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SDLF District Spotlight
District Spotlight
The Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) recognizes Ventura Port District (District) as one of the ten 2021 SDLF Transparency Challenge winners! Ventura Port District Clerk Jessica Rauch shares her insight about the process and the benefits of this transparency recognition.
My experience completing the Transparency Challenge was educational. I did not know what an authorizing statute/ enabling act was; now I do!
It was also interesting to learn what the SDLF sees as a requirement for posting on the website, i.e., Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence studies from LAFCo.
As the Clerk and person completing this challenge, I was glad for the check list. I believe all these documents and information are important to have on our website for stakeholder access and I was happy to include the items we did not have and update our policies and procedure to reflect what we needed to complete this challenge.
Transparency for government agencies is the fundamental principle behind the Brown Act. It is essential that agencies provide public access to meetings and information. Further, there is a difference between meeting the minimum standards of an obligation and providing exceptional customer service – something that is important to our District. Therefore, it is imperative that agencies and their employees are well educated in the practices and expectations associated with transparency as well as demonstrate their capacity to be transparent in their course of business.
The District strives to provide transparent, ethical, engaged, accountable, and effective governance through its website, notifications to stakeholders, Ventura Port District Board (Board) meeting packets and Board meetings. At its January 5 regular meeting, the Board accepted the Transparency certificate on behalf of the Ventura Port District, which included a report that described the process.
Further, the District, its Commissioners, and staff seek to formalize on-going efforts to strengthen communication, collaboration, and transparency with stakeholders, business partners, and civic leaders through its Public and Civic Engagement Plan that was approved by the Board in July 2021 and consistent with the following long-term goals and 5-year objectives:
Long-Term Goals:
Goal 5: Relationships
• Build respectful, productive, and mutually beneficial business relationships with our tenants, public agencies, elected officials, and the community. Goal 6: Public Service
• Provide exceptional public service and transparency at all levels within the organization through effective leadership,
training, mentoring, and oversight. This promotes accountability, increased public trust, and a more efficient, effective, and public focused organization.
5-Year Objectives:
Objective E: Public and Civic Engagement Plan
• Strengthen communication and further develop close working relationships with stakeholders, business partners, and civic leaders § Collaborate with business partners and stakeholders through increased engagement, communication, and participation.
The District also held its second public workshop in December 2021 to discuss its accomplishments and challenges over the past two years and to develop ideas for changes to our long-term goals and 5-year objectives. At our February 2 meeting, stakeholders will have a chance to see the ideas that were developed from that meeting with proposed changes to the District’s mission statement, long-term goals, and five-year objectives.
About Ventura Port District
The Ventura Port District is committed to providing a safe harbor that is an inviting inclusive seaside destination and gateway to the Channel Islands National Park, with exceptional facilities for fishers, boaters, residents, and visitors. For more information, visit venturaharbor.com.
It is now more important than ever for local governments (including special districts) to be open and accessible to the public. The Special District Leadership Foundation’s Transparency Challenge showcases the many steps districts take to show they are available and transparent to their constituents and customers. Learn more at https://www.sdlf.org/home
Jim Markman Roxanne Diaz Ginetta Giovinco Craig Steele Dave Fleishman
Representing California public agencies for over sixty years.
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LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO ORANGE COUNTY TEMECULA CENTRAL COAST SACRAMENTO
The Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) recognizes Pebble Beach Community Services District (District) as one of the ten 2021 SDLF Transparency Challenge winners! The District shares about the process and the benefits of this transparency recognition below.
The application process was straightforward thanks to the diligent record keeping Pebble Beach Community Services District maintains. Because our District has applied previously, we knew what requirements had to be met. Additionally, the idea of the Transparency Certificate is that all the requirements should always be available to the public. Compiling such requirements listed in the application was therefore almost effortless because our District maintains a spirit of transparency at the forefront of the public work we do.
As mentioned in our Transparency application, the District values being a consecutive recipient of the Transparency Certificate of Excellence because it confirms that the District’s efforts on transparent governance are effective. We strive for demonstrating the highest spirit of full disclosure and transparency and we commit to being stewards of good governance for the residents of Pebble Beach and all public looking in at our community. The residents have entrusted the District to always operate ethically, and it is our duty and honor as public servants to meet and exceed these high levels of accountability.
The achievement would be shared with our community through the District’s Newsletter, and it would also be published in the District’s website. Other places where the recognition could be displayed is at our monthly board meetings and at our Pebble Beach Community Services District Annual Open House.
From the staff level, the list of the Transparency Certificate of Excellence requirements can be used as an additional form of check – and – balance, ensuring that our performance in providing public services to the Pebble Beach residents is ethical, open, and available.
About Pebble Beach Community Services District
Pebble Beach Community Services District (“PBCSD”) is a local government organized on July 1, 1982, under the Community Services District Law (Section 61000 et seq, Government Code) by merger of the Pebble Beach Sanitary District and the County Service Area 42. The District provides the following services:
• Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services • Supplemental Law Enforcement • Wastewater Collection and Treatment • Recycled Water Distribution • Garbage Collection, Disposal, and Recycling
Undergrounding of Overhead Utilities For more information, visit pbcsd.org.
