EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Friday, April 24, 2020 12:30 p.m.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL ATTEND VIA TELECONFERENCE

Pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order No. N-29-20 and the Alameda County Health Officer’s current Shelter in Place Order, effective March 31, 2020, the East Bay Regional Park District (“Park District”) Headquarters will not be open to the public and the Board Legislative Committee and staff will be participating in the meetings via phone/video conferencing.

Members of the public can listen to the meeting in the following way: Via the Park District’s live audio stream, on the Park District’s YouTube channel, which can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krc3YAFW-GM

Public comments may be submitted one of two ways: 1. Via email to [email protected] , Email must contain in the subject line public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item #. 2. Via voicemail at 510-544-2002. The caller must start the message by stating public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item# followed by their name and place of residence, followed by their comments.

Comments received during the meeting and up until the public comment period on the relevant agenda item is closed, will be provided in writing to the Board Legislative Committee, included transcribed voicemails. All comments received by the close of the public comment period will be available after the meeting as supplemental materials and will become part of the official meeting record. However, to ensure that the Board Members will be able to review your comments prior to the close of the meeting, please submit your public comment by no later than 4pm on Thursday, April 23, 2020 Please try to limit your written comments to no more than 300 words. The Park District cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted. To ensure that the Park District receives your comments, you are strongly encouraged to submit your comments in writing in advance of the meeting.

For future meetings, the Park District is exploring additional ways for the public to submit comments.

If you have any questions about utilizing the audio stream, please contact the Recording Secretary of the Committee, Yulie Padmore at [email protected] or at 510-544-2002. To ensure the best opportunity for Park District staff to address your question, please contact the Recording Secretary prior to 4:00pm on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

The following agenda items are listed for Committee consideration. In accordance with the Board Operating Guidelines, no official action of the Board will be taken at this meeting; rather, the Committee’s purpose shall be to review the listed items and to consider developing recommendations to the Board of Directors.

A copy of the background materials concerning these agenda items, including any material that may have been submitted less than 72 hours before the meeting, is available for inspection on the District’s website (www. ebparks.org), the Headquarters reception desk, and at the meeting.

Accommodations and Access District facilities and meetings comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If special accommodations are needed for you to participate, please contact the Clerk of the Board at 510-544-2020 as soon as possible, but preferably at least three working days prior to the meeting.

AGENDA

TIME ITEM STATUS STAFF

12:30 I. ROLL CALL (VIRTUAL) I Padmore

II. STATE LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler A. STATE RESPONSE TO COVID-19

B. NEW LEGISLATION R Doyle/Pfuehler 1. AB 2148 (Quirk D-Hayward) – Regional Climate Adaptation Planning Groups 2. AB 2551 (Bauer-Kahan D-Orinda) – Preservation of Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area 3. AB 2619 (Stone D-Monterey Bay) – Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access Fund 4. SB 1147 (Glazer D-Orinda) – Preservation of Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area 5. SB 1296 (Durazo D-Los Angeles) – Career Pathways and Climate Resiliency Grant Programs 6. SB 1323 (Skinner D-Berkeley) – California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry 7. Other Matters

C. OTHER STATE MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler 1. Climate Stimulus Bond 2. Other Matters

II. FEDERAL LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler A. FEDERAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19

B. NEW LEGISLATION R Doyle/Pfuehler 1. S. 3269 (Carper D-DE) – Clean Economy Act of 2020 2. S. 3288 (Harris D-CA) – Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act 3. S. 3422 (Gardner R-CO and Manchin D-WV) – Land and Water Conservation Fund, Great American Outdoors Act 4. Other Matters

C. OTHER FEDERAL MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler 1. Other Matters

III. WILDFIRE AND ECONOMIC PREPARATION I Doyle/Pfuehler

IV. DISTRICT OUTREACH TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT THE I Pfuehler/ PARKS DURING SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER Baldinger

V. ARTICLES/MEDIA I

VI. OPEN FORUM PUBLIC COMMENTS I Public comments may be submitted one of two ways: 1. Via email to [email protected] Email must contain the subject line Public Comments – not on the agenda or comments on the agenda” and indicate the item # by no later than: 4pm on Thursday, April 23, 2020. 2. Via voicemail at 510-544-2002. The caller must start the message by stating Public Comments – not on the agenda” followed by their name and place of residence, followed by their comments.

VII. BOARD COMMENTS I

VIII. GENERAL MANAGER COMMENTS I

Legislative Committee Members 2020 Meeting Dates: Dennis Waespi (Chair); Beverly Lane, Elizabeth Echols January 17 July 17 Ellen Corbett (Alternate) February – NO MTG August 21 Erich Pfuehler, Staff Coordinator March 27 September – NO MTG April 24 (Rescheduled) October 16 (R) Recommendation for Future Board Consideration May 15 November – NO MTG (I) Information June – NO MTG *December 11 (D) Discussion

TO: Board Legislative Committee (Chair Dennis Waespi, Beverly Lane, Elizabeth Echols alt. Ellen Corbett)

FROM: Robert E. Doyle, General Manager Erich Pfuehler, Government Affairs Manager

SUBJECT: Board Legislative Committee Meeting WHEN: Friday, April 24, 2020 12:30 PM

WHERE: Members of the public can listen to the meeting in the following way: Via the Park District’s live audio stream, on the Park District’s YouTube channel, which can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krc3YAFW-GM

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Items to be discussed:

I. STATE LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. STATE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 The General Manager, staff and Advocate Doug Houston will provide a verbal report about the State of California’s response to COVID-19.

B. NEW LEGISLATION 1. AB 2148 (Quirk D-Hayward) – Regional Climate Adaptation Planning Groups The Office of Planning and Research administers the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program. Assembly Member Quirk’s bill would require the Strategic Growth Council to develop criteria for regional climate adaptation plans by July 1, 2022. The bill would provide funding, to the extent funds become available, to regional climate adaptation planning groups certified by the Strategic Growth Council. Regional plans are to consider, but not be limited to, sea level rise, fire vulnerability, invasion of pests, effects on agriculture and effects on human health. These elements are all relevant to the District and could benefit park planning efforts.

Staff Recommendation: Support

2. AB 2551 (Bauer-Kahan D-Orinda) – Preservation of Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area This bill would authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to dispose of the “Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area” and permanently preserve the land for conservation purposes. The current version of the bill would require the land only be sold to a local agency or nonprofit organization for use as a park or other open-space purpose. The land must be sold for no less than the original purchase price based on the actual parcels to be included in the sale. The bill requires any revenue gained from the disposal of the property to be deposited in the Off-Highway Vehicle Trust Fund. This would allow DPR to potentially sell the land to Alameda County or the District for the purposes of establishing a park. The District has historically supported this legislation.

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Staff Recommendation: Support

3. AB 2619 (Stone D-Monterey Bay) - Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access Fund The Office of Planning and Research administers the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program. This bill would establish a program for Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access for the purpose of funding specified activities intended to help the state prepare, plan and implement actions to address sea level rise. The bill would create the Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access Fund in the State Treasury. It would authorize the California Coastal Commission and other state agencies to provide funding for actions which address and adapt to sea level rise. Some of the funding would come from the State Lands Commission’s remittances including oil, gas and mineral leases. Future District shoreline managed retreat projects, similar to Dotson Family Marsh and Bay Point, could be eligible for this funding.

Staff Recommendation: Support

4. SB 1147 (Glazer D-Orinda) – Preservation of Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area This is a spot bill to express the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to preserve the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area for conservation purposes.

Staff Recommendation: Watch

5. SB 1296 (Durazo D-Los Angeles) – Career Pathways and Climate Resiliency Grant Programs This bill would establish the Nature and Parks Career Pathway and Community Resiliency Act of 2020. The legislation would require state conservancies, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Natural Resources Agency to establish independent grant programs which support climate-beneficial and climate resiliency projects. The projects need to incorporate partnerships with nonprofit organizations which provide certifications and placement services for jobs and careers in the natural resources field. Some jobs itendified relate to fire and vegetative management, restoration, parks or natural resources management. This is an important jobs program for natural resource management for both rural and urban areas in California and would benefit the District’s future workforce.

Staff Recommendation: Support

6. SB 1323 (Skinner D-Berkeley) - California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency, to establish carbon sequestration goals for natural and working lands. This bill would require the office maintain a registry called the California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry. The Registry is for projects seeking funding from state agencies or private entities. The bill would require a process for listing projects on the registry. The bill would also require the office to establish a mechanism for removing projects from the registry once funded and for tracking the outcomes of those projects. Projects will be aligned with the state’s greenhouse gas

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emission goals. The District could choose to apply to have future projects listed on the registry.

Staff Recommendation: Support

7. Other Matters

B. OTHER STATE MATTERS 1. Climate Stimulus Bond The focus of the legislature has shifted from a Climate Resources Bond to a possible Climate Stimulus Bond. Given the economic uncertainty facing the state and country, it is expected the state will adopt a workload budget. Any non-entitlement General Fund expenditures are expected to be focused on COVID-I9 response and recovery. The only perceived exceptions are for wildifire protection and homelessness. Providing additional revenue to help stimulate the state economy could come in the form of a bond on the November ballot. Currently, there is discussion about a green infrastructure bond which addresses the impacts of climate change. Components could include wildfire protection, park development projects and shoreline managed retreat restorations to adapt to sea level rise. The current deadline for the legislature to advance a bond for November is June 25th. If a Climate Stimulus Bond is to move forward, it will need to come together quickly.

The Office of Assembly Member Mullin recently had a conversation with the Natural Resources Agency about the Administration's appetite for a bond. Clearly, the Governor's team is fully engaged with COVID-19 response and have not had the necessary conversations internally about new bond framework. The Office of Assembly Member Mullin, however, agrees it is best to keep moving ahead with working on bond measure language. Some are advocating for polling about how investments in parks and green infrstructure would create stimulus/jobs, etc.

District staff and Advocate Houston will provide additional verbal updates.

3. Other Matters

II. FEDERAL LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. FEDERAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 The General Manager, staff and Advocate Peter Umhofer will provide a verbal report about the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19.

B. NEW LEGISLATION 1. S. 3269 (Carper D-DE) – Clean Economy Act of 2020 The Clean Economy Act of 2020 would empower the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a national goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050. The bill would also promote American competitiveness and healthier communities, while fostering a fair and growing economy.

The Clean Economy Act requires the EPA to set interim national greenhouse gas targets for 2025, 2030 and 2040. This net-zero plan prioritizes public health, lower costs and economic growth. To do this, the Clean Economy Act requires other federal agencies to

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implement policies which increase the ability of the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Those policies need to account for global competitiveness through investments in innovation, worker training and strong labor standards. The EPA net-zero by 2050 plan prioritizes infrastructure investments which are more resilient to a changing climate. It also builds on existing state, local and private sector climate programs. A key intention of the bill is to address the cumulative environmental effects in economically distressed communities, communities of color and indigenous communities.

The bill specifically calls for equitable access to worker training programs, technologies, and processes which reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions. The training programs prioritize underemployed, unemployed, displaced or dislocated workers; apprenticiship programs with historically Black colleges and universities, land-grant colleges and universities, Tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, and union training centers. Given the opportunities for these types of careers in the Bay Area, this would be a valuable job training program.

California Senator Dianne Fienstein is a cosponsor.

Staff Recommendation: Support

2. S. 3288 (Harris D-CA) – Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act S. 3288 incorporates three bills recently passed by the House. These measures include the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act, the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, and the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act. All three provisions enhance access to public lands and waters, improve habitat fragmentation and would boost the outdoor recreation economy.

The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act includes critical provisions which support public access, outdoor recreation, fishing and hunting, while initiating fire resilient management policies which benefit local communities in northern California. The House bill is H.R. 2250 sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman (D- CA). The Legislative Committee of the Board voted to support H.R. 2250 on May 17, 2019. The full Board voted to support on June 18, 2019; Board Resolution 2019-06-146.

The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act expands existing wilderness to 250,000 acres and adds 250 miles of waterways to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in central California. This is critical habitat for California’s wildlife. The Act also enhances access and opportunities for the public. The House bill is H.R. 2199 sponsored by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA). The District has not taken a position on H.R. 2199.

The San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act adds over 30,000 acres of wilderness, designates 45 miles of river to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and establishes a National Recreation Area. The legislation also expands the boundaries of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to include the western areas of the Arroyo Seco in the Angeles National Forest – a watershed of the Los Angeles River. The House bill is H.R. 2215, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA). The District has not taken a position on H.R. 2215.

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The PUBLIC Lands Act provides permanent protections for these three regions of California. While these are areas outside of the East Bay, it is a good proactive precedent in advancing many of the values included in the District’s Mission and Vision. The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act has components of interest to the District. In particular, the attention to “enhancing late-successional forest structure, oak woodlands and grasslands.” This highlights much of the topography that is both part of the District’s landscape and at risk of wildfire. The bill’s focus on redwood restoration and collaborative partnerships is also a shared goal of the District. Save the Redwoods League worked with Rep. Huffman’s staff on the redwood section, SEC 102, under the restoration component of the bill. While not branded, the language was designed specifically to support Redwoods Rising. Redwoods Rising is a new collaboration between Save the Redwoods League, the National Park Service and California State Parks.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein is a cosponsor.

Staff Recommendation: Support

3. S. 3422 (Gardner R-CO and Manchin D-WV) – Land and Water Conservation Fund, Great American Outdoors Act This legislation will require permanent full funding annually of $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This legislation also provides $9.5 billion over five years in the Great American Outdoors Act to address maintenance needs on public lands.

Staff Recommendation: Support

4. Other Matters

C. OTHER FEDERAL MATTERS 1. Other Matters

III. WILDFIRE AND ECONOMIC PREPARATION Wildfire continues to be a relevant and pressing concern during the shelter in place order. The District’s fire personnel are continuing work in the field at this time, with established social distancing and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additional support from the California Conservation Corps would be welcomed depending on availability given the response to the pandemic and shelter in place restrictions. On a state level, the Governor recognizes the increase severity of wildfire in recent years and the importance of managing vegeation in the wildland urban interface. In the Governor’s inital budget, funding for CAL FIRE was increased, including funding for vehicles, staff and investments in instruments to help forecast wildfires state-wide. The Governor’s inital budget included $1.1 billion in one-time, and over $353 million in annual allocations. Additonal investments were made, as supported by the District in AB 38, for a pilot program of $100 million in home hardening investments across the state. Given the economic impact of the pandemic, the May revise and final state budget will focus on COVID-19 and keeping the state operational. One of the few other areas expected to receive funding is wildfire protection.

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With regard to fire-related issues, Congress is focused on recovery from wildfire and planning for future disasters. Senator Harris and Representative Huffman introduced the Wildfire Defense Act which establishes an annual fund of $1 billion to creaete Community Wildfire Defense Plans (CWDP). These plans would be created by cities and counties to prepare and plan for potential wildfire. All East Bay communities would qualify and work in partnership with local governments, such as the Park District, to establish plans. A grant program of up to $250,000 would be established to implement the plans. Senator Feinstein has expressed interest in introducing a bipartisan bill for national forest vegetation management, but no updates have been made public since August 2019.

The economic impact of the shelter in place order is of international concern. The Intertnational Monetary Fund (IMF) recently issued a prediction that 2020 will be the worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The IMF expects the global economy to shrink 3% this year – compared to 0.1% dip in the recession of 2009. For the United States, the IMF predicts a 5.9% contraction. California may lose $20 billion to $50 billion in tax revenues, and this will come from its $200 billion annual budget. The nonprofit Economic Roundtable estimates 43% of Californians are at high risk of unemployment. As of April 15, 2.7 million Californians applied for unemployment and the state has expanded it’s Employment Development Department call center hours. Locally, El Cerrito could be facing bankruptcy. The city faces a deficit of up to $7 million for the next fiscal year in 2020-21 — and is bracing itself for a $10 million deficit through fiscal year 2022. The City of Pleasanton cut $6.3 million from their budget due to coronavirus. The overall impact will effect property tax collection and likely the District’s base budget. How long the impacts will last is of course unknown, but former Assembly Member Joe Nation has argued that keeping more people alive due to the flattening of the curve will shorten the length of the economic downturn.

IV. DISTRICT OUTREACH TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT THE PARKS DURING SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER Government Affairs staff will provide a brief powerpoint presentation to share the engagement the District has had with elected officials during this shelter in place order.

IV. ARTICLES/MEDIA

VI. OPEN FORUM PUBLIC COMMENT

VII. BOARD COMMENTS

VIII. GENERAL MANAGER COMMENTS

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Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Opinion: In COVID-19 crisis, maintain social distance at parks Unsafe overcrowding cannot continue. We need your help to keep parks safe. Together we can bend the curve.

By ROBERT E. DOYLE | PUBLISHED: March 27, 2020 at 10:10 a.m. | UPDATED: March 27, 2020 at 12:27 p.m.

In the Bay Area we are blessed with over a million acres of beautiful public parkland. Californians love to get outdoors to enjoy nature and exercise; in fact they depend on it. For residents and their families, it is an essential and fundamental part of their daily lives.

But we are facing the greatest health pandemic of the last 100 years, and the shelter-in-place order’s requirements for social distancing must be taken seriously. At the East Bay Regional Park District, the largest regional urban park district in the nation, we have tried to keep our 73 parks and over 1,300 miles of trails open. But what happened last weekend was unsafe and distressing. Thousands of Bay Area residents headed to nature – overwhelming parks, parking areas and staff.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday, “We can’t bend the curve if everyone is out. I don’t want to close big, beautiful open spaces. But we can’t see what we saw over the weekend.”

Overcrowding has already forced many of our fellow park agencies to consider closing. Last weekend, the state Parks Department closed parking lots at 36 of California’s 280 state parks in five counties, including Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma, Los Angeles and San Diego.

We need your help to keep East Bay parks safe for you and our staff. Many of our building facilities have been closed for some time to reduce the potential spread of the virus, including children’s play areas and structures, picnic areas, visitor centers and campgrounds. For health and safety reasons, park restrooms and drinking fountains have also been unavailable.

Now, because of recent park overcrowding, use of picnic areas, and unsafe group gatherings and meet- ups, we have decided to temporarily close specific parks and park areas until April 30. A few parks are fully closed, while some parking lots and access points are closed at others.

We hope this will help us limit overcrowding. For up-to-date information on our district’s park area closures go to www.ebparks.org/coronavirus. (For a full list of San Mateo County closures go to bit.ly/2UnfAJi.)

