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[I. Welcome and Opening Remarks]
AFTERNOON, EVERYONE WHO IS HERE PRESENT AND WATCHING US REMOTELY.AND WELCOME TO THE FIRST GREETING SCHOOLS AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE 26 27 SCHOOL YEAR.
UH, TODAY'S AGENDA BRINGS TOGETHER THREE VERY IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR CLIMATE RESILIENCE WORK, THE PROGRESS THE DISTRICT IS MAKING IN GREENING SCHOOL CAMPUSES, THE TRANSITION TO CLEANER STUDENT TRANSPORTATION, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNITIES LIVING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY NEAR SCHOOLS.
AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR OF COMMITTEE WORK, I WANT US TO STAY FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTATION, EQUITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
OUR GOAL IS NOT SIMPLY TO ADOPT STRONG COMMITMENTS, BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE COMMITMENTS LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, EMPLOYEES, AND OVERALL SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
GREENING CLEAN TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND JUSTICE ARE ALL PART OF HOW WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE CHILD.
THEY SHAPE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH STUDENTS LEARN, PLAY, TRAVEL, TO SCHOOL, AND GROW.
UH, WE WILL BRING THE, WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PRESENTATIONS FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AFTER OUR LAST PRESENTATION.
[II.1. Greening Our Schools: Progress, Priorities and Pathways.]
LET'S START WITH OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY COMES FROM THE ECO SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE AND FOCUSES ON THE PROGRESS, UM, MADE, UM, TO GREEN OUR SCHOOLS, THE PRIORITIES AHEAD, AND THE PATHWAYS FOR CONTINUING TO MOVE THIS WORK FORWARD.SO, GREENING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR WHOLE CHILD APPROACH.
IT IS NOT A SECONDARY PRIORITY OR SIMPLY ABOUT BEAUTIFYING CAMPUSES.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS LEARN AFFECTS THEIR HEALTH, THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN AND PLAY AND EXPERIENCE, AND, AND THEIR EXPERIENCE AT SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY WITH THESE HOT HOT DAYS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE AHEAD OF US, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AHEAD OF US IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
IT IS ALSO FUNDAMENTALLY AN EQUITY ISSUE.
SOME OF OUR STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOLS AND LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT EXPERIENCE THE SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER HEAT ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS THAN OTHERS.
AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE OUR INVESTMENTS RESPOND TO THOSE INEQUITIES, AND THAT STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS SEE MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR CAMPUSES.
SO, THE COMMITTEE HAS PUSHED US TO MOVE BEYOND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS TOWARD A BROADER DISTRICT STRATEGY.
TODAY'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND FURTHER THE PROGRESS WE, THE DISTRICT HAS MADE, THE PRIORITIES AHEAD, AND HOW WE CONTINUE THE, THE DISTRICT CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE THAT WORK.
SO BEFORE US, WE HAVE MR. CHRISTO CLIO, AND HE IS THE CHIEF ECO SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER.
AND HE HAS, UM, AN UPDATE FOR US ON ALL THE GREENING PROJECTS TAKING PLACE TODAY AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THIS UPDATE WITH, I I THINK IT'S, UH, WHEN YOU, UH, HEAR THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
AND I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT WE ARE TODAY AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, OUR AGENDA TODAY, WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON THE GREEN PROJECTS UPDATES.
I'M GONNA PROVIDE THE STATUS OF WHAT WE ARE.
UM, I'M GONNA DISCUSS ABOUT THE PRIORITIES AND PRIORITIZATION, UH, WHAT'S COMING NEXT, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE.
UM, ALSO, I'M GONNA DISCUSS PATHWAYS TO GREEN PROJECTS.
WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE US INTO WHERE DO WE START, HOW DO WE GREEN PROJECT IDENTITY UNIFIED.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT RESOURCES AND HOW TO CONTACT US SO WE CAN ADVANCE THIS GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF, UH, COMMENT ON THIS PHOTOGRAPH THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
AND TO ME, IT WAS A RECENT, UH, RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY WHEN WE CELEBRATED THE OPENING OF THE PROJECT AT ESPERANZA.
AND I THINK THIS MILES ON THE FACES OF OUR STUDENTS, I THINK SUPERINTENDENT, BOARD MEMBER, UH, THE PRINCIPAL AND EVERYONE THERE, INCLUDING MYSELF, SAYS IT ALL.
SO, I WANT TO SEE MORE OF THIS, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE, UH, MANAGING AND LEADING A LOT OF THIS PROGRESS ON THE WORK THAT WE HAVE.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STATUS OF THE PROJECTS, UH, TO WHERE WE ARE TO DATE, AND MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE A STEP BACK AND, AND GO BACK IN 2022 WHEN OUR GREEN SCHOOLS FOR RESOLUTION PASSED.
AT THE TIME, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY, ABOUT 16% OF OUR SCHOOLS MET THE 30% GREENING, UM, UH, UH, THRESHOLD THAT WAS SET UP.
THAT WAS 106 OUT OF THE 673 SITES.
UH, SINCE THEN, WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
TODAY WE ARE CLOSER TO 30% OF GREEN NATURAL SPACES, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ONCE WE START LOOKING AT OUR ACTIVE PROJECTS, WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSER TO 37%.
UM, SO JUST QUICK STATUS, UH, WE HAVE COMPLETED 82 PROJECTS.
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AND, AND, UH, WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S BRING US ABOUT 235,000 SQUARE FOOT OF SHADE ON OUR SCHOOLS.AND WE'RE REMOVED OVER A MILLION SQUARE FEET OF ASPHALT.
THAT'S A LOT OF ASPHALT THAT WE REPLACE WITH PERMEABLE SURFACES THROUGH THE AIR FORCE THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE, UH, 6 62 PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION, AND WE HAVE 171 PROJECTS IMPLANT.
AND OUR DESIGN, ALL THOSE TWO TOGETHER, WE COUNT THEM.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 315 TOTAL GREENING PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
TH THAT'S NOT ACCOUNT THE 70 ANTICIPATED PROJECTS UNDER MEASURE US, WHICH MANAGED OUR FACILITIES TEAM.
SO I'M SHARING THERE ABOUT CATEGORY ONE.
I'LL GET MORE INTO THE CATEGORY ONE SCHOOLS, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE HERE IS THAT WE MUCH ALL CATEGORY ONE SCHOOLS WITH 7,275 STUDENTS OR MORE, WE HAVE ANTICIPATED GREENING ON ALL THOSE SITES, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, IMPROVEMENT FROM WHAT WE ARE A FEW YEARS AGO NOW.
AND I WANNA, AGAIN, GIVE THANKS TO OUR FACILITIES TEAM BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS WORK IS MANAGED THROUGH THEM.
AS I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE, UH, UH, WE, I'M SHARING WHAT WE HAVE AS BOARD APPROVED PROGRAMS. THESE ARE THE, THE BREAK, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE 315 PROJECTS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES HERE, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. AND I'M GONNA SPEND SOME TIME WALKING, SOME WALKING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER GREENING OUR EARLY EDUCATIONAL CENTERS, OUR GREEN SCHOOL YEAR IMPROVEMENTS, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN UPGRADES, THE OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, THE PLAYGROUND CAMPUS, EXTERIOR UPGRADES, AND THE SEEDS, ALL THOSE ARE PROGRAMS THAT THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS GREENING.
THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PRO, UH, PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS LIKE THE CLASSROOM REPLACEMENTS, THE COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE, UH, CAMPUS MODERNIZATIONS, THE PORTABLE REMOVAL WITH PLAYGROUND RESTORATION AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT THOSE, WE TRY TO PUT GREENING IN THE SCOPE OF WORK AND TRY TO ACHIEVE, UM, UH, CLOSE TO OUR, UH, TO OUR PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE 30%.
BUT ALL THOSE HAVE ALSO GREENING AS A COMPONENT AND THAT HELP US MOVE THE NEEDLE OF ACHIEVING MORE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH A DEEP DIVE AND JUST, UM, JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HERE SO OUR LISTENER LISTENERS CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES.
THE EARLY EDUCATIONAL CENTERS ARE FOCUSED ON OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, AND THEY INCORPORATE DIFFERENT NATURE BASE PLAY ENVIRONMENTS.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED ANY, I'LL WELCOME PEOPLE TO GO SEE THEM BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, UH, GOING THROUGH AN ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT PLAYSTATIONS.
IT JUST, UH, LIKE BEING AT A, I'LL SAY AT, UH, AT THE THEME PARK WHERE YOU CAN GO AND EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, NA NATURE BASE PLAY, UH, ACTIVITIES, OUR OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, UM, CLASSROOMS, UH, THEY INCORPORATE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEY DO THIS TO SUPPORT LABORATORY ACTIVITIES, UM, INCLUDING LEARNING AND, AND TYPICALLY INCLUDE THE SHA STRUCTURE.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE PHOTOGRAPH THERE ON THE 52ND STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
OUR PACE UP PROJECTS, UM, SHORT FOR ACTUALLY WHAT THEY ARE IS THOSE ARE THE PLAYGROUND AND EXTERIOR CAMPUS UPGRADE, UH, PROJECTS.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT INITIALLY WE WERE TARGETING TO, UH, DO A LOT OF THE, TO REPLACE THE DETERIORATED PAVING.
AND WE CAME UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
OUR FACILITIES TEAM, UH, CAME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO, WITH OUR SUSTAINABILITY TO INCORPORATE, UM, DIFFERENT GREEN ENVIRONMENTS.
AND THOSE ARE GREAT PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW OTHER PROJECTS.
YOU PROBABLY HEARD THE TERM SEEDS, OUR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT ENHANCEMENT DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DO PROVIDE OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACES, UM, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FEATURES TO BE ABLE TO, TO CREATE THOSE ENVIRONMENTS.
AND TYPICALLY, UH, THEY HAVE EDIBLE GARDENS, THEY HAVE, UH, SEATING AREAS.
THEY HAVE TREE SHADES AND NATIVE PLANTING.
THE GREEN SCHOOL YEAR IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS FUNDED THROUGH THE, UH, ELAP.
UH, THOSE ARE THE MEDIUM SIZED PROJECTS THAT TARGET 30% GREENING WITHOUT ANY HARDSCAPE UPGRADES.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WILL IDENTIFY AREAS THAT NEEDED IMPROVEMENT OR, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE THOSE AREAS THROUGH DIFFERENT TYPES OF, OF PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT PRE AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
THE GREEN SCHOOL YEAR UPGRADES, THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL YEAR GREENING AND INCORPORATE VARIOUS ELEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES AS WE'RE SEEING A LOBBY ON THE, ON OUR EECS, BUT ON A LARGER SCALE, MORE BIGGER SCALE OF, UH, TYPES OF PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR THIRD PARTY PROJECTS.
WE HAVE 52 PROJECTS, UM, WITH A VALUE OF OVER $60 MILLION.
UM, WE HAD A RECENT RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES, A FEW OF THEM.
I WAS AT WILMINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, THAT WAS, I WAS THERE ACTUALLY LAST WEEK CELEBRATING THAT PROJECT ITSELF.
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UH, A MONTH BEFORE THAT WERE AT DE ESPANZA.BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WITH THE THREE PEOPLE FOR WILMINGTON AND, UH, THE LOS ANGELES, UH, UH, UH, LAND TRUST AT, UH, ESPERANZA.
UM, WE HAVE TWO PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAVE 36 PROJECTS IN PLANNING AND DESIGN, AND FIVE, UM, THAT WERE, WE ONLY DID DESIGN WITH A PLAN EVENTUALLY TO APPLY FOR ANOTHER GRANT TO HELP US WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
NOW, WHAT HAPPENED ON THOSE PROJECTS? THE DISTRICT, UH, INITIALLY COMMITTED $3 MILLION TO SUPPORT THEM TO MOVE FORWARD.
THEN WE WENT BACK AND, UH, THROUGH FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND REQUESTS THAT WE HAD FROM OUR PARTNERS, WE IDENTIFIED ANOTHER UP TO 20 MILLION TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE PROJECTS, TO MOVE THEM FORWARD.
BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE PROJECTS WERE FACING, INCLUDING, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES IN TERMS OF REMOVING, UH, UM, ASPHALT THAT HAS, UH, ASBESTOS OR, UH, CONTAMINANT SOIL IN, UH, SPECIFIC SITES.
SO THOSE, WE TARGETED SPECIFIC ITEMS TO HELP OUT WHILE WORKING WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO HELP, UH, TO HELP MOVE THOSE PROJECTS FORWARD IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
UH, SO THEREFORE, WHAT WE DID, WE ARE, UH, UM, DEVELOPING AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING AGREEMENTS, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS.
AND WE ARE, UH, TRYING TO MOVE THOSE, UH, FORWARD BY EXECUTING, UM, THE AMENDMENT AGREEMENTS.
WE HAVE EXECUTED ONE THAT IS MOVING FORWARD.
THE OTHER ONES ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH A PLAN TO HOPEFULLY, UM, EXECUTE THOSE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
ONCE WE HAVE THOSE IN PLACE, THEN THERE WILL BE, UM, GETTING SUPPORT FROM OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO A LOT OF THE REMEDIATION.
AND WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING WITH, UH, PROJECT MANAGEMENT FEES, AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS INSPECTIONS.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS IN THE NEXT, UH, TWO TO THREE MONTHS.
UH, SO WE CAN SEE MANY IN IMPLEMENTATION BY, UH, NEXT YEAR.
AND A LOT OF THEM, A LOT OF THE, UH, GRANTS THAT WE HAVE HERE, THEY'RE EXPIRING NOW.
THEY ALL GOT AN EXTENSION TO 2028.
THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS.
NOW I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS A LITTLE BIT OF HOW SCHOOLS ARE PRIORITIZED.
UM, SO WE DEVELOP AN INVENTORY OF ALL SCHOOL YEARS, UM, THAT WE CALLED IT THE GREEN SCHOOL YEARS INDEX, UM, THAT, THAT INDEX COMPILED DATA ON THE GREENING ON EACH SCHOOL AND RANK THEM CREATING THREE CATEGORIES AS PRIORITIZATION CATEGORIES.
WE STARTED WITH, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE CATEGORY ONE, UH, TWO AND THREE.
THE CATEGORY ONE BECAME HIGH PRIORITY LIST, WHICH IS, THOSE ARE THE ARY SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 10% GREEN SCHOOLYARDS.
WE DEFINE THE SCHOOLYARD AND WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, IT WAS DEFINED THAT ANY SCHOOL THAT WAS, UH, BELOW THAT 10%, UH, GREETING ON THEIR SCHOOL, WE'VE, UH, THE, PRETTY MUCH THE RANK WITH THE HIGHEST NEED.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE CATEGORY TWO THAT WAS THE REMAINING OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN A 30% GREETING.
AND THEN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN A 30% GREEN.
NOW, WE, UH, USED WHAT'S, WHAT WE CALL THE, UH, FOR THE CATEGORY ONE.
AND THEN TWO AND THREE, WE ADDED THE GREENING A PERCENTAGE OF GREENING.
WE ADDED WHAT WE CALL THE VIR, UM, UH, VIR SCREEN TOOL.
AND THAT, UH, THAT THAT TOOL, UM, INCORPORATES VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, INCLUDING POLLUTION AND POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE ADDED THE CAL ADAPT EXTREME HEAT DATA, WHICH, UH, PROJECTS THE ESTIMATED, UH, PRETTY MUCH TIMING AND DURATION OF EXTREME HEAT EVENTS, AND ARE USED TO HELP US RUN THE SCHOOL SITES.
SO WE HAVE THIS, UM, UH, INDEX ACTIVE.
AND ANYTIME AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE LOOK AT THE INDEX AND WE, UH, PRIORITIZE SCHOOL SPACE ON THIS INDEX.
WE'RE MAKING THIS AVAILABLE, UM, TO SHARE.
SO, UM, UH, WHEN WE WORK WITH PARTNERSHIPS, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE STAND AND WHICH GOALS WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE APPLYING NEXT FOR GRANTS, BUT ALSO FOR ALL THE PROJECTS THAT OUR FACILITIES TEAM IS MANAGING.
THEY'RE ENSURING THAT, UH, THEY FOLLOW THAT LIST AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO, TALKING ABOUT CATEGORY ONE SCHOOLS THAT ARE JUST TOUCHED ON THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 10% GREENING, YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE ARE.
WE HAVE 216 UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
WE HAVE THE 43 SITES THAT ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EITHER IN PLANNING, DESIGN AND OR CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE 25% OF THE SITES, APPROXIMATELY 54, WHICH WE ANTICIPATED PROJECTS.
AND THEN THE 31 SITES, THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS SO WE CAN COMPLETE ALL CATEGORY ONE PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, THIS LIST CAME WHILE WE'RE, UM, PLANNING SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT IN CATEGORY ONE THAT WE STARTED INITIALLY, BUT THAT'S HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO ADDRESS ALL THE SITES THAT WE HAVE.
IN TERMS OF WHAT'S COMING NEXT, WE HAVE OUR, UH, MEASURE US, UH, WHICH, UH, UH,
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IT WAS PASSED, AGAIN, THANKS TO THE VOTERS, INTO IN, UH, NOVEMBER, 2024 THAT ALSO PROVIDES FUNDING FOR GREEN SCHOOL YEAR IMPROVEMENTS.AND, UM, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY ONE, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 1.2 BILLION THAT IT WAS IDENTIFIED TO HELP SUPPORT GREEN OUR SCHOOLS AND MAKE MORE PROGRESS.
SO SOME OF THE TYPES THAT WE HAVE THERE IS OUR PLAYGROUND AND CAMPUS EXTERIOR UPGRADES, OUR PSAPS FOR 28 SITES, AND THE GREEN SCHOOL YEAR UPGRADES, UH, ANOTHER 42 SITES.
AND THE SELECTION THAT WAS USED AGAIN, IS, WAS IT WAS TO IDENTIFY THE CATEGORY ONE SCHOOL WITH 10% OR LESS GREEN SPACE, AND PRIORITIZE SCHOOLS WITH 275 STUDENTS OR MORE TO ADDRESS, UH, SCHOOLS THAT THE LARGEST, WITH THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS.
UM, ALL CATEGORY ONE SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 2,275 STUDENTS HAVE ANTICIPATED NOW GREETING PROJECTS, WHICH THIS IS GREAT NEWS, UH, FOR ALL OF US.
AND THEN WE'VE, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR NOW, IT'S MORE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY TO TALK TO OUR GRANT TOURS.
WE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, WE HAVE THE CAL FIRE ELISA CANYON GRANT.
WE RECEIVE AN NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD, UM, UH, 9 MILLION ACROSS SIX, UH, SCHOOL SITES THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE EXTREME HEAT AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT'S OFFICE OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE INNOVATION.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR THERE.
UH, WE'RE APPLYING INTERNALLY THROUGH, UM, UH, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THEN IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COUNCIL FOR WATERSHED HEALTH AND THE LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD LAND TRUST.
UH, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE THE COMPLETE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 13TH.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CAL FIRE AIRPLANE AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT.
UH, WE'RE IN FORM OF THE UPCOMING GRANT, AND WE ARE TRYING TO ASSEMBLE AND PUT INFORMATION TOGETHER SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THAT GRANT AS WELL.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE GRANTS COMING UP FROM CNRA AND OTHER AGENCIES.
BUT, UH, WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYES OPEN TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, NOW, UM, LET'S, LET'S SEE, GREEN PROJECTS FUNDING.
SO, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, FUNDING OR WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM.
WE HAVE OUR BOND FUNDS, WHICH USED TO ALLOCATE, UH, TO CREATE GREEN SCHOOL YEARS.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE 1.2 BILLION THAT, UH, OUT OF MEASURE US THAT OUR FACILITIES TEAM IS PLANNING.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE PARTNER WITH, UH, THE SCHOOLS, AND WE PLAN TO, UH, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, WE, UH, PROVIDE A LOT OF THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE, UM, OTHER, UH, UH, NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO HELP SUPPORT US DOING THE WORK.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PURSUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, SUPPORT FOR GRANT FUNDING.
UM, WE'VE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR TEAM IS THERE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IN TERMS OF PROJECT DESIGN, INSTALLATION, EDUCATION, MAINTENANCE, AND WE DEVELOP WHAT WE CALL A THIRD PARTY, UM, UH, PROCESS OF HOW TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING.
SO WE TRY TO, UM, USE OUR LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR PREVIOUS GRANTS THAT WE HAD, HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND ASSIST OUR, UH, PARTNERS, AGREEING PARTNERS.
SO AT LEAST WE CAN AVOID ANY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
CAN SEE A LOT OF THE PROJECTS.
UH, THEY'RE, UH, SOME AMAZING PROJECTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE, THAT WERE COMPLETED.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK OUR PARTNERS BECAUSE, UM, A LOT OF THEM, UM, WHILE WE SHOW PHOTOGRAPHS, IT'S REALLY NICE TO GO VISIT THEM.
AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THEM.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT WE'RE USING WHEN WE DESIGN SCHOOLS, AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT WILL CONTINUE AND, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT LIMITED TO WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE, ALLOWING THEM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, UH, WE HANDS, UH, CERTAINLY TO HAVE GRASS FIELDS, BUT ALSO TREES AND PROVIDE TREE SHADE.
