BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Good morning everybody and welcome to this regular meeting of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors of June 19th, 2012. We're glad you're with us today. Mr. Allen would you start us off by calling the roll please?

Mr. Lavagnino? Here! Mr. Carbajal? Ms. Wolfe? Here. Ms. Gray? Present. Ms Farr?

Here. Thank you. Would you all

for all.

Okay and we have our minutes of the meeting of May 22nd if there are no changes or corrections I'll entertain a motion to approve. Motion. Do we have a second? Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries, thank you very much. We'll go right into our public comment period. Supervisor Lavagnino I understand you wanted to say something.

Thank You Madam Chair. I've been instructed that just for clarification purposes that we want to make an announcement In our stand down event, we will also be having this open to San Luis Obispo County residents and veterans. And we were going to be doing that by providing them the opportunity by picking them up at the slow Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter. So I think it was just clarification to let folks know that there were some people outside the county that will be being

served.

October 13th Saturday

That's going to be a wonderful event. Thank you, Supervisor Lavagnino for organizing that with your staff. Other members of the board that have public comment to make at this time? Any announcements? Any members of the public? Mr. Allen, I want to

speak. No request to speak.

Okay well then before we conclude public comment I'd like to go ahead and honor our volunteer for this week Judith Rubenstein She's going to be leaving soon for Rwanda to work with the Mediators Beyond Borders Team Rwanda. Mediators Beyond Borders is a volunteer organization with a unique interdisciplinary model which brings together mediators and allied professionals to collaborate on building capacity for peace around the world.

This is Judith's second trip to Rwanda in less than a year, and she expects to go a third time in 2013. Based on an assessment trip last year, Judith's team is developing a unique trauma-infused mediation training model that incorporates advanced mediation skills with trauma healing techniques to support reconciliation in Rwanda's post-genocide environment. The team will help Rwandans address the PTSD experienced by an entire nation who lived through the horrific genocide of 1994 in which a million people were slaughtered in less than 100 days.

Judith says that this trip is crucial for the project because her team will be conducting the first training of trainers of trauma-informed mediation. The team is comprised of volunteer mediators and psychotherapists, and Judith is the only experienced mediation trainer on the team. Judith exemplifies the best in volunteers giving from the heart. Thank you so much, Judith for your work and the work of your team in this important endeavor.

Thank you. And with that, we'll go ahead and move on then from public comment to our administrative agenda. Are there any items that we want to have pulled? Supervisor Lavagnino?

Madam Chair I have A35.

Okay. Mr. Allen did you say that you wanted to make an announcement about one of them too?

Madam Chair, members of the Board. Yes I just have a quick clarification actually correction on the name on item A5 this is an item from Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services to consider recommendations regarding contracts and contract amendments for adult mental health services for July 1 2012 through June 30 2013. On Item C it references Frank Burge MD for the contract and I just want to correct that that's Fred Burge I'm sorry, what? That name should read Fred Burge not Frank Burge on item C. I just wanted to clarify that for the record and then if you'd like to

Supervisor Lavagnino.

Thank you Madam Chair, I think during our last budget hearings we all expressed how important we felt the Human Services Commission is so this is a appointment that I didn't take lightly Mr. Gibbons is here today he's a former executive from the aerospace industry brings a wealth of experience and a very motivated attitude to assist us in human services commission so I just wanted to recognize him today and let him know that very appreciative of his service

Great, thank you Mr. Gibbons we do appreciate your service. Alright any other items to be pulled from the administrative agenda? Otherwise, we'll go ahead and we'll go to our resolutions that need to be presented. The first one is our Resolution of Accommodation honoring Robert Roger Icola of the Public Defender's Office as our June 2012 County of Santa Barbara Employee of the Month. We're always so happy to do this to honor individuals in our county family as well as the departments that they represent And Mr. Icola is here, he's been in the Public Defender's Office since 1989. It sounds like he has handled every type of case that we can have and I'm sure that we will hear some more about it and his wonderful achievements in the resolution.

So perhaps I could have Mr. Ikola come forward? Is he here? Good morning, thank you for being here. And so we're going to have Mr. Allen read the resolution and then we'll present it.