The good news: The vast majority of our parks, open space, and trails remain open, as are our 300- miles of paved regional trails. I would like to thank the public for their understanding and cooperation. We have tried to spread closures across the district as best we can.

We want to help get everyone through this COVID-19 crisis by keeping our parks open, but the safety of the public – and our employees – must be the highest priority.

Like you, many of our staff are sheltering in place, taking care of themselves and their loved ones. Our current limited staff is doing its best to keep up with the community’s need to exercise and get outside.

However, staff still needs to respond to emergencies, remove hazardous trees and work on fuels reduction as we prepare, along with CalFire, for another serious fire season. We are coordinating with health departments daily. If unsafe overcrowding continues, or the public does not maintain social distancing – even for dogs – we may be forced to close additional areas.

If they are to remain open, we need your help. Together we can bend the curve.

Robert Doyle is general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District.

What park visitors can do to help

• Maintain a 6-foot distance from other people • No picnicking, groups, gatherings or meetups (only immediate households should be together) • Be aware of high-touch points such as trail gates (use hand sanitizer or gloves) • Keep dogs on leash (even dogs should social distance) • Pack-in, pack-out trash, including dog poop bags (trash collection is limited, do not use single use plastic water bottles as they are a major source of litter in the parks) • Bring water and hand sanitizers, and use restrooms at home before you come (bathrooms and water fountains are closed) • Park properly and safely (parking restrictions will be enforced)

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Coronavirus: Bay Area residents’ hunger for outside recreation collides with social-distancing rules Parks officials close many facilities, beg visitors to maintain distance while visiting

FREMONT, CA – MARCH 29: Visitors enter a gate to the Mission Peak Regional Preserve from the Stanford Avenue parking lot on Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Fremont, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) By JOSEPH GEHA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: March 29, 2020 at 5:05 p.m. | UPDATED: March 30, 2020 at 5:27 a.m.

Bay Area residents seeking an escape from their living rooms amid unprecedented shelter-in-place orders meant to control the COVID-19 outbreak are creating a new kind of stress: Headaches for state and local officials scrambling to close or restrict access to outdoor areas, hoping to keep growing crowds from dulling the effect of social distancing. As the third week of stay-home orders begins, with more likely to come, cabin fever was intensifying for many. Uncertainty is looming over parks systems that are currently open, and officials say visitors need to play by the new health rules, or risk forcing more closures. On Sunday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office ordered that all 280 state parks be closed to all vehicles. State parks officials said in a statement that crowds at many state parks on Saturday “made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/ physical distancing practices.”

That announcement came less than two days after San Mateo County closed all 23 parks it manages completely, and after the East Bay Regional Park District partially or fully closed 14 of its 73 parks. Earlier in the week, the U.S. Forest Service also closed its recreational facilities in California, except for trailheads.

“We want to be able to provide people a place where they can get some fresh air and get out, but we all have to work together to keep these facilities open,” Don Rocha, the director of Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, said Sunday.

Rocha said for now, parks across Santa Clara County remain open, though that could change in the days and weeks ahead. Staffers and park rangers monitoring park use will be on the lookout for any folks congregating, not social distancing, or otherwise not following health orders.

“We are asking people to be conscientious when they go out to the parks,” Rocha said, adding that people still need to stick to the rules and shelter-in-place as much as possible after using a park.

“It’s not a vacation, it’s really providing an amenity for people to get out and get some fresh air, and some exercise,” he said.

On Sunday at popular Mission Peak in Fremont, the parking lot at the Stanford Avenue trailhead was packed with cars, though many people coming off the trail said they had enough space to maintain social distance for much of their hike.

Keyla R., from Newark, who didn’t want to give her last name, was sweating with her boyfriend Eric as they headed back to their car.

She’s been off work and watching her 11-year-old daughter, so it was important to get out “for all of our sanity,” she said.

Keyla said she hopes Mission Peak and other parks remain open through the pandemic.

“What are we going to do, people like myself that live in a small, tiny two-bedroom apartment?” she said. “There’s only so much freedom we can have.

“We don’t have pool activities, we don’t have a gym in our apartment complex, so it’s like, what can we really do if we lose this?”

Carlos Cabrera, from Mountain View, was about to hit the trail with his friend Mariana Lara.

“We were in the apartment for like two weeks, we just couldn’t take it anymore,” he said Sunday. “If you’ve got nothing else to do, like no work, no school, the only thing you think about is going out.”

Cabrera and Lara were idle after the restaurant they work for closed, and have been living with family with young kids, so they’ve all been trying to be cautious about going out, Cabrera said. If more regional and local parks were to close, “It would be really hard, because most people rely on these places to reduce stress,” he added. “Being in the park, it’s a good thing, as long as you keep your distance between each other.”

In the East Bay, most regional parks remained open, and park visitorship has been up, even as the park district is contending with staffing shortages amid the new health orders.

Robert Doyle, the general manager of East Bay Regional Park District, said this weekend was “very, very busy,” but he added that he saw improvements in social distancing at parks, compared to the “massive overcrowding” a week earlier.

But with staff already reduced because of the COVID outbreak and related shelter orders, Doyle said all of the park system’s bathrooms are closed. Water fountains are sheathed in plastic, and there may be less frequent trash collection, so it’s important visitors respect the parks by packing their trash out with them.

“We’ve had some places where people have torn the plastic off of water fountains to get a drink either for themselves or their dog,” he said.

“We have a high volume of dog use, and that is both a social distancing problem… (and) a problem with people leaving bags of poop that we don’t have the staff to clean up, and we really want people to take that home,” he said.

Doyle said he’s been in communication with health departments in both Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and said they’ll close parks if they get orders to do so, or if health orders are being violated.

“If we’re going to keep these parks open, and not have more closures, we need everybody to be very conservative (in following social-distancing and health recommendations),” he said.

In San Mateo County 23 county-managed parks are closed to the public entirely, but parks spokeswoman Carla Schoof said there’s still plenty of places to get outside safely. Locals, however, will have to “consider going beyond your favorite” county park sites.

“A lot of city parks have their park grounds open. You can walk in the park, you can walk on the grass,” she said.

Schoof also said people looking to stretch their legs can hit The Bay Trail, “that runs from the tip of the South Bay all the way up the Peninsula, with miles and miles of trails,” and also the California Coastal Trail which runs through the region. Doyle, of the East Bay parks district, also said he was concerned that vehicle access closures from the governor at popular state parks, like Mount Diablo State Park, could push more people into nearby regional parks.

While parks were open Sunday, they could be closed quickly if conditions change or people violate health orders, he said.

“We’re managing this crisis in real time,” Doyle said. “We’re trying to get people to follow the rules for their own safety.”

Contact Joseph Geha at 408-707-1292. Staff writer Aldo Toledo contributed to this report.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Park It: Take COVID-19 precautions to prevent more closures New restrictions in effect till May to reduce crowds, risk of spreading coronavirus

Anda Chu/staff photographer Cars fill a parking lot Thursday at Point Isabel Regional Shoreline in Richmond. As of Friday, Point Isabel’s main parking area is closed and there is walk-in access only. To prevent overcrowding and assure the safety of visitors and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the East Bay Regional Park District has announced additional park closures and parking restrictions in effect immediately and till at least May.

By NED MACKAY | East Bay Regional Park District PUBLISHED: March 27, 2020 at 8:25 p.m. | UPDATED: March 29, 2020 at 7:31 a.m.

It’s unfortunate but necessary: in an effort to prevent overcrowding and assure the safety of visitors and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the East Bay Regional Park District has announced some additional park closures and parking restrictions as of now through at least April 30. The problem is that with few other recreational and stress-relieving options, there has been serious overcrowding at many of the more popular regional parklands and trailheads. This can increase the spread of infection. “We are all in this together,” said park district General Manager Robert Doyle. “We want to help everyone during this crisis by keeping parks open, but safety of the public and our employees is our top priority. If parks are too crowded, please help us keep people safe by going home.” The district had already closed all visitor centers, picnic areas, restrooms, water fountains, swim areas, playgrounds, campgrounds, group and backcountry campsites, sports fields, kiosks and reservable facilities. Some of the major new developments as of March 27 are:

• The parking lot at the upper end of Somersville Road at Black Diamond Mines in Antioch is closed (parking is still available just past the kiosk at Sidney Flat). No mine tours and the visitor centers are closed. • Contra Loma Recreation Area in Antioch is closed (though trails are open from Frederickson Lane). • Castle Rock Recreation Area in Walnut Creek is closed. • Diablo Foothills in Walnut Creek has limited parking for trail access. • The main parking area at Point Isabel in Richmond is closed. There’s walk-in access only. • The Redwood Road gate is closed at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. Other accesses are still available. • The main park at Roberts Regional Recreation Area in Oakland is closed. There’s walk-in access only. • Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton is closed. • The Old Tunnel Road entrance to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in Oakland is closed. All other access points are open. • Sunol Regional Wilderness is closed. • Del Valle Regional Park main gate and its area nearby are closed from Mendenhall Road on, but the Arroyo Staging Area is open with trail access. Visitors are asked to turn around at Badger Cove. • The Botanic Garden at Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley is closed. So is the Steam Train. In addition, the park district is requesting all dogs be leashed everywhere in the regional parks and on trails to avoid interaction with other park users. The full list of closures and restrictions is on the the park district website at ebparks.org/news/district_notices.htm. I’d advise checking at the website for updates before visiting any

Despite the closures, there are still many regional park trails open to the public, especially the interpark regional trails such as the Iron Horse, Contra Costa Canal, Alameda Creek and San Francisco Bay Trail. These amenities are all seeing heavy use, especially the regional trails. So it’s up to all of us to take the health department mandated precautions to avoid additional future restrictions and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Please remember to maintain a 6-foot distance from other trail users. Only immediate households should be together — no picnicking, groups, gatherings or meetups at trailheads. Pack out all your trash, including dog waste. There will be no trash collection during the COVID-19 crisis. And since all drinking fountains are turned off and all toilets locked, bring your own water and use a toilet before getting to the parks. Also, please bring hand sanitizer with you while visiting the parks for use before and after opening gates or interaction with high-touch surfaces.

This emergency will require maximum effort and cooperation from all of us. Avoid crowded parking lots. Park district rangers, police and firefighters are on the front lines. So please go along with the rules and follow any instructions from district staff, especially during emergencies. They will be more than grateful for your cooperation. With all of us working together, we can defeat the coronavirus.

Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at [email protected].

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

SHORT WAVE How The Coronavirus Could Hurt Our Ability To Fight Wildfires

A firefighter sprays down the smoldering remains of a burning home during the Hillside Fire in the North Park neighborhood of San Bernardino, California, on October 31, 2019. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images Now is when we'd normally be getting ready for fire season. And this upcoming one could be tough for states like California, which had an especially dry winter. The spread of the coronavirus however is complicating preparation efforts. Maddie talks with Kendra Pierre-Louis, a reporter on the New York Times climate team, about how the crisis we're in could hurt our response to another crisis just around the corner.

You can read Kendra's reporting on this here. Email the show at [email protected]. This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis, edited by Viet Le, and fact-checked by Emily Vaughn.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Plan for $100 billion Bay Area transportation ‘mega measure’ on hold, with all eyes on coronavirus Ballot measure would’ve required state approval in a tight window

By NICO SAVIDGE | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: March 17, 2020 at 4:53 p.m. | UPDATED: March 22, 2020 at 2:08 p.m. reporting like th The campaign for a $100 billion “mega measure” funding big investments in Bay Area public transportation is being put on hold amid the disruption to public life being caused by the coronavirus, backers have announced.

Faster Bay Area, a campaign asking voters to approve a one-cent sales tax increase that leaders say will pay for transformative public transit projects, is dropping its plan to put that measure on the ballot this November. The campaign, led by business and urban planning groups, will instead try to pass the measure in an unspecified future election.

The reason: The Faster Bay Area campaign needed to get approval by June from two-thirds of the Legislature, as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom, for its measure to appear on ballots across the Bay Area’s nine counties this fall.

“Under normal circumstances, this was a very challenging task,” campaign officials wrote in a statement Tuesday. “These are not normal circumstances.”

“Considering the uncertainty of the legislative season, the urgent need to focus all our attention on immediate challenge of COVID-19 and the complexity of what we are trying to accomplish with FASTER, it has been determined that we need to push out beyond the 2020 election cycle and continue our efforts on a different time frame.”

Backers plan to keep working on legislation that would authorize the measure at some point in the future.

Led by business organizations Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the Bay Area Council, as well as the urban planning think-tank SPUR, the campaign was inspired by similar transportation funding taxes in Seattle and Los Angeles.

Their goals were ambitious: Create a “world-class, seamless, integrated transit system” across the entire Bay Area from what is now a fractured network of poorly coordinated local public transportation agencies, giving commuters more efficient options that free them from the traffic that chokes the Bay Area, or at least did in the days before working from home and social distancing became the norm. After the campaign was announced last summer, public transit agencies and supporters had plenty of big ideas for how they wanted to spend the $100 billion it would raise over 40 years, such as a second transbay tube for BART or more frequent Caltrain service.

But while Faster Bay Area leaders downplayed the results of a spring primary election in which voters in three Bay Area counties rejected smaller local transportation sales tax proposals, that outcome also signaled the “mega-measure” could have a hard time winning the two-thirds majority it would have needed to pass.

Taxpayer advocates were already bristling at the idea. And it drew criticism from a coalition of progressive and pro-transit groups, who shared the Faster campaign’s goal of improving public transportation but launched their own campaign for a measure funded with new levies aimed at businesses and the wealthy, rather than a sales tax.

“Of course this pandemic changes everything, and a transportation funding measure may not make sense to put on the ballot this year,” said Hayley Currier, policy advocacy manager for the group TransForm, an organization belonging to the coalition, Voices for Public Transportation.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

LOCAL // BAY AREA & STATE The order on coronavirus may be to shelter in place, but people finding excuses to get outside

Peter Fimrite and Sarah Ravani March 18, 2020 Updated: March 19, 2020 11:39 a.m.

People make their way outside the Ferry Building in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The near total lockdown of the Bay Area is not particularly airtight, as anyone who has stepped outside for a hike, a jog, a trip to the dog park or grocery store has found out.

There are people out there, sometimes a lot of people. That jarring discovery is being made by quite a few of the people disregarding shelter-in-place orders. That sneaky excursion into what was supposed to be a vacant, abandoned landscape consistently includes other individuals doing the same thing. There have been reports of elbow-to-elbow joggers on the Embarcadero, clusters of dog walkers chewing the fat in the park and scores of people admiring the view of the bay from Fort Mason’s Great Meadow — all folks who could potentially spread the coronavirus. As for staying in the 6-foot cone of safety we’re all supposed to maintain — that’s not really happening in many grocery store lines.

Dozens of people crowded into the Safeway at 5100 Broadway in Oakland on Wednesday afternoon. Many of them wore N95 or surgical masks as they shopped, but social distancing behavior was almost as scarce as the toilet paper, baby wipes and rubbing alcohol. Meanwhile, the parking lot was full, as shoppers loaded their trunks with cases of bottled water, canned foods and other supplies they reckoned would help them get through the pandemic.

“It’s been a madhouse,” said one store employee as she hustled by.

Store officials said the hustle and bustle is even worse in the morning and evening.

“That’s eye-opening,” Cheryl Parks, 55, of Oakland said as she observed the high anxiety in the aisles. “I think we just really have to be thoughtful and be aware.”

The situation in San Francisco was highlighted Wednesday when the Embarcadero was featured in a CNN broadcast of how not to behave showing footage of walkers, joggers and cyclists a little too close together on the Embarcadero.

But while it might be no time to be bumping around in crowds or elbowing fellow shoppers, that doesn’t mean people can’t go outside, city officials say.

While all nonessential travel, including on foot or by bike, has been suspended, San Francisco officials have reiterated that people are allowed to leave their homes for exercise and fresh air — provided they can practice effective social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet away from anyone they don’t live with.

“As we’ve repeatedly emphasized, enforcement is a last resort. Voluntary compliance is our goal, and most of the city seems to be responding,” San Francisco police spokesman Sgt. Michael Andraychak said.

He added that officers are regularly reminding people they encounter to protect themselves and be mindful of others.

“We and other city departments are focused on continuing to educate the public about the importance of social distancing in order to slow the transmission of COVID-19,” Andraychak said. “We want people to use common sense and to think about how their actions can put others at risk.”

That’s exactly what most dog walkers are doing, said Sally Stephens, chairwoman of the San Francisco Dog Owners Group — SFDOG.

She, like many other people whose four-legged friends don’t understand the concept of sheltering in place, has to walk her 11-year-old Shetland sheepdog or else “it’s not pretty.” She, along with many others, does it twice a day at a small park on the western side of the city.

“In my neighborhood park people are still coming out, both with dogs and with kids, but people are staying 6 feet away,” Stephens said. “People are trying to respect the social-distancing thing while still getting their dogs out and themselves out, which is also important.

“This is like our one chance to talk to people, and 6 feet away you can still talk to people.”

One good thing about the crisis, Stephens said, is that the park visitors, whether it’s with dogs or children, are spread out throughout the day, probably because everyone is at home, instead of going before and after work.

“You are not seeing the large congregations of 30 or more people,” she said. “Parks are not optional. Parks are critical to our mental health and physical well being,” San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said. “This is true every day and even more true now as we are all stressed and worried.”

Clearly, though, it isn’t all fun and games outside the safety of one’s home.

Gillian Fitzgerald, an owner of Casements bar in San Francisco’s Mission District, wanted to comfort a friend who began to cry when they met on the street recently, but they couldn’t even hug.

“It’s a weird time, a really weird time,” Fitzgerald said. “I think this is a pivotal moment for society to understand that community is so important, and it’s really hard to lock yourself away and not touch people.”

But there are places where not a soul can be found, especially in rainy weather like we had Wednesday.

That’s what Stephanie Manning found when she went out for her daily 4½-mile walk past the shops on College Avenue, in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood.

Except for a few joggers, the usually bustling neighborhood was quiet. Like those across the Bay Area, the carpet, lingerie, swimwear and home-goods stores were all closed.

“It’s eerie,” said Manning, 69. “It’s like a dystopian future.”

The few restaurants that remained open for takeout service, like Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery, were empty.

“We have no business,” said Soi 4 employee Angie Vanhorne, who had prepared just one delivery Wednesday afternoon.