UM, WE'VE, UH, ADDING EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE, YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE, THE, THE FOREST THAT WE DEVELOP, UH, AT THE HUNDRED 22ND STREET, UM, WHICH ANOTHER AMAZING PROJECT.
UH, AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE THE GROUP OVER THERE HAVING THE FIRST, UH, SCHOOL YEAR FOREST ON A, ON THAT SITE, UM, EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE WHERE THE STUDENTS CAN BE ABLE TO SEE AN ASSOCIATE WITH DIFFERENT, UH, PLANTS AND, AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THOSE PLANTS AND AREAS THAT WE, ACTIVITY, AREAS THAT WE HAVE ON THAT SIDE.
UM, SO WE USE THAT THROUGHOUT NOW, THE PERMEABLE PAVERS WITH DROUGHT TO ON PLANTING AT VICTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
ANOTHER ONE THAT WE TRY TO CREATE MORE PERMEABILITY, THE NATURAL LAGS FOR SEEDING.
WE'RE USING THAT PRETTY MUCH ON ALL OUR ENVIRONMENTS, OUR OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS.
THOSE ARE GREAT SPACES FOR OUR STUDENTS TO SEE.
AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UH, SOCIALIZE, BUT ALSO HAVE CLASSROOMS OUT, OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS. THE, UH, THE, UH, TREE SHADE AND NATIVE, UH, PLANTS, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE TARGETING THROUGHOUT ON OUR SITES.
AND CERTAINLY RAISE GARDEN, UH, BEDS INCLUDING,
[00:20:01]
UM, FOR EDIBLE GARDENS.BUT ALSO, UM, LIKE I SAID, NOT LIMITED TO THESE.
THERE'S SO MANY OTHER FEATURES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE, UM, ON OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
SO, SO HOW DO YOU START A GARDEN AT YOUR SCHOOL? AND THOSE, THIS IS FOR, UM, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT EXPRESS INTEREST AND ARE NOT SURE WHERE TO START.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AT LEAST WE SHARE SOME INFORMATION HERE.
AND I'M GONNA BE SHARING SOME RESOURCES AS WELL.
BUT FIRST, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD TO IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF GARDEN OR DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE AT THE, AT THE SCHOOL SITE.
UM, I ALWAYS ADVISE THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL SET ADMINISTRATOR.
THE SCHOOL SET ADMINISTRATOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AND, UH, AND SCHOOL COMMUNITY CAN HELP DEVELOP A PROJECT VISION IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT PROJECT NEEDS TO BE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE SUPPORT FROM BOTH.
UH, WE WANNA HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOL.
AND IF WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, SUPPORTING US WITH MAINTENANCE, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.
UM, WE'VE, UH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A, A GREEN TEAM TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION IN TERMS OF, UH, THE MAINTENANCE.
AND THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH SCHOOL AND, AND, UH, AND ALSO, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN TO CONTACT THE E SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE FOR GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES.
AND I'LL BE SHARING SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES, BUT AT LEAST, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, WHO AND HOW TO CONTACT US AND THEN IDENTIFIES FUNDING, UM, AND SUPPORT.
UH, THIS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, GRANTS, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
WHEN WE KNOW THAT SOMEONE IS INTERESTED, WE CAN HELP GUIDE THEM TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST ACHIEVE THE GOALS, UH, THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE.
AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR THIRD PARTY PARTNERS NOW.
WE HAVE, UM, OVER, OVER 12 ACTIVE, UH, GREEN PARTNERS THAT WE'RE WORKING CONSTANTLY ON DIFFERENT GRANTS, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE, UH, PARTNERS THAT EXPRESS INTEREST TO HELP, UH, SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, BUT AGAIN, UH, THROUGH THE SCHOOL SET ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CONTACT, IS TO WORK THROUGH THE COMPLEX MANAGER, WHICH WORKS WITHIN OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO INITIATE THE PROJECT PROCESS.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE SCHOOL AND THE, WHAT WE'LL CALL THE CPM TO BE ABLE TO HELP GUIDE, UH, THE PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'LL THEN CONTACT US.
WE DEVELOP A, A BULLETIN, UH, BULLETIN 57 61.
YOU CAN FIND THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, IN TERMS OF FOLLOWING UP THE REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THE, THE, UH, ALL THE REVIEWS AND APPROVALS TO ENSURE WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.
SO I, I'LL SUGGEST TO OUR LISTENERS AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS.
NOW, IN TERMS OF RESOURCES, WE HAVE OUR WEBSITE, OURSO.LD.ORG.
UH, THERE YOU CAN FIND A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AND NOT JUST LIMITED TO GREENING, BUT ALSO IN ALL THE DIFFERENT SECTORS THAT WE MANAGE OR, UM, OR PROVIDE OVERSIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE THIRD PARTY GREENING HOW TO GUIDE.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH OUR PARTNERS DEVELOPING THAT.
IT HELPED US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT AND HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE SO THEY CAN BE ABLE TO BE A GUIDANCE.
UM, WE HAVE OUR GREEN SCHOOL YEARS FOR ALL PLANNED DEVELOP, OUR FACILITIES TEAM, WHICH, UH, WHICH SHOWING A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE AND, AND LOT OF THE THINKING THAT WENT THROUGH OF HOW WE CAN BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THE DESIGN GUIDE, THE LH TWO SCHOOL DESIGN GUIDE, THAT GIVES US A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF THE DESIGNS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO, UH, TO FOLLOW, WHICH THAT INCLUDES THE APPROVED PLAN LIST.
THE APPROVED PLAN LIST IS A LIST THAT WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE THROUGH, UM, PARTNERSHIPS AND, UH, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF WHICH PLANS WILL SURVIVE BETTER IN OUR, IN OUR NATIVE HABITATS.
SO, AND THAT KEEPS CHANGING BECAUSE THINGS ARE GETTING HOTTER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN AND IMPLEMENT MORE TYPES OF SPECIES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, AT LEAST OUR CHANGING CLIMATE, UH, IN THE NEXT FIVE, 10, AND 20 YEARS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE, THE LSC SCHOOL GARDEN GUIDEBOOK.
YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE ON THE LEFT.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE DEVELOPED OVER, I WOULD SAY, 8, 6, 8 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT WAS TO PROVIDE, UH, GUIDANCE TO OUR SCHOOL SITES TO SELECT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GARDEN.
UM, AND BESIDES THE GARDEN, IT COULD BE A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, GARDENS, BUT ALSO DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, PLANTING IDEAS, CONCEPTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE UPDATING THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP US AT LEAST, UM, ACHIEVE THE VISION THAT, UH, THE SCHOOL HAS.
AND THEN, UM, ANOTHER RESOURCE ON OUR WEBSITE, AND IT'S SOMETHING I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE, BUT WE'VE STARTED THIS AND WE ARE SHOWCASING IT, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ONTO TO IT, BUT IS TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE OUR PROJECTS ARE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE GARDENS ARE, THEY CAN GO VISIT 'EM, GET IDEAS.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, IS NOTHING LIKE GOING TO, UM, A SCHOOL SITE TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS AND SEE HOW THEY, UH, UH, THEY'RE MANAGED, UH, UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, UM, THE MAINTENANCE, THE CHALLENGES WITH THAT, AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, AGAIN, THERE YOU'RE GONNA FIND, UH, A LOT OF OUR GREEN NEW PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE
[00:25:01]
SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED CONTRACTS WITH AND WORK WITH, INCLUDING OUR GREEN SCHOOLYARD, UH, INDEX, WHICH ARE GONNA SHOW YOU HOW YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE NEXT SCHOOL IN LINE THAT NEEDS SUPPORT.BUT WITH THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT CONTACT US, PLEASE DON'T GO BLINDLY, UM, STARTING ON A PROJECT, THINKING THAT THERE'S NO OTHER PROJECTS.
THERE'S PROJECTS THAT CONTINUOUSLY EMERGE THROUGH OUR FACILITIES DIVISION.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE, WE DO THE, UH, COORDINATION, COLLABORATION THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
NOW, WITH THAT SAID, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT, MOMENT TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK, UM, OUR FACILITIES TEAM FOR ALL THEIR WORK THEY'RE DOING.
UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ECOS SUSTAINABILITY TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING AS WELL.
THEY'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK, OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE HELPING US ADVANCE THEIR WORK.
AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND I'M SAYING THIS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, OUR BOARD, OUR BOARD, BECAUSE OUR BOARD SET UP THAT RESOLUTION.
UM, AND AS WE SET UP, UH, RESOLUTIONS LIKE THE 2022 THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON GREENING, UH, FOR 30% GREENING BY 2035, AND WE CREATE A FOCUS AREA, WHICH ALL OF US WORK COLLECTIVELY AS ONE TEAM TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, AS I, AS I STARTED THIS, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SEEING THE ENJOYMENT OF THOSE STUDENTS.
THEY'RE ABLE TO ENJOY AND BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE, UH, THE SPACES THAT WE LEAVE BEHIND FOR THEM.
UM, BECAUSE I STRONGLY FEEL THAT A CLASSROOM IS NOT ALL ALWAYS CONFINED BY FOUR WALLS.
A CLASSROOM CAN BE OUTDOORS AND CAN BE A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND YES, I RE I, UM, CONCUR WITH YOUR GRATITUDE TO OUR FACILITIES.
UH, TEAMS ARE PHENOMENAL GETTING THESE PROJECTS GOING.
THERE'S, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S SO MANY, SO MUCH HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR.
YOUR OFFICE FACILITIES, OUR OUR THIRD PARTY PARTNERS, OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES RIGHT THERE, IT'S THEIR VISION THAT WANNA MAKE A LIVE, MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, UM, FROM SOMETHING, FROM A PAPER THAT THEY'RE DESIGNED TO AN ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, GARDEN IN YOUR SCHOOL.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, EXPLAINING HOW TO START A GARDEN AT YOUR SCHOOL.
EVERY TIME I GO TO MY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I VISIT SCHOOLS, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY ASK.
UH, WE REALLY WANNA GARDEN, HOW DO WE START IT? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I REFER THEM TO YOUR OFFICE.
AND, UM, AND JUST LETTING THEM KNOW IT STARTS WITH A VISION.
AND OBVIOUSLY GETTING THE FUNDING AND THE MAINTENANCE.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG PROJECT THAT, UM, A SCHOOL IS UNDERTAKING AND THAT THE DISTRICT IS UNDERTAKING AS WELL.
AND THAT THE TAXPAYERS AS WELL, BECAUSE THESE ARE FUNDS, THESE ARE BOND FUNDS THAT ARE TAXPAYERS, UM, VERY GRACIOUSLY APPROVED.
AND THEN THIS IS THE, WHERE THEIR INVESTMENT IS GOING IS IMPROVEMENT NOT JUST IN GREENING, BUT SO MANY OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UM, ARE BEING, UM, DONE AT OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
I'LL DEFINITELY REFER THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND THE WEBSITE AS WELL, UM, FOR, SO SCHOOLS KNOW HOW TO START THEIR GARDEN OR A GREEN PROJECT.
SO I WILL OPEN IT UP TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
YES, MIKAYLA, IF YOU WANNA START OFF, THANK YOU CHRISTOS, AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, COORDINATION THAT IT TAKES TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE.
SO THANK YOU AND JOB WELL DONE.
IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS.
UM, AND I JUST RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE CONTEXT OF SONY, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE DISTRICT, THIS IS REALLY GREAT TO SEE THIS PRIORITIZED.
UM, ONE WITH REGARD TO ELISA CANYON, UM, AND THE LETTER OF INTENT, I WANTED TO FIND OUT WITH THE $9 MILLION THAT'S, UH, GOING TO BE AWARDED ACROSS THE SIX SITES, I BELIEVE YOU SAID, IS THAT, UM, EQUALLY OR IS THAT EQU? ARE THERE EQUITY METRICS INVOLVED? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO, UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE, ARE PROJECTS THAT, UH, THEY'VE, UH, THEY WERE PLANNED INITIALLY AND WE ARE TRYING TO AT LEAST SUBSIDIZE AND, AND HELP OUT ACHIEVE THE GREENING GOALS THAT WE HAVE IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE'VE KIND OF LOOKED AT AND, UH, WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A, A GOOD APPROACH AT THIS TIME.
AL, SO IS IT LIKE JUST AN EVEN NUMBER ACROSS THE BOARD, OR DID YOU LOOK AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS AND SAY YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A TREATMENT? IT, IT, IT WAS PROJECTS THAT, UH, THEY FOLLOW OUR GREENING INDEX.
UH, AND WE TRY TO AT LEAST, UM, MANAGE THAT WORK WITHIN THOSE PROJECTS ITSELF.
SO IT COULD BE A DIFFERENT VALUE FOR EACH SCHOOL, BUT THEY GO UP TO $6 MILLION.
SO FOR MORE DETAIL, I CAN SHARE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU IF YOU WANT ON THAT.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH, UM, IN THE GREENING PROJECT STATUS, AND YOU ARE JUST SHOWING THE, THE SLIDE THAT HAS LIKE THE SCHOOL'S SITES THAT ARE IN PLANNING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETED.
AND I WAS JUST LOOKING UNDER THE CATEGORY FOR THE PORTABLE REMOVAL, REMOVAL OF PLAYGROUND RESTORATION.
[00:30:01]
UM, I SAW THAT NUMBER WAS LIKE, I KNOW THERE'S A, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION AT SOME POINT FOR LIKE EVERY PORTABLE THAT WAS REMOVED, LIKE NOT TO REPLACE IT WITH ASPHALT AND TRY TO GET, UM, MORE GREEN IN PLACE.AND I SEE THERE'S SIX COMPLETED PROJECTS AND ONE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS REALLY, UM, IS THAT NUMBER LOWER KIND IN THAT CATEGORY? 'CAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO LIKE DIRECT FUNDING TIED TO LIKE, IF YOU REMOVE A PORTABLE, LIKE WHERE'S THE FUNDING COMING FROM TO DO GREENING? AND SO THEN YOU HAVE TO LIKE ALIGN IT WITH EITHER A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PUT IT ON A BO IT'S PART OF A BOND OR HAVE SOME OTHER FUNDING.
CAN YOU GIVE ANY INSIGHTS THERE? YEAH, AND AND CHRISTINA CAN EXPAND ON THAT AS SHE'S MANAGING THE PORTABLE REMOVAL REMOVAL PROGRAM AND SHE CAN SHARE THAT A LITTLE.
SO THERE, UM, WAS A LEGACY PROGRAM CALLED THE PORTABLE REMOVAL PROGRAM THAT WAS FROM PREVIOUS POND MEASURES, UM, TO, UH, REMOVE PORTABLES, UM, AS PART OF PROJECTS.
UM, THAT PRO PROGRAM PROBABLY FINISHED AROUND FOUR YEARS AGO, FOUR, THREE YEARS AGO.
SO, UM, THE KIND OF REPLACEMENT OF THAT PROGRAM WAS THIS OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, UM, PROJECT WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT REMOVING PORTABLES AND REPLACING THAT WITH GREEN SPACE.
UM, PREVIOUSLY, SOMETIMES THOSE PORTABLES MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN PARKING LOTS, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN PLAY YARDS.
THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN KIND OF LIKE BACK TYPICALLY IN LIKE MAINTENANCE OR PARKING AREAS.
SO THIS ONE IS SPECIFICALLY FOR GREEN SPACE.
THE FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED THAT FOR THAT, UM, WAS PROVIDED FOR 18 PROJECTS.
THEY'RE RELATIVELY SMALLER IN SCALE.
IT'S REALLY, THE INTENT IS LET'S TAKE OFF VACANT CAPACITY AND PORTABLES, WHICH SAVES US GENERAL FUND 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING OLD CAPACITY THAT WE NEED AND THEN MAKING SURE WE'RE REPLACING IT WITH GREEN SPACE.
UM, I, AND I'M GLAD TO BE BACK IN THIS COMMITTEE WITH ALL OF YOU.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE MAP ON THE, THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AND I WONDER, UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS FOR COMPLETED PROJECTS AND YOU MENTIONED THERE MIGHT BE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION OR UPCOMING.
UM, AND YOU HAVE THIS GREAT LIST.
ARE THERE, HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHETHER THEY COULD ANTICIPATE A PROJECT COMING TO THEIR SCHOOL OR UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER WAY OR UPCOMING FROM THE LIST THAT YOU PROVIDE? YEAH, SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE HAVE A PROJECT, WE DO CONTACT THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR AND WE SHARE THE INFORMATION SO THEY KNOW FIRSTHAND, UH, FOR ANY PLANNING OF SCHOOL ON ANY SPECIFIC SITE.
NOW IF ANYBODY ELSE, UH, THAT IS NOT PART OF THE SCHOOL THAT THEY WANT TO LEARN ABOUT, THEY CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO KIND OF SHARE AN UPDATE ON THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.
BUT TYPICALLY SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT OUR FACILITIES TEAM IS MANAGING, THEY DO ALWAYS HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UM, THAT THEY DO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THE SAME WITH, UH, THE, THE GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS.
WE ALSO HAVE MEETINGS THAT WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY SO THEY KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP ON THEIR SITE.
THE, THE MAP THAT I SHARED EARLIER, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE USED MORE LIKE, UH, AS WE FINISH PROJECTS MM-HMM
AND, UH, BOARD APPROVED AND THEY'RE COMPLETED, WE'VE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THE SITE, TAKE A A PHOTOGRAPH AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE AS A RESOURCE SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW THAT, WHERE THEY CAN GO SEE THE PROJECT AND THE TYPE OF PROJECT THAT WHAT IT IS.
UM, ON THE, ON THE, UM, ON THE SLIDE SEVEN, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE ON THE THIRD PARTY PROJECTS.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE HAVE LOOKED INTO AND UH, HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN.
UM, IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING WITH THE $20 MILLION BEING ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT THE, THOSE PROJECTS, IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING IF THAT IS ADEQUATE TO COVER THE, THE KIND OF GAPS WE'VE BEEN UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE FOR THE RELATED TO THE KIND OF REMEDIATION AND THE, UM, OVERSIGHT OR LIKE DESIGN REVIEW KIND OF YES.
SO, SO YES, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, YES, IT IS ADEQUATE.
WE, WE KIND OF LOOKED AT IT INITIALLY IT WAS A RANGE DEPENDING ON, UH, FORESEEN AND UNFORESEEN.
SO WE CAME ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 20 AND WE WENT WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, ADDRESS ALL THOSE, UM, UH, EVEN UNFORESEEN THAT WE'VE, UH, WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO WE WENT THROUGH THAT EXERCISE SIDE BY SIDE TO DO THAT.
AND THE, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.
'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS A CONCERN AROUND NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, LIKE FROM POTENTIALLY FROM BOND SOURCES TO HELP RETAIN THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF THE PROJECTS.
YEAH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UM, UM, PARTNERS, UM, REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO DO FURTHER GREENING
[00:35:01]
ON OUR SCHOOLS.THAT'S STILL GOING TO BE DISCUSSED, BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
UH, WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT THE 20 MILLION SUPPORT THESE PROJECTS, THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE PARTNERS FEEL THEY CAN DO MORE ON OUR SCHOOLS AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF THEY CAN UTILIZE BOND FUNDING.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT DISCUSSION KIND OF SEPARATE PROCESS.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S OF GREAT INTEREST TO ALL OF US GIVEN THE, UM, IMPORTANT ROLE THOSE PROJECTS PLAY IN THE OVERALL PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOAL, GIVEN A GOOD CHUNK, UM, IS COMING FROM THAT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, I HAVE ALSO A QUESTION FOR THE, FOR THE BOND FUNDED PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY BIG FAN OF THE BOND, UM, WISH IT WERE BIGGER, BUT THE, UM, WITH NEXT TWO OF US
UM, YEAH, THE, UM, WITH THOSE, UM, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THOSE PACE UP AND GREEN SCHOOLYARDS PROJECTS, THE AIM IS FOR THOSE TO RESULT IN THE SCHOOL HAVING A 30% GREEN SPACE WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
AND THEN FOR THE, I HAVE A SENSE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CONTEMPLATED FOR THOSE FROM THE HELPFUL PRESENTATIONS THAT FACILITIES HAS MADE IN, UM, EARLIER, UM, BUT WE KNOW WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THOSE PROJECTS IN TERMS OF DO THEY NEED A LEVEL OF APPROVAL STILL? SHOULD THE SCHOOL, ARE THE SCHOOLS ON THAT LIST? SHOULD THEY, IF THEY HAVE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I'M SURE EAGER
UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT, OR CHRISTINA, IF YOU DO THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE PROJECTS, UM, IN TERMS OF CONNECTING WITH THE SCHOOLS WHO MIGHT BE, UM, ANTICIPATING TO RECEIVE THOSE PROJECTS? A FACILITIES TEAM HAS A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
AND, AND THE PROCESS THAT THEY FOLLOW IS THAT THEY IDENTIFY THE PROJECT SIDE, THEY, OR ONCE THEY IDENTIFY BASED ON THE GREEN INDEX, THEN THEY START ENGAGEMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST WITH THE SCHOOL SITE ADMINISTRATOR, SO THEY KNOW THAT THE PROJECT IS COMING ON THAT SIDE, THEN THEY BRING IT FORWARD IF IT'S BOND FUNDED TO THE BOC FOR, UH, UH, FOR THEIR REVIEW AS WELL.
AND THEN THEY GO TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR APPROVAL.
