Documented by Dani Huerta

Summary —  What you need to know

  • Lobbyist Paul Yoder gave an update on state legislation. Some updates were that Proposition 1 will be about behavioral health services and infrastructure, a state constitutional amendment that will allow certain measures to be passed with a 55% vote in local governments, and there are 900 new laws coming into effect in January.
  • County Grants and Resource Manager Denise England gave updates on the county’s forest-resilience efforts including receiving a grant for the Posey-Sugarloaf community fuels reduction project and the California Firesafe Council County Coordinator Program. The Redwood Drive/Fox Farm Road/Alder Creek project has been delayed to this winter.
  • County Administrative Officer Jason Britt explained various updates to ordinances and codes, some of which are the appointment and dismissal of department heads with a 4/5ths vote and changing the title of the personnel director to human resources and development director. Most updates were to “clean up” the language, according to Britt.

Follow up questions

  • Of the 900 upcoming new laws, what are some major laws that people should be aware of?

Board of Supervisors

  • Larry Micari – vice chair, District One
  • Pete Vander Poel III, District Two
  • Amy Shuklian, District Three, absent
  • Eddie Valero, District Four
  • Dennis Townsend – chair, District Five
  • Jason T. Britt, County Administrative Officer
  • Jennifer M. Flores, County Counsel
  • Melinda Benton, chief clerk

The Scene

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting was held simultaneously in-person and live streamed via YouTube at 9 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2023. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. Board members and staff dressed in Halloween costumes and introduced themselves.

