Regular City Council Meeting March 21, 2023

0:00:04Okay, May. We are ready whenever you are okay. Thank you, madam. Clerk.

0:00:10The march 20, first, 2023. Regular City Council meeting is called to order at 605 p.

0:00:18M. Madam clerk, please call role Mayor Matiyama.

0:00:19Your mayor, Pertam, has an excuse to absence this evening.

0:00:25Council, member Fidelle. Yeah. Council member Kinto.

0:00:28Yep and camps. Member Wiseinger. Here we have a question.

0:00:32The first item on the agenda is, consider and take action on any request from a council member to participate in the meeting remotely due to emergency circumstances pursuant to a.

0:00:44B, 2 4, 4, 9. And tonight we have no request. Mayor.

0:00:50Thank you. Okay. The next item is the pledge of allegiance.

0:00:54Please join me in a in the pledge of allegiance or a moment of silence.

0:01:00For the United States of America. Did the Republic forward to state one nation under Guy Indonesia, with liberty engines, is for all.

0:01:18The next item on the agenda is teleconference in public comment.

0:01:22Instructions from our city clerk. Thank you, Mayor.

0:01:23This hybrid meeting provides an option to participate in person, or via Zoom.

0:01:30Remote participants are asked to keep microphones muted when they are not speaking.

0:01:34If you are in person and logged into zoom, please ensure your device, audio and zoom audio are muted to avoid any feedback.

0:01:42Closed captions are available by participating in the meeting via Zoom for members of the public who wish to provide oral testimony.

0:01:45The mayor will announce the time for public comment on each applicable item in-person request will be heard first followed by remote in person.

0:01:57Requests can be seenitted to the city clerk by completing a speaker card.

0:02:01Remote requests can be made by selecting a hand icon and phone request can be made by set Dialing Star 9 instructions are provided on the meeting agenda and will be displayed during each period of public comment meetings of the city Council.

0:02:14Are subject to the brown act, and are held for the purpose of conducting city business.

0:02:18The adopted rules of order and procedures specify that public speakers address the city council in an orderly and respectful manner, proceed their comments with their name and city aridence, and be respectful of time.

0:02:23Limits. Policy does prohibit prohibit yielding of time from one speaker to another, and just with our weather conditions today, and power outages the city attorney.

0:02:36And I just want to make sure that the public understands under 8,200 forty-four-nine we only, if for some reason the zoom feed does go down.

0:02:44The meeting can continue because we do not have any members of the body participating remotely tonight so hopefully that won't happen.

0:02:48But we just wanna make sure that everyone. Thank you, Mayor.

0:02:58Thank you, madam clerk. The next item on the agenda is Council staff communications. Banham, City Manager.

0:03:05Do we have any staff communications? Thank you. Your honor, I'm Karen Pickett, City Bandager.

0:03:09Before I begin, I would actually like to call up our public works.

0:03:12Director Yvette Ortiz, to give an update if you haven't noticed, there's some increment.

0:03:16What are happening outside. We've had a few things go on in the city that we don't like to report.

0:03:24Good evening, mayor, councilmember, or replace the Senate public works. Director. Yes, as our city manager mentioned, Alsira has been hard hit with the storms of the rain, and specifically the wind within the last hour have hit 29 to 30 miles per hour, and we have reports of

0:03:42at least 8 trees that have fallen throughout the city, likely more, and they have down to power lines on Arlington and Key Boulevard, and the police department has sent out a Nixon alert, reminding the public to drive safely as there are likely will be detours of the city's

0:04:05facilities. The community center has been the hardest hit with the tree.

0:04:06Following through fence on the at the back of the Splash Park, and onto part of the drive, and there's also roof damage.

0:04:16So the school, the fire police, and public works. Departments are working closely together to respond to make areas safe and passable in terms of public works.

0:04:24We have. We will be having meetings. Tree contractors making areas safe as well.

0:04:32The power is out to more than half of Al Cider.

0:04:35If you look at the Pgm power outage map during these evening hours the public can call the police non emergency dispatch number regarding down trees.

0:04:48Of course, if it's an immediate hazard called 9 1 one staff, not departments, will continue to monitor the situation closely.

0:04:57That's my update. Thank you. Thank you.

0:05:04And then just to give a few dates for the future for the public to save the dates.

0:05:05The city staff. Now that midyear budget has passed, is diligently begun. Its work on the fiscal year 2324 operating budget, we are going to host a community town hall on April 20 sixth that is a Saturday.

0:05:20We are planning at this point for it to be hybrid.

0:05:29On May ninth we will have a special budget session where the departments will will provide presentations to the city Council, and for the first City Council meeting in June, as always, we are slated to have the budget presentation and the budget document should be available by the end of may again, these are all dates

0:05:47that are subject to moving here and there, depending on staffing.

0:05:51But we are working really diligently to ensure that over the next 2 months that we are engaging the public and the council in our budget process.

0:05:59And so again, save the date for April 20, s, and community Budget Town Hall.

0:06:01Thank you, your honor, that's all I have. Yeah, hey? Are there any announcements from any of the council members?

0:06:13Okay, I just want to alert people that the rotary spaghetti fundraiser dinner is on March the 20 fifth, and the funds from that go to scholarships for Rep.

0:06:20Pro in case people have not gotten their tickets yet. Okay.

0:06:33And I would like to announce the formation of a State council at-hoc committee to discuss city advisory bodies.

0:06:40I'm appointing myself and Council Member Fideli, who will work with staff to create and report back with a focused list for discussion topics and work into the summer on the identified areas of focus.

0:06:55The next item is oral communications from the public. Now is the time for members of the public who wish to provide public comments regarding matters not on the agenda consent items and presentation items in-person speakers concerns can submit a speaker card to the city clerk and remote

0:07:11speakers should use the raised hand feature to request, to speak.

0:07:14Please remember to identify yourself and your city of residence at the beginning of your comments.

0:07:19City clerk, please proceed.

0:07:23Thank Mayor. At this time I have 2 in person.

0:07:27Request to speak, and one remote, so we will start with our in person.

0:07:32Request, first, because Buddy Betty Akassic, followed by Susan Purcell.

0:07:50Good evening. Buddy, activist, Connor Gardens, resident for some 5 years, and let me just say to the city Council this evening that what you just said, Lisa, about this creating this situation with you and Paul good move excellent!

0:08:13My voice breaks up, you know, and and he said, What is he gonna is?

0:08:17He gonna cry. No, I'm not gonna cry.

0:08:19But I'm an emotional guy, and my voice does that on me.

0:08:25So the other thing is, we've declared today mental health Day.

0:08:32I wanna share the notions of mental health.

0:08:40Should be at the best of our mental health all the time.

0:08:43Would that be ideal? A key component of mental health is a positive self-concept.

0:08:53Love yourself, be proud of yourself. The senior community of El Cerino, California sends its fondest wishes for you to be at the best of your mental health, as we attempt to be.

0:09:08Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Susan herself.

0:09:22Hi! Everybody! Let's see. Put that down a little. Can you hear me?

0:09:28Okay, okay, good. I'm Susan Purcell.

0:09:31I live in also Bronte, and I was hoping that my friend Ali would be here with me tonight.

0:09:34Bye, we're both members of Isha Yoga and the our Guru, our leader from India, has established a movement called Save Soil.

0:09:55If you could kindly keep your comments in the speaker.

0:09:58So everyone zoom can also hear. Yeah. So I'm wearing a saved soil shirt and I'd like to say that I submitted a request for a mayoral proclamation to to proclaim March 20 first as safe soil day. But I didn't leave you

0:10:20guys enough time to do. I apologize for that.

0:10:24So my purpose here tonight is to just the whole purpose of save soil is to raise awareness about the fact that agricultural soil has been seriously degraded and it's creating a problem and potentially has it has the potential to create a lot of problems in the future

0:10:44you know, for future generations. So that's fine. We do.

0:10:48And I have a 3 min video here. I would that I'd like to show, because I think, explain things a lot better than I could it would it be okay to put my laptop like right there and play that.

0:10:59Unfortunately, we cannot hook up to our system, and you haven't a minute and a half remaining of public comments.

0:11:07Okay. Well, I'd like to say that the UN.

0:11:13I believe, or soil scientists. I'm not sure which cause I worked.

0:11:18I work with some soil scientists and I get to them confused.

0:11:23But anyway, the prediction is that in 40 years no.

0:11:2725 years time will have 40% of agricultural food that we have.

0:11:35Currently if conditions continue, and the meantime the population will have increased to 9 million from 8 million.

0:11:38Now. And so that's the situation we're in.

0:11:48And that's why. Said Guru, my Guru he's been trying to publicize these facts because a lot of people are talking about climate change, but they are not talking about the soil, aspect.

0:12:01And the other thing that I'll say before my time is up is that soil as solution, you know, is a whole day of conference that they're holding in San Francisco.

0:12:14I just found out about it today. And that's what they called the the 1 h that's devoted to soil.

0:12:22And the thing is that they predict that if we could.

0:12:28Raise the organic content of soil, back up to the minimum level required for health.

0:12:31We could actually intend, get rid of the Co.

0:12:382, and thank you. Your time is up. I appreciate your speaking.

0:12:43Thank you. And just quickly, before we go to our remote speakers, I just want to quickly announce we did receive written public comment in advance of today's depthsline.

0:12:53Those comments were posted online with supplemental materials and provided directly to our council members, and we did receive at items items for items, written comments for items not on the agenda from Cordell Hendler Howdy as chair of the Eqc the Environmental quality

0:13:08Committee as well as Susan Purcell, and then I will go to our remote request to speak.

0:13:12How do you should be able to unmute and begin your time now?

0:13:17Thank you, Mayor motorayama and council members.

0:13:20My name is Howdy Gaudy, and I live in El Cerido.

0:13:23I also would like to thank Council and the mayor and councilmember fidelity for creating the AD hoc subcommittee on advisory Batteries.

0:13:37That's great news, and I look forward to what you come up with.

0:13:41But what I came to speak to tonight is to expand on what was just mentioned.

0:13:48The the public comment. I submitted as Eqc.

0:13:53Chair. Because last Tuesday, on March fourteenth, the Elsewhere Environmental Quality Committee.

0:14:01How unanimous vote which recommends to city Council to issue a resolution urging Contra Costa County to end new permitting of oil and gas strolling in Contra Costa county and phase out existing oil and gas development activities and associated infrastructure

0:14:22we received really a substantial public comment in the 10 plus years I've been on Theq.

0:14:28I think this is the single largest showing of public comment to the Epc.

0:14:33That we've had, and that has been forwarded to you as well.

0:14:37So you can see that. And there's also a draft resolution that was provided by the public.

0:14:44So the Eqc. Was very enthusiastic, and wanted to support this and urge you to pass a resolution. Thank you very much.

0:14:54Thank you, Mayor. That concludes our request to speak under public comment.

0:14:58Thank you. The next item is police department employee recognition for officer of the year and professional staff of.

0:15:06So we are going to try something different for proclamations tonight.

0:15:10So we will start with the approval, then receive a brief presentation from the department, and then from cop, with comments from council, and any other individuals, then invite those records to speak and receive the pro.

0:15:27Does that make sense? Okay? With that? Do I have a motion to approve the 2 proclamations so moved.

0:15:35Is there a second second? I have a motion from Council, Member Kinto in a second from Councilmember Weissinger, madam clerk, could you please call votes? All those in favor?

0:15:45Please say aye, any opposed motion carries with Mayor Proton Redneck, hey, Chief Keith, will you please provide the presentation?

0:15:56Good evening, Council, and Mayor. I'm Paul Keith, your chief of police.

0:15:59It is great pleasure to be up here tonight to talk about some great work done by 2 of our El Cido employees.

0:16:06So to start off with, I'm going to talk about our professional staffer of the year, Veronica.

0:16:07Sayha. So Veronica started her long course and career with the office of the sheriff as a record specialist specializing in warrants, she made the change to come to El Ritual.

0:16:21Please department, become a record specialist here, and brought her expertise with her.

0:16:25We knew when she came that she had a lot of expertise coming in, but we didn't realize was how quickly she would be recognized as someone who had the ability to train others.

0:16:29She really has a knack for it. She has a patient mentality, and she doesn't brush people.

0:16:41She teaches at the pace that they're ready to so she naturally fell into a trainer role at the police department, first for warrants and then for a whole host of other.

0:16:48During the last years, in particular, Veronica stepped up in a lot of ways.

0:16:52She acted as our temporary executive assistant.

0:16:55While we had a staff vacancy. She stepped into the Record Supervisor role.

0:17:00We had a staff vacancy, and she did our payroll work while we had a staff, vacancy, all at the same time, and at the same time having a stabbing of just 2 in our records office.

0:17:10So it was just Veronica and one other person.

0:17:12And meanwhile she took on all these edited duties to help out during a real staffing crunch last year, and I have to say she never complained.

0:17:18There were times where I could tell that you know there was a lot of work, but she was a real trooper and hung in there at the same time.

0:17:25We made a transition over from a our old style of crime reporting to a new style called the National Incident, based reporting system.

0:17:33So this is a reporting system that's mandated across California that all agencies have to transition to under Veronica's leadership we made the transition on time and with the right amount of accuracy that the state required we made a transition when the State wanted us to

0:17:49even though the State wasn't yet ready, the State was behind us.

0:17:50But a lot of other agencies did not make the transition on time.

0:17:55But Veronica is on the ball. She knows her timelines, and she knows how to accomplish goals.

0:18:01She also did some very important things that aren't the tangible things are the more intangible things in the last 2 years.

0:18:05I'm she's supported co-workers in a variety of ways.

0:18:10I remember coming into the office. It was kind of the height of the early pandemic.

0:18:14Everybody's freaked out. People are working quarantine schedules.

0:18:17I came to my office in there was a little hand sanitizer bottle waiting for me with a little sticker on it that said, We're all thinking about you, and there's a little pack of gum next to it, because everybody knows during the pandemic when you're wearing

0:18:29masks. The gum isn't for other people. So she thought of those little things, and it wasn't just on my desk.

0:18:32It was on the desk of everybody at work, so it's just those little things that Veronica does.

0:18:39That shows that she cares about her co-workers and that are absolutely appreciated.

0:18:43She also organizes last year a holiday gift exchange which is coming out of the pandemic and getting back into the things that we've done before.

0:18:45She was really interested in bringing everybody together. She's always a friendly, welcoming person, especially during a challenging year, and we really appreciate that she chose our agency to work.

0:19:01She's an expert at Field. She passes on her knowledge, and she makes Elsrio police department a brighter and more friendlier place to work.

0:19:09So that's why she's our professional staffer of the year, moving on.

0:19:13Oh, yeah, we can do that.

0:19:20Moving on to our set of officer recognition. So Officer Michael Olivieri has had 2 standout years in a row which has LED to his selection for a second time, and this is rare for us.

0:19:31Usually it's like one and done. You got your recognition.

0:19:34That's it is somebody else's turn. But he has really stood out this last year as well as the year before that he LED the department and reports authored.

0:19:43He had a very high rate of identifying suspects in his criminal investigations.

0:19:47He made 10% of all of our arrests last year and recovered 20% of all the stolen vehicles located by our officers.

0:19:54He was also awarded a chp award last year for his efforts to locate and recover stolen vehicles, and he was a constant positive presence during the time of staffing turmoil for our patrol officers.

0:20:07We had a lot of new cops coming in a lot of costs that had to learn the culture of Al Corito.

0:20:10Learn the expectations, and Michael was one of those officers that demonstrated what we're about, and that when times get hard we stay steady and we do the job.

0:20:23We have a lot of our costs last year, and Officer Olivier Mike, he really came to the top.

0:20:29He brought a heavy cas load. He so made time to solve really challenging cases.

0:20:33He took people off the street for possession of firearms, domestic violence, robberies, and stolen cars.

0:20:39And what really sets Michael apart from, you know, other officers are what really sets him up in front as an example to others is that he has a very inquisitive mind, and that helps him well when he's investigating incidents.

0:20:50He doesn't accept that. What I see is what the case is.

0:20:58He always takes his investigation just as an example. He had a case where and this is one of the smaller ones.

0:21:04Guy comes out and sees someone's breaking into.

0:21:07Sees the guy in the car when he interrupts the guy guy takes off, drives off in the car, and gets a person gets a license plate.

0:21:14Another witness gets a license plate. So Michael finds the other witness gets a license plate from them, and he says, You know, I'm just gonna call the registered owner. Let's see what they have to say.

0:21:21So he calls the person like, well, I'm actually on my way to Marin right now to go to work.

0:21:22But so I didn't have the car.

0:21:27I know nobody would really have the car nobody. Well, I guess maybe my husband his home, and that's where the car is right now.

0:21:31And he says, Okay, well, what's your husband's name?

0:21:36Well, sure enough, after we do an Enfield Lineup, it was her husband that was breaking into cars while she was going off to work, so is taking the extra step where you know we could have just said, oh, pass it on to the detectives and let them follow it from here.

0:21:45But now he took the case all the way through, and that's just a small example, and one that I thought was funny, because it's you know, it's the wife telling them that. Yeah, my husband's breaking in the car inadvertently anyway, another challenging challenging case.

0:22:03That he had this last year. We got a call of a 2 year old, was found in the hallway of an apartment complex soil, diaper, soiled body, where nothing but a diaper and a neighbor saw the Kid took the kid in and said we don't know what's going on here we just found this

0:22:18two-year-old, so Olivier, he was the leading investigator on it.

0:22:23He determined that the Kid lived in an apartment in the complex, and that the person who was charged with the care of the Kid for the day had been passed out for a period of about 14 h after taking a variety of drugs, so the Kid had just been left to themselves hadn't been fed

0:22:38hadn't had anything to drink, and we jumped out to me in the investigation because I wasn't there in person.

0:22:40I watched the body. One camera is that Michael showed his compassion and concern for the child.

0:22:50His gratitude to the people who took it upon themselves to take the Kid in, to clean the kid out, to give the Kid a clean diaper, to feed the kid.

0:22:58He conveyed the gratitude that we, as a police department, had for them, and he followed up to make sure that the Kid was going to get taken care of in the future, that the mom understood what was going on while the mom was gone, and that the Kid would be cared for going forward so he's an officer that

0:23:14can be counted on a challenging times. He has great character and compassion, and I'm very proud.

0:23:20That officer, Olivier, has been chosen as our officer of the year.

0:23:24For a second time, and well deserved.

0:23:35Okay, are there any additional requests to speak from members of the public?

0:23:58Okay, are there any comments from Council numbers?

0:24:04I just wanna say, thank you so much for exemplifying the kind of people that we expect in our else Corito police department that we can be so proud of.

0:24:15What you do, and that you are an example of the kind of policing that we deserve, that reflects the values of our community.

0:24:23So thank you so much. Okay, so, Officer Olivier, and records specialists say, how would you like to share a few words?

0:24:34No, pressure, madam Mayor. Council members, thank you so much for creating this space and time for the police department.