UM, AND THEN ONCE THEY OBTAIN THE BOARD APPROVAL, THEN UH, THEY CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND THE SCHOOL SO THEY CAN BE ABLE TO FURTHER DEFINE THE PROJECTS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND CHRISTINA, IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE FEEL FREE, BUT JUST TRY TO COVER AT PROCESS.
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THOUGH, THAT IS A, A THOROUGH AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS.
UM, IT MAY NOT BE A QUESTION, IT MAY BE AN INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE KIND OF SMALLER SCALE INTERVENTIONS THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE AT SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
IF THERE IS LIKE A MULTI-YEAR PLANNING AND APPROVAL PROCESS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO GET UNDERWAY.
IF THERE'S POSSIBILITY FOR SOME INTERIM INTERVENTIONS TO START THE PROCESS OF THE GREEN SPACE.
THE WAY THAT AT SOME SCHOOLS THERE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE SOME TREE PLANTINGS BEFORE THERE IS THE LARGER, UM, LARGER OVERHAUL OF THE PLAY YARD.
AND WE SAW THAT, UH, COMING IN SOME OF THE CASES AND WHAT WE DO, WE COLLABORATE WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECT ITSELF VERSUS THE PROJECT THAT, LET'S SAY PARTNERSHIP IS PLANNING ON DOING THROUGH A GRANT OR SOMETIMES PLANNING TREES TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NO OVERLAP.
SO WE TRY TO AT LEAST IDENTIFY THE IMMEDIATE PROJECT AND THEN WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT, UH, TO, TO CONTINUE THE GRADING ON THAT SIDE AND THAT THAT HAPPENS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN AND WE HELP COORDINATE, MEET WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM, THE SCHOOL ITSELF TO ENSURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS AND HOW IT'S GONNA FLOW MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN, THANK YOU THEN MY, UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS IF THE, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR INTERESTED PARTIES AND I CAN ANTICIPATE WITH HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS, UM, THAT THAT IS A LOT
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, INTEREST AFTER THE OPENING OF ESPERANZA SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT.
UM, DO YOU HAVE THE TEAM LIKE THE STAFFING THAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK? OR HOW, HOW IS THAT
THEY PUT THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT THE PROJECTS.
AND AS WE SCALE UP, I MEAN WE WILL DISCUSS WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM AND, AND WITH OTHER LEADERSHIP TO SEE WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WE CAN GET TO CONTINUE THE EFFORTS.
BECAUSE I, I UNDERSTAND, I MEAN THESE EFFORTS ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND UH, THEY REALLY IMPACT A LOT OF STUDENTS', UH, LIVES IN SCHOOL.
SO, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IF WE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED MORE RESOURCES, BUT THAT'S
[00:40:01]
ANOTHER DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA HAVE AND SEE HOW WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT.ALRIGHT, SO THANKS FOR THAT AND THANKS FOR RECOGNIZE THAT BY THE WAY.
SO IT IS WHEN YOU'VE UH, BUILT MORE PROJECTS, YEAH.
YOU NEED MORE CAPACITY, SO THANKS.
UM, I SEE A LOT OF GREEN, GREEN GRASS TURF COMPARED TO NATIVE PLANTS.
HOW MUCH NATIVE PLANTS ARE WE USING ON THESE PROJECTS COMPARABLY? 'CAUSE WE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT, ONE OF THE ISSUES NOT PROBLEMS, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THROUGH THE REGION IS WATER IS, IS IS WATER SOURCE.
AND THE DWP REPORTED TO US THE OTHER DAY THAT THE COLORADO RIVER'S AT 31%.
YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S, IT REMINDS ME OF THE SECTOR MEETUPS THAT WE HAD.
WE, WE DEVELOPING WHAT WE CALL THE COMPREHENSIVE ECOS SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WE'RE PUTTING IN THERE IN TERMS OF THE GOAL IS THAT OUR DISTRICT GOES DROUGHT TOLERANT BY A CERTAIN YEAR.
LIKE ALL THE PLANNING THAT WE'RE PLANNING AT SCHOOLS, IT SHOULD BE DROUGHT TOLERANT.
AND THAT INCLUDES, I MEAN, OUR DIFFERENT TREES AND SPECIES THAT WE, WE WE'RE INSTALLING.
NOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO, WE CAN'T GO BACK AND REMOVE ANY, WE'RE NOT GONNA REMOVE THE TREES, BUT MOVING FORWARD THE PLAN IS TO CONTINUE AND WE THE LEAST TO BE ALL DROUGHT TOLERANT.
AND THAT'S GONNA GIVE US A CERTAIN YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON COLLECTIVELY DISCUSSING, UH, TO GET THERE SOONER THAN LATER.
BALLPARK, DO WE KNOW, DO WE, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHEN THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? OF WHAT YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT 2050 70, I MEAN OH, NO, NO.
I MEAN, UH, DEFINITELY I, I WOULD SAY BY 2040, BUT TO ME IT'S EVEN, EVEN BEFORE, UH, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE ASSESSMENT RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
TO SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN TERMS OF OUR GUIDELINES, SPECIFICATIONS, WHAT ARE WE SPECIFYING? AND, AND THOSE WILL CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS IN TERMS OF SPECIFYING ALL DROUGHT TOLERANCE.
UM, THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AS WE DISCUSS.
THAT'S THAT'S A GREAT GOAL AND THANKS FOR REMINDING EVERYONE THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE THINKING MORE SUSTAINABLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA GET HOTTER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE EXTREME HEAT, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA SEE, UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE EXTREME HEATS AS THEY LAST LONGER.
UM, SOME OF OUR TREE SPECIES WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, PARTNERS KNOW THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK WITH, UH, WE WORK WITH UCLA, WE WORK WITH ACTUALLY ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP A PLANNING LIST.
AND THEY'RE DOING A THOROUGH INVENTORY, ALL OF, ALL OF OUR TREE SPECIES AND PROVIDING US RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TYPE OF PLANNING WE SHOULD HAVE ON OUR SCHOOLS.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT WORK WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE UPDATE OUR SPECIFICATIONS AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT AS A, AS A NEWER LIST THAT WE SHOULD BE USING AS A GUIDE TO MOVE FORWARD.
NO, NO, I JUST SEE IT IN LIKE IN THE, I WENT TO VERDUGO, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE OAKS AND THE, THE OAKS AND THE OLIVES THAT WE HAVE THERE ARE, ARE, ARE NOT DROUGHT TOLERANT.
OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE HEAVY WATER, BUT, UH, THE, THE TRAIN THERE'S DIFFERENT THAN WE HAVE IN SANTA MONICA.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT'S CONCERNING, UH, IS THAT THE, THE PUSH, THE, THIS CONTINUED PUSH, UH, IN THE COMMUNITIES I KNOW WHILE IT LOOKS PRETTY, IS THE ASTROTURF, WHICH CREATES MORE 15 TO 20 DEGREES MORE HEAT FOR WHICH WE'RE GONNA SEE FRIDAY NIGHT WITH OUR ATHLETES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA SEE, YOU KNOW, UH, 15, 20 DEGREES HOTTER ON SURFACE THAN IT, THAN THAN ON GRASS.
UM, AND SO AS, UH, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I, MY BACKGROUND IS, IS ON FIELD TURF.
THAT'S WHY I, YOU KNOW, SO I I, AND THEN WATER USAGE.
SO I, I, I SEE, I SEE THE, THE, THE NATURAL PLANTS IS GREAT, HOW FAST WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO AS WE GO INTO THE BOND FUNDING, THERE'S GONNA BE A PUSH FOR SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS.
HEY, WE WANT THE NICE BRAND NEW TURF.
BUT THAT GETS AWAY FROM OUR GOAL OF COOLING THE CAMPUSES.
'CAUSE IT, IT'S GONNA CREATE, CREATE HEAT AND CREATE LESS COOL SPACES FOR OUR, UM, NOW I KNOW PROBABLY SOMEWHERE THE PAINTERS ARE YELLING AT ME AND THE LABORERS ARE YELLING AT ME RIGHT NOW FOR SAYING THAT OUT LOUD AND, SORRY, GUYS,
UM, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT IT, BUT IT'S TRUE THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IF WE'RE GONNA, LET'S JUST TAKE AR LEAD TO HIGH ON, ON FRIDAY NIGHT, IT'S THAT THAT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE 102 DEGREES OUT THERE ON THE TURF.
WE'LL PROBABLY BE 115, 120, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND, AND THEN, AND THEN, AND WE'RE STILL USING THE, UH, THAT'S IF, AND THEN WE'RE NOT USING THE SAND BASED, UH, TURF THAT'S RECOMMENDED STILL THE OIL-BASED TURF THAT'S RECOMMENDED.
AND, AND THERE'S OTHER RESIDUAL, RESIDUAL EFFECT, BUT YEAH.
YEAH, GOOD QUESTION YOU ASKED MS. RANDOL ANOTHER ONE.
I JUST HAD ONE POINT THAT I WANTED TO LIKE EMPHASIZE THAT LAUREN BROUGHT UP, UM, IS KIND OF A TIERED APPROACH TO THE GREENING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY THESE GREENING PROJECTS HAVE TAKEN A REALLY LONG TIME, AND I'M SO HARDENED BY THIS, UM, PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR LAST SLIDE THAT SAYS, UM, I CAN READ, HOLD ON OUR FOOTPRINT, OUR FUTURE.
AND SO I THINK ABOUT THE KIDS WHO PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF GRAPHIC, RIGHT? TO LIKE REALLY SHOW THEIR KIND OF, UM, WANTING OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS AND THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE WITH THE TIERED APPROACH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE ENGAGING WITH THE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, ET CETERA, THAT YES, YOU'RE MANAGING THEIR EXPECTATIONS, BUT ALSO THAT THEY GET
[00:45:01]
TO LIKE, SEE SOME BENEFITS OF LIKE, THEIR ENGAGEMENT.SO, UM, I JUST WANNA KIND OF LIKE EMPHASIZE LAUREN'S KIND OF THOUGHT OF LIKE, OKAY, WHAT CAN YOU GET, YOU KNOW, IN THE INTERIM BEFORE THE BIG, BIG PROJECT MIGHT BE DONE.
AND THAT'S VERY UN UNDERSTANDABLE.
AND I, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK, UH, GREEN SCHOOLERS OF AMERICA MACALA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK AT HUNDRED 22ND STREET FOR DEVELOPING WHAT WE CALL THE THE SCHOOL YARD FOREST.
IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE NEW PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING TO MITIGATE EXTREME HEAT.
UM, WE HAVE SCHOOL YEAR FOREST NOW ON OUR CAMPUSES, AND, UH, IT'S THROUGH, UH, INNOVATION AND I THINK THROUGH DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADVANCE THE WORK AND THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED OUR, OUR THIRD PARTY, UH, PARTNERS, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING, UM, DILIGENTLY AND BRINGING GREEN SPACES TO OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND FACILITIES AS WELL.
HOW ARE WE CONTINUING TO REMOVE OBSTACLES AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEIR PARTNERS TO BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE, AND INVESTMENTS DIRECTLY TO OUR SCHOOLS? YES.
THIS IS WHY WE STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, WE DEVELOPED THE HOW TO GUIDE TO HELP, UH, AT LEAST OUR PARTNERS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, UH, THAT HELPS THEM, UH, FROM THE BEGINNING, FROM EVEN APPLYING FROM A GRANT, WHAT THEY HAVE TO ANTICIPATE.
UH, SO THAT'S A VERY HELPFUL GUIDE.
WE SHOULD A PROCESS ALSO HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT.
WHEN YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER? UH, FROM LESSONS LEARNED, WE'VE, UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED, WE HAVE IMPLEMENT OR OUR GUIDELINES AND SPECIFICATIONS, OUR DESIGN STANDARDS, THINGS THAT WE HAVE SEEN THAT PERHAPS IT, IT'S EASIER, BETTER TO DO AND, AND WILL GIVE YOU, UM, A BETTER, UM, I WOULD SAY RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT.
SO WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THOSE ALREADY.
SO, UH, WE CONTINUE TO LEARN AND WE, WE CONTINUE TO ADD MORE GUIDANCE.
THAT'S WHY I SHARE THE RESOURCE RESOURCES EARLIER THAT I WILL ADVISE PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE TO KIND OF, UH, LOOK AT THOSE AND CONTACT THE E SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, UM, AS YOUR GUIDING HAND TO HELP YOU OUT, UH, FOR ANYTHING IN TERMS OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
BUT THE GUIDES ARE THERE NOW, AND WE KEEP UPDATING THOSE GUIDES EVERY, I WOULD SAY, SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, UH, IF WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW, UH, IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE AMENDMENT AGREEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALSO, THOSE, EVENTUALLY THEY BECOME LESSONS LEARNED.
WE HAVE SUNDAY MEETINGS WITH OUR PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE SHARE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AND WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING SO WE CAN INCORPORATE AND CONTINUE TO MOVE TOGETHER IN TERMS OF CREATING OUR CAMPUSES.
SO I THINK, UM, HONESTLY, I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW OUR PROCESS, UH, IS SELF-CORRECTING AND ALLOW INNOVATION AND ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD AS ONE TEAM.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU DID THE GUIDEBOOK AND YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERS AS WELL ON THAT AND THE STREAMLINING PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING.
AND YOU'RE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS LIKE YOU SAID, AS YOU LEARN, UM, HOW TO, THERE'S DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, RIGHT? DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAT COME UP.
SO HOW TO BE FLEXIBLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, NOT ADDING BARRIERS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UM, AS, I WOULDN'T SAY STRESS FREE, BUT NOT AS STRESSFUL OR, IT'S NOT SO MUCH AS STRESS, IT'S MUCH THE, THE STRESS COMES FROM, UM, PROJECTS TAKING SUCH A LONG TIME TO START, RIGHT? THAT'S WHEN THE STRESS COMES AND THE MONEY AND THE TIMELINE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANNA ALLEVIATE IS, IS THAT PRESSURE FROM THE, FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM DESIGN TO THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION AND HOW THAT'S STREAMLINED.
SO YEAH, WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS CHALLENGES.
THE REALITY IS THAT WE DO GET CHALLENGED WITH SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT WERE, THEY'RE MADE, BUT A LOT OF THEM, UM, WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OTHERS DEPENDING IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SAYING THERE IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT OR ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, WE HAVE TO CERTAINLY COMPLY WITH THAT.
AND, AND THERE THOSE THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW OR WE JUST HAVE TO BE INFORMED AHEAD OF TIME SO WE KNOW THAT AND ANTICIPATE THAT TIME OR THE COST ON OUR PROJECTS.
I THINK WE'VE, UH, UH, DOING A LOT OF PROGRESS IN TERMS OF THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS DO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TIME COMMUNICATION IS KEY AS LONG AS THERE'S COMMUNICATION, MOVING THINGS ALONG.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, APPRECIATE THIS.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING, UM, THE INFORMATION, EVERYTHING FROM THE PROJECTS TO HOW TO START YOUR OWN PROJECT, RIGHT? SO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, AND I, UM, AND JUST FOR ME, HONESTLY, IT'S EXCITED TO SEE THE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE SCHOOLS.
THE STUDENTS ARE NOW ARE MORE, UH, MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE, MORE ENGAGED, AND THEY'RE HELPING US CREATE THIS WAVE THAT I THINK, UH, THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A LOT MORE ALTOGETHER.
AND IN THE, UH, SUBSEQUENT MEETING, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM YOUR STANDPOINT AND THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION.
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FROM OUR FACILITIES PARTNERS AS WELL.THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
[II.2. Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: LAUSD’s Clear Transportation Transition.]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION, WHICH FOCUSES ON ANOTHER MAJOR PART OF OUR CLIMATE AND STUDENT HEALTH WORK, THE TRANSITION TO CLEANER STUDENT TRANSPORTATION.SO MOVING TOWARD A CLEANER FLEET HAS A POTENTIAL TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AROUND SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, WHILE MODERNIZING ONE OF THE LARGEST STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS ALSO A MAJOR OPERATIONAL TRANSITION.
WE WANNA UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY THE LONG-TERM VISION, BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE FUNDING, THE WORKFORCE PROCUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION WORK REQUIRED TO GET TO GET THERE.
SO, UH, BEFORE US AT THE PODIUM, WE HAVE MR. DANIEL KANG, WHO IS GOING TO, UH, GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON THE ELECTRIFICATION, UM, THE PROJECT OF ELECTRIFYING OUR BUS FLEET.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CHAIR AND GREETING COMMITTEE, UH, ONCE AGAIN DANIEL KING WITH TRANSPORTATION.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ON OUR EFFORTS, UH, THAT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
AND I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH, UH, O OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT BUS YARDS AND FOCUS PRIMARILY ON OUR WORK THAT'S BEEN AT PLACE WITH OUR CHARGING TO DATE.
WE HAVE 250 ELECTRIC BUSES, UH, IN OUR FLEET OF A TOTAL OF 1300 BUSES, UH, THAT COMPRISES ROUGHLY 19% OF OUR TOTAL FLEET.
AND LATER ON I'LL SHOW HOW OUR ENTIRE FLEET'S BROKEN DOWN BY, UH, FUEL TYPE AND STARTING FROM THE NORTH ON TOP OF THE SCREEN, UH, UNDERWAY FOR OVER A YEAR NOW IS OUR SUN VALLEY BUS YARD PROJECT, AND IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED, UH, AT THE END OF Q1 2027 AND HAVE, UH, CHARGING STATION THE AMOUNT OF 192, UH, CHARGERS AND A MIXTURE OF LEVEL TWO AND LEVEL THREE CHARGERS.
UM, IT WILL BE REPLACING A BUS YARD THAT WAS PRIMARILY ALL 200 C AND G BUSES.
UH, TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT TUXFORD IS OUR TRANSITION YARD THAT WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT WHERE ALL THE BUSES HAVE BEEN MOVED FOR THE DURATION OF THIS PROJECT.
AND I'M GONNA MOVE DOWN TO OUR, IN THE CENTER OF OUR MAP, UH, WHAT WE CALL DOWNTOWN OR OUR SAN JULIAN BUS, SAN JULIAN BUS YARD.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, 22 ELECTRIC BUSES STATIONED ON SITE AND 17 CHARGERS LOCATED THERE CURRENTLY.
AND THEN TO THE EAST OF SAN JULIAN IS OUR NEWMAN CENTER, WHICH WE HAVE 10 ELECTRIC BUSES AND 10 LEVEL TWO CHARGERS ON SITE AS WELL.
UH, GOING DOWN SOUTH TO GARDENA, WE HAVE 18 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES AND 18 FAST CHARGERS ON SITE.
AND THEN NOW WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR UPCOMING ELECTRIFICATION IS AT OUR SAN JULIAN BAARD PHASE TWO, IF YOU WILL, UH, WHICH WAS JUST PAST THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
UH, THE PROJECT FOR 79 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES AND A MIXTURE OF CHARGERS, LEVEL TWO AND LEVEL THREE.
AND THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF, UH, UH, 2028.
AND AS WELL AS NEWMAN CENTER GOING BACK TO EAST OF SAN JULIAN, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL 32 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES AND 32 CHARGERS AS WELL.
UH, AT THE COMPLETION OF THESE TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, IN THE PLANNING STAGES, OUR BUS, UH, FLEET WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF 525 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES, AND OUR TOTAL COMBINED FLEET FLEET WILL BE UP TO 40%, UH, ELECTRIFIED.
HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CHARGING STATIONS.
UH, CURRENT, WE HAVE TODAY 210 LEVEL TWO CHARGERS AND 35 FAST CHARGERS THAT ARE AT DISPERSED AT OUR BUS YARDS.
AND UPON COMPLETION OF THESE TWO PROJECTS ARE UNDER PLAN, WE WILL HAVE 164, LEVEL TWO AND 292 LEVEL THREE FAST CHARGERS.
ON SCREEN RIGHT NOW TO SHARE IS OUR SUN VALLEY PROJECT, UM, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, UH, COMPLETION ABOUT SIX, SIX MONTHS AWAY, AND WE WILL HAVE 192 BUS ELECTRIC BUSES, UM, OPERATING OUT OF THE LOCATION WITH 124, UM, LEVEL TWO CHARGERS AND 68 FAST CHARGERS.
SOMETHING NOT ON SCREEN, UH, WHICH WE'VE SHARED ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO, IS THIS WILL BE THE SITE ALSO WHERE WE START OUR VEHICLE TO GRID PILOT PROJECT.
UH, WHICH THE IDEA, OF COURSE IS SELLING ENERGY DURING, UM, PEAK DEMAND TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON, TIMES WHEN THE BUSES ARE PARKED AND CHARGING BACK TO THE GRID.
[00:55:01]
DROPS, NINE OR 10:00 PM ALLOWING THE, UM, CHARGING OF THE BUSES DURING LOW DEMAND HOURS, WHICH AT IS AT A LOWER COST.SO IT IS A WIN-WIN, NOT ONLY TO THE GRID, UH, TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, BUT IT'S ALSO TO A WIN-WIN TO THE DISTRICT.
UH, AND AS AN UPDATE, THE TOTAL INVESTMENT OF THIS PROJECT IS $88.7 MILLION AND ES AND AGAIN, ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF MARCH 20, 27.
LONG WAS THE, HOW LONG DID THE CONSTRUCTION TAKE? IT'S BEEN, UM, OVER A YEAR.