Jack Tone Riordan, a 39-year-old jazz guitarist, who was strolling around the neighborhood with his 6- year-old son, River, said it is impossible to stay inside when you are dealing with a bored child who misses school.

“The few days that it’s happened have been fine, but just looking into the near and possible distant futures, I don’t know,” Riordan said. “I think it’s important to get fresh air while we can.”

Still, a lot of people are fearful when they see people out and about — seemingly without a care in the world.

The Mental Health Association of San Francisco, which runs a statewide “warm line” for people to call when they’re in need of emotional support, is getting 170 to 180 calls daily this week — up from 140 on a typical weekday since the service was introduced last October.

“We’re definitely starting to see an uptick in calls from people having anxiety” about the coronavirus, said Mark Salazar, executive director of the association. “We’ll probably see more in the days to come.” At Crisis Support Services of Alameda County, which operates a 24-hour hotline, Executive Director Narges Dillon said the number of calls hasn’t increased, but half of the callers express fears about the coronavirus and how it might endanger them or people they know.

“Folks who call us are people who already are stressed,” Dillon said. “Pre-existing anxieties are exacerbated by a situation like this.”

The county service itself was stressed, figuring out how to juggle staffing and hours in light of what lies ahead.

“We’re treating this as a marathon,” Dillon said. “It’s not an acute crisis, which is what crisis centers are designed for. The notion of entire communities being in a crisis situation is uncharted territory.”

Chronicle staff writers Dominic Fracassa, John King and Ryan Kost contributed to this story.

Peter Fimrite and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @pfimrite @ johnkingSFChron @SarRavni

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

OPINION // OPEN FORUM Change behavior or risk losing park access

By Rachel Norton March 28, 2020 Updated: March 28, 2020 1 a.m.

Meghan Michael reads a book on a bench at San Francisco’s Salesforce Park, which was significantly quieter than normal on March 11. The coronavirus has impacted many areas because people have been advised by their companies to work from home. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

Most of us are inside right now — and, in many cases, we have been for more than a week.

For obvious reasons, this has many of us yearning for blue skies and green grass.

That’s why last weekend, our social media feeds and news broadcasts were filled with images of too many Californians flocking to the outdoors for an escape. Unfortunately, those seeking respite often failed to heed the basics of what the stay-at-home orders need to accomplish — social distance.

This overcrowding, and the danger it presents as we go to necessary lengths to slow the spread of the coronavirus, led Gov. Gavin Newsom to order the closure of parking at state parks experiencing high visitation.

While the order still allows access to many of California’s 200-plus state parks, the message is clear: Shape up, or you’ll be kept out. In short, if Californians repeat last weekend’s behaviors, we are at risk of losing access to our parks.

That is why we must drastically modify our actions now.

The fact is, we need our open spaces now more than ever. With most of us spending days and weeks indoors, the opportunity to experience the mental health and wellness benefits nature provides feels crucial to our ability to stay sane. But it is even more crucial that our parks remain safe, because if we don’t adhere to social distancing mandates, they will become a risk rather than a refuge.

That’s why I am asking you to join me in pledging to follow basic guidelines when using the outdoors so that we can keep our parks open.

By now, everyone knows that we must maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from one another when outside.

We are also asking Californians planning to visit a park to remain local, check on parking lot closures, and observe hygiene practices like handwashing and sanitizing.

But we must also consider when not to visit a park.

Last weekend, too many people ventured outdoors and did not reconsider regardless of the circumstances upon arrival. We cannot repeat this mistake. If you arrive and it’s busy, turn around. The same goes for finding parking — if you can’t find a spot, then the park is too busy.

These basic changes can help us maintain safe access to parks. But if we fail to heed these warnings, we risk losing the option to visit California’s natural sanctuaries during this time.

Every Californian has a duty to help keep our state safe during this crisis. And, if we do it right, we may still be able to enjoy a walk through the forest or a view of the coast as part of our efforts.

Rachel Norton is the executive director of the California State Parks Foundation.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Coronavirus: Newsom avoids clashing with Trump as he charts state’s coronavirus response Governor was first in nation to put out statewide stay-at-home order

(Photo by CAROLYN COLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) California Governor Gavin Newsom (C), flanked by (from L) Director Mark Ghilarducci, Cal OES, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks in front of the hospital ship USNS Mercy after it arrived into the Port of Los Angeles on March 27, 2020. – The USNS Mercy, a giant US naval hospital ship, arrived in Los Angeles on March 27, where it will be used to ease the strain on the city’s coronavirus-swamped emergency rooms. (Photo by Carolyn Cole / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CAROLYN COLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

By CASEY TOLAN | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: March 27, 2020 at 9:50 a.m. | UPDATED: March 27, 2020 at 4:45 p.m.

In the interest of public safety, critical coronavirus coverage is being provided free to all readers. Support Handling disasters is part of the job description for California governors, who have dealt with everything from earthquakes to blackouts to devastating wildfires. But as the state has been roiled by the coronavirus pandemic over the last few weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a challenge unlike anything in California’s modern history, with the potential of a staggering health crisis and untold economic fallout. So far, even some of his political opponents have praised how the Golden State’s 40th governor is taking on the monumental challenge.

Newsom was the first governor in the country to order his citizens to stay home to prevent the virus’ spread, an early move that public health experts say will likely save lives. He’s strenuously avoided clashing with President Trump, even as many of his fellow Democratic officials have gotten mired in spats with the leader who holds the purse strings for federal aid.

And while some of his administration’s moves have sparked confusion, Newsom has won plaudits from California officials on both sides of the aisle for his rapid-fire, all-hands-on-deck approach to the crisis.

“He’s been rock solid,” said Sean Walsh, a Republican strategist and former aide to GOP governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. “He comes off as calm, cool — and gives us good governance rather than good reality TV.”

Newsom was first thrown into coronavirus response mode when his administration helped coordinate repatriation flights from Wuhan, China, to military bases in California. As the virus began to spread in communities around the state, the governor started working from the State Operations Center near Sacramento.

Over the past few weeks, he steadily ramped up the state’s social distancing guidance, from telling elderly residents to stay home to closing bars and gyms. He rushed to increase the state’s supply of hospital beds and secure hotel rooms to house at-risk homeless individuals.

On March 19, with Bay Area counties already ordering residents to stay home and epidemiological models showing an alarming rise in cases, Newsom announced a statewide stay-home order — the most expansive use of state power by a California governor in decades. In the days that followed, governors of more than 20 other states came out with similar orders.

Public health experts say putting those kind of practices into effect even a few days earlier can end up saving lives in the long term.

“There’s always the danger that if these actions work they will seem like an overreaction — it takes some political courage,” said Anthony Wright, the executive director of the advocacy group Health Access California.

Still, some health experts are worried that Californians aren’t taking the stay-home order seriously enough, and say Newsom should require tougher enforcement. So far, Newsom has said he hopes social pressure will make police enforcement mostly unnecessary, but nothing is off the table. Unlike other governors including Andrew Cuomo of New York, who’s perfected the art of dramatic press conferences that often get carried live on national TV, Newsom’s daily straight-to-camera briefings on Facebook Live are rapid-fire, almost stream-of-consciousness deluges of the latest facts and figures coming in, as he puts it, “in real time.”

As Newsom urges the state to “meet the moment,” he’s peppered his remarks with stories of how the crisis is affecting his own family, like telling his tearful young daughter that he didn’t think her school would reopen before summer break. Sometimes that transparency has annoyed other officials. After his remark about schools being closed for the rest of the year, one Alameda County education department staffer wrote on her Facebook page that it was premature to say that and “everyone who works for him and the entire California Department of Education wants to kill him.” But those moments break through to viewers, said Steven Maviglio, the press secretary for former Gov. Gray Davis.

“It doesn’t look staged. It looks real and authentic,” Maviglio said. “In these times, people are really gasping for authenticity and accurate information.”

Newsom has also been using his Rolodex to solicit help from the private sector. After he saw a tweet from Elon Musk about ventilators, he reached out to the mogul to ask for help procuring them for the state. He also personally spoke with the CEOs of the America’s biggest banks, pressing them to allow Californians affected by the pandemic to defer mortgage payments.

Still, some of Newsom’s moves have caused confusion. In a letter to Trump last week, Newsom wrote that his office had projected “roughly 56 percent of our population — 25.5 million people — will be infected with the virus over an eight-week period.” After that dire prediction sparked panicked headlines, the governor walked it back, explaining those numbers were estimates of what would happen without any social distancing measures. The hastily-drafted stay-at-home order also left local officials puzzled about what the state directive meant for their own rules and which businesses were exempted, although state officials issued clarification a little more than a day later. Observers say that some level of miscommunication is unavoidable when government agencies are moving as quickly as possible in the middle of an emergency.

For a governor who’s clashed with Trump on almost every issue over the last few years, Newsom has been far more diplomatic in talking about the president and the federal government’s response than many of his fellow Democratic governors and mayors.

Other Democratic governors, including J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Jay Inslee of Washington and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, have gotten into spats with Trump on Twitter or cable news, blaming him for a delayed federal response. On a phone call between Trump and governors Thursday, on the other hand, Newsom praised the president, saying he was “on top of” improving testing, the Associated Press reported. In his press conference Friday, Trump said Newsom had been “terrific” and “I appreciate his nice words, I really appreciate it.” The president included a clip of Newsom in a new campaign ad. And he also quickly approved Newsom’s request for a disaster declaration and sent a Naval hospital ship to Los Angeles, even though Inslee had also requested it for Seattle. Newsom “doesn’t think that now is the time to be an armchair quarterback,” said Nathan Click, his communications director. The governor has calls with Vice President Mike Pence almost daily, and talks with Trump “many times a week,” Click said.

So far, at least, Newsom hasn’t gotten as much national attention as Cuomo, who’s been lauded as “America’s governor” amid his showier briefings and denunciations of federal failings.

One reason is that Cuomo is facing a much larger disaster, with more than 10 times as many confirmed cases and six times as many deaths as California. And with most of the media 3,000 miles and three time zones away, Newsom has a harder time getting his message out than Cuomo. But observers in California argue that Newsom’s less soundbite-ready approach to the crisis isn’t a bad thing for the state. “Newsom has realized that it doesn’t do him any good to fight with the president under these circumstances, and it’s not what the voters want anyway,” said Dan Schnur, who worked as communications director for former Gov. Pete Wilson. Playing nice with Trump “greatly increases the likelihood that the White House is going to give California what the state needs.”

Even some of Newsom’s critics say his response to pandemic has shown he’s up to the job.

“Watching him going into office, I didn’t think he had it in him,” said Walsh, the GOP strategist. “I give him credit, he’s showing real leadership.”

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Public meetings and social distancing: It’s complicated ‘Zoombombing,’ tech hiccups plague government meetings

Antioch Councilman Lamar Thorpe listens to his colleagues via a Zoom conference instead of the regular in-person meeting because of the social distancing orders now in effect in the Bay Area. (Screen shot)

By ANNIE SCIACCA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: March 28, 2020 at 6:05 a.m. | UPDATED: March 30, 2020 at 9:38 a.m.

In the in It was already an unusual meeting, with images of Lafayette City Council members beamed in from their homes and offices discussing the coronavirus pandemic and other pressing issues of the day.

Then the voice of a male speaker chimed in during the Zoom-conducted teleconference, uttering some raunchy comments clearly intended for shock value.

As some council colleagues groaned — a couple stifled laughs — and City Attorney Mala Subramian rolled her eyes, Mayor Mike Anderson nonchalantly moved to the next public commenter. A few minutes later, someone else called in to tell the mayor in profane terms what he could do to himself. Welcome to the new normal of democracy in action, as city councils, planning commissions, school boards and other elected bodies strive to do the public’s business in a world that’s honing the practice of social distancing.

While some panels like the Alameda County Board of Supervisors continue to meet face-to-face inside their familiar chambers — but spaced six feet apart around the dais — more and more have turned to Zoom and other video conferencing platforms to bring you their regularly scheduled meetings, as well as a few special ones to declare such matters as local emergencies or impose eviction moratoriums.

The transition from physical to virtual interface in the first couple of weeks since shelter-in-place orders went into effect in the Bay Area hasn’t always been pretty, often resulting in frustrating technical and logistical hiccups. And it’s raised questions about whether the public’s voice is being diluted when people must email or call in to the meetings to get feedback on matters big and small read into the official record.

First the hiccups. Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff was clearly miffed during the board’s meeting Tuesday after her video call connection dropped several times, causing her to miss parts of a presentation by county staff.

In San Jose that same day, three City Council members joined several others who had assembled in person inside the council chambers, but technical difficulties soon ensued, including echoing microphones and muted remote participants. At one point, a city staffer held a microphone up to his computer because the remote council members couldn’t be heard on the surround sound system.

Mayor Sam Liccardo stopped the meeting to set up a group text with the three remote council members so he would know when they wanted to talk. By the end of the four-hour council meeting, city officials began dissecting what went wrong and how to adjust going forward.

“I think if we go full virtual, we’ll have a lot less issues. It’s the hybrid,” the city clerk said. “I think maybe even being able to have people give us their phone number and call them — something along those lines — might make it easier,” Liccardo suggested.

Even at the Alameda County board meeting where the supervisors physically showed up, it wasn’t all business as usual. Though public speakers were allowed to walk up to the lectern and address the board, they and others in the audience had to sit in non-taped-off seats strategically spaced apart. Those who wanted to address the supervisors remotely were placed on a list and called by the county clerk when their turn came up, their voices amplified inside the chambers.

In tech-savvy Palo Alto, the City Council meeting surprisingly had a decidedly traditional feel. The meeting was streamed online and broadcast on local radio as usual, though Palo Altans could email comments beforehand if they didn’t want to show up in person.

Councilman Greg Tanaka noted some residents questioned why other cities can manage to let constituents actively participate in web meetings and they couldn’t. “I’m hoping that will encourage staff to enable the public to join remotely,” Tanaka said.

In Antioch, all City Council members used Zoom to connect for their meeting, while emails and letters submitted by the public were read aloud. Though there were some clumsy moments — like figuring out how to alert others when they wanted to talk — council members agreed Zoom seemed like the best way to host the meeting with full participation from the public. Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts comments on an agenda item during the City Council’s Zoom conference on March 24, 2020. The teleconference was held instead of the regular in-person meeting because of the social distancing orders now in effect in the Bay Area. (Screenshot)

“These meetings are for the public so we have to make sure they have the ability to watch and participate,” Mayor Pro-Tem Joy Motts said.

Government watchdogs couldn’t agree more, and they’re raising warning flags about the shift to virtual meetings.

A letter from the First Amendment Coalition and the National Freedom of Information Coalition — along with about 130 other organizations — urges cities to postpone nonessential business until people can participate more fully.

“Government bodies should not opportunistically take advantage of the public’s inability to attend large gatherings to make critical decisions affecting the public’s interest if those decisions can reasonably be postponed,” the letter says. “Just as citizens are being asked to defer nonessential travel and errands, so should government agencies defer noncritical policy-making decisions until full and meaningful public involvement can be guaranteed.”

While Gov. Gavin Newsom loosened restrictions in the state’s open government laws to allow cities to “hold public meetings via teleconferencing and to make public meetings accessible telephonically or otherwise electronically to all members of the public,” watchdogs say measures should be taken to ensure the public can be more engaged.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Mitchoff underlined that point Tuesday when the board’s clerk vaguely summarized the 43 comments people had submitted via email.

“People need to hear each other. We need to allow those letters to get read next week, especially as it relates to budget issues,” Mitchoff said. “I appreciate what the Brown Act (open meetings law) says, but it’s not meeting our constituents’ needs.”

Meanwhile, some governing boards are planning to become more judicious about which items and issues land on the agenda and which to defer for later and happier times.

San Jose Mayor Liccardo said Tuesday that upcoming council agendas would be thinner than normal “until we get the bandwidth to engage more meaningfully.”

“Right now, we’re got a very busy, underslept staff,” Liccardo said, adding that the majority of city employees are focused on coronavirus-related response issues. “We don’t want to pull them into the council for these hearings until and unless the items are particularly urgent”.

Robert Stern, former board president of open government group Californians Aware, said the silver lining in all this is that, if done right, remote meetings can actually bolster democracy.

Few citizens attend public meetings anyway, he explained. Most watch from their couch at home, and until now they couldn’t comment during the proceedings from there.

Having meetings on Zoom or other web or telephone platforms might actually increase participation if its easier for citizens to speak up or ask questions, he said. “The more I think about it, it may even be better for democracy,” added Stern, who was a principal co- author of California’s 1974 Political Reform Act. “More people will be paying attention over Zoom than paid attention when they had to go down to the council chambers.”

Before it’s all over, “the biggest problem may be that too many people are going to want to comment,” he said.

Staff writers Maggie Angst, David DeBolt, Jon Kawamoto, Angela Ruggiero, Judith Prieve and Peter Hegarty contributed to this report.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

OPINION // EDITORIALS Editorial: Why the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus was not enough

Chronicle Editorial Board April 3, 2020 Updated: April 3, 2020 4 a.m.

The Blue Mermaid restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf, one of countless businesses closed due to shelter-in- place orders. Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in an interview Wednesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “needs to stand down” on talk of a sequel to the $2 trillion stimulus enacted last week to stem the economic ravages of the novel coronavirus. His advice did not age well.

The next day, the U.S. Labor Department reported that a superlative-defying 6.6 million Americans had filed unemployment claims during the previous week, twice the record set just the week before and nearly 10 times the number in the worst pre-pandemic week. The data documented nearly 10 million job losses in two weeks, over a million of them in California, eclipsing a cumulative Great Recession employment decline that unfolded over the course of more than a year. With the monthly jobs report due Friday expected to end a decade-long streak of gains without even capturing much of the latest damage, the country is on pace to reach and exceed the prior downturn’s peak unemployment of 10%. The economic consequences have only begun to take shape, with much of the population expected to cease most activity for the next month or two and losses already spreading from hard-hit industries, such as tourism and hospitality, to the broader economy. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the economy would “contract sharply” in the coming quarter, with gross domestic product expected to shrink by more than 7%.

The package passed by Congress and signed by President Trump last week will help, spending more than twice the post-financial-crisis stimulus, augmenting and extending unemployment payments, sending checks to most Americans and floating emergency small-business loans. Federal, state and local orders to halt foreclosures and evictions are essential and will likely have to be strengthened.

