Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

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Good morning everybody and welcome to the September 1st meeting of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors opening day of dove season. We will start this morning with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Supervisor Valero with a moment of silence after. public for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice Thank you. All right. We'll start this morning with Board of Supervisor matters, and I'll start at the end of the dais all by his lonesome with Vice Chair Townsend.

I was wondering if it was something I said. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, everyone. A couple things to report on. Last week, we had another meeting with Measure R Road Rehab Committee just to talk about the focus of the Measure R, the road tax that was implemented a while back. I'm sorry, the sales tax for roads that was implemented a while back. know the next rounds and if we did that again what need to be done on it and just emphasizing road rehabilitation was the main thing that comes out of that also had a government affairs panel meeting with southern california edison and regarding data centers and so that was very informative and had other government authorities on there just discussing the issues and what's going to be coming up in the future there's been a big a big, big download of information over the past few weeks on those. Also attended the Porterville Ag Business Luncheon, and then Sierra Nevada Conservancy, I'm still representing the county on that, and we had our virtual meeting, agenda review meeting for the upcoming meeting. And then this week, yesterday had a meeting with the Inyo National Forest and Backcountry Horsemen of California regarding the historic Casa Vieja cabin, ranger station, some trail maintenance, and grazing allocations, among other things. And then tomorrow will be the Tula East Groundwater Sustainability Agency. It'll be a public hearing to enact a Prop 26, which is to come up with a fee for the development of that groundwater sustainability agency. And then also Wednesday is local agency formation commission right here, LAFCO, right here in these chambers. Thursday, have a virtual meeting with Assemblywoman Macedo and some other local leaders. And also Thursday, Tulare King's Resources for Life dinner in Visalia at the First Assembly of God that evening. Also, we don't have a meeting on the 8th, and so just remember 9-11 coming up on that Friday, and that's the time that we would remember the tragedy that happened and that we would never forget to be vigilant. uh also that evening will be the also 9 11 will be the uh la gente uh dinner over in uh portaville uh recognizing achievements of many um local folks over in the portaville well just the general central valley area and that's all i have to report thank you

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, Tulare County. On Saturday, I was able to participate in the Central Valley Nonprofit Resiliency Network with community partners and funders. We were able to identify gaps, support a collective gathering of nonprofits to share ideas, recommendations, and also hear from those around the room on how to continue building a supportive network. The gathering was facilitated at Food Link of Tulare County. THIS WEEK I WILL BE ATTENDING THE ASSESSORS RIBBON-CUTTING EVENT, PARTICIPATING IN THE MONTHLY LATINO CAUCUS OF CALIFORNIA COUNTIES MEETING, A CHECK-IN WITH HHSA, FOLLOWED BY A PUBLIC ART SELECTION COMMITTEE MEETING. I WILL ALSO BE ATTENDING THE STATE OF THE COLLEGE FOR FRESNO CITY COLLEGE SINCE THE STATE CENTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT EXPANDS INTO DYNUBA. I WILL THEN BE MAKING MY WAY TO THE TULARI KINGS HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GOLF TOURNAMENT FOR A BIT AS WELL. And then on Saturday, I will be emceeing the first multicultural festival hosted by the League of Mexican American Women and the Tulare County Museum. So I want to thank Amy King for her incredible work in making this happen. Since we are dark next week, I also wanted to highlight a few events that I will be participating in. One is the Silver City Service Club Annual Meeting on Sunday. and that is a hefty drive, lots of curves, and usually takes about close to two hours, but I'm really excited to engage in the community of Silver City. I also have a board meeting for Eleanor Roosevelt Community Learning Center. I will also be attending the 9-11 ceremonies, both in Visalia and Cutler, so thank you, Chief Norman. I WILL BE ATTENDING THE LATINO COMMISSION HEALTH CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK AND THEN LATER IN THE DAY PARTICIPATING IN WOLSONIA'S ACTION TEAM MEETING AND THEN NEXT SATURDAY I WILL BE ATTENDING THE VISALIA RESCUE MISSION'S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER EVENT AT THE HYDE HERE IN VISALIA. AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE, CHAIR.

THANK YOU. SUPERVISOR VANDERPOEL.

Thank you, Madam Chair. A few items I wanted to highlight for these next couple of weeks. First of all, I will be attending the Assessor Clerk Recorder's office relocation ribbon cutting. For those of you that don't know, they're going to be relocating from the courthouse down to Government Plaza. It's a more central location in the county. I think it's going to serve our constituents very well. They will no longer have to go through security to go get services from the clerk recorder, and there will be more parking at the courthouse here in Visalia. So there's a lot of wins here because of the relocation. Government Plaza has plenty of parking, so don't worry about Government Plaza having more employees there. Then there will be a LAFCO meeting tomorrow here at 2 o'clock at the board chambers. Also, tomorrow is my mom's birthday. So happy birthday, mom, if anybody knows my mom or sees her around. Don't say how old she is. Yeah, I'm not saying how old she is. No, no. I don't even know. I'm kidding. I do know. then on thursday i have a zoom call with a data center regarding plans for a project here in the city of tulare there has been no formal approval or anything but part of my due diligence in looking into formulating our policy is due diligence on my own and hearing directly from constituents as well as and the proponents of a project as well. So this will be the second of the meetings that I've had with them, but this is first specifically with the project proponents. Then next week on Wednesday, I will be attending a meeting of the Tulare County Employees Retirement Association at 8.30 at the Tessera Board Chambers. I've got my monthly check-in meeting with the Health and Human Services Agency directors on the 10th of September. And then on 9-11 in Tulare, the Tulare Rotary Club puts on the 9-11 Memorial Blood Drive From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the city of Tulare at the Tulare Memorial Building, I encourage anyone who is willing and able to go and give the gift of life, to donate blood at that event. This is, I believe, I want to say it's the 20th annual or 18th annual. So it's a pretty significant event in Tulare. And for the Central California Blood Bank, it's actually their single largest one day blood collection event that they have. So it's very significant for our San Joaquin Valley community. And I encourage everyone to come out and participate. There's a lot of vendors there, a lot of community service organizations donate their time and help put together a fantastic event. So thank you to all the service clubs and everyone that makes that possible. It's a wonderful event. And again, the ceremony is at 7 o'clock in the morning that day, and I'll be speaking at that. Then on the 14th of September is the Tulare Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee meeting at noon at Apple Annie's. Later on that day is a Greater Cahuilla Groundwater Sustainability Agency meeting at one o'clock at the Greater Cahuilla office in downtown Visalia. That's all I've got, Madam Chair.

