The Calaveras Board of Supervisors meetings are much more important than you may realize.  One of our members, Janet, has been taking detailed notes which gives you a chance to follow along.

You may have read in the Calaveras Enterprise about this Supervisor’s meeting.  It was another lively meeting.  There was a lot of good information included in the Public Health report and in the Regular Agenda section, a lengthy discussion on the general plan and cannibas permits.  Please check the .pdf to relatively quickly review the meeting.  There were also PowerPoint presentations that you’ll need to watch the video to view.

This article is about the 2/15/22  meeting.  If you’d like to see the actual meeting, a video is available through the County’s website.  If you’d like to download Janet’s notes, they can be found here: 20220215-bos-meeting-notes

Public meeting called to order

Staff Announcements

• Rick DiBasilio – Sheriff – recruiting deputies and other staff. Down seven deputies, four dispatchers, six correctional officers, and two correctional technicians. The pool is getting smaller and smaller because they are finding other work. Having a hard time finding people, deputies quit because they don’t want to be officers anymore. Working with HR and they have been fantastic in assisting us in getting people hired.  Showed recruiting video they are using on Facebook, all social media, sheriff’s office page and shown at the academies. Try to share it wherever they can. Will be graduating five folks from our academy. We were down 12, now 7.  Putting deputies in academies in Stanislaus and San Joaquin and are moving forward with recruiting.

Public Health Update

2. Informational Item – Public Health Services (ID # 6535) Receive an update presentation from staff on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).

• Cori Allen – HHSA Director – presented PowerPoint presentation – please review for detailed information. 6,989 confirmed cases, 42 active cases, 6 hospitalizations, 57.03% fully vaccinated; 7.29% from 5 to 11 years, 12 to 17 years – 30.35%, 6,840 recovered cases, 107 fatalities. Over 10,000 boosters. You are almost six times more likely to contract Covid if you are not vaccinated. Those who enter the hospital are 11.4 times more likely to be hospitalized when not vaccinated; unvaccinated deaths are 21.8 times more likely to occur for unvaccinated people.
• New guidelines effective February 16, 2022 – masking reverts back to prior guidelines, masking in all public indoor locations – if you are vaccinated you are strongly recommended to wear a mask, if you are unvaccinated you must wear a mask. Counties can create more strict orders but not less strict. Schools masking information will be released in two weeks on February 28. CalOSHA points to the CDPH for its guidance. Businesses can be more strict than the guidelines.
• Put out a community health incentive. $45 gift cards will be purchased from local businesses to incentivize people to receive a Covid 19 vaccination between July 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022. Incentives are limited to Calaveras County County residents only.
• Vaccine Van returned in January. Daily except for Wednesdays. Static locations in the county each week. Local pharmacies and wellness center – Booster shots are now available for everyone 12 and older. Slots for children aged 5-11 dedicated. Booster as soon as eligible: Moderna: booster after six months; Pfizer after five months; J&J – after two months.
• Multiple layers of protection against Covid prevent infection – avoid large gatherings, improve indoor ventilation, wash your hands, wear a mask, get vaccinated, if eligible, get boosted.
• Judy Hawkins – HR and Risk Management – In August, we decided to have all employees wear face coverings when in the workplace. We still recommend wearing face coverings in the workplace. Fully vaccinated is defined as fully vaccinated and includes a booster, if eligible. We had an order by the governor in January to be in complaince with CDPH. The policy was updated in January as required by CalOSHA.
• Doug Archer – Mark Twain Hospital – Last week, emergency department Covid value trended upward. seven in-patients, three are in ICU. Some test at entry when arriving for separate issues to find they are ill with Covid. Generally, the patients are unvaccinated. Still seeing a lot of patients in ER and managed as out-patients.
• Issues – tight staffing – biggest challenge, staff are tired and OT shifts are hard to work, finding staff is very challenging, sporadic volumes, changing guidelines.
• Still offering testing at San Andreas.|
• Dr. Rene Ramirez – We’re still seeing the Omicron variant in CA. Discussed the Importance of vaccines and boosters which are safe and effective and reduce morbidity. My kids got Covid and one of his sons had more severe symptoms a week before he could get his vaccine. His daughters got Covid too but less severe because they were vaccinated. He and his wife did not get Covid and they are vaccinated and boosted. No official announcement at this time for a second booster. This science is in real-time and we are doing our best to provide up-to-date information. Viruses are not new, they constantly try to outsmart the host. We do our best to stay up to date with the most current literature and recommendations. I would welcome anyone to come up with a solution, help us to make this irrelevant anymore, and help other people, not harm others.