But even these extraordinary measures don’t match the damage being wrought by a broad suspension of economic activity. In light of the fiscal repercussions expected for government budgets in San Francisco, California and other jurisdictions, Congress will likely have to expand the stimulus’ $150 billion relief fund for states and municipalities. More spending to shore up our ill-prepared health care facilities, equipment stockpiles and workforce would also be wise. Both Pelosi and Trump have said they support a major infrastructure program, a worthy cause before the pandemic that is more so now that construction projects are grinding to a halt. Pelosi’s call to reverse the $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes, which hits hardest in high-tax states such as California, is merited but not the priority of the moment.

More than three-quarters of Americans are now under shelter-in-place orders like those first imposed in the Bay Area as even holdout governors have begun to grasp the grim alternative. With the pandemic’s peak still weeks away in most of the country, keeping people safely at home depends on continued unprecedented support for their basic needs.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

POLITICS Backers of California Proposition 13 revision turn in ballot signatures

John Wildermuth April 2, 2020 Updated: April 2, 2020 6:54 p.m.

Howard Jarvis, co-author of Proposition 13, speaks to supporters on June 1, 1978. Photo: Gary Fong / Chronicle

Backers of an initiative to revise California’s Proposition 13 and allow property taxes on large commercial property to rise more quickly submitted 1.7 million signatures Thursday to get the measure on the November ballot.

The signatures going to county registrars’ offices across the state actually are for a property tax measure revising one that is already on the ballot. The revised version makes technical fixes to the original and adds provisions supporters believe will make it more attractive to voters. If the new measure qualifies, it will replace the original version on the fall ballot.

The revisions don’t change the heart of the initiative, which would allow more frequent reassessments of commercial and industrial property, raising an estimated $11 billion a year for schools and local communities.

Prop. 13, which California voters approved in 1978, allows property to be reassessed only when it is sold or changes hands. The proposed initiative calls for a split roll, with homes and apartment buildings, as well as businesses and agricultural land, left under the current rules, but allowing regular reassessments of most commercial and industrial buildings and land.

The 1.7 million signatures, which supporters are touting as a record number for a California initiative, are far more than the 997,113 valid signatures needed to put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot.

The initiative “puts more resources back in the hands of local leaders who best know how to address local needs and priorities,” said Alex Stack, a spokesman for Schools and Communities First, the umbrella group for the initiative supporters.

Backing for the Prop. 13 revision is coming from teachers unions, labor and community organizations, which already have put millions of dollars into the campaign.

It’s likely to be an expensive fight, with business, commercial property and antitax groups lined up against the initiative.

Californians to Save Prop. 13, the main opposition group, said the measure would lead to California’s largest property-tax increase in history and destroy many of Prop. 13’s protections for business.

“It’s clear that the public employee unions ... are willing to spend and do whatever it takes to raise the cost of living for working families,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.

County registrars now will verify the local signatures that were turned in Thursday and report the results to the secretary of state, who will determine whether the initiative has qualified.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jfwildermuth

John Wildermuth Follow John on: https://www.facebook.com/SFChronicle/jfwildermuth

John Wildermuth is a native San Franciscan who has worked as a reporter and editor in California for more than 40 years and has been with the San Francisco Chronicle since 1986. For most of his career, he has covered government and politics. He is a former assistant city editor and Peninsula bureau chief with The Chronicle and currently covers politics and San Francisco city government.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

LOCAL // BAY AREA & STATE Rising seas threaten Bay Area economy, infrastructure, environment, says most detailed study yet

John King March 31, 2020 Updated: March 31, 2020 7:15 p.m.

Houseboats line the southern shore of Mission Creek in San Francisco. A new study suggests that sea level rise could adversely affect Mission Creek’s ecosystem and nearby infrastructure.Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

A 48-inch increase in the bay’s water level in coming decades could cause more than 100,000 Bay Area jobs to be relocated. Nearly 30,000 lower-income residents might be displaced, and 68,000 acres of ecologically valuable shoreline habitat could be lost.

These are among the findings in the most detailed study yet on how sea level rise could alter the Bay Area. The newly released, 700- page official report argues that without a far- sighted, nine-county response, the region’s economic and transportation systems could be undermined along with the environment.

The study by a consortium of state and local agencies concedes that “the findings in this report may cause some alarm.” But it argues that coordinated action is needed sooner rather than later — unlike how the Bay Area neglected its housing needs for decades, creating today’s high rents and mortgages that are driving lower-income residents out of the region.

“The Bay Area is at a tipping point, poised between a growing body of information ... and the beginnings of irreversible impacts,” the report states. “We know that rising sea levels are coming. And we know what the potential impacts will be.”

The study was led by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which released its first detailed look at sea level rise in 2007. But the autonomous state agency was joined in this effort by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Regional Collaborative. Caltrans funded most of the $1.2 million study, which bears the unwieldy title, “Adapting to Rising Tides Bay Area: Regional Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Study.”

This coordination signals that the impacts of climate change will go beyond ecological ones, say the creators.

“You can’t just focus on one piece,” said Zack Wasserman, who chairs the BCDC. “The challenges are huge — physically in terms of how we can adapt and governmentally in terms of whether the region can come together” to tackle a threat still seen as in the distance.

The full report analyzes scenarios for 10 different extremes of “total water levels,” a term that would apply to straightforward higher tides — day in and day out — as well as storm surges layered on top of higher tides. They range from 12 to 108 inches. But much of the emphasis is on a raised water level of 48 inches, a number that corresponds to the “likely” amount of sea level rise forecast in the Bay Area for 2120 by the California Ocean Protection Council. More ominously, it’s an average level that could arrive as early as 2060 under the council’s “highest risk and least likely” model.

Each scenario is viewed through four filters: the impact on natural habitats, transportation networks, areas where new development is planned and “vulnerable communities” that, for instance, live in older, low-lying neighborhoods of Richmond and San Rafael.

The findings go beyond large-scale numbers to highlight specific aspects of the approaching threat to how the region functions.

• The access points to four major bridges would be affected, including the Bay Bridge in Oakland and both sides of the Dumbarton Bridge at the south end of the bay.

• Runways at San Francisco and Oakland airports would be largely under water.

• Nearly 31,000 jobs planned for north San Jose would need to be relocated.

• Cropland that now generates more than $15 million in annual revenue for local farmers could be lost.

• At least 78 miles of protected bicycle trails, most of them fairly new, would often be off-limits.

“All these different aspects of the region are interconnected,” said Dana Brechwald, who oversaw the study’s preparation. “The solutions aren’t going to be one size fits all.”

In a place with as many competing interest groups as the Bay Area — and a political process that allows those groups the opportunity to weigh in at multiple points along the way — there’s no guarantee that a guaranteed response will be easy.

The report acknowledges this, discreetly.

One example is the way that recreational treasures such as paths through restored marshes, or playing fields near the shore, must be balanced against the need to provide protected habitats for endangered and fragile species as waters rise: “Different stakeholders may have differing priorities,” it concedes, “for the management of natural shoreline areas that prioritize people, natural systems, or flood control ... over one another.”

Similarly, many low-lying areas along the bay have been defined in past regional planning as “priority development areas.” Nearly 30,000 housing units have been approved along San Francisco’s shoreline alone. These proposals include elevation of the existing sites by as much as 10 feet, but many environmental advocates say any new construction would be foolish.

The report, however, suggests that as the region moves forward to craft adaptation strategies for sea level rise, “We can’t let perfect solutions be the enemy of workable and fair ones,” that address other Bay Area needs. The report has been in the works since 2017 and the original goal was to release it several months ago. Instead, it went online without fanfare last Thursday.

The reason for the muted release? The Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order that has been imposed through May 1 to try and contain the spread of the coronavirus — a fresh example of how present-day crises inevitably take precedence over long-term threats.

John King is The San Francisco Chronicle’s urban design critic. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @johnkingsfchron

John King Follow John on: https://www.facebook.com/johnkingSFChron/JohnKingSFChron

John King is The San Francisco Chronicle’s urban design critic, taking stock of everything from Salesforce Tower to public spaces and homeless navigation centers. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of two books on San Francisco architecture, King joined The Chronicle in 1992 and covered City Hall before creating his current post in 2001. He spent the spring of 2018 as a Mellon Fellow in Urban Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

POLITICS Pelosi suggests lifting deduction cap on state and local taxes in next coronavirus bill

Tal Kopan March 31, 2020 Updated: March 31, 2020 8:02 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, speaks after the House passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill Friday. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The next legislation to respond to the coronavirus pandemic could include a restoration of the full state and local tax deduction that many Californians lost two years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says.

The San Francisco Democrat floated the proposal in an interview with the New York Times published Monday night, saying that one way to get stimulus money directly to Americans hit hard by the pandemic would be to retroactively lift caps on the deductions. The limits were imposed by the tax bill the Republican-controlled Congress passed and President Trump signed in late 2017. “We could reverse that for 2018 and 2019 so that people could refile their taxes” Pelosi told the Times. “They’d have more disposable income, which is the lifeblood of our economy, a consumer economy that we are.”

A spokesman later clarified that Pelosi would limit such relief to the middle class and not the highest income earners. Lower-income taxpayers would be less likely to benefit from the proposal because the cap affects primarily taxpayers with pricier properties and higher earnings.

The 2017 bill capped federal deductions for state and local taxes paid to $10,000, or $5,000 each for married couples filing separately.

Repealing the deduction cap on state and local taxes, or SALT, has been a priority for a number of Democratic officials, as the provision disproportionately affects blue states, including California, that tend to have higher property and income taxes. An analysis by California’s tax board in 2018 estimated that loss of the full deduction could cost state taxpayers $12 billion.

The House passed its third coronavirus bill, a $2 trillion package, on Friday, but Pelosi was already looking to work on a fourth package, which she says will focus on recovery going forward.

Her wish list of provisions includes expanding paid family and medical leave, boosting food stamps and steering more money to shore up state and local budgets.

In recent days, Pelosi has also spoken about the need to ensure front-line workers and medical professionals have access to personal protective equipment and to require the administration to issue emergency workplace-safety regulations.

It’s unclear how repealing the SALT deduction cap would fare in a bill that would have to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.

Republicans have said Democrats are trying to pack relief bills with partisan priorities. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday he was “not going to allow this to be an opportunity for the Democrats to achieve unrelated policy items that they would not otherwise be able to pass.”

Pelosi, meanwhile, has said she’s committed to negotiating a bipartisan bill.

“I want to be very specific because I hear people saying, ‘They’re doing this wish list’ — that isn’t so. We have agreed in our negotiations that everything we’re doing is specific to the coronavirus challenge,” Pelosi said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday, citing infrastructure improvements like broadband access as examples. “I do think that we’ve acted in a bipartisan way every step of the way, and we will continue to do so.”

Many of the states hardest hit by the virus, including New York and New Jersey, are also most affected by the 2017 provision. New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer called Tuesday for reinstatement of the full SALT deduction to be included in any coronavirus legislation.

Fremont Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna told The Chronicle he would support reinstating the deduction in full, and has joined onto a letter circulating among his Democratic colleagues urging that it get done. “One thing I admire about the speaker ... even for being one of the most powerful people in the world, she’s also so focused on the priorities of her district and the Bay Area and her region, and she understands how devastating the SALT cap has been,” Khanna said.

The House narrowly passed a repeal of the deduction cap, co-sponsored by St. Helena Rep. Mike Thompson, in December, though 16 Democrats voted against it. But the bill is considered dead in the GOP Senate.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicle’s Washington correspondent. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @talkopan

Tal Kopan Follow Tal on: https://www.facebook.com/SFChronicle/TalKopan

Tal Kopan is the Washington Correspondent for The San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, she was a political reporter for CNN Politics, where she covered immigration, cybersecurity and other hot-button issues in Washington, including the 2016 presidential election.

Prior to joining the network, Kopan was a reporter for POLITICO in Washington, D.C., where she reported for their breaking news team and policy verticals, including a special focus on the Department of Justice, courts and cybersecurity.

Kopan started her career working in Chicago with local media outlets ABC7 Chicago and Fox Chicago News.

Her work has earned her awards and fellowships from the Atlanta Press Club; National Press Foundation; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles; and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Kopan graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in “law, letters and society.”

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Haubert, Bacon to Face Off in Nov. Election

Apr 2, 2020

Final certified results from the March 3 primary election show a tight race for the top two November candidate slots for 1st District county supervisor, and success for only one of three Valley school bonds.

In the 1st District, Fremont Councilman at large Vinnie Bacon led the field of four with 27.22% of the total vote, compared to second place finisher Dublin Mayor David Haubert, who secured 25.94%. Dublin Councilwoman Melissa Hernandez came in third at 24.23%, just 483 votes behind Haubert. Sen. Bob Wieckowski finished last, with 21.61%.

Bacon told a reporter that the biggest issue that landed him votes was traffic, the result of overdevelopment. There has to be a regional approach to development, he said. Otherwise, costly proposed rail link projects, such as ValleyLink, which would connect East Dublin/Pleasanton BART with Livermore and San Joaquin County, and the Dumbarton Rail Corridor, planned to carry new rail traffic across the Bay to the Peninsula, won’t do any good by themselves.

While other candidates focused their campaigns on unions and others who supported them, Haubert said he emphasized homelessness, traffic, and protecting money for public safety. These issues “resonated all across the district,” he said.

Dublin Measure J Passage Praised

Dubliners passed Measure J with 57.8% of the vote, crossing the necessary 55% threshold. District Superintendent Dave Marken thanked Dublin voters for approving the $290 million bond, and said it was the latest example of voters lending needed support in the rapidly-growing district. The money will be spent to complete the second comprehensive high school, build a middle school at Dublin Crossing, and update Dougherty Elementary School. The other two local school bonds failed. Pleasanton schools’ Measure M, for $393 million, fell short with 52.4% yes.

In Sunol Glen Elementary School District, the yes votes barely nudged past no, with 50.56%, but not enough for the bond to pass. The K-8 district with fewer than 300 students was asking for $9.5 million.

Green Joins Zone 7 Board

Laurene Green of Pleasanton emerged as a new director on the Zone 7 Water Agency board. She finished second, with 27.89% of the vote. Longtime incumbent Sandy Figuers came in first with 29.09% and another incumbent, Angela Ramirez Holmes, brought in 22.74%. Five candidates were running for three seats, which went to the top vote-getters. Incumbent Dick Quigley will leave the board in July, the traditional beginning of Zone 7 terms. He picked up 14.48% of the vote. Hugh Bussell finished with 5.7%.

Green paid tribute to Quigley in a statement released this week. “I would like to thank and honor the many years of service to Zone 7 by Dick Quigley. He leaves big shoes which I hope to fill – his legacy knowledge will be very hard to match. Thanks for blazing the trail. Your years of work are more than appreciated,” Green said.

Measure P Passes 2-1

Livermore voters passed Measure P by a 2-1 margin, with 66.29% of the vote. The vote reaffirms the unanimous City Council approval of a developer agreement to build a 125-to-135 room hotel on the east side of North Livermore Avenue, next to the Bankhead Theater. A citizens’ group supports an alternative downtown plan that provides for a 160-room hotel on the west side of S. Livermore Avenue.

Disagreements over a redevelopment plan for 8.2 acres of public land the city has assembled for revitalization has been the subject of months of bitter political wrangling.

Partisan Races Set

In the November partisan races, all results are a combination of votes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, because the political districts share some of each county.

Congressman Eric Swalwell of Dublin outdistanced seven candidates, with 56% of the vote. He will face runner-up Republican Alison Hayden November. She brought in 20%. 7th District incumbent Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer won 48% of the district vote, with Republican challenger Julie Mobley of Danville taking 30.7% to become his opponent in November. Democrat Marisol Rubio of San Ramon finished third at 21%.

Incumbent Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of Orinda heads into November with a big lead from the primary in the 16th Assembly District. She garnered 63% of the vote compared to 36.9% for Republican challenger Joseph Rubay of Alamo.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

California economy clobbered — for how long?

The California State House on August 12, 2019. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

We’ve all seen slow motion video clips of horrific damage from head-on automobile collisions staged in auto safety testing facilities.

Something like that is happening to California’s economy.

Until a few weeks ago, the globe’s fifth largest economy was humming along with record- high output and record-low unemployment. Employers were begging for workers and state and local governments were enjoying revenue surges.

“California’s unemployment rate remained at its record low of 3.9% in February as the state’s employers added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs,” the state Employment Development Department reported on March 27.

“The job gains in February contributed to a record job expansion in California of 120 months, surpassing the long expansion of the 1960s,” EDD added. “California has gained 3,425,700 jobs since the current expansion began in February 2010, accounting for 15% of the nation’s 22,846,000 job gain over the same timeframe.”

However, by March 27, the state’s economy had already slammed into a brick wall called coronavirus. Closures of “nonessential” businesses and stay-at-home directives to slow the spread of the virus very quickly eliminated at least 2 million jobs and tripled unemployment among the state’s 19.5 million workers, with no end in sight. In a matter of days, those who lost their jobs filed 1.6 million new claims for unemployment insurance.

“We have taken a jump into unknown territory. Over the next few weeks, the number of workers laid off in California will reach unprecedented levels,” said Taner Osman, research manager at Beacon Economics and the UC-Riverside’s School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development. “The hope is that stimulus measures will ease the short-term pain felt by workers, and that containment efforts will enable the economy to return to something like full capacity as the summer proceeds.”

Californians and their state and local governments are receiving billions of dollars from federal “stimulus measures,” but in what had been a $2.6 trillion economy, that will ease overall effects only slightly.

The economic jolt hits those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder most heavily, especially low-income workers in highly impacted service sectors such as restaurants, hotels and retail stores. And even those who still work in “essential” sectors feel the collateral effects.

“Grocery store cashiers, store clerks, farmworkers, and delivery and truck drivers make up sizeable shares of the essential workforce,” the Public Policy Institute of California says. “Given the low hourly wage rates for these workers, some may face hardships in caring for children or family members with schools and care facilities shuttered.”

No one knows, of course, how long California’s economy will be crippled. Gov. Gavin Newsom and most Californians clearly believe that the battle to save lives is worth the economic damage, a belief bolstered by complex calculations from Joe Nation, a former state assemblyman who now teaches at Stanford University.

