BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

StSq2 2.60 I'd like to reconvene our Board of Supervisors hearing meeting for June 18th. Mr. Clerk, if you could do roll call please?

Miss Farr? Here. Mr. Adam? Here. Mr Lavagnino? Here. Ms. Wolfe? Here! Mr. Carbajal?

Do we have a motion to approve the minutes of June 4th? Motion's been made. Seconded for discussion. Having none, all those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Sentence passes unanimously. Mr. Counsel if you could report out closed session please.

Thank You Mr. Chairman your board concluded its conference with legal counsel two cases Your board continued conference with real property negotiators and conference with labor negotiators till the noon hour today. So you still have two items remaining on the first two items that you completed there was no action reportable.

Thank you, we'll be finishing those two items during our closed session lunch meeting. We will now move on to public comment. Mr. Clerk how many speakers do we have?

We have 15 requests Chairman Carbajal.

Okay since we have 15 and there is a very big room full of folks here for many reasons, we are going to give two minutes to every speaker. We have a few resolutions that we're gonna do right after this I was hoping to take them up early but I've been advised to do public comment first Mr. Clark

We're going to start in ceremony with Andy Caldwell and come back to Santa Barbara for Vivek Harris, to be followed by Doug Doherty.

Mr. Caldwell. Chairman Carbajal, members of the board, I'm Andy Caldwell representing COLAB. We were kind a little bit surprised last week during the budget hearings that this funding for this plastic bag program came up because It's always a little disconcerting when funding comes before the initiation of something. And so we made inquiry and said, well how did we end up funding something that hasn't been decided?

And we were told, well it's coming up in a week or so. So I've gone through that agenda backwards and forwards, and I don't see any notice of a hearing. And yet I've been told it's on next week's agenda. Why isn't it noticed? Why wasn't it noticed before you funded it? Why isn't it noticed right now that the hearing is a week away? As you know these plastic bag bans are extremely controversial.

We know that you had a hearing way back when to discuss Beacon doing a report, but we'd like to know why we didn't get the two week notice that this meeting's coming up and why you funded something that you hadn't even discussed. It's not a good way of doing the people's business. We always want to remind you that you work for the people, you're the people representative and the people have a right to know what you're doing.

And know ahead of time not after the fact that you're spending money doing X, Y and Z. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to be here for item number eight today because Looks like you've got a long PC, but we've got some real problems with that one because it looks like you're taking action on something that has never been decided there either.

Thank you very

much, Mr.

Colwell.

So back to Senator Barbara for Vivek Harris to be followed by Doug Doherty

Good morning, Chair Carbajal and Supervisors. I'm here on behalf of the Oasis Senior Center. My name is Vivek Harris. I am their architect. And they asked that I come and just talk about the project, some of the project history, and I have about an hour-long outline of information to cover but I won't do that to you today. Mr. Allen, if you

could just stop this. You as council stated earlier just so for your information we haven't considered that item in closed session. We will be considering it in the afternoon and just wanted to let you know in case that was something that you were interested in knowing.

No thank you. We

did.

So thank you very much. The project has really made a lot of headway and there's a lot of and I had heard some feedback from different parts of the county that The project was stalled and that there wasn't resolution on some environmental issues that were happening on two sites. One is a site that was offered by the county to put the project on, and the other was a site offered by the county as a mitigation site. Both are off of Foster Road. And both for the last year we've been dealing with California Department of Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to basically draft mitigation for how to develop this project. The City of Santa Maria is on hold waiting for me to submit conditional use permit plans and this project is ready to go.

We've got California Fish and Game's buy-off on our application at a federal level, and really we're at a point now from the mitigation standpoint and the environmental in the salamander standpoint that we just need to get this application submitted. Time is critical and we are concerned that Any delays that we have within this real property negotiation that's going on right now would really set this project back quite a bit. They've already raised a million dollars for this, and the rest of it has already been pledged once we get the environmental clearances. Because there's a fear that within this county and with environmental issues you're not going to be able to get environmental approvals. And quite honestly, the environmental part and the habitat part has been a little bit more easy than just getting the property issue resolved with the county.

