[00:00:06]
WE HAVE QUORUM, SURE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BEGIN LOOKS RIGHT.
[1) CALL TO ORDER: Mayor]
THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER N DASH TWO NINE TWO ZERO ISSUED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOME ON MARCH 17, 2020.ALL MEMBERS ARE JOINING THIS MEETING REMOTELY BY A ZOOM WEBINAR.
WE WILL NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO STAND FOR A FLAG SALUTE.
STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MADAM CLERK DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON THE LINE TODAY, IS THERE ANYONE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE AN INVOCATION THIS EVENING? JUST ONE MOMENT MAYOR.
THERE IS NO ONE THAT I'M AWARE OF.
THAT'S OK, SEEING NONE WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK PLEASE CALL ROLL.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ, PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES, PALLARES HERE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IS NOT PRESENT.
IT SEEMS I PULLED UP THE WRONG SCRIPT.
[6) PUBLIC COMMENTS]
SIX, THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS RESERVED FOR PERSONS TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY ON ANY MATTER, NOT ON THIS AGENDA AND OVER WHICH THE COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY HAS JURISDICTION.AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HEAD FEATURE TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE USING A TELEPHONE, PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
ONCE TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
ANYONE WHO HAS NOT PROVIDED COMMENTS BY THE CLOSE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THIS MEETING, THEY CAN EMAIL THEIR COMMENTS TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK AT CITY OF WASCO.
AND YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS, HOWEVER, DUE TO BROWN ACT REQUIREMENTS, NO ACTION MAY BE TAKEN AT THIS TIME.
SHOULD YOUR COMMENTS REQUIRE FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR ITS SUCCESSOR AGENCY THE ITEM WILL BE AGENDA ITEM FOR REPORT AND DISCUSSED AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
AT THIS TIME MADAM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? MAYOR GARCIA WE DO FROM THE PANELISTS, MELANIE.
YES, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE WITH MY SCREEN, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO THIS.
MY NAME IS MELANIE SCHERER AND I'M THE OWNER OF SNIP.
THE SPAY NEUTER IMPERATIVE PROJECT SNIP IS A 5013C NONPROFIT.
MY BOARD RECEIVES ZERO COMPENSATION AND WE PROVIDE LOW COST OR FREE MOBILE SPAY NEUTER TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE YOU AGENIZED FOR AN ITEM LATER IN THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
WOULD YOU MIND OK, I WILL WAIT MY TURN.
OK, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, HOWEVER, AND NO BUT MARTINEZ HAS JUST JOINED US.
VERY WELL, LET THE RECORD REFLECT MARTINEZ IS NOW WITH US.
WE WILL SEEING NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[00:05:01]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.[9) CONSENT CALENDAR:]
ITEM NINE CONSENT CALENDAR, THE CONSENT CALENDAR CONSISTS OF ITEMS THAT IN STAFF'S OPINION ARE ROUTINE AND NON-CONTROVERSIAL.THESE ITEMS ARE APPROVED IN ONE MOTION UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REQUESTS REMOVAL OF A PARTICULAR ITEM.
THIS EVENING WE HAVE ITEMS NINE A THROUGH NINE E.
NINE A, APPROVAL OF MAY 4TH, 2021 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
NINE B RECEIVE AND FILE DEPARTMENT PAYMENTS TOTALING ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS, SIXTY TWO CENTS.
NINE C, ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN AND EXECUTE THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO LEASE AGREEMENT NUMBER 2 1 EXCUSE ME 2021-004 WITH I&M SHEEP CO.
TO PERMIT GRAZING ON THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL AG LAND.
ITEM NINE D, REJECTION OF BID RECEIVED FOR THE DESIGN OF THE PALM AVENUE REHABILITATION REGIONAL.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT PROGRAM FUNDED PROJECT.
NINE E, REJECTION OF BID RECEIVED FOR THE DESIGN OF PALM AVENUE, WIDENING CONGESTION MITIGATION, AIR QUALITY PROGRAM FUNDED PROJECT.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANY MEMBERS IF THERE ARE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON ANY PARTICULAR ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
YEAH MEMBER EXCUSE ME, MEMBER CORTEZ, NO CONFLICT THANK YOU MR. MAYOR.
MEMBER MARTINEZ, NO CONFLICTS SIR.
HOW ABOUT MEMBER PALLARES, NO CONFLICT.
ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT OR REMOVE A PARTICULAR ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, MADAM CLERK.
MAYOR GARCIA I SEE THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, ANY MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE A PARTICULAR ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
EXCUSE ME, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
AND MEMBER, MARTINEZ NOTHING, SIR.
VERY WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
THANK YOU, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MEMBER PALLARES AND SECONDED BY MEMBER CORTEZ.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL A VOTE? MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
I'M SORRY, MAYOR GARCIA APOLOGIZE.
I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AYE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES, PALLARES AYE.
MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
ITEM 12A, REPORT AND DISCUSSION REGARDING FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS.
[12) a. Report and Discussion regarding 4th of July Fireworks. (Kern County Fire)]
DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM KERN COUNTY FIRE THIS EVENING MADAM CLERK.WE HAVE ANDREW FREEBORN, A PANELIST.
AND BEFORE WE BEGIN, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT OR NOTE ON THIS ITEM.
FOR THE PUBLIC, IT WAS THE ITEMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORDED DIFFERENTLY AND IT WAS INTENDED TO BE AN ITEM ON A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND ILLEGAL FIREWORKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT JUST SO BEFORE WE BEGIN, THAT'S JUST ONE NOTE I WANTED TO PROVIDE OK AND YOU SAID WE HAVE A GUEST THIS EVENING MADAM.
YES, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME COME BACK HERE AND HOPEFULLY I DO NOT HAVE A REPEAT OF THE TECHNICAL ISSUES I HAD AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME COME AND SPEAK HERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT LAST YEAR, IF YOU WERE LIVING IN KERN COUNTY OR CALIFORNIA OR IT SEEMS THE NATION AS A WHOLE LAST YEAR WAS ABSOLUTE WILD.
THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT OF SOME OF THE STATISTICS THAT WE SAW IN TERMS OF
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FIREWORK ACTIVITY TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE.YES, IT WAS MAKING NATIONAL NEWS ALL OVER.
THE CONDITIONS CLEARLY HEIGHTENED IT PEOPLE BEING FRUSTRATED, BEING AT HOME, HAVING IDLE TIME, MANY THINGS THAT CLEARLY COULD HAVE GONE INTO CAUSING THIS.
BUT TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, LAST YEAR WE STARTED SOMETHING NEW AND THAT WAS TO KIND OF STREAMLINE IT, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE MAKE THEIR ONLINE COMPLAINTS, BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT ILLEGAL FIREWORK ACTIVITY ONLINE.
THAT WENT LIVE JUNE 21RST OF 2020 AND JUST BEFORE THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT I TRIED TO ATTEND, I REVIEWED THAT TO SEE KIND OF WHERE WE HAD STOOD, CERTAINLY THE LION'S SHARE OF THE FIREWORKS THAT WERE REPORTED ON THAT ILLEGAL FIREWORK TIP FORM ONLINE.
THEY WERE CERTAINLY DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE AND JULY OF LAST YEAR.
BUT THE SITE STABILIZED IT STILL CONTINUES TO GIVE THE INFORMATION TO FIRE PERSONNEL.
AND IN THAT TIME SPAN OF ROUGHLY ALMOST ONE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, IT RECEIVED NEARLY 6000 ILLEGAL FIREWORKS TIPS THROUGH THAT ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM.
AND OUT OF THAT, IT'S KIND OF GRANULAR.
WE CAN GO THROUGH AND WE CAN PROCESS THAT A BIT.
WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR OF THESE REPORTS MADE FROM WASCO, AND SIX OF THEM TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SPANISH ONLINE REPORTING FORM.
AND SO THAT CONSTITUTES ROUGHLY ABOUT THREE TO FOUR PERCENT OF THE TOTAL COMPLAINTS AND REPORTS THAT WERE GIVING WERE RIGHT THERE WITHIN THE CITY OF WASCO.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING THEN THIS YEAR? CLEARLY, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RATCHET UP OUR EFFORTS AS BEST WE CAN, AND SO THIS YEAR YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT MORE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EDUCATION INFORMATION GIVEN TO THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY HELP INDIVIDUALS TO KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES ILLEGAL FIREWORKS WHEN IT'S LEGAL TO USE FIREWORKS, WHEN IT'S NOT LEGAL TO USE FIREWORKS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING THESE PSA'S THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE.
USUALLY THE PSA'S ARE 15 SECOND SPOTS ON TV.
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING 30 SECOND SPOTS.
AND RATHER THAN A WEEK LEADING INTO JULY 4TH, IT'S GOING TO BE WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS, THAT THEY CAN RUN ON TELEVISION FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE, RIGHT ON INTO JULY 4TH AS WELL.
WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM OUR COMMUNITY WHO WAS ACTUALLY INJURED WITH FIREWORKS LAST YEAR.
AND THIS CHILD AND HIS FAMILY EVEN GRACIOUSLY SAID THAT WE'D LOVE TO BE THE FACE OF THIS, TO HELP OTHERS TO REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF FIREWORKS AND THE POTENTIAL DANGERS WITH THEM.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO CREATE AND PRODUCE THAT PSA WITH THE FAMILY.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO SO.
BUT ASIDE FROM THE TELEVISION PSA'S, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SPANISH AND ENGLISH RADIO SPOTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE A WHOLE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT WITH, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO PRODUCE WITH THE COUNTY OF KERN, AN ENTIRE SERIES OF ANIMATED FILMS THAT ARE 15/30 SECONDS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY REALLY GRAB THE ATTENTION OF A DIFFERENT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET EVERYONE WE CAN WITH THIS MESSAGE, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, WHETHER IT'S ANIMATION, WHETHER IT'S THE FACES OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED WITH IT, WHETHER IT'S IN ENGLISH, WHETHER IT'S IN SPANISH, IT'S GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR IS I CAN CONFIRM THAT WE WILL BE THE KERN COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A FIREWORKS TASK FORCE THIS YEAR.
SO THIS YEAR THERE HAS BEEN PLANS TO APPROVE THAT.
HOW THAT SPECIFICALLY LOOKS, HOW IT WILL BE DEPLOYED IS YET TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT AT LEAST THERE IS A GREEN LIGHT TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A FIREWORKS TASK FORCE FOR THIS YEAR.
AND REALLY, IT COMES DOWN TO THIS.
ANY EXTRA EFFORT, ANY FORM OF TASK FORCE IS GOING TO HELP THE SYSTEM.
IT'S GOING TO HELP THE PERSONNEL.
AND THAT ULTIMATELY MEANS BETTER SERVICE FOR THOSE THAT WE SERVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] AND THE UPDATE, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN AND THE DISRUPTION THAT ILLEGAL FIREWORKS HAS CAUSED OUR COMMUNITY AND I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS FIND AND OPERATIVES FIND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR RESIDENTS CAN CAN BE SUPPORTIVE IN OUR EFFORTS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
[00:15:01]
I THINK CERTAINLY PSA'S AN EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS ARE REALLY GREAT, ESPECIALLY MOVING THEM SOONER BECAUSE WE SEE THAT THE TREND IS THAT THEY'RE OCCURRING A LOT SOONER AND A LOT MORE FREQUENTLY OR A LOT EARLIER IN THE YEAR.BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE.
I THINK IN YEARS PAST, THE RESIDENTS AND EVEN THE COUNCIL SEEING FRUITFUL VIOLATIONS AND TICKETS COMING FROM I THINK IT WAS LIKE I THINK THEY DID FOOT PATROLS AND SUCH AND OTHER KIND OF PATROLLING OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MORE PROACTIVE EFFORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND MAYBE IDEAS HOW THAT MIGHT LOOK, ESPECIALLY A TASK FORCE THAT SEEMS TO BE ENCOURAGING.
ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO BE SUPPORTIVE IN THAT EFFORT? SO I APOLOGIZE.
BUT IF YOU CAN [INAUDIBLE] THOSE ITEMS. YEAH, I KNOW.
I APPRECIATE YOU WEIGHING IN ON THAT.
WE WANT TO DO AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH AN ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF RISK THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT CLEARLY.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BE MORE FRUITFUL AND TO BE MORE FRUITFUL IN A WAY THAT YOU SEE AS BEING MORE FRUITFUL AND DOING WHAT WE CAN THERE LOCALLY IN WASCO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS WELL.
I MEAN, END OF THE DAY, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS ACTIVITY.
IT'S IT'S HIGH RISK FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH.
AND IT IS CERTAINLY A HIGH RISK IN HOW IT AFFECTS OUR PETS, HOW IT AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONAL STABILITY.
I MEAN, THE STORIES THAT WE GET OF INDIVIDUALS THAT CALL ME THAT, THEY'RE FRUSTRATED.
THEY HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S ON HOSPICE, THEY HAVE A DOG THAT'S INJURED ITSELF.
AND IT'S TRULY TERRIBLE THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO DO THIS WITH SUCH CALLOUSNESS AND DISREGARD FOR THEIR OWN NEIGHBORS.
AND SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN.
YOU KNOW GET THE MESSAGE OUT EARLY.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED FOR THE FIRST MONTH.
TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED AFTER THAT.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW THAT WILL OPERATE WITHIN.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN START TO MAKE A DENT ON THIS, ON THIS TOPIC.
[INAUDIBLE] AND THAT'S ANY TIME RIGHT THAT'S IMMEDIATELY THAT'S IN EFFECT NOW, RIGHT.
YEAR ROUND YOU CAN BE CITED FOR FIREWORKS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S NOT ON AN APPROVED USAGE DATE, EVEN IF IT'S A QUOTE UNQUOTE, SAFE AND SANE LEGAL FIREWORKS, YOU CAN STILL BE CITED FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE APPROVED USAGE TIME AND DATES.
AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS ON YOU LIGHT IT WE WRITE IT .
IT BREAKS DOWN EACH CITY'S JURISDICTION AND THE LAWS THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR THAT CITY.
WHAT WASCO HAS IS DIFFERENT POSSIBLY THAN SHAFTER OR DELANO, RIDGECREST, ET CETERA.
AND SO INDIVIDUALS CAN SEE, OK, IT'S LEGAL FOR ME TO USE FIREWORKS IN THIS JURISDICTION ON THESE DATES AND TIMES.
BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, ALL FIREWORKS WOULD BE CONSIDERED ILLEGAL.
LET ME I APOLOGIZE, I JUMPED IN THERE REALLY QUICKLY.
I SHOULD HAVE OPENED IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SO ON A TELEPHONE PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR KEYPAD, YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
ONCE YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED AT THIS TIME MADAM CLERK DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.
MAYOR GARCIA WE DO, WE HAVE TWO THE FIRST ONE IS MS. OCAMPO.
BEFORE I ACTUALLY HI, MY NAME IS ORQUIDEA OCAMPO AND BEFORE I ACTUALLY SAY MY PUBLIC COMMENT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OTHER PERSON WHO IS GOING TO ALSO SPEAK IS NOT MRS. WILSON.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MRS. WILSON, IF SHE'S IF SHE IS ON.
MADAM CLERK, IS A MS. WILSON OR MRS. WILSON ON THE LINE IN QUEUE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T SEE A MRS. WILSON.
OK, WELL, MRS. OCAMPO, WOULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS.
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OK, WELL, MY NAME IS MS. ORQUIDEA OCAMPO AND I'M ALSO I'M WITH [INAUDIBLE] FOUNDATION AND ALSO A PART OF THE WASCO COMMUNITY TASK FORCE.AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TO THE TASK FORCE ABOUT THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
AND JUST AS OUR MAYOR, MAYOR GARCIA, MENTIONED, THAT THE PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY IT'S HAPPENING NOW.
AND FROM WHAT WE HEARD AT THE TASK FORCE MEETING OF WHAT WAS REPORTED TO US AT THE TASK FORCE MEETING WAS THAT THERE IS NOT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE ANYBODY A CITATION UNLESS THAT YOU PHYSICALLY SEE THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS HAPPENING, WHICH TO ME, I FIND THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR YOU GUYS TO DO UNLESS, AGAIN, THERE'S CAN BE DIFFERENT EFFORTS.
BUT JUST WANTED TO KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE CITATION ON THAT? IF THAT IF YOU CAN ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT AND ALSO A MR. FREEBORN, WE WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO OUR TASK FORCE MEETING.