0:24:41Have these acknowledgments, goes a long way, not just for myself, but for our entire department.

0:24:47You folks know just as well as we do. We went through a pretty big staffing crisis last year, we're definitely on the mend.

0:24:51We're definitely on the upswing, and it's I'll just say that I was a part of that record. Specialists say I was a part of that as well.

0:25:00So we're proud to see where our department is now.

0:25:02Thank you so much for the acknowledgement, the space for the acknowledgement. Thank you.

0:25:04Chief. I really appreciate all the kind words this to word, especially the second time around, is much more referral.

0:25:13Of all the people back there, and so many that aren't here today, including my mom, my dad my sister girlfriend that really make me who I am, and make me have a desire and passion to help others.

0:25:25So thank you so much, and last, but not least, and I've said this many times before you guys have heard this before, but I would love to dedicate this to Jerek and his family so thank you guys so much.

0:25:36Thank you.

0:25:44Yeah, I just don't. Before you begin.

0:25:48Yeah, Michael, I sat at your table with your family, and also Bronte, and it was a an honor to share with my Italian brethren.

0:25:58So I I didn't cry. I'm not crying tonight, but I cried that in Elsa Bronte for everything you've done.

0:26:03So thank you again.

0:26:10Reminded me of that evening, and it was a great evening to share that with your family.

0:26:11To meet your parents, your girlfriend, your sister, and and to find out that you're living next door to my classmate.

0:26:25So so, who is part of the I'll speed up family.

0:26:28Her and her husband for many, many years, so small world. So again, congratulations!

0:26:35I don't like speaking in public, but I just want to say thank you all for having us today, and I mean Olivier said it best.

0:26:43I'll just leave at that. But thank you.

0:26:54Hey!

0:27:08Where would you like this new?

0:27:14And you can do both of them together.

0:28:53The next item is Contra Costa transportation, authority agency update.

0:29:33There we go. Okay. Good evening, Mayor and council members. My name's Tim Hill and the executive director of Contrast Transportation Authority, and thank you for having me here today.

0:29:43I really wanted to. I've been going around to all of the cities and kind of making a little bit of a road show, and kind of reminding everyone what we do at contrast, the transportation authority and a lot of the interesting projects that we're working on as well as programs as

0:29:58well of our kind of provide an overview of our innovation program as well.

0:29:59At Ccta, and I'm actually the new executive director.

0:30:00Although it's not really new anymore. I've been doing the job for about 2 years now, I got appointed by the Board in December of 2,020, during the pandemic, and so I did a kind of a fireside chat with all of your staff in 20

0:30:1921, and then in 2,022, I've been coming around and 20 in, I guess.

0:30:24Now, in the twenty-twenty-three kind of making around with all the city councils.

0:30:28And so I really want to share my vision. My vision is really, really focusing on a more connected transportation system and so I feel like people when they're riding along a lot of things are not working or in silos.

0:30:41And so really kind of focused on how we can really make a better connected transportation system.

0:30:47And really more customer focused people centered, focused, and so I want to talk a little about how we're doing that.

0:30:53So first talk a little bit about who we are, so contract cost, transportation authority collects a a half percent.

0:30:57So one half of 1% sales tax and Contra Costa County, and that generates about 2.6 billion dollars over the lifetime of the measure.

0:31:11The measure is about 25 years. It started in 2,008.

0:31:12It ends in 2034, and we are basically use that funding to fund a number of programs and projects in Contra Costa County on the screen.

0:31:23Here is a number of programs. So we fund anything from transit operations to school bus programs, pedestrian, pedestrian and bicyclist projects as well as our innovative programs, such as our secured autonomous vehicle test bed that we operate at momentum station

0:31:41at the former conqueror naval weapon station in the city of Concord.

0:31:45We also fund programs for Paratransit and for seniors, veterans, and disabled people.

0:31:50In Contra Costa County. We also fund the Richmond Ferry Service, the Richmond Fairry Service would not be possible without measure. J.

0:31:59In contra costa, transportation, authority. We are only 20 people.

0:32:03We're a very small agency here in in Costa County.

0:32:08We have 14 board members. In fact, Commission Commissioner, member Fidelity is actually the chair of Wiktak and Rick Tack has actually appointed him to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board, and he's just and this is actually his first Year and we really

0:32:26appreciate the time and the participation in being on the board and looking forward to working with him on the board, as well.

0:32:29And so the other thing that we do is we build projects.

0:32:32And so over the last 10 years, cut costs the transportation authority has built about 5.6 billion dollars in transportation authority has built about 5.6 billion dollars in transportation projects.

0:32:47Improvements in Contra Costa County, you can actually see some of the projects here, some of the more signature projects that you'll be familiar with are the fourth border, of the Calicot tunnel that was actually built and funded by contra Costa transportation authority also a number of improvements on

0:33:02highway, 4. The 684 interchange, as well as all the number of improvements in West Contra Costa County on i. 80.

0:33:11So we were a big part in helping in funding the 80 smart corridor.

0:33:16We actually we funded the i 80 samplo Dam road phase, one project, that built that pedestrian overcrossing to the school.

0:33:23We also funded and built the I. 80 Central Avenue improvements, and that's actually a phased approach to that's phase one and more to come there as well so the way we're able to do that is we actually leverage every local sales tax dollar that we bring in the

0:33:40contra Costa, transportation, authority. So for every dollar that we collect we are able to, we're able to attract $3 of State and Federal Federal funds.

0:33:48We're really good about leveraging those dollars, and without your local sales tax we would not be able to attract those funds to Contra Costa County and it's we are in a pay-to-play environment when it comes to State and Federal funds all of all most of us say all but most of the funding is

0:34:07competitive. There's a small portion that's formal layic that we do get, but most of the funding is competitive.

0:34:14And so, for example, we were just successful on getting the safe streets for all Grant with the Us.

0:34:21Dot, which Richmond Street completes. Richmond Street.

0:34:25Complete street project is actually part of that. So El Cerito be benefiting as part of that overall.

0:34:29Grant that we just received, but, as you can see here, we've been able to generate a big old 5.6, which only 1.4 billion of sales tax.

0:34:39So kind of a main mantra is that transportation is changing.

0:34:43We're coming out of the pidemic.

0:34:46We're in a kind of this postpodemic world.

0:34:48So I'll patterns have changed. You know. Not everyone is using Bart to go to San Francisco all the time anymore.

0:34:54And so we are now focusing ahead and focusing on this new future of how we address addressing some of these new travel patterns that are happening, there's been a lot more local trips, less regional trips.

0:35:01People are working from home. We're dealing with climate change issues.

0:35:04We're dealing with. How does transit recover in this post-podemic world?

0:35:12Transit is basically facing a massive transaction fiscal cliff.

0:35:18After spending a lot of the Federal support money that has been given to them over the last couple of years, and most of our transit agencies are looking at a 2025, 2026 fiscal year, or transit fiscal clip and so we're trying to look at ways to

0:35:34reinvent, transit, and make it sustainable and make it available to make it continue available for all of our residents here in Contra Costa County.

0:35:42So what we did is we did during the pandemic.

0:35:43We did a travel behavior study, we basically went now to each all of Contra Costa County and said, Okay, if you had to pick a mode of a choice of a mode of choice, what would that be?

0:35:50And so these were the results. I'm not going to go through all of them but you can tell West Contrasta County very dependent on transit. Right?

0:36:01It's always been. That's part of your culture.

0:36:02You know, and I think that you know more, Bart ferry, local bus express busust.

0:36:09Those are all that's not surprising that that's what people want more of in West Contra Costa County.

0:36:15And so what are we doing to help? Kind of support and address that in Contra Costa County, one thing is, people are walking and biking more after the pandemic, you know, I think we've seen almost a 10 to 15% increase in walking and biking in contra

0:36:33Costa County, and so back in September of 2021, sees this Dcta.

0:36:38Authority Board adopted a vision. 0 implementation guide that was really a toolkit for local jurisdictions to really adopt division 0 policy and give you the tools to kind of implement vision.

0:36:450 practices in your communities. And this is what the difference is.

0:36:54On the left-hand side of the slide. You can kind of see it's a very mixed, used type of environment, whereas on the right hand side it's more foot, it's more focused, more delineated and more safe.

0:36:59And you've got more refuge areas for schooloors and walking and biking.

0:37:04For example, you don't have these long, sweeping right-hand turns.

0:37:14You've got more sharper, right-hand turns, and you're trying to reduce and eliminate a lot of those potential conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians are what we refer to as vulnerable road users.

0:37:22And so we've been so Cct. Has adopted this policy, and we are working with all of the local jurisdictions actually to develop what's called a local road safety plan.

0:37:31Each city is required to actually to prepare local roads, safety plan to be eligible for future Federal funds.

0:37:41And I know city of El Cerrito is working on that as well, and we are here to support you in terms of getting to that vision.

0:37:450 kind of future, the other thing we're focused on is transit.

0:37:53First, I mean Ccta, historically, has been really focused on highways.

0:37:57And so we're kind of taking a new approach in terms of how do we really help our local jurisdictions and help our trans operators to one prioritize transit, but also really making sure we've got the right services right?

0:38:05Now, we've primarily been focused on fixed route bus service.

0:38:14But how can we make it more dynamic? We can start relying on more on demand transit systems first and last mile, shared autonomous vehicles right now, in fact, in a matter of 3 weeks, we're deploying the first share autonomous vehicle for

0:38:29public service, and Bishop Ranch. So the vehicles are here.

0:38:33The technology is here, and we're ready to deploy these shuttles in Contra Costa County quite frankly.

0:38:37All we need is funding. So if the city's interested in that, we can talk some more.

0:38:38But as long as there's funding we can actually start deploying these level 4 shared autonomous vehicles for first and last mile use, and for better use to your transit, such as the Park station at the Delnarde Al Corida barge station the other thing we're

0:38:55doing is we're developing an integrated transit plan.

0:38:56And so part of that integrated transit plan is, we're trying to really focus on what does that core transit system in Contra Costa County.

0:39:04And then how do we best serve that core transit system through a network of first and last mile, share mobility hubs, making sure people have personalized mobility options.

0:39:07Walking biking scooters, shuttles potentially car share the ability to make sure that we have a mode that fits your needs and your at that time of day.

0:39:17And this gets back to what I said earlier in terms of this's your needs in your at that time of day. And this gets back to what I said earlier in terms of this, more like customer focus, people centered transportation system some people can't maybe don't want to rely

0:39:36on just taking a bus. They might wanna rely on other alternative modes and making sure we have those modes available to people is kind of like our new vision for the future.

0:39:40One of the things we're also going to look at is addressing our equity priority communities, making sure we have transit to everyone, mobility for all making sure that we don't have transit deserts in Contra Costa County, but also looking at how we can move to 0 emissions.

0:39:56There's a big focus right now for heavy duty vehicles on hydrogen.

0:40:05We just got a grant last week for putting one of the first hydrogen electric hybrid buses along the 680 corridor A/C transit has been big in the hydrogen for almost a decade, and they're really the leader of the pack when it comes to hydrogen and

0:40:20heavy duty, vehicles, and then also really kind of helping in identifying which areas we need prioritize transit right?

0:40:31So I'll get into a future slide. But San Pablo Avenue!

0:40:32You know there's a San Pablo multimodal cord, or how can we look at our local road system?

0:40:35Kind of looking at the Graphic on the slide here. What types of which roadways do we want to prioritize transit?

0:40:42We are in a, we are in a world now where we cannot build ourselves out of congestion.

0:40:51We can't widen all our roads, and so now we're at a time where we have to think about optimizing our existing infrastructure.

0:40:55Reprioritizing the space, and quite frankly, we saw a lot of that epidemic.

0:41:00I mean, we saw people using streets in different ways during the pidemic.

0:41:03All your businesses had outdoor patios going and taking up parking, and so forth.

0:41:12And now we're kind of living with that new future.

0:41:14And so we're thinking of being creative about how to use the curbside in our streets locally to support different uses and that's the new future that we're kind of focused on and what we're going to be addressing as part of this integrated transit plan the other thing is I mean if

0:41:29you want, raise your hand, and this is for the public and everyone but I can't stand stopping in a red signal, and there's no cars anywhere at the intersection. Right?

0:41:32That's what's the worst. And so there's got to be technology.

0:41:40There's got to be software that can help solve that problem.

0:41:41And that's actually what we're focused on at.

0:41:42Ccta is, we want to look with all 19 local jurisdictions as well as the county, to build a better and more connected signal system in contrasting.

0:41:56So we just programmed about 35 min dollars to connect over 350 intersections in Contra Costa County.

0:42:03And this is the priorityized topic. Flow, emergency vehicles transit.

0:42:07We're actually working on a project right now. That's a cloud-based transit signal priority system to help prioritize buses through signals based on how many people are on those buses and also focusing on better detection for bicyclists and pedestrians

0:42:24I actually actively ride my boat, ride my bike, to work every day, and nothing frustrates me more.

0:42:29When I get to an intersection and the intersection does not know I'm there.

0:42:31So I gotta walk over and click the little pedestrian button, you know, to make sure the signal knows that I'm there.

0:42:37And so making sure we've got good bicycle and pedestrian detection, but also to meet our vision.

0:42:390 goals. So we can detect near misses in close-class calls, and we can understand where those high risk interstctions are for our vulnerable road users.

0:42:51So getting better data and optimizing the track flow in our in our major arterial corridors.

0:42:57We're a big bullish on clean, clean vehicles.

0:43:01We adopted one of the first electric vehicle.

0:43:03Readiness blueprints to the state, and so we are implementing that right now through a California Energy Commission Grant, we're actually working with Mce on that grant.

0:43:14And we're working with Richmond. Build and future build on workforce development opportunities.

0:43:15We actually are funding their programs through this grant. And what Richmond did build and future Bill does is they support local workforce and kind of transition them into really high paying quality jobs to install electric vehicle chargers and actually do maintenance on electric vehicles.

0:43:36And they actually get certified, called an electric vehicle installation training program.

0:43:37We're also focused on supporting. Like I mentioned, transitioning heavy-duty vehicles in terms of 0 emissions and hydrogen fueling and making sure we're working with Mgmpg, Pg.

0:43:52And e, on coordinating on our via the demand, and all it's a vehicle grid.

0:43:56We're also really focused as part of the grant to make sure that electric vehicle charging is really available to everyone.

0:43:57Most electric vehicle, charging actually happens in single-family homes and in garages and so I, what we're doing with the grant is we're actually installing electric vehicle chargers at multifamily Homes.

0:44:13To make sure again, everyone has the ability to either own and charge an electric vehicle.

0:44:19Accessible transportation is also another big priority for Ccta.

0:44:22We're taking a much bigger role in this right now, our accessible transportation system is broken.

0:44:25It's it's been built around silos across the entire county.

0:44:33When we went about 2 years ago, before our trans operators created the one seat ride system, it would take someone from Martinez I'm sorry from Antioch to go to the county hospital.

0:44:44Martinez, almost 3 and a half hours during the day, because it'd have to make multiple transfers to get their their medical appointment or their dialysis appointment.

0:44:52And so we have broken down those barriers, those institutional barriers.

0:44:53Now to basically build a one-seat ride system that they can basically call and get out shuttle to pick them up.

0:44:59From their nearest transit, stop all the way to the Martinz Hospital, and so we're working really closely with the nearest transit. Stop all the way to the Martinez Hospital. And so we're working really closely with West Cat on this and we're working really hard right now to get A/C transit in East Bay Paratransit on

0:45:20board. And so these are really important program in terms of making sure.

0:45:23We, this growing, aging population about 15% of our population is over the age of 65, and that's intended to double by the year 2030.

0:45:31And so we've got to make sure we have the infrastructure.

0:45:32The human infrastructure in place as well to support this growing, aging population.

0:45:38So we're documenting all this in a countywide transportation plan. And this is really for you as well as the public that's listening in.

0:45:44This is what we're looking for. We're looking to work with the public this year to get your input on.

0:45:49What do you need? In Contra Costa County for transportation?

0:45:52We grow through a process of every 4 to 5 years to update our countywide transportation plan.

0:45:57And that basically goes to and identifies what the projects will be in the future.

0:46:03So if we don't hear from you, then we can't identify the projects that you need to make your life and your quality life better.

0:46:06It also includes essentially a budget in terms of how much is going to cost to build this new future, and then it'll be up to the Authority Board in terms of how we want to fund that new future whether we continue to funds it through another measure or through State, and Federal funding so it's really important to

0:46:26get involved with this process and get your input as we start developing this new transportation system, some projects that are going on right now actively going on that are may be of interest to you is the metropolitan transportation Commission who is the lots of acronyms and

0:46:43names here. I apologize the metropolitan planning organization, the Npo.

0:46:46That oversees the whole 9 Barrier County. They are taking the lead on an I.

0:46:5180, corridor assessment. We just completed what's called a design alternative assessment to identify a number of alternatives in strategies, to help improve congestion on the Iad corridor we all understand that we're not going to be able to again, build ourselves out of

0:47:06congestion. We can't widen the 80 corridor.

0:47:08So what are some of the straties like, for example, bus on shoulder dedicated transit lane, potentially express lanes in the future?

0:47:13How to optimize the existing carpooling, looking for better apps to the highway with share mobility hubs.

0:47:22And so those are all things, that we're really focused in terms of really focusing on mode shift in the 80 corridor and improving person throughput.

0:47:27And so that's really a big focus on what we're doing.

0:47:33We're kind of creating essentially the next set of projects.

0:47:36For I 80 to really optimize that corridor and make it more efficient.

0:47:42The other project, I think, was of interest to you is the San Pao Avenue Multimodal Corridor Corridor.

0:47:48Up until now Wiccac has been leading this effort and reaching out to businesses and stakeholders along the corridor.

0:47:54Wiccac just recently had a board meeting to actually seek the support of Contra Costa transportation, authority kind of help and take the lead on this project.

0:48:01So we're evaluating that right now. But this is really looking at again.

0:48:05How do we prioritize this corridor for transit and make it more efficient?

0:48:06It goes exactly meets all the goals that I've been discussing.

0:48:11And the really, the issue is, how's this going to impact biking and parking and businesses in the corridor?

0:48:20Are we going to do? Center running bus lanes or side running bus lanes?

0:48:21Although I did learn that a side running platform is actually more effective from a cost-benefit standpoint, you don't have to rebuild the whole center of the roadway and actually side running because you have it's so accessible to the side of the road, you actually get 1,000 more riders

0:48:38than you do on center bus riding so so I think we're really kind of leaning towards that.

0:48:43But again, we're going to be working on continuing that public outreach and stakeholder engagement on this project, as well.

0:48:46The other project is ied, Sam Pablo Dam Road.

0:48:51We completed phase one. And now we're working on phase 2, phase 2 is actually the full interchange.

0:48:53Replacement of San Pable. Dam Road, so you may be aware there's accidents at the abutments at the bridge.