UH, I, I'M, UH, IT'S A, I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL DURATION LENGTH.
YEAH, THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION AS WELL.
UM, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION NOW.
WELL, WE HAVE ANTICIPATED 18 MONTHS, AND I THINK, UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE WITHIN THAT TIME.
BUT WE'RE FINDING OUT, I MEAN, THE, THE BIGGEST DRIVER, IT IS A SWITCH GEAR FOR, FOR SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
BUT, UM, IN THE FUTURE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, WE CAN DO THESE PROJECTS WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
SO THE, UH, WELL, UH, MR. CLIOS IS, UH, ALLUDING TO, IT'S NOT JUST THE WORK AT THE FACILITIES ON OUR DISTRICT TEAM AND OUR, OUR VENDORS CONTRACTORS, BUT IT'S ALSO A COORDINATED EFFORT WITH OUR LOCAL UTILITY PARTNERS BRINGING INTO POWER SUPPLY AND MUCH LIKE, UH, THE, THE TRAINS, IF YOU WILL, UH, SEVERAL CENTURIES AGO, MAKING THE CONSTRUCTIONS HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME.
MEETING AT THE, UH, WHEN, UH, WHEN APPROPRIATE.
AND ONSCREEN IS OUR SAN JULIAN PHASE TWO PROJECT.
UM, AS AWARENESS, OUR PHASE ONE PROJECT IS ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE IN THE WHITE.
THAT'S WHERE OUR 17 CHARGERS ARE CURRENTLY AT AND ONSCREEN THE YELLOW, UM, FA UH, YELLOW SECTIONS ARE WHERE OUR FUTURE PLAN CHARGERS WILL BE, UM, INSTALLED AND UPGRADED AT THE SAN JULIAN BUS YARD.
AND, AND JUST TO NOTE, SAN JULIAN IS MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT WE SHARE ON SCREEN.
IT'S ONE OF OUR, OUR LARGER, LARGEST BUS YARDS WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT.
UH, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, A TOTAL OF $28.6 MILLION WITH, AGAIN, A PROJECT COMPLETION DATE OF END OF 2028.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, UH, REGARDING OUR ESBS IS, UH, ONGOING.
UH, AS WITH ALL OUR BUSES, UH, TRANSPORTATION, WE MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL OUR ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE ROAD, UH, THROUGH PERFORMANCE DATA, ENERGY USED, MILES DRIVEN REGION, ET CETERA, AS WELL AS DASHBOARD AND DIAGNOSTIC CODES.
UM, WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE TELEMETRY OR REAL INFORMATION COMING FROM THE BUSES EVEN BEFORE THE DRIVERS SEE IT.
AND THEN WITH THAT, AS OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT RECEIVES CODES, WE CAN PREEMPTIVELY BRING THEM, BRING THEM INSIDE FOR SERVICE, UM, AND THEN ALLOW THE BUS DRIVER TO UTILIZE ANOTHER ELECTRIC BUS, IF YOU WILL, TO CARRY ON THE ROUTE, ROUTE AND OPERATIONAL READINESS.
UM, OUR CURRENT FLEET, THE LAST ORDER OF BUSES WE HAVE HAVE A RANGE OF 150 MILES, HOWEVER THAT IS MARKETED, UM, IN BEST CASE SCENARIO.
AND AS WITH WHEN WE BUY OUR NORMAL EVERYDAY CARS, UM, UH, REACHING THE BEST CASE SCENARIO IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE.
AND WE ARE SEEING IN OUR EVERYDAY OPERATIONS, UH, DUE TO VARIABLES SUCH AS TRAFFIC, WEATHER, HOT AND COLD, ET CETERA.
UM, WE'RE SEEING, SEEING A LOT, WE'RE SEEING LESS THAN 150 MILES.
THE CHALLENGE COMES OPERATIONALLY, IS HOW DO WE COVER ALL THE TRIPS, MEANING THE TRIP AM AND PM, WHICH IS SUPPORTS OUR INSTRUCTION TO SCHOOL AND BACK HOME, BUT ALL THE MISCELLANEOUS TRIPS IN THE, IN THE UP TO 20,000 TRIPS THAT WE DO FOR OUR, ALL OUR SCHOOLS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST FIELD TRIPS, ATHLETICS, BUT ALL THE THERAPIES IN MISCELLANEOUS WE DO.
UM, AND THEN AS A DISTRICT, UM, UH, L-A-U-S-D, WE LIKE TO DO IT ALL, NOT ONLY THE INSTRUCTION, BUT WE LIKE TO DO EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN.
AND THAT'S OFTEN VERY COMPLEX BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING BUSES AROUND AND TRYING TO MEET THAT MATCHING PUZZLE AS IT MOVES DAILY.
UM, THAT GETS FURTHER COMPLICATED WHEN RANGE IS A CONCERN.
AND I'M ALSO ALREADY HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT FEEDBACK FROM OUR OPERATIONS TEAM ACROSS THE DISTRICT, UH, THAT, UH, AS A DATA POINT, OUR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, UH, BUSES, UH, GAS, UH, UH, DIESEL, GAS, CNG AND PROPANE, THEY HAVE A RANGE OF 200, 250 MILES TO 300 MILES.
SO IN THE EVENT OF, LET'S SAY, A LARGE, FAR AWAY TRIP TO BIG BEAR, UM, WE WILL BE RELUCTANT TO SEND AN ELECTRIC BUS, AND MOST OFTEN WE WILL BE SENDING ONE OF OUR
[01:00:01]
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE SCHOOL BUSES.AND AS A NOTE TO SHARE OUR CURRENT BUS YARD CAPACITY THAT I SHARE ON THE MAP, WE ARE AT THE LIMIT OF ALL BUSES AT ALL THOSE YARDS.
IT'S BEEN SHARED, UM, UH, TO TRANSPORTATION.
WHY CAN'T WE TRANSPORT ALL OUR ROUTES, PROVIDE ALL SERVICE TO ALL OUR ROUTES WITH DISTRICT DRIVERS, AND THAT IS A GOAL OF OURS.
HOWEVER, TO DO THAT, WE WOULD NEED AN ADDITIONAL BUS YARD, WHICH WILL, UM, PRELUDE, WHICH WILL ADD ADDITIONAL CAPITAL NEEDED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
MAJOR MILESTONES AND CHALLENGES, UH, UH, I LIKE TO SHARE IS ONE OF OUR MILESTONES TO HIGHLIGHT WITH L-A-U-S-D IS ACROSS THE NATION.
WE HAVE THE LARGEST ALTERNATIVE FUEL FLEET, UM, OF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
ALL OUR ALTERNATIVE FUEL, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF ELECTRIC C AND G AND PROPANE COMPRISE 70% OF OUR FLEET.
AND THE REMAINING 31% IS OUR GAS AND DIESEL BUSES, WHICH OVER THE YEARS AS WE ACQUIRE NEW ELECTRIC BUSES, HAS BEEN, UM, DECLINING AS PART OF THE GRANT AWARDS.
PART OF THE AGREEMENT IS AS AN ELECTRIC BUS COMES ON, WE HAVE TO DECOMMISSION A DIESEL OR A GAS BUS.
HOWEVER, UH, AS I JUST ALLUDED TO, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS ESPECIALLY A LARGE DISTRICT, WITH OUR AREA OF OPERATION OF 720 SQUARE MILES, UH, RESPECTFULLY, THE, THE CURRENT RANGE IN THE BUS, UH, POSE AN OPERATIONAL CHALLENGE.
SO IT'S A PUZZLE THAT, UM, I CONTINUE TO DISCUSS WITH ECOS SUSTAINABILITY AND FACILITIES, DIVISIONS AND HOW TO SOLVE IT.
UM, I SEE THAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, FACE THE CHALLENGE, BUT NOT SO MUCH.
SO, ON A SCALE OF OURS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE VERY FAR ROUTES, WE HAVE SOME ROUTES STARTING IN THE SOUTH WAY, GOING UP TO THE VALLEY, WE CAN DO THE ROUTE, BUT HOW DO YOU DO ALL THE IN-BETWEEN MISCELLANEOUS TRIPS AS WELL? AS WE ACQUIRE MORE BUSES, IT'LL BECOME MUCH MORE CHALLENGING TO MEET, CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS.
UM, SO LONG-TERM STRATEGY AND OUR TIMELINE IS THE PACE OF TRANSITION, UH, BALANCING OUR OPPORTUNITIES ALONGSIDE THE RESOURCE AVAILABILITY, MEANING, UH, WHAT GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE EXTERNALLY TO HELP THE DISTRICT TRANSITION.
UH, ONE OF THE BIG, UH, UH, COST, ONE OF THE BIG HURDLES FOR ELECTRIFICATION IS COST.
UM, AND THEN ROUGHLY SPEAKING, UH, A REGULAR ICE BUS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VERSUS AN ELECTRIC BUS IS THREE X THE COST, CORRECT? UM, 150 K VERSUS 420 TO FOUR 50 K, DEPENDING ON MODEL SIZE.
AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT IS, I'VE SHARED BEFORE IS ACQUIRING PLANNING FOR THE ELECTRIC BUSES.
I AM, WE ARE DISCOVERING IS THE EASY PART OF ELECTRIFICATION.
THE MORE CHALLENGING PART IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IT'S NOT AS EASY AS JUST A BUS YARD CONVERSION, WHICH IS VERY COMPLICATED IN ITSELF, BUT ALSO THE COORDINATION WITH OUR UTILITY PARTNERS, UH, WHICH IS ALSO TAKES A LOT OF LEAD TIME AND WORK ON THEIR END AS WELL.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO, UH, DISCOVERING NUMBER TWO, FOR A DISTRICT OF OUR SIZE, UH, WE ARE REALIZING WE NEED A PRIORITIZING.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE A CHARGING NETWORK, NOT JUST CHARGING STATIONS AT OUR BUS YARDS, BUT THROUGHOUT, AT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I WISH I, IT WAS EASY TO SAY AT ALL OUR SCHOOL SITES, BUT WE HAVE, I THINK, A THOUSAND SCHOOL SITES.
SO REASONABLY, WHERE DO WE START OFF WITH IS, CAN WE POSSIBLY START OFF AT SELECT HIGH SCHOOL SITES, WHERE THE IDEA WOULD BE WE DROP OFF, UH, GROUPS OF STUDENTS IN THE MORNING, WE HOOK UP FOR 30 MINUTES TO ACQUIRE 30 MORE MILES, AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TRIP, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, FIELD TRIP, UH, TO THE ZOO OR LOCAL MUSEUM.
AND WE HAVE DATA FROM THE PAST FIVE YEARS OF WHERE ALL OUR FIELD TRIPS AND MISCELLANEOUS TRIPS ARE GOING.
SO THEN WE CAN STRATEGICALLY PLACE ALL OUR MIDDAY CHARGING NETWORK ALONG THOSE ROUTES, ALONG THOSE AREAS THAT ALLOWS OUR SCHOOL BUSES TO CONTINUOUSLY CHARGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, NUMBER THREE OPPORTUNITY WE GOTTA CONTINUOUSLY LOOK FOR, UM, AS MR. CLIO ALLUDED TO, IS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AS WE WELL KNOW, L-A-U-S-D IS NOT THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT IS FACING, UH, FISCAL CHALLENGES.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, ENROLLMENT POPULATION, NONE OF WHICH NO ONE CONTROLS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FACING IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, IT IS BECOMING DIFFICULT, UH, ESPECIALLY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, IS MORE, UH, INTERMITTENT.
AND NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A GOOD NOTE, UH, BEING IN CALIFORNIA NUMBER FOUR ECONOMY OF THE WORLD, IT'S STILL VERY POSITIVE WHERE WE WANT TO CONTINUE INVESTMENTS IN THE GREEN INITIATIVES, UM, ESPECIALLY IN LA ESPECIALLY WITH OUR LATEST HEAT WAVES WE'VE
[01:05:01]
HAD LAST MONTH, AND WE HAVE SOME HEAT WAVE COMING UP NEXT WEEK.THIS IS VERY REAL AND RELEVANT IN EVERYDAY LIVES.
AND, AND IT USED TO BE, UH, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL SOME YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONLY THE VALLEY IN INLAND EMPIRE THAT FACED HEAT WAVES.
AND NOW IT, IT'S, UM, IT'S EVEN IN THE SOUTH BAY.
AND TO SAY, HEAT WAVES IN LOS ANGELES IS NOW AN ISSUE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THE NEWS AND, AND THE FORECASTING OF EL NINO, IT'S GONNA BE THE WETTEST EL NINO WE'VE EVER SEEN IN OUR LIFETIMES.
WITH THAT SAID, GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL, AND L-A-U-S-D AND TRANSPORTATION, UH, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE, ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, AND HOW CAN WE DO IT.
AND IT'S SIMPLY BY REPLACING SOME OF OUR, UM, ICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BUSES THAT ARE ADDING TO THE POLLUTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES ENVIRONMENT AND REPLACING IT WITH ZERO EMISSIONS BUSES.
WHICH, UH, GOING NOW TO NUMBER FOUR, BUILDING FLEXIBILITY IN OUR FLEET SIZE AND OPERATION.
UH, THE QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IS, ARE WE BUYING REPLACING THE CORRECT SIZE FLEET? FOR THE PAST TWO, THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN REPLACING TYPE C AND D BUSES, WHICH IS OUR MEDIUM AND LARGE BUSES.
AND, UM, ONLY BECAUSE IT'S, WE ARE REPLACING OUR AGED FLEET.
AND THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN WE START LOOKING AT OUR SMALLER BUSES, OUR TYPE A'S THAT SUPPORT 12 TO 25, UM, PASSENGERS.
BUT OVERALL, UM, OUT OF OUR FLEET OF 1300 BUSES, UM, IT'S HOW DO WE RIGHT SIZE, HOW DO WE MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR FUTURE STUDENT POPULATIONS AND FUTURE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
ALL THE, WHILE THE MULTIPLE VARIABLES ARE HAPPENING IN OUR ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS A LANDSCAPE STUDY, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT LOOK LIKE? UM, IF THERE ARE, UM, SCHOOLS TO BE OPTIMIZED, UH, THAT MIGHT ALSO MEAN THERE WOULD BE A GREATER NEED FOR SCHOOL BUSES TOO, TO HELP MOVE MORE STUDENTS AS STUDENT POPULATIONS NEED TO GO TO DIFFERENT SITES.
UM, IT'S NEVER A STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE TODAY OR LAST YEAR.
THAT'LL BE THE PLAYBOOK, BUT IT'S A CONSTANT, HOW DO WE KEEP LOOKING FORWARD LEARNING AT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM THEIR BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED, AND HOW DO WE SHARE OUR BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED WITH EVERYONE ELSE AROUND US? UH, THE GOOD NEWS I WANNA SHARE IS OUR LATEST BUS ACQUISITION THAT WAS APPROVED LAST MONTH, 79 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES.
UH, THE MANUFACTURERS, IT NOW PROVIDES A RANGE OF 200 MILES.
SO I THINK FROM THE 180 PURCHASE WE HAD ABOUT TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO TO LAST MONTH, THE MANUFACTURERS ARE MOVING AND IMPROVING.
UM, I DO SHARE WITH THEM, VERY FRANKLY, NOT AT THE PACE WE WOULD LIKE, WE STILL NEED 300 MILES, BUT I GIVE 'EM THE SPACE OF SAYING, JUST LIKE OUR CELL PHONES, YOU KNOW, KEEP IMPROVING YEAR OVER YEAR, WHETHER IT'S FIVE, 10%, BUT KEEP IMPROVING.
AND EVEN WHEN THEY HIT 300 MILES, I STILL GIVE THEM, I STILL NEED STORAGE.
I, I NEED IT ALL 300 MILES AND, AND, AND STORAGE.
BUT I SAY FIRST FOCUS ON THE RANGE, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THAT.
WHILE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH E SUSTAINABILITY AND FACILITIES, UH, WE TRY TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE OF NOT JUST BUS YARDS, BUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK TO MAKE AN ENTIRE OPERATION WORK.
AND ONE DAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AM SEEING IN THE PRIVATE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INDUSTRY PLATEAUING, UM, INCREASE IN HYBRID VEHICLES SIMPLY BECAUSE OF RANGE ANXIETY.
UM, WHEN A HOUSEHOLD TAKES A VEHICLE, MAJORITY OF THE TIME THEY'RE USING IT FOR THEIR DAILY COMMUTE, UM, AND REFRAINING, THEY HAVE ANOTHER SECOND VEHICLE HYBRID OR ICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TO GO TO SAN DIEGO FURTHER AWAY.
UM, AND TO MAKE THAT WORK IN THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL BUS INDUSTRY IS SIMPLY THE NETWORK.
THE SUCCESSFUL MODELS I HAVE SEEN SO FAR IS, UH, THE METRO ORANGE LINE, UH, AN ELECTRIC LINE.
HOWEVER, IT IS CONTINUOUS CHARGING AS IT'S, THEY HAVE A PARAGRAPH SYSTEM WHERE IT'S CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING.
AND, UH, IN THE YEARS PAST, WE DID REVISIT THAT, BUT IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, UH, BUS SYSTEM, DIFFERENT TYPE OF ENGINEERING.
UM, AND THEN IT ALSO INVOLVES OUR SCHOOL BUS, UH, REGULATORS, UH, CHP.
WE CANNOT MODIFY SCHOOL BUSES AS EASILY AS OTHER VEHICLES.
UM, SO IT IS HOW DO WE NAVIGATE, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? HOW DO WE EVOLVE AND HOW DO WE MAKE IT WORK? NOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO, BUT BECAUSE WE NEED TO FOR OUR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, FOR OUR CHILDREN.
ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT AS YOU START IT, YOU CAN'T STOP IT, YOU'VE
[01:10:01]
ALREADY STARTED IT, AND YOU JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AT THAT LEVEL OF LIKE, OKAY, I THINK THIS IS ENOUGH.AND EVEN THEN, I'M SURE IT'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH.
ADDITIONAL SPACE IS GONNA BE NEEDED FOR, FOR NOT ONLY THE ELECTRI ELECTRIFICATION OF THE BUSES OR THE, BUT ALSO, UM, STORING THEM.
SO I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE PROBABLY HAVE SEVERAL, I KNOW I HAVE SOME, BUT I'LL OPEN UP FIRST.
WHO WANTS TO START? EDDIE, YOU WANNA GO FOR IT? YOU WANNA STARTED, YOU WERE LAST, LAST TIME, UH, ON, ON THE MANUFACTURING.
WHO'S MANU? WHO, WHO, WHO DID WE BUY THE BUSES FROM? UH, CURRENTLY, UM, UH, BLUEBIRD INTERNATIONAL AND THOMAS.
THEY'RE THE THREE MAIN MANUFACTURERS.
UH, OUR, OUR ELECTRIC BUSES RIGHT NOW ARE FROM INTERNATIONAL BLUEBIRD.
SO OUR NORMAL, OUR NORMAL, OUR NORMAL MANUFACTURERS THAT WE USE THE, THE, UH, THE GAS AND BIG GAS.
AND THEY'RE ALSO NEW ENTRANTS, UM, ALSO COMING IN THE MARKET AND, AND AS LONG AS THEY MEET OUR SPECS, UH, THEY'RE ALSO FAIR OPTIONS FOR US AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE DO HAVE, UH, BYD, UH, IN LANCASTER, WHICH IS, UM, SHEET METAL 1 0 5 B-Y-B-Y-D, AND UH, THAT'S RIGHT, BYD IS THEIR, I BELIEVE, TRANSIT ARM AND RIDE IS THEIR SCHOOL BUS, RIGHT? IS SCHOOL BUS ARM.
AND THEY MEET OUR SPEC FOR OUR TYPE C AND, AND NOT, NOT FOR OUR TYPE D TODAY.
AND GILLIG AND GILAG UP NORTH.
UM, AND IT ON THE SOLAR PANELS ON THE CHARGING NETWORK, UM, HOW MUCH HAVE WE LOOKED INTO, AND, AND I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS IN THE LAST, UM, HOW MUCH HAVE WE LOOKED INTO THE SOLAR ON THE SCHOOL YARDS, NOT THE SCHOOL YARDS IN THE PARKING LOT, UH, TO CHARGE, TO MAKE THAT INTO THE CHARGING NETWORK? YEAH, ACTUALLY WE DID.
SO THE, SO I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO OUR SUN VALLEY PROJECT, UH, DOES, HAS SOLAR AND HAS BATTERY STORAGE.
SO WE PLANNED A PROJECT WITH HALF A MEGAWATT SOLAR, UH, SYSTEM, AND ALSO HALF A MEGAWATT BATTERY.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT FOR CHARGING, BUT IT ALSO CAN CHARGE AN X AMOUNT OF, UH, OF BUSES.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER POWER SET UPON US.
BUT AS WE LOOK INTO, AS, AS WE LOOK INTO USING THE CHARGING NETWORK THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE SCHOOL SITES, UM, THE HIGH SCHOOLS, I MEAN, WE STILL HAVE OPEN, WIDE OPEN PARKING LOTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
THE CHALLENGE AND WE'RE RESOLVING THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH TRANSPORTATION IS THAT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ADEQUATE POWER ON OUR SCHOOL SITES.
