There’s a famous quote by Otto von Bismarck:

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.”

As i read through Janet’s notes this morning, I was reminded of the quote.  And that’s not actually fair.  There’s a huge amount of effort and work that goes into running the county and an awful lot of it goes through the Board of Supervisors’ meetings..   Our supervisors have to weigh the benefit, cost, and effect of their votes all while being responsive to the people in the community.  The County employees work to provide much needed services and support — sometimes without a lot of acknowledgement.  Or even any.

So once again as I read through Janet’s notes, I want to publicly thank her for work.  I’ve learned a huge amount just by reading through her notes over the last year and have also developed a lot of respect for the people who work for and represent the County.

The public part of this meeting started with Agenda #4, a proclamation acknowledging the Grand Jury.  Agenda Items 5-24, were Consent Agenda items and were voted on without public discussion.  They’re still worth reading through so that you’ll have an idea of what’s going on.

And then we come to Items 25-28.  Right.  The first three were interesting but I hope you’ll take the time to read about Item 28.  It has to do with the County’s CSA’s.  What’s a CSA?  Glad you asked.  Scroll down to get an overview and read through Janet’s notes to get a whole lot more information. There was also a PowerPoint presentation that you can through the video or to watch the full meeting.  Btw, you can also download all of the background documents that were provided to the Supervisors before the meeting through the county link.

You might also keep track of the Public Works link for CSA’s.  There will be public meetings you may want to attend.

And don’t forget to thank your County representatives & employees.

This article is about the 2/22/22  meeting. If you’d like to download Janet’s notes, they can be found here: 20200222-bos-meeting-notes

Public meeting called to order

Staff Announcements

• None

Recognition and Acknowledgments

4. Proclamation – Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (ID # 6577) Proclaim the Month of February 2022 as Civil Grand Jury Awareness Month in Calaveras County.

• Chair Folendorf read proclamation.

Public Comment
Carolyn Stynies – President of California Grand Jury – civil grand jury is an investigating body based on the fifth amendment, watch dog responsibility to watch counties and make sure duties are carried out lawfully. More information can be found at the website: www.grandjury@calaveras.gov.us Our chapter supports Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolumne. Only tri-county chapter. We promote greater understanding of government. We appreciate the support and awareness of the grand jury and the proclamation.
• Motion to approve Proclamation – Passed – 5 – 0.

General Public Comment • None

Consent Agenda

5. Minutes of Board of Supervisors – Regular Meeting – Feb 8, 2022 8:00 AM

6. Resolution – District Attorney (ID # 6541) Adopt a resolution authorizing the District Attorney to enter into specified grants, and to execute any applicable grant amendments or modifications, with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

7. Action Item – Probation (ID # 6566) Authorize the Chief Probation Officer to execute the second amendment to the MOU between the Calaveras County Superior Court and Calaveras County Probation Department for the Pretrial Pilot Program to include additional funding.

8. Resolution – Behavioral Health Services – Mental Health Program (ID # 6523) Adopt a resolution to authorize the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency to sign the Mental Health Plan Amendment 01 to the Agreement #17-94576 with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for the provision of specialty mental health services for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022.

9. Agreement – Health and Human Services Agency (ID # 6554) 1) Authorize the Board Chair to execute the California Mental Health Services Authority Participation Agreement for the Workforce Education and Training Program for the period of September 15, 2020 through June 30, 2026 requiring a County match in an amount not to exceed $23,090.88; and 2) Authorize the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency to execute amendments to the Agreement so long as it does not affect the not to exceed amount.

10. Agreement – Public Works (ID # 6542) Approve payment to purchase 0.38 acres of stream channel habitat in the amount of $133,500.00 under an Agreement between The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Caltrans associated with the SR4 Wagon Trail Realignment Project.

11. Agreement – Public Works (ID # 6545) Authorize the Board Chair to execute Amendment 04 to an Agreement with Dokken Engineering, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $3,586,932.44 for the term of September 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022.

12. Agreement – Public Works (ID # 6559) Authorize the Board Chair to execute Amendment 03 to an Agreement with Drake Haglan and Associates in an amount not to exceed $572,188.23 for the term of September 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022.