Thank You supervisor happy birthday to your mother a Couple things I want to highlight has been mentioned. There's the ribbon-cutting tomorrow for the relocation of the clerk Recorder assessor's office, but I had the opportunity yesterday to go they officially opened to the public and it's a Great space, a lot of people coming and going. They wanted me to remind folks that that is now where you will be going to get birth certificates, death certificates, recording. You will not pay your taxes there, though. Taxes are still paid over here at the courthouse. You need security for that. And they also, that's where they will process marriage licenses, which by the way, yesterday, I took the opportunity since I was there to get my marriage license. So they have kiosks out front, little iPads that you can do all the paperwork on, and it's very efficient. And thank you to, I know GSA did a lot of work They're also to get things taken care of, and it's a lovely space. So I will be at that ribbon cutting tomorrow. On Thursday, we have an art selection committee. I don't know if you've gone past the park right behind us here, but we have some concrete games, cornhole. There's four different games, but we put a call out to local artists to come in and design and paint those cement structures. So we'll be picking some art for that. Next week, we will be dark because of Labor Day, but after that, on next Thursday, I have an Air Board meeting, and then on the Friday, we have the 9-11 ceremony at the Fire and Sheriff's Headquarters. So with that, we will move on to our next item, which is to present a proclamation recognizing September 13th through 19th as Adult Literacy and Family Education Week in Tulare County. and supervisor valero is going to do that presentation i don't know if folks want to say something first i'm sorry i skipped something back up you're the one who put this on the agenda i know but i just thought whatever it's the first of the month i'll use that Gosh, Aurora, I am so sorry, Aurora. But first we are gonna present our pet of the month. We have Sam and Sergio here from our Tulare County Animal Services with Aurora. Aurora took a little walk around. She's very obedient, loves to sit when you give her a treat. And she does have her little bow tie on. So Sam, if you wanna give a little spiel about Aurora and how folks can adopt her.

Good morning. Thank you for having Aurora here today. Aurora, or Rory as I call her, is just the sweetest girl. She even attended an event with us on Saturday at the Market on Mooney and just was fabulous. Stole a lot of hearts. Just not the right one yet, it seems. She is kid friendly, dog friendly, great on leash, very food motivated, but who isn't? So am I. She is also fully spayed, up-to-date on vaccines, and microchipped now. She came in as a stray, so we don't know much about her background, but we just know that she's wonderful and deserves an amazing home to match how amazing she is. You can come adopt her at our shelter at 14131 Avenue 256. We're open Monday through Saturday, 10 to 4.

That's great. Charlie, Fire Chief needs a dog. All right, thank you guys. And again, thank you for all the great work that you do out there at Animal Services. Thank you. Thanks, Sergio. Bye, Aurora. Huh? Oh, Supervisor Vanderpool just said he'll pay the pet fee. Is that what you said? That's what I heard. Thank you, guys. All right, now we will move on to present the proclamation for Adult Literacy and Family Education Week. And Darla, are you receiving that or doing a presentation? Oh, OK. All right. Good morning, everyone. I'm really nervous, so bear with me.

That's all right. My name is Lucy Peta, and I'm a library service specialist at the Tulare County Library. Chair Strickland, Supervisor, CAO Britt, County Council Flores, and our clerk, thank you for having us today. Today, I'm going to talk to you about the Read to Succeed Literacy Center. Since its founding in 2000, the Read to Succeed Literacy Center has provided free literacy services to adults throughout Tulare County. As part of the California Library Literacy Services, the center offers tutoring, family workshops, leamos, career online high school, and connections with local organizations through existing partnerships. Through these services, adults strengthen their reading, writing, communication skills, and other things to prepare for things such as citizenship exams, GED exams, job interviews, and other important milestones. Offered both in person and online, tutoring creates opportunities for learners to continue their education, receive high school diplomas, support their families, and become active members of their communities. For more than 25 years, the Literacy Center has offered services to 17 branches across the county. As the county's only free literacy center, it continues to provide these resources that empower adults to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals. Today, we are honored to recognize the volunteer tutors who make this work possible through their dedication, patience, and generosity. They help adult learners gain new skills and confidence while opening new opportunities. we also recognize the learners whose commitment inspires us all. Seeking help and embracing the challenge of learning as an adult requires courage, and the impact of these efforts extend beyond our Literacy Center. Today, this proclamation further supports the impact that the Literacy Center has made in the lives of many learners, and we are grateful to everyone who continues to contribute to its success. Next, you'll hear from one of our adult learners, Deborah, and after that, you will hear from our tutor, Debbie.

Good morning, Supervisor. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Deborah Espinosa. I was born in Ecuador, and I speak Spanish, and I speak English as a second language. I was living in Los Angeles in a Spanish community for 20 years. When I came to Visalia, I felt the necessity to speak English because we live in a country where English is essential for communicating in our everyday lives. I want people to know that the Literacy Center Ready to Succeed is much more the place to learn English. It is a place where people in our community can learn, practice, and gain confidence, and communicate with others. Since I started receiving tutoring at the literacy center, I've gained much more confidence in speaking and understanding English. Before, I was often afraid of making mistake or not understanding what people were saying to me. Now, I'm trying to speak more in question and learn from my mistake without being afraid. The Literacy Center has made a big difference in my life because it has given me a safe place to learn without feeling embarrassed when I don't know something. I have also met people of different ages and cultures who are going through similar experiences that remind me that I am no alone in this journey. I will not stop until I feel a confidence to speak English as I do speak my native language, Spanish. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Good job.

