Documented by Kristina Mansfield
Here’s what you need to know
- Approved 5-0 the revised Madera County Library Collection Development Policy, which includes an oversight panel composed in part of community members selected at the discretion of the library director – and not subject to the Brown Act – to review appeals made within its new policy for the reconsideration of materials. This comes on the heels of Fresno County passing the controversial Parents Matter Act, which Madera County supervisors referenced in their commentary.
- Voted 5-0 to enter into a $3 million agreement with a subcontractor to help lease units at a local hotel and provide a range of on-site services aimed at those experiencing crisis and homelessness for fiscal years 2023-2027.
- Approved 5-0 an amendment with California Forensic Medical Group Inc. amending $6 million in compensation to account for additional licensed vocational nurses at the jail and juvenile hall for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
Follow-up questions
- Does Wamhoff understand what resources the county library offers to residents and which ones are only available for residents who go in person to each branch location vs. online-only services?
- What oversight will the public have regarding the activities of Madera County’s panel of community members? What are the next steps in this process?
- What are the financial disclosure rules for supervisors invertical businesses in surrounding counties where there may be conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest, specifically land and property development, solar panel and window installation, pool and landscaping businesses?
Supervisors and Staff:
Chair David Rogers, District 2
Chair Pro Tem Robert Poythress, District 3
Jordan Wamhoff, District 1
Leticia Gonzalez, District 4
Robert Macaulay, District 5
The Scene
The special meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors took place Nov. 28, 2023, in Supervisors Chambers at 200 W. Fourth St. in Madera. Meetings are open to the public, and are typically held the first three Tuesdays of the month. After the meetings conclude, you can view recordings of them here.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate in meetings. You can just show up in person. You can also participate via Zoom. Meeting agendas, supporting documents and any Zoom link updates, along with detailed instructions on how to join and comment, are provided by county staff here.
Item 1 There were no additions to the agenda and it was approved (5-0) as presented. Eleven people attended the meeting in person.
CLOSED SESSION, Items 2A-2H There were eight items on the closed session agenda. The supervisors returned from closed session at 10:11 a.m.
- Gonzalez opened and closed the meeting in honor of District 5 resident Susan Rowe, a co-founder of the California Latina Democrats in Fresno. “She was extremely active in the grassroots volunteer era of the California Democratic Party,” she said.
- Gonzalez also honored former Supervisor Jesse Lopez, the first Latino to be elected to the Madera County Board of Supervisors in 1982. “He opened the door for me,” Gonzalez said. Flags will be at half-staff in his honor.
- Rogers thanked the Sheriff’s Department for its work on the case involving the murder of Melanie Stephanie Rios Camacho, 19, of Firebaugh, for which Vicente Alexandro Jasso, 23, and Jose Cornelio Lopez-Hernandez, 22, of Madera have been arrested.
Item 3 Pastor Fred Thurman of the New Life Assembly of Madera led the Invocation. Rogers then led the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Rogers again commented about the murder of Camacho and said he was shocked.
PUBLIC COMMENTS, Item 4 The first 15 minutes of each meeting are set aside for members of the public to address the board regarding any matter within its jurisdiction but not listed on the agenda. There was one in-person comment and no online comments.
- Madera resident Ralph asked the board if they were aware about the traffic problems caused by the local In-N-Out and complained that there isn’t a water fountain available at the park next door.
- Poythress said he wanted to end public comment on a positive note, and gave recognition to the football team at Matilda Torres High School, which defeated Dos Palos High School 69-14 on Friday to win the Central Section Division IV championship. “I’m sure that we will be recognizing them more formally at some point,” he said.
CONSENT CALENDAR, Items 5A-5S
The consent calendar is a group of items considered routine in nature that are passed with one vote unless a staff member, member of the public or supervisor requests individual discussion. The board approved the consent calendar 5-0.
DISCUSSION ITEMS, 6A-6B, 6D-6E, 6G
Items 6-C (related to the adoption of a resolution approving a special discretionary funds policy) and 6-F (related to consideration of entering into a $569,305 agreement with Root Creek Water District to repair parts of Road 40) were pulled and will be added to the agenda of a later meeting.
Item 6-A Connie Moreno-Peraza presented an item on behalf of the Behavioral Health Services Department.
- The board voted 5-0 to enter into an agreement with Advocates for Human Potential Inc. (a contractor under the California Department of Health Care Services) to assist with the implementation of the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program for fiscal years 2023-2027 in an amount not to exceed $2.96 million.
- Moreno-Peraza said the funds will be used to help pay to lease units from the local hotel and that they plan to release a Request for Interest (RFI) for providers to help with on-site services at the hotel for those experiencing homelessness. Examples could include transportation to appointments.
Item 6-B The board voted 5-0 to approve weekly $125,000 payments to Madera Community Hospital (MCH) through the end of January not to exceed the amount of $500,000.
- Two conditions must continue to be met: the county must receive a copy of any Letters of Intent (LOI) that MCH has signed with any potential partner or buyer and the county must be in communications with each of the hospital representatives, the creditor’s committee and Saint Agnes (Trinity Health), confirming that the payment of operating costs will ensure that the facility is kept in operating condition and will not be under threat of being shut down prior to Sept. 22.