So I'd just really like the supervisors on the board to consider this. It's a vital and important project. They feed the hungry, they're supported by lots of groups in Santa Barbara and we just want to get this project moving so thank you.

Good morning Supervisors, my name is Doug Doherty and I am the Executive Director of Orchid Area Seniors in Service. A senior citizen advocacy non-profit that owns and operates the award winning Lewis Oasis Senior Center. Oasis has been a staple of the Orchids community since 1984 with the mission of providing social educational and cultural opportunities for all adults over the age of 50 to help them preserve and improve their quality of life.

Many of the more than 4,000 people we serve each year are in their 70s and 80s. We're seeing first-hand the onslaught of the baby boomers who are looking for services now. We implement innovative programs based on current research for those aged 50 to 60 just as much as for those aged 90 to 100. Although adults who participate in senior center programs can learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic disease and experience measurable improvements in their physical, social and mental and economic well-being.

For Laga Hago Senior Boot Camp, Card Playing and Art Class Offered we partner with the Alzheimer's Association, Nurse Corps, Area Agency on Aging, Food Bank and others to provide free health screenings support services and food for those in need Throughout this relocation venture, we have done everything we've been asked to do by the government agencies at the federal, state and local level. We worked diligently with Santa Barbara County General Services Department to revise our site plan on the Foster Road campus to meet California's Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species requirements for tiger salamanders.

As a certified green business in Santa Barbara County, we respect these requirements and look forward to bringing environmentally friendly and energy neutral features to our new facility. There are many community leaders and stakeholders throughout Santa Barbara County involved with the relocation efforts and the capital campaign. I'm out of time.

Thank you. You cut yourself early, short early.

Marilyn Valenzuela is our next speaker to be followed by Siglind Reed.

Good morning Mr. Chair, Board, Marilyn Valenzuela with Tri-County Centrally. Anyway, most of you know I represent 93,000 working men and women in the tri-counties. And before you today about the IHSS workers, Santa Barbara really needs to step up to the plate and put people first maybe instead of plastic bags. We need to provide the proper resources to support the in home healthcare workers They are the people that take care of us when we can't take care of ourselves. And that could happen to any one of us in this room today or tomorrow, where we find ourselves in a position where we are unable to take care of ourselves.

The in-home healthcare workers prevent us from leaving the home and going to a convalescent or nursing home, and saves the county, the state, and the federal government at least five times the cost of a convalescent home. They have not had a raise since 2008, except that tiny 50 cent raise in 2009 which was taken back. So technically they have not had a raise since 2008. That's five years. To us that's unacceptable. The county is reimbursed by the federal and state government almost to 100%. It's not counting Costing the county very much money to provide this service.

It's unacceptable when the County of Santa Barbara received an additional almost 400,000 which you didn't know you were getting it was a surprise check. by the federal government, which could be used to give them a raise. It's unacceptable in my opinion and probably any labor law opinion that an in-home health care worker takes a client from Lompoc to Santa Maria to a doctor And is only paid for the time they're at the doctor's office. So if you make $10 an hour and you're driving the client from Lompoc to Santa Maria and back, technically you made no money.

Thank you Ms. Valenzuela.

Thank you we respectfully request that you negotiate a 50 cent raise thank

you. Our next speaker is Siglind Reed To be followed by Josephine Torres

Good morning I

would

like to say something about the way my husband, who has passed away now and his mother were cheated and exploited by an organization. This organization uses a law of elder abuse and conservatorship to get hold of rich people's assets. I'm appalled to see i.e., how easy it is here to get somebody under conservatorship. In short, my mother-in-law was declared incompetent.

My husband, her son threatened with elder abuse. or with having committed elder abuse. At the end, this organization together with their lawyer got hold of everything. My mother-in-law ended up in a home and my husband really on the street. He had to live out of trash cans. Thank you.

Good morning, Salud and Supervisors. It is my hope that you will prioritize IHSS funding. It is an essential component for our community. It provides people with jobs and allows our elderly And it's much cheaper than institutionalization. When we age and become disabled, we become frail and not able to go ahead and complete the certain tasks that we did before such as house cleaning and cooking for ourselves. IHSS helps people out when the caregiver is paid a good wage, and you get to keep them longer. And they have become more reliable and compassionate. Many of our recipients have made major contributions to our Santa Barbara communities and deserve quality care. And their providers also deserve decent wages for their hard work. Most of all, the living wage is important especially here in Santa Barbara.