Can I face both ways?

Actually, we're just talking to supervisors right now. Oh, I am?

All right. All right. Hi, I'm Debbie Jump, a tutor at the Literacy Center. Words are powerful things. I believe I first realized that fact when I was about four years old. And I remember Sunday morning I was reading the funny papers, and I was amused by the cartoons, but I was not getting the jokes because they were hidden in all those mysterious little squiggles that I couldn't decipher. Well, once I learned how to interpret those, I couldn't stop reading. I romped and played with Dick and Jane at school. Some of you remember them. solved mysteries with Nancy Drew while vacuuming the rug, much to my mom's displeasure, and killed a Union soldier with Scarlett O'Hara in my closet at 3 in the morning on a school night. And that was just the start of the enjoyment, the knowledge, the skills, and the opportunities that literacy has blessed me with my whole life. However, when it came to appreciating and really appreciating that blessing that I enjoyed, I have to admit that for a long time I just really took it for granted. 99% of the people that I knew could speak, read, and write English. Then this rural New York girl moved to Visalia, California. And I came to realize that there were plenty of grown adults who did not have the skills to explain to their doctor where they hurt or to read the instructions on a medicine bottle that he prescribed for them. I learned that it's possible to finish high school and not be able to tell a birthday card from an anniversary card at the Hallmark store. let alone fill out a job application or take a driver's test or help your children with their homework. So when I learned about the work that the Literacy Center does, I decided to come alongside and join them. And I've discovered that I was right. Words do have power, and they open up all kinds of opportunity. The precious learners that I've tutored over the years have inspired and enriched me so much through their personal stories and through sharing with me their hopes and their dreams and through their hard work. And what a joy it's been to see them when they reach their goals. To be able to order in a restaurant, write a thank you letter, read Little House on the Prairie from start to finish in English, and finish a course at COS, or even pass their citizenship test and vote for the first time. So this work is totally worth celebrating and supporting, for literacy helps people thrive. And when one of us thrives, we're all better for it.

Well, first, I want to thank you for providing the background to the Literacy Center and then for the testimonies that we heard this morning in terms of the power of literacy, right, through the lived experience that you both have shared. And so, again, amazing work happening here in the County of Tulare. And before I present this proclamation, I want to recognize that some of the most meaningful work we do as a county happens quietly, one person and one family at a time. We are fortunate to have so many departments and programs that touch people's lives in authentic and tangible ways and our Literacy Center is a great example of that work. And so today it is my privilege to recognize Adult Literacy and Family Education Week and more importantly the dedicated individuals who help make lifelong learning and opportunities possible throughout the County of Tulare. So with that, a proclamation recognizing September 13th through the 19th, 2026, as Adult Literacy and Family Education Week in Tulare County. Whereas in Tulare County, Read to Succeed Literacy Center celebrates 26 years of free literacy services to adults and their families. And whereas dedicated volunteer tutors contribute significantly to the success of the Literacy Centre by providing one-on-one support to adult learners, helping them achieve educational, professional and personal life goals. And whereas the literacy staff work with adults and families to learn to create a literacy-rich environment that makes a difference in their lives and in their communities. Whereas the Literacy Center partners with numerous county and community agencies to leverage shared resources and services, bring together courageous learners from every region of the county, urban and rural alike, as an engaged and diverse community committed to expanding their skills and opportunities. Whereas the County of Tulare celebrates the success of the Library's Read to Succeed Literacy Center, by commending and publicly acknowledging the efforts of staff, volunteer tutors, learners, and partners in current and future endeavors. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Tulare County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize September 13th through the 19th, 2026, as National Adult Literacy and Family Education Week in Tulare County. signed by Supervisor Larry Macari, Supervisor Pete Vanderpool, Chair Amy Shucklian, Supervisor Eddie Valero, and Vice Chair Dennis Townsend. And I just want to also share just quickly, I had the privilege of attending one of the graduations last year, and I will just say that no one walked out there with dry eyes, just seeing the impact and the progress that they made from the start to finish, and it was just an incredible moment indeed.

so if we can have the literacy staff tutors everybody volunteers come on up and we'll get a picture here in the well

Thank you.

All right, thank you. All right, our next item is public comment. Under state laws, matters presented under this item cannot be discussed or acted upon by the board at this time. Comments should be relevant to matters within the board subject matter jurisdiction and not repetitive of previous speakers. At all times, please use the microphone and state your name for the record. We also have telephonic public comments, so Madam Clerk, do we have anybody for public comment today?

We do not.

Okay, do we have anybody in chambers who would like to speak for public comment? All right, I'm seeing none we will move on to the consent calendar We have item 25 will be pulled for separate consideration For supervisor Townsend to recuse himself, but are there any other items to be pulled?

I'd also like to to pull 27 just for comment

Okay. So what we will do is we will vote on the remainder of the consent calendar and then take up those two that were pulled. So do I have a motion? Okay, we have a motion by Supervisor Vanderpool with a second by Supervisor Valero. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 4-0 with Supervisor McCurry absent. Did you want to make your comments on 27?

Yeah, and this is just, we'll be having, this will come back. This is just for our information. These were the bid price on the M107 road repair project, and we'll be approving it later, but I just have a general concern. Whenever we do get bids that are so far apart, the low bid is actually 21% lower than our budget. which means that, and it's about 27%, lower than the second bidder. In the private sector, that was a red flag for me because that looks like either, well, both, either they're gonna lose a lot of money and we're gonna get a, potential of the poor workmanship or we'll get a lot of change orders. And so I'd like to see us kind of address what we do in situations like this, whatever that happens.

Did you want somebody from staff to make that read? Is that something is under your jurisdiction or? Yeah.

