Board of Supervisors — 2025-02-11

Good morning. I'd like to call to order the meeting of February 11th, 2025 of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. Madam Clerk will you please

I wrote this!

And your intelligence might peak at the beginning of March. So plan accordingly. So should we sing or should we? Let's do it. Happy birthday to you,

happy birthday dear Steve,

happy birthday to you!

Thank you, I owe you one. I'm gonna find out when your birthday is right now. And it's also County Council Rachel Van Mullum's twins are born on this day as well so congratulations.

Auspicious day, okay with that we will move on to the minutes from last meeting. I need an approval a motion.

Motion to approve.

Second. All those in favor please say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Alright Madam CEO your report please.

Good morning, Chair and Board Members. I have a couple of things to report. One is as you know this year the county will be celebrating our remarkable milestone, our 175th anniversary and we talked about that at the last meeting. The county was one of the original counties of California established on February 18, 1850 and to celebrate the anniversary the county will be hosting an art contest giving artists an opportunity to design the artwork on the County of Santa Barbara's honorary resolution These are the certificates you see handed out during board meetings to honor and acknowledge individuals, organizations and events. The contest will officially launch next week on the anniversary February 18th and will continue until April 1st. Follow our County of Santa Barbara social media channels for more information and it will be released next Tuesday so we can't wait to see the designs our community members create.

And just for those who are looking on this slide that is not what we want. That's what we have today we're seeing create a new vision for us for the 175th anniversary. The second item is that this morning I'm pleased to share with you the second video in our 175th anniversary series. Last week we heard the history of Santa Barbara County's courthouse, this week we're taking you inside and again thanks to our PIO and communications manager Kelsey Butita for producing this video series.

Without further ado let's show the video

Welcome to Santa Barbara County, a place with immense natural beauty and rich history. Founded in 1850 as one of California's original counties. Join us as we acknowledge the 175th anniversary of the County of Santa Barbara. As we continue our series of The History of the County of Santa Barbara this time we are taking you inside the historic Santa Barbara Courthouse.

There are five spaces in the building that were included in the National Historic Landmark application. The two original courtrooms, the law library that's between them, the mural room and the hall of records are all listed as important contributing resources. They're unique in a sense that they're all stages for something You know, Department 1 and 2 are stages for justice. It commands respect when you're sitting in the audience looking at a judge who's elevated with a tapestry hanging behind that's 120 years old. And then the law library between them is really an English library in the middle of a Spanish colonial building. And the reason why it is English, is because the United States system of law comes from England. The primary space in the courthouse is the mural room.

It's called a mural room because there's 4200 square feet of muslin glued to the wall with a mural that depicts California history. The mural was painted by Daniel Sayer Groesbeck. Used to be the Board of Supervisors assembly room where the board met and did their business every day. The Hall of Records really is an outdoor courtyard on the inside of a building. It has a 50-foot diameter skylight on the roof that when you're standing in the middle of the counter space, you feel like you're in an outdoor courtyard.

And our tour wouldn't be complete without taking you to the highest point of the courthouse, the clock tower.

Welcome to the Bisnell Shaw Clock Gallery. Many people in Santa Barbara have been here at the courthouse many times and didn't know we had this treasure here. It's totally functioning. As it was intended to function back in 1929, there is so much power needed to move these gears in order to lift those heavy hammers against each one of those bells. In order to give the Westminster chimes.

Over the past decade, the County of Santa Barbara has invested $11.5 million dollars in construction, repair and maintenance of the historic Santa Barbara Courthouse. With additional projects worth millions currently underway, reaffirming our commitment to preserving this county treasure for future generations.

Can we just give Kelsey a round of applause? That was a wonderful video. That concludes my report Chair Caps.

Excellent, thank you so much. Madam Clerk are there any announcements or changes to our agenda?

Chair Kaps and members of the board I just have one quick announcement this morning regarding public participation for the Board of Supervisors methods of public participation and to provide public comment on general public comment or an item on the board's agenda please see page two of the agenda Individuals that would like to provide verbal public comment may do so via Zoom by registering in advance via the link available on page 2. If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Board's office at area code 805-568-2240 again that's 805 568 2240 and that concludes my announcements for today.

