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Executive Director’s Message
Executive Director’s Message
by Carolyn Coleman
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The Evolution of Western City Magazine:
Extending the Voice and Vision of California Cities
January 2021 will mark the beginning of a new era for Western City magazine. The 121-year-old publication will evolve into an alldigital experience at westerncity.com starting Jan. 1, 2021.
Pacific Municipalities was launched in 1899 as “a monthly review of municipal problems and civic improvements” and rebranded as Western City magazine in 1932. With a circulation of nearly 10,000, Western City offers articles with practical ideas and information for city officials, as well as features and in-depth series on policy issues and trends.
A lot has changed since the magazine launched more than a century ago and in order to continue to provide League members with valuable content and a high-quality reader experience, the League is streamlining the distribution channels and expanding the ways readers can interact with the Western City content. I am excited to be part of this new chapter of Western City magazine. The quality of the ideas, the vision, and the content remains at the heart of the editorial development, but how we deliver that quality must evolve with the digital age, providing not only relevant, but timely and increasingly engaging material.
Printed issues of Western City magazine are currently mailed to elected city officials and city department heads as a complimentary service of League membership. The magazine is also mailed to California state legislators, key policy-makers, and opinion leaders, and a small group of paying subscribers.
In the past decade, print advertising revenues in the U.S. have dropped from $20.6 billion in 2012 to $12.1 billion last year. Western City, which is heavily dependent on print ad revenues to cover its production costs, has also experienced the same trend in print ad advertising sales. By taking Western City to an online-only
format, the magazine will eliminate design, print, and mailing costs and be less reliant on print advertising to produce the valued content that city leaders turn to.
While print advertising sales across the country have steadily trended downward, digital ad revenues have doubled since 2015, providing Western City an opportunity for digital ad revenue growth and a path to support expanded content and features on a digital-only platform. A digital-only format also reduces the carbon footprint associated with printing, mailing, and disposing of hard copies.
Another reality that factored into our decision to transition to an online-only publication now was the decision by the magazine’s longtime Managing Editor Jude Hudson Lemons not to renew her contract with the League for 2021. Jude shepherded the production of Western City magazine over the last 24 years, and her love for the magazine, the League, and our members will be missed. The League’s Director of Communications and Marketing Jill Oviatt takes over as the magazine’s managing editor effective Dec. 1.
The lead time required for online stories is also greatly decreased compared to printed magazine articles, allowing for more timely pieces that can better align with time-sensitive issues facing our cities. The powerful foundation that Western City has built over the last century positions the magazine perfectly to transform and evolve into a more interactive version of itself that will inspire its audience in new ways.
From the Mailbox to the Inbox
While city officials have grown accustomed to finding Western City in their physical mailbox, starting in January, a link to the magazine will now arrive each month in city officials’ electronic mailbox, with a summary of what you’ll find in the issue.
Diverse perspectives, legal analyses, insights from legislators and experts, features on local government policy, process, and fiscal issues, commentary by League leadership, and individual city success stories demonstrating how #LocalWorks in California — it will all be available at your fingertips, wherever you are.
This evolution is a natural next step for Western City, extending its voice and vision, which will ultimately include increased video and social content. The League will continue to invest in this valuable resource for city officials to ensure it continues to reflect our cities of today and of tomorrow. ■
1400 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 658-8200; Fax (916) 658-8240
Magazine Staff
Editor in Chief
Jill Oviatt (916) 658-8228; email: joviatt@cacities.org
Managing Editor
Jude Lemons, Citrus 3 Communications (916) 658-8234; email: editor@westerncity.com
Contributing Editor
Kayla Woods (916) 658-8213; email: kwoods@cacities.org
Business and Creative Manager
Amanda Cadelago (916) 658-8226; email: acadelago@cacities.org
Advertising Sales
Cici Trino Association Outsource Services, Inc. (916) 961-9999; email: cicit@aosinc.biz
Administrative Assistant
Savannah Cobbs (916) 658-8223; email: scobbs@cacities.org
Contributors
Melissa Kuehne Alison Leary Corrie Manning Jennifer Whiting
Associate Editors
Carol Malinowski Carolyn Walker
Design
Taber Creative Group
Advertising Design
ImagePoint Design For photo credits, see page 17.
Western City (ISSN 0279-5337) is published monthly by the League of California Cities, 1400 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814. Subscriptions: $39.00/1 year; $63.00/2 years; student: $26.50; foreign: $52.00; single copies: $4.00, including sales tax. Entered as periodical mail January 30, 1930, at the Post Office, Los Angeles, CA 90013, under the Act of April 13, 1879. Periodical postage paid at Sacramento, Calif.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Western City, 1400 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Western City Trademark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. ©2020 League of California Cities. All rights reserved. Material may not be reprinted without written permission. This issue is Volume XCVI, No. 12.
