Well, good morning, everybody.

Today

is Tuesday, February 10th, and let's call this meeting to order.

And

if I could please have our clerk, Rhonda, good morning, to call the roll.

Good

morning, Supervisor Abacoga.

Here.

Supervisor Young.

Here.

Supervisor Ellenberg.

I'm

here.

Vice

President Aranis.

Here.

President Lee. Good morning, President. Please have a quorum.

Great,

thank you. And Rhonda, would you please read the interpretation announcement, please? Certainly.

Set

the current item here. If we could please have our interpreters translate the following into Spanish and then Vietnamese. If you are in chambers and require Spanish or Vietnamese translation, translation devices are available at the back of chambers.

The

clerk can assist you with setup. Translation is also available in Zoom using the interpretation button. Additionally, as a gentle reminder for public commenters, staff, and those of us on the dais, please speak clearly and at a measured pace directly into the microphone to ensure accurate translation.

All right, thank you, Rhonda. And may I please have Supervisor Ellenberg please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please. Excuse me, we do need the interpreters to do the translation. Translation first. Okay, sorry. My apologies.

Here

I go, the Spanish interpreter.

Yes,

good afternoon to the people who are going to use simultaneous interpretation. In the back of the chamber you will find the devices and the staff can help you to use them. There will be simultaneous interpretation in Vietnamese and in Spanish. All people who speak into the microphone are asked to do so in a paused and understandable way so that you can have a good simultaneous interpretation service. Thank you very much. Thank you, Beatrice.

Thank

you.

To

our

Vietnamese interpreter, we seem to have lost you.

To our Vietnamese interpreter, we seem to have lost you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, so now may I have Supervisor Ellenberg please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please

join me in standing if you're able.

Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

So before we move on to our next item, the invocation, I just want to make a couple of announcements. First, I'm really pleased to report that our county's year -long preparation to host the Super Bowl 60 was a huge success. I had the chance to see our county Emergencies Operations Center in action on Sunday with over 85 staff members from many departments supporting the day's activation. To our county emergency operations staff led by James Williams and Dana Reed and to so many departments, first responders, sheriff deputies, firefighters, nurses, and volunteers, many doing 12 -hour shifts, worked so hard to ensure that our county's emergency operations center was in action on Sunday. We are a safe

and successful event for everyone. Let's give them a huge round of applause.

And we're also very relieved that there was no ICE presence at the event. And we thank the NFL and the 49ers for contacting DHS and kept all of us informed. Many thanks as well to our rapid response partners and volunteers who promptly investigated false ICE sightings, helping dispel rumors and alleviate fear of our neighbors. Their efforts ensured that everyone could fully enjoy the game. And who can forget the incredible halftime show headlined by Superstar Bet, who

called for unity, holding a football with the inscription, Together We Are America. Sometimes people forgot that everyone born in Puerto Rico is an American citizen and I have the honor to have met and served with many of them in Iraq a decade ago. That bunny's real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, who reminded us to, quote, never stop believing in yourself. And that, quote, the only thing more powerful, than hate, is love. In these times of division and chaos, we are blessed to have such a powerful message broadcast from our county to more than 100 million viewers around the world. Muchísimas gracias, Benito. Thank you.

All right, other announcements I

have.

Coming on Friday the 13th, we actually have two this year. One's going to be this Friday, but that's not the one I'm talking about. On Friday the 13th in March, we will host the 2026 State of the County Address right here in the city of Puerto Rico. We will host the 2026 State of the County Board Chambers.

This

free event is an opportunity to hear about our accomplishments and our goals for the year ahead.

And

there will be great music and delicious food.

So

please R .V .P. in advance at the link available on our District 3 website. Throughout February, we are also honored to co -sponsor the art installation, quote, honoring the children of Palestine. They deserve to play, unquote, in the County Civic Center Breezeway.

Following

last November's Angels of Ukraine exhibit, which honored thousands of children who lost their lives,

this

installation, now for the 2026 State of the County Board Chambers, commemorates the 64 ,000 children who have died in Gaza and the West Bank over the past 30 months.

Guests

are invited to share messages and reflections, and we extend our sincere thanks to our county partners, the Palestinian Heritage Committee, the Arab American Culture Center of Silicon Valley, and the soul of my soul exhibit for bringing this powerful display to life.

All

right, next we have our invocation, and I'll pass it over to Supervisor Abicoga to introduce our invocator today.

Thank you, President Lee.

Thank

you. Good morning, everyone.

