Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

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the supervisor's meeting. And when is it? June 9th. June 9th. I said January. My goodness. I know. Yeah. Okay. June 9th. And with that, do we need to take roll call again? All righty. We will go right into item number 20, resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Diego, authorizing the County of San Diego to join the California Fixed Income Trust Joint Powers Authority as a founding member. And I'll turn it over to Treasurer Tax Collector Larry Cohen.

Oh, there we go. Got it. Good afternoon, supervisors. Thank you for having me here. I'll be brief. I am here to request approval of item 20, authorizing the county through our office to join the Cal Fit Joint Powers Authority. Cal Fit, so you know, provides our office an additional option to invest our funds from the treasury pool, which provide critical resources for this board and for the county. Cal Fit operates within the guidelines of the county investment rules and regulations in compliance with state law. under the revenue and tax code, very important. Now approving this resolution authorizes the county in our office to do four things very quickly. We can execute the Cal fit GPA, uh, JPA, excuse me, and join it. It allows our office to act on the county's behalf. It allows us to employ a permanent, a board member to their organization, and it provides ongoing authority to invest in Cal fit, which we're already doing anyway. Now, most importantly, by approving this resolution, you allow the county to secure a permanent seat on the Cal Fit board that provides us significant influence, excuse me, over investment policy, risk management, oversight of service providers, and a long-term strategy, a position we deserve given our size and influence. So in summary, we ask that you support this resolution, which further diversifies our investment options while adhering to the safety, liquidity, and yield performance metrics this board, county residents, and taxpayers expect. It also strengthens our fiscal stability with no new cost and ensures we have a permanent seat on the CalFIT board. I ask for your approval of this resolution, and I stand ready to answer questions along with my Chief Deputy of Treasury, Mr. Herrera. Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much.

Let's go to public comment and come back to the board for discussion. Thank you, Vice Chair Montgomery-Stepp. We have seven requests to speak on this item, two in person and five requesting to speak by phone. Also note for the record that we received one e-comment in opposition. For any individuals that requested to speak on item 20 by phone, please dial into the conference line using the instructions that were provided to you. We'll begin with our in-person speakers. I'd like to invite forward Cesar Javier and allegedly Audra. You'll have two minutes to address the board.

Well, first I'd like to say I hope the child that just got hurt at the waterfront park slipping on the fountain where it says, be careful because it's slippery, just got taken in a Falk ambulance with a neck brace on. So maybe you guys could say a little word for this child to hope that they are not you know, injured beyond repair. But at least you guys will be here to pick up the pieces, right? You have some program to put them in. Who knows, you could take them from their family because that parent was neglectful. But yeah, you can't be trusted with money, unfortunately. because I know Monica, I was bringing it back around. I was, you know it. Because you guys are not good stewards of our money. So when you talk about influence over investment and action on the county's behalf, if we weren't engaged in traumatizing children, the elderly, animals, just adults like the homeless, then I would be like, yes, absolutely, you should have control. over this money. Unfortunately, there is a lot of negligence, fraud, waste and abuse that is taking place. Just the more money that you guys have available at your disposal is terrifying. With the amount of money that is had, we should live in a really great community. We could have gold paved streets at this point. But you guys, you know, engage in things like racketeering and trafficking and, you know, ensuring that you have a program for whatever kind of trauma that you have created within society. And so, you know, any more money that you guys could possibly get? No, I think it should go to people that actually care about humanity and want to make their lives better, not just fill the pockets of their friends.

Thank you. We'll hear from the individuals that requested to speak by phone. We'll start with our first caller.

Yeah. Pretty much all I wanted to say about this is that it looks good. I hope our new treasurer will you know, be responsible. And I understand you're already a member of this group. So I do believe to become a founding member. So that's about all I have to say. Thanks.

Thank you. We'll hear from the next caller.

