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

This link is from the 2/9/21 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: 20210209 – Calaveras BOS Meeting

We’ve mainly included the detailed notes here from the Public Health Updates.  We’ve mentioned other items but refer you to Janet’s notes and the video for additional information.  Watching the whole video will give you complete information and an appreciation for Janet’s willingness to take these notes.

Pubic meeting called to order at 9:06 a.m.

Staff Announcements

• Sam Leach – Scott Nanick, Superintendent of Schools, received an award for communication regarding Covid19 to provide programmatic adjustment during the pandemic. Leach appreciates the partnership with the Schools and COE.
• Sheriff Rick DiBasilio – Marine Safety Crew re boating and waterways – 22 accidents, 13 were serious, Malones – 4 accidents, 3 serious, Hogan – 12 accidents, 6 serious, Camanche – 5 accidents, 4 serious incidents. Patrol on Tulloch all the time. Need more boat patrol on other lakes. Had 421 hours on the water, multiple citations.
• Have to have a license now showing they have taken a boating safety course. California is requiring this certificate and by 2024 everyone will have to have this license. The State is phasing it in based on your age group. The course is online and if you don’t have it, will be fines associated with it.
• Sheriff Volunteers – did over 2,400 hours of patrol, 36,000 miles on vehicles, 26,000 on personal vehicles, 1,700 vacation house checks. Volunteers put in a lot of time. Five put in over 300 hours, 7 over 200 hours, 8 over 100 hours. Have 30 volunteers. Sandra Craft put in 992 hours, Betty Miner put in 658 hours. Need to thank our community volunteers, they do a fantastic job.
• Lisa Medina – animal services is having free microchipping this Friday and Saturday combined with adoption ($14/each animal).
• Jessica Valor – Department of Agriculture – started spraying roads and will continue between now and July.

Informational Updates

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

• Sam Leach – Continue to take a balanced approached to support the community. Completed 21,784 tests, 1,811 positive cases, 86 active cases, 1,702 recovered, 4 active hospital, 23 fatalities. Last week received 800 doses of vaccine to public health. As of 1.26.21, 2,080 vaccines had been administered, 4,624 now administered. Have been receiving doses weekly. Shots are given Monday through Friday. Working on Phase 1A, Tier 1 – main efforts are 65 and over, second doses from Phase 1A and 1B.
• Working to onboard with MyTurn system. Not sure when the process will be finalized but can sign up on that system for our clinics.
• Vaccine allocation – started in December were being sent to Public Health Department then passed to clinics. In January, clinics started receiving some, and then CVS and Walgreens will be getting it from Federal Government.
• With third-party administrator, Blue Shield, we are monitoring the process and seeking to get enough doses. Working to partner with all agencies to get shots to citizens. Happy with progress but acknowledge continuing confusion and will be transparent as possible.
• CVS does have an appointment today through Sunday, vaccinating long-term facilities.
• Supply – 800 doses received last week. Want supply to increase so we can have larger scale drive-through clinics. Want to vaccinate as quickly as we can.
• Today we have Dr. Beaty and Dr. Apple available to answer medical questions.
• Remain in purple tier. Numbers are trending in the right direction. Probably a few weeks out to be reduced to the lower tier. Need people to continue to wash hands, avoid social gatherings, wear masks. Need to slow and stop the spread.
• Have testing at Ironstone on Tuesdays – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; tomorrow at Calaveras Consolidated Fire – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sonora test site as well.
• Conducted 553 tests since 12/23/20.
• Prevention is still the best defense; even after you receive your vaccine.
• Tiers are available on the website; the positivity rate has to come below 8%; we are still a number of cases off; coming down but have a ways to go. Home tests do not factor into count.
• Mark Twain is the only process for shots – providing service for 65 and over and will take months to get through. Get on the waitlist. I Will update if and when it changes.
• Public Health will be going through the MyTurn system. Reaching out to the targeted group. Hoping MyTurn will be available in the next one or two weeks. Not available as of today.
• CVS is not available now.
• Working with OES and Mark Twain. Set to meet again tomorrow at 10 a.m. Hoping supply will come through so they can do larger-scale centers. Want to head to outlying areas, even if it is a smaller clinic. Hoping this will occur soon.
• Things are becoming more clear and systematic and volume is increasing which is both good things. It Will be a long and steady process but all are working well together.
• County can’t opt-out of a third-party administrator.
• The state is tracking who got shots but County is working through their list and doing the same as Mark Twain. Won’t be taken off list until person received vaccine or person told them they received vaccine elsewhere.
• Test counts are by the address where they live not where the test was taken.
• Dr. Beaty, Interim Public Health Officer – currently using Moderna and Pfizer, future will bring Astra Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. J&J is inexpensive and very effective. J&J said could make a billion doses which would help us to open clinics in Copper and Arnold, etc. J&J is a single shot.
• You don’t get immunity after the first dose; have some but unique to each person. After 7 to 10 days after the second dose, you get to your 90% to 95% immunity.
• Even if you have received vaccines, you should still get tested because we don’t know enough yet. Testing is the best tool right now. Don’t know if you can be a-systematic even after you get your vaccine. Continue to get tested and take precautions.
• Doug Archer, Mark Twain Hospital – we are fortunate to have the partnership we have with the County.
• Trying to plan vaccine clinic in Arnold, dependent on allocation they are to receive this week. Goal to host a clinic in Arnold next week. Next week is the beginning of the second doses which are on hand. Will give 860 second doses. About 3,300 provided, including second doses.
• Still have a waitlist, will get a robocall confirming you are on the waitlist. Waitlist shifts a lot and is prioritized based on age. Have about 4,000 on the waitlist and grows daily. Online scheduling will probably go live later this week.
• Will send out updated communication to the public probably tomorrow.
• Not planning on converting to MyTurn. They have a platform and their process. Call Mark Twain.
• Not taking anyone off the list unless they received vaccine from Mark Twain or they called the person and told Mark Twain they got vaccine elsewhere.
• Dr. Atwell – nice to see the hospital and county working so well together. 11 inpatients, 2 in ICU, 5 Covid positive, 1 in ICU. ICU capacity is good now. Trending down. 1,760 doses, 700 set this week; hopefully an additional 350 on Friday. Trying to get more doses as that is the biggest issue.