Good morning, Reed Schenke, Resource Management Agency. Yes, as Supervisor Townsend mentioned, this is informational. We did open the bids here, and we will be returning with a proposal or a recommendation to award at a later date. Like you notice, when you do get a broad range of bids in a case like this, you start to look at those individual bid items and wonder, did they miss something? What caused that discontinuity? significantly different. There's a broad spread here. This project does have some unique features to it. It's very remote location and there's probably a higher level of risk in a project like this than a straight road overlay job where it's a pretty standard project. So we're looking at that and we do watch these contracts pretty closely if we do award it to make sure that they're following the specs and everything there. Happy to have that conversation further when we do bring it back to the board for consideration.

That suffice. OK. Thank you. OK. If there's no more questions, I'll entertain a motion on item 27. What? What's that? Oh, there's no vote on it. It was part of the consent. OK. OK. That's fine. So now we will move to item 25 with supervisor. Do you need to read something?

Yeah. Okay. I have potential financial conflict of interest under government code section 87100 regarding today's open session item 25, our consideration regarding the approval of the agreement numbers 32599, 32648 and 32650 from SME Homes due to a potential source of income within the previous 12 months from SME Homes. Therefore, I am recusing myself to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. The clerk has requested to make this announcement part of the official record of today's meeting for this agenda item. Thank you.

Okay, if there are no other questions or comments on this item, I'll entertain a motion. We have a motion by Supervisor Vanderpool with a second by Supervisor Valero. Please cast your votes. Motion passes three with Macari absent and Townsend recusing himself. All right. We will now move on to our untimed items. Excuse me. This is a request from General Services Agency to introduce an ordinance amending Article 15 of Chapter 3, Part 1 of the Tulare County Ordinance Code pertaining to the Tulare County Museum to dissolve the Tulare County Museum Board and revise the administration of the museum. Amy King, Sunderland, sorry.

Thank you, and good morning, everyone. I'm Amy King, the museum curator for the Tulare County Museum under General Services Agency, and I'm here today to propose an amendment to the Tulare County Ordinance Code, Article 15 of Chapter 3 of Part 1, regarding the museum board. The current ordinance establishes the board in an advisory role to provide input on objectives, exhibits, acquisitions, and to assist the museum curator and county staff with activities. The proposed amendment to Article 15 will dissolve the museum board to ensure efficiency and full legal compliance. The implementation of Senate Bill 707 adds compliance requirements and complexities, creating additional administrative duties. The amendment will reassign applicable responsibilities within the General Services Agency. The GSA director will exercise the powers authorized by Section 5120 of the Public Resources Code and supervise the museum curator and other county employees responsible for operating and maintaining the museum. Additionally, the director or designee will advise the Board of Supervisors annually on promoting the museum's objectives and purposes and on the acquisition, exhibition, and use of objects and exhibits. The proposed ordinance will also update the museum curator's responsibilities to align with the revised administrative structures. The curator will continue to supervise the museum and its collection and may accept donations and loans on behalf of the county to the same extent permitted to the county librarian by administrative regulation 37. This will streamline the administration of the Tulare County Museum while maintaining appropriate oversight of the museum operations. The requests before you today are, one, to introduce an ordinance amending Article 15 of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of the Tulare County Ordinance Code pertaining to the Tulare County Museum to dissolve the Tulare County Museum Board and revise the administration of the museum. number two to find that the title of the ordinance was included on the published agenda and that a copy of the full ordinance was made available to the public online and in print at the meeting before the ordinance was introduced and three to set the adoption of the ordinance for september 15th 2026 and with that i'm happy to answer any questions you might have

All right. Do we have any questions for Amy on this item? Comments? Go ahead.

I would just make the comment. It just seems like it's another consequence of 707 that I think we're seeing throughout the county and how it's causing undue burden on a lot of the committees that were established to really do good in our counties throughout the state. And these onerous requirements coming down from the state are making A lot of community input and volunteerism, a lot more difficult to implement at the government level, so I'm sad to see.

I did want to reassure you that the members of the board consist of the Tulare County Historical Society, our county librarian, and I do work closely with those folks outside of the board. So we'll continue those relationships and, you know, work together still just kind of outside of meeting here.

Good. Thank you. Do we have any public comment on this item? Okay, then I will bring it back for consideration. We have a motion by Supervisor Valero with a second by Supervisor Townsend. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 4-1 with Supervisor McCurry absent. Thank you, Amy. Thank you. All right. Okay, our next item is to receive a presentation from the Health and Human Services Agency highlighting the transition of the Suicide Prevention Initiative from behavioral health to public health and present a proclamation recognizing September 2026 as National Suicide Prevention Month in Tulare County. Good morning, Nilsa.