SO BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY A SUBJECT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE PRESENT TO ANSWER ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE DURING OUR TASK FORCE.
MR. FREEBORN CAN YOU SPEAK TO THOSE ITEMS. YES, ACTUALLY, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, MS. OCAMPO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT AND FOR HAVING CONCERN ON THIS TOPIC.
AND THANK YOU FOR EXTENDING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR MYSELF OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SPEAK WITH YOU SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AND FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE LOCALLY IN WASCO, WHO KNOWS, MAYBE WASCO BEGINS SOMETHING THAT'S NEW.
SOME TRENDS THAT EVEN BENEFITS OTHER COMMUNITIES, OF COURSE, WHO WANT TO BENEFIT THOSE TH AT ARE IN WASCO.
YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND YES, IT'S TRUE, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR FIRE PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE THE CITATIONS.
WE CAN'T JUST APPROACH SOMEONE AND SAY WE HEARD A REPORT AND THEY'RE PRETTY SURE IT WAS YOU.
AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THE EVIDENCE HERE.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO CITE YOU.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, PEOPLE COULD POTENTIALLY START TO ABUSE THAT.
THEY COULD THEY COULD HAVE A VENDETTA AGAINST SOMEONE.
THEY CAN REPORT SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE THEY KNOW SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO COME OUT AND GET CITED.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE ISSUES WHERE WE'RE REALLY FIGHTING AN UPHILL BATTLE HERE WITH HOW ILLEGAL FIREWORKS ARE USED AND HOW THE LAW ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE TO SUCH INDIVIDUALS.
THESE ARE A COUNTY WIDE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTERS.
ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN GIVE THE SAME CITATIONS JUST BECAUSE IT'S A FIREWORK, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT COULD BE LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
AND SO ALL OF THESE AGENCIES OURSELVES, ESPECIALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, MAYBE THESE WALKING TECHNIQUES.
OF COURSE, IF YOU SEE A BIG FIRE ENGINE COMING DOWN THE ROAD, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE QUICK TO STOP THAT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
SO WE'RE BEING CREATIVE AND FIND WAYS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHANGED IN THE MOST RECENT HISTORY WAS THE ALLOWANCE OF WHAT'S CONSIDERED THE SOCIAL HOST CITATION.
WHEREAS YEARS BACK I HAD TO SEE THIS PERSON THAT LIT IT WITH THEIR HANDS.
THEY HAD TO BE THE PERSON THAT RECEIVED THE CITATION.
WELL, IF IT'S A PARTY THAT'S GOING ON AND I CAN SEE THOSE FIREWORKS ARE ALL COMING FROM THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, I CAN JUST GIVE IT TO THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY, WHICH HAS HAS HELPED AS WELL NOW, SO AS TIME GOES ON, THAT VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY IS NOT FALLING ON DEAF EARS.
THE LAWS ARE CERTAINLY STARTING TO CHANGE.
I'M WORKING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FROM A LAW STANDPOINT TO USE OTHER METHODS BESIDES PEOPLE WALKING UP AND GETTING IN A FACE TO FACE WITH SOMEONE WHERE THE SITUATION CAN GO SIDEWAYS REALLY QUICKLY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO EXPLORE SOME ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF BEING ABLE TO MORE OR LESS KEPT SOMEONE IN THE ACT WITHOUT HAVING TO PHYSICALLY BE THERE, DRONES, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THESE AND THE LEGALITIES OF THIS.
BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO COME TO THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS.
I CAN MAYBE IF THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY HERE, THERE'S NOT.
BUT I KNOW THAT MONICA FLORES HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND GET MY INFORMATION.
IN FACT, ANYONE LISTENING CAN HEAR MY PHONE NUMBER.
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IF YOU IF YOU GOT A WAY TO WRITE IT DOWN, MS. OCAMPO, I'LL GIVE YOU MY PHONE NUMBER RIGHT NOW.AND THAT'S IT FOR MY PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE APPRECIATE THAT, MRS. OCAMPO, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE TO MS. OCAMPO, MR. FREEBORN.
MADAM CLARK DO WE HAVE FURTHER COMMENT? I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE ANOTHER.
YES, WE DO WE HAVE A TRACY [INAUDIBLE].
VERY WELL, TRACY, HELLO, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I AM GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT ORQUIDEA SAID AND.
I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU WILLING TO JOIN THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS AND LISTEN, WE HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT, ECLECTIC GROUP THAT JOIN OUR TASK FORCE.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THEIR IDEAS OF NOT NECESSARILY ALL CITATION, BUT JUST THE DETERRENT IDEAS THAT THEY HAD WOULD BE GREAT FOR YOU TO HEAR AND MAYBE IT WOULD WORK IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
THANK YOU, TRACY, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT INSIGHT.
JUST HEARING YOURSELF AND MRS. OCAMPO BEING ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
I'M ENTHUSED WITH THE ZEAL THAT I SEE ANY TIME, EVERY TIME I INTERACT HERE IN WASCO, IT SEEMS SO MUCH LIKE THE INDIVIDUALS ARE INVESTED IN WHAT'S GOING AROUND THEM.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING WILLING TO INCLUDE US IN THE TASK FORCE GROUP THERE BEING ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS THINKING.
MADAM CLERK, ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? MAYOR GARCIA I SEE THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
MEMBERS, ASSUMING ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA PLEASE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, MR. FREEBORN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
MUCH HAS SAID ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING.
AND I LIKE THAT YOU MENTIONED DRONES.
THAT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD IDEA TO TRY TO ASCERTAIN WHERE THIS FIREWORKS ARE BEING FIRED FROM.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR THAT YOU PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND PROVIDED SOME DOOR HANGERS.
I AM OF THE BELIEF THAT WHEN YOU YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE ANNOYING YOU WITH FIREWORKS ARE LIKELY TO REPORT THEM.
BUT DO THE NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT? AND SO USING THESE DOOR HANGERS, I THINK, WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO INFORM NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE BOTHERED BY THE FIREWORKS, WHICH IS THE LARGE MAJORITY OF US, BUT THOSE THAT ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND USING THEM.
YOU KNOW THAT A IF YOU KEEP DOING THIS.
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO REPORT TO YOU BECAUSE HERE IS THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY TO DO IT.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU REGARDING THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR REPORTS THAT WERE DONE ONLINE OVER A PERIOD OF A YEAR, I BELIEVE YOU SAID, HOW MANY OF THOSE RECEIVED A CITATION? DO YOU HAVE THOSE FIGURES? I DON'T HAVE A CORRELATION TO COMPLAINT VS CITATION AND THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE NOTICED THROUGH THE THE TRENDS OF REPORTING.
YOU COULD HAVE AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A KIND OF AN EXAGGERATED EXAMPLE TO KIND OF HELP ILLUSTRATE IT, BUT YOU CAN HAVE SOMEONE THAT LAUNCHES A FIREWORK UP AND AS SOON AS THAT FIREWORK GETS IN THE AIR AND EXPLODES, YOU SEE IT FOR A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE AND YOU HEAR FOR A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE AROUND IT.
THAT'S LIGHTING AT ONE OR TWO FIREWORKS, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A COLLATERAL EFFECT OF MULTIPLE, SEVERAL MAYBE EVEN QUITE A FEW INDIVIDUALS THAT CALL TO REPORT, DEPENDING ON HOW PROACTIVE THEY'RE BEING ABOUT WANTING TO GET RID OF THIS.
AND SO THAT CORRELATION BETWEEN HOW MANY REPORTS COME IN AND HOW MANY CITATIONS GO OUT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A SKEWED, SKEWED NUMBER.
WELL, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT LAST YEAR HERE AT THE WESTSIDE PARK, I ONLY LIVE A HALF A BLOCK FROM THE WESTSIDE PARK.
AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY WERE COMING TO THE WESTSIDE PARK AND SHOOTING MORTARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DESCRIBE THEM, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY SOUND.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE IN A WAR ZONE, SHOOTING THEM REPEATEDLY INTO THE AIR AND
[00:30:03]
THE FIRE STATION IS ONLY A BLOCK AWAY.AND SO I YOU KNOW, I WISH THAT AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE THEY CAN HEAR AND IF I CAN HEAR THEM, WHOEVER'S AT THE FIRE STATION CAN HEAR THEM AS WELL, THAT THEY COULD TAKE ACTION AND COME TO THE PARK AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO CATCH SOMEBODY IN THE ACT BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO IT FOR ONE TIME OR TWO TIMES.
THEY DO IT REPEATEDLY OVER A PERIOD OF MINUTES, AND THEY DO IT WITH IMPUNITY.
SO I WANT TO ASK YOU, PERHAPS AS PART OF TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS IS TO VISIT THIS KNOWN SITES SUCH AS THE WEST SIDE PARK, WHERE MORTARS ARE BEING SENT OFF SO THAT THEY CAN ISSUE CITATIONS TO THESE INDIVIDUALS.
SO THE DOOR HANGERS, VISITING SITES THAT ARE KNOWN FOR ABUSE OF FIREWORKS.
THAT WOULD BE TWO OF MY SUGGESTIONS.
I'M TRYING TO JOT ALL THIS DOWN AS WELL FROM THE VARIOUS SPEAKERS HERE, AND I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE.
I'M HAPPY THAT THE DOOR HANGERS HELPED WITH LAST YEAR.
I'D CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH WHOEVER NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PRODUCE NEW IMAGERY IF NECESSARY OR IF IT'S GOOD TO GO FOR THIS YEAR, AS IT WAS LAST YEAR, BY REUSING WHAT WAS CREATED FROM LAST YEAR AND AS YOU MENTIONED, POTENTIALLY PATROL THOSE KNOWN ABUSE AREAS MORE FREQUENTLY.
I'M CERTAIN YOU WILL FIND ALSO THAT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF US WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE THIS DOOR HANGERS AND DISTRIBUTE THEM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THAT ORANGE HEART FOUNDATION, I'M CERTAIN THAT WE CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THAT AS WELL.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
[INAUDIBLE] MENTIONED THOSE DOOR HANGERS.
THOSE WERE EFFECTIVE THAT YEAR WE DID IMPLEMENT THEM.
THE TASK FORCE AND THE WASCO TASK FORCE AND I AND EVERYONE HERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED IN HELPING SPREAD THOSE OUT TO THOSE KNOWN HOT SPOTS FOR SURE.
SO WE HAVE NEXT MEMBER CORTEZ ANY COMMENTS? I GOT QUITE A FEW, BUT IN REGARDS TO IN.
EARLY PREVENTION, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, THE FIREWORKS ARE GOING OFF FRIDAY NIGHT, SATURDAY NIGHTS PRIMARILY, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEKEND.
I MEAN, I WOULD THINK RIGHT NOW WOULD BE PRIME OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THE SITUATION, START ISSUING CITATIONS, START MAKING EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO ARE SHOOTING OFF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
I THINK IF WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR FOURTH OF JULY, I THINK WE'RE TAKING THE WRONG APPROACH.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY OF WASCO IS READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY PLAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN COME UP WITH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'LL CATCH THOSE THAT ARE MOST BRAZEN IN VIOLATING THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO FIREWORKS.
I CAN SAY THAT THERE'S NO POLICY IN EFFECT THAT SAYS DON'T ISSUE IT DURING THESE TIMES.
BUT NOW THAT IT'S FOURTH OF JULY, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
BUT MAYBE MAKING SURE FROM ME GETTING THAT COMMUNICATION TO OUR OPERATIONS CHIEF SO THAT IT CAN GET THROUGH THE BATTALION CHIEFS AND GET TO THE STATION PERSONNEL SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATIONS.
AND THAT WAY EVERYONE CAN TUNE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE TO IT TO SAY, OK, YES, WE'RE WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS, BUT WE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THAT AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WHILE WE'RE ON SHIFT IN AMONG THOSE PROJECTS WE'RE TRYING TO GET COMPLETED.
SO LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S OUT AHEAD OF IT THAT IT'S NOT OUT OF CONTROL HAVING SO MUCH MOMENTUM.
THEN WE'RE TRYING TO ISSUE A CITATION.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HOLD BACK THE FLOODWATERS.
WE HAVE MEMBER OF MARTINEZ COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
YES FIRST OF ALL, MR. FREEBORN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'M GOING TO KIND OF GIVE SOME OPINIONS AND THEN I'M GOING TO THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK, BUT I'M GOING TO BE VERY BLUNT.
THE PSA'S ARE A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME.
YOU PUT A DOOR HANGER ON MY DOOR, IT'S GOING DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH.
I'M DVR-ING MY SHOWS AND I'M SKIPPING THROUGH THE COMMERCIALS ANYWAYS.
[00:35:01]
AND EVEN IF I HEAR IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I'M GOING TO SAY I'M NOT GOING TO LIGHT THE FOREST FIRE.I'M NOT GOING TO HURT SOMEBODY.
IT'S THE SAME THING AS WHEN WE'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THEY SHOWED US VIDEOS AND PICTURES OF DRUNK DRIVING CRASHES AND THEY HAD VIDEOS OF KIDS WHO TALKED ABOUT HOW THEIR LIVES WERE RUINED.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A SOCIAL EVENT WHERE SOMEBODY WAS DRUNK AND THEY SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO DRIVE HOME.
I'M GOING TO CALL AN UBER BECAUSE I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET IN A CRASH.
IT'S ALWAYS I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET A DUI.
IT'S THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF.
SAME THING AS FIFTEEN YEARS AGO WHEN THEY RAN THAT CLICK IT OR TICKET THING, WE ALL ALL OF US GREW UP IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
AND WE WATCHED VINCENT LARRY, EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK ON SATURDAY MORNINGS TALKING ABOUT WEAR YOUR SEATBELT.
WHEN THAT CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN STARTED.
DEPUTIES ,POLICE OFFICERS, DEPUTIES.
THEY WERE WRITING THREE TO FIVE TICKETS AN HOUR BY THE END OF THAT CAMPAIGN.
THEY WERE LUCKY IF THEY WROTE THREE TICKETS IN AN ENTIRE SHIFT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE FEAR OF GETTING IN THE CRASH.
IT'S THE FEAR OF GETTING THE TICKET AND WITHOUT THE ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT LAST YEAR COVID KIND OF MESSED A LOT OF THINGS UP IN TERMS OF A TASK FORCE AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT JUST LOOKING AT SOME STATISTICS, BECAUSE YOU GUYS PUT THE ONLINE REPORTING UP, I BELIEVE YOU SAID JUNE 26TH.
AND ALSO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A PR COMPONENT OF THIS, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO IT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS.
BUT WITH THE ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM, YOU GUYS WENT LIVE JUNE 26TH.
ON JULY 6TH, THE KERN COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THEY HAD ISSUED THIRTY FIVE CITATIONS LAST YEAR.
THE SHAFTER POLICE DEPARTMENT ALONE ISSUED TWENTY ONE.
SO YOU'RE TALKING COUNTY WIDE.
THIRTY FIVE CITATIONS VERSUS JUST THE CITY OF SHAFTER.
THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSUED TWENTY ONE.
AND SO THERE'S WITHOUT THERE BEING AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM, THIS THESE PUBLIC EDUCATION THINGS AREN'T GOING TO HAVE ANY IMPACT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT LAST YEAR BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE BENGHAZI ON MY STREET.
I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, MY WINDOWS WERE RATTLING FROM ALL SUMMER.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM.
AND I KNOW I PROBABLY SOUND VERY HARSH AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DIRECT THIS TOWARDS YOU, BUT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FACE.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS I'VE TALKED TO OTHER CITY LEADERS WHO HAVE TALKED TO LEADERSHIP AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY SAID THAT THE TASK FORCE, THAT THERE'S A FUNDING ISSUE WITH HAVING A VERY WIDESPREAD ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN, IS THAT PART OF THE ISSUE? AND IF SO, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE CITY OF WASCO TO ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR AN ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN IN WASCO? DO YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS EACH ONE AS WE GO? OR WOULD YOU PREFER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT I WAIT TILL YOU'RE DONE? NO, NO.
IT WENT LIVE ON THE 21ST, NOT THE 26TH.
AND YOU ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS ONE HUNDRED TIMES OUT OF A HUNDRED TIMES, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE CITATIONS WRITTEN BY LAW ENFORCEMENT THAN BY FIRE.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE THEY CAN GO INTO ANY ENVIRONMENT WHEN THERE IS A LOUD RUCKUS PARTY AND THERE'S THREE FIREFIGHTERS THAT AREN'T TRAINED IN ANY WAY FOR THAT TYPE OF ALTERCATION.