Recognition and Acknowledgments

3. Proclamation – Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (ID # 6495) Proclaim the week of February 14th through February 18th, 2022 as Kindness Week in Calaveras County and further deem the County as a Random Acts of Kindness Zone.

• Chair Folendorf read the proclamation.
• Jim Burgant – appreciate the support for this over the year. Made 5,000 kindness wristbands and passed them around the schools. It says kindness starts with me. Provided the BOSs with 100 wristbands. The world needs kindness more than ever. The CCOE has been terrific in their assistance in this matter/ project.
Public Comment • None
Proclamation passed – 5-0.

Consent Agenda

4. Minutes of Board of Supervisors – Regular Meeting – Jan 25, 2022 8:00 AM

5. Action Item – Public Works (ID # 6537) 1) Adopt plans and specifications for the 2022 Annual Striping Program; 2) Authorize the Director of Public Works to incorporate any final changes into the bid documents before advertising for bids, and 3) Authorize the Department of Public Works to solicit formal construction bids.

6. Action Item – Human Services (ID # 6543) Approve Child Welfare Services System Improvement Plan (SIP) for the period of October 29, 2020, through October 29, 2025, and authorize Board Chair to sign the related certification.

7. Agreement – Human Services (ID # 6520) 1) Authorize the Board Chair to execute an Agreement with Yolanda Miranda for housing assistance and location services for the period of January 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $185,000; and, 2) Authorize the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency to enter into amendments to the Agreement so long as they do not affect the not to exceed amount and approvals are provided by Risk Management, County Counsel,  Administration.

Motion to approve consent agenda items 4 – 7 – Passed 5 – 0.

Regular Agenda

8. Informational Item – Planning (ID # 6536) Presentation of the General Plan
Implementation Annual Work Program and request for direction on priorities.

• Gina Kathan – Interim Planning Director – presented PowerPoint presentation. Please review for detailed information.
• Implementation Program – adopted in November 2019. 213 implementation measures, 90 ongoing review requirements, 27 related to zoning ordinance update. Implementation tools include ordinances, primarily zoning and subdivision ordinances, CIP, and applying plan policies and measures to project review and approval.

9. Action Item – Division of Cannabis Control (ID # 6499) Introduce and Waive Full
Reading of an Uncodified Ordinance Reducing the Gross Receipts Tax Rate for Cannabis Activities Specified in Section 3.56.050(C)(2) on a Temporary Basis as Authorized by Section 3.56.070; Authorize Summary Publication. Requires Affirmative 4/5 Vote.

• Greg Wayland – Director of Cannabis Control – presented a PowerPoint presentation. Please review for detailed information. Covers items number 9 and 10 but will address them separately. The ordinance would reduce the canopy taxes on local taxes including cultivation and retail. The difference between taxes and fees is significant. Fee funded department, all activities in permitting process are funded through fees paid by cultivators. Taxes are paid by cultivators and paid as general revenue funds for the county. Issue is whether the BOS should make a response to prevailing conditions in the market and a steep decline in wholesale prices. Our recommendation is it does require action by BOS. It’s a complex issue and relatively new to the State. Impact on the local industry is the tax regulation that State has imposed. We have cultivators in arrears in taxes and we have the authority to revoke permits for non-paid taxes. Cultivators have a lot to lose. Seeing growth in the industry but hurdles they need to overcome. On 7.10.20 – Measure G was put to voters to allow taxes to be lowered with the BOS discretion. If taxes are lowered, it must be done by a 4/5ths vote. Initial tax rates were designed to be changed.
• Without relief, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) anticipates a loss of approximately 20% to 25% of it current cannabis businesses. The DCC bellies that tax relief could help reduce the loss of these businesses.

10. Action Item – Division of Cannabis Control (ID # 6561) Introduce and Waive Full Reading of an Uncodified Ordinance Reducing the Cannabis Cultivation Tax Rates Specified in Section 3.56.050(B)(1)-(3) on a Temporary Basis as Authorized by Section 3.56.070; Authorize Summary Publication. Requires Affirmative 4/5 Vote.

Motion to approve – Passed 4-1. (Supervisor Tofanelli – no)

Supervisor Announcements

• Supervisor Callaway – meeting this Saturday with Vallecito community since they are now in my district from the redistricting.
• Supervisor Garamendi – meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the previous Rail Road Flat Elementary School re community center and what they want to happen there.
• Supervisor Tofanelli – meeting with COG tomorrow, reviewing and appointing a new Director. Mountain Valley MS meeting to discuss Stanislaus pulling out of MVMSA.