Board of Supervisors — 2021-02-02

The next item of business is approval of the minutes from the January 26, 2021 meeting. Is there any discussion? I will now entertain a motion.

Move approval.

Second. Is there any further discussion from my colleagues? Seeing none, Madam Clerk will you please call the roll?

Motion passes unanimously

CEO Miyasato, is there a CEO's report today?

No report this morning chair.

Thank you Madam Clerk are there any announcements or changes to our agenda today?

Chair Nelson and members of the board yes thank you we have a couple quick announcements this morning for members of the public who are participating in today's meeting I would like to remind them if they turn to page two of today's agenda There is important information regarding public participation via Zoom. Individuals wishing to provide public comment during the Board of Supervisors meeting can do so via Zoom webinar by clicking the available link on page 2 of our agenda.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Once the chair has announced the item you want to comment on please join the meeting with the information provided in the registration confirmation email. You will be placed on mute until it is your turn to speak. You'll be able to hear the board meeting live after calling in so you can turn off all other streaming devices.

The clerk will call you by name or the last four digits of your phone number. When removed from mute, you will hear a notification that your line has been unmuted. If you're using a touchtone phone, you may need to press star six to unmute yourself. Again if you're using a touchtone phone, you may need to press star six to unmute yourself. After you are unmuted please state your name before beginning your comments and each person may address the board for up to three minutes or at the discretion of the chair.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please call the Clerk of the Board at 805-568-2240. Again that's 805-568-2240 and my final announcement this morning is we posted an addendum to the agenda Adding administrative item A14. This is sponsored by Supervisor Williams and Supervisor Hart, it is to adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of February 2021 as Black History Month in Santa Barbara County.

In addition we amended departmental item number one. Adding an additional recommendation, Recommendation B. Departmental Item 1 is a hearing to consider recommendations regarding an update on the coronavirus disease 2018 COVID-19 update and Recommendation B is to receive and file a presentation on federal and state rental assistance program funding and provide direction as appropriate. This information has been distributed at the board and is also available online.

Thank

you for all my announcements.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. At this moment I'd just like to mention to my colleagues that I think there's some confusion about the potential continuance on item D3. I think we've heard some conflicting requests on whether that should be continued or not. It is my preference to hear that item and give some tentative direction to staff and I just wanted to make sure that my colleagues concurred with that. I'm seeing nods from up here in Santa Barbara. Is everybody comfortable moving forward?

Supervisor Lavigne, I'm fine hearing it.

Great. I don't think we're obligated to take action but I think it'd be good for us to at least have the discussion among the board so not hearing any or seeing of any objections will go ahead and move on but those people in the public that are interested in that item that will likely be heard after lunch today

Chair Nelson and Members of the Board, we have no requests to pull any administrative agenda items from the public but I do believe Supervisor Williams intends to pull Administrative Item 14 this morning.

Okay. We'll take up administrative items pulled in numerical order. But before we do so, can I please get a motion to approve the balance of the administrative agenda except for administrative items A1 and A14?

So moved.

Second. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none, Madam Clerk will you please call the roll.

Motion passes unanimously

Madam Clerk, please read Administrative Item 1 to the record.

Chair Nelson and members of the Board, Administrative Item No.1 is from the County Executive Office. It is to consider recommendations regarding an independent contractor agreement with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions Inc for the 2022 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan MJHMP update.

All right, thank you. I just had a comment similar to last week but then I would like a roll call vote on this for my colleagues. Last week I heard from Supervisor Hartman's concerns and the stellar reputation of the planners assigned to the project. I'm sure that's true also with this contract as well. I do want to reiterate that this is not personal and I'm not an obstructionist. That being said, the local planner for this firm has been found by a North County jury to have defrauded the county.

Approving a contract with Woods Environmental is equivalent of the county hiring an audit firm that was led by a former employee that was found embezzled from the county. I feel it's my fiduciary duty and obligation to oppose this contract. Supervisor Hartman?

I move approval of a one please.

Second. Madam clerk, could you please call the roll?

motion passes 4 to 1.

Madam Clerk, please read Administrative Item A-14 of the record.