“Stay-at-home provides minimum net benefits to the state of $77 billion under the most conservative assumptions,” Nation concluded in an Op-Ed for CalMatters. “ … In short, … the ‘cure,’ a stay-at-home policy, results in an economic benefit. Under best-estimate assumptions, the net economic benefit climbs to $4.9 trillion, an amount equal to nearly 18 months of economic output for the entire state.”

“The sooner other elected officials recognize that the cure is not worse than the problem and follow the lead of California and 25 other states with stay-at-home policies, the greater the economic benefit, the higher the number of lives saved and the faster the economy will return to normal,” he added.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

What a cost-analysis shows of going back to work during the coronavirus pandemic vs. California’s stay-at-home policy

Illustration via iStock

By Joe Nation, Special to CalMatters First with a tweet, then a news conference and interviews, President Donald Trump showed that he is considering trading American lives in the coronavirus pandemic for a healthier economy: “We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem.”

The pushback to Trump’s statements was swift, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying that if the public must choose between public health and the economy, Americans will choose the former. Others, including Trump economic advisor Larry Kudlow rushed to Trump’s defense, arguing that “the economic cost to individuals is just too great.” Is the economic cost too great? Or are policies like Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “stay at home” order — similar to shelter-in-place — worth the economic cost because they provide more net benefits, in particular, in lives saved?

Calculating the costs and benefits of health policies can be complex. Aggressive policies like stay-at-home will save more lives, but they also cost more. Voluntary social distancing costs far less but also saves fewer lives.

Whether readers like it or not, policymakers routinely and appropriately assign a value to human life. The U.S. EPA, for example, assumes the Value of a Statistical Life is $9.5 million. So a policy that saves 1,000 lives provides an economic benefit of $9.50 billion.

What is the economic value in California of stay-at-home policy compared with social distancing? According to CovidActNow.org, with social distancing alone, California would suffer 596,000 deaths. In contrast, the number of California deaths with a stay-at-home policy is estimated at 11,000, a reduction of 585,000. Based on a $9.5 million Value of Statistical Life, the benefit in lives saved reaches $5.6 trillion.

Some readers might argue for a lower Value of Statistical Life, since most deaths are elderly (for the record, I disagree) and a reduction in the expected death rate. Reducing the Value of Statistical Life by 50% (to $4.8 million) and the expected death rate by 50% (to 1.1%), reduces the benefit in lives saved to $1.3 trillion. Bottom line: California’s economic benefits from stay-at-home range from $1.3 trillion to $5.6 trillion.

Now let’s estimate the cost of California’s stay-at-home policy to calculate net benefits, i.e., benefits minus costs. The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis expects a 50% loss in 2nd quarter GDP, $414 billion in California. (FYI, the largest quarterly GDP decrease in the Great Recession was 5%.) Let’s also assume that California will pay its population share of the federal coronavirus stimulus bill ($244 billion), and the state (including private contributions) will pay additional unemployment benefits up to a maximum $30 billion (based on a 2nd quarter unemployment rate of 30%), bringing total costs to $688 billion.

What if the costs are even higher? Let’s assume further that the state’s GDP remains 25% below normal in the third quarter and 10% in the fourth quarter, that California is responsible for its share of a second $2 trillion federal stimulus, and that unemployment is 15% and 6% in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. In this scenario, costs to the state increase to $1.2 trillion. Bottom line: California’s costs from its stay-at-home policy range from $688 billion to $1.2 trillion.

Stay-at-home provides minimum net benefits to the state of $77 billion under the most conservative assumptions, i.e., the lowest estimated benefits and highest estimated costs. In short, even in this unlikely scenario, the “cure,” a stay-at-home policy, results in an economic benefit. Under best-estimate assumptions, the net economic benefit climbs to $4.9 trillion, an amount equal to nearly 18 months of economic output for the entire state. National and state leaders who claim to be putting the economy first are in fact putting it last. Saving lives also saves the economy.

The sooner other elected officials recognize that the cure is not worse than the problem and follow the lead of California and 25 other states with stay-at-home policies, the greater the economic benefit, the higher the number of lives saved and the faster the economy will return to normal.

_____

Joe Nation is a professor of the practice of public policy at Stanford University, and teaches policy courses on climate change, health care, human biology and California state issues, [email protected].

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

OPINION What Gov. Gavin Newsom needs to do to protect state’s water future

By George Miller April 4, 2020 Updated: April 4, 2020 12:03 p.m.

The Sacramento River, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Clarksburg, Calif. The area is near a potential site for a new single tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that will help move Northern California water south to cities and farms, state water officials said Wednesday.Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle

Today, responding to a global pandemic is every governor’s top priority. When we emerge from this crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a challenge to ensure California’s future economic and environmental health. In this context, his water policies will represent critical decisions. Along with public health, jobs, energy, transportation, education, housing and fire protection, water is a compulsory gubernatorial priority.

Over the past few months, Newsom has sent mixed signals on water. Recently, his agencies and Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued to block a Trump administration decision that slashed federal protections for endangered species and salmon in the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem. But, unfortunately, Newsom’s Department of Fish and Wildlife recently endorsed much of that disastrous Trump approach.

There’s another place where Newsom has got it right on water policy. He has said that he wants to “avoid the old binaries” on water. For those not fluent in the coded language of California water, that means avoiding the need to choose between adequate water supplies and healthy rivers.

Newsom is right. This is a false choice. Here are four things he can do to avoid that old trap.

First, the governor can ensure that all of California’s major cities recycle their wastewater. Today, Orange County is the world leader in water recycling. But San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco have done far too little to drought-proof California’s water supply.

Water is too precious to use once and throw away. Californians take care to recycle soda cans. We can do the same for water, one of our most precious commodities. To make this happen California’s big cities need three things from the governor — a specific goal, strong support and a firm push. And as we recover from the COVID-19 recession, developing these supplies means jobs.

Second, in addition to more droughts, climate change will bring more floods. On the San Joaquin River, the state anticipates future climate-change-driven peak flood flows that are nearly double those of today. Preventing a Hurricane Katrina-style disaster for Central Valley communities like Stockton must be a top priority.

Fortunately, there’s a consensus about how to keep us safe from these floods — restoring floodplains. Giving rivers more room to handle high flows will save lives. It will also recharge groundwater, restore fertile habitat for juvenile salmon, and give Central Valley communities more parks and recreational opportunities. There’s broad support for this “multi-benefit” flood management approach. Delivering it on a large scale will require gubernatorial leadership. Again, this investment can generate needed new jobs.

Third, powerful agribusiness leaders hope the governor will lead a wave of dam building and water grabs. That would lead to extinctions, damage to California’s iconic salmon fishing industry and more toxic algae outbreaks for delta communities.

Here’s another approach:

Parts of the western San Joaquin Valley have made a dangerous gamble by planting thirsty permanent crops on salty soils with unreliable groundwater. There is wide agreement that balancing groundwater use will require a reduction in irrigated acreage. Newsom should seriously explore a large investment in solar farms on this troubled land. If energy transmission is needed, the California Aqueduct’s right of way could provide a corridor. If a new energy market is needed, the State Water Project is the largest single consumer of power in the state.

Solar farms do what all farms do — turn land and sunlight into valuable products. So large scale solar projects are not “land retirement.” They would help farmers grow another crop — electrons — while reducing demand for overtapped bay-delta supplies and groundwater. Fourth, without aggressive state action, the Trump extinction plan could lead to an environmental disaster, lost salmon fishing jobs and the growing threat of toxic algae blooms in delta waterways. The governor’s suit to block that plan is a good first step. The governor should now direct the state water board to set strong flow standards for the bay-delta ecosystem, protecting salmon, endangered species and the largest estuary on the West Coast. Then he must ensure that the Central Valley Project, which is run by a Trump appointee, obeys those state standards. California must never join the Trump administration’s environmental race to the bottom.

State agencies are now finalizing Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio plan. The above ideas should be incorporated into a plan that ensures adequate water for farms and cities, safety from floods, toxic algae- free waterways, and healthy rivers and fish populations that keep fishermen busy and keep local sustainable salmon on our plates.

Yogi Berra once said — “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Gov. Newsom can lay out a new vision for managing water in the Golden State to serve people and nature — all while preparing for green jobs to grow our way out of this recession. That’s how to avoid the old binaries.

George Miller represented the East Bay in Congress from 1975 to 2015 and was the author of the watershed Central Valley Project Improvement Act.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

POLITICS Coronavirus will keep California Legislature away until May

Alexei Koseff April 4, 2020 Updated: April 4, 2020 2:39 p.m.

State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins says the original “return date the Legislature envisioned isn’t feasible.” Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press 2019

SACRAMENTO — The future of the legislative session is murky as California shows no signs of letting up soon on its lockdown measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Legislative leaders extended an emergency recess by three more weeks Friday. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), said they now plan to call lawmakers back to the Capitol on May 4. “Our priority continues to be bending the curve of infection,” they said in a joint statement. “We must continue to support the efforts of our first responders and health care personnel.”

As the state urged greater social-distancing measures to slow the spread of the virus, the Legislature passed a $1.1 billion aid package on March 16 before adjourning for a month. Three days later, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all Californians to stay at home and leave only for essential trips.

The Senate and Assembly intended to reconvene on April 13. But Newsom has suggested that his order could remain in place through at least May, when state public health officials project new infections to peak.

That collides with two critical legislative deadlines: May 29, the last day for bills to pass their house of origin, and June 15, when lawmakers are constitutionally required to approve a state budget or go without pay.

Before leaving Sacramento last month, the Senate passed rules that would allow for remote hearings and voting. Atkins and Rendon, however, mentioned nothing in their statement Friday about continuing the work of the Legislature in April via teleconferencing.

The extension of the legislative recess came hours after Atkins publicly acknowledged that the original “return date the Legislature envisioned isn’t feasible.”

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @akoseff

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

IMF: Global economy can expect worst year since 1930s The cumulative loss to the global gross domestic product could amount to $9 trillion

Michael Probst/Associated Press File photo: The IMF said Tuesday that it expects the global economy to shrink 3% this year — far worse than its 0.1% dip in the Great Recession year of 2009 — before rebounding in 2021 with 5.8% growth. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | PUBLISHED: April 14, 2020 at 11:04 a.m. | UPDATED: April 15, 2020 at 4:22 a.m.

By Paul Wiseman and Martin Crutsinger | Associated Press WASHINGTON — Beaten down by the coronavirus outbreak, the world economy in 2020 will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund says in its latest forecast.

The IMF said Tuesday that it expects the global economy to shrink 3% this year — far worse than its 0.1% dip in the Great Recession year of 2009 — before rebounding in 2021 with 5.8% growth. It acknowledges, though, that prospects for a rebound next year are clouded by uncertainty.

The bleak assessment represents a breathtaking downgrade by the IMF. In its previous forecast in January, before COVID-19 emerged as a grave threat to public health and economic growth worldwide, the international lending organization had forecast moderate global growth of 3.3% this year. But far-reaching measures to contain the pandemic — lockdowns, business shutdowns, social distancing and travel restrictions — have suddenly brought economic activity to a near-standstill across much of the world.

Gopinath said the cumulative loss to the global gross domestic product, the broadest gauge of economic output, could amount to $9 trillion — more than the economies of Germany and Japan combined.

The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook was prepared for this week’s spring meetings of the 189-nation IMF and its sister lending organization, the World Bank. Those meetings, along with a gathering of finance ministers and central bankers of the world’s 20 biggest economies, will be held virtually for the first time in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

In its latest outlook, the IMF expects economic contractions this year of 5.9% in the United States, 7.5% in the 19 European countries that share the euro currency, 5.2% in Japan and 6.5% in the United Kingdom. China, where the pandemic originated, is expected to eke out 1.2% growth this year. The world’s second-biggest economy, which had gone into lockdown, has begun to open up well before other countries.

Worldwide trade will plummet 11% this year, the IMF predicts, and then grow 8.4% in 2021.

Last week, the IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, warned that the world was facing “the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression.” She said that emerging markets and low-income nations across Africa, Latin America and much of Asia were at especially high risk. And on Monday, the IMF approved $500 million to cancel six months of debt payments for 25 impoverished countries.

The IMF cautioned that its forecast is shrouded by unknowns. They include the path that the virus will take; the effectiveness of policies meant to contain the outbreak and minimize the economic damage; and uncertainty over whether, even many months from now, people will continue to isolate themselves and depress spending as a precaution against a potential resurgence of the virus.

On a hopeful note, the IMF noted that policymakers in many countries have engineered what it calls a “swift and sizable” response to the economic crisis. In the United States, for instance, the Federal Reserve has intervened aggressively to smooth lending markets. And Congress has enacted three separate rescue measures, including a $2.2 trillion aid package — the largest in history — that is meant to sustain households and businesses until the outbreak recedes and economic life begins to return to normal.

That package includes direct payments to individuals, business loans, grants to companies that agree not to lay off workers and expanded unemployment benefits. And Congress is moving toward approving a possible fourth economic aid measure.

Gathering at their own virtual meeting, finance officials of the Group of Seven major industrial countries, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, pledged to “use all available policy tools” to achieve a strong recovery.

Meghan Clem, CEO of the wedding and party-planning company Intertwined Events, says she is hoping that some government loans come through so she can continue to pay her staff. The next two to three months will likely be the worst of the crisis for Intertwined Events. “All events have been canceled or postponed to the fourth quarter, so we are seeing a full stop of revenue for May, June and likely July,” said Clem, whose company is based in Irvine, California.

In Europe, the sudden downturn has spotlighted the vulnerabilities of the shared euro currency. The 19- country bloc lacks a powerful central treasury. And it’s struggled to settle on a unified fiscal response, with northern European countries like the Netherlands and Germany blocking proposals for shared borrowing backed by all countries. The member countries did agree on what could amount to a half- trillion euros in stimulus. But conditions on part of the package mean that some of the money may never be tapped.

Italy, which has been deeply hurt by the crisis, is expected to suffer a 9% drop this year in its gross domestic product, and its debt load could soar from an already high 135% of GDP. Fears have arisen of a renewed debt crisis, though for now stimulus from the European Central Bank has calmed lending markets.

European governments are deploying plans that subsidize worker pay at companies that have had to put employees on shorter hours or send them home. The idea is that companies keep workers on board so that they can quickly resume without having to recruit and train new staffers later. Their workers’ spending also helps support other businesses. The system represents a sharp contrast to practices in the United States, where applications for unemployment benefits have skyrocketed.

In Germany, 2.35 million workers are expected to take part in the program. They will receive at least 60% of net pay. Some countries can’t afford sufficiently aggressive rescue plans, the IMF said, and “may require external support.” Georgieva has said that the IMF is prepared to commit its $1 trillion in lending capacity to support nations that need help in dealing with the pandemic.

AP Business Writers David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Joyce M. Rosenberg in New York contributed to this report.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Swalwell: Congress needs to commit more money to COVID-19 crisis As the trillions in relief committed so far is distributed, we are learning it will be nowhere near enough

(Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) As President Trump purges the government of independent watchdogs, we’ll need ironclad accountability and oversight of how every dollar is spent, writes Rep. Eric Swalwell. By ERIC SWALWELL |PUBLISHED: April 14, 2020 at 6:10 a.m. | UPDATED: April 14, 2020 at 6:20 a.m.

The COVID-19 crisis has shaken our health and our economy. Congress has committed trillions to bolster our health care system, expand unemployment benefits, shore up small businesses, aid embattled states and localities, and send direct payments to American households.

As this relief is being distributed, we are learning it will be nowhere near enough.

We must spend more and push harder to provide desperately needed resources for our hospitals, community health centers and health systems, both with direct federal investment and with stronger support of state and local governments. That means ensuring all health workers have the personal protective equipment they need. Any equipment we overproduce should go into the federal stockpile for future disasters. We must accelerate research to produce a mass-distributed test to determine if someone already has had COVID-19 so that we fully understand its spread and get more health care workers on the front lines. And when a vaccine is achieved, it should be universally available at no charge.

We must provide more aid for small businesses, most importantly by supplementing the Paycheck Protection Program. The program already provides eight weeks of payroll, but it has had serious issues in availability and distribution of funds. We should focus on supporting community banks serving women, minority and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural, tribal, suburban and urban communities. And until we can stop the skyrocketing unemployment rate, we must further expand unemployment benefits and provide more resources to process claims.

To protect the public from a serial presidential grifter, we’ll need ironclad accountability and oversight of how every dollar is spent. As President Trump purges the government of independent watchdogs, the House of Representatives must leverage our power of the purse to ensure he has a sort of congressional “ankle monitor” to rein in his corrupt instincts. We must do more to support the 45 million Americans who owe nearly $1.6 trillion in student loan debt even while struggling in our besieged economy. Congress already suspended payments on federally held student loans through Sept. 30; we should extend that through the end of 2020. But 8 percent of student debt isn’t federally held, so we must offer some sort of credit or other relief to those borrowers too.

We must invest more in our democracy – well beyond the $400 million so far – to help states expand voting by mail, online voter registration and early voting so that our 2020 elections go forward securely and safely for all.

And we must make additional direct payments to American families – but this time, we must index them to regional costs of living.

The cost of living in Hayward, for example, is about 50 percent higher than the cost of living in Algona, Iowa, where my family and I lived during my early childhood. Housing is the biggest difference: Hayward’s median home value is $680,656, while Algona’s is $129,472, according to Zillow. Food, gas, car insurance, clothing and other things cost considerably more here, too.

So a $75,000 income – and a $1,200 relief check – mean completely different things in these two communities. Sending out future benefits without regard for this would leave many Americans unfairly lacking.

The White House’s failure of leadership has contributed to making us sicker and poorer. But we’re not helpless, and Congress – having already passed three COVID-19 packages in March – will continue to lead through this crisis. Aid we’ve already approved for many of those hardest hit will take weeks to arrive, and we’ve not yet seen this pandemic’s peak.

Let’s rise to this challenge with the foresight and leadership to make sure Americans have what they need to stay alive and afloat through these exceptionally trying times.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D- Livermore, represents the 15th Congressional District, which includes most of eastern and southwestern Alameda County as well as part of Contra Costa County.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Walters: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shined — so far Gavin Newsom has, to use a phrase of his, ‘met the moment’ and Californians’ response is bending the curve

Gov. Gavin Newsom discuses California’s efforts to convert hotels and motels into isolation housing for the homeless threatened by the coronavirus during a news conference near Sacramento, Calif. April 3, 2020. Newsom spoke about the partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover some costs outside a recently converted motel.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, POOL)

By DAN WALTERS, CALMATTERS | PUBLISHED: April 13, 2020 at 11:40 a.m. | UPDATED: April 13, 2020 at 11:59 a.m. It may seem that the coronavirus crisis has been with us forever, but it’s been less than a month since California’s officialdom began imposing a quasi-quarantine to reduce the toll on human life.

