26 minute read
Movers and Shakers
Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously appointed Kyle Swanson as the new CEO/general manager for the District. Swanson’s tenure as CEO/ general manager began on June 2, 2022, following the retirement of prior CEO/ general manager Allen Carlisle. Swanson has over 20 years of water industry experience with a focus on operations and project management. He joined the Padre Dam team in 2013 as distribution maintenance manager in the operations department and was promoted to assistant operations manager soon after. In 2018, Kyle was promoted to director of advanced water purification. During his time in that role, he lead the entire AWP team through major milestones that have moved the $950 million East County Advanced Water Purification Program forward into the construction phase it is now entering. Most recently he has served as the District’s assistant general manager for the last nine months. Palmdale Water District (PWD) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Scott Kellerman, co-owner of Antelope Valley Harley-Davidson, is the new Director representing Division 1. One of two residents who applied for the position, Director Kellerman was appointed by the Board to fill the position left vacant by a former director who moved out of state. His term will expire in November 2024. The Board members who voted 4-0 to appoint Director Kellerman praised his business acumen and his involvement in the community.
Kyle Swanson
Scott Kellerman
For the past 15 years, Director Kellerman has been an active member of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Boosters. Currently, he is the president of the California Harley-Davidson Dealers Association. He was encouraged by his fellow community leaders to get involved in his first political position.
Congratulations to the new Cambria Community HCD District Administrator Tim Benes (pictured on the left)! He is the Tim Benes current operations manager. The outgoing administrator Mike McDonough (pictured on the right) has been a great person to work with and a real advocate for his district. He’s leaving to run another special district in East Texas! Metropolitan Water District of Southern California names Liji Thomas as first-ever Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. We welcome her as she creates new policies and drives reforms to existing policies and practices that foster and institutionalize a culture of equity and inclusion at Metropolitan.
Liji Thomas
Congratulations to Port of Hueneme CEO Kristin Decas for being selected as one of “50 Women in Business” in the “Editor’s Choice - Kristin Decas Public Sector” category, by the Pacific Coast Business Times! Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (pictured left) recognized the outstanding Mary
Anne Rooney
(pictured right) with Mary Anne Rooney the AD 44 Woman of the Year award! She currently serves on the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Hueneme and is a member of the Economic Development Committee for the American Association of Port Authorities. In addition, Mary Anne is a co-founder of Nyland Promise, a local non-profit that serves the unmet needs of residents in Nyland Acres. This is just a partial list of her service to our communities. Turlock Irrigation District was awarded the Climate Registered Gold status by The Climate Registry. TID has a diverse generation portfolio including large and small hydroelectric, solar, and wind facilities. In 2020, more than 63% of TID retail load was from carbon-free resources.
Do you have movers and shakers in your districts to highlight?
Send to CSDA Communications Specialist Vanessa Gonzales at vanessag@csda.net for consideration in this section and in CSDA eNews.
Civility Matters
By Melissa Kuehne, Program Manager, Institute for Local Government
In a recent ILG survey of local agency leaders, more than 54% of respondents reported an increase in hostility, divisiveness, bad behavior, and misconduct in their public meetings over the past two years.
Representative participation and open and transparent meetings are the foundation of our democracy. If left unchecked, this increased vitriol and incivility threaten to weaken that foundation. This leaves many local officials and staff asking the same question: “How do we maintain, and encourage, public access and participation while ensuring the safety of elected officials, staff, and community members?”
Civility Matters
The type and tenor of discourse in public meetings has far-reaching effects. Negative comments can derail and prolong board meetings, erode trust, and impact the board’s ability to conduct the public’s business.
“Most of our board meetings are civil, and even people who might be upset about something usually conduct themselves with decorum. Occasionally, we do get someone who takes their three-minutes of public comment time to berate, belittle and insult. I find it sad that people feel the need to do that. I can tell you, I listen much more closely to a reasoned, impassioned argument than I do when someone stoops to name calling and vitriol,” said Gregg Fishman, board member, Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Incivility in public meetings and other aspects of public service can also impact a district’s ability to attract and retain talent. In an informal survey conducted by the International City/County Management Association, 25% of respondents indicated they had left public service because of the lack of civility. Without
Civility starts talented staff, districts will not be able to provide the level of service our with us. As leaders we communities need and have come to are role models for expect. Without high-quality staff, districts will not be able to tackle the our staff and for our range of complex and ever-changing issues facing local government.community. How we There are growing fears that operate sets the stage continued negative discourse could for the public is going also discourage broad community engagement with local governments. to engage with us – at The general public may be less board meetings, at inclined to participate in meetings that frequently turn negative or violent. public workshops, and This could result in boards only hearing in the community. from a very vocal minority of their community, who may not represent the Don Bartz, general manager, thoughts, feelings, or preferences of Phelan and Piñon Hills CSD the community as a whole. In addition, special districts rely on ratepayers for revenue. Special districts must build and maintain trust with their customers and residents to ensure that district programs and proposals are supported by key stakeholders.
