Documented by Kristina Mansfield
Here’s what you need to know
- The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted (5-0) to amend the Madera County code to add new parking restrictions along frontage roads within the Tesoro Viejo Development.
- Voted to adopt (5-0) a resolution approving applications for Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds for fiscal year 2023-2024.
- Voted (5-0) to authorize a letter in opposition to Assembly Bill 702, which proposes changes to the Juvenile Justice Criminal Prevention Act.
Follow-up questions
- Are there specific projects that the Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds will be used for?
- What services are available in Madera County for trafficking victims after they are recovered? Are all of the county programs faith-based?
- How will the new parking restrictions impact residents living nearby?
- What did the Madera County Sheriff’s Office order with the $810,406 received from the California State Homeland Security Grant program? Are there any photos of the new equipment?
- Should Chair Pro Tem Leticia Gonzalez be inviting the public to the annual March for Jesus, an event put on by several local pastors, considering separation of church and government?
Notes
The regular meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors was held Jan. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m. in Supervisors Chambers in the Madera County Government Center (200 W. Fourth St.) in Madera. It was open to the public and was also live streamed here. Typically, meetings take place the first three Tuesdays of the month. Any additional meetings are scheduled on an as-needed basis.
Meeting materials – including the agenda, any relevant supporting documents, Zoom links and dial-in info – are made available online 72 hours in advance of the start of each meeting here. Printed copies are available on-site. Public participation in the Board of Supervisors meetings is encouraged – just show up. You can also participate electronically via Zoom, or simply by listening in (just dial 669-444-9171 from any phone). After the meetings conclude, a recording is posted to the Madera County YouTube Channel.
Forty-eight people attended the meeting in person.
The Madera County Board of Supervisors in attendance were:
Supervisor David Rogers, District 2
Chair Robert Poythress, District 3
Supervisor Jordan Wamhoff, District 1
Chair Pro Tem Leticia Gonzalez, District 4
Supervisor Bobby Macaulay, District 5
Chief Administrative Officer Jay Varney and County Counsel Regina A. Garza were also at the meeting.
CLOSED SESSION, item 2 There were two items on the closed session agenda: conference with labor negotiators and existing litigation with Madera Community Hospital. There was no reportable action from items discussed during the closed session.
Item 3 Rogers opened and closed the regular session of the meeting in memory of Steve Copeland, Annette Aguirre Romero and Stephen Sagouspe; Gonzalez honored retired County Counsel Doug Nelson. A pastor from a local church in Madera led the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance followed.
PUBLIC COMMENT, item 4 The first 15 minutes of each regular session meeting are set aside for members of the public to address the board on any items not listed on the meeting agenda but within its jurisdiction. The board will not take action on any items presented during public comment, and are legally prohibited from responding to speakers during this time. Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
- Madera County Treasurer Tax Collector Tracy Kennedy updated the board on her department’s activities. She said that all regular collections ended Dec. 10 and that $140 million has been collected to date.
- Madera County Historical Society President Sheryl Berry said they are working on a book about the history of the Sierra National Forest through the eyes of the people who lived there.
- Janelle Clark started her new position with Madera County on Jan. 2 in the General Services Department.
Item 5 Next on the agenda was the reorganization of the offices of chair and chair pro tem for 2024 and a related presentation. Rogers opened the floor for nominations; Gonzalez nominated current chair pro tem Poythress for chair (the vote carried 5-0). Current Chair Rogers nominated Gonzalez for chair pro tem. The vote carried 5-0. Poythress said he appreciated the great honor to assume the role as chair and that the board is ready for the challenge of the new year.
Rogers joined Poythress at the podium, where he was presented with an appreciation plaque. He gave a speech about climbing mountains as a metaphor for life’s challenges.
CONSENT CALENDAR, item 6A-6X The consent calendar is a group of agenda items considered routine and noncontroversial in nature that are decided with a single vote. A supervisor, staff member or member of the public can pull any item from the consent calendar for discussion; otherwise, the vote proceeds. Items 6B and 6V were pulled for discussion.
- Item 6B Consider reaffirming a local emergency due to the tree mortality disaster in the county. Macaulay asked Madera County Sheriff Joseph Wilder to confirm if the budgets on these two items are being kept separate intentionally; Wilder said they are state versus federally funded programs.
- Item 6V Oakhurst resident Dan Metz, who has previously given public comment representing Sierra Citizens for Sensible Government, questioned the dollar amount per property and asked for clarification on the costs of the physical debris removal compared to the monitoring and assessment. Wilder again appeared to answer questions on the item. He confirmed that the cost of assessment and monitoring is greater than the physical removal of debris, and to look at each as “separate pieces of a huge puzzle.”