Thank you Madam Chair, members of the Board. Item A-1 is a resolution of commendation for Robert Roger Icola. He's a Santa Barbara County Employee of the Month for June 2012. Whereas Robert Roger Icola, a member of one of the pioneering families of the Central Coast and the Santa Maria Valley continues his family tradition of contributing to our community through their efforts in entrepreneurial agricultural medical and legal professions And whereas, Robert who many of us know as Ike or Bob Icola is a graduate of Ernest Righetti High School, the University of Southern California and the University of San Diego School of Law has been an attorney in the Santa Maria office of the Santa Barbara County Public Defender since 1989. And whereas, Robert has distinguished himself with vigorous and tireless advocate for clients represented by the public defender's office having represented clients in every type of case held by the public defender Felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile petitions, conservatorships, civil commitments and civil contempts.

And whereas because of his work ethic and skill Robert Acola has been entrusted with the task of representing clients charged with the most serious offenses that come before the Superior Court those carrying the death penalty where he has been devoting countless hours representing clients in two different cases who were initially charged with crimes carrying the death penalty And whereas, Robert has not only excelled in representing clients but has also demonstrated an aptitude for sharing those skills with the other lawyers in the office where his example of ethical representation and enthusiastic and dedicated approach to his work at the Public Defender's Office encourages those around him to achieve their highest level of competence.

And whereas, even with their tremendous responsibilities, Robert Roger Iacola assumes he makes time to spend with his wife Donna, his family, to make wine and to restore his classic MGP Roadster and remodel his home. Now therefore be it in this hereby ordered and resolved that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors commends Robert Roger Iacola for his exceptional and continuous contributions to the work of Santa Barbara County by naming him as Employee of the Month for June 2012. Passed and adopted today.

Thank you very much. I truly appreciate the recognition. I went to kindergarten here in Santa Maria, Main Street Elementary School that no longer exists. My parents bought my school clothes at Haslam's and I built my science project with devices and hardware bought from Bryant & Trott Hardware Store. My parents built a house with a fireplace from the Bradley Hotel Which I clearly remember.

I have a commitment to our community and Santa Barbara County. I've lived here all my life, since I was five years old. I plan on taking my last breath here in Santa Barbara County. Santa Barbara County and Santa Maria Valley is very important to me. And as a public defender, I have a commitment to justice It's the people of Santa Barbara County, and it's important to me to honor that commitment. My professional commitment and my ethical commitment as a resident of Santa Barbara County.

I think that the work that's required to be a public defender And the commitment involved is something that comes from an interest and values, and something that is actually bigger than ourselves. As public defenders we have a commitment to something that is bigger than ourselves. Something that is bigger than our relationship and our duty to our employer. I do everything I can to honor that commitment.

I could not do it but for the support of my wife and my family I put in more 55 and 60 hour weeks than I care to remember. And they have shared that commitment to our county with me by sacrificing their own time, their own lives. And I think that's important to remember. But I think the important thing today is that we need to remember and honor and respect the contribution of all the employees of the Public Defender's Office My fellow attorneys, staff and management share a common commitment to the system of justice and a commitment to ideas that are more important than ourselves.

And every employee of the Public Defender's Office works tirelessly And when the Public Defender's Office budget is cut, we do not work fewer hours. Our employees are overtime exempt. But it's their commitment to the ideals that we all share and their desire to contribute to Santa Maria Valley that keeps us going. It's a commitment that we're proud to make and a sacrifice that we're proud to give back to the community in Santa Barbara County And I love Santa Barbara County and I greatly respect all the employees of Santa Barbara County, particularly those in the Public Defender's Office who work tirelessly to make Santa Barbara County a better place.

And I respect and honor the commitment of their families who have given up their time Their spouses to work significant overtime, contributing to our community. And I think that kind of contribution although it's painful at the time that is made in the end it makes us all better people and I appreciate the opportunity to work for Santa Barbara County and I deeply thank you all.

Thank you so very

much.

That was wonderful, thank you again. We're going to turn now to Supervisor Gray who's going to be presenting the next two resolutions. Supervisor Gray? Thank you.

This resolution is so overdue I'm all but embarrassed. So Mike if you'll just read the beginning and then I want to talk a minute and then I'm gonna ask Don to come up here.