It’s also been a few weeks since the Legislature recessed indefinitely and entrusted Gov. Gavin Newsom to do whatever he deemed necessary to protect the state’s 40 million residents.

So how has Newsom performed? After a couple of early miscues, he’s done extremely well, demonstrating a deft touch in persuading Californians to avoid personal contacts, even though it rapidly plunged the state into a deep economic recession.

Newson has, to use one of his favorite phrases, “met the moment” and it appears that Californians’ changes in personal behavior are, to use another Newsomism, “bending the curve” enough to sharply reduce the toll and avoid the terrible fate that’s befallen New York and other states. Newsom has coupled defense with offense, tapping the state’s budget reserves to aggressively find protective shelter for the homeless, expand hospital capacity and acquire more sorely needed medical equipment — most recently an initiative to buy many millions of protective face masks.

“We decided enough is enough,” Newsom declared as he announced the latter. “Let’s use the power of the purchasing power of the state of California as a nation-state … and in the next few weeks, we’re going to see supplies at that level into the state of California — and potentially the opportunity to export some of those supplies to states in need.”

“Nation-state” is another of the Newsomisms to emerge, a constant reminder — even an implicit boast — that California is big enough to act where the federal government has failed.

Newsom has always sought the spotlight, trumpeting “big hairy, audacious goals” such as unilaterally implementing same-sex marriages as mayor of San Francisco and promising as governor to build 3.5 million new houses.

The coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity to act decisively on the biggest goal of all, saving thousands of lives, and Newsom has risen to the occasion with a tempered maturity, even throttling his penchant for attacking President Donald Trump to maintain a working relationship with the White House.

That said, it’s still been less than a month, California still has not seen the pandemic’s peak and even when its medical threat has receded, we will face the economic consequences for many months, even years. As tax revenues plummet and reserves melt away, the “big hairy, audacious goals” that Newsom had been seeking will take a back seat to crisis management.

From a purely political career standpoint, that’s not all bad, even though Newsom, of course, professes no political motivation. “This is not political, this is not in any way, shape or form usurping or undermining,” he said of his medical mask initiative. “This is all in the spirit of all of us stepping into this moment and doing what we can.”

However, Newsom didn’t reveal the action during one of his daily webcast briefings, but rather during a nationwide appearance on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” whose audience is overwhelmingly left-of-center Democrats. And he also garnered national media attention when he dispatched 500 ventilators to other hard-stricken states, such as New York.

Newsom’s Maddow appearance, coming one day before Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of presidential contention, had an immediate political effect as a #PresidentNewsom hashtag began trending on Twitter.

There’s no doubt Newsom harbors presidential ambitions. As well as he’s performed to date, however, he faces years of crisis that will decisively fix his place in California political history and thus determine how far he can go.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

OPINION // EDITORIALS Editorial: Congress should stick with conservation funding in a dark time

Chronicle Editorial Board April 18, 2020 Updated: April 18, 2020 7:40 a.m.

Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, February 25, 2020. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

Just a month ago Washington had something rare in its grasp. There was an all-sides agreement on locking in a conservation fund in the nation’s spending plans. President Trump was on board, beaming out friendly tweets. Congress overwhelmingly liked the idea.

Then the pandemic hit.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has long led a charmed political life, up to this point. Authorized in 1965, it’s taken in billions in revenue paid by energy companies drilling on offshore government leases. The concept delights nearly every lawmaker: Oil money goes to benefit the environment, especially name-brand parks and beaches. In California, the benefits flow from cities to the Sierra. Golden Gate Park receives dollars as does Lake Tahoe and Point Reyes. In Southern California, the sand and cactus expanse of Joshua Tree National Park benefits as do surf beaches in Orange County. Nearly all of these spots are off-limits now, but when and if stay-home mandates ease, there will be a rush to get outdoors, relax and enjoy nature.

That’s where the fund will be needed.

Still, the money flow isn’t guaranteed. The kitty has been raided in the past, and federal lawmakers may be tempted to do so again under cover of the pandemic. The decision making is approaching a fever pitch as leaders in Congress — meaning Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the House and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the Senate — bang heads on a second economic stimulus package. They and the rest of Capitol Hill should remember past pledges of support and enthusiasm.

There are practical reasons to stick with the fund, especially at this precarious time for the economy. The money generates work and jobs in public spaces, the very definition of infrastructure spending. Every dollar from the fund produces $4 in economic benefits, according to a study by the Trust for Public Lands. The fund collected $900 million in the last budget cycle, meaning $3.6 billion in value spun off.

The push to safeguard the fund is picking up steam. The Surfrider Foundation, Outdoor Afro and the California League of Conservation Voters are behind the push, a reflection of the span of interest.

Washington needs to act confidently. Even in a dark time, support for a treasured program can’t be forgotten. California and the rest of the country need to support the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

This commentary is from The Chronicle’s editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

LOCAL // ENVIRONMENT California, rest of the West sinking into a rare mega-drought, scientists say

Kurtis Alexander April 16, 2020 Updated: April 16, 2020 10:52 p.m.

The hiking trails on Sugarloaf Hill are dry and cracked along with the tall grasses that grow on the hill's top on Thursday, November 14, 2019 in San Mateo, Calif. A group of scientists now says that the American West, including California, has been in the midst of a prolonged drought since the beginning of the century.Photo: Brian Feulner / Special to The Chronicle

California’s crushing five-year drought came to a welcome end after record rain three winters ago. Or did it?

Although forests are greener, reservoirs are fuller and widespread water restrictions are gone, many believe the past few years, in which there was pretty decent rainfall, were just a blip on a troubling long- term skid into drier times. A group of scientists now says that the American West, including California, has been in the midst of a prolonged drought since the beginning of the century — one on par with only four mega-droughts experienced over the past 1,200 years and one capable of causing major social upheaval.

The last mega-drought that the researchers describe, between 1575 and 1593, is believed to have forced Native Americans to relocate whole communities from sprawling mesas to lower river valleys in search of water. The mega-drought before that, in the 1200s, is thought to have contributed to the fall of the cliff- dwelling Anasazi civilization in the Southwest.

“The past two decades look a lot like how the biggest mega-droughts of the past millennium developed,” said Park Williams, bioclimatologist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal Science. “These mega-droughts are not like anything we’ve seen in recent centuries. They’re viewed as mythical beasts. There’s nothing that’s come even close to them.”

The fear is that if current dry times continue, which the paper’s authors say is more likely than not, the modern era soon will be in the grip of its first mega-drought.

Though society is better equipped to handle a sustained period of dryness, Williams said, with dams and other technologies to boost water supplies and massive delivery systems to share water, there are also more people and more demand today.

Big cities are poised to face water shortages, farms may be unable to plant crops, forests will brown up and be susceptible to pests, and the risk of wildfire will grow.

“We may be getting closer to the point where we can’t tolerate more drought intensity,” Williams said.Williams and his colleagues at Columbia University, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Idaho drew their conclusions by looking at soil moisture levels across nine states and northern Mexico between A.D. 800 and 2018. In the absence of soil data, they used tree rings from thousands of trees — some analyzed in prior studies and some evaluated for the first time — to model what soil conditions would have looked like in the past.

The researchers found that 40 prolonged droughts occurred over the 1,200-year span, four of which they identified as mega-droughts because soil moisture was far less and the dry periods ran much longer — lasting decades. The monster dry spells emerged in the late 800s, the mid-1100s, the 1200s and the late 1500s.

The team then compared the moisture levels from the four mega-droughts with moisture levels during the first 19 years of this century. They found that the current era is off to a worse start than three of four of the mega-droughts. Only the drought in the late 1500s was drier.

The current dry period also is far broader geographically than any of the previous mega-droughts, stretching from Oregon east to Montana and south to California and New Mexico.

The reason for the present dryness, the researchers say, is largely human-caused climate change. Whereas in past dry spells, the natural variability of weather — what Williams calls “bad luck” — drove the mega-droughts, he and his colleagues marshaled 31 studies on the effects of global warming and concluded that rising temperatures were responsible for about 47% of the aridity today.

“People who keep plants indoors or dry clothes on a line know that when the temperature is hotter, things dry out faster,” he said.

Williams also said that with climate change in play, it becomes that much harder to avoid or emerge from a protracted dry period.

“There’s a lot of inertia here,” he said. “It’s going to require more and more good luck to break out of droughts like this.”

Mega-droughts look different in different places and don’t necessarily mean there aren’t bouts of significant rainfall during their run. California’s wet winter of 2016-17 is an example of a break from an otherwise extraordinarily dry couple of decades, the researchers say. California and much of the West get most of their precipitation in the wintertime.

This past rainy season in Northern California tracked on the dry side. Despite late-season storms, many areas, including San Francisco, have received 50% or less of the average rainfall. The U.S. Drought Monitor, which measures short-term dryness, estimates that 36% of the state is experiencing moderate drought conditions.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA who did not contribute to the new study, said it makes sense that Western states may be plunging into a drought comparable to some of the worst in 12 centuries.

What Swain calls “weather whiplash,” the large swings between wet and dry years at the hands of climate change, is occurring against a backdrop of rising temperatures and shows little sign of abating. The presence of stormy periods, he said, can make it appear as though there is no drought even as heat continues to sap moisture from the atmosphere.

“If it’s still raining sometimes, but it’s warmer, I’m not sure that we as individuals notice (the drying) as much,” he said. “It does sort of change our experience of what drought is, and it makes it harder for us to perceive.”

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @kurtisalexander

Kurtis Alexander Follow Kurtis on: https://www.facebook.com/kurtis.alexander.92kurtisalexander

Kurtis Alexander is a general assignment reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, frequently writing about water, wildfire, climate and the American West. His recent work has focused on the impacts of drought, the widening rural-urban divide and state and federal environmental policy.

Before joining the Chronicle, Alexander worked as a freelance writer and as a staff reporter for several media organizations, including The Fresno Bee and Bay Area News Group, writing about government, politics and the environment.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

POLITICS Nancy Pelosi’s negotiating skills tested amid coronavirus pandemic

Tal Kopan April 16, 2020 Updated: April 16, 2020 9:05 p.m.

“Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate — that’s what we do as legislators,” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- S.F. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

WASHINGTON — With coronavirus relief money already running out and more expected to be needed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s negotiating prowess is being tested as she represents Democrats in a largely shut-down nation’s capital.

The San Francisco Democrat has built a reputation as a master political tactician, leading her party in the House under three presidents. With a key coronavirus stimulus fund now out of money, Americans facing a pandemic and economic collapse and Congress on hold until it’s safe to meet again, Pelosi is more on the spot than ever. Republicans have been pressuring Democrats to act swiftly to replenish a loan program created to help small businesses through the nation’s stay-at-home orders. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tried to add $250 billion to the program in the Senate last week, hoping to jam Democrats into moving it forward without adding spending on any other programs.

The Small Business Administration said the program ran out of money Thursday, and Republicans including McConnell, President Trump and House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield have been using every medium available to portray Democrats as holding up needed funds.

Pelosi said such a bill would not pass the House, which her party controls, and Democrats in the Senate objected. She and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York say any bill must include money for hospitals, state and local governments, and set-asides for businesses owned by women and people of color. Negotiations have been ongoing between Mnuchin and Pelosi’s and Schumer’s staffs.

Meanwhile, Congress is not slated to reopen for full votes until at least May 4, requiring any legislation to pass by unanimous agreement.

“Obviously, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate — that’s what we do as legislators,” Pelosi said at a news conference Thursday. “We hope that the administration will recognize those needs and not deprive state and local (governments), as well as hospitals, as well as small businesses, of every opportunity to meet the needs of the people we serve. ... We’re hopeful that they’ll come back with something that strikes a balance.”

The stalemate over the business lending program foreshadows what is likely to be a continued challenge for Pelosi as the sole Democratic power-holder in government — negotiating Democratic priorities into pandemic bills that are urgently needed without appearing to be holding up relief for Americans.

While Schumer is also deeply involved, Pelosi is the face of the effort and the one drawing the heaviest fire from Republicans.

Pelosi points to Congress’ recent success at finding bipartisan agreement. She is fond of saying her party transformed a $2 trillion rescue package from a corporate giveaway into a worker-friendly bill, including by adding the small business lending program.

“We planted the flag for small business a long time ago — this is a priority for us, we see it,” Pelosi said. “But in order for them to have success, people need to be well, people need to be safe, and we need to do state and local” government aid.

Even the party’s progressive flank expresses confidence in her abilities to get the most out of the bills. Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna, an ally of Pelosi’s who also works with the progressive caucus to move the party leftward, said the speaker has “done a very good job” so far.

“The speaker is really pushing as hard as she can, knowing that she’s one of three,” Khanna said, referring to the Republican White House and GOP Senate leadership. “I’m confident that in this next package she’s going to have workers’ protections at the heart of it, she’s going to have cash assistance at the heart of this, and more assistance for the states and cities who are going to need it.” There are limitations, however, with lawmakers spread around the country, said Rep. Jared Huffman, D- San Rafael. While he says Pelosi is “really the person you want on point in this moment,” he wishes leadership would come up with a way for Congress to reopen, perhaps with a combination of in-person and virtual work.

“I just want to see the rest of the institution get on the field and give her (Pelosi) more backup,” Huffman said. “Our ability to command at least some part of the national stage — you can’t do that with 230 Democrats in their pajamas trying to make sure they hit the mute button at the right time.”

Pelosi has been trying to fill the airtime, appearing on TV frequently, from late-night talk shows to daytime cable news. In early April, she returned home to San Francisco, doing the television appearances from her kitchen.

As his Treasury secretary continues to negotiate with Pelosi, Trump has been lashing out.

“Crazy ‘Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person. You are a poor leader. You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself.” @seanhannity She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job!” Trump tweeted Thursday.

In his weekly call with reporters, House GOP leader McCarthy portrayed Democrats as refusing to help keep workers employed.

“I cannot understand after watching another 5 million people be unemployed, how Speaker Pelosi can continue to say no,” McCarthy said. “All they have to do is say yes today and let’s move this forward.”

She turned the query back on him.

“The question is not, why are we not just doing that?” Pelosi said. “The question is of the Republicans, why are you ignoring your state?”

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicle’s Washington correspondent. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @talkopan

Tal Kopan Follow Tal on: https://www.facebook.com/SFChronicle/TalKopan

Tal Kopan is the Washington Correspondent for The San Francisco Chronicle. Previously, she was a political reporter for CNN Politics, where she covered immigration, cybersecurity and other hot-button issues in Washington, including the 2016 presidential election.

Prior to joining the network, Kopan was a reporter for POLITICO in Washington, D.C., where she reported for their breaking news team and policy verticals, including a special focus on the Department of Justice, courts and cybersecurity.

Kopan started her career working in Chicago with local media outlets ABC7 Chicago and Fox Chicago News.

Her work has earned her awards and fellowships from the Atlanta Press Club; National Press Foundation; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles; and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Kopan graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in “law, letters and society.”

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

BIZ & TECH // BUSINESS 5.2 million new unemployment claims as federal coronavirus money starts flowing

Chase DiFeliciantonio April 16, 2020 Updated: April 16, 2020 9:13 p.m.

A man walks his dog past a homeless man sleeping under a message painted on a boarded-up shop in San Francisco in April.Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images

The economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic mounted Thursday as the government reported 5.2 million new unemployment claims filed last week.

That number was slightly below the prior week’s report of 6.6 million claims and 6.9 million the week before that — all modern records after a long period of historically low unemployment. More than 18 million people have been put out of work in just a few weeks. “These are all stratospherically high,” said Erica Groshen, an economics professor at Cornell University and former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of recent unemployment filings.

The true numbers may be worse, as many of the newly jobless report difficulty getting through to jammed websites and phone lines to put in claims for benefits. The official statistics reflect only those who successfully filed.

The consistency of the weekly level of claims “may indicate that across the nation there is a bottleneck in processing,” said Michael Farren, an economist and research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Farren noted that other states and regions did not move as quickly as the Bay Area or California in issuing shelter-in- place orders. Meant to stem transmission of the coronavirus, those also forced millions out of work. Farren said he expected claims to keep arriving at similar levels for at least another month.

The new numbers for the week that ended April 11 partially reflect the timing of those health orders. New claims dropped 28% week over week in California to 660,966, while in Colorado, where state officials shut down ski resorts at a time when many families would spend spring break on the slopes, claims more than doubled. Claims in New York — where the death toll from COVID-19, the coronavirus disease, has risen to 14,073 — rose 15% to 395,949.

Despite its early action, California has seen 2.7 million people file for unemployment insurance as of Wednesday, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Those figures take into account a few days not measured in the weekly federal jobs report prepared by the Department of Labor. California labor official Julie Su wrote an open letter this week to unemployed and self-employed Californians saying state employees are processing unemployment claims from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with increases in staffing aimed at delivering payments within three weeks.

Hiring in the Bay Area was down 4.8% from February to March and dropped 9.1% in March compared to the same month a year ago, according to a report on March hiring compiled by LinkedIn.

Newsom outlined a plan this week for the California economy to restart once certain conditions are met, but warned that some health-based restrictions on economic activity would continue for an extended period of time.

“I think it’s a fair assumption that the longer we are shut down, the more challenging the start-up will be,” Groshen, the Cornell professor, said.

She predicted the U.S. economy could see an unemployment rate of 20%, noting: “That’s pretty close to the depths of the Great Depression.”

The longer-term outlook for employment is discouraging as a result. A report found that people who go without a job for more than six months became less likely to get another job and more likely to leave the labor market altogether. The official unemployment rate only reflects those who are actively seeking work.

A new factor in these unemployment numbers may be gig economy workers and independent contractors, who have not previously been eligible for unemployment insurance. The recently passed federal Cares Act made those workers eligible for benefits for the first time.

Farren said about 10% of the U.S. workforce are independent contractors and another 1% work in the gig economy as ride-hail drivers, delivery couriers and the like. “Those workers have not really been able to file for unemployment claims because the system was never designed to handle independent contractors,” he said, noting those claims would factor into coming weeks’ numbers.

