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[Roll Call]
WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 21ST 2026 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL.
>> THANK YOU. DIRECTOR COFFEY?
>> GREAT. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTE, BUT WE HAVE NO MINUTES TO APPROVE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,
[Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda]
WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.>> I WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS. YES, I HAVE ONE.
THIS IS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT EITHER IN-PERSON OR VIA ZOOM.
THOSE ATTENDING IN-PERSON SHALL SUBMIT A SPEAKER CARD TO THE CLERK STAFF OR OTHERWISE INDICATE THEIR DESIRE TO SPEAK ON A NON-AGENDA ITEM.
THOSE ATTENDING VIA ZOOM MAY USE THE RAISE YOUR HAND FEATURE.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE PROVIDED UP TO THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
A COUNTDOWN TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED FOR THE SPEAKER'S CONVENIENCE.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER CARD AND NO HANDS UP ONLINE. YOU MAY GO AHEAD.
>> HELLO, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF.
MY NAME IS MARGARET SANDS, AND I AM REPRESENTING AFSCME LOCAL 2428.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT ON NOVEMBER 4TH, THE BOARD ADOPTED A LIST OF OBSERVANCES AND ASKED STAFF TO REVIEW ADDITIONAL OBSERVANCES AND QUICKLY BRING THEM BACK TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC?
>> THERE IS NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> THEN WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE NEXT ITEM IS ACTION ITEMS,
[Informational Items]
BUT WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS TODAY.THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. SOME OF THE BOARD'S SERVICES PROGRAM.
>> GOOD MORNING, PRESIDENT SANWONG AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
I'M ALLISON BROOKS, AGM FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, AND I'M JUST GOING TO INTRODUCE DAVE MASON.
DAVE HAS BEEN WORKING HARD ON BUILDING OUT THE BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM SINCE HE STEPPED INTO THIS NEW ROLE, AND I JUST WANT TO SUPPORT HIM AND ALL THE WORK HE'S BEEN DOING.
I KNOW HE'S BEEN REACHING OUT TO EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GET YOUR INPUT AS WELL AND TALKING TO ALL THE DIVISIONS ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS HELPFUL TO YOU.
INPUT THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING AT THE END OF HIS PRESENTATION WILL BE HELPFUL TO CONTINUE TO EMERGE THE PROGRAM.
>> SURE. HELLO, BOARD MEMBERS.
DAVE MASON HERE. HELLO, NEW PRESIDENT, SANWONG.
I'M HERE TO TALK UP BASICALLY ABOUT THE NEW BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM.
REALLY THE FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AS OFFICIAL BOARD MEMBERS IN THAT CAPACITY. IT'S IMPORTANT THERE.
ALSO, IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING THE TOOLS, INFORMATION, RESOURCES YOU NEED TO DO THAT.
I'LL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. HOW TO DO THAT? ONE OF THE GOALS HERE IS TO PROVIDE A CENTRALIZED, STRUCTURED, PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, ORGANIZED PROGRAM TO HELP YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE DISTRICT IN THE COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BOARD MEETING ONES, BUT BASICALLY TO KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN ONE PLACE AND KEEP IT UP DATE, AS WELL AS INFORMATION AND UPDATE INFORMATION ON ISSUES THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS CHANGING AND COMING ABOUT.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE INFORMATION AND BE IN THE KNOW AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
PROVIDE ALSO EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACHING TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT AND ELEMENT IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS BOARD MEMBERS.
PROMOTE DELIVERY OF A CONSISTENT MESSAGE.
IT'LL OBVIOUSLY HELP US ALL MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING OFF THE SAME SONG SHEET, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC AND PROVIDING INFORMATION.
ALSO TRYING TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION ALL WITH THE LEAST NUMBER OF STEPS POSSIBLE, BASICALLY MAKE IT REALLY EASY, SO YOU GUYS KNOW WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION, HOW TO GET THE INFORMATION, AND IT'S NOT CONFUSING OR HAVE TO ASK ME A QUESTION ABOUT, HOW DO I GET THAT INFORMATION? MAKE IT SIMPLE AND EASY IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHERE TO GO AND HOW TO GET IT.
REALLY LAST ONE HERE IS JUST OVERALL MISSION, I GUESS, YOU SAY, OR OBJECTIVE IS REALLY TRYING TO AVOID OR LIMIT BOARD MEMBERS BEING SURPRISED BY THINGS LIKE A NEW BROCHURE COMING OUT.
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NOT REALLY SURPRISED, BUT TRYING TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT THROUGH A PROACTIVE EFFORT HERE, GETTING YOU THE INFORMATION AND UP-TO-DATE THINGS THAT YOU NEED AND WOULD EXPECT AS BOARD MEMBERS.THAT'S A MAJOR BACK END OF THINKING AND JUST TRYING TO GET INFORMATION SO THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS IN THE KNOW AND HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO BE GOOD BOARD MEMBERS AND FEEL EMPOWERED IN ENGAGING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC.
THE NEXT ONE REALLY IS THE FRAMEWORK OF HOW TO DO THIS.
WE SPENT SOME TIME HERE TRYING TO TALK TO A LOT OF BOARD MEMBERS, DIFFERENT STAFF AT THE DISTRICT, IN TERMS OF COMING UP WITH A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW THIS PROGRAM WILL ACHIEVE ITS GOALS.
FIRST THING IS TRYING TO PROVIDE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE CONTACTS AND POINT OF CONTACT FOR THINGS LIKE POLICY.
THAT'S DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY. SAME THING WITH THE BOARD FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS THE CLERK OF THE BOARD'S OFFICE AND CLERK.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, DOING PRESENTATIONS, HAVING INFORMATION YOU NEED, I'LL BE THE POINT OF CONTACT IN THAT ELEMENT THROUGH THE BOARD SERVICES PROGRAM.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S PART OF THIS IS OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPING THE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU NEED AND OBVIOUSLY ALSO COORDINATION SUPPORT FOR GETTING OUT AND DOING PRESENTATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM GETTING A FRESH PRESENTATION WITH UPDATED INFORMATION.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO HAVE A TEMPLATE FOR THE YEAR AND A BASE PRESENTATION.
BUT THEN THE ABILITY TO UPDATE THAT, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUPS, GET THE DATE RIGHT AND SUPPORT YOU IN THAT EFFORT TO GO OUT AND JUST SHARE THE WORD ABOUT THE DISTRICT AS BOARD MEMBERS.
NEXT ONE IS DEVELOPING THAT EVENTS CALENDAR.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG ONE IN MANY WAYS BECAUSE THERE'S OBVIOUSLY EVENTS EVERYWHERE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR ONE THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS AT LEAST WANT TO BE AWARE OF AND MAY BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING.
JUST HAVING THAT OPTION BY HAVING A CENTRAL PLACE SO WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT THOSE EVENTS AND HAVE THEM VIEWABLE FOR YOU SO YOU CAN CONSIDER THEM IN A PROGRAMMATIC WAY.
SAME THING WITH BOARD MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO TO PLACE REAL QUICK TO FIND OUT WHEN THEY'RE SCHEDULED.
THEN IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY, THE DISTRICTS.
THE DISTRICT HAS ITS OWN SIGNATURE EVENTS OR MAJOR EVENTS, EVERYTHING FROM A FUNGUS FAIR TO A MAJOR PROGRAM, A MEETING OR GOING ON FOR A PLANNING PROJECT.
THIS WILL BE ONE SPOT WHERE YOU CAN GO TO SEE WHAT THE DISTRICTS MEETINGS AND EVENTS ARE OF INTEREST.
YOU WON'T HAVE EVERYTHING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, RYAN, OUR STAFF IS OUT THERE HAVING SO MANY PROGRAMS, BUT I'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE ON WHICH ONES MIGHT BE OF INTEREST OR A PRIORITY AND CAN ADD THAT TO THAT CALENDAR FOR YOUR AWARENESS.
NEXT THING IS OBVIOUSLY THE BACKBONE OF THIS REALLY WILL BE A WEBPAGE WHERE ALL THIS INFORMATION CAN BE CAPTURED FROM UPDATES TO A DOCUMENT REPOSITORY TO THE EVENTS CALENDAR.
ALWAYS KEEPING THIS WEBSITE, ENGINE RUNNING AND UP TO DATE SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO AND WHERE TO GET INFORMATION.
I'LL ACTUALLY CIRCLE BACK TO THAT AT THE VERY END HERE TO GIVE YOU A LOOK AT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE DEVELOPING AND FINALIZING IT.
LAST COUPLE ONES REALLY ARE GENERAL BOARD REQUESTS.
OBVIOUSLY, INFORMATION REQUESTS, NOT POLICY REQUESTS.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING, BUT IT COMES TO GENERAL INFORMATION LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PROJECT OR TRYING GET THAT DOCUMENT FROM FOUR MEETINGS AGO.
BASICALLY, THIS CAN BE HELPFUL IN THERE TO TRACK THAT, PUT IT IN A LIST, AND MAKE SURE YOU GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED SO THAT YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO FOLLOW UP ON YOURSELF.
HOPEFULLY, WE'RE GETTING IT TO YOU, YOU'RE FEELING SUPPORTED, AND WE CAN ALL THINK ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC AND DOING OTHER THINGS.
THAT'S A GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED WHEN YOU'RE REQUESTED.
THEN OBVIOUSLY, EVERY OTHER WEEK, DOING EMAILS, FOR SURE, THAT ARE UPDATES ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
I JUST SENT ONE OUT A COUPLE LAST WEEK, A GENERAL ONE.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY'LL BE EMAILS IN BETWEEN THERE THAT ARE NOTICES OR INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, MAYBE EVENTS COMING UP THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TO LAST MINUTE, WHATEVER IT IS, THERE'LL BE OTHER EMAILS AS WELL.
THEN OF COURSE, PHYSICAL MATERIAL, THERE'S ALWAYS BROCHURES, FLYERS, THINGS THAT WE'RE ALWAYS DEVELOPING HERE AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE THEM QUICKLY AT HAND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE.
THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK, THE INITIAL PROGRAM NEEDS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING RIGHT NOW.
BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE WEBSITE, I WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM OVERALL OR FEEDBACK YOU WANT TO PROVIDE.
I'M GLAD TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH SOME OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
>> THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A PAUSE AND JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
HARVEY, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING TO MAX?
>> I HAD APPRECIATION TO DAVE, WHO'S REALLY JUMPED INTO DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM AND ALLISON.