Hey, Gonzuelo here. Okay, so I just wanted to, let's see. Okay, so just the obvious thing that Audra just pointed out that you all are not good doers of our money. And, you know, the public hears over and over again that there's never enough funding. We're told programs need more money, departments need more money, taxpayers need to pay more. Yet item after item reveals weight, efficiency, poor oversight, and lack of accountability. And then today, you're asking to authorize our county to become a founding member Oh, the California fixed income trust. Okay, so before anyone gets excited about creating another authority, another board, another layer of governance, taxpayers deserve the answers. Why is another investment pool necessary? How much money, how much county money is already invested in this fund? What are the management fees, administrative costs, and long-term obligations? Who benefits? financially for the creation of this new entity? And perhaps most importantly, why should the public trust the county to expand its investment activities when confidence in your stewardship is already so low? How low can you go? Government has a habit of presenting these items as routine, technical, and harmless. But every dollar being discussed belongs to someone who has worked for it. And someone who basically sacrifices for their family and, you know, spends their freaking time in traffic and pays their taxes and trusts, continues to trust the government and that you guys would handle their money, our money, responsibly. Okay, so again, you know, what can I say? Trust is earned through transparency.

Thank you. We'll hear from the final caller.

Hey there, it's Truth's final caller. Unqualified Larry Cohen was appointed, not voted in, to the treasurer tax collector role for a short time. And here he is already with a scam to fit... Tara, the tyrant, spoiled political princess demands. What a coincidence that the same day that Manuela Paloma took her oath of lies on July 22nd, 2025, that all of a sudden there's a fixed income trust JPA that came into being. Of course, only fools believe in coincidences. It's called getting your political pieces or puppets that fit into place. No, no, there is no trust in the deficit-ridden, corrupt county to be trusted as a trustee on a board overseeing tax dollars. Then it already isn't trusted. How can Larry seriously write about during peak secured property tax collection period when Manuela Paloma Aguirre refused to pay her own property taxes until I publicly addressed it last year? This is yet another corrupt county entity to be dictated to by terror of the tyrant. Friends investing in friends no different than communist Nancy Pelosi. The circular commie kickback, I think we should call this. Unqualified Larry even said this board deserves access to gamble with more tax dollars and create bigger government with the JPA. Really? When this corrupt board has sent us into a deficit and used a public special events trust fund account for their personal private campaign coffers. See, there's a pattern in practice within San Diego County of obfuscation of information and denial of public access. So just quit running your big mouth. Start getting on board with transparency instead of profit. Because nobody wants to hear another terror political theater monologue or another Monica TDS freakout or another Manny Nels on a chalkboard hissy fit. Thank you.

Thank you. We had one more caller dial into the queue.

How are we supposed to trust you guys when I get on record that you guys understand the problem with the registration process? You said you're going to go and investigate, and instead of investigating, you start trying to silence me. So how am I supposed to get on board with anything you guys are doing? I'm still waiting for that investigation. I filed a PRR so that I could get the data because you refused to do it. It's not, I mean, yes, it's the duty of the people to go ahead and make sure that you're doing your job. You guys ignoring the people because you want to push your own agenda. I don't understand. I really, really, truly don't understand. And I'm fully aware why you guys were elected is because you don't really comprehend much, or else you would recognize the actions that you're doing is hurting us all. You guys pitting us against each other is hurting us all. But you need to pass your agenda so you can care less about us, and you just go with your stockholders, which are the NGOs in the union. Now, I would like you, when you identify all the people that you're going to go ahead and give me the list, I would like you to go ahead and identify which groups made those people. And then I want you to investigate those groups. Every single group on both the Republican and Democratic side. Every single one of those people you identify, I want a full investigation and proper steps. I mean, if you ask me to do it, then I'll go in and deport every single person that shouldn't have voted in that election. But you're going to go ahead and identify them for me. Then you're going to go in and explain to me why you are not following the law on the deportation side. I could care less.

Thank you, Vice Chair Montgomery-Stepp. That concludes public comment on this item. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Appreciate it. And thanks for the presentation, Mr. Cohen. Thank you very much. I just got a couple of questions, just some comments. So we're already invested in CalFit. So what's the benefit of joining this JPA if we can already invest without doing so?

The benefit to us is that as a founding member, we will now have input into the governance and structure of how it's run and how it's managed and what service providers service the investment account. And we'll have a say in it rather than being forced to accept.

Was there anything we didn't like about it before? No, not yet. I mean, I don't mind having a say, but I'm just, there's something.

Yeah, no, no, no. I would say not yet, but things could change in the future. And we want to make sure that, you know, we have a strong say. And then there's no cost to us to do it. It just gives us more leverage in being able to look at the governing structure and how it's run.

So is there any more risk about being a founding member or the risk stays the same?

Risk stays the same.

Okay. So, um, and then how is, can we still withdraw? I understand these are short term investments, so money can be withdrawn whenever we need it, whenever we need it. Just as is there a 30 day waiting period? I have no idea.