Chair Nelson and members of the Board, Administrative Item Number 14 is a resolution sponsored by Supervisor Williams and Supervisor Hart. It is to adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of February 2021 as Black History Month in Santa Barbara County. And receiving this resolution today via Zoom, we have Wendy Sims Moten, Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt, President of Santa Maria Chapter NAACP and Jordan Killebrew, Co-Leader of Healing Justice. Thank you for being with us this morning and I will go ahead and read the resolution.

Whereas the 2021 national theme is the black family representation, identity and diversity. And whereas when Carter G Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926 he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. In 1976 Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month. The attention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the black experience but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis And whereas the themes reflect changes in how people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies and the aspirations of the black community.

And whereas, while the role of the Bach family has been described by some as a microcosm of the entire race, its complexity as the foundation of African American life and history can be seen in numerous debates over how to represent its meaning and typicality from a historical perspective. And whereas the Black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines, history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology and social policy.

Its representation identity and diversity have been referenced stereotype and maligned from the days of slavery to our own time. And whereas the black family offers a rich tapestry of images for exploring the African-American past and present, the black family knows no single location since family reunions and genetic ancestry searches testify to the spread of family members across states, nations, and continents.

As family historians dive into archives, online newspapers and census reports to stretch the traditional boundaries of history they discover amazing life stories of their ancestors. Ordinary people who do extraordinary things. These stories inspire new generations and destroy old stereotypes And whereas black history is not just about the struggles black families have been through, but rather it is a time of rejoicing celebrating the accomplishments integrity leadership and determination.

And showing true character we honor history and celebrate progress that we have made. We are resilient and resolute in creating new opportunities for future generations Now, therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors declares February 2021 as Black History Month and calls on all residents to acknowledge and celebrate with appropriate ceremonies and activities passed and adopted today.

Thank you.

Supervisor Williams? Well I would just ask what our century would be without the moral leadership of persons of conscience from the black community. And though most of the time we limit this to Americans, I would broaden it in my focus on life. What century would we have without the moral leadership of a Martin Luther King Jr., or Fannie Lou Hamer, or Nelson Mandela, or Archbishop Tutu.

It's hard to conceive of our development as a human race in this century without the contributions Black leaders and black history. And so I would say it's representative of a universal yearning of oppressed peoples everywhere, and given the unfortunate state of human affairs for most of its history that's something that all peoples can relate to and look up to.

I would particularly think that in the time that we are in, it's relevant to not only look at the things that we all know about and are aware of some of the leaders perhaps that I mentioned but also look at the blotted out history of the aftermath of the Civil War reconstruction. And the flourishing of black life that took place in the South And how it was blotted out by terrorism and violence.

And a fatigue in the North, a fatigue among voters in the North where they had tired so much of the bloodshed of the war And the terrorism of the KKK that finally they just gave up on the dream of more equal and just America, and they said you know. I guess those Southerners, they can have their peculiar ways. And it was such a betrayal of our ideals that it's something that I think is enormously important to look at in history. I would recommend the most recent issue of Smithsonian for the history of the first congressman from the South, black congressman from the South, the first former slave in Congress, Congressman Rainey.

And say that it should show us that the ramifications of caving to terrorism and caving to violence as a force in a democracy is that justice can be delayed for a century in American life and should make us all resolved to never let terrorism, violence, extra legal means of monopolizing politics to take us, make us stray for a century from justice again.

Thank you Supervisor Williams. Supervisor Hart?

Yes,

Supervisor

Hart? I really appreciate Supervisor Williams remarks, I think he reminds us all of exactly why we need to celebrate Black History Month. It's important for all Americans to understand our national history in regard to race relations and the tremendous history of oppression and violence that has been inflicted on our black neighbors over the course of history And that is exactly the purpose of this month, is to remind people that in order to bridge the racial divide.

We have to reconcile our history and to understand to reconcile our history we have to understand it deeply into into really unveil the trauma and the oppression that has occurred. As a result of white supremacy in the history of our country, but I'm really impressed and and moved by the national theme of this month's Black History Month. The idea that we'd be celebrating the black family and the different perspectives identity and diversity of that That family is very important to to helping flesh out black history, because it is not just a story of oppression is the story of achievement and excellence and and and it is bound in its family. And there are countless examples I'm sure The tremendous community leaders that we have joining us today, Wendy Sims Moten and Jordan Killebrew and Luanda Lyons-Pruitt all have stories to tell about their own families.