Someday you will all get old and frail need help. Until then, please realize that the IHS program is important as funding a fire department and law enforcement. People need to feel comfortable and safe living in their domain. Thank you.

Flora West, followed by Ysenia De Casals.

CEO Waller could you give the Board a memo on this whole issue of IHSS? I've noticed IHS folks have come before us and quite frankly I understood that the IHS Workers are now under the state, and so I recently learned of this negotiation. But it's, I'm sort of in the dark of what it is, the state's role, our role? Why we're negotiating if it's the state? I think it's I'm not sure my colleagues feel the same way but I just am at a loss at understanding the status of this issue at this point. So if you could provide us a memo that'd be great.

Chair, yes we will provide that information because as you correctly noted the state has taken a greater role in this discussion.

Great thank you. Please proceed.

I am speaking also on the subject of elder abuse. I am in a very expensive conservatorship and my retirement savings are rapidly disappearing under their control, and now they want to sell my home. to pay their salaries. The sad part is I don't even need them, I'm perfectly able to pay my own bills. I'm a 92 year old widow and I feel I'm being taken advantage of and that I should be immediately released from this trust which seems to be very difficult thing to do so I hope I can find somebody to help.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Yesenia DeCasals to be followed by Ann Telfer.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker and members of the board. I'm going to take the opportunity in these two minutes that I have in public comment to respond to a question that the chair had about the IHSS program going to the state and bargaining with the state. As of now, we are in bargaining with Santa Barbara County and for a couple of years that's going to be so. The Coordinated Care Initiative is an initiative statewide to coordinate the care of elderly and disabled that are in the IHSS program. And Santa Barbara is one of the last counties to move towards that.

We is not anticipated that's going to happen for a couple of years and I'm sure you will get a memo from your staff as to what where Santa Barbara stands. As far as that switch in the meantime, we're asking Santa Barbara County to do the right thing And invest in a program that saves, we all know the federal government saves in this type of care. The state recognizes this and Santa Barbara County has recognized it in the past and invested in this program because it's a good program.

I can tell you, I grew up as a caregiver myself and I find myself lately again as a caregiver. My mom was just admitted to the mission care program cancer Center in Santa Maria. And one of the main things that caregivers and patients need to have to deal with on an ongoing basis is going to doctor's appointments. It was mentioned before, one of the injustices that home care workers experience is not all those hours that they work and don't get paid for like taking patients to doctors. And staying up at night. And the many hours that they don't get paid, we're asking that what you do pay them that it be a fair pay and bargain in good faith. Thank you.

Thank you.

And Telford will be followed by Britta Young.

Council since this is a negotiation issue instead of a memo CEO Waller you may just want to put it on closed session and apprise the board if that's possible?

We'll work with the CEO to make certain that it's an appropriate closed session item. Thank you very much. Because there apparently has been some change in the law, and I'm frankly not that current with that change so- Thank

you very much. Please proceed.

Hi, my name is Annie Telfer. I'm from the Right to Write Letters campaign. Currently they're not allowing letters to the Santa Barbara County Jail. We've come before you before to talk about this issue and at that time custody commander Jenny Sams made some statements as to how the policy would go This was on March 5th, about a week before the policy went into place.

And she said there is no limit to the number of postcards that can be sent nor is there any limit to the size of the postcard that comes through. And here's the notice that's tacked up all over the visitation room at jail, which says that acceptable postcards will be a maximum size of six inches by four and a quarter inches and minimum size five inches by three-and-a-half inches.

That sounds like a limit to me. And I realize that this no limit on size thing is a little unrealistic, but I feel like there's two policies that have been presented. Two different mail policies. There's the one that the sheriff and his colleagues presented to you guys and to the public which is that there will be no limits. And then there's the one that's actually being enforced which is actually very restrictive.