13. Action Item – Public Works (ID # 6560) Approve increases to Blanket Purchase Orders for: 1) Holt of California in an amount not to exceed $225,000; 2) Hunt and Sons in an amount not to exceed $225,000; 3) Valley Pacific Petroleum in an amount not to exceed $150,000; and 4) Calaveras Materials in an amount not to exceed $155,000 for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

14. Resolution – Public Works (ID # 6562) Adopt a Resolution approving the 2022
Department of Public Works Capital Improvement Program.

15. Ordinance – Integrated Waste Management (ID # 6533) Find Exempt from CEQA; Adopt SB 1383 Rural Exemption Ordinance Adding Article VII to Chapter 8.12 of the County Code to Comply With SB 1383 Regulations Concerning Edible Food Recovery; Authorize Summary Publication.

16. Action Item – Integrated Waste Management (ID # 6571) Approve and authorize Board Chair to sign a letter to CalRecycle regarding SB 1383 ordinance requirements and regulations.

17. Resolution – OES (ID # 6546) Adopt a Resolution continuing a Local State of Emergency for the COVID-19 outbreak.

18. Resolution – OES (ID # 6548) Adopt a Resolution continuing the Local State of Emergency for the Butte Fire.

19. Resolution – OES (ID # 6549) Adopt a Resolution continuing a Local State of Emergency for the removal of hazardous trees caused by the Butte Fire with the imminent threat of severe winter weather.

20. Resolution – OES (ID # 6551) Adopt a Resolution continuing a Local State of Emergency on Tree Mortality.

21. Resolution – OES (ID # 6547) Adopt a Resolution reaffirming the Director of Emergency Services’ Proclamation of a Local State of Emergency for the winter storm damage from extreme weather events that began on or around February 12, 2019.

22. Resolution – OES (ID # 6550) Adopt a Resolution continuing a Local State of
Emergency for the winter storm damage from extreme weather events that began on
January 7, 2017 through the month of February 2017.

23. Resolution – OES (ID # 6552) Adopt a Resolution Re-Affirming the Director of Emergency Services’ Proclamation of a Local State of Emergency Due to the Extreme Weather of January 2021.

24. Resolution – OES (ID # 6553) Adopt a Resolution re-affirming the Director of Emergency Services’ Proclamation of a Local State of Emergency for the winter storm damage from extreme weather events that began on or around December 23, 2021.

• Supervisor Tofanelli requested to pull item #12
Motion to approve consent agenda items 5 – 24, excluding 12 – Passed 5 – 0.
Motion to approve consent agenda items 12 – Passed 5 – 0.

Regular Agenda

25. Action Item – Administrative Office (ID # 6540) Provide direction to staff regarding recommendations for Congressionally-Directed Spending Requests.

• Christa Von Lotta – CAO – present with her is Federal Advocate. Christa Von Lotta turned over to Mia O’Connell – here to discuss spending for 2023. Ten year hiatus since Congress decided to bring the ear marks back and done in a limited way to public agencies only. We have several ear marks we would like the BOS to consider. Congressman Tom McClintock is not a supporter of earmarks but we will brief him as well as he has shown an interest in engaging with Federal agencies.
• All BOS agreed to go with recommendation on item 1.
Public Comment • None
Informational Item Only

26. Informational Item – Integrated Waste Management (ID # 6576) Receive presentation by Integrated Waste Management on Rock Creek Landfill Phase III.

• Paul Feriani – Integrated Waste Management – presented power point presentation – please review for detailed information. 60,000 customers per year, only closed four days per year. Operates at 18% to 20% now. Phase 2B – running out of air space, about two to three years left. Transfer station built in 2004 – pull out a lot of recyclables now. This is a canyon landfill. Phase 3 is the biggest of the 4 phases. About 25 years on first section, second section is about 27 years. Phase 3 is twenty acres. February 1, 2022 – kick off meeting on site at Rod Creek Landfill with GLA, IWM staff, Supervisor Stopper and Administration to look at various options.
Informational Item Only

27. Action Item – Economic & Community Development (ID # 6558) Find exempt from CEQA; Authorize and approve the 1) application for and acceptance of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program Grants in the amount of $235,534 for airfield geo-technical, topographic, and drainage studies, and $467,939 for runway rehabilitation; 2) pre-approve FAA’s proposed grant contract terms; and 3) direct the County Administrative Officer, or designee, to administer the grant, approve the advertisement for competitive bidding on the pavement rehabilitation project, and sign and submit all required documents for a period ending January 31, 2023.

