted for the record that the five new positions will have no impact on the general fund and are instead “funded by the Community Corrections Partnership Senate Bill 678.”
- Motion by Gonzalez to approve, Macaulay seconded.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
6.b. 9979: PROBATION DEPARTMENT
- Motion by Poythress to approve.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
6.c. 10045: SHERIFF-CORONER’S OFFICE
- Approved subleasing agreement with North Central Fire for an antenna site to serve Auberry/Owens mountain range.
- Motion by Poythress to approve.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
Agenda Item 7 – Public Hearings:
7.a. 9982: COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT/PLANNING DIVISION
- Community and Economic Development Deputy Director Jamie Bax presented a request to amend the general plan pursuant to Section 65358 of the government code from a CC (Community Commercial) to LDR (Low Density Residential) to allow a conditional use permit for the installation of a 14-foot by 60-foot mobile home and approve a negative declaration under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Approval of the request will allow the mobile home to be placed on the property.
- The request is by Primitivo Nuno Sr. dba Primo Realty; the property is owned by Juarez Jose. It’s located on the southeast corner of Avenue 22½ and Hickory Street (19574 Ave 22 ½) in Chowchilla. The APN is 027-147-002. Bax also presented the mobile home’s proposed floor plan and elevation plan, also noting that its access points and driveway would be via Hickory Street.
- Rogers asked if the mobile home owners were putting it on a permanent foundation, and commented that it gives the area “a bad look” if they don’t. “I see a lot of mobile homes popping up without any kind of skirting or foundation and it gives the area a bad look,” he said. “I don’t mind people buying mobile homes and putting them in – that’s a fine thing, and it’s less expensive than building a house. But it needs to conform with permanent structure-type siding.”
- Wamhoff asked if there had been any community outreach done. Bax said it had been done. “We did notify all of the neighbors within 500 feet and in the paper of local circulation prior to both Planning Commission meetings. Prior to this meeting there have been no concerns addressed to us,” she said.
- Motion to approve by Gonzalez.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
7.b. 9992: COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT/PLANNING DIVISION
- Community and Economic Development Deputy Director Jamie Bax recommended the board adopt a resolution to permit establishment of agricultural preserves of less than 100 acres (Ag Preserves 1750, 1751, 1752 and Farmland Security Zone 299) due to the type of crop and/or the adjacency of other contracted lands.
- Per government code 51230 and the Ag Preserve Rules and Procedures, agricultural preserves of less than 100 acres may be established if the board finds that investments in land, improvements or specialized agricultural equipment have enhanced the productive capability of the land.
- Motion to approve by Wamhoff.
- Passed unanimously 5-0.
Agenda item 8 – Pending Legislation:
Nothing to report.
Agenda item 9 – Supervisor and Staff Reports:
Nothing to report.
Agenda Item 10 – Adjournment.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:52a.m. The next regular meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Oct. 10.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.