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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20220303 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) March 3, 2022 Board Meeting 22-07 *Approved by the Board of Directors on March 9, 2022 SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Thursday, March 3, 2022 The Board of Directors conducted this meeting in accordance with California Government Code section 54953(e) and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Resolution 21-33. All Board members and staff participated via teleconference. APPROVED MINUTES* SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT President Kersteen-Tucker called the special meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to order at 9:31 a.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Jed Cyr, Larry Hassett, Karen Holman, Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, Yoriko Kishimoto, Curt Riffle, and Pete Siemens Members Absent: None Staff Present: General Manager Ana Ruiz, General Counsel Hilary Stevenson, Assistant General Manager Brian Malone, Assistant General Manager Susanna Chan, Chief Financial Officer/Director of Administrative Services Stefan Jaskulak, District Clerk/Assistant to the General Manager Jennifer Woodworth, Budget & Analysis Manager Rafaela Duran, Senior Capital Project Manager Scott Reeves, Senior Capital Project Manager Tanisha Werner, Finance Manager Andrew Taylor, Human Resources Manager Candice Basnight, Information Services & Technology Manager Casey Hiatt, Land & Facilities Manager Brandon Stewart, Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington, Planning Manager Jane Mark, Public Affairs Manager Kori Skinner, Real Property Manager Mike Williams, Visitor Services Manager Matt Andersen President Kersteen-Tucker announced this meeting is being held in accordance with Government Code section 54953(e) and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Resolution 21-33, allowing Board members to participate remotely. The District has done its best to conduct a meeting where everyone has an opportunity to listen to the meeting and to provide comment. The public has the opportunity to comment on the agenda, and the opportunity to listen to this meeting through the internet or via telephone. This information can be found on the meeting Meeting 22-07 Page 2 agenda, which was physically posted at the District’s Administrative Office, and on the District website. President Kersteen-Tucker described the process and protocols for the meeting. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS District Clerk Jennifer Woodworth reported no public comments had been submitted. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: Director Riffle moved, and Director Cyr seconded the motion to adopt the agenda. ROLL CALL VOTE: 7-0-0 1. Fiscal Year 2022-23 through Fiscal Year 2024-25 Capital Improvement and Action Plan Review (R-22-30) General Manager Ana Ruiz provided opening comments summarizing the agenda topics for the retreat. This is the first year that staff is presenting a true three-year capital improvement and action plan (CIAP) to better allocate staffing and funding resources and meet long-term project goals. Chief Financial Officer/Director of Administrative Services Stefan Jaskulak reviewed the budget planning cycle. Mr. Jaskulak described the preliminary fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY23) budget, including proposed expenditures and estimated revenues and reviewed the key themes and updates to the Strategic Goals and Objectives from the December 9, 2021 Board retreat. Mr. Jaskulak reviewed the FY23-FY25 Capital Improvement and Action Plan (CIAP) priorities and Measure AA five-year list of projects and progress on each. Mr. Jaskulak described the development of the proposed FY23-25 CIAP, including resource loading, application of the Board-approved Measure AA prioritization criteria, and the Vision Plan. Mr. Jaskulak reviewed the grant and partnership funding secured for FY23 projects. Director Riffle suggested it would be interesting to view budget trends for the various budget programs. Mr. Jaskulak reported the total amount of budget program has remained balanced throughout the recent years, and staff can provide additional information regarding the number of projects for each program at the upcoming Action Plan and Budget Committee meeting. Public comments opened at 10:11 a.m. Ms. Woodworth reported no public comments had been submitted. Public comments closed at 10:11 a.m. The Board reviewed the four programs of the draft CIAP, requested and received clarification regarding the projects included. Assistant General Manager Susanna Chan reviewed the land acquisition and preservation program describing potential opportunities for new land acquisitions and land conservation, Meeting 22-07 Page 3 including the proposed Cloverdale Ranch purchase and finalizing the Johnston Ranch purchase and other conservation projects in southern Santa Clara County, and potential trail and access easements to support trail connections. Finally, staff plans to complete the District’s land conservation guiding document to use GIS to identify land conservation priorities and documenting best practices. Public comments opened at 10:33 a.m. Ms. Woodworth read the submitted public comments into the record. Daniel Olstein, Director of Land Stewardship with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), thanked the District for its ongoing collaboration and spoke in support of protecting Cloverdale Ranch and opportunities to educate and engage with the public as part of the project. Mr. Olstein spoke in support of the