Excellent okay next order of business is the administration administrative agenda would any board members like to pull? Any items?

A11.

Okay, that's already been pulled by the public so is that it for today?

A10.

A10 okay so then we need a I'll entertain a motion to approve the balance of the administration administrative agenda except for A10 and 11.

So moved. What were the items that were pulled by the public?

A11 oh

and Chair Kaps and members of the board yes we had requests to speak on A11 and A23 from the public got it

Okay, so then motion to approve the balance. Except for a 1011 and 23.

Hartman move

Nelson second

great all those in favor please say aye motion carries. Okay, so let's go to resolutions place

Chair Capps and members of the Board, Administrative Item number one is sponsored by Supervisor Hartman. It is to adopt a resolution in support of the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex and joining us here in person today we have Lisa Palmer and if you can please join us at the podium and I will go ahead and read the resolution. Whereas the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting health, wellness and water safety through the development of a state-of-the art aquatics complex to serve all San Ynez Valley residents.

And whereas the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex will feature two outdoor pools designed to serve diverse community needs including swim lessons, aquatic fitness, water safety education, competitive swimming and recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities. And whereas the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is committed to inspiring youth and encouraging families to participate in swimming and water safety programs, as well as supporting local schools, organizations, and underserved community members with access to aquatic resources.

And whereas the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation aims to educate the public about the importance of water safety and wellness while providing an inclusive space for recreation and competition. And whereas the establishment of the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex will bring a significant positive impact to the local economy, creating jobs, attracting visitors and enhancing the quality of life for residents of the greater San Ynez Valley. Now therefore it is hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara states its support for the San Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex and encourages residents businesses and community organizations in the county of Santa Barbara to join in supporting the efforts to bring this facility to life passed and adopted today.

Chair Capps, members of the board and particularly Supervisor Hartman thank you for this resolution. San Diego Valley is the only community in the county without access to public swim and aquatics so we haven't had public swim at our high school pool since 2020 This effort to bring the Tupelo complex will both support the school and the community at large. So thank you for this resolution today, it will be helpful in our efforts as we pursue funding and I want to just thank Supervisor Hartman for her continued support as we've moved through this process so thank you for this. And I'd like to ask if I can get an upgraded artwork.

Thank you all.

Supervisor Hartman? I just wanted to add Lisa's been working many years with the Aquatics Foundation and Santa Ynez Valley is small you know 20,000 some people and five small towns. And it really can't afford a swimming pool unless everybody works together. And so this is an example of a tremendous partnership where the City of Buellton is working with the Aquatics Foundation And the school.

The tribe and the county has contributed money, but it's really a partnership and takes a lot of effort on the part of the aquatics Foundation to weave that together and keep it going so I think they're really to be congratulated and we hope that this resolution will Show that the county's behind it and and that this is so critically important for young people to learn to swim.

It's right near, it'll have rehab for people in need of that. We've had a number of Olympic swimmers come out of the Santa Ynez Valley but they always have to come down to Santa Barbara to train. So it really will offer tremendous value to the Santa Ynez Valley. Thank you

Okay Madam Chair, the next item please.

Chair Caps and members of the Board, Administrative Item Number 2 is sponsored by Supervisor Lee and Supervisor Caps. It is to adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of February 2025 as Black History Month in Santa Barbara County and joining us via Zoom we have LaWanda Lyons-Pruitt. And I will go ahead and read the resolution and the record. Whereas Black History Month is an annual observance in February dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the invaluable contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout U.S. history with a 2025 theme, African Americans and Labor, highlighting the profound impact of black workers across all sectors. And whereas from slavery to the present, African Americans have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's economic foundation.

Contributing skilled and unskilled labor, organizing for workers and civic rights, and overcoming systemic barriers to economic justice as exemplified by the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the first black union to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor. And whereas the African-American community's contributions to Santa Barbara County's cultural, economic and social fabric are well documented including in the county's racial equity grants underscoring the importance of preserving and uplifting black history at the local level. And whereas it is essential to acknowledge and confront the painful truths of our nation's history including the injustices and systemic racism that have oppressed black Americans in order to foster healing understanding and meaningful progress.

