Meeting Minutes - Final

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Integrated Pest

Management Advisory Committee

10:00 AM

Thursday, January 16, 2025

4585 Pacheco Blvd. Ste 100 Carquinez Room

Conference Room- 11784 San Pablo Ave., El

Cerrito, CA 94530

https://zoom.us/j/94760631959

Phone one-tap:+16699006833,,94760631959# US

(San Jose)

Members Present: Kimberly Hazard (Chair), Susanna Thompson (Vice Chair), Carlos Agurto

(Secretary), Roxana Lucero, Susan Heckly, Jutta Burger, Michele Mancuso, Gabe Chan, Chris Lau,

Thomas Fenster

Members Absent: Andrew Sutherland

Staff Present: Nicole Heath, Allison Knapp, Cameron Collins

Convene and Introductions

The meeting was called to order at 10:02 AM. Chair Hazard and Jutta Burger attended remotely under

“just cause” circumstances in accordance with AB 2449 teleconferencing rules.

Public comment on items not on this agenda (speakers will be limited to three minutes unless

otherwise indicated by the Chair)

None

CONSIDER approval of the November 21, 2024 Integrated Pest Management Advisory

Committee meeting minutes.

A motion was made and seconded (KH/ST) to approve the minutes as corrected.

Ayes: Chan, Lucero, Heckly, Lau, Mancuso, Fenster, Thompson, Hazard

Noes: None

Abstain: Agurto, Burger

Absent: Sutherland

Public Speakers: None

RECEIVE a presentation from IPM Coordinator Nicole Heath on 2024 annual report

The acting IPM Coordinator presented the 2024 annual report and answered questions. No formal

action was taken.

Presentation slides and the IPMAC Annual Report are attached.

Public Speakers: Wade Finlinson

REVIEW the standing sub committees and task forces

The Committee discussed the current subcommittees and their present composition. The

Decision-Making Subcommittee is the only standing subcommittee. The Committee previously formed

subcommittees to focus on IPM training and nature-based climate solutions that have overlap with IPM

practices. The IPM Training Subcommittee had an initial meeting in 2023, but did not meet in 2024. The

subcommittee focusing on nature-based solutions has not yet convened.

Some members expressed frustration that the Training Subcommittee never reconvened after their first

meeting and stressed the importance of keeping subcommittee members engaged so they can carry out

intended aims. Others sought clarity of nature-based solutions which were defined as low-impact land

management techniques that mitigate negative climate impacts that also provide co-benefits relating to

pest management, improving runoff, and other outcomes. It was also suggested that these solutions

could also garner funding for implementing these practices.

Tommy Fenster agreed to chair the Nature-based Solutions Subcommittee, Michele Mancuso agreed to

chair the IPM Training Subcommittee, and Carlos Agurto will remain the Chair of the Decision-Making

Subcommittee. Several members volunteered for each subcommittee and the Chair will make final

subcommittee assignments at the next meeting. There was also some discussion about reconvening a

subcommittee focused on IPM outreach. Committee members indicated interest in having additional

dialog on that topic at future meeting.

Public speakers: None

DISCUSS term statuses and limits

The Chair indicated that her term on the Sustainability Commission and IPMAC ends on March 31st

and she will not seek reappointment. Members requested that term end dates be included in these

minutes. Ex-officio terms have no end date; all others are as follows:

• Susan Heckly (Fish and Wildlife Committee Representative)—February 28, 2026

• Susanna Thompson (Public Member #3, At Large)—December 31, 2026

• Roxana Lucero (Environmental Organization Representative)—December 31, 2026

• Thomas Fenster (Public Member #1, At Large)—December 31, 2027

• Jutta Burger (Public Member #2, At Large)—December 31, 2027

The incoming IPM Coordinator agreed to individually notify IPMAC members if they still need to

complete mandatory Brown Act, ethics, or implicit bias training.

Public Speakers: None

RECEIVE updates and announcements from Committee members and staff

The following updates were provided:

• IPMAC representatives presented recommendations to TWIC (Transportation, Water, and

Infrastructure Committee of the Board of Supervisors) in their December meeting.

Draft minutes are available at the link below:

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M=F&ID=13773860&GUID=151DBD7C-BF48-40C5-891E-624DD4C83FFC

•The application for a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

regarding Weed Management Areas (WMA’s) will close at the end of February.

• A revised version of the Weed Control User Tool (WeedCUT) has been posted, link below:

https://weedcut-new.ipm.ucanr.edu/

• A recruitment was announced for an IPM-related position with San Francisco’s Municipal Toxics

Reduction Program.

• PWD-Maintenance gave a staffing update. There are currently seven Maintenance Worker vacancies

and three vacant Vegetation Management Technician positions. One Vegetation Management

Technician recently obtained an Agricultural Pest Control Advisor’s License (PCA).

DISCUSS 2025 committee elections

Susanna Thompson was nominated for Chair by Kim Hazard and Ms. Thompson accepted the

nomination. Gabe Chan accepted a nomination to serve as Vice Chair by Carlos Agurto. Carlos Agurto

was nominated by Kim Hazard to remain as Secretary and he accepted. No other nominations were

made. A motion was made and seconded (KH/SH) to elect Susanna

Thompson as Chair, Gabe Chan as Vice Chair, and Carlos Agurto as Secretary.

Ayes: Thompson, Chan, Lucero, Heckly, Agurto, Lau, Mancuso, Fenster, Burger, Hazard

Noes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Sutherland

Public Speakers: Wade Finlinson

DISCUSS future 2025 meeting dates

A motion was made and seconded (ST/SH) to adopt a meeting schedule for the remainder of 2025 as

follows:

• Thursday March 20th at 10:00 AM

• Thursday, September 18th at 10:00 AM

• Thursday, November 20th at 10:00 AM

Ayes: Mancuso, Lau, Agurto, Heckly, Lucero, Chan, Thompson, Fenster, Burger, Hazard

Noes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Sutherland

It was noted that the work of the subcommittees would be prioritized between March and September.

Meeting locations will be confirmed by the incoming IPM Coordinator.

Public Speakers: Wade Finlinson

10.

RECOMMEND future agenda items

The next meeting of the full Committee is scheduled for March 20th at 10:00 AM. Topics suggested for

future meetings included outreach, IPM-related mapping/geospatial analysis, the Department of

Pesticide Regulation’s notification system, and invasive species. There were also sentiments expressed

about the need to improve regional collaborations on a wide variety of pest management endeavors that

range from wild pigs to problematic plants. The incoming IPM Coordinator agreed to provide

background and guidance about the work of the subcommittees in the March meeting.

Public Speakers: None

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 11:42 AM.