Madam Chair, members of the board this is a resolution honoring Dawn Ward recipient of the Friends of Waller Park Arbor Day Award for 2012

And we're talking about Arbor Day and Don and Friends of Waller Park. But what I want to say is Don has basically been the very beginning of the Friends of Waller Park before that, I mean there were no friends it was just one park commissioner And Don and a group of citizens got together and really made Friends of Waller Park what it is today. And that's huge, and he's still doing it.

But then he also single-handedly has kept our water rates really reasonable. So between those two things and just I think now enjoying life, I'm just excited to be able to recognize Don Ward and say to him again. Don, I am sorry that you didn't get this a long time ago because wow! So Michael if you'll read this, I will go up and present it to Don.

Madam Chair and members of the Board, this is a resolution honoring Don Ward, the recipient of the Friends of Waller Park Arbor Day Award for 2012. Don Ward has served for 25 years on the board of Friends of Waller Park and his leadership and dedication as chairman for the past 19 years has been instrumental in many improvements to the park. And whereas, among those improvements were the installation of four new children's play structures, a 27-hole disc golf course and the planting of more than 2,000 new trees adding beauty and shade to the park.

Don along with many other volunteers have contributed their time and efforts to hundreds of smaller projects in the park worth over half a million dollars. And whereas, Don is a charter member of the Central Coast Green Team, a nonprofit organization that works diligently to improve the environment of northern Santa Barbara County Don also served for 24 years on the Santa Barbara County APCD Hearing Board presiding as Chairman and Vice-Chairman on numerous occasions. And whereas, Don serves on the board of the Orkut Area Advisory Group working on land use and water issues which contributed to the development of the Orkut Community Plan As chairman of the Water Committee since 1992, Don has worked with the California Public Utilities Commission and the Division of Ratepayers Advocates to ensure that Orchid's private water company provides Orchid with clean safe water at a fair cost to the rate payers resulting in Orchids rates being one quarter of the cost of the city of Santa Maria for the same unit of water.

And whereas the Friends of Waller Park have presented Don Ward with the Friends of Waller Park Arbor Day Award for 2012 and are indebted to him for all he has done for Waller Park Now therefore be it ordered and resolved that the Board of Supervisors recognizes Don Ward for his dedication of time, hard work and service to his community and honors him as a recipient of the Friends of Waller Park Arbor Day Award for 2012. Passed and adopted today.

I thank the Board of Supervisors for this great honor and specifically Supervisor Gray for presenting the resolution. I don't always agree with all the board's philosophies or decisions, but I know you all work hard and try to do the right thing and work for very little pay On the other hand, I deal with children's play structures as you noted and planting of hundreds of trees, thousands of trees.

Low price safe water for the orchid area and other interesting endeavors. I do this by choice as a volunteer and my pay is an abundance of joy and satisfaction. I respect the importance work that you do, but I wouldn't have your job for all the strawberries and all broccoli in Santa Maria Valley. I accept this award as a surrogate for the Friends of Walter Park Board of Supervisors and loyal membership And the many community supporters and volunteers.

You can't imagine how that is, the people year after year be members of the Waller Park community and our very small dues nine times out of ten people pay more than their dues to become a member I leave you with a Greek proverb that I quoted at the annual Arbor Day celebration. A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

Please accept my deepest gratitude.

Thank you very

much.

Mr. Ward, Don, if you want to stay for a second. I wanted to pile on here a little bit. I've been going to Waller Park since, I think, I was in a stroller. Had great memories there, some not so great.

You

remember when they had the bird aviary sanctuary? I had a rabbit and my dad told me if I didn't clean the rabbit cage at home that's where he was gonna take her. He motivated me but... There was a time, I remember in the 70s when it wasn't... It was kind of a scary place to go and we stayed away from it for a while. And I just really want to thank the friends at Waller Park because you've turned it around again to where great place for me to take my family. I know you're all volunteers and I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of my family and all the residents of Santa Maria. You guys do a great job.

I appreciate that. One of the things we did early on was to have a family day in the park and our goal was never to make money on that, it was just to get the people back in to understand that the park is safe as it became more and more beautiful so everybody come to stay in the park And I think we have a real leg up now that we have a CEO named Waller.

There you go. All right, thank you. All right. Why don't we go ahead then? Supervisor Gray, is Ms. Flagg here?