And whereas Santa Barbara County values community events, educational initiatives and policy efforts that truthfully depict African American history, promote racial equity and celebrate black culture while reaffirming its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. And whereas by adopting this resolution, Santa Barbara County honors the legacy of African Americans, acknowledges the integral role of black labor in building our nation and commits to a future of inclusivity, justice and shared prosperity. Now therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County officially recognizes and honors Black History Month 2025 embracing the theme African-Americans in labor passed and adopted today.

Ms. Lyons Pruitt would you like to receive the resolution and speak for a minute?

I would, good morning Supervisor Lee, Supervisors. Happy birthday Supervisor Lavanino. LaWanda Lyons Pruitt, president of the Santa Maria Lompoc branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. You know us as NAACP. I bring you greetings and thank you from the nation's oldest civil rights organization with over 2,200 branches in the US, Japan and Germany and over two million volunteer activists.

I thank you, but it's thoughtful and very mean mean meaningful resolution. It is really thoughtful because I've really were read the words, and really appreciate that. As y'all know black history was born in 1926 when Dr. Carter G Watson. The first, the second black to graduate from Harvard with a PhD behind Dr. W.E.B Du Bois always like that a little bit more history.

He was disturbed by the finding in his studies that largely ignored the black population And I've told my story many times of how I grew up in Mississippi, and I didn't know black history. I really didn't know American history because black history is American history. We are a nonpartisan organization. And I do say now more than ever, we must work to share the historical and current achievement of the black community Especially with federal agencies not acknowledging Black History Month and other cultural holidays.

We thank you that in Santa Barbara County, you're standing firm and that we will still celebrate, acknowledge the struggles and the triumphs And we will honor the past, acknowledge the present and inspire the future. Black history is American history 365 days seven days a week. Thank you so much for this resolution. One more thing I would like to add one more thing I would add I forgot Thank you County of Santa Barbara, the racial equity funds. We are we have three events on February 3 from February 3 through February 28.

We have Dr. Paulo Lima, his work is being featured at Allan Hancock College in the student gallery building now Monday through Friday will be open on February 22nd when we have our finale Black History finale at Allan Hancock College and we also have a celebration this Sunday February 16th At Gallery in Lompoc Public Library starting at two o'clock. The 22nd is the one at Allan Hancock College, you have all received invitations and we look forward to seeing you there and we thank you so much for your continued support. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for all the work that goes into all these events all over the county and I really appreciate your comment about, you know we do these resolutions on a certain day to honor certain month but really it's organizations like yours that continue to keep the history alive every day so many many thanks. Okay with that we will move on to I believe it's to the administrative items.

A-10

Chair Capps and members of the Board, Administrative Item number 10 is from the Public Health Department. It is to consider recommendations regarding the acceptance of grant awards from Bissell Pet Foundation to Animal Services for Empty the Shelters adoption events through June 30th 2026 in an amount not to exceed $86,300 and there was a fourth this vote required on this item

Supervisor Herman.

Yes, I pulled this item. I see our Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar is here and she might want to say something about this but I would just like to thank the Bissell Pet Foundation. I actually am the beneficiary of this. I adopted a little kitten couple years ago at an event and filled out the form and walked away and didn't pay anything and it certainly makes it easy we want to find homes I

think I was on. Hi, good morning thank you so much for bringing this to light. Thank you for adopting of course the Bissell Pet Foundation is a national organization started by Kathy Bissell and they help us in many ways one of them is to run Empty the Shelters adoption events Enable folks to have the love of a pet, enables the county to be able to reduce fees for adoptions and not lose out on revenue as well. Bissell Pet Foundation also operates a program called Fix The Future where they have sent us a vet in this last year who did 110 span neuter surgeries for us in just three days.

And they're very supportive and we're very thankful for their assistance.