IT IS NOWHERE NEAR CLOSE TO A SAFE SITUATION TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THERE WITH OUR PENCIL ON A PIECE OF PAPER INTO THE BEEHIVE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO WRITE THESE PEOPLE A CITATION.
IT'S IT'S NOT SAFE PRACTICE WE CRAWL INTO A BURNING BUILDING ALL DAY LONG.
WE'RE NOT TRAINED ON HANDLING BULLETS COMING AT US AND KNIVES AT US.
AND SO YOU WILL SEE THE MORE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS INVOLVED, THE MORE THE ENFORCEMENT HAS THE MUSCLE IT NEEDS.
BOTTOM LINE, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO GET BLUNT BRASS TAX.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND YOUR STATEMENTS.
ADVERTISING DOESN'T WORK, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT BILLIONS ARE SPENT EVERY YEAR CHEVROLET, FORD, DODGE, WHATEVER, EVERYONE RUNS COMMERCIALS.
IT HAS TO IMPACT SOMEONE TO SOME DEGREE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST THE ADAGE OF IT'S ONLY GOING TO KEEP THE HONEST PEOPLE HONEST.
WELL, THEN IT'S WORTH IT, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT WE HAVE TO EXPLORE EVERY OPTION WE HAVE.
AND IF THAT MEANS PSA'S, SOCIAL MEDIA, DOOR HANGERS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS GOOD AS ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S OK, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO WORK FOR SOME, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY SEVERAL PEOPLE WE WANT TO HIT, WE WANT THE WE WANT THE LARGEST FISHNET THAT WE CAN.
WE WANT TO GET AS MANY AS WE CAN, WHETHER IT'S ENFORCEMENT, WHETHER IT'S EDUCATION.
AND FUNDING, FUNDING WORKS FOR EVERYTHING.
YOU THROW ENOUGH MONEY AT ANY PROBLEM AND IT'S GOING TO GO AWAY.
AND SO WHILE LAST YEAR WAS NOT AS MUCH AN ISSUE OF FUNDING AS IT WAS COVID, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE MORE PERSONNEL THIS YEAR.
BUT IF THERE WAS MORE FUNDING, WOULD THAT MEAN THAT THERE WERE COULD BE
[00:40:03]
THAT MUCH MORE PERSONNEL OR THAT MUCH MORE ENFORCEMENT? I'M NOT SURE THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE HAVING TO BE A DISCUSSION BETWEEN ELECTED OFFICIALS AND HIGHER AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY OF THE FIREMEN IN GOING TO THESE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIMARY ISSUE.
IN YEARS PAST, THERE HAS BEEN A COLLABORATION WHERE THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTY AND A FIREMAN WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK TOGETHER.
I DON'T KNOW I THINK IT WAS LIKE THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY OR WHATEVER.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THIS TASK FORCES IS TRYING TO WORK OUT? I WOULD HOPE IT IS I WOULD HOPE I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, SOME OF THE DETAILS AREN'T THE GREENLIGHTS BEEN GIVEN TO GET GOING AND MOVING FORWARD WITH HOW THAT TASK FORCE WILL SHAPE UP, HOW IT WILL BE DEPLOYED.
I WOULD HOPE IT'S AS YOU MENTIONED, IT SEEMS AS IF THE YEARS THAT WERE MOST SUCCESSFUL WERE AS YOU MENTIONED.
AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION, YOU MENTIONED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION, IS THAT CONSIDERED A MISDEMEANOR OR IS THAT JUST A FINE? HOW DOES THAT WORK? I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS FROM THE LEGAL STANDPOINT OTHER THAN IT IS A MONETARY FINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONSIDERED A MISDEMEANOR OR NOT.
BECAUSE I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY AND I DON'T KNOW IF IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE THE CITATIONS UNDER THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS, WHICH ARE MISDEMEANORS FOR FIREWORK POSSESSION, ILLEGAL FIREWORK POSSESSION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ISSUE? I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER, BUT HAVE TO RESEARCH THAT FOR YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN AND INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING BLUNT WITH ME.
THAT'S YOU KNOW, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR VERY ROBUST ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE MORE CITATIONS WE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE REALIZE, OH, I MAY GET A TICKET FOR THIS.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TO ME, I THINK THAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY.
AND ONE OTHER THING THAT DID COME UP IN OUR TASK FORCE MEETING WAS THERE WAS SOME MENTION THAT APPARENTLY THERE WAS SOME JOINT COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING FIREWORKS AND WASCO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO OR SOMETHING WAS MENTIONED.
AND BASICALLY WHAT PEOPLE DID ASK FOR WAS MORE NEWS RELEASES REGARDING RESULTS.
HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE DID IN TERMS OF CITATIONS.
THAT WAY, UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, PEOPLE ASSUME YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, YOU KNOW? AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN OUR TASK FORCE IS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF YOUR RESULTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
I KNOW THAT I'M WRITING THIS DOWN.
MORE NEWS RELEASES I EVEN APPRECIATED WHEN I WAS HERE FOR THE LAST MEETING HOW SERGEANT MARTINEZ WAS ABLE TO GIVE SOME OF THOSE INCIDENTS THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS INVOLVED IN.
AND SO AFTER THAT, I SAT DOWN TO START DEVELOPING A TEMPLATE.
WE'RE HAVING A BRAND NEW WEBSITE THAT'S GOING LIVE ON JUNE 1ST FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO HOPEFULLY START DOING.
MORE OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE THAT ARE LOCAL TO WASCO PRODUCE MORE OF THOSE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT ALL OF THE PUBLIC CAN SEE.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT COMES ACROSS MY DESK OR THAT SENT TO THE NEWS CHANNEL OR WHOEVER IT'S GOING TO BE FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO READ IT.
AND I HOPE THAT THAT GETS MORE OF THAT REALIZATION OF THIS IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IF IT'S NOT SAD, IT'S NOT HEARD.
IF THE TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE'S AROUND NO ONE HEARS IT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
MEMBER PALLARES DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS [INAUDIBLE] YES, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. FREEBORN, FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT, ONE OF YOUR POINTS OF THE CREW HERE IN WASCO USED TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND GIVE THAT EXACT SAME REPORT.
AND THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING WHEN THERE WAS EMERGENCY CALL AND THEY LEFT TO JUST SET OVER THE COURSE OF TIME THAT THEY'RE SHOWING UP LESS AND LESS.
AND I WOULD LIKE THAT TO START UP AGAIN.
I'VE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CREW HERE IN WASCO, THEY CAME OUT IN THE BIG FIRE TRUCK AND HELPED ME OUT THAT EVENING WE DIDN'T CATCH ANYBODY.
BUT WE BELIEVE WE DETERRED OTHER CRIMES AS THE HUGE FIRE TRUCK WENT THROUGH THE ALLEY AND A BUNCH OF BICYCLES WERE FLEEING.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE REPORT, I'M ASSUMING, COUNTY COUNTY WIDE
[00:45:03]
GETTING CRITICISM FROM RADIO TALK SHOW HOST, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF ELABORATE AND MAKE FUN OF IT, TOO, BUT A LOT OF IT HAS SOME MEAT TO IT AS FAR AS PEOPLE'S AGGRAVATION ON THE LACK OF CITATIONS BEING ISSUED.MY OBSERVATION IS THE LAUNCH OF MORTAR.
AS PRO TEM REYNA MENTIONED, AND 20 MINUTES LATER, THEY'LL LAUNCH ANOTHER ONE.
AND SO IF I GO OUTSIDE IN THE COLD AFTER 5 10 MINUTES OF THE YOU KNOW, LOOKING AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M GOING TO GET TIRED AND COLD AND I'M GOING BACK IN AND THEN ANOTHER ONE LAUNCHES AND THEN ANOTHER PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN ANOTHER ONE, THEY DON'T LIGHT THEM OFF CONSISTENTLY.
THEY'LL SPOT IT BECAUSE THEY KNOW EVERYBODY'S PICKING THEIR HEADS UP.
THEY GET TIRED, GO BACK TO THEIR TV SHOWS AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN AS FAR AS ENFORCEMENT.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE OUR SHERIFF DEPARTMENT GO OUT IN BICYCLE PATROLS AND STUFF.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A LESS INTRUSIVE WAY OF, YOU KNOW, PATROLLING THE STREETS AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD CONSIDER.
DOING A BIKE PATROL TYPE SITUATION OR JOINT EFFORT WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
AND MY PERCEPTION IS THIS PROBLEM IS YEAR LONG.
THERE'S NO MORE SEASONS FOR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
THIS IS A YEAR LONG PROBLEM AND WE JUST NEED TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
WE NEED MORE [INAUDIBLE] AND HOW WE PURSUE THIS.
AND I THINK WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING SAID TONIGHT, WE WILL UTILIZE THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT METHODS, THE DOOR HANGERS, THOSE ARE THE IDEA.
LAST YEAR I THOUGHT WAS WONDERFUL, BUT IT KIND OF FIZZLED OUT.
I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH MORE ABOUT IT, SO.
SO DON'T LOSE HEART WE'RE NOT PICKING ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA, THEY SUFFER GREATLY WITH THIS AND WE NEED A TEAM EFFORT TO GET THIS DONE.
THANK YOU MEMBER PALLARES MR. FREEBORN, AS YOU CAN TELL, THERE IS A COMMON THEME HERE AND THERE, I THINK FROM THE COMMENTS FROM THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES HERE, WE JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT.
THE RESIDENTS WANT TO SEE URGENCY FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S DEFINITELY A DUAL ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, NOT JUST A FIRE ISSUE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AS WELL.
I'M ENCOURAGED BY THIS THIS FIREWORKS TASK FORCE THAT'S COME ABOUT ANY WAY THAT WE CAN LEND A VOICE OR ANY IDEAS OR EVEN ANY RESOURCES.
WE WANT TO SEE ZERO TOLERANCE, HEAVY ENFORCEMENT.
AND YOU'VE GOT SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS ALREADY TO BEGIN WITH FROM SOME OF THE MEMBERS PATROLLING HOTSPOTS OR EVEN JUST SITTING OUT OUT IN CERTAIN AREAS SO YOU CAN CATCH THIS FIRST HAND, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE AGENDA.
BUT THERE IS A SPOT, ITEM 14, ALONG WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR REPORTS FOR CURRENT FIRE.
THAT IS WHERE YOU WE'LL ALLOW YOU TO MAKE COMMENTS AT EVERY AGENDA MEETING TODAY.
WE JUST AGENDIZED THIS ITEM OF BUSINESS.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU MAKING COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE YOUR REPORT NOW INSTEAD OF WAITING TO GIVE FURTHER REPORT, IF ANY, YOU CAN DO SO NOW.
I UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT BRING A REPORT FOR YOUR CITY SPECIFICALLY INCIDENT WISE, BUT AS I MENTIONED, IT MOVED ME A LOT.
I WAS HAVING TECHNICAL ISSUES AND TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A PLACE IN YOUR AGENDA AND TO SEE THAT.
SOMEONE IN OUR BADGE WASN'T THERE TO FILL THAT THAT HUNG HEAVY ON MY HEART AND HEARING THE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY, HEARING EVERYONE SPEAK, THE
[00:50:04]
FRANKNESS OF OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, I FEEL THAT.IT DRIVES ME NUTS, THE FIREWORKS AS A HUMAN BEING, AS A PERSON OUTSIDE OF BEING A FIREFIGHTER.
THEY MAKE MY DOG WANT TO CRAWL UP THE WALL AND I CAN'T GET THEM SETTLED DOWN.
SO FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, I WANT TO TO CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO PARTNER WITH WASCO.
I DO KNOW THAT AFTER I MENTIONED THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION FROM SERGEANT MARTINEZ AT THE LAST MEETING, I WAS TOLD, YEAH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOMEONE THERE.
AND SO I KNOW PEOPLE GET BUSY AND THEN THEY KIND OF GET IT IN THEIR [INAUDIBLE] OF ACTIVITY.
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE THAT REMINDER TO SAY, HEY, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, WE NEED TO BE THERE AS A BOARD.
AND IT'S GOOD, I THINK, TO BE REMINDED, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUSY, BUT WE'RE NOT TOO BUSY.
THERE'S YES, THERE'S EMERGENCY ACTIVITY, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT, TOO.
AND SO WHILE I DON'T HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR WASCO REPORT ON TONIGHT, I AM HOPING THAT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING THERE WILL BE A REPRESENTATIVE, WHETHER IT'S MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT CAN GO IN THERE ALONGSIDE THE FINE INDIVIDUALS OF KCSO AND GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO.
DEFINITELY AND THAT ITEM IS RESERVED FOR YOU AT ALL AND ALL MEETINGS CERTAINLY
[12) d. Update regarding the Snip Bus Event. (Mayor)]
WELCOME TO NOT ONLY REPORT AN INCIDENTS, BUT EVEN JUST EVENTS AND GOINGS ON.IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUR AGENCIES SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY ARRIVE AT SOLUTIONS BEFORE IT GETS TO THIS TO THIS STAGE IN THE FUTURE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME MR. FREEBORN AND WE FORWARD TO HAVING YOU AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
MR. MAYOR, CAN I PLEASE RIGHT NOW, I HEARD THAT MORTAR GO OFF.
SO IT'S HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK RIGHT NOW.
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A MAYOR'S PREROGATIVE AND MOVE ITEM 12 D ITEM SO THAT MELANIE SCHERER CAN GO AHEAD AND REPORT OUT.
SO IF WE COULD ITEM 12 D, WE HAVE AN UPDATE REGARDING SNIP EVENTS.
MELANIE, ARE YOU WITH US STILL? YOU MIGHT BE ON MUTE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, THERE YOU GO.
WELL, MY LORD, HOW DO I FOLLOW THAT IMPORTANT TOPIC? BUT BOY, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I FEEL THAT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PETS AND THAT'S HEARTBREAKING.
I HOPE TO GOD YOU GUYS CAN GET THAT FIXED IN YOUR CITY.
THAT CRUSHES MY HEART FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES THERE.
AND ANYWAY, THANK YOU AGAIN, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME IS MELANIE SCHERER AND I AM THE OWNER OF SNIP.
THE SPAY NEUTER IMPERATIVE PROJECT SNIP IS A 5013 C NONPROFIT.
MY BOARD RECEIVES ZERO COMPENSATION AND WE PROVIDE LOW COST FREE MOBILE SPAY NEUTER TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED.
AND WE HAVE FIXED OVER TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND PETS SINCE OUR INCEPTION JUNE OF 2016.
SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FOR DOMESTIC FERAL SHELTER AND HOMELESS PETS ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
SNIP HAS FIXED WELL OVER SIX HUNDRED PETS IN THE CITY OF WASCO IN TWO YEARS.
I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN FUNDRAISING FOR MANY OF THESE CLINICS AND I HAVE RAISED MONEY THROUGH PERSONAL FRIENDS, DONATIONS AS WELL AS MY OWN MONEY.
THERE IS A HUGE SPAY AND NEUTER NEED IN THE CITY OF WASCO AND SNIP IS FLOODED WEEKLY WITH CALLS FOR SPAY NEUTER HELP BEFORE WE ARRIVE AND AFTER WE HAVE LEFT.
THE CALLS NEVER END FOR THIS AREA AND WE ARE ALWAYS BEING BEGGED TO COME BACK.
I AM KINDLY REQUESTING SNIP BE ON THE AGENDA, ALTHOUGH I AM TODAY FOR FUNDING ONE CLINIC A MONTH FOR THE CITY OF WASCO FOR THE 21/22 FISCAL YEAR CLINICS ARE THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH.
THAT'S FORTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
AND PLEASE DO NOTE, MAYOR, IF IT IS NEEDED, I CAN POSSIBLY GET A PERSONAL PRIVATE DONOR TO MATCH HALF OF THE CLINIC IF THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO COME UP WITH THE OTHER HALF, THEY HAVE OFFERED TO DO SO, SO THAT WAY THIS COST ACTUALLY BREAKS DOWN FOR THE CITY.
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN DOLLARS A PET PER CLINIC.
SO BASICALLY IT COSTS THE CITY OF WASCO TAXPAYERS MORE TO CAPTURE, HOUSE, FEED AND EUTHANIZE THESE PETS THAN IT COSTS TO HIRE SNIP FOR THESE MOBILE PREVENTATIVE SOLUTIONS.
THE CITY OF HOLLISTER JUST GRANTED SNIP ANOTHER FIFTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE
[00:55:02]
THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.I BRING THIS PARTICULAR CITY UP BECAUSE HOLLISTER IS VERY SIMILAR TO YOUR SITUATION WHERE YOU DO NOT HAVE AN IN-HOUSE VET.
