Board of Supervisors — 2025-03-18

I like it. OK. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Is that loud enough? Okay I am calling to order the March 18, 2025 meeting of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. Welcome everybody. Madam Clerk please call the roll.

Second.

Thank you Supervisor Lee. All those in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Okay, Madam CEO your report please.

Good morning board members today we have another edition of our 175th anniversary video series it features as you know our video series celebrates the county's 175th anniversary it features videos that highlight the history of Santa Barbara County And the videos in this series are played on channel 20 throughout the week and are highlighted in our monthly county newsletter, on CSB TV's YouTube page and on our social media channels in both English and Spanish. This morning's video highlights the rich history of the county's indigenous people. And thank you once again to Kelsey Butita for putting these together.

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. In this video, we honor the rich history of this land's indigenous population, the Chumash.

Santa Barbara County is where our band, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash have resided since time immemorial. Our ancestors are a testament to this area. Pretty much anywhere you go there's evidence of life for thousands and thousands of years including the Channel Islands. Pre-contact we had about 150 villages throughout our territory. You know tens of thousands of Chumash people living off the land, living off the sea. The greater Chumash community covered the aboriginal territory of about 7000 square The San Ynez Band of Chumash, we gained federal recognition in 1901. For us it's bitter.

We have recognition but not without a lot of loss over the years. Loss of land, loss of territory, loss of our culture. San Ynez Band, we take it seriously that we are the only federally recognized tribe but it's extremely important that we reach out to all of our brothers and sisters throughout our aboriginal territory

One of those local tribes is the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, a sovereign nation of coastal Chumash indigenous peoples who spearhead the restoration and protection of their sacred lands and resources.

We're very proud of our customs, our traditions whether it's cultural classes, bowl making, basket making The Tumul is very significant to the Chumash. We're proud to be a part of a larger group of Chumash community members that do celebrate and honor our ancestors by crossing from Ventura all the way over to Santa Cruz, to honor our past but also to come together and share with each other from Chumasha band to Chumasa band Many people know of an anthropologist named J.P. Harrington, our great-great grandmother Maria Solares worked with him to help preserve our language so we worked with Dr. Applegate who had studied our languages for many many years and some of our elders in recreating a dictionary both from Somali Chumash language to English and English to Somali Chumash We're doing everything we can to carry on the traditions of our ancestors.

We will be sharing with the community in the Chumash Museum and Cultural Center. We have about a 6.9 acre site, beautiful architecture represents our tribal customs, traditions some of our tule huts certainly all of the materials are from our native area as Chumash people were very proud of the old ways the ways that our ancestors have done it Our tribal people were hunters and gatherers. We had pretty much everything we needed in this beautiful, gorgeous setting from the coast to inland the mountains it was one of the most magical places for our people to thrive.

Thank you thank you that was wonderful let's give it a round of applause

Madam Chair. I just want to thank our CEO's office for bringing, making that a portion of our history because in the past we did have some rocky relationships and I just really want to point out the efforts of Supervisor Hartman and our CEO's office for really normalizing relations, and recognizing the Chumash as a separate and equal government to our own. And we recognize them and have government-to-government relationships so I think it was really important that this was part of this and I'm really excited and I thought that was very well done. So thank you.

Excellent. Okay with that Madam Clerk are there any announcements or changes to our agenda today?

Chair Caps and members of the board, I do have a few announcements this morning. We had a continuation request on administrative item number four. Administrative item number four is sponsored by Supervisor Caps and is a resolution to be presented honoring Dave Carlson upon his retirement from the probation department after over 27 years of faithful and distinguished service to the citizens of Santa Barbara County.

Okay,

thank

you supervisor

Hartman.

Madam chair I move that we continue item a 4 to April 8th.

Second it.

Okay let's see we need to read do we need to read that. Okay, we have a motion and a second by Supervisor Lee. All those in favor please say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Okay next up we have the administrative agenda any board members like to pull? Any items here I have three from Supervisor Nelson.

Actually I'm just going to go with two. I'm gonna pull 8-10 for discussion and 8-13 for roll call vote please

Okay, and I would like to pull A11. Any others from colleagues? Okay any from the public Madam Clerk?