REALLY I JUST WANT TO OFFER OUR WHOLE TEAM IS HERE TO SUPPORT DAVE'S SUCCESS AND THAT BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE HE'S GOT THE INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KATIE DIGNAN, WHO'S OUR ACTING AGM FOR FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR NEW DIVISION HAS JUMPED INTO IS AND THIS
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IS MAYBE TOO MUCH INSIDE BASEBALL AND TELL ME IF IT GETS BORING.BUT BETTER TRACKING OUR PROJECTS IN A SPREADSHEET SYSTEM, THAT'S ALSO INTEGRATED WITH OUR GIS.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE A PLACE WHERE DAVE OR ANYBODY ON OUR TEAM, INCLUDING YOUR BOARD, WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS CAN PULL INFORMATION FROM ANY PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DISTRICT.
EVENTUALLY, WE WANT TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC FACING AS WELL SO THE PUBLIC CAN USE IT.
BUT IN THE SHORT-TERM AT LEAST, INFORMATION FOR YOUR BOARD ABOUT ANY PROJECT GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT ON A TIMELY BASIS.
>> THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE I THINK A GOOD CASE STUDY EXAMPLE THAT WOULD BE THE PATTERSON RANCH PROJECT AT COYOTE HILLS, WHERE I KNOW THERE'S VERY MINIMAL INFORMATION SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC IN REGARDS TO THE DELAYS OF THAT PROJECT.
THEN I KNOW WHEN I WOULD TRY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT, I ALSO DIDN'T GET VERY MUCH INFORMATION AND I WAS WITH THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF CHECKING THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.
THAT WAS MY MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC THAT I HAD NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND THAT I ALSO RELIED ON THE WEBSITE AND THAT'S AS MUCH AS I KNOW.
THAT CAN BE OUR STRATEGY, BUT I DO THINK IN TERMS OF EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SUCH LONG DELAYS, I THINK COYOTE HILLS, PATTERSON RANCH PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2023/2024 TIME FRAME, AND I KNOW WE HAD SOME DELAYS ON THAT.
THOSE ARE IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS AND TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
I GUESS SOMETIMES THERE'S ALSO THE MIX UP THAT WHEN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS ARE ASKING QUESTIONS OR RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THINGS SUCH AS A PROJECT LIKE THE COYOTE HILLS PATTERSON RANCH PROJECT.
THERE'S THIS ASSUMPTION THAT, IT'S JUST THE BOARD MEMBER THAT CARES ABOUT THAT.
I'VE HEARD COMMENTS LIKE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT OLIVIA CARES ABOUT THAT OR IT'S RESOLVED.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT I'M NECESSARILY PASSIONATE ABOUT EACH OF THE PROJECTS I BRING UP, IT IS THAT I HEAR FROM SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND I KNOW MY ROLE HERE ON THE BOARD IS AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AND OF THE PUBLIC.
I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN BOARD MEMBERS ARE ASKING QUESTIONS OR MAKING SUGGESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS.
>> THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK. I DO HAVE THAT IN MIND THAT AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO KEEP THOSE KEY PROJECTS.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SO MANY IN THIS LIST, BUT THAT'S A KEY ONE AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER KEY ONES.
IT'S TRYING TO PROVIDE FREQUENT UPDATES ON WHERE THINGS ARE.
AT LEAST YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE UP TO DATE, TOO.
THE THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME, THREE MONTHS AGO, WHEN YOU INQUIRED.
IT'S REALLY PROACTIVELY TRYING TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED.
I PUT MYSELF IN YOUR SHOES AS IF I WAS A BOARD MEMBER, WHAT WOULD I WANT TO KNOW? IT'S THAT SIMPLE IN A WAY I WOULD WANT TO KNOW RELATIVELY LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OR A MONTH, AT LEAST, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PROJECT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN MY WARD.
TRYING TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN I'M DOING THIS PROGRAM, DESIGNING IT AND OBVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTING.
THAT BRINGS UP A COUPLE OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY A BIG PART OF THIS IS, HOW DO YOU DO IT? THERE'S TWO MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS.
ONE IS THERE ARE SEVEN DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS, DIFFERENT WARDS, DIFFERENT INTERESTS, DIFFERENT STRENGTHS.
THAT'S SOMETHING ALWAYS I'M KEEPING IN MIND IS LIKE, I'M TRYING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE EVEN THE DISTRICTS ARE A DIFFERENT SIZE, DEMOGRAPHICS.
TRYING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.
THE OTHER ONE MAX WAS SAYING IS THAT, WE'RE A LARGE ORGANIZATIONS, SO WE'RE NATURALLY A LITTLE BIT DECENTRALIZED.
INFORMATION IS A LITTLE BIT ALL OVER.
TRYING TO BREAK THAT DOWN AND RECENTRALIZE SOME OF IT, AT LEAST IN THIS PROGRAM, WHERE I CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE DOCUMENTS, THE CALENDARS.
I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH A LOT OF HEADS OF DIVISIONS TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE THEY KEEPING THERE? I'M AWARE OF THAT SHEETS THEY'RE GETTING TO, RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE OTHER SHEETS THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO.
BUT ALSO LOOKING AT INR, HOW ARE THEY KEEPING THEIR CALENDARS OR THEIR OBJECTIVES AND HAVING ONE PLACE FOR MYSELF, SO I CAN KEEP GOING BACK TO IT IN TERMS OF GETTING INFORMATION, PUTTING IN THE EVENTS CALENDAR, GIVING YOU GUYS UPDATES ON THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR WARDS OR THAT IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST DISTRICT-WIDE.
BECAUSE I CAN TELL SOME THINGS MIGHT BE RELATIVELY SMALL, MONEY-WIDE, OR INTEREST LEVEL LIKE A BATHROOM AND BRAND NEW BATHROOM BEING PUT IN A STAGING AREA.
WE DO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THOSE PER YEAR AND IT'S A FUNCTIONAL THING THAT WE DO.
IT'S A BIG ACHIEVEMENT WE KNOW TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT LIKE PUTTING IN A BRAND NEW BATHROOM IN A STAGING AREA IS SOMETHING WORTH LISA COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC TO SHOW THAT WE'RE ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING AND PROVIDING SERVICES AND UPDATES AND IMPROVEMENTS NO MATTER HOW LARGE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH MEANINGFUL WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE PARKS OR JOIN A PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE THE WAYS THAT I LOOK AT BUILDING THIS PROGRAM AND CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT IT.
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I'LL SHOW A WEBPAGE REAL QUICK WITH YOU, IF THAT'S OKAY.>> HERE IT IS AND THIS WILL ALSO WORK ON PHONES.
THIS IS BASICALLY THROUGH THE SHAREPOINT APP, AND SET UP ON ALL YOUR PHONES SO YOU HAVE A BUTTON THAT YOU GOES DIRECTLY TO THIS, SO YOU CAN GET INFORMATION THERE.
WE'LL HAVE A FUNCTION SET UP WHERE THERE'S ALWAYS NEWS AND UPDATES.
HERE'S THE ONE THAT WAS SENT OUT RECENTLY. IT WOULD BE THERE.
OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT TO BE EMAIL, BUT THE MOST RECENT ONES WOULD ALWAYS BE HOUSED THERE IS A PLACE TO GO BACK TO.
BUT THE FUNCTIONAL ONES REALLY IS THE EVENTS, UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A GOOD CHUNK OF ONES THAT HAVE ALREADY LOADED INTO.
THESE ARE MANUAL RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M HOPING TO HAVE A LOT MORE INTEGRATION, SO WE CAN ALWAYS FIGURE OUT WHAT EVENTS ARE GOING ON AND COMING UP, EVERYTHING FROM OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD MEETINGS THAT ARE OF INTEREST AND IMPORTANT, PROBABLY ALREADY ON YOUR CALENDARS TO DISTRICT, EVENTS THAT ARE LIKE THE FUNGUS FAIRS ON HERE.
THERE'S ALSO COMMUNITY EVENTS, PLEASANTON CRABFED, I THREW IN HERE BECAUSE IT CAME ACROSS THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST.
I THINK IT'S A CHAMBER ONE, BUT OUR LIONS CLUB.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, THOSE ARE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT GO, YOU MAY EVER HAVE GONE.
AT THE LEAST, YOU MIGHT RUN INTO SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO IS A LIONS MEMBER, BE LIKE, YOUR CRAFT FEED IS COMING UP.
BUT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT JUST ARMING YOU WITH INFORMATION YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE AS A BOARD MEMBER IN THE COMMUNITY AND AS A LEADER FOR THE WARD OUT THERE FOR THE DISTRICT.
THIS IS A LOOK AT ALL THOSE EVENTS AND MEETINGS THAT ARE PUT IN THERE.
I DO HOPE OVER TIME TO GET A LOT MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS JUST BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WORK TO LAUNCH THIS A LITTLE BIT EXTERNALLY, WHERE WE'RE SOLICITING OR AT LEAST FOLKS KNOW WHERE TO SEND THEM.
RIGHT NOW WE GET THEM DIFFERENT WAYS OF THE DISTRICT.
WE ALSO HAVE TO EDUCATE INTERNALLY LIKE, HEY, IF YOU GET A REQUEST TO AN EVENT, BOARD MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, PUSH THAT INTO THIS E MAIL AND WE'LL GET IT IN HERE KIND OF THING.
THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE OF OUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS AND QUICK LINKS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS NEEDING TO GET TO AND USE, EVERYTHING FROM TIME CARDS TO THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, JUST HAVING ALL THOSE IN A NICE EASY PLACE, AND THEN A DOCUMENT REPOSITORY REALLY AND LIBRARY FOR THIS PROGRAM ITSELF.
HAVING EVERYTHING FROM THE PRESENTATIONS IN THERE TO EVENT SCRIPTS, EVENT TALKING POINTS, KEY MESSAGES ARE KEY FACTS AND MESSAGES, WHICH I'VE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER AS MEMOS TO PROVIDE SOME VETTED KEY POINTS THAT WE CAN TALK TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT ON NOT SENSITIVE ISSUES, BUT JUST A HIGH LEVEL OR NEWSWORTHY OR NOTEWORTHY ISSUES.
THAT'S HAVING ONE PLACE YOU CAN GO TO TO ALWAYS GET TO AND WE'LL HAVE THE SPEAKERS BEAU ONE, WE'LL HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN BY WARD.
YOU CAN GET IN THERE AND YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE, GO TO YOUR WARD AND LOOK AT THAT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO INTO SOMEBODY ELSE'S WALL, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE LIKE EVERYTHING'S HIDDEN OR THIS IS BASICALLY PUBLIC AND AT LEAST IN GENERALLY, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT SERVING YOU.
IT'S PUTTING THEM IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THEM, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON OTHER PLACES, IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN OPTION TOO.