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President
Cheryl Viegas Walker Council Member El Centro
First Vice President
Cindy Silva Council Member Walnut Creek
Second Vice President
Ali Sajjad Taj Mayor Artesia
Immediate Past President
John F. Dunbar Mayor Yountville
For a complete list of the League board of directors, visit www.cacities.org/board.
leaguevents
Executive Director
Carolyn Coleman
December
7, 9, and 11 Municipal Finance Institute, Virtual Event
This conference provides essential information for city officials and staff involved in fiscal planning for municipalities.
10 Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar, Virtual Event
This virtual event features a department business meeting and a session of importance to city fire service professionals.
11 Board of Directors Meeting, Virtual Event
The League board reviews, discusses, and takes action on a variety of issues affecting cities, including legislation, legal advocacy, education and training, and more.
17 and 18 City Clerks New Law & Elections Seminar, Virtual Event
The seminar covers laws affecting elections as well as other aspects of clerks’ responsibilities.
January 2021
14–15 Policy Committee Meetings, Virtual Event
The League’s policy committees review issues of interest to cities statewide and make recommendations to the League board of directors.
21–22 & 28–29 New Mayors & Council Members Academy, Virtual Event
This vitally important training prepares newly elected officials for the demands of office and introduces them to the legal constraints on city councils.
22 Legal Advocacy Committee Meeting, Virtual Event
The committee reviews and recommends friend-of-the-court efforts on cases of significant statewide interest to California cities.
Event and registration information is available at www.cacities.org.
For legislative and policy updates and more, follow @CaCities. Follow Western City @WesternCityMag. Join us on Facebook. www.facebook.com/westerncity www.facebook.com/LeagueofCaCities
Fostering civic engagement and involving residents in collectively solving local challenges is at the core of what city leaders strive to do. Each year, the National Civic League recognizes 10 communities that have excelled in engaging residents in innovative, inclusive, and effective efforts to successfully address local issues. In August, Rancho Cucamonga was honored with a 2020 All-America City Award from the National Civic League. The only city in California to receive this prestigious award, Rancho Cucamonga was recognized for promoting inclusive civic engagement to address health and well-being in the community. Through the city’s ongoing efforts, it has created stronger connections among residents, businesses, nonprofits, and government leaders that have improved the quality of life. “We are ecstatic to be recognized by the National Civic League and honored to be added to the list with the other current and prior prestigious All-America City Award recipients,” said Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael. In 2008, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council established the Healthy RC initiative to interconnect planning, programs, Children play in Los Amigos Park, left, and residents discuss proposed improvements
Rancho Cucamonga: 2020 All-America City Winner One of 10 cities honored and the only city in California to make the list
by Jill Oviatt
in Etiwanda Heights. policies, and partnerships to better promote community health and equity. Through comprehensive outreach and engagement, Healthy RC has successfully converted unused spaces into parks designed by residents, reduced stigmas around mental health, and engaged residents in important land-use decisions.
“As a city with a history of over 40 years of community planning and a long-standing commitment to improving the health, wellness, and equity of all our residents through Healthy RC, we are grateful for the recognition this brings to our many community partners and invested community members,” added Michael. “We know that without their efforts we would not be here today.”
One challenge Rancho Cucamonga city leaders recognized was that residents in the southwest portion of the city — a predominantly Latino neighborhood — faced growing barriers to accessing healthy lifestyles as there were limited open spaces for recreation.
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A grant from the state Department of Parks and Recreation in 2011 enabled the city to design and build a 3.4-acre park. The city used a tailored approach to public engagement to ensure that residents who historically did not trust local government were involved in the design and planning process. To meet the needs of a majority bilingual population, all materials were translated into Spanish and design workshops were led by bilingual staff and held at various locations and times on multiple days to increase accessibility.
Parents provided input on the layout of the park and emphasized the importance of safety and visibility. The city intentionally engaged Rancho Cucamonga children, and students from Los Amigos Elementary School helped create an art mural that was later used as the park’s logo.
The park opened in 2017, and a year later, the city received an award of excellence in park planning and development from the California Parks and Recreation Society. Los Amigos Park — which includes a skate park, basketball court, playground, water misters, and outdoor fitness equipment — was truly built for the community, by the community.