AND, UH, THE, UM, THE FAST CHARGERS DO REQUIRE MORE POWER, WHICH YOU HAVE TO UPGRADE YOUR PANELS.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SIDE BY SIDE AS WE PROCEED WITH OUR MODERNIZATION PROJECTS AND, UH, SOME OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.
AND WE'RE INSTALLING SOME OF THOSE.
UM, SO THEY HAVE ADEQUATE POWER, AT LEAST FOR ONE CHARGING STATION ON THE SITE, UH, THAT CAN CHARGE THE BUS FLEET.
AND THERE'S ALSO DISCUSSION OF THE BUS, UH, TRANSPORTATION OF CHANGING THEIR TYPE OF BUSES TO A SMALLER SIZE BUS, WHICH IS GONNA BE EASIER TO ACCOMMODATE.
THE TYPE D THE BIGGER BUSES ARE MORE CHALLENGING TO BE ABLE TO PARK AND, AND CHARGE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE ALSO DISCUSSING WITH, UH, THE CITY TO SEE IF THE WILLING TO PUT SOME INFRASTRUCTURE OUTSIDE OUR SCHOOL SITE, THE DROP OFF AREA, OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT AND PARTNER WITH THE CITY AS WELL.
AND I HEARD YOU SAY BATTERY STORAGE, AND I THINK WE WERE CHAT.
HOW MUCH BATTERY STORAGE ARE WE INPUTTING INTO, INTO THESE SITES? WELL, FOR THE SUN VALLEY SIDE, WE USE HALF A MEGAWATT.
ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE NOT USING ANY, UM, WHY NOT? SO BECAUSE IT IS FUNDING, IT IS A COST, UH, FOR THE, AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF GRANTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO DEPENDING ON HOW, WHAT THE GRANT AMOUNT WE TRY TO PROVIDE, WHAT WE CAN FOCUSING ON THE BUS FLEET AND FOCUSING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN IF THERE'S OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, THEN WE CAN ADD BATTERY STORAGE AND SOLAR.
ON, ON THE, ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE, I MEAN, NOT ON CONSTRUCTION, EXCUSE ME.
BUT ON THE, ON THE CONSUMER SIDE, THE LARGEST, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE GO TO EV, EV, EV EV STRUCTURES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CHANGING OVER TO EVS JUST ON, ON TRUCKS AND OUR REGULAR CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE, THAT WE DO NOT HAVE.
SO I, I WORRY A LITTLE BIT THAT WE'RE BUYING, BUYING BUSES AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PLUG 'EM IN.
I, THE CITY OF, UH, IF ONE OF, I FORGET WHAT CITY IS DOWN THE ROAD, BOUGHT A COUPLE, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, TRUCKS, AND THEY HAD NOWHERE TO BUY, NOWHERE TO PLUG THEM INTO.
SO OUR PLAN IS ACTUALLY TO HAVE ONE-TO-ONE RATIO.
SO NOW EVERY BUS THAT WE PURCHASE, PRETTY MUCH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ONE, UM, CHARGING STATION LOCATION, UH, UH, TO THEM.
AND THAT'S HOW WE PLANNING MOVING FORWARD, IS SOMETIMES WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE BUSES FASTER THAN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THE PLAN IS TO PROVIDE, UM, ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE OR CHARGING STATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT BUS.
AND WE'RE, AND, AND RIGHT NOW, ARE WE JUST WITH THE SUN
[01:15:01]
VALLEY PROJECT, HOW MUCH ARE WE LOOKING AT SOUTH LA UH, SOUTH LA AND EAST SIDE ON, ON, ON THESE RIGHT NOW.SO, SO IF YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PLAN OF WHERE OUR BUS CHARGE LOCATIONS ARE, IT DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN, WE TRY TO DISTRIBUTE THE CHARGING STATIONS ON ALL OF OUR BUS YARDS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE SPUN ANYWHERE FROM THE VALLEY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO.
UM, UH, I SEE THAT WE HAVE GARDENA, UH, THE GARDENA BUZZARD, WHICH WE INSTALL ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 18 OVER THERE.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE INSTALLING MORE AS WE IDENTIFY MORE GRANTS.
SO WE'RE TRY TO DISTRIBUTE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SCHOOL SIZE LOCATIONS, UM, PROVIDING SOME INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH METRO AND CITY OF LA AND OTHER AGENCIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A, A JOINT USE AGREEMENT SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO SHARE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IN PLANNING AND SUPPORT THROUGH LA 28.
AND YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS MY LAST QUESTION IS LIKE, HOW MUCH ARE WE WORKING WITH METRO? 'CAUSE THEY'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THROUGH THEIR, WE, THEY JUST WERE HANDED, UH, GOSH, I FORGOT THE NUMBER OF, LARGE NUMBER OF BUSES FOR LATE 28.
AND, AND HOW MUCH WE'RE WORKING WITH METRO TO, TO WORK TOGETHER HAND IN HAND WITH THAT.
BEEN MEETING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH METRO.
WE KNOW THEIR CHALLENGES AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP SUPPORT AND HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT US IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
YEAH, EDDIE ALREADY ASKED A LOT OF THE THINGS I WAS ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT.
THE, UM, I WAS CURIOUS WITH LA 28, IF THE, UM, PER YOUR QUESTION, IS THERE FUNDING AVAILABLE POTENTIALLY FROM LA 28 TO HELP SUPPORT SO THAT THE BUSES COULD BE, SINCE IT WILL BE AT A LOW PEAK TIME FOR SCHOOLS, RIGHT? IF IT'S OVER THE SUMMER, THEN THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF BEING ABLE TO SHARE BUSES WITH LA 28.
AND THEN MAYBE THEY COULD HELP PAY FOR THEM
THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD WITH LA 28 AND TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE DISCUSSION STAGE, SO WE'VE ENGAGED WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
BUT, UH, LA 28 PRETTY MUCH DIFFER TO THE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEY HIRE DIFFERENT ENTITIES, INCLUDING METRO HIGHLAND, TO PROVIDE, UH, OTHER, UH, TRANSPORTATION FOR SOME OF THE VENUES THAT THEY HAVE.
SO WE'VE, UH, SO THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO US AND OUR TEAM INTERNALLY IS WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT KIND OF AGREEMENTS WE CAN HAVE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND, UH, AND I KNOW, UH, MR. K CAN EXPAND ALSO, UH, 'CAUSE THEY ALSO ASKED FOR, UM, BUS DRIVERS PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE AND OTHER SUPPORT.
UH, CONVERSATIONS, UH, TO COORDINATE HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.
AND, UM, IT, IT'S LED BY DISTRICT LEADERSHIP.
UM, AND IT'S A MATTER OF HOW TO MEET THAT GREAT NEED, UH, FOR THOSE, UM, SEVERAL MONTHS, IF YOU WILL, TWO MONTHS, UM, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD FOR BOTH THE OLYMPICS AND THE PARALYMPICS, UM, UH, MS. AKIM, YOU, YOU ALLUDED TO DURING THE LOW DEMAND, UH, UH, TIMEFRAME AS WELL, IT ALSO COINCIDES WITH OUR SUMMER SCHOOL PERIOD.
SO THERE'S ALSO PLANNING NEEDED FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, TRANSPORTATION HAS, UH, PROVIDED, UH, LEADERSHIP IN, IN CONVERSATION TO LA 28, KIND OF WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS AND OUR INITIAL, UM, PLANNING STRATEGY, WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW WE CAN DO IT, AND INITIAL ESTIMATES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IT, IT'S CONTINUOUS.
BUT I, I DO IMAGINE, UH, L-A-U-S-D WILL, UH, TAKE PART OF IT 'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A, A LARGE, UM, REGIONAL EVENT THAT IT'S GONNA KIND OF NEED ALL HANDS APPROACH.
UM, I THINK IT'S KNOWN, UM, UM, UH, LA COULD, LOS ANGELES COULD BENEFIT FROM A BETTER PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
UH, UH, UH, NOT JUST BUSES, UM, BUT AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, TYPES OF, UH, MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S LOOKING AT, UH, SCHOOL BUSES TO AUGMENT WHAT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE.
IT FEELS LIKE A REALLY CLEAR OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT EVENT TO HELP RESOURCE THE ONGOING NEEDS FOR THE CHARGING ACROSS THE NEEDS OF BOTH THE DISTRICT AND METRO FOR, TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR ALL OF US TO GET AROUND, UM, MORE COLLECTIVELY.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, A I I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW MUCH EFFORT IS GOING INTO THIS.
I THINK IT'S SO MEANINGFUL TO HAVE COMMUNITIES NOT HAVE TO HAVE THOSE, UM, THOSE OLD BUSES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ANYMORE.
I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT SINCE I WORKED AT PACOIMA BEAUTIFUL, LIKE THIS POINT, LIKE 15 YEARS AGO, THAT THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT THAT COMMUNITY WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
THE CONCENTRATION OF DIESEL BUSES IN THEIR, UM, COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WITH A LOT OF WASTE FACILITIES NEAR THERE AS WELL.
AND THE SHIFT OF A LOT OF VEHICLES TO BE THESE ALTERNATIVE, UM, UH, ENGINE
[01:20:01]
FORMATS IS, IS REALLY HEARTENING.UM, THE, UH, SO, AND TO THAT, I HAD A QUESTION.
I, I IMAGINE THIS IS THE CASE, BUT ARE THE DIESEL BUSES THAT WE, THAT THE DISTRICT DOES STILL HAVE, ARE THOSE THE PRIORITY IN TERMS OF REPLACEMENT AS YOU ARE ABLE TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL ELECTRIC BUSES? YES.
AND THAT'S OFTEN PART OF THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? I REMEMBER FROM THE EPA, YOU HAVE TO PUNCH A BUNCH OF HOLES IN THE ENGINE TOO.
SO THEY DON'T JUST GO TO GUATEMALA.
UH, WE'VE ALSO DONATED, UH, BUSES ELSEWHERE.
BUT, UM, THE CONCERN IS HOWEVER EXCITED TO ACQUIRE ELECTRIC BUSES IS AGAIN, THE RANGE.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE ALSO NEED A WIDE VARIETY OF, OF VEHICLE TYPES TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SERVICE ALL THE NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS.
BUT THE C AND G BUSES WOULD HAVE A SIMILAR RANGE AS DIESEL.
SO YOU COULD STILL REPLACE THE DIESEL BUSES FIRST.
AND IF YOU WERE TRYING TO HAVE A BALANCE OF FLEET, YOU COULD, I WOULD EVEN SAY C AND G AND PROPANE.
AND THEN I THINK, LET ME SEE, JUST, I, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING IN TERMS OF THE POTEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE FUTURE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH A LOT AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW THE DISTRICT MAY BE EVOLVING.
BUT I COULD CERTAINLY, FOR, FOR ME, CERTAINLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY UNFORTUNATE IF WE WERE TO HALT ANY OF THE INVESTMENTS IN THE UP, YOU KNOW, UPGRADING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR SCHOOLS, GIVEN SO MANY STUDENTS ARE STILL PART OF THEM EVERY DAY.
AND I THINK THAT YOU'RE WISE TO BE ALREADY ANTICIPATING THAT IT, IF THERE ARE CHANGES IN HOW PRO SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE CONCENTRATED, THAT THAT COULD IN FACT INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR TRANSPORTATION IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, THAT POTENTIAL FUTURE.
BUT ALSO JUST THAT, UM, IT FEELS LIKE THERE WOULD BE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE INVESTMENTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN NOW.
UM, AND THOSE CONTINUE TO BE USEFUL IN A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS, EVEN IF THE SCHOOL CHANGES AT THAT SCHOOL, THAT THE CHARGING WOULD STILL BE A BENEFIT TO METRO OR OTHER POTENTIAL WAYS THAT THAT INVESTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE PUBLIC SERVING.
SO, APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS ON THAT.
I KNOW YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE CHARGING, THIS CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE COULD ALSO GO ALONG WITH PASSENGER VEHICLE CHARGING THAT, UM, PEOPLE WORKING AT THE SCHOOL SITE OR EVEN IN THE COMMUNITY COULD ALSO ACCESS.
AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO, UM, FIGURING THIS OUT,
UM, THE, THE BENEFIT OF GOING LAST IS GREAT QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY, UM, ASKED, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DO HAVE, UH, JUST KIND OF, UH, RIFFING OFF OF LAUREN'S QUESTION AROUND, UM, NEED AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO ONE IS, I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE, ARE YOU TRYING TO REPLACE, LIKE WE CURRENTLY HAVE 1300 BUSES IN OUR FLEET, UM, AS A DISTRICT.
SO IS THE PLAN, IS THE PLAN TO REPLACE LIKE ALL OF THOSE TO LIKE CLEAN ENERGY ALTERNATIVES ONE, AND THEN TWO, WHAT KIND OF STUDY OR INFORMATION DO WE HAVE THAT'S INFORMING THE NUMBER OF BUSES THAT WE WILL NEED AS A DISTRICT? AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING WITHIN THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, SHIFTING, UM, YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHICS AND DECLINING ENROLLMENT, ET CETERA, AND BUDGET, UH, CONCERNS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, BASED ON THE PLAN, BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW, LIKE HOW MANY MORE BUSES DO WE NEED, UH, ACTUALLY, OR DO WE THINK WE NEED GREAT QUESTIONS, MS. RANDOLPH TO THE ANSWER, YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
UH, WE HAVE A BOARD RESOLUTION FROM 2019 TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAN ENERGY BY 2040.
AND I SPENT THE LAST 20 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT YELLOW FLEET.
WE HAVE NOT YET TALKED ABOUT THE WHITE FLEET AND I, WE HAVE 1300 BUSES.
UH, OUR WHITE FLEET IS AROUND 2,500 PIECES.
AND THIS IS EVERYTHING MISCELLANEOUS, UH, FROM VEHICLES TO TRACTOR TRAILERS TO EVEN, UH, ZAMBONIS SWEEPERS THAT WE UTILIZE AT OUR CUSTODIANS AT OUR SCHOOL SITES.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE ABOUT 250, UM, ELECTRIC WHITE FLEET.
AND THAT'S THE NEXT CHALLENGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIFYING A YARD MIGHT BE EASY.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH, UH, THE A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAN ENERGY IS HOW DO YOU ELECTRIFY THE ENTIRE DISTRICT? AND, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ONLY HAVE A THOUSAND SCHOOLS.
UM, THE, THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION, UM, WITH ARE WE, HOW ARE WE PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE? UH, IT IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LANDSCAPE STUDY, WITH ALL THIS, UM, THE COMMITTEES TAKING PLACE INTERNALLY INSIDE THE DISTRICT ON HOW TO, UM, BE MUCH MORE STRATEGIC, UM, WITH THE, UH, UH, THE FORESEEABLE LIMITED, UH, FINANCES THAT WE SEE IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS, ESPECIALLY DEPENDING STRICTLY BASED ON ENROLLMENT
[01:25:01]
AND POPULATION TRENDS.SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE REMAIN NIMBLE? AND, UM, FOREMOST IT'S WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, REPLACE OUR POLLUTING BUSES.
MAYBE WE HAVE START, WE HAVE TO START SHIFTING TO OUR SMALLER BUSES TO KIND OF SPREAD OUT THE, UM, SPREAD OUT THE CAPACITY, IF YOU WILL, TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL THE LONG-TERM NEEDS.
EVEN WITH OUR BIG BUSES, WITH THE, FOR THE FIELD TRIPS AND THE SPED SPED STUDENTS WITH THE SMALLER BUSES AND, UM, MAYBE NOT A FULL YARD CONVERSION, MAYBE GO 50% AT A TIME.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE IDEA OF, UH, IS THE ELECTRIC BUS INDUSTRY FOR SCHOOL BUSES STILL TOO EARLY, STILL IN THE, UH, IF YOU WILL, THE INFANT TODDLER STAGES? AND IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE INVESTMENT IN PROPANE C AND G, WHICH IS STILL ALTERNATIVE FUEL, BUT HAS 250 MILE RANGE THAT CAN SUPPORT THE NEEDS.
SO COULD THAT BE KIND OF A, UM, A SEGUE UNTIL WE REACH A HUNDRED PERCENT ELECTRIFICATION UNTIL THE MANUFACTURERS, BOTH PRIVATE AND SCHOOL BUS KIND OF GROW TO 300 MILES THAT WE NEED OPERATIONALLY? SO THESE ARE QUESTIONS WE'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING MYSELF, ASKING OURSELVES, ALL THE WHILE, UH, AS A, AS ONE OF THE LARGER DISTRICTS, ONE OF THE LARGER CUSTOMERS, WHAT WE ALSO INFLUENCE OUR MANUFACTURERS.
AND, UM, I, UM, I'M, UM, VERY DIRECT AND SAY, WE NEED 300 MILES.
AND THEY'RE ALL VERY REACT VERY SIMILARLY, JUST QUIET.
IT'S A, IT'S AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM FOR THEM NOW.
UH, BUT THEN I ALWAYS SAY JUST IMPROVE FIVE, 10% YEAR OVER YEAR, AND THE INDUSTRY IS MOVING.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT.
AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, UM, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE PARTNERING WITH METRO AND FIGURING OUT SOME AGREEMENTS THERE.
AND I WOULD, UM, ENCOURAGE MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK YOU LAID OUT REALLY GOOD SCENARIOS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING FROM STUDENT STUDENTS FROM LIKE POINT A TO POINT B, RIGHT? LIKE FROM THE, THE PICKUP TO, YOU KNOW, DROP OFF AT THE SCHOOL SITE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH MUNICIPALITIES, YOU KNOW, UH, COULD ALSO HELP SUPPORT, UM, SOME OF THAT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO.
AND, AND AS, UH, MR. CLIO ALLUDED TO, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, JOINT CONVERSATIONS WITH CITY COUNTY METRO, AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL NAVIGATING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, I, I WOULD SAY EACH ORGANIZATION HAS THEIR STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES.
UM, UM, AND AS I SHARED EARLIER AS WELL, KIND OF THE BUS SPEC MODEL AS WELL.
UM, DISTRICTS CAN'T JUST MODIFY SCHOOL BUSES AND PUT CHARGERS ON TOP OF THE BUS DUE TO THE WEIGHT.
UM, UM, THERE'S, I WOULD SAY SCHOOL BUS VEHICLES ARE PROBABLY THE MOST REGULATED VEHICLE WE HAVE TO ASSURE STUDENT SAFETY TO ASSURE DOESN'T ROLL OVER, ET CETERA.
SO, BUT TO, TO ANSWER THE, UH, YOUR, UH, UH, SORRY FOR THE PUN TO ANSWER YOUR CHARGE.
THE ANSWER IS ABSOLUTELY WE NEED TO, THIS ISN'T A SCHOOL BUS, A A SCHOOL DISTRICT ALONE PUZZLE TO SOLVE FOR.
AND THEN ESPECIALLY IN LOS ANGELES, WITH OUR NATURAL GEOGRAPHY AND OUR POLLUTION ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE, IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE A VERY JOINT EFFORT.
UM, AND THEN WHY NOT USE LA 20 AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GIVE US A BOOST IN AN EVOLUTION, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ZOOM? HOW MUCH, HOW, HOW MUCH HAVE THEY BOUGHT INTO THE GREEN? UH, OUR PRIVATE, OUR PRIVATE ZZUM? YES.
NOT, NOT, NOT ZOOM, ZOOM, BUT ZOOM, UH, WE USED TO BE LAID LAW LONG TIME AGO.
SO, UM, OR, OR THEY TOOK OVER, UH, YES.
SO, UM, ZOOM, THEY ARE, UM, QUITE A SUCCESSFUL, UM, SCHOOL BUS VENDOR ACROSS THE NATION.
I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED PERCENT YARD IN OAKLAND, UM, CALIFORNIA.
AND WE DO PLAN ON, UH, REQUIRING ELECTRIC BUS SERVICE FROM OUR VENDORS AS WELL.
BUT THERE'S ALSO CHALLENGES AND, AND, UM, DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD LEADERSHIP AS WELL TO DO ALL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION IN-HOUSE.
SO THE QUESTION CONSTANTLY IS, GIVEN THE FISCAL ENVIRONMENT, GIVEN FUTURE POPULATION TRENDS, HOW DO WE DO EVERYTHING? BUT THE PRIMARY THING IS MEETING ALL THE STUDENT SCHOOL NEEDS, AND THEN DOING IT IN A MANNER THAT'S RESPONSIBLE AS A STEWARD, UH, MAINTAINING OUR COMMUNITY'S ENVIRONMENT IN A, IN A ZERO EMISSION WAY.
HOW DO WE DO IT ALL? SO WE ARE LOOKING, UH, AT ZOOM, THEY ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN KEY AREAS.
UM, AND I, I WANT TO GIVE THEM CREDIT.
ELECTRIFYING A FULL BUS SHARD AN ENTIRE FLEET IN OAKLAND IS NO EASY TASK.
UH, I DO ALSO WANNA SHARE THOUGH THAT, UM, RESPECTFULLY, UM, LOS ANGELES IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED, A LITTLE BIT MORE FREEWAYS.
[01:30:01]
UM, IT'S TAKING THEIR BEST PRACTICES, THEIR LESSONS LEARNED.THEY, UH, THEY'VE ALSO ALLUDED TO, THEY HAVE A MICRO GRID ON SITE.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR WORLD? AND THEN MAYBE EVEN, BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL, SEVERAL YARDS, FOUR MAJOR YARDS, THE VALLEY, DOWNTOWN SOUTH BAY, CAN WE DO PILOTING IN SOME OF OUR YARDS AS WELL? MAYBE NOT A FOOL, BECAUSE OUR, SOME, WE HAD TWO BUS YARDS WITH 400 EACH, UM, MAYBE PARTIALLY.