Excellent, that's great news. Okay item A11 please Madam Clerk. Chair Kaps and we need a vote on that excuse me we needed four-fifths but so I need a motion for that Supervisor Hartman. Move approval.

Second.

All right we have a motion in a second all those in favor? Aye. Motion carries

now 8 11 thanks Chair Caps and members of the board administrative item number 11 is from the Public Health Department. It is to consider recommendations regarding an exclusive ambulance services provider agreement between the County of Santa Barbara and American Medical West Response West AMR, and we have eight requests to speak from the public on this item.

And we are going to remain here in Santa Maria and begin with Peter Van Dynwick to be followed by Robert Kovac Peter.

As you stated, and hi Chair Capps. My name is Peter Van Dynwick and I am here to represent the Montecito Fire Protection District. As most of the fire districts in our area, in fact the state of California The majority, in fact almost 50%, of calls involve emergency medical requests. And certainly we are like that. Our 2024 results were just about 50%. And we take these calls very, very seriously because in the mix of these requests might be one literal life or death issue.

And because of that, some years ago the Montecito Fire Protection District adopted the seven minute rule where when the emergency call comes in. The dispatch has 60 seconds and we measure in seconds because we're not talking about potential life or death issues and that's why I'm here today. The dispatch has 60 seconds. The next two minutes, 120 seconds are to allow the responders to gear up and head out.

I want to emphasize that. That's why I'm here today, to As the system works, the first leg would be the call, the response. The emergency folks going out dealing with the issue with a patient on site and then the next step, the second leg would be to move the patient to critical care. And on page 22 4.11C something jumped up that caught my eye that is very troubling.

Here we are dealing with What, 420 seconds on the front leg. And if you look at that reference I just gave you it allows the contractor to extend it out one second short of 10 minutes. The time it would take to move the patient from the site of the incident to the critical care is now three minutes 180 seconds more than it took for us to get out there and stabilize the issue.

That's terrible. It is something that is defeating, self-defeating because you could have the first responders there having mitigated the issue and then the next thing you know they're waiting around for the conveyance to arrive and to move the patient to the critical care.

Thank

You Peter

that is your time

Okay, thank you very very much. I find it a personal

privilege this was my US government teacher at Santa Barbara High Mr. Van Dynewick and so it's incredible to have you here in this capacity So if you can finish your comments, please

Thank you finally payment Whoops no I went on train of thought the what we're asking for here is The cutback of these seconds, and I'd like to add one story. And I'm sorry if I repeat something you already know but we had an issue recently where a gentleman in Montecito collapsed like a heap of clothing on a public street with a serious heart attack. Luckily for that individual, our first responders were there and the person survived. And in fact I'll be darned if the former chief pointed out to the board one meeting that there's a gentleman who would like say thanks.

So at the end of the meeting this person came up and shook hands and when he got to me I have to admit, I can't quite respond in words because what happened was he said thanks and then I shook hands with a man whose hand was warm. He had looked death in the door and he had survived because of that response so we're talking seconds and the one message I'd like to leave two words Seconds count, seconds count. Please consider that when you look at these outlines of seconds.

Thank you very much.

We will remain here in Santa Maria with Robert Kovac to be followed by Brian Fallon. Robert?

Okay, Madam Chair, Honorable Board of Directors. Thank you. I am Robert Kovac. I'm the fire chief for the Carpinteria-Summerlin Fire Protection District. I'd like to speak on what this contract will mean to the citizens of Carpinteria and Summerlin. The Board of Supervisors is the governing body that approves the ambulance service delivery to our area. We rely on you to implement the highest level of service possible without other distractions affecting your decision.

It is an opportunity to improve a system that's been in place for over 20 years. We want what has been stated by the agencies across this county, more ambulances in the system, transparency and the revenue invested back into the system. When I reviewed this document, I had the perspective of my expectations if I was the governing body was implementing this contract that has a value into the hundreds of millions of dollars My team would need to write the contract with clear and concise expectations that holds the contractor accountable at all levels.

Does it meet the needs of my community with transparency to allow adequate public input, especially with such an impactful rate increase? I have a few comments, but up front I apologize if I misinterpret some items. The contract has only been posted for five days to review and the professionals here today that are part of the emergency medical system were not involved in the development of it.