0:49:00There's also trucks that hit the bridge all the time.

0:49:08That's because of the low vertical clearance.

0:49:09And because the bridge abutments are so close to the edge of the traveled way.

0:49:12And so we're looking at how we're basically blowing out the bridge, lifting the bridge up, making it wider over the freeway.

0:49:14This project is about 85 million dollars. Then we're basically seeking all the environmental documents, complete.

0:49:25And we're seeking funding for the design, phase and construction phase.

0:49:31And then jumping into innovation. So I mentioned a little bit our momentum station program on the right hand is what we use.

0:49:37What I'm talking about in terms of shared autonomous vehicle.

0:49:40This is actually our first generation and easy miles shuttle.

0:49:42We've actually gone through local motors. And now we're actually operating what's called a Navia shuttle.

0:49:48But it's also really focusing on the corners of the future.

0:49:51So on the bottom left handhand corner. Here. This is what we're thinking in terms of a better connected transportation highway system that we're vehicles are able to communicate with each other.

0:49:58Synchronize to each other, but also again, as you can see, with the red prioritize carpooling, prioritize transit in the corridor through bus on shoulder, etc.

0:50:10So this is what we've see is in terms of the core of the future, and how we're planning and what we're trying to do in the county wide transportation plan.

0:50:18Another exciting project we're doing at momentum station is called Dynamic Personal micro Transit.

0:50:23This is actually a little personal pod that really is your personal vehicle.

0:50:27It's a point to point system. You don't necessarily need to share it with someone.

0:50:28And it really, you control control the climate. You control the m you control the music, you control the lighting.

0:50:32I'm in the vehicle, and it's really intended to provide that direct kind of point to point access.

0:50:43And this is actually developed in a fixed type of guideway system.

0:50:46And this is on the top picture is the testing facility that we haven't momentum station to test these vehicles.

0:50:52And then just like to close with you know, it's really important in terms of these new technologies to really get public acceptance.

0:50:59People see this stuff on TV, but they don't have the ability to actually touch it and see it.

0:51:00And understand it, and so last year we did. We went to Pleasant Hill tinkers and thinkers, and brought the shared autonomous vehicle to the event.

0:51:11To this community event, and it was a huge hit. And so now what we're doing is this year, and I'm assuming my staff is coordinating with your staff is that we're planning on going to every single city in Contra Costa county this year.

0:51:27And bringing the shuttle to your city at some community event.

0:51:30So what we need to know is what your biggest, largest community event is, and we will be there and participate to be able to tell people what again, what we're doing at Ccta.

0:51:33But also bring the shuttles, people can experience what the new transportation options and new mobility options are going to be in the future.

0:51:46It's a huge hit. Kids love it. It was awesome to see it.

0:51:48Parents introduced the technology to their kids like this is what you're going to be writing in the future.

0:51:51You know it's fantastic. It was great, and this is what we need to do in order to really teach people that transportation is changing.

0:51:55It's. It's here and now and now we need to figure out how to work with the public and work with you as elected officials, to make quite frankly tough decisions to implement the transportation of the future, and so that concludes my presentation and i'm sorry.

0:52:16Took so long. But I think it's really important and happy to answer any questions or take any comments.

0:52:24Thank you so much. Are there any council comments or questions?

0:52:30Thank you. There, Tim. Great presentation. Appreciate you being here.

0:52:31Yes, Fourth of July is our largest get-together.

0:52:41We're all of the shows up for that. It's our of.

0:52:42We have a music festival, and so, looking forward to yeah, talk to staff and talk to councilmember, Freddelli and be great to have.

0:52:55We also have a car show that you could write. We're gonna do our car show.

0:52:56It would shit right in there. Yeah, definitely bring it bring your classic car as well.

0:53:05And so here in West County, where we're behind the other parts of the county, I can't tell you how frustrating all of us are stuck on the 80 with 19 eighties technology.

0:53:14And that's the truth. Because these things that report in with the lights getting into the freeway, they put that into the nineteenth eighties when I was in college in La.

0:53:27So this is old technology. We just want equity that we want the same things that folks at on the 6, 80 and 24.

0:53:36We want the same thing that they have, and so right now we're not seeing any equities.

0:53:42So hopefully. You know, Ccta, with with tap, will work on that, and and I'm excited about the new modes of transportation concerns about the fiscal cliff of the thistle cliff dealing with A/C transit and Bark.

0:54:01Then I'm starting to take Bart again, and I'm sick of getting stuck on the road all the time waiting.

0:54:03Yeah, in traffic. So taking bar today to San Francisco, went back it's just great to see the police there for a change, and they were taking care of the bad behaviors.

0:54:16So appreciate public safety. Returning to Bart, but looking at the things that we would like to do here, do you see a bond measure in 2024 transportation and trans.

0:54:37I can tell you what I'm hearing, so I think, yeah, I think there's a debate right now on.

0:54:45In 2024. Will it be a housing measure or a transportation measure?

0:54:49Is what I'm kind of hearing right now. I think the debate over that is really trying to figure out how to address this transit fiscal cliff and like really what the priority is.

0:54:59I think that's what's being discussed at a regional level.

0:55:07Yeah, and I think the need for funding is important.

0:55:08I think, and one of the one of the reasons why we're a little lagging on the West County Side, and I appreciate the comment is that in I mean what what I what I forgot to mention in my presentation is that relative to Measure J.

0:55:28Measure J. Has the set is capital and programs. And so all of the capital projects in measure.

0:55:29J. Relative to the voter, approved transportation expenditure plan are basically like 95% complete and so in West Contra, Costa County.

0:55:44And I'm getting a little of the details. But in West Contra Costa County there was.

0:55:50It when we when West County basically decided how to spin their portion of measure.

0:55:51J. It was spent on capital projects and programs. So the capital projects that was identified in West Contra Costa County was I 80 smart cord or I 80, Sam Papodam Road. I.

0:56:0780 central, and so there's very limited capital funding in West Country, Costa County, and so and that's probably the single biggest limiting factors that we have in West Country.

0:56:19Costa County is that, and I mentioned in my presentation that in order without local money we can't go after grants, you know.

0:56:27And so so that's part of the single most challenging thing that we have a relative to West Contra Costa County not to say that we can't get creative.

0:56:34But this is where you know, put like wicca Ccta, as well as the local jurisdictions, can really kind of decide in the future in terms of you know how they would like to spend their program. Money. You know.

0:56:48So it's really up to Wiktac and Ccta boards to really decide how we maybe move things around to address some of the concerns until we probably have a future measure.

0:56:56That's approved by the voters. We will be limited in terms of how we address some of the transportation in West Country, Costa County now that now, with that's being said, they're still ongoing programs.

0:57:06Right? So there's programs for ferry programs for transit programs for accessible transportation.

0:57:18All those programs are being continually funded all the way out to 2034.

0:57:22And so we are offering and continuing, offering those programs on an annual basis. You know.

0:57:26And so book for my capital side. We are pretty limited in terms of the available funding, and so it's gonna be it's gonna require a little bit of innovation in terms of funding, and probably some tough decisions in terms of how you wanna you know, spend your resources.

0:57:45And I appreciate that you also mentioned that by 2030 this the senior population will double, and that is definitely true for El Cerrito and West County.

0:57:56So, looking at that, and looking at the future of transit, I like what you said with the demand system, and I talked to Chris people's and A/C transit, and they've experimented on that and and different parts of Alameda County and yep looking forward to testing that

0:58:19out here. I know we failed. Bond measure after bond measure.

0:58:23Here, in Contra Costa County, because of our involvementalist telling us that it's not good enough, and even though I had my board members at the Sierra Club passed this, they went behind my back to defeat it.

0:58:31So having Amy Worth joined me on that, and and to persuade them, you know, we're providing housing for the whole Bay area.

0:58:43Yet people in San Francisco and all Needa County are telling us this is not good enough, so this is what we're dealing with, a lot of people telling Contra Costa what to do all the time, and I've just had it with them because they think they know better

0:59:04but we're a huge county, and you know I appreciate all the work that you do with East Contra Costa.

0:59:06You know, when they've agreed that the glideways is going to be their mode of transportation for the last miles home to the new suburbs, and that that is really exciting.

0:59:21I chosen innovation, and I know Central County and South County.

0:59:26They want wideways to be part of the Iron Force trail.

0:59:27And that another exciting project, and Kieran, in West County.

0:59:32We definitely want to have the intermodal system and the very system done at Hercules with hopefully the ferry boat, and, like our members of Congress, are on board on this, because they are on the transportation Committee on the Federal level so I look forward

0:59:55to having you there in DC. At the same time I am and let's get the funding.

0:59:56So whatever we can do to get that because it is families are suffering here in West County because nothing has been done on the I.

1:00:1180 and and we're feeling this and you're seeing all the young families that are able to buy new homes and pinole and Hercules and Solo County.

1:00:21They have a 2 h, commute, so go ahead, and we're not even, you know.

1:00:25People have stopped taking bark, but I wanted to tell the residents that here in El Cerrito that West County I've taken bark now 4 times, and to see how safe it is now you know I very much appreciate that they have a mental health.

1:00:40Care workers. I noticed them helping some of the the people there at the Mission Street, Sixteenth Park Station.

1:00:46So great things are happening and barred. I encourage our residents to continue to have Elsbia transit per city I look forward to working with you, and again, or DC.

1:01:05Hopefully, we can have a meeting with you. And again, or DC. Hopefully, we can have a meeting with transportation secretary Pete Budajay again, or his staff, and and let's let's get this done and making sure that we have access to the Green Circular economy and the making of green

1:01:21hydrogen in a way, it's that's part of the future.

1:01:22We discussed that the mayor and I, at the Civic Well Conference, and that's the future of transit and transportation.

1:01:33I met with one of my colleagues, who's a member of the League of California Cities, and they just bought a hydrogen train from Germany to to use in Southern California.

1:01:44And then they're hoping that that will be part of their way of getting to Vegas.

1:01:47So exciting times, and so I look forward to working with you, and with the councilmember Pideli, and all these exciting things happen.

1:01:57But definitely when it comes to the last miles home I don't see Bart ever extending to the other cities in West contra cost.

1:02:11It's never gonna happen. It's it's obsolete technology and old and super expensive.

1:02:16But let's go with something new, and I appreciate that the tour that you gave the elected officials with Congressman Garrett A.

1:02:25And a lot of people are excited with what is being experimented at the momentum station.

1:02:26So great things happening. So thank you for your work. Thank you.

1:02:35Council. Member. Thank you. Okay, thank you. And Mister Hale, great presentation.

1:02:43And I really appreciate your coming out, Dulcerito.

1:02:46There's lots to do, and you're going out to the various cities in our county demonstrating what you're doing and what we can do and what Ccta can do is really beneficial to all of us.

1:02:58I'm especially excited about as one of the 2 West County Cta Commissioners about the progress of the countywide accessibility, transportation, coordination, entity, the long mouthful.

1:03:11But, as you know, recently, we we lost a long time.

1:03:12Cta. Member and Council member, Janet Abelson, and her efforts on act and mobility issues kind of laid the groundwork from any of the things that Wickack and Ccta are doing.

1:03:27So we're very much aware of that. And as a senior, I'm very much aware of connecting all the dots, so we can have an easy transportation trip for seniors and everybody that needs one.

1:03:37Also, I'm very excited about your new CCTV.

1:03:404.0 era. It's kind of your vision.

1:03:43It's very exciting, because it's about operational assistance in our county.

1:03:49You're another entity that can bring. Pull the operations of important projects together and help us get there.

1:03:52So I'm very excited about that, because we not only need someone to be in charge of pushing and coordinating and moving things as far as our operations, but using the lens of safety whenever this happens, as you did it with the vision one and and transit safety has to always be a

1:04:16component of this. So again, there's big problems, lack of money, lots to do.

1:04:22Thank you for being there with your ideas. I look forward to working with you and our Councilsel to help us get there.

1:04:30Thank you very much, I'm not gonna make this short and sweet.

1:04:33I you know we talked a lot about a senior population that will be doubling by a 2030. I'm I'm one of those young professionals.

1:04:38I'm shocked to find out that there are a lot of us who are actually making a decision to get rid of our cars, and I don't want anyone listening to this I think that'll last forever for the Council member maybe for a year.

1:04:51But what I am currently in the process of making that decision.

1:04:52A lot of that is due to the work that you have prevented to us in a day, and in team room to be done.

1:04:59I've been kind of testing the waters on this to see. You know the Council know that I'm on the move all the time.

1:05:05Can I get everywhere that I need to go and there's been nowhere yet, but I haven't been able to go and arrive that in due to that, the work that you are done, but also to our our work that we're doing with building our having like so close to Barton our transit we have one of the largest

1:05:19transit Hbs. And you know, here in the East Bay, and I always tell folks there in my housing development I'm literally 2 min from my door to the platform, and that's going to be important for a lot of our young professionals who are as we know the workforce has changing a lot of us are working from

1:05:33home we don't really need to go out driving as much as we need to, but we still need to get to a lot of places so I look forward to working with you on getting work funding to increasing our multimodal options here in you know, serrido where we'll automate

1:05:47transit going into the city of Transit, First City and our folks who are coming into our Cdi see a lot of them coming into the apartment complexes.

1:05:54And those are that's one of the big reasons why they're choosing your Cerrito is because they're still able to have those transit options.

1:06:01So thank you for that. Work, and I look forward to continue to working with you on it.

1:06:05Thank you. Council member, thank you so much for your presentation.

1:06:10This is really helpful to understand as Councilmember Weissinger said, we are very much a transit and multimodal community.

1:06:16I really appreciate everything you said about the last mile, first mile piece, because that's a really big issue here, particularly because of the topography.

1:06:21So there are many people that live up in the hills that depend upon their cars to get to Bart and for us to be able to solve that last mile for a small issue.

1:06:37We'll be really significant as we move forward with developing our Bart stations.

1:06:42So hopefully, we will get some of the innovative, autonomous vehicles for our community, too.

1:06:47I did have a question about the I. 80 in central Improvements.

1:06:56The way you mentioned, and it seemed like that those improvements are now done.

1:06:57Is that correct? It doesn't seem like much has happened there.

1:07:03So if you could provide some yeah, that's a good question. So the I 80 Sam Pablo Dam Road project. The first phase was essentially the construction of that brand new pedestrian overcrossing.

1:07:17So what we had to do is we had to move Demo.

1:07:18The existing pedestrian overcrossing and shift it over to make room for the actual interchange improvements.

1:07:25We also realigned Pablo damn road!

1:07:26And so we kind of that was phase one. And then, as I mentioned phase 2 is the demo of the bridge and the reconstruction of the interchange, and we're currently seeking State funds for that right now, in fact, Cal, trans actually again, this is where we get

1:07:45creative because you know, we don't have any local match in West Contra Costa County.

1:07:49And so we were able to work with Caltrans.

1:07:55And so when Caltrans actually submits, for through a grant for, like Cal, trans.

1:08:01Actually submit it not Ccta. They don't have to provide match funding.

1:08:06And so we were able. So we were able to, because San Paolo Dam rose a very important project, and and I 80 quarter is an important corridor.

1:08:15We've been sending letter after letter to letter to Caltrans, and so Caltrans was supportive of submitting this trade corridor enhancement program.

1:08:24Grant to fund basically the design phase of the project. And so those are kind of the creative things that we're trying to do is really leverage our partners to really bring in more money in the West.

1:08:35Contra Costa County, the I. 80 central project is the first phase of that project.

1:08:42I don't know if anyone recalls. But basically you have.

1:08:46You know the cost of of the left-hand Turn lane during peak periods.

1:08:53So that kinda active traffic management piece was phase one and we all as well as we repave the whole road.

1:09:00But we basically provided safety safety improvements. So there's a for example, I think it's one of the first intersections.

1:09:11In contrast, the county where we did a dual walk. So there's a dedicated crosswalk for pedestrians. There's also a dedicated crosswalk adjacent for bicyclists.

1:09:21So so we did kind of a complete streets approach safer walking and biking, better connectivity to the trail, and then we did kind of that active traffic management kind of left-hand turn thing, and so so that was phase one phase 2 is actually, more widening.

1:09:39And then also better access. So kind of complicated.

1:09:44But behind, behind the column we actually take out the dirt behind the column and put a retain wall.

1:09:50We have a better sidewalk and pedestrian improvements through the interchange is phase 2 as well as more channelization and more lanes for right hands and right handhand and left hand turn lanes.

1:10:02Basically so it's phase 2. And currently, the city is currently doing that that project.

1:10:09And and that feature doesn't really begin for another.

1:10:12Well, we're looking for construction funding.

1:10:13Yeah, yeah, so that actually, no, I think that that product is actually fully funded.

1:10:20So we're just going through the design phase and the right away phase.

1:10:23So that project is fully funded that I remember. Yeah, so and so that's the other project.

1:10:28That's so. That's kind of the status of both those projects.

1:10:30And then, if I may, one thing I forgot to mention, I failed to mention is regional measure 3.

1:10:36So regional measure 3 was passed by voters back in 26. No.

1:10:422028, 2018 yeah, 2018. So it was passed by voters in 2018.

1:10:48So this was a an increase in tolls on bridges right generated 5.2 billion dollars in the Bay area for projects for transportation projects that happen access to the 6 State owned bridges.

1:11:01So bay Bridge, Carina Bridge, Venetian, Martinez Bridge, and so there's 360 million dollars dedicated to Contra Costa County in that, including some other regional programs.

1:11:09But in that there's a lot of money in there for West Country, Costa County.

1:11:14There's money going. There's there's a 25 million for I 80 transit improvements.

1:11:19A/C transit has 100 million dollars. That's going to be spent in West.

1:11:20Contrast across the county. We also have 75 million for the Richmond Santa Fe Bridge improvement, and then we also have 7 and a half 1 million dollars, dedicated for the same Pablo Avenue multimodal quarter project That'll pay

1:11:41for the environmental and design next, phases in country across the county. So so yeah, so there's that that fun source was huge in terms of more projects and more benefits in West Country, Costa County.

1:11:51I want to make sure as well as funding some of the next steps of that 80 corridors assessment relative to transit.

1:11:57So I think I'd be really remiss if I don't really say something about that and the reason why haven't seen anything for the past 5 years is because the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association had had it caught up in in a lawsuit and that's a whole

1:12:11Nother story. But the Supreme Court basically dismissed the case.

1:12:15And now we're able to start allocating the funds from regional measure.

1:12:183 so on those funds, do we, as part of West County, need to make sure to advocate for that?

1:12:19There's no possibility that it's going to get redirected to other parts of the directly going to Ccta, and like I, 80, transit improvements is actually in statute.

1:12:39So there's no way that that 25 million dollars is not going to anything else.

1:12:43But I 80 transit improvements. Yeah, thank you so much.

1:12:48Are there any requests to speak from the public?

1:12:54That's issue.

1:12:57We do not have any request, any additional request. Mayor.