>> I'M NOT SURE I QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SPEAKER'S BUREAU ACTUALLY IS.
>> GENERALLY IN THE COMMUNICATIONS FEEL IT IS A TERM FOR A PROGRAM THAT GOES OUT AND GIVES PRESENTATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY OR SPEAKS TO THE GROUPS.
SINCE WE HAVE SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS AND SOMETIMES STAFF GOES, I'M JUST CALLING IT A SPEAKERS BUREAU.
THAT'S BASICALLY JUST ANYTIME YOU'RE GOING OUT AND TOP IN THE COMMUNITY GIVING A PRESENTATION, THAT'S PART OF THE SPEAKER'S BUREAU PROGRAM.
AND WE WANT TO ARM YOU WITH PRESENTATIONS, MATERIAL SO THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO UPDATES ON PROJECTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT YOU CAN GIVE WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE AS A TOP PRESENTATION, A TOP DISCUSSION, ANSWER QUESTIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST A PROGRAMATIC WAY TO LOOK AT THAT TYPE OF A PROGRAM.
SOMETIMES YOU DO A PROACTIVE ONE WHERE YOU'RE LIKE WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT THE DISTRICT PLAN.
IT MIGHT BE LIKE WE'RE HAVING A PROACTIVE SPEAKERS BUREAU FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN.
THAT'S WHERE THAT TERM COMES FROM.
>> WHAT'S THERE WHEN I GO AND CLICK?
>> [LAUGHTER] RIGHT NOW, I HAVEN'T PUT IN 2006, PRESENTATION STILL BEING DONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I DROPPED IN ANYTHING QUITE YET.
>> YEAH, PROBABLY POWERPOINTS, MOSTLY, ALSO BACKGROUND INFORMATION. PDFS.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES, YOU'LL MAKE ONE AND IT'S GREAT AND IT'S USED.
AND THEN FOUR MONTHS LATER, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, BUT A FEW THINGS NEED TO BE CHANGED.
SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THERE FOR US TO START WITH FOR THE SECOND ONE.
>> I WOULD ALWAYS SAVE THEM IN THERE AND SAY, HEY, DIRECTOR MCCUR PRESENTATION FOR THE WALL CREEK ROTARY IS IN THE FILE.
THIS IS BIGGER THAN THE PAST HERE.
I'M DEVELOPING A PRESENTATION OF A LARGE ONE.
A SLIDE DICK, I GUESS YOU CALL WITH A ALMOST ALL THE PARKS ARE IN IT.
IT ALSO GIVES THAT MESSAGE OF GLOBALLY ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AS A DISTRICT,
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AND THEN IT HAS ALL THE PARKS AND LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON.THAT'LL BE EACH WARD WILL HAVE A STARTER ONE FOR THE YEAR.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A STARTER ONE FOR THE DISTRICT AND THIS ONE WILL HAVE A STARTER ONE FOR EACH WARD.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND BE LIKE, HEY, RJ, I WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.
IT'S BEEN A MONTH. WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO PROVIDE UPDATED INFORMATION IN IT.
IT'S ME CHECKING IN OR SOMEONE CHECKING IN WITH THE STAFF AND BEING LIKE, IS THERE ANY UPDATE AND GETTING IT IN THERE FOR YOU?
>> WITH THE SPEAKERS BUREAU, FOR THE UPCOMING RETREAT ON FRIDAY, ACTUALLY, I CREATED AN AVATAR, I SHARED IT WITH MY FRIEND WHO WAS RECENTLY JUST NAMED ON JANUARY 1, THE CEO, THE PLEASANTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND SHE LOVED IT.
THEY HAVE A MEETING COMING UP THIS NEXT TUESDAY, A WEEK FROM YESTERDAY, THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MEETING, AND SHE WANTS ME TO PRESENT ON THAT AND USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS.
THEN I GUESS I ALSO HAVE A BACKGROUND WHERE I CAN TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF AI ON THE GLOBAL AND LOCAL ECONOMY.
CERTAINLY LIVING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA.
THE TECHNOLOGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
BUT I WILL ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT I DID IN INSPIRATION OF OUR UPCOMING BOARD RETREAT.
SO I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING TO INCLUDE THERE OR NOW THAT WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE PLEASANTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, IT WOULD BE AN OPTION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU? IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN GOING OUT AND PRESENTING THE DISTRICT PLAN, BUT I WILL BE PRESENTING AND BE SHARING SOME OF WHAT I'VE DONE HERE, THE PARK DISTRICT.
>> YEAH, I THINK SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT AN OFFICIAL PRESENTATION LIKE THE WHOLE THING ABOUT THE DISTRICT.
BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO GET ON BECAUSE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THAT SPEAKERS BUREAU, THERE'S A LIST OF ALL THE ENGAGEMENTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF SCHEDULED LIKE IN JUNE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE BASICALLY JUST GET INTO THIS PROGRAM WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU NEED.
TOUCH BASE OR YOU BE LIKE, HEY, DO YOU NEED I GET YOU UPDATED DISTRICT PLAN INFORMATION OR WHATEVER IT IS, WE CAN TOUCH BASE SO THAT YOU FEEL SUPPORTED GOING IN THERE AND TALKING ABOUT AN ELEMENT THAT IS THE DISTRICT BUSINESS OR WHAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT AS A BOARD MEMBER.
AND REPRESENTING TO A DEGREE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT. SO LOOK AT LAYN.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THIS IS UNIT CAPACITY IS GOING OUT TO BOARD MEMBERS AND TALKING AND ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, YOU'RE STILL REPRESENTING YOURSELF, THERE IS THAT.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO JUST TALK AS A BOARD MEMBER WITH YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
>> WITH THIS THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A WEB VERSION FOR A PHONE, SO IT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, EVEN MORE STREAMLINED ACTUALLY.
BUT BASICALLY IT'S PROVIDED, IT'S REALLY SIMPLE, AS YOU CAN TELL, IT'S NOT ELABORATE. THAT'S THE IDEA.
IT'S REALLY MEANT TO BE A SIMPLE PLACE TO GO AND GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED AND MAKE IT SUPER COMPLICATED.
ANY SUGGESTIONS WE'LL ALSO LEARN WHAT DOCUMENTS MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO PUT UP THERE.
THE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS AND QUICK LINKS, WE'RE GUESSING IT'S EDUCATED.
WE'RE SURE THERE, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME THROUGH TIME THAT WE ADD TO THAT BASED ON COMMON USE.
>> AND THEN I KNOW WHEN YOU AND I MET THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU AND I HAD DISCUSSED, I RAN INTO I THINK HER POSITION AS A CEO.
SHE'S THE HEAD OF TRI VALLEY TV.
I RUN INTO PRETTY OFTEN ACTUALLY AT CVS, MELISSA.
I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, BUT SHE WOULD LIKE TO FEATURE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT IN A SEGMENT ON TRI VALLEY TV.
AND I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT THIS.
IS THAT ALSO SOMETHING AS BOARD MEMBERS ARE GIVEN THESE DIFFERENT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT ON?
>> ABSOLUTELY. ANYTIME YOU'RE ENGAGING OR COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC, THE PROGRAMS THERE TO SUPPORT.
I TALKED ON THAT, CONNECTED WITH ALLISON ON THAT, SO I'LL BE CALLING THEM SOON TO KIND SET UP THAT, TALK TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHICH PARK, AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT SOME DETAILS OUT, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S KIND OF THING THAT WOULD BE PART OF THIS.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES OR SOMEBODY CALLS YOU AND LIKE, HEY, I REALLY WANT YOU.
CAN YOU DO AN OPD, AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, YOU SAY, MAYBE I'LL CONSIDER IT AND THEN DO TO ME AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PATH IS TO BASICALLY BEST ADDRESS THAT AND BASICALLY BE YOUR POINT OF CONTACT. IT WAS MENTIONED ON THAT.
>> THAT'D BE GREAT BECAUSE IF I HAD MY TOP CHOICE, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT DELVAL AND MAYBE SOME OF THE VISITOR CENTER PROGRAMS, INR PROGRAMS AT DELVAL, BUT ALSO JUST HOW IMPORTANT DELVAL IS AS OUR WATER SUPPLY SOURCE, BUT ALSO AS A RECREATION DESTINATION IN THE TRI VALLEY.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT FEATURE TO CONSIDER.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON I THINK IT'D BE REALLY EXCITING TO DO.
>> LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. IT'S FUN.
I'VE WORKED WITH CHANNEL 34 BEFORE IN THE PAST AND OTHER CAPACITY.
I'M WELL AWARE OF WHAT THEY DO IN TERMS OF FEATURES AND IN DEPTH INTERESTING STORIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
[00:25:03]
A LOT OF TIMES PARKS, BUT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS OBVIOUSLY, TOO.THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, I THINK TO ALIGN.
BECAUSE WE ALSO BRING OTHER STAFF IN SUPERVISOR FROM SUPERVISING NATURALIST MIGHT BE A NICE TEAMMATE TO BRING IN AND TALK ABOUT A PARK.
THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES I THINK OUT THERE.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PUTTING THEM ON THE LIST, KEEPING IT A LITTLE BIT MANAGEABLE, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I'LL CHECK WITH ALLISON AND KELLY, REALLY TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE A LOT OF THINGS ARE KIND OF GETTING SCHEDULED HERE, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL OF THESE.
BUT I THINK HAVING FIRST A CHECK IN ON WHAT YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN DOING.
SO I'M MEETING INDIVIDUALLY WITH YOU IS A GREAT FIRST STEP TO BEING ABLE TO PUT THIS FIRST PART TOGETHER, WHICH YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION.
AND THEN SECOND PART IS RESPONDING AND GETTING YOU ANY STRATEGIC OR INTERESTS YOU HAVE MET.
AND LAST THING, I'LL POINT OUT IS THAT WE JUST GOT THIS DISTRICT PLAN BROCHURE, SO WE'RE GETTING UPDATED INFORMATION.
I'LL BE SENDING AN EMAIL ACTUALLY OUT PRETTY QUICK SOON WITH SOME INFORMATION.
BUT WE JUST GOT THIS IN ACTUALLY YESTERDAY, SO I'LL BE LEAVING 200 WITH EACH BOARD MEMBER HERE TO GET INFORMATION TO THE DISTRICT PLAN BROCHURE AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO FOLKS.
SO THINGS LIKE THIS, OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE HERE TODAY, SO I MIGHT COME.
THIS IS GREAT. WE JUST GOT IT AND GIVE IT TO YOU, SO THAT'LL BE WAITING OVER THERE.
>> AND I HAD ONE MORE AND I KNOW WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S NICE TO ALSO HAVE IT DISCUSSED AS PART OF THIS MEETING.