And some of us, the other people from our campaign are going to be reading some statements that inmates wrote so that we can present it to you. And while I'd very much like you guys to consider the human element to this, the emotional element, and also like us to focus on the elements of justice. and accountability for the jail. I don't feel like the jail is holding itself accountable to the public right now, they certainly have not been going out of their way to make their policies transparent or their statements accurate. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Britta. I'm going to be reading some statements on behalf of inmates affected by the postcard-only policy. To whom it may concern, I am opposed to the use of only postcards at the Santa Barbara County Jail. My son has learning disabilities, Asperger's and cancer, testicular, kidney and lung. He is unable to write small and it is so important that we communicate regarding his doctor visits.

Also my fiancee is locked up with me. We both have no more money on our books and the welfare pack only comes with envelopes that we can't use to communicate with each other. The problems are not trivial. The postcards only communication system is an awful one and affects me and my family greatly. Please do what you can to stop this or at least make the necessary changes such as the welfare pack coming with postcards.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jacqueline. I have a second one? I, Elizabeth, am currently an inmate at Santa Barbara County Jail and am actively working my steps with a sponsor. I put all I can into my recovery, creating meetings, reading literature, calling my sponsor daily that we never actually talked due to the extreme cost. The calls helped me with willingness and commitment.

Being of service and working my steps. I know I need the steps if I'm to transform and live life clean and law abiding. My sponsor's limited to postcards only, greatly affecting my ability to receive thorough feedback on my steps. As well, I volunteer for a non-profit organization when not in custody and feel that continuing to take part or at least stay updated is something that will put even more meaning into my recovery.

Being an active part of Families Act gives me a good feeling. It is a powerful and productive way to give meaning to my life, help others, and stay clean. However the postcards only rule makes this nearly impossible. Please restore my right to write. Thank you.

Zachary King to be followed by Elizabeth Williams

Good morning. For those who don't know, as you've just heard our county jail has banned letters to inmates for over three months now. Only strictly controlled postcards and some photos are allowed. Now I've heard before from County Supervisors that this isn't the right venue because you don't have direct control over the sheriff or the jail but I'll remind you that there is no other venue for Sheriff Brown or for the jail to be publicly accountable. This is the only place that we can speak about this This represents a huge injury to the rights and welfare of the people in Santa Barbara County, including our friends and loved ones who are incarcerated.

The supposed justification for this ban is to increase security but as we all recognize it is the responsibility of those who claim to govern not to inhibit our freedom to communicate or our well-being in order to claim gains in security that could be achieved with a little more work and a lot less harm. The sheriff and the jail have a responsibility to protect the security of inmates without limiting essential rights, such as the right to receive a letter.

I want to thank the UDW for being here today as well. I support them in their organizing and efforts along with all others standing for the rights of the people of our county. And I urge all people in this county who agree with these statements including you on the Board of Supervisors to stand and raise your voice against this ban. And I want everyone to speak against all public servants, including the sheriff who refused to oppose this ban and refuse to lift this ban.

Our community needs your support. Thank you.

Elizabeth Williams our next speaker will be followed by Brian

Rosen.

Yes good morning. I'm here to speak about elderly abuse at its highest level. Conservatorship of the estate versus conservatorship of the person Now I am in. Elderly person, I'm 75 almost. My boyfriend is 88. I got him a conservatorship because he is a binge drinker five years ago. They have gone through all his money and now they took my power of attorney away from me through the court system to leave Harry out there with no family, no friends. He has no friends. He's in a home boarding care. He has been injured, hurt. I've gone to everybody. I've spent $50,000 of my savings To get him out of this horrible position I put him in five years ago because he was a binge drinker. Now, he's full-blown Alzheimer's. No! They have medicated this poor man because he is so bright to keep him under this called Restricted care through the drugs, Seroquel.

Seroquel is not okay by the FDA and the doctors are taking orders from these homes, assistant living places any of these homes are giving our elderly Seroquel all kinds of psychotic drugs to make them look more Alzheimer's, more demented than they are And Janet, she knows me. I knew Ruthie Nables before she passed away. We were neighbors. I love the elderly and they need someone to look after them especially if they have no family. Harry has nobody but me and the court removed me off of his health care to give it to Sharon Kennedy who has spent all his money. He has no money now they're drugging him as we speak with the blessings of the home.

