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CARPD Communicator

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Message President’s MessageCARPD Honors 2025Legislator of theYearSB 499 - CARPD’sSponsoredLegislation Legislative UpdateSave the Date -CARPD Conference2026Congrats to CAPRIon 40 Years!Legal Upate -Registry of PublicAgencies1Fellow Park professional Leslie Knope once said, “you only getone chance to make a second impression,” so here it goes. Hello everyone, it is a pleasure to write for you again and sincethis is communicator is coming to you digitally, you can take itwith you everywhere you go. Summer has come to an end, and our holiday events arestarting to take shape. Many of our communities rely on ourDistricts for celebrations and we have an opportunity to makenew friends or form friendly partnerships. Recently, we haveseen an interest from our local congresspeople and localbusinesses in sponsoring some of our events. This allows us tocontinue to provide quality community events while keepingcosts down, it is a win for all involved, so don’t be afraid to ask. One of the most difficult things we are all facing is informationoverload, with frequent world events and local updates makingit difficult to stay informed about changes that affect ourDistricts. In the last Communicator, I mentioned the BoardMember Roundtable and how beneficial it is for our electedofficials. For this Communicator message, I want to mentionour GM Roundtable. This is a great place to not only shareideas, but to catch up, learn and do a mini deep-dives on topicsthat directly impact our parks in real time. On a recent Zoommeeting, we discussed Senate Bill 499 (recognizing parkfacilities as essential services and critical community publicsafety infrastructure), as well as QUIMBY and our local LAFCOcommissions. Not all Districts have the resources to follow these issuesclosely, but together we can help each other stay focused onwhat matters. Collaboration is the “old school” Intelligence(nothing artificial about it). CARPD focuses on the people in ourprofession, and we will all go far, if we go together. Thank you for being a member of CARPD and I look forward toour next time together. Dean WetterGeneral Manager, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park DistrictCARPD Board PresidentCARPDCommunicatorInside this Issue:P R E S I D E N T - D E A N W E T T E RS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5President’s Message

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CARPD Honors 2025 Legislator of the YearCARPD is proud to honor Senator Henry Stern as the recipient of our 2025Legislator of the Year award!Senator Stern, who represents portions of Ventura and Los Angeles counties,has regularly been a tireless advocate for local parks and recreation duringhis time in the California State Senate. The award recognizes the Senator'scollaboration with CARPD on SB 499, a bill that highlights the critical role ofparkland and recreational facilities in emergency and disaster response. CARPD President-Elect Jesus Perez, Directors Michelle Lacy and MichaelSeaman, and Executive Director Matthew Duarte recently presented theaward to Senator Stern at the Capitol. CARPD is incredibly grateful for Sen.Stern’s partnership and unwavering support of California’s local recreationand park agencies! Congrats to Sen. Stern!S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 52

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Thank you CARPDSponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 3

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 4

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SB 499 - CARPD’s Sponsored Legislation UpdateCARPD is the proud sponsor of SB 499 (Stern)!As California faces increasingly severe wildfires and other climate-driven disasters, itis vital that we empower communities with every available tool for mitigation andemergency response. Parks and recreational areas are more than communityamenities—they are integral components of our public safety infrastructure. Thesespaces serve as fuel breaks, emergency gathering sites, evacuation staging areas,and heating or cooling centers during climate emergencies.By clarifying that these facilities are eligible for fee deferral exemptions underexisting development statutes, SB 499 will remove ambiguity and support moreeffective local planning and resource allocation. It complements the intent of SB 937(Wiener) [Chapter 290, Statutes of 2024] by ensuring that park infrastructure—whendirectly related to public safety—is not overlooked in development-related fundingdecisions. CARPD is committed to supporting practical, forward-thinking solutionsand is proud to partner with Senator Henry Stern on this important bill.CARPD, its members, and its legislative advocates have been leading the charge onthe bill as it worked its way through the Assembly and Senate. In July, CARPD BoardSecretary, Doug Nickles, and CARPD Executive Director, Matthew Duarte, testifiedbefore the Assembly Local Government Committee as the bill passed on a 7-0 vote. Earlier this month, SB 499 was passed both the Assembly and Senate and iscurrently on Governor Newsom's desk. Thank you to all of our member districts foryour support!S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 55

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 56

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 57CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years!