Improving Civil Discourse: Codes of Conduct
While there is no simple solution for improving civility overnight, there are several actions local governments can take to incrementally improve public discourse. For starters, remember that local officials are role models and should act accordingly. To encourage and model civility, elected leaders can: • collaborate and operate as a team. • demonstrate honesty and integrity in every action. • prioritize strengthening relationships and building trust. • accept personal responsibility. • focus on civil discourse; disagree agreeably and professionally. • work for the common good, not personal interest. • attack the problem, never the person. • be open-minded and embrace diverse points of view. • strive for a win-win; work toward consensus and seek common ground. • practice active listening. • think about shared values and find common ground.
Some local governments have identified shared values and created a set of agreed-upon norms with a documented civility policy, code of conduct, or rules of decorum. These documents set expectations for how the board will visibly model the kind of behavior it expects from the public. ILG has compiled a list of sample codes and policies for local officials online. Some common elements in these policies include variations of the following expectations: • Treat everyone courteously. • Be inclusive. • Show respect. • Exercise self-control. • Take responsibility. • Give consideration to all viewpoints. • Focus on the issues and avoid personalizing debate. • Disagree agreeably and professionally.
These policies can include a section outlining appropriate and inappropriate public behavior; like specific provisions against conduct by meeting attendees that could provoke violent or riotous behavior or disturb the orderly management of the meeting. Examples of negative conduct may include physical or verbal threats, vulgar or boisterous language, refusing to abide by time limits, throwing objects, or other disorderly conduct. Adopting an official policy for all attendees can also allow for enforcement measures such as warnings, ejections from meetings, or even suspension from government buildings. continued on page 20
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Improving Civil Discourse: Proactively Engaging the Community and Providing Clarity About Engaging in Public Meetings
While many board meetings may have little community participation, rate actions and other controversial items may draw large, and very actively engaged, audiences. Providing opportunities for community engagement and input outside of standard board meetings can potentially offset the volume of public comments received in official board meetings. Consider employing different public engagement efforts for the community to provide feedback and be heard on hot button issues. Approaches such as town halls, coffee chats, surveys, websites, information sessions, and emails can allow for an additional, broader range of public input.
“There are a lot of laws and rules that mandate how we run our board meetings. It is important not only that we as local leaders understand the boundaries and nuances of the law, but also equally important that we communicate those parameters to the community so they have a clearer picture of when and how they can share ideas, feedback, and comments,” said Don Bartz, general manager, Phelan and Piñon Hills CSD.
Districts also have some flexibility when it comes to managing public comment. Districts may want to consider the following tips to manage the full public comment process, particularly for more controversial issues. • Set parameters for how officials engage during public comment – work with the board secretary and legal counsel to understand in advance what board members can and cannot say • Clearly define how public comment will be managed and state it at the beginning of the meeting, and before the public comment section(s) of the agenda • Publicly explain the transparency reasons for public comments, especially with regard to what board members can and cannot respond to • Be consistent with commenter speaking times • Set consistent ground rules about applause, boos, etc. • Allow groups to speak as one using a designated speaker • Attempt to diffuse angry speakers using active listening techniques
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Improving Civil Discourse: Meeting Design
If a community decides to hold a public workshop, there are several key logistical items related to meeting design that should be considered before and during the meeting to limit grandstanding and provide space for more balanced conversations.
Before the workshop: • Be strategic about meeting design. Consider the room setup and ways to incorporate small and large group discussions, different ways to provide input, or real-time polling. • Clearly define the roles of staff and elected officials. • Establish a clear facilitation and governance process in advance. Discuss how decisions, if applicable, will be made, determine who will lead the meeting, and identify any follow-up activities or engagement opportunities that will need to be shared. • Consider language access and accessibility needs to ensure that key stakeholders can participate in the process.
Addressing this early will minimize attendee frustration. • Understand hot button issues in advance. • Draft and rehearse sample verbal prompts or scripts for all agency representatives that address various scenarios in advance so that electeds and staff can be prepared for
challenging topics. During the workshop: • Manage expectations. Explain the process, meeting design, and timelines, including how community feedback will be used and how participants can remain engaged throughout the process. This will reduce the uncertainty of nonparticipation. • Publicly clarify the roles and responsibilities of staff and elected officials so that participants know which district officials can address which issues. • Offer multiple formats for public comment. Some participants may not be comfortable providing verbal comments, so consider surveys, notecards, or other options for nonverbal feedback. • Take breaks as needed to reset. This strategy may help defuse tense situations. • Consider using a neutral facilitator to lead the meeting — an expert that does not have a stake in the outcome of the meeting.