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone here today. And I know there are many other languages, and I apologize.

I

don't know all of them. But this morning, President Lee and Supervisor Young will be bringing forward a proclamation to proclaim February 17th as the first day of observance of Lunar New Year in Santa Clara County. I'm proud to continue the Lunar New Year, especially as we face an administration that is actively instilling fear in so many of our communities. 2026 is the year of the fire horse,

a

Chinese

zodiac

animal symbolizing intent, energy, and bold action.

The

fire horse reminds us to move forward with conviction and quickness, and we'll need to act as such as we face challenging situations this year. Here to speak more about Lunar New Year for today's invocation is my guest, Rosa Kim, co -president of the Asian American Parents Association.

APA,

as it's known, has served Cupertino and West San Jose families for more than 30 years.

The

association brings parents and school districts together and creates the programs, leadership opportunities, and cultural support students need to succeed.

One

of APA's most significant contributions is the AAPI Multicultural Festival, which will be celebrating its fifth year this year on Saturday, May 16th, at the Cupertino Civic Center Plaza in front of the Cupertino Library in the afternoon. Last year's festival brought together 500 residents to enjoy cultural booths, performances, and art from across Asia and the Pacific Islands. It strengthens cultural understanding, builds community pride, and reinforces the welcoming, vibrant culture Santa Clara County has thanks to the diversity in cultures.

I'd

now like to introduce APA's co -president, Rosa Kim, who has earned accolades serving the AAPI community She has served our community for decades, including working as teaching history and bilingual education at the Silicon Valley Korean School,

becoming

director of the Silicon Valley Korean School Community

Center,

co -authoring Korean history textbooks, organizing annual cultural seminars on Korean history for local K -12 educators,

and

co -founding the AAPI Multicultural Festival during the pandemic as a way to uplift community spirit and combat AAPI hate.

She's

really the perfect person to lead the AAPI APA. And I forgot to mention she's also a trustee for the Fremont Union High School District.

So

welcome, Rosa, and thank you for being with us today.

Thank you

so much, Supervisor Abe -Koba.

Good

morning, honorable supervisors and community members.

Thank

you so much for this opportunity to share a few reflections as we welcome the Lunar New Year. I'm so happy to be here next week.

I

was born and raised in South Korea, and I came to the Bay Area as a young immigrant parent with my husband and our 18 -month -old daughter.

Since that

very first year and every year since, our Lunar New Year has started with tteokguk, the rice cake soup.

In

Korean culture, eating rice cake soup on New Year's Day symbolizes a fresh start, good fortune, and the gaining of another year of age and wisdom.

Later,

when I began teaching a Korean language school in Cupertino, I started making rice cake soup for my students, too.

I

believe and still believe that sharing cultural traditions helps children understand who they are and where they come from.

When

young people see their culture honored, it becomes a source of pride rather than something to hide.

The

more cultural experiences they have, the more they see their identity as an asset and a strength.

The

recent Super Bowls or half -time show reminded me that belief

is

also what led the Asian American Parents Association to begin hosting the AAPI Multicultural Festival.

The

festival planning started during the pandemic, a time when many AAPI community members felt afraid and discouraged because of rising anti -Asian hate.

For

many families, cultural identity no longer felt like a strength.

It

felt like a risk.

As

a parent organization founded in the early 1990s, AAPI has always focused on helping the next generation grow up, with confidence and pride.

So,

instead of retreating, we chose to show up.

We

partnered with high school student volunteers and AAPI SB, and launched an AAPI Multicultural Festival during AAPI Heritage Month to share our cultures,

our

stories,

and

our contribution with the broader community.

Thanks

to the foundational support from Supervisor Abe Koga and the Board President Lee, we could host our first festival in Mountain View in 2022.

Since

then, the first festival has continued every year in Cupertino.

What's

been most meaningful is seeing students lead, sharing their heritage through booths and performances, and learning about

one

another.

Again

and again, I hear students say, diversity is our strength. And I see that strength coming from our students. And that strength comes alive when we create spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.

The

Lunar New Year marks the Year of the Fire Horse, a symbol of energy, courage, and action.

To

me, it's a reminder that building belonging doesn't happen by accident.

It

requires intention, participation, and the willingness to stand together, especially during challenging times. As we welcome the new year, I hope we carry the Fire Horse energy forward, renewing our commitment to understanding one another, honoring our differences, and strengthening our shared community.

As

for me, I will be celebrating once again

with

rice cake soup, remembering where I came from, and feeling hopeful about what we can build together. For our children.