Actions

  • Board of Supervisors matters
    • Vander Poel
      • Upcoming is a Tulare County Employees Retirement Association meeting, meeting with the IT director, Boys and Girls Club fundraising weekend, Tulare County Library book festival and a Tulare Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee meeting.
    • Valero
      • Last week was the Registrar of Voters open house, Ivanhoe Public Library Ladies of the Ivanhoe community meeting, College of Sequoias marketplace ribbon-cutting, Three Rivers Union School carnival, Dia de los Muertos League of Mexican-American Women celebration, presented the oath of office to Alta District Historical Society officers and the Woodlake trunk-or-treat event.
      • Upcoming is ImagineU Halloween event, Proteus Board members annual retreat, Latino Caucus of California Counties meeting, Sequoia Kings National Parks update, Veterans Day parade, Boys and Girls Club gala, Library book festival and a service for Gilbert Canos Sr.
    • Micari
      • Last week was the Tulare County Office of Education awards, Exeter Kiwanis meeting, Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) trunk-or-treat, College of Sequoias marketplace ribbon-cutting, HHSA all-staff event, Resource Management Agency (RMA) calendar photo shoot, a broadband meeting, First5 open house, Woodville School fall festival, Rocky Hill School carnival, Friday Night Market in Lindsay, dump day in Woodville, Dia de los Muertos League of Mexican-American Women celebration, Rotary Club speakeasy and the Oak Ranch Halloween event.
      • Upcoming is the ImagineU Halloween event.
    • Townsend
      • Last week was the Tulare County Office of Education awards, Reach Air medical services ribbon-cutting, HHSA all-staff event, broadband meeting, First5 open house and the Veterans homecoming queen event.
      • Upcoming is Rotary meeting, Eastern Tule GSA, welcoming the government 101 class, Boys and Girls Club event and the Porterville Women’s Club event.
  • Presentation given by Paul Yoder with Shaw, Yoder, Antwih, Schmelzer & Lange, regarding an update on state legislation.
    • Assemblyman Robert Rivas is the Central Valley assembly speaker and former county supervisor.
    • Sen. Mike McGuire is the current majority leader and is also a former county supervisor.
    • Wildfire insurance (N-13-23)
      • Insurance companies are required to “increase their presence in disaster-prone areas to at least 85% of their market share elsewhere in the state when they file to update their rates,” according to Yoder’s presentation.
      • Gives the insurance commissioner the ability to develop regulations that allow predictive analysis, rather than retroactive analysis.
    • Behavioral health
      • The behavioral health infrastructure bond act (AB-531) is meant to supply housing for homeless people experiencing behavioral challenges. The behavioral health services act (SB-326) is the revamped proposal of the Mental Health Services Act to allow county behavioral health programs to treat primary substance abuse disorder.
        • These will be merged and on the ballot as Proposition 1; $1.5 billion dollars was added that goes to counties and cities. Money can go to locked and unlocked facilities.
      • SB-43 is in regards to conservatorship law. Severe substance use disorders and other health disorders can now be taken into account by counties when deciding conservatorship.
    • Homelessness
      • AB-1285 and AB-1377 are about accountability of cities and counties regarding homelessness.
      • There is $3.5 billion for funding homelessness programs in the 2023 budget.
      • CARE courts
        • SB-35 modifies the Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment act (CARE), which required counties to implement CARE courts beginning Oct. 1, 2023. There are seven counties in California currently implementing CARE courts. Supporters can be family members.
    • Brown Act
      • Bills regarding teleconferencing (SB-544 and AB-557) revises and repeals some teleconferencing requirements such as adding a sunset date, having state members be visible on camera and special requirements during a proclaimed state of emergency.
    • Constitutional amendments
      • ACA-1 will allow certain measures to be passed with a 55% vote in local governments.
      • SB-789 moved some proposed amendments to the November ballot.
    • Bonds
      • Prop 1 will be on the March ballot. There is competition between housing bonds, school construction bonds, and water and resources bonds. If Prop 1 succeeds, the housing bond has the best potential.
    • Looking ahead
      • The estimated state deficit is $14-15 billion dollars.
      • By the end of February there are an estimated 2,500 new bill proposals. There will be 900 new laws as of January next year.
  • (Approved unanimously) Consent Calendar (Items 4-20)
    • Some of the approved items included the approval of a capital asset purchase of 11 sets of Hurst Extrication equipment for the Fire Department (item 6), approval of the bid documents for the Mooney Grove Dog Park Project, with bids opening at 10 a.m. Nov. 27 (item 13), and approval of an agreement with Kings View for the provision of substance abuse residential, outpatient, intensive outpatient and transitional services (item 16).
  • Receive a presentation from the RMA that provides updates on the county’s forest-resilience efforts.
    • England gave a presentation. 
    • Programs and projects
      • Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council
        • A nonprofit that received a grant ($495,000) to move the Posey-Sugarloaf community fuels-reduction project forward.
      • Tulare County Forest Health Task Force
        • Adapted from the Tree Mortality Task Force. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Opportunity works with the task force on project pipeline development.
      • Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition’s purpose is “to increase pace and scale of active giant sequoia grove management activities” according to England.
      • California Firesafe Council County Coordinator Program
        • This grant is used to identify gaps, increase collaboration, increase outreach, develop a webtool and identify priority projects.
      • Firewise is a statewide program to improve wildfire defense. It requires eight contiguous parcels to create a “community.” The community develops a plan. Once the plan is approved the community receives an insurance discount.
      • Master Stewardship Agreement
        • The Redwood Drive/Fox Farm Road/Alder Creek project has been delayed to this winter.
  • (Approved unanimously) Request from the County Administrative Office to introduce an ordinance amending the Tulare County Ordinance Code pertaining to the County Administrative Officer-Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the County Human Resources and Development Director and service awards: Chapter 3. Set the adoption of the amended ordinances for Nov. 28. Direct the clerk to publish a summary of the amended ordinances before the second reading as required by law.
    • Britt explained the item. This item serves to “clean up” the language of the various codes and ordinances, he said. 
    • One change will be to allow the board to dismiss the county officer with a 4/5ths vote. Another change will be changing the time period from 90 days to 180 days before a new board member can take any action taken on a change of county administrative officer.
    • Appointment and dismissal of department heads will require a 4/5ths vote.
    • Another change is the changing of the personnel director to human resources and development director.
  • There were no board matter requests

Public comment

There was no public comment.

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

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