And I can't say a word, and they cut my visitation rights. See Harry? We are boyfriend and girlfriend for six years. And just because he's 15 years older than me doesn't make him somebody that's a horrible person. They treat him like an animal that's out in the... It's horrible what's going on. You guys need to investigate it! Thank you.

Mr. Allen if I could just... What was the speaker's name? The next speaker? The one I just called. That's Elizabeth Williams. Ms. Williams, today is a day that we happen to have much of the judiciary in Santa Barbara County in our audience so they are listening to you and just a reminder to you that the courts are out of the authority of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. They're an independent branch of government and they're the ones who Instruct many of the decisions that you were alluding to so I appreciate you coming here today But just wanted you to know that's out of our purview. Thank you very much

Thank you, and but I do hope they will help this Harry is not the only one

I'm sure they're listening very intently. I see their faces so Mr.. Clark

Brian Rosen be followed by Patricia Rosen

Well, my mom was under the same conservator that Harry's under and there is a statement in the Bible that says love of money is the root of all evil. I think it's the great disease operating here. These people have homes, this is a bad economy and there's a lot of money out there. This is a billion dollar industry. Now if you can get older people, you can divide their families and get them fighting amongst each other with different children accusing each other of elder abuse.

Wow! There's money to be made here. Get home to the estate and pay yourself $140 an hour, and the attorney can attorneys make 350 or 400 an hour? Wow this is a great thing. Now these drugs that are being used they tried to make my mom take these drugs and then I was said to be doing medical meddling and undue influence. I wrote an article for The Independent it got published online about this Well, my mom threw them in the trash. I was blamed for it. I was character assassinated. They did their little song and dance. The judges they're all in it together. I call them the power elite.

Well, I suppose you're all the power elite too. Now that doesn't mean that you can't be reached and it's easy when we're powerful. Power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely. I would be probably like you are if I were in your position But we need to get this issue public. I noticed that Harry's conservator was at the anti-elder abuse meeting, we need to support our constitution of the United States for all members for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness including our elders and we need to get the money out of the equation because the temptation is too great We all have this tendency in our hearts to get greedy when we see money in front of us. We're all easily temptable by money and power and the judges, all the power elite are on a first name basis.

Thank you very much. So thank you for listening to me today.

Patricia Rosen to be followed by Lou Traga

Good morning I'm happy to see you all here today. I'm Patricia Rose and Brian's mom, and I went through the conservatorship thing that he was talking about. I was in an automobile accident. My husband was killed a few years ago. And I was in the hospital. My head was bandaged. I was in bad shape. And a woman came to me and she said that she would take care of me That I would be okay to just go home and she'd make sure that I was okay.

And so well, she sure did make sure I was okay. She took my husband's pension money. She gave me a little allowance just to be nice. But she took thousands of money from me. And all I wanted to let you all know is that it's very important to watch these conservators, because they're all not honest and sweet and good. They don't really all care about you. They just care about making money. And everything my son Brian said to you was so good and so true.

Anyway thank you for your attention. Bye now.

Lou Truong and to be followed by Virena Saavedra.

Good morning. My name is Lou Trug, I represent Independent Living Resource Center. We represent people with disabilities in the Tri-County area. Our mission is to help individuals with all kinds of disabilities to live independently in the community integrated which brings me to the reason why I'm here. We strongly support An increase in wages for care providers. They provide some of the most difficult services to individuals that have the greatest personal needs, and I realize that your job is very complicated and at times it reminds me of people going before the Great Wall For different reasons and what do you know, the wall has even cracks.

To seek forgiveness or pray or seek blessings and I hope that you take into consideration some of the services that they provide. And to give you an example we have consumers but one in particular Who I've got to know and see firsthand is Jeff and his care provider, Jorge. And I see what Jorge does for Jeff not only in terms of grooming and personal services but also in terms of other things that are not part of his job responsibility. For instance, his wheelchair broke down.