You know, Ms. Flagg isn't here. It's a resolution she just called last night and said she had to attend the funeral of a close friend. But just to basically thank Ms. Flagg for being kind of the center of Orcutt. She has a wonderful restaurant in Orcuttt It's kind of the place that everybody goes to talk about what's going on. So it's just a recognition, I'll take it by the restaurant and maybe get a free cup of coffee.

Alright, well with that why don't we go ahead and approve the administrative agenda. Motion? Second? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. We've had a request for public comment and since we didn't really have one before from the public I'll go ahead and honor that before we begin our departmental agenda. Mr. Caldwell

Somebody may want to try to catch Don or you're still here. You forgot your resolution.

I thought I'd leave it for you.

I don't get too many of those. Madam Chair, members of the board, I'm Andy Caldwell representing COLAB. I want to talk with you in retrospect about the budget hearings I've realized that there's not a whole lot of people that show up unless they have one incredibly important item to them, like last week or this year it was the alcohol drug and mental health issues or the veteran service which can pack out a room.

And I know every once in awhile you might have Occasional gap flight that wants to take up 30 minutes of your day. And so I understand that there's a limit to how much time you can afford to public comment, but I don't think there's a limit to how much time you can afford for deliberation. In years past, I've always been frustrated that this is the one time of the year When you really do set the policy via allocation of dollars that spends $800 million of taxpayer money, $800 million and you guide the workload of nearly 4,000 employees for the year.

And we've always felt that you should spend more time and years ago I impressed upon the board the idea Visiting one department at a time per week and really digging deep into what they did, how they did it. How they staffed it? Who paid for it? Whether their performance measures really told you anything meaningful? And the board did it! But they were sabotaged by what I'm going to call the proverbial dog and pony show, where the staff showed up and just gave a cursory overview.

Showed the positive things they were doing but there really wasn't any scrutiny. CoLab years ago, the first five or six years we were around, we didn't read the budget and I didn't go to the budget hearings. A, because I couldn't understand them they were more like financial reports than a performance based budget but when we found out back then that the county couldn't afford Public safety, because back then we needed a county jail. The roads and bridges and streets were backlogged maintenance. And there were other problems. We started saying well if you can't afford these basics what are you spending your money on? And that's why we started reading the budget. I was a former manager with a couple hundred employees When we were having a hard time making payroll and paying the bills, we started scrutinizing everything we've done or we were doing.

We still have not seen that level of scrutiny from this board or any of the ones previous. And I think it's a function of time, patience and hard work. Thank you.

All right, we'll now go back and we'll start our departmental agenda. And the first item comes from the County Executive Office and presentation by Ms. Mosvissage. Mr. Allen if you read that into the record please?

Madam Chair, members of the Board, Item 1 is from the County Executive Office it's a hearing to consider recommendations regarding AB 1500 and AB 1501 the Middle Class Scholarship Act

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the board. This item is on your agenda today for consideration of a position on AB 1500 and its companion legislation, AB 1501. At the June 4 legislative committee staff was requested to bring this item before the full board as it does not directly pertain to the legislative principles and platform previously adopted by the board The bills before you were authored by Assembly Speaker John Perez. However, I should also note that they were also co-authored by a number of Assemblymen as well as Senators including Assemblyperson Doss Williams.

Dawes-Williams, Assemblyperson Dawes Williams has requested that the Board of Supervisors formally review this item and take a position as well. Passage of the bill while revenue neutral requires a two third majority in each house therefore broad based support from local government education and business is important to the author. Let me go back real quick I'll go through each bill very quickly. AB 1500, as part of the 910 budget package a $1 billion tax and corporation tax apportionment break was provided to out-of-state corporations by allowing them to choose the most advantageous tax formula This resulted in an economic disadvantage to California and various businesses, including or discouraging production and hiring outside of the state.

This resulted in a $1 billion loss in tax revenue to the State of California. Since 2003-4, state budget challenges and the inability to increase revenue have caused higher education fees including a 145% increase for UC students and a 191% increase for Cal State University students. The Legislative Analyst's Office in a report dated January 6 stated that the fiscal effects of a mandatory single sales tax factor apportionment formula, which is not in effect now, would result in about a $1 billion revenue increase by fiscal year 2013-14 and in effect close the tax loop that was created in 2009-10.