Macaulay asked if everything is eligible for reimbursement by the state. “We’ve been extremely cautious due to the size and scope of the project,” Wilder said, explaining that the county must first complete the project and front the costs, then submit all of the expenses to the state for reimbursement as part of its cost-sharing program.
Poythress made a motion to approve the consent calendar as corrected. The vote passed 5-0.
DISCUSSION ITEMS, items 7A-7E The next portion of the meeting delved into the discussion items on the agenda.
Item 7A First, the supervisors presented a proclamation naming January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Poythress presented the proclamation and gave opening remarks.
- “It is modern-day slavery. California has one of the highest incidents of human trafficking in the United States,” said Poythress. He then gave a list of statistics about trafficking victims and asked that citizens work to end the “evils of enslavement.” Wamhoff said when he started his career as a Fresno police officer they treated trafficking victims as defendants.
- Deborah Martinez, director of Social Services, introduced several team staff members, who gave updates on their department’s activities. Jan. 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
- Dan Lass of Madera County said he appreciated the work of everyone fighting against sex trafficking and that he has no clue how down and dirty it is in the field.
- John Molina, a longtime resident of Madera, spoke about his experience educating the community about human trafficking.
- April Molina, who runs Olive, a local nonprofit that aims to meet the victims of sex trafficking “where they are” in society, was also present at the meeting.
- CAP-MC Victim Services Program Manager Jennifer Coronado invited everyone to wear blue on Thursday for Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
- Christa Wiens, Central Valley Justice Coalition, said her company educates people about the realities and vulnerabilities that exist in the Valley. “We cannot end trafficking without addressing demand,” she said.
Item 7B Next, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Jay Varney presented Clerk/Recorder Rebecca Martinez with a Service Credit Award for having attained 50 years of county service.
- Gonzalez said she can’t walk in her shoes, but she follows in her path. Poythress said people have asked him about voter fraud but that he always says it doesn’t happen in Madera County. Rogers said nationally voter fraud became a topic of conversation, but that he never had any question and that was due to her leadership.
Item 7C The next item on the agenda was the second reading to adopt an ordinance relating to parking restrictions on Treasure Hills Drive frontage roads within the Tesoro Viejo Development.
- According to Jared Carter of the Public Works Department, who presented the item, the ordinance amends Section 10.36.010 of Chapter 10.36 of the Madera County Code (MCC) by adding Subsection S, which “adds a few sections of no parking along one side of the frontage roads throughout the neighborhood.”
- Wamhoff said he was asked for clarification on the item. Carter said the issue residents are running into is that the streets have been designed for two-way traffic and parking on either side of the frontage roads throughout the development, but when cars are parked curved along the median it is restricting traffic. Wamhoff asked if residents would still be able to park in front of the houses; Carter said they would, and that the ordinance adds a few sections of restricted parking to aid with traffic flow.
- The vote passed 5-0.
Item 7D The board voted to adopt (5-0) a resolution approving applications for Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds for fiscal year 2023-2024. Transit Program Manager Monty Cox made the presentation.
Item 7E The board voted to approve (5-0) Receipt of Unanticipated Revenue in the amount of $810,406 derived from General Fund – Fund Balance to Sheriff — Fixed Assets for fiscal year 2023-2024.
- Pogue said the project has had one delay after another, and cited supply and demand issues. He said he was happy to report that they did receive what they had ordered. You can read more about the California State Homeland Security Grant program here.
Item 8 Next, the board voted (5-0) to authorize a letter in opposition to Assembly Bill 702 as introduced by Assembly Member Corey Jackson, D-Moreno Valley, relating to probation services. Varney and Madera County Assistant Chief of Probation Stephanie Stoeckel presented.
SUPERVISORS AND STAFF REPORTS, item 9 Macaulay said he has nothing to report and looks forward to 2024. Poythress had nothing to report. Rogers had nothing to report and thanked everyone for making the year so easy for him. Wamhoff had nothing to report. Gonzalez invited the public to the annual March for Jesus, an event put on by several local pastors. Varney reminded the board that the Legislature is back in session. Garza congratulated the board on the new year.
- Matt Triber informed the board that the Public Works Department, based on its current forecasts, said they will be plowing throughout the upcoming storm and will be testing new products to combat the ice on the roadways.
Item 10 Poythress adjourned the meeting at 11:41 a.m. The next scheduled meetings of the Madera County Board of Supervisors are Jan. 16 and Feb. 6. A special meeting is on the calendar for Jan. 23.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
