Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) Joint Powers Authority - June 26, 2024
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Bob Gardner called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber, 437 Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth Lakes.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Board Member Karen Schwartz led the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no comments given at this time.
4. CONSENT AGENDA
Chair Bob Gardner requested that Item 4.3 be pulled from the Consent Agenda due to updated information provided after publication of the agenda.
Moved by
Board Member Lynda Salcido
Seconded by
Board Member Karen Schwartz
Approve Items 4.1 and 4.2 on the Consent Agenda.
For (6)
Board Member Lynda Salcido, Board Member John Wentworth, Chair Bob Gardner, Board Member Karen Schwartz, Board Member Chris Bubser, and Board Member Trina Orrill Absent (2)
Board Member Jeff Griffiths, and Vice Chair Stephen Muchovej Carried (6 to 0)
4.1 Approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 24, 2024.
1. Item 4.1 - ESCOG 4.24.2024 Draft minutes.pdf
4.2 Inyo Mono Broadband Consortium Activities Report
1. Item 4.2 - ESCOG Staff Report - IMBC Update 2024 06 26.pdf
4.3 Approve Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Supplemental Project Lists for Alpine County, Mono County and Inyo County
1. Item 4.3 - ESCOG Staff Report - CEDS.pdf
2. Item 4.3 - Attachment A Alpine County CEDS Projects List.pdf
3. Item 4.3 - Attachment B 2024 Mono County CEDS Project List 6.3.24.pdf
4. Item 4.3 - Attachment C Inyo CEDS Project List Appendix.pdf
5. Item 4.3 - Inyo CEDS Project List Appendix - Copy.pdf Chair Bob Gardner reported that the Inyo County Board of Supervisors approved an updated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Supplemental Project List at their meeting yesterday which was not previously included in the packet.
There was discussion between Executive Director Elaine Kabala and members of the Board.
Moved by
Board Member Trina Orrill
Seconded by
Board Member Lynda Salcido
Approve the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Supplemental Project Lists for Alpine County, Mono County and Inyo County as amended.
For (6)
Board Member Lynda Salcido, Board Member John Wentworth, Chair Bob Gardner, Board Member Karen Schwartz, Board Member Chris Bubser, and Board Member Trina Orrill Absent (2)
Board Member Jeff Griffiths, and Vice Chair Stephen Muchovej Carried (6 to 0)
5. POLICY MATTERS
5.1 Approve Fiscal Year 2024-2025 ESCOG Budget
1. Item 5.1 - FY 2024-2023 Budget staff report_FINAL.pdf Executive Director Elaine Kabala outlined the information in the staff report.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala and members of the Board.
Moved by
Board Member Lynda Salcido
Seconded by
Board Member Chris Bubser
Approve the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 ESCOG Budget.
For (6)
Chair Bob Gardner, Board Member Trina Orrill, Board Member Lynda Salcido, Board Member John Wentworth, Board Member Chris Bubser, and Board Member Karen Schwartz Absent (2)
Board Member Jeff Griffiths, and Vice Chair Stephen Muchovej Carried (6 to 0)
5.2 Receive a Presentation on the Towns-to-Trails Plan
1. Item 5.2 - Staff Report_Towns to Trails update.pdf
Executive Director Elaine Kabala outlined the information in the staff report.
Alta Planning and Design Senior Associate Designer Tim Bevins outlined the information in the Towns to Trails Plan presentation.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Sierra Club Range of Light Group Chair
Lynn Boulton asked questions regarding the attendance at the June public outreach meetings for this project, and asked if there had been any meetings with the five tribes in our region yet. Ms. Boulton said that meetings with tribes should be government to government consultations. She said it looked like three routes marked with green lines on the project map did not have legal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Forest Service trails and that they went through very sensitive wildlife habitats. She said the Town to Trails project would not not be allowed to go through those areas and asked if those routes were removed from the map what the next best route be. She recommended that they cross-reference the project map with the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM)
and also look at the BLM's Geographic Information System (GIS) online mapping tool for official maps.
Friends of the Inyo (FOI) Executive Director Wendy Schneider said that FOI shared the same concerns raised by Ms. Boulton and said that the they were working with the Range of Light Group and looked forward to working with the ESCOG on this project.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala, Mr. Bevins and members of the Board.