UM, ALONG WITH THE IDEA AS MR. ALVAREZ, YOU SHARED EARLIER SOLAR PANELS.
WHY CAN'T WE PUT SOLAR PANELS EVERYWHERE? AND I BELIEVE WE ARE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, IT'S OKAY THAT THAT OAKLAND'S THE SIZE OF BOY HEIGHT.
SO YOU'RE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, OKAY.
I USED TO LIVE IN OAKLAND FOR EIGHT YEARS, SO IT'S 13, IT'S 13 MINUTES FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
SO YOU'RE ON FIVE A, IT'S ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO, AND PLUS WE HAD, WE HAVE, THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS, IS THAT THOSE ARE ALSO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, THE KIDS THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, THE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 HIGH SCHOOLS ALL LIVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE IN.
AND IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND THE GRID THERE IS PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN NORTH TO SOUTH GRID.
SO IT'S THE, THE, YES, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE HERE AT LUSD JUST ON GEOGRAPHICS ALONE, ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAD AT OAKLAND UNIFIED.
UM, UH, FOR FOR MANY, FOR MANY, MANY REASONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT.
UM, JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR, IN L-A-U-S-D, WE HAVE CHOICES WHERE FAMILIES CAN CHOOSE WHAT SCHOOL TO GO TO ALL ACROSS.
AND THEN THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
UH, HOW DO WE MEET THE NEEDS CONTINUOUSLY? UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO I NOTICED HERE ON, UH, SORRY.
THE MAP, THE FIRST MAP THAT YOU SHOWED US, WHERE ALL OF THE BUS YARDS ARE.
UM, SO WE, THERE ARE THREE LEASED SITES.
WE HAVE THE, UH, VAN NUYS, THE TUXFORD, AND ALSO THE, WHAT IS THE OTHER ONE UNDERNEATH THE FREEWAY? YEAH, THE UNDERNEATH THE 14TH STREET BUS YARD.
SO, UM, HOW IS, HOW, WHY DO WE NEED 3D? I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING BECAUSE WE NEED EXTRA SPACE FOR THE BUSES, BUT HOW IS, HOW ARE THESE LEASE SPACES BEING PAID FOR? UM, WHAT IS, HOW IS IT COSTING US AND WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? FROM TRANSPORTATION'S, UH, BUDGET, OR IN SHORT, OUR GENERAL FUND, UM, I BELIEVE THE LEAST SITE UNDERNEATH THE FREEWAY IS WITH CALTRAN, UM, AT A FAVORABLE RATE.
HOWEVER, WE DO REALIZE IT'S NOT PART OF OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGY AS I DON'T, UH, I CAN'T IMAGINE, UH, AN APPROVAL OF PUTTING 200 ELECTRIC BUSES UNDERNEATH THE FREEWAY.
UM, THE CHALLENGE AS WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH, UM, REAL ESTATE, UH, UH, WITH FACILITIES IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE FIND SIX ACRES IN LOS ANGELES? AND THAT'S CONSTANTLY BEEN ONGOING.
UM, ABOUT THE LATEST FEEDBACK I'VE HEARD, UH, FROM THE FIRES THAT TOOK PLACE TWO JANUARYS AGO, UH, REAL ESTATE DEMAND INCREASED BECAUSE ALL THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
SO WHERE IT WAS ALREADY DIFFICULT FOR REAL ESTATE TO FIND PROPERTY, IT IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THEM NOW.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL HOPE BECAUSE AS REAL ESTATE IS SHARED, THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIKE, UH, TRADING REAL ESTATE AT LA USDI, I KEEP HEARING, OWNS A LOT OF PROPERTY, AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, UM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A POTENTIAL SITE, MAYBE TRADES CAN HAPPEN AS WELL.
SO, UM, IN SHORT, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T KNOW, REAL ESTATE CONTINUES TO DO THE WORK, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY.
THE, A LOT OF THE PROPERTY THAT L-A-U-S-D DOES OWN IS STILL VERY PRIME, PRIME LOCATIONS AND, UM, HIGH IN HIGH DEMAND.
UM, SO IT'S A PUZZLE TO CONTINUOUSLY SOLVE FOR DR. RIVAS.
UM, AND THEN, SO IS THIS PO FOR THIS PUZZLE? IS THERE AN, UM, AN ACTION PLAN OR TO EVENTUALLY, UM, NOT HAVE TO LEASE THESE THREE SITES OR THESE, LIKE YOU, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THESE SITES, THEY'RE SHORT TERM, THEY'RE TEMPORARY Y YES.
SO, UM, WE TRANSPORTATION, UH, CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER AND, UH, REAL ESTATE DO PLAN ON MEETING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS TO TALK ABOUT THIS STRATEGY IN THE LONG TERM.
IT, IT'S, IT'S, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN STRATEGY IN PLACE, BUT ALSO BE NIMBLE ENOUGH IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES.
AND WHEN I SAY IN, IN THE EVENT OF THERE WILL BE EVOLUTION, EBB, AND FLOW, UM, I THINK IN HINDSIGHT, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE AS A DISTRICT REMAIN NIMBLE WHEN GENERALLY SCHOOLS DON'T MOVE? BUILDINGS DO NOT MOVE, RIGHT? SO, UH, AND THEN HOW DO, HOW CAN WE BE WISE WITH OUR RESOURCES
[01:35:01]
AND SHIFT PER THE CHANGING NEEDS? AND I IMAGINE THE NEEDS ARE GONNA BE CHANGING MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LA LAST COUPLE DECADES.WE MIGHT NEED TO SHIFT MORE IN LIKE FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS TO, TO BECOME MORE NIMBLE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL BE DISCUSSING.
UM, AND THEN IT'S REALLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS HOW, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR AND FOR ME TO REPORT BACK TO YOU.
AND, UM, COULD YOU EXPAND A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT ON THE EXPECTED LIFE ON THE ELECTRIC BUS COMPARED TO A DIESEL OR A NATURAL GAS BUS? SO RIGHT NOW, THE WARRANTY IS UP TO EIGHT TO 10 YEARS.
UM, I BELIEVE 10 YEARS FOR END TO END AND EIGHT YEARS FOR THE BATTERY.
OUR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BUSES ALSO HAVE THAT SAME, UH, RANGE OF EIGHT TO 10 YEARS.
HOWEVER, INDUSTRY HOLDS ON TO INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BUSES FOR UP TO 15 YEARS.
AND FOR US, OUR LEARNING IS, IT'S STILL YET TO BE SEEN.
UM, AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT GOING IN AS WITH ALL EMERGING TECHNOLOGY.
UM, BUT I, I STILL FEEL AS IT IS OUR, UH, IN SOME SENSE, RESPONSIBILITY TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT THIS CHALLENGE, LEARN FROM IT, AND THEN EVEN LEARNING FROM IT, GOING BACK TO THE MANUFACTURERS AND SAYING, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
CAN YOU DO THIS? UM, THE FIRST WAVE, THE 250 BUSES WE HAVE RECEIVED, AND I LIKE TO SHARE, THEY ARE GREAT AND WONDERFUL, CLEAN, QUIET, THE DRIVERS, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ALL LOVE THEM.
UM, THE SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCE IS, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN PEACEFUL, BECAUSE THERE'S NO ENGINE DIESEL NOISE, STUDENTS DON'T NEED TO YELL.
BUS DRIVER DOES NOT NEED TO YELL OR STRAIN, IT'S JUST TALKING.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALSO CHALLENGES WITH IT, JUST PRIMARILY THE RANGE.
UM, AND I'M ALSO HEARING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WITH OUR, OUR HEAT, CAN THE BUSES REMAIN COOLER? RIGHT? AND, AND REALLY THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE MAKE OUR AC UNITS IN THE BUSES STRONGER? AND, AND JUST FRANKLY, IT, IT'S A LOT OF ASKS THAT THE DIS THE FAMILIES ARE ASKING OF TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSPORTATION AND THEN RELAYING IT TO OUR MANUFACTURERS.
UH, WE STILL NEED TO DO BETTER, GREAT JOB, BUT KEEP GOING.
AND THEN HONESTLY, UM, NOT, IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, BUT WE'RE STILL EARLY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE LAST ACQUISITION OF 200 MILE RANGE BUSES, IT'S PROMISING.
UM, THE OTHER, UH, CONCERN I DO HAVE, HOWEVER, IS WE, WE, WE WOULD ALSO BENEFIT FROM FEDERAL SUPPORT, WHICH RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHICH WE WILL, UH, BE PATIENT ABOUT.
UH, BUT AS I SAID EARLIER, THANKFULLY, WE ARE NUMBER FOUR ECONOMY OF THE WORLD.
AND, UH, CALIFORNIA IS OFTEN ON THE FOREFRONT.
WE ALSO DRIVE A LOT OF, UH, REGULATIONS WITH OUR PRIVATE AUTO INDUSTRY, AND THAT SETS IT FOR THE REST OF THE NATION, REST OF THE WORLD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THAT SAID, UM, WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE GET, WE CAN GET WITH THIS.
UH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THEY ARE VERY FRUITFUL.
IT IS WORTH THE, THE CHALLENGE, THE, THE, THE HEADACHES, THE PUZZLE, THE UNSOLVABLE PUZZLE, AND THEN IT GETS MORE COMPLICATED, AND THEN WE NEED TO DO MORE WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
IT'S, IT'S WORTH THAT CHALLENGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, MY DAUGHTER ASKED ME, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET RID OF OUR DIESEL BUSES AT THE DINNER TABLE? I'M JUST LIKE, FLABBERGASTED THAT SHE WOULD EVEN KNOW THIS TOPIC.
AND THEN, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR AC RUNNING AROUND THE CLOCK WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE, SHE'S, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT FROM A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE REAL FOR HER THAN IT WAS FOR ME WHEN I WAS HER AGE.
AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE DRIVING FORCE, NOT JUST FOR MY, MY DAUGHTERS, BUT, UH, I HONESTLY SEE ALL OF L-A-U-S-D AS FAMILY.
THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A RATHER LARGE COMMUNITY OF 30 MILLION PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M PROUD OF AND SOMETHING I WANNA PUSH FORWARD AND HELP EVOLVE AND TEACH THE OTHER, OTHER STATE SCHOOL DISTRICTS PARTNERS, OUR LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY, AND HOW DO WE KEEP EVOLVING? UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S GREAT, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
NO, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS INDUSTRY, THE, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF, OF, UH, VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY BUSES IS PROBABLY LEARNING A LOT FROM L-A-U-S-D.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY PART OF THAT, UM, EVOLUTION OF, OF THE INDUSTRY, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S CON, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE IMPROVED AND THEY'RE DOING IT.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY EVOLUTION.
AND, UM, I'M SURE THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF LUSD, YES, IT'LL, YOU KNOW, HELP NOT ONLY YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA, BUT ALL OF OUR OTHER STATES BASED ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU'RE SPEARHEADING.
SO WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU'RE, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU'RE
[01:40:01]
ENTERING INTO AN INDUSTRY THAT IT COULD, IT'S EVOLVING AND IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE EVOLVING.UM, AND IT'S ALL NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE, THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
UM, SO, SO BASICALLY YOU SAID THAT 10 YEARS, IS THAT THE LIFESPAN OF THE BATTERY OR JUST THE BUS ITSELF? THE BUS ITSELF, THE LIFESPAN OF THE BATTERY'S EIGHT YEARS.
AND EVEN NOW, UH, THE IDEA OF A, A BATTERY LASTING EIGHT YEARS, WE HAVE IDEAS FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, MR. CLIO ALLUDED TO A BATTERY ELECTRIC STORAGE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE AT SUN VALLEY.
WHY CAN'T WE RECYCLE AND REPURPOSE THE BATTERIES? AND THEN MAYBE EVEN THERE, THE FRAME IS STILL GOOD, WHY CAN'T WE PURCHASE ADDITIONAL NEW BATTERIES AS AN UPGRADE? SO THOSE ARE ALL IDEAS BECAUSE THE CHASSIS WILL STILL REMAIN INTACT.
IT CAN LAST ANOTHER 12 YEARS BEYOND THAT CAN ADD TO THAT DR.
IVA, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE, UH, OUR LISTENERS CAN UNDERSTAND THIS, THAT, UM, BATTERIES, UH, LAST OVER 15, 20 YEARS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S UN UNDERSTANDABLE.
BATTERIES DO DEGRADATE AND BATTERY IS NOT A NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BATTERY'S BEEN HERE FOR, UM, OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
IT'S A TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN ADVANCING AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I WISH IT WAS ADVANCING THE BIGGER RATE BEFORE, BUT, UH, SOMEHOW THE OIL INDUSTRY TOOK OVER AND JUST, UM, ADVANCE, UM, UH, I WILL SAY OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WE USE TODAY.
UM, BUT SO THE BATTERY, IT'S A, IT'S A, A GREAT TECHNOLOGY.
UH, THERE'S A SMALL DEION THAT WE HAVE ON THE BATTERIES, AND WE'RE SEEING THE LIFE OF THE CARS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, UM, ABOUT ONE TO 2%, 1.5%, I WOULD SAY ON AVERAGE, DEION ON THE BATTERY.
BUT THE LIFESPAN OF THOSE BATTERIES GO 15, 20 YEARS.
SO IT'S VERY EQUAL TO A FOSSIL, UH, UH, VEHICLE.
THE ADVANTAGE THOUGH OF AN ELECTRIC CAR IS THE COST AVOIDANCE, THE SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MAINTENANCE, THE, THE ACTUAL FUEL CARS THAT WE'RE USING.
SO WHEN YOU KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE TOGETHER AND THE INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MAKING AS A DISTRICT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PURCHASE A BUS, I THINK THERE'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT WE WE'RE SPENDING 425,000, A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THAT, UH, OF THAT MONEY HAS COME FROM GRANTS AND SAY, EVEN GRANTOR IS GIVING US 395.
WE'RE SPENDING ADDITIONAL 40, 50,000.
WE'RE ONLY PAYING AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT $50,000 OR 75,000 TOWARDS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
SO THEREFORE OUR INVESTMENT, IT'S A LOT LESS THAN BUYING A, A, A REGULAR BUS.
SO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FACTOR THOSE THOSE THINGS INTO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR SHORT AND LONG TERM INVESTMENTS AND THE SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE FROM, UH, MANAGING A BUS FLEET THAT IS ELECTRICAL FLEET.
AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF THE DECISIONS ARE MADE IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN ADVANCE THE BUS FLEET AND LOWER OUR COSTS, OPERATIONAL COSTS, THE FOSSIL FUEL COSTS THAT WE HAVE, THE, UH, ALL, ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, RUNNING, UH, UH, IN THIS CASE A, UH, UH, A FLEET THAT IS, UM, RUN BY FOSSIL FUELS.
BUT ALSO, UM, I WANTED TO SHARE ALSO THAT THE NATURAL GAS, IT'S AN AL ALTERNATIVE, UH, CLEAN TECHNOLOGY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS OF CONTINUE TO USE SOME OF THE NATURAL GAS BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS EVEN, UH, WE'RE SEEING WASTE STREAMS FROM, FROM US.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY, UH, PARTNERSHIPS AND OTHER LOCATIONS TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING, UH, CNG PASSES, WHICH THEY CAN GIVE US A LONGER RANGE THAN WE DON'T HAVE TODAY.
SO ALL THOSE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND OUR FACILITIES TEAM, UH, TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT BETTER SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS AND MORE RESILIENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, AND, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THE BATTERY.
SO, UM, YOU MENTIONED WHEN THE BATTERY DEGRADES, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT BATTERY? HOW IS, WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT? IS IT GOOD TO, UH, YOU KNOW, OR IS IT, YEAH, THE, THOSE BATTERIES CAN BE REPURPOSED AND NEWEST TECHNOLOGY RIGHT NOW, EVEN WHERE THEY'RE GIVING US A LONGER RANGE ON THOSE BATTERIES.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT TECHNOLOGY NOW, AS MR. KANG ALLUDED TO, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A REPURPOSING AND WE HAVE MANUFACTURERS THAT CONTACTED US THAT THEY CAN TAKE THOSE BATTERIES, RECHARGE AND REPURPOSE THEM THAT, UH, WE CAN USE 'EM FOR OTHER USES AS WELL.
UH, IT COULD BE TO SUPPORT, UM, IN THIS CASE, BATTERY STORAGE, UH, OR RESPOND TO CERTAIN DEMANDS AT A SCHOOL SITE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES THAT WE'VE, UH, PLANNING ON UTILIZING THOSE BATTERIES IN THE FUTURE.
I, I ALWAYS LEARN SO MUCH EVERY TIME.
I, I FEEL LIKE I MAKE WHAT SCOTT SAYS, I ALWAYS LEARN A LOT, AND I DID, I DEFINITELY DID LEARN A LOT AND THEN CONTINUED TO LEARN A LOT.
AND I, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU AND CHRISTOS AND, AND CHRISTINA FOR, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS ENDEAVOR, THIS HUGE ENDEAVOR THAT DISTRICT HAS EMBARKED ON AND ELECTRIFICATION AND THE BUS YARD FLEETS AND ALL OF THAT.
[II.3. Lineage Warehouse: Community Perspectives on Schools and Environmental Impacts.]
FOR OUR LAST, UM, AGENDA ITEM, UM, I WILL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT.I HAD, UM, DIFF SEVERAL THINGS I WANTED TO SAY, BUT IN THE INTEREST
[01:45:01]
OF TIME, AND WE STILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND I KNOW WE HAVE OUR, OUR PRESENTERS HERE WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY PATIENT THROUGHOUT THESE PRESENTATIONS AND, AND COMING UP.SO, UM, OUR NEXT AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING A FIRST DISCUSSION OF, OF MANY TO COME ON THE LINEAGE WAREHOUSE FIRE AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AND OUR, AND OUR FAMILIES IN BOYLE HEIGHTS.
UM, WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOLS WERE IN MY BOARD DISTRICT, IN BOARD DISTRICT TWO IN BOYLE HEIGHTS AND ALSO IN EAST LA.
AND THERE WERE SOME, UM, COMMUNITIES ALSO AFFECTED IN SOUTHEAST LA AS WELL.
SO I WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, UM, QUICK BACKGROUND.
ON JUNE 17TH, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN LINEAGE WAREHOUSE, LINEAGE, LOGISTICS WAREHOUSE, AND LOS PALOS, UH, STREET, WHICH BURNED, UM, FOR APPROXIMATELY 11 DAYS AND SMOKE AFFECTED THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
AND IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, FAMILIES CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PERSISTENT ORDERS, DISRUPTION AND VERY MUCH UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERNS, UM, HEALTH CONCERNS AND ABOUT WHAT THE FIRE MEANT FOR THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR ENVI AND THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
FOR MANY OF OUR FAMILIES, THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING AND DEEPLY DISRUPTIVE EXPERIENCE, TO SAY THE LEAST.
IT AFFECTED WHERE THEIR CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL DURING THE SUMMER.
RAISED QUESTIONS ON, UM, WHETHER CAMPUSES WERE SAFE, WHEN SCHOOLS WERE GONNA BE OPEN.
IT IT AFFECTED THE ENTIRE SUMMER OF, OF FAMILIES HERE AND THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THIS FIRE AND CREATED UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN AMONG PARENTS, EMPLOYEES, AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT IS WHY MY TEAM AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING TO BEGINNING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
UH, THIS IS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
IT IS ALSO ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THIS CONVERSATION, AND I HAVE HEARD FROM SCHOOL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN LINEAGE, BUT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THEIR FAMILIES EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY AND CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE, UH, DUE TO THE AFTERMATH, THE, THE STRESS AND THE POST POST, UM, STRESS THAT, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE TO THIS DAY.
THEY WANT ANSWERS, THEY WANT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE THEM CAN DO TO PROTECT THEM.
UH, SO THE LINEAGE FIRE CANNOT BE VIEWED IN ISOLATION BECAUSE THESE COMMUNITY IN BOLE HEIGHTS HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE JUST IN MAY OF 20, MAY OF MAY 22ND OF THIS YEAR, AND UNDERGROUND CRUDE OIL PIPELINE RUP, UH, RUPTURED NEAR EASTERN AVENUE IN CESAR CHAVEZ AVENUE IN EAST LA, RELEASING AN ESTIMATED 25,000 GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL INTO THE GROUND AND NEARBY STORM DRAINS, CLEANUP INCLUDED NEARLY 3.4 MILES OF STORM DRAIN AND A PORTIONS OF LOS ANGELES RIVER.
SO THESE ARE DIFFERENT INCIDENTS, BUT WITH DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND CAUSES, BUT TAKEN TOGETHER AND OTHER SITUATIONS THAT HAPPENED PRIOR, THEY RAISED LARGER QUESTION, WHY DO THE SAME COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO BEAR SUCH A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS OF THIS INJUSTICE? BOYLE HEIGHTS AND EAST LA COMMUNITIES WHERE HOMES AND SCHOOLS EXIST ALONGSIDE FREEWAYS AND WAREHOUSES, INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, AND OTHER SOURCES OF POLLUTION, THEY ARE NOT ABSTRACT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
THESE ARE OUR STU THIS IS WHERE OUR STUDENTS LIVE.