Since board meetings are regulated by the Brown Act, elected officials and staff have limited options when changing the format of meetings and responding to public comments. However, there are still options to consider when officiating a board meeting. continued on page 22
• Agree on a process in advance. Does each board member have an option to speak on every agenda item? Does your district use Robert’s Rules of Order or Rosenberg’s Rules of
Order? Do you have a code of conduct that the board and community are expected to abide by? How are those rules enforced? • Manage expectations. Residents may not understand all the intricacies of the local government decision-making process. When possible, explain engagement opportunities and the limitations elected leaders may have when responding. • Make sure your chair understands the meeting format, process, and options. • Be thoughtful and deliberative; use scripts as appropriate to ensure an accurate, respectful, and courteous response. • Take a break if things get heated and only use ejection as a last resort. • Consistently enforce your code of conduct or civility policy.
While there is no easy solution to the increase in incivility and harassment, it is important to remain committed to finding ways to increase civility, build bridges, and design a governance model that reinforces positive and equitable outcomes for the district and the community.
As John F. Kennedy said, “Let us begin anew — remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof…Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”
ILG Resources to Help Your District
As CSDA’s affiliate, the Institute for Local Government offers resources and training to help special districts operate more effectively as a team and better engage with each other, district staff, and the community. When it comes to improving civility, ILG offers resources on responsibilities and powers, decision-making, effective meetings, and community engagement. Visit ILG’s leadership and public engagement web pages for more information about these opportunities.
Leading Local Webinar Series Highlights Ways to Decrease Divisiveness
Although trust in local government remains higher than in other levels of government, divisiveness and partisanship have
become increasingly prevalent in local communities as well, which if left unchecked, can threaten public trust. As a result, many local officials are looking for tools to address this issue in a way that is authentic and effective. ILG has embarked on a new partnership with Braver Angels, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. Together, ILG and Braver Angels are co-hosting a new training series to help local government leaders better interact with the public and each other to foster productive and respectful conversations. The trainings are part of ILG’s Leading Local webinar series and will include at least three sessions covering topics such as: •Communication skills for bridging the partisan divide. •Depolarizing from within and how to intervene in polarizing conversations. •Managing difficult conversations with constituents and colleagues. Providing opportunities for community engagement and The training series is being offered input outside standard city council meetings can potentially free of charge, but space is limited offset the volume of public comments received in official and registration is required. council meetings.
TIERS Public Engagement Framework and Training
ILG’s TIERS framework provides a step-by- step framework that will help local governments master the public engagement process and build trust in their community. This training helps operationalize outreach and engagement efforts in a more sustainable and collaborative way and provides with resources and digital tools to authentically engage the community. This comprehensive training is open to any local government agency in California and can apply to a variety of ongoing public engagement initiatives ranging from budgeting to infrastructure, to climate resilience and disaster preparedness. Find out more at www.ca-ilg.org/TIERS. ILG can also customize tailored training sessions and private, facilitated discussions for jurisdictions throughout the state. Whether your team is struggling with maintaining civility in public meetings, expanding public engagement or is looking to go from good to great collaboration amongst your board, ILG can help you meet those goals. Sessions are offered in both virtual and in-person formats. For more information about how ILG can help increase civility and effective communications in your community, contact Melissa Kuehne at mkuehne@ca-ilg.org.
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Ayanna Castro
Being Extraordinary: It’s An Inside Job
By Vanessa Gonzales, CSDA Communications Specialist
Ayanna Castro is a global speaker, life coach and author with expertise in helping others see their potential and overcome self-imposed obstacles in pursuit of their goals. As the Founder and Chief Maven of Work Your Package™, her mission is to educate, encourage, and equip others to enhance what they already have to become the “total package” and be extraordinary.
Ayanna’s inspiring, truthful and transparent approach has made her the “unconventional” but necessary member on her client’s personal board of directors. Known for her perfect balance of guidance, support, and hard truths, she is the “goto” person for those embarking on new ventures or who have lost clarity on their goals.