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 8

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 59We can’t wait to see you there!

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 10

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 11

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 12

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 13

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Legislative UpdateBy Dane HutchingsCalifornia Public Policy GroupCPPG 2025 End of Session ReportLegislature Closes out 2025 SessionAt approximately 3 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday, September 13, the California StateLegislature adjourned year one of its two-year legislative session. In the final days of the legislativesession, advocates representing public entities, labor unions, private sector companies, andvarious trade associations worked around the clock to make final pitches to lawmakers and staffto advance client interests. All told for this first year of session, the total number of measures that were introduced came in at2,832, with approximately 890 bills advancing through the Legislature for Governor GavinNewsom’s consideration. Hundreds of pending bills impacting local government touching onhousing and land use and operations advanced this year. Due to a rule waiver, the Governor nowhas until October 13 to either sign or veto legislation. Unless a bill specifically states otherwise, alllaws signed by the Governor will take effect on January 1, 2026. Any bill on which the Governortakes no action by the deadline will automatically become law without his signature.Below is a high-level summary of some of the most intriguing storylines that played out at theend of the 2025 session. Should you have any questions regarding these, or any other piece oflegislation, please contact CPPG staff.KEY MEASURES OF INTERESTSB 840 (Limón) Greenhouse gases: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: studies.Status: Governor’s deskAB 1207 and SB 840 represent the Legislature’s agreement on California’s cap-and-tradeprogram. AB 1207 reauthorizes the program—now renamed the California Cap-and-InvestProgram—extending it through 2045. SB 840 provides the corresponding expenditure planfor the revenues generated. While a cap-and-trade framework had been anticipated sincethe start of the year, negotiations stretched through most of the legislative session withoutresolution by late August. Ultimately, lawmakers reached a deal that paired the long-termextension in AB 1207 with detailed appropriations laid out in SB 840.AB 339 (Ortega) Local public employee organizations: notice requirements.Status: Governor’s deskAB 339 was a reintroduction of a similar bill from last year, AB 2557 (Ortega). The billrequires public agencies to give a recognized employee organization no less than 45 days’written notice regarding contracts to perform services that are within the scope of work ofjob classifications represented by the recognized employee organization. SB 707 (Durazo) Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements.Status: Governor’s deskSB 707 proposes a series of changes to the Brown Act. Introduced in late February, the billunderwent significant revisions over the following months. By July, it had absorbed severalother measures aimed at expanding teleconferencing flexibility. These were AB 259(Rubio), AB 409 (Arambula), AB 467 (Fong), and SB 239 (Arreguín). The bill had also beenamended to include an extension of AB 992 (Mullin, 2020). In early September, the bill wasamended to redefine “eligible legislative body,” effectively exempting most special districtsfrom the requirement to provide remote public comment during open meetings of theirboards of directors. SB 827 (Gonzalez) Local agency officials: training.Status: Governor’s deskSB 827 adds any department head or other similar administrative officer to the list of localofficials that must complete ethics training at least once every two years. The bill alsorequires any local agency official who makes decisions or recommendations on the localagency’s financial administration, budgeting, or use of public resources to complete fiscaland financial training at least once every two years.S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 514