I

wish you all a healthy and meaningful, energetic Year of the Fire Horse.

Thank

you so much.

Thank you very much, Rosa.

And

now we're moving to item number five, which is the commendation and proclamations. Today we have a proclamation from

Supervisor Young

and myself, an observance of the Lunar New Year.

And

before we begin, I would like to invite our community partners to join us at the dais.

Nga

Nhi Ha Nhi Tran from Basque, Tiffany Plec from Viet SSA, Brian Tamavong, Misook Oh, Cindy Huynh, and Linh Tran from APIEC, and all the members who helped make these celebrations possible. Please come forward.

Look

at those beautiful dresses.

Let's

give them a round of applause for this.

Well, let's see.

.

.

Well, Happy New Year, everybody.

Well,

today the County of Santa Clara proudly declares February 17th as the first day of Lunar New Year,

one

of the most significant cultural celebrations across many Asian American communities. Lunar New Year marked a time of renewal, reflection, and hope.

And

this year will welcome the year of the fire horse.

So

Lunar New Year begins on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, typically in late January or early February.

The

2026 celebration is on February 17th, and traditionally lasts for seven days, bringing families and communities together across Asia and around the world.

Santa

Clara County is home to one of the nation's most vibrant and deeply rooted Asian American populations.

The

cultural traditions, leadership, and contributions enrich every part of our social, economic, and civic life. And this past weekend, we saw that the spirit come alive with February 4th of Social Services Agency, the Asian Pacific Islander Employee Committee, hosting a wonderful Lunar New Year celebration for our county employees. Our VASC also brought the celebration to a broader community on February 7th for an event filled with culture, joy, and connection. Today's proclamation honors Lunar New Year by celebrating our cultures, uplifting Asian American traditions, which means like eating yummy foods, kids especially receiving those red pockets with many money and goodies in there, and embracing the shared hopes for prosperity, good health, and peace for the new year.

And at this time, I'd like to also invite my colleague, Rosa Young, to share her thoughts. She's coming up, Betty.

Good morning, everyone. Happy Lunar New Year. It officially starts on January 17th. But it's really important for us to remember that we have a lot of work ahead of us to start this meeting today as we head into budget proceedings and tough discussions at the county to acknowledge Lunar New Year and not just to recognize the employees that bring their services and talents and gifts to the county, but also the gifts of their culture. Our county employees, our healthcare workers, our staff bring their heart and soul to this job. And Lunar New Year is an opportunity to give blessings to those nearest and dearest to you. The Year of the Horse symbolizes strength, freedom, agility,

endurance, and generosity. Those born during the Year of the Horse are optimistic, determined, and energetic. Values that we need now more than ever during this challenging time in our country and county.

Santa Clara County welcomed my parents and thousands more just like them

in

the 1970s as refugees when the world didn't want us. Santa Clara County took us.

And

we still abide by those values today of being an immigrant -welcoming and belonging community

where

our most vulnerable and those in most need of our services not just survive but have the opportunity to thrive.

This

proclamation is a wonderful celebration of both Asian culture but also the diversity that makes our county such an amazing place to live, and place to serve, and place to work.

I

am so proud of our county's workforce for the way they have not just embraced Lunar New Year

but

every celebration we have all year long.

Because

when our traditions and our cultures are recognized, our employees feel seen.

It's

how we express our values as a county standing with all of our communities.

I

particularly want to recognize the staff at the VAST, the Vietnamese American Service Center, the Social Services Agency, Asian Pacific Island Employee Committee, and the Vietnamese Social Services Administration team for their work year round but also all the extra time spent to throw grand Lunar New Year celebrations inviting every single employee and colleague in the county to join them. Representatives of these groups are here today with me on their own time away from work and then they're going to go back to work and then work extra to make sure that they cover all their work.

That's

what we do.

We

work.

We

work every day to solve problems we didn't create. And that is the county way. Lunar New Year has many traditions. A few enduring traditions stand out for me. That on the first days of the Lunar New Year, November, no sorry, November, what's that? January 17th, 18th, and 19th, the first days of the Lunar New Year, we only speak with kindness and good intention because whatever you give, you receive tenfold throughout the year. It is when your words have the greatest intention. Another tradition is that no soul or human shall experience loneliness, hence the altars to welcome our ancestors home for dinner and the rule that everyone is welcome at my table.