California Special Districts asked Ayanna to share her background, and what led her to become a life coach, speaker, and author. “My background is pretty eclectic,” she shared. Originally from New York, Ayanna majored in Deviant Behavior and Social Control and had a minor in Forensic Psychology. With a law enforcement intensive focus, she initially aspired to be a warden at a correctional facility. “I wanted to create a space where people actually left rehabilitated; I thought I could have an impact on people going back to society being whole and full,” said Ayanna. But after five different lockdowns in a year, she quickly changed her mind! Ayanna went into social work and found satisfaction improving the quality of life for others, but ultimately found that to be too emotionally challenging. She pivoted to become an administrative professional. This gave her insight and the foundation for how to lead up. “I was fortunate to have a great manager who I could say to: ‘corner offices do not give you confidence, compassion, or common sense,’ and I tell every manager I work with the same thing: ‘Yes, you have this gorgeous office, but it won’t give you confidence, compassion, or common sense,’” said Ayanna. It made sense and got them thinking and allowed her to provide the space to brainstorm ideas, give them confidence, and help them build compassion and empathy. This is what makes Ayanna a great coach. “I don’t sugar coat things; I’m not a baker!” Ayanna joked. She worked for this manager for six years then was tasked with a special assignment in the general manager’s office for six months. The experience was essentially a crash course MBA. She was given high visibility, high-level projects, and was put in rooms, meetings, and places that pushed her out of her comfort zone. She was promoted and returned to the communications office as a project manager for one of the largest projects her company had seen - their centennial project. This was a four-year project that enabled her to solidify many of the skills she now has, including planning, public speaking, team building, creating collective community. Ayanna climbed the ladder in many roles - corporate event planner, employee engagement specialist, and most recently program engagement manager and HR specialist.
Her career has come full circle, but always with a focus on improving the lives of others. Her goal is to foster an experience the employees brag about to their friends, family, and neighbors – sharing that it’s a great company that attracts others. She helps employees navigate and gain self-confidence in their skills and abilities. The best compliment she received from a client was, “Ayanna will completely hurt your feelings but comes with a band-aid of love and solutions that make it all better!”
2022 CSDA Board Secretary / Clerk Conference
Keynote Speaker Ayanna Castro speaking on “Being Extraordinary: It’s An Inside Job.” Don’t miss this opening keynote on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – register at csda.net or scan the QR Code!
CSDA Board Secretary / Clerk Conference attendees are in for a treat this November! Not only is she a motivating life coach and keynote speaker, but she has first-hand experience working in local government. She is still currently working for one of the largest water utilities, WSSC Water, which serves 1.8 million customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. We asked Ayanna to share a little more about her role, and for advice for our special district members. “Relationship is key. Even if not directly related to your industry, having those relationships before you need them is very helpful,” said Ayanna. “In my area, we have a strong relationship with the state highway because sometimes we must shut down roads for water line breaks. We have strong relationships with the electric and gas companies since sometimes our paths will cross - so have these strong relationships before the catastrophe happens.”
Ayanna uses the term ‘maven’ to define herself. She said, “A maven is someone who collects information for the sole purpose of dispensing it to others to make their lives better. They may not need it at that moment, but they have it for someone for later.” That’s what Ayanna does with her wealth of knowledge and information. She gave the example of her therapist having her do an enneagram analysis so she signed up for courses to get certified in it as this could be powerful tool. Sure enough, she used this for teams with very new staff, and it was eye opening for them to learn about the dynamics of their team. Ayanna is a maven; if there is something that can help somebody, she is going to dig into it and really learn about it.
Work Your Package™ – this is her catch phrase. She explained, “Work Your Package” started off being a very superficial way to compliment women in the office who were feeling down. People started saying it to each other, and one of her girlfriends who was down about gaining 50 pounds after having her baby shared that her husband told her, “Put your shoes on and work your package!” Ayanna realized then that this was bigger than an uplifting compliment to co-workers. “Anything you need to do that you’re supposed to do, you already have it,” she said. “You are the total package. It’s YOU. That’s it. What you bring to the table is yours to bring.” Ayanna enjoys helping people discover their own natural gifts and talks about purpose. “Purpose will define the direction that you go; purpose helps you keep straight on the path when you need the why behind it all,” said Ayanna.
Ayanna will be sharing more at the Board Secretary/Clerk Conference in Monterey, including the four pillars of Work Your Package™: 1. listening to the birdie 2.having a personal board of directors 3.managing your 168 4.having a plan
She will also be teaching on the topic of “Coach, Mentor and Sponsor – do you need them all?” Spoiler alert: The answer is YES! Ayanna is so excited to come out to the west coast with us on November 8, 2022!