AND I THINK YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT OUR SISTER AGENCY EAST BAY MUD.
THEY DO THE STATE OF THE WARD OR STATE OF THE DISTRICT, PRESENTATIONS IN EACH WARD, WHERE THE DIRECTOR OF THAT WARD LEADS THE PRESENTATION AND IT'S SOMETHING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN A GREAT WAY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND WHAT'S COMING UP IN THE NEXT YEAR, AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT MODEL FOR GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATING EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING AND ALSO TAKING QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE REALLY BEEN EAGER ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF I BELIEVE OTHER EAST PARKS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED OR IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO.
>> IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED. I BROUGHT IT UP.
>> HI, ALLISON BROOKS AGM FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMBINE THAT OPPORTUNITY WITH OUTREACH ON THE DISTRICT PLAN AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE EXPLORING IS SETTING UP A BIG EVENT IN EACH BOARD OVER THE NEXT YEAR THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT, AND ALSO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE IN DISTRICT PLAN, PROVIDE PLAN INPUT.
SO IT WOULD ALLOW US TO, I'M NOT GOING TO USE THE TERM TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE CAN SAY THAT ANYMORE, BUT I JUST DID.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THERE.
JUST TO REINFORCE, SORRY, THAT WE'RE ALL REALLY WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER IN THE ETERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION AND WANT TO SUPPORT DAVE AND THEN ALSO SEE THE INTERSECTION OF ALL THESE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES TOO.
>> I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL WORK WITH THE BOARD IN TERMS OF LOCATIONS, AND THEN ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH LARGE WARD.
AND THEN ALSO THE WAY THAT THE MAPS ARE IN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE WARDS ARE SET UP, BECAUSE I WOULD SAY, IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THE TRI VALLEY AREA, WHICH I KNOW WE HAVE WARD 6 AND WARD 5 SPANS THE TRI VALLEY, BUT THEN I'D ALSO SAY WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THE TRI CITIES AREA.
WHICH IS WARD 3 AND WARD 5 AND CERTAINLY WITH FREMONT AS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN THE PARK DISTRICT, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
RATHER THAN DO IT BY WARD, I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO COLLECTIVELY TALK TO THE BOARD BECAUSE WE SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE ONE IN THE TRI CITIES, AND WE SHOULD HAVE ONE IN THE TRI VALLEY, AND IF WE CONSTRAIN IT BY WARD, WE COULD LOSE OUT IN HAVING SHOT.
>> THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. WELL DEFINITELY THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
MAKE SURE WE'RE COVERING ALL THE BASES, FOR SURE.
>> THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO JUST POINT OUT A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT BOARD MEMBERS MENTIONED, EITHER AT A MEETING AND HOPEFULLY I'M LISTENING OR THERE OR NOW OR IN PERSON.
I TRY TO TRACK ALL THESE INTERESTS AND THINGS AND LEAST GET THEM ON A LIST AND GET THEM IN A QUEUE SO THAT THEY'RE TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY, TALKED ABOUT TRY TO COME BACK AND MAKE SURE IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU BRING UP, HOPEFULLY WE'RE AT LEAST GETTING BACK.
THAT'S GOING TO BE MY GOAL WITH A LOT OF THESE.
I TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT JUST NOT FALLING THROUGH THE CRASS.
AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING, AT LEAST IT'S BEING LISTENED TO AND CONSIDERED.
[00:30:03]
>> YOU REMINDED ME OF ALL THESE THINGS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY, REALLY IN NEED OF ARE ORG CHARTS, PRINTED ORG CHARTS, ESPECIALLY WHAT MAYBE THINK OF IT WAS, THIS THE NEW AGM THING.
THE DIVISION. THE NEW DIVISION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US, BUT I THINK BETTER WHEN I CAN SEE IT LAID OUT ON A CHART.
BUT NOT JUST THAT ONE BUT ALL OF THEM.
SO IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE THAT.
BUT FOR ME, I NEED IT PRINTED, BUT THEN I THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD THING TO HAVE IN ONE OF THOSE RESOURCE PLACES THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
WHEREVER YOU THINK IT FITS WOULD BE REALLY GOOD.
THEN I THINK THAT CALENDAR THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER THERE IS HUGELY IMPORTANT AND VERY USEFUL AND SAVES US ALL A LOT OF TIME.
RIGHT NOW, I'D BE SEARCHING THROUGH EMAILS TO SAY, WHEN DID CONCORD SEND THAT THING OUT FOR THE CRAFTED? WHAT DID THEY SAY AT THAT MIXER THAT I WENT TO? DO I HAVE TO ASK SOMEBODY? DO I HAVE TO CALL KEVIN CABRAL? YOU GOT IT RIGHT THERE.
IT MAKES ME LOOK LIKE I REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE I WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BY HAVING THAT.
THIS IS A HUGE ADVANCEMENT, AND AS YOU WERE SAYING, IT REALLY HELPS US TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
>> JUST TO ADD ONE LAST. I JUST APPRECIATION FOR DAVE.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED, WHATEVER YOU NEED AS BOARD MEMBERS TO ASK IS LET DAVE KNOW, AND HE CAN BE AN ADVOCATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING THOSE THINGS AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHETHER IT'S LIKE A PRINTED ORG CHART OR THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT, I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS MOVING THE BUSINESS OF THE DISTRICT FORWARD, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESS THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM'S ALL ABOUT.
>> SO YOU'VE HEARD THIS FROM ME FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT WE NEED TALKING POINTS WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES THAT ARE COMING AT US.
COMING AT US IN SOCIAL MEDIA, COMING AT US IN EMAIL, COMING AT US, JUST BY REASON OF BEING PUBLIC OFFICIALS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND EVEN MORE HELPFUL THAN TALKING POINTS.
AND BY THE WAY, I APPRECIATED YOU ACTUALLY SENT US SOME TALKING POINTS ON TEMESCAL.
AND WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE ACTING GENERAL MANAGER.
WE DON'T THINK ANYMORE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M USING WE AND I'M WRONG.
BUT WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE COMING TO MEETINGS AND REPEATEDLY TALKING ABOUT A TOPIC LIKE THE STEAM TRAINS OR TEMESCAL, AND NOT GET RESPONSES FROM US.
AND SO THOSE KIND OF ISSUES ARE RIPE FOR BOTH TALKING POINTS, THE GENERAL MANAGER JUST RESPONDING OR WEB PAGES.
AND I'D LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU OF WHAT THE BEST VEHICLE IS FOR US AS BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT IT COULD BE A LINK TO TALKING POINTS OR A LINK TO A WEB PAGE.
EXAMPLES. STEAM TRAIN, WE SHOULD HAVE OUR SIDE OUT THERE OF THAT ISSUE.
TEMESCAL, WE SHOULD HAVE, MAYBE IT'S BEING DEVELOPED, A WEB PAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE ISSUES AT TEMESCAL.
I WAS CONFRONTED LAST YEAR WITH A FACEBOOK PAGE, ALL OF A SUDDEN, TALKING ABOUT THE FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE CONTRA LOMA LAGOON ISSUE.
ACTUALLY, I DID GET SOME TALKING POINTS, AND I NEEDED SOME MORE AND SOME MORE DETAIL.
BUT WHAT WAS REALLY NEEDED AT THE TIME WAS A WEB PAGE SO THAT I COULD REFER PEOPLE TO HERE'S THE ISSUES WITH THE CONTRA LOMA LAGOON, HERE'S HOW WE'VE ADDRESSED IT TO DATE, AND WHAT WE SEE COMING IN THE FUTURE.
WEB PAGE LINKS ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR US.
I PERIODICALLY GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT COWS.
IT RAINS, AND THE COWS MESS UP THE TRAILS,
[00:35:01]
AND I GET EMAILS.WHY YOU ALLOW COWS IN OUR PARKS? VERY KIND OF A FUNDAMENTAL THING.
WHAT'S HUGELY HELPFUL THERE IS WE HAVE SEVERAL PAGES OF WEBSITE PAGES ON COWS AND THE BENEFITS OF GRAZING.
I GET TO SEND PEOPLE LINKS TO THOSE, AND IT'S LIKE, OH, WOW, GRAZERS WERE THERE BEFORE PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM, AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL RESOURCES IN OUR WEB PAGES ON COWS.
SO BEAR IN MIND, THINGS LIKE THAT, I'D LOVE TO HAVE A WEB LINK OR SOMETHING TO THE CURRENT HOT ISSUE THAT JOHN AND I, BECAUSE WE HAVE REGIONAL TRAILS, PROBABLY OLIVIA TOO.
WE'RE GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPEEDING BICYCLES.
BOTH REGULAR BIKES AND E-BIKES.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE LINKS TO WHAT WE DO TO ENFORCE OUR SPEED LAWS ON THESE TRAILS.
CITY OF DANVILLE HAS A TREMENDOUS WEB PRESENCE WHEN IT COMES TO BIKE ISSUES.
AND MAYBE JUST A LINK TO DANVILLE.
SO PROACTIVELY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR BOARD IS GETTING HIT WITH, ISSUES, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP US RESPOND IN TERMS OF LINKS OR TALKING POINTS OR WHEN WE PUT OUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
EVERY DAY, THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK SAYS NEW SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF GOING OUT, AND IT RELATES TO OUR WARD, MY WARD.
MAYBE EMAIL ME BECAUSE I'M NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY, AND THAT WAY, I WOULD KNOW THAT WE POSTED SOMETHING ABOUT WARD 7.
BECAUSE I MIGHT NOT KNOW, AND I HAVE A LITTLE FACEBOOK PRESENCE, BUT NOT A LOT.
BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING I COULD GET ONTO FACEBOOK AND SHARE RIGHT AWAY. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO JUST THIS GENERAL PROACTIVE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD BE ASSISTED IN ISSUES THAT ARE COMING BEFORE US OR BEING THROWN AT US, AND HOW THAT COULD BE HELPED, AND I USE THE TERM TALKING POINTS AND WEB LINKS.
>> I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S SO NICE ABOUT DAVE BEING IN THIS ROLE, AS HE COMES FROM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER ROLE, SO HE REALLY GETS IT.
AND SO WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THINGS ALL WORK TOGETHER.
WE'RE GOING TO HIRE SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY ORIENTED AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I THINK HE'S DEMONSTRATING THE VALUE OF HAVING SOMEBODY IN THIS ROLE, HELPING TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS AND THEN FEEDING IT TO THE REST OF THE TEAM.