These traditions have been in practice for 4 ,000 years, so no matter how foreign they are to some, I believe they are rooted in principles recognizable to anyone. Oh, and for those who observe Lunar New Year traditions, we have until midnight tonight to deliver the kitchen god.

But no matter what, I wish you at this moment, as we usher in the year of the fire horse, on behalf of myself, my family, and my office, I wish you good health, good prosperity, great wealth, abundance, time with loved ones, to my colleagues and to the administrator that serve us, I wish you good health, great rest, clarity in your judgment,

collectiveness in our intentions, and for us to work together, as we have always done at this county, to weather through bad storms and tough times. I know we'll get it done. Happy Lunar New Year.

At this time, I'd like to introduce our colleague, Supervisor Margaret Abacoga, who has also a Lunar New Year wishes of her own.

Good morning

again. I just want to first of all thank Rosa again for opening today's meeting with our Lunar New Year invocation and then to continue that celebration with the presentation of this proclamation by my colleagues. Lunar New Year, as mentioned, is really a deeply meaningful time for so many of our residents, and I hope everyone will have a chance to attend a festival or a community celebration happening across the county for quite a few weeks, which is so great about this holiday. One of the best things about living in Santa Clara County is that we don't just observe diversity, we learn from it,

we

enhance it, and we make it a part of our culture that makes people want to move and live here. Lunar New Year gives us a chance to understand how different cultures honor time,

family,

and renewal. And in a county as diverse as ours, we shouldn't or can we afford to be ignorant of our neighbors' traditions. In a place like Santa Clara County, New Year comes a few times a year. So, for instance, my Japanese culture, we actually celebrate it on January 1st. We're the outlier, frankly. But with each culture, we get multiple opportunities to celebrate with a sense of renewal. When we lean into each other's celebrations, we strengthen the fabric of our shared community. And as county leaders, I'm really grateful to be a part of this county where we are proud to bring people together and put a spotlight on the many cultures, histories, and experiences that make

our community so rich. So, I wish you all luck, prosperity, and good health in the year of the Fire Horse, and let's make 2026 a year where our community grows even stronger together. Thank you so

much.

So, I'd like to also invite Hany Tran to say a few words, followed by Brian Temelval.

Good

morning,

everyone. My name is Hany Tran. I'm the director of our county's Vietnamese American Service Center. First, I'd like to thank President Lee as well as Supervisor Yung for inviting the VAS to participate in today's proclamation. Lunar New Year is very meaningful for the community that the VAS serves. We've hosted a celebration every year since we opened in 2022 to allow our community to honor the traditions as well as to engage in the county services offered at the VAS. And this year was no different, as you heard from President Lee and Supervisor Yung. VAS hosted our Lunar New Year celebration just this last Saturday on February 7th. The theme was that across the three regions of

Vietnam, and we had amazing multi -generational performance from youth groups, our local elementary schools, as well as high schools. We had hundreds of community members attending our event, and 24 county departments and community organizations tabling, and I'll highlight just a few of them. Our county Department of Employment and Benefit Services tabled to share with the community changes to the Medi -Cal program. Our county's Public Health Department tabled to share information about tuberculosis prevention. And Second Harvest of Silicon Valley tabled as well to share information about the free groceries program. I'm very grateful for the support of our Board of Supervisors, elected leaders, our county departments, community partners at our Lunar New Year event, but just

every day as we work together to serve

our community. Thank you very much.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Brian Tamavong. I'm the Secretary of the Asian Pacific Islander Employee Committee at our Social Services Agency. First, I'd like to thank our supervisors for the honor of inviting us to this proclamation. And just to say a little bit about the work that we do, as an employee committee, we are totally volunteer -based. All of our officers are actually from different cultures, ethnicities, so none of us speak the same languages at home.

Aside

from being a model UN, we are always exchanging culture, exchanging food. Our meetings are the best meetings to attend because we've got food from everywhere and we don't speak the same language at all other than, you know, county productivity. But the reason that that's important, though, is that

that

situation is a microcosm of what life is in Santa Clara County. Cultures, ideas, people, ethnicities. We are a globalized city for a globalized society. We can bring that down to the employee level through our employee committees. And so one of the most important things that we do is we reach out to one another in terms of, um, employees. We reach out and we share our culture. We extend the invitation. On Wednesday of last week, we were lucky enough to host a Lunar New Year celebration for the employees of the social service agency. And Supervisor Jung said something very, very profound that I felt was profound in that she said, you know, when you grow up

in the Bay Area, Lunar New Year is for everyone. And it really is. Even if you're not participating in the language or the culture, you know the lion dance, you hear the noise, you hear the firecrackers, you eat the food. Like, you know, it's not your culture, but it is. You've been invited. And if you want to know the power of that invitation, two days ago, we had one of the most important and amazing cultural invitations in the NFL halftime

show.