SO I WROTE IT INTO THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF HOLLISTER THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH YOUR LOCAL SHELTER TO FIX FIVE PETS FROM THE SHELTER EVERY TIME WE ARE IN THE CITY OF WASCO.
SO YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE THE PETS IN THE LOCAL SHELTER WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE EITHER ADOPTED BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE FIXED OR THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE RESCUED BY OTHER RESCUES BECAUSE THEY ARE FIXED.
THE CITY OF SALINAS IS ALLOTTING TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND.
THE CITY OF GREENFIELD JUST DID TWENTY EXCUSE ME, TWELVE THOUSAND.
THE CITY OF SEASIDE NINE THOUSAND.
AND THE CITY OF LA QUINTA FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.
CITIES AND COUNTIES GIVE TO SNIP BECAUSE THEY KNOW SNIP IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THEIR ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM.
LOW COST MOBILE SPAY AND NEUTER SAVES LIVES AND IT SAVES THE TAXPAYER MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
WE ALSO GIVE OUT OUR WONDERFUL EDUCATIONAL SNIP KIDS PROGRAM, WHICH I LOVE MORE THAN ANYTHING.
WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN WITH PLUSH AND BOOKS AND TOYS COMPASSION FOR THEIR PETS, THAT WE FIX THEM.
WE TAKE CARE OF THEM, WE LOVE THEM, WE FEED THEM, AND WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THEM PART OF OUR FAMILIES.
I WILL GO BACK TO ONE LITTLE THING HERE THAT I SAW JUST A SECOND AGO, AND HOPEFULLY I CAN SEE IT AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO CONCLUDE WITH THIS.
I AM HOPING THAT WITH THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP HERE IN THE CITY OF WASCO, WE CAN BEGIN TO GET SNIP FUNDED FOR THE WASCO CITY RESIDENTS ONCE A MONTH WITH CITY FUNDING.
AND YES, TO END ON ONE THING, I JUST SAW OUR FLIER.
I DID NOT PUT THAT IN MY NOTES.
BUT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART TO SHOW YOU GUYS.
WHENEVER WE ARE IN YOUR AREA, WE ALWAYS PUT OUT A FLIER ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE WORK WITH A PUBLIC TYPICALLY PERSON WHO IS VOLUNTEERING TO HAND THESE OUT IN YOUR CITY AS WELL.
AND YOU GUYS WOULD BE ABLE TO POST THIS AS WELL ON YOUR WEBSITE.
SO WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH.
AND ALSO THE WONDERFUL INDIVIDUAL WHO ANSWERS MY PHONE SPEAKS ENGLISH AND SPANISH FLUENTLY, SO THAT EVERYONE IS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING AN APPOINTMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
AND I'LL END IT WITH THAT, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WHAT A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT, USING ZOOM PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE ON A TELEPHONE PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD AND YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED AT THIS TIME.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR MRS. SCHERER.
MAYOR GARCIA, WE HAVE TRACY CLENDENIN, WONDERFUL THANK YOU TRACY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INVITE HER TO OUR NEXT WASCO TASK FORCE MEETING AND WITH THE THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED PER CLINIC, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE OTHER GROUPS HELP OUT.
WE'RE NOT JUST THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, BUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS MAYBE COULD HELP UP THAT COST AT LEAST MAYBE A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR AT LEAST.
SO IT WOULD OFFSET JUST THE CITY RELYING ON JUST THE CITY AND WE CAN GET INFORMATION TO HER.
AND A LOT OF GROUPS DO THIS IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND TOWNS.
SO WE WE LOVE SNIP IS TRULY ALL ABOUT GRASSROOTS.
SO THE MORE THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS INVOLVED WITH US AND WALKS HAND IN HAND WITH US, WE KNOW THE MORE SUCCESSFUL WE WILL BE.
MADAM CLERK, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? MAYOR GARCIA I SEE THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
I JUST WANT TO THANK MELANIE FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SUCH A NICE PRESENTATION, INFORMATIVE AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO, BOTH IN OUR CITY AND THROUGHOUT, TO HELP PETS IN NEED AND THEIR OWNERS AS WELL.
[01:00:03]
THANK YOU, MELANIE.THANK YOU MAYOR, MEMBER CORTEZ.
YES, MELANIE THANK YOU I KNOW WE GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER GOING ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW ON THE FIRST [INAUDIBLE] THE COUNCIL SUPPORTED SPONSORING THOSE FIRST THREE EVENTS.
THEY WENT VERY WELL THERE WAS A BIG NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT THIS IS A VITAL INVESTMENT IN CONTROLLING OUR PET POPULATION AND EDUCATING AND BECOMING EDUCATED AND RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO NOT ONLY HERE, BUT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TODAY, WHICH I'M SURE WE HAVE TO AGENIZED AND DISCUSS AS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, YOU MAY HAVE A DONOR WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO MATCH HALF THE COST OF EACH DAY WE SPONSOR.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT MY I HAVE A WONDERFUL TEAM THERE THAT'S LOCAL.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A NEW UNIT IN YOUR AREA IN THE KERN COUNTY AREA, AND WE ARE DOING WHAT'S CALLED NOW TOO THESE DOUBLEDAY'S.
SO WE START IN THE MORNING AT 7:30.
WE START OUR SECOND BATCH IN THE AFTERNOON AROUND 12:30 TO 12:30 TO 1:30.
SO WE CAN ESSENTIALLY DO BETWEEN 50 AND 60 PETS IN ONE DAY.
IF INDEED YOU GUYS WANTED TO DO ONE CLINIC AT THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED, I CAN HAVE MY SPONSOR WOULD DO ANOTHER THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED SO YOU COULD DO A DOUBLE DAY OR YOU COULD DO ONE SINGLE DAY AND FINANCIALLY SPLIT IT.
BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, I'D ALSO LOVE TO KEEP UP WITH MY PROMISE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IF NEEDED.
FIVE SHELTER PETS AT EACH CLINIC FIXED, AND I KNOW THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE ACO THERE LOCALLY AND THEY ARE JUST BEGGING US FOR HELP RIGHT NOW FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THEM.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF POSSIBLE, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY DOING IN OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS AS WELL.
LIKE I SAID, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THIS AGENIZED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE SO WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AND GET APPROPRIATE SOME FUNDS IF THERE'S ENOUGH SUPPORT TO CONTINUE WITH THAT PROJECT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU.
MEMBER MARTINEZ COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THIS IS GREAT, THE STRAY DOG AND THE STRAY CAT PROBLEM IN WASCO HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT I'VE BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES.
SO YOU MENTIONED DOUBLE FUNDING THE PRIVATE PERSON AND THEN THE CITY COULD FUND ONE AND WE COULD DO BASICALLY TWO IN A DAY.
WOULD THAT MEAN THAT WE WOULD GET 10 ANIMALS FROM OUR SHELTER SPAYED OR NEUTERED, OR WILL WE STILL ONLY DO THE FIVE EVEN IF WE DID THE DOUBLE? NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO YOU WOULD GET 10 TOTAL AND IT WOULD BE NOW, I WILL TELL YOU, WE ONLY HAVE FOUR SPOTS FOR A LARGE DOG.
SO I ALWAYS TELL THE LOCAL SHELTERS WHO ARE IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES AS WASCO, THEY'RE ALLOWED TWO LARGE DOGS PER CLINIC BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO BE GETTING THESE LARGE DOGS FIXED FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
SO WE WORK TOGETHER ON TRYING TO BALANCE THAT OUT.
BUT ABSOLUTELY, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THERE WOULD BE TEN TOTAL IF IT WERE A DOUBLE CLINIC IN ONE DAY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY ONE MORE THING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION AND PARDON ME FOR A SECOND.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, KERN COUNTY, MAYBE MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW, IS CURRENTLY FUNDING US WITH TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THE PROBLEM IS AND AGAIN, A LOT OF YOUR RESIDENTS CALL IN AND THEY'RE ANGRY OR THEY'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND OTHER SPECIFIC SPAY NEUTER EVENTS THAT WE ARE TOLD TO HOST THANKS TO KERN COUNTY SERVICES, BECAUSE THEY PICKED THE TOWN AND THEY MAKE US SHOW BILLING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S IN OILDALE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BILL FROM OILDALE AND IT HAS TO SHOW YOUR EXACT ZIP CODE THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING.
SO IF INDEED THE CITY OF WASCO WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, YOU HAVE THAT SAME RIGHT TO SAY, NO, NO, NO, NO.
IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF WASCO.
AND WHILE WE DO NOT ASK FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE TO MAKE IT FAIR FOR EVERYONE, WE DO ASK FOR A BILL OR A PICTURE OF A BILL AT THAT TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU GUYS THAT THAT'S DONE A LOT NOW AND ESPECIALLY THE CITIES AND TOWNS THAT ARE SPENDING THEIR OWN MONEY.
THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWING THEIR OWN RESIDENTS TO COME IN WITH THEIR PETS.
I DO THINK THIS IS A GREAT THING AND HOPEFULLY THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL AGREE IN THE FUTURE AND WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.
[01:05:01]
MEMBER PALLARES.THANK YOU MELANIE FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION.
IF SOMEONE MISSES AN APPOINTMENT, HOW LONG OF A SUSPENSION DO THEY HAVE TO ATTEND THE NEXT EVENT? DID YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR SUSPENSION RULES? I GOT MY EAR BENT.
WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I TAKE SPENDING CITY, COUNTY, ANYONE ELSE'S MONEY, JUST AS SERIOUS AS I TAKE SPENDING MY OWN MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS.
AND WHEN I HAVE LAZY PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO GET UP AND GET IN THE MORNING AND COME TO THEIR APPOINTMENTS, I GET VERY, VERY, VERY ANGRY.
WE BOOK UP SO QUICKLY WITH SNIP, I MEAN, LITERALLY WE DO ONE POST AND HAND OUT FLIERS AND OUR ONE CLINIC IS BOOKED UP WITHIN TWO HOURS, HANDS DOWN.
SO PEOPLE ARE TOLD THEY'RE WARNED.
WE ALSO SEND OUT GROUP TEXT EXCUSE ME, PRIVATE TEXT IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH TELLING PEOPLE THEY HAVE TWENTY FOUR HOURS TO CANCEL THEIR APPOINTMENT.
AND NO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THIS OR I'M SORRY.
PUT WHY OR NO NO REFUNDS, NO NOTHING.
AND THEY'RE SUSPENDED FOR SIX MONTHS UNTIL THEY CAN COME BACK ON THE VEHICLE.
THEY'RE ALSO VERBALLY TOLD ON THE PHONE WHAT THE POLICY IS AND THAT THEY'RE JUST TAKING UP SOMEONE ELSE'S SPOT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, JUST SOME BAD PEOPLE RUIN IT FOR GOOD PEOPLE.
AND THOSE ARE THE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO PUT IN PLACE.
WELL, PERHAPS THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN MAYBE NOT TONIGHT, BUT IN THE FUTURE, LET US KNOW IF WE CAN RESTRICT PUBLIC MONEY IN THAT FORM OR OK, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S PUBLIC MONEY.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT TYPE OF RESTRICTION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
MELANIE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FOR ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO SEE ME AND YOUR WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
AS THE MEMBERS MENTIONED, WE WILL CERTAINLY TAKE THIS UP FOR AS AN AGENDA ITEM OR CERTAINLY AS A DISCUSSION AS THE BUDGET UNFOLDS AND AS WE ENTER THAT SEASON HERE COMING UP SOON.
I GUESS THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS I'M GUESSING THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED FREE CLINIC.
WOULD THAT BE PER MONTH? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT 12 MONTHS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENT.
I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE AT YOUR DISCRETION.
[01:10:16]
BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY ADVISE THAT TO BE AT ONCE AT LEAST A ONCE A MONTH CLINIC, BECAUSE WE JUST GET SO MANY CALLS FROM WASCO RESIDENTS AND THEY JUST THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO COME WITH THESE OTHER KERN COUNTY CLINICS AND THEY JUST DON'T LET US DO IT.SO, YEAH, AND THAT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO BE I MEAN, I PERSONALLY, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO RESTRICT IT TO ONLY WASCO RESIDENTS BEING THAT IT IS BEING PAID FOR OR PARTIALLY PAID FOR WITH TAX DOLLARS.
[12) c. Presentation on Key Budget Concepts in Preparation for the 2021-22 Preliminary Budget. (Perez-Hernandez)]
AND IF YOU DON'T, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU WILL HAVE EVERY OTHER PERSON IN THERE TAKING OVER THE CITY.I VOLUNTEERED AT A FEW OF THEM MYSELF.
I KNOW HOW BUSY THEY CAN GET, CERTAINLY [INAUDIBLE] AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND ALL THE HARD WORK AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I MEAN, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO COMPOUND UPON OUR INITIAL INVESTMENT, LAST YEAR.
AND I DON'T I DON'T SEE THAT BEING AN ISSUE OR NOT HAPPENING AGAIN.
SO I'M ENCOURAGED TO POSSIBLY BE HAVING THAT IN DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL INVESTMENT HERE SOON.
FOR BOTH CATS AND DOGS? ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU FOR TIME AND [INAUDIBLE] OH YEAH.
I THINK THE WORLD OF YOUR AMAZING LITTLE TOWN AND IT'S MY PLEASURE.
YOU, TOO, MADAM CLERK, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE, RESUME ORDER AND GO BACK TO ITEM 12 B.
THAT IS A REPORT ON 2020/2021 THIRD QUARTER FINANCIALS WE HAVE THIS EVENING.
MAYOR GARCIA, CAN WE MOVE ON TO THE OTHER KEY BUDGET CONCEPTS FIRST, JUST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO FOLLOW IT'S GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE QUARTERLY REPORT.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM 12 C AND THAT'S A PRESENTATION FIRST ON KEY BUDGET CONCEPTS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2021/2022 PRELIMINARY BUDGET WE HAVE THIS EVENING, DIRECTOR PEREZ.
OK, MAYOR ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE MY SCREEN.
AND BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT MR. BILL SADLER, OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT, IS ALSO PART OF THIS MEETING.
LET ME MOVE THIS OUT OF THE WAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS PRESENTATION.
WILL SERVE TWO PURPOSES, AND THEY ARE ONE IN RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL GOAL FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND ALSO TO SET THE STAGE FOR THE 2021/2022 PRELIMINARY WITH KEY THREE KEY AREAS.
AND THE THREE KEY AREAS ARE KEY BUDGET CONCEPTS AND TERMINOLOGY, BUDGET PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS OF THE BUDGET AND MEETING ITS PURPOSE.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUDGET AND FINANCIAL REPORTING, BUDGET PLANS FOR WHAT WE INTEND TO HAPPEN.
FINANCIAL REPORTING, COMPARES HOW YOU ARE DOING WITH THE PLAN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WHEN THE VARIOUS SALES TAX PROJECTIONS VERSUS WHAT THE CITY HAS BEEN RECEIVING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN SALES TAX.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUDGET AND FINANCIAL REPORTING.
BELOW ARE FOUR OVER ARCHING ELEMENTS THAT WILL BE COVERED IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, AND THEY ARE REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, OTHER FINANCING SOURCES AND USES ALSO KNOWN AS TRANSFERS IN AND TRANSFERS OUT.
FOR THE REVENUES, THE TAXES ARE RECEIPTS SUCH AS PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, FRANCHISE FEES [INAUDIBLE] DEVELOPMENT FEES ARE COMPOSED OF, FOR EXAMPLE, BUILDING PERMITS AND PLANTING FEES.
FOR OTHER GOVERNMENTS, WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, GAS TAX, TDA OR GRANTS.
WE ALSO HAVE INVESTMENT INTEREST, EARNINGS GRANTS AND FINES AND FORFEITURES AND OTHER REVENUES, OTHER REVENUES COULD BE DONATIONS FOR ANIMAL CONTROL, FOOD FOR THE PETS.
AND WE HAVE EXPENDITURES ON EXPENDITURES ITS ORGANIZED INTO THREE CATEGORIES OPERATIONS, CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE, THESE THREE AREAS WILL COVER IN PROCEEDING SLIDES.
OTHER FINANCING SOURCES AND USES THIS SECTION REFERS TO TRANSFERS IN AND TRANSFERS OUT, WHERE THEY ARE NEITHER REVENUES OR EXPENDITURES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE STREET PROJECT REQUIRES A LOCAL MATCH OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE AWARDED FOR A GRANT.