I THINK MAX MENTIONED THIS PROJECT LIST, WHICH I'M HOPING WILL REALLY HELP SERVE THE PURPOSE THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING AROUND WHETHER WE HAVE A PAGE FOR A PARK, OR PEOPLE CAN REFER TO THIS LIST, AND IT'S GOING TO BE UPDATED ON WHERE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL TOO.
IT'S MAYBE NOT ROLLING OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE WANT IT TO, BUT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, DIRECTOR COFFEY, AND WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY BUILD OUT THIS INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT YOU ON THAT.
THAT IS THE GOAL, AND I THINK DAVE'S DONE A GREAT JOB GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THIS ON YOUR PHONE, SO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
SO HOPEFULLY, SOONER, PRETTY SOON.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO GET THAT ON YOUR PHONE, YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS, AND ANY TROUBLESHOOTING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
>> AND THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES TOO THAT COULD HELP BECAUSE, WELL, IT'S GOOD FOR THAT WARD-SPECIFIC.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THE PART OF FREMONT THAT'S NOT WARD 5, DO I HEAR ABOUT IT, OR DOES IT JUST GO TO DIRECTOR WAESPI, AND THEN I DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT THEN I MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE IN FREMONT WHO'S ASKING ABOUT IT? AND ALSO DOES HAPPEN DISTRICT-WIDE.
I KNOW CERTAINLY IN THE TOWN OF DANVILLE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT YOU KNOW, E-BIKES AND SPEEDING BIKES ON THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
BUT CITY OF DUBLIN ACTUALLY JUST WENT THROUGH A WHOLE YEAR-LONG PROCESS, ALSO TALKING ABOUT E-BIKES AND SPEEDING BIKES, AND THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OTHER REGIONAL TRAILS, THE TASSAJARA CREEK TRAIL AND ALAMO CANAL TRAIL IN DUBLIN.
AND I SAW VERY LITTLE INFORMATION COMING FROM EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ABOUT THAT TOPIC, BUT I WAS FOLLOWING IT ON MY OWN.
MY POINT IS THAT I THINK IT'S NOT ALWAYS WARD-SPECIFIC.
[00:40:04]
AND THERE ARE SOME, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER BEST PRACTICES, WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER AGENCIES.I KNOW AT ZONE 7 WATER AGENCY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE REALLY VALUED, WE CREATED THIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND WE WOULD HAVE A PRESENTATION TWICE A YEAR AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION PLAN, BOTH THE PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE ASPECT OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS WE WOULD HAVE MONTHLY REPORTS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS AND WHAT WAS BEING POSTED.
AND IT WAS JUST INCLUDED AS PART OF OUR BOARD PACKETS, AND IT JUST REALLY HELPED TO KEEP US INFORMED.
BECAUSE IT'S TRUE, WE MIGHT MISS SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR MAY NOT BE AS UP TO DATE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH INFORMATION WE'RE PROCESSING AS BOARD DIRECTORS THAT WE MIGHT JUST MISS THAT INSTAGRAM POST ABOUT COWS.
IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, AND IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO KNOW ABOUT THAT POST.
I THINK THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT WAYS TO COMPILE THE INFORMATION.
I KNOW AGAIN, WHEN DAVE AND I MET, WE ACTUALLY TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2023 WITH THE MISSION PEAK POLE BEING SAWED OFF AND HOW MUCH SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT THERE WAS IN REGARDS TO THIS REALLY, I'D SAY, HEARTBREAKING INCIDENT, PEOPLE LOVE THAT MISSION PEAK POLE AND WE'RE REALLY SAD THAT SOME PERSON VANDALIZED IT AND SAWED IT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS GOING TO DO AT THAT TIME.
AND I WAS PERSONALLY TRACKING SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE DAVE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO HAVE HAD MORE OF THAT COORDINATION AND CONVERSATION ABOUT IT AND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DO WHAT WE ULTIMATELY DID, WHICH WAS TO WELD THE SAWED-OFF PIECE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL LOCATION AND TO KEEP THE MISSION PEAK POLE THERE AT THE TOP OF MISSION PEAK.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE IN OUR HISTORY OF WHERE I THINK WE COULD HAVE MAYBE WORKED TOGETHER TO COMPILE SOME OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS.
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM US IS THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING AS MANY BASES AS WE CAN, AND CONTINUALLY IMPROVE UPON IT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO ME, TOO, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF, AND WE'RE ALL COMMUNICATING, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ADDRESS ALL OF THIS AS BEST WE CAN.
>> AND THEN ONE OTHER THING I'LL ADD TO THE PROJECT LIST.
I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT, AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, AND IT IS A VERY COMPLEX ORGANIZATION WITH MANY THINGS.
BUT I'D ALSO PUT IN THERE OPERATIONS DECISIONS.
BECAUSE I KNOW OVER THE SUMMER, I HAD A BIG SITUATION WITH THE KILKARE WOODS GATE BEING CLOSED THAT I ONLY BECAME AWARE OF IT AT 7:00 P.M.
THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR BIG BREAK BOARD MEETING, AND I CHOSE TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE BOARD MEETING TO MENTION IT JUST BECAUSE I GOT HOME AT EIGHT, I HAD TO HAVE DINNER AND I HAD TO GET READY TO GO TO BIG BREAK THE NEXT MORNING.
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO WRITE AN EMAIL ABOUT WHAT I HAD JUST HEARD.
AND I KNOW I RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF CRITICISM FROM THE PREVIOUS GENERAL MANAGER THAT I WASN'T BEING A GOOD TEAM PLAYER IN TERMS OF WAITING UNTIL THE END OF THE BOARD MEETING TO MENTION WHAT I HAD HEARD AT KILKARE WOOD.
I THINK KEEPING BOARD MEMBERS IN THE LOOP ON THESE OPERATIONS DECISIONS, BUT ALSO JUST BEING UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE BUSY SCHEDULES TOO, AND TO MAYBE NOT CRITICIZE US IF WE CHOOSE TO WAIT 18 HOURS TO MENTION WHAT WE HAD HEARD, IF WE HAVE TO EAT DINNER AND SLEEP AND THEN DRIVE TO BIG BREAK FOR A BOARD MEETING.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS GOING FORWARD.
>> YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE ALL A TEAM HERE, AND WE WANT YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND INFORMED, AND ALSO GIVE YOU THE SPACE YOU NEED TO LIVE YOUR LIFE AND HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS.
DAVE'S ONE PIECE OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT YOUR BOARD, ESPECIALLY AS YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY AND FULFILLING YOUR PARTS OF YOUR ROLE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THESE BOARD MEETINGS.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE IS FOR ME, AT LEAST AS LONG AS I'M IN THIS ACTING CAPACITY WITH YOUR BOARD, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE SO YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED, AND THAT WHEN WE GET TO THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THAT YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED.
THAT'S GREAT. AND THEN I GUESS, THE OTHER ONE THAT I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT I KNOW THE AVOID BOARD MEMBERS BEING SURPRISED,
[00:45:02]
I THINK I MADE THE COMMENT IN TERMS OF INTERNAL DECISIONS AND INTERNAL ACTIONS, BUT I SUPPOSE THERE'S ALSO WHAT'S HAPPENING EXTERNALLY, AND THERE ALWAYS MAY BE SURPRISES EXTERNALLY AND THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL.SO JUST TO SET EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY.
I DON'T EXPECT TO AVOID SURPRISES IN TERMS OF SOME EXTERNAL OCCURRENCE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT ON THAT NOTE, WHEN WE DO START TO HAVE A SERIES OF SIGNIFICANT NEWS ARTICLES AND NEWS STORIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD CATEGORIZE VARGAS PLATEAU AS A RECENT ONE THAT'S REALLY GAINED A LOT OF ATTENTION IN REGARDS TO THE MEDIA, WHERE I DON'T BELIEVE I'VE SEEN TALKING POINTS.
MAYBE SOME BITS AND PIECES HERE AND THERE.
THAT IS ONE WHERE AGAIN, IT'S NOT IN THE WARD THAT I REPRESENT, BUT THESE BOUNDARIES, I DON'T ALWAYS LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO VARGAS PLATEAU.
SO IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL TALK TO ME ABOUT, AND WE ARE ONE PARK DISTRICT.
EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE IN WARD 5, I DO TALK ABOUT VARGAS PLATEAU A LOT, AND IT DOES COME UP IN MY CONVERSATION WITH FOLKS ABOUT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
AND, I GUESS, ARDENWOOD IS THE OTHER ONE THAT I ALWAYS USE AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT'S ALSO IS NOT IN WARD 5, BUT THE BOUNDARY IS A BOUNDARY BETWEEN TWO WARDS, SO I ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ARDENWOOD.
I'LL JUST SAY, WHEN WE ARE PROVIDING THESE TALKING POINTS, THE IDEA IS THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE.
SO A MEMO WAS SENT OUT IN TEMESCAL.
THE IDEA WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONE WARD PRIMARILY IN SOME WAYS, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S OF INTEREST, AND QUESTIONS WILL COME UP DISTRICT-WIDE FROM EVERYBODY.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE INFORMATION THAT'S PUT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY MEANT FOR EVERYBODY, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTEREST TO ONE.
>> REAL QUICK. I THINK WE HAVE TO SEE IF THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ITEM.
>> OKAY. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WE'LL CLOSE THAT.
AND THEN IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS GREAT.
>> ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, THE PRESENTATION ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND STAFF, JOSE GONZALEZ EQUITY OFFICER, AT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY WITHIN THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TO BOTH SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATE ON THIS PILOT GRANT PROGRAM.
WE'LL NOTE THAT SOMETIMES WE MIGHT SAY PILOT GRANT PROGRAM OR GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.
IT'S A GRANT PROGRAM THAT IS A PILOT, A LITTLE SEMANTICS.
THEN I'LL START BY A LITTLE BIT OF THE FRAMING, BUT THEN OF COURSE, IT IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, BUT OF COURSE, WELCOME COMMENTS, FEEDBACK, GUIDANCE, THINGS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED.
REMINDER IS WE HAVE COME TO THE BOARD BEFORE IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE EQUITY THEMES AND UNIVERSAL GOALS.
ONE OF THOSE IS THE ELEMENTS OF ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW WE APPROACH BEING COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NON PROFITS.
THIS IS ALIGNMENT TO THOSE RECENTLY SUPPORTED GOALS BY THE BOARD.
IN TERMS OF HOW WE STARTED WITH THIS, I HAD SPOKEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT APPROACH PREVIOUSLY AT ANOTHER WHOLE BOARD MEETING IN REGARDS TO THE CRM AND HOW THAT AS A TOOL IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT'S HELPING US THINK ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
WE REALLY WERE LOOKING, WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF OUR COMMUTE ENGAGEMENT WORKING STRATEGY FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
STARTS WITH A LOT OF RECOGNITION THAT SO MUCH GOOD WORK IS BEING DONE.