More workers may also begin filing for unemployment since the federal government began infusing state checks with an additional $600 a week from the economic rescue package, said James Wilcox, a professor of economics at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and a former economist with the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Wilcox said many employers who would have held onto employees longer, knowing they faced a subsistence-level unemployment payment, may now have an easier time letting people go because of the increased payments. “The law made unemployment checks much larger, in some cases even larger than what people’s paychecks might have been,” Wilcox said. “All of a sudden we’re seeing more layoffs.”

More Information

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the title of Julie Su, secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Electric car maker Tesla, which employed thousands of workers at its now shuttered Fremont plant, is a rare example of a company that made that calculation explicit. Valerie Workman, a top Tesla human resources executive, wrote to employees earlier this month announcing furloughs and pay cuts and noted that unemployment benefits for most employees will be roughly the same as their take-home pay.

Once the Paycheck Protection Program begins sending out checks to employers, however, more businesses will be likely to bring workers back from the unemployment rolls, Wilcox added.

The $349 billion program provided loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration meant to allow firms to keep paying workers. The SBA will forgive the loans, essentially making them grants, if all employees are kept on a payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for business expenses including payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities. However, that program ran out of money Thursday, limiting its usefulness until Congress approves more funding.

Meanwhile, Bay Area residents like Fritzi Lareau of Redwood City are having to find other ways to pay the bills. Lareau worked multiple jobs that have all dried up since the pandemic started, including one as a tour guide at Oracle Park in San Francisco and another as a catering supervisor.

Lareau said she counts herself lucky she was able to cash out her accrued sick time at her catering job and is now receiving unemployment. Still, she said, if things do not go back to normal soon, she may have to abandon her previous lines of work.

“If these opportunities do not revive, I will look at some office work, administrative work or work I’ve done in the past,” Lareau said.

She said as a former trade show manager for Bay Area technology companies, she was no stranger to booms, busts and layoffs.

Lareau said she experienced delays in receiving her unemployment checks. Despite applying for benefits last month, the first payment only arrived last week.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

Chase DiFeliciantonio Follow Chase on: https://www.facebook.com/SFChronicle/chasedifelice

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a business reporter at The San Francisco Chronicle, where he covers tech culture and labor issues in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and beyond. Prior to joining The Chronicle, he covered immigration for the Daily Journal, a legal affairs newspaper, and a variety of beats at the North Bay Business Journal in Santa Rosa. Chase has degrees in journalism and history from Loyola University Chicago.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

POLITICS Coronavirus puts Gavin Newsom in tough spot on California progressives’ biggest priorities

Alexei Koseff April 18, 2020 Updated: April 18, 2020 5:02 p.m.2

Gov. Gavin Newsom faces tough choices that may require him to temporarily abandon key policy goals and disappoint allies.Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

SACRAMENTO — A soaring economy gave Gov. Gavin Newsom wide latitude during his first year in office to set California on a path to the sweeping liberal agenda he outlined during his campaign.

Now, as the coronavirus pandemic plays havoc with the state budget, Newsom suddenly faces tough and unexpected choices that may require him to temporarily abandon key policy goals and disappoint allies. Advocates are pushing to expand social services just as tax revenue is drying up. Industries teetering on the edge are seeking regulatory relief from laws revered by organized labor. And all are hoping their needs won’t be forgotten as Newsom charts a course out of his statewide stay-at-home order.

“No one is fighting for something that they feel can be pushed off,” said Sarah Dar, director of health and public benefits policy at the California Immigrant Policy Center.

The organization recently shifted online its years-long campaign to open the state health care program and tax credit for the working poor to people who are living in the country illegally. Dar acknowledged the challenge of asking for that aid while Newsom is “staring down the barrel of cuts.”

“There will be people at the end of this who see some promises as broken. It’s a difficult position to be in,” she said.

Guadalupe Sanchez, who works for McDonald’s in San Leandro, would be hurt if a minimum wage hike were suspended. Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle With record numbers of Californians now applying for unemployment insurance and consumer spending shriveling, the state appears to be hurtling into a severe recession. The legislative analyst warned last week that the pandemic could blow a $35 billion hole in next year’s budget, with additional losses of $85 billion in the years that follow.

Newsom has scrapped his $222 billion January budget proposal and plans to continue the state’s current spending levels into the 2020-21 fiscal year, with the expectation that further adjustments, including potential cuts, will come in the months ahead. Legislative leaders have said there is unlikely to be time or money to focus on anything other than the coronavirus response, wildfire prevention and homelessness.

“The world is radically changed since the January budget was proposed,” Newsom told reporters this month. “So everything is on the table. That’s an honest and sober reflection of that reality.”

That includes an expansive health care plan meant to get California closer to Newsom’s goal of providing universal coverage. One of his central proposals was making Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance for the poor, available to all income-eligible seniors, regardless of their immigration status. The governor and lawmakers extended the program last year to undocumented young adults. Newsom’s administration projected the new plan would add 27,000 people to Medi-Cal, eventually costing taxpayers about $320 million annually. Newsom said in January that it was not only “the right thing to do morally and ethically,” but would also save money in the long run by reducing emergency medical expenses.

Anthony Wright, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Health Access California, said expanding Medi-Cal, as well as state subsidies for other insurance options, would be more important than ever during the coronavirus pandemic, when people are losing health coverage they had through their employers.

Last week, Newsom unveiled his plan for lifting restrictions on public life in California, which he said could not happen until there is widespread testing that would allow the state to isolate people exposed to the virus and trace people with whom they have come in contact.

“We want to make sure that people can get the testing and treatment they need without fear,” Wright said. “This is a public health emergency and will require some public health investment to get out of.”

The legislative caucuses representing Latino and Asian Pacific Islander members have written to the governor urging him to treat health care for all undocumented adults as a priority in the coronavirus response. Advocates note seniors are most at risk of severe health problems from the virus.

But requests for new spending or taxes are drawing opposition from business groups, which say they are looking for signals that Newsom is mindful of their challenges during what they expect will be a slow and fragile recovery.

“If they expand spending now, that would be singularly the most irresponsible thing they could do,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.“Who pays for it? It’s business.”

Lapsley’s group and other businesses organizations are asking the governor for breaks such as freezing the workers’ compensation rate and suspending the ability to sue over certain labor code violations. Doing that, they say, would give them a more solid financial footing and allow them to start hiring people back sooner.

John Kabatek, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business in California, said Newsom should pause enforcement of several major laws that took effect this year, including AB5, which makes it harder for companies to label workers as independent contractors, and the Consumer Privacy Act, which gave customers additional control over their personal information online.

Empty tables and flipped-up chairs are seen through the reflection of Guadalupe Sanchez as she stands outside of the McDonald’s restaurant she works at in San Leandro. She will be affected if the governor decides to suspend the minimum wage increase that is scheduled to take place in California in 2021. Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

“To impose laws right now that have new costs, new regulations, is asking a lot of already fragile businesses,” Kabatek said.

A minimum wage hike scheduled for 2021, to $14 an hour for large employers and $13 an hour for small businesses, could be the biggest fight.

A 2016 law that put California on track to eventually reach a $15 hourly minimum included an off-ramp in case of an economic downturn. If the state finance director determines by July 28 that employment and sales tax revenue are down or that raising the minimum wage would push the state into a budget deficit, the governor can suspend the increase for a year. He would have to make a final decision by Sept. 1.

“We’ll make a determination in real time,” Newsom said this month.

The California Restaurant Association sent a letter to the governor last month asking for a delay. President and CEO Jot Condie said in an interview that the conditions Newsom has suggested restaurants will have to adopt to return would mean fewer customers. With profit margins already thin, he said, some restaurant owners may decide not to reopen at all without the certainty that labor costs, their biggest expense, won’t rise again within a few months.

Pausing the minimum wage, however, would mean crossing California’s labor unions, which are among the biggest sources of money and volunteers for Democratic campaigns in the state. Tia Orr, director of government affairs for SEIU California, said the off-ramp is not an option. The union, which represents about 700,000 workers, was at the forefront of the minimum wage fight and helped bring a reluctant then-Gov. Jerry Brown to the negotiating table by pursuing a ballot measure to raise the hourly rate. It was pulled after he signed the 2016 law.

Orr said the coronavirus recovery plan must invest in those at the bottom of the economic ladder. Many of the essential employees still going to work during the crisis, like child care providers and janitors, are among the lowest paid.

“The most important thing we can do for families right now is to get more money in their pockets, so they can get back on their feet,” Orr said.

Guadalupe Sanchez, 53, prepares and cooks food at a McDonald’s in San Leandro. She earns $14.50 an hour, 50 cents more than the city’s minimum wage, but hours have been cut by as much as half in recent weeks. She was able to spare only $100 from her last paycheck for her parents in Mexico, a third of what she usually sends them, and she worries about making her $600 rent next month for the Hayward home she shares with four people.

Sanchez, an activist with the Fight for $15 movement, said workers like her are counting on the minimum wage increase.

“Bills don’t wait. We have to pay the rent. We have to eat,” she said in Spanish. “I don’t think we can survive like this.”

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @akoseff

Alexei Koseff Follow Alexei on: https://www.facebook.com/SFChronicle/akoseff

Alexei Koseff is a state Capitol reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, covering Gov. Gavin Newsom and California government from Sacramento. He previously spent five years in the Capitol bureau of The Sacramento Bee, reporting on everything from international recruiting by the University of California to a ride service for state senators too drunk to drive. Alexei is a Bay Area native and attended Stanford University. He speaks fluent Spanish.

Board Legislative Committee Attachment V April 24, 2020

Walters: Trump, Newsom poised for showdown over California water In 2019, Trump changed federal rules to give agriculture more water and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta less

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 raised questions of whether he would preserve the water quality of the largest estuary west of the Mississippi. Given Trump’s campaign promises, it’s difficult to see any settlement of the federal-state water conflict in this election year either. (Bob Pepping/Bay Area News Group)

By DAN WALTERS, CALMATTERS | PUBLISHED: April 20, 2020 at 12:10 p.m. | UPDATED: April 21, 2020 at 4:19 a.m.

The COVID-19 pandemic, we have been told, is transforming how we live, but one aspect of life in California appears immune to change: the state’s perennial war over water.

President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom may have set aside their incessant squabbling over most issues to cooperate on the pandemic, but they are poised for showdown over who controls the state’s vital water supply.

Last year, Trump’s Bureau of Reclamation, reflecting his 2016 campaign promises to San Joaquin Valley farmers, issued new operating criteria for the federal Central Valley Project that would send more water to agricultural irrigators and less to bolster habitat for fish and other wildlife in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The bureau’s 871-page “biological assessment” was aimed, it said, to “maximize water supply and delivery” while maintaining adequate protections for fish. The state Department of Water Resources quickly disagreed by issuing its own draft of operational guidelines for the State Water Project. DWR Director Karla A. Nemeth said the guidelines would implement “a more sophisticated and nimble way to manage the State Water Project to improve our ability to protect species and operate more flexibly.”

More recently, that position was finalized in an “incidental taking permit” issued by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, aimed at improving wildlife survival as water is diverted from the Delta.

In effect, these bureaucratic actions comprise an historic split between federal and state water officials, who for decades have cooperatively managed their separate but intermingled water systems.

Both capture water via dams and reservoirs on major streams and release it into the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which merge into the Delta. Pumps pull water from the Delta near Tracy and into canals that deliver it to San Joaquin Valley farmers and Southern California cities.

Competing demands among agricultural and urban users and environmental advocates for a limited supply of Delta water have played out in political and legal arenas for decades, but in recent years, efforts have been made to forge so-called “voluntary agreements” to end the bickering.

Trump’s election complicated the negotiations, as did the Legislature’s passage of a bill last year that would have locked pre-Trump federal environmental rules into state law. Newsom vetoed the bill after being warned that his signature would torpedo the negotiations and re-ignite water wars.

The federal-state split over water management seems to be headed in that direction anyway, as letters issued by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and three Democratic members of Congress warned last week.

Feinstein has been a major figure in the peace negotiations and in the letters to Newsom and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for the Westlands Water District, urged that a head-on collision be averted.

Feinstein, et al, told Berngardt he must “preserve the longstanding practice of coordinated operation of California’s State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The next few weeks are likely the last remaining opportunity to achieve that outcome.”

The senator and the Congress members also warned Newsom that “California is facing a real risk of a fundamental breakdown of our water delivery system” if negotiations fail.

Given Trump’s campaign promises, it’s difficult to see any settlement of the federal-state water conflict in this election year.

Were Trump to be re-elected, the battle would continue, most likely in the courts, over whether federal or state officials have the last word on Delta habitat protection. Were Trump to lose, farmers would be playing a weaker hand in negotiations over how much water they get from the Delta.

Staff Recommendation: Support

3. AB 2619 (Stone D-Monterey Bay) - Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access Fund The Office of Planning and Research administers the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program. This bill would establish a program for Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access for the purpose of funding specified activities intended to help the state prepare, plan and implement actions to address sea level rise. The bill would create the Coastal Resilience, Adaptation and Access Fund in the State Treasury. It would authorize the California Coastal Commission and other state agencies to provide funding for actions which address and adapt to sea level rise. Some of the funding would come from the State Lands Commission’s remittances including oil, gas and mineral leases. Future District shoreline managed retreat projects, similar to Dotson Family Marsh and Bay Point, could be eligible for this funding.

Staff Recommendation: Support

4. SB 1147 (Glazer D-Orinda) – Preservation of Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area This is a spot bill to express the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to preserve the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area for conservation purposes.

Staff Recommendation: Watch

5. SB 1296 (Durazo D-Los Angeles) – Career Pathways and Climate Resiliency Grant Programs This bill would establish the Nature and Parks Career Pathway and Community Resiliency Act of 2020. The legislation would require state conservancies, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Natural Resources Agency to establish independent grant programs which support climate-beneficial and climate resiliency projects. The projects need to incorporate partnerships with nonprofit organizations which provide certifications and placement services for jobs and careers in the natural resources field. Some jobs itendified relate to fire and vegetative management, restoration, parks or natural resources management. This is an important jobs program for natural resource management for both rural and urban areas in California and would benefit the District’s future workforce.

Staff Recommendation: Support

6. SB 1323 (Skinner D-Berkeley) - California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency, to establish carbon sequestration goals for natural and working lands. This bill would require the office maintain a registry called the California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry. The Registry is for projects seeking funding from state agencies or private entities. The bill would require a process for listing projects on the registry. The bill would also require the office to establish a mechanism for removing projects from the registry once funded and for tracking the outcomes of those projects. Projects will be aligned with the state’s greenhouse gas

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emission goals. The District could choose to apply to have future projects listed on the registry.

Staff Recommendation: Support

7. Other Matters

B. OTHER STATE MATTERS 1. Climate Stimulus Bond The focus of the legislature has shifted from a Climate Resources Bond to a possible Climate Stimulus Bond. Given the economic uncertainty facing the state and country, it is expected the state will adopt a workload budget. Any non-entitlement General Fund expenditures are expected to be focused on COVID-I9 response and recovery. The only perceived exceptions are for wildifire protection and homelessness. Providing additional revenue to help stimulate the state economy could come in the form of a bond on the November ballot. Currently, there is discussion about a green infrastructure bond which addresses the impacts of climate change. Components could include wildfire protection, park development projects and shoreline managed retreat restorations to adapt to sea level rise. The current deadline for the legislature to advance a bond for November is June 25th. If a Climate Stimulus Bond is to move forward, it will need to come together quickly.

The Office of Assembly Member Mullin recently had a conversation with the Natural Resources Agency about the Administration's appetite for a bond. Clearly, the Governor's team is fully engaged with COVID-19 response and have not had the necessary conversations internally about new bond framework. The Office of Assembly Member Mullin, however, agrees it is best to keep moving ahead with working on bond measure language. Some are advocating for polling about how investments in parks and green infrstructure would create stimulus/jobs, etc.

District staff and Advocate Houston will provide additional verbal updates.

3. Other Matters

II. FEDERAL LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. FEDERAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 The General Manager, staff and Advocate Peter Umhofer will provide a verbal report about the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19.

B. NEW LEGISLATION 1. S. 3269 (Carper D-DE) – Clean Economy Act of 2020 The Clean Economy Act of 2020 would empower the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a national goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050. The bill would also promote American competitiveness and healthier communities, while fostering a fair and growing economy.

The Clean Economy Act requires the EPA to set interim national greenhouse gas targets for 2025, 2030 and 2040. This net-zero plan prioritizes public health, lower costs and economic growth. To do this, the Clean Economy Act requires other federal agencies to

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implement policies which increase the ability of the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Those policies need to account for global competitiveness through investments in innovation, worker training and strong labor standards. The EPA net-zero by 2050 plan prioritizes infrastructure investments which are more resilient to a changing climate. It also builds on existing state, local and private sector climate programs. A key intention of the bill is to address the cumulative environmental effects in economically distressed communities, communities of color and indigenous communities.

The bill specifically calls for equitable access to worker training programs, technologies, and processes which reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions. The training programs prioritize underemployed, unemployed, displaced or dislocated workers; apprenticiship programs with historically Black colleges and universities, land-grant colleges and universities, Tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, and union training centers. Given the opportunities for these types of careers in the Bay Area, this would be a valuable job training program.

California Senator Dianne Fienstein is a cosponsor.

Staff Recommendation: Support

2. S. 3288 (Harris D-CA) – Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act S. 3288 incorporates three bills recently passed by the House. These measures include the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act, the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, and the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act. All three provisions enhance access to public lands and waters, improve habitat fragmentation and would boost the outdoor recreation economy.

The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act includes critical provisions which support public access, outdoor recreation, fishing and hunting, while initiating fire resilient management policies which benefit local communities in northern California. The House bill is H.R. 2250 sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman (D- CA). The Legislative Committee of the Board voted to support H.R. 2250 on May 17, 2019. The full Board voted to support on June 18, 2019; Board Resolution 2019-06-146.

The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act expands existing wilderness to 250,000 acres and adds 250 miles of waterways to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in central California. This is critical habitat for California’s wildlife. The Act also enhances access and opportunities for the public. The House bill is H.R. 2199 sponsored by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA). The District has not taken a position on H.R. 2199.

The San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act adds over 30,000 acres of wilderness, designates 45 miles of river to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and establishes a National Recreation Area. The legislation also expands the boundaries of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to include the western areas of the Arroyo Seco in the Angeles National Forest – a watershed of the Los Angeles River. The House bill is H.R. 2215, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA). The District has not taken a position on H.R. 2215.