WELL THE GENERAL FUND WILL ONLY TRANSFER OUT TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND SUBTRACT TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND [INAUDIBLE] TO THE STREET CAPITAL FUND.
SO THAT'S A POSITIVE TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS OF [INAUDIBLE].
NEGATIVE TEN THOUSAND PLUS POSITIVE TEN THOUSAND.
THAT'S WHY IT'S NEITHER A REVENUE OR AN EXPENSE, SINCE IT'LL BE A [INAUDIBLE].
AND FOR THE FUND BALANCE IS A RUNNING TOTAL OF MONEY RECEIVED, LESS PAYMENTS MADE AND PLUS OR MINUS ANY TRANSFERS.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORDS FUND BALANCE, THINK OF IT AS YOUR CHECKBOOK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, YOU HAVE CASH IN YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT, THEN, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU RECEIVE
[01:15:05]
DIRECT DEPOSIT FROM YOUR EMPLOYER THAT ADDS MORE MONEY TO YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT.AND FROM THERE, YOU START PAYING YOUR UTILITY BILLS AND YOUR BALANCE STARTS TO DROP.
SAY YOU RECEIVE AN UNEXPECTED BILL.
AND THIS BILL WILL MAKE YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT GO NEGATIVE, SO WHAT YOU DO IS YOU CAN TRANSFER MONEY FROM YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT INTO YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE [INAUDIBLE] NOW FOR THE FUND BALANCE IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES, NON SPENDABLE.
AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS INVENTORY IS CONSIDERED A ASSET BUT WE CAN'T TAKE AN INVENTORY AND USE THAT TO PAY SHERIFF COSTS OR SHERIFF CONTRACT.
THE SECOND IS RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, AND THAT CAN BE USED ONLY FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES.
EXAMPLE IS A GAS TAX MONEY THAT CAN ONLY BE USED ON OPERATIONS RELATED TO STREET MAINTENANCE.
WE CAN USE GAS TAX TO REPAIR A ROOF OR A BROKEN GLASS.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY RESTRICT IT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE UNRESTRICTED, WHICH IS COMMITTED, ASSIGNED AND UNASSIGNED.
AND THE CITY HAS A TARGET OF THIRTY FIVE PERCENT AND A MINIMUM RESERVE GOAL TO KEEP THE CITY AFLOAT FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO TO THREE MONTHS IN THE EVENT OF A CATASTROPHE.
WHEN COVID HIT THE CITY HAD FUNDS TO WEATHER THE STORM.
SO YOU AND I HAVE A LOW LAYOFFS IN COMPARISON TO NEIGHBORING TO OTHER CITIES THEY HAD TO DECLARE A FINANCIAL CRISIS.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE RECENTLY COVERED IN PREVIOUS SLIDES.
SO AT THE VERY TOP, WE HAVE THE REVENUES WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE].
AND THIS IS A AS A AT THE [INAUDIBLE] THESE FIGURES HERE THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THE [INAUDIBLE] SO FOR REVENUES, WE HAVE TWELVE MILLION, A HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND.
AND IN EXPENDITURES, WE HAD OPERATING COSTS WHICH TOTALED TEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.
AND WE HAVE CIP, ALSO KNOWN AS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT TOTALED SIX MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED.
WE HAD SEVENTEEN MILLION SIXTY THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED.
AND AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, TRANSFERS IN AND TRANSFERS OFF THAT COULD BE EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
IN THIS SCENARIO, IT WAS TWO MILLION THREE TWO MILLION THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY.
SO NOW OUR SOURCES OVER UNDER AND USES IT'S A NEGATIVE.
SO THAT MEANS WE ARE OPERATING OVER WHAT WE ARE RECEIVING.
SO THAT WHERE WE'RE SEEING A NEGATIVE TWO MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.
BUT WHEN WE TAKE THAT AND SUBTRACTIVE IT FROM OUR BEGINNING BALANCE WHERE WE STARTED OFF IN JULY 1ST.
WE HAVE A POSITIVE FUND BALANCE, BUT WE ALSO GOT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MID-YEAR WHEN THE NINE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS WAS ASSIGNED FOR THE LABOR CAMP HOUSING COMPLEX PROJECT NOW.
HAVING SAID THAT, IF THE CITY DOES NOT RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE OR HIGH SPEED RAIL TO FUND THIS PROJECT, THE CITY WOULD END UP WITH AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OF ONE MILLION NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE AND SIXTY.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT THE CITY WOULD BE IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS IF THE CITY IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND PAY FROM ITS RESERVES, THE DEMOLITION OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
BUT IF WE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD AND WE RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE, THE CITY GENERAL FUND WOULD HAVE ELEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED.
THE BUDGET IS BROKEN INTO TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES: GOVERNMENTAL AND ENTERPRISE.
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMPOSED OF A GENERAL FUND, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS LIKE YOUR GAS TAX WHERE REVENUES CAN ONLY BE USED FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES.
WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WIDENING A ROAD, LANDSCAPING, 7TH STREET AND
[01:20:03]
DEBT SERVICE, FOR DEBT SERVICE, THE CITY DOESN'T CURRENTLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY DEBT.FOR THE ENTERPRISE, IT ACTS LIKE A PRIVATE BUSINESS WHERE THEY CHARGE FOR SERVICES PROVIDED AND THEY ARE FOR WASTEWATER, WATER, SANITATION, COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, CNG AND OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT.
BELOW ARE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SET THE STANDARD FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THEY ARE THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETING.
WE ALSO HAVE THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WHICH IS THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES.
WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, GFOA, AND LASTLY, WE HAVE THE CALIFORNIA SOCIETY OF MUNICIPAL FINANCE OFFICERS, CSMFO.
OK, THE GOAL FOR THE 2021 BUDGET IS TO REFLECT THE BEST PRACTICES OF THE FOUR AGENCIES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS LIFE.
HERE, THIS IS THE CALENDAR THAT OUTLINES ALL OF THE MILESTONES THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND WILL BE OCCURRING SIMPLY TO BRING FORWARD A BALANCED BUDGET TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, RESIDENTS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROCESS IS LENGTHY.
[INAUDIBLE] WORKS, TAKES TIME AND DEDICATION TO ALIGN GOALS, PRIORITIES AND RESOURCES THAT THE CITY ANTICIPATES RECEIVING IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
THE GFOA HAS FOUR KEY AREAS WHILE WORKING ON THE BUDGET AND THEY ARE POLICY DOCUMENT, SETS FORTH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AND ARTICULATES FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH BUDGET IS PREPARED.
ALSO HAVE FISCAL PLAN, IDENTIFIES AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC RESOURCES.
OPERATIONAL GUIDE, DESCRIBES BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS AND ACTIVITIES OF AGENCIES.
AND LASTLY, COMMUNICATION TOOLS PROVIDES COMMUNITY WITH A BLUEPRINT OF HOW PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE BEING USED.
AND FOR THE LAST BULLET POINT, THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET INTENDS TO DO TO HAVE A TRANSPARENT DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS WHAT THESE RESOURCES ARE BEING USED FOR.
THE BUDGET IS BROKEN DOWN INTO SIX MAJOR SECTIONS, THE INTRODUCTION, WHICH IS THE BUDGET MESSAGE, THE CITYWIDE FINANCIAL SUMMAYOR, THE FINANCIAL SCHEDULES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP), SUMMAYOR, STAFFING, AND APPENDIX.
WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE BULLET POINTS IN THE NEXT SLIDES.
SO IN THE INTRODUCTION, THIS FOCUSES ON THE BUDGET MESSAGE THAT SETS FORTH KEY FISCAL ISSUES FACING THE CITY AND HOW THE BUDGET RESPONDS TO THEM, OUTLINES TOP COUNCIL GOALS FOR THE YEAR, PROVIDES A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET.
IT HAS A SUMMAYOR OF SIGNIFICANT OPERATING PROGRAM CHANGES.
IT ALSO HAS MEASURE X USES BUDGET AND FISCAL POLICIES GUIDE TO READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET LISTING OF KEY OFFICIALS AND ADVISORY BODIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
THE CITYWIDE FINANCIAL SUMMAYOR SHOWS ALL FUNDS COMBINED, REVENUES, EXPENDITURES AND CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS APPROPRIATIONS BY DEPARTMENTS AND FUNDS WE HAVE INTER-FUND TRANSFERS, THE TRANSFERS IN AND OUT, GRAPHICS OR EXPENDITURES BY FUND, REVENUES BY FUND AND FIVE YEAR CIP, WHICH IS A LITTLE MINI BUDGET IN ITS OWN, THE FIVE YEAR CIP.
EACH ONE WILL HAVE A LIST OF THE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND BY DEPARTMENT AND DIVISION, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS AND THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WASTEWATER, YOUR WATER, YOUR SANITATION (REFUSE) YOUR CNG COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, AND YOUR PUBLIC TRANSIT FUND.
[01:25:05]
[INAUDIBLE] WE'LL HAVE A LIST OF SUMMARIES OF EACH SERVICE PROVIDED STRATEGIC ISSUES, 2021 SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.2021-22 OBJECTIVES AND INITIATIVES.
'21-22 SIGNIFICANT OPERATING COST CHANGES, EXPENDITURES DETAILS AND REVENUE, EXPENDITURES AND CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE.
SO, EACH OF THESE FUNDS IS GOING TO HAVE THESE COMPONENTS THAT WILL IN ITSELF TELL A STORY AS TO HOW THESE FUNDS PERFORMED.
HOW DO WE THINK THEY'RE GOING TO PERFORM IN THE NEXT YEAR WHAT'RE THE NEXT GOALS FOR THESE DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO INSTEAD OF FLIPPING THROUGH THE WHOLE BUDGET, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES AND WHAT THE BALANCES ARE NOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONSOLIDATE THINGS AND PUT THEM AND MAKE THEM MORE USER FRIENDLY AND READABLE AND ALL IN ONE AREA.
JUST PACKAGE EVERYTHING INTO ONE SECTION PER FUND TO AVOID HAVING TO FLIP FRONT AND BACK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THESE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM, JUST FROM A SIMPLICITIES STANDPOINT.
WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND AND THE NEED OF THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WHAT IS THE GENERAL FUND COMPOSED OF? THE GENERAL FUND HAS SUPPORT SERVICES.
FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE PLANNING, BUILDING AND REGULATIONS.
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WE HAVE FIRE SERVICES, POLICE SERVICES, ANIMAL SERVICES.
FOR PUBLIC WORKS, WE HAVE ADMINISTRATION AND ENGINEERING AND STREETS.
FOR SUPPORT SERVICES, WE HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT, CITY ATTORNEY, FLEET MAINTENANCE FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND INFORMATION ON TECHNOLOGY (IT).
THE CIP IS A SEPARATE MINI BUDGET THAT SHOWS PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE.
THIS MINI BUDGET IS BROKEN DOWN BY SUMMAYOR JUSTIFICATION GOAL AND POLICY LENGTH PROJECT COST BY PHASE STUDY DESIGN, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT.
FIRST YEAR IN THE BUDGET, THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES A SUMMAYOR.
SECTION FIVE OF THE BUDGET WILL FOCUS ON STAFFING, IT WILL COVER FULL TIME EQUIVALENT STAFFING POSITIONS BY DEPARTMENT AND DIVISION.
WE ALSO HAVE SALARIES, BENEFITS, DISTRIBUTION SUMMAYOR.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SUMMARIES IN THE STAFFING SECTION OF THE BUDGET.
AND LASTLY, THE APPENDIX OF THE BUDGET WILL CONTAIN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND CALENDAR APPROPRIATION LIMIT COMMUNITY INFORMATION SUCH AS POPULATION, GEOGRAPHY, WEATHER AND GOVERNMENT.
WE'LL HAVE A GLOSSARY RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE BUDGET COP AND APPROPRIATION.
NOW, WHAT IS A BALANCED BUDGET? POLICY PRESENTED ON APRIL 27TH MEANS OPERATING REVENUES MUST COVER OPERATING DEBT SERVICE COSTS.
I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN, OPERATING REVENUES MUST COVER OPERATING AND DEBT SERVICE COSTS.
THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIP INTO RESERVES.
ANY FUND BALANCE SHOULD MEET MINIMUM POLICY LEVELS OF OTHER TARGETS SET IN THE BUDGET.
THIS MEANS THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE CAN BE USED.
TOTAL EXPENDITURES CAN EXCEED REVENUES, BUT SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR CIP CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR OTHER ONE-TIME USE, NOT ONGOING COSTS.
WHEN YOU HEAR A BALANCED BUDGET, WHAT COMES TO MIND? WELL, ON APRIL 27TH, MR. BILL STATLER PRESENTED VARIOUS POLICIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE PART OF THE
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BUDGET AND ONE OF THOSE POLICIES REFERRED TO A BALANCED BUDGET, WHICH MEANS THAT IN ORDER FOR A BUDGET TO BE BALANCED, IT NEEDS TO FIND A SET OF MINIMUM RESERVE TARGETS AND IDENTIFIES WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO USE RESERVES BELOW THE TARGET AMOUNT, PROVIDE A STRATEGY FOR RESTORING THE RESERVES.IF IT FALLS BELOW THE TARGET MINIMUM AND WHEN IT'S ABOVE, PRESENTS GUIDELINES FOR ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL REPORTING OF THE RESERVES AND COMPARES ACTUAL VERSUS TARGET.
NOW, WHAT'S THE RIGHT AMOUNT? THAT'S JUST GOING TO DEPEND ON EACH AGENCY'S UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CAPACITY OF RISK.
WHAT DOES CAPACITY OF RISK MEAN? IF YOU WANT TO HAVE LOW RESERVES, AND YOU HAVE A HIGH RISK TOLERANCE, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE IMMUNE TO DOWNTURNS IN THE ECONOMY OR CATASTROPHES, AS MR. STATLER PRESENTED ON APRIL 27TH, THE CITY RECOMMENDED A THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR RESERVES TO WEATHER ANY UNFORESEEN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN SIMILAR TO COVID-19.
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE RAINY DAY FUND.
SO IT SHOULD BE OK TO USE THESE WHEN IT RAINS.
RESTORING RESERVES TRIES TO RESTORE IN FIVE YEARS AS REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES IMPROVE, ALLOCATE AT LEAST HALF OF THE RESERVES FOR RESTORATION.
AND TO RECAP, THIS PRESENTATION IS SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP THAT WILL HAPPEN ON JUNE 3RD AND JUNE 8TH.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PEREZ, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION ON THE CONCEPTS OF THE BUDGET.
FIRST, AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE ON A TELEPHONE, PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR KEYPAD.
YOU'LL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? MAYOR GARCIA WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT FROM JOE M.
HELLO, MR. JOE, ARE YOU WITH US? YES, I AM, HONORABLE MAYOR.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PRESENTATION? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF POINTS.
HONORABLE DIRECTOR PEREZ, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR COMING UP WITH A MORE ROBUST REPORTING FINANCIAL MECHANISM.
MY FIRST NAME IS JOE, LAST IS MARTINEZ.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT DIRECTOR PEREZ MENTIONED, AND I'M NOT SURE IF HE MENTIONED THEM JUST IN BROAD ASPECTS OR IF HE WAS STATING A TRUE FACT AS FAR AS THE CITY'S FINANCE.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IN YEARS PAST THAT WE HAD A UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY WITH PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT AT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION.
A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, WHEN THE WATER RATES WERE RAISED, I INQUIRED ABOUT HOW WAS THE ENTERPRISE FUND GOING WITH THE WATER AND SEWER RATE? AND I WAS TOLD THAT THOSE FUNDS WERE SUPPOSEDLY AND I USE THE WORD IN PARENTHESES, I GUESS I COULD SAY THAT, BASICALLY THAT THERE WAS FUNDS THERE, BUT THAT THEY WERE ALLOCATED TO SOME OTHER THINGS.
AND SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY AS FAR AS THOSE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
BUT I'M ALSO CURIOUS AS TO THE FACT THAT THIS FARM LABOR HOUSING THAT I WAS MENTIONED IN PAST MEETINGS SEEMS TO BE KEEP HAUNTING US AND WE KEEP GETTING STUCK WITH A LIABILITY.
I REALIZE THAT YOU'RE WAITING FOR A GRANT WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT COME THROUGH, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF LIABILITIES, BUT WE HAVE VERY FEW REVENUE RESOURCES, MEANING THAT TRASH, SEWER AND WATER IS YOUR MAIN DRIVER.
I REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE SOME TAX MONEY COMING IN, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S REALLY YOUR REVENUE THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND
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THAT YOU ARE NOT FUNDING IN THE TRUE SENSE OF HOW FUNDING SHOULD BE FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR.DIRECTOR PEREZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS POINT? YES, THOSE ARE VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, MR. MARTINEZ, AND YOU ARE CORRECT, WE DO HAVE AN UNFUNDED LIABILITY THAT WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND DURING THE MIDYEAR, IT WAS REPORTED THAT CALPERS IS ALSO INTENDING ON RAISING THOSE RATES, SINCE THEY ALSO WERE AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE THE INVESTMENT RETURNS BECAUSE BASED ON THEIR RETURNS, THE CITY RECEIVES A DISCOUNT RATE.
AND IF THEY INCREASE THAT DISCOUNT RATE, THE CITY WOULD BE PAYING A LARGER AMOUNT.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER ASPECT TO ALSO CONSIDER BEFORE DECIDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEMOLITION OF THE LABOR CAMP.
IN REGARDS TO THE HEALTH OF THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS SUCH AS THE WATER MR. MARTINEZ THAT WILL BE COVERED IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
AND SO PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THAT.
I'LL COVER THAT SECTION FOR NOTICING WHAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO DO AND PROVIDING TRANSPARENT AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR FINANCIAL POSITION AND THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM NEEDS OF THE CITY FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
[INAUDIBLE] THIS IS MEMBER CORTEZ.
MR. MARTINEZ, I APPRECIATE IT.
I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU FOR THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU MADE A COMMENT ABOUT HOW THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS FUND A LARGE PORTION OF THE REVENUES FOR THE CITY OF WASCO.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THOSE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, SUCH AS TRASH, WATER AND WASTEWATER CAN ONLY BE SPECIFICALLY USED FOR THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO WE CAN'T TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE IT FOR STREETS OR THE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND I KNOW DIRECTOR PEREZ WILL BE GOING INTO MORE DETAIL ON THE BUDGET IN THE NEXT SECTION WHERE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU, MEMBER CORTEZ, IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION.
MADAM CLERK, DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PRESENTATION? MAYOR GARCIA, I SEE THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU, MR. MARTINEZ, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS ON THIS PRESENTATION? MAYOR PRO-TEM REYNA.
I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE DIRECTOR PEREZ FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH ALLOWS EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS WORKS, HOW THE GENERAL BUDGET WORKS.
SO I HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS WORKS.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
MEMBER CORTEZ, ANYTHING TO ADD? IF I CAN, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS NOT THE MOST GLAMOROUS STUFF IN THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, IT'S NUMBERS AND SOMETIMES HARD TO STAY AWAKE, BUT IT'S VITAL.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT DIRECTOR PEREZ IS REALLY TRYING TO ARTICULATE.
AND I DO APPRECIATE HIM TAKING THE TIME TO GIVE US A FOUNDATION OF HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET, NOT ONLY JUST FOR US, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL.
SO, DIRECTOR PEREZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS.
YES, VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO THANK ISRAEL FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
THIS IS MY FIRST BUDGET PROCESS THAT I'M GOING THROUGH AND THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND AT LEAST GAVE ME A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO EXPECT.
MEMBER PALLARES, YES? NO COMMENTS, THANK YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS EXPANDED PRESENTATION.
I KNOW WHEN I ASKED THAT YOU BREAK DOWN THE ENTERPRISE FOR FOLKS, NOT ONLY FOR THE
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NEW MEMBERS ARE EVEN AS A GOOD REMINDER FOR OURSELVES, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THIS FOR OUR RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER BILLS AND WATER FEES ALL THE TIME.AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE WATER BILL ISN'T JUST THE WATER BILL, IT'S WASTE WATER, SEWER AS WELL.
AND SO CLARIFYING THAT FOR FOR COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC IS GREATLY APPRECIATED AND VALUABLE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND NO MORE COMMENTS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND JUMP BACK
[12) b. Report on 2020-21 Third Quarter Financial. (Perez-Hernandez)]
THEN TO ITEM 12B FOR YOUR NEXT REPORT, MR. PEREZ.WE HAVE 12B REPORT ON 2020-21 THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT DIRECTOR PEREZ.
MAYOR GARCIA, ARE YOU ABLE TO VIEW MY SCREEN? YEP, IT'S THERE.
OK, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS PRESENTATION IS IN RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL GOAL FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PROVIDING INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORTING TO DEPICT THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE CITY.
BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE REPORT, I WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
SO, IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WE MENTIONED FOUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND HERE WE HAVE THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA RELEASED A PUBLICATION ON FINANCIAL REPORTING BEST PRACTICES, WHERE IT STATES THAT FINANCIAL REPORTING SHOULD BE ISSUED AT A MINIMUM, QUARTERLY.
TO ENSURE THAT ONGOING COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY AND DATA IS CORRECT, THIS PROCESS SHOULD ONLY BE APPROPRIATE FOR RECONCILIATIONS TO IDENTIFY ADJUSTMENTS, AS WELL AS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND INTERIM MANAGEMENT REPORTS TO IDENTIFY ANOMALIES AND FOR INCORPORATING DATA FOR CORRECTION, THE LAST TIME THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVED, THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT WAS BACK IN TWENTY ELEVEN.
THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR NINE MONTHS AND MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS THAT ULTIMATELY HAVE LED TO THE DEPARTMENT DELIVERING THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS INVOLVED DETAIL RECONCILIATIONS, FOLLOWED BY OPENING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT INVOICES, RECEIPTS AND MONTHLY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRESS BILLINGS WERE SUBMITTED BY THE END OF THE MONTH TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AS SUCH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO TRANSITION INTO AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT.
THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 2020-2021 PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL CONDITION FROM JULY 1ST, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2021.
THE REPORT SUMMARIZES REVENUES AND EXPENDITURE ACTUALS.
I HAVE DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS OF THE FUND BALANCE.
HERE WE HAVE THE FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH MARCH THIRTY FIRST.
ON THE REVENUES, WHEN COMPARING THE REVENUES BUDGETED TO ACTUALS, WE HAVE RECEIVED THIRTY TWO PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED, WHICH IS THE SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND.
THE REASON WHY THE PERCENTAGE IS LOW IS DUE TO A TIMING DIFFERENCE IN OUR PROPERTY TAXES, MOTOR VEHICLE SALES TAXES THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE END OF APRIL.
OPERATING EXPENDITURES, OPERATING EXPENDITURES ARE CURRENTLY FIFTY FOUR PERCENT AT THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER IN THE GENERAL FUND SOME OF THESE OPERATING EXPENDITURE SAVINGS COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO VACANCIES IN POSITIONS OR JUST PURCHASING ITEMS IN BULK JUST TO RECEIVE THOSE SAVINGS.
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WE ALSO HAVE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE CITY HAS SPENT ROUGHLY NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO OF THE BUDGETED AMOUNT, WHICH TRANSLATES TO ONLY SIX PERCENT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE TRANSFER INS AND TRANSFER OUTS, WHICH YEAR-TO-DATE IS ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN.
AND THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION WE TALKED ABOUT, THIS IS JUST MONEY THAT'S BEING MOVED INTO THE GENERAL FUND OR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
IN THIS SCENARIO IT'S BEING MOVED IN AND FOR THE LARGE PORTION IS A GAS TAX THAT IS BEING MOVED INTO THE GENERAL FUND STREETS TO FUND STREET OPERATIVE MAINTENANCE.
THAT'S WHAT THE ONE POINT SEVEN IS RELATING TO.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE STARTED OFF WITH THIRTEEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN.
WHEN WE ADD AND SUBTRACT THE ACTIVITY ABOVE, SUCH AS YOUR REVENUES, YOUR OPERATING COSTS, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, TRANSFER INS AND TRANSFER OUTS, AT THE END OF MARCH, 31ST 2021, WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF FIFTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR.
OUT OF THAT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE NINE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE ASSIGN, BECAUSE IT'S A LIABILITY THAT IT'S SITTING OUT THERE AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE IT OUT THERE.
BUT AGAIN, AS COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF, THESE FUNDS ARE NOT GOING TO BE TOUCHED UNLESS WE WERE GIVEN SPECIFIC DIRECTION TO SPEND THE NINE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
BUT THE CITY IS PURSUING THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND HIGH SPEED RAIL TO PAY FOR THE DEMOLITION OF THE LABOR CAMP.
WE ALSO HAVE FOR MEASURE X AT THE END OF MARCH THIRTY, FIRST WE HAVE THREE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY.
THE REASON WHY THIS IS ALSO BEING POINTED OUT, IT'S BECAUSE IF WE WANT TO TAKE THE TRUE BALANCE OF THE GENERAL FUND, WE NEED TO EXTRACT MEASURE X BECAUSE MEASURE X IS USED FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES.
SO WHERE DO WE END AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE WERE TO FUND THE LABOR CAMP, WE WOULD END UP WITH UNASSIGNED GENERAL FUND BALANCE OF TWO MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR.
AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF BEATING THIS HORSE AGAIN, BUT THE LABOR CAMP WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF WASCO GENERAL FUND AND WHETHER WE COULD CUT OUR FINANCIAL [INAUDIBLE] AND CUT DOWN ON SERVICES FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOP 10 GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
SO WE HAVE THE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE FEE.
WE BUDGETED THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE.
OUT OF THAT WE RECEIVED FIFTY ONE PERCENT OF THAT.
AS MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, MOST OF THESE TAXES WERE RECEIVED TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OR THE END OF APRIL.
THEY WERE NOT CAPTURED AT THE END OF MARCH.
WE HAVE RECEIVED THESE TAXES FOR MEASURE X, SALES TAX, PROPERTY TAXES, FRANCHISE OCCUPANCY TAX AND PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX.
I'M SORRY, AND WE ALSO HAVE FOUR BUSINESS LICENSES WE BUDGETED AT MIDYEAR, WE ORIGINALLY HAD BUDGETED ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND, BUT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AT MID-YEAR, STAFF TOOK A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH AND REDUCED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT TO SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
OUT OF THOSE SEVENTY FIVE, WE'VE SO FAR RECEIVED IN BUSINESS LICENSES FORTY FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR DOLLARS IN BUSINESS LICENSES.
AND FOR ANIMAL SERVICES WE'VE RECEIVED FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS OUT OF THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED.
NOW FOR FINES, INTEREST AND RENTALS, WE RECEIVED ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND, WHICH IS ALREADY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX PERCENT OF WHAT WE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED.
FOR GRANTS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL, WE HAVE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED SIXTY SIX, WHICH IS 11 PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED.
AND FOR CHARGES FOR SERVICES, WE HAVE RECEIVED FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN
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THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN, WHICH IS ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR PERCENT.THAT'S AT THE THIRD QUARTER, WE ALREADY MET WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR.
NOW, THIS IS GREAT AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ MENTIONED, IT'S ALL NUMBERS.
BUT HOW DOES THIS TELL THE STORY? THESE NUMBERS JUST TELL US A STORY FROM WHAT WE BUDGETED FROM JULY 1ST TO MARCH 31ST, BUT THIS IS A TRUE PICTURE OF HOW WE COMPARED TO THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS IN 2018, 2019, 2019 AND 2020, 2020 AND 2021.
AND WE'LL START FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
WE HAVE THE LIGHT GREEN, THE TEAL AND THE LIGHT BLUE.
THOSE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FISCAL YEARS.
AND AS WE SEE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, WE'RE ACTUALLY EXCEEDING PAST PAST YEARS AND THAT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO LOW INTEREST RATES AND ALL THE INCENTIVES THAT DEALERSHIPS HAVE HAD AND THAT HAVE MOTIVATED RESIDENTS TO PURCHASE NEW VEHICLES AND THAT'S THE MAIN DRIVER AS TO WHY OUR MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE FEE HAS INCREASED IN COMPARISON TO THIRD QUARTER OF THE PAST TWO YEARS.
FOR MEASURE X, IT'S THE OPPOSITE, AND THE STATE HAS HAD MANY COVID RESTRICTIONS AND ESTABLISHMENT SHUTDOWNS, AND THAT HAS AFFECTED THE CITY.
AS WE CAN SEE HERE FOR MEASURE X, WE WERE IN 2018-2019, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS AT THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2018-19, BUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR AT THE TAIL END OF 2019 TWENTY, WE STARTED TO SEE A SLIGHT DECLINE IN OUR MEASURE X AND LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE ON NOW IN 2020-21, WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT, OUR BUSINESSES NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE TO THE RESTRICTIONS.
AND THE SAME ALSO APPLIES, BUT NOT AT THAT MAGNITUDE FOR OUR REGULAR SALES TAX AND FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
IT'S SLIGHTLY ABOVE THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO FISCAL YEARS AND JUST DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.
AND LASTLY, OUR FRANCHISE TAXES.
WE RECEIVED PG&E RECEIPT TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PAST TWO YEARS.
THERE'S NO WORRY IN THAT AREA OF THE FRANCHISE.
SO FOR THE OCCUPANCY TAX FOR 2018, WE CAN SEE THAT IT WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND, BUT THE FOLLOWING YEARS STARTED TO TAKE A NOSEDIVE AND LARGELY FOR 2020-21 IT HAS BEEN THE PANDEMIC AND THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS HAVE AFFECTED OUR OCCUPANCY TAX PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX, IT'S A SET AMOUNT, THEREFORE WE SEE NO DIFFERENCE IN COMPARISON TO PRIOR YEARS.
OUR BUSINESS LICENSES, IT HAS TAKEN A DIP.
AS WE CAN TELL, JUST THE PANDEMIC ALONE HAS MENTIONED EARLIER, HAS REALLY AFFECTED OUR BUSINESSES.
AND SO FAR WE RECEIVED FORTY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS OR MINUS IN COMPARISON TO 2018, WHERE WE RECEIVED ROUGHLY ABOUT ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
IN 2019-2020 WE RECEIVED ABOUT NINETY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS IN JUST BUSINESS LICENSES AND IN ANIMAL LICENSES, WE SEE THAT IN 2019-2020 WE SEE A SPIKE IN ANIMAL LICENSES AND THAT IS IN CORRELATION OF THE [INAUDIBLE] WHERE WE HAD [INAUDIBLE] COME OUT AND RESIDENTS WHO WERE LICENSING THEIR PETS BUT DUE TO COVID FOR THE 2020-2021 IT TOOK A DIP AND THAT JUST BECAUSE OF COVID, STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS, MADE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR RESIDENTS TO LICENSE THEIR PETS.
SO NOW WE COVERED THE GENERAL FUND PORTION.
NOW, AS MR. MARTINEZ MENTIONED, HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
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WE'RE GOING TO COVER THE WASTE WATER, WATER AND SANITATION.SO FOR WASTEWATER REVENUES, WE BUDGETED TWO MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND, AND OUT OF THAT WE ALREADY RECEIVED SEVENTY FOUR PERCENT OF THAT, WHICH IS WE ARE ON TARGET TO MEETING WE BUDGETED FOR, WHICH IS A GOOD SIGN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GOOD SIGN IN ONE WAY, BUT IT ALSO IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF COMPARING IT TO PRIOR YEARS, IT'S NOT.
AND WE'LL REVIEW THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDES.
OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES, WE HAVE FORTY SIX PERCENT OF BUDGET SPENT ALREADY.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S FORTY SIX PERCENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO VACANCIES IN THE WASTEWATER FUND AND COST SAVING MEASURES THAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD JUST AS PRECAUTIONARY FOR THIS PANDEMIC.
WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE OUT OF THE WOODS OR IT CAN JUST TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE AND FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, SO FAR WE HAVE A YEAR-TO-DATE, TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX, WHICH IS 19 PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR CAPITAL IN WASTEWATER FUND AND IN TRANSFER INS AND TRANSFER OUTS THE WASTEWATER FUND TRANSFERRED OUT A TOTAL OF TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE THOUSAND.
THIS CAN BE FOR SERVICE COSTS, FOR SUPPORT SERVICES AND FOR SHOP OR FINANCE FOR IF WE NEED DEVELOPMENT FOR PRETTY MUCH TO SUPPORT SERVICES.
IF WE WERE TO TAKE JUST WHAT IS THE FUND BALANCE, WHAT IS THE BALANCE FOR THE WASTEWATER FUND? WE STARTED OFF THE YEAR, JULY 1ST AT FIVE MILLION ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO.