The Franchise Tax Board also estimates that moving to a mandatory single sales tax factor effective January 1, 2012 would increase general fund revenues by $1 billion for 13-14 compared to the existing law. AB 1500 closes the $1 billion corporate tax benefit to out-of-state and multinational corporations, and deposits the revenue in a middle class scholarship fund account to use to finance, which I will discuss in a moment, the Middle Class Scholarship Act.

AB 1500 revises the rules that determines whether a corporate taxpayer is in fact doing business within the state of California. And as noted, makes the single sales tax factor mandatory. Presently, multi-state and multinational corporations functioning within the State of California are only required to pay a proportion of their overall taxing to the State of California. So basically, corporations can choose which tax apportioned method benefits them most. Which then results in the unfortunate loss of tax revenue to the state.

In terms of AB 1501, this acknowledges existing law that the UC system and the Cal State system may require mandatory system-wide fees to be paid by students in these institutions. It establishes the middle class scholarship program under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Further, it provides that commencing with the 12-13 academic year or this fall undergraduate students enrolled in the UC or CSU system would receive a scholarship award that combined with other financial aid received by an eligible student would be at least two thirds of the amount charged to students for mandatory system wide fees in an academic year.

A student will be eligible for the scholarship if they meet the following conditions. The annual household income could not exceed $150,000 and a student is a resident of the state or exempt from paying non-resident tuition. In addition, it provides that a student whose annual household income exceeds $150,000 but does not exceed $160,000 and would otherwise meet requirements would receive scholarship that is reduced by 10% for each $1,000 by which his or her annual household income exceeds $150,000.

In addition, it would appropriate $150 million from the Middle Class Scholarship Fund to the Chancellor of Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts based on calculations for full-time equivalent students. AB 1501 would only become operative if AB 1500 takes effect in the 2011-12 regular session. Also, AB 1501 stipulates that this legislation is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute and AB 1501 is double joined with AB 1500 requiring both bills to be passed and signed into law by Governor Brown for the middle class scholarship act to become law.

A couple of the key concepts as I mentioned, it addresses families with incomes less than $150,000. It reduces the total fees within the UC system and the Cal State system by approximately two-third. And where I note that its costs are one billion per year, it's actually revenue neutral. The cost of the program is one billion per year but the taxes that would be generate from the change to single sales tax factor would be one billion a year. And as noted it modifies the single sales tax factor formula for out-of-state corporations.

Those in support of this legislation include the University of California, the City of Los Angeles and the City of Berkeley. CSAC is currently looking at this bill. And those in opposition include the Coalition of Employers Against Higher Taxes which is comprised of Chrysler Corporation, General Motors, International Paper and Kimberly-Clark. In addition multiple chambers of commerce, the California Chamber of Commerce as opposed to this bill.

The recommendation is to consider whether to take a position on AB 1500 and 1501, and direct staff to communicate the board's position to the California State Legislative Delegation. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you Ms. Nisich. Any questions

from the Board?

Supervisor Wolk? Thank you Madam Chair. Ms. Nissich, you mentioned $150 million going to community colleges So that is, that's not a scholarship piece. That's directly to community colleges to help fund them?

Yes Madam Chair and Supervisor Wolff, that is the case. It goes directly in apportioned to the junior colleges. All right thank you.

Any other questions? Okay well I believe we have two public speakers Mr. Allen.

Yes Madam Chair we have two requests to speak. We'll start in Santa Barbara with Hilary Blackerby followed by Andy Caldwell here in Santa Maria.

Good morning Miss Blackerby.

Thank you so much, Supervisor Farr and Board. I want to thank you for taking this item up. Thank you to Ms. Misich for explaining all the intricacies of it but the bottom line is and she mentioned this UC fees which definitely affect your constituents have increased by 145% since 2003-2004 school year As you have experienced, having a large UC in your district, in your county, it's really changed the face of who is able to afford higher education in our community. Currently, we can talk about percentages but to go to a UC the system-wide fees are $12,192 a year which for some of you who went to UCs when it was nearly free is kind of a shock to the system.

We do think that this fixing the single sales factor will level the playing field for California companies. Note that the companies that are opposed are all out-of-state companies who benefit from taking jobs out of the state, the way it's currently set up and I know there were only three Entities listed as support, but I have pages and pages of organizations.