Although we have had high expectations of improvement when this process started over six years ago, this new contract does not have a deployment plan listed. Everything is still being developed. The response times are not improving and can actually be extended due to the medical priority dispatch system. It is difficult to determine if any additional ambulances will be deployed.

If the system remains the way it's listed and the times are extended, it will require my units to stay on scene longer. Not enabling them to respond to the next incident in my jurisdiction so that there is an impact to my capability for my citizens. Our district is on the south end of the county. It is considered a cul-de-sac for ambulance coverage with units coming in from only one direction.

Many times trying to reach us through rush hour or weekend traffic gridlock. In a study conducted, the current ambulance system only has 81.8% response time compliance in our district before exemptions, one of the lowest in the county. That means that 18% of the time our citizens are waiting longer for an ambulance and a potentially life threatening scenario. The exemptions do not change that.

We demand improved coverage for our area. This is being called the grandfather contract, I'm not sure what that means as an extension of the current. What does that mean for the first responder EMS agreement? That's been in place since 2005 and is a separate contract with my agency outside of the ambulance contract. The current language says the contractor has a discretion to implement those first responder contracts so I don't know what that means truly for my agency.

Thank you Robert that is your time.

All right, thank you.

We will now go to Brian Fallon to be followed by Brian Fernandez.

All right, thank you Madam Chair and board. My name is Brian Fallon I am the Lompoc City Fire Chief and the Vice President for the Santa Barbara County Fire Chiefs Association. You know it's concerning to see us in this same situation as we were nearly a year-and-a-half ago. Santa Barbara County fire chiefs have consistently called for EMS system that emphasizes transparency accountability and increased units on the street.

Unfortunately, it seems that these concerns have largely fallen on deaf ears. Our disappointment upon hearing about the AMR contract extension cannot be overstated. Feelings of betrayal and disregard come to mind. AMR has a documented history of unreliable response times, yet the county is deciding today to extend its contract potentially for four years. The county's press release touts enhanced ambulance services like quote improved oversight and quicker response times however when we examine contract section 4.11 allows AMR to extend response time standards by an additional two minutes for any applicable call This means that for urban priority responses, the standard could shift from 7 minutes and 59 seconds to 9 minutes and 59 seconds.

Furthermore, the LMSA has a responsibility to monitor compliance with these response time standards yet there's been no contract compliance meeting in two years. Another troubling aspect of the contract is a dispatching of basic life support ambulances for Alpha and Bravo calls. One would expect that an improvement in services would not involve downgrading service levels, yet our Basic Life Support personnel may have to stay on scene longer without higher medical support arriving.

The geography of the City of Lompoc presents unique challenges. We're distant from other cities and rely heavily on the prompt arrival of paramedic services. Unfortunately, we often find AMR delayed resulting in county fire medic ambulances particularly Medic Ambulance 34 from The Village stepping in. This is not their responsibility but due to lack of AMR's accountability to their contractual obligations this has become the norm for Lompoc citizens.

Prolonged expected arrival times mean our firefighters will have to remain on scene longer, impacting our ability to respond to multiple concurrent emergencies. Moreover the contract seems to disadvantage Lompoc, Montecito and Carp Summerlin by effectively offloading the responsibility to the County Fire Department. This is not an act of generosity it appears to be a decision rooted in revenue considerations that leave the city at a loss.

How did we end up in this position? Promises of a better system have led to extended response times, inappropriate use of BLS ambulances and a lack of urgent care for Lompoc residents. The Board will decide today and if it favors a partner with the history of delays in operational shortcomings that will solely be on you. The Fire Chiefs Association is committed to ensuring that every citizen in Santa Barbara County receives the emergency medical care they deserve, and I urge you to join us in advocating for a system that supports a reliable timely response for our communities. Thank you.

We will now go to Brian Fernandez to be followed by Luis Farah Junior. Brian?