It's a power wheelchair and I don't know if you've seen one but they're very heavy and They passed 150 pounds or so, maybe even heavier. And you could see Jorge pushing Jeff around Santa Barbara in this huge power chair and it was a day that turned into a week that turned into a month That turn into months, and in fact turn into seasons. And there is Jorge continuing to push him around to this day. I hope that you take this into consideration because they really provide vital service. Thank you.

Our next speaker is Villana Saavedra to be followed by LaWanda Lyons Pruitt and she'll be our final speaker. She's up in Santa Maria.

Good morning. My name is Viviana Saavedra and I'm here representing the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley. Now our organization has a history of advocating for frontline workers, grocery store clerks, farm workers, state, county and city employees. We do support labor and recognize the need for us to step up and stand behind these in-home healthcare workers. We ask you to fulfill your contractual obligations and grant these workers the full amount agreed to in their 2009 contract. This group of workers is incredibly valuable to the community, they work hard as many other people have said before me. Now unfortunately for their clients, the state has reduced the hours once again. I know, I'm impacted by that. And this will, the full impact will be felt in July 2013.

This impacts the seniors, the disabled but it also impacts the care provider. Providers will have to make do with fewer hours and less of a paycheck. The time to honor that agreement is now. There are funds available as has been, Yesenia talked about that, the CFCO community first choice option which incentivizes participation in that federal program. The savings from this program would fund the $1 per hour increase for the next three years.

Now, we're pleased to hear at the last board meeting that you are sympathetic to county management employees who had not received a raise for five years. That encourages us to believe you understand the plight of some of the lowest paid workers in the county. There was also discussion in that board meeting with the management raise. You see also the retention of talented employees.

Well, that discussion also encourages us to believe that you understand that the most vulnerable among us deserve to have committed and qualified providers. Good hardworking employees deserve to be compensated fairly. You know, the funds are available. The time is now. The members of our club urge you to recognize the work that this labor force has contributed by honoring that contract.

Thank you.

We're going to send them off. Our final speaker is LaWanda Lyons-Pruitt.

Ms. Pruitt, please proceed.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Chairman Carbajal Members of the Board of Supervisors, I'm LaWanda Lyons-Pruitt, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. And I should clarify that by saying Santa Maria Lompoc branch we are the oldest civil rights organization in the nation as a civil rights organization we stand in support of our UDW Brothers and sisters who every day are out there working with people who otherwise would be placed in a facility, were it not for them being able to keep them in their home.

We also think that it helped the elderly and the disabled by bringing of dignity, keeping dignity in their homes. I would like to point out as Viviana did that funds are available. We also know that funds are available through the Affordable Care Act which will be enacted beginning in January 2014. We strongly urge you to increase their label. Increase their wages and we think that you can show good faith by, if you can't give them a $1 an hour increase maybe 95 cents but some good faith should be shown to them. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. That's our final speaker, Supervisor Wolk.

Thank you Mr. Chair I just want to echo the comments that you made regarding the folks that are here from UDW. I just want to address our CEO and tell you CEO Waller It is troubling to me that we have not discussed this in closed session and I know during our budget hearings many of these folks were here, but it never became crystallized until today about what has been going on.

And it appears from what Supervisor Carbajal said that at least He and I didn't know that we were in the process of negotiations. So, I look forward to this coming to us in closed session so that we have, and next week, so that we have a good idea of what's gone on in the past and where we are now and what certain recommendations are.

Thank you. We will now proceed to our administrative agenda. We're going to do our resolutions first and public comment afterwards. Is there a motion to approve item A1 through A5, our resolutions? Motion has been made and seconded for discussion. Having none, all those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Abstentions? Great. We will now proceed to do our resolutions. I know there are many people here today for that and we're going to do that first then we will do our administrative comment afterwards and then approve the overall administrative agenda.

Nothing, Chair. I was just going to ask if we could go ahead and approve if no one has any items pulled the remainder and then we can release our staff to get back to work but certainly we're okay with whichever way you may want to go. Approve

the remainder? Well traditionally unless I'm having a bad day today we usually allow public comment on the agenda that we're going to approve I'm trying to remember supervisor Adam.

Well, I was just going to say that I only have one item so if that makes a difference

We have no request from the public to pull

items. No requests from the public? There's no items to be pulled by my colleagues, I think we could do that CEO Waller.

