BUTTERFIELD-RIVIERA EAST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
DATE: October 26, 2021
PLACE: Internet, via Zoom
MEETING TYPE: BRECA General Meeting
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
Lori Christensen
Ken Crawford
Bonnie Domeny
Rene Hamlin
Jim Morgan
Andrea White
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:
James Adams
Gay Jones
NUMBER OF GUESTS/MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: 32
1. Welcome from Chair Rene Hamlin
2. Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli
Supervisor Don Nottoli thanked BRECA for our engagement with community issues. He stated that work completing the sidewalk on the north side of Folsom Blvd. had been completed this year, and work on the south side from Bradshaw to Mayhew is scheduled for next year. The proposed redevelopment of the drive-in theater is on hold, and the entitlements have expired. It is likely they will be resubmitted, possibly with changes. Redistricting is proceeding, and there will be public hearings in November. Revised districts must be approved by the end of the year. District 5 has about 30,000 more residents than other districts, and there will be changes. There will be elections next year, including District 5: Supervisor Nottoli will not be running.
3. Deputy Staci Patterson, Sacramento County Sheriff’s office: Homelessness
Rene Hamlin noted that the scheduled speakers from the Sheriff’s Problem Oriented Policing and Homeless Outreach Team are not on the call, so Deputy Patterson with the Homeless Outreach Team is filling in.
Deputy Patterson stated that she is sitting in for the other Deputies. Sheriff’s personnel can assist with homeless problems on the Regional Transit/Union Pacific property. Supervisor Nottoli added that homelessness is a challenging issue for the whole County. There have been any number of efforts to work with the homeless. Their office receives one or two calls daily. Esthetics, the human issue, and community imacts are prominent problems. Deputy Patterson continued that they do outreach, work with County Human Assistance, and also do enforcement. They try to offer services before enforcement, and balance the needs of the homeless and the community.
Rene Hamlin read a question from the Chat (a Zoom function): Why is there no safe camping area in the Mather Field property? Supervisor Nottoli stated that there are discussions going on about how to get people into shelters and housing. The Mather campus serves several hundred people, including families and single people. Project Roomkey at the Comfort Inn serves about 100 people. It is a long haul situation.
Deputy Mark Francis joined the discussion and added that he is the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officer for about one year. He commented that BRECA is a low crime area, but that property crimes are up, such as catalytic converter theft.
Rene read another question from the Chat: What can we do as citizens about the homeless? Deputy Patterson advised giving to reputable organizations, e.g. food banks. Don’t give food to the homeless directly, as it generates trash that gets left behind. She also commented that people drop off lots of stuff at the homeless camps, which often becomes trash.
Rene read another question from the Chat: What about clean-up by prisoners? Deputy Patterson responded that Sheriff’s work project teams do work on cleanup. Supervisor Nottoli commented that the County spends about $8 million per year to clean up illegal dumping and other issues around homelessness.
Rene read another question from the Chat: An encampment along the railroad tracks on Fruitridge was cleaned up, bulldozed, and fenced. How do we accomplish this along Folsom Blvd.? Deputy Patterson responded that what they can do depends upon who owns it. Private property owners can fence off an area, but if it belongs to the County it is more difficult.
Rene read another question from the Chat: Is there a place on the County web site where one can learn about the resources that are available? Deputy Patterson responded that there are many resources, but not one consolidated place, and the resources are constantly changing.
Rene read another question from the Chat: Transit corridors are more likely to have homeless, so are there more resources available? Deputy Patterson responded that the County does not have specific resources for transit corridors. Supervisor Nottoli commented that the Folsom Blvd. corridor has multiple owners. COVID-19 complicates the situation. There is money available for humanitarian relief and enforcement. For example, health and safety issues such as obstructing the sidewalk can be acted upon. There are many different cases, and each needs careful consideration.
4. Nick Mori, Sacramento County Department of Public Health: COVID-19
Mr. Mori gave a slide presentation regarding COVID-19. He pointed out that community transmission in the U.S. is up, but that California looks relatively good compared to the rest of the nation. In Sacramento County, there have been a number of surges of cases: in summer 2020, winter 2020/2021, and summer 2021. Recently case numbers have turned up a bit. In Sacramento County, about 57% of the total population is fully vaccinated. Those who are fully vaccinated are five times less likely to be infected, and ten times less likely to be hospitalized or die. In California, more recent numbers (September 2021) indicate that fully vaccinated people are 6.6 time less likely to get infected, 12 times less likely to be hospitalized and 17.8 times less likely to die from COVID-19. At U.C. Davis Health, large majorities of those hospitalized, in intensive care, or on ventilator are unvaccinated. All three available vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen) are considered safe and effective, and to reduce the risk of severe illness. Some groups of people are now recommended to get booster shots. Preferably they should be the same as the original type of shot, but one can mix them. People can get COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time. Resources are available on COVID-19.saccounty.net.