Thank you Madam Chair members of the board My name is Brian Fernandez and I represent the United Firefighters of Santa Barbara County. I come to before you guys today as the voice of the firefighters, the ones who are out on the streets doing the work that we as firefighters swear to do. I had a speech that was written that I was going to come up here and speak about but after having dinner last night with a member of the IFF out of Washington DC he advised me to speak from my heart so that's what I want to share a story with you guys of a proud moment as a paramedic in this county.

There was a young child that we unfortunately had to do CPR on and while we were doing that, we invited the parents over to hold the hand of this child as we did this and encouraged them to talk to their child as they took their last breaths. These parents spoke words of encouragement and love to this young boy. I don't bring this up for any reason other than to demonstrate to you guys that as your firefighters, we experience along with the members of your community sometimes the worst day of their life.

We take that experience, we learn from it and we come back to you to ask you to help us do our job better We rely on you to make the decisions that ultimately impact the community that we serve. This contract is a bad deal for the community. We have taken response times that we know are important. We have a saying in EMS, time is tissue and whether you've been hit by a car, you're having CPR done on you or you're experiencing a stroke, you need definitive care at a hospital quickly.

And that depends on how quickly you get help. We know that this is a bad deal for our community. This contract gives financial incentives quote credits for doing what we already do. It merely replaces response time compliance with checking a box in our report. This is in your hands to make this decision that will ultimately impact the lives of our members of this community and we look to you to do what's right in their best interest.

Thank you.

We will now go to Luis Ferra, Jr., to be followed by Brad Dandridge. Luis?

Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the board. My name is Louie Farah and I'm the president of Lompoc Firefighters Association. Before you vote today, I want you to imagine something. Imagine sitting in your living room while a loved one collapses to the floor in cardiac arrest as you start CPR. You're thinking help is coming but what you don't know what this board is about to ensure is that AMR's ambulance is the one component in the chain of survival that contractually doesn't have to hurry up This settlement isn't just bad policy, it's a betrayal of public trust wrapped in corporate legalese. You're about to sign a contract that rewards AMR for finding creative ways to avoid sending ambulances on time. Let me be brutally honest about what you're voting to approve.

You're giving AMR permission to be late to every single emergency. The conventional standard is 7 minutes and 59 seconds but you've decided to give them 2 extra minutes across the board for a total of 10 minutes. That's two more minutes of a child seizing, two more minutes of a stroke killing brain cells and that's assuming they actually make it in the ten minutes.

You're allowing them to fail for eight months out of the year without consequence. Even if AMR gets fined, the fines are so insignificant it actually encourages them to not be compliant. Think about that you're making it more profitable for AMR to let people suffer than add ambulances. More pervasively, you're approving a scheme where AMR can hide their delayed responses behind a laughable clinical report card using their paramedic's basic medical care to mask their corporate failure to show up on time. They get up to 80% fine reduction credit just for following our basic medical protocols. For instance, they get a 20% fine discount just by identifying that somebody is a trauma patient and transporting them to the trauma center.

In Lompoc where every critical patient faces at least a 30-mile transport to our cardiac or trauma center, we already routinely wait up to 15 to 20 minutes for an ambulance. When that patient dies because their ambulance took too long I won't tell their family that AMR failed them. I'll tell them their county supervisors knew exactly how long they'd have to wait.

They read this contract understood its implications and decided this was good enough for you. The real shameful part though is you're accepting this because County Council wants to avoid litigation, knowing full well that AMR's entire business model is to sue communities into submission before locking in contracts that protect profits over patients. But only you can decide if the threat of their lawyers is more frightening than the threat to human life.

Every delayed response, every worsened outcome, every family wondering why their ambulance took so long. That's not on AMR anymore. That's on you and you'll carry that responsibility not just in this chamber but in every emergency room where families learn their loved one might have had a better outcome if their ambulance had arrived just a little sooner. A few years ago you promised to make our EMS system better yet today you're considering making our system dramatically worse.

And you'll have to own that choice, not in some abstract way but in the very real consequences of emergencies where minutes matter and help is deliberately and contractually late. Stand with the people who trust you to fight for their lives and reject this settlement. Thank you.