Hi, good morning, Chairwoman. How are you today? I'm fine. Good morning, board. Good morning, CAO, Dr. Brett. Good morning, county council. My name is Nilsa Gonzalez. I'm with Tulare County Public Health. And today I also have Darcy Massey with me today with behavioral health. And we are going to be presenting some information regarding suicide awareness in Tulare County. So I wanna first start off with an alert. This is a sensitive topic. Suicide will be discussed. Please feel free at any time to step out of the room. And I also wanna make sure that we're highlighting our Tulare County Mobile Crisis Response Team, which is a 24-7 team. And the phone number for that is 1-800-320-1616. So we'll talk a little bit about Suicide Prevention Month, which is the month of September. I have some local data to share with you all this morning, a few highlights regarding BHSA, some public health branch requirements that are new and mandated from the state, Darcy's gonna talk about our loss team and we also have a surviving suicide story today, this morning. And so Denali McCain is here to share her story. And then we'll talk a little bit about the restructuring of some of our stakeholder groups and the creation of a new community health coalition and what that'll look like moving forward. So every September, counties across the nation observe National Suicide Prevention Month. As you all know, this is a vital public health and behavioral health initiative. It gives a structured framework to highlight our local crisis resources, elevate community safety, and ensure that our residents know exactly where to turn when they're in distress. All Tulare County residents are encouraged to actively participate in suicide prevention efforts and promote mental health and wellness as we work towards the goal of zero suicides in Tulare County. So I'm sure you're all familiar with Prop 1 that passed in March of 2024, and this really was to modernize California's behavioral health system, especially for people with the most serious mental health or substance use needs. The transformation is intended to improve access, accountability, and transparency. Publix health role is to cross collaborate with behavioral health by streamlining our community health assessment our community health improvement plan efforts and the behavioral health integration plan and for awareness those mandates were effective July 1st of this year and So there were very specific mandates that were provided to public health and those came from the state. We are to serve as a convener and a coordinator for suicide prevention among some other key areas. They want us to ensure that we're amplifying all of our CDPH, our California Department of Public Health statewide initiatives. We are to align all of our plans, so our community health assessment plan, our improvement plan, and the behavioral health plan. And we are to ensure that all of our BHSA priority populations are at the table. So when we are convening folks and bringing stakeholders together, there are very specific groups that have been identified by the state that need to be at the table. And then lastly, we are now responsible for updating our local suicide prevention plan. And so the way that public health has decided to move that forward is that we are gonna be integrating that local plan into our CHIP, which is our Community Health Improvement Plan. So it'll be embedded within that work that's already being done. And then just to further note, behavioral health, of course, will continue to provide intervention, postvention services. They are the licensed professionals in this area that do this wonderful work. And public health will focus on the prevention side of things. So I have some local data that I wanna go over with you this morning. So this first slide illustrates trends in fatal suicide injuries within Tulare County from 2017 to 2026. And I wanna make note that the data is as of June 30th of this year, so halfway through the calendar year. It's important to note that across this nine and a half year span the county has recorded a total of 373 fatal suicide injuries our lowest recorded count was in 27 which was in 2019 followed by a four-year upward trend that peaked at 57 deaths in 2023 and This next slide shows the fatal suicide injuries in Tulare County by age group and sex from 2024 through June of 2026. These are suicide deaths and may not reflect the totality of suicide attempts. I wanna start with sex. We see a consistent and substantial disparity. Men account for over 80% of all fatal suicide injuries in Tulare County each year. The higher death for males is typically seen statewide. It is a typical pattern that's seen statewide and nationally. This next slide shows our racial and ethnic demographics. The majority of fatal suicide injuries in Tulare County occur within our Hispanic and non-Hispanic white populations. In 2024 and 2025, the highest number of deaths occurred among Hispanic individuals accounting for roughly half of two thirds of the county's total fatalities. Non-Hispanic white residents represented the second largest group in 2024 and 2025 and through the first half of 2026. They account for 10 of the recorded fatalities. Slide number four compares Tulare County age-adjusted suicide mortality rates against the California state average between 2017 and 2024. Looking at the broader trend, Tulare County consistently stayed below the state rate from 2018 to 2022, reaching a notable low of 6.9 deaths, so approximately seven per 100,000 population in 2017. I always like to highlight sort of what that adjustment looks like. If you had a stadium with 100,000 people in it, about seven of those folks would die from this specific cause. However, following that low, Tulare County saw a steady increase culminating in a sharp spike in 2023 at 13.9 suicides per 100,000, exceeding the state average of 10.2. This last data slide is a map that breaks down our five-year aggregate data from 2020 to 2024, looking at age-adjusted suicide death rates across Tulare County communities. The shading reflects rate tiers with the darker blue representing a higher mortality concentration. White unshaded areas indicate either zero deaths or suppressed data because the sample size is too small. So to make note, Exeter, Lemon Cove, Lindsay, and Strathmore area had the highest rates at 12.6 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Timpton, Tulare, and Woodville at 10.7, and Farmersville, Goshen, and Visalia at 10.2. What these localized rates help us do is they help us pinpoint communities where prevention resources and targeted outreach are needed the most. So I'll turn it over to Darcy to talk about the loss team.

Good morning. Darcy Massey, family advocate for behavioral health. So with the transition of our prevention efforts over to public health, behavioral health has committed to continuing to provide postvention services. And that is done through our loss team. So that's local outreach to survivors of suicide. The team was formed in 2013, and when we are notified about a suicide loss, either from our coroner, sometimes community partners, friends and family, some folks in this room have notified us, they let us know that someone is struggling, and our team connects with the loved ones and the families of those lost, and we provide resources and hope that they can get through this. And it's postvention, but it's also prevention, because we know people who have lost someone to suicide or are affected by a suicide loss are also at risk themselves. So we go out to their homes. We sometimes meet them at Starbucks. We give them a tote full of resources that includes our support group information. We continue to offer a survivors of suicide support group once a month. um that is peer-led and we have many survivors who attend that regularly we also give them information on how to take care of themselves and how to find counseling services through their insurance and just connections so that if something comes up they can connect with us and we can continue to help them and really the goal of that is to provide just resources and hope It doesn't matter when the loss occurred or what the relationship is. We can connect with anyone. Sometimes it might be a peer, a coworker, someone from their past that they haven't really dealt with that loss. So it doesn't matter the time or the relationship. We can still connect with them and get them resources. With all the BHSA changes, there is not necessarily designated funding for this program, so we do have a Friends of Tulare County account that we've had for several years that many of our lost survivors have donated to, and so we have We're going to be using those funds to continue to fund this program so that we can do our support groups, so that we can continue to support the Slickrock Film Festival, which we've done in the past, and then provide the resources to provide to the families and the loved ones. Should we do Denali, or are we going to do that at the end? I think we should do Denali next.

Oh, yeah, let's yeah, let's introduce.

Yes. So Denali McCain is a longtime Suicide Prevention Task Force member, also part of our loss team. She's also a licensed clinical social worker for our behavioral health branch. I met Denali many, many years ago when she was just getting ready to go to get her master's degree and connected with her. And she also is a lost survivor. She recently, a couple years ago, lost her mom to suicide, and she's gonna share her story.