IT'S NEVER A QUESTION OF LACK OF AMAZING TALENTED STAFF MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENTS AND LEADERS DOING ALL OF THIS WORK.
THERE'S DEFINITELY NO LACK OF COMMUNITY INTEREST IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING AND CARING ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT.
BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY IS, HOW CAN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY PLAY A ROLE FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT EXISTING COMMUTE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AND REALLY FACILITATE NEW ACTIVITIES WITH DISTRICT WIDE BENEFIT.
I FRAME IT DISTRICT WIDE BENEFIT BECAUSE SOME OF THE WORK AT TIMES WAS SILOED.
NOT OUT OF MAL-INTENTION IS JUST THE NATURE OF THE WORK.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION SERVICES UNDERSTANDABLY HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT BASED ON THEIR PROGRAMS. THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME OTHER DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT
[00:50:01]
MIGHT DO IT THROUGH A PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS, BUT MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN SUPPORTED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO IT DEEPER.WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND HOW THEY HELP OR HINDER THE EFFORT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COLLABORATOR WITH CBOS.
AS I SAID IT, WHAT WE REAFFIRMED IS STAFF DOING A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK.
BUT ALSO WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT, BOTH FROM FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF WAS A DESIRE TO HAVE MORE CLEARLY DEFINED STRATEGIC GOALS.
WHEN WE SAY COMMUNE ENGAGEMENT, WE CAN POINT AND SAY, THAT IS WHAT GUIDES US, SOME CONSISTENT PATHWAYS, AND THEN OTHER COHERENT BEST PRACTICES.
OUT OF THAT, WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP, WHICH I'VE BROUGHT UP A LITTLE BIT BEFORE.
THIS IS AN INTERNAL STAFF WORKING GROUP.
THIS IS NOT AN EXTERNAL FACING WORKING GROUP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THIS WAS REALLY A STARTING POINT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, STAFF THAT EITHER A, HAVE EXPRESSED HIGH INTEREST OR MAYBE PLAY A PRETTY IMPACTFUL ROLE AROUND COMMUTE ENGAGEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR OUTDOOR RECREATION SUPERVISORS.
THEY'VE BEEN WANTING TO KNOW, WE WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS.
WHAT'S GUIDING US? WHEN I DO ALL OF THIS, WHAT IS IT ALIGNED TO? OUT OF THAT, THEY DRAFTED A PROPOSAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH A VISION STATEMENT, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES.
HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO COME BACK FOR YOU ON THAT.
IT'S IN DRAFT FORM THAT WE'RE TESTING IT OUT.
BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF IT, JUST TO GET AN IDEA.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO READ THIS WHOLE THING.
BUT I JUST UNDERSCORED A COUPLE OF THE KEY WORDS.
AS A VISION STATEMENT, REALLY LOOKING AT THE INTENTIONAL PRACTICE OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS LISTENING ACTIVELY AND PARTNERING PROACTIVELY LOOK LIKE.
WHAT DOES TRANSPARENCY AND EQUITABLE ONGOING ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? THESE ARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES FOR THE VISION STATEMENT.
SOME EXAMPLES OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, WHAT ARE INCLUSIVE TRUST BASED RELATIONSHIPS.
AS A BEST PRACTICE, AGAIN, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY START WITH LISTENING? PART OF THAT WAS TO SAY, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN TRY THIS OUT AND TEST IT OUT AND LEARN AND ADAPT AND REALLY SEE WHAT CAN BE INSTITUTIONALIZED.
AS WE WERE DOING THIS, WE WERE ALSO LOOKING WHAT I CALLED EXISTING PATHWAYS.
WHAT WE MEAN IS WAYS, MECHANISMS IN WHICH THE PARK DISTRICT HAS OR CAN ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
SOME OF THEM ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR TO YOU, LIKE THE SPONSORSHIP PROCESS.
YOU MIGHT GET A REQUEST, CAN YOU SPONSOR THIS EVENT BY A NONPROFIT? OTHERS ARE ALSO VERY FAMILIAR TO THE PARK DISTRICT, SUCH AS STANDARD CONTRACTS, LIKE A VENDOR SERVICES OR CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT, AND OF COURSE, WHAT HAS COME UP BEFORE THE BOARD OFTEN ARE SPECIAL USE AGREEMENTS TO BUSINESS SERVICES.
WE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK, WHAT ABOUT A GRANT PATHWAY THAT PROVIDES ENOUGH OF THE FLEXIBILITY AND ENOUGH DIFFERENCE IN THESE OTHER PATHWAYS THAT COULD COMPLEMENT SOME OF THIS WORK.
WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE EXEC TEAM AT LARGE, A LOT OF THE STAFF, OF COURSE, THE INPUT OF THE STAFF WORKING GROUP, GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE FANTASTIC IN TERMS OF REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE STRUCTURE AND CLARITY OF, WHAT IS THIS FOR? WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND THEN LET'S TRY IT OUT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS IS, LET'S STILL PILOT TO ASSESS THE BENEFITS AND IDENTIFY KEY EQUITY BASED LEARNINGS TO INFORM POTENTIAL LONG TERM IMPLEMENTATION.
AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE CORRECTED, IT'S NEW.
THE DISTRICT HASN'T HAD A GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S REALLY FOCUSED FOR CBOS IN THIS WAY.
AS YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT HAS A GRANT TEAM, BUT REALLY THAT'S FOCUSED ON APPLYING FOR AND RECEIVING GRANT FUNDING, A LOT OF PUBLIC FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WELL AS ADMINISTERING SOME PASS THROUGH FUNDING FOR BALLOT MEASURES FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT IN TERMS OF THINKING FOR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THIS IS NEW.
WE WANTED TO SEE THEN HOW COULD THIS BE A TOOL TO SUPPORT ACHIEVEMENT OF THOSE EQUITY ENGAGEMENT GOALS THAT WE MENTIONED BEFORE, TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS INCLUSIVE, BALANCED AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION AND APPLICABLE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND PROGRAMS. ALSO, THE TERMINOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO SAY, LET'S SET OURSELVES UP INTERNALLY TO TRY THIS OUT AND SEE HOW DOES THIS HELP US PRACTICE AND DELIVER ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP SAID.
THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD PARTNER.
LET'S HAVE SOMETHING TO TEST IT OUT.
I HOPE YOU ALL RECEIVED AN EMAIL ANNOUNCING THIS BEFORE WE PUBLICLY SHARED IT OUT.
[00:55:01]
ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS THERE.THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS SHARED OUT THAT ALSO MAKES SURE STAFF WAS INFORMED.
THEN WE ALSO SENT OUT THIS INFORMATION TO A PROTO CRM LIST THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS SUPPORTING THE MANAGEMENT OF WITH PLANNING AND INTERP AND REC TO BASICALLY SAY, HERE'S ALL THE INFORMATION, AND THEN WE'LL KEEP WORKING ON THAT.
THE THREE AREAS ARE; EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS.
A LOT OF THAT FITS ACTIVITIES PROGRAMS, THINGS THAT ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR IN THE SENSE OF HOW DO WE BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE PARKS? HOW DO WE COMMUTE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO THE PARK DISTRICT LITERALLY BY BEING OUT HERE IN THE PARKS.
WE HAVE A NATURE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT RECOGNIZES THAT SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S, FOR EXAMPLE, ANY REAL OR PERCEIVED BARRIERS ABOUT FEELING WELCOME OR A SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE PARKS.
HOW DO WE START IN A PLACE THAT THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, LIKE A COMMUNITY CENTER OR A CULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER? THIS IS A WAY TO SUPPORT THOSE ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
THEN OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT REALLY TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES THAT CONNECTS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH WHAT IS THE PARK DISTRICT? AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE THAT CAME OUT OF ANOTHER COHORT PROGRAM LIKE ANOTHER PILOT THAT WAS BEING DONE WITH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WAS WE HAD SOME COMMUNITY LEADERS NOT KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ELECTED BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
OBVIOUSLY THAT MATTERS A LOT IN TERMS OF PRIORITY SETTING AND DECISION MAKING FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT CBOS THAT WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS AND WHAT CAN BE THEIR ROLE AS PART OF THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ELEMENT OF IT.
THOSE ARE THE THREE CATEGORIES.
WE HAVE A RELATIVELY AMBITIOUS TIMELINE.
PART OF THAT IS THERE'S A DESIGN PROCESS BEHIND IT, BUT PART OF THAT IS REALLY TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING AS BEST AS SOON AS WE CAN WITH CBOS.
WE SENT OUT THE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THEN THE FIRST TIMELINE OR DEADLINE IS JANUARY 29TH.
BUT THAT'S SET UP AS A LETTER OF INTEREST OR INTENT.
THAT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN PHILANTHROPY WITH THE IDEA THAT IT REDUCES THE BURDEN ON CBOS TO SUBMIT A FULL APPLICATION ON THE FIRST GO.
A LETTER OF INTENT OR INTEREST REALLY IS A GOOD WAY TO SAY, GIVE US YOUR BEST PITCH, LAY IT ALL OUT, SO A REVIEW TEAM CAN LOOK AT THAT AND THEN BE ABLE TO INVITE YOU FOR A FULL APPLICATION.
THEN WE HAVE TIMELINE FOR SUBMITTING FULL APPLICATIONS AND WHEN THEY'RE DUE, WHEN WE HOPE TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS AND BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE PUBLICLY AND THEN BEGIN TO ENTER THE PROCESS OF GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH THE CBOS.
PART OF THIS IS THERE IS AN INTERNAL GRANT REVIEW TEAM.
THIS IS STAFF THAT HAS VOLUNTEERED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW TEAM.
I BELIEVE ALL OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY MEMBERS OF THE EQUITY COMMITTEE.
THIS FOLDS RIGHT INTO WORK THAT THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
THAT SAME REVIEW TEAM WILL BE REVIEWING BOTH THE LOIS AND THE FULL APPLICATIONS.
OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF ARE NOT PART OF THE REVIEW TEAM, WE'LL BE THERE AS ADVISORS AND FACILITATORS, JUST SO ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THE DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CBOS AS WELL.
I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
HAPPY TO SHARE MORE. ALTHOUGH THERE IS ONE EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JUST CAME IN THIS MORNING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SHARE IT, MAX [LAUGHTER] WE HAD ALLOTTED, AS YOU SAW IN THE INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, 150,000 IN TERMS OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
THEN THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION JUST SHARED WITH US THIS MORNING THAT THEIR BOARD IS MATCHING IT.