WHEN WE ADD AND SUBTRACT THE REVENUES WE RECEIVED SO FAR AND THE TRANSFERS, OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
WE HAVE AN ENDING FUND BALANCE AND MARCH 31ST OF FIVE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETEEN.
WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE AND I'LL COVER THOSE IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, AGAIN, LIKE WHAT WE DID IN THE IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WELL, THEY'RE GREAT TO SEE NUMBERS, BUT LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK AND START COMPARING.
HOW DO WE LOOK IN THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES? A NORMAL TREND IS AS REVENUES RISE, EXPENDITURE SHOULD BE RISING OR STAYING CONSISTENT.
THE COST OF LIVING INCREASES EACH YEAR, AND FOR THE WASTEWATER FUND, WE'RE SEEING IT'S STARTING TO TAKE A DIVE.
NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIVE, BUT IT IS DIVING AND OUR EXPENDITURES, WHICH IS THE GREY BARS, ARE STARTING TO RISE.
AND THAT'S JUST THE COST OF MATERIALS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS IS RISING.
AND OUR RATES FOR WASTEWATER HAVEN'T BEEN ANALYZED SINCE 2011.
SO THAT'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THAT THERE WAS A RATE STUDY FOR WASTEWATER IN 2011, EXPENDITURES WEREN'T THE SAME AS WHAT THEY ARE NOW.
AND SO I DO WANT TO POINT THAT OUT FOR THE WASTEWATER, WHICH IS THE SAME SCENARIO THAT'S GOING TO BE OCCURRING FOR OUR WATER AND SANITATION/REFUSE.
SO, FOR OUR WATER, SO FAR, WE'VE COLLECTED TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE DOLLARS, WHICH IS SIXTY FIVE PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED AND OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
WE'VE SPENT ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN.
AND THIS IS DUE TO VACANCIES IN POSITIONS, A LARGER PORTION OF THIS.
FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN OCTOBER OF 2020, WE TOOK TO COUNCIL A REVISED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET AS THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR
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THE STATE REVOLVING FUND, STATE FUNDING FOR WATER WELLS, NEW WATER WELLS FOR AMI FOR METER READING.SO THAT ADJUSTED OUR BUDGET AMOUNT FOR CAPITAL TO FOUR MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED.
SO FAR WE SPENT THIRTY THREE PERCENT.
AND THIS FUND, THE WATERFALL WAS COVERED IN DEPTH BY MR. STATLER AT THE APRIL 27TH SPECIAL MEETING.
AND THE RATE STUDIES THAT NEED TO OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE TWENTY EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE APPLICATION THAT WE'RE SEEKING FROM THE STATE, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT FORGIVABLE OR WE HAVE TO REPAY BACK THAT MONEY, IF IT'S AWARDED TO US, TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW HOW DO WE PLAN TO REPAY THEM BACK AND OUR CURRENT RATES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR TRANSFERS.
WE TRANSFERRED OUT A TOTAL OF TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN, WHICH IS SIXTY THREE PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED.
SO HOW DO WE START OFF THE YEAR? WE STARTED OFF WITH ROUGHLY 10 MILLION DOLLARS AND ADDING OUR REVENUES, SUBTRACTING OUR OPERATIONS, CAPITAL PLUS OR MINUS OUR TRANSFERS AND THE WATER FUND, WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF NINE MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX.
NOW LET'S START COMPARING HOW ARE WE LOOKING, WITH PRIOR YEAR JUST FOR OUR WATER FUND FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF EACH OF THESE YEARS, AND SIMILAR TO THE WASTEWATER FUND, REVENUES ARE STARTING TO DECREASE.
AND FOR THE 2021 THERE IS A CORRELATION AND THAT IS THE GOVERNOR PROHIBITING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM STOPPING SERVICES, WATER IS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR LIVELIHOODS.
SO RESIDENTS THAT ARE ABLE TO PAY THEIR UTILITY BILLS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT ABLE TO TURN OFF THE WATER.
WE CAN MAKE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, BUT SOME ARE STILL STRUGGLING.
SO THAT CAN ALSO BE AN IMPACT OF WHY THE 2021 IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.
AND FOR OUR EXPENDITURES WE CAN SEE 2018 WE'RE A LITTLE HIGHER, ABOUT ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
AND WE CUT BACK A LITTLE BIT IN 2019-2020.
BUT WE'RE ALREADY EXCEEDING THAT IN 2020-2021 AND AGAIN THAT IS JUST THE COST OF OPERATIONS CONTINUES TO RISE AS WE'RE SEEING THE COST FOR A SHEET OF PLYWOOD WENT FROM TEN DOLLARS TO WHAT IS IT NOW? THE LAST TIME I SAW, IT WAS FIFTY TWO OR FIFTY SEVEN DOLLARS A SHEET OF PLYWOOD.
SO, COSTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE, BUT OUR RATES ARE NOT KEEPING PACE WITH CPI.
NOW FOR SANITATION FUND FOR OUR REVENUES, WE RECEIVED ROUGHLY SIXTY NINE PERCENT, WHICH IS TWO MILLION TWO HUNDRED THIRTY TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY NINE.
AGAIN, SIMILAR TO THE TWO OTHER ENTERPRISE FUNDS, IT'S A CORRELATION ALSO OF THE PANDEMIC AND HOW IT HAS AFFECTED SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OUR EXPENDITURES, WE SO FAR SPENT FIFTY NINE PERCENT OF WHAT WE BUDGETED.
WHY WE'RE NOT AT SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT SINCE WE'RE THREE QUARTERS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S WHEN COST SAVINGS AND OPERATIONS AND ALSO A FEW VACANCIES IN SOME POSITIONS AND FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, WE BUDGETED SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND.
AND OUT OF THAT WE SPENT SEVEN PERCENT WHICH IS FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE.
FOR TRANSFER IN AND TRANSFER OUT, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF TRANSFER OUT OF FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY.
WE STARTED OFF THE YEAR WITH TWO MILLION FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN.
AND AT THE END OF MARCH, ADDING AND SUBTRACTING THE ACTIVITY ABOVE WITH OUR
[02:05:02]
REVENUES AND OUR EXPENDITURES, PLUS OR MINUS TRANSFERS, WE HAVE TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR.THE PROJECTS [INAUDIBLE] RATES, WE NEED TO REVISIT THE RATES FOR OUR SANITATION FUND.
WELL, NOW, LOOKING INTO A COMPARISON OF OUR REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES VERSUS SANITATION FOR THIRD QUARTER, WE CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE IN LINE.
WE HAVE IN COMPARISON TO OUR WASTEWATER AND WATER SANITATION, THIRD QUARTER IS IN LINE, BUT IT WAS IN 2019-2020, BUT SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN IN 2018-2019.
AND FOR OUR EXPENDITURES, IN 2018-2019, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN THE THIRD QUARTER AND WE EXCEEDED THAT IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR 2019-20, WENT A LITTLE BIT OVER ONE POINT FIVE MILLION, BUT FOR 2021, WE STARTED TO SCALE BACK IN SOME OF THOSE OPERATING EXPENDITURES, IN THAT AREA NOW.
NOW, IN SUM MAYOR, THIS PRESENTATION IS IN RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL GOAL FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PROVIDING INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORTING THAT DEPICTS THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE CITY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENTED SINCE TWENTY ELEVEN.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE CREDIT TO LAMAR [INAUDIBLE], CATHERINE ESPERANZA [INAUDIBLE] AND LASTLY, DIEGO VIRAMONTES FOR THE RELENTLESS EFFORT TO TRANSFORM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT INTO WHAT IT IS NOW, AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PEREZ, FOR THAT VERY EFFICIENT REPORT.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND BUTTON TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE USING A TELEPHONE, PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE ON THE TELEPHONE KEYPAD.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
AND ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? MAYOR GARCIA, WE DO FROM JOE MARTINEZ.
THANK YOU, HONORABLE MAYOR, DIRECTOR PEREZ, COUPLE OF THINGS I NOTED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, IT APPEARS THAT YOUR REVENUE SOURCES ARE PROBABLY NOT AS ROBUST.
IT LOOKS LIKE BASED ON A SLIDING SCALE YOUR [INAUDIBLE] WASTEWATER AND WATER IS DOWN AND YOUR TRASH BEING A FLAT FEE IS PROBABLY MORE CONSISTENT.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RATE STUDY.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS A RATE STUDY IN JUSTIFYING WHY WE HAD TO GO TO METERS AS OPPOSED TO A FLAT RATE.
AND I KNOW THAT WAS AFTER 2011, BUT I COULD BE WRONG, WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME.
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
MR. MARTINEZ, THOSE ARE VERY GOOD QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING AND FOR THE RATE STUDIES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THAT WAS IN TWENTY SIXTEEN, AND THAT WAS FOR THE WATER THE WATER FUND.
WE WENT INTO METER RATES THAT HAPPENED IN TWENTY SIXTEEN.
BUT FOR THE WASTEWATER AND FOR THE SANITATION, THOSE HAVEN'T HAPPENED SINCE, I BELIEVE, TWENTY ELEVEN.
SO IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE THOSE RATES HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND
[02:10:02]
ANALYZED TO MEET OUR NEEDS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.NOW YOU ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR UNCOLLECTABLE ACCOUNTS ARE IN CORRELATION TO WHAT WE RECEIVE, AND THAT IS ROUGHLY ABOUT THREE PERCENT OF OUR ANNUAL REVENUES ARE UNCOLLECTABLE.
AND TO PUT THAT INTO DOLLAR TERMS, THAT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AT THE END OF MARCH THAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED IN UNCOLLECTABLE FUNDS.
AND WE'VE MADE EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE RESIDENTS AND HAVING PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME AND TRYING TO WORK OUT A PAYMENT PLANS THAT ARE REASONABLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WATER IS LIVELIHOOD.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE LAST POINT THAT YOU HAD, AND I HOPE I ADDRESSED YOUR QUESTIONS, MR. MARTINEZ.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PEREZ AND FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, MR. MARTINEZ.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? MAYOR GARCIA, AT THIS TIME, I SEE NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS? MAYOR PRO-TEM REYNA.
WELL, THE FACT IS THAT THIS ENTERPRISE FUNDS NEED TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT ENOUGH MONEY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST TWO OF THEM ARE NOT.
AND SO WE NEED TO REVISIT THOSE TO FIND OUT IF THE RATE ADJUSTMENT IS NECESSARY, WHICH IN MY OPINION, THERE IS A NEED FOR RATE ADJUSTMENT.
AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PEREZ, FOR A VERY INFORMATIVE SESSION HERE.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU SOMETHING IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU ALLUDED TO FINES, INTEREST AND RENTALS IN WHICH YOU HAD BUDGETED EIGHTY THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND TEN.
AND YOU HAVE COLLECTED SO FAR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED, WHICH IS ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX OF YOUR BUDGET AMOUNT.
AND THAT KIND OF CAUGHT MY EYE.
AND I'M WONDERING WHY THAT OCCUR.
DO YOU KNOW THE REASON WHY? GIVE ME A MOMENT, COUNCIL.
MAYOR PRO-TEM, THAT'S A LOT OF DATA THAT I NEED TO GO THROUGH TO EXTRAPOLATE.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW, THAT'S FINE; YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME ON THAT.
IT JUST CAUGHT MY ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HEFTY INCREASE.
AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED THERE, AND, MAYOR, I HAVE AT THIS POINT, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
HOPEFULLY I'M NOT MISUNDERSTANDING JOE MARTINEZ'S QUESTION, BUT I THINK PART OF HIS CONCERN WAS WHETHER DURING THE RATE STUDY, THE RESIDENTS THAT DO PAY THEIR WATER WOULD HAVE TO ABSORB THOSE WHO AREN'T PAYING THEIR WATER BILL OR SERVICES ON TIME IF THAT'S GOING TO BE FACTORED INTO THE RATE STUDY.
MY UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THIS MIGHT BE MS. BISHOP'S DEPARTMENT, BUT WE BASICALLY DIVIDE THAT AMONGST ALL PAYING ACCOUNTS AND NOT EXCLUDE THOSE WHO AREN'T PAYING TO CALCULATE THE RATES STUDY.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ, YOU ARE CORRECT.
WHEN THERE IS A STUDY ANALYSIS DONE, WE LOOK AT ALL SERVICE ACCOUNTS, WE LOOK AT OPERATING EXPENSES, AND WE DIVIDE THAT BY ALL SERVICE ACCOUNTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SERVING.
SO IT LOOKS AT THE FORECAST OF WHO WE CURRENTLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO, WHETHER THEY'RE PAYING OR NOT, THEY'RE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SAME SPLIT.
THANKS YOU, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT'S PART OF THE QUESTION
[02:15:09]
I THINK I PICKED UP ON.AND HOPEFULLY I WAS [INAUDIBLE].
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
MEMBER PALLARES? NO QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE PRESSING NEEDS AND THE HARD HITTING DISCUSSIONS WE NEED TO HAVE THIS SUMMER.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS DURING THE BUDGET AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WAS JUST A REPORT.
THERE'S NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON THIS ITEM.
MRS. BISHOP, THAT'S EVERYTHING, RIGHT? THE NEW BUSINESS--THAT'S CORRECT.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM 13 REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES, CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS FIRST 13A.
MEMBER CORTEZ, IS THERE AN UPDATE THIS EVENING? NO NEW INFORMATION, MR. MAYOR.
AS FOR 13B KERN COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, THIS MONTH'S MEETING WILL BE ON THURSDAY
[13) b. Kern Council of Government (Garcia)]
AND WE WILL REPORT OUT AT THE NEXT MEETING.[13) c. Wasco Task Force (Martinez & Reyna)]
MEMBERS MARTINEZ AND REYNA.SO THE PRIMARY TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WAS THE FIREWORKS ISSUE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY PRETTY THOROUGHLY HASHED OUT TONIGHT AND JUST ONE KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENT[INAUDIBLE] IS PUTTING ON A JUNETEENTH EVENT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH, I BELIEVE IS THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE EVENT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A JOB FAIR, HOPEFULLY, AND A HEALTH FAIR IN IT.
SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE A GOOD EVENT FOR THE CITY.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WASN'T WASN'T MUCH ELSE DISCUSSED.
JUST TO CLARIFY, YES, THOSE ARE TWO VERY CLOSE EVENTS TO EACH OTHER.
SO I [INAUDIBLE] MIXED UP SO ON JUNE 18TH WILL BE THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND JOB FAIR AT CORMACK PARK FROM 12 TO 3 P.M.
I ACTUALLY JUST SHARE THAT ON MY SOCIAL MEDIAS AND ALSO WENT OUT THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] AND OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL, THE VERY NEXT DAY ON JUNE 9TH WITH THE HOLIDAY JUNETEENTH,
[14) REPORTS FROM KC FIRE AND SHERIFF:]
THE [INAUDIBLE] BAPTISTS AND OTHER LOCAL CLERGY HAVE ORGANIZED THAT FIRST TIME COMMUNITY EVENT IN WASCO.AND THAT IS A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THAT WILL BE AT THE 15TH STREET PARK, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SOUTHGATE PARK ON 13TH AND D STREET.
AND THAT'LL BE, I BELIEVE, AT 11:00 A.M.
AND YOU CAN FIND ALL THOSE FLIERS, INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIAS.
AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE GOING AROUND THROUGH ALL OF OUR MANY LISTSERVS, COMMUNITY BREAKFASTS AND TASK FORCE.
SORRY TO HIJACK YOUR REPORT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
REPORTS FROM THE SERGEANT, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
DO WE HAVE SERGEANT MARTINEZ ON? I'M STILL HERE.
SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE.
I TOUCHED ON THIS AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE WERE PARTAKING OF.
SO WHILE WE WERE IN SESSION LAST MEETING, MY GUYS WERE OUT WORKING THE STREETS IN TEAMS. SO ON TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 1:00 PM AND 8:30 PM DEPUTIES FROM THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, ALONG WITH KERN COUNTY PROBATION OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE KERN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION PAROLE OFFICERS CONDUCTED A SWEEP IN THE COMMUNITY OF WASCO.
DURING THE SWEEP, 11 ARRESTS WERE MADE FOR OPEN CHARGES AND ARREST WARRANTS, AFTER SEARCHING FORTY FIVE RESIDENCES.
IT'S BEEN ASKED FOR A FEW TIMES FOR US TO DO SOME SORT OF ON-SITE [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT, SO THAT'S KIND OF AN INTRODUCTORY OF MORE TO COME.