Thank you, Darcy. Good morning, everyone. My name is Denali McCain. I'm a licensed clinical social worker with our county's specialty adult mental health clinic, VAC. I have been a behavioral health county employee for approximately five and a half years and have been involved with the Suicide Prevention Task Force for close to 11. September is the month of suicide prevention awareness and today I'd like to share how I became involved in suicide prevention efforts in this county and how our postvention work continues to impact my life and the lives of so many others. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a judge. I was raised by my mother, Lori Ann Marchese, until I was eight years old. I didn't know at the time that she was struggling with a severe mental illness. What I did know was that my childhood was filled with drugs, chaos, fear, and many times court appearances and foster care. I envied the judge because he seemed to be the only person that my mom would listen to. Eventually, after a particularly frightening incident, my father stepped in and I went to live with him. My mother would still visit, but those visits were often marked by unpredictable outbursts that ended with her being asked to leave. As a child, I came to see her only as someone who chose drugs and instability over being my mother. When I was 17 during my senior year of high school, tragedy struck twice. My best friend died of an overdose. Then just two and a half weeks later, my father died of a heart attack. In less than a month, my entire world turned upside down. I was grieving my best friend and my father, and I was surrounded by people who wanted to take advantage of what my dad had left behind. My mother was absent, and honestly, I only graduated high school because a social worker convinced me that's what my dad would have wanted. As I entered adulthood, I found myself in and out of the court system again, but this time from a different perspective. During probate, I was watching adults succeed in manipulating the vulnerabilities of a grief-stricken teenager for secondary gain. I no longer wanted to be a judge. Instead, I wanted to understand why people behave the way they do, why hurt people hurt people, how cycles of pain could be broken, and how someone like myself might play a part in that. That's what led me to study psychology and social work. At COS, part of our curriculum required us to volunteer for a cause we cared about. I chose the Suicide Prevention Task Force. It was there that I met Noah Whitaker, and together we organized an art gallery featuring young artists' work around suicide prevention. When I transferred to Fresno State, I stayed connected with the task force and met Darcy Massey. She was the first person to tell me I should pursue a master's degree. In 2020, I graduated with that master's degree in social work with a 4.0 GPA and due to the pandemic without a hooding ceremony. For the first time in a long time, my mom was doing well enough that she could have been there. I had helped her find housing and she seemed stable. During that time, we began to truly get to know each other. I discovered the beautiful traits we shared, our pride in our Italian heritage, our identical laugh, and how deeply she loved my daughter. She told me about her own confusing childhood, being raised by Italian parents who were always the life of the party, and how she spiraled into addiction after losing her mother when she was just 20 years old. She admitted that she had never wanted to be a mother, and she told me she was sorry for my childhood. That year, I started working in a rehab to better understand addiction and in some ways to better understand her. But the stability didn't last. My mom was evicted again after another episode. I began to understand that her struggles weren't only about drugs and alcohol. There was a serious mental illness underneath them as well, something I would come to understand much better through my work with my own clients. When I joined back as an associate clinician, I worked with many people whose struggles reminded me of my mother. Meanwhile, her instability grew worse. She couldn't stay housed. Her violent outbursts became more frequent and eventually it became unsafe for my daughter to be around her. I told myself that once I became licensed, I would finally have the tools to save her. I became licensed in February of 2024. One month later, my mom stepped in front of a truck and she was gone. In that moment, everything I thought I knew about helping others collapsed. I felt like I had failed. Nothing anyone could say convinced me otherwise. I remember receiving my LCSW certificate in the mail shortly afterward and the certificate in my hand felt meaningless. I told Darcy, who had become my clinical supervisor, that I didn't know how I could go on helping other people when I hadn't been able to help my own mother. She sat with me without judgment and made me feel seen and heard during one of the most difficult and confusing times of my life. She also reminded me of the very resources I had so often offered to others and for the first time I accepted them for myself. I joined the suicide survivor grief group. I used the EMDR grief therapy voucher. I read books about suicide loss and survivors' guilt, and sometimes I just cried in Darcy's office. Slowly, I began to heal, and I came to understand something vital. We cannot fix or save people, but we can walk beside them. We can share what we know, what we've learned, and what we've experienced. We can make sure that when someone reaches the darkest point of their life or finds themselves grieving someone who did, they do not have to walk through it alone. That shift from trying to rescue people to learning how to walk alongside them changed the way I show up for every client I serve. I carry my mother with me every day. Though I miss her deeply, I know that sharing her story gives her life and her struggle a purpose beyond the pain. She fuels the passion I have for this work. I continue to attend the Suicide Survivor Grief Group, and I now assist with Lost Calls, where we meet grieving families during some of the worst moments of their lives and offer the support, understanding, and resources that were once offered to me. we know that losing someone to suicide can increase a survivor's own risk for suicide that is why postvention is also prevention i am so thankful that behavioral health continues to support our loss team and the survivors we serve i am also thankful that public health will continue the preventative efforts that began with the task force so long ago this work doesn't just change statistics it changes lives and it changed mine I appreciate your time today, and I hope my story provides more than an understanding of how our county efforts support members of the community during such vulnerable circumstances. Behind every loss call is a family experiencing what may be the worst day of their lives. And sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer them is not an answer or a solution. It is another person who has survived that loss standing in front of them and showing them simply by being there that surviving it is possible. Thank you.