THERE WILL BE A TOTAL OF 300K.
THAT'S BRAND NEW THIS MORNING.
>> I JUST ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS REAL QUICK.
ONE IS THAT HUGE APPRECIATION TO JOSE, WHO HAS BEEN HELPING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AND WORKING WITH OUR ENTIRE LEADERSHIP TEAM, OUR COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM.
WE BUILT THIS ON THE EXAMPLES OF MANY OTHER PARK DISTRICTS THAT HAVE SIMILAR PROGRAMS, METRO PARKS IN PORTLAND, MID PENN HAS A SIMILAR PROGRAM, IN MARIN WE HAD A SIMILAR PROGRAM.
I JUST ADD THE BENEFITS OF THIS ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO REALLY EXCITING THINGS GOING ON TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE ALSO REALLY AMAZING STORIES THAT WE CAN TELL WHETHER IT'S PRESS RELEASES OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR ALL THE WAYS THAT WE TELL THE STORY OF WHAT WE DO.
IT ALSO WILL CONNECT US WITH THE COMMUNITIES BETTER FOR FUTURE PLANNING, ENGAGEMENT, ADVOCACY.
[01:00:02]
THIS GROWS THE CONNECTIONS OF WHO ARE PARK ADVOCATES AND ADVOCATES WHEN WE NEED SUPPORT AND FOR US TO SUPPORT THEM, AND JUST GROWS THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE CONNECTED TO, AND THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR BOARD TO BE ENGAGED IN IT.I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT AND APPRECIATIVE OF JOSE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
>> THANK YOU. I COULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT BETTER MYSELF.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS COME? YES. GO AHEAD.
>> I DO. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF THIS.
ARE YOU CONTACTING CITY GOVERNMENTS IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS DIRECTLY, TOP OFFICIALS IN THOSE AGENCIES ABOUT THIS?
>> WE'RE NOT DIRECTLY REACHING OUT TO MAYORS OR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THAT WAY.
PART OF IT IS SHARED OUT THROUGH RA DISTRICT CHANNELS, LIKE THE PRESS RELEASE AND ALL THE CONTACTS THROUGH EXTERNAL AFFAIRS THAT WAY.
IT IS OUT THERE BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A REQUEST THROUGH PUBLIC EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR CBS RADIO THAT THEY WANTED TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS.
WE WANT TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT THERE.
THEN WHO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY DID SEND OUT THE INFORMATION DIRECTLY WAS TO ALL CBOS THAT HAVE HAD SOME FORM OF CONTACT WITH INTERP AND RECREATION SERVICES AS WELL AS PLANNING SO FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE DISTRICT PLAN.
>> WHAT I'M THINKING IS, SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO THROW IT RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, RATHER THAN JUST HAVE IT PERMEATE OUT THERE, GET FOCUSED IN.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO SEND EMAILS TO ALL THE CITY MANAGERS IN MY WARD.
IF YOU COULD DEVELOP A TEMPLATE ANNOUNCING THIS.
I DON'T THINK I ALWAYS KNOW WHAT THE EMAIL ADDRESS IS FOR THE CITY MANAGERS, THE DIRECT ONE, NOT INFORMATION TO THE CITY OF WALNUT CREEK, SOMETHING RIGHT TO THEM.
I CAN PERSONALLY SAY, THIS IS REALLY GREAT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU SAW THIS.
MAYBE PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I THINK THAT WILL HAVE SOME VALUE.
ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE TWICE AS MUCH MONEY. I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT.
>> I THINK IT SOUNDS GREAT. THAT'S ALMOST LIKE WHERE THESE TWO PRESENTATIONS THIS MORNING COME TOGETHER BECAUSE I THINK JOSE CAN PROVIDE THE INFORMATION, THEN MAYBE DAVE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON THE [OVERLAPPING] CONTACT AND PHONES.
>> I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN REALLY FAST.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF SENDING IT TODAY.
WE HAVE A TEMPLATE FOR STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE, AND IT'S ALL PACKAGED, SO IT'S DONE IN THAT WAY.
DAVE AND I HAD ALREADY MET AS WELL BEFOREHAND IN TERMS OF EVEN THINKING, HOW WE'D WORK TOGETHER FOR POTENTIAL ROLES FOR DIRECTORS IN TERMS OF ONCE AGREEMENTS GET IN AND THERE'S EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT ON THIS IS PERFECT EXAMPLE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THAT READY AND WE HAVE THE INFO.
>> [NOISE] EXCUSE ME, THINKING OUT LOUD [LAUGHTER] ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
THE NEEDS OUT THERE ARE IMMENSE.
I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT GETTING INTO THE BUSINESS OF MAKING GRANTS TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS OR AGENCIES JUST BECAUSE THE NEEDS ARE SO IMMENSE.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING GONE INTO THE BUSINESS OF MAKING GRANTS FOR THESE CATEGORIES OF NEEDS, WHAT LEVEL OF DISAPPOINTMENT WILL BE OUT THERE BECAUSE WE CAN'T POSSIBLY RESPOND TO THE IMMENSE LEVEL OF NEED?
>> THAT'S AN ISSUE. WHAT THOUGHTS HAVE GONE INTO THAT?
>> SURE ANSWER IS, YES. PART OF IT IS UNFORTUNATELY DISAPPOINTMENT IS PART OF BEING A NONPROFIT GRANTEE.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WE'VE HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE WE DID, FOR EXAMPLE, A FOCUS GROUP OF EXTERNAL CVO PARTNERS AS PART OF BEING ABLE TO SAY HERE'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, BUT WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICE IN PHILANTHROPY? WHAT ARE EXAMPLES WITH OTHER AGENCIES THAT YOU FEEL HAVE GONE WELL OR NOT? I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT THE MONEY'S GOING TO BE THERE.
MOST OF THE CONVERSATION HAS REALLY BEEN A IS, HOW IS IT DESIGNED SO THAT IT ACTUALLY CUSTOMATICALLY THE INTENTION HERE IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO IT ISN'T FUNDING THE FUNDING ITSELF.
[01:05:01]
WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HOW DOES THIS HELP US DELIVER ON BEING BETTER COMMUNITY PARTNERS? BECAUSE AT TIMES, IT ISN'T ABOUT DIRECT FUNDING THAT'S THE ELEMENT.SOMETIMES JUST BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHAT ALREADY EXISTS WITHIN THE PARK DISTRICT.
THEN WE HAVE ACTUALLY OTHER TOOLS AND MECHANISMS LIKE IN KIND SUPPORT AND SPONSORSHIP THAT ISN'T ALWAYS UTILIZED BECAUSE OF THAT LACK OF RELATIONSHIP.
BUT IT HAS COME UP BOTH INTERNALLY WITHIN STAFF AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A DEPENDENCY OR EXPECTATIONS OF FUNDING PURELY IN THAT WAY.
AND I AGREE BECAUSE THE NEED IT IS IMMENSE.
WE WILL GET APPLICATIONS AND A VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEASURE THE LEVEL OF DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WE CREATE BY HAVING THE PROGRAM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> I COULD SHARE TO DIRECTOR COFFEY, HAVING BEEN IN THE ROLE OF GIVING GRANTS OUT AND I THINK IN MARIN WE'D HAVE ABOUT 200 GRAND THAT WE WOULD GRANT OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS, AND ALWAYS THE APPLICATIONS FAR EXCEEDED WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
AND WE DID TRY TO ADJUST FOCUS, OVER TIME.
SO ONE YEAR WE MIGHT BE FOCUSED MORE ON YOUTH OR ONE YEAR WE MIGHT BE FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH AND PARKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THE GRANTEES OVER TIME, OUR GOAL WAS TO BUILD LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, JUST LIKE JOSE IS TALKING ABOUT WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE AMOUNT WAS SMALL COMPARED TO THE OVERALL NEED AND BUDGETS OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT OVER TIME, WE WOULD HAVE A FAIR PROCESS THAT FOLKS COULD COMPETE FOR AND THAT WE WEREN'T JUST SUPPORTING THE SAME ORGANIZATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS A DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP, BUT MORE TRYING TO BE FAIR AND PROVIDE BROAD OPPORTUNITIES WITH A VERY DEFINED AND CLEAR AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM OF SHARING THE PROCEEDS OF OUR GO BOND ISSUE IN WW.
THE DIFFERENCES, THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE WERE ISSUING BONDS IN THE TWO COUNTIES AND CREATING A FUND OUT OF THE WW PROCEEDS, IT WAS HUGE AND VERY IMPACTFUL, AND THEREFORE, VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WAS PART OF THE STRATEGY OF LEVERAGING THE PARK DISTRICT'S POPULARITY TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR 33 CITIES AND COMMUNITIES.
TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE ARE DOING THAT HERE, LEVERAGING THE SUCCESSFUL FINANCES OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
ESSENTIALLY, WE CAN DO THIS AND PERHAPS EVEN GROW IT.
I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT COMES WITH THAT.
THE OTHER CONCERN WOULD BE HAVING BEEN BORN AND RAISED IN THE EAST BAY AND KNOWING OUR COMMUNITIES, THERE WILL BE DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE TOTAL POPULATIONS OF THE TWO COUNTIES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT EXIST WITHIN THE UNIVERSE OF GRANTS THAT WE ARE DESCRIBING HERE.
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE IN OAKLAND AND IN RICHMOND, JUST HISTORICALLY AND BERKELEY, BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVISM IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND HISTORICALLY SIMILAR COMMUNITIES IN ANTIOCH, PITTSBURGH AREN'T AS ORGANIZED HISTORICALLY AS THESE COMMUNITIES.
SO I WOULD JUST WANT TO RECOMMEND THAT WE LOOK CAREFULLY AT THAT THE COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED IN THE UNIVERSE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE HERE.
AND I THINK AS JOHN WAS SAYING EARLIER, THERE MAY BE A NEED TO REACH OUT MORE, BE MORE PROACTIVE TOWARD COMMUNITIES THAT HISTORICALLY JUST DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ACTIVISM.
OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS THE COMMUNITIES OVER HERE ON THE WEST END.
I GUESS IS THE WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.
[01:10:01]
SO THAT IS JUST BY REASON OF WHO I REPRESENT, I'M THINKING THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEED TO BE VERY PROACTIVE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF CONTRA COSTA.LAST THOUGHT. AND THAT IS TO BRING WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS THOSE THAT ARE ADDRESSING CULTURAL HISTORIC FACETS OF THE EAST BAY THAT SOMEHOW RELATE TO THE PARKS AND THE TRAILS AND THE OUTDOORS.
BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN THE DESCRIPTION.
SO MAYBE GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FACETS OF THE EAST BAY THAT RELATE TO THESE CATEGORIES.