Developing a Communitywide Culture to Reduce Mental Health Stigmas
Within the first two weeks of the 2018 school year, four Rancho Cucamonga students tragically died by suicide. As a result of the communitywide trauma and grief, Healthy RC conducted a comprehensive quality-of-life survey that indicated 57 percent of respondents who acknowledged a need for help did not seek it. In addition, one in three teens reported that they had attempted to harm themselves.
Healthy RC quickly formed a mental health subcommittee to destigmatize mental health challenges and remove barriers to accessing services. The subcommittee developed a bilingual “Your Mind Matters” digital and print campaign that targeted all segments of the community. The materials encourage residents to “Start the Conversation” and provide an extensive list of local mental health resources, including a 24-hour hotline.
Healthy RC youth leaders used their personal experiences to develop mental health awareness videos and help their peers understand that mental health challenges impact everyone. Youth leaders also worked with city staff to create an annual teen summit to provide high school students with a platform to be heard, connect with mental health resources, and listen to motivational speakers.
Healthy RC hosts quarterly community conversations on mental health, providing small group settings to help encourage dialogue and facilitate support. And all five local school districts provide suicide prevention and mental health first aid training to staff and offer workshops for students and parents.
A local gravel mine that had long been an eyesore closed in 2015, and the land became available for development. Rancho The city conducts quarterly community conversations on mental health, left, and residents celebrate at CommUNITY Paint Day.
Cucamonga partnered with the county to annex the land and develop a plan to transform the mining site into healthy, walkable neighborhoods and preserve thousands of acres for conservation.
To the city’s surprise, after staff presented the plan to the community, residents expressed disappointment with the lack of inclusion and wanted to participate in the planning process.
Rancho Cucamonga set aside the preliminary concepts and engaged the community in creating a new plan. City staff began by bringing blank maps to community workshops, representing a clean slate. Together, residents and staff crafted a strategy to develop the quarry into desired neighborhoods and preserve the natural elements of the foothills.
The city launched additional efforts, in both English and Spanish, that focused on meeting with residents in their communities. Nine pop-up outreach events engaged over 800 community members. Virtual workshops, surveys, and other digital engagement events were held to ensure that all residents had opportunities to receive information, ask questions, and provide feedback.
The resulting Etiwanda Heights Neighborhood and Conservation Plan articulates a vision for extensive conservation of the foothills and complete, walkable neighborhoods that reflects the area’s rural history and provides a range of housing opportunities.
Empowering Community Members to Help Solve Pressing Local Issues
Healthy RC began 12 years ago as a special project in which city staff reviewed local health statistics and compared the information with county data. Today, it is a comprehensive citywide initiative that fosters collaboration among municipal departments, community-based organizations, businesses, and residents.
“Rancho Cucamonga was chosen as an All-America City because its city leaders unite the community in collaboratively solving local problems and collectively working to improve quality of life,” said Doug Linkhart, president of the National Civic League. “The city’s civic engagement efforts show that they prioritize inclusion as they strive to make Rancho Cucamonga a stronger and healthier community.”
Rancho Cucamonga is tackling some of the most pressing local health and equity issues, and its inclusive and innovative Healthy RC initiative will pay dividends for years to come. ■
A Refresher on General Conflict-of-Interest Rules
by Thomas D. Jex and Denise S. Bazzano
We all need a reminder now and again. This is especially true with respect to ethical responsibilities regarding conflicts of interest for local elected officials. Because many cities have new council members after the November election, this article provides newly elected officials an overview of some of the key conflict-ofinterest rules under the Political Reform Act — and a refresher for more seasoned council members.
The general rule regarding conflicts under the Political Reform Act is that a public official is prohibited from making, participating in making, or attempting to use his or her position to influence a governmental decision if it is reasonably foreseeable that the decision could have a material financial effect on the official, the official’s immediate family, or on specified financial interests of the official, which are distinguishable from the effect on the public generally.
Although the laws related to conflicts of interest under the Political Reform Act are complex and require careful analysis of the facts and the applicable law, if you keep in mind the questions presented in this article and your financial interests (as well as those of your spouse and dependent children) when you are preparing for a meeting or conducting any duties as a
About Legal Notes
This column is provided as general information and not as legal advice. The law is constantly evolving, and attorneys can and do disagree about what the law requires. Local agencies interested in determining how the law applies in a particular situation should consult their local agency attorneys.
public official, it may be easier for you to identify potential conflicts.
Do I Have a Financial Interest in the Decision?
The following financial interests may trigger disqualification from participating in a particular governmental decision. If a public official has one or more of the listed financial interests, he or she should consult with agency counsel to determine whether or not to participate in the decision.
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