Companies Qualcomm recently signed on Cisco California companies in California community groups that are extremely supportive of this and see how important it could be. Also, looking on a local level what this could mean for UC students or CSU students at Channel Islands or community college students. It could mean that instead of leaving school with staggering debt and having to move back home or to LA or to the Bay Area or out-of-state they would actually be able to stay here because of the high cost of living, stay here and give back to the community I'm The work of making community colleges more affordable. I'm happy to answer any questions that anyone might have, and thanks again for taking us up.

Thank you. All right? Mr. Caldwell. Mr. Caldwell.

Madam Chair, members of the board. Who pays taxes? Who's going to pay that $1 billion? Do corporations pay taxes or do consumers pay taxes? Do you think that those corporations are going to take a billion dollars out of their bottom line profit, or they're gonna raise their prices and you just instituted a tax hike to all consumers in the state of California that for instance buy cars.

When was, you know, you guys have gone through four years of fiscal bloodbath due to pensions, salaries and benefits. Have you read one headline at the UC or Cal State system doing the same? How are they doing on their pension crises? Do you know that they quit paying into their pension fund a number of years ago and that their pension losses in deficit at one time was $20 billion just the UC Do you think maybe you need more information as to whether or not the taxpayers and the students are actually being asked to continue to supplement salaries, benefits and pensions through the Cal State College system because they've not made or instituted any meaningful reforms?

Do you think the state of California needs yet one more dedicated tax revenue that ties up the legislature from being able to prioritize where their biggest needs are? That the money's generated here automatically goes there and nobody could say anything about how that money is spent. Is that how would you guys like that? You don't really when you think about it in terms of how much your budget is dictated by the state and federal government, and you have very little control over those programs.

The bottom line here is I ran this by two or three people. Nobody could explain to me exactly what the difference is in who's being taxed now and who's going to be taxed later, and what the difference is. Can't explain it. I'd love to give you a true false test right now to see if you could. But the bottom line, a billion dollar increase in taxes is going to be paid by California consumers A and B. You don't have any information up here as how this money is gonna be spent and whether it's being spent wisely.

We think it's amazing that those college students have protested the fee increases, but have never been told why the fees are going through the roof. And we all know the number one cost driver right now in government at every level in California is unfunded pension debt. And until they start doing some of the reforms that you've done and some of them that Jerry Brown is asking for, we're telling them no more money.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Caldwell. Supervisor Lavinino?

Thank you Madam Chair I as a parent of somebody that recently graduated from the UC system I do find the fees exorbitant and somewhat ridiculous but to address it in this manner to me is one of the problems that I see with Sacramento is that you know we have in Sacramento they run through thousands of bills on a single day because they put everything off and they don't really have time to analyze I think Mr. Caldwell brought up a good point, is that this is a complicated tax shift when you're talking about billion with a B it would be nice to have more than five minutes to figure out if I want to put my name on something like this although he made it very easy for me this morning when I read the Santa Barbara News Press under the headline UC system faces mounting pension costs and it did talk about that A UC Berkeley economist, his quote was the Regents made a serious error and the legislature made a serious error by not putting money aside for almost 20 years while accumulating an obligation.

They have almost roughly 10 billion in unfunded liability. They pointed out that there were over 2,000 UC retirees drawing annual pensions over 100,000, 57 with pensions over 200,000 and then a few additional with over 300,000. The number of UC retirees collecting six-figure pinches increased by 30% over the past two years. So, the cost of a college education is being placed on the student And until UC and CSU system take a stand and figure out a way to get their costs under control, I see no reason for me to support trying for them to deflect some of this onto business.

I don't know if that's a good idea of trying to get the single tax structure I don't have enough to go on that might actually, you know be an idea down the road but as far as for the money to go to the UC system through this tax increase until they get pension reform. I'm not interested in supporting something like this.

Thank You Supervisor Levin.