We will now go to Brad Dandridge to be followed by Joseph Panino. Brad?

Chair Kaps, members of the board. Good morning my name is Brad Dandridge I'm the fire chief for the City of Santa Maria Fire Department. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I stand here to express my concern about the ambulance contract proposed to provide service to the residents in Santa Barbara County. The desired goal has always been an ambulance model based on service first and provides enhanced service delivery to the patients utilizing the 911 system More paramedics, accountability, transparency and reinvestment into the system.

Points of concern I have for my community when interpreting the contract include the proposed BLS responses and the patient charge increase for transport. Santa Maria like Santa Barbara and Lompoc Fire provides medical first response at the basic life support BLS level. We do not have paramedics on our apparatus responding to medical emergencies. The proposed contract allows for possibility to not receive a paramedic on some 911 calls for medical care.

The contract also allows for patient charge increases, transport rates increase to $2900 for BLS and $4600 for ALS transport. These rates for service place our county at the top 5% in the state of California for ambulance transport. This would be an almost 25% increase passed on to the patients, our taxpayers. I hope to have continued conversation regarding the ambulance service delivery system, prioritizing its residents and putting service above all else. Thank you for your time.

We will now go to Joseph Penino to be followed by Andy Caldwell who is our final speaker on this item. Joseph?

Madam Chair, Honorable Supervisors. My name is Joseph Panino. I'm a newly elected director to Montecito Fire Protection District. I've enjoyed a 31 year career in the fire service. I've done it all from running the camp crews wildland fire all the way up to my last detail was the fire marshal for the city of Santa Monica. So I've had the opportunity and I've run the calls and I've been involved with emergency cases or paramedic cases, All I can say is seconds seem like hours.

And that's how important these transport times are, so I would just ask you to reconsider take a real strong hard look at that because I believe it would be unacceptable if you were on the other side of this and you were involved with these medic cases. So I want to say thank you for your time.

We will now go to Andy Caldwell who is our final speaker on this item. Andy?

Chair Kaps, members of the board, Andy Caldwell representing COLAB. My comments are going to exclude Supervisor Lee. You weren't here and Supervisor Lavinino, not because it was your birthday but you voted no on the last time this thing came up. I've been a government watchdog for 34 years. I've seen some honest mistakes, some dumb mistakes but this was the one case where I saw the county deal in bad faith and you don't have to take my word for it because you settled the lawsuit You set a lawsuit, you had a court injunction. You had the state attorney general and you had the state agency governing ambulances all way in that you dealt in bad faith with AMR and the public.

As a result of that, you spent $3 million on ambulances We believe at least $1 million on outside counsel and upwards of $100,000 to store those ambulances. We would like a full accounting of all the money that was spent on this. Again we had no dog in the fight. We didn't weigh in until you canceled AMR's contract that they won. With regard, I'm confused by the fire department here because the county set up the request for proposal. The county set up the standards for the agencies to compete for this and so if you don't like that 7 minutes or 8 minutes or whatever it is all how did you set that up to begin with?

And then finally the other thing I don't understand is the 2 agencies that are primarily concerned about the new. Performance protocols here or Lompoc Montecito carpentry. But your agreement is County fire, the option to handle those contracts. So car if County fire wants to get there in 2 minutes instead of 10. They have the option and the prerogative to do that So I don't get why Carpinteria, Lompoc and Montecito are complaining about this when in fact County Fire gets the option to control those regions and provide service in those regions.

That makes absolute no sense. But again we want transparency you guys are supposed to value transparency we want a cost accounting of what this debacle costs thank you

and that concludes public comment on this item.

President Nelson I thought you did you have a request to speak or I can direct it to the CEO okay Actually, yeah. Questions first? Or if the CEO would you want to direct any responses to these comments?

We can take your comments we have the members of the LUMSA and Dr. Shepard who is the medical director for the LUMSA who's here also but we'd like to hear comments first or questions that staff could answer

Certainly, well I would like to ask the question about response times and what has been stated was in the original RFP that was already embraced by the fire department in terms of response time. So I'm not sure who exactly answers that question but that's my first question.