1:13:02Well, thank you so much. The next item is the annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year, ending June thirtieth, 2022.

1:13:26Thank you. I'm Sandra Delete, a finance director, city treasurer, just to give you some background context.

1:13:35I join the city in the during the fourth quarter of Fy.

1:13:4122, and have worked since then with basically pedal to the metal.

1:13:47Since that time, to make sure that we were able to complete and present the Fy.

1:13:522122, annual comprehensive financial report, or affectionately known as the Act for so yeah, we complete the app for, based on the requirements.

1:14:04For all us state, you know, and other governmental entities, and it's in accordance with the city's comprehensive financial policy as well.

1:14:15Completing this act for the Fy. 22 act are required.

1:14:19Additional time for the city, because a contract with the prior independent, external autitor had expired at the conclusion of the Fy.

1:14:2721 a fur. So in August of 22, the council approved.

1:14:33A one-year contract for an independent audit services with Shavonne and associates.

1:14:39Shavonne and associates worked with us. They rescheduled all of their other commitment, was with municipalities to accommodate the city of El Salvador's need to ensure that our Fy.

1:14:5022 at work was completed timely so since that time in October, auditors and finance we have really worked all out to make sure that we completed the act for timely.

1:15:03And so with that background, I would like to briefly introduce Sheldon Shavon.

1:15:04He is a certified public accountant. He's a managing partner of Shavonne and associates, and he founded Shavana and associates in 2,009.

1:15:18Their specialty is local, government, financial and compliance audits and they've been doing that since 1998.

1:15:25Their expertise is government accounting, auditing. They've audited more than 100 local governments and cities across the State.

1:15:34And now they've added the city of Al Corida Shavonne, the managing partner, has been a Board Member committee member, treasurer, chief financial officer, and local government, as well as a nonprofit.

1:15:46So he really comes with a lot of insights on what the issues are.

1:15:47That city council members and the public and nonprofits are interested in with that.

1:15:55I'd like to present Sheldon Shabon to present the Adver.

1:16:02Alright! Thank you. Good evening, and thank you for the great introduction.

1:16:04Sounds a lot better when she says it out loud when it's written. Even.

1:16:12I will let you know I'm dealing with the slight technical difficulty.

1:16:13My computer my laptop, that I spend quite a bit of money on, decided that it doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

1:16:21So I'm not going to open that. It's very loud.

1:16:23The fan is loud, unless I absolutely need to have a pretty good memory.

1:16:25So hopefully as we go through. If you have questions I'll be able to address them.

1:16:29I have my phone, which, by the way, is dying. But I haven't hit open there, too.

1:16:30So, really work with them to find me both in the lousy, loud laptop.

1:16:38I will do so. So here we go. I often call myself a history teacher because we're looking back into fiscal year June thirtieth, 2022. If you're currently dealing with budget issues and looking at totally t 23 but right? Now, let's take a pause

1:16:51and see what the audit says about the fiscal year ended, June 30, going towards 22.

1:16:59And see that you can see that I'm getting a little bit older.

1:17:01I have to. If you point it towards the laptop over here.

1:17:07There you go. Not the screen. Okay? So I wanted to touch on the auto process itself.

1:17:13You're probably very familiar with this, and in the old days I used to refer to as a 3 Phillies process.

1:17:19It's become more of a 4 things process now, especially after Covid.

1:17:20And you know I will start with the planning phase right right from the get.

1:17:22Go to the contract and sign we jump right into planning, and a part of that plan he has to do with risk assessment.

1:17:33So we're looking at the internal controls, looking at the financials preliminary financials we're identifying areas of significant transaction classes looking for compliance areas that are significant.

1:17:46And then what we want to do. There is okay. What has risk?

1:17:51And once we identify those risk, we develop the audit plan.

1:17:54Yeah, from that audit plan, we'll actually get into the audit execution phase which is filled work.

1:17:55So start of testing right and as you'll see in the standards later, I'll touch on this internal controls.

1:18:07We document them, we test them, but we don't opine on them, so keep that in mind right as we move forward.

1:18:14Once we finish phase one in 2, which seems like it only took a couple minutes based on this presentation right?

1:18:21We get to the our reporting phase, and that's where we are now.

1:18:25Just keep in mind, too, that we have this there. We've submitted it, oops, but it's equal to you tonight.

1:18:32We still have reporting. Today, we have the singularity report which is separate on a schedul of explanations, of Federal rewards.

1:18:39We have the management letters to issue which we typically like to issue with the active.

1:18:43But we're working hard to get the offer out so what I'll do is with the single audit report.

1:18:44And actually fix that report better because we issue 2 opinions in that report which you'll see at the next council meeting.

1:18:56Now, once we move from the 13 phase, we get into the follow-up base and the follow up.

1:18:57This is really communicating to management to the Council, and then see if there's any questions back and forth, and really just part of the wrap up on the audit.

1:19:15Okay. So the standards that we follow.

1:19:20If I stand here, is it okay?

1:19:24And our auditor responsibilities. So the main standard that we follow includes generally accepted auditing standards.

1:19:29So this is what you're going to find in the United States.

1:19:33Pretty much anything that's not public public follows a little bit larger scope on it right?

1:19:37Peekaboo when we have the local government.

1:19:41You're also following generally accepted governmental auditing standards.

1:19:44We call that gagus right in the audit world.

1:19:47And generally accepted governmental auditing standards that brings to you those additional reporting requirements that you're going to see happen.

1:19:51When you issue the single report. We're also going to send you a council report.

1:19:58That's about a four-page letter that tells you things that we're actually discussing tonight.

1:20:02So a little more information there won't be any surprises, because there's nothing of relevance or significance to report in that we're not gonna talk about tonight.

1:20:12The objective of the audit. Well, the main objective is to issue an opinion on the financial statements, and in doing so, letting the public and the constituents and the Council know whether or not those financial statements are free of maternal mis statement, we do that with a reasonable assurance not an absolute

1:20:31insurance, but a reasonable assurance. It is a very high level of assurance, and it's backed by the 2 standards that we follow.

1:20:40The responsibilities. I mentioned one using the insurance. It's my space.

1:20:45I talked about that initially right materiality, the concept there can be somewhat complex, especially now.

1:20:47It's it's been redefined by the standards.

1:20:54The standards have now included more of an emphasis on significance.

1:20:58Right? So you can say something's quite a a quantitatively material amount or not.

1:21:04But it's significant. It means something. This to a leader.

1:21:06Then it actually might still be material. So that's something else we have to consider what we're developing.

1:21:12Our auto plan, and issuing our opinion control controls.

1:21:16I've discussed that. So that's one of our responsibilities, but it is where it isn't right.

1:21:19And the reason I say that it is, but it isn't is because, as I mentioned, we document controls.

1:21:26We test controls to gain an understanding of those controls.

1:21:29But we're not required to issue an opinion on internal good goals.

1:21:34We can do so in a separate engagement under something called an integrated audit, which is also more to the standards.

1:21:45Just one to touch on the of the affir, and, as you will see, there's an introductory section it includes a letter of transmitter from management.

1:21:58It summarizes the elected officials, and it has an organizational chart.

1:22:04Section 2 is really where I come into play on my phone.

1:22:06The auditors opinion the management's discussion and analysis with the with the Mdna, which you get.

1:22:13There is another letter from management. We actually don't audit this document.

1:22:15This particular, 8 to 10 to 12% piece of the apple, but it includes audited information right?

1:22:24So we don't issue an opinion on the Mdn.

1:22:28It comes from management, and it gets our stamp of approval in the sense that we review it, and it includes the audited numbers, the financial statements in notes.

1:22:35Of course, that's where we issue our opinion required supplementary information.

1:22:41We actually have budgetary data would add it to your major funds.

1:22:45The general fund. We have mentioned information going back 8 years now.

1:22:51It will be 10 soon. Right! Get in there and then other personal private bill. But she won't see that this year, because the city changed their benefit.

1:23:00Planned, turns, therefore, removing that obligation, and the reporting requirements, we do not issue an opinion on the budgetary information in the Afghan either, but we specifically state that in our opinion letter, however, we do look at it just so you know section.

1:23:193. I jumped ahead. The statistical section is completely unofficial except for you have audio information in there as well.

1:23:24When you look at the statement of net position, you look at the changes in reposition, you look at the fund balances any to do with the changes in fun, balance.

1:23:41Okay, this is where my laptop would come in handy I have to keep bouncing around.

1:23:45I can see that. Then I can see these laptops so here's a summary of the statement of net position as of Gene 30, twotwo, 22, as compared to June thirtieth, 2021, hopefully, the graph makes sense.

1:23:57I think the biggest thing to see though, is you have a huge deficit in that position.

1:24:01Most important thing to notice. Right? All on the right deficit net position. Does that mean?

1:24:06As soon as going broke we all know it doesn't right, so this is one of the weird quirks about governmental accounting.

1:24:09The attempt to make a city's financial statements look more like a business environmental statements, something that looks nothing like a business's financial statements.

1:24:24So what you get is a net position that is in a deficit state, and what that really means is that if you can't fund your pension plan, 30 years from now, you're in trouble 3 years from now, so what I always tell my local customer clients is let's focus on 3 to 5

1:24:40maybe even 10 years, and your friend Bountance. And what's your annual required contributions are, and a nuking sure you keep an eye on that long term, number and the only thing to focus on teams, the biggest component of your net position is your net investment in capital assets.

1:24:50But one thing to note that's important to see here as well.

1:24:56It was the impact of your pensions and the investment earnings from the measurement period included in this afer.

1:25:06Keep in mind the pensions, the pensions, measurement period is a year behind the actual date, and so in that particular year that period was June 30, 2021.

1:25:16Outdoors did really well with their investments. Right?

1:25:19And because of that, it had a huge impact on the reporting we're doing now.

1:25:23In June 30,022, and the next 5 years.

1:25:25What happens with those great investment returns that, by the way, we all we lost all that in 22 right?

1:25:28But what happens is they defer it, and it gets, take that deferral over 5 year period right?

1:25:40So 34 million dollars, divided by 5, something like that. And in essence you have something that is a liability that went up by a large amount.

1:25:49And that's reflected in the financial statements. When you look at the deferred inflows of resources.

1:25:56Now also wanted to just take a quick note that your AD for the one time of year you get to see your governmental fund financial statements that you're used to seeing in your budget converted to the government wide almost like a consolidation right we're adding in the long-term

1:26:16debt added into the long-term assets. Capital assets!

1:26:17And we're converting that fund statement to a statement of net position and a statement of activities.

1:26:25So it's a different presentation. And it's the one year you get a chance to ask questions about it.

1:26:33Sorry one time up here.

1:26:38So now we kind of define what we're looking at in terms of the type of statements, the governmental activity.

1:26:45So this is a government, wide revenue after you combine all your funds, and adjust for those long term assets and liabilities, you can still see the taxes.

1:26:55Hello! Impact from the conversion. Right? It's no impact whatsoever from the conversion on your taxes.

1:27:02Excuse me, in general, I should say in total, your taxes went up by about 2 million dollars from 2020.

1:27:08-one, according to which has to do with the assessed evaluations and whatnot also includes sales, taxes and Tt.

1:27:20And other types of taxes that also went up throughout the year.

1:27:21All of that is detailed in the Mdna. And then you can see the charges for services went up, which is a result of the pandemic right and as that pandemic hit hard initially, you had a dip and then over time, as it's recessed and things are getting more back to normal

1:27:38you see those charges for services go back up, you see.

1:27:41Parts from Rex open up. So you see more people being more active it makes sense that you'll have that happen.

1:27:49You can see those going down in terms of the Federal Government came in and helped out right with the Coronavirus grants that we had, and we actually tested that as a major program in each.

1:27:55The last few years. Right? So in general, what you get to see here is your government government wide revenues summarized. Let me ask.

1:28:12Can't. Just look at the revenues have to look at the expenses so governmental expenses again.

1:28:16These have a huge impact when you convert from the funds to government wide the pension adjustment itself was about 11 million dollars, right?

1:28:28Going from funds to government wide, and then you have no impact mobile this year mentioned that earlier, but just just that alone, you know.

1:28:38That's the big number that we convert when we're talking about 8 million dollars.

1:28:43When we talk to computers. But then we have a 1 million.

1:28:44In addition to that, from the adjustments and the deferrals related to pensions right and you're gonna see that come up and down because of the way that investments have swung over the last few years.

1:28:54And so those measurement periods are going to have a huge impact.

1:28:59And so that's what we see. Those blue bars going up is those pension adjustments.

1:29:05But if you take that out and look at the funds, there are some.

1:29:08There are some increases in the cost, but not so much.

1:29:09And it's pretty flat and compared to 21.

1:29:17Okay, so we added results the little guys are not supposed to show up until me in, yeah, we're gonna see 4, no and one without a no.

1:29:28And that's where we're gonna touch on those controlled efficiencies.

1:29:29Cause. We have a report coming with the deficiencies, so no exceptions in the route opinion.

1:29:37So that's what you really want to see. That's an unmodified opinion, right?

1:29:38That's what can impact your bond rating. If you had a modification in there that could really do some damage for you, Bob.

1:29:47With Sandra's effort in her team's effort, and the Department's effort to consolidate the 150 items already requested, or so we were able to finish the audit and have a successful, unmodified or unclalified opinion on the

1:30:07financial statements. We did not find any material. We can assist a report.

1:30:13There were no disagreements with management we we didn't even have a heated argument, at least have one.

1:30:19You know I'm rather scared of the other day, though I don't know if you guys saw that email, my fault on that no significant pass on adjustments which is excellent indoor controlled efficiency is coming we have about 7 controlled efficiencies that we need

1:30:35to report. There are significant deficiencies. For the most part they all have to do with really the same kind of thing, and it's really just a lack of segregation of duties, not enough.

1:30:43People to really spread the work around to in finance. We need more centralized activity, more communication between finance and the other departments and it really comes down to with people kind of having their own autonomy autonomy.

1:30:56Sorry over the what their jobs are, without any monitoring and oversight during a period that.

1:31:11Probably difficult for your current management team to have to go back and figure out what was going on.

1:31:12Now, with that being said, the fact that we don't have a material weakness is pretty amazing to be honest.

1:31:19So we're expecting to have maternal weaknesses.

1:31:29How we got to that point was really with a lot of effort from your finesting so I can keep those to them.

1:31:35So because of that you got my stamp of, okay, okay?

1:31:41So that's my presentation. We're free to ask any questions that you may have, or I'll do my best to answer them.

1:31:53So there, questions from?

1:31:58Yes. Okay. Thank you for that thorough presentation very much.

1:32:03Appreciate it and and it's great news. So I wanna say, thank you to the head of our finance team, Sandra, and thank you for giving us the good news on that.

1:32:16There are some things that we need to work on. I wanna make sure that we are prepared for the future, and the future is perhaps a library measure, and the future is perhaps a library measure and in March and a sunset of a tax that will have to put on the ballot in

1:32:34november in March, and a sunset of attacks that we'll have to put on the ballot in November.

1:32:37And in order to make sure that we're able to do this by the summertime and just say upper down, if we're going to do this or not, we need to improve our credit rating.

1:32:40So. Do you have any thoughts on that, on improving our credit, rating and getting it back to respectable Aaa, yeah, yeah, the first book is getting a a lot modified clean opinion in the audit that helps quite a bit.

1:33:02After that, you know, from my experience in my perspective, it has to do.

1:33:08You know, really, with the establishing the credibility of the city right, and having people trust that now the credit goes beyond that, it goes beyond anything I can answer in this meeting to be honest, that would take me more time to sit down with you.

1:33:24In your management team and go, okay, well, what are you looking for?

1:33:27How do we get there? But I can promise you that if you haven't any modifications in your report on the financial statements that we were issued in 2022, then you would have a real issue trying to get that credit rating increased because one thing I want to make sure that that our residents

1:33:44are aware of, and and over for us to put a bond measure in the march.

1:33:49We have to make that Dent on the 115 trust, and we haven't done it yet.

1:33:54So know the importance of making sure we do this, and we do this soon, and I know the city is aware, and Staff and the city manager is a aware, and staff and the city manager is aware that we need to do this, but the lack of Personnel has Sidelined that but I'm Hoping that

1:34:12we need to do this, but the lack of personnel has sidelined that. But I'm hoping that we can get this done before we decide.

1:34:15If we're going to do this by the summer time, you know, when I was mayor last year, I promised a residence that we would do this last year and we're already here at almost April.

1:34:26So the VoIP importance of getting this work done is imperative, and well, we will not do the spawn measure, and we'll walk, but we won't be able to get this library built.

1:34:33So yeah, just everyone knows. And our staff knows. And I know Sandra knows the importance of putting a dent on those.

1:34:43And let's do this. 115. Trust so.

1:34:44But that is, I think, the goal. That's a good idea that makes sure that we get this done and we get it soon.

1:34:47So, thank you. Yeah, yeah, I will say one thing is that the net pension liability?

1:34:56And I should have mentioned this with you first asked. I thought it went down from 70 million to 48 million, so that the that should help you would think. But the problem with that is, it was deferred. So.

1:35:08It's gonna take time for that felt right? So you have a 34 million dollar deferral that acts like a liability.

1:35:14And the credit would probably take that into account. Yeah, when you look at other cities that are made 10 million dollar dense on this, and we haven't made one dent on this yet.

1:35:18It. Can our residents know what the situation is, and we're on cheeky ground still.

1:35:31So I want to make sure our residents know about that.

1:35:32But we this Council knows what we need to do, and we're going to do this to make sure we get a 20 First Century library Belt.

1:35:40And so I'm hoping that we just get the work done, and hoping that our city manager knows that we need to make sure that we hire these people and get it done.

1:35:50So thank you for that. Yeah.

1:36:00Questions or comments.

1:36:04Just a couple of general comments. Thank you for the presentation and the good humor I appreciate that when it involves numbers in meeting your report, I mean looking through it, scanning it, looking looking at over, it is mainly in my view, more procedural as you say, in this

1:36:26stage, than what's coming up later, where we may get some more numbers and things like that.

1:36:31But I didn't. What I was pleased about is, I didn't see the word concern you don't want to see that so I looked for the word concern and didn't see it, and that made me happy.

1:36:40So I should be happy about this right? You should be happy because there's no the keyword.

1:36:47There would be lack of going.

1:36:51So I was concerned about that. The last question I have is, I think it's in our management.

1:36:57Part of the presentation. But we talk about the various reserve policies.

1:37:03We have an emergency disaster, recovery fund policy. Do you have any comments about our reserves at this point in our financial audit?

1:37:13I definitely think it needs to be revisited.

1:37:17In my opinion, because there's some work that can be done there in terms of how you present your fund balance, and how you set aside fund balance, and at what happened.

1:37:27That's in the process of happening correct. And I see a big nod from our city manager that we're going to get a plan as to how we should be annually sending money to this reserves under this potent of this pot but you don't say it in here that's not your job to

1:37:41say that in there now I can't see that in there now.