They're multi generational families and how each generation has contributed to American history and those stories are replicated across our country. In so many ways that we are not aware of the contributions of African Americans to science and industry and medicine politics. So it is, it is a two pronged effort this month to remind everyone about the tragedies that have occurred in the need to grow and expand into a better future in our relations amongst all people. And also, just as importantly to celebrate the positive achievements and recognize the contributions that African-Americans have made to our country. So this is really a special month I'm glad we're approaching the hundred year anniversary of doing that. And I think that that is an opportunity for us to strive for better bigger things and the activities they're being organized virtually this month are a great springboard for them so thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor Hart and Supervisor Williams. I'd like to go ahead and introduce Wendy Sims-Moulton.

Good morning. Good morning Chair Nelson and members of the board. It is indeed a pleasure and honor and privilege to be here to present this Black History Resolution. I've been a part of it for over 20 years now and each time I've learned more and more about history that wasn't in books Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting And if nothing else, to inspire you to go and research what it is. Black History Resolutions isn't about giving just history but hopefully it's gonna inspire you to go back and find more about it and want to understand more about it because as we understand each other more and more, we will come to a place of understanding. We will come to a place of all Americans without segregating it out by this or that but we are Americans because we're understanding each other and we're taking the opportunity, we're taking the responsibility to research, to honor, to gain a better understanding of each other.

And I would like to end by just saying that the last line is that we are resilient and resolute in creating new opportunities for future generations, we cannot do that without understanding our history. It's really important to be able to do that. And then I would end with saying that I am hopeful that every time that we bring something that it's gonna get better and closer to a more inclusive America and that we're gonna come to grips with the grim realities of what happened And then we can move forward. But until we acknowledge it, we can never really move forward. We're always going to come back and talk about it but we're never going to really move forward so there's a line in the song on the Negro National Anthem that says lift every voice and sing till health to earth and heaven ring.

And I think we need to ring with our history understanding celebrating it recognizing acknowledging ring with the harmonies of liberty And I would say liberty for all. Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us. So we know our history, we know that we're resilient, we know that we have come a long way through struggles and we wanna celebrate that. So we wanna sing a song full of hope that the present has brought us and facing the rising sun of our new day begun let us march on, let us walk on, let us talk on till victory is won. Thank you so much for adopting this resolution today.

Thank you, Miss Simpson-Moten. I'd like to introduce Ms. Lawanda Lyons Pruitt.

Morning.

Good morning.

Chairman Nelson and members of the board, I bring you greetings from the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. You know us as the NAACP I want to thank you all for the resolution celebrating Black History Month and the black family. Today, I thought it would take a moment to briefly explain why we celebrate Black History Month and share a tidbit about my family as a child growing up in rural Mississippi in the 60s and 70s.

My life was segregated including in housing schooling And I can still remember many of the Jim Crow restrictions, such as the white and colored doctor's office and water fountains. In my school textbooks, as I remember there were no mentions of blacks African-Americans in their accomplishments with the exception of the surfs and George Washington Carver and his peanut inventions There was no mention of slavery, lynching of black men including Emmett Till, the bombing of the churches, the Holocaust or in essence people who look like me which was a way of keeping us subservient and in their minds and our place being that we were three fifths of a human being.

I grew up with my maternal grandparents A biological female cousin, a biological younger sister and three male first cousins. We were all about one or two years apart in age and the girls were adopted by our grandparents and that includes me. My grandfather Jim worked as a railman on the railroad track from the age of 14 Supporting his brothers and sisters, and later 10 girls and two boys.

My mother Audrey was one of the 10 girls. My grandfather instilled in me the value of an education as the key to a better life. And I can still remember as a young child sitting by a kerosene lamp and him with a third grade education helping me with my homework. I was one of the fortunate ones to have an aunt and uncle, both educators in California who shared my grandfather's vision of a better life for his clan.

There when I moved to California began to discover my history like Garrett Morgan being the inventor what we know today as the traffic light or February been chosen as Black History Month Because the two significant birthdays, that of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and Frederick Douglass an early African American abolitionists.

We have a number of events that we're in the planning stage on and we will be sending those out particularly through Miss Sam's Moulton And also through Santa Barbara Arts and Culture, Ms. Sarah Rueben York. And we will get those to you all. One thing that we have again that we will be repeating is the Mize Museum presentation of At The Table with Dr. King. We will be showing that all month and the link will be on our website and Facebook page So lastly, we know that black history is American history.