THESE ARE WHERE FAMILIES LIVE.
THEY BREATHE THIS AIR, THEY TRAVEL THESE STREETS AND EXPERIENCE THE CONSEQUENCES WHEN SOMETHING THIS CATASTROPHIC HAPPENS.
THAT HISTORY MATTERS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND IT MATTERS WHEN WE CONSIDER OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
TODAY, I WILL SAY THAT THE DISTRICT DID EVERYTHING THAT, UH, POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE SCHOOLS WERE CLEAN, UM, AND SAFE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE DISTRICT DID RELOCATE DURING THE SUMMER AFFECTED SCHOOLS, UH, DEVELOP CONTINGENCY PLANS IN CASE A RELOC FURTHER RELOCATION WAS NECESSARY.
UH, THEY MONITOR THE AIR QUALITY, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, REPLACED HVAC FILTERS, DEPLOY, DEPLOYED, UH, PORTABLE HEPA AIR FILTERS, CONDUCTING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, UM, COORDINATED WITH SOUTH COAST A QMD, LOS ANGELES COUNTY OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF PARTNERS, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND UNIVERSITIES.
UM, AND AS THE, THE DISTRICT PREPARED TO REOPEN SCHOOLS, THEY EXPANDED ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING TO INCLUDE AIR SAMPLING FOR AMMONIA, HYDROGEN FLUORIDE FOR MUD HEIGHT AND METALS, UM, AND SETTLED DUST REPRESENTATIVE SOIL SAMPLING WAS CONDUCTED AT
[01:50:01]
SELECTED CAMPUSES, INCLUDING GREEN SPACES.OUTDOOR HIGH USE AREAS WERE CLEANED, INSTRUCTIONAL AND COMMON SPACES RECEIVED DEEP CLEANING, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE THREE MILE RADIUS, RADIUS OF THE FIRE.
AND THE DISTRICT CONTINUES TO BE COMMITTED.
AND ADDITIONAL MITIGATION, ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS THAT THAT SHOWED, UM, THAT APPEARED AND WILL CONTINUE AS NECESSARY.
SO, AND ALSO, HVAC FILTERS, AS I MENTIONED, WERE REPLACED IN EVERY SCHOOL, UH, WITHIN THE ONE MILE, UH, RADIUS AND EXPECTED AND REPLACED, UH, THOSE WITHIN ALSO THE THREE MILE RADIUS.
SORRY, I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY HERE, BUT, UM, I WANNA KEEP IT SHORT.
UM, BUT PROTECTING OUR CAMPUS IS NOT THE SAME AS ANSWERING THE LARGER QUESTIONS FACING THIS COMMUNITY.
WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID IT HAPPEN? WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS REMAIN AND WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE? THOSE QUESTIONS REMAIN.
THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS CLOSED ITS INVESTIGATION WITHOUT DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE WAS AN UNKNOWN AND ELECTRICAL EVENT IN THE WAREHOUSE, ROOF ORIGINATING AT OR ADJACENT TO THE SOLAR PANELS, BUT THEY COULD NOT CONCLUSIVELY DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED ELECTRICAL EVENT.
THE INVESTIGATION MAY BE CLOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW WHY A FIRE OF THIS MAGNITUDE BURNED FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, ALMOST TWO WEEKS.
AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A DENSELY POPULATED COMMUNITY, FAMILIES ENDURED SMOKE ORDERS, DISRUPTION, UNCERTAINTY, CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR CHILDREN.
WHAT WE DO KNOW REINFORCES SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL TO THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE BOUNDARIES OF A SCHOOL CAMPUS.
AS CHAIR OF THE GREEN SCHOOLS AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE, I WANT TO USE THIS MOMENT TO CALL ON OUR GOVERNMENT PARTNERS TO CONTINUE DOING MORE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATION, LIKE I SAID, MAY, MAY BE CLOSED, BUT THE QUESTIONS, THE PUBLIC'S QUESTIONS ARE NOT.
WE NEED ANSWERS ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
WE NEED ANSWERS, BUT ANSWERS ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY.
WE NEED ANSWERS ABOUT REMEDIATION, AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT ADDITIONAL AVENUES EXIST TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITY.
THESE QUESTIONS DESERVE CONTINUED ATTENTION FROM THE CITY AND THE APPROPRIATE LEGAL AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STATE HAS BEGUN RESPONDING.
GOVERNOR NEWSOM RECENTLY SIGNED LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS FOR CERTAIN COLD STORAGE TO FACILITIES AND INCREASING POTENTIAL PENALTIES WHEN VIOLATIONS POSE HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS.
IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
AS I SAID, THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.
WE BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION BY DIRECTLY HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AFFECTED.
WE WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT FAMILIES EXPERIENCE, WHERE THEY BELIEVE GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS WORKED, WHAT FELL SHORT, WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN ANSWERED, AND WHAT MUST CONTINUE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO BE DONE, UH, INVESTIGATIONS AND, UM, AND OTHER AVENUES THAT MUST BE TAKEN TO SHARE THAT PERSPECTIVE WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE ANTONIA ES WHO CAN COME TOWARDS THE PODIUM, UH, FROM IS PADRES ION, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE LINEAGE FIRE AND ADVOCATING AROUND THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE EMERGED IN THIS AFTERMATH.
UM, AND I KNOW ANTONIA WOULD ALSO PRESENT, UH, A CO-PRESENTER.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND I KNOW YOU PROVIDED US WITH A PRESENTATION, SO I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS ONE, HAS A PRESENTATION HERE.
SO WE WILL HEAR FROM YOU NOW, ANTONIA.
OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ROSA RIVAS, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION AND WORDS OF SUPPORT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UM, FOR US AND WITH US SINCE THE BEGINNING WHEN THIS STARTED.
I'M A LONGTIME L-A-U-S-T TEACHER.
I WORKED, UM, FOR 30 YEARS AT EASTMAN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING THE LAST TWO YEARS AT ASCOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, FOR GENERATIONS, BOYLE HEIGHTS HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY, AND EAST LA HAVE BEEN COMMUNITIES WITH MULTI-GENERATIONAL AND LEGACY FAMILIES THAT HAVE BUILT THEIR LIVES, RAISE THEIR CHILDREN, AND CREATED DEEP ROOTS THAT SPAN GENERATIONS.
IT IS A COMMUNITY WITH GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS, CHILDREN, AND GRANDCHILDREN OFTEN REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, AND TRADITIONS, AND WHERE NEIGHBORS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF FIGHTING TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER.
YET THESE SAME FAMILIES HAVE ALSO BEEN FORCED TO CARRY THE
[01:55:01]
BURDEN OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES WOULD NEVER BE EXPECTED TO TOLERATE.THE LINEAGE LOGISTICS, FIRE AND ITS AFTERMATH HAVE BROUGHT THOSE CONCERNS DIRECTLY TO THE DOORSTEPS OF FAMILY, SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT, TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN LIVING.
NEXT TO CONSIDER THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF LEAN LOGISTICS.
THE FACILITY IS APPROXIMATELY 500,000 SQUARE FEET, ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF 8.5 FOOTBALL FIELDS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
THE FACILITY HAS REPORTED STORING APPROXIMATELY 10,000 TO 25,000 POUNDS OF AMMONIA, A HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL USED IN INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION.
THIS ENORMOUS INDUSTRIAL FACILITY IS NOT ISOLATED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
IT SITS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM HOMES AND APPROXIMATELY A HALF A MILE FROM EASTMAN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHERE CHILDREN LEARN AND PLAY EVERY DAY.
THE JUNE, 2026 LINEAGE FIRE DEMONSTRATED THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING A FACILITY OF THIS MAGNITUDE SO CLOSE TO A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
FAMILIES WERE CONFRONTED WITH SMOKE POWERFUL ORDERS, CONCERNS ABOUT AIR QUALITY AND POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT THEY AND THEIR CHILDREN MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO.
STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ALSO HAD TO CONFRONT THESE CONCERNS WHILE SIMPLY TRYING TO LEARN, TEACH, AND WORK.
AND THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST FIRE AT THIS SITE.
IN AUGUST, 2024, MORE THAN 70 FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO A FIRE INVOLVING SILVER PANELS ON THE ROOF OF THE SAME BOYLE HEIGHTS FACILITY.
THEN ON JUNE 17TH, 2026 AND UN ENDANGERED FIRE ERUPTED AT THE WAREHOUSE AND BURNED FOR EIGHT DAYS EVEN MORE CONCERNING A CBS NEWS INVESTIGATION REPORTED THAT FEDERAL DOCUMENTS RECORDS THAT AT LEAST 63 FIRES OF VARYING SEVERITY AT PROPERTIES OPERATED BY LINEAGE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES DURING THE PREVIOUS DECADE.
THAT HISTORY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS.
FOR A COMMUNITY LIVING NEXT TO SUCH A LARGE INDUSTRIAL OPERATION, THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES EXPERIENCE AFTER THE BOYLE HEIGHTS FIRE ARE ALSO MORE THAN ANECDOTAL.
JOHN'S COMMUNITY HEALTH DOCUMENTED SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEM AMONG RESIDENTS.
IT TREATED FOLLOWING THE FIRE OF 1,306 PATIENTS SEEN THROUGH ITS MOBILE CLINICS.
469 35 0.9% MET CRITERIA RELATED TO TOXIC EXPOSURE AND SMOKE INHALATION PATIENTS EXPERIENCE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, PERSISTENT COUGHING, EYE DISORDERS, ASTHMA ASPIRATIONS, AND OTHER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. ST.
JOHN'S ALSO REPORTED THAT 26% 0.6% OF PATIENTS RECEIVE TOXIC SMOKE EXPOSURE DIAGNOSIS, AND 24.5% RECEIVE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE EXPOSURE DIAGNOSIS WITH SOME PATIENTS FALLING INTO BOTH CATEGORIES.
AND A HUNDRED AND DAY EIGHT DAYS LATER AFTER THE FIRE BEGAN, FAMILIES ARE STILL LIVING WITH THIS AFTERMATH.
RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO REPORT ILLNESSES AND THE PERSISTENT STENT IN THE STENCH IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY FOR THESE FIRE, FOR THESE FAMILIES, THE FIRE DID NOT END WHEN THE FAMILIES WERE EXTINGUISHED.
THEY HAD TO LIVE WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY BREATH, WHAT MAY HAVE SETTLED AS DEATH ON THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WHAT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES COULD BE.
MORE THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRE, FAMILIES ARE STILL DEMANDING ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE EXPOSED TO AND ARE EXPOSED TO AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT THEIR HEALTH.
AND WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON BOYLE HEIGHTS IN EAST LA WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE CHILDREN IN EASTMAN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND SURROUNDING SCHOOLS.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, EASTMAN STUDENTS ALREADY ATTEND A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL BURDENED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED SCHOOLS IN L-A-U-S-D DUE TO THE FACTORIES, FREEWAYS, CONSTANT TRUCKS AND ALL THE TOXICITY IN THAT AREA.
MANY CHILDREN WALK THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY EVERY MORNING ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL AND EVERY AFTERNOON ON THEIR WAY HOME TO THIS DAY, EXPERIENCING ODORS AND POTENTIALLY ENCOUNTERING POLLUTANTS ASSOCIATED WITH NEARBY INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY.
THE LINEAGE FIRE ADDED ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN FOR CHILDREN WHOSE DEVELOPING BODIES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF INDUSTRIAL HAZARDS SURROUNDING THEIR HOMES AND SCHOOL.
[02:00:01]
AND THEIR FAMILIES DESERVE ANSWERS.WHAT WERE, WHAT ARE THE FAMILIES AND STUDENTS EXPOSED TO DURING AND AFTER THE LINEAGE FAILURE? WE DE DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT IS THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS SURROUNDING THEIR SCHOOL? WHAT TESTING AND LONG-TERM MONITORING WILL BE CONDUCTED BASED ON THE LOGISTIC HAZARDS AND THE LOGISTIC DISASTER? AND WHAT CONCRETE ACTIONS WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE BY OUR CITY THAT OUR KIDS AND CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HAVE CLEAN AIR AND THE SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND IN, IN WHICH TO LEARN, PLAY, AND GROW.
OUR COMMUNITY IS CALLING FOR ACTION.
WE WANT THE LINEAGE LOGISTICS FACILITY IN BOYLE HEIGHTS CLOSE BECAUSE WE DO NOT BELIEVE AN INDUSTRIAL OPERATION OF THIS MAGNITUDE BELONGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM HOMES AND SO CLOSE TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE ARE ALSO CALLING ON THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES DIVISION TO INVESTIGATE LINEAGE LOGISTICS FOR ANY POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL OR OTHER LAWS CONNECTED TO THE FIRE, THE FACILITIES OPERATIONS, ITS HANDLING OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND WASTE, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS EXPERIENCED BY THE SEMAN COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ASKING FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY LAWS WERE VIOLATED AND IF SO, FOR THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
FINALLY, WE ARE ASKING L-A-U-S-D TO STAND WITH THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AND SUPPORT IS IN ITS EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
BOYLE HEIGHTS AND EAST LA FAMILIES HAVE CARRIED THIS BURDEN FOR LONG ENOUGH.
THEY'RE ASKING, AND WE ARE ASKING THAT INSTITUTIONS, PROTECT THEM, INVESTIGATE WHEN NEEDED, ACT, AND ENSURE THAT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ARE PLACED FIRST.
AND NOW I HAVE MY MARIANA GOMEZ, WHO IS A RESIDENT AND, UH, CAN SPEAK TO WHAT SHE HAS EXPERIENCED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
THIS MEANS THE WORLD TO, TO US, TO ME AND MY COMMUNITY.
I AM A RESIDENT BOY HEIGHTS AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF ASE, UM, THE ALLIANCE OF CALIFORNIANS FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.
AND, UM, I'M A LONG TIME ACTIVIST AND THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN REALLY HEARTBREAKING TO SEE, UM, THE DEVASTATION THAT THIS, UM, FIRE CAUSED IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST TO BE, TO BE HONEST.
IT'S NOT JUST THIS FIRE, THIS PARTICULAR TRAGEDY, BUT ALSO THE DECADES, THE VISIBLE DECADES OF NEGLECT AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE, HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO START REPARATIONS ON OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE, UH, THE, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE VISIBLE.
I, I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF, OF MY COMMUNITY, OF MY NEIGHBORS, WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE CHILDREN, TEENAGERS, AND THEIR PARENTS.
AND I, MY MY HEART BREAKS TO SEE THEM ILL, TO SEE THEM STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE OF THE STENCH OF THE, THE, THE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY'RE LIVING AFTER THE FIRE.
SOME OF THEM CAN'T VISIT THEIR FAM, THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE SICK, ET CETERA.
THERE'S JUST SO A MYRIAD OF, UM, SITUATIONS THAT ARE JUST INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING.
AND I KNOW THAT UNLESS YOU ARE THERE, IT'S EASY TO IGNORE SOMETHING LIKE A STENCH, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU DON'T FEEL IT, YOU DON'T NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT IT REALLY MESSES UP WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN.
AND IF A, IF A KID IS NOT, IS NOT, IT'S NOT OKAY IN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, THIS HAS CONSEQUENCES IN THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND EVENTUALLY IN THEIR LEARNING ABILITIES TOO AND IN THEIR WHOLE FUTURE.
AND THE CHILDREN IS THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY, OF THIS COUNTRY, OF THE WORLD.
SO IF WE KEEP NEGLECTING THE CHILDREN, WE KEEP NEGLECTING THE COMMUNITY, THEIR PARENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING AS MUCH AS THE KIDS.
THE WE ARE RUINING THE FUTURE FOR EVERYBODY, NOT NOT JUST FOR THESE COMMUNITIES.
SO I BEG YOU TO PLEASE STAND WITH US.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, A VERY IMPORTANT EFFORT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.
THE, THE, THE, UM, THE RESIDUAL OF SO MUCH ENVIRONMENTAL NEGLECT AND RACISM IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS VISIBLE RIGHT NOW.
I GO TO NICER NEIGHBORHOODS, JUST 10 MINUTES FROM EAST LA AND JUST THE, THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MORE TREES LOWERS THE TEMPERATURE.
[02:05:01]
YOU CAN FEEL IT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN DRIVE AROUND IN EAST A AND SEE HOW HOT IT IS.AND WITH THE HEAT WAVES, IT IS, IT'S JUST UNBEARABLE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A FIRE LIKE THIS.
WE CANNOT KEEP IGNORING THESE COMMUNITIES.
UM, I BEG YOU TO STAND WITH US.
I BEG YOU TO TAKE, UM, TAKE A STAND AND HELP US DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE WANT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF THE COUNTY OF LA TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, A SERIOUS, UH, INVESTIGATION OF THE, OF THE, UM, THE CAUSES OF THE FIRE, AND HELD THE ONES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE THEM HAVE REPARATIONS AND ALSO STAND WITH US ON MAKING THIS, THIS PLACE TO SHUT DOWN FOR, FOR GOOD.
WE DON'T NEED A WAREHOUSE THAT BIG IN OUR RESIDENTIAL AREA.
THERE ARE, THEY CAN DO THEIR BUSINESSES IN ANY OTHER PLACE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE AROUND OUR FAMILIES.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE AROUND OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FUTURE.
UH, WE, WE DREAM WITH, UH, SEEING THIS AREA, THIS WAREHOUSE, UM, CONVERTING TO A, A PARK, A RECREATIONAL AREA WHERE THE KIDS CAN GROW, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING THEIR COMMUNITY STRONGER.
SO, UM, IN BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY, OF THE CHILDREN, OF MY NEIGHBORS AND THEIR PARENTS, I BEG YOU TO STAND WITH US.
AND I AM VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU AND, AND TELL YOU HOW WE FEEL.
I KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS HARD TO EVEN, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH AND WHAT YOUR FAM YOUR, WHAT YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE FEELING AS WELL.
AND I'VE HEARD THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE, UH, SHARED WITH US.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE? YEAH, I JUST WANNA ECHO DR.
REVA'S COMMENTS AND SAY THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING YOUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY CONTINUING TO KEEP THIS IN THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE BECAUSE I THINK, UM, TO YOUR POINT, IT IS, IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY AND FEELING THOSE IMPACTS, IT'S REALLY EASY TO IGNORE.
BUT I MEAN, WE'RE ALL KIND OF LIVING IN A VERY URBANIZED ENVIRONMENT, SO WE'RE ALL KIND OF ONE MAJOR DISASTER FROM THE SAME LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AGAIN, JUST ECHOING APPRECIATION FOR YOU JOINING US TODAY.
AND I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, NOT SO MUCH FOR, FOR Y'ALL.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS,
UM, BUT CURIOSITY FOR, UM, WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, UM, FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE SUPPORT.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING DISCOURSE, AND SO ONE, ONE QUESTION I ARE, SO SOME OF THE THINGS I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS, UM, WELL, FOR ONE, UM, THE, JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE FROM EVERYTHING WE'VE LOOKED AT WITH THIS PROJECT, ONE OF OUR CONCERNS IS THAT THIS PROJECT SEEMS TO BE, UM, HAD BEEN OPERATED UNDER VERY LOW ROAD LABOR STANDARDS, SO THAT A LOT OF THE MAINTENANCE, A LOT OF THE INSTALLATION WAS NOT DONE WITH THE KIND OF STANDARDS THAT L-A-O-S-D WOULD HAVE FOR A PROJECT.
SO I GUESS GRATITUDE, THE LESD HAS THOSE HIGH LABOR STANDARDS, FRUSTRATION THAT THERE ARE PROJECTS LIKE THIS IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE KIND OF JUST PING THE, THE BOTTOM LEVEL, NOT HAVING WORKERS WHO ARE HIGHLY SKILLED AND TRAINED WORKING ON THE PROJECTS AND THE, AND THE RAMIFICATIONS THAT THAT HAS ON COMMUNITY.
SO NOT REALLY QUESTION, JUST SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING.
UM, THE, WHAT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD IS AROUND THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, CONTINUED TESTING OF THE SOIL AT THE SCHOOLS AND THE, UM, I KNOW WE'VE HAD PRESENTATIONS IN THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE AROUND THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF HAVING REALLY, UH, HIGH ROAD AND CONSISTENT, UM, HVAC DUCT CLEANING, WHICH I'M GONNA NOT GET ALL THE DETAILS RIGHT, BUT JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WAY I REMEMBER IT IS THE STRAW NOT GETTING FULL OF MILKSHAKE SO THAT IT, THE AIR CAN ACTUALLY GET THROUGH.
LIKE IF THIS DRAW GETS FULL, THEN NOTHING CAN GET YOU GET, IT'S KIND GETTING GET THROUGH.
AND THAT'S REALLY GROSS, RIGHT? LIKE, UM, SO THAT THE CONTINUED, UM, MONITORING FOR THE, UH, SCHOOLS THAT ARE NEARBY WHO ARE IMPACTED, UM, THE WAYS THAT THE DISTRICT MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UM, LEGAL REMEDIES, THE WAY THE DISTRICT HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH, FOR INSTANCE, THE, UM, SCHOOLS IMPACTED BY, UM, THE FUEL DUMP IN THAT AFFECTED A SCHOOL, UM, THAT I, MY UNDER, IF I'M GETTING IT RIGHT, THAT THERE'S BEEN CASES WHERE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN ABLE TO BE PART OF SOME OF THOSE LEGAL REMEDIES FOR WHERE, UM, A BAD ACTOR HAS HARMED THE SCHOOL SITE.