Thank you Denali for sharing your story. So this work is so important. It's so impactful and so important to our communities. And public health joining behavioral health just makes perfect sense in this type of work. It really truly is sort of indicative of that whole person care model, everyone coming together for one cause. So in that effort, we have looked at restructuring a couple of different groups that we currently have within the agency. The first group is our public health advisory, where we had different members from our healthcare communities. We have a couple of practitioners in that group. We have our public health officer. We have some education folks that are part of that group. And then the Suicide Prevention Task Force members, which I had the pleasure of attending a couple meetings, and it is such a passionate, robust group of folks. And so bringing all of these partners together, those are our behavioral health experts, our mental health service providers, alongside each other in the creation of this new community health coalition. BHSA also had some very specific stakeholders that they identified that need to be at the table. Those are folks that represent our local tribes, our agency on aging, veteran services, any regional centers in regards to adults with disability, intellectual disabilities. We also, because of the work we do through our accredited public health department, have CBO partners, of course, hospital representatives, and our MCP representatives. So all four of these areas are gonna be brought together to do all sorts of prevention work. We're gonna talk about data, we're gonna talk about streamlining services, how we best serve our community, we're gonna be convening and aligning and strengthening and uplifting each other's work, and really creating this much further reach than we could have before by coming together. So this is all in the works. We're still building out the framework with what this coalition will look like, putting lots of information together, creating membership packets, inviting folks to the table. So far we've had lots of really high interest in joining the group, so that's been great. We're looking at hopefully having a kickoff meeting for this new group in the winter of this year so that we could start to plan out what that'll look like. It'll also work hand in hand with our existing accreditation subcommittees that we have. So some of the representatives will also be part of our access to care group where they could come together and work on specific projects. But this coalition really is the platform to talk about what the needs are of the community and the subcommittees is where the work gets done. So just a little bit about that more to come when more information is solidified. And then lastly this morning, I wanna end on the Never a Bother campaign. This is one of the statewide initiatives that CDPH has been working on. They brought over 400 California youth and created this advisory youth group put together and they really worked on this campaign called Never a Bother. There's a website there, there's lots of resources. It's specifically tailored to our youth and lots of great information and sort of fun imagery that they worked on. So I'll go ahead and end with that and then open it up for any questions or comments.

All right, Supervisor Vanderpool.

Well, thank you for the presentation, Nilsa. I think that you did a great job with that, and it's definitely going to be a shift in the approach towards suicide prevention. First, I just want to start off by saying I don't think that HHSA and the existing partnerships have done anything wrong to where you need to change the approach. But I do think that shifting with the times and potentially looking at a different aspect of tailoring the approach towards suicide prevention is, you know, something that could be beneficial to the community. And involving public health in that specifically I think is a good opportunity. you know, this is always something that I think, you know, I'm very blessed in my life to never have had any direct suicide losses, but every single time you come in or public health come, HHSA comes in and does this presentation every year. Man, it just tugs at my heartstrings because although I haven't experienced it, I can just see and imagine the pain that Denali went through and that your suicide loss group has gone through. It just tugs at your heartstrings and my heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone. to that, but I really just have to give Denali kudos because rather than taking what you've experienced in your life and shutting down yourself, which is an avenue that so many choose, you've chosen to channel that emotion and that experience into a way to benefit and understand others. And so just true kudos to you Denali for using your passions to do good in our community. And it's people like you that can really have a very positive impact on other members of our county that may be experiencing something similar or you may change a life and send them down a different path. And so I just really appreciate what you do and having presentations like this here at the board really show us as board members and show the community the work that we do. I'm so passionate about being a county supervisor and about Tulare County and all these great programs that we have here. but having you come in and share your story and really put a personal detail to this presentation just has such a positive impact and really does show meaning to the work that we do as a county. And so again, appreciate you and appreciate all the work of all of the mental health branch and now to be a public health as well. And we just have great dedicated people throughout our county departments and workforce And you're a wonderful example of that today. So thank you for sharing your story. And I look forward to this new approach and the partnerships that will come out of it.

All right, do we have any other comments? I have a couple of questions, just a couple of comments. First of all, Denali, also, the work that you do and what you share is so powerful, and I believe will have an impact on other people's lives, so thank you for being here today and sharing that. And I just wanna say, I think this is a great merger to hear with the Suicide Task Force and the Health Advisory Committee. I mean, the more resources you have, the more information, the more knowledge you have from all those folks in one arena, I think will be very helpful. So thank you guys for all the work that you do. I know it's not easy work, but we're very appreciative that you all are there doing it. So with that, oh yeah, I'm sorry, Supervisor Valero, I missed that.

No, thank you, Chair. I also just want to say thank you, Nilsa, Darcy, and your team, all that work in this together. Thank you for carrying that pain but also navigating the journey with and for the community that needs the support and, like you said, offering that hope and the assistance and the care and the presence of someone that is there walking that journey with them. um and also yes to denali thank you for sharing your journey with us and the impact that you're making across our county as well thank you all right with that supervisor townsend we'll be presenting the proclamation uh whoever you want everybody come on up

Yeah, and just before I do, I just want to echo what everyone else has said already. Nilsa, Darcy, thank you so much for the presentation, and Denali especially for coming up and sharing your story. And that really gives hope to a lot, I'm sure, a lot of people. I hope a lot of people hear about that. I know they do through your team, through your prevention and your loss team. And so we're really proud to see the work that you're all doing in Tulare County. And with that, we'll read this proclamation. It's the County of Tulare Board of Supervisors Proclamation recognizing September 2026 as National Suicide Prevention Month in Tulare County. Whereas September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time in which individuals, organizations, and communities around the country join their voices to amplify the message that suicide can be prevented. And whereas the week of September 6th through the 12th, 2026, is designated as National Suicide Prevention Week, with September 10th observed as World Suicide Prevention Day. And whereas we recognize the people of all ages benefit from essential elements of wellness, such as access to effective health and behavioral health care, social support, and a sense of meaning and purpose. And whereas life's challenges and transitions, whether expected or unexpected, can be stressful and overwhelming, and knowing the signs of suicide, finding the words to talk with someone who may be struggling, and reaching out to local resources are vital actions everyone can take to care for themselves and others. And whereas National Suicide Prevention Month serves as a vital reminder to raise awareness, educate our community about suicide prevention, and promote access to resources for those in crisis. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Tulare County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize September 2026 as National Suicide Prevention Month the week of September 6th through the 12th, 2026, as Suicide Prevention Week, and September 10th, 2026, as World Suicide Prevention Day in Tulare County, and urges all residents to take action for suicide prevention and promote mental health and wellness as we strive towards zero suicides. dated september 1st 2026 and is signed by supervisor mccurry supervisor vanderpool chair sheklian supervisor valero and myself vice chair townsend thank you if we could have the behavioral health and public health teams come up that'd be great