And as my friend Wendy says 365 days a week. In closing, I would love to tell you that this is one of my quotes but I can't Black History honor in the past celebrating the present inspiring the future. Thank you again for the resolution and your time and listening to me today.

Thank you, Miss Lyons-Pruitt for sharing your story and for those words. I'd like to introduce Mr. Jordan Killebrew, co-leader of Healing Justice.

Hello everyone and good morning. Thank you Board of Supervisors for uplifting our voice. Thank you for having us. I'm honored to be speaking among these powerful icons in our community, Ms. Windy and Ms. LaWanda, thank you. I am Jordan Killebrew, co-leader of Healing Justice among several hats I wear in the community. But one hat that I'm working towards is to be a storyteller.

You see the stories each and every one of us tell hold power. They pass along information representation goals achievements and above everything love. I have been asked Jordan why the need for such a month? Isn't every month a celebration of Black history? Yes. And then I nervously laugh, as I often do because the truth is it is the omission of these stories, these positive contributions of BIPOC and Indigenous folks that have been left out of our history books and what we teach our youth that we must make it and take it amongst ourselves to share our truths.

One example This past year, my father-in-law and I had a conversation. He now into his 60s, hopefully he's not mad that I share his age, confided that in this last year, he just learned fully what Juneteenth was. How had something so monumental to American history, you noted be overlooked withdrawn and not concluded? So we tell our own stories I am grateful to our local leaders, elders who are like family, like our national theme. Like Sojourner Kincaid Roll who knows the power of storytelling and so grateful that she trusts me with this effort to pass the torch.

I'm also grateful for The Collective of Healing Justice which is for the love of black people founded by Simone Russkamp and Crystal Seagard Farmer. This collective works tirelessly to uplift our most vulnerable bringing people together, and currently embarking with other Black-serving community organizations to form a Black African American Cultural Resource Center to provide space for our community.

Share our oral history and local contributions because there are many and they are mighty. So thank you for having me today but before I finish, I must charge our community at large with the effort to learn our full history, our full truths of our land to embrace this history and add equity in the stories we tell. Quite a bit of work we have to do. And as we come together, let's remember this.

Let's uphold this love, the storytelling and remember it's time to work in truth and have the audacity to envision and engage in a future that uplifts all. I hope truth and education around diversity, equity inclusion are prioritized and grateful for the efforts of the many organizations from Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals, the NAACP, Gateway Educational Services and Healing Justice just to name a few who are curating events in education and celebration of our black and African-American contributions to America.

These events range from yoga, chocolate baby story time, cooking classes by black caterers in restaurants and so much more. So we ask that you engage with us and to learn Please visit hjsb.org. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Cobreau. Madam Clerk is there any request to speak from the public on this item?

Chair Nelson and members of the board we do have one request to speak on this item.

All right I understand that Mr. Becker?

That is correct yes um we had one late request to speak on this item and that is Mr. Tom Becker.

Mister Becker go ahead when you're ready.

Thank you can hear me

we can thank you.

Thank you as a lot of Americans, I have a history family history and ancestral history going back basically when the United States was a colony of Great Britain. Slave hands slaveholding ancestors and I have abolitionists ancestors not unusual for were an American to have that kind of relationship. My ancestry comes from the state of Virginia, and the slave-owning part of my ancestry and the abolitionist part of my ancestry married. They married into each other.

And what happened is that my great-great-great-great grandmother Cole whose father was a slave owner When she got married to the Freemans, Daniel Freeman, she was given her an inheritance up front which included a slave girl. And they left Virginia in 1843 went to the free state then the Free State of Illinois and when they got to the Free State of Illinois, they gave the girl her freedom and asked her to stay on as a housekeeper for their children Somewhere out there, there may be members of the black community.

Who is ancestor my family owned? And I'm very steeped in this type of history. I love my family's history on both sides good and bad. And I like to say something to the black people that are speaking Malcolm X said it best. Your leadership has really sold you down the river on this thing. They're promising you things and giving you things just to keep you in line for your vote.

Your communities are filled with drugs, and crime, and poverty. And it's the liberals specifically the Democrats who keep you there and keep the members of your community there. You should be aware that Malcolm X said it the best and he's on YouTube. You can watch is very interesting. And the other thing I like to say to the African American people watching this, be aware that this county government is threatening and suppressing people who are actively attempting to raise issues of civil rights.