It's daily liquidity, part of the reason that we like this. There's a number of other funds around the state like this. Let's say peak tax collection time, we have a lot of money coming in, and we don't know where the board, let's say, wants to send it right away. We need somewhere to park the money to earn interest for the county that then goes into the general fund and other things. So it's very advantageous, and it's liquidity. It's a quick place to park money and gain some interest points.

I guess I'm a little bit confused. So are we already investing in CalFit?

Yes, absolutely. We already have 100 million in it right now.

But now there's a new group?

No. It's the same CalFIT.

Yeah.

By signing this JPA as a founding member, we're now going to get a permanent seat on the board, and we're going to have oversight capabilities as to how it's run.

How many people are on the board? How many entities are on the board?

Right now there's currently four, I believe. Alameda County, us, who are the other two? Lake County. Lake County. And San Diego Water. And San Diego Water.

So the risk stays the same. We're just a voting member on the board primarily. for this is what you're asking for here?

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

It just strengthens our leverage and our bargaining position should we need something.

Okay. Well, these are the same questions my wife would ask me if I'm going to invest in something. No, it's fair.

These are great questions. I welcome them all.

Okay. All right. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you very much for this item. I'm happy to move the item. I think it makes sense for us to, if we have the opportunity, to have more of a voice on this board as being a part of the JPA. We're already spending the funding, so it makes sense for us to have a voice if that option is available to us, and apparently it is. So I'd like to move the item, and I will...

I'm happy to second.

Okay. I don't see anyone else on the lights, so we can go ahead and take a vote.

We did. Vice Chair Montgomery-Stefano, the motion passes unanimously with all supervisors who are present voting aye.

We are fishing around where we try to be. Okay. Thank you very much. And thank you again for this item. And so at this time, we will go to the balance of the non-agenda public comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair Montgomery-Stepp. We have 11 remaining requests to speak. A matter is not listed on the agenda, all coming by phone. For those that requested to speak by phone, please dial into the conference line using the instructions that were provided to you. We'll give the callers a moment to dial in. You'll have two minutes to address the board and I'll ask you to begin by stating your name for the audio record. We'll begin with our first caller.

Hello, board members. This is the Admiral speaking. I'm calling on item 19. I do support the approval of this plan, but I want to also emphasize the importance of strong accountability and mechanisms and the tracking of funds to prevent the... Mr. Rivera, we're going to stop your time here.

That item has already been heard. This is your opportunity for non-agenda public comment at this time. Admiral Rivera, you can please go ahead.

Okay, I'll go ahead and pass my time back.

Do you have any comments for non-agenda public comment this afternoon?

No, not right now. I'll have to go back.

Okay, thank you.

We'll hear from our next caller.

Good afternoon, Board of Supervisors. Teri Ann Skelly here. I'm a planning group member, a parent, and a public health educator. Earlier, I spoke to item 18 regarding creating an opportunity for residents of unincorporated communities as well as the residents of the county's 18 cities to participate in decisions that affect them, sometimes dramatically. The optics of today's 2-2 vote are vivid. It is best to remember in the unincorporated areas that 33% to 34% voters identify as independents. Residents want to be included regardless of party affiliation. No one who has ever attended a committee meeting buys the excuse that private information couldn't be accommodated or would be violated by providing agendas and meeting notes. There are so many ways that could be handled. However, a 2-2 vote implies an unwillingness to try, and that is troubling. When residents are included in information gathering, data collection, and interpretation and decision-making, it demonstrates that you, the Board of Supervisors, are honest. Trust in government relies heavily on citizens being able to evaluate the government's integrity, fairness, and responsiveness to community needs. Trusting government is necessary for residents to thrive, a stated goal of this county. A 2-2 vote today indicated Board of Supervisors doesn't seem interested in their own stated goals. Voters will wonder if they are, the best interest is being represented for them. Thank you for hearing my concerns this afternoon.

Thank you. And we'll hear from our next caller.