1:37:44I can't see that in my management letter, though.

1:37:46Thank you. Thank you very much. I would just like to add one comment, the Financial Advisory Board was given that assignment by City Council, and they are coming up with a plan and a recommendation to city Manager and to City Council on the way to distribute the Fund Balance each year as a

1:38:06percentage total to each of the reserves, including the Pension Trust.

1:38:07So that should be forthcoming shortly from Fab.

1:38:14Thank you. Thank you very much.

1:38:20So I have some questions in a comments. I would just say, You know, it's really nice to get the confirmation that our bud balance is that 16.6 million?

1:38:27So I think that was a big woohoo from me, and I think that's a great relief for all of us that we do have a robust fund reserve.

1:38:45So thank you for confirming that I wanted to understand better about our net position and our pension liability and when I saw the table about our net position showing the significant pensions and the significant pension liability, I thought the good news was that even with this large negative number

1:39:08I thought the good news was that even with this large negative number our net position was still positive.

1:39:09Am I not reading that correctly because of the way that you were showing that chart said, Oh, we're still really negative.

1:39:13So that's kind of what does this mean? It's a little bit of a scare tactic on my part as an auditor.

1:39:14Try to come up and give you something to look at.

1:39:23So really, you're absolutely right. As an auditor, try to come up and give you something to look at.

1:39:33So really, you're absolutely right. You keyed in on the right numbers, and you can tell your cutie there's really good.

1:39:37So my idea of what I should say. The idea is that your total net position is terrific in terms of a local government.

1:39:40Specifically in that statement in this era, because many local governments do find themselves with a total deficit.

1:39:42And that's when we have to report on it. So the fact you make a very valid point.

1:39:50I should have commented on that, that you did have it.

1:39:52Your total net position is positive, positive. 15 million or so, if I remember correctly.

1:39:57Yes, 15.5 okay. So the idea is, though, with that investment in capital assets and you restricted, then you end up in this deficit position.

1:40:00So my my thought was to point that out because it's just quirky. It really is.

1:40:12And so it's hard for people to understand what the idea is behind those concepts.

1:40:13And so yes, oftentimes I will say, focus on your total net position.

1:40:16But a long term period right? That 30 year period is what I usually say.

1:40:24Okay, great question. So, and then we will be getting this management letter with our control deficiencies that you're gonna lay out for that for us. Yeah.

1:40:37And that's going to come with the single audit report when we issue that and that should be next council meeting. Great!

1:40:43I did have some. I did find some typos, and I have already conveyed those to staff.

1:40:48I appreciate that. Thank you so. But I think it was very exciting, having, you know, as you know, not in a negative way.

1:40:52A mundane audit, that everything was okay, and I'll take that.

1:41:03I wouldn't say that, but I will take that resounding okay, as as a sign that we're have been working very hard to make things better here. Yeah. And just keep in mind what what the audit that follows that generally except the Governmental Auditing standards

1:41:24there's more to it than just a regular audit under, generally accepted on in standards, and the issuance of the financial statements is the most important part of that.

1:41:28Are they free in the statements? But the next part of that, the reporting the management letter, you know.

1:41:33That's where we can help you a little bit more than just issuing a clean opinion right, and give you some recommendation so hopefully that you find when you read that letter, you find value, and in that letter will you give us some guidance of what you're thinking you know with the you know

1:41:47our pension liability is manageable. Now I know the discount rate is getting lower, so does that mean that our net position is going to fluctuate a lot as well?

1:41:58Going, forward? Or what does what does that mean? There's 2 parts to that question.

1:42:03It sounds like, so the first part is the answer directly is no, and the reason is, you're in a positive total net position.

1:42:10If you had a deficit. Total deposition, then we would address that, and the lack of going concern would come up and then we would address that in the management letter.

1:42:13But in this particular case your healthy from that gene 3, 2022, in terms of your net position and your fund balance. So it's not something we would address.

1:42:26In the management letter, the second part, do you have a second part to that or it's like the with the discount rate changing. And and you mentioned that our pension liability would.

1:42:39Yes, and so there are disclosures in the back of the actor.

1:42:40If you got to the net the pension portion of it.

1:42:45That's about what happens. If your interest rate discount rate goes up or down by a percent as an example, you're at 48 million dollars, 49 million dollars at June 30, 2022 for the net pension liability, not including the other accounting parts

1:42:58deferred outflows and impose just the liability itself.

1:43:011% decrease from 7.1 5% to 6.1 5%.

1:43:02And you're at 80 million dollars. So if you have calpers, come out and say Well, guess what you're just discount.

1:43:11Rate's not 6.8%. That's almost a half a percent.

1:43:15You can see that we'll have a significant impact on your net pension liability.

1:43:23Not to mention the fact that, as I mentioned previously, you had great earnings in the measurement period for this audit, the next one.

1:43:28It's going the other way. So you're losing the 48 million already.

1:43:34So you're only gonna be at a higher number at June 30, 2023.

1:43:38Even before that, 6.8% hits but then, if we are not, if our net position is not positive at that time, that's really not our fault, we typically do not auditors in the industry and bond rating agencies typically do not hold that against a local government it's the fund balance

1:43:57that matters the most. Okay, thank you very much. Hey? Do we have any?

1:44:02Comments or questions from the public.

1:44:07Oh, now would be the time for members of the public who wish to provide public comment on this item, to raise their hand, to request, to speak it.

1:44:16Do not have any speaker cards for those in person.

1:44:22Okay. And I haven't seen any hands from any remote requests, any last questions or comments from council.

1:44:30I once again I once say thank you, because I've been reading these through the years, and this was the easiest one to read.

1:44:35So that's what I was looking for. Thank you.

1:44:49Okay. The next item is adoption of the consent.

1:44:50Calendar, which includes the following items, hey goes through.

1:45:01On the list.

1:45:05Approval of minutes. The prescription, drug abuse, awareness, proclamation.

1:45:07See Proclamation, recognizing education and sharing day.

1:45:08The economic development Committee appointments Committee on Aging Appointments, F.

1:45:14Annual Progress report that general plan and housing element G.

1:45:21Received monthly disbursement and payment register report for the month of February 2023.

1:45:30Each annual parcel assessment for the national pollution, discharge, elimination system, n.

1:45:32Pds program and drainage, maintenance, activities for fiscal year 2023, 24.

1:45:43I amendment to custodial services. Agreement with universal building services.

1:45:44Jay Amendment to agreement with St. Francis Electric for Electrical Traffic control devices and light lighting maintenance and repair services and item K.

1:45:57Final item, a resolution authorizing X execution of an agreement for the affordable housing sustainable Communities program for El Rideau Plaza, Parsl Acel for transit oriented development at the El Cido Plaza station and submission of an application for affordable Housing

1:46:14Sustainable community program funds as a co-plocent with related.

1:46:20So item C and D have a representative here to speak and receive, the proclamation, which will occur after adoption.

1:46:23The consent. Calendar.

1:46:35So is there a motion to approve the consent. Calendar?

1:46:42My apologies, name, Matiyama. This would be the time for the recusal, for the item that needs to be referenced prior to taking action I thought that was only if it was pulled so I don't know a bunch of abundance of caution.

1:46:54I will be recusing myself from voting on consent.

1:46:57Items, 7. K. My employer, community economics, Inc. Is a nonprofit that advises regarding affordable housing, finance and development.

1:46:59One of our clients is satellite, affordable housing associates, or Saha Saha is a member of the development team selected by Bart for the Plaza Tod Project community economics is not advising Saha about the Plaza Tod project and has no financial relationship to the project if

1:47:21the item is requested to be pulled by another member.

1:47:22I will leave the room for the discussion and vote otherwise I will vote on the Consent calendar, and ask that the city clerk reflect my recusal for this item in the minutes as a point of clarification for Council members.

1:47:38If you have a brief comment or question, the item does not have to be pulled for separate consideration.

1:47:42Are there any questions or requests by the Council to pull items off the consent?

1:47:46Calendar. I have a couple. I just again not to pull, but to make a comment and have a question about 3 of them.

1:47:57Okay, which items item D, I just wanted to thank the 2 renominations of Gene Shrim and George Gaer for being reappointed to the client prevention given a lot of years to that.

1:48:12And I think they're wonderful, and thank you for that.

1:48:16So I don't need to pull that. But I did have a question about F.

1:48:17And G. The general plan, the progress on the general plan.

1:48:25And no. Is there someone here that can answer a question?

1:48:32Any email, should I just ask the question on we do have our planning manager on the call. He's coming up. He should be able to address any of your questions, and then just a quick question on G.

1:48:44But I'm not opposed to these 2.

1:48:47There he is!

1:48:50Hey Sean!

1:48:51Oh, that's not better light. Okay? Sorry about that. Yes.

1:48:55Can I? What's your question?

1:48:56That was kind of yeah. So on the goal. R, 2, in the Historical Resources section on the house at 1715, Elm Street Project there is construction there with the housing next door.

1:49:13The house has been moved, but your timeline and the description sounds like there is progress for making the with a historical venue for the city of El Salorida.

1:49:24Is there any status on that, or what will be happening with that? Because a lot of citizens, a lot of residents, and I see value in that in the future for El Salvador.

1:49:34Yeah. Good question. Thank you for asking it, so you may know that there is a condition of approval for the project.

1:49:41That requires that the that the developer offer a low cost lease to the city, for for that house the also stipulated in, I believe the development agreement for the project are the types of uses that could be accommodated

1:50:04in that house. So it's it's things like I'm just kind of doing this off the top of my head.

1:50:12But it's it's things sort of like community center type uses.

1:50:17Committee meeting poetry readings, stuff like that. Right?

1:50:23Okay.

1:50:24Sure. Yeah, that's yes. Those types of things would be included.

1:50:25And so, as part of that process, so that so that is the intent of the developer to satisfy that condition as required.

1:50:34And so we anticipate that the city would engage in a process to recruit a attendant for for that house we're not exactly sure what exactly what that process is. Gonna look like.

1:50:51Yet, but we're, you know, envisioned that it might be something like a request for proposals.

1:50:55Process just to solicit proposals and then review them and select.

1:51:00Thank you, and there will be a public involvement in what that property might become in the city.

1:51:07Yup definitely definitely room for public involvement in that process.

1:51:13Bye!

1:51:14And then the other thing, I would add is that there also is a condition of approval, that the the and the applicant has already the developer has already fulfilled this in terms of providing funds to the city.

1:51:24But there's a condition that required that the required that the developer provide a certain amount of money to the city to develop a historical plaque that could be put on or near the house, so that money the city is in possession of those funds, and so

1:51:45we also plan to conduct that process, to develop that.

1:51:50Thank you. I think that'll be a great asset for the north side of our city. Thank you for that.

1:51:55And then on G, on the national, Pollutant discharge program.

1:52:02Just a quick pardon me. H. Yes. The question I had is that it?

1:52:11I think it's been the second or third year where we've said that we're not gonna eventually have enough money to be paying for the costs of this program, and that we'll have to decide in the future.

1:52:18When are we going to decide or come up with an idea or about how we will pay for this in the future?

1:52:24Because water pollution costs are pretty important. Good evening, Mayor and city Council.

1:52:33Will provost currently the assistant to the city manager of finally the operations and environmental services team.

1:52:44Our incoming clean water program. Coordinator.

1:52:48But just to speak to that, because we have been saying that for a number of years our clean water program costs have been rising and just in July 1, 2,022, we entered a new permit term a new permit from the regional water quality control board and so our permit costs are rising

1:53:03both on a regional level along with the other cities.

1:53:04And the contrast to clean water program. But then, as a city, too, so the new permit, for example, requires us to meet a 100% load reduction for trash, which is a really high high milestone and there's a formula to hit that but what it means for us is that we're gonna

1:53:22have to likely develop new ordinances to manage trash on private properties.

1:53:27We're going to have to put together a new plan to to map out how we're going to get to a 100% reduction.

1:53:33And so we're still understanding those costs. New primary requirements in the new permit include grappling with litter and trash related to homeless and unsheltered populations or managing water and foam from firefighting applications so there's lots of new requirements

1:53:50that we're facing, and we're grappling with and implementing.

1:53:53Now we don't have clarity yet on how much those things will cost.

1:53:57And actually the contrast to clean water program is helping identifying new findings, streams for us to you know, pursue in the future to meet those ends.

1:54:05So we won't get hit with the big general fund request in the next year or 2. Not in the next fiscal year.

1:54:13If you do, we will be back at budget time to ask for those appropriations.

1:54:14But at this time there's not enough clarity, and we're okay with the current fund balances and amounts that have been appropriated so it's on your yes, we'll be back as soon as we know the Mac.

1:54:27And then we can see where we go from there. Once you decide, visualize what the full spectrum of costs exactly, and it's our goal to not to not overspend either to meet the minimum requirements to do the right thing for our community for our environment for the creeks, but to make sure that

1:54:43what we're using resources wisely, even. Thank you very much. Thank you.

1:54:50Thank you. Like to. Move. Second, yeah, I'd like to make a motion to move the consent.

1:54:57Calendar letters a all the way to K. And I would second that.

1:55:02Okay, we have motion and a second motion by Councilor Morocco.

1:55:06Second by Council, member for Delhi. How all those in favor, Pci are any opposed motion carries with Mayor Perimeter.

1:55:19Okay.

1:55:24I think we have a new procedure here. Can you help me out thank you for everyone's patience okay, so we do have 2 proclamations tonight.

1:55:27We do have individuals here representing and receiving those proclamations. The first one I would invite.

1:55:48Hey? I had my page, and I lost it for the prescription, drug abuse, awareness, proclamation.

1:55:49We have coalition Member Haley Lane on the call, who was going to provide some brief comments in receipt of that proclamation.

1:56:01He should be able to turn on your camera.

1:56:04Hello!

1:56:07Hello!

1:56:09Good evening. My name is Haley Lane, and I am the Americorps Vista member for the Contra Costa County Meds coalition.

1:56:17We are a community based coalition that focuses on primary prevention of substance, use disorders and prescription drug related overdoses.

1:56:27Thank you to the City Council of Lcrito for bringing the proclamation forward, declaring, March 2023, as purscription, drug abuse, awareness.

1:56:36Month, as many of us may know, prescription drugs can be helpful in treating many physical and mental illnesses, but unfortunately, these medications are also easily misused, and can lead to some serious consequences, including the development of a substance use disorder or subsequent overdose more specifically the

1:56:55most misused types of medications include sedatives, stimulants, and opioids.

1:57:01In fact, one in 4 patients in the Us. Receiving long-term term opioid therapy in a primary care, setting struggle with an opioid use, disorder.

1:57:12We have lost one to many community members, to the growing issue of prescription, drug abuse.

1:57:17We use this month to strongly encourage community members of Contra Costa to properly dispose of their expired, and unwanted prescription drugs throughout the year, and to safely store medicalations that are still needed.

1:57:30We also encourage community members to equip themselves with not only the knowledge and awareness of prescription, drug abuse, but to know the signs of overdose and learn how to respond and save someone's life.

1:57:41The more we are able to talk openly about this issue, the more lives we save from overdose on behalf of the Meds coalition.

1:57:49I would like to again thank the El Cerrito City Council for their continued support in the Coalition's work, to prevent prescription, drug abuse, and overdose in the county.

1:58:00Thank you.

1:58:02Thank you so much, and we will get the original proclamation out to you guys.

1:58:06Thank you.

1:58:07Thank you. The next next one is our proclamation.

1:58:12Recognizing education and sharing day, and I would invite R Rabbi Yankee Bell up to provide some brief comments and accept the proclamation.

1:58:29Thank you, and good evening, I think this is our fifth year of doing this.

1:58:32So thank you, City Council members, for doing this once again. Mayor.

1:58:41Actually, I also want to thank you for being an inspiration for the cities nearby.

1:58:42I'm just coming from the city. The Brooklyn City Council meeting and I've also sponsored a proclamation second year now for education in Charlottesville and John Jora, and with the county is doing it also in a couple of weeks

1:58:58so thank you. Thank you for doing this education.

1:59:04So so the proclamation is marking education and sharing by on April second, April second corresponds to the eleventh day of the month of which is the 120 first birthday of the great Jewish leader the noses of our time the other was born in Ukraine in 190

1:59:272, and eventually he came to the United States, escaping, became the leader of the movement.

1:59:34In 1950, and it's considered to be the the most unfortunate rabbi in modern history.

1:59:41Well, the webinar concentrated his efforts on an urban enterprise community after the devastation of the holocaust.

1:59:48Whoever paid great attention to tonight's of all of humanity, which is the the reason that they further attacked us us this day.

1:59:59The Webber's birthday, so it changes every year, depending on the Hebrew calendar. In 1978.

2:00:04As educational and other webinars, apples for application and sharing among all people, and this was 5 by President Carter, and every Us.

2:00:12President in including President Joe Biden, who will be marking this day in April second, also declaring that as a day to, we focus our efforts on education and sharing, creating a brighter future for society educational emphasizes the importance of paying attention, not only the academic

2:00:31education of preparation for career. But also education of morality and ethics.

2:00:33To raise children to adults who have brought the foundations and can utilize academic knowledge and medical career to make the right choices and help make the world a better place.

2:00:46The other stresses the performance of every child having their own charter box every time there are multiple money allowance.

2:00:53Parents teach their children to give a small portion of it to charity, might give a little bit of charity right now.

2:01:02Justice. Charlie was a great door for the person they need.

2:01:04Physically, charity does a great job for the deliver.

2:01:07Mentally, psychologically emotional and spiritually getting China. Every day is like daily.

2:01:13It's like day or exercise the more we move our kindness muscles, the more we view the inherent selflessness that we all have inside of us, every woman being where are you educating our children in this behavior?

2:01:26The meetings will become a part of who there are, and that would arrive throughout their with versions of kindness and goodness.

2:01:36That's also stress is very strongly than all in terms of parents, and the education of our children, not only for the physical safety and security, but also for their spiritual, emotional, andological robot, we are encouraged to have meaningful conversations in dialogue with our children, and compile with them the values at

2:01:55a moral compass, values that are strong and enduring, and matter what financial status of the table violins like title.

2:02:03I do right for I'm not backing down because of social pressures.

2:02:04Make good choices. I'm stand strong, even if we're seeing private times, because there's an Ioc's. I mean error by Harris.

2:02:14We're all over the world. Version Russians over each one of us think it gives us strong in college and hope so that we are decisions this is like a special modern Jewish calendar.

2:02:23It's called Pacel. So in Biblical times there are higher Jewish people, modern women than children with data in Jerusalem.

2:02:26Once every 7 years. Yeah, they would also have to look for the 5 bucks a month. Do you?

2:02:35Yet also the 5 that somebody was being run by the came over time.

2:02:38I began to become inspired to, we focus the they become stay focused on on their God.

2:02:47Given purpose and mission hearing in the world so parents inspired their children to be focused on broader by the values that will make make us who are the people.