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 15

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 516

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 517

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 519

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CAPRI - 40 years of ServiceCongrats to CAPR I on 40 yea rs of ser ving California's recreation a nd park distric ts!As you may know, CARPD pl ayed a pi vo t al, fo u nding ro le in est a blishing theCaliforn ia Association for Pa rk and Recreation Inde m nity ("CAPRI"), recognizing afundamen t al need for specialized coverage that could only come f rom self-insurance. At the time, the tradi t ional model le f t many d istricts vuln erable tofluctua t ing rates and limite d coverage, h indering their a b ility to provide essentia lcommunity se rv i ces. Th e JPA model allowed recreatio n an d pa rk di s tricts to pooltheir resources a n d collec tively bear risk , c reating economies of scale and gai n ingthe operationa l base necessar y for sound s elf-insurance. This app roach ensuredthat premium contribution s were reinvested in the pool for the direct benef it ofthe members, rather than enriching priva te carri ers. CARPD's leadershi p wasinstrumen tal in m o bilizing member a gencies to pursue a collective solut i on.Now forty years later, CAPRI's enduring su ccess over th e dec a des is a testament toCARPD's initial vi s ion and th e principles o f cooperation and s elf-re liance itchampioned. The establ i shment of this self- i nsurance pool provides m emberdistricts wit h s t able rates, cu s tomi zed coverage, and a voice i n t heir insurancepro gram, signif ic antly insulatin g t hem f rom the cyclical nature of the commercialinsurance market . Ultimately, this foundatio n al effor t by CARPD has allowe d California's recreationand pa rk districts to operate with greater f inan cial stability an d conf idence,ensuring they ca n cont i nue to deliver hi g h-qua l ity, l ife- e nhancin g recrea t ionalser v ices to t heir communi ties, a m i ssion central to both CARPD and CAPR I.S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 520

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 521

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 534

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 525Legal Update - Registry of Public AgenciesKeeping your District's information accurate and up-to-date in the Registry ofPublic Agencies isn't just good practice – it's a critical legal safeguard. This publicregistry serves as a vital public resource, providing essential details about yourDistrict, including its legal name, off icial mailing address, and the names andaddresses of all governing board members, including the chairperson andsecretary. Think of it as a public directory that ensures transparency andaccessibility for anyone needing off icial information about your district .California Government Code section 53051 mandates that ever y governmentagency (including recreation and park districts) f ile a Statement of Facts form SF-405 with both the California Secretary of State and your County Clerk in eachcounty where your District has an off ice. This isn't a one-time task; the lawrequires Districts to amend their statement within 10 days of any change to thesebasic facts, such as welcoming new board members after an election orappointment. It's also crucial to use your district's full legal name, not anabbreviated acronym, when f iling to ensure proper identif ication.One of the primary reasons for maintaining an accurate Registry listing is its directimpact on legal claims. Under the Government Claims Act , potential claimants relyon this information to properly f ile a claim against your district. The timely f iling ofsuch a claim is a mandator y prerequisite before any lawsuit can proceed. If theinformation in your District's Registry listing is signif icantly inaccurate orincomplete, it could have severe consequences, potentially waiving therequirement for claimants to f ile a timely governmental claim, opening yourdistrict up to immediate litigation. Indeed, there has been a recent trend in state court f ilings in which there is achallenge to an agency’s legal status as a government agency by pointing to thecurrentness of the f ilings in the Registry of Public Agencies. Your District shouldtake action to ensure your f iling is up to date and accurate by completing the SF-405 form and following the mailing instructions found on the California Secretar yof State website at https: //bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sf/forms/sf-405.pdf..

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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 526

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CARPD Board of DirectorsThe CARPD Board of Directors consists of eleven elected representatives of theCARPD Membership. In these volunteer positions, the Board provides policydirection for the organization in order to fulfill its mission to advocate, educate,and support California’s recreation and park districts. Thank you to all, past andpresent, that have served our organization!Directors:Michael SeamanJan BissellDennis WaespiMathew FuzieRick SloanMichelle LacyPresident:Dean Wetter President-Elect:Jesus Perez Past President:Brian DanzlSecretary:Doug NicklesCFO:Al McGreehanS E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 527Pictured (left to right) Board Member Rick Sloan, Past President Brian Danzl, Secretary Doug Nickles, Board Member Dennis Waespi, HonoraryMember Nick Schouten, President Dean Wetter, President-Elect Jesus Perez, Board Member Michael Seaman and Board Member Michelle Lacy. (Missing from photo: CFO Al McGreehan, Board Member Jan Bissell, and Board Member Mathew Fuzie)