To point the problem out with what we're looking at here, it's convoluted and complicated to the point that it's almost unenforceable or undeterminable. And the one good idea is to look at and redefine the corporate tax law that pertains to single source Factor but we but we're not doing this. We're starting there and then going into dedicated as to where it goes And then we have to set up a commission that determines who qualifies for getting Those dollars that maybe come from the single source It's just simply not workable. It's kind of one of those things where you compile complicated unclear ideas together because a I've certainly would like to see Help to the college level. It would be great if it could be back to the same price that it was when we went to college I would like to see this this corporate tax that pertains to the single sales factor change so that we can control that flight But this is just not the mechanism by which to do it

Thank You supervisor great supervisor

wolf, thank you madam chair When you sat on the Ledge Committee, did you have any public comments? I'm just curious how that all happened. Ms. Ensic,

I don't recall that we did. We had some people there to speak to some other items but not particularly to this.

Madam Chair, Supervisor Warpe, I believe that Hillary Blackerby again from Assemblywoman Williams' office did speak to this item. Okay.

I'll just make a few comments. Interesting, because I read the same article that Supervisor Labagnino referred to and I do think that article pointed out some serious missteps from the Regents in not paying or having their employees pay into the retirement system for 20 years. I think that's quite unfortunate and likely one of the issues that is causing increase in fees right now although most likely not the only issue.

I also read today in the Los Angeles Times about problems in the community college, and we hear that in our own local community college. And I have not heard the same issues related to pension as it relates to community colleges. But I think to put the entire blame on our higher education system Pensions is unfair or not accurate. I do think it's a piece of what the state is dealing with.

Regardless, the burden is falling on our students and parents. And I think that this is an opportunity to provide students with scholarship funds to get them into higher education. I have found it so incredibly stunning that we, as a state, have spent so much time and money in our K-12 system to get students prepared and ready to go to college And yet by the time they get there, we basically put up the gates. Either there's not enough money for classes or there's not enough money for kids to actually go to college and I think it's quite unfortunate so I support this. I think this is a positive move to help students to move forward in their education. And I am pleased to say that it does incorporate something for our community colleges.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor Wolff. Ms. Nesich, what is the timing of this?

Madam Chair, this is an urgency item. It is scheduled to go with the rest of the budget trailer bills because it does address the fiscal components so it will likely be re-heard this week. It did I believe have a hearing yesterday as well and it did not come up on the Legislative Analyst's Office what the outcome of that was but I would anticipate that it would be heard this week in accordance with the budget Okay, and you said

that CSAC was looking at it. Are we anticipating that they would take a position on it in time to have any effect one way or the other since the discussions are already ongoing?

Yes Madam Chair I did check in with CSAC yesterday. They have been looking at the bill. I don't have any update at this point on an official letter of opposition or support.

Okay

thank you

Well, you know I have to say that I agree with all of my colleagues. You know that it is unfortunate that the Regents have not handled their fiscal matters in the way they should, particularly the pension issue. And it is something they do have to grapple with. At the same time, it seems very unfair now to place all of that onto the shoulders of these students who are struggling and certainly Having UC Santa Barbara in my district and working with the student population every week, I see the real face of this.

And I also am a graduate of the Cal State system. I have two nieces that have gone through it and seen the marked difference from when I was a student and they were students The families are struggling with these enormous increases that are happening in rapid succession. I, you know, have children and friends of my children that are trying to go to community college and as we know the summer session at CC was hanging by a thread and may be the last year for that so these are very real and immediate impacts that are going on You know we have more and more out of state and foreign students in our UC system. I'm a very big believer in that, I was a foreign student myself at one point in time but you know this whole system was designed to take care of the educational needs for the children of the State of California so It's really unfortunate to see that so many spaces are not there for them now because of the cost.

In any event, you know I would support this it looks like we're split here on the board so I don't know that a motion one way or the other is going to be successful Supervisor

Wolfe. Yeah, just to get this on the record I will move recommendations well not that we consider that we take a favorable position of support position on the two items before us and direct staff to communicate that position to the county state legislative delegation.

Okay and I'll second

And as part of discussion, I do want to say that, you know... Well, I'm not going to say anything.

Okay. So we will go ahead and have a roll call vote. Mr. Allen? Mr. Laganino?

No.

Ms.

Wolk?

Aye.

Ms Gray? No Ms. Farb? Aye The motion fails 2-2.

Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Nusich Okay, and we will go ahead and go to our second departmental item. Mr. Holland when you're ready if you'll read that into the record. And it looks like the rest of the hearing is all public works. Thank You Mr. McLaughlin for being here and so many many members of your staff