2:02:55As a nation and as humanity as a whole.

2:03:01Of every individual, even the simple code in the shadow box.

2:03:05I have a power to change the world for better, and every one of us.

2:03:09I encourage them. Goodness and kindness, each one of us in our area the contribution that we can make the road will become a perfect and a good place, a home for the Divine.

2:03:19So I don't remember. And City Council members, I bless you today that we're at first and coordinating the vacation in Charlie and Bruno from the Should.

2:03:31An act, and bring about a brighter future for all people.

2:03:35At Alzheimer's. That's where it was already a kind, kind caring place, but there's always so much more to have.

2:03:43For outside, they're in the acts of routine language, sharing and compassion.

2:03:49Thank you for everything you do I've been working with declaration.

2:03:54Thank you very much, and thank you for the call to kindness.

2:04:00Okay, would you like to any council comments? I just wanted to say that I bet that council member Tessa Redneck, who gathered in Jerusalem here as we speak, is BA.

2:04:13Alright she's on the same mind path as you are here, so we're in a good place.

2:04:14Yeah, special time to be introduced them as we get ready for Passover in a couple of weeks.

2:05:15Hmm!

2:05:32Hmm!

2:05:35The next item is automated License plate reader, camera program.

2:05:40Maybe have the staff report. Please.

2:05:50Alright! Good evening, Mayor and city council once again. I'm Paul Keith.

2:05:51Your chief of police. So the item before you is a resolution to authorize the city manager into an agreement with flock group ink, to provide automated license plate reader, cameras to the city of El Cido for a 3 year period in front of them not to exceed 3

2:06:10$140,000. So I'm here today to talk to you about how the system works and why we're asking council to authorize this agreement.

2:06:20So, to start with, I'm going to go over the police department's mission statement because life's play reader, camera really hits all 3 major categories of the police department's mission.

2:06:30So our mission is to protect our community, solve crime and pursue justice.

2:06:37And as we go through the licensed reader camera, I'm gonna kinda close it up by kind of reviewing how it hits each of those areas.

2:06:43So start off with, this is a photograph of what the license plate reader. Cameras look like.

2:06:44So as you can see, this particular camera is the black box mounted towards the bottom of the image attached to a pole, and above that you can see there's a solar array.

2:06:58The cameras are powered by solar energy. Typically, unless they're placed in an area that has a lot of shade, in which case sometimes they'll be hardwired into an electrical system.

2:07:07For the most part our installations. We plan to have them in areas where the camera will be able to see the sky and get energy from the sun.

2:07:15So license weight cameras are designed to recognize vehicles and license plates and take photos of them.

2:07:21So their motion based cameras. If they sense motion, they take a picture.

2:07:25They don't record and they don't stream video.

2:07:27They only take photos, which means the system is not for live monitoring of camera feeds.

2:07:34When the system takes a photo, it looks for a license plate in the photo, and then it compares that license plate against a hot sheet what's a heart sheet?

2:07:44So a hot sheet is a database that includes license plates for stolen vehicles or license plates for wanted vehicles.

2:07:52These might be vehicles that are wanted in an armed robbery series.

2:07:53It might be a license plate that belongs to somebody who's wanted for murder or wanted for another heinous crime.

2:08:02We get once for people like that, we often include a warrant for their vehicle as well, and when that happens, we put that vehicle on a hot list.

2:08:11So the first thing the camera does is it? Finds a license plate in the image, and it compares that against a hot sheet.

2:08:16If there's a hit, if it matches a record on the hot sheet, the camera system notifies officers through their mobile data computers and tells them a wanted car show just hit at this camera.

2:08:27At this location, going this direction, if not, there's no notification.

2:08:32It just takes a photograph there's about a 15 to 26.

2:08:34Delay after it spots a car on the hotlist before it notifies officers that a car that matches the list is in town so all of these photos get stored on a cloud based server in the case of flock they store them on Amazon web services on the government part

2:08:50of the server they store all photographs for 30 days, after which point the photographs are automatically deleted from the server.

2:08:59The photographs don't contain personal identifying information.

2:09:03Hi, primarily they contain pictures of vehicles and picture of license plates, so let's talk about how this information would be used by the police officers at work in town.

2:09:13To start with, for in progress crimes such as a hot sheet notification our officers have the ability to try to intercept that vehicle and investigate it.

2:09:24Now, just because we get a hot sheet. Notification doesn't mean that, for sure.

2:09:28That car is stolen. There's a high chance.

2:09:29It's still the responsibility of our officers to observe the vehicle, to confirm with dispatch that this is, in fact, a stolen vehicle or a wanted vehicle to check against the California law enforcement telecommunications.

2:09:42System before they take Enforcement action on the car. So there's still extra steps. Officers have to do.

2:09:47But this points the officers in the direction of potentially a crime in progress.

2:09:53Now, if this is not a hot case, officers can use the photographs that are taken by these cameras to generate investigative leads in a case.

2:10:02So the photograph will show where a particular car was at a particular time in place.

2:10:09It's up to investigators to determine and develop evidence that a particular person was responsible for a crime.

2:10:16So if we know that a vehicle left a crime scene, and that this is the description of the vehicle, this may give us factual information about the car that fled the scene of the crime is still up to investigators to figure out who is in possession of the vehicle

2:10:31who is occupying the vehicle at the time.

2:10:32The crime occurred, and whether or not they're actually the suspect in the crime.

2:10:37So it doesn't just tell us. Here's your suspect.

2:10:41It doesn't tell us that at all. It's up to investigators to take the photograph, to check the registration, to investigate who the registered owner is.

2:10:43Much like I talked about Olivier earlier in the evening. He determined.

2:10:52I know who the registered owner is. I'm gonna reach out to that person and through that process figured out who the actual suspect in the crime was but in that case it wasn't the registered owner, and it's not assume that it is the license

2:11:04plate camera system does not automatically check registration records for cars it doesn't have that ability.

2:11:10It only has the ability to check against a hot sheet for registration checks.

2:11:15That also goes to our normal process of officers using the California law enforcement telecommunications system for that purpose.

2:11:24So let's say that a photograph is evidence of a crime.

2:11:28This is the actual suspect vehicle, that fled the scene of a crime.

2:11:32In that case the Investigator officer response, for that case would take that file and download it onto our evidence server, or it would then be housed along with the case as evidence of a crime.

2:11:43If not, those photographs will be deleted. After 30 days.

2:11:47Automatically I'd like to give some recent examples of how we may have used license plate data from a system like this.

2:11:56So in the last 2 months we had a series of robberies.

2:12:00We had a suspect they committed about 4 robberies.

2:12:01We had a vehicle description for the suspect.

2:12:05They had a it was a dark Blue Ford explorer didn't have a license plate for the car, so the suspect came in brandished firearm, right in the vehicle.

2:12:14Each time we had a description of the car. Now, because we didn't have a license plate reader system, we didn't have other platforms that we could search.

2:12:22We had images of the car that were taken at night, so we knew generally what year the car was, but that's all.

2:12:27We had to go off of in the end, after several robberies, we did solve the case because the person lived in town, and because they happen to live in town. One of our officers.

2:12:33Eventually drove through where they were parking their car at night and realized that's the same car.

2:12:37But if we had had a license plate, reader, camera, we could very well have solved the crime after the very first robbery, and prevented 3 additional robberies from happening, because we would have had some tangible evidence our investigators could have used to identify the person responsible in another incident that happened in

2:12:57january, and this one just kind of popped into my just, you know, hopped into my consciousness when I heard about it, because it was a good illustration of how a liespread reader camera could have really helped us answer a compelling question.

2:13:11We had a child at the intersection of Carlson and Central report that they were approached by a person in a van.

2:13:19Person opened the door of the van and tried to get the child to enter the van with them.

2:13:22The child didn't, and ran away. We have no other.

2:13:27That shows that this van was there, because we don't have any cameras that were there, there were no personal cameras owned in the area.

2:13:35We believe the child story is true, and it would have been really important evidence for us to be able to show.

2:13:38Here's a photograph of this van that approached the child.

2:13:39This is the license plate. Our investigators might have had something to work off of.

2:13:48Coincidentally, that is working with our vendor, developing a deployment map.

2:13:53That is one of the areas that we want to focus cameras on, because it's one of the gateways to our town.

2:13:58I also want to touch on some cases that are near and dear to my heart.

2:14:03We have had a number of unsolved homicides in town that we either know or believe the suspect.

2:14:07Arrived at the scene of the crime in a vehicle.

2:14:12We had a homicide that occurred at the intersection of Moser and Sea view that's still unsolved to this day, where we believe the suspects arrived at the scene in a car in the late in the early morning hours, and if we'd had an effective license plate.

2:14:26reader, camera system. Back then. This is now 15 years ago, we very likely would have gotten evidence that could have LED us to the people respondible for that crime.

2:14:35We also had a homicide that happened on Nervous avenue in the north end of town, where the suspect arrived at the victims home.

2:14:43As he was exiting his car, the suspect drove a vicar to the scene.

2:14:46We know that there was a car involved the suspect ended up shooting.

2:14:51Our resident, and fled. The scene in the car this effective license Plate reader program could very well have given us valuable information to apprehend that person, and we also have a homicide that happened at Red Onion.

2:15:02We have a lot of information that shows that the suspects arrived at the scene.

2:15:05They parked on Key Boulevard. They walked through the Baxter Creek area to commit the crime, and then returned to their car after murdering the business owner, and fled.

2:15:13The scene in the car and once again that would have been.

2:15:17It would have been a godsend to have evidence that would have helped link us to the suspects in those cases.

2:15:23Now I talked about homicides, because homicides are hands down.

2:15:27The most important crime that impacts our communities when we lose a community member and when I think of a license plate rateater cameras system, it absolutely could help with larceny.

2:15:37You know, with theft related crimes it could help with violent crimes, but for me, if it helps us solve a homicide, then the system shows its effectiveness just with that one case because homicides are so impactful on our community okay, so let's talk about the data.

2:15:56so we have some prohibited uses for data in our policy.

2:15:57The primary one is that this data cannot be used for immigration services.

2:15:59You may remember. I guess it's probably about 8 years ago there was some license plate reader data, and it was being shared with different agencies and agencies.

2:16:07Didn't know who their data was being shared with.

2:16:14We have control over who we share our data with, and we get to decide who gets to access our data, our policy prohibits it for immigration purposes.

2:16:24And I can tell you that when we look at a sharing strategy for the data, realistically, we're looking at the 9 Bay Area counties as the main agencies we would share with, because there is a multiplier effect when we share with our neighbors and our neighbors share with

2:16:39us, for El Cerrito. The case with the robbery suspect who happened to live in town.

2:16:44That is a rarity oftentimes our suspects and violent crimes they're from farther flung locations. They're from San Francisco.

2:16:52They're from Oakland, maybe they're from San Rafael or Vallejo.

2:16:54So, being able to link license plate data back to places where they might be staying or where they might be frequenting is very important in helping locate suspects and crimes.

2:17:09Okay, so let's take a look at what we're taking pictures of.

2:17:12Now, I apologize. This image is kind of small but I didn't want to lose my resolution on it.

2:17:17So this slide is meant to represent the purpose of the photographs.

2:17:21The system, takes. The cameras in a flock system are positioned to take pictures of the rear of vehicles.

2:17:31The reason is that we want to take into account the privacy concerns that people have as they drive their remote, their views around during the day, so we don't position the cameras at the front of the car.

2:17:39We're picturing the motorists. We positioned at the back of the car.

2:17:45We're just taking objective factual information of a vehicle.

2:17:49The system is designed to note special characteristics, such as bumper stickers, roof racks, bike racks, has a machine learning algorithm that helps the system identify when those things are present on a car.

2:17:57So, if we have a description of a vehicle that says it was a gray car, and it had a roof rack on top, we can search for gray cars with roof racks.

2:18:13In this period of time, and it the system will return us everywhere.

2:18:17It's detected a roof rack combined with gray cars.

2:18:21The systems also is designed to recognize the make of cars.

2:18:22So, if the description was, I know it was a sugar.

2:18:28Honda that left, and they left at 1220, and then I called the police.

2:18:29We can have the system. Show us every silver fonda that was captured on a license plate.

2:18:39I'm just catching on one of our cameras in whatever period of time we want to design.

2:18:44So these cameras are not oriented for faces, and there the intent is to capture vehicles.

2:18:51Now they're going to be motion activated. But the system only allows us to query for objects.

2:18:58We can search for a bicycle. Did the machine that the algorithm recognize a bicycle was in the scene.

2:19:05Did the algorithm recognize that there was a bicycle rack on a vehicle in a scene?

2:19:06But we can't search for personal characteristics like a person's height.

2:19:14That a person is a person, the race of a person.

2:19:16What the clothing is that they're wearing.

2:19:20The system does not allow queries for those characteristics, it only allows queries based on inanimate objects, like cars and bikes.

2:19:30So as we look forward to how the system would be evaluated, in our cerrito, I believe it is very important to evaluate the effectiveness of a system that we're installing especially one that comes with a fairly hefty price tag like this one

2:19:45does so when I think about the effectiveness of a system, I look at what kinds of clearance rates might this system help us achieve?

2:19:54And what kind of solvability rates might it give us?

2:19:55Does the system contribute to the identification of suspects in cases?

2:19:59If so, at what rate we have a lot of control data from the last, you know, 5 to 10 years that we can draw on to look at what kind of solvability rate change, are we seeing with the use of these cameras?

2:20:16We can do the same for clearance rates. I can tell you that it is at times very hard to clear cases, because something like organized retail crime can happen in a moment.

2:20:293 people go into the store, they load their arms up with clothes, they run into the parkking lot.

2:20:30Everything gets thrown into a trunk, and they drive away the 4 employees maybe even have a chance to take a picture of them or write down a license plate you can have the employees may not even be able to exit the business and the suspects are already gone and if we want to make an impact

2:20:47on crimes like that then we have to deploy different tools than the types of tools we currently employ right now, we're very dependent on eyewitness accounts because oftentimes crimes of theft.

2:20:58In particular, they don't leave physical evidence behind the other thing that I would say there's a concern for me is the chief of the police is that I want El Cida to have a vibrant business community.

2:21:10I want businesses, both large and small, to have a great chance for success in our town.

2:21:11Now I know that there are high theft rates in our in our city, and we are the highest property crime rate in the county and I know that larger businesses can make business decisions where they just absorb the losses that they experience that they write it off or maybe they pass it on in higher prices.

2:21:31But they've got a large system that can absorb losses in one town, but smaller agency, smaller businesses that are owned by individuals.

2:21:42They cannot absorb big theft losses like a big corporation can in our neighboring city in Albany there's been a spate of crimes on Solano Avon, where a number of small businesses have been hit, and those losses have been catastrophic for some of

2:21:58them you're talking about, you know, 5 to $6,000 losses, a repeated loss at the same business, and this is just, you know, this is a sole proprietor.

2:22:07This isn't a big corporation, and I get concerned when I see our crime rate combined with the vulnerable of some of the businesses that we have in Al Corrito, and it's important to me that the police department takes an action to do something different to try to make a

2:22:24positive impact on their business situation. So one of the other ways in which you can evaluate the program and I will tell you that this is where I am cautious.

2:22:35I am cautious in saying that this particular thing prevented all of this crime.

2:22:40If you rewind through 7 years of me, being chief here, you'll find that I very rarely come in and raise the roof on a crime reduction and say that we were responsible for that because I know there's a lot of factors that go into play during the pandemic

2:22:55crime crashed, 2020. It dumped, had nothing to do with me.

2:22:59Had everything to do with people staying at home so I am cautious when I say that something caused a reduction in crime, but that is something that we're going to look for.

2:23:04We're going to see. Did the insulation of this system?

2:23:12Is there an indicator that it had a preventative quality to crime in town, and from what we've heard from flock, from what I've heard from other chiefs of police, is there is a preventative quality.

2:23:25There's a provider quality in solemn vehicles, because people realize carthats realized that when I go into that town in the car I just stole.

2:23:31They have cameras, and there's going to be cops swarming our over me.

2:23:37There's a preventive quality for other types of crime, because people realize that this community, hey's money to have a month higher crime prevention, footprint than other communities around them.

2:23:49And that is important. Criminals know they share their notes, and I do believe it will have a preventative quality to crime, and Alcorita and I hope to prove that through statistics after the first year and second year, and third year that's my Intent I'm I'm a I

2:24:07approach things with a scientific mindset in that sense. So as we looked at this program, I have seen great successes, especially our neighbors in San Pablo.

2:24:16They have a variety of different camera systems. They use, they use license plate readers.

2:24:20They use live streams. They were one of the key agencies that helped get the I 80 camera safety corridor in place and in existence.

2:24:31We helped with that, too county chief level. They helped install license plate readers there, I mean, there's there are already license plate readers used by law enforcement agencies all around us in the staff report I identified.

2:24:44A number of agencies around us that currently use them or are getting them, we have some public meetings.

2:24:50So in the lead up to bringing this item to you because we wanted to get feedback from the community.

2:24:51We wanted to hear concerns, we wanted to hear people's questions.

2:24:57We wanted to hear people's feedback. Have you considered this chief?

2:25:00Have you considered this police department? What? How will you protect privacy in this way?

2:25:01So the other first meeting in November of last year, we advertise it to do our own nixel.

2:25:11We advertise it through the city manager. I'll tell you.

2:25:14We had about a handful of people show up right that we could count them on one hand there were some questions like, What's the response?

2:25:20Time on the system? Is it live? Video, is it photographs?

2:25:21How does it work? We had a follow-up meeting with the Crime Prevention Committee in February.

2:25:24We presented the program to them. We heard feedback from them.

2:25:32We took some questions. The Crime Prevention Committee wanted to move forward and endorse the plan, and did so with their meeting.

2:25:39That was important to me, because the Crime Prevention Committee, the President is crime prevention and it's important to me that they have a voice in big programs like this that are coming out and something that could be a big change in the crime prevention front in our city.

2:25:55I want to talk about finding before I wrap up the bulk of my presentation.

2:25:56So the project is intended to break ground in the next fiscal year.

2:26:04So after July first in the in the staff report, identify some potential sources of funding for the program.

2:26:14Now this would all be subject to budget approval through the budget process, coming up in the spring.

2:26:19But we do have a couple of special funds that we can draw on.

2:26:23I like the use of our asset forfeiture, especially for the infrastructure side of the project.

2:26:29Now we received a a significant amount of money based on a catalytic converter seizure.

2:26:37We did a few years ago, so that money is now hit.

2:26:39Our asset for if it's your fund, we're trying to find ways that we can return that money back to the community in a way that makes an impact on catalytic converter theft, a system like this will make an impact on catalytic converter theft at 3

2:26:53o'clock in the morning when somebody hears a sag goes off, and we try to get there in time.

2:26:58There's not going to be a lot of cars passing those cameras at that time of night.