Thank you, guys.

all right thank you our next item is a request from the human source res human resources and development department to appoint natalie s boland to the position of health and human services agency director effective august october 3rd sorry natalie it was last month october 3rd 2026 lupe i'll let you go on with the rest of it

good morning board members of the board lupi guards the director of human resources and development um as you mentioned this morning i'm here to um ask the board in accordance to govern government code section oh my gosh five four nine five three um to request to appoint natalie as bolin to the position of health and human services agency director effective october 3rd 2025 and also approve the annual salary six i'm sorry 26.

I'm sorry.

Two dates wrong. Also to approve the annual salary for the position of Health and Human Services Agency Director in Bargaining Unit 10 in the amount of $244,640.61 with the same standard benefits provided to Bargaining Unit 10 employees and an additional benefit of auto allowance at $731 a month subject to annual modifications. So I'm here for any questions if you have any.

have any questions of lupe on this okay with that um yeah yeah not really a question just a comment i just wanted to say that i ran into um our district attorney tim moore the other day at an event and he wanted me to make sure and to tell dr boland that she was single-handedly responsible for getting prop 36 across the finish line

he wanted to send his congratulations and he couldn't be here today because he's at his associations meeting or he would have been here as well now we just got to work on getting funding for it all right any other comments all right so um I will I'll entertain a motion and for the record there's no public comment cards oh no public comment okay Oh, I didn't mean to do that. Well, the motion was made by me. And the second was by Supervisor Vanderpool. I thought I was hitting vote. Please cast your votes. Motion passes four to one with Supervisor McCurry absent. Dr. Boland, congratulations. If you would like to come up and say a few words now that it's official.

Well, thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, CAO, council, for the confidence that you have placed in me through my appointment as director of Health and Human Services Agency. I am honored by this opportunity and fully aware of the responsibility that comes with leading an agency that touches the lives of Tulare County residents at some of their most important and difficult moments. And we heard about that this morning already. Health and Human Services is large, complex agency with a broad mission. Our work spans public health, behavioral health, social services. That includes our eligibility programs, our child and family services, our housing related support, animal services, and many other essential functions. Every day, agency staff work alongside our community partners to ensure that children and older adults are protected, families can access needed benefits and services, individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges receive timely care, and residents have access to programs that promote health, stability, and self-sufficiency. I'm really proud of the workforce and I really deeply appreciate the dedication, the professionalism, and compassion our employees bring to their work on behalf of Tulare County. We are going to have a few challenging years ahead of us. The changes associated with HR1, along with continued state and federal budget uncertainty, will require the agency to remain vigilant, adaptable, disciplined in how we manage our programs, staffing, contracts, and resources. While many details will continue to emerge through federal and state guidance, the agency is not waiting to prepare. We are actively monitoring developments, assessing potential impacts, and working to identify operational, fiscal, and service delivery risk as soon as possible. And this has all been under Donna's leadership, which I will continue. Our approach will be practical, proactive, prepare early, communicate clearly, manage resources carefully, and remain focused on the people who rely on our services. I'm really fortunate to be supported by an exceptionally strong director and executive leadership team. Our leaders understand both the complexity of the work and the importance of maintaining a positive solution-oriented culture during periods of uncertainty. And most importantly, our leadership is united in a shared commitment to serve Tulare County residents with integrity, compassion, responsiveness, and sound stewardship of public resources. Although the year ahead will present real challenges, I am optimistic about the agency's ability to meet them. I look forward to closely working with the board, with our CAO and his team, agency staff and our community partners to continue strengthening services and improving outcomes for the people of Tulare County. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as director of Health and Human Service Agency.

Well, thank you. And as you said, this is one of our most critical agencies. And obviously we have the utmost trust in you and your directors and staff to move on and get things done for the citizens of Tulare County. Thank you so much.

Any other?

All right.

I'll just say congratulations, Natalie. I know that I've worked with you my entire time here at the county, and I know how committed you are to Tulare County, to the residents, and I think it's really important that the agency that touches so many of our vulnerable in this county from you know, pre-birth to, you know, all the way through KTAAA and senior services and, you know, suicides, you know, everything. I mean, it's so comprehensive and so vast. I think that your experience will serve you well and your compassion for what you do in making Tulare County the best place it can be and thinking strategically, knowing the difficult years are going to be coming and being proactive about that. is going to serve us all very, very well. So I look forward to working with you and offer our help in any way that we can as you work your way into this role.

Well, congratulations, Natalie, and yes, great work ahead of you, but also, as mentioned, challenging times. But I just I really want to point to your access and your availability, given the fact that even when I started my town halls early on in like 2019, all that, you've always been there presenting, sharing information. connecting to the community and so I again value that in terms of that access and availability but also I know that you're going to weather the storm that is ahead and you'll be able to really bring everyone along with you to as my colleagues have said really provide the resources and the services to the entire county of Tulare so thank you so much supervisor Townsend

Thank you, Madam Chair. Natalie, just want to add my congratulations as well. And just add on top of that, you're so brave to step in at this changing time. But we do have confidence in you. We believe that you'll be able to handle this. And we're here, obviously, as partners in collaboration to make sure and get the things done for the people of Tulare County. But we appreciate you. We know that you're proven. And so congratulations on the new appointment.

All right. Congratulations. Alright that ends our regular session items council. Do we have a need for closed session today?

Yes, we do Item a conference with labor negotiators and there'll be no reports out today Okay.

Well, thank you all just a reminder. We are dark next Tuesday following the Labor Day Monday Thank you all for being here