Good morning, excuse me. Good afternoon, Board of Supervisors. Here at our planning group in the unincorporated area, we've been receiving presentations from public health groups regarding the value in the unincorporated areas of having smoke-free public places. And some of those stated goals have to do particularly with secondhand and thirdhand smoke and reducing the exposure of residents to toxins. that can create heart disease, stroke, asthma, et cetera, lung cancer. Let's not forget lung cancer. And how really important it is to have outdoor areas that are smoke and vape free so that we can all breathe and enjoy them that much the more. So I have to ask, why? Why would we want to increase vaping and smoking in our unincorporated area by providing marijuana storefronts and the cultivation of marijuana crops? How can that ever contribute to what we know to be an unsafe practice of smoking and vaping? We wouldn't wake up in the morning and say, oh, we need more tobacco stores out here. Heavens no, that's the last thing that a county that provides health services would want. So why would we want to do that? and increase access normability of marijuana use. We are really concerned out here what's driving this. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll hear from our next caller.

Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Kathleen Lippitt. I tried but failed to support Supervisor Anderson's recommendation this morning about subcommittee transparency. But I do want to support that he should have been respected, and that was a small step that could have been taken on behalf of bipartisanship by the board majority, and they should have done so. Also wanted to address the reductions in funding for youth and early intervention. They are counterproductive. The primary focus on providing wraparound services to those with the most complex needs is not the right step. It is the antithesis of sound public policies because those are the most expensive, least sustainable, least effective, as well as carrying the highest rate of recidivism. Housing First allows active drug users into housing, and that has been shown to be ineffective because it provides neither an incentive to recovery or a deterrent to future drug use. Presuming that the primary driver of homelessness is the lack of a home ignores the variables that contributed to people who end up homeless. The result will be a continued upward spiral trend of drug abuse, addiction, and homelessness. The only thing you're going to accomplish with these reductions is creating a huge, a much greater bureaucracy. Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you. And vice chair Montgomery stuff. That concludes the request for non-agenda public communication for the session.

Thank you so much. Before we go to close session, a public comment. I just wanted to make sure that I'm not skipping any of my colleagues. If you have any board committee reports, none. Okay. All right. Let's go to close set. Yes. Yes. I got you. Close session. Public comment.

Thank you, Vice Chair Montgomery-Stupp. Item 21 in today's General Legislative Session Agenda and Item 1 in the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority are closed session matters. The closed session agendas include seven matters. Individuals that requested to speak on closed session matters must provide comments related to those items listed in the closed session. agenda item, otherwise your comments will be considered off topic. We have five requests to speak, one individual in person, and four requesting to speak by phone. For those who are requested to speak by phone, please dial into the conference line using the instructions that were provided to you. We'll begin with the in-person speaker. I'd like to invite forward a legend, Liadra. You'll have two minutes to address the board.

As we're doing employee reviews for Ebony and Andrew, I'd like to thank Andrew. You trying to hide that there was no quorum is very negligent. Ebony, you're the one that signs off on all the money. You know, it's like I want to know who do you guys work for? Because the people pay your paychecks. And you guys are sitting up here set to get a raise, potentially in the tens of thousands of dollars. Just the amount of money that, you know, one of these people that come in here make. I mean, way more than somebody, you know, just on the streets begging to survive. And, you know, it's like the people... that come to you guys have to make that dollar really stretch. And so I feel like, Ebony, I mean, if you really want to be a good steward of our money, you could do more with less. Instead, you have to do less with more. And that's the problem is that, you know, people are able to potentially try and make 100 bucks last a whole month if they have to because they have no choice. But instead of you doing something like that and stretching out our dollar to make sure that it's spent wisely, you don't. And you guys keep coming back to the people who are just surviving for more money while you're up there on this dais and you guys get raises that are in the likeness of, again, what somebody would make in a year. And so I feel like it's extremely negligent to be going down this path when the people that pay your paycheck are trying to figure out if they want to eat, put their children in daycare, have medications, pay gas, pay their bills, and whether or not they're gonna lose their home. So I think you need to take that into consideration when you're talking about some more money going in your pocket.

We'll now hear from the individuals that requested to speak by phone. We'll start with our first caller.

Okay, come follow here. So I just wanted to basically point out performance of Andrew. Now just earlier you, cut off a speaker on an agenda by the name of, or went by Admiral. And the thing is, is that, you know, it's like that. I just honestly feel that, you know, as a person, you're a kind individual, you have a great, you know, disposition, but you're the gatekeeper of their corruption. And the moment you're corruption is when you cut off this person. Kind of like you guys are of, the whole, it's just the entire system. It just runs smoothly on people with beautiful smiles and kind demeanors. And that's how it runs. And that's how people are so, you know, they're just so taken. And that's how the, gosh, yeah, that's about all I have to say. It's very disappointing. Please don't do that. Don't cut off people, especially when they're not regular callers. They say something that you don't like to hear, but yet I do understand your position and being the gatekeeper of the drugs. And it's, you know, a lot. It pays a lot as well. It's, uh, everybody can do your job, but you do it well. And, uh, that's all I have to say.