2:27:01It's going to be pretty easy to figure out which car was responsible for the catalytic converter so we're trying to find ways to return those funds to the community in ways that are going to benefit the community.

2:27:13And just as a resulter this we do have a 3 year project proposed, because we want to.

2:27:21If we're going to do the project, then we want to do the project in a way we believe will be effective, and we want to do it for a time, that we want to do it for a time.

2:27:29That we can really study the impacts of it and make a decision in the long term for the city.

2:27:34If this is the right way to go, if this is the right way to go, if this is the right way to go, if this is the right vendor to use, or if it's and at the end of 3 years, we have the ability to complete our agreement, with flock, they'll come in and remove all

2:27:44their cameras, and it'll be like they were never here, if that's what the city designs.

2:27:50So I hope that gave you a good kind of going back.

2:27:51Here we go, almost forgot. Come back around to our mission.

2:27:57I do believe that flaw cameras would help protect our community they're going to provide a deterrent effect for stolen vehicles.

2:28:07If we have a car coming in it's on the hot list, and let's say it's a car that's been responsible for doing armed robbery series around the Bay Area where you have the ability to intercept that car before it has the ability to before the occupants have the ability

2:28:20to commit a crime in our community. It absolutely will help us solve crime, and that is an important part of what a police department does.

2:28:26Believe me, they don't help us pursue justice because it's collecting evidence.

2:28:30That is unbiased it's just a piece of factual information about a car it's still up to investigators to do the legwork, to be able to link a c car to the scene and the occupants of a car to a particular crime.

2:28:38But it is going to provide valuable evidence in criminal proceedings.

2:28:47Okay, with that. That concludes my presentation, and I'm available for questions.

2:28:51And if we get things that are very technical, I also have Hector Solomon Valdez from Flock group on the line to answer some of those questions, I hope I can answer most of them.

2:29:06It's eating and breathing and.

2:29:11And being aopr for at least a month.

2:29:18Okay. I think you make a good case here, Chief, but I do have some questions.

2:29:36First of all, I just I was gonna end with this.

2:29:37But I was gonna start with, this is that you in your analysis, you say that the city of experiences, the highest overall crime rate in Contra Costa County, and then later in your presentation, he mentioned theft is that first comment, true I've never you don't use that that we are

2:29:58the biggest crime rate city in the county, too much too often we have the highest overall crime rate in the county.

2:30:04So that's taking property, crimes and violent crimes together.

2:30:08Those crimes we experienced the highest overall crime rate.

2:30:12Okay. Pleasant Hill's right behind us. They have a lot of theft, and then I think it's Richmond.

2:30:17After that. Okay? So the examples you gave about people that were killed in residential areas and a hamburger place, isn't it?

2:30:32Though you have to have a camera at that spot to get the picture of the car.

2:30:36I mean right going up to the guys front door and killing them.

2:30:41There's not going to be a camera in front of everyone's house, and I'll I'm glad you brought that up.

2:30:46So one of the things I didn't talk about is placement of the cameras in my presentation and I have a couple questions on that.

2:30:48So the concept behind placement of the cameras is that the major entrances to the city will be covered with cameras, and then key intersections through the city will also be covered.

2:31:01So there will be a big focus on our commercial district.

2:31:07But when you think about some of the crimes like in the residential zones, there is a high chance that the suspects will enter the city through one of the covered areas, most of the main drives into town, we plan to have a camera on in the case of Mira Vista we know that our Victim came from Berkeley

2:31:25that night, and we know the route. He came from Berkeley, and the route would have made him pass right by one of our cameras, and we believe the suspect was following him.

2:31:34So the suspect. If our theory was right, the suspect would have been right behind him, and would have also been captured on a camera.

2:31:40The other thing that we're doing is that no worries moving forward with our camera program.

2:31:45It was approved on the 20 third of February, and we're trying to collaborate with them so that when we look at the 2 borders between our cities that were being smart about cam replacement and not duplicating efforts so we're gonna try to share roadways

2:32:03to the extent that we can, as an example, portrayal coming into Al Corito.

2:32:08There's no reason for us to have 2 cameras there.

2:32:09And for Richmond they have 2 cameras there we have one camera which one can face, the other direction, and there's some synergy that we can get by working together with them on camera placements.

2:32:20So we're going to cover absolutely every entrance.

2:32:21No, but it will cover the ways that people most commonly enter.

2:32:27Al Corito on a homicide well, you'll get that night as a list of licensed of the pictures that were taken throughout the city.

2:32:39Yes, so that becomes your universe of what you check through. And there's gonna be a lot of photos right?

2:32:47Potentially depending on what time the crime happens and where the crime happened in town.

2:32:52So I can tell you that in some homicides we've just got warrants to say, show every single cell phone that activated on a network within this radius the radius might be a half a mile.

2:33:05So their amount of data that you pull the investigation of a homicide can be truly enormous, and getting every single car that exit with the city within 10 to 15 min.

2:33:16After a homicide would not be something that we would shy away from.

2:33:19That would be something that we would want to look at. Even if we had to check every single license you get and research, every person we would do that like having more info than less.

2:33:29And you're saying that every city around us has this capacity.

2:33:30Well, I didn't see every city just going on the West End. Richmond is going to be installing the system.

2:33:40San Pablo already has a very significant network on the city of Hercules, also has a has a flock based network.

2:33:47Central County, Concord, just entered into an agreement with Flock, or I can't remember how many cameras, but they're gonna be installing those in the upcoming months. Is Brett?

2:33:59I listed a number of them. Berkeley does not, and Albany does not.

2:34:00However, I've been talking with the Chief over there, and he is looking for something tangible to do to make positive impact on business security on Solano Avenue in particular. And so flaw cameras are something that he's currently researching as one possible solution.

2:34:20You're developing a plan with the the company to figure out where to place our cameras.

2:34:24What about the public input to that? So we use the company number one because they they know the best functionality for their cameras.

2:34:36And what's section? They're gonna work best in to capture photographs.

2:34:40We, we are interested here from the community.

2:34:45We've put that on. We put the maps out there in the past.

2:34:48Nobody was really chimed in one way or the other on where they think the camera should be.

2:34:52But we've displayed those at both of our public meetings.

2:34:55The main focus, as I said, is the commercial district where we have most of our violent crime and most of our property.

2:34:58Crime happens, and those entryances to town. So we wanna choose, you know, big rail travel areas in the town to get the most, most out of the investment as opposed to small ways where cars don't typically come in and how many cameras are we talking about around that 40

2:35:21cameras. That's 40, just 40, 40, 40, only 40 40 council.

2:35:28So this 3 year, I was thinking, why shouldn't there be a one year?

2:35:33Trial to see if it work. But you're saying you need the 3 years to determine a trend whether or not it's working.

2:35:40I think that would be most effective, and in your how will you plan for this?

2:35:45You come up with a combo of ways. The first 2 years and the third year is totally general fun.

2:35:54Is that just an idea you throw out there, I mean, is there a way to make it Combo?

2:35:58And so that the general fund doesn't get hit every year.

2:35:59There's nothing in the agenda item that obligates you to follow that particular funding plan and they may be entering year 3 that we say there's a difference funding scheme that we want to have.

2:36:12It's important for Council to know that this is the amount for each year, because in authorizing the agreement you are going to be obligating in the city to pay flock the money, how we fund it is there's flexibility year to year to exactly what funds we use to fund it

2:36:31and I, and I will just and and the reason that I have year 3 as a general fund commitment is because it at some point the city may want to say, this is an ongoing program.

2:36:41This is part of our normal annual expenses, and putting it on the general fund would normalize that expense.

2:36:49I was just gonna say, if we do move on this, I would love to have language. And in the resolution to say, trying to find ways that assist the general fund in support of this program is that's a big burden every year to add to this right now, so anyways, so thank you though, chief.

2:37:09Thank you so much for the presentation Chief, and I just wanted to say that you know.

2:37:14Of course, the first time you discussed this I was a citizen, and I talked a lot about wanting to have a lot of new ones in the way that you are put this together, and I just wanted to applaud you because reading this I was gonna add especially for the most part it was answered in in the packets so I wanna thank you

2:37:30for this, and I see our chief here, who have an an inside running joke about my favorite show that I like to watch, and so that helps me understand the need for something that some people may think may put a lot of people in color in danger and I think that some of the questions that I have are

2:37:48more to answer their questions, and then, of course, answer. Ask questions to you.

2:37:49I know that El Cerido was considered a sanctuary city and there's a lot of questions about there was been a lot of public questions about the impact on immigrant communities, and I just kind of wanted to tighten up.

2:38:05We talked about how it does it. We're not going to be sharing this with with is certain things.

2:38:08Such as that, where we talked about legitimate law enforcement, and public safety use.

2:38:12Is there any way that we can kind of tighten up the language or around that?

2:38:17When we come to the ex resolution, or there's something that you've explained.

2:38:22Very, very well in your presentation. That's not necessarily in the pack and I just want to make sure that we're not losing that in translation when it comes to actual policy.

2:38:31So the police department policy is in the packets, and I believe it is.

2:38:40It is going through a big one. Yeah, here it is. So the language regarding immigration purposes is in our policy.

2:38:44Our policy is posted online. And we're obligated to follow the the 2 different California laws about sharing information for immigration purposes.

2:38:59So there are, there would be reporting requirements that if we were even to do it, then we would have to have a community meeting to report out the circumstances in which we use it for immigration purposes the same goes for sharing that information with organizations like ice and how they might use it.

2:39:15So there are already a lot of protections in place to keep us from doing that.

2:39:19We already have the Sanctuary City resolution. Our policy reflects the Sanctuary City resolution, and we, explicitly added language in here to say, it's not for assisting with immigration purposes and the language I use for immigration.

2:39:34I actually copied from Vallejo. They had an extensive policy on the same thing, and I thought they worded it very well about the uses or permits.

2:39:43You know the the prohibited uses of the data you just say, in this, anytime this gets updated, it gets posted back to the Internet.

2:39:53So you know there, there's nothing that we're hiding about.

2:39:56Our policy. That is, gonna stay in there because that is a key component of if community trust in the system, we don't want people to feel like they're coming here.

2:40:05And we're taking pictures of people. So we can get people to ported.

2:40:08That is not the use of the system that would be an inappropriate use of the system that would get somebody fired from here who have meetings in public meetings.

2:40:12And now that's we're not doing that. It.

2:40:19My other question. I was glad to see this. So many of our partners across the county cities that are, I would greatly respect and have a lot of colleagues on who and I was able to speak with some of them around their policy so I was happy to see, that Annie was already on board that

2:40:33Richmond was already on board, I think kind of 2.

2:40:35My question about the sanctuary cities. I noticed that in the Richmond packet, and thank you for providing us with the Richmond packet that they had the Sanctuary City Compliance statement, so I don't know if this may be a question for Sky or for you I don't know if that's something that

2:40:49we're also going to have in our packet as well, just to kind of make sure that we have flock on board with that as well.

2:40:57You tell me page is on page 3, 61, 3 91 of the agenda packet in 3 61 of the exhibit H.

2:41:07Which city of Richmond, sanctuary, CD.

2:41:09Compliance statement. So I know that this is not a document that the city of Al Rito currently uses with vendors.

2:41:14Okay. My guess is that Richmond uses this with many different contractors and not just block okay, so that's just like a city specific thing for their gotcha. Okay?

2:41:28And I think that those were the only questions that I had.

2:41:33I know that you know there may be some who do.

2:41:35Be concerned about. You know, one specific example that you made was that it's only for inanimate objects, so they may be looking for a Silva Honda.

2:41:43But I would like for our residents to know that, even though that's what the system is looking for.

2:41:47That's not something that we would worry the system with.

2:41:48As far as we've had a lot of people complain, and our community members say that they felt that they were over police, etcetera.

2:41:56But that's more on the training side, which I think that you all do a good job of doing training officers to make sure that they're not taking that data and over policing or pulling over anyone that has that Silver Honda and I'm gonna trust you chief that that's going to continue to be

2:42:10the policy. There, I mean, I am a person who likes a lot more teeth in those sort of things, but at the end of the day I think that we're gonna do a good job with that cause.

2:42:18I don't want public meetings with you, either. Yeah, thank you.

2:42:23Thanks, Chief, and I wanna thank our. I am the liaison of of the Crime Prevention Committee, and thank you for mentioning that they did overwhelmingly, denanimously support this as well as I do so.

2:42:43Looking at that, and and looking at and speaking to other cities like San Pablo, and that has changed in Pablo and Pablo used to be one of the most crime burden cities in all of the country and California, and to see how much it has changed where it is now one of the safest cities.

2:43:02So it truly does work, and this is no a no brainer for me.

2:43:09And I wanted to ask if we funding and financial considerations.

2:43:13Did you look at? What is available on the Federal side? Because I know the Biden Administration?

2:43:14Did you look at what is available on the Federal side? Because I know the Biden Administration?

2:43:21They were going to have grants available for public safety.

2:43:27So we are working with a team of Grant writers in Al Sarita to look for funding opportunities.

2:43:33The Federal side. I was just at a conference last week, and was talking with Flock, and they said that there are some Federal funding opportunities.

2:43:36That just recently came up too soon to include in. Here. But we are going to try to protect those.

2:43:48I don't know if we're going to be able to apply in time for next fiscal year, but we're hopefully going to line up future funds down the road kind of in response to what councilmember fideli is also asking too.

2:43:59That we stay vigilant for other funding operities out there.

2:44:03No, thank you. I appreciate that because there will be a lot of funding available, and if you can stay on top of that as well as the folks that you're working with on Grant frying that that would be very very helpful, because the city doesn't have a lot

2:44:20of money to spend. So grant writing is a way to go.

2:44:23So I appreciate that I'm also reminded about many of the deaths, the unnecessary deaths and killings that we've had, especially at the northern end of Tag, where I live from the owner of the red onion and and the the man that lived he owned an Indian restaurant

2:44:45in Richmond, but lived on Mono Street. I'm thinking about the the clerk that worked at the gas station next to the Honda dealer.

2:44:51I'm thinking of the man that was killed on Mirab Vista.

2:44:56All of that on the north side, the the killing at one of the place where where they they chopped up the senior end and stuck it in garbage bags or these are crimes that were not ever yeah, they were not solved so this truly will be a

2:45:19we'll solve crimes for your detectives and will be a deterrent for crime, for future crime, and will be will make it safer for you and your officers as well as small businesses and residents in Al Sabrita.

2:45:35So I'm in full support of this and your police department needs a modern tools at the other cities have.

2:45:38And then it's about time. So, looking at how San Pablo was able to do that many years ago, glad to see.

2:45:45Elsaito on board. On this, and again the committee members.

2:45:51Of the Crime Prevention Committee. I appreciate your work on that, and having them vote in support of that unanimously.

2:46:03So I will be supporting this. Thank you. Thank you.

2:46:08Oh, thank you, Chief, for the presentation, and for answering my previous questions.

2:46:12I do have some more first, I just really want to state that I think that in your hands, under your watch, this, a system like this would be used appropriately, and I think, as a tool for crime solving.

2:46:29It seems like it seems like a no-brainer.

2:46:30My concerns are really more with the system and the data storage itself, and I was wondering if you could elaborate a little bit more on how something gets on the hotlist, and we what is the what is what is in the hot list, and where does that?

2:46:44Where are those warrants and things come from so various agencies contribute license plates to kind of the statewide Hotlist.

2:46:57They are typically stolen vehicles their vehicles that have active warrants for their seizure.

2:47:04So these would be typically crimes of major theft, crimes.

2:47:10Our vehicle was used in the commission of the crime.

2:47:12Every the system downloads that database that hotlist the plates that are on that hot list, and then we'll use that list to query again during the day.

2:47:19So it doesn't provide the registered, the owner of the right.

2:47:28The information of the registered owner of the car. It only identifies the license, and, as I said before, the piece of training that comes along with this, and we get notifications from time to time from other agencies that have lprs.

2:47:43You know, car just hit on 80 going this direction.

2:47:47Back. We were on the same channel with San Pablo, it's still a responsibility.

2:47:51The officers, to verify that this is actually the cost, and that it actually matches the characteristics of the actual stolen vehicle.

2:47:53So it doesn't mean that the car gets automatically stopped. The cop.

2:48:02The officer still has additional actions to take before they take an Enforcement action.

2:48:07Does do interstate crimes also. Come, get on the high list, you know not typically unless it's on the the national theft list.

2:48:13I'll have to check to see if we get that.

2:48:20Both a national list and the California list. We may very well other States do pretty much the same process for felony vehicles.

2:48:30So a stolen car on our list gets broadcast to all the other States, and the same thing for all the other States.

2:48:32If they have a stolen car, it gets broadcast to all the other States.

2:48:40And we can also make custom hot lists for our community as well.

2:48:41Just to add another way, that a license plate might be on there.

2:48:45We can have a custom vehicle that we're looking for.

2:48:51Let's say it's a vehicle.

2:48:52The space's been responsible for 2 different organized crime thefts from retailers in town.

2:48:58We get information about the car, we could put it on our own hot list, so that when it comes and we get notified.

2:49:06So I think you know, we we did get some comment.

2:49:11Letters from local Aclu members, and one of the things that they brought up was immigration was one of 2 issues.

2:49:20So the other issue was, for example, if someone was coming from out of state to access abortion services in our community, you know, from the perspective of that other state, that person is committing a crime and I can see them putting this wanted person traveling across multiple states, on such a hot list and as this stuff is all automatic does that you know.

2:49:46they show up on a camera in California. Does that information go straight back to whatever state they came from?

2:49:48I see the reason you're asking the question now, so it would still have to be something that was a crime in California.

2:50:02And if I'm not mistaken, I think that Governor Newsom declared the whole State a sanctuary state for people seeking abortion, access.

2:50:10So, as the officer received. If the officer received that hit the first step that I described is that they're supposed to confirm whether this is a valid thing, and that would not be a valid thing, and that would not be a valid thing to take action, so I would it is

2:50:23a great question, and it is one that I will absolutely have straightened out before we go.

2:50:24Live with it but California. I would already prohibit us from taking action on an abortion.

2:50:33Rights case, anyway. So that would be the first cause of action for an officer. And I would say that if I'm getting those things I would just exclude data from that State, because that's like junk data.

2:50:46If I may. This is Hector from block safety.

2:50:50Yes, the technical.

2:50:51Good evening. The yes, I thought maybe this would be a good time to chime in.

2:50:56California has its own separate list, called the California Stolen Vehicle system, felony vehicles, stolen plates, and stolen vehicles are the only alerts that are provided to police departments.

2:51:09Here, as the chief mentioned. You know this is the sanctuary state.

2:51:10For those reasons, though that is not something on the State. Hotlist, of course.

2:51:21Thank you. So it's not national. It's just California.

2:51:25And since you're on, I do have a question about one of your policies and it's about the confidentiality of agency data.

2:51:37And it's sounds wonderful that we own our data. We control our data.