Public Comments: None

 #3. Receive an update presentation from staff on the January 2021 Storm Event

Consent Agenda

Motion to approve consent agenda items – Passed – 5-0

Regular Agenda

19. Introduce, after a waiver of the reading requirements, an Ordinance adopting changes consistent with the modified Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Service Employees’ International Union, Local 1021 (SEIU) for certain Elected Officials, and authorize summary publication of the Ordinance.

Motion to approve – Passed – 5-0

20. Introduce, after a waiver of the reading requirements, an Ordinance adopting changes consistent with the modified Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Service Employees’ International Union, Local 1021 (SEIU) for the Board Of Supervisors, and authorize summary publication of the Ordinance.

Motion to approve – Passed – 5-0

21. Conduct a public hearing, find that the project is exempt from CEQA, and adopt an ordinance prohibiting the cultivation, breeding,  keeping, storing, processing, and manufacturing of industrial hemp; and authorize summary publication.

Motion to approve – Passed – 5-0

22. Division of Cannabis Control (ID # 5880) Receive a Quarterly informational Report from the Division of Cannabis Control.

23.1. Receive a presentation on the emergency repairs needed for the Sheriff’s Office and Adult Detention Facility and related mechanical systems; 2. Make findings that an emergency exists and that action is necessary to respond to the emergency; 3. Dispense with competitive bidding requirements pursuant to County Code section 3.29.023 and Public Contract Code sections 22035 and 22050; and 4. Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute an emergency contract with ACCO for emergency repairs to the automated front-end Siemens mechanical system. Requires a 4/5 affirmative vote of the Board of Supervisors.

Motion to approve – Passed – 5-0

Supervisor Announcements

• Supervisor Callaway – have a CA State Association County meeting this week.
• Supervisor Tofanelli – Mountain Valley MS meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. Had CoG meeting last week and a majority of Board stayed together and moving forward on Wagon Trail project. They secured a large amount of money, $6.25 million, for the project, in addition to $3 million already had. Should break ground later this year.
• Supervisor Folendorf – has phone conference with New Melones and County staff members.

Meeting adjourned at 2:39 p.m.