• Kathy Gallino – Economic and Community Development Director – we have an opportunity to apply for two grants now and a third grant in a couple years to complete runway projects. Hasn’t been done in several years. Needed to be reconditioned in 2013 and no funding for it. We did a patching project in 2013 and it really needs to be redone. We have a strategy to address this. FAA wants a series of surveys be conducted. Will come back when study is completed. Will open bid on the 25th to get contractor to do the patch work.
Public Comment • None
Motion to approve – Passed 5 – 0.

28. Informational Item – Public Works (ID # 6564) 1) Receive a presentation and informational memo regarding County Service Areas (CSAs) and Community Services Districts (CSDs) within Calaveras County; 2) Direct Public Works staff to solicit input from CSA property owners for a period of 30 days utilizing an online survey tool; and 3) Direct Public Works staff to provide Board of Supervisors with findings from the surveys and recommendations at a future meeting.

• Robert Pachinger – Director of Public Works, Kelly Zahniser – PW Project Manager, and Jacob Lile – PW Analyst – presented PowerPoint presentation – please review for detailed information.
• Overview of CSAs – Governance; Financing; Operations.
• How does the County work with CSAs? Road Advisory Committee (CSA 12) – only one currently, meets at least one time per year. Without CSAs – community meetings/on-line survey too. County website – county service area plan and can be accessed through the public works website. Press releases/Community Bulletin Boards. My Calaveras County/ Accela Service Requests.
• How is road work programmed in CSAs? Public workshop held in each CSA annually. Engineers report created for each CSA and posted for public comment. CSA Improvement plans are included in the capital improvement program and presented to the BOS annually.
• CSA Administration Challenges. Substandard roads. CSA roads are public but not publicly funded. Revenue realities. CSA Roads and Revenues: Rancho Calaveras (D5) – 47 miles of maintained road, current annual assessment – $19 -36, Annual Revenue – $249,898, Fund Balance as of 12/31/21 – $495,729. Bar XX (D4) – 7.5 miles of maintained road, current annual assessment – $280-360, Annual Revenue – $26,067, Fund Balance as of 12/31/21 – $94,504. Diamond XX (D4) – 18.2 miles of maintained road, current annual assessment – $300-350, Annual Revenue – $68,433, Fund Balance as of 12/31/21 – $480,980. Spring Hills (D2) – 1.8 miles of maintained road, current annual assessment – (property taxes), Annual Revenue – $17,647, Fund Balance as of 12/31/21 – $76,691. Golden Hills (D2) – 3.8 miles of maintained road, current annual assessment – $240 – 360, Annual Revenue – $22,526, Fund Balance as of 12/31/21 – $113,321. Most CSAs roads were built in late 1960s or early 1970s. Fees for CSAs 1, 2 and 4 were established in 1969, CSA 8 was 1979, CSA 12 was 1984. Revenues have not kept pace with inflation or increase in costs.
• CSA Service Levels: Expectations v. Reality – Roads in our sample CSA are all unpaved. Roads are graded two times per year – Fall & Spring. Annual revenue is approximately $26,000. Cost to pave entire CSA (7.5 miles of road) is approximately $2.7 million, includes: engineering, administration, construction. Annual assessments are insufficient to meet residents expectations. Reality – CSA must save up assessments for 103 years to be able to afford to pave those 7.5 miles of road.
• Assessment Increase Process: Engineer’s Report; Estimated costs of improvements; proposes assessments required to complete improvements. Identify parcels and notify owners of amount of increase; basis for fee calculation and reason for the fee/increase, date, time and location of a public hearing. Public hearing: held 45 days after notice, receive written notices of protest, if majority of property owners oppose the fee it shall not be imposed. Election: conducted 45 days after public hearing, approved by a majority vote of property owners or a 2/3 vote of the electorate in the affected area.

Supervisor Announcements

• Supervisor Garamendi – had a good meeting at Railroad Flat last week and good momentum and good spirit.
• Supervisor Tofanelli – PW put together a public meeting tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. re safe route to schools project in Valley Springs.