I'd be lying if I said I'm not singing Bad Bunny

in

my car. Right? It's improved my Spanish just a little bit. You know? Okay.

So, anyway, the point of this is that when we hold these celebrations and we extend these invitations, we strip away difference. Santa Clara goes from the county you live in to the community you live in. From the community, it goes to the neighbors. And from the neighbors, it goes to your friends. And when your friends are in trouble, when your friends experience adversity, you've got someone to stand up for and you've got someone to stand up for you. And that's some of the most important work that we do in our employee committees. And again, the celebration of the Lunar New Year is more than just the Lunar New Year. It's, again, a cultural invitation for

everyone, a way for the county to come together. And when we come together, we look out for one another. And that's, again, some of the most important work that I think we can do. So, in closing this, I would just like to share my intention for the Lunar New Year with all of you. It's a way that I close most of our events with the APIEC. And that's to say that when you look in the mirror,

it's my wish that you find hope. And when you look in the mirror, and you look to the community, may you always find friends and allies. Happy

Lunar New Year, everyone. Thank you. Good

morning. My name is Tiffany Plek. I'm an employee at Social Services Agency, Department of Employment Benefits. I would like to extend, say, Happy New Year to all of you. It's not just

the

Asian that we celebrate New Year. We invite all communities to celebrate with us. And, like, for example, Mamie Rocha, she's not born Vietnamese, but every event of the date celebration, Lunar New Year celebration, she's the main person that drive us to organize all the celebration that

we have. Well,

so, thank you so much. Thank you so much. And we'll go ahead and go present this. Feliz Año Nuevo de Luna. Happy New Year. Let's turn over, and let's take a picture for the proclamation. All

right.

This festive start to our meeting today, so today will be a good meeting, right, everybody? Okay. Now, next, we have our public comments. This item is reserved for members of the public to address the board on any items not on this agenda, and any public who wish to speak on items not on the agenda should request to speak at this time. Please fill out a speaker card and return to a clerk. We will call up to 30 names now, then the remainder names, if any more, will then be called at the end of the agenda.

In

-person speakers will be called first, followed by the Zoom speakers.

No

further requests to speak will be accepted under the continued public comment in the afternoon. Reminder for the public on Zoom, as soon as the first speaker in the Chamber starts speaking, no more speakers will be taken. During the public comments, to respect everyone's comments, we do not allow applause or boos,

but

to show your support, you can raise and shake your hands quietly.

And

I want to say thank you for your cooperation to keep our meeting moving orderly.

Hi,

Rhonda, how many speakers were at this morning? I currently have 24 speakers in Chambers and one speaker on Zoom.

All

right, let's do one minute each. All right, with that, we're going to close the public speaking queue.

I'm

going to call forward several names.

You may

speak in any order. Guadalupe Ruiz de Lina, Tung Vai Duong, Caterina Fernandez, Francisco Ruiz, Sangao, Natasha Walker, and Tanya York.

Please

come forward.

Yes. My

name is Guadalupe Ruiz, and I am a provider of IHSS.

I live

in District 1.

This

message is for Sylvia Arena. I love the IHSS program because it protects the health of my community.

As

an immigrant, I am concerned about many things that are happening in this country.

And

here in Santa Clara, I am concerned about the general health of the Latino community.

The

evaluation of the health of the Latino community mentioned many worrying aspects in the results of the health of the Latino community.

It

is necessary that we address this to ensure long -term care stability in our care system. The SAU 2015 has been a strong ally in medical care in Santa Clara.

We

were asked to help to approve Measure A, and we gave all our support.

We

did our part to win this election, which means that we must be included in this triumph.

The

IHSS

program...

Thank you.

Thank

you.

And

the translator, please.

Good

morning. My name is Guadalupe Ruiz, and I am a vendor for IHSS. And I

belong to

District 1.

This

message is for Sevilla Arena, and I just want to say that I love the IHSS

because it is having a lot of... It is paying a lot of attention in my community.

And as

a member of the community, I'm very concerned of what's happening in the country, specifically in what's happening in Santa Clara. We were... We were...