SO I HOPE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE MORE OFTEN IN THE FUTURE.
SO ON FRIDAY, MAY 7TH, 2021 AT 11:30 AM, A DEPUTY FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT STOP ON A VEHICLE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF E STREET AND 7TH STREET IN WASCO.
DURING A SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE, THE DEPUTY LOCATED TWO FIREARMS, ONE OF WHICH WAS LOADED.
SALVADOR RAYA, A THIRTY ONE YEAR OLD MALE FROM WASCO, WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO
[02:20:04]
THE KERN COUNTY JAIL FOR FELONY AND MISDEMEANOR WEAPONS VIOLATIONS, NO LICENSE PLATE ON HIS VEHICLE, NO PROOF OF INSURANCE AND NO DRIVER'S LICENSE IN POSSESSION.ON SATURDAY, MAY 8TH, AT ABOUT 12:30 IN THE MORNING, DEPUTIES FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION WERE DISPATCHED TO THE 500 BLOCK OF D STREET FOR A SHOOTING THAT'D JUST OCCURRED.
UPON ARRIVAL, DEPUTIES LOCATED A TWENTY SIX YEAR OLD MALE FROM WASCO SUFFERING FROM SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO KERN MEDICAL BY AMBULANCE HELICOPTER AND WAS LATER DETERMINED TO HAVE NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES.
NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THIS CASE, AND THIS INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING.
ANYONE WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS CASE TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT EIGHT SIX ONE THREE ONE ONE ZERO OR THE KERN COUNTY SECRET WITNESS AT AREA CODE SIX SIX ONE THREE TWO TWO FOUR ZERO FOUR ZERO.
OK, I WANT YOU TO WIND BACK THE CLOCK A LITTLE BIT, GIVE YOU A LITTLE UPDATE.
SO ON THE EVENING OF MAY 3RD, KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO THE EIGHT HOUR BLOCK OF BROADWAY FOR A SUBJECT DOWN.
UPON ARRIVAL, DEPUTIES LOCATED A MALE SUBJECT SUFFERING FROM TRAUMA TO HIS BODY.
THE VICTIM WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS JOSE [INAUDIBLE], TWENTY FOUR, WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED.
ON THE MORNING OF MAY 8TH, HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARRESTED AARON GARCIA AGED TWENTY TWO ON A FELONY MURDER WARRANT.
GARCIA WAS BOOKED INTO THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SENT TO A RECEIVING FACILITY FOR MURDER.
ON THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 11, DEPUTIES FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION ARRESTED ANGEL SOTO AGE THIRTY ONE ON A FELONY WARRANT RELATED TO THIS HOMICIDE.
SOTO WAS BOOKED INTO THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SENT TO A RECEIVING FACILITY JAIL FOR ACCESSORY TO MURDER.
OK, ON THURSDAY, MAY 13TH, 2021 AT 7:30 PM, DEPUTIES FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION CONDUCTED A PROBATION SEARCH IN THE NINETEEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF GASTON.
DURING THE PROBATION SEARCH, DEPUTIES LOCATED AN ILLEGAL LOADED FIREARM, SUSPECTED METHAMPHETAMINE AND AN OPERABLE POLICE SCANNER.
DEPUTIES ARRESTED OSCAR DOMINGUEZ, 27TH YEAR OLD MALE FROM WASCO AND DESTINEE RAMIREZ, 18 YEAR OLD FEMALE FROM WASCO.
DOMINGUEZ WAS BOOKED INTO THE KERN COUNTY JAIL FOR FELONY FIREARM POSSESSION, CHARGES, PARTICIPATION IN A CRIMINAL STREET GANG CONSPIRACY, POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND UNLAWFUL USE OF A POLICE SCANNER.
RAMIREZ WAS BOOKED IN THE KERN COUNTY JAIL FOR SEVERAL FELONY FIREARM POSSESSION CHARGES.
PARTICIPATION IN A CRIMINAL STREET GANG, CONSPIRACY, POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND UNLAWFUL USE OF A POLICE SCANNER, ANYONE WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS INVESTIGATION IS REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AGAIN, THE NUMBER EIGHT SIX ONE THREE ONE ONE ZERO OR THE KERN COUNTY SECRET WITNESS, AREA CODE SIX SIX ONE THREE TWO TWO FOUR ZERO FOUR ZERO.
OK, SO I KNOW THE DATA THERE SAYS THE 14TH, BUT ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 12TH, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 A.M., A DEPUTY FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION CONDUCTED A BURGLARY INVESTIGATION AT WASCO HIGH SCHOOL.
DURING THE INVESTIGATION, DEPUTIES DETERMINED ANTONIO RIOS, FORTY SIX YEAR OLD MALE FROM WASCO, WAS THE SUSPECT IN THIS CASE.
ON THE DATE ABOVE, FRIDAY, MAY 14TH.
2021 AT NINE THIRTY A.M., DEPUTIES LOCATED AND ARRESTED RIOS IN THE 600 BLOCK OF BROADWAY.
IN WASCO, RIOS WAS BOOKED INTO THE JAIL FOR BURGLARY, ACTIVE FELONY AND MISDEMEANOR ARREST WARRANTS, POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS AND POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS PARAPHERNALIA.
SO JUST RECENTLY I WORKED WITH THE CITY TO HAVE THE STATS POSTED TO THE WASCO WEBSITE, JUST A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF IT.
CALLS FOR SERVICE, THEY ACTUALLY DECREASED.
WE WENT FROM NINE HUNDRED FORTY TWO IN MARCH TO EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE IN APRIL.
THE TOTAL ARRESTS ACTUALLY INCREASED.
WE ARRESTED EIGHTY FOUR IN MARCH AND WE DID ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE ARRESTS IN APRIL.
TRAFFIC CITATIONS, THIS INCLUDES TRAFFIC AND PARKING ACTUALLY DECREASED.
IT WAS ONE TWENTY ONE IN MARCH AND SIXTY SIX IN APRIL.
[02:25:02]
PATROL CHECKS WENT DOWN, IT WAS ONE FORTY THREE DOWN TO SEVENTY SIX.HOWEVER, NARCOTICS RELATED ARRESTS AND CASES INCREASED FROM NINETEEN TO TWENTY NINE.
SO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE CAMERA REGISTRY.
I'VE ACTUALLY SENT THE FLYERS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I'M GOING TO GET THESE FLYERS POSTED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
GO AHEAD AND SHOW THE NEXT ONE TOO.
SO A BRIEF SUMMARY, ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THIS ONE, YOU SEE A SCAN, THAT'S THE QR CODE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW, ALEX HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO JUST PUT YOUR CAMERA, OVER THAT IMAGE.
AND IT LINKS TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBSITE.
I KNOW WE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE LAST ONE.
SO THIS ONE'S WORKING AND IT'S GOOD.
A LITTLE UPDATE ON THE CAMERA REGISTRY IN WASCO.
WE HAD THIRTY FIVE ON THE LAST MEETING.
AGAIN, AS CHECKING TODAY, THERE WERE THIRTY FIVE.
SO WE NEED TO GET THOSE CAMERAS REGISTERED.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN REGISTERING YOUR CAMERAS, CONTACT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE'LL GET THEM REGISTERED CONTACT.
THERE'S SOME HOW-TOS ON THE WEBSITE.
ALSO, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ HAS ACTUALLY REGISTERED A CAMERA ON LIKE MAYBE YOUTUBE OR ONE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS ABOUT HOW EASY IT WAS.
IT TAKES ABOUT FIVE TO TEN MINUTES.
AND JUST A REMINDER OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR CAMERAS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCESS THOSE.
IT JUST GIVES US A POINT OF CONTACT FOR YOU, AN EMAIL, A PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS THAT YOU HAVE CAMERAS.
SO IF A CRIME OCCURS IN YOUR AREA, WE HAVE A PERSON TO CONTACT.
SO WE'RE NOT OUT THERE POUNDING DOOR TO DOOR TO DOOR, WHICH IS TIME CONSUMING.
SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY OF WASCO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU REPORT AND OF COURSE, THE CAMERA REGISTRY, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS WE COMBAT THIS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE [INAUDIBLE] WASCO.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN TO A CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT TONIGHT, ARE YOU, DIRECTOR
[15) REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER:]
BISHOP? I AM.SO I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT THE LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PLAN MEETING DID SEND OUT A SURVEY FOR AVAILABILITY.
I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES AND REYNA WERE THE TWO THAT WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE MEETINGS.
SO IF YOU GUYS COULD JUST CHECK YOUR EMAIL, THAT MEETING IS GOING TO BE HELD IN JULY AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR AVAILABILITY.
SO IF YOU COULD FILL THAT OUT, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE DRIVEN AROUND THOMAS JEFFERSON, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE BIRCH PROJECT IS UNDERWAY AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO START PAVING TOMORROW.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING A PAVING JOB, THAT WILL START TOMORROW AT EIGHT A.M..
THE DAY CARE DEMOLITION HAS ALSO BEGUN OVER AT THE OLD FARM LABOR HOUSING FOR THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER RETROFIT AND THEN ALSO ON 7TH STREET, IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE CONTRACTOR OUT, HE IS OUT THERE GRINDING THE HAZARDS OUT AND THEY WILL BE REPORTING SOME OF THOSE TREE WELLS AND REPAIRING TRIP HAZARDS.
ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON IS THE ROOF OF THE ANNEX BUILDING OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
THE CONTRACTORS WILL BE ON THE ROOF, REROOFING THAT BUILDING AND WE SHOULDN'T BE EXPERIENCING ANY LEAKS ANYMORE.
AND ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IS GATHERING MORE INFORMATION FROM HIGH SPEED RAIL IN ORDER TO ISSUE THAT ENCROACHMENT PERMIT FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] ROAD CLOSURE.
THE COUNTY DID ISSUE A PERMIT WITH THE START DATE OF FIVE TWENTY FIVE.
THEY HAVEN'T PROVIDED US ALL OF THE INFORMATION AT THIS TIME.
SO AS OF NOW, THE CITY HAS NOT APPROVED AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT FOR THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO KEEP YOU AWARE OF THAT.
THANK YOU, MRS. BISHOP; I APPRECIATE THAT.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT UPDATES.
YES, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN PROJECTS, SO I WILL TRY TO BE OUT THERE TOMORROW MORNING.
THE ANIMAL SHELTER RETROFIT AS WELL.
LASTLY, WE'LL JUMP IN TO CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.
[16) REPORTS FROM CITY COUNCIL:]
MAYOR PRO-TEM REYNA, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS OR ANYTHING? THANK YOU, MAYOR.THANK YOU TO ALL OUR STAFF FOR ALL OF THE WORK THEY DO.
AND PARTICULARLY TODAY, TO DIRECTOR PEREZ AND ALL OF HIS STAFF FOR A VERY
[02:30:01]
DETAILED REPORT REGARDING THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS AND HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET.MEMBER CORTEZ? I WANT TO ECHO MEMBER REYNA'S COMMENTS FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THE STAFF AND THE DIRECTOR FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS PRESENTATION.
TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR EFFORT.
AND THEN YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A GENERAL COMMENT.
I KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING A LOT OF CHALLENGES AT THIS POINT, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, RISING UP TO THOSE CHALLENGES WITH NOT ONLY OUR STAFF BUT MY COLLEAGUES AND AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD WORKING TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE TO HAVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES RESOLVED.
THANK YOU, MEMBER CORTEZ, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
MEMBER MARTINEZ? NOTHING TO COMMENT, SIR.
MEMBER PALLARES, ANYTHING TO ADD, MEMBER PALLARES? YES, [INAUDIBLE] UNMUTE.
TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, I USUALLY DON'T SAY MUCH, BUT THERE YOU GO.
AND TO OUR MAYOR, VERY PROUD OF YOU, WENT OUT THERE FOR THE DAY OF PRAYER, YOU PULLED THAT TOGETHER.
IT WAS AN EVENT I WAS VERY INSPIRED FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME TOGETHER DURING THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
AND MY LAST THING WOULD BE FOR THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, DON'T GIVE UP.
PLEASE REPORT ANY CRIMES YOU SEE WITH THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
LAST THING WE NEED IS THE EXCUSE OF WE NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT.
SO PLEASE KEEP REPORTING ANY ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE.
YES, THAT WAS ONE OF MY UPDATES I WANTED TO FILL FOLKS IN ABOUT.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THE TASK FORCE SET FORTH WAS TO TO HAVE AN EVENT LIKE THIS.
SO I WAS EXCITED AND ENCOURAGED BY THE FAITH COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER, ALL THE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER TO LIFT UP OUR COMMUNITY ON THAT HOLIDAY.
SO IT REALLY WAS A GOOD EVENT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE ON THE 18TH OF NEXT MONTH AND ANOTHER AT CORMACK PARK AND THEN BACK AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AT THE 15TH STREET PARK.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO GET ENGAGED AND GET INVOLVED IN THIS PUBLIC SAFETY MOVEMENT.
THERE'S A PLACE FOR EVERYBODY AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR OWN WAY.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S FIRST ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK WILL BE ZUMBA, NOT THE FIRST ACTIVITY EVER IN THE PARK, BUT THE FIRST ACTIVITY IN THIS PARK IN A WHILE.
THAT'S ZUMBA THAT WAS ORGANIZED THROUGH THE TASK FORCE AS WELL IN THE PARK.
THAT'S GOING TO BE TOMORROW EVENING AT SIX THIRTY.
IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY EXCITING TIME.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME, AND AT THE SAME TIME, BRING ACTIVITY AND LIFE TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, PLEASE JOIN US.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS GREENFIELD WALKING GROUP IS IS GRACIOUSLY LETTING US ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS TO HELP US GET THIS SET UP, ONE OF OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS, MERCEDES [INAUDIBLE], IS REALLY LEADING THAT EFFORT AS WELL LOCALLY.
I'M EXCITED TO GET OUT THERE AND SWEAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO JOIN US IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE.
ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY THAT CAN HEAR THIS INVITATION.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE CAMERA REGISTRY.
AND, YOU KNOW, ON THAT NOTE, YOU KNOW, BEING THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS MOMENT, FOR EVERYBODY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THAT IS THIS RISING TREND IN CRIME.
LIKE ALL IDEAS, YOU KNOW, WE IMPLEMENT AND THEN WE REASSESS, AND WHAT I HAVE NOTICED IS WE HAVE PLATEAUED IN THE NUMBER OF REGISTRIES, BUT IN DISCUSSION WITH STAFF MARIANA, IN HER INFINITE WISDOM, PROVIDED ME A REALLY GREAT IDEA THAT I'D LIKE TO PROFFER TO THE COUNCIL AND POSSIBLY BRING UP DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS IS TWEAKING THAT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GIFT CARDS OR AN INCENTIVE ALSO TO THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS.
MAYBE THEY AREN'T IN A POSITION TO PURCHASE NEW ONES, OR MAYBE THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME THAT, OF COURSE, MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE REGISTRY PROGRAM, BUT ALSO INCLUDING THEM, MAYBE A SMALL TWENTY FIVE DOLLAR GIFT CARD TO A LOCAL BUSINESS WAS SUGGESTED.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA AND A WORTHWHILE EXPLORING IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET
[02:35:01]
DISCUSSIONS, AS THE OTHER MEMBERS ALLUDED TO ALLUDED TO.WE ARE CERTAINLY TREADING THROUGH TURBULENT TIMES, NOT ONLY THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, BUT, OF COURSE, THROUGH JUST CHANGES, OF COURSE, AND THESE THINGS JUST HAPPEN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND I APPRECIATE DEEPLY THE DIRECTORS AND THE STAFF AND OF COURSE, MY COLLEAGUES FOR WORKING TOGETHER AND REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WORKING TOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AD HOC COMMITTEES ALL THE TIME THAT ARE MEETING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AS WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR WORK AND DEDICATION TO EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON AT THE CITY.
SO LASTLY, THANKS AGAIN FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT TO THESE WONDERFUL UPDATES.
THEY REALLY ARE AN IMPROVEMENT FROM THE PAST, BEING ABLE TO BEING TRANSPARENT AND CLEAR, VERY USER FRIENDLY AND UNDERSTANDING OUR BUDGET.
AND AS WE COME UP ON THAT BUDGET PROCESS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THAT.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE NO FURTHER BUSINESS, NO CLOSED SESSION.
I WILL SEE YOU ON JUNE 1ST FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH COMING THEN.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO ADJOURN.
GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.