5. Anja Glisic, Sacramento County Department of Health Services: Mental Health Services
Anja Glisic, with the Mental Health Services section of the Department of Health Services, stated that there are many resources available. These include:
Mental Health Access Call Center: 916-875-1055
Urgent Care Clinic: 916-520-2460, 2130 Stockton Blvd #300, walk in available
Community Support Team: 916-874-6015
Suicide Prevention Awareness: 800-273-8255 or suicideispreventable.org
Anja Glisic: .
Rene Hamlin read a question from the chat: What are the signs of considering self harm? Ms. Glisic responded that they may include giving away possessions, feeling helpless or hopeless, drastic changes in behavior, and changes in appetite and sleep pattern. Sometimes people feel helpless, that there is no way out. One can ask directly whether suicide is being contemplated.
6. Fire Marshall Lisa Barsdale, Sacramento Metro Fire: Emergency Preparedness
Rene Hamlin commented that there had been a question about a fire at the Kinder-Morgan tank farm at Bradshaw Rd. and Folsom Blvd. It turns out that it was a bush that caught on fire, not one of the buildings or tanks.
Fire Marshall Lisa Barsdale stated that she is assigned to the community risk reduction division. Being prepared for emergencies helps with the outcome. She presented a series of slides which talked about the need to identify risks, create and practice a family emergency plan, build an emergency supply kit, include special needs such as medications, oxygen, etc., and have a checklist. More information can be found at 916-859-4155 or .
7. Captain Scott Perryman, Sacramento Metro Fire: COVID-19
Captain Perryman, with Sacramento Metro Fire, stated that they have been assisting other County units by providing mobile units to address the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in regard to un-housed individuals and at skilled nursing facilities. In a three months time they had seen around 4,600 patients. They have also been doing COVID-19 testing, with more than 35,000 swabs, including fire department staff and people at nursing homes. He also commented that many hospitals had problems with their oxygen systems freezing, due to the high flow rates. They were able to provide a solution to that problem, which has been adopted world-wide.
8. Other Issues
a. Bradshaw Apartments
Rashad Mammadov, the project owner of the proposed Bradshaw Apartments, stated that his architects and engineers are working on the project, and anticipate submitting files to the County by mid-November. They hope to have the permits by January 2022, and start construction in March 2022. He also stated that they intend to reach out to the neighbors concerning tree selection for that part of the property.
b. Kassis Project
Jim Morgan commented that the Kassis project is flying under the radar at this point, and nothing new has come to the public sphere. The project needs a permit from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to build in the floodway. They may or may not get that permit, as the Board frowns on development in floodways.
c. Motels
Supervisor Don Nottoli commented that County Code Enforcement and Building Inspection are planning an inspection of the Blossom Village property, and permits are not final. The owners had some interest in converting to more permanent residential. They would need entitlements to do so, and have not followed up on that.
Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Francis commented that Vince’s Motel is an ongoing concern, with isolated incidents. They have a high rate of turnover, which is part of the business.
d. Eclectic Center
Supervisor Don Nottoli commented that there was a homeless individual in back of the Eclectic Center who accumulated a lot of belongings. He was arrested and then returned.
Rene Hamlin read a comment from the chat: the property owners of the Eclectic Center have not been responsive to fixing the fence and gate. Deputy Mark Francis stated that they are working with code enforcement on the condition of the fence, and the owners can be fined.
e. Speed Bumps
Rene Hamlin commented that speed bumps have been installed on Mira Del Rio Dr. She enquired about speed bumps on Bradshaw Rd. near Folsom Blvd. Supervisor Don Nottoli stated that they have received complaints about speeding on Bradshaw, and the County has done two traffic surveys. Staff determined that speed bumps at that location are not justified because it is a major artery for first responders and people who live in the neighborhood. Sometimes they can get a special presence of law enforcement to enforce the laws.
Deputy Mark Francis gave out the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) phone number: 916-875-9657.
f. Homeless on Folsom Blvd.
There was a question from a late caller regarding the homeless people on Folsom Blvd. Deputy Mark Francis commented that Deputy Staci Peterson had already done a presentation on homelessness. He added that many people on Folsom Blvd. do not want to leave. The situation of what the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies can do keeps changing. The County cannot force people between the tracks and the road to leave. Homeless people are offered services. There are trash trucks dedicated to picking up the trash. Supervisor Nottoli commented that his office gets contacted every day by people from the community about the situation. They are concerned about both the welfare of the homeless people and the illicit activities that go along with homelessness.
Rene Hamlin read a question from the chat: People lost items in the storm, is there a place to donate that goes to the homeless? Depute Peterson responded that one can call 211 to find organizations that accept donations to help the homeless.
9. Concluding Remarks
Supervisor Don Nottoli thanked BRECA again for hosting the meeting. He commented that the County expects to see about $300 to $400 million in additional funding from the State and Federal governments in the next few years for mental health, homelessness, etc. On another topic, the redistricting maps for County Supervisorial Districts should be out tomorrow and posted on-line. Public input is welcome.
10. Meeting adjourned.
The next meeting will be a regular Steering Committee meeting on November 23, 2021, by Internet (Zoom)