This happened last week! So the very people that are saying that they're on your side, or the very people who are threatening and intimidating people who are raising issues of civil rights. And whether counting the state policies are impacting negatively the communities of color in this state. Be aware of that very people who are patting you on the back today.

Thank you Mr. Becker, that's your time. Yes, Supervisor Lavinino.

Thank you. I just wanted to thank Wendy Sims Moten, LaWanda Lyons-Pruitt and Jordan Killebrew. I've found them to be very uplifting and something that continues to amaze me is, and I first came across this phenomenon when I was researching the service of Filipino veterans during World War II, was that the Americans who have suffered the most oppression and discrimination That have every right to be the most cynical among us are oftentimes, and as we heard today, the ones that are just calling us to be our better selves.

And so I would just say to the speakers today, consider me inspired and I support you 100%.

Thank you Supervisor Lavenino. Supervisor Hartman?

I've known Lawanda for quite some time, a decade at least and I'd never heard that story. And stories it goes back to our evolutionary history we evolved telling each other stories It's our earliest form of literature and immediately even when Mr. Becker was talking I really glommed on to his story because it's particular, it's personal, it's specific. It calls out empathy and it takes a lot of courage because in a sense you're stripping away the armor that we bring to everyday life And so I just thank Lawanda for sharing that. It was very moving, and I think we all need to listen more carefully.

You...I can't agree more. You need to know your history and what your group that you identify with contributed to your culture. It's what grounds you when you get buffeted around in the world And you really need a room of your own to stand up to a lot of the forces and culture, to get reinforced. So I thank those of you who brought the resolution. I thank everyone who spoke today.

We have a lot of work to do but by being open, by being vulnerable, I think it does call out our better angels so thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor Hartman. And my thoughts are the importance of history is to learn from the past. But history is also used to remind us to hold ourselves accountable by today's standards but also to look to the future to contemplate how subsequent generations may judge us. So anyways, those are my thoughts. Can I get a motion for to approve this item?

Chair Nelson and members of the board before you proceed with the motion, I did just receive a late request to speak on this item from another member of the public

all

right and that is Simone IKEA.

Simone when you're ready thank you for joining us

Hi everyone, thank you so much for allowing me to speak. As has been mentioned I'm also one of the co-founders of Healing Justice Santa Barbara. I wasn't planning to speak but I called in after I heard that horrible comment and not one of you when given the time to address and condemn what that person said took the time to say that. So it's not congruent for you to say that you're going to celebrate and issue a proclamation of Black History Month, while you allow black people who have just presented with you who have shared their histories or testimonies special stories about their families and you let them see through Without correcting that comment and saying you know what this information is untrue. It is anti black, and it is harmful. So I would ask you to commit to doing more because quite obviously you are not doing enough.

Black History Month, one is not set to a month. It's not just a set amount of days. It is a daily commitment to valuing black life. So I would encourage you to actually do the things that are coming out of your mouth. It should not happen where we allow comments like that to stand especially when you're trying to present and honor the black people in your community.

I can address that, Mr. Chair. Mr. Becker routinely comments on sometimes the same issue on several items throughout the day in my opinion as judging from his behavior towards Miss Hartman last week, he's a bully and that type of behavior I usually feel is not mitigated by being you know even dignifying it with the response. I hope that Simone understands that this is in the context of bad behavior that, you know, I at least feel like should not usually even be dignified with a response.

But since she asked, I will directly address what Mr. Becker most terrifying my view response has been which is to use this platform to campaign against affordable housing because I don't think that there is any issue for working class people in this community that's more present than the fact that they are slowly being exiled, forced to live farther and farther from the community that many of them grew up in. that their parents grew up in. There's a reason why we have multiple black churches in this community and few black people, it's because the black people we have had here have been forced out by past policies by the housing market and Thank you, Mr.

Chairman. Government to do more on affordable housing and Mister Becker uses this platform to ironically. Lobby that the creation of affordable housing is a violation of civil rights, which is the context of these comments today.