AND MAYBE THAT CAN HELP COVER SOME OF THE CONTINUED REMEDIATION EFFORTS.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM, UM, PARENTS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH IN BOYLE HEIGHTS AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL, BUT THAT THE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED,
[02:10:01]
THE SMELL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HEAT AND THAT THEY'RE NOT, AND THE CONCERN AROUND AIR QUALITY, BUT NOT HAVING AIR CONDITIONING.AND SO HAVING THIS REALLY BAD CHOICE AND WHEN PEOPLE WERE AT HOME OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN, BUT ALSO, UM, BECAUSE THE SMELL AND THE, THE SMOKE WERE SO DANGEROUS, BUT NOT HAVING AIR CONDITIONING AT HOME.
SO THEN JUST, UM, NOT BEING IN A POSITION, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING WORRIED ABOUT, UM, THEIR KIDS OVERHEATING.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF LA IS CONSIDERING A MAXIMUM INDOOR TEMPERATURE POLICY FOR RENTERS TO PROTECT RENTERS FROM, UH, HIGH LEVELS OF INDOOR HEAT.
AND SO I WONDER IF THAT'S A PLACE THAT THE DISTRICTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE A POSITION OF ECHOING SUPPORT FOR THE CITY'S CONTINUED WORK TO PROTECT OUR FAMILIES, OUR LESD FAMILIES WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME.
AND SO THOSE WERE MY, UM, UM, SO JUST IN RESPONSE TO THAT ONE, I MEAN, WITH THE DOOR KNOCKING THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE THAT TYPE OF RESOURCE FOR, UM, THE FAMILIES JUST RIGHT IN THE VICINITY THAT HASN'T BEEN OFFERED TO THEM, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE REALLY FEEL THAT LINEAGE LOGISTICS NEEDS TO SHUT DOWN IS BECAUSE OF WE FEEL THAT THE CITY DIDN'T, UM, DO ENOUGH FOR THE FAMILIES AND IT'S STILL NOT DOING ENOUGH.
WE FEEL THAT, UM, THE BUSINESSES HAVE LOST SO MUCH THE FAMILIES.
WE, I JUST SPOKE TO ONE, UM, OWNER, UM, TWO BLOCKS AWAY THAT SAID, WELL, I HAVEN'T TURNED ON MY AIR CONDITIONER BECAUSE THE CITY TOLD ME NOT TO TURN IT ON, AND NOW IT'S ALL FULL OF ALL THIS DUST.
AND NO ONE FROM THE CITY HAS COME OUT TO SAY LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU CLEAN IT OUT, OR WHAT, WHAT YOU CAN DO OR HOW WE CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT.
THE COMMUNITY HAS INCURRED SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF COST SINCE THIS FIRE AND THE RESOURCES FROM THE CITY HAVE BEEN MINIMAL AT LEAST.
AND IF YOU SPEAK TO ANY FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S LIVING JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM LINEAGE, THEY WILL SAY NO, THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED EVEN A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT HAS HELPED THEM.
THE FAMILIES HAVE BASICALLY BEEN ON THEIR OWN THROUGH THIS.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE AGREE THAT WE NEED A MONITOR, UM, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CHECK THINGS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE NEED TO GET LINEAGE OUT BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE TO MONITOR THE SOIL.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CONTINUALLY TAKE ON THE BURDEN.
L-A-U-S-D SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ON THE BURDEN.
THE CITY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE IN THE BURDEN OF WHAT LINEAGE LOGISTIC IS DUMPING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANNA KEEP EYE ON LIKE LINEAGE NEEDS TO CLOSE AND WE NEED TO GET THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DID SO THAT OTHER COMPANIES KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT PERMISSIBLE.
I MEAN, DURING THE SUMMER, UM, FAMILIES, THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WERE CALLING TO COMPLAIN AND THIS, UM, MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY WAS RECEIVING A $500 FINE A DAY, WHICH IS PENNIES FOR THEM.
WHY WOULD THEY EVEN THINK ABOUT RUSHING IF THEY'RE ONLY GONNA BE CHARGED $500 A DAY? SO YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU WITH THAT, BUT, UH, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON THIS TRAIN AND WE MAKE SURE FOR OUR FAMILIES IN L-A-U-S-D THAT LINEAGE CLOSES DOWN AND THEY RECEIVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDED.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO, UH, I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LIVE, I LIVE ON LINCOLN HEIGHT SIDE.
AND SO WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS A SO FOR I, I STILL HAVE THE BLACK SOOT, YOU KNOW, I STILL HAVE THE BLACK.
SO THIS MORNING I NOTICED, I I, THIS MORNING I NOTICED IT ACTUALLY WHEN I WAS CLEANING THE FLOOR OF HOUSE, I, I, HOW MUCH SO WE STILL HAVE IN OUR HOUSE, UM, AND HOW BAD THE FLIES, UM, WERE DURING THAT TIME.
AND THEY STILL, UH, THEY STILL ARE, TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU.
THE FLIES HAVE REALLY NE THE FLIES HAVE NEVER GONE AWAY.
UH, FOR, WE LIVED THERE FOR ALMOST, ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW, I GUESS ALMOST TWO AND A HALF YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS, I I, IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLE.
AND, AND SO WE'RE THERE WITH YOU AND ALSO MY, UM, MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS AT THE TEAMSTERS WHO, WHO WORK INSIDE A LINEAGE, UH, EVERY SINGLE DAY, UM, WORKING INSIDE, WE'RE WORKING, WORKING INSIDE THAT.
UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS LIVE IN, UH, BOYLE HEIGHTS AND IN EAST LA UH, AND IN LINCOLN HEIGHTS.
UM, SO NO, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND, UM, UH, WHATEVER WE CAN DO, UM, TO, TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO WHAT, UH, MY SISTER SAID OVER HERE ON, ON THE SKILL AND TRAIN WORKFORCE THAT WE USE HERE AT L-A-U-S-D, WHICH WAS NOT USED, UM, AT THE LINE AT LINEAGE, UH, TO PUT UP THOSE SOLAR PANELS.
UM, THIS IS, THIS GOES DIRECT TO WHAT WE ADVOCATE FOR EVERY DAY WITH THE DISTRICT AND WITH OTHER PRIVATE COMPANIES AS WE TRY TO ORGANIZE THOSE COMPANIES AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, THEY, THEY POINT AT OTHER THINGS AND GO, WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T USE
[02:15:01]
GOOD UNION LABOR.THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY SLIDE, THEY, THEY, THEY SIDESTEP IT AND, AND THEY TAKE, UH, THEY TAKE SHORTCUTS.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW IN THIS ROOM, THE, THE SHORTCUT IS THE LONGEST WAY.
AND, UM, SO WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ADDING TO THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, THAT THAT IS A REALLY LIKE A BIG STORAGE FACILITY, UH, REFRIGERATION WITH TRUCK DIESEL TRUCKS COMING IN AND OUT, DRIVING THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL AREA ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THE FACT THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE WHETHER IT WAS THE SOLAR PANELS, SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION OR SOME TYPE OF MAINTENANCE, YOU ARE ALREADY SAYING LIKE, IT, IT COULD BE ANYTHING.
AND THE FACT THAT THEY SAID IT COULD BE ANYTHING IS SCARY.
IT'S SAYING THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS FACILITY THAT SHOULD BE NOWHERE NEAR RESIDENCE.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS, UH, WE'RE BEGINNING TO EXAMINE, EXAMINE THE ADDITIONAL ROLE THE DISTRICT CAN PLAY IN SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, ADVOCATING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY REMEDIATION, AND STRENGTHENING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND ENSURING THAT THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS', FAMILIES ARE HEARD WHEN DECISIONS AFFECTING THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE MADE.
AND I ALSO DO WANT TO, UM, ECHO THE SAME, UM, CALL FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE AVENUES REMAIN AND TO PURSUE FACTS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE.
AND WHETHER ANYONE BEARS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, THERE SHOULD BE ALL ATTORNEYS ON THIS, UH, BECAUSE, UM, THESE ARE FAMILIES, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, HARDWORKING FAMILIES WHO, YOU KNOW, WERE ABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY OWN THESE HOMES, THEY RENT THESE HOMES, THIS IS A REFUGE.
AND WHEN THEY'RE IMPACTED BY THIS, YES, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH, A LOT OF DEPRESSION THAT I'VE HEARD IS, UM, IMPACTING STUDENTS AND, AND, AND, UM, FAMILIES ALIKE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR PEACE AND QUIET, UH, WAS DISRUPTED AND THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THIS REPORT JUST, UM, IT, IT WAS JUST ANOTHER PUNCH, RIGHT? SAYING THERE, THERE'S NO DETERMINING FACTOR, NO EVIDENCE WAS RE WAS COLLECTED AND ANYTHING COULD HAVE CAUSED IT, WHICH POSES A LOT MORE QUESTIONS.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE AND, UM, EXPLORING HOW THE DISTRICT CAN REALLY UPHOLD, UM, THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY, UM, THAT THE, THIS COMMUNITY, UH, DESERVES.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND, UH, THERE'LL BE MORE COMING UP.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH
[III. Public Comment]
OUR PUBLIC COMMENT AND MR. CLE, IF YOU WANNA TAKE US, ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I'LL CALL FIRST ON THOSE WHO ARE IN PERSON, AND THEN WE'LL CALL ON THOSE AS BEING THOSE WHO SIGN UP AS BEING REMOTE.
UH, SUZANNE C ARE YOU HERE, SUZANNE C COME ON UP.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING.
I'M COMMENTING ON BEHALF OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY ELECTRIC TRUCK AND BUS COALITION, WHICH IS MADE UP OF, UH, ADVOCATES INCLUDING EARTH JUSTICE SIERRA CLUB JOBS TO MOVE AMERICA, EAST YARD COMMUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 11.
OUR COALITION IS COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING ZERO EMISSION BUS AND TRUCK ADOPTION WITH, UH, STRONG WORKFORCE STANDARDS SO THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN BREATHE CLEAN AIR AND WORKERS CAN ACCESS FAMILY SUSTAINING HIGH WAGE CAREERS.
WE APPLAUD L-A-U-S-D FOR ELECTRIFYING 250 SCHOOL BUSES, NEARLY 20% OF THE YELLOW BUS FLEET, AS WE HEARD, WITH MORE ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE WAY.
UM, WE KNOW THAT ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES PROTECT STUDENTS, WORKERS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES FROM HARMFUL TAILPIPE, WHICH POSES PARTICULAR RISKS TO CHILDREN WHOSE LUNGS ARE STILL DEVELOPING.
AND ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES ALSO PROVIDE A SMOOTHER, QUIETER RIDE.
THEY CAN REDUCE FUEL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS.
FINALLY, THEY OFFER A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR VEHICLE TO GRID INTEGRATION BECAUSE OF THEIR LARGE BATTERIES AND PREDICTABLE SCHEDULES.
WE REALLY STRONGLY SUPPORT LAD'S COMMITMENT TO VEHICLE TO GRID INTEGRATION AT THE SUN VALLEY AND SAN JULIAN BUS YARDS.
THESE PROJECTS, WE BELIEVE, CAN DEMONSTRATE HOW ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES CAN STRENGTHEN OUR GRID'S, RELIABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND
[02:20:01]
ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW REVENUE FOR A USD.SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH THE DISTRICT ON THESE PROJECTS, AND WE WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT TRANSITIONING A FLEET OF THIS SIZE IS COMPLEX.
IT REQUIRES COORDINATION AMONG PROCUREMENT, CHARGING, INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITIES, WORKFORCE OPERATIONS, AND LAD'S.
PROGRESS SHOWS THESE CHALLENGES CAN BE ADDRESSED.
UM, THE URGENCY OF THIS TRANSITION REQUIRES CONTINUED AND ACCELERATED ACTION.
EVERY ADDITIONAL YEAR THAT WE SEE POLLUTING BUSES ON THE ROAD IS ANOTHER YEAR OF AVOIDABLE POLLUTION EXPOSURE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THE NEXT SPEAKERS ARE LISTED AS SPEAKING REMOTELY.
IS LETICIA GUINO ONLINE WITH US? I DO NOT HAVE HER ONLINE.
SHE WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN AND SHE'S NOT IN THE ROOM.
UH, NATHAN CRUZ, I SEE YOU'RE LISTED AS SPEAKING REMOTELY.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? NATHAN CRUZ, ALSO NOT ONLINE.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
I ACTUALLY THINK YOU AND NATHAN ARE CALLING IN FROM THE SAME NUMBER.
SO NATHAN, ARE YOU OR CALLIE ONLINE WITH US? I SEE YOU ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF ME.
PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HELLO? COULD HEAR IT NOW? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, I'LL START OFF WITH MY FIRST TWO MINUTES AND THEN MY DAUGHTER WILL, WILL FOLLOW UP IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS.
I AM A PARENT FROM SHARP AVENUE ELEMENTARY.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF OUR SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL, MY SECOND YEAR AS LSLC PARENT BOARD MEMBER, AND MY THIRD YEAR SERVING AS DIRECTOR OF TRAFFIC AND STUDENT SAFETY.
I SHARE THAT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW DEEPLY COMMITTED I AM TO SHARP ELEMENTARY AND ITS STUDENTS.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT.
I SAW YOUR STORY ON KTLA FIVE, AND I APPRECIATE SHARING YOUR FAMILY'S STORY.
I HOPE IT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM TODAY.
OUR FAMILIES ARE WORKING HARDER THAN EVER TO KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING FOR MANY OF THEM.
SHARP ELEMENTARY IS A SECOND HOME.
OUR STUDENTS SPEND SIX, EIGHT OR MORE HOURS A DAY ON CAMPUS, BUT OUR CAMPUS HAS VERY LITTLE SHAME AND A LOT OF ASPHALT.
TEMPERATURES IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEKEND ARE REACHING CLOSE TO A HUNDRED DEGREES, I AM ASKING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF A SHARP STUDENT.
IMAGINE SPENDING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DAY ON A CAMPUS LIKE OURS DURING THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
NOW IMAGINE HOW MUCH WORSE IT COULD BECOME AS OUR SUMMERS CONTINUE GETTING HOTTER, SHARP FAMILIES.
WERE TOLD THAT CONSTRUCTION ON OUR GREEN SPACE PROJECT WILL BEGIN THIS PAST SUMMER, BUT IT DID NOT.
THIS IS NOT MY FIRST BOARD MEETING ASKING FOR HELP, BUT I TRULY HOPE IT'S MY LAST TIME HAVING TO PLEAD FOR THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE HELP SHARP ELEMENTARY GET THIS PROJECT STARTED AND COMPLETED.
OUR CHILDREN HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S HEAR FROM CALLIE NOW, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS, AND I, I DID FIRST GRADE AND MY TEACHER'S NAME IS MISS, AND I THINK WE SHOULDA HAVE A
AND ALSO, I, THERE'S A SOCCER GAMES AT THE SCHOOL AND I ALSO SEE THE KIDS CLOSET THIS YEAR.
AND I KNOW MY, WHILE MY NURSE RUNNING OUT WITH THE WHEELCHAIR AND I WANT THIS STOP.
AND THAT'S WHY I DECIDED WE SHOULD HAVE A, AT MY SCHOOL.
I WANT TO REPLACE THE CONCRETE.
ALL RIGHT, ELENE GONZALEZ, I SEE YOU'RE ON THE LINE WITH US.
ELENE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
I ELENE GONZALEZ, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HI, UM, I'M ALSO CALLING IN AS A PARENT FROM SHARP ELEMENTARY AND JUST AS MR. NATHAN AND KELLY, MY CONCERN IS ALSO THE SAME FOR OUR GREEN
[02:25:01]
SPACE THAT HAD BEEN PROMISED TO GET STARTED DURING THE SUMMER WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION.AND, YOU KNOW, WE GET BACK AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
SO WE ALSO WOULD LIKE SOME ANSWERS AS TO WHERE WE WITH THAT AND IF WE CAN GET IT DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT CALLER IS JUDITH PARES.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UM, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY, MY NAME IS AND I A 12TH GRADE AT HIGH SCHOOL.
I SHARE MY CONCERN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC WASTE BEING BY SCHOOL SCHOOLS POLICY PROGRAM ALSO, UH, WHICH SUPPORT DEVELOPING, ADVOCATING FOR THROUGHOUT EDUCATIONAL TRAINING THAT I'VE OPENED MY EYES TO THE, TO THE TRUE DANGER ABOUT PLASTIC WASTE AND HOW IT NEVER TRULY GOES AWAY.
THIS, THIS ISSUE IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR DISTRICT BECAUSE LU OWNS 258 MAGNET CENTERS, 87 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, FOUR AND 37 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND MORE THAT AMOUNT TO A GRAND TOTAL OF 1,005 20 SCHOOLS AND CENTERS AS OF JULY, 2026, WHICH EMPHASIZES HOW LARGE AN IMPACT WE'LL HAVE AND PRESENT OUR DISTRICT.
AS ALWAYS, THINKING OF THE FUTURE WHILE ALSO SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER DISTRICTS TO FOLLOW THROUGH A CP.
I'LL HAVE DEVELOPED A PROPOSED BOARD POLICY FOR OUR DISTRICT AND MY GOAL IS TO RETURN WITH A DEVELOPED PROPOSAL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR GUIDANCE IN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING THIS PROPOSAL BACK TO THE BOARD AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION COLLABORATIVELY.
PLEASE LET KNOW WE THE BOARD OR DISTRICT STAFF I SHOULD FOLLOW UP WITH ABOUT GETTING MY PROPOSED POLICY ADDED TO FUTURE BOARD EVENT AGENDA.
AND I WOULD AGAIN LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO MY, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
RACHEL CARSON, YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, BUT YOU'RE NOT ONLINE WITH US.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? RACHEL CARSON.
AND LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE MR. DAVID KOSKY ALSO SIGNED UP.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MEMBERS AND ENJOYED THE CONVERSATION.
JUST WANNA BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD MEMBER AND OTHERS THAT, UH, LINEAGE HAS ANOTHER HUGE, NOT AS BIG AS THE BOYLE HEIGHTS ONE, UH, WITHIN A HALF A MILE, I BELIEVE IT IS IN WILMINGTON FROM BANNING HIGH SCHOOL AND ABOUT FOUR OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REPORT ALREADY TO THE BOARD MEMBER, AT LEAST THE WHOLE BOARD, UH, ABOUT THOSE RISKS AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE STUDENTS IN THE EASTMAN, EEC WHO ARE NOT TK AND ABOVE THERE ARE FETUSES POTENTIALLY AT RAMONA HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS UP THE STREET ON INDIANA.
AND AS WAS ASKED EARLIER WHEN THE DELTA PLANE DROPPED FUEL ON THE SCHOOLS WITHIN TWO DAYS, UH, THEN SUPERINTENDENT HAD THE CEO OF DELTA ON THE 24TH FLOOR AND TALKING TO HIM, UH, WHEN THE GAS COMPANY, UH, IN PORTER RANCH RELEASED THE ENTIRE 24TH FLOOR WAS FILLED WITH GAS COMPANY EXECUTIVES WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE, BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON POSTPONING THE, THE NORM DAY IN THE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA.
BUT THAT COST COULD BE OVER $5 MILLION AND THAT SHOULD BE ON THE CORPORATE ENTITIES.
I'M NOT GONNA SP PICK ONE BECAUSE THE INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THERE MAY BE A VARIETY OF ERRORS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CITY ATTORNEY, OR CITY ATTORNEYS BECAUSE IT'S MANY CITIES.
AND I WOULD REMIND THE BOARD THAT YOU HAVE A BEVY OF LAWYERS HERE THAT ARE VERY GOOD AT BRINGING CAUSE FOR THE INTERESTS OF CHILDREN.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUSES, UH, NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
THE IDEA WAS BRILLIANT AS PRESENTED BY THE TEAM THAT WAS JUST HERE, UH, FROM AND, BUT THAT WAS A SMALL ENTERPRISE.
THERE ARE NOW OVER $500 MILLION OF CLPS, SOME OF WHICH WENT TO IT, BUT MANY OF 'EM ARE FOR ALL SORTS OF ERRORS IN THE ROLLOUT THAT WAS PRESENTED.
I THINK YOU NEED AN INVESTIGATION DOWN TO DOLLARS AND CENTS ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT HAS BEEN YIELDED IN THAT AREA.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
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OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, OUR PRESENTERS, AND I ALSO WANNA REALLY GIVE A HUGE GRATITUDE TO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND, UM, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP WITH MR. CRIERS CLIO AND THEN CHRISTINA TOS, UH, FOR YOUR WORK AS WELL.
UM, THIS COMMITTEE WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE.
AND ALSO CARLOS TORRES, WHO IS, UH, A CHIEF OF OEHS, UH, OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, HEALTH AND SAFETY, UH, FOR YOUR WORK.
UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK AND THIS, UH, WORK THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL BE FOCUSED ON FOR AS LONG AS I'M HERE,