Do I have one? Yeah.

You have an item.

One item yes number 18.

Well why don't we approve the administrative agenda with the exception of A18 and

And I just want to note, Chairman Carbajal and members of the board that I do have a request on item 825. It's from the County Executive Office. The request is that the Board consider terms and conditions of employment to continue the existing wage and merit step increase freeze for unrepresented employees. The request of that item be continued to your meeting next week. So with the exception of that item being continued and holding off on item A18 then I believe we can go ahead with the motion.

Is there a motion? Motion's been made. Seconded. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed, abstentions? Passes unanimously, so we will come back to item a 18 After we do our resolution CEO Waller.

I was just going to thank the chair and the board for taking that ahead of schedule

Thank you. I you know sometimes even though we do this every week. I get a little bit Confused whether we traditionally do it or don't do it? I was just trying to preserve the public's right to speak But I think we've done it in the past as well all right having Having said that, we will go to resolution A1. If we could have Mr. Gary Blair come forward along with Presiding Judge Art Garcia.

I didn't mean to out you guys, that you guys were in the audience today but it felt good for once. It felt good for once to just direct a public comment to you all. Before we proceed I just want to say What an honor it is for me to present this resolution to you, Gary. I along with my colleagues, I think have worked with you over the years. I worked with you as a staff person as well as now a county supervisor especially on the courthouse project that we've been working on in recent years.

And you have always been a constant professional. I remember when the courts were under the county still before they became independent, we had a much more closer inner working relationship. But you have always done an extraordinary job and I think the courts were lucky to have you. The reason you've rarely heard any issue with the court is because of your leadership and stewardship, and I just wish you the best in your retirement.

Thank you so much. That means a lot to me, Supervisor Carbajal.

Mike Allen, if he could read the resolution saying all those wonderful things about Mr. Blair. The only thing I will say though is that I'm not going to miss the fact that he's a fan of the Boston Celtics.

He

can take that with

him! I do see you have your green tie on today.

It was in your honor, Mr.

Blair.

Thank you. Mr. Allen?

Chairman Carpall, members of the board. This is a resolution honoring Gary Blair upon his retirement from Santa Barbara County Court Special Services. Whereas Gary Blair is retiring after over three decades of service having worked for the county of Santa Barbara since September 19th 1977 where he has become the longest sitting court executive officer in the state of California.

Whereas Gary Blair founded and was the first director of the Santa Barbara County DA's Victim Witness Program. And whereas Gary was appointed Superior Court Administrator Jury Commissioner on September 29, 1979. And whereas Gary Blair was named Santa Barbara County Executive Association's Executive of the Year in 1990 And whereas Gary was appointed trial court executive officer for the Unified Courts on May 4, 1998.

And whereas Gary Blair became department head of the County of Santa Barbara's Court Special Services during which time he successfully constructed and negotiated contracts with teams of attorneys to provide defense and indigent defendants when the public defender has declared a conflict thereby saving the county millions of dollars in court-appointed attorney fees.

And whereas Gary Blair is also a fan of softball having Having played for many years in the D.A.' 's softball team or whenever he gets the opportunity, upon his retirement we all acknowledge that it is time for Gary to pass his undeniably talented softball playing skills to his beautiful twin daughters by coaching their teams. Now therefore, be it ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors honors Gary Blair for 35 years of dedication to protecting our community's legal rights and commends him for his efforts to implement policies to ensure that justice is accessible for all residents of Santa Barbara County. Passed and adopted today.

Thank you so much for this resolution, board members. I think the whereas I liked the most was the one about the softball. See, I'm an example of the older I get, the better I was. My wife Ana was here. I wanted to recognize her, but she unfortunately had to leave to take one of my daughters to an event. But I do want to say that she has been my rock, my biggest fan, the person that I rely upon. She's always been there for me through good times and bad times, tough times, and has tolerated me staying up late at night. And it's been kind enough to wake me up when I've fallen asleep at my desk slumped over the computer and told me it's about time to call it a night. So Anna, even though you're not here hopefully you can watch this on the tape and thank you so much.