Thank you supervisor Williams Supervisor Hartman

Yes, thank you Simone. As a supervisor sitting up here we understand that the public can criticize us and we also realize that we have a platform and when members of the public say things we generally don't respond. We have here greater power However, in this case I was a bystander and I didn't stand up. And I wrestled with that and generally if I'm conflicted I'll stay quiet before I say something but it was a reprehensible statement And it shows a tremendous lack of knowledge about history and the conditions that have been thrust upon the black culture and black families in our society. So, that's what we're trying to redress here. And so, Simone thank you for drawing that to our attention. Thank you for making me stand up.

All right, thank you Supervisor Hartman. I believe Supervisor Hart may have had a comment

Yeah, I just like to end on a more positive note. I think that I was particularly impressed by Wendy Sims Moten's reference to her passage of a spiritual and I thought the one of the things that I personally have missed the most about our COVID quarantine public health response was the Martin Luther King rally that I always enjoyed walking up State Street arm in arm With members of the community singing spiritual songs, celebrating the achievements of African Americans and black people in our country. And the sense of solidarity and community that brings to all of us who participate in that event is extremely valuable. And unfortunately weren't able to do that again this year but I really look forward to being able to do that again next year.

And I wanted to conclude as the chair that, I believe when we have public commenters bring things up. I think I was along the lines of where Supervisor Williams was that we have the opportunity to bring power to people in this platform and my preference would be to make this about the comments by Wendy Sims Moten I do find it offensive to believe any group is monolithic in their political views and I just think, and I do believe that to be offensive.

But it is absolutely Mr. Becker's right to speak. This is a forum, this is a public process and that's one of the great things about our country is that we can hear these things, we can discuss them as a group and we can, as I said, history will judge our actions and so hope that we all keep that in mind as we move forward. All right, can I get a motion to approve item A14?

So moved.

Second.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Motion passes unanimously

Now is the time for the members of public to speak on items that are not on the agenda. Madam Clerk are there any requests to speak on items not on today's agenda?

Chair Nelson and members of the board, yes we have two requests to speak on general public comment today. And we will begin with Andy Caldwell to be followed by Renee O'Neill.

Thank you Mr. Caldwell when you're ready?

Chair Nelson, members of the board, Andy Caldwell representing COLAB. You know, I was really encouraged that Supervisor Williams sponsored this initiative to have an independent redistricting commission. Because as you know, Colab sued 20 years ago because we felt that Isla Vista should not have been in the North County community of interest and I was really heartened that, you know, maybe we would really get a nonpolitical map this year.

And I was kind of only casually watching this thing and I started to notice a bunch of things first of all back in November your board said that the firm that was selected as legal counsel was too biased towards conservative And then you also brought up the issue that as it turns out, they had a very very remote role in signing an attestation of a donation towards Supervisor Nelson which is a big nothing burger.

And I thought, well you know that's whatever. But then I started seeing Jonathan Abood mentioned in a Quiama Valley newsletter of the people he was lobbying or wanting to get appointed and I'm thinking what's Jonathan Abood doing in Quiama for crying out loud? And then the next thing I know Democratic Party activists such as Spencer Brandt who works for the party Lee Heller, who just gave Doss Williams indirectly $11,000. And all these other people started showing up week after week slamming Nielsen Mercimer and I don't even know Nielsen's Mercimer. We always use Chuck Bell whenever we did something.

And then they kept every week slamming the lawyers, slamming the demographic company Well, as it turns out they ended up picking Wucher. Now they said they rejected Nielsen because he was biased towards conservatives but the board majority 20 years ago used Wucher, Doreen Farr used Wucher and last night the attorney for Nielsen said one of you board members hired Wucher as your attorney in 2013. Why wasn't that revealed?

Who is that supervisor and is that not a conflict of interest since you're not supposed to have relationships with these people going back eight years? I am really bitterly disappointed. I try to be forthright in what we do, but what we're seeing here is a proxy war to stack this commission And I didn't care if Nielsen Merkstormer got it, but if they got rejected for being too biased.

Thank you Mr. Colwell that is your time.

We will now go to Renee O'Neill.

Ms. O'Neill when you're ready?

And I would just like to remind the public that if you are about to speak, you will get instructions to unmute your phone. If you're using a touchtone phone, you may need to press star six. Renee, you are unmuted on our end so you might need to press star six to unmute yourself.

All right, let's see if we can. I think we have one more request to speak. Maybe we'll come back to Miss O'Neill in a moment.

Yes, Chair Nelson and members of the board, we did request one.