Thank you. We'll hear from the next caller.

Evaluations, excuse me. the ceo and the clerk are good especially the clerk who is working hard to increase transparency and public participation although i don't know what's going on with the terror thing uh since andrew ebbing was um jailed for a misdemeanor would have bail and um Families are still being torn apart without good reason. No to the chief probation officer. Alvarez v. Candy. Apparently a discrimination case. Don't know what's taking three years. Blessings v. Candy. The jail knew that their son was mentally ill and suicidal and put him in an observation cell where the jailers were supposed to Check him every 15 minutes and monitor him via camera. They didn't check for 45 minutes and he suffocated himself. Better settle. And the third case looks too new to really know anything beyond just a construction injury. Arabella McCormick beaten and starved and murdered. Delilah starved to death at three months by her unaccompanied parents. And they're having tortured kids taken now. Thank you. We'll hear from the final caller.

Hey, it's true, so am I really the final caller this time? We're going to find out. Case A is Flower Alvarez-Lopez versus the county, and I love when allies sue. Case B is James Palacios versus the county. Ivan Ortiz committed suicide via a plastic bag in a jail cell, and his mother is claiming wrongful death due to deputies allegedly not monitoring him and his suicidal thoughts. Case D is the public employee performance evaluation of the chief probation officer. Still haven't seen Tamika actually do anything. Does she even work there anymore? Case E is the performance evaluation of the clerk. Well, your call-in system keeps failing. I was deprived of commenting on item 18, allegedly about transparency. What irony. Andrew, you're lucky people actually like you because you're still professional. Case F is the performance evaluation of the chief administrative officer, Ebony. I've been very disappointed in you. You sold out a long time ago. You've allowed Tara to engage in several quid pro quos, including the J.C. Cooper deal. You lied with a straight face during the last budget discussion, saying everything's going wonderful, when it's all obviously going straight to Hellhole Canyon. Transparency on the spending with our tax dollars is gone, including via the public special events trust fund that went to Tara Manoela's and Joel's private campaigns. Ebony, you allowed Manoela to have a turkey giveaway, just like corrupt National City Council member Jose Rodriguez did. On December 22nd, 2025, via our special events trust fund, she gave out $754.75 worth of turkeys to 57 SEIU members. And it was closed off to the public, just like Tara's State of the County political theater show at the museum was. So corrupt. I'm giving you a D minus, Ebony, because I want you to wake up. These progressives don't even want you here. CARA has been planning on replacing you as soon as possible. So run fast, like Sarah Agassi did. That is my advice to you. And for the record on litigation, county employee Asma Aliyat, who murdered an innocent woman by running her over twice with her car with zero remorse and then used a moth shooting as her excuse, deserves the death penalty.

Thank you. Vice Chair Montgomery-Stepp, that concludes public comment on the closed session matters.

Thank you. We'll now proceed to our adjournments in memory. Today's adjournment in memory will be presented by Supervisor Desmond in memory of Jim Wood.

Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Appreciate it. As we conclude today's meeting, we pause to remember former Oceanside Mayor James Jim Wood, whose lifetime of service helped shape the community. Woods moved to Oceanside as a young boy in 1955, and he never left. He joined the Oceanside Police Department in 1971, serving over 31 years as an investigator on some of the department's most demanding cases, collaborating with federal agencies such as the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Woods served on the city council and as mayor and dedicated himself to public safety, civic leadership, and the well-being of Oceanside residents. His commitment, integrity, and genuine care for others left a lasting mark on Oceanside. Woods will be remembered as an exceptional public servant, and our community will forever cherish and appreciate his service. We extend our condolences to his wife, Pam, his family, friends, and all that had the privilege of knowing him. Mayor Jim, may you rest in peace. Thank you.

Thank you so much. And with that, the board will proceed to closed session and will be in recess until tomorrow, June 10th at 9 a.m. for the land use legislative session.

Thanks. The board will now recess into closed session to consider those matters listed under Item 21 and Item 1 on the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Agenda. If there are any reportable actions, they will be reported out during the land use session of this meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, June 10th, 2026 at 9 a.m.