AND THINK ABOUT MAYBE BROADENING THE ELIGIBILITY IN THAT AREA.
JOHN IS VERY ACTIVE IN THE CONTACSTA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
THEY HAVE VARIOUS SPONSORSHIP NEEDS THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR HISTORY AS WELL AND THE TRAILS AND THE PARKS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM ELIGIBLE, FOR INSTANCE, FOR FUNDING OR SPONSORSHIPS. LAST THOUGHT. THANK YOU.
>> SO INTERESTING WHAT I WANTED TO MENTION BUILDS UPON YOUR COMMENT IN REGARDS TO MAYBE AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO BE MORE PROACTIVE.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITH THIS PROGRAM.
WHERE I LIVE, THERE'S RELATIVELY NEW.
I THINK MAYBE IT'S NOW 6-YEARS-OLD, SO NOT COMPLETELY NEW, THE THREE VALLEYS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
AND IN THE PAST YEAR, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE EXPANDING THEIR AREA OF FOCUS AND GIVING TO THE 925 AREA CODE, WHICH I THINK DOES COVER A LOT OF THE AREAS YOU'RE DESCRIBING THAT MAYBE AREN'T AS ORGANIZED OR PROACTIVE, BUT THERE IS THIS IDENTIFIED NEED TO SUPPORT AND FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE 925 AREA CODE.
AND I THINK THE THREE VALLEYS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS REALLY IDENTIFIED THIS.
I THINK THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS 925 AREA CODE FOCUS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT AND SPONSOR.
AND I THINK THAT COULD HELP IN TRYING TO FOCUS ON THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO AREA CODES IN THE EAST BAY.
IT'S NOT JUST 510, IT ALSO DOES INCLUDE 925.
THAT MIGHT BE A WAY AT A MACRO LEVEL TO HELP ADDRESS THIS RATHER THAN BUILD IT UP FROM THE GROUND UP.
WE CAN PARTNER WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT ALSO HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS HOLISTICALLY.
I KNOW OUR FOCUS IS ON GETTING OUTDOORS AND NATURE FOCUS, WHEREAS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT JUST HOLISTICALLY, AND HOW DO WE HELP THE PEOPLE THAT MOST NEED HELP IN THE 925 AREA CODE? THE OTHER ONE THAT I WAS THINKING OF AND I THINK BECAUSE WE JUST HAD THIS CONVERSATION, MAX ABOUT THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. I'M NOT SURE.
I'M NOT AS WELL VERSED IN EDUCATION POLICY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS STUDENTS WHO MAYBE COULD USE EXTRA ASSISTANCE TO GET OUTDOORS.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, THERE'S POCKETS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S SOME WAY TO AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM THAT MACRO LEVEL AND TOP DOWN, THAT'S A WAY TO ALSO LOOK AT THIS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS THEME FOCUS.
IF ONE YEAR IS FOCUSED ON YOUTH, MAYBE THAT COULD BE A GOOD YEAR TO ALSO THINK ABOUT SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM, ELIGIBILITY, AND HOW WE CAN CONNECT WITH THOSE STUDENTS AND WHAT ORGANIZATIONS MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST, BUT REALLY HELPING THOSE STUDENTS.
THEN I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER ALSO WITH BUSINESSES.
THERE'S DEFINITELY COMPANIES THAT WHEN THEY DO THEIR OWN ANALYSIS AND TRY TO THINK ABOUT THE INITIATIVES THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON AND SPONSOR, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, THEY MAY HAVE IDENTIFIED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH.
THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO THESE BUT I HAVE A COLLEAGUE WHO USED TO WORK FOR NATURE VALLEY GRANOLA BARS.
SHE WAS PART OF THIS WHOLE EXERCISE OVER 10 YEARS AGO WHERE THEY REALIZED, HEY, WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON TRAILS AND OUTDOORS,
[01:15:03]
AND THEY ALLOCATED A LOT OF MONEY TOWARDS OUTDOORS AND TRAILS TO HELP SPONSOR THAT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO CREATE A STORY THAT WHEN YOU'RE OUT ON A TRAIL, YOU WANT TO TAKE A NATURE VALLEY GRANOLA BAR WITH YOU.BUT THE POINT HERE IS THAT THERE LIKELY ARE BUSINESSES AND COMPANIES IN THE EAST BAY THAT MAY HAVE ALSO DONE THEIR OWN ANALYSIS AND FOCUS ON THIS.
THEY COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY BE PARTNERS AND THEY MAY EVEN HAVE ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY WANT TO HELP.
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
OTHER ANALYSIS THAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
I THINK TYING TO MY EARLIER COMMENT ABOUT THE THREE VALLEYS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A WAY THAT YOU CAN FIND THAT AT LEAST WITHIN THE 925 AREA CODE PORTION OF THE EAST BAY.
IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THIS.
YOU MENTIONED A VARIETY OF PEOPLE GROUPS IN THE VISION STATEMENT.
IT DOES SOUND LIKE A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THESE PEOPLE GROUPS.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAID THAT, IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT LAST YEAR IN 2025 AND ON THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WE HAD A VERY IMPORTANT PRESENTATION ABOUT OUR DOMESTIC CATS PROGRAM AND HOW WE SUPPORT DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK THROUGH THE DOMESTIC CAT SITUATION.
I THINK THAT IN A WAY, IT'S SIMILAR.I DON'T KNOW IF WE CONSIDER GIVING A GRANT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OR IF IT'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SETUP, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING HERE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT DISTINCTION.
>> A GREAT QUESTION. I KNOW OSA HAD THAT SLIDE ABOUT SORT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND WHERE WE HAVE MUTUAL BENEFIT.
SO THIS IS A EQUITY FOCUSED GRANT PROGRAM THAT SPEAKS TO THOSE GOALS THAT WERE MENTIONED.
THIS DOESN'T LIMIT US, SO WE'LL STILL HAVE THE CAP PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THERE'S A MUTUAL INTEREST THERE THAT IS REALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS DOESN'T REPLACE OUR SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
WE'LL STILL HAVE SPONSORSHIPS OF MANY, CBOS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE A MUTUAL INTEREST AND BENEFIT AROUND, EVEN IF THAT'S NOT REALLY CONNECTED TO EQUITY.
SO THIS IS JUST THIS PROGRAM IS BUILT AROUND THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED ANYTHING.
>> WITH THAT, THERE IS A NEED.
I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE SEPARATE FROM THE PROGRAM YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH THIS.
BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT ANIMAL SPECIES IN GENERAL.
I HEARD FROM SOME OF MY RANCHERS IN EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, HOW THEY REALLY APPRECIATE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE'RE TRAINED ON ASSISTING WITH HORSE AND CATTLE EVACUATIONS.
I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT. THINGS LIKE THAT, AND MAYBE I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS YOU SEPARATELY, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A NEED TO THINK ABOUT ALSO ANIMAL SERVICES.
MAYBE WE GO THROUGH THIS PILOT PROJECT AND CAN HELP US THEN MAYBE BRING SOME MORE STRUCTURE TO WHAT WE THINK ABOUT ANIMALS.
THEN I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE IS REALLY BIG ON WANTING TO HAVE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS ON NO ILLEGAL FISHING, SPECIFICALLY IN ALAMEDA CREEK BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH EFFORT TO RESTORE THE SALMON POPULATION BEING ABLE TO SWIM UPSTREAM.
BUT THEN THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT PEOPLE FISHING WITHOUT PERMITS OR FISHING WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FISH SOMEWHERE LIKE RAE LAKES, FOR EXAMPLE.
THAT MIGHT BE MORE OF A PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, BUT IT DOES CERTAINLY RELATE TO THIS ANIMAL SPHERE.
I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH NEEDED.
I THINK THIS IS GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS AND IT COULD ALSO PROVIDE US SOME GUIDANCE AS WE THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT MIGHT BE FOCUSED MORE IN THE ANIMAL SPACE.
>> THANK YOU. I'LL STRESS THAT AS WELL, THAT THIS ALLOWS US TO TEST OUT THIS PATHWAY.
IT'S NOT LIMITED JUST TO THIS.
OBVIOUSLY, WHAT WE CAN LEARN AND ADAPT IN TERMS OF HOW WE SUPPORT AND MANAGE A GRANT PROGRAM CAN BE INCLUDED FOR OTHER NEEDS AND THAT'S PART OF IT AS WELL AND THAT IT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WOULD BE ENGAGING WITH CBOS AND A HOST OF ISSUES.
WE'RE JUST NOW HELPING TO CLARIFY THOSE PATHWAYS.
I'LL ADD THIS LAST PIECE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT.
THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR THIS PROCESS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH PLANNING ON THE DISTRICT PLAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RFP PROCESS.
THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE IN WHICH WHEN WE'RE HAVING THESE SCOPE MEETINGS WITH THE APPLICANTS, ACTUALLY, WE'RE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND HELP
[01:20:02]
THEM UNDERSTAND HOW BOTH THESE ARE DIFFERENT, HOW THEY CAN UNDERSTAND IT'S PART OF A WIDER ENGAGEMENT.IT'S NOT JUST LIKE THIS IS YOUR ONE SHOT, EITHER YOU GET IT OR YOU DON'T.
IF YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR THIS, THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU DON'T GET ANY OF THESE, HERE'S ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT, BUT REALLY IT'S BECAUSE WE WANT TO THINK MORE LONG TERM AND SUSTAINABLE.
GIVEN THAT SOME OF THE WAYS THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE DISTRICT HAS NOT BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS BECAUSE IT HAS RELIED ON MAYBE VERY NARROW TEMPORARY PROGRAMS THAT THEN WE DIDN'T LEAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT COULD SUPPORT FOR THE LONG TERM.
KNOWING THEY COULD HAVE BEEN AMAZING PROGRAMS, AND THEN PEOPLE ASKED WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT.
I WAS LIKE, WELL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT THAT CONTINUES REGARDLESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE SPECIFIC FUNDING MECHANISM.
>> SO REAL QUICK, I WANT TO SEE IF WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
>> WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> SO I'LL OPEN AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN IF THERE ARE ARE FINAL COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
THIS IS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT.
I'M SO EXCITED. MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
[Announcements]
I SEE THAT WE HAVE A NEXT ITEM ANNOUNCEMENTS.LET'S FIRST SEE IF THERE'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I'LL JUST SHARE WE DO HAVE BOARD RETREAT FRIDAY AND THERE IS AN ASSESSMENT TO FILL OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED IT OUT YET.
PLEASE DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO STICK AROUND A LITTLE BIT IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN I THINK IF THERE AREN'T ANY FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. GREAT, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.