2:51:42But there is a small note that says block may access, use, preserve, and or disclose the footage to law enforcement authorities.

2:51:45Government officials and or third parties. If legally required to do so, or if flock has a good faith, belief that such access use, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary, and it goes on with some additional details.

2:52:07But that's where you know, in a situation like this, what's your good faith?

2:52:08Belief you're in a different state. You're in Georgia.

2:52:17You are not in California. How do we feel comfortable? Having you determine what is reasonably necessary for us?

2:52:25Yes, I do. Wanna add, I am in California. I am in Los Angeles.

2:52:28But that our company is based out of out of Georgia.

2:52:29That's a great question. That section of the contract is intended to assist us in assisting the department.

2:52:34If they are having to provide information or assisting another department with information.

2:52:41Our legal team is amulable to making any changes that are that help kind of guide that part of the, or make that a little bit more clear that we will not share that information without prior consent of the of the city, and I believe that we are already in discussion with your city attorney, on those on that matter

2:53:09specifically. But again, that's intended for us to be able to assist your department.

2:53:15Yeah, I just wanted to add that. So just to not that this is that I don't say this to make an argument on behalf of flock, but just to explain, if you look at it from their perspective, if they're presented by a law enforcement agency with a valid

2:53:31subpoena to access data that they have.

2:53:35Then, if they they want to make sure that if their own legal team says that this is a valid subpoena, and they have a legal obligation to provide it, that they are not then going to be in breach of the agreement, so what we what we're starting to

2:53:52try to work out is where the agreement doesn't already say that they will provide us with notice to the city in advance, or where it says it says that they will provide us with notice, but it's somewhat ambiguous.

2:54:04We will work on those provisions of the agreement to ensure that when, prior to the release of data, they will provide us with that notice, and the city will have an opportunity to make an independent judgment about whether or not it wants to attempt to seek a protective order against the release of that data, but

2:54:21then that puts us in the position to have to police this.

2:54:25Hmm very closely. It would all it. It will all be triggered by them.

2:54:27Provide flock, providing the city with notice that another law enforcement agency has presented them with a valid demand for the release of data so we don't have to police it.

2:54:35It. It starts with them, providing us with notice if they fail to provide us with notice, then they would be in breach of the agreement.

2:54:46Okay. Thank you. We did a little work on that at the beginning of the meeting one more question I would just also note, that is true of any data that the city owns, whether it's public information whether it's public records if we're faced with a subpoena that is exactly the same

2:55:05process that we are required to go through. Thank you. City manager.

2:55:09You asked him. I answered my question because my question was gonna be about public information request.

2:55:15So thank you for that.

2:55:19So I have a couple of other questions. One is.

2:55:28What about this algorithm? This is a flop question. So you can use all of our data for training algorithms.

2:55:35You. You know this is just to make it easier to find refracts.

2:55:40Or is it really to train your algorithms to then move on to people or how do we know what?

2:55:47What you're training your algorithm to do.

2:55:49That's an excellent question. We are training the office continuously to improve you know, it's accuracy or different features and vehicles.

2:55:51So that is what it's for. There's already no personal information within flock.

2:55:56We, it is ours stated, you know, goal, or is to remain an evidence based on vehicles, vehicle fingerprints.

2:56:12And so we're not working on anything associated to people.

2:56:18And one thing to add to the algorithm that every year new vehicles are released, and new vehicles have different characteristics.

2:56:26So the system does have to learn about. Where are the new emblems?

2:56:27What are the new em like? Kia recently just changed their manufacturer, marking the system, has to learn that new marking, to be able identify a car as a Keyia.

2:56:41Okay. And then my last question is for the chief, why is it so much cheaper for Richmond?

2:56:42Their contract is a $100,000 less than us, in their bigger city than us.

2:56:52They have fewer cameras in their initial tranche of cameras.

2:56:57So in talking with Chief French. This was a number that she felt she could get approved by council, so that they could start a system up.

2:57:05But she does intend to come back later. Once she's shown the effectiveness to add more cameras to the system, just to use a comparison Size City to Richmond, the city of Vallejo has more like 79 cameras a city that maybe is more comparable to us.

2:57:18The city of Piedmont has 39 cameras.

2:57:24So this is her first attempt to get cameras up and running, and it sounds like she's successful.

2:57:26And if her system is successful, I imagine that Richmond will be adding more cameras down the road.

2:57:36So 40 cameras, the 40 cameras is kind of the the total total.

2:57:43This is not. We'll ask for 40 now, and come back for 35 more we've tried to design a whole city solution with 40 cameras, so our intent is not to return for more cameras.

2:57:56We wanted to do it right the first time, we wanted to do it right the first time, so that we could really look at the effectiveness of the system.

2:58:01I didn't want to leave, you know, gaping holes in the city, and then we've got areas we didn't cover that.

2:58:07We really should have covered from the start. And then we've got areas we didn't cover that we really should have covered from the start.

2:58:10And then we've got areas we didn't cover that we really should have covered from the start. And then we have a effectiveness problem.

2:58:14So we.

2:58:17Great. Thank you. Do we have any public comments on the side?

2:58:25We do have?

2:58:27Can you let me know how many speakers we have?

2:58:34If my mic keeps working, we now would be the time to raise your hand.

2:58:38If you would like to speak on this item at this time, may I?

2:58:39Only have 2 hands requesting to speak.

2:58:52Hey? We'll go to our first speaker, who is Michael Freeman? Michael?

2:58:56You should be able to unmute and begin your time. Now.

2:59:01Okay. I'm a volunteer member of the local chapter of the Aclu, and in El Cerito resident he always is dedicated to protecting civil rights and civil liberties, including the right to be free from intrusive discriminatory and dangerous government surveillance i'm here to

2:59:20raise concerns over the license plate. Readers.

2:59:21These devices are mass, surveillance, devices that acquire information.

2:59:27Both the cars that the police suspect of a violation and other vehicles, and the vicinity.

2:59:32They cast a very broad net when a broadnet is used in the ocean, it isn't only the desired type of fish that gets caught suffers.

2:59:40Innocent people are harmed by the use of mass surveillance devices also.

2:59:45These a readers use cloud based software subject to hacking and potentially subject to hacking and proprietary machine learning to detect, decode and deliver investigative leads to law enforcement.

3:00:00The fact that proprietary technology is suspicious is concerning because it can.

3:00:06That does not meet means. It's impossible for anyone in the public or even the government to determine whether the systems may use inaccurate data, faulty algorithms or have any racial or other bias.

3:00:18The aco is supposed to the acquisition of these systems.

3:00:22They make our communities less, not more safe because they violate privacy, facilitate dangerous police stops, and risk exposing our immigrant communities to harm.

3:00:35I have concern about Elsorito's prop policies regarding the use of these license plate readers.

3:00:44For example, the policy says that license plate reader may be used in conjunction with any routine patrol operation or criminal investigation, and it says, reasonable suspicion or probable cause is not required before using a license plate reader I believe

3:01:03that if we are going to have these things which I object to, they need much tighter rules, because you will be surveilling every person in El Cerrito who owns a vehicle, and everybody who drives through El Cerrito.

3:01:20Often I hear government officials ignoring the public concerns about police use of surveillance and the military equipment, but they feel they can trust their local police chief.

3:01:30Whether we trust our particular police chief is not the issue today.

3:01:31History shows that misuse and abuse is such devices, is practically inevitable over time.

3:01:40When we take one bad decision by one officer to result in a dangerous mistake and another expensive lawsuit for the taxpayers, I urge you to reject this proposal.

3:01:48If you must accept it, tighten the rules on how they're used, and I would say you should have fewer of them.

3:01:58But you should reject this. Thank you.

3:02:03Thank you. Our next speaker is Mike Cats, Lacabe, Mike.

3:02:04You should be able to unmute and begin your time. Now.

3:02:11Good evening, honorable Mayor and members of the City Council.

3:02:13My name is Mike Cats. I'm the Director of Research for Oakland privacy, and I share Mr.

3:02:15Greens concerns about the license plate Readers.

3:02:20I also happen to be a former resident of El Cido.

3:02:21Up on your Reek avenue, so I have a particular affinity for the city.

3:02:28The deployment of these cameras turns traditional, policing upside down, whereas the normal procedure is for a police investigation begin after a crime has been committed with these cameras, the investigation is of essentially everybody with the belief that eventually someone that they are already capturing information about will eventually commit a

3:02:45crime. It is mass, surveillance. Now. I'm so happy.

3:02:48The police chief mentioned the Freeway Security Network on Interstate 80.

3:02:53Now you may recall that there were a number of shootings on the freeway there, and as a result they spent 3.5 million dollars installing 24, surveillance cameras, 165 shot spotter microphones and 32 license plate readers in

3:03:07a report issued by the Chp. About the Freeway Security Project.

3:03:11They documented an increase, almost 50% increase the year. After all of that surveillance equipment was installed.

3:03:16So, instead of leading to a decrease in shootings which one would expect if it had any deterrence, effect, or if it was actually being useful in solving crimes, the crimes actually increased, and did not decrease.

3:03:32So onto the function of these cameras. So the description of these cameras is license by readers is a little bit disingenuous.

3:03:40The cameras capture images of whatever trigon triggers, the motion sensor, and, as was pointed out, it could be a bicycle it could also be a person that image will be captured, and it will be sent to the Cloud Provider.

3:03:49I guess in this case, Amazon, where flock gets to analyze it, the question is, what happens to those images that aren't displayed?

3:04:02What happen? What do they do with them? Who do they do?

3:04:05Facial recognition on? Are they training their algorithm for other things that they're going to release later?

3:04:10Who knows? And you should understand that most of the data collected by these license plate readers is going to be of people going about their daily business.

3:04:21In fact, you mentioned the city of Piedmont in Piedmont, 99.9 7% of the data captured by their license plate readers has no nexus to any type of criminal activity at all.

3:04:34For that reason I would suggest, instead of using the default retention time of 30 days, that is the default for the vendor.

3:04:43I would recommend that you do something's a little bit more protective of the privacy of the residents and visitors to the city of El Corito, and reduce that time to 72 h, or something more reasonable than 30 days again you're most of the information being captured.

3:04:57Is useless, and I do agree that license weight readers are useful at capturing especially stolen vehicles.

3:05:05That seems to be about the thing that their best. But I would definitely reduce the retention time.

3:05:09That will be the biggest step you can take to reduce the impact on people's privacy.

3:05:10Aside from failing to improve the impact on people's privacy. Aside from failing to approve this at all, thank you very much for your time.

3:05:23Thank you. Our next speaker is John Stashecake.

3:05:26Johnny should be able to unmute and begin your time. Now.

3:05:30Okay. John Stashecake. It is true that these readers may capture images and information of people just going about their daily business, but the problem is, there are many people and a significant number of people in this city whose daily business is prime and we have an excessive number, of robberies larcenes stolen

3:05:55cars, cat converters ripped off constantly, so I think the Council should approve this and move forward and get these license plate readers installed a set.

3:06:06It, don't worry about the police surveillance. You.

3:06:10They're looking for the bad guys, and we need more tools to cut down on the crime.

3:06:18Thank you. Mayor. That concludes our request to speak.

3:06:22Thank you, man, Eric.

3:06:33So? Is there any more comments or discussion?

3:06:36Council, member, fidelity. Just 2 brief questions. So, chief what?

3:06:44What does this mean for dedicating to staff?

3:06:45Is this a 2 staff, totally dedicated to cops?

3:06:48You're gonna move to this and be working on this and off the streets.

3:06:55Pardon me, is there gonna be staff dedicated to working on this?

3:07:01Oh! This is something that happens in the background. So when an investigator evaluates a case, they will use the system for those purposes.

3:07:10However, we don't need staff members members to fo-time manage the system.

3:07:14We'll have an in-house coordinator will be an ancillary duty for a lieutenant.

3:07:18But we're not gonna have staff just dedicated to the camera so there will be a coordinator, and that person will be the person deleting after 30 days the deletions happen automatically f block.

3:07:31Yes, so the Coordinator's job will be to make sure that the system operates correctly, and if it's not operating correctly to get that fixed.

3:07:39But they're not going to be manually deleting things.

3:07:40Those things will happen as soon as the file reaches this end of life.

3:07:41At 30 days it'll automatically be deleted on flock side.

3:07:49So information received comes in daily. Yes, it comes in the be one person receiving that daily.

3:07:59No. So any information that the license plate gets we'll get uploaded with cellular modems to the the flock server and store it on the server.

3:08:12So that's happens automatically. Soon as the license plate reader reads the plate and takes the picture, it uploads the picture things like query in the hot list that's maintained by the state of California that's done by the server automatically periodically through the

3:08:28day, so you will look at the list only if there's a crime you want to look at the list for it's not that you're gonna get the list and call through there and see what stone cars are there.

3:08:40No, we don't need to do that. The system will check every license plate against that hot list.

3:08:42But only the hot list, not against California registration records.

3:08:45It's just the hot list and you said that after one year, even though you have a 3 year proposal, you'll come back and give us an update.

3:08:55I would be happy to thank you. I have one more question Mayor, and this is actually for Hector and the public comment actually reminded me to to ask this question.

3:09:05I was trying to understand what the wing replay was, because that actually added a data retention of only 7 days.

3:09:06So if you have a very quick, high, level explanation of what the wing replay is are the wing's suite is.

3:09:18Yeah, that's actually another system that uses existing city cameras.

3:09:23And it has a shorter retention, because we are then recording, not necessary, licensed plates that can be used on in facilities, etcetera, for different types of securities.

3:09:36For this program. Our standard retention is 30 days. And just to kind of give a little bit of a more detail there, we have been really consistent with that amount of time, because we see it as the amount of time that a police department may need in many crimes when things are not reported right away

3:09:52someone's not on vacation for a couple of weeks, etc.

3:09:55But then that thirty- deletion ensures that we're protecting privacy just for some more insight.

3:10:01Nationwide. We see some States require 90 days. We see some jurisdictions like here in La have a 5 yearyear policy, but we've found that 30 day policy to kind of balance.

3:10:10Both needs of an investigative tool while protecting privacy.

3:10:15Thank you.

3:10:18Absolutely.

3:10:26Are you ready? Is there a motion to approve? I'd like to make that motion to approve? Is there a second? I would second, if the amendment that I talked about seeking additional funding alternate funding to the general fund being included in the Councilmember Fidelity may I make a

3:10:45suggestion, we could add A, whereas to the resolution that says city staff will seek to fund the system with special funds and grant opportunities and reduce impact to the general fund perfect.

3:10:56Thank you, can we add that as a whereas Holly, ma'am, the second part, that word for you, chief.

3:11:03Alright, and I also do. This is not a amendment to the resolution necessarily, but I would like to have our chief bring us back this policy with some more tightening up in terms of all the things that we talked about, particularly around you know I trust you that if we

3:11:26get weird, or you know, request. Put on the hot list from out of state that you will know what to do with that, but that I feel I would feel better if it were some part of policy if we're going to get the system, I wanna ensure that.

3:11:40You know we. We have it in writing about what we intend to do.

3:11:45If I understood some of the concerns correctly, we are concerned about other states potentially putting tags on vehicles for people that are seeking to use California for freedom from the abortion restrictions in their States.

3:12:02I think that after hearing what you had to say today, I thought of some language that I might update in the policy to make it explicit to our officers when it comes to reproductive rights, and I think it the rights need to be broader because we are also expecting people to come here

3:12:19for you know gender affirming surgery, for example, I mean, the things are happening in the world that are happening very quickly.

3:12:21I don't want us to be part of some way that you know we further criminalize things that are are allowed in California.

3:12:38I'm certain that some of my police chief colleagues have developed some language in these rounds.

3:12:42So I'm gonna do a review of some things. They may have come up with and see what we can update, appreciate.

3:12:49If you could bring it back to us. Oh, in Weston I could certainly notify you that the policy has been updated, and it will be publicly available if that works for council.

3:13:10Thank you. So we have a motion on the floor with a amendment from Council Member Fidel, and a second as well.

3:13:22Any other. There's so do I have to restate the change.

3:13:23No, just as long as we, the motioner is okay with the friendly amendment.

3:13:30Okay, perfect. Then all those in favor, Pci. Any opposed motion carries with Mayor Pretendnic, Absent.

3:13:42Great. The next I is city council, local and regional liaison assignments.

3:13:47Thank you, Chief, and thank you. Block person. Thank you, Hector.

3:13:55Any council, reports council member. Thank you. I on the eighth of March I attended the Laka meeting.

3:14:04It was our first meeting at the county Chambers.

3:14:05The board of Supervisor Chambers, so we'll be meeting there the first Wednesday of the month, and a lot of interesting things in Lap.

3:14:15Go and look forward to working. We also have a member who is a former Ls Mayor, and that's a former mayor, and that's a former mayor, and that's a former mayor. Chuck Lewis, who's a former Mayor Chuck Lewis Who's a member of Lafco and has been for many

3:14:37many years I attended the legislative update briefing via Zoom from the League of California Cities on the fifteenth on the sixteenth I attended the Environmental Policy Committee, and we did have a speaker that's spoke in support of and we did have a speaker that spoke in support of the green Circular economy

3:15:00and the project that Raven, Sr. Is doing at the public services site, and that is to create green hydrogen from the our green waste that's picked up here in El Cido and West County taken to the Republic services and the Mce Solar fields that Mce built at the

3:15:27Chevron, Greenfields, branfields, and that will create green hydrogen and El cerritos on board to have their first hydrogen station, and we are looking forward to that.

3:15:33Then after that, the on the sixteenth, I had the pleasure and the honor to attend the civic well.

3:15:46Conference at Aillomar and Monterey County, with the mayor, and and I look forward to having our colleagues, if they're interested in attending, they're more than welcome to join us.

3:15:57We were joined by like-minded cities, who who support what we're doing in maintaining our city and being the greenest city in the county.

3:16:09Up and down the State of California. So we had the city events anditis that joined us, and cities up and down the State out to see that we were one of the first with the utensils.

3:16:26So that was pretty amazing to see that we still have cities that are looking at what we were able to do early on.

3:16:34So proud to see that Ourqc is very active, and making sure that we continue with the work that we're doing, and on the twentieth I was on a Zoom Meeting regarding the the interviews with regarding our city manager thank you.

3:17:05Yes, I was on the calcities. Transportation Policy Committee last week.

3:17:11Thank you. Thanks. I had a meeting with our local liaison for the CPU C.

3:17:20On March fifteenth, on March sixteenth, I participate in the Cal Cities Policy Committee for Housing Community and Economic development.

3:17:28On March seventeenth I participate in the Cows Cities Policy Committee for Revenue and Taxation, and I also, as councilmember. Kintosen attended the civic well.

3:17:38Conference in Ailimar from the sixteenth to the nineteenth.

3:17:42Okay. The time is now 9, 22, and we are adjourned.

3:17:50The next regularly schedules, the council meeting is Tuesday, April fourth, 2023, at 6 Pm.

3:17:53Thank you.