- There were no comments from the board or the public. The item passed 5-0.
Item 6-D The board then heard from Madera County Library Director Krista Riggs, who presented for its consideration the library’s revised Collection Development Policy.
- The board approved 5-0 the revised Collection Development Policy, which includes an oversight panel composed in part of community members selected at the discretion of the library director – and not subject to the Brown Act – to review appeals made within its new policy for the reconsideration of materials. The Ralph M. Brown Act is the California law requiring legislative bodies to meet publicly. You can read a detailed fact sheet about it here.
- “My intent with this, again, is only to provide guidance and support for our staff, and to have a procedure in place for patrons to voice any concerns or suggest materials to add to our collection,” said Riggs.
- Wamhoff questioned Riggs about not including a citizen appeals committee and said that he had requested they include that the last time the item was before the board. Riggs said she appreciated Wamhoff’s concerns. “Working with county counsel, our concern was if we formed a committee that included members of the community that we may be susceptible to the regulations of the Brown Act, and that may be outside of our capacity as far as having counsel present and following those regulations,” Riggs said.
- “Our intent as a public library is to always take into consideration our community voices, so whenever possible that is our goal and something we would aim to do,” she said, adding that creating a formal committee would be much more difficult due to the Brown Act regulations each time a request for materials reconsideration was received.
- Wamhoff then asked how often they get requests for reconsideration. Riggs said in the three and a half years she has worked with Madera County, the library has received two requests. “Doesn’t sound like it’s that cumbersome, right,” Wamhoff pressed.
- Riggs said that it’s getting more common locally based on what’s been in the news recently, which is why it’s her goal to have a protocol in place for the staff. She said that of the most contested books in 2022, of the 10 that Madera County does own, none of the titles are in the children’s section of the library.
- “I’m not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. It seems like everyone 12 years or older has access to one of these things {an iPhone} which has way more information than you’re ever going to find in a library. No offense … but this is a county facility. This was the only feedback that I gave last time and it wasn’t implemented, so is this something that was looked at and it turned out that it was not feasible – or what’s the deal?” Wamhoff again asked.
- County Counsel Regina Garza then explained that if the board approves a policy that forms a committee, it would be subject to the Brown Act, which means all meetings would have to be open to the public. She requested time to review the policy again, and said she would come back to the board.
- Rogers then asked if there was a way to create a committee through the librarian that wouldn’t be subject to the Brown Act. Wamhoff said he recommends changing the language to read that the panel should include community members. Riggs again reminded the board that the library has only had two complaints during the four years that she’s been there.
- “What I’m thinking is it would be a good thing to go out and see what is best practices,” said Poythress. “Meaning our friends to the south?” said Wamhoff. Fresno County is immediately to the south of Madera and has recently adopted a controversial new committee to review children’s books at its libraries. The committee is expected to be challenged in court. “I’m not saying those are best practices, I said best practices,” said Poythress. “So whatever that means throughout the state, throughout the nation, and see what type of committee like this would meet the smell test, the legal test, and provide a measure of oversight,” he said.
- Poythress continued to make a few comments about how they could position the committee as something “positive” by focusing it instead on the many services the library provides.
- Garza pointed out that the language included in the policy presented to the board as-is creates an informal panel “comprised of MCL staff and/or local community members.” It gives discretion to the library director, without the board formally appointing individuals or titles to a committee which would then become subject to the Brown Act.
- Riggs told the board she wasn’t opposed to including community members in any panel and “working out the specifics later.” Wamhoff agreed and the motion passed 5-0.
Item 6-E Riggs then continued to present the Madera County Library 2022-2023 Annual Report.
- Riggs shared a few key numbers from her department, including 172,331 physical items checked out countywide, 16,663 library card holders and 4,529 new titles. Some goals include iIncreasing programming for teens and young adults, rural and Spanish-speaking communities, community resource hubs and an increased website/online presence.
- Gonzalez thanked Riggs for her support in providing safe spaces for women and young girls at the library.
Item 6-G The board voted 5-0 to approve an amendment to MCC 11589A-23 with the California Forensic Medical Group Inc., changing compensation to account for additional licensed vocational nurses for additional performance and duties in an amount not to exceed $6,059,179 for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $6.1 million for fiscal year 2024-2025.
- Madera County Sheriff’s Office Assistant Sheriff Brian Esteves said the intent behind the item is to meet the state’s desire for better continuity of care for those getting out of jail and juvenile hall.
Staff reports Gonzalez reminded residents that it’s Giving Tuesday as well as that there are resources for people going through depression or experiencing violence. Wamhoff said he participated in a pancake breakfast. Rogers gave a speech on Veterans Day and said he thought more people should have been there showing their appreciation. Poythress said he has an upcoming groundbreaking event. Macaulay participated in several town hall meetings.
The board returned to Closed Session at 10:58 a.m. The next scheduled meetings of the Madera County Board of Supervisors are Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
Comments are closed.