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The PUBLIC Lands Act provides permanent protections for these three regions of California. While these are areas outside of the East Bay, it is a good proactive precedent in advancing many of the values included in the District’s Mission and Vision. The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act has components of interest to the District. In particular, the attention to “enhancing late-successional forest structure, oak woodlands and grasslands.” This highlights much of the topography that is both part of the District’s landscape and at risk of wildfire. The bill’s focus on redwood restoration and collaborative partnerships is also a shared goal of the District. Save the Redwoods League worked with Rep. Huffman’s staff on the redwood section, SEC 102, under the restoration component of the bill. While not branded, the language was designed specifically to support Redwoods Rising. Redwoods Rising is a new collaboration between Save the Redwoods League, the National Park Service and California State Parks.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein is a cosponsor.

Staff Recommendation: Support

3. S. 3422 (Gardner R-CO and Manchin D-WV) – Land and Water Conservation Fund, Great American Outdoors Act This legislation will require permanent full funding annually of $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This legislation also provides $9.5 billion over five years in the Great American Outdoors Act to address maintenance needs on public lands.

Staff Recommendation: Support

4. Other Matters

C. OTHER FEDERAL MATTERS 1. Other Matters

III. WILDFIRE AND ECONOMIC PREPARATION Wildfire continues to be a relevant and pressing concern during the shelter in place order. The District’s fire personnel are continuing work in the field at this time, with established social distancing and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additional support from the California Conservation Corps would be welcomed depending on availability given the response to the pandemic and shelter in place restrictions. On a state level, the Governor recognizes the increase severity of wildfire in recent years and the importance of managing vegeation in the wildland urban interface. In the Governor’s inital budget, funding for CAL FIRE was increased, including funding for vehicles, staff and investments in instruments to help forecast wildfires state-wide. The Governor’s inital budget included $1.1 billion in one-time, and over $353 million in annual allocations. Additonal investments were made, as supported by the District in AB 38, for a pilot program of $100 million in home hardening investments across the state. Given the economic impact of the pandemic, the May revise and final state budget will focus on COVID-19 and keeping the state operational. One of the few other areas expected to receive funding is wildfire protection.

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With regard to fire-related issues, Congress is focused on recovery from wildfire and planning for future disasters. Senator Harris and Representative Huffman introduced the Wildfire Defense Act which establishes an annual fund of $1 billion to creaete Community Wildfire Defense Plans (CWDP). These plans would be created by cities and counties to prepare and plan for potential wildfire. All East Bay communities would qualify and work in partnership with local governments, such as the Park District, to establish plans. A grant program of up to $250,000 would be established to implement the plans. Senator Feinstein has expressed interest in introducing a bipartisan bill for national forest vegetation management, but no updates have been made public since August 2019.

The economic impact of the shelter in place order is of international concern. The Intertnational Monetary Fund (IMF) recently issued a prediction that 2020 will be the worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The IMF expects the global economy to shrink 3% this year – compared to 0.1% dip in the recession of 2009. For the United States, the IMF predicts a 5.9% contraction. California may lose $20 billion to $50 billion in tax revenues, and this will come from its $200 billion annual budget. The nonprofit Economic Roundtable estimates 43% of Californians are at high risk of unemployment. As of April 15, 2.7 million Californians applied for unemployment and the state has expanded it’s Employment Development Department call center hours. Locally, El Cerrito could be facing bankruptcy. The city faces a deficit of up to $7 million for the next fiscal year in 2020-21 — and is bracing itself for a $10 million deficit through fiscal year 2022. The City of Pleasanton cut $6.3 million from their budget due to coronavirus. The overall impact will effect property tax collection and likely the District’s base budget. How long the impacts will last is of course unknown, but former Assembly Member Joe Nation has argued that keeping more people alive due to the flattening of the curve will shorten the length of the economic downturn.

IV. DISTRICT OUTREACH TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT THE PARKS DURING SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER Government Affairs staff will provide a brief powerpoint presentation to share the engagement the District has had with elected officials during this shelter in place order.

IV. ARTICLES/MEDIA

VI. OPEN FORUM PUBLIC COMMENT

VII. BOARD COMMENTS

VIII. GENERAL MANAGER COMMENTS

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Board Legislative Committee Attachment V - Media April 24, 2020

Nancy Skinner

⁦@NancySkinnerCA⁩

Friends,

Here is a recap of my 4th telephone Town Hall, which took place April 8 and provided updates on face coverings, the

new shelter in place, unemployment, property taxes, & accessing our parks.

You can also listen to the town hall thru this link: sd09.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd09.sen… pic.twitter.com/XXWm9L56OU

4/14/20, 4:39 PM

Libby Schaaf

⁦@LibbySchaaf⁩

“We were seeing people walk into our streets to avoid

passing people on sidewalks, we were seeing overcrowding in our parks, by closing roads to through traffic we are actually giving people room to social distance.” ⁦@CNN⁩ pic.twitter.com/rGz2nOOegF

4/13/20, 10:22 AM

LCV – League of Conservation Voters

⁦@LCVoters⁩

New York included a historic $3 billion #NYBondAct in the state budget to protect ecosystems/clean water, prevent flooding, improve public health & create good-paying jobs! Thank you for your leadership & commitment to climate action. bit.ly/2UFm6vv #CleanEnergyForAll pic.twitter.com/TdmbuPTwPZ

4/12/20, 12:20 PM

Rob Bonta

⁦@RobBontaCA⁩

Doug E. Fresh, from back in the day! Keepin’ it real with an important message for all of us today . . .

4/11/20, 7:44 PM

Office of the Governor of California

⁦@CAgovernor⁩

California has made significant progress bending the curve – but we could lose it all by going out this weekend!

Cabin fever is not an excuse.

It’s essential that you stay at home and continue to practice physical distancing! #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/KebJWj7yhD

4/11/20, 10:39 AM

Nancy Pelosi

⁦@SpeakerPelosi⁩

On a bipartisan basis, governors are crying out for help

and Congress must act. Democrats will continue to push for urgently needed funds for state and local governments in the interim emergency bill and #CARES2. #FamiliesFirst

4/11/20, 9:07 AM

City of Concord CA

⁦@CA_Concord⁩

The weather is warming up and many of us want to go out and play, but we must all continue to do our part and

follow local health orders requiring social distancing of at least six feet. Learn more about the Do’s and Don’ts of Concord parks. cityofconcord.org/CivicAlerts.as… pic.twitter.com/pYryXn9J12

4/10/20, 6:32 PM

CA State Parks

⁦@CAStateParks⁩

Por favor quédate en casa este fin de semana y celebra en línea virtualmente con amigos y familiares. Aún no es seguro tener reuniones en los parques y arriesgar no mantener el distanciamiento social. #QuédateEnCasaSalvaVidas y #AplanarLaCurva parks.ca.gov/AplanarLaCurva pic.twitter.com/ypAclFvt0Y

4/10/20, 5:49 PM

Nancy Skinner

⁦@NancySkinnerCA⁩

State Parks Advises Californians to Stay Home and Save

Lives for this Weekend’s Traditions parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/949 pic.twitter.com/rgVYbhUnaX

4/10/20, 5:30 PM

Caltrans HQ

⁦@CaltransHQ⁩

Hey, California:

#StayHomeSaveLives this weekend.

To fight against #COVIDー19 your highway signs up and down the state now read:

STATE PARK AND BEACH PARKING CLOSED FOR COVID

#CaliforniaForAll ⁦@CAgovernor⁩ ⁦@GavinNewsom⁩ ⁦@Cal_OES⁩ ⁦@CA_Trans_Agency⁩ ⁦@CAPublicHealth⁩ ⁦@CAStateParks⁩ pic.twitter.com/KCkQZmUfAg

4/10/20, 4:01 PM

Mark DeSaulnier

⁦@RepDeSaulnier⁩

As the weekend approaches, ⁦@EBRPD⁩ has issued updated guidelines for its parks. – Team DeSaulnier

4/10/20, 3:41 PM

Office of the Governor of California

⁦@CAgovernor⁩

Individuals may be feeling the urge to gather in parks with family & friends this holiday weekend, but we must

continue to practice physical distancing.

We’ve come too far to turn back. Let’s continue to bend that curve.  #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/ytXXo7bV8Z

4/9/20, 11:06 AM

CA State Parks

⁦@CAStateParks⁩

This upcoming Easter weekend, be like the cute bunny in photo #1 by not congregating in large groups. Don’t be

#BadBunny #2 trying to congregate. Help #FlattenTheCurve. #StayHomeSaveLives

#WildlifeWednesday #CAStateParks ⁦@CuyamacaRancho⁩ pic.twitter.com/HFFmVAVZ3T

4/8/20, 9:00 AM

Office of the Governor of California

⁦@CAgovernor⁩

CA understands the anxiety resulting from staying at home.

Today, we launched new resources for Californians to regulate their stress response in light of #COVID19.

Read ⁦@CA_OSG⁩’s Playbook for Stress Relief: covid19.ca.gov pic.twitter.com/N6u7LlPRBu

4/7/20, 12:05 PM

Kamala Harris

⁦@SenKamalaHarris⁩

I'll say it again: pandemics and wildfires are not unrelated issues. California lives depend on whether the federal government is prepared for wildfires in the middle of this public health crisis. npr.org/2020/04/02/826…

4/7/20, 9:45 AM

Wade Crowfoot

⁦@WadeCrowfoot⁩

Thanks ⁦@CAStateParks⁩ for your leadership in our

effort to #FlattenTheCurve. State beaches now closed in San Diego. Let’s stay home for the time being so we can bring back our parks and beaches for everyone to enjoy!   

4/3/20, 6:47 PM

Wade Crowfoot

⁦@WadeCrowfoot⁩

Leaders LEAD. So proud of our Mayors including ⁦@LibbySchaaf⁩ and our ⁦@CAgovernor⁩ during this challenging time. People are stepping up all over to help us #FlattenTheCurve.

4/3/20, 6:55 PM

House Democrats

⁦@HouseDemocrats⁩

The heroes of this crisis are the health care professionals, first responders, grocery store workers, caretakers,

janitorial staff, postal workers, truck drivers and other brave Americans who keep our nation going.

Thank you for your dedication to our country. pic.twitter.com/7UAfzKkKLP

4/3/20, 11:30 AM

Buffy Wicks

⁦@BuffyWicks⁩

Converting Richmond's Craneway Pavilion into a #COVID19 medical ward will double CoCo County's hospital bed supply, & cont. the site's rich history of

wartime service.

We’re fighting an invisible enemy. W/this move, #AD15 will be better prepared for it. eastbaytimes.com/2020/04/02/cor…

4/2/20, 11:33 AM

Nancy Pelosi

⁦@SpeakerPelosi⁩

The Congress has so far passed three pieces of legislation totaling over $2 trillion in emergency relief. To ensure that your tax dollars are being spent carefully & effectively, I am announcing the formation of the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

4/2/20, 10:41 AM

Libby Schaaf

⁦@LibbySchaaf⁩

Starting at midnight, the Alameda County Public Health Dept. will extend the Shelter in Place order through May 3, 2020 with new restrictions.

The goal remains the same — to save lives and slow the spread of #COVID19

Learn more: bit.ly/2IEcPwS

3/31/20, 1:17 PM

Rep. Sara Innamorato

⁦@RepInnamorato⁩

#COVID19 is a gendered crisis.

Women-led households are disproportionately impacted by layoffs AND women are the majority of frontline workers in a public health crisis.

Now more than ever, #EqualPayDay should be the same for all workers. pic.twitter.com/YajJOxa8Gh

3/31/20, 8:41 AM

KTVU

⁦@KTVU⁩

New rules with stricter Bay Area shelter-in-place:

Use of playgrounds, dog parks, public picnic areas forbidden.

Using ball must be limited to people in the same household.

Most construction prohibited.

Funerals limited to 10 people. bit.ly/2QWz59C

3/31/20, 12:38 PM

Senator Dianne Feinstein

⁦@SenFeinstein⁩

The coronavirus response bill will provide benefits for millions of Americans. We have compiled a list of resources and information on what benefits you could be eligible for under the bill. Visit my website for more information. feinstein.senate.gov/coronavirus

4/1/20, 9:52 AM

Gavin Newsom

⁦@GavinNewsom⁩

Just wanted to start the day saying THANK YOU to our dock workers, truck drivers, and warehouse workers -- making sure our stores are stocked and our hospitals get equipment. Thank you.

4/1/20, 9:12 AM

Parks California

⁦@ParksCalifornia⁩

Hey #ParkLovers, there's a new #CAStateParksUpdate. ⁦@CAStateParks⁩ temporarily closed all vehicular access at all 280 #stateparks to help #FlattenTheCurve, and some parks are closed entirely.

3/30/20, 5:51 PM

Rep. Barbara Lee

⁦@RepBarbaraLee⁩

You can get fresh air while being socially distant! I took a walk and thought about the great education I got at ⁦@UCBerkeley⁩ – and students across the country who are struggling right now. The #CARESact provides student debt relief, but we need to do more for #DebtFreeCollege. pic.twitter.com/kwNKyRcclP

3/30/20, 4:54 PM

Nancy Skinner

⁦@NancySkinnerCA⁩

California makes all state parks off limits to cars amid coronavirus outbreak sfchronicle.com/news/article/C…

3/30/20, 12:00 PM

Contra Costa County

⁦@CCCounty⁩

Families impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for assistance through an Emergency Relief Fund. See below to learn more and how you can apply.

3/30/20, 12:09 PM

Nancy Skinner

⁦@NancySkinnerCA⁩

Coronavirus slowing in Bay Area? Experts track data to see whether shelter in place is working sfchronicle.com/bayarea/articl…

3/29/20, 10:14 AM

Theresa Harrington

⁦@TunedToTheresa⁩

Coronavirus: Expect Bay Area shelter-in-place order extension this week, officials say mercurynews.com/2020/03/29/cor… via ⁦@mercnews⁩

3/29/20, 9:34 PM

Rob Bonta

⁦@RobBontaCA⁩

It's a beautiful Sunday! If you're planning to go out for a walk today, remember to practice 6 feet of physical distancing and do not gather in large groups. Enjoy the fresh air but make sure we all do our part to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable populations. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/DpRD9maOzW

3/29/20, 1:57 PM

Libby Schaaf

⁦@LibbySchaaf⁩

Reminder: It's a good to get out for exercise, it's great to practice social distancing. Here's latest park info: ebparks.org/news/displayne…

3/29/20, 9:04 AM

Rob Bonta

⁦@RobBontaCA⁩

At this moment when physical distancing is critical to our

collective public health, social connection & interaction is as important as ever. It’s a way to stay safe while staying close to those you love & care for. Let’s remember to stay physically distanced, but socially close!

3/29/20, 11:46 AM

Asm Jim Frazier

⁦@AsmFrazier⁩

Stay put. Save lives. #CaliforniaStrong pic.twitter.com/HoKO4S9MOh

3/29/20, 6:45 PM

NRPA news

⁦@NRPA_news⁩

Now, more than ever, we're thankful to the park and recreation professionals who provide access to healthy food to their communities. ow.ly/WG5G50yVHHx pic.twitter.com/ADek3m1QLg

3/28/20, 12:30 PM

Wade Crowfoot

⁦@WadeCrowfoot⁩

As of this morning, ALL ⁦@CAStateParks⁩ are closed to vehicles. This due to heavy visitation yesterday at those state parks and beaches not already closed. Let’s #FlattenTheCurve so we can get back outdoors to our beautiful parks as soon as possible. 礪呂 Parks.ca.gov

3/29/20, 8:53 AM

CA State Parks

⁦@CAStateParks⁩

Continued visitation surges @ state parks yesterday have resulted in the closing of vehicle access @ ALL 280 state parks. Please protect yourself, your families & communities from #COVID19 by practicing #SocialDistancing. Help #FlattenTheCurve. bit.ly/2WS08a3 pic.twitter.com/9mE2SPIsX9

3/29/20, 8:57 AM

Assembly Democrats

⁦@AssemblyDems⁩

How is #COVID-19 affecting the state of CA? Assemblymembers share what #quarantine looks like in their districts and how they’re handling it. Learn more in our next episode on #LookWest podcast pic.twitter.com/WCSzZGngf7

3/29/20, 6:25 PM

Wade Crowfoot

⁦@WadeCrowfoot⁩

59 additional ⁦@CAStateParks⁩ closed to vehicle traffic

starting tomorrow. List attached. Brings total to 98 most- visited parks in CA closed to #FlattenTheCurve. The next several days will be consequential to all of our lives. Please #StayHome.

3/26/20, 7:42 PM

Arnold

⁦@Schwarzenegger⁩

Thank you for doing such a great job social distancing.

Remember to get outside for walks and bike rides to get your exercise but keep your distance from others and stay safe. We will get through this together. pic.twitter.com/KoqPcXku0b

3/27/20, 10:27 AM

Midpen Open Space

⁦@MidpenOpenSpace⁩

We know that being in nature provides real health benefits – physical and mental. Follow these simple rules to be safe so our parks can stay open!

#6feetapart #loveyourparks6feetapart #doyourpart #MidpenOS #flattenthecurve #keepyourparksopen #nearbynature #hiddennature pic.twitter.com/0TY7OgQIho

3/26/20, 6:39 PM

Wade Crowfoot

⁦@WadeCrowfoot⁩

Things that make you go hmmmmm....

3/25/20, 10:16 PM

Rob Bonta

⁦@RobBontaCA⁩

Great getting some fresh air and exercise on such a beautiful day today— All while speaking with my incredible staff on a conference call about all the ways we can step up to help the community address #COVID19 – with strict social distancing the entire time! pic.twitter.com/nMQdiLR5rm

3/25/20, 2:27 PM

Chris Lu

⁦@ChrisLu44⁩

BREAKING: Not only did the Trump team take part in a tabletop exercise on a pandemic before taking office, they were also given a detailed playbook for how to respond. They ignored it. politico.com/news/2020/03/2…

3/25/20, 5:02 PM

Assembly Democrats (@AssemblyDems)

3/24/20, 12:20 PM

As a state, we’ve prevailed after wildfires, earthquakes & recessions. Time & time again, we’ve supported each other despite our differences.

Please do your part to support others by... #Socialdistancing Thoroughly washing your hands Seeking medical help if sick pic.twitter.com/ucHpwDTLj2