More About Ayanna
Ayanna has degrees in Deviant Behavior and Social Control and Business Administration. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP), and Master Life Coach with over 25 years of professional experience in city/local government, law, public relations, private equity, and media. She is also certified in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. She is currently the Program Manager of Employee Engagement for one of the country’s largest water utilities and is responsible for enterprise-wide programs to DEIB, recognition, appreciation, and corporate philanthropic giving. She has authored two books, “Work Your Package – A Guide to Being the Total Package“ and “Lessons from Wednesday”.
OCMVCD Leveraging Artificial Intelligence with Nearmap for Mosquito Breeding Pool Detection
By Luan Ngo, Information Technology Manager, Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD/District) was established in 1947 with the goal of controlling mosquitoes and protecting residents from mosquitoborne diseases. Orange County has transitioned from an agricultural community with 200,000 residents when the District was formed to today, where a thriving local economy supports more than 3 million residents who call Orange County home. As the County has expanded, so have the mission and goals of OCMVCD. The mission of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District is to educate and protect Orange County from vectors and prevent vectorborne diseases in an environmentally responsible manner.
One of the many challenges facing vector control districts is the need to identify mosquito breeding sources on private properties. Out-of-service swimming pools and backyard fountains can breed millions of mosquitoes, causing biting pressure for neighbors as well as the potential for disease transmission, such as West Nile virus.
The District often relies on residents reporting a large presence of mosquitoes in their neighborhood. Many times these reports lead vector control inspectors to locate and identify a wide variety of breeding sources, including out of service swimming pools, fountains, uncovered boats, and other areas of concern. However, because inspectors cannot inspect every property in the county and because residents do not always report mosquito issues, the District has attempted a variety of methods to surveil backyard mosquito breeding sources.
For years, vector control districts have hired pilots to fly over their service areas and take high-resolution photos that are then downloaded, catalogued, and identified as a potential breeding source. This process is time consuming and costly. There has to be a better way!
As a proactive solution, OCMVCD joined with seven additional vector control agencies and entered into a contract partnership with Nearmap, an aerial imagery company that combines aerial imaging with AI (artificial intelligence). Nearmap has provided vector control districts throughout California with cost effective, timely, and more importantly, accurate aerial imagery that identifies hard to find mosquito breeding sources.
While aerial imagery has been around for decades, Nearmap provides new opportunities and tools for vector control districts, including up to three surveillance flights annually, highresolution three-inch imagery, and artificial intelligence that detects and categorizes property details including swimming pools, bodies of water, roofs, tree lines, and asphalt. Nearmap also provides a side-by-side comparison showing current as well as historical imagery. This feature allows vector control staff to make informed decisions. An additional benefit is the seamless integration to other programs including Google Earth, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Desktop, and other thirdparty solutions through API. This allows Nearmap to be integrated easily within an agency’s existing software systems.
Often, when the public reports mosquito concerns, the mosquito breeding sources are not within the immediate vicinity. A breeding source can be several houses away where a neglected pool or other water source can be a hotbed for breeding mosquitoes.
Artificial Intelligence is a game changer in helping agencies work
smarter. By leveraging computer processing power to perform mundane tasks, it frees up staff hours to focus on more specialized duties. In its current capacity, the AI pool detection program is impressively accurate. However, with additional collaboration among agencies, it is expected that the Nearmap program will provide an even more detailed look at potential breeding sources, helping vector control agencies find more breeding spots while lowering the threat of vector-transmitted disease. The partnership between Nearmap and the eight vector control agencies will provide a more integrated and cost-effective approach to addressing a long-standing dilemma – how to identify breeding locations cheaply and accurately and in a timely manner. At its full potential, AI will continue to evolve, improve, and perform the majority of the complex analysis. This includes vetting pool conditions and allowing agencies the ability to reduce the many long hours needed to review the data manually. AI will also allow for faster and more responsive turnaround times, and with improved customer service.
The Nearmap data will also be utilized and integrated into the District’s Murky Pool Letter program. This program notifies residents of their responsibility to prevent mosquito breeding on their property, and what steps need to be taken to achieve this goal. The program places the responsibility onto those residents who have been identified as having problematic pools, ponds and fountains. This letter requires residents to provide photo evidence of their in-service pool or water feature by submitting photographic verification to OCMVCD through email or text. Residents who fail to respond to the notice will have an inspector perform an onsite visit for inspection, and when appropriate,treatment. The photo captured in the letter provides concrete photographic evidence of the property and the condition the pool at the time the photo was taken. The District has experienced as much as 80% reduction in the number of property visits as a result of this program. Nearmap is just one of many examples of how technology and advances in AI can help benefit our lives and allow us to work smarter and not harder. With the ever-changing technological landscape, OCMVCD will continue to evaluate how new innovations and technologies can help the District and other agencies improve public services.