In the community, I'm very concerned about the Latin American health, Latin American community health. And we were supporting the SAU 2015 because we were told this was going to be a big ally, so they have our full support, specifically for item 8. So we gave full support, and now it's our turn that our voices are heard.

Thank

you.

Buenos

dias.

Mi

nombre es Eferina Fernandez, y soy proveedora del programa de IHSS. Vivo en San Jose, California.

Me

encanta el programa de IHSS porque representa nuestros valores.

Aquí

en Santa Clara nos preocupamos por nuestras familias y cuidamos de la comunidad de personas inmigrantes, pero claramente a la administración de Trump no le importa el bienestar de las personas inmigrantes.

Y

al liderazgo republicano, claramente no le importa la salud y la seguridad de las familias trabajadoras.

El

proyecto de ley del presupuesto federal HR1 fue un ataque directo a nuestra comunidad.

Quitaron

miles de millones de dólares en fondos de medical y entregaron miles de millones de dólares a ICE.

Esta

es una situación que parte el corazón, pero nuestra comunidad no se da por vencida.

Señor

Ottoli, olvido decir que este mensaje era para usted.

Usted

puede asegurar que el programa de IHSS pueda seguir adelante.

Gracias.

Good

morning.

My

name is Eferina Fernandez, and I am a vendor of IHSS also, and I live in San Jose.

I

love IHSS, and we are, because it is representing, it is taking care of our community, it's also taking care of our family, and it's also taking care of our immigrant community. Mr. Trump doesn't care about that, doesn't care

about

the health and life of immigrants, and Republican leaders are not taking care of health and families also.

The

HR1 was a direct attack, because they took millions of dollars out of medical and they put it into ICE. And this is really heartbreaking.

But

our community is here for support, and I forgot to say, President Ottoli, this message is for you.

Thank

you.

Hello, everyone. My name is Tuong Vy Duong. I am in charge of the IHSS program. I live in District 2, and I would like to call on Patty Duong. I really love this program, because through this program, I can connect with my relatives and acquaintances in the community, especially for me to fulfill my duties for my children and family. In particular, in my union, we often talk about the strength of the members. We know that everyone here is with each other on this journey.

One

tree grows to the top, three trees grow to the top.

As

long as we are united, we can make positive changes and improve each other's lives.

The

organization has put a lot of effort to get through Measure A, and I know that we have to contribute to support our community even more. We are committed to improving the quality of care in the Santa Clara district for a long time.

So I would like to thank them for that. Of course, we have our responsibility for the parents, for the family members, and this helped me to finish or complete that responsibility. And the work of the union is great, and we need to work together

in order to achieve our work and to be a success. One tree cannot make up a jungle. Several trees make up a big jungle and mountain.

Unified

unification is the palliative objective. So with this, I would like to thank them, and we will be united. We will come together to complete this

further.

Thank you.

My name is Song Gao, and I'm an IHS care provider. I live in District 5, and that message is for Margaret A .B. Koga. I love IHS because they ensure the safety and the dignity of our elders. Our elders are essential of our communities. We owe it to them to provide support in their time of need. The IHS program is a safety net for those who have already made a major impact on our life and should receive care and comfort. Giving IHS providers a fair wage is a long -term investment in this program. The demand for care is only going to get bigger as our population ages. More and more elders will need assistance as

time goes on. And we have to get more caregivers to enter our industry. Right now, the county has many and fulfilled care hours. We are falling short in our duty to provide for those who need support. We should not be single and go without the care of the need. Thank you.

If you have any comments that you cannot finish, you could also give the comments. To our clerk, and we will include it in our record. Thank you. My

name

is Natasha Walker, and I'm an IHSS provider. This message is actually for the county CEO, James Williams. Our county leadership should be receiving regular information about tax revenues in order to make informed decisions. My team at SEIU 2015 is certain there are budget solutions to the issues we are presenting at the bargaining table. But the board needs to receive regular updates of necessary information they ask for so they can do their own evaluations. The board should be managing the CEO, not the other way around. Our union of providers worked hard to pass Measure A. They donated their time. We answered the call, and we delivered results. Why? Because we value our healthcare system. We are

good faith allies of this county's leadership and the county, and we are invested in this county's healthcare system for the long term. We have to work together to ensure our caregivers can pay their bills through whatever's coming. In order to do that, we need creative solutions, not flat wages.

Both physically and emotionally. Sometimes it's very difficult to manage all of my responsibilities. But my love helps me to move forward. We want to be their caregivers because we know we are the best people to do so. We don't want them to be a cost