Chair Caps and members of the board we have no requests to speak on the administrative agenda from the public.

Okay well then now I'll entertain a motion to approve the balance of the administrative agenda except for A10, A11 and A13.

So moved. Second.

Okay all those in favor please say aye. Aye. Motion carries okay when we're ready we'll move on to the resolutions presented I believe we have seven today which is why there might be a lot of folks here this morning Okay, when you're ready Madam Clerk. Administrative item number one please.

Chair Caps and members of the board administrative item number one is sponsored by Supervisor Lee it is to adopt a resolution proclaiming the month of March 2025 as American Red Cross Month in Santa Barbara County and joining us in person today we have Richard Steele and Richard if you can make your way to the podium I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Whereas in 1881, Clara Barton established the American Red Cross transforming her unwavering commitment to aiding those in need into a powerful humanitarian mission that has endured for over 140 years. Today we recognize the dedication and generosity of Red Cross volunteers in Santa Barbara County I'm so excited to be here with you today. I want to start by thanking the members of Santa Barbara County who continue to uphold Clara Barton's life-saving legacy and whereas in moments of crisis, the residents of Santa Barbara County demonstrate their compassion and unity by supporting one another and our neighbors to the north and south as exhibited by the Los Angeles fires in January.

The spirit of humanitarianism is a cornerstone of our community And whereas this voluntary and generous contributions shine a beacon of hope and critical support in people's darkest hours, whether it's offering shelter, food, and comfort during disasters such as the recent neighboring Mountain Fire. Providing critical blood donations for hospital and surgery patients. Supporting service members, veterans, and their families through unique challenges. Saving lives with first aid, CPR, AED, and other disaster preparedness skills or delivering international aid and reconnecting loved ones separated by global crisis.

And whereas we dedicate this march to honoring our Santa Barbara County community members who continue to advance the noble mission of the American Red Cross inspired by Clara Barton's guiding principle, you must never think of anything except the need and how to meet it. We encourage all members of our community to embrace this spirit of service and generosity Now, therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hereby proclaims March 2025 as American Red Cross Month and encourages residents to engage in preparedness and relief efforts in the humanitarian spirit of the American Red Cross passed and adopted today.

So thank you, Supervisor Lee and the Board of Supervisors. We appreciate it. That was a lot of now therefores and whereases. And we thank you for the recognition. So the Red Cross responds to about 65,000 disasters every year, large disasters like hurricanes and floods and debris flows, wildfires, and then smaller disasters like house fires which make up the majority of that 65,00 number.

Every two seconds, somebody in the United States needs blood and the Red Cross provides about 40% of the United States' blood supply. We depend on the generosity of donors to help save lives in that regard. The Red Cross is very proud that an average of 90 cents of every dollar spent is invested in providing care and comfort to people in need, and volunteers are lifeblood of the Red Cross. Ninety percent of our workforce is volunteers.

We support military members and their families from the moment a service member takes their oath to the time that they're navigating life as a veteran, and we're very proud of that history of service as well. Red Cross Month has been going for 81 years since President Roosevelt declared the first Red Cross month in the month of March. We are very honored and proud that the County of Santa Barbara is continuing that tradition in recognizing Red Cross Month. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. Now we'll go on to administrative item number two, please. Resolution.

Chair Caps and members of the Board, Administrative Item Number Two is sponsored by Supervisor Caps. It is to adopt a resolution proclaiming the week of March 22nd 2025 through March 30th 2025 as Tsunami Preparedness Week in Santa Barbara County and joining us in person today we have Stacy Silva and Kelly Hubbard And Jackie Ruiz. And while they're making their way to the podium, I'll go ahead and read the resolution.

Whereas Santa Barbara County has 110 miles of pristine coastline that attract residents and visitors throughout the year, all coastal areas within Santa Barbara County are susceptible to a tsunami. And whereas the public can access an interactive tsunami inundation map at ReadySBC.org, the public is encouraged to register for local emergency alerts at Readysbc.org And whereas a tsunami is a series of potentially damaging and fatal ocean waves caused by a large displacement of water from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater seismic activity. People living visiting or working in a tsunami hazard area must be aware of the warning signs that indicate potential tsunami activity including a strong earthquake, the ocean withdrawing or rising rapidly, or a loud roaring sound coming from the sea.