5.3 Receive a Presentation from Peter Fulks, Cerro Coso Community College Public Services Department Chair, regarding the Sustainable Outdoor Recreation Leadership Program Cerro Coso Community College Public Services Department Chair Peter Fulks spoke about the
Sustainable Outdoor Recreation Leadership Program which was being developed at the college.
Board Member John Wentworth left the meeting at 9:45 a.m.
There was discussion between Mr. Fulks and members of the Board.
5.4 Approve Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute for Local Government and the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments for the Provision of Strategic Planning Services and Set Date for Strategic Plan meeting
1. Item 5.4 - Staff Report ILG ESCOG MOU.pdf
2. Item 5.4 - ESCOG MOU.pdf
Executive Director Elaine Kabala outlined the information in the staff report.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala and members of the Board.
Staff was given direction to send out a survey to determine an appropriate date for the strategic planning meeting.
Moved by
Board Member Lynda Salcido
Seconded by
Board Member Chris Bubser
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute for Local Government and the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments for the Provision of Strategic Planning Services.
For (5)
Chair Bob Gardner, Board Member Trina Orrill, Board Member Lynda Salcido, Board Member Chris Bubser, and Board Member Karen Schwartz Absent (3)
Board Member John Wentworth, Board Member Jeff Griffiths, and Vice Chair Stephen Muchovej Carried (5 to 0)
5.5 Receive an update from Scott Armstrong, Regional Broadband Coordinator, on the BEAD Challenge Process
1. Item 5.5 - 2024 06 26 ESCOG Broadband Update(1).pdf
County of Inyo Regional Broadband Coordinator Scott Armstrong outlined the information in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Challenge Process presentation.
There was discussion between Mr. Armstrong and members of the Board.
5.6 Receive update on Sierra Jobs First Draft Strategic Plan
1. Item 5.6 - Staff Report_SJF Draft Report.pdf
2. Item 5.6 - Sierra-Jobs-First-Draft-Strategy-Packet-6.21.24.pdf Executive Director Elaine Kabala outlined the information in the staff report and Sierra Jobs First Draft Strategy Packet presentation. Ms. Kabala announced that there was a Sierra Business Council (SBC) Governing Council meeting for this project scheduled to be held on Friday at 9:00 a.m. at the Mono County Civic Center in Mammoth.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala and members of the Board.
5.7 Executive Director Update Report
1. Item 5.7 - Staff Report exec dir report.pdf
Executive Director Elaine Kabala outlined the information in the staff report.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala and members of the Board.
6. BOARD MEMBER/AGENCY REPORTS
Board Member Trina Orrill attended California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Established Insurance Working Group meeting and provided an update on their progress addressing homeowners insurance issues in California. Ms. Orrill reported that long time local Bobby Tanner had passed away last weekend Board Member Karen Schwartz provided an update on the Bishop Downtown Revitalization project and said that the City of Bishop had been working with Inyo County on securing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Services for the Northern Inyo County region. Ms. Schwartz announced that Friday Night Markets starts up this Friday and will take place in front of the Bishop City Hall.
Board Member Lynda Salcido attended a recent Town to Trails meeting, Mule Days, and a meeting last week with representatives from Senator Marie Alvarado-Gill's office discuss the importance of the climate bill proposal for the budget. Ms. Salcido said that she was excited about the new funding for the The Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP).
Board Member Chris Bubser announced that the Town of Mammoth Lakes (TOML) 4th of July parade, and fireworks at Crowley Lake, would both take place on July 4th and said that TOML was selling close to $30M in bonds to fund the new civic center. Ms. Bubser reported that fifteen families had moved into Building B at Phase 1 of The Parcel, and said that TOML Town Council would be voting on a 2% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) increase that would be a general tax for housing infrastructure and other priority needs for the Town at the next meeting.
There was discussion between Ms. Kabala, Ms. Weitz, and members of the Board.
7. REQUEST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
There were no future agenda items requested.
8. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:34 a.m. to the next regular meeting schedule to be held on August 28, 2024.