District updating its agricultural policy. Public comments closed at 10:35 a.m. The Board recessed at 10:37 a.m. and reconvened at 10:45 a.m. with all directors present. Assistant General Manager Brian Malone reviewed projects associated with the natural resource protection and restoration program, including policy review and development (agricultural and mitigation policies and carbon storage study), ethnobotanical inventory for tribal partnerships, districtwide aquatic habitat assessment and eDNA collection, Highway 17 wildlife crossing, Lehigh Quarry oversight role, various agricultural and restoration projects, drought response and resiliency plan, wildland fire resiliency program. Director Holman spoke in support of the ethnobotanical inventory project and inquired regarding protections against potential damage to natural resources resulting from the project. Mr. Malone stated the permits do have limits on the amount of material allowed to be harvested to continue to protect natural resources. Director Holman spoke in support of the District advocating for requiring agencies that build roads to account for the potentially negative impact of the road on wildlife corridors. Public comments opened at 12:13 p.m. Ms. Woodworth reported no public comments were submitted. Public comments closed at 12:13 p.m. The Board recessed at 12:14 p.m. and reconvened at 12:46 p.m. with all directors present. Ms. Chan reviewed projects in the public access, education, and outreach program, including the Purisima-to-the-Sea Trail and parking lot, Highway 35 multi-use trail crossing and parking, Alpine Road Regional Trail, Highway 17 crossing, regional trail connections, and increasing public access and La Honda Creek and Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserves (OSP). Additionally, projects supporting public access at the Hawthorns area, multimodal access to Rancho San Antonio and Purisima OSPs, and ADA barrier removal continue to move forward. Meeting 22-07 Page 4 Director Riffle spoke in support of continuing to move forward with building the Phase II trails at La Honda Open Space Preserve. Director Riffle inquired if the proposed agricultural education areas have been relocated from the Red Barn area. Ms. Chan stated that based on the recommendations from the La Honda Public Access Working Group, the proposed agricultural education areas are being considered for the “former residence/dog kennel” area of the preserve near Sears Ranch Road trailhead. Director Siemens suggested adding a public access project to the CIAP to open a new hiking trail at Mount Umunhum as was mentioned by a member of the public at a recent Board meeting. Ms. Ruiz reported staff has looked at this requested trail and stated a previous agreement between the District and the neighboring property owner currently prevents public access to the ridge and required a fence being built at the location. Director Holman requested and received additional information regarding the costs of trail construction costs for the Hawthorns area as compared to similarly-sized preserves and inquired what the District will receive in exchange for the rerouting of the Alpine Road Trail. Ms. Ruiz stated the District will work with Portola Valley to discuss opportunities for supporting the Alpine Road Trail project, including potential cost-sharing or other options. Public comments opened at 1:40 p.m. Craig Gleason spoke in support of the proposed bike route at Bear Creek Redwoods and suggested the District consider user experience for all users when designing trails. Public comments closed at 1:42 p.m. The Board recessed at 1:53 p.m. and reconvened at 1:51 p.m. with all directors present. Mr. Malone reviewed projects in the assets and organizational support program, including updates to Board policies and procedures, updating the Financial and Organizational Sustainability Model (FOSM), implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, radio system assessment and upgrade, 50th anniversary events, and the new administrative office. Director Riffle stated the FOSM was originally based on implementing the Vision Plan and commented on various factors that were not in place when the Vision Plan was adopted. Environmental factors, such as climate change, wildfire danger, COVID-19 impacts, etc., will need to be addressed in the upcoming FOSM project. Director Siemens left the meeting at 2:15 p.m. Director Hassett stated that in updating the Good Neighbor Policy, the District will need to better define neighbor to be understood as the community, and not only the immediate neighbors to the District’s preserves. Public comments opened at 2:31 p.m. Meeting 22-07 Page 5 Ms. Woodworth reported no public comments were submitted. Public comments closed at 2:31 p.m. Mr. Malone reviewed CIAP projects to support various areas of interest, including agriculture and diversity. President Kersteen-Tucker and the other Board members thanked staff for their efforts to prepare for the retreat and ongoing support for the District. Director Hassett asked that the meeting be adjourned in the memory of Don Aitken who recently passed away and who was instrumental in supporting environmental issues in the region. Motion: Director Kishimoto moved, and Director Cyr seconded the motion to affirm the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-23 and Fiscal Year 2023-25 Capital Improvement and Action Plan. ROLL CALL VOTE: 6-0-0 (Director Siemens absent) ADJOURNMENT President Kersteen-Tucker adjourned the special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in memory of Don Aitken at 2:46 p.m. ________________________________ Jennifer Woodworth, MMC District Clerk