And whereas beachgoers should pay special attention to tsunami signage, including tsunami evacuation kiosks at beachfront county and state parks. And whereas there are three levels of notification that people must know tsunami watch a tsunami may impact the area tsunami advisory as tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves is eminent A tsunami warning. A tsunami with the potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent, expected or occurring. Evacuations of identified tsunami inundation areas will be required and whereas if conditions indicate a tsunami threat exists the public must immediately act by calmly moving inlet to high ground. Individuals in the water during a tsunami that are unable to exit and get to high ground should grab onto a nearby floating object And whereas all involved should stay informed through reliable sources of information, stay away from the coast including beach cliffs and low-laying areas including rivers and creeks until officials say it's safe to return.

And whereas the community is invited to join the Office of Emergency Management in County Parks Division for a tsunami walk on Thursday March 27th 2025 at 8 AM at Guadalupe Beach and Goleta Beach and at 11 a.m. at Halama Beach in Arroyo Borough Beach now therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim the week of March 22nd through 30th 2025 as Tsunami Preparedness Week passed and adopted today

Chair Caps, members of the board. Thank you for taking the time to recognize Tsunami Preparedness Week. Santa Barbara County is susceptible to tsunamis from both local and distant sources. We know that tsunamis and earthquakes are directly connected So in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Santa Barbara earthquake, this year we are partnering with County Parks to host tsunami walk and roll events. We will have beach wheelchairs available to those who need that support at specific beaches countywide. We invite you all to join us as we take steps to prepare by following the tsunami signage And building muscle memory and physically taking those steps to safety in the event that a tsunami does impact our coast. Thank you so much.

Madam Chair, I'm laughing because Our tsunami sign is the greatest sign ever, by the way. So if you haven't seen it, hits a giant wave coming up and a guy running uphill and it's like got an arrow like run that way. It's like I don't know who designed it but every time I see it, it cracks me

up. All right thank you very much moving right along to women's equal payday item number three

Chair Capps and members of the Board, Administrative Item number three is sponsored by Supervisor Hartman and Supervisor Capp. It is to adopt a resolution proclaiming March 25th 2025 as Women's Equal Pay Day in Santa Barbara County. And joining us in person today we have Lucy Thomas Harrington president of Lompoc-Vandenberg branch of AAUW American Association of University Women.

And if you can please make your way to the podium anyone else you'd like to join with you and I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Whereas more than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women and disproportionately women of color still do not earn wages equal to those of their male peers. And whereas according to the U.S. Census Bureau, women working full-time year round in Santa Barbara County earn approximately 83% of what men earn and whereas the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 provided a legal framework for challenging pay inequity yet the need remains for further legislative actions such as the Paycheck Fairness Act to close loopholes and strengthen protections against wage discrimination.

And whereas in the United States, 40% of women with children are primary breadwinners of their households and nearly two-thirds are primary or significant earners making pay equity critical to family economic security. And whereas lifelong wage disparities result in lower lifetime earnings for women reducing their ability to save for retirement and diminishing Social Security and pension benefits.

And whereas fair pay strengthens family financial stability and eases future retirement costs while benefiting the broader economy And whereas March 25th, 2025 symbolizes the date when the wages paid to American women catch up to the wages paid to men in the previous calendar year. Now therefore it is hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara recognizes the full value of women's skills and contributions to the workforce and urges businesses and employers to conduct internal pay evaluations to ensure fair and equal compensation for women passed and adopted today.

Good morning and thank you to the esteemed members of the Board of Supervisors and Chair, community members and guests. We are honored and humbled to stand before you today to accept the Equal Pay Proclamation on behalf of the American Association of University Women a nonpartisan organization open to all genders committed to improving the lives of women and girls in our communities our state in our nation through education research and advocacy. In each one of the supervisory districts there is an AEUW branch, Santa Barbara Goleta Valley, UCSB Isla Vista, Lompoc-Vandenberg which also includes the San Ynez Valley and Santa Maria.

This recognition of equal pay is not only a symbol of progress it's a powerful reminder of the work that we still have to do We want to acknowledge the tireless advocates, workers and allies who have been at the forefront with us and you standing with AUW like the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women and so many others. Your courage, persistence and unwavering belief in the cause has paved the way for this progress.

Equal pay isn't just a matter of fairness. It is an essential component of a thriving society when individuals regardless of race, gender or background are paid equally for the work they do strengthens families improves the economy and improves the community as a whole. For far too long, unequal pay has been an issue that affects far too many people but today this proclamation represents not only a recognition of the progress that we've made but a promise to continue the fight for those still left behind. We know that equal pay for equal work leads to better outcomes for everyone.

While this proclamation is a significant step it's not Final one, our work is far from over. The gender pay gap is real as evidenced by the AUW 2025 report update entitled the not so simple truth which I will leave with each of you today. It demonstrates the work which remains for all women and the large gap facing women of color. For example, when adjusted for full-time part time in seasonal work in aggregate when compared to their male counterparts white women earn just 73 cents on each dollar black woman earned only 65 cents on each dollar And the gap grows further. Latinas and Native American women earn just 51 and 52 cents for each dollar, respectively. The gap handicaps economic growth and stability for our communities.

We must continue to advocate for transparent pay practices and policies such as the ones that you noted in the proclamation regardless of gender, race or background so we can truly level the playing field for all workers AUW commits to working alongside of you, community leaders, organizations and citizens to make sure that equal pay becomes the norm and not the exception. Together we can build a future where everyone is valued for their contribution and where equal pay is a right not a privilege. Thank you very much for this acknowledgement it's an honor to accept it on your behalf.

Thank you so much. Now we'll move on to administrative item number five.

Chair Caps and members of the board, Administrative Item Number Five is sponsored by Supervisor Caps. It is to adopt a resolution of commendation and recognition and appreciation of Ron Wirft's distinguished service to cottage health in Santa Barbara County. And joining us here in person today, we have Ron Wirft. Now go ahead and read the resolution. Whereas Ron Wirth has served Cottage Health for 38 years, including 25 years as its president and CEO. Guiding its growth from a local hospital to a regional healthcare system that provides exceptional care and specialties including trauma care, neurosciences, cardiology, orthopedics, pediatrics and psychiatry.

And whereas under Mr. Wirth's leadership, Cottage Health completed significant infrastructure projects including the complex 20-year rebuild of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, the construction of a new Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and the expansion of services at San Ines Valley Cottage Hospital all while maintaining continuous patient care. And whereas Mr. Wirth's vision led to the establishment of the Cottage Center for Population Health Thank you. Good morning, everyone. My name is Barbara County Board of Supervisors and I'm here to talk about the Cottage Health Research Institute and partnerships with area colleges as well as securing transformative donations such as the record $65 million gift from Mary and Richard Compton for the Compton Center for Medical Excellence in Innovation.

And whereas recognizing workforce housing including the successful Bella Riviera project and plans for future developments demonstrating his commitment to employee retention and community investment. And whereas Mr. Werft is renowned for his gracious leadership style characterized by a warm and inclusive approach that has earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues, the medical community, and the broader Santa Barbara community And whereas his leadership has fostered a culture of shared governance and collaboration, empowering frontline staff to contribute to organizational decisions and ensuring that patient care remains at the forefront of all endeavors. And whereas Mr. Wirth's dedication to community service extends beyond his professional role as he has served on numerous boards and committees further enriching the lives of those in Santa Barbara County.

And whereas throughout his career, Mr. Wirth has balanced his dedication to cottage health with his commitment to family and now looks forward to spending more time with his wife Mary and embracing his new role as grandfather to Lucas their first grandchild. Now therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors does hereby commend Ron Wirth Thank you so much.

Supervisor Capps, members of the board. Thank you so much for this honor and recognition. I think you all know it's been an absolute privilege to be able to be involved with Cottage all of these years. You know, I'm more used to standing at this podium asking you for something than receiving something. And so that makes it especially nice today to receive from this Board and this County.

You know I really appreciated the video today and and to. learn again the history of Santa Barbara County. You know, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a old established institution also and it was founded by 50 women in Santa Barbara in 1888 and contrary to popular opinion I wasn't here at the opening day but we've enjoyed a wonderful partnership with the county and I could just point to so many things that were Santa Barbara's a better place because of the work that we've been able to do together. Mona, to you and your team I think particularly with public health with behavioral wellness in times of fires and debris flows the fire chief being able to call people and get the help that we need at the hospital has been a blessing and we've done some great work together.

I have a number of members of my team here. I asked them to join me up here, they said no but I want them to raise their hands because they're the ones who make all those things happen and lastly thank you for including Mary and my family and Lucas in the resolution. I am very very lucky to have been married for 42 years to Mary Werft here in the second row here so Thank you once again. Very, very grateful for this. Thank you.

Supervisor Hartman wants to say something.

Well I it must be said you've been really an unmatched gift to our community what it takes to organize a hospital. You have no room for error. It has to be a standard of excellence from the top all to the bottom. And we aspire to that in the county, we don't always make it. But your institution stands as a model. You've attracted top talent and what you've done in terms of expanding and modernizing facilities so there's even a cottage urgent care few blocks from my house in Santa Ynez. I mean that makes it so easy- We knew

where you lived.

I just want to add, thank you Supervisor Hartman. It's a pleasure to bestow this to you. 37 years is incredible as

someone who was born at Cottage Hospital long before you started It just is amazing to see the transformation of what this hospital has become and all of the different branches. And I just want to particularly thank you for the leadership on workforce housing, as you call it, mission critical. We've learned from you. You've been so gracious with your time. Your team has been so gracious with their time in educating us in the county and just recently our housing team met with you over lunch, the best lunches at Cottage Hospital to learn more about how you develop workforce housing so successfully. So that you retain your workers and you have such an incredible retention rate because of the community that you foster in the type of workplace it is.

So thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thanks everyone.

Okay, so we are now switching. We're moving on to administrative item number 7 is that correct? We just did a little switcheroo so we're going to do seven before six.

Yes Chair Kaps and members of the board thank you. We are going to take administrative item number seven in advance of A6 as previously noted. Administrative item number seven is sponsored by Supervisor Lee and Supervisor Nelson it is to adopt a resolution of accommodation honoring Colonel Philip Conran for his heroic contributions to the United States For the lasting impact of his actions in defense of his fellow soldiers and in support of his swift and well-deserved receipt of the Congressional Medal of Honor. And I will go ahead and read the resolution.

Whereas on October 6, 1969 then-Major Conran performed extraordinary acts of heroism when he after the designated rescue pilot refused due to extreme danger conducted a daring operation to recover downed personnel in Laos despite heavy enemy fire from North Vietnamese Army NVA forces ultimately saving the lives of eight Americans and 46 Laotian soldiers. And whereas despite being wounded and under relentless assault from the NVA Colonel Conran's leadership, tactical expertise and selfless bravery allowed his unit to withstand the intense firefight for over six hours providing critical support that enabled the successful recoveries of our comrades. And whereas Colonel Conrad's heroic actions including his bold decision to expose himself twice to heavy enemy fire to retrieve vital supplies in his command of defense under impossible circumstances are a testament to his unwavering dedication and courage in the face of overwhelming odds Whereas, it is with great respect and gratitude that we recognize Colonel Conran's extraordinary service and advocate for the United States Congress to expeditiously recommend upgrading Colonel Conran's Air Force Cross to his original Medal of Honor recommendation.

A recognition that is richly deserved for his life-saving actions in leadership under fire And whereas as a Santa Barbara neighbor for the past 25 years, Colonel Conran has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to community service having served on the board of the Vieja Gardens Association for 24 years. Held national leadership roles with the Legion of Valor contributed significantly to veteran organizations in the military order of the Purple Heart played key roles in Santa Barbara's Memorial Day and July 4th ceremonies, and currently serves as treasurer for the California branch of the American Irish Historic Society all while cherishing a 66 year marriage to Margaret and a loving family of children grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Now therefore be it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County does hereby recognize and honor Colonel Philip Conran for his heroic contributions to the United States, for the lasting impact of his actions in defense of his fellow soldiers and in support of his swift and well-deserved receipt of the Congressional Medal of Honor adopted today.

Supervisors I wish to thank you personally for your resolution and in particular Roy, thank you. And based upon your association with Michael Cook who was the past commander of the Purple Heart organization, I thank you and lastly Laura, I want to thank you and pass on my best to your mom because Your mom started this 13 years ago when she introduced a bill in Congress to upgrade the Air Force Cross to the Medal of Honor, which was originally recommended in 1969. Now I won't embarrass you and ask you where you were on October 6th, 1969.

But I know where I was. I had just finished up a year flying combat over in Southeast Asia and my job was to ferry my heroes up into the north, drop them off special forces Army Special Forces group, drop them off and hopefully pick him up in five seven days later. Unfortunately most of them The pickups were emergency exfils because they were under contact with the North Vietnamese. So it was an interesting year over in Southeast Asia and one of our units symbols was, the last mission that you flew was supposed to be a walk in the park.

And on October 6th I was a happy man because I had my orders And I was headed for Hawaii to catch satellites when they'd come back in. Of course, you people don't realize that we used to catch the satellites and distribute the knowledge and the information of film that they had back to the Kodak in Rochester, New York where they processed it. We took off, there were five helicopters taken off from NKP on a classified mission.

The CIA director said it's a piece of cake you'll be home for lunch and this was supposed to be a clean mission we were going down to South Laos to pick up 125 Laotian troops and bring them to another secure CIA base. We picked them up and we transported them over and the mission consisted of the CIA leader to a one fighters, one rescue helicopter and us 5 helicopters.

We proceeded into the area and it was clear so number 1 I was number 2 number 1 went in And he promptly got shot down. So I immediately did an exfil out of the area and brought the fighters in to sanitize the area. When the area became fairly quiet, I asked the rescue pilot to go in there and pick up the four crewmen that were down on the first aircraft. He refused saying it was much too dangerous.

And it was, but I was left to make a decision. And I decided that they would be overrun and killed if I didn't go in there and bring in my 25 troops and hopefully save the day. I got in there and it was amazing. The enemy came up out of the ground Firing as I was coming in and they just they ruined my helicopter, but I could still control it. It's like you're going down the street at a hundred miles an hour and your power steering goes out.

You can still control that automobile but it's difficult and I decided that since I could still control it. I would continue with the mission And I landed, offloaded to 25 troops. Actually it was 24 at that time because one was perished and got the four Americans on board and was just taking off and they blew up my transmission. So I finished up fighting for six hours establishing the perimeter etc., etc. And we fortunately the on scene commander at that time airborne brought in four A1s that had non-lethal gas. And I mention non-lethal because the NBC, CBS, ABC at the time accused us of having lethal gas when they brought the A1's in.

Two came streaming down north to south, dropped at east and west. Immediately followed by two more coming east to west, dropping the gas north and south, completely saturating us with gas. And it was very debilitating gas. You were doing a lot of things. But anyways, two H53s came in and picked us up. And we got out of there. And it was a harrowing walk in the park that day.

Immediately after I got out of the hospital, I left for Hawaii. My squadron commander wrote me up for the Medal of Honor. And it was initially approved according to General Clark in Hawaii, but it was then downplayed because of the fact that we were operating in Laos and President Nixon's foreign directive stated that no American troops were in Laos. Consequently an award couldn't be issued.

I went on and no big deal until I made the mistake of talking with Hazel Blankenship with the Pierre Clyson Veterans Foundation, which I was a member of at the time. And I told her and she immediately went to Lois and they started a program to get it back upgraded and it's been working since and will continue to work and I thank you very much for this Resolution and hopefully it will help. Thank you very

much.

Supervisor Lee.

Colonel Conrad, thank you for that amazing story. I can immerse myself in the whole scenario you just said. I just want to thank you. Thank you for your service to our country, to our people and to our community. And anybody out there write to your congressperson advocate for this medal of honor for our hero that stands before us. Thank you

Thank you. Supervisor Nelson?

Yes, thank you Chair Caps and thank you Supervisor Lee for letting me be included on this special honor for Phil here and for Margaret as well because we know that none of that could have been possible without her back home raising the three children and supporting the family so just thank you both so much for your service. You guys are both heroes and local treasures and I know I'm going to be taking a little extra effort when I'm in D.C. to see if I can't advocate on your behalf so we appreciate you and we support you and

Okay, last resolution to be presented. Going back to administrative item number six.

Chair Capps and members of the board, Administrative Item number six is sponsored by Supervisor Hartman. It is to adopt a resolution of accommodation honoring Scott Hosking upon his retirement from the General Services Department after over 36 years of faithful and distinguished service to the citizens of Santa Barbara County. And joining us in person today we have Scott Hosking, Kurt Lagerquist Director of General Services and John Green Assistant Director of General Services I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Whereas Scott Hosking has served in public service for a combined 36 years with 32 of those in the General Services Department, where he has been the Facilities Maintenance Division Manager since 2012. And whereas Scott began his career in 1987 at the County of Santa Barbara as an engineer tech aide And whereas Scott took a brief leave from county employment to pursue a business Castanueva Children's Services District Attorney's Office building and the public defender courthouse remodel.

And whereas Scott's impact in the diverse roles that he has held at the county can be summarized in three words, Thank you. Good morning, everyone. My name is Barbara and I'm the executive director of the county's emergency operations center logistics section. Scott is a key contributor at the emergency operations center logistics section where he always responds and is that go to resource for logistics providing support His dedication and commitment to serving the county is synonymous with the county's core values. And whereas Scott's next chapter of life will be filled with opportunities to share time with family, travel and explore new adventures. Now therefore it hereby ordered and resolved that this Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County does hereby acknowledge Scott Hosking for his years of dedicated service to the citizens of Santa Barbara County and congratulates him upon his retirement passed and adopted today.

Well I guess first it's kind of a tough act to follow the colonel here but thank you for your service. It's a rare day that I get my entire department together and usually there needs to be a promise of food and I'm told there's donuts so I'm glad they're here. Maybe they're here to make sure you actually leave or no, they're here because they love and respect you Scott.

As the resolution point out Scott's been he spent majority of his adult career. Somehow associated with the county 28 years of service actually to the county itself. He as I said, he built a lot of buildings that we work out of in fact our general services is not cast away the building. So you know it's where most of the skeletons are buried here and the county.

And he knows all these buildings inside now Scott has consistently answered the call throughout his career from wildfires, mudslides, conception boat fire, COVID pandemic, Gaviota oil spill, atmospheric rivers, windstorms, power outages and many more. Day or night, weekends, Scott could always be counted on to be on the scene and in the middle of it. I always knew if I called him he was probably already there.

Scott leads by example. He has earned the trust and respect of the facilities team most of them here today He has mentored many and has been a key to the succession planning within General Services. And lastly, he's developed lifelong friendships so while he retires this month and will be moving away from California I'm certain he will continue to maintain those relationships and friendships and reflect fondly upon the exceptional service and work that he completed throughout his time here.

So Scott on behalf of General Services thank you for your years of dedicated service to the county. We wish you the very best in retirement and I'll end with a traditional Navy saying fair winds and following seas.

So I didn't come here ready to give a speech because I knew I'd break down when I was honored the employee of the month I pretty much fell apart but I just want to thank everybody I've worked through the entire career here. It's been fun. I'm honored to have my previous boss here, Mark Mendeville. Glad he was able to make it. It said it's been a privilege working with the county and I just want to leave you with the eye shine only because of people I work with.

They shine for me so thank you.

Supervisor Hartman. Yeah, Scott before you go we just have to say you're the kind of person who makes us look really good and the county as a whole look really good. General services is tucked away not everybody appreciates but I think particularly of your work in Lompoc on the veterans building there and you were working with a broad group of community members And they'll remember you always because you helped in the restoration of that building. That's just one example of how your human emotional intelligence really can draw people together and accomplish something much